Lots of reasons for the long absence, the most important one being I really didn't have anything to say. Or something that I wanted to say had been better expressed by somebody else. That's a real conversation ender.

We're in the midst of Navratri/ Durga Pooja -- another one of those marathon celebrations that pop up in the Hindu calendar at regular intervals. In North India they fast, eschewing all kinds of inflammatory foods like meat, onions and garlic (they incite baser passions). In East India they feast, with Puja mandals being an excuse to get together with friends and family and stuff oneself silly on culture and Kobiraji cutlets. In West India, they feast and fast, there's Dandiya with elopements aplenty. In Dubai there's all of the above.
So it was we found ourselves at Jasmine Moon, celebrating the first day of Navratri with Chinese food.
Jasmine Moon is this rather snazzily done up hole in the wall in Karama that serves up Sino Mumbai cuisine at its best, or Chinese food made to suit Indian palates. Stuff like Chicken Manchurian and Paneer Pepper Garlic. Comfort food for the homesick soul. It comes packed in New York style takeaway cartons stowed in elegant brown paper bags.
Aah! I'm glad to discover the only eatery in Dubai that doesn't use plastic bags.
But wait a second....
Out of the bag emerge other neat, duly plastic-wrapped, packets of styrofoam plates, paper napkins and plastic cutlery, added on as a thoughtful differentiator. No plastic chopsticks, with which we could have played dandiya.
And now today's Dasera, or the end of Navratri, and that meal is a distant memory. (Though the accompaniments will linger intact another million years or so.)
To celebrate we made fudge as a family, and Dog and Baby could not get enough of it.
See?
You can have fun, and sweet memories, without plastic.
Happy Dasera!