South of the Border,

Episode 3   Dec  ’17                   

The mind is like a parachute, they say, as it works best when open! Yet, this is more of a clichéd statement, like many others. Though difficult, it’s best to break out from the mental block of hackneyed, half-baked images, especially, when visiting a country for the first time.

I had made a passing mention of this in my last blog & in my case, for sure, it has been an eye-opener!

I wasn’t too sure of what to expect, though Janu had given us enough gen, with reference to reality! Mexico  City, is as amazing, enchanting, vibrant as any  metro, in any part of the world. A little historical-cum-cultural run-up is necessary for the reader to understand or even visualize the place.

Somewhere around 1000 BC, the first of Mexico's ancient civilizations, the Olmecs, established themselves in what are now the states of Veracruz and Tabasco,  and spread throughout central and southern Mexico until their civilization mysteriously vanished around 400 BC. 

None of Mexico's pre-Columbian civilizations is more storied, than the Aztecs, who, by 1473, after subjugating neighboring tribes, ruled the largest empire Mexico had ever seen, till the Spanish conquest.

Three centuries later, the territory became the current nation following recognition in 1821 after the colony's Mexican War of Independence. The Mexican Revolution of 1910, culminated with the promulgation of the 1917 Constitution and the emergence of the country's current political system.


The nation's name derives from the Aztecs' war god, Mexitli. From the time of Hernando Cortez's conquest until 1821, Mexico was a colony of Spain. Today's capital city was built on top of the ruins of the Aztec capital. When the Spanish conquered the Aztecs, they destroyed the city. The Mexican flag is full of national symbolism. ... The emblem-shield symbolizes the Aztec heritage. According to legend, the gods had advised the Aztecs that the place where they should establish their city was to be identified when they saw an eagle, perched on a prickly pear tree, devouring a serpent.

The culture of Mexico reflects the country's complex history and is the result of the gradual blending of native culture with Spanish culture and other immigrant cultures. The culture of an individual Mexican is influenced by their familial ties, gender, religion, location and social class, among other factors. Modern Mexicans are a unique blend of many ancient civilizations, including the Olmec, Zapotec, Toltec, Maya, Aztec, Inca, African, French, and Spanish.  

In order to start an exploration, it’s best to reach the heart of the place. El Ángel (Angel of Independence) was built in 1910 during the presidency of Porfirio Díaz by architect Antonio Rivas Mercado, to commemorate the centennial of the beginning of Mexico's War of Independence. In later years it was made into a mausoleum for the most important heroes of that war. It is one of the most recognizable landmarks in Mexico City, and it has become a focal point for both, celebration or protest. 

So, on our second week-end, we headed out to Reforma, an area that can best be described as the core of the city. We hopped off at the statue of the Angel of Independence, a monument to commemorate the centennial of the War of Independence.

I end with this preamble & will return soon with a tour of the City Centre, over the week-end. Till then, TC.
AshoKalpana  

P.S. The above info has been gathered from various sources viz the internet, Information Centres & individuals, which I gratefully acknowledge.

There's been quite some activity since the City Centre gig. There's been a Hop On/Of tour, X'mas celebrations & above all, a road trip to Puerto Vallarta, (with an overnight halt at Guadalajara) which included Whale Watching & a day-long trip to an island resort! So, lots coming your way with beautiful snaps.   

South of the Border

Episode Uno (Contd) 29/30 Nov '17

The BC experience! After kids in arms & differently- abled passengers, we were ushered into our own cocooned spaces. Wifey & I were at different ends of the seating, but luckily, there was  one right next to me, so after a brief separation, we were seated together again! Here, each Purser was allotted 3 rows to look after, ie 6, which meant personal attention to each. After getting the right pronounciation of our surnames, Alexandra, our “looker-after” made us at home. Welcome drinks ranged from water, juices to bubblies & the food menu was a gourmet’s delight.

 The seats were hinged in so many places that one could actually manoeuver each section, according to the contouring of one’s body! Above all, the flight was so smooth that one really didn’t feel the movement. The fact that I could sleep it off for 3 hours +, speaks volumes of the pilot’s skill & the aircraft design.

Food & Drink I will not waste the readers’ time on vivid description of the food, for fear of being cornered (& clubbed) for only tickling their palates , a la Tantalus, pictorially!  

Currants & Beetroot on Baby Spinach + Sesame Tofu

Suffice it to say, the airborne experience was very memorable. And so began the descent, aeronautically & literally.

Trad Goose, pickled Red Cabbage , potato dumplings!

 Mexico looked beautiful with all her lights, which gradually revealed their  many colours. A perfect landing, brought me down to reality! The immigration queue was as serpentine & long as never imagined, as there were far too many arrivals. Another discovery I made was that “siesta” was not restricted to 1-4 (like our Puneri Shops), but could be anytime. Of the 17 Imm counters, only a handful were operative! How else could one arrive at this brilliant piece of logic. The line, moved on like a python’s sluggish pace, after it’s having devoured a meal! The ACs weren’t too effective or perhaps the ratio of ACs to persons, had gone haywire. The wait also gave me an opportunity to make some discoveries. As they say, “when you’ve got to go, you’ve got to go!!” So, swimming against the surge of people & muttering something that I though would pass off as Espanol ( Xuse’, gracias etc etc), I reached the “Rest Room’ for a much-needed rest! Welcome to Mexico! Puzzling situ. Miles of T rolls, but water having decided to call it a day!

Home & dry! At last, after so many hiccups (caused by Imm guys suddenly shutting shop & other counters opening up at leisure), we found ourselves at the counter. We had mentally prepared ourselves for questions that are usually asked, memorising Janu’s address etc. but I wasn’t prepared for…………….

“how long do you want to stay”?!? Had I said One year, I’m sure he would have waived us on. Very friendly place, no biometrics, no piercing & arrogant looks. We had crossed the “Wall”! Locating our baggage, trying to find the ‘Exit” through that maze, we nearly walked into the “Self Declaration” check. Doing a quick 180 deg turn, we found the “nothing to declare” passage & our passage out.

Niku had left Jenny's arms by now!!

Jenny was there, right in front with Niku in his arms. (Janu had gone round the corner; she almost went round the bend, waiting for us!) Swiftly, a uniformed guy relived me of the trolley, Niku ran up to give us a real bear hug, & all travails faded away. Oh the powers of Grandchildren!

Home & Dry!

At first sight (& even later) Mexico is quite reminiscent of Mumbai & some parts of Pune. Some of the places were right out of Pedder/ Prabhat Road. But definitely cleaner! 

Take ur pick- K Park or Mexico Cuidad

Tfc viewed from 33 rd Floor

And many many flyovers & “tullens”, according to Niku! drove straight into the parking lot from the rear entrance, the Security guys waiving us on after routine formalities. 

('Teh)teesri Manzil'

The building being 35 stories high, One set of lifts (3) are from BP to 18 floor & the other,  from 19-35, not to mention 6 basement pkgs! We had left “Prakrtii” at 8:20 pm 29/11. We were home (33 floor) at 9:45 pm, 30/11. Bueonas Noches!

I’ll keep you informed through my blogs, as & when there is enough to report upon. Mexico has a lot, we hear, & it’ll be my pleasure, to show you around, through our eyes

AshoKalpana

P.S. Since this is NOT a computer generated correspondence, a response is expected!

South of the Border,

Episode 2  01 Dec  ‘17

 Buenos Dias! After having unpacked our bags, distributed all the ‘demands’ made by Janu, a chilled beer & dinner, followed by a good nights sleep and we were ready to go. However, a day’s rest was in order before venturing out.

Saturday morning saw us first head to Parques Polanco, a complex just across the road, which could be loosely termed as a ‘mini’ Mall. Of course it offers almost everything, from provisions to  banks, restos…!

Parques Polanco

Our first stop of the day was Lincoln Park, located less than a five minute drive, Uber cabs are the most convenient forms of transportation, and can be whistled up in less than 5!

Niku on the Monkey Rings

Sidewalk between L Park & Polancito

Lincoln Park The park is basically a playground for kids, with all kinds of equipment, suitably located for differing age groups. Being Saturday, the park was full of kids & their parents, yet there was enough for all. The Green cover is also well thought of, around the park. In fact, the city has a very good tree cover and what we refer to as “road dividers’, are well-planned ‘Green zones’, and very broad. There’s an aviary too, housing a variety of birds, but mostly parakeets & budgerigars.

Another feature of the park, is that on both sides of it, there are stalls selling anything from trinkets, toys & of course food!. What struck me  is that not a  single stall (“tapri”) keeps or leaves the place messy. Nothing is thrown on the street, the area washed & swept before leaving!! (brings to mind, my pet peeve re our 'nagarsevaks' vis exotic places{at our cost}, to study garbage disposal & other issues, with a big 0 for implementation!) 

Fruit Juice Stall

Polanquito , as the place is called has  sidewalks on either side of the park that  are extensive and are great places to walk or sit around on the benches. Across the street, are numerous restaurants offering varied cuisines. Most have indoor & al fresco dining arrangements. We decided to try out a place serving Argentine fare & found a place outside, in a corner. All along, there were vendors exhibiting their wares ranging from utility items to kids games.

Polanquito

The one thing that struck us from the beginning, is  that the girls/ladies are always well-groomed & smartly clad. This goes for the janitors, public servants etc too!!

Malazzo While the ladies ordered fruit juice, Jenny suggested I try  a Dark Beer. So we ordered a Modelo Negra. Beers here are sold in small squat bottles or on tap. And there is an assortment of breads & sauces, generally pesto/salsa.

Modela Negra

 The inside of the place was very interestingly designed, with a circular wood-fired oven  in the centre & all other activities around it. We  ordered Empanadas, which are very much like our “Karanji” or ‘Gujjis’, bigger in size & can best be described a hybrid between a Samosa & Karanji. Liberally coated with a sauce, this was a good beginning to Latino foods! 

Mexican 'Karanjis'

 The juices, incidentally have been the best I’ve had so far, sweeter than any other and no (no) sugar added. Janu had told us that the fruits & vegetables here, are of very good quality (taste & freshness). Dessert was a Flan (Caramel Custard),  very rich & creamy, but…………. give me the Caramel Custard of “Good Luck”, any day/night!!

Flan

Mexican “Mandai. After topping up & recharge of spirits, it was time to replenish the home stock. So, we moved in the general direction of Mercado San Juan! You may (?) recall my post from St Louis re our visit to Soulard Farmers Market. Well, this was the elder brother of all ‘mandais’. We were pleasantly surprised at the rapport  Janu has built up within a year, with the local vendors.

Fruits & more..

Veg Stall

Well displayed goods, clean surroundings, & cheerful, polite  vendors! Can’t ask for more. The “fruitwalla” was generously slicing fruits of all kinds, for us to taste. Came across some strange & some very delicious fruits! And to top up the buys, the   Senora put all of them in a proper nylon shopping bag!!

Posada That evening, we were invited to a ‘posada’ which is a pre-Christmas  celebration, observing the passage of Mary & Joseph, looking for a place for the night. This was arranged in one of the many rooms available in the complex, by some families, who all were so friendly & warm…….and enthusiastic! 



Dinner was Turkey (of course), Ham, Pasta, assortment of ‘pan’ (bread) and a Fruit salad, all very traditional. Of course wine & Sangria too. All this was followed by Ponche’, which is a fruit punch, but hot, with lots of fruit slices, including sugar cane! Very invigorating. Apparently, Ponche’ is a “must have’ during parties. This was followed by the Pinata (Pinyata) ‘ceremony’. 

This is a star having Seven ‘points’, each representing the 7 sins!. The Pinata is hung up & thrashed with a stick, to the chant of the “Dale’ dale’ ” song. The cones are filled with sweets/toys for kids, which are collected by them when the cones burst! This is done at the commencement of any event, for  good luck! (‘shagun’) 
The finale' was, as is always, opening of gifts & exchanging them. The spirit of 'giving' is so apparent here & serves as a reminder to us all, that life is all about giving! Out hosts have been so gracious & helpful. To sum up, I recall an 'ethos' we learnt in our Army Days & follow it, to date, ".. the warmth of the food is directly proportional to the warmth with which you are received"!!   
Food has been very central to my travelogues, besides trying to discover the local culture, people and so on. Mexico is no different, It's been quite a discovery for me, as we all tend to carry pre-conceived notions about people, places etc, based, rather 'biased', on what we've seen/read as kids. Just like some Westerners still hope to see snake charmers & elephants at every street in India, I too, was quite hopeful of seeing gunslingers shooting at 'them varmints', in Texas & tobacco-chewing Comancheros here! It's amazing how images imprinted on our young minds, refuse to leave your minds. But that's the beauty of legends created & live in folklore. ( If you read 'Haritatya', from Pu La's "Vyakti ani Valli", you'll agree!!)
So long for now. TC. We'd love to hear from you. You are going to 'see' more of this place & people shortly. Till then, Adios Amigos!!
AshoKalpana      

Mexico Musings

South of the Border

Episode Uno – 29 Nov ‘17

It’s Blog Time again folks, so keep your eyes skinned & watch this space!

Hola! Hallo!! Aloha!!! Different words spoken in different parts of the World, but meaning the same!!

So, after months, rather a couple of years, the urge to migrate South of the Border ,,,(as the song goes)…..’ down Mexican  way.. got the better of us.  As always, the prelude to departure had all the makings of a Hitchcock story (some felt, it was closer to “Ramsay ‘comedy’ Show”—how mean!)

On Kalpana’s (henceforth referred to as LOH) recommendation, Reshoo looked up the concerned sites & booked us for the GVK “Pranaam” Service.  In short, from the moment we stepped out at Dep Gate 2, we were whisked away with practiced efficiency through check-in, Imm, Security etc. I must make a mention of Two of my NCC cadets, Ramashish Maurya & Ram Chincholikar of 1990 & 91 Contingents respectively, who came to see me at that odd hour. Ram works with Jet, so he accompanied us all the way. Very touching gesture!

GVK "Pranaam" Lounge

LOH 'lounging'!

The Lounge Luxury personified, would be an apt description, although clichéd! Well appointed with plush sofas & tables (no chairs pl), choice of food, snacky or A La Carte & dedicated staff, to serve us, escort us to the boarding etc. All this comes at a price, which honestly was not too heavy on the pocket, but definitely,  a service we can all avail of, to have a smooth prelude to the take off. 

Boarding & beyond  Like inspired “afterthoughts” ( aka late reactions), we had upgraded to Premium Economy class, the deciding factors being, more “lebensraum” & baggage allowance of 2 pieces! Food variety too, I guess. Considering we were flying Lufthansa, it is in keeping with that spirit, that I used this word. Actually, it translates as “ Elbow Space”, but means more space. Elbow room would also be appropriate, in anticipation of enjoying the occasions of excercising this appendage joint, to imbibe the German “spirit”.(Elbow lifting in Army parlance & in layman’s language, simply “drinking”)

Having had dinner at the lounge, we politely said “Nein” to food but a strong “Ja’ for the drink! Breakfast was welcomed with open arms (Lebensraum), the LOH opting for Continental(!) while yours truly relied on the time tested fare available South of India (Steamed & Fried Rice dumplings with spiced grated coconut & Lentil curry!!) 

Frankfurt Since we had a waiting period of at least 4-5 hours, there was no need to rush anywhere. Security was pretty detailed, our small water bottles from the ‘plane being consigned to the trash can! From there on, vending our way through the various ‘duty free’ shops & restos, we eventually arrived at Gate B 26. This was on the lower floor and shops/eateries were lesser in size & numbers.

Hot Choc+Croissant -F'furt!

 Having settled at the window overlooking the runways, we first logged on to the Wi fi network, followed by a cup of Hot Chocolate/Coffee & a jumbo Croissant. Time was approx. 8 am but people were still carrying over Oktoberfest to Nov!!  During our last trip, we had partaken of a typical German Breakfast at  Kuffler & Bucher, recommended by Anshuman. This time, ‘though we passed by it, we decided to give it a pass! Having exchanged posts with all & facetime with Reshoo, we did another round of the terminal, for “time pass’ as they say! This time however, we stopped at the Deli Coffee Kitchen for an authentic German Beer tankard! 

Paninis....& paninis!

Prolonged Oktoberfest!

The paninis  (sandwiches to the uninitiated!) were too big for even both of us, so I settled for a nice-sized pretzel!

Surprises never cease, pleasant or otherwise! Since our boarding passes from F'frt to Mex were required later, I didn’t feel it necessary to fish them out again & again ( this is a typical nervous passenger syndrome, where despite confirming all details of the next flight, the victim wants to reassure him/her self!!) However, when I saw the seat Nos. weren’t quite confirming to what we had selected, panic!! Wrong passes, wrong ticket, wrong airport, the works! However, some good angel watching over us had prompted the desk clerk in Mumbai, to upgrade us to Business Class!! Whoopee! The other surprise was that the boarding gate had been changed to another, luckily, just round the corner.
Time to Switch-Off. Will re-open in Aeroplane mode later! 
The trip's just begun, enjoy yourselves!
AshoKalpana

                                                     Dallas Despatch –III

Hello out there!

“If winter comes,  can spring be far behind”, is what I has said before signing off my last blog. However, on all occasions, we had missed Spring by the proverbial whisker.

So, when is it Spring, actually?  In the  Army, jerseys came off on 1^st March ., without a murmur.  It’s another matter that it invariably rains that day. Then there’s Basant Panchami, that is supposed to herald Spring. But each year, the date differs! Out here, there is this thing called daylight saving, where the clock is set back by an hour. In the first week of March, the time is put back to ‘normal’ by One hour. This is really “stretching” time. (Back home, each person has his own calculation!!)

This morning, when I was out for my walk, a  Blue Jay,  though not very melodious,   was in full flow, right on top of the tallest branch. Similarly, the Mockingbirds, Starlings & Cardinals, were  trilling away to glory, incessantly. I found the calls of the Mockingbird quite  varied & sweet; have yet to hear it’s so-called ‘mocking’ cry! Although there was a slight cloud layer, the sun was able to send some light (& warmth) below.

Fallen flowers....

And the birds knew, this is Spring. That answered my question. Spring is when Nature tells you so. And she has so many different ways of showing it. Within a period of 3-4 days, buds which one could hardly see, have blossomed. Some trees are already in full flower, only to wilt away, to make way for the new leaves. It is as though wild flowers are swaying to the birdsong! No man-made barometer or any other device, will ever be able to pinpoint the exact point of  change in the weather. And that’s the most beautiful part of Nature. 

A lone Robin!

It only reinforces my conviction, that weather dictates our moods. Just as a dark & overcast sky makes us feel ‘low’, fresh blossoms, birds chirping and all the tell-tale signs of Spring, literally put a spring in our steps!!

 Grabbing the opportunity of a double whammy (Sunday+ sunlight), we decided to explore some parts of Dallas.  As mentioned earlier, Dallas is a big place & the numerous flyovers  that are a part of the landscape, are engineering feats!

Multi-tiered flyovers

6th Floor museum

A drive of approximately 40 minutes, saw us at the Sixth Floor museum. A  former school depository, from which, President Kennedy was shot at,  it has now been converted into a museum. This, (to the right)

Elm Street (where the motorcade was, during the shooting) & other places, were full of people, from all over, giving a very ‘touristy’ look to the place.

Elm Street

Of course, here, as I’ve noticed elsewhere, (on every visit), the area was  spotlessly clean  and the traffic well-behaved (vehicular & people). And all this was in the absence (physical, at least) of any kind of enforcement persons!!

From here, went all the way back to Preston, a fairly up- market area, where you name it & the brand/chain  is there. The list is too long to enumerate!! Reshma was doing her ‘last-minute’ shopping, before leaving for home on 20^th March. Modern technology has been able to denote a “split-second”, besides other ‘nano’-related periods. But we have not been able to find a word or words, to describe precisely, what is “last-minute”!!

We also took advantage of the good spell to visit  an area called Richwoods.  True to  the word, this a very, very top-of-the-order housing complex. And  one can visit some of the houses (referred to as ‘Open House’), that are up for sale. The lowest rate was  500 K USD!!   Some areas of the house were a bit too ornate, for my liking, but overall, they were superb. And all these houses, besides being functional, were also well stocked with water, coffee, cookies (biscuits yaar!) Lunch was at “Applebees”, a typical American Diner.

One of the many houses in Richwood

Wine cellar!

As I write this, J & J have just returned after the ‘baby’s day out’, if only to the Doctor & all is well!!

Thinning Out! This has nothing to do with health, diet etc. vis-à-vis ‘Pigging Out”! It’s a typical Army term that describes the gradual withdrawal of troops! (why is the ‘s’, of the second  vis, not pronounced? ) Mr. & Mrs. Jacob left for home (Thrissur, via B’luru) last week. The ‘Full House’ began losing the ‘fullness’ with their departure. This week,  Anshuman, Reshma & Samruddhi are leaving for home, which will further magnify the emptiness !  Janu, Jenny are definitely going to miss Samruddhi , for, as I’ve said earlier, she’s bonded beautifully with her aunt &  ‘kaka’. (actually, she started off by adding the suffix of the relationship,  but soon switched to the American way of first-name addressing!!) The good spell was also fully utilized to have a family photo-shoot, for the records. It was a DIY affair & the results are here to see! 

The Two 'Apples' of our eyes

Gen II & III

The 'Head Girl' & her wards

Reshma has been a tremendous help all these months. Anshuman chipped in too, especially in ‘sitting’ Nikita. It’s a good thing Samruddhi qualifies as a full-seat passenger, thereby eligible to carry 2 suitcases! This has been a godsend, taking care of all the shopping that Gunes Jr. have indulged  in!!

At the time of writing this post, Anshuman, Reshoo & Samruddhi have left for home. The weather was gloomy as ever, which added to the mood of the moment. Janu, Jenny have returned from the airport with news that all went well, from check-in to boarding. The house now wears a more vacant look .

At the Temple....

...& the Church

The weather has been good all these days, so we have been taking advantage of the same & ‘stepping out’!. In keeping with all good traditions, Nikita, on completing 40 days of her birth, was taken to the Hanuman Temple (coincided with Ram Navami) & the Church.                                                                                                           


Thereafter, we trooped into  The Hacienda, a typically TexMex kind of a place for lunch…at 4 p.m.! The décor speaks for itself & the food was definitely worth  the wait.

The Hacienda 

Dallas Arboretum

This Saturday, we took a trip to the Dallas Arboretum, situated a good 30-40 mins away. This a  beautifully laid-out garden, with the best of Spring blooms (mostly Tulips, Poppys )on display. The vast parking is underground & from there itself, an elevator takes you to the desired level, from where, a walkway, under the highway, takes you to the garden across! Being a holiday, & the weather Gods being in a benevolent mood, it appeared though half the town was at the gardens, not to mention a few ‘about to be married couples’, in their wedding attire! The garden, like all parks here, are huge, well manicured &  clean. 

The usual curio shops, cafetarias are all there for your pleasure. His was followed up for a latish snack at IHOP, since there was brunch a la udipi cuisine! A quiet evening, after a well-deserved rest, was just what the doctor ordered. Jenny went off to the church for Easter Mass. Later, there was a typical ‘home’ meal of Beef Chilli, Appams etc.!!

Easter Sunday was  a relaxed affair. Kalpana  re-arranged the guest room into a kind of coffee (‘wine’)  lounge. She’s always been good at such things. Her ‘driving’ ethos being simple, “since you can’t change houses at will, change the arrangements”! Nikita was all dressed up in a full pink ensemble, gifted by Dipti & looked every inch the ‘Little Princess’. We did a notional inaugural of the coffee (yes, yes, wine) room. Pic alongside for the record.  

Inauguration of the 'Coffee' Room!

Then drove straight to the Black Pepper resto, which serves a Kerala lunch buffet on Sundays. (Have you noticed how spellings have been shortened? I would like to believe that remembering the correct ones may be difficult, So, restaurant/  restaraunt, calendar/calander, etc.etc. Hence Symbiosis becomes Symbi!!)

The food was good, but somehow, the “first time’ always seems better!! Being Easter, the place was pretty packed. Nikita slept throughout the meal, good girl. Post-lunch, went to the Stonebriar Mall to pick up some ordered items & back home.

Time to sign off for the present! Do try & enjoy this piece. 
Take care all of you. Missing you !!
Ashok