Four Seasons Wine Trail-a trippy tale with a certificate to validate the claims

Four Seasons has always come up with the awesomest events in my entire blogging history. So,no brownie points for guessing how excited I was for their Wine Trail held at The Conclave once I got the invite. I gather quite a few happy(as well as embarrassing) memories every time I let myself loose in the happy haze otherwise known as Four Seasons Wines.
                                                             India, mostly being a brown spirit lovers' country,isn't exactly a wine lover's heaven. If the statistics are to be believed,slowly but steadily all that is changing. Not only an increasing number of Indians are opening up to wine,Indian wines like the ones Four Seasons offers are putting India right next to the European countries famous for their wines. For a bunch of ladies known for their love for everything classy,there is no better way to spend a Saturday evening than talking the vineyard lingo.
      We reached the venue almost an hour late(fashionably so) to see beautiful wine glasses(we were soon to learn that they were all purpose glasses and not wine glasses) lined up on the table-as inviting to us thirty souls as butterflies shimmering behind glass windows. Two AVI s later(where we got to know about what Four Seasons used to be and what it is now),our teacher for the day(our very own P.P.K.Mitter who insists on being called Peter)started with the Powerpoint presentation that was supposed to turn each one of us into a "seasoned wine enthusiast". The discussion started from something as basic as what wine is and moved on to more complicated ones like the types of wines,the factors influencing it,the old wine makers and the new ones,proper ways of storing it and of course how to relish it. A wine is said to have its own life. One needs to feel it,let it breathe and drink it slowly to let the entire feeling sink in. After the presentation,we got down to the real business i.e. wine tasting. We were supposed to taste five wines-two white and three red that day along with a host of appetizers. I myself am more of a white wine person but their shiraz is simply hard to resist. Also,contrary to popular belief,a glass of wine is stronger than a glass of whisky mixed with soda or water. So,that explains the pictures below-

The tipsy tale is about to start

Dreaming away

Drunken smiles

A few more

Promotion call

Happy high

Summed it up

Empty glasses and full spirits

High on High Street...

Just when I've absolutely no money left to shop,two of the most tempting exhibitions in the city had to come calling making sure I'm left like a tiger who has tasted blood and can smell it now but is not allowed to have a feast. Much drama? Wait till you hear it all.
The first one was High Street via Moda at Shisha. Anu's stall was clearly the winner, hands down in the midst of the mostly Marwari(too blingy to suit my taste) collection. Her Candy Quirk was a huge hit-the chashma print and the relatively recent cycle print being the show-sealer. My outfit for the day was comfort personified. I'm generally not a black person but decided to give all black a try for a change and jazz it up with a bit of a golden. The golden kolhapuris weren't my first choice but the rains ensured I stayed away from taking my fancy shoes out. The bow tie is by the designer herself and was added at the last moment to save the look from being bleh. Here are the pictures-

The stall where I could spend hours at a stretch

Black top,pants and satchel-B.K.Market,rings-New Market,golden kolhapuri-Shreeram Arcade,bow tie-Howrah Bridge
Picture courtesy-Moumita Maity

I'll be back with the details of the next exhibition. If it takes longer than expected,my internet connection is the one to blame. And two super cool event alerts coming up your way soon. So,stay hooked and like I always say,keep it stylish. Love.

Maxi-mum effect!

On the way to the alleys of nothingness,

I dropped by your place.

There was a fat cat sitting in front of your door and licking its paws.

I remember it staring at me for a good thirteen seconds.

The moon was obscenely bright that night.

It almost hurt my eyes.

But my city looked beautiful.

And lonely.

Just like me.

You weren't home.

I went in nonetheless.

Your clothes were scattered all around.

I hugged them tight and smelt them until I cried.

Then I looked at my shadow on the wall opposite the window.

It was ugly.

Uglier than I look with the lights on.

The clock went on ticking.

Tick-a-doodle-doo tick-a-doodle-doo...

A drunken security guard whistled somewhere far away.

I sat on the floor right under the bed.

I traced the lines my blood must have followed the other night.

It always bleeds a little when you do it

but I refuse to have you otherwise.

There are times when I wish we hadn't met.

There are times when I wish I had a dick in stead of a pussy.

There are times when I wish the tears streaming down my cheek were hot enough to burn my skin.

Like I said,the moon was obscenely bright that night.

And I was visibly naked.

So was the sky.

On my way out,

I saw the loyal cat still staring at me with suspicion written all over its face.

I threw a stone aiming its head and broke its skull into pieces.

Then I heard myself sharing a hearty laugh with my ugly shadow.

Contrary to what the words would have you believe, if you collect impersonal data, y life has never been better. If you remember the Elle meet I had blogged about earlier, the pictures are from that event only. As you might remember, we tried on quite a few outfits over there. I had a little trouble fitting into this maxi but like the title says, once I slipped into it and tied the scarf on and accessorized it with a super romantic clutch, the effect was maxi-mum!

Loafing away with all things Lebanese...

A lost puppy Sayantani on her way back from hospital, a proud and hungry Anupriya showing off her new bangles, a sweaty yours truly and a non-stop photographer friend Shreya have one thing in common- a love for sasta,sundar,tikao momo joints! So,when we girls decided to meet up for lunch because Megha was leaving for Delhi the day after even though she joined us post-lunch(yes,trust us to come up with ironies like that),the first unanimous choice was 'momo I am'(or was it 'momo am I'?)-the cheap but authentic momo joint near Lake Gardens. After shampooing my hair within a little more than thirteen minutes, I ran and caught the first auto to find a very fresh looking Anu waiting for me in her brand new bangles and aviators. Finding out Sayantani was a little difficult since we were looking for a little more eccentrically-dressed people from behind even though she looked cuteness personified in her Peter Pan collared kurti. Sadly,all our hopes of having steaming hot momos while sweating in the sweltering sun were shattered when they announced that no food would be served before 3 p.m. So,we decided to sweat it out a little more and walk till 'Go Lebanese' to have hummus,grilled chicken ad shawarma while sweating in the sweltering sun. :-P
                                                                                                                         It was a somewhat long walk but the food was totally worth it even though sitting in the sun and eating was a torture. But that's something you better get used to if
i)you don't have a car/didn't bring it this time for any reason
                AND
ii)you want affordable good food
After a very sweaty but satisfactory lunch,we headed towards Shreya's para cold drink store and after a quick round of sodas and saying goodbyes to the copy editor and photographer,me and Anu took a cab to South City to meet our very own Punjabi diva over tea,mango smoothie and coffee. All in all,fun day out minus the damage caused to skin and hair. Here are the pictures,courtesy Anu

Denims-Shreeram Arcade,kurti worn as a blouse,ring-New Market,summer jacket-B.K.Market,belt,loafers and satchel-Simpark Mall

Pop up at mine-an evening of mystery cocktails,Nepalese food and awesome fun!

What's your initial reaction when THE COOLEST(not to mention the prettiest) party host invites you for a mystery party at a mystery location for your first brush with Nepalese cuisine? You thank your stars first of course that you're lucky enough to have her in your life and then you start counting days...
                                                                                                                                      That's exactly what I did once the sassiest woman entrepreneur in town-Johanne, the owner of Scoop, gave me a call one fine evening and invited me for what turned out to be one of the best parties in my entire life! Finding out the mystery location was mysteriously easy given her reputation for hosting the most amazing parties! I believe a stranger pointed the location to a friend of mine with a reassuring smile and the words,"yes,yes,go there. This is where THE party is happening."
                                                Once we were inside,it'd be an understatement if I say we were blown away by the decor inside. To see the amount of thought she put into every little detail was truly inspiring. Well,she has an obscenely sexy lawn to execute all those ideas,I'll admit but the sheer creativity used everywhere was unbelievable. The coke bottles were filled up with sand and gyp and put up beside the candles. The paper lamps gave an illusion of 'to be or not to be' and I already knew I was about to have one of my best evenings ever! The drizzle early in the evening(that had freaked her out) had already subsided and contributed to the nice weather. The host,looking downright hot in a pink number escorted us straight to the bar. I settled for a mango martini after a few phuchka shots and jell-o shots. The guests had already started arriving-each starrier than the previous. We met  Rana da -the flamboyant faatugraphaar, Bridgette Jones -the make up diva I've grown up reading every Sunday in The Telegraph and of course,three martinis,two cosmos and a few of Jo's newest discovery ganna shots later,THE Raima Sen arrived! My girls tell me I had scared her off at first with my lesbian handshake but they were obviously wrong because she was back in a while. Meanwhile,we were introduced to Jo's Nepali brigade-the people who had been cooking since the morning so that we can have the evening of our lives. And boy,were they from varying backgrounds! From army girls to sixteen-year old cute buoys...we met them all. The crowd was so diverse that we talked about everything from fashion,management,fashion management(no,that's not a typo),gamchha,eco-friendly fashion,serial-dating,writing,photography,beauty products,boxers and what not! As the music started getting peppier and the chatting got more drunken, the host announced that the food was ready. This was the first time I was having Nepalese food and according to my very non-posh friends,it was supposed to be all about radish. So,to be honest,I was a little scared. But I was pleasantly surprised. There was rice tempered with aromatic spices,dal,dum aloo,aloo-gobi,saag,mutton curry,chicken salad,vegetable salad,sprouts salad,various types of pickles,malpua with kheer and a lot more. The food was so light yet tasty! So me! I even went for second helpings. And then she gave us the cutest little keepsake to take home. We had to leave soon since I'm not rich enough to afford a car yet and cabs get pricier too at night with every passing hour but this was an evening that'd stay with me for a long time. Until her next party,that is. *Wink*

Shirt-Miss Chase,white denims,loafers-Simpark mall,sling-B.K.Market,bow tie-Howrah Bridge,rings-New Market

With Bridgette Jones

And THE Raima Sen

Photo credits-Debi and Pooja

Pow ow...

A Sunday morning fashion fiesta over cupcakes,coffee and cheese toast is something a girl can never say 'no' to. To top it off,I had my girls accompanying me on this guilt trip. Nothing spells high street better than 'Elle' and there we were,turning up in our chic-est avatar,flaunting all the accessories we got,all geared up to let the Miranda Kerr in ourselves loose. Debi and yours truly,always being the early birds reached the Forum Elle store before the event was about to start and was just in time to wish host Anu luck  for the fashion extravaganza that was about to take place. The yummy cupcakes and other sinful delicacies kept us staring at our watch from time to time(I wasn't wearing any,so,I kept looking at others' watches, :-P ).
                                                                                                                                         An animal print jumpsuit was my choice of attire for the event. Sweetening it up were my brand new pink pumps(which I ruined that day,thanks to my shoe-bites) and the pink tote. The pictures say it all. :-D

Jumpsuit,bag-Simpark mall,shoes,ring-New Market,shades-Park Street

White shirt love

So,the dreaded exams are over and while I can't really claim that I 'aced' the papers,I'm just glad that it's over. Two more semesters and I'm done with this wretched education system of ours for once and for all. That itself calls for a celebration! But unfortunately,due to the exams ending on exactly the day I was invited to a brew party at Tantra,I missed out on once in a lifetime exotic brews like 'beer infused with coriander leaves'. From the feedback,I'm not complaining! But I'm a little sad that I missed out on free beer AND free mouth-freshener,like I told a friend. :-P

                                                         So,missing one party called for something else as a compensation gift. Decided to meet up a few friends over coffee(I had tea though and that too,on someone else) yesterday. And what better than a white shirt to beat this heat? A neckpiece to add a little layering and golden kolhapuris so that I can walk for miles and I was good to go!

White shirt,ring-New Market,red denims,golden kolhapuri-Shreeram Arcade,bag-B.K.Market,neckpiece-Lindsay Street