Point of Reflection

Knowing others is wisdom, knowing yourself is enlightenment.

Nihao Nanjing

Reached this place full of history and tradition yesterday.
And I am mighty glad that I am here. China has started to warm my heart and well everytime I am here, there is something or the other to explore.

Sometimes, its all about the experience as a whole, that matters I think.
Shenzhen, somehow is very modern but I loved the shopping areas they have only for women.

Iphone 4 is a craze here. Everyone I see in on ipad or iphone fake or original. Its like a mass thing.
As I was waiting for my flight I seemed to be the only one with a book to finish. LOL.
Everyone was either on the phone or playing games in ipad.

Having a good hotel to stay makes a great difference. Nanjing this time has blessed me with a great hotel and a great area.
and yes it is very interesting exploring on my own. I have my own landmarks and my own anchor and oh good golly, if I so wish, I can also have my cup of coffee and watch the world go by in the evening in the nearby Starbucks coffee shop.

And for dinner, I discovered a manna of shopping and eating complex in the underpass area. Heaven.. !!

And after the resting period at work, you are awaken here by beautiful Chinese flute music. hahah :) yeah..

By the way, I totally love watching the traditional Chinese soaps.. hahah.. the costumes and hairdo’s are so intricate and though the language passes over my head, the looks and emotions they emote on screen is I think is universal… hahahah :) Love them.. :)

Bye bye la :)

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From China with Love

Well its lunch time and people are preparing to go to sleep for their afternoon nap.  The status is Resting : Do not Disturb. I put my head down on my desk and rest.  Though I have a mattress besides me to lie down as well. :)

I must tell you that this process is extremely beneficial for the brain. I wake up fresh and the mind buzzing with ideas.. :) Wish we could have this back home but it will not work there. :)

Discipline and us are like opposite paths.

Its kind of interesting to explore on my own. Actually, I like exploring on my own.

I found my regular shop who prepares this awesome hotpot only for 13 yuans. And its all healthy, all veggies and non veggies boiled in one pot and seasoned with their version of masalas and sauce..

So though I planned to have my regular hotpot, I ended up walking in to one of the many lined up Chinese restaurants for my dinner.  I ordered 2 dishes looking at the picture and all as I have been taught by my Chinese friends.

So I chose a chicken soup and a pork plate dish.  The pork dish was out of the world but the chicken soup.. OH MY JADDD !!!  The pot looked small in the menu. I specifically asked for a small pot. They nodded vigorously but ended up getting me a BIG pot which could feed some 5 people…

Sigh… I am like …

DABAO …. DABAO…. ( take away in Chinese )  buhahahah !!!

I was too full, so I carried the take away, I could have eaten the thing for 3 days, two times a day. Anyway, put that outside my door for the housekeeping to enjoy.. Did not have the stomach for it..

Hot pot is best.. I guess..  ( china’s soup version of burger king)

Yesterday lunch was Chinese Daily Soup and some seafood salad plate.. I loved it except for the snail.. or shell fish I think… that made me almost puke.. bleh…

That is why Lunch was Chinese version of Wheat Bread, my home sugar free jam and yummy apples..   I also found a Chinese version of low fat milk. Soul is happy.

Seriously, hot water, some hot meal and a comfy bed and my books and I think its a cozy space of my own.

Today will walk further down and try Wanka City which is loaded with good restaurants.. :) Got to find the one which we had food in last time.. :)

Street shopping is also fun to watch.  Every evening in one of the streets in Bantian, there is this impromptu bazaar where they sell everything. Its fun to just walk past these street shops. There is something for everyone. I specially loved one guy selling shoes which he was handpainting it in front of all.  The shoes looked so beautiful. Because of the painting..

Oh I also got cheated with fake 1 yuan notes for 2 yuans… hahahah !!

Felt too lazy to go and give it back… this is also an experience. :) Was laughing at myself.. :)  ( must have cheated this lady in some life for 2 yuans)

And in the midst of it all, am missing home badly..

 

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Ranting

Of  Washing Verandah daily when there is water scarcity… 

Well, there are some actions which really makes me question myself on the silliness of the situation…

Water is scarce here.. and there is this neighbor of mine who keeps insisting on washing the whole damn verandah… till the water in the tap trickles down to nothing… while I am patiently trying to store the water in the containers in my house..  And as I am filling the water, it is slowing in its flow because there is this obsessed soul who is intent in washing the verandah, SWISH SWISH SWISH till the water is gone.

DAMN it… why do you need to wash the verandah everyday ??

I mean use rain water, dishwater, whatever, … it works… dishwater… I think will be fine, since its soapy and cleans well as well..

GRRRRR… And she leaves the water on while she is sweeping so the water just flows and flows and flows… to nowhere..

Sigh…. being on the other side where I have to store and I am sure many others who have to do the same in our apt building.. so that they can resuse.. it at a later point… this verandah washing seems to be a highly stupid job…

Ok I am pissed…  GRRRRRR….

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Dragon’s blessing

Well so finally, now my stuck things are getting unstuck and I for one am very happy.

It has been more than a year’s struggle to get my PF and well after much running around, and pleading, cajoling, some more pleading and basically going and standing in attendance, by Rocky in the PF office, my bill was finally passed..

I am at peace now.. :)  ( thanks Rocks for that support) :) Barua team rocks.. :)

I learnt that, its ok to go through a tough phase.  It makes me stronger, if I can get through the immensely frustrated pockets of time.

I can see myself, tearful and angry, generally angry, helpless, frustrated, helpless and frustrated… acceptance and then again the frustration… GAH… the movie went on and on and on and though the movie is not done, some of the scenes are… LOL..

So, keeping my self power contained and not being bowed down by the drama that was happening internally, well that is one of the major lessons I learnt.

Service without any expectation and the fact that it will all be taken care of and it has been.  So beautifully.
Sometime, its embarassing to ask for help, but I think its ok. I also learnt the art to receive as well I guess.

So all in all, a very useful phase of my life… looking forward to the fulfilling of other items in my wishlist.. (praying and hoping hard)

Finally for me, its not the means that matters but how one reaches to achieve the means… via patience, faith, positivity, hope, perseverance, and never say die attitude… made me fight harder with no resources… another interesting experience..

So today dear Lord am grateful for what I had and what I dont have… and how YOU made me manage what I did not have.. :)

I love you more and more for it…

I feel whittled… like chipped here and chipped there, sculpted here and scuplted there and a new shape being formed out of me… hahahaha ….

And the whittling is still on, now I am willingly being whittled by the hands of the Universe and my karma…

lets rock and roll…. :)

 

Nihao !!! China is calling again and its time, to pack my bags to go to this beautiful country with interesting contrasts.

Looking forward to the food… and yes coming back safely.. :) Dragon Air, Hot Pot, Chopsticks, Minus Facebook, Minus Twitter, Minus Google, here I come..  ( this time I go prepared with layers and layers of clothing, so that -4 degree does not get the better of me like last time) brrrrr…

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The food high

The past year seems like to go in a flash and sometime, I think its ok… the tough times should just blink while the good times should ideally go really really slowly.. :)

Yeah and pigs would fly… the reality is that when too many things are happening we do not even realize how time flies… good or bad… :)

So anyway, in between I would like to take some food pauses… :) which kind of freezes some delicious moments..

Sometime, back, I thought that I was spending so much amazing time on the road, I must have been a truck driver in my past life.. LOL..

Now I spend whatever little free time watching food shows… and well, I am now thinking maybe in my future life, I would like to be a chef.. hahahah :)

So anyway, with Dad and Rocks here, I kind of did not bother to go to the fish market.. but Rocks and my tastes are quite the opposite when it comes to fish. Dad is like me, he will get the exotic and the routine, mixed.. and the pieces are good size..

Now why does the size matter here… I dont know maybe I am fan of fish and I like to have my fish big when I eat.. maybe its a bong thing.. I dont know.. but well my big and Rocky’s definition of big is way different.  :)

So off I went and today after a long time, got Boal fish..

Well, us living so far apart from home, we have kind of lost the seasonal delicacies which used to be cooked in the kitchen by mom and aunts. Boal, Ilish, Rui, Chitol, Puthi, Dry Fish..

Summer time, there would be some light  sweet and sour fish curry with seasonal veggies and we would also have the small fishes with some interesting spice mix..

Monsoon time, the fishes would change and so would the taste, the curries would be heavier intended to generate warmth. I remember having really exotic dry fish recipes which mom would make inspite of her heavy schedule of a 9-5 job. I have been ever so thankful for the same whenever I think of her..  When I was younger, I wanted her to make more fancy stuff but what she has left me with is legacy enough… and no one knows other than me how difficult it is to whip up a comfort meal which is nutritious tasty and well having variety.. Thanks Ma for that..

So anyway, winter was a time of fatty fishes..  and Boal Fish.  This fish has a lot of fat and is extremely tasty.   And I have had some really mouth watering recipes back home..

So well coming back to present, when I saw this Boal today, all the memories came back… and though I did not have the opportunity to  take recipes from Mom, I cook them up from taste and from what I used to remember helping mom and of course my aunts’ recipes..

Its funny how something so mundane… as a particular fish can infuse the memory bank with color of memories and forgotten tastes and the feel of winter.. back home in Shillong..  the home that was… :)

Sigh… so here I was re cooking a memory trying to recreate the same feel and it felt good..  the association was so warm….

And just yesterday evening, I was like looking up at the stars and asking the universe… ” how much longer ?? ”

And today connecting with the weaves  of the past, I felt alright again.. rooted, and the push to move forward.. :)

Interesting… how we can associate with some really deep triggers and make lemonades of the lemons I am getting.. haahaha :)

 

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