Call Of India

THE SRI LANKA EXPERIENCE:  DEHIWALA ZOOLOGICAL GARDENS My general Zoo experience is that the animals are kept quite a distance away and you never really get to interact with them, mostly you get to observe. Well, the Dehiwala Zoological Gardens is anything but that!  I had the pleasure of not only observing the animals in a fun and safe way but also to see their individual personalities come to the fore as you will see in this review. BIG CATS Dehiwala Zoo has a collection of Big Cats that are quite fascinating to watch. A group of tigers are placed right next door to a black panther and jaguar who share an enclosure. These feisty felines were very playful and seemed just as interested in us, the viewer, as we were in them.  PRIMATES The larger primates, like the orangutan and chimpanzee, seemed less interested in interacting. Although this could be because hordes of school children were trying to get their attention by making grunting sounds (I can see why they...

HALDIRAM'S Come take a look at what this 80+ year company  has to offer! Haldiram's is the snack king of Indian delights. They have many popular lines of products ranging from sweet to savory, and even ready made meals. Many of their products are sold internationally if you are looking to try their products but not planning to visit India soon.  SAVORIES Namkeen snacks tend to be of the salty variety and come in various mixtures. Often times in people's homes they will put out a bowl of these mixtures so that the guest can take a spoonful into their hand to snack on.    Papad is a thin crispy fried disc that can be found made from various flours like lentils, chickpeas, rice, tapioca, millet or potato.  Mathri is a biscuit or cracker like snack that can also come in various forms and flavors.   SWEETS Soan papdi is usually cube-shaped or served as flakes, and has a crisp and flaky texture. The basic ingredients of this sweet are besan (gram flour),...

Many take a break from the hustle and bustle of daily life by going to day retreats that offer leisure recreation. Generally day retreats are located a ways out of the city and take traveling to get to, for this reason visitors tend to spend a full day at the retreat. Each location is different and has its own appeal and attractions. This post will be focusing on one in the Kharadi neighborhood of Pune.  The KAPILA RESORTS is a real gem in an unexpected location about 30 minutes outside the heart of Pune. It is very easy to get to and is open to the public 7 days a week.  This sprawling property has so much to offer and enjoy.                                   HIGHLIGHTS OF  KAPILA RESORTS   RENTABLE CABANAS There are several rentable cabanas near the onsite restaurant. A table and chairs are included in the rental. LARGE DINING AREAS/RESTAURANT The restaur...

LOHIYA GARDEN is by far one of my favorite Jogger Parks in the area. It has big beautiful trees and tons of space to enjoy cool grassy areas. In a hustling and bustling city that noise and air pollution are everywhere parks like this are a welcome break.  Generally speaking the Jogger Parks are clean and welcoming. You will often see women in sarees and men in worker uniforms doing lots of work caretaking for these oasis'. NOTABLE FEATURES OF LOHIYA GARDEN CHILDREN'S PLAY AREA The play structure and area for children has some really fun features and is quite spacious compared to others I have seen. It has a large play structure where kids can climb, hang, and slide. There is a swing set, a slide in the shape of a Rocketship and a jungle gym in the shape of a ball all painted in bright colors.   VIBRANT ANIMAL MURAL To separate the park from its neighbors a tall wall that spans the entire length of the park was constructed and  a mural was painted on it. The mural was...

SWIGGY and ZOMATO are two of the largest fast food delivery companies here in India. Let's take a look at some differences between these apps. SWIGGY The SWIGGY app gives four general service options, which are categorized as: Food, Instamart, Dineout, and Genie. Take a look at what each of these are used for: FOOD  This part of the app is used to order local fast food . There are many food options from restaurants with various cuisines to choose from.  INSTAMART Instamart is used for groceries . Zomato generally has a good range of items for quick delivery. This is especially helpful if you are in a pinch and need an item last minute or just don't feel like going out to a store. DINEOUT This option is if you are looking for a restaurant to go out to in person. If you are not familiar with the local places or would like to try something new this is a good option to locate your new favorite restaurant. GENIE This is a very cool option if you would like to send someone somethin...

Like the rest of the world, local prices can fluctuate and at times even sky rocket. For example right now, at least in Pune, tomatoes went from 16₹ (rupees) per kilo to 120₹ (rupees) seemingly overnight. When inflation hits, don't we all look for a bargain? Generally, going to the local chicken vendor is a good way to cut down cost. Comparatively, the chicken I bought from the business shown below was 240₹ per kilo, whereas on the delivery apps it was about 260₹ for 500 grams (more than double the cost). Additionally eggs generally go for about 189₹-220₹ for 30 eggs at the grocery store. The same 30 eggs were 150₹ with the chicken man. You do the math, there are savings to be had shopping with your local vendors in India.

Many neighborhoods in India have what is called Jogger Parks for their communities. These parks generally open sometime in the mornings, close for the afternoons, and then open again in the late afternoon/early evening for the public to come and exercise. You will often see people meditating, using the exercise machines and doing walking rounds on the pathways. The one featured here is called GP Pradhan Garden and it is a smaller jogger park in the city of Pune. GP Pradhan Garden Rd, Bhosale Nagar, Hadapsar, Pune, Maharashtra 411028 Interested in visiting the park? https://goo.gl/maps/2CeF4w2zwK7ZFTaDA

One of the nicest things about grocery shopping in India are all of the delivery apps. This post features an app called BIG BASKET , which has a wider selection of products and imports than many of the other brands. Unless you periodically scan through the various categories you could miss a lot of great unexpected items. I highly recommend checking out their GOURMET AND WORLD FOODS section if you are looking for some unique international products not easily found in the local grocery store. When you open the app you will be given a few options: bigbasket, bigbasket now, fresho! meats, the beauty store or +pharma  You can choose from several categories from the drop down menu Gourmet World Foods has it's own categories To start shopping go to: https://www.bigbasket.com/

If you are like me and find adapting to a regular diet of Indian food to be a challenge then DORABJEES is going to be your new best friend. This chain caters to foreign food imports and has a wide selection of options that may not be readily found in other grocery stores. Unique products that can be found include: a wide array of cheeses and dairy, pasta choices, real lunch meat, pork, fresh Italian herbs, olives, pickles, foreign seasonings, and many many more foreign/imported delights. Find a Dorabjees near you: https://dorabjeesonline.com/