here I am, back again, after a few days, wanting to write. I'm at home after ages, and not running around like a headless chicken doing five hundred things at the same time; I am looking forward to a delicious beetroot, red & yellow pepper salad with daal and methi rotis for lunch, wearing my black & orange halloween socks, all set to set the laptop ablaze with my writings! Hah!
It's 10 degrees in Calcutta, practically unheard of temperatures and just perfect to sit in the sun eating oranges. However, that is not to be, since I have to trudge all the way up to the terrace to avail of the sun. Nah, not happening.
No, I'd rather look at the purple asters and maroon chrysanthemums standing bravely in my childhood mug on the table and marvel at the man I married :) I woke this morning hearing two, no, three birds singing outside...when I commented on this my husband said cheerfully (always so blinking chirpy in the morning!!!) "that means the cold weather is on its way out" ~ the sound of doves took me back, as always, to my first home in Assam, Tiphook. They were a permanent fixture in my garden there and I heard them when Ash left for work early in the morning, and again when I woke later for breakfast and again in the late afternoon while I had my tea. I will associate that sound, and the smell of 'sweet peas' with that beautiful period of my life forever! Why Sweet Peas? because very often, I woke to a little bunch of them on my bedside table those days :) I have tried, and tried to grow them here, but with no luck.....
what do you miss? from those beautiful days?
During my childhood years, we always share/ eat big breakfast every morning. Inang Maria would always make simple garlic fried rice, fried eggs, omelette, fried sweet pork sausages with Asian spices, fried sweet plantains...she would also prepare my mom's special "TAPA" it's a homemade dried salted beef. I could almost hear the undetered pounding sound made against the back of the big iron knife and wooden chopping board made from cuttings from the fallen Mango or Santol or Acasia tree. The remaining natural oil from the wood mixed with the aroma of just perfectly fried TAPA could instigate a hungry growl from my tummy...glad I had those years and moments.
ReplyDeleteI love this site more dear friend, for I myself considered those moments a priceless treasure.
Thank you maria, I can almost see myself sitting at the table with you.....tucking in to that big breakfast! Isn't it sad how we lose the simple pleasures as we keep running on this treadmill called 'life'?
ReplyDelete