Author Archives: memoriesandsuch

2021 Week 19 Update

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The situation in Singapore has become quite bad with more local cases being reported daily for almost two weeks now. And the variants now associated with India, B6171 and 16172 has also landed in Singapore and this is very concerning because this variant is supposed to have a higher attack rate, are more infectious and create larger clusters. Because of this, Singapore has been put into a sort of lockdown without actually using the word. We’re all now mostly at home and don’t go out unless absolutely necessary. On Friday, when the new measures were announced, supermarkets saw panic buying, a repeat from last year when the Circuit Breaker was announced. This inspite of assurances from the supermarkets that they had sufficient supplies. GG has this week as home based learning which was announced a couple of weeks earlier, but BB was telling me that he was told by his lecturer that they may get into full home based learning very soon.

India has confirmed almost 24.5 million cases is reporting 300,000 to 400,000 cases daily. This is a marked contrast to the US, which though has reported more than 33.5 million cases is seeing a lower number of cases daily. This is because of the increased vaccination rate in the US compared to India. There does not seem to be any end in sight and everyone is having COVID fatigue and just want this to end. Let’s all pray for all of us so we can weather this crisis too.

Today’s positivity quote comes from Albert Einstein who says that life is like a bicycle and one has to keep moving to stay in balance. Life is never static and is constantly moving and so to stay in balance throughout life, one my keep moving as the minute one stops, we will lose our balance and fall down.

That’s all from me this week, stay safe folks and don’t go out unless it is absolutely necessary.

In My Hands Today…

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I’m a Stranger Here Myself: Notes on Returning to America After Twenty Years Away – Bill Bryson

After living in Britain for two decades, Bill Bryson recently moved back to the United States with his English wife and four children (he had read somewhere that nearly 3 million Americans believed they had been abducted by aliens–as he later put it, “it was clear my people needed me”). They were greeted by a new and improved America that boasts microwave pancakes, twenty-four-hour dental-floss hotlines, and the staunch conviction that ice is not a luxury item.

Delivering the brilliant comic musings that are a Bryson hallmark, I’m a Stranger Here Myself recounts his sometimes disconcerting reunion with the land of his birth.

The result is a book filled with hysterical scenes of one man’s attempt to reacquaint himself with his own country, but it is also an extended if at times bemused love letter to the homeland he has returned to after twenty years away.

In My Hands Today…

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Beyond Valor: A World War II Story of Extraordinary Heroism, Sacrificial Love, and a Race against Time – Jon Erwin and William Doyle

On April 12, 1945, a fleet of American B-29 bombers flew toward Japan. Their mission was simple: stop World War II by burning the cities, factories, and military bases of the Japanese em­pire, thereby forcing an unconditional surren­der. Yet the mission did not go as planned. On board one of the B-29s, the City of Los Angeles, a phosphorus bomb detonated inside the plane. Staff Sergeant Henry E. “Red” Erwin absorbed the blast of burning phosphorus yet managed to throw overboard the still-flaming bomb, be­fore collapsing from the third-degree burns over much of his body.

Breaking protocol, the plane diverted to a military hospital at Iwo Jima. President Truman quickly ordered that Erwin be awarded the Medal of Honor, the highest honor of the American military, before the young airman died of his wounds. There was just one problem: no Medals of Honor were available in the entire Pacific theater. General Curtis LeMay dispatched a squad of airmen on a 1,000-mile mission to smash their way into a display case and steal a medal to give to Erwin before time ran out.

Meanwhile, Red’s courageous young bride set out on her own mission, one of against-all-odds healing. Her success would determine the fate of the twenty-three-year-old warrior–and years later make possible the birth of the book’s author: their grandson, Jon Erwin.

Drawn from in-depth interviews with eyewitnesses and deep archival research, Beyond Valor is an extraordinary tale of bravery, heroism, faith, and devotion.

Recipes: Apple Chutney

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I love chutneys and regular readers will know by the number of chutney recipes in the recipes tab. Also, chutneys are extremely versatile and so easy to experiment with that I do make them because I like experimenting in the kitchen. Also chutneys go well with so many dishes – slather it on bread and make it a sandwich or eat it as an accompaniment to the myriad breads available in the Indian cuisine as well as rice.

I saw a version of this recipe on a local channel and was intrigued by the usage of apples. Though I have made a Green Apple Chutney, this chutney cooked the apples, which was different. I tried and twised it a bit as I am wont to do.

Apple Chutney

Ingredients:

  • 1 medium sized onion, chopped
  • 1 medium sized tomato, chopped
  • 1 red apple, chopped
  • 1 green apple, chopped
  • 1-inch piece of ginger
  • 5-6 cloves of garlic, minced
  • 3-4 dried red chillies
  • 1 tsp cumin seeds
  • 1 tbsp oil
  • Salt to taste

Method:

  • Heat oil in a pan and when it warms, fry the cumin seeds till they pop. Then add the ginger and garlic and fry them till they start to become slightly crispy. Then add the dried red chillies and let them cook for a minute or so.
  • Now add the onions and fry them till they become translucent. Next add the tomatoes and cook them till they start to become mushy.
  • Add add the chopped apples, and let them cook till they start to lose their shape.
  • Switch off the gas and let it cool completely.
  • Blend to a smooth paste, adding water as needed. Check for seasoning and salt as needed.

Eat this as a spread for sandwiches or as an accompaniment to Indian breads. This chutney was a huge hit at home and had a slight sweet undertones because of the red apples. By adding the green apple, it gave a slight tartness, which can be done away with if you want it as a sweet chutney. Just replace the green apple with a second red apple.