Here it is...the last day of 2009!

The start of a new year always excites me - a fresh start, a new beginning. Looking back, 2009 has been a year in which I had the privilege of time and the opportunity to do the things I wanted to do - for myself, as well as a family. Journeyed twice to India to spend time with family there, got to spend more time with my little one, learned to travel as a threesome family - exciting trips to Paris and Alaska, did few things I had been wanting to do - started writing a blog and started learning Bharatanatyam after pondering over the thought for many days, initiated a new tradition of getting away with my cousin for couple of days - just us ladies.

As we venture on another trip around the Sun, I wish everyone a very happy ride!

Book - 'The Ramayana' by R.K.Narayan

My earliest memory of this epic story is the television series that was playing in Doordarshan during my school days. I vaguely remember the episodes and the story somehow did not stick with me. I had grown to think of 'Ramayana' as a religious book, one that never appealed to me.

During my recent trip to India, I read 'The Ramayana' by R.K. Narayan. It is a small, crisp version of the epic as written by Kambar. For the first time I enjoyed the story and was awed and inspired by the whole plot.

The language that Narayan uses is very simple but it captures the imposing grandiose of the saga. I am astounded that Valmiki wrote his version almost 2400 years ago, which is believed to be the earliest version. The idealized image of Rama described by Valmiki was later presented as an incarnation of Lord Vishnu by the later versions. 'Ramayana' is made up to be a very sacred and religious story, but it appeals to me as a great fantasy adventure, romantic thriller that encompasses melodrama and the civics of monarchy.

Obamacare

Summer has officially ended in Seattle but still there has not been much rain here except for the downpour we had last week. The days are chilly, the leaves have started to lose their green, ready to flaunt their fall colors. Fall is in the offing. We had a great (longer, dryer and hotter than usual) summer this year in Seattle. So I am actually looking forward for fall and all the festivities ahead.

This blog is an attempt to recap news from September.

It was a tough month for Obama, from the mob mentality in the town hall meetings for health care, to his speech to the school kids controversy, to Republican Joe Wilson calling him a liar during his health care speech in the senate. Should the Republicans essentially twist everything this President is attempting to do? When did a President addressing school kids on the importance of education and staying in school become a socialistic propaganda? Even if I can get around the justification that Republicans are just being the opposition party by putting down everything Obama is doing, it was the reaction of some of the conservative parents that was alarming. Why cry? What are they so terrified of? Anyhow, the white house finally announced that kids can stay home if the parents did not want them to hear the President (which I think is crazy).

Now there is no public option in the health care bill anymore. That's just distressing. If a government run plan will reduce the health insurance cost by providing some competition and hence help cover the uninsured then why not?

There has been allusions that there is a underlying racism factor to all these oppressive tactics by the conservatives. With Sarah Palin babbling about "Death Panels" and the depiction of Obama as Hitler by the 'mob', I am not sure of racism, but there sure is some sheer moronic and vile demeanor out there.

Cruise - Alaska and Canada.

We had been on a cruise to Alaska for a week early this month. Since I was always very skeptic of the whole cruising experience thinking that I will feel trapped, confined and way too far from land to feel safe, I was actually surprised that I had a great time and enjoyed the whole expedition. I felt that cruising is a great way to travel with a toddler, compared to taking a flight or driving. It is easy to keep them entertained.

Our ports of call were Juneau, Skagway and Ketchikan in Alaska and Victoria BC in Canada. Each town had different things to offer. 

Juneau, the capital of Alaska has the Mendenhall Glacier - one of the few Glaciers which is easily accessible by road. 

Mendenhall Glacier, Juneau AK

Skagway is a very interesting town with its Klondike Gold Rush history. 

Skagway, AK

Cruise docked in Skagway, AK

Cruising the Glacier Bay National Park was a true Alaskan experience and the wildlife there is unbelievable. We spotted a bear walking down the grassy area in the mountains and just as we were leaving the bay there were a lot of seals, otters and whales swimming along us.

Glacier Bay, AK 

Margerie Glacier

Ketchikan, has the most number of original standing totem poles, scattered throughout the town. And is also called as the 'Salmon capital of the world'. It was truly amazing to see thousands of Salmon swimming upstream in the creek. 

Totem Bight State Historical Park - Ketchikan, AK

Ketchikan, AK

Ketchikan, AK

Creek Street - Ketchikan, AK

We visited the Butchart Gardens in Victoria BC and saw the last fireworks for the season. 

Butchart Garden - Victoria BC, Canada

Our trip was almost during the end of summer but still the weather was just perfect. It did not rain in any of our ports of call even though we were warned that this time of year it might have already started raining. 

This trip was a very last minute decision and most of the planning was done by my cousin and we just got on board on a whim. The experience in the cruise was more than what I had expected but I should say I was a little disappointed with the Alaskan scenery. Most of the glaciers have started receding and it did not quite take my breath away as I had envisioned - thanks to Global warming. It was a laid back trip spent indulging in the cruising experience. I want to go back another time to explore more of Alaska's wilderness.

Book - Anne Cherian's 'A Good Indian Wife'.

I read this book when I was in the cruise to Alaska. It was entertaining, funny and kept me company when my 17 month old was napping and I had to keep guard inside our tiny stateroom. Suneel, an anesthesiologist who is independent and abominates the way things work in India, escapes the Indian way and lives the life he had always desired in the Bay Area in US and Leila, who has lived in India for long enough to have accepted things there but still is interesting and versatile, come together in an arranged marriage. How they come to like each other and things work out between them against all odds is the gist of the story.

Even though the story is set in the most recent times showing the cultural clash between the two countries, the way that Anne Cherian has sketched the characters in the book reminded me very much of the characters from Jane Austen's, 'Pride and Prejudice'. The handsome rich guy who is proud and looks down on the girl but is still drawn by her beauty and interesting persona, the simple family that Leila comes from with two other sisters and the desperate mother who wants to get her daughter's married away, the aunt who has married off her children and looking out for other matches to make, the 'girlfriend', who is desirable but not well suited - all of these characters are remnants of Jane Austen's ingenuity adapted by Anne Cherian.

Even though Anne Cherian emulates Jane Austen, she has made it interesting by being creative with the plot. In this case the cultural and ideological conflicts among the characters and the entertaining stage set between two people from different backgrounds makes it an enjoyable read.

Let's just chill...

I was watching Obama's prime time press conference on health care when the question about Gates arrest was thrown at him which happened to be the last question in the press meet and was in no way related to health care. He did blurt out that the police did 'act stupidly' by arresting a man in his own house but concluded that he has not heard the complete details yet. I thought that he spoke a bit more casually with some bad choice of words given that he is generally very eloquent. The original issue, overblown because of Obama's comments and his subsequent so called 'beer summit' (the term, apparently coined by the media) to appease the uproar became the main stream news for the media. Talk shows and comedians were having a blast with this controversy. Well, in a way I am very glad that this issue at last got the media talking about something else other than Michael Jackson's life and death. Phew! At any rate, I think it was a smart move by Obama to just call in the police officer and Gates for a beer rather than apologizing directly or getting pulled into this issue far more than he already was.

Good reads

I read Arvind Adiga's 'Man Booker Prize' winner book, 'White Tiger' a few weeks ago. I was stunned by the blunt language Adiga uses in describing the hard truth of the 'dark side' of India. It was a compelling read that gave a blow by blow account of the cold reality that exists in the country with no leeway for any distracting narrative. I thought he was dauntless in delivering the message without any pretense, even though it did leave me a little depressed.

His next book 'Between the Assassinations' is not a novel like the first one but a collection of short stories that happen in India. Adiga has sketched a series of characters living in a town at a certain time period while manifesting the predicament of corruption, extreme poverty, caste diversity, discrepancy in the treatment of hindus and muslims, women's plight and other issues. One particular character that haunted me was 'Chenayya' the cycleman, who is just trying to get out of the rat race but in vain.

All in all I thought Adiga's writing is audacious and forthright in conveying the adversities that exist in the country.

Travel - Kodaikanal, India

Kodaikanal is probably the most visited vacation destination for me in India. Holds a lot of memories - school trips, college trips and family vacations.

Pit stop at the Silver Cascades falls, stroll through the pine forest, walk the Coakers Walk, bike around the lake, smell the Eucalyptus tree leaves, shop for hand made items, spices and oils at the market are some of the oft repeated things, every time I go there. Not to forget devouring hot spicy chilli fritters (மிளகாய் பஜ்ஜி) with tea and feast on the Kodai famous, delish, home made chocolates, while enjoying the chilly weather, a reprise from the summer heat.

Some pictures of the iconic scenes and landmarks in Kodaikanal, taken during the family trip in March.

Silver Cascades Falls

Kodai Dried Flowers

Pillar Rock

Kodai Boat House

Kodai Lake

Fresh carrots for snack - Coakers Walk

Madurai Vacation 2009

Madurai, famous for 'Meenakshi Amman' temple is commonly known as the 'Temple City' for the most obvious reasons. Most of my childhood memories of the city are confined to my grandparents home spending time with my cousins during summer vacations. This recent trip to Madurai brought me back a lot of childhood memories and also showed me the other dimension of the city which I never took time to appreciate.

The heart of Madurai is the temple around which the narrow streets were built. The business streets are always crowded and busy with stores overflowing with crowds from nearby villages getting their shopping done for the upcoming wedding or festival. There are a lot of wholesale shops for clothing, pulses, flowers, cooking oil, stationary items, vegetables, fruits and just about anything. The bypass road which used to be considered the outskirts of the city is becoming a commercial area with new shopping complexes and hotels.

Other notable changes - few of the cinema halls have been remodeled. When I was growing up, 'Maapillai Vinayagar' used to be the only theatre that has the AC on for the entire movie. There were other theaters with AC but after the interval they used to just open the doors for ventilation, hoping that the audience will be too engrossed in the climax fight scene or the emotional family reunion or lovers proving their eternal love, to notice that the AC is not running any more. If you are lucky, sometimes they turn on the fans.

In Madurai the most famous drinks during summer are 'Padaneer' (a drink from the sap of palm tree) and 'Ilaneer' (coconut water). The real taste of padaneer is savored only when drunk from the 'Panai olai' (leaf from the Palm tree). The Palm leaf which is thick is made into a boat like shape and the padaneer is poured into it from the terracotta pot in which it is traditional stored. It didn't appeal to me that they have padaneer in plastic bottles in the shops rather than the good old way of vendors bringing them in mud pots, and serving them in 'olai'. 'Nongu' is another, very famous refreshment in summer, which is the edible jelly seeds from the palmyra palm.

January is a very important month for Tamilians. It is the harvest season and the most important festival for farmers, 'Pongal', falls on this month. It is a season for the farmers and the planters to take the time to thank nature. It is a season to take a day off and go out with the family after all the hard work. There are lots of festivities associated with this festival. However, for me this is the season to savor 'Panang Kizhangu' which is usually overshadowed by 'Karumbu' (Sugarcane), also famous during this season. Panang Kizhangu is a sprout that grows on palmyra palms. It is long and slender with a tapering end. The best way to eat it is to boil it in water with some salt and get off the thick skin which almost falls apart very easily. The thin layer of fiber on the sprout has to be torn using hands and teeth. Then it can be split in the middle and broken into pieces. The 'kuruthu' in the middle is the best part of the Panang Kizhangu.

All in all it was a perfect vacation and a much needed one to commemorate forgotten memories.