Asta La Vista 2013!

Happy 2014

Lots of posts until July, 2013 and then life took a full 360 degree turn for better.

First ever full time work assignment in NYC proved to have opened vistas of professional opportunities.  What a work experience!

Will be updating on my most recent/latest adventure soon. Please stay tuned.

I also want to take this opportunity to thank all my readers and well wishers 

Hope that everyone is having a peaceful end to 2013.

Wishing all a very happy new year and looking forward to interacting much more in 2014!

In loving memory

Hello Dear Blog readers,

I shall be taking a few weeks off due to the loss of a beloved friend and an elder sister that I never had, Nazgul William.

Please read all about her by visiting this link and pray that her parted soul rests in peace. 

http://new.gbgm-umc.org/umw/news/articles/item/index.cfm?id=1189

I remember her last words to me vividly when I had visited her home in NYC. She had said “This is your first ever visit to your elder sister's home after getting married and you cannot leave empty handed from here”..

Naz Di you are in my <3 forever

Naz Di you’ll be missed dearly...

Summer 2013 in NYC

@ MCU Park, Coney Island Brooklyn

In my last blog post I told you about our anniversary celebration and how the day got even more gorgeous once we got there. This was the sunset as seen from the park. It felt like a bliss to be alive and see this golden hue with Rohith!

Biggest accomplishment in the recent past:

Last summer, we had planted greek oregano, which unfortunately did not last. I tried to plant Indian green chilly (dhani launka/hari mirch) from old chillies seeds. Almost 30-35 sneezes later, I cannot begin to describe the ecstasy we felt upon noticing the saplings for the first time. Gardening is definitely therapeutic!

Day 1

End of 1st week

End of 2nd (last) week

Today. They look happy!

I also gave a makeover to our plants from last year. The mint (the shorter in the picture) is like me. Its tendrils also have a mind of their own like my strands. Rohith says we both have hair like those of Medusa. LoL!

All trimmed and tied

Another notable achievement for me, personally,  was to be able to get back to my old workout regimen. I accomplished my target despite the lower back ache and other things going on with me.

Tired but rejoiced!

I am doing at least 10-15 minutes of cardio everyday; followed by Sun Salutations 1 and 2; combined with a different yoga sequence, depending on my mood and requirement, on a particular day.

Summer in NYC:

Out of the many advantages of living in a place like NYC one is the opportunity to be out and about during summertime.  At every street corner there is concert

@ Union Square

Or an interesting sculpture 

@ Union Square

Or a free ice cream truck

Free is the key here

My friend Laura @ Bryant Park, You can notice the ice cream truck in the background

It felt like we were in high school once again ;)

Over the last weekend, we also got to meet our most favorite cousin in NYC, Ritu Di and her family. She had arranged a barbecue in her backyard.  It seemed like forever since we got together, so that was nice. It is always a treat to meet her boys, Dhruv ( almost 9) and Neal (almost 5). I forgot to click pictures, so here are recycled ones from last summer.

What a treat to be able to spend time with them

Di and I always (try to be) ourselves when together ;)

My friend Winslet also happened to join us for dinner on Sunday. I saw her after more than six months. It made us feel happy and sad at the same time. Despite living in Brooklyn, we are not able to see each other as often as we want to.

Do you notice my shoes? They are a reflection of my personality!

Anniversary celebrations continue:

Rohith kept surprising me everyday by popping one gift after another from his office bag over the past weekend.

I needed this one badly

RR made sure that all the items are worthwhile to be added to my professional wardrobe. He shops like any male would though, so here you go. Two of the same in different colors. LoL!

However, that did not keep him from adding cherries on top by the following for summer outings

Flattering summer dress in my all time favorite color

The cowl neck is the accent on this one

Summer is here, so it’s time for a change of toe rings too. My sister gave these to me in 2011, when I was coming to NYC and these are my most favorite pair.

Traditional+trendy

Breakfast:

We got this interesting bread from our local bakery and I made myself a variety of sandwiches along with smoothies for breakfast all of last few weeks.

Fresh mozzarella, tomato and basil sandwich with blueberry smoothie

So healthy, so yum

PBJ sandwich

PBJ sandwich with banana

Add caption

Breakfast staple

I must confess having some carb loaded brunches after working out, as I was about town a few times too.

Pasta with spring veggies and jalapeno salsa toast- Courtesy RR

I got it made fresh at Subway. LoL!

I cannot seem to have enough of the Viva La Papa, Andean Native Potato Chips, seen in the picture above. We get them every time from Marshals. I love that they are baked not fried like most other potato chips/snacks. 

Last night:

We went to our local farmers market on Sunday and bought all these delicious fruits and veggies. I made baigan ka bharta for dinner with kheeray ka raita (Indian eggplant dish similar to babaganush with cucumber in yogurt Indian style). I served it with whole wheat pita bread.

When Indian meets Middle Eastern

We have been really big on succulent fruits for desserts too, which we got from the market.

Pear and Pineapple for dessert

Rohith, as always with his eye for all things unique, spotted this amazing honey at the market. I cannot describe here how different and flavorful this one is from all the honeys that I have eaten till date.

We think that this could be called as barbequed honey 

A unique honey called for a unique preparation. I set out to make these sticky figs for dessert by using the honey last night. Let me know if you would like the recipe as it is literally a piece of cake!

Sticky figs served with vanilla ice cream

Rohith was all smiles after a satisfying home cooked meal last night.

I will catch you next week now folks xxx

Questions of the afternoon: 

• How did you celebrate your holiday weekend?
• Do you support your local farmers market?
• Which summer fruits and veggies have you tried so far and which ones are your favorite?
• Have you tried making any new dish/dessert lately? 

Do write to me at pallavibhar at gmail dot com or comment below.

Happy July 04, 2013!

Surprise surprise

I recently read an interesting article online and thought about what Independence really means to me as a woman.

Here are 19 things that mean success and independence to me :

1. Doing something impactful and loving every minute of it.

2. Finding the good in life's imperfections.

3. Realizing that your contribution to the world is valued, if not by others, by you.

4. Making a difference by teaching others to achieve success.

5. Living and loving fully, without shame and without apology.

6. Promoting a just cause, such as saving the planet.

7. Going to the beach everyday if possible!

8. Making your family and friends happy.

9. Playing an active role in achieving gender equality.

10. Having the ability to control your own schedule.

11. Being healthy -- and having a job that helps other women do the same.

12. Having the strength to try, try again -- even when you fall flat on your face.

13. Being proud of yourself.

14. Doing your best and being grateful for everything good in your life.

15. Finding a healthy balance between a loving home and a career that you enjoy.

16. Having people in your life who can always make you smile.

17. Loving what you get to do for a living.

18. Knowing that your daughter will be able to stand up for what's right and is not afraid to be herself around others.

19. Learning to be in the moment instead of constantly going, going, going.

Aren’t those just lovely thoughts to feel independent? Most of them resonate with me personally.

This week:

Rohith and I celebrated the 4th year of our first ever meeting on July 03. 

Our first ever pic as a couple ©Sunetra Chakravarty

In a separate post someday, I shall write about how it all started and how by the grace of Almighty and some very very thoughtful and generous people Rohith and I have been united as one.

The first symbol (It was readjusted to fit in the right finger)

The celebrations:
Rohith has a knack for surprises and I am the last person to like them. However, this time it was an exception. He came home in the afternoon on the 3rd and brought the beautiful bouquet (pictured above)

He also popped out two tickets to the baseball game in our local Coney Island’s MCU Park. The day was beautiful and it became even more gorgeous when we got there!

Take me out to the ballgame

We did not miss seeing the fireworks yesterday, as post game there were fireworks for more than a half hour. Our local team Brooklyn Cyclones won that night!

The long weekend:

Wimbledon is full on at Roy household. Some of you might think, what a boring way to celebrate the Holiday weekend.  Of all the games played by human beings, I respect this game the most. Why? Read on for the explanation by one of the greatest legends and visit this link to watch more

“Only a boxer can understand the loneliness of a tennis player. Even boxers have a corner man. Of all the games played by human beings tennis is the one with most solitary confinement”- Andrea Agassi 

You see in tennis it’s all about you and only you, just like in the real life most of the time! 

Rohith has graciously accepted the cooking and other chores as I am glued to the TV for the rest of the weekend.

I will see you guys next week with updates.

In the meantime, have a great weekend folks xxx

Questions of the weekend:

• How did you celebrate the Independence day?
• Do you have a special day to celebrate when you had met your better half for the first time?

Do write to me at pallavibhar at gmail dot com or comment below. 

Fabulous Fitness Friday Survey

This survey popped up on on another blog right now. Since I am on a spree of filling you guys up on some fun information through questionnaires, I figured this would make a fun Friday post in the meantime. I love surveys! 
1. What did you eat for breakfast?
My most recent favorite, a peanut butter and banana sandwich

2. How much water do you drink a day?
I am not sure. I make a conscious effort to drink at least 1-2 liters and carry a water bottle with me everywhere I go.
3. What is your current favorite workout?
Current and all time favorite Yog. I simply love it!
4. How many calories do you eat a day?
I do not keep a record. So no idea! That will be going too far for me.
5. What are your favorite healthy snacks?
I am a big snacker. You can see some of my healthy snacks in this recycled photo

I also cannot resist eating peanut butter right out of the jar. It is now an increasing occurrence in my life. So delicious!
6. What do you usually eat for lunch?
I share a lot of my lunches on the blog, so you probably already know the answer to this one. Since I have to eat lunch by myself at home lately, I have gravitated toward meals that incorporate foods that are easy, quick and different from dinner like greek salad, fresh fruits or smoothies and baked chips etc.
7. What is your favorite body part to strength train?
Calfs!
8. What is your least favorite body part to strength train?
Upper body.
9. What are your “bad” food cravings?
I do not find it amusing to call food “good” or “bad”, however I am assuming this question is asking about my favorite indulgent dish. My answer always has been and always will be baklava.
10. Do you take vitamins or supplements?
I love my 'one day women petite under 50' and 'Nature Bounty’s hair, nail and skin' vitamins!
11. How often do you eat out?
It varies really. You guys might presume from my blog posts that we eat out all the time.However, the truth of the matter is that we usually eat out only once or twice during the week or on a Friday night. That too always preferably from a food cart if the weather is nice or on an online deal!
12. Do you eat fast food?
I almost never eat main meals at fast food chains (I do like Chipotle and Subway though, if you count those). Being vegetarian really helps me here. I get desserts on the go with RR especially a small scoop from B&R. I am also subscribed to their birthday club so each month I get a free ‘flavor of the month’ scoop too in addition to a free sundae on my birthday!
13. Who is/are your biggest supporter(s)?
RR, my mom, sister and brother.
14. Do you have a gym membership?
No and I never will. I absolutely forbid paying for any gym membership. 
15. How many hours of sleep do you get a night?
I try to get at least eight hours of sleep, but most nights I get only around seven.
16. Do you have a “cheat” day?
I do  not plan cheat days. By some people’s standards, I probably “cheat” every single day. I just try to make conscious decisions about my food choices for the most part, but I binge from time to time, too. Sometimes that happens all week long. 
17. Do you drink alcohol?
Yep.

I am not a big drinker, never was. I enjoy drinking socially with RR, my friends and family, especially having a glass or two of wine from time to time!
18. Do you have a workout buddy?
RR absolutely. He and I go for an early morning jog, but we usually do not workout at home together. When it comes to at home workouts, I am a yog practitioner and he is more of a strength trainer.
19. What is the best thing that has changed about your life since committing to a healthy lifestyle?
I became excited about fitness at a very early age because of my late grand pa. However, due to double incidences of biles palsy and a twice broken crocyx, I was chubby all along in my high school and most of my college days. Later, in University during my graduation, I met with an almost fatal accident. I shed almost 10 kgs or 22 lbs and took up yog and cardio rigorously to get back into shape and health. For the past 10 years, I have tried to continue that routine off and on. Nowadays, whenever I am short on time, I definitely try to squeeze in a 10 minute cardio and 15 minutes yog regimen.
20. What was the last healthy thing you did?
This morning

• Sun Salutation 1 and 2 to mark the official start of summer. 
•  Yog sequence to get rid of muffin top.
• Ate greek salad once again for lunch today.

Questions of the Afternoon
Now it’s your turn!

• What did you eat for breakfast?
• What is your current favorite workout?
• How often do you eat out?
• What was the last healthy thing you did? and so on...

Have a rocking weekend ahead folks and I will see you all next week xxxx