Wolf Totem by Jiang Rong
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I took a long time to finish this book. While I loved reading and re-reading parts of the book, I found some aspects repeated often enough to make me lose interest.

Ecology and mysticism are too tightly woven together to be teased apart. From the perspective of a wildlife researcher, I found this a little frustrating. Chinese agrarian society is beaten raw and the grassland life of Mongols is highly celebrated. While the author has good reason to chide at how Chinese modern society has destroyed the delicate balance of the grasslands, one can get too romantic about the nomadic life and lose any understanding of why the agrarian society developed in the first place.

The book is a departure from your usual books, here the main character's life takes a backseat and the Mongol life and wolves are on centre stage. It is an eye-opener to Mongolian life, their nomadic culture and livestock breeding way of life. I enjoyed reading about the author's love for everything wild. The heart-rending passages showing the agony the author underwent when the Han Chinese overtake and decimates the wildlife and wildscapes echoed within me. Overall it is a great read.

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A wild sheep chase

A Wild Sheep Chase by Haruki Murakami
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I almost gave up reading until the story picks up on the mystical sheep. The tone of the narrator is one of gloom although funnily enough, he looks forward to life. I did not enjoy his picture of Hokkaido; for such a beautiful landscape the writer paints it as cold and heartless. Nature is described in the most unflattering terms, although in tune with the character of the novel. The narrative itself is engaging and a most interesting storyline for sure. I wish I could have gotten a bit more insight into Japan though.

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RRR mantra for a new mum (and Dad!)

Reduce Reuse Recycle! 

When we began our journey of becoming parents one thing that stayed upfront in our minds was not to let go of our passion for the triple R mantra. We began exploring our connections and the net for suggestions from diapering, to food and, everything in between. While we let go of some rigid rules out of necessity, we stuck our guns at others. This write-up is essentially aimed at new parents who are interested to do their bit and are looking for ways to achieve the smallest possible carbon footprint for a baby. 

1. Cloth diapers 

There are a ton of options out on the net for various cloth diapers (Bumpadum, Basics, Superbottoms, etc). I began with Superbottoms cloth diapers for nighttime use only. I suggest using cloth diapers at nighttime so that you and your baby both enjoy unbroken sleep. I was quite satisfied with its performance and did not explore other options. The cloth diaper has continued to perform well for over 10-12 hours during the night and around 3-4 hours during the daytime. However, ensure you follow the washing routine strictly as per the Superbottoms user guide.

    For daytime usage, I used handmade langots for my baby (see here for design: Langot), it is a very simple design and can be stitched at home. For the handmade langots, I used squares torn from used T-shirts that no longer fit me (:( and unlikely to in the next couple of years) as inserts. 

2. Underwear for potty training

After my daughter became more mobile she resisted tying the langots, I used Superbottoms, padded underwear for daytime use. They have been a lifesaver to avoid pee puddles while she gets potty trained.

3. Maternity cloths

I used reusable breast pads as against use and throw ones. 

4. Baby clothes and toys

Avoid buying too many baby clothes that fit the size since the baby will outgrow them even before a single use. The same goes for toys. Believe me, babies and toddlers lose interest in toys quite fast! I bought a dozen shirts and pants/shorts and toys secondhand through Facebook groups (search word: pre-loved). I have continued to buy/get hand-me-downs for her house wear and toys from family and friends. 

5. Baby food

My MIL made a very nutritious (and yummy!) malt for the baby from moong dal, wheat, ragi, barley, and sago for the first 2 months after she turned 6 months old (Fed her in one time only in the noon). is Double the quantity of ragi compared to the rest of the ingredients. All of these are fried separately until fragrant and powdered together. Add a spoonful to half a cup of water (we also added half a spoon of ghee) and cook with constant stirring to avoid lumps until it thickens under a low flame.

    I later used homemade sathumaavu from sprouted grains until she turned 1. Recipe from little moppet. While cooking with the sathumaavu malt I also add an equal quantity of powdered oats and 2 tsp of apple sauce for sweetness (recipe : cook grated apple after removing its peel). 

    

Hope this helps! 

Dawn

 Earling morn when all but birds are asleep;

Unending sound from the building skyscrapers and traffic hum has ceased to be.

This peace and tranquility is but an illusion;

A blip of time that passes away swiftly.

Yet it gives the mind the rest it needs from the thoughts- 

On the doings of people that churn in circles all day;

Molding behavior and actions in a remorseful tragedy.

This morning tranquility is unadulterated;

It is the little rest when creativity can unfold from the tatters of mediocrity.

Hidkal

On one cool morning in Hidkal Dam,

The water stretched end to end in one big endless sea,

The cormorants stood still waiting for the warm sun,

To dry their oilless wings

A pair of river tern stood next to them silently.

Only the lapping of the gentle waves,

And an occasional call from the tern,

 Broke the otherwise silent and soulful moment.

 I sat by watching numbly with no sense of mind racing past,

 And a sweet relief of escape from an ever clattering mind.

I am constantly dreaming away of coasts, 

of vast endless oceans and relentless waves breaking on the shore, 

and their equally vast sandy beaches, 

Sea shells and crabs that comically trot away sideways from you.

Of under water sea creatures washed away despairingly to a curious eye,

Boats and their fishermen hauling fishes ashore, 

And of calm moments as the humid breeze flies past you leaving a salty after taste. 

Painted skies on a early morning or a late evening treating your eyes.

Jumping akimbo into the waves only to run away laughing shrilly,

hoping the water did not sting you so hard.

Warm currents in a cool night.

A place to relax without watchful eyes.

To come back forever. 

My pot of gold 2

Continuing on its accelerated journey my horse-gram plant has pushed its way outside the window. I am now forced to keep my window half secured. Continuing outwards it is now slowly finding its way to the roof. Brings to my mind - "Life will find a way!"