Monday, July 20, 2009

It's good to be reminded, sometimes...

I read this article today and thought it would be nice to spread it... It is, indeed, a lot of times - actually most often- that it happens to forget why we do something in the first place. And the entire struggles becomes about winning a race or a war rather than actually changing something and achieving goals. 
So here it is the article from NYT that made me think of this...

Teacher, Can We Leave Now? No.
Published: July 18, 2009

Pushghar, Afghanistan

I confess, I find it hard to come to Afghanistan and not ask: Why are we here? Who cares about the Taliban? Al Qaeda is gone. And if its leaders come back, well, that’s why God created cruise missiles.

But every time I start writing that column, something stills my hand. This week it was something very powerful. I watched Greg Mortenson, the famed author of “Three Cups of Tea,” open one of his schools for girls in this remote Afghan village in the Hindu Kush mountains. I must say, after witnessing the delight in the faces of those little Afghan girls crowded three to a desk waiting to learn, I found it very hard to write, “Let’s just get out of here.”

Indeed, Mortenson’s efforts remind us what the essence of the “war on terrorism” is about. It’s about the war of ideas within Islam — a war between religious zealots who glorify martyrdom and want to keep Islam untouched by modernity and isolated from other faiths, with its women disempowered, and those who want to embrace modernity, open Islam to new ideas and empower Muslim women as much as men. America’s invasions of Iraq and Afghanistan were, in part, an effort to create the space for the Muslim progressives to fight and win so that the real engine of change, something that takes nine months and 21 years to produce — a new generation — can be educated and raised differently.

Read the rest here: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/19/opinion/19friedman.html?th&emc=th

And if anyone was wondering... yeah, we sometimes think in this house too...

Monday, July 6, 2009

Low Calorie Chicken Recipe with Herbs

Ladies and Gents,

I just realized no-one in this house posted any recipe. Actually, no-one else does anything in this house. Nafis and I were away this weekend and we just got back and the house all sucks. But in any case, I think it's high time we shared another cooking experience.

This is a very easy to make, non-fattening, and fast dish.
Here is what you need:
    —Chicken (thighs, etc) – 8 pcs
Carrots  - 2
Tomatoes – 1-2
Garlic – 4 cloves
Fresh thyme – 1 tbs
Oregano – 1.5 ts
Basil – 1.5 ts
Fresh parsley, chopped – 1 tbs
Salt, pepper
Oil
Of course, you can also do without all the fresh stuff and even without all the herbs, but the fresher the nicer it gets.
To prepare it
1.Cut off the fat on the chicken
2.Peel off 2 carrots and cut them in thin slices (as thin as possible, with the large knife)
3.Peel garlic – about 3-4 cloves – cut them in thin slices
4.In the large pan
1.put a bit of oil and about a cup of water
2.add the carrots
3.add about 8 pieces of chicken (make sure the chicken is about half covered with water)
4.add salt (probably about one tablespoon)
5.add the garlic and cover the pan
5.As the chicken boils, add thyme (fresh, in the fridge), oregano, basil, pepper
6.Cut off one (or two, see if it’s needed) tomato in cubes and add it when the chicken is almost done.
7.When it’s done, add one tablespoon of parsley, turn the heat off and cover the pan.

That's it! Bon appetit! 

Wednesday, July 1, 2009

Me and ma boys...


Being the only girl in the house is... quite an experience! I usually like it. The guys are nice, most of the time, and I get a lot of inside conversation that many other girls don't. It's true that it's sometimes annoying to be the only girl or one of the only 2-3 girls in a party, but it's also fun. Many times it's just so much easier to be friends with guys than girls. I think it's because they are usually a lot more honest and tolerant. Now, I don't want my words to be misinterpreted. Guys can be VERY bitchy! It's just that, usually, they are more friendly and accepting - oh, you do that - cool, let's play soccer. Might be because most of them suffer from learned ADD and don't genuinely care about what one thinks... Nafis has this t-shirt which says "A penny for you thought, a dollar if you flash me!" SO TRUE! 90% of the time guys couldn't care less for anyone's thoughts, ideas, or concerns, unless they can prove that the respective individual is wrong and they are right. So, 10 % of the cases are exceptions, and normally they care for who won the cup, what's for dinner, who's hot and... things like these. Therefore, it's considerably easier to get to know them. The harder part for women is getting men to do what they (women) want. Actually, I think today I developed an increased penis envy (after 3 hours of insane period cramps). I just think it's too easy to be male...

Although, honestly speaking, being a girl doesn't suck that hard either. Especially when you are the woman of the house :P. It takes some yelling and frowning sometimes, but it can work out pretty well. I, for one, get to do shopping for the three of us who share food (Nafis, Ryan and I) - and I like shopping for good stuff, including food. I also get to have them clean up  (this can be sometimes a problem), but at least I'm not doing it all the time. I also don't have to cook or do laundry all by myself. I am given attention, since I am the girl :P. I also get a lot of understanding for my wilder side. I have plenty of support in various situations, including bug-related issues. And last, but not least, it's a lot of fun. Guys know jokes. They also gossip a lot and it's hilarious!!! They do a lot of retarded things like - who would do whom... etc etc.

It's rather nice... and I do wish I could be a guy for like a day or two and see how feels. 
Honestly, I always wondered how it feels to have a penis, and more importantly, how it feels when your penis grows from flaccid to hard... fascinating to me!

ps: image by Patrick Denker - Penis envy envy

Tuesday, June 30, 2009

It's a bum world...

This is the very philosophical conclusion to which we arrived after Nafis shared his revelation with us. Apparently, the line that marked his existence the most was "touch my bum, this is life" from the very cheesy song of the Cheeky Girls. The truth is, he says, that life is all about bum - you know, technically like that bumper sticker that says life is all about ass. He just gave it another turn, that men are trying to grab women's bums, we're all kissing bosses' and politicians' bums etc etc.

In a personal interview with the Resident Fish, he has further clarified the meaning behind his slightly pornographic statement. Lets hear it from the horse's mouth:

IM: So, Mr. Fish, would you please describe the details behind your statement? (this whole sentence was actually summarized in a high-pitched monosyllable "WHAT?")

The Resident Fish: yes, miss marin. Of course. After all, without my wisdom, the world would be falling apart. Why, if it wasn't for me, then would the current Prime Minister of Bangladesh be credible enough for her party member to try and persuade the parliament to form a regulation that would urge the Nobel Committee to award her with the Nobel Prize (ref). Anyways, coming back to the point - the song is actually DEEP! If you think about it, are we all not trying to do something with someone else's ass or even ass in general? You work it off, laugh it off, bet it, put it on the line, whoop it, wipe it, you ARE it, cant find it, chew it, work it, grind it, get it handed to you, put it in a sling, cover it, crawl up it, drag it, get it, give it, haul it, bust yours or others', have something up it, keep it down, kick it, kiss yours and others', look like it, act like it, talk like it, smell like it, take something up it and even pull something out of it. If you do not do any of the above, then maybe you are or have been one of the following at some point of your life - badass, jackass, pain in the ass, asshole, assclown, ass man, asswipe, big ass, candy ass, dumbass, half-assed, smart ass, lardass and tightass (thanks). Anyways, the point here is that the "ass" is an omnipresent word in our lives and we just cant do without it! It does not matter whether it is called an ass, bum, derriere, bottom, butt, buttocks, can, fanny, keister, posterior, rear, rear end, seat, buns, cheeks, heinie, booty, phat, junk in the trunk, rump, badonkadonk, cakes, arse, tushi, toosh, petooti....(*whew*, thats all i know), its all the same and have the same importance and implications in our lives apart from being related to the two biological processes that are usually associated with it. So back to you Ms. Marin.

IM: I believe this post should be classified as 18 years and older due to vulgar content and STUPIDITY!

--------------End of Interview---------------

Since the conversation has gone so long about ass, I just cannot resist but put this song up, please enjoy: Alex C ft Y-ass: Sweetest Ass in the World 

Also Please Stay Tuned as in the coming episodes, we will bring "The Devil"-'s take on the four lettered omnipresent abominable monosyllable....

Signed,
The Resident Fish in Snuffles' account


Wednesday, June 24, 2009

He didn't say anything about the recipe!!! - BEEF TEHARI!

So, Ryan has ADD... or that will probably be his excuse for not including information about the highlight of the night - us cooking beef tehari - a most delicious South Asian dish that infused our common room/ lounge with savory spices aromas (ok, I'm running out of inspiration). And we were supposed to share our tehari cooking process with the posterity...

So here is what was up - we had a big chunk of beef meat - about 2 pounds and we have a 10 pound of basmati rice from the Indian Bazaar, which I bought for obvious reasons (there are 3 South Asians in the house, duh!!!) And we also have a whole lot of spices I acquired over the course of two years in college :) That's why we decided to make Bengali style tehari, which means that we also put potatoes. Technically, if you want to make any South Asian dish specifically Bengali, you just need to put potatoes in it ;)

Let's start with the ingredients
  • Beef - 2 pounds
  • Rice (as good rice as possible) - 1 pound (right about)
  • Potatoes - 2-3 
  • Onion - 1 
  • Ghee/ Butter/ Oil - right about 3 spoons
  • Yoghurt - 1 cup
  • Bay leaves - 2
  • Cumin seeds - 1 tbsp
  • Cardamoms - 1-2 black and 3-4 green cardamoms, or about 1 tbsp of powder
  • Black pepper - 1 tbsp
  • Chili powder - 1 tbsp
  • Cloves - 4
  • Cinnamon - 2 sticks
  • Coriander powder - 1 tbsp and leaves, if you have
  • Hot peppers - 2
  • Ginger paste - 1-2 tbsp
  • Garlic 1-2 tbsp
  • Salt
To make it: cut the beef in small cubes and mix all the spices with the yoghurt, the chopped onion, and 2 tbsp of ghee or oil. Then let it marinate in the fridge for about half an hour (you can leave it more - it's ok). 
In the meantime, peel and cut the potatoes in small cubes and wash the rice.
Then put the beef in a pot with as heavy a bottom as possible, add about a cup of water, and start cooking the beef.
In the meantime, bring water to a boil in another pot and add the rice half cook, then drain the water out. Once the beef gets soft, add the rice on top without mixing it. Pour another cup of water, and another spoon of ghee/ oil and cover it. 
At this point, this takes a bit of care... cause we actually burned some of the meat at the bottom. I think the best way to avoid this is to actually put it in the oven. 

Try it out... we'll also put a picture of our food up - once Ryan downloads it! dufffeeer

Tuesday, June 23, 2009

I've had my epiphany - can we eat now

It's dinner time again. It's remarkable how much of our lives revolve around food. There's the old young men need nourishment idea but seriously, it's like we've been eating fat and oil and meat for almost a week now. This stuff is pretty tasty though....shrimp and spaghetti in white wine, vegetables in jaipur style, cumin chicken, mashed potatoes.But sometimes I get the feeling that we're using this heavy food to fill a void in our lives - nafis is filling the void left by his hair, ioana is using the fat as a substitute for scottish people and I'm using the fat to replace the emptiness in my life since Ryan Giggs retired from international soccer.

I never thought I would be cooking this much. Nafis is imparting some of his wisdom to me. And all the food we've made so far has turned out pretty good. But I don't see myself cooking much once the semester starts. I really hope I do but I'm not going to have enough time to do it.

It's at a time like this that I think of all the things I started doing but never bothered to continue with - learning the guitar, debating, creative writing, soccer (not at the kick about level but at the serious competitive level.) I was never forced to do any of these things. I started doing them because I wanted to. I just never had the drive or the ambition to stick with them for a long period of time. This year, I'm really hoping to change that by working with the International Students Association of Lafayette College, Mentoring in Easton middle school, Taekwondo and Alternative School Break.
I'm not going to give you some long winded crap about how I'm going to turn my life around from now on and become a better person coz inspite of this great epiphany, I'm probably still going to be the same asshole who likes insulting my friends by calling them fat and who is lazy and a slob and who will put off a 10 page paper until the night before. But, atleast now I will probably feel some remorse at the fact that I'm still a mean, lazy SOB and hopefully that will make me straighten up a little bit. And probably shave when I decide to straighten up. The beard isn't a sign of rebellion against the established social practices of conformity, its just a sign of laziness. When the beard goes, thats probably when I'll start straightening up.

In the worlds of those famous Bawa philosophers of old - Jamva Chalo Ji


Monday, June 22, 2009

INTRODUCTION

Hey there and welcome to our blog! Thanks for taking the time to read (in case you do, of course, take that time). So, because there might be people who don't know us reading this (or so we hope), and also because we think it would be cool, let's make some introductions :P

We are a bunch of friends from Lafayette College - Easton, PA. Very genderly imbalanced, considering the fact that there are 4 guys and one girl among us.
We come from 4 different developing countries (Bangladesh, Ethiopia, India, and Romania (in alphabetical order)), which makes it a lot easier to "feel" each other, so that's cool.
Currently, we all live together in B11 - one of the suits in Watson Courts in this college. It's pretty cool and we enjoy living together, just that the double is pretty small. In any case...
So, we try to live as good and clean as possible here. We try to cook as much as possible and make all these things that each of us eat back home or that tickle our fantasies. Sometimes we eat at Wawa - a local Pennsylvanian convenience store. We all "heart" Wawa!
Oh, I forgot to mention that we're all science majors and are pursuing BSs...

So that's about it for our common entity. Let's move to the personal level, in a.o. (alphabetical order):

Brook (Bisrat Estifanos)
Nationality: Ethiopian
Major: currently B.S. Neuroscience, but stay
posted
Nickname: Big/FatBoy (he is the heaviest in the house)
Likes: soccer, science, Ethiopian food, porn, random youtube
videos, black uhuru
Favorite dish: injara


Farhan (Abedin)
Nationality: Bangladeshi
Major: B.S. Math
Nickname: The Devil
Likes: math, physics, guitar, annoying people, stand-up comedy
Favorite dish: chicken pulao






Ioana (Alexandra Marin)
Nationality: Romanian
Major: B.S. Neuroscience
Nickname: Snuffles McGregor
Likes: science, biotronic, desi stuff, cooking
Favorite dish: piure de cartofi (mashed potatoes)






Nafis (Q Hasan)
Nationality: Bangladeshi
Major: B.S. Biology
Nickname: Mofiz
Likes: Bio, Manga, FOOD, sex, hair
Favorite dish: biryani







Ryan (Shroff)
Nationality: India
Major: B.S. Psychology
Nickname: Cute & Badass
Likes: mint chocolate chip hooka, making people feel good, mangoes, making fun of his sister, tetris
Favorite dish: Dahi Kadi





I think that's it for now...