Sari सरि

Source: Wikipedia

Sari is a form of Indian clothing exclusive to women. With an origin tracing back to when Buddhism first founded (Indus Valley Civilization) it's basically a 7-9 meter piece of hand woven silk cloth wrap around the body in various style. The draping styles and designs have their own minor difference and own personalities according to their origin and continents, some are more colorful and some are more revealing than most. This is usually paired with a blouse called Choli or Ravika, and most Indian women will adorn themselves with colorful bangles and earrings as well as various jeweleries.

Vocabularies:
(a) Subcontinent - A large, relatively self-contained landmass forming a subdivision of a continent
(b) Sultry - Characterized by or arousing passion
(c) Petticoat - A form of women's underwear, worn under skirts

Popular Music Group The PussyCat Dolls wearing Saris.

Indian Cuisine

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Indian Cuisine is rich in flavor and the spiciness it imprints onto our tongues. Curry, for example, the national Indian cuisine and tandoori chicken is famous throughout the globe for their abundance in flavors and textures.

So why is a country with a scorching hot weather has spicy, sweat inducing food as their staple? Chili and turmeric, two of the main components of Curry is known for their health benefits such as regulating the blood flows and induce sweats to regulate the body heat. Back in the days, most Indians are farmers who have to work for long hours under the blazing sun, so curry will come in pretty helpful for they will sweat if they eat curry, and everyone knows that your body sweat to lower your body temperature.

Despite that, curry isn't the only food from India. The country has been deeply influences by neighboring countries with different cultures, therefore the cuisine and culinary styles differ by regions.

All in all, one thing that is fixed throughout the Indian cuisine is the generosity in the use of spice; curry alone consist of up to 20 different kinds of spices all blended together to an aromatic concoction. Different components also create a different kind of curry. There are the usual Chicken or seafood curry, and then there's daal curry, green curry etc, each with a different texture and a unique taste of its own. In fact, certain Indian cuisine, especially Curry is so popular that you can find all sorts of modified curries around the globe such as the chinese watery curry, the Japanese sweet curry and the Malaysian version.

3 Vocabularies
(a) Abundantly: Present in great quantity.
(b) Immense: Vast, very huge, a great amount
(c) Pickles: Vegetables (eg: cucumber, olives) preserved in vinegar and eaten as relish.

The Colorful Indian Feast

Banana Leaf Rice: Serve on a banana leaf to bring out the aromatic quality of the leaf and the Basmati Rice, along with a few selection of dishes and curries.

The variety of Spices used in Indian Cuisine

A buffet in a typical Indian Restaurant

Last but not least, a pot of delicious Chicken Curry cooked by yours truly! (Picture taken on July)

Deepavali aka. Diwali (The Celebration of Light)

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Deepavali, also known as Diwali or the Festival of Light, usually celebrated at around October or November, is the new year for Hindus. Legend has it that the demon Narakasuka, the King of Pradyoshapuram rule his kingdom with iron fist. Seeing his wickedness, Lord Krishna destroyed him and every year, the Hindus celebrate the day as Deepavali.

Rituals including an oil bath before dusk, and set out to the temple for prayers. Of course, guests who visits will be treated a wide variety of Indian delicacies such as Chicken Tandoori, curries, and all sorts of pastries including the delightful Badham Phirni.

The little lights which Hindus place around their house to ward off Evil on Deepavali.

3 Vocabularies:
(a.) Inauspicious: a bad omen.
(b.) Clad: covered/ wearing.
(c.) Prosperity: a successful, flourishing, or thriving condition, esp. in financial respects; good fortune

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Coincidentally, this year's Deepavali will be on the 17th of October, meaning less than 5 days from today. Therefore,

Happy Deepavali
to all my Indian friends back in Malaysia!

Welcome to India! भारत का स्वागत !

India National Flag

Map of India

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India, like its world famous dish, the spicy and rich Curry,
is rich and diverse in its culture and history,
a country so colorful and so unique you wouldn't be able to find another like it.

With history dated back to when Hinduism was first founded (3,200 B.C.), and a unique location where the subcontinent lies in south Asia, between Pakistan, China and Nepal, bordered by the world's highest mountain chain to the north, where foothill valleys cover the northernmost of the country's 26 states and plateaus, tropical rain forests and sandy deserts bordered by palm fringed beaches on the southern continent, It is why as of today, Buddhism, Jainism, Sikhism. Judaism. Zoroashtrianism, Christianity and Islam all exist within the country.

3 Vocabularies:

(a.) Antagonistic - In active opposition or mutually oppose.
(b.) Topographical - The study of the Earth's surface, shapes and features on the surface of planets, asteroids etc.
(c.) Fringe - an outer edge; margin
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Taj Mahal