Time!

Typically at this time of the year we are off to our Euro Sojourn. Not this year. We are staying home, doing things around town, sending B to camps all 11 weeks of her summer break. I am not sure that she likes it but that is that.

The storms seem to have left Dallas after a very eventful spring. We saw about 5 or 6 hail storms and a few very damaging. Now our roof is getting fixed among other work around the house. One thing about owning a house, something or the other needs work to be done. When we finished the toilets the light in the closet went out, when we got that fixed the light at the entry blew out, and so on and so forth. You get the point.

Last weekend a friend of mine came home and made us get into the pool after 10 in the night. We were swimming and chatting in water past mid night. We had the music turned on and we relaxed as Saturday slowly turned into Sunday. It was my first time ever staying in our pool past dark. We also hosted G's aunt and niece over two weekends. B had her BFF spend a weekend with us. Yup, our house is rarely empty. G and I tease that if we were a hotel, we could show 80% occupancy.

G's aunt spent two weekends with us. We showed her and her wonderful daughter the fun side of Dallas. We ate out a lot, cooked in, went Downtown and showed off our beautiful Klyde Warren Park. Had late night chatting sessions and shopped. It was all super fun. I wish we had more family visiting us and spending time with us. And this is the best part about living in a house, we always have room for as many people as possible. We have stuffed it up so tight sometimes that we barely have room to breathe but it is still fun because we are all family.

And with so many activities going on summer came upon us very fast. We have more trips planned for the year and cannot wait to see family and friends! On the work front, life is hectic, something or the other keeps happening taking away peaceful nights from us. This is the life we have chosen and we grind our teeth and bear through it all.

A very Texas Hot ART

Pongal Poi Pongal Vandhadhu

Time flies...I cannot believe that I am standing in 2015 and பொங்கல் (Pongal) is already here. I wish I was eating sugarcane and enjoying சக்கிரை பொங்கல் (sweet Pongal) in my house in Chennai. I wish I had burnt old stuff the day before and beat the drum before throwing it into the fire. I wish I had worn new clothes to celebrate the birth of new and good times and the month of தை (Thai). Oh! Well! Cannot have everything.

If there was nothing for me to wish for or miss then I would not have led a good life, so for that fun I have had and the fun to be had...I would like to wish everyone a very happy பொங்கல் (PONGAL).

And I realize that I have written three posts about Pongal in the past...think I love this festival a lot.

The one I wrote in 2007 was 5 days before I found out I was pregnant. The memories are so vivid and from then on there was a Babs element in all of them :)

http://anurussell.blogspot.com/2007/01/in-few-days-in-south-indian-calendar.html

http://anurussell.blogspot.com/2010/01/too-much-work.html

http://anurussell.blogspot.com/2011/01/its-harvest-time-once-again.html

Love
Pongal Eating ART

No Matter What!

I said that when I left my sick mother home to run errands. It was a few weeks before my brother got married and we had so much to do. With both my brothers living abroad and with a sick amma at hand everything fell upon me and my BFF's to get the marriage thing on the way as planned.

I was heading out and asked amma if she needed anything from anywhere and amma asked me if I could pick some Gulab Jamun's for her as she felt like eating them. I told her "sure, of course."

I got around half the city picking things here and dropping things there and it was already 7.30pm. I remembered about the Gulab Jamuns and I told myself, "No matter what, I will pick up some jamuns for amma." And just then I saw a sweet shop at the intersection of Anna Nagar Main Road and Chintamani (I think that area is/was called Trinity). I parked quickly, got out of the car and picked up some G.Jamun's and also some other chakna for dad and I was walking out.

I saw a white Maruthi 800 getting hitched to a tow truck. I thought to myself, poor idiot, someone's car is going to the pound and my eyes slowly drifted to the license plate. It took me a second to realize that it was MY car! I ran down the steps fast and saw a cop sitting at the passenger side of the tow truck. I went up to him and told him, "Sir, that is my car."

"Good, now that you are here pay the challan and take your car. Will save me time too," was his response.

"But sir, I parked there only for two minutes."

"Yup. But you parked in a no parking area."

"But for two minutes."

"You are educated?"

"Of course."

"Then read that board."

"Oh damn. I could not see that from where I parked."

"Of course you drove past it and chose to ignore to read the board."

"Fine. I am sorry. What can I do?"

"Challan. Pay it. Rs. 300."

"What? that is way expensive. I went into buy sweets, not gold. I don't carry that kind of cash on me." 

"So tell me, what does your father do."

"Engineer."

"Government?"

"Nope, he owns a small business. He is a consultant."

"Good. Nothing in the government. Do you know anyone?"

"Ya I do, but it is too late for me to disturb them to get my car. You know?"

"Ok how much do you have?"

"Rs. 100."

"Give that to me."

"Then what will I get petrol for my car with? How will I go home?"

"That is not my problem right?"

"No. But you are bargaining with a girl for money sir?"

"Well, then pay the challan. We know to do things the right way too you know?"

"Gosh. Can I give you Rs. 50?"

"Ok fine."

"Thanks and please let go of my car gently. It is the only thing I got."

"You girls know how to drive a bargain." He said as the car was gently placed back on the ground and I waited before saying...

"Well, if we do not then how can we escape from people like you." He stared with an open mouth and I smiled at him while walking away.

This cop was a young guy and so I could talk back like this and he took it in good spirits...but imagine if I had to deal with one of those big bellied bullies...

Of course darlings, if you know Tamil it will be better because this whole conversation took place in part Tamil and English and people from Chennai can completely relate to it because I am assuming things have not changed and if you own a car or a bike, you would have definitely had a similar experience. Write them down.

And yes, hence then I think twice before saying, "NO MATTER WHAT...!!!"