Wednesday, December 26, 2012

Where is the solution?

The recent gang rape in a moving bus in Delhi has reverberated shock waves across the country. There are a few points to ponder in this regard.

I. When the media flashed the news of gang rape, there was one particular point stressed by the reporters continuously. It has happened to a college student in the capital city of our country, DELHI, and that too in one of the busiest areas. The take away for the audience - it can happen in a remote village to a dalit but how do we digest such a crime otherwise. No, I am neither an anti feminist nor a communist but only trying to decipher the reason behind a biased projection of reality.

II. The parliament demonstrated immense drama once again with a few opposition party politicians demanding justice and some artist stating guilt for her helplessness despite being an MP. It was all for a day, as always.


Image courtesy : niticentral.com

III. At times, we seem to go overboard by carrying slogans such as 'don't teach your sons to rape but respect women' or 'don't tell us how to dress up but tell them not to rape'. We must remember that none of the parents preach antisocial activities to their children or support them in such ventures. Take the case of traveling by train. There are posters stuck all over the railway station requesting the passengers to wear lesser jewellery and carry minimal cash to avoid thefts. We judiciously act by doing so. Do we question the authorities as to who they are to tell us not to wear jewellery or carry cash? It is the duty of the government to protect our safety, agreed. However, at the end of the day, isn't it wise to be proactive than pass on the reactive solution to them? Sometimes, we have to read between the lines and try to understand the true meaning intended by the speaker. The reason for our politicians for not voicing their opinions in such situations is the fear of being cornered or twisted for all that they say.

IV. Consideration of capital punishment for rape will not help reduce its occurrence but only aggravate for one strong reason - most of the rape accused are relatives or friends of the victim. The accused could the breadwinner of the family. His loss will mean a lot. As suggested by the author of an article published in The Hindu (name forgotten)recently,reporting of rape cases might reduce in such case.

Our society has a long way to go in becoming modern, in the true sense. We need laws to safeguard the rights of all sections of the society and yes, much better ways to ensure their execution. Until then, it is always wiser to seek justice in a manner of invoking prompt action rather than provoking extreme emotions.

Thursday, November 22, 2012

துப்பாக்கி


ஒரு ராணுவ வீரனின் வாழ்வில் நடக்கும் ஏதேச்சையான நிகழ்வு, நாட்டின் தீவிரவாத பிரச்சனையை ஒழிக்கும் சந்தர்ப்பமாக அமையும்பொழுது, அவன் எடுக்கும் ஆயுதமே துப்பாக்கி. விஜய் மற்றும் முருகதாஸ் கூட்டணியில் அமைந்திருக்கும் படம் இருவரின் ரசிகர்களையும் திருப்திப்படுத்தி இருக்கிறது. ஹீரோ இன்ட்ரோ சாங், சண்டைக் காட்சிகள், நடனம், காமெடி ,ஹீரோயிசம் க்ளைமாக்ஸ் என பல விஜய் பட கிளிஷேக்கள் இருந்தாலும் தீவிரவாத ஸ்லீப்பர் செல்ஸ் என்னும் திரைத்தளம் மட்டும் முருகதாஸ் உடையது.



Image courtesy : http://www.indiaeveryday.in/tamilnadu/gallery/t/6688/vijay-thuppaki-movie-posters/2.htm

பிடிப்பட்ட தீவிரவாதியின் சுண்டு விரலை வெட்டுவது, போலீஸ் அதிகாரியை தற்கொலைக்கு தூண்டுவது, தங்கையை தீவிரவாதியின் இடத்திற்கு அனுப்புவது, தன உயிரை பணயம் வைப்பது போன்ற இடங்களில் மனத்தைக் கவரும் மாவீரன் ஆகிறான் விஜய். நண்பன் சத்யனுடன் ரகசியம் பேசுகையில் காஜலின் அழைப்பு வந்ததும் உடனே ஓடும்போது காதல் மன்னன் ஆகிறான். சற்று பூசினது போல் தெரியும் கன்னங்கள், புதுப் பொலிவு (ஒகே ஒகே, காஜல் அகர்வால் பத்தியும் கொஞ்சம் சொல்லுறேன் ). அகன்ற விழிகள், அழகிய சிரிப்பு, ஆவின் பால் நிறம் ( ஹூம், டீ போடுற காப்பல திரை விமர்சனம் எழுத உக்காந்தா இப்புடித்தான் :), அருமையான உயரம், அளவான நடிப்பு என கவனம் ஈர்க்கிறார் காஜல் அகர்வால்.

ஹாரிஸ் ஜெயராஜ் இசையில் பாடல்கள் தொய்வையே ஏற்படுத்துகின்றன. கதையோடு ஒட்டாத ஒரே மாதிரியான பார்ட்டி, டூயெட் பாடல்களுக்கு மத்தியில் கேர்ள் ப்ரேன்ட் மட்டும் கொஞ்சம் ரசிக்கும் தரம்.

தீவிரவாதியைக் காட்டும் போது வரும் " யாயீ " ஹிந்துஸ்தானி கசல் இசையை எப்பயா விடப்போரிங்க ? " எனக்கு கொஞ்சம் டமில் தெரியும் " டயலாக்கை வாஞ்சிநாதன் படத்தில் வரும் தினத்தந்தி படிக்கும் யூசுப்கானே சொல்லிட்டான்..

ஹீரோவை கோட்சூட் மூலம் சுலபமாக கண்டுபிடிக்கும் வில்லன், தங்கையை நாயின் உதவியோடு மீட்கும் ஹீரோ, ஒத்தைக்கு ஒத்தை வாடா என வில்லனை உசுப்பேத்தி தப்பிக்கும் ஹீரோ, இதெல்லாம் ஆடியன்சை அல்வா கொடுத்து அமுக்க பார்த்திருக்கும் அநியாயங்கள் !


இதுபோன்ற சில சொதல்பல்கள் இருந்தாலும் வலுவான வசனங்களுக்காகவும் ராணுவ வீரர்களின் வாழ்க்கையை விளக்கிய விதத்திர்க்காகவும், கண்டிப்பாக ஒரு முறை ரசிக்கலாம், இந்தக் குறி தவறாத துப்பாக்கியை !

Friday, October 5, 2012

What Next ?

I had began frying the masala when my daughter woke up from bed and came straight to the kitchen, questioning in a sleepy voice, " Are you cooking chicken amba? ". I was startled to hear this as we don't eat non - veg during the Tamil month of Purattasi. My husband gave a pleading look on behalf of my daughter as if to say why disappoint the two year old. I gave a fierce look and he disappeared with the little one to the nearby shop to pacify her with a lollipop.

" Sathvikhaaa", my neighbor yelled from the balcony. I rushed to see it had started drizzling and my dry clothes had to be removed. I smiled thankfully and returned to the kitchen. Oops! Sathvikha had not taken her rain coat. We had planned to buy a new one during the Pooja holidays as her old coat don't fit her anymore. Also, there was loads to purchase for the family function next month.

The door bell rang and my maid entered with a grin. "Went to get school application form for my sister's son akka",she replied, with a broader grin. "Are forms issued so early for next academic year?", I asked, not satisfied by her excuse. She smiled as if sympathizing with me for my ignorance and started explaining the usual practice followed by so-called reputed schools. I was surprised. Meanwhile my husband and daughter had returned, thankfully the drizzle had stopped without a heavy downpour. My husband asked for a towel.


Picture courtesy : http://vector-images.com/clipart/clp90838/


"Where is my towel?", he asked again,louder. When I opened my eyes, he pointed to the clock which showed 7 in the morning. "You can save your morning sleep for tomorrow as it is a holiday for Gandhi Jayanthi. Also, Sathvikha's school will be closed for Dussera in two weeks. Would you wake up now to send her to school?" he said with a stern voice. I smiled. What a nice way to woo a sleeping person.

Finally, WAKING UP, NOW THAT SEPTEMBER HAS ENDED, way to go for the month ahead!

Wishing you an awesome October!

This post is a part of Write Over the Weekend, an initiative for Indian Bloggers by BlogAdda




Thursday, September 13, 2012

NO-HOME-OUT-OF-HOME

"How I wished I never had holidays other than weekends", Suma sighed. The plates were stopped being swept with a spoon by her friends. There was silence for a second. Those who knew her well, understood.

The information technology era has created a plethora of opportunities and different classes of working women right from full- time, part- time, telecommuting to freelancing and much more. There is one more category of people originating from these changes who are less mentioned - different categories of parents. Few decades ago, the family lived in a single town which made it easier for the married children to meet their parents. Women could leave their little ones under safe hands and go for a job. Today, things are different. We have full-time-hometown, part-time-hometown, full-time-out-of-hometown parents. The help of the elderly becomes necessary for working parents to look after their kids. And this creates another new section of people who are seldom taken into consideration - the no-home-out-of-home category!


Many like Suma fall under this section. Because of their siblings being working couples, their parents are out of home as a result of which they don't have a home apart from their regular place of stay.




Whenever there is a long holiday like Dussera or Christmas, the plight of such mothers becomes pathetic, especially if their children are in pre-school. The father wants a break and wishes to send the mother and kid for a vacation. A vacation to be a vacation, has to be enjoyed or relaxed. The mother feels the same as it is difficult to engage a preschooler all alone at home. But the mother whose parents are either part-time-hometown or full-time-out-of-hometown parents, feels helpless, homeless! She is taken for granted as she is a mere homemaker and is supposed to have sufficient private time to relax for herself.


This applies to men as well. After all the hustle and bustle in the office, how nice it would be if they could sit and watch a cricket match without being nagged by the wife to get groceries for the next day or the child asking for a new water bottle. Won't it be heavenly to have mother's preparation on a lazy Sunday in hometown after a good chat with old buddies?

I take this as an opportunity to address all those who somehow seem to be related to such categories. Do give your children a break by helping them find a shelter to relax and rejuvenate themselves for the next busy schedule. After all, Frost was right.

"Home is the place where, when you have to go there, they have to take you in."

Picture courtesy : http://www.guaranteed-proofreading-services.com

Wednesday, July 4, 2012

Why should men have all the fun?

Everyday, there are loads of jokes on Facebook about married vs unmarried, especially by men. And not forgetting to mention, the duel between the inhabitants of Mars and Venus, a perennial debate pops up, as well.

Though some of them make you smile, there are some that irks you. Initially I reacted to such so-called jokes, later ignored and now felt the need to share some humour, from the women's purview. I am sure, men who are said to possess better humor sense than women, would take it on a lighter note.

The popular hell joke where the deceased is given an opportunity to see hell and heaven before choosing between the two, led to the below thought, from the the first time I came across it in the mail.
The fun-filled environment in hell makes the decease instantly choose hell even without seeing heaven. The next day, the inmates of hell pose a dull face and do difficult tasks. When questioned, the deceased is told "yesterday you were an interviewee and had to be recruited. Today you are an employee."
Here goes my version:

The formal bride-seeing ceremony is over and all are satisfied. The bride is praised for her beauty, responsible behavior, knowledge and what not. Her ignorance in the department of household chores doesnot sound that bad. The couple tie the knot.
The next day of marriage, she wakes up from bed only to see the family members waiting to give their orders. Even before she brushes her teeth she is thrusted with a broom and asked to clean the first night decorations in the room. The perplexed bride hesitantly asks," but aunty, you said I can do all these once I am comfortable with the new atmosphere?"
The groom's mother replies with a smile," oh yes, that was to make you feel at home. You see, you were your parents daughter till yesterday; now you are my daughter-in-law."

There is no language better than your mother tongue to express strong feelings from the heart. Given below is one such thought in Tamil:

மீன் வருக்க மசாலா தடவும்போதேல்லாம், என் அம்மா, திருமணத்திற்கு எனக்கு போட்ட மருதாணி ஞாபகம் வருகிறது - வசீகரிக்கும் அழகு, வருத்தெடுப்பதர்க்கு முன்!

(while applying masala for fish fry, I am reminded of my mother helping me with mehendi before marriage - beautification before mortification!)

Folks, this is purely fun not meant at hurting your hearts but to burst your bellies by laughing, as I know there is no other better way of helping you reduce your hip sizes to fit into your favorite jeans!

Keep laughing!

Tuesday, June 26, 2012

The new routine


The shrieking alarm caused a vibration that made me instantly sit in my bed. It was 6 in the morning. After a very long time in the past 6 months(seriously unsure of the previous time), I came to my balcony and breathed the fresh morning air. The old lady in the opposite flat smiled with a surprise.Oops! It's 6:05 am.I had to rush to the kitchen after a quick brushing.

Should I start with the sambar? No, the cooker whistle will disturb the calmness of the house. Must I cook rice for lunch now? What if it gets spoilt by night? Will it be sufficient if I soak the tamarind for rasam now? Enough is enough. I started juggling with the vessels to check my culinary efficiency quotient by tasting the recipes in accordance with the time taken to cook them.

It's already 8 am, my cut-off time for household chores. I had managed to complete them on schedule. My husband was ready to make a move.

The milk supplier keenly asked, "you are ready so early mam?"
With a broad smile I answered, " yes raju, my daughter is going to school from today".
The curious kid held her hands closer to mine, confused of the new changes.

The helplessness caused because of not able to go for a job seemed slightly reduced by the new routine set by the kid going to the play school.


Dedicated to my daughter Sathvikha.

Saturday, May 12, 2012

வெயிலோடு விளையாடி...

"அக்னி நட்சத்திரம் ஆரம்பித்துவிட்டது"; "கோடை வெயில் அனைவரையும் வாட்டுகிறது"; இதுபோன்ற செய்திகள் ஒளிபரப்பாகிக் கொண்டிருக்க, இடைவேளையில் வரும் விளம்பரங்களோ வேறுவிதமாக இருக்கின்றன. "கோடைக் கொண்டாட்டம் தொடங்கிவிட்டது "; "விடுமுறை சிறப்பு தள்ளுபடி" என வெயில் கால சலுகைகள் அறிவிக்கப்படுகின்றன. என்னதான் சூரிய பகவான் தன உஷ்ணத்தை நம் மீது காண்பித்தாலும், கோடைக்காலம், குதூகல காலம்தான்! காரணங்கள் இதோ:



I குழந்தைப் பருவத்திலிருந்து ஏப்ரல் மே என்றாலே நினைவிற்கு வருவது பரீட்சைமுடிந்து பள்ளி விடுமுறை தான். 'கழற்றிவிட்ட கழுதைகள் போல் சுற்றும் நாட்கள்' என அப்பா சொன்னது ஞாபகம் வருகிறது.



II வெயிலின் தாக்கத்திலிருந்து விடுபட இயற்கை நமக்களித்துள்ள உணவு வகைகள் சிறப்புமிக்கவை. தர்பூசணி, மாங்காய் ,மாம்பழம் , இளநீர், நுங்கு போன்றவற்றிர்காகவே கோடையை வரவேரக்கலாம் .



II அனைத்துக் கோயில்களும் திருவிழாக்களைக் கொண்டாடுவதும் கோடைக் காலத்தில்தான். மதுரையில் பிறந்து வளர்ந்ததால் சித்திரைத் திருவிழா பார்த்ததுண்டு. கோவில்களில் விளக்குகள் ஏற்றப்பட்டு, தெய்வங்கள் அலங்கரிக்கப்பட்டு, தேரில் உலா வருகையில் ஊரே உற்சாக வெள்ளத்தில் மிதக்கும். கள்ளழகர் வைகையாற்றில் இறங்கும் வைபவம் பிரசித்திப் பெற்றது .



IV என்னதான் வீடு சொர்க்கம் என்றாலும் , அவ்வப்போது உறவினர் வீட்டிற்குச் செல்வது மகிழ்ச்சியான விஷயம். சித்தியின் மீன் குழம்பு, குழந்தைகளுடன் கும்மாளம், பாட்டியுடன் அரட்டை போன்ற நினைவுகள் நெஞ்சில் நிரந்தரமாய் தங்கிவிட்டது.



V அரசுப் பொருட்காட்சி கோடையின் கடைசிக் கொடை. ரங்க ராட்டினத்திர்காகவும் பென்சில் டப்பாவிர்காகவும் நாங்கள் போக, ரப்பர்பேன்ட் வாங்கவும் டெல்லி அப்பளம் சாப்பிடவும் அம்மாக்கள் போவார்கள். அப்பாக்களுக்கு மட்டும் பொருட்காட்சி பண விரையகாட்சிதான்.



குளிர்காலத்தில் மழையை ரசிக்கலாம். ஆனால் அவை பெரும்பாலும் தனிமைக் காலங்களாகவே திகழ்கின்றன. கோடைக் காலத்தின் வெயிலை ரசிக்கமுடியாதுதான். என்றாலும் அதன் அனுபவங்கள், நம் வாழ்வின் ஆவணங்களாக மாறிவிடுகின்றன. இந்த காலம் கற்றுத்தரும் பாடம் நம் காதில் எப்பொழுதும் ஒலித்துக் கொண்டே இருக்கும்.

Sunday, March 11, 2012

TO WOO MEN...

He cleans and cuts vegetables while I cook;
He engages the child while I get her food;
He pays the bills before due date while I go for a FB status update;
He wakes up early for the promised weekend outing while I extend my usual hours of sleeping;

For all the freedom favoured,
For all the independence inhaled,
It's time to tell today's men,
Thank you, thank you, thank you once again!!!






Note: Belated women's day greetings and message

Saturday, March 10, 2012

PUMPKIN HALWA

PUMPKIN HALWA




INGREDIENTS REQUIRED:

Yellow pumpkin - 250 grams
Milk - 1/2 litre
Ghee
Sugar
Raisins
Cashewnuts

Cardamon powder

PROCEDURE:

1. Remove the skin and seeds of the pumpkin and grate it

2. In a kadai, add 1 tablespoon of ghee and fry the pumpkin till the raw smell disappears

3. Add the milk and keep stirring once in a while till the pumpkin absorbs it making the mixture thick. It might take 20-30 minutes

4. Add 4 tablespoon of sugar and a pinch of cardamon powder. Add 1 teaspoon of ghee as well

5. Add raisins and cashew nuts fried in ghee

Serve the hot halwa happily!

MUSHROOM PEPPER FRY


MUSHROOM PEPPER FRY



INGREDIENTS REQUIRED:

Button mushroom - 400 grams
Garlic finley chopped - 4 gloves
Onion finely chopped - 1 large size
Capsicum finely chopped (optional) - 1 small size
Lemon - half a size
Salt
Pepper powder


PROCEDURE:

1. Wash the button mushroom thoroughly in running water to remove the deposited particles and cut it lengthwise

2.In a kadai, add two tablespoons of oil and jeera to it. When it starts to crackle, add the garlic gloves

3. When the garlic starts turning brown, add the finely chopped onion and fry till it becomes translucent

4. Add the chopped capsicum and fry for a few minutes

5. Add the mushroom and close the lid of the kadai leaving a small gap for a minute

6. When the mushroom is half cooked, add salt and pepper

7. After the dish is fully cooked, remove from flame. Squeeze half a lemon and mix it well

Serve the dish with either rice or roti.

CULINARY CONCERNS


For the first time in my blog history (i see u caught me smiling sheepishly at my last two words :), I am here trying to post something about cooking, a topic which I never ever expected to write about!



Last week had been so adventurous for me as I was testing my culinary skills by trying new recipes from the internet. My sources of reference had mostly been limited to my mother or mother-in-law as far as food preparation was concerned. When I tried preparing new food recipes all by myself this time, I was baffled at the umpteen number of recipes available in the internet for a simple sidedish! As I kept reading them, my doubts doubled, confusions multiplied. Somehow I concluded on the recipes to try out and prepared a few dishes. To my surprise, out of four I managed to dish out three recipes to my family's satisfaction.

Note: As these dishes were prepared on different days, donot get perplexed at their incongruity.

Dishes tried: Lauki pudhina raita, mushroom pepper fry, oats upma, pumpkin halwa
Dishes satisfactory: Lauki pudhina raita, mushroom pepper fry, pumpkin halwa


On the request of my friends, I would like to share the recipes for mushroom pepper fry and pumpkin halwa. Of course, ample number of them are available in the internet but the minute differences do matter. If interested in knowing my version, please check them out in the coming posts!

Sunday, February 5, 2012

Am I joking?



I have always wondered why women were tagged as having little sense of humor despite their ability to break into a roar of laughter at the slightest provocation. The recent watching a of television commercial set me into action to probe further.

The teenager in the ad is cosy with her sanitary napkin at all times, be it the ritual of Indian bride- bridegroom meeting before marriage or a photo screening prior marriage. she terms the latter 'window shopping' and I couldnot resist my lips curving into a smile. When I shared it with men in my family, I found no response. Later I realized that most of the humor we come across are usually meant at women, for men, and not the other way round. Here are some interesting facts on this gender difference in humor:


I. Eric Bressler, a graduate student at McMaster University who is studying the role of humour in personal attraction, discovered in a survey of 150 students that to a woman, "sense of humour" means someone who makes her laugh; to a man, a sense of humour means someone who appreciates his jokes.


II. Women choose men who produce humour 62 per cent of the time; conversely, men choose women who appreciate their humour 65 per cent of the time."

III. One of the reasons why men don't like female comedians may be that humour is seen as a masculine thing.



As Mark Twain had stated, humor is tragedy plus time. We either laugh at somebody's misery or missed opportunity. So it is important to ensure that it is not evoked at the wrong person, at the wrong place or at the wrong time. I am reminded of the Tamil poet Vairamuthu's verse on humor which reasons out the misplacement of humor sense for the birth of Ramayana and Mahabharatha. Ramayana was born because of the inability of Kaikeyi to smile and take things at a lighter side when Rama was to succeed the throne, while Mahabharatha was the result of Draupadi laughing at Duryodhana when he slips and falls down.
To read the full poem, click on the link: http://kezhil.blogspot.in/2010/11/vairamuthu-sirippu.html


You are doomed for life if you cannot laugh at the right joke or forgetfully smile at the wrong one.. How true!

Be it whatever, I feel that we all need to agree with Mahatma Gandhi's quote on humor which goes so:

“If I had no sense of humor, I would long ago have committed suicide.”