Culinary Orgasm

I had been wrecking my brains on an apt title for this post, and recently this new term got added to my vocabulary, Thanks to my dear friend!

When it comes to our “God’s own country”, there are several aspects that get us nostalgic and “sadhya” would definitely take a front seat. Apart from “sadhya”, my highlight for “Vishu” and “Onam” is undoubtedly the traditional wear. Draped in a cream “set mundu” lined with rich golden border & matching gold jewelry, long locks of black hair adorned with fresh jasmine, and a touch of sandalwood paste on the forehead - The whole look has an inimitable charisma to it!

I guess I am lucky as ever, as I do get to enjoy delicious “sadhya” twice a year with my dearest set of friends who have mastered each of the “sadhya” item in their own distinct style. Whoever invented this unique meal that consists of over 25 plus dishes served on a banana leaf, Dude- I must say – Hats off to you!

Enjoying the “sadhya” in its conventional way by doing utmost justice to all the dishes is an “art” in itself. Our ancestors sure would this have had their reasons for discovering banana leaf as a mode to serve these dishes; banana leaves are known to have high content of antioxidants which may have therapeutic properties to cure cancer (Source: Wikipedia).

I love the intricacies of this meal; to begin with- the alignment of the leaf itself, the positioning of the dishes on the leaf, the sequence in which they are served etc. Partitioning the rice to enjoy the flavors of different dishes was something I learnt this time or maybe I should say I copied from my neighbor’s leaf! She had made these 2 molehills of rice: a small portion to enjoy the “parippu” with ghee and “pappadam” and then the major portion to mix the spicy “sambhar”. The whole meal is a treat for veggies & “avial” being one of the most nutritious with its rich content of vegetables. I would not be hesitant the rephrase the old saying as “a bowl of “avial” a day, keeps the doctor away”! A bite of the crispy banana chips, a touch of the spicy pickle in between the “sadhya” adds a special flavor to the meal.

After having completed all the different curries from “olan”,“kaallan” “pullisery” and “erissery” with rice, one may feel quite full but 1 or 2 subtle burps would create that extra space in your tummy for the exotic and much awaited “paysam”. Now, I totally sympathize with the folks who drink “paysam” from the cup with a spoon, but the whole idea of pouring paysam onto the leaf is to infuse the leftover flavors from the other dishes. And the grand finale with a few scoops of “paysam” crushed with a “pappadam” and banana with a small touch of pungent "pulli inji" at intervals- Heavenly!

Strenuous indeed, and one may need an extra hand to stand upright and a peaceful sleep is calm and satisfying once its over. It is one of a kind experience that I hold very close to my heart and I do hope that the authenticity of this meal stays the same and should never die out in future generations to come.

Wish you all a great Vishu and a very fruitful year ahead !

Hakuna Matata !

One of my friend’s facebook status read- “God draws a straight line with a crooked pencil”- How true!
The show must go on, as they say and one should be really lucky to find some ways to deal with that crookedness!

How often do we bump into someone who actually understands your random ramblings and ultimately tell you “I understand what you mean”? It is quite an ordeal for someone to really “understand” a feeling, without having experienced it. But when you hear it from a friend who have gone through every bit of it, the same way you have, it makes it exceptional.

My mind had been quite disturbed after a funeral session but found some solace during a splendid conversation with a friend, very unexpectedly. Our life is like a yarn knitted in a bunch of mundane activities, and we tend to forget to untangle the knots most of the time. An unwinding is needed at times, and it is certainly a blessing to find "that someone” who can actually relate to those outbursts, and lend you a “listening ear”. It is a wonder when you think of how we bond with numerous people we meet; At times, the friends we have known for life transform to strangers, and strangers we meet turn to friends for life.

Certain events in our lives make us pause and reflect, and we realize how truly blessed we all are, as most of us take numerous things for granted. May be it is just His way of reminding ourselves to simply thank every beautiful day given to us, for every loved one around us, for every small little thing that is gifted to us. Only when anyone of these attributes are missing, we realize its importance. So all you out there, cherish every moment we have now, live today’s’ life to the fullest, stop worrying about petty things in life, worry about tomorrow as it comes !

Goodbye

“Goodbyes”- are very hard for me to deal with and for most, I guess. Be it any form: Merely waving bye to anyone at airports or railway stations or simply “parting” from people whom you love, instigates a pricking pain deep inside.
Just bid farewell to a friend, and this one is a little different as she has left us forever.

What can I say about this ever-high spirited person who would have a wide smile and have a non-stop chit chat with you whenever and wherever you meet her.
Relationship usually builds with age, but with her- even a first timer would experience that special bond , which may seem like you had it with her for ages.
A unique charm that one holds and a rare find. I do not know her very well on a personal note, but well enough to leave a long lasting memory as she bids adieu to this world. She fought cancer that ravaged her body until her last breath and fought it with all her might and was never ready to give up.

It is unimaginable to think that a person is gone forever from our day today lives and its of course, the hardest for immediate family.How hard it is to believe that the person who slept in the bedroom next to you, who sat and watched TV with you, who was part of your daily chores in life and who does a dozen things with you, has suddenly vanished ! It is so strange as the feeling is like digging a pit, that grows bigger and bigger and the vacuum left behind is unexplainable.

With mom, I must admit that not much of tears were shed, the day she left, as my heart and mind were just void. The feeling terribly hit me for the first time 2 days later, when I was rummaging the shelves for something and was about to call out her name “Mummy, where is it, I can’t find it”- I almost uttered it, thinking she is just in the kitchen and would come right there to help me find it.
That instant reaction “God, Damn it! She is gone”- It was horrendous.

Numerous things were undone, and numerous thoughts were unsaid; I wish I had said it while she was there, for example this ”Lemon rice” that she packed for me during my journey to Bombay- was delicious in every sense. I asked for the recipe, and she simply asked me to watch her when she makes it again which I never got a chance to.

“Time-is the healer”- the consoling words as they all say it, but time also gives you that gruesome realization again and again and again, that your loved one is no longer with you. All we can do is helplessly accept it as Shakespeare says- World is a stage and we are mere players here, And yeah, the one above has the full right to decide our exits and entrances to it.

My friend would be fondly remembered, for the ever charming person she is, and I pray that “He” may give all the strength to her family to cope with this terrible loss.

Life in Bombay- 2

As time flew, I was getting familiar with the place and was beginning to love it. I got very attached to our gang of friends- 6 of us, each from different parts of the country and backgrounds, yet had the similar wavelength. I was beginning to pick up the typical Bombay slangs- kyaa re, bindaaaaz , timepass, kahe ko tension, abe yaar- pakka math etc none of which had any touch of grammar to it.

College was fun and was actively involved in the extra -curricular activities- dance mainly. We used to fool around the entire semester, but do get very serious just a month ahead of exams – The “Study leave”, which was the time to fetch notes, hunt for reference books, syllabus and refer past question papers. It still seems unbelievable to me as how I managed to study 12 to 14 hours a day in the library during that one crucial month, but it sure was a necessity. Julie/Bindu/Juls- were the names I have been used to, but I was coined with a new one -“Julia” by our librarian- Gadgil Ma’am- a typical Sindhi. Since I was a chatterbox even then, keeping mum among the other serious students was very hard for me and hence used to get these frequent shouts from our Ma’am- “Juliaaaaaaa, Be quiet Pleeej” and with that a few started calling me ”Julia” thereafter.

Library sessions, reminds me of an incident with one of our seniors. A girl in my class secretly mentioned to me that this senior who knows her very well, wanted to talk to me and asked me to wait outside the library on a certain date/time. I was quite tensed and immediately brought this matter up with my gang for advice on how to tackle this situation. All said I must go and check it out, if he proposes- say “no” outright! Boy!! This senior was handsome and I had met him a couple of times, the first time being after “Freshers day” when he came and praised my dance a lot. The tension doubled as the exam fever was setting in too and I just wanted to get over with this meeting. Gathered all my guts and received wishes from my friends and waited at the spot for him. I could see him at a distance, walking with his friends and as he approached the library they gave him a hand shake and said bye and left.
I was sure- “This is it”- if my parents know, they would bury me “alive” coz he is not a “Malayalee catholic”! But no doubt, handsome! He came upto me and said “hi”, I was trembling inside with a high paced heart rate. He again told me my dance was great and he has never appreciated Classical dance upto this extent. I said “Thank You”. He wouldn’t get into the matter, but asked me few generic questions on how studies are going and if I needed any help I could ask him etc. Finally he said,” Ok Julie, the reason I wanted to meet you is very personal, and please do not discuss this with anyone". Gosh, I was “dead meat” by then! He then said “I have this friend of mine who is madly in love with your close friend in your gang of 6, and he wants you to convey this matter to her”. Pop- burst the bubble !

I said “Ohh this is what you had to tell me, OKK..! He immediately caught that sheepish look on my face, and asked what I thought it was. I said oh nothing! I just wanted to run away from there and bury my face somewhere!! I told him I will tell her and ended the talk and prepared to leave. While I was leaving, he repeatedly asked me, but I just bye and ran. And the irony of this whole story is, he is right now here in Seattle working with a telecom firm! Yes, and I do run into him with my other college seniors who work here at MS and we do talk a lot about college and all the fun things- everything except this! Some things are just “best”, when not spoken!

Train journey in Bombay is one of a kind experience. People are packed in compartments like “Sardines packed in a box”. Learning the mechanism on how to get in and get off from a compartment was a challenge in itself, but got the hang of it soon. Thumb rule is push and pull with all your might and forget the word “courtesy” for a while. It is the survival of the fittest! The hardest part was to deal with the fisher women who lavishly sit on the floor of the compartment right at the exit door, as if it was their own home. And yeah, if any body part of your touches them accidently, you would get that cold glare from them, sometimes coupled with a few “Marati” swears. Mastered the art of train journey after a few rides and that was not a trouble anymore.

Marine Drive or The Queen’s necklace - A beautiful manmade structure and one of the favorite places for any Bombaite. This was our designated place to hang out after final exams at the end of each semester. Our minds, relieved after a stressed out study leave, was desperate for a much awaited break. We would just lie down on the bench and gaze at the star studded sky, enjoying the sound of the mild waves from the Arabian sea in the background. That was a paradise in itself- a rare bliss and one of my most missed moments.

To be contd …

Life in Bombay- 1

This blog is beginning to look like “memoires from past”, but the truth is some stories are engraved so deep in my memory & hence cannot help, but write it down! May be once I am done blogging them, I will catch up and get to the present tense!

An email from my college friend after 8 years is the spark for this story. Friends that we make during school or college last for a lifetime; it is like they are a part of us which we left behind when we parted ways after final exams. The essence of this relation is such that it does not really need any constant phone calls or chats or emails to maintain it, As one of my friends once mentioned: Years later, if we happen to run into them, we slip ourselves back into the groove with great ease and it is like picking a part of us that was left behind with them. Quite true!
College life- are usually the best days in anyone’s lives and it makes it even special, when you have been on your own and away from parents. Coz only then, we have had the freedom to do the craziest and the wildest things and then smile about it years later.

Bombay- “City that never sleeps”, holds a very special place in my heart and I must admit that my precious “4 years of college life” was spent there. And definitely, my friends - one blog entry would not suffice and hence doing it in parts :-)
I used to detest that place during those stopover flights on route to Cochin from Gulf during summer holidays. And the reason was simply due to the “cleanliness”. I refuse to elaborate that here ! Well, it was “meant to be”, as they say it and I landed in the same place to pursue my bachelors. Least did I know that the coming 4 years would “rock” my life totally. Staying away from parents was surely not easy, and I missed them terribly, but didn’t have a choice. Those visits to Gulf after the end of each semesters were the silver lining on the dark cloud at that time.
I still remember my initial days of college, when I used to walk in- very shy and dressed in ¾ sleeve churidars and waist long hair plaited neatly with 2 supporting black slides at the base. I was the referred to as the girl from “abroad gang”, as I was the one from the 3 in a class of sixty plus, who had also joined from Gulf schools. I made friends with 5 of them, we were 6 of us- 3 boys and 3 girls and I was the scapegoat and used to get teased the most (even then !)

They say blood is thicker than water, but my 1st yr stay with an “ultra strict” uncle of mine, was a disaster. I was beginning to suffocate and I finally got the permission from parents to move out with a friend whose parents too were in Gulf. I was a free bird, Hallelujiah! The new home was great and it was in Chembur, just minutes away from college we had a great time staying together and managing our lives single handedly in a huge city.

The adventures began- first being my famous hair cut. Due to persistent efforts from friends, I was eventually made to convince that long hair can never be styled the way we need to, especially for modern wear and hence needs to be chopped upto shoulder length. There I sat in the parlor and as I watched those huge black locks of hair on the floor, my heart ached quite a bit. As what I was cutting down in few seconds was years of my mom’s efforts which she spent on caring for my hair. The scent of that special oil mixed with hibiscus flowers, Thulasi leaves etc that she used to massage my hair with is unforgettable. Sigh ! My hair styling was done, and the mirror gave the shock of my life. Wanted to just cry out loud but my friends consoled me saying, it will grow back and nothing is there to worry. (yeah right !) The same day we went out to a jeans store and bought my first pair of Jeans- yes indeed, it was my first Jeans..! Also bought some new tops and walked into the class next day with that whole new look. Many were shocked and I felt even more guilty answering those numerous questions on why I cut my hair. This entire episode is so similar to the movie “pavithram” when Vinduja gets a makeover- lol!

Tiffin service took a toll on us and hence was forced to get introduced to the ever famous Bombay "chaat":vada pav, pav bhaji, sev puri, dahi puri, pani puri, ragda pattis- the list is endless. After a few stomach upsets, my body cells inside realized this is what they are going to get for the coming few years and I guess they just decided to adapt to the situation. Inspite of the initial hiccups, “chaat” remained our favorite option and even now, it gets me all nostalgic. The roadside chaat, for whatever reason tastes heavenly and I have always wondered why. May be it has just got to do with the fact that its "roadside" ! “Gola”- the multi color juices filled in crushed ice was mouth watering especially on a bright sunny day after college- Nothing could be ever so refreshing. And then of course the sweet lassi, masala milk that was sold at an Amul milk booth was yummy too.

To be contd..

"Trust"- That is all it takes..

I have 2 friends who are committed swimmers and have been getting frequent calls to join them for swimming, but me- the” lazy one” just found excuses to avoid it. I love shortcuts in life and sincerely wished that someone picked me and dropped me into a pool directly instead of me having to drive the 25 miles, change, shower and swim and then finally drive back home- all by “myself”. In short, “the long drive” was the culprit! However, I gathered all the encouragement and decided to join them, though in my mind I was skeptical about my stamina as it has been 4 to 5 years since I swam. But as they say- swimming, driving & cycling are 3 things that stay concrete and is unforgettable for your mind and body.

With that theory in mind, I plunged into the warm blue waters of the pool and happily swam the first lap. Yes, the theory still holds good :-) We swam in the shallow waters and decided to try the deep side of 12 ft. I did have a small scare in me but my memories as a child of how I managed to overcome the fear of deep water swimming flashed by.

Thanks to my dear mom who was after my life to learn swimming as she strongly believed that swimming should be a “must known” skill to all as it can be used best in emergencies. But as they all say- in case of accidents, a non- swimmer would drown pretty fast and a swimmer would swim for a while and drown eventually!

As my schooling was nearing its end and college would mean staying away from parents, it became more of a “necessity” for my mom to teach me to swim. She was an excellent swimmer from childhood with the solid experience of handling the strong currents of the backwaters, back home in Kerala. So there I was in the pool, learning the basics from her and was able to get a good grip of it within a few days. Eventually picked up the technique and I was very happy with myself and content that the task is over. But my mom, was no where near to satisfaction as I did not enter the deep waters yet, as that was the whole purpose, as no one would ever drown in the shallow waters!

Fear: fear that I would drown and would never come up to the surface, fear that I would be gasping for breath underwater, fear that swimming at a depth beyond 5 ft was impossible and fear that I will die- These were the challenges I was facing. My mom was confident that I could swim in the deep and encouraged me every single day to try it at least once, but in vain.

One fine day she talked me into it (we all know the typical “mom talk”) and I agreed only on one condition that she would swim right beside me. My mom assured me that she would be right there and would do anything to save me if I drown. Moreover, I too thought to myself that, there is this handsome lifeguard and how romantic it would be if the whole experience had a filmy twist to it. Oh boy ! (High hopes, yeah right!).

Well, there I was, all set with the “come what may” attitude. I looked at her to get that one last assurance “nod” and made sure that she would be right beside me. The agreement was she would join a few seconds after I start, as the simultaneous waves splashing by could affect my pace. Gathered all the courage, crossed my heart and began the venture. I was nearing the end of the shallow side and knew that, in moments I would be entering the danger zone, but kept swimming and believed she is right beside and there is nothing to fear. Wanted to check on her in between, but did not want to distract myself as any slack in any move would mean drowning in my mind set. And so there I went ahead and could see the silver rim at the end of the 12 ft and knew I was very close and can do it. My mom’s voice just kept ringing in me and I swam ahead and there “Voila”- I MADE IT! And as I held the rim while panting for breath I could heard some cheer and clapping from the other end of the pool.

Turned back to get that hug from mom and what a shock! My mom was still in the shallow waters and waving and clapping and blowing kisses to me.

It was mixed emotions in me, was mad and angry at her for not keeping up to her promise but at the same time very proud that I did it. She got out of the pool and came up to me and held my hand. When I asked her why she didn’t join me, she simply answered, “I knew you would do it and all you needed was my assurance and my trust and you had it all way along”
Miss you, mummy!