Happy Pongal/Sankranthi and Thought-Action duo

I've generally observed that there is a tradition of giving "seer" for Pongal to the daughter of the house after she is married. It is my guess that , in olden days, when women were not allowed to work outside or did not have a means of supporting herself or was was under the strict regimen of in-laws that she was not supposed to ask for anything for herself, during festivals, such kind of goodies from her parents side would cheer her up. And so the tradition continues till day. As of what I understand, there is no such rule like, only certain stuff  needs to be given or should be given..Its upto the family to give whatever they want to to the daughter.

This custom in place, I've observed that some of women demand, ask for stuff, few others sulk if not given what they wanted, few others smirk if given lesser than they they expect..Having witnessed all these, I wonder how can one behave like that at all, what gives them so much of an entitlement..Anyways, ignoring what people do or behave, let me come to the point of what I wanted to record here..

I receive a call from my cousin who has just started working a few months ago..And me being the terrible me, I havent yet picked up the phone to call him and wish him luck in his career though I've been constantly checking about him through my mother who is in touch with the cousin's mother who is my mom's sis..He calls up and asks for my bank account details and says now that he has started earning, he wants to start giving Pongal seer as token of being my brother..In simple words, I felt truly happy..Now, there is no necessity for him to pick me and my sis ..He could have chosen his other cousins..shamelessly, I have to mention here that I havent gifted/given him anything so far..So, I told him that the very act of thinking about it and making a call is enough to give me joy ..Then, my mom calls up and says its all ok to feel happy and all that , but most important isI need to be a responsible sister to this brother of mine..I ruminated about the event and told myself again that if I think on doing something, I need to A-C-T..Not just keep thinking..I have been thinking about calling up and wishing this guy since October when he started to work..Then, once this event was missed, thought of calling up during Diwali, then New year only to receive a call from his end..Let me see how I fare this year in this regard..Atleast a simple ping or hello email once in a while..

Plan for the New Year : 2013

Let me jot down what I wish to do this year ...This would also later in the year indicate how my interests have changed, if they do..

--> Read more:
            2012 saw a huge dip in my reading habit. If I need to point out the reason for this, I would most certainly pin-point to my work-place which gives me more than enough during the day and expects me to attend conf calls after I return from work..I could have still found time to read, but my body and eyes didnt co-operate..So, I am going to make sure that I read atleast 7 books this year..Why 7? just a random number which crossed my mind now..

--> Do paintings.
            2011 saw me learn pot painting..Yes..Please do laugh at me for I'm the one who would go to a class to learn pot painting..Being artistically challenged, I didnt have any other option, but to enroll..But 2012 made sure I simply didnt touch the materials all through the year..So, this year, I'm going to make atleast 2 paintings..

--> Write more.
        I read too many blogs..Also I need to enhance my writing skills which is in a pathetic state now..I believe practice will help..So, I will try and put down all the posts/thoughts in my head to the blog..Do atleast 1 post a week..Try a marathon blogging and try a short story ..This provides an opportunity to mention: This blog has seen 100 posts so far !! Yay to that!! A reason to celebrate..?

--> Cook n Bake
         The later half of 2012 saw me dishing out a few different recipes in the kitchen ..To name a few are: Eriseri, Aviyal, Bisi bele bath, Vaangi Bath, Mor Kootu, keerai Sambhar, lemon rasam, pulav ,  almond-date burfi..(I'm laughing at myself while I write this..:) The above mentioned items cannot even be included in the special, different categories and here I am , proudly mentioning ..Yeah..let it be this way, getting documented..Many years down the line, I want to read it and see how far I have come..Hopefully, I get to improve year after year..This year, I'm going to try and make different dishes atleast over the weekends..and I persist in this, thinking of buying an OTG to try my hand at baking..

Welcome 2013

Welcome 2013
 Wish everyone a Very happy and a Prosperous New year! May this new year bring in good health, peace, happiness and prosperity to one and all. Last year was a mixed bag for me, with work occupying the center position and I was testing myself how far I could get on with it..
There were definitely times when I thought it was getting beyond what I could endure, but somehow I did stick on.Thank heavens for that. Having worked in an organization earlier for more than half a decade whcih had pressure only during couple of months in a year and the rest of the time was slow paced and relaxed ,I found this place where everyday was like a milestone day  and being responsible for both mine and my team members' results were quite challenging and kept my brain and mind occupied..I've got used to this schedule where I  have hands-full, when the work -load is comparatively lesser ,I find it hard to slow down and just be in a blank-state , at least for a small duration

 2012 also saw me trying to begin to accepting things as they come by, trying to endure difficult circumstances, trying to accept the fact there are certain things (rather many things) beyond human control and trying to be more-thankful for all that is given to me. However, I still have a long way to go in endurance, perseverance, to let-go, to accept things as they come in, to believe strongly that all that happens  is for a reason..But, I started and attempted a bit of all of these in various situations to calm myself down.

 I also need to definitely mention here regarding one another thing that I started doing differently in 2012..ie, cooking..Yes, I just cant believe myself hat I'm typing this ..I've never entered the kitchen for cooking, untill I got married..Yes, most of the times, it turned out literally too..I used to stand in the entrance of the kitchen and gossip/talk to mom..My mom in turn has never allowed me into the kitchen too..I would handle more of the buying veggies/groceries stuff, cleaning home rather
than being a helping hand in the kitchen..After marriage, I learnt cooking, mostly by observation from what my mil does..There have been only few instances when  I've asked for tips/instructions for cooking..Most of it, I learnt through observation..I do read a lot of blogs, but have never paid attention to food-blogs.. But, in 2012, especially, the later part of 2012 saw me getting interest in cooking , and I tried making different dishes atleast on weekends, instead of the usual sambhar-rasam which I generally do. Many Thanks to GB for posting yummy, delicious, recipes on her blog..

 I tried to learn swimming in 2012, though I'm not a pro at it now, I did push myself to try out something different , which I've wanted to for long, and I'm happy that I started it..I would like to get more practice in swimming this year..Lets see how it goes..

 Dad's shashtiapthapoorthi was celebrated in 2012 and I got a first hand experience in organising a function along with my sister, with huge help from mom,dad and sis..starting for planning on the invites, whom to invite, the inviting, choosing a caterer, the menu, the vaathiyaar (saastrigal), budget, the venue location,arranging accomodation,return gifts , having long-distance communication and co-ordination etc gave me a good experience in what it takes to organise a function and felt more responsible too..Though sis is a good 9 years younger to me , she is excellent in planning, thinking level-headedly and implementing..Kala Tika. Appu, may you grow to be an awesome woman and inspire everyone with your good actions, words and deeds..

 Amma had hysterectomy done in March 2012. I was shown her test results well 6 months later after the tests were taken..It was a tough 2 months for us, when we had to take a second opinion,
decicing what is good for her, convincing Amma on the surgery , getting her admitted, getting the surgery done and her recovery ..It was during her recover phase that my grand mom (Amma's amma)expired and this upset Amma very much..We used to call Grand mom as Tambaram Paati and her thoughts still continue to come to me even after many months of her passing away.I owe a post on her for a long time now..Hope I get to do it before her first anniversary.

 Dad fell from ladder and had a fracture , which upset all of us. Due to the fracture, Dad was asked to restrict his movement,  he had to be rested on bed except for moving whe its necessary.
Now, I dont remember seeing my dad being rested at all, I think it was all because of the drishti ..Anyways, he had his much needed break from work in this way and it wrenched my heart to see
him having limited movements..That too, with power cuts in Tamilnadu, the first two days when I went to see him before Diwali, we simply didnt have power overnight and the inverters turned out useless,as there was no power available to even charge them and all of us struggled to sleep two to three days in a row..We all somehow managed by moving here and there, but Dad because of his
limited mobility, couldnt have that luxury too..We all took it in our stride and managed those two months..And now Dad is back to kinda normal..ie, he has resumed his regular activities, with caution though. Thank you God for helping us sail through such circumstances.

 And I turned 30 in 2012.Yes, it happened..All these years, I was wishing and hoping that I become a mother by the time I turn 30..I'm hoping that it happens very soon..:)

Constantly working legs

The sweet/snack shop always wears a festive look round the year, for it is always brimming with people ..Who wants a reason to savor sweet and snacks? That too, being located in a neighborhood which doesnt boast of too many hang out locations, there is always crowd in this shop..Order and order, the bhaiyyaa's behind the counter are busy perennially preparing samosa chaat, bhel puri without onion, sandwich with less butter , and the specifications only grow..The men behind the counter make sure they understand the requirements and never fail to put a smile on their faces when the preparation is ready to serve..This goes on day after day ,all round the year..I wonder if their legs would ache at all..Why are the employers not concerned about their required-to-stand-always situation and make amends in the kitchen counter such that the slabs are located not too high from the ground and a couple of chairs placed where these men can occasionally , if not always use them to rest their legs and feel comfortable? I wonder if these employees are too scared to ask their bosses for such an arrangement? My legs ache if I stand continuously for I-dont-know-how-long..depends ..But,I cant imagine standing for hours together which these men do..

This is a common sight in quite a few places around us, especially in restaurants, in retail stores . Do the employers think if the employees were sitting, that would lessen the customers entering the shop? Folding clothes and stacking at the right places for members of the house is quite a task..Imagine doing it everyday for the umpteen clothes that customers just pick and see and drop at random places in a 10000 sqft shop..Wouldnt the clothes refrain from folding if people who do the job do while sitting on a chair?

There are forums which disucss and probably take steps to implement facilities that are friendly for everyone (especially differently-abled people)..while such steps are taken, it will also be good to see employers understanding the pain-points or needs of employees and address them..I will ask the sweet shop bhaiiya what he thinks about constantly having to stand and will update his(their) inputs here..

Hello Blog post and a quick round-up

Hello Blog! I've been away for quite some time now, neglected the blog, but had quite a few posts written in head all along, but not sure when they would all see the light of the day..Anyways, without dragging too much, I will jot down the highlights of what I was upto while away from blogger

* I turned thirty !! Doesnt feel any different.We had a simple do with family at South Indies..Did a good amount of shopping two weekends prior to the D-day.In fact, I keep telling S that some of the items for the big three-oh are still pending, which I would shop in due course .I have taken some resolutions for myself , starting from letting-go of incidents that disturb me, to not be scared/frightened and to build teh courage to see how things unfold, to read more and to write more and to be decisive.

* I visited my parents after a gap of 6.5 months. Even while I was staying away from parents, I used to visit them every 4 months, but this time, I managed to be connected with them by phone for 6.5 months.

* My dad fractured his hip and it scared the hell out of me..This happened two days after I met them (which I'd mentioned in the previous point) and my dad was put up at a different place that day from my mom and the 7 odd hours of travel before which my mom could see my dad and convey me how he is was a huge period of stress for all of us..Thank God, Thanks a million for protecting dad . Kindly bless daddy and help him recover fast.

* I met my friend from college after 8 years .We were constrained for time, but glad that we met and did a quick catch up.

* My friend HV and I , inspite of staying in the same city all along, we hardly meet..We catch up on phone and text messages often, but, have not visited each others homes so far..This situation was reversed when I went to her house last Friday. It was raining, maid hadnt come, mil not home, I had to prepare dinner after coming back, and left office not-so-early..Inspite of all these reasons, I decided not to postpone and went ahead..Glad that it happened, instead of my usual procastination..

* The one year of not celebrating festivals have come to an end (due to S's uncle , and the first aniversary is also done ). I had a relaxed schedule during the festive ocassions, since there wasnt work in the kitchen preparing delicacies, but, glad that the year went by , as it was quite boring to put up dolls for Golu or invite Amman to our home for Varalakshmi Vratham or do the 4:30AM -oil bath on Deepavali.

* I've become addicted to Fruit Smasher game . Everyday I play atleast 3-4 times and end up straining my eyes and scolding the game :)..Need to come out of it soon..

* In between all of this, our team delivered a major milestone under my leadership and  there is a line-up of the next set of milestones..Thanks to the team for staying by and making it happen.It was a roaler -coaster ride with many weeks and months of slogging over days and nights and over weekends!

Let me also put up a short review of restaurants that we ate at in the recent past:

Samarkhand:  Rich , mouth watering Afghani Dhal is the highlight for vegetarians..So are the nannas, plain ones which are so soft on the mouth , rather a bit heavy on the pocket..Afghani rasa-malai melts in the mouth..I ordered Kumbh Ki Galouti against the chef's recommendation , and if anyone is reading this, pls dont order this when you go.Order Kumbh Khazana, if you are choosing one of he kumbh flavours. It is pricey , but can be done once...in a while..Last I remember going there was with my colleagues many years ago, when I used to like their parathas, but now we settled for roti and naan. The interiors are dark, with dim lighting, service is prompt , portions are small, but taste is real good., pricing is on the higher side.

Nandoos: S suggested this place and their speciality is this "peri-peri" which is nothing but different levels of red-chili in their food varieties..
For veggeterains, there is this traditional burger, sandwich,pasta, pizza, ..we ordered a burger and pasta and the pasta was good , when compared to the pasta served at Pizza Hut kinda places..Pricing is similar to Chilis, but portions are smaller compared to Chilis.I hear that Nandoos is famous for their chicken delicacies..

Sreeraj Lassi bar: we have become fans of this place..Our regular order there is Gud-Bud and Falooda. Very very nominally priced, Gud-bud is rich with three flavours of ice-cream, nuts, cherries, wafers, essence..Falooda is also equally good. soft on the pocket and when it comes to the taste of the ice-cream(considering the price-point), I dont see a much difference once you start gorging on it..

Corner House: Corner House is another of our frequently visiting ice-cream shops..Our standard there is Hot caramelo pudding, but last time, we ordered fruit jackpot, and another cone, thanks to the overdoe of ice-creams last week, S is sneezing and coughing now(:

Imli: This is situated in the interior streets of Indiranagar (inside the road where Domino's Pizza is on 100ft Road,IndiraNagar). We wnet for a dinner, food was just average, servers didnt know what is the speciality of their restaurant, they say every food item listed in their menu is their speciality, which is good for their marketing, but it is not shown in the food they served..we had specifically ordered lassi without any sugar in it, but we were provided with a glass full with loads of sugar in it..We were frustrated and didnt want to spoil our evening/night by arguing with them, hence wated the 100 bucks on lassi (: It still haunts me for having paid for the lassi which we never had(: Very average food, I wouldnt go there again..

Books ..

and me..

During the growing-up years, my association with reading was limited to textbooks, library books once in a while, weekly "Young world ", "Siruvar malar" (from Dina malar), books obtained as prize and ocassional readers digest during the mid teens..I'm unable to pin-point exactly as to why there was close to "no-exposure" towards books of different kinds, especially comics during the early years..Is it because I didnt show any specific interest or if the school or surroundings didnt have such kind of a "encouraging-children-to-read" atmosphere (Definitely, the school, neighbors,tom,dick and harry laid stress on reading every other book prescribed by the class syllabus, but I'm referring to the habit of reading age-appropriate books of different genre or rather inculcating the habit from childhood..),..Whatever the reason, I grew up where after school hours was spent playing outdoor untill about 10 years, then moving to indoor games , then, there was explosion of cable TV and you know where time would have been spent..All this if we get time above and after doing all the hand-breaking homework, lessons to cram for the next day test , attending school untill 4 or sometimes 5PM from morning 9!!

There have of course been days when I've tried my skills for events during sports day, annual day, sister feast (since I studied in a Christian school), inter-school competition etc etc..Looking back, I do remember the thoughts I had when I visited my friends house (this friend's both parents are Doctors) and when I found that she was sitting and reading a voluminous book of Sidney Sheldon .When she went in to get tea, I glanced the book and wondered how she got around reading such a big book with so small letters !! Having accustomed to short stories and at the max the non-detail for English-2 at school, I could'nt get myself at how stories could run for so many pages..I didnt ask more details to her and when the tea arrived, we started chatting our school-gossip/politics :) ..I didnt have the natural inclination to didnt bother to  push myself to explore what reading was, neither did someone/some event give me the curiosity to venture into reading..Now, when I come across many who refer to the various books that they have devoured at each stage/age in life and how they still vividly narrate the characters/story line or rejoice when they see that their child reads the same book and enjoys reading as they did years ago or how they describe that they found solace in reading or books gave them good company while growing up,I feel good reading about them..At the same time, it triggers me into an introspective mood, where I start thinking about my hobby is..

Only after I started working, I enrolled myself into a library near the hostel where I was staying and I am thankful for that! I got into reading and devoured many Sheldon's..(I figured then how a story can extend for hundreds of pages and how one can sustain interest in a loong novel..:)) After marriage, thanks to S, who had an interest in books and reading, introduced me to other authors..There was a stage (I think in 2010) where I was found having a book in hand after office hours, every single day..The urge to buy books over clothes was intense during that period and my hands would go over to flipkart every now and then to order a new book..Now wait..all this enthu happened during a period and that period was short lived..I was again back to normal, sometimes, not touching a book for months together or sometimes, getting bored in every third page of a book (though the book would be a thriller!)

I sometimes wonder what was/is my hobby? My interest seem to be short-lived..I tried my hand at clay/pot painting last year, did a few of them and the ceramic and pot placed n the cup-board are accumulating dust..I started writing some short-stories, but after a few of them, the book lies untouched for many months now..So, when I see people who say books have been giving them company since childhood, I definitely dont deny the fact that books are indeed capable of , bit what does it take within a person to be have sustained interest? I laugh at myself for writing such questions, for I know the answer..or atleast I seem to know..The answer is: who can know what can interest a person but the person him/her self?

I do enjoy reading these days and hope that I can have sustained interest.Thats the point here..And when I see mommy-bloggers who write about introducing their child to reading early or who rejoice in the fact that their kid is inetrested in books, I think within that I will also make the effort to begin reading to my child/children very early and try to inculcate the habit of reading..But, if the child doesnt have the interest in it, what can be done? Ok, these questions can wait I guess, and depending on how future unfolds..For now,let me go the Archer I'm reading now (The Fourth Estate)..

Bliss is..

after you board the train, you call up the parents to tell that you have boarded and that the train has started its journey and by chance you come near the door of the coach just to have a glimpse of your house while the train passes by the railway line road where your house is put up , and viola! cant beleive your eyes, you spot your mom and sister waiting by the road and both the parties spot each other and wave hands..!! Doesnt stop here with waving..While hands are swaying, one wave suggests a "Bye, untill wee meet next time"..another sway of the hand suggests to go back..Mom and sis suggest the son/brother to get back to the berth and not stay near the steps in the moving train..The grown up lad waves and the asks the women of his house to get back to their house, for its dark in the night..

The joy of caring for each other : B.L.I.S.S and to witness this is some more of it !