The Movies - it is Just Like the Movies

On sunday night all I could think about was movies depicting attacks on New York City; waves that come crashing down, engulfing the city and leaving it in ruins. This week my life felt like one of those movies. Sandy was approaching; the thunder, rain and lightning created a perfect symphony in the sky. I was sitting in my living room looking out of the window listening to the winds howl. I'm glad the Hurricane struck at night as it would have been much scarier to see her wrath in broad daylight.

Over the past few days I've seen many pictures of streets, subways and entire boroughs submerged in water. Friends & colleagues who live in Jersey and Lower Manhattan have no water and electricity. Surprisingly though, I still can't fathom it. I feel like an outsider looking on. I worked at home through the Sandy after-math on Monday and Tuesday. I was back in the office on Wednesday as I don't drive or use public transportation, the submerged subways and roads did not come in my way. My fridge was stacked up with supplies, I was one of those who bought water and canned food just in case; I even filled up my bathtub with water. I see the devastation around me and am thankful for not being affected by it directly. I am sure New York will feel and remember Sandy for months to come. It still feels a little surreal to me. Below are some pictures that I took this week.  



I pass this crane everyday as I walk to work and there it was standing to greet me post sandy  



We snuck into Grand Central just before the storm started; the policemen thought we were journalists thanks to the big professional camera my husband was carrying. I have never seen anything so amazing as Grand Central without a person in it. Of course we were discovered and promptly escorted out (oopps)



On Tuesday evening we took a walk to Central Park. We could not go inside but this shot gives you an idea of how beautiful, clam and serene the park looked. I wish I could have gone inside. It looked like being in a fairytale land.

The famous crane that we saw so many images of all through the week and all over the world. It is now a tourist attraction on 5th Avenue.

 

Let the Sunshine In

I hate dreary days in Manhattan. I can take the rain and I can take the cold but both together are the worst combination ever. In India when it rains it is beautiful. You smell the fresh mud as the monsoon cools down the sizzling hot ground. In New York when it rains all I want to do is curl up in bed and do nothing. My bones get lazy and efficiency is at an all time low. Today was such a day; the rain was annoying and slushy. This day reminded me of how great it is when the sun shines. This took my thoughts to Portugal and the time I spent in the Algarve - the southern most tip of Portugal. In the Algarve the weather is perfect; you lie on the beach, swim with the fishes and take long walks. The sunsets are gorgeous; I have never seen so many colors and beautiful cloud formations ever in my life. On dreary days like this I look back to the lovely experiences that the sun has given me and I know even though it is hiding behind those clouds today, it will come out tomorrow or the day after and bring back the warmth; until then I seek it under my covers in bed.

Kachra

Kachra in Hindi means rubbish. I was introduced to this dish by my grandma’s cook. It is also known as Bhurji or Akuri and is yum specially on a rainy day. I think my cook called it Kachra because he would use the leftovers from the night before that would have gone into the dustbin. The secret to yummy Kachra is three fold use lots of chopped coriander, be lenient with the turmeric and make sure the consistency is wet. Below are pictures and the recipe; takes about ten minutes to make and serves 2.
Ingredients: 1/2 an onion finely chopped, 1/2 a tomato chopped, 1/2 a cup minced fresh coriander, 1 teaspoon ginger chopped,  2 teaspoons turmeric, 1 teaspoon coriander powder, 2 curry leaves, 2 chopped green chili's, 4 eggs, 1 tablespoon oil, pinch of red chili powder, salt to taste.
Method: Heat the oil, throw in the curry leaves, onions, ginger, chilies. Let the onions brown. Add the tomato, turmeric, pinch of red chili powder, salt, coriander (powder & leaves) - mix well for about 2 minutes. Lower the heat; add in the whisked eggs and stir so that it does not stick. Turn the heat off when cooked. Make sure that it is not overcooked and still moist. Serve with hot roties or bread. Enjoy !        
 

Rainy Day

If any of you were in New York today you would have experienced the downpour that refused to stop. I ventured out covered in plastic with my weather-sealed Olympus E3. Both the camera and I were drenched. As a kid I loved playing in the rain. Rain in India is always welcomed with open arms – it usually is a break from the scorching heat. Here in NYC it gets cold, damp and depressing. What I like doing when it rains in new york is either sit at home in PJs and watch many movies or go out and have a long brunch session. Today I did the latter and took some pictures along the way. Since the rains are here hopefully that means spring and summer are close by.        

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Rainy Sundays

Some Sundays I love that it rains. It forces me to stay home and relax. I am not very good at down time unless I am forced to take some – which means, either I have to fall sick or go on a beach vacation. I wonder if this is true of all New Yorkers – the constant need to live life to its fullest. You don’t really have to try that hard since you live in a city that thrives on constant “doing”.

Today I decided to indulge in cooking breakfast fit for a King (and Queen). I whipped up 2 types of whole-wheat (healthy) pancakes. One with berries & nutmeg and the other with Mango & Pistachio’s. The pancakes were drizzled with Adirondack Pure Maple Syrup that had been sitting in my fridge forever! The egg cooked over-easy was the perfect accompaniment to balance out the sweetness of the pancakes. To wash it down we had some mimosas. Great rainy Sunday morning – now for some quality time with my book as Monday looms over my head.