Recipe of the month: Cinnamon Pancakes with Fresh Fruit

I love pancakes and I love fresh fruit. Combine them together and you can never go wrong. Pancakes are delightfully versatile in that you can combine them with a variety of sweet or savoury ingredients and they taste great. The best part about pancakes is how easy they are to make. I am sure there are hundreds of different recipes for pancakes out there but I always stick to this particular one. I have slightly modified the recipe to suit my taste. I make sure to measure my ingredients each time so the pancakes turn out consistently good.

My Great American Adventure

First and foremost, this is a super-duper photo heavy post (you have been warned). It isn't without reason though - considering the number of places within the vast country that I have managed to visit, I have that much to say and show you.

My first trip to the USA was in 2007 and came about after my husband was sent to Milwaukee  in Wisconsin on work for a year. My second trip was in 2009 when I went as a grad student to present a research paper at an International conference in Seattle, Washington. 

I have written this post in a journal style. This post has helped jog my memory and relive all the moments that made both trips truly special.

Here are some snippets of my experiences in USA.

Welcoming our World Champions!

ICC Cricket World Cup 2011

Cricket, Glory and a Memory Worth Keeping

Let me begin this piece by saying that I am no sports enthusiast. That just isn't my default setting nor is it something that has rubbed off on me over the years. The only reason I watch any sports at all is because of the influence (read: constant background commentary) of my husband who is one of the biggest fan of sports that I know. 

So, naturally, you may wonder, why I've written this. Simple. To preserve a precious memory 😊 

As you may be aware, cricket is not merely a sport in India - it is a religion! We take our cricket very seriously. Probably every little boy (and the occasional girl) in India acquires a plastic bat and ball by the age of three. Drive through any Indian city on a weekend and you will most likely see groups of kids and adults of all ages playing cricket in empty fields, streets, backyards and narrow gullies. The pitch is wherever there is space 😆

The sport of cricket was introduced to the Indian subcontinent by the British. It is now deeply ingrained in our Indian culture and a major part of our national identity. The world has witnessed a historic takeover of an international sport by a once colonised nation. I dare say that when it comes to cricket, we have been more successful and dominating in the sport than the English have 😛

I reiterate folks - cricket reigns supreme in India. It is the only sport we care passionately (sometimes obsessively) about and in front of which, all other sports take a backseat. Sure, we have an International football and hockey team, tennis greats like Leander Paes and Mahesh Bhupati, chess grandmaster and world champion Viswanathan Anand, Olympic medal holding athletes, promising badminton players and our own Formula One racing team, yet, when it comes to popularity, media attention, and emotional investment, all the other sports pale in comparison to cricket. It does seem rather unfair since the domination of one sport takes away credit from all the other sporting heroes who have time and again brought glory to our country. 

Cricketers in India often enjoy celebrity status on par with, if not exceeding film stars. They are always in the news, be it their on-field performance or off-field antics. Having said that, being a cricketer in India is not an easy job for as much praise and honour they are lavished with after winning a tournament, the same intensity of scrutiny and judgement comes their way after experiencing defeat. They can be worshiped and placed on a pedestal and the very next day their homes may be stoned and effigies burnt. The highs are dizzying, but the lows are brutal.

Major cricket tournaments are nothing short of national events. Offices go quiet, streets clear out, movie releases are postponed, and prayer rituals are conducted in living rooms and places of worship alike. We can be sure of no power cuts because that would definitely draw the ire of people! During crucial World Cup matches, schools and workplaces often declare half-days 😆