Drama

Laughter is the best medicine says the old adage. And how many times do we laugh in our day to day lives. Almost never, I realized after I suddenly had a bout of stomach splitting laughter. Was it a forwarded chain mail ( the most common source these days )? No, it was better because it lasted longer than a fraction of a minute. If you have got 10 minutes of free time I suggest you try this too.

It's a Taiwanese drama called 'It Started with a Kiss'. It is available on www.youtube.com and all episodes are uploaded with english subtitles. This is good as I do not know any Mandarin, being an Indian. But this drama transcends borders, definitely.
It is based on a japanese shojo manga series 'Itazura Na Kiss' by mangaka Kaoru Tada. Sadly, the series could not be completed due to the author's sudden death in an accident. The manga was adapted as a TV Drama in Japan in the year 1996 (don't have the details of that) and then as a Taiwanese drama in 2005. It stars Ariel Lin and Joe Cheng as the main protagonists. If they were not so before, I'm sure they are big heartthrobs in Taiwan now. They bring the characters of 'Xiang Qin' and 'Zhi Shu' to life. And the show was one of the highest rated Taiwanese dramas of 2005.
The story revolves around Xiang Qin and her uphill battle to win Zhi Shu's attention, respect and love. And being her, it is not easy. She is a couple of notches down the ladder from your average girl next door on the lovable scale. An average looking girl with below average IQ and skills. Her greatest asset is her determination, especially when it comes to be near her beloved Zhi Shu. And the boy is way up there on the ladder - he has an IQ of 200, good at sports and everything else and extremely handsome to boot. He tries his best to outrun Xiang Qin.
And this story is full of hilarious situations from start till finish. All the cast is excellent in their respective roles. Some of the scenes and gestures are over the top for regular viewers but it only adds to the hilarity. I especially love the school and college scenes, they bring back beautiful memories.
So the next time you have ten or twenty or whatever time on your hands click the link below and be happy.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VU2lbvzgXDA&feature=related

Seasonal Vegetables & Fruits

Spring is finally here! And with it come the new vegetables of the season. In India, we would get vegetables only seasonally, not year round. For example, sweet peas were available only in winter for a couple of months. The backyard guava trees would be laden with fruit in December and the markets would be flooded with mangoes in summer. Potatoes would be as cheap as Re 1.5 in winter and as costly as Rs 7 in peak summer. The taste of fruits and vegetables which are available seasonally far surpasses the ones which are here year round. So this time try buying according to seasons and be amazed at the superior taste ( at least a little, because hybrid varieties and excessive use of fertilizers and pesticides affects the crop negatively. For best taste organic is the way to go ).

Given below is a list of fruits and vegetables which are in season now - SPRING!

Apricots

Artichokes

Asparagus

Belgian Endives

Broccoli

Butter Lettuce

Chayote Squash

Collard Greens

Green Beans

Honeydew

Kiwis

Leeks

Morrel mushrooms

Oranges

Peas (garden, snap, snow etc.)

Pineapples

Rhubarb

Sweet Onions (vidalia etc.)

Turnips

The above are in season during spring. Depending on your location the start of availability might vary from early to late spring. The best idea would be to go to a farmer's market this weekend and buy the freshest produce on the stands. Lookup some new recipes online and taste the best of Spring. Now that would be yummy khushi!

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