Cuking funda!

Kitchen!! Boooooooooooooo…………. The most dreadful place where I can never stand alone even for a minute! But my hour’s together chats with my mom do happen there… All these years, I have never learnt anything other than making boost for the uncle’s and aunts who visit suddenly for an evening chat!! Those days when dad enters with parcels in his hand …... the next house aunty grudges, A grown up girl at home… Can’t she do something at least when her mom is sick? Reason very simple….I have never thought of learning cooking..nor I had the intention of cooking… ‘ithu Gun pidikre kai, karandi pidikaathu ' that was the thought which was driving me (out of kitchen)… After 4 years of struggle in the college hostels… managing my breakfast with apples n biscuits, lunch with curd n pappad.. I decided never to stay in hostels at any cost... Stepping into Chennai, one of the cities where I will never ever get the intention of living my life (culture gap, u c), I had to struggle for getting one good meal a day… I decided not to live on apples and biscuits anymore, so pushed my impulse to the kitchen… I had my own fears! But then I encouraged myself, ‘U can make anything, if u are the only consumer of it’ … So that led to all sorts of experiments ….I could well bet my observing skills …I could remember all the steps for almost quite a few recipes my mom makes. I tried my hands with all ingredients I could get. My dishes turned consumable... I tried to get a few scapegoats as well to taste my food… To my surprise, everyone was safe, and they doubted if it was my maiden attempt… Days went on… Cooking is not a big deal…u can learn at any point of time... Of course, invent new dishes too (true, necessity is the mother of invention).. When u are absolutely tired of all the varieties u have in the too many treats (a S/w engr has lot) ….ur hand made curd rice seems to be the best ever dish u had! :) There are times when I am questioned by my fellow mates, the steps and ingredients reg. I had never got an answer for all those coz my style is just mix and match :)... Put what all u have … and u will get the curry … Questioners, plz understand:( There had been some funny times when my ignorance in kitchen deals, is explicitly shown off to the people around... One of my friends, who was keen on tasting the Kathirikkai kozhambu, which was still on the stove, showed me the hand…I poured the extract as though it was some sweet kept in fridge ..Only after hearing the cries, I realized it is hot and it would have burnt the poor hand... And yet another beautiful comment that I could ever forget in my life time … It was to the vegetable curry I had made using some coconut gravy. ‘Epdi iruku?’ ‘ Inipu correcta iruku!’ Wow..that was supposed to be a spicy one. But I got a spicy comment rather. mm..All these are moments when your hidden expertise :) in fields, you never had a formal training.. Come out without much effort… ( ah, much efforts, am I true? Pavam, ppl take much efforts to gulp our preps)!! Also u discover that u have some unexplained relations with Nala in your earlier births! Karandi pidicha kai gun num pidikum !! Wait n C :) Link: Bheemboy’s post –Nalabhaaham!!

Pic Link(google search) :http://kadambam.files.wordpress.com/

Those lovely Sat afternoons!

Saturday, a special day for me! Years Back.....

I was all alone in the family with no sibling to play with...to fight with... for eight years!

My childhood games were limited to the neem tree in front of my house, i will go round n round the tree as if i was chased by someone, only to see my own shadow. And in the evenings ,i used to play nadu pirithal( country dividing:) poor translation! ) ...the effort I make to annex Pakistan, Japan, Europe ( the only countries i had known at that time) to India( u c, I m very patriotic) with all vengeance to take revenge for keeping us as slaves for two hundred years!
I will be representing all the countries, and play such that India alone wins and rest of the countries loses their entire land to India…

Bored of annexing huge land ,I will play fire in the mountain… singing, stopping, everything a single person (of course, me) will do, with different voices …
Sometimes bored of playing alone, I will join with those cricket annas in whom I saw the real passion of becoming a Sachin, when they just fall on the even the rocks to catch the ball (heroism depiction ha ha..)…. And what I do there, I just throw balls for them,for pity sake, they will give me their bats which I could hardly swing like Robin Singh! My play time was limited to 4.30 to 6 sharp. Our pendulum clock will strike six only to see Lady peare inside her house getting ready for daily prayers.( I was so systematic ,u know)! …

Coming to Saturday afternoons….
Dolls and other play things never fascinated me…I had such aversion towards them, I donate all the dolls (sometimes, uncles, aunts show their love for a small child so generously, I get dolls even if I don’t like) to some child in the streets….
Saturday, it was off for dad after lunch (just half a day work)…. I start singing my rhyme from Wednesday, ‘Daddy, Saturday half a day thane? Jolly, we will play’ … Saturday morning will bloom early for me… I wake up and get ready for the Sanivara pooja at home… Though all the time my eyes would be in the gates to see my dad, my lips would be chanting thirupavai… (God I m sorry!) !

After having a healthy diet, dad and me go to our verandah ( we need privacy, u c)... with the chess board and some more boxes ...unda mayakam thondanuku… to get rid of sleep immediately after lunch, we play othaiya retaiya, with the puliyam Muthu ,collected daily, for some months together, when mom prepares rasam. Luck determines the winner, if what you say is correct, u will get the seeds! Dad and I both will be winners alternatively...

And after our minds become fresh to think of strategies to knock the other’s King, we open the chess board, play for hours together... My mom make delicious pakodas or vazhapoo vadas...But never will they disturb our game… we will be so engrossed that we taste those crispy pakodas only after sharing equal victories…. And later, ‘ kathe cheppandi daddy’ episode will start when I hear stories ranging from Ramayana to ambulimama stories….Everyday dad comes with a new story, never repeats anything…and of course with a moral... And till the next saturday, i would like to imitate the hero of the story in many ways:)

Years later,Saturday afternoons turned to be the time for the Fourth empire, we discuss all topics, share views about the editorial pages in the Hindu!! Those were sweet too!!

All Those Saturdays were beautiful!! I miss those days far away from my home! I miss u too dad!! If only i am near u!!

Custom-Thrust upon!!

‘ Epo kalyanam panna poreenga, unga ponnuku?’
I am so allergic to hear this inquiry! Every aunt, every uncle, people whom I meet for the first time who happens to be some distant relative, right away pose this question to my mom and dad.
At times, I feel like hitting them on their face and telling,’ nan epo panna ena?’ but then when I think of the origin of this question, I felt like this needs a lot of scrutiny…

I always feel that marriage should be one’s own choice…but for Indian women, there is no such preference.
It is never an ‘If u are’, rather it is only ‘when u are’ … The large population of Indian women are told that we must get married. Some of them (self included) resist this conception and go along pursuing their careers and live their dreams at least for a short period of time. But then the question persists “when are you getting married?” Some, they just want to put an end to this question, and they succumb.
And a very few have the strength and courage to face the questioning and become ‘that spinster aunty’. But they represent a very small miniscule of the population. They live in metros, have successful careers and have a strong background.
For the others, I should say they are afraid of not being accepted by the community they live in. They are afraid of being spoken by the society. They couldn’t just give ears to repeatedly told mantras, “Can't she see her parents are getting old and they have a duty to do? Whoever heard of a girl who didn't want to marry? Of course, she can study and pursue her career after marriage! “… And in extreme cases, some never let their tongues in, before commenting, I think she had some love failure, and that’s the reason for her resisting marriage’ ….So tired of such filthy talks they accept the lovely boy from…
Are we not clipping the wings of young girls who want to be alone, in the name of culture? Do they necessarily be married against their choice (choice, I mean not choice of groom, but choice if to marry or remain unmarried)…

I don’t say unmarried women achieve a lot, and married ladies just cook, wash iron and have children. We may find girls from both sects who are successful… But point is Marriage should be a mere choice, it should not be thrusted upon….

Thanks to my mom and dad, till now they have not forced me to do anything… and the funny episode is I contribute ideas to my dad how to prevent people from asking about my marriage… And dad implements them too…

And I pray I may not be packed down into the episodes of coaxing, cajoling and ultimately threatening me into submission for fear of keeping up our appearances in the society..….

P.S: This post is not intended to offend anyone or marriage. Just a personal tormented shout……

My recent day outs!

Home away from home !!
K-Paxian,as he calls him often..though i have not made attempts to know why he calls himself so,but the name radiates a rare excellence as good as his,as a person. Without much efforts to my brain,i accepted his invitation to his home( Most times, i think too much before visiting friends).For certain relationships, you dont need too many evidences to feel that u should own such a relation..My bond with K-Paxian is one such..juzt a few months acquaintance,simple enough.

My journey ( in chn anywhr u go, its travelin to a neighbouring city) towards his home was a forty five min trip..There was Venkat with the usual smile with energy & enthu.I felt i was in my home.Aunty is a nice lady, her words sounded surprisingly balanced,calm and a blend of patience, love.My description is not because she served me superb dishes for the afternoon..but true, she sounded the right mom to Kpaxian!

And the wonder was that i learnt from her that their origin is exactly the same town from where i am...hmm..world is round , you meet your own people somehow, somewhere..
The day was perfectly beautiful, loved the way God crafted the day for me:)

A day near the sea!

We, a small group of 12 girls started our day in an a/c tempo along the East coast road.The amazing ride in the boat in Mutukaadu made us forget the frowns of the earlier days of the week. The ups and downs , the shrills and laughs, the waving hands along the waves ,the titanic poses, everything made us forget that we are grown ups.The home made meals along the roadside under a shady tree , forgetting all the hype and the false stato symbols of a s/w engr , damn cool than a marrybrown, pretty comfortable than in a pizza hut, reminded us the days when we have family trips to the nearest mukambor or kalanaai or alagar koil..

The evening was full of fun when a small group of ours went almost some 30 feet inside the sea.No cautious voices of encountering a danger or tsunami, we were almost fully drenched and danced with the waves.The way back from VGP to our homes and hostels marked a sense of pride and satisfaction that we made the day happen and also an unexpressed yearning for the next outing.

To the Twin City

Stands unique as the best travel of the year, ever registered as a refreshing vivid memory.Though the climate did give an intimidation of not keeping myself out,the very sense of stepping into the twin city gave me lots of pleasure.The genial manners of everyone in ranji's perimma's home, gave a beauty that accompanied sapience.As geographical horizons expand,our intellectual horizons do expand,yeah,i witnessed a telugu marriage,totally new customs and traditions.We had peculiar doubts if the muhurtham is really over(i was expecting a ketti melam),when the entire flock of richly dressed people raised on to the stage to wish the couple..thanx to the telugu frenz around, we had to admit into our belief.

Re...Marriages are made in heaven..hmm..should i merely bow to this inevitable custom? (Na,the next post!)

Amma!! Happy Mother's Day!!

Almost everyday of the year is celebrated as some day.... Laughter day, friends day, valentine's day, environment day....etc.. too many days for the wee small brain to recollect!!
But some special day in the month of may..which I jzt cant put out of my mind ...Mothers Day(May 13th)!!I knew not the history of its origin...But every mothers day..i feel that i am special!!

I am what I am today all becoz of my amma !! The soul in me..was framed(is being framed) with her tenderness,love, patience, strictness... its sculpted over the years!! Gave me hopes & passions anew each day!! Chiseled the quality of my language!! Taught me the world!! Taught me how to live!! Her dreams soar high each day, though simple is her living!! She keeps saying..'uluvathellam uyar vulal...uyara uyara panivum uyara vendum' & she drives her life too in the same way!! She shapes my destiny... often i am perplexed , how could she live her life as well as mine!! Today, she insists on me getting a Phd..quitting the relentless job i do..Sounds gud too. Even i love to ..

Now i stay miles apart !! Miss you so much ma..

For all that u have given...I can return but love!!
Amma..I have never uttered a word how much i love you.
I have never tried to express it verbally... because i cant say how much i love you..more than words can hold.
I know that u would stay with me for ever..the bond is strong,it has to be..though it is unseen..
its special & true!! For u know me better than myself... you know my love too!!

There never was a woman like her. She was gentle as a dove and brave as a lioness... The memory of my mother and her teachings were, after all, the only capital I had to start life with, and on that capital I have made my way.
--Andrew Jackson

P.S : Many come into our life!! A few seem to come straight from heaven !! She came to give me life!! Happy Mother's day amma!!