Spicy Cornish Game Hen

For a family of 2, cornish game hen is simply perfect. One of these is about 1.5lb and costs about $2.5/lb.
Safeway has a package that has 2 hens in a package for about $8.5
I have tried a few recipes from food network to cook the hen before -- they were all OK.
Today, I was thrilled when an experiment turned out to be successful.
So here is the recipe for spicy oven roasted cornish game hen.

Special Equipment:
2 Heavy cast iron skillets

Ingredients:
1 cornish game hen
6 cloves of garlic
one slice of bacon
2 tsp vegetable oil
Spice mix:
1/2 tsp turmeric
1 tbsp red chillie powder
1 tsp corriander powder 
1 tsp garam masala
1/2 tsp cumin powder
1/4 tsp clove powder (optional)
1/4 tsp nutmeg powder (optional)
2.5 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar

Procedure:
Wash the hen thoroughly and pat it dry. Sprinkle enough of the spice mix on the skin of the chicken and also inside the chicken. I left the chicken in this state in the refrigerator for 1 day.
Preheat oven to 355F
Spatchcock/spattlecock (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spatchcock)  the hen - if you have a nice pair of shears, this is easy to do.
Heat 1 tsp oil in the larger skillet. Sear both sides of the hen for a little less than a minute at high heat.
Lower the heat and place 6 cloves of garlic (some around the hen, some under the hen).
Cut up the bacon into one inch pieces and spread them over the hen.
Place the second heavy skillet on top of the bird and turn off the stove.
Move the arrangement into the oven.
Set the timer for 35 minutes.
When the time is up, let the hen rest for 15 minutes before you cut it up.


For people opposed to using bacon, try butter.
Also - always check that the hen is fully cooked before you dig in (juices must run clear or internal temp must reach 180F)
Wish I had taken pictures - it vanished way too fast..
Enjoy...

Project September

Each month I try out something new that I can do for a short while.
One month it was baking, another month it was gardening..
This month is for re-reading stories from Indian Mythology..
I dont know how many of you remember being 5 or 6 years old and sitting around the evening lit lamp and listening to your grandmother telling you stories about kings and gods and magical creatures..
I have vague memories of these stories and I remember reading amar chitra katha books when I was around 10 years old.. Alas, I never kept those books and these days those books are crazy expensive...
So I have decided to scour the internet and re-read those old stories..
Some are very familiar and some are not.. but it feels good to be reading these...

Done with summer!!

I know its only September but I so done with Summer and cant wait for it to get to fall.
This month is going to be an in-between-month, its cold enough in the mornings to want to get you to dress up in layers but by noon its hot enough to make you feel stuffy.
I want to wear my boots and stockings again!
Hopefully by the time I'm back from my India trip, the weather turns crisp and chilly..
Then it would be time for sweater over shirt, sweater dresses, scarves and gloves..
I know it doesn't get THAT cold in cali but its cold enough for me!! I am also looking forward to a trip to Ohio - more cold weather!
Another thing I noticed these days is how much I use my ovens when its cold. It is a winter thing.. we bbq all summer and bake all winter.. mmmm  roasted pumpkins and sweet potatoes...
cant wait.....

Summer is here again!

And it is that time of the year again! It is time for light clothes, sunscreen, hats and bright colors. Every summer we do something to keep us outdoors. Last year, we went fishing. We weren't very good at it but it got us out and near some beautiful lakes.
This year, we are doing hikes. It has only been 2 weeks and so far we did Monte Bello and Elkhorn Slough Natural Estuarine park.

Monte Bello was a last minute call and we wanted to do a medium difficulty hike. My friend Nirali and I drove to Palo Alto from San Jose and started driving up past foot hill college into the preserve parking. It was a warm summer day and the trail was well shaded and beautiful with its blonde hills and twisting paths. That day we hiked 11 miles.

View on top of Monte Bello

A small creek with green all around

Details at :MonteBello 
I wish I had a better camera or even better skills at taking pics with my iphone but you will have to take my word for how pleasant that hike was.
At the end we stopped by for a well deserved mani pedi and settled down for Chinese food.

Next week Arvind, Nirali and I decided to spend Saturday at Watsonville. We drove for an hour to Gizdich farms where we picked berries all morning (a first time for all 3 of us). This farm is famous for the pies they sell. We tried to stop by and buy some pies on the way back from berry picking around noon and found the place packed. So we turned around and decided to settle for home made pies.
After leaving Gizdich, we drove to Elkhorn for a short hike. Elkhorn is a gorgeous wetland with beautiful views and interesting plant and animal life.
We walked through areas that smelled of Rosemary, Eucalyptus, Dill, Mustard and so much more. The shallow waters around the hike had bat rays (these we saw)  and supposedly leopard sharks(we didnt see any)
Details at: Elkhorn

Here is my wish list for places to go see before summer ends

• Matt Davis-Steep Ravine Loop
• Rancho San Antonio Open Space preserve
• Point Reyes Lighthouse - lots of trails here

hoping to add more

Working out

There used to be nothing that I hated as much as working out. My brain would make up weird reasons to justify not going to the gym. I wont even bring them up to cite just now. But one thing is true above most things - I am not a quitter. I have tried so many different ways to keep me going back to the gym.
And now I think I am getting the hang of it. So here is a little write up for people like me - if there are any.

• Plan to give yourself one day off from burning all those calories
  The easiest way I find I can do this is by trying to get to the gym continuous 6 days of the week and taking the 7th day off. I find that if I say, I'm skipping on Thursday, there is a good chance, something will turn up on Friday that will be unavoidable or a weekend plan that keeps you away. So take the first chance you can get and get to the gym
• Find the right kind of cardio for you.
  I find that stepper gives me much better results than elliptical. I also tried group x classes like STEP. I also know that I hate running for cardio - I give up too fast. Swim works the best. Try a few out before you decide what works best for you.
• Find a work out buddy
  This works best for cardio.
• Get 2 days to do weights
  Figure out what weight pushes your limits for different muscle groups and work with it. Pick weights that barely let you complete your 3 sets , each with 20 reps?
• Time, motivation and attitude
  The day you are supposed to go to the gym , set aside extra time.Mine is the hour after I wake up - the hour before I get to the gym. This time will be useful for the last minute slackers. :P During your extra time, use your motivational tools ( memory of a bad photo, all the food you ate, how good your friend looks, a dress you want to get into.. ) to push yourself into the gym.
  Deep breath and say I CAN DO THIS ..now say it again .. this time with conviction :P and now try I WANT TO DO THIS
• And this is the most important one - watch what you eat.
  This is especially hard for Indians - we eat a lot of carbs and get too little protein in to us.Bay area engineers get the worst kind of deals. We eat out a lot and heavy.
• Dont Give up
  Cardio - it is the hardest for the first 10 minutes
  And then it gets better. Do not give up for the first 10 minutes. By then body is warmed up.
  Distract yourself with a book, tv or music - or conversation with a friend. Try not to watch the clock.

And now slowly, I'm getting where I need to be.  Will keep you posted if I fall off the healthy train or stay on it.
Good luck to all of you out there!!

Year 2011 and resolutions

I take stock of the year towards the end of December and wonder what I did best, what I wish I had done better and this year is no exception. This past year was full of events and some I want to remember, some I do not.
I like that I was in India for about 6 weeks spread across the year. I like that we moved to a nicer house. I like that we had a fun summer with lots of activities and a pleasant winter dotted with parties.
Things that bothered me this year seem far away now.
The long hours on the flight, the miserable 36 hours with minimal rest days, the sick days - all seem distant.
I like that these last days of the year have been pleasant.
I have not decided if I will do the whole "new years resolution " this time. I have noticed that the times I do it, i set too high standards that I do not follow through.
So this year, I started early on little things and I plan to constantly check myself. The whole brand new beginnings associated with a Jan 1st is just silly. I find that my plans for getting better at things work better when I do not look at a new year as a new beginning but each new week as one. This way, I do not give up thinking I didn't do it well  so lets try starting next year or next birthday. Instead I rewind my springs every Monday morning and take on the week at full sprint. Sure, I wind down and by Thursday evening I am all burned out but this way I accomplish more over my 5 working days and catch myself from failing before end of day Saturday. This way, I do my chores better towards the beginning of the week instead of letting it build go and catching up to it at random intervals when i find things falling apart. I will myself to go to the gym every Monday despite failed attempts over previous 3 days.
So even if I end up declaring a resolution, it will probably be that I stick to my Monday morning ritual of self assurance and list making :D ;P The goal is to consciously go through every day and to never let it just go by me.
I wish every one in my life happy planning and the best for the year to come! Have a wonderful 2012 !

I miss him so

Does this happen to every one? I find that I see him in some one every day. It sends a wave of grief that washes over  me and then as I ponder about it, I smile remembering something fond about him.
The other day, it was a man at the airport. His mustache send me spiraling down  memory lane. I remembered how it was shaped and how it moved when he smiled. Another time, it was a suede pant that someone wore.
Each time, there is a sharp burst of pain somewhere deep and then as I pull myself out of the miserable few minutes, I remember him for everything he was for me. He was my link to home, to normalcy when I was far away. He was my pillar, my companion, my friend when I spent months at home being desperate without a job. He kept me entertained and helped me adapt to my brand new life.
We shopped, cooked, read and gossiped, discussed religion, politics and so much more.
Now that link is gone and I miss him terribly. I constantly wonder where he is and what he is up to. I wonder when this would go away and when he will just be a pleasant memory. Though, I am not sure I want it that way.
I guess I am just extra sad today and I wish he was still around.

Family Matters

When does a parent stop being the person who knows what is best for their child? Does that ever happen?
Granted they gave you life and raised you and tried to make you a better image of themselves, but when does their stake on your life's decisions end? Does it ever?
I love my parents and they have managed a fine balance when it comes to my  personal space. This is not about them. This is about a lot of the people in my life who find it difficult to say "No" and stand up against their family.
Who decides what career a young teenager should choose?
If the child has an aptitude to write and leans towards journalism, what right does the parent have to force engineering upon him?
When an adult decides that he has found his soul mate, what right does the parent have to forbid him?
Sure, the decision any member of the family makes affects the entire unit but where does the feeling of a whole being end and a sense of individuality begin?
Why does the parent not understand that in an attempt to make life acceptable for the family, it is tearing their child apart?
I wish sons and daughters wouldn't be thought of as out castes because they disagreed with the parents and moved out.
What is the best way to work through differences in the family? For some like me, it worked out to listen, agree and go with the advices. But for others, that decision ruined their happiness.
For some, betraying the parents worked out well and others lived lonely lives.
Is there no way to compromise and work on an understanding?

Adapting!

I am back in India again. It took me some time to finally plan this trip right for work and I thought that it would be easy. And I was partly right. The mechanics of it was easy - book tickets, pack, get myself to the airport, clear security, board, fly, land, collect luggage and walk out. Ha!!
Now comes the hard part. In the 2 years that I had spend adapting to my life in California, I seem to have unlearned every skill that I acquired being a Malayali in cochin.
When I lived in God's own country, I could cross a busy road with ease. I could drive like a maniac - squeezing my scooty pep between Innovas and auto rickshaws. I could stand in a crowded bus perfectly balanced on my legs without holding on to the railings as the bus sped at 60Km per hr swaying this way and that!
Now, i wait forever to get a big enough gap to cross the road - the other day I met Suman for lunch and she got so exasperated waiting for me to cross the road that she yanked my arm and walked across the road - all I could do was close my eyes and let her lead the way!
I flinch everytime some one honks or comes too close to the car my Dad drives - i bet it drives him crazy to see me be on the edge when we are out :-)
And now I am also intimidated by auto drivers - there was this one time i was going back to my office and my directions got the auto rickshaw driver lost. I was desperate to get to the right location and I confused him with my own mix of Hindi, Tamil, Malayalam and English. The poor auto rickshaw man pulled over and said
"Maam, I am auto rickshaw driver for 20 years.. I never lost.. this first time.. why maam!! enna kodumai!!"
I was speechless! I ruined the poor man's reputation.
But he was even more stunned that his outburst hadn't earned him an earful. I guess I lost my knack to converse or rather argue with auto rickshaw drivers. I kept quiet as he asked for directions and finally got me to my office. He looked worried and didnt even let me pay the amount he had originally asked for.
It has been two weeks now and I am a bit better at this. I went shopping on my own. Though I didnt buy anything, I am glad that I went out and walked the streets just for the fun of it.
I even stopped at the man on the street with the little cart who was selling warm corn with pepper and lime. I took some back to my room - savoring each spoonful of the deliciousness..
Atleast these are some things that have not changed.. I still love street food.. I still love Indian rains.. I love my home, family & friends and these will never change.

2011 is here

By now I have lost faith in such a thing as a New Year's Resolution. in the last 10 years, I have never been able to carry any of these impulsive hopeful decisions for more than a few weeks..
The greatest example being last years number of blog posts. I couldn't believe myself - 2 posts in the whole of last year.

This year no resolutions just want to enjoy each day as it comes....

My Adventures with "Cancer pagurus"

I know it has been a while since I wrote anything but for a long time either there was nothing worth writing about or i was drowning at work so, couldn't get to it.
As thanksgiving approaches, activity in the kitchen kicks up a notch. Starting with Halloween, all the way till Christmas, I start experimenting with various recipes.
For Halloween, my kitchen activity was limited to sweet dishes.
I went with meringue ghosts, chocolate truffles and oatmeal raisin/cranberry cookies.

All that aside, I discovered a whole new joy, malayali crab curry! I got the recipe from my mother in law. I must say she is quite fearless when it comes to sea food. I walked into Lions (local super market) with her and cringed when I saw giant glass boxes filled with crawling lobsters, fish and crabs. Anything with more than 4 legs makes me nervous. I almost fainted when the guy behind the counter grabbed a crab that mummy picked out from inside the tank. The 6 legs moved all over the place and the man skillfully kept his hands safe.

As the man dealt with the crab, cleaning it, cutting it up and packing it up, I thought of Julie and Julia when the Julie tried to cook lobster. Once i got over the initial feelings for the crab now sitting neatly packed on my kitchen counter, things were easy. Getting over the fear, and the general want to not touch it was not easy. Several minutes of staring, poking, spraying with water to make sure that the chopped up crab was indeed dead - and then I was ready to cook it.

The process of cooking was very rewarding. The chopping of the onions, ginger, garlic, green chillies resulting in a full minute of blurred vision, the saute process when the whole kitchen smells like heaven, the maturing of the masala and finally the addition of the crab. After 3 whistles from my trusted pressure cooker, my tiny apartment smelled like my aunt's place in Kollam (the smell of vacation) .

The whole crab vanished in 2 meals as Arvind and I attacked it.

The next chance I got, I bought more crab and surprisingly this time too I spend a lot of time convincing myself that it is truly dead.
I repeated the same recipe with slightly different components. First time i got raw blue crab with kashmiri chillie powder. This time i tried with pre-cooked wild crab and regular red chillie powder. It turned out much better (more meat, more heat).

Good Bye 2009, Welcome 2010!

An eventful year has gone by and I can only look back and sigh! Days of wonder, joy, sadness and struggle.
I can't seem to want to look at it as a start to a new decade. It's just too much to grasp. The thought of comparing the last 10 years to the 10 years to come is simply too much. So, 2009 is a year when a lot changed for me. I spend my first new year as a wife last year, I quit my job, moved to USA, spend about 7 months battling options of employment and college, started a new work, moved to a new home! whew!! that is too much.

I guess the 2 most sad moments in my life were leaving Madurai and then leaving Ernakulam. That is the hardest thing that I have ever done and it still hurts somewhere deep within me when my mind wanders to those days. I remember the night I shifted all my stuff out. The last bus ride from Madurai. The good byes I never said because I was afraid that I might break out in tears. I think my friends understood. I simply couldn't say good bye. And then leaving home- during the day, I rushed through packing and doing chores that needed to be done before I left and I didn't stop to reflect on my feelings till I sat alone in the airport terminal at Cochin waiting for my plane. It was overwhelming and only the thought of a new life with Arvind kept me going while I waited for the boarding call.

Now, it seems far away. Life is pleasant with moments of great fun. Happy moments that I will remember about the last year are how the year started at Casino with Arvind and his family, Delhi and Agra with Arvind, going back to work feeling married, my first letter addressed to me as Mrs Anu Chettur ( my mom wrote to me...), The trip to kodai with venki and the gang, the time I spend at home before I left, the trips I took with Arvind, the little parties that went on and on.... baking endless batches of cupcakes and goodies, thanksgiving at mom's place and then at ours and then Christmas and the day after that. All good times - blessed with friends and family.

I guess this year won't be as eventful as last year but I hope it brings me all the opportunities that I dream of. Good Luck to my friends Aisu and Ria who are starting this year with a new spin. Hope your marriages are wonderful experiences for both of you. I miss you girls a lot. Good Luck to Anish who too has exciting events lined up for him this year. Cheers to Dilip who has kept his vision defined and may you reach your goal by the end of the year! Congrats to Arun on his new job and Milan on her wonderful life overseas.

This year will be different for all you guys. So, so different. So Hurray to a year well spend and Welcome to the year 2010.

Bookie Me -1

A few months ago, a friend of mine on facebook posted a list of 100 books that are must reads and asked “how many have you read?”. I looked at the list and scrolled down and down and down….. very few books that I had read. Many I hadn’t heard about. And I call myself a bookie!

Here are the books from that list that I have already read:

Jane Eyre - Charlotte Bronte 
Harry Potter series - JK Rowling
Great Expectations - Charles Dickens
Little Women - Louisa M Alcott
Gone With The Wind - Margaret Mitchell
Alice in Wonderland - Lewis Carroll
Anna Karenina - Leo Tolstoy
David Copperfield - Charles Dickens
Emma-Jane Austen
The Da Vinci Code - Dan Brown
Oliver Twist - Charles Dickens
The Secret Garden - Frances Hodgson Burnet
A Christmas Carol - Charles Dickens

And that’s it!! Out of the 100 must read books, I had read 13 titles!!! What a disappointment! And even worse is the realization that I read most of these when I was 16. I barely remember the stories.

So I decided that I would start reading the books on the list and cross out the once I have already read and the ones I now get my hands on.

I started out but then landed a job so now I have almost no guilt free time to spend on lavish reading. So I hope to read a book each month starting with Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen. I will update the list by January.

Meanwhile, try and get your hands on The Enchantress of Florence by Salman Rushdie. I read this book sometime in April and loved it. So many mysteries, a nice mix of facts and fiction… after watching Jodha Akbar, my imagination was running wild!

Thanksgiving

Halloween came and went uneventfully. I was looking forward to Thanksgiving. The harvest festival of this country is in many ways like the one in India. Harvest, gifts, vacation, travel, parades, television, feasts! It’s the same for Thanksgiving and Onam.

On Thanksgiving morning, we dressed up and went to our parent’s place. At home, we all sat together and ate this huge meal! Mushroom soup, Turkey, ham, stuffing, cranberry sauce, sea food salad, corn bread, casserole, mashed potatoes and gravy, sweet potato pie, and of course wine!

Family and friends – grownups, children and our dog! 2 hour long meal! Even after the plates were clean, we sat around the table making small talk. And even after all that food, we still found space for a bowl of ice cream!
It was unlike any other afternoon. All that food, and all that conversation, all that sluggishness that followed!! It felt oddly satisfying. By 3 in the afternoon, we were stretched out on our couch at home, barely able to move.
It wasn’t over for us. We had the left over carcass of the poor bird. It went straight into the croc-pot – with mushrooms, carrots, celery and stock. A soup was in the making. We had guests to entertain next evening.
We let the soup work itself as we slept on it and by next afternoon, we had a delicious pot full of turkey soup all ready to be served.

By 8 in the evening, our guests were ready and so was the table. Turkey breast, ham, mashed potatoes, chicken and pies. Arvind truly outdid himself. It was an amazing meal.

We sat till 3 in the morning, laughing, singing, playing till we could stay awake no more. When Vishal dozed off on the couch, we called it a day and crashed.
The weekend was fun filled. All that food, all those people and all that fun!

Scaling Mission Peak

I am not an athlete; not even close to it. My heart beats at 150 after just 2 minutes on an elliptical machine at 5 miles an hour. When I moved to Fremont, I was told that I should climb mission peak. I was sure that it would be a lot more than a causal trip and I was right. My husband and I tried 3 times before we succeeded.
Our first attempt was on a beautiful summer afternoon. During those days, staying at home had inspired me to hit the gym quite often and I was starting to build my strength. In spite of all the morning hours at the gym, we dragged ourselves to 3 turns and gave up because of failing light and hurting lungs. On the way back, I was pretty sure that I would never climb to the top- not with my stamina.
Our second try was out of pure guilt. Both of us had been very careless of our diet and exercise. So one late evening, we set out again with our dog. We climbed till our vision was compromised and the fear of mountain lions and hyenas got us to turn around. But even then we did not cross the height we climbed on our first attempt.
Summer rushed by and fall started. I put mission peak out of my head thinking I won’t have to think about it for the rest of the year. Temperatures dropped, leaves changed color and the days got shorter. And one beautiful afternoon, Arvind came home in a wonderful mood. He’s just had a beautiful drive around Fremont on the way back. “Let’s go for a drive and walk” he said. We drove around the neighborhood and end up underneath mission peak.

[Picture : Almost there!]

It’s 3 in the afternoon and we have plenty of light. So the 3 of us began our climb. We paced ourselves and in 2 hours, we are at the top – freezing! It didn’t matter! We made it to the top and both of us were proud. It was beautiful I bet looks even more beautiful during the day!!

[Picture - View from the top - The bay]

Now came the dangerous part. Sun had begun to set and we had a long way down the hill. It took us an hour to get all the way down. Slipping, falling, stumbling, we managed to get down the hill unhurt.
We simply had to reward ourselves. A long dinner at Outback! The food was delicious but neither of us had any energy left in us to care. We gobbled up our food, packed up the leftovers and hurried home to fall asleep- satisfied.

American Days 1- The Journey Home


It's been over a month and i guess i can safely say i have settled in. Moving to the other side of the planet is a big thing. I had expected it to be and may be that helped me cushion the big blow that came with the change. From the moment I landed in this new alien land I kept my eyes and ears wide open trying to grasp and experience all the new stuff around me. It was overwhelming and i was fighting to not gasp at seemingly ordinary things.
Stepping outside the airport was a big relief and i welcomed it and turned every corner of the path pushing my trolley hoping to see Arvind waiting there for me and he was there just as I had remembered him.
Once we got out of the big buildings I realized how tiny i was. I was tiny in India but this was just "out of proportion". Coming from Cochin where every one has just enough space for everything, this was spacious.
The parking lot was huge and I stood there staring at the cars parked side by side neatly. I realized why the cars over here were much bigger when i saw the first family walking up to their car parked beside us. I was really tiny.
It took me only a few minutes to get used to the size difference.
All throughout the ride home Arvind was smiling and chuckling as I ooohed and aahed and gasped at things around me. When I realized that he was laughing at me I had to blush coz all that I saw around me was new only to me and I was pointing at really ordinary stuff. Seeing my embarrassment he said, "Its ok.. i felt the same when I came here first". "Yeah... but you were 13!!!". I forgot the embarrassment as we sped through the bay bridge and I kept quiet - just watching the view as we went home.
The drive from SFO held me quiet as I watched the clear blue of the skies and the greenish blue of the ocean sped past.
















(view as the plane landed)



There were wide roads and traffic was a new experience.
As we got closer to home, the big and tall buildings of SFO were replaced by smaller ones with beautiful flowers lining the buildings and dividers. Homes has neat lawns and slanting roofs with tiles. Mento Terrace was just a few minutes away and I remember walking into my new home and being greeted by my new family and my first dog -Jude

More to Pen and Pencil

I got some time these days to myself and i tried out some sketches. Here they are:




















I found some crayons lying around in the study space and tried a rose flower.
I also found a picture of a face on the internet. I liked the idea so sketched a face on my own.






















This is something that i started drawing while at Madurai.




















I never got the chance to complete it. I left that sketch book in India when I came here. So all I have now is the photo of the incomplete sketch




















So.. one day I'm feeling bored and Lazy.. there is nothing on TV that is interesting, I got tired of reading... i sketched a part of Arvind's office room.




















Just wondering....




















Thats all for now...

Time for a short entry here: 14/4/2009

Vishu...

Today is the first day of the malayalam Month Medam and also the first day of the astronomical new year for us malayalis.

(Krishna's deity)

This year's vishu will be treasured in my memories for longer than all other such festivals of the state.

I am leaving the country and joining my husband and his family and this is one last round of celebrations here at home.

Thoough none of our cousins were coming over this year, mom and dad wanted to make this year's vishu celebrations 

just as grand as usual.

We spend yesterday evening arranging for "Vishukani". 

This is the part of vishu when all of us sat down in the pooja room and decorated it in yellow, red and gold.

As usual, it was my job to dress up the Krishna vigraham.

Kani konna was arranged in an old uruli with fruits and rice, coconut and money and gold - all symbols of richness and prosperity.

(Vishu kani arrangements - the night before vishu)

Lamps were lit and arun and I recited vishnu sahasranaamam and grandma recited a part of the ramayana.

(Grandma reading ramayana)

We then went to the most fun part of the evening. Crackers!! Lots and Lots!!

(Mom, Me and Arun with crackers)

(Crackers at home)

After making more than our share of noise, we went to bed so as to wake up early for the start of the new year.

Dad woke me up at 3:30 with his palm over my eyes, he brought me before the kani... It was beautiful...

Grandma gave us vishu kaineetam and then we all went back to sleep.

I spend the whole morning calling up people and wishing them new year. Mom and grandma made payasam and a good lunch.

It was a simple vishu with just 5 of us but it was very precious....

Will miss it a lot!!!

Dad's gift

I'm leaving the country in 18 days. Dad and I decided to go on a trip to his home town. Kongad is a quite little place nestled among the ghats. A very green and beautiful place. I've been there many times and have spend a lot of time in my grandmother's home with my cousins.

I remember not having much to do back then. I wasn't too mischievous growing up. So, climbing trees was out, throwing stones at ripe mangoes was a crazy thought - my aim isn't too good. 

Cycling was definitely out of the question as no cycles were available around there.

I remember walking around the place looking at strange flowers and fruits and picking ripe tamarind off the grass and hiding it in my pockets. I didn't mind having nothing much to do. As a child i kept to myself and enjoyed being alone with my own imaginations.

This time the trip to Kongad was different.

I am 23. Not the quite girl with a lot of silent thoughts but a talkative one. My dad 

is my best friend and I can spend days with him with no other entertainment. Just talking.

So this trip was special. Just the 2 if us heading out in our car to Kongad. Pooram was at its peak of celebrations at the local temple and that was our first destination.

When we got there, the crowd was a surprise. I had been to the Pooram 7 years ago and my memory of it was hazy. But dad was surprised at the crowd.

We zig zagged through the crowd looking for my grand mother and her sister -in-law with no luck. We gave up the idea of finding them and decided to walk around and enjoy the evening.

The first things we saw was the kottikayattam. 

The goddess was taken to the pond and bathed and brought back on an elephant, accompanied by more elephants and drummers.

That was a sight. 

My heart gave a lurch as the elephants climbed the stairs that lead from the pond to the temple. These graceful and slow animals seemed to not mind the deafening noise around them. In 10 minutes I was soaked with perspiration. Man! it was too hot to be allowed.

Dad and I walked away from the crowd for some fresh air. He and I walked to the ponds where my dad used to go swimming in. He showed me houses of his schoolmates and places that he used to meet friends.

Sarppakavu near the pond.

It was fun to walk around and see his life the way he lived it before i was born. That was an interesting experience.

Later that night, I, my dad, his mom, uncle and aunt went to the temple again to listen to the thaambakam.

The stalls were put up and there were lights all over the place.

By the time it was 11:00 at night i was too sleepy to sit around and watch the elephants so I got home and slept.

This trip was very enjoyable. The place was beautiful as always. People there are innocent and lovable and I will miss it dearly.

Thanks dad for the trip...

The Taj

We’ve been told about many spectacles in life and when we finally come face to face with one, we feel a sense of elation. I’ve felt that elation before when I saw a rainbow for the first time. I remember that feeling even though it is an ancient memory. I had imagined it, seen it in drawings and photos and I even drew it in my little drawing book – all 7 colors with sun and clouds and little houses in the picture.

I expected the same feeling when I visited Agra – The Taj.

The feelings were different though. The rainbow’s occurrence was unexpected. It’s presence was just pointed out and I had jumped up and down with joy. The Taj however was an imagined vision lingering just beyond my eyesight – I knew it was there but hadn’t seen it yet.

Standing in line to get through the security check, my thoughts were nowhere near the Taj even though that’s where I was headed. I felt a nudge from Arvind and I looked up from rummaging in my bag to see the spectacle I will never forget in my life. Through the entrance of the sandstone fort stood a vision in white, so majestic that the thought that it is a mausoleum never struck me. I just stood there – feeling a feeling I’ve never felt before.

The beauty of the structure hit me before the stories that lay behind it did.

It was cold and there was a light fog. That made the Taj look even more beautiful, mysterious and majestic.

At the distance, the grandeur held me spell bound for a while- a few snaps were taken and the guide rushed us to go closer. The winter was biting through us and the Taj would soon be lost to darkness in a few minutes. We moved on along the line of fountains that led to the Taj.

Up close, the intricate work on the surfaces and the symmetry of the sides stunned me- so did the architecture where a 4 sided pillar looked 8 sided- trick of light.

Inside lay Mumtaz, the beautiful and the lucky; all around Agra, tour guides spoke about Mumtaz and Shah Jahan and their love for each other – of how Mumtaz was a very beautiful woman – one guide even went on to explain how Shah Jahan was bad at fishing because he could never concentrate as he was distracted by the beautiful Mumtaz.

The atmosphere was the best for us 2 newly weds to wander around – lost in time – in the stories of the great kings and queens- in their love and legendary grandeur.

So there we were at Agra, in the land of luxurious palaces, forts and memorials, a land with stories of love and affection…