Ho ho ho! Seasons greetings to everyone!
What can I say? This is my favourite month of the year and it has delivered well this time too. Pretty ironic that is, considering I don't celebrate Christmas. The Western culture has permeated our simple Indian mindsets so much, one can't turn left or right without a red star hanging in front of our face or a skinny, plastic masked Santa prancing about in ill fitting clothes. But all is well and jolly because it is Christmas.
The timing of this festival is so perfect, coinciding with New Year which incidentally the whole world celebrates with gusto. I can't see as much enthusiasm growing for our very own Tamil or Telugu New Year or the local ones in the country. They pass by in a blur of new clothes and home made treats. There is no count down say on 13th April to welcome the Tamil New Year nor is there a host of bank breaking activities planned for the Tamil New Year's eve.
I have said this before too, I think the magic of this month lies in the cool winter climes Chennai experiences after the rains and before the dreaded summer. It is special as for once we walk around in sweaters with ear muffs and mufflers to protect us against the 21 degree chill (ahem, yeah yeah our A/cs are stuck at 19 degrees mostly but hey it is mostly summer here). We are happy drawing huge kolams and eating hot bajjis and pakodas in our very own city than book a ticket and run off to the nearest hill station like we always do. The margazhi music festival, one of the much-loved event of this time, adds a certain festivity to the already cheerful season. And this time our NRI friends sent picture postcard photos of snow clad streets and trees and of them making and playing with snow balls and we felt like we have lived vicariously.
Food wise, this season has much to offer for the happy non-vegetarian or the sweet toothed. There is of course the quintessential roast turkey in sauce, chicken and mutton dishes galore, bakes and tarts and pies to warm us up and the sweet and spicy plum cake to be sampled with custard and ice cream. Yummy! This year I was happy to start a tradition with dear friends Cherie and Mavis, in baking plum cakes. Not only were the cakes sinful to look at and taste, but while baking them we spent an entire day soaking in the aroma of the cakes, swaying and dancing to Christmas songs, and gorging on 1kg Biriyani Shop (yummilicious). Ana kutti was happy in the presence of all us grown ups as long as she was allowed to lick a bit of the cake mixture left in the basin. Here's to more such beautiful moments to capture the season.
With my training commitments having got completed before Christmas, I was at the liberty to relax and contemplate on the year that was just going to leave us. I am glad I got the time to do that as it helps me resolve myself to things that I have been wanting to do and let go of those that I will never do. When I wrote this post I did feel a bit down and morose, but as with the case of everything in life, with every ebb there is a crest and I reaped the fruits in the following months. I appreciated the happy moments that followed simply because I understood what the moody ones could do to me.
We will be capping the month with a nice, quiet New Year's eve with close friends, the very same who have grown to be my extended family. Wishing you all a very happy New Year and I pray that the year ahead is full of beautiful moments that will turn to cherished memories. Create some, start with 31st.
What can I say? This is my favourite month of the year and it has delivered well this time too. Pretty ironic that is, considering I don't celebrate Christmas. The Western culture has permeated our simple Indian mindsets so much, one can't turn left or right without a red star hanging in front of our face or a skinny, plastic masked Santa prancing about in ill fitting clothes. But all is well and jolly because it is Christmas.
The timing of this festival is so perfect, coinciding with New Year which incidentally the whole world celebrates with gusto. I can't see as much enthusiasm growing for our very own Tamil or Telugu New Year or the local ones in the country. They pass by in a blur of new clothes and home made treats. There is no count down say on 13th April to welcome the Tamil New Year nor is there a host of bank breaking activities planned for the Tamil New Year's eve.
I have said this before too, I think the magic of this month lies in the cool winter climes Chennai experiences after the rains and before the dreaded summer. It is special as for once we walk around in sweaters with ear muffs and mufflers to protect us against the 21 degree chill (ahem, yeah yeah our A/cs are stuck at 19 degrees mostly but hey it is mostly summer here). We are happy drawing huge kolams and eating hot bajjis and pakodas in our very own city than book a ticket and run off to the nearest hill station like we always do. The margazhi music festival, one of the much-loved event of this time, adds a certain festivity to the already cheerful season. And this time our NRI friends sent picture postcard photos of snow clad streets and trees and of them making and playing with snow balls and we felt like we have lived vicariously.
Food wise, this season has much to offer for the happy non-vegetarian or the sweet toothed. There is of course the quintessential roast turkey in sauce, chicken and mutton dishes galore, bakes and tarts and pies to warm us up and the sweet and spicy plum cake to be sampled with custard and ice cream. Yummy! This year I was happy to start a tradition with dear friends Cherie and Mavis, in baking plum cakes. Not only were the cakes sinful to look at and taste, but while baking them we spent an entire day soaking in the aroma of the cakes, swaying and dancing to Christmas songs, and gorging on 1kg Biriyani Shop (yummilicious). Ana kutti was happy in the presence of all us grown ups as long as she was allowed to lick a bit of the cake mixture left in the basin. Here's to more such beautiful moments to capture the season.
With my training commitments having got completed before Christmas, I was at the liberty to relax and contemplate on the year that was just going to leave us. I am glad I got the time to do that as it helps me resolve myself to things that I have been wanting to do and let go of those that I will never do. When I wrote this post I did feel a bit down and morose, but as with the case of everything in life, with every ebb there is a crest and I reaped the fruits in the following months. I appreciated the happy moments that followed simply because I understood what the moody ones could do to me.
We will be capping the month with a nice, quiet New Year's eve with close friends, the very same who have grown to be my extended family. Wishing you all a very happy New Year and I pray that the year ahead is full of beautiful moments that will turn to cherished memories. Create some, start with 31st.
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