6 January 2017

Nikispeak – New Year’s Eve

Reached home a little late at around 10:30 PM or so after the India trip. Nikita was at the kitchen table doing her studies. After some time we started having dinner together and were exchanging notes about our Holidays.

As a reference, I was in India and she was in Dallas with Natasha and Sharmila. Also, as a further reference, “masi”, in our language Bengali roughly means “aunt”. Actually it is used to address your mom’s sister. But it is common practice to call an lady who would be roughly your parents’ age as “masi”.

Finally we came to New Year’s Eve.

“What did you do, for New Year’s?”, she asked.
“I was fast asleep. How about you?”
“Oh! I spent most of it being surrounded by a lot of drunk “masis” “.

🙂

Seems like nothing has changed in Dallas in ten years 🙂

Category: Humor | 7 Comments on Nikispeak – New Year’s Eve
24 December 2016

From the bartender’s corner – Kiss Me Quick

When I read up about this drink, I was assuming that it would have some relationship with the cocktail Kiss Me Slow that I had made almost a year back. Turns out they have nothing to do with each other. This has Curacao, Absinthe, Bitters and Soda Water.

Not my most favorite cocktail. The Absinthe, of course brought the freshness but the taste was too bland to the tongue. Plus I do not think I am a big soda water fan. But here it is if you want to try it out…

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22 December 2016

‘Tis the season to be jolly..

This is one hilarious family!!!
Last night, it was pretty late by the time I came home from Milwaukee. I had a quick dinner and went off to sleep.

Early this morning, I woke up and was making coffee for the family when I noticed what the two daughters have been up to! In one of those rare moments of sisterly collaboration, Natasha – who is home from New York – and Nikita have put some some Christmas wish lists on the refrigerator. I wish I could say there was no selfish desire behind this.

What is really funny is the content in the lists… Looks like Natasha wants some colorful pens (that is sooooo me) and a few books. It also says – “any one book” lest we thought she is crazy thinking she wants more than one book. And get this – permission to dye her hair!! An 18 year old asking for permission??? I must have done something right!!

Niki – spoken like Niki – went straight to the point – money! And another dog!! And no Saturday math!!! And if she got all that, she was down with some world peace and all that mundane stuff!!!

Sharmila, no doubt, worn by a whole day of the two sisters under the same roof just wants peace and serenity. To which one of them wrote “No promises”!!

And finally dad had a clean slate, till somebody – and I am going to go out on a limb and suggest Nikita – wrote down her impression of daddy really wants – get this – “Facebook Likes” apparently!!!

Somewhere Zuckerberg must be high fiving himself!!!

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18 December 2016

Nikispeak – or rather, Niki action

Nikita had to go to a friend’s party. Apparently, the dress code was “ugly sweater”. After finishing up some math with her, I told her that she probably should get upstairs and get ready and asked her which sweater was she planning to wear. She went upstairs and after about ten minutes came back to ask me what I thought of it.

It took me a second to realize that she had taken one of her sweaters and had duct taped a good size mirror to it. It took me more than a second to figure out how it was supposed to be “ugly”. Then it hit me!!!

That was outrageously funny, wicked smart and really, really mean at the same time. And such are the days that she really makes me proud of her 🙂

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18 December 2016

The year in rear view:: Sights from my own patio

For all the great sights we saw in our vacations, one of my favorite pasttimes continued to be some “me” time sitting in the patio looking into the forest. Sometimes it would be sitting with a cup of coffee early in the morning and hear all the birds chirping. Sometimes it would be late in the evening around a fire on a cold day. And many a Saturday and Sunday summer would be spent just sitting there idling with a camera and perhaps a cocktail.

Best part was patiently waiting for the birds – especially the hummingbirds – and the deer to get close enough to me to take some clean shots. This year, we did not have much ice or snow. So, I have no icicle pictures off twigs and branches like every year.

I hope to increase my quiet “me” times as I keep growing older.

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