Ugadi Subhakankshalu

#debsaristories #ugadi
Aaj mere yaar ki bday hai! Jigri dost ka happy wala birthday. It's Ma's (MIL) birthday and also Ugadi today 🥳🥳🥳 Wishing you all Saarvari nama ugadi subhakanshalu!

We spent an entire lifetime blaming technology and internet, but be honest now - aren't you truly thankful for internet and wifi? What do you think? Wouldn't it have been more catastrophic if internet and wifi were down across the globe? And in past one week there were peaks of panic and valleys of depression now settling into a plateau of understanding and sinking in to reality. Anyways, today's the new year and of new beginnings, new hope and positivity. Ma's birthday today. So I am twice as happy. For the past few years we had started the habit of getting "girls time" with pedicure, lunch of her choice etc before or after the birthday, apart from the usual family celebrations.
This year, thanks to virus bhai saab it's all home alone. I although was enthu and wanted to cook a simple south Indian thali meal. So this was my menu- Mango pulihara, Vengaya sambar, Vazhakka poriyal, Beerakaya pachadi, Keera masiyal , Pavakka curry, Rice yogurt etc. I am off to make filter kaapi now. Been in back to back meetings for last few days. Actually I realized how big a workaholic I am because these days I am working for easily 16-18 hrs a day. So I cooked the meal late nights or early mornings as I knew I wont get time altogether. And these past week made me realize a valuable life lesson. I am thankful to bettu, its because of him i deprioritze EVERYTHING else and make sure I spend every minute with him, his classes, his hobbies. Now I realize he's been indirectly helping me stay sane and have a life beyond work. Otherwise my life would have sucked 🤣😛

CoVID Diaries

#debsaristories #covid19 Aa gaye na sab apne aukath pe? While the world leaders assuming they have the world in control, men faking their power on women, rich exploting the poor... a tiny microorganism silently disrupts the World, brings everything to a halt almost, cannot be seen, cannot be heard.

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%% For every "hoarding " virus, there is a "sharing " anti-virus. What you have in precautionary excess maybe cruicial necessity for someone else.
%% For every "use money power" virus, there is a "kindness and humanity " anti-virus. Remember there are many that cannot afford to stock up.
%% For every "selfish, look down upon people" virus, there is a "help strangers and be front line" anti-virus. Pick your stand now!
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No one can yet harm the virus and arrest it or hang it to death. No one can blame its religion caste of origin,. Ab batao... who is powerful? Like this virus , there are so many other invisible powers which time and again remind us we are nothing but a chaotic, helpless, unplanned, immature bunch of creatures.


Between practical and panic there are so many variations. While a group is busy stocking up toilet paper (sad we are killing more trees than before), tens of bags of onions, wiped out entire department store of santizing wipes, cleaned all cleaners from supermarkets (were we truly living a gutter life before the virus?), another group wonders why they arent joining the majority? They are doing their best to keep clean, not spread germs but yet not hoarding like crazy. Scratching their heads on how much can one stock when no one knows what's the end to this situation and when?!

 - I did not buy any supplies of cleaning or sanitizer
 - I bought dried and fried onions instead of real ones so they dont rot thanks to the panic over buying
- I bought tomato ketchup to replace real tomatoes as well if need be
- I bought lentils rajma chana as backup if ever we run out of veggies and meat and shops are shut - I bought milk and eggs enough that I would generally stock up for coming weeks, not months
- I have frozen veggies which may add up to any meal and also quinoa oats etc which could opt for healthy meal
- I havent purchased medicines that I wouldnt need if I already had one bottle each of the usual cold cough allergy fever medication
 - I did not want to create panic that would lead to depleting resources for someone that may truly be in need

 Offices are almost ghost towns, schools are closed and now starts the real problem. Now comes the real rubber hits ground situation
- Families that had almost forgotten living fulltime with each other realized they are locked up together for next four weeks - hum tum ek kamre mein bandh ho...
- Education and staying current requires new skills which everyone realized even developed countries did not equip themselves with. Many institutions are creative is requiring collaborative online classes.
 - Physical activities require more planning. Active kids that used to spend an hour or two exercising their fitness how need to rely on jogging at home, jumping jacks, squats, jump rope etc to keep up their momentum.

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Remember
 This too shall pass, life still goes on. There are many front line workers that dont stay home but actually out there serving others. Salute them. They have a life and families too. Stay safe, healthy and mindful
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Bura na mano Holi hai

#debsaristories #holi #internationalwomensday #beresponsible Womanhood comes with responsibility as much as manhood does. I am ashamed to accept that I really dont know when international men's day is (if there is even such a thing). So while the world is making big deal of the womens day, my thoughts wonder elsewhere as usual.

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My #womanhoodpledge - I dont need a day to celebrate being myself, t
hank you but no thanks. I celebrate being myself everyday.
 - I also pledge not to use my gender to play any sympathy case, special advantages cards etc.
 - I dont want to claim the "ladies quota" especially because I am seeking equality not favoritism.
 - I dont want to cut lines, so I can get ahead of other men. I am capable of working my way up in fair and just manner.
- I also dont want to assume all women have good intentions just like how all men dont have bad intentions either.
- Human beings of both sex have good and bad people. It's a matrix.. not singular one on one mapping. I will use wisdom and discretion in my judgement.
 - I also dont want to go overboard being this "new age woman" and lose my common sense in the process.
 - I will remember my mom's upbringing and my family's faith in me.
- I would always remember my priorities irrespective of my sex, be it work or home, just like I expect my man to.
 - I wouldn't do anything, I wouldn't expect my man to do. I maintain transparency both ways. We both are individuals and we would respect each other's space.
- I don't complain running errands, groceries, dishes etc knowing it's a choice I made and enjoy doing and fully knowing the rules could be swapped with my man, the days I want to lie on the couch lazily without reason.
- I love being the woman I am, I wouldn't be anyone else and I also deeply thank every man that supported me becoming who I am.
- I am happy in my space, be nice and I will let you be.
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To think of it, my dad supported me in my education and didn't think of me as weaker or lesser offspring. My husband and FIL continued to support my career, my teachers who supported me get into awesome topping grades were all men, my friends in college and colleagues at work.. and my best male friend, my bettu.. thank you all. For because of you, I am celebrating Women's day. And I will every day. This is as "holi" as I can get. Amidst colorful background peacefully standing in my favorite white saree. I would dare not do this for real.

Off Spring and Cherry Blossoms

#debsaristories #madrastalkies #matchingwithnature #camouflaged #springblossom #Sabyasachi More Madras memories. We love temples, no no not just being religious, we love temples as much as our homes. Every "colony", every "area", every "nagar" has our own temple. 🥰

Temples are landmarks. Nope not just historic landmarks like Brihadeeswara temple, or Mahabalipuram or Kapaleeswarar temple. Its also our local GPS. Ask anyone for address help, they will always guide you with a temple as reference. Next lane to anjaneyar kovil, behind pillayar kovil, across from mariamman kovil... even big designer showrooms and banks and any huge landmarks..always refer them with a temple (blessings). On that note, one can lose count on how many shops and homes refer them as "near mada veedhi mylapore". But that's us. Oh btw I was born in kapali temple area mylapore, grew up near anjaneya kovil and now parents settled next to raja ganapathi alayam.. tell a temple reference and you make instant connect with a fellow madrasi. Heart to heart. Direct. Temples are also busiest places on New Year's eve. Even more than pubs. Yup you heard it right. Nowhere else I bet the midnight lines are long and crowded than the temples of madras performing special puja. The entire city even the non religious ones line up there no matter what. It just happens. We all are committed to making a good start every year. Families plan to visit temple in the midnight together. Bachelors also plan for beach party but stop by at the nearest parthasarthy temple or similar amidst the fun. It's just the way of life. And of course, Temples are for prayer, meditation, social gupshup, gossip, proposals, decide country's fate and world hunger, everything. No wonder when parents visit outside madras their first question in mind (beside whether we get idli maavu, vathal, vadaam, etc) is how far is the nearest temple? It truly matters because it's part of the daily routine. Whether you are religious or not, you cannot be not influenced by a kovil in madras. One way or other. Spring is in the air. Nature was blooming so I also matched with it.. I also attempted the belt and casual drape like my guru sabyasachi. Yeh I look like the nakli version of his model. But he is an inspiration to all indian women who love sarees and I am not ashamed trying his ideas in my own way :) I dint know which pic looks good. So posted few. Once you gals let me know which one to keep, I will delete the othe one and update the post accordingly. Teek?