Let us have some fun too..

It is jail time for a few politicians in Kerala. The vengeance drama started with Ex-Minister Balakrisha Pillai I guess. Not that he stayed in jail for a long time but it got the stone rolling.

Now we have two major leaders/ MLA in jail for murder.

Kerala high court on Monday dismissed the bail pleas of CPM Kannur district secretary P. Jayarajan and T.V. Rajesh, MLA, the 39th and 38th accused in the Shukoor murder case.

Subsequently, Rajesh surrendered before the Kannur judicial first class magistrate court.

Justice S.S. Satheesachandran, dismissing the applications, observed that the violence that followed the arrest of Jayarajan was indicative of the need for protection of the interests of the society, and hence the petitioner, at a stage when the investigation was in progress, was not entitled to get bail.

Not sure how long they shall stay inside the jail though. And if and ever the next party comes to power I am sure we shall see a few from the Congress too inside the jail. There are enough corruption, looting and murder cases to be unearthed. All these years it used to be, "I scratch your back, you scratch mine" policy by both the parties and the voters just stood by like donkeys. But I think for corruption cases the judiciary should make sure that at least a part of the money is recovered from the concerned fraudsters and if they are convicted, their MLA/MP rights should be scrapped. This will ensure that the tax payers shall not pay a paisa more to these looters in the way of pension etc.

It is indeed fun time for the voters.

Why should the politicians have all the fun; let the voters too have a bit of it!

Edited to add:

 A vigilance enquiry has been ordered against Minister KM Mani and Chief Whip PC George. 
http://mangalam.com/index.php?page=detail&nid=596030&lang=malayalam


Source:

http://www.deccanchronicle.com/channels/cities/kozhikode/rajesh-held-no-bail-jayarajan-120

6 Recommended Obsessions for a Better Life

Copied from the following blog:

http://meanttobehappy.com/6-obsessions-that-will-make-you-a-better-person-in-2012/

6 Recommended Obsessions for a Better Life

1. Be Obsessed with your Family

Those who obsess over their families are those who uncontrollably and unconditionally love them. They spend lots of time together, play together, laugh together and bond with each other.
They also develop strange little practices like regular date nights and family nights. They prioritize family time high on their to-do lists. They care about how they’re doing as dads and moms and husbands and wives and make regular adjustments to improve.

But Beware the Counterfeit

Jealousy is not love or devotion. It is a fraudulent emotional replica of love. It is insecurity, plain and simple. It’s an emotional infection that can spread and corrupt the organism of relationship, marriage and family.
Root it out, cure it, disinfect the emotional wound before it destroys the real love that still exists. Obsession with family really has no relationship to jealousy. Jealousy is self-obsession, a form of self-absorption, a selfishness that lashes out when threatened. The family suffers at the hand of that emotional disease.

2. Be Obsessed with your Values

Do you have a clear set of values? Do you live your life by them? Do they influence your choices as a reflection of how you choose to live? Or are they things that sit on a shelf you pick up and put down at will?
Those who are obsessed with their values are willing to sacrifice much to maintain them –this sometimes includes their “lives, fortunes and sacred honor.” They yearn to live by their values and exercise integrity to them.
They are very clear about what matters most to them and can articulate their values very clearly when asked to. They seldom, if ever, compromise on their moral standards and hold them as near and dear to their hearts. An obsession with your values is a way to live more perfectly by them.

But Beware the Counterfeit

It is wonderful to passionately advocate a set of beliefs. I do that here. But never allow yourself to even dream of imposing them on others. If your values have led you to degrade or belittle or hurt or threaten others for holding a different set than yours, you have devalued the quality of what you believe. Pull back far away from that ledge!

3. Be Obsessed with your Health

A peek in your refrigerator or behind the doors of your pantry will tell a pretty accurate story of your obsession (or a lack thereof) with health. Those obsessed with improving their health reflect that obsession in the food they choose to bring into their homes.
For those obsessed with health, flavor ceases to be the primary goal when creating a meal. They care deeply about the long-term impact of what they put in their mouths and make a part of their cellular structure.
They believe in the literalness of the truism that we are, in fact, what we eat. They make exercise an integral part of their life experience as well. As a matter of fact, they have a comprehensive approach to living healthy.
They care how they feel and how they live and how long they’ll be around to pursue their life’s work. Quality and longevity of life are important to them.
At its highest form, an obsession with health is an altruistic obsession. It cares more for loved ones and their happiness than any particular flavor you put in your mouth or a preference for sitting around the house with a bag of potato chips in hand.

But Beware the Counterfeit

An obsession with appearance or weight or body fat or build is an unhealthy obsession and should be avoided at all costs. I am advocating a mild obsession with HEALTH. And anorexia and bulimia are certainly NOT healthy.
A preoccupation with the mirror or the scale is not what I’m talking about either. Nose jobs and other cosmetic surgical procedures are largely the result of a devotion to the wrong kind of obsession.

4. Be Obsessed with Learning

Don’t let a day go by that you don’t learn something new. Be obsessed with developing your intellect and ability to use your God-given mind closer to its full potential.
Some people claim they’re just not readers. But that is such a cop-out. The world’s great ideas are not floating through the atmosphere waiting to be plucked out of the sky. They are recorded in books, waiting to be absorbed into fertile minds. And ideas matter. They alter courses and change civilizations.
So read and study, whether or not you like reading or studying. Stimulate your mind and creativity, challenge yourself, tackle difficult subjects, build your vocabulary, your ability to communicate the growing knowledge you obsessively acquire.
Develop a passion for knowing, for discovering. Yearn to learn and understand. Create a passionate love affair with the words “why” and “how” and “why not?” and “what if.” Turn off the reality shows and watch the Learning channel or something equivalent to it. Feed the hunger of your mind. Listen to books on tape, listen to talk programs in the car.
Those obsessed with learning are passionate about learning from their own mistakes and from others mistakes as well. They welcome challenges as a way to discover new insight and meaning about themselves or life or humanity.

But Beware the Counterfeit

It is important to employ wisdom in your pursuit of knowledge. To pursue knowledge and its application without the moderating voice of wisdom is to walk blindly through a minefield. Eventually someone is going to get blown up!

5. Be Obsessed with Making a Difference

Do you yearn to leave an impact on world (or your community)? Do you ache to leave the world a better place than when you found it? Do you look for ways to add meaning and value to people’s lives, to reach out and touch someone, to lift the downtrodden? If so, you may be suffering from this obsession. My recommendation? Give in to it!
Those obsessed with making a difference are not satisfied in a cubicle. They can’t add numbers in columns for hours on end or shuffle papers or attend mindless meeting after mindless meeting.
They may do those things as part of a larger mission, but they can’t simply bring home a paycheck without something deeply moving about the work they do, the difference they make.
They have to touch lives, inspire something more in those who are living under their potentials. They almost instinctively lift and build and encourage and motivate and teach and elevate and reach and comfort and love others.
Their hearts beat differently than most. They thump to the tune of other hearts. They dream of being able to reach more people, impact more people and inspire change and growth in more people. Is this your obsession?

But Beware the Counterfeit

There are, however, some who care only for others. They are the martyrs and victims, the ones who wonder why no one cares for them like they care for others. They pity themselves for always serving and never being served.
And so they resent the service they give even while giving it. And they miss the point of service altogether, receiving few, if any, of its benefits.

6. Be Obsessed with Balance

Obsessions are intense things. They are focused like a laser beam on the object of the obsession.
As such, they can easily take control and throw our lives out of whack. But with an underlying obsession with balance, other obsessions don’t overtake the rest of life. There is equanimity, a sort of life equilibrium.
Obsessive compulsions are moderated so that an obsession to ones work is prevented from pushing family and friends to the back of life’s bus.
An obsession with balance can tame success in any given area of life, it’s true. But it is the only way to achieve the highest kind of success … the success of a life lived well.

But Beware the Counterfeit

The only counterfeit to balance is thinking all things must be perfectly balanced at all times. When you’re working on your Masters Thesis, you will be off balance for a time. You should be or you’ll do a sub par job or never even finish it.
When a project is due, it’s okay to come home late from work every day for a week or two. On family vacation, you will neglect your work and indulge your family.
But never use the need for balance as the excuse for never working hard enough in an area of life to ever become particularly good at anything.

Afterthoughts

Successful living is living with passion. It is being obsessed with living the right kind of life in the right way. It is an obsession with making the most out of the life you were given.
An obsession with life is an obsession with living it to its fullest, loving it even for all its dirty messiness.

Wear Jeans and...

Wear jeans and face acid is the latest from the Indian moral police. Until now this particular group was unheard of, but now they earned their moment of fame and maybe a foot in politics.

Posters put by an outfit in the Jharkhand capital have threatened acid attacks on girls and women who wear jeans or do not wear a dupatta. The police said it could be a case of mischief.
The handwritten posters, put up by Jharkhand Mukti Sangh at several points in the city, including St. Xavier's College and Albert Ekka roundabout, read: "From 20/8/2012 (Aug 20), jeans have been banned for girls. Any girl will be found wearing jeans and moving without dupatta will be attacked with acid."
The poster also warns against displacing people for industrialisation. "Companies involved in land acquisition will be attacked," it said.
"We have heard about about this outfit for the first time. This can be a case of mischief. We are trying to trace the people involved," a police officer told IANS.

Read more at: http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/ranchi-posters-warn-women-of-acid-attack-for-wearing-jeans/1/212134.html

Else, who are they kidding?

A county which gave Kamasutra to the masses (the universe?) and which is still up in the charts among the downloads cannot feign innocence.

Can this country suddenly wear a purdah?

Or let us talk about the population explosion. How did that come by? From test tubes?

Or let us talk about the latest hit, Sunny Leon? 

With the Four of Pentacles, Jism 2 will recover its’ money at the box office and will have a stable showing. It will certainly receive its’ rewards. The chemistry of the film will be enjoyed and will find audiences curious to see the film. The female quotient, as shown in the Queen of Cups & Wands shows that Sunny Leone will be the obvious pull, whereas the lack of strong male tarot cards explains that the male actors – Randeep Hooda and Arunoday Singh may go unnoticed.

Sunny, a strong business woman will look to expand her career beyond acting. She will find production an enticing opportunity, and with the Sun showing up, she will definitely receive success in this endeavour of hers. These successes won’t come without the strains represented by the Three of Swords, but with the strong Four of Wands foundations that she will lay, it will be hard for her to not do well.

Overall, Sunny will achieve well in India – especially in 2013.

It’s a male voyeurs delight. Ignore the hackneyed story and substandard acting!

Jism 2 is the story of Izna (Sunny Leone), a porn star who is hired by intelligence agency officers Ayaan (Arunoday Singh) and his boss (Arif Zakaria) to enter Kabir Wilson’s (Randeep Hooda) life.  Incidentally, Kabir, a rogue cop, also happens to be Izna’s ex-flame who walked out on her five years ago without a word. Izna agrees to help, but has her own agenda too. Ayaan and Izna pose as a couple and move into the house opposite Kabir’s. They are in search for some crucial data that’s stored in Kabir’s laptop. The hunt for the information, Izna’s dilemma over her first love and a few erotic sequences form the rest of the story.

Where else but in India can such miracles happen?

Stop fooling!

Source:

http://www.bollywoodlife.com/news-gossip/will-sunny-leone-be-successful-in-her-bollywood-career/
http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/ranchi-posters-warn-women-of-acid-attack-for-wearing-jeans/1/212134.html
http://www.bollywoodlife.com/news-gossip/jism-2-movie-review-sunny-leone-is-paisa-vasool/ 
http://www.deccanherald.com/photo.php?id=5957

Eat happily or warily?

It was the season of food poisoning for the media. It is always thus. One incident is enough to start a chain of events and then there will be nothing more. Everything shall continue the same way.

It started with the death of a person who ate Shawarma. This must be the first such incident in the world. Later one got to read daily reports of food poisoning and raids. Many hotels were closed down and many stayed closed in fear of raids!

But I do think that many hotels are taking their customers for granted. Maybe they are getting enough revenue from those who seek their daily spirit.

Recently we went to a hotel in Tiruvella for dinner. We had finished shopping from a new outlet and since Hubby needed to get his pants altered, we chose the nearest hotel. It is one of the oldest in the town. We glanced through the glossy menu and saw many delectable names. With much anticipation we placed our order with the head waiter. This is when he suggested that we order just chappathi and chicken curry if we want to get our order fast. Although our original order was not that great, he told us that it will take more than 30 minutes. Since we were all hungry we decided to take his advise. Thus started our wait for the food to arrive. 10 minutes, 30 minutes and 40 minutes passed. Hubby decided to collect his pants in the mean time. Later the food arrived and we wanted more chapathis. It was after considerable time that it arrived. Later when Hubby arrived we found that we might need more chapathis. This is when the waiter told us thus: " Did I not give you 2 just now? Even when it was meant for other guests I gave it to you! ". Hunger can lead to many emotions and I don't blame Hubby when he lost his temper. He was just about to dig into his food when he hears such 'encouraging' words. In Malayalam they say " Paysa koduthe kadikkunna pattiye vanghichathupole ayi" or we paid for a biting dog. Here we are spending money to have some food but we are scolded for stating our needs. He gave it to the waiter and the head waiter comes with explanation that there are many functions going on and hence they are busy. In reply Hubby told him that in this case they should just close the restaurant and not open it for business. By then he had lost his appetite and went to find the manager. The manager nodded his head and said sorry. Anyway that was the last visit to this hotel.

It was this same experience we got in Bangalore. We had a booked one called " Ivory Inn" through the net. I had called them and asked them if it was near to MG Road etc. and I was told it is very near. But it is only when we saw the rooms that we found that we had been cheated. Since it was late at night we couldn't find another. This place was also far away from main Bangalore. We shifted from there the next day itself. We had found this place from Trip Advisor but next time we shall be very careful.

It is time the hotels made an effort to keep customer service their prime objective. With customer service should come cleanliness and quality. After all we are paying for it and if you lose customers who shall pay for your livelihood?
 
Thought  I shall add how things are done out here. It is mandatory that sandwich / shawarma shops operate in full view of the customer. This way they are forced to keep things clean. They normally have an open room where one can see everything being done. Municipality also checks frequently and those who violate rules are sealed. Our government too needs to operate thus. A dream?

Moral Police

"Home stay parties mislead young girls."

BANGALORE: If the girls brutalized by moral vigilantes in Mangalore last week were looking for any womanly understanding from the Karnataka State Women's Commission, they were in for a big disappointment.

I

If we have such woman at the helm of Women's Commissions then it is better the girls in Magalore wear a purdah each time they venture out. 

SHIMOGA: C. Manjula an advocate and member of the Bharatiya Janata Party's Women's Morcha has been appointed Chairperson of the Karnataka State Women's Commission.
She succeeds Prameela Nesargi who resigned from her post recently.

Ms. Manjula, who hails from Bhadravati, is a students' activist right from her college days when she served the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) in various capacities. She is nominated as the member of the Syndicate of the Kuvempu University.

I watched the video where these young men were clawing at the girls and hitting the boys.

 If they so love their women folks will they ever treat the girls thus?

 Is it because they are missing all the fun?

Those boys did not appear to be helping any girl, instead they seem to be having good fun molesting those girls. Not sure how the parents of those girls stood watching them be dragged and hit by total strangers. Guess it is time these girls took some karate classes too.

I also suggest these young men be first send to KSA and then to USA. Let them taste both kind of freedom and then learn to appreciate their own country better.

Source: 

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Mangalore-attack-Girls-should-skip-parties-Karnataka-womens-panel-boss-says/articleshow/15320099.cms
http://www.hindu.com/2011/01/09/stories/2011010959400300.htm

Where are you my dear lady?

Where art thou ?

Why have you abandoned us?

As usual the dates were fixed for June 1st but you did not grace us with your presence?

At times we might have cribbed when you unleashed your full power but please dont treat them seriously. You should know that we cannot be without you. There are some of us who make annual trips just to see you, to touch you.We carry precious memories of your visits and nothing can compare to you.

Yes it is the monsoon that I am talking about. Normally by the end of June the rivers would be full and so would the dams. But this year monsoon seems to have abandoned Kerala. If she does not make an appearance Kerala is doomed! Without power and water, what shall it's residents do? Even those standing in queue for their daily spirit would need a bit of water :)

Every year when we go for vacation we watch the river slowly rising. Although monsoon can be a bit irritating  Keralites know that without it, the state would die a slow death.

It is time for prayers!

Another trip to cherish..

We did a lot of travelling this vacation and saw new places in Kerala. I have not travelled much through North Kerala but this time we could touch upon Mahe, Talacherry etc. The roads are good but not the drivers, specially the bus drivers. They just come barging upon you and force you to leave the road even if there is enough room for them. Hubby being accustomed to the Gulf roads got really irritated. But they have nothing to lose hence one need a lot of patience.

Mahe was good to have a tank full of petrol since the price was much less compared to other places but this was offset by the petrol price in B’lore. I think the highest in India?

The road towards Madikeri for a stretch of 25 km was very bad and we were happy to reach our destination. We were booked at Club Mahindra and I enjoyed the ambience. We did not do much of sightseeing but we drove quite a bit to reach the Coffee board and another nursery. We were lucky to get a few coffee & orange saplings and a few rose plants too. Coffee does grow in our area and we wanted to try the Coorg coffee since Coorg is famous for it . Another notable factor is the Coorg girls. They are very good to look at :) 

 

The bit I enjoyed the most at Coorg was waking up in the morning and sipping a hot cup of coffee from the verandah which faced a jungle of sorts. With only trees and bushes and with a climate to soothe you, it was heaven on earth. We did not want to budge out much and the children had their share of activities.

Our next stop was Blore but we also managed to see the largest Tibetan settlement at Bylakuppe in Coorg District, near Kushalnagar.

Read more: http://www.itslife.in/travel/namdroling-monastery#ixzz225ZaAo1i

It was bustling with monks who obliged us with a few snaps too.

A Kannadian fare that we enjoyed..

 

We reached Bangalore around 7 PM, but Bangalore disappointed us terribly. It used to be an elegant city once upon a time and I have some good memories too. But it has lost all its charm and we just wanted to get out of it. The hotel we booked online was also  disappointing and to find this place we hired an auto guy to show the way. It took more than 2 hours through heavy traffic and road blocks. Too many vehicles, construction and nasty drivers have made this city a nightmare for drivers. Bangalore is also facing water woes and as per my cousin the bore well that they dug to 200 feet was later dug to 800 to yield no water. Many are selling water and thus a tank load of water costs 500 IRS. This is being shared by residents. She has to take turns in using this. My aunty stays at a place where there is no water shortage but she fears that the situation might change in the future. Guess it wouldn’t be wrong if one says that B’lore is similar to how Mumbai was a decade or more earlier. Things are expensive too. I found that a curtain that we purchased from Cochin was 100 IRS more in one of the malls.

Guess after the hectic construction work is over B’lore may change. We did not want to venture out much except to visit relations and for this we hired a taxi from the hotel. We did manage to visit the Bannerghatta National Park. A trip that we enjoyed.  The tourists are well protected now. I remember the incident where a girl was snatched away from her father in this same park.

http://www.karnataka.com/bangalore/bannerghata/

Later we shifted from the silly place that we had hired online and took a one closer to the Mysore road..yea we wanted to get out ASAP. 

Our next stop was at Wonderla and it offered the same pleasure as the one in Cochin. Well maintained. We had one more family friend with us who wanted to stop for a day at Mysore but we wanted to reach home and hence left Wonderla at around 3 PM. We wanted to cross the wild life sanctuaries before dark but is was not so. It was solemn faces that viewed the road for elephants, tigers etc. On our previous trip if we had prayed for a sight of wild animals, this time we all prayed fervently to get us out of the park before the animals ventured out.  Though Hubby was forbidden by his mother to drive at night we refrained from telling her and decided not to halt anywhere. The new road from Trichur to Cochin was superb and it took us only 30 minutes. Since there was a traffic block at Nadukani where we lost 1 hour and later another hour at Patambi since we lost our way, we managed to reach home at around 4 AM.  We realized that we were going in circles when we passed the same broken down truck twice! There were no proper sign boards unlike the road to Calicut.

We also found time to spend at Thekkady when temperature started rising in the plains. Thekkady has changed much since 3 years. Earlier one had only Spice Village (expensive) and Ambady for your food but now the whole lake road is dotted with restaurants; from exclusive French restaurants to Gujarati Dhabba. New construction is also going on. Since there were no rains the mosquito menace was a bit irritating. As per the Kumali residents, it is perhaps due to their prayers that the rain is sparse this time. They still fear the Mullaperiyar dam and doesn’t want the dam to fill up! I am sure the ones across the border are now praying hard for rains. They better solve this issue fast so that the rain Gods can do their job :)

I also visited my school at Kuttikanam this time. To the embarrassment of our children I was found running around clicking photos. I asked them to wait until they reached my age! My favourite Peerumade is also changing with new projects coming up. I hear that even Amritha has plans to develop something. Wonder what? Hopefully nature shall be preserved?

Poof! Gone!

Poof!

Poverty is gone!

Yes.. for a second even I was transported to  a vision of a nation rid of poverty, but my Hubby's quip brought me right back to solid ground.

When he held one of the premium position in this country, with the finance ministry under him and  if he could no nothing, what is he dreaming to do now? Has he not taken the oath for the only position which gives him zero power?

What lofty words!

For real development to be achieved, “the poorest of our land must feel that they are part of the narrative of rising India,” Pranab Mukherjee said to a burst of clapping, shortly after he was sworn in as the 13th President on Wednesday in the historic Central Hall of Parliament.

As he expanded on the theme of eliminating poverty, it did not go unnoticed among the gaggle of Ministers, Governors, Chief Ministers and MPs who packed Central Hall that Mr. Mukherjee, dressed in a black achkan and white churidar, took a gentle swipe at the economic reformers whom he left behind in the government that he was part of till recently: “Trickle-down theories do not address the legitimate aspirations of the poor,” he stressed. 

Some of our past president have left a mark, specially Abdul Kalam. At least he was an inspiration to our youth. Pratiba Patil showed the nation how a president and the entire coterie could go globe trotting at the expense of the nation. And now here comes Pranab with a gene in the lamp that will soon eradicate poverty! This comes at a time when the rains have failed in almost all states and there is severe drought looming ahead. In Kerala, this is the first year that I remember when the rains have failed. One can only pray that it is only delayed. Anyway, dear President continue dreaming. Some of us hoped you would stick around and maybe become the PM. But you were skillfully maneuvered out of the way for the young prince.

While the nation suffers you shall be dreaming inside the S600L 'Pullman' luxury saloon ($1.4 million base price) !

Does it have a special lever to eradicate poverty too? 

Like the famously luxurious and spacious open-plan Pullman railway coaches after which it is named, the Mercedes-Benz S600 Pullman Guard treats its occupants to a travelling environment characterised by generous accommodation and the highest comfort. The vehicle owes its remarkably spacious interior to its 4315‑millimetre wheelbase, which is 115 centimetres longer than that of the long version of the special-protection S-Class. Indeed, with an overall length of 6356 millimetres, the Mercedes-Benz S600 Pullman Guard is a vehicle of truly majestic proportions which offers its passengers not only a maximum of comfort, but also a superbly appointed setting for discreet meetings, equipped, of course, with all the key communications and entertainment systems. This ensures that the occupants remain fully in touch while enjoying the luxury and comfort of their own, special environment.

With exotic wood trim and high-grade leather, the interior of the Mercedes-Benz S600 Pullman Guard shows stylish elegance and perfect finish in every detail. The standard individual rear seats in a V12 design ensure outstanding seating comfort. They are equipped with massage, multicontour and ventilation functions. Another example of the luxurious appointments is the thermostat-controlled refrigerated compartment in the console between the rear seats, which is included as standard.

God help our nation!

There is no change..

We are laying  interlock tiles around the house and since the material is being delivered from the factory directly it their own workers who are unloading the same. They include, Bengali's, Tamilians and there is one from Delhi too. He is in Kerala since 4 years and also got married to a Malayali girl. Anyway the owner told us in advance that as long as the union workers dont interfere his workers will unload free of cost. But yesterday the workers somehow came to know about a truck load and came in a bunch and demanded that they be hired for the work. No reasoning would suffice them and in the end we had to allow them to unload. This took much more time than normal.

I thought this menace was under control in Kerala but it looks as though it isn't. We did not want to antagonise them and invite trouble.

We hope to travel to Coorg and B'lore after a couple of days.

Yesterday for the first time I had a new kind of Rasam; made out of the illimban puli. I dont know the English equivalent for the same. But the rasam was very tasty.

Let me jot down the recipe before I forget it.

1. 2 Tbsp of Chilly Powder
2.  1 tspn of Fenugreek Powder
3.  1 tspn of turmeric powder
4. A pinch of Asofetida

Mix the above in 3 glasses of water along with the chopped Puli. Heat it until it just begins to boil. Remove from fire and splutter mustard seeds, brown small onions and curry leaves in Coconut oil.

Tasty rasam is ready for rice.

It is good

The much awaited monsoon is here and it is getting cooler as the days go by. When we landed the climate felt no different from kuwait. But now the nights are cooler.

We have a new member in our family. Jim- he is only 2 months old but very adorable. He is a labrador. Here is a cute picture of him. Hope none puts eyes on him :).  He is already on antibiotics due to change in food. He now travels with us wherever we go and behaves very well when out in the public.

This time I have help around the house. She is very efficient and her appearance has further enhanced my vacation. She has 2 children, a girl and boy but her husband left her and hence she is a single mother. They were in Bombay and during her second delivery he left with the lady who had come to cook for him, while she was in Kerala. She now stays with her parents who are getting old. Her children are now studying in the government school and she says the school is good. Yesterday she went for the PTA and met some good teachers. The uniform and school bag is provided free of cost and they also have lunch; rice gruel with a lentil dish. When the student reaches 7th standard, they will be provided with a bicycle too. Felt very happy hearing this. This arrangement eases much burden off her and she is much hopeful for her two children. The school recently shifted to English medium. I do not know if every other school is similar or if it is because of the teachers who are teaching in this school. And I also wonder how the situation is in the rest of the country.

Kokum

The monsoon is not in full swing yet and hence the kokum fruits have some time under the sun. 


The tree.

The fruit

The final seasoning or smoking

Kokum

The kokum is the main ingredient for the famous red fish curry which is unique to central Kerala.

The recipe....

1. Fish – 1/2 kg, cut into medium size pieces
2. Mustard seeds – 1 tsp
   Fenugreek (uluva) – 1/4 tsp
   Ginger & garlic – 1 1/2 tbsp, crushed into a fine paste
   Small onion – 6-8
3. Kashmiri chili powder – 1 1/2 – 2 tbsp
   Coriander powder – 1 1/2 – 2 tbsp
   Turmeric powder – 1/2 tsp
4. Cocum/kudampuli – 2,3 pieces
5. Curry leaves
   Salt
   Coconut oil

Soak cocum in 3 tbsp water for 10 minutes.Mix the powders (chili,coriander & turmeric) together with coconut oil/water & make a paste. Heat oil in a meenchatti (earthen ware) or a pan & splutter mustard & fenugreek. Add crushed ginger garlic paste & stir for 3,4 minutes. Add small onion & curry leaves & saute till it becomes soft. Add the masala paste & fry till oil starts appearing. Add cocum along with the water & fish pieces. Combine well. Make sure that fish pieces do not get broken in the process, it will be safer to rotate the pan to ensure that fish & masala is mixed well. Add required amount of water & cook till the fish is done & gravy becomes thick, it will take around 20 -25 minutes on low flame. Serve with rice or kappa , dosai or even your good old bread!

http://www.mariasmenu.com/spicy/meen-vevichathu-fish-currykottayam-style

Time to rejuvenate

Yes... it is that time of the year for rejuvenation or vacation.

We shall soon be boarding the plane and this time we have some plans to travel a bit. Last time we were tied up at home and could not move around much.

Out here the temperature is rising and we are also having frequent sandstorms. The monsoon will be a welcome change after all this. I hear the rains have started in a small way.

I started to value the beauty of the places I grew up more, after I left home for my studies. Was able to visit home only during study leaves and long holidays. By then Father was transferred to Coonoor, another beautiful place on earth. This estate was in the Kotagiri district. If one walks a bit one could see the old roads that led to Ooty. We have made many long treks through this place and almost reached this old road that wound up through the Nilgiri mountains.

I remember how I used to drink in the beauty of the place during my return trip. The drive from our place of stay to Coonoor was long and had tea gardens, a bit of forest and small towns in between. I never took off my eyes from outside since I feared each trip would be my last since Father was nearing retirement. I also used to thank God for giving me such happiness but at the same time I never dreamt I would have to travel far away to a desert. But that is how life is.. very unpredictable indeed.

So if net and time permits, I shall be posting; else please do not abandon my blog, but do wait until I get back.

Voted to kill

Licensed to kill is associated with James Bond and we saw him kill the bad guys and gals. Now if one wants to see those voted to kill then please come to God's Own Country aka Kerala.

Just today we heard one of the communist chota leader from Peerumade tell us that the great party has killed and will kill again if needed. And to imagine that these goons were voted to power by the common man. Are the police listening? Cant they arrest this man and charge him for the murders he is publicly owning in the name of the party? Are we in a Banana Republic?

Voted to power to uplift the voters but now they say that they were voted to even kill. I do not think that it is only the communist party who has indulged in this act but the others too. But it is only the communist party who has blatantly challenged democracy by saying that they have killed and will continue to kill.

If they can retain power only by killing then they have lost all credibility. VS is right to ask the criminals to step down from power.

Voters, are you listening? They are obviously not listening since they have gathered like donkeys today at the court premises. There is a leader shouting loud that the party has not killed while his chota leader has already declared that the party has killed and will kill.

As they say, you get what you deserve.

Feminism

What is feminism?

Feminism is a collection of movements aimed at defining, establishing, and defending equal political, economic, and social rights for women.[1][2] In addition, feminism seeks to establish equal opportunities for women in education and employment. A feminist is a "person whose beliefs and behavior are based on feminism."[3]

Am I a feminist? Guess I am one when I fight for my own equal rights.

But sometimes I find feminists making fatal mistakes. For instance in Kerala a hair oil company is bringing out a few advertisements in favor of women and the issues they face specially in Kerala. One such is the eve teasing and harassment that occur in buses and trains. This is depicted by a woman standing amongst others with her hair let loose. But somehow instead of a feeling of empathy it only generated pity. I am not sure if it is because of the forceful way this lady delivered the dialogue or the dialogue itself. It puts off the viewers and specially men who are supposed to be the target. A woman is harassed irrespective of her hair. It is ridiculous to think that eve teasers or perverse men target only women with long hair!

There is one more about an abusive husband coming home drunk to beat the hell out of his wife. This too just does not capture the empathy of the audience. I guess a woman needs to be a woman and only then she will succeed in her attempt. She needs to find strength in her feminism. It is this same feeling that I got while reading an article that appeared on Kafila regarding the first episode that appeared on Satyameva Jayate. Amir Khan is only making an attempt and it needs to be appreciated. The whole nation is now forced to confront these issues. While Shohini Ghosh has a point, I believe that a true feminist can overcome any situation when she starts loving herself and those of her kind. An abortion becomes a very hard decision once a woman becomes a mother. How much ever one talks about a woman’s right on her body and her right to abortion, it always works against her since she is going against her own feminism. She cannot escape from the basic qualities that make her feminine. If not, even men would have been given the privilege to conceive.

Now a women opting for abortion would have many reasons. A medical situation where the mother is in danger, because of a rape and if the mother don’t want to have the baby or because if a mother feels that she cannot cope with another baby. The reasons can go on and in each instance the cause is always external. In some case it is under her control while in some like the medical case, she is not. But citing this will cause a dent to the fight against female feticide. It is a risk that women need to take in order to ensure that her kind shall survive.

If a girl child is not allowed to live then what is the point in talking about her right to abort? If she is not allowed to live then it is not just her right to abort but many others that were already taken away gradually. It is these rights that need to be established before talking about her right to abort. Let us talk about her right to education, her right to marry the one she loves when she want to, her right to live on her own if she wants to, her right to take decisions., her right to travel on the road or bus fearlessly. Oh, there are many more such rights. And maybe if these rights are restored she shall enjoy her feminism. She may take a different view on abortion and she will NEVER let another girl child die in her womb.

MTP is allowed in India and that need not interfere with the laws that shall be enacted against female feticide. This country needs to love their women better. She needs to be given the strength to bring forth others like her. If none is going to help her in this process then this strength needs to come from within. This is the time to act. This country needs to love the daughters just like the son. Let her not be equated with weakness but with strength. Let her not be treated like a commodity that needs to be protected until she is given away with a price. Her feminism is enough for her to survive and it is this inner strength that she needs to tap into.

http://kafila.org/2012/05/09/dil-se-nahin-dimaag-se-dekho-thoughts-on-satyamev-jayate-episode-1-shohini-ghosh/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pSjESt5A74E&feature=related


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1myhgD0nqTU&feature=relmfu
 

Childhood favourites

After many long years today I listened to a few songs of one of my favourite singer: Kris Kristofferson. Dont know how I forgot him for so long. He was one amongst my elder brother's collection of singers. I think the old tape recorder and the tapes might still be lying around at my parent's place.

I still remember the excitement when our Father brought home the Panasonic taper ecorder. A silver colored one which some gulfwalla had brought to Kerala. Until then like most household one had to depend on the good old radio for songs. Later collection of cassettes became a worthwhile task. It was mostly decided by my brother. Thus I got to listen to Kris Kristoffersen, Dire Straits, Jim Reeves and many others. Even my study break of my Pre-degree days were made sound proof by these songs!  The sound of the song shut off all other external sounds and I found that I could concentrate better on the subject.  And I did get marks too so it is an experiment that did not fail. In fact I have a cousin brother who could study only if listens to songs!

The following song brings home sweet memories of childhood and the lovely place that I grew up.

Kristoffer Kristian "Kris" Kristofferson (born June 22, 1936) is an American musician, actor, and writer. He is known for such hits as "Me and Bobby McGee", "For the Good Times", "Sunday Mornin' Comin' Down", and "Help Me Make It Through the Night". Kristofferson is the sole writer of most of his songs, and he has collaborated with various other figures of the Nashville scene such as Shel Silverstein.[1]

Help me make it trought the night

Take the ribbon from your hair,

Shake it loose and let it fall,
Layin' soft upon my skin.
Like the shadows on the wall.

Come and lay down by my side
'till the early morning light
All I'm takin' is your time.
Help me make it through the night.

I don't care what's right or wrong,
I don't try to understand.
Let the devil take tomorrow.
Lord, tonight I need a friend.

Yesterday is dead and gone
And tomorrow's out of sight.
And it's sad to be alone.
Help me make it through the night.

I don't care what's right or wrong,
I don't try to understand.
Let the devil take tomorrow.
Lord, tonight I need a friend.

Yesterday is dead and gone
And tomorrow's out of sight.
Lord, it's bad to be alone.

Help me make it through the night
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xh1y7Jkikuk&feature=related

Dange's ghost

Those in Kerala will now be recalling Dange. The utterance of VS has shocked not only his own party but the entire state. But he has only told the truth. He has nothing to lose being close to 90 years. Does he look even 70?

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: In stinging remarks, CPI-M veteran V.S. Achuthanandan warned Saturday that his rival Pinarayi Vijayan will soon meet the fate of the once iconic Indian Communist S.A. Dange who was shown the door by the party.



Achuthanandan, a former Kerala chief minister who is now the opposition leader in the assembly, made the statement following the recent murder of former CPI-M leader T.P. Chandrasekharan, 51

After the killing, which police believe was done by CPI-M activists, Vijayan dubbed Chandrasekharan a "traitor". Achuthanandan, who was said to be close to the dead man, disputed the label.



Achuthanandan told reporters here that Vijayan's remark was not the opinion of the Communist Party of India-Marxist.


"In our party things are different. It is not like the Congress where the final word is that of the party high command.

"In our party, an opinion is arrived at after detailed ideological discussions," he said.


Chandrasekharan, a former CPI-M firebrand, was killed in Onchiyam near here Friday night. Police said he was attacked with a bomb and then murdered. His face was disfigured

The brutal killing of shocked the entire state but what shocked and was even more disgusting was the utterance of Pinarayi. His intolerance and hatred against those who left the party was very evident in the speech delivered in his usual style; with a very dead eyes. Have you watched them? If has no hand in the present killing, it needs to be recalled that it is his intolerance that led to the split.

But I blame the current government too for letting this crime happen when there was a threat to his life.

Who gave the deadly killer parole and why was he not monitored?

There are many killings. Some are done at the spur of the moment and later leads to years of regret and unhappiness. But there are others who have made killing their job and they do it with no regret. They very well know that their own fate will be no different, hence they do not care for the consequences. They live for the moment and do the killing like a machine.

The latest killing had a few witness and within 3 minutes the police were informed and even requested to block roads and such to catch the criminals. But nothing like that happened and today it is 9 days since the killing and still the police has no clue. So who really gave the order?

As for VS, he has always known the pulse of the mass. He knows that this murder has disturbed the entire state and his own party workers. If he does not offer sympathy, it would definitely be the end of the party, specially since it has put the party on defensive. As for Pinarayi, he should remember that in a democratic setup, it is the people that matters. Else he will be left with only a party office.

Who is he to decide the fate of every Keralite?

Why should the common man be bothered with party ideologies, if the party doesn’t deliver?

We are not in China to pay obeisance to the party leader and keep our mouth shut!

I hope this government acts with responsibility and brings the culprits; not just the killers but the handlers too to justice. Else it is only natural to believe that even this government has a hand behind this killing. After all, it is they who shall benefit most from it. It is they who let the killers out on parole.

There should no more be such killings in the name of the common people. There shall be more such issues but one cannot kill the messenger instead of solving the issues.

Unfortunately, we the people have made the job of the politicians very lucrative. It is so desirable that they are ready to kill anyone who opposes their dictates. This needs to stop.

One thought that the killing of the teacher in front of his school students would finally wake the conscience of the judiciary at least. But even today those behind one of the most brutal killing have not been apprehended. We robbed those students their innocence. I am sure they are scarred for life.

When one listens to media saying that even the recent killers may be killed by another set of "quotation" gang , one wonders if Kerala is the land of quotation gangs. Is there no provision in our law to put these killers behind bars forever?

Yesterday I listened to a media discussion on quotation gangs and one member of this gang was also present. The final word was from him. He said that it was the political party that nurtured him and made him to kill and he ended by saying that every party uses them.

This needs to stop!

http://expressbuzz.com/topic/pinarayi-will-meet-danges-fate-achuthanandan/391115.html
http://expressbuzz.com/topic/stormy-days-ahead-for-vs-cpm/391241.html.

I have a desire

I have a desire to see the following lady wearing jeans. Now you may ask me why. I just want her to know how comfortable one can be in Jeans. Let her wear it once and then tell us that it is an indecent attire.

Renu Phulia, HCS

Designation: A.D.C., Ambala

Office Phone: +91-171-2532900, 2530800

Residence Phone: +91-171-2552800

Mobile: +91-9215389202, +91-9416204999

Fax: +91-171-2643333

Email: adc-ambala@gmail.com

Offices can have dress codes. We have one here in Kuwait too. We are not allowed to wear a saree to work (in most offices)  and jeans are normally allowed only on Thursday; the end of the week day.  Have heard myself that saree is very revealing and hence not advisable to wear the same for work! Yes.. saree is one of them most seductive dress. It can be more revealing and clinging than the poor jeans and top. If you do not believe it, look around! Not that I have anything against the saree, I love wearing it.

I also see most Arab ladies wear the jeans mostly every day of the week. They look very neat and comfortable in it.

As if khaps of Haryana were not enough to guard the “conservative” image of the state and the skewed sex ratio did not underline the male dominance in society adequately, the Haryana Women and Child Department (WCD) has now passed a diktat to enforce “decent” office dressing for its staff.



This becomes all the more pronounced given the fact that everybody from the minister to the Financial Commissioner, the Principal Secretary and the Director, WCD, are all women.

How many of you think that wearing jeans makes one indecent?

If you are a parent or husband will you stop your daughter or wife from wearing it?


http://rvcorporation.com/demo/ambas/administrative-directory.html