2017! The year of the ROOSTER!
Haha, not that it matters, but it IS a great year
for me so far. So the Water Rooster did get lucky?!?! May be, may be not, may
be it's just my brain ageing, and reaching a bit of maturity, nah I'm
kidding.
2017 So Far
Okay, so when compared to 2015 and 16, this year is wow, cause it's moving super slow, letting me savour each and every moment, unlike 2015 which just whooshed! That year is just not on my mind. I can't remember the movies, memories, MY BIRTHDAY! Nada!
2016 as you can remember was a grim year, and more philosophical for me, it was like my year of sudden divine knowledge of words and life.
Back to the present, this year has been all that I wanted the past 2 years to be, could be my resolution to not have resolutions, and be spontaneous.
My TO DO
list for the day is in my head, and on my memo, to check them off.
Or you know, it could be the weather, sunshine at
noon and rain at night. The Rains at night are the best, to read books and sip
on some Lemon Tea.
Resolution
for the year 2017: Be Spontaneous
01. Resolution 2016: Visit as many exhibitions
as possible ✔
Pakistan Single Country Exhibition - 13 to 15th
Jan, at the BMICH
The first week of the year was caught up with
work, and office get together s, and more work. I'm not complaining, I'm the
happiest when we've got work at the beginning of the year. Woohoo!
I heard about the exhibition through a friend,
and all I replied with was 'don't call me to any shopping festival'.
And there I was, at the exhibition on Saturday.
To be honest I was tempted by the thought of Pakistani Food, Kabab, Keema
Biriyani, nom nom, but to my greatest disappointment, NO FOOD STALLS!!! 😭 (I
mean those Kottu Mee and Maggi stalls don't count, nah)
 |
| Akmal's Crappy Photography |
They did have stalls of Engineering products, Auto parts, Agro food, Textile and Clothing, Designer wear, Handicrafts and Ethnic, Pharmaceuticals, Gems and Jewellery, Carpets, Marble and many more except food.
The Setup of the stalls, lights, products on
sale, the vendors, all of them made it look like I was actually walking through
a Pakistani Bazaar.
Also they had Kurtis, and the Disha Patani
style ethnic jackets, bags, footwear. You could buy a Kurti for a mere price of
1500 LKR, but I was in no mood for these, so all I purchased were a few
Masalas, Pickles (sorry, but India has the best pickles), Natural Rose Water
for the Skin, and a Sandalwood Ubtan. (I'll do a mini review on the last 2 in
an upcoming post)
But seriously, Food 🙎
Kala Pola 2017 - 22nd Jan, at Green Path
Now the 3rd week was tricky, cause I was down
with fever for 2 days, and a freaking sore throat, and the thought of staying
in my room one more day kinda threatened to make me fall sick again. I HAD to move.
I'm not a huge fan of going out on Sundays,
cause I come back tired, it's office tomorrow. But unfortunately this time the
Kala Pola was only one day again, and on a SUNDAY.
Plus I had fever yeah, and I wanted to get out,
so I headed to my cousins on saturday, for some yummy seafood cooked by her, and finished
1/4th of their candy jar. Sour chewy toffees 😍
My cousin Akmal accompanied me to both the
exhibitions, but this time, my sister Ahra tagged along too.
You see, the thing about taking siblings is
that all your activities are limited, not that I'm gonna do anything to break
the law, but I have to get home on time, no roaming around in buses, or
walking. Complicated!
Anyway, cannot complain, went ahead, and if I'm
right, last time we had only around 30 ish stalls, this time there were like
300!
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| ❤, I loved this piece so much that this was my caption on Instagram "Vaes Dothrak... the city of the horselords" In search of the other .... |
It
was drizzling, and then raining, and back to drizzle, that was such a bummer.
But the fact that people kept going in spite of the weather, held me there.
Unlike
last year, there wasn't much variety to be awed by, more canvas paintings this
year, and scrap art, sculptures and very less carvings.
Plus
cause of the rain, and that many stalls, I couldn't capture good images like
last year. And sometimes, while looking at these beautiful scrap arts, I wonder
why they don't make awards out of it. I mean it's good for the environment and
unique.
If
you had not read my post on Kala Pola 2016, you can read it here.
P.S.
don't laugh after reading it, I never stuck to my resolution 😸
Following
are a few captures from the Kala Pola.
 |
| This one painting was my favourite, I even managed to get the Artist's contact details this time, the play of colours is amazing, these two paintings has a 3D feel when light falls from the back. |
 |
| This is what I am talking about, why can't this be an award? |
 |
| Perfection |
 |
| Yes, this is Colombo |
Chemex
2017 - 26 - 28th Jan, at SLECC
CHEMEEEEEEEEEEX!
The First Chemex
exhibition I went to was back at School, and it was at the BMICH, loads and
loads of experiments, industrial stalls, soap making. I even managed to get a
soap as a souvenir, which is still inside my cupboard. They were testing out,
and I was asked not to use it on my skin.
Back then a soap
without Sodium or Potassium Hydroxide was a huge deal, and Sri lankan students
were testing out soap recipes with coconut oil as an alternative, but now when
I think about it, and about all the Organic soaps, shampoos, shower gels that
are available world wide, I'm not sure I'm that excited.
I think the 1st one
was somewhere in 2011 if I'm right, so after 6 like years, I was expecting to
have the same kind of excitement. So headed there with Akmal.
The entrance fee
was 50 LKR, and the Saturday I went was the 3rd and final day of the
exhibition, and those in the stall looked like they needed a long vacation, I
did go to one or two, only to come running back, cause it was school all over
again. No Thank You!
There were only 2
stalls I was interested in, one was something related to Palm Trees, the fruit
and tuber (Odiyal), they had Odiyal Flour and Boiled Odiyal Flour, apparently
it's much healthier than the American flour we use here. When i went home and
told mum about it, she was not at all surprised, instead she told me all the
food they make with the flour.
While I was looking
for the English term for Odiyal, I found a link for Odiyal Flour recipes, check it out here.
Also on display
were a few samples of Ice cream, Yogurt and other snacks and sweets made
out of Palm fruit.
The other was the
Toxicology stall, thanks to Hassana, a classmate, I did check it out, and I
loved it. All I have to know about the top drugs, addiction,common food
combinations that are unhealthy and about the impact food dyes have on us and
our off spring.
All in all, we were
there only for like 30 mins, and the best part was meeting an old friend
after years, nothing else matters.
Chemex would have
been best for students, not me.
DID YOU KNOW that
having Cigarettes and Coffee together very often can lead to Pancreatic
Cancer?
This topic
registered on my mind, and I somehow found this image online, I can't remember
the website, if I did, I would've linked it.
What follows was my
facebook post that accompanied these images:
"Yesterday's
Chemex Exhibition was great for Students, but here is one topic that I saw and
that which kinda stuck on my mind.
Makes you wonder....
Most of the concerns are chromosomal damage, so if we are healthy
even after consuming these, we should be worried, for our children.
People know, about the effects of dyes, carbonated drink,
processed meat, harmful chemicals in food, beverages, beauty products, and that
we have to go organic, chemical free and be eco friendly.
But none of us are ready for change, people advertise, have
campaigns, protest, but a very very very low percentage.
It is a difficult process, cutting down and getting used to, but
when you look at the bigger picture, you'd be happy to give up."
I didn't add the next part, cause the the part 2 of this post is
going to be all about it.
Wait, did I say part 2?
Yeah, this itself is pretty long, and nobody likes to read a
very long post, no matter how interesting. So the January checklist has to go
for a part 2.
But this is the end of Exhibitions for January, and who knows
what is in store for Feb? No, no, not Valentine's Day, I do not celebrate and
don't want to. I mean once upon a time I was excited for Feb, love was in the air,
blah blah blah, but at this age, MEH!
While we are at Valentines Day, I guess it's best if I end this, Quoting Sheldon:
"Given that
St. Valentine was a 3rd century Roman priest who was stoned and beheaded,
wouldn’t a more appropriate celebration of the evening be taking one’s steady
gal to witness a brutal murder?" 😈
If you follow me on Instagram make sure you check my crappy insta story vlogs. Follow me on Twitter and FB (aaqimthi), for blog and other public updates.
Got any suggestions for a blog post, product or food review? Email me on aaqithinks@gmail.com
If you follow me on Instagram make sure you check my crappy insta story vlogs. Follow me on Twitter and FB (aaqimthi), for blog and other public updates.
Got any suggestions for a blog post, product or food review? Email me on aaqithinks@gmail.com
