And so another Christmas is gone. I no longer feel the enthusiasm to take out our tree from storage and decorate it. Luckily for me, my daughter & her daughter came over for a weekend (she lives 2 hrs drive away) and decorated the tree.
This time, for dinner on Christmas Day, my daughter and family and a nephew and niece were with us. I cannot believe that I cooked a dinner, all by myself, me, for whom cooking is a depressing chore! We had a chicken roast, a coca-cola pork pot roast, beans with bacon, a mushroom sauce, salad, garlic bread and icecream for dessert. I think I'm writing this down just to remind myself, at some later date, that I actually did it. Incidentally, except for the chicken, the recipes I got mostly through pinterest. Thank you Pinterest! Unfortunately nobody thought of taking any pictures.
Well now the end of 2015 is almost upon us. I do hope that 2016 will be a more peaceful year than this one was. Wishing everyone a peaceful and productive 2016.
31 December 2015
20 December 2015
Winter in Kerala
It is winter here 9.6°N of the equator. The sun shines with almost as much heat as usual. But the angle of the sunlight is different. The quality of the light makes the air feel just a tad cooler, the bird calls sound wintry and as I look at the sky I feel a yearning, [as Hans Christian Andersen's ugly duckling must have felt when he saw the other swans flying south at the beginning of winter] a yearning to be a bird, flying high in the thinner air. There is also a tug in my heart, a nostalgia for times gone by. The light makes me aware that another year is on it's way out and a new one to come, hopefully more peaceful than this one was.
The shadows chase each other outside my window, but the shadows are fuzzy, not stark and the light gentle.
I love the December light.
The shadows chase each other outside my window, but the shadows are fuzzy, not stark and the light gentle.
I love the December light.
06 September 2015
US summer
I was in the US of A for around 5 weeks and just got back a week ago. As it was summer, we didn't have to load ourself up with extra clothing--our usual clothing for India was enough. There is a beautiful lake near where my son lives and I managed to walk almost every day, which certainly upped my stamina. But alas, all the desserts that are so easily available there, proved too much to resist towards the end of my stay and therefore, I have become a little more well endowed. The next time I shall endeavour to use a little more restraint and only eat dark chocolate and fruits and maybe the occasional gelato!
I really, really do want to go in Fall once.
I really, really do want to go in Fall once.
19 July 2015
26 June 2015
Z is for Zzzs
25 June 2015
Y is for Youth, Yesterday, Yawn
Youth is what seems so prized, that today, so many people--who can no longer make any claim to youth--wish to continue looking young and put themselves through so much, to achieve that end. But I am guessing that even those who want to look young, won't really want to go back to their youth. Whenever I think about it, I am quite glad I am no longer a teenager, especially in today's world, where anything deemed as weakness can be exposed and ripped apart cruelly, not just by your own circle, but by the world at large. When one is young, one is so conscious of one's shortfalls,plus the need to impress the world around is so great. The angst of the young can be so torturous. It's good to grow out of that.
Now youthfulness is another thing altogether. To me it signifies someone with the mental/physical energy of youth, but without the angst, someone who has gained wisdom from all the experiences they have been through and still have enthusiasm for life. I have a much older cousin like that, still ready--at 83--to have fun, and it's not that she's a super healthy 80 year old either.
Yesterdays are what those folks, not in their youth, have plenty of. My yesterdays form a kaleidoscope of colour, some blue, some really dark, dark and some bright and rainbow-like.
Yawn, sleepy time -- "Yawn, yawn , yawn your sleepies out (3)
And wiggle your waggles away. " A verse from a song my junior school kids sing :-)
Now youthfulness is another thing altogether. To me it signifies someone with the mental/physical energy of youth, but without the angst, someone who has gained wisdom from all the experiences they have been through and still have enthusiasm for life. I have a much older cousin like that, still ready--at 83--to have fun, and it's not that she's a super healthy 80 year old either.
Yesterdays are what those folks, not in their youth, have plenty of. My yesterdays form a kaleidoscope of colour, some blue, some really dark, dark and some bright and rainbow-like.
Yawn, sleepy time -- "Yawn, yawn , yawn your sleepies out (3)
And wiggle your waggles away. " A verse from a song my junior school kids sing :-)
24 June 2015
X is for Xylophone and Xi, and Xu
Xylophone, the musical instrument made of wooden panels, picture from Wikipedia
Incidentally Wikipedia says that the xylophone may have originated in Asia.
Of course, for this X post, I just had to look up the Scrabble dictionary, for 2 letter words with X and there were just the 2 words--Xi for a letter of the Greek alphabet and Xu, a Vietnamese coin.
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| "Xylophone" by Roumpf - Own work. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons |
Incidentally Wikipedia says that the xylophone may have originated in Asia.
Of course, for this X post, I just had to look up the Scrabble dictionary, for 2 letter words with X and there were just the 2 words--Xi for a letter of the Greek alphabet and Xu, a Vietnamese coin.
23 June 2015
W is for Wait
Wait--don't go
Wait--the night's still young,
Wait--I'll be alone
Wait--I'm scared of the dark
Wait, please wait with me
'Til I'm gone.
"Wait till the darkness is over,
Wait till the tempest is done,
Hope for the sunshine tomorrow,
After the shower is gone.
Refrain
Whispering hope, oh how welcome thy voice,
Making my heart in its sorrow rejoice."
Septimus Winner (1891)
22 June 2015
V is for vintage and vegetables
I had always associated the word Vintage with age--wine of a certain age or vintage clothes. But, on searching online dictionaries for the precise meaning of Vintage, apparently the word means not just aged but the finest quality of a certain period. From that it figured that if some Senior is labelled as vintage, it should be taken as a compliment--the finest from that age/year. All those who have grown old gracefully are certainly vintage then, which is why it is a pleasure being with such people, just as wine of a good vintage is a pleasure to drink :-) Here's to such people.
Vegetables are good for us as we all know. But try telling that to a majority of children, and, a large number of Syrian Christians (the community I belong to). For them eating vegetables is a sad necessity and usually done only during Lent. I remember my husband's grandmother, who never ate vegetables when it was not a Lent time, because, as she used to tell her daughter, she observed all the Lenten days of the Orthodox Church calendar ( quite a large number) and was a vegetarian on Fridays. So she felt she ate enough vegetables to make up for the rest of the year.
Vegetables are good for us as we all know. But try telling that to a majority of children, and, a large number of Syrian Christians (the community I belong to). For them eating vegetables is a sad necessity and usually done only during Lent. I remember my husband's grandmother, who never ate vegetables when it was not a Lent time, because, as she used to tell her daughter, she observed all the Lenten days of the Orthodox Church calendar ( quite a large number) and was a vegetarian on Fridays. So she felt she ate enough vegetables to make up for the rest of the year.
21 June 2015
U is for Umbrella
Here in Kerala, umbrellas are a very important accoutrement, especially during the monsoon. Since schools here begin their new year, with the start of the monsoon, one of the very important back-to-school items is an umbrella.
The ads for the various umbrellas start from sometime in May. The different brands vie with one another, in coming up with interesting looking umbrellas. But frankly speaking, since our monsoon rains are really strong, not even a really good raincoat can keep the wet out on a really rainy day, let alone an umbrella! Hence, at the school which my kids went to, the junior classes were not allowed to use umbrellas and were allowed only raincoats. So, it was almost like a rite of passage to becoming a high school student, to get an umbrella. I remember that my boys and friends took to carrying the old fashioned umbrella, a black brolly, to announce to all that they were no longer 'little'.
Here is a picture of the original Kerala umbrellas
The ads for the various umbrellas start from sometime in May. The different brands vie with one another, in coming up with interesting looking umbrellas. But frankly speaking, since our monsoon rains are really strong, not even a really good raincoat can keep the wet out on a really rainy day, let alone an umbrella! Hence, at the school which my kids went to, the junior classes were not allowed to use umbrellas and were allowed only raincoats. So, it was almost like a rite of passage to becoming a high school student, to get an umbrella. I remember that my boys and friends took to carrying the old fashioned umbrella, a black brolly, to announce to all that they were no longer 'little'.
Here is a picture of the original Kerala umbrellas
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| Old style palm leaf umbrella |
20 June 2015
T is for Teaching
I have been a teacher, off and on, for around 35 years. I did short stints, at the school where my children studied, as a substitute teacher. Then, in 1982, I joined my friend, who started a pre-school and have been there since then, with a 10 year gap in between. I enjoy teaching pre-school and junior school. Teaching, to me anyway, is to be part of the hope of a future. You read and hear about disastrous happenings and dismal news. But when you teach and you see the kids around you, you feel that possibly, one or more of these kids will grow up to be game changers, change the way life on earth is viewed, change the way things are done maybe--endless possibilities.
Besides, teaching small children helps keeps my mind from atrophying and keeps my mind young.
Besides, teaching small children helps keeps my mind from atrophying and keeps my mind young.
18 June 2015
S is for serene, serenity
Serene--the dictionary says, means calm, tranquil and Serenity is the state or quality of being calm.
Now, to me, certain places make one feel calm , but certain people have that quality too and that is what some saintly people seem to radiate. There is also, always, music that makes one serene.
Places that make me full of serenity--the seaside, especially at night, with the sound of the waves, walking in the mountains, being out on a dark, clear, star-filled night, watching some living being going busily about it's business, an empty church--all these give me a feeling of calm. Also, having a cool shower on a hot, sticky day, lying on a comfortable bed after a tiring day, drinking a tangy lime-mint drink in the shade, with the breeze blowing, having a baby sleeping on my shoulder (provided I'm sitting in a comfortable chair), watching a boat making it's way down a river or into the sea, all these too make me feel serene.
Now, to me, certain places make one feel calm , but certain people have that quality too and that is what some saintly people seem to radiate. There is also, always, music that makes one serene.
Places that make me full of serenity--the seaside, especially at night, with the sound of the waves, walking in the mountains, being out on a dark, clear, star-filled night, watching some living being going busily about it's business, an empty church--all these give me a feeling of calm. Also, having a cool shower on a hot, sticky day, lying on a comfortable bed after a tiring day, drinking a tangy lime-mint drink in the shade, with the breeze blowing, having a baby sleeping on my shoulder (provided I'm sitting in a comfortable chair), watching a boat making it's way down a river or into the sea, all these too make me feel serene.
16 June 2015
R is for Reminiscences
[reminiscence
noun
- 1.a story told about a past event remembered by the narrator."his reminiscences of his early days in Parliament"
synonyms: memories, recollections, reflections, remembrances, anecdotes; memoirs"her reminiscences of a wartime childhood" - 2.a characteristic of one thing that is suggestive of another."his first works are too full of reminiscences of earlier poetry" ]
Well, I am talking about the first meaning here.
For each day that one lives there are memories and hence, the older the one gets the more memories there are. I started a blog of reminiscences , but unfortunately, I have not kept up with it. But I am also linking to my late mother's blog(which I didn't have the heart to delete after she passed away 8 years ago). The last few posts were by me, but if you are interested in a few old time reminiscences, you can read her old posts.
15 June 2015
Q is for Quizzes, qi and qat too
This post is really short because, after all, how much can one do with Q, especially as we don't have a Queen in India, whom we could write about. So......
I love trying all sorts of quizzes and so, when I found the Quizzup app, I loved it. I'm also a sucker for trying all those Facebook quizzes--'what is your brain like' type of thing.
And as for the words Qi and Qat, they are the beloved of scrabble players, because they don't need the mandatory u after the q, so that one can place the q before a free i, or arrange qat very nicely over another word with, hopefully the q on a triple letter score, and get a huge number of points!
I love trying all sorts of quizzes and so, when I found the Quizzup app, I loved it. I'm also a sucker for trying all those Facebook quizzes--'what is your brain like' type of thing.
And as for the words Qi and Qat, they are the beloved of scrabble players, because they don't need the mandatory u after the q, so that one can place the q before a free i, or arrange qat very nicely over another word with, hopefully the q on a triple letter score, and get a huge number of points!
| A board with QI on it. |
14 June 2015
P is for Pineapples and Papayas
Pineapple is one among my top 5 favourite fruits. [I am an avid fruit lover.] Pineapples grow quite well in our state, though they don't look like the Dole pineapples at all. Whatever it is, I love them, prickly skin, eyes and all. Incidentally, if you do not want to peel and cut a whole pineapple, you can cut half the pineapple and leave one half, unpeeled, cut side down, on a plate in the fridge and it keeps quite fine for a couple of days. If you don't have a fancy corer for your pineapples, just use the lid of a small bottle to punch out the cores. Sorry I don't have any pictures.
Now for the papaya. I like papayas too, though they don't figure even among my top ten favourites. But, they grow easily around here, and one rarely goes out and plants a papaya, unless it's some fancy variety. We use the raw papaya too, but cooked, not like the Thai papaya salad, which is of raw uncooked papaya (which is delicious). Here are two pictures, one of a young papaya tree and a ripe papaya from that tree.
Now for the papaya. I like papayas too, though they don't figure even among my top ten favourites. But, they grow easily around here, and one rarely goes out and plants a papaya, unless it's some fancy variety. We use the raw papaya too, but cooked, not like the Thai papaya salad, which is of raw uncooked papaya (which is delicious). Here are two pictures, one of a young papaya tree and a ripe papaya from that tree.
12 June 2015
O is for Old and Opals
Yes, I am growing older-I am certainly not getting any younger anyway. But now it appears that the 60s are the new 40s :-).
According to the old Indian tradition, completing 60 years on this earth was a big achievement and with that one could put aside earthly responsibilities and devote oneself entirely to the spiritual. That was when one went on pilgrimages, if desired. But in those old days, without modern medicine, 60 was quite an age and the years beyond were a bonus. But now 60 is no longer that old. As long as we keep ourselves active, there are so many options for keeping ourselves busy and happy. I am now 63. My body may protest if I try to do quite as much as a younger person, my skin is not dewy, my hair is sprinkled liberally with grey and my face is lined. But what the heck, I don't care about all that kind of stuff any more. I may still want to look chic, but I no longer care that I am not skinny and that my flesh is sagging (big time bat-wing arms!). How liberating that is! So I think I'm pretty contented with where I am in time.
Opals are the Libra stone. I love their changeable colours. But my favourite is the greeny blue kind.
I'm taking a break tomorrow, because it is my grandson's birthday and I'll be attending that and staying over at their place. So next blog post on Sunday.
According to the old Indian tradition, completing 60 years on this earth was a big achievement and with that one could put aside earthly responsibilities and devote oneself entirely to the spiritual. That was when one went on pilgrimages, if desired. But in those old days, without modern medicine, 60 was quite an age and the years beyond were a bonus. But now 60 is no longer that old. As long as we keep ourselves active, there are so many options for keeping ourselves busy and happy. I am now 63. My body may protest if I try to do quite as much as a younger person, my skin is not dewy, my hair is sprinkled liberally with grey and my face is lined. But what the heck, I don't care about all that kind of stuff any more. I may still want to look chic, but I no longer care that I am not skinny and that my flesh is sagging (big time bat-wing arms!). How liberating that is! So I think I'm pretty contented with where I am in time.
Opals are the Libra stone. I love their changeable colours. But my favourite is the greeny blue kind.
I'm taking a break tomorrow, because it is my grandson's birthday and I'll be attending that and staying over at their place. So next blog post on Sunday.
11 June 2015
N is for ...............Night
Before deciding that I would choose Night for N, I was reading words beginning with N in the Scrabble dictionary and what fun it was coming across words like nudzh (another word for nudge) and nis (friendly goblin). I did think of 'niggling'; the very sound of the word seems to convey the meaning of 'niggling doubt', 'niggling worry'--like a sheet you pull flat and iron out, but with a tiny bump. But I finally went for night.
I love the night time and walking outside in the dark, when the weather is fine. Somehow boundaries seem to dissolve and I feel I sort of dissolve into my surroundings. I feel closest to my Maker then. Clear moonlit nights are an absolute delight. But then clear dark December nights, when the stars seem so near and clear, are beautiful too. At this time of the year, with the monsoon just beginning, there are plenty of fireflies and the frog chorus is loud and varied.
I love to watch the silhouette of the big fruit bats flying overhead, see the occasional owl, alight on a branch near me, hear the crickets call. Here, in Kerala, there are snakes--after all it is the tropics. But usually I have a dog with me, somewhere around and I take care not to walk at the edge of the road.
Sometimes, just sitting in the dark, doing nothing, is very soothing.
We need the night to rest our eyes and our bodies, and for our minds to process the day's events.
I love the night.
I love the night time and walking outside in the dark, when the weather is fine. Somehow boundaries seem to dissolve and I feel I sort of dissolve into my surroundings. I feel closest to my Maker then. Clear moonlit nights are an absolute delight. But then clear dark December nights, when the stars seem so near and clear, are beautiful too. At this time of the year, with the monsoon just beginning, there are plenty of fireflies and the frog chorus is loud and varied.
I love to watch the silhouette of the big fruit bats flying overhead, see the occasional owl, alight on a branch near me, hear the crickets call. Here, in Kerala, there are snakes--after all it is the tropics. But usually I have a dog with me, somewhere around and I take care not to walk at the edge of the road.
Sometimes, just sitting in the dark, doing nothing, is very soothing.
We need the night to rest our eyes and our bodies, and for our minds to process the day's events.
I love the night.
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| Almost night |
10 June 2015
M is for Monsoon-of course
Monsoon! This is the monsoon season , the rainy season brought by the South-West trade winds. In a good monsoon year, the rains begin by the end of May or first week of June and then it is rain, more or less continuously, till August, after which the rains lessen a bit. It would still rain everyday, but not the whole day. The monsoon is essential to India's economy. The whole country waits for the arrival of the monsoon for it to ease the heat of summer. Unfortunately, it should have begun early June and it should have been raining heavily and continuously now, but alas not so.
The sky today............
and how it should be...............
Hoping for it to improve.
The sky today............
and how it should be...............
Hoping for it to improve.
08 June 2015
L is for Libra, Learning
Yes I am a Libra--
This is, most of it, so correct, except the artistic bit :-)
Learning, as defined in the Oxford Dictionary is both (1)The acquisition of knowledge or skills through study, experience, or being taught, and (2)Knowledge acquired through study, experience, or being taught.
As one grows older, one is supposed to become wiser through the second type of learning-knowledge that is acquired. But for that to happen we have to be open to the first type of learning, whether it is learning from our experiences, or through self-study or through training to acquire new skills. Being open to the idea that we can always learn from the world around us keeps our minds young I think. Realising that, in spite of whatever knowledge we have acquired by the very fact of having lived so long, that there is still so much we do not know and will never know, is essential to keep us humble. As we grow old, many of us do tend to act as though we are beyond new learning, because we have seen it all. But, even an old dog can learn new tricks, or at least learn that there are these new tricks,which he may not be able to do. The fact that there all these tricks he can already perform, doesn't necessarily make him the most learned dog on the block.
So tomorrow on to M.
Learning, as defined in the Oxford Dictionary is both (1)The acquisition of knowledge or skills through study, experience, or being taught, and (2)Knowledge acquired through study, experience, or being taught.
As one grows older, one is supposed to become wiser through the second type of learning-knowledge that is acquired. But for that to happen we have to be open to the first type of learning, whether it is learning from our experiences, or through self-study or through training to acquire new skills. Being open to the idea that we can always learn from the world around us keeps our minds young I think. Realising that, in spite of whatever knowledge we have acquired by the very fact of having lived so long, that there is still so much we do not know and will never know, is essential to keep us humble. As we grow old, many of us do tend to act as though we are beyond new learning, because we have seen it all. But, even an old dog can learn new tricks, or at least learn that there are these new tricks,which he may not be able to do. The fact that there all these tricks he can already perform, doesn't necessarily make him the most learned dog on the block.
So tomorrow on to M.
07 June 2015
K is for Kerala, Kovalam.....
Kerala is the state I'm from and where I live--advertised as 'God's won Country'. Here's a tourist map of my state. Nice one!
Kovalam is one of my favourite beaches, also because it is the best beach, reachable in less than half a day. There may be better beaches for swimming further north in the state, but I haven't been there.
Kovalam is a little south-west of the capital Trivandrum. Since my grandfather lived in Trivandrum for a while, I have been visiting Kovalam for almost 50 years. So I have seen it grow from a small fishing village, but with a beautiful beach, to the touristy place it has become today. The now much more popular beach there--the so called Eve's beach--was a very difficult place to access when we were young. It began to be developed around 30 years back. Now it is the main tourist hangout in Kovalam area. A picture of the sunset there, one of the many I have taken.
K is also for Kolkata, where I did my high school. Of course when I was there then, it was spelt with a C! I haven't been to Kolkata now for over 25 years. So I have no pictures. I have been planning a visit there for a while. Hope to make it not in too distant a future.
Kovalam is one of my favourite beaches, also because it is the best beach, reachable in less than half a day. There may be better beaches for swimming further north in the state, but I haven't been there.
Kovalam is a little south-west of the capital Trivandrum. Since my grandfather lived in Trivandrum for a while, I have been visiting Kovalam for almost 50 years. So I have seen it grow from a small fishing village, but with a beautiful beach, to the touristy place it has become today. The now much more popular beach there--the so called Eve's beach--was a very difficult place to access when we were young. It began to be developed around 30 years back. Now it is the main tourist hangout in Kovalam area. A picture of the sunset there, one of the many I have taken.
06 June 2015
J is for Jazz and Jackfruit
Jazz is definitely my go-to music. I love Western and Eastern Instrumental Classical Music as well as, of course, oldies from when I was young-60s and early 70s mainly--and Latin music too, but there I end up listening to Latin Jazz.
My all time favourite piece--Take Five.
I was introduced to Jazz by my elder brother when I was about 15 and my love for Jazz has only grown with age.
Now for the Jackfruit. It is one of the very common fruits here--from about January till around June end. It is supposed to be the largest tree borne fruit. The wood is also hardy and is often used to make furniture here. Here is a picture of one of my trees with fruit. The fruit is cooked and eaten as a vegetable when raw and, when ripe, eaten as is or made into sweet dishes.
My all time favourite piece--Take Five.
Now for the Jackfruit. It is one of the very common fruits here--from about January till around June end. It is supposed to be the largest tree borne fruit. The wood is also hardy and is often used to make furniture here. Here is a picture of one of my trees with fruit. The fruit is cooked and eaten as a vegetable when raw and, when ripe, eaten as is or made into sweet dishes.
05 June 2015
I is for icecream
Our very own Amul ice cream
Summer is getting over in my part of the world as the monsoon starts. Once the monsoon is in full swing, ice cream generally gets the go by. But we had plenty of ice cream during the summer vacation, especially with my four grandchildren around. We had plenty of Amul Vanilla ice cream. I also made this awesome Mango ice cream from Edible garden's recipe, which, in spite of being really easy to make, was decadently smooth and so yum!I am linking to the Wikipedia page on ice cream because it's interesting (What's not to be interesting after all)
04 June 2015
A break
I should have been posting I for____, whatever but I am taking a break.
Someone in my friends' list, on Facebook, had shared this post and photo by Sheryl Sandberg and that was the first thing I saw this morning. I started reading and I could not continue beyond the first paragraph. I was taken over by a storm of weeping. I had to force myself to read the full post through a thick curtain of tears. I wanted to reach out to her and tell her that I know just how it is. I thought of my daughter-in-law, and how she's doing a pretty good job at 'beating the shit out of option B' although I know she still wants option A pretty much most of the time.
Sheryl Sandberg says she learned compartmentalize is healthy. Oh I endorse that completely. It's the only way to go on living.
I had recently re-read this post of mine about the bank of shelves in my mind. A year or so after I had written that post, the bank of shelves had sort of faded, because most of it had been looked and sorted. But now the huge chest-of-drawers is back, but full of stuff related to my son. Some are tightly shut and I dare not open them, some occasionally come open a bit, I peek in and shut them up again and some I open and look at and sort and sigh maybe, but it is something I can open again and again. And so that is how my mind compartmentalizes.
Someone in my friends' list, on Facebook, had shared this post and photo by Sheryl Sandberg and that was the first thing I saw this morning. I started reading and I could not continue beyond the first paragraph. I was taken over by a storm of weeping. I had to force myself to read the full post through a thick curtain of tears. I wanted to reach out to her and tell her that I know just how it is. I thought of my daughter-in-law, and how she's doing a pretty good job at 'beating the shit out of option B' although I know she still wants option A pretty much most of the time.
Sheryl Sandberg says she learned compartmentalize is healthy. Oh I endorse that completely. It's the only way to go on living.
I had recently re-read this post of mine about the bank of shelves in my mind. A year or so after I had written that post, the bank of shelves had sort of faded, because most of it had been looked and sorted. But now the huge chest-of-drawers is back, but full of stuff related to my son. Some are tightly shut and I dare not open them, some occasionally come open a bit, I peek in and shut them up again and some I open and look at and sort and sigh maybe, but it is something I can open again and again. And so that is how my mind compartmentalizes.
02 June 2015
H is for Happiness
Happiness is apparently what everybody wants and is searching for. But, the meaning of happiness is so personal and unique to each person, formed by our personalities, which in itself is fascinating. For example many people say that love is essential to happiness; yet love itself, and the meaning and expression of love is different for each person.
For me, happiness lies in fleeting moments, which even the memory of, gives me joy.
Happiness is--family close by, an unexpected hug from little children, because given freely; a walk on a moonlit night, reading a Terry Pratchett, or P. G. Wodehouse or--the funniest book I have read--Rosie is my Relative by Gerald Durrell :-); listening to music, exercising to music, feeling one with the universe on a starry night; singing/jamming with family and friends; all of these bring happiness and leave happy memories.
Wishing each one happiness.
I am adding a link to this old post of mine about favourite things.
For me, happiness lies in fleeting moments, which even the memory of, gives me joy.
Happiness is--family close by, an unexpected hug from little children, because given freely; a walk on a moonlit night, reading a Terry Pratchett, or P. G. Wodehouse or--the funniest book I have read--Rosie is my Relative by Gerald Durrell :-); listening to music, exercising to music, feeling one with the universe on a starry night; singing/jamming with family and friends; all of these bring happiness and leave happy memories.
Wishing each one happiness.
I am adding a link to this old post of mine about favourite things.
01 June 2015
G is for Grandfather
My maternal Grandfather is the only one I have seen. My other Grandfather died quite a few years before I was born.
My maternal Grandfather was really special. He was already a widower when I was born. He had 7 children of which my mother was the 5th. He was someone who participated wholly in life. I remember him visiting us in Bombay and then visiting his other daughter in Pune. He was not an old fogey at all. He was a fun grandfather when we used to visit him at his home in Kerala. My mother used to come home to her dad every year, with the three of us younger siblings. I remember him having made a tree house for my brother and me in a small guava tree and him telling us stories--my brother and me again as my sister was a baby then. He taught us to play ping-pong, as he used to have a table at home and he had a beautiful table with an inlaid chess board and beautiful chess men. He also loved cards and played bridge and canasta.
When he could no longer live on his own, he lived with one of his sons. Towards the end of his life--in his nineties, he lived with his eldest son. There he used to play bridge with some other friends from nearby, till he thought he was become a liability to whoever had to partner him. All his grandchildren loved visiting him, because he was always interested in each of us. He was always interested in the world around him; BBC radio was a constant companion.
He was a civil engineer and supervised the building of my parents' home in Trivandrum city, when he was in his eighties. The house is such a good construction and so well done, that the folks who bought it from my parents are very happy with the house and have done minimal work on it.
He died when he was almost 97, the year my youngest was born. Unfortunately he passed away before I could take my youngest to show him to my granddad, as I had done with my other two kids.
We all still remember him with great affection.
My maternal Grandfather was really special. He was already a widower when I was born. He had 7 children of which my mother was the 5th. He was someone who participated wholly in life. I remember him visiting us in Bombay and then visiting his other daughter in Pune. He was not an old fogey at all. He was a fun grandfather when we used to visit him at his home in Kerala. My mother used to come home to her dad every year, with the three of us younger siblings. I remember him having made a tree house for my brother and me in a small guava tree and him telling us stories--my brother and me again as my sister was a baby then. He taught us to play ping-pong, as he used to have a table at home and he had a beautiful table with an inlaid chess board and beautiful chess men. He also loved cards and played bridge and canasta.
When he could no longer live on his own, he lived with one of his sons. Towards the end of his life--in his nineties, he lived with his eldest son. There he used to play bridge with some other friends from nearby, till he thought he was become a liability to whoever had to partner him. All his grandchildren loved visiting him, because he was always interested in each of us. He was always interested in the world around him; BBC radio was a constant companion.
He was a civil engineer and supervised the building of my parents' home in Trivandrum city, when he was in his eighties. The house is such a good construction and so well done, that the folks who bought it from my parents are very happy with the house and have done minimal work on it.
He died when he was almost 97, the year my youngest was born. Unfortunately he passed away before I could take my youngest to show him to my granddad, as I had done with my other two kids.
We all still remember him with great affection.
31 May 2015
F is for Fantasy
I took a break yesterday because my daughter and family were here. So we were busy playing Scrabble. Today we are back to just the two of us--hillgrandmom and granddad and so there is time to blog.
The school year starts tomorrow. So I start work tomorrow.
Well here goes in the Ato Z. (I wish now I hadn't started!)
F is for Fantasy. I am a big fan of the Fantasy genre of fiction. In my childhood there was no such specific genre as I remember. I read a great deal of Enid Blyton's stories about fairies and elves and pixies and that was the sum of the Fantasy reading then. When I was a teenager, I did read occasional science fiction. But there was nothing like the kind of books available now. I had not read C. S. Lewis' the Lion, the Witch and Wardrobe as a child.
Then came the original Star Wars trilogy, by which time I was married and a mother, and I was completely hooked. I then read The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings series only much later and they made my fondness for Fantasy a passion. I passed on this love to my children and through them I read Douglas Adams' Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. I was introduced to Terry Pratchett's books by my children's friends and I loved them. To me Terry Pratchet, from the pictures of him that I saw, was like a Gandalf come to life. I am really sorry that he is gone. Since first reading the Hobbit, I have read a great deal of Fantasy and totally enjoyed myself escaping into that world.
The school year starts tomorrow. So I start work tomorrow.
Well here goes in the Ato Z. (I wish now I hadn't started!)
F is for Fantasy. I am a big fan of the Fantasy genre of fiction. In my childhood there was no such specific genre as I remember. I read a great deal of Enid Blyton's stories about fairies and elves and pixies and that was the sum of the Fantasy reading then. When I was a teenager, I did read occasional science fiction. But there was nothing like the kind of books available now. I had not read C. S. Lewis' the Lion, the Witch and Wardrobe as a child.
Then came the original Star Wars trilogy, by which time I was married and a mother, and I was completely hooked. I then read The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings series only much later and they made my fondness for Fantasy a passion. I passed on this love to my children and through them I read Douglas Adams' Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. I was introduced to Terry Pratchett's books by my children's friends and I loved them. To me Terry Pratchet, from the pictures of him that I saw, was like a Gandalf come to life. I am really sorry that he is gone. Since first reading the Hobbit, I have read a great deal of Fantasy and totally enjoyed myself escaping into that world.
29 May 2015
E is for Elephants
Elephants are the first thing I thought of for E because they are such a part of Kerala life. In the early years of my life in Kerala, elephants were much more visible. There seemed to have been a lot more working elephants at that time. So it wasn't uncommon to see an elephant walking along the road every other day, with it's trunk holding a big bunch of palm fronds for it's snack. Here is a recent picture which a friend took, of just such a site :-)
Till last year, there was an elephant at a sawmill very close to where I stay. He used to be working at the saw mill and he was almost always there at the mill. It was a common sight to see him pulling out big logs. But at the end of 2013, the saw mill started using a crane, mainly because the road was being widened and the elephant needed more space to pull and push than the crane did. For a while after the crane came , the elephant continued to stay at the mill, but in a retired position and we took my grandkids to see him last year. Now I think he has gone away.
But elephants are still used for temple festivals, temples considering it very prestigious, to have and elephant to carry the resident temple idol during the temple festival and the more elephants the better. It takes a heavy toll on the elephants because the festivals are usually during summer and they are outside, just standing in the heat. There are guidelines now though, from the government veterinary departments on the treatment of elephants and often Vets are often posted during big temple festivals.
Here is a picture of the ceremonial 'nettipattam' which adorns the elephant's forehead during a festival--
Till last year, there was an elephant at a sawmill very close to where I stay. He used to be working at the saw mill and he was almost always there at the mill. It was a common sight to see him pulling out big logs. But at the end of 2013, the saw mill started using a crane, mainly because the road was being widened and the elephant needed more space to pull and push than the crane did. For a while after the crane came , the elephant continued to stay at the mill, but in a retired position and we took my grandkids to see him last year. Now I think he has gone away.
But elephants are still used for temple festivals, temples considering it very prestigious, to have and elephant to carry the resident temple idol during the temple festival and the more elephants the better. It takes a heavy toll on the elephants because the festivals are usually during summer and they are outside, just standing in the heat. There are guidelines now though, from the government veterinary departments on the treatment of elephants and often Vets are often posted during big temple festivals.
Here is a picture of the ceremonial 'nettipattam' which adorns the elephant's forehead during a festival--
Around 9 years ago, an elephant was brought to our house. It was quite a small elephant and was brought in a truck. His job was to haul onto a truck, some young teak trees that we had sold. The person who bought the trees had brought the elephant. It was hard work and once I saw the elephant protesting when he had to haul a big log. We brought him buckets of water, some of which he drank and some of which the mahout poured on him. The video here (sorry not too clear--phonophoto) is of that elephant working spliced with the video of another elephant working that we saw at an elephant camp.
28 May 2015
D is for ducks and dandelions
Ducks are a popular delicacy in the area of Kerala that I live. There are plenty to be seen in the water, near and in the Kerala backwaters--in fact huge droves of them. The ducks here are quite small compared to the wild ones that I saw near my son's place in the Chicago 'burbs. Duck eggs too are popular and you see the eggs piled up on the side of the road, if one drives near that backwaters. Here, in my part of India anyway, duck eggs are supposed to be better if you suffer from boils and piles! I bought 6 eggs recently cos I drove by the sellers. But my hubby was not too happy, and I ended up eating most of them.
In the case of dandelions, I am posting a poem, actually re-posting, with a reference to dandelions, posted first 9 years back and written even earlier, when my children were just leaving the nest.
I feel a bit more forlorn,
A little more blue.
But I will never stop you,
Even if I could.
To go your own way,
To follow your own path;
While I will pray
For gentle zephyrs
To waft you high,
Then deposit you gently back to earth
Where you will take root and grow your own
Dandelion stalks swaying in the breeze.
In the case of dandelions, I am posting a poem, actually re-posting, with a reference to dandelions, posted first 9 years back and written even earlier, when my children were just leaving the nest.
I stand, a dandelion stalk in the breeze,
Each gust takes away a few more tufts,
Some fly high and are wafted far;
Others fall nearer.
With the passing of each breeze
I am left a little more alone.
Each gust takes away a few more tufts,
Some fly high and are wafted far;
Others fall nearer.
With the passing of each breeze
I am left a little more alone.
I feel a bit more forlorn,
A little more blue.
But I will never stop you,
Even if I could.
To go your own way,
To follow your own path;
While I will pray
For gentle zephyrs
To waft you high,
Then deposit you gently back to earth
Where you will take root and grow your own
Dandelion stalks swaying in the breeze.
27 May 2015
C is for Curry, Crows and Children
Being an Indian, there is no life without curry of some kind. Here, in the south, Kerala at least, curry means anything with gravy, as we have varied names for the different dry dishes. Along with curry I guess I should mention curry leaves, because there is not a single Kerala dish without curry leaves, except maybe raw dishes, like an onion salad or a raw coconut chutney; which is probably why so many of the South Indians in far flung places tried to grow the plant. There is no way one can substitute dried curry leaves--the fragrance just isn't there.
Crows are a part of Indian life. They are there, wherever there are people. They are an integral part of India's bio-degradable garbage recycling too. Scientists have apparently found out that crows are capable of using tools. Anyway, I for one, have great fun watching at my bird bath during summer. I usually keep it full of water during the summer. The crows come, usually around 5 pm and they take turns to have a bath. Drinking the water is less important than the bath. Each one looks around carefully for danger and then steps in and splashes merrily. The next one waits outside the bath, or on a nearby tree limb waiting for it's turn--all very polite. I'm linking to a page on RK Laxman--one of our best cartoonists--who was a great crow lover and did a vast number of crow sketches.
As for children, they are central to my life; I teach at a pre-school and in a junior school. Then I have my grown-up children and 4 grandchildren, all of whom are, naturally, an important part of my life. So, particularly when school is on, a fairly large part of my day revolves around children and I, mostly, enjoy my time with them.
So on to D tomorrow.
Crows are a part of Indian life. They are there, wherever there are people. They are an integral part of India's bio-degradable garbage recycling too. Scientists have apparently found out that crows are capable of using tools. Anyway, I for one, have great fun watching at my bird bath during summer. I usually keep it full of water during the summer. The crows come, usually around 5 pm and they take turns to have a bath. Drinking the water is less important than the bath. Each one looks around carefully for danger and then steps in and splashes merrily. The next one waits outside the bath, or on a nearby tree limb waiting for it's turn--all very polite. I'm linking to a page on RK Laxman--one of our best cartoonists--who was a great crow lover and did a vast number of crow sketches.
As for children, they are central to my life; I teach at a pre-school and in a junior school. Then I have my grown-up children and 4 grandchildren, all of whom are, naturally, an important part of my life. So, particularly when school is on, a fairly large part of my day revolves around children and I, mostly, enjoy my time with them.
So on to D tomorrow.
26 May 2015
B is for Boondocks and Brouhaha
I know, I missed yesterday. An unplanned visit by 10 year old grandson drove all thoughts of blogging, A to Z and such like, out of my mind. So here goes for B.
There are some words that are so good to hear and fun to use. Boondocks and Brouhaha both fit in that category. But I always wondered about Boondocks, as to whether it was a real place like Timbuktu. But, sadly, so Wikipedia informs me, that is not so. There is no interesting place called 'The Boondocks". It apparently comes for the Tagalog language from Philippines, which means mountain and hence far away and rural. That was a bit of a disappointment.
Brouhaha sounds such a polished way of denoting a hullabaloo, so proper sounding. The online Thesaurus also gives 'hubbub', 'uproar' and 'katzenjammer'. Uproar somehow just doesn't cut it--sounds more like denoting children's tantrums; but I must say 'katzenjammer' sounds good.
Well on to tomorrow and C,
There are some words that are so good to hear and fun to use. Boondocks and Brouhaha both fit in that category. But I always wondered about Boondocks, as to whether it was a real place like Timbuktu. But, sadly, so Wikipedia informs me, that is not so. There is no interesting place called 'The Boondocks". It apparently comes for the Tagalog language from Philippines, which means mountain and hence far away and rural. That was a bit of a disappointment.
Brouhaha sounds such a polished way of denoting a hullabaloo, so proper sounding. The online Thesaurus also gives 'hubbub', 'uproar' and 'katzenjammer'. Uproar somehow just doesn't cut it--sounds more like denoting children's tantrums; but I must say 'katzenjammer' sounds good.
Well on to tomorrow and C,
24 May 2015
A is aardvarks, armadillos and anteaters
As you can guess, I am an animal lover and aardvark was the first word that came to mind for A! When googling for information on the aardvark, what got thrown up first was an Aardvark pest control organization, a management consulting firm and then a social search service--which was bought up by Google!!
An aardvark. It is related to the South American anteater, is a native of Africa and it's name means 'earth pig' in Afrikaans.
An aardvark. It is related to the South American anteater, is a native of Africa and it's name means 'earth pig' in Afrikaans.
Googling for armadillo, I found that there is an armadillo which has something to do with the computer language C++! I also found that there are many, many species of armadillos. I had only heard about the nine-banded armadillos and seen pictures of them, from reading Gerald Durrell's books. The picture here is from Wikipedia and is of the smallest species called the Pink Fairy Armadillo. Looks rather like a rabbit wearing armour.
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Google didn't come up with anything other than the animal when searching for anteater anyway. In 'Three Singles to Adventure' by Gerald Durrell, there is a hilarious account of his lassoing an anteater. The giant anteater is the one that is most commonly thought of as anteater, with it's really long slender snout. But there are three other species. This is a picture of a Northern tamandua--rather like an elongated panda!
So that's three types of anteaters. Tomorrow is B
23 May 2015
Blogging A to Z
After reading this on Jane Turley's blog, I've been wanting to try the challenge. I haven't blogged regularly for the longest time and never done something like this. But, after reading Jane's blog, my mind threw up all kinds of A to Z idea, though truth be told, it was only for the earlier letters. Anyway, here goes--the idea is to post every day except Sunday. I'm wondering whether to make that mid week and post all the other days. So I'll start from tomorrow--Sunday as the first day of the week and break mid-week on Wednesday.
16 May 2015
End of a packed 13 weeks.
I wake to a silent house. I make coffee and drink it sitting with Elsa, my Lab, with no interruptions. Quietness, feeling like a grey tangible 'thing,' is everywhere. There is no one trying to hog the computer, no quarreling over iPads; the lights and fans in every room are not on and no random toys in odd places. I attack one room at a time, sorting, putting away, with no calls of "Ammachy" (grandmom). But after a little while, I feel my stomach tightening and I cannot continue:
'But I'm bluer than blue
Sadder than sad
.............................
Life without (all of)you is gonna be
Bluer than blue'
All my 4 grandchildren were here and my son and wife from the US. The Indian grandkids live fairly close by and so I will see them fairly often. But the Americans we will not get to see--in the flesh--only after a year. Ah well, as always, thank heavens for FaceTime and Skype.
'But I'm bluer than blue
Sadder than sad
.............................
Life without (all of)you is gonna be
Bluer than blue'
All my 4 grandchildren were here and my son and wife from the US. The Indian grandkids live fairly close by and so I will see them fairly often. But the Americans we will not get to see--in the flesh--only after a year. Ah well, as always, thank heavens for FaceTime and Skype.
18 February 2015
Two years
Two years have passed since my son passed away. In the beginning you think you can never laugh again, that you can never do any of the things that you associated with him. I thought I would not be able to ever sing again because music was so associated with him.
But now, we --the family--laugh again and we sing and we laugh remembering the things my son said (he was a great one for making people laugh). I teach singing, and so I sing everyday, though not his kind of music.
Because of the wonders of technology, I can still hear his voice and see him talking on the the videos that are out there on youtube. We have many pictures of him, framed and on the computer, which I can now look at without flinching.
BUT-I cannot yet bear to look at his videos; my heart tugs hard, when I hear the songs that he loved and sang and played most; when I think of things that I long to share with him; and eyes well up at the most unexpected things, like just now reading about composer George Gershwin and seeing that he too died when he was in his late 30s.
Time is a wonderful medicine for dulling pain. One day, in a few years, I will probably be able to look at his videos. Life goes on and we go on willy nilly down the river of life. So, most of the time I'm smiling and doing what I can so that my life has order and is not all over the place. I will live life the best way I can with this reality. I know I am not unique in my pain and I just want to share this with those who have had the pain.
But now, we --the family--laugh again and we sing and we laugh remembering the things my son said (he was a great one for making people laugh). I teach singing, and so I sing everyday, though not his kind of music.
Because of the wonders of technology, I can still hear his voice and see him talking on the the videos that are out there on youtube. We have many pictures of him, framed and on the computer, which I can now look at without flinching.
BUT-I cannot yet bear to look at his videos; my heart tugs hard, when I hear the songs that he loved and sang and played most; when I think of things that I long to share with him; and eyes well up at the most unexpected things, like just now reading about composer George Gershwin and seeing that he too died when he was in his late 30s.
Time is a wonderful medicine for dulling pain. One day, in a few years, I will probably be able to look at his videos. Life goes on and we go on willy nilly down the river of life. So, most of the time I'm smiling and doing what I can so that my life has order and is not all over the place. I will live life the best way I can with this reality. I know I am not unique in my pain and I just want to share this with those who have had the pain.
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