Dew

Happy Women's Day!!! screamed my friend on top of her voice. Not sure, if I woke up to her cheerful and confident voice or the inner voice of joy that is inherent in college-going girls celebrating just about any special day!  And this day, 17 years ago ( Yes, that's quite a long time ago ), we had decided to wear pink and celebrate the day with sweets and savories in class!!. We were super proud to be a woman, wrote wishes for each other, received wishes from all the men friends ( Yes, like if they wished they got the sweets!!!) and generally had a really good time with heads high. Our enthusiasm was so contagious that the Ladies hostel warden had relaxed the Hostel In-time that evening. That meant, we can come in at 8:00 P.M!!!! Two hours extension was a huge bonus and an icing on the already super cool day!!! The Little girl suffers in the hands of the psychic man who abused her and burnt her to charcoal dust! Women disrobed in public! Teen boys ill-treating their...

After a very long time, as long as seven years time frame, I chanced to attend a technical communicator's conference in Bangalore last week. Now, practice is important, even to sit in a lecture hall. I chose lectures that required only my mind to listen and chose to leave out all the hands-on sessions in the conference. I was left with one session in the afternoon that didn't want me to type anything on a computer. That's the only reason why I sat through this session on "Reaching Deeper into Markets". I believe that if something doesn't help me, it may help someone else and I went ahead into the room. The doors to heaven do not have locks, but must be as ornately done as this one and heavier than "heavy" can mean to push!!! is what I felt when I opened the door to the hall where the chosen session was supposed to be conducted. But hard work pays they say!! The talk was engaging and nice in probing into the economics of almost everything I can th...

A very common question I got asked over the last one month's time by many of my friends. The answer has to be simple: I have a, b, c things to do or 1, 2, 3 places to go to or i, ii, iii work to complete... and the like.. This is on the basic level and probably this question doesn't need too much thought or attention beyond this.. But, I did find this question quite disturbing. One evening, on my way back from a temple, I realized the answer to this question: Where ever we are at any given point in time, we are placed at the right position to serve the right purpose at the right time!!. Just that we do not realize it. There is no reason to fret about things ( I admit that I have not yet reached that level of maturity as I write this post but I definitely realize ) when they are not in your hands. Exam results for instance. You can only put your best until the paper leaves your hands. Now, if the evaluation will happen properly is something you have no control over. Sim...

"Paruppu Podi" or "Dal Powder" is a South Indian Instant Rice Mix powder. Here's how you make it: Toor Dal : Moong Dal = 3:1 ratio. Spices are Pepper, Red Chillies, and Asafoetida (Change Spice Intensity to your taste) Salt to taste. Dry roast all the items one after the other in a pan. After the roasted ingredients are cooled down to room temperature, use your mixer and grind them into powder form. Some people like it coarse and some like to keep it fine. The Moderately fine consistency is my choice. Now, you must be wondering whatever is this powder used for and how it could be used and why you need it at all!! A popular staple in Andhra based cuisine, this powder is not alien to most South Indian Dining tables. Here is how you use it : Spread steaming hot rice on a plate and add a little ghee or oil ( Gingelly oil is best) to it. After a while, while the rice is still warm, add one or two spoons of Paruppu Podi to the plate of rice. Mix ...

Can you believe that people have the patience and the artistic sense in them to actually dedicate a whole room and the portico for Dusherra Dolls exhibit?? I had a chance to attend one such Golu invite in Coimbatore this year. This post is going to be a phot post of the exhibit. As you enter the house, an old timer independent house if you can imagine with a portico ( Has a neat little dolls set up telling you, you are in for a grand Golu exhibit inside!!!)  leading to a closed lobby also called as Rezhi in Tamil. You see M.S Subhulakshmi first. There is a note that says they are celebrating her, which also explains the love for music in the family. The Rezhi leads to the living room which was full of dolls..  All the dolls cannot be covered in one single frame!!! Dolls of all sizes - tiny to huge; Dolls of all times -  Age old scupltures in clay to today's plaster of paris and fibre dolls.  They have theme based, varnam based, usual golu, sto...

Are you in? If the answer to these questions is "Yes" from the other side, then the next question will be: Can I come over? If it is a "Yes" again,  then the next question will be: What time would be convenient for you? If you are beginning to wonder if this is an official meeting precedence, then stop right there. This is what happens on casual visits to friends' /relatives places too. Implies... that we are beginning to formalize everything and every relationship too. We are beginning to see the other person as an intrusion in our lives because that's why the doubt comes up if it would be the right time to visit someone." What if I go in when they are busy getting ready to step out? What if they are not at home when I travel all the way to their place? What if they are unwell and are not in a position to answer the door-bell at all?? What if I disturb them or their plans??" Agreed, these formalities are important and essential for...

With due respect to the author of the  book, One Indian Girl, I have strong questions to all the women who had given inputs to the author + the author himself as he wrote the book. What is the idea of the book?? Is it one of these ?: -Women can't be intelligent enough to judge a man. -Women who study well, are intelligent and make it to the top of a career cannot have self-control -Women can be easily bought with a few nice words, lots of drinks, and great food. -A "Please come in" invite to a man from a woman is more than just the living room. -A woman who is career-minded can never be a good wife, mother, and daughter -Appreciate a woman's look and she will definitely fall for a man. I am sure you are wondering what this is all about. The story line of the famous Author, Chetan Bhagat's latest book "One Indian Girl" is quite easy to understand. A moderately pretty looking young woman Radhika makes it to the world's most prestigiou...