Vasu's post about sathabisekam has inspired me to go down the memory lane.
The first satabisekam I attended was of my great grand parents in our village. (my mother's grand parents) I was 8 years old and I remember my great grand parents were really old. Now a days 80 year olds do look much younger! My dad (was the only one) had a camera and we had some few black and white snaps with our great grand parent's vague picture amid smoke. That was my first visit to our village and I remember taking lot of 'elnirs'.
Later after my great grand mom passed away my ggfather came to live with my grand parents. He could never recognnise or remember our names and always used to call me 'karuppayee'or 'olakkayee', may be the names of some farm helpers from his village. This used to make my brother laugh so much and tease me to tears. my grand mother(his daughter in law) never used to talk to him and we were the mediators when my grand father went out for work.
The next sathabisekam was of my own grand parents (father's parents). This was when I was 11 years old. These two were much smarter and the function was held in the local choultry in Bangalore. (where I got married 8 years later). All the grand children were given 10rs. each and I had made a wire bag myself with that money and used it as my school bag. My grand mom liked the bag and wanted one for her which I made and gave her. ( she had kept it with her and used it for another 4 years till her death.) This grand mother wanted to use shampoo which I think had just been introduced in the market and was afraid to use it. So I helped her in shampooing her hair and I think she was thrilled though I don't remember her expressing it.
The next one was to my maternal grand parents who were very very close to all of us. As my mom was the only daughter all the seven of us siblings were the world to them. This was in 1983 and we all joined in organizing it, and was done in chennai with major contribution in organizing by my brother at chennai. We had lost our father by then and my mother was very happy that we all were doing this to her parents. By then I had understood the serenity of the occasion and what it means to live and see a thousand moons (which is what is said about significance of the sathabisekam)
Fortunate are those children who are blessed to celeberate the sathabisekam of their elders, which brings happiness all around.
Wednesday, January 18, 2006
Monday, January 16, 2006
pasar malam
This word pasar malam always brings little smile to me. The first time I heard this, was from one of my husband's collegue's wife whom I had gone to visit in KL. It was evening time and she suddenly said Hum pasarmalam karenge. I did not understand what she was wanting to do. I said fine. Then she took me to an evening bazaar, the puzzled me got an answer from my hubby later that pasar malam is nothing but an evening market.(pasar is bazar in malay and malam is evening).
Over the years I have learnt to appreciate and like the 'pasar malam' concept and I don't do a pasar malam but I do shop in this market. This is an evening market which is once a week affair, in different locations. Each location has a specific pasar malam day rather evening. The shops are temporary, set in a street (quite busy streets) on the platforms, with battery operated proper lights and tents like shops. You can get flowers, vegetables, fruits, meat and fish and any other non vegetarian items, cooked foods, both veg and non veg, ready made dresses, toys, utensils, knick knacks and what not. The shopkeepers bring their wares in vans and some times sell them from their van also. Each slot is earmarked and numbered the shop keepers pay money to the majlis or the corporation/municipality. Once the market is closed in the night around 10.30/ 11 p.m., the majlis cleans the whole area and the next morning there won't be any trace of the wares or kachadas generated by the shops and the street will be as usual busy buzzing with traffic . The beauty is even while the market is going on cars will be moving in the streets in a snail's pace.
The vegetables and fruits which I buy every week from the pasar malam is fresh and cheap compared to any other shops or super markets, which sell them. We get many times special vegetables which you don't see in the normal markets.
The concept of old santhai or shanty has been modified for the modern day needs and it is done week after week with perfect professionalism where people in mercedes come and buy the things, the place is left as clean as it was before, after the market is over.
We normally buy our urgent needs from our local pasar pagi that is weekly morning market from near by morning sunday market and for our special items, we go quite a distance once a week for our purchase.
This is indeed one of the unique things in malaysia.
Over the years I have learnt to appreciate and like the 'pasar malam' concept and I don't do a pasar malam but I do shop in this market. This is an evening market which is once a week affair, in different locations. Each location has a specific pasar malam day rather evening. The shops are temporary, set in a street (quite busy streets) on the platforms, with battery operated proper lights and tents like shops. You can get flowers, vegetables, fruits, meat and fish and any other non vegetarian items, cooked foods, both veg and non veg, ready made dresses, toys, utensils, knick knacks and what not. The shopkeepers bring their wares in vans and some times sell them from their van also. Each slot is earmarked and numbered the shop keepers pay money to the majlis or the corporation/municipality. Once the market is closed in the night around 10.30/ 11 p.m., the majlis cleans the whole area and the next morning there won't be any trace of the wares or kachadas generated by the shops and the street will be as usual busy buzzing with traffic . The beauty is even while the market is going on cars will be moving in the streets in a snail's pace.
The vegetables and fruits which I buy every week from the pasar malam is fresh and cheap compared to any other shops or super markets, which sell them. We get many times special vegetables which you don't see in the normal markets.
The concept of old santhai or shanty has been modified for the modern day needs and it is done week after week with perfect professionalism where people in mercedes come and buy the things, the place is left as clean as it was before, after the market is over.
We normally buy our urgent needs from our local pasar pagi that is weekly morning market from near by morning sunday market and for our special items, we go quite a distance once a week for our purchase.
This is indeed one of the unique things in malaysia.
Language
I have lot of nice memories about my college days and till today I am maintaining good friendship with my college friends. But this blog is not about those things.
When I sit and think about myself in those days, I feel I was very immature and silly compared to todays kids.
I distintly remember the days when the great language war was raging in tamil nadu. That was in late 60s. There was a big strike in Tamil nadu and it was called hindi agitation which helped DMK to come to power. The hatred was so much that a small time college student was able to defeat a big wig like Kamaraj in State election.
It had small repercussion in Bangalore also. There were lot of speeches supporting kannada, one's mother tongue and sanskrit! also. It was sort of anti hindi and ani english too.
Having brought up in karnataka, (bangalore) and tamil being my mother tongue I always had dual loyalty and love? so to say. Every summer holidays spent in Madras used to drag me into arguments with friends over there, supporting kannada and karnataka. I used to argue so vociferously that my grand ma used to scold me for being so boyish!
Back in Bangalore with my school friends some of whom used to childishly rag me for being a tamilian , it used to be a vociferous argument again but this time supporting tamil and tamilnadu.
Coming back to the agitation, we were so charged up, we refused to answer the roll call in english. Some of my friends answered in kannada and some others answered in sanskrit which I remember distinctly saying 'asmi boh' and I answerd saying 'irukken ayya' (which has been refined these days to 'ullen ayya').
Come to think of it, all those things were just emotional outbursts without thinking properly, just talking and doing things for the sake of doing them. It was all just superfluous ideas without actually going through the topics and things in depth.
Now at this age I can understand that language is for communication and each language has its own sweet ness and it is indeed a blessing to know many languages and to read the literature in each language with its naunces is indeed a great thing.
I wish I had such an understanding at that age and had some mentor who could have talked to us without instigating us with more raw emotions, and taught us how to look at life with a calmness.
Or is it a privelege only age can bring.
About today's kids I do feel they know what they want from life which we especially, I did not know. Some might call today's kids selfish, but if each one is to persue his life without harming others, this world will be a better place to live.
When I sit and think about myself in those days, I feel I was very immature and silly compared to todays kids.
I distintly remember the days when the great language war was raging in tamil nadu. That was in late 60s. There was a big strike in Tamil nadu and it was called hindi agitation which helped DMK to come to power. The hatred was so much that a small time college student was able to defeat a big wig like Kamaraj in State election.
It had small repercussion in Bangalore also. There were lot of speeches supporting kannada, one's mother tongue and sanskrit! also. It was sort of anti hindi and ani english too.
Having brought up in karnataka, (bangalore) and tamil being my mother tongue I always had dual loyalty and love? so to say. Every summer holidays spent in Madras used to drag me into arguments with friends over there, supporting kannada and karnataka. I used to argue so vociferously that my grand ma used to scold me for being so boyish!
Back in Bangalore with my school friends some of whom used to childishly rag me for being a tamilian , it used to be a vociferous argument again but this time supporting tamil and tamilnadu.
Coming back to the agitation, we were so charged up, we refused to answer the roll call in english. Some of my friends answered in kannada and some others answered in sanskrit which I remember distinctly saying 'asmi boh' and I answerd saying 'irukken ayya' (which has been refined these days to 'ullen ayya').
Come to think of it, all those things were just emotional outbursts without thinking properly, just talking and doing things for the sake of doing them. It was all just superfluous ideas without actually going through the topics and things in depth.
Now at this age I can understand that language is for communication and each language has its own sweet ness and it is indeed a blessing to know many languages and to read the literature in each language with its naunces is indeed a great thing.
I wish I had such an understanding at that age and had some mentor who could have talked to us without instigating us with more raw emotions, and taught us how to look at life with a calmness.
Or is it a privelege only age can bring.
About today's kids I do feel they know what they want from life which we especially, I did not know. Some might call today's kids selfish, but if each one is to persue his life without harming others, this world will be a better place to live.
Tuesday, January 03, 2006
Twin Tower
This january first while driving in the elevated high way, the sight of petronas twin tower gave me a very great feeling. I felt like telling the building 'hey you have made my day, rather year'. I don't know if any one can understand this feeling. I have always got a great attachment to this building which is at present the tallest building in the world. It is as if it belongs to me. I have been lucky in seeing it being built watching from our 14th floor apartment. I used to read a lot of titbits about this building. I remember reading that the crane operator who worked in such a heeeight was an Indian. Just to see that crane it self gave me a dizzy feeling is another matter.
This building has a character. If you see it in the day time the sunlight reflecting on the steel gives it a majestic look. If you see it in the evening, the lights reflecting gives it a magical feeling. I remember my friend telling me in New york while showing me the buildings in Manhattan that they have a character of their own. That does apply to this building.
The magnificient feeling one gets while looking at Taj while entering that Arch and looking upto it which is awe inspiring , is what I get when I look at this lovely Twin Tower.
While sitting on the front steps of this building, watching the small water fountain in front of it, I felt I missed my parents very much. This was three years back. That inspired me to coerce my brother to visit this place with my manni and I was so proud to show them the place which inspired me to invite them!
I never get tired looking at the building. Alas we have changed house and we don't have the 24 hours view which we had from our drawing room in our 14th floor earlier apartment. But every time we go out we do get the view and since we are much nearer the twin tower we go there often just to relax in the park around or shop in the shopping complex in that building.
This building has a character. If you see it in the day time the sunlight reflecting on the steel gives it a majestic look. If you see it in the evening, the lights reflecting gives it a magical feeling. I remember my friend telling me in New york while showing me the buildings in Manhattan that they have a character of their own. That does apply to this building.
The magnificient feeling one gets while looking at Taj while entering that Arch and looking upto it which is awe inspiring , is what I get when I look at this lovely Twin Tower.
While sitting on the front steps of this building, watching the small water fountain in front of it, I felt I missed my parents very much. This was three years back. That inspired me to coerce my brother to visit this place with my manni and I was so proud to show them the place which inspired me to invite them!
I never get tired looking at the building. Alas we have changed house and we don't have the 24 hours view which we had from our drawing room in our 14th floor earlier apartment. But every time we go out we do get the view and since we are much nearer the twin tower we go there often just to relax in the park around or shop in the shopping complex in that building.
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