Lovely Packaging

It’s an occupational hazard to go through packaging trends around the world. My family business - H K Printers Pvt Ltd, has been into the field of Printing and Packaging for 3 generations now. It’s a pretty basic industry – but off late I have been coming across such innovative products. It has made me wonder whether we will be ready for this change? Whether this traditional style of doing business if going to sustain in the long run ? It has also given me the chance to use my creativity to think of a business model for ready made packaging – this industry is growing at 40% per annum and is soon going to be a 14,000 crore industry. Today we are doing a turnover of approx 10 crore --- that means we are 0.07% of the market share. OMG. I feel like a little fish in a big pond all of a sudden.

Here is what I came across – these are Soap Packaging Designs ... Images are Via – Lovely Packaging website. They are done by artist Charles S Anderson Design for French Paper Pop-Ink Soap. I would love to buy these off the rack and not throw it’s packaging for many many years... !!! It’s a collectible.

Cities !

What does your city mean to you ? Would your wear it and show it around ?? Check our some really cool city skyline pendants you can now wear !!





There is enough written about Mumbai and how it is such a super city. Mumbai is MY CITY !!! But Here is what I think of other cities in india and abroad.
LONDON – the city of my dreams
NEW YORK – Melting pot of arts and culture
DUBAI – Partying and shopping
HONG KONG – Sky Scrapers
BRUSSELS – 2nd Home
DELHI – A Big Show-off
CAIRNS – Scuba Diving Reef
MELBOURNE – Crown Towers
SYDNEY – opera house, beautiful beautiful
BRIBANE – Young at heart
INNSBRUCK – Beautiful Lake side with a cafe au lait
VIENNA – Mozart and the Opera
NASSAU – the jewel of the Bahamas – colourful
BRUDGE – Venice of norther Europe
ANTWERPEN – Diamante
LIEGE – Le Carre Wednesday evening parties !!
THIMPU – Nature at its Best
GUANSHOU – Shopper’s Paradise
HELSINKI – Waterfront
PARIS – Champs Elysee
LILLE – Partying
ACCRA – Football Lovers
DUSSELDORF – Business Fairs
AGRA – TAJ MAHAL
BANGALORE – MALLS and SUNNY’s Cafe
INDORE – Chappan
GOA – Beaches and Beer
AHEMDABAD – Summer Vacation Galore
AMRITSAR – Golden Temple by night and kulcha by day
CALCUTTA – Cookie Jar
CHENNAI – Chaos
JODHPUR – Umaid Bhavan
TIRUMALA – tirupati Balaji
BARODA – Kite Flying Festival
PANCHGINI – Table Land
MAHABALESHWAR – Lake Side Corn Pattice and Strawberries with Cream
BALI – Balinese Massages
VENICE – Arrogant People
ROME – Gelato
TOKYO – Hygeneic but Silent People
NAIROBI – Patel Chips
AMSTERDAM – Hash Brownies
MANILA – Some of the best Cafe’s around the world
BARCELONA – a Pop- Artists dream city
GRINDELWALD – God’s most beautiful creation
BANGKOK – Shopping
KOH PANG YANG – Full Moon Party !!
ANN ARBOUR – Student City
NEW JERSEY (The little towns that make up New Jersery)– Filthy rich Indian doctors, Lawyers
L.A – Universal Studios
SAN FRANCISCO – Dreamy Eyed City
HO CHI MINH CITY – Cuchi Tunnels

Killing my Inside..!

I thought you were forever and always,
But my heart knows you are long gone.
No longer are these like our joyous days,
There is no sunshine, Happiness and no more dawn.

Each day starts with a thought so positive,
But by mid- day everything is dwindling down.
And then I suddenly wish I were still naïve,
To not understand that you have left my town.

Never to come back, never to look back,
Leaving me to wonder what I did so wrong.
How could I have known what I lack,
To stop u from going so far long.

The fear of being alone is killing my inside,
For I had never imagined my world without you.
Will the waves, my hatred for what you have done hide,
I wish they finish everything, including me too.

Will a tomorrow come ever,
where I will learn to smile again.
For the sad today seems so constant and forever,
Today, it seems is moving in the slow lane.

I know I am abandoned by thyself,
Do you know what redundant, the feeling is ?
I cannot fight no more, I cannot shout for help,
I wish you good luck all your life with a gentle kiss.

Master Chef India

From the time I was 13 – and My mum started the whole, “You should learn how to cook !” I often wondered how much fun it would be for Sanjeev Kapoor to cook – for everything is fine chopped and cling film wrapped in pretty looking bowls in a spotless kitchen with some really cool gadgets. I would often pretend I am hosting the show myself – and start explaining to the 4 walls of a pretty Greyish boring kitchen at my house to make the learning process bearable.

And when I grew bigger –Life just got colourful with the Niggela Feasts, Rachelle Allen’s Bake or Kylie Kwong, Hell’s Kitchen, Top Chef – hosted by our very own Padma Lakshmi finding their way into our television channels. And then the real show of all shows – MASTER CHEF comes along. In no time it became one of my favourites and has been entertaining me with different spin offs like Master chef Australia – currently being aired, Celebrity Master Chef, Junior Master Chef, Master Chef the original !!

Restaurateur and chef Gary Mehigan, chef George Calombaris and food critic Matt Preston serve as the show's main judges in their Australian series. The USP of this show is that just when you thought now they have given the ultimate of all challenges, or now they cannot possibly have something new, or the presentation just can’t get any better, or the participants are the cream de la cream... Each new series and episode takes you by surprise !!

The Best episode by far according to me was that of the "Mystery Box”. Each one was given a box of ingredients. I would possibly never know how to put these bizarre elements together.

1. duck breast,
2. raspberries,
3. pinot (I’m assuming noir),
4.red cabbage,
5. lavender,
6. Fennel
7. dark chocolate.

Oh, what to cook? What to cook !! What, what did they cook !! Oh, What are they cooking anyway ?? Oh My good, they COOKED – was my reaction.
And at the end of 30 mins – here is what the MASTER CHEF’s made out of the bizarre combinations - Glazed duck breast, pancakes, lavender custard, a chocolate Ganache tart with lavender cream and crispy duck with raspberries marinated in wine with fennel fronds, chocolate and raspberry soufflé with lavender cream. And The DRAMA Quotient is upped each time – the presentations are impeccable.

Looking at my excitement – I was SUPER DUPER Happy when Master Chef announced their INDIA Series... But to my uttermost disappointment, even before it has started – we have some RUBBISH NEWS... It is going to be hosted by AKSHAY KUMAR. Didn’t anyone not see his miserable performance in Khatron Ke Khiladi ?? , his lack of real ideas and a style mis-match to this show ?? Even after being a CHEF in his past, did he not FAIL in Chandani Chowk to China !!! Why have the producers signed him on then ?? Where is the INTERNATIONAL APPEAL ?? ... Don’t we want people in Australia to watch MASTER CHEF INDIA ?? Why couldn’t they have chosen someone WORTHY of this... Oct 9, just got a bitter bitter start. Now I am only hoping the contestants work their magic and overshadow the crook of the show !!

Best Friends !

Everything looked different... Where there was an open ground with wild grass growing was now converted into a fine garden, with beautiful landscapes and a jogging track on the periphery. There were swings and slides for little children. I remember falling there endless times and scratching my knee. She had picked me up several times while I attempted my hand at riding a bicycle.... I drove past it.. I passed the golla walla kaa stall. When we were little, he wheeled a cart into our neighbourhood each day. When my mother said no for Golla, it was her mother that gave us Rs 1. She hid me behind her while I ate it peacefully.

When my mother scream at me for not doing my homework and made me stand outside our door, her mother took me in and fed me. We played all day along... post 4 o clock, Moksha and I ruled the world of Vishwabharti Society. Our friendship was the envy of many a girls of our society. We broke apart only to go home and sleep. We often ate dinner together.

She held my back and I looked after hers. We shared a kitchen set – held endless tea parties behind out building. We even climbed the wall and made it our home playing house-house.

And all that came to a screeching halt when my father said, “Darling, Say goodbye to Moksha..!” I was told we were going to visit her every now and then. I was also told that we would be great friends all along... We moved, our lives got busier. We were all but 12 years old then. Time flew by... but our paths didn’t cross that often. She pursued Arts while I set about in Commerce and then Our paths never crossed – but every 1st October, on her birthday I called to wish her. Each time we would promise that we would make a plan and meet. Then 12th November would come – and she would be one of the first few people to wish me... it’s a shame we live at a distance of 3 kms and yet life of Mumbai City makes it impossible to catch up.

But this 1st October was different. It is her birthday. I decided to swing by her place. It was almost mid-day. I wasn’t sure if I could run into her – but I bought her a box of her favourite chocolate and reached her house. I was lucky. I got her just 10 minutes before she was leaving for work. She was ecstatic... we both hugged. Looking at her so happy .. I had tears in my eyes.... !!!

Years of growing up together flashed in front of my eyes. It was a happy moment. It was a moment that she and I are going to remember for the rest of our lives.... Best Friends know no distances, Best friends stand the true test of time...Here’s wishing my very first best friend in the whole wide world a Very Happy Birthday !!