Aarti's Blog

R.I.P Michael Jackson

2009-06-26T16:44:00.003-04:00

I am back on the blog scene after a hiatus of nearly 3 months and this time in a rather low spirit. The death of the 'Pop icon' Michael Jackson has hit me like thunder bolt and I'm still reeling under its effect. The death of the undisputed 'king of Pop' certainly marks the end of an era. He surely did not deserve to die so young. Although he lead a rather lonely life full of controversies, I'd always remember him as a legendary singer, dancer and performer who gave some wonderful music to the world. May his soul rest in peace.

My Pooja rack.

2009-03-10T17:55:00.002-04:00

Poconos Trip.

2009-02-10T12:04:00.003-05:00

Well I am back from my Poconos trip. Left Jersey on Friday noon with 3 other families. Reached Poconos in the evening just to see the breath taking scenic beauty of the mountains covered with snow. We were also lucky enough to spot a bunch of deers. All of us found it so difficult to just sit inside the villa, so we all wore out snow gears and headed straight for snowmobiling followed by snow tubing and swimming. Well with so much of physical activities one is bound to get a bad body pain, so we all then headed for Jacuzzi. With a heavy heart we had to leave the mountains on Sunday noon. Overall it was a wonderful trip with a bunch of people who are special to me. (Pic. is the view from the hill top)

Autobiography of a Yogi.

2009-01-14T16:08:00.006-05:00

My uncle gave me this book a couple of years back, but I did not bother to read it, until now. I must say its very interesting and has got me hooked onto itself.

My 1st blog post of the year.

2009-01-09T12:30:00.004-05:00

Happy New Year to all. I know its been long since I blogged, well blame it on my health, have not been keeping good health for the past few weeks, and that makes me miss my family more. Wish they were here. I also realised that nothing can be more soothing than a bowl of rice porridge when your sick. I just love it. Hope to get well soon. :) ....

Look who visited us this morning..:)

2008-12-20T20:18:00.002-05:00

NJ Snow Storm

2008-12-19T16:15:00.004-05:00

2008-12-19T12:01:00.006-05:00

Aarti the photographer.

2008-12-07T10:04:00.004-05:00

Thought of unleashing the photographer in me. Clicked some pics of Saturday night's snow fall.

(Click on the pics. to enlarge it)

2008-12-07T10:02:00.006-05:00

Sunday Morning

2008-12-07T09:56:00.006-05:00

Sunday Morning

Saturday Night

Fantastic Saturday !!!

2008-12-07T09:07:00.011-05:00

My Saturday was fantastic. A good friend of mine got married a couple of months back & I had invited them home for lunch. Although I don't have experience in hosting lunches, I thought I'd do my best in making them feel special. Woke up at 7.45 a.m, made myself a cup of tea to kick sart the morning, and started cooking by 8. I made vegetable pulao, aloo gobi fry, choley, daal tadka, white rice, raita and soup, (Phew...)and all this is a record time of 2 hours. Well I don't know if that was impressive enough, but I was totally impressed with myself. Now that makes me, my no. 1 fan. To my surprise the food was very tasty and it was all worth the pain. For people back in India who think Aarti can't cook, here's a snap shot of all that I made. After lunch we headed out to a near by mall, and we were just driving in the parking lot for little over 20 mins just to get a parking. Never seen so much crowd in this mall before. Spent about 2 hours clicking picks and hanging out together. And then we were back to our respective homes.

Big B's Blog

2008-12-05T09:58:00.002-05:00

Big B’s blogs are so addictive that these days I find myself checking his blog every now and then for a new post. In fact it was he who inspired me to start my own blog to express my opinions & thoughts on various issues. It’s also a great platform to meet like minded people, and it’s a great feeling to know that there are a lot of people out there who share your thoughts and opinions.

Few more pics of my Christmas Tree.

2008-12-04T09:15:00.004-05:00

I know I'm not a great photographer !!!

2008-12-04T09:11:00.002-05:00

Zaid Hamid and Marvi Memon

2008-12-03T09:48:00.002-05:00

Zaid Hamid and Marvi Memon seem to be under the influence of drugs / alcohol while claiming that the Mumbai attack was staged by Hindu extremists. The anchor of the show herself looks like a retard and the entire telecast seemed to be from a mad house. Eminent people like Zaid and Marvi should think twice before making outrageous statements on a sensitive issue. They should realize that their provocative statements can infuse more tension between the two countries. Zaid also went on to claim that the 9/11 attack on the US was also staged by the then American government. Well my only advice to you guys is don’t display your stupidity on a public forum like this. I guess Zaid can participate in ‘Indian Laughter Challenge’, he looks more like a comedian and less a defense analyst.

Sharmila Thackeray’s SMS to Big B

2008-12-02T09:42:00.008-05:00

The Thackeray’s have hit a new low with the recent SMS sent by Sharmila Trackeray to Big B. The SMS reads “All those who had lost their lives while saving this city are Marathis. MNS workers are busy donating blood, helping police for rescue operations and lifting bodies”. Ya right !!!! When Mumbai was in dire straits, the last thing you expect from someone is politicizing the entire situation. It’s no time to send insane SMS’s to people Mrs. Thackeray; it’s time to show our solidarity by calling ourselves ‘Indians’, it’s time to salute the martyrs who died for us, it’s time to re-look at our contingency plan to ensure such disasters don’t recur. For once try to rise to the occasion.

Water water everywhere but not a drop to drink

2008-12-01T10:53:00.004-05:00

When Mother Nature strikes, she can be ruthless and this has been proven by the recent cyclone that hit coastal Tamil Nadu, India. Cyclone ‘Nisha’ has put life completely off gear in affected areas. The pics of people walking in neck- deep water/ sewage are heart rending. I am sure Chennai municipality was not prepared to deal with a situation like this. Sometimes Mother Nature's fury is such that no preparation can be ‘enough preparation’

Its beginning to look a lot like Christmas

2008-11-30T20:44:00.004-05:00

The recent terror attack on Mumbai has been a dampener and has kept me low for over 3 days now. So woke up this morning, smelt a cup of coffee, went to the nearby walmart store, and picked up a Christmas tree. It surely has brought the festive spirit in me. It indeed is beginning to look a lot like Christmas.

I'm still reeling under its effect

2008-11-30T13:56:00.003-05:00

No words can express the sadness that has dawned on me after reading the story of so many broken dreams due to the recent terror attack. Mahatmas like Gandhiji, Bhagat Singh, Mangal Pandey, Sarojini Naidu, Chandrashekar Azad and many more fought for a free India, just to have it crucified by terrorists every other day. I feel scared to even walk on the streets of my own nation. Is this what we deserve, is this our destiny, or is this a sneak preview of our future? Pls. Save My India.

I salute the spirit of Mumbai-ites.

2008-11-29T11:38:00.003-05:00

Mumbai might be one of the most vulnerable cities in India, but its people are not and this has been proved over and over again by the way the Mumbai-ites bounce back to life after every disaster. Be it a 7/11 attack, or mass distruction due to a natural calamity or a terror attack like the recent one, Mumbai sure bounces back with unity. I salute the spirit of Mumbai-ites.

I am sad...

2008-11-29T11:33:00.003-05:00

I am both angry and upset with the terror attack on Mumbai. Is it so difficult for people to live in peace and harmony with each other. India surely a free nation, but can one live in this free nation in peace??? I don't think so. The Indian govt. needs to do something quick.

On a rainy day with mild snowfall

2008-11-25T09:09:00.001-05:00

View from my balcony

2008-11-25T09:01:00.004-05:00

Wow isn't this view heavenly??

Is Monica Bedi Naïve or just a victim of circumstances?

2008-11-24T17:08:00.001-05:00

Monica Bedi who was one of the participants in Big Boss season 2, mentioned that her motive to be a part of the reality show was to clear her doubtful reputation & show to the public her true self. Well whether Monica managed to clear her maligned image or not, she did come across as a naive person who can be easily fooled by anyone. She was nothing more than Rahul’s unpaid servant, washing his cloths, stacking things for him in the bathroom, making his bed and what not. Rahul used Monica to gain more popularity and Monica did not even realize it. She fell for him despite of seeing him flirt with Payal. Either Rahul is just too good with women or Monica is just too gullible.

Tea & Pakoda.

2008-11-24T16:39:00.000-05:00

The met dept has given a snow fall warning and the temp outside right now is minus 8 degree C. Its painfully cold outside and what could be more interesting than watching snowfall with a cup of hot tea and some pakodas. Yes that's exactly what I did to beat the cold. Pakodas, tea and rain / snow fall all complement each other.

Bed Tea

2008-11-23T09:34:00.000-05:00

What a pleasure it is to get a cup of hot tea right on your bed especially on a day when the temperature is -5 degree C. It almost sets the mood for the rest of the day.

Bigg Boss 2

2008-11-22T18:30:00.000-05:00

The reality show with a bunch of losers as participants competing for Rs. one crore has finally come to an end. Although Ashutosh winning the show was expected after Rahul's exit, what was most unexpected was Rahul Mahajan getting the title of "Bada Dil wala". All this makes me feel that the show might be fixed, not to forget the fact that Rahul Mahajan is a major share holder of colors channel. Despite of his reputation of being a gay, a wife beater and a compulsive womanizer Rahul managed to both entertain and enchant the viewers. Winning 'Bigg boss season 1' title did not boost the career of Rahul Roy, so it would be interesting to see where these participants go from here.

Aarti the cook .....

2008-11-19T08:58:00.000-05:00

Its always a pleasure to cook for a loved one. Can't believe I cooked so much in a record time of one hour. Not bad at all isn't it ????!!!

On a snowy day ..

2008-11-18T14:15:00.000-05:00

This is how my neighborhood looks on a snowy day.

Sweet Memories ..

2008-11-18T10:20:00.001-05:00

Sometimes sweet memories get attached to something as simple as a piece of furniture. I sill remember the amount of fun I had putting this dinning table together.

Home sweet home ..

2008-11-18T10:07:00.000-05:00

The best place in this world they say is 'HOME', and I can't agree to it any less. I love my kitchen a lot as I spend a lot of my free time there doing culinary experiments.