An aroma does it all...

My husband's mom is from Kottayam, Kerala. So he wanted Kottayam fish curry yesterday. Demands, I must say. Since I relish fish curry in any form, I did not mind making any kind whatsoever. Moreover, it was much easier than the Trichur-style I usually make. Well, this is not a post about fish curries. While I was cooking yesterday, the aroma from a mix of turmeric powder in water brought waves of nostalgia of my childhood days. Strange since I have never felt so before. I was taken to one of my favourite places on Earth - my mom's home in Trichur, Kerala.

Known as God's own country, her home literally lives up to the name. The gardens, the pond and the adjoining family temple completes it. The chirps and tweets of birds serve as nature's alarm beep. The only thing I hate is the loud radio which my grandmother switches on at 5.30 A.M for the suprabatham (hymns in the morning) and the news that follow. On a positive note, I tend to wake up quite early. The soft morning breeze is filled with exotic fragrance of jasmine and chembakam (white plumeria flowers). Thanks to my grandmother who is fond of gardening and cultivation of vegetables and fruits.

Our family temple, where we worship the serpent god, used to conduct pambumkalam (a ritual). The ritual lasts for around three days. The temple and adjoining garden will be adorned with flowers. A pandal (tent) will be put up, within which a kalam will be prepared on the ground. A kalam is a pictorial depiction of serpent god and goddess made exquisitely with different colours of powders such as rice powder and various other colour ingredients. The place will be filled with an aroma of these powders. The scent which still work wonders for me just like it did yesterday while cooking. I am sure my cousins would wholeheartedly agree.

A Kalam

A group of people, pulluvar, will be called to sing the hymns of serpent gods (pulluvanpaattu). They use a handmade earthen pot as a musical instrument which sounds absolutely magical. The ritual consists of offering milk and lime to the serpents. Women who are entitled to perform the thullal (dance) are made to sit in front of the kalam and will be given coconut flowers. They get hypnotised by the hymns and perform a hysterical dance just like snakes. After which, they erase the kalam with the help of coconut flowers. An incredible spectacle!

It was indeed the time where all the cousins got together at our family home. We no longer conduct the ritual. The last time I attended the ritual was in 1995 or so. The memories are vague but the fun, laughter and long sleepless nights as the events unfold are treasured memoirs to be cherished forever.

Another Decade Begins with 2010

A very Happy New Year To All! It's the dawn of yet another decade. A decade ago, I was just 15 years old. There's an entry on Jan 1st 2000 in my diary. It's hilarious. It's me dreading the thought of the upcoming Class 10 board exams in March 2000. There were a list of resolutions like revising everyday, rising early (Have never adhered to that resolution till date), be aware of world problems, conserve wildlife!!lol!

It was a decade which bid farewell to school, college and many friends. And welcomed new life with many more friends, added members to the family, the "working woman" status and being a wife! Many more responsibilities than just cramming for board exams!!

It amazed me that the end of the decade was marked by blue moon!! Well, not literally blue in colour, but it was the second full moon of the month that we witnessed on Dec 31, 2009. It is "once in a blue moon" phenomenon.

Here's hoping and wishing that 2010 and the years that follow bring joy and peace to the world. With a positive note, shall we move forward!

She wrote...

It's been five years. Those words are still imprinted in my heart. Neither do I know the person who wrote the letter nor the recipient personally. But that one rendezvous was enough to evoke their emotions and feeling of helplessness in me. We at times take life for granted, complaining at the life's most trivial matters.

The recipient in this context is a mother of two, a son and daughter, who is paralysed and bedridden. She pointed this letter to me and asked me to read it for her. It was written by her daughter. She wrote....

Dear Mother,

Hope you are fine. I'm keeping well. Thinking about you all the time. Now doing my second year in Architecture. Life in hostel is good. I have many friends here. The subjects are difficult to study. I remember those days when I was a kid and you used to teach me. I really miss you.

Mother, as soon as I finish my studies, I will look for a job here. After I settle, I will bring you here to stay with me. I will look after you. I hope that day will come soon.

I'm enclosing a photograph of mine taken with friends.
Forever yours.

The letter was quite long but the above words are those which I remember clearly. Remember it because I nearly choked on those simple yet intense words. After years when I look back, I just hope and pray that she has kept her promise and the winds of change never blew her way.

Sneak Peek Into My Journal

TGIF! Friday evenings are true bliss. Nothing beats the excitement and contentment of a much deserved weekend. I decided to leaf through my journal which I had started 10 years back. There were poems, short articles and even few daily entries of usual chores. It was fun reminiscing my life! The memoirs are mere humorous anecdotes when we think of it now!

There was one such article which is worth sharing on a blog! It goes like this....with a bit of editing!

Stroll down the memory lane

Those lovely years have come to an end. Those years with bitter-sweet memories will be cherished forever. That carefree life as a teenager. And every word uttered by parents were termed conservative and orthodox! Long hours spent on phone calls and on internet were common complaints by all parents.

School has always been the platform for heated discussions and debates on latest trends, books, movies and gossips. As usual, there were group of girls literally engrossed in their textbooks who were branded nerds and bookworms. Another clutter of girls chitchatting happily who considered school as a mere playground. But at the end of the day, the dreaded and much hyped up board exams made us maniacs!

Entering the engineering college was a dream come true. I loved the fact that I was enrolled through the entrance exams. Life in India was more realistic and practical quite contrary to that in the Gulf. The silver spoon had been taken away and "survival of the fittest" best described our life. Nevertheless, it affected positively on our personal development.

We have now entered a world with new responsibilites to shoulder and experience the sweetness of the life yet to come.

Life is a series of experiences with a wide array of lessons learnt. As a wife and a working woman now, I live a new phase of life with yet another set of challenges. But I still face life with the same smile and the zest as I did a decade ago!

Go Rafting

A touch of adventure makes a holiday more exciting and leaves trails of memories filled with fun. For this very reason, we decided to go rafting during our trip to Aviemore, Scotland. A sunny day it was, but cold as anticipated.

Aviemore, situated within the Cairngorm National Park in the Scottish Highlands, offers a variety of outdoor activities. The place is beautifully set amidst the mountains and rivers flowing across it.

River Spey, the fastest flowing river in Scotland, makes it perfect for rafting. Since we were first timers, we did not go for the white water rafting. Instead we went for an easy river rafting accompanied by an expert who was kind enough to explain the basics of rafting. Rowing along the river, we were spellbound at the beauty of picturesque place around us. Blue waters and green landscape were a tantalizing treat to our eyes. The chirping of birds and murmur of the gushing water became music to our ears. If you are a nature lover, Aviemore is the place for you to be. I would definitely go back, but it will be crazy white water rafting next time!

London Unravelled

During my parent's visit to Scotland, we decided to hit off to London for four days. After meticulous planning for nearly two months, we were ready to explore every nook and corner of London. However, on the first day of our trip, we learnt there's been a tube strike in London. Oh well, the planning goes down the drain! And yes, the strikes aren't exclusive to India! It happens in UK too!!

Despite a slight havoc at the airport to reach the hotel, we were able to stick to our itinerary. We had to spent extra bucks on black cabs and buses. On a positive note, we got the real outdoor flavor of London rather than burrowing underground!

Day 1: Westminster Abbey

Being an avid fan of The Da Vinci Code, I was thrilled to go into the abbey. Though factually incorrect and considered blasphemous by many, the book did attract tourists. As a confirmation for this, there were handful of curious onlookers at the tomb of Sir Isaac Newton. The abbey was magnificent with the high decorated roofs with stained glasses and paintings. A coronation church for many years, it is also a place where prominent figures in English history were buried or commemorated. The list starts from the royals (Henry III) to poets/writers (Charles Dickens, Alfred Tennyson) to scientists (Charles Darwin, Isaac Newton). Though we have been awed by their intelligence and talents over the years, it was immensely blissful to silently offer prayers at the place where they have been laid to rest.

Big Ben


Being London's best known landmarks, it is the world's third largest free-standing clock.

Downing Street

No 10 Downing Street, probably the most recognised address in the world, is the official residence and office of the Prime Minister.

Nelson's Column - Trafalgar Square

It was a unique experience to sit in the square and enjoy the hustle bustle of the London city.

Day 2: Madame Tussuad's

It's London's most famous attraction - the land of wax models. We had a gala time posing with our favourite celebrities. There was also a tour on wax modelling which was quite informative.

Sherlock Holmes

221b Baker Street - residence to fictional detective Sherlock Holmes.

Canary Wharf

Quite different from the Victorian London, Canary Wharf with its modern and sophisticated buildings gave a cosmopolitan touch to the city.

Lord's Cricket Ground

We, Indians, worship cricket. Our trip would have been incomplete without a tour to Lord's ground especially when India had its match on the day! Unfortunately we couldn't get the tickets and India lost royally to its opponents.

Greenwich

Going back to your school days, you would remember your Geography teacher explaining the Prime Meridian - the imaginary line which separates eastern and western hemisphere.

London Eye

London eye, situated at the heart of the city, gives a panoramic view of London.

Day 3 St. Paul's Cathedral

It was the venue of the royal wedding of Prince Charles and Princess Diana. The church had an aura of tranquility. The walls were oblivious to the chaotic world outside.

Museum of London

This museum documents the history of London from the prehistoric times to plaque hit city to burning London to the modern city it is today.

Tower Bridge
Now who would want to miss the tower bridge? Undoubtedly an iconic symbol of London which you would find in every Bollywood movie possible!

Platform 9 3/4

London surely does know to attract tourists! My sister, one of the many die hard fans of Harry Potter, considers this photo priceless.

Natural History of Museum


The museum illustrated the various spheres of life that evolved, that are extinct or endangered. It holds historical and scientific value since many specimens of fossils were collected by Charles Darwin himself.

Buckingham Palace


Speaker's Corner at Hyde Park

My dad wanted to be there and give a speech at the Speaker's Corner at Hyde park. Many famous orators have aired their views here.

Harrods


Our final destination was the most expensive shopping mall, Harrods owned by Mohammed Al Fayed. Guess the price of this clock we found at Harrods..

I know you wouldn't have guessed 8k pounds!..Yes, 8 followed by 3 zeroes. I would not pay the heap even if I had millions in my bank account!

That ends our amazing tour of the London city. We were exhausted to the core but at the same time enthralled that we had the chance to experience the capital city.

Making Impossible Possible!!!

Once upon a time, not very long ago, there was a girl, unmarried, who led a very carefree life. After the graduation, she dreaded the very thought of getting married and managing household chores. Well, that girl is none other than myself. Whenever we had guests at our place, I have seen my mum work hard in the kitchen. I thought, one day I would be doing this.

After work, there had never been time to enter the kitchen. There used to be yummy delicious food served on the dining table, not to mention the tantrums we threw when we did not get our favourites. "Wait till you get married", mum used to retort!

It's only after my marriage got fixed, I finally decided to enter the kitchen and learned to make biriyani and sambhar! Yes, that's right. I did not know anything else!

I remember I was too scared to break an egg and it was my husband who taught me how to break one! Every sphere of life is a learning experience. That's my motto when I make a disastrous dish for dinner. My husband is very supportive and honest to the core. When he says he liked it, I consider it to be a success; if not, better luck next time!

One of the tasks I considered impossible is cooking! Well, it's not a herculean task when you have time and interest. Two years back, I dare not even think about cooking for around 30 people and yet, today I made it happen. I know it's a tiny weeny task but I do consider it to be one of my achievements!!!!