"RAW"

Nimble fingers
Picking at the mango skin
Sense of urgency
Tugging from within

Trying hard
To disengage the fibres that hold
The mango to its core
I took a knife and slit the cord.

I felt naked
I felt raw.

Bhutan - The Land of the Thunder Dragon

Almost 2 weeks ago, I set on my trip to Bhutan. This trip was special for 2 reasons: 1. I had never been to this place before. 2. This was the first time I was travelling alone. At the beginning of my trip, I had apprehensions, loads of them as any first time solo traveller would have. Would I be ok? Did I make a mistake travelling to a new place alone? Would I have a good time? Now, when I look back, I am glad I made that trip. It was important to me on so many levels. Not only did it give me time to reflect on my life, but it also allowed me to let go of things or circumstances that I couldn't control. What I like about the place is that it embraces you. The moment you land at the airport, the crisp cool air surrounds you and engulfs you in a warm yet mystic embrace. There is no need to fear the unknown. The longer you plan to stay there, the more the place unfolds before your eyes. As a place known for its strong faith in Buddhism, the people and its culture continuously mirror its teachings. What I like about the people is that they take immense pride in sharing their knowledge of their culture and diverse identity. They are willing to share and learn from you too. The humbleness of the people, their warmth and hospitality of the people, make you feel warm even in the lowest of temperatures. I got to visit three regions in Bhutan - Thimpu, Punakha and Paro. We not only travelled through regions, but experienced the summer monsoons and cool foggy weather. The good company of my guide and driver made this trip enjoyable. They made sure that I was happy - both literally and figuratively and always managed to keep me in high spirits. Having spent a week there, I should say that visiting the monasteries is part of the mystery that surrounds this beautiful place that is both spiritual and scenic. The more you explore the place, the more fascinated you become by the mysteries you uncover. I had a chance to taste their rice wine and butter tea. Unlike the other tourists who did not much care for the tea, I strangely liked it as I felt it soothed my throat and moisturised it. Butter tea is not for everyone. I think it's an acquired taste. Even now, I can remember the taste of it in my mouth. Surprisingly, these kind of memories linger even after you have left the place. The local food is fresh and tasty.

After wearing their traditional costume, Kira, I realise that there is no better dress than it. It not only keeps you warm in the high altitudes but also like my friend said, allows you to store food and goodies in your clothing. 😋😜 The country's promise to preserve its ecological system can be seen in how the people organise their lives around nature without destroying it. The greenery and the fresh air stand testament to this. Local people continue to shower their love on animals. It is an untold understanding. I have never seen so many stray dogs living in harmony with humans. There were 3-4 dogs in every Dzong  that I visited. As the temples and local people take care of the dogs and their food needs, the dog pays back in kind by acting like watch dogs. These dogs are so cute and cuddly. When I left the place, I did feel slightly nostalgic. When I look back upon the journey I undertook, I am glad I did not cancel this plan of going to Bhutan. It has taught me something - to be content with what you have, after all the place is known to operate on Gross Domestic Happiness not Gross Domestic product. Maybe, that's why tourists keep going back to this place as they cannot have enough of this place. I may go back some day too as I am enthralled by the place, people and its peaceful surroundings. Sometimes, it's nice to visit a place where you can unplug from your iTunes and listen intently to the sounds of nature and appreciate life for what it is. I cannot wait to visit this place again. Bhutan, thank you for giving me a treasure chest of memories #incrediblebhutan #natureisbeautiful #peaceandserenity

Losing a part of ourselves

Losing a dog is always hard. The first time is never different from the next. In our family, we always had dogs for a very long time. Each of us were attached to every dog that lived with us for a small part of our lives. Some of us were luckier to witness unconditional love in different shapes and sizes. Whether it was Chimpy, Pappu, Chutkie or Juppu, our hearts ached every time one of them left us. I think it is not the time they leave, but how they leave us that matters the most. Today, in a matter of a few months, we have lost a few more of these faithful beings, Meenakshi and Snowy. Without them, our lives would have been incomplete. Their barks, tantrums and whines made the house a home. From Meenakshi's skills to hunt down wild rats to Snowy barking when strangers entered the house, both of them made their presence felt in their own little mad ways. Their absence will definitely haunt our memories and the house they grew up in. There's something that makes dogs so endearing to us as we miss them more when they are gone. RIP Meenakshi and Snowy. Now, when we enter the house gate, we will no longer hear Meenakshi whining to be petted or little Snowy wagging her tail  as she waits at the portico to welcome us home. Snowy, your presence will be truly missed especially when we eat your favourite-buttered naans!

A meaningful quote by an American Wild-life photographer, Roger A. Caras:

"Dogs are not our whole life, but they make our lives whole."

Charity or publicity

When I see people enthusiastically posting videos online of  having successfully completed the ice bucket challenge, I wonder what the huge hue and cry is about. I personally feel that this kind of a challenge doesn't really serve the purpose of making people aware of ALS.  These kind of viral campaigns catch on like fire and everybody does it because they don't want to be the odd one out. People would rather do the ice bucket challenge than donate money for a worthy cause. I feel it is better to do the challenge and donate a bit to the cause. Every time, I open Facebook, I see people either supporting or refusing to be part of such challenges. So, can we consider the people who refuse to take on such challenges heartless?

At a time, when some countries experience water scarcity,  is it practical to waste water? Yes, it is important for people to know about ALS and other similar diseases, but definitely there should be other ways of promoting a social cause. Recently, I came across a challenge started by a woman in India. It is called the rice bucket challenge where interested individuals can enlist themselves to feed a poor family by donating a bucket of rice. As food is a basic need, I feel this challenge serves humanity as everybody gets the chance to put a smile on a hungry child's face. Now, that's something I wouldn't hesitate from contributing to as every bucket really counts.

http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/andhra-pradesh/rice-bucket-challenge-piooner-gets-un-award/article6370306.ece

Time

It's been 3 whole years since I penned a blog. I wonder why I was not able to find the time to do so. There's always so much to do. I know it's no excuse.  There should be no fixed time to write. People used to admire my knack for stringing words together. These days, I don't know where the words have disappeared. It's hidden between papers I need to correct or books I need to read.

Writing is meant to relieve you of your worries. Right now, as I type, words fly from the 4 corners of the room beckoning me to squeeze them into this small blog of mine. I admit, I cannot write down every thought I think.A blog becomes public  once it is out there and we always need to safeguard our self - our identity and diplomatically couch our opinions to a certain extent. Anyways, at this juncture, I am running out of my words. I just wanted to kick start the process of writing again. I am so glad I did. Better sooner than later. :)  

Paneer and peas curry with a TWIST

Who doesn't love Paneer? Soft and pliable - easy to cook and delicious when cooked well. I love making Paneer. Paneer is actually the Indian counterpart of the Singaporean 'Tofu'. The only difference is that tofu is made of Soya, while paneer is made of milk. The texture is pretty much the same. So, you can make this recipe with either Tofu or Paneer. Last week, I made this paneer dish for a cadre of colleagues. It was a get together. Everybody was expected to bring something for the pot luck. I first thought, I would cook Lobia. But decided against it due to the time constraint.

First, let me give you a list of the ingredients I used to make this curry.

Frozen Paneer - 500 gms
Peas - 1 cup
Onions - 1-2 medium size (Finely chopped)
Capsicum - 1
Green chillies- 2
Cherry tomatoes - 4
Cumin - 1 teaspoon
Olive oil - 1 - 2 teaspoons
Turmeric powder - a pinch
Chilly powder - 1 teaspoon ( can increase / decrease as desired)
Coriander powder - 1 teaspoon
Cumin powder - 1 teaspoon
Orange juice - 1/2 cup
Tomato soup - 1/4 cup
Sherry cooking wine - 1-2 tablespoons\
Salt to taste
Brown sugar - 1 teaspoon (optional)
Coriander for garnish
Lime - 1 - 2 teaspoons.

Process:

1. Pour oil into the heated pan. Add the cumin, cut onions and chillies. Saute it for a while.
2. Now, add the capsicum along with the turmeric powder, chilly powder, cumin powder and coriander powder. Add salt as required. After mixing the ingredients well, throw in the cherry tomatoes. Once the tomatoes have blended well with the masalas, add the tomato juice and orange juice respectively.
3. At this stage, add the defrosted paneer to the mixture and reduce the heat, so that the masala doesn't get burnt. Pour in a little sherry wine and brown sugar if you like your dish to be sweet and spicy.
4. When the dish has cooked enough, plonk in the peas. Remember to add the peas at the end as you don't want to overcook them. On low heat, let the dish simmer for a minute or two.
5. Before taking the dish off the fire, add some freshly sqeezed lime juice and garnish the dish with a few sprigs of coriander. The colour of the coriander and the tanginess of the lime will add a distinct flavour to the dish.

This dish can be served with chapatti or whole wheat bread. My colleagues preferred eating it on it's own. Please try it out and let me know how it turned out. If you made any changes to the recipe, please let me know what you did. I am always eager to try new ways to cook the same dish.

My man in shining armour was none other than my Appuppa(7 February 2011)

At around 10:30AM that morning, my grandfather passed away. My grandfather slipped into a coma 2 days before he passed away.

16 days have gone by since that sorrowful day. We travelled to my grandfather's birthplace(Aluva)and immersed his ashes in the Periyar river. We even dipped ourselves in the river to cleanse our souls of our temporary sins. We did the final poojas required to relieve his soul and even invited his relatives for lunch.

And yet... Everyday when I see his photo, I cannot believe that there is nothing left than these memories to bank on...