goggly

 🇯🇵 The Japanese Study Their Food. 🇮🇳 The Indians Steal the Recipe! 😄🍱🍛 Two cultures. Two culinary philosophies. One universal love for good food! The Japanese have an almost romantic relationship with food. For them, a meal is never merely about satisfying hunger. It is an elegant encounter with tradition, aesthetics, philosophy and a healthy dose of scientific curiosity. Every unfamiliar dish is greeted with the fascination of a researcher discovering a new species! First comes the visual admiration. The colours, arrangement and presentation are carefully appreciated. Then begins the ritual. A tiny morsel is placed delicately on the tongue, allowed to linger while the aroma unfolds, the flavours reveal themselves and the mind attempts to identify the mysterious ingredients. Just when you expect the second bite, out comes Google! Ingredients? Nutritional value? Calories? Glycaemic index? Health benefits? Only after this meticulous investigation comes the million-yen question: ...

Corruption in society is much like cancer. When it takes root among those who govern, it gradually spreads its tentacles into the bureaucracy, regulatory and vigilance bodies, businesses, the judiciary, and even the media. Just as cancerous cells invade and destroy healthy tissues, corruption begins to compromise even those who were once honest and principled. Eventually, ordinary citizens begin to accept corruption as a necessary evil —not because they believe in it, but because they feel compelled to participate in order to survive, sustain themselves, and prosper. The tragedy deepens when the very pillars of a nation— education, healthcare, defence, infrastructure, and justice —become infected. Merit gives way to manipulation, integrity to expediency, and public service to personal gain. Institutions may continue to exist, laws may remain on paper, and democracy may retain its outward appearance. Yet their moral foundations begin to crumble from within. The downfall of a nation...

ASILO: A MEETING ON THE My Uber ride from Colfax Avenue in Lakewood to Denver Airport became more than a journey across the city. It became a moment of reflection. My driver, Asilo, was nearly sixty. He had graduated in economics from the University of Colorado, raised four grown children, and built a substantial business in residential mortgages. But things turned upside down and  life had taken him somewhere very different. While working in North Carolina, he received an invitation from his son to attend his wedding. He had no savings for the trip, so he found another way: he made his Volkswagen his home and set out to live on his own terms. His car is fitted with solar panels, and he carries a bicycle. He showers at the YMCA and uses a laundromat to wash and dry his clothes. He earns a living driving for Uber and teaches yoga professionally. His beloved pet, who had been with him for fourteen years, has passed away. Asilo told me he does not feel lonely. He enjoys his own c...

मी चेन्नईतील अरुळमिगु मरुंदेश्वर मंदिरातून नुकताच परतलो आहे. अज्ञेयवादी असल्यामुळे धार्मिक विधींवर माझा विश्वासही नाही आणि अविश्वासही नाही. गेल्या अनेक वर्षांत माझे आई-वडील किंवा इतरांनी जे सांगितले, ते मी प्रामुख्याने त्यांना आनंद मिळावा म्हणून करत आलो. हळूहळू या प्रथा माझ्यासाठी अधिक अर्थपूर्ण होऊ लागल्या—त्यामागील श्रद्धा माझ्या स्वतःच्या नसल्या तरी कुटुंबाशी आणि सांस्कृतिक वारशाशी जोडलेले राहण्याचा हा एक मार्ग आहे, असे मला वाटू लागले. पितृपक्षाबद्दल मी ऐकले होते; पण सिंगापूरमध्ये ‘घोस्ट मंथ’ पाळला जातो, त्यातून मला त्याबद्दल अधिक माहिती मिळाली. तोपर्यंत मागील पिढीतील जवळजवळ सर्वजण दिवंगत झाले होते. ही परंपरा मला श्रद्धेचा विषय कमी आणि सातत्याचा एक भाग अधिक वाटू लागली—आपल्यापूर्वी गेलेल्या लोकांकडून मिळालेली एखादी गोष्ट जिवंत ठेवण्याचा हा एक मार्ग आहे, असे जाणवले. कामानिमित्त आणि परिस्थितीमुळे मला हरिद्वार आणि वाराणसीला जाण्याची संधी मिळाली होती. तिथे मी माझ्या पूर्वजांसाठी श्राद्ध केले होते; ते प्रामुख्याने प्रतीकात्मक कृत्य होते. पण गेल्या वर्षी १२ ऑक्टोबरला आई गेल्यानंतर या विधील...

  50 years is more than half life and if this happen to be one’s formative years - they become significant part of our life . Lest Alzaimer sets in and take away some of my neurons - let me pen some the memories associated with people & events in Artek that has shaped me . Amol , Chetan , Pramod were my batch mates while Milind Vagal , Shekhar Shirodkar, Pradyut Borkar, Kuber+Hira+Manik +Charu Rane were few years either side but my growing years were more influenced watching & observing some of the stalwarts who made Artek Apartments an identity of cultural & learned persons  Not many people would now believe that Artek was the first building in Bandra East to have an elevator .  Coconut trees that have grown tall and big - some of the original members undertook a day trip on Sunday to Vasai to bring coconuts to plant them . Each coconut tree has a story to narrate of Artek’s founder members  Open space between two buildings would house Cricket 🏏 ...

  When you are Alone, Mind your Thoughts. When you are with Friends, Mind your Tongue. When you are Angry, Mind your Temper. When you are with a Group, Mind your Behavior. When you are in Trouble, Mind your Emotions. When God starts Blessing you, Mind your Ego. Hitori de iru toki wa, jibun no kangae ni ki o tsukemashou.  Tomodachi to iru toki wa, jibun no kotoba ni ki o tsukemashou.  Okotte iru toki wa, jibun no kanjō ni ki o tsukemashou.  Gurūpu de iru toki wa, jibun no kōdō ni ki o tsukemashou.  Komatte iru toki wa, jibun no kanjō ni ki o tsukemashou.  Kami ga anata o shukufuku shi hajimetara, jibun no ego ni ki o tsukemashou.