Chopper Ride - A memorable experience

Last month, I got an opportunity to be in a chopper. It was a four + two (driver, co-driver) seater one and we flew from Delhi (Indira Gandhi International Airport) to Faridabad (Escorts' some Factory) and then back. About 30 minutes of air time + 20 minutes of snack break at Escorts.

From the terminal 1B, we were taken in a Innova to the embarking point. The chopper was all ready. While its difficult to explain the experience, here are some pics.


Me and Aditya.


Thats the chopper


Look at the no of those circles. Its a tough job.


Trucks lined up at some construction site. They seemed like ferrying stone or something like that.


Some housing apartments.


Golf Course


Gurgaon Toll Point

Hope you enjoyed the trip.

Lazzez in Kanchan Junga Market, Sector - 53 Noida

The corner butcher shops are difficult to find. Even though there are some which still exist (like the one in Lal Market, Sector 37 or in Sec-12, Sabzi Mandi) but gradually big boys with swankier shops are taking over. I like to eat home cooked mutton and I prefer to buy from a shop where I can see the mutton being chopped. That helps me to gauge the quality and also allows me to choose, i.e. whether I want from 'pichli raan' or I need 'chaap' or 'boties' or may be some 'kaleji'. I somehow is yet to be get comfortable with tinned mutton.

Anyway, to cut a long story short, I discovered a shop in sector - 53 which off late has become to point of choice for buying mutton. Though I have bought stuff from this shop for many years but I was not making any attempt to go to this particular shop. I used to either buy it 'Shipra Sun City' since it was close to my house or in Tot Mall, Sector 62 as it used to be on-the-way to home.

This shop is called 'Lazzez' and they have a wide choice of non-veg ranging from all kinds of kebabs, to chicken nuggets, lollypops, mutton etc. They also have a food counter where one can get some quick snacks. The prices are ok , not expensive.

They are located in Kanchanjunga Market, right in the centre of it, behind 'Mother Dairy' milk-n-vegetable shop. The shop is open on all days except the last tuesday of every month. They do home-delivery as well.

Here is some pointed information.

Directions and Phone no.
Its on the Road which connects NTPC to Flex. Its the same road which starts near the film city, then Great India Palace, then Vishwa Bharti School, DPS, NTPC, Shoprix, Flex. If you are coming from NTPC side then take 2nd right (just before Shoprix). If you are coming from Shoprix (sector 61) side then the cut after shoprix.

Address - Lazzes, Kanjunjunga Shopping Complex, Sector - 53.
Phone No - 9811608901, 0120 2584222, 0120 2585584

The Tea Shop, Sector - 37, Noida

Its been a while I have been wanting to write a small note on a very special shop in Noida which serves different kinds of Tea. So here it is. I stayed in Sector 37 from 2000 - 2003, almost 4 full eventful years i.e. from beginning of 2003 to end of September 2003. Moved to my own house in October 2003, got married on Oct 4, the same year. This was the first time I actually stayed in Noida. Was working with Quark, Chandigarh, when I decided to move back to Delhi and picked a job with 'Legato Systems' (now called EMC software).



Anyway, so while we were there, there was this small shop in a garage, just on the other side of 'Lal Market' which used to have quite a big collection of Tea viz. Darjeeling Tea, Black Tea, Ginger Cold Tea, Ice Tea and so on. Since it was not really a hotel/restaurant there was no seating arrangement so people used to hang around the place using stools or muda-s (thats like a round roped contraption, soft). It used to be a place for young college goers or old school boy-n-a-girl kind of place.



Recently this place has shifted to a market place in Sector 37 itself. There is this dilapidated place at the end of the sector and its called gulmohar or some other flower named market which has a Indane Gas Agency and nothing else. Its on the back side of 'Army Public School, Sector - 37'. Just ask around for the market behind APS and someone would help you to find it.



I still see the same gentle man behind the small counter where you order. In its old avatar, the lady who owns the place used to be at the shop in the evening herself but I dont see her any more. There are about 15 odd choices for drinks ranging from Ice Tea to Hot Tea to some cool options. You can also get a bite of sandwiches, momos etc. Next time I visit there I would try to get a snap-shot of menu and would paste it here. Its worth a visit for sure. Go in evening but before it starts to get dark since its not a very busy market and can get a little lonely.



And here's the bonus pic for reading this far. There is a halwai shop just round the corner so while you tea is brewed enjoy a Samosa, they are really good. Incidentally , this Halwai had a shop in a close-by garage when the 'Tea Shop' was near 'Lal Market' :), I think its called 'Ram lal' ke samose, does any one from 437 gang remember this ?

enjoy and if you make then do share your views.

Shoprix Mall Bowling Alley, Sec 61, Noida - Review

Noida has only two Bowling alleys. Yeah, read it again. Even though Noida has seen tremendous growth in terms of Malls and 'BPO Call Centres', there are just two bowling alleys. Out of this two, one of them just opened a few months back at 'The Great India Place, Opposite Sector - 18' and the other one which is been there for some time is at 'Shoprix Mall', Sector - 61 and is called 'City Bowl'.



There are four lanes and if you go on a week days there is a fair chance that you would find a lane for yourself. The charges are Rs 100 for a game in week days and Rs 125 in weekends and that includes Fridays. If you are 12 or more then you get a 10% discount or a free game.


The quality of the lanes is decent and the infrastructure is also ok. It is not very uncommon to ask for help (pins not being picked by the picker, the system just get stuck , whatever) once for one game. But thats fine.




Apart from Bowling, they also have two pool table, an ice hockey table, couple of video games and snacks to munch. Its not very big but usually its not crowded as well. So all in all, a decent neighborhood joint to enjoy a game or two.



Here's contact info. citbowl@airtelbroadband.in and contact no is 0120 - 4334477

Squabs at my house - Pics of a Pigeon babies

Its been a while, infact a long time I wrote something here. So better late then never.

In my house, we have this long tunnel kind of thing just next to our bathrooms. This is the place where you have all the plumbing things going on. I stay on 8th floor. So in this place, me and my wife recently discovered that a Pigeon has hatched eggs and we could see two little squabs.

Over time, I tried to take some pics. Notice that how they are growing bigger over time.






Shot on - 24th Feb, 2008
You can see the egg crusts and the mouth of the babies. They are still under Mother pigeon. I have more pics of this time.



Shot on Feb 29, 2008 morning. I know that I should have taken more pics and should not have waited for a week. Now you can see babies very clearly, also mother Pigeon is away.


Shot on 8th March, 2008.
Now the skin/feather color is getting closer to what a Pigeon looks like.


Shot on 15th March, 2008



Shot on 19th March, 2008.
The interesting thing that both remain together.


Shot on 24th March,2008.

That was the last time, I saw them.

I wished I would have clicked more pics. The interesting news is that about 2-3 weeks back I again observed a Pigeon and after some time I saw two eggs. Till this morning the eggs were not hatched. I have clicked some pics, so hope to share more over time.