Bhaag

I have moved from being able to run 1 minute only to running 40 minutes. It started with trying to complete the C25K before a vacation in the hope I could squeeze into my swimsuit. A friend and I met for evening runs around the common and Richmond park. The vacation came and went, but the running stayed with me. I'm exhausted and everything hurts at the end of 40 minutes but I love it. I've signed up for a 5k this September with my sil and we hope to finish it in good time. I am using the run to raise some money for a cause close to my heart. Its not a huge distance in the grand scheme of running, but the numbers will get bigger and the times shorter ( I hope!).

I think I have got the bug, Bhaag!

Snow !

This is becoming a yearly phenomenon in London. Snow!! I love it. I stay in Greater London so suburbia with all its greenery looks even better with a bit of snow dust. I had a long trek into Barnes today for a course that was cancelled thanks to the snow. The south western trains were a mess and after 4 hours of travelling, like a sardine packed into a tin, I was all wound up. So, I spent the chance day off by walking down the lane I live in and taking pictures. I look at this every day as I drive into work and I kept telling myself, I need to take some pictures. Its a lovely tree lined road and when it gets dusted with snow, it just starts looking a wee bit magical.

Santa and his baubles!

So christmas came and went. Mine was white, food filled as always and perfect. 2009 wraps to an end and when I look back at this year, I will think of it as filled to the brim. I did a lot this year and I hope 2010 continues in this trend.
I hope the new year brings you what you seek, and on that note I leave you with santa and his baubles!

Diwali

Diwali this year was all about:

- Food; we had a delicious menu of kalmi kabab, channa puri, maa ki dal, malai kabab, samosas, matri, kachoris, assorted sinful Indian sweets.It was a meal that will make me pay in inches.

- Friends old and new; Diwali started with four friends and then ended up with ten, all the more fun, noise and chatter.

-Firecrackers; it was a small display but it was entertaining, reminiscent of childhood pattakas, we had sparklers, dodgy chakras that had a mind of their own and noisy colourful rockets. It was just the right amount for the small patio space and we didn't have the bobbies knocking on the door.

- Tea lights; they were in every little diya I owned and they were oh-so-pretty.

- Rangoli; I couldn't source powder this year so I used flowers and the artistic input of my bil to end up with a pretty little mango design.

- Dressing up; yes we went the whole hog and it was lovely. All the girls dressed up in their Indian kurtas and jhumkas and the boys did their part too. It was the last touch to a good evening.

- Teen patti and charades; in true Diwali tradition we played teen patti (a form of Indian poker). We then moved on to charades to end the evening. It was a riot and we laughed the night away.

- Thumma; much of the Diwali menu this year was thanks to Thumma. If you haven't seen this Andhra gem, google "vah re vah "and try some of his recipes. He is entertaining at the very least and his recipes are all spot on.

This year we had a gathering of so many different people, old friends without whom the food would have never materialised, new friends without whom the evening would not have been as much fun. Here's wishing you all a Happy Diwali and a Prosperous New Year

Green Fingers

I have a little outdoor space (patio) in my apartment and I have always wanted to grow a vegetable patch and a little tropical urban garden. I love plants in urban spaces, it softens harsh architecture and generally brings a little cheer to a drab place. Everyone at work has been bringing in apples and berries from their gardens, all this has made me want to get into this very British past time. However, I also have a previous history of killing house plants. Sigh!.

So despite lofty aspirations of a tropical paradise in my little patio, I decided to start on a small scale, with a few veggies, that can grow indoor and survive the fast approaching autumn and winter months.

A few weeks ago I set of to homebase and picked up a few seeds, a germinator box, some compost and pots. I spent an entire Sunday afternoon planting my herbs, in the germinator box and re- potting my old house plants that looked close to death. If I can nurture this lot for a few months without too many disasters I will venture into increasing my brood of plants.

As the weeks passed my little seeds grew into shoots, stems and leaves. I now have a thriving box of basil, spinach, chillies, carrot and coriander saplings that will shortly need potting. Lets hope my fingers are slowly turning green.If they do the next step will be guerilla gardening.