TANTE MARIE -WEEK 5 AND BUDAPEST...PAMPERED SPOILT...

TANTE MARIE -WEEK 5


The day started full of beans , i was really happy to go to class, i had just come back from Paris and was full of joie de vivre...
My partner this week Tom...
A lovely boy , who works well , is friendly and sings and is helpful and sweet ...so I was happy...
We started the day in full gusto like we normally do ...

The break felt very empty without Mya and Georgia...
But I guess that's what life is all about...the only thing constant in life is change...
Made lots a great stuff and had a good day..
Returned home, needed to finalise my budget lunch ....

Nightmare on elm street for me ...
Because I don't really cook here after I get back from school . Because I'm so stuffed that I have a salad or soup ..and generally detox a bit ...
But Monday, after two hours of sitting on-line trying to figure prices and trying to figure what to cook in £7 for four people ....
I just put my computer off , sat on the floor and cried like a baby...because I was truly stuck , and was still searching for what I should do ...
In the four weeks that I had been here..this was a day , I was just a mess...
Then calmed myself down , after speaking to a friend , and sat and made up a recipe , within the costing given and finished by 2 am in the night ...

The next day when I got to class , Ally my professor felt that I needed more chicken , so had to shuffle ingredients and costing and God....
This was not happening ...was glad it was over ...
Now I have to make what I have conjured in my head into a real tasty dish ...
I'm very good with conjuring up stuff...
I love the thoughts in my head ...
But this has to turn into reality now ...
And frankly I'm gonna do it ...
I love challenges and work best under pressure...
Though I may be all frazzled and go crazy ...
I know it will be fun ...

We had a fun Fish lecture with this gentleman called Ron Fowler , who has been dealing with fish for 50 years..
I cut a fish and cleaned it ...yeah..
And the most amazing part, there was absolutely no fishy smell..

In the evening , Mya , Georgia , Maja and me , went and watched Tin-Tin...
It was super fun...
Will not meet Georgia or Mya again ...
Because they are both going back to Australia and Beijing respectively....
Will miss you girls...
Georgia.....you stay beautiful and happy , like a mermaid on sun-kissed shores ...
And ..Mya.... Well you are just wonderful, feisty , funny and full of beans...have a great life...hope the person you marry, knows how lucky he is to have you ...

Wednesday, was exciting, because we made great food and also because for my mid term break , I had already booked my tickets....
To Budapest ...
I really was looking forward to Budapest , firstly because Junky and Pooja ...who I know for about 19 years of my life live there...
And secondly .. I'm pretty familiar with Budapest , because I holidayed here 8 years ago ...
So after class on Wednesday , I actually ran to Sainsbury at the Woking city center to buy myself a chicken ...
That Ally would be showing me how to joint in the right way, for my 'budget exam'...

I sped back home , armed with my chicken .. Had a shower and waited for my taxi , that was slightly late ..like a minute or two ...
I mean coming from Bombay , I should be used to late... But here , everything is always on time ..
And I was so happy and excited to go to Budapest , that I just wanted to reach the airport and check in. ...
Which I did ... Then proceeded to do little shopping at the duty free ...
I got on my flight and wrote my Paris blog ..
I reached Budapest ... Waiting to meet Pooja and Junkie ...
But had a technical problem ...
Which was sorted ....
You must be wondering what ...
But anyway it's just too technical to explain ...and so with what can only be explained as a miracle on Diwali day ...
I walk out into the cold Budapest Air...
Straight into the warm open arms of Pooja and Junky....
Unbelievable ....completely unbelievable ...
And have come back after 8 years to Budapest, the city of beautiful bridges and the silent , languorous and majestic Danube ....
We go home half laughing, half in shock and in happiness of being there for Diwali...
We sat and talked and laughed till really late into the night...I think it was more early morning ....
And then I slept like a baby ....
Peacefully .....
and woke up at 11am...not done that in ages...

Well , I needed to try out my budget lunch because have exams on the 9th Nov...and as you know I conjured up this recipe and had a terrible time trying to put together a meal for 4 people in £7...

So went to the Market, picked up all the necessary ingredients , and came back, prepped up all my food ..
Put the timer on for two hours and started cooking ...
Think Pooja was more nervous than me, because she would sweetly saunter in the kitchen , and then say ok I'm going to nap , you do your work , but i don't think she really slept..
And when the last 6 minutes were left , she calls out saying , have you finished, you have very very little time left...
Well I finished cooking and plating 6 minutes before my alarm went rrrrrrriiiinnnggg!!!
And dug into my food...
Not bad ...not bad at all..
Promise to put this recipe up for you ...after I finish my exams ....

Pooja is vegetarian, so she tasted the vegetables and the rice...
And just was a pillar of support ..
And then we waited for Junky (whose real name is Vinod) to taste the chicken and dessert and give me his opinion...
Which he did , in a very technical precise way and told me what it lacked and what I should avoid...etc etc...
I was actually very impressed with how he dissected the food , without criticising it...

Thank God...
I have finished with this because now my holiday begins ...
And so showered dressed and got out ...
Went to a lovely Italian cafe , Vapiano...super simple , warm and classy decor and really good food...
It had graffiti on the wall that said stuff like..
When the moon hits your eye like a fresh pizza-pie, that's AMORE...ha ha ha I already liked this place ..
And "all I am and all you see , i owe to spaghetti "Sophia Loren ....so I sat there, and just took in the place...
It had tables around trees and beautiful aromas of fresh food wafting through their open kitchens ...
Simply super...
So me and my Desigual jacket ...were ready for food glorious food ...
Did I tell you that my favourite food is Italian....
Well ...yes it is ...
Along with, Greek, Thai...Indian...Chinese ...French..
But like Italian the most ..

Then we walked out into the cold , stuffed and happy , and into Junky 's warm Indian restaurant Indigo....
For some "mulled wine" ...which is just awesome in the cold weather ...
Back home...I tried to do some writing of recipes and we talked laugh and sipped "Tokaji"...pronounced tokai...
And slept ...

The next day, Pooja arranged for me to do girly thingies...
Like get pampered in a Salon....
Gosh I sooooo needed this ...it was wonderful...
Felt fresh, clean and rejuvenated....
Hmmm mm.....
I love getting pampered, which girl does not like that feeling , and thanks to Pooja and Junky ...that's what I felt like ..a spoilt pampered girl ..
We went for lunch ...
And then to buy Polish pottery....
Gosh , I went mad , it's absolutely beautiful....
And Agneska, the lady selling it, was the nicest soul , you could meet, warm , lovely and a heart of gold...
Between Pooja and me , we bought , cups ,tea-pots, platters, baking dishes...small bowls, big bowls and just spent the afternoon with Agneska and played with her beautiful golden retriever...
Gosh ...
Shopping with girls is so much fun ...
The three of us then went and had hot chocolate and sinful desserts at a quaint old shop called"Cukraszda"known for it's marzipan and tea time indulgences ..
We sat, laughed, talked about anything and everything ....
And got back with our loot....
That Pooja is gonna carry for me the next time she comes to India ...
Can I get luckier and can friends be any nicer than this...thank you ...

Junky and Pooja , then wanted to take me out to eat again ...
I must either look very hungry all the time or look starved...
Because everyone always wants to feed me...
So a shower and some time later , we were off to this beautiful Greek restaurant ..
Had amazing food and something called "USO"....
Ha ha ha ....lots of fun ...

And before leaving , the guys there gave us these big flowers that looked like cabbages...
Well it was nice receiving flowers...
Not been given them in a long time ...felt like that song , " you don't bring me flowers , you don't sing me love songs ...

The next day the plan was ...
Drive to Vienna, Austria...
For a day of shopping and general indulgence...
We were there is less than three hours...
Bought some more warm sweaters and dress...from Guess...
Will someone please remind me again , that I live in hot Bombay ...and I am not moving to the North Pole because Santa has not yet invited me ...
Or then please take my credit card away...
My friend Lorraine in London, hope you are not reading this , because yes more warm clothes....

I love Vienna...
It always reminds me of my mom...
She studied here and lived here for 10 years of her life...
Her first language is Marathi, her second is German and her third is English...
And she would tell us stories of how the snow would cover the streets like a big white blanket and how the Christmas trees would look so beautiful with all the tiny fairy lights, and hot chocolate in the cold , and schnitzel and apple strudel and hazelnuts...and guess that's why I love the cold and snow ...
And she would play us these German songs that we never understood but we knew them because she sang them and we learnt one ...
She tried teaching us German ...but Julu and me really never took her seriously ...

But think I don't have an affinity for languages...
But learnt very basic stuff..
Guten Morgen, guten tag, guten abend and gute nacht...
Then stuff like have you slept well last night...
And the most IMP of all...
Ish liebe dich.... love you ...
I think I know this in quite a few languages ..why I don't know...
But think it sounds nicer in a language that you don't understand ...
Much more romantic ...Ha ha ha ...yup I'm crazy , and I love it ..

St. Stephan platz was where my mum used to attend mass...and when I went there 8years ago for the 1st time, I just retraced my mums steps to the places that she used to go to ...
And when I showed her pictures , she was in shock because it was completely different ...

Anyway...
Pooja , Junky and me....
Were in Wein or Vienna...
And we spent the day walking, shopping , eating and checking out the various entertaining entities at the centrum....
There was a demonstration for vegetarianism...
And though I was vegetarian for 5 years of my life ...
I now eat everything ...
But maybe someday will give it all up for a bit again...
The street acts were fun...

Pooja , Junky and me, all bought foot wear....
I found the funkiest Mexican boots I had ever seen...
I fell in love with them...
And bought them after walking up and down in the store and asking them whether I should or not ...
Frankly ...they are fully indulgent and were like , "of course you should buy it"
Very bad shopping buddies ha ha ha because they never stopped me or even tried to ...
Now all I need to do is find my ranch and get onto my horse, "twilight " and gallop into the sunset ....eeeeeeeehaw....

We then went and said thank you to God at St Stephens platz....
Very very very important in life ....
Because the stuff that i have gotten away with in these past two weeks is nothing short of a miracle ..

And now back to Budapest ...
Listening to Prince, Bryan Adams, Rihanna,Phil Collins ...
Gosh it was fun ....
Time flies when you are in company you enjoy ...

Back home packed my bags ...
Sat and laughed with bubbly and Chinese and photos and stories from the past , and finally went to sleep.....

It's Sunday 30 October ..
It's been a month and a few days since I left home ...
And have exactly a month more ...
When I got to school, first thing asked if we have any holidays , and because I had 4days free as my mid-term break...
I booked my tickets to Budapest ...

Could not have made a better decision..
Because these four days , felt like i was back home ...
Junks and Pooja , pampered me, indulged me, made me completely comfortable and fed me like you get fed in your mums house, when you go back home after a long time ...
Have never really lived all alone with them before ...and you always get to know someone only after you live with them...
Junky thank you from the bottom of my heart for pampering me and making me feel sooo special...
Pooja the reason he is my friend is because of you , and the fact that you love me ...
I thank you both for all the love and hugs and bubbly, Tokaji, mulled wine, Italian, Greek and other various foods you stuffed me with...
My jeans are not gonna fit ...unless I can run from Budapest to London , which I'm not ...
For stuffing me with super indulgent pastries and chocolates and macaroons ...
Gosh ...
Because of you two...
Budapest is my city of excess and getting pampered...
Feel like an over indulged little princess...
Like the cat who liked the cream...
So me my chapped lips and tinted mac lip balm and cold nose...
Woke up , today in the cosy girly bedroom you gave me..
And felt a pang in my heart as I was getting ready for the day ...

Lunch was wonderful...
And then we went to the oldest coffee house in Budapest and indulged in some more ice cream and tea time goodies...

Ha ha ha you guys are mad and crazy , and full of warmth and love ..
And hope I can make you feel the way you made me feel , some day...
Feel spoiled rotten ...

Junks you said something amazing while dropping me to the airport...
"It's so nice having friends all over the world ..
Every body runs after money , when instead you should be investing in lasting friendships"
Guess that's why we are friends , and have been for 19 years and will continue to be ...
God bless you guys...
And may he give you not what you want but what you deserve, because your wants may be few, but you do deserve a lot ....
Hugs and misses ...

As for me I'm fully re-charged and rejuvenated , and ready to take on the next four weeks ...
But think I may travel some more ...

Have "VISA" will travel ha ha ha ...
Bye ...