Life through a glass of wine!

Do you know what is a 'menu' called in Hindi? Can you name the three greatest Punjabi writers? Will you be able to make sense of Faiz's poetry without a translator? Unfortunately and shamefully so, neither will I... Like many of you, I was born to educated middle class parents whose sole ambition in life was to see their children do well. And one of the pre-requisites for doing well was your command on the English language. So, having worked tooth and nail on their toddlers, they were overjoyed when my twin sister and I got admitted to a reputed school run by Christian missionaries. Now, if you have been to a Christian missionary school you will know how it is. You pray in English, you curse in English, you think in English, you speak in English and you even dream in English. Class monitors are often asked to 'fine' the students for speaking in any language other than English. You will, of course, learn Hindi formally because it is compulsory, but it will not be

In our society, and in most cultures around the world, women have been the primary caregivers. They toil day and night to make sure that everyone around them is looked after. Women, unfortunately, are also twice as likely as men to suffer from depression and stress related diseases. Their biological makeup and the monotonous and thankless nature of their work are probably the main contributing factors. I too am among those women who put family before themselves, and get stressed easily about everything. From my own experience, I wish to share a few self care tips that have kept me together when everything around me seemed to be falling apart.  You have to understand - it's important to take care of yourself in order to be able to take care of those around you. A moping, unhappy and unhealthy woman cannot bring cheer to others. You need to recharge your own batteries so that you can fill in everyone else's. It's not being selfish. And don't let anyone hav

Dussehra just went by, and like every year, this year too the Ravan effigies were burnt with great gusto. I'm a huge fan of festivals and celebrations and I love this time of the year, but every time a Ravan is burnt, I'm left thinking, is the Ramayana really relevant today? From a feminist point of view, the Ramayana is what's everything that is wrong with our society. If you read it just as a story and not as a religious scripture, you realise how much it reveres the patriarchal system. The telling of this story, generation after generation, is an indicator of how deep this reverence is embedded in our culture. There are such great flaws with the character of Ram. Firstly, suppose some prince's very unreasonable step mom insists that he be thrown out of the palace and lead an ascetic life. The King stays mum and lets it happen. The prince too, like a spineless git, agrees to such a demand. Not only does he give up the privileges of being a prince, but he's al

Anybody who knows me knows that I've always been 'chubby'. While I'm quite comfortable with how I look, I have to be careful with what I eat to prevent an indiscriminate overload of 'cuteness' - as my mom calls it. Thankfully I'm not a fussy eater and badly made dishes don't ruin my day(especially the ones that I make). And hence, many years of trying to eat right has made me develop a palate that naturally gravitates towards fresh fruits, vegetables and non-oily dishes. BUT, I'm an unapologetic chocoholic and coffee lover, so I do tend to balance out my healthy eating with chocolates :). Here is my account of the little wisdom I have acquired with trying to eat right. I must start with a disclaimer though - I am an extremely lazy cook with very little experience in the kitchen. And hence, those of you who are passionate about cooking will find my knowledge rudimentary. I don't do 'diets' so I don't have much to say about them.

This Teachers' Day, I take the opportunity to thank everyone who has taught me something in life. I must have left out something, so my apologies in advance.  And there's still a lot to learn - so bring it on life! To my mother who taught me how to hold a spoon, thank you, I will need your embrace till the end of time.  To my father who taught me manners, thank you, I will need your support and strength always.  To the sister who taught me companionship, thank you, It is because of you I've never been friendless.  To the brother who taught me to keep cool,  It's because of you I can smile when things get hot.  To the teacher who taught me how to read, thank you, It's because of you I discovered the joy of books.  To the teacher who taught me maths, thank you, It's because of you I know there's a solution to every problem.  To the teacher who taught me science, thank you, It's because of you that I question and learn.  To

I don't want my daughter growing up on Disney movies. Don't get me wrong, I love them and have myself grown up on a steady dose of Cinderella and Ariel, but I still don't want my daughter watching them. These stories depict everything that women today don't want to be. Extremely girly girls wearing these unmanageable dresses, shy and timid, whose only mission in life is to wait for their Prince Charming to come and sweep them off their feet.  Sorry, but that's not what I want my daughter to be.  Childhood is the most brilliant time of anyone's life, where you can dream and fantasise and be anything you want to be. I can't imagine how dull life would be if we did not have these brilliant childhood memories and fantasies where we were allowed to be anything. But if I have to help steer my daughter's dreams, it would be towards seeing herself as Superwoman! Somebody who can fly and lift heavy things and run faster than trains and be a messiah of

Happy to share that the hubby's next book is now available in bookstores and online stores! Available at: Amazon | Flipkart | Infibeam | Landmarkonthenet | PayTM

It is amazing how food can evoke some very powerful emotions. Some of my most cherished childhood memories revolve around food - particularly that made by my Nani(maternal grandmother). If you are a Punjabi foodie like me you will understand what I mean. The inspiration to write this article came while preparing this beloved dish for my family. For the uninitiated, Choori is basically a hot paratha mashed with generous amounts of ghee and sugar to make a mouthwatering dessert. You have missed something in life if you haven't had it. Yes it is VERY unhealthy - probably worse than a halwa, but who cares, it's Choori! So here I am, making Choori in the kitchen, infusing it with love, ghee and sugar, all the time missing my Nani so much. This happens every time I prepare the dish - for she was the one who would make it for me and my siblings, roll it into nice, round laddoos and give one to each one of us. It was the highlight of our trips to her house. And if she