The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel

Posted on May 17, 2012 by Kamal Kaur

Here’s a movie review. Thanks to ‘Deep-ends’.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

 

The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel

Based on the 2004 novel, These Foolish Things, by Deborah Moggach  the story of  The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel is basically about a collection of Brits of retirement age who for various reasons, mostly financial, decide to spend their retirement at what appears to be a luxurious palace in Jaipur, India that has been renovated into an attractive retirement home. The 7 retirees undertake the physical journey with all the inevitable hiccups but the palace turns out to be a dubious, run- down place where the phones don’t work, there are no doors, the dirty, grimy accommodations are less than inviting and the whole fiasco is run by the hopelessly inexperienced Sonny Kapoor (Dev Patel). In his words, he wants to create a home for the elderly, so wonderful, that they will simply refuse to die! The stage is set for a collision of cultures, misunderstandings, life lessons and an eventual meeting of the ethnic minds. Gradually we learn the story of each of the characters.

The film has an stellar cast that manages to make all the main characters enchanting in their own way. The brilliant cast are well served by an intelligent, witty script with some dry, British humor thrown in and some killer one-liners like one of the character’s, Jean Ainslie’s, response to Alu Gobi ka Parawntha… “If I can’t pronounce it, I don’t want to eat it!” Occasionally it gets sentimental, but that is what gives the comedy a story. It’s good to see a film that doesn’t treat old people as nutty idiots. The characters are intelligent & funny.

This is an entertaining and wholesome film that I recommend highly! My only criticism of this film is Dev Patel’s over-acting. He looks 16 but the character he portrays was actually well into his 20s. Partly that he doesn’t look his age but mostly I think the problem is that he is a British Asian and his fake, put-on Indian accent is way over-done. I mean, who really talks like that? In my opinion, an Indian actor like Rahul Khanna would have done the role far more justice.

I went to see this film with a bunch of friends who are of Indian origin and many complained that it is always the underbelly of India that is portrayed in films. To be honest, as a person living in the west who is fascinated by India, I am not really interested in seeing a sprawling metropolis that could be any other city in the US. The rickshaws, fruit and vegetable carts, camels and elephants make India uniquely Indian and when I go there in the movies that is what I want to see. Not shiny, glossy malls with air-conditioning and the same stores that I would find anywhere else in the world.

Conclusion: This is an entertaining and wholesome film that I recommend highly! I give it 5 stars! It’s not playing everywhere but look for it and make it a point to go and see it!

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Baked Eggs

Posted on May 16, 2012 by Kamal Kaur

This is such a yummy dish and ever so easy to make. The quantity is for a single serving so you can multiply as per your requirements. I like to make this on Sundays as part of brunch and is appreciated with a crusty roll or even a warmed croissant.

YOU WILL NEED:

½ tsp butter
1 tsp chopped chives
1 egg
2 tbsp chopped smoked salmon. diced ham or cooked chicken bits (use whichever tickles your fancy)
salt
3 or 4 green peppercorns (optional)
a sprinkling of paprika

METHOD:

Well grease a ramekin dish with the butter and sprinkle the base with chives. Break egg carefully into the dish over the chives, then top gently with either the salmon, ham or diced chicken bits and season to taste with salt. Sprinkle over the peppercorns.

Cover the dish with foil and stand it in a basin of water (obviously not a plastic basin!) and bake in a preheated oven at 180ºC for about 5 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for a further 5 to 10 minutes until cooked.

Using a knife, very carefully run it along the inside of the dish to loosen the egg. Tip it onto a warm plate. sprinkle with paprika and eat with a crusty roll or warm croissant.

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Palace of Illusions

Posted on May 12, 2012 by Kamal Kaur

Please welcome to the Korner someone who has been very supportive and takes a keen interest in what goes on in here. Meet Deepa who will be updating us with fabulous book reviews, views and lots more on the Korner.
Thank you!
~Kamal
**************************

I had the pleasure of meeting Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni who was in Chicago on a book signing tour. This sari-clad author hails from Calcutta, but she came to the United States for her graduate studies, receiving a Master’s degree in English from Wright State University in Dayton, Ohio, and a Ph.D. from the University of California, Berkeley. She is married, has 2 children and teaches in the Creative Writing program at the University of Houston. She comes across as a pleasant, warm, down-to-earth, articulate woman and it was an absolute delight to meet her and listen to her talk about her books.

She is in the process of promoting her next book which is called Oleander Girl, and if you “like” her on facebook she will post previews of it. Unlike most writers, she started writing quite late, only after coming the the US. This would explain the main themes in her books which are always about women, immigration, the South Asian experience in America, mythical history, magic and the celebration of diversity. Before she attempted novels, she used to write poetry. She started with a reading of “The Garba” from her book of poems called “Black Candle”.

Having touched a chord with everyone who was even remotely Indian, she then went on to read a few paragraphs from her last book which is called “One Amazing Thing”. This is set in California during an earthquake. She told us that the inspiration for this book came to her, while observing the different characteristics that people show when under stress, while going through a similar natural disaster in Houston, TX where she lives with her family.

It seemed obvious at the question-answer session, that the book that her audience has enjoyed the most, is “The Palace of Illusions”. This is the book that I have read and that I am going to review today. She also wrote Mistress of Spices and An Arranged Marriage.
~Deepa
‘Deep-ends’

The Palace of Illusions by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni 

Like most of us, born and living outside of India, my knowledge of the Mahabharata is limited to the television serial that my parents’ watched and re-watched religiously in the late 80s and early 90s. The Palace of Illusions is the story of the Mahabharata narrated by Draupadi (or Panchaali, the name she prefers here) from her unique perspective.

Everybody’s fascination with Draupadi stems from her being the only woman in history to have had 5 husbands. Nobody names their daughter Draupadi as she holds the stigma of the woman that brought the downfall of her clan and started the worst war ever. This book however, is sympathetic towards her. She is like a child, angry, petulant, impatient, proud, dutiful, infatuated, confused between love and duty, she makes mistakes and repents like all of us…many common references can be made to one’s life.

The book illustrates the day-to-day running of this complex household with 5 husbands and 5 different sets of egos that have to be stroked and fed (most of us are lucky if we can handle one!). It tells of her favorite amongst them, the competition between the brothers for her attention and which one of them truly loved her. Her other relationships are also well handled, like the childhood game between her and her brother Dhrishtadyumna (Dhri), where one of them starts telling a story, and the other continues it. This creates intimate scenes where their innermost fears and feelings are expressed. Her controlling mother-in-law with whom she eventually develops an understanding. Her arch-enemy Duryodhana, portrayed as a one-dimensional Hindi-film villain, which is perfectly all right, because Panchaali sees him that way. She deeply fears and loathes the man whom she blames for doing her so much harm, and has no occasion to see his good side. The Panchaali-Karna relationship, specifically their secret feelings for each other and her lifelong questioning of whether she did the right thing by humiliating him at her swayamvara. Could the war have been avoided if she had accepted Karna’s proposal? Particularly beautifully described is her relationship with Krishna, her friend, advisor and confidante. Krishna is the supreme in her life who was always there for her, like GOD is always there for us, if and when we want him.

I was intrigued at the research the author had to do for this book. If you have any interest in Hindu mythology, read this book. You will enjoy it. You will also be interested to know that Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni is presently embarking on a new project, which will be a retelling of the Ramayan… as you may have guessed… it will be from a female protagonist’s point of view! After her spin on Draupadi  (pun intended!), this should be a interesting read…most probably based on the life of Sita (but she is not telling!)

 

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Just GROW UP will you?!

Posted on May 10, 2012 by Kamal Kaur

Yes… Bullies ARE cowards.

I can’t stand people who bully. I get really angry and upset when my son comes home from school and tells me he got bullied in school because ‘he doesn’t have a father’.  I had tears in my eyes when my son said he got called a loser in school. It drives me absolutely crazy when kids so young can destroy someone’s confidence with such harsh words that end up hurting weaker souls.

I will only blame this on upbringing. Yes I will. You, as a parent, don’t have the bloody time of the day to spend with your children, you take no interest in their lives whatsoever, you buy them expensive gadgets and toys and give in to their every demand when they whine just to shut them up so that you can carry on living your life without being interrupted. You say you work hard to give your children the best but does that mean you also neglect to hone in on other aspects of their lives and pay no attention? Of course it’s not your duty, you feel. Isn’t that why you send your kids to such posh, expensive schools where you highly expect them to teach your kids basic manners and etiquette besides preparing them for the future? Teachers are not parents. What a Mum or a Dad can do for a child is far different from what a teacher can do.

Teachers have my full respect. They lay the foundation blocks for our children so that they can grow up to be successful and wonderful human beings. It is your duty as a parent to teach your kids and instil good values in them. How on earth can you not know that your child bullies other kids in school? How come you don’t take an interest in what they do?

I have come across many parents who often tell me that they want to be their child’s friend. Fair enough. But listen to this very carefully. They will have a lot of friends who come and go from their lives. You’ll be the only Mum or Dad to them in this walk of life. Instil good values in your children, spend time with them, ask questions, be more involved in what they do in school, get to know their friends, observe behaviour changes, meet the parents of their friends which will instinctively tell you more about the child who hangs out with your kid.

Teach your kids to speak respectfully. I do not tolerate at all if my kids dare to utter anything they shouldn’t. I do not let them even say words like ‘stupid’ or shut up’ or ‘silly’. Why use words to put others down from such a young age? What are we teaching our kids? I went to someone’s house for a cup of tea once and heard their 4 year old boy use the F word. I was gasping and waiting for that kid to be corrected but they just laughed it off and said he picked it from his Dad who is always swearing. If you need to indulge in swear words, that’s up to you, but have the common sense of not using these words in front of your children for goodness sake.

I’m not holier than thou. I have used words that would have had my Mum scrambling to put a teaspoon of red chilli powder in my mouth to teach me a lesson but I do not say anything in front of my kids. I have sat them down and have told them that there will be words they will hear from others but I do not want those words coming out of their mouths. Being in denial about swear words doesn’t help. Not everyone will have your values but you can sit your kids down and talk to them and tell them their boundaries.

This rant has been prompted by an article I read online about a 15 year old boy who committed suicide because he was being bullied by being called gay.

Some kids are called gay because many young people use the word as a general term to mean anything that is bad, ugly, useless, weak, or different. A 2007 report by Stonewall (UK), the gay equality charity, suggests that most schoolchildren have heard the phrases ‘You’re so gay’ or ‘That’s so gay’ used as an insult.

Teach your kids tolerance. Teach your kids manners. There is nothing wrong with being gay. They are humans who have the right to live their lives as they deem fit. Who on earth are you to judge?

Enough with the rant! Take an interest in your child’s life. It will be the best thing you will ever do for them.

And if you’re a bully and reading this – go seek help instead of making others miserable. Miserable coward.

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Raindrops on the pane…

Posted on May 5, 2012 by Kamal Kaur

This is another attempt at fiction. It’s a short story and I do hope you like it. I’d really love to know what you think please, so do take some time out and let me know. I will really appreciate it.
Thank you.
~ Kamal Kaur

 

Raindrops on the pane…

With her left cheek pressed against the windowpane, her right hand rested on the window as the rain splattered. What a thunderstorm it was. It had suddenly started raining heavily and there was a lot of thunder and lightning giving her company as she watched the downpour from her warm room. As the drops trickled down the pane she allowed her forefinger to slowly trace the route of the drops. Her warm breath against the pane steamed up and she got momentarily distracted as she started writing Pete’s name in the clouds she was creating on the window.

Pete – just thinking about him made her sigh out aloud, creating yet another cloud on the window. She quickly ran two fingers across it in an erasing motion, mentally trying to erase his picture from her mind but it was too late. Everything she did ended up revolving around him. He was constantly in her thoughts and there was nothing she could do to keep him out. Even her dreams were not spared. Is this love or am I just obsessed with him, she’d often wonder.

She looked at her watch and again Pete came tumbling back to her thoughts. He had gifted her that watch and it had held a great sentimental value to him. She had been humbled at how he had parted with something so precious to him so easily. Eventually she did realize that materialism held no value in his eyes. It is here today and it could be gone tomorrow. Pete always believed in the present moment, living life to the fullest and only looking back in the past to the happiness and positivity. There was a lot one could learn from Pete by just being with him; he exuded a lot of positive vibes and always had an encouraging word for everyone.

The watch seemed to have stopped. Either that or she was looking at her watch a bit too often. Why wasn’t time moving forward? Why did everything have to come to a standstill? Why did she have to wait for so long? Yet another sigh escaped her, and this time an impatient one, clouding the windowpane again.

She stared hard at the watch urging its hands to move along faster, to come to the time she wanted it to be and then to suddenly stop right there, when the moment was perfect. Time should stand still, she thought, when I want it to. She didn’t sigh this time. She was getting bored of breathing onto the windowpane and got distracted with a sudden noise in the driveway.

She smiled to herself, ran to the mirror to check if she looked ok and went hurtling down the stairs trying to catch her unusually uneven breath and stood at the front door waiting to open the door and fling herself into his arms.

Pete was home.

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7 Heart Attack Signs in Women Often Missed…

Posted on May 1, 2012 by Kamal Kaur

I found this posted on Facebook by a friend and thought it’s well worth a share.
I’m looking at all these symptoms and I seem to have ticked yes on 6 of them…! Wake up call!! *gasp*
~ Kamal


Fatigue–More than 70 percent of women reported extreme fatigue in the month or months prior to their heart attacks.
Sleeplessness or insomnia–Despite their fatigue, women who’ve had heart attacks remember experiencing unexplained inability to fall asleep or stay asleep during the month before their heart attacks.
Anxiety and stress– Stress has long been known to up the risk of heart attack. But what women report is the emotional experience; before their heart attacks they felt anxious, stressed, and keyed up, noticeably more than usual. Moments before or during a heart attack, many women report a feeling they describe as “impending doom;” they’re aware that something’s drastically wrong and they can’t cope, but they’re not sure what’s going on.
Indigestion or nausea–Stomach pain, intestinal cramps, nausea, and digestive disruptions are another sign reported by women heart attack patients. Become familiar with your own digestive habits, and pay attention when anything seems out of whack. Note especially if your system seems upset and you haven’t eaten anything out of the ordinary.
Shortness of breath– more than 40 percent remembered experiencing this symptom. One of the comments the women made is that they noticed they couldn’t catch their breath while walking up the stairs or doing other daily tasks.
Flu-like symptoms–Clammy, sweaty skin, along with feeling lightheaded and weak, can lead women to wonder if they have the flu when, in fact, they’re having a heart attack.
Jaw, ear, neck, or shoulder pain–While pain and numbness in the chest, shoulder, and arm is a common sign of heart attack (at least, among men), women often don’t experience the pain this way. Instead, many women say they felt pain and a sensation of tightness running along their jaw and down the neck, and sometimes up to the ear, as well. The pain may extend down to the shoulder and arm–particularly on the left side–or it may feel like a backache or pulled muscle in the neck and back.

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Evil Looking Pets

Posted on April 27, 2012 by Kamal Kaur

My domestic menagerie includes dogs, goldfish and once we even had a hamster called Hammy. Yeah I know… the kids couldn’t get over the fact I actually allowed a hamster in the house seeing that I personally feel they’re just glorified rats! So Hammy it was and every time they’d say Hammy I would hear Mummy and I’d respond ‘Yes? What is it?’ Eventually it died and added a lot of colour to the roses in the back garden where we held his funeral ceremony. I was reading news online and came across this amusing article on evil looking pets and had to share it. Made me grin. None of the pets we’ve ever owned have ever come close to looking this evil at all! Catch up with the story here: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2135605/What-looking-Hilarious-gallery-showcases-worlds-evil-looking-pets.html

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K…. whateverrrr!!!

Posted on April 26, 2012 by Kamal Kaur

I find it really annoying when someone replies back with just a ‘K’. Just don’t bother to reply if that’s all you’ve got to say! Grrrr! And it seems like I found a way to reply back to the ‘K’…
Made me laugh.
:-)
~ Kamal

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Hey Hey…! Are you READY?

Posted on April 24, 2012 by Kamal Kaur

You’ve been waiting for this for months and finally it’s here. It is the brand new single by Gupz Saund following the phenomenal success of Kerre Velle.

Gupz Saund is a household name in Kenya and now abroad too ever since he ventured with his musical talent internationally.

Gupz Saund came to prominence following the release of his Debut Solo album THE GLIMPSE (2009), which includes hits like ‘Afreen’, ‘Ishaare’, ‘Jogi’ and ‘Punjabi’. Apart from being one of the very few Kenyan musicians to ever get Nominated and emerging winner in the Kisima National Music awards for two consecutive years, Gupz Saund is also the first artist in Kenyan history to claim 4th Position on the itunes world download chart! Kerre Velle – Gupz saund Ft Metz N Trix  took over the charts and enjoyed widespread Radio and club plays in Africa,India, England, America, Ibiza and Amsterdam. The Track  also held the number one spot for weeks on The Network Chart Show, Sunrise Radio , with Deepa Rai,was listed and included in Simplybhangra.com’s special music compilation  SIMPLY BHANGRA Volume 1 and hit over 240,000 Views (To date) on the official video.

After a successful career on Radio for over a decade (and counting) Gupz Saund is Back! This time, he teams up with Canadian Rapper Extraordinaire Blitzkrieg! Platinum Vogue Bush Quest in conjunction with Bhangra Media Group present HEY HEY – Gupz Saund Ft Blitzkrieg. Music crafted,Produced, Sung, Mixed and Mastered by Gupz Saund .

Extensively Touring Africa and beyond its seas, Gupz Saund promises ‘Hey Hey’ to be an insight. A Story of the party scene in Africa! ‘Come see us some time, Kenya is THE place to be’! he says.

Hey Hey – Gupz Saund Ft Blitzkrieg is the 3rd and final Single from his forthcoming album Eclipse – The Takeover.

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Fan Club… LOL

Posted on April 23, 2012 by Kamal Kaur

I had to share this. It really made me laugh.
~ Kamal

My Fan Club!

 

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