What if?

What if there is no power? 

I have to definitely say that Electricity is a greatest invention and it has become one of the basic needs of the people. Hospitals or emergency or providing cool/heat based on weather all are contributed to power. However, can we conserve that energy by allocating a few hours in a week without power. Just be with nature and enjoying the stars. Recently I got to see the stars and moon in the sky up so close and I didnt realize the lights have made them all not visible to us. Can we do a mottai maadi kadhai neram and nila choru and just conserve this energy?

What if there is no internet?

The world has become a small world because of this. How else can I talk or see my mom living so far? How can I be in touch with my friends from so far? Communication and getting to know what is happening in the other end of the world are all possible only through this. However have we taken this for granted and not spending some time just holding hands and walking in the nature? We have taken the people next to us for granted. Use it wisely and use it as needed.

What if there is no phone?

The whole world's world is in this phone. Graham Bell's invention has been put to its maximum use. It is not just used for its very purpose it was invented. It has become much more and if Bell is here he would have been proud to see that his invention has exceeded his expectation. We have made it from being wired to a place to a smart buddy of us traveling along with us in our pocket. 

My favorite Maavudu

 Welcoming Maavadu home.

Every summer in Chennai kickstarts with the maavudu's appearance. The process starts with finding the best place to buy it. The streetside vendors had the green gold all heaped into a hill. My amma does little bargain and buys it. The vendor measures the vadu using a padi (A cylinder that is closed on one side and open on the other). We bring the special guest home curbing the craving to bite into it. After reaching home, we give the guest its shower and wipe it clean and keep it aside. Now to the decoration or the masala that is smeared and coated on the vadu. The mangalakaramaana manjal, kaaramaana milagai, kutty kaaram, uppu suvaikku namba kaluppu and special effect kadugu along with the main ingredient castor oil on the vadu are ground into a paste. Now the vadu gets into the nalangu mode and my amma smeares it evenly on the vadu and place it in a ceramic jaadi. The Earthen jaadi adds effect to this. Ok Maavadu oorugai potaachu. Now we have to go into the waiting period. 

Every morning after that goes by checking the status of the vadu and giving it a kulukku to evenly spread the spice and water.. Now the aroma of the vadu starts spreading in the air and the appetite will be initiated by this aroma. The pazhedhu hater in me will be compromised by the curd and my favorite Maavudu with its jalam. Maavadujalam has its own special place in my heart. Gulab Jamun or Rasagula takes the backseat when it comes to Maavadu floating in its spicy mix.

The Maavadu satisfies all my sensory organs at one go. The aroma satisfies the nose, the feel of it satisfies my touch sense, the look of it satisfies the eyes, the crunch sound when we bite into it satisfies my ears. Now finally the tangy, spicy and salty bite satisfies my poruthaar poomiaazhvar tongue. Now should we call this an accompaniment to curd rice or pazhedhu or sambhar saadham or rasam or even paruppu saadham or now all of those are accompaniments for my maavadu. I would say Maavudu is the special guest and rest all are just accompaniments. 

The sisters of Maavadu - aavakaai, maambazham follows the summer but first is always the special and that is my Maavadu.

Now sitting in this abroad country, i only hear from my mom that maavadu has come, oorugaai potrukken and not enjoying sitting next to her and make her give that a special attention.

Like Diwali, Maavadu welcoming day is also a festive day.

Enough of outside, look inside!!

After a long time my niece's blogging tempted me to post one too. When I am writing this, we are all under lock down. Amidst all the negativity around, I seem to enjoy this time for certain things.
Is it God's way of saying please be calm and look inside you. Here is some looking inside me.

• I got closer to God and pray, scold and enjoy talking to God more. 
• I have my time in the morning to do yoga and keep myself fit. This im enjoying a lot. My vaasi, pranayama and my asanaas. i have improved.
• Waking up a little late than usual.
• Even though the allergy bothers me i sneak to take care of my vegetable patch. I dont know what will come out of it because i have a mixed up vegetable seeds there. Something didnt come and so i added something else. so now i dont know what is there and what is going to come out. I like surprises. 
• I get to wear comfortable clothes and dont bother to look nice. Just my way and who cares. My hair is all salt and pepper now. Who cares!
• What I enjoy the most is to clean my house often. The OCD in me kicks in.
• Best of all i dont need to pack lunch. Man i hate it. self serve mode is something im enjoying.
• I just dont need to race against time for my hubby and son and be a talking clock. They are on their time zone and im on my own. 
• Getting to watch lot of short films my new thing. As usual on my phone. 
• I get to talk to my mom and sis longer these days.
• Lesser close to wash now. 
• Working from home. wow!! no need to drive which helps with my shoulder pain. I am actually bothering less about my pain these days because it doesnt seem to bother me that much too. It works like magic. Let me start working is the abracadabra here.. voila and im at work. Let me go home is the reverse abracadabra and im back home in a second. No need to change dress and no need to carry bags. Just think and move away from laptop. It works like a magic. 
• Trying new dishes with what is in hand. It is a project by itself. I have cooked more in this lock down time. Made upma cutlet and got a pat from two of the world's first haters of upma - my husband and son. They were tricked and i enjoyed that little happiness of tricking them. Friends share and we try new things. My fav so far has been the mangalore churmuri. I like this better than its friend bhel puri.
• Grocery shopping at its best online. I dont need to pick the vegetables. Just order and someone picks and send to me. I like that. They even decide not to send something and send some surprises too.
• My math center is online too. I just had to email them the sheets for the week. I dont need to go there.
• Getting some work done from hubby that were long pending (like more than 5 years). What an achievement.
• Getting to learn new technology. R, Salesforce Einstein. 
• Closely connected to friends more than before. Checking on them. I see more faces popping on FB.
• Starting to BLOG again.

Smile on my face.

I want to call some friends of mine as lifetime friends because they are not just passing clouds or chapters in my book. they are travelling with me on my life journey with no plans to depart. we will grow up old together and as grand old people will still be holding hands and walking and laughing happily about sweet nothings. This very thought brings a peaceful smile on my face.

Public School Vs. Private School

We were debating a lot about private schooling vs. public schooling.

Public school

> Have to raise early and so comes back home early and is ready for activities. Goes to bed early. Early to bed and early to rise works well

> Home made food and so can make food that he likes and is good for him. Also tastes a variety of food.

> More time with parents and so we can teach a lot.

> Commutation -- school bus and hence it is easy

> Mingles with a lot of people and so gets to face the real world early.

> Lots of kids in the class and so has to work hard to get recognized.

Private school

> Fewer kids and so teacher knows the kids individually.

> Protected environment.

> Drop and pick up.

> Not so early school hours.

> Repetitive school food and doesn't get to taste variety. Stays hungry most of the time.

Now I vote for the public system and feel less stressed out about the same. At the end of the day, the teacher that your kid gets matters and how much effort we as parents put towards the kids education matters.

maamava bava saagara

My kiddo Arjun made me laugh with his ability to translate. He asked me for the meaning of "maamava bava saagara" and all i told him that all i know is saagar means ocean. Then came the immediate response from him "maamavaa thooki edhukku oceanla podanum?". I burst into a guffaw. I learnt a lesson "Never give partial meanings. Give the full meaning of a phrase"

My little horse fan

My son is all about horses. He wants to have horse as a pet. He gives me ideas of converting our garage into a barn to have horses there. The other day his teacher tells me that he was waiting near the fence with his friends. When questioned all of them were waiting for his horse to come and pick him up. My son made them all believe that I am buying a horse for him that day and will come in horse to pick him up from school.

The other day we went to a store to pick up some stuff. I told my son that he can get a horse toy. He was all happy and but I was waiting for a long time for him to pick one horse. He had too many criteria to pick a horse. Not so fat and not so thin. A horse with straight legs and standing. It should be a black and white. The head shouldnt be held down. Wow!!! Wow!! At last we settled for a horse which was closer to what he was looking for.

I wish we buy a real horse for him some day. He will be the most happy person.