Wednesday Medley

My Sunday post is a bit late as poor Bev at Sunday Stealing was treated to some rather nasty online abuse.

So I'm writing this on a Wednesday from my room at the Ashok Country Resort in Delhi India. I'm having a down day as over the last two days, thanks to an early morning boat ride on the Ganges, a delayed plane, 7 hours of waiting at Varanasi airport, a lost transfer, having to rely on the kindness of strangers,  a 2.am check in at my hotel, a 5.30 wake up call, a day trip by train to Agra to see the Taj Mahal... I need a day to do nothing but write, watch a bit of Lucifer and get ready for tonight's mehendi party, where I hope my hands will be painted with henna in preparation for Friday's wedding.

(I was here yesterday... )

So here we go:

1. All things pumpkin are everywhere. What is your one very favorite pumpkin flavored food or drink?  Do you wish it was available all year or do you only want it in the Fall?

I'm not sure how many times I've said this, but I'm Australian. Pumpkin is a savoury dish. It is available all year round. It is not to be messed and made into desserts. My mum's roast pumpkin she has with roast lamb is just awesome. I roast a lot of pumpkin too. It's good stuff - when savoury. 

2. What product would you seriously stockpile if you found out they weren't going to sell it anymore?

I have stockpiled some Cadbury's Caramilk chocolate. They only release it every so often. I have about six blocks in the freezer. It's so sweet I can only have a square or two if it at a time. 

3. What is the most interesting thing you have seen online this week?

I haven't been online much. Being in India, I've got no mobile internet reception and I'm at the behest of the wifi gods, so I haven't seen or heard much. Don't even know who won the Melbourne Cup, not that this is a biggie as I tend to boycott the day anyway. 

4. Is it better to be a "big fish in a small pond" or a "small fish in a big pond"?

Small fish in big pond. You get away with more, she says with a smile. 

5. Do you play chess?  Are you good at it?

I can play chess, but I have not played for years, and I'm pretty crap at it. I wish I was better. 

6. Tell us something random about your week.

I got to see a body burning on a pyre on the Harishchandra ghat in Varanasi. It did not disturb or upset me. It did not smell. The whole process was very reverential. (You are welcome to check out the blog posts from this holiday if you so wish on this blog - it's been the experience of a lifetime.)

7. What is your favorite Frank Sinatra song? 

In browsing YouTube for a song by 'Ole Blue Eyes' I was taken aback at how many of his versions of songs that I knew. Should I go to the Guys and Dolls soundtrack? Or the 60s hits with the rat pack.

Nah, I chose this, one of my favourite songs ever. 

8. Has your state approved the sale of medical marijuana?  In a nutshell, what are your thoughts on the subject?

They are seriously thinking about it in the state I live in in Australia. Bring it on I say. 

9. Einstein’s Theory of Happiness is: “A calm and modest life brings more happiness than the pursuit of success combined with constant restlessness.”   Was Einstein right?

Yep. 

10. Do you enjoy fresh peaches?  What is your favorite way to use them in a recipe?

Yes I like fresh peaches, but please, just cut them up and put them with a bit of ice cream and don't be too fussy with them. They, like most fruit, are best kept simple. 

Today's Song: