The rains come

I've been in the Bay Area for a while now. The space, the weather, the beauty of nature so close by - all of these have given fresh perspective, and also helped me understand better the places where I came from. There are some things that I do miss - for instance, the food sold on the streets in India. And the thunderstorms during the monsoon season - there is nothing as exciting here as that. It was something amazing, to actually hear the thunder and lightning - deep bass rumble and crack accompanied by the shuddering cymbals of windows. Hearing first, then running out into the rain, falling in such torrents that it stings a bit till you get used to it. Sheets of rain, pouring so dense that it's hard to see through.

Sometimes I go for a hike here when the weather report predicts a storm, to be out on a hill-top and watch the clouds sweep in across the Bay. The wind is strong, it buffets my solitary figure, I can lean into it though. Rain washes clean the air, I feel refreshed and rejuvenated. There is hope.

Life is a story you have with another person

I just saw this film, and chanced upon this director, Catherine Breillat - somewhat new to me, though she may be well-known to some of you. Apparently she's been controversial right from the start of her career - and the first film she made, in 1976 (A Real Young Girl) was released for distribution only about four years ago. It was banned for having pornographic content. This didn't stop Catherine though, and she continued through the years, becoming well-known for A ma soeur (Fat Girl).

Breve Traverse (Brief Crossing) is interesting in that it is about an older woman-young boy situation unfolding on a ferry between Le Havre and Portsmouth; but also it is about the Anglo-Saxon mindset juxtaposed with what Catherine calls in her interview, a "baby Latin lover".

The interview is almost as captivating as the film - Catherine doesn't hold back on her views about religion, gender identity, coming-of-age experiences for men and women and so forth. But what struck me most was not the more strident parts of her comments. Rather, it was when she was talking about why she makes films that are essentially always variations on the same theme - two people in an intimate relationship, she says en passant, "Life is a story, that you have with another person".

And it doesn't matter who the people are, what the situation is, or what the underlying motivations may be...it is true, isn't it?

The Pace of Movies: An Observation

Movies these days are very fast-paced. Terminal velocity of course is reached in action movies, where the pace is an essential defining aspect of the movie. Movies from earlier times are slower, even the ones with a lot of action in them. The slowness was part of the build-up, the atmosphere. Look at a Clint Eastwood western, for instance. High Plains Drifter is a prime example, the movie starts with a man riding into town and this is shown for about three to five minutes before anything else happens. Was it effective in building atmosphere and anticipation in the audience? Perhaps. I'm not sure, what d'you think?

Lucas, Prince of Darkness

(And covert ruler of IEBS!)

As John and I were driving back from a client meeting, we began talking about cars, particularly old Brit sportscars. He mentioned a Triumph Spitfire he used while dating back in the day. During a particularly crucial date, one that involved a long drive on Highway 1 by the Pacific, the thing stuttered and stalled (inevitably!). Also inevitably, we ended up recounting stories and laughing about Lucas, Prince of Darkness.

The 1972 Mark IV with a 1275 cc engine and 4 speed transmission, in proper BRG

For those of you who've loved and lived with an IEBS (idiosyncratic endearing Brit sportscar), you'll know Lucas well. For others, Lucas Electric was the supplier of all things electric to pretty much every car manufacturer in the UK for a long, long time. My encounters (thankfully?) have been mostly secondhand, through my father who owned the first direct descendant of the Morris Oxford, the first car to be manufactured in India, the one and only (drum-roll!) beloved, ubiquitous, elephantine Ambassador with electrics by Lucas. The Lucas experience (to the best of my recollection) seemed to survive in the sub-tropical context as well, and to have moody electricals specially during a torrential downpour (yes, that's the official description, read any good newspaper in India during the monsoon season) seems quite the recipe for disaster. Though perhaps progressive localization addressed a few typical problems - for instance, putting the distributor near the top of the engine, to minimize chances of it getting damp, wet or absolutely submerged.

There are of course a number of jokes about Lucas available freely on the Internet, but additions in the form of your stories/ jokes of Lucas are welcome! Here's a few to get started:

• The Lucas motto: "Get home before dark."
  
  
• Lucas denies having invented darkness. But they still claim "sudden, unexpected darkness"
  
  
• Lucas--inventor of the first intermittent wiper.
  
  
• Lucas--inventor of the self-dimming headlamp.
  
  
• The three-position Lucas switch--DIM, FLICKER and OFF.
  
  
• The other three switch settings--SMOKE, SMOLDER and IGNITE.
  

More Lucas, Prince of Darkness jokes here...

Movie/ film recommendations, anyone?

To add to the list, naturally!

Idiosyncratic endearing British sportscars - Lotus Europa

Lotus continues as a boutique sportscar manufacturer of repute in the UK - fueled by the success of the new Elise. While the Elise is admirable in adhering to Lotus' philosophy of 'speed through lightness', it is all curves and scoops in appearance, something that's been described as insectoid in looks, lacking perhaps only in mandibles (!). Perhaps a more palatable alternative may be found in design cues from a venerable predecessor of the Elise, the original Europa. I had the good fortune of spotting one at church. The owner was mighty pleased to meet someone who could actually identify what it was (it's a bit rare to see one of these in the US). He's been restoring it painstakingly and the results are remarkable. Of course, being an IEBS (idiosyncratic endearing Brit sportscar) there a number of compromises in ownership - for instance he can't use the pedals with his shoes on!



From Wikipedia:

The Lotus Europa or Lotus Europe, a two door mid-engined GT coupé built by Lotus Cars from 1966 to 1975. (In 2006 Lotus began production of a totally new, Lotus Elise-derived design, a mid-engined GT coupé named Europa S.)

The original Europa used Lotus founder Colin Chapman's minimalist steel backbone chassis, while also relying on its fibreglass moulded body for structural strength. The Europa was the first mass production, mid-engine road car and was based on a prototype built to compete for Henry Ford II's contract to build a Le Mans race car in the early 1960s. (See GT40.)

The Europa was designed and built to be an embodiment of Chapman's oft-stated philosophy of automotive design: "Simplify, then add lightness."

For more on this brilliant little sportscar, do visit Lotus Europa Central

In Praise of the Meringue

Last week I went out for coffee with a couple of people - and neither of them knew what a meringue was. They'd never heard of it. Curious, I asked about ten others - and while some of them had heard of it ("sort of cake", "French pastry?"), none of them had had the pleasure of encountering a meringue at tea-time. I felt disturbed, they felt deprived.

It's not common, for sure - at least in America (not sure about possibilities in the UK, mainland Europe, Japan, Hong Kong etc - comment please?). But I'm happy to inform you that I've found one coffee-shop in the Bay Area (California) that does have meringues - and they're quite excellent - albeit they do tend to be of a somewhat stouter, heartier variety than those I tasted elsewhere. Of course, for me the epitome (probably erroneously!) of the meringue source will always remain Flury's Tea Room (in Calcutta , and also Delhi for a while) - where the meringue was light and airy, sweet and magical. About seventeen waiters would hover around each table - conjuring up tea, snacks and other delicacies. I was always free to lose myself in it's delicate charms while my parents had tea and important conversations.

Just in case this paragon of pastry gets lost somehow in humanity's upheavals - here's Wikipedia's description and recipe for it. Also if anyone who knows how to make these lovely things may please email me forthwith, I'm willing to consider considerable remuneration (in cash and/or kind) in exchange for meringues on demand!

---

Meringue is a type of dessert, originally from France made from whipped egg whites and caster sugar. Some meringue recipes call for adding a binding agent such as cream of tartar. Meringues are often flavoured with a small amount of essence, e.g., almond or coconut, or most commonly, vanilla. They are very light and airy and extremely sweet. It is believed that meringue was invented in the Swiss town of Meiringen by an Italian chef named Gasparini (legend varies in regard to the date of invention, between 1600 and 1720)

When egg whites are beaten, it breaks some of the hydrogen bonds in the protein and causes the protein's structure to unfold. This change in structure leads to the stiff consistency required for meringues.

Typically, 2 whipped egg whites and 113g (4oz) of caster sugar are what compose a single batch of uncooked meringue.

When beating egg whites, they are classified in 3 stages, soft, medium, and stiff peaks.

In an Italian meringue, a hot sugar syrup is whipped into softly whipped egg whites till stiff. This type of meringue is safe to use without cooking. It will not deflate for a long while and can be either used on pies and baked Alaska, or spread on a sheet and baked for meringues.

Shiver me timbers!

Aprilia launches the SL 750 Shiver! Look at the exhaust and the tail assembly, absolutely stunning design. Italian of course (naturally, who else can make those BMWs look matronly and the UJMs so terribly generic), but this completely outdoes Ducati - in fact, it makes the Monster look a bit gnarly and oh-so ancient 20th century in comparison!
And the go-fast parts are brilliant too! See for yourself:

Engine: Aprilia V90 Four stroke longitudinal 90° V twin. Liquid cooling.
Double overhead camshaft with mixed gear/chain drive; four valves per cylinder.
Fuel: Unleaded petrol
Total displacement 749.9 cc
Compression ratio 11 : 1
Maximum power at the crank 95 HP at 9000 rpm
Maximum torque at the crank 8.25 kgm at 7000 rpm

Menomena rocks!

Go listen! No, really! It's great - never mind the labels folks put on it (punk/ funk/ crunk/ indie). Here's a sample or two:

:-P

http://www.menomena.com/

Muscle 'n Flo (from Friend & Foe)
Oh in the morning
I stumble
my way towards
the mirror and my makeup
it's light out
and I now
face just what I'm made of

There's so much more
left to do
Well I'm not young
But I'm not through

Oh in the evening
I stumble
my way towards another day
we struggle
it's dark out
it's time now
that I pick up my hustle

Make a call
make some cash
make your mark
make it last
tiny scores
tiny rooms
lofty goals
met too soon
too soon

Well here I stand
a broken man
If I could I would raise my hands
I come before you humbly
If I could I'd be on my knees

Come lay down your head upon my chest
feel my heart beat feel my unrest
If Jesus could only wash my feet
Then I'd get up strong and muscle on
...