weekender state of mind NH7 weekender, Pune

The NH7 music festival started in Pune in 2010 and quickly went on to become a multi city music festival and is widely touted as one of the happiest music festivals. 

Here are a few reasons why the NH7 weekender is the happiest music festival for me. I attended the festival in Pune this year, along with my mom and brother.

1.       The music: Living in Goa means there are a lot of musicians, live music gigs and music festivals, but a large number of them play electronic dance music, which to be honest is not my kind of music. Here at the NH7 weekender in Pune we heard the likes of Vishal Dadlani curatind a beautiful tribute to Nusrat Fateh Ali , shilling band soulmate , Indie band swarathma and AR Rahman playing some of his Bollywood numbers. A medley of known and unknown music, some we could sing along with, some whose lyrics we knew by heart, and others which were added to the list of new favourites. As a not so adventurous music lover I still knew a lot of the songs at the music festival, and to be able to shake my head to a few familiar tunes made me happy.

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know your wrist bands. there was a separate drinks band for above 21

gorgeous stages, great acoustics

  The people: the first day that mom and I went to the weekender festival, mom wore black. She said “ I have heard that people wear black to the music festivals.” Now it is true that given a choice most men would gravitate towards wearing black, but hear we saw lovely flowery dresses, flowing kaftans, cute shorts, flower hair bands, and even men in checked shirts and khaki shorts, and not one of the ‘music band t shirts’we were expecting. For the AR Rahman show we were a sea of people all jostling and clustered together, and yet not one bottom pinching, lewd sounding, boob glancing person in the crowd around us. Everyone around us was there for the music and if we connected over anything then it was the tunes.

loved the I was There drinking cans, which are now being used as watering cans for plants at home

loved the inflatabe lounge seats, which made great festival souvenirs as well.

potato tornadoes! love love the topping the execution and the concept

juicy chicken rolls from Jamjar Diner

the yellow flags with smileys set the happiness mood

posing pretty for clap shoes, interesting advertising concept

    The vibe: I had not expected children under 18 at this event, I didn’t know that there would be children under 8 years and some even at the tender age of 8 months at the event. Babies in strollers, carried on arms, and parents with feeding bottles sat around on the sprawling lawns at Laxmi lawns. There were inflatable lounge chairs which had people lazying around in. There were high energy zones as well as laid back zones as well. when Rahman asked for some mood lighting a thousand mobile phone torches came on, and when Dadlani asked for a show of hands a thousand went up in reply.

fun names and esy directions

camping out infront of the stage

lots of walking , best to wear loafers, since the parking was a mile away

the whole stadium lit up 

The maestro AR Rahman

   The food: Food is always a big deal, and yes, they had a dedicated food court. Swiggy had even conveniently mentioned the recommendations on the boards above the stalls. Finger foods and everything from biryani to burgers were Available. The food was available way past 10 aswell, and after the music stopped at 10 we were able to get ourselves the yummiest rolls from Kareems, the fingerlicking and sinful bacon and potato fries at Jamjar diner. And no one said the food was over! The drinks however did run out, even the bar which was to serve till 7 pm, got shut at 6 pm itself, but there were plenty of Redbulls to keep everyone flying.

loaded chicken hotdog at jamjar diner

sinning with bacon, fries and cheese

The support staff: Now here’s what happened. We were motivated to be in the first few rows for the AR Rahman show, which meant camping out in front of the stage for a good 4 hours. That is 4 hours of no water break, or pee break or food. Once the music began we quickly sang ourselves hoarse, and had parched throats. But the organisers started handing out water bottles .Water was freely and generously passed down the rows of people and we were grateful for the thoughtful gesture. It made us all the more happy to sing along with the musicians.

Everything from the parking, tickets, ticket checks, was well planned, executed and done keeping in mind the happy vibe. I was happy to see a few wheel chairs and walking canes making the music festival truly inclusive. The music left us uplifted and the happy vibes have continued even after the stage lights went off, and the musicians have gone home.

10 ways to be a thoughtful guest on your travels

Everytime I tell people that I live in Goa, I get back an amazed " people actually live in Goa? "It's hard to imagine our tourist destinations; the places of verdant greenery, pale sands and placid lakes being anything but places of brief moments of respite from everyday life rather than places where people may actually have to tolerate and sometimes even suffer because of our travels.

We love to plan parties, we love to entertain, we love to hold house parties; but everyone hates to clean up after the party. The broken glassware, the wine stain on the carpet, or worse , on the white sofa! The hangover , the dirty dishes, the smell of puke which you are not quite sure where it's coming from. Yes, these are the times you wish your guests had been a little more thoughtful.

Now, imagine the same scenario but on a much bigger scale, that's what is happening to our heritage sites, our beautiful beaches our wild life sanctuaries.

 It's time to be the guest who cleans up before he leaves, because let's face it guys, don't we all love to invite such thoughtful guests again and again for our parties, It's time for responsible tourism.

So how can we be responsible guests, simple think of your travel places as someone's home

1. Greet your hosts: Greet the airport staff, the Visa authorities and spare a smile for the bathroom attendant as well. We expect everyone to smile and greet us when on our holiday, but we tend to forget that while we are on our annual holiday, for all of them it's just another dsay at work. It's 4 in the morning and he looks up to find a surpentine queue of travellers yet for the passport check, it can't be fun for the airport staff. a kind "hello how are you doing? good day" may actually make hi  actually mean it when he says the next "welcome to the country and hope you have a pleasant stay. "

2. Hotel staff appreciate this more than tips: most hotels, even the more posh ones now have notices in the room about conservation of water. If you want your towels washed then leave on the floor, otherwise just hang them back. if you want a change of bedding then let the house keeping know, otherwise you could just ask them to make the bed. I rememeber the first few glimpses of Shimla many years ago, even as we entered the hillstation, rows upon rows of white linen from the surrounding hotels were being dried in the sun, while the rivers flowed with soapy suds. Clean sheets are wonderful, but fresh laundered linen EVERYDAY of your stay is a luxury the planet cannot afford.
Earlier bathtub soaks were holiday luxuries we used to indulge in almost twice a day during our stay, but the collosal amount of water to fill the bath tubs had us cutting down on our needless wastage of water.Ask the hotels if they recycle their water, opt for hotels which follow sustainanble living and help in local communities.

3. food lovers a word of advice: I used to love buffets, and load my plate up high, the only problem was, I never reaally finished all of it. It's fine to hear mom say "think of the kids in Somalia" while at home, but on a holiday, that's just a buzz kill. Then in Singapore I saw the sign that they would charge extra for the food you wasted on your plates! As a food blogger i try and rationalise that if i dont try everything, how will I tell my readers that the lemon tart is better than the chococlate pie? sharing is caring. when with a group of friends, just share from each others plates, pack doggy bags and give the food to your driver, or even people on the street. waste not , want not.

4. smokers be aware: public smoking may be banned in many places and yet, what is considered a norm on 'work days' is completely forgotten when travelling or on holiday. cigarette butts are found at every train station, bus route, airport, and even in the deepest darkest jungles. If it bothers you , one can always ask others to not smoke infront of you, passive smoking is a reality- and so are it's dangers. I feel smokers should carry their cigarette butts back as well, grinding it into the soil is not getting rid of the evidence!

5. Talli tolerance: It's funny how we may call for a cab to take us back home, when we are 'not on our travels' but once on holiday all rules are forgotten. Goa has a large number of drunken driving accidents, and new years bash sees an escalated number of revellers recklessly taking to the roads in their open jeeps, and fast bikes. risking not only your life but also that of innocent bystanders is not the best way to ring in the year. Call for a cab, have a designated driver, or hire a car, you deserve to enjoy, but responsibilities dont stop when you are on holiday.

6. Dress appropriaately: I rememebr my brother and dad were asked to wear colourful wrap around sarongs to cover up their bare legs, as they wore shorts to the temples in Thailand. Even in Rome, the churches ask for modest dressing. Many temples in India do not allow skirts or even denims. Carry a shawl wherever you travel or read up about the places you wish to visit. Merging in, and conforming to a places social etiquette makes you closer to the people of the place as well as a richer understanding of the culture. covering your head in the gurudwara, and wearing an abaya in a mosque can be interesting life experiences while travelling rather than forced regulations. change the way you perceive the world, and the world will perceive you differently.

7. lets not litter: This is a given, and yet we do it unintentionally. Dont throw the travel tickets, the bus pases, the hotel vouchers, the travel brochures; all of these can be stuck in a scrapbook to make a great collection of your travels. The wrist bands at music concerts can some day be a treasured item from your past, rather than junk thrown by the roadside.

8. fight against grafitti: Shah Jahan built the Taj Mahal for Mumtaz, so every man in India believes he has the right to proclaim his love, if not by building a Taj Mahal, but atleast signing his and his wife/girlfriend/lovers initials on heritage sites. it makes me wonder, here is a man who would never buy a hallmark card, or buy a bouquet of flowers, but just because it is free, has no qualms in gifting his wife the red fort by writing ' R loves S' or plucking flowers from the public garden and giving it to her.

grafitti museum in IStanbul

9. No to noise: It's easy to forget that other people are around us when we are having fun in our own great group. loud laughter, cracking jokes, dancing to music, who doesnt like it? But someone else may be hoping to have a quiet romantic evening with their spouse, or family time with their kids, your laughter and music is NOT fun for them. when out in a big group we ask for a table away from the crowds, opt for outdoor seating, and try and not disturb others around. I am sure we would appreciate the same from other rambunctious groups.

dongancay museum istanbul

10. Dont just take, give back: As house guests to someone's home, we always take a little something as a token of gratitude and our appreciation. It's not just ettiquette, but also something for our hosts to rememebr us by. Give to local organisations, even paying the road toll is your way of helping the place you visit. Many countries, places survive on tourism, and for many it is their livelihood, appreciate that. I always try and leave comments in the comment books in museums, and heritage sites. Our comments are our way of showing our appreciation. Travel websites also welcome reviews and it is a a part of our responsibility as members of this ever growing band of world travellers to make it easier for our fellow travellers and those who come after us to have as great a time as we had, or an even better time. travel advice or tips that I share on my blog or on travel sites, help others make informed decisions and get the maximum out of their travel as well as highlights some of the good people that I might have met at the diferent travel destinations; my way of giving something back.

“I am blogging for #ResponsibleTourism activity by Outlook Traveller in association with BlogAdda”  

the cheese festival at ABC farms, pune

ABC farms has a lot of memories attached to the various restaurants there, such as the first time we considered trying sheeshas at the treetop sheesha café, which incidentally serves some of the best kebab platters, or the time we got charged 3601 Rs, instead of the 360 bill at Bina's Golconda , known for its hyderabadi fare.

I personally had never attended the cheese festival, but my mum has been attending it over the past 5 or 6 years, and I had heard of the great cheeses and exotic cheese spreads she used to purchase at the fest. Unfortunately since I was studying away from home, I had not only never attended the cheese fest, but aalso had missed out on the great cheeses.

I adore CHEESE, and the love has only been heightened post pregnancy, which a lot of my mommy blogs had hinted may happen. Supposedly lactating moms have an affinity for dairy products according to some of my sources and I was not about to discourage such notions.

So there I was at ABC farms at the cheese fest which was from the 20 to 22 of November, 2015, with the legitimate excuse of eating myself sick with cheese, because it was good for baby! :)

The entry is free, the cheese tastings are free, ample parking with valet, great food, friendly people, live music, and wine on 2 out of the three days, must one need any other reason?

Here are a few pictures of the event.

another cheese patron carrying his child.lots of kids at the fest.

the wide array of cheeses

year old stinky cheese, dare to try mouldy cheese?

lemon lassi, the famed lemsi

pizza making demo

the slice pizzas from bubsters, loved the bbq chicken and the pork overload with ham, sausage, bacon and salami

and here are a few more!

Add caption

a mom passionate about her passion fruit cheese cake

babywearing, cheese tasting and taking a selfie!talk about multitasking

the chocolate cheese cake , too dense for my liking

informative cheese boards detailing how and where the cheeses can be used

we bought 8 different types of cheese and to my chagrin none of them were labelled ! I hope that in the years to come they label our cheeses, for those who cant distinguish their cheddar from their montery jacks.

inaugurated our cheese loot with the masala cheese with curry leaves, by making a cheese and seekh kebab platter. fry up some onion rings until caramelised, add a twig of curry leaves, fry till crisp, add any seekh kebabs of choice ( I used the venkys frozen variety) once done add cubes of the masala cheese with curry leaf.

for more cheesy recipes as well as more pictures follow my instagram :kuhelib

The St Mary's wine and dine at SWG, pune

We were meeting after a little over 15 years, and realised that even though so much had changed, we were still the same in so many ways. St Mary's alumni met once more and just like the last times "meet and greet"this time to the event had a lyrical name "wine and dine". much was the same like the last meet (read about it HERE ) and yet much was different. For starters, the name of the alumni has changed from the previous "Old girls association" to a more encompassing "St mary's alumni association" keeping in mind that in the 150 years the school has branched out into what would have been an "Old boy's association" as well.

This time the event was at Stone water grill, Pune.

Free flowing wines curtesy Fratelli, platters upon platters of sumptuous starters, friendly service, some retro music, and a cooking class as well, made for a lively afternoon of wining and dining.

apple mocktails the ideal thirst quenchers

time to raise a glass to St Mary's

indo japanese fusion food. loved the individual plating

mushroom galouti kababs, melt in your mouth inventiveness

the live counter dishing out Pastas to order

Platters upon platters of food was passed around. we had seared prawns, and pizzas with exotic veggies, a grilled chicken pizza, mushrooms, liver pate, and unlimited wines and mocktails. 

the organisers, did a splendid job of bringing the decades of students together.

the allumni were seen in eye catching jewellery, and soothing summer colours 

some fun with props

sweet and sinful end to a fabulously curated meal

the school colours of blue and white was still the hot favourite, just like the last event.

We congratulated each othe ron how well we young moms had kept the ravages of age at bay, and I am sure that's what all the young grandmoms as well as a few great grand mothers amongst the alumni were saying to each other.

Chef Shailendra held an interesting cooking session. he made a Miso soup with apples and figs.

Here is the recipe in brief: Saute garlic, ginger and galangal in equal portions. Add chopped lemongrass and a birds eye chilli for Thai inspired flavours. Add Miso paste for Japanese inspired umami flavour. Add vegetable broth and deglaze. to balance the spice from the chilli and the heat of the ginger and the salty Miso, add natural sweetness form apples and figs. Diced apples and figs were then added for good measure.finish with a healthy amount of coconut milk. The dish was plated up to look lipsmackingly good.
How did it taste? well like a Thai tum kha version with chunks of crunchy apples!
Chef Shailendra is immensely talented and introduced fruits in a healthy soup, a neat way of getting your kids to have fruits i say.

The miso and apple soup. chef shailendra

dont we look fab

Drinking to the schools long life :)

And thus, another great event came to an end. There is a fashion show next at Poona club. until then I am going to savour the memories of the wine and dine with good food and friends, at stone water grill.