Monday, April 23, 2012

The Perfect Sandwich!


The sandwich was here as you can see it disappeared pretty fast. 


From the first moment I held it in my hands I knew it was something special. And when I chomped into it and savored that first bite I had an epiphany. I realized this sandwich was the most perfect one I had ever eaten.  
Yes! I finally found it.
 I  agree it is not a life changing discovery maybe like the cure for Aids?
Regardless I feel euphoric about it. So much so I am dedicating a post to it.
I have always described my sandwiches as good, nice tasty etc but there has always been something which has been holding me back from claiming any particular one to be absolutely perfect.  That was until I went to HTC (Heladiv Tea Club) with my buddy Y for a quick bite over the weekend. For some strange reason the entire Dutch hospital complex was deserted and there were people standing outside the doors of the various restaurants trying to hustle the few people who where their inside. Reminded me of the touts outside stores in Pettah.
Not that it had to do anything with my sandwich.
But maybe… just maybe… the lack of people might have been the reason why that the guy who was executing our order could give it his undivided attention and create a masterpiece.
The bread was nice, soft and warm. The vegetables were crisp and fresh. The tandoori chicken filling was full of flavor, moist and juicy. The accompanying salad was as fresh.  I was amazed at how they managed to keep the vegetables so crisp and fresh because that’s where most of the others screw up. It seemed as if it was freshly cut even though it was not.
And then things got even better when we sampled the Tiramisu which was absolutely heavenly. According to my friend “Y” this was the real Tiramisu made using fresh cream instead of mousse which is what is generally used in most restaurants. And the portion was large enough to be shared by two.
All in all it was a good experience and I can’t wait to try the Tiramisu once again.   Also hats off to the guys who manage HTC – though I still consider calling it a Tea Club is a misnomer. 

Monday, April 16, 2012

You cannot recover...



... the stone after the throw


...the word after it is said


...the occasion after it is lost


... the time after it is gone


Just a little cut and paste job from an email I got .


The Monkey and the pea nuts.


Did you know how people trap monkeys in certain countries in Asia? They keep a pot with a hole in and some peanuts inside. A monkey seeing the food inside slides his hand in and grabs hold of the peanuts. But now since his fist is clenched his hand has become too big to pull out of the pot. All the monkey has to do is to let go of the peanuts to run free. But he never does that but instead holds onto his peanuts till the hunters arrive and carry him to an uncertain doom.
This is something I have heard  many times  and most recently at a Sunday sermon. I thought it was quite similar to us humans where we keep clutching onto things without letting go which leads us to trouble in the end. Well I can relate to it quite well I must confess.

Uncomfortably Numb!


Firing someone is not easy.
Even more so when it is someone close to you. Someone you cared for very much.
But that is exactly what I had to do a couple of weeks ago. And even right now I am suffering from its impact. I am stung. Walking about in a daze as if someone has kicked me in the nuts.
The worst part is that I needn’t have done the deed myself. I could have taken the easy way out and delegated the task.
But I chose to do so because it would be better for that person to hear it from me than anyone else.
Sometimes the buck stops with you and you have to take tough decisions. For the greater good even if it hurts one’s self.