My Circle of life...

I was going through my blog and to my amazement, I’ve ranted only about my children..my son ….my daughter..my hubby…my brother….my amma……I’ve not discussed anything beyond this relationship…….My world….My family…………

Nyeabakam varudey Nyeabakam varudey….

It’s Saturday morning….Chennai temperature is peaking high…Very much morning morning at 6 0’clock…I could feel the heat on my skin when I left my AC’ed bedroom…Oh God!!! Gulped some 2 glasses of water to ease my body temperature….No office today..But still woke up early as usual to open door for my cook….Collected the milk and newspaper from my front gate…..Scanned the paper…Ah! The usual politics which is not my piece of pie…….some rape, some theft, burglaries…this world is not a better place to life…..

My dear hubby was snoring to glory…..Ah, his hectic schedule the last 3 days in Cochin had made him too weak….my children started tossing from one side to another…the mosquitoes….Chennai is full of it…Smelly Chennai……

My cook signaled her arrival by her “tuck tuck”..hit on the iron black and white gate….I gave the menu and she made busy with her routine style….

I was informing my hubby that I need to close my bank account which I was holding for long time (salary account of my ex-company) with no transaction for almost 6 years....One of the weekdays, I called up the bank and I was informed that as the account was not active, they have kind of locked the account…I asked for the procedure for closing the account…Immediately came the instructions “2 photos + proof of address + pan card”….and come in person…..So I was thinking of finishing this task today….It is almost 10 km from home and was wondering how to go about….My hubby was telling that we will go during weekend…I was not so sure whether he will accompany me as he has Saturday as working day…and he has not got up till 8 o’clock….He opens his eyes sluggishly “what time is it??...”..”8’o clock”…”I’m not going to office….Prepare the children..We will go to bank by bus…It will be an exciting tour for them in bus….”…He turned to the other side and continued his nap…..

My children were excited to hear the news……”bus ride”….They were obeying to my instructions very obediently….I take the opportunity to blackmail them given an opportunity to get things done ..”you wanna to go by bus…brush your teeth….eat your breakfast fast…drink water…”…these days typical mother’s syndrome…blackmail…..

Around 10’o clock, we were comfortably seated in a deluxe bus..My children were excited to see the crowded roads, trees passing by, the speedy auto trying to overcome our bus, ..the excavator, the cement mixer, the big crane which reels with great speed carrying men in a circular motion on the air….the son is lost in his world of big machines…he infact assumes that he is the excavator..with his palms curved and hands high in the air and bending towards his body…”what is this?”…”Excavator, amma”…Oh!!!......

We got down at the bus stop..and we took an auto……My hubby was arguing with the auto driver…”50 rupees sir”…Hubby says “ 49 appuram varumey aduva”…Both the auto driver and me were giving a serious look at my DH….Auto driver is seriously replying back “ammam sir” Hubby “Poitu vankanga“ …..The sun is blasting at its peak….Sweating all over…yack…Another auto driver passed by… “Enga ponnum Sir”? ……”30 rupees sir “ ……We were off to our destined bank…

It is the same old building….My office was on the top floor…The same lift..The same staircase by the side…Except that that company is not there any more…some other company has taken it on lease….Opened the door ..Ah, the AC welcomed us …..Met a lady behind the “May I help you?” counter….She was triumphantly persuading me to continue with the account…But no sorry ma’am…would like to close the account?..She asked me to write a letter and surrender the passbook and unused cheque leaves…...I quickly penned a letter and passed it on to her…. she asked me to wait…OK…In the mean time, my children were fascinated to read the number that is flashed on the teller counter..Token number “3—4”…My children says loudly thirty four drawing the attention of the whole crowd…to kill time, I kept on asking what comes after 3-4?...before 3-4? All fancy answers comes out..something correct….We went out to get some fresh air when they become incontrollable….I was pointing out the old “Gemini flyover” to my children…They know madipakkam bridge…It is similar to that…I wonder whether they were able to understand or associate with anything….The woodland hotel opposite with the green trees still around..I was a nostalgic moment for me..I had been working in this company premise for nearly 1 and ½ years…and I was telling my children that they were there too in the same office ..ofcourse in my tummy….My hubby was laughing…..I used to my walks in the front corrider and frequent throw ups in my early days of premise….The security man were really helpful in offering me water for cleaning up the place…..Ah, those days ….memorable ones..I was on and on and on…….

After ½ hour we came back..The lady was not to be seen…I enquire another guy who sits next to her….Oh! ma’am, sorry…He shouted to couple of other guys…and they were going through some online screen to get my old account number so that that person can get my opening form I guess…He said that he will sent the remaining balance couriered to my house address. Gr8…OK..thanks bye….

I gave another surprise to my daughter that I’ll take her to a restaurant where they provide nice Gobi paratas…just 10 mintues walk right opposite to my previous company….My then Saturday lunch place with a bunch of pals (my ex-project mates)….Saturdays, the company does not provide lunch….We eagerly look forward for Saturday’s for our parattas…palak paneer, methi, aloo…I take a crack at each type of parattas..Out of which, my love is always for Gobi paratta…It smells awesome..and tastes too…it comes with a pickle and a katori of channa masala or dahi…!!! I invaded the whole family to this restaurant..and my my…good that they have installed this tricky signal post in that junction which has now totally 5 roads steming out of that round junction..It took nearly 10 mintues to cross…

In fact , I forgot that restaurant name..I hardly remember the name as it was just a shop with few benches laid with few chair...In fact, I hardly recognized the restaurant…entered into the wrong place and ordered for my favourite..he says only aloo paratta is available..What?? I gazed through the whole place…oops!!! the wrong place..The owner was so generous that he says may be you should go little further to the other restaurant down the lane…I felt out of place..gave a valliccha smile….and walked hurriedly few furlong…like a small kid eagerly to have her cup of icecream at her favourite ice parlour… and Ahhh!!! I recognized the lady right behind the cash counter and the server…oh! They are all still there ….I could not contain myself…I was happy within me…Little did I realized that my hubby was holding my bag and both kids and dragging them to catch me up…how bad!?! …..The whole place got renovated and refurnished ….a new look with tables and they have separated the cook area with the adjustable walls…gr8…We 4 sat there comfortably and ordered for 2 plates of Gobi paratta….Already nakku porathu ittutu irukkunu..(sitting with tongue outside..like dog ;-))…Hubby…”emm..madi ollichadu”…(Enough of mouth-watering)…My children’s favourite came next..amma “Pani puri..”..OK…1 plate please…My hubby “and lassi too”…OK! Here we go….I was restless …I could see the kitchen right from where I was sitting…I was enjoying the preparation too…The cook took a big ball of atta..and rolled them out into circle of 4 inches in diameter …Greased the tawa over medium heat…. Dropped the paratta on the tawa….when it turns slightly brown, turn it over for the other side to be cooked…..Took out when golden brown…. Applied melted butter to make it soft... hot hot… the aroma was in the air….”Gobi paratta ready..”….My daughter loved it…she was hogging....I was already planning for a second serving and my daughter agreed to finish the second place also..!?!..Hungry may be……My son enjoyed the pani puri…and not the Gopi paratta…”One more please”….It was so heavy that we gals could not go beyond half the paratta and my hubby helped to finish the plate…Ah! House full….

Birthday baby? Me…:-)

It is March 30th, 2007….My birthday day…The day I came to this lovely..not so lovely…world..Years passed by so fast…Age too…equally wisdom…too…..ememhhhh!!! I could hear that ..It is ok…too hard to take , is it?....It is a special day….yes…

I hardly celebrate my birthday’s in my childhood…I mean the “cutting of birthday cake”….I hardly remember any event like this…except in films…..I remember those black and white days of the last century…early 80’s…My adorable amma stitches new skirts and blouse…home stitched ones…she is a fairly good home dress tailor, I believe….I don’t remember how perfect fit it was for me…It will be the usual annual exam days..So I get lost in studies and undergoing tension of writing the exams well…My amma takes me to the nearest temple…offers some archana on my nakshataram.......lunch …. a full fledged sadhya kind of menu….with semiya payasam/pal payasam…yummy..yummy…She will make me sit down on the mat on the floor with a vellakku lit and a banana leaf laid before me …with rice and a colourful spread of thorans, avyial, and sambar, rasam…and ending with a gulp of payasam…..burp..…unable to get up from the place with filled stomach..”Amma, vayaru pottuna polley thoon-nunu? ..madhi ammey” (Feels like my stomach is going to burst..enough amma)….She gives that beautiful satisfying smile….I realize now the meaning of "that" smile after becoming a mother myself…As moms, we make sure that our children eat full till their stomach tears apart…there is some more space here giving a small tickle in their small tummy….here also…..only then moms are satisfied…;-)…Those where the good old days……….very much in front of my eyes...photographed.....

After I joined work, the whole project celebrates my birthday…making wish before you blow the candle…..”birthday cake cutting”…claps …and birthday song…”HB to you, HB to you, HB dear S***, HB to you..”…Recently we went to my children’s class mates birthday….These small kids continued their unsystematically rythmatic song …”May the good Lord bless you…May the good lord bless you, dear ***, HB to you”…then balloons bursting behind you…Then cutting cake..then offering to your best dear collegue-cum-friend-next seat neighbour..Then some pals will give a nice facial with creams all over the face or only on the nose or cheeks…”..what not?......then snaps..cheezzzz….it goes on as slideshows in desktop screen saver for the next few days…A birthday card wished and signed by all team members…...Good memories…

I feel entirely different today…may be the thought that I’ve grown old or …these celebrations are only for kids…I was feeling out of my usual self…more towards me....It was embarrassing for me to stand in front of the whole crowd of team members..many pairs of eyes eagerly waiting for their share of cake.. …birthday cake cutting ceremony…May be becoz I’m the object in focus….whatever…Let me get this over…..the usual process…this time I’m happy in a way that I’ve my lovely ladies crowd around me….my stress busters....big mouth ladies ..my lunch team where we feel that we are that “seethe saatha”.. humans and not machines/ programs with the if..else..endif ..…..

It is of course an unforgettable page which I save in a book titled “My life”…

Last but not the least, my best birthday gift for the day is lots ..tonnes of kiss on both my cheeks by my children….The moment my dear hubby informed them on opening their sleepy eyes in the morning..”Vava, you know today is amma’s birthday…and he leaned towards me and gave a sweet kiss on my cheeks..My eyes filled with a film of moisture…a kiss from my hubby in front of the kids…I was blushing…to cover it up..I gave a pose to my daughter that I’m embarrassed to receive a kiss on my cheeks…with a tip of my nail bitting between my teeth...She immediately joining the race of hugging me with both hands..and pouring kisses..umma umma..My son followed his turn……. I am totally flattered.......

Last, my priceless gift is my hubby’s kiss on my cheeks…………which I rarely get these days……
Oops!!!! Hahahahahahha ;-)

Run, Run, Run..........

My body simply refuses to move to my needs. The medicines for my tonsillitis is so sedative that my eyes refuses to open even at 6:15am in the morning. Usually my cook reports around 6’0 clock in the morning. Today I was wondering what happened to her? I opened the front door, picked up the milk bag and newspaper. I removed yesterday’s milk packets from the refrigerator and put it in water to remove the chillness and replaced with today’s.

Then went off to do my brushing. Now it is close to 6:45. No sign of my cook!!! Oh, no! My brain refuses to function too. I wondered what should I prepare for breakfast and lunch. I scanned the refrigerator. There was a big vessel full of Idli maavu (Dough)..Great..I can prepare some dosa and coconut chutney. I started boiling rice for rice. I soaked 2 glasses of rice. Next is some Vegetable curry. I decided to cook some quick biriyani type of vegetable mix so that I can mix it with plain rice.

You can try this:

1. onions -2 chopped
2. ripe tomatoes – 2 chopped
3. ginger - small piece – 1 tsp (chopped and smashed)
4. garlic - 4 pieces (chopped and smashed)
5. beans – 15 ( cut it into 1 inche size pieces)
6 Carrot – 1 (chopped into small strips)
7. Coriander leaves – 2 stem (finely chopped for garnishing)

In the kadai, start with seasoning – pour 1 tspn oil. Add little sombhu and leave it to burst. Then add 2 cloves, 1 bayleaf (not mandatory). After it is kind of fried, add garlic and ginger and fry it till that raw smell is gone. Keep the burner in sim otherwise it will get charred. Then add onion. Fry it. Then add tomatoes. Let it become softened. Add a pinch of turmeric powder (for color) and salt to taste. Then add chopped carrot and beans. Let it fry for sometime. Add water so that the vegetables have to be cooked. Close the whole mix with lid and allow it to cook. After it is done, add 1 spoon of gram masala/chicken masala powder and mix it thoroughly and cook for ½ minute or so. Garnish with Coriander leaves. This you mix with already cooked plain rice. It taste like vegetable biriyani. A quick preparation for lunch.

Then prepare some cucumber, tomato, carrot salad. For children’s snack box too.. same salads.

Then ran back to wake my children, making them brush, bath..me washing cloths, bath…making them to eat breakfast, helping kids with their uniform, shoes..apppa…run run..They went late to school by 10 mintues.

Run, Run…to office….