thisiscartoon

One of my all-time favorite Indian foods is chicken curry. I can still remember the taste of it even though I haven’t had it in two years. So today I’m going to explain to you on how to cook a bowl of chicken curry-- one of the most delicious food in the world. To recall all wonderful old time memories, let’s see how it’s done.

First of all, let’s know all the ingredients

·         1 kg chicken pieces of your choice, skin removed

·         2 large onions sliced thin

·         2 large tomatoes diced

·         2 tbsps garlic paste

·         1 tbsp ginger paste

·         2 tsps coriander powder

·         1 tsp cumin powder

·         1/2 tsp turmeric powder

·         1/2 tsp red chilli powder

·         2 tsps garam masala powder

·         4 tbsps vegetable/ canola/ sunflower cooking oil

·         Chopped coriander to garnish

And now the preparation part

·         Put the oil in the pan and heat it, then fry the onions till it turns golden brown. Remove frying onions from the oil with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Turn off fire.

·         Grind the onions into a smooth paste in a food processor (incase you don’t have a food processor, just use any other thing that are suitable for grinding or use your hand). And then remove into a separate container.

·         Now grind the tomatoes, garlic and ginger pastes together into a smooth paste (the more smooth it gets, the more aroma sense it will give (it will be more delicious when it’s done).

·         Heat the remaining oil again and add the onion paste. Fry for 2-3 minutes. Now add the tomato paste and all the spices and then mix well.

·         Fry the masala (Indian spice) till the oil begins to separate from it.

·         Add the chicken to the masala and cook until the chicken turn beautifully brown (umm did you smell that).

·         Add 1 or 1/2 cup of hot water to the chicken depending on the amount, simmer and cover. Cook till the chicken is tender (almost thereJ).

·         Garnish with chopped coriander and serve with the one and only-- hot chapatis (Indian flatbread), Naans (tandoor-baked Indian flatbread) or plain boiled rice.

 And done

Festival of light

Diwali also known as Deepavali, the “festival of light” is an ancient Hindu festival celebrated every year around autumn season (northern hemisphere) or spring season (southern hemisphere). As the meaning suggested, Diwali festival said to be one of the largest and brightest festivals in India. The festival signifies the greatest victory of light over darkness, good over evil, knowledge over ignorance and hope over despair. 

The celebration includes millions of lights shining on top of houses, outside doors and windows as well as around temple and many other buildings in the communities and countries where this particular festival were held. The duration of the festival typically extend over a five day period, but the main night of Diwali festival would be between mid-October and mid-November due to Gregorian calendar (new moon night of the Hindu Lunisolar month Kartika) where Diwali night perfectly falls.

The day before Diwali night, people would clean, renovate and decorate their homes and offices and on the festival night, Hindu dress up in new clothes or their best outfit, light up diyas inside and outside their home—it is lamps and candles. It is purposely to participate in family puja (prayers) to Lakshmi, God of wealth and prosperity. Firework comes next when finishing puja then a family starting to feast including mithai, Indian traditional sweet. And lastly, an exchange of gifts among family members and close friends occurred.

Diwali is a very crucial festival for Hindu. In many parts of India, the festival often starts with Dhanteras (in Northern and Western part of India), followed by Naraka Chaturdasi on second day, Deepavali on the third day, Diwali Padva dedicated to wife–husband relationship on the fourth day, and festivities end with Bhau-beej dedicated to sister–brother bond on the fifth day. Dhanteras usually falls eighteen days after Dussehra. Another good thing about the festival is that they are official holidays in several countries such as Nepal, India, Sri Lanka, Mauritius, Guyana, Trinidad and Tobago, Suriname, Malaysia, Singapore and Fiji.

I’m an idiot.

A: Do you still remember the first time watching Indian films?

B: I do.

In India, most of the language I usually caught apart from English was Hindi. At first, it was extremely difficult for me to understand the language as I’m a beginner in English and now had to try to understand another alien language which I have never heard of before in my entire life. Basically every time I watched any films in native language, I would have Nisam, my lovely Nepali friend, translating every possible line into English. I would say that it’s a great experience watching a film in some strange language I don’t truly understand but somehow feel connected and together with a help of friends who do care about me in practicing my English skills, it does help a lot.

I have watched several Indian films during the past four years but the one that permanently took my heart away was 3 Idiots. Admitting it with no shame, first hearing the word “idiot” I thought it belongs to Indian.

3 Idiots is a 2009 Indian comedy-drama film directed by Rajkumar Hirani which was loosely adapted from the novel called Five Point Someone by Chetan Bhagat. The film was distinctively portrayed the real inventor’s life story who is the brains behind many great innovations. 

Farhan Qureshi and Raju Rastog are searching for their long lost companion, Rancho, soon after each of them graduated from Delhi’s Imperial College of Engineering where most of their unforgettable memories are created. The trio, while recollecting hilarious antics, Viru Sahastrabudhe, race to locate  Rancho, who inspired them to think differently and beyond the possibilities, even as the rest of the world called them “idiots”. At Rancho’s last known address- little acknowledging the hideous secret that was kept from them all the time. 

After the movie being released, it broke all opening box office records in India. It was the highest-grossing film in its opening weekend in India and had the highest opening day collections of an Indian film. 3 Idiots became one of the few Indian films to become a major success in East Asian markets like China, eventually bringing it overseas huge amount of money worth than US$65 million.

W O N D E R L A

Amusement park is about games and fun time.

It’s a place with no age limitation, a place where you can fully be yourself and a place where you can happily leave all your disturbing problems behind.

A brief history of this park. Wonderla is a leading amusement park in Bangalore, India headquartered near Bidadi which is 28 kilometres (17 mi) away from Bangalore. Wonderla was promoted by Kochouseph Chittilappilly and his own son Arun Chittilappilly. Wonderla is the second theme park project from the company that has been operational since October 2005. The park itself spread over an area of 82 acres. The first park named Wonderla Kochi, was established in 2000 with a total investment involving huge amount of money over 2.5 billion (US$38 million).

During my four years studying in India, I’ve visited this park for three times and the feeling for it was always the same. I’ve received many new experiences from this park but the most memorable one would be for something called Disco Rain. Unlike roller coaster or any other player, Disco Rain’s a square room where non-stop pouring rain from the roof provided and along with that a significant Bollywood song is played in a crazy beats. It was something sort of new to me according to any amusement park in Thailand where nothing like that is providing. Looking back at that particular moment, it was the most joyful amusement park experience I have ever got.

True love story

Taj Mahal is a heart of Muslim art in India. It’s one of the world’s wonder globally admired.  It was built with a pure white marble in Agra between 1632 and 1648 by order of the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his wife, Mumtaz Mahal.

Taj Mahal is located in the Agra District in Uttar Pradesh, on the right bank of the Yamuna River in a very large garden of Mughal consists nearly 17 hectares. The construction was started off with the mosque, the main gateway on the south and the quest house, the outer layer such as courtyard and its religious residence were added afterward and completed in late 1653 AD.

For its construction, some ideas are from historical and Quaranic engraving in Arabic in order to facilitate the setting as it took several years to complete. For instance, stone-cutters, masons, carvers, inlayers, painters, calligraphers, dome builder and numerous number of craftsman from the whole of the empire as well as from the Central Asia and Iran were taken in achieving the success of building Taj Mahal. The main architect who took care of the most construction from the beginning was Ustad-Armad Lahori.

Taj Mahal is recognized by its architectonic beauty which has a great combination of solids and voids, concave and convex plus stunning light shadow. It’s also known to be the greatest architect achievement of Indo-Islamic architecture. The color combination is also another interesting point, lush green scape reddish pathway and the ceiling painted in blue sky representing the monument in ever changing moods.

It was made in a memorable of Mumtaz Mahal, the emperor’s wife. Taj Mahal was created as a tomb for her. The story began when Prince Khurram later known as Shah Jahan, a son of Jehangir, the fourth Mughal emperor of India and the grandson of Akbar the Great, met his true love, Mumtaz Mahal, a Muslim Persian princess, who was known as Arjumand Banu. He knew it was love at first sight after seeing her for once. At that time he was 14 years old and she was 15. Soon after meeting her, Shah Jahan rushed back to his father and declared that she is the girl he wanted to marry to.

In 1628 where Shah Jahan became the emperor together with Arjumand Banu and giving her a royal seal. He bestowed her with the tittle called Mumtaz Mahal, meaning the “Jewel of the Palace”. Mumtaz Mahal is his favorite wife even though he had many. He even took her on his military mission. They have many children together till the year 1631, where she was giving birth to their 14th child, she died. Shah Jahan was heartbroken that he promised her that he would never ever remarry anyone again and will build the richest monument over her grave.

Vehicles are riding in the same path avoiding hitting the cow standing, sitting in their ways.

Holy cow!

To clarify, Indian people didn’t worship a cow but they strongly respect it as one of their god. To Indian people cow is a symbolic of Earth. Cow represents life, a life full of good nature, wealth and joyous. The never-ending provider who only gives out to other and want nothing back in return similarly to providing fresh milk to people for using purpose but reversely consumed only water, grain and dry grass. Basically they honor all creatures. Hindus regard every living creature as sacred mammals such as birds, fishes and cow etc. There is a particle festival where they decorate and honor the cow in order to praise their god and thanking them as well.

Cow is the biggest giver full with generous and abundance. What do we see on every table of every country of the world it could be breakfast, lunch and dinner? Beef is mostly use in cooking menu in most country around the world. For instance, McDonald’s perfect beef burger with richness and smooth texture are made fortunes on the humble cow. The cow gives milk and cream, yogurt and cheese, butter and ice cream, ghee and butter milk accordingly. To sum up, the entire body of one cow can be used in many different purpose regard in different kind of industry. Its bones are used to produce soup broths and glues. The world leather belts is made out of cow skin, leather seat, leather shoes and coats, cowboy hat as well as beef jerky and still many more product out there without naming. Cow protect us in all different form in terms of the product we consumed meaning it’s a protection of all lives and the entire subhuman world.

At the annual festival called Gopashtama festival, where the cow is honored and given special feedings showing how great Hindus respect and love their cow. From a very young age, Hindu children are taught to decorate the cow with garlands, paint and ornament so undoubtedly you will be seeing colorful cow jewellery and clothing is sold at the festival and all over Indian countryside. Hindu element worship is mainly milk and ghee as it is there daily used product consists in their everyday meal. More than half of total population in India is Hindus and pure vegetarian so most respect the cow which wildly held code of abstaining from eating beef.

When travelling in India along the road ride of different streets you’ll witness a cow. Some standing at the edge but for some in the middle and you might be questioning how dangerous it is and the how many percentage the accident might occur. The answer is never because if there is a cow standing even in the middle of the road, Indian people travelling will make a gap or slowly driven away from the cow without give them a horn as showing some respect towards their god.

Q: A man and a cow crossing the street, which one is having a chance by getting hit?

This cloud could appear as either cute nor ugly depends on how you see it just like the way you see the world.

It’s good to be back again. From the beginning I haven’t told anything much about where I lived, didn’t I? Bangalore’s the city I spent most of my middle school and high school life, it allows me to make new friends as well as covering new experiences. Bangalore’s the capital city in Karnataka state located in the Southern part of India, three seasons in a year; winter (November-February), summer (March-May) and the monsoon (June-October). Generally, the best time to visit India is during the winter, when the weather in most places is relatively cool and pleasant. It’s fortunate for me as I got to experience all of them especially in winter the environment is so chilling that sometime comparing it with many European countries. The temperature can drops to minimum 15 degree celcius which is lovely.

I used to have trouble with cold weather especially during winter. I mean not only in winter but there is a possibility in unstable temperature as the country placed 28,169 ft above sea level to be more specific is approximately three times higher than my native country, Thailand. I remember the first time ever coming back from India, first step outside Suvarnabhumi Airport, all I felt was a very hot air, it created difficulty for my breathing. Year after year, all my bad thoughts and feelings generated for India is rapidly fading away and turn into something good. I stared to accept different culture, people as well as food. India has thought me a huge lesson about life and it’s one of the main element which made me me today. From that moment on I changed my mind from staying in Thailand and started to love India as it is little by little. Apart from a nice weather,  there are lots of things to be admired of and I courage you all out there who have created big chuck of wall in determining things that haven’t been discover yet to see thing truly from the inside. Because there are many things out there waiting for you to discover.

What is the first thing that pops in your mind when talking about India? for me it would be the dirtiness, strange food and people with thick mustache but no offense this is what I really think before going to India. After 4 years, and I found myself missing that country overlooking all the bad parts as in everything it must be and focusing on what I have received from that  beautiful country. Sometimes experience can’t  be found simply staying at the same place for the rest of your life listening to people complaining that’s bad that’s good but to confront it yourself.