This Is the Story of the Hamburger

As a food historian in training son, this was a fascinating read for me. First of all I think it's very unhealthy but bloody hell it tastes so bloody good. The feeling of you holding a Burger King double bacon whopper burger with cheese with both hands and then taking the first bite through the smooth sesame bun and then to the lettuce to the tomato to the sauce to the beef and then cheese and then the bread all means that you have a taste explosion in your mouth. And it fills your mouth. Makes you chew with gusto. Slowly. Eating it with happiness. Dedication. Determination. How it fills your mouth. The contrasting aromas filling your nostrils. The feeling of the floppy burger in your hand juggling it delicately as you don't want to squish the bun but also don't want the fillings to drop out. A tough ask. 

When you come, I'm going to make the Philly cheese steak for you. That was soooo nice :) 

Love

Baba

This Is the Story of the Hamburger
http://www.grubstreet.com/2015/05/the-story-of-the-hamburger.html
(via Instapaper)

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The burger’s rise from the lowly patty to food-world high art. Photo: Bobby Doherty 

Its rise from a lowly patty of chopped meat to the aristocracy of foods; its charismatic
and delicious descendants; the arguments it inspires—over ethics and blends and tastes;
and Silicon Valley’s attempt to replace it with a meat that is not meat at all.

The quest to perfect the American burger.

Grills were being wheeled onto patios, cookouts prematurely envisioned, National Hamburger Month just days away. For the Burgerati, the high season of the hamburger was nigh, and the group had come together in late April for a conclave at the Ox-Cart Tavern, a gastropub in Ditmas Park. Many of them had first met over Instagram, where leering, close-up photographs of hamburgers are a pornographic currency. Four of the Burger Babez, an all-female monthly burger club, were in attendance. Brad Garoon, who blogs as Burger Weekly, sat beside Ammar Shallal of Burgerator, a global burger-rating mobile app. Three of the people at the table were from Burger Lift, a start-up that manufactures stainless-steel trivets for individual hamburgers.

The Gentleman’s Arsenal: 5 Things to Carry on a First Date

This was a tough one son. You're going on dates now so I'm sure you know the drill about never letting the lady pay, opening the door, waiting for her to sit down, offering your hand or arm, and perhaps never making the mistake of taking the lead. First dates are for the lady to take the lead son. She has to be comfortable and decide the pace at which she wants to progress the evening. Politeness will go a very long way indeed. Then again the current environment is strange. People these days confuse politeness with flirting. It's happened so many times that it bewilders me. But anyho. 

Be focused on her son. Don't talk rubbish and don't bang on about yourself. Too many men do that. Once in a while yes you obviously have to talk about yourself but the idea behind the first date is to make her comfortable and open up. She will most probably already know you. Women are like that. 

Compliments are good. I've told you many times about trying to sniff her. Discreetly of course. The scent of a woman is one of the most amazing ways to know her. 

I wish there was a way to carry a little rope and Swiss knife but that might be carrying the Boy Scout thing too far. But I carry all that in my bag :) 

Shoes son. You need to fix your shoes. They need to be highly polished and smart. They give you confidence. Gleaming shoes. You can see the quiet confidence of a gentleman whose wearing well shined shoes. 

And clean undies son. Vital. No tatty undies. You may get lucky and that's the kiss of death. Same goes for your socks. No holey socks :) 

I know you're rolling your eyes at my notes. Today when it's so busy and an interview, Baba is talking about first dates. He has no sense of priorities does he? :)

Best of luck son. You'll do well. If you don't know the answer, say so. Nobody expects you to know everything and you say sorry but good point. One topic for me to investigate more. 

Love you

Baba

The Gentleman’s Arsenal: 5 Things to Carry on a First Date
http://www.artofmanliness.com/2010/05/19/what-to-carry-on-a-first-date-the-gentlemans-arsenal/
(via Instapaper)

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opening door for woman

The First Date with a woman is your chance to display your charming and chivalrous side. While most acts of chivalry (like opening a door for your date or helping her to her seat) require only your thoughtfulness, moments will arise when you’ll need a tool to assist in your kindness. Below I’ve included a short list of items I recommend a well-armed gentleman having on him during a first date (or any time for that matter) that will prepare him for any situation and leave his date impressed.

Writing letters

This is a photograph of a German soldier writing a letter. It's so very poignant. These days you can whatsapp or phone or Skype your homies but back in those days, you had to pour out your heart in the letter. Very evocative 

Imagining what he would've written about? 

Admit it. You've done this as well?

In the midst of war...

I found this photo quite interesting mainly because in the middle of a war devastated Chechnyan landscape, you have this Russian soldier tickling the ivories. 

Truly hate war I do! 

Albert Einstein on the Secret to Learning

I might have shared this letter before kids but I thought you'd like reading this letter from Einstein. Fascinating how fathers keep wanting to pass on their lessons to their children. Kannu remember the book that we gave you? Lord chesterfield's letters to his son? These letter have an old history. So many men (curiously mostly men, not that many women) send letters to their kids. Down history. There's a letter written by a Roman soldier on a piece of sliced wood which was sent by him to his son. He was based in England while his son was in germanica. And for some reason the letter never got sent. But you can see that in the British museum. Fascinating indeed. To see how this kind of letter writing is common. 

And what Albert says is absolutely true. Best way to learn is to love what you learn. Then the time passes by without noticing. Although I don't think your baba will forget food even if he's doing things they he loves. Your Dadu does that. He forgets to eat. 

Anyway. Nice letter. Skype to you later son. The interview with Morgan Stanley will be easy :) we will prepare well. Me and Diya are waiting for the movie Martian to start. It was a fun day and more fun to come :) missing you and am looking forward to seeing you next weekend. 

Love

Baba

Albert Einstein on the Secret to Learning
http://www.farnamstreetblog.com/2015/02/albert-einstein-learning/
(via Instapaper)

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In 1915 Einstein, who was then 36, was living in wartime Berlin with his cousin Elsa, who would eventually become his second wife. His two sons, Hans Albert Einstein and Eduard “Tete” Einstein were with his estranged wife Mileva in neutral Zurich.

A Man in Full: To Hell and Back in the Chinese Healthcare System

It was good speaking to you yesterday Kannu. I think you did just fine. You were able to answer most of the questions. It's a tough interview. It's a tough bank. That's why it's at the top son. You're already in the top ranks by being in Oxford. But they want even more selectivity even from Oxford and rest of the top universities. And this brutal meritocracy keeps on going on. It doesn't stop son. This isn't to discourage you. This is a constant challenge for you to constantly improve yourself. Constantly learn and improve. While having a good sense of humour. And I was so proud of you yesterday. Your tone was confident and calm. Very good son. 

That's the stuff of hero's son. Like this man. Can you imagine having to saw off your own leg? Holy crap. I've been there to a much smaller extent. When I used to really suffer from the HS boils. Once I got a giant one in my left armpit when I was in Frankfurt and I had to give a hugely important presentation to the European Central Bank. Usually my way of handling large painful boils is to gobble a fistful of painkillers till the boil burst. But that made me dozy and would slur and basically look and behave like a drunk. 

So I decided to sort out the boil. I used to carry a Swiss knife back then in 1998. So ran it under loads of very hot water in the hotel bathroom. And then knotted my hanky for a teeth guard. Filled the bath with the hottest water I could stand and then popped in, and cut out the boil. Not fun. Specially since it was in the right armpit. And was using a mirror which kept fogging up. With my wet left hand. Clutching a tiny Swiss knife.  But the sodding bleeding wouldn't stop. It kept on weeping blood and pus. As you know, joints are a pain to bandage. So I wrapped up my armpit and over the shoulder with a plastic bag. Tied it into place with a piece of rope. And then went to work looking like a teapot with my right arm akimbo. Mamma was quite accustomed to looking at my clothes all blood stained. Not a fun time. 

My PwC partner paul betts asked me what the hell was I doing? So I told him. He just shook his head and said, you're a nutter! But pain is pain. Just one more thing to overcome and conquer :)

Anyway. Have fun son. Busy days now for you with your assignments tutorials and interviews and events. It will all be worth it. 

Can't wait to see you this weekend son. I will be making your dishes with a smile :) 

Love

Baba

A Man in Full: To Hell and Back in the Chinese Healthcare System - SPIEGEL ONLINE
http://www.spiegel.de/international/world/a-terrifying-odyssey-through-the-chinese-healthcare-system-a-1035765.html
(via Instapaper)

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When a farmer and migrant worker got thrombosis in his legs, China failed him. In the end, he had to saw off his own rotting leg in order to survive. Zheng Yanliang’s story is an allegory of the struggle to   the Chinese healthcare system.

His shroud had already been purchased when, on April 14, 2012, Zheng Yanliang, 48, a Chinese man from Hebei Province, summoned up the last of his strength to lean out of his bed and reach for his toolbox. He took out a hacksaw. Then he wrapped the handle of a backscratcher in a piece of material, which he stuck in his mouth so that he could bite on it. He did not hesitate. He had thought about his options and concluded that he had only one choice, this unthinkable, monstrous deed. He placed the saw against his right leg, a hand’s breadth below his hip, and began to saw.

One of earliest known copies of Ten Commandments sees the light of day

Spending much time in Israel is one of my dreams kids. It's a country with so much history that you breathe it in, you weigh it and stumble over it with every step. We have so many books and manuscripts relating to this area and I haven't spent time here. 

But I love this idea of this exhibition. Can you imagine keeping the oldest copy of the Ten Commandments along with a more recent handwritten copy of Einsteins work? That itself is mind boggling. 

Not that many people know all the 10 commandments but most know some. How many do you know and remember? 

I'm reminded of what the Dalai Lama said. My religion is simple. Be kind. Simple no? People make life much more difficult by putting in rules and regulations. Just be kind. Don't be an idiot. 

Anyway. We will plan to go here one day :) 

Love

Baba

One of earliest known copies of Ten Commandments sees the light of day
http://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/style/one-of-earliest-known-copies-of-ten-commandments-sees-the-light-of-day/2015/05/21/fdd001bb-7d43-4777-aa46-931a18a51798_story.html
(via Instapaper)

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finger prints and books, what a fascinating concept

50 Collective Nouns to Bolster Your Vocabulary

Kids

I've got a horrible feeling that I may have sent this to you earlier but what the heck!

I just love the cuteness and fun of getting these collective nouns into our language. And frequently try to introduce them into my day to day usage. Some of them are so interesting like 34 and 35. Every writer will love 49 eh? 

We've got few books on English lexicography and logophila. What I do is to keep them with me in the loo :) and pick up one or two words or collective nouns each day. Fun eh? 

Love

Baba

50 Collective Nouns to Bolster Your Vocabulary
http://mentalfloss.com/article/33580/50-collective-nouns-bolster-your-vocabulary

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Michael Lyons

Collective nouns may seem like quirky ways to describe groups, but 500 years ago, they were your ticket to the in-crowd. Most collective nouns, or “terms of venery,” were coined during the 15th century. Many were codified in books of courtesy, like the 1486 classic Book of St. Albans. St. Albans was a handbook for medieval gentlemen, and it contained essays on hawking, hunting, and heraldry. Appended to the hunting chapter sits a list of 164 collective nouns, titled “The Compaynys of Beestys and Fowlys.” (Contrary to the title, many terms actually describe people—a biting example of ye olde satire.)