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Monday, November 3, 2008

The art of eating

I sat with insatiable interest, straining my tired eyes in one quest
Our eyes met and our thoughts were wet
With imagination and in anticipation of the grind quite yet

The stage was set and I placed myself in quick stead
Before me was placed the green and clean set
To accommodate what I would then upset

Vada, dosa, idli, sambar, chutney said he with no hesitation
All there was to do was to place a designation
For what I wanted to demolish in quick agitation

In no time the steaming idlis were soaked in hot sambar
Only to be squeaked and squashed into resignation
On their way to a bigger dispensation

Sat then I in total realisation, that the idlis were in combustion
Sipping my coffee and gauging my position
Only to prepare myself for further demolitions





Vada is shaped like a small doughnut and made of dal, lentil or potato. It is fried in oil. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vada)

Dosa is a South Indian crepe made of rice and lentils. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dosa)

Idli is a small white cake in circular shape made of rice. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Idli)

Sambar is a vegetable stew made of toovar dal (pigeon pea). (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sambar_(dish) )

Chutney is a mixture of sweet and spicy condiments. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chutney)

Rainy thoughts

The night was so hot that I perspired as if my body was doing a reverse osmosis. As if the water in my body was being rejected and told to get out. Maybe that would have made me a specimen for the world of medicine and not to mention make me famous as well. The flash bulbs and camera lights made me uncomfortable. But let’s come back to the perspiration. The reason I was sweating was because it was mighty hot. I was warned. Chennai will be hot, hotter and then hottest. It didn’t matter that it was dark and the sun was playing hide and seek.

When humans come to desperation they congregate like hens and do one thing…pray. With my body covered in sweat I figured that prayer would not only lead to good tidings but maybe relax my body as well. I closed my eyes and imagined what I wanted from God. Rain drops…lots of them…as much as I could get…as much as God could spare. When you lose water, you also lose your mind!

Many sweaty days later, I thought I heard the sound of pellets striking the ground. Was it war? Was it music? I almost tore off the window curtain to investigate. It was…rain…finally. I felt a tickle, a nudge and smelt the dust rising from the ground. My past was switched to the future. The sweat on my body beat a hasty retreat, as the rain drops were too big to mess around with. I felt sane again. I had got what I wanted.

After enjoying the initial rain shower with my coffee cup in hand I could not stop myself from going outside to feel the water that had risen in protest. Equipped with a water resistant sandal I marched out. The cool breeze greeted me. I was in for a treat. I took the water walk ahead, thinking how lucky I was to have rain to rescue me from the heat. The initial stroll was soothing, the cool water kissing my feet.

But as they say, the longer you search, the more you find. I could see a hut in water, the children standing out and staring into the sky as their home was transformed into a river tributary. Another man was squatting in front of a shop roof extension, smoking a beedi and staring at the smoke. Maybe he wouldn’t be able to find work anymore because of the rain. An autorickshaw driver was pushing his auto which got stuck in the fast-mini-flood of water that had accumulated on the road. Wonder whether his day’s savings would have to be spent in an auto workshop? I felt sweaty again……….