Pongal - The festival of Hopes

Palarayum Orungenaikum Neghizhavaikum Galagalapana Arthamulla Layamana festival is PONGAL. Yep – the most awaited festival by any human whether he is a student or a worker – anybody in TamilNadu will enthusiastically expect pongal for the joy, fun, tasty yummy food that fills the tummy but the pick of the lot will be the most awaited long vacation .

Being a traditional Tamilian, we have a practice of decorating the floor with colorful rangoli, the previous night itself. The preparations for this rangoli will start at least one week in prior to the festival. There will be a small competition between the neighbors as whose rangoli is the most sighted by the people who cross by. This year it was a big contrast as we didn’t prepare anything in prior. It was an on the spot work, yet I believe it looked as if it was a systematically planned act.

Our rangoli was almost complete, by when started the drizzling. We were standing out with the umbrella in hand, praying God, hoping it to be a passing cloud. The drizzles lasted for about 2 minutes. We were so happy and took couple of snaps and went to bed.

The next day morning, on Pongal I got up from the bed, came towards the Balcony with my hands on my eyes which were half opened and to my astonishment, I was dumbstruck. There wasn’t any mark of a rangoli on the floor. My eyes widened. I thought for a moment and came back with my spectacles –the same empty floor.

I rushed to my mom who was already upset because of the rain that lasted the entire night. Though there was no pre planning, the amount of work we shared to bring it out fussy is truly evident. I was very shocked and tears were waiting to rush out from my eyes. However my mom – the best consoler in the world convinced me and told all these are very common. Don’t worry; we will have a better rangoli tonight. I was slightly upset but then thought I could be more practical – after all “We must learn to reawaken and keep ourselves awake, not by mechanical aid, but by an infinite expectation of the dawn”.

Rangoli - Pongal

Rangoli- Maatu Pongal

The Biggest Dosa I ever made

To the ruler, the people are heaven; to the people, food is heaven”. Though I am not so crazy about eating but would always prefer to have food at the correct time. I also have a big passion towards cooking – especially the tiffin items whether it is a spicy & colorful north Indian side dish or a delicious & yummy south Indian recipe.

Whenever there is a choice, people prefer dosa over idly because of its crispness and also its texture despite the oil it holds. My mom told me the morning that there is enough dough and better you make dosa for lunch. I had some work in the morning and I returned home and was curious to make something unusual. So, I devised a plan. Why don’t I try for a large, huge dosa? - Like the one we get in the hotels. If I make ordinary dosa I will have to make the side dish – the most appropriate being a chatni. Whether it’s a coconut or tomato chatni it obviously eats time before which my hunger will eat me up. So I thought of making onion dosa which doesn’t require a side dish to accompany.

Accordingly I fried some onions in a pan with green chilies, roasted it brown. This task was bit easier compared to the really challenging chore of making a big dosa. My mom always used to tell me that the dough should be very thin so that dosa would be crispy as well as tasty. So I made the dough so thin that I was too frightened if the dough would by pass the tava and come out of its rim like a water fall.

I was so scared that I heated the dosa tava and when it became hot I switched off the gas stove and then started to pour the dough over it. I then spread it evenly and with lots of anticipation, I switched on the gas stove. The fire came out of the burner with the same intensity as the hopes that flew out of my conscience.

To my bolt from the blue, the dosa was too good .I was really concerned in case if it sticks to the tava then the dough will become waste and most of all the scolding I had to get? L In contrast to all my worries the dosa was perfect like the one served in hotels and very crispy too.

Though the post effects of cleaning the place and the reproach I got from my mom for the oil I spilt on floor were tedious, the rest all was awesome and I was so convinced and patted myself for making such a nice delicious recipe without any pre experience.

The crispy dosa on fire

The Proud Moment

For any scholar, the most awaited day in their life would be the convocation – degree awarding function. I am a no stranger in this regard. I had my convocation on December 19 2008 in the Vivekananda Auditorium, Anna University, Chennai.

This convocation being the first of its kind in my life, I was so excited and I got up early in the morning to make myself ready to bump into the most anticipated gathering. His Excellency, the governor of Tamil nadu, Thiru Surjit Singh Barnala was expected to give the medallions to the graduates and hence there were lots of security issues. So I took all those that were considered imperative including my identity proofs and most importantly, the invitation I received from Anna University, the previous week.

As I was nervous, my mom accompanied me and we started around 8’o clock from home. Fortune favored us to be on time into the auditorium. On the way, we rented a yellow color robe escorted by a red color ribbon which I was supposed to wear for the convocation. The jigu jigu dazzling yellow with the bright red ribbon proved to be an excellent treat for the photographers.

Then we went into the auditorium – amazing so much of people in and around with huge commotion. Then we had a systematic rehearsal where we were taught how to walk, bow in front of the governor and what not? We were even taught how to give poses to the photographs. Hmmm a well organized carnival I have ever come across.

After the rehearsal, we were asked to report by 2’o clock, with our belly filled. Initially we were told that one person will be allowed along with the candidate inside the auditorium. But because of the crowd and also for the security reasons, only the contenders were allowed. This was a disappointment (early) because everyone had traveled such a long distance to see their fellow mates receiving a medal from the governor. The parents were asked to sit in the School of mathematics with big screens telecasting the convocation live.

We then were asked to sign couple of documents – one for the gold medal and the other for the scholarship. The governor was very punctual and he entered the auditorium by sharp 4’o clock, the expected time with the own traditional band music and a peculiar walk. After the speeches, we were given our medals. Thank God I did all tat they taught during the rehearsal, except the smile. May be I knew that my parents in the next building were not watching me because of the news that interrupted the live telecast. This was the biggest disappointment to the people waiting in front of the giant screens.

Though there were some in and outs, to see my parents and brother amidst the august audience waiting for me with so much of expectations made tears roll down from our eyes out of both happiness for the medal and grief as my parents didn’t see me getting it. I laughed and cried at the same timeJ

Amazing Facts

1. If you are right handed, you will tend to chew your food on your right side. If you are left handed, you will tend to chew your food on your left side.
2. Chewing gum while peeling onions will keep you from crying.
3. Your tongue is germ free only if it is pink. If it is white there is a thin film of bacteria on it.
4. The pupil of the eye expands as much as 45 percent when a person looks at something pleasing.
5. The roar that we hear when we place a seashell next to our ear is not the ocean, but rather the sound of blood surging through the veins in the ear.
6. Men’s shirts have the buttons on the right, but women’s shirts have the buttons on the left.
7. The reason honey is so easy to digest is that it’s already been digested by a bee.
8. When hippos are upset, their sweat turns red.
9. The first Harley Davidson motorcycle was built in 1903, and used a tomato can for a carburetor.
10. Colgate faced big obstacle marketing toothpaste in Spanish speaking countries. Colgate translates into the command “go hang yourself.”
11. Intelligent people have more zinc and copper in their hair.
12. The average person laughs 13 times a day.