shivam Ammalu, for Karadayan nombu you don’t prepare laddu, jilebhi, kesari, halva etc?’ ‘Yes, we do, but won’t serve to our men!’ ‘Why Ammalu ? You eat everything and bulge like a barrel?’ ‘Don’t mind even if I swell like your ego, but can’t serve you’ ‘Why, why, why?’ ‘Karadayan nombu is a vratham praying for … Read more
“Ammalu, this is between us; the old lady in our side portion, is pregnant?” “It is not between us. It is between she and her husband. Anyway, as you are curious, she is not old and she is not pregnant.” ——————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————- “Ammalu, why don’t we sit calmly in a place and discuss about the ways … Read more
‘Am,mam, here is the list of my new year vows, in three parts, extremely difficult, very difficult and difficult, 101 vows in each section’ ‘Am, mam?’ ‘Yes, mam. That is the short form for Ammalu madam, the first vow from the ‘extremely difficult’ category’ ‘Good. You want my cooperation in implementing your 300 and odd … Read more
‘Anna, thenkai first classaa odanchuthu,’ my brother Vicha tells me when I call him to greet on the dawn of Vishu, every year. ‘The coconut for Vishukkani broke into identical halves,’- that is what he says and it is a great news for him. ‘This year, things will go smoothly. Nothing to worry till … Read more
Feel fresh, elevated in body and mind. The Global Energizer is the cause. The Sun has been bright since two days. Day temperature around 80 degF. Went for a walk around the colony after a long time. Removed even jacket. To be with a T shirt is like being in a lungi in our … Read more
‘Take back your coffee, take back your Murukku. Ask that Kirukku (crazy ) woman to relive me from the bondage, Ammalu’ ‘Kirukku, who is that?’ ‘Who else ? My mother in law’ ‘She is my mom! You call her Kirukku? She never called you so even once!’ ‘Then what did she call me?’ ‘Irrecoverably idiotic, … Read more
‘Ammalu, you are wrong, thoroughly wrong, if you expect me to bow before you’ ‘No, I don’t. You have been a good boy from the day one doing what I ask you to do, never straining your head’ ———————————– Ammalu, I’m not your servant maid to run to Chettiar shop and bring provision or vegetable … Read more
The word ‘Shivaratri’ brings to my mind my Bhavani Periammai, a short, frail figure, wrapped in a white cloth extended to cover her shaven head too, crossing the Kalpathy River with a grass mat tugged in her arm pit, with empty stomach but elevated bakthi feelings, going to the Shiva temple for worship … Read more
They came to invite me for their wedding. Don’t remember the young man’s name but I can’t forget the young lady’s name. She was Karthi, the abridged version of Karthyayani, her original name . My daughter in law had told me before their arrival that they were living together for more than a year in … Read more
I miss in USA Aalthara or platform bases of peepul or other big trees, we see in temple premises, street corners or pond banks in Kerala . It is not that we don’t have big trees here; we have plenty . But the culture of worshiping trees and giving prominence, is not here. … Read more