Happy Virodhi Varusham

Happy Tamil New Year!  May this Virodhi varusham bring all happiness and prosperity to you. 

Well I just wanted to know how this new year is being celebrated by Tamils in other parts of the world. 

I came across this website which published its newsletter on the internet with almost all the details required to start a great new year!  I think this is the first one that I have seen to have the newsletter published on time and it carries enough details.  It is from Singapore and click here to access their newsletter.

I wish they publish this newsletter every month.  This has very interesting information.  It starts with a sacred utterance, calendar of events for the month, significance of the month with dates and the festivals in the month. 

Sivane Potri!

Kovakkai

After I came to India, today is the first time I happened to taste Kovakkai (a vegetable called ivy gourd).  But this has been classified as a fruit!  This vegetable(fruit) is famous especially in Chennai (perhaps I have not seen it anywhere in India).  I really like it and it goes well with any type of rice or chapathi.  It is sliced into small discs and deep fried in oil with spices and salt.  It resembles a Jalapeno in shape and it is red inside with tiny and soft seeds.  But it is not very hot and spicy like a Jalapeno.

I am not surprised when the poets in India compare it to the color of women’s lips.  Well atleast women ought to have lips in that color!

It has some medicinal uses also.  It is used in treating diabetes, skin eruptions among many others.  It is used as a herb in Thailand.  May be you can refer to wikipedia to know more.

Pets resemble their owners

A scientific research has concluded that most pets resemble their owners.  I could not believe until I could see these pictures.  See it to believe it.  Here you go…        

Picture courtesy: Google images

Keep Green. Keep Clean.

When I visited my hometown (nearly 350 Kms from Chennai), myself and my wife went out for an evening walk on the banks of river Cauvery.   We saw a guy selling Pani poori (a famous snack from the northern part of India).  We were quite impressed by the banner that he put near his roadside shop.

We had a samosa channa, another snack which is a combination of chick peas and samosa.  It was not bad and the level of hygiene was decent enough.  He makes it hot and spicy on the spot and serves in a “use and throw” plate.  In summary, what the banner said is, “Keep the place clean by throwing the used plates in the dust bin.  Do not litter” and strangely it was polite enough!

He sets up his shop in the evening and serves hot snacks.  He carries a commercial gas cylinder with him to heat and serve the food.  All said and done, he has his own problems staying in business and he said operational costs are high!!  Are we not talking the same thing in our daily corporate lives?  But I would appreciate his consciousness to have a litter free zone around him.  The whole world will be a better place if everyone of us think of keeping our surroundings clean.

Litter free or free litter…. it is up to you!

P.S: If you want to know about the dishes I have mentioned here.  Please go to google and find it out yourself.