Home away from home...
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I feel fulfilled. I went on a 4 day trip to my native place, ayankaranpulam and karupanpulam close to vedaranyam sea shore. Accompanied by my husband, kids, brother and parents, I embarked on a journey with a quest - to see my ailing grandmother. I had received news that my grandma was sick with a heavy urine infection. At that ripe age, a small infection can be deadly. With trepidation I booked an innova car for the travel. Her name is Manonmani and she is 91.
When I was young, my parents used to take me for summer vacation to vedaranyam. Every year I used to look forward to this time. Both my parents have big families, really big ones.
My mom's side, she has 3 brothers and 6 sisters, no shortage of cousins. During the months of may and june I was always in vedaranyam until my 10 th grade. I used to play in sand, hose pipes, close to ponds hours together. We were expected only during meal times at home. We had to wake up around dawn time and that was my most favorite time. Morning sunrise, fresh milk from the cows and a walk around the farm. There were many workers on the farm land and one of them was assigned the job of collecting the cashew fruits from the cashew trees. He was also tasked with taking all the kids with him. This activity lasted typically about an hour or hour and half. This guy was a young lad and he used to entertain the kid clan with jokes and by giving the best collector a taste of the most ripe cashew fruit. The trick to finding the most ripe one was to make sure it was bitten by a squirrel. Squirrels could sense the ripe ones with just the smell. The fruit was so yummy we used to fill up our tummies with it. Then we would bring back the cashews which were protruding from them to dry them out. Next was shower time, off to the pump set or motor set which forcefully pumped water from the well into the farm lands. He would intercept the water jet and have a good and fun filled shower. Then we were treated to those wonderfully jasmine flower like idlis and some sort of high intensity chilly chutneys made the old fashioned way. Even now my mouth waters just thinking about it. By 11 a.m, my grandma would sit down to churn the fat out of the fresh milk from cows on a rich organic diet. She would then heat the fat and viola you got the wonderful aroma of fresh ghee. To top it off she put a few sprigs of drumstick leaves in it, i don't know why but that would be like cherry on top of a cake. You can never forget that aroma.
Lunch was always a First course was mostly molai keerai masiyal with the freshly made ghee. Simplest of the recipes, yet the most tasty dish. Followed by kolambu made of just picked veggies from the garden. Typically brinjals, drumstick, pumpkins, lady's fingers, bottle guards, ridge guards, raw mangoes - no storage time, straight from the garden to the stove top. I honestly believe that kids of today don't like vegetables because they unfortunately don't have the opportunity to really taste good and fresh ones.
Again play time around the house, we would go back to the farm lands where the workers were resting after their meal. We would just sit around with them and they would treat us like we are kings and queens. They always addressed us as "chinna amma", "chinna ayya". Never really realized the meaning behind it. Time to time, when we got bored we used to stop by at the all time big pantry which was filled with rice, all types of dried beans, and barrels of muruku, pickles, chillies etc. I also remember getting caught once stealing raw mango pickles:-) My grandfather was a textile merchant who made his fortune in Singapore. He was really a rich guy and we have a very big house in vedaranyam. After he returned from Singapore he used to reside in the first level of the house all my himself. He used to play those big tapes for us in the evening. I remember watching vellai roja, sigappu roja and aayirathil oruvan movies all through my vacation time. I used to be able repeat verbatim the dialogues by the end of the vacation. Lol, no use but still:-). He was very strict but kind at the same time. We kids were the errand runners for him all day long. He had a big bell that he used to ring when ever he needed us. As soon as you heard the bell, it was our top priority to attend him hand and foot. We also got in trouble if we made a lot of noise. Its sad that he died when he was just 72 in the year 1992. I was only 12. So i never really got to experience his kind side. He had a long and big mush and so we addressed him as "meesai thatha", which made him to look like a military officer. After the movie, it was a light dinner and sleep time by 8:00 p.m. All lights go off by 8:30 p.m. Mats were rolled on the big hall, pillows and bedspreads were thrown across and we were given spots. If you are thinking that's hostel like, you are right!
Such were the memories of my vacation time until about 10th grade. Around 10th grade started the summer vacation classes for me and then my cousins at various years. That was the last of these mighty vacation, carefree times with all of us together. Even today we are close and we often reminisce the old times. Few cousins moved to Singapore, and a few are here in Chennai.
So coming back to my recent trip during pongal, I did have a trip down the memory lane and missed all my cousins. My quest was to see my grandma alive and well and spend as much time as possible with her, i wanted to take a ride to visit all my uncles and aunties on my father's side as well.
On both accounts I scored big time, i was successfully able to talk to my grandma and share time with her. She was diagnosed with a heavy UTI, which responded well to meds. Met some of the then kid cousins who are now grown up. I feel so blessed to know so many relatives, thanks to my father and mother who made sure i knew all their siblings and who always had good relations with everyone. I am still treated like a queen when i am there, transferred to a different time. I am their "chella pethi" on both sides. I think of all my cousins i probably know the most relatives. Everyone receives me and my family with such enthusiasm and care, that even my husband realizes why i am so close with them. Throughout my stay, i ate fresh seafood and fresh veggies equally well. Loved every bit of my stay. I am feeling fulfilled for having spent this quality time with my grandma and everyone. I am feeling blessed to have know two different generations and being able to understand both and be the bridge. Best part was that my kids got to meet and see photos of two to three generations prior. Overall, mission accomplished at the "home away from home".
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I feel fulfilled. I went on a 4 day trip to my native place, ayankaranpulam and karupanpulam close to vedaranyam sea shore. Accompanied by my husband, kids, brother and parents, I embarked on a journey with a quest - to see my ailing grandmother. I had received news that my grandma was sick with a heavy urine infection. At that ripe age, a small infection can be deadly. With trepidation I booked an innova car for the travel. Her name is Manonmani and she is 91.
When I was young, my parents used to take me for summer vacation to vedaranyam. Every year I used to look forward to this time. Both my parents have big families, really big ones.
My mom's side, she has 3 brothers and 6 sisters, no shortage of cousins. During the months of may and june I was always in vedaranyam until my 10 th grade. I used to play in sand, hose pipes, close to ponds hours together. We were expected only during meal times at home. We had to wake up around dawn time and that was my most favorite time. Morning sunrise, fresh milk from the cows and a walk around the farm. There were many workers on the farm land and one of them was assigned the job of collecting the cashew fruits from the cashew trees. He was also tasked with taking all the kids with him. This activity lasted typically about an hour or hour and half. This guy was a young lad and he used to entertain the kid clan with jokes and by giving the best collector a taste of the most ripe cashew fruit. The trick to finding the most ripe one was to make sure it was bitten by a squirrel. Squirrels could sense the ripe ones with just the smell. The fruit was so yummy we used to fill up our tummies with it. Then we would bring back the cashews which were protruding from them to dry them out. Next was shower time, off to the pump set or motor set which forcefully pumped water from the well into the farm lands. He would intercept the water jet and have a good and fun filled shower. Then we were treated to those wonderfully jasmine flower like idlis and some sort of high intensity chilly chutneys made the old fashioned way. Even now my mouth waters just thinking about it. By 11 a.m, my grandma would sit down to churn the fat out of the fresh milk from cows on a rich organic diet. She would then heat the fat and viola you got the wonderful aroma of fresh ghee. To top it off she put a few sprigs of drumstick leaves in it, i don't know why but that would be like cherry on top of a cake. You can never forget that aroma.
Lunch was always a First course was mostly molai keerai masiyal with the freshly made ghee. Simplest of the recipes, yet the most tasty dish. Followed by kolambu made of just picked veggies from the garden. Typically brinjals, drumstick, pumpkins, lady's fingers, bottle guards, ridge guards, raw mangoes - no storage time, straight from the garden to the stove top. I honestly believe that kids of today don't like vegetables because they unfortunately don't have the opportunity to really taste good and fresh ones.
Again play time around the house, we would go back to the farm lands where the workers were resting after their meal. We would just sit around with them and they would treat us like we are kings and queens. They always addressed us as "chinna amma", "chinna ayya". Never really realized the meaning behind it. Time to time, when we got bored we used to stop by at the all time big pantry which was filled with rice, all types of dried beans, and barrels of muruku, pickles, chillies etc. I also remember getting caught once stealing raw mango pickles:-) My grandfather was a textile merchant who made his fortune in Singapore. He was really a rich guy and we have a very big house in vedaranyam. After he returned from Singapore he used to reside in the first level of the house all my himself. He used to play those big tapes for us in the evening. I remember watching vellai roja, sigappu roja and aayirathil oruvan movies all through my vacation time. I used to be able repeat verbatim the dialogues by the end of the vacation. Lol, no use but still:-). He was very strict but kind at the same time. We kids were the errand runners for him all day long. He had a big bell that he used to ring when ever he needed us. As soon as you heard the bell, it was our top priority to attend him hand and foot. We also got in trouble if we made a lot of noise. Its sad that he died when he was just 72 in the year 1992. I was only 12. So i never really got to experience his kind side. He had a long and big mush and so we addressed him as "meesai thatha", which made him to look like a military officer. After the movie, it was a light dinner and sleep time by 8:00 p.m. All lights go off by 8:30 p.m. Mats were rolled on the big hall, pillows and bedspreads were thrown across and we were given spots. If you are thinking that's hostel like, you are right!
Such were the memories of my vacation time until about 10th grade. Around 10th grade started the summer vacation classes for me and then my cousins at various years. That was the last of these mighty vacation, carefree times with all of us together. Even today we are close and we often reminisce the old times. Few cousins moved to Singapore, and a few are here in Chennai.
So coming back to my recent trip during pongal, I did have a trip down the memory lane and missed all my cousins. My quest was to see my grandma alive and well and spend as much time as possible with her, i wanted to take a ride to visit all my uncles and aunties on my father's side as well.
On both accounts I scored big time, i was successfully able to talk to my grandma and share time with her. She was diagnosed with a heavy UTI, which responded well to meds. Met some of the then kid cousins who are now grown up. I feel so blessed to know so many relatives, thanks to my father and mother who made sure i knew all their siblings and who always had good relations with everyone. I am still treated like a queen when i am there, transferred to a different time. I am their "chella pethi" on both sides. I think of all my cousins i probably know the most relatives. Everyone receives me and my family with such enthusiasm and care, that even my husband realizes why i am so close with them. Throughout my stay, i ate fresh seafood and fresh veggies equally well. Loved every bit of my stay. I am feeling fulfilled for having spent this quality time with my grandma and everyone. I am feeling blessed to have know two different generations and being able to understand both and be the bridge. Best part was that my kids got to meet and see photos of two to three generations prior. Overall, mission accomplished at the "home away from home".
