I have always been hearing about people winning contests, getting invited for tours, being sent King Fisher beer and would always be amused and wonder, Why not me? Till realization would hit, by my daughter & wife reminding me “You need to enter to win”.

Ah! Well, mera bhi din aayega and it happened. A fortnight ago, some tweet of mine attracted the attention of a couple of brands who decided to take pity on me and promptly asked me if I would be interested in  some chocolates and wine. Now I am not a wine drinker, nor a chocolate lover (my daughter adores chocolates by the way) but the non intrusive way it was asked, piqued my attention and in a moment agreed to try it out. Read the rest of this entry »

We had a great party season that ended with our traditional “Undhiyu” party on the 25th January. A common questions that friends, keep asking -

Q How do you manage to host so many parties successfully?
Q Is it difficult? Time consuming?

Besides the fact that I have a supportive wife & now daughter - both who are of great help, over the years have learnt & now follow those points that ensures the success of the evening.

So, all of you who have been asking, here goes, for whatever it is worth:)

A) Make sure enough starters, some are always more hungry than others - We normally have 2 dry/cold - peanuts, chips kind & 2 hot/prepared starters.

B) As the Host, ensure they are well taken care of. Top up the drinks, starters coming enough, juices & soft drinks, everything from ice, lime, lemon, juice, soda, olives & right enough glasses. Whilst, mostly parties do end with dessert, we always ensure that there is coffee or liqueurs to end the night

C) Music - soft - This is one point where there have always been ambivalent feelings, since mostly at our place, we end up switching it off as there is enough to catch up, meet, discuss that at times, it starts intruding.

D) Invite people from different professions, that’s one way to make sure party not office - This has been the mainstay of our parties. Whilst there may the usual close group, however a couple of new people get rotated which acts as a lubricant to great conversation.

E) Make space in your house - When you invite people, you have to accept that kids would need to sit separately, watch TV etc. so space would need to be made.

F) Rules - Avoid passionate debates about Politics & Religion. If it feels getting out of hand, ease somebody out. Yeah yeah, bad taste and all that but, has to be done.

So, Go on Party!

I have never been an athlete in my Life! though would always be on the playground, trying to be one.

I have never played sports in my Life! though played a bit of cricket, learnt a bit of football.

I have always been finicky about food - i.e. loved the good food,  but only cooked in a specific manner, at specific places etc.

I am a vegetarian who also eats non vegetarian:) but regularly irregular. I started eating chicken in 1981/82 maybe once in a month or so. Fish in 1990, with red meat once in a couple of months maybe! And this is primarily outside when entertaining or being entertained.

And learnt the Shotokan style of Karate (Brown Belt) for a couple of years.

Post college, work started, moved across India, traveling, so on! With the rapid growth on the professional level, came the sedentary life style, with the industry change, came more luxurious travel, entertainment so much so that for a couple of years lived out of the suitcase.

When traveling tried the delicacies there & then when back, wanted home cooked food that the wife made……AND the photographs say it better…….

Sedentary lifestyle; Partying; Entertainment did me in, so to speak.

During this period of 1988 to 2007 I had tried out the following:

1) Talwalkars’s in Mumbai during 1996-97…..on the recommendation of Mehul but the travel(which made it difficult to be regular) & the insipid trainer (who helped strain my back with his enthusiasm) put paid my gymming.

2) Anjali Mukherjee during the same period & 2000 when I consulted her & she in turn consulted me:) And Yes there were changes, however the near drastic lifestyle changes did not sit well with me, so left it at that.

Magar Abhi toh Picture shuru hua hai mere dost!!!!