We spent a nice and refreshing weekend at Coorg-Madikeri.
With a splendid climate and lovely coffee plantations drowned in mist around, our stay there was nothing short of bliss.
We used to set out on foot early morning, have steaming coffee [Coorg coffee] after a filling breakfast and return to our room, jut to set out again, with our pre-appointed guide, who would drive us to various points around Madikeri and leave us at our hotel by dinner time.
On one such ride back to our hotel, we bumped into PaaPottu.
Now Madikeri is really famous for its coffee, cardamom, pepper, oranges, and ofcourse for local cuisine like Pandhi Curry(Pork Curry), Kadumbuttu (Rice Dumplings), Koli Curry (Chicken Curry), Nool Puttu ( Rice Noodles), Bembla Curry (Bamboo Shoot Curry) ,Votti (Rice Roti) and Paaputtu (Rice cake).
Since we are veggies, the delicious Pandhi and Koli curries were formidable for us. Bembla was out of season. Only options at our disposal were Votti, Kadumbuttu, Nool Puttu and Paaputtu.
Since I now have these names at hand, I can confidently say what is what.
But that wasn't the case when we were in the car with our driver, and we had no handy reference to these names. So what we actuallly ended up asking was
" where do we get to eat puttu nuttu [ that was supposed to be nool puttu] ,
dumkuttu [kadumbuttu],
akki roti [ well rice rotis we did remember , but votti we didn't ]
and the sweet thing made of steamed rice? [ Paaputtu! ] "
In the above words when the query was made to our confused-tired-but-very-very-enthusiastic driver, he braked and skidded and wheeled the car in such frenzy that we feared someting really snapped inside him on the mention of these delicacies.
" Saar.. you want to taste pork? Verrri nice and famous here saar.. local foodda saar.. christmas time.. I can parcel it and deliver to your room.. " he said.
My husband, who wasn't much for the local stuff neways.. gave up immediately.
But I persisited.. " that sweet thing with rice..ottu, otti some thing ..." I said.
And then light dwaned upon him.. " PaaPottu madam.. its not available in hotels.. tomarrow morning, arder deke rakhta mein ek chotta mess hain oodhar.." he promised.
So next morning when we set out again, he stopped the car in a tiny lane, and went inside a tiny looking shed and told someting to a middle-aged lady there. She came out, waved and smiled at us. On our way back, the driver re-visited her. This time she handed a steel plate with a white mass covered with coconut spread evenly, covered with a plastic sheet. She went in and handed 2 sppons as well.
" Its very hot now. let it cool, then cut into squares and eat madam. " she said.
I was very happy to get an authentic madikeri receipe to taste.
Sometime later when we actually tasted it..well.. all I can say is I was disappointed. The stuff was really light and fluffy, but there wasn't anything cake-ish about it. It wasn't even sweet.
But this was for the insiders..
For those who haven't had it.. well do taste Paaputtu when you are in Madikeri!
Tuesday, December 27, 2005
Monday, December 12, 2005
A Walk In The Rain
Yesterday was a wonderful evening for me. And Kinda wierd for my husband.
It so happened that I had purchased a splendid pair of splendid all-season shoes, which fitted my feet a bit too splendidly. I wore them to office yesterday, and they splendidly started bitting my feet, the shoes I mean.
It was a cool and misty Bangalore evening and it had just drizzled. I had tried in all possible ways to keep the shoes on, but I just couldn't keep them on.
"Are you okay with those?" asked my husband, as we were about to come out of our tower, to go to the bus-bay.
And that did it.
"NOOOOO" I wailed.
"Then just take those shoes off" he said.
" But this is office, and I don't have any spare pair!" I said.
" Want to try wearing my socks?" he asked. [ I could see an evil grin spreading across his face, as he was enjoying this conversation ]
"No way. I can't wear your socks and the shoes" I said.
" Okie, go ahead then" he said.
So, I took out a neatly folded "health n glow" cover from my purse, and put those biting monsters in it.
At the security check, the guard peeped into the plastic cover, sneaked a look at my feet and then smiled. Mr. Hubby looked at the ceiling [which wasn't there] and then hastily came out.
And then the wonderful walk in the rain began.
My hubby suggested that he would walk a few steps ahead of me [ and by a few steps, I'm sure he meant at-least a mile]
"Nay" I said.
So we proceeded, side by side, towards the bus bay.
People who weren't too busy not to notice us, looked up and smiled.
Some just raised their brows, some grinned, some turned back to confirm.
I smiled back to all of them.
My hubby shrugged his shoulders and made a " I-don't-know-whats-wrong-with-her-but-still" kind of face.
And I trotted on the well mowed lawns of our office premise, first. It was lovely.
Then on the paved path, it was kinda no-that-lovely.
And then on the concrete ground. Which was far-from-lovely.
Then on the red wet earth, which was just ooh-aah-OUCH!
We had to cross over a small road to reach the other side of the office, where the buses were parked.
Once we reached there, I again stepped for a few secs on the wet lawn, and it was bliss!
My feet were all pink and wet and a bit muddy, but I was enjoying the cool breeze, the wet touch of rain on those bruised feet.
My hubby , by now, was growing comfortable with the situation, and was realxing a bit.
"You walked on the grass." he said. " Its lovely." I said.
"I wish I could do that too." he said. And we smiled, together this time.
It so happened that I had purchased a splendid pair of splendid all-season shoes, which fitted my feet a bit too splendidly. I wore them to office yesterday, and they splendidly started bitting my feet, the shoes I mean.
It was a cool and misty Bangalore evening and it had just drizzled. I had tried in all possible ways to keep the shoes on, but I just couldn't keep them on.
"Are you okay with those?" asked my husband, as we were about to come out of our tower, to go to the bus-bay.
And that did it.
"NOOOOO" I wailed.
"Then just take those shoes off" he said.
" But this is office, and I don't have any spare pair!" I said.
" Want to try wearing my socks?" he asked. [ I could see an evil grin spreading across his face, as he was enjoying this conversation ]
"No way. I can't wear your socks and the shoes" I said.
" Okie, go ahead then" he said.
So, I took out a neatly folded "health n glow" cover from my purse, and put those biting monsters in it.
At the security check, the guard peeped into the plastic cover, sneaked a look at my feet and then smiled. Mr. Hubby looked at the ceiling [which wasn't there] and then hastily came out.
And then the wonderful walk in the rain began.
My hubby suggested that he would walk a few steps ahead of me [ and by a few steps, I'm sure he meant at-least a mile]
"Nay" I said.
So we proceeded, side by side, towards the bus bay.
People who weren't too busy not to notice us, looked up and smiled.
Some just raised their brows, some grinned, some turned back to confirm.
I smiled back to all of them.
My hubby shrugged his shoulders and made a " I-don't-know-whats-wrong-with-her-but-still" kind of face.
And I trotted on the well mowed lawns of our office premise, first. It was lovely.
Then on the paved path, it was kinda no-that-lovely.
And then on the concrete ground. Which was far-from-lovely.
Then on the red wet earth, which was just ooh-aah-OUCH!
We had to cross over a small road to reach the other side of the office, where the buses were parked.
Once we reached there, I again stepped for a few secs on the wet lawn, and it was bliss!
My feet were all pink and wet and a bit muddy, but I was enjoying the cool breeze, the wet touch of rain on those bruised feet.
My hubby , by now, was growing comfortable with the situation, and was realxing a bit.
"You walked on the grass." he said. " Its lovely." I said.
"I wish I could do that too." he said. And we smiled, together this time.
Friday, December 09, 2005
its raining outside..
[trying my hand at poetry....]
its raining outside.
constant, pitter patter.
muddy puddles, muddy streams.
colorful umbrellas,greener trees.
some are happy, some are snappy, others move on.
its raining outside.
constant, pitter patter.
some crouch under carts and shiver.
some look up in the rain and smile.
some fuss, some cuss, others move on.
its raining outside.
constant, pitter patter.
pebbles drown with a plonk.
paper boats float across.
some stay, some give away, others move on.
its raining outside.
constant, pitter patter.
slush that clings to your feet.
a rainbow of spilt oil on water.
some wink, some blink, others move on.
its raining outside.
constant, pitter patter.
its the song of life.
for those ears that strive.
some listen, some hear, others move on.
[ .....And am happie with the outcome. ]
its raining outside.
constant, pitter patter.
muddy puddles, muddy streams.
colorful umbrellas,greener trees.
some are happy, some are snappy, others move on.
its raining outside.
constant, pitter patter.
some crouch under carts and shiver.
some look up in the rain and smile.
some fuss, some cuss, others move on.
its raining outside.
constant, pitter patter.
pebbles drown with a plonk.
paper boats float across.
some stay, some give away, others move on.
its raining outside.
constant, pitter patter.
slush that clings to your feet.
a rainbow of spilt oil on water.
some wink, some blink, others move on.
its raining outside.
constant, pitter patter.
its the song of life.
for those ears that strive.
some listen, some hear, others move on.
[ .....And am happie with the outcome. ]
Thursday, December 08, 2005
To Be or Not To Be?
To Be or Not To Be HONEST.. is a very very difficult decision.
Its almost tortureous at times.
And lets thank our up-bringings and childhood impressions first, then the world around us today, for this. These two factors generally cook a neat contrast, and make one struggle for simple things in life; like being honest.
For many a decisions we need to make today, we need to make choices, and one of them might invariably be about being honest, or not being honest, to say.
You don't be honest, and you might get a good deal,
you might successfully back-stab someone and move on,
you might enjoy a lil bit of taxfree money,
you might effortlessly get through some selections,
you might distance yourself from the dreaded legal hassles,
you might deceive someone for life without his/her knowledge and still enjoy their association,
you might come clean of some well deserved accusations,
you might avoid giving all those justifications,
you might be politically correct,
you might enjoy a materially rich life, and let others lead the same too..
And all this comes at a very little price, you lose a little peace and a tiny piece of your mind.
Be honest, and what do you get?
A 'pat-on-the-back', a clear conscience and yeah, may be a couple of missed opportunities, a bucks lesser in your purse, and a few lost friends (so-called?). You see a lot of others whizz past you in the race of life. You might get into the self-doubt dilemmas, you might want to regret being on the right path.
And if all's well, you have the peace of mind, and a materially rewarding life too, where all your possesions just trigger pride and bitter sweet memories of the toil that went in acquiring them.
You can meet everyone's gaze and rightfully pass on the baton to those eager to carry it forward.
Surprisingly, there's little to say about the benifits of being honest, but little said, it still stands big. Its more intangible, than tangible I think.
So the confusion still looms, like opting for an ideal investment plan, do I take the short term benifits and be happy, or invest for a bigger cause?
Lets add to this confusion by quoting this, which again boils down to being or not being honest..
Satyam bruyat, priyam bruyat, na bruyat satyam aapriyam..
[ Speak the truth, and speak such that it pleases (others), but don't speak the truth which is not favoured (by others)..]
Its almost tortureous at times.
And lets thank our up-bringings and childhood impressions first, then the world around us today, for this. These two factors generally cook a neat contrast, and make one struggle for simple things in life; like being honest.
For many a decisions we need to make today, we need to make choices, and one of them might invariably be about being honest, or not being honest, to say.
You don't be honest, and you might get a good deal,
you might successfully back-stab someone and move on,
you might enjoy a lil bit of taxfree money,
you might effortlessly get through some selections,
you might distance yourself from the dreaded legal hassles,
you might deceive someone for life without his/her knowledge and still enjoy their association,
you might come clean of some well deserved accusations,
you might avoid giving all those justifications,
you might be politically correct,
you might enjoy a materially rich life, and let others lead the same too..
And all this comes at a very little price, you lose a little peace and a tiny piece of your mind.
Be honest, and what do you get?
A 'pat-on-the-back', a clear conscience and yeah, may be a couple of missed opportunities, a bucks lesser in your purse, and a few lost friends (so-called?). You see a lot of others whizz past you in the race of life. You might get into the self-doubt dilemmas, you might want to regret being on the right path.
And if all's well, you have the peace of mind, and a materially rewarding life too, where all your possesions just trigger pride and bitter sweet memories of the toil that went in acquiring them.
You can meet everyone's gaze and rightfully pass on the baton to those eager to carry it forward.
Surprisingly, there's little to say about the benifits of being honest, but little said, it still stands big. Its more intangible, than tangible I think.
So the confusion still looms, like opting for an ideal investment plan, do I take the short term benifits and be happy, or invest for a bigger cause?
Lets add to this confusion by quoting this, which again boils down to being or not being honest..
Satyam bruyat, priyam bruyat, na bruyat satyam aapriyam..
[ Speak the truth, and speak such that it pleases (others), but don't speak the truth which is not favoured (by others)..]
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