Oprah Winfrey in India

Last week, Oprah was in India. Being a huge fan of hers, I followed her every move around my country. The highlight was her interview at the Jaipur Literature festival. I LOVED what she had to say about our country and admired the fact that she got it all without anybody having to explain it to her. So, here's a post with my pictures in Oprah's words......

What has struck me the most is arriving in Mumbai, my god daughter and I were being driven and she said "you know, this is like being in a video game". We didn't know which way to look and are like "gosh is that car going to hit us?!". And so my first impression was that it's a bit chaotic and then I realized that there's an underlying calm or flow, that everybody here get's the flow, and that as a foreigner, you have to get in and move with the flow. 

What is it with the red lights? I mean does the red light mean stop or not? Or is it just there for your entertainment? I don't get it. What is it? I mean, the light is red and everybody just keeps going. But you all seem to know what you're doing. 

There is no rage even though there are lots of people on the street and there's lots going on. There is a genuine respect and a sense of karma. People don't just talk religion here, they live it!!! They live their practice.

The above words were my favorite. I cannot describe how I miss the busy streets and the flurry of life.

I've been in middle class and elite homes and there's an altar in every home. There's an altar and there's a practice of going inwards and looking at yourself and something greater than yourself, it is an actual practice everyday. It's not just something people talk about.

I was asking the question as Americans do, "How on earth do you all live with your parents? What's that all about?" It's the kind of thing that's really a foreign concept to those of us in America, because you're just waiting to get out of the house. But having spent some time, and having dinner at a home with 4 generations in one house, I now get it. I really get a sense of how really glorious it is, that this is a country that has no respect for nursing homes, because you take care of your family and you don't put your family in nursing homes. I'm most amazed by that.

This is one of the greatest life experiences I've ever had. The reason is that, when you're in the heart of India whether it's in Jaipur or Agra or Mumbai or out in the countryside, you feel like you're in the centre of something bigger and greater than yourself. I feel enriched, deepened and enriched.

Today, India celebrates it's 63rd Republic day. Last year, on this day I posted a little video about my country. Want to have a look? Head on over here. 

More slices of life in India

 Veggie/fruit vendors are to the Indians, what farmer markets are to the Germans.. On any given day, much before dawn, you will see them pushing their carts laden with fresh produce and also simultaneously shouting out loud as to what they have in their cart on the given day.

(selling bananas and papayas. I also spot pomegranates and chikoos in baskets.)

These vendors are always on the move. They move from place to place in a given city. While we do have large supermarkets and small shops selling the same, Indian housewives prefer these carts coming right upto their doorstep. Yes, you heard me right. 

Over a period of time, it can so happen that you will be provided by your daily supply of veggies and fruits by one particular person all your life(unless you are on the move from place to place like me) 

(selling so called Indian junk food...yum yum!!!)

Christmas in India - I

When we first arrived to Deutschland in 2009, we had decided our home trips for the years 2010 and 2011. We knew then itself that Christmas 2011 would be in India, though the decision was based on a completely different reason. So after having spent 2 whole seasons in Deutschland, it was with much delight that we headed home for a joyous celebration. 

Back home we celebrate it in a whole different way. We have no christmas markets, snowfall, pine or christmas trees. No Santa riding a reindeer sleigh. To Indians, all of the above is a dream.
Yet, we celebrate it with much pomp and grandeur in our own way. The advent season is looked much forward to, not only by the christian community in India, but also by people belonging to other faith. 

(The kids are shaping kidyos( means worm). They then are deep fried in oil)

The one major preparation that involves before Christmas is definitely the special sweets known as "Kuswar" in my mother tongue Konkani. The entire family, young and old alike pitch in to help. Most of our sweets are prepared with refined flour, butter, sugar and eggs. Accordingly spices, raisins, nuts maybe added depending on the recipe. Most of our sweets are deep fried in hot oil or ghee. 

(Preparation of neuries or stuffed puffs. The stuffing consists of raisins, almonds, cashew nuts, desiccated coconut, sesame and poppy seeds, and granulated sugar)

Interested in knowing more about kuswar? You can head on over here.

Happy New Year 2012!!

I would like to wish each one of my bloggy friends a joyous and prosperous New Year 2012. It's been 2 days since we returned from our wonderful trip back home. While the hubby and kids are back to work and school, at home I have been slowly trying to get my groove back. 

(A regular day in the Indian city of Vadodara) 

I have umpteen photos from my country, India. Will take time to slowly sort through them and show you glimpses from back home. 

What's your today like? Has the New Year been treating you well? We are eager to know..:-)

I ♥ Jalebies

So, what's a Jalebi??? When Shireen (a good old friend who I have gotten closer to the past few months thanks to facebook and blogging) put up this post last night, it got me all nostalgic and pining for this sweet which I love oh so much. I love them so much, there are no words to describe my love for it. And here is the best part, I love the ones made from a particular sweet shop(Taj Mahal)in my home town Mangalore.  

    I have not been able to take the images of this soft succulent sweet from my mind at all. So, in desperation, I pulled out a cookery book to see if it had a recipe in it. It did, but it looked like I need to put in quite some effort and that will take some time. Not only that, there are certain goodies you are so used to buying from sweet shops that you never ever think of preparing them at home. So continuing to ponder over my lost love, thinking of what a heavy price we pay while living abroad, I suddenly remembered of something I had seen during my home trip back in August.

While in amchi Mumbai, I got to witness this!!! A sweet vendor preparing JALEBIES!!!!

Jalebi's are sweets made from all purpose flour made into a batter with sugar, yeast, yellow color and water. The batter is then poured into a cloth with a hole in it. The jalebi's are formed by gently squeezing out shapes into piping hot oil. Once fried they are immediately transferred into warm sugar syrup and removed. 

For now, I am satisfied just looking at these pictures. What is it about your home country that you miss??

Sundays in my City

It is time for Sunday's in my city hosted by Unknown Mami, which I have been participating in the past six months. For those who do not know me, I am May, an Indian expat living in Germany.

      Today, I bring to you pictures from my home country India. I come from a small town Mangalore which is on the coastal belt in Southern India. During the time of our visit it was the monsoon season, hence we got to see sights of lush greenery and wet land. 

Pictured below is my paternal ancestral house. Houses were then made of mud and red tiled roof. If you notice in the background, the modern houses are made of brick and cement.

Every house has either a small or a large garden and during the monsoon it turns into a virtual tropical rain forest!!!!!

You have all kinds of creatures roaming freely in the garden and no, they are not scary. Pictured below is a caterpillar known as "kotarli" in my mother tongue konkani. The kotarli is visible only during the monsoon.

 Below is the blanket worm which you need to beware of. If touched, it causes an itchy rash which is quite unbearable!! I had my sisters and kids screaming at me to be careful when taking this shot...:)

The dragon fly who made me wait and wait till I could catch him fly. But he chose to sit and pose for me atop the aloe vera.

Here is the good old grasshopper who chooses to make merry while the ants do all the hard work :D

Apart from the mini zoo visible in the garden, we also have a lot growing. Presenting to you all the Indian pepper. When the time is right, it is plucked and then dried in the sun till it turns black in colour.

Wild mushrooms are found all over the place.

Colocasia is one  of my all time favourite plant, the leaves of which are used to prepare an Indian dish called "pothrade".

Just as I enjoyed taking you through this tour, I hope you all had fun taking a walk through one of the gardens of a house in a small town in India. 

The countdown!!!

We are all set to leave in three days to India!!! Oh my God, yes three days. Each morning we wake up, we can sense the excitement building up. I will be meeting my parents and siblings after 10 months. This has been the longest separation.

   Amidst the excitement, there is a lot of last minute madness. Shopping, packing, closing the house, making arrangement for the plants sitter!!! That reminds me of this... Look what i spotted growing out from my pots...

A gladiola!!!! I don't know how I missed this? I must be have been too preoccupied to notice the buds before the blooms. And now I cannot believe that I will be missing all the blooms. There are seven plants in all and there are buds coming out now! Hopefully my plant sitter will pause to appreciate these beauties :)

Remember the time I mentioned I won a photo challenge contest in my post here. Well its time to vote for the winner. All the photos are to be voted till saturday. If you like my photo, I would very glad if you could head over here and cast your vote for me. Thank you all so much in advance...:)