The living end

This is from Inside Story - an online journal that I read regularly.
This particular article is one of those blunt narratives that make you stop and think...

http://inside.org.au/the-living-end/

..And then one wonders about the fraility of human life;
The oft confronting fact of one's own mortality and that of loved ones...

As the aurthor says in the end...
"... its often hard to die in peace"

..robbers of the soul...

" i have to lock up the house ..."
Why?
"...to protect myself and my family and all our precious possessions from robbers and miscreants."

We all lock up the house every night..
we lock up whenever we go out
to protect the house, the contents in it...
the precious things gathered and collected over time
the special music collections, the books, the paintings, sculptures
electronic devices, dvds, crockery,jewellery, silverware...

and what about locking ourselves and protecting ourselves from whatever we fear will be robbed from us...?
No- I am not talking jewellery that is on one's person
or clothes for that matter..

What about protecting oneself from robbers of the soul?

Is that why we all have an inbuilt mechanism (also called instinct) by which we shun the company of some and crave the company of others...?

...a simple life....

The pleasures of being simple...and leading a life on my own terms...

Ever so often, i think on the lines of "what have i achieved in life".
we all think this sometime or the other.
fact is; we dont have to acheive ANYTHING to have led a fulfilling life.
my grandfather was a classic example. my grandmother was very very dominating.
She would rule the house with an iron fist. No one dared to do anything that did not meet with her approval.

thatha would not and could not do anything about it.
also, he worked and retired as a bench clerk in the high court of madras.
thats all - it was not an eventful life in any sense of the word.
he went about his work, no big deal, came home, took care of the kids, never raised his voice, never scolded or chided his children (later on never chided his grand children)
Simple life, simple pleasures of eating, work, listening to music and cricket commentary on the radio.

My sister and i stand today in complete gratitude for all the values he instilled in us.
it was the GREATEST LEGACY he could have ever left us...and thats one LEGACY that will always be with us, whether we are rich or poor materially. so, even if the world thinks that his was a simple ordinary life - WE KNOW HOW EXTRAORDINARY HE WAS FOR US.

I will always remember the hot bournvita/ horlicks that he would lovingly make for us and give us in the evening when we came home from school. He would also make dosai for us. While we chattered on and on about what happened in school etc.

I guess the values that we instill in the children today are something that will stand with them throughout their lives. AND THERE LIES my USELFULNESS and YOURs.

"They also leave rich legacies - those that dont leave any money or assets for their children."

YOU may not think you are making a difference to the world...but, in your own way, you are making a world of difference to those that cross your path and those that live in close proximity to you. ...

The tuvar dal takes priority....

How life's priorities change...

All one cares about is the availability of tuvar dal or the availability of ajwain and kasuri methi...
life gets redefined based on what is available around one - more of what is available that one can eat.

Myer's winter colletion or the David Jones' Spring collection have no meaning here.its the same 30 degree heat every day, all through the year. Somedays you do not see or feel the humidity and on other days, its absolutely steamy. So, perhaps the fashion industry makes sense only for places where there are distinct four seasons. Not for a place where its hot hotter and hottest...or for Alaska, where it is cold colder and coldest. There is only so much one can improvise on the basic shorts and t shirts. maybe a different version of a spaghetti strapped top every year, but hey, its only two straps or a strapless creation...thats pretty much it.

We went to a local market two months ago, but very late and there was hardly anything left.
But I am pleased that i was able to buy pitpit, a local vegetable that is a favourite with children here. Must say I liked the taste of it when i cooked it with onion, garlic, red chillies and some spicy home made curry powder(i cant beleive I am using the phrase curry powder, its such a misnomer because there are a million types of powders that one uses to make tasty food.).

Its one of life's most beautiful challenges that I enjoy - making food from locally available veggies. What a voyage of discovery that is. I have been cooking with the local banana and banana stem ....and have surprised many PNG nationals...who had no idea one can eat the banana stem..

Anyway, coming back to priorities....its a treasure hunt every time I go to the shop these days..always wondering what I will find on the shelves...whats new, and what stocks are low on the shelves...for a long while my mind was focussed on how to make good idly with the jamine rice that is available here. I am told that the jasmine rice is too glutinous and the idly would be absolutely appalling in taste and texture...therefore, I was on a hunt to find long grain rice, found a packet, they call it "easy cook rice.." made idly...hmmm pretty bad...
then consulted a lady who has been here for many years....
she gave me some ideas and i must say - the idly was not bad at all
not the best but hey who is complaining as long as its soft and nice to eat :)

I might also try making idly with the brown rice that is not glutinous..will probably end up making some super duper highly nutricious idly in the process. fingers crossed....

Anyway, the update is there is no tuvar dal anywhere in PNG at the moment...
I am lucky, i have stock for another 4 months
thanks to someone who went to Melbourne and managed to carry three kilos for me.
The wholesaler who brings in tuvar dal rations it - he sells only one kilo per family - fair enough; there is enough for all - Life's great leveller i suppose..

Such is life...the priority is around the stocks of tuvar dal and the quality of idly...:)

the vase, the lamp and the paraath....

There is this lovely piece of crystal...a beautiful vase that would catch the light and glitter..
I am sure a few roses or orchids will look spectacular if displayed in that vase.

Where was the vase sitting...?

Not in a beautiful living room..
not on the dining table full of food...
not in anyone's grand living room
not in a restaurant
not in a shop..

It was inside a box, kept inside a trunk..
and the trunk was in the attic of a house...
the attic was locked and keys with a relative...
and the house was occupied by wonderful tenants who looked after the house and the attic where all the precious belongings were...crytsal vase being one of them...

Well, if I am lucky and if I have the time and if the tenants accept..I get to open the attic, cough a few times and wait for the fresh air to get inside.
Then i brush aside all the dust that has collected over many years
and then slowly open the trunk and look through it ..
all the time looking only for that box that holds the crystal vase...
...and finally i find it...

I hold the box carefully, open it even more carefully..(dont want to drop the precious piece)
and there it is...the crystal vase...
dusty - but not so bad that a wash with soapy water cant remove.

I hold it in my hands for a few minutes...
and the re-pack the box and leave it inside the trunk
and there it shall remain until I see it next.

Amma has a lamp and a particularly nice round tray(a paraath)
The lamp has been in the family for many years
belonged to my patti and then to amma and now perhaps me..
amma asks me every time if I would like to take it with me...
every year I give the excuse of not having enough baggage allowance...
every year I leave it with her saying I will take it next time.
she dutifuly hangs on to it...carefully dusting it and polishing it at regular intervals
and she hopes I will take it with me next time.

Something stops me from taking it...
I guess I dont want to move it out while she is alive
and want her to enjoy it for as long as she pleases...
but recently she has moved into a retirement community and does not have the space for it anymore...
So at the moment she also does not see it, enjoy it everyday
and neither do i...
i see it once every year...and tell myself - "next year i will take this with me to Australia..."

The round tray - called a paraath ...I keep telling her, "dont ever give this to anyone..i want this..they dont make trays like this anymore..."
the paraath has memories of amma making the world's best Bhalu shaahi's
(aka badushaa in madras...!)
so i know I will make the world's best bhalu shaahis too
when I have the paraath with me...
and yet its too heavy and I leave it again with her...

and amma hangs on to it...

I cant sell it, I cant have it with me...I dont see it all year...
Its just the cockroaches and spiders that get to enjoy the beautiful lamp...
the vase and the paraath ...while they explore around the attic....

....well some creature enjoys the lamp, the paraath and the crystal vase...!!