On A Gourmet Journey

I have been cooking here and there since I got into college. My mother never forced both her daughters to 'learn cooking' and rather they'd focus on their studies. But like my mother learned from hers, I did from mine - just by watching her cook. The great power of the subconscious mind is that it registers things even without you trying to do it intentionally. And so, all those study sessions on the long cooking platform while mom cooked, those chat sessions where I would recite the day's events - all were parallel-y registering the way my mum cooked. 

When I moved to Bangalore with my sister, I became a better cook. Cooking under an hour, preparing breakfast and lunch for office just in time to catch the bus - everything happened nicely. I never got feedback on my cooking, though my sister was a darling and never said it was bad :D I became confident. 

But when I got married, I hardly had a chance to cook because my father-in-law has developed peculiar tastes - let's just say he mostly likes what his wife cooks :) Which gave me jitters! The idea of getting rejected may be. And so I almost hardly cooked for two years, except when the need be. Eventually, I lost interest in cooking for various reasons, one of them being no motivation. So instead of getting my head into it and being dejected, I would only help my mother-in-law.

Two months back, I and the better-half rented out a place of our own, a world of our own. I had limitless opportunities in front of me to lead a life my way. To cook my way. The better-half took a good interest in cooking and my my! Does he cook well! [I always knew leos are great cooks ;)] But he is no less of a critique either. My work keeps me busy too (grateful!) and the husband would take care of one meal, mostly dinner. But then, I have collected all these amazing recipe books that need some attention and were making me feel guilty. So I decided to take a self-imposed cooking challenge - one recipe everyday, both from the book and otherwise. The movie Julie and Julia is behind this idea and I want to give it a try. A personal record of what I make on a daily basis. 

Seems apt to say - food is my religion now!

Bottle Full Of Emotions...

Bottled up

So this one fine day, I find sea shells tucked away in my closet. I remember keeping them safe so that I will come up with some idea to use them in a beautiful way someday. And that idea struck me that same day. So I ask V if we can execute it, and he was more than happy to take part in it.

Although we've reached only half through, we coloured the bottle in this beautiful aqua-blue. And as I was reading one day, there was a ray of sunlight which made me bring this bottle to be kept against it. I love the effect it has created!

The colour, apt to its name, gives a reflection of water inside it... It made me think on how sometimes we bottle up things inside us. The emotions seem to flow smooth as water, and all we have to do is vent out to the right person. Look at the brighter side - it brings out the best in you, sheds you of the assumptions you have, and makes you look beautiful...bringing out the true colours.

Though it's not as easy as it sounds (for me, at least), all we have to do is let go...

The Smaller Picture

It's a beautiful weather here in Nagpur since a few days and I was walking to my in-laws' place today when some good thoughts struck me.

- How great it has been to have such good friends around, both old and new.

- It feels awesome to know friends relate you to good things in life.

- How enormously lucky I have been to be married to a person who I fell in love with, and who loves me back.

- I have been able to work in an off-beat career.

- I am finding so much time to read and relax.
- I am trying to be better at things, every day.

Oh how I love it when I'm happy :)

The Everyday Ritual

I don't know why I recall this incident today particularly, but I got reminded of it this morning. When V leaves for office everyday, it is a ritual that I stand in the balcony, till he leaves. Pretty much like any other wife I guess. 

He goes near his bike, adores it for a while and patiently pulls it out. And his part of the ritual is that he should look up at me and wave, before he drives off to office. It's become such a habit now, for both of us! So this one day, a few weeks back, he forgot to look up at me and drove off! I was surprised and felt bad that he left without completing the most important part of his ritual (no, not adoring the bike :P)! A few seconds later, I see him pushing his bike backwards to look and wave at me :) And I laughed heartily while looking at him :)

I doted on that incident that whole day, and I fall in love with V all over again, today :'-)

A Closet Full Of Memories And Life!

My books have been lying on the table at my in-laws' house. I noticed how they have reduced the space at the table and decided to line them up in V's shelf. As I started taking out books to make space for new ones, there was this whole line of V's books from school and college behind this visible line! I smiled instantly, my geek! He has preserved everything that he has learnt. I find that to be very adorable. But this activity also made me want to clean the whole of his shelf. And so began the annual cleaning ritual; only this time, it's at my in-laws' house :)

All I could find throughout the shelf was books, books and books from college! It reminded me of the study shelf we have at home. All you can find there is books from childhood till college. Though V loves his books, sadly he doesn't have time to rearrange them. Every time I opened that closet, I would want to arrange those haphazardly kept books and stuff. So I did today! Amidst pulling out all his books, I found things from his childhood which he has preserved. A broken miniature van from Hot Wheels (of which I've heard stories from V and his parents), his geometry boxes, rakhis, keychains gifted by friends, lots of fountain pens (yay!!)... And a world which opened up in front of me. At every find, I kept thinking what a sweetheart V is. 

My mother-in-law told me that he preserves everything, even little pieces of paper which might have only one sentence written on them, which I did notice. She also told me that nobody ever touches his shelf and looks through his stuff! I have the privilege to do so ;)

I also found our wedding cards in that stack, it felt so nice to look at them :) An envelope in which I had sent a letter to him during our letter-writing days, refreshed my memory. Although the letter is in another stack, he still kept the envelope! I had completely forgotten about a post card I had sent to him from Fort Kochi. I looked at the message and was happy to realise that I understand him.

After the cleaning up session, I realised how much I love V. That in love, how you have small joys hidden in such small rituals, or closet if I can say! And also how V's home has become mine too :)

Day 31: My Workspace

It's been 7 months since I got married. After 3 years of work, I wanted to take a break and be a housewife for a while. Because of this wonderful opportunity, my home became my work space. And since I keep visiting my in-laws, I have two work space! Today I am at my in-laws' house, and this below is my favourite spot since I get to sit by the window :)

This is for the July Photo A Day Challenge. Today's prompt is Workspace. With this, the challenge ends today!

Day 30: Friendship Is...

Among a lot of things, friendship is also about friends coming home just to wish your mom on her birthday and bringing a huge bouquet of flowers for her :)

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This is for the July Photo A Day Challenge. Today's prompt is Friendship.