First Moonsoon In Amritsar.......

Fascinating Moon......

Hey Happy Friendship Day

Sun....

High Speed Traffic In Slow Shutter Speed....

Some more trees....

Trees...

Bulbul.....

A few weeks back Ms Priyanka and Dr Nitu had posted post about sparrow and maina and both the blogs forced me to think, that yeah once a common household birds have become so rare to find now. and same happened with me, few days I was just roaming with my cam and saw Bulbul and really I myself don't remember when was the last time I had seen it.

Sunset...

Dancing Trees.....

A few days back after having my lazy afternoon nap, I decided to go out and click some pics and this is one of them.

Thirst..........

Sukhna Lake....

Sukhna lake is Chandigarh's first man made lake and has its own charm, It is situated at one end of the city, surrounded by lush greenery and Shivalik mountains. During my childhood times, I used to accompany my father while fishing. Sukhna is chandigarh's famous tourist and activity spot.

Now a days UT admin. is making many more artificial lakes around the city, but I feel still Sukhna lake holds its very own place in Chandigarh's heart.

P.S I am sorry friends that I am posting something after a long time.

Taj West End... An Oasis ......

Being a loyal Ex Taj, Iam again posting something related to Taj only.
The Taj West End Bangalore is a five star deluxe luxury property of Taj group and comes under Taj’s collection hotels. West End is a property of amidst lush greenery of 22 acres and this picture is just an example. It's truly like an oasis in a upcoming concrete jungle. I know I am sounding like a person from sales, but can't help it.

Nature...... At Its Best...

I had clicked these pics on my last visit to Tirupati. The trust has made a very strict rule that all the devotees have to change their bus at tirumala and have to use tirupati trust buses to reach tirupati, which helps them to maintain cleanliness and pollution under control and I feel this greenery is result of such initiatives only.

Twilight......

Week back only I had clicked these pics, normally you find twilight at sunset time, but I captured it at 7 am morning.

Destiny...............

A few days back my friend Global Madrasi (R. Ramesh) wrote a blog about a destiny and he asked everybody, Do you believe in destiny or not? I did reply to him, yes I do and this blog is like an extension to that particular Yes. This is not regarding me; it’s regarding two of my dear friends Kuldeep and Nikhil. I have met both of them on 15th July 2002 on my first day as a Taj Management Trainee. We were batch of 18 trainees selected from all over India to be molded as future chefs,
Lets start with Kuldeep first, this 6’’ feet tall, haryanvi jaat, rather then a jaat, he was more like a stud of our batch. I feel during his collage days, he would have never dreamed also, that one day he would be a management trainee of Taj Group (I had also never dreamed that one day I will make it to TMTP) but we all 18 did it.

Kuldeep specialized in Bakery and confectionary and I did in European cuisine and these two years of training flew like 2 weeks, During these two years, we laughed, we cried, we cribbed, pulled each others leg and did all, that one trainee can do and then on 15th July 2004 the day came, for which we all were waiting from the very first day, our graduation ceremony, where we all got our black neckerchief, and officially announced as Chefs, but same day we got letter of deputation also. I had been deputed to Taj West End Bangalore and Kuldeep to Taj Exotica, Goa.

Now from here onwards destiny started to show its true colors, When Kuldeep reached Goa to resume his duty, his executive chef refused to accept him in his team (because according him corporate has not consulted him) so from Goa, he got transferred to Taj Hari Mahal Palace, Jodhpur. He worked there for a year and then again got back transferred to Goa, but this time he did resumed his duty. He worked there for 2 more years, during all this time, other batch mates got promoted to next level, but in his case he was hopping from one place to another. He spoke to his corporate chef, regarding promotion, but he refused. In this frustration and anger Kuldeep started to apply for jobs, where ever he can and by luck he wrote one mail to 3 star Michelin chef, Chef Michel Roux in London and asked for job of an apprentice (remember he was working as Sr Chef De Partie and was applying for an apprentice) but to his hard luck, Chef Michel refused to take him as an apprentice also. After few months, some how he managed to get a job in one of the London’s Indian restaurant. Now from London, again he wrote mail to Chef Michel Roux and mentioned that he has come to London and wanted to see his kitchen. Now this time his lady luck worked for him, he got a reply from Chef Michel Roux, who asked him to come with his Chef coat and offered him work in his kitchen for just one day.
It’s a matter of pride for any chef to work with Chef Michel Roux, even if it’s for one day. He went there and worked for one day and a week later he got a job offer from Chef Roux to join him in his 3 star Michelin restaurant “Waterside Inn” as Pastry Chef, can you imagine, a place where Kuldeep applied for a job of an apprentice and had been rejected, today same place was offering him a Pastry Chef. He joined “Waterside Inn” and worked there for a year, after a year, again a destiny started to play with him; he got a new job offer with double package, (obviously everybody works for money), so he left Waterside Inn to join his new restaurant, but this time his lady luck did not worked, his work permit got rejected, now he was like a (na ghar ka, na ghat ka), again he started his new job hunt and applied to as many places as he can, but nothing worked, so he came back to India and after two months again he got a call from London and this time it was from celebrity chef, Chef Atul Kocher and he offered him a job of Pastry Chef in his one star Michelin restaurant Benaras in London. Now again he flew back to London. Currently he is working in Benaras as Pastry chef.

Now lets talk about Nikhil, same like Kuldeep, I met Nikhil also during my TMTP time, but Nikhil left training program after 6 months only to pursue his higher studies in New Zealand but due to some personal problem, he came back to India and did not completed his course. In India he joined Park Hotel, New Delhi as Sr Chef de Partie and later got promoted to Sous Chef. Now this time his destiny played, on his lucky day, he was doing afternoon shift and a team of TV channel came to conduct auditions for their new cookery show and by luck he was the only senior chef available on duty, he gave audition and got selected and today he is a celebrity chef of popular cookery show Rasm E Rasoi on channel 9x

I am not saying that these guys did not worked hard, they definitely worked very hard, but today where they have reached, only one out of thousand Kuldeeps and Nikhils reach to that place.

Now all this is not destiny, then what is this? Now, I ask you again, do you believe in destiny or not?

P.S: My friend Kuldeep has written his comments about this particular blog, you can read his comments too. This particular blog was my perception, but he thinks totally opposite....

Long..Long... wait....

I had clicked this photograph in Chandigarh's Sukhna lake. It seems like this tree is waiting for spring to come, to see its leaves once again.

Khao Galli.. Chatpata Menu.. Rangeen Venue...

Khao Galli, is the name of theme night buffet in Taj Residency, Bangalore. Where they offer an array of all kinds of street food, from chaats to chicken shawarma, from vada pav to chicken 65 and their tag line is Chatpata menu, Rangeen venue. So if you are in Bangalore, just try it, it happens every wednesday.

Honored..... Hey..My First Award...

I received my first award from Ms Prachi Pandey a team member of Delhi with Avinash & Friends and they had received this award from Tripti Joshi at Life is a Quest . If you read Avinash's and his teams blogs, you will really feel great, he writes awesome poems, an articles and his team clicks amazing pics from daily delhi life. Thanks Prachi and many thanks to your team, I really felt honored.

The rules for the Friendship Award are simple:-*Copy the badge and put it on your blog.*Link back to the one who passed this tag to you.*Spread this tag to at least 4 bloggers or more who you think you are friends with.

I would like to pass on this special award to:

1. Ms Nitu at nituscorner

2.Ms Priyanka Khot at Delhi Photo Diary

3.Ms Vinisha at sanglife

4. Mr Ramesh at Global Madrasi

I really like to read all of your blogs and your sepcial commens, so thanks to all of you for good writing.
keep it up!!

Reduced Tea Sauce

As an Indian or should I say Human being, we all are an addicted to something or other. It could be sleeping (My favorite), reading, eating, net surfing, blogging, watching TV, music… List is endless. But being an Indian most of us are an addicted to one common thing i.e. either Tea or Coffee.
These tiny leaves of Camellia Sinersis plays major role in our everyday life, some people will not get up from their beds without having a sip of hot Tea and everybody uses it according to their need.

Now, when I am talking so much about This Tea, So how can I forget my Hotel and my dear Chefs? Yes this tea is like an addiction to most of the chefs, (Including me) which helps them to keep awake in long hour shifts and fulfill their need of caffeine.

During the days of my management trainee, when me and my other batch mate Shantanu (who likes to call himself as Shan) were doing our cuisine specialization in one of the Taj’s fine dine restaurant and there also Chefs were too addicted to this non-alcoholic somras. Now obviously chefs will not make Tea for themselves, so being a word ‘trainee’ attached to our so-called designation, we were the one who used to make it, and every time we used to crib because if somebody is making Tea, then he has to make it for whole kitchen brigade.
But one fine day, by god’s grace an Industrial trainee entered our kitchen, we both were happy with just a mere thought (hey naya Murga ayya, ab trainees ko trainee mile to kya hoga) Now somebody else will get dry store, somebody else will clean vegetables and most imp somebody else will make Tea for chefs.

One day, as it was not much busy, Shan planned to rag that trainee, so my friend Shan, so called ‘Chef Shan’ went to him and asked, So Tiger do you know how to make Tea Sauce? (There is a story behind word tiger, which I’ll share some other time).
That innocent trainee with his frog like wide-opened eyes said, ‘No Chef’ and Shan was expecting this answer only. He said, No problem, today I’ll teach you how to make Reduced Tea Sauce. (I was dying to laugh, but was acting to look serious).
Shan said, ok now you take out your scribbling pad and write down Mise- en –place list of Tea sauce, obviously that guy was not carrying scribbling pad (we also never carried) so Shan started his lecture, you new age trainees (like we were old, we were just 19) you don’t carry scribbling pad, you think, you can remember all recipes, you can mug whole larrouse (dictionary of gastronomy). By the time Shan was showing his superiority, that guy got hold of some paper and Shan started to dictate his Mise- en- place list.
Heavy bottom medium size saucepan.
Earl Grey tea leaves.
Castor sugar
White cardamom pods
Nestle skimmed milk.
Chinoise (fine strainer).
Most important. Clean portable water

After ten minutes, that guy came back with all items and asked Shan, What to do next chef?
Again Chef Shan started, put pan on medium heat and pour water, and wait for sometime. (That guy was listening with his full attention and was doing the same), now add Tealeaves and cardamom in water and let them brew. Now add milk and after first boil reduce it for sometime, till the time tea sauce attain good color. That innocent guy followed all instruction, as instructed.
Once all this is over, he again came back to Shan and asked what to do next chef? Shan very confidently said, now stain the tea sauce and pour in cups and give it to everybody, as soon as Shan ended his sentence, we both started laughing and guy also came to know that Shan has made him fool.
Till date I have not forgot this tea sauce and I am sure that guy also must have not.
So I feel after reading, all of you know how to make reduced tea sauce. Lol…

Big Canvas

I had clicked these pictures on different days or may be different months too. (actually i don't remember) In my previous property, most of the time I used to do split shifts, so at afternoon I used to come back to my room to sleep and at an evening when I used to go back, sometimes I used to find these kind of picturesque, beautiful sky. After seeing them, It feels like some painter has painted the whole sky with his brush, but its amazing to see boundless, an eternal sky in different colors and hues.

Nature's Garland

I had clicked these pictues in Taj West End, Bangalore. I don't know what's a name of the flower,

But when these flowers were blossoming, I felt attracted towards them and thats the whole reason I captured them in my cam.

The Full Moon

I have waited almost 20 days to click these photographs and yesterday I got an opportunity but sky was so cloudy that Moon itself was struggling to appear.
Few days’ back I was listening to a programme called “reach for the stars” on radio (because now a days that’s only source of entertainment i have) and came across a very profound thought. Somebody messaged that he is new in UAE and feeling home sick. The Astrologer on the show said, “ Whenever you feel home sick or missing somebody, just look towards moon and think that, that particular person is also looking towards the same." (I know it sounds like a typical bollywood dialogue) but sometime it works. Try it.

One Durga, Two Expressions

I had bought this statue of Durga in the year 2003 from Hyderabad's laad bazzar, during that time i did not paid any attention to this, I just got it and hanged it on my drawing room's wall.

During my last visit to my home, I was looking towards this and clicked these two pictures. According to me, if you see first picture, it seems like small innocent girl is smiling and if you pay attention to second one, there is a smile of beautiful, gorgeous and an elegant woman. So what do you think?