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.

Back in Colombia

Hola todos.  I have come back to Bogota, Colombia.  The trip was good.  After my trip to Montevideo, Uruguay this is what I think about Uruguay or consider it my opinion.

All Uruguayans(we call them Uruguashos)  drink something called Yerba (so called herbs) in a container which is called 'Mate (pronounced as Maathey).  So everybody carries his own mate kit'.  A mate kit has a flask(for hot water), the mate, a straw (called bombillo) and the yerba.  They prepare the drink on the spot and keep drinking it. 

     

We saw a couple doing shopping in a mal.  One was pushing the cart and the other was holding the mate and drinking.  When the other wanted to drink, they changed their roles.  A simple task like shopping takes 2 people and so you can imagine other tasks.

So, always one hand is not free (carrying the kit and the mate) and they have to do things with the other hand.  Don't you think it takes twice the time and resource to do a job?