People Changing

Everyone changes. Some people gradually and some suddenly and drastically.

Yesterday I came across an acquaintance who has suddenly taken on the hijab. When I say I came across, I mean I saw their picture in facebook and the comments they wrote under their picture. Someone had asked her why she wasn't wearing a sari to the wedding she was pictured in (it is common for married women to wear the sari at weddings in our country). This person was dressed with head covering and a loose fitting long sleeved salwar kameez. She replied, I want to be a better human being. That really got me. What does that mean? Being a better human being is as simple as putting a piece of cloth on your hair? Why is being good looked at in such a physical manner? Is it not more important to be good within, in your actions? Why don't we try to be austere in how we live too? This person works in several educational institutions (breaking the rules of the one where she is a full time faculty) because as she had once explained to me "money is always good to have".

And secondly if one does not want to attract attention to oneself and be a less vain person, why wear heels, make up and contact lenses as this person did? Why is it just down to covering one's hair?

Can someone kindly explain how by simply covering one's hair and choosing not to wear a sari (which can also be worn in a conservative manner) one can claim to be a better human being?

That being said, I need to clarify that if someone wants to do something for the sake of following some doctrine, that is their prerogative. I only question their judgement when they think something superficial helps make them a better human being! If this person had said that I am covering my hair because my religion demands that I do it, I would not have made any bones about it.

Vegetarian Shashlik Kebab

I once cooked a full vegetarian meal for some people who did not eat eggs or fish. Took me a while to figure out the menu!

Anyway, this was the main meat replacement number that I did and it turned out pretty good.

Vegetarian Shashlik Kebab

Ingredients:

Mushrooms

Paneer

Capsicum

Tomato

Onion

Any ready made kebab masala (I use the Shaan brand)

Lime

Oil.

Method:

Cut all ingredients into bite size pieces. Squirt with lime and sprinkle with the masala. Fry (but not deep fry) in a pan till mushrooms and paneer are slightly scorched on the outside. but not down right burnt. Fry the rest of the veggies separately. Let cool and arrange in skewers. Enjoy!

Birthday Bash

Daughter turned 5 recently. Had never planned a birthday for her all by myself (since used to live with inlaws before who pretty much decided how it went). So even though I am not a party person, decided to take up the challenge. In the end, decided that there just had to be 2 events. One where Daughter would be able to have fun, and the second where we returned the dinner invitations that we had till now received. The first event would be for her school pals and the second for families we had come to know.

So the first one took the most amount of planning. Decided to have a princess tea party theme. Decorated the place with balloons and streamers which took a lot of time. Had a throne where all the kids posed (well at least the ones who made it on time). Had some games planned. Was a bit confused about how to give the gifts to the winners of the games. What if the others burst out crying, heaven forbid? Had snacks which we labelled with fun names from cartoons and fairy tale characters. At the end of the indoor party we took the kids to the huge play ground we are blessed with where they basically ran riot for a while until their parents took them home.

Above is pictured one of the tea party items. Which was super easy to put together by the way. Just mixed 1 part yoghurt with 2 parts whipped cream and icing sugar to taste. Decorated with strawberries and jelly. Make sure you have bowls to serve this in.

The second party we got catered. From a place called Raffles which I heartily recommend. Excellent food and service. I did make an egg curry with coconut milk to add to the buffet which was Indian. The gulab jamun (one of the dessert items was to die for)!

Restaurants in Colombo

We dine out here a lot and so I have decided to briefly review my experiences. Should have been doing this as they happened but better late than never eh? In this post I will review 3 restaurants. Limiting it to 3 per post as otherwise I will never finish the piece. Future posts will cover more restaurants.

Taprobane

Located in Cinnamon Grand Hotel, it is the best value for money eating place in Colombo in my opinion. You get 5 star ambience at unbelievably affordable prices. The food is mainly continental. Though the odd biryani does feature on the menu. There is a kid's menu too. Love the grilled fish in a herb/garlic saucewith rice and veg and also the spaghetti bolognese. All the kid's menu items are good too. My personal fave dessert item is the creme brulee which comes in two small glasses which is perfect for sharing. The service tends to be a bit slow at peak times though as they have a bustling crowd for the buffet to cope with as well.

Cricket Club Cafe

Even if you don't have a thing for cricket like me, this place is still worth a visit. The decor is interesting and a cricket lover's dream with signed memorabilia on display. The service is fast, though decidedly unfriendly. The prices are affordable and the dessert items are tasty. Personal favourite is the Mexican Chicken wrap. Also the mango crepes served with ice cream and garnished with coconut flakes was good (though the crepes were a tad on the hard side). Daughter loves their spaghetti bolognese. Prices are very affordable and the atmosphere is child friendly. Decor is a bit worn out though.

The Gallery Cafe

We dined here on our anniversary and it was worth it. The ambience is great, the place is packed, the decor classy. However the seats were not the most comfortable, I must say. The food made up for it. I had a champagne risotto. Daughter had a gnochhi dish. Forget what hubby had. The dessert was excellent. Here's a link to their site. http://www.paradiseroadsl.com/cafe/Introduction.html

The Gallery Cafe is situated right beside the Paradise Road Studio, a shop reminiscent of Zara Home which I just love. Both the shop and the restaurant are a bit on the pricey side.

Tsunami Alert

On the 12th of June, Sri Lanka was placed on tsunami alert after an earthquake in the Nicobar Islands of India. I felt the earthquake while lying in bed. At first was wondering why H was shaking the bed. Then figured it out. The next thought in my head was Tsunami. Checked the tsunami alert websites and sure enough Sri Lanka was placed on one. Panicked for a while as we live very close to the sea. Then went back to sleep at 1am. Woke up to find the alert had been lifted.