And then,
one of the most beautiful memory pops-up in his Facebook notification.
It is a picture of her with him quoting.. “One year ago, on this day”. 💑 🙂
Tweeting:@thebrokenspecss
Food
Pursuit
If you live in India or have ever traveled to India in the second decade of 21st century, you would have found a lot of places having fancy street foods, specially, in the metropolitan cities like, New Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru.
If you exclude the posh areas of New Delhi and NCR(National Capital Region), and then walk on a very normal street/roads which connects welfare housing societies, you are likely to easily spot the following roadside options like, Ice-Cream tricycles, Open roof stalls of Sugarcane Juice, roasted corn and maybe the push-truck(thela) tickiwala(also called, Chaatwala).
An addition to this group is the roadside “Gol-Gappe”(also called PaniPuri). Now, what’s PaniPuri? It consists of a round, hollow puri, fried crisp and filled with a mixture of flavored water (known as imli pani), tamarind chutney, chili, chaat masala, potato, onion or chickpeas. The complete setup on which Gol-Gappe, Pani and other spices are placed is very easy to carry and move, and also can be quickly placed anywhere and can start selling it back. Now you are thinking, why I am writing about all this stuff? Here’s why.
Every evening when I am traveling back home from work, in the last part of the transit I have to make a 20 minutes walk to get to my apartment. In these 20 minutes, starting from getting down from the auto, finding the Panwari(guy who sells Paan, which is made up of betel leaf with areca nut) and cigarettes(which is sold more than the paan these days), interestingly, his wife also sits during late hours to keep the business up. Some 200 steps ahead, I find the Ice-Cream tricycles from Vadilal, Kwality Walls, Creambell and newly famous Havmor, which is expensive to my pocket. 😛
After 5 minutes, I find a little boy selling Gol-Gappe at the corner of the right turn of the road. I walk towards him, and ask for the rates. He replies, “4 pieces for 10 bucks”. I said, “Can I have it?”, he offers me a dona(which is a paper bowl). The Panipuri tasted amazing!! 😀
Yesterday evening, I left early from work and while getting back home, I met the boy again. He is 3/4 of my height, considering I am not tall, so he looks short. He should be around 10-12 years of age. I asked him, “What’s your name?”. He replies with a smile, “Vansh Gupta”. I asked him if he goes to school, he replies “Yes, I go to school”. With a thought on how he gets time to study, I asked “When you study or do your homework?”, he says “during night, after having dinner”.
I asked him if I can take his picture which I will share on internet with my writing. He shakes his head with a smile. 🙂 I said “Okay, can I take picture of your setup?” And he says “Yes” this time. I also checked with him, “So, where are you from and who else are you in your family?”, to which he replies, “I am Mirzapur(in Uttar Pradesh), and here I have my father and brother who also sell Gol-Gappe, whereas my mother lives in hometown(Mirzapur)”.
He has friends of same age. They also sell Gol-Gappe. One is Rajkumar and another is Komal. I have ate Panipuri from them too. 🙂 Komal is the smart one, like a leader among these boys. I think he likes momos because I have found him eating momos a couple of times. Whereas, Vansh is the good-looking one. But they all are very simple and happy going boys. 🙂
At the age of 12, helping family to earn enough so as to get one time meal is really unbelievably appreciable. Just think about the sacrifices they have been making, like missing their mother, not playing outside in evening so that they help their father and surely not able to spend enough time to learn and study so that in future they don’t need to sell Panipuri.
The least you can offer is a Smile 🙂 to them, do not see them as someone lesser than you and just be good and motivate everyone around you. Life is not easy for everyone.
Tweeting: @thebrokenspecss
The 100th Post
Hi 🙂
This, the post you’re reading right now is the 100th post on this blog (I wonder if you couldn’t have guessed it from the title. 😉 😀 )
It’s been a journey that I never thought coming. I can say.. it’s huge.. 100 Posts. ❤
It’s been amazing journey from my first post, Journey to NIIT University, Neemrana , that was posted almost a year ago to my 100th post. When I first posted my thoughts, I never thought that later I will be posting 99 more blog posts, I even didn’t thought to post 10. But it has just happened that I am posting my 100th blog post.
I don’t have many friends who blog but I signup-ed on WordPress because one of my friend wanted me to read her posts. And I really liked reading what she writes, maybe because it was better than the stuff in the textbooks. 😀
After my first post on WordPress, I almost didn’t posted for next 3 months because I never thought of blogging and my first post just came when I was ideal. Slowly and slowly, I started to post more often. It may be because I got more time and writing a random thought was a pleasant thing to put in. I never got addicted to blogging but I’ve always tried to post regularly and till now I’ve prosper in doing it.
I say, a blog becomes more powerful when it is being loved by people. And due to all lovely blogger’s who have visited my blog and have read my post and even appreciated it by liking and commenting is far more greater than anything else which has made me to post regularly. It’s been remarkable how much this blog and its posts has been loved. ❤
I would like to mention few of the posts that have been liked most and few of the posts that are close to me. 🙂
The post that has been liked most was, “You can always make money, you can’t always make memories” ❤
Definitely it is been the post that has been close to all of us. As journey to new world brings new possibilities, by being open minded. 🙂
Photography has been one art that has impressed me a lot on WordPress. The Photographs that are very simple but extremely thoughtful. I wrote a post on photography for all the fellow blogger’s, People with Camera . 🙂
WordPress also has many blogger’s who bring a variety of food to us. Food is close to me 😀 and I have always liked foods posts. After travelling few paces, I also thought to post on a special cuisine, A Indian Snack – Jhaal Muri/Bhel Puri , it is been the most tasty snack on the streets of Mumbai, competing with Vada Pav. 🙂
It’s hard for me to choose which was the best post but all the post are close to me in someway or the other. The posts have brought me to know some amazing blogger’s and has helped me knowing their perspective towards specific topics. What people have shared has motivated me, given me hope and at times has made me realize how better the world is. 😉
I really want to say ‘Thank You’ to all the blogger’s who have appreciated the posts and have been so kind to me. 🙂
Thank You.. 🙂
Oh… Great
Friday, 19:24
Here, I am standing next to my friend and in front of a girl who this guy likes a lot.
Today, near this fast food corner he has met her after a long time, with a question.. “How are you? and what you doing here? 🙂 “. She replies with a smile on her face, “I’m awesome & just waiting for a friend. How about you?”. With a happiness in his body language, he said “I’m fine, as always! Just here with my friend to get something to eat. 🙂 How about your friend, is the person from your college or school? “. With a shy smile she says, “Actually, He is my school friend & I am meeting him after a long time.” For a second or two he hasn’t said anything, looks down and then again looking at her, says, “School friends are always specially, he must be your good friend.” With an extremely thoughtful smile as if she remembered someone, she speaks, “Yes, he is my best friend & I like him a lot. ❤ ” Suddenly her phone rang and after 5 seconds of conversation on phone she said, “time for me to go, will see you next time. Bye!! ” In a low voice he was only able to say, “Oh… Great, take care, Bye! 😐 ” She turned and started walking away.
As we started the long walk back, he slows down and turns back to see her getting lost in the crowd. In a very less of a time she was out of the picture of our eyes. I put my right hand on his shoulder and without a word being said he turned and started walking.
Throughout their talks, I was a person who was only listening to both of them. I knew about her as this guy has talked a lot about her in past few years. As we were walking back, we did not exchanged a word with each other. He was just moving slowly with some deep breaths and looking into the sky for a while. I know he was not okay.
One thing that I acknowledge was the last words he said that evening, “Oh..Great!”
This “Oh” sounded as if his heart has ripped into millions of pieces. He was not able to speak after that. It appeared as if his throat has choked and only thing he was able to do is, breathe. 😐
A Indian Snack – Jhaal Muri/Bhel Puri
Welcome to India,
Here we are on the streets of Mumbai in search of a Indian snack, and also a type of Chaat. It’s called Bhelpuri, often identified with the beaches of Juhu in Mumbai. It is made out of puffed rice, vegetables and a tangy sauce. The recipe has spread to most parts of India where it has been modified to suit local food availability.
The Kolkata Variant of Bhelpuri is called Jhaal Muri. Jhaal Muri (Spicy Puffed Rice) is Bengali cuisine, a dry variant of Bhelpuri and is consumed after garnishing with onions, coriander and lemon juice. I think you are feeling hungry now. 😀
A vendor sells Bhelpuri on the streets of Mumbai.
Bhelpuri and Jhaal Muri belongs to the food family of chaats, which are salty and spicy snacks sold on carts throughout India. Bhelpuri has a typically Gujarati (Gujarat) balance of sweet, salty, tart and spicy flavors, with different textures as well, including crispy and crunchy from the puffed rice.
Bhelpuri can be served in many ways, but it is usually served in a paper folded in the form of a cone and is consumed using a paper spoon or by the ‘papdi’ which is itself an edible component of the ‘Bhelpuri’. ❤
Bhelpuri served in the paper fold in the form of a cone.
Jhaal Muri/Bhelpuri can beat the packet of chips which you take for snacks costing nearly same or even less with vibrant taste.
People in UK can try to find ‘Everybody Love Loves the Jhal Muri Express’ ran by Angus Denoon. Angus is bringing the Kolkata street food to your door step. You can search him on twitter @jhalmuriexpress
Everybody Loves – Jhaal Muri Express by Angus Denoon
Shanti Restaurant in Surrey is another place to visit to have some taste of Indian street food. The restaurant has some fabulous dishes in there menu with different style and taste.
Vikram Vij hospitality shining at Surrey’s My Shanti Indian Restaurant
People in United States, especially in NYC can reach out ‘Desi Galli’ in Lexington,NY. Desi Galli has many Indian street foods available under one roof. You can try ‘Kathi Rool’ one of the most yummy food on Indian streets. 🙂
So, plan out for your next weekend with your family and friends to get some taste of Indian street foods nearby you. Hope you Enjoy it 🙂
Namaste ❤
“I hope one day Cancer will just be a Zodiac sign”
Each year 4th of February is celebrated as “World Cancer Day” to increase the awareness about Cancer- Word’s Deadliest Disease.
Many cancers can be prevented by not smoking, eating more vegetables, fruits and whole grains, eating less meat and refined carbohydrates, maintaining a healthy weight, exercising, minimizing sunlight exposure, and being vaccinated against certain infectious diseases.
The five easily available food that can prevent cancer are Dark chocolate, walnuts, berries, citrus fruits, melons. Your life is extremely important, if not for you than surely for someone. Remember the most important person in the world is you. Eating and becoming healthier can actually be an easy job. It should also be a tasty one.
Note: I am not a doctor.. 😀
Just eat good and live healthy to beat cancer and spread awareness. Wish you a very good and a healthy life.
Cancer is not courageous but hope is.. 🙂
“Mumbai’s Superheroes – The Dabbawala”
Have you heard of it ” The Dabbawala’s”, if you’re an Indian then you might have heard of Mumbai’s Dabbawala’s. Mumbai, the mega city that never sleeps, on the move, vibrant, fun and here is one of the best lunch delivery system called “THE DABBAWALA’S”.
The Dabba = a tiffin or can be called as Container and Walla = Worker. Typically the box person who collects tiffin boxes from the house of office workers and deliver it to their workplace and carry it back to the residence. Those who engage the services of dabbawallas tend to be middle class office workers who embrace the Indian preference and pride in ghar ka khana (home cooked food). Customers pay about 180 rupees or around $3 per month for the delivery service. Mumbai’s committed 5000 dabbawalla’s deliver over 3,50, 000 lunches per day to office workers across the mega city.
What’s most amazing is that the delivery system uses no computers or sheets of paper for such a big delivery of food, and using computers or paper’s will make no difference as most of the dabbawalla’s are illiterate. The dabbawalla’s rely on coding system that employs letters, numbers, colours and symbols which signal each tiffin’s delivery path.
When all tiffin’s are gathered, they are separated according to their destinations. To complete this vast delivery, Tiffins are often carried overhead onto trains – efficient yet challenging nature of Mumbai stations. Dabbawalla’s wear a signature Gandhi cap – a uniting visual feature in chaotic rail and road contexts.
Its hard to believe but the dabbawalla’s are very precise with their time of delivery and delivering the right lunch box at right place without use of any pen or paper. According to Forbes Magazine, the dabbawala’s make less than 1 error in 1 million deliveries, it is beyond precision. They were awarded with Six Sigma rating, which means less than one error in 1 million transactions. Only company like Motorola was awarded with such rating.
The Dabbawalla’s, delivering lunch with Love, precision and efficiency.
The Broken Specs 