It's Mother's day today. So ironic that we need to reserve a day to remember her. The very person who's spent the best years of her life taking care of us.Frankly, according to me this is not in sync with our Indian culture where we worship Mother. Mother is God, 'maatru devo bhavah'. Nevertheless in todays world I guess such a day is required. Anyways, even if we don't need it, the card and gift companies certainly do! Here's something I penned for my Mom...
A doctor at times, a nurse part-time
Healing cuts and mending broken hearts
With caressing kisses and tender embraces.
A teacher so oft, a guide and mentor too;
Helping us sail through the sea of life,
Be it rough seas or times sublime.
Holding my hand, leading me across the street
With her by my side the world seemed to be at my feet.
Staying up nights was a common occurrence-
As I grappled with fever she’d sit by my side
And soothe my frayed nerves with her sweet lullabies.
The lullabies she sang still echo in my heart
Oh, why did childhood have to go by so fast!
Though gentle and unassuming, weak she is not.
Her calmness belies her fortitude, her endurance
As she handles life’s crises’ with quiet forbearance.
The strength beneath the silence
I’ve oft failed to recognize;
Its only now that I’m beginning to see her in true light.
Mother my dearest I want you to know,
You’ve been a better mum than I could ever ask for.
If there’s anyone who’s lacking
It’s only me your daughter, only me your daughter…
Sunday, May 11, 2008
Thursday, March 20, 2008
Ode to Pani Puri
Will all due apologies to Shakespeare…a pani puri by any other name is just as yummy! Be it the pani puri of Mumbai, the puchka of Kolkata, the gol gappa of Delhi…sluuurp…the pani puri reigns supreme as a gastronomic delight amongst street food. It surprises me no end as to how something so simple, unassuming & economical can be so full of flavour. But mind you, not everyone can conjure up a good pani puri. I’ve tried at different places, all over India, and can vouch for that. I for one believe there's none to beat the pani puri at Krishna's. Ah!The taste lingers for long after.
As the overflowing puri lands on your tongue and sends tingling sensations through the taste buds you come alive. As you close your gaping mouth over the puri, it goes crunch giving way to an avalanche of the soft filling. Be it garam naram chana, or the mashed potato or just about anything…. combined with the tangy, sweet chutney, along with the cool, spicy pani… the sensation is heavenly. I bet there isn’t one person in the world who has eaten pani puri and not liked it. Ofcourse some like it less and some like it more and some like me…well… we need a regular dose of it to maintain our sanity!
I remember first eating it in Ahmedabad. I must have been around 10 or so and we were on a family holiday. It was a cool evening and we had gone sight seeing. On way we stopped for a snack. Dad introduced me to it. Ever since I have been an ardent, die hard fan. I still remember the unique combination of the hot filling and cold water. Hmm…if ever there was a heaven…that was it.
God bless the soul who invented the pani puri! A thousand salutations unto thee.
As the overflowing puri lands on your tongue and sends tingling sensations through the taste buds you come alive. As you close your gaping mouth over the puri, it goes crunch giving way to an avalanche of the soft filling. Be it garam naram chana, or the mashed potato or just about anything…. combined with the tangy, sweet chutney, along with the cool, spicy pani… the sensation is heavenly. I bet there isn’t one person in the world who has eaten pani puri and not liked it. Ofcourse some like it less and some like it more and some like me…well… we need a regular dose of it to maintain our sanity!
I remember first eating it in Ahmedabad. I must have been around 10 or so and we were on a family holiday. It was a cool evening and we had gone sight seeing. On way we stopped for a snack. Dad introduced me to it. Ever since I have been an ardent, die hard fan. I still remember the unique combination of the hot filling and cold water. Hmm…if ever there was a heaven…that was it.
God bless the soul who invented the pani puri! A thousand salutations unto thee.
Sunday, March 16, 2008
Sunny Sundays
I just love Sundays! And i'm sure most people do. Linger on in bed till late, no brain shattering alarm bells, late breakfast, an even later lunch, afternoon siesta, drive around town or meet up with friends, maybe a dinner out...
Basically relaxing. But what i like most about Sundays is the time with the family. Everyone's home with no hurry about getting anywhere. The kids, all 4 of them, creating a ruckus in unison, the TV vying for our attention...my bros and I lazing around doing..eh..nothing. Dad Mom busy doing..eh..nothing. My SILs hovering around the kids....the dogs doing their bit. All in all a perfectly lovely, noisy Sunny-day!
I wouldn't exchange a Homey Sunday for anything in the world. :) :)
Basically relaxing. But what i like most about Sundays is the time with the family. Everyone's home with no hurry about getting anywhere. The kids, all 4 of them, creating a ruckus in unison, the TV vying for our attention...my bros and I lazing around doing..eh..nothing. Dad Mom busy doing..eh..nothing. My SILs hovering around the kids....the dogs doing their bit. All in all a perfectly lovely, noisy Sunny-day!
I wouldn't exchange a Homey Sunday for anything in the world. :) :)
To continue with the gender bias topic...
No doubt its women who bear the brunt, but at the risk of sounding a male chauvinist I think men have their own cross to bear. How? Read on.
1. Even in these so-called liberated times, men are expected to go out and earn the bread and butter. The option of staying at home and looking after the children, while the wife goes out to work, is not open to them. They have this option only if they have the strength to withstand the gossip, the ridicule and the general disapproval. What is wrong in being a house husband when it’s perfectly fine for a woman to be a house wife?
2. If a girl does not take up a career it’s nothing to worry about, but does a man have that option? I have enough girl friends who have no career and perfectly fine staying home and managing the house while their husbands are running around to earn a living. I don’t see anyone looking down on these women.
3. When it comes to marriage parents want their daughter to marry a man who can give her a secure future. ‘A well settled boy’ is a major criterion. It would never occur to them that their daughter should be able to fend for herself.
4. Women have been moving into their husband's houses for centuries and that’s never been an issue. If a girl can shift to her husband’s house why is it demeaning for a boy to shift to his wife’s house?
5. If a boy cries he’s a sissy, if a girl cries, it’s perfectly acceptable and in fact attracts sympathy and comforting from people around. Why? Don’t boys have feelings? Shouldn’t they have the right to express without facing scorn?
6. If a girl plays cricket she is labelled a tomboy but if a boy plays with a doll…heaven forbid! Society is more indulgent on girls acting like tomboys but there is a stigma attached to a boy being effeminate. Why?
7. Society has a tendency to doubt the masculinity of men who design clothes for women, or male make-up artists, or men who follow any profession that breaks away from the regular. Somehow, men who don't hold nine to five jobs with a salary cheque that puts food on the table are not deemed manly enough. But women taking up traditionally male roles are admired and hallowed.
Frankly, I don’t agree with the feminist’s demand of equality or being ‘like men’. We have enough men around, why do we want to turn women into men? It’s high time we accepted that men and women are different. Mind you, different neither means inferior or less in any way. It just means...hmm…different. According to me, the very fact that we ‘want to be like men’ means we consider ourselves less than them. We are not. We are equal, but different. Like say sugar and honey. They’re both sweet, yet they’re different.
No doubt its women who bear the brunt, but at the risk of sounding a male chauvinist I think men have their own cross to bear. How? Read on.
1. Even in these so-called liberated times, men are expected to go out and earn the bread and butter. The option of staying at home and looking after the children, while the wife goes out to work, is not open to them. They have this option only if they have the strength to withstand the gossip, the ridicule and the general disapproval. What is wrong in being a house husband when it’s perfectly fine for a woman to be a house wife?
2. If a girl does not take up a career it’s nothing to worry about, but does a man have that option? I have enough girl friends who have no career and perfectly fine staying home and managing the house while their husbands are running around to earn a living. I don’t see anyone looking down on these women.
3. When it comes to marriage parents want their daughter to marry a man who can give her a secure future. ‘A well settled boy’ is a major criterion. It would never occur to them that their daughter should be able to fend for herself.
4. Women have been moving into their husband's houses for centuries and that’s never been an issue. If a girl can shift to her husband’s house why is it demeaning for a boy to shift to his wife’s house?
5. If a boy cries he’s a sissy, if a girl cries, it’s perfectly acceptable and in fact attracts sympathy and comforting from people around. Why? Don’t boys have feelings? Shouldn’t they have the right to express without facing scorn?
6. If a girl plays cricket she is labelled a tomboy but if a boy plays with a doll…heaven forbid! Society is more indulgent on girls acting like tomboys but there is a stigma attached to a boy being effeminate. Why?
7. Society has a tendency to doubt the masculinity of men who design clothes for women, or male make-up artists, or men who follow any profession that breaks away from the regular. Somehow, men who don't hold nine to five jobs with a salary cheque that puts food on the table are not deemed manly enough. But women taking up traditionally male roles are admired and hallowed.
Frankly, I don’t agree with the feminist’s demand of equality or being ‘like men’. We have enough men around, why do we want to turn women into men? It’s high time we accepted that men and women are different. Mind you, different neither means inferior or less in any way. It just means...hmm…different. According to me, the very fact that we ‘want to be like men’ means we consider ourselves less than them. We are not. We are equal, but different. Like say sugar and honey. They’re both sweet, yet they’re different.
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