Margaret Alva, Nafees Fazal and SM Krishna
BENGALURU: According to singer Michael Buble ‘it’s starting to look a lot like Christmas’ and the people of my ooru have taken it to heart! Famous for being a charming cantonment town with good weather, the ‘Brits’ made Bangalore their home especially when they never imagined that ‘the sun would set on their Empire’. It did, unfortunately for them, but some traditions are still avidly followed by the ‘club-going’ Indians and their kin! Tables laden with dry and candied fruit are readied by the chefs while we, the left overs of the British Raj, merrily pour oodles of (Indian) liquor into the merry mix.
Wearing hats that display hotel logos and a pair of flimsy gloves we mix the ambrosia with the fruit getting a wee bit intoxicated in the process. Strangely enough the process is referred to as ‘cake-mixing’ even though there isn’t a shred of cake-dough around! I think we must start looking out of the box and introduce ladoo making for Deepavali/Dasara. But all said and done, the ‘cake-mixing’ on the lawns of the charming Windsor Manor with everybody wearing Christmassy colours was a real blast! It was after a gap of two years and we were all in ‘the mood’!
A close group of invitees met up to celebrate with each other, reminiscing about the great times we’ve had at the hotel. I am so glad things are looking up for businesses. The joy was evident in GM Deepak Menezes face as he played gracious host with aplomb. The evening tea boasted of paper thin cucumber sandwiches, fondue and mulled wine… a very ‘cantonment’ menu for sure.
I was looking forward to attend the launch of the erstwhile politician, Nafees Fazal’s book, Breaking Barriers. When she called to invite, I gushed about how excited she must feel. In her distinctly gravelly voice she assured me that the exposés in the book will not win her any new fans. The hotel Four Seasons was packed with gun toting security as the former CM S M Krishna was unveiling her book. Nafees’s friend and former minister Margaret Alva was also speaking on the occasion.
It was interesting to note, that most of her male colleagues (and former boss) harped on her being a mercurial character and the compliments were rather sparse and back-handed. But her women friends, colleagues and peers did not hold back in praising her strength, courage of conviction and her resolve in shattering the glass ceiling much before it was fashionable to do so. There was a large turn-out of friends and admirers (me included) who ended up chatting and having the book signed by her. The room was filled with the gracious and the influential of Bangalore. I must say that GM Reuben Kataria knows his onions! He was on hand keeping a sharp eye on the proceedings and it was evident in the dinner service. Every guest had a plate of food, a drink in hand and great conversations on their lips.
The week ended rather well with an invitation from food connoisseur and writer Priya Bala to have a first ‘dekko’ at the new Sri Lankan pop-up she was curating at JW Marriott. Needless to say everything was superb and the lovingly devised menu show-cased the Emerald Island’s cuisine fabulously.
Bohoma istuti!
