Category Archives: Friends

Friends, colleagues and associates

Food, Friends

An afternoon with friends

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I returned home early today as there was not much volume of work leaving the office at the hands of Mustafa & Ibrahim. I told them that they might call me if needed as I was leaving for home.

After reaching home, I received an invitation from Ouss for having lunch with them on Facebook chat. It has been a long time that we have properly met. So, I immediately accepted his offer. He said that he would come to pick me up at circa 3.30 pm.

Ouss called me at 3.15 pm and told me that he is waiting in his car outside the gate of our complex. I was ready by then. I got down immediately and we drove down to his house. They also stay close by.

Soon after reaching their house, Teeba laid the lunch on the table. Their daughter Deema has started helping her mother. Hmmm, she is growing up! Girls grow up fast. Their younger kid – Hassony was busy in games on iPad.

Teeba served kibbeh shorba, salads, baba ghanoush, pickles, chicken biryani, and yoghurt. All the items were delicious. I would have licked my fingers had I used my hand while eating. I have enjoyed dishes cooked by Teeba before also. She is a lovely cook.

One of our friends, Rafeef also stays near to their house. She joined us after our lunch. We had nice gossips while sipping tea. Our gossips continued while we savoured ice cream.

I didn’t realize that I was there for four hours until I saw the clock hanging on the wall. It was 7.15 pm then. I asked Ouss to drop me at my house back. Rafeef, Teeba & Ouss drove me back to my house.

Thanks to my friends – Teeba & Ouss for making my otherwise lazy, lonely afternoon wonderful.

Celebration, Food, Friends

Happy birthday, Akhtar!

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Yesterday, Akhtar invited me for dinner at his house. He has come to Baghdad about a week ago. Thanks to Facebook calendar, I remembered that today is his birthday. Last year I was not here last year around. But last to last year, Prasad & I went to his house with a cake on his birthday.

In the evening at around 7.30pm I walked down to his house and wished him again. I had already wished him on his birthday. We started celebrating his birthday with single malt whiskey on the rocks, while watching a nice Bollywood comedy film – Bheja Fry 2 on B4U channel. I like Vinay Pathak for his comic timing.

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Starting with drinks …

After our drinks, the dinner followed. There were paratha, rice, dal makhani, aloo subzi, chicken butter masala followed by a type of kheer – it was sweetened, condensed milk. It’s a nice, sumptuous dinner at his house on his 57th birthday.

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… followed by heavy dinner

I walked back home at around 10.00pm. Thanks, Akhtar for the nice evening and dinner. I wish you again a very happy birthday, Akhtar.

Food, Friends

Lunch at Aroma

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Today, Subhash & Nadia were discussing about a restaurant called Aroma when I went there for having tea with Subhash. Later on in the day, I received a call from Subhash that they have decided to go for lunch there today.

We went to Aroma Restaurant by Nadia’s car. Layla of their department also accompanied us. Although it’s not quite a distance but due to heavy traffic it took almost 90 minutes to reach that place. The restaurant is in Jadriya, Baghdad. The ambiance of the restaurant is quite good.

A corner of Aroma Restaurant

We went to the first floor of the restaurant. As we were quite hungry so we immediately ordered for our food. The food was quite nice and tasty.

We had tea after our meals. Then Nadia drove us back to our residence. We went past Baghdad University and then crossed Tigris river on the way before reaching our house.

Crossing Tigris river

The returning was easy as the traffic had melted down by then. Thanks to Nadia, we had another wonderful afternoon today.

Celebration, Friends, Workplace

Colleagues celebrate my birthday 2013

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Tomorrow, 21 March is my birthday.  21 March is a public holiday in Iraq every year for Nowruz. Nowruz, meaning ‘New day’, is being celebrated in several countries. This ancestral festival, which has been observed for more than 3,000 years marks the Iranian/Persian New Year and is primarily celebrated in Iran, Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, India, Iraq, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Pakistan, Turkey and Uzbekistan. In February 2010 UNESCO recognised The International Day of Nowruz on their list of “Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity”.

Nowruz coincides with the start of spring and traditionally honours the rebirth of nature. The celebration begins precisely with the vernal equinox, the moment the sun crosses the equator and sunlight is evenly divided between the two hemispheres.

Isn’t it great to be born on such a day, when half the world is celebrating the rebirth of nature, onset of springs and it’s equinox! Well, I feel proud to have born on such a day and feel happy that people are rejoicing around on my birthday.

My office colleagues celebrated my birthday today. I was in a meeting of ALCO. On my return from the meeting, I found my colleagues brought a lovely, yummy cake for me. It’s so nice of them.

My birthday cake

We took a few photographs and then I cut the cake.

Happy birthday to me!

We all had slices of the cake. It’s very tasty also because it‘s mixed with their love and respect for me.

Me, my colleagues and my birthday cake

Thank you, my dear colleagues for your sweet gesture, love, respect and wishes.

Every year on 21 March UNESCO celebrates the World Poetry Day. A decision to proclaim 21 March as World Poetry Day was adopted during the UNESCO’s 30th session held in Paris in 1999. Happy World Poetry Day!

Wish that Nowruz brings the blessings of happiness, prosperity and love. Happy Nowruz!

Food, Friends

Masgouf lunch today

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Nadia Hadi, who works in the Credit department was inviting us for masgouf for some time. Yesterday, she was insisting for it and so it was agreed for today.  She again confirmed it in the morning.

A statue of a hunter near the entrance of the Iraqi Hunting Club

A statue of a hunter near the entrance of the Iraqi Hunting Club

After our office hours, we went to Iraqi Hunting Club across the road for our masgouf lunch. Nadia had already ordered for two masgoufs. When we reached there at around 3.15 pm, the fish were almost ready and were getting grilled there. Layla working in Corporate Banking department was also with us.

Cooking of masgouf

As it was a nice weather in the afternoon, we decided to sit outside on the lawn. After some time, salad was served followed by the fish. We were waiting for Ali. As he was getting late and there was no confirmed time of his joining us, we started relishing the Iraqi delicacy. We have tasted it several times here. It was nicely cooked.

We then ordered for tea and continued our wait for Ali, but he didn’t come. May be he got so late that he didn’t feel like joining us. We felt sorry for him. While we finished our tea, Nadia was talking to Dina. Nadia informed us that Dina wants to join us at In Style cafe for coffee.

Tea after masgouf

So, we moved from there and moved to In Style cafe. It was 4.30pm then. This cafe opens at 5 pm. Anyway, they let us sit there but service would begin after 5pm. Also, we were not in a hurry.

At In Style Cafe

Shortly, Dina joined us there. We had coffee together. Dina is an old colleague of Subhash & Nadia, when they were working from our Harthiya branch.

At In Style Cafe

We dispersed at 6 pm. It was a wonderful afternoon, especially for us as we hardly get opportunity to spend quality time in Baghdad. Thanks, Nadia!

Food, Friends

A friends’ get-together at Ranchi

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There have been many occasions since Vijaya Dashami that we did not throw a party for our friends in Ranchi. Jaya has been attending all the parties. It’s primarily because of the fact that both Babai and I stay out of Ranchi.

As we both are in town now, so we planned to give a proper formal part for our friends. Jaya and I planned to host a friends’ get-together at a hotel after Babai joined us. I reached Ranchi on 1st February, while Babai reached on 2nd February. After receiving Babai at the airport, we went to Hotel Emerald for arranging the get-together. We booked the banquet hall and dinner for around 30 people. The get-together was decided to be hosted on 4th February, as we were to leave for Allahabad via Kolkata on the 5th February. We then returned home after having pizza dinner at Pizza Hut.

Ladies busy in distributing housie tickets

Jaya invited all her friends and their family members for the get-together. The planned time was from 7pm. We reached Hotel Emerald by 6.45pm. People started coming in from 7.15pm.

Men getting ready for the round of housie

We played several rounds of Housie game before we went for the dinner.

Parthoda finalizing the prize monies with the ladies

It was a four course menu of Indian dishes. The food was quite delicious.

The guests left at around 11pm. They were all happy for the nice evening and we felt relaxed. I then checked out the bill and then we returned home.

Art, Friends

A new gift from Baghdad

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I have got some very lovely friends in Baghdad. We share gifts between us. But, we have not met each other yet. This makes our relationship very special. These friends are colleagues of my husband in Baghdad.

Due to security reasons etc. I have not yet visited Baghdad and hence I have not met them. But, whenever, my husband comes home from there they always send some nice gifts to me. I also send them some gifts through my husband when he returns to Baghdad. Of them, I am closer to Teeba as we exchange emails and text messages sometimes. With others, we communicate mainly through my husband.

This time they sent me a very beautiful painting on canvas showing traditional image of Baghdad.

I liked it so much that I immediately got it framed and hanged it in our drawing-room. More than the gift, their love and respect for me behind the gifts are very touching, and I treasure it the most.

Many thanks to Lina, Rafeef, Sarah, Teeba and Yussur!

Food, Friends

Dinner at Akhtar’s house

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Akhtar has come to Baghdad about 10 days back. We invited him to our house last evening for dinner. He invited us today at his house. We walked down to his house at around 7 am.

He arranged for us single malt whiskey – Singleton. We had nice chats over whiskey.

Then we had our dinner. He cooked lovely chicken curry, which we had with qubuz and rice followed by Soan papdi, an Indian sweet and tea. He brought a packet from India while coming to Baghdad.

We had chats for quite long and then we walked back to our house at around 10 pm. Thanks Akhtar for the lovely evening that we had with you today.

Food, Friends

Dinner at a Baghdad restaurant on a chilling night

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In the evening, I suddenly received a message via Skype from my friend Ouss inviting me for coffee at Iraqi Hunting Club, Baghdad with his family. In a winter evening, an invitation for coffee is definitely tempting. We decided to meet in 15 minutes.

I went down to find Ouss and family waiting for us at our gate. We got into their car and went with them to Iraqi Hunting Club. We moved around but could not manage space for us.

Ouss then called Rafeef as she was supposed to be around. She said that they were at Costa Mug cafe at 14 Ramadan Street. We decided to join them there.  On reaching there we found that Balsam & Dina were also with her. They asked for Turkish coffee while I opted for hot chocolate. Hot chocolate is more preferred in a chilly evening. After having our coffee/hot chocolate there we went for dinner at Center Point Restaurant nearby.

Balsam was not with us for dinner as she left after Costa Mug cafe. We had pizza, chicken scallop sandwich with some salads and cold drink. Food was nice.

It was a lovely evening. We reached home at around 11 pm. Thanks Teeba & Ouss for making our evening and Rafeef, Dina, and Balsam for being with us in the evening. We enjoyed a lot. The warmth of their love and respect for us was much more than the chill of the night. The temperature is expected to fall beyond zero degree Celsius tonight.

Celebration, Culture, Disaster, Family, Festival, Friends, Religion

Diwali 2012 at Allahabad

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Jit left for Baghdad to resume his duties. Babai left a week before Jit. Naturally, I would be feeling very sad, so Jit planned for my visit to Allahabad to my parent’s house for 10 days, so that I can attend Diwali, Kali Puja and Bhai phota there.

My college friend – Lakshmi

Boudi and I spent the Kali puja night at the Kalibari as this puja begins around midnight and it continues until it’s almost dawn. We also visited the house of my aunt – Kakima and cousin brother. We also went to see a horror movie in one of the nights – 1920 Evil Returns. I also met my college friend Lakshmi, who also stays in Allahabad. Boudi and I went to her house to meet her and then to the house of Babua, brother of Boudi.

Lost my Debit Card!

We went to Civil Lines area for some shopping and dining. As I was to pay at the shop, I found my HDFC Bank Debit card missing. OMG! I last used it at an ATM of HDFC Bank two days ago. May be I misplaced it there. I paid at the shop in cash. I felt damn disastrous.

We rushed to that ATM but the guard said that no card was found there. He also checked the register. Next day was Diwali and so it’s a bank holiday too. We went to the HDFC Bank. The officer was a nice gentleman. He advised that it was too late for him to do anything and advised us to call him on the next day after Diwali. We went to him in the morning. He checked his records and found that there was no such card reported lost so far. He then helped me to hotlist the debit card and immediately issued me a new Platinum debit card, which would be activated after 48 hours.

Bhai-phota

Diwali is a five-day festival starting with Dhanteras and ending with Bhai Dooj or Bhai phota. I could not realize how the days went by and the last day of Diwali came. The last of Diwali celebrations is the day dedicated to the bond between brothers and sisters. On this day known variously as bhai dooj, bhai phota, sisters pray for the long life of their brothers, by performing the ‘tika’ (red mark on the forehead) ceremony. In return brothers give gifts to them. It’s a day of bonding for brothers and sisters.

Maa & Baba

The origin of the festival is not too clear but popular legend says that after killing the demon, Narkasur, Lord Krishna visited his sister Subhadra, who welcomed him with sweets and flowers. She also applied ‘tika’ on his forehead. Another legend says that when Lord Yama (God of death) visited his sister Yamuna, she applied a ‘tika’ on his forehead and offered him sweets and special dishes. The day is also known as Yama Dwitiya.

I performed bhai phota for dada and my other two cousins. We had a party at our house yesterday on the occasion of Bhai phota. It’s a family affair. Also, Babua, brother of Boudi joined us with his family.

I am leaving for Ranchi today as I have to attend a wedding near Kolkata on Sunday. I am feeling sad to leave my parents. The elder daughter Monika of our “gurubon” Nupurdi is getting married on Sunday. Nurpurdi and we have common guru.

I am planning to visit Allahabad again in February 2013 to participate in the Maha Kumbh Mela with Jit and Babai. I hope that the God will make everything possible as we are planning.