The one and only - my maths teacher

Maths scares me...petrifies me. It's as if someone has jinxed with me petrificus totalus and locked my ability to move. It wasn't always like that. I used to manage good grades..HCF LCM were a delight. That was till Std VI. And then I met Medusa, my maths teacher. That is one woman I will never forget. The memory of her face still makes me shudder. Everything about her...the bright orange lip stick, the fat mole on her upper lip, her greasy oily hair.....aaaaargh...still make me want to turn away in horror. We ran a happy mutual admiration society in school...she hated me and I hated her more..if that was possible..,

And the happy times we shared...makes me want to dedicate a ballad for her. The time she threw my notebook in the dustbin or shredded my answer sheet into pieces. I still remember the time when I asked permission to go for the investiture ceremony rehearsals and she looked at me in disdain. "You are a scholar!!!!! Yoooooooou"her big ghowlish eyes couldn't have gotten bigger. As I stood there humiliated to the core, a lovely classmate of mine (they don't make them like these anymore) stood up and remarked, "Ma'am Ma'am, she used to be a great student...god only knows what happened to her this year." That was just the icing on the cake. And that's how the nightmares started. Every time I had to take an exam, I would dream the same dream__ it's the day of the maths exam, I haven't studied a thing, I get the question paper and simply blank out. These nightmares continue till date....everytime I face a crisis or am nervous, it's the same damn dream. Each time I wake up frantically, all set for a rebuke from my teacher. After five desperate disoriented minutes, when I am assured that the Medusa is nowhere around and there isn't any Maths exam to study for, I go back to sleep.

I don't think Maths would have made me so miserable if it hadn't been for the dragoness. I could have done well too, maybe a trig or algebra problem would have lit within me the same crazy energy that seemed to have possessed all those maths honours students. Nothing ever made me feel so helpless as a Maths sum...I just didn't know what is it that I was doing wrong.

If only I could meet the Medusa now....I just wish......

chilling in jilling

the good part about having a five day week is that it allows you to take short breaks away from the city. It was the middle of the week, ideally I should have been glued to the PC looking for story ideas or something. It was insanely hot, I was insanely bored and a colleague of mine had said insanely so many times that I just had to take a break. So I did what I do best...google. And I came across this beautiful place tucked away in the hills of Kumaon. The Jilling Estate. Run by ex airforce man Steve Lal and his wife Parvati, this seemed to be the ideal retreat from the noisy annoying heat of delhi.
So we packed our bags and headed off to Jilling. A short distance ahead of Bhimtal and a short distance behind Mallah Ramgarh, this quiet estate is home to an amazing variety of flora and fauna. We were in for a bit of a shock when we reached there. One had to park the car at the base camp and then trudge it up from there. After nearly half an hour of uphill climb I was ready to give up and head back home. But then out of nowhere popped out a barasingha and I was hooked. I just had to go a little further to see what more lay up there. So a route which takes seasoned climbers 15 minutes took me nearly an hour to climb....feeling thoroughly ashamed of myself and cursing the whole world for inflicting this climb on me, I finally made it to the estate. And boy was it worth it!  (by the way, you don't need to be as stupid as me....you can hire a pony or a horse and reach the estate in half the time and with half the effort). Each cottage in Jilling is located nearly one kilometre away from the other...so you almost feel like you are all alone with  nature. The beautiful comfy cottage was nestled amidst a plethora of green. With huge chestnut trees swaying regally near the fire area, one could see rows and rows of flowers and shrubs around us. As the mist settled on the mountains, one could feel the nip in the air. Coming from the sweltering plains of Delhi, a slight chill was more than welcome.
Umesh, a young lad armed with a degree in Political Science, took charge of us. He would come everyday from the main kitchen (located way way up in the estate), loaded with piping hot food. Eating outdoors with simply the sounds of birds chirping and wind gently caressing the mountains, was an experience in itself. The day we arrived, it started pouring and we watched drops settle on the grass in front of our cottage as we ate.
I dunno what is it about the hills that ensures such sound sleep. A hearty meal followed by a lazy afternoon siesta was just what we needed. I don't think I have ever slept this well. The evening proved pretty exciting. Umesh came to us in the evening and warned us with a sense of urgency to close all our doors and windows. Some members of the staff had come across a leopard while coming down to our cottage. Part of me hoped that a leopard would come by our cottage and another part of me just wanted to hide in one corner of the room. Well, no such exciting incidents happened and I woke up the next day to a glorious morning.
Umesh whisked us along for a walk on the ridge. We generously poured salt into our socks and shoes to avoid the leeches but alas! it wasn't enough. My shoes were soon crawling with them and I also got bitten twice. It doesn't hurt at all...when the leech is stuck on to you tend to feel a little tingly and cold...it is only the sight of blood that sometimes gets to people. After heartily donating a few mm of blood to the leeches, we moved on and reached the ridge which was at a height of some 6,800 feet. The sight was spectacular....the woods were shrouded in mist and everything looked like an enchanted fairy land right out of an Enid Blyton book. At any time I thought Moonface or Silky would come sliding down and take me to meet the folk of the faraway tree.
The walk was pretty smooth, it wasnt as laborious as the uphill climb to the estate. The slight drizzle and the cool breeze just added the final touch and the magic was complete. Umesh regaled us with stories about how guests had come across leopards and barking deers on the ridge. I asked him if we came across a leopard then how would we save ourselves. He just smiled and said, "the leopards are harmless, they are extremely scared of human beings. It is the bear that one should watch out for. If you see one run for your life." The Himalayan bears, though, don't come down to lower altitudes anymore and have retreated to higher reaches. As we went ahead we came across a temple of the devi. the walk to the mandir was brilliant, we saw a vibrant family of ladybirds all huddled up together, giant spiders going about their day's work, a barking deer howling in the vicinity. But the best part was the sighting of this beautiful butterfly which seemed to be posing for us. As we would change camera angles, it would change its position too in order to give us the best glimpse. I have never seen something so beautiful or magnificent. It is at times when the power of nature dawns on you....the world is teeming with such exquisite beauty and we haven't even seen half of it. After a visit to the temple we headed downhill to Steve's house where we were greeted with his six bounding dogs. Muchhi, Kali, Bhontu, Lalu, Dhanno and Jilli- each inimitable in its own way. Steve is a store house of energy and life. There is not one person in the Kumaon region who doesnt know him. He would head all the way to Bhimtal because he likes the post office there and would want to post the letter only in that particular place. He is quite a sight, riding on  his bike, interacting with the locals about their daily routines and welfare.
It isnt everyday that you come across a person like him! The next day it was time to go and the journey back to the base camp didnt seem that laborious to me (the  fact that it was downhill helped :) ) Ok not funny at all...but I strongly recommend Jilling to whosoever wants to be surrounded by nature and enjoy the silence (Which seems to be a much endangered commodity these days)

More than just momos

During my IIMC days, visits to the monastery next to IIFT were regular weekly rituals. Chow chow, steaming hot dumplings and soupy noodles would be our regular fare. Tibetan cuisine for us Delhiites began and ended with thukpa and momos.That's why a visit to the Tibetan market at Mcleodganj was a revelation. A breezy summer visit to this bustling hilly hamlet was a culinary delight. One came face to face with a mini Tibet as shopkeepers and vendors urged you to sample their wares. Ornate prayer wheels, vibrant thangkas and similar artefacts gleamed back at us; Tibetan refugees had laid their hearts bare with the precious treasures that they had managed to carry with them while making their way to India. They were now left with no choice but to part with those fine pieces in a bid to make two ends meet. My heart went out as we purchased a prayer wheel from one such vendor, knowing that we were taking not just an artefact but a part of him away. With our bags bustling with goodies,we marched on to sample the culinary wonders of the aptly titled `Little Lhasa'. I had heard of a couple of places run by Italians that served excellent pastas and pizzas. However, we came across none, or maybe we didn't look hard enough. What we did come across were cosy little eateries sandwiched between shops, butsling to the seams with foreign tourists. Tibet Kitchen was one such place. Located on the main market street, close to Hotel Tibet, the eatery serves one of the best Tibetan fares in Mcleodganj. The food is awesome and the helpings are gargantuan. Used to the paltry little servings of Delhi restaurants, we rattled off one dish after another, when the food finally arrived it was fit to serve an army. Try the thukpas and the thenthuk (or soup made with noodles and vegetables). (and now I know that the very famous Kabeer Sharma had his first Chow Chow there....yipppeeeeeee :) ...tht should be reason enough to visit the place ). Yet another nice place is Kailash Hotel which is one of the few restaurants here that has a bar. Crying babies, annoyed daughters-in-law, over-enthusiastic tourists and hassled shop owners all raise quite a din in this place. However, the food more than makes up for the noise. You must must try the Tibetan thali here, which contains two veggie dishes, a velvety curry of potato, pork and glass noodles, fermented bread and rice. The eatery also serves chinese and thai food, but it's wiser to stick to the Tibetan fare.On the way to Mcleodganj lies the Norbulingka institute where the traditional crafts of wood crafting, sclupting and thangka making are taught. The summer palace of Dalai Lama is also located here. If you wish for some calm and quiet then this is the place for you. Head to the Norbulingka Cafe for some veggie fare and home baked cakes. Opt for the Shogo Tang (roasted potato soup) or the Tibetan mushroom barley soup.The best part about Tibetan cuisine is that fresh herbs, local veggies and meats come together in one wholesome dish. The cooking process is not tedious and the flavours are not killed by overcooking the veggies. The rich aromas of pok choy, basil and coriander can be found in almost every dish, while pork and beef are the common meats that are used.One can't leave Mcleodganj without visiting the quaint little cafes lining up the main market street. Overlooking the snow clad dhauladhars, these cafes offer fresh bakes, steaming hot cuppas along with a wi-fi connection. There is one which doubles up as an art gallery for contemporary Tibetan artists which serves great tuna melt and cappucino. Or go to Coffee Talk where you name a fruit and they make a lassi out of it! Mcleodganj is one place where the words `regular' and `usual' don't hold. Everything about this tiny hill station is refreshing and inventive. No where else will you find such an eclectic mix of people- the Israeli tourists on their bullets, the Europeans vistors busy with their laptops as they soak in the mountain breeze and the local Tibetan residents who just light up the place with their uninhibited laughter and scintillating conversation. Surprisingly (and thankfully) you don't get the regular touristy crowd here, maybe because there isn't much touristy to do, there are no specific itineraries to be followed here. To experience Mcleodganj, you just need to let yourself loose here, wander through the place and let its magic seep into your skin.ThenthukThenthuk ( Tibetan Noodle Soup ) from the web site http://www.tanc.org/new_food/thenthuk.html"Thenthuk" ten-took (n) : A typical Tibetan noodle soup that keeps the nomads warm during those long Tibetan winters. You can make it either with vegetables or meat. In Tibetan "then" means pull and "thuk" means noodles.The Dough (IF YOU DON'T WISH TO GO THROUGH THE PROCESS OF MAKING THE DOUGH THEN PURCHASE SOME FLAT NOODLES FROM THE SUPERMARKET. SIMPLY MAKE THE BROTH AND PUT THE NOODLES IN IT)The dough is very important for this noodle soup. It needs to sit for fifteen or twenty minutes so that it can become flexible and easy to pull.1. If you want to make "Thenthuk" for two people, put two heaping handfuls of all-purpose flour in a pot and add about half a cup of water.2. Mix the flour and water very well by hand and keep adding water until you can make a smooth ball of dough.3. Then knead the dough very well until the dough is flexible. You want it thick enough that it will stretch when pulled.4. Separate the dough into pieces about half as big as big as your fist, and roll the dough between your hands. Make the shape like bananas, or wedges.5. Then put oil on your hand and roll the pieces between your hands again so they won't stick together. Put the wedges in a plastic bag or in a pot and put a lid to cover the dough so it doesn't dry out.THE BROTH1. Chop half an onion, a small piece of ginger, a clove of garlic, and one small tomato.2. If you want to use meat, cut 1/4 or half pound of any kind of meat into thin bite-size slices (pork/ lamb)3. Fry everything in two tablespoons of oil for three or four minutes, or until the meat is cooked well.4. Add a pinch of chicken vegetable bouillon stock , a dash of salt, and few shakes of soy sauce.5. Add about five cups of water to the pot. At this time, you can add one potato. Just slice it thinly and put it in the pot.6. While you are cooking, chop 1/4 of a bunch of cilantro, two green onions, and 1/4 bunch of spinach.The Throw-downWhen the broth starts to boil, you can add the dough. Take a wedge of dough and roll it between your hands so it gets a little longer. Flatten it with your fingers. Then pull the dough off in little flat pieces as long as your thumb and throw them in the pot. See how fast you can pull off the noodlesWhen all the noodles are in the pot, cook it for an additional three or four minutes. After that, you can put in the cilantro and spinach. They don't need to cook, really, so you can serve the soup immediately. Before you serve the "Thenthuk" make sure that the taste is right for you. Enjoy your food and sweat because it really makes you warm!Cilantro, green onions, and the doughThe soup just about ready to eat, noodles have risen to the top.