First Impressions- Part II

5. Well, you don't have to teach an Indian about being 'fashionably late'. But being late has always irked me and I try and try to make it on time (a tad difficult dragging the brood around esp the Dad!)But punctuality is taken very seriously here. And I've more than experienced it these past few weeks. The Finland Relocation Service had assigned a lovely lady to take us around and help us settle in. The first time she said she'd come to pick us up at 9.12am, I though she meant around 9.15am. I was spooked out of my shoes when she rang the bell at 9.12 sharp, on the dot.

Well,we are learning!Its the same with the transport system. The buses and trams are always on time, each time.These days, we plan our trips and casually check with each other if we should take the 4.11 bus or the 4.22 tram! Big lesson after all these years that 1.18's and 3.23's do exist on the clock!!

6. The Finns are a sporty lot. Be it -5 degrees or better they are all out there jogging and running. The kids, the nannies, the grandaddies, the dogs are all exercising. And they are all fabulously fit! Well, this particular aspect is taking more than its toll on me. I've been happily 'comfort eating' these past few weeks throwing caution to the air. I better get my act together or might soon be regarded an out caste in this part of the world.

7. The dogs are everywhere. It seems like everybody and their granny has a dog. And you can imagine the looks I'm getting from Vaibhav (who claims he loves dogs...except cleaning their poop)!We are used to the regular pomerenians, poodles or even the occasional daschunds on the roads of Singapore. But this is a dog fest! Every possible pedigree on earth is taking a walk on the next street. Shaggy dogs, scary dogs,teeny tiny dogs (not chihuahas), dogs nearly my size are all out there, very much part of society.

8. The Finns NEVER blame the weather. According to them, there's nothing called ' bad' weather only ' bad' clothing. Well, we've come to accept that. As Vaibhav (a kid who has grown up seeing nothing but hot and hotter- occasional winter holidays don't count) says these days, " Amma, its 7 degrees outside. Its going to be a great day'!!

Yes, everyday in Finland is a gorgeous day!

First Impressions- Part 1!

1. Have visited a bunch of Eurpoean cities but Helsinki is by far the most beautiful.Its not just the architecture or nature. There's just tons of character to this place. Very little is modern and everything right from the 100 year old elevators to the ancient cafes add up to the charm quotient.



2. I've heard,read,been warned about the introverted Finns. I dont know where those introverts are. Every single Finn I've met so far has been extremely helpful and overly kind. We were at Stockmann (largest, oldest departmental store, the Finns consider it somewhat akin to Harrod's of London) stocking up on some grocery. It happened to be one of their crazy day sales. The place was teeming with last minute shoppers. My little ones were dragging along large sized promo balloons. We rushed to the cashier to beat the queue when Shriya asked the cashier if she had a pair of sciccors to lend. I tried to tell her that we'd get one the minute we got home, the chances of the cashier having scissors was low, and even desperately switched to Tamil to explain that things were too busy around here for anyone to actually bother with her. But all that went right through her ears. The next minute "Excuse me, can you please lend me a pair of scissors"?



The cashier simply said "Please wait" and got on with billing my stuff. There you go, a curt reply and I was not even surprised. But the minute she was done with me, she went in somewhere and got a pair of scissors. She then went on to ask Shriya what she wanted cut. My little madam pointed to some extra piece of string hanging out from the balloon. And then her brother requested for the same. I was worried about the line behind us. I was edgy about delaying it for everybody but surprisingly it bothered nobody(That's another thing. Nobody ever seems to be in a rush or stressed or having a lousy day). The lady patiently cut away all those unneccessary bits and then told my kids "I didn't like those hanging bits either as a kid"!! And then looking at me, she said " Its very important to them to have it cut rightaway. They can now completely enjoy their balloons".


Kids are in the actual sense viewed as ' little people' here. Their rights are considered (as one can see with the beautifully equpped trillion playgrounds around), their voices heard (enough said above), their childish ways embraced ("dont worry about making noise when you play indoors").


3. There are hair salons at every turn. Not sure why, considering the fact that they either have a hat or hood on their heads.


4. The Finns give new meaning to recycling. Every little bit of waste is carefully recycled by each and every one in the country. How amazing is that!

The 100th Post!!

A big Thank You to my darlings, Vaibhav and Shriya!! Please continue saying/doing/thinking of stuff that I can write about. You make it all so easy!

To all my readers, silent and not-so-silent. I know that there's a bunch of you who get my posts to your e-mail and there's no real need for you to visit the actual site. But do pop by when you can. Would love to, love to have your comments/thoughts/ideas right here rather than in my inbox. A big Hug to you all for taking the time to stop, read and share with me your views on the different topics. When I first started this blog, I was more than skeptical.But so glad I stuck to it.Personally, it has been great to look back and enjoy those little moments that would have so easily been forgotten after a laugh or sigh had it not been put down here.

Making Merry in Madurai!

Madurai's nightlife and food scene rocks!Now, before you imagine any further...let me clarify that it does not have a single pub, club or award winning restaurant to its name. But the city is abuzz with activity and comes alive at night. It definitely is a city that never sleeps. Be cautioned....you could get quite drunk on the unique experiences, myriad flavours and exceptional sights!

To savour Madurai's nightlife to the hilt it would help to follow some of the guidelines below:

At dusk, head to the 'Portramarai Kulam,' housed in the Meenakshi temple. This is Madurai's answer to its lack of a beach and what a lovely alternative it is! But before that make sure you have your appetizer on hand. Go to the temple 'prasadam' stall and buy yourself a hot vadai and a chewy adirasam (they make the best in the temple). Relish the crispiness of the vadai interspersed with the sweetness of the adirasam. Listen to the idle chatter around you, enjoy the cool breeze circling the pond and be transported to another era!

Make a pit-stop at the 'PudhuMandapam', Madurai's heritage shopping Mall. I assure you that it will be like no other that you have seen anywhere in the world. These are rows of little shops (selling silk, artifacts, bags) with just a single bulb hanging above for light, wedged in between intricately carved pillars. Shop till you drop! This is one Mall where you will be charged only for the merchandise. No extra charges and no GST!

Walk into any restaurant near the temple. The more crowded the better. In Madurai, we prefer alfresco dining and so don't be surprised if you find yourself seated on a wooden plank under a starry night. Do make it a point to start your meal with steaming idlis. Madurai idlis can be easily compared against the quality of New York bagels and French pastries. Nowhere in India will you find idlis so soft. Your waiter (in all possibility a teenage boy in dirty shorts and a brilliant smile) will place a hygenic plantain leaf in front of you. Then he will throw a few of the fluffies and pour a generous helping of sambhar and chutney. Dip your hands into the sambhar and sink your teeth into the soft, white, spongy beauties.

All those idlis and fiery sambhar need to be washed down with something. Coffee, of course is always an option but for a taste of the 'real' Madurai you must find a 'Pal kadai'. These shops will be easy to find. Make-shift tin boxes standing on stilts with huge brass vessels boiling and double boiling fresh cow's milk. Peep into one of the brass vessels (be careful not to fall in.....they are huge!) and you will immediately be intoxicated with the heady aroma emerging from it. The milk would have acquired a hue somewhere inbetween a pale rose and off-white. The thick layers of cream on the top will be a darker yellow. Order a frothy cuppa with a sheath of cream and be transported to heaven!

There's bound to be some 'thiruvizha'(festival) happening around the area. Mingle in, watch the people, enjoy the entertainment (drama, dance, music). Its all for free!

If you are peckish (idlis can be very light) then stroll down to a 'kuthu parotta kadai'(store selling flaky fried wheat bread). Again, very easy to spot. The sounds of the metal spoon mincing the egg and parotta will beckon you. If that doesn't, then at the entrance you will see a man in a torn singlet throwing and bashing up a piece of translucent dough. Quite similar to the Italian pizza.The flaky layers of the parotta will melt in your mouth leaving you craving for more.

What's a meal without dessert? Somewhere next to the parotta stall there is bound to be a push cart selling 'Jigarthanda'. Madurai's very own recipe for the 'triple malt milkshake'. The taste is indescribable as the flavours are myriad and very intricate to put in words. The closest that I have tasted to the jigarthanda is Haagen Daz's Dulce De Leche. The float is a creamy brownish liquid with assorted pieces of nuts, china grass and a whole lot of unknown goodies. This is topped with two scoops of the 'secret recipe' icecream.

The midnight air can get quite heady in Madurai with the numerous parotta and idli stalls burning their flames high. Cool off with every spoonful of jigarthanda and carry special memories of your trip to Madurai!

Madurai Musings

You grew up where? Madurai!Where exactly is that? Near Chennai or Bangalore? What's special about the place?

Alright, Madurai is not your run-of-the-mill Indian metropolitan. You can't find spanking new food courts or upscale malls here. No beaches, no multiplexes and definitely no clubs! And that's exactly what makes it unique!Its just a simple little South Indian city-town that refuses to move with the times. I take great pride in all things Madurai. The Meenakshi temple, where I can lose myself for hours, my typical Tamizh accent (that you acquire only by living in the city for that long), the lifestyle (laidback and easy) and of course the people (some of the most genuine I've met in my life).

I took the kids to Madurai for their first visit about two years back. They were at an age when multiplexes and malls mattered little. The idlis, uzhavar sandhai (traditional farmer's market), blaring loudspeakers and yellow tinted Tambram mamis ("has she used face paint, ma"?) bowled them over! To them, Chennai seemed commonplace. Madurai with its cows and chaos was a lot more attractive! Just like kids, Madurai is a place devoid of artifice and show. Maybe that's why foreigners are more familiar with the smartly packaged-heavily advertised Bangalores and Bombays. When I go back to India, I usually want to take the quickest train to Madurai without spending more time than needed in the metros ( No chance of that anymore since my folks have shifted to well..a metro!!).

After long spells abroad, I crave for a piece of the 'real' India, a place that still has its soul intact. And for that, I can't think of a better place to go to than Madurai!

Comfort Foods....

My comfort foods mostly stem from my favourite childhood memories. I guess, that's what makes them extra special. These foods live deep within me and stir up feelings, moments and moods that I treasure from back then. Every single time I eat these foods, I'm transported back in time, all the way back to that special minute, when I first tasted them.

Good ol Maggi- I was lucky to come home to a smiling mother in a freshly starched cotton saree waiting for me with a snack and an eager ear. Aah...just seeing her face would make me forget my test score I received that day(atleast for a while...until she asked for it!) and the petty fights I'd had with my friends. No matter how grumpy I was (which would clear only when the first drop of milk greeted my parched throat), I always eagerly looked forward to the 'tiffin'. The excellent cook that my mom is, she always came up with something novel. But I preferred the days when she was too busy to whip up something and had to make do with Maggi noodles.All she would do was boil up some Maggi noodles which turned out not too dry or too soupy. And just before turning down the heat, she would add a generous grating of Amul cheese. The melted cheese gave Maggi an absolute new dimension! Drinking up the milky liquid and swallowing the slippery noodles(little without knowing that slipperiness came from being wax coated which is highly carcinogenic!) I felt fortified enough to take on any amount of homework!

Jeera/ Milagu Rasam- School was out on Saturdays. There was one more day to worry about homework and other trivialities.Saturdays were about recovering from the past week and getting pampered. The first time I remember tasting this divine concoction was one such Saturday when I had just emerged after an oil massage, hair pack and a herbal wash. It was pouring outside and the smell of the earth mingled with other smells wafting from the kitchen. It was rasam for lunch. Rasam is to a Tambram what Chicken soup is to the rest of the world! It soothes, it comforts, it nourishes! My granny who was visiting, sat next to me said that there was a certain way to eat rasam to enjoy it to the fullest. I've never forgotten what she said nor do I eat Rasam any other way. First, pile some rice on your plate and make a little well in the middle. Pour the hot rasam in the well and immediately add in a dollop of home made ghee that will melt and dance in oily puddles. Scoop up the rasam+ghee combo with your fingers and slurp it up. The slurping bit is all crucial. After a few such gulps, proceed to mix the rest with the rice.Nothing hits the spot like this special rasam after a massage on a rainy day. Dry roast the following and grind to a paste

1 tbsp toor dhal
1 teasp cumin seeds
1 teasp black pepper
1 dried red chilly (or 2 if you want it spicier)
1 teasp fresh coconut
1 garlic pod
4-5 curry leaves

In a pot add water and a small lemon sized ball of tamarind paste. Let it boil for about 5-7 minutes. Add a chopped tomato a pinch of turmeric powder and a pinch of jaggery/palm sugar. Add the roasted/ground paste to the tamarind water and add in another cup or two of water. Let it boil for another 5-7 minutes. Add salt.

For the garnish
Heat 2 teasps of ghee. Add a teasp of mustard seeds, cumin seeds, 4-5 curry leaves and a pinch of asafoetida. Once it splutters,add it to the rasam and close it immediately to retain the aroma and flavours. Finally add 2 sticks of chopped coriander leaves and serve hot with rice and ghee.

Ven Pongal- The world of pongal lovers is divided in two groups! One that loves it dry and the other that loves it very moist. I belong to the latter. I love home-made pongal. I hate the restaurant versions (with the exception of Komala Vilas,Singapore). Pongal, probably the easiest sounding recipe can taste disturbingly different if not done right. The Pongal I like best is the one that nearly resembles baby-food. I guess, Pongal or its cousin the khichdi, would rank among the top comfort foods for any Indian who grew up on a diet of dal-rice-ghee combo! My ideal pongal should have the rice and dal- mashed to pulp, the consistency- congee like, the spices- on the higher side, the ghee- on the generous side. Nothing can beat a steaming plate of aromatic pongal with a huge dollop of ghee first thing in the morning. Its the simplicity of the dish that makes it most appealing. No chewing, biting, slurping complexities involved here. Just mouthful after mouthful of soft, delicious mush. Its basic, nourishing and very fulfilling!

1/2 cup of rice to 1/2 cup of dry roasted moong dhal
Pressure cook the two with 4-5 cups of water and a wee pinch of turmeric powder. After 5-6 whistles, mash the rice-dhal with salt while its still hot till it reaches baby-food consistency.


Dry grind a handful of curry leaves, ginger, cumin seeds and whole black peppers.

The garnish
Heat a tabsp of ghee and a tabsp of canola oil (skip the Canola for the REAL taste). Add the ground dry spice mixture to the oil/ghee and throw in a good sprinkling of asafoetida powder and cashewnuts.

Pour the garnish over the mashed rice-dhal and give it a good mix. Serve hot with tomato gotsu .

Of Diesel Engines and Steamed Idlis

The whole charm of travelling by train was preparing for it. As a child, I did a lot of train travel. Back and forth to Chennai, once a year summer trips to Bangalore and the occasional ones to Delhi and Bombay. Some people would prefer to eat before they board the train or some others would stop at a railway restaurant and eat 'properly'. But I could hardly wait for the journey to begin so that I could inaugurate the picnic.

Packets were opened usually about half an hour into the journey. Food aromas would envelope the entire compartment. And taking the cue, other passengers would also slowly unravel their culinary treasures. Despite the soggy paper plates and balancing acts, these train meals gave me a feeling of satisfaction, comfort and general sense of well-being . There was no hurry to finish the meal and get on with homework or chores. It was all about leisurely conversations, casual browsing of magazines and idle chitchat. The most important activity for that evening would be successfully getting done with the meal- managing the complexities of unpacking without spilling, eating without unduly messing, washing the utensils in the inconvenient sink and repacking!

And the food was not regular fare either! Boring idlis (steamed rice cakes) were given a makeover. Liberally doused all over with sesame oil and milagai podi, the idlis transformed into bit-sized spice bombs! Pooris (fried wheat bread) were eaten soft, wrapped around a piece of yielding but firm potato curry and dipped in a bit of pungent mango pickle. Tangy puliyogare (tamarind rice) had to be teamed with potato chips (bought from home or borrowed from a co-passenger). These were and still remain typical 'train food'.

Gazing out through the window, feeling the wind on one's face, counting the electric poles passing by, staring into the inky blue sky- food never tasted better! And no 'train meal' was complete without a cup of hot milk sold at every station. My parents would quickly transfer it from one plastic cup to another and cool the sweet, double-boiled milk till it was just right. Warmed by their love and the hot liquid inside, fanned by the cool night breeze outside, I would quietly nod off feeling at peace with everything around me.

The foodie that I am....

I am a confirmed foodie! I love, dream and read about food. I like to take my time to put together different food menus when we have friends/family over. I look forward to my lunch even before breakfast is done. And I remember and associate most moments in life with certain foods, aromas and tastes! I had this other blog 'Taste For Travel' which was grossly neglected these past two years. So, I've decided to just put down my food thoughts/ideas/memories right here. So, more food posts coming your way!

Beyond barriers

Its been great weather these past few days. We are at this serviced appt by the seaside, offering gorgeous views, there are about a dozen playgrounds around this area and a fantastic ice cream seller who piles on the ice cream to last us a week when we ask for a single scoop!

But since Daddy started work on Tuesday after the long Easter break, we have also gotten into a routine of sorts. We've decided to keep the random outings and long meetings with new friends to the weekends. Kids get homeschooled in the morning while I manage to sneak in some work. After a simple lunch it's art and craft time for about an hour. We then head out to one of the many playgrounds where other kids are playing even past 8 pm (the sun is up till about 9 pm these days)!

Today, while we were playing downstairs we saw 3 Finnish boys racing each other. Soon V & S joined the gang. The Finnish boys could not speak a word of English and of course my kids can't speak Finnish. And yet the children had a fabulous time playing endless rounds of hide and seek. They mimed, they gestured, they laughed.So beautiful watching all these kids, strangers till minutes ago, come together and play with such joyful abandon!

Vaibhav tells me during bedtime
1. that he has arranged to meet his friends at 1 pm the next day
2. that 2 out of the 3 kids are siblings
3. the exact ages of each one of them

I guess playing a lot of Dumb Charades sure does pay off sometime!

Quirky Quiz

The kids and their Daddy love quizzing. Its becoming a bit of a ritual after dinner. Somedays, I find them crunching numbers and scaling the earth and other days they could be giggling over cartoon facts. The Dad, an avid quizzer in his school days is completely in his element as he shoots out question after question a la Siddarth Basu style.

I'm more of a silent spectator during these sessions. Simply because the easy ones, I'm not supposed to answer and the difficult ones, I'm not sure of the answer!So, I just keep my eyes on my computer screen and leave my ears with the trio.

Last night, it was all about the Nobel Prize.After the who, how, where and whats they moved on to Indians Nobel laureates. The Dad was patiently explaining the reason why each Indian was awarded the honor. They got to Sir CV Raman. After hearing everything, Shriya cocks her head to her brother and very confidently says " Vaibhav, I think this CV Raman guy is actually Tenali Raman's cousin. They are both brilliant. Dada, did Tenali also win a Nobel?"

First few days in Finland

I was dreading the 12 hour night flight with the kids.
As always, the more I fret the more my kids will work on making me look like a fool. They were good as gold and Shriya slept 10 hours :-)

I was on an emotional roller-coater the last few days before leaving. Eating my favourite Singaporean foods was only rapidly increasing the waistline and not filling the void that I was feeling inside. I was

moping all the way to the airport with the kids staring at me. Vaibhav broke the silence and asked me " So, amma, how long will you be feeling

sad and grumpy? Will you also cry when its time for us to leave Finland?"

I was keeping my fingers crossed and hoped that spring had truly, fully set in. But I did not know that my kids had kept all their fingers and toes crossed for a freak winter experience bang in the middle of spring. Guess who's prayers were answered? Vaibhav and Shriya enjoyed their first ever snowfall (although mild), played in whatever sparse leftover snow and braced 0 degrees very comfortably!

We are all still acquainting ourselves around this quaint little city. Exploring the streets around where we live and experiencing the Finnish way of life. Learning to do everyday things all over again. Like taking the tram, buying grocery, cleaning up after a meal (we've been quite spoilt thatnks to our Filipina housekeeper in Singapore).

But its been great lessons in adaptability. The kids pitch in with everything. Shriya is always ' neating' the appartment. Vaibhav helps put away all the cold wear back in its drawer after an outing. They set the table and try to remember bus routes around the City Centre. We look forward to our evening walks by the sea. We've learned to relish the crisp cold outside and the toasty warmth indoors !

There is no time or need to mope. The picture postcard scenes outside the balcony alone should lift up the spirits. The little ones' levels of excitement and eagerness make us move on and count our blessings. With V and S's right spirit to goad us along, I know that we will make the most of our stint in this new land that we are still getting accustomed to calling HOME!

Saree Mommy for a Month!

We were in Chennai the last month. And I decided to ‘ Go Saree ‘! I won’t be offended if you think the heat had gone to my head and if I’d completely lost my marbles. The weather was scorching hot, the attire- a tad fussy and definitely not the most convenient with kids. But yet, it was such a joy these past few days, draping one beautiful creation after another.

I had always wanted to, at some point adopt the saree as my regular wear. Wearing a saree , to me, was the height of adulthood. Something that declared to the world that you’ve arrived! As a high schoolgirl, it was nothing more than torture that I had to endure during graduation day, making sure that I don’t trip on it or worse still strip myself of it. Having heard stories from my mother about how she managed her entire college years with just 5 sarees, I thought once I started college it would come easily to me. But it became impractical with the numerous classes I had to rush to. I hoped that when I got married, I would have all the leisure to live my dream of greeting my husband in a beautiful saree. But that was short-lived too and most unsuitable in Singapore as I was just starting my career.

The day we arrived, I raided my Mom’s cupboard and brought out my own rarely used collection. If it was a Chanderi in the morning, it was a Chiffon for the evening. Bengal cottons for the markets and Bandinis for visiting friends. And the best bit was that I was not parading in it for a few hours. It did not feel like a fancy dress contest, as it always had been! I actually lived in it, donning one an entire day.

To me, and I’m sure for many in my generation, the epitome of Desi mommyness is somebody elegantly draped in a crisply starched cotton saree, complete with a bindi! I totally reveled in that vision. When the gentle Marina beach breeze played with my saree pleats as my kids dragged me into the water, when I casually tucked in one end of the garment at my waist while helping my mom or mom-in-law in the kitchen , when my child insistently tugged at the pallu- It all felt so natural, so spontaneous and oh so graceful! I finally felt a part of that unsaid circle of moms who generations before me might have felt the same way that I did, while carrying out their everyday duties, in this very same attire.

The kids knew about the 'Go Saree' plan and loved it. My biggest compliment that entire month was when I morphed back to being practical 'Jeans Mommy' the day we were leaving Chennai. No bindi, no fancy earrings,no fuss look. Shriya said ' You look ....so, hmmm..so normal, ma. Why cant you wear a saree on the plane?'.

So glad you loved the abnormal look, little girl. But a saree on the plane-that's where I draw the line!

And the verdict after 3 weeks is:
Its not that uncomfortable. After a few days, you do get the hang of it. Its not hot and stuffy and on the contrary quite airy- Can now completely appreciate why it was meant to be draped this way. And it makes you feel gorgeous, like never before. An indescribable feeling! And for just that one last reason, I’d do it all over again the next time I’m back in Chennai!