Kaberi Dutta Chatterjee's Blog: Life and Laughter, page 16
June 13, 2015
May 22, 2015
You and me against the world; Personally I think we’re gonna get creamed!
The more I hear about Maggi, the two-minute instant noodles under threat of a ban, the more I fall in love with our favorite comfort food.
I don’t even remember my first brush with Maggi. When was it first introduced in India or when we became buddies. Ever since I remember, whether tired, back from school, or from sports classes, Ma would be serving a bowl of hot, steaming, Maggi, swimming in a delicious sauce. And not just that, the tastemaker packet was something to die for! We would hunt down the kitchen especially for the packet. Licking off the leftover spices from the packet was clearly the happiest moment of our lives.
Often, as a journalist, after returning from my night shifts at the newsdesk, I would silently cook a bowl of Maggi at 3 am and slurp it down in the privacy of the kitchen darkness, looking out at the stillness of the night, when only my Maggi and I are awake!
Maggi was handed down from my generation to my child’s generation and it served a solution to our every hunger pangs. Even as I am writing this, I am having an urge to slurp a hot-steaming bowl of Maggi.
Not to mention, how I found joy when I discovered Maggi in Indian groceries, No-Frills and other Canadian stores after I immigrated to Canada. My cabinet is always stuffed with Maggi and though the taste here is tad tempered, I am proud to say Maggi has held my hands firmly throughout my immigration battle. Hungry, cold, angry, sad, tired, dejected — Maggi would always cheer us up.
Now to know the same comfort food is in a soup, breaks my heart.
For decades now, Maggi—the two-minute instant noodle brand owned by Nestle—has been an Indian favorite. And for the Swiss multinational, it’s been a critical part of its growth in Asia’s third largest economy. In the last nine years, a May 4 report by Nomura said, the Maggi brand has grown in double digits on the back of expanding modern retail, urbanisation, targeted promotions and consistent innovation.
But earlier this week, Uttar Pradesh’s Food Safety and Drug Administration (FDA) found monosodium glutamate (MSG) and excessive lead content in some of the Maggi samples they tested. MSG, typically used as a flavour enhancer, can cause headaches, chest pain and nausea.
Four days later, on May 20, the FDA in Uttar Pradesh ordered Nestle to recall a batch of products—dating back to March 2014—after they found that two dozen packets of Maggi contained almost seven times the permissible levels of lead, alongside high levels of MSG.
Nestle, however, maintains that it does not use MSG (pdf) in manufacturing any of its products. Emails and messages sent by Quartz to Nestle remain unanswered.
To learn that all these years I have fed myself and my child a food containing heavy dose of lead scares me. But something in me tells this comfort food is too much of a joy to be tarnished in this battle. Maybe Nestle will introduce a fresh new batch with fresh new flavors and the noodles being in troubled waters will soon fade into oblivion.
Maggi has been a friend to not only children, but also to young men setting out to live on their own for the first time, during hostel days and camp times. If they couldn’t cook anything, they could cook Maggi.
Maggi has also been a parameter for Indian grooms to knowing how to cook. The overly-pampered grooms would joyfully announce that they could cook Maggi, thus winning the hearts of their brides-to-be.
What makes Maggi so special? The answer to this is quite simple. It is the staple food of individuals irrespective of the demographics and geography. Maggi lovers are united from Assam to Gujarat, from the chilly valleys of Kashmir to Kanyakumari. Maggi, in a way, unites India and Indians abroad. I find a lot of Asians too consuming Maggi, after trying all other forms of their own brand of instant noodles.
I personally found hot Maggi relieves me immediately when I am having a cold. And I’ve never had a stomach upset because of Maggi. Why me? Even now, during vrat (fasting) my mother takes “Vegetarian” Maggi soup as she has finds it to be wholesome, delicious, mood-elevating and believes to be not clashing with any of her self-imposed religious restrictions.
Although, on research I find Maggi noodles is made from soy protein using a catalyst enzyme porcine (taken from the intestine of pig)!
Nevertheless, Maggi has passed down three generations and , knowing India, if there is a ban on Maggi, the sale can increase 10-fold. The craving to eat Maggi will aggravate among children and Maggi will be sold in double the price.
And who cares?
Maggi is such a fast-to-cook, good-to-eat solution to all working mothers, such a mood-elevator, and now with all kind of “healthy” options available (Maggi oats, Maggi whole wheat, etc), it is highly doubtful whether the comfort food can disappear from the face of earth.
Now that I have made all of you hungry and drooling and craving for Maggi, here are a few versions of the comfort food I’ve cooked all my life for myself and my child. Enjoy!
Classic Masala Maggi
Keep it simple. The preparation of this remains same with adding water, tastemaker and noodles. There is nothing like having a plain-jane Maggi with the favourite tomato sauce. Nothing in the world can beat this, especially when your tummy demands food at odd hours say 3.30 night. Enjoy.
Cheese Maggi
After making packets of Maggi over the years, we can make it even in our sleep. So now that you have made the Maggi, all you have to do is grate the cheddar cheese cubes or also put a slice of cheese on the hot Maggi. The melting cheese on the noodles is the best sight and trust us, it tastes like heaven.
Chinese spicy Maggi
The love for Maggi and home-made Chinese food is nothing new to us. So while making this avatar of Maggi, you will need to do some frying and tossing of vegetables. Take spring onions, carrots and toss it up with garlic-ginger paste. Add Maggi noodles with the tastemaker, put some water (less compared to the usual recipes) and the yummy noodles are ready to eat.
Tomato-Egg Maggi
This has to be one of the commonly loved variations of Maggi. Add finely cut tomatoes and one or two eggs in Maggie and Whoa, one the finest delicacies is on your plate. One can also try making a proper bhurji-Maggi. Prepare the Egg Bhurji and toss it up with Maggi.
Soupy Maggi
If you are tired of chewing the long strand of Maggi and instead want to gulp it down, you should make yourself soupy Maggi. This also works when you have a cold. Add extra bowl of water in the usual preparations.
Filed under: For a thought.... Tagged: Comfort Food, India, Kaberi Chatterjee. blog, Maggi, Maggie recipes, Nestle
May 9, 2015
Looking for journalism jobs in Canada? Make a u-turn
I hadn���t flown with too many��dreams to��Canada. Though it had promised��me to its lands saying��a lot many things… A land of opportunities, education free, health free���. What it didn���t say was that it was jobs-free!!
The first job I applied with my 20 years��� experience and a gold medal with��my certification, was that of an intern. Where I was promised $100 per month. Those who are busy converting, let me remind you. $100 in Canada is just the number ��� 100… It is NOT the number 5000, or 20000, or whatever. With $100 you barely reach can work and back.
Very soon I realized getting a job in my field is going to be very difficult. There are two major factors: One, the traditional, big newspaper houses don���t hire off-the-block immigrants, because they are skeptical. I am not touching upon any subject of racism here. But they are more comfortable seeing less-knowledgeable people around them whom they can say: ���Hell!! Canada is going brainless for people like you.��� And they are more comfortable with people with whom they can gossip in the toilets.
The content quality of these newspapers, however, would be something I could��use to clean my windows with. After hailing from big newspaper houses in India, disciplined drilled into our system, I was shocked to see how such newspapers glorified in utter nonsense and puffed-up no-news!
And let me tell you, people DO pick up free newspapers from the stands just so that they can clean their windows, wet snow boots, floors, and spread them on their kitchen racks. Of course, that���s after��they take out the discount tags from them. I have tried a couple of times reading news from the much-haloed twinkling twinkilng Star���ry newspaper (ahem!), and found it just worthy enough to clean my windows with it. In my desperation to get a job to support myself, I would lie if I said I never tried to join them, and they did call me for an interview. But once I was out of the interview I realized I would have had to sell my soul if I had got the job.
Number 2: The South Asian media houses, which are selling like onions. But to whom? The advertisers. Oh, did I say selling?? My mistake. They all come only with an intrinsic price, and you can pick up as many as you want to show your neighbours: ���Oye ji, mein nu feature huye hain is paper mein… dekho? Main nu kaisa lagta hoon?��� (I am BAD at that language).
The South Asian newspapers have two advantages. India and Pakistan. The forever ring circus in the political scenario of�� India and the everlasting blasts in Pakistan keep their press running at full throttle. So there are an uncountable number of South Asian newspapers, the owners of whom laugh all the way to the bank. Their advertisements, primarily from Hindu tantrics, astrologers, vaastu consultants, real estate agents and money-lenders, are a hit with the `Kyunji��� community.
However, the writing, content, the news sense, the layout, graphics and pictures would make any of us journalists thrust our fists into our mouths. It���s a ���Catch 22��� situation. You think you can��launch an intelligent magazine? There is��no one to read it. You insert wads of Walmart ads in them, at least you can be assured of the newspapers getting picked. Be sure to look in the next trash bucket. You���ll find your newspaper there, sans the Walmart discount wads.
Most��South Asian newspapers, in addition, have an allergy paying their staff. They know that they only need to make their ad providers happy, and get cheap layout done by some guy in some corner of India, who is dreaming big that his mentors are going to bring him to Canada one day. They pay the guy half of what they pay here in Canada, and all they do is get down on their knees to get��ads and build��network. Get one photo snapped with His Holy Highness Harper and they are set for life.
Lots of writers and journalists think this is a dream place to sit down and pen their novels. I say stop right where you are. I am planning to run back as I find this peace camouflaging reality and its sounds. It���s an artificial blob of happiness, and you can smell its putrefying scent the nearer it comes to you.
So I see my career is doomed in this country. When a country HAS no news, how can one CREATE news, and run a newspaper? That too, for how long? So all you journalists planning to immigrate, please make a u-turn, right now.
Filed under: For a thought.... Tagged: Canada, Canada job, editor jobs Canada, immigration Canada, job, jobs Canada, journalism jobs, journalist jobs, land of opportunities, media jobs Canada
April 17, 2015
Toronto Modi-Fied
Narendra Modi set the Ricoh Coliseum, Toronto, arena ablaze with his fiery speech!
TORONTO:���The Indian Prime Minister need not wage a war against anyone. He could just walk in and trance a nation into submission!
That is what I felt after watching the charismatic leader, Narendra Modi, speak at Ricoh Coliseum, Toronto, in the presence of 10,000 spectators and a horde of Canadian ministers, including Canadian Prime Minister, Stephen Harper, and his wife, Laureen, on Wednesday night.
What should I call him? The yellow-striped tiger of India or the Asiatic Gir Lion of Gujarat? I am befuddled by the furor the crowd exuded.
It was as though they were watching a World Cup match, a Rockstar on stage or a Hollywood film actor perform.��He walked��lazily��around on stage, basking in the adulation��amid shrieks, whistles and foot stamping, as the audience swooned over him ��� women of all ages squealing, ���I love you Modi!��� and the crowd chanting�����NaMo! NaMo!���
His dais turned to face the surrounding crowd leisurely, as the man himself rested on it as if he was sitting in his living room. ���You have made India get recognized in Canada, not me,��� he said amid ear-splitting cheers.
“When India celebrated Modi victory during the day, you celebrated it at midnight,” he said.
“It may now be taking about 14 to 17, at the most 22 hours to reach India from Canada. But it took 42 years for an India Prime Minister to reach Canada from India,” said the dramatic orator, while the crowd exploded.
Although we all know that Dr Manmohan Singh, during his tenure as Prime Minister, visited Canada from June 26 to June 28, 2010, at the invitation of the Prime Minister Stephen Harper. During his visit, Singh participated in the G-20 Toronto Summit and held bilateral discussions with Harper.
However, facts found it hard to bob its head above the sea of Modi madness on Wednesday. Even media had to search Google twice for such��facts.
Talking about facts, let’s list any��substantial outcome of this visit. One, Harper and Modi unveiled a $350-million deal for Canada���s largest uranium producer, Cameco Corp., to supply 3,220 metric tonnes to power India���s reactors over the next five years.
Two, Indo-Canadians will be included in India���s visa-on-arrival program, which was announced by Harper, but was not touched-upon by Modi himself.
Three, Indo-Canadians will now get a 10-year visa and a life-long OCI, while we all know that OCI and PIO���status are now merged. This was announced by Modi himself.
Modi may have tad slipped in his magic back at home grounds, but with this ‘inflated’ bouquet for the Diaspora, he is all set to lure the NRIs and set the media on fire. He even promised a seat for the NRIs at the Planning Commission in India.
Amid the warm (read: HOT)���welcome that he received in Toronto, Modi pitched his Canadian counterpart Stephen Harper an enticing invitation to be a partner in his vision for India���s development, while stating repeatedly how his government is the visionary ���cleaner��� of India, cleaning up the rotten waste of the past governments.
Narendra Modi came. Saw. Conquered. The Diaspora hearts are softer than their Indian counterparts and we still believe that Modi is the change India needs desperately.
While it���s hard to please the radical Indians at home, the essential charming orator may still stand a chance with the Indian Diaspora if he concentrates on performing what he proclaims so hard.
(Published in The South Asian News, Toronto Edition, April 17, 2015)
Filed under: For a thought.... Tagged: Canada, India, Indo-Canadians, Kaberi Chatterjee. blog, Modi, Modi In Canada, Narendra Modi, Ottawa, Stephen Harper, Vancouver
April 14, 2015
Just one question, Mr Indian Prime Minister…
I wish I was born in Modi’s India… I might not have immigrated to another country just to avail my basic rights and dignity, and to live as a human.
I keep hearing Indo-Canadian friends complain about Canada: too cold, too high taxes, cannot relate to the multi-cultural people around us, too much wait-time at the hospitals — wish we could go back. But we cannot. Why? Because this foreign country gives us the basic rights and dignity which our own birthplace could not.
I lived and worked in India ‘snugly’ during the 10-year ‘delectable’ UPA era, which perhaps caused the country to plummet into the depths of corruption and dishonesty that she had never witnessed since Independence. And, inadvertently, lived in India during its ‘luxurious’ 35-year Communist era in Bengal. I saw the worst: bureaucracy, red-tapism, breaking down of the society, ‘dis’-industrialization, wreckage of the education system, rise of muscle-power and the redefinition of the word ‘Communism’. I survived, somehow. In power-cuts, in heat and pollution, in water shortage, in poison-spewing public transports, rushed for reporting in unkempt villages, and met ministers who were lavishly resting atop bundles of public cash. (I was raised a roadside journalist, which today’s generation hasn’t heard of).
I am not saying that they are gone, vanished, whooshed! Corruption will take another 200 years to disappear from India. But somewhere I can see a movement. A movement to make these anti-elements disappear. And despite some discrepancies, the bigger picture reflects that the Modi government is the reason behind this.
I have not met Mr Modi personally, but I’m supposed to hear his speech coming week when he’s in Toronto for a few hours. If I could have, I would have asked him just one question: When can you call us back?
When can you give us the clean air that we breathe here? This foreign country, which has no blood ties with us, gives every citizen running hot-and-cold water in every tap. Clean drinking water running from every kitchen tap. When can you give every Indian citizens free healthcare when they can walk into a clinic and walk out without paying anything? Free education to every child, be they rich or poor, in the same institution up to grade 12? When can you give Indians roads free of potholes and traffic signals that are working and obeyed by all? In how many years?
When can you give us these fundamental needs? When can you give Indians true freedom? To walk, stroll back home at the middle of the night like we can do it in Canada? When can we come back to our motherland with dignity, Mr Prime Minister?
I am sad to say I am Canadian now. Sad, because I could afford to come here and avail the basic necessities. Millions cannot. Sad, because my country (Read: Past government) did not let me hold onto my Indian citizenship. Tell me one thing Mr Prime Minister, is this change that we are witnessing a one-government mirage? Will we ever see a true socialism emerge in your era, like which was envisaged by Mahatma Gandhi and Netaji Subhas Bose? Can we come back to our country and live there once again with all the dignity of being just a human being? A proud citizen?
Canada too has its discrepancies, but we can ignore that. Because the law and the system does not support it. Law cannot be bought. Justice is not blinded by power. No one is powerful in Canada. No one is a VIP. Everything has a system and you have to follow it. Which is why perhaps I could not personally interview you. No influence works here.
Like me, there are hundreds of Indo-Canadians who would be glad to go back to their motherland. But their inner system has got so used to the regulated system in this country, that even if they want, they cannot. The peace is addictive.
When can you promise Indians this kind of peace, Mr Prime Minister?
(Published in The South Asian News, April 10, 2015)
Filed under: For a thought.... Tagged: India, Indian Prime Minister, Kaberi Chatterjee's Blog, Modi, Narendra Modi
Just one question, Mr Indian Prime Minister���
I wish I was born in Modi���s India��� I���might not have immigrated to another country just to avail my basic rights and dignity, and to live as a human.
I keep hearing Indo-Canadian friends complain about Canada: too cold, too high taxes, cannot relate to the multi-cultural people around us, too much wait-time at the hospitals ��� wish we could go back. But we cannot. Why? Because this foreign country gives us the basic rights and dignity which our own birthplace could not.
I lived and worked in India ���snugly��� during the 10-year ���delectable��� UPA��era, which perhaps caused the country to plummet into the depths of corruption and dishonesty that she had never witnessed since Independence. And, inadvertently, lived in India during its ���luxurious��� 35-year Communist era in Bengal. I saw the worst:���bureaucracy, red-tapism, breaking down of the society, ���dis���-industrialization, wreckage of the education system, rise of muscle-power and the redefinition of the word ���Communism���. I survived, somehow. In power-cuts, in heat and pollution, in water shortage, in poison-spewing public transports, rushed for reporting in unkempt villages, and met ministers who were lavishly resting atop bundles of public cash. (I was raised a roadside journalist, which today���s generation hasn���t heard of).
I am not saying that they are gone, vanished, whooshed! Corruption will take another 200 years to disappear from India. But somewhere I���can see a movement. A movement to make these anti-elements disappear. And despite some discrepancies, the bigger picture reflects that the Modi government is the reason behind this.
I have not met Mr Modi personally, but I���m supposed to hear his speech coming week when he���s in Toronto for a few hours. If I could have, I would have asked him just one question: When can you call us back?
When can you give us the clean air that we breathe here? This foreign country, which has no blood ties with us, gives every citizen running hot-and-cold water in every tap. Clean drinking water running from every kitchen tap. When can you give every Indian citizens free healthcare when they can walk into a clinic and walk out without paying anything? Free education to every child, be they rich or poor, in the same institution up to grade 12? When can you give Indians roads free of potholes and traffic signals that are working and obeyed by all? In how many years?
When can you give us these fundamental��needs? When can you give Indians true freedom? To walk, stroll back home at the middle of the night like we can do it in Canada? When can we come back to our motherland with dignity, Mr Prime Minister?
I am sad to say I am Canadian now. Sad, because I could afford to come here and avail the basic necessities. Millions cannot. Sad, because my country (Read: Past government) did not let me hold onto my Indian citizenship. Tell me one thing Mr Prime Minister, is this change that we are witnessing a one-government mirage? Will we ever see a true socialism emerge in your era, like which was envisaged by Mahatma Gandhi and Netaji Subhas Bose? Can we come back to our country and live there once again with all the dignity of being just a human being? A proud citizen?
Canada��too has its discrepancies, but we can ignore that. Because the law and the system does not support it. Law cannot be bought. Justice is not blinded by power. No one is powerful in Canada. No one is a VIP. Everything has a system and you have to follow it. Which is why perhaps I could not personally interview you. No influence works here.
Like me, there are hundreds of Indo-Canadians who would be glad to go back to their motherland. But their inner system has got so used to the regulated system in this country, that even if they want, they cannot. The peace is addictive.
When can you promise Indians this kind of peace, Mr Prime Minister?
(Published in The South Asian News, April 10, 2015)
Filed under: For a thought.... Tagged: India, Indian Prime Minister, Kaberi Chatterjee's Blog, Modi, Narendra Modi
March 5, 2015
‘If you cannot resist a rape, enjoy it.’
I am unfortunately once again holding the post of Editor in a newspaper. Unfortunate. Very unfortunate. Because I am a quintessential escapist. And I��love my escape plans. I hatch��plans. Follow some pointers, like not buying��a cell phone, etc, just so that I can plan my physical escape some day.
It’s not an honorable thing to do for a responsible journalist who’s worked 20 years in hardcore news media, done sting operations, investigative journalism, sat at the helm of a desk, judging others’ copies and designed how to produce them on the next day’s edition. I mean, it’s a deadly job! You are making a promise to millions.
But that’s exactly��why I��was becoming more and more determined to escape.
This char. This burn. It singes��me everyday. The news I am exposed to��grills��me slowly till I get roasted. It’s a torture to me to hold a responsible position at a newspaper. But, unfortunately I am once again doing so.
And timely too, for the Nibhaya��BBC Documentary to come up.
You know how life is when you aren’t a journalist? You smell flowers, you design kitchen gardens, watch “food food” channel and make lovely dishes at home, Ekta Kapoor is a perfect friend then and her serials make me ignorant, blissful and happy.
But sometimes I become an Editor. And then, all that luxury is over and once again I am��set on��medium rare for��slow roast. “Burn for the world, come on!” is my unwritten instruction.
I don’t know how many of you got to see that documentary. Congrats Leslee Udeen, who perhaps had a personal shot to be cleared��when she interviewed the rapist: She had been��herself raped.
I remembered in college days one of my very concerned male friend had told��me, “If you get raped, don’t resist, Enjoy it.”
I didn’t exactly get raped, but molested on public buses, streets… many a times. Someone even asked me “How much?” when I was waiting for a bus at a bustop coming back from the University.
I beat up a few, ran away in fear and did nothing at times. Beating came a lot later, when I realized I could physically overpower at least one��puny man (one lucky outcome of my good build).
But enjoy a rape?
Let’s get to the basics here. We ��are all adults. A person approaches you, you balk in fear, you run under cover, you throw things at him, he becomes wilder. And then he decides to pin you down. Imagine the scene. You have a complete stranger trying to pull down your pants. With all his strength. There is no one around. His face is in grimace. He��tears off you blouse, and digs one hand right into your vagina. Now one thing here. Our vagina’s are not hollow pipes. They are a closed soft organs. Much as you men forget that you were brought into the world by your loving mothers through that kind of��vagina. But that opened like petals only for a few minutes, giving excruciating pain to the mother, so that “flowers” like you can bloom and get a life. Otherwise, the vagina remains��usually closed. It gets lubricated when she gets aroused by a man she loves, or she has given permission to possess her body, and then someone can��enter her at her consent.
So why were you thrusting your��hand in there? What were you looking for? ��Maybe you should have had your penis pushed in there instead. You may have had more fun.
And maybe that would have been less painful for the girl, and not taken Nibhaya’s��intestine out! She may have lived.
By the way, my dear college��friend, tell me, which part of me��would��be able to enjoy this attack.. can you explain? I’ve never been raped, so I can’t really say I tried to follow whatever you said. I’m sorry I am not YET been raped.
But��yesterday, 30 years later, during��a long debate with a man, a Canadian man, (Indian born) a family man with a wife at home, told me the same thing. “When you get raped, try to enjoy it”.
Goosebumps ran��down my spine: Didn’t the rapist Mukesh Singh just say��the same thing��on BBC?
Filed under: For a thought...., Serious matter Tagged: India, Kaberi, Kaberi Chatterjee, Kaberi Chatterjee. blog, Leslee Udeen, Mukesh Singh, Nirbhaya, Rape
February 22, 2015
February 6, 2015
I thought I was done with Neil Must Die...
But this link gave me shivers! Have I set a new trend? A trend of new literature of facts, as this reader says? I feel guilty. Guilty of not worthy of it. Guilty of not having contributed enough to the new age literature.
Here's what gave me shivers! http://www.mochaworks.com/reviews-110...
January 1, 2015
Citrus: A global, tangy ezine from FinalDraft
With the launch of Citrus in 2014, and with 14 editions already on the web-racks, this has been a wonderful year! Citrus wishes to thank all readers, contributors, followers and well-wishers for the tremendous support. Citrus pledges to continue digging out such innovative, heart-wrenching stories for you in 2015. Writers with ideas are welcome to write.
Here is a review of all the issues of Citrus! Check it out! And have a blast in the new year!
http://www.citrusmag.com/#!past-issue/cs63
Filed under: For a thought....
