Shokugeki No Soma (Food Wars)- Anime Review #1

Anime is probably the next best thing after ice cream. It's addictive, fun and some of them make you lose your mind trying to crack it's code. I started watching anime a few years ago and fell madly in love with them and all that's Japanese.

Shokugeki no Soma or food wars, is in my view, a hysterical, orgasmic and tough look at food made by prodigies, each one better than the other. Season 1 followed the life of our protagonist, Soma Yukihira, who sets out to become one of the greatest chefs in the world and to one day, surpass even his father. He along with his father run a locally acclaimed deli. But, when his father suddenly gets into a lot of travelling, he gives Soma a chance to prove himself in cooking and enrols him in the Totsuki Culinary Academy. With more than a thousand aspirants fighting neck to neck to enter this world renowned institute, season 1 follows the challenges and face offs that students have to face to survive.

We end with season 1 on the century's worst cliffhanger and as all anime fans, you really need to have patience to be able to watch any show completely. After a long wait of almost a year, we're back with season 2 and it honestly has our expectations set high. This season will probably change the entire dynamics of the academy and that we will get to see a lot more action (pun intended) and heat during the cook offs. We're hoping that questions about Soma's father and his family are answered and we get a bit of flashback work. Also, the speculations about the love-hate relationship between Soma and  Erina are bubbling around the new season as we wait for a few details to be revealed.

As of what I've seen till now, season 2 seems to be more of work and less of play. It seems to have less comical elements as compared to season 1, but the overall storyline is definitely more gripping. Portrayal of  Soma is almost too unrealistic seeing him win every challenge set in front of him, but I'm expecting a really strong and unexpected fall with the end of this season (that could actually build up the tension for season 3).

Right now, I'm just glued to my computer every Saturday watching the latest episode. Only time will tell if this new season was worth the hype and the long wait.

The Hidden Corners of the Attic

The Hidden Corners of the Attic 

The years passed by and faded away, 

While watching pigtails turn into ponies. 

Watches turning from coloured to silver 

And people becoming less imaginary and more real. 

From the smell of the rain to perfume 

That filled her senses. 

To the old albums that were now in gadgets, 

And new friends piling up in her pocket. 

The little girl who she always was morphs

Into the beautiful woman she will be,

And sets out on her new journey. 

To fill another attic with memories. 

Ironies, CBSE and Favourite Subjects

Unfortunate circumstances of my life have forced me to visit my blog again. It's weird how a short write up on your blog becomes the best therapy session you've ever been in.

Ironies. The world is filled with them and we're no strangers to them. But I'd say a student of class twelve in India has seen ironies not just up close and personally, but in its more brutal and sadistic form. Take me for instance. I love English and plan to pursue it in the near future. For a fifty mark paper, I work my butt off, practicing almost all questions and writing letters. Some would say I go overboard and I don't blame them for thinking so. But, I love English so much that it doesn't feel like a burden or a job doing those questions.

Sadly, results don't reciprocate my feelings. I was completely shattered today when I came to know of my marks. Seeing myself lose twenty marks in just a few drops of red ink and crosses, I was given a violent shove back to reality.

CBSE wants what you don't. It wants you to go back on your vocabulary, to reset your knowledge about phrases that you pride yourself on. It wants clear answers with zero emotions and it wants writing to be soulless and boring. Basically, it wants you to kill any happiness or ecstacy associated with writing and wants to turn it into any other subject, a quest solely for marks to get into a good college. Because that's how we educate people, by turning them into savages running after numbers rather than help them strive for perfection or enjoy the childish lines of the poem printed on their paper.

For a girl who likes using phrases from Shakespeare or even quote Severus Snape's dialogues in perfect situations, it's completely a dream crusher to see her words swim in a sea of red ink, struggling to breathe in a world that's enclosed in a coffin of percentages and grades. The challenge before her now is to give in to this world and slowly morph with its people and get in line to enter the rat race. Writing would now come from the hand and not the heart. 

Impatient Yearning

Impatient Yearning

When eyes don't blink anymore
And the ceiling becomes a mirror.
Tears follow the same path again,
And drench an already soaked shoulder.

Hands and legs don't work for long
And give in to the loneliness.
Silence turns into a lullaby and
Ears fall asleep too soon.

Slowly, as I turn from anxious to miserable
The impatient yearning leaves me.
Breathes are no longer needed,
For it's now too late to think of living.

Shock and Awe

Shock and Awe 

Following footsteps and piercing stares, 

I'm a spectacle and they're my audience. 

Being judged and talked about, 

For choosing the right for once. 

Classroom now a courtroom, 

My friends turn into the jury. 

Convict me for a truly false felony 

For having the courage to give a chance. 

No matter how many times I hear the same words, 

The same looks and hushed voices, 

Deep down I always believe 

That I chose the truest of all. 

Kabadiwalas and Indian Mothers

"Kabadiwala or junk dealer is a term commonly used in Hindistani to refer to a person who deals with old household products."

Google shows you this when you search for the meaning of 'kabadiwala' but we Indian kids know they're more than just junk dealers. Every child was haunted by the call of the kabadiwala at some point of their early childhood. By the time they reached the mid-childhood years, they would wonder what exactly the man was trying to say (I'm still stuck here though). He was the person our mothers would scare us with, when we wouldn't go to sleep. End of the day, whichever part of the country you were in, at least once in three months on a Sunday that familiar voice echoed across the quiet streets and you'd know it's that time of the month again.

Kabadiwalas for our mothers were something else. They gave mothers an opportunity to trade all the old used goods for a decent price. You're basically getting money for discarding your old newspapers and scraps of metal and plastic. In a mother's perspective, you're clearing the house and getting paid for it! So, no longer could the "I'm a housewife. I don't get paid for my work and still I do everything" line work on us.

On the morning of the monthly ordeal, the kids would get a heads up to clear out all the old question papers, answer sheets and other stationery from their closets and cupboards. Then finally, close to noon, the doorbell would ring and everyone would get down to business. Stacking up newspapers and checking how much they weighed on the scale, seeing your mother bargain and haggle for an extra ten bucks on some charger that's in a "good condition" was another experience all together. Once everything was done, a look of accomplishment would sprawl across your mother's face. By then, reality would have caught up with her and her next thought would be- "what should I make for lunch?". 

Over and Again

Over and Again 

You asked to be excused today as well, 

For some work that keeps you busy. 

The procrastinator you always are, 

Takes a back seat when you're with me. 

And when you're away, all I can think of 

Is a conversation that lasts a minute. 

The frays of your "sorry's" linger on, 

As silence comes back to check on me again. 

Even so, every time you do come back

I let go of the past. 

As your lips touch mine and I feel your smile on them, 

I watch silence look back at me and say, 

I'll be back over and over again. 

Women's Day- Truly a celebration or not?

As 8th of March gets closer, our newspapers are bombarded with advertisements for jewellery, dresses and other feminine products which are somehow linked with women empowerment and better status in society. One day for celebrating all the women in the world, but is it truly a celebration?

The capital of our country is seen as the biggest crime capital and yet we celebrate women's day. Girls all over the country get abused and bullied through their school years, some become victims to attacks or suicides and still we celebrate women's day. A woman's sexuality and ideas of self-stimulation are still seen as taboos in the Indian context, not allowing us to explore ourselves and completely get in touch with ourselves. And yet, we still have the audacity to celebrate women's day.

In my opinion, women's day is a redundant celebration until and unless we make women feel celebrated. We make her feel welcomed in our lives, make her cherish each day of living and make her believe that we need her more than anything else in the world. And most importantly, thank her for doing all that she does, not expecting anything in return but maybe just a quiet afternoon with a book and herself. Then, and only then, will we be truly justifying "celebrating women". So, dear women in our lives, thank you for everything that you do everyday regardless of the weather, time, place or situation.

All said and done, here's a shout out to all women, from all fields and careers, all backgrounds and cultures, all countries of the world, happy women's day. This is in hope that by the next time this day comes, we make you feel more as an individual who has her own life and voice, rather than a victim of patriarchal dominance.

88th Academy Awards- Everything Done Right and Wrong

The world had literally come to a standstill on the 28th of February at the Dolby Theatre, Los Angeles. The oscars were here. This year's academy awards were much awaited owing to two reasons- the first being the never ending hope that Leonardo Dicaprio wins an Oscar this year and the second, having Chris Rock as the host. Everyone was revved up and ready to spend an early morning sitting in front the television, sitting on pins and needles.

By Hollywood standards, I felt this year's oscars wasn't up to mark. Be it the overdo of the black v/s white or racism of Hollywood that was more than highlighted in Chris Rock's commentary, or the lacklustre comedy that was not expected from actors who come as comedians on the big screen, it came as such a shock, in hindsight, that I  not sit through the entire show.

What Went Wrong 

Hearing that Chris Rock was going to be hosting the awards this year, I was literally counting the days left for the oscars. Finally at nine o clock, I switched on the telly, switched off the lights and sat up to watch the show. Chris started off with the favouritism and the different kind of racism that Hollywood follows and for a while it was good. But, as he kept going on and on about the same thing, bending all his jokes towards the same subject, it started getting a bit monochrome.

The best presenters for me, were Ryan Gosling and Russell Crowe who added some white comedy into the completely "racist view of Hollywood" put forward by our host.

What Went Right (and reminded us why Hollywood owns in the show business)   

Getting some respite from the "blackness" overflow, everyone was moved to tears when finally Leonardo Dicaprio won an Oscar for best actor. The internet went through the biggest hit of posts, all former Dicaprio memes were now irrelevant and every human could now die in peace after seeing him receive an award. 

The best part, for me, was his acceptance speech. It was amazing to see how he morphed a speech into something that reflects a social cause, climate change, something that affects every person on the planet. This is where Hollywood triumphs over Bollywood because I don't think many actors would have thought of including poverty or lack of literacy faced by the country into their speeches. 

If you want to learn grandeur, learn it from Hollywood. The way that word rolls off your tongue, it brings images of bling, glam and sheer sophistication. From the way the ladies were dressed to the kind of ambience the Dolby Theatre gave us, this industry had done it yet again. Having performances by Lady Gaga and other eminent singers with the huge orchestra accompanying it, it showed us why our award shows aren't and never will be as grand as theirs. 

With another year down the line and another Academy Awards show done and dusted, we hope to see the best of what the cinematic world can offer us next year (expecting them to not commit the same blunders again). 

Old Delhi Brunch- First of the many more walks to come

I was bored. Bored of sitting home all day with absolutely nothing to do but laze around. The thing about students is that if you give them two months of extreme studies, they start wanting a holiday. But, if you actually give them a week off, day 2 the signs of boredom start showing. So, to have a slight change in routine, my mother and I decided to go for a food walk.

Tickets were booked through BookMyShow and costed around 800 for two. A fairly decent price. The meeting point was Chawri Bazar metro station at 0830 hrs. By 0845 hrs everyone had assembled and we had to pool in 500 per person for the food. Honestly, I thought that was inclusive of the 400 but I guess not. And so the journey began.

Walking through the narrow winding streets of old Delhi and being hit by fragrances ranging from flowers to freshly cut dhaniya, stews and other items on the stove, bubbling away, we reached our first destination.

Shyam sweets (estd. 1910) offered us two of the most cherished local dishes, Nagori halwa and bedmi puri. My personal favourite was the halwa not just because of the taste but the fun way of eating it. A small puri is given along and just like how one has gol gappe, you fill the puri with the halwa and take a bite into it. With 8 more stops to go, we consciously had to stop eating and move on with the expedition.

A few feet away, we were lucky to find Daulat ki chaat waiting for us. A winter delicacy made of milk and cream, garnished with sugar and khoya, this dish truly represents all that is antique in this old city. 

Ahead on the walk, through winding streets and getting plastered on the walls trying to give way to cars and bikes, we went for chole kulche at Loten ji Chole Wale. Established in 1918, the shop is set up at 0730 hrs and closes by 1030 hrs. Along with chole kulche, they prepare a special beverage made of the water in which the chole was boiled. May not sound as appealing, but taste wise, it clears all the checklists.

Coming to Old Delhi and not having nahari and paaya, I would consider it a cardinal sin, So, our next stop was at Karim's, the famous restaurant that offers the best of Mughlai. Established in 1913 and being run by the fifth generation, we had nahari and paaya with khameer roti. Nahari was my personal favourite, though my mother enjoyed paaya more. The khameer roti was one that caught my attention. Unlike the other breads made here, this involves the addition of yeast which gives it the layered texture and softness. 

Another few minutes of walk along the main Chawri Bazaar, our next stop was at Rehmaan Foods where we had Sheer maal which, to me, felt like an Indian version of a waffle. The subtle sweetness combined with a creamy layer covered by a glazed, crunchy surface, it proved to me, yet again, that sweets do not have to be overpoweringly sugary to appreciate. 

A few shops ahead, our next stop was at Chaina Ram at Fatehpuri Chowk. They claim to be the pioneers of Karachi halwa in Old Delhi. Established in 1901 and still following the same age old recipes, the owners of this sweet shop do not believe in expanding their name or trying new recipes. Their idea is to give all that they can through one shop and one recipe, going from one generation to the next. Me not being a very big fan of Karachi halwa found Sindhi ghevar as the next best dish they have to offer. A bigger and thinner version of jalebi, this ghevar was so good that we decided to take some back home. 

After a two hour walk, we needed a place that could give us something warm and toasty to gulp down and a place to rest our legs. Inderji Chai ki Dukan gave us just that. Hot, steaming chai with buttered toast and a small coven to sit and relax, it was a much needed break from all the hub-bub on the streets. 

Three more stops to make, many people were closing in on their saturation points. But as soon as we reached Hemchand Ladli Prasad sweet shop and got a whiff of the milk cake and rabri, our palettes started screaming for a taste. Run my the fourth generation, this place offers the best rabri and milk cake of Delhi. Another box to take back home, of course.  

On to the main market road, chole bhature at Shiv Mishtan Bhandar was our last eatery joint. Why would this be different from other chole bhature? Well, because being a Jain based restaurant, there is not a speck of onions or garlic. But still, it managed to taste amazing. My mother was completely full and could just have half a bhatura, but somehow my appetite wasn't half as satisfied which came as a shock because whenever I'm at school, I barely eat anything. 

As the walk came to an end, our final destination was Amritsari lassi shop where we finally capped our desire to eat more by gulping down creamy lassi. I had the namkeen lassi made of jeera and other spices. As the lassi washed my palette and gave a soothing, cool after effect I was almost ready for another food walk.




By 1245 hrs, our eating escapade came to an end and as we walked back to the metro station, with heavy eyes and a satisfied stomach, we went over all the dishes. The next thing on our minds was a nice long nap at home.

Credits:
Information- My dear mother
Pictures- Myself

And you call them Crocodile Tears

And you call them crocodile tears

As the wintry evening comes to an end, 

And the birds fall silent

Your criticises echo across the hallway,

With my face stained with salty water.  

All that you say is true, 

And maybe that's why it hits so hard. 

Because every time I don't do what you wish me to, 

My heart is stabbed with a glass shard. 

I cry those silent tears, 

For they are the only way I can show repentance. 

Yet, it is all for nought

Because you think they're tears of vengeance. 

Ruby Sparks- Redefining "characters coming to life"

We've all come across many novels that have given us characters that come to life every time we sift through the pages. But this movie might just take that to another level, a more actual and some may say, improbable level.

Calvin Weir-Fields, a young novelist is down with a major case of writer's block years after his first bestselling novel. Introverted and extremely unsocial, he has a tough time coping and decides to get therapy. His therapist asks him to write about a stranger coming up to him while he takes his dog for a walk. Yet, Calvin could never get anyone near his dog.

So, he dreams of meeting this girl in the park on a bright sunny day who volunteers to sketch his dog. They start talking and suddenly he wakes up. That gives him the inspiration. Every night after, he would dream of this girl and would end up writing every little detail about their adventures together. He named her, Ruby Sparks. Slowly, he thinks that he's falling in love with his character and that's reflected in his dreams. He starts dreaming about being together with this girl and loving the idea of it. But, he never quite anticipated this sudden turn of events.

Like every other normal day, Calvin wakes up, remembers the splendid night spent in his dreams and tries getting something on paper, but that day, he wasn't alone. Ruby was with him. It was as if he had conjured her out of his writings. She was exactly as he described and it took a while for him to come to terms with the fact that a character he created had actually come to life! After awkwardly running about restaurants and streets of the city, he was led to believe that Ruby was visible to all and it wasn't his mind playing tricks.

He continues going over the facts and realises that facts do not matter when something as phenomenal as this occurs. Calvin gets to live his dreams and writing had taken a stepback. But, as the inner layers of this mystery girl surface, will Calvin be able to recreate her as he wishes or will she get to know that she was after all just a figment of his imagination?

This movie is plain interesting. Although there may be a few parts that are a bit lacklustre, on the whole it's a good movie with an amazing plot. The sudden changes in Ruby that are seen with every sentence written by Calvin on his typewriter are probably the best scenes. I for one could relate a lot to Ruby and how she fights against being changed by Calvin because of his character and his idea of love, something that I've been through in the recent past as another Ruby. All in all, this movie truly keeps you tuned to the telly. So if you're interested in watching something a little brain wracking, this is the one for you. I'd give it 3.5 stars.

RIP Alan Rickman

The only reason why the series lasted, the only person who was a mystery and the only person who loved till he died, Severus Snape has been and shall always be the most complex, deep-rooted character in the Harry Potter franchise. And no one could have played his role better than Alan Rickman. You shall be remembered, always.

Inevitably

I still remember your eyes,
The way they'd glisten in the sunshine.
Your red locks dancing in the wind
As we would speak near the willow.

Everyday I think of
how it could have been different.
If only it would have been me instead,
You could have been there for your infant.

But now I'm glad that I'm almost home
And I can see you again.
My love for you is still what it always was,
And after all this time, it's even more.

Bits-n-Bites 1- McSpicy v/s Indi McSpicy

McDonald's has had a huge furore over deciding which one of the 'spicy's stay in their menus. With advertisements flashing on our tv screens, everyone wanted to get a taste of what this new burger would bring us. I was also quite inquisitive and ended up taking the challenge. I was gobsmacked and not in a good way.

Supposedly having a "cooling" spread of a minty, creamy sauce to cut back the spice, this bulldozer of hotness left my palette screaming for something more than just the residue of fire. Having burger buns with sesame seeds, toasted in added spices, plus a batter with more spices to fry your protein and a spicy sauce, just some lettuce and mint sauce to extinguish your mouth is not enough. Coming from a family who appreciates a kick of spice in their food, I thought this challenge was right up my alley. But, I needed two drinks of Pepsi to wash down this picante devil.

As of now, McDonald's may have bitten more than they could chew. With all their products getting spicier and having no new dimensions of flavour, it looks to be a downhill battle for this chain of restaurants that has been in our lives right since childhood. The only improvement they may get from this is a huge increase in demand for beverages. If anyone has the will (and a strong gut) to tackle this hot babe, make sure you have a decent ice cream after it, because trust me, this one is too hot to handle.

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind- The 'inception' of Rom-Com

Love is sometimes overrated. All the lovey-dovey scenes and perfect happy endings in movies are so cliched, yet we love them. Nowadays, most relationships turn sour owing to many reasons. What if you had the option of wiping the entire memory of that one person you want to forget?

Joel Barish, a reserved, shy man starts dating Clementine Kruckzynski, a free-spirited, overly joyous young woman who has a thing for experimenting with hair colour (which changes dramatically through the movie). They have their share of ups and downs but later, both get fed up of each other's differences and take drastic measures.

Clementine hears about this place where they have the ability to wipe out any person from your mind. So, she signs up for the program and has Joel removed from her memories. Joel tries talking to her during work but she doesn't remember him anymore. After the horrible disappointment, he crashes at his friend's place where he is told about the memory erasing institution. Heart broken and utterly ruined, he decides to do the same and visits this clinic.

After being registered he is asked to speak out all the memories of Clementine and collect everything that is associated with her at his place. As the memory erasing process begins, Joel in his mind tries his best to keep up with the erasing. But, as they're halfway through it, he starts having second thoughts. So, the Joel in his mind takes different memories of Clementine to memories that she isn't a part of (like his childhood) and tries to outwit the sequence of memory erasing.

While all this is happening in Joel's head, the outside world isn't doing any better than he is. Secrets are revealed and things turn messy as the memory erasing process starts turning faulty. Does Joel actually succeed in keeping Clementine's memory or does technology outwit the mind?

Truly the inception of rom-com, this movie has many timelines and needs to be followed precisely, otherwise its not going to make any sense to you. It can get extremely confusing at times, but the beginning and ending of the movie clears everything out and leaves you wondering as to how you couldn't figure that out! All the scenes happening in Joel's head are the most entertaining and most important parts of the movie. If I had to choose one, it would be when he figures out a way to outsmart the system and starts running with the memory of Clementine to other places in his brain. Pretty clever thing to do, considering he was unconscious. A different concept for a romedy film, I would give it 3 and 1/2 stars.

No Happily Ever After, Afterall

No happily ever after, afterall

There are no castles or dragons,

No princes or frogs.

School and play is all we get 

Yet paradise is what this place is called. 

No sing alongs or dance sequences 

Just sound of pages turning, 

And chatter echoing 

Through the classrooms.

True love and midnight kisses

Are turned into jealousy and envy.

In this competitive world, 

Everyone is your enemy. 

There is no happily ever after, 

In this world of ours. 

Happiness always accompanying 

Some amount of pain, 

Is something that's overlooked 

By our fairy tales.