S is for ...

..... Simple, Sincere, Silent or maybe just Spring Street ... which is where I took this picture. I leave tomorrow for India - I am going to my original home but I feel a weird sadness leaving my current one. I think all of us who have lived in more than one continent feels a certain tension between where we lived our initial years and where we are now - growing up as adults.
2010 has been a wonderful year and I hope next year I post more on this blog than I did this year. Merry Christmas and Happy new year to all who may chance upon my post.

   

Red Chili’s and Non-Writing

A chili can be so deceptive. Some are small and cute but when you take a bite it sends your taste buds into a tizzy. In the spirit of not being deceptive then; I really like this picture but have no idea what words go along with it. My first thought was talking about the Chili as an object; but that is boring – what else could I write about that is not so obvious. I would like to be thought provoking with my text; how does one do that when writing about a vegetable? Hold on – just looked it up on Wikipedia, the Chili Pepper is a fruit not a vegetable. Good thing for the internet it has helped me look intelligent (not stupid) many times. What if I wrote about the color RED. I like shots that are bold, this one has a bold red that contrasts well against the dull bark of the tree. Again - I am taking the path of least resistance and writing about the colors in the photograph. I blame my lethargy to write on the Thanksgiving meal that was. So I guess you are going to have to enjoy the picture and get a little insight into the thought process of my non-writing writing.   

Smoking

Over 1.1 Billion people smoke in this world. That is one in three people -> WOW ! Every third person who reads this blog is a smoker. People get into this bad habit because of image, peer pressure or just wanting to prove something at an impressionable age. I feel bad for those who can't stop; but if you really want to do something and you put your mind to it - you can. Most people wait till they have a heart attack or cancer to stop. Tobacco is responsible for one in ten adult deaths. The reason why smokers don't take these facts so seriously is because they believe that it could never happen to them. the danger from smoking is not in your face; It happens over time.
I took this picture outside the Waldorf Astoria in New York. I was quite excited after I took the shot because I got him exactly at the moment he was blowing smoke out. Then I wondered - Why did he start to smoke ? Does he want to quit ? Will he die because of Cancer ? Is he dying of Cancer ?
I have been surrounded by many smokers near and dear to me and I have tried my best to get them to stop. Sometimes it works and sometimes it does not - but I keep trying anyway. So this picture & post is for all you smokers - Stop already !     

The Autumn Leaves

The autumn leaves
Drift by the window
The autumn leaves
Of red and gold

I grew up listening to Frank Sinatra thanks to my father who is a Frank Sinatra fanatic. As a kid I would  wonder what Autumn leaves were; I remember thinking maybe it is tree that has red and gold leaves ! This song fits so perfectly with the season. Hope you are enjoying what is left of Fall this year.

Chicago and its Magnificence

Balance

I was in Los Angeles a few weeks back. I captured some pictures of the sprawling city, metal buildings & peeping sky and some of the beautiful blue ocean, birds flying and the setting sun. Everything has 2 sides; they are not necessarily good or bad – just different. While we yearn for the hustle and bustle that the city brings, we still love the peace and calm of the ocean. Peace and calm gets boring very soon. We get restless and wish for the craziness again. One needs a little bit of everything in their lives – laughter, tears, anger, love, joys and sorrows. It is balance that makes life interesting at the end. In order to achieve balance one must experience the highs and lows, the ups and downs – as I write this I feel that it is counter-intuitive. How can balance be about swings? But, I guess it is; because life cannot be perfectly balanced all the time – it just has to be perfectly balanced over time.    
 

Late Night Mexican Style

Last week Mexico celebrated 200 years of independence. I happened to stumble on these celebrations in various spots all over the city. First stop was La Bibliotheca – tucked away in the basement on 3rd Avenue & 40th street. This place feels like a library where the books are replaced by bottles of tequila. It is a cozy spot that will be great during the cold winter months when a swig of Anejo Tequila is just the thing you need. Mayahuel is the goddess of tequila; in New York it also is a great spot found on 6th street between 1st and 2nd Avenues. I tried a few cocktails at this establishment; Some were delicate and subtle while others are boisterous and fun – something for whatever mood you're in. The Third spot I visited was Casa Mezcal. Mezcal is a distant, less refined cousin of tequila and is gaining momentum in the Mixology world these days. Here the Mexican fiesta was on in full form as we were very close to midnight. The upstairs is amazing – I fell in love with the big open widows and the beautiful coffee table surrounded by low comfy couches! Last but not least we stopped by PDT (a.k.a. Please Don’t Tell) – this establishment had nothing to do with Mexico but is a great speakeasy spot where you enter through a phone booth and they serve the most gluttonous food - Fried hot-dogs with Kimchi are one of the delicacies there. All in all a lovely night of great food, yummy drinks and a lot of fiesta fun!

Tennis

I was a little girl looking at a big poster of Björn Borg on my neighbors wall. That was my first introduction to Tennis. From there I progressed onto the steel prowess of Ivan Lendl and the anger of John McEnroe. I remember pining for the ‘cute as a button’ Stephan Edberg during my teen years, and who can forget Pete Sampras’ hanging tongue. Then there were the Agassi years - I recently read his book “Open” which took me back to the days when I used to stay up late at night watching the US Open in India - he was such a rebel one couldn't help but love him! After Agassi I sort of lost track of tennis; I think it was because I lived in places where it was not front and center and I did not seek it out. I moved to NYC in 2004 and ever since then I have been fortunate enough to go to the Open every year. There really is something special about Tennis at Arthur Ashe Stadium. It happens during the time of year when summer is just about turning into fall, there is a cool breeze blowing; the lights come on and there is an energy that cannot be put into words. Everyone gasps and cheers together at the hits and misses. As the game of tennis has progressed -> with fitter players, faster games, better rackets and bigger sponsors. I too have progressed from a girl infatuated with the game to a woman who enjoys the sport and maybe still is a little infatuated. Click here for some shots from the 2010 US Open.   

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.

August is for Open Roads

I was very excited when I discovered that this Saturday was the first of three Summer Streets 2010 days. I was up at 7:30 am to attack Park Avenue with my bike. It was a fun ride and I even got to check out the pool on 40th & Park. Some things to note if you are planning to avail of this wonderful open street opportunity. If you are on a bike don't expect a rigorous 7 mile ride. There are many stops and a lot of people; so tread carefully. I used to be part of Team in Training and now after my Triathlon is over I understand how this group can just take over the road; and how annoying this is for other people they share the street with - but its for a good cause so GO TEAM ! Other cool things - there is valet  parking (ha ha) for your bike on 40th and Park. You can rent bikes for free on various spots along the way; also on the house is free NYC water, bike tune ups and cool Reebok swag. The Pool - another aspect I was thrilled about is actually just a PR tool. There were more camera's and by-standers than people actually in the pool. The unique thing about this is the fact that you are swimming (almost) under Grand Central Terminal. All in all a very cool thing to do in NYC for the next three Saturdays. So I definitely recommend that you check it out. Along the way I stopped to click a few shots.