Unloading my think tank...

Temple, door se. (notice the greenery behind?)

Glimpse of the garbha gudi.

Misty weather! (Ok am sure you have seen the greenery :D )

Lovely green mountains right behind the temple! (how about in this pic? lovely greenery no? :D)

Now see the photos below. What can you make of the first one?

Looks like some leaf isn't it? But leaf stuck on a wall?! Closer look, and I see this:

It was some insect! My my! Nature never fails to amaze me.

Standing tall and magnificient!

After my wedding, a visit to Kukke Subrahmanya temple, 120 kms from Mangalore, was in the must-do list. The time came more than a year later, when me, mummy and B decided to go there over the weekend and complete the pooja etc.

My last visit to that place, scenic place I must add, was very very memorable. Not only was the purpose fulfilled, but I also got the bestest present life gave me (ah philosophy). I made great friends at a great workplace, did the best job of my life, and did the worst (ok 2nd worst) mistake by quitting it. Knock me down :(

So anyway, we left friday morning and reached Mangalore, and from there took a taxi to Subrahmanya. Karnataka. I love this place. Of all the places I've lived in (the list is sorta big), this state has many places worth visiting. The climate at Subrahmanya was lovely - misty, rainy, cool. The moutain behind the temple was at its lushest green best :) and the mist was always there - it looked like white on green. Beautiful. The abhishek was in the morning, and later in the evening, there was Palki seva and Rath Yatra. Abhishek is usually done by bathing Lord Subrahmanya in milk, panchamruta, and Rath Yatra/Palki Seva is when you place the Lord on a Rath and Palki, and carry it around the temple. We did both the seva and pooja in the morning. Its all really really splendid. If you witness it, you'll know what I'm talking about :) I had a lot of fun and really felt nice being a part of those celebrations.

To pass time between morning pooja and evening seva, while at the hotel room (which was infested with khatmal by the way - GROSS!) we played "pass pass". Hahahahaha mummy is too much. Ok from the start. Rules are pretty simple. You choose a number, and each member says numbers starting from one. The multiples of chosen number, AND that number in tens position, when it comes, the player should say "pass". Eg., if the chosen number is 4, I'll say pass everytime I have to say a number thats a multiple of 4, and 14, 24, 34 etc. Pretty silly, and full timepass. Thrill when the players say the numbers real fast hehehe. So mummy used to cheat like - if chosen number is 4, she'd come to 32 and say 32, not pass.
Me and B: Ok mummy you are out.
Mummy: Oh, 4 was the chosen number???? I thought 3!!
Me and B: Hullo?! Phir aapne 32 tak 4 multiples pe kyu pass bola? Boliye boliye?
Mummy: *full wide grin*

After the evening seva, we went to bed. Early morning, we left Subrahmanya to reach Mangalore jaha se train leni thi to come back to this place (makes a yucky face). Anyways, the drive to Mangalore was so beautiful so beautiful, kehne ki baat nahi! Mast road, aur road ke dono taraf trees hi trees. Pine trees, coconut trees, and thick dense forests beyond them. Only few small buildings of Forest Officer Bungalows did we see. Baaki full greenery :) Badhiya!

On reaching M'lore, we boarded the train and wallah! The train came trough the choicest of scenic places in Kerala, and Mom Nature treated us to beautiful backwaters, never ending rows of mangroves, small islands (full green and lush!), coconut trees, and even beach on one side! Breathtaking! Don't ask me why I didn't take pics; if I think back why, the reason is so dumb I could wince. The train journey was awesome! And you know, whatever we saw of Kerala - be it the small railway stations, houses (people lived right at the backwaters!), small factories - all were super clean. Generally railway tracks are filthy, and used as dump grounds. But no sir, not in Kerala. Bahut achha laga woh sab dekh kar. And oh, also, I've never seen so many coconut trees and lungi-clad people in my life either! Heh Heh.

Next on my list - Coorg, the North-East, Rajasthan. Ah so many of them!

I wanted to meet mom, since the last visit was for a day only. This time, I thought, I'll spring a surprise on her. She wouldn't know I was coming home!

Before I write it all, would you look at that clustermap down right on this page?! It looks like my journal is read by people even in Africa! Lovely! And apparently also someone on sea (?); check the tiny red dot to left (the reader's left) of North America. Whuda thunk?!

Moving on, I really wanted to meet mom. Besides, Sankranti was coming up and I didn't want her to be alone. There are a LOT of relatives at home right now, but it just means mom has to work hard and a lot of chores. I called her up to enquire her plans, and she told me K is coming too! With her daughter! Oh I have the cutest and the smartest neice in the world! Mom asks, "You coming too?". I said, no. I really didn't have plans at the time to take a trip to see her. Also I had work (in nearly 5months). But then, I thought I can finish the work stuff quickly and go see mom. I did! I got my leave approved and then scurried to find the train home. Too bad, all trains booked. I ended up taking 2 trains one way to go see mom. No issues. She still didn't know I was coming, so the surprise would be great. Moreover, mom was at Hyd with her bros and sisters (just for vacation) and would be coming on the same day that I was supposed to reach!

When I got the tickets booked, the departure time was 13.40. On the day I was all set to leave, it was 12.40 and out of curiosity, I checked the ticket again. Departure time was 13.20! Heavens! I had like 30 mins to reach the station! B drove like 10 mad horses were behind him. And thankfully, I saw the train still at the station! Phew! "Aaj to line cross ho hi gayi thi by God! Pata hai, aaj tak life mein ek train nahi chhooti meri. Thank you Babaji, mera record todne se bacha liya" ;)

Train ka safar kataa by watching "Eurotrip" some 100 times. No really, I've watched it so many times I've lost count; still I enjoy it everytime I see it. Fully bakwaas movie, dumb dialogs and absolute timepass! "Scotty doesn't know that Fiona and me do it in my van every sunday" :)) Journey well spent I'd say!

I called mom up at 9 AM from a station close to home. She had NO clue I was on my way to see her, and she told me how lovely a time she had at Hyd. I said great. After the daily dose of please-drink-milk-and-eat-chyawanprash-and-regularly-use-eyedrops lecture from mom, I hung up, supressing a chuckle ;)

Day 1:
Cut to 2 hours later, I ring the door bell to my home and mom opens it.... Oh the expression on her face was priceless! She kept staring at me! And then, guess what, SHE pinched ME to check if it wasn't a dream! Hullo?! Isn't that supposed to be the other way round? She should pinch herself to see if its for real! Welcome to my mom's world!

That day, we relaxed at home. I feasted on mom's cooking and it was finger licking good! Had a siesta and went to the temple in the evening. And there, you won't believe, people recognized me! "Oh aren't you the one staying in this building?!", "Oh you got married?!", "Where do you live now?". After I answered the latter question, I had a standard response from everyone - same response - "Ewww why do you live there of all the cities in India?!". I hear ya sisters.

Day 2:
Come sunday, I went to meet U mami and the twin cuties. Same thing, they didn't know I was coming. I woke up bright and sunny at 9 AM :D , had breakfast, took bath and left to see them. Just me, not mom. When I reached there after 50 mins, T just screamed on seeing me! S sprang outta bed (all her headache and fever flew right out of the window!) and we 6 of us, sat down to eating the kadlis from the kadli gida. :D I miss all that! Lunch was typical kannada affair - saaru, chapaati, navalkol palya (heavens I survived that) and masaru anna. G exhibited her idiosyncrasies, and so did R - which renders them famous in our family (and it also serves as fodder to me cuz then I can mimic them at family gatherings - Yea I'm my family's Russel Peters ;) ). All in all, it was their normal behaviour.
I went home and had dinner while watching Desperate Housewives. At the end of each episode, I wonder why did I waste my one hour, yet next week I find myself watching it again...

Day 3:
Next day, monday, was Bhogi. And the lunch was sooooooooooooooo yummy! You'd think I'm a glutton - and I'd say where's the next item, please serve!
Oh before that, I went to my college to get that certificate. Met my profs and HoD. College seems bigger than the last time I saw it; and now they are expanding the canteen and brining in two more departments - B.E in Telecommunications and an MBA program. Awesome :) I reached P moushi's place and find so many other moushis there! (I have a HUGE family!) Hugs and kisses followed (my L'Oreal blush almost wiped off!) and they urged me to mimic G and R's previous day's antics. I did ;) P moushi has changed so much. She's mellowed down. And is so so much nicer now. Poo didn't know I was coming, so she was happy on seeing me too.
Lunch was traditional Bhogi lunch - stuffed brinjal (tumbiddu badnikaai palya), tingla ourikaai palya, gojju, raagi bhakri and huggi. I don't know their names in English; but they were so tasty I don't even care. Check pics :)





After lunch, Poo and I sat down to discuss her latest boyfriend(s), and how many extractions did she do that day. None, thankfully. Extractions I mean, boyfriends - she has :)) She kept talking about 2 of them and I asked to show their pics. She looged in to her Orkut and showed their pics. Guess what happened next. We scanned their albums, whistled at other good looking guys in those pics, and scanned their friends list and looked through their albums! LOL. She kept circling the guys in photos who looked good, and at the end, narrowed the list of boiys down to 3. And said to me, "(phew) OK now there are 3 in line. Who do you think I should date??" LOL Hello?! You've only seen their photos on Orkut, what else you know about them?! Thats Poo for you! She adds "le" after every sentence in Kannada and says "oooooooo boyfriend iddra yeshtu majaa ala!!" Wonder what kinda dentist she is! Its all in fun, am sure. She's a great sis I'll give her that :)

Day 4:
My sis, her hubby and the neice to arrive in the morning. I woke up early, and had bath. Minutes later, they are at the door! The kid is so cute! She's started walking now, and even recognizes me :) She was so careful while crossing the hochhla (threshold) from one room to another, we all were stunned! She plays with anything and everything and doesn't fuss at all! She speaks 2 syllable words now - papa, mum mum (food), adu taa (gimme that), tou (take this). And if she sees a dog, she goes, "woofh woofh" and "meow" when she sees a cat! Intelligent! I'll put her pics here tomorrow. She wore those shoes which make sound when you walk in them, and kept stamping to make that noise hahahahahaha. She hugs the little stuffed monkey we gave her, and kisses it too! It all looks very cute. I took her pics when sis was bathing her - I can show the kid's nanga photos to her hubby later ;)

Mom made superb lunch. Kosambri, yellina undi (til ke laddoo), yellina holgi (til ke sweet chapatis), chapatis (plain ones), french beans, saaru (curry) and steamed white rice. Super yummy! I ate one full holgi (I don't like sweets much...). See pics...



Come 5 PM, I had to leave. Horrible. I got to be with my neice only for 7 hours. I boarded the slowest train ever - it went from Karnataka to AP, and back to Karnataka - poora round maarke! Took another slowest train from B'lore to come here. Super bore.

Oh one more thing, I met Amit on my way home. He is a gentleman. He insisted on carrying my bag, which actually made him a coolie, but he's a gentleman too :) We had dinner together. He's my bestest friend, and I'm glad its been like that since years. It won't change... he's my best friend. I hope he finds and gets married to a nice, sweet girl. I pressurised him to get married soon. He kept blushing all the while :)