This post shall show evidence to the stated title with 3 examples.(My exams got over a month back. Why do i still sound like a textbook?)
I'll take this in the order in which these 3 events happen every day, or almost.
Driving lessons. My mother said "you're 21, high time you learn how to drive!". I had quite a fair argument, stating that it won't serve the purpose, because i do not have a car to practice on, and hence, shall promptly forget the finer details once the license with my ugliest photo ever, reaches my hand! As it turns out, i DID lose my case. And here i am, rising with the sun (or slightly later!), with eyes that burn, and refuse to open at the unearthly hour of the morning that i NEVER see during holidays! And i sit in a Santro, with a thatha who tells me all sorts of stories to get me to learn how to concentrate on the road when people in the car talk, honking more than i've honked in the entire 4 years of my bike-riding put together, hoping desperately for the longest 20 minutes of the day to fly away like they would if i were asleep! And somehow, it makes me feel very old to be learning how to drive!
Cooking. Realisation of some big mistakes i made when i was younger, and less wise! Since paati would make the best rasam, sambar, mor kuzhambu, vethal kuzhambu, and the likes, i decided to learn all the north indian stuff, and the pasta and the other simpler stuff, so that i could make all those when my mom wasn't around. Big mistake. It dawns upon one that sambar, rasam are the essentials, and that thus, one doesn't know how to cook at all! So one dips her right hand into the luke-warm water with pulli (tamarind) in it, and spends so much time squeezing the life out of it (because its fun!) and gets laughed at by amma and paati, the at-this-pace-you-wil-never-finish-cooking-on-time laugh! One's chappathis still resemble various maps of different countries, and one still feels like adding lots of salt to anything! but one believes that she will get there ;) Atleast, right in time before one gets married! But since one invariably has to rush for paatu class, no single dish has been mastered! I should really work on the timings! Only old people cook :(
The mornings are busy. The afternoons are lazy, that being the reason they're totally loved.Oh and there's another reason. There's the afternoon iced-tea ritual!aah. Sweet! The evenings though, are a blur! A blur of a million different combinations of colours of kancheepurams, and silk-cottons and banaras-silks and the endless other varieties of sarees. A wedding is no small affair, and what's any south-indian wedding without having to visit as many saree shops as possible, and buy as many sarees as possible, and make sure they're perfect, irrespective of who they're going to be given away to? My eyes are now unfotunately trained to distinguish the right combination of border+body, the pure/tested zari, the jataang (our slang for gaudy), and the not-so-jataang sarees/zaris/borders/pallus, judging which maami would prefer a jataang saree to a sober, elegant one, which colour is 'new' and 'young' as opposed to 'traditional' and 'paati-like', and many many other things, which has made my brother a little scared. He has pronounced me a typical 'maami', and i must say, seems quite terrified at the prospect of having to introduce me to people as his sister! What still challanges me, though, is distinguishing sarees by name. Saamundrika pattu, jodi pattu, vasthrakalaa pattu, amrithavarshini sarees, parampara pattu, kalakshetra sarees, subhamangala pattu, very very innovative don't you think? ;) Mind boggling! God, this does make me feel like a maami! OLD!
To top it off, the saree shop salesman asked my mother if i am her sister today. And sadly, i recognised it to be a genuine question, and not a trade trick! How much worse does it get? So much for chauffering her around, and indulging her very admirable habit of pulling almost every saree out of the rack and buying nothing at the end of 3 hours! ;)Mothers and sarees...they go together like the mad gleam in my eyes and football/capt.jack sparrow! For my part, i spent 5 minutes buying one saree, and 10 minutes buying the other, and extracted a "yen ma jarigai ivalov chinnadha irukku" dialogue from paati, which i must say, left me very smug! Very very proud of it!
So yeah, you realise that you're doing things that only old people do, and you don't feel good! You don't. Somehow, i'm still very happy :D
Yours " div the oldie, use your dentures" ly
Signing offf....
Nothing is ever so insignificant as to be unimportant. Everything in life matters and ultimately has a place, an impact and a meaning. --Laurens Van Der Post
Saturday, May 24, 2008
Friday, May 16, 2008
Another one!
Sementi, here be your tag :)
1)LAST MOVIE U SAW IN A THEATRE?
I don't even remember...!wait...oh ya, Jodha akbar! I don't think i've ever spent so much on a movie+popcorn for 2 people! So much for trying to extract meaning from urdhu dialogue! Some scenes had class though :)
2)WHAT BOOK ARE U READING?
The much hyped Life of Pi. The wow-ness of the book is yet to dawn upon me though. I hear the last few pages hold the key! But tell me, isn't it unfair when one loves a book just because of the ending? Can an ending be so good, that one forgets how monotnous the middle portion was? Hmm, i guess i'll find out!
3)FAVOURITE BOARD GAME?
Life. Been ages since i played it though. Too busy playing with the "real" Life!
4)FAVOURITE MAGAZINE?
Reader's digest. For the variety of articles! Actually, i don't think i read anything else.
5)FAVOURITE SMELLS?
I did a whole post on this once. Here. "mann vasanai" or, the smell of the mud when it rains, coffee, petrol, vibuthi, Bioling tea leaves, endless :)
6)FAVOURITE SOUNDS?
Latest - Ice crackling on the surface of water. Always - The violin. Also, the piano. The crackling of dry leaves when you step on them. The sound of rain.
7)WORST FEELING IN THE WORLD?
Helplesness.
8)WHAT IS THE FIRST THING YOU THINK OF WHEN U WAKE?
Can i please please go back to sleep, for 5 more minutes atleast!
9)FAVOURITE FASTFOOD PLACE?
Nothing specific. Good food is always welcome, wherever the place :D
10)FUTURE CHILDS NAME?
Aah, there are some. Anyway, since the decision has to be 'mutual', we shall not reveal them ;)
11)FINISH THIS STATEMENT—’IF I HAD A LOT OF MONEY I’D’
Am not answering this!
12)DO U DRIVE FAST?
Not driving yet! But i do 'ride' fast when i feel like it!
13)DO U SLEEP WITH A STUFFED ANIMAL?
well, yes. Weirdly, i didn't do that all my life. Only since i was 17! When most people would stop! Well, i guess my bro decided to send the stuffed animal to me only at that time!
14)STORMS–COOL OR SCARY?
Depends on the company ;), or the absence of it.
15)WHAT WAS YOUR FIRST CAR?
None yet. I can't stop gaping at the toyota camry and honda civic ont he road though!
16)FAVOURITE DRINK?
Right now, Lemon iced tea! Also...hmm...apple juice, watermelon juice...
17)FINISH THIS STATEMENT-IF I HAD THE TIME I WOULD…
Definitely, the things i've wanted to do, but never had time to do ;)
18)DO YOU EAT THE STEMS ON BROCCOLI?
how does it matter? I do i guess!
19)IF YOU COULD DYE YOUR HAIR ANY OTHER COLOUR, WHAT WOULD BE YOUR CHOICE?
My hair is already black in dim light, dark brown in bright light, Golden in the noon sun, Reddish in the susnset-sun. Why do i need more colouring?
20)NAME ALL THE DIFFERENT CITIES/TOWNS U HAVE LIVED IN?
Chennai, Nairobi.
21)FAVOURITE SPORTS TO WATCH?
Football
22)ONE NICE THING ABOUT THE PERSON WHO SENT THIS TO YOU?
Don't really know her personally, I think she has a nice blog!
23)WHATS UNDER YOUR BED?
A harmonium. Dusty and old. I cant really say 'rusting' because its made of wood!My helmet, some bags. And loads and loads of dust, that drives my mother mad!
24)WOULD U LIKE TO BE BORN AS YOURSELF AGAIN?
Maybe :)
25)MORNING PERSON OR NIGHT OWL?
Night owl. Totally. Theres some calm to staying awake when everyone else sleeps. And, there are always the stars! ;)
26)OVER EASY OR SUNNY SIDE UP?
:|
27)FAVOURITE PLACE TO RELAX?
Terrace. With music. or at home.
28)FAVOURITE PIE?
No pies. Chocolate cakes!
29)FAVOURITE ICECREAM FLAVOUR?
Baskin Robbins choco-vannila mix!
30)OF ALL THE PEOPLE U HAVE TAGGED, WHO IS THE MOST LIKELY TO RESPOND FIRST?
Am not tagging anyone :) Its open to all!
Yours" I've done this one before, dont know if the answers match..."ly
Signing out...
1)LAST MOVIE U SAW IN A THEATRE?
I don't even remember...!wait...oh ya, Jodha akbar! I don't think i've ever spent so much on a movie+popcorn for 2 people! So much for trying to extract meaning from urdhu dialogue! Some scenes had class though :)
2)WHAT BOOK ARE U READING?
The much hyped Life of Pi. The wow-ness of the book is yet to dawn upon me though. I hear the last few pages hold the key! But tell me, isn't it unfair when one loves a book just because of the ending? Can an ending be so good, that one forgets how monotnous the middle portion was? Hmm, i guess i'll find out!
3)FAVOURITE BOARD GAME?
Life. Been ages since i played it though. Too busy playing with the "real" Life!
4)FAVOURITE MAGAZINE?
Reader's digest. For the variety of articles! Actually, i don't think i read anything else.
5)FAVOURITE SMELLS?
I did a whole post on this once. Here. "mann vasanai" or, the smell of the mud when it rains, coffee, petrol, vibuthi, Bioling tea leaves, endless :)
6)FAVOURITE SOUNDS?
Latest - Ice crackling on the surface of water. Always - The violin. Also, the piano. The crackling of dry leaves when you step on them. The sound of rain.
7)WORST FEELING IN THE WORLD?
Helplesness.
8)WHAT IS THE FIRST THING YOU THINK OF WHEN U WAKE?
Can i please please go back to sleep, for 5 more minutes atleast!
9)FAVOURITE FASTFOOD PLACE?
Nothing specific. Good food is always welcome, wherever the place :D
10)FUTURE CHILDS NAME?
Aah, there are some. Anyway, since the decision has to be 'mutual', we shall not reveal them ;)
11)FINISH THIS STATEMENT—’IF I HAD A LOT OF MONEY I’D’
Am not answering this!
12)DO U DRIVE FAST?
Not driving yet! But i do 'ride' fast when i feel like it!
13)DO U SLEEP WITH A STUFFED ANIMAL?
well, yes. Weirdly, i didn't do that all my life. Only since i was 17! When most people would stop! Well, i guess my bro decided to send the stuffed animal to me only at that time!
14)STORMS–COOL OR SCARY?
Depends on the company ;), or the absence of it.
15)WHAT WAS YOUR FIRST CAR?
None yet. I can't stop gaping at the toyota camry and honda civic ont he road though!
16)FAVOURITE DRINK?
Right now, Lemon iced tea! Also...hmm...apple juice, watermelon juice...
17)FINISH THIS STATEMENT-IF I HAD THE TIME I WOULD…
Definitely, the things i've wanted to do, but never had time to do ;)
18)DO YOU EAT THE STEMS ON BROCCOLI?
how does it matter? I do i guess!
19)IF YOU COULD DYE YOUR HAIR ANY OTHER COLOUR, WHAT WOULD BE YOUR CHOICE?
My hair is already black in dim light, dark brown in bright light, Golden in the noon sun, Reddish in the susnset-sun. Why do i need more colouring?
20)NAME ALL THE DIFFERENT CITIES/TOWNS U HAVE LIVED IN?
Chennai, Nairobi.
21)FAVOURITE SPORTS TO WATCH?
Football
22)ONE NICE THING ABOUT THE PERSON WHO SENT THIS TO YOU?
Don't really know her personally, I think she has a nice blog!
23)WHATS UNDER YOUR BED?
A harmonium. Dusty and old. I cant really say 'rusting' because its made of wood!My helmet, some bags. And loads and loads of dust, that drives my mother mad!
24)WOULD U LIKE TO BE BORN AS YOURSELF AGAIN?
Maybe :)
25)MORNING PERSON OR NIGHT OWL?
Night owl. Totally. Theres some calm to staying awake when everyone else sleeps. And, there are always the stars! ;)
26)OVER EASY OR SUNNY SIDE UP?
:|
27)FAVOURITE PLACE TO RELAX?
Terrace. With music. or at home.
28)FAVOURITE PIE?
No pies. Chocolate cakes!
29)FAVOURITE ICECREAM FLAVOUR?
Baskin Robbins choco-vannila mix!
30)OF ALL THE PEOPLE U HAVE TAGGED, WHO IS THE MOST LIKELY TO RESPOND FIRST?
Am not tagging anyone :) Its open to all!
Yours" I've done this one before, dont know if the answers match..."ly
Signing out...
Sunday, May 04, 2008
4 years later...
The only thing that was missing was music. Trying to relate lyrics to what the eyes were feasting upon. But the wind sang. The wind sang the melancholy, and the happiness, oscillating, perfect for the situation. And the eyes took in every detail, like this time, this very last time, they wanted to make an imprint in the mind. The kind of imprint that time cant steal for itself...the kind that wouldn't fade until memory has a chance to refresh itself...
So the pair of them stared into the open. At the kids playing cricket, at the small lane of concrete road that I always wanted to walk through. The lane with huts on either side. At the trees that adorned themselves with tendrils. Yes, of course, it is May. There should be tendrils. At the sun, playing hide and seek with the eyes. Hiding successfully behind buildings, unsuccessfully behind trees. Blinding the eyes. At rows and rows of white buildings. At the mini-lake, that always looked so full of reflections, of trees, of bill-boards, of clouds. At the bus, standing a little too close in the traffic. So close, that i could hear her telling me to come out of my trance and push my hair behind my ears, like she always did. Always, when my hair was on my face. At the way the buses parted ways, as if to signify a deeper 'parting of ways'. At the mango tree, so full of mangoes hanging from every branch. I'd have loved to jump out n pluck a few. I could see myself doing it, but just inside my head. At the bridge, and the red-brick house from the bridge. The red-brick house of happy memories. At the smoke all over the place, almost making it seem like the red-brick house was floating in the heavens, as if it were not enough that it was indeed heaven on earth. At Chennai's smoothest road, and the endless string of restaurants lining it on either side, none of which I have ever visited. At the marsh, when there was a breakdown, when she hilariously imitated the way i sleep, inviting undying laughter. Yes, it was always something they laughed about. At the beautifully canopied road, where i always wanted to take a long walk with someone whose company i enjoyed. At the crowd outside the theatre, and the chips shop that always made my stomach growl...endless...
My last bus-ride home. From a college i spent 4 years in. Hard to believe! The things that i'm going to miss really haven't seeped through fully...they kind of did, when i sat on the verandah with my book open, doing everything but study. Chatting away to glory about the latest movies, class gossip, the extent of yuckiness of the subject, about lip balm and haircuts, dirty shoes and un-ironed dupattas, about marriage, and life as such. It did seep into me, that i was going to miss such talks and so much fun, so much laughter. Hell, we'll deal with it later :)
"4 years later..."ly
Signing off...
So the pair of them stared into the open. At the kids playing cricket, at the small lane of concrete road that I always wanted to walk through. The lane with huts on either side. At the trees that adorned themselves with tendrils. Yes, of course, it is May. There should be tendrils. At the sun, playing hide and seek with the eyes. Hiding successfully behind buildings, unsuccessfully behind trees. Blinding the eyes. At rows and rows of white buildings. At the mini-lake, that always looked so full of reflections, of trees, of bill-boards, of clouds. At the bus, standing a little too close in the traffic. So close, that i could hear her telling me to come out of my trance and push my hair behind my ears, like she always did. Always, when my hair was on my face. At the way the buses parted ways, as if to signify a deeper 'parting of ways'. At the mango tree, so full of mangoes hanging from every branch. I'd have loved to jump out n pluck a few. I could see myself doing it, but just inside my head. At the bridge, and the red-brick house from the bridge. The red-brick house of happy memories. At the smoke all over the place, almost making it seem like the red-brick house was floating in the heavens, as if it were not enough that it was indeed heaven on earth. At Chennai's smoothest road, and the endless string of restaurants lining it on either side, none of which I have ever visited. At the marsh, when there was a breakdown, when she hilariously imitated the way i sleep, inviting undying laughter. Yes, it was always something they laughed about. At the beautifully canopied road, where i always wanted to take a long walk with someone whose company i enjoyed. At the crowd outside the theatre, and the chips shop that always made my stomach growl...endless...
My last bus-ride home. From a college i spent 4 years in. Hard to believe! The things that i'm going to miss really haven't seeped through fully...they kind of did, when i sat on the verandah with my book open, doing everything but study. Chatting away to glory about the latest movies, class gossip, the extent of yuckiness of the subject, about lip balm and haircuts, dirty shoes and un-ironed dupattas, about marriage, and life as such. It did seep into me, that i was going to miss such talks and so much fun, so much laughter. Hell, we'll deal with it later :)
"4 years later..."ly
Signing off...
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)