Things to do in Glorious Summer!

Summer is here!! Yippiieee!! The heat and humidity ensures that you stay indoors for the entire day and venture out in the evenings. Lazy laid back days can hamper your thinking process & creativity and by the end of summer you will be one dumb bloke.

So kick-start your systems and have an active, productive summer.

1. Join a class -
Not the boring academic classes which is the only thing which pops up in a graduate student's mind. I'm talking about dance, music, aerobics or even workshops like Skillport for software classes (Photoshop, Dreamweaver etc.)
Look out for free classes, there are plenty offered on campus and in apartment complexes.

2. Become healthy -
Get a nice trendy dress for yourself and begin working out at the gym for the sake of looking great in that dress. This will provide a nice motivation specially for girls. The guys can hang out with their buddies and play a sport - tennis, football, cricket, swimming (please ask the girls to join too!!).
After sweating it out, make sure that you also eat healthy. Eat a colorful dinner - a portion of rice or roti, a generous helping of daal, sambar, curry or lentils, an egg or omelet, a bowl full of fresh fruits & veggies (grapes, strawberries, apples, oranges, baby carrots, tomatoes, cucumber, lettuce etc) topped with yogurt (add sum sugar for a delightful fruit dessert).

3. Be Creative -
A typical trait of Indians is shyness to experiment. But since we are living in America, shed your inhibitions and get creative. Go Stylish with your clothes, wear bright cool colors and mix & match them, try on new accessories!! Get a brand new hairstyle and let friends figure out who you are! (LOL)
Coming to food, try out exotic dishes - Italian, Mexican, Lebanese, Chinese - Houston offers world cuisine at an affordable price. Better still, try cooking them at home and involve your roommates. Its time to bond!

4. Attend parks and theaters -
There are plenty of parks across Houston - I would recommend Hermann park on any evening. It has a calming effect on you specially at the lake side. The Miller theater at Hermann park hosts lots of musical & dance shows for free during weekends (http://milleroutdoortheater.com/default.asp?id=1). Spend an evening there with close friends or a special person.

5. Visit Museums & Zoo -
Houston boasts of the Museum district which houses museums for every taste - Science, Arts, History etc. The Natural Science Museum has a free entry on Tuesdays from 2-8pm. (http://www.hmns.org/). It is truly marvelous with holographic displays and touchscreens for each exhibit. You will be fascinated by the wealth of knowledge you will accumulate about the world around you.
The Houston Zoo (http://www.houstonzoo.org/) offers to bring you close to a wide variety of Animals (rare ones like Red Panda too) in their natural habitat. And the Asian Elephant Shanthi recently gave birth to a playful little Baby Baylor. Check out the video here http://www.houstonzoo.org/baby-elephant-baylor/. If you are an animal lover like me, you will absolutely fall in love with this place.

6. Go Adventurous -
American culture involves a lot of outdoor activities. Camping or Hiking in the picturesque northern states will give you a respite from the heat and give you some quality time to explore Nature and enjoy with your buddies.

7. Plan your weekends -
Tired of working the whole week and wasting your weekend thinking what you can do?? Devote a small time before going to sleep during weekdays to plan for the weekend. This will also ensure you have nice dreams and keep you energetic for the next morning too.

8. Do Community Service -
Helping others brings in a sense of joy & satisfaction. Get some blessings by helping people. Search for children homes, old age homes or even cuddle up with the Abandoned pets.

9. Discover the City -
There are many nooks & corners in the city which you can visit. Try catching a bus which you have never boarded before and explore the places where it goes. Here are some free things to do in Houston - http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/1966360/25_free_things_to_do_in_houston_texas.html?cat=16

10. Develop your personality -
Okay this is a tough one!! To get out of the geeky, boring personality and becoming a charming, attractive person is not a overnight journey. It takes determination, efforts and a constant urge to sculpt yourself into a better person. Find a person you always wanted to be and try to integrate your personality with some of theirs. This blend will bring out a new flavor in you. Goodluck with that journey!

Hope you guys have an action-packed summer. If nothing works for you, don't worry, have a yummy cup of chocolate ice-cream topped with nuts and caramel sauce and Chill Out!!

-Rajatha

Yummmy Peanut Chutney

Perfect with Dosa, Idly or simply Licking it off from the bowl!!! This is a 5min mouth-watering Andhra recipe and you will end up wanting more and more! (Thanks to my roommate Tripura for this delicious receipe)

Ingredients
1/2 cup of Peanuts
3-4 Dry red chillies
2 Teaspoon of Tamarind paste
A pinch of Salt and Sugar
1 teaspoon oil
A pinch of Mustard seeds & Jeera

(All ingredients are readily available in Hillcroft grocery stores)

Method
Dry roast the peanuts and red chillies (5-8min) until the skin of the peanuts turn dark brown. Allow it to cool down a bit. Remove the dry skin of the peanuts by rubbing them with your hands. Now you have white peanuts and dry red chillies.

Put them in the mixer and grind. To this powder, add the tamarind paste, salt & sugar. Grind again until it forms a smooth paste. Add some water if it is too thick.

Pour out the paste in a bowl. Heat oil in a small bowl and add mustard and jeera seeds. When the mustard seeds crackle, pour it onto the paste. The Chutney is ready!!

Ready-to-pour dosa batter is available at Hillcroft. Invite your friends for a round of dosa & chutney and receive their compliments. Enjoy your summer with some native cooking and spruce up your creativity.

-Rajatha