March 29, 2019 at 2:13PM

Day 2369: The Hate Story; Uncle to Uncle

Dear Gwara-Mari Uncle,

Since we met in 2010 we both have grown tremendously, albeit in different dimensions. You’ve grown in the width of your body and I have grown in the length of my hair.

To start, together we learnt a lot in PASA PUCHAH GUTHI, UK and now we are trying to shape and prepare it for the future.

Together, we dreamt many dreams with Dreams Magazine and taught many people to have dreams.

Together, we predicted future with Bhavisyavani and even published a book.

Together, we served Nepal during the grave earthquake.

And together, we presented the first Nepali animated movie The Legend of Shankhadhar : शंखधरया बाखं

In the process of all this we organised numerous events, spent lots of time, energy and drained our bank balances. We made lots of happy friends, we touched millions hearts, we annoyed many people, we created intelligent enemies, we questioned lots of logic, annoyed our families and made them doubt on YOUR sexuality but most of all we annoyed each other. We made each other look silly and genius at the same time; we HATED each other.

I have to admit you never fail to annoy me with your silly ideas, baseless arguments and idiotic visions. To the point I would feel like strangling and killing you. Many a times, while typing texts to you, I would type so hard as if my phone was your throat and you would feel the pressure of my thumb on your throat. Obviously, such an idiot you were, you didn’t feel anything but my phones cracked. Alas! But, if it weren't for those arguments I doubt if we would be what we are today-the idiots!

But, this book of yours 'Fragments of Nepali History in the UK' that has just published makes me proud of you and our enemy-ship (antonym for friendship). Congratulations; may this be first of many but may god give me enough strength to tolerate you more, so that, I don't kill you before your next book is published.

However, if I was to die before you, I would want you to organise my funeral. As you are good at ONLY two things; crying and NOT being present at the event you organised. Because, I don't mind you not attending my funeral but I can’t see you crying even when I’m dead.

Yours truly,

Guru-Mari Uncle!

March 15, 2019 at 2:14PM

Day 2355: Ridiculous Riddle

Question: Why did I find my car VERY warm in the evening after leaving it in the cold car park for over 9 hours? Why did the car turn OFF when I pressed the ‘Start’ button?

Answer: Because I forgot to turn the car off when I parked in the morning. What an idiot!

...the drive to home from here wasn’t easy. While I was lucky to have some fuel left in the car, 60% of the full tank that I filled a day before had evaporated. I was sweating all the way thinking that the engine of my car can blowup any time from running for whole day.

You couldn’t make it up!

March 13, 2019 at 2:14PM

Day 2353: Badlaa at Cineworld Feltham

I have never needed an excuse to watch a movie. I watch movie when I’m tired, I watch movie when I’m excited, I watch movie when I’m sad, when I’m happy, when I’m busy, when I have time, when I’m ill or when I’m well. I watch any movie, Bollywood, Hollywood, kollywood or any other wood. I watch good, bad, ugly or useless movies. I watch movies; full stops.

So, today when I realised I didn’t have to spend time with Oneek(which I wouldn’t have minded) and had to drop him to his school after his Grade 1 Piano exam, I had time to do ‘something’. ‘Something’ is to watch movie.

‘Badlaa’ was out last week. It’s a Bollywood thriller with veteran actor Amitabh Bachchan and very talented Tapsee Pannu. The same pair who were incredible in another thriller ‘Pink’. So, the decision was easy, timing was perfect and I had a company; my mum- who is even bigger screen fanatic than I am. Everything just was perfect.

Badlaa is a murder mystery by Sujoy Ghosh(Director of Kahaani) which kept me gripped and on the edge of my seat for entire 150 minutes. In the movie Naina(Tapsee Pannu) is a murder accused and Badal Gupta (Amitabh Bachchan) a top lawyer who is set to fight her case. Naina is a very talented and successful business woman with husband and a daughter who is accused of killing her affair Arjun.

Lots of twists, turns and characters unfold in Naina’s stories when Badal Gupta seeks truth from her. The movie gives you lots of instances to solve the mystery yourselves but it manages to keep you occupied for the entire movie by unfolding new twists and plots.

Even though lots of assumptions and subplots are there, the movies is pretty easy to understand and has a very smooth flow to it. The movie was narrated and presented in simple way that does not boggle your head and keeps your interest intact. I have thoroughly enjoyed the movie and I rate 4s our of 5s.

I have always been fan of the veteran actor Bachchan but Tapasee Pannu has been a great revelation to me since the movie ‘Judwaa’ - which I have to admit I didn’t even watch till the interval. But, I had become her big fan, enthralled by her talent. I always have huge expectations from her and her movies. Pannu and Badlaa didn’t disappoint.

While watching such suspense-thrillers you are always trying to solve the mystery yourself. I was doing the same, since the first plot into movie. I had the suspect and the climax in my head. My guess remained constant throughout the movie and it was annoying that my guess, actually, turned out correct. I don’t know whether that makes me a good detective or bad movie goer. But, It was rather annoying because I wanted the story to unfold differently to my guess. I wanted to have that element of surprise. It felt I waited for 150 minutes for what I knew all along. It felt as if somebody revealed the suspense before the movie started. Only this time it was myself who was the culprit.

Nevertheless, it was a day out for me with my Mum; I had a ball of a time and watched yet another movie.

March 4, 2019 at 2:14PM

Day 2345: Rowdy Roth

Roths are traditional Newah bread/dessert or sweet from Kathmandu Valley of Nepal. They can be savoured as a supplement to morning or afternoon tea. It’s difficult to classify Roth into any one type of conventional delicacies. While in Kathmandu, it comes into the category of ‘mari’ which means breads but also referred to as sweets, sometimes.

Roths are like shortbreads or even biscuits which are crispier on the outside but soft in the inside. The top of the Roth is cracked and fluffy. The unique characteristics of this delicacy is that the dough for this is made without using any water.

Similar kind of bread/sweet is popular in India as well and they are called Khajuri.

I have tried to get my hands dirty and make some of these. Following is how I did it.

Ingredients:

300 Gram of plain flour

10 Grams of baking powder

3 tablespoons of sugar

50 Grams of pure ghee

2/3 tea spoons of Milk

Vegetable oil as necessary

Recipe:

1. Mix plain flour with sugar

2. Add baking powder with flour mix and mix well

3. Add melted ghee and knead well

4. Keep kneading till it forms a firm dough

5. If the dough is too tough and dry, gradually add milk by teaspoon

6. Too much milk might make the dough softer than required. So, ensure not to put too much milk, hence use the tea spoon to add milk

7. Once the dough is formed leave it to settle for about an hour

8. When it’s ready, roll the dough using the rolling pin to form a flat bread of required thickness. (The thick ness of about 4-5mm should be fine.)

9. Using a cutter, cut the flat-bread into diamond shaped Roth.

10. Mark three lines on the surface with a knife to get cracked fluffy surface

11. Heat the oil in a pan. Ensure the depth of oil is enough to drown the thickness of the Roth.

12. Drop Roths on to the hot oil.

13. Let the Roth drown to the bottom of the pot, but when the Roth is slightly cooked it shall float to the surface of the oil.

14. Turn Roth as required.

15. Wait till Roth turn golden brown

16. Take Roth out and place them on the tissue paper to soak oil.

17. The delicious Roths are ready to savour

March 2019

Boston Manor, London

#FoodFanatics