the noble palm-fruit (nungu)

This morning's breakfast included a nungu. The lesson that I learnt from this noble fruit is that we should neither be too soft nor too hard in life. It means trouble.
In the context of the fruit it becomes hard to skin the soft ones and the hard ones though easy to peel can be a cause for a stomach ache.

So it is good to be in the mid-range of hardness and softness in life - adjust, compromise and live life to the fullest as it comes through.
Of course that doesn't mean that we compromise on the values, quality or the ambitions of life.

kotagiri --- nilgiris

What a lovely place Kotagiri is?? Words cannot describe the beauty and majesty of the place. I wldn't say so in terms of the sights around, as Munnar is far more picturesque; but in terms of the weather in the simmering hot month of May, the wildlife around, the silence of the valley and so on and so forth.

The silence of the valley is such that one can hear one's own heart-beat and the sound of breathing seems a little too loud....

The generous and kind Bhaiyya (brother) that I have there, his house in the midst of a tea estate surrounded by tall trees all over, the beautiful flowers, the strawberry plants in his house, his man's best friend ---- a calm and soft-hearted labrador that doesn't bite even forgetfully ----- to such levels has it been tamed----- the long mid-night drives in search of wild-life in his Royal Tata Sierra--- the scuttling brownish-grey rabbits with glaring red eyes, the shy wild-boars and the unforgettable huge and daunting Male bison ---- all these and more have made this trip a truly Magnificent One---And One of the most Fascinating journeys of my Life-time.

And what does my Bhaiyaa do for an earning --- yet another intriguing tale---- He grows beautiful and gorgeously coloured Carnations (flowers) in his farm and sells them.

And what can I say about the mouth-watering barbecued Fish, Chicken and Paneer Tikkas?? The indigenous barbecue of bricks and coal, planned and and set-up within a blink of an eye-lid, and that which yielded warmth and tasty delicacies for the 12-14 degree centigrade cold nights of Kotagiri.
I call it cold because I hail from a place that is 30 degrees centigrade at night, in the month of May ---- and to imagine my delight and awe in discovering that a place such as Kotagiri exists at only 380 kilometres from here!!!!!

Sorry guys have to disappoint you --- no picture of my bhaiyya --- objection sustained.
The other pictures r for all to see and relish.

the farm and the green houses in which the carnations grow

I am of the second category.

"There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle." - Albert Einstein

And "why" as a friend of mine wld go. For i cannot help but conclude thus from every incident and event around me. I cannot, but see a Hand perfectly and carefully moving the coins with superb precision and timing.
Every single creation in nature amazes me to the point of bewilderment.
As far as I am concerned it is a shame to regard any of these as anything less than a miracle. It is the height of arrogance and impertinence to regard things and events around us as mere coincidences.
Why r we where we r, of who we r and of what we r? Is it just a coincidence or blind luck or ill-luck?
Think Fellas think.

the best birthday gift ever!!!!

What can possibly be a beautiful, creative, cute and cuddly b'day gift that a wife can possibly give her husband? And mind U that it definitely has the scope to become the best ever-received gift. Is ur grey matter tickling and tingling?
Yeah it is a beautiful child.
Such is the luck that a dear friend shares. Or should I say that such is the gift that my friend has received from his wife and most definitely The Almighty One.
Can we treat it as just coincidence or should we regard it with reverence as the perfectly planned gift from Heaven perhaps to heal the many Wounds.......
I have also heard of other instances where a child born on the b'day of the Late Mother and yet one another sharing the same star and sex of the Late Mother, immediately after the demise of The Mother have proven to be profound instances of healing and moments of great faith.
The kids thus born r regarded as the gifts from the departed one and sometimes even regarded as a reincarnation of that person.
Some of us wld not bother much but for some others it is a source of IMMENSE HEALING. The kind that is rare.

And now is the time to share a secret---- a desire that I have had in my Being for long--------To have a Child on My B'day. Today I realise that these desires can really come to Pass through the will of The One Above.
But Plans changed.
So now I desire to give it as the Best Ever B'day gift to my Beloved and to imagine the Joy if it is a much expected yet Delayed Arrival. I cannot but revel in the expression of joy and happiness and tears on the face of my Poor Husband. Not to forget the gratitude towards God thru which he wld Receive the Bundle of Joy.........

come summer

Come summer and tender coconuts, sugarcane juice, watermelons and tender palm fruits start doing the rounds.
Small kiosks as also platform shops start mushrooming all over the place with these fruits. Street hawkers too do good business during these times, as people in the tropics very well know the value of these fruits and their juices.

SUGARCANE
The names sugar and sugarcane have been derived from the Sanskrit word, Sharkara. Sugarcane is indigenous to India. It was cultivated here from the Vedic period and it is mentioned in some places in the ancient scriptures. Alexander the Great and his soldiers carried sugarcane from India to the west by about 325 BC. Sugarcane is now grown all over the world. India stands first in sugarcane cultivation, followed by Brazil, Cuba, China, Mexico, Pakistan, the U.S.A., South Africa and Columbia.
Sugarcane juice is great for recharging energy because it contains rich carbohydrate and iron. Green-typed tropical sugarcane is sweetest and juiciest. It is also the elephant's favorite food.
It strengthens the stomach, kidneys, heart, eyes, brain and sex organs.
Biting into the cane and chewing it raw, sucking the juice from it helps build and strengthen the teeth.
But the diet- conscious-------BEWARE---- it is a fattening food instead U can guiltlessly delve into huge quantities of the luscious FAT- FREE fruit of WATERMELON.

Pictures or artifacts that have survived to the present show that watermelon was grown by the ancient Egyptians. It was founded in 4000 B.C. and is still a universal fruit that continues to be a favorite fruit to many people. By the 1600's, watermelon made it's way to Spain, China, Great Britain, and even farther beyond.
Watermelons are an excellent source of vitamins A, C, and B6. They are a good source of potassium, and a poor source of sodium.
One of the more recent amazing innovations of JAPAN is the square watermelon, grown thus to get over the hitch of packaging and transporting.

Then the turn of the TENDER COCONUTS
Tender coconuts are a rich source of sugars in the form of glucose and fructose, minerals like potassium, sodium, calcium, phosphorus, iron, copper, sulphur and chlorides.
Tender coconuts are also a good source of proteins. The percentage of proteins in tender coconuts is higher than that in cow's milk.

So BEAT THE HEAT and the dehydration with these delicious and nutritious fruits and their juices.

And never to forget our own 'moar' or 'buttermilk' (preferably home-made).
It is the poor man's delight as well------a delight both to his health and his wealth.

Buttermilk Lore
Irish folklore claims a glass of buttermilk will cure a hangover, and when heated with a clove of garlic, it was sure to cure any variety of ailments. According to American folklore, drinking buttermilk will immunize one against poison oak and ivy. May pioneer women used buttermilk as a facial wash, believing the flecks of butter brought a smooth and creamy complexion.

Remember that there is very little butter in the buttermilk and it is much less in fat than normal milk though its name misleadingly suggests otherwise.
Its name definitely need not deter drinkers of the Potassium, Vitamin B12,Calcium and Riboflavin- rich drink.