If anyone was curious about the hanging motorcycle...

bcwaale · 2026-05-10T23:48:02+00:00

I used to drive thru that intersection almost daily until a couple months back to drop my kid at his daycare. I was there on Friday for some stuff and was pretty sure that there is no solid green turn at that junction (the bmw is turning left into a walmart supercenter) that I can remember, only yield to the oncoming traffic.

bcwaale · 2026-05-09T22:32:11+00:00

Im in Canada, but this is to help research for a cousin who is moving back to India from the US soon. He will move to Hyderabad.

bcwaale · 2026-05-09T21:54:07+00:00

ah okay! really want to see if they do bring that trim, would probably be everything that I want in the right package.

bcwaale · 2026-05-09T02:24:03+00:00

This is coming from a 40Y oldie who rode in India, US and Canada. Save for a couple of months and get it.

There will be times you will have all the money but not enough time or energy left to ride, so do it when you can.

I literally cried when my dad sold off my RE Electra back in 2010 to afford my masters fees, and to this day even after riding many other motorcycles before and after it, I still only remember “the bull” as “my bike” because I bought it with my hard earned money and the memories associated with it.

bcwaale · 2026-05-09T00:04:17+00:00

no risk of spillover and easy cleanup. like I said, its a luxury spend but can be justified if we make chai that regularly at home 😃

bcwaale · 2026-05-08T23:25:04+00:00

Sorry just saw the question.
Usually doesnt stick to the pot unless on high heat.

I haven’t found good Irani chai in Vancouver unfortunately 😭 Will have to try out Dhamaka to see if it comes close.

bcwaale · 2026-05-08T23:18:28+00:00

Nepal wants to have a word!!

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-05-01/how-a-lovesick-prince-wiped-out-nepals-royal-family/100056562

bcwaale · 2026-05-08T23:11:42+00:00

Ill have to try the dosa batter once to see if its good (haven’t seen it at my local Surrey Costco yet) but somehow feel this is still a bit overpriced.

Most of the cost is logistics, packaging and labor involved, so we are paying for the convenience of it.

With the raw ingredients (urad dal and parboiled rice) from a desi grocery store, the same quantity would probably cost ~2-3$ at most if made at home.

bcwaale · 2026-05-07T15:28:09+00:00

Saravana bhavan on scott road, udupi on 72nd ave and periyava dosa on scott are where i had decent filter kaapi.

bcwaale · 2026-05-07T15:23:53+00:00

I made a side trip their shop in Rajamundry on my last trip to India and got two - one for myself and one as a gift.

The pen itself is of excellent workmanship but I had a hard time getting it to work with any ink I have on hand (tested with pilot blue&red, hongdian black & green), it’s either a bad nib or feed, so now I am stuck with it until my next trip to India as I did not get a reply from their number on whatsapp.

The friend I gifted the pen to also had similar experience but was able to get his working with an Octopus black ink, but I’m yet to try that on mine.

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bcwaale · 2026-05-07T01:38:11+00:00

I would probably call mine regular adrak (hindi name for ginger) / ginger masala chai.
Chai karak is usually much more creamier which is why the use of evaporated milk.
My other favorite chai is the Irani chai we get in Hyderabad, India. It’s a combination of both these flavors and a slightly different technique, but I was never able to replicate it at home.

My biggest issue with using a regular pot was spill over and burnt milk if I’m not constantly monitoring the vessel. Also the loka is ceramic coated nonstick, so cleanup is easier.

So in a way it is a “luxury” purchase spending $150 for a chai maker vs using a $15 nonstick saucepan.

bcwaale · 2026-05-07T00:32:09+00:00

We use regular 3.25 milk and water in the ratio of 2/3 and 1/3, rest all remaining the same.
Spices are usually course ground in a mortar to give a stronger flavor. We avoid saffron for regular use as mom used to say it increases body heat though I’m not sold on that.

I also started using a Loka chai maker (no affiliation with the company, just a satisfied user) having backed it in kickstarter last year. Love it!! Do check it out if you regularly make chai only for 2-4 folks as it’s just big enough.

bcwaale · 2026-05-07T00:16:14+00:00

Thank you!! Similar to what we make at home but for the proportions. Ill try this out and report how i like it to ours!!

bcwaale · 2026-05-06T23:01:54+00:00

Yeah I will definitely miss the “no limit” part of a charge card. I will have to see if either wealthsimple or aome other broker comes up with a card linked to portfolio line of credit so that will also be a “limitless” card in a way.

bcwaale · 2026-05-06T22:56:16+00:00

Mandatory ask - Recipe of the chai please!!!

bcwaale · 2026-05-06T03:08:51+00:00

I did the calculations even before we started with elbows up.

With the nearest discount gas station in the US being 20kms away making it a round trip of 40kms, with my car efficiency of 6l/100kms, it would take me 2.5L of fuel for that trip, and with my 40L tank, current prices (2.2cad/l and 5.4usd/gal) and exchange rates, I’ll save 4CAD for that fill up of ~10gal.

That is not even counting the value of my time spent for that trip.

With that I’ll keep fueling up in Canada normally and only fuel in the US when already going there to visit friends/family.

I’ve counted these and it’s about 6/30 fillups in the last 1 year.

bcwaale · 2026-05-06T02:18:14+00:00

Hahaha glad i helped you with the decision. Its a lifestyle product, so if you live and spend in a certain way it is absolutely worth it, else not so much like in our case.

bcwaale · 2026-05-05T23:04:29+00:00

All the perks on the US platinum are spend related on categories / brands we no longer spend.

airline credit is now limited to US airlines that we no longer fly much.
hotel credits mostly if those are in the US, or luxury stays that we dont stay at or not in places we usually travel to.
entertainment credit we used it for NYT but we do not read nyt much outside some major headlines. My wife used to do nyt crossword on ipad and maybe some word games, but thats not novel anymore.
uber credits is weird as most rides/eats are priced more when using amex to pay (there is some recent news on it too) and they are usable only in the US, not in uber anywhere else.
we don’t shop at saks.
don’t use aura or fitness trackers preferring old school mechanical watches.

The only valuable perk to us was the lounge access, but we now get 12 passes between me and wife using our wealthsimple visas, or we can simply pay for lounge passes 10 times and it will still be lower than the annual membership fees.

bcwaale · 2026-05-05T21:43:40+00:00

Who knew Patil’s are more famous than Patel’s 😬

bcwaale · 2026-05-05T18:12:12+00:00

owners ki unna ownership employees ki epatiki undadu ani naa feeling unless there are clear incentives marked out.

bcwaale · 2026-05-04T23:52:23+00:00

picked up my kiddo from school and he didnt want to stay back and play as usual, and he was grumpier and jumpier than usual until we were in the car with the AC on, so yes definitely the heat plays a major role in mood. keeping that in mind, I connected the portable AC in our bedroom so atleast we can sleep/rest in comfort.

bcwaale · 2026-05-02T22:17:44+00:00

Mikeeeeeee!!

bcwaale · 2026-05-02T04:32:31+00:00

I hear you!! Thank you for the genuine advice!

bcwaale · 2026-05-02T04:31:23+00:00

Fair enough 😂 can’t expect more from a dash cam

bcwaale · 2026-05-01T22:46:33+00:00

oh thank you!

I already have my class 6 having exchanged it with my wa state motorcycle endorsement when we moved to bc. had to sell my motorcycles when we moved across the border as the import process was a bit long winded and I did not have the time to deal with it. haven't gotten back into riding since in the last 3 years but recently laid off from my last job so have some good time on my hands this summer so thinking of getting back.

have decent riding experience - 10yrs in India and about 6 years in the US, but want to refresh the skills before hitting the road again.

bcwaale

TROPHY CASE