Aye Aye Captain!

An office outing on a Thursday can make it seem like the weekend has come early. So we wound up watching Captain Phillips.

The movie is based on the true story of a Captain Phillips who was taken hostage when the first American cargo ship, in history, to be attacked by pirates, was hijacked. The movie tries to portray the relationship between Captain Phillips and the "captain" of the pirates, the ordeal that Captain Phillips underwent as a hostage and the rescue mission by the USS BainBridge.

What I wanted to capture here are the thoughts that arose in my head while and post watching the movie.

What caused ex-fishermen to become pirates?
There is a scene where "Muse", the leader of a pirates group is woken up because his bosses were arriving.  The bosses yell at the pirates to be at sea as that is where they can make money. And then you see many people willing to risk their lives to be chosen in the pirates crew so that they could make some money. So this shows that there are very limited options to earn a living in Somalia, which is one of the reasons why they resort to become pirates. It is seen as "easy money". Most of these people who resort to becoming pirates are ex-fishermen whose source of earning a living has been taken away. Post the Somali Civi War, the Somali government collapsed and ships of international corporations starting dumping toxic waste into the Somali waters. This causes death of the aquatic life and in most cases, there is no chance of revival. Therefore the fishermen are left without a means of livelihood.

Yes, I used to think that money was the root cause of all evil but not anymore. Human greed for wealth and power are the root cause of all evil.

Could the USA have done better?
And then you see the USS Bainbridge coming to rescue Captain Phillips but under huge pressures from the government. One gets to see the huge infrastructure put into place by the US Navy to prevent pirate hijackings. It is no small feat, with the navy, airforce, healthcare specialists and SEAL marksmen, to name a few, being involved. Would the situation have been different if the United States had spent the money that it had spent on building this anti-hijacking squad on creating jobs in Somalia for these forlorn fishermen?

Well, may be they are doing something else about it, but these are my thoughts after watching the movie. The movie is a must watch and it is always a pleasure to watch Tom Hanks. 

Summer walks in Auckland - Te Ara Tahuna Walkway

I dragged my feet, the 1.5kms, to work on Friday. I wanted to get used to the routine again. The holidays had just fled past and now are like a good dream. This weekend now seems like just any other weekend at the end of a working week.

We were to meet up with friends and acquaintances over the weekend but I was too much into my book to care. I wonder how it is that I never read "Gone with the wind" earlier. It was in too much demand at the library. In spite of its length, I related with Scarlett O'Hara in so many ways. I just had to finish the book before work started off. And not to mention the assignments from the science of cooking course.

No concrete plans were made for the weekend with the impending rain. But the gray skies and cool winds beckoned to me and I worded the wish to go for a long walk. The husband immediately took to it and I was thrilled that I would be sitting at some scenic spot and reading my book.

The NZ Herald had recently published an article on summer walks in Auckland and how could I not choose the one near Orewa beach, the beach I had fallen in love with on our way back after our trip North. We had some methi peas parathas from breakfast which we packed for lunch. So in an hour we were out the door.

The Te Ara Tahuna Walkway is shared by cyclists and pedestrians. One must stick to their left and try to give the cyclists way. It is a loop track that goes round the Orewa estuary which is surrounded with multi million dollar houses. So, basically we went on a walk through the backyards of millionaires and beyond. It is about 5.5kms of walking through people's backyards on cemented paths with a bit of unsealed road. The best part is the remaining 2 kms where one walks through fields and a bit of forest. It is amazing to find the forest, in the middle of nowhere to be teeming with bird life. We spotted so many of the birds on the ground. Binoculars and a guide to the birds in Auckland are on my to buy list. The walkway is lined with view points overlooking the estuary and each point has a wooden seat which has some of the best wooden engravings. The path is not very well marked as all other tracks that we have taken. We did lose our way but thanks to the GPS signal and the network, we were back on the track easily. It is easy to get lost considering you are walking through a web of backyards.

 Little Fox Eats

 Pain Au Raisin

 My reading spot

Apart from the forest stretch, stopping for a short snack at the Little Fox Eats truck and at a small grassy patch to read my book were the highlights for me. The Pain Au Raisin that is made in France, snap frozen and sent over was delicious and filling. Ice blocks in different flavours can be tried when the sun is not beating down upon you, else you may find yourself standing with just the stick in your hand.

A short get together with friends at the Orewa beach with a game of cricket ended the day on a sweet note. All in all, a walk that should really be a bicycle ride. 

Sindhi methi machchi curry

I thought I was done with my grocery shopping for the week. I had told myself that we were eating much more than we should be and soon weighty troubles would be knocking at the door. So I had to be careful. But how could I stop myself from picking up those bitter gourds or that bunch of fresh methi when we had to visit the Indian store for chapati flour? Methi - that flavoursome green which perks up any dish? Yes, the bunch was large.. but it was just 1.5NZD. The husband gave a nod of approval to put it into the basket.

Once home, we sat about picking the fresh leaves to put them into an airtight container so that they last. Awakening. There was way too much methi than the both of us needed before it would go bad. So we had to fight the deal that we had struck to try to remain vegetarian until mid March. Methi can be bitter so veggie dishes don't require too much of it and it had to be a non-veg dish that could help use up most of the methi.

After a 8km loop walk around the Orewa estuary, we stopped at the store to pick up some meat. All we could find were pieces of salmon. I picked them up remembering the methi fish curry that Pras gobbled up when we last visited Ooty. So here's how I made the methi fish curry. It is super easy to put together.

Preparation time : 15 minutes
Cooking time : 20 minutes

Ingredients (serves 6) :

1. Fish - with few bones - 750grams
2. Fresh methi/fenugreek leaves - 1 cup finely chopped and densely packed
3. Ginger - 2 inch piece
4. Garlic - 16 pods
5. Green chillies - 6
6. Tomatoes  - 3 medium sized
7. Jeera/cumin seeds - 1 tsp
8. Coriander powder - 1 tbsp
9. Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
10. Red chilli powder - 1/2 tsp
11. Garam masala - 1 tsp
12. Water - as per gravy requirement. I used 1 cup.
13. Oil - 1/4 cup
14. Salt to taste

How I made it :

1. Clean the fish. Cut into 2 inch cubes Salt it and keep it aside.
2. Make a puree of the tomatoes
3. Make a paste of the ginger, garlic and green chillies.
4. Wash the methi and finely chop them.
5. Now, wash the fish and keep on dry towel.
6. Heat oil in a wide bottom pan.
7. Throw in the fish and let them fry till they are half cooked on all sides.  About 2 minutes on each side.
8. Remove the fish pieces.
9. Throw in the jeera seeds.
10. Once they crackle, lower the flame and put in the ginger garlic green chilli paste.
11. Let that fry till the raw smell is gone. About 3 minutes. 
12. Next, throw in all the dry masala powders. Fry for a minute.
13. Now, put in the methi leaves and let them fry to reduce their bitterness. 
14. After about 4 minutes of frying, put in the tomato puree. 
15. Adjust the salt and let this fry till the fat separates. 
16. Add the water. Once it comes to the boil, add the fish pieces. 
17. Cover and let the fish cook on low flame Took about 10 minutes. 
18. Serve hot with chapatis.

Road tripping across Northland and some trivia

Well no..not a recipe in spite of the break in my posts. Blame it on holiday planning and then the actual holiday. I am now in my siesta period - the recuperating vacation after a vacation and doing all the catch up that is needed.

Coming from India, it is a rude shock to see things fill up so fast in a small, sparcely populated country. Motels have fewer than 10 rooms and so during a holiday season, good rooms at good prices are hard to come by.  And being a piscean don't help one bit.. nopes. Fickle mindedness can be a very nasty trait to put up with...  ummm for your partner. (Wicked!!)

Well, finally we booked a mix of backpacker and motel accomodation over 6 nights to explore Northland. We went up the west coast from Auckland to Dargaville and from there to Kaitaia to Cape Reinga, the northern most tip, and came down the east coast via Kerikeri, Paihia and Whangarei.

The Kauri Museum :
It was a vacation filled with activities. High on adrenaline after diving out of a plane at 16500 feet, we took the 2 hour odd drive to Dargaville. Enroute, we visited the Kauri Museum at Matakohe. An entrance fee of 25 NZD per person buys you nauseousness from the rich smells of Kauri wood. On a serious note, it is breathtaking to see the size that a kauri trunk can grow to. Indulge in the spectacular food from the Gumdiggers cafe located on the same premises. Visit the matakohe school as well as old post office to feel like you got a good bargain for your 25 NZD.  Strong urges to splurge at the museum store must be fought with as the things are very very highly priced. The same tee shirt is available for half the price at other stores.

Destination Dargaville and Tokatoka peak:
Tokatoka peak provides a 360 degree view and is about a 10 minute steep climb from the main road.
Dargaville is a small town on SH16 and is known for the Kai Iwi Lakes and Waipoa forests where one can see the great Tane Mahuta. An old school serves as a backpackers accomodation and if you can overlook the sirens of the neighbouring police station, The Greenhouse Backpackers is a good place to stay at. It is closely located to all supermarkets and restaurants.

Kai Iwi Lakes and Tane Mahuta :
Located at about 30 minutes from Dargaville town center is Kai Iwi Lakes - 3 fresh water lakes formed in between mountains from rain water. They are breathtakingly beautiful and a popular camping ground is situated closeby.
Next is the Waipoua forests where one could go camping and trekking.
Tane Mahuta - the Lord of the Forest - the largest living Kauri tree. Kauri trees are native of NZ and large kauri forests have been buried under the earth for years now. Scientists believe that a huge Tsunami caused these forests to get submerged underground not once but 3 times around. They have soft roots which do not go deep into the ground and this makes them more sensitive to pressure. They take years to mature and grow to their full height. These trees have self healing capabilities eliminating knots, providing great timber for furniture. Their gum was used for varnishes and resins.

Cape Reinga, Tapotupotu Bay and 90 mile beach :
An overnight stay at Kaitaia is important if one is to take the bus tour to Cape Reinga. Don't be misled and believe me when I tell you that you can drive all the way to Cape Reinga. It has been 2 years since the road has been paved. The only thing you won't be able to do if you don't have a 4 wheel drive vehicle is the 90 mile drive along the beach. Well, it is not 90 miles but about 98 kilometres but since 90 mile sounds cool, it is called that. Who cares right? Well, the beach drive is not much fun.
Tapotupotu bay made me breathless. The blueness of the ocean on a sunny day is from some picture. Limitless shade sof blue. Again, a popular camping ground.
Cape Reinga is the northernmost tip of Northland to us commoners. If one is a scientist, there is another tip which is part of a scientific reserve which is actually the northern most tip. There is a coastal track that takes one 3.5 hours from Cape Reinga to Tapotupotu bay.
Avoid the bus tour if you want to do any trekking - you get about 40 minutes at Cape Reinga with 5 bus loads, at the minimum, of people.

Tapotupotu Bay90 mile beach

KeriKeri:
A rustic little unspoilt town midway on the east coast is Kerikeri, home to the oldest stone store, rainbow falls, the parrot place, Palmco gardens and the famous Matakana Chocolate House. Rainbow falls was serene with almost no one at 9 am. It is called so cause of the 7+ tiny falls that make the whole falls. Avoid the parrot place if you don't like seeing trapped birds, more if you have to pay a 10 dollar entry fee.You do get a handful of peanuts to feed the birds and if you are too shy to do that, feed yourself. The Kerikeri belt is known for Macadamia nuts and that's what the Matakana Chocolate House is all about - Macadamia nuts and Chocolate.

Paihia :
The San Francisco of Northland. Crowded with a famous pier lined with restaurants and water based activities. It is known for its pohutukawa lined white sandy beaches but hey Orewa beach is the same and less crowded or commerctial. Fortunately we stopped just for lunch. However, if you are keen, you could go to the Aquarium by the bay, swimming with the dolphins and parasailing.

Whangarei :
Whangarei is a huge port town. We stayed at this rustic eco place called "Little Earth Lodge" where you are away from network coverage, close to glow worm caves, in the middle of a beautiful birdsongs and beautiful views.

We went on a fishing trip here which was a mixed experience. At some point your consciousness does kick in and one stares at the ocean wondering why one paid 85$  to sit amidst 20 odd people who are trying to get the bang for their buck.