A Quiet Corner

A house should have a place to reflect the character of each member of the family. A corner should be assigned to each member to display their interests and collections as well as portray their achievements. An area or space should be given for pursuing the hobbies they desire. A space should be given to each person for enjoying quiet moments too.  

In my house, the Study of my husband defines his way of life. Being a free lance writer of International Relations and Politics, he needs all the time and a quiet place for multi purpose work i.e. writing, reading, researching and following the news on television and internet. Keeping all this in mind, I decided to give him a corner in a large bedroom which not only gives him a quiet and private area to work but also creates a feeling of open space and provides a multi functional area for all his needs and interests.The room contains a big collection of his books and trophies.    

The simple décor basically in neutral colours of the above defined area is so stimulating and pleasing to his senses that it gives him all the inspiration to write. He is able to enjoy his precious collection of books in that room while thinking of his new article and spending time reading. The room provides him his own space where he can concentrate on his work and keep himself updated with the latest news without being interrupted or disturbed.

The decorations in this room match the mood and atmosphere of work. There is a bronze statue of Ninomiya San ( carrying firewood on his back with a book in his hands) and it is our most prized decoration in the quiet corner of his Study. This famous statue symbolizes perseverance, the importance of education as well as hard work and stands proudly in most primary schools in Japan as a role model. In the Study, there is another statue of a man holding a pile of colourful books. There is also a collection of pipes which he hates to part with even after giving up smoking. All these decorations have found a place in the quiet area of his study. They not only match the mood of the room but also hold memories as well. Other things to complement his study are a Dice Glass in leather which his mother gave to him and a brass letter opener from Sri Lanka which my sister presented to him. An attractive small leather tray to hold his pencils and pens also rests on his study table. A scroll presented by his Regiment hangs on one wall and is a source of pride to him. This way I have preserved his collections and respected his achievements by giving him an area to display them. On another wall, a photograph symbolizing his son’s achievement i.e. Graduation Ceremony hangs high and this is a wall dedicated to achievements of the children and the wall looks forward to more additions in this direction. The Study is his quiet corner in the house where he can also spend hours of endless relaxation enjoying what he likes to do the most.              

PURSES FOR SEASONS AND OCCASSIONS

Handbags and purses play a very important role in a woman’s life as they reveal her awareness in fashion and style. There’s a purse for every occasion. There are dinner party as well as cocktail purses and clutches. Then there are separate purses for coffee mornings and lunch parties too. Office and shopping require different purses and handbags too. Though each one of us have a favourite and special bag that we normally use daily, yet that does not mean that we don’t collect bags for all occasions.

In addition to personality seasons also have to be given importance in selecting the right purse. Seasons determine the texture and material of a handbag. A suitable purse would be the one that complements the seasons too. For example, opting for a leather purse would not be so good and practical in rainy seasons. In such weather it is ideal to go for bags which are made of artificial leather or manmade material and nylon or synthetic material. In summers one could carry handbags made from cloth for instance denim. Cane and jute bags could also be selected for the hot summers.

Since handbags are my weakness, my husband keeps presenting me such beautiful purses to match my saris. I consider purses as best friends for every woman as you can never do without them. And I myself will never go without a purse anywhere. While living in Japan, I noticed that even little girls carry purses. I consider it most feminine to carry a purse at all time. For a lady it is very important to carry a purse everywhere.

Over the years, I have acquired a good collection of all sorts of purses and handbags in different colours, shapes and sizes. And with my experience and knowledge, I feel that there is always a time, place, season or occasion to make use of all types of purses.

Handbags are ageless in the sense that they never go out of fashion. You just have to be smart enough to know how and when to use them rightly. Brands or non-brands and expensive or less expensive purses as well as purses of various colours and textures all will fit in a woman’s wardrobe. Never discard a bag you do not need and just match and complement it to your way of dressing. Just simply learn to use a purse at the right time and place and it will enhance your personality. For a formal buffet dinner party, maybe a beads bag with a chain to hang it delicately over your arm would be ideal to keep your hands free to serve yourself or hold a plate. Whereas for cocktails, one will feel comfortable with sling purses as such purses stay firm and rest well on your shoulder. Such purses also give you height. At cocktails, such bags also allow you to hold your wine glass in one hand and use the other for eating snacks. Clutch purses under your arm could be ideal for shows, exhibitions, events and intermingling parties or for private parties at friends’ homes where one could at times leave one’s bag anywhere in their house while serving dinner.                    

IMPACT OF COLOURS ON PERSONALITY

I feel life without colours can be so dull… I love colours and I am comfortable wearing any colour. As a Colour Consultant, I am knowledgeable enough to play with colours and place them according to how and what suits me. Yet I am aware that I too must follow certain rules in suggesting and choosing colours for a person’s wardrobe. I select the right colours for them to enhance their appearance. Wearing the right colours correctly too can give you an edge over others by looking your very best.

The right selection of colours in clothes can make one look younger, taller, and slimmer. In this way, it plays a great role in making one feel confident. Dressing in the right colours can also change your mood and make you feel happy.

We all have our favourite colours. Don’t discard them from your wardrobe but with little awareness learn to play with them correctly to suit you keeping in mind the strong impact colours can have on projecting your personality.

Colours speak for themselves. They give you the strength to be bold and confident…There are colours for various times of the day, places, occasions and work. So it is essential to keep and include all colours in your wardrobe and wear them smartly. The various shades of colours can beautifully colour your life in different shades. Colours represent your personality. So respect every colour and utilize it carefully as colours speak and reflect who you are…            

LIFE ON YOUR WALL

Paintings can bring life in a room... I remember my early days of setting up my first home a day after my marriage in a new country…forty countries couples all had the same decorated and furnished houses in a small place called Camberley in England. All the houses were so beautiful yet so still…there was no warmth around the house and nothing to make it feel like a home. The winter outside and the cold atmosphere of the house made me feel homesick.

Then one day our friends Dr. & Mrs. Nath took us to a fair. Considering our need, they felt the best present would be a painting and so they let us try our hands on “Wheel Painting”. We both enjoyed making it. The expression of colours we both liked produced a beautiful result with the mood at that time as well as the colours close to our hearts. Coming back to our house that evening, we were so excited to bring life into our quiet home as that painting brought brightness and warmth. Colours speak for themselves and Life on the wall was what changed that house into our home!

Today after forty years with my Interior Design background, I have been able to reframe that painting to find the right place in my house and do justice to that priceless possession. The black mount to the colourful painting gives depth to it and the beige wooden frame further brings out and brings forward the bold black mounting. Right framing can play a great role in highlighting a painting. Influenced by the oriental scrolls, I added length to the painting by selecting a rectangular frame and particularly making the top and bottom black borders of the mount broader than the sides…            



Minna's Painting





Minna's Painting

   

This is a Gold prize winning recipe selected by Kikkoman Corporation. The Judges found it nutritionally well- balanced. Since the medium of cooking was keeping in mind the Japanese taste, white sauce was replaced by Soya sauce as a topping. This recipe was inspired by my mother's favourite dish that she frequently cooked for our family known as "Mother's Pride" where she actually used white sauce as a topping for the crepes.     

“SOYA HIGH RISE”

INGREDIENTS:

For Crepes-         2 Eggs

                                1 Cup Milk

                                2 tbs. Soya Sauce

                                4 Green Chillies

                                1 Ginger-about 4cm. 

                                ¼ Onion cut finely

                                50grams Cashew nuts crushed

                                2/3^rd Cup Flour

                                6 tsp. Oil for frying                         

For Filling-         ½ kg (500grams) Pork minced Meat

                               ½ Cup Kikkoman Soya Sauce

                               ¼ Cup Sake (any)

                               2 tbs. Tomato ketchup

                               100grams Raisins

                               ½ tsp. Chilli Powder

                               1 tbs. Salad Oil

Sauce for Topping-     Left over Soup from the Meat

                                       2 tsp. Flour

Garnishing-        ½ Cup grated Cheese

METHOD:

On medium flame, place a pan with the 'Filling' ingredients and cook for 7 minutes with a closed lid.

Meanwhile in a bowl, mix the 'Crepes' ingredients with a hand mixer and keep aside.

Then remove the pan containing the 'Filling' ingredients (containing the meat) from fire. Drain all the soup through a sieve leaving the meat dry for the filling.

Use the left over soup for making the sauce topping by cooking soup with the flour on slow flame.

Finally, cook a 6 diameter round Crepes pouring 50cc mixture in a pan with 1tsp. oil. Make 6 Crepes.

Divide the filling into 5 portions and put the filling between each layer of Crepe in a dish.

Lastly, pour the sauce on top of the last layer of Crepe in the dish and garnish with cheese.

*Tip: Serve cold after keeping in the fridge for 2 hours. Use a knife to cut the layered cake of crepes.