Instead of managing 2 blogs, I finally decided to set up my own home on the Internet and start blogging at a central location.
One click on www.basrur.net will get you to my new blogging destination
Cheerio
Thursday, August 21, 2008
Saturday, March 8, 2008
Paradise Biryani
You possibly can't come to Hyderabad & not visit Paradise restaurant. with that plan decided we lazed through Saturday morning. Had some amazing "thalipeet" for breakfast and generally chatted for hours.
We headed out at 1 pm to Central for some shopping and never realised that we had spent over 2 hours & a couple of thousands over shopping, thanks to the annual sale. Hoping we would get to Paradise before they shut shop, we caught a rick & reached Paradise at about 3:45.
Paradise has quite a legacy. It used to be a small jount at the corner and well know for its menu right from chai, brun maska to the all famous biryani. I had come here sometime in 2003 and the place now is quite a world of a difference. What was a fairly big joint in 2003 is now a mamoth 5/6 storey building which hosts over 3 floors of dining and a couple of banquet halls.
We ordered a chicken starter, 2 portions of biryani, a veg dish & rotis. The biryani was really good and the portions were huge. I think the biryani portions is most food joints in Hyderabad are quite generous. We had to leave about 1/2 a portion since we could stuff ourselves no more. But dessert? Well thqt goes in even if you are full, eh? We had 3 yummy caramel custards between the 4 of us as a finale to the lovely lunch. We were already planning a long siesta even before we paid the bill.
A lovely Saturday indeed
We headed out at 1 pm to Central for some shopping and never realised that we had spent over 2 hours & a couple of thousands over shopping, thanks to the annual sale. Hoping we would get to Paradise before they shut shop, we caught a rick & reached Paradise at about 3:45.
Paradise has quite a legacy. It used to be a small jount at the corner and well know for its menu right from chai, brun maska to the all famous biryani. I had come here sometime in 2003 and the place now is quite a world of a difference. What was a fairly big joint in 2003 is now a mamoth 5/6 storey building which hosts over 3 floors of dining and a couple of banquet halls.
We ordered a chicken starter, 2 portions of biryani, a veg dish & rotis. The biryani was really good and the portions were huge. I think the biryani portions is most food joints in Hyderabad are quite generous. We had to leave about 1/2 a portion since we could stuff ourselves no more. But dessert? Well thqt goes in even if you are full, eh? We had 3 yummy caramel custards between the 4 of us as a finale to the lovely lunch. We were already planning a long siesta even before we paid the bill.
A lovely Saturday indeed
Friday, March 7, 2008
Business Class
After yesterdays tryst with Jet, I was hoping there wouldn't be any goof ups on our flight to Hyderabad. Snehal & me were heading for a 4 day break, of which I had to work for 2. I had managed to redeem my miles for Snehal. And to make it special for her, I had redeemed a business class ticket. I used an upgrade voucher to fly business class.
Everytime Snehal is thrilled, her face lights up and the sight of it makes me really happy. Its those special moments which linger around in your memory & remain fresh forever.
We thoroughly enjoyed the flight, not to forget the lovely food at the lounge before we boarded. Snehal had never been through this and I really wanted her to experience it atleast once.
Since Snehal's pregnancy bump is very visible now, she got even more special treatment from the Jet hostess. Snehal had a kebab platter & I opted for a prawn cocktail. The platter was really nice but the cocktail was a disaster. There was walnut pie for dessert which was quite rich & heavy. We managed to have only a few spoons. Snehal tried catching a few winks while I caught up one some magazine reading.
We landed about 45 mins behind schedule and were welcomed by some really warm weather. Aku was there to pick us up and we caught one of those new age cabs to get home. The cabs, ours was "cell cab" are normal cars which have a fancy tracking & billing system custom fitted. The send you a SMS as soon as you confirm a booking and show you the exact amount payable (higher than the usual rick fare) and hand you a receipt at the end of the journey. Very impressive.
We ended the day with a lot of chatting over some lovely home cooked dinner.
Everytime Snehal is thrilled, her face lights up and the sight of it makes me really happy. Its those special moments which linger around in your memory & remain fresh forever.
We thoroughly enjoyed the flight, not to forget the lovely food at the lounge before we boarded. Snehal had never been through this and I really wanted her to experience it atleast once.
Since Snehal's pregnancy bump is very visible now, she got even more special treatment from the Jet hostess. Snehal had a kebab platter & I opted for a prawn cocktail. The platter was really nice but the cocktail was a disaster. There was walnut pie for dessert which was quite rich & heavy. We managed to have only a few spoons. Snehal tried catching a few winks while I caught up one some magazine reading.
We landed about 45 mins behind schedule and were welcomed by some really warm weather. Aku was there to pick us up and we caught one of those new age cabs to get home. The cabs, ours was "cell cab" are normal cars which have a fancy tracking & billing system custom fitted. The send you a SMS as soon as you confirm a booking and show you the exact amount payable (higher than the usual rick fare) and hand you a receipt at the end of the journey. Very impressive.
We ended the day with a lot of chatting over some lovely home cooked dinner.
Thursday, March 6, 2008
Record of sorts
It was destined to be a day with a difference. I had to catch a 7:05 am flight to Nagpur. Here's the slow motion action replay
06:19 - I get a call from my colleague, who's already at the airport, to check where i've reached
06:20 - I realise I am still in bed and the flight takes off in 45 mins
06:22 - I've already put on a fresh set of clothes & run to put on my shoes
06:23 - I pick up my laptop bag and RUN
06:25 - I intercept a rick on the main road, promise him double fare if he gets me to the airport FAST
06:30 - My colleague says the Jet folks will close the boarding gate in 10 mins. Since I am a JP member they have kept the boarding pass ready in case I make it in 10 mins.
06:40 - I ask my colleague to hide inside the loo. Since he already has the boarding pass I reckon they will try & hunt him down.
06:50 - I reach the airport, pay the rick guy 200 bucks, thank him profusely and run to the Jet counter
06:51 - The lady at the counter spots me, checks my name & hands me the boarding pass and requests me to RUN. I thank her. Mention to her that she is a life saver
06:57 - I step inside the aircraft passing many a nasty faces looking at me & join my colleague who managed to get out of the loo a few mins before I reached the airport
07:10 - The flight takes off
So from the bed to inside the aircraft in 37 mins has to be a world record of sorts. Thank you Jet Airways.
I had to buy a toothbrush, razor & deo after I landed. I got to our company guest house and thanked my stars before taking a refreshing bath.
06:19 - I get a call from my colleague, who's already at the airport, to check where i've reached
06:20 - I realise I am still in bed and the flight takes off in 45 mins
06:22 - I've already put on a fresh set of clothes & run to put on my shoes
06:23 - I pick up my laptop bag and RUN
06:25 - I intercept a rick on the main road, promise him double fare if he gets me to the airport FAST
06:30 - My colleague says the Jet folks will close the boarding gate in 10 mins. Since I am a JP member they have kept the boarding pass ready in case I make it in 10 mins.
06:40 - I ask my colleague to hide inside the loo. Since he already has the boarding pass I reckon they will try & hunt him down.
06:50 - I reach the airport, pay the rick guy 200 bucks, thank him profusely and run to the Jet counter
06:51 - The lady at the counter spots me, checks my name & hands me the boarding pass and requests me to RUN. I thank her. Mention to her that she is a life saver
06:57 - I step inside the aircraft passing many a nasty faces looking at me & join my colleague who managed to get out of the loo a few mins before I reached the airport
07:10 - The flight takes off
So from the bed to inside the aircraft in 37 mins has to be a world record of sorts. Thank you Jet Airways.
I had to buy a toothbrush, razor & deo after I landed. I got to our company guest house and thanked my stars before taking a refreshing bath.
Thursday, January 24, 2008
The "New" Delhi
We landed in Delhi at 12:45 am yesterday. A full 2 hours behind schedule. Our flight from Baroda was delayed due the standard reason "late arrival of the aircraft". I mean how stupid does that reason sound? And its the same reason every airline dishes out for the delays.
Fortunately we were informed of the delay over SMS and we used up the time to catch up on some shop talk with colleagues over a few drinks. Baroda was also cold but we were warned that Delhi would be worse.
12:45 is not that bad a time to reach a metro, but it is horrible if you need to drive another hour to get to your destination, in our case, Faridabad. A colleague of mine took nearly 2 hours in the morning the previous day and I was praying we would take less. Fortunately there was no traffic and we zoomed into Faridabad and reached the hotel at 1:30 to be welcomed by our colleagues who were up & about with their 3rd round of drinks. I had a cup of tea and crashed into bed at 2:30.
I am getting to Delhi after nearly 2 years and the changes are amazing. The roads are really wide (which still results in traffic jams, I am told. Thankfully I saw those roads in the wee hours of the morning sans any traffic), the metro work is in full swing and from what I understand it will eventually be the lifeline of the city, there are still enough trees lining the roads and the winters are nice & cold.
Gurgaon on the other hand is still seeing so much construction & the infrastructure is inadequate. Public transport is woeful and the traffic sense is still absent. So you are damned if you are in your own vehicle and damned if you aren't.
I also happened to drive on the newly opened toll expressway from Gurgaon into Delhi. Its an awesome piece of engineering with lovely signages but the exit points are crowded beyond belief. It took me 45 mins to traverse a road which would have otherwise taken about 10 mins & I ended up reaching the airport 15 mins before the departure time. Fully convinced that I would miss the flight, I was relieved like hell when my check in was accepted at the Kingfisher counter.
Ironically I landed in Mumbai at 12:45 am (same time as Delhi the previous day) which was an hour behind schedule thanks to air traffic congestion at Mumbai airport. Whether its air or road, traffic problems are here to stay.
On a totally different note, the food on Kingfisher is exquisite!
Fortunately we were informed of the delay over SMS and we used up the time to catch up on some shop talk with colleagues over a few drinks. Baroda was also cold but we were warned that Delhi would be worse.
12:45 is not that bad a time to reach a metro, but it is horrible if you need to drive another hour to get to your destination, in our case, Faridabad. A colleague of mine took nearly 2 hours in the morning the previous day and I was praying we would take less. Fortunately there was no traffic and we zoomed into Faridabad and reached the hotel at 1:30 to be welcomed by our colleagues who were up & about with their 3rd round of drinks. I had a cup of tea and crashed into bed at 2:30.
I am getting to Delhi after nearly 2 years and the changes are amazing. The roads are really wide (which still results in traffic jams, I am told. Thankfully I saw those roads in the wee hours of the morning sans any traffic), the metro work is in full swing and from what I understand it will eventually be the lifeline of the city, there are still enough trees lining the roads and the winters are nice & cold.
Gurgaon on the other hand is still seeing so much construction & the infrastructure is inadequate. Public transport is woeful and the traffic sense is still absent. So you are damned if you are in your own vehicle and damned if you aren't.
I also happened to drive on the newly opened toll expressway from Gurgaon into Delhi. Its an awesome piece of engineering with lovely signages but the exit points are crowded beyond belief. It took me 45 mins to traverse a road which would have otherwise taken about 10 mins & I ended up reaching the airport 15 mins before the departure time. Fully convinced that I would miss the flight, I was relieved like hell when my check in was accepted at the Kingfisher counter.
Ironically I landed in Mumbai at 12:45 am (same time as Delhi the previous day) which was an hour behind schedule thanks to air traffic congestion at Mumbai airport. Whether its air or road, traffic problems are here to stay.
On a totally different note, the food on Kingfisher is exquisite!
Saturday, January 19, 2008
Peacock Bay, NDA, Pune
We took off for Pune last weekend and drove down the Expressway. After the usual stop for vada pav & chai and another for petrol top up we finally made our way to my friend Arun's house in IAT, Pune. Institute of Armament Technology is near the Khadakvasla Dam and is quite a pain to get to, especially if you are wading through peak traffic. But all the pain of driving melts within minutes of arriving as the surroundings are absolutely stunning. Lush green areas, lovely roads, cute houses and most importantly no mobile connectivity.
Arun & Mugdha are the folks who got Snehal & me introduced and the rest is history. We are eternally grateful to this lovely couple who set things rolling for us. Ironically all of us could never be together ever sicne I met Snehal. Since they moved to Pune recently it was a good time to catch up. We talked for quite a while over some Royal Stag 7 Smirnoff and after polishing off a lovely dinner, we crashed into bed at 2 in the morning.
We were chaperoned around the campus & then the sprawling NDA campus in the morning. It was my first time inside the NDA campus and boy was it amazing. We also made our way to Peacock bay where the cadets practice various activities like sailing, surfing etc. They have some amazing equipment here right from sail boats, surf boards to water scooters.
We also had a lovely time lazing on the verandah which overlooked a small patch of green and sipping hot tea. Ideal holiday environment.
We are planning to make another visit soon.
Arun & Mugdha are the folks who got Snehal & me introduced and the rest is history. We are eternally grateful to this lovely couple who set things rolling for us. Ironically all of us could never be together ever sicne I met Snehal. Since they moved to Pune recently it was a good time to catch up. We talked for quite a while over some Royal Stag 7 Smirnoff and after polishing off a lovely dinner, we crashed into bed at 2 in the morning.
We were chaperoned around the campus & then the sprawling NDA campus in the morning. It was my first time inside the NDA campus and boy was it amazing. We also made our way to Peacock bay where the cadets practice various activities like sailing, surfing etc. They have some amazing equipment here right from sail boats, surf boards to water scooters.
We also had a lovely time lazing on the verandah which overlooked a small patch of green and sipping hot tea. Ideal holiday environment.
We are planning to make another visit soon.
Thursday, January 3, 2008
Happy New Year
The Engg college gang had planned to meet up at Durshet Forest Lodge for New Years. Durshet is about a 85 kms drive from Mumbai & just 15 kms from the first toll naka on the Expressway.
Snehal, MJ & me drove in my car. We were joined by 3 other families. To say we had a good time would be an understatement. The kids, even though they were only 2 girls, had a swell time too. Snehal & me even won a prize in the New Years eve function. It was crazy.
Our poison was a bottle of Glenlivet which was pretty good. Given the chill in the air, the single malt was perfect.
The place is very rustic but very homely. All the staff are very helpful and went out of the way to help us. The food was finger licking good. Though the main fare was mostly vegeterian we were more than pleased. Definitely a place we could go some other time.
Happy New Year everyone!
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