Tuesday, February 28, 2012

2 spoons of Harthal , one pinch of Strike and little Bandh to taste !

The advantage of doing what I am doing right now - I tell all my folks - is to start work from a new office everyday - eat food from a different joint - meet new set of people each day.

What I dont tell them though (and I am revealing this little secret only to you ) is that my WORKPLACE is generally a petrol pump -  for all of my NRI pals - "a gas station" but without the comforts and seats like one and FOOD - is something I deem eatable - visit to a place like "Permude" and "Meeyapadavu" ..rest assured cannot give me the choicest Kerala delicacies. I stop my car - have my tea and a snack and I am happy. "PEOPLE" are people of a type themselves.  I would need atleast 2-3 posts to describe them - which I will do in the couse of time.

Today- is yet another priviledged day - for the mallus of Kerala - we celebrate the day with heart. Yes - Hindu Muslims Xtians - Upper Lower Middle - its a day of Strike and Hartal. Brings me back memories of school when a sword hanging near my neck innthe form of a homework would sudenly vanish in the form of a bus strike forced hartal or a opposition forced one for student leaders getting "kissed with lathis" by our own policemen.

The hartals of Kanhangad  are though different. My luxury of mobility and choicest food is affected. That is when I turn to my own cooking "skills". Yesterday was when I hurriedly bought some curd, few baggy green veggies and a bunch of ripe bananas. I know my skills and I also know my patience levels are too low for cutting veggies and washing solied plates. Settled for a  raita and some cooked veggies. Lunch done. Fingers crossed for dinner.

End of Day - Harthal scores - people relax on a harthal - here was me - running around for food veggies and milk, cutting vegetables , washing plates for 3 times a day when all I could have done was drop into a teashop :(. All's well that ends well. Loving my limited cooking abilities though !



Saturday, February 25, 2012

Jailed by Openess !

Today’s drive  was to the SmallRiverPlace - Cherupuzha in Kannur. Decided to take a new route .  via Cheemeni.
Cheemeni is a small town with empty roads ( a rare occurance in the densly populated Kerala )… and driving through the roads with Cashew Estate of the Plantation Corporation of Kerala  synonymous with the word “Endosulfan” noticed these words … OPEN JAIL - CHEEMENI .
???
Random thoughts criss cross the mind.
Isnt every human mind an open jail ?
Can anyone be “jailed” by openess ?
Similarly can anyone be given the “freedom of a closed room “?
Parked my car. Got out …..took a deep breath…stretched my arms …got back into the car…..switched on the music ..started driving again.