Bus Journey

Boarded the Deluxe bus No. 47A to get to T.Nagar to work on a rainy day.

Buses are better on rainy days as all roads are flooded with dirty water. Moreover we don't get drenched with the other passing vehicles splashing dirty water on our office wear.

Deluxe service tickets are priced higher so the buses are not crowded and the seats are comfortable too.

Was disappointed to notice so much trash obviously lying uncleared since many days (highlighted in red under the seaters in front) even though it was 10.15am. I thought buses are swept clean at the bus depot itself before starting on the first trip of the day.

Another bus I traveled was so over-crowded with young boys hanging on the window railings with one foot on the foot board at the entrance and another left dangling freely. These boys perform all kinds of stunts in running buses to impress the ladies and girls who have a view as the ladies' seats are allocated the left side in all buses! Some have had falls quite serious and at times fatal. When will they learn that their lives are precious to their parents and not at all worth these silly antics to impress all and sundry on the heavily traffic ridden bumpy Chennai roads.

May they get enlightened enough not to risk their dear lives for any reason or person.

Mahalakshmi.

The Making of Badam Halwa

Badam = Almonds. Halwa = Gooey Sweet. Diwali is a special time for us in our family. My dear mom was born on Diwali day in the year 1927.

I could not take her out on her birthday as there was office work to attend to. But I did manage to make the badam halwa day before yesterday. Well the process was the same. Only I wanted the sugar to be light so instead of 1:1:2 of Paste-of-Soaked-Almond-Ground-with-Milk:Ghee:Sugar I made it with the same ingredients but in 1:1:1 ratios.

It turned out to the right gooey consistency so I offered the first spoon to God and the same one to my mom for tasting. She pronounced the result which made my smile turn to a sour expression :( It was not sweet enough. I had no time to redo it as I was rushing off to office.

Yesterday before going to office I wanted to rectify the sweet, so added 1 more measure of sugar and had the whole thing going on fire again. The best thing with halwa is that you can put it back on fire and stir until you get it right even if you made a mistake the first time around!

This time it passed my mom's taste test. I was glad my mom did not want to compromise with lesser sweet in our traditional sweets like the badam halwa.

The wheat halwa is one of my all-time favorites. Its called the Tirunelveli halwa too. This has to be made with 1:1:3 of Milk-of-Wheat:Ghee:Sugar! This one is such an addictive sweet that you tend to have spoon after spoon of wheat halwa before you even realize you have had too much of it. Your teeth ache from it more so if one has cavities yet you want to go on eating it. The taste of sugar, wheat and clarified butter make it taste so very divine.

Cheers.

Mahalakshmi.

The Van Drivers Conference!

On the main road in Adyar, there is a stand for Carriage Vans. Though it is not a recognized parking place, the vans are stationed here all the time and people come here to hire these to transport anything locally.

Whenever I pass this road, I find a group of idle drivers chatting away to pass time. Two dogs also join this group. The dogs are treated as equals and food and tea is shared with these lovable creatures. One has a coat of salt and pepper all over with a white patch below, his eyes bright and defined as if with a black liner and another one has biscuit color coat of hair - both street dogs. The drivers love this pair. The dogs have the full freedom to rest inside any empty van if the sun is too hot or if it rains. At times I see these dogs dancing and wagging their tails so vigorously to the driver's endearments as if they understand every single word being spoken to them!!

This bonding between men and dogs is special and so very open. It makes me feel happy each time I pass that way. I look out for this conference of men and dogs at the venue - just opposite to the Vijaya Raja Kalyana Mandapam on the 1st Avenue Road, Adyar, Chennai.

I wish I could click a pic. Shall upload when I am able to.

Mahalakshmi

BMW and T.Nagar, Chennai

The other day while travelling down to office meant passing through the main road in T.Nagar - Pondy Bazar. Added to the usual rush was the Diwali festival shopping crowd.

My auto was inching from one traffic signal to another. Out of the blue, the latest model of a black Mercedes Benz drove across vehicles at a cross road. All eyes were on that black beauty. Heads turned, eyes transfixed to the driver and then the car. None moved despite a lot of honking of horns at least until it moved well beyond everyone's sight!

Definitely it does mean a lot to drive in the best one around.

Its been a long time wish to drive around in a BMW. This is yet to come true.

There was a time when I thought I should at least hire the BMW once and take a round of the city in it! That day will come very soon as I am a die-hard optimist.

Happy Diwali.
May this festival of lights brighten our lives and bring us a lot of cheer, peace, good health and prosperity.

Mahalakshmi.

Going To School

Day before my husband and I had to visit his brother's place for a family function.

Brother has a grand daughter who goes to school since Vijaya Dasami, a day when small kids are admitted in pre-school just to get used to the idea of going to school. From 9am to whatever time a kid is comfortable with but not beyond 1.30pm.

The kid cries a lot to go to school. School time is tension time when all other members of the family are engaged with only one task of somehow sending the kid to school. As if on cue, at 8.30am there are any number of excuses why she will not get dressed or eat her breakfast!

But the mother is not in a mood to give up as she gets her free time only during the kid's school time!

All this struggle until the child reaches her 1st grade where the school will function from 9am to 3.30pm giving the parent more free time.

Then there's college, then going to work, getting married, raising a family and becoming a parent and coping with children and bringing them up.

Until next then.

Mahalakshmi

Deepavali - A Festival Of Lights

Deepavali is a festival of lights celebrated all over India.

Crackers are burst by one and all.
Sweets are made in all Hindu households and distributed among friends and relatives.
But these are days when sweets or gift hampers are bought across counters of shops which do brisk business during this important festival time.

This is a time when all working people get a bonus of about a month's pay which is spent in buying new clothes, crackers, sweets, etc for near and dear ones.

Today I had to take a bus to a distant place. Saw a poor labourer holding a huge packet of dolls. He was busy explaining to another co-passenger about how his daughter loved to have it and since he got his bonus yesterday he was taking it home even though he could ill-afford such a costly buy but this is once in a year and his child's happiness was a higher priority.

I can imagine the happiness on the child's face on seeing that big packet of dolls. I remembered my own childhood when my parents stitched us all new clothes and made sweets and snacks so elaborately. They were such fun filled days.

Left to myself, I will spend this festival of lights with just lighting a few lamps, listen to soft music and enjoy the quietness.
May we all be blessed on this festive occasion.
Happy Deepavali.

Mahalakshmi

Changing Times

Every human being undergoes a sea change every 30 years.

What we were so passionate about now does not appeal to us anymore.

Times change and humans change with the life experiences they encounter.

But why 30 years for changing?

The ancients believed that its got much to do with the cycle of Saturn which starts at 0 degrees and comes a full circle covering 360 degrees to yet again reach 0 once every 30 years. For those of you who are not too familiar with the zodiac signs, there are 12 signs in all, each sign comprising of 30 degrees making 12 x 30 all of 360 degrees. Saturn takes 30 years to do one round of 360 degrees.

There are many of us who could be sceptical about such things yet our sages gave us good reason to give it a second thought.

We undergo so much in a span of 30 years that we no longer hold dear what once we were so gung-ho about.

2 such cycles and we touch age 60 which is considered a crucial year in a human life apart from the normally accepted retirement age for many of us in India and elsewhere too I guess.

According to ancient Hindu wisdom, this is the age when each goes into what is called the Vanaprastha Ashram when a human is supposed to hand over the reins of control in the family to the nexgen so that he or she can become detached enough to dwell on the higher spiritual meaning of life and living. Vana means to move into a forest which is bereft of the material comforts we were so used to not so long back. An official retirement means leaving office or workplace, abdicating our control over our seat of power to the next in line.

My 2 cents!

By the way Saturn is about to transit from the zodiac sign of Virgo in which it was stationed for the past around 2 and 1/2 years, into the next sign of Libra around mid-November, 2011.

May it bring many positive changes in all of us.

Mahalakshmi.