Introduction
Welcome! In the About page, you can read a bit about these unusual boxes, my cultural roots and inspirations. It also might be helpful to start by answering some immediate questions that may come to mind.
My name: Wasima, pronounced wa-see-ma, with emphases on the 2nd syllable. The name is Arabic. Sometimes people associate it with wasabi. Whatever it takes to stick in someone’s head is fine with me.
What are tiffin boxes? They are, stacked lunch boxes, prevalent in India. Tiffin refers to both the mid-day meal, and the container that carries it. The round shape, stackable design and shiny metal surfaces always appealed to me. Not to mention the fact that they are called boxes but are actually round!
For context, a Southern California contemporary to the tiffin box is the Japanese bento box. It is usually flat and partitioned instead of stacked, often lacquered instead of metal. It serves the same purpose of separating but presenting together all courses of a meal.
For context, a Southern California contemporary to the tiffin box is the Japanese bento box. It is usually flat and partitioned instead of stacked, often lacquered instead of metal. It serves the same purpose of separating but presenting together all courses of a meal.
Food is a huge passion. One of my favorite lunches near work is the “Special Lunch” bento at Shaab. While the compartments are not stacked, you can get the idea with this shot below (click on it to enlarge the image).
Besides eating food, I cook. For me cooking rarely involves using recipes. I sometimes read them as a starting point and then improvise. I have been blessed with a good palate that allows me to discern most ingredients of a dish by tasting it. Sharing great local food finds is enjoyable, with many friends asking me for suggestions.
My family is one of travelers, and my parents definitely instilled the travel bug in me from childhood. I’ve been lucky enough to travel through many parts of the world, further refining my palate and propensity to try new foods. Another thing traveling always develops in me is a love and appreciation for home.
Home is a huge focus in my life. This past year, there have been a fair amount of these diagrams in my life.
While the whole design and construction process is exciting, the ‘after’ is the reward. Sometimes even noticing the ever shifting light and shadow in the house entertains me, as you can see from this shot of the shag rug’s shadow on the floor.
Gardening is another love, providing stress relief, exercise, compost and organic food. I often sow new plants in the yard, many from seeds and cuttings, because I love to see the entire growth process. Here is a small sample of this year's summer season, which was very yellow, but I assure you there were other gorgeous colors too.
These areas, and others (i.e. all things vintage, art, architecture, Mad Men), help keep me happy and in balance. Documenting them with photos and words is what I've started. As always, comments are welcome and encouraged. One thing I can promise you is that whatever topic is served up will be authentic. Feel free to join me for a snack or stay for the full meal.
Congratulations on your first post and starting your new blog. I'm definitely looking forward to going along for the ride on this new journey of yours. :)
Major congrats on the launch of your blog, Wasima! Love the tiffen concept and look forward to exploring the compartments with you. Yes, I'm in for the full meal. Like that's a surprise. ~ Sally
Thank you pleasurepalate and petite_syrah. You have both been so supportive and helpful with the blog creative and mechanical work!