My life is this awesome movie that is unfolding in front of my very own eyes each moment..

and the other :

National outrage over the savage killing of 2 youth by eve teasers.

As I read the details of the Keenan and Reuben case, I experience a barrage of emotion – anger, shock, disgust and helplessness. I read snippets of family and friends stating “Reuben is the bravest person I have ever known” and “My son died a brave death”. The rest is a blur. 

Every such incident is a fresh reminder of the conversations with girl friends on incidents when we were way to young to understand what was going on,  a reminder of the conditioning to ‘ignore’ as the jerks around pass lewd comments, the endless arguments and fights with ‘street whistlers’  and almost a final compromise by many to stay home and “safe”, to dress a certain way, to control ones habits and behaviour.

There is a collective sense of pain when you lose individuals like Keenan and Reuben – the rarest kind of Indian men who stand up for a woman’s respect and not order them to look down and walk away. 

Tragedies bring people closer and despite all the noble and positive effort directed by many to bring the murderers and perverts to justice, the hard fact remains that two young lives can never be brought back.  Tragedies are also thriving grounds for fake bleeding hearts that come with the life span of a news headline. Social networking sites are collectively gathering momentum and solidarity for the Keenan and Reuben cause with the hope to pressurize authorities to speed up justice.

A sense of helplessness will prevail till closure is obtained and Keenan and Reuben would have been immortalized as the brave men that they were, as their murderers are hanged. But I hope, that we all are able to find peace in the justice that is met to the offenders and in all the sincere thoughts from wishers across the Globe.

As for me – my resolve to spit on, slap and castrate any pervert only grows stronger.

Hampi which was once the capital of the Vijayanagar kingdom is now one of the most glorious and vibrant destination’s in India where you can completely relax, unwind and explore. It’s historical past and the immense treasure of archaeological ruins and relics is a major tourist attraction, beckoning pilgrims, believers, historians, tourists, even trekkers and rock climbers from across the globe.

The eclectic mix of tourists and their varied interests for visiting Hampi give this town a unique personality. Hampi demands a laid back vacation-  it is  inviting, exciting, beautiful and a charming mix of the contradictory.

Allow yourself an time-extravagant holiday here – explore the stunning architectural ruins of bygone glory, soak in the setting sun along the banks of the Tungabhadra, visit the glorious temples, taste global cuisine in unique ambiances, get up-close and personal with the elephants on the banks of Tungabhadra, practise rock climbing on the many boulders around the town and go shutter crazy!!

It is a destination that will soothes and excite the body and mind in many different ways, and for those yet to be convinced : here is a slide-show of some pictures that I took during my trip to Hampi.

Do write in/comment for any further information on travel/stay and eating out options in Hampi.

Most tourists are from within the country (and primarily on a weekend getaway from wither Pune or Mumbai), although there is a liberal sprinkling of tourists from around the world as well.

What you can expect from Murud Janjira is beautiful sunsets, few lessons in history, an unforgettable boat ride to the Janjira fort, beautiful and untouched nature and forestation, and visits to Buddhist ruins complete wit stupas –  what you will not see however is a crazy beach night life.

Where
Murud is a beach town located in Raigad district in Maharashtra and about half a days drive from Pune and Mumbai.

How to get there
Plenty of options are available:
- State transport and privately operated bus services are available from Mumbai , Pune and Alibaug
- Trains are also available from Roha
My personal pick however is driving down, there are plenty or beautiful locales en-route and you can also drop by Kashid and other beach fronts on the way to Murud. The roads are good and you can make better time in your own vehicle.

Sights and Culture
History
Janjira Fort
Plenty of history is in store if you venture around Murud. One of the reasons for popularity of Murud is the Janjira Fort, which comes peaked with stories of war, invincibility, town dwellings inside the fort and the sweet fresh water that ‘miraculously’ is available in the middle of the sea.
It is famous for being the only fort along India’s western coast that remained undefeated despite Maratha, Dutch and English East India Company attacks.

From inside the walls of Janjira

The design of the fort allows the main entrance to appear as one of the walls during low tide, while in high tide the entrance remains submerged and well hidden.

Kude Caves
Further inside and away from Murud, you will be glad you came here. Kude caves enjoys a vantage point that gives a sweeping bird’s eye view to the valleys below. You will see plenty of ancient architectural marvels in way if the ruins from what are Buddhist quarters and stupas inside carved caves.

Along your drives from one destination to another ask your tour guide or driver to stop at interesting places and you will see that there are pit stops every half hour – plenty of relics to see and ruins from very long ago.

Culture
Village Fair
There is a local village fair on specific days of the week and is quite a delight to visit. These fairs hold the old world Indian charm with cheap trinkets and local bite size foods available for take away. The fair is a riot of colour and light and the town people are clearly proud of it as you can see from their shining faces as they walk about in their ‘fair’ best.

Temples
Although we skipped visiting the temples the Birla Mandir and Sidi Vinayak mandir are quite popular here and are located to take utmost advantage of their sea side location.

Nature
The beach front in Murud is quite expansive and beautiful and offers great sweeping view of the Arabic sea (with Janjira Fort in teh foreground). You can climb up the many vantage points and catch breath taking view’s of the sun setting over the Arabian Sea

If possible do visit the jetty area near Murud and you will see fishermen lugging in their daily catch.

Gossip and Bollywood
You can see a lot of barricaded markings in the seemingly vast expanse of ‘no mans land’. Mention this to the locals and your tour guide/driver and he will point and say ” That belongs to Salman Khan” and “This to the Big B”,  it appears that almost all of B-town has invested in Murud town.

Town
The winding, narrow lanes and streets of Murud town in itself is quite a sight. There is a chaos of old and new in almost everything and the hustle and urgency in every transaction. The images of the local mosques, temples, vegetable market are the riot of colour everywhere is tattooed in my memory.

People
The people of Murud are incredible, the locals manage to create such a sense and feel for their region based on historical facts, architectural relics and geography.

Visit Janjira and you see pride and eagerness in each local individual – their stories creating a warmth and charm that is hard to miss and giving you a true essence of Murud and Janjira, its heritage and the fantastic stories from then and now.

How much time to spend in Murud
A weekend (+ 1 day at a maximum) is sufficient to take in the place. Do check with your hotel to arrange a complete tour of Murud and Janira – there are auto’s and cabs on hire with Drivers who will give you a guided tour of all the important locations around Murud and Janjira (it would also help if you negotiate on this as you book your stay.)

Where to Stay
There are plenty of stay options available in Murud, but only a couple of places truly offer sea facing views. Most of the hotels and guest houses can be rented on a shoe string budget.

During my stay in Murud I had stayed at Hotel Sea Face and after my visit here, I can safely say that this is possibly the best hotel to stay in Murud.

Hotel Sea Face is a low budget hotel  which offers rooms at rates raning from 600 to 3000 (try and get the rooms on the first floor with views to the sea). The rooms are all clean and the staff is incredibly helpful. Bang opposite the beach with an imposing view of the sea, this is probably the only budget hoteloffering fantastic views .

The hotel has its own restaurant and also is walking distance from many of the other eating joints. It is through negotations with this hotel that we got a personal tour around Murud and Janjira for a very reasonable price. Further in case you need transfer from Murud back to Pune or Mumbai you can check with the staff for the best (and safe) deal.

Eating Out
Cramping all the sightseeing and relaxation on a two day weekend, we could not explore the food scene much.

Although I had read a lot on the amazing sea food that is available my actual experience was quite contrary and the food here left me absolutely unimpressed and uninspired.

Perhaps, it would be best to find out which houses cater to provide home cooked local delicacies and try the same. The restaurants I tried were not very good and the food I tried was just about average to say the least.

Some pictures from my trip to Murud Janjira can be found here.

In Conclusion
Murud is a good weekend getaway with plenty of sights to take in, the people are proud of their heritage and make excellent hosts. A visit to Murid Janjira is more than the  generic sun and sand kind of trip, with promise of surprises you cannot imagine a quaint sea side town could hold.

For any specific queries please leave a comment or write to me at jchaitanyareddy@gmail.com.

Brimming with baked goodies the ‘fine baking’ store Labonel could just as well be Hyderabad’s best kept bakery secret.

Not only is Labonel  inconspicuous with its presence, it also has a understated elegance and an endearing absence of pretense. The ambiance is charming and uncluttered with the wonderful hint of baking aroma’s wafting in each time the kitchen doors open ever so slightly.

Everything is for takeaway and cakes are made to order, but you can stop by and pick up cases of muffins, brownies and fudge to go.

The vanilla and chocolate muffins (The brownies were polished off even before I could take a picture )

On my first visit here I took a box of the Labonel signature brownies and a box of vanilla and chocolate muffins – these beauties looked so delicious that I could not wait to go home and gorge on them.

True to my hightened expectation the muffins and the brownies were very well made, beautifully presented and were a absolute pleasure to eat.

The product list is extensive and it could take me a while to review everything that Labonel has to offer, but I have a feeling that I have found the perfect bakery for my next sugar fix.

For all those looking out to satiate their sweet tooth in Hyderabad I would highly recommend Labonel. You can check the full product listing here, and also drop by their Facebook page here.

Note: Labonel is located in the house right next to Star Hospital, Banjara Hills ( There is only one independent house so you will not miss it, remember that there are no signs so just walk down the driveway of the home and you will find Labonel to your left ).

What is Mount Lavinia Like

Mount Lavinia is a laid back suburban town far enough from the madness of Srilanka’s capital Colombo. Depending on the time of your arrival Mount Lavinia could look lazy, touristy, crowded or even resemble a neighbourhood near a university campus teaming with (mostly young) people from across the world. Similar to almost all the beach front towns the alleys of Mount Lavinia are narrow with houses packed close to the beach front. Although a definite tourist spot there is a unique overlap of teaming locals and travelers, thus giving you ample opportunity to blend in and experience the local culture.

An itinerary is not needed to explore Mount Lavinia- wandering aimlessly , blending in with the locals, popping into local store’s, tasting street food and checking out the local architecture, watching the sun set over the Indian ocean and finishing of the day with a fabulous dinner on the beach is plan enough.

 Life is a beach in Mount Lavinia

Sights and Culture of Mount Lavinia

Architecture
A bustling mix of tourists and locals Mount Lavinia has preserved its local appeal while catering to travellers. One of the most charming things about this place is the architecture, each house is splendid in its design and the gates to the houses are all unique and wonderfully ornate. I could spend an afternoon just milling along the alleys and noting the architecture.

Activities and shops
Mount Lavinia is one of the more affluent areas in Srilanka and hence you will find plenty of spas, malls, gaming zones and restaurants along the main street area. A stroll along the main street will give you a fair idea of the amenities and the transport options.

Also the pet stores and automobile spare part shops are unlike anything I have seen before.

Sight seeing
The beach has a almost 360 panoramic view of the Indian ocean and the sunset is worth waiting for. Although, the beach does appear to get slightly crowded, venture out a little further and you can breathe free .( The locals warn tourists to not wander away from the well lit sections of the beach post 9 pm)

Food
Restaurants are plenty – beach side, on the main streets, in the narrow alleys.

The cuisine is mind boggling too the street vendors and restaurants alike offer almost everything ranging from Nasi Goreng, dumplings, Laksa to the local delicacies.

Night Life
Mount Lavinia has a thriving night life and plenty of options to choose from. Most of the beach side resorts/restaurants/dance floors begin setting the mood from the moment the sun sets.

Mount Lavinia Restaurants and eating out

Cuisine and Budget
Mount Lavinia can boast of street vendor and swanky restaurants that offer food options ranging from Nasi Goreng, Laksa, dumplings to Srilankan Specialities. Local fare of appam, string hoppers and kottu can be found aplenty.

The drinks
There are also plenty of options to keep oneself hydrated. There is the abundantly available fresh coconut water ,fresh squeezed juices and plenty of juice centers offering smoothies and milkshakes.

Bread and bakeries
The bread from Srilanka needs special mention, every few block’s there are bakeries churning out soft, fragrant delicious bread- a fairly recent development that the locals attribute to the tourist inflow

Also notable is plenty of cake shops selling perfect looking fresh pastries.

Eating within the hotel
Most of the hotels (budget or otherwise) offer reasonable priced breakfast, lunch and dinner options. The food served here is usually good quality, made by the local chefs and has good enough variety.

Yes there are KFC’s and Pizza Hut’s
Apart from the speciality restaurants and street vendors the options of Pizza Hut, KFC etc are also available and usually deliver to your hotel past 11 pm also .

Beach side restaurants
During the evening the beach atmosphere is nothing short of a fair and the usual ice cream vans and finger food vendors throng aplenty.

Walk further down the beach stretch and you will find options of candle lit dinners bang on the beach. The staff will put your table as far out on the beach as safe and possible – this I highly recommend, nothing like the beach breeze, lovely music and the moon lit sea for a view .

Warning: The portions served in most restaurant’s are huge (by European standards ) so be warned and order appropriately, remember there is plenty to experience and experiment .

Mount Lavinia Shopping

General
The shopping stores in Mount Lavinia pack almost everything that you would need, so much so that I was taken aback that some brands and items that are available only in super markets in India are available in the ‘mom and pop stores’ in Mount Lavinia.

Clothing
Plenty of malls and local stores can be found along the main street. Further, the famous ‘House of Fashion’ is only a 30 minute ride by tuk-tuk or bus from Mount Lavinia.

There are also several stores that claim to make custom fit suits for men and women, although I could not try getting anything made here I would love to give these stores a try when my stay duration is more than a week..

How much time to spend in Mount Lavinia

That depends entirely on your budget, how much time you have and what your plans are.

Although 2-3 days is enough to explore Mount Lavinia and unwind , it is one of those laid back places where people come and stay for month’s at a stretch. My suggestion, plan your itinerary well and decide how much you want to laze around and give that time to Mount Lavinia .

What else can be done

If you choose you can completely skip staying in Colombo and do all the sight seeing while putting up at Mount Lavinia. Colombo is about 30-45 minutes from Mount Lavinia and you can explore the city and return to the calm of Mount Lavinia.

Most hotels also offer tourism packages ranging from 2 days to week around Srilanka covering places liked Kandy, Sigiriya, Polonnaruwa etc. You would need to check with the the hotel you choose to stay with regarding the same.

Where to Stay in Mount Lavinia

This is a tricky one as the options are plenty. I stayed at Tropic Inn and was extremely satisfied with my stay here.

Tropic Inn Accommodation
The rooms are basic but clean. The hotel is a converted house and retains its cozy charm.

Tropic Inn Rates
The rates were way less than what my budget was but the amenities were just what I wanted. Does not kill to save up on budget .

Tropic Inn Service
The service at Tropic Inn is exceptional. The staff is prompt courteous and extremely helpful- and each one of them goes out of their way to ensure your comfort.

Tropic Inn Food
Tropic Inn offers breakfast, lunch and dinner at nominal rates. The food is well made with choices from local cuisine to more international dishes. Breakfast is buffet style and does leave you satisfied

In-fact the string hopper and its spicy chutney was the best I had in my entire trip to Srilanka

Tropic Inn amenities
Free Wifi
Prompt and safe pick up from the airport at any time at a nominal charge
Free pick up from Mount Lavinia Train station
Currency Exchange ( And they offered the best rate)
They offer Tour packages, which I was not aware of and did not try

Tropic Inn Location
2 minutes walk from the beach
2 minutes walk from the main street
15 minutes walk from the Mount Lavinia Train Station
30 minutes ride to ‘House of Fashion’ shopping area
45 minutes to Colombo (Galle Face)
1 hour from the airport
Plenty of restaurants within walking distance

You can visit the official Tropic Inn website here to learn more.
(P.S: I stayed a couple of nights in Taj Colombo during my trip to Srilanka and hands down would choose Tropic Inn for the service and ease , but more on that later ).

Some images from my travel to Mount Lavinia can be seen  here.

The interesting thing about Srilanka is that it can be the destination you want it to be and there is always something for everyone – there is much to be experienced ranging from the nightlife in Colombo, to the historical relics of Anuradhapura and the beautiful wildlife sanctuaries around Polonnaruwa, to the beautiful serene and cool Kandy Hill-station and a brisk trek in Sigiriya.

For a country so tiny Srilanka  definitely packs quite a punch.

You can read one of my earlier posts on travel in Srilanka here .

*****

Dear Cafe Coffee Day

I want to start by congratulating you, there is now a CCD outlet in almost every street that ever witnessed a popular local tea stall – and much to my delight this has been accomplished despite the lack of availability of parking space .

This burst of outlets re-affirms my faith that whatever may be the fate of a new Telengana state the people of Andhra Pradesh will always have a CCD next door to help them start conversations.

Despite being a resident of Secunderabad for over a decade I had failed to sample the bread and muffins that the local ‘bakeries’ dish out by the thousands every day, but thanks to your well balanced menu featuring these local products I now can boast of palette knowledge of cheap tasting baked products.

Also, I may never be able to truly understand the supply chain and logistics that go into the procurement of your specialty dishes, but hopefully through this letter I can convey to you the valuable business lessons that I have learned from your brand.  It is a delightful learning in perception indeed when I watch locally procured potato chips (ordered at 10 rupees a kilo) being passed off as French fries. Special kudos to your cunning and intelligence which is not only a learning in profit making but also a valuable insight to the art of modifying perception.

Much appreciation must be given for visits to your outlets has enriched my understanding of flavour profiles and experimentation – the wonderful way in which the blueberry jam is diluted with water to make it into blueberry sauce is not just a lesson in invention but also a first in the entire concept of culinary ‘out of box’ thinking.

Even more endearing is the fact that trips to CCD have come to remind me of childhood escapades – the tastes of 10 rupees a dozen muffins that are ohh so elegantly presented at the various CCD outlets is what the Matercard guys would call ‘priceless’ - I must at this time also deviate and thank my employers who give me the income that I so willingly seem to spend for such simple joys.

Your methods of providing personal attention and detail also shines through as almost each time the tea comes in with a strand of hair and oh! not to forget the friendship ‘band’ that sneakily finds its way into my bill as the pleading staff rattles how he/she needs to meet a sale target – charming and endearing in a clingy sort of way.

The compassion for the promotion of local business via the refreshing concept of buying local and selling global coupled with a whiney staff has truly won my heart. In fact I will go so far as to praise you for giving the term glocalization a whole new meaning.

Cafe Coffee Day, without your foresight and business ethics the coffee scene in Hyderabad would not be the same. Without you, we would have been stuck with the likes of Barista and Gloria Jean’s.

Now, wouldn’t that be a shame.

Is this evolution a conditioned response to a programmed mind or can we self-tune our thoughts. Can we push our minds to break ideas that are derivations of conventional thinking and allow ourselves to view any situation without any bias in all its possibilities?

If we believe that individuals usually gain lasting ideas from their own experiences rather than from what is taught, then what can parents teach that will make individuals want to learn more, question more and allow the self and others to hold and accept many varied points of view.

Yesterday I saw a talk by Raghava KK on TED TV where he presents his thoughts on giving children free reign on gaining perspective by presenting to them all variations of any story/idea we tell them (You can see the video here). Raghava KK demonstrates on an iPad a method that combines art and technology which could possibly help a child widen her perspective of a functional family unit.

Although well presented and filled with hopeful charm I feel the idea isn’t the most original and also seemed to be lacking. This is not to diminish what Raghava says but rather trying to understand whether the talk in itself presented anything different than what parenting really demands. 

Have all generations not striven to hand out to the younger ones ideas that allow them a broader perspective and an open mind? I look around and see individuals closed to ideas and resolute in their thoughts – giving themselves no scope of another perspective. So then, where did we go wrong?

I am no parent, but I play a role in shaping how my nieces think, based on my experience I have mentored individuals at work and in schools – and I see not much of change in what Raghava says and what I see people follow. Sure in the 5 minute snippet you see how children can see different possibilities of a functional couple and how they may view relationships, but does that that truly give the child an opportunity to become a more insightful individual?

A complete perspective in this case would involve many more shakes of the iPad to show single parents, foster parents, people of varying ethnicity, orphanages etc. Just like all things in life the concept of providing perspective on any subject cannot be isolated and looked at from a single angle. Multiple thoughts and concepts need to be brought in – and that is perhaps what we should also be focusing on.

When I was growing up, my parents would tell me about the situations I would encounter and allow me the luxury of perspective. Example, during my growing up years divorced individuals, single parents and separated families were not frowned up on as they were during my parent’s upbringing and hence they ensured that I understood this. It was expected that I understand that families can vary from the traditional norm but my questions of “Why and How?” would be frowned upon. It was none of my business.

Zoom to today and I see most kids around raised in a similar environment. I constantly see parents easing children into concepts that already exist, but what about the millions of other possibilities and our reactions to such unexpected situations?

People are constantly seen hushing up a child’s curiosity. What’s dominating in our thoughts is preparation for the expected, but we fail to inculcate reactions and understanding of the unexpected. The glory of parenting and mentoring lies in not only informing what exists but allowing non judgmental inquisition.

(I will replace parenting with mentoring.)

Mentoring is a definite endless progression, where it is equally important for the mentor to allow many perspectives - existing, wildly imaginary or seemingly ridiculous and looking at all of these with no bias.

My father’s profession involved frequent transfer’s and my childhood travels allowed me the luxury to see things in many contrasting ways (my imagination adding some more).

But there are still some curve balls because it was not polite to ask.

I was at the Indian art cafe in Inorbit mall, Hyderabad for a quick lunch and boy was I charmed. First impressions are of a tastefully done up space that is not overly cluttered with South Indian trimmings and trinkets, the bistro uses all the space it has beautifully – tastefully done and taking full advantage of the views. Overlooking the Durgam Cheruvu lake, the bistro is located in the quieter recess of the mall ensuring a relatively non intrusive and private space.

As most south Indian restaurants go the menu is fairly compact and yet does not disappoint. The simple menu makes up for the range of items on offer – a tempting and unexpected selection with variations ranging from the classic idly and dosas to Dravidian baked risottos and Swiss appams.  A further glimpse of the menu can be caught here.

On my visit here I ordered a little cautiously and with the intention to compare. For starters I ordered the Mirapakaya Ulli Garelu (Onion and Chili fritters) and for main course it was the sponge dosa and the ‘Spinach and Young Potato Dosa’.

As the food was brought in, one thing was clear the Bistro was making a conscious attempt to steer clear from everything overtly south Indian – no traditional copper/bronze cutlery here.  The presentation was extremely refreshing and while the food screamed south Indian the presentation hinted fine dining. The presentation immediately reminded me of the ‘Twist of Taste’ series that airs on Fox History and traveler and the one particular episode where chef Vineet Bhatia cooked up some uttapam lasagna (You can see the episodes of this series here).

So the Indian Art cafe knows presentation and aesthetic, but that’s not all  - the Kitchen can cook some amazing food too .

The Mirapakaya Ulli Garelu were stellar, the batter was roughly ground with a liberal doze of spice and chilli and was cooked to perfection, this was served with the three classic chutneys of spicy ginger, garlic and coconut. One bite and I was smitten .

The sponge dosa for lack of any other appropriate description was ‘mind blasting’ to say the least. This kick ass dosa is light, fluffy and so delicately flavoured that I could have happily returned for dinner and had the same dish all over again.  (I took this to compare it with the famed Chutney’s Steam dosa, and boy oh boy is the sponge dosa a force to reckon )

The ‘Spinach and Young Potato Dosa’  was presented in  bite size pieces . This dosa too had a flavour so close to home made dosa that I had to return for more.

The only disappointment was the Sambar - insipid, watery and lacking vegetables, this accompaniment definitely lacked the punch and vibrancy that the dish could otherwise bring. It reminded me of my childhood days spend eating the food served in the Army mess, where on certain days South Indian was on the menu and the cooks would bring in their interpretation of Sambar .. watery, flavourless salty and sour fluid.

My experience here was surreal, it was beautiful to see all the south Indian ‘tiffins’ served with focus on presentation, ambiance and flavour. I cannot wait for my next visit here where I would love to try the risottos and fondue fusion items.

South Indian cuisine is beautiful and delicious and it is about time it gets to be seen as fine dining material,  and Indian Art Café seems to be heading in the right direction.

I would highly recommend this restaurant for its definite strength’s – amazingly delicious south Indian fare, contemporary ambiance, waiters with fine dining training, fusion food and refreshing presentation.

Overall rating: 4 stars
Food: 3 1/2 stars
Service: 4 stars
Atmosphere: 4 stars
Prices: Reasonably priced (The one starter and two main dishes cost me 300 rupees)
Noise rating: For a bistro set in a mall, Indian Art Cafe is surprisingly quite, no problems holding a conversation here.

A slide show of some of the items we tried and the bistro itself can be seen here.

(Check back again for a follow-up update)