Who says there is ever enough fun? Life should be fun…if you are not laughing and loving as much as possible well, it’s time to start!

“Can we get more people to choose the stairs by making it fun to do?”

This is the question posed by a group in Stockholm, Sweden who converted the stairs of a subway exit into a giant piano. The answer to the question is an overwhelming “yes” as a reported 66% more people chose the stairs over the adjacent escalator. The project is part of “The Fun Theory” initiative of Volkswagen. Previous projects include adding speakers to a park garbage can that makes throwing away trash sound more dramatic and fun.

The cool part is that it barely promotes Volkswagen (except it still does as I am here) and mostly promotes fun and exercise. I like it.

Check out the video here.

Something a lot of cities are doing really well nowadays – taking what’s old and making it new again and in many cases even better. Case in point: New York City’s Highline.

This elevated railway 30 feet above the city’s West Side and Meatpacking district was built in 1934 for freight trains hauling dairy products, produce and meats.  Today it has been transformed into a public park.  Abandoned for nearly 80 years and under the threat of demolition, the Highline was saved by a citizens group with the help from the City Government.  Now this former eyesore, has been turned into something wonderful and the first section opened just a few months ago.

Wood decking and concrete walkways meander through gardens and lovely landscaped areas of wild grasses. There are benches sprinkled all about where you can plop down to read a book in the sun or just enjoy watching the passersby. There is virtually a sundeck with wooden chaise lounges and another section even has a small amphitheater where you can look down on to ‘the stage of life’ – 10^th Avenue below with its stream of taxis, cars, and cyclists whizzing by.
When all sections are complete, the High Line will be a mile-and-a-half-long elevated park, running through the West Side neighborhoods of the Meatpacking District, West Chelsea and Clinton/Hell’s Kitchen.

Access points from street level will be located every two to three blocks. Many of these access points will include elevators, and all will include stairs.

It was a beautiful, autumn Sunday in New York when we checked out the highline.  Couples, tourists, and families with kids in tow were all enjoying one of New York’s newest green, open spaces. Way to go New York.

Adil’s Curries from Pakistan via Stockholm

I met Adil in Stockholm where he had moved for university and remained to work. This friendly and sweet Pakistani welcomed me into his home, shared his love for Sweden, and cooked me some tasty, comforting food from his home. We have come to know ‘curry’ as any saucy and spicy dish served over rice made of a mixture of vegetables and tangy spices popular in Southern Asia.

Adil’s Curries

• Peas
• Sliced Carrots
• Potatoes
• Onion
• Garlic
• Masala Mix (Ingredients: Chilli, coriander, turmeric, garlic, ginger, cumin, black cumin, black pepper, onion, clove, cardamom, salt)
• Creamed Spinach
• Jasmine or Basmati Rice

Vegetable curry:

Boil peas and small pieces of chopped carrot until they are soft (They could be bought canned from a supermarket as well). For 750 g, 40-60 % ratio by WEIGHT of peas to carrots respectively would suffice

Buy or prepare vegetable masala mix

Chop and fry 1 onion in oil on medium heat, and when the onion slices are light golden brown, add 150-200g tomato paste (or 2-3 chopped tomatoes). Then add 4-5 tablespoons of vegetable masala mix. Simmer the mixture for around two minutes, stirring frequently.

Then add aforementioned peas and carrots into this masala. Stir. Keep the dish on low to medium heat until the vegetables are cooked. You’d need to stir frequently in order to avoid vegetables sticking to the base of cooking pot.

Palak (Spinach) curry:

Cook creamed spinach along with some vegetable masala mix.

Rice:

Cook Jasmine or Basmati rice in water and add some salt, cinnamon, clove, black cumin and cardamom in it while it is being cooked.

Serve curries over rice and enjoy!

**An important note from Adil:

If your readers face difficulty in replicating my masterworks, they could simply order it from our very own Malmöite [another city in Sweden], Dr. Bombay.

May the grace of gobi fall upon you and those around you!