First day of work

This was not going to be easy... I was returning to the workforce a freshly minted MBA after almost 3 years. Was it going to be easy transitioning from my 'holiday' phase of late nights and even later mornings into this 'office-going' person?

Things had to be perfect, and with the inevitable question of what to wear (basic black pants and a crisp white shirt, simple, classy), came the maybe not so inevitable question of what to take as lunch. Would they have a canteen? A microwave? What were the lunch time rituals - mayhem in the cafeteria or a lone lunch desk-side? To play it safe I decided on one of my favorite lunches and anytime comfort food - spicy curd rice with roasted papad.

Prep:
Boil rice in the cooker the night before and refrigerate
Also set yogurt (or use the store-bought variety)

Ingredients:
2 cups cooked rice
1 cup yogurt
1/2 cup milk
3 dried red chillies
1 tsp urad dal
1 tsp mustard seeds
pinch of hing (asafoetida)
salt and sugar to taste

Mix rice and yogurt along with the milk (this enhances the taste of the curd)
Add in the salt and sugar
In a small pan heat oil, add mustard seeds and when they splutter, add the hing, urad dal and red chillies
Add to the rice, mix well and enjoy with roasted papads. (i like the urad ones)

Done! Simple, tasty, hassle free and filling!

The Girl Who Came Back

Yep thats me, The Girl Who Came Back. Back from where you ask? From the land of opportunity, the mecca of consumerism, where the streets are paved with gold (or at least were before 9/11, George W. Bush and the debacle that was Wall Street). Yes you guessed it - The United States of America.

Back to where? My love, my life, my home - Mumbai. This metropolitan melting pot that has carved a space as one of the worlds greatest cities.

Why did i Come Back? Thats what this Blog is about!

As Indians most of us have grown up with the US as part of our lives. Childhood memories of when 'Uncle and Auntie' from 'States' would visit for the holidays and get me imported goodies - Mars, Snickers, Barbie dolls, GAP clothing. This was the good stuff. Later in my teens i would stare goggle-eyed at the images of perfect girls and boys from America. Tall., slim, fair and blond, dressed in smart shorts and tees, they looked perfect (and the smiles! how do they have such white teeth!).

Then came MTV India. Everyone is stupid when they are 16 and i gloriously displayed my stupidity with an obsession with The Backstreet Boys (BSB). Me and my girl-friends would pore over Seventeen Magazine oohing and aahing over their pics, committing to memory such facts that the boys are from Tampa Florida, Brian is from Kentucky etc. We even had a small fan club called BSB - The Beautiful Sexy Babes (quite creative i know). The USA obsession grew.

Years later, after graduating from college and working for a couple of years, it was time for the next phase in life that every upwardly mobile, urban girl dreams of - an MBA. And what better place to do it that in the USA.  So i went, to follow my dream, live the life and generally see what the fuss was all about. I had a great run but after two years, I made the insane, maniacal decision to Come Back. Shattering many a hope (my family mainly) and some hearts (more on this later).

I Came Back home with a new perspective, I had seen the world! Realized that there are some things that you just cant leave behind. Settling back into life in Mumbai I decided that this time around I will do this city justice - there is so much to see and do and eat! That also is what this Blog is about.

So welcome to my Blog and my first post!