Petals!

Spanish Masala: Why I Liked It

2012-01-29T18:20:00.000-08:00

Spanish Movie is a film I enjoyed watching because it is a romantic comedy. For one who likes both romance and comedy, it is a refreshing blend, a brief sojourn into a dream like world. After all, how long can one thrive on the heavy dose of realistic movies? I appreciate them but at the end of a very tough day, I am not sure those are the movies I look forward to. I want to laugh, smile and feel like the heroine instead. This movie does it.

But to break it down into specific reasons, here's why I recommend this film:

The Director & his Presentation - Lal Jose

I never like to miss a Lal Jose film. It always has something to look forward to. I also like his casting. He usually gets it absolutely perfect. Right from the film's trailors, the film had a positive buzz. Also, the fact that the Dileep-Lal Jose duo were coming together after a long time made it something of a visual treat to anticipate. I've always felt that Lal Jose has a distinct style of repackaging something that's there into something one looks forward and to unwrapping. This movie too is not new in its theme but the presentation of romance, betrayal and the gap between the haves and have-nots is unique.

Dileep's hilarious sense of timing in Spanish Masala Story

Dileep makes us smile and laugh with his antics in this film. He does mimicry to make Camilla smile. He has a great sense of timing. He makes our hearts melt when he is treated worse than a servant but endures it.

There's a scene where he plays chess with his employer hesitantly and gets all hyperactive with obvious glee when he is winning, and in the process of laughter, he forgets he is laughing at the boss himself. He does those scenes with natural flourish and that is his signature style, one that resonates with every Malayali.

Kunchacko Boban

How many girls can resist Kunchacko's boyish charm without the typical male 'i am your gift from god' arrogance? Come on, be honest. Well, there's a scene where he does a theatric dialogue-dance presentation with great flourish stating, 'Camilla, nee evidey aanu?' I loved the ways he presented it, even the most hard hearted, tough girl would smile at the way he's done it. There's so much charm that is so hard to resist. His characterization is sketchy, grainy and sometimes doesn't match well with what is initially shown of him but he's tried to do this differently. For a soft hero-like person, it's quite bold to do the kind of negative role he does. However, a repetition of negative roles may not do wonders for further elevating his comeback to Malayalam cinema.

A New Heroine

Malayalam films have either the typical Malayali heroine or the heroine who's from another state and is made to somehow act like a Malayali. In this film, we see the new heroine, Daniella who has her own refreshing personality and beauty. She fits in well with the character she represents. Lal Jose has got the casting right. She adds a sparkle and shine to the film throughout.

Spanish Masala Story

Charlie (starring Dileep), goes to Spain as part of a mimicry stage troupe but he gets lost, finds his way to a restaurant where his 'Spanish Masala' dosa becomes an instant hit. Following this, he is chosen to work as a cook at the Spanish Ambassador’s house. That is where he meets Camilla, the Ambassador’s daughter Camilla (starring Daniella). He feels sympathetic and considerate towards her on hearing that she had lost her eyesight in an accident, following her lover's death sometime ago. He brings back her lover Rahul (starring Kunchacko Boban) to life by mimicking him and thereby becomes closer to Camilla.

Spain in a Malayalam Film

While we may have seen some of Spain’s highlights in Bollywood films, we haven't seen it like this in a Malayalam film. I felt that bullfight, La Tomatino Festival and the Flamenco dance are well shot. The beauty of Spain and its culture does come alive even in the background music scores throughout the movie. It offers a refreshing, new experience to romance.

Spanish Masala Music
I liked the background score and songs in Spanish Masala and the way it was picturised, particularly the song featuring Kunchacko Boban and Daniella. That was beautiful.

Let Downs

The first half of Spanish Masala is full of fun and delight. But the second half is slow and in some places, it seemed to lack direction and ended somhow to reach a very clichéd climax. That is a let down of sorts from Lal Jose.

Should You Watch Spanish Masala?

I liked Spanish Masala. It's shot well. It's got a good star cast. It's got a decent script. You can excuse the loose ends and the cliched ending. It's a decent, entertainer and an average film without the usual buffoonery and cheap, double edged jokes we hear in Malayalam movies these days. Families and kids can watch it without flinching or worrying about the use of swear words. Go ahead, take your family to watch it. I'd say this dish is certainly worth sampling.

A Book Review: Giraffes Can’t Dance

2012-01-23T07:58:00.000-08:00

This delightful book written by Giles Andreae is beautifully illustrated by Guy Parker-Rees and published for three to six year olds. Adi and I love to read "Giraffes can't Dance" almost every day. As you can guess, this story is about a giraffe called Gerald who dance. So, when he goes to attend the famous Jungle Dance held every year in Africa, he gets teased by all the other animals.

A wise cricket tells Gerald, "Sometimes when you are different, you just need a different song."

Moral of the story: It is brave to be different from the others. We all can dance when we find music that we love.

What makes this book delightful to read over and over again is its illustrations. It shows rhinos who rock and roll, chimps doing a naughty cha-cha, lions tangoing, and baboons dancing a Scottish reel. For kids and grown ups, this book offers refreshing humor and memorable moments.

Adi laughs with delight from page to page of this book and he loves the message too. The humour appeals to adult and child alike.

For those of you who have kids between 3 to 6 years, this book is a must-have. You can also read it here:

http://www.slideshare.net/picasso2/giraffes-cant-dance-6626212

Malayalam Movie Review: City of God

2012-01-14T23:53:00.000-08:00

When I sat down to watch the Malayalam movie 'City of God,' I expected nothing great. But once the movie began, I was totally glued into the unique way the story is presented, interlinking incidents in the lives of Tamil workers who work and live in the state but whom many Keralites may see as a 'nuisance' than as laborers and how they are caught in the ugly war between Kochi's real estate mafia and business groups. No doubt, it shocks me that the depiction of life in Kochi has become so violent, brutal and almost adulterous. But the movie represents the changes that have shaken Kochi as a city that is increasingly becoming a hub for the bad, the deadly and the dangerous.

A small time Tamil labourer, Swarnavel (starring Indrajith) is in love with Marathakam, a Tamil woman who flees her village to escape from her cruel husband..Indrajith is impressive in bringing to life the Tamil labororer he portrays. His performance is authentic and definitely a fantastic feat for a Malayali actor to accomplish on screen. Like many Tamil workers in the state, he works very hard to earn a living and dreams of settling down with the girl he loves - Marathakam (starring Parvathy Menon) though he knows that she has a six-year old son and a terrible marriage stacked that made her run away from her husband who lives in Palani. But tucked away in Kochi, their relationship blooms.

Meanwhile, the city's ruthless, wily business man and builder, Sony Vadayattil is doing everything to bring back the love of his life whom he had to abandon - Soorya Prabha (starring Rima Kallingal). His love and longing for her borders between the desperate need to win back and possess the girl who had suddenly shot into fame as a celebrity and actress as well as prove his clout.

Soorya Prabha represents the contemporary professional who is torn by ambition to make it big without having to compromise herself in the process and her own simple, sincere self that has a dangerous vulnerability, in the sense that it makes men become more attracted to her. The fact that her husband forces her to compromise herself brings out another uncomfortable facet of Kerala's so called respectable society - it is all a game of social hypocrisy.

Sony's best friend is Jyothilal (starring Prithviraj) has to constantly get the lady back into Sony's life though he keeps pointing out to Sony that she had been married to a good-for-nothing guy for four years. The silence and scorn between Jyothilal and Soorya Prabha clash unspoken because their mutual attraction is deadly and intense. Their eyes and body language give them away though in words, they seem to contradict the emotions that are underneath.

In the midst of all this, Jyothilal kills Poonoose, a wealthy businessman because of a conflict that happens in a land deal. The businessman's widow Viji Punnose (starring Shwetha Menon) witnesses the murder of her husband, and is ready to do whatever it takes to revenge her husband's death. Shwetha uses her youth and looks to influence a young man who is so besotted with her that he is willing to kill Jyothilal. Their relationship is fueled by a mutual need that has nothing to do with love.

What makes 'City of god' gripping is that it has so many scenes and moments that are taken straight out of real life in Kochi and many moments are likely to get you truly reflective about contemporary social issues that are gaining acceptance in Kerala's once-conservative society. You have skyscrapers stand out wherein a beautiful celebrity is abused by her own and asked to be with other and on the other hand, a vengeful widow who pours expensive drink to a young man, hoping to win him over for all the wrong reasons. On the other hand, you have the slum like areas wherein Lekshmi (starring Rohini) drinks liquor openly at the local toddy bar like a man.

I also liked the way in the movie concluded. There was no usual preaching or message left for the audience. The movie treated the audience as intelligent enough to reach their own conclusions about the relationships that unfold due to circumstances that are both inter related and beyond control.

Performances by all the actors are impressive. I think Indrajith is the best, followed by Parvathy Menon who plays role of the distraught but sexy Tamilian girl who is ready to lit ve with another man other than her husband and naturally, loves her son as the bane of her life.

Lijo Jose Pellissery's 'City of God' is not the city that I know as my own. The Kochi he has shown is raw, bleeding and adulterous. It seems like a city that is forsaken by the gods.

But I'd say, it's a movie that is worth watching.

Family Traditions: Keep' em Alive & Kicking, Have Fun!

2012-01-07T03:28:00.000-08:00

Traditions are something that I love but not in a conventional sense. I treasure those little rituals that are passed down from generation to generation. It brings a sense of unity and closeness in the family. These family traditions revive memories that fill your heart with happiness and love.

My sister and I didn't have the luxurious kind of upbringing that many kids had at the time. Looking back, I am so glad we didn't have luxuries because it helped us to stay sensible and grounded. The family traditions we had were very simple but they helped in defining my values as a person. What I remember is that we had tremendous love and closeness which still remains, with God's love and grace.

Here are some family traditions that I have brought into mine. These come from those special moments that my parents created for my sister and I while we were growing up.

1. Reading a bedtime story every night

Unlike myself, my parents never ever gave me a feeling that they have no time to spend for their children. Now I realize how precious that was. My parents spent most of their time with us and that itself was a solid foundation that we built on over the years. One of my favorite family rituals was to get a favorite book and get Daddy to read it out every night and we would discuss the story and what I learned from it. Sometimes, we would talk about a particular word and how it can be used in different contexts.

It is only this month that I started introducing Adi to 'Fairy Tales' and he is enjoying it and he had makes me mimic characters and I love this tradition we have together. We laugh a lot, we tease each other and we mimic characters and Adi mimics me!!! It's so much fun.

My father loved reading books. As a young boy, he used to walk for several kilometres before he could find a local newspaper reading room where he would read English newspapers (usually tattered) and some old magazines. He loved Sundays because he could read and explore another world. When he first got a job, he began reading more seriously and he taught me to read some of the finest English classics at a very young age. I became a serious, passionate reader thanks to my dad.

2. Knowing how to select the right books

What I love is Dad taught me how to choose my own books. By the time I was seven, I had started choosing books to read on my own and he never interfered. We would go to book stores together and come back loaded with paper bags full of books. How i miss those wonderful, golden moments with my Dad.

Right from the time Adi was about three years old, I began doing the same with him. As a kid, Adi loved me to read out stories for him. Thanks to the diverse and very realistic range of books by Tulika Publishers, Adi became familiar first with Indian stories and I was very keen that he should enjoy and be able to relate to it. We are Indians and I want him to explore the multiplicity that underlies the Indian identity through interesting and relevant books.

And the best part was, I taught him how to choose the right kind of books to read. So now, when we go to a book shop, I trust his judgment about the books that he chooses to read. Many moms interfere in such selection but I've always taken pride in letting Adi choose and decide what he wants. As long as it enhances his enjoyment and learning, its perfectly fine with me.

3. Praying together

Prayer was always a part of my life. I learned mantras by listening to my parents prayers' every morning and evening. Adi loves to say his goodnight prayer. He prays to God and updates God as well about the day he had. He asks for blessings and says grace and peace to all at the end. Adi also knows to chant mantras from the time he was three years old. He learned by listening to my mother and he would repeat after her. Now, I make him chant the mantras preferably in the mornings before he rushes off to school.

4. "Talk Time"

My parents always had "talk time" with us. It was that time when we could talk about anything without fear of being scolded, judged or anything of the sort. It meant that we could share worries or even say a complaint about parents themselves if we felt hurt by something so that we could sort it out h. With Adi too, I have my 'talk time' and that is an exclusive deal. Whatever he tells me is kept a secret and not discussed again unless he wants me to discuss it. I listen to him and I don't offer solutions or advice unless he asks me for it. It never ceases to surprise me how passionate, perceptive and mature his approach is. Adi almost always knows the right course of action. He is very aware about certain areas that he needs to improve on and he talks about it openly in our "talk time."

5. Do Chores with team spirit

I always tell Adi: "We are hard working people. So it means you have to hard to grow new strengths. Don't think you have everything. When you think so, you limit yourself and your ability. You have to help me do stuff because we are a team, right?"

And Adi does pitch in. always helps with chores like going to the shop in our society and buying the little emergency provisions on his own. He takes a little note of items and the money and comes back to deliver this at home. He is very proud when he completes a chore well. I always say, "Well done, Adi. I am proud of you managing it on your own." He helps me fold clothes, little chores in the house and does it cheerfully.

But Adi doesn't like cleaning up after playing with toys:)

Tell me about your special family traditions that you grew up with or created on your own.

The Year That Changed Everything

2011-12-31T08:30:00.000-08:00

2011 is an unforgettableyear in my life. It tossed up challenges that I’d never had to face before in my whole life. It was like making tea, custard toast, chicken do pyaza and packing rotis with sabji but never getting a whiff or taste of any of it till the end of the day coz one’s got two hands and both hands were doing kitchen chores and endless tasks. Got the drift?

Well, perhaps it was inevitable that some of the bread got roasted instead of toasted. It was also inevitable that the year roasted and grilled a few friendships too.

No, honestly, I’d give my best to all relationships but sometimes things don’t work out because, well, birds of a feather tend to flock together. So, I guess plain pigeons don’t really stick with the eagles. Know what I am saying? And don’t place bets on whether I’m a pigeon or an eagle.

So, between flying low and keeping close to home as well as juggling lots of work, it happens that I had to prioritize my peace of mind over everything else.

Hell, it hasn’t been an easy year. But I learned to make decent food in little time. Now, isn't that something? Don't laugh, ok?

You should try the sinfully simple custard toast I make. You’ll dump decent food forever.

Isn’t that a temptation huh?

The Storms of 2011

In Orhan Pamuk’s book Other Colours which is basically a collection of his writings and essays, there is a chapter titled “After the Storm,” he writes.

“It is in times of violence, times of storms, that we remember we all live in the same world. Later still, as I was looking at broken branches and bicycles that had been thrown from their resting places, this came to my mind too: When a storm hits, we don’t just understand that we live in the same world, we begin to feel as if we are all living one and the same life.”

2011, for me, was definitely a year of turbulent storms. Nope, my arms aren’t broken branches yet.

Adi’s bicycle is not broken.

I haven’t been thrown out of home yet.

But then, ‘what storm is she talking about’ is what you are wondering, right?

Storms that matter and leave an impact happen from within. They hit you the hardest because they have the power to. The power comes from within.

Remember, You are tested where it hurts most

From the written works of spiritual masters, I’ve read that you are tested where it hurts the most. For me, relationships matter a lot be it in real life. And that’s exactly where God chose to test me. I’d give myself a just-pass.

Gratitude & Thanks

As the year ends and a new year begins, I believe in the ancient spiritual law that says, “The more grateful you are, the more will be given unto you.”

My humblest pranams at the lotus feet of my beloved lord and best friend, Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba for His love and constant guidance. Without His love, 2011 would have seen me crumbling, spiritually. Bhagawan's love, compassion and guidance has permeated my life for over three decades. All my family members are grateful to Him for His tremendous love shown towards us. Thank you, Swami.

For those who are cynical, let me tell you that ‘faith can move mountains.’

Each to his own spiritual path.

I am thankful to my family and all my friends whom I know personally, then on Facebook, and Twitter for their love, patience and understanding. I am grateful to you all for reading my blog, spending precious time to comment as well. It helps me to grow as a better person and I am so glad that we are connected through this blog. Thank you, dear reader and friend. Your encouragement is what gives me the impetus to write whenever there is time.

A Buddhist Prayer for Each and Every One

In accordance with the famous meditation prayer that the Buddha taught His followers, I too offer that to you and your loved ones:

By the power and truth of this spiritual practice

May all sentient beings enjoy happiness and the causes of happiness

May they be free from suffering and the causes of suffering

May they never be separated from the great happiness devoid of suffering and

May they dwell in the great equanimity that is free from attachment and aversion.

As rightly spoken by Avvaiyar, “What we’ve learned is like a handful of earth, what we are yet to learn is like the whole world.”

Wishing you all greater happiness, prosperity and well-being in 2012.

Stay blessed always.

A Book Review: I can help Recycle Rubbish

2011-12-27T01:27:00.001-08:00

I picked up Viv Smith's book, 'I can help recycle rubbish' and felt secretly pleased with myself. I like to recycle a lot of materials to create birthday cards, wrapping paper and make little gifts out of them. I also like to use these materials for my five year old son's school projects.

Here's an interesting paragraph from the book:

"The paper you write on was once a tree that stood in a forest. Trees are cut down, taken to a paper mill. The wood is cut up and turned to pulp to make paper. We need to use the earth's resources sensibly so that there is enough left for the people who come after us."

Meaning of Recycling

"To recycle to make something new out of something that has been used before."

What can be Recycled?

Here are somethings I like to recycle:

Price tags of clothes are used as bookmarks.
Glossy supplements, glossy ads and leaflets are saved either to make b'day cards or to create something that is theme-based for Adi's school projects.
Materials like buttons, lace, etc are saved and kept in a box to add 'finishing' touches to b'day cards and other projects.
Little jewelry boxes, fancy sachets, all kinds of storable boxes can be used for different things. If you have three round shaped boxes, you can make a snowman out of it.
Same with old keychains.

Interestingly, I had read in Vanita magazine a story about a woman who recycles any kind of cloth material. That really motivated me. She talked about not wasting even a scrap of material. She would make rugs, hair bands, bags with collage kind of work and beautiful shawls, sheets and scarves out of any material that lay wasted. She made curtains out of lovely, fading silk sarees and even made kitchen dishcloths out of old cloth scraps. Maybe we should all start doing such creative things to nurture the 'saving' mentality.

Now, would you like to recycle somethings so that it is not wasted?

Think about it. Please.

Merry Merry Christmas 2011

2011-12-26T08:13:00.000-08:00

Dear Friends,

Hope you had a wonderful Christmas with family members and loved ones. For me, it was one of the best Christmas days I've had in quite some time because it was mostly about yummy food. I know that it is not what Christmas is about but this time, I let go and became a total foodie thanks to hunger pangs, so to speak:)

Lunch was just divine, so I stuffed myself. There was lovely red wine that sparkled and tasted like bliss with every sip. The plum cake had the distinct taste of rum and it was yummylicious!

Fish cutlets topped my favorite dish of the day. They seemed to melt and yet be crisp when you bit into the texture of it. Then, there was fluffy, hot appams, vegetable pulav, mutter paneer, chicken do pyaz, mutton curry, mixed vegetables in dark oyster sauce, crisp pappadams that crackled with every bite and of course, the pristine raita.

Piping hot paalada is what I had at the end of this awesome Christmas feast. Obviously, I was stuffed like a turkey by the end of the Christmas meal! And at night, I slept like a log because I had eaten to my heart's content.

How was your Christmas?

A Writer’s Room

2011-12-22T02:24:00.000-08:00

If a keyboard is left on my desk long after I’m gone, it will be no more than four years old. It will have no patina, no aura, nothing more than my fingerprints on it. All the more reason to get to work and leave behind a stout body of writing. – Latha Anantharaman (The Hindu, 21^st Dec 2011)

When my dad noticed that I (five years old at the time) wrote poetry, essays and short stories, he changed the plan of Sai Prema, our house that was being constructed in Palluruthy in Kochi.

He added a big room and called it ‘the writer’s room and library.’ He said, “Writers need to be in their own private world, where the intrusions of the external world do not penetrate their process of creation.”

Dad spared no effort in getting the best for that room. He installed a beautiful wall-to-wall rosewood library that crowned the spacious, library room. All my collection of books, hundreds of them right from the time I was a child, are showcased there in that library. And for me, Dad got ready a very big, rosewood desk with shelves and spacious little doors that were inbuilt into it.

People who visited my home were always surprised to see that I had a bigger desk and chair than dad. The thing is, Dad has a bigger heart that is full of love for his daughters.

Thank you, Dad. That room is your dream and it represents all that is beautiful and from you in my life.

That is my writer’s room. Some day, you are most welcome to see it too.

Start of the Day: Do Cities have souls with memories?

2011-12-10T03:27:00.000-08:00

At the start of the day, I thought about cities and wondered. Do cities and places have souls like we do? Or so, I’ve always felt when I think of my love for Kochi though people say it is fast becoming a place that is flawed and devoid of what it once represented to its residents.

When I read Orhan Pamuk’s words, it struck me that I was not nutty at all. In fact, he thinks the same too.

“There are two ways of looking at cities. The first is that of the tourist, the newly arrived foreigner who looks at the buildings, monuments, avenues and skylines from outside. There is also the inside view, the city of rooms in which we have slept of corridors and cinemas and old classrooms, the city made up of the smells and lights and colors of our most cherished memories. To those viewing them from outside, one city can seem much like the next, but a city’s collective memory is its soul and its ruins are its most eloquent testimony.”

How do you view/experience your city?

Start of the Day: Welcome December 2011

2011-12-01T09:54:00.000-08:00

Start of the Day, I couldn't imagine that it is almost the end of a year. It's hard to believe that it is already December 2011. Seems like yesterday or maybe a few months ago that the year 2011 had been welcomed. How time 'flies - that was my first thought when the realization struck me. And you know what, I can't wait for this year to end.

Yes, like many of you, I too love December for a variety of reasons. The festive spirit of Christmas, the scent of home made wine, raisin and plum cakes, the decorating of Christmas tree, the choir singing, the joy of waiting for a new year to unfold - its a heady season indeed. It's also the best time to contemplate on the year that was.

For me, personally, 2011 has been a most difficult year to sail through, the tests and tribulations were unexpected, painful and difficult. But I think its made me a stronger person spiritually.

I've read somewhere in Sri Paramahansa Yogananda's writings as follows, "You are spiritually tested where it is likely to hurt the most. If you handle it by surrendering to God to guide you to deal with it and without any negativity, anger or malice, you win the test and it makes you stronger spiritually. If you react by blaming God, comparing others happy lives with yours and constantly making others unhappy for your situation, then you have failed the test. The same test will come into your life over and over in higher degrees till you learn to deal with it and grow spiritually."

In that sense, I think I scraped through and managed a decent, just-pass because I entrusted my pain to God. Simply put, this year brought me tremendous changes that I couldn't possibly have dreamt of, especially in terms of spiritual growth and spiritual abundance. Unbelievable as it may sound, but every thought, word and deed that has guided me this year has been truly divine and a reflection of my Higher Self.

Recently some one on Facebook asked me, "What do you do?"

I said, sincerely, "I make others happy about their lives by being there and listening."

I really meant it. There are hundreds of things that I do. But what really makes me 'me' is when I make others happy about themselves. Being the reason of others' happiness - that is God's work. What can be more beautiful or humbling than that? Everything else ...well, does it even matter? Thank you, God.

To all my friends, thank you!

Chacha Nehru & Jyotiraditya's Perk

2011-11-14T09:57:00.000-08:00

Today, Jyotiraditya, my son, told me out of the blue, "Amma, did you know today is Chacha Nehru's birthday? So, in school, there were programs. We all got chocolates too. I think I like Chacha Nehru but I wish he had send us some other chocolates, not Perk."

I couldnt help laughing out aloud. Trust my innocent little boy to say something so original about one of the world's most loved Statesmen! I told Adi that Chacha Nehru 's real name is Jawaharlal Nehru and he was the first Prime Minister of Independent India, which meant that he had to look after the welfare of the whole country.

So, Adi said, "The whole of India was his office?"

Hmmm, I said, "Not exactly but he had many big problems to solve for India. Though he was very busy and had tons of work, he loved kids. He used to try and spend time talking to kids. I've also read in a book that he always replied to kids who wrote to him personally. But I don't know how true that is."

"Amma, I'd like to see Chacha Nehru," says Adi, totally wide eyed and interested.
"I will show you some of his pictures and we can visit his house that he had in Delhi."
Adi was truly impressed. "Wow, he has a house in Delhi."

I wanted to say its a palatial mansion but I thought I'll keep it simple for Adi and let him delight in seeing it for sure.
"Tell you what, we have a deal. We will all go and check out his house."
Adi had another brilliant idea. "If I like the house, do you think we can stay there for some days?"

Ooops! I said, "Not really Adi. Because his house is like a memorial. People come to see how he lived, what he was like as a person and lots of kids come there too, just like you. So, its not a private house for us to go and stay in. He lived for the country so now every one gets a chance to show respect and to see how he lived. That doesnt mean we all have the right to stay there."

"I think I really like Chacha Nehru. But next time, I want to tell him to send us some other chocolates on his birthday. Not Perk. I mean, who even like Perk these days? Maybe he doesn't know that because he is old. What do you think amma?"

I didnt know what to think but I said in my mind, "Chacha Nehru, my son really likes you. So please bear with the Perk complaint and bear with him."

I am sure Chacha Nehru undestands:)

7 Am Arivu (the Seventh Sense) - Why it is spiritually relevant

2011-11-06T01:03:00.000-07:00

7 Am Arivu (the Seventh Sense) is a film that I was desperate to watch for two reasons. One, I am a Suriya fan and I had heard so much about his performance in this movie that I didn't want to settle for watching a CD of it and losing the actual cinematic experience. Second, I had read from various bloggers and their reviews that this film revolves around the story of Bodhidharman, a 16th century prince from Tamil Nadu who had mastered knowledge spanning multiple forms of art, and was sent to China to save the people from evil. Once he goes there, the transformation begins for himself and for the people there and he goes on to become Damo, the father of Shaolin and Kung Fu and hypnotism and such other mystical yet spiritually relevant forms of mind mastery.

7 Am Arivu Goes Over the Top with the Dravidian Rhetoric
In 7 Am Arivu, there has been a lot of controversy created by the fact that nearly every character eulogizes about the importance of being Tamil and yes, the Dravidian rhetoric is not too subtle. However, I am looking at it positively. Why? Because taking pride in your mother tongue, the state or region that you belong to or even the way you adapt to contemporary life with a clear awareness of who you really are is important.

In this film, it is clear there was no attempt to draw a fine balance and thus, it goes a little over the top.

7 Am Arivu (the Seventh Sense) - The Story
Coming back, the story returns to the present era wherein a genetic engineering research student Subha Srinivasan (starring Shruthi Hassan who speaks terrible Tamil by the way and needs desperate coaching in Tamil accent) finds out that Arvind (starring Suriya) is a descendant of Bodhidharman has the same DNA as him. At the same, the top Chinese brass send their best student Dong Lee to kill this research student and start a biowar with India. What Dong Lee does is that he injects a dangerous virus into the body of a street dog. Note that this virus has the disease which occurred in China at the time when Bodhidharma went there and saved the people from being totally wiped out. So Subha's mission goes on fast track mode as the biowar spreads in India and people and children fall sick with the mysterious virus.

However, I don't want to look at this movie as an ordinary film because it has its basis in some spiritual truths that are of great importance and that got lost in the midst of chaotic action sequences, unnecessary songs and many cheesy dialogues.

7 Am Arivu has spiritual connotations that may interest seekers
For me, 7 Am Arivu (the Seventh Sense) is spiritually interesting. I am not going to delve into it from a ordinary film review perspective. I am trying to decode the clear spiritual message that underlied the story or the concept of the story.

Here are some basic elements of great spiritual truths that the film attempted to delve into:

To answer the fundamental question: Who ami?
Spiritual masters and religious texts say that God didn't create you and send you to earth so that you can simply eat, work, continue with life like any beast of burden. God did for a good reason. Have you ever wondered what that reason is?

Is it enough to go through life without answering a fundamental question "Who ami? Ami the name that my parents have given me? Ami the person that my friends and colleagues think I am? Ami as limited as my thoughts and actions make me out to be?"

The moment we ask ourselves these questions, the next inevitable question pops up. "What is my real mission on earth?"

To find the Plan of Action on Earth by knowing "What is my real mission on earth?"
No one can tell you what is your real mission on earth. You will have to ask your Higher Self to show you the truth for which you have been born. Your birth has to have real meaning for this earth. It is up to you to show whether you want to be like Steve Jobs and leave behind a legacy that changed the world or whether you want to be like Gaddhafi and have the whole world celebrating that you had been found in the drains. It's really up to each one of us to ask for guidance from the Higher Self to reveal to us what the real Mission on earth is. No two people will have the same mission. Each person will have something different, unique just as each person on earth is different and unique.

How to start? Pray very earnestly to God. Ask God to show you the truth about your real self when your spiritual soul is ready for it. But keep asking. Or else, you will pass through this life in blissful ignorance of who you really are.

Protect yourself and the world from evil forces no matter what it takes
No one has the right to take away your happiness. It is your birth right. If any one tries, fight it. Because their intentions are evil. And they are not worth your pain. In the Mahabharata, Arjuna decides to give up the fight because He doesnt want to take up arms against those whom he loves. They are his family members. He says to Krishna, "How can I hurt my family members and think that it is the right thing to do? How can I justify this to my own conscience?" Do we not, as ordinary human beings, encounter situations like what Arjuna faced - when we feel torn by what is right and perhaps what is being pressurized in our life by family members?

The Lord asked Him not to be a coward. Why did Lord Krishna ask Arjuna to fight? Why would God want us to fight?

The answer is simple - to protect ourselves and the world when there are evil souls/forces around. Every one has a right to happiness but those that are evil tend to destroy the happiness and peace of the world at large. They have no respect for God, for Dharma or for the welfare of the society. They squeeze out every inch of goodness from others and expect others to follow them. That is the situation in which you can't buckle under pressure just because you are related.

Krishna, in essence, is our conscience. When evil strikes, don't buckle under it. Fight it, not just for yourself but for generations of humanity that deserve to have a Dharmic life.

In this movie too, the principle is almost the same. Dong Lee is an evil soul who uses evil means to hurt, manipulate and get rid of people on the path that he is intent on. And only a good soul can fight evil. Those who have fear, hypocrisy or even doubt in their minds cannot strike back at evil. In fact, to fight evil, you have to have greater strength in mind and spirit. That is what Krishna tells Arjuna.

You cannot possess all latent wisdom without evolving for it spiritually
In the material world, you progress from playschool, nursery, kindergarten and so on to evolve your levels of conscious intelligence into something deeper and more useful for each level in your physical year. However, in the spiritual world, you need to constantly focus, work and re-affirm your commitment to your soul's spiritual evolution. Or else, you will not possess or be able to retrieve the latent wisdom that your soul has accumulated from birth to birth.

Just like the character of Arvind is slowly brought back to retrieve the knowledge of Bodhidharman, the spiritual masters say that each of us can do the same. We can retrieve a vast treasury of wisdom that the soul has by living a life that is true to ourselves. What worked for Arvind is that he had some one called Subha Srinivasan to trigger his spiritual evolution and retrieve the knowledge of His Higher soul.

In the real world, we can do that only through spiritual masters who will appear in our life only when we are open and ready to recieve their message. Till then, we will remain beasts of burden, carrying on our tasks, thinking that that alone is the purpose of this human life. What a waste!

While this film 7 Am Arivu (the Seventh Sense) has many loopholes, I believe that it was constructed on some fundamental principles of spirituality. However, it failed to completely bring those across effectively because it has a commercial entertainment purpose to it. So the gaps were inevitable. Still, I liked the fact that some one out there made an effort and that an actor of Suriya's stature was convinced enough about these spiritual truths that he agreed to mouth some dialogues that may have seemed decidedly cheesy to a completely entertainment-oriented audience.

Good work, Suriya. Better luck next time, Shruti Hassan!

Start of the Day: What the Spiritual Masters Say

2011-10-28T20:43:00.000-07:00

Start of the day is when we want everything to go smoothly for us. The productivity of getting a task done, the milestones involved, the effort of teams or maybe supportive systems - a lot is at stake whether you are working or managing the home.

Start of the day: What the Spiritual Masters Say
The ancient, wise men who guarded Indian traditions and beliefs knew what they were talking about even back then. They knew how important it is to start the day with a sense of awareness and mindfullness, something we are all struggling with. In fact, many of us don't even wake up peacefully. However, the Hindu scriptures clearly differentiate between following a spiritual master and following an Avatar. That would take me several posts to write so I am not getting into that.

The spiritual masters I have researched about include Sri Paramahansa Yogananda, Sri Ramakrishna Paramanhansa, Swami Vivekananda, and several Buddist spiritual leaders. But please note that while I am not a follower or disciple of these great masters. I am deeply inspired by ways they prescribed and I like to compare it to my own spiritual experiences and beliefs. As a result, it helps me to research and keep track of how they interpreted their spiritual experiences and how they liked to approach the start of the day

We wake up with a sense of rush. Rushing to get things done, rushing to beat the traffic and reach office on time, it is a constant rush we wake up with. That is a false sense of duty that calls out to us. If we haven't had a good start of the day, things go awry. Don't they? But that is also because we didn't prioritize our duties correctly.

But you know what? I liked this thought that perks me up at the start of the day. There's a Sanskrit saying, "A duty that comes into conflict with another is not a true duty at all." This means that if you are working at the expense of your health, it's not your true duty that you are demonstrating but a false sense of it. You have a duty towards your body - to maintain it well and take care of it with proper rest, food and sleep.

In the same way, whenever you are engaged in doing something, make sure it doesn't conflict with other duties. For example, if you are working very hard but ignoring the basic etiquette of maintaining important relationships in your life like that with your spouse, your parents, your close friends, etc, then you are ignoring the social fabric that keeps your life meaningful. Any duty that you percieve to come into conflict with another cannot be considered as a 'real duty.'

Start of the day: PRAY
Here's what I like to do at the start of the day. Before getting up in the morning, I always pray for a few minutes. There's no formula to follow. I just pray to God and seek His blessings before I start the day. This means before I get out of bed, I do my prayer. It makes me feel more peaceful before I start my tasks. It gives me an opportunity to sync with my higher self and acknowledge that I am not the actual Doer but I am the instrument that needs to be pretty good and focused at what tasks lie ahead for me. Praying also eliminates any negative energy or thoughts or feelings that I may otherwise begin the day with.

Always remember, once your feet touch the ground, your spiritual energy that is replenished in your sleep gets absorbed by the earth's vibrations that are very strong due to the pull of gravity. That is why people are advised to sit in padmasana with some sheet or some prayer mat while they pray. The body's spiritual energy reserves are easily absorbed by direct contact with the earth. The smartest way to conserve your sleep-replenished spiritual energy is to pray before your feet touch the ground first thing in the morning. THIS IS NOT MY PERSONAL FINDING. THIS IS WHAT SPIRITUAL MASTERS ADVISE. Following this has helped me a lot.

Just as start of the day is important, the way you go back to sleep is equally very important. According to spiritual masters, sleep is a form of temporary death. The only difference between sleep and death is that in sleep, your soul travels back to your body within an acceptable time frame so that your body can be fully energized for the following day. In death, the soul does not return. It goes back to its Origin. Therefore, sleep and the quality of sleep are important for those who are spiritual. It is also believed in metaphysical science that sleep is when your soul can travel with immense power to any place or any person you are attached to or strongly connected to.

I have read Buddhists who say that they start the day with something very mindful. For example, while drinking a glass of water, they'd say, "This is the elixir of life and youth and God's kindness. This will keep me alive and energized as God's elixir of life for the whole day." The power of your thought can make that plain glass of water become something more. That is what the Buddists say. Practice every breath that you take with meaningful mindfullness. Be aware of who you really are versus who you think you are.

For kids, the best way to ignite their minds is to teach them to thank God every morning and every night. Adi and I say our prayers together. It makes us feel so good to start our day like that and also to end our day with lots of love to God.

To ensure that in your sleep, you are energized and stay blessed, you must offer a prayer to God, thanking Him for the day that He blessed you with, the little things His love showed itself in and expressing your gratitude is the most beautiful way to say good bye to the day that was because that day doesnt come again ever in your life.

Each day at the start of the day, you are reborn because each night your soul comes back to your body and gives you life. Thank God every morning that He has kept you alive, given you the power to breathe in and breathe out and blessed you with that one gift no onelse can give you - the power of life. Thank God every morning and every night. It may not give you a perfect start or a perfect end. But you'll see how the quality of awarness and mindfullness comes to you more naturally when you sync with your Higher Self. But one thing, don't do this for God. Do it because you love your self. Do it because you also have a duty to nurture your self. Have a fantastic start to all your days.

But hey, tell me, how do you love to start your day?

Art and Craft, School Project: How we got a Giraffe to look Bright and Save Carbon!

2011-10-20T09:42:00.000-07:00

Here's another art and craft project that Adi had got from his school. So, let me explain how we worked on it. He was given a printout of a giraffe's image and told to do something creative to make it look interesting and environment-friendly.

I was like "How can you make a giraffe look interesting? All i have is a printout."

Well, then I spotted an old birthday wrapping paper that looked flowery and I showed it to Adi and we both liked the idea of putting that as a kind of background for the giraffe. So first, Adi colored the giraffe in shades of yellow and brown. Then he stuck the giraffe onto this wrapping paper. But I felt though it looked good, something was still missing. That's when I fished into the Lindt Box and saw a green post card promotional that was about saving electricity and carbon. The context was different of course but I liked the message that it was giving.

So, I cut it and Adi pasted it. It felt perfect.

What do you think?

Lindt Box is not just for chocolates, its perfect for waste!

2011-10-11T07:32:00.000-07:00

There's a beautiful white Lindt box that I kept when a dear Uncle gifted the chocolates to my son. The box has 'Lindt' in golden letters. It is a compact white box that looks too chic and expensive to be thrown away. Well, I kept it. For a very long time, I thought to myself, "What do I put in this box?" I had nothing to put in it.

Then, Adi's school began. Projects of one sort or the other began to come in, sometimes weekly, monthly or quarterly. While many parents in his school prefer to get them 'custom made,' I saw it as an opportunity to flex my weak 'creative design' streak. I am pretty bad at it but I thought "Why don't I and Adi learn together?" So, there began my collection that found its way into the Lindt box that was still in pristine condition.

In the Lindt box, I would collect scraps that we would normally throw away such as bright chocolate wrappers, old postcards, brochures of any company that they use as promotional material, interesting shapes or designs that are from old calendars, covers of products like perfumes, incense sticks, then stray buttons, shells, and yes, even retailers' wrapping paper. A favorite of mine is Sugar & Spice wrapping paper. I make cards, sweet little notes or messages and sometimes wrap gifts in them and adorn it with personalized notes.

Another example, you would find many little decorative ad satchets that come with magazines. These satchets are glossy, decorative and have fantastic design elements on them. Since they drop out of the magazine, I collect and keep them in the Lindt box. It always comes in handy for a project, or sometimes to make a card or something interesting for the class.

I wouldn't claim that any of these creations are artistic works because they are not. But what I can say is that we have so many 'waste materials' around us that we can put to good use for kids and their projects. So, do try checking your home for them and make a collection that suits your tastes and interests. Remember, whatever waste material you choose, make sure its clean before it goes into your box. Or else, the other materials will get spoilt too.

Here are some creations Adi and I made from waste materials as part of his school project:

1. Project Title: Decorate one new notebook with color & creativity. Let your individuality come through.

Theme I chose as the underlying design for the project: Christmas
Reason: You can go wild with colors, designs and shapes. Festivity in a notebook seemed to enchant me and delight the child in me who never liked the plain, school notebooks.

Materials used:

A notebook
An old Britannia marketing promotional material I collected and kept from the magazine Good Housekeeping's Christmas issue of last year
Old Birthday wrapping paper, barely a meter was left but I had kept it for use in the Lindt box
Cellotape to stick the little material onto the b'day wrapping paper.
A note to place inside the 'Boot' like a name label that helps the teacher identify the student

Here's the note placed inside with Adi's name:

At every stage, I involved Adi in deciding colors, materials and so on otherwise there is no point to completing this project.

What do you think? Tell me honestly if it sucks. I am ready to improve for the upcoming school projects:)

R.I.P. Steve Jobs & What Death teaches us

2011-10-06T02:49:00.000-07:00

Rest in peace, Steve Jobs - you've created more than an Apple for the world. Before you departed, you've created a whole new world.

Today, I believe that Death is a great teacher whom we don't have to fear. Reason? Because life is a preparation for a new beginning after death. A caterpillar has no growth if it remains a caterpillar, does it? It has to shed its existing body to rise anew. Instead of running away from what it represents, we need to prepare our life for the truth called Death, with every breath we take, every step we take and every action we decide to go forward with.

As Steve Jobs say, there's no time to waste & there's no reason not to follow your heart.
The choice is ours.

Happy Birthday Mommy

2011-10-05T04:19:00.000-07:00

Mother is that special, incredible & irreplaceable person in your life who can completely turn your world around and be there for you when no on else cares to. From a fiery, trendy and highly stylish young woman who played terrific basketball and knew the right dance moves and had the audacity to assert that she'd absolutely no belief in God, my mother's journey to becoming a woman of traditional values, materialistic restraint and spiritual strength is nothing less than incredible and amazing. But that calls for a separate post altogether so I won't go into that:)

Mommy, you've taught me so much about life and relationships without saying a single word. Your life - the simplicity, the way you've led it, prioritized it and valued your relationships with such dignity - tells me more than any book in the world. And by now, I am sure you are smiling and I've got to tell you - I've always wished I had your seductive smile! I'd have been a cool cat, rock star by now if I did:)

What I love most about you, Mummy, is you've never told me to do something because you want it done. You've never interfered in my life or told me do this, do that. You've raised me to do the right thing always and most importantly, live the way I want to. The right human values that you taught me forms the strength of my roots.

I know that many times you were told by people, "Why educate daughters much? Marry them off as fast as possible." But you always had a clear vision of your daughters' strengths. We love you for not giving in to those silly nags whoever they are.

Like you always wanted, both your daughters are self-reliant professionals - one in the media and the other in the field of medicine. I am not saying this with any ego but with a sense of gratitude that my sister and I feel towards our parents. Because of them, we, the two daughters, are happy, confident and well-settled individuals in our professions. If my mother hadn't given us the right values, we may not have visualized our growth in life the way we do today.

Most importantly, Mommy - you've raised both your daughters as down-to-earth individuals who can intelligently and compassionately connect to people. That's the best thing a mother can do for her children and my mom, in her own silent way, has done it. I suspect you got that from our dear sweetie pie Ammukutty:)

Happy Birthday, Mommy! We all LOVE you to bits! But that doesn't mean you can have the whole chocolate cake, okay? Save a generous slice for me!

Love you, Mommy!

What about Faith?

2011-09-21T08:13:00.000-07:00

Faith is a strange thing in our lives. It plays a great role in our reactions and responses to the tumultous ups and downs of life, helps us traverse through rocky navigational paths, taps the hidden reservoir of strength that lies within us and much more. But we don't really acknowledge it as much as we do the other aspects of our lives. But its always there - as a constant awareness.

Recently, while going through an emotionally difficult time, I went to a chapel that happened to be closest to where I was. I prayed before the image of Jesus Christ. I felt unsure. I had no candles. I wasn't kneeling or chanting a Christian prayer or hymn. But I very much felt the love and faith surging within me.

So I prayed, "Jesus, I realize I don't know how you'd want me to pray to you. Right now, I am praying the way I want. Tell me should I bring candles next time? Is that how you'd want me to pray?"

Then I felt silly. As if Jesus is going to listen to such nonsensical ramblings, I thought to myself.

But he did.

The next morning, there was a handwritten note left on my desk. I was told that a nun had come and placed it there. I didn't meet the nun. I have no idea who she is or why she chose to keep that handwritten note for me. Logically, there's no explanation.

But in my heart of hearts, I believe it was the answer of Jesus to a simple question that I had asked out of love. It meant everything to me that God listens to what I say. It means even more to me that I should be precious enough to get God's attention even in the smallest things that I may consider trivial. But that also means I need to be more aware of my responsibility - of living a life that's honest, decent and good.

One step. That's all it takes. But we hesitate to take that one step. Has something like this ever happened to you?

Happy Onam 2011

2011-09-09T04:15:00.000-07:00

To all Malayalis celebrating today, I wish you a very Happy & Prosperous Onam!

Happy Ganesh Chaturthi: Luv Ganesha, how about you?

2011-09-01T04:03:00.000-07:00

First of all, Happy Ganesh Chaturthi wishes to all of you, dear friends.

Worldwide and even on Twitter, people are sending out wishes of love, prosperity and peace in the name of Lord Ganesha. Schools are shut. Offices are mostly in holiday mode. In homes, pujas and prasad are offered to please and invoke the blessings of Lord Ganesha today.

Luv Ganesha for

1) His obedience, humility & love for his parents

2) Ability to remove obstacles intelligently

3) Always looking happy, inspiring us to break more coconuts (anger, envy, ego)

4) By being ever loving always with a platter of the yummiest delicacies & he's no social snob who gives importance to who wears what or who looks smart or who's high class folks - he teaches us to rise above such factors - Lord Ganesha shares his place with the humble rat.

How about you?

Mom's Recipe Book

2011-08-28T03:41:00.000-07:00

It's a Sunday afternoon. Adi's gone out to play and I don't know why but I am missing my mom's tea time snacks that I grew up munching when I used to come back from school.

No Fuss about Food

My mom says that even as a child, I never fussed about anything, particularly food. Except the smelly jackfruit, mom says that you could give me any type of food and I would eat it without any fuss. Even spinach! She says I loved the different types of cakes that she used to make that always for me.

My Mom's Best Cooking Days

Our home in Africa always had baking smells. In the afternoona, Mom would bake cookies, cake, and each time it would be a different type. My friends used to love the chocolate mousse she used to make. For every birthday, she used to bake the cake for me. But she wasn't that confident with the icing so we had some other expert help her with that.

Mom loved spending her afternoons making naadan snacks like 'unniappam' and 'murukku' and the 'ada' and 'sukhiyan' she used to make were simply out of the world. Hmm, I am already dreaming of 'ada' for tea time!

(Source: Kothiyavunnu)

Mom's Lost Recipe Book with Grandma's Secrets

But mom lost her diary of recipes when we returned to India. This is because a lot of the baggage got lost and had been misplaced when we were back. The recipe book was a thick green book with handwritten recipes that she had collected all her life from all over the world. The book also had timeless recipes given to her by her mom. My grandmother is one person who everyone reveres as a most amazing cook.

My Grandma was a Real 'MasterChef'

Top politicians like AK Anthony, Oomen Chandy, Vayalar Ravi and many eminent others used to flock to my grandmother's dining table because they loved eating the food my grandmother used to make. People who have tasted my grandma's food says she was a culinary queen. But she never wrote down her recipes anywhere. She knew them by heart and shared her culinary secrets with my mom. Just a whiff of a curry and Grandmother knew what the ingredients were, what the dish would taste like and so on. I miss her so much.

I think I'd do anything to get that book. It's not just about the recipes. It's about mom's identity and passion. When she lost that book, I think she experienced it as a deeper loss. She never wrote down recipes again.

I really wish I could find that diary for my mom.

Jyotiradiya (Adi) becomes Balram for a day

2011-08-19T23:54:00.000-07:00

Schools all over the country are celebrating the birthday of Lord Krishna (also called Janmashtami) by making the little ones dress up as Krishna.

It happens that I had gone for an urgent three day trip to Kochi and come back and next day, Adi's off to school. I get a teacher's note saying he should dress up for the occasion. I know I need to get him a flute and a crown of feather but I am back home at six thirty, dead tired after a hard day's work and I need to sit with Adi to help him catch up with all the lessons he missed while we were in Kochi. So, I decide that I will dress him up well in the traditional attire but I won't go to the market for the feather. The very act would drain my energy further and by the time I get back, Adi would be too tired to do his homework.

So, now, D-day comes. I got Adi dressed up in a traditional Krishna costume that we had bought during my recent trip from Guruvayoor, the famous Krishna temple in Kerala. I put a little bit of eyeliner very lightly over Adi's eyes despite his stern protests that "I am a boy, only girls wear eyeliner" and little dash of rouge.

When I saw the makeover, I felt dizzy. I have such a sweet-looking daughter before me. So, off Adi goes to school.

When I see him in the evening, he isn't too pleased. He says, "Amma, they made me act as Balram on stage."

I said, "Wow, Adi, thats wonderful. Did you enjoy acting as Balram?"

Pat comes the reply, "No, Amma. If you had remembered to put peacock feathers in my bag, they would have made me act as Krishna."

Hmmm!

Memories of Swami, As I Remember (Part One)

2011-08-06T10:35:00.000-07:00

If you are one of those people who are cynical, please don't read this post. It's not for you. If you are one of those people who want to know what I have to say with an open mind, fine - you are welcome to read. I request you to respect my beliefs as I do yours.

I led a perfectly mundane, happily normal life till Swami (Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba) chose to make His presence felt. In April 1987, my parents became His devotees. But I wasn't yet a devotee.

Firstly, I wasn't convinced about Swami's divinity. Though a child, I had an insatiable curiosity on religion and spirituality. I had read the Bible, the Ramayana, the Mahabharata, the autobiography of Sri Ramakrishna and Swami Vivekananda at least twenty times. At that time, I could have easily recited the Bible because I sort of knew it by heart, having read it several times over and over again. While I had respect for these spiritual and religious concepts, they didn't 'click' with me naturally. Even as a child, I knew there was something very special and different that I was waiting for. I didn't feel that 'connect' between Swami and I at that time. So I always averted my eyes from His picture whenever I chanted my prayers.

It's almost like love, you know. Either you love some one and you instantly know 'this is the guy for me' or you do what others tell you, marry the guy they find for you and learn to love that person as part of the natural process of your life. What works for you doesn't have to work for another person. It was the same for me in the matter of faith.

It was at that time that there was the demise of Shri Shiva Dathan Menon, my paternal uncle, some one I loved, adored, respected and idolized deeply - a real father figure. He was not just an uncle to me. He was my best friend to. He was some one who made up stories to make me smile, some one I could confide my deepest secrets with, some one who would go and buy a whole shop for me if I asked for a dress; that was the kind of love and friendship I had with my uncle. In my life, there has never been any uncle whom I have felt so deeply connected to. He used to call me 'princess' with such love at a time when I was the plainest kid in my dad's and mom's family. The thing is he didn't do it out of kindness. He did it because he loved me as his own daughter and called me his daughter. Even today I always believe he's there up in the skies watching over me, protecting me.

For me, it was a traumatic period. For more than two weeks, I was in a state of shock after hearing that he was no more. That was my first experience of death. I understood death for the first time and i hated it then. I couldn't believe I would never hear him call me 'princess' again. I was numb for days.

At the time, as I continued my evening prayers as usual, I heard a voice. I first thought I imagined it.

But it called out to me again, softly, "Princess."

I froze. I wondered what was happening because I was chanting my prayers as usual.
Then, I heard the voice again and it seemed to come from Swami's picture. I stared in shock and disgust. My first thought was, "No one else can call me princess, who is he to call me that?"

Then I felt like crying. For the uncle I had lost, for the love that was gone.

Swami again spoke to me, gently. He said, "Who are you crying for? Don't you know every one has to come to Me some day? The one you are crying for is with me. Don't worry. Anytime you want to see him, I will show you. But first, you must promise me that you will share all your troubles with me. I am your friend. You don't have to take my advice. You can always decide the right way but sometimes you can let me help u find the right way."

I don't know why but those words, that offer of friendship, swept me off my feet. Here was some one who didn't tally up my good deeds versus my sins and then force me to do good things so that I get a seat in heaven. Here was some one who told me that faith begins with friendship and trust and that decisions are one's own responsibility but a good friend is one who shows the right away.

From that day, it was a deal. I told Swami all my joys and sorrows. I shared everything with Swami and we always had a great friendship. There is nothing in this world I have kept as a secret from Swami and for every secret I've told Him, Swami has always given me the right nudge in the right direction. He has never asked me to do something because He said so.

Later on, I was tired of speaking to Swami's photo and always hearing His voice. I longed to see Swami. Perhaps it is because I was a child, Swami always appeared before Me whenever I asked to see Him. Many of you may not believe this but I have seen and talked to Swami's full form in Africa while Swami was present in Puttaparthi. Countless devotees of Swami have seen His physical form in their homes while He resided in Puttaparthi. Swami always manifested to devotees, when the love and longing of His devotees was pure as crystal.

But He told me, "As you grow older, you will learn to see Me in your Heart because I cannot keep appearing everytime. Remember, I am within you, not outside. These appearances before you are only to show you that you are not imagining me, that I am as real as your parents and other friends, that you are not hallucinating. But very soon, I will end these appearances because it is time for you to outgrow the attachment to my form."

My love for Swami has given me the strength to never choose the path of Untruth over Truth. While taking shortcuts is more convenient and definitely lucrative, I would never do that because the moment I do or say something dishonest, I know Swami will cease to speak to me. His love is something I cannot lose. His love is what propels me to look forward to each day as a day to love, serve and be of use to others in this society. It is His love that showed me one thing: People are going to distrust you, see you as fake but as long as you are true to yourself, no one can stop you from serving the world and treading the path of Dharma.

All my life, I have seen and heard Swami being ridiculed, criticized and called all sorts of names. People who have benefited from Swami have often turned against Him. What I have also seen and experienced is that Swami never ceases to be Himself. Swami is so full of love for the world and for humanity. Swami radiates such positive energy.

Once a student complained to Swami, "I do service and practise your teachings but people are so ungrateful, Swami. They use me to get their things done and dump me thereafter. What's the use of service to the society when the society is so ungrateful?"

Swami smiled and said, "Did I ever say that service is to reform the society? Service is to reform you, the individual. It is to awaken your divinity, it is not to reform others. Who are you to reform others? First, reform yourself fully and then think about reforming others."

Swami never tolerates criticism of other people no matter what you say they did to you. Swami always expressed love, especially to those who say bad things about Him. He would say, "If it gives them Ananda to say these things about me, I am grateful to them that I am their cause of Ananda. I have come to give Ananda to all, those who hate me and those who claim they are my Devotees. No one is separate from Me. All are part of Me. I don' t see anyone as separate from Me."

It's hard for me to not think of Swami as I remember Him. I realize now how blessed I am that Swami shared fleeting golden moments of love and friendship with me. He didn't have to but He chose me.

Swami has always given me His love and I have always treaded by it. Like a divine shepherd, Swami always made sure i am safe and happy. Even now, there isn't an hour in my life when Swami doesn't protect me. All my life, Swami has protected me like the eyelids protect the eyes. Even in my sleep, I believe Swami protects me. Not just me, those who love Him have experienced His all-pervasive, protective love.

And I wish, like He first said to me, "Don't you know every one has to come to me someday?" I am grateful to Swami for the love He has showered on me and my family. I pray that He will accept me when it's my time to go to Him because I don't want to go to heaven or hell as long as I can be with Swami in my afterlife.

Swami's presence is my anchor. That is my heaven. The abode of Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba is where I shall live long after I am gone.

And when Swami welcomes me to His abode, I know how He will greet me.

"Welcome, my princess."

That's what Swami always called me right from my first conversation with Him.

Malayalam Movie Review: SaltNPepper - For Foodies & Lovers

2011-08-06T06:03:00.000-07:00

Salt N Pepper movie - I heard so much about it from my Twitter friends. I was praying for the movie to reach me here. For those who love food and romance, this movie has IT. With food as the movie's main theme, I was totally glued to the movie's starting point that showed different types of tasty food in different stages of creation and presentation. Colors oozed from the dishes, each distinct from the other. You would have seen the audience licking their lips in anticipation of the next dish, such was the visual delight of the movie when it began.

SALT N PEPPER - REAL FOOD & REAL CHARACTERS

Aashiq Abu's 'Salt n Pepper' is simple, brilliant and stays in your heart forever. The story revolves around Kalidasan (starring Lal) who is an archaeologist but is more obsessed with food - the scents, the taste and the texture of food that takes him to the past and beyond. Maya (starring Swetha Menon) lives in the same town and works as a dubbing artiste.

Personally, I have never liked any of Shwetha Menon's movies though she is currently a hot favorite with Malayalis all over the world. In this film, I loved her performance. The insecurities she portrays and struggles to deal with when people constantly remind her that it's time to get married and she has a beautiful room mate who's confidence sometimes totally gets on her nerves. She also has to deal with lecherous men who work with her and show no hesitation to invite her over a weekend for 'just sex.' She portrays the contemporary woman effortlessly. Her way of speaking, walking and dressing are 100% natural.

WHO CAN FORGET MOTHER'S COOKING?

A scene that I liked was when she talks to Kalidasan about her mother's cooking - the smell of the food her mother used to make and how she feels that when she is cooking, her mother 's presence and love is constantly around her. Don't we have such moments in our life too?

IS THERE A WOMAN WHO DOESN'T BREAK DOWN?

Another scene I liked again was where she breaks down crying in the beauty parlor, saying she's fed up of life. Every woman, at some point, has said and felt that. Shwetha Menon had the conviction to bring that universal moment onto celluloid with amazing naturalness.

OPPOSITES ATTRACT, THANKS TO DOSAS:)

Kalidasan and Maya - the two unlikely couple clash when one of Maya's calls to the local Dosa expert reaches Kalidasan's new mobile. Their quarrels become conversations of memories, family ties and much more.

Kalidasan's narrative of teaching Maya the secret of baking Joan's Rainbow Cake is one of the best moments of this film.

The story of Joan is that she is a French soldier's wife who waits for her husband to return as the Second World War goes on. As she waits, she makes a most delicious cake, borne out of her love and longing. It has layers of deliciously fresh strawberries, pistachios and orange - all are carefully placed one on top of the other. Finally, it is smeared with sinfully glorious chocolate sauce. On that day, in their own homes, Kalidasan and Maya bake their own versions of the said cake and they each taste their love and longing for each other by eating this cake. that moment is captured beautifully in this film.

Thus, they begin to like each other and decide to meet. Their complex about their age, appearance and so on makes them both hesitant to meet - "What if she doesn't like the way I look?" - that kind of complex sets in. That's when the movie's other characters start rolling into the picture.

ROMANCE DOESN'T HAVE TO BE FOR & BY THE YOUNG

Kalidasan's nephew is Manu, a role that's played effortlessly by Asif Ali and the role of Meenakshi who is Maya's roommate is played by Mythili. I am not sure whether there was 'chemistry' between these two young actors. While I liked Asif Ali's performance, I was disappointed by Mythili, who seemed to be 'acting' and not really convincing in anyway. Also, the song they did together didn't seem natural. It looked as though they were uncomfortable with each other.

The role of Kalidasan's brilliant chef is played by Baburaj whose performance is fantastic. He blends in humor, reality and seriousness almost effortlessly even as he goes on to impress us with his culinary skills. Balakrishnan (starring Vijayaraghavan) is Kalidasan's friend and a senior office who, one day, explains that nothing in life is as important as valuing and being with the one you love.

The film, SaltNPepper ends with the Avial band's totally peppy music number. Director Aashiq Abu has raised great expectations with this film. It's food theme and romance rock! It's a must-watch.

Happy Birthday Vihaan - A Fairy Tale Story for You

2011-07-25T11:14:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday, Vihaan! Adi & I love you, lots and lots and lots.

Chechiamma (meaning me) has a fairytale to tell you. Chechiamma says many stories to Adi too:) Someday, you can read this one yourself and tell Chechiamma if you liked it.

Once upon a time, there was a sad-looking girl. Every evening, she would go for a walk, with tears in her eyes.

No one asked her why she always walked and cried. No one had cared or perhaps no one had time. It's a very busy world and people respond to people only on Facebook:)

So, this girl continued her routine. She saw a light from the sky and it caught her eye. A star - it shone so brightly among others as though it was meant just for her. And so it was - they became friends and exchanged secrets. She whispered her sadness to the star. The Secret Sadness was wrapped in a golden colored casket. The winds carried it up and the angels passed it through the pathways lit with heaven's candles and there it flew and flew and into a world where no mortals had entry, it reached the Star.

The next day, the Star told the girl. "From tomorrow, you will not hear my voice anymore."
"What?" The girl couldn't believe this and felt heartbroken. "I shared my Sadness and now you are also flying away from me, never to return."

The Star said, "I will not shine in this sky ever again for you. I will not see you walk and look longingly in the skies. But the gift I share with you shall be much greater. I will find my way into your life and into your heart because even eons ago, we shared a destiny to give each other light, love and life."

The girl was not pacified. She asked, "If I cannot find you in the sky, where else will you be?"

The Star replied, "Where you know I have always been - in the prayers of your heart, in the music of your voice and in the tears of your sadness. Haven't I always been there?"

And so, the girl whose eyes had once been sad, no longer saw or heard from the Star. The gift seemed to have spilled out of her reach.
But you know what the good thing was? She never cried again and she gave hopes and dreams to others around her. She learned to let go and smile again, with life.

The Star had given her a new birth - the miracle of light & life.

So you see, in life, God always gives us His love & light but at times, we do need to look His way and ask for it by sending a Golden Casket of Love and Prayer at the right time.