Entertainment, at what cost?

 Early this year, I got hooked onto the series “the good wife” on Amazon Prime. It was crazy - more like an addiction. I finished the entire 7 seasons in around 45 days. Whenever I got little time, I would watch an episode. Sometimes, I would put my daughter to sleep and stay back late night to watch 2-3 episodes. No doubt, it was an excellent series, atleast for the first 5 seasons. The series had many cliff-hangers that persuade you to proceed to the next episode effortlessly. But at the end of it, I felt so stupid for wasting too much time and sacrificing my precious sleep. Each episode is around 45 minutes. Each season had around 22 episodes. So for 7 seasons, the total time I had spent is around 6930 minutes or 116 hours. 

This experience made me realize the power of such addictive series. It is easy to argue that one should have self-control and not over-indulge. But these series are designed to keep you hooked. No-ads is an added advantage.

I don’t have a Netflix subscription yet. Though I know there are some interesting documentaries and movies in Netflix, I cannot let technology invade my sleep hours. 

The fact that Netflix founder openly stating “sleep is our competition”, it is imperative that we are conscious of the time we spend on such addictive series. New terms like “binge-watching” and “binge-racing” are targeting our time, attention and our minds.

This quote by Reed Hastings is a wake-up call for all of us:

“but think about if you didn’t watch Netflix last night: What did you do? There’s such a broad range of things that you did to relax and unwind, hang out, and connect–and we compete with all of that.” 

 What are those things we did earlier to relax and unwind?

- Sleep on time

- Read a book

- Play with kids

- Write a page in our journal or diary

- Spend time with family

- Go for a post-dinner walk with spouse

- Watch Masterchef Australia ;-)

- Plan for the next day

Now, many of us settle down with dinner plates in front of Netflix after we reach home.

I haven’t watched “Game of Thrones”, “Stranger things” or other popular series. So I don’t know about the addictive nature of their story plot. It is fine to seek such entertainment, as long as we are conscious of the time we spend and not allow such series come in the way of the numerous other things we could do. 

Good sleep is one of the most essential factors for good health and well-being. Nothing is worth sacrificing your sleep - be it work or entertainment. 

The battle for attention is going on and only the strong willed would survive. 

Book Review: Murder in Paharganj by Kulpreet Yadav

 The cold, gloomy weather in Bangalore provides the perfect reason to cuddle up inside a blanket, with a hot cup of masala chai and a page-turner mystery novel for company. Over the last couple of days, I finished reading this interesting thriller - Kulpreet Yadav’s Murder in Paharganj. 

I love to watch murder mystery movies that stay focused on the main plot without ANY distractions. Usually, the hero who investigates such crimes would have a sub-plot, that at times becomes so dragging and takes the interest away from the main plot. Not to forget the totally unnecessary songs - be it the romance angle between the hero and the heroine OR an item-number with skin show. So irritating to sit through such movies, isn’t it?

Murder mystery stories should keep you hooked for the entire duration of the movie, with suspense and clues for the audience to keep guessing. A recent good mystery movie I enjoyed watching was “Dhruvangal Padhinaaru”.

The expectation holds true for books as well. Thankfully, the author of “Murder in Paharganj” focused completely on the core plot, without any major deviations. There weren’t too many elaborate subplots that could have potentially expanded - be it the estranged relationship between Vicks and his father or that of Vicks and his girlfriend Tonya.

Right from the start, the story moves at a brilliant pace. I wouldn’t call this a murder “mystery", as the killer is revealed in the first few pages. The story is more like a cat-and-mouse chase between Vicks and the killer, spanning various cities. The chase keeps you on the edge of your seat, especially during a couple of unexpected moments when Vicks get attacked by the killer. 

Towards the end, the story fell a little bit flat and there weren’t many explanations given for the turn of the events. Maybe, the author assumed that the reader would be able to predict the sequence of events that led to the closure of the case. Though Vicks is a likable character, I wished that his skills were more well-defined - what is so unique about his investigation? How does he connect the dots? I so wished that Vicks would be the one who intercepts the code that was being sent to Sherry. More on the lines of Robert Langdon ;-)

Locating the killer in a big city like Bangkok seemed too easy. A better handling of the search would have made it more intriguing. 

Overall, it was an interesting, entertaining read, except for the end.

P.S. The book was sent to me by Flipkart as part of their "bloggers initiative". The review is my honest and unbiased feedback on the book.

Bonding over books

It was a lethargic Monday afternoon - the weather Gods haven’t decided whether it’s gonna be a rainy, gloomy day OR a bright, sunny day yet. My apartment was so cold that I couldn’t keep my feet on the floor. I nicely tucked myself inside a warm comforter, with my daughter D next to me taking a NAP…yes, you read that right. My 6-year old took an afternoon nap after so many months. The kitty cat was cuddled inside a blanket in the adjacent room.

Slowly, the clouds decided to give some space for the sun and the shiny rays started brightening my home. Our sunshine-loving cat became aware of this sudden change, that she wanted me to let her out to the balcony, so she could stretch her legs and continue her nap. D woke up from her nap and wanted idlis for lunch. We are a idli-crazy family and we don’t mind eating them ANYTIME during the day. Thankfully, I had some batter and quickly made a plate of mini idlis for her and a piping hot cup of chai for me. 

While she was eating her idlis, I was holding my hands along the sides of the hot cup to get some much needed warmth. Drinking tea is a sensorial experience, not just for its taste but for all the senses. Only a tea lover would get what I’m trying to say! :-) We both were quiet, no devices or TV to distract us - glancing through the balcony mesh door, admiring the sunshine and taking in the sounds of birds, car honking and the screeches from a drilling machine somewhere.

After finishing my chai, I opened the murder mystery thriller I’m currently reading - “Murder in Paharganj”. 

D slowly enquired, “What are you reading? Tell me the story”

“It’s a scary story, not for children”, I replied.

“No, I won’t feel scared. Tell me the story”, she insisted.

As I narrated a little bit of the story, she listened keenly. 

“Amma, read the story”, she ordered.

I continued reading in my mind. 

“No amma, you have to read like this”, she picked up the book and started reading a line from the page I was reading.

“His left hand lifted, trying to stop the bleeding; the pistol fell from the other hand as a result of shock and pain……”. 

I panicked and grabbed the book from her hand. 

“That’s enough, baby. This story is not for you”, I responded.  

“Ok, then I will pick up Turtles all the way down. You already finished it right?”

This little one reads comfortably these days and now wants to advance into my collection of books. :-)

This experience made me realize how much we bond over books. Our home is filled with books - her collection of Magic Pot Magazine subscriptions, Panchatantra, Aesop Fables etc scattered all over the rooms. We read every night before going to bed. She loves to lie down on my lap and listen to stories. Ever since she started reading on her own, she insists that I listen to her and not read my books during bedtime. She keenly observes the books I read - the title, the cover image, pictures (if any) and the phrases I underline. 

Little did I knew that I would find a good friend in my daughter, sharing common interests - be it our love for cooking, reading or even our craze for SRK movies! ;-)

Book Review: Turtles all the way down by John Green

Before I write about John Green's “Turtles all the way down”, let me first state that I haven’t yet read the author’s much acclaimed “The fault in our stars”. Nope, haven’t watched the movie either. So I didn’t have any idea about the author’s writing style or narrative when I started reading his new book.

My reading routine of “Turtles” will give you an idea about the flow of the book. Over the last one week, I had been reading 30-40 pages every night before going to bed. So yes, it is NOT a page-turner or a gripping narrative. It leaves a strong impression in those short reading sessions. A slow paced turn of events with some memorable phrases and passages interspersed throughout the book. 

“Turtles all the way down” is the story of Aza, a teenager who is struggling with her pattern of thoughts, that interferes with her daily routine and life’s decisions. It is also the story of Davis, a childhood friend of Aza and whose father had mysteriously disappeared. The mental and emotional struggles of these two teenagers, along with the support they give each other form the crux of the story. Aza’s friendship with her best buddy Daisy provides for some interesting moments and arguments.

The synopsis and the first few chapters give an impression that the plot is a mystery thriller but after 1/4th of the story, you realize the struggles of Aza being the core issue dealt with. Her character is well-etched, her mental struggles make you want to help her out somehow. I wished the author had shared the reasons that resulted in Aza facing those thought spiral and anxiety issues. I concluded that it has to do with her father’s death. 

Aza’s perspective of her life is aptly described in the very first page - “Your life is a story told about you, not one that you tell”

The last line of the first chapter sums up the rest of the story beautifully - “Anybody can look at you. It’s quite rare to find someone who sees the same world you see.” This is my most favourite line in the book that captures the bond between Aza and Davis.

A few other lines that I just loved:

“True terror isn’t being scared; it’s not having a choice in the matter”

“When you lose someone, you realize you’ll eventually lose everyone”

“Your problem is you don’t know when you’ve won”

“You never think much about weather when it’s good, but once it is cold enough to see your breath, you can’t ignore it. The weather decides when you think about it, not the other way around”

“In the best conversations, you don’t even remember what you talked about, only how it felt” => So true, isn’t it?

“You remember your first love because they show you, prove to you, that you can love and be loved, that nothing in this world is deserved except for love, that love is both how you become a person and why” => Beautiful lines these are!

I wouldn’t recommend this story as a MUST-READ but the slow paced narrative and the beautiful passages leave an impression on you. Read it for the beauty of the words, take it slow and savour it! And if you are like me, you'd have a pencil or highlighter handy to capture those phrases that would make you pause for a bit before proceeding further.

P.S. The book was sent to me by Flipkart as part of their "bloggers initiative". The review is my honest and unbiased feedback of the book.

Maggi Nutri-licious Oats Noodles review

I guess I spoke too soon in my post on Saffola Masala oats. Maggi is indeed associating with “health” tags as well, and their recent launch of oats nutri-licious noodles is the proof. The ad carries all the messages linked to health, conveyed using a contemporary plot.

An independent daughter is chatting with her mother through a video call. While she is making breakfast, the mother is worried about her exercise and eating habits. And she insists that she should atleast have a good breakfast. The daughter immediately shows her bowl of “oats Maggi” and the mother is stunned. 

I had the same expression too on my face, while watching this ad - “good breakfast” translates to “oats Maggi”? Can it get any worse than this?

The ad makers have so much confidence that people would believe in such messages. (“Dei, neengellam engerndhu dhaan da vareenga?” - “where do you guys come from?")

Are we that naive?

The ad and the packaging focus on these two claims:

(1) Fibre of 1 bowl of oats

The nutrition information shows that a pack of 75 gm has a meager 4 gm of fibre. As you can see from the comparison table, it is slightly higher than that of regular Maggi noodles but not significant.

Reiterating the fibre present in a few fruits for comparison - A medium sized pear has 5.5 gm, a medium sized banana has 3.1 gm, 100 gm of guava contains 5.4 gm of fibre. 

The ingredients list shows that a pack of 75 gm has multigrain flour, in which oat flour contributes only 39.1%, maize flour 1.5% and of course, there is refined wheat flour (maida) as well, for which the percentage has been conveniently left out.

Why are we falling for the oats trap repeatedly? 

(2) 15% RDA of protein from soya and vegetables

The nutrition information shows that a pack of 75 gm has 9 gm of protein. As you can see from the comparison table, it is slightly higher than that of regular Maggi noodles but not significant.

Reiterating the protein present in a couple of lentils for comparison - 

100 gm serving of whole moong dal has 24 gm of protein (Source - http://healthifyme.com/blog/many-benefits-moong-dal/)

100 gm serving of horse gram (Kollu) has 22 gm of protein  

The vegetables that are added in meagre quantity are all dehydrated, which doesn’t provide any nutrition whatsoever. They are just added as an eye-wash, to make us believe that we are eating something healthy. Is it that hard to chop and steam-cook a handful of vegetables?

And most importantly, the fact that is not highlighted in the ad but shown clearly in the packaging is the “high sodium” factor.

The ideal limit of sodium is 1500 mg per day. American Heart Association has set a maximum limit of 2300 mg per day. 

We consume sodium through various foods - home cooked foods where limited salt is added and packaged foods that are usually high in salt for increased taste and preservation. 

Approximate amounts of sodium in a given amount of table salt:

• 1/4 teaspoon salt = 575 mg sodium
• 1/2 teaspoon salt = 1,150 mg sodium
• 3/4 teaspoon salt = 1,725 mg sodium
• 1 teaspoon salt = 2,300 mg sodium

A serving of Maggi oats noodles has 942 mg of sodium. It is very easy to exceed the daily limit if such noodles are consumed on a regular basis.

What about the numerous additives, preservatives and flavour enhancers added to this pack?

Thickeners (508, 512)

Acidity regulators (501(i), 500(i), 330)

Humectant (451(i))

Anticaking agent (551)

Color (150d) => What’s synthetic caramel colour that’s usually added to Coco-cola doing here in a pack of oats noodles? Maybe, they wanted to give a whole-grain look to it.

Flavour enhancer (635) => Ribonucleotides => causes severe rashes. More details on the side-effects of this flavour enhancer are listed here.

Let’s not succumb to the false “health-tag” attached oats noodles and fool ourselves into thinking we are eating healthy. Let’s stop embracing such lazy short-cuts and start cooking fresh meals every single day. This message is intended for both the genders. 

Sources:

https://sodiumbreakup.heart.org/how_much_sodium_should_i_eat