Friday, June 29, 2018

Why doesn’t it rain in Hyderabad? As in the past!


It is three weeks since the first rain occurred in Hyderabad on the morning of 8th June 2018. The rain was just for some time. And as forecast and awaited since many days, it was announced with much fanfare that the Southwest Monsoon has arrived in Telangana State and that the rainfall would be above normal this year.  
In these three weeks, after the first rain it has hardly rained in Hyderabad. There was light rain here and there in the City. It drizzled for some time twice in our area and there was one heavy rain for few hours one evening and that night. This year, June rain in Hyderabad is only 46 mm against a normal of 104 mm.  Due to lack of sufficient rains the summer temperature has not come down substantially and the weather outside during daytime is still an irritant.
However the Districts of Telangana State are receiving good rain as you can see in the attached charts. As a matter of fact the districts have received 31% excess rain so far in June. Against an average (Telangana State) June rainfall of 125.2 mm, the State has received 164.5 mm! Extremely good for agriculture in the Districts.  
In the past; the Twin Cities of Hyderabad and Secunderabad used to have very good rains right from the onset of monsoon. I wonder what has gone wrong with the climate of Hyderabad now. This makes me put the question ‘Why doesn’t it rain in Hyderabad, as in the past?’ Is it because of felling of trees in the city and deforestation in the outskirts of the City? Or is it just a delayed Monsoon because we have another three months of rainy season!
Hopefully the rains will pick-up!

Wednesday, June 27, 2018

What better than a seasonal gift for today’s double celebration!


Today is a day of double celebrations in our family, celebration of our daughter-in-law’s birthday and celebration of our granddaughter’s winning of the ‘All Rounder Award’ at School and her selection as ‘Prefect’. My greetings and blessings to them for a very happy future... may all their wishes and dreams come true.
My gift to them on this happy occasion is the cake you see in the attached pictures. I wanted to bake a special cake for them and after a little thinking I made up my mind to present a seasonal fare…a Mango Cake! And for this I choose the best Mangoes…the Alphonso Mangoes. The cake is very delicious and everyone liked it. 
With any Mango pulp the cake would have tasted good but with little more care and love in selection of ingredients and in preparation, there is always a difference in the ultimate result. I chose Alphonso Mangoes because they are the most superior varieties of the fruit in terms of sweetness, richness and flavor. This interest and dedication in preparation of any dish gives me satisfaction and makes all family members and guests happy.




Saturday, June 23, 2018

Incredible Coincidence!


784533 - This is a number known to our family since 1980. It is a number we all had to remember then and even today, with of course some additions to it over a period of time. It is a number we passed on to all friends and relatives, a number our family must have uttered over a million times. This number is engraved in our brains very prominently for over 38 years!
Surprisingly this number-784533 plays a very important role in a Chinese movie of 2003, with of course English subtitles for us. The entire story of the movie is based on this number, and this number is uttered, slowly, loudly and in shrieks over a hundred times in the movie! This coincidence of a number so familiar to us appearing in the movie astonished us then and continues to do so now. And speaking about the movie, it is an extraordinary one, everyone would love it.
Please do not come to any conclusion, we have nothing to do with the production of the movie. It is the first Chinese-language Asian film ever produced and distributed by Warner Bros.
I shall not reveal the name of the movie because I want you to know the importance of this number in the movie…please search over the internet for ‘movie based on number 784533’ or simply ‘784533 movie’ and you will get the answer.
And coming to our relationship with the number – it is our connection to the world, thanks to Alexander Graham Bell!

Sunday, June 17, 2018

Happy Father’s Day!


Today is Father’s Day and I’d like to dedicate this post to all the wonderful fathers, father figures, and male mentors out there who have touched the lives of people out there: be it your own kids, others’ kids, your family, people you’ve mentored, people you’ve coached, and the world at large. Thank you for all that you do. Thank you for being you. We appreciate your existence and the often times silent but impactful role you have played!
The attached photographs are from our family outing to celebrate Father’s Day and the top and bottom-most photographs are of Potato-Onion Cheesy Au Gratin baked at home to everyone’s delight.
Hope you too have a wonderful Father’s Day.
Once again wish you all A Very Happy Father’s Day!




Saturday, June 16, 2018

Eid Mubarak!


It is Eid-ul-Fitr today! The greatest festival of the Muslim Ummah / Community all over the World.
On this happy occasion I wish to convey my Greetings to all my Muslim friends and readers – A very happy Eid…Eid Mubarak! - I Wish you and your family, good health, happiness, peace and prosperity. 
And may this Eid-ul-Fitr bring peace and harmony to the entire world.


Thursday, June 14, 2018

FIFA World Cup 2018 to Start Today! See Teams and Full Schedule in IST!



One of the biggest sporting events of the planet, FIFA World Cup kicks off today, 14th June 2018, in Russia, the host country. The opening ceremony extravaganza commences in a few minutes from now at 6.30 pm IST at Moscow’s Luzhniki Stadium and thereafter the Opening Match between the hosts Russia and Saudi Arabia would commence there at 8.30pm.
This is the 21st edition of FIFA World Cup, it will be played in 12 stadiums, across 11 cities of Russia, spread over 1,800 miles. This football's showpiece event features 32 teams, including holders Germany, competing in 64 games over 32 days. The tournament is expected to attract one and a half million fans to Russia and an estimated global television audience of over three billion viewers.
There are eight groups, each containing four teams, with the top two advancing to the last 16. The final takes place at the 81,000-capacity Luzhniki Stadium on Sunday, 15th July at 8.30pm.
Details of participating Teams and full details of the Matches and their timings in IST are listed below. We in India can view all the Matches as they will commence between 3.30pm and 12 midnight:





Wednesday, June 13, 2018

Great News! Shikanji walas, Dhaba walas and the like to go international! and become millionaires!



Great News! Shikanji walas, Dhaba walas and the like to go international! and become millionaires!
Wish this highly educated, highly experienced and extremely intelligent and kindest person and wisest politician of our Country along with his great friends in opposition with different ideologies will come together to make…
…Shikanji walas, Dhaba walas, all small and big businessmen to go international! and become millionaires! And make us all and our country the happiest, healthiest and richest! 
Of course it is something that they, their forefathers, and predecessors could not achieve; over the decades!? As a Khichdi Government, under this extraordinary leader, they will succeed. Good Luck India!
This note is issued by me in public interest, especially for some voters who get influenced by the enemies of the Nation.

Sunday, June 10, 2018

A Lovely Poem ‘Love At First Sight’ by Wislawa Szymborska, the Nobel Laureate and read by me – N. Raghu.



‘Love at First Sight’ is a lovely poem by WisÅ‚awa Anna Szymborska (2 July 1923 – 1 February 2012) in Polish and this here is the English translation by Clare Cavanaugh and Stanislaw Baranczak. Thanks to them for the translation, people like me are getting to enjoy it. Wislawa Szymborska was a Polish poet, essayist, translator and recipient of the 1996 Nobel Prize in Literature. I liked the poem very much and I have read it for you here in the slideshow below. I hope you too would like it.


They’re both convinced
that a sudden passion joined them.
Such certainty is beautiful,
but uncertainty is more beautiful still.

Since they’d never met before, they’re sure
that there’d been nothing between them.
But what’s the word from the streets, staircases, hallways—
perhaps they’ve passed by each other a million times?

I want to ask them
if they don’t remember—
a moment face to face
in some revolving door?
perhaps a “sorry” muttered in a crowd?
a curt “wrong number” caught in the receiver?—
but I know the answer.
No, they don’t remember.

They’d be amazed to hear
that Chance has been toying with them
now for years.

Not quite ready yet
to become their Destiny,
it pushed them close, drove them apart,
it barred their path,
stifling a laugh,
and then leaped aside.

There were signs and signals,
even if they couldn’t read them yet.
Perhaps three years ago
or just last Tuesday
a certain leaf fluttered
from one shoulder to another?
Something was dropped and then picked up.
Who knows, maybe the ball that vanished
into childhood’s thicket?

There were doorknobs and doorbells
where one touch had covered another
beforehand.
Suitcases checked and standing side by side.
One night, perhaps, the same dream,
grown hazy by morning.

Every beginning
is only a sequel, after all,
and the book of events
is always open halfway through.

Friday, June 8, 2018

Bangda fries and Roopchand steaks for this Mrigashira!

Savoring fishes!...
This year’s Mrigashira-specials!
Are Bangda fries,
And Roopchand steaks!

As per tradition; today,
That is Mrigashira day,
The day that launches rains,
We must have fishes!

Note: 1) To know about Mrigashira, you may click on the following link…
2) Bangda fish is Indian Mackerel
3) Roopchand fish is Red bellied Pacu and is also known as Chinese Pomfret

Wednesday, June 6, 2018

For your amusement: A story in six words! And the same story in one long sentence!



A story in six words!
Eyes met, love blossomed, for lifetime!

And the same story in one sentence!

When these two pairs of eyes met for the first time, they knew not of their future as one, but in the next few months their friendship blossomed into love and a few years later they got married, raised a family and today after 40 years these eyes continue to wake up every day together, walk, work, entertain, rest and worship together, content and happy with their life.

Monday, June 4, 2018

An ode to Steam Locomotives and Gnat Fighters!

Steam Locomotives have vanished,
Gnat Fighters have disappeared,
Here; as symbolic representations,
Stand these great and mighty inventions,
Which have served us Indians,
So well and for so long!
Here they are immobile,
But for me alive,
In my memories!
They are here for everyone to admire,
Wish we had a museum similar,
In Hyderabad; my city so dear.


Tradition and love on a plate!

One of my favourite snacks is Kheema Samosa, and it’s a family favourite as well. My grandmother used to make it for my birthdays, so we rec...