Little Devil or Angel?

After a tired day and a long drive, I reached home. Refreshed myself, took my son through his homework. Fed my kids. It was then time for me to prepare for next day's breakfast.

I washed the wet grinder and started putting the chawal and urad dal combo in it. On the kitchen platform, sat my latest possession - Tupperware water Filter (10 ltrs) with a tap. I am in fact proud of this possession as it really quenches our thirst during hours of load shedding.

While I was busy with this activity, I did not hear little aditi walk over to the water filter, press the tap and let half of the water out...

Before I realized... I was standing amidst large pool of water (5 ltrs). As I turned towards her in total disbelief, she gives me this angelic smile that really floors me.

All I could do was lift her up, give her a tight hug and a mock slap on her B*M

Rangoli and Kasuti Embroidary

A form of embroidery in Karnataka, it is called Kasuti there and means same as kashidakari or embroidery. It has also been desiphered as art of cotton thread and hands. The art was practiced by ladies of Maharashtra and Karnataka specially in Dharwad and Bijapur. The embroidery gives an exquisite effect to the soft furnishings.
I simply love the geometric patterns. Especially when Kasuti is done on Ilkal Sarees or dress materials, the effect is awesome. Ilkal sarees usually use a darker background on which this emobroidary is made using shades of Red, White, Yellow and Blue to get the desired effect.

There is a strong resemblance between kasooti and Rangoli motifs, only that rangoli is done on floor at the doorsteps of houses and temples and Kasooti on fabric with needle and thread. The similarity of the motifs can be because both the things are done by the lady of the house, one as a religious ritual and another to occupy her after the household chores. The pattern is never drawn on the cloth. The design remains in the mind and is recreated on the cloth directly with the needle and thread.

Mutter & Capsicum Poha - My own recipe

Folks, it is not everyday that I get to experiment in the kitchen. But today morning, when I was actually struggling to find a different dish that I could make, I stumbled upon this idea.

I tried it out and got rave reviews from my family members. So, thought of posting this very quick-n-simple-to-make dish for benefit of others.
==========================
Ingredients:
==========================

Frozen Peas - half cup (safal or any such brand)
Capsicum - 2 medium sized ones, chopped into 1/2 inch pieces
Onions - 2 large - chopped length-wise
Thick Poha - 3 cups (do NOT soak in water)
Oil - 2 TSP
Turmeric - 1 TSP
Chilli Powder - as per taste & spice desired - I added 1.5 tsps
Salt - as per taste
Grated Coconut, optional
Coriander leaves - finely chopped for garnishing.

Method:
=======

* Boil frozen peas and chopped capsicum together until done (microwave for 7-10 minutes), drain all water and keep it aside
* In a kadai, pour 2 tsp oil, add chopped onions, turmeric, chilli poweder and salt.
* Stir fry until onions are done
* To this, add boiled peas and capsicum and continue to stir fry for next 3-5 mins. This is to ensure peas and capsicum soak in the masala
* Add the dry poha and mix it well.
* Pour water into the kadai (little less than needed to submerge all the poha)
* Cover the kadai with a lid and keep the gas on medium flame and let this cook for another 8 minutes. In between, keep opening the lid and mixing the poha properly. Else, the poha at the bottom of the kadai might get over cooked and the ones at the top may be raw.
* Once poha is sufficiently cooked, garnish with freshly grated coconut, chopped coriander leaves * Serve hot

Funniest Bike Learning Experience

Let me tell you the story of how I learnt to ride a 2-wheeler.

I fought with my dad and made him buy me a Hero Puch - first 4-stroke 2-wheeler to be launched. And I did this in rebelling against all well wishers who asked me to buy a gear-less vehicle.

Anyways, I finally had my bike and I was proud as a peacock. I got the "balancing" right. In order to practice riding, I used to take the vehicle out early in the morning.

One early morning, I set out towards Jnanabharathi Campus to practice my bike riding skills. I headed towards this as I knew vehicles were less and roads were good and decently wide...
Half way towards my destination, I had to negotiate an very uphill left bend.

Towards the left of the road were few huts and a huge garbage dump. One little kid was sitting near the garbage dump answering nature's call... (Now, don't say, sheesh, why is she writing about all this here... just wait until you read the entire story !!!)

I saw it from a distance and continued to ride towards the bend. As I was nearing the bend, I saw a bus coming from the opposite direction. I had not expected this. I got really scared. I was so busy thinking how I should work my way towards the left bend; that I did not observe the muddy patch.

Within no time, my bike skid off the road and I fell off slightly away from the garbage dump...5-7 feet away from where the little boy was s(h)itting!!! Next instant, I saw this little guy jump up and run towards the hut...

In 2 seconds, I realized that what had happened. Here was this little guy sitting peacfully by the road side. And there I come and fall couple of feet away from him... He was so scared that he actually thought I was falling on him... and he ran away...!!!

I found the whole incident so hilarious that even as i got up rubbing my wounds, I was laughing so loud... people gathered and started wondering whether I was in my senses :P

I am dead sure, this little guy, has never sat by the road's side to answer nature's call ever again :P

This is the most hilarious incident i can recollect associated with my bike riding experiences.

To end the story, I realized, riding a bike was tough. So, as i abandoned my bike, I resolved to drive a car when i started earning. That was when I could afford to buy a car...I could not ask my dad to buy one for me... Thankfully, that dream has come true :D

No...No more of such accidents!!!

Impact of Childhood Incidents

It seems wierd as to how some incidents in your childhood tend to impact your life or shape your persona.

My brother was a 5 years old kid. I was 12 years and in my 7th standard. One saturday, I was doing my biology drawings. He came running and snatched my pencil sharpner knife. Since he was small and the knife sharpner was really sharp, I was scared that he would hurt himself. So, as an immediate reaction, I tried to snatch it from his hand.

And Lo!!! In that tussle, the knife gave a deep cut on his finger. Blood oozed out and he started wailing.

My mom, who had just about returned home from office, came running. She saw all the blood and without understanding the background screamed at me and said:

"Vidya, instead of fighting with him every day like this, why don't you just kill him once for all".

She was very angry. And I was deeply hurt. My mother, whom I loved so much, had made such a statement. She had not even tried to find out the fact that I was actually trying to save him from hurting himself...

That was the LAST MEMORY I have of my brother. I "switched" him off from my mind. And that was the last day I spoke with him.

From that day, to the next 15 years, I did not talk to him. I was totally indifferent to him and his upbringing. To the extent that, I don't remember or recollect any image of him growing up or in his teens.

Although, I do talk to him now... I don't have that closeness I should ideally have with my brother.

Brother, this is not your fault. It is just a decision I made when I was small owing to this incident. I know I have been a jerk and I take full responsibility for doing this. I am hoping I will improve and do something about this at least now...

Father's Day

My father quit his banking job to open a restuarant. When he was in Bank, he had set time. He would leave home 8 a.m. in the morning and return by 6 p.m. However, with the change in occupation, demands on his time rose. He started leaving home by 6 a.m. and return by 10 p.m.

I had so many complaints on him. He did not come to school to pay my fees - made me pay my own fees even when I was in 2nd standard. He never asked me how school was, what I was doing at school, what were my grades, what i need to study, what should i do and what i should not do.

The only time he actually intervened was when i had to decide on what college i wanted to study after completing 10th. His choice was one close to our restaurant and i loathed that college. And the fact that i had to study in that college eventually, increased my resentment towards him.

My list of complaints just got lengthier......

But yesterday, on Father's day, I was out attending the Landmark Forum. The coach of the forum was talking about our relationships with our parents. One statement he made touched a chord and opened a whole new world of possibilities.
"Your parents did what they did for you. And to the best of their abilities. How much have you acknowledged that?"

Tears started flowing down my cheeks. I had never never thought from this angle. His working hard was to provide food, clothes and shelter to us. How could a simple thing like this not enter my head all these years?

Nonetheless, I consoled myself "Better late than never". I called up my dad from my cell. I told him:

"Annu, all these years you have worked so hard and done so much for us. You made sure we are educated, we went to college and earned masters degree, you are so proud to see us now, successful in our jobs... and yet, we never have thanked you enough. I want to acknowledge you for everything you have done for me till now. You are a very good father and I am proud of you."

Confused Desis to Confused ITEs (ITEs = Information Technology Engineers)

During mid 90s, several software engineers quit their plum, high-paying jobs because they could not stand the work pressure. Any typical day, people were expected to put 10-12 hours of work.

After couple of years, there was a new wave of perspective that swiped the software industry - work/life balance became the new HR mantra for employee retention. Things seemed to improve. People were again happy and proud with their jobs. IT grooms were again talk of the matrimonial market.

However, despite providing good benefits and all fancy facilities, software engineers are truly not a happy lot.

In the recent 15 days, I have heard so many incidents where software engineers have talked about being frustrated, read reports about suicides etc.

Last week, my neighbour who is a practice head with a top IT company in Bangalore was telling my hubby that he was getting really frustrated and is considering leaving this field for good. In fact, he has taken a baby step towards this and has already started teaching at a local near-by college.

My hubby has been singing the same song for the past 10 months - "I want to do something on my own" And each time I ask him "what do you want to do?". He has no answers. He is just wading in the dark.

Yesterday, I was reading in a blog where the blogger, a IT engineer himself, wanted to do something different than IT.

Today morning, I again read in the papers that a software engineer working in Bangalore boarded a Hyderabad bus. He went to a temple there only to consume cyanide and kill himself.

I am confused. I fail to understand what is happening. Is this the next wave of different kind of brain drain?

Are these subtle alarms that we need to take heed before this becomes a pandemic?