Eves-dropping

I was browsing the mall alone one day and was just strolling around the shops. I happened to overhear a conversation between a couple when I settled myself on one of those benches inside the mall. It wasnt intentional but it was a hilarious exchange and I couldnt help myself from making it into a blog by itself. So without much ado, here we go:

[I got to also overhear that the parents of the wife were in town and were babysitting their child while the couple were out at the mall...]

Wife: Lets go somewhere this weekend...

Husband: Ye, but what do you have in mind?!?!?!

W: Its a long weekend and lets do a 3 day trip. It would be an outing for our folks too.

H: Yes, but I dont intend spending a fortune on these 3 days. Besides, your folks cant eat bread or sanwich or any of this stuff and would want to go to a desi reataurant. That would mean a huge dent...No way!

W: The why the **** did you ask me for a suggestion?

H: Well, I thought you had something local in mind. Not an out-of-town trip.

W: Yeah right! Am sure you would have planned months ahead if it was your folks visiting and would not have spared any effort in ensuring they visited the best of places. Well, what are my folks??? Second class citizens?

H: [Looking dumbstruck...didnt know what to say...So I guessed may be the wife was right]...I never said that. Its just that if we go on a last minute trip we will end up spending a lot more than if we had planned for it before...

W: You always do this. I thought it would get better since we came onsite...Nothing has changed[The wife has a long face then says...]...Atleast lets take them to dinner today.

H: Hmmm...well my wife is the best cook in the world. So why spend money eating food that doesnt taste half as good...Besides, lets have a nice quiet dinner and then we can catch a late night movie....

W: [Looking defeated...Didnt know whether to feel happy about the compliment of a good cook or If her husband was just trying to postpone the spending...]

F*R*I*E*N*D*S

1 week before Birthday:

My Best Friend[MBF]: What plans for this birthday gal?

Me: Dunno. As usual, its gonna be a last minute thingy only.

MBF:Bla, bla, bla[Advice on what I need to do...]

1 day after Birthday

MBF: Shit, shit, shit...you know me na...Sorry, I forgot your birthday...

Me: Heehee!

MBF: Ok, tell me what you want for this birthday? A skirt/top may be...Fab India...

Me: hmmm

MBF: See, how shameless I am...I am asking you what you want for your birthday gift...

Me: Ye, its ok...whats between friends?...Make that a flowery one...the skirt and a plain sleeveless top.

And so it goes every year for our birthdays. Sometimes I forget and sometimes she does. But the scenario is the same with roles reversed, depending on whose D-day we have forgotten.

We fight...we forget birthdays and anniversaries...When we have something important or special happening in our lives, we ask our friends explicityly to wish us luck...and jovially chide them for forgetting...We are shameless with friends and there are no formalities. We might be far away from each other...But never far in minds.

Moral of the story: You need to be shameless if you need to be friends.

Bah!!!

Authentic Recipes...Who authenticates them?

"A book of authentic Indian recipes"..."Authentic Mughlai recipes"...the list of "authentic" recipe books is endless. Authentic is a very relative term. Even if the list of ingredients is the same, the quantity of each ingredient is increased or decreased as per one's taste. This means that while a recipe can be handed down from one person/generation to another, every person who makes the preparation based on the recipe adds his/her own touch to it. It could be adding a pinch of sugar or lime juice or replacing 5 green chillies with 3 green and 2 red chillies and so on.


So who determins what is authentic? Unless a recipe is invented by someone, who alone knows the original taste of the preparation, I am not exactly sure what authentic implies...You could add on your 'Authentic" thoughts too...

Madisaar Helen/Modern Magaletchumi

Scene 1: One of the Temples in Chennai[Cast-Me, Maami 1, Maami 2]

Maami 1: Enne di ma, paathutu chumma sirichutu pora...rendu varthai pesitu poyen.

Me: Sollungo Maami...[we exchange pleasantries]

M1: Onna eppo paaru Jeans layum, matha dress le paathu, podavai kattinda apprum adayalamey therile.

Me: (smiling...although cursing under my breath, hate such comments...and take leave somehow)

M1 to M2: Ennamo po, ivalellam enne potukra nu therile. Fancy dress madri anda anda edatukku edanu potundu vardugal. Naan ennoda Maatuponnu kitta strict a daan irupen.

[The above exchange is between me and one of those many Maami's I know, who is wondering about my conventional outfit, having seen me in not-so-conventional clothes most times. She remarks to her companion saying women these days wear clothes like they are going to a fancy dress as opposed to a set code of dressing they adhered to earlier. She closes off saying she wouldnt let her DIL be like this...whatever that means!!!This is why I wanted to avoid that entire encounter completely]

What is it about a well-bred modern woman that makes even other members belonging to the same ilk scoff at her? I am not talking about the average educated-yet-adhering-to-conservative-ideals woman. But at the above average educated-yet-adhering-to-conservative-ideals woman. I consider myself belonging to the latter category and have had many insulting questions owing to my conventional-when-necessary-and-non-conentional-otherwise approach, from folks who straitjacket such women into a bra-burning liberationist who knows nothing about running a home or cooking a meal. "Do you have any cooking happening at home or do you order out everyday?", "I bet you can just about make a Sanwich...". All that, until they tasted my cooking once or heard my explanations for a ritual they thought mundane.

I had many nicknames. But the 2 most memorable of them have been Modern Magaletchumi[when single] and Madisaar Helen[post marriage]. Before we actually go to the rest of the blog, I need to give some explanation as to these name options.

Mahalakshmi is the Hindu Goddess who was considered the epitome of grace and beauty and everything womanly. And you obviously can figure out what I mean by Modern Magaletchumi[Just a play on the name to make it have a local flavour]. And when a bride search was carried out for a groom, they were looking for an earthly replica of Mahalakshmi as a prospective bride. I suppose you get the drift.

Madisaar is a different style of wearing the Sari, the national costume of India. It is worn by the married women in the Tam-Bram community and a woman who wears this is taditionally considered to be perfection personified with respect to cooking, cleaning, housekeeping, et al. Helen is the ertwhile era item-girl of movies and was considered the opposite of the lady in Madisaar.

I considered both these terms to be a compliment rather than a disparage. If you actually think of it, the ability to adapt to the environment, like a chameleon, albeit in a good sense is what makes this nickname an apt one. Am sure there are hundreds of such women out there who share these same sentiments as opposed to the rest of the ilk[like the Maamis] who choose to think of such adaptability as being non-conventional. All I can say to such Maamis is..."May your son get married to a Modern Magaletchumi so she becomes a Madisaar Helen and makes you eat humble pie....oops, humble idly"...

Sophie Kinsella's Rebecca Bloomwood...Desi Ishtyle!

Before we launch into the actual discussion, what do we name our heroine of this blog...Usha-akka-deep-in-the-woods. [Most of my colleagues called me Maami and the younger ones called me Usha Akka...hence the name option]. Now that I have figured out a desi name, lets proceed further.

Just to give a quick BG[background...duh!]...Sophie Kinsella is the writer of the Shopaholic series of chick-lit books. And I can bet, most women can identify with the protagonist of that series-Rebecca Bloomwood. Rebecca was a shopaholic whose shopping skills stretched beyond anyone's imagination and obviously her credit limit on all the cards she owned that she takes to drastic ways, such as auctioning her stuff, etc to make money to pay off her debtors and over a course of 2 novels lands up a job as a Personal Shopper in one of the hep branded stores in US of A.[Well, most such reel-worthy stories are obviously good only for the reels...not reals]

Another quick snapshot of what I am intending in this post. I lead no glam life akin to Rebecca Bloomwood nor have I ever auctioned my stuff...forget going that far. I have never even been to an auction-house to even know what its insides look like. Nor am I not a shopaholic. Yet I know my boundaries and never buy anything on credit. But I am deep in the woods with respect to my thoughts and here goes the reason for it.

Pursuing the hobby of a Personal Shopper is one of my dreams. But then, not being in a single store, but rather have customers who would entrust their shopping errands[well, errands for them, but an avocation for me] to me. I buy items that I think might suit them, do a fitting session and exchange/return items not needed by the customer and also provide a cost advantage to the customer by spotting good deals where they pay only a fraction of the actual cost of their shopping. While this might mean multiple trips to a store[I am not complaining...'cause mall browsing is a hobby too, and it keeps me well-informed and busy too :=)] it would also mean a better rapport with the store and being able to get things returned/exchanged without an issue. They pay me a small monthly retainer for my services.

While I have managed to do this with my friends, obviously without charging them for it, I do see this as an avocation. Am sure many would think this is an idea too far-fetched. But considering the time-crunch a working woman faces, am sure a Personal shopper is an easy way out for those who detest shopping or who would like to dress well, yet are not sure of where/how to shop.

The hobby/career of a Personal Shopping Consultant does sound like an exciting one. I guess If I get to implement this idea, I might open an Academy for training and spawn a new career option and an allied industry...Future job-seekers...watch out for new career options. :-)

Sale-able

Ruimt Op...Dutch- for a clearance sale...you see the boards everywhere. In all hues and colors. One thing I can't resist is temptation. And a bargain Junkie like me cannot resist a good bargain, despite my steely resolve[well, until I give in to the temptation, the resolve is steely right??]. And after shopping for a while, it gets too scary because you end up with multiple pieces of clothing for a small price. But then, suddenly the resolve starts instigating the guilt and as they say, the last mile of a race is the most toughest. And in this case, the last mile refers to the journey to the billing counter via the other sale counters where "50% off", "60% off" and "70% off" catch you eye. Not to mention the arduous task that lay ahead-that of shortlisting and finalising what you actually want to take to the cash counter to bill and what you want to leave behind. Not to mention the spending budget that I had in mind, before I set out on this shopping trip. And my justification can actually put all famed cryptic theorists to shame. Because I come up with the vaguest of the vague justifications for (not)picking up an item. But then, on hindsight, it has always worked for me because that way, thankfully I dont end up 2 identically colored pieces or clothing or accessories. And my wardrobe can pride itself on engaging all the colours without being partial to any of them.

Well, I guess thats one thing I can feel happy about. I am an able sale/deal spotter and hence the title of this blog..Sale-able. Call it a boon or a bane in some instances. I do have a fairly good eye for picking up good (branded)stuff and for dirt cheap/rock bottom prices. Be it clothes, accessories, bags, shoes or costume jewellery...sometimes I wonder if there is a career in shopping. Where someone lets you know their budget and specifications and you go and shop for them, according to their taste. They save time and effort while you make money doing what you love to do. SHOP!

Well, lets just hope my idea is Saleable!

Battle with the bulge

I hate digital weighing scales. While they tell you the truth in numbers, as they bear, you cannot bear to see the numbers on it. Especially if it is not one of those encouraging ones. Yet religiously I have managed to get into the habit[practice...duh! not the dress "habit"] of weighing myself daily harbouring the faint hope that one morning, miraculously, I might end up 10 pounds lighter than the previous day by an overnight sleep therapy. Alas! That was never to be...ok, atleast so far.

I have started to abhor it especially after my vacation to India and back. I have no idea how the scale tipped up by another 6 pounds post my return. When I went to India, I had remarks like..."Wow, even after 8 months, you look just the same". So I told myself that If Cheese and butter and chocolate didnt make me fat, then maybe 3 weeks in India might not do much damage. How wrong I was!!!

I didnt indulge myself much. Ok, now dont sneer at me like that. I did indulge...but the keyword here is "not much". Which means the indulgences I thought might hike the scale's numbers was something I didnt indulge in. So obviously I had to be on the right track. Well, thats what I thought. But except for me, everything and everyone seemed to think othewise. I came back many pounds heavier...this includes me, my luggage and my "kaapi podi".

So I told myself that it wasnt something difficult to shake off...Its not water on a lotus leaf, but its not milk adulterated with cornstarch either. Hence those extra pounds must melt away if I followed a diet and did some rigorous walking. Except that it hasnt turned out to be that easy. After 2 unsuccesful GM diet stints...I even did a modified GM diet where I would follow the diet and yet give myself an allowance of 2 filter kaapis a day... and walking to and around the mall many times...the additonal pounds seem to have a mind of their own and refuse to go away. Well, what can I say...If you can't fight it, join it. Need I say more...

Contented home maker or making a contented home

Its been about 10 months since I last stepped into a threshold of a corporate entity. The smell of varnish, brightly spruced up interiors, colourful walls and my own work area...I miss them all. And dressing up..one of those things from which you derive inspiration to set your own mood for the rest of the day. Snap! Oops, back to now!

Ok...that was being too dramatic. All I wanted to say was, its been about 10 months since I decided to hang up my boots[albeit temporarily] and pursue full time motherhood. Partially by choice and partially due to the then prevailing circumstances. A relocation was on the cards and I was busy trying to wrap up things and gather as much information about the city that would be my abode for the next few/many months to come.

Initially it was fine. I told myself I was taking a break. A much deserved break after so many years of running a packed scheduled life. I would take it slow...I told myself. 4 months of taking it slow passed. Then the idea of getting back to work started taking roots in the mind. I had vegetated enough...so much of a couch potato I had become that I had started growing roots and getting used to the comfort and adapting myself to the new environment. So everytime the boredom set in, I would tell myself that I want to get back into pursuing my career again and would try to work out some options and end up with a huge stumbling block of non-knowledge of the local language and give up my pursuit. Although I have managed to learn the language a bit, Its still not good to go for a complete conversation. While I am fervently hoping on one side to seriously look for options, the mum in me would pull me back a few steps telling me that these are the golden years in the development of my first bundle of joy...well, she is a big bundle now...nevertheless...So I tell myself that I will wait until she turns 2 and then start pursuing career options again.

I am sure other moms would agree with me...that it is a heart wrenching dilemma...especially in a non-home country without family support where you have to rely on day care/au-pair to help you tide over childcare issues, whether or not to pursue a full time career...the pros of which is time for yourself and not to mention the economic independence you can definitely peruse...on the other hand, completely entrusting your little one to a daycare centre is a very tough decision and most families bite the bullet at the end and decide to go ahead with the daycare option. There are moms like me who are neither here not there with being able to make this decision. While I like to pursue my career and preferably work in an external office set-up[I feel that if you are surrounded by a professional environment, it makes you that much more focussed on the work on hand...although this opinion might change on all Mondays when I invariably suffered the blues or on days when I didnt wanna go to work...which was every other day]...my initial idea of staying home until my gal is 2 puts up a fight...So I am wondering if my decision to stay at home gives the perception of me being a contented home-maker or have I managed to make a contented home due to my decision...Sigh! If only there were answers to all questions...

The Omnipotent Idly

Scene 1-Take 1,2,3.....
[The dialogues mentioned here in Tamil are an exact reproduction of the multiple times the same scene has been canned during my growing years...]

Mom: Sapda va...evlo nerama koopadradu
Me: Vanduten ma...2 mins...seri, enne pannirkey?
Mom: Idly, Sambhar
Me: Ayyo, varathukku oru naal Idly panlena onakku thokamey varadey....Sunday aachuna maavu arachu vechidu....grrr, vendaam...kanjiye kudu porum.

To the uninitiated, especially of the Tamil language the above scene just translates to my mom calling me for breakfast and atleast one morning a week[during my days as a schoolgirl/college maiden/footloose singleton...I mentioned all of these options 'cause the same scene got repeated over all these years], I find Idly on the table for breakfast. Sniggering at this breakfast option, I choose the porridge over the super soft pearly white Idly mom has made and Sambhar to go with it.

Scene 2-Take 1,2,3,4,5,6[This just means the 6 years I have been married...]

Hubby: Whats for breakfast today?
Me: Idly, chutney, sambhar
Hubby: I thought we had a cook[this was only after suffering outside food due to long work hours and my inability to cook dinner owing to tiredness, that we engaged a cook]...yet I get to be served only Idly eh? Jeez, I am ok with oats porridge today...How many times I told you, am ok with dosas anytime of the day but not Idly...
Me: Sigh! What goes around comes around...:-(

Well, the moral of the story is not "History repeats itself"...If thats what you are thinking, then I guess you didnt really read the title of this blog properly.

Idly...The humble 3 inch by 1.5 inches thick rice cake[Dimensions might include/vary not just thickness and diameter but also height and volume in some cases when it is made by a novice], which is a speciality of South India finds many a takers and many a form. The power of the Idly is most realised only by a working woman. All it takes[if the batter has set well overnight] is ladling a few spoons into the steamer plate, steam it for 8-10 minutes. Voila! You have a winner on hand. You might wonder why I am extolling the virtues of a breakfast that I once turned away from earlier. But then, only when I started running my own home, I figured the wondrous qualities of the Idly.

It is a weightwatcher's delight and can be consumed as breakfast/snack/lunch or even dinner. You just need the right accompaniment to go with it. I have even seen it being served as a starter in some high end hotel that preferred to call it Idly Manchurian[single Idly cut into 4 quadrants and fried in oil and rolled in chilli powder]with a toothpick stuck into it for ease of pick-up.

From being an "I hate Idly" rebel, I have become an Idly-fan. Because I have saved time countless number of times preferring to make the idly rather than the tasty but time consuming Dosa[Indian pancake]. It seemed a Godsend option for not only becoming breakfast that day, but also helping finish the previous night's leftover sambhar in which I let the Idly swim for a few minutes before serving. All I had to do was top it up with a dollop of ghee and you have "Swimming Idly's". I would like to list the side-dish combos I have enjoyed with Idly over these years as a tribute to this humble non-self-praising-yet-loved-by-many and one of the most popular breakfast options to zillions of my fellow country/state-men/women in this world.

Coconut Chutney
Peanut Chutney
Chettiyar Vengaya Chutney
Plain Sambhar[As a side dish or with your idly swimming in it]
Arachu-vitta Sambhar
Kurma
Vada-curry
Milagai podi-Nalla ennai
Milagai podi-Nei
Vengaya Thogayal
Pudina Thogayal
Kothamalli Thogayal
Takkali Thokku
Takkali-Vengaya Gotsu
Kathrikkai Gotsu[served mostly in weddings]
Thoram-paruppu Kurma[My mom is the best in this dish]

I have personally made each one or more of these side-dishes when making Idly in the past few years and can vouch for the added taste it brings in to the entire meal. [I will be publishing the recipes of these side-dishes in my blog soon and will provide a link to this post. Until then you can enjoy my other recipes, if you so wish...http://maamiskitchen.blogspot.com/]

Long Live Idly...The Working Woman's saviour!!!