A change in me

Today seeing myself from a distance i was able to see a different persona altogether. Is this change attributable to post-marriage or the maturity that comes with age or mere selfishness? Iam yet to figure out.
I grew up in a joint family system with lots of uncles who happens to be the brothers of my mother. Since my mother was the only daughter after her death i became the treasure of my grand-parents. So, more than the care i grew up with lots of sympathy. Acho paavam intha kozhantha, i was hardly 2.5 yrs. So was totally pampered and would always poke my nose into everything. Only in my teens did i actually realise my position. It was only during that age i missed my parents. Haven't called my father as father even once. He is settled with his own family .Though i don't regret this , i missed having a fatherly figure around. I used to wonder how horrible it is to forget ur own child what may be ever ur problems be. Even now my aathukarar cannot stay at a stretch of 2 days without seeing my kid.
Fine, now comin to the topic , i used to give comments and suggestions and even discuss during pre-marriage times about people in our family. I used to think myself as the saviour and the solutions have to be put forth only by the rational thinker which is obviously me.
Due to this attitude, i got and saved most of their hatred and their swearing.
But now-a-days even when my grandmother or any of the members of the family complaint about the things i keep mum or altogether avoid the topic and conveniently shift their attention. Is that because i don't want to interfere or feel matured or feel selfish and don't want to take the burden of their problems.
And more importantly, how ever independent you are, we are supposed to maintain the distance from your family and even the words which we speak have lots of bearings on your husband. Its irrespective of love/arranged marriage.
Before marriage the girls family is always been cared , but once you get married the guy hold the authority.
Or is it just my case,. Or is it my thinking. Iam not clear.
Enakke theriyuthu naan bayangaramaa olari irukkennnu.
Just wrote whatever things came to my mind.

P.s. If u r looking for entertaining post, this is just not for you.

Kiddie talks - I

Yesterday we went to the reception of my aathukarar's cousin. On the way the talk between the father and son goes as follows:

A : Innaikku ennoda thangaioda kalyanam daa

S : Kalyanama? unakku eppo paa?

A : Hmm. Athu eppavo enakku aayiduchudaa

S : mm starts whining... Enakku innum aagaliyeeeeee. Unakku matttumm en aachu... starts crying...(He always goes head to head on all things with his father)

Sweet Memories- I

Today I happened to watch this Ilaiyaraja's concert. Well, not a live-one. Its a pretty old one. But it brought back my sweet memories.
We were a big gang from my 3rd standard. Just perpendicular to our house there was a street. And we happened to stay in that street for 2 years when we re-constructed our house. It was a great period. There might be easily around 10-15 kids almost in the same age group.
Well, coming to the event. There was a neighbourhood school where almost all the kids were studying except myself, P and R. P studied in a famous girls school in Mount Road and R in one of the other neighbourhood school where people switch over once they go to 11th std from 10th CBSE. And this neighbourhood school was completing its 25th silver jublee year and arranged for Gangai Amaran's concert in Music Academy. So they gave this invitation which said admit two only to all the students. We all planned to go as a gang and without any elders i should say.
The only one accompanying was this anna "I" who was a journalist and also happened to be the uncle of one of the kid. So we started to hunt for the invitations from all the kids and started to plan the trip. We were more than 15 people and only 5 of them were from that school. We somehow managed to grab the invitations but it was short of one more. Somehow we managed to dodge and smuggle two of the kids inside by enough confusing the teacher at the door.
It was a very new experience and i was in my early teen and that was more than enough to cook up the excitement. Since this anna was a journalist he went backstage and we all once settled. It was the first live-in concert for us. P , R and myself were always pretty close. P, being the daughter of a doctor couple was a brilliant girl and needless to mention a pretty girl. She was a year-old than mine. We were too close . This R is 2 yrs elder than me.
I had this secret crush on R though we were pretty good friends. But, you see boys are often vry cunning and they choose only the best of the lot. And whenever there is P all the boys would try to charm her. But i should really give credit to her intelligence. She is a soft girl and always stand first in class and good at drawing. More importantly she was fair. This is the criteria which everyone consider whenever they look at some girl.
Well , iam deviating myself. And i got the opportunity to go back-stage cos of this anna who likes me a lot and got to interact with the singers present there. It was feeling good at that stage cos i was only around 11. The concert dragged well into the midnight and after that we started walking to the bus stand. The road was very much deserted and it was fun walking with all ur friends chatting and pulling each other in the night.
And since it started getting late that anna arranged the auto for 5 of us whose parents were very much capable of causing a scene out of their ultimate affection. That included P , R , Myself, my cousin S and Pa. In the auto we were all hush-hush discussin the possiblity of kidnap by the auto driver. So we were all totally geared up to meet the situation incase any of it warranted. Luckily nothing happened and he was sweet enough to sense our commotion and offered a free ride.
When we got into our street there was literal chaos with all the family standin outside the house and worrying.
My first night out without any elders was a big hit.

Glittering Peacocks

Decorate our national bird peacock with glitters. This was the worksheet given yesterday to my kid.
Thank god, when i went on the purchase spree for doing his scrap book i had picked this glitter glue from Landmark. And at that time it was a mistake on my part to pick that instead of glittering pens. But the mistake proved quite useful. That too when i was submit it the next day.

I thought of it an easy job. But my fingers were throbbing. Just like glue i had to press but the mere concentration and the caution sent fresh shrills thro my fingers.
First i started to do it with my kid. Both of us were doing it together. I was just guiding his fingers though inadvertently i started hurting him. So, i said i wud do the smaller circles requiring concentration and did one.
Avvalavuthaan avanukku kovam vanthuduthu. He said u do i will not come near that. He is so sensitive and adamant too. And for the rest he refused to indulge. So, i did it myself.
Then only i discovered that i had certain passion towards them. I mean doin those craft works.

During my school days we didnt have much of extra-curricular or should i say much of crafts activities. It was just obligatory on them to do the work experience and general studies since they made it compulsory in the CBSE pattern and were awarded grades.
And since procrastination was in my genes i wouldnt do them till the 11th hour and rush at the last minute. So was not in any position in putting my creative thoughts into it. Hahahaahaa.....

Anyway the peacock was good but a bit sothapified with the eyes. That stole the beauty of the picture entirely. Anyway, there is always the next time i can prove. Still 3 or 4 more years i wud help him, i suppose with his project works. Athukkapparum , i think he would be independent like the x-gen kids and would scowl at me at the very sight of me stepping into his room.

Though as a mother i would both be happy at his independence and worried at his behaviour.
What u sow is what u reap.

Nasty cold

This post is not about some thorn in the foot but literally the virus commonly known as common cold. I somehow dread this cold very much. From my childhood, i can stand any illness but not this one. I would always feel i should just lie-down whole-day. Normally, i don't fuss and all are well aware of my problem with this cold. But, the past few days iam suffering. Thanks to the weather and vaikunda ekadasi. Ennamo naanthaan perumal oda sole propreiter maathiri, naan veratham irukkatta perumal thoonginde iruppar maathiriyum kalankaarthala thailakku kulichen. Hmm athanoda vilaivuthaan.

Enna perusa thalaikku kulikkartha solriyennu ketta, naan konja neram ennoda medical history pathi solla vendi varum.

I have this sinusitis and cos of that dust, smoke and cool items enakku othukkathu. Naane bayangara somberi and added to that ithellam senthaa kekkava venum.
I can have even bag-ful of medicines but injection appadinna mile thooram oduven. I would cry as if they are wrangling me. So my doctor would never give injection to me. I got hardly few injections during my pre-conception period.
One was during my eighth standard half-yearly examinations time. Antha examkku thaan olunga padichi irunthen . Appo poi fever vanthuduthu. Antha marks vechu thaan matha papers oppethanum so appo agreed for the infection.
Next was few days before the excursion trip. Illenna enga paatti enna anuppa maattangale. Ithukke kenji koothadi permission vaanginathu.
Enga paatti too much. Pooshanikka saapdathe cold vanthurum. Paitham paruppaaa , athu intha winterla aagathe. Aiyo cauliflower maargazhi maasam othukkathe. And for potato athu vaayvu aache. She worries too much. My aathukkarar would comment ' appo ennathaan saappadrathu". I feel the seasonal veggies are the best and one should go with them according to their availability in their particular season.
I think i have written this post randomly without any correlation. All due to this cold. Hmm romba mokkaiyana postnnu enakke theriyuthu. But cant help it.

Still savouring

Three days passed. Still iam happy reminiscing the day over and over again. Iam content of the fact that i didnt get a chance to brood over. All in all it went well. Though my athukkarar showered with surprise gifts on occasions before and after marriage for the past 2 yrs he was occupied with work tension. So he would tell me that why u still expect me to get surprise presents. Though i agree with him, its not the value of the presents i expect, but just the action on the whole. I would be content even if he gives a diary milk and wish me.

This year he over-reacted saying that u shouldnt have expectations. With his abnormal behaviour i understood he is upto something. Since i didnt want to disappoint myself i didnt pester him either. So promptly i went to sleep at 11.00pm unlike last year http://oreponnu.blogspot.com/2007/12/birthday.html

Treat it as telepathy or else, i suddenly got up at 12.00pm and casted a blank stare towards my aathukkarar. There he was standing and wishing me. And he gave me a gift. Lol u know wat was there inside a nice earing and chain set from GRT. It was very delicate and small. I prefer these kind of things. And he is also interested in non-showy things. It was the beautiful thing neatly packed. For few seconds i was dumb. Its not the present but his gesture. Then he sent me this beautiful sms and asked me to check my mail. The e-card was cute , but i prefer the hard copy. Somehow, i feel closeness and the unique personal touch in the traditional greeting cards. So i have this habit of sending and giving cards. (not e-greetings).

In the morning i got wishes from my friends - including my friend for 20 yrs, F , though there s no consistent contact we are pretty close. Somehow it is destined that during important occasions we renew our contact. She is getting married in this Feb. Iam so happy for her.
The from the relatives. First timers i would say in the span of 20+ years.

Evening we went to temple. This time it was vadapalani temple. Almost all the temples have been converted into mini govt offices. When they see this 100 rupee note in ur hand only they offer to do the pooja to the shrine . Else, thallunga thallunga only. And in the name of archanai he just broke the coconuts and showed aarthii. Thats all. Oru chinna manthiram kooda sollala. I was more disappointed.
Coming to the prasatham counter, the puliyodarai and the chakkara pongal were worse than my preparation. Thought i should ask them to take class from srirangam kovil . They serve the most delicious puliodirai.

As usual ended up with HSB for dinner. This time i had my favourite kasi halwa. too much ghee though.

So ennoda pirantha naal inithe niraivadainthathu....... Hope i remain content without any complaints , jealousy, possessiveness and bad temper and keep myself occcupied for the rest of the year.

Restaurants and Eating out

In today's world eating out has become one of the family ritual. You can at any time find hoards of people standing outside the restaurants. The scene has almost become pathetic. Now-a-days i find eating at home pleasant rather in restaurants.

I can hardly pick out the instances where we went to restaurants before i came across my aathukarar. Since i grew up with my grandparents, i hardly got an opportunity to eat in a restaurant. (lost my mom when i was 2.5yrs) . So they insist on home-cooked food even if it is rasam saatham.

I always had curd rice so with me they didnt have any problem.

But i should mention this udipi hotel rite behind our house. They used to serve this lip-smacking vada and sambar. We used to jump the wall behind our house and go into the side-path of the restaurant.

Every 2-3 times a week we would go and get 2 vadais but used to take a big paathiram for sambar. That days no plastic covers and hell lot of sambar they would give for just 2 vadais and certainly not 2 karandi of sambar neatly put in a polythene cover enough to hold only safety pins which they given in saravana bhavan now-a-days. And since it was an udipi hotel the sambar would taste like sure honey.

They also used to have this halwa in the evenings and i just love this carrot halwa and the poosanikka halwaa. Though other sweets would be yukkkk.

The few instances where i went outside ....

1. The one small cafe where they serve those cute little samosas with sauce. My uncle whenever he is in town would take me there. Once after finishing a drawing competition in D.A.V royapettah i was waiting for someone to pick-me up. He came there and i was very much happy (cos he is my favourite) And we went to that cafe in the light drizzle.

2. With another uncle to this saravana bhavan fast foods.. since i have never been to the restaurants i didnt know what to order. so i followed my cousins who were much younger to me. They ordered for bhel-puris and other chat items. That time we didnt have much of traffic in pillar, so we had our food in the car.

3. Same Saravana Bhavan but T.nagar, with our long time friend's family. This was on my 10th b'day. I was standing outside our gate just parakku paathufying and they were just passing by. Actually they are a family of four - Husband, wife and their two sons. So when they learnt that it was my b'day they wanted to take me with them. That day also they ordered on behalf of me. That was the first day i had this chola batura.

But now i would say intha hotel saappade vendam. Cos right from the time i was into articleship we had enough of it. Enga audit ponalum they would offer food to you. And like kancha maadu kambula pona maathiri we would experiment daily with our menus. Instead of auditing, we would look the vouchers for any of the food bills and decide our menus based on that.

In that process we were able to taste food from almost all the hotels in the city. Some good, some worst..

And also since we went to this sriperumbudur for audit we were also able to taste those factory canteen food. God, it was too good. Athuvum after working for some 5 hrs continuously when you get to eat full meals , vera ethuvume sorgama thonaathu.

Antha audit experience llam thani katha i would post elaborately later on that.



Ippo my son is also sick of restaurants since i over-dosed him with HSB which is rite parallel to our home. Ippollam antha HSB sambar smell pannale ore komattarthu.

So always, home food is the besttt. Ippovavathuu thirunthineengale nnu enga paatti solrathu kaathula kettunde irukku.....