Tea O'Clock - Brew #10

Happy January 77th to you too!

As the first month of a new year rolls around, I somehow always find my way back to writing. Nothing like the combined optimism and guilt of January to make you do things in general. But also because I finally locked my Instagram under a no-nonsense timer(an app called Opal) which means I have ample amount of time on my hand.

From the shelves:

My mad luck with the first book of the year is still going strong. A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles is such a satisfying read if you are someone who grew up reading historical fiction. Amor Towles somehow manages to weave a complex world of events, characters, and relationships within the confines of Metropol Hotel in Moscow. Regimes fall and presidents change, but inside the grand halls of Metropol things go on as always. We get introduced to a delightful bunch of characters who come alive and turn into well known acquaintances by the end of the book. And at the centre of all this is Count Alexander Rostov, who is a hopeless romantic. I loved how his relationship grows with everyone over the course of the book. The book offers a generous glimpse into the Russian way of life and literature. There are delightful mentions of Tchaikovsky and Chekhov. I cannot wait to re-read this.

From the kitchen:

You know that elated feeling you get when your best friend succeeds in life? That’s how I feel when I look at poori being celebrated in every corner of India despite other cultural differences. I recently went to Arunachal Pradesh and the last thing I expected to find on their breakfast menu was poori. It came with an assortment of stir fried greens, roasted sweet potatoes, tangy tomato and red chilli relish, rajma gravy, and some sharp mustard. It was a plate of joy. It was also in sharp contrast to the sides you generally get served in the south, which most often comprises of a potato masala, veg or non-veg kuruma, and coconut chutney. Western India while taking the potato route, also diverges slightly to add delightful sides like shrikhand and aamras. If you move slightly north west across the border, you have the halwa poori which is a genre of its own. Go north and you get to indulge in the most delightful chole bhature. Poori, the true(and only) pan Indian star!

Plate of joy

From the playlist:

I have been forever looking for folks who watched and enjoyed Acapulco on Apple TV. And since we seem to be a rare species, this is my version of shouting about it from the rooftops. A friend who recently watched Acapulco said that there is not even a single part of it is that is serious. That is exactly the point of Acapulco, in fact everything from the title font to the color tone screams it. If you want something that will numb and soothe your brain at the same time, congratulations you have found the right match.

Congrats on making it through the January that felt like twelve months rolled into one! As Chekhov points out futile hope is still hope. Happy 2025.