Movie Review: Mission Impossible - Ghost Protocol

I would like to begin this post by wishing everyone a very Happy New Year 2012. I wish you good health, happiness, success and prosperity in the new year.

A heartfelt thank you to everyone who supported my blog thus far and helped me improve on it with their valuable feedback.

Now, coming back to my post...

Movie Review: Mission Impossible - Ghost Protocol

A few weeks ago, I went to catch the screening of the much awaited Mission Impossible - Ghost protocol. I have been a huge fan of the Mission Impossible series and I always wait with great gusto for the next installment to come out. As a child, my favorite superhero was Spiderman but as an adult, my two favorites have been Jason Bourne and Ethan Hunt. I enjoyed the previous three Mission impossible movies (I and III especially) so I was eagerly awaiting to watch this one. I hold the director Brad Bird in high esteem as The Incredibles and Ratatouille are two movies which rank at the top of my list of greatest animated movies of all time. Although I didn't doubt his capability, I was certainly curious to see how he would contribute to this hugely successful and highly anticipated action-packed series. 

The movie screening was in IMAX, one of my favorite theaters in Singapore. With larger-than-life crystal clear images on a gigantic screen, enhanced by state-of-the-art digital surround sound, watching a movie there is an incredibly thrilling experience.

Recipe of the month - Vada Sambar

Vada also known as wada, vade or vadai is a very popular savoury doughnut-like snack from South India. It can be eaten for breakfast, lunch, dinner or just as an evening snack along with a steaming cup of coffee. Medu vadas (in pic above) are extremely versatile in that they can be eaten just like that or with a variety of accompaniments. They can also be transformed into the equally popular rasam vada or dahi vada. 

This was one of my first few attempts at making Medu Vada. The shape and contour is not as perfect as I would like it to be but since these bite-sized snacks are so yummy, I have plenty of opportunities to get more practice. The strange thing is that I hadn't bothered trying to make vadas for several years because I was plagued by the notion that it was a very cumbersome affair and required overnight fermentation of the batter and all that. How wrong I was! A chance conversation with my mum on the subject erased my misconception. The urad dal used to make the vada just needs some soaking (ideally 3-4 hours) and after that, you can start to prepare them immediately. Usually, I soak the dal the previous night and then make the vadas the next morning but if I wake up and suddenly decide on impulse to make them for breakfast, I soak the dal for 2 hours in warm water. By the time I finish making the sambar and chutney (while the dal is soaking), the vada preparation can be started. So you see, it isn't really elaborate. 

All those wasted years.....sigh!

One more detail - I used to grind the urad dal for the vada in the mixie but I had to do it in 2-3 installments because my mixie jar is pretty small. It used to take too long so I started using my wet stone grinder for the same purpose - so much easier and you don't have to add much water either. I agree it is a pain to wash but it gets the job done much quicker and with far better results. 

Without further ado....here is the recipe. Hope you like it.

On my reading shelf: The Hobbit

 

The Hobbit is a fantasy novel written by J.R.R Tolkien, a prelude to the hugely successful Lord of the Rings. The Hobbit happens to be one of the best-selling books of all time with 100 million copies sold worldwide (something I discovered only as I was writing this review). It proudly sits at the fourth spot on the all time bestseller list, just one spot lower than it's famous successor. 

I have been wanting to read The Lord of the Rings for over a decade now. I even stopped myself from watching the movies on account of not having read the books. An unexpected trip to Kinokuniya, a popular bookstore in Singapore last weekend finally brought an end to this long drawn wait. There I was, pleased as punch to walk out with the entire series tucked firmly under my arm. I must admit that I was surprised to see a fourth book in my prized collection. One that had no mention of 'Lord' or 'ring' in its title. A quick background check on the Hobbit, made me realize that this book was not something to be missed and it would provide a good insight into what I could expect from the Lord of the Rings.

Invigorating Indonesia

Image source: www.wikipedia.org

Indonesia is the sleeping giant of Southeast Asia. With 18,110 islands (6,000 uninhabited), it is the largest archipelago in the world. Most of what I had read or heard about Indonesia before setting foot in the country largely had to do with the Komodo dragons, tropical forests, numerous islands, frequent volcanic eruptions and other natural disasters. I was very keen on visiting Indonesia as I knew it would appeal to the nature lover in me. This is one country richly endowed with natural resources and this desirable feature coupled with the ethnic, linguistic, and religious diversity within the country probably makes it an interesting destination from a tourist point of view.

So, in this post, I'm going to share with you my travel experiences in Bintan and Bali, two beautiful islands in Indonesia.