Beauty of Desert......

Desert, the hot arid intolerable heat scorching and burning the skin into darkest possible tan and equally matching hot wind blew my hair as i stepped out to witness the beauty of the Desert!!

While in car with air conditioner on maximum i could only feel the heat by touching the glass....... But when i stepped out i felt like desert embracing me with the warmest possible embrace..........

The trees at roadside seem like lifeless lovers who have lost the hope of meeting their love interest the" Rain"!! On the other hand date palms near the oasis gleams proudly with the full bunches of juicy dates and squirrels playing around..............

Desert is a strange combination of attraction and repulsion............. its serene, arid beauty is breathtaking but the scorching heat constantly urges your brain to keep away from this arid world......... yet its been mesmerizing travelers for many centuries.......... mesmerized me too............

The heat, thirst, blaze, burn all swept over me, but sometimes pain is so fascinating & reviving and so is the feeling of being in an orphaned beach "The Desert"

Quoting the lines of Philip Camitses from DESERT SONNET

"Oh desert I call out to you;

Your clear dry air reveals clarity of distant places my eyes see and hands touch;

Your quiet desolation so stark it screams to me;

Your hidden life to a casual observer is revealed to the patient;

Your dryness allows my whole body to breathe;

Your colorful mineral soils are not hidden by trees;

Your trails and roads offer access into respite..............

Your sage and creosote out number the diamond stars in ink black skies;

Your snapshot images a pronghorn leap a tortoise snort a rock fall;
Your etchings of ancient others from early times past;
Oh desert I call out to you."

Encounters with Kosha Mangsho!!

As a bong i am a complete foodie!! Love Ma r ranna, I had always wondered what magic she does specially with rui (rohu), ilish, pabda and not to forget my favorite chingdi (prawns) and all other fishes (cant remember the names now) , but I felt really proud the day when my Ma said she loved kosha mangsho which i made some days ago........

10th August was my Ma Baba r marriage anniversary, Me and my assistant aka my gundi aka my sis were planning from a week. Everything was perfect except one call the day before ruined everything. My folk's got an appointment ( baba with an endocrinologist and ma with an ophthalmologist) on 10th evening.

I hopelessly urged my Baba to postpone the appointment but all went in vain.....

So finally me and my sis decided that she will decorate the place and I'll cook the dinner while my folks were out to see the doctor. While coming back home in evening i bought 1kg patha (Indian mutton) , i knew the recipe but never tried it alone, so for improvisation i googled!!! ( If this would have been a chat with someone i would have surely written LOL)

Got so many results made me real confused!! Time was running out!! Putting the volume of the sound system to highest level and letting the woofer scream and my sis dancing in drawing room I started off.........

Washing, Cutting, Marinating, Mixing, Final touches made...... Kosha mangsho was far from just a blow of whistle!! Oops I also had to make fried rice and only half n hour left!!! Rushed the vegetables, rice, spices in cooker and kept it on burner.

Initially reluctant and unsure to taste the mutton I wondered whether this will turn out at least edible or not but when the aroma of the flavors flowed to the other room it allured my sis to the kitchen!! She pleaded to taste it, but in return i asked her to help me do the dishes!!

Well in the end Ma Baba really loved it!! I can never match my Ma's level of cooking but certainly can set my own mark and create magic just as my Ma!!