Indian cooking can be so easy if you know what to use and how to use; so I have taken upon myself the responsbility of satiating the appetite of young, single Indians (H1b holders or otherwise). The first item in our mission is Non Vegetarian (approx cooking time 25 minutes); however you can always avoide using the Chicken (that will save your cooking time too :)). And all the stuff is available at Walmart or at your big local grocery store.
Chapter 1: Alu-Chana Chicken Mix
Ingredients:
1 can of Diced Potato (Alu)
1 packet of fully cooked frozen Diced Chicken (you can use fresh chicken if you have time)
1 can of Chick Peas (Chana)
1 large Red onion (No white onions: they are not for Desis)
1 Green chilli
4 large spoon fulls of any cooking oil (my preference Olive oil)
2 large slices of tomato, 2 spoons of tomato puree, 1 spoon of minced garlic, 1 and half spoons of ginger paste.
Plus 1 spoon each of red chilli powder, garam/curry masala, turmeric powder,cumin seeds;
salt to taste.
Coriander leaves (for garnishing)
Process:
Cut the onions fine.Cut the green chilli into small pieces.
Fry the onions over red heat in a medium deep non stick skillet with olive oil (3 mins)
Add the cumin seeds and fry some more (2 mins)
Add the garlic, ginger and tomato puree.(1 min)
Add the diced potato. Add green chillies.(1 min)
Add turmeric powder, red chilli powder, pinch of salt (1 min)
Add tomato slices (1 min)
Fry on low heat with the chicken pieces (5 mins)
Add all the Chick peas with the juice in the can slowly (2 mins)
Add a small cup of water if you need gravy (optional)
Add Garam Masala/ Curry Masala and cook thoroughly (6 mins)
How to Serve and Eat:
Serve medium hot in a elongated bowl with some coriander leaves for garnish.
Eat with Tortillas or Pita bread.
Let me know your feedback. Bon Appetit
Friday, May 05, 2006
Tuesday, May 02, 2006
Being 'Cool'
If being cool means having innovative desktops, then I am quite good at that. Below are few samples on my Windows XP desktop. So is this cool??
Saturday, April 22, 2006
Technically E-Motional
This is the problem with my technical blog articles. No review comments on my last article. However if I write something about life, love, hate, women and other catchy topics the comments flow like confettis in parade. Are all my friends and foes technically challenged? Or may be they don't think me to be worth of writing any technical piece?! :(......anyways I think I am little bit okay with technology or atleast that whats my linkedin profile says. So guys before I write some more about rock climbing trips, or drink parties or office culture, please take time to write comments on my technical articles (technology pays for my bills.... )
Thursday, April 20, 2006
Microsoft Motion Framework
Microsoft Motion Modeling Methodology (M*4) or Microsoft Motion Framework is a newest, coolest but patented knowledge released by Microsoft for its hi-value consulting arm (MCS). Check out this awesome 30 minutes presentation with the director of this program, Ric Merrifield. It is still in the incubation phase, but once you preview it you will know why Iam bullish about its popularity. Supply Chain Management. Customer Relationship Management. Financial Management all rolled into this one, a stunning methodology for building business solutions that can be more easily described, takes better advantage of existing investments in infrastructure, and use service-orientation. Way to Go.
Sunday, April 02, 2006
Life and YOU
I took this great online quiz.....after a detailed questionnaire it spits out a more or less detail analysis of the salient points of your life....i scored average of 6.8 with very high percentage in body and finances, but unsurprisingly low on friends/family. H1B holders like me, who are away from their immediate family and have only colleagues to be called as friends, this is inevitable.
They also have statistical data break up of your score. This data enables one to infer some interesting conclusions on our modern consumerist society. You can identify your strengths and weaknesses, and build on the strengths while trying to improve on the weak spots.
| This Is My Life, Rated | |
| Life: |  6.8 |
| Mind: |  6.3 |
| Body: | 7.3 |
| Spirit: | 5.8 |
| Friends/Family: |  2.6 |
| Love: | 6.9 |
| Finance: |  7.7 |
| Take the Rate My Life Quiz | |
They also have statistical data break up of your score. This data enables one to infer some interesting conclusions on our modern consumerist society. You can identify your strengths and weaknesses, and build on the strengths while trying to improve on the weak spots.
Sunday, March 12, 2006
'Going' Wireless
Wireless is a method of communication that uses low-powered radio waves to transmit data between devices. The term refers to communication without cables or cords, chiefly using radio frequency and infrared waves. Present buzz in the media is about the future of wireless communication when anyone can communicate with anyone across the globe seamlessly without worrying about wires and connectivities. Nowadays there are softwares that let you access the Internet and send e-mail and instant messages with the omnipresent cell phones (or any device that supports wireless protocols). Jagadish C Bose and Marconi (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wireless), the first successful scientists who transmitted radio waves wirelessly never would have dreamt of such an upsurge. However we are in for more wireless surprizes.
Surprize #1 MIT Media Lab students Jackie Lee and Hyemin Chung have designed wireless-enabled wine glasses (actually, big tumblers) so couples can imbibe "together," even when they're geographically apart. When either person picks up a glass, red LEDs on their partner's glass glow gently. And when either puts the glass to their lips, sensors make white LEDs on the rim of the other glass glow brightly, so you can tell when your other half takes a sip (Read the details).
Surprize #2 The government of the world's most 'internet connected' country (if you dont know it, South Korea) is setting its goal to do the same with WiBro--wireless broadband--what it did with wired broadband in just 2 years. They are going the commercial high-speed wireless route in 2006 and hopefully it will fuel the fire in the belly for the most connected nation.
Surprize #3 And then there are companies who give the word wireless a literal perspective .....and force us to change the way we think about 'going' wireless...
Surprize #1 MIT Media Lab students Jackie Lee and Hyemin Chung have designed wireless-enabled wine glasses (actually, big tumblers) so couples can imbibe "together," even when they're geographically apart. When either person picks up a glass, red LEDs on their partner's glass glow gently. And when either puts the glass to their lips, sensors make white LEDs on the rim of the other glass glow brightly, so you can tell when your other half takes a sip (Read the details).
Surprize #2 The government of the world's most 'internet connected' country (if you dont know it, South Korea) is setting its goal to do the same with WiBro--wireless broadband--what it did with wired broadband in just 2 years. They are going the commercial high-speed wireless route in 2006 and hopefully it will fuel the fire in the belly for the most connected nation.
Surprize #3 And then there are companies who give the word wireless a literal perspective .....and force us to change the way we think about 'going' wireless...
Monday, February 27, 2006
India Vs Bharat
The Asian Tiger, India awakening...are few of the phrases I have read so many times in national and international business magazines and heard on prominent news channels . How many times I have listened to discussions on India's strengths of high-quality, low-cost human capital and her greatest constraints — a serious infrastructure deficiency and lagging foreign direct investment. Since the reforms of the early 1990s, India has progessed like anything on the macro-economic front and while India still suffers by comparison with China, it is in better shape with respect to its banking system, active capital markets, and a new generation of indigenous world-class companies and english speaking entrepreneurs and employees.
However what puzzles me is our complete ignorance of the concept of greater Bharat where everything is still the way it was. Illiteracy, poverty, starvation, malnutrition, lack of edible water are some of the lows that still persists amongst the highs of being a nuclear power nation with vast reserves of foreign currency. Dowry system, wife beating, killing of female foetus are signs of the fact that economic development and progress have failed to tame the feudal mentality of a greater chunk of the population; that IT and IT enabled services, that biogenetics and hi end research, that nukes and stealth submarines have not yet produced the dream country. We are 60 years into our independence, and theres definitely a long way to go to make Bharat happening.
However what puzzles me is our complete ignorance of the concept of greater Bharat where everything is still the way it was. Illiteracy, poverty, starvation, malnutrition, lack of edible water are some of the lows that still persists amongst the highs of being a nuclear power nation with vast reserves of foreign currency. Dowry system, wife beating, killing of female foetus are signs of the fact that economic development and progress have failed to tame the feudal mentality of a greater chunk of the population; that IT and IT enabled services, that biogenetics and hi end research, that nukes and stealth submarines have not yet produced the dream country. We are 60 years into our independence, and theres definitely a long way to go to make Bharat happening.
Sunday, February 19, 2006
Life @ Fort Smith Ver 2.0
Yesterday I completed one year of my job assignment at this god-forsaken place called Fort Smith; survived successfully the 'real' american apprehensiveness for brown skin and outsourcing which are characteristic features of most 'red' states of southern USA. However all is not bad; learned a lot on the job about handling people and processes, met a few people over the year who are actually progessive thinkers inspite of owning gass guzzling trucks, swearing by Walmart and their love for country music and boots, came in touch with women from different strata of the society (read very poor to aristrocratic) working at casinoes, malls, offices, insurance agencies, hospitals, car dealerships, bars and no-where (many of them share the same bliss of being 'single' for similar reasons: lack of exposure to outside world or overdose of exposure leading to adultery or the inherent southern spirit of not being able to reason to simple compromises in life). All these people, experiences made me more attuned to the truth behind the veil of so called american way of life (in small cities) and appreciate more the values that matter.
The lives of people here at Fort Smith or for that matter any small city in mid south west is so different from the lives of people at NYC, Chicago, LA, Atlanta, Sanfransisco, Dallas, Seattle. Lack of economic opportunities, absence of quality education, delayed exposure to world economy, excessive adherence to easy life.....all slow down the growth of such cities where most young kids look up only to the US army or the Walmart for the next job. Its a pity that corporate America is not coming up with new ventures to get this young, bright minds into action. This reminds me that we Indians, inspite of being from a third world country with very limited resources have actually come a long way within 60 years of our independence, taking advantage of the globalization of the economy. I think the middle class value-based bringing up, the hunger for doing something more than just surviving the daily rigmarole, and openmindedness enabled us where we are today. And I believe that only a few young educated people from these small US cities, who have the guts to be different and ability to adapt to changing demands of the economy can brighten the name of their hometowns sometime in the future.
The lives of people here at Fort Smith or for that matter any small city in mid south west is so different from the lives of people at NYC, Chicago, LA, Atlanta, Sanfransisco, Dallas, Seattle. Lack of economic opportunities, absence of quality education, delayed exposure to world economy, excessive adherence to easy life.....all slow down the growth of such cities where most young kids look up only to the US army or the Walmart for the next job. Its a pity that corporate America is not coming up with new ventures to get this young, bright minds into action. This reminds me that we Indians, inspite of being from a third world country with very limited resources have actually come a long way within 60 years of our independence, taking advantage of the globalization of the economy. I think the middle class value-based bringing up, the hunger for doing something more than just surviving the daily rigmarole, and openmindedness enabled us where we are today. And I believe that only a few young educated people from these small US cities, who have the guts to be different and ability to adapt to changing demands of the economy can brighten the name of their hometowns sometime in the future.
Saturday, January 14, 2006
'Desi' Home Run; lingo explained
Here is a collection of cool 'desi' definitions for the uninitiated American, who have not yet been 'blessed' with the Indian philosophy :-). Let me know if this helps.
____________________________________________________________
Desi:A colloquial name for South Asians, people who trace their ancestry to South Asia, especially India, Bangaldesh, Pakistan. Pronounced "THEY-see," it is the Hindi word for "from my country" (from the word 'desh' or country). In an article about the South Asian party scene in the Big Apple, New York Times reporter Somini Sengupta described the word as a "Hindi version of homeboy or homegirl" (NYT, 6/30/96: "To Be Young, Indian and Hip"). That's a pretty good definition.
ABCD "American Born Confused Desi" : A slightly derogatory name used to describe desi children who were born and brought up in America and are "confused" about their South Asian background. Read Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri for insights.
Non-resident Indian or NRI: A term coined by bureaucrats in New Delhi to define Indians who live outside India. Indian tax law includes three categories: resident and ordinarily resident; resident and not-ordinarily resident, and non-resident. The first is one who lives in India all the time; the second, one who lives at least 180 days in India, and the third, who lives less than 180 days in India. Also stands for Not-required Indians or Non-reliable Indians.
Asian, Asian American: Be careful of this usage when talking about those of Asian origin (like me). The key is to know is your reference really about all Asians or only about East Asians and/or Southeast Asians!! For example, an American reporter might write about the 'Chinese New Year being important to Asians in the U.S.' South Asians are a part of the Asian American community, and they don't care about Chinese New Year.
Diaspora:The British colonial legacy and large-scale immigration resulted in large number of pockets of people of South Asian origin scattered around the world (besides South Asia, of course). The government of India puts the size of the diaspora at more than 20 million. There are more than 2 million South Asians in the United States, a lot of them married to americans.Is there any statistics of the successes of these marriages?
Bengal, Bengali, Bangali, Bangla: During partition of India, the Indian state of Bengal was divided into two: the mostly hindu state of West Bengal, which went to India, and the mostly muslim country of East Pakistan, now Bangladesh. However, political borders are not necessarily cultural borders. Both Bangladeshis and West Bengalis speak the same language of Bengali, though with slightly different accents, and call themselves "Bengalis" or "Bangalis" (never Bangalees.) I am a Bengali Hindu from West Bengal in India: ooh what a legacy.
Hindu, Hinduism: One of the oldest (older than Christianity and Islam) religion practiced by about 80 percent of the population of India. The values and beliefs of Hinduism are not derived from a single text, institution or pontiff but have evolved over several thousand years in the subcontinent into a set of theological and social values embedded in a range of ritual observances, mystical contemplation and ascetic practices by its followers. Although Hinduism is often portrayed to be polytheistic, many scholars consider Hinduism to be henotheistic or monotheistic, the gods and goddesses worshipped by Hindus representing manifestations of One Supreme Being. Among the many sacred scriptures and texts of Hinduism are the Vedas, the Upanishads, the Bhagavad Gita (a segment of the epic Mahabharata). Do not confuse Hindu (the religion) with Hindi (a language).
Hindi: The primary language of about 30% of India's people, and one of almost two dozen major languages spoken around the country. It is derived primarily from Sanskrit, using the Devanagari script
Urdu: One of the official languages of Pakistan; also spoken in many parts of India, especially in the North. Also the language used in ballads known as ghazals. Urdu romantic shairis are the life blood of any good desi crowd.
Sanskrit: Indo-Aryan language in which many ancient Indian texts are written (Vedas); also used by Hindu clergy for recitation of most prayers.
qawaali or qawwali: (not capitalized) Devotional songs of the Sufi tradition of Islam. In the style popularized by the late singer Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, this old tradition has been sped up and blended with Western instruments.
Bhangra: Dance and music style originating in the Indian state of Punjab. Now often refers to a blend of western pop and traditional Punjabi music when performed in the West.Check out LA for regular Bhangra sessions.balle balle.
Mehndi: The traditional Indian and diaspora art of intricate hand and body decoration using dyes from the henna plant. Used mainly by brides during marriage ceremonies, it is now becoming popular as an exotic decoration and a non-permanent "tattoo." In recent years, mehndi has gained attention in the West as a result of its use by Madonna and Gwen Stefani. They have also popularized the 'Bindi', a hindi name for the decoration worn on the forehead by many women of South Asian origin.Contrary to popular perception, the bindi does not necessarily indicate the marital status of a woman. It can be applied as a turmeric-based powder or a quick-drying liquid, but many contemporary women prefer to use "stick-on" bindis that have a weak adhesive on the back.
Chai: Hot/Iced/Frozen tea served with milk, spices and sweeteners. Most of coffee shops in USA think that the trendiest beverage is neither espresso nor cappuccino, but chai. Rooted in the tea-drinking traditions of India, chai is suddenly the hottest sip in America.Note: The "ch" is pronounced as in "check." The vowel rhymes with "eye."
Cashmere: Fine wool from the undercoat of the Kashmir/cashmere goat. While mistakenly applied to all kinds of soft wool, only the wool from this goat is true cashmere. The wool, known as pashmina, is popular for its use in beautiful shawls and other handmade items produced in the Indian state of Kashmir (now China does too).
Diwali, Deepavali: One of the most festive holidays observed by Hindus, its overall theme is celebration of the triumph of good and truth over evil, symbolized by the lighting of fireworks and clay lamps at night. Diwali occurs during late autumn (late October/early November) and is celebrated in different ways in different parts of India to signify different local customs and religious traditions. Although it is celebrated among many north Indians and the diaspora as the start of the new year, Diwali should not be referred to as the 'South Asian new year', 'Indian new year', or the 'Hindu new year'. No such event exists.
____________________________________________________________
Desi:A colloquial name for South Asians, people who trace their ancestry to South Asia, especially India, Bangaldesh, Pakistan. Pronounced "THEY-see," it is the Hindi word for "from my country" (from the word 'desh' or country). In an article about the South Asian party scene in the Big Apple, New York Times reporter Somini Sengupta described the word as a "Hindi version of homeboy or homegirl" (NYT, 6/30/96: "To Be Young, Indian and Hip"). That's a pretty good definition.
ABCD "American Born Confused Desi" : A slightly derogatory name used to describe desi children who were born and brought up in America and are "confused" about their South Asian background. Read Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri for insights.
Non-resident Indian or NRI: A term coined by bureaucrats in New Delhi to define Indians who live outside India. Indian tax law includes three categories: resident and ordinarily resident; resident and not-ordinarily resident, and non-resident. The first is one who lives in India all the time; the second, one who lives at least 180 days in India, and the third, who lives less than 180 days in India. Also stands for Not-required Indians or Non-reliable Indians.
Asian, Asian American: Be careful of this usage when talking about those of Asian origin (like me). The key is to know is your reference really about all Asians or only about East Asians and/or Southeast Asians!! For example, an American reporter might write about the 'Chinese New Year being important to Asians in the U.S.' South Asians are a part of the Asian American community, and they don't care about Chinese New Year.
Diaspora:The British colonial legacy and large-scale immigration resulted in large number of pockets of people of South Asian origin scattered around the world (besides South Asia, of course). The government of India puts the size of the diaspora at more than 20 million. There are more than 2 million South Asians in the United States, a lot of them married to americans.Is there any statistics of the successes of these marriages?
Bengal, Bengali, Bangali, Bangla: During partition of India, the Indian state of Bengal was divided into two: the mostly hindu state of West Bengal, which went to India, and the mostly muslim country of East Pakistan, now Bangladesh. However, political borders are not necessarily cultural borders. Both Bangladeshis and West Bengalis speak the same language of Bengali, though with slightly different accents, and call themselves "Bengalis" or "Bangalis" (never Bangalees.) I am a Bengali Hindu from West Bengal in India: ooh what a legacy.
Hindu, Hinduism: One of the oldest (older than Christianity and Islam) religion practiced by about 80 percent of the population of India. The values and beliefs of Hinduism are not derived from a single text, institution or pontiff but have evolved over several thousand years in the subcontinent into a set of theological and social values embedded in a range of ritual observances, mystical contemplation and ascetic practices by its followers. Although Hinduism is often portrayed to be polytheistic, many scholars consider Hinduism to be henotheistic or monotheistic, the gods and goddesses worshipped by Hindus representing manifestations of One Supreme Being. Among the many sacred scriptures and texts of Hinduism are the Vedas, the Upanishads, the Bhagavad Gita (a segment of the epic Mahabharata). Do not confuse Hindu (the religion) with Hindi (a language).
Hindi: The primary language of about 30% of India's people, and one of almost two dozen major languages spoken around the country. It is derived primarily from Sanskrit, using the Devanagari script
Urdu: One of the official languages of Pakistan; also spoken in many parts of India, especially in the North. Also the language used in ballads known as ghazals. Urdu romantic shairis are the life blood of any good desi crowd.
Sanskrit: Indo-Aryan language in which many ancient Indian texts are written (Vedas); also used by Hindu clergy for recitation of most prayers.
qawaali or qawwali: (not capitalized) Devotional songs of the Sufi tradition of Islam. In the style popularized by the late singer Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, this old tradition has been sped up and blended with Western instruments.
Bhangra: Dance and music style originating in the Indian state of Punjab. Now often refers to a blend of western pop and traditional Punjabi music when performed in the West.Check out LA for regular Bhangra sessions.balle balle.
Mehndi: The traditional Indian and diaspora art of intricate hand and body decoration using dyes from the henna plant. Used mainly by brides during marriage ceremonies, it is now becoming popular as an exotic decoration and a non-permanent "tattoo." In recent years, mehndi has gained attention in the West as a result of its use by Madonna and Gwen Stefani. They have also popularized the 'Bindi', a hindi name for the decoration worn on the forehead by many women of South Asian origin.Contrary to popular perception, the bindi does not necessarily indicate the marital status of a woman. It can be applied as a turmeric-based powder or a quick-drying liquid, but many contemporary women prefer to use "stick-on" bindis that have a weak adhesive on the back.
Chai: Hot/Iced/Frozen tea served with milk, spices and sweeteners. Most of coffee shops in USA think that the trendiest beverage is neither espresso nor cappuccino, but chai. Rooted in the tea-drinking traditions of India, chai is suddenly the hottest sip in America.Note: The "ch" is pronounced as in "check." The vowel rhymes with "eye."
Cashmere: Fine wool from the undercoat of the Kashmir/cashmere goat. While mistakenly applied to all kinds of soft wool, only the wool from this goat is true cashmere. The wool, known as pashmina, is popular for its use in beautiful shawls and other handmade items produced in the Indian state of Kashmir (now China does too).
Diwali, Deepavali: One of the most festive holidays observed by Hindus, its overall theme is celebration of the triumph of good and truth over evil, symbolized by the lighting of fireworks and clay lamps at night. Diwali occurs during late autumn (late October/early November) and is celebrated in different ways in different parts of India to signify different local customs and religious traditions. Although it is celebrated among many north Indians and the diaspora as the start of the new year, Diwali should not be referred to as the 'South Asian new year', 'Indian new year', or the 'Hindu new year'. No such event exists.
Sunday, December 25, 2005
Fancy Flights
Visited India once more. There's no point ranting experiences for fellow readers..you just have to DO IT to know it. However I can enlighten you on the diversity of the airlines/aircrafts that could be afforded on my economy budget.
It all started with boarding a CR7 American Eagle at XNA to reach Chicago.This is one of the smallest, no frills plane one may fly; its too narrow with two seats on one side and one on the other.I fitted in my butt into the single seater and fell asleep to avoid the torture of being shaken like a cocktail drink during take-off.
The next flight was a gigantic leap from CR7. It was a Boeing 777-200; direct flight from Chicago to New Delhi. Mine was the first such non stop flight operated by AA.
They had special parties and guests to launch this event and the airport lounge was crowded lot. We were given special souvenirs and I hoped the in flight food would be special too (you cannot trust AA with good food).
However, the plane is super magnanimous. Just check out this blue print to gauge the enormosity of this beast.
The flight crew was happy to go to 'mystical' India for the first time. To my utter discomfort, I learned that AA doesn't serve free drinks (read alcohol) even on international flights;I don't know how they expect people to survive for 15 hours, in a closed airplane, in coach class, in the company of grey haired 40+ air hostesses without some liquor. I was fortnuate enough, when I could talk an air hostess to get me a free bottle of scotch. I could manage some sleep after that. The food was not alarmingly bad but also not superb. The limited variety of the food, keeping in mind it is an international flight also surprised me. You get better food on Indian domestic air routes. Read further.
Once in Delhi, I had to wait overnight to catch my next flight from New Delhi to Calcutta (Jet Airways). Believe me or not they use a Boeing 737, which is way bigger and spacious than the American Eagle stuff. The food is also sumptuous and plenty. http://www.airlinemeals.net/meals/JetAirways.html This is way much better than what I ate on the 15 hour flight. This feels like home. Good food. Indian hospitality. Prospering service industry of international standards.Mera Bharat Mahan.
The way back to USA from India it was Boeing 737 (Kolkata-Delhi), followed by Boeing 777-200(New Delhi-Chicago). After Chicago,I was to get NorthWest to fly back to Fort Smith via Dallas. Chicago to Dallas was good in a big Airbus. But the one from Dallas to Fort Smith took my wits away. It was one of those SR (short range) aircrafts with propellers driven by GE jet engines. The last seat looked actually like a couch where 5 people were jostling for space.I was seating on a single seat, luckily.That take-off scared me so much that I fell asleep once the plane was in air.The aged air hostess didn't even bother to ask for any beverage. It feels good to be back in USA where you have best of all facilities but the quality of air travel in USA is really not worth mentioning compared to SE Asia.
Let me know your feedback.
It all started with boarding a CR7 American Eagle at XNA to reach Chicago.This is one of the smallest, no frills plane one may fly; its too narrow with two seats on one side and one on the other.I fitted in my butt into the single seater and fell asleep to avoid the torture of being shaken like a cocktail drink during take-off.
The next flight was a gigantic leap from CR7. It was a Boeing 777-200; direct flight from Chicago to New Delhi. Mine was the first such non stop flight operated by AA.
They had special parties and guests to launch this event and the airport lounge was crowded lot. We were given special souvenirs and I hoped the in flight food would be special too (you cannot trust AA with good food).
However, the plane is super magnanimous. Just check out this blue print to gauge the enormosity of this beast.
The flight crew was happy to go to 'mystical' India for the first time. To my utter discomfort, I learned that AA doesn't serve free drinks (read alcohol) even on international flights;I don't know how they expect people to survive for 15 hours, in a closed airplane, in coach class, in the company of grey haired 40+ air hostesses without some liquor. I was fortnuate enough, when I could talk an air hostess to get me a free bottle of scotch. I could manage some sleep after that. The food was not alarmingly bad but also not superb. The limited variety of the food, keeping in mind it is an international flight also surprised me. You get better food on Indian domestic air routes. Read further.
Once in Delhi, I had to wait overnight to catch my next flight from New Delhi to Calcutta (Jet Airways). Believe me or not they use a Boeing 737, which is way bigger and spacious than the American Eagle stuff. The food is also sumptuous and plenty. http://www.airlinemeals.net/meals/JetAirways.html This is way much better than what I ate on the 15 hour flight. This feels like home. Good food. Indian hospitality. Prospering service industry of international standards.Mera Bharat Mahan.
The way back to USA from India it was Boeing 737 (Kolkata-Delhi), followed by Boeing 777-200(New Delhi-Chicago). After Chicago,I was to get NorthWest to fly back to Fort Smith via Dallas. Chicago to Dallas was good in a big Airbus. But the one from Dallas to Fort Smith took my wits away. It was one of those SR (short range) aircrafts with propellers driven by GE jet engines. The last seat looked actually like a couch where 5 people were jostling for space.I was seating on a single seat, luckily.That take-off scared me so much that I fell asleep once the plane was in air.The aged air hostess didn't even bother to ask for any beverage. It feels good to be back in USA where you have best of all facilities but the quality of air travel in USA is really not worth mentioning compared to SE Asia.
Let me know your feedback.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)