Worth it?

The other day I was shopping with a friend of mine and in the third shop, we realized we got looted badly by the first shop! Then we thought of playing smarter and got into the real game of Bargaining; who said it was easy? Sometimes it was even embarrassing because I never knew the right price to ask?! How do people know what is the price to pay? I thought it automatically came to you as you grew up. Do I not qualify to be a grown-up? Because I spend according to how much I have in my account. If I have just gotten my salary, I don’t mind paying a couple of extra hundred, but if my budget is tight, I’ll even postpone the buy unless it’s essential.

Oh, quick life update, I completed my M.Tech – yey me! I experienced being unemployed and the whole process of applying to various positions, telling why I want to work there, getting rejected, giving interviews, some good, some worth remembering, teaching as a guest lecturer, and now am working as a Research Assistant in South Goa for 2 months! I’m not just working with a knowledgeable and super cool Patrao but also getting to meet interesting people, interacting with the locals, and enjoying every bit of this fieldwork-based job! I’ve been here for just two weeks, and the time is flying by, yet I’ve had so many new experiences and lived stories worth telling that I feel I’ve been here for a very long time! Is that normal ?!

I see the fisherwoman negotiating while buying the daily catch. I have seen them selling it to their customers and deciding a reasonable price, but I’m still unable to figure out how they know what’s a good price?! The whole process is quite interesting. Did you know? Not all fish though dead or alive, have the same value? In fact, some fish are not even bought. They are just chucked on the shore or thrown back into the water. Some fish belong to the elite group that gets kept away for their Patrao. He takes it home and enjoys the delicious meal. There’s chaos, but there is a very organized system, they all seem to know this very well, and everyone works accordingly. We’ve been observing this for days, yet unclear about many things. I’ll explain it in detail some time, it’s exciting and super interesting!

The other morning, we were waiting, as usual, to survey the morning catch, take measurements and weigh the species that we were interested in. Now that the locals are familiar with us and know what we are looking for, they excitedly call us when they come across it! A man handed us a fish and returned to what he was busy with – pulling the net. That was a Guitarfish. My very first Guitarfish and I was holding it in my hand. It was alive!! We took the measurements, and it was a female, still capable of growing. We didn’t weigh her hoping to release her back into the water. We took that man’s permission and let her into the water alive. She swam away with the wave. Oh! What joy it was to watch her glide in glee!!

We found 2 more of these in the same net. One was a mature male, and the other an adult female. Guitarfish is not preferred by everyone, it has little economic value here, but some enjoy this meat. A man claimed the male Guitarfish and took it home in his bag with a huge crab – he seemed to know the worth of the hard work he put in early in the morning to catch that day’s fish. We had asked them and taken measurements of both, and looking to find the owners of these fish, we figured we could buy it from them and release them alive. It wasn’t possible with the male Guitarfish fish, but we did not give up on the female. A kind fisherman had claimed the female Guitarfish, but he gave it to another lady. He saw us interested in it and told us to take it if we wanted. We bought it from the lady, paying her the price she quoted – 200 rupees. We examined some conditions, let her swim away, and hoped she would survive and give birth to young ones sometime in the future. So, was that life worth just 200 rupees?

With my first ever Guitarfish!

Let me give you a little context: Guitarfish are also called Shovelnose rays, belonging to the Glaucostegidae family of rays. They’re known to be a part of this creation for millions of years and are somewhat in between the sharks and rays. They swim like sharks but breathe like rays and eat crabs and other crustaceans. They glide on the sand, sometimes bury themselves and camouflage to ambush their prey. Not much is known about them, but they have many different local names in these coastal regions. They come to the shallow waters and swim away with the waves. They are critically endangered, the most threatened Marine species. An almost extinct species might be worth much more in the ecosystem, don’t you think?

Now that is making me wonder, what’s the trend? The other day there was a massive catch of fresh Bangudey (mackerel). Because the yield was more, the price came down. Sharks are generally sold at very good rates. If the shark numbers in the sea become less and the catch declines, would the rates increase, making more people catch sharks and their numbers go even lower? Is it really worth it?

What is the price to pay?

It’s a spiral. Let’s not go there now.

It’s nice to see juvenile sharks being released back into the water alive, it’s nice to see Guitarfish swim away, and that gives me hope. I don’t think there can be conservation without protecting the livelihood of locals. I guess we’ve to find a way that works for the fish and people who fish!

But Avanthika, where did the question of this worth come from? I came across a promotional email from a job listing website, it read, ‘Should you be earning more, know your worth, Avanthika’. I chuckled as I looked outside the window of my temporary home in beautiful Canacona. How can I put a price on the meaningful interactions I’m having with interesting people? The life lessons I’m learning through cooking and living? The refreshing scooter rides through scenic roads? The beautiful everyday experiences?! Money is important. You need it to lead a comfortable life. But I don’t think it is the only important thing! Don’t get me wrong, I am being given a good salary, but I’m getting much more than that, and I just cannot believe I’m worthy of all this. Haha, who decides one’s worth anyway?

I hope this was worth your time.

Until next time, don’t worry about your worth, honey, it’s not really worthwhile to worry!

A letter to my ocean!

Dear Ocean,

I have always thought of all this but never written it as a letter to you; I know you know how I feel about you, but unless it’s on paper, it ain’t official, so here’s my little attempt!

Thank you! Thank you for existing; if not for you, we wouldn’t have this beautiful blue planet to call home; who am I kidding? We are because you are!
Don’t you find it funny? You’ve watched and helped me grow – from when I could barely comprehend the vastness of you to the present day, where I wish and hope to make everyone feel like they are a part of you; my obsession with you is now socially accepted as ‘Passion’, I am even trying to cross oceans, visit coastal lands, talk to the children of the sea and of course, make a career out of studying you and your resources! With you, life comes one full circle.

Working up my hunger for the Brunch at Goa!

I don’t remember the first time we met, but I remember many moments where having you was simply the best! Remember? As a kid, I would build sand tunnels and castles and even get buried under the sand on your shore, play catching games with my friends, and jump at every wave that came my way; I would sit and watch the setting sun with my Akka and wait for my parents who would go walking along your shore. When I was old enough to visit you alone, I would simply sit on the coast, watch your waves and look at the different people. When I started my professional studies, visiting you helped me process what was going on. Do you remember? One morning I came with my five other hostel friends, it was a very special moment for us because it was almost a goodbye for the gang! Oh! Do you remember those night beach visits where all of us organizing a college fest would sit in peace and forget about everything just by listening to your waves? The other night on the Gokarna beach, where we stayed in tents and gazed at the sky in the middle of the night? Speaking of spending the night, the celebration of my sister passing her CA exam was also done by spending a night on your shore. The beach races with my Annu attempts to catch crabs, making fishermen friends on my own, watching the setting sun while talking about life with my Amma, and many more! Don’t want to go on a nostalgic ride now because there are so many significant events in my little life that you’ve witnessed.

A morning with a fisherman in my Mangaluru

How are you so noisy yet so peaceful? How are you so restless yet so still? How are you so damn huge but still hold your essence in every drop? You have the power to destroy everything in minutes, yet you are the embodiment of love. I am glad I feel connected to you in my own way, and I promise to always respect and take care of this strong bond we share.

It took me 22 years to realize I wanted to study you and the life you host, but I’ve learned so much from you. The little things I know about you greatly inspire me, and I aspire to have the same vibe that you do! I am truly fortunate I got to glance at the underwater world, Maanhh!! It is a beauty I can not describe in words. Many people scuba dive for different reasons; for some, it is an escape for others, a chance to explore. Me? I see it as a way of getting to know you better, and I will always have those feelings to remind me how awesome it is to live! Don’t get me wrong; I have seen and learned from you that death is also a part of the cycle and a totally normal – natural phenomenon. I come to you with a sense of belonging, and I surrender.

From my First Ocean Dive!!
with The Under Water Monk at Netrani Island in Murudeshwar

Sea, there is no competition when it comes to listening; you are the champion. But I wish we humans learned the art and patience to listen to you and what you’ve to say; maybe then we wouldn’t have to sign pacts and make policies to protect you, the very base for all things living! But another thing that I’ve also learned from you is hope and perseverance. So, I continue doing my bit with a hope of a better tomorrow for you and the life you hold!

Alright, I know you’re busy, but please get us that rain already! This World Ocean Day, I wanted to tell you all of this and some things more.
I asked a few people what it is that they like about you.
One said it was your infiniteness. One said it was the sheer power you behold. Some said they earn their daily bread from you. Others said you were a source of energy. Some appreciated your beauty. Some were fans of the sunset show you play. Some built a unique relationship by catching and riding your waves on their surfboards, while others loved your company as they flew kites. Some transcended into another dimension by meditating on your sound, while others simply liked sleeping on your shore. Don’t get too cocky – some did not like the mess you create with sand grains everywhere, while quite a few were afraid of you. Some enjoyed a bit of all of this, and some didn’t like any of it.

An evening at the Karwar beach

You do know you are so many things to so many people, right? Not just people but all living and non-living things!
You make the earth habitable, manage the temperature, capture the carbon, and control the weather. Thank you for all that you do. I don’t know what I would do without you. Personally, as a general question – I am never able to pin down the one most best thing about you; you have something for everyone, you make everyone a part of you, and you are a part of everyone; it is just that we need to try a bit to realize that. You have so much space, there are so many experiences, and you’ve so many stories to tell! Just like your changing tides, people’s perception of you keeps changing. This time, I wish we humans look at you as the source of life that you truly are and take responsibility for our actions; please give us a chance to learn from our mistakes and to let you take care of yourself!

Dear Ocean, I am sorry for the pain my actions are indirectly causing you.
I love that you are simply there. Always.

Your little being,
Avanthika, from out of the blue

LRFF

“It was just another day; I was minding my business and visiting my neighbor. There was an unusual visitor, and an odd taste accompanied him. Suddenly I felt dizzy, and before I could get a sense of my surrounding, I was in an unfamiliar place with unknown creatures, as we recovered, we were shifted from one water to another finally, it stopped. I was now in an area that was big enough to hold my body but small enough not to let me move freely, for someone who knew no boundaries, this was terrifying. I did not like the water, the light was unusual, there was no food, and there were many like me!! One weird creature would grab hold of us, and that was it. I don’t know what happens next” – From the mouth of a reef fish that never got a chance to outgrow its market size.

A bustling market, a wet market that is the richest in value. Where people come to close their business deals over meals, where delicacies are savored as part of festivities and traditions – The Live Reef Food Fish Market (LRFF).
For centuries, fish have played an important role in the culture and cuisine of China. Mainland China and Hong Kong imports live reef fish from various parts of the world for these wet markets. These Live Reef Food Fish are a symbol of status. They are part of traditional cuisines and are eaten to mark several occasions. They are even eaten to signify the closing of business deals. The larger and more expensive the fish, the higher and better the deal is! These fish are captured alive and kept in tanks at the market. The restaurants let customers pick the fish of their choice and cook them. This ensures the freshness of the fish! Because there is high demand and hefty pricing, Southeast Asian countries export live fish, mainly Indonesia, the Philippines, and Malaysia. The fish are often caught in the wild – Reef fish are slowed down using Cyanide solutions and easily caught by the fishermen. Fish are then transported through water or air. This chemical harms the coral and smaller fish, ruining the health of the entire reef. Now there are mariculture practices that catch some species of wild reef fish and grow them in cage culture until they attain market size. The increase in aquaculture practices is also harming the ecosystem. Overfishing, unfair fishing practices, and habitat loss have diminished the population size of many reef fish that were once abundant. Right! The government has brought many species under protection. There are special rules and laws in CITES, a restriction on the size of the fish that can be traded, a ban on seasonal fishing, and many other regulations. However, illegal trading still exists, and a substantial black market supply exists for the ever-growing demand.

Is there a solution to this? Of course.
Just like farming – where we need to give time for the crop to grow before we harvest, the fish need time to grow too! Sustainable sourcing of seafood is crucial. Reef fish are generally large. They grow slowly, which means they mature late as well. When they are just in marketable size, they are yet to attain maturity. If they are overfished, there is no way the population can continue to sustain itself. There needs to be intervention, stringent rules, incentives and subsidies, better management of fisheries, and mitigation at every step of the transit. From catching to transport to export/import to markets and, finally, the most critical piece of this act – the Humans. We need to be aware of the source of our food and try to avoid it. If impossible, we need to at least choose sustainable options so we can continue to eat for years to come!

PS: Let me know if you would like a detailed report and updates on this trade market and its impact on the reefs.

The Sevai Story!

I opened the door to enter my room and was instantly transferred to so many places at once?! Nope, don’t worry, no black magic is happening in our humble adobe; it was just the side effects of my roommate’s Eid special!  

Who is the star of any Indian festival? Yep, that’s right. The food. She was cooking ‘The Kimami Sevai’ hero of UP’s Eid, a counterpart of Biryani – the heroine in Eid elsewhere. Ah! The rich smell of elaichi blended in with the chashni (Sugar syrup), while the thinnest of sevai fried in ghee to golden brown sitting there waiting to jump in at the right time, to be topped with Mawwa, milk in its most concentrated form and not to forget dry fruits – Whatte royal feels!. 

Kimami Sevai in all its Glorry

These smells first took me back to childhood when my anama would sit in the kitchen to make undo (laddus). Not just Akka and I, but everyone in the house would come and sit with her under the pretext of helping her but end up eating more than half in the name of failed attempts. Haha
It then took me to my good friend’s childhood, her culture, and how making Kimami sevai was a beautiful part of their traditions and something that is considered no less than a skill, something that a mother teaches her kids and is proud of when they succeed!

Then I traveled further back to the era of kings and queens. Nope, not the current social media titles, the actual royal dynasties! How every invasion might have bought a new way of cooking, a new dish in a festival, and how it got modified over time. If I could, I would want to go and eat like Kings, taste a bit of every dish from the kitchen of Akbar, Krishnadevaraya to Alexander! 

Then the thought of Who/How did one human even think of cooking a specific dish came to my mind. Still, I didn’t think much because I was suddenly pulled back to my present tension – The mess being closed for a month and having to manage the duty of filling my stomach from various sources. But that didn’t last for long as my mind started slipping into thinking of what might happen in the near future? With the soil quality depleting, population explosion, pollution increasing daily, and climate change! I hope the Save Soil movement works – it ought to if we all actually talk about it. But then Kimami sevai came onto my plate, entered my system, and Bam! Everything else got blurred. Thankful for this minute is what I was! 

Food does make you grateful. Don’t you think?

On the Eve of Eid, I suddenly got reminded of a peculiar taste, a taste of Kimami Sevai. It’s been a year since I savored the last spoon of this delicious delicacy prepared by my roommate on her induction stove with just one pot. I remembered this piece I had written on that day, and Thanks to technology, it was safely saved in my drive. Thought it was time to revive this write-up, the thoughts, and the celebration of Eid with one special human. A lot has happened since then, and my perception of food has evolved tremendously. I’ve learned to appreciate what is on my plate – quite literally. A year of staying on your own and trying to fill your stomach makes you appreciate home food much more. I’ve thought more about the sources of my food, shifted from eating chicken and fish to not eating them to just eating the gravy to now eating only fish that’s in season and obtained sustainably. Spoken about Soil and how important it is to save Soil. Right now, though I’m partly having a nostalgic trip down the numerous meals I’ve had, I am thrilled thinking about the diversity India has to offer regarding food! Give it a thought, just stroll in your neighborhood any morning, and you’ll taste different cultures just by the aroma! Don’t take my word for it. Try it! 

Some friendly people might even offer you a seat at their table for a happy meal! 

Mother’s Call

‘’Who’s out there? Come here’’ I went to my granny and answered the same set of questions yet again. Because I was reading about sea otters, my mind started finding similarities between my grandmother and the sea otter. Here’s how that went! 

With all due respect, my Anama (grandmother in Konkani) is 93 years old. Just like the otters, she too has moved from one place to another, has seen the forests falling, snow melting, and weather worsening, and adapted to all of this along with the changing diet! Unlike other marine mammals, Otters do not have a fat layer called blubber; they are blessed with the densest fur coat, which helps them survive in colder regions. They have to maintain this lush fur; hence they are big fans of long – detailed baths, scrubbing, and following many steps of skincare all day long! Anama has no layers of fat, has a beautiful head full of white hair, and is very particular about cleanliness – not sure if she forgets or likes to play in the water. She sometimes takes multiple baths in a day for no good reason! Otters are social animals. They live in a group, are very playful with each other, fight and take extensive care of their young ones. The otter mothers push their pups/kittens into the water to teach them how to swim. Anama longs for family functions, likes to talk to everyone, has fed and cared for kids of every generation, and has always given me the push to try new things! Otters are pescatarians who love to eat fish and crabs with unique ways to un-shell mollusks – they float on their backs and place a stone on their stomach, hit the shell onto the rock and break it, chew the meat, enjoy their meal! In her youthful days, my Anama’s meal was considered incomplete without fish. She was an expert in cooking, eating, and removing the shells of crabs and mollusks! When Anama sleeps, she rolls the blanket around her left leg as otters entangle themselves to kelps to stop drifting away! Needless to say, how cute and shy both are and continue to effortlessly win anyone’s heart!

An Otter. Source: The Print, google.

Unlike Anama, Otters are not safe in their own homes. Despite being keystone species – near apex predators whose absence can disrupt the balance of the whole ecosystem- most otter species fall under the threatened or vulnerable status under IUCN. Not just in our country but globally. Otters are spread across the globe except in Australia and Antarctica. Found in freshwater, marine, and semi-marine environment, depending on the species. Of the 13 species, three are located in India – the Eurasian Otters found in the Himalayan foothills and the southern parts of the Western Ghats occupying the mountain streams and cold hilly areas. Asian small-clawed Otters are found in the Northeastern states and the hilly regions of Nilgiris, Palani, and Coorg in Southern India. The Smooth-coated Otters are found throughout India in water bodies like rivers, lakes, estuaries, and inundated rice fields. The primary threat they are currently facing is water pollution. The quality of water directly impacts the health of otters. Habitat destruction also adds pressure on these wildlings along with human-wildlife interactions that lead to extreme conflicts and the death of the animals. Despite being protected under the regulations of CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species on Wild Fauna and Flora), illegal otter trade is still prevalent. 

Otters need more attention than my Anama; believe me, when I say this, she calls out to me 5 times in under 20 minutes. And no matter which part of the house I am in, my ears are tuned to her call. I think it’s time we tune our ears to the calls of Otters and do our bit in making them live! Will you help in trending the people and organizations working to keep the Otters in the wild rather than liking, sharing, and supporting the otter cafes and exotic and illegal pet trades?

Mother Nature is calling, Tune In. Please?

ñān pēāyiṭṭ varāṁ

As I was closing my eyes and mentally preparing myself to actually wake up and write my thesis, on the other tab that was open since a long time a sentence popped, it said
Dear Kochi, nan poyitt vara! I went behind that thought and this is where it led me..

I had read stories, watched movies, heard people speak about this God’s own country and thought to myself what’s so special about it? In the 14 months I’ve lived here, I’ve asked myself this many times, why so charmed by Kochi – Ernakulam – Kerala, Avanthika?

I don’t know, I mean I’m one simple person da, I thrive when I’m left on my own without anyone’s kirkiri. If you let me be, I’ll gladly let you be; all up for drama but just not in my own life kinda vibe, one might say it’s a lazy mentality but I like to think of it as Queen’s way of living! Lemme explain, I know it’s a very big responsibility to take care of the entire citizens, to live up to the expectations of the kingdom, so many things to think about but do you think when the queen is taking a long relaxing shower or slipping into sleep she’ll think about all this?! I don’t think so, I mean of course she’ll defend and protect and do everything in her power for her people and their good but that’s only if and when she has to, otherwise she’s chillin only. No ? For some reason, I feel this queen of Arabian sea lives the exact same queen’s life!

Just another day at work!

There’s room for everyone here, she’s blessed in terms of beauty, on her watch, the leaves are never covered in dust, there’s enough for everyone and more, she’s compassionate, she’s kind but she’s a Queen who’ll not go easy – there’s consequences but most importantly, she’ll let you be!

There are just so many incidents that are very normal, everyday scenes that feel like it’s from some movie or a book! That’s what I like the most about this place – the extra- ordinary!
The thing about this place and its people is that they are simple – Stand near a chaya kada with a cup of chaya, munch on pazham pori\ parippu vada or kappalandi and just watch life happen!

There’s protests, crime and fights but there’s also unity, joy and immense pride for the roots they belong to and a tree grows only when the roots are strong and healthy!

Cheta’s on a break!

Here there’s place – to sit and do nothing, streets to walk without any purpose, so much backwaters to turn to while turning your back to the real world, to stop everything and watch not just the setting sun but also the sky after!
Here people know the art of doing nothing – at least for a short while, taxis and autos stop under huge trees, two feets crossed over one another pop out while the brain peacefully shuts up! People make a living out of lottery either selling or buying (subject to market risk), from small fights to major issues get sorted over a cup of chaya and there’s always love in the air, always!! Because couples are just everywhere!! There’s parotta and beef, putt and kadala curry, appam and stew and the Sadya to feast! Oh! There’s absolute love for football, Onam and Christmas like nowhere else!

‘Tis the season to be Jolly!

You’ll not even know when God’s own country slowly seeped into you, making you feel it’s own and being a part of you in its own subtle ways!

Like elsewhere, there’s chaos here, life’s tough, living isn’t the easiest and everyone’s got their own shit going on but The Queen takes you under her wings, she’ll let you be and there’s space so you learn to give it some time, Buddy, be it Sulaimani tea or kattan chaya unless the powder settles, you won’t be able to savor the real taste! And Kochi taught me that!
For me, it shall always be Dear Kochi, ‘ñān pēāyiṭṭ varāṁ’
Now I better sleep because Avanthika needs this degree and a real job because she isn’t really a queen in the real world.
So, what’s your thing about Kochi? Shall we talk about that over a kattan chaya and beautiful sunset backdrop, whatsay ?

PS: Not converting, Mangaluru is Mangaluru.

Note: Wrote this few days ago, done with defending my M.Tech dissertation work, submitted my thesis and on my way home to my dog!

Onam Alle

‘Hold the rope,’ NCAAH ready? The whistle blows, and all the cheer suddenly becomes background noise. Before you realize what is happening, you are putting all your weight on a rope, either walking backward or defending your stance with your dear life on the line until the second whistle is blown and if you see everyone around you jumping with joy, yayy!! More power to you; you just won the tug of war. Lessgo!!! Maaannhh, I had no idea tug of war is this intense sport. I mean, just stand on the side and watch a bunch of Malayali guys from different departments having a tug of war – the power, the faces turning red, the energy all around, the cheering, the screaming, you can see the veins stiffening, the single focus in everyone’s eyes… Uff!! It’s too damn intense! For someone having played this sport for the first ever time in life (I mean for real, full seriously. Of course, I’ve played for fun, friendly tug of wars, but this was no less than an actual war!) with the fast-paced beating of the heart and all that heat radiating from my own body, I felt like Naruto haha. The body pain that kicked in the next day gave me the much-needed reality check and reminded I’m no ninja. (yet) 

For the over-excited kid, that I am, experiencing ONAM in God’s Own Country was no less than a dream come true. I’ve been telling everyone about it since, shall also try my best to describe the whole scene but again, I don’t know how much you’ll enjoy it because frankly, you just had to be there da! 

Pookalam in Railway Station

Even the weather, sky, clouds, plants, and dogs get excited about Onam! The whole city comes to life; every gate will have beautiful ‘rangolis’ outside it, a vast ‘mela’ right in the middle of the town, fairy lights, sales, and Sadhya special boards catch your eye everywhere. The railway stations are filled with people, and train journeys have a lot of kids running around, excited about meeting their grandparents! 

Onam is the only time you’ll find research scholars obsessing over cutting flower petals rather than their unfinished experiments, Ph.D. scholars worrying about the geometry of the ‘Pookalam’ and not one of the objectives of their work, and you’ll also find M.Tech/MSc. Students who barely put Rangoli back in their homes sincerely cutting the whites off from purple petals to help their department achieve the color gradient of their dreams. In short, for about 24 hours, everyone switches to a creative mode where gradient refers to only color and not PCR. So, on the previous night of the ‘Pookalam’ competition, the whole lab will have spreads of different flowers; everyone sits together, playing an old OG Hindi playlist along with evergreen Malayalam melodies, talking, laughing, and bonding over a bunch of flowers! (some watch football too :P)

All that hardwork put into use, beautifully. Artists: Team NCAAH

With the catchy ‘Nadan pattu’ (Folk songs) and graceful ‘Thiruvathira kali’ (a traditional dance around the lamp), people from God’s own country ought to be somewhere at the top in creative aspects as well! No surprise there. 

Don’t get me wrong, but they all look so pretty! Ladies wearing the traditional saree or sett mundu, the jhumkas, the jet-black hair with white mullappu (Jasmine flower), the kajal in their eyes, and the sweet smile on each face completes their look. There’s no way out; you have to simply appreciate the beauty! The men are no less, the white Mundu paired with the Kurta or Shirt, the neatly folded sleeves and well-groomed hair, beard; it is difficult to leave all this unnoticed. (No, Amma, I do not have a Malayali boyfriend :P) And if you look at the small kids in their small Mundus and kurtas, your heart will melt. No doubt about that. 

Now coming to the best part – The ‘ONAM Sadhya’. So many varieties of dishes, each one with a different flavor; just tasting will fill your stomach, heart, and soul. Yeah! Drink the Palada off your banana leaf, and you’ll be in the hangover instantly.
Petition to make Onam sadhya a quarter-yearly deal. Please? Thank you! 

The OG – Sadhya

It is believed that ‘Bali Maharaj’ (Mahabali) from the ground below (Patal Lok) visits God’s Own Country once every year, and the people of this land show him that everything is going good in the hood! They are happy and celebrating life so he can go back feeling peaceful. Therefore, this celebration is taken quite seriously, irrespective of religion, caste, and place; everyone from this land celebrates this in the best possible way! 

Now that I was part of the Onam Celebration in a college in Ernakulam, I can vouch that the scene we all saw in ‘Premam’ happens very much in real life! With all the beauty, the happiness, the ‘chendey,’ the Sadhya – total Onam vibe casts its spell on you! Before you know it, you’ll be dancing with your juniors, smiling at unfamiliar faces, making new friends, laughing, and enjoying with everyone around. That, for me, is the true sense of celebration – including everyone and making some great memories! You can’t help but feel like you’re in a still from a Malayalam movie; at least that’s what I felt 🙂 Don’t take my word for it. Experience it! 

Maybe I’m giving too much hype; perhaps it is totally justified the hype. I don’t know?!
I know that no matter where I am, I’ll think of this Onam memory with a wide grin on my face on every Onam and try to celebrate this festival in my own way, involving people around me, making them eat palada and slip into a food coma. Until next time, Happy Onam, people! 

PS: I missed hiding behind my DSLR and taking pictures of beautiful strangers (with their permission, of course!) But I was so busy living that I forgot to document it with pictures. 

Post It?

Letters are like pictures but only better. A photograph captures a moment, while a letter is simply a bouquet of different moments, incidents, and feelings, like different versions of you, safely wrapped in an old leaf. It’s like a platter of ice creams with all your favorite flavors and sometimes even the flavors you don’t prefer. Oh! I should have been a tad bit clear; here, I refer to letters that you write simply for fun, to your Annu, Amma, Akka, friends, maybe to yourself, or just some open letters. Some get sent as emails, some as actual physical letters, while most are still saved in your drafts. (maybe all this is just me, anyway.) 

If you know me, you already might know that I like writing letters; likely, you may even have received one! I write long emails updating about what’s happening with me to even my parents because they sometimes are so busy for a call, and I have many vishayas to tell! But mostly because I feel letters are a much better way of giving an entire story. 

Here’s why –

1. When you are having a conversation, it usually gets diverted depending on the answer given by the other. But in a letter, you have the entire stage, full limelight, and undivided attention of your audience. 
2. Letters often are not based on real-time, so you have the total freedom of enjoying the event by fully being present and then re-live it while you describe it to your intended audience. And it’s not a given that the person will receive the letter right away or that they will give it a read and reply in a jiff, which means, by the time you receive a reply, you might even have forgotten about the letter altogether! 
3.  You also get enough time and chances at trial and error; you can translate your thoughts into sentences that have a high resemblance to your thought. You can choose the tone and the words. Basically, you control what to tell, how to tell, and how much to tell! 

Other than these, it improves your language, imagination, understanding, and, most importantly, patience. So, yeah, Letters are simply awesome! Oh no, I don’t have a problem with telephone, text messages, emails, WhatsApp, social media, and recent advances because they are very much a part of our everyday lives now and necessary. I do not deny their power and need at any cost. They do make life easy. But I would like to bring to your notice that letters have an old-school charm, something royal and the most personal touch. 

Now that I think of it, I have always been a fan of the Indian Railways and The Indian Postal service. They connect the most rural parts of our country. It gives me so much joy to receive or send a letter that will travel through so many states, cities, villages, by air, by rail, by road, in train, in van, in ship, bus, and cycles to finally reach the destination – doesn’t it make you feel special, like some important being?! To me, it does. 

In a world where we are running to save time while ending up wasting all the time that we manage to save, I think letters take us back to a time where we can feel like that old self who wrote it/received it, at least for a short while and that brings me joy! Letters are not like a time machine because they are a present that reaches someone in the future carrying a past. In short, Letters are simply the best, and we should bring them back. 

Would you be willing to post something? 

Ennavale

No doubt I am being educated on various scientific techniques. Still, the most valuable lessons I have learned while working on my final year project are – Patience, dealing with disappointments, trying again, putting effort, troubleshooting, and that sometimes you do everything and still fail, accepting failure, and the most important one – most often than not things don’t go according to your plans, many things won’t be in your control, so all you can do is accept and respond because how you deal with a situation is mostly the only thing in your control. Haha. I took time and haven’t mastered it, but I am still a beautiful work in progress.

Recently realized that when nothing is going according to my plan, I feel like running away to a mountain far away, but again can’t afford that in reality; I like to go back to things I used to enjoy doing when I was a kid, something simple, something that I have fond memories of, something that feels familiar but still adventurous, exhausting but exciting. So, I decided to go cycling in the early hours of the morning. A friend of mine was supposed to accompany me, but I didn’t wait after 3 unanswered calls.

I rented a MyByk and started peddling. Manh! My eyes are accustomed to Kochi and its distantly placed dim street lights; now, I like them that way. So, at this hour of the day, I could go in the middle of the road, and no one would question me; not many street dogs, not even birds chirping; it was like being in the middle of nowhere! The advertisement board sheds some light, oh! The trees seemed happy I think they were greeting me with those tiny droplets they had saved from the scattered thunderstorms of the previous night! The roads were still fresh from the rain, with no joggers or walkers, but I did spot 3 teenagers on their bicycles, doing a photoshoot for their social media under a streetlamp; there were mutual greetings through the sweet sounds of cycle bells. At this point, I was hooked. High energy, the adrenalin rush from peddling, the thought of how worried amma would be when/if I told her about my this adventure, the breeze making my hair fly wildly, the sweet smell of sweat, the occasional fear of being a girl on a bicycle on some stretch of the route, the feeling of freedom, the chance to hum, whistle and sing like I’m the lead singer of this moving orchestra, Ah! Such a happening morning it was!!

I reached this beautiful stretch, water on one side with a Chinese net, a walking track with lots of trees and resting benches, and in the end, a board that read ‘I heart Kochi’ an athlete stretching right in front of this sign. No, the sign was not lit up. Took a moment to look at the beautiful view and cycled back, with skyscrapers with watchmen rubbing their eyes to see who this crazy girl is?! on one side. By now, there were some dedicated walkers on the road, some chetas with mundu folded up to knees; sitting by the water with lit beedis and soft music, the birds had woken up and made it very evident that there was a bird sanctuary on the way, some big trucks, many bikers, equally curious but minding their own business, then I heard the adhan from the distant mosque, passed through a church as well. At this point, I was so happy! It was like closing all old tabs that were open in my brain for months, like pressing a refresh button; I stopped and took a picture of MyByk to remember this short, much-needed cycling trip and continued. Passed through a temple, morning raga playing while a cheta was cleaning the angana.

On the corner of the street, people were squatting on the roadside but luckily fully dressed, with a beedi and chaya! At this point, I wished my Appa would have accompanied me because then we also would sit there with chaya, or at least a guy friend or a larger group but we ( Me, myself, and I) just shrugged and peddled on. I heard the song ‘Ennavale Adi Ennavale’ playing, and it was nice to see a man with white hair, a white mustache, and a beard sitting next to his old green cycle, keeping the radio right next to his ears! I told myself that I need to see more of this beautiful city in the morning hours; the small scenes like these have made me read ‘I heart Kochi’ as I love Kochi!

On my way back from Queens Walkway, feeling like a Queen!

I reached my apartment, googled the song and its meaning, and liked the initial part that said,
‘Oh, my dear! Oh, my dear! I’ve lost my heart. I’ve even forgotten the place where I lost it!’
Sometimes, it is best to take a cycle and just go somewhere, maybe you’ll find your heart or at least the ‘I heart the name of your city’ sign :p

Tried writing about this on the same morning but sleep won!
Today happens to be World Bicycle day! Thank God for cycles! Can you imagine a world without cycles? forget the world, a childhood without cycling memories?!
Also, take a moment to think about your first ride on a bicycle. Thank the people who taught you how to cycle, and I’ll leave you with the memory of you cycling downhill in your cycle!

Wander Wonder

If I ever get a chance, I would want to visit the shipbuilding yard and sit on those high-raised ladders connected to the cranes, building those massive vessels.
A pictorial representation would have given you a better idea; maybe next time.

I usually spend my evenings by the lake, observing people and their habits, ships, water, sky, and birds to the sound of vehicles passing by, sometimes I end up typing my thoughts out or quickly phone a friend to get some news of some other town, or I go on walks. Walks without any purpose, just looking around, to know the place and people, mainly to find good food joints :p I even had an idea to start something called ‘Walk with me,‘ where I walk and talk about everything my eyes are seeing, the brain is thinking, and the mind is commenting on, random but all in real-time. So that the listener can imagine walking with me, experiencing a walk without any purpose.
Anyway, here’s a gist of what that looked like this evening-

The sun wasn’t very bright because the clouds were apparently taking center stage; the sun was only doing a cameo, but he did light up the screen. There were dark clouds on one end, slowly moving towards the other, while the sky on the other side looked like a happy spring evening; it seemed like I was not the only one confused. Haha

There’s a church that is a shortcut we usually take to reach the small Kada with pipping hot aloo bonda, parippu vada, and the red chutney. I feel prayer places do have some positive energies, maybe? Oh wow! The Malabar chips counter along the corner is more crowded than usual today; this weather does make one crave something crunchy, spicy, or hot. It is convenient to blame the weather for things, isn’t it?
Okay, so what are my options here? Hot filter coffee at ‘Ambiswamy,’ the usual bonda adda but cold ones because it’s way past 4pm, the super bakery, bread world, Milano ice cream, or something else?!

By the way, when was this watchman culture popularized? I know it feeds families and keeps so many families safe, but I wish I had the option of entering some high-raised building’s roof and just sitting there for a couple of hours. Is that too much to ask for?! I am a student waiting for her stipend to be released, so, though I wish to sit in cafes and chill or work, I can not afford to pay for the iced tea and a quick bite – three times a week. And I don’t want to sit in the library or my class or my room; I want to feel like I’m part of the real world, street noise, ordinary people doing their usual activities, maybe chitchat with Cheta about what he does, why he likes this place, and so on..
Why is there no system for something like this ?! I was walking, forming a business model of places that charge a minimal fee, don’t ask you to buy anything, don’t promise you any amenities but let you pass a couple of hours, like a hideout.

Maaanh! There’s the Cochin Shipyard! What would happen if I seeda ran inside? How would I explain to them that I am just here to see? I started gathering words in my broken Malayalam. Why are there so many cycles parked here? Oh! So many people work here, it would be fun to build a ship, no? I wish I could do an internship here; I would somehow manage to climb on that high rising cranes and feel like Simba from The Lion King!
Back to my search for buildings that don’t have any guards, and are not totally abandoned cause, I am a lady who has confidence in her self-defense but “boss, Playin it safe“. I was now at another junction; there was a building across the road; it looked just right, not in regular use, so no one would bother, it didn’t have a spooky look, and there was some board that said it was some kind of godown. I stood there for a good five minutes, making a quick pro and cons list of the steps I would be taking next. Ah. Dang! The good, rational girl in me won over the rebel. But the pan wala bhaiyya stationed below that old gray building definitely thought I was up for some fishy business.

Let’s walk. I’m here; on one side is KFC, Domino’s, Frozen bottle, and the other has the street menu, happiness on a stick, and the Belgian Waffle.co, I don’t stop, not yet. I see a man with a cup of chai, uncombed shabby hair, some brown, some white, and a few in black, a shirt with checks that have seen better days, the lungi that once was orange, and Hawaii slippers that look brand new. He’s standing next to his cycle equipped with a board to sell people the ticket that could change their whole life and a speaker; both covered in plastic – the OG protector from rain, playing a Melody probably sung by Jesudas. I stood next to him, enjoyed the song, passed a friendly nod, and walked back. I could see the lady sipping chai, trying to forget about what happened at work, three girls enjoying yellow, orange, and grape-colored candies, and one of the waffle makers sitting outside the store, talking to his dream girl on a video call. Now, the smell of this store lures me in; I walk in like a puppy following its favorite treat. Order one and make myself comfortable on a high chair in the corner. Yellow walls, mat finished, neat wooden table, temperature-rather hot but manageable. I sat there, with a glass door showing me the outside world, road, vehicles, and people on my right while on to my left, the noise of some random Hindi movie making the chef laugh out loud; he minded his own business – making the waffles.

The warm, sweet smell of something getting baked while I sat there reading my book. Ruskin Bond describing Winter while I sat in a place that looked like spring and smelled like sweet summer on a rainy evening was something that I considered worth documenting.

On a not-so-empty stomach, while walking back, I decided that it isn’t the best of ideas to let some random stranger go to the rooftop; what if they are snipers, shooting people for no reason? What if they kidnap children? Beda, idella scene beda.

Chisssss! There’s this small Kada where Cheta is making an omelet on a shapeless aluminum pan, but the aroma says it’ll taste great. The uncle in all white with paragon chappal and poppy umbrella approves of it. Oops! I just tripped, and that’s how I know we are now at the end of this walk.

So, would you like to walk with me, some other place, some other time?
I’ll take that as a maybe.