A lazy Sunday in Mapo, Seoul

Lazy Sunday Talk
Sunday has arrived with its bag full of woes as talked about in my earlier piece. But I am trying to keep my calm and looking at ways to make sure that it’s not so bad. Sunday is also a day for chores for me and I cleaned up my pad properly and also cooked. I cooked some Sambar (lentil and vegetables South Indian style) and some cauliflower/potato Indian style. And I have kept the chicken to be done in the evening. Bikram’s (a colleague of mine) long distance friend shared this recipe with me over the telephone.

Next I started searching for a movie to watch on the net and taking a decision on that is a tough one what with all the crappy movies going around. I zeroed on to "Water" a Deepa Mehta film and that’s what I will watch later in the evening. The other urge was to get out of home and go and watch the escapist "Firewall"(Harrison Ford) but then I decided against. Keep that for another day.

If you didn’t know, I can see the Han river (partially) from my pad and somehow it always has a calming effect on me. I like flowing water and that gives me some sort of direction. Mind you also like the sea, because the waves have their own influence on me. I had gone to the riverside a few weeks back when it had snowed and temperature was hovering at -13 degrees Celsius. The river was actually a sheet of still ice while the water flowed beneath the transparent ice. It was a visual I will not forget and I cursed myself for not getting along my camera. Looks like it would be a good idea to invest in a small digital so that it can stay with me all the time.

While I write and perhaps this happens to some, all sorts of events or ideas float around and attack my mind cells and I sometimes wonder as to which one I should pick up for another paragraph of senseless words. I envy the writers on how they maintain their sequence and threads while they weave their stories.

I have been working here for some months now and I do notice how Koreans behave or act. One of them is about the "short run". Sometimes you would find Korean women - mostly middle aged to the young trying to reach a short distance in a hurry. They would run but perhaps when I explain the "running" you would appreciate my point. The "run" would basically mean dragging the feet so that each leg covers roughly one foot of distance and before you complete one step the other leg has started. So a total two steps would cover approximately one and a half feet of distance while projecting that you are in a hurry. If you were walking normally you would reach the same distance in exactly the same period of time.

Last week I had been to an Indian restaurant named Dal. It’s in an area called Anguk situated in the ground floor of Art Sonje Centre. Some people confuse the same with Sejong Art Centre in Kwanghamun. I had heard about this joint earlier but this was my first visit, not that I frequent Indian restaurants - but that’s another story. I was of course eagerly awaiting to try out the "DAL" dishes and when the first appetizer came by way of a Salted Lassi (diluted whipped yoghurt with sugar or salt along with a selection of indian herbs and spices), which then you sip with a straw or perhaps drink it up. There was some papad (mashed lentil crusty pancake - fried or roasted). We had some Nan (Indian bread made of fermented flour) with Lamb Masala (meat in a spicy curry) and Prawn Masala. There was a cauliflower/potato Indian combo and Spinach with Cottage Cheese (Palak Paneer). The Palak Paneer spices were typically same as when you make a "Kadai" (a type of Indian recipe with defined ingredients and administration) item. However considering the other places I have been to in Seoul, this was definitely shades better and I would with my rather tough standards would rate it as 6 on 10. I shall cover Indian restaurants in Seoul in a later piece and there perhaps I will explain my stance though I am no Inderjit Kalra (Food Expert) or for that matter Vir Sanghvi (Editor, Hindustan Times and Food Critic). Sphere: Related Content