“A great marriage is not when the ‘perfect couple’ comes together. It is when an imperfect couple learns to enjoy their differences.” ~Dave Meurer

Whenever I reflect on our marriage, it brings a smile on my face. I never thought I would have a love marriage, but that was what was in store for me. Yes, ours was a love marriage against all odds and distances.

22^nd January 1996, it’s been 21 years of togetherness. Well, Marriage is just a reason, lifelong friendship is the most precious gift that we received on this day.

When you believe in someone you profoundly increase their ability to have faith in themselves and achieve. ~ Jason Versey

“Sanjeeta, are you free today..we want to discuss with you about an innovative product launching video. More later, when we meet in person, bye” said Arabbhi and disconnected the phone.

I have been very fortunate to have worked with some of the very talented and creative persons in the industry and Avinash Hariharan  &  Arabbhi of Happy Unicorn production house is one such couple.

I was excited and a little anxious at the same time to meet them and to know about the new venture. When someone believes in you, it gives you a sense of accountability to prove them right.

I was immersed in a flurry of vivid memory the moment I stepped inside that large kitchen area at a photo shoot recently. The heady smell of sweets wafting out of the kitchen instantly transported me back into time, to the family weddings conducted at my granny’s place.

Long forgotten memories of my childhood came flooding back as I watched traditional Halwais work in the giant assembly line at Bombay Sweets in Thanjavur during a food photo-shoot last week.

It all started with scribbling recipes and struggling to click good food photos for Lite Bite, seven years back. And now I feel really lucky enough to stumble on a way of life that I not only like, but love to live.

There are three completed food photo-shoot assignments which are pending to be written about on Lite Bite. But I could not resist to pen down the experience and all the fun that went into yesterdays’ shoot for ‘The Park Hyatt’ with Kunal Daswani.

Passion creates positive energy and we feed on that energy to stay motivated. ~ #onlineread

I am blessed by a number of things I love to do. Painting, travelling, cooking, reading, sketching, gardening, photography and many such activities. I do not find my diverse interest as a dilemma and love to engage myself in some of these activities whenever time permits.

But – well, there exists another life. A real world, where there is a laundry to be cleared, grocery shopping, doctor’s appointments, a hungry family to feed, activity classes for children and the never ending list of mundane daily chores.

Life does exist. It’s the purpose that counts.” ~Toba Beta

“Is your life passion-driven or purpose-driven” the lady sitting next to me in the lunch room asked.

I looked at her and smiled. I couldn’t comprehend her question and was at a loss of words for a minute.

It was during a photo-shoot last week where I met this beautiful lady who works as an art director. She was assisting a jewellery shoot adjacent to my room. We were having lunch together when she checked my blog on her mobile and asked me about my work.

“Tradition is not the worship of ashes, but the preservation of fire.” ~ G. Mahler

Not so long ago, Sankranti to me was all about flying kites and gorging on some delectable winter specialties.

Yes, I could not think beyond my crunchy revadis, gajak, til ladoos, Gajar halwa and sinful Panjiri when the festival of Lohri or Makar sankranti approached in mid January.

It was only after my marriage and settling down in South India I came to know that Sankranti is more than our kite flying frenzy and throwing puffed rice in bonfire.

Any recognition feels good, as it is a reward and an affirmation of what one does…Hmm..agreed. But what one does when one is featured in two different magazines and is still trying to decipher what is written in there.

Google translation of both the articles makes it a comic read. Well, sometimes, somethings are best if left unsaid. Hoping good is written about me 🙂  here is how it all started…

The other day I received this mail from the editor of a popular Italian magazine;

Growing up, we used to visit our granny every holiday. Reaching late at her house and being treated with warm and comforting Bajra khichda (millet porridge) was the best part of our trip.

She would welcome us with a sweet smile and rush to her kitchen to cook a quick meal. The wooden hearth would be hurriedly filled with charcoal to light the fire. She would then open the large round aluminum box placed neatly on wooden shelf and take out handful of wholegrain and lentil grits from it.

“Be thankful for what you have; you’ll end up having more. If you concentrate on what you don’t have, you will never, ever have enough” ~ Oprah

Back then I had loads of time in hand. My home and life was well organized and I never knew what ‘racing against time’ meant.

I was happy, but still felt a void in life and was searching for ways to fill it. As they say, change your perspective when you think your life is incomplete without something.

And then, food blogging happened.

Now the equation of life has changed. Five days to go for a food blogger meet, a deadline to meet for print media and a high-pressure photo shoot on very short notice.

And yes, I am racing against time…but I am content 🙂