https://www.missmarathi.co.uk/blog daily 1.0 2024-09-07 https://www.missmarathi.co.uk/blog/india-urban-animals monthly 0.5 2021-03-27 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5edbdbd2b6026b073feee4bd/1616821092087-4R4JSZKBKAO5SPJLZ8TD/parakeet.jpg Blogs 1 - India’s Urban Animals https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5edbdbd2b6026b073feee4bd/1616821409491-DP99GTDZS8YT579SSN1P/Screenshot+2021-03-27+at+10.32.30.png Blogs 1 - India’s Urban Animals https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5edbdbd2b6026b073feee4bd/1616821588026-44OUYNDP7VE00KW4E64T/parakeet+3.jpg Blogs 1 - India’s Urban Animals https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5edbdbd2b6026b073feee4bd/1616821738548-ZKNQ6MM3AGOVNAACBTIO/mosquito.jpg Blogs 1 - India’s Urban Animals https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5edbdbd2b6026b073feee4bd/1616821891642-T48DPA35Z1JO3ZRMQ0GC/angry+pigeon.jpg Blogs 1 - India’s Urban Animals https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5edbdbd2b6026b073feee4bd/1616822084071-GXSA5L44UIL2UZDE652Z/lizard+2.jpg Blogs 1 - India’s Urban Animals https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5edbdbd2b6026b073feee4bd/1616822145935-L1MF812G0O6BLLZWG7IN/crow.jpg Blogs 1 - India’s Urban Animals Crows are reincarnated fathers in law, annoying brothers, kakus, anybody who makes lots of noise or talks a lot generally get reincarnated into a crow. Between you and me, I actually like these birds because they look so sinister but all they actually ever do is steal food and bark. Like a younger sibling – slightly annoying yes, but ultimately totally harmless. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5edbdbd2b6026b073feee4bd/1616822302133-HVND2M8SC9EL89D0EQ2M/stray.jpg Blogs 1 - India’s Urban Animals https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5edbdbd2b6026b073feee4bd/1616822380740-67FJM4Y1L81EDFAHBYJI/indiancow.jpg Blogs 1 - India’s Urban Animals https://www.missmarathi.co.uk/blog/seven-days monthly 0.5 2021-02-01 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5edbdbd2b6026b073feee4bd/1612190231599-S1JYLGNP7KU326DJAO6C/covid+hotel+1.jpg Blogs 1 - Seven Days https://www.missmarathi.co.uk/blog/london-pubs monthly 0.5 2021-01-08 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5edbdbd2b6026b073feee4bd/1610146051226-HSKCYWGV37J74JJAAWSX/pub+1.jpg Blogs 1 - London Pubs The Dog and Duck, Soho https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5edbdbd2b6026b073feee4bd/1610146365885-IXN1WM3UZR9RCAR1NLV8/WhatsApp+Image+2021-01-08+at+22.34.41.jpeg Blogs 1 - London Pubs The smell alone made me dizzy, beer has that distinct smell where it isn’t as strong as vodka but it gives you a queasy feeling (just like karla). Looking at my peers I realised that you are supposed to have huge sips of the stuff rather than delicately mull over it for 30 minutes. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5edbdbd2b6026b073feee4bd/1610146540296-RJPM4825AKP5N1E223QI/guinness.jpg Blogs 1 - London Pubs Another drink people tend to have at pubs is Guinness, which looks like a glass of frothy Bournvita but please hear me when I say this, It. Is. Not. In fact, Guinness isn’t even a beer, it’s an Irish Stout, and tastes something like a bitter almost coffee-ish beer. But a little better than beer. In fact, if you love strong flavours its best to go for this over beer. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5edbdbd2b6026b073feee4bd/1610147213560-Y1EKBW4B2BXPM9RRV0UA/scotch+egg.jpg Blogs 1 - London Pubs The Scotch Egg is one of those more tastier pub snacks – a hard-boiled egg covered with a thick layer of sausage meat, smothered in bread crumbs and deep fried. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5edbdbd2b6026b073feee4bd/1610147428181-FH7VW1DX88QI8DIXTJK6/pork+scratchings.jpg Blogs 1 - London Pubs Pork Scratchings. Yes, it’s not a joke, pork scratchings are a hardcore pub-goer snack. And no, they aren’t just bits of pig toenail in a bag, they are actually tastier than they sound. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5edbdbd2b6026b073feee4bd/1610147728600-0M9TSFUBKG78OFH0FC5X/f+and+chip.jpg Blogs 1 - London Pubs Fish and Chips. Ah yes, the glorified and frankly overrated version of a fish and a potato. Some people like it, some people don’t. I am one of those people who will walk out in tears if I am served this dish. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5edbdbd2b6026b073feee4bd/1610148019927-4AD4LTGC34YP4T86GJUJ/Pie_and_Mash.jpg Blogs 1 - London Pubs Pie & Mash is by far the nicest dish I have ever had at a pub. I have been a staunch mashed potato advocate for a long time; https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5edbdbd2b6026b073feee4bd/1610148409544-33BMKLM6EGXGRWO328P0/span+inn+2.jpg Blogs 1 - London Pubs The Spaniards Inn, Hampstead https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5edbdbd2b6026b073feee4bd/1610146969439-H5HS1TVBIOZ1RY4X2DEH/the-dickens-inn-the-tavern-bar.jpg Blogs 1 - London Pubs The Dickens Inn, St Katharine Docks https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5edbdbd2b6026b073feee4bd/1610148843714-P9CJNYAR4HD1CTNL4L13/dirty+dicks.jpg Blogs 1 - London Pubs Dirty Dicks, Liverpool Street https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5edbdbd2b6026b073feee4bd/1610148906922-CGX2DJ9629E5HXPOZKJX/ye+olde+mitre.jpg Blogs 1 - London Pubs Ye Olde Mitre, Holborn https://www.missmarathi.co.uk/blog/a-very-marathi-christmas monthly 0.5 2020-12-20 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5edbdbd2b6026b073feee4bd/1608425400399-HWPTPM2AR4TONY1DIQM7/WhatsApp+Image+2020-12-18+at+14.02.08.jpeg Blogs 1 - A Very Marathi Christmas https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5edbdbd2b6026b073feee4bd/1608424786572-9SCU9O4VPB6867SSE675/WhatsApp%2BImage%2B2020-12-19%2Bat%2B14.18.14%2B%25281%2529.jpg Blogs 1 - A Very Marathi Christmas Mulled wine is sort of like a spiced port, lots of cinnamon, star anise and cloves (almost like biriyani) that people only drink around Christmas time, something very similar to “kaadha”. Hemmadi kaka is a dangerous man, armed with a huge spoon he always makes without fail, a huge cauldron of mulled wine and hands everybody at least five glasses each. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5edbdbd2b6026b073feee4bd/1608424441698-GQP8TB1L0VOWOOJ7AO15/WhatsApp+Image+2020-12-19+at+23.19.45.jpeg Blogs 1 - A Very Marathi Christmas Now you quite literally get the picture. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5edbdbd2b6026b073feee4bd/1608424613071-FZZN94I2KBXVC6GAT1V0/WhatsApp+Image+2020-12-20+at+00.35.38.jpeg Blogs 1 - A Very Marathi Christmas There that’s more like it. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5edbdbd2b6026b073feee4bd/1608424224076-I1X7MK24XB02N114K3HF/WhatsApp+Image+2020-12-19+at+14.18.14.jpeg Blogs 1 - A Very Marathi Christmas https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5edbdbd2b6026b073feee4bd/1608424348659-RYBROIDBRQYNWRL11PBL/WhatsApp+Image+2020-12-19+at+14.18.13.jpeg Blogs 1 - A Very Marathi Christmas https://www.missmarathi.co.uk/blog/the-lockdown-journey monthly 0.5 2020-12-04 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5edbdbd2b6026b073feee4bd/1607119312575-2IX3EHYNZLEC2ICTVM4W/plane.jpg Blogs 1 - The Lockdown Journey https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5edbdbd2b6026b073feee4bd/1607120004321-4F80U3V7N6RBGISP5BW0/WhatsApp+Image+2020-12-04+at+21.58.51.jpeg Blogs 1 - The Lockdown Journey “Whenever I get gloomy with the state of the world, I think about the arrivals gate at Heathrow Airport. General opinion's starting to make out that we live in a world of hatred and greed, but I don't see that. It seems to me that love is everywhere.” – Hugh Grant, Love Actually, 2003. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5edbdbd2b6026b073feee4bd/1607120072267-FCKH65AKY5YXH0HC6CXJ/WhatsApp+Image+2020-12-04+at+21.57.50.jpeg Blogs 1 - The Lockdown Journey As I floated through check-in I was ready to spend some serious cash on alcohol, waste my time looking at fancy makeup products I would never wear and scoff down some greasy fast food (yes it was 7am but good food waits for nobody). But the shops were closed. Apart from a crappy Pret and a pharmacy there was nothing open and my heart sunk. That sausage and egg Mcmuffin I was craving had eluded me yet again. I grudgingly made my way to Pret. If you don’t know what this is – it’s sort of a café/sandwich shop franchise, like Wasabi or Leon. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5edbdbd2b6026b073feee4bd/1607120215761-TT6X295CXVOSGB8ODUHI/WhatsApp+Image+2020-12-04+at+21.57.50+%281%29.jpeg Blogs 1 - The Lockdown Journey The time finally came to board the plane, even the band of Patels were let through with no issue and we were met by air hostesses dressed in some sort of smurf costume with masks and visors. I realised that less than half the plane was full so everybody could comply with social distancing. https://www.missmarathi.co.uk/blog/ilford-lane-shopping monthly 0.5 2020-10-23 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5edbdbd2b6026b073feee4bd/1603492759328-YAXYTI3QTQC7JZB8S05W/WhatsApp%252BImage%252B2020-10-23%252Bat%252B22.56.10.jpg Blogs 1 - Ilford Lane Shopping https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5edbdbd2b6026b073feee4bd/1603490909028-DGO7CKNMSYKPF3HZPU5T/WhatsApp%2BImage%2B2020-10-23%2Bat%2B23.07.07.jpg Blogs 1 - Ilford Lane Shopping - The vegetables are all displayed outside in true Indian shop fashion and not only are there massive mountains of them, but they are all absolutely massive. I didn’t think there were onions the size of my face but apparently Quality Foods has managed to grow them. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5edbdbd2b6026b073feee4bd/1603491059013-4OT4RD8WFK6B6ZNQ0M8E/WhatsApp%2BImage%2B2020-10-23%2Bat%2B22.56.10%2B%25281%2529.jpg Blogs 1 - Ilford Lane Shopping - Any time there is a festival coming up, the staff also keep home decorations, diyas etc. with the vegetables. I’m not sure why these aren’t kept in the aisle with disposable cutlery or oil but as you walk through the vegetable mountains, nestled next to the giant watermelons you will come across boxes of bangles, dandiyas and cheap bindis. I don’t recommend buying these as they probably smell of dhaniya. Unless you are into that in which case buy four for £1. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5edbdbd2b6026b073feee4bd/1603491286737-T8H8CUP9YTZRFNQQZFX2/WhatsApp%2BImage%2B2020-10-23%2Bat%2B22.56.30.jpg Blogs 1 - Ilford Lane Shopping - It always beggars the question: why would any human being need to buy such huge quantities of spices? But then again, we Indians drown our food in as many spices as possible so when you think of things in that context these sizes are totally justifiable. However, I will never understand why anybody would want to buy massive bags of chilli flakes. That is definitely something that needs to be looked into; I’m a jeera-chi fodni person, chilli is hazardous. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5edbdbd2b6026b073feee4bd/1603491437230-ZHAK1H1GWJX8DHTENXQJ/WhatsApp%2BImage%2B2020-10-23%2Bat%2B22.56.11.jpg Blogs 1 - Ilford Lane Shopping - Nevertheless, past the Vatika hair oil and chilli sauce section we come to a little corner of the fridge section where they sell Limca and Thumbs Up. Even if I’m not ten years old anymore, I still get excited about seeing these because they cannot be found anywhere else in London. These exclusive and classy Indian drinks make me feel like I’m a Bollywood star, so I always buy at least one. Walking out of that store and popping the cap off a bottle makes me feel like Akshay Kumar from the Thumbs Up commercial. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5edbdbd2b6026b073feee4bd/1603491569999-3TWHK97UPWUUI2KU9CO3/WhatsApp+Image+2020-10-23+at+22.56.12.jpeg Blogs 1 - Ilford Lane Shopping They are always called Khadija/Sapna/Fatima and wear 99p red/pink nail polish They never. Ever. Speak English. If they speak English, then you are in a fake Indian shop They always break the register and ask their friend Haleema to fix it while you are waiting to pay the bill They have the best fashion sense in the world. Masaba Gupta has nothing on Khadija from Ilford Lane https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5edbdbd2b6026b073feee4bd/1603491827758-FMUKAP1RA9BE0E3GKA2R/WhatsApp+Image+2020-10-23+at+22.56.13.jpeg Blogs 1 - Ilford Lane Shopping The only Paan shop you need to know about in London. Anand Paan Centre is right next to Quality Foods and is a meeting point/hangout for anybody who even remotely likes paan. It’s also a great hangout/meeting point for uncles who want to catch up over a cigarette outside in their leather jackets. A perfect setting for pretending to be a Mumbai gangster. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5edbdbd2b6026b073feee4bd/1603491955716-XZDCQ26PHMAVVH5VBSVC/WhatsApp%2BImage%2B2020-10-23%2Bat%2B22.56.13%2B%25281%2529.jpg Blogs 1 - Ilford Lane Shopping Anand Paan Centre was one of the first paan stores I remember from this area growing up, but slowly and surely there are more popping up like “Bombay Paan Centre”; featuring upgraded outside stalls of gola and pani puri. I’d recommend sticking to Anand Paan Centre if you’re about quality though. You never know with the new ones. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5edbdbd2b6026b073feee4bd/1603492049768-4FVNPFUUVGN7A8HE7SDR/WhatsApp+Image+2020-10-23+at+22.56.13+%282%29.jpeg Blogs 1 - Ilford Lane Shopping We’ve always bought halal meat. There’s nothing wrong with store-bought meat of course but once somebody gets used to halal meat, they can smell the blood on supermarket meat. As much as I love chicken nuggets and steak, I prefer minimal blood content possible, so I forget it’s actually from a dead animal. I don’t know when this became a thing but the halal butcher’s not only sell meat, but also little bowls of fruit casually displayed outside the shop from morning until night. Only in Ilford Lane. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5edbdbd2b6026b073feee4bd/1603492157435-5IDRF0HMD73BEF8AR6QL/WhatsApp%2BImage%2B2020-10-23%2Bat%2B22.56.15.jpg Blogs 1 - Ilford Lane Shopping It’s impossible to come to Ilford Lane and not pop into Nirala, a mithai shop that sells every mithai in every single colour known to man. There are probably hundreds of sweets on display at this shop. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5edbdbd2b6026b073feee4bd/1603492373860-TQ6W5WX9S64EE1GO8AYF/WhatsApp%252BImage%252B2020-10-23%252Bat%252B22.56.15%252B%2525281%252529.jpg Blogs 1 - Ilford Lane Shopping Any time anybody comes out of this store it’s always with a glossy “Bombay Looks” bag filled with everything needed to transform yourself from ordinary brown girl into a diamond encrusted extra from Devdas, https://www.missmarathi.co.uk/blog/the-beauty-salon monthly 0.5 2020-10-09 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5edbdbd2b6026b073feee4bd/1602277711292-5MALWVAPAPUUILI59494/WhatsApp+Image+2020-10-09+at+21.55.54.jpeg Blogs 1 - The Beauty Salon https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5edbdbd2b6026b073feee4bd/1602277995906-EKWK4QFT3XMQOW56QIL6/WhatsApp+Image+2020-10-09+at+22.06.25.jpeg Blogs 1 - The Beauty Salon Wax Monster is by far the most terrifying employee at the salon. I have never been a fan of waxing, whoever came up with this must have been some sort of woman-hating sadist and for some reason the only woman who does the leg and arm waxing for customers is a rather large and thuggish looking lady. Wax monsters always have the expression of an angry bulldog plastered across their face and they have terrifying names like Marlene or Krupa - think of Miss Trunchbull from Matilda. The actual waxing process is a painful one that we will delve into a little later on into this blog. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5edbdbd2b6026b073feee4bd/1602278337114-1TGTXHBFXPBD4J2RUHFZ/WhatsApp+Image+2020-10-09+at+21.55.54+%281%29.jpeg Blogs 1 - The Beauty Salon https://www.missmarathi.co.uk/blog/little-bhau monthly 0.5 2020-09-26 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5edbdbd2b6026b073feee4bd/1601087377881-ESBR190HIXSJYSDB5GK1/WhatsApp+Image+2020-09-26+at+03.28.21.jpeg Blogs 1 - Little Bhau https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5edbdbd2b6026b073feee4bd/1601087618482-SC48APD6HS3D87QDUHWP/WhatsApp%2BImage%2B2020-09-26%2Bat%2B03.28.20.jpg Blogs 1 - Little Bhau He started to develop a personality…he was morphing from baby into human slowly and steadily, and while everybody else fell for his spells and marvelled at him, I watched from my tower. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5edbdbd2b6026b073feee4bd/1601087710475-V4XCBVT09YYSAPYJJQZX/WhatsApp+Image+2020-09-26+at+03.28.21+%281%29.jpeg Blogs 1 - Little Bhau https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5edbdbd2b6026b073feee4bd/1601087828856-1QCKFP6090DQUZXRTB0H/WhatsApp%2BImage%2B2020-09-26%2Bat%2B03.28.22%2B%25281%2529.jpg Blogs 1 - Little Bhau https://www.missmarathi.co.uk/blog/back-to-school monthly 0.5 2020-09-12 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5edbdbd2b6026b073feee4bd/1599862941816-LY1L939AUFJOCRHV6BSK/WhatsApp+Image+2020-09-11+at+23.19.44.jpeg Blogs 1 - Back To School https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5edbdbd2b6026b073feee4bd/1599863014345-JB1EGF93U35M7ZKDE9L6/WhatsApp+Image+2020-09-11+at+23.19.45.jpeg Blogs 1 - Back To School A typical day at primary school would start with class registration where we had to stand up and say “Good morning ma’am”. When I think about it now, it sounds like a scene out of Matilda. We had these creaky desks that opened where we stored our books, and our toys and of course, our chewing gum (that was strictly forbidden). https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5edbdbd2b6026b073feee4bd/1599863133920-A4Z8AH6IICVWXWJBWY9P/WhatsApp+Image+2020-09-11+at+23.19.45+%281%29.jpeg Blogs 1 - Back To School As the years passed on it started to become apparent to me that I would have to start studying “seriously” and that exams were starting to mean something. The dreaded 11+ exam is something that all 11-year-old children in the UK have to suffer through if they want to be accepted into a grammar school or a private school. I studied for this exam from the age of 9. I’m not joking, people always think I exaggerate this but it is true, Indian parents don’t mess about when it comes to exams. https://www.missmarathi.co.uk/blog/marathis-on-tour monthly 0.5 2020-09-04 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5edbdbd2b6026b073feee4bd/1599248713027-CEJ61T8ZS1DC1WIQT9AK/WhatsApp+Image+2020-09-04+at+20.37.43.jpeg Blogs 1 - Marathis on Tour https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5edbdbd2b6026b073feee4bd/1599248865038-THO28MVN8HXVICTW52FG/WhatsApp+Image+2020-09-04+at+20.37.42.jpeg Blogs 1 - Marathis on Tour The kaku driving the car also drives like my aai – slow. We reached Broad Haven just after lunch time. Broad Haven is a small town in Pembrokeshire right on the coast, very hilly, very windy, and probably with a population of twenty. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5edbdbd2b6026b073feee4bd/1599249243741-UPL5IMRSIPKC92XBLSX1/WhatsApp%2BImage%2B2020-09-04%2Bat%2B20.37.48.jpg Blogs 1 - Marathis on Tour I had ordered salmon for dinner which turned out to be two 5cm by 5cm squares of salmon, six little potatoes, a splotch of pesto and a side of “veg” (which was more potato and steamed carrots). What this dish should have been named as on the menu was “family size portion of potato with side of salmon”. The only flavour on the potatoes was earth (probably from being grown in the earth) and the salmon tasted of air. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5edbdbd2b6026b073feee4bd/1599249742631-P4TGK2AJGIFUE8HKNIOH/WhatsApp+Image+2020-09-04+at+20.37.44.jpeg Blogs 1 - Marathis on Tour Indians are not made for things like walking on hills, mountain climbing etc. we are instead known for our practicality, and ability to become doctors rather than things to do with physical prowess. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5edbdbd2b6026b073feee4bd/1599249942079-0SL60EK5C7FSDMJL5GM7/WhatsApp%2BImage%2B2020-09-04%2Bat%2B20.37.46.jpg Blogs 1 - Marathis on Tour I’m not sure at what point this happened but instead of this being a two-hour walk tops it turned into a five-hour hike. All the mums decided they were Lara Croft Tomb Raiders and could go hours walking on these cliffs and the overenthusiastic kakas joined in with that too. It seemed only the children were the practical ones. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5edbdbd2b6026b073feee4bd/1599249490359-Z9O7AIW7S19J8IZ24JCE/WhatsApp%2BImage%2B2020-09-04%2Bat%2B20.37.47.jpg Blogs 1 - Marathis on Tour The scenery was stunning, rolling cliffs covered with purple and yellow heather, clear blue beaches covered in dark slate and pebbles it was like something out of a Jane Austen novel only with Maharashtrians (Maharashtrians with no sense and sensibility). It wouldn’t have been a surprise if I had seen Julie Andrews sprinting towards me singing the Sound of Music. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5edbdbd2b6026b073feee4bd/1599249602549-SFBQK4MJ1MVIYGYTASG0/WhatsApp%2BImage%2B2020-09-04%2Bat%2B20.57.36.jpg Blogs 1 - Marathis on Tour It wouldn’t have been a surprise if I had seen Julie Andrews sprinting towards me singing the Sound of Music. Most of all not only was the place stunning but it was clean, and totally isolated, totally unspoiled by people. However, the walk started to take a bit of a strain on everybody and I was dreading the idea of having to walk all the way back to Broad Haven. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5edbdbd2b6026b073feee4bd/1599250099538-H4DJXZ7MV0SFIQBZ57J9/WhatsApp+Image+2020-09-04+at+20.37.44+%281%29.jpeg Blogs 1 - Marathis on Tour The rest of the day was spent on the beach in front of our apartment which involved no hiking, no slipping on mud, no potentially getting chased by byson from the neighbouring field, and no falling off cliffs. https://www.missmarathi.co.uk/blog/marathi-munchies monthly 0.5 2020-08-28 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5edbdbd2b6026b073feee4bd/1598649235510-4BH2BUXEX7F2I15ARHUZ/marathi+munchies.jpg Blogs 1 - Marathi Munchies https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5edbdbd2b6026b073feee4bd/1598649707291-IOON3QILPAB1V4U4KXN8/fatty.jpg Blogs 1 - Marathi Munchies Technically these are family/family friend gatherings, but we can call them fat kid gatherings; there always happens to be a very quiet, very sneaky Fat Kid. Fat Kid tends to always be on his portable PlayStation, he wears t-shirts with some scary comic book character on them and he is always on the lookout for food. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5edbdbd2b6026b073feee4bd/1598649485899-PV2YXBEIJ7Y5UYL40T4C/bhadang.jpg Blogs 1 - Marathi Munchies I’m not even kidding. Bhadang is also the same stuff that makes fireworks explode, you know those Roman Fountain fireworks people buy for Diwali? They are made of bhadang. In reality, anything that explodes is in fact made of bhadang. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5edbdbd2b6026b073feee4bd/1598649784382-YO2F48VRY0GL31RYOKK9/sabudana+vada.jpg Blogs 1 - Marathi Munchies Sabudana vade are yet another Maharashtrian snack that has caused genuine physical fights between my brother and I. I’m fiercely protective over these squishy squashy circles made of squishy bouncy balls; and nothing can tear them apart from me. https://www.missmarathi.co.uk/blog/ganpati-bappa-morya monthly 0.5 2020-08-21 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5edbdbd2b6026b073feee4bd/1598050348530-W95S1BCYMWUDP8A9I66U/WhatsApp+Image+2020-08-21+at+23.32.17.jpeg Blogs 1 - Ganpati Bappa Morya https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5edbdbd2b6026b073feee4bd/1598050476227-456EPO6LWOQD2LLXC2X0/WhatsApp%252BImage%252B2020-08-21%252Bat%252B23.32.16.jpg Blogs 1 - Ganpati Bappa Morya I have to admit, I’m still not clear on what happens during this pooja, when I was little, I had a habit of standing next to baba and watching out of curiosity what was actually going on with all the durvas that I so painstakingly picked. Baba would always put on a cassette tape which had instructions in Marathi as well as prayers that apparently only he understood – because the man on the cassette would speak as if he was on fast-forward mode. The only line I could ever follow was “aatha pani ghala, ani deva la namaskar kara”. That was it. I also knew that this meant baba had to drink water from his hand so I would copy him hoping that he would be impressed by me doing the same thing. I would however stop trying to follow the cassette tape instructions quickly after that and eventually run to the kitchen to see what aai was making and whether it was ready for me to eat. My younger brother now carries on the tradition of the pooja, I’m not sure I would be able to handle making sandalwood paste, collecting the durvas and learning this extra complicated pooja so I’m glad. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5edbdbd2b6026b073feee4bd/1598050746809-9W7PXB7PDMTB4TY0TF8N/WhatsApp+Image+2020-08-21+at+23.32.19.jpeg Blogs 1 - Ganpati Bappa Morya The Ganpati aarti is one of those prayers that is an absolute pain to learn when you don’t understand Sanskrit especially as a child when all the other children don’t have to say the words! But as the years pass, it becomes more apparent that it if you are one of the few who know the verses of the aarti, you get to lead it. There is always that one person who sings the aarti out of tune or does the clap wrong, so when I lead the aarti at home I use this as an opportunity to start singing even faster to throw this person off. I know it’s petty, but it is necessary. The aarti is followed by all the men doing a very painful looking ceremonious press up and the women do the easy version of that. I have always taken this time to say thank you to Ganpati Bappa and wish for better exam grades. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5edbdbd2b6026b073feee4bd/1598050876564-G132LSZ1IE05TVC94TSQ/WhatsApp%2BImage%2B2020-08-21%2Bat%2B23.32.16%2B%25281%2529.jpg Blogs 1 - Ganpati Bappa Morya I want to sneak downstairs to rummage through the fridge and eat that leftover modak before anyone else gets to it. After creeping downstairs, I always open the door to the room where Ganpati Bappa is just to check everything is as it should be. We always leave the fairy lights on around the murti and I’m not sure why, but I always go and say hello to him before sneaking off to the fridge as if I were asking for permission. https://www.missmarathi.co.uk/blog/perfectlypune monthly 0.5 2020-08-16 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5edbdbd2b6026b073feee4bd/1597447459295-E3Y5BYRIAGB8KZJQHIVD/WhatsApp+Image+2020-08-15+at+00.23.40.jpeg Blogs 1 - Perfectly Pune https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5edbdbd2b6026b073feee4bd/1597446690222-YB8JLBMY7G26NVCGTCCW/WhatsApp+Image+2020-08-15+at+00.00.06.jpeg Blogs 1 - Perfectly Pune I have mentioned my Mumbai-chi aaji a few times but Punya-chi aaji was slightly different. We would always stay most of the time at Punya-chi aaji’s stunning house here in Padmavati. A graceful and willowy lady with a long plait and a calming voice, she would welcome us in and tell us to unpack our bags while she finished off frying some fish in the kitchen. I loved that house; she was sort of obsessed with maintaining the garden, so it was full of mango and coconut trees and all kinds of crazy looking tropical flowers. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5edbdbd2b6026b073feee4bd/1597446562050-8PCKTBKY6T6JPJ9U9CKV/WhatsApp+Image+2020-08-15+at+00.00.07.jpeg Blogs 1 - Perfectly Pune Unfortunately, this garden was also inhabited by an insane, gigantic dog that aaji used to keep as a “guard dog”. His name was Teenu but we will call him Frankenstein’s monster because every time he came around the corner frothing at the mouth I would scream and run for my life. Apart from the garden and its killer beasts the house itself was airy and cool (somehow without needing an AC) and coming from Mumbai to here it gave me a sense of utter peace. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5edbdbd2b6026b073feee4bd/1597446842747-R6DKEWVV3312Q4V79CKE/WhatsApp+Image+2020-08-15+at+00.00.08.jpeg Blogs 1 - Perfectly Pune Apart from meeting my grandparents, my baba had a knack for finding ways to make me exercise even on holiday. He told me stories about Parvati’s history and the temple on top of the hill – I have never been one to like site seeing, I try to avoid it where possible but I am fascinated by anything to do with my community’s history so I was very keen to see Parvati. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5edbdbd2b6026b073feee4bd/1597446968944-Z1HS3YGH5BA4L90O05WR/WhatsApp+Image+2020-08-15+at+00.00.07+%281%29.jpeg Blogs 1 - Perfectly Pune The history of the Maratha Empire however, is something so fantastic that it’s easy to fall in love with. Before we had crazy action scenes in movies and CGI fighting effects, growing up I was told stories about Shivaji Maharaj, e.g. the way he ripped the crap out of Afzal Khan with his tiger claws, and how he escaped from Agra with his son – stories that genuinely seem like they are from a comic book but are in fact real. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5edbdbd2b6026b073feee4bd/1597447504417-U14P1PRE0RZOX6WWZ2HW/WhatsApp+Image+2020-08-15+at+00.00.05.jpeg Blogs 1 - Perfectly Pune It’s incredible to think that I actually did site seeing in a city and enjoyed it, Shaniwar Wada is another piece of evidence backing up the power of the Peshwas and a yet another reminder that while stories of this era sound like they are picked out of the Marvel universe; they are true and they need to be preserved. Two things come to mind when I think of Shaniwar Wada: https://www.missmarathi.co.uk/blog/aamchi-mumbai monthly 0.5 2020-08-07 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5edbdbd2b6026b073feee4bd/1596833105483-66D5QBWGY0377DRM85BN/WhatsApp+Image+2020-08-07+at+21.30.57.jpeg Blogs 1 - Aamchi Mumbai https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5edbdbd2b6026b073feee4bd/1596833201365-E40KSYUIXP1NYVVF0JD4/WhatsApp+Image+2020-08-07+at+21.30.58+%281%29.jpeg Blogs 1 - Aamchi Mumbai - Shopping I am not a shopping fan; I love to spend money but the actual process of shopping in Mumbai is closer to getting lost in a riot than actually having fun looking around the shops. Aaji insists that we buy clothes in an area called Dadar TT… Shop after shop of multicoloured clothes with frills frills frills, “rose patterned” men’s shirts and bhaajis lining the pavements. I’m no fashion queen and I love my aaji dearly, but I worry for my life and any remaining fashion sense I have when I visit this area and buy anything. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5edbdbd2b6026b073feee4bd/1596833292296-QIB06X4ITRX6M0AUQVYF/WhatsApp+Image+2020-08-07+at+21.30.58.jpeg Blogs 1 - Aamchi Mumbai https://www.missmarathi.co.uk/blog/sanskar monthly 0.5 2020-08-01 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5edbdbd2b6026b073feee4bd/1596202114988-MJXZVQCF5A6MEEQ4TCU2/WhatsApp%2BImage%2B2020-07-31%2Bat%2B14.26.12.jpg Blogs 1 - Sanskar https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5edbdbd2b6026b073feee4bd/1596202407975-WFGS8KVTUMVINFPZ44NE/WhatsApp%2BImage%2B2020-07-31%2Bat%2B14.26.34.jpg Blogs 1 - Sanskar That’s the most annoyingly logical thing a parent can say, “instead of asking why, ask why not”, because saying “I just don’t want to” never sounds like a good enough come-back to that sentence. Something even more annoying is when parents actually turn out to be right about things like this. A word to perfectly describe the reason for having to learn these “habits” is “Sanskar” or “imprint”. It’s a way of life almost, something specific to a person or a family. There’s no rhyme or reason to do certain things but it’s not even about what they mean or what they signify, it’s more a point of living a particular way and carrying on a set of lessons; lessons that make us different to our peers. https://www.missmarathi.co.uk/blog/shukrataratomerimadhubala monthly 0.5 2020-08-01 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5edbdbd2b6026b073feee4bd/1595685283832-QLQMDIS56LIXVT7GMYRF/WhatsApp%2BImage%2B2020-07-25%2Bat%2B14.52.47.jpg Blogs 1 - Shukratara to Meri Madhubala https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5edbdbd2b6026b073feee4bd/1595634152450-IA2NI4LG6QOLYSI2XT7O/WhatsApp%2BImage%2B2020-07-25%2Bat%2B00.26.21.jpg Blogs 1 - Shukratara to Meri Madhubala https://www.missmarathi.co.uk/blog/wotsamarwatee monthly 0.5 2020-07-18 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5edbdbd2b6026b073feee4bd/1595028951266-L9L2V6Q2DEJDCHM2PKMT/WhatsApp%2BImage%2B2020-07-18%2Bat%2B00.33.24.jpg Blogs 1 - What’s a Marwatee? https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5edbdbd2b6026b073feee4bd/1595029007475-AR6PQLR6MPGLSMVQ9JBP/WhatsApp%2BImage%2B2020-04-29%2Bat%2B22.23.35.jpg Blogs 1 - What’s a Marwatee? So the conversation has gone from me trying to simplify what a Maharashtrian is, to people assuming I have casual catchups with my mate Shah Rukh Khan. I personally find that the main reason there isn’t much well known about Maharashtrians is because there simply aren’t many of us around. During my childhood we would go to the most random corners of the UK to find other nomad Maharashtrian families that my family knew from being back in India together. You may also recall going to places like Chester, or the quiet part of Birmingham to visit Maharashtrian family friends and typically finding a house with lemons and chillies dangling from the doorways with “THE DESHMUKHS” stamped on the front door in red writing. https://www.missmarathi.co.uk/blog/concerning-aajis monthly 0.5 2020-07-11 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5edbdbd2b6026b073feee4bd/1594465612758-PTTNRSSAILJP91KZRUDU/WhatsApp+Image+2020-07-10+at+17.24.03.jpeg Blogs 1 - Concerning Aajis https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5edbdbd2b6026b073feee4bd/1594466031648-799ANV6DKKSKGKJVQPOT/WhatsApp%2BImage%2B2020-07-11%2Bat%2B12.03.11.jpg Blogs 1 - Concerning Aajis https://www.missmarathi.co.uk/blog/the-music-brick monthly 0.5 2020-07-04 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5edbdbd2b6026b073feee4bd/1593814630134-1ZNUJKL5H68T98A5NQRF/WhatsApp%25252BImage%25252B2020-07-03%25252Bat%25252B23.00.32.jpg Blogs 1 - The Music Brick https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5edbdbd2b6026b073feee4bd/1593814537816-K42GCB0J496MD7G8PXQN/WhatsApp%252BImage%252B2020-07-03%252Bat%252B23.00.33.jpg Blogs 1 - The Music Brick https://www.missmarathi.co.uk/blog/1-mango-fever monthly 0.5 2020-12-31 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5edbdbd2b6026b073feee4bd/1609430625820-Z05KKVOYN6G0QQZ2IMB3/mangoes.jpg Blogs 1 - Mango Fever https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5edbdbd2b6026b073feee4bd/1592734693242-XB4SBI4OE77T8TA0SLR7/image0.jpg Blogs 1 - Mango Fever - There are four specific steps on how we obtain these mangoes: Baba will drive like a maniac with whole family early in the morning or late at night to an Indian store, preferably to Ilford Lane so we can casually pick up some coriander, and a 50 kg bag of rice too, because you know, “just in case”. (For those who don’t know, Ilford Lane is a street with ONLY Indian shops, think of it as Southall’s little sister. Walk to the back of the store where somebody resembling a shifty paan-chewing smuggler with a menacing look stands with crates of imported Alphonso mangoes. Nod at him, wait for nod back. This is code for “you may approach and haggle”. Never accept the initial price per crate. Pretend to leave but come back and accept price. Haggle again just to test his patience. Pick up a MINIMUM of ten boxes and run to car as if carrying gold or something illegal; and drive even faster back home before somebody outside the family realises you have mangoes. https://www.missmarathi.co.uk/blog-2-1 daily 0.75 2024-09-07 https://www.missmarathi.co.uk/blog-2-1/in-the-kitchen monthly 0.5 2024-09-07 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5edbdbd2b6026b073feee4bd/72dd65c1-9ee2-47c1-b6db-36de22236cbd/WhatsApp+Image+2024-09-07+at+19.51.41.jpeg Blog 2 - In the Kitchen - Make it stand out Hard at work https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5edbdbd2b6026b073feee4bd/6c0031ea-961a-4188-afef-5355a1da10f1/WhatsApp+Image+2024-09-07+at+19.55.16.jpeg Blog 2 - In the Kitchen It doesn’t matter how high the exhaust goes in the kitchen, or how long you leave the doors and windows to the garden open. It is in fact, a permanent stench of gg paste and mustard seeds. Even using a saucepan lid as a shield whilst battling against popping curry leaves doesn’t work. Lately when cooking in my flat I tend to add a shower cap to the homeless cooking outfit, and swimming goggles or sunglasses when chopping onions to stop myself bawling my eyes out and then rubbing my eyes with spicy fingers. Thankfully, nobody lives with me, and they probably never will if I keep doing that. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5edbdbd2b6026b073feee4bd/4f470234-0ccd-4074-bffe-99020a2934cd/WhatsApp+Image+2024-09-07+at+20.09.11.jpeg Blog 2 - In the Kitchen Even the cooking utensils are terrifying, I have memories walking into the kitchen and seeing my aaji sitting on the floor with what I thought was a French guillotine, khobra-ing a khobra, wondering how she hadn’t sliced her feet off. It was a veeli. Weird how its given a cute and slightly suggestive name but looks like it could commit a war crime. Also, can someone please tell me what the hell asfoetida is?! Wikipedia describes it as “a herbaceous monoecious perennial plant” which might as well have been written in Chinese because that makes absolutely no sense to me. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5edbdbd2b6026b073feee4bd/2bc8cfa8-500b-4520-9641-2aa46ab89609/WhatsApp+Image+2024-09-07+at+19.55.16+%281%29.jpeg Blog 2 - In the Kitchen My baba, a curiously ADHD character has lately taken to labelling the whole kitchen. One day I opened a cupboard to find each shelf of sauces labelled as the following: English, Chinese, Indian and Western. Following this I opened another cupboard with a large label in red capitals labelled “pressure cookers”. Bearing in mind we have only one pressure cooker. At this point I am very surprised that we don’t have the kettle labelled as “kettle”. You know, in case we mix it up with a washing machine or a hairdryer. While helpful, it does make me question what I am actually looking at. https://www.missmarathi.co.uk/about daily 0.75 2020-06-21 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5edbdbd2b6026b073feee4bd/1592735296515-UP0UV40YZSGNXPNGS4C5/image1.jpg About - It’s PuttWurrDHUN not Patrick Warden Namaskar. I was really serious about naming this blog “The Varan Wala”, until I realised I’m not a Maharashtrian superhero or a food delivery boy, which is a shame but unfortunately the truth. My name is Natasha Patwardhan, that’s Patwardhan as in golf PUT, war as in WORry and Dhan as in the noise you hear in every Indian TV series where the bahu says something she shouldn’t in the living room wearing a gold sari. After 29 years it still amazes me that I still receive letters to “Mr. Patrick Warden”, or worse “Dan Warden.” I was born in Mumbai and raised in Essex, hence why so far this post doesn’t sound like it has been written by the image of the person wearing a nauvari sari. I love everything about being brought up in the UK, apart from the obviously horrific weather. But. And this is a big But. I was also the type of child who grew up on fish fingers and varan bhaat, poli jam rolls and the ever-famous king of KINGS Batatyachi Bhaaji (it’s that good that it deserves capital letters). A huge majority of the connection I have to my Maharashtrian heritage is through my CKP aai and Kokanastha Brahmin baba. At home I have access to some of the most scrummiest yummiest creations known to man. What would be a casual scrambled eggs for breakfast is replaced by a mystical yellow dish called “Pohey” in our house. That’s po as in Al CaPOne and hey as in HAY there. Trips to India are NEVER anywhere other than to Mumbai and Pune. Never. And Shivaji Park is the centre of the universe no questions asked. Growing up in the UK I have always felt extinct. I didn’t think there were many other second-generation Maharashtrians in the UK; most of all, I couldn’t understand why people generally knew about Mumbai but not about Maharashtrians. Miss Marathi is an account of a second-generation Maharashtrian in the UK desperately trying to piece together what everything about being Maharashtrian means to her. Topics will include (but not be limited to) food, the fear of speaking Marathi like a Karen, and how Zingaat brings out everybody’s inner Shivaji. I am definitely an Essex girl, but the minute it’s Ganesh Chaturthi I will know without fail it’s time to go Modak MENTAL for ten days. On a final note, this blog is a SAFE space, you will NOT find anything about the vegetable Karla here. https://www.missmarathi.co.uk/contact daily 0.75 2020-06-21