“Games of Delhi 2010 – I appreciate my diverse friends: Indians from India (Part #1)*”
Vol. 1, No. 17, October 3rd , 2010
TITLE: “Games of Delhi 2010 – I appreciate my diverse friends : Indians from India (Part #1)*”
Today on October 3rd, 2010, it is the opening day/ceremonies of the Commonwealth Games situate at Delhi, India. My book of the week is: “Tandoori Cooking @ Home [Paperback] by Sanjeev Kapoor (Author). Hence, my topic is India, its expanding economy of increasing global importance, its wonderful people, its delicious food, etc. and also my great friends of Indian descent.
“IT WORDS FOR ME!*”
For today, my word is “India”; and my phrases are: “Incredible India” and “Tandoori Cooking”.
India
India ( /ˈɪndiə/), officially the Republic of India (Hindi: भारत गणराज्य Bhārat Gaṇarājya; see also official names of India), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.18 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world.[16][17] Mainland India is bounded by the Indian Ocean on the south, the Arabian Sea on the west, and the Bay of Bengal on the east; and it is bordered by Pakistan to the west;[note] Bhutan, the People’s Republic of China and Nepal to the north; and Bangladesh and Burma to the east. In the Indian Ocean, mainland India and the Lakshadweep Islands are in the vicinity of Sri Lanka and the Maldives, while India’s Andaman and Nicobar Islands share maritime border with Thailand and the Indonesian island of Sumatra in the Andaman Sea.[18] India has a coastline of 7,517 kilometres (4,700 mi).[19] (Source: Wikipedia the free Enctclopedia/http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/India)
Incredible India (Tourism)
“Incredible India Tourism gets your pulse racing as you explore its incredible tourist attractions. Travel to India, the extravagantly beautiful land, and your India Holidays will surely become tantamount to a wonderful ‘celebration’. India is a repertoire of surprises and delights, ready to leave you spell bound. India Tour offers amazing tourist destinations, which smile at you with their own specialties. Travel to India where its attractions never cease to amaze tourists who come here from across the globe. Laced with glorious culture and breathtaking attractions, India is a dream destination for all seasons.” (Source: http://www.incredibleindia-tourism.org/)
Tandoori Cooking
This is about cooking on a tandoor. A tandoor (Persian: تنور, Hindi: तन्दूर, Urdu: تندور, Armenian: Թոնիր) is a cylindrical clay oven used in cooking and baking. The tandoor is used for cooking in India, Turkey, Iran, Armenia, Pakistan, Afghanistan, the Transcaucasus, the Balkans, the Middle East, Central Asia as well as Burma and Bangladesh[citation needed]. (Source: Wikipedia the free enctclopedia/ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tandoor/)
Economy/importance
“In 2009, India’s nominal GDP stood at US$1.243 trillion, which makes it the eleventh-largesteconomy in the world.[117] If PPP is taken into account, India’s economy is the fourth largestin the world at US$3.561 trillion,[118] corresponding to a per capita income of US$3,100.[119]The country ranks 139th in nominal GDP per capita and 128th in GDP per capita at PPP.[117] With an average annual GDP growth rate of 5.8% for the past two decades, India is one of the fastest growing economies in the world.[120]” (Source: Wikipedia the free Enctclopedia/http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/India)
Bonus fact #1: Women’s rights
In India, there is a Women Reservation Bill 2010. Of course, I am for the rights of women. I found this particularly interesting. Here is an explanation.
“1. The women reservation bill will reserve the 33 percent seats in Parliament and state legislatures for the females.
2. The bill is pending from the year 1996 proving that Indian politicians are not ready to accept this bill so every time we see the new drama, new demand from political parties.
3. The women reservation bill will provide Reservation for women at each level of legislative decision-making, starting with the Lok Sabha, down to state and local legislatures.”
http://realityviews.blogspot.com/2010/03/india-women-reservation-bill-2010-need.html
Bonus fact #2: Indian- Canadian Comedian: Russel Peters
I saw Russell Peters on television. “Russell Dominic Peters[3] (born September 29, 1970)[4] is a Canadian stand-up comic and actor. Peters was born in Toronto, raised in Brampton, and is of Anglo-Indian descent” (Source: Wikipedia the free encyclopedia/http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russell_Peters). He is supremely funny. Check him out!
S & R* NEWS ALERT* – NEW DELHI : “Games all set for a gala opening”
“New Delhi: About 7,000 men, women and children will dish out a show of India’s cultural heritage in a gala Commonwealth Games opening ceremony with the icing on the cake being Maestro A R Rahman’s performance at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium on Sunday.
With most of the tickets already sold out, the two-hour ceremony, scheduled from 7 p m, will start with President Pratibha Patil and Britain’s Prince Charles expected to declare the Games open in front of a packed stadium of 65,000 capacity tomorrow.
The 619-member strong Indian contingent will be led by Olympic gold medalist Abhinav Bindra who will carry the Indian flag during the ceremony.
Even as tennis sensation Sania Mirza will not be part of the Indian march-past as the Hyederabadi ace has preferred to rest, badminton star Saina Nehwal, Beijing Olympic Games bronze medalist boxer Vijender Kumar and wrestler Sushil Kumar will be among the six who will carry the baton during the formal part of the pageant.” (Source: Games all set for a gala opening”, Press Trust of India, Updated: Sat, Oct 2, 2010 22:10 IST/ http://cwg.ndtv.com/commonwealth/article/id/spoen20100155144/type/latest/Delhi,-the-day-before-Commonwealth-Games-56523.html)
MY LIFE & TIMES*
I am a people person. I enjoy meeting people of diverse origins. Today, I will speak about Indians from India. Like Italians, Indians from India emigrated to all parts of the world and brought their culture, tradition and cuisine to many countries. Thirty years ago, I met a female co-worker, of Indian origin, born and raised in Trinidad. We soon became best-friends. Along with her husband, a fine man, they made a great couple. We were neighbors. Our respective children not only played together, they also grew up together. As families, we socialized. We were very fortunate to have found such people with great intelligence, qualities and warmth. Indeed, our family adopted their family and their family adopted us, and we all became extended family, (e.g., aunts, uncles and cousins), by mutural appointment. For my daughters, this lovely couple became uncle and auntie.
I was often invited to their home. As soon as you entered, you felt the friendship and hospitality. Fine food lived there – it was made from a variety of exotic ingredients. The sit down meal and the finger foods were all delicious. I developed a taste for Indian food. Especially at family feasts on religious festivals and high holidays, the food was particularly delicate, most colorful and beautifully presented. I will never forget these times. It is with this life experience and perspective that I considered my book for today.
THE AUTHOR: “Tandoori Cooking @ Home [Paperback] by Sanjeev Kapoor (Author).
“Sanjeev Kapoor is the most celebrated face of Indian cuisine today. Chef Extraordinaire, TV show host, author of best selling cookbooks, restaurant consultant, architect of a unique range of food products and winner of numerous culinary awards, Chef Kapoor is living his dream of making Indian cuisine the number one cuisine in the world and empowering women of this country towards making a healthy India – the motto being ‘Eat Well Live Well’.”(Source: http://www.sanjeevkapoor.com/AboutSanjeev.aspx?MenuId=23&ParentMenuId=8)
He surely is an expert in the field of Indian cooking.
SERIES/COLLECTION
TV program
Chef Sanjeev Kapoor is also a TV personality. His credits include:
Book collection
Some of his books are:
THE BOOK:”Tandoori Cooking @ Home [Paperback] by Sanjeev Kapoor
As we have seen, a Tandoor is a clay oven; and cooking on one is not the same as our everyday home stove. Indian specialties, the Tandoori way, takes a particular knowledge. Sanjeev Kapoor, our master chef, knows how and he tells us not only how-to do it, but more, how-to do it WELL. In particular, he explains how to use a Tawa, an oven, an OTG and even a pressure cooker. The tandoori dishes include: Poti Kabab; Aloo Nazakat; Tiranga Paneer Tikka; Mahi Tikka Lehsuni and Kakori Kabab.
CONCLUSION
As you can see, I cherish my dear friends of Indian descent. I love the cuisine from India. But, as my final word, I want to leave with you something to take away from this piece. It is friendship, with those close and dear in general and also the extra joy of enjoying the company of people not from your background.
The point
In order to achieve greater success in this regard, I say:
1. Overcome shyness – being shy is a handicap to a fuller social life.
2. Be open – you never know who will enter. However, this does not mean, that in this world also including evil people, you should not be prudent, keeping your guard up. This is especially important for women. In support of this proposition, I relate a recent occurrence. A new neighbor rang my doorbell, bearing gifts and saying “Hello”. I was touched by this couple’s neighborliness. They made my day. Indeed, I believe that a stranger is a friend who you have not yet met!
3. Be audacious when it comes to different groups, (e.g., ethnic, cultural, religious, etc.). Now proactive, say: “Hello” and ask these new acquaintances to tell you about themselves. It is very stimulating to learn about others. You become enriched. And now more worldly, with more stories from real life experiences, you yourself, become more interesting. Now that ‘s win- win.
I will close with the question, “Who in our global village, will I next introduce you to?” Coyly, I will answer “No comment.” In any event, it will appear soon in this space. Watch for it! I love people, don’t you?
Take it out for a spin and tell me if you agree.
And that’s my thought of the week on books, what’s yours? *
ALP
“Books are life; and they make life better!*”
CREDITS
-Web Tech: richmediasound.com
The above is a new media production of Valente under its “United Author*” program.
*TM/© 2010 Practitioners’ Press Inc. – All Rights Reserved.
October 4th, 2010 at 1:59 pm
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October 21st, 2010 at 8:18 pm
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