Way to home…

It’s a long way. It’s a tiring journey. It takes a lot of my time and energy. But I travel that. Because at the end of the road lies heaven. Yes! I’m talking about the way to home.

In the middle of night, on my bed little sleepy, little tired, I’m pondering the long journeys I take to reach home and feel the ecstasy of being home. Being home is colorful. It brings me the fragrance of the rose romancing with the dew drops. It’s the ultimate.

But the journey to home is more of a matter to think with souls. It’s the first door opened before me to an all new world of insights, realizations and revelations. Every new path tells me a new secret that has been hidden from me from the start of the universe. But the way to home, every time I take it, reveals before me the greatest secrets that no one else knows.

I look at the old tree standing alone on the middle of the river. It has a new story to tell about generations.

Look at the endless valley that takes you to the end of world. It’s been the same for ages but still it sing the song of death and life in a new rhythm and dance with new steps.

The clouds, the mist, the sunrays, the twilight, the beheaded statue, the mountain, the small house hanging on the mountain, the ever roaring river, the howling wind… all are the same; very same. But every time I confront them, they have something new to share with me.

Sometimes a lost memory hiding beneath the bed of gray leaves, sometimes it’s a dream buried on my backyard. Some times it’s a question I’ve never thought about, sometimes gratitude, sometimes grudge, and sometimes answers I was seeking for to the enigmas.

It’s the journey that brings me all my happiness, serenity, and beauty of mind back and makes me that old child who used to wonder at everything on his way. It’s a journey back to life…

The legendary relationship of Kerala Catholics and beef

These words are meant for the ones away from home… who misses the taste and flavours of home kitchen.

My dear Catholics….

It’s about each one of you. Its about our culture and our tradition… it’s about nammude kappem pothum.

Think it and I’m sure you’ll desperately feel the nostalgia to go back home and have some hot beef... I’m not talking about chilly beef or beef dry fry. I’m talking (dreaming as well) about nalla nadan pothu curry. As a catholic I learned this tradition of taste from my family and ancestors who loved it, made it and ate it. Here I don’t wanna make it very specific to beef. It’s also pork (but I know not everyone like that too much even though that’s my favourite). 

While I write this I’m not sure why I’m writing this or what’s the reason or even is there a reason for writing it. It’s an instinct just like we move towards the butcher shop at the market after the Sunday mass to buy the freshly arrived red meat.

When I was a child it was a pleasure to cut the meat and wait for it to boil to remove the lid and be the first one to taste the perfectly cut pieces. And while writing about beef I can’t deliberately ignore the fact that beef fry we often see at the wedding receptions has an extra pinch of taste and I’m still researching on how to make it.

Now lets come to the matter... ingane kathi adichirunna mathiyo??? Vellom kazhikande?? So which’s your favourite? Kappa, appam or something else? Anyway I’ll vote for tapioca. And when its home made, I’ll raise both my hands. However, the combination of tapioca and beef is nothing but awesome. Sometimes I feel like I’d pledge anything for a plate of tapioca and beef. But actually there’s a grave fact remains that sometimes I feel bad about tapioca. It’s when I eat tapioca from the street shops in kochi. Its like learning mathematics from your Malayalam teacher. The worst a man can get.

Ok… so I think its time for all of us to go home and eat... yes!! All the classic dishes are waiting... pettannu challanne.. illel thanuth pokathille???