A day with palmistry!

Palmistory, a topic which excites most of us! And so was I when my sis brought along a book on the same. She got the same, from her colleague, who is a “somewhat” expert in it. My sis as usual in her over excited tone…took the book from her bag…with a ‘dhaan te dhaan’(in Kaminey style). Even I was too elated and came up with the ‘show me show me’ (Jab we met, kareena style)[you’ll remain confused if u haven’t seen any of the said scenes!;) ] Hmm…now begins the drama….

My sis flips open the first page and starts off as a ravenous reader…

Sis:(after a few pages of reading)….oh so if your index finger is longer than the ring finger…oh…acha….k. Hey anu, show me …nokkatte…

Me: (I was staring her in the meanwhile…like a dumb head! I stretch my hand out for her to examine ) if its longer…what?

Sis: it means you are a creative person….! Now see anu our fingers are similar ,wow great naa!(too excited and blushing)

(now since the first thing itself was quite interesting…I was keen to know more)

Me: then what else …(I ask, thrilled to know more)

Sis: arre wait…nokkatte(let me read…a bit irritated now!) hmmm…if the first two visible lines in your palms intersect …(examining her own)…ayyo…mine is not intersecting yaar…show me yours anu…! Oh god, yours too..

Me: entha whats the prob …(all perplexed and worried)…

Sis: it means we would me independent, so much to the extend that our compatibility with our partners may suffer!(with a somber expression )

Me: (with an unbelievable expression filled with some sort of concern)oh..do u believe all this ..Crap …I don’t …(I try to sound confident)

Sis: k…whatever…now see this, its about how many kids we’ll have…I have two, let me check yours…

Me: before that lets call amma and see her’s…if its right then we can confirm on everything….(I say this pleased with myself for the intelligence I just exhibited!)

Sis: ya right anu…lets call her…(and we screech at the top our voices ) Ammaaaaaaaaaa………

(amma who was busy with her chores , runs out panicked towards us )

Amma: entha…what happened…(with alarm all over her face)

Sis: show me your hand …(ignoring amma’s alarmed look!) hmmm….hey as per your lines it says …that amma you’ll have 3 kids!!!(shocked expression with eyes split open!)

Amma: what...3 kids!entha...what are you both doing here…its already 8:30 and both of you didn’t take your bath yet…and what is this silly book…palmistory!!...enough stop all this nonsense and go and wash yourself ! And anu…screaming at the top of your voice ..do u know how old are you…?...when are you going to grow up…daivame…oh..god…what will I do with these girls… (she marches off the room with disgust and a declaration …that if we are not ready by half an hour then we’ll have to help ourselves with the dinner!)

(I had heard enough, and the palm history was proved wrong too..so without wasting any more time I left to the bathroom…mean while I could see my sis still clinging on to the book in her hand!)

At around 8:45 I come back to the room , to see my sis still immersed in the book… and posing strange angles with her hands …sometimes talking to herself …and again confirming with the book…ok..so these are the lines…I have them…(satisfied with herself).Now she folds her hand to a fist ..and starts counting some new lines ,with eyes split apart in concentration and mouth a bit open and tilted (almost the look of darsheel safary in ‘taare zameen par’)…and the drama continues….

I watch all this with a bit of amazement , wondering how could she fall for this…then I call out…minu enough…its already 8:50….go otherwise amma will kill u…!

Sis: (trying to gather her senses back)...ayyo…I have to rush…(runs out of the room)

And I look along with mixed reactions …not knowing whether to laugh or not!

all in the name of GOD!

On 22^nd july,2009 the world saw the longest eclipse of the 21^st century . And people round the world gathered in large numbers to experience and see the celestial play of the moon and the sun .But I wonder if this was mere an eclipse of two celestial bodies, where the sun overwhelm the moon, and the moon is left with no option but to cast its shadow across the earth …leaving it dark and murky. This time though, the shadow was engulfed with superstitions and fallacies which refused to spare the new borns’ too!!

All the day long the TV channels were busy telecasting the eclipse and when they were done with it, they came up with something really shocking.

In the name of superstition 2 – 5 years kids were buried up to their heads in the soil just to be victims of the eclipse and get rid of their weaknesses….be it a limped leg, poor eye sight or a spastic brain! The kids were obscured in the soil for more than 5 hours with no food or water! They cried, pleaded and begged for a pinch of mercy, for a morsel of bread ,for few drops of water ……but no one was ready to hear their plea ,even if they fainted crying aloud just to be out ! All this was done in the presence of their so called ‘parents’ who were mere spectators. It may all be a scrupulously stupid age-old belief, but let me ask you in which century are we living?? A century which claims itself to the most advanced, most developed ….Is this the way we have advanced, where we view our future generation as a mere piece of experimentation, to be tested and judged in the light of meager faith? It’s shameful that we Indians still cling on to our absurd ancestral beliefs, even when we know that they are JUST beliefs!

The plight of the children half buried was hard to forget, and I was wondering where this world is leading to…when I saw something more feral ….devastating!

A year old baby was dropped from a second storey building, to be grabbed in a sheet of cloth! Now what would u call this? And it was the dilemma of not a single soul, but a few thousands who were held up in the mid of nothing to be dropped mercilessly on to a cloth of sheet…..all this just for the sake to make them healthy all their life! I was thinking of the pain the new arrived experiences in this act of bizarre faith. Its argued that it’s a 500 years old tradition ,and that no accident has been reported so far ….Does that mean they’ll go on with this insane gesture ,until they are witness to a innocent’s death? Or will they name it then the act of satan or a vampire kid who deserved this ruthless end!Watch it youself ...to get the clear picture of this sick tradition ....follow this link

We have been doing all this in the name of god, but I wonder when he taught us to be so brutal in our behavior. If it was brutality which counted, then why is it that wars and fights end only in agony and pain!

When …when are we going to break ourselves free from these vicious shackles? The fetters which claim us good, but never do. The manacles we have worn around ourselves knowingly or unknowingly…..the beliefs we know are not worth following, yet we follow suit ….when are we going we stop such child abuses? And when will we stop uttering that its all in the name of GOD!

A bath tale...

With beady black eyes, so wide

And small little snout, so white

You are my cute devil,

And ill love you till my life’s peril!

Of you play all day long,

Be in mud, sand or pond,

With your dusty paws and grimy face

I swear, I adore you more!

Its time for a good wash up,

For you to get freshen up

So here, I take my shampoo

To cleanse down all your slush!

Intrigued and troubled you come along,

But with no pity I wash all along

Your supple fur, clips together

And you my dear, look so much like a mushy pussy altogether!

With few shivers and quivers,

Our first bath was all so fun

And my ‘poppy’ soon after the showers

Shone like sun!

It’s so cool washing you babe,

How I wish my work was everyday the same!!:)

YIPEEEE.....ITS MINE!

I know I know...I should have claimed this award long back…but what to do tab mood nahi tha….lol…And actually its no harm claiming it now or later…coz it simply awaits you…just as it did for me..;)

In order to 'receive' this award, I must satisfy the following conditions:
LIST 10 HONEST TRUTHS ABOUT MYSELF.

Choose a minimum of seven (7) blogs that you find brilliant in content or design. Or improvise by including bloggers who have no idea who you are because you don’t have seven friends. Show the seven random victims’ names and links and leave a harassing comment informing them that they were prized with Honest Weblog. Well, there’s no prize, but they can keep the nifty icon.

 

So to claim it, I too will have to do the ritual…hmmm…10 truths about me(don’t know if u guys r interested in reading it…But ill do it coz I want my passed on award!)

 

DUS SACHH…!

1.      I love ‘achaar’…mango, lemon or garlic …all are welcome! I can finish a bottle in one sitting(never tried ,but I am damn sure I can)

 

2.      I hate lizards …I guess that’s the reason why I always find those creepy creatures following me where ever I go…(and guess what, one of them has bitten me…surprised? Well, now you know why I hate them so much ;))

 

3.      I am god fearing and trust him blindly…but most of the time I go to temple ,just coz my amma insists me to…(bad girl naa…yeah I know)

 

4.      ‘Chikku’& ‘Poppy’ are my sweethearts I cant imagine to begin my day with out their licks…(My prized possessions…my cute dogs…love u  )

 

5.      My best confidant…my sis , All day long you may see us fight ,quarrel and beat each other…but at the end of the day, we are one! There’s nothing I hide from her (and I know she does the same…J)

 

6.      MTV is my favourite channel and Rannvijay my vj…(From the day I saw him I loved him… ‘I have a huge crush on you dear’…lol…)

 

7.      I hate going to weddings ,cause I get to answer the silly query ‘tumhara chance kab ayega?’ errrr…plz…(ATTENTION :don’t make me ask you the same at funerals…!;))

 

8.      I love traveling…and the one thing which would make me feel at heaven is, a “World tour”(a bit too much…I know…but you never know!(fingers crossed))

 

9.      I believed in the age old tradition of keeping a peacock feather in a fat book …to let it multiply and reproduce!(foolish naa…but I love doing nutty things )

 

 

10.   I am a bit superstitious …and I have my lucky dress, lucky chain, and lucky chapple…lol…(well…I know everyone has these…rite..?)

This award could be your's too...(deserving bloggers according to me!)

Destinyschild: Though u claimed your award ,this one is just to tell you ...'you deserve more' keep up the good work gal!

Akshay: I find ur blogs quite informative ,i should apologise i visit rarely,but whenever i do i simply love them!

Mahaaboran: I know you just started off with this blog business...but i still feel you are worthy of claiming it...(now dont dissapoint me..)

Kiran: Everytime i read ur post ,it makes me feel...aww...so cute,this one is for you n ur cute posts!

Blackblood: Though i get to read those silly love stories from ur blog...i love reading them..keep them coming...:)

Mindfulspirit: Hey,i know you can do it...a regular blogger, with some really cool posts!

Remu: Now ill get to see a real big post on your blog..lol...if u wanna a good combo of simplicity n fun...read her posts..!

So i am done, now its your turn, make it faster...dont lose on this opportunity!;)

A travelogue to andamans!

Everyone enjoys holidays….no matter long or short!  Holidays are always welcome, u never say no to them…just as in the case of money…lol..

Last month’s holiday was special , one because I had finished with my exams and was ready to rock. Second, this time I was not gonna spend it sitting idle at home…YES, we had planned a trip to ANDAMAN….yo ho! Sounds exciting rite..? And so was I and everyone else…Had heard a lot about that place from my friends who had been there. And I guess that was the reason why I was so eager to reach there. When I told my classmates about the same..they too were equally excited..(Actually a bit more than me!lol). I guess it was simply coz, they thought Andaman was a foreign country…somewhere out of India..(I know I am being mean here, exposing my friends GK…but then I cant help it..!).But I cleared all their doubts, just like a geography teacher does…and they were convinced.

So soon after my exams ended, we packed our bags and were ready to hit Andaman’s!

We had done a lot of research about the place, the weather, travel conditions, hotels etc etc and this helped us to make just the right preparations. First on the list was a good pack of sunscreen lotion (as the temperature out there was really hot!).Second was a bit of extra clothing?(coz being an island , you’ll have to spend most of your time on the beach)and apart from these a few more tit bits!

Only two modes of transportation are available to reach there…either through Air or water! The second one may sound exciting, but eventually there is every chance that it would get boring coz it takes almost 4 days via ship! So as rational and prudent travelers we chose the 3 hr ride over the 3 days one…lol…

 

It was an early flight, and almost all the people on  board were tourists, ready to explore Andaman. I can say this so confidently coz, everyone out there was overwhelmingly excited and were keenly peeking out of the  small window so as not to miss a single bit of the place!(as if everything was visible. .humph!) .But once the flight was ready to land , almost everything was visible…and the sight was AWESOME! . There was water every where, and about hundred islands scattered all over…Everyone was delighted to see god’s yet another marvel …Andaman!

 

The flight was on time, and since we were on a package tour..Our driver was waiting for us all ready and smart!. The weather was quite hot, and all of us exchanged smiles for being clever and bringing the sunscreen lotion..haha…!(not funny?...aah..leave it;))

Our hotel was too close to the airport, hardly 1.5 km…which means it was in the midst of the city. But I doubt if u can even call it a town.. hmm..! Everything about Andaman’s was so raw, afresh, be the city or the roads …they were so unpopulated and clean.. You could hardly see any traffic there….My first impression about the place was “oh, so serene”(I had always felt kerala was the only ,green colored state of our country. But I was mistaken.. Andaman’s was also green, but yes it’s a union territory…lol!)

 

As per our package programme ,after lunch ,we were first going to visit “coastal beach”. The lunch was homely and we were ready to get baked…in between we halted to visit a  science museum (which was a bit boring I cant deny that….though I found my sister quite excited playing around with the strange gadgets…;) ) hmm…finally we again boarded our ‘omni’ and we set to reach the beach…Oh the journey was simply splendid , with all the panoramic sights .The sea was visible from all the angles and the water ..my god it was simply Blue! As blue as the one u see when "  MSwindows" starts up..lol…no a much much better “BLUE”!. The beach was simply amazing , unlike our beaches it was vacant and clean and yes the waves too..were not that strong. In every aspect it was a very friendly beach…loved the time I spend there! Our next stop spot was the much talked of cellular jail…Its designed in the shape of a spider with 8 legs ..each leg had about 100 cells which means almost  800 convicts! The English men chose this land only to build this jail…coz it was a perfect place as the convicts could never escape from this place… as it was in the midst of the sea...any attempt to run away would only end up being in sea…which ultimately be DEATH….and this was the sole reason why Andaman was also known as “KALA PANI”(which may look beautiful ,but can gift u only darkness!) We roamed around the jail free, not realizing what it would have about a 60 years back… And I guess the light and sound show arranged was for people like us…to know the real plight of our freedom strugglers!

The show was superbly done, with every emotion touched …so strong that even the stone hearted would melt!

 

 

The next day was scheduled for a 3 islands’ visit ( ross island + viper island + northbay island). A fairly large boat was waiting for the tourists to get in…and we were one among them, I could see many familiar faces there.. ..  The ones I met on the airplane..hmm. Our first destination was “Ross Island”. A beautiful island, which was once a recreational center for the Britishers  , but now its full of  old and demolished buildings and churches. The place was a bit eerie , but is a perfect place for fashion photographers …tattered yet stylish!(‘uyrrin uyree’ song is shot here!..hope you pictured it )Our camera too had a great time there!. Next was the “viper island” it was an island for capital punishment! YES as the name suggests it was venomous and vicious. Even death was not easy there, 3 ways were used to kill a living being…first was to leave the convict on the island to be bitten by viper snakes ,next was to hang them and third was to leave them in a closed room with red light which would rupture their nerves and they would eventually die!..uff…so scary rite?And to add more horror our guide commented…”After 4’oclock no one comes here!”(Undoubtedly because of the haunted souls who died there)

Northbay island was a relief from all this horror and darkness, also known as coral island is a small island best know for “snorkeling” or coral viewing .YES! The ones you get to see on discovery channel, the colorful world beneath the sea…for the first time in my life I too was equipped with the same devices a sea diver has….cool naa…! The big specs like thing with a long tube to breath underneath….and anyone can do it coz u have ur  help ready and u wont drown…coz the water is only neck deep…hmm…And once I did it …it was great...i saw all the colorful world of fishes moving around in groups…with vivid shades of aqua scenery!(this is something which ill never ever forget in my life!)

 

Our 3^rd day was meant for the “havlock island”(the names are pretty interesting rite?;))

The journey was dreadful, 4 hours on the ship…I was completely sea sick…though I didn’t puke , my head was giddy like hell..and I just wanted to get out of it somehow..!

But once I reached the shore….and saw the ‘radhanager beach’ all my giddyness vanished and I was in love with that place…it was love at first sight..lol.. Enjoyed there to the fullest, had a lot of masti, making sand homes and let the sea take them away..(oh! How  I love the sea there). After radhanagar, “govindnagar beach ”awaited us …and my god..this beach…was the best I have ever seen …with all shades of aqua colours all in one sea…green,blue,purple,violet..my god..the sight was simply gr8!

With these two beaches havlock island was done... once again we had to go through the dreaded journey…finally we were back at our hotel….the last day was meant for local sight seeing n shopping… so we could rest to our hearts content!

 

Our last day at Andaman was fun…no long drives or beaches…just a few hours of sight seeing and shopping. Though the shops are very less here…I managed to collect some key chains for my friends… the typical Andaman style with rare shells at reasonable prices…;)!

 

 

Four days at Andaman flew very fast…didn’t even realize that our holiday was at its finishing line…may be it’s because good things wont last forever! But good memories will and andaman trip is gonna be one among them!:)

 

 

 

I know it’s a pretty long post and most of you out there are dropping down with heavy eyes ,but even this is not enough to describe that spendidly beautiful place…where u can forget about your office ,study or work and just relax amidst nature …all u have to do is get into the mood of “lazy lamhein” …

 

I am sure after hearing all this ‘ga ga’ about andaman  at least few of you will make it your next holiday destination ..Wont you?;)

 

1-2-2009!

Weekends often mean a trip to my native place, and so was the last one. Though this time such a trip was after many weekends…and the cause simply was the hectic college schedules or acha’s overtime. But finally after a month or so we were again visiting our dear ones. Weekends had always helped us to boost our morale and spirits coz being with people whom you know always makes you feel happy and at ease….but this time though I didn’t feel the same refresh ness. Somewhere down there I felt lonely, out of place ….I guess the reason was simply that I missed my ammayi….I am so used to her chirpy laugh and cheery talks that when I found her presence engulfed within a framed photo I couldn’t resist the rising tears in my eyes and left me with a heavy heart .A house which steamed with noises and laughs, after ammayi’s death  , resembles a haunted house where you could even listen to the small pin forgotten in some corner make its presence felt by its fall .All this was disturbing ….but when u have a couple of small cousins in and around you ,you cant afford to remain sober all the time and soon enough I was playing along with them and smiling at their silly fights and cute faces .But ammayi’s place will remain vacant for the years to come…and ill miss you ammayi …always……

 

With a sneak peak in and around all the houses and making our car’s dickey heavy with coconuts and chakka[jackfruit] ,we turned our wheels back to kochi . Reached here at around 8, amma was not in a good mood …don’t know why and so I was entrusted the duty to make kanji[rice gruel] . I placed the cooker with its contents on the stove and accompanied the rest watching “welcome to sajjanpur”. After some time I heard amma complaining from the kitchen that the water in the cooker was not sufficient and grumbling that I don’t know anything and stuff…lol…Soon enough she too was engrossed in the movie. At around 8:45 she asked me to check if the cooker was making whistles ,I popped up from my seat and went into the kitchen…..I heard the cooker making soft whistles ,but then I saw that the lid was not properly closed ….I just tried to tighten it by adjusting  its position ….and then all what I remember is a “thud” noise and the steamy hot substances all over me…..I couldn’t  guess what was happening as I had almost lost senses …. I screamed achaa….and I saw all three of them rush towards me … I was rushed to the shower ….I couldn’t breath  not coz of the water pouring over me…but just the sheer thought of what had happened just now kept me gasping for breath as if a nightmare had haunted my sleep. Amma was beside me consoling and praying ….I constantly checked my face with my palms to ensure that the skin was intact …. the cool water from the shower kept falling on my face….all this was not enough when…my sis rushes and says that…”acha has slipped over the rice and he is lying motionless on the floor”! At this I couldn’t control myself and burst out along with my mother to the kitchen I found acha on the floor …un able to move….we rushed toward him…amma shook him…but he was in a shock and just kept looking….but as soon as he saw me…he came back to senses …I cried aloud saying…”acha I am fine…don’t worry!” And we both made him stand up….By this time my sis had rushed to our neighbours and they were their to help!...

 

Iwas still made to sit in the shower for about an hour …until I started shivering. My sis applied the honey all over my face and neck which our neighbours had given …so as to prevent the burns…though the heat was reduced I could still feel the hot steams over my face and neck…Acha was fine…but was left with a small bump on his head which was a result of the hard fall…..The skin on my forehead looked dark and red I kept rubbing ice cubes over it…a part of skin over my neck was gone…and was sure to leave a scar…! At around 11 when all the chaos had settled a  bit…acha said he’ll take me to the hospital for the first aid…and I was taken to the medical centre of our company and was greeted with a amicable doctor…he said the burns were fine…don’t worry…and prescribed for some medicines…and some dressing …and yes also a tetanus injection…which left my hand with a pain for days …lol…And soon I was home…at 12 we ate the fresh gruel made by my amma and were ready to sleep……

 

 

One week has gone since this incident …but still I get tremors and find myself gasping for breath when I think of it. Even now when I hear the cooker whistle I get frightened and close my eyes…the fear has gotten into me…with all the calamity that was caused I still believe god was with me…with whose grace things didn’t turn too serious …I don’t have any scar on my face apart from a few dark spots here and there …which has almost vanished by now…the only serious scar is on my neck….which has almost dried…but will need a few months for complete recovery! Ahem … What should I say…it’s a day I don’t want to remember again…but then I wanted to fight my fear out …and so thought of penning in down….for once and for all!...And I am actually feeling good now…this full week i was at home resting , relaxing and recovering from this pain…and now I feel rejuvenated…and back to normal with my skin fresh and new....what remains is the scar on my neck …which will soon fade off [I hope so!]

 

 

Thank you god for being with me…and protecting me from the worst situations. Be with me always …always….!:)

If life was a swing!;)

I still remember my first day at school. Clinging on to my amma’s sari and trying to hide myself from the numerous new faces starring at me, or rather I felt so…but actually they weren’t. There were so many like me, most of them ready to break down any moment … while there were others who were quite aloof of what was happening around them and were giggling and frolicking in their own world. And these were the ones who grew up to become the bullies of our class later on…lol…All this had been a nightmare once ,but now it’s all like a dream long forgotten…

Time flies ….and so has in my case too. From kinder garden to school…School to college…College to career (hopefully ;)) and many more…..
Didn’t even realize when I grew up (not that I behave like one, but at least for others). Time was like a fierce wind and I flew along with it like a broken leaf, ready to sway in any direction it took me.
Life at kinder garden would have been fun, it’s a pity I don’t remember a thing now! Same is the case with my primary classes; the only big thing I remember is my school shift…hmm…that was a painful one...to be rooted from one place and replanted in some other land! Everything was new…be it friends, teachers or surroundings. And it did take time to adjust, but who could resist the group of amicable faces, ready to accept you howsoever you are for a long time and so couldn’t I too…and ended up making friends ,who I know will last for a life time!:)

School was so much fun (I agree when I was a part of it I never felt so) in everyway. Everyday you get to meet your friends, study together …eat together …play together… fight together…and do everything ‘possible’ together! ;). No tension, no worries (I agree at times we did have teenage traumas …may be about a plump pimple on the nose or too bushy eyebrows or may be the poor marks in the class tests…we did have our troubles, but they seemed quite common and you were never left alone!). All you were supposed to do were study and score marks or rather pass! Now the things are not same anymore, you can’t just afford to get pass marks, they won’t take you anywhere and you, yourself know it. And that’s the most bitter part of it all…you know what you are supposed to do, but never try doing it…!lol…Soon after our schooldays we come to realize ,what life actually is…and it really isn’t that fun! You are no more kids and you are expected to behave like grownups ,which we seldom do…at least in my case and you get to hear lectures from your parents every now and then for not doing the same or not doing what they expect you to do! Such a case never arrived when you were a kid; you were left free to do what you wanted….scream, shout, dance etc etc…until it didn’t get on to your amma’s best friend or didn’t hurt her kids…lol…We were taken for granted as we were kids and no one really expected us to behave yourselves .But now, things have changed you have to behave as the society expects you to do or else it might look weird, and to be true it really does! Its no fun to see an adult scream around like a child does…isn’t it?. What I want to say is, as you start growing up, the various rules and regulations which are a part and parcel of our lives also seem to grow along with us. Responsibility grows, concern grows, expectations grow, dreams grow, ambitions grow….and whether your happiness grows or not all depends on the fulfillment of whatever mentioned above ;).

Life really becomes complex, you cant really fool around …you have to think about your future, your career, marriage, life ahead etc etc.(And if you have a couple of your friends getting settled either in their career or getting married ,then things really become tough!...coz your parents too try to speed up and get their responsibilities done…humph!)

And in situations like this you feel” why did I have to grow up??”. And that’s exactly what I feel sometimes…longing to be a child all over again…and relive the fun and excitement once more with nothing to worry and fret!. To be a part of my yester years where everything was so anxiously awaited …be it the summer vacation or the school reopen, everything had its own celebration …with tones of innocence and oodles of cheerfulness. Hmm…how I wish life was a swing, where you could take a deep breath and swing back to be a part of your childhood days , and swing forth to see what the future holds for you next!....all in jus a swing…!;)