Paper source

I pass by a shop called 'Paper source' on my way to the office everyday, and just wondered what will it be like inside. So this weekend I finally ventured out to satisfy my curiosity. And guess what did I find.. well yes, Paper! But not just any paper, but speciality papers- handmade ones, and Tibetan, Japanese, Chinese and Indian fine papers, glitter papers and paper ribbons, paper dolls, flowers and butterflies.. papermache boxes and folders.. and you name it. Get a glimpse of what I saw here.

The shop is a whole new world, and the moment I enetered it I knew that I have fallen in love with this place! Creativity seems to be flowing in the air, and after a very long time I found myself thinking about little craft projects, of course with paper! And I did managed to find some confidence to invest in some materials that I now intend to work with. So stay tuned to see how I faired.

Take care, Smriti

Harvard plate stacks tour

Today is a big day for me, because I saw the marvels of astronomy in the 18th and 19th century first hand. These included the daguerrotypes to glass plates on which several fascinating events like the sighting of Haley's comet in 1910 were recorded and several unknown wonders of the sky uncovered. These glass plates essentially are negative images of the sky, which were recorded and then analysed.



I saw one of the plates up and close which forms the basis of the Henry-Draper (HD) star catalog, his original notebook where he classified each object on the plate, numbered them and pinned down the stellar type.

It gives me goosebumps to imagine how painstakingly those people worked, what would have been their level of enthusiasm when they gave it all to fulfill one motive: satisfaction of their curiosity. It is ever more fascinating to think there are many
legends and names related to them that we know, but there are many more whom no one ever knew. But they still made their contribution, and we are indebted to them, forever.

To mummy

I thought all day long for a gift to give mum this mother's day... the fact that I am across the globe making it all the more difficult, but not diminishing my spirits. Something materialistic didn't seemed to satisfy. And so I decided that the gift I want to give ma- the woman who made me the person I am, can be nothing less than the celebration of life itself.

Mamma, I dedicate this blog to you.

This blog is a celebration of life. Here I will share with you the big and small adventures that fill my life. Experiments in the kitchen, new places and people discovered, and hopefully some adventures down the memory lane.

Amongst others, one of the gifts I have obtained from my mother is a passion for cooking. And believe me, it is an art that has earned me many friends (across the globe) over the years. On this blog I want to share my adventures with you.

So, to celebrate mother's day, here comes today's special Methi mushroom curry- my dinner tonight! The recipe is mainly taken from here with the only modification that instead of blending the curry ingredients after cooking, I decided to mince individual ingredients for the curry paste beforehand. Mainly because I don't have a blender amongst my minimal kitchen tools. But I think it tastes as good as the original recipe. This dish becomes even more special because it gave me an opportunity to use kasoori methi (dried Fenugreek leaves) that my grandma had painstakingly dried and packed for me. This is indeed a wonderful recipe, so try it and celebrate another beautiful evening of your life that will never return.

And once again, a very Happy mother's day to all mothers.

Take care!