Martin's Farm, Bangalore

A grey bearded man was standing in front of the pigs’ shed as we moved from ahead towards the back of the farm. He looked simple yet elegant. Just as the pigs’ shed neared everybody closed their noses from the stink. The man, bearded man made a comment, “This how city people behave when they come close to animals and nature.”

City People! It touched my heart… when did I became a city girl??

In a sec. my mind traveled years back to picturize my home, my village, animals which were the part of my everyday life. Loved chasing hens and chickens, seeing grandma milking the cow and taking the fountain of milk directly from the teats of cow. Where is all that lost??

Today I paid a ticket to show my daughter and she is fascinated with the view as if she has seen some angel. I know I am enjoying being in a city and love the luxury it provides, but I miss the mud and sand of village. The true meaning of life it taught me. Witnessing full life cycle of the rice or wheat which gives us life and energy. That brings a kind of respect for the farmer who works hard to grow it and makes us respect our food more and compels us not to waste it.

I guess I am drifting away from the real topic I started to write. I guess I have become too nostalgic.

Anyways, back to that bearded man. Though he had grey beard, but he was young and looked energetic and happy. Being mesmerized with the kind of place, I felt like seeing the person who owns it and has started it. I asked gently, “Where is the owner Mr. Martin, would like to meet him”. With more gentleness he replied,” You are looking at him”.

I could not stop myself from saying that he is doing a great service to people like us, giving us a day away from hustle and bustle of city, spending time with animals, reconnecting with nature and getting some pure oxygen for free.

Further talking to him made us realize how a man busy chasing the commercial life chose to leave everything and enjoy his hobby while making it open to public. He told his future plans of making the farm a place for kids to learn and nurture nature and animals.

Workshops are conducted there for schools and colleges even now.

With all the excitement of keying down my experience I still haven't mentioned the name of the place. So guys, here, I am talking about a place not very far from city, located at Sarjapur road named as Martin’s Farm.

Reaching there was very easy, thanks to the direction provided in their blog- http://themartinfarm.blog.com/

Directions from Sarjapur Road:-

- Get on to Sarjapur Road from St. Johns Medical College.
- Come straight down, past the Outer Ring Road Junction and Agara Flyover.
- Drive down and you will pass the Wipro campus on your left after about 4 kms.
- Come down a further 1.5 kms crossing Doddakannali junction and a row of marble and granite shops on either side.Look for Mahabir Granites on your right.
- Opposite Mahabir Granites there is a left turn, which you will have to take. This is Carmelaram Bus Stop.
- If you see the Decathalon store, then you have gone too far!
- Cross the Carmelaram railway station and another level crossing and keep to the right.
- You will then cross the Carmel Convent School on your right.
- You will come to a junction where the road curves sharply to the left. This is Chikkabelandur.
- There is a signboard “Martin Farm” and an arrow pointing right to a cemented village road.
- Take this road, the first left and after about a hundred meters, you will see our gate on your right.


About the Farm:-

Open to visitors from 10 am to 6 pm, every minute spent there is worth a million bucks and we just have to pay Rs. 100 per head as an entry ticket.

There are lovely multicolored sparrows, Ostrich, Dogs, Pigs, Ducks, Rabbits and the best show was turkey. Mr. Turkey kept roaming here and there making some scared and some happy. Few times he reached our food bags and started smelling that. A friendly dog named Dusty, loves to play with the ball.
























There are the times fixed for kids to feed the animals. Kids fed carrots to rabbits. The place was clean and fresh with thick trees providing shadow and cool breeze.

There is no provision of any food item, so visitors need to carry food, provided they don’t throw any garbage and make the place dirty. Drinking water is available. Visitors can carry mats or anything to spread down on grass and sit there. The shade is so good that anybody can have a lovely sleep under the trees.

There is a basket ball court; Kids play area with swings and thick trees for love birds to sing around them too ;). They provide space to organize birthday parties there, but they too need to be eco-friendly.

Overall the day was fun filled and physically active. Kids were so excited and happy that they kept their eyes open whole day.

We left around 5 pm with a feeling that we all will be very frequent visitors here and will tell more friends to join us!!!

Some come for having fun with games, some come for nature, some come for animals, and I saw few coming for a nice photo shoot.

Lovely place to click pics with beautiful backdrop.

I must say, "What a place Mr. and Mrs. Martin."

Rajat Gupta’s Fall From Grace

Just read this article from Amitabh Bachan's Blog... liked it ... so posting here to keep it safe for lifetimeJust a truth of life and soul:- 

courtesy: http://srbachchan.tumblr.com/

Financer Rajat Gupta’s fall from grace has been likened to the expulsion from Eden. Here was a man who had it all – fame, fortune, and the friendship of celebrities like Bill Gates and the Clintons. But more than this, he had his reputation as a model of moral uprightness, a philanthropist, a champion of the less privileged.
How could such a person be tempted to commit a fault which would cause him to lose all of this? Could it be greed for even more money than the $84 million that he already is said to have? Perhaps. But could there have been another, more subtle seduction than the lure of even greater wealth?
Sartre said that saints are vigilant against sin, but what they should be guarding against is not sin but their saintliness. This is to say that to be good, and to do good work is admirable. But not if you fall into the trap of admiring the image of goodliness that has been created around you and which enhances your ego, your sense of self-worth.
Everyone says that I do great things. Therefore, I must be a great man. As a great man, I can do only great things. Therefore, everything I do must be a great thing, because it is I who am doing it.  This is the dangerous logic of self-justification, born out of an ego-gratifying public persona that others have created for you and which you have come to believe in yourself.

Bodhidharma is said to have visited the court of a king who prided himself on all the many public projects he had undertaken for the benefit of his people, including the building of a large number of magnificent places of worship. The king invited Bodhidharma to look at all his works and asked: “What merit do you think I have gained from all this?”
The gruff answer of the so-called ‘Barbarian from the West’ was: “Absolutely nothing.” The outraged ruler then demanded: “Who is it that dares to speak to a king like that?”
The sage replied: “A no-one who speaks to another no-one.” With this answer the king is said to have gained enlightenment. He realised that all the good works he had done for his subjects had really been only for himself, for his own glory, for his own sense of ego. And the more he was hailed as the great benefactor the greater grew his ego, his attachment to his belief in his own goodness, which was acclaimed by everyone.
It took the ‘Western Barbarian’ to rid the king of his lust for ‘goodness’, for the moral grandeur which he wore like a cloak of gold which dazzled the eyes of world and his own eyes as well. By saying he was ‘no-one’ speaking to another ‘no-one’, Bodhidharma meant that when we lay claim to possess goodness, or wisdom, or high reputation, we become enmeshed in the ego, in the ‘i’ which must be surrendered before the true state of spiritual grace can be achieved, a state in which there is ‘no-i’, ‘no-one’.
The moral of the story? Perhaps it is that we shouldn’t attach too much importance to our sense of moral accomplishment. Do good works by all means, but do them un-‘self ’-consciously, without giving undue credit to the ‘i’ who supposedly is doing all these good things.
It’s like riding a bicycle. If you do it without thinking of how you’re doing it, you’ll be fine. But if you keep thinking of how you’re maintaining your balance, chances are you’ll fall off. Maybe that’s what happened to Rajat Gupta: he fell off the cycle of grace.

It is rather strange that for the past few days I have been thinking of this very topic internally. Not the matter that deals with Mr Rajat Gupta, but some of the expressions that have found their way into this article…

‘Sartre said that saints are vigilant against sin, but what they should be guarding against is not sin but their saintliness. This is to say that to be good, and to do good work is admirable. But not if you fall into the trap of admiring the image of goodliness that has been created around you and which enhances your ego, your sense of self-worth. ’

It has often been alleged that those that embrace celebrity within themselves and out of it, fall into this most common of traps that spell ego and self admiration. When our worth has always, according to me, depended upon the excellence of your work, then I find it difficult to explain how one can ever embrace this most alluring of attitudes. To me personally I would give it a couple of percentages, but as I have expressed in the interview, it is a difficult task to get into the process of self - admiration … well at least for me if not for the others …

There shall always be a need to improve despite stratospherical success and following. I for one have never been able to understand anything else. I owe it to my up bringing, to feature in such high echelons of the minds of those that repose faith and trust in me ..

In time it becomes imperative to live up to that which we were always taught against. In time we soon realize its futility. In time we sacrifice for the better for the good, and look victorious and accomplished. Self aggrandisement is good in this profession. If it were not, it would prove to be disastrous in the field of creativity. But to circle all else around the matter, would be unwise and foolish.

May I always be guided by the simple conducts of life … of the need to think that tomorrow shall be another challenge another day, another rival. No one is perfect and neither am I. We shall all be tempted and subjected to capricious behaviour. Unpredictable and sudden. The test of time is always whether we shall be able to live up to our proclaimed status or being. Let that status be upon us always … struggling for it, and hopefully winning eventually.

Andaman Islands!

Though Andaman Islands is an island away from mainland India but its very much Indian in its culture, language and history. The main language spoken here is hindi and it shares a great deal of happenings during Indian Freedom Struggle.
The main Landmark which makes it special and historical is Cellular Jail, Port Blair. 
Any Indian would feel pain and proud at the same time while standing in front of the Cellular Jail. 

Though we had lot many options to choose from for our honeymoon, we chose Andaman Islands. 

The best part was Havelock Island. Both the place and journey to it was adventurous  and romantic. We went in a regular Wood kind of big boat. Old times Cruise ship, i would say :). Travelling there from Port Blair takes about 2 hours, but the journey is fun. The best time would be Morning. 
Havelock Island has few resorts which have their private beaches and serve delicious food and a range of beverages. It was the most romantic part of our trip to stay there for 2 days and enjoy the lovely white sand beaches throughout the day and take small breaks whenever we feel hungry :P. I am always ready to go back to Havelock and enjoy the serenity of the island for a week. 
Return from Havelock to Port Blair was like Icing on the cake. It was during sunset time and witnessing changing colors of the sky and sea sitting on the deck of the ship can the bestest evening for anyone. It was serene and lovelyyyy.  I loved that journey and never wanted sun to hide itself and  ship to reach Port Blair. Though the journey had to end but the impression of it will be fresh in our memories forever and made our honeymoon special. 

Other plcaes worth seeing are Marine Museum, Andaman Market for buying souvenirs.
Should not miss Glass boat ride to see Coral under sea bed. They are beautiful. 

Picturization of the above description:- 

  

Dry Fruit Pulao

A unique recipe which can be enjoyed occasionally. Its healthy and filling, especially for kids. 

Name:- Dry Fuit Pulao

Ingredients:- 1/2 Kg rice, 50 gm sugar, 50 gm ghee, 100  gm almonds, 50 gm cashew nuts, 25 gm dry grapes (Kishmish), 50 gm walnut (taken out), 1 table spoon salt, 2 bay leaves, one big cinnamon strip, 4 cloves (laung), 6 green cardamom (elaichi)

Note:- Remove tip from cloves, break bay leaves in 3 pieces, break cinnamon in small pieces

Procedure:- 

To make sugar syrup :- Put sugar and little water in a pan n keep it on low heat till all the sugar melts. Keep aside.

Keep the rice soaked for 1/2 hour.  Soak Almonds and dry grapes for 2 hours in lukewarm water.  Soak Walnuts for 1/2 hour.  Peel almonds and cut them long and thin. Also cut Cashew and walnut not into small pieces. Strain water from dry grapes and keep it aside.

Put rice on the heat and bring it to boil. Put more water in the rice. Let the rice boil. Strain excess water once rice is little soft (it should not be cooked fully). Add a spoon of ghee after straining water. Remove rice from the stove once it is 80% cooked. Now take a round utensil and add ghee to it. After ghee is heated reduce the heat and add bay leaves and wait till they are brown. Add Cinnamon, Cloves, Cardamom and stir them a bit till they are a bit fried.

Now add all the dry fruits except Dry grapes.  still them till they are brown. Add rice in portions while stirring properly to mix all the ingredients well. Also add salt and keep adding sugar syrup in portions and keep mixing everything. All Dry grapes too. 

Once all the ingredients are added, keep rice on low flame and cover it well with a heavy lid or place something heavy in the lid not to let steam go out. keep it covered on low flame for 5-8 mins and then remove from the heat. 

Yummy Pulao is all set to be served hot. 

Enjoy!!!

Milk-Egg Curry (Kashmiri Chhataak)

A lovely recipe which takes so less time to cook, suits our fast lifestyle :)

Its tasty yet healthy, rare combination :)

Though its Indian, but its not at all spicy :)

With all the properties described above I should give some history of it too :)

Its belongs exactly to Kashmir, India and is called Chatak in local language there.

I named it here as Milk-Egg curry.

Preparation for 2 persons

Ingredients -  4 Eggs, 1 medium size onion, one tea spoon of freshly ground Fennel powder,

                          1 cup milk, 2 cups water, Half table spoon turmeric powder, Salt to taste

The Procedure:-

Cut Onion into medium think long slices. Take a broad-deep pan and add 2 table spoons oil. Put onion after the oil is hot. Keep stirring the onion till its soft. Do not let Onion to turn brown. 

Add Salt and turmeric powder. Just after 10 seconds add water and increase the heat and let it boil. After the water boils for 2  mins take eggs and break them into the pan. Break each egg in a different place so that they should not stick to each other. Do not stir it at all. Let the eggs get cooked in boiling water for 5-8 mins. 

After you feel that eggs have become hard enough not to break, Add milk and Fennel powder and let it boil for 5 mins. 

It should have some gravy as this is best with rice.

Enjoy the yummy Milk-Egg curry with steamed rice.

            

Venice “City of Romance”

Venice “City of Romance” -- Venezia

December 14, 2010 

‘CITY OF ROMANCE’ as it is called… VENICE really proves true to its well known punch line.

It has breathtaking Grand Canal with spectacular architecture which takes tourists back in the olden times. Being there makes us forget that we are in 21st century.

Venice attractions

The attractions of Venice revolve around its canals; the magnificent churches and palaces spread around the island; and its rich arts and culture heritage, a legacy of the once great state of Venice.

Traveling between water lanes surrounded by all the attractions makes us  take in the wonderful views while  drifting down the Grand Canal, either in aVaporetto (water bus) or during a romantic ride in Venice’s famed gondolas.

(Click on the images to see full view)

Venice - View of Grand Canal

Vaporatti - Water bus

Gondolas – the world famous ride in Venice. Though is really romantic and a rare experience, its quite expensive. You should be able to negotiate with the Gondala Driver  . They can ask 100 euros for an hour’s ride or even more.

But the thumb rule is,  when you are in Venice, just let the bucks flow. Otherwise, everything is gonna pinch you and you will forget to enjoy.

(here’s a pic of Gondola, Click on the image to the enlarged view)

Gondola Ride

One of the main attraction of Venice is St Mark’s Square, breathtakingly beautiful and surrounded on all sides b Historic Buildings,  Beautiful churches.

St. Marks Sqaure (San Marco Square)

Travelling

Travelling

December 14, 2010 

Many of us dream of traveling to some dream locations around the world. It’s a very common hobby and I am no different.
To me Traveling is, not just knowing the landscape and food of a particular place but also the Culture and History that enriches it. Traveling is a passion me and my husband share. Traveling doesn’t mean an abroad trip or a location far from home. It can also be a day out near your home to explore a new place.
Anyways, as cool as it sounds, it needs some homework to be done if we want our time to be relaxing and fun. And when we are traveling out of our home town or country, then homework is a must.
There are quite a number of travel agents out there who promise to ease our tension of landing up in a strange place, but there are some negatives in that. Travel Agents rule our time by their watch and it becomes stressing to follow orders even on a holiday. Lucky we, that there is internet today. So, if we are not the ones to compromise in our fun times, we should plan it ourselves. It’s obvious to feel anxiety in this case but its thrilling too. Just be confident and ready for adventure.

We too planned another trip this summer. We chose two dream places and started our research – VENICE and SWITZERLAND. It was a dream come true.