Outburst of Boredom

In the past 10days, my facebook wall has been popping up with the same post with changes made suitable for each profession or country. It was cool when it started but it kinda irritates me nowadays. It looks something like this and there are many more versions for this.

So, what do we actually do here? Boss என்கிற Baskaran style கேட்டோம்நா "அப்படி என்ன தான் பண்ணறீங்க?"


It was actually a damn busy January for all of us. Submissions, deadlines and deadlines after deadlines. A few of my friends even had back to back exams too. Once we were all done with it and we had literally nothing to do with apart from the occasional booze.


This term I just have 2days of class though my roomies have 3days. There used to be days in my life when classes were boring but now it feels better to be in the classroom than to be in my bedroom. When I was India, I hardly followed a TV series or reality show regularly though I wanted to. But here I am waiting for the episodes every week. Right now "How I met you mother, The Big Bang Theory, Top Chef and World's Toughest Tucker's". Don't what more would be added to the list in the upcoming weeks.


Then there are the TV shows from my place, அது இது எது, நீயா நானா and other special programs for festive seasons.


Apart from that I am going at the rate of one to two movies a day, at times three. Language is not a bar. If it is Tamil then I'll go for the 80's or early 90's leaving alone the new releases. Telugu, from the suggestions of my Telugu friends around here and also my picks too. And Hindi, just tracking down the films I missed in recent times. Just now done with Shaitan and Tanu weds Manu. Finally English, I am going with IMDB for this. Downloading old, new and all the movies with a good rating.


Now comes Monopoly and the playing cards. Rummy and our famous Ass are the pick of the games. Usually goes till late night. Even got bored of Call of Duty MW3, searching hard for Battlefield3 still couldn't find a good share online.


All those days, leaving out the we have class, we hardly see the sunrise. Our diet has been reduced to 2 meals a day and few times just one meal. And cooking is as hell as it gets. I bet it has been improved a lot from my previous post தக்காளி குஜ்ஜு.


These all are neglecting my 8 to 12 hours of sleep everyday. Weekly once ஆனந்த விகடன், daily The Hindu and Indiaglitz, late night update from the NDTV app on my phone, phone and skype calls with family and friends back home and last but not least 24X7 on FB. Finally it has led me to write this blog too after a break of almost 3months.


And you guys know what, next term I don't have classes too, its just project work. It is going to be Legen......Wait for it......dary!!!! Legendary!!!!

தக்காளி குஜ்ஜு

Hope you have some idea from the post's title but its going to be different. I just got this spark, bulb glowing above my head, when I was helping and also cooking with my friend today. Don't worry, am not going to put in a recipe here.

I have been into cooking, for about a month now, but it has been almost 3 months since am out of my home actually out of my country to be precise. With my first dish being a bit spicy and stuff, I somehow managed to kick start my "Typical Bachelor's Life".

Praveen, chopping onions and Hari, cooking
And me, capturing the moment.

Today I was cooking Tomato Thokku, what we call it as தக்காளி குஜ்ஜு in my home. My friend குட்டி, Praveen as everyone knows him better in that name, and me were doing the tasting "மச்சி, கொஞ்சம் புலிப்பா இல்ல!?" (Isn't it a bit too tart!?). I wondered how my aunt, அத்தை, used to make such a juicy, spicy and everything rightly measured tomato thokku. I remember when I first tasted it when me and sister, Sowmiya, the youngest of my two elder sisters, went on a tour with her a very very long time ago, probably I must have been 11 or 12yrs old. From then on whenever we went on a family trip it was one of the prominent dishes in our menu. Chappathi and her tomato thokku, wow, I can still taste it on my tongue.

Whether it is chicken or vegetables, both more or less costs the same here in UK. Not only the cost but we tend to eat more chicken around here. We never used to make it in my home back in India because my mom doesn't prefer chicken always and also I don't ask her to make it. So, if it is chicken then it is my other aunt, my mom's elder sister (பெரியம்மா). She used to make really spicy SPICY damn spicy hot chicken. In my aunt's place, she not only cooks chicken but also mutton blood fry, intestine of mutton and also mutton gravy. I know it sounds like a pretty cannibalistic mess but down in South India these are some of the signature dishes. I never used to eat mutton but the chicken I would clean my plate (My aunt and mom would deny that).

There was this day in the beginning of my career, meaning the days when I started cooking, I made tamarind rice(புளி சாப்பாடு). Of course using a ready made mix. Since my roomies were busy and occupied with something I had to cook that day. I heated up the mix, fried it and mixed it with the rice. There was tamarind mix, rice and right amounts of everything else but, yeah there was a BUT, it was not much kind of edible. LOL. Almost most of it went into the trash bin the next day. I know my roomies wouldn't forget that dish. But the tamarind rice one of my grandma's used to make was simply superb. Each rice would stand alone, with ground nuts and rights amounts of oil and spices. Perfect to the last grain. But she is no more, hope my sisters and others in my family( if they are reading this) would know which grandma am mentioning because there are two of them and am going to tell about the other grandma now.

I can't remember what she is good at because she is almost good at everything. Whether it is chicken or carrot, everything is to a "T". Me and my friends were discussing here about what to cook for Diwali and when we were thinking about Gulab Jamun, it just reminded of her. She used to fill up big vessels with gulab jamuns for Diwali. We used to eat rice with powdered Dhal (பருப்பு பொடி) and Ghee, she used to prepare that in home. I can keep on speaking about her but she is no more too. :'(

When speaking about cooking and food, I definitely have to tell about someone who is not from my family but in my family. That sounds like a puzzle, right. She is kind of my mom too.

Sunday 12pm

"டே, இப்போ தான் டா என்திரிகிரேன். உங்க வீட்டுக்கு தான் lunch சாப்பிட வரேன்."

("Just now got up dude. Am coming to your home for Lunch.")

Second from left is my Mom sorry friend Ganesh's Mom. I am the one in the Blue Uniform.

That's all I would say on a sunday or any other holiday when my mom is not in the home and I would be there for lunch. She is my friend Ganesh's mom. Whether it is vegetarian or non-vegetarian, she is the best. I really miss her and her food.

P.S: I know, P.S, comes at the last but I have to say it here. Ahshik and the rest of you in the pic, forgive me for uploading this pic. I know everyone look really pathetic in this pic but I had to upload it. This captured the same day as the one in my previous post, in 2006.

There is this another aunt of mine. I know, I can hear you, how many aunt's do I have. Just bear with me, this is my last aunt. I am just thinking what made me write about her because I grew up, literally, by her cooking. Whether it be the sambhar or the sambhar or "THE SAMBHAR!!!". She just cooks it really beautifully. She is kind of my second mom and my dad's sister. She is this perfect cook. Almost tries everything and anything in cooking for once.

In my previous post, Diwalgic, I had to write about my elder sister and post her picture since she wanted me to do so. LOL. But this time I have to tell about her. She might be wondering why I am going to speak about her on a post about cooking because she is also pretty new to this field like me. I was in her home in Bengaluru(Bangalore) for a couple of days before I came here to UK. I was not shocked but surprised and happy on seeing how she does the household work and cooking. The first day she asked me to boil the rice before I have lunch and she left for the job. All I had to do was just place the cooker on the stove. You know, whenever I used to place the rice in the electric rice cooker here I remember the instance in my sister's home because the first few weeks that was the only job I used to do here. And you know what, her sambhar just tasted like the one my aunt prepares, remember the one who used to make good non-vegetarian dishes, its her,(பெரியம்மா, her mom).

My aunt (பெரியம்மா), My Elder sis, thats her mom on the left and my Mom

As usual, the best is for the last. I made rasam yesterday. I started with chopping onions(do they use onions for rasam, not sure), added tomato while frying and added tamarind puree while boiling and the spices too. Tasted it, oh, its too tart, add water, too tart, add water and again water. Finaly rasam was done, thankfully it was edible and tasted good. Even my friend குட்டி(Praveen) had it today. When it comes to rasam, it is definitely my mom. She makes this delicious dhal rasam(பருப்பு ரசம்). My mom is not a very good cook, she herself says so most of the times and I know it too but whatever she makes is good. Whether it be her rasam or carrot or kesari. As everyone says "Mom's cooking is always the best".

Diwalgic Contd...

So where was I..?? Yeah....few more things about my past Diwalis. Before that, my younger sister rightly and promptly pointed out something in my previous post. That is, she is not my younger sister, it should have been youngest of my two elder sisters. LOL

Lets rewind the cycle now. The word cycle reminds me of my days in Carmel Garden(it is one of the 3 schools which I studied). It was a boys high school. Hope you know how it is in a boys school. One fine afternoon, one of our teachers were handling the class and suddenly "Booom", we heard a cracker burst inside the campus. He and few other staffs went to look what happened and din't return at all. So, we had fun the whole afternoon. What guys used to do is, tie the fuse of the cracker to a joss stick(அகர்பத்தி - i just googled it) and so it would blast after sometime once the classes start. This happened quite a few times almost every year.

Youngest of the Lot
my last brother

From the days were my mom used to take me to purchase dress, then it was like I used to take her with me to purchase. Finally it came down to were I have to take my brother to get him dress. When my grandma was there she used to make Gulab Jamuns for Diwali. And the usual breakfast in our house would be masala dosai, coconut chutney and sambhar. இங்க வந்து தோச தேங்கா சட்னிங்கர  வார்த்தையே கேட்டது இல்ல.

Hope may would have done this, like placing a bomb inside a coconut shell or some old tins because I have done it once. It was when my youngest brother was like around 1 or 2yrs old. We used to have the empty ceralac tins. Me and my uncle placed an atom bomb and placed a tin over the bomb. "Kabooom", tin remained unmoved but was missin the bottom cover. It came down floating in the air after few seconds.

Sorry Ahshik and Ganesh for this pic.
This foto was captured in 2006.

Once I was into college, my Diwali's were different. I would meet all my friends and would visit almost everyone's home. It all actually started 7years ago, exactly. It was during my high school, I was in 12th standard. I was having a Scooty pep then and my friend Ahshik had a Bajaj CT100. We planned to go to our friend Ganesh's home. As usual it was a rainy week during Diwali and the roads were damp and mud roads were filled with dirt. We almost reached his home and neither of us knew the way. There were two roads diverging and actually we were in a shortcut, no one was around to ask for help. And we were looking at the roads and it were filled wit dirt. I was like "Atleast your bike would go past it but definitely my scooty would get stuck". But we decided to give it a go and took the road on the left. We fought through the dirt and reached half way through the road when his bike got stuck. His bike's front mud guard was completely filled wit dirt and the wheel was not rotating at all but my scooty just went past it. LOL. We tried to removed the dirt stuck in the wheel using some sticks and things but no use. In this process Ahshik placed his left elbow on the bike's silencer(exhaust) and burned his skin. We couldn't even move the bike. It was the time when we had no mobile phones and things. So, he took my scooty and found a pay phone, asked Ganesh to come. One of my other best friends, Assumtha, her home was near Ganesh's home. They both came in her scooty for our rescue. He brought a spanner and so we removed the mud guard and then it started raining. What a Diwali!!! 

Ahshik still has the scar from the silencer. And he kinda got pissed off since I was the one who took him on that road. The funniest part is, the next day again me,Ahshik and Vedha went to his home. This time three of us in his bike, took a different route, again I suggested him to take a left, got stuck in dirt again. The time we got stuck, it started to rain. We couldn't move the bike, had to carry it to the next street. Again Ahshik had to go and bring Ganesh and the tools.

Hmmmm....  I woke up at 11am, got ready for my class at 1pm, spoke wit my family during the break, came home at  6.30, prepared chicken for dinner and slept off. This was my Diwali this year. And you know this is my elder sister's Thala Diwali but missed it.

My Geeky elder sis

P.S: Vishnu, Anitha and Dharani, I know, every year I used to come to your homes too. இங்க எழுதாததால மறந்துட்டேன் மட்டும் நேநேச்சராதீங்க.

Diwalgic

Its 2.30am. I was wondering why so many are online in FB at this hour. Oh, its already 7am in India, still its too early to see so many online. That is when I came back to reality, it is Diwali. Ya, my first Diwali in 23yrs withut family and friends.

My Friend, Deepak, just now pinged me in FB, "மச்சான் Happy Diwali" with the usual enthu he has in his voice but today it was even more on a high.

"இங்க மொக்கைய இருக்கு டா" He added to it.

I was like "டே, அங்க மொக்கயாவாவது இருக்கே!!"

Yeah. For the past few days me and my friends here were wondering, what shall we do for Diwali. But whenever the topic starts, everyone feels nostalgic and it doesn't go beyond just the topic. சரி, Diwali தான் மொக்கையா இருக்கு sorry Diwali தான் இல்ல, lemme atleast post a blog.

So, what should I write? Whenever I think of Diwali, there are few things that always flashes through my memory. Right now I just have 3 things to write about, maybe I may remember a few more once I start writing. Will try to finish it in 2 posts, at the max.

You know I am a hardcore Rajni fan. If I get bored would watch அண்ணாமலை in my PC, watched Chandramukhi (if am not wrong) around 7 times in theater. After பாட்ஷா for 2 back to back Diwali, it was usually a Rajni film for Diwali, then after few years came படையப்பா. We were in my uncle's place and I was glued to the TV. My sisters decorated the whole house with candles and lamps. Almost everyone were out of the house bursting crackers and taking photographs with me still with the TV. Finally, when they were about to drag me out, Sun news வந்து காபாத்திருச்சு. Phew.

This was quite some time back, probably 10years before. I was at my aunt's place. After a long morning cracker session and a heavy lunch, everyone were either sleeping or watching TV. So, I took out the bijili pack and was bursting one by one. Just then, "Why shouldn't I fire the cracker in my hand and throw it in the air?". So, I took one and carefully pinched the fuse(திரிய கில்லுறது...LOL...meaning removing the outer paper in the fuse thread). I slowly brought the கரி கட்ட(donno the english equivalent) with my hands shaking and the fuse caught the spark. I wanted to wait till the spark reached the paper so I can throw and it would burst in the air. Slowly the spark reached the paper and "DaMMMaaaaLLLLLLLL!!!!". It had burst successfully but still my hands. Blood started to trickle down my index finger, அப்பிடியே விரல சாப்பிட்டு silent ah போய் வீட்டுக்குள்ள உக்காந்துட்டேன். Slurp.

My mom used to get me the crackers list, I used to select whatever I want then calculate the total cost and would check whether its within the budget allocated to crackers. There was one time, I think it was in the final year of my college. Diwali usually falls in the middle of our odd semester exams (thats one very pathetic thing) and I was in my friend's Place(Chokka's), Peelamedu HUDCO. It was Diwali eve and obviously the third musketeer should also be there, that's Harrish. We just got 2 boxes of Hygrogen bombs and cracked them. It was actually 9pm and we almost irritated the usual silent environment. Baaam. And the first person in the pic is Deepak. Try to guess the other two.

Bro and Sis

There was this one time, I think this would also go probably a decade back. My uncle got a handycam from his friend for Diwali. In those days, any kind of electronic gadget was a wonder to us. Me and my younger sister, Sowmiya, almost learned every function of the handycam the previous night. So, it was like we were the cameraman and woman for the next day. And that was the first time we got a 2000 wala, I think am right. ஒரு விஷயத்த விடல, செடி, கொடி, காகா, குருவி, filmed everything. My sister was handling the cam and brother, Dhilip, was lighting the cracker now. She was really concentrating on the end of the fuse thread and the கரி கட்டை. Filming it very closely. The spark was on and she zoomed in only to the fuse cutting out everyone and everything in the background. The spark slowly started to move down. It was the classical "லக்ஷ்மி வெடி" which was standing up straight. She was moving the cam with the spark, as it entered the rolled paper, smoke started to emerge. Next "Blast", which supposed to happen, dint happen. It just smoked out. Busssssssssss.

Still I just have few more things to share, which are close to my heart. I definitely have to tell them and will, but dont wanna drag this post. Hope to tell it before the end of Diwali.