Fried Fish with My Mom's Recipe

Hello my dear reader, welcome back to my blog. Today is a last day of January, last month is left for a winter and slowly weather changes, after couple of weeks "summer" will start in Delhi.
Now let's come back to this special day, special for me, as today is my father's birthday.
 Today as never before, I wish to be near my parents, and celebrate this day with them. However, we have what we have. About my dad, I will write my special post, but today with all best wishes to my father, I want to come back and share my favorite fish recipe with you.
I am going to make fried fish with the way my mom use to cook.
For this recipe I will take:

1. Pieces of fish  (here I take 2  Rohu fishes,)
2. flour (1/3 cup)
3. bay leaf (3,4)
4. salt 
5. red chili powder (0.5 teaspoon)
6. black pepper  powder (0.5 teaspoon)
7. oregano (0.5 teaspoon)
8. oil
9. 2 onions
10. turmeric powder
11. spring onion 
12. olive 
13. lemon (half)
14. 2 tomatoes

First of all when we wash the fish, we salt it from inside and out. and then keep it in refrigerator for few minutes.

In large tray we mix flour (1/3 cup) with chili powder (0.5 teaspoon) and black pepper (0.5 teaspoon) chopped bay leaves (3-4), salt (1/3 teaspoon) oregano and turmeric. 

Mix it well.

Then put every piece of fish into the flour and keep a side, when frying pan is hot add oil, wait few minutes and then shift pieces into the oil. Fry them from both sides.

To remove extra oil, keep pieces on napkin. (We can fry potato slices as well.)
In plate we put chopped onion, spring onion, and tomato pieces.

Garnish with lemon and olives.

Enjoy your meal. 

Honey Cake or Medovik

Hello my dear reader, so many things to write about, but today I have decided to write one cake recipe, which actually has been made by my sister. For same cake I have my own way of making, which I will share another day.
I want to mention that this recipe is according to Russian honey cake, however there are many different types of honey cakes, which are having different increadings and procedures of making.
Honey cake or Medovik is one of the most famous cake in Russia. Medovik is a multi-layered cake with a creamy filling.
So for this recipe we need:

1. 2 tablespoon honey
2. 1 cup of sugar
3.  3 eggs
4. 1,5 teaspoon of baking soda
5. 100 gram unsalted butter 
6. 3 cup of flour 

In a large saucepan over low heat, melt the honey, add sugar and stir.

In another bowl mix eggs with baking soda,

 mix well and then add to the  saucepan with honey and sugar mixture. Stir constantly until well blended and foamy. Then add the butter and 2 cups of flour, and mix it well. Remove from over the heat, and then add around one more cup of flour and stir, till it becomes non sticky dough.

Divide dough in to 5 equal pieces ( balls) and place on parchment paper and cover with plastic wrap to keep warm.
Open every ball with rolling pin one section into around 1/4 inch thick.

Place on the back side of baking pan and cook for 3 to 5 minutes (under 270 C)  till it gets golden but not brown. Remove it and do the same with 4 other balls.

When all the layers are ready we need to prepare a cream.

For this cake we basically use caramel cream. The recipe I will share in my next posts.

And here is my nephew, number one chef, who has done his own decoration for this cake and got this simple way.

Hope You have liked this recipe and will try it soon.

How to become Overseas Citizen of India, from beginning to the end

Hello my dear readers. Since the date I came to India, I have gone through many troubles regarding my visa and registration here, because of that I have became an "experienced fox " who knows most of do's and don'ts regarding all the process from beginning to visa registration to OCI receivement.
I have been registered in three cities, have done visa extension 4 times and converted my visa one time.I have been in India with status of student, employee and now as an Overseas Citizen.

I have decided to write this post since there are lot of foreigners getting  married with Indian citizens and many of them are not informed about rules and regulations, and they try to get information by asking people like me. From one side I am ready to help and share the information as much as it's possible, but from other side it gets so annoying to answer same questions every time. That is why I have decided to write this post, which I hope will help people who are new in this process and also I will not be suppose to repeat same answers so many times.
So let's start everything from begging.

First of all, let me say I have register my marriage in India.
For me it has taken two weeks to find some lawyer who would have register our marriage with Special Marriage Act, because not every  lawyer gives authority for Special Marriage Act.
So what is this all about?
Special Marriage Act is for couples who have different religion and Nationalities and they don't want to change it after marriage.
There are also Hindu Marriage Act, Muslim Marriage Act and may be also some others, about which I am not aware, because those are not much interested for me.
If you want keep your name and also religion after marriage, your marriage should be register under Special Marriage Act (most of the foreigners are married with Indians under this Act).
So, when I finally found someone who was ready to do the process he has ask from me few documents: Birth Certificate, Document regarding my single status from my country, Certificate regarding my registration and permanent address according to my passport, two photographs.
All of documents should have been translated to English and authorised with  notary. Also those should be stamped  with apostilles, which is possible to do from Foreign Ministry in your home country.
I actually have not asked my parents to go for apostille (since it was a long process) and just asked them to make simple English translation with authorised notary. Without this apostille the lawyer asked 35 000 rupees (later on, I got to know it was possible to do even with less money) and 30 days, to register our marriage.Since we were hurry and my visa was going to expire we were agree and after 30 days process was done.

Marriage was register and next step was visa conversion and registration.
As I have came India with Employment visa and was register in Gurgaon (in that time), I was need to transfer my registration to New Delhi  (my husband is registered in New Delhi) and also convert my visa from Employment to Entry Visa (X Visa).

This process has taken all my energy. First of all there was a problem in my Visa. I came India with AIESEC program, and according to Indian rule I should have been granted Business Visa, but unfortunately in Indian Embassy of Armenia, they have given me Employement Visa, which is applied for totally different conditions.
Because of this mistake I had a huge problem, and was required to submit  so many documents. But finally we did it, then we transferred my registration to Delhi.
To get a Entry Visa, we were required to submit following documents:

1. Marriage Certificate
2. My and my husband's Passport copies 
3. Bank Statement of my husband
4. Address proof 
5. Affidavit 
6. Application form
7. Request letter from house owner 
8. House owner's ID proof
9.  2 photos
10. Letter written by my husband, about how we met and got married
11. Copy of my First Visa 
12.  Copy of first FRRO registration Documents 

Yeah, I think I have mentioned all of them...Don't forget that some of this documents you will be required to upload online in website during application process.
The process takes around three weeks, First you submit all the documents, and they give you one slip where is written a date after which you need to come with your husband for an Interview (this is how it's called). During that days they will send someone to your registered address to check your availability in that particular address and one more time check your documents.

Once checking is done and you go for Interview, all day you would be supposed to wait till your folder will pass from one person to another and finally the last person will ask few formal questions to your husband and sign below your documents and then your Entry Visa is ready for one year ( the cost is around 7400 rupees- changes according to nationalities).

On January 2015, rules has been changed and if before it was required to have a one year registered marriage  to apply for PIO Card (Person of Indian Origin), after above mentioned date it was required two years of registered Marriage  and then apply for Overseas Citizenship of India. PIO card has been changed with OCI. According this rule I was supposed to extend my Entry Visa one more time.
Finally on 31 st of October 2016 two years of my marriage was completed and after few days I have gone for OCI registration.

Here they have asked me to extend my visa one more time, for six months, since I need to have minimum three months of valid visa to apply for OCI.
Visa extension was done for 6 months (cost 4800 rupees) and just after one day I have started process for OCI.
For OCI we were required those documents:

1. Passport copies 
2. Application form
3. 2 Photos (have taken just in FRRO office)
4. Copy of Marriage Certificate 
5. Address proof (for me it was my husband's passport page were was written my name as a spouse and registered address)
6. demand draft of 15 000 rupees, addressed to Ministry of Home Affairs  (you can make it from every bank).

Process is again same: online application form should be filled out with uploading some of above mentioned documents.
This is all what we were required. Documents were submit and we got slip with number with which I was need to check the status of the process.
After one and half months my OCI was ready and I have gone to take it.

When first time I took it on my hand, all process through what I have gone, quickly passed in front of my eyes. And only when I have opened and read my name, I felt that yeah, now I am Overseas Citizen of India.

Hope this post will help to understand basic steps through what couples will be required to go the way to get Overseas Citizenship.

(Dear all, documents which are required for marriage, for FRRO Registration and OCI, may be varied from state to state).

What is my fault if I have selected science but not bussines?

Sometime we feel that living in 21st century is a good luck for us, isn't it so?
Nowadays, I can not imagine myself without Skype, Viber, WhatsApp or any other way of communication Apps. However, this is the only one side of development.

From other side 21st century have changed all the imaginations which we had about life and career.
21st century person should be professional in any fields. This is what employers want, they expect from you to be maximum 30 years old, have minimum 5 years of professional work experience, have a Bachelor and Master degrees (minimum), handle 2-3 foreign languages, be in "good shape" (not only for girls) and have excellent knowledge of all the software and computer programs, but in the end  also have some relative who will be in connection with that company and recommend your candidacy. Here I want to shout: "What's the hell".

What is this all going on around? People spend four years of their life to get some specialization, and after all, they can not get any opportunity if they still don't have  Master degree.
So, why we have this system of education if 4 years of study is nothing. Let it be 6 years with complete  education and people like me, will decide whether they want to spend 6 years to study that particular subject or not.

Nowadays universities offer plenty of courses, but how many of those are actual for present job market? Subjects like Biology, Chemistry, Arts, Theology and even  Medical studies are real problems for this century. Such countries like Armenia, if someone has a Biology degree there is no growth in future career, and most of the specialists work at school (and even if they are lucky to get this opportunity). Almost the same is with Chemistry, except few laboratories where you definitely will need a Master Degree to be "qualified" for such work.

Here, in India I don't have a much knowledge about Biology and Chemistry, but I do have plenty of knowledge as well as experience about Medicine. Let me say one thing, doctors life in India is real hell, until unless they don't have the highest qualification. First of all it's your "bad luck" if you have studied Medicine from abroad. You will need to clear license exam, which is not really easy. After you did it, you start working for one year without salary as an internship. After that only you will have a chance to get selected with some hospital.Since most of the Indians are ether doctors ether engineers here you will see huge competitions. However if you are lucky to get it, you can be relax only for one year, after one year is completed again you need to pass exam. If you are not enough lucky to clear that exam you will be out from Government Hospital and will be able to work only in private.

Let me mention one thing, it's not all about knowledge which you need to clear those exams. There is also cast system exist, even if your scores are high but your cast is not in first category you will be present to the situation where someone with very less scores will pass and you will be out.  And the only place to work is private hospitals. Here don't expect much, you will get a 12 to 16 hours of duty with minimal salary (the salary is less than fresher software engineer salary), and it does not depend how many years of experience you have. And with every year it gets less and less.

Sometime I feel that studying such subjects are really lost of time. Spend 6 years on study and get only Bachelor Degree after which you will be suffering to get a job, to clear so many exams and then work for 12 to 16 hours, and get money with which you will not be able to enjoy your life. Is this the future which we really want for our society?  Exhausted doctors ? Scientists who are leaving the country because of better options ? Why those countries are not giving chance to more people? Why they only make salaries less and working hours more, instead of opening more hospitals, laboratories where specialists can growth their knowledge and practical experience and same time develop the country, instead of reading this huge books where only A, B, C, D options exist.
Education has became a business, has lost its value. This century is for people who don't have education but are enough clever to open their own business and make educated people to work for them.
 As a person who was born in high educated family, I have always thought that education is very necessary for good life facilities, now my opinion is completely changed.
In near future we will have a deficit of specialist in very important subjects, since this people are not "recognized" from society, their knowledge is "ignored", their Degree is "unqualified", since they have  very hard specialty but the hardest for them is, too get job. That is why new generation thinks only about doing business, but not studying Medicine or Chemistry.  

Regular steps for skin care

Hello my dear reader, it has been one week since I have wrote my last post. Today, I am back to share with you some advises about skin care. Its winter and human body gets many changes and most of it shows on skin and hairs.
Skin of our body can be considered as important as any other vital organ of human system.
Clean and glowing skin is not only the major part of human attractiveness but also indicates the health state of the body.
Here I am gonna bring some points about basic skin care.
First of all before starting any remedies always make sure your skin is clean from dust and make up.
Cleansing
This is the first step for your skin care, by removing dirt and dead layer of the skin. Cleansing help to open the pores of the skin which make it easy for breathing. Face skin cleansing should be done with specific cleanser. It's not always necessary to use expensive and fancy skin care products.
It can be simple face wash, which has a moisturizing qualities. Antibacterial soaps should be avoided for regular skin care. The cleaning should be done twice a day: in the morning before you put a make up ad in night before going to bed.The process should be done gently to avoid skin harming.
Wet your skin with warm water to open the pores, then  apply the cleanser on the skin and massage with fingers according to face lines. Then remove the cleanser with sponge or cotton pad or just with warm water. Dry your skin with clean towel or paper towels.

Toning
Toners are made to restore your skin pH level which is changed after cleansing.
Few minutes after cleansing,  apply small amount of toner on the cotton pad and wipe it on over the skin, avoiding eyes.

Moisturizing 
Moisturizing of the skin will make it look more radiant and glowing during the day. When toner is dried apply small amount of moisturizer to the face and neck massage with circular motion.If after massaging you feel its extra oily, gently blot it with tissue.

Sunscreen  
We all are aware about Sun's UV rays negative effects on skin. It can cause major skin diseases including cancer.
Dermatologists suggest that whatever is weather condition we should always use sun protections.

Drink plenty of water 
The skin is a biological system, which survives by carrying out wide range of biochemical reactions, for which we need platy of water. We have to take minimum 15 glasses of water every day, which we bring an sufficient effect on circulation and absorption. Our body needs regular hydration which has also huge effect on the skin as well.

Those are basic advices which, I hope will help you to keep your skin smooth and glowing

Spaghetti with Tuna chunks

Hello my dear reader. It has been a while, since I have not shared with you recipes from my kitchen. So today I have decided to write on of my favorite recipe for spaghetti. Actually this is my own way of cooking. I have tried many different ways for spaghetti cooking, but on the way of searching my specific taste I came out with this one.

First of all lets remember from where the spaghetti comes.
Spaghetti is a long, thin cylindrical pasta. It is a traditional food of Italian cuisine. Italian spaghetti made from durum wheat semolina, but elsewhere it can be made from different kind of wheats.
The history of spaghetti goes back to 12th century, when in Sicily it was first originated. Later on, in 19th century it has got popularity  when spaghetti factories were established for Italian market.
The word Spaghetti is a plural form of italian word spagetto, which is diminutive of "spago" means "thin string".
Now lets come to my recipe and start the process of cooking.
For this we will need:

1. 300 gram Spaghetti 
2. 3 cloves of garlic
3.  4 tomatoes
4. 2 tin of canned tuna chunks (one in oil and one in water)
5. 50 grams grated Cheese 
6. black olives 
7. salt 
8. soya sauce

We boil the spaghetti according to instructions written on the packed. Then chop all the ingredients.
On hot pan we put some oil (try to use less quantity since tuna also has oil and we will use it as well).

Then fry garlic in it for around 3-4 minutes.

When its done, add tomatoes, make  flame slow and keep the lid close since we need to bring out tomato's juice.

When you feel that tomato is cooked pour the tuna in it. 

Since the tuna oil is too much, we will use only 1/3 of it, another part we will keep for frying spaghettis. 

After 10 minutes add soya sauce, salt and spices (by wish).

Our spaghetti is ready, fried as well (during frying I add little tuna oil and salt ).

Now we pour it on plate and we add tuna sauce on top.

Garnish with olives and add cheese on top.

Hope you will like this recipe and will share with me your experience.

Have a good Appetite 

One day in Taxi, from Gurgaon to Delhi

 Hello my reader. Hope you are doing well and festive mood is still on. Here in India it does not seem to be Holidays, and specially when you are stuck in job searching process, and whole family is jobless. Its quite a funny, but same time stressful. So one of this days, with full of enthusiasm, I have gone to Gurgaon (city near to Delhi ) to participate in interview in one of the leading American company. Since HR department's representative told me that they will provide a Taxi to take me home, we have decided that I will go alone, without my husband.

I have reached the office 15 minutes before interview, and was exploring the area, since it was new place for me. First two rounds of interview has gone successful, in which I was pretty sure, and I have been told to wait for final third round, which the head of company will be taking from me. The person was not there and I was suppose to wait in reception till he arrives. I was waiting to him around three hours, and was extremely tired and hungry. Finally he "appeared" and I have been told to enter for a final round of an interview. As I was expecting, interview has taken 5 minutes, and he was asking me just same questions, which answers was already written in my CV.

I will never understand the logic of people who are calling you for interview, and you spend your time, money and energy to reach the place and then they are asking questions about things, which are clearly mentioned in your CV.

He asked me same kind of questions which I have been asked from other representatives of company, and suddenly he told me that the working hours of the company ends 11 PM, since they work with US clients and they need to be online till that time.
 I was really in shock to hear it, since I have been called many times by HR Managers, and non of them told me about this.

When interview was finished I have asked in reception about taxi to go back, and girl sitting in reception told me, that there is nothing like this, it might be misunderstanding.
 I came out from that company with full of negative emotions, because of their unprofessional working skills.

I was walking toward gate and only after sometime I realized that its already dark and really cold and I was need to order a taxi quickly. I did fast and  after sometime got call from driver who told me that he is in traffic and will reach to the place after 40 minutes. I told him I will wait, since there was no other option. After 40 minutes of waiting in outside I got a confirmation message that driver has cancelled the ride. I was so  exhausted, so angry, in my mind I was telling him all the swearing words (with all four languages which I know ) and  then I orders second taxi and was calling to driver. The ringtone was some Indian folk music, which made me more angry, and I started to literally shout on driver, that why he is not picking up the phone quickly ( later on I have apologized, but for that time I was very nervous, and the only thing in my mind was to reach home as soon as possible).

From other side driver was very calm and talking very nicely. He has reached very fast and once I sat in taxi I felt so much warm, comparing to outside cold.

The driver was around 40 years man, who was talking very nicely, but since I was already full of doubt, looking outside of window, and trying to find out if he goes in right direction or not.
 He understood why I am so worry, and told me to be calm and don't be worry , because he is a family man and he understands why I am so nervous. During that time my husband was calling every 5 minute to make sure that I am safe and everything is ok with me.

There was long way to go, and  traffic jam as well, so we started to talk with driver.
It was always interesting for me to listen drivers, because I believe those are peoples who understand more  than we can imagine, and it doesn't matter if they are educated or not, they really know many things about world.

He was telling me about his family, about his kids. how he works 16 hours to keep his family. He was telling about his beautiful wife, who was working in Delhi Police in IGI Airport, and of course there was also lot of question regarding my life: from which country I am, how I came here, what I do, how is life in my country and many more questions.
He was talking to Hindi, and I was able to understand almost everything, and same time I was replying him with my "broken" Hindi, however he was able to understand.
As he told me before, he was really a family man, and I could easily feel I how much he loves his family, his wife and kids.

 How time has flied, I don't know, I was in that car almost one and half hour. Finally I reached my home. When I was coming out from the car I don't know why this man told me one thing, that family is the most important thing in our life (even though I do think the same). Then I said a thanks for nice conversation and came out from the car.
Since he didn't have a change, my husband came down to change the money from local markets, during that time I already left and reached my home.
 When my husband came back, he said the driver has told so many good things about me.

 I will not hide my feelings, how nice I have felt from that words. Yeah, it's always nice to hear something good about you. But actually I did nothing, just only talking to him with respect.
This is how Indians are, we always listen criminal stories from India (rape cases and all), but there are also many good peoples living in this incredible country.
I have learnt one thing in my life never judge people by their nationality, religion or occupation.


Wish You All Very Happy Weekdays 

Happy New Year 2017

Hello my dear readers, welcome to New Year 2017.
Dear friends, I hope you all are happy, and had a crazy New Year party in last night. As it's my first post for this year, I would like to close the page of 2016 and move on to 2017, with new perspective, new dreams and new ideas.
As a conclusion of 2016, I want to look back and count the changes which happened to me during this year.So here it starts the most important.
I have became aunt one more time, of course it not really my achievement, but I am always happy to be aunt of such a beautiful angles like my nephews. Children are happiness in every family. They are my source of positive, when my mood is off, I just need to give a call to one of my sister and watch how babies are playing and that would be enough, to get my "battery charged".
My biggest achievement was my first step in to blogging. In 24th of July, I have written my blog's first post.Long time I was deciding that how should I open my blog? how it should look? what about I will write?so many questions was coming to my mind, Finally I decided to move on the next step and just do it. And yeah it was done...I know there is so many things to improve, I need a long way and everyday practice to bring it in to professional portal,however, as of now, many people like my blog and it gives me power to continue writing. Blogging has teach me so many skills, and I still keep learning every day, and I actually like it, when I don't really stay in one level. Furthermore, it has become kind of profession for me.
There are many other things to say, but the significant point is what you really feel in the end of the year. Do you feel you really did something? Or you could have done more?
In my case the second option is actual. And I wish in this New Year I will do more than I did in 2016. My wishes are vital, my dreams are observing, I just need to work hard, keep calm and move on. This is life and I have to continue my journey on the way I started.
I wish this year will fill your heart with new hopes and happiness, opens new horizons, bring for you promises for brighter tomorrow, joy and prosperity, love and harmony to your families, and of course peace to this world.
I don't want to see war, hungry children, crying parents, refugees, terrorism, violation and attacks any more.
I don't want to listen about accidents, crashes and disaster, disease.
Let's this year be peaceful with full families and warm homes.

Wish You all Merry Christmas and Happy New Year, Stay Blessed