A blessing in disguise

I made my first “local friend” as a warm lady helped me cope with the unwritten etiquette of the famed Mumbai local. I was moved when I struck my first conversation with her. She excitedly gesticulated and made incoherent sounds - she was speech and hearing impaired.

As days passed, we got comfortable with signing to each other. One day, I closed my ears when I heard the shrill horn of another train going by. She smiled and signed to me that it was a blessing in disguise that she was hearing impaired.

My jaw dropped, that is quite some perspective!

This post has been written for Write Tribe’s 100 words on Saturday for the prompt “A blessing in disguise”

Winter is coming...

Thanks to the Starks, this phrase is now associated with gloom and fear. But for most people I know on this side of the planet, this is a reason to rejoice! Well, this is technically not “winter” in its truest sense. In my books, however, anything below Celsius 20 makes the cut J

Margazhi is the Tamil month from mid December to January when everything nice happens. This is my favourite time of the year. Margazhi. Margazhi. Margazhi. I love saying it, the way it sounds, I think I like the word so much because of the “zh” in it.

Step out early on a margazhi morning (if you manage to pull yourself out of the cozy confines of your bed), you will spot Thirupavai reciting, bhajan singing, bare chested mamas braving the cold, while the mamis are engrossed in adorning their homes elaborate kolams.

Animal prints are not just for the fashionable few on the ramps of Milan. This time of the year is when the sales of the famed ear muff peaks. From Pondy bazaar to Purasawalkam, you will find these camouflage prints in all imaginable colours flying off the shelves. Everyone sports them – the veshti / madisaar clad temple goers, newspaper delivery boys, morning walkers, traffic police constables, maids, school kids, office goers… just everyone.

Margazhi essentials 1 - The famed ear muffs!
Image source: dir.indiamart.com

The ubiquitous mosquito bat – another margazhi essential, sells like hotcake as well. If you visit a normal Chennai household during the month, sometime after sunset, you will find the young and old walking around the house, brandishing this bat with volley like movements. While some prefer to lie low and wait for the kill, others prefer to do a time to time recon to ensure a peaceful night’s sleep. 

Margazhi essentials 2 - The ubiquitous mosquito bat!
Image source: www.hunterbat.com

Margazhi is synonymous with the kutcheri season. I am no big rasika, I can barely tell apart one ragam from another, but sabha hopping is THE thing to do in margazhi. People from all over the world flock to Chennai to sabha hop. Do I make it sound like pub hopping? The similarities are many. Much attention is paid to dressing well. The finest silks and the best fragrances are reserved for Margazhi. This is where kanjivaram and jewellery style statements are made. People wait in excited anticipation to listen to the chart toppers of the Carnatic music world, while fresh talent is discussed, debated and critically analysed. At the end of the day, it is all about getting high – high on music, and of late - filter coffee, lip smacking, delectable “tiffin” and fashion!

The lights of Christmas add cheer to the month as well, followed by new year’s. Margazhi comes to a wrap, with massive Pongal celebrations to welcome the next month. Have you enjoyed the sights and sounds of Margazhi in Chennai as yet? If not, it is time you gave it a dekko. There is no month as beautiful and festive as this. 

Berry Extraordinary

Breezers aplenty, flavours galore,

there’s one however, that I simply adore.

In a world so wonderful, it ain’t easy to choose one,

but the one I like is second to none!

This one is purple - the colour of royalty,

and to this drink, I pledge complete loyalty.

Only a few months of the year does the berry abound,

but the Crush is available all year round.

Who knew that this humble little berry,

would make a drink oh-so-extraordinary!

Not too fruity, tastes just right,

hits the right notes, ‘tis refreshing and light.

It makes a great way,

to unwind after a long day.

I have great memories of times of cheer,

with friends and family, near and dear.

Oh! Can you feel the rush,

of the Bacardi Blackberry Crush?

This is an entry for the Catch the flavor contest by Breezerindia.com

Half baked love

This post has been published by me as a part of the Blog-a-Ton 44; the forty-fourth edition of the online marathon of Bloggers; where we decide and we write. To be part of the next edition, visit and start following Blog-a-Ton. 

“There’s something in the air”, she said, crinkling her nose, as she woke up.

She was alarmed by the beeping detector and trickling fire sprinkler. Choking, she warily walked into the kitchen.

“That would be love, honey”, he said, holding a burnt cake in one hand while swooping her off the floor by the other.

The fellow Blog-a-Tonics who took part in this Blog-a-Ton and links to their respective posts can be checked here. To be part of the next edition, visit and start following Blog-a-Ton. Participation Count:07

Credits

Image - Love in the air by Anand
Courtesy - Apple Blossom's Photography via www.blogaton.in