The case of Maggi...

It was my first winter in the tri-state area. It had been a few days since I had arrived in Hartford on a stormy day on 1st February, 2005. And I found the dark evenings exceptionally dull. Experiencing darkness at 4-5 pm was an alien concept for me.

I arrived in an apartment that already housed 3 of my colleagues - Pranay, Sunil and Vikram. During those few weeks all of us used to come home early and tuck ourselves in the comforters and surf the net sipping tea or coffee. The occasional maggi (noodles) was our favorite snack.

One such evening, we all reached home and had tea. We were hungry but all were a bit lazy to make any food. After a couple of minutes though - Vikram decided to make some magi for us. The experience of having hot maggi on a cold snowy evening is indeed satisfying. Anyways, Vikram got the bowl of maggi and we started to relish the noodles.

"Whoever has made this maggi, please do send him to heaven O God", were the words of Sunil as he finished up his bowl. Pranay and I could see the elated face of Vikram, clearly interpreting that those words were meant for him. But when Sunil saw the smile on Vikram's face, he goes - "Not you asshole, the one made this product". Vikram realized that he had misconstrued and his glad face altered. Pranay and I couldn't stop laughing for quite some time though…

Expect comments from Vikram, Pranay and Sunil atleast...

Shrek

Events of one summer evening in 2007 - 

Seniority

Here is a rough estimate of the duration spent by various folks in Hartford, sorted by duration.

This sheet will definitely have some errors in terms of tenure as well as a few omissions. Sorry about that.

Glimpses of Hartford:

A few snaps taken from our rooms or  in the city. 

Theatre at the Bushnell

'The Bushnell' in Hartford plays musicals and Broadways in Hartford and is quite an ambience.

We watched a few Broadways at the Bushnell, mostly at the request of Ms.Anupama. 

Here are a few -

Hairspray, the John Waters film turned Broadway Musical turned Movie Musical, has gotten better as it has aged. The story is about a young overweight girl named Tracy

 Turnblad who dreams of joining an afternoon dance TV program called the Corny Collins Show. In the process she’s rejected and discriminated against because of her size, makes friends with other black kids who suffer daily discrimination, forges a bond with them, finds a boyfriend in the TV show’s lead performer, and eventually integrates the program. It’s an outlandish story that makes you laugh, acknowledge the ugly truth about our country, yet still make you feel good. It also has some of the most memorable characters: all roles are delicious. This show is a performer’s dream come true. The music is toe-tapping fresh, and it has one of the best musical scores

"Mamma Mia!" is a play based on the songs of Abba. Catherine Johnson has written a plot that uses all the big 

songs from this legendary group. And the beautiful thing is they all fit into the plot as naturally as can be. You move from one hit to the next and at the same time the plot is advancing towards a definite ending.

The story concerns a girl named Sophie (Carrie Manolakos) who is engaged to be married. 

She has been raised by her single mother Donna (Laurie Wells) on an island off the coast of Greece. One day Sophie decides to read her mother's diary and in doing this she discovers the names of three men who might be her father. Unknown to her mother, she invites them all to her wedding and they all accept.

Once they arrive Sophie tries to sort out which one is the one. They all seem like nice men but none of them acts paternal towards her. Her mother does not seem thrilled they have arrived, and seems to have a special animosity towards Bill Austin (Milo Shandel).

As the wedding approaches Sophie grows desperate to know who her father is, but her mother isn't talking and neither are the guys. Finally a desperate decision is made and it leads to the climax of the play.

Chicago - The evergreen 1928 musical about murder, greed, corruption, violence, exploitation, adultery and treachery!

Satiate my taste buds...

Mediterranean Food! Tapas Menu!! Red Wine!!! Today I start this blog about my stay in New England from Jan 2005 to Sep 2007 in Hartford,CT and from Feb 2008 to Apr 2008 in Somerset, NJ. And the first thing that comes to my mind is Food and Wine. Especially Mediterranean food to which I was introduced in Hartford. And as I start this blog I think that most of the posts might be devoted to dining. I just adore the Tapas Menu. The very thought of it tickles my taste buds. Grilled/Sauteed onions, sun dried tomatoes, ricotta cheese, falafel, hummus, red peppers, chick peas, pita bread, spicy blackened chicken and more. Place where it all started is Tapas on Ann Street, Hartford. Muffaletta, Spanakopita, The Four Tapas, Cajun Tapas - all awesome. Awesome experience! Dining on the pavement with some music and wine!
http://www.tapasonline.com/ordereze/Default.aspx



Another one was the Kairo Kafe, New Brunswick, NJ. Buffalo Wings, Hummus V, Baba Ganoush, Hummus Sandwich, Falafel Sandwich, Chicken Sandwich, and the Kairo Burger. Mouth Watering! To add to the good points, it also serves Hookah and sometimes also has a belly dancer to add the glamour element. Excellent service. Courtesy - Friendly Rutgers Students

http://www.kairokafe.com/index.htm

Hope I would get to taste some Mediterranean cuisine soon and satiate my taste buds.