BENGALURU: What do you call a syndrome where one is so fulfilled at home that stepping out becomes a chore? My friends call it ‘munchkin takeover’! Perhaps, but as their departure date draws near, I am overcome with a sense of ‘FOMO’ and a piercing feeling of regret.
I will surely miss the midnight ‘I am not sleepy now’ tantrums, the look of wonder when I feed her a scoop of delicious mango, the gurgling giggles that rise up from her tummy, the tousled hair as she wakes up and the slow smile as she catches my eye.
She is a happy baby who is quick with her hi’s and bye’s and is innately curious with a personality of her own…just like her ‘Glam-ma’ (a pseudo-name concocted by my friends!). I am thoroughly enjoying this phase of my life. She has a well-trained nanny and my job is to spoil, love and feed her! I always used to ask my mom why she was ‘so good’ with my kids while being ‘so mean’ with me. She used to have a twinkle in her eye when she said, ‘The interest is more precious than the principal’! Well mom, I understand now.’
So while my daughter went friend visiting with her daughter, the remainder of the family sneaked off to lunch at Mikusu at the Conrad. One of my favourite cuisines is pan-Asian, so when they told me that a Korean Masterchef JaeWook Kim was visiting for a pop-up I couldn’t resist the temptation. We arrived to a packed restaurant where the chef-de-cuisine, Indra’s eyes lit up when he saw us and made sure we had a great table by the window.
Of course after a couple of glasses of berry Soju, we were ready to rock-and-roll! Chef Kim ambled over to share his insights on the menu he had devised and I was charmed to know that he was inspired by his grandma who was a resident of the northern part of Korea. His tastes and his flavours were spot on and it was heartening to see so many local ‘ooruians’ enjoying the fare.
I have actually seen Bangalore Club after a long time. Being a third-generation member, I have perhaps taken that stately club for granted. It was a place (when I was younger) to meet up with friends, swim, gorge on snacks and take quick bathroom breaks. As I got older, it was shopping at the stores, library books, a quick beer and lunch on the lawns. Now as I wheeled my granddaughter in her pushchair all over, I saw the improvements, nooks and crannies that were nostalgic and the new heated kiddies pool where she squealed with delight.
As their time to leave draws near, the family ambled off to Four Seasons Hotel for the Sunday brunch. They have the biggest spread in town ranging from Indian and encompassing the cuisines of most of the countries in the world. We were meeting up with good friends Reuben and Nidhi Kataria and their very charming 10-year-old daughter Aditi. The brunch is child-friendly and our munchkin had a ball hanging out in the kiddy zone packed with children. We met up with loads of common friends and spent a glorious ‘family’ Sunday together.
Music, food, love, family and laughter…play on!