LETS GO FOR A STROLL IN MATTANCHERRY

Mattancherry is a known as the spices town. Small growers bring their hill produce such as pepper, ginger, cardamom etc. grown in the high ranges and sell them to the wholesalers here. The wholesalers process these products and sell them to bigger companies or export them.

However, this small town has become a tourist attraction because Jewish Synagogue is located here. ( I will show you the Synagogue in one of my subsequent posts.). As you walk towards the synagogue you will find streets lined with arts, curios, antiques, shawls, carpets, paintings, old wood carvings, jewelry and many other items of tourist interest. I really don't know from where these merchants get these exotic items.Please click on the photos for a larger view.




Waiting anxiously for customers.




Queen Elizabeth II visited this place to see the trading activity that takes place here.No computers are used. The traders shout at each other loudly. They are actually calling out the prices to buy and sell but it will look like they are fighting with each other. There will be more than 100 traders on the floor at any given time and therefore you can imagine the bedlam in this place. You can go deaf with the noise. I was told the Queen enjoyed the visit. Perhaps she had ear plugs. I am sure :)
A rich man has already bought these items. They are being loaded in the truck to be transported to his house.

I am sure you would like to have some of them in your houses. Just tell me what you want and I will parcel them to you. :):):)

PAROTTAS MADE IN "THATTU KADA"( ROAD SIDE RESTAURANT)

In Kerala, Malayalees consume parottas, beef and liquor in large quantities. The price of beef has sky rocketed and we,albeit being a pigmy state, have the distinction of being the highest liquor consuming State in the whole of India.

The other day when I was walking I watched a man making parottas. The skill, the dexterity, the co-ordination, and the speed of making parottas in the hundreds amazed me. I was compelled to stand there for sometime and watch the entire process with rapt attention unmindful of people staring at me.

Parottas are made out of maida ( a product of wheat}.

The dough is made into small balls like this.

It is flattened with hand in a round shape.

It is placed on the hot plate.

Oil is sprinkled.

It is turned over and fried

Then it is removed and heaped on top of the others and pressed with both hands on all sides to make it soft and fluffy.

Then it is piled on a large plate ready to be sold.

You can eat it with chicken, mutton or fish curry or just plain dipped in tea.

I am not at all good in cooking. So don’t blame me for the usage of words and terms which may not be correct.

However, I assure you I am good in eating. So any one want to make parottas and give me? I’m hungry!

PEN IS MIGHTIER THAN SWORD

Those who take the sword will die by the sword. On the other hand, if you use your pen you can earn money. Believe me! This is true!

Today I receive by post a cheque for Rs.750 ($15) for my article that was published in the Indian Express on 17TH Feb.2009. You can imagine my thrill and happiness. This post is just to share my joy with you.

This was posted by me in my blog on 18th Feb.2009 under the heading---A HEAVY LUNCH AND A KIND SOUL. My friends have already read it and commented on it.

Initially my idea was to keep a record of this incident in my blog. But when I sent it to the Indian Express, it was published. I was just lucky!

You can also try. Nothing is lost.

My best wishes to all.

BIDAPPA - MIGRANT LABORER

Please meeet Bidappa. He is from Guntur in Andhra Pradesh. He is married with two children. He is an agricultural worker. But he is not able to earn enough money to support his family. The wages are too low in his village. So he has come to Kochi to find work. Here the wages are more than double when compared to the neighboring states. He has no room to stay. He sleeps on the road side and if it rains under the shelter of closed shops in the night. He uses the public tap to wash himself and his clothes and uses the public toilet. There is a shop which hires out all the implements needed by these laborers.

Yet he is cheerful. On the day I met him he didn’t get a job. He was sitting on the road side hoping some one will call him and give him a job. When I started talking to him, he thought I have come to give him a job. At the end of our conversation, I gave him a ten rupee note. He was stunned. He exclaimed with a radiant smile on his face, ”In this day and age no one gives money with out doing any work!” I told him to have a cup of tea and walked home.

He is not the only one doing this. There are many women also who have come from the neighboring states looking for work.

He is not the only one doing this. There are many women also who have come from the neighboring states looking for work.

Many of us complain we don’t have enough of this and that. We say that life is unfair to us. What about these people who have left their near and dear ones far away and come to a strange place hoping to get some work, earn money and support themselves and their families? What about the hardships they undergo? They are also human like you and me! Why have they been discriminated? Why have they to suffer so much? I cannot find an answer.

Can you find any answers, my dear friends?

LITTLE FLOWER CHURCH, KADAVANTHARA,KOCHI

Just a few hours are left for our Lord, Jesus Christ, to rise from the dead. I thought it would be a good idea to visit a church and pray. Please click on the photos to enlarge.

The Little Flower Church is located at Kadavanthara, Kochi. It is a fairly new church which was built after demolishing the old church which was small with a tiled roof. The parishners contributed very generously and this church was built at cost of Rs,. 3 crores. This is one of the biggest Catholic Syrian churches around Kochi.

Let us take a look.



Children being trained for First Holy Communion.








I take this opportunity to wish you, your family and your near and dear ones a Blessed and Happy Easter. May the Risen Lord, Jesus Christ, bless us and show us the path to eternal life and everlasting peace, joy and happiness. Amen.

SUMMER RAINS

It was quite hot in the afternoon. On account of evaporation and condensation dark clouds had gathered over the city. Being Holy Week, in the evening I decided to go to the church to say my confession



Before entering the church I stepped into a restaurant to a have a cup of tea. As I sat there and sipped my tea, I heard a loud ear shattering thunder and saw blinding flashes of lightening. It started raining heavily accompanied by strong winds. The huge trees near by started swaying like they were possessed by furious demons. Being summer, most people were not prepared for the sudden rains. They started running helter skelter to avoid getting drenched. Some came into the restaurant and started chatting loudly and excitedly. The noise level was quite high and deafening. I did not want to get up from my chair because someone will occupy it immediately and I will have to stand till the rain stops. So I ordered for two vadas and started eating slowly

On account of the strong winds, a little bird got dislodged from its nest and fell among the people inside the restaurant. Immediately people moved out of the way of the bird to avoid stamping it. The bird scrambled to a corner and started squeaking pitiably as though it was in severe pain. Every one looked at the bird sadly but no one including me came forward to help it in anyway. Finally a worker from the kitchen came, caught the bird and took it into the kitchen. Either he will take care of it or let it go outside through the back window. I only hope he will not decide to make a dish out of it. Do you have any thoughts on the fate of the bird?

It was still pouring outside. So I ordered for a Sugian and started eating it very leisurely. I saw a man entering with a woman. She brought two cups of tea – one for him and one for her. They stood there near me sipping their tea and talking animatedly. When the tea was over, I heard her telling him that it was getting late and she has to rush home. He took out a Rs.10 note and gave it to her to pay for both the teas at the counter. She kept her cup on my table and touched that man’s thighs. He was wearing a spotless white pant. I thought that either it was her way of saying thanks to him or perhaps she was wiping her tea soiled fingers on his pant. Any way that is their business and I looked out. Can you throw some light on this?

It was still drizzling. So I ordered for a Bonda and started eating it. My stomach was full by the time I finished it. I was sitting and thinking what to do next. Fortunately, the rain stopped. I quickly paid the money, dashed to the church, said my confession and started walking home.

The were puddles of water on the road because the drains were clogged The weather was nice, cool and pleasant. I was so full that I will not be able to eat dinner. But I will have a good, peaceful, deep, dreamless sleep.

ATTENDED A FUNERAL!

My friend Mathew’s father passed away and I attended the funeral ceremony. He was 68 years old. Due to his heavy smoking, his lungs collapsed and he died .Smokers beware! May his soul rest in peace. May God grant his family the courage and strength to bear this irreparable loss.





We are all born to die one day. We will not take anything from this world. It doesn’t mean that we should not use our God given talents to become rich and famous. We are accountable to God for the use of our talents. We cannot give excuses for our failure.

When we are young, we think we will never die. As we grow older the thought of death sometimes enters our minds. One day we suddenly realize that death is upon us and staring at our face and then ---- we are gone!

YOU ARE DUST AND TO DUST YOU SHALL RETURN.

Oh! Why am I talking about death so much? We are not born to die! Are we? We will live forever!
What do you think?