A region called South Canara

Dark clouds with sun playing hide and seek in between them, puddles on the streets, smell of firewood, sound of the rain water, brick houses ....remind of South Canara. Suddenly today, miles away in Toronto, sitting in the subway, when it rained and I came across a green patch, and the smell of firewood ,reminded me of my family's place of origin, Udupi.

Some associations and memories - Udupi:

Udupi Shree Krishna, Kuthpadi, Narsimha Swamy temple at my ancestral house, Malpe beach, Gadbad ice cream, the bus ride to Manipal, smell of firewood, piping hot rasam, sound of rain water, Aane Gudde, Mookambika trips, banana chips made in coconut oil, chaklis, jackfruit - chips and vegetable/jeev gujje (never liked the fruit), long beans/alsande, banana leaf-meals, long walks exploring Kuthpadi and and greeting people in konkani/amchigele and kannada. ....... a different kind of a paradise on earth.

Spring rolls!

Had the tastiest veggie spring rolls some days back when P was down here in Toronto. At this place called Spring Rolls. This is the best I have had after Mainland China in HYD, Slurp! (have to mention that Nan King was pretty bad when I visited HYD 2 years back).

Madrasi

Why are some people from the rest of India still so ignorant? I was thinking this whole concept of 'all South Indians being Madrasis' was gone with the last generation and this generation would be more aware of Southern India. Apparently not, I witnessed this ignorance through an aquaintance the other day.

Recharged at Chicago

Almost got a second consecutive long weekend - almost! My husband's good friend's wife's baby shower was in Chicago and it also was a kind of reunion of his batchmates from CBIT - Engineering college. A big bindas group; so was good hanging out. And one of them actually acted in Telugu movies too, so that added some spice. I wish I had taken Memorial day off, greedily went to work taking a morning flight from Chicago and after being with a big group for 3 days; I was antsy and sleepy all day.

This is the second big gettogether we have had after New Years and realized that it was like an Indian wedding setting. Where in all family gather few days prior to the wedding, and due to lack of space to sleep howmuch ever big the house maybe, people pretty much sleep where ever you find space ;) Kids busily running around. Ladies cooking and talking. Television running nonstop songs and Indian movies et al But doing the same things for less smaller occasions than wedding and outside India is something of an achievement to me truly.

Back in Toronto I am recharged for the next few days atleast ;)

Observation

Neither money nor education can neccesarily bring 'class' in a person.

ANTM

Thanks to Youtube followed the whole season of Americas' next top model. Whaaaat? A woman needs her guilty pleasures you know....!

Jinxed!

I am almost convinced now that I am jinxed in one section of my life. Added to it - the unavoidable mankind; some people have reached expert level in the field of jinxing me...and yes dutifully have been trying to avoid them.