For a large chunk of my young-womanhood, I lived in B’lore, a heavily residential Anglo-Indian neighborhood. Despite having Khasi (Shillong) relatives myself, I wasn’t actually aware about the area; my family paid little attention to lineage and I never heard the language spoken. Until I met my best friend and later, my bro-inlaw. They were the main source of my North-Eastern influence in the neighborhood, particularly in the area of food. My first life-changing Naga-influenced food experience was delivered courtesy of my bro-in-law’s mum, Aunt Anung, in Nagaland. But not just any meat preparation. Her meals were tastier than any spread I had eaten before. The pork was perfectly smoked and fried, served with steamed vegetables and axone (fermented soy-bean) on the side of raja-mirchi (The Naga jolokia) chutney. When paired with a bamboo mug of red tea, made a far better nightcap than a Hot chocolate with a shot of Bailey's Irish creme mixed in ever could (well, maybe not far better).

So my first lesson in great food pairings came to me on a chilly evening, in a small town of light and bright colors and late night city occupants, while I sat at the dinner table combining tastes and on the edge of every flavor of meat, vegetables, side dishes and drink. And it’s still one of my favorite moments. The crunch of the roasted pork, the snap of the fried fat, the bite of the rajamirchi-axone mixed chutney; nothing on the planet sets up the taste and texture of a meal better.

Picture Courtesy : The Naga Kitchen

But the reason for this post isn’t about the recollection of a gourmet moment. There’s one other major culinary event for which I have the Naga neighborhood to thank: it’s the opening of The Naga Kitchen. The first Naga restaurant in B’lore city that I visited on Friday and Saturday. This local joint, serves a wicked version of authentic Naga cuisine, and from the moment I bit into my first roasted pork piece, I was hooked. I don’t care who you are, or how much you struggle with ethical issues around eating meat: you’re just going to have to admit that there’s pretty much nothing as delicious as properly cooked pork.

What's better than this? Almost nothing.

So allow me to say it: it’s time to come home to Naga food at:
The Naga Kitchen
#26 A.V.S Arcade, Above F Square Garment store
Terrace Floor, Opp. Adidas Showroom
Next to Empire and Nandhini hotel
Kamanahalli Main Road
Bangalore - 84

If you’re around this side of town, do get to The Naga Kitchen and taste some of their smoked pork and your ethical dilemma will be a thing of the past. At least until hunger strikes again.

In exactly three weeks, at 9:01 a.m. on Friday, September 24, I will turn 27. If 27 is dead in woman years, does this mean I am approaching resurrection? Or has my flesh finished rotting off my bones and is my skeleton just lying here, deluding itself that there is any life left in it at all?

Sara Bareilles : King of Anything

If you haven’t figured it out yet, I was trying to branch out a bit on this track. Most of the time I get into the groove of singer/songwriter Indie kid with a jones for folk tunes music and run it until it’s dead. But on this single I was looking for a bit more. A bit of pop oomph. Welcome to Sara Bareilles, almost-gonna-make it pop rock act. But I bring you good music with a focus on the music being good. Hence, she has made the cut.

WEEKEND RECAP

Another weekend is, once again, behind us. Admittedly, this is a condition which sucks donkey balls. But the weekend was a busy one; I've got a lot to tell so I can't dwell on that.

On Friday, I was tuckered out by the time I rolled out of work so I preferred to collapse on the couch for the evening and watch Criminal Minds. And surprisingly I had a great time.

On Saturday, I headed to a friend’s place, who also happens to be guitarist and vocalist for popular local band Lounge Piranha.

He’s working on a new t-shirt line and I wish I had taken my camera with me to capture everything I had seen - the creator at his home. I just loved his work, a place that looked like a home/ studio and work on the walls for ideas and inspiration.
His work place is like something out of a dream sequence, and the designs on t-shirts are full of humor and playfulness as well as great craftsmanship and unique style. Visit his homepage here to view his work!

Saturday afternoon - There was more than a little playing, multiple rounds of beer in a well-known pub called ‘Noon Wines’. I think I fell in love with the Lamb Steak Burger at Ice & Spice instantly, and a shockingly impressive consumption of mayonnaise. We had a wonderful time. Afterwards, I think we were all worn out. We headed home and passed out for the evening.

Sunday involved sleeping in for me, the expected weekend with older sis and her family for lunch and desert. While that was neat and all, it was my niece that stole the show as usual. By the time they left, though, I had her trained, getting her to sit down, stay still and everything. I'm sure "accidentally" feeding her cookies and chocolate didn't hurt her conformity either.

Most of you probably wouldn't mechanically leap to this guess but, if left to my own devices, there's a fair chance I'd become a loner. I like time to myself and with my music. But through all this eventful weekend, I was reminded that it's often through the eyes of other people – family and friends - that you're told again and again how privileged you are. And I'm one fortunate lady.

It seems like I talk every month about how surprised I am by the amount of new artists that show up on my playlist, but they’ve really outdone themselves this year. As far as this blog goes, I’ve added a new band to review this month, titled ‘Revelation’ by Sons of Sylvia. In fact I’m listening to it right now and it’s still solid from start to end. The album ‘Revelation’ is so good, so instantly timeless, that my unconscious has filed it away with albums I’ve loved over the last 15 years of my life.
As always, make sure to leave a comment if you like what you see or have your own favorite albums or songs to add. To the readers, thank you for continuing to support this blog and reading what I have to say. Have a wonderful September!

It’s Only Love’ by Sons of Sylvia

I CAN EAT MY DINNER IN A FANCY RESTAURANT......

Here's something to ponder while you sip your coffee, make plans for the weekend, get ready to have a nice meal or sit in an endless stream of traffic on your way back from work. Who is your role-model? And, in fifty words or less, why? Watch, allow me to demonstrate:

My best friends, Runa and Ruan are my role-models. They stand strong when I cannot, push me towards the right path when decisions are lost upon me, and help me to be a better person. Wonderful people, loyal friends, beautiful chicas, and of course, they have smokin’ hot asses.


So - husband, wife, boyfriend, girlfriend, mom, dad, teacher, altar boy, rockstar or football fan - let me have it.

In an interesting turn of events, I won last quarter’s ‘Star Performer’ award and my team (Display Advertising) won the most prestigious annual award our company can give to any individual/team; and this is among 13,900 employees in the world. The gods of technology seem to be cutting me some slack. It was a good day. Now? I need chocolate...and tea...lots of tea.

Sinead O’Connor's 'Nothing Compares To You' cover by Stereophonics

I still really, really, really love this song.

As I was struggling through one of my longer runs on the treadmill, this song came up on my playlist. (Yeah, what’s up? I listen to this Sinead O’Connor cover while running.) One of the ways I get through the parts where I just don’t want to run anymore is allow myself a little psychotic lip-syncing singing along with whatever is playing. I was working my way towards the end of a run, and mouthing the words to this song while people did their stretches and lifted weights. And by “lip-syncing,” I mean puffing out incomplete lyrics, by which I mean crazily panting, “I CAN EAT MY DINNER IN A FANCY RESTAURANT.”

I’m at a point in my life where I’m fortunate to discover so many wonderful covers. As I’ve said before in other EC posts, I’m a sucker for good covers. And Sinead O’Connor’s famous ‘Nothing compares to you’ covered by Welsh band Stereophonics is pure class. There is something captivating about spitting venom over a gorgeous O’Connor backdrop. I simply cannot force my brain to move beyond this track. If you have only one song to listen to today this should be your choice.

Keep listening to good music.

"Drink Tea....Destroy Everything!"

Things have not started out well...

There are three kinds of moods I seem to break out into depending on the way I feel and the significance of whatsoever it is that happens to be off beam. First, there's the I'm somewhat bothered and/or sore but, hey, I'll get over it mood which is more grumpy than anything. It's effortlessly treated by receiving a hug or waving something shiny in front of me. Next, and to some extent more tough, is the damnit, I'm mad, I feel like crap, so get your asses out of my way, people, marked by a more serious mood. Finally, there's the horrific holy shit, people, a pack of untamed chimpanzees somehow made it into the place, climbed a flight of stairs and started gnawing on my limbs mood. You would think that the conclusion of humankind as prophesized by the book of Revelations was playing out.

This morning? It was that third thing.

Then, before I knew it, the driver was calling and, of course, I let the phone ring over and over again even though I was so late because I was feeling about as inspired to go to work as I am to let wild rabbits consume my brain. When I did head to work, it was cold and blustery and the traffic sucked. I strolled into my office, took a sip of tea and ordered breakfast. Instead of it being the standard slightly grilled cheese sandwich, they dumped gallons of some green gooey crap into it and burnt my breakfast beyond recognition. I felt betrayed. Those men at the cafeteria, I thought they knew me. I thought we were tight. Soulless dogs.

I have meetings and countless hours of work standing between me and the weekend. I think it’s time to get more tea.

It’s been a while since I had some Alternative rock to listen to and Lifehouse’s ‘Joshua’ is filling that void quite nicely. Music from this band is always a huge plus in my book. This single is a remarkable display of guitar-light rock. The shimmering riffs that slip into the song are mixed in with some truly lovely guitar interplay all finishing in a densely layered, glorious tune. The dynamic highs and lows will be familiar to anyone who’s ever put on a Lifehouse record, but the band’s elegant musical craftsmanship are enough for them to make their own mark in the alternative-rock world.
This song from Lifehouse, was totally unknown to me until I was looking through their ‘Rare & Unplugged’ album. It’s yet another one of those things I listen to and think “damn, I wish I’d made that.

The Case of Cerebral Briggsy*

I was busy all day. I really was, no shit, 7 hours long. As painful as I'm sure that sounds, it was really a pretty awesome day. But I think I'm now suffering from Cerebral Briggsy. And? Cerebral Briggsy? I previously revealed that I think I'm suffering from Cerebral Briggsy? Sorry. Must be because I'm suffering from Cerebral Briggsy.

All that good tactical thinking at work left me lacking the good quality time necessary to get my freak on. So it's your turn. Yes, your turn to tell me how the week’s going. I think it’s the Cerebral Briggsy that’s making it hard to deliver to you this Wednesday. Let's have it - tell me about the good, the bad and the ugly.

Once you're done, check out some awesome music below. Listen to it, and you'll get twice your recommended daily allowance of awesomeness. Warning - there is danger of awesome overload.

MGMT sounds nothing like anything we’ve covered before. I’m using this opportunity to write about one of the most exciting things I’ve stumble upon in recent times.
Whether this band is giving new meaning to the terms ‘Psychedelic Pop' or 'New Wave' or 'Neo-psychedelia' or reinventing the standard measures of a track, Andrew VanWyngarden and Ben Goldwasser are always up to good. Producing heavy tunes since 2005, the band’s flexible use of drum, guitar, keyboard lines and dusty electronica samples has helped in launching a consistent style that chases your train of thought and let your ears do all the thinking.

Two years after ‘Oracular Spectacular’ (one of my favourite albums) jumped on the decks it pretty much set the standard for gold, instantly making the band entryway artists for anyone who was just beginning to explore the whole wide-eyed electro optimistic genre. I’m always intrigued by a song that’s far from my home genre and I couldn’t be more serious in saying that MGMT is totally listenable. You can bet your ass their most recent album ‘Congratulations’ (2010) plays as smooth as their ‘Oracular Spectacular’ album (2008). Surely it is not for everyone, but be it textured or impressive… it never reaches a point of becoming too much of one thing– and that my friend, is a good thing. It’s the perfect recipe for repose if you ask me. In fact, I’m not sure why this hasn’t been considered for hypnosis. Now do as I say and listen.

MGMT with 'Electric Feel'

*Cerebral Briggsy: A disease that severely affects the brain causing the sufferer to be devoid of common sense, reality and render them completely useless at everything