Leftovers, Lunch & Organics (BH:D53)

September 25, 2011

I am trying to type this out with a distended stomach that has been stuffed with veggie fried rice, chicken curry, yogurt salad, two types of halwa and ice cream. Before I get to the conversations that have filled the mind along with the stomach, I want to put down some of the things forgotten in the rather long note of yesterday.

Discussions yesterday at the temple also involved the famous Bengali writer Bimal Mitra. Both Achan and Venu Chettan had read the Malayalam translation of his epic Kore Diye Kilam. The Malayalam title of the translation was "Vilakku vangam" (can be bought for a price). I have seen a couple of English translations online with titles "Bought with money" and "muscle of money". I think "For sale" would have been a much better title from what I have gathered about the story line. Achan and Venu chettan recollected the opening lines. Surprisingly, I knew these lines too because the famous comedian, Jagathy Sreekumar, recites them as a poem in a movie. It goes:

"Vilakku vangam sneham, 

Vilakku vangam premam,

Vilakku vangam mathapithakale,

Vilakku vangam kamukiye"

which means

"Love can be bought for a price,

So can romance be,

Even parents can be bought,

For a price, lover too"

Some day I hope to read this 1400 page epic. Achan excitedly talked about visiting the streets and locations in Kolkatha where the novel is set.

There was a discussion about a wife in town who had taken her husband's death with a stoic silence and acceptance. But the relatives, friends and neighbors would make her cry by saying sentimental things and recollecting fond memories. This reminded Achan of Tennyson's 'Home they brought her warrior dead'. Venu Chettan remembered having studied that poem when he was in 8th class. He is going to retire from his teaching service in two years. I am sure I was also taught this poem in school but my memory has already retired from service.

I mentioned about the Shiva worshippers vs Vishnu worshippers rivalry yesterday. The Sankaranarayana temple was an attempted compromise between these two sects. The biggest sectarian rivalry that followed in the 19th and early 20th centuries in Travancore kingdom was between Nairs and Tamil Brahmins. These two sets of people fought each other tooth and nail to gain more influence in the royal court and in the administration of the kingdom. The historical origins of the fight seems to have sprung from the royal families' preference for tamil brahmin divans/ministers for administration while they preferred Nair women for bedministration. 

Once upon a time, the Padmanabhaswamy temple used to prepare 1000 "para" of rice (around 2500 kg, I think) daily for lunch. Since 1000 "para" was considered extravagant wastage by the royalty, a handful of rice was removed before the preparation. This technique to prevent the accussation royal profligacy I think this is origin of the $999.99 type of pricing. Only Brahmins (both Tamil and Keralite) and Nairs were allowed to eat this free meal. Apparently, some Nair grew tired of the vegetarian "saadam saapadu" and once brought some dried fish fried. That was the end of the permission for Nairs to feast freely. Brahmins continued to eat at the temple's expense because feeding them ensures the royalty's place in the Hindu heaven.

King Sri Moolam Thirunal's wife died delivering her first child in 1880. For 10 years, he stayed unmarried then he grew fond of a Nair woman. She promptly left her husband and moved into the palace. This flimsy nature of Nair marriages seems to have been universally acknowledged. The king, however, gave her ex-husband a position in the palace. He soon became the kings confidant and corrupt administrator. People who needed royal orders and favors just had to pay this Shankaran Thampi. He fumed when the king appointed a tamil brahmin, Madhavarao, as the next divan. Corruption became a competition between Madhavarao and Shankaran Thampi pretty much like how the cabinet ministers in Central Government fight today in looting the country. Remnants of Tamil Brahmin influence can be seen all over Trivandrum in the form of the numerous vegetarian restaurants all of which have some variant of the word "Arya" in their name.

Corruption is nothing new in India. My youngest uncle captured the wonderful (as in full of wonder)sentiment of the great Indian populace today when he said, "Imagine how rich a country India is even if after centuries of brutal looting and raping of the resources by its abjectly corrupt leaders,the country still manages to limp along forward." He did not use the word raping. He spoke in Malayalam. I added the raping for effect in the English paraphrasing given above.

Corruption was the main topic of discussion during today's lunch party. The Water Works Department's swimming pool in Thiruvananthapuram was perhaps the best pool in the country. Built decades ago by an engineer, Iyer, it had little to no leakage or seepage. Last year, the minister in charge, shamelessly smashed the pool up just so that he could claim Rs 4 crore of renovation fund. The entire swimming team and staff of the state had protested. But for that fellow, a bit more money was all that mattered. 

In a note, in the first or second week, I had mentioned and put up a picture of the brand new highway that runs into the city. Turns out the Korean contractor, a 35 year old man, who had won several international awards for successful project completions in different parts of the world, ended his life after this Kerala project. Exorbitant amounts of bribes demanded to clear his bills made his life impossible with pressure from his company as well. I am sure Malayalees will be keen on naming some road after him and putting up his statue, but we will continue to re-elect those ruthless leeches who bring about such murder. A toll booth agent was shot dead point black for demanding Rs 27 (i.e. 50 cents) from some enraged ID carrying suspect in Delhi. The video is on youtube but as of today absolutely no coverage from the media. Clearly the shooter is some top dude (or his son or his mistress's nephew's third cousin) who must have brandished his ID card at the media as well.

Whenever I am sitting in crowds here, I notice that most people suffer from what looks like 'restless leg syndrome'. Perhaps subconsciously the common man has had enough and wants to just run away. 

When ice cream was served, the conversation melted into ayurvedic medication and herbal remedies since both Raju chettan (the stock market cousin) and Kala chechi suffer from high blood sugar. Stories were exchanged about an old, locally famous Ayurvedic physician in the outskrits of the city. He doesnt take any money except nominal amounts towards the preparation of the medicines. He belongs to a family that has been given acres of tax free land during the time of the previous king for their services. This physician detects disorders by feeling the pulse,sensing the blood flow. This process takes a few minutes. In that interim the patient has to listen to his pompous stories of great miracles in healing that he has pulled off and the list of his illustrious patients. 

And there is no privacy. All the patients are huddled around him in his front yard and he examines them one by one. Embarassing questions like, "moothram engane?...ittittano atho shrrrrrr ennano pokunathu?" (How is your urination? Does it drip or does it stream?) are asked in front of everyone. 

He prescribes strict diet to go with the medicine. It is pretty obvious that low salt, low sugar, all vegetarian diet for 6 months will itself lead to better health even without the medicine. Raju chettan recalled that once a woman had gone to the physician saying that she had no relief even after six months. 

"Did you have anything with oil?" asked the old doctor

"No," she said. 

The physician thought for a while. "Did you attend any wedding feasts?" 

She thought for a while and said, "Yes". 

"Did you eat pappadam in the feast?" 

A hesitant "yes". 

"You imbecile," shouted the physician in front of all the other patients, "Is pappadam fried in water in your village?"

Uncle said that this old man has caused some divorces. Lot of couples turn to him for infertility treatment. Once he was examining a couple. While feeling her pulse, he turned to the wife and said, "You have delivered a couple of babies," "No," she denied vehemently. "No way, " said the physician, "If not deliveries, then at least abortions...twice! I will not make a mistake!" The husband and wife left the venue in a hurry and divorced after a few months of separation.

On another occassion, the physician delightfully told a lady whose hand he had been holding to check the pulse and veins, "Aha! You said your husband is in Dubai and now you have come to me after an abortion!" The lady was too shocked to even respond with a face-saving nominal denial.

This morning we went to the Ambrosia bakery to pick up the ice cream and halwa for the lunch party. Ambrosia is the hang out point of hep youngsters in the city. Even on a Sunday morning, there were a few friends enjoying faloodas and yogurt shakes. The sweeper was still doing her work of moving the dust and debris to high traffic areas so that people will inadvertantly step and kick them around increasing her work hours. 

We were shown the different "family pack" ice creams available. Amma was very keen on the "manufacturing date". She twisted her lips in distaste on reading 'April 2011' on the carton. The sales rep tried to convince her that frozen icecreams last for a year. Finally Amul's vanilla flavor manufactured in July 2011 was picked. Ambrosia had refrigerator magnets and decals on sale. One I noticed said:

"Teenagers, tired of the intereference in life by your stupid parents? ACT NOW! Move out, get a job, get a house and start paying your bills!" 

From what I could see around in that cafe in the morning, I think that magnet should have specified paying mobile phone bills.

An organic farming festival called Jaivashree is going on in Kanakakunnu Palace. Achan and I went there this evening. On our way, we heard drumming and singing from Manaveya Veedhi road. This road with a statue of Vayalar, the legendary lyricist and poet at one and a statue of Devarajan, the great movie music composer at the other end, is low on traffic and so is a favorite movie filming spot. Any time you see a scene in a Malayalam with the actors walking down a road, 80% of the time it is this road. 

A troupe of musicians were performing there as part of the regular street performances that have been happening on that road every Sunday 5:30pm since 2001. A few pedestrians had gathered. The musicians were enjoying themselves. Vehicles slowed down to watch what was going on. There was an old guy in a kurta and jeans (which was my dress as well) with long grey hair tied into a knot behind his head (in my case, the knots happen to be inside the head). Achan said he is some local cultural figure because he had seen him on some TV show recently. Next to him was a middle aged lady in bob cut, jeans and sleeveless top. Both of them seem to be directing as well as enjoying the performance. 

At the Jaivashree festival, massive crowd. It was like walking in Dadar or VT local Mumbai train stations at peak hour. Better smelling crowd though. Thiruvananthapuram residents had come out in droves to learn about organic farm products and taste some of the organic goodies being served up. No empty seats in the food courts serving Chapatis, beef fry, chicken curry, pathiri, chicken purattiyathu, fish in all its forms, tapioca and so on. The "barotta" in the sign board had been taped over. I guess it was realized that it is impossible to guarantee organic "maida" flour to make barottas. 

Garlands of Banana Supreme green chili pepper announcing a "bajji" stall serving sugarcane juice along with the spicy bajji. Perfect combination. A regular diet of these should get one piles and diabetes together. There was a poster showing a bowl of noodles with the caption, "3 minutes to prepare, guaranteed cancer in 30 years"!

Huge tapioca and banana were on display. So was the mini-elephant sized Gir species of cows tethered right next to the tiny Kerala breed called Vechur cow. Since it was impossible to learn or experience anything, let alone shop for saplings and seeds, we decided to cut the trip short and return tomorrow morning. Hopefully the working day and morning hours would mean less of a crowd. 

Before leaving, we managed to learn the ingredients of "Honey cola" that was being sold as a refreshing and rejuvenating drink. As soon as we reached home, we set about making it. Well, Achan made it, I hung around in the kitchen providing moral support.(Priya is familiar with such moral supporting). Here's the recipe: 

Crushed ginger for spicy kick,

Crushed cardamom for fragrance and freshness, 

some squeezed lemon for the citrus tang, 

Honey for sweetening, 

Mix these well, add water and drink. 

Truly refreshing and rejuvenating. Try it!