Am bored...

Am really bored. Got a ton of work to do, but have absolutley no energy nor the inspiration to do it...

Grrr....

People I meet on the train..

Sometime back, I had written about a very happy man I used to meet on the train..

 

pic courtesy: wikipedia

This is sort of a follow up to that I guess. It’s a new town this time round: Chennai. Though it lacks the charm of the Mumbai Local, Chennai has a very functional and convenient MRTS which I take for my daily commute to work.

This is the story of a blind man- and a very happy one at that. He gets in sometime before me and he gets down at the same station as mine. The first time I saw him I was pissed as he was not moving and blocking the way while alighting. Taking him to be one of those perennial train-door-hanger types who always block others, I gave him a little shove as we were alighting. It was only when we got down and he unfolded his walking stick that I realized what a totally insensitive thing I had done.
What really stood out was the way he took it all in, all smiles. It takes tons of patience and maturity to keep that kind of cool. He must be subject to this kind of treatment everyday and it really amazes me as to how he remains calm and composed with his simple unassuming smile. Makes me think twice as to why I complain so much.

And these days as I alight at Light House station, I watch and observe; how other commuters do just the same, their reaction later and how their expressions change once they see his black shades and the walking aid. The moment they had the same realizations that I had for the first time.

Hats off to you sir!! Hats off!!

Balyakalasmaranakal...

Sometime back, I'd gone home for the weekend. Albeit very busy 3 days, I got time to go with my family to our old quarters where we used to stay before moving into our present house. This was where I grew up and had so many fond childhood memories


And I try to keep touch with my past by visiting the place every once in a while, just driving around those familiar roads, stopping by my old block, the park where we used to play and the road which we used to take while walking back from school. This time round, it was very different. For an upcoming expansion project, the whole place was bulldozed over. What was once a lush area with trees and houses and sounds of children playing has been reduced to rubble.


Before leaving, we also went to the other end of the quarters where my school stands. Went to the park nearby. It was so much fun, playing around the old place. The statue of the snake which scared me as a little boy, the slide which was too steep for me, the mysteries of the open fish and a statue of a soldier around which I always felt protected.


A desperate attempt to cling on to these memories..

Grrr.. Am so bloody irritated...

Really.. Really.. Irritated.. For no reason at all..
Just don't feel like working.. Just don't feel like doing anything..
Wanna scream at the top of my voice.. Aaaarrrggghhhhhh!!!

Theory of Relativity...

Doesn't time seem to stop when you are in your hometown..


Take today for example. I woke up at 7am. Was out of my house in half hour. Met a friend and went to a relative's place. Then got my hair cut and joined my sister for getting greeting cards. Finally shopped for a Christmas Star. Reached home. and finished off writing the Christmas cards and the stars. Did all this by 1am.




Really wish I could find a job in my home town...

French Toast..

French Toast is a very simple to make breakfast item. It can be made as both a sweet as well as a savory dish. Stuffed French Toast is basically two pieces of French Toast that have been stuffed with bananas, strawberries or other fruit. It is usually topped with butter, maple syrup or powdered sugar.

To make French Toast, take two eggs and beat them lightly. To it, add half cup milk, a few drops of vanilla essence and half a teaspoon of cinnamon powder. (if powdered cinnamon is not at hand, just boil the milk with broken pieces of cinnamon stick and strain it; which is what I did. Remember to cool the milk to room temperature before using it; else it’ll cook the beaten eggs). Mix well.

Take bread slices, dip them in the mix and place on a very lightly greased (egg ensures it won’t stick) frying pan or girdle. Cook until both sides are browned. Use slightly older bread as it’ll be dry and will prevent the toast from getting too soggy and breaking off.

The cooked slices can be served with a variety of toppings such as jam, butter, honey, maple syrup, ketchup etc... It can also be topped with powdered sugar, fruit or syrup.

Important to have it hot. Tastes bad when cold.

Puttu...

Couple of days back I made puttu. Puttu is a very common mallu breakfast dish. It can be made with both rice as well as wheat flour. Puttu with hot steaming kadala curry or sweet banana and a cup of hot tea brings back so many memories. It is a very simple and healthy dish consisting of the flour with layers of grated coconut, steamed in a cylindrical vessel called puttu-kutti.

pic courtesy: HOTDishes

To make puttu, slowly add warn water with a little salt to the flour till it forms tiny lumps. Fill the puttu-kutti with it, adding layers of grated coconut in between. Once fully filled, close the top of the puttu-kutti and load it over the vessel and steam it till done.

Other variations include, steaming it in bamboo stems or coconut shells (chiratta puttu)

Well, since I donot have a putti-kutti, I opted for the easy way out which is buying a pack of instant puttu-podi. Just add equal quantity of hot water to the powder and stir for a minute with a fork. Leave for it to set for five minutes and its done. It tastes pretty much like a normal puttu except I didn’t add the grated coconut. Sprinkled it with sugar and had it with bananas.

Nowhere like the homemade ones, but craving satiated for time being!!