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| Since so much of my writing happens at Candies now |
Today is Shoshthi or the first day of the
Durga Pujos. It is also the 9th birthday of Finely Chopped.
Durga Pujos. It is also the 9th birthday of Finely Chopped.
I had written my first post here on 7th
October 2007.
October 2007.
It was about three paragraphs long. Had no accompanying
photographs. I had probably written it at night after work. On the office
laptop perhaps. It berated Kingfisher Airlines on the poor quality of food
served, specifically an odious Thai red curry that they had subjected me to on board. Here’s the
link
photographs. I had probably written it at night after work. On the office
laptop perhaps. It berated Kingfisher Airlines on the poor quality of food
served, specifically an odious Thai red curry that they had subjected me to on board. Here’s the
link
A lot has changed since then.
Kingfisher
Airlines has shut down. I am still plagued by bad airline food though. I recently ate
a strange dish of soggy rice with fragmented bits of sponge inside and channa dal on
the side on a flight. The air hostess called it a ‘chicken biryani’ for some reason. An interaction I then had with the airline’s
customer service on mail made me realise that they don’t really care about feedback, or
about improving things. So, there is no point my writing about them here to be honest. I fly
that airlines for the miles and that’s all now.
Airlines has shut down. I am still plagued by bad airline food though. I recently ate
a strange dish of soggy rice with fragmented bits of sponge inside and channa dal on
the side on a flight. The air hostess called it a ‘chicken biryani’ for some reason. An interaction I then had with the airline’s
customer service on mail made me realise that they don’t really care about feedback, or
about improving things. So, there is no point my writing about them here to be honest. I fly
that airlines for the miles and that’s all now.
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| Horrid airline food continues to haunt me 9 years later after I blogged about Kigfisher This time I have a picture |
Of course I rarely do posts which are three
paragraphs long these days. In fact sometimes my posts can hit 3000 words!
paragraphs long these days. In fact sometimes my posts can hit 3000 words!
If I do 3 paragraph posts now, its on
Instagram or Facebook and shorter ones on Twitter.
Instagram or Facebook and shorter ones on Twitter.
I doubt if I had Instagram and Twitter
accounts when I started blogging.
accounts when I started blogging.
I put pictures too now. Not very well
photo-shopped or styled ones. Pictures I take on the go. Often on my iPhone.
photo-shopped or styled ones. Pictures I take on the go. Often on my iPhone.
I have had my own laptop for a while and
stopped depending on office laptops a while back. My wife, Kainaz of ‘K’ fame,
gave them to me.
stopped depending on office laptops a while back. My wife, Kainaz of ‘K’ fame,
gave them to me.
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| K having the Parsi national soup: crab sweet corn soup Ling’s Pavilion. A restaurant I discovered through blogging |
I occasionally use my phone or iPad to
blog. Very rarely though. My mom, ‘The Tabulous Mom’, is the one who blogs
using her tab.
blog. Very rarely though. My mom, ‘The Tabulous Mom’, is the one who blogs
using her tab.
When I started blogging in 2007, I used a slowly
dial up internet connection, that I had got from office, at home, and the office internet
connection at work.
dial up internet connection, that I had got from office, at home, and the office internet
connection at work.
We have internet connections at home now. Multiple ones. None is very dependable you
see. So much for ‘Digital India.’
see. So much for ‘Digital India.’
Also, the thing is, I don’t have an office now!
Though I like to call Candies that.
Though I like to call Candies that.
Candies is a café in Bandra from where I work every
morning. Except on Mondays when I go to Smoke House Deli as Candies is shut on
Mondays.
morning. Except on Mondays when I go to Smoke House Deli as Candies is shut on
Mondays.
So what did my day look like today?
Well, I did my morning chanting. I am a member of the Soka Gakkai International, a lay Buddhist organisation devoted to peace you see.
Then I went to Candies and got the proofed
typeset manuscript of my book in place to courier to Hatchette, my publishers
in Gurgaon.
typeset manuscript of my book in place to courier to Hatchette, my publishers
in Gurgaon.
Yes, I am writing a book. Began writing it
in mid 2014. It’s going to be be called The Travelling Belly. It was named by K. Just as she
was the one had earlier named Finely Chopped too. Actually she was the one who
had suggested I start the blog 9 years back.
in mid 2014. It’s going to be be called The Travelling Belly. It was named by K. Just as she
was the one had earlier named Finely Chopped too. Actually she was the one who
had suggested I start the blog 9 years back.
The book is going to an anecdotal food
travelogue covering some of the cities of India. There are no recipes or lists
in the book. Just tales of my eating around the country.
travelogue covering some of the cities of India. There are no recipes or lists
in the book. Just tales of my eating around the country.
Writing a book is a very different
experience from the instant gratification and independence which blogging
offers, and two and a half years after I began writing it, we are about to go to
print. Like a slow cooked pujor bhoger khichuri, the book too, I like to
believe, will hopefully benefit from the time it took to come into existence.
experience from the instant gratification and independence which blogging
offers, and two and a half years after I began writing it, we are about to go to
print. Like a slow cooked pujor bhoger khichuri, the book too, I like to
believe, will hopefully benefit from the time it took to come into existence.
I managed some pujo shopping after that before lunch.
Then I came and uploaded a post that I did for a client. Then sorted out
formatting bugs in the post after a quick and late lunch at home.
Then I came and uploaded a post that I did for a client. Then sorted out
formatting bugs in the post after a quick and late lunch at home.
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| What ‘office’ means to me today At a shoot for a client project |
I napped. Woke up and sent a client
proposal. I missed my yoga today but otherwise going to The Yoga Institute at
Santa Cruz in the evenings is something I look forward to on weekdays.
proposal. I missed my yoga today but otherwise going to The Yoga Institute at
Santa Cruz in the evenings is something I look forward to on weekdays.
Some fellow SGI members came over home
in the evening to chant. We skipped the Durga Pujo this evening and will probably go with mom tomorrow.
in the evening to chant. We skipped the Durga Pujo this evening and will probably go with mom tomorrow.
Yes, a very different day from what it
would have been on 7 October 2009.
would have been on 7 October 2009.
That day I would have got up and got ready for work. Driven down
to work. Or been driven (not sure if we had a driver then) down to my office at
Dadar. Now I use an Ola or an Uber and rarely use the car.
to work. Or been driven (not sure if we had a driver then) down to my office at
Dadar. Now I use an Ola or an Uber and rarely use the car.
I
would have spent the day in meetings, looking at research reports, surfing the internet,
headed home in the evening and then, after dinner tried out this new thing that
K had suggested I start. “It’s called a blog,” she had said.
would have spent the day in meetings, looking at research reports, surfing the internet,
headed home in the evening and then, after dinner tried out this new thing that
K had suggested I start. “It’s called a blog,” she had said.
My transition to a freelance writer, from
being a full time market researcher, was not a planned one.but the blog played a
starring role in setting it up. It’s thanks to the blog that I got assignments
from agencies and brands. Then writing assignments too. Some ad hoc. Some
contracts. The work has been diverse and very enjoyable.
being a full time market researcher, was not a planned one.but the blog played a
starring role in setting it up. It’s thanks to the blog that I got assignments
from agencies and brands. Then writing assignments too. Some ad hoc. Some
contracts. The work has been diverse and very enjoyable.
The book is thanks to the
blog. It was a fellow food blogger friend, Rushina, who had connected me to the
publishers who probably saw potential in the blog and commissioned the book.
blog. It was a fellow food blogger friend, Rushina, who had connected me to the
publishers who probably saw potential in the blog and commissioned the book.
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| A recent lunch at Sadichha with some of my earliest food blogger friends |
The work I have on my plate today is why you
won’t see me blogging as regularly now. Plus a lot of my day to day life is
chronicled in other social media avenues such as Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.
won’t see me blogging as regularly now. Plus a lot of my day to day life is
chronicled in other social media avenues such as Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.
I don’t know what the future holds. I have
realised through Buddhism, and through experience, that it is best to live in the present than to dwell about the past or
fret about the future.
realised through Buddhism, and through experience, that it is best to live in the present than to dwell about the past or
fret about the future.
Though, while I wrote this post I did wonder, just a
wee bit, how my day will look 9 years later.
wee bit, how my day will look 9 years later.
Dekhenge as they say in Hindi.
What I do know, is that I will continue to
blog as long as I enjoy it.
blog as long as I enjoy it.
The posts in the future might read different from
what I write today. Just as today’s post read very different from the first one 9
years back.
what I write today. Just as today’s post read very different from the first one 9
years back.
Anyway, if you have hung around so long, then a
big thank you to you. And even if you have not.
big thank you to you. And even if you have not.
It is you, the readers of Finely Chopped, who
have kept this story going.
have kept this story going.
And thanks to my friend, and one time
colleague, Kashi, for making me conscious of celebrating the birthday of Finely
Chopped by reminding me of the date every year.
colleague, Kashi, for making me conscious of celebrating the birthday of Finely
Chopped by reminding me of the date every year.
What’s for dinner today?
The keema our cook Banu is making based on a recipe from Osama Jalali that I gave her.
My decoding of Osama’s recipe:
- Heat ghee
- Add whole garam masala
- Add finely chopped onions
- Add sliced fresh ginger
- Add the mutton mince, turmeric salt and jeera powders but no chillies
- Cook in a pressure cooker if required
- Once done, switch off the flame and add in some beaten curd
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| Adding a food connect to the post! |
Hope to continue see you around here.
Happy Birthday Finelychopped :):)
Love
K
Happy birthday Finely Chopped! Thanks for giving us such happy reads of small and big discoveries with straight from the heart commentary. Keep posting for now you are blue ticked and you owe it to your readers.
All the best my friend. You and few bloggers like you have been pioneer and encouraged people like us to start something called blog. Wishing many many more years and eagerly waiting for the book. We will serve egg roll on the occasion of the launch
Well done Kalyan! Hv been following your blog and instagram for a long time.. love all your stories and ofcourse your love for all kinds of food.. you hv brought tons of pleasure to many strangers like myself! Through you stories I hv connected with the many restos and eating trips of yours..
thanks a ton and best of luck with your book.. hope i get my hands on it somehow.. keep the belly travelling and the fire burning!!
Happy Birthday Finely Chopped. Reading the blog always fills me with warmth and happiness.
Thank you for inspiring so many like me to put our love for food out there on the internet.
What a journey it has been !!!!! Keep the core of this beautiful blog intact and pure. Cheers mate !!!
Good to see your growth with food Kalyan. You had written about Sardar, my restaurant near your office at Lalbaug a couple of times. I do follow your finely chopped and would love to read your book. Today Sardar is no more and a fine dine stands in its place. Places serving soul food are disappearing and along with thousands of people I to miss Sardar. Will try to meet you in Candies. Regards
Happy Birthday to the blog!!! and congrats to you and Lady K….
You have indeed come a long long way…
Finely Chopped says, 'thanks mom'
Thanks Anjali for all the support. I have been reading your blog a lot of late because of an article I am doing on marathi food, and loved it
Thank you so much Anindya. yes, egg roll party would be lovely
Hey Parvez, how nice of you to write and thanks for your support. i hope the book lives up to your expectations
Thanks Zenia and love reading your posts too. Keep them going
Hey thanks Nicole and for all the Twitter chats which make Twitter still not feel that bad today
Hey thanks Parag. Hope you like the recent posts. Been pouring my heart into some of them, now that I have some time on my hand
Vivek, so good to hear from you. I was mentioning you and Sardar to someone recently while discussing misal and the dabba delivery. I definitely owe you a cappuccino and you know where to find me 🙂
hugs and thanks for being there Pinku