hiya

well folks, i am in pune (sigh, where else ) and its wonderful weather out there. i am a monsoon freak- waiting thru the hot summer months like the proverbial chatak, face upturned 2 the sky, 4 the first cooling drops that spell salvation 4 the parched earth and my equally parched spirit. the heat, dust and dirt are soothed back 2 the bosom of the earth . the earth dances in a veil of mist, clothed in verdure and revels in the benediction that is peculiarly a feature of this subcontinent. the drops bounce off my tiled terrace, some years condensing to a cold sleet of hail. puddles form just so that children and dogs can wade through them, dirtying up in a most satisfactory fashion, playing ball in riotous joy.
and while we adults go around doing our jobs, our spirit takes a break, slowing down in the comfort of our razais, enjoying hot, crisp pakodas and slurping up steaming khichadi or wonderfully gooey bishi bele anna, with all sorts of vegetables bathed in an amalgam of tingling spices. sinterspered amidst this are cosy interludes with your partner ( politically correct term i believe , post the legalisation of alliances).
so while we were trying to earn an honest living, J and i took a very, very brief break 2 panchgani. this is a wooded wonderland at this time of the year and in my wanderings, i found the perfect place 4 our reunuon. a row of cottages , fronted by a cosy private dining room ( 1 for 2 cottages), it meets all our requirements. the owner is a parsi and that explains his dogs r welcome policy. also the superb dhansak that he dishes up on sunday. brkfast is a spread with endless supplies of toast, butter and the most awesome home made jams. eggs 2 order make up the cresendo in this culinary tune. you can dwadle over dinner till the cows go out to pasture again. walks in the rain take you through boarding schools that look like they have stepped out of an enid blyton book, an decrepit bakery in front makes hot yeasty brun ( not buns as the lady corrected me) with crusty , chewy exteriors that need a lot of butter 2 soak in . the table land beackons if you need to work off the food. the cherry on the top is that this is the place where aamir khan got married ( 2nd time round). so folks , give me a date in sept and will negotiate the rates and arrange the details.