Another one bites the dust...

I'm back from my very short, miss-it-if-you-blink-or-sneeze vacation home. I couldn't eat as much fish I wanted to, didn't watch as much TV as I had planned to, didn't bug mom and dad to my heart's desire and didn't stay awake till 4 in the morning and wake up by noon every single day. Couldn't fleece my sister out of all her money (ya, she's like my personal bank. She and dad), and dind't roam around the city till midnight with my friends, riding around our old school and getting all nostalgic.

But all said and done, it was good to be home.

Celebrated my dad's 60th b'day (which was in July) in a small way, met my mental friends, got sloshed with them and danced till the wee hours of the morning (which left me with a sore throat for the rest of the trip- apparently, laughing and talking too loud does that to you. Who knew!), attended two weddings (the wedding season is on in Kerala. My parents are going crazy trying to attend all of them, sometimes two in a day. God, give them the energy please), one of which was our best friend's. Have known each other since the 4th standard.

When you've known a person that long, it's hard to imagine them getting married, and much harder to actually WATCH them get married. Most of my best friends are getting married now, but still, it's hard to digest.I could hardly believe that the beautiful bride in the red pattu sari was actually the same girl I've seen in the school uniform with two pigtails, the one I sat next to in class for pretty much all my school-life, the one I've copied Chemistry test-papers and assignments from, the one who I used to sit and giggle with in the middle of the night when we were supposed to be doing 'combined study'. The same girl I used to bunk classes with to go for 'dance practise' and make excuses to skip Mass P.T on saturdays. She had lived in my apartment building for a few years, and everyone in the building peeped out when I used to yell out 'Meeeeeeeeeraaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa' from the fourth floor down to the second floor. We had this vicious circle going on when one of us caught a cold. One of us would get it, pass it on to the other, and by the time the first person gets over it, the other would have passed it back. And since we refused to sit anywhere other than beside each other, this would go on for at least a month. She's also been a complete and total snob at times and we've fought like crazy. She's still a snob and an ass, but we fight less. ;) She fought tooth-and-nail to spend the rest of her life with the guy she loves, and the happiness and triumph was written all over her face on her wedding day. For me, it was as though I had gone to watch yet another dance performance of hers (She's an excellent dancer. Has been dancing even before she could barely walk).



Dear Maari, I wish you and Hari a lifetime of happiness and love. But please keep in mind that for me, you will always be the girl I sat next to in class and copied from during test papers and giggled the most with. Also keep in mind that since you're going to be in the U.S from now, I will be really really really looking forward to your visits home. Only if you bring me everything on the list I sent you.

P.S 1:- Please don't hesitate to send me a ticket to come visit you whenever you miss me terribly. The more frequent, the better. For my Visa interview, I shall say that you're my lesbian partner, and since we're frowned upon in India, we're going to get married in the U.S. Zimble.

P.S 2:- Please don't make Hari feel bad about the fact that you love me more than him. We all know that's the truth, but still, don't let the poor guy feel inferior about it. Instead, make him understand that some truths just have to be accepted for what they are, without question.

P.S 3:- Love you.

How to eat a Mallu Wedding-Sadhya: a step-by-step guide

*Image courtesy Google Images

Before I start the class, it is important that I ask a very pertinent question:-
Are you a speed-eater?
a) Yes
b) No

If your answer is (a), you don’t need my help. Go ahead my friend! Pig out!
If your answer is no, read on. Take accurate notes.

Step 1:- Take a good long look at the plantain leaf in front of you. Chances are, you won’t recognize half the things on it. Take a chance and start tasting them anyways.

Step 2:- Start eating and finish off half the things on the leaf before they come with the rice. Because once they bring out the big basket of rice, it’s a race against time. (That could make a good action-film title, no? “Sadhya- the race against time…”)

Step 3:- Have you finished eating half the things? Good.
Now once you see the servers approaching with the basket of rice, get into position. Position is- right hand to the side of the leaf, with the palm closed together to form a cone. This way, you can save the bother of getting your hands into position later.

Step 4:- Once they serve the rice.. Oops, pardon me. Once they dump the rice onto your leaf, get to work immediately. The first thing to do is make a hole in the centre of the mound of rice, like a well. Then break the pappadam into small pieces and keep it ready.

Step 5:- When the servers bring the dal and ghee, they will know where to pour it once they see your leaf. If you’ve already dug the well, good for you. If not, good luck washing your expensive silk saree/mundu.

Step 6:- Now is when the actual challenge begins. Here on, you need complete concentration. Do not look left or right, do not wonder at the colour of the dal or size of the rice, do not admire neighbour-aunty’s saree and do not indulge in idle chit-chat. Remember, if anyone’s trying to make small-talk, they’re only doing it to distract you.
Start mixing the rice and dal and ghee together. If you want, you can add one of the other assortments also. Don’t bother about chewing and all. Remember to eat the other side-items at regular intervals.

Step 7:- Before you can finish your dal and rice, they will bring more rice and sambar. Do not fret. Just move the dal-rice to one side of your leaf and make space for the fresh batch of rice and for sambar. In between, take half a second to make a well in the rice.

Step 8: For the time-being, forget about the dal-rice that lost the race to time. Concentrate on your sambar-rice. Break pappadam -> Mix in sambar-rice -> Eat it ->a bite of side-item. This is the order to follow. By now, you should have finished most of the things on the leaf. If not, buck up!

Step 9:- Before you can finish the sambar-rice, they will bring out the payasam. Move the sambar-rice to one corner and make space for payasam. Eat the payasam fast, because there’s not one more, but two, possibly three, more following. Finish the first round of payasam. If you haven’t, it’s ok. They all taste pretty much the same anyways. So even if the second payasam is poured on top of the first, it won’t make THAT much of a difference. This same law can be applied to all the following rounds of payasams. They will bring boli in between, to eat with the paal-payasam. If you’re the adventurous will-try-anything-once type, go for it. For added kicks, mix a banana also into it.

Step 10:- Once all the rounds of payasam are over, your banana leaf will resemble a rangoli that has been messed up by the neighbour’s bratty kids. Many colours, but you can’t figure out which belongs to what. After all this, they will bring rasam, puliserry and moru (buttermilk). If you still have the energy, have those as well.

Step 11:- Ah wait! You thought it’s over? Not so fast! Do you remember the dal-rice and sambar-rice that you abandoned for tastier treats? Who’ll finish them? The uncle sitting in front of you? Chalo, now move those two mounds to the centre of the leaf. Mix them both together. Then put whatever else is remaining on your leaf into this mixture. Mix very well. Then take a deep breath and eat this concoction. Don’t worry, nothing will happen to you. Your stomach has been subjected to enough already. This won’t make a difference.

Step 12:- Fold the leaf neatly, to signal the end of your roller-coaster ride. Have some of the piping-hot water that’s sure to burn your tongue. And yes, because you can’t afford to spare 3 bucks for a lemon in the market, pocket the lemon that came along with the meal. Nothing to be ashamed of.

There.. you’re ready now. Go out there and face the world! Err… I mean, the sadhya.

And don’t forget to let out a loud burp at the end of it all!

(After-effects of having gone for a wedding and eaten a sadhya. *BURP!!*)

Payasam- kheer

Good old Malluland...

Ah... It's good to be home.. Definitely.

DOn't forget to click on the pic and view the enlarged version.

(All pics taken during my train journey home)

Too spaced out to think of an apt title.

Today's the 112th birth anniversary of Argentine poet Jorge Luis Borges. Seeing Google's doodle today reminded me of one of his poems, a favourite of mine. Thought I'll share it with you.
***

BOAST OF QUIETNESS

Writings of light assault the darkness, more prodigous than meteors.
The tall unknowable city takes over the countryside.
Sure of my life and death, I observe the ambitious
and would like to understand them.
Their day is greedy as a lariat in the air.
Their night is a rest from the rage within steel, quick to attack.
They speak of humanity.
My humanity is in feeling we are all voices of the same poverty.
They speak of homeland.
My homeland is the rythym of a guitar, a few portraits, an old sword,
the willow grove's visible prayer as evening falls.
Time is living me.
More silent than my shadow, I pass through the loftily covetous multitude.
They are indispensible, singular, worthy of tomorrow.
My name is someone and anyone.
I walk slowly, like one who comes from so far away
he doesn't expect to arrive.


I just love that last line... "I walk slowly, like one who comes from so far away, he doesn't expect to arrive." One of the simplest, yet most powerful lines, I've ever read. One of my all-time favourite quotes is also attributed to him- "I have always imagined that Paradise will be a kind of library."

***

Do head over to Priyanka's wonderful blog and check out the guest-post I wrote. :)

Let's dig something other than our noses. :p

Aaaaaaaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrggggggggggggggggggggggggghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!

Ha. That felt good.

It's been a crazy few days at work. And when you're having these crazy days, don't you just feel like yelling out loud for a good two-three minutes and letting it all out? When I was in Red FM, I used to go into one of the sound-proof studios and scream for a while. It used to feel SO good. No such luck now. Stupid corporate atmosphere. :( And if I scream inside my house, my neighbours will think my roomie's murdering me.

Can I go just once more? Please? Just once, promise!

Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrrrrrrrgggggggggggggggggggghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!


Ok, let's move on, shall we?

It's raining awards in my little blogsville. :) I was given my third award by Loony, DawnZhang and Anvita. Thanks dearies!


There's apparently a drill to follow.
1 ) Gratefully accept this award.
2 ) Link the wonderful person you received it from.
3 ) Post 3 interesting facts about yourself.
4 ) Pass this award around to, at-least, 5 blogs you dig.
5 ) Notify them.

Check and check.

I've already shared so much about myself here that 'interesting' will start to seem boring now. So I'll keep it brief this time (Ya ya, I heard that sigh of relief).

1) I have this uncanny knack for digging out crappy music videos. They just happen to me, it's a mystery! I was once searching for Ali Haider's 'Purani Jeans', but instead, stumbled upon this. Some videos are already hugely popular by the time I watched them, but I go one step ahead and dig more. And then sit and enjoy videos like this, this, and this. Although, I actually do admire Wilbur Sargunaraj's guts.
P.S:- Should I even bother talking about Silsila and Rathri Shubharathri?

2) I LOVE graffiti t-shirts. My favourite one is a (formerly) white one with "The girl of your nightmares" written in the front. I wore it till it changed colour to brown. :/ But I still wear it at home.

3) I totally drool over guys with biceps. Not the beefy John Abraham types, but the lean Surya and Sonu Sood types. Instant drool. Just like some guys look at a girl's chest while talking to her, I look at a guy's biceps while talking to him (if they're worth looking at, that is). Ya I know, I would give any woman's rights activist a heart attack.
P.S:- Have I told you that I've met Surya and clicked a picture with him? Buhahahaha. :D

I'm too tired right now to give the award to five other bloggers- honestly. Please don't think I'm a snob. I dig each and every blog that I'm currently following. Sorry for the rule-breaking. :(


P.S 1:- Is anyone else sick and tired of reading about Anna Hazare? The trend seems to be changing. Till about a week ago, people were falling over their own feet to support him. They were putting up status messages, starting events, creating pic badges, writing notes, liking pages and what not. Now they are digging up nasty newspaper reports about him and the Lokpal Bill and re-posting on their walls. But still, he's just all over the place. If he were a younger hotter-looking guy, I would probably be dreaming about him by now, maybe running around a few trees and singing songs. Here's a journalist's perspective about it.

P.S 2: Look what I made last Saturday. :)

And yes, all the parties who dared to eat it, including me, are doing absolutely fine. Thankyouverymuch.

P.S. 3: I bought a new camera! Yay me. :)

P.S 4: I think I got this P.S.-affliction from Priyanka. Damn you woman! :/

Now join me while I aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrrrrrrgggggghhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!