Forging a friendship with those raindrops...

Much as we all love the sun, and enjoy those sunny days, we learn sooner than later that neither the weather, nor life, can be constantly sunny :-) And it is good that it is that way, for how else would we learn to look forward to a day full of precious sunshine, or for that matter, learn how to enjoy and make the most of a rainy one ! Changing seasons, ups-and-downs, highs-and-lows of life, they are all an inevitable part and parcel of our existence !

The weekend here has been a confused one, the weather gods haven't really been very decisive on how they wanted to play this one out ! So in between the few sunny hours, it has been cloudy and windy and has rained all of last night, and continues to do so as I type this out. But this rain hasn't been stormy and forceful or scary and overpowering, instead it has been the kinds that keeps you company with its gentle pitter-patter, the tiny droplets creating patterns against your glass window...it's the kinds that makes you hum 'Rainnnnn...' all morning, Madonna's magical voice ringing at the back of your mind :-)

Rain has associations, it gets you travelling back in time, recreating moments from the past. I remember one of my earliest memories as a five year old, my mother driving us to school, the wipers of our Premier Padmini oscillating vigourously from left to right, trying to clear the rain from the windscreen, as I drew patterns with my fingers on the glass...It also reminds me of the thrill of going shopping with her every year to get a nice bright raincoat for me to wear during the monsoons, where I would (even then) choose one that had flowers on it, and an umbrella to go with it :-)

Talking of rain and school, I also joyfully remember an occasion when I was terribly unprepared for an exam, and it had poured and poured the night before. The weather Gods however, came to my rescue as it was declared a 'rainy day' holiday :-) That day I happily realised, that rain does bring good news :-)

If you are an Indian then rain HAS to make you think of steaming cups of chai and crisp 'pakodas' with some lovely green 'dhaniya' chutney on the side, of evenings spent in front of the television with family, where you lose count of how many of those sinful 'bhajjis' you've gorged on ! Blame it on the weather I'd say and carry on guilt-free :-)
Here though, I have to be content with my second cup of chai, and no deep fried snacks. No I am not the sorts to count the calories, it is just too much of an effort to make them for myself, however I may just consider making some in the evening today once the better half is home :-)

Rain also forcefully gets you to stay home, a day like this makes you shelve all your plans for another day, and gives you time to enjoy the surroundings that you have created, to look at the flowers...

..A day when you get a chance to rearrange the settings, to generally sit back and look at all the eye-candy you've been hoarding the past couple of weeks...it is a day when you can finally pull out those magazines that you had picked up, settle down in a cozy corner, and pour over them to get some inspiration for your own home :-)

I also know there is a comfy, colourful corner in my home that is looking at me very invitingly right now, telling me to hang around it. I think I am just going to settle down there, read a bit, think and day dream...I think the weather gives me reason enough to bunk my errands for the day...:)

So now you know where you can find me on a day like this, a day when you know the clouds are dark and the skies are grey, but there are always things you can find to do and places in your home where there is colour to see :-) My cup of tea is beckoning out to me, so I must force myself to sign off right now, but I do hope you get to enjoy a rainy day at home soon too. Has its own charm over sunshine, I am sure you'll agree ? :-)

The 'E' in decor must be for 'Emotion' :-)

There are many realizations that hit you when you decide to move overseas, one of the biggest ones being 'baggage restrictions' and the thought of handing over those 'wedding lifaafaas' to airport staff in exchange for the much dreaded excess baggage receipt !This is one case, when you truly and woefully realise that 'the sky is the limit' ! :-(

Inexperience makes you buy a lot of desi stuff as you dream of doing up your pad in the new country with those gorgeous ethnic (and very heavy ) Indian ceramics and sculptures ! Little did you know that they would not be seeing the light outside of their cartons until such time a kind aunty or uncle is travelling (hopefully with empty suitcases) and is willing to deliver the 'goods' to you :-)

So other than the few light weight decor items that you bring with you, you mostly rely on exploring the local flavour of the country that is hosting you, which is a great idea until that moment of truth strikes, and you start converting the price tags into INR :-) You know it is time then to look at other options, of original, innovative (and definitely more pocket friendly) decor ! And if there is an emotional context to the object in question, even better ! 

So that is exactly what happened here when I saw this beautiful antique silver necklace staring at me that was lovingly gifted to me by my father many many years ago. I realized I had carried it with me but somehow forgotten to unpack it while trying to settle in. Needless to say, was thrilled to discover I have it here...

My father picked up this lovely neck piece for me from a remote village in the heart of Central India. He has a passion for all that is antique, and while that is something I hope to blog about another day,  this was a clear reflection of his love for old world charm, as it was for his daughter :-) My happiness knew no bounds when he gave it to me. I think I must have slept with it next to my pillow, out of the sheer thrill and excitement, at being the proud owner of something quite so beautiful ! :-)

You would concur though that this is not exactly 'everyday wear' and I have thus had limited opportunity to wear it in the past. Even then I carried it with me to Korea, for the sheer sentiment attached to it. You know when you pack your suitcase when you're getting married, you put in more of emotion and sentiment in there, than utility and practicality and am so glad that's how it is :-) 

So the minute I saw this here, I realized it would look really nice as a part of the decor in our home and I sped to the framing shops nearby , husband ( dutifully and every so supportively ) in tow ;-)
I loved the awe in the shop owner's eyes when she saw what we wanted to get framed. Appreciation for beauty needs no language, the eyes say it all I guess :-) 'Would you like me to polish it for you?' she asked, and received a horrified 'ani' (Korean for 'no') in unison from us!! How could she possibly suggest we sacrifice the lovely dull look it had acquired over so many years ! That would be nothing short of 'character assasination' in this case ! Our vociferous response silenced any doubts she may have had on the subject, and we moved on to choosing the frame. The better half chipped in with his ideas on the look-and-feel of the frame, and we decided a cream distressed finish would be befitting of our treasure ! That done, delivery dates were finalised, some pleasantries exchanged and I started to count backwards waiting to see the final outcome. 

D-Day arrived after what seemed like the longest week ever, and I was overjoyed. It was worth the wait, for they did a lovely neat job, leaving me with the option of hanging it on the wall or letting it stand against the table...

Doesn't it look nice as it adds some colour to the white wall here ? 

As it does on the table...

And you know the best part ? This is on hooks! So I always have the option of teaming it up with a lovely starched cotton saree, smearing on lots of kohl and letting it add its antique glamour to the outfit :-) But leaving that for another time, happy to let it adorn my home for now, resplendent against its red velvety background :-) 

I am sure you'll agree that objects as precious as these deserve to be put in a place where you can catch a glimpse of them regularly, so you can feel the emotions attached to them resurface, and experience that timely tug at your heart strings :-) And while I love everything else that I have in our home, this one will always be slightly more special :-) So regardless of whether you stay in India or abroad, do see if there is a precious piece of jewellery that you would like to use to do up your home. And while you're at it, do share it with me too :-) Take care. See you here again soon. 

A mind trip about that pot of chai !

The alarm clock is a persistent and obstinate animal, one that goes off in the morning all weekdays, at the same old hour, even in the face of stiff resistance. And mostly, that is the (very shrill) trigger for the duvet cover to receive a step-motherly shove, be resigned to a dishevelled heap at the foot of the bed, and your signal to waveringly make your way to the kitchen and get that comforting pot of tea ! One eye on the clock, the other on the rolling boil in the pan, you rejoice when the door bell rings and you joyfully realise your maid hasn't bunked today ! NOW you can really enjoy that chai...;-)

As you set the tea cup on the tray, you notice that the new born rays of the sun are knocking gently against the curtains, giving you an invitation to draw open the satin barriers and let them in...

You notice your plants looking at you longingly from their corner, saying good morning and wishing you'd have a little more time to strike up a conversation with them, but they know they would have to wait for the weekend for that :-)

The tea tray then makes its way to the most comfortable corner of your home...Is it the one where there is ample sunlight, or the one with the comfy footstool to put your feet up ? Maybe it is the one by the window where you can keep an eye on your dog chasing squirrels outside, or perhaps the one with the arm-chair in the balcony, the target for the 'paper-wallah' to practise his daily aim...:-)

Settling down, you bend over and pick up the rolled up newspaper, slip your fingers underneath the thin black rubber band, and carefully put the fastener onto the tray next to you (thinking in vain that it'll come handy some day!) You are then ready for your daily dose of sports, scams and scandals and other 'news' while your second hand rests lightly around the morning cuppa. Your eyes skim over the edge of the newspaper to see if the steam from the cup is still as visibly strong, or if it is time to pour yourself a refill. A bite into the Marie biscuit, you save the rest as a treat for your dog, and in another ten minutes or so you are ready to lift the cup to drain what's left over. And then the daily ritual begins-of preparing yourself to get ready for the world, to look forward to a day full of bosses, reviews, deadlines and deliverables...
...A new day has begun...

...fleeting thoughts of the 'morning-chai account' over the years gone by. And if you have moved to another part of the globe like I have, then I must share with you, that, though the teapot has changed, the tea leaves have still remained the same :-) The corner is new but the biscuits aren't ! :-) And while the familiar feel of the newspaper has been replaced by the not-so-flattering 'iPad app', the thought that accompanies the chai, more or less, remains the same...

Yes, for the time being there are no bosses, no reviews and no timelines to meet, but there is still that familiar anticipation, and that simple curiosity about what lies ahead today for me, a heartfelt hope always for the best, ahead of my morning pot of tea... :-)

Happiness on 'Poila Boishakh', the Bengali New Year is here !

It's the time for new beginnings, fresh starts, to start writing the first page of a new book, when it's harvest season, and all colours blend to make yellow :-) Yes it's 'Poila Boishakh' or the Bengali New Year and I just wanted to stop by and post lots of happiness and good wishes to all my readers on the blog ! :-) Its the festive part of spring - 'Poila' means first and 'Boishakh' is regarded as the first month of the year in the Bengali calendar, a time of the year that you associate with yellow blooms and in school days, those last minute preparations for your final exams :-)

Traditionally, Bengali 'nobo borsho' is a day meant for new clothes, meet and greet family and loved ones, seek the blessings of your elders, attend fairs,plays and processions, and in general, celebrate the day spreading good cheer ! For most Bengalis, food is the biggest and the ultimate source of celebration :-) You discuss the menu for lunch at breakfast, for dinner at lunch, breakfast for the next day at dinner the previous night and so on and so forth :-) 'Poila Boishakh' is a day when you cook lots of 'mishti', dish out trays of 'sondesh' and 'kaanchagolla', drown yourselves in never ending bowls of my most favourite 'paayesh' (the Bengali name for kheer) and other such sweet delicacies. It's a day when you gorge your heart out, a day when the calories don't count and all fattening sin is forgiven :-) Fish and rice is cooked in gargantuan quantities and the whole neighborhood is invited :-) 

Festivals are important in your home country, somehow they become even more important when you are living away from it. You try best as you can, to recreate a bit of the festive atmosphere, imitate your mother's artistic style of dressing up the home, spruce up the place, deck it up with a few flowers, welcome the auspicious occasion and replicate family customs. 

So tradition today demands that I cook something nice to mark the day. Will head out now to make a quick trip to the fish market and buy a bit of fresh sole to make some super spicy, 'heart burn-inducing'  'maacher-jhaal' or mustard fish to heap on top of that steaming mound of rice. Although 'rui-maacher jhaal' or 'ilish' ( 'rui' or Rohu is a different variety of fish available in India, 'ilish' is the famed Hilsa) wins hands-down any day, but those are the culinary delights that must be left for the next trip to India and improvise we must when staying abroad, so sole it is !! :-)And while am at it, my 'chhana' (that's Paneer in Bengali) is also ready and am going to try and make some traditional (but easy )Bengali sweets with it too :-)

So am looking forward to rolling up my sleeves and having lots of fun in the kitchen. Nothing very ambitious, but just a little bit of Bengal in our home today :-) Hope you all enjoy the first day of the Bengali New Year too. Shubho Noboborsho ! Have a lovely day :-)

The Buddha that watches over us !

If you want to experience and discover Buddhism, Korea is a wonderful place to do so. Buddhism, to my understanding, came to this land as early as 372 AD and is a process of self-discovery for not just the locals, but also for expats here. It is a marvellous environment for a foreigner, to embrace this form of religion and explore this spiritual practise. There are many temples that you can make your sanctum, if you choose to walk on the path of spiritual abode, several opportunities where you can try to strike a union with your inner self, discover inner peace and solace.

With the background of a country that boasts of such association with spirituality, I wanted to share with you a wonderful gift that my Ma-in-law gave us as we set off to make our new home in this part of the world, a beautiful Buddha miniature, hand-carved in brass :-)

My Ma-in-law has wonderful taste, every corner of our home in India reflects her personal warmth and grace, and it came as absolutely no surprise when she chose what was the most serene piece in the store :-) I love its features, the delicate carving, the slight shades of blue and green, interspersed with the metal, the eyebrows gently knitted together, converging at the middle of the forehead, the eyes closed in deep meditation, the beautiful robe, the contours of the palm, the nose and the mouth.

For us this goes beyond being an artefact, for there is something so tranquil about this statue, it reflects the state of the mind of the artisan who crafted it, a symbol of the peace and serenity that he or she must have attained with several years of practise of this school of spirituality.

We all have difficult days, days when the mind isn't calm, when there are some not-so-positive thoughts plaguing the mind, when there is a sense of worry or anxiety in the heart, and at such moments, a glimpse of our Buddha soothes us and imparts that much desired tranquility...

And in the evenings, you can almost feel a murmuring comfort emanating from the combination of this beautiful brass miniature and its candle companion, and you can look on, and gaze and gaze, as you feel peace seeping into every corner of your being. The mind is sedated, the thoughts are pure and poised, a paradisiacal bliss envelopes the surroundings, and there is this wonderfully reassuring feeling in the air, the feeling when you know you are being watched over :-)

So here's to greater awakenings, to peace of mind and contentment with the 'self' and a desire for lesser desire. May we all discover the Buddha within ourselves !

A flower story to share today !

Hello everyone, the weekend calls for some time with friends, to meet and eat, dine and wine ! We have friends over for dinner tonight, and I've been frantically calling family for recipes, fishing out 'cook-in-a-jiffy' recipe books, browsing the net all night long for concoctions, and huffing and puffing in the kitchen, trying to put a decent meal together ! :-) Ok, take that with a pinch of salt, dhaniya and mirchi, it's not all that bad! :-) The situation is under control and I have surfaced out of the kitchen in good enough time to go do the easier (and definitely prettier ) part, shop for flowers !!!

What's a dinner at home without 'Faffas' as my niece used to call them :-) And is there anything more therapeutic than arranging flowers in your home for a get together later in the evening ? I think not ! 

There is a sweet old lady (perhaps in her late seventies) who has a small little flower shop by the side of the street as we make our way to the riverside near our home. 'Ajumma' (that's an elderly lady or aunt in Korean), has some of the prettiest flowers in her tiny little kiosk and we make it a point to buy our flowers from her, more so because we love seeing her. The love with which she caresses her flowers and plants, how her wrinkled hands quiveringly reach out for the ones we choose, and how she hunches over them , and slowly makes a beautiful bunch out of them, is an experience to cherish !

These are what I picked up from her today, gorgeous aren't they ? She had lovely roses in deep red and flaming orange and shocking pink carnations, but I chose a softer, more soothing combination :-) 

A touching anecdote to share here, the first time we bought flowers from her, we actually ended up giving her more money than we were supposed to. My ability to count in Korean is still fairly feeble, and that is entirely to blame for this. But it was amazing to see that she returned the extra cash to us, and in her broken English, explained that we had overpaid :-) This incident, and her lovely flowers put together, she had found a returning customer in us that very moment :-)

And so here are the flowers, lying on the table, waiting for the cellophane to be unveiled, wondering which vase they are going to find their abode in for the next few days :-) Happy to have brought them home, and looking forward to arranging them now. Have a wonderful weekend folks ! And go flower shopping if you get a chance, nothing more relaxing or soothing than that, and who knows, in the process you just might bump into a lovely soul like 'Ajumma' at the flower shop  :-) 

Cherry Blossom in Korea, a treat I will always remember !

Clouds en masse, puffs of cotton wool floating in the sky, an artist blending white and pink paints on his palette, or what the world calls cherry blossom-simply put, it is unparalleled beauty..I consider myself really fortunate to be living in a part of the world which greets the onset of spring with these gorgeous blooms !

Winters in Korea are just a little short of the ones in Siberia, or so it felt to me. And so I was literally counting down to spring, and the much awaited cherry blossom bloom that accompanies it. All these months the trees were bare, braving the cold winds, leafless and undraped and all of a sudden tiny little pink buds started to sprout on the branches, and one fine morning they were in full bloom !

And that was the only trigger I needed to put on my walking shoes and sling on the camera, and take off full 'tourisht ishtyle', to try and get some shots of the blooms to share with you... :-)

The first thought that struck me was...no wait ! There was no 'first thought', for the first sight of the flowers just left me fixated, rooted to the spot, spell bound, gazing at the blooms. Had never seen something so gorgeous. After what felt like an eternity of being awestruck, I started to notice how the trees were literally weighed down with the flowers! Have a look how beautifully their branches are bending down, makes you wonder, are they attempting to serenade the ground they are planted on? :-)

Row after row, the branches of these trees bent towards each other, forming a beautiful white arbour for a delightful stroll. If you are lucky, you just might find a bit of the sky, trying to peep at you in between the dense white arches that these cherry blossom flowers had formed ! :-) But don't take my word for it, have a look for yourself :)

Another view...this street is full of these trees, what a beautiful drive they make ! Although if I was one of the folks in the car, I would just park it on the side and sit and stare and never make it to work :)

Here's another one...breathtaking sight, isn't it ? !

The parks are full of these beautiful trees...

And the apartments too...

This beautiful distraction is right outside our home, and its lovely to see it as I go about my daily chores :-)

Look at the sunlight falling on them...isn't it spellbinding ? I could gaze at this for hours...

Mostly you would find these flowers blossoming in white in Korea, however, I went around scouting for the rare pink variety for you. Have a look and soak in the beauty...

Something quite this beautiful, how can one not want to zoom in and take a closer look... unreal aren't they ? :-)

Gorgeous as they are, you wish these flowers would last forever. But there is a reason why the cherry blossom or the Sakura flower is regarded as a symbol of mortality...this treat lasts for about a week or ten days, and the ground around these trees resembles a white sheet thereafter...

Look at the petals making a beautiful white cover on the ground, as they fall down like snowflakes in the direction of the breeze...

Am so glad my time in this country has allowed me to witness this gorgeous bloom in all its glory, it's a beautiful memory that will always remain close to my heart :-) Although I really believe that no camera and no words can do justice to the serene beauty of these flowers, I am happy that I could share a glimpse of these blossoms on the blog with you. 

Leaving you with a few more images, gives me great contentment in letting these pictures do the talking...hope you enjoy them :-)

The 'Paan-Daan'...more than just table decor

The 'Paan-daan', a lustrous metal container with a round tray and small boxes to store betel leaves and all that goes onto the leaf to orchestrate that perfect 'Paan'...

'Paan-daans' have been used for many centuries.They were gifted to visitors and noble guests during ancient times by Mughal emperors, some made of silver, others of brass, copper and similar precious metals. They say in those days, the size and the weight of the 'paan-daan' would be an indication of the royal court's status and grandeur ! 

For me however, the sight of this gorgeous container takes me back in time to my grandmother's home...these are memories of a six (maybe five) year old, the slightly blurred visions of me looking on, as her practiced hands deftly opened the lid of the 'paan-daan' and she carefully selected a 'yellowish-green' leaf from it, shook off the droplets of water from the surface, and smeared it with the 'kathha' and 'choona' from the assorted 'dibbis' in the 'paan-daan'. This was a gaze of wonderment and awe, at the precision, finesse and the art involved in making the perfect 'paan' that was to be savoured as her post lunch digestive, and at the dazzling container that housed the ingredients for it.

The other thoughts are those of the beautiful antique 'paan-daans' we have at my parents' home in India, family heirlooms. It would be unfair to call them just 'collectibles' for they have been part of our lives for many many years. If only they could speak, they would have many interesting stories to share with you all :-)

And now we have one of our own at our home in South Korea... :-)

Yes this one is sans the 'paan ka patta' and the smaller containers have no 'kathha' to boast of, nor is there any 'laung-elaichi' huddled up together inside it. Yet, it is content sitting atop the table in our living room....gracing the spot and looking on, as we go about making a whole new set of memories, writing new chapters, documenting a different chronicle in our lives. It is a part and parcel of our world, just like everything else in our home, and some day in the future, it will have its own narratives to deliver, it's own tales to tell. As of now it is happy soaking it all in, gleaming and glistening its days away, a quiet, but majestic spectator in our little nook :-)

Must tell you this, when it arrived and made its place as table decor in our home, both the 'paan-daan' and I (and in that order),received a quizzical glance from the husband, '..what is that now ?!' he asked in a tone which was somewhere in between bewilderment and curiosity, a bit of fascination too perhaps ? :-) But now I think he has grown to love it too, appreciating its position of honour in his better halve's memories, and in the world of curios and interior decor :-)

Our 'paan-daan' ladies and gentlemen, a little more than table-embellishment this ! :-)