Jackfruit cake - give it a miss.

Before I begin, I must state that this is my personal opinion. You may disagree, if so, as the title goes, please give the rest of contents a miss.

I love jackfruits, I do! I love all varieties of them, even the gooey ones that can't seem to hold a shape on its own. I even like the bland ones, because then I can dip them in honey and relish them all the same. I dislike throwing away jackfruit. So when one day we landed with a monstrosity of a jackfruit (for a family of 3), we distributed it among family and friends and still landed with a lot in the fridge. I was set to make a jam and a cake too. Although, I must say it's just me and my wee one who will dig in and eat my baked food. I am glad I have someone to bake to :). I wasn't very sure how cooked-ripe-jackfruit might taste, so just to be on a safer side, I chose a recipe that called for dessicated coconut (yes, the tasteless coconut shavings). Yes, the cake looks grand, but tastewise it was ok and since I did not add any vanilla or other punchy flavours it was disappointing. My big complaint really is how the jackfruit is wasted getting cooked into this cake. I could have elevated the cake with a nice coconut frosting or some nice lemon curd but that would be doing the jackfruit a disservice. Same goes for the jam that seems more like halva then anything else. So, yes, all in all in the future any excess jackfruits better get eaten on their own or make some yummy happalas!

The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

The premise was certainly fascinating, an interesting take on time travel. However, I find the genetic reasoning behind time travel a bit too far-fetched. For a lone man to spontaneously develop a time-travelling mutation without any precedent seems a little questionable. And in the absence of a more solid explanation, the science-fantasy lover in me is left unsatisfied. Perhaps we will see more explanation in the sequel? I felt uninspired when no one was time-travelling; the character arc and story written between time-travelling was quite dull.

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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!"

My pot of gold

I was recently  gifted a beautiful terracotta pot. I painted its exterior with water colours and planted horse gram. Its been a absolute delight seeing it grow. Hope you enjoy too.

Perhaps you are my answer,
Half of my soul the body hungers for,
Each wrought from similar pain;
Tempered by experiences alike.

The path we chose on our own,
Has intervened now,
To a destination we both walk like-minded.

Similar and yet so unlike,
Each a dreamer and a pragmatist,
Each a parent and a child.

Recycle

What's fragile,

Reflecting, with least prejudice.

What gets broken

More often with neglect?

Why throw away when you can recycle.

What? I was talking about mirror of course!

I'll be true to myself,
Hoping you will do the same.

Leaving nothing to fate,
I will fight for my destiny,
Hoping you will do the same.

In life's unpredictable game,
We are the pawns set against time.

Not letting others dictate my life,
I will set my sail adrift without fear,
Hoping our paths join the same.

To make art

A lazy Sunday afternoon,

Cool wind and a view of the Champaka,

Its golden flowers wafting sensuously..

An urge to paint overwhelms,

Out comes the canvas or perhaps paper or a plain shirt.

Pencil and crayon buzzing hurriedly.

A race against time begins.

Corrections and eraser dust mounts,

Paint splashes in a riot of colors,

A complaining neck and a grumbling stomach ensues.

Finishing touches… And more corrections , a smudge cleverly hidden in another form,

A picture clicked and we are done.

Rainforests

The woods, they echoed the words in my ear.
I felt the warmth of the sun and the coldness of the stream on my skin.
Eyes full of lush greenery,
I was drunk in your glory.

The gentle waves from the torrent.
And an occasional fish that kissed our feet.
The stinging sweat flies that came to pinch rosy cheeks,
And run away in merriment.

The creepers that wove around the graceful trees, swung merrily by.
The hill mynahs they reflect my heart.
Their calls reverberate across the valley in playful melodies;
Our laughs interwoven in harmony.

The clouds they thundered past.
Smell of the rain-drenched forests intoxicated our senses.
We ran helter-skelter,
With melting hailstones in my hair

A night well spent with dreamy eyes;
Touch of anxiety, for the future.
Sigh of contentment, as it has finally come to pass.
I'm yours and you are mine, if only in spirit and not in form.

unrequited love

Tenderness gathers in the simmering angles,
by the corner of my eye.

I will feel you then, like a soul clung tightly within its body;

Feel your absence poignantly in shallow breaths;

Reach out to you my unrequited love,

During the whole breadth of this love song,

And return indifferent as its notes end.

Sympathy, the rot of soul

I will fall away,
My body bloodied, bones broken,
Nerves twisted beyond the reach of anesthesia.

I will live this horror,
Lidless eyes seeing the unfathomable terror,
Lips twisted away in grimace.

I will remain silent,
For sympathy, is the rot of soul.

Dig away in night I shall,
And not a sound shall escape my lips.

To find that Sun I long for,
That shall wipe away all the darkness within.

The emotional fool

I want all those dances,
The midnight walks.
The duets whispered and echoed across the deep gorges,
I want to feel my heart constrict, lungs gasp to gather air.
I want to lay in your arms watch the embers of setting sun.
Run on a powdered sea of glass.
I want to feel love,
Overpower my urge to live and ready to jump into an endless abyss.

Gravity

Imagine floating in the great silence that is space, with a majestic Mother Earth looming over you and you take in all its colours,contours and what all this means to you.

Gravity brought me closest to this experience I will ever have. This strange experience caught on me so strongly that the story is sidelined in my mind.

Flashes of the lead actress drink into oxygenated air floating in fetal position, the spiralling debris that made me cringe and destroyed the spaceship (not unlike a hurricane), the actress's face pressed close to the wet sand is all I recall now. Great movie. Must watch in 3D.

p.s : It was nice to see that the actress, Sandra steals the show with Clooney just being the doormat :)

The satisfaction of waste segregation and composting

Like you, I threw all my waste in one bin. Let it fill up until it stank. With paper clip pinned on my nose I gathered the bag and took a walk in the dark night with dogs and guiltily threw it in a rubbishy heap at the street corner. Several of you and me made the same journey in the dead of the night and avoided meeting eye. Me and my fellow conspirators the next day held our nose away from this heap as we passed next morning, mumbling about inept corporation workers who did not clean it up.


The next day a new heap had appeared night next to my place. I closed the doors and windows and lighted some perfumed candles and ignored the whole mess until I had to step out again. At least my house was clean. The same night someday started a fire on the rubbishy heap that had grown like a pig sty in an empty plot - 3 houses down. Boarding the windows did not help anymore. The smoke and stench was everywhere. I packed my pajamas and camped in my friend's place.


One day I noticed a Corporation worker handling the waste and trying to extract the plastic meshed with kitchen waste only to pull out her hand in hurry as a used sanitary pad tumbled out. She wrinkled her nose and tried again and this time a bloodied finger was pulled out when it got cut against a jagged glass jar in the same bag.


It wasn't some unknown villain who had caused her harm and put her into such misery. It was someone like me. I felt very bad at myself. How did I go so low and made another suffer , when I would not do that to myself? Just to save a few measly minutes watching an ad on the idiot box I have been polluting my environment, causing embarrassment and agony to my fellow human being and piling in on my guilt. The time had come for a personal revolution.


I started segregating my waste. Dry waste - paper, plastic (cleaned and dried), plastic bottles etc., went into one bin. Kitchen discards went into another. In some areas in the city such an arrangement seems to work splendidly. When the waste pickers dump this segregated waste in different containers and use them for re-cycling. Unfortunately my area was not equipped for this. Following a discussion with a friend I joined a session of waste management http://www.greencommandos.youthforseva.org/ and came to know about the wet waste composter (Kambha) by Daily Dump - http://www.dailydump.org/. Daily Dump also sells bio detergents and what nots.


Initially I hit a few rough patches managing my wet waste in the composter. With a few more tips from the site I realised a good 1:1 ratio of leaves and kitchen waste with turmeric and some salt (water when pile is too dry) worked the best. An occasional stirring of one in 4-5 days with compost accelerators was sufficient. Now all my stinky wet waste was taken care of. My Kambha even on wet days does not smell, an occasional fly does not bother me. I have used it successfully for the last 2 years and generated good quality manure of almost 15-20 kg which incidentally is up for grabs. Mail me to collect it. The dry waste from my home is collected and given away to organization (Smarthanam in my case) that recycle dry waste. I have been trying hard to reduce the quantity of this by using cloth bags. As a result, there no waste walks out my house into the eye-sore heaps anymore and I feel contended and proud of myself.


I have gone a step further a stopped using disposable sanitary too. Wasn't too tough on me since back home, cloth pads were a norm. Even on my most busy day I have not used a disposable pad. I bought a set of dozen from a local NGO - Jivika and been using them since.


Ultimately we are the owners of this waste and must own it up. Its not your city's responsibility to clean up after you. You must do the least bit and at least segregate. This wonderful drawing from Zen Pencils sums it up just perfectly.