Recipe of the month: Carrot Cake Laddus

I would have loved to bring you this recipe in time for Ganesh Chaturthi but I have clearly failed in that endaevor. Never mind! I am posting this recipe well in advance for Diwali/Deepavali with the hope that it adds a touch of modern sparkle to your upcoming festive celebration 😊

I love carrot cake with cream cheese frosting. It is such a delightful combination. Carrots are earthy and slightly sweet, while cream cheese is tangy, rich and mildly savoury. It is the contrast that makes this seemingly odd pairing work. 

If you are well-acquainted with my blog, you may be aware of a Carrot Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting recipe that I posted years ago (12 years to be precise). Back in Singapore, I used to make them all the time to take to office for my colleagues, for potlucks or to serve at home when having guests over for dinner. It happens to be one of my favourite recipes on my blog. 

This year, for Ganesh Chaturthi, I was looking for a simple recipe (as usual) to kick start the festivities. I had already decided that I was going to make chocolate modaks for the kids. I needed another sweet recipe but with a hundred other things demanding my attention, I wasn't prepared to spend too much time in the kitchen. It was then that I remembered my carrot cake recipe. I thought it would be a great idea to give it a makeover and turn them into laddus. Although I love traditional dishes and firmly believe that classic recipes shouldn't be messed with, I can't help but play around when it comes to dessert. Turns out, my idea wasn't original. There were plenty of recipes I found online that had come up with the same concept way before me. Oh well! 😄

These laddus came together in less than 30 minutes. Oven-roasting the carrots is such a great idea because it brings out the natural sweetness of the carrots. Indians are familiar with carrots being used in traditional sweets like carrot halwa and carrot kheer but for those who find the addition of carrots strange, I can assure you that it does not taste like you have added a vegetable into your dessert 😁 The use of almond flour makes this an "instant" dessert, bypassing the need for cooking and tedious stirring which is common with traditional Indian sweets. So if you are short on time, this recipe should be part of your arsenal. 

At the end, I had a dessert that looked Indian but tasted somewhat International 😄 Everyone who tried them gave me great feedback so I decided it was worth featuring here. These laddus are naturally gluten-free and can easily be made vegan. I have provided ample substitutions and tips with which you can tweak it to suit your kitchen steup or your dietary preferences. 

I am a bit disappointed that I couldn't do much this year for Ganesh Chaturthi. Hopefully, I'll be able to make up for it this Diwali 💫 Stay tuned! 

Until next time folks....

The Orlando Family Vacation We Had Dreamed About

Some holidays fade with time. Others become the stories your family tells over and over again. For us, Orlando in the spring of 2023 will always be one of those stories.

Ever since our twins were toddlers, my husband and I had dreamed of taking them to Walt Disney World and Universal Studios in the US. We wanted to wait until they were old enough to be eligible for every ride, brave enough to take on the scary ones, yet still young enough to be completely swept away by the magic. Once they turned eight years old, they seemed to be at that perfect age where wonder still came naturally and every new experience felt larger than life 😊

My husband and I were no strangers to Orlando, Florida. After staying with extended family in Port Charlotte with my in-laws in the winter of 2007, we visited Sanibel Island followed by Siesta Key beach and Myakka River State Park in Sarasota before driving to Orlando. We spent a few memorable days in Orlando exploring its iconic theme parks along with a day-trip to NASA's Kennedy Space Center. One of the most vivid memories I have of that trip was this gorgeous three-storey holiday home in Orlando which happened to be my very first experience of staying at a vacation rental rather than a hotel. This was long before the twins came along in those carefree years when we rarely planned beyond the next day's adventure 😆 

Back in 2007, we had visited EPCOT, Universal Studios and SeaWorld in Orlando, but had not been to Magic Kingdom, Animal Kingdom or any of the water parks. More importantly, this trip happened long before The Wizarding World of Harry Potter even existed. By 2014, the Harry Potter attractions had transformed Universal Studios into an entirely different experience. As a family of hardcore Potterheads, walking through Diagon Alley, boarding the Hogwarts Express and stepping into Hogsmeade presented a thrilling prospect for all four of us!

For months, park maps had been studied, Genie+ strategies carefully planned, resorts had been booked, dining reservations had been made, detailed itineraries had been prepared and YouTube videos watched in preparation for what would become one of our most action-packed family vacations. With Easter and Spring Break having ended a week ago, we hoped that the crowds at the parks would have eased by the time of our arrival. The weather was also predicted to be ideal during our visit. Every little detail had been thought through. Although we felt ready, nothing could have prepared us for the feeling of finally arriving in the theme park capital of the world.

After landing in Orlando on April 16th, we picked up our rental car at Hertz and promptly checked into Hampton Inn & Suites Orlando Airport @ Gateway Village. We had just wrapped up an eventful six days in New York and New Jersey so unwinding in front of a TV was the only thing on the agenda for the day. We headed over to the nearest grocery store, bought a bunch of snacks + breakfast staples and later stopped by a local diner in the vicinity of the hotel. 

It had been raining on and off in Florida so the weather was pleasantly cool (bordering on chilly I'd say). The girls enjoyed warming themselves by the outdoor fireplace. 

The next day, the real adventure would begin. The kids were doubly excited to meet their chikkappa and chikkamma (aka paternal uncle and aunt) who were flying in from Washington state to join us. 

The Disney Chapter

Our first morning began by checking-in to Disney's Fort Wilderness Resort, where we had booked one of the charming woodland cabins. These tiny homes are set in a 750-acre pine and cypress forest. They sleep up to 6 people and feature a full-size kitchen, a main bedroom, bunk beds, a queen-size Murphy bed, and outdoor patios with charcoal grills. This was a departure from our usual mode of stay during a vacation so the girls in particular were delighted. 

Before we could officially check in, our luggage was dropped off and we were already racing toward EPCOT.

Like most Disney enthusiasts, we had alarms set before sunrise to secure Genie+ reservations. It is amazing how quickly "holiday mode" can transform into military precision when you are trying to maximise every minute inside a Disney park. I ain't kidding you when I say this but it almost feels like a competitive sport! (I even made sure that all of us were dressed comfortably and had sports shoes  on 😆). 

The EPCOT International Flower Garden festival was in full swing and there were vibrant blooms every corner we turned. 

Recipe of the month: Taushe Bhakri (Cucumber Rotti)

Continuing my exploration of regional Indian dishes, today’s find is a Konkani  speciality called Toushe Bhakri or Cucumber Rotti. It is an easy to make, light on the tummy, traditional breakfast dish. Even better, it comes together with ingredients you probably already have sitting in your kitchen.

Somewhere along the way, I have had to accept that I don’t quite have the time (or bandwidth) to blog the way I once did. I'll admit that it is a bitter pill to swallow. Having said that, the urge to keep at it hasn’t gone away. I still find myself saving recipes I stumble upon, usually with a quiet conviction that this one will be the one that brings my blog out of its coma! And that is exactly how I found the recipe for this dish. I had never heard of it before, which immediately piqued my curiosity and it seemed like the kind of dish that would work perfectly for our busy household of six.

On an unrelated note, it does make me a little sad to see traditional blogging slowly fading into the background. Nobody really has the patience for it anymore because everything nowadays needs to be quick, snappy and instantly consumable, doesn't it? 😢 Even recipe videos have a shelf life of a few minutes before people start losing interest. Attention spans are shrinking at an alarming rate, and instant gratification seems to be the rule of the game. To avoid disappointment, I am not holding on to hope that my Generation Alpha daughters will read my elaborate blog posts. By now, I am quite convinced that I am an old soul at heart. I have little interest in keeping up with technology. I have never approached content creation as a means to an end. Podcasts, vlogs, audiobooks, YouTube shorts have never really appealed to me. I still believe in the power of writing, in documenting lived experiences, in taking the time to say things from the heart and in today's day and age, not having an AI chatbot say things for me that I am perfectly capable of saying myself! (no matter how unpolished it may sound 😝). But my thoughts aside, the fact that my blog still gets a reasonable number of views is reason enough for me to keep showing up here.

Coming back to today's recipe - this was (for the most part) a hit just as I thought it would be. My husband didn’t quite take to it, but that is due to his long-standing dislike for cucumber in the cooked form. He is one of those people who prefers the vegetable raw. Fair enough I'd say. The rest of us really enjoyed it and I can easily see this dish working just as well with zucchini. I served the bhakris with homemade butter (so good), coconut chutney, chutney pudi and pickle. It complemented everything very well. 

To those of you who still take the time to visit my blog, read my ramblings and try my recipes, thank you from the bottom of my heart. You are the reason I'm still here 💜

Baker's Corner: Blueberry Lavender Cinnamon Rolls

I'm not going to make any excuses for now showing up here. It is what it is (sighs). On a more positive note, a personal goal for me this year is to get back to cooking, baking and blogging which still rank among my greatest passions in life. I have some brand new amazing cookbooks that I brought with me from Singapore to India during our relocation but I'm ashamed to admit that I haven't opened a single one yet. That has got to change 😛

A bit of background on how this blog post came about - last month, we played Secret Santa at work. Somehow, I ended up being in charge of organizing it which was mildly amusing because I had never played the game before (surprising no?). In the beginning, I naively assumed that  it would involve picking a name, buying one holiday gift, and calling it a day. How mistaken I was! 

What followed was gifting guidelines with a designated WhatsApp group and weeks of multiple mini gifts, tricks, clues, stealth tactics, mysterious collaborations, in depth handwriting analysis, decoy Santas, dress code, dramatic reveals and what not! I can confidently say that I get all the nuances of the game now and I promise to be a force to reckon with the next time it rolls around 😂

My Secret Santa (who turned out to be a dear colleague who I work closely with) gifted me a handmade recipe book along with several other thoughtful goodies. Knowing my penchant for baking, she had included a collection of beautiful dessert recipes with detailed instructions, all carefully handwritten and paired with hand drawn illustrations. Needless to say, I was deeply touched by the time, effort, and sentiment that went into it 💜

One of the recipes that caught my attention immediately were these Blueberry Lavender Cinnamon Rolls. My daughters noticed it right off the bat too. If you have gone through my dessert gallery before, chances are, you would have come across my blog post on Cinnamon Rolls. You may have also correctly deduced that I  am a sucker for cinnamon in general. I truly dig the stuff. 

Lavender, however, was completely new territory for me. It was the only ingredient I did not already have on hand, and I was genuinely excited to try it.  A browse and click on Amazon led to its arrival on my doorstep two days later. 

This recipe is very easy to follow and uses ingredients that are (mostly) readily available. It does require two rounds of dough rising (proofing), which takes some time, but I promise it is worth the wait. The rolls turned out soft and pillowy. The gentle floral notes of the lavender complemented the fruitiness of the blueberries beautifully. The sweetness of the glaze was balanced by the salt in the rolls and the slight tartness of the berries. The cinnamon took a subtler role while still providing its comforting warmth.

I did not follow the recipe from the book exactly. I made a few minor adjustments based on my own preferences and intuition as I went along. For a first attempt, the taste and texture of the rolls felt just right. I made two batches, took one to work for my colleagues who all gave it the thumbs up. The second batch I kept for my family. My girls have been thrilled to see it make an appearance in their snack box and now they are asking me to make it for all their friends 😆 I did not feel the need to tweak the recipe further, so I am sharing it here just as it is for all of you to try.

Wishing you all a very Happy New Year 2026 💫

I will try my best to show up here more often (and I really mean that!). 

Chasing Snowflakes & Sand Dunes: Our Colorado Road Trip Adventure

Disclaimer: This road trip happened in 2023. If there were an award for procrastination, I’d be giving this acceptance speech two years late too 😂

Before we begin, a quick confession.

If you happen to wonder how I am able to recall, in sufficient detail, a trip that happened two years ago, let me assure you that it is not because I've been blessed with an exceptional memory. Far from it! I forget things all the time 😆 But what I lack in memory, I more than make up for in documentation. Before this trip, I had crafted a meticulous (some might say excessively detailed) itinerary to make sure everything went off without a hitch. I also have this habit of taking way too many photos and then turning them into obsessively captioned albums and being an Instagram junkie, I obviously, have my travel stories turned into a highlight. Turns out, this compulsive archiving is an unexpected perk of being a travel blogger. It lets me rewind, pause, relive, and now, finally, two years later, share the magic all over again. 

To provide more context, during spring of 2023, my family and I embarked on a 35-day trip to North America. Our trip spanned 2 countries, 5 states, 2 provinces with ~5000 miles of road trips, one train journey and 4 domestic flights. This extended holiday came on the heels of us concluding a 17-year chapter in Singapore and restarting a brand new one in our home country India. It was intended to celebrate a major turning point in our lives. 

I've already chronicled our trip to New Jersey and New York which happened to be the first destination on our itinerary. From there we travelled to Florida to take our (then) 8-year old twin daughters to Walt Disney World and Universal Studios. One of the states in the United States of America that I hadn't previously visited and was most keen on visiting was Colorado. My husband had been there before and was completely bowled over by the majestic mountains, the expansive plains and unique geological features. Colorado was the next stop on our travel agenda and we were looking forward to let nature do the talking.  

April in Colorado offers a mix of winter and spring activities as the snow melts and hiking trails begin to open. It is shoulder season so there are predictably less crowds and little traffic. One can also score great deals on accommodation. Even restaurants and shops may be discounted during this season. 

Book review: Becoming by Michelle Obama

I’ve been meaning to read this memoir for over five years now. When it first came out, it quickly became the talk of the literary world. I repeatedly tried borrowing the book from my university’s well-stocked library in Singapore, but despite housing multiple copies, it was always loaned out due to popular demand. I looked for it on Kindle, but oddly enough, it wasn’t available for the longest time. I reluctantly complied with my vow not to buy any more books because we had long run out of shelf space at home. Eventually, I got caught up with other books on my to-read list, but this one never really left my mind. Memoirs aren’t usually my go-to genre, but when they are well-written and engaging, especially through a female lens that explores the depth of human emotion and experience, they tend to stay with me long after I’ve finished them.

Published in 2018, Becoming is the deeply personal and widely acclaimed memoir of Michelle Obama, former First Lady of the United States, lawyer, and advocate for education and health. In this compelling narrative, Obama traces her journey from a modest upbringing on Chicago’s South Side to her years at the White House, offering honest reflections on race, identity, motherhood, marriage, and finding one’s voice. The memoir not only became an instant bestseller but also won the 2019 Grammy Award for Best Spoken Word Album for its audiobook version, narrated by Obama herself. With warmth, wit, and clarity, Becoming invites readers into the life behind the public figure and gives us all something to think about in our own process of "becoming".

Review

Michelle Obama rose from humble beginnings on the South Side of Chicago to inhabiting the halls of the White House in Washington DC. Growing up in a small one-bedroom apartment on the top floor of a house in a rough neighbourhood, with limited financial means and a father living with a disability, it would have been easy to assume the odds were stacked against her. But the deep-anchoring love of her family, a home filled with music, culture, and soul, and parents who held high expectations for her and her brother turned out to be more than enough for Michelle to rise above adversity.

Michelle Obama graduated from two Ivy League institutions, became a lawyer at a prestigious law firm, served as Vice President at a hospital, led a non-profit that helped young people build meaningful careers and went on to become the First Lady of the United States of America. She juggled the roles of daughter, wife, mother, friend, employee, employer and public figure, all while navigating extraordinary circumstances. What I admired most was her journey of self-acceptance because despite many setbacks and seeds of self-doubt, she comes to acknowledge her intellect and owns her unique story with pride.

Baker's Corner: Baked Mango Cheesecake

I'm aware that I'm super late to the party but fortunately, it is STILL that glorious time of year when markets are laden with mangoes, and every Indian home seems to have that irresistible fragrance of ripe, juicy fruit wafting through the air. I've said this before but in India, mango season isn’t just about eating a fruit - it is a celebration, a tradition, and pure nostalgia wrapped in tropical golden-yellow sweetness. 

Every year, we go absolutely bonkers as different varieties of mangoes makes its way into our home and eventually into our bellies! This year, all of our mango haul has come from (and continues to come from) a well-known agricultural university that sells mangoes from its vast orchards, a friend's farm and our regular organic grocery store. Knowing that the mangoes we consume are organic and naturally-ripened is very important to us so having reliable vendors has been reassuring. Depending on what is available, alphonso, mallika, badami, banganapalli, sindhura, neelam, malgova, raspuri, totapuri and my twins' absolute favourite, imam pasand, are the usual suspects that help us do full justice to mango season. 

Every year, I try to share a new way to honour this king of fruits, and this time, I’m thrilled to bring you something I made quite recently - a luscious mango cheesecake that marries tropical sunshine with creamy indulgence.

As much as I adore cheesecake, I can't have more than a few spoonfuls as I find it too rich and heavy. So, when I set out to make this mango cheesecake, I opted for a larger springform pan to spread out the mango-cream cheese layer more thinly. I also made sure the biscuit base was nice and thick, while keeping the jelly layer on top very thin (let’s be honest, jelly looks pretty but doesn’t offer much in terms of flavour 😂). This layering was just right for me to make mango cheesecake slices that were perfect for my twins lunchbox the following week. I was surprised that the slices weren't as delicate as I imagined and held their shape beautifully. 

This mango cheesecake is my ode to India's glorious mango season. It is rich yet light, tangy yet sweet, and a perfect showstopper for family gatherings or quiet weekend treats. It is simple enough for home bakers yet guaranteed to impress, with the fresh, natural flavour of mangoes taking centre stage. If you, like me, cannot resist making the most of mango season before it slips away, this recipe is the delicious send-off it deserves. 

I think we should make the most of our beloved mangoes while they last, don't you? While you are at it, also check out my previous mango recipe posts for more inspiration: mango burfi, mango shrikhand, mango panna cotta, mango chia pudding, mango sorbet, tropical mango vanilla cupcakes, fresh mango cake with whipped cream and dark chocolate collar.

Signing off with a quote (from me) that I think is apt for the season 😊

"When life gives you mangoes, either enjoy as is or make something unforgettable!"

Restaurant Review: Garden by Su, Bengaluru

Despite ticking off at least 60 eateries on my Bengaluru culinary hit list in the past two years, I haven't been able to feature a restaurant review on the blog. I figured that unless I was intentional about it, it most likely wouldn't happen. 

On my mother's side of the family, all of my relatives reside in South Bengaluru, all clustered fairly close to one another. This is a bit of a bummer for me because my family lives diametrically opposite to them in a city where nagivating traffic is almost always a nightmare. 

My solution is simple - whenever my cousins and I decide to catch up (invariably over a meal), we choose a venue that is equidistant for all of us, usually somewhere in the central business district. Sometimes, I coax them to travel all the way to the North, which they graciously agree to and then there are times when it is my turn to make the lonely journey South. 

It is unfortunate (for me) that a majority of the buzzworthy restaurants are concentrated in Jayanagar and JP Nagar in South Bengaluru. I don't mind travelling to Indiranagar but anything beyond that feels like a bit of a haul. Whenever I do have to venture that far, I use the metro by default. Not only is it fast, clean and cheap, but it is comfortable too. I pointedly refuse to feel miserable stuck behind a sea of honking cars so I avoid putting myself in such situations. On a related note, sending my kids to school by school bus and choosing a place of work that is only a 15-minute commute from home are probably reasons why even after two years of moving to Bengaluru, the notorious traffic has never been a point of contention for me 😁 So if any returning NRIs are reading this, you now know my secret to safeguarding my mental health and wellbeing 😆

For our most recent outing, we chose a restaurant that just so happened to be a recent addition to my restaurant wishlist. Located off a main road of Jayanagar, a short walk away from the Rashtreeya Vidyalaya Metro station, Garden by Su is a serene little green escape from the city. This is a plant-filled, airy cafe that strikes a harmonious balance between style and soul. 

I arrived fashionably early (which really ought be a thing btw 😂) so I was greeted by a completely empty restaurant. Not one to waste any opportunity, I explored every inch of the space at leisure. 

True to its name, Garden by Su welcomes its diners with lush greenery, thoughtfully placed potted plants, natural wood furniture, and an overall earthy, minimalist aesthetic. There is a gentle indoor meets outdoor vibe which is apt for Bengaluru's pleasant weather and the soft music and natural lighting create a soothing atmosphere. It struck me as the kind of place where you instinctively lower your voice and lean into conversation. 

There are a few instaworthy spots in the restaurant which I instantly recognized from social media. I do my research folks 😛

As my cousins began to arrive one after the other, we chose a cosy nook in the outdoor seating area and settled down. 

The restaurant is completely vegetarian, offering a good mix of both light, healthy dishes as well as indulgent fare. The menu leans into clean, global café fare with a healthy slant. Jain-friendly, vegan and gluten-free options are available for those with dietary restrictions and/or allergies. There are interesting beverages, nourishing bowls, refreshing salads, appetisers from around the world, artisanal sandwiches, brick oven sourdough bakes, hand-rolled and fresh pastas, creative mains and decadent desserts. 

Since we were a group of five, we decided to order multiple dishes and share. We tried to order from different categories keeping in mind the seasonality of dishes. 

Here is a line-up of what we ordered:

Recipe of the month: Beetroot-Apple Salad

We have a water apple tree in our backyard that has been around for more than a decade, inconspicuously blending into the vegetation. It had never borne fruit until the year we permanently relocated to India. If I wasn't a realist, it would almost seem like divine approval! Jokes apart, let me tell you why that would be nothing more than wishful thinking 😀 

Pre-relocation, when we renovated the first floor of our home in Bengaluru and added a second floor, a large part of our garden was, unfortunately, collateral damage. A few trees had to be cut down (our beloved pomegranate tree was one of them 😢), a great degree of soil erosion took place and with all the cement and paint spatters, the soil lost much of its vitality. Several plants simply stopped flowering and fruiting in that ~1.5-year duration. We felt terribly guilty about the aftermath and promised ourselves that once the construction was completed, we would make it a priority to restore whatever we could.

Our backyard has been home to all of our fruit trees, greens and herbs, so that was the first space we tackled. We brought in fresh soil by the bagful, added a generous amount of vermicompost, used natural products for pest-control and began periodically enriching the soil with our own kitchen compost, thanks to our newly adopted wet-waste recycling habits. In keeping with the times, we also adopted smarter plant watering solutions. With Bengaluru’s generous sunshine and rainfall doing their part, things slowly began to look up.

What we did not expect was how quickly our garden would respond. In just a few months, our once barren water apple tree surprised us with its very first fruit. A small but heartwarming reward for our efforts!

Water apple, also known as rose apple, wax apple, java apple, or bell fruit is a tropical fruit known for its crisp texture and refreshing, mildly sweet flavor. It makes for a good snack especially in the hot summers. 

That said, there was only so much of the fruit we could finish on its own, so I began thinking of ways to elevate this humble (and somewhat bland) fruit. The water apple from our tree is the small and white variety. It isn't very sweet but has a pleasant juicy texture. A family member suggested making a beetroot and water apple salad with a yogurt-based dressing. I thought it was an interesting idea, so I decided to give it a try.

The first attempt turned out really well, but it got me thinking about how I could enhance the flavor and texture even more. I made it a second time, then a third, each time experimenting with subtle tweaks. The version I’m sharing today is the one I’m finally happy with. The salad is fresh, balanced, flavorful and most importantly, has earned my children's seal of approval.

Let me give you the nutritional rundown of this salad:

• Beetroot is rich in nitrates (great for heart health and blood pressure), folate, and antioxidants (like betalains)
• Both water apples and iceberg lettuce are low in calories and packed with hydration
• Green apples are lower in natural sugar and calories compared to red apples and provide more fiber, vitamin C, vitamin K and antioxidants
• Red onions and garlic offer vitamin C, B vitamins (B6, folate), potassium, and trace amounts of minerals 
• Yogurt adds creaminess, probiotics, and a small dose of calcium and protein
• The addition of walnuts gives crunch and omega-3s
• The incorporation of fresh mint and dill into the dressing brightens up the flavor and provides additional nutrients

I have always loved the deep color and earthy flavor of beetroot, so that naturally became the star of the salad. The water apples add a juicy crunch, as does the iceberg lettuce. I thought green apples would lend a nice tartness which they did. Fresh herbs are a must for me in any salad; they instantly lift the flavors, so I always recommend them. Walnuts are my go-to for salads, so they made it in by default. As for the cranberries and feta cheese, those were added simply because I count them among some of my favourite ingredients. And I love a good yoghurt-based salad dressing because it is not only light, creamy and easy to infuse flavor into but less calorific and nutritious to boot. 

You may be wondering why I haven't called my salad "beetroot-water apple salad" and that is completely intentional on my part. The only reason I've used water apples in my salad is because I had an enormous homegrown stash as I've already explained to you. I am aware that water apple is a seasonal ingredient that could be unfamiliar to many people and not easily available either. This salad will work fine with regular apples or pears too. I have included plenty of substitutions and optional ingredients to make this recipe more accommodating and adaptable to what you have on hand. 

So, here's presenting my rendition of beetroot-apple salad. Lettuce eat!

Heritage and Wilderness: A Royal Rendezvous in Rajasthan

Rajasthan was sitting high on my India travel bucket list for decades due to its captivating blend of history, culture, architecture and natural beauty. Visiting the “Land of Kings” to experience the royal vibes first-hand had been long overdue.

I'm thrilled to share that we finally made it happen! Jaipur and Ranthambore Tiger Reserve were chosen as the destinations for our summer break this year. The twins had over two months of school holidays and were geared up for an adventure. We had heard that summer was a good time to spot wildlife, especially tigers, at Ranthambore so that was the main reason why we decided to plan our trip in early April despite the start of the fierce summer in Rajasthan (typically beginning from March onwards). 

Along with my husband, children, parents, niece and nephew, this holiday promised to be a fun-filled multigenerational family getaway 😊

For the accommodation, I was keen on staying at a heritage hotel or a haveli that would offer a glimpse into the region's rich culture and history. We found just the place - Umaid Bhawan, a charming heritage-style boutique hotel located in the serene Bani Park neighborhood. It offered the best of both worlds: a peaceful retreat that was still close to Jaipur’s vibrant city center. Run by the erstwhile royal family of Borunda, Umaid Bhawan felt like the perfect base for our Rajasthani escapade.

From the moment we arrived, we were struck by the haveli's vibrant decor and regal charm - a stunning blend of traditional Rajasthani architecture and warm hospitality. 

We had booked two Royal Suites, both of which were spacious, elegantly furnished, and steeped in character. One of our rooms even had two private balconies, one offering a lovely view of the city. Waking up in a heritage haveli, surrounded by ornate arches, vintage murals, and the gentle echo of old-world charm, felt like slipping into antiquity. 

Book Review: The Complete Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi

After a two-year hiatus, I finally picked up a book again. Balancing a full-time career, the demands of parenting, and running a household has made it challenging to carve out time for reading. But I've finally found a rhythm, and I hope to stay on track as I tackle the ever-growing list of books I seem to add to each year.

I started The Complete Persepolis just before our move from Singapore to India, but life quickly got in the way. My Kindle was soon forgotten, buried somewhere amidst the chaos of relocation. But the bookworm in me refused to stay dormant for long. After some intentional restructuring of my routine, I've managed to set aside 30 minutes each day exclusively for reading. The direct result of that effort is this review! I'll admit that I'm feeling rather pleased with myself 😊

Persepolis is a series of autobiographical graphic novels by Marjane Satrapi, chronicling her childhood and early adulthood in Iran and Austria during and after the Islamic Revolution. The title refers to the ancient capital of the Persian Empire. The Complete Persepolis combines Persepolis (2003) and Persepolis 2 (2004) into a single volume.

Synopsis

Iranian-born Marjane Satrapi’s The Complete Persepolis is a powerful coming-of-age memoir told through comic strips, set in Tehran against the backdrop of the turbulent Islamic Revolution. Born to progressive and liberal parents, the outspoken and rebellious Marjane grapples with the harsh realities of civil liberties and women’s rights suppression under the fundamentalist regime following the Shah's overthrow. The Iran-Iraq war brings unrest, devastation and death, some striking close to home, eventually leading her parents to make the heartbreaking decision to send her to Vienna at the age of 14 for her own safety. Thrust into a foreign culture and left to navigate the trials and tribulations of adolescence alone, Marjane struggles with a profound identity crisis. After becoming homeless and suffering a life-threatening respiratory illness, she returns to Iran, only to confront once again the oppressive morality police, patriarchal norms, and societal repression. It all culminates in the painful realization for Marjane that Iran can no longer serve as her home.

A Spring to Remember: Exploring Japan During Cherry Blossom Season

It has been a while since I’ve shared a travel story here. Life after my big move has been a whirlwind of changes, and honestly, I haven’t been able to blog the way I used to in Singapore. But to be clear, I have not given up on my virtual home. I’ve poured years of effort into it and I’m not about to let that go 😊

Ideally, I would have wrapped up my North America travel series before diving into Japan. But with cherry blossom season around the corner, my IG content on Japan has been gaining traction. Friends and family have also been asking for Japan travel tips, so I figured - why not ride the sakura wave? 🌸

Japan had been on my bucket-list for ages. We had even finalised a trip to the country back in the spring of 2011 which unfortunately did not materialise due to the devastating tsunami and Fukushima Daiichi nuclear crisis. With the Singapore government issuing a travel advisory for their citizens and residents to avoid all travel to Japan, we had no choice but to cancel all our bookings and swallow our feelings of deep disappointment. 

So, when a golden opportunity came my way last year, I was determined to make the most of it. I already had a well-researched and detailed Japan itinerary from 2011, and while I had to make a few adjustments to accommodate my elderly parents and young children this time, it proved quite useful.

I'm capturing my experiences on this holiday in this blog post because some memories are simply too precious to go unrecorded. I hope that whenever my children revisit these recollections, they spark the same joy and nostalgia in them as they do in me.

Japan: Spring 2024

Tokyo: The City That Never Sleeps

Our Japan adventure began in Tokyo, and what better way to get a bird’s-eye view of this buzzing metropolis than from the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Office? The South Tower observation deck offers spectacular nighttime skyline views. 

The reason we specifically booked our trip to Japan in spring (April) was the real highlight of our trip so once in the country, we didn't waste any time getting to it. 

Hanami is the Japanese traditional custom of enjoying the transient beauty of flowers. The cherry blossom, or "sakura" symbolises the arrival of spring, new beginnings, and the fleeting nature of life, which is deeply ingrained in Japanese culture. 

It isn't just the Japanese, but tourists from around the world flock to Japan to appreciate the beauty of the blossoms during their short blooming period which emphasises the impermanence of beauty and the importance of cherishing the present moment.