15 Marbles

Moments.Musings.Memories. ❤️Gathering little marbles from ordinary days and keeping them for our memory jar. ❤️

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  • Lakheri Trip-1

    If home is where the heart is,I have left pieces of my heart,in all the places that I have lived at.My memories of this world,start in Lakheri,a small town in Rajasthan.My dad grew up there and joined the cement factory,as a chemist.Its the one place he considers home..and I spent the first 9 years of my life,there.
    When I went to India,in October,2009..dad was really excited about taking Aadi to see his hometown and I agreed.I am in love with the place.This trip really was about reconnecting with the roots.
    So on 3rd Dec,we left for Lakheri(LKE) by the night train.We got to the Bandra terminus at 10PM and guess what the train is running more than 3 hours late.Killing 3 hours at home or even in the train or at the airport is alright..but at a crowded railway platform with a toddler in tow..nightmare!
    Fortunately,she didn’t think that way..she thought,it was just the place to run away and hide from mom and masi..giving them mini-panic attacks,every 5 minutes.My sister suggested,we go and get some munchies for her,to keep her occupied.But,my dad had disappeared..and we were stuck,gaurding the luggage.Oh and not to mention,bear all the lewd stares..It was sickening.

    Dad just has to disappear everytime,we are on the railway station and everytime the train stops at a station,he has to get down and look around.No wonder,he doesn’t like travelling by local trains.Anyway,after 3-4 calls,from sis,and threats of abandoning the luggage,he came back,with water and VadaPav.We then,went and got some munchies for Aadi.Somehow the 3 hours passed and the train arrived.We got in,found our seats.Only 2 seats were confirmed and 1 was on wait-list.Dad spoke to the TC and we got the third berth after around 6 AM.This was Aadi’s first train journey..and my dad booked the tickets atleast one and half month in advance..and all the trains were packed..we managed to get this reservation in 2nd AC.

    Ohh..in front of us,was a couple,who couldn’t keep their hands off each other and insisted on doing it on the lower berth.I am not a big fan of PDA,but I feel,to each its own..but it just got very embarassing..there was my dad,another old couple,my sis and aadi..and 1 more guy!And the funny thing is,they had a top berth..why not use that for your hanky-panky?Anyway,thank God they got off at 9 AM…I woke up to drink some water at 7 AM and they were ‘at it’ loudly! I almost gagged!

    The rest of the journey was quiet uneventful..Only my sister,had to sleep on the floor,till 6 AM.That and Aadi insisted on using the toilet!This girl,refused to use the clean toilet at my ILs and wanted to use the dirty Central Railway toilets!My heart was running faster than the train,everytime I took her to the toilet,because the door of the compartment was always open!

    We reached LKE at 3.30 pm and someone had come to pick us from the station.My dad and his family is very loved and respected in LKE.When we were younger,we used to call ourselves,’Princess’ of LKE.So,this ‘uncle R'(everybody is uncle,na) walked past my sister..ignored me,struggling with my bag and a clumpsy Aadi,insisting on pulling a bag,twice her size and went up to my dad,did the bent Namaste to him,and took the bag from him and walked off.Dad went with him,getting updates about everything under the sun..Sis rolled her eyes,and mouthed “Raja ji”..(My dad is like the uncrowned prince there!) .

    While in the train,I felt an Asthma attack coming on,but,didn’t pay too much attention.We had to climb up the huge staircase on the platform and I had to stop twice..I climbed up and had to sit down on the bridge before going forward.We got home..and I couldn’t even go from one room to another without huffing and puffing.Uncle R was summoned again and he and aunty M took me to the hospital.Aunty M lives in and takes care of my dad’s ancestral home.Our family and hers have known each other for more than 3 generations and she is a very important part of our family now.

    To be Continued

  • Kheema Gobhi

    Since moving to Australia,I am frustrated with the choice of vegetables available…Every week I go to the vegetable market and come back with the same stuff- cabbage,cauliflower,Eggplant,Beans..sometimes spinach.
    I am forever looking for new recipes to make these seem monotonous.
    So,when I saw Monika’s recipe for Kheema Gobhi,I had to try it..And we loved it.
    Inspired by Mon’s recipe..this is what I came up with-

    Ingredients-
    1/2 cauliflower-grated
    2 medium onion,fine chopped
    1 small tomato,chopped
    1 tsp chopped garlic
    1 cup peas
    1/2 tsp turmeric powder
    1 tsp red chili powder
    1 tsp dhania-jeera powder
    1 tsp-Kitchen King Masala(optional)
    Khada masala-(1 inch piece of cinammon,2-3 peppercorns,2-3 cloves,2 cardamom pods)
    salt to taste
    2 tsp oil for cooking.

    Method:

    Heat oil in a pan.Add the Khada Masala,when it starts to brown,add onions and fry till golden brown.
    Add garlic and stir for a 20-30 secs.
    Add tomatoes and let it cook for 3-4 minutes and then add peas.fry for 2-3 minutes,before adding the grated cauliflower.
    Add Cauliflower,and add the spices.Mix well.
    Add about 1.5 cups ofwater.Add salt.Bring it to a boil.Then lower the flame,cover and let it simmer,till desired consistency is achieved.
    Garnish with corriander leaves and onion rings.Serve hot with roti or rice,or even plain toasted bread with some shaved cheese!Dig in!

  • Three decades,three continents…

    …and five countries.
    Sonia commented on my Three-Oh Post,and wanted to know,where all I have stayed recently..Instead of answering her,I decided to turn it into a post..:D
    So,I was born in India..spent the first 9 years there
    Edited to add- Lakheri(Rajasthan),when I was 6 months old.Stayed there till I was 9 years and a few months old.May ’89- 7 months in Devlali..
    1990- just before my 10th birthday,my parents moved to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.So,I brought in my 10th birthday in a small town called Yanbu,in KSA.It was on the shore of the Red Sea.When we first moved there,and my parents told us,that it was the Red Sea,we were a little disappointed to see the normal clear water.We spent the next 2 and half years there and then,we moved back to India,as I was entering 8th grade and my parents were concerned about the education system in KSA.Since Yanbu was a small industrial town,there was no english medium school and the closest Indian Embassy school was a good 4 hours drive away.So,we were in Open School system.
    Anyway,the next few years,we were in India..7 years 3 different cities-Nasik,B’lore & Mumbai.The 20th birthday was brought in at Mumbai..with friends and family and there was no BF on the scene.
    I met DH a week before my 21st and we were married 2 months before my 24th.Then,we became wanderers..
    We left Mumbai in April’04 to move to Hyderabad.
    3 months later- August ’04- Hyderabad to Delaware,USA
    It was a short trip,just a pit-stop for 3 months,before,we moved on to our final destination,Toronto.
    Exactly one year later,just 2 days before our 1 year lease agreement ended,we moved on..And relocated to Delaware.
    6 months later,April’06- Delaware to Chicago.A lovely 2-day road trip..So much fun.
    September ’06- Chicago to Phoenix..Another road trip..this time a 3-day road trip..And I was 6 weeks pregnant,then.
    July ’07- Phoenix to Dallas..And yet another Road trip!(Yes we are road-crazy!) This time with a 3 month old.
    So far,our longest stay has been in Dallas…we were there for nearly 14 months.
    End of Sept ’08-we left from Dallas to spend a week in sunny Ca..
    1st Oct’08- Flew to Australia…And hopefully,we’ll stay put..[Anti-jinx] Brought in the 30th here,as you know.
    We just renewed our lease and I can’t tell you how excited that made me..This is the first time,since we got married that,we actually renewed our lease and even after safely crossing the one year mark,aren’t talking about packing or living in suitcases.
    Enough about me..you tell me how many times have you moved?So far..I know only one other person who’s moved so much!
    Oh and are you going to vote on my bedtime poll?

  • Obligatory Gift Dilema

    No No I am not talking about a gift that I received.I am talking about the gifts that we buy,for someone else.Every month we have 2-3 invites for DH’s Desi colleagues kids’ birthdays.More often than not,I don’t know these people and its like a first meeting of a kind.So,what do you buy for a kid you don’t know?sometimes,DH doesn’t even know the kid’s age or name..you know..if the invitation is extended in lunch hour..saying ki achcha come for my kid’s birthday tomorrow at so-and-so place. Or if you are invited to a colleagues home for an informal meetup with the team and spouses.
    Now,I love giving gifts ..but I am at a loss,when buying gifts for such occassions.I don’t want to bring wine to a non-drinker’s home or fit for a 3 yo gift to a 7 yo.So,mostly I ask DH to atleast check the child’s age or try to understand the hosts personality,by asking questions about him.The age he can find out(mostly)..on other occasions,he finds it too awkward to ask the parent..how old his/her child is turning!WHY?? I dont know!As for the occasional dinner,I have resorted to taking flowers or boxed candy.
    Now,as for the kids,I set a budget…say X amount for someone we barely know..to Y for someone DH/I like and know and may be Z (more than x+y) for a house warming or something. When,buying gifts for kids,I normally,stick to age appropriate gift.If I know the child personally then,depending on his or her likes or hobbies.Mostly its fine and sometimes,if I like a particular gift..I buy it,even if its a few dollars more than the budgetted X amount.
    But,what do you do,when you find a gift that was originally priced X(your budget) but is on a special sale with nearly 80% off? Do you buy it and pat yourself for finding a bargain or do you buy that discounted gift and also buy something for your child,and still have money left and look at yourself and say,’How Cheap?’
    This is the second time its happenned to me..and I don’t know what to do..The first time was way back in September.We got one of those kiddie birthday invitations and I went to buy a gift and found what I liked and at check-out,the price was in a single digit.And this month,for another last-minute invites,I went to buy a gift and it was originally priced at X amount..and because of some ongoing sale,I got it for more than 80% off!!
    The first time,I was too shocked and added some candy to the gift..to make up for the remainder of the X amount.This time,I just bought something else for Aadi.And even then,the total was not X..After finding the said present,we walked around,looking for something else,equally nicer for X amount..but everything else was more expensive,than X. So,we just bought this..after thinking and re-considering our decision over and over.But,like I pointed out to DH,if we had bought it last week,then we would have paid,full price!
    What would you have done,if you were in my place?