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Saturday, May 2, 2020

Egypt in Barnsbury, London

Barnsbury

The name bury derives its origins from burh or burg meaning a fortified settlement. In the 9th century, raids by Vikings prompted Alfred the Great to develop a network of burhs to protect against such attackers. Barnsbury is a syncopated form of Bernersbury after the Berners family: powerful medieval manorial lords who gained ownership of a large part of Islington after the Norman Conquest in 1066.

Barnsbury is close to the City of London, and had strong local trade in its position as the first staging post for travellers making the journey from London to the north, and with considerable agricultural traffic and cattle driving to the nearby Smithfield cattle market in the City. Barnsbury along with its easterly neighbour Canonbury in London has seen a transfiguration in the years gone by that few could have imagined possible. Home to the Blairs when New Labour swept to victory in the 1997 election, today Barnsbury is among Islingon and indeed London's most affluent and desirable areas.

Perhaps the most outré of all neighbourhoods in Barnsbury is Richmond Avenue. You will notice miniature sphynixs, pyramids and obelixes  proudly sitting outside Georgian and Victorian houses. The reason why these incongruous structures exist is rooted in a Frank-Indian pact forged between Napoleon Bonaparte and the tiger of Mysore -  Tipu Sultan. Napoleon's victories in northern Italy over the Austrian Empire meant that the only power to challenge the French Republic was Great Britain. Naploeon believed that, by establishing a permanent presence in Egypt (nominally part of the neutral Ottoman Empire), the French would obtain a staging point for future operations against British India. Tipu Sultan on the other hand was unable to recover Mangalore from the British, although he managed to re-capture it after a 10-month siege in 1784. He finally made peace with the British in the spring of 1784. A formal alliance was formed between by Louis XVI's France during the late 18th century in an attempt to oust Great Britain from the Indian subcontinent. Later, numerous proposals of alliance were made by Tipu Sultan, leading to the dispatch of a French fleet of volunteers to help him, and even motivating an effort by Napoleon to make a junction with India, through the 1798 Campaign of Egypt and Syria.

The Campaign was mutually beneficial with potentially immense dividends in the offing for both Napoleon and Tipu Sultan. As for Napoleon, he looked to defend French trade interests, seek further direct alliances with India through Tipu Sultan and enfeeble Britain's chokehold on India, and finally to establish scientific enterprise in the Indian subcontinent. Whilst an ambitious Tipu Sultan stood to gain abundantly with French military and economic support as an empowered juggernaut ensconsing his legacy as a conqueror in the annals of history. According to a 13 February 1798 report by Talleyrand, "Having occupied and fortified Egypt, we shall send a force of 15,000 men from Suez to the Sultanate of Mysore, to join the forces of Tipu Sultan and drive away the English."

What followed was the climax of one of the most prolific Anglo-French naval wars of the 18th century. The British Royal Navy and the Navy of the French Republic fought at Aboukir Bay on the Mediterranean coast off the Nile Delta of Egypt. A large French convoy sailed from Toulon to Alexandria carrying an expeditionary force under General Napoleon Bonaparte. The British fleet was led in the battle by Rear-Admiral Sir Horatio Nelson.

The British decisively defeated the French under Vice-Admiral François-Paul Brueys d'Aigalliers.
The Battle of the Nile was touted as one of "the most splendid and glorious success which the British Navy gained". The legacy of the war swiftly shifted the strategic advantage in favour of the British  giving the British supremacy at sea that they maintained for the remainder of the war. What followed was that the British emboldened by the victory marched into Mysore in 1799 and besieged the capital Srirangapatna in the Fourth Mysore War killing Tipu, looting his prized possessions; his sword, robe and one of his enduringly famous and fascinating objects Tipu's tiger. All of which now are housed in London's Victoria and Albert Museum.

Such was the sense of euphoria following the Battle of Nile that tales of conquest and British victory from the days of yore roused a wave of Egyptmania in London. Joseph Kay — surveyor for Barnsbury's Thornhill Estate decided to create and instal miniature sphinxes and obelisks 1841, 43 years after Nelson's victory. The structures still stand to this day. 

Saturday, January 5, 2013

Diego's hair salon - A DC landmark

As you walk into Diego's on 19th & Q right by Dupont Circle from the chilly DC weather, you are greeted with a warm smile by a 70 something, impeccably dressed sandy blond haired Italian gentleman with an affectionate "Hello! how're you doing?". For the most part, the salon is filled with middle to older aged women bar Diego and his newly appointed secretary who schedules appointments for his customers. The women are less interested in pleasantries and direct all of their attention with humorless concentration on snipping away their customers hair.

You look around, the place has all the elements of being a DC institution; a landmark that has served diplomats, politicians, religious leaders, supreme court justices and even heads of state. Diego has autographed pictures of famous people he has worked on on his wall. Notables include Benjamin Netanyahu, CJ William Rehnquist, CJ Warren E. Burger, George Bush, Obama and the Pope. Even the street where the salon is located is named "Diego D'Ambrosio Way" in his honor.

If you're lucky, you'll get to sit on one of the two waiting chairs in the packed salon, else you'd either have to stand or sit on one of the vacant salon chairs and be ready to get up whenever asked. A big Italian american gentleman with a log book and a cordless phone asks "Do you have an appointment?" with a thick accent. The guy can easily fit into a Sopranos episode driving up a dark alley near a New Jersey turnpike with a tied up and gagged hostage in his car trunk as one of Tony's henchmen - complete with the buttoned down loose shirt showing off his chest hair, gold bling-blings all over, a big belly and curly hair oiled and combed backwards.

I had my appointment with Diego himself. He turned around and and said "five minutes, senor". It was indeed a humbling feeling when a man that well known still felt he owed me an update on when he'll get to me. It put me in a quagmire - I didn't know what to say. Once he did get to me, he asked me how I was doing with a smile. I said great, and we got started. The first thing I asked him was how long he'd been doing this for. His response was "double how old are"[sic]. He was almost right. When I told him I was born in 86' he told me that he's been cutting hair since 1966. As he started, it was apparent that he's done this so many times, he could cut my hair in his sleep. As with everyone he multi-tasked like a pro; three phone calls, two parallel conversations with the next lady, a minute of helping another lady with her coat and kissing her with a ciao bella and about 5 minutes of hair cutting later, I was done.

Curiously, his cash register kept next to where I was sitting have the numbers "2" and "0" visibility more diminished than the rest. That's because that all he's been punching - $20 to charge his clients ever since the end of Carter's presidency in 1980 despite being located at a prime place in downtown DC. As much as it was just a haircut at the end of the day, it feels great to see a man who has earned international reputation just by taking immense pride in his profession and making a conscientious effort to serve. 

Friday, February 25, 2011

Gaddafi, Go! No seriously!

Qaddafi, Gaddafi, Kaddafi whatever his name is... I think its time for this dude whos been pulling a Hugh Hefner - Arab style since the summer of 69' to be shown the door after his neighbors. Forty whoop di frikkin' two years! how could his people have left anyone warm the bench for so long let alone a Bedouin tent wearing badass like him? His rule seems like a catalog of disasters: Financing the Munich massacre in 1972, Being in control of the 1986 Berlin discotheque bombing and later the Lockerbie Bombing in 1988. Surely, he deserved the "mad dog of the middle east" title that Reagan gave him. As of Friday, 25th Feb 2011, rebels are in control of most of Libya with the exception of three cities including its capital, Tripoli. It is great to see that people are taking a stand: diplomats are distancing themselves, military and police personnel are defecting and even cabinet members are resigning and urging their colleagues to do the same. I also read that a few blocks away from where I live in DC, Libyan protesters gathered, flying flags from the previous monarchy.

I recently had lunch with a Zimbabwean gentleman who gave me an insight into what is happening in Mugabe's backyard: A man he knew who wanted to buy bread for lunch to feed his kids, finds out that a pound of bread costs Z$10 million, (yes you read that right) and puts the bills in a wheel barrel and reaches the bakery only to find out that the rates had increased two fold since the past hour! - the time it took for him to reach the baker. He is forced to sell his wheel barrel to make good the difference. Hyperinflation in Zimbabwe kicked off after the grand ol' fart decided to repudiate IMF debts and confiscate white owned farms in the early 2000s

News sources are saying that what happened in Egypt and Tunisia is a harbinger of what is to come in Libya. I sure do hope that they are right. A colleague and a good friend who happens to be Egyptian reached for his throat and stuck his tongue out when I asked him how life was under Mubarak's rule that was characterized by a 20 year continuous emergency. Interestingly he had words of praise for Anwar al-Sadat. At the same time, one has to appreciate that Mubarak policies were geared at cracking down on terrorism and worked towards stable relations with Israel.

But a seemingly endless totalitarian rule abridging people's rights in the guise of an emergency or otherwise should not, at least on paper, work forever. A Congolese taxi driver I rode with pointed out that that's how Africa's political structure has always been. "Tribes elected its strongest and wisest as its chiefs like how prides choose its strongest lion to lead it. What really has corrupted Africa was the European imperialists who foisted their democratic ideals on people who are inherently different."

Monday, December 13, 2010

Culinary Debauchery

After about 16 months away from home, I can honestly say that one of the biggest things I miss is home food! make no mistake about it, Indian food is as fantastic as it can get. Nowhere else can you find so much diversity, such an explosion of flavors and so much excitement all packed into food.

I have to owe it to my ancestors for making food and the process of cooking food such an important part of life. Unlike the west that relies heavily on precooked, microwavable, food doused in preservatives and sodium, primarily aimed at minimizing time to make more time for work, Indians actually took time to cook.

Being a hotelier's son, I have grown up shamelessly making full use of the privileges that came along with it. Starting with standing on the chairs of Nalpak demanding to see the manager (who happened to be my dad) to attacking the menu from all directions at Heritage Inn while dialing "21" for room service, I have a past that I am proud of... After a while, I was inducted as a guest of honor at my dad's hotel. This allowed me 24hr access to the kitchens. Room service was gracious enough to relieve me of the pains I was taking to pick up the phone and order food. Instead THEY would call me at appropriate intervals informing me of the day's specials and would ask me what I would like to have for breakfast/lunch/dinner. A typical day seldom went without a hot starter, a lavish spread, a drink to wash it down with and a dessert to cool it off. All while watching TV on a 52" screen in the hotel's best suite. Life was indeed tough.

I remember reading at a Hyderabadi food restaurant in Bangalore while waiting for my order that even when the Hyderabadi nawabs went into war, it did not deter womenfolk from upholding the sanctity of the fine quality of Hyderabadi cuisine. They would painstakingly make food and risk their lives to deliver it to ensure that the warriors that went into the battlefield had a rich, well deserved dosage of fat so that that can endure the hellish nightmare that lay ahead. This meant that there was a lot of ghee, oil and butter in the cooking of biryanis, goshts, kababs, haleems, firnees and so forth. Since I've always taken a fair share of blame for my high sugar intake, I have to unabashedly admit that what I liked best in the Hyderabadi Restaurant was both the Qurbani ka meetha and the Dabal Ka Meetha. The former, Qurbani, is Urdu for apricot. What you get after the apricots are prepared with vanilla essence and cream is a chilled greasy serving of heaven. For those health freaks who could do with a few pounds off their conscience, apricots are proven to fight cancer. The latter is an eggless bread pudding that is fished out of a concoction of sugar syrup and thickened milk. To top it off, it is garnished with dry fruits and nuts.

Having bored you with nawabi history, I'm tempted to make a list of the very best of the best, a list with ruthless disregard to second best. An important criteria that I have observed is the maintenance of consistency over the years. Having lived all of my formative years in Mysore and five years in Bangalore and one and a half years in Washington, DC, you could say that the scope of my experience is limited. But heck, I have eaten outside of Karnataka and my two cents is that as a true son of the soil I swear by Kannadiga food as the best there is.

Aloo Bonda - Gaadi on 14th main, Saraswathipuram, Mysore
Akki rotti - Halli Mane, Food Street - V.V. Puram
Badam Halwa - Hotel Chalukya, Bangalore
Bele - Shivanna, Mavalli
Breakfast Burritos - Penny Cluse, Vermont
Burger - Downtown, Mysore
Cake - Yes, I'm being generic - Just Bake, Vasanth Nagar, Bangalore (Try their German chocolate cake)
Capsicum Bajji - Food Street and Gaadi Near Channel 9, 7th block.
Dahi Vade - Adigas Food Line, Jayanagar, Bangalore.
Egg Chilly - Mojos, Bangalore
Empanadas - Panas - Washington, DC
Falafels - Amsterdam Falafels, Washington, DC
Gulab Jamoon - Rasika, Washington, DC (Sadly! the best Jamoon ever was in the US!)
Idli - Veena Stores, Malleshwaram and anonymous place in Jayanagar, Mysore
Jolada Rotti Oota - Kamath
Kulfi - Bowring
Makki di roti + Sarsoon da saag - Jwala K.D. Road, Mysore (Really, you can try anything Punjabi here, its quite fantastic)
Masale Dose - CTR, Udupi Krishna Bhavan, gadi opp. shree rama vidyalaya (Saagu masala dosa - Hotel Janardhan), Sadly Vidyarthi Bhavan didn't make the cut!
Masala puri - Karnataka Chat, Chamrajpete
"Meals" - MTR
Momos - Tibetan Market, Church St. Bangalore
Panchamrutha - Rayar matha
Pani Puri - Street Vendor next to Shree Raj Lassi Bar, Jayanagar, Bangalore
Pasta - Vapiano's - Chinatown, Washington, DC
Pav Bhaji - Bhavani Chat, Jayanagar 9th block, Food Street.
Pizza - Ragoos, Bangalore - Pili pili
Raagi Mudde - New Krishna Bhavan
Rajasthani Food - Rajdhani, UB City
Saar anna - Kapila Ajji
Sweet Corn - Gadi near Netkalappa Circle (Bangalore)
Thai - Red Curry, Old town Alexandria, Virginia and Tiny Thai, Vermont.
Tikki Chutney - Bhavani Chat, Jayanagar 9th Block
Unusual chaats - Loki's, 15th cross, Malleshwaram, popular stuff includes "Disco Chaat" "Ding dong" "Dahi Chips Masala"

Thanks to Nithya for helping me with ideas for this. Please feel free to agree/disagree or better yet, add to my list!

Thursday, April 26, 2007

Bouldering Mecca : Antharagange


Nestled about 60 kilometers away from Bangalore and a stone’s throw away from Kolar’s bus stand is a thrill seeker’s paradise. Be it Bouldering, Rock Climbing or Trekking, Muchukunda Giri has it all, a visit to the place will make anyone admit that it is India’s answer to Fontainebleau, which many consider to be as the Mecca of Bouldering. The journey in itself to Anthargange promises to be enrapturing, a preview of what to expect can be viewed with a look outside the window. Gigantic volcanic rocks or boulders which dominate the arid sun bathed landscape seem, to a layman’s eye to be precariously perched on top of each other. Patches of vegetation suggest that the rain gods rarely knock on Kolar’s doors.

The foothills of Muchukunda Giri is an interesting one, towering eucalyptus trees throw an appeasing shade which make you forget that you are in Kolar. The freshness of the atmosphere wonderfully coupled with the rich scent of eucalyptus is truly an elevating experience. There are the ruins of an old town and is in very old granite. One can find the temple of Nilakanteshwara. A few steep steps later, a pond can be seen which is enclosed by low stone walls which is constantly fed by a spring. Legend has it that sage Muchukunda underwent penance here. As age crippled his mobility; the goddess Ganga appeared as a spring to enable him to conduct the rituals. The hill thus goes by the name “Muchukunda Giri”. Water from the perennial spring gets collected in a tank and flows through a channel to wash the feet of an idol of Vishnu before springing out of the mouth of a small stone bull. From there, the water flows down towards Kilukote. The locals claim that to this day nobody knows the source of the water. To many in the dry lands, it is an oasis which is made noticeable by hoards of locals making daily trips to the spring with water cans to take back to their houses, it is considered to be sweet and perfectly potable.

The bull is covered by a small mantapa and there is a square tank below that contains a small shrine for Ganapathy surrounded by water. Under the dense shade of the giant trees also rest the temples of Ishwara and Navagrahas. Antharagange also has a deer park maintained by the forest department. One can catch a glimpse of a few sambars and spotted deer that graze here.

Trekking about 4 kms from the spring, amidst the rocky landscape one reaches the small village of Theruhalli. Since one is climbing up the hill, it is quite a steep climb, with interesting barriers to cross. The temple of Gangadhareshwara here has an attractive doorway with fine figures etched on doors and panels. To the northern side of the temple is a cave called Pandavara Hajara and on a boulder stands a small mantapa with an image of Nandi. Ancient Tamil inscriptions behind the temple and an unfinished kalyana mantapa to the south imply a Tamil influence on the area dating back centuries.

A further trek of two km to the west takes one to another village called Paparajanahathi. The specialty here is a stone umbrella that has been carved out of a single stone in front of the Shiva temple. The village is also known for the Baba Hazrat Khaja Usman Shawali Dargah, visited by one and all. Those who cannot trek can access these places by road also. On the way back you can have a good view of the entire range of hills of Kolar better known as Shathashringa Parvatha with the highest point rising to 4026 feet. A climb up one of the hills affords an exceptional view of the surrounding areas that seem to be painted with water bodies, vegetation unique to the area and villages that seem to be in small, incongruous batches considering the vast expanses of dry lands and a virtually unscathed landscape.

Or else, people seeking the ecstasy of rock climbing, Bouldering, Trekking and Exploring of caves all marvelously rolled into one mystifying experience can ask one of the shepherds or locals to show them around one of the caves formed by contiguous rocks which stretch for as much as 2 kms. Squeezing through the nooks and crannies, climbing , making jumps from boulder to boulder and enjoying a never before experience one learns that it is a trite and obvious truism that one can get easily lost in these Byzantine caves if it wasn’t for the reliance of local knowledge. It can take as long as 15 mins to 2 hours to complete a whole journey through these caves as at very few points can one find level ground. The experience makes one want to shed claustrophobia and value what it is like to explore one of these caves. Awestruck by the formation of rocks and equally spellbound by how fantastically balanced they are on top of each other, it is very easy to get won over that they seem to defy all known laws of logistics.

I am tantalized to admit that Antharagange is guaranteed to leave an ineffaceable inkling on a traveler’s mind that the adventures and discoveries one can have in vibrant Karnataka are limitless and that we have barely tapped the immensity of exploring possibilities.