Happiness is the consequence of personal effort. You fight for it, strive for it, insist upon it, and sometimes even travel around the world looking for it. You have to participate relentlessly in the manifestations of your own blessings. And once you have achieved
a state of happiness, you must never become lax about maintaining it. You must make a mighty effort to keep swimming upward into that happiness forever, to stay afloat on
top of it.
— Excerpts, Eat Pray Love by Elizabeth Gilbert
Even if you are not a fan of books (which you should be!), still the chances are you are familiar with the Eat Pray Love: One Woman's Search for Everything Across Italy, India and Indonesia; a 2006 memoir by American author Elizabeth Gilbert. The memoir chronicles the author's trip around the world after her divorce and what she discovered during her travels. I for one have not only read and re-read the book multiple times, but also love the Julia Roberts starring movie inspired by the book. It’s my go-to, feel good movie; one that I return to for reasons more than one.
And hence, as part of Dubai Written Words Society (one that I run for I love WORDS), we've decided to revisit the classic, as part of our May's Book Club. RSVPs are a must for the same: hello@purvagrover.com
Well, partly the reason behind re-visiting the modern classic via the book club is that I found myself (once again) thinking of the life lessons that are peppered in the book and movie. Join us for the book club?
I guess the gorgeous, calming ambience was the trigger to revisit the same. Of course, other than the view of the Burj Khalifa and the Burj Lake (the venue for the Dubai Fountains), it was the menu at The Tap House, Dubai Mall, Dubai, UAE, that served as a perfect starter for the conversation. Via their menu, I travelled to: Italy: Hello, Black Truffle Risotto, Hand Crafted Burrata & India: Hello, Southall Samosa, Chicken Tikka Masala & Indonesia: Hello, Nasi Goreng.
Bottomline, you need to pick the book: it’s a reminder to look deep within. As the author/protagonist Liz says: “I wondered, ‘Why have I been chasing happiness my whole life when bliss was here the entire time?‘”
Disclaimer: This is not a place where you will read food reviews; for food is an emotion and hence can’t be reviewed. I belong to the generation born in the era of ‘eating out' only on special occasions and one who has found herself growing older in the world of order-ins, takeaways and dine-outs both on weekdays and weekends as a norm. As I look back, I realise my vocabulary of adjectives to describe food was poor and tainted. I didn’t use words like yummy, tasty, out of the world, delectable, et al. Cuddles. Comfort. Goodnight kiss. Warm hugs. Excitement on winning the toy. Hugs. I created my own. I learnt about cooking and eating in an inimitable way, then.
Fancy a drink at a homegrown gastropub, anyone?
The Tap House, a homegrown gastropub, recently opened its third branch in the vibrant neighbourhood, Dubai Hills. It offers a relaxed and welcoming atmosphere for guests to enjoy the largest selection of drafts in town, indulgent craft cocktails and delicious European and Asian-inspired cuisine with a focus on quality, authenticity, and friendly service. Just as in Dubai Hills, it also showcases similar cool industrial interiors as its newly renovated first location at Club Vista Mare and the recently launched venue at Souk Al Bahar. The venue will tease the taste buds with an impressive selection of hops and cocktails that are expertly crafted to complement the menu including signature drinks like the refreshing Oceanic Wonder or a rich Saffron Trail!
The Tap House Dubai Hills, open from midday to midnight Monday to Thursday, 12pm to 1am on Friday, 9am to 1am on Saturday and 9am to midnight on Sunday