7/28/2003 09:39:00 AM|W|P|Jijesh|W|P|Does any one know thefeeling of being loved and wanted? Its funny, I have never though about it tillfew minutes back,and I just couldnot help but few words down. Just as we have been doing for the last two weeks, kannan (my lil sister) and me, set out for our evening walks. From our apt to the National beverages building.We set out by 7pm, she was glad and we were making good speed. As usual, we started talking and the conversation was around her.I take lot of @@affort to keep the topic more on her! We were atlking about how,PK, her school VP had asked her to perform for the upcoming presidents day. I should say she is a prodigal danceus. She spoke about her first performance to her last. I listned actively. The topic then shifted to her future plans (she is in 12th). I listned, chipped in few of my remarks, comments and suggestions.She just loves listening to me! Now not many ppl can make that kind of a claim, what do u say? On the way home, we stopped at Muscat Bakery and picked two mango drinks and galaxy flute (she rarely eats choclate). We got back home and began to relish our drinks and sugar. Soon our conversation drifted to Bhaia (my younger brother, in Melbourne). We spoke about him his antics and how much she missed bhaia. Just as we finished all this, hmmm, my wheels started turning and I felt a great sense of love. The kind of feeling one gets , when u splash of cold water on u'r face on a hot dusty day. I needed this, I was getting this every day and I didnot realize this. IS THIS WHAT U HAVE EXPERIENCED Too... |W|P|105941039147356824|W|P||W|P|7/28/2003 07:50:00 AM|W|P|Jijesh|W|P|I don’t feel like continuing from the last note...so this is fresh one Its a very unlikely summer day in Muscat today, the temp is in the late 20s and the sky is grey, I am sure its raining somewhere in the interior. I didn’t do anything worthy of mention, but when I muse more deeply, I am forced to agree that I have indeed done few things today - I vacuumed the house and fixed my sisters computer. The machine had some problem with the graphics card. Any way I don’t want to rant about my day, but my thoughts. I don’t care, I ma just going to talk about the good time I had when I went out with my old friend, Surjit Singh. We went to a new hyper mall in Seeb, and hung out -this is a word I detest - walked around, me sharing some of my 10cent thoughts about free market, democracy etc and he bitching about Oman. Finally we found ourselves in a gaming arcade. Nice place, since it was Saturday and a weekday i gulf, there were not many ppl. Surjit encouraged me to get few coins so I could play. Went and got 4 coins and darted towards the football machine. i have never played on these type of machines, there is a football the is hooked up with actuators to the machine. Nice, you actually have to use u'r legs to pass, kick etc and the joystick is for dribbling, direction etc. I lost the first game, did not feel any embarrassment at all. I played one more this time faring better, I drew. later we hung out in Muscat bakery ..taled drank some coffee. Every time I began to talk about, I put myself on check , not wanting to thrust myself on my friend. From the conversation , I came to know the next day was surjits b'day...Soon decided very methodically , I have to get a card, for tomorrow. |W|P|105940380958592173|W|P||W|P|7/27/2003 12:11:00 AM|W|P|Jijesh|W|P|I have been living away from home since,16. I am sure there are ppl who left home at a much younger age than I did. Any way all that was yesterday..ok may be a decade back...hmmm. I am now in Muscat, on my first vacation after two strenuous years at UNO doing my masters. Unlike a lot others I know, I was never home sick nor did I suffer from pangs of pseudo patriotisms or feel rushed to protect my Indianism. I detest the attitude that is almost unavoidable in us humans, “The other side of the fence is always greener". Any way, last few months have been one of the worst in my life. I am a workaholic, and like u must have guessed, yes last few months I have been taking it easy. Any workaholic will vicariously understand, the feeling I am talking about. I am slowly learning to better understand myself and hence get over this low, I am experiencing. Suggestions are welcome! But this is not what I wanted to write. As mentioned before, I am on a holiday in Muscat. For the uninitiated ones, Muscat is capital of Oman (yes its a Arab country, ruled by a moderate Sultan). Guys who have experienced the occidental milieu, will know the difference that hits u when u come back to the place u thought u knew well. All of a sudden, hmmu are not sure if u know the place like u thought. More over coming form uncle Sam's country, the bellicose environment etc.I started looking at my experiences in a new light....but not trying to judge. Students of basic sciences have surely heard of the phenomenon Vanderwals force, I cant recall too well what it is, but it is a weak force of attraction. Now let me explain another phenomenon that I have been experiencing mallu forces. I can explain this, imagine sitting bored in an airport, say Paris, also assume u don’t talk French. U don’t want to make it explicit that U are coming in from Bush's country so u just sit and observe. Beside u there is another person doing the same...u start conversing and before you know, the guy is either from kerala, or has been to kerala or wants to go to kerala (thanx to the campaign by KTDC or thanx to National Geography). For those who dont believe me, hear this. I am at a friends place in Omaha, NE. Ok Omaha is a city in the Midwest. For many ppl in Midwest the world begins at NYC and ends at LA. The other countries on earth are Canada, Mexico, Japan, Korea, Vietnam and of late Afghanistan and Iraq ! I did not mention this as derogatory remark, but as almost a fact... I am too tired to type will do this later... |W|P|105928987315764425|W|P||W|P|7/26/2003 10:15:00 PM|W|P|Jijesh|W|P|I can’t recall where I heard the term (vazhi ambalam) first, some where in my achammas (paternal granny’s) tales or in the writings of my favorite Indian writer, RK Narayan. Initially I was inclined to call my blog, puttu and kadala (may be my favorite mallu b'fast).I am sure lots of people like and enjoy puttu. I even saw a bunch of goldies, on National Geography, enjoying (steam cake - the name sucks) and talking about steam cake and out puttu.Sad my granny didn’t live to see the day , when goldies would be so appreciative of her humble puttu. I am sure there is nothing blasphemous in calling a blog, puttu and kadala. Hey ask any mallu, u know there is almost nothing comparable to puttu and kadala. In my Puttu and kadala enthusiasm, I forgot to talk about vazhi ambalam. The English translation is as follows, Vazhi (way, road etc) Ambalam (temple). I guess u can think of vazhi amabalams as modern day motels, but it is worth noting the distinctions; they were reflection of the benevolence of the ruling kings, local rulers etc...No they didn’t have any special weekend rates or continental buffet breakfast, for a matter of fact they were free :-). During the old days, they were ordinary Hindu temples, then modernization took over and they became temples with rest houses attached, now in the electronic era, they are KTDC's (Kerala tourism Development corporation) dilapidated rest houses! Excuse the long drawn explanation of the name. Any way, this blog is not about food, travel or any thing in specific. It is, a place for the Malayali in me (is there one in me?, hmmm), to shout, to declare my samarams (strikes), bhands (civil disobedience), to express my thoughts, may be to let some steam out, to spread my altruisitc feelings, to gloat, to share to recall and share the "Country of God"-Kerala. |W|P|105928295307303380|W|P||W|P|