Kemang, Jakarta - one of the best neighbourhoods to live in

 

My last international posting was at Jakarta and I would count as one of my best memorable ones.

The office where I worked was in Southern part of Jakarta – a relatively posher part of Jakarta IMHO.  Though like I have said repeatedly, Jakarta and Indonesia always felt like they were at least 2-3 decades of India in terms of infrastructure and if Indonesians were to ever visit India they’d struggle to live here.

Anyways I was lucky this was so, because it helped me get a place in one of the best neighbourhoods of Jakarta – KEMANG.

MAD Magazines (and Moghul Library, Hyderabad)

Comics were an important part of my childhood like my first blogpost which was dedicated to ACK comics showed.

MAD called itself a ‘magazine’ and was fairly popular both in the US and India and this success in itself was a surprise.

ANNOUNCING MY BOOK - Our Quizzing Journey

Have great pleasure in announcing the launch of my book co-authored with my brothers "Our Quizzing Journey"

Available on Amazon and you can buy it here.

Also available in paperback which you can buy here.  

Haruki Murakami’s The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle

Murakami’s book The Wind Up Bird Chronicle (WUBC) was more of an experience rather than a book, and a surreal experience at that

I was introduced to Haruki Murakami only a couple of years back and didn't know of him or any of his work earlier.  I tried to read as many books and his stories as I could, and enjoyed most of them.  I of course couldn't afford quite a few books of his and saved them for later…

A part of my soul - the amazing Hyderabad

There’s almost no one who has stayed in Hyderabad and not liked it.  (Though it offers many many reasons to do so, still).

The Hyderabad I know and love is long gone but I saw traces of it and its a little wishful to think its essence will be retained. But for sure, its worth celebrating and cherishing.

Hyderabad is the original and possibly the only TRUE cosmopolitan city in India besides Mumbai, and the best place anywhere for the middle class in India.

The Simply divine Jayanagarer Moa

I love Bengalis (Bongs) and feel particularly blessed to have known quite a few of them well and they enriched my life in so many many ways that a simple ‘thanks’ does not even moderately convey the gratitude I need to express.  (but this blog should do).

One of the most divine man-made creations or should I say bong-made creations is their sweet MOA (pronounced MOE-WA).  Here’s the fun fact I have eaten exactly three pieces of these in my life-time and yet each one of them have such a distinct place in my heart they easily make it to my all-time favorite lists.  I personally think every Indian should eat it and be familiar with it, as its one of the most superlative creations I have had the privilege of experiencing.

The Andhra Bhojanam

How much do I love you Rice? Let me count the ways…

This might be an apt summation of how Andhra Meals go.  It’s a never ending stream of coupling rice with different accompaniments, followed by… more rice and more accompaniments. 

The result is this supremely satisfying affair of a meal that has provided you with a varied array of spicy tastes.  You can never imagine rice and spice could have so many varied combinations.

Presenting the Andhra Meal.

The beauty of Malleswaram in Bangalore

I have retreated for two weeks of relative solitude at my brother’s home in Malleswaram Bengaluru and discovered this neighbourhood that’s a unique microcosm reflecting south India.

And it’s a wonderful way to discover some of things I quite like about Bengaluru and the potential the city had.

Bombay - Meri Jaan

Yes, this is a filmy line, but it sums up my very sentiment towards this great city.  I can write and discuss about it forever and still not adequately convey the greatness of the city fully, nor my love for it.  (and BTW I always called it Mumbai during my childhood and this was more referring myself as the 'Pai from Mumbai' and not for any political reasons. Bombay is actually closer to me than Mumbai is...Ok this is only for the Indians who will get what I am saying)

I have been an itinerant Indian. Within India my family has travelled to various places thanks to the banking job of my dad.  Once I was asked which place did I like best from the towns and cities we had stayed in, and I said all of them. Each one of them was special to me.

            

We had started of in Mumbai and then it was a few cities after that.  But Mumbai feels special to me for my career more than anything else.  One of my Insti friends had told us how everyone had to eventually  come to Mumbai if they had to grow – I mean it was inevitable. (even though Gurgaon and Delhi/NCR is soon turning out to be a bigger centre of gravity now).