Priceless!! ---Diwali Special Post---

Planning for this Diwali: 2 days
Diwali shopping : Rs. 1000/-
Preparing Diwali special Goan food for the first time: 3 hours!

Hearing My mom's proud voice over the phone when I told her I managed the cuisine single handed??   PRICELESS!
Getting complimented for the good food ??  PRICELESS!


Cooking has never been my forte'!( And that's a big flaw for a girl to have....in Indian society. It's okay if you are not educated but you don't know to cook??? Shame Shame!!)
In fact I would prefer serving 100 hours as a punishment than get into the kitchen and cook food............but this was yesterday!
This Diwali ,that Janaki who had a mind block over cooking, is gone!

This Diwali I made 4 Goan Dishes,all by myself, just by taking a few notes from my mom over a telephonic conversation!
Either my mum gives really good instructions or that I'm a real quick learner........I think it's both! :-)

Today's achievement taught me a lot!
A. We are not born with all skills, but given a sincere try, nothing is impossible!
B. Completing a task, meeting small challenges, gives so much joy and is a real assuarance about self!
C. There is nothing called a Mind block...it doesn't exist in real! It's fictitious....a game our mind plays on us to cage us.....Challenge it!
D. Give yourself the time, don't be pushed towards any activity just because someone expects you to do it! When you do something because you want to do it, the satisfaction you get out of it, is Priceless!

This Diwali was the best I've ever had till date......And I thank god, my friends and every single person who made this day special for me!
What's more....I did not light any firecrackers!!So it was totally a safe,natural,environment friendly Diwali Celebration!
Though it was fun to watch people having a good time lighting the crackers...there was so much excitement in the atmosphere!At a point of time I really wondered,what are they so happy about? Why are they lighting so many crackers? Why so much noise?? But then,I have to confess, Diwali would be boring without the lights and the noise! Somehow noise is an indication of happiness.....people speak loudly when they are happy and excited......that shows there is a connection between happiness and noise levels!

It was nice taking a walk around BTM today evening!
It was nice getting Mehendi done on my hand!
It was kind of funny to see how stupidly people light crackers......sometimes the fireworks back fire...and everybody runs everywhere!
It was wonderful to look around 360 degrees from my terrace and see the night sky bursting with colours for 3 hours and more..........and wonder ......."What the Phog* man!!!" 
(*Courtesy: Shashank Govekar. The phrase 'What the Phog' is specially coined by him for this Diwali. Phog in Konkani means Fireworks......)

Well! To everyone....Wish you all a very Happy Diwali and a wonderful year ahead!

And yes......this is what I cooked.

From the left: Batat fov,Chanyachi usal,Rosatle fov ani doodhatle fov!

Fov means Rice flakes.

so once again, here we go in English:
From the left: Potato in Rice Flakes,Green Peas cooked in grated coconut,Rice flakes cooked in coconut milk, Rice flakes cooked in milk!