Happy Vishu!

Vishu is always celebrated the same way whether it was in Oman or in Kerala... but the feel with which we celebrate and the enthusiasm is what varies.. Back in Oman we are so excited to celebrate any kind of festival including those belonging to the North or another state. For Vishu Mom and Dad will be shopping on the eve and then would decorate for the morning kani.. I and Nisha would be sent early to bed and would be woken up around 4:30 blindfolded ...The best part would be kaineetam...No marks for guessing!! We would usually hold a sadya at home and invite all our friends for lunch.. It makes us homesick and also makes us feel at home...



Two years back when I shifted to Kerala.. I celebrated my first Indian Vishu in Trissur.. It was great fun with crackers and all the customs with more guests, etc. But this year we decided to celebrate in Trivandrum itself. I found the enthusiasm less over here... no crackers or noise... in fact people were preparing Non-vegetarian dishes and there were very few people who actually decorated for kani...so the hype here was low and so was it at our home too. Very few relatives came over... it was more like a formality to be done rather than celebrating the fact that it is a new year... I came up with crankiest happy vishu messages sending it to everyone in my mobile list... out of which very few bothered wishing me back :D (I guess it was cos of the P.S. which spoke of mandatory kaineetam *tee hee*)

I would like to wish everyone a HAPPY VISHU! And a great year full of joy and happiness and if any grievances... then the strength to overcome it...


"Follow your bliss
And the universe
Will open doors for you
Where there were
only walls"

- Joseph Campbell

Snapshots re-loaded!

Yesterday I and the newly wedded couple and my cousins went out for a 'break' from the wedding mess....the beach...

After a looong time I got to use my photography skills (just a little bit).And please don't complain about the flash... I think it just looks good that way...One is with a thin, tall prominent coconut tree which you can view HERE. It was after clicking this one that I kept cribbing about my stupid camera and its battery and blah blah. I couldn't figure out the problem a few months before cos none of the batteries worked. Then I figured we needed alkaline and when I told dad that, he said that's what I have been trying so far. That did burn my brain cells but I required the camera to work for obvious wedding related situations. Wanted every single moment to be captured. And hence my cousin finally got me this pair of batteries which can be charged when it runs out of some :)...So much for cameras and batteries. Anyways... the second one is without the coconut tree... I don't know any other way to describe it...check it out HERE.

Next pic is the one with the caption me..So don't miss this one... GO HERE.

My Big Fat Sis Wedding

Finally!! All the phone calls and close whispers and the put-me-to-sleep-days were finally on the cards when my sister's fiancé landed here. The best part is the one inclusive of preparations for the big day. It's more fun than shopping... cos I ain't a shopaholic :) (In spite of being a girl). I was basically in charge of nothing not cos I was getting through a busy schedule but cos my dad (I assume) must have found me clumsy. Anyways I was all the more busy dieting and shedding kilos to look great (I am well aware of the fact that I am not the bride!!). In fact I and my sister were rivals cos I wanted to lose more than her and vice versa. You can call it fate if you want ... but she won... and as usual I am still plump :). Now when you read 'preparations' things that bounce into your mind are catering, lights, wedding hall, transport blah. But to me preparations were supposedly trying on costumes, testing the food prepared for the pre wedding guests and things similar to that. I am never going to grow up isn't it?

The day before the wedding, sis was busy posing for shots and so was I .FYI it is a day where a lot of invited (and uninvited) guests land up with gifts posing for the camera. Many of which I have never even heard of. And the worst part is when some guys you don't know turns up asking if you know them and we obviously nod expecting them not to ask you 'ok who am I?’. And that expectation totally cracks and to add fuel to fire you are stuck with absolutely no help. Food was fun ... it was the best cos that was the last dinner with my sister as a bachelor. Loads of fun, food and scary remarks like -uh-oh your getting married tomorrow, or - oh no!! With one guy forever! And etc.

Wedding day went super fast I must say. And carrying myself in that golden net sari was not the 8th wonder but yeps! Somewhere near that. Sadya was awesome except for one of the payasams made of banana apparently. I reached the reception hall late in the evening cos apparently it's fashionable for girls to reach late at parties :). Hogged some food and some hot caramel custard (which was yuck!) and then it was Barry Manilow's 'The lion sleeps tonight'...Zzzzzzzz

The next day a whole lot of people came over for lunch and obviously I had to sing songs and so did everyone except for dad who is still shy when it comes to singing in public... no wonder I still have stage fright. Mom says stage fright is my kooda porappu..but woteva...and there ends it all... and I apologize to all my blog readers for updating after a month.. but my only sister's wedding did keep me committed.....so back to singing and blogging and everything... Ciao

Meghmalhar

Is the name of my new home in Kowdiar. I've been waiting since months to shift and finally the day has come. A mission finally accomplished. We did the paalu kaachal in Trivandrum style. First the 'vaastu pooja’, then the ganapati homam which was followed by a small griha pravesh pooja. Mom had to carry the lamp and sister was given the pot of milk. The milk which was considered very auspicious because it was the first milk given by a cow that gave birth to her calf few days back. Superstitions...but they all sound so fancy! I was, finally as the youngest given a bamboo sheet which contained vegetables of each kind. I was very young during the house warming of my first home in Trissur. There, all we did was heat some milk in a steel pan and wait for it to flow out. And *Tadaa* the house is inaugurated. But here things are done more emotionally, out of devotion. Not only house warming. Whether it is something as complicated as a marriage or something as simple as a welcome function for a new born baby, things are always celebrated is a big way out here. Sometimes it is overwhelming and sometimes it can get onto my nerves. Anyways ...entering into my house everyone's favourite 'room' is mine :D
Breakfast was simple with idli, vada, sambhar and chutney. Then some ghup shupping and chit chatting led to 'kumbhasaranam'- sleeping. Earlier I was discussing about how I am going to kill time till lunch but then it was sorted out..After the mighty nap all of us went straight to the dining where we had the traditional food served on banana leaf of course. After which all of us hogged on some parippu vadas. Hardly any space and my food pipe were protesting against any more entry of the unhealthy oily snack that I had to lose and stop the eating game. Game?? Did I just say game? OH my! You never know ...always have tendencies to play with things I love. Nevertheless, almost went through an eating competition.

Right now I am just finished with ending pooja which is devoted to the Goddess. All's well that ends well. So far so good...All cousins will be staying over and right now I am going to get back to my game...Oops! Dinner I meant.