Local jewels

Houston may or may not be good for many things but it is certainly a great place for 'eating out' (and I don't mean national or international chain restaurants). I remember once long ago, a friend telling me how you could eat at great restaurants every day and not repeat any for years and I completely agree with her. Of course, we never do that! Mostly out of choice, to be good to our pockets, health and mainly because we love to cook, eating out is restricted to 1-2 times a week.

While my familiarity with Houston goes back a couple of years as a weekend resident of the city, it is only in the last month that Houston has become home, day in and day out - 7 days a week and I am experiencing life as a daily resident.  Without further ado let me get to the point - while we have eaten at a number of great restaurants in the city, one that it quickly climbing up on the list of my favorites is 'Ruggles Green'. Having been to lunch there twice in the past week, I can say that  this restaurant hits all the 'must-haves' in my list. It is a Certified Green Restaurant, has a great menu, great ambience, super-fresh organic  and local ingredients,  a good organic/bio dynamic wine list,  all natural and most importantly ABSOLUTELY DELICIOUS.

So here's to exploring little jewels in the city- one at a time!

Sharing is...

Shareable: Design for a Shareable world is one of the latest additions to my RSS feed list and I am just a little disappointed in myself for finding about it only recently. Better late than never!


'Share' is such the key word to a better life- on a personal as well as big picture level!
We share lives, resources, ideas.. just about anything and everything...


... this one to caring!

Even baby steps will do!

Last night as part of Architecture for Humanity's Houston Chapter's fund raising event for rebuilding effort in Haiti we watched the film 'One Peace at a Time'. In case you haven't watched it you can find more information about the movie here .

The film features the work and insights of various Noble Peace Laureates and many others with fundamental issues related to education, food, water, shelter, peace.

As individuals who have had the privilege of a great education and lifestyle, I am quite surprised by the minimal number of people I come across who are interested in being part of any cause or contributing towards it. Many a times there seems to be interest and empathy but a number of excuses. The most popular ones I have heard are:

1. I want to do something but not in this region- Why does passion for a cause or an issue be have to be bound by boundaries? And even if you feel strongly about a certain community in a certain region, with the ease of a global world, living thousands of miles away is no excuse any more.

2. Wish I had the time - Well, I am guessing you don't have the time because you are busy making money out of it - how about donating some of that then?

3. I cannot find anything I can be involved in or that matches with my area of expertise/ interest- Really? Have you tried? I can help you find something if you are really interested. 

I believe an education is fruitful even if a small part of it is applied to something that's bigger than yourself. Doctors, lawyers, engineers, architects... we all have something that we got in our training that we can contribute to a great cause- that of humanity.

The movie makes a beautiful case for just finding something you are passionate about and acting on it. Could be as small and simple as not using plastic or driving a hybrid or as big as working towards opening a school or bank in an underprivileged community ! It really is about the choices we make, isn't it? 
As was rightly stated in the movie - 'the thing that thrives most is the one that you feed well!

We always have something to say!

The advent and wide spreading popularity of the 'social media' has certainly given each individual, young or old, popular or not, a medium to express- and these days everyone has something to say.

With this phenomenon an integral part of our lives- an addiction if you will, I am beginning to wonder, especially about the younger generations - in a race to state your own and be heard is one losing the ability to listen and to read? 

Are the abilities to listen and read patiently, to acknowledge and process what one has to say seem to be on the road to becoming rare virtues... seems like the average mind already jumps to something it wants to say. 

It's great that we all have so much to say...  I just hope someone is listening.

Cheers to the ' art of listening' ! 

the red fins...

... seen above are from one of the buildings on the ASU downtown campus on my visit to Phoenix last November! 

the frame above

My blog header has been a place for random images - there is randomness in the way I select the images to put on my blog - but a common theme that came to me when I posted this one - each image is associated with a travel memory... and most likely an image that only my travel partner  and I can tell where it came from...
so this one above... Kolhapur, India - Rankala Lake


the one prior to this (a sweet tooth) - with the hot chocolate - no guesses... Brussels, Belgium!


and the one prior to that (unfocused) - a forest of silver winter Aspen trees - from Aspen, Colorado!

Ring Roads of the world - poster

came across this poster through the Archinect website - for those familar with houston - sprawling cities and urbanization might find this poster very compelling like i did

Ring Roads of the World 

Rice School of Architecture, 2009
22 by 32 inches
Production by CPY, Houston

This poster is designed as a sort of calling card for Rice School of Architecture, located in Houston. We collected ring roads from 27 international cities and layered them all at the same scale. As it turned out, Houston has the largest system of those we surveyed. (Beijing was second)

1/4

Here is where I came across it - could associate with the description and thought was a great representation of an idea! 

http://www.archinect.com/schoolblog/blog.php?id=C0_539_39

they say...

... you get used to something if you do it for three weeks...


apparently that proved to be true in case of me getting used to driving in India on a right hand drive/ left side of the road ! Proof you ask?


- I keep reaching out to my right hand side for the turn light signals
- I forget about the free right turns
- I am quite impatient at traffic lights... but no I haven't jumped any!
- I forget that I can 'cruise control'
and the BIGGIE
- I almost... only almost honked at a pedestrian this evening!

SOBO

A little late -but I learnt a new acronym on our trip to India this time around
SOBO


In the spirit of SOHO and LODO...
SOBO is South Bombay... shouldnt it be SOMU though? - for South Mumbai... :) oh well! - if only it sounded as cool as SOBO!

It is not just the weather…

… that lacks the warmth!


So do…


the people
the culture
the surroundings
the food
the celebration
the expression
the love


Oh I am so cold…
take me home- to where I belong!!!

find all the mistakes:)

NJ - this probably fits better on your blog - Dekha Hai Aise Bhi!

an assorted p.m mind!

Holiday lights have adorned the street - its all pretty and shimmery outside! 

The red holiday cups have brought back the delicious Eggnog lattes! 

With that the need to work out more! 

Was too cold to go to the gym today - so just did  a 30 min Bollywood routine at home instead! The last quarter has been filled with traveling 

Sometimes I feel I would love a job that has primarily to do with travel - cultural interpretations - dining- wining - the whole package! 

Something like Anthony Bourdain's No Reservations - not just about food though - its always about the holistic experience in my realm!!!

 Not the Rachel Ray/ Andrew Zimmern type of show - the biatch in me cannot be that sweet all the time - there are somethings (ok many things!) that I don't like and I am very vocal about it! I don't dislike them - but they just seem to like everything they see, experience and eat! 

 I'll go for Anthony Bourdain - like how he is MEAN and TRUTHFUL!!! 

Certainly not a show like Guy Fieri- I like his show - but the amount of red meat he has to eat ! or let alone be exposed too - too unhealthy for the eyes, let alone the stomach! 

Aspen was gorgeous - was a relaxing- indulgent weekend! 

Phoenix was such a let down - one of the fastest growing cities in America????

Sprawling paradise it is if you ask me

Ironically I went there for Greenbuild - was good but not great- was hoping to come back much more inspired! 

For those unfamiliar - Greenbuild is an international conference on Sustainability - involves issues related to the topic in the built environment - buildings, cities, engineering, policies etc and everything that goes with it!

Oh - thanks to that though I got to hear Al Gore live ( second time now!) and attend a Sheryl Crow concert! 

The year end is close-  holidays even closer

Beginning to feel the pinch - so much to do! so little time!!! 

thats ALWAYS the STORY! 

Ethics out the door...

People of Walmart


have your headphones/speakers on!!!

I really hope  Wal-Mart does NOT pick up any steam in India! 

- from a happy NON Walmart shopper! 

for the love of FOOD

Our last book club read was in Defense of Food: An eater's manifesto - by Michael Pollan

(this time I was guilty of not reading the book- but as a means to encourage a bigger group to attend we always are happy when people show up and contribute to the conversation  even if you haven't read the book- we all know how much we talk about the actual books in a book club session right ?)
So now its lined up as my next reading - after I finish 'the geography of bliss' (another post on that someday)

This one pager that someone brought to the discussion comes from the book- In Defense of Food below and I believe is valuable to all us! Enjoy! its a useful reminder to have on our refrigerators or office desk displays!

of October snow and BLOG friends

If you follow me on twitter, are friends with me on facebook or happen to be on my g-chat list ( the whole world seems to land there - wonder how- anyway, lets leave that for another post) you have probably read my little statements like ' snow storm'; 'loving the orange sky', 'beautiful snow' and 'commute to work this morning wasn't fun'.... however since it's considered to be an 'epic' snowstorm - first in 10 yrs to have hit Denver so hard in the month of October I think it calls for a post on my Blog...

Yes - my Blog - its my oldest outlet on the 'social media' circle - now there is facebook, twitter, linked in - and what not (and you can find me on all!) - but my blog happens to be my oldest and also clique'iest' of the lot - a place known to my few loyal readers who have been with me through the past five years - through thick and thin...through my happy posts- grumpy posts - opinionated posts - green posts - intangible posts - cryptic posts-  random posts- grammatically incorrect posts and on days like these - posts which start with one topic and move on to another .... thank you dear blog 'clique'  for sticking with me-  a unique group of friends - my BLOG friends!

Now back to the October snow storm - the snow started as a heavy consistent downpour on Tuesday evening - went on all day Wednesday and Thursday - spiced up at intervals with gusty winds and COLD temperatures on Thursday- very different from the storms I have seen in Denver before - this one wasn't as dramatic or as Blizzardy ( yumm- the word makes me think of dairy queen bliazzards:) ) as the ones in the past years but was Consistent - kept pouring - 4"-6"-8"-12"-18"- almost a couple of feet - it didnt cause disruption as the ones before - but has piled up a TON of snow....  the white stuff that's the beautiful powder when it is fresh and either deadly ice or slushy slippery mess the next day! Here's to a White October!
Happy Halloween

experiences

its been pretty busy on this side of the world of late - hence the lack of new posts at my end here! 

between busy work schedules we also managed two mini vacations to two DIVERSE cities that share a few core values! In my mind they are both... 

Culturally unique

Culinarily marvelous
Soulfully rich

Artistically inclined

... in very different ways...while San Francisco pretty much defines what a contemporary cultural experience should be like for this side of the continent, New Orleans is rich in its the historic charm! 

First time in New Orleans - loved it! looking forward to going back

Not first time in SFO and around - as always - loved it! looking forward to going back

Date Nights...

.... at home are always so fun!

Last night's menu :

- Mixed herb salad with black grapes, walnuts and olive oil, peach-apricot, chili flakes dressing!
- Tilapia Fish Fry
- Sol Kadhi
- Lemon scented basmati rice

a mangotini for the lady and dirty martini for the husband :)

Nutella update!

now that the chocolate hazelnut goodness has been finger licked to emptiness there will be guilt free evenings....

.... till we get another jar!

Happy Ganesh Chaturthi All

We made some Modaks!

and the verdict...

Taste: 10/10

Texture of filling : 10/ 10

Consistency of outer layer : 9 /10

Looks/Presentation: 6/10

As you can see while we believe we nailed the taste, texture, consistency we still have a lot of work to do on perfecting the shaping of these yummy favorites of Ganpati Bappa and us!

TOP CHEF

the new season started tonight and shows a lot of promise - one of the contestants is a James Beard award nominee - another has received a Michelin star - many others seem talented too - looking forward to the season

also....

Top Chef masters finale happened tonight - all three - Chef Hubert Keller, Chef Rick Bayless and Chef Michael Chiarello are all rock stars - the finale dinner looked and sounded heavenly

-kept wishing we were there to eat it! ha ha

I am glad Rick Bayless won - he was my favorite -he is so charming! Added two new

restaurants to our must eat at list :)

TOI b***wood shit

so... what happened to Swine flu? oh - didn't you hear? Shahrukh took it on himself to reduce media hype about it ? In the process got some publicity for himself and satisfied his craving for some attention. Also at first glance on the TOI website I learnt today ' Ash unwell, Big B worried' BIG news man! oh another big news- alls well between Shahrukh and Vishal ( apologize my ignorance- who is Vishal?) and then I learnt about ' bollywood's kiss controversies and Irfan gives kiss a miss.

thanks TOI for all of this!

and that too in less than a minute of reading.

p.s - SRK found a spot for himself on Anderson Cooper 360 tonight!!!!

Of Pride and Love

Pride for everything you achieved... and who you are!
Love inspite of all that you are not and aspiring to be!

Happy Independence Day dear Motherland.

this KOKOnut likes...

...Macaroons
...Malibu rum
...any well made coconut based curry in this world
...tender coconut icecream
... Pina Colada
... Koprapak /coconut barfi
... Coconut rice
... Coconut water
... Bounty chocolate
... toasted coconut cupcakes
... Coconut
... the Sun, the sand and the sea!

an assorted AM mind

The media collectively is one evil soul!
It wasn't as hot as I thought it would be as I walked to work this morning.
I can't make up my mind - which one is the bigger evil - politicians or media?
Thinking about the chicken saguti recipe mom just shared with me!
People who are extremely opinionated should be able to take extreme criticism well?
The entire world should start using Macs instead of PCs
I had HBOO cereal for breakfast
I want to 'Design like you give a Damn'
My mind never stops talking to me!

When I look around...

... I am so glad that I am part of a profession directly involved in enhancing lives... in different ways, at different scales... if done right the bottom line still stays the same!

Sunday night gupshup with U

- Now that the Next Food Network Star Show is over with its finale last weekend the husband is having his way this evening with Sunday night baseball - little does he know that Next Iron Chef and ofcourse next season of Top Chef are going to premiere soon.

- While on the topic of Top Chef - is anyone else sad to see project runway go from Bravo -i think that new ' Fashion Show' sucks - the hosts, contestants and judges are all so bad. I think i read somewhere Project Runway is starting soon on Lifetime? Does anyone know when?

- Since I have pretty much given up on big banner Bollywood movies off late, Love Aaj Kal was a pleasant surprise. The story is good and well presented. the back and forth between yesterday and today seems seamless and nicely done. Love doesnt really follow any logic, decision making, discussion or any thoughtful process - its above all that!
Cast wise- Though this is a complete 'Shahrukh' role, I think Saif is good and convincing - in both the roles. I am so glad that Deepika Padukone plays the part of Meera and not Kareena Kapoor- she seems perfect for the 'practical' girl that she plays -and fresh too!

Off to dinner - the smell of our Kerala style ground and roasted coconut Chicken curry made yesterday is calling!

humpty dumpty had a great fall!!!

Oops!

check the above video out for a little peak at Steven Tyler's fall off the stage while performing at Sturgis, SD (talk about tough crowd!)

well - i am glad we could catch the Aerosmith concert in Denver last Saturday before his fall! - sure hope he feels better soon and is up and runnning/jumping/dancing/going crazy - and being himself!
the man is old - but still so H*T

a delicious addiction?

while we are on the subject of 'bad habits' here, I have a confession to make...
... lately I have been developing this habit that I am finding hard to get out of... I don't know if I can completely coin it as a bad habit yet - just because it is SO GOOD!

the habit takes place almost every weekday evening or night ' starts with quarter of a teaspoon of nutella; close the jar- open it again - another quarter of a teaspoon; guilt creeps up-so I close the jar- oh no- open it again and another quarter of a teaspoon'

all along growing up and even now Nutella surely has been one of my most favorite things to eat in this world - i mean seriously - how can someone come up with something so delicious and simple at the same time - cocoa and hazelnuts -can never go wrong for me (except of course if its in my coffee!)

so anyway -growing up nutella sandwiches were an integral part of my life - strawberry nutella crepes make for a delicious dessert anywhere anytime! nutella cupcakes are only divine! nutella with any fruit make a good snack! finger licking goodness of nutella is just getting me more and more addicted to it!

Here is what mainly goes into this delicious goodness - sugar, modified vegetable oils, hazelnut, cocoa and skimmed milk!
See - its not all bad for me :)

besides the fact that...

... its bad for you ...
It is so yesterday - Its like an 80s or 90s thing!
the other day after a long long time an acquaintance started to tell me how maybe the good thing about smoking is he has met some great and interesting people on his smoking breaks at work- outside bars etc.
i am surprised that 1. people of our generation smoke and 2. they think its cool!

Sometimes...

...the question is 'do you really like your job?'
and other times its a bigger question ' do you really like the profession you are in?'

Of school uniforms

i am so glad I grew up in a world where it was and still is a norm to wear Uniforms to school - maybe I didn't like it back then ( or maybe I did- i don't remember!) but whenever i see the back-to-school ads on TV here these days it seems like one big part of back to school shopping is clothes - oh man - as a kid i cant even imagine how much pressure there would be to wake up each morning and think what to wear - to dress well - to dress cool- to not repeat clothes and what not!

looking back - i loved my blue tunic and white shirt and especially loved the occasional white Fridays - white shirt and white skirt :) and it even made the 'party dress' days all the more fun.

Ah! the memories of a simple life!

FYI

Someone is back from their Nth hiatus .... 'random' reading on the web is going to be interesting again! :) I hope we dont have to see another 'writers block' anytime soon though.
http://chinaclay.blogspot.com/

each time...

.. keeps hitting another wall!!!!!

no matter what...

... the damn clock keeps ticking!

in FB style.. Komal is...

... wondering what news channels would make 'breaking news' out of if MJ wouldn't have left the world. Suddenly Iran, the economy, Obama, Yemen and everything else seems to be not as 'breaking news' for them as MJ's life has been in the last week.

... wondering what's wrong with Bollywood. Another movie we started and shut after 20 min - Oye Lucky Oye or whatever. Why in the world do people cast abhay deol in their movies - guess cheap availability?

... wondering how almost all Desis i know in the US like their water 'no ice' - the list includes yours truly too

... liking a not so much of an 'agenda' long weekend!

should have just been one person...

sunny deol and nicholas cage - they could really be the same person... with expressionless droopy eyes (leaving screaming their heart out the only way to emote), the perpetual frown, bad acting and starring in movies that normally i wouldn't care to watch... (read -bad movies)

p.s - my first post from my MAC - its such a treat - love it ... makes me happy :)

missing home

Happy 3rd Denver -

Yes...you and i have spent three years together - many great moments with loved ones and family... shared experiences I havent shared with anyone before... yet you shall never be home... I MISS HOME!

little moments in a day - big inspirations they make

A good take away from Cameron Sinclair’s (of Arch. for humanity) talk when he was in Denver a few weeks ago - ‘Design is the biggest renewable resource’
‘A solution needs to be beautiful both aesthetically and ethically’

Another great take away from a recent speech by an individual who I believe is one of the greatest public speakers of our time said something like – ‘empower yourself – such that you can be of help to others… beyond yourself’
He referenced the disaster at wall street as part of this statement ( and obviously so – to my mind wall street and anyone associated with it is just the biggest group of self centered individuals one can ever come across…BOO!)

I presented my India thing (from the AIA 10 x 10 event) to the architecture studio at work a few days ago. that was that! Yesterday – while climbing up the internal office stair I ran into this colleague who was like ‘I liked your talk -I could relate to it a lot’ and just like that, out of the blue he pulls out a little bronze Ganesh murti from his pocket and tells me he always carries it with him – apparently he is totally into it!!!! How cool :)
Go Ganpati Bappa!!!

easy to do... Critique - complain - have a problem with every one's ways and doings!
hard to do... walk the talk!

hear me out!

The husband and I often have many discussions on sustainability- in the context of design, lifestyles, energy consumption so on and so forth. Amidst our stimulating conversations, I always tell the husband how we are at the tipping point of the world changing and people are at a point that they have already accepted or will soon accept a sustainable responsible lifestyle, design attitude and energy consumption at the least.
He always points out to me that I live in a bubble that is so committed to the subject that its only in that bubble that this seems to be happening – and always I deny. Unfortunately on a recent visit to what could be called a traditional upper middle class family I realized how far form even knowing what needs to be done to live on the earth responsibly are we. Not only that – my heart aches to see how proud we are of our wasteful ways. I have to agree with the husband for now but pledge only to work harder in maybe my own small way and hopefully be able to change atleast a small part of the world we live in. I feel hurt at one level – but more motivated at another that there is still so much that needs to be done – not only in terms of problem solving but also awareness and I shall be happy to help.

We live in a world that is either about ‘rich and wasteful’ or 'poor and frugal’.
Is it so hard to strive for a world where the motto is ‘rich and frugal?’

conversations...

with a Two and Half Year old...

Everytime I talk to Chari she has an interesting tale to tell me about my little niece (her daughter) Tia. here are three of the comments that Tia made to her that I just cant get over. the little girl is 2 and half - i just don't get how can she say all that... these days are growing up fast- but so fast.
so ...
Statement 1 - Tia tells Charita after coming back from her day care " Mom, Rick is my boy!"
Charita is like WHAT??? - i thought i have to hear this after like 10-15 years - not now!!!

Statement 2- Tia says " Mom, I think I am absolutely gorgeous"

Statement 3 - Tia is not listening- Charita tries hard and then just screams at her - so Tia says "Don't scream at me Momma - just tell me - I will listen"

I mean i get it that she must have picked up the first and maybe second statement at her daycare... but the third one requires some thought and understanding doesn't it. there are many such things that she says that intrigue me a lot - i shall update if there is something more

Cafe Options...

... is a new cafe opened just across the street from my desk - a month ago or so i saw the sign go up - then some furniture - then saw that it had opened...
there are a couple of reasons i am writing this post - i was very excited to see a new 'local' cafe coming up - i am always a proponent of those and if i have a choice- then will NOT go to the evil empire of Starbucks!(there are like 6 Starbucks within one block radius of my workplace- and many other cafes too though-so i have nothing to complain really)
Anyway in the last two days i have been to Cafe Options 4 times - twice for lunch (they have excellent soups, salads n sandwiches) and twice for coffee (its not yet the best cappuccino but they are learning) . I told the husband how it was a little weird that I keep on going there... either alone or with some colleague... but I am very glad that even though unknowingly, I have gone there four times already... here is the reason why : I found out today that Cafe Options is a place that benefits Work Options for Women, a local non-profit that helps impoverished women acquire culinary skills and places them in a job.

there are very few noble causes than that in my mind!

and trust me it is anything but your ordinary, everyday pick up and go place- the service may still be slow but the food and ambiance is great; it employs several women who have graduated -- or will graduate -- from a 16-week food service training program.

feeling like...

... badly in need of a divine intervention!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Me the Desi

-chestnut brown or gray eyeliner doesn't work - Me the Desi needs a black brown or black kajalesque eyeliner for it to show and work...

- just remembered Junglee Toofan Tire Puncture when I was driving and thought maybe I had a flat tire(luckily i did not) Me the Desi spent several childhood evenings watching the show

- i love coffee but there is no other way to start the day for Me the Desi other than a hot cup of tea a.k.a. chai (no not your starbucks chai latte)

- i have never been a great fan or proponent of spicy food - but Me the Desi is always satisfied after a delicious- hit all the taste buds and senses kind of Indian dish/meal (thought of this as I craved kababs all evening - well settled for a spicy pad thai!)

a few random thoughts all come together!

isn't Avacado like a person who is popular but we dont know why - as in we see no real substance - every now and then one wonders why they are where they are... though occasionally we like guacamole! :)

it just bugs me more and more each passing day how the news 'reporting' media is becoming more and more about expressing opinions of individuals or groups they believe in and less neutral news reporting - and unfortunately this is becoming a universal trend!

So CNN delivers their news in a certain way and FOX an another - even if we didn't know what they each sort of stand for we would make our choices and watch the channel we want-- often its the same news presented in different ways - we choose the channel that best presents it in a way we would like to hear it!

We tried the new cupcake store - Lovely confections( ya - they need to work on a better name i think) in Denver - its organic and local - a good cupcake -with simple rich flavors great compostable packaging - i think i will have to try it a few more times before i call it my favorite - for now i shall stick to 'The Shoppe' being a favorite in Denver and ' Crave' in Houston!

I 'AM'sterdam

...cosmopolitan and diverse
... a culinary treat
... culturally splendid
...as walkable as walkable can be
... not on four wheelers - but on two - the bicycle rules
...cafes there are plenty - just make sure you know what you are going in there for :)
...embracing the vices of society - seamlessly blending into the city
... architecturally modern - the best i have seen ever before
... tasteful- elegant - artistically driven
... water there is the highlight - be it the harbor, the canal or the private boat parking outside the house
... tulips there are plenty
... colors there are a zillion
... party how to - they know
... refinement even in the crass there is ... art there is in the ordinary
... a place i am in love with - the jewel in the lowlands.... Amsterdam

more co-curricular stuff !

Yesterday I spoke at the AIA Denver- Art, Architecture, Appetizers 10 x 10 event as part of the Colorado Architecture month - its a fun event where 10 speakers speak for 10 minutes on 10 slides on topics of their choice . As some of you know I spoke on the topic of -Defining the contemporary in an evolved old world culture - the culture that I tested (obviously) was that of India. the goal was to demonstrate through my hypothesis the different representations of the contemporary ( wrt fashion, art, architecture, product design and music) in India and connecting it to an overarching theme. I got good feedback and may actually consider developing this further into a research topic. I would love to share the talk with anyone who is interested

thanks Maithili, Niki, Chips, Namu, Vanali and Chari for contributing to my presentation. your information was really valuable and helped my talk be much more robust. and of course 'the husband' - my biggest contributor and best critic :)

you can now follow me on twitter - its going to be my place for more 'professionally' appropriate posts though!

one of my recent 'co-curricular' activities

For your viewing pleasure...

... our latesy entry for Denver Art Musuem's fund raising event - Design After Dark - feb 2009.

I lead the effort on behalf of the office. feel free to point all the criticism towards me!

Three eggs represent ‘SEEDS of LIFE’ through the action of protest – the non-coward act of see­ing no evil, hearing no evil, and speaking no evil opens passage to growth. Green grass is the metaphor to life – the silence is broken, protest has taken place – Green has begun to find its voice. The object derives inspiration from the Museum Series of Eva Zeisel in fluid form and representation of three separate pieces that are part of a set, forming the whole. But in here lies a VS – the three eggs– ‘Stand’ but not in ‘Silence’… in ‘Protest’! Their fluid edgeless form contradicted by the action of protest that they perform.

in the spirit of ...

... April fools day ... this one is my favorite pranks from yesterday - i wish it was true though ... i could say then that I became a LEED AP before him - hehehe

"The White House announced today that President Obama passed the U.S. Green Building Council's (USGBC) LEED NC v2.2 accreditation examination, and is now a LEED Accredited Professional (LEED AP). White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs said that the President got his AP because he strongly believes that green building and the LEED system are critical to stimulating a green economic recovery, reducing the country's dependence on foreign oil, and mobilizing the international community to meet the challenge of global climate change.
"Becoming a LEED AP is one of the proudest accomplishments of my life" said President Obama. "I decided that now was the time to get my AP, especially in light of the upcoming changes to USGBC's credentialing system... Green building is right for our economy, right for our health care system, and right for our future. LEED points the way towards the development of truly regenerative and sustainable communities, and now that I have my AP, I'm confident that I'm prepared for the job of rebuilding our country", the President added. "I learned all about LEED from my daughters Sasha and Malia, who attend the Sidwell School, the first LEED Platinum certified school. Malia persuaded me to become a LEED AP; she even registered me for the exam herself

Happy april fools day!

before i forget...

... I had some FYI to share!

the grocery store by my place ( Vitamin Cottage Natural Grocers) has now gone BYOB

BYOB = bring your own bag!
no plastic or paper bags are available at the store - if need be there are recycled cardboard boxes that you can take as your bag... also if super need be they sell their cloth bags for 99c... but don't advertise those unless you ask :)

YAAAY!!!

p.s. have a post in the making on our recent vacation...

there is so much joy...

...in unexpected gifts...

Fodnicha paav

My apologies for the non-maharshtrian readers- but last evening as I was making this simple delicacy from stale bread I remembered an interesting story… I was about 7 – mom dad were taking charita- me and a friend of mine to the Circus. So we all decided to pack some snacks for ourselves- my friend mentioned she will be bringing ‘russian bread’ . I was extremely excited- to see what this exotic thing looked and tasted like. We sat in our chairs and opened our little ‘dabbas’ – to my surprise the Russian bread – was fodnicha paav…

I thought ‘russian bread’ sounded so exotic way back then – and today ‘fodni cha paav’ does…

p.s - I dont know if my friend came up with the term herself or her mommy did so that she'd eat it ... :)

Smart is the new Cool

in the past week I have been thinking... smart cars- smart cities - smart grids- smart buildings- smart phones...

So is smart the new cool?
Is the common man 'smart' enough to be part of this 'smart' world!!!

So....

... I thought you 'all ( all - hmmm don't know if I have any visitors even left due to my long absence) must be bored of seeing Ms. Dixit on my blog so I'll get back to some ranting on this page...

... and again the mantra is to keep it 'quick and painless'

so stop by for short scribbles - posts that wont make you scratch your head - and ofcourse just another webpage to while away some precious time in a day...

K'space...

... is alive...

Spotted... finally!

.... since last year i made a big hue and cry on my blog about missing 'someone' just by a few minutes at the Ganesh Utsav festival in Denver ... its only right that I update you guys about my first close encounter with Mrs Dixit- Nene and family after two long years of living in the same city at the Ganesh Utsav festival....

yes ! yes! it was really close.... there is not much ' zoom' used in the pics :)

and i think she may just have eaten hamare haath ka khana... since we volunteered to prepare flower-batata bhaji... and I saw it making rounds when she was eating... mommy dear was taking care of the kids just like any other mom... a caring husband making sure the wife and kids eating before he did... and sitting cross legged on the floor clapping at numerous kids performing....

just some updates

... the democratic national convention as you all know was in Denver a week ago... the city was transformed... alive, active, absolutely exciting... crowds all over 16th street right from the Civic Center to the Union Station - celebrity spotting, road side stalls, parades, protests, campaigns, freebies ranged from everything in between ' free hugs' and 'free nutribars' .... for once felt like a really 'city' There were cops on horses, cops in cars, cops on bikes, cops on bicycles, cops on golf carts, cops in vans, cops on foot!
I enjoyed the city for those 5 days and set out with my camera daily to the office. Our office location did perfect justice to that... right in the heart of activity got to capture some wonderful sights - will put up pictures soon.
My big moment - when I was siting by Union Station watching a speech at the big screen -Obama's fleet of cars passed by.. there were crowds, roars and excitement! Thought didn't get to see him through the dark tinted glass it was exciting.

... the weather pretty much told us to bid good bye to summer over night. Last Friday when I left the city for the long Labor Day weekend.... its was a 100F... coming back on Tuesday morning was welcomed by a cold 49F. It is that time of the year where 50F feels cold... just a sign to show that soon it will be that time of the year where 50F signifies a nice day... ah! For the nth time on my blog... but I shall say it... I like fall... but not winter so much.

... we saw Rock On this week... I loved the movie! after a long time there has been a movie which is again 'of its age' - though there are some glimpses or Dil Chahta Hain - this is a completely different movie... beautiful on a different level ... loved Farhan Akhtar - while I do think he cannot be a super star and carry a film completely on his shoulders- but he has acted well... looks good... is perfect for the part and more so LOVED his voice... the song Tum Ho To which he has sung at the end is SO GOOD... am a big fan of this guy -who can act, sing and make good movies!
A simple yet powerful story brings together four individuals from completely different walks of life... who have just one thing in common that makes them tick. Its so true that no life is complete for you or yours loved ones no matter how perfect it seems if you are running away from yourself and your passion.
It was great to see Purab Kohli in shape and lost so much weight -He was adorable in the part of KD. The two girls are perfect for the part- unlike the glam dolls of Bollywood these days. There is so much depth in the movie that goes well beyond the surface making one think, relate, inspire at different levels. If you are a Mumbaite... you will love the movie all the more
Oh - and the music is wonderful... its my latest favorite on Dhingana.

... my blog is getting a little bit of step child treatment because another website is taking up my time... and rightfully so . You will see the results soon!!!

more later,

Komal

i was thinking...

One thing that architects and politicians have in common…as young individuals they each start out their respective paths in their professions with a single desire...

...to make the world a better place…

another thing common…

Over time, over place, over vested interests- money, fame, power, over failure, over life… that desire often is a fuzzy memory… there are only a few out of thousands keep that at the top of their agenda as they move ahead…

… that’s why its very hard to point out to one successful built environment among hundreds and one likable politician among hundreds!!!

.. .to me the ones that succeed in realizing this ‘desire’ probably never really let it go out of sight!

and one thing they don't have in common at all....

architects never make money :) well... that makes our acts and want to change the world with our work more philanthropic!!! ha ha ha

language

we may learn many lessons in communication... and be considered great at it... but its so tiring and frustrating to communicate when someone doesnt speak the same language as you do...

the pink bug

I am on a cup cake hunt... not muffins-not tarts - not pies- just cup cakes...
... contrary to all my efforts at trying to lose weight I find myself suddenly obsessed with exploring- rather hunting down all the cup cakes stores in the vicinity... that doesn't even have to be just in Denver... but even if I visit a new place
Somehow I am so 'enamored' by those pretty looking delicious little treats that I am judging every store for the taste, flavors, appearance of cupcakes, packaging, store ambiance....
... I am beginning to notice an interesting trend... there is a unique story behind every store... of course they have a clear cut 'girlie' audience they all target... but from naming to packaging to decoration each is different than the other... yet with the same motive!!!
You may google some of these stores I have recently had cup cakes from: Happy Cakes, Yum Yums, The Shoppe, Sugar Baby.

Infact I am truly excited about watching my favorite show at The Shoppe... they have a showing of Project Runway every week of the show... with free popcorn...and ofcourse CUP CAKES...that you 'will' buy... what better marketing tool... than combining fashion and cup cakes to woo a female customer.

FYI: the concept at The Shoppe: Cereal + Cupcakes + Design Goods
( do you see TARGETING THE FEMALE MARKET WRITTEN THERE ANYWHERE ?)
http://www.theshoppedenver.com/2008/07/project-runway-night-reminder.html

freedom

happy 61st...

patterning today

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hope we never forget...

.. the beauty of handwritten notes...

in the past few months I received maybe a 10,000 emails and 3 handwritten notes... I cant even distinguish 10 emails from the 10,000 at the top of my head now... but I clearly remember the 3 appreciation/ thank you hand written notes... one from a mentor I respect the most at work, one from a student I interviewed at U of M and a very unexpected one from my hair stylist... the pleasure of receiving hand written letters in the mail (postal) is rare and thoroughly enjoyable!

calling Bollywood fans!!!

we are organizing a 'bollywood movie night' at work... to help people understand a few things/ catch a glimpse of Indian contemporary culture... so that we can work better in that context!

I have to pick three movies... now that I have a chance to showcase the 'wonderfulness' ( i am not sarcastic at all- i am a BIG fan) I am so confused - how can I pick just three movies that are the best of bollywood (and movies that convey the contemporary culture) ... I can think of a thousand but don't know which one is better than the other.

I am looking to you ... all bollywood fans - or not... any suggestions?

food got me thinking today...

...conservativeness can be interpreted differently in different cultures but I think...

'conservative' people in any culture or part of the world... have one thing in common...

... they don't like food or even don't like to try different cuisines that's are out of their comfort 'cultural' zone...

you think ?

representation

representation , originally uploaded by K'space.

La Piazza Dell' Arte is a street art festival in Denver that has found its place on my blog more than once now... Having visited the festival second year in a row... I felt like the bar had been raised... in terms of the art work!

here is a photograph that I took ... the book and especially the stone paper weight and the darkness about the chalk art itself... all I thought made a good composition!!!

p.s : the flickr is uploaded... you know the drill!!

more random thoughts...

We complain about an energy crisis... and freeze ourselves to death in mechanically ventilated spaces all summer... you dress for the outside and keep freezing all day long in the thousand times more than needed, with hardly any personal thermal control capacity air-conditioned spaces...

.. .I am not a big fan of Stand -Up comedy... but Russell Peters is in town this week - so went for his show last night... All of his fans were thrilled because he didn't repeat any jokes and apparently they all walked out with their stomachs hurting due to the continuous laughter. I had fun - but on a scale of 1 to 10 - it was 6.5 /10 ( I am not very generous with points)

... Don't we always judge people... you are lying to a person's face if you say ' I never judge'... be it in the most subtle ways... one is always judging... dress, talk, actions, emotions, work, accents... anything and everything!!!

say 'manual' and it freaks me out!!!

... i don't like 'user manuals' including 'assembly information packets' for any products... I wish they make products that are not only user friendly in terms of 'using' them but also putting them together.... If I were to product design ' not making the user go through a volume of text' would be something on my priority list...

Be it usability or assembly... guess the loss is mine though... I usually just start using the product and figure out all its features slowly- or maybe never... probably not using some products to their full designed capacity...

... or I end up assembling things a couple of times because the first time is always without reading the reference manual:)

random thoughts...

---How often in a day do you look at yourself while walking by a glass partition or reflective store front window? Its ok to confess... I think I do it all the time I walk by one!

---Its no more about 'promise what you can deliver' its promise what you 'want' to deliver... because it seems like we are in a world where there aren't many ' cant dos'

---Every time I see little kids visiting their parents' offices... it takes me back to childhood... there are very few things as inspiring for a child than visiting a parents' workplace... be it humble - be it extravagant... its the perfect place in the eyes of the child!

Quote of the day

On my way back home I saw a hummer sporting a sticker that says :

' My hummer can crush your Prius'

The first thought that came to my mind... Hey Buddy, your hummer can sure crush a Prius.... only if it has gas in it... Good Luck with that! .. and in that case... guess who is crushing whom!

its birthday time for little princess...

.... far far away... close to the Great Barrier Reef... Tia celebrates her second birthday... happy birthday TIA

kahani mein twist...

... Sarkar takes a different route from God Father... or lets say AB's baby is not Al Pacino in Ram Gopal Verma's eyes after all... well I don't want to give the movie away for those who haven't watched it ... but one thing's for sure...

yes its all in the Bachchan family ... but the next Big B is not Abhishek... any guesses who is the torch bearer? or does Big B even give anyone a chance... not even his son?

enough of riddles... now for this last one... I liked Abhishek the most in the movie...but I dont think the movie does justice to him... the movie celebrates him but he is not the hero... go watch the movie to see who is!!!

p.s : the movie is not as gripping as its end is! over all... all right... Sarkar Raj is worth a watch!

p.s2: some people said they aren't ready for the next sequel... but I can't wait to see what happens next! :)

Cool Stuff

I think I have developed a pattern for posting different kinds of world maps on my blog... this one is particularly interesting because India tops the Greendex !!!!
check it out here :

http://event.nationalgeographic.com/greendex/

the blue umbrella...

... is wonderfully simple and simply wonderful at the same time!

I had missed this movie last year... and am glad I watched it last night....

When it comes to adaptation and 'one word message' stories Vishal Bhardwaj does full justice to the story... adapted from a novella by Ruskin Bond, The Blue Umbrella is another wonderful movie that conveys a beautiful message just in the simplest way... a small hamlet in Northern India, a simple village, the corner store guy, a little girl and AN UMBRELLA come together in this pure and unadulterated film... surely worth a watch...

... and a DVD worth buying for keeps!

I should not forget to mention... the cinematography of the movie is visual poetry... reminds you how wonderful small simple things in life can be... and Pankaj Kapoor as always is impeccable.


Ofcourse its not main stream...its film- festival material!

stubborn is...

...if its not my way there is no other way!

I was wondering..

... one would be such a coffee snob if they owned their own 'small' private 'fancy' coffee company...

... one would be such a beer snob if they owned their own 'fancy' brewery...

... one would be such a wine snob if they owned their own 'winery'

... I was also wondering... inspite of not owning any of the above you will find atleast 5 out of 10 people who are either ' coffee snobs' ; 'beer snobs' or 'wine snobs'... a means to increase their coolness coefficient sometimes... sometimes just good taste... yours truly is guilty of the same too... but 'I' would say in my case its 'good taste' : 0 )

and now you may be wondering... I am crazy !

the May kids!

leaders

Often times we tend to 'make believe' aggressive, extrovert, street smart and even loud people make good leaders but have you ever realized, that in a gathering, a presentation, a speech, an organization, in day to day life... the people who leave the most lasting impression... the people who lead are the ones that clearly ' inherently' exhibit humbleness,dedication, a great sense of humor(especially the ability to laugh on oneself), absolute trust in the people that work for and with them.

the key element though that binds the two 'sets' described above is Passion... Passion for your cause gives you the strength to go all the way... Passion brings out the aggression and extroversion in an individual when its most valid and needed ... irritating is that aggression and extroversion which exists all the time... oh and ofcourse... none of this holds good without 'ambition' right? there is no leader that's not ambitious... be it a silent ambition or a 'in your face' one...

p.s: on a side note, specific to business... I just remembered something a Mentor once said... for the greater good of your business always hire someone who is smarter than you to work for you... my two cents to this... when in front of an audience... always consider your audience to be way smarter than you!

whats your word?

Play with the tab on the bottom left... and if you are Indian you can atleast proudly say ' I am beautiful'

http://www.theworldasflatland.net/

mard ban... be a man...

... because it cool again...

yes... the 'metro sexual' man is finding his exit. I was listening to a radio show the other day and also read in a magazine.... it is the return of the 'macho man' ... the protector - a symbol of strength of the family and loved ones... men now are again looking for their 'manliness' to save themselves from a world where 'chairperson' is the popular word and not 'chairman'

to precisely quote the radio show - ' its cooler to be Russell Crowe than Tom Hanks.'

to fortify...a sign from our very own bollywood.... Mr. Shahrukh sporting his six-packs... because his ' emotional' sensuality.. .and the crying his heart out is no more the complete win -win situation... and hence the little bit of walk towards becoming the 'macho man'?

Paris je t'aime

Paris je t'aime, originally uploaded by K'space.

Check the Paris set for some pictures from the Paris trip

Back from Home

birds, originally uploaded by K'space.

check the Mumbai set on my Flickr - has a few pictures that I clicked when back home

'its' always redifining the maximum...

... by just reading the title of this post -can you guess what I am referring to?

rags and riches not only exist hand in hand but compete to reach the pinnacle - of their own realm... every passing year the 'intensity' of the city takes me by surprise... intensity of its success and its failures...

... the balance is tipped... the scale is rising in favor the rich... and dropping day by day for the poor... yes it is a competitive world - and of course the fittest shall survive... if only the balance could just be leveled... and we can all start over...

p.s: when we love someone we love them for everything they are and only wish well for them - that is what Bombay is to yours truly!