5 - 10 March, 2013
It is continuing to be crazy busy and hence time for another power packed summarized list-based entry! So here we go, what's been keeping me super busy, excited and happy the last few days in good old Kerala!
a) Welcoming the hubby who has finally made his way down to Kerala - His midnight flight was a couple of hours late but it turned out to well for my dad and me. We could have our overdue, peaceful conversation over a cup of awesome tea from a roadside stall. Loved the late night drive, the cool weather, the conversation, the tea and of course, finally having the hubby together with us!
b) Recovery of the little one - She fell sick with abdominal colic and a flu once she got here. Inevitable, given the changes in the weather as well as routine. But it was heartbreaking to see her miserable for a few days. And I was over the moon when she finally recovered, back to her very happy self. The first few times she started to "talk" and laugh again, I felt what was probably one of the strongest feelings of relief and joy till date! Parenthood is indeed interesting.
c) Visit to my dad's place in Tripunithura - But first stop was to try out the famed Kaayikka Biriyani. The rice and the sauces and soda lime that went along were quite yummy! This was followed by visits to my uncles' and aunt's places. It was lovely to meet all of them as well as my cousins. It was also wonderful to meet my cousin's 7 month old baby, who took a fascination for our little one. It was amusing to see the two babies bonding and having their own conversation. I was also absolutely WOWed by my little cousin brother's singing talent! I had no idea that he could sing and when asked to put up a live show for us, he did with no hesitation and ended up blowing us away. So proud! I wish we had more time to spend together with everyone, but I guess this will have to be it for this time!
d) More & More temple visits - I think I have covered more temples on this visit than ever before. More because the little one needs a madatory drive every evening. She absolutely refuses to sit at home past 5pm. And since we don't have too many different places to go to, we ended up covering plenty of temples! One highlight was definitely the Iringalakkuda temple. It was my first time there and I loved the temple with its expansive grounds, a beautiful pond and old world charm. On the way back we also hit a famous eating joint, the Friend's Kitchen in Iringalakkuda which served authentic Kerala cuisine. Yum! I was also taken aback by the breathtaking landscapes enroute to some of these temples. In less that 10 kms from the city, there were so many lovely temples set in pristine locations - surrounded by palmgroves, paddy fields and little streams. It is so wonderful to discover these gems!
e) Celebrating Shivarathri - The last time I celebrated Shivarathri in Kerala was about four years ago. Then I had primarily visited the Vadakkumnathan temple and spent the evening there lighting the lamps and praying. This year it was a bit different. We visited five different Shiva temples and we got a Pulluvan song done for the little one at the Punkunnam temple. Pulluvanpaattu is a dying art done in honour of the Sarpa/Snake Gods as a way of invoking their blessings for infants and I was absolutely thrilled to have it done unexpectedly for the little one! We watched a dance performance near Vadakkumnathan and more interestingly, we saw dancers in full fledged Bharatantyam costumes on the roadside waiting for an autorickshaw after a performance at a nearby temple. What a sight that was! I also saw the elephant procession from Parmekkavu temple towards Vadakkumnathan. I learnt the fascinating fact that there are about 15 such processions from nearby Devi temples and these signify the journey of the Goddesses from their abodes in these temples towards the Shiva residing at Vadakkumnathan to greet him on Shivarathri. How cute is that!
f) Visit by a good friend from Singapore who is currently based in Kerala. He came over with his girlfriend, a lovely girl whom I am meeting for the first time. It was wonderful to have them over!
g) Visit by my filmie fanatic friend who is based in Kochi - He came over with a memento and the final official DVD of his film. Our history is all there in the old blog, so am not repeating it here. But it was lovely to meet him again and receive the tokens of completion of his first film project, which all apparently started from our conversation in Singapore in 2011!
h) Visit to My House - There is an apartment we are constructing on the plot of my mom's ancestral house. This is the first time I had an opportunity to visit the site. It was thrilling and overwhelming to look up at that complex and realize that that house is going to be my house. There is still some construction left together with most of the interiors but I couldn't help but feel that it is my very own house, the place where my parents would be staying in from the next time on. A bigger, brighter, newer place for them after all these years. It was truly a beautiful feeling.
h) And last but not the least, I have been gorging on all the food. From jackfruit dessert to toddy, from beef fry to duck curry, from biriyani to chocolate pastries, from banana chips to squid curry, I have had it all. Of course, it's all starting to show on the body but we shall worry about fitness and such boring issues once back in Singapore. For now, the taste buds get the priority!
Jam packed. Heavy duty fun. More to come!
It is continuing to be crazy busy and hence time for another power packed summarized list-based entry! So here we go, what's been keeping me super busy, excited and happy the last few days in good old Kerala!
a) Welcoming the hubby who has finally made his way down to Kerala - His midnight flight was a couple of hours late but it turned out to well for my dad and me. We could have our overdue, peaceful conversation over a cup of awesome tea from a roadside stall. Loved the late night drive, the cool weather, the conversation, the tea and of course, finally having the hubby together with us!
b) Recovery of the little one - She fell sick with abdominal colic and a flu once she got here. Inevitable, given the changes in the weather as well as routine. But it was heartbreaking to see her miserable for a few days. And I was over the moon when she finally recovered, back to her very happy self. The first few times she started to "talk" and laugh again, I felt what was probably one of the strongest feelings of relief and joy till date! Parenthood is indeed interesting.
c) Visit to my dad's place in Tripunithura - But first stop was to try out the famed Kaayikka Biriyani. The rice and the sauces and soda lime that went along were quite yummy! This was followed by visits to my uncles' and aunt's places. It was lovely to meet all of them as well as my cousins. It was also wonderful to meet my cousin's 7 month old baby, who took a fascination for our little one. It was amusing to see the two babies bonding and having their own conversation. I was also absolutely WOWed by my little cousin brother's singing talent! I had no idea that he could sing and when asked to put up a live show for us, he did with no hesitation and ended up blowing us away. So proud! I wish we had more time to spend together with everyone, but I guess this will have to be it for this time!
d) More & More temple visits - I think I have covered more temples on this visit than ever before. More because the little one needs a madatory drive every evening. She absolutely refuses to sit at home past 5pm. And since we don't have too many different places to go to, we ended up covering plenty of temples! One highlight was definitely the Iringalakkuda temple. It was my first time there and I loved the temple with its expansive grounds, a beautiful pond and old world charm. On the way back we also hit a famous eating joint, the Friend's Kitchen in Iringalakkuda which served authentic Kerala cuisine. Yum! I was also taken aback by the breathtaking landscapes enroute to some of these temples. In less that 10 kms from the city, there were so many lovely temples set in pristine locations - surrounded by palmgroves, paddy fields and little streams. It is so wonderful to discover these gems!
e) Celebrating Shivarathri - The last time I celebrated Shivarathri in Kerala was about four years ago. Then I had primarily visited the Vadakkumnathan temple and spent the evening there lighting the lamps and praying. This year it was a bit different. We visited five different Shiva temples and we got a Pulluvan song done for the little one at the Punkunnam temple. Pulluvanpaattu is a dying art done in honour of the Sarpa/Snake Gods as a way of invoking their blessings for infants and I was absolutely thrilled to have it done unexpectedly for the little one! We watched a dance performance near Vadakkumnathan and more interestingly, we saw dancers in full fledged Bharatantyam costumes on the roadside waiting for an autorickshaw after a performance at a nearby temple. What a sight that was! I also saw the elephant procession from Parmekkavu temple towards Vadakkumnathan. I learnt the fascinating fact that there are about 15 such processions from nearby Devi temples and these signify the journey of the Goddesses from their abodes in these temples towards the Shiva residing at Vadakkumnathan to greet him on Shivarathri. How cute is that!
f) Visit by a good friend from Singapore who is currently based in Kerala. He came over with his girlfriend, a lovely girl whom I am meeting for the first time. It was wonderful to have them over!
g) Visit by my filmie fanatic friend who is based in Kochi - He came over with a memento and the final official DVD of his film. Our history is all there in the old blog, so am not repeating it here. But it was lovely to meet him again and receive the tokens of completion of his first film project, which all apparently started from our conversation in Singapore in 2011!
h) Visit to My House - There is an apartment we are constructing on the plot of my mom's ancestral house. This is the first time I had an opportunity to visit the site. It was thrilling and overwhelming to look up at that complex and realize that that house is going to be my house. There is still some construction left together with most of the interiors but I couldn't help but feel that it is my very own house, the place where my parents would be staying in from the next time on. A bigger, brighter, newer place for them after all these years. It was truly a beautiful feeling.
h) And last but not the least, I have been gorging on all the food. From jackfruit dessert to toddy, from beef fry to duck curry, from biriyani to chocolate pastries, from banana chips to squid curry, I have had it all. Of course, it's all starting to show on the body but we shall worry about fitness and such boring issues once back in Singapore. For now, the taste buds get the priority!
Jam packed. Heavy duty fun. More to come!
:) Shilpa's Day(s) Out!
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