The Stroll

I walked down the pathway, strewn with tiny yellow leaves on the sides. The early morning sunrays kissed the mud that bordered the dirt track, a mixture of grey tar and brown muck. There was utter silence but which spoke volumes. And I liked that. Had never liked crowds..people to be precise I mean not in hordes that is. How can there be that heavenly silence in the morning with Earth's mighty creations, I mused. Man creates huge but which causes nothing but noise/chaos...in the psyche.

Hmm...which was the reason I was here..for a walk. Wished the path never ended. I sort of like the road...one which never ends, one which holds an element of surprise, of what might be at the next turn ? To reach somewhere is the thing that's been going on in the intellect through years...but utter consternation-the joy of reaching was always short lived. What next ? No glory was big enough though it satisfied the ego big time...i.e. at the moment or perhaps like a hang over for few days..After that ? I am my own self. Can one be a glory for oneself self ? I mean an all time one ? Well but I can't be jubilant all on my own !! Reminds me of a calendar of a guy (may be Chaitanya Maha Prabhu) dancing with a tanpura/some musical instrument in his hand. Singing in praise of God and walking with people following him. Our country is full of such stories. Gandhi was like that too...Dandi March, Tagore...Ekla Chalo Re...Well, I thrust my hands in pockets, kick a few pebbles and keep walking...

The Stroll

I walked down the pathway, strewn with tiny yellow leaves on the sides. The early morning sunrays kissed the mud that bordered the dirt track, a mixture of grey tar and brown muck. There was utter silence but which spoke volumes. And I liked that. Had never liked crowds..people to be precise I mean not in hordes that is. How can there be that heavenly silence in the morning with Earth's mighty creations, I mused. Man creates huge but which causes nothing but noise/chaos...in the psyche.

Hmm...which was the reason I was here..for a walk. Wished the path never ended. I sort of like the road...one which never ends, one which holds an element of surprise, of what might be at the next turn ? To reach somewhere is the thing that's been going on in the intellect through years...but utter consternation-the joy of reaching was always short lived. What next ? No glory was big enough though it satisfied the ego big time...i.e. at the moment or perhaps like a hang over for few days..After that ? I am my own self. Can one be a glory for oneself self ? I mean an all time one ? Well but I can't be jubilant all on my own !! Reminds me of a calendar of a guy (may be Chaitanya Maha Prabhu) dancing with a tanpura/some musical instrument in his hand. Singing in praise of God and walking with people following him. Our country is full of such stories. Gandhi was like that too...Dandi March, Tagore...Ekla Chalo Re...Well, I thrust my hands in pockets, kick a few pebbles and keep walking...

For you Reema

She found herself, with tons of hours...suddenly. Years had gone by in the daily commute, office, colleagues, the daily office banter, gossips, the 'chai sessions' and the salary..at the beginning of the month, only to get exhausted by the end of the month. But it had kept her on toes, hardly any time to think at all...which was good in a way as she thought now.
Since last year she had been thinking about bringing some change in her life. But hadn't been able to decide. It was difficult to leave the cosy known territory for an unknown one. She could have got a fat hike..another place, another job. But hey ! it sort of meant re-inventing herself once more, ....right from preparing the resume once again, answering the weird questions in the interview rounds. She thought, 'Why do I need to prove myself again and again and again ?' A voice answered: Yup. You don't need to do that at home and you don't get paid as well. Was there no way where you could do/prove and all that for a certain period of time and then the wicked but very much wanted money kept coming again and again even if you didn't feel like working. The monthly appraisals had started to bore her all of a sudden and questions hidden deep down had started raising their heads. It was time to introspect. She had decided and handed over the resignation letter. Her colleagues had been shocked. She had attained peace. Somehow the salary not coming next month didn't bother her much. That way she had ample to take care of the bare necessities.
She wanted to connect to herself. That had become the top priority now. Question was how ? She had found herself in many friendships she had made. But this time it had to be herself she wanted to be thorough with. Was the same with everyone around her, she found. Wasn't man sane enough to satisfy himself ? Why the need for quest ? For what ? O.k. for now the blue coloured little swallow like bird on the electic wire caught her attention. It hopped from one place on the wire to another. What was it thinking ? Strange...whatever happened to her, somehow she would think , same must be with everyone. She hated generalising. But she had found out she was no exceptional or for that matter neither people around her. Some whom she thought were different, turned out to be copies or somebody else she had met or heard before. Again why the need to be different ? May be god put that seed in all the germ cells before they united to form the Life that the human creature is born with..
She got up to breathe in the freshness of the grass under her feet and steal in the morning view that so captivated her. Questions could rest.

For you Reema

She found herself, with tons of hours...suddenly. Years had gone by in the daily commute, office, colleagues, the daily office banter, gossips, the 'chai sessions' and the salary..at the beginning of the month, only to get exhausted by the end of the month. But it had kept her on toes, hardly any time to think at all...which was good in a way as she thought now.
Since last year she had been thinking about bringing some change in her life. But hadn't been able to decide. It was difficult to leave the cosy known territory for an unknown one. She could have got a fat hike..another place, another job. But hey ! it sort of meant re-inventing herself once more, ....right from preparing the resume once again, answering the weird questions in the interview rounds. She thought, 'Why do I need to prove myself again and again and again ?' A voice answered: Yup. You don't need to do that at home and you don't get paid as well. Was there no way where you could do/prove and all that for a certain period of time and then the wicked but very much wanted money kept coming again and again even if you didn't feel like working. The monthly appraisals had started to bore her all of a sudden and questions hidden deep down had started raising their heads. It was time to introspect. She had decided and handed over the resignation letter. Her colleagues had been shocked. She had attained peace. Somehow the salary not coming next month didn't bother her much. That way she had ample to take care of the bare necessities.
She wanted to connect to herself. That had become the top priority now. Question was how ? She had found herself in many friendships she had made. But this time it had to be herself she wanted to be thorough with. Was the same with everyone around her, she found. Wasn't man sane enough to satisfy himself ? Why the need for quest ? For what ? O.k. for now the blue coloured little swallow like bird on the electic wire caught her attention. It hopped from one place on the wire to another. What was it thinking ? Strange...whatever happened to her, somehow she would think , same must be with everyone. She hated generalising. But she had found out she was no exceptional or for that matter neither people around her. Some whom she thought were different, turned out to be copies or somebody else she had met or heard before. Again why the need to be different ? May be god put that seed in all the germ cells before they united to form the Life that the human creature is born with..
She got up to breathe in the freshness of the grass under her feet and steal in the morning view that so captivated her. Questions could rest.

Chole / Rajma ( North Indian curry )

Well thought of sharing a recipe that I like myself and everyone at home too. Am no fancy top shot cook, is a disclaimer I would like to make. But well this is one dish that goes flawless even if I have to make it in a hurry or say not in a mood to cook and gets devoured as well. So here it is:
Ingredients (For a family of 3 - 4 adults )
Kabuli chana (chick peas) or rajma (red kidney beans) 150 gms
Onion 1 big and 1 small
Green chilly 2 to 3 (or more if one wants it spicy)
Ginger 3/4 inch, medium sized
Garlic 5 to 6 pods, medium sized
Fennel (aniseed) 3/4 teaspoon
Tomatoes 2 medium sized
Coriander leaves chopped, 4 tablespoon ( 2 tbsp for masala and 2 tbsp for garnishing)
Cinnamon stick 1 inch
Black pepper seeds 10
Cloves 4
Brown cardamom 1
Caraway seeds less than a 1/4 teaspoon
Dagad ful ( find that out what's in english) 1/4 inch
Bay leaf 2
Salt and sugar to taste ( 1 tsp heap salt and a pinch sugar )
Turmeric powder 1 tsp
Red chilli powder 1/4 tsp
Coriander powder 1/2 tsp
Garam Masala powder 1/2 tsp
Cummin seeds powder 1/4 tsp
3 tbsp oil
400 ml water
Method
Soak either of the two ( kabuli chana or rajma ) overnight in water. Drain the water and cook it in a pressure cooker in about 700 ml water till it is soft ( 3 whistles then 10 mins on medium flame should do ).
Chop onion, garlic, coriander, ginger, chilli and grind them raw along with the spices except for bay leaf (not the powders mentioned in last). Chop tomatoes finely. Heat oil in a pan and add turmeric powder, bay leaves and chopped tomatoes, stirring till the tomatoes are well cooked in oil. Now add the ground spices and keep stirring till the masala changes colour, leaving oil on sides and of course till your nostrils get bathed in the spicy aroma. Add the cooked chick peas or red kidney beans to the pan, mix well with the masala, add 400 ml water, stir, sprinkle all the powdered spices, salt- sugar and cover the pan with a lid. Let it cook for about 15 mins. Stir once or twice so that the masala doesn't stick to the bottom of the pan. When done, sprinkle fresh chopped coriander leaves and serve with hot rotis/chapatis/naan/kulcha or just plain cooked rice.

Chole / Rajma ( North Indian curry )

Well thought of sharing a recipe that I like myself and everyone at home too. Am no fancy top shot cook, is a disclaimer I would like to make. But well this is one dish that goes flawless even if I have to make it in a hurry or say not in a mood to cook and gets devoured as well. So here it is:
Ingredients (For a family of 3 - 4 adults )
Kabuli chana (chick peas) or rajma (red kidney beans) 150 gms
Onion 1 big and 1 small
Green chilly 2 to 3 (or more if one wants it spicy)
Ginger 3/4 inch, medium sized
Garlic 5 to 6 pods, medium sized
Fennel (aniseed) 3/4 teaspoon
Tomatoes 2 medium sized
Coriander leaves chopped, 4 tablespoon ( 2 tbsp for masala and 2 tbsp for garnishing)
Cinnamon stick 1 inch
Black pepper seeds 10
Cloves 4
Brown cardamom 1
Caraway seeds less than a 1/4 teaspoon
Dagad ful ( find that out what's in english) 1/4 inch
Bay leaf 2
Salt and sugar to taste ( 1 tsp heap salt and a pinch sugar )
Turmeric powder 1 tsp
Red chilli powder 1/4 tsp
Coriander powder 1/2 tsp
Garam Masala powder 1/2 tsp
Cummin seeds powder 1/4 tsp
3 tbsp oil
400 ml water
Method
Soak either of the two ( kabuli chana or rajma ) overnight in water. Drain the water and cook it in a pressure cooker in about 700 ml water till it is soft ( 3 whistles then 10 mins on medium flame should do ).
Chop onion, garlic, coriander, ginger, chilli and grind them raw along with the spices except for bay leaf (not the powders mentioned in last). Chop tomatoes finely. Heat oil in a pan and add turmeric powder, bay leaves and chopped tomatoes, stirring till the tomatoes are well cooked in oil. Now add the ground spices and keep stirring till the masala changes colour, leaving oil on sides and of course till your nostrils get bathed in the spicy aroma. Add the cooked chick peas or red kidney beans to the pan, mix well with the masala, add 400 ml water, stir, sprinkle all the powdered spices, salt- sugar and cover the pan with a lid. Let it cook for about 15 mins. Stir once or twice so that the masala doesn't stick to the bottom of the pan. When done, sprinkle fresh chopped coriander leaves and serve with hot rotis/chapatis/naan/kulcha or just plain cooked rice.

I haven't met him Mom, so how can I be sad....

Said my son to me. We lost a family member in one of the unfortunate fire incident, in Bangalore. We were discussing about it as it was too shocking to absorb what had happened. He, a fourteen year old, was listening and observing us. I tried to help him recollect. He couldn't and felt bad. It pains when the things going on in the News in the Television or the Newspapers which we follow sort of mechanically, happens to us, or in the vicinity. When we watch or read or hear about people dying in natural calamities or terrorist attacks etc, there are emotions, empathy involved but then like the son said, we don't know them so we don't know how to feel strong enough.
We did not know the young students who died in the German bakery blast in the Oxford of the East, on personal front. How can we be sad ? And more than that what can we do about it ? The School children are being taught 'Disaster Management' as a subject to sensitise them. The fire emergency exits in the Carlton Towers in Bangalore where the fire broke out were locked !! making the rescue impossible. How can this disaster be managed ? Death being rampant all around, we adults can get desensitised at times. It calls for a step ahead in the area of 'Feelings'. Just feeling sad is not enough Son, I wanted to say. What can we do with the pain we feel ? How can we avert such things ? How can we reach the people who have lost their loved ones ? Can we pray ? Can we create a movement ? How long will we sit and watch things going around in the world, taking hundreds and hundreds of life ? How can we contribute..Now ? Life is short...to leave things to do later....till someone in the family dies. I am yet thinking of the solution my son and the younger generation needs to know when the question pops in their mind, 'I don't know him so how can I feel sad?'