Wednesday, June 19, 2013

Tasty but not too spicy?

Nunoz, Bavdhan. Pune























Pune is home to a large number of African and Iranian students who attend Pune University. Pune University is close to where I live, about 4 kms.  Students live nearby.  India always had people from Iran and Africa living and visiting for business and higher studies for many years.  In fact, for the last several hundred years if not a few millennia.  In the recent past, post Indian Independence in 1947, Pune has attracted students for higher education in the arts and sciences.   A number of Iranian restaurants called “Irani Hotel/Cafe”s have been serving bun musca( bun and margarine/butter), bun- omelet, baked beans, black tea with lemon, scrambled goat brains ( yes.),  milk tea and a large variety of snacks and foods for very affordable prices.  ( About eight to ten of us with big appetites  go for breakfast and get fed for about  INR 1000 or 20 USD).  Goodluck  CafĂ© is favorite.

But now there is a new breed of Iranian restaurants.  These cater to students from Iran.  Mostly meat dishes not easily available in Indian restarunts.   Beef, Mutton based.   Also not as spicy as Indian food. Chelo Ghosht( Rice and beef), Kubideh( skewers of lamb), and many traditional Iranian preparations are served.  Nunoz is down the street from my house.  Good eating!

Rahul.  Seafood. Aundh, Pune.

Tuesday, June 18, 2013

John Simon Ritchie aka Sid Vicious

Sid Vicious.  Bassist. The Sex Pistols.

Punk.  Never really heard much but always liked the image.  In London around Picadilly Circus I had seen groups of youths with purple mohawks and leather around 2006. I was taking pictures and they ducked and the girls swore at me.  Really mean looking guys, all clutching brown paper bags with liquor bottles inside.  One sweeter and less abusive one told me she would get them to pose for a quid.  I played along and gave her a coin.  And they did! Goddamn it Punk sold out!  And, what a show. Tongue studs, group poses, tattoos, I started laughing at them and they turned out to be just kids making a quick buck .  Not tough at all. Kind of sweet as they sat huddled together sharing cigarettes and chewing gum waiting for tourists to take their picture.  The first girl told me she may go on to “Uni”.  Well, hope she did.  I’m sure they are not all that sweet, but there was really not much aggression compared to the image.   Kids hanging out in Five points, Atlanta seemed more dangerous (and probably are!).  The pickup was in an empty lot near home in Pashan, Pune. 



Baner Pashan Link Road.