How much /many is enough?

 No it is not a spiritual quest or a highly thought provoking line. ( On second thoughts it could be)

It just surfaced with the few idlies in my plate this morning at breakfast, soaking in drumstick sambar, with coconut chutney in a coconut bowl.

All mother's know only one line, (vayiru nireya sapidu).....full stomach.

Friends and colleagues.....till the company, and time available.

Special friend.....single plate and shared.

Alone...... depends on the mood.

Finally, little depends on the quality, nutrition of the food, and its need to the body.

That would be known only when the food is well chewed, and analysed by the body mechanism to tell you....enough, which takes a quarter of an hour of a well chewed and relished meal.

If this is for a simple idly, imagine the rest of that is there in food, and more material wants and desires !

How much or how many would be Enough ? 

Shy and beautiful or nervous and a wreck

 I have always been thinking, that birds and animals of the timid kind were all nervous, but have realised that with wining their trust and confidence, it could be flipped over and make them exhibit shyness....... which brings to surface an in-born beauty.

In comparison am sure the same thing would be true to human nature.

Nervousness won with trust and respect would turn a simple person to a creative handsome/or a beauty, and a sculptrous person to a modellish belle.

May we acquire the spirit to bring out the best to those around, and they in turn a wave spreading warmth and wonder. 

Driving out to a Drive- in

 We have all got used to the comfort of a bucket seat in a car, or the saddle seat in a two wheeler, that we feel like being on a throne.

The first drive-ins were the petrol bunks, which we never felt as anything special, it was the other places which brought out the noticeble difference.

The most famous was the woodlands of the then Madras, with its large spacious forested parking space, earning it's name on Radhakrishnan road, with their delicious South Indian cuisine, and winning affluent diners at their windowed doors.

This morning at the market I noticed a buyer reach to a vendor on the roadside, braking at his mat step, the engine idling, making a buy after a bargain and scooting away.

He must be a very busy one, loosing the joy of a casual stride to the market, gossiping, meeting friends, and making a round and finally buying the best of the farm produce.

Our village cart-o-restaurants too have started the drive in service with no dine ins available, unless you prefer to hold and stand.

Our walking space is getting less and less, and our walks too, walk while you still can, to where you could.

Soon we will be driving out for a walk. 

Intha

 Intha?  It is an extension of the heart through the hands, with the flow of the mind, and expressed with the tongue.

The world of languages, have innumerable words, each a wonder by themselves, and every language has one which comes expressed  with an offering......you pick one in your tongue, and that is what I meant.

Some things touch every part of the body, or for some every layer, whatever, may we get a chance to realize that, maybe once a day, or once a week, or once a month......it helps descend something into you.

May we all have a chance for that realisation.

INTHA. ! 

Unpaved Paths

 

The way to a man's heart they say is through his stomach, and the way to a man's stomach is through his heart, how cyclically paradoxical.

We are aware of the culinary skills, that are passed on from mother to her daughter, specialities of the home, to be used to win over, first her handsome gentleman and later his whole family, but first his trust and friendship needs to be won.

How is that to be learnt in this fast paced age of the Aquarius.

Each one to their own methods, that is if you want to win hearts, but for those who prefer to be by themselves, the whole world is at your finger tips, tap and touch and try out the innumerable cuisines all across the continents, on the way.

Distances do not matter, but skill does.

A Kongu feast at its land

 It was a quarter to two pm, and the stomach had just started to grumble, by way of its sound, and burning with emptiness.The message was clear, and the choices on the highway were immense, with all the billboards advertising their presence, and the cuisines available.

We finally selected and settled in on Annapurna, on entering koyambath oorunga.

Opposite to KMCH, this hotel was well located, attracting a mix of customers,

Having our temperatures checked, and de-sanitising our sensitive hands, we chaired to a lavish spread of a thali without a name, cheating our senses, it was going to be a simple meal.

It was a large circle of a plate, with a banana leaf cut to size and fit, inlaid with nine cups arranged at the rim, filled with
1) Dal
2) potatoes and peas, pasted with spice
3) drum stick, beans and radish, avial
4) keerai kootu
5) drumstick sambar
6) vathal kulambhu
7) rasam
8) thick curd ( adjective, specific)
9) payasam.
Out of the cups and in the centre was an appalam, and hiding beneath it was a small finger more molaga.

With multiple servings of steaming white rice, the lovely food was chewed well and relished in slow motion.

It was wonderful while it lasted, leaving a digested memory for times to follow on road.

Godman

 God is an hypothesis and man is a reality, it is a false hope to a real crisis to tap inner strength.

The quicker we get to realise this the safer we are from con artists at every level, from a poojari priest to a Godman at an ashram, robbing money from people with donations, and people from family as volunteers.

One day at the campus I work, a rich community had their gathering on their passing way in caravans, I went to see the caravansary.

One leader prophesied, one day you will be a Godman like this one, I said, " no I will not, " he must have been surprised, as he would not have been rebuked,  "then you will be a good man".

Looks like there was a lesson from that episode in various angles, then and for later times, I rushed back to work.

Safe and secure, me from people and people from me.

learning to say "NO"

 In these days of everyone accepting the single rule " the boss  is always right", thinking for yourself and acting with dignity is something for the unreal.

The word "no" is considered as unruly, rowdy, bad, and more.

I once had an elderly paternal uncle who one evening said " I will tell you one thing, but no talking back", I said " then do not tell me".

I am an odd one when addressed with conditions, " sorry, not my style".

Respect yourself, gather courage, see where things, people, situations are worthy of understanding, take a chance, say " NO".