As I look at life

Finding music everywhere

As I sat to write for Day 4 of the WriteTribe challenge post midnight (Theme: Music), I wondered if I should talk about my favourite song, favourite music or favourite instrument. As I sat in silence, thinking what to write about, I heard the lovely sounds that are so typical of our place at this time of the day (night). Music is everywhere, isn't it! But generally, we only notice it when we are on our headphones or watching latest songs.

The banana leaf plate

I am a complete foodie, vegetarian though, but I love to try out different varieties of food. I believe, the magic that delicious food creates has a lot to do with the way it is prepared, presented, served and eaten.

Have you ever attended a South Indian wedding? I happened to attend a few. The recent one was of a friend in Chennai. The seating arrangement was in long rows with enough space between the consecutive rows for people to move easily. The traditional meal was served on banana leaves. It is such a wonderful, eco-friendly experience.

Of Apples and Applesauce (II-B)

The other day I was reading Dagny Sol's post Of Apples and Applesauce (I) with much interest, moving from paragraph to paragraph wondering what happens next, when she ended it with "To be continued…"!

Ouch! It made me wonder what was hidden in the covered plate... One thing led to other and I was tempted to write a little story that would be unfolded in the next post. Dagny suggested that I can write one version of the continuation and well, I thought of giving it a try. One start of story, two different routes and who knows whether they would have a similar or drastically different endings! And what if both of us write the same thing leading to the same end... weird! Okay, let me use my imagination to weave a story now.

Isn't it amazing how some things remind us of someone from the past! Especially if the things are associated with your childhood.

Like when I was a little girl, every morning I would wake up at around 5 am to go downstairs with my dada (grandfather) to purchase milk from the local Aarey Dairy booth. We used to stay on the 4th floor and we did not have a lift. But when you are young, you have all the energy to run up and down several times! Even during winters, I would insist on going.

The fragrant Crinum Lily (Image Source - Wikipedia)

It's a faint memory, but I remember that parents or grandparents would nicely tie a scarf to cover my head and ears. It became something like a ritual. I would wake up all exited. Someone would tie a scarf on my head and then I would hold dada's hand and run down the stairs. First we would collect the milk bottles (back then, there used to be glass milk bottles in an easy-to-carry rack after standing in a small queue). Then we would take a little walk in the area and collect the lovely flowers dropped on the ground.

Those Crinum Lily and Raat Rani (Night Blooming Jasmine) flowers have become a fragrant part of my childhood memories. Even now, if I come across them, they take me to a sweet trip down the memory lane.

Do you have such little things that remind you of some lovely childhood moments? I would love to read about them!

I am participating in The Write Tribe Festival of Words 8th – 14th December 2013 and have written this post for the Day 1 of the challenge.

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Wear a heart

My blogger friend Mr. Deepak Amembal tours a lot and shares the pictures with us. From dosas to goola bajay, from people to Gods. As he travels, we get to see the different aspects, specialities and cultures of different places. And today, he shared the picture of the bull who wears his heart on his forehead at Annual Shashti Celebrations.

The bull with the heart and a pink light at the background inspired me to imagine what his story could be. And so here it is:

He was shy that way. He tried to indicate he liked her, but she never understood. He appeared a bit rude, she thought he has no feelings. He continued to be a shy-bull while a macho-bull wooed her away.
He finally shed his inhibitions and now he wears his heart on his head. Though it hasn't helped him, as now he appears too soft and the other bulls bully him.
But he knows someday he will find a cow with a heart... but how???

And yes, I did look up for a cow with a heart and guess I found him a compassionate match. What's say?

Source - People.com

Time Machine: Before and After Facebook

Like, Comment and Share have become our most commonly used words. Yeah, the advent of Facebook has changed so many things, some for good, some for worse. One good thing is that we all got in touch with our long lost friends and relatives. But most of Facebookers have a rather exciting virtual life than a real one. Well, I am guilty too, so who am I to preach here! : )

Anyway, I kinda hopped on a virtual Time Machine to have a bird's eye view on life before and after Facebook. Then I weaved a little story based on my imaginary journey. Here's an excerpt:

Before Facebook

Phone rings.

Payal: Hi Geeta!

Geeta: Hi wassup!

Payal: Hey what are you doing tomorrow? Would you like to stay over at my place? I will make your favourite pav bhaji and we can watch the season 10 of Friends together... Parents are out of town....

Read the entire post published on Half Baked Voices and do share how things have changed for you after Facebook came into your life.

The door that never closed

It was a dark Friday night. Pyrus wasn't used to staying alone at home. But his wife had to be away from town for the weekend to visit her parents. So he had planned some drinks and dinner with his good old friends at the KC restaurant they used to frequent when they worked together.

It all went fine. Time flew as they chatted away the nostalgic moments. And by the time it was 11 pm, they had to part unwillingly as each of them started getting a 'When are you reaching home' call. Oh how they missed their bachelor life when they had no one to 'report' to!

Pani puri, bhel puri, sev puri... I can gobble up puri ki puri chaat if I come across some street food in Mumbai or Delhi.

Check out some chatpati baatein about chaat and a latest initiative to ensure that it is prepared and served in a hygienic manner in my article published on Half Baked Voices. Do drop in a comment to share your opinion on street food in India

If Hope Dies, Can We Survive?

Times sure are becoming bad by the day. Crime, Rapes, Attacks, Corruption, Diseases, Pollution, Inflation... we are understanding the true meaning of Kalyug. Of course, we were born in Kalyug, but we never felt that it was so dark until the recent years. It's as if someone has picked us all and placed us in this place that has so much evil stuff in it.

Seriously, what is wrong with the nation? The literacy rate is increasing but I guess it is no good if it doesn't result in betterment of the society. India touched an effective literacy rate of 74.04 per cent in 2011, while in 2001 census the rate was 64.8 percent (Source: www.mapsofindia.com).

Yet, we never felt so insecure!

We hit an all time low as Rupee does so!

Rupee is becoming very very senior, citizen!
So we must know what might follow and get ready for the eventuality:
Much thinner Dairy Milks and 5 Stars,
Mc Aloo Tikki now becoming Aloo Wafer,
Only 3 wafers now in Lays packets,
Vada pav becoming pakoda pav,
Milk being available in 100 gm packs,
Rickshaws becoming as prestigious as Mercs,
Gradual Disappearance of Re 1 and Rs 2 coins,
Hiked travel cost,
Hiked education cost,
Hiked cost of groceries,
Hiked househelp salaries,
Deduction in our salaries,
Skipping of appraisals yet again!
Damn... when is the barter system returning??? It's about time!