Jab Jab Dard Ka Baadal Chaaya

Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara was indeed a wonderful movie released last summer. One of the underrated parts of the movie was the amazing poetry penned by Javed Akhtar and recited by Farhan Akthar over the course of the film. The scenes where poems are recited in Farhans head in the midst of total silence (sitting on a boat after going diving, admiring the surroundings, driving away from the love of your life, around a campfire in the middle of the night) are the kind of scenes which we can all relate to in our lives, via different, often simple and unexpected experiences, and all have special significance for us for our own personal reasons.

My favorite poem from the movie was when Farhan is coming to terms with how cruel, and irresponsible his father was after meeting him for the first time. The poem is as follows:

Jab jab dard ka baadal chaya
Jab ghum ka saya lehraya
Jab aansoo palkon tak aya
Jab yeh tanha dil ghabraya

Humne dil ko yeh samjhaya
…Dil aakhir tu kyun rota hai
Duniya mein yunhi hota hai

Yeh jo gehre sannate hain
Waqt ne sabko hi baante hain
Thoda ghum hai sabka qissa
Thodi dhoop hai sabka hissa
Aankh teri bekaar hi nam hai
Har pal ek naya mausam hai
Kyun tu aise pal khota hai
Dil aakhir tu kyun rota hai

These days, I often listen to these words and try to tell myself that everything will be alright. Thank you Javedsaab for putting into words what I often think about, but fail to emote.

Restaurant Review: The Reef

The Reef
4172 Main Street
Vancouver, BC

The next new cuisine to try, after some thought, was Jamaican. In all honesty, I never realised that Caribbean folk had their own cuisine, and in fact, it is really a bit of a fusion between all the different ethnicities which inhabit the islands. However, I was glad that we went and explored these new tastes.

The specialty about Jamaican food is their use of 'Jerk' Marinade. Jerk Sauce is a garlicy, spicy marinade with a strong hint of ginger which is used to flavor most meat dishes which are served. Additionally you will find liberal helpings of Indian spices mixed into the cuisine, such a various curries, and Roti, which is often served on the side.

I ordered the 'Jamaican Bun' from the 'Special Tings' section of the menu, which was basically a chicken patty marinated in jerk sauce and served on a bun, along with coleslaw and plantain chips on the side. I particularly like the taste of the plaintain chips, as they were different from the french fries you usually get with a burger at most restaurants. We also managed to finish off a pitcher of rum punch between the two of us!

I liked this restaurant. The location is a bit far from campus, but the ambiance is warm and friendly, meant to replicate the Caribbean, and there is a DJ playing reggae music late into the night. The prices are not too bad, and of course, how can you say bad things about a restaurant which serves drinks with umbrellas in them? ;)

Location: 3/5
Service/Ambiance: 4/5
Food: 3.5/5

Restaurant Review: Vallartas Mexican Restaurant

Vallartas Mexican Restaurant
2991 E. Broadway
Vancouver, BC

Long time since I have blogged. Why you may ask? Well, I have spent a considerable amount of time EATING! :D More specifically, trying out new cuisines with a friend who shares the same interests...

Well, finally, after much searching, a good Mexican Restaurant has been found in Vancouver. I present to you, Vallartas Mexican Restaurant!

Vallartas is a family run, small restaurant, located at the corner of Broadway and Renfrew in Vancouver. While from the outside, the restaurant looks quite shady, and in fact, was a bit difficult to locate, since the signboard is not clearly visible, but this actually ads to the charm when you get inside.

Food is cooked by an elderly Latina woman and was served by her daughter. While the spoken English is a bit weak, the food is prepared and served with love. And what PORTIONS! I don't think I have been to restaurant which has been so generous with their serving sizes.

We ordered a bit much, not realising the portion sizes were so much... Quesadillas for appetizers, Chicken Burrito for my friend, and a Roasted Chicken Platter for me. Topped off with a Corona for good measure. In all honesty, we could have done without the appetizers, as ultimately, we were unable to finish our meals and took them home for lunch the next day.

Perhaps because of the individual attention given to each dish, and the authenticity of the restaurant, I really enjoyed the meal, and was happy to finally discover a place where you could get a decent Mexican meal in Vancouver. Considering the portion sizes, I would say that the prices are also quite reasonable.

Location: 2.5/5
Service/Ambiance: 3/5
Food: 4/5

Susu Kumar

Before the 2010 Commonwealth Games, New Delhi launched a civic pride campaign featuring two characters: ‘Susu Kumar’, and ‘Thuthu Kumar’. The intention was to try and admonish Delhiites against two public national pastimes… urinating in public, and spitting in public. This kind of behaviour is of course in no way limited to Delhi, and it is a common sight in ANY Indian city to see men lined up along the side of the road relieving themselves in public, or to see walls with red stains all over them due to Paan spit. But what to say, its just the ‘Indian’ way of doing things, and to suggest that the ‘Indian’ way of doing things is incorrect would be anti-national…

I recently had to make a trip to an Indian Courthouse to deal with some paperwork. I had drank a lot of water along the way, so as soon as I got to the Courthouse, I needed to go to the bathroom. I asked a gentleman working on the second floor where the facilities were, and he pointed to the far corner of the room. He gave me a funny look, as it seemed as if I was the first person who had ever bothered to ask him the question. I walked into the bathroom, and hastily staggered out. The stench was absolutely unbearable, and it seemed as if no one had bothered to clean the toilet or urinal in weeks. Same story on the first floor… now what to do? My bladder was about to explode…

I walked outside hoping that there might be a clean toilet somewhere, and of course I found one. Of the open air variety. Public urination is the great Indian equalizer. Judges, advocates and peons alike were lined up along the side of the courthouse doing their business. And of course, Sudip joined in… I really didn’t have a choice. I never in a thousand years could imagine the same scene going on in Vancouver. I just can’t see myself standing alongside a Provincial Judge on Howe Street in front of a Government building taking a wizz…

58% of the worlds public performing public defecation lives in India. To compare against other countries, 54% of Indias population performs public defecation vs 4% for China. 60% of Ethiopias population performs public defecation. So while India strives to compete alongside China, it follows hygienic practises at par with a famine stricken African nation… no doubt India will one day be a superpower, but at this rate, it will have the dubious honor of being the worlds filthiest superpower.

Certainly, one can rightly argue that part of the reason for the unacceptably high rates is due to a lack of facilities, especially in rural areas. A nations true progress can be judged based on the provision of basic facilities being made easily available to all levels of society. However, what the public also needs to realise is that is responsible for changing its attitudes at the same time. Where facilities are available, they should be used, and they should be properly maintained so that they remain useable. No one wants to use a toilet where the previous user didn't bother to flush. Its a question of self-respect, civic pride, and public health. Its time for the 'Susu' Kumars to become 'Swasthya' Kumars, India!

9/11 in Retrospect

9/11 is a phrase which just needs to be said, and not explained. I still remember this day, 10 years ago, napping on the Skytrain, on the way to my classes at UBC, blissfully unaware of the horror that was unfolding on the other side of the continent. I heard a few people discussing planes slamming into buildings and the Pentagon being attacked by those around me, but I just figured they were discussing an action movie and so I went back to sleep...

It wasn't until arrived on campus and found a group of people huddled around a radio that I came to hear of 'America under attack', and what had earlier seemed like fiction, suddenly became reality. Needless to say, the rest of the day, no one payed any attention in class, and we all were more interested in finding a TV during breaks to find out just what was happening.

10 years onwards, undoubtedly America has changed. Minorities, in particular Muslims, I feel will never be trusted again. Security in normal places is just incredible. The sense of freedom, which I observed as an outsider, is now lost.

There is no doubt that not one of the many thousands of innocent lives which were lost that day deserved their fate. But many innocents have died in retaliation throughout the world as well. And I have a feeling, this was the gripe that many throughout the world had before the whole attack took place anyway. Rather than engaging in a dialogue to find out what the cause of the anger against it was, America has just gone about trying to crush it. In my opinion, the world still looks upon the USA, and in particular their foreign policies, with disdain... the goodwill and sympathy the world shared 10 years ago is now lost.

Osama bin Ladens goal was to terrorize the western world into accepting his philosophies. That has not happen. The USA is resilient enough, and will never be forced to act as cowards. Moreover, Bin Laden is now dead, and Al Queda is not the force it once was. Coupled with the slow self democratization of the Middle East, it seems as if people are slowly turning away from Radical Islam, and more towards tolarism and peace.

So where are we? Back to Square One? I don't think either side here has been a 'victor'. Will we forever maintain the status quo of respecting America for its might, but privately cursing them for the arrogance, and the ambivalence they often show? I hope not... if the wounds continue to fester, I worry it is just a matter of time before a new Bin Laden emerges, and a new chapter of fiction becomes a frightening reality.

Restaurant Review: Mirch Masala

Mirch Masala
9545 120 St
Surrey, BC

As a follow up to the previous post, I suppose I should review one of the restaurants we WENT to, after our last hike.

Mirch Masala is a restaurant I had generally heard good things about, and as we were passing through Surrey on the way back to campus, we decided to stop there for dinner.

In all honesty, I felt that the quality of the food did not live up to the hype. We ordered Malai Kofta, Prawn Curry and Chilli Chicken, along with Rice and Naan for everyone. Although the restaurant was clean, the service was prompt, and the amounts were plentiful, I felt disappointed with the taste of the food... there are definitely better tasting restaurants in Surrey, and that too, at lower prices.

Location: 2.5/5
Service/Ambiance: 3/5
Food: 2/5

Hiking

Summer 2011 is almost over, and the one thing that has stood out in my mind is the number of amazing hikes I have gone on this summer. I managed to find a nice group of people on campus who share the enthusiasm, and we went on 6-7 hikes located all around the Lower Mainland. They were all of varying amounts of difficulty, but at the end, I think we all felt a certain amount of satisfaction (along with exhaustion). The interesting thing is, prior to this summer, although I have always been a fitness enthusiast, I have never been much of a hiker. I am happy that this summer has changed that. I also came to realise just how blessed we are to live in such an amazing place where there are amazing natural landscapes to be discovered all within two hours of the city.

On a side note, I now accept that the post-hike meal, is undoubtedly the most satisfying meal one can enjoy! :D

Just call me 'Bittoo'...

I have come to realize something... I may have chosen the wrong profession. Rather than 'Civil Engineer', I should have gone for 'Event Planner'.

Over the past few months, I have been working with the Graduate Student Society (GSS) at UBC as their 'Orientation Coordinator'. The work was part time, entailing a few hours a week. Basically I was responsible for helping to plan, arrange, and coordinate the Orientation Events which occur during the first week of September for new Graduate Students who arrive at UBC for their studies, along with the other GSS execs. It kind of took me back to my days on the UTSAV-ISA exec, only that we were dealing with a higher volume of students.

Orientation week was last week, and over the course of the week, I became a Tour Guide/Laborer/Manager/Waiter/Secretary all in the name of Event Management. All in all, everything went off with almost no problems. I sometime think this might be something I am naturally good at! Now just to find a 'Shruti Kakkar' for a partner... hmmm... ;)

Stampede Time

A few weeks ago, I went to visit some old friends in 'Cowtown', AKA, Calgary, Alberta, Canada. One of my good friends had just moved there, I had a free ticket, and accommodation and food paid for, so it was a no brainer. On top of that, it was time for the Calgary Stampede, which is one of the truly Canadian Events that I have heard a lot about, but had never been to.

Calgary is basically a city in development. Given the proximity to abundant energy resources, it is just a matter of time before the infrastructure/population develops to the point where it becomes a major international destination. Unfortunately, there are very few social activities for people to partake in, other than the Stampede. Basically, it is a chance for Calgaryites to let themselves loose, and pretend like they are back in the old west. There is a huge fair put on at the stampede grounds, with a mainly agriculture theme. I don't think I have ever seen so many farm animals in one place at once. Lots of usual amusement park kind of things, like games, rides, and plenty of junk food. There are modern 'saloons' serving alcohol which are set up in tents around the ground which seemed pretty rowdy.

The main events which go on during the stampede everyday are the afternoon rodeo, and the evening chuckwagon race, followed by a stageshow and fireworks. While we missed out on the rodeo, we did get tickets for the race and evening show.

In all honesty, the chuckwagon race got a bit dull... essentially four horses are hitched to the front of a wagon and raced around the track at high speeds. It gets a bit repetitive after a while. Rather, we enjoyed the show/fireworks which followed. The show was a bit like 'Cirque de Soleil', with acrobats performing truly phenomenal physical feats, and even the fireworks were pretty good. All in all, it was a good day. :)

Bachelorlife Timings

Just some amusing timings I have noticed about myself, and are probably applicable to any single guy living alone.

When will he go out to buy household supplies?

When he is out of toilet paper...

When will he do his laundry?

When he is out of clean underwear...

When will he cook something?

When the fridge is completely empty.

When will he clean his place?

When he knows a pretty girl will be coming over.