Vishu - The Crackers of Sweetness -2

In Chandran's house, olappadakkam bursts with a metallic sound always. They use an aluminium pot to create this sound. Crakers after igniting are thrown into this pot that bursts with a different noise. We really did not enjoy the sound however.

Whenever our father was home , he buys crackers a few days before the big day. All fireworks for the eve of the Vishu will be stocked well in advance. On one such ocassion faher bought a plastic bag with a lot of things filled in it.

Out of curiosity we asked him what they were. He simply replied it was dry chillies. We have not believed it, but never tried to dig deep into finding the truth. For hardly two hundred rupees, it was possible to creat a gala of fire works those days. Whatever father bought on that day may not have costed even hundred rupees.

In the morning of the Vishu day, our forecourt will be filled with the remnants of crackers - some fully torn apart , some lying without serving their purpose.These left outs were swept to a corner and burnt along with dry leaves. It was very pleasing to watch bursting crackers in the fire that was lit. That brought curtains to a glorious event associated with Vishu.

For a change, our 'bosom friend' Nanu takes his lunch from his home this day. At the end of all sound and light for over a fortnight, it is feast time. We enjoyed every moment of a thrilling Vishu in the company of Nanu.  Narayananakutty who is famously known as Nanu is our cousine and neighbour. On school days Nanu eats lunch from our home.



The kitty of crackers invariably consisted of busrting ones and sparklers . It was not only the olappadakkam that made noise. There were some powerful bombs too. Though we were so scared to use them, somehow we managed to lit them. On one such occassion, an attempt to set a bomb on fire landed in a near miss.

The bomb was lit and we ran away. But realising that fire has not started in the bomb we quikly approached the bomb to re-ignite. The bomb busted with a deafening noice as we were about to bring the source of fire near it. The jolt we received on that day is still fresh in mind. Whenever I remember Nanu, essentially I must remember this incident. We however escaped unscathed on that day.

The "Vishu Kanji" is prepared by Nanu's mother. Nanu's mother is our maternal aunt. The tastiest Vishu Kanji I ever had was prepared by this aunt. Vishu Kanji is a customary gruel, prepared on the Vishu day using rice, coconut milk, grated coconut and jeera. On this Vishu day too, we prepared Vishu Kanji. Probably it also did have all the ingadients as mentioned above, but it could never match with the taste of those preparations. May the taste of everything that was enjoyed in the innocent childhood linger on till the last breath.


Let us celebrate all festivals, be it Vishu, Onam,  Christmas, Easter or Ramzan, in its tradinational ways. Let the younger generations know the true spirit of our civilizations and what values they represent. Above all, the younger ones too need something to write about when they have nothing else to do!!

"Vishu Kanji – vishu special Recipe

Ingredients for Vishu Kanji

Raw rice – 1 cup

Grated coconut – 1

Cumin seeds – 1/2 [coarsely powdered]

Salt to taste

Method of Preparing Vishu Kanji

Add 3 tbsp warm water in to the grated coconut and extract the thick milk

Grind the grated coconut in a mixer grinder by adding 1-2 cups of water. Strain the milk in a strainer, approximately 2 cups of coconut milk. Add the coarsely powdered cumin seeds in to the coconut milk.

Heat a thick bottomed pan, add the coconut milk and bring to boil. Wash the rice and keep aside. When the coconut milk began to boil then add the rice and salt.

Stir well and close the lid. Cook for 15 minutes on low flame. Open the lid and add the thick coconut milk and stir continuously until the rice is cooked and the mixture become thick. When done, pour into a plate and allow to cool. Cut into pieces and serve"

Appooppanthaadi -43

Did I sing too much of paeans to China? Okay, nothing was delibrate. I have been simply reporting what I saw there (of course with a pinch of my imaginations and exaggerations!) Now, here is the flip side of everything that is rosy in China (anyway, there is no need of writing so much about the flip side. The outer world knows only the flip side of China, per se!)

 Look at the photo on the right side. This is a street right inside the Shanghai city. As I have been walking past this area, I had to close my nose to escape from the stink. It looked just like a slum area in India. So pathetic indeed.  People were seen washing their cars on the foot path just closer to this street. There are so many automobile and cycle workshops functioning on the foot-paths all over China cities. One has to just deviate from the flashy big roads to a bye lane or a smaller road to see the other side of life in China

Look at another picture. A beggar in front of the Jing'an Buddha Temple, Shanghai. There were so many like him there.

When I looked from the Panjabi restaurant's back side, I was really surprised. Behind the beautiful facade of decorated buildings, there hide the old and run down buildings. Almost everywhere, these old buildings are smartly hidden. At many locations, I could see dirty places, though they were so extensive like we see in our cities. 

Here is another photo. Look at the trash can there. Just a few minutes before, a man just rummaged through this trash can, picked some waste food and ate it! I watched the action in dismay. Though I had a camera in my hand, I could not muster enough courage to take a shot of this scene. I was convinced about the phrase Indo-Chini bhai bhai at that moment! There are so many similarities among us rather than contrasts. Do we need Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles to distroy the similarities?
 

It takes just twenty minutes drive from the city to reach the outskirts. There we will find the real China that will definitely not at variance with what we see in our country’s city outskirts. There are damaged roads, dilapidated and run down dwelling places and buniness establishments and people making a living with whatever little things they have.

The railway level crossing at the outskirts of the Harbin city has no flyover bridge. We had to wait at the gate for half an hour to come out of the traffic jam at the gate one day. Here too, the drivers of the vehicle push themselves ahead, ignoring the traffic rules. So, it is not right to be carried away by the pomp and pageantry of the city’s arterial roads and posh buildings. We shall visit the outskirts and the villages to realize that China is nothing but an improvised India…

Click the link to see more Photos :  TheFlipSide



One morning, as I was just reaching Harbin Electric Company gate, a lady was standing in the middle of the busy road in front of the gate and singing some songs. She looked so sad. She was pointing her finger to the factory as she was singing. I walked in and after a few minutes, out of curiosity came out to see what was happening at the gate. By that time, she reached the gate, sat there and started blocking vehicular movement to and from the factory.


The security guards were trying hard to remove her from there. What happened after that was not known. I tried to eleicit the reasons behind this incident but communication problem let me down. One thing I learnt, these types of incidents are quiet usual here.



Another day, a few people were seen lining up across a busy road, apparently taking out a 'road rokho' agitation. There were just a handful of people in action and more onlookers and a few policemen . What followed was not known as I moved away from the scene soon. What I could understand from the happenings there was that this had something to do with their jobs and wages.

Vishu - the Crackers of Sweetness -1

The most attractive thing for us during the Vishu season was not the "kaineettam". ( Kaineettam is the gift - generally in the form of money- given by eledrs to the younger ones on the auspecious day of Vishu. The gift promises all good things to come in the year. Vishu is celebrated as a mark of the begining of a new year in Keralam. Though Chingam is the first month as per the Malayalam Era, New year is considered to start when the sun starts its journey to Meda Raasi. In otherwords, this occassion is the begining of another astronomical year)

 

 

The Vishukkani -The first auspecious thing we have to see
 on the Vishu day

I do not remember to have collected more than ten rupees as "kaineettam" those days. This was usually doled out by my brother in law (my eldest sister's husband) after he settled down in our village post retirement from military. Of course, the grandpa, after the "vishukkani", distributes   a twenty five paisa coin to all we siblings. So, to be precise, the total collection was a maximum of 10 rupees 25 paisa. We never calculated or envisaged any big purchaces from the 'bounty' called vishukkaineettam.

Vishu, for us was never a harbinger of "Lakshmi". Paisa was never a worry anyway. Our needs, like any  other children of a village, were very limited. Probably, the biggest expense ever we faced was when we set out to see our beloved hero Jayan on  Poochakkal Royal Theatre's silver screen.

The other expense was when the ice candy vendor appears on our village road. Suddenly a bell starts ringing. The man carrying a big box on the back of bicycle appears from nowhere. The bell rings continuously that sends the kids scampering for coins. Some of us manage to get ten paisa coins and some don't. An ice candy was the most adored food item those days.
 

The throw-bomb was the most attractive cracker during the Vishu season. A small round chocolate shaped cracker that bursts with a thud while thowing forcefully against a hard surface was very fascinating. The cover of this cracker resembled that of a chocolate. All money that we could manage to channel from the elders were used to buy only these bombs. Of course,  'olappadakkam' the cracker made with dry coconut leaves were essential part of the vishu celebrations. But nothing could charm more than these bombs could

Almost one month before the Vishu day, crackers were seen in the shops. A bursting sound here and a 'bomb blast' there. It was quiet a routine those days. Of late these affable bombs had disappeared from the market. The reason we were told was that improved versions of this bomb were being used by our "learned" elders to kill each other during quarrels between political parties.

Another cracker that caught our imagination those days was "eli vaanam". This small cylindrical shapped piece of joy needed a small stick to be tied to it before being  launched. It was a tricky thing to handle, since, a wrong launch may cause bursting of the cracker on the ground itself, injuring anyone who is nearby. Our friend Bhagavan was an expert in vaanam launching. He tied broom sticks on the vaanams with great dexterity and launched them with good accuracy. After tieing the stick, he places the cracker on his index finger to check the balance between both the sides. Later, we learnt that what he checked was the centre of gravity!

The length of the stick is adjusted to achieve the balance. Then he holds the cracker in his right hand and  touches its bottom with fire. The 'vaanam' leaves like a rocket from his hand and bursts in the sky. We, the less courageous kids, with breaths held back, watch all that unfolds there from a safe distance. As the rocket spits fire and moves away, relieved kids jump for joy....Bhagawan made our days so bright with his "extranatural abilities" like this.

While remembering Sasikumar alias Bhagawan, who left us long time back, I must rember those tiny rockets. Oh dear Sasikumar, you left all of us, without even saying a good bye. I know, after those innocent childhood, we all got into a rat race. No one could look behind. You were left far behind in the race. You gave into the pressure of the survival struggle.



Had someone of us looked back to see where you stood, perhaps, you would have walked in blood and bones among us even in this past Vishu season too. We lost a good friend in you. Who can launch a vaanam like you did? Who can entertain us like you did? Though we called you Bhagavan behind your back, you were really a bhagawan. We failed to admire you when your were with us. We miss you a lot. I am sure you will be laughing at us from Heavens for all the silly things we do down here in the name of amassing money....

Appooppanthaadi -42

Shanghai's high rise buildings were widely used by the denizens for another purpose too once upon a time - to jump from the top and end life! During the Cultural Revolution under the stewardship of their supreme leader Chaiman Mao, all through China, a systemic elemination of rebellion and dissent was well in operation.

Many were taken into custody without any specific charges framed against them. Fate of the ones who were taken away like this were never known to the outer world after that. Many others were forced to commit suicide. The government mechanism ensured that dissenting souls were driven to taking their own lives. In Shanghai, thus, the sky scrappers came in  handy to such desperate human beings. Those days, it is said, people in the city were very scared of walking past the high rise buildings for fear that, anytime a 'free falling object' might fall on them from atop the buildings

To read more about Cultural Revolution in China, click the link http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cultural_Revolution

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Like in many other big cities in China, Shanghai too has a well built metro rail system. The underground mass transit system is simply superb that can outshine any other metros in the world. All the tourist attractions in the city have easy access through the metro rail. Let the Chennai Metro get completed. Then, Shanghai Metro will look just a shadow of the Chennai Metro. Hopefully, Shanghai-isation of India will start from Chennai shortly!

There are a few Buddha Temples in the Shanghai city. One among them is Jing'an Temple and the other is the famous Jade Budda Temple. There is another temple near the Yu Garden too. The Jing'an Temple is located near one of the metro stations itself. To gain entry to the temple, one has to cough up 30 Yuans.

Though the authorities consider it as a tourist spot and hence charge a fee to enter, most of the visitors consider it as a sacred place of worship. People do different types of rituals inside the temple.  They prostrate in front of the huge idols of the Lord. The prayer is offered in a kneeled down position. The Lord who was against idol worshpping has himself been made an idol and worshipped. I too kneeled in front of the Lord.

The most attractive thing, in my opinion, at the Jing'an Temple was the Ashok Pillar at the entrance. Inside the temple, entry to anywhere, including the places where prayers are offered, everyone wears shoes. Even prayers are offered with shoes on.




  "Do Not Kiss" was the message the young girl wanted to give through the writing on chest part of the Tee she was wearing inside the Jade Buddha temple! She was avidly paying obeisance whereever she spotted Budda idol inside the temple

Click the link for more photos : Shanghai Budha Temples and more...


A few meters away,  a magnificient foot over bridge is located. It has an escalator to climb. Most of the busy roads have foot over bridges at regular intervals. Foot over bridges are very common in China cities. Overbridges with electric lifts are also seen at many locations.  Still there are so many pedestrians crossing the roads just like we do in our country.

Appooppanthaadi -41

The Yu Garden in the middle of the city is euqally attracting visitors like The Bund. This is a garden with a lot of ancient boulders in different natural forms and beautiful water bodies in between. The tall jade rock is one of the most attractive things in the garden.

There are so many traditional Chinese buildings all over inside and outside this garden. Sadly the traditional buldinds are confined only to some selct spots like this. Chinese architecture has enchanting beauty in it. It is surprising, rather painfull, to see that the citizens there do not appreciate it. The reflection in water of these beauties in stones inside the garden is so nice to look at. Old is truly gold, we must agree when we are at the Yu Garden.

Outside the garden, there are so many small shops that are meant for tourists. These places look excctly like our own desi shops. Traditional clothes, ceramic goods and the famous hand held fan are prominantly displayed in every shop. The prices are exorbitant. Especially when they sight a foreign tourist, the prices shot up like a rocket. Of course, bargaining is the key to get the goods we like at the price we like.

I walked into a shop. Enquired the price of a traditional chinese cloth. As is common in China, this shop keeper too was a lady. She quoted a price of 280 yuans. It was received like a bolt from the blue sky by me. I walked out of the shop in a huff. The lady followed me, shouting a price of 90 Yuans! This is how prices are tagged to items in the market.

For More Photos click: Yu Garden and Surroundings

 

There are big markets in every China cities for clothes, electronic goods, toys and so on. Everywhere, harder we bargain, cheaper the goods get. Without thinking twice, we can put a price that is lower than half the shop keeper tells. Even if the price we quoted is offensively low, the shop keeper mostly shruggs us off or simply wear a bitter smile in her face. They never shout or abuse the buyers.

 Everytime, bargain takes place using a calculator as it is impossible to communicate in English with the shopkeepers. The offer price is typed in the calculator and the buyer types his/her price. After a lot of negotiations and persuations, finally arrives at a figure that is acceptable to both the stake holders. 

There is another famous shopping spot in Shanghai. The Nanjing Road. Like the Central Street in Harbin, here too hundreds of people throng for shopping. This is one of the busiest shopping areas in the world itslef.




 The entire stretch of the 5KM long Nanjing Road has a number of shops - most of them are like malls. .  There, bargaining is not possible and so, there is no thrill in shopping in these places.

Nanjing Road has a more interesting thing to mention. Right on the spot where I got down from the taxi at Nanjing Road, a man approached and asked if I needed massage. He says, massage is done by young girls. I ticked him off but a wave followed me. By the time I reached one end of the road, I lost count of the men and women who approaced me with the massage offer. Every foreigner was seen followed or even haunted by such people. They however spare the locals

(Interestingly, people from East Asian countries are said to be the biggest customers in the red light districts of European cities)

Massage is very common in China. Many of the visitors never miss this item as it is more than just massage! Young girls really do massage and in that process kick up some erotic feelings too (this is what I was told). It is apt to say that massage is laced with soft porn there. Perhaps that is what the most attracting aspect in the massage

The hotel room in which I stayed during my first visit to Shanghai was strewn with a number of 'business cards' carrying photos of beautiful girls and their phone numbers. These cards found their way to the room from the gap at the bottom of the door. There are so many agents working in this business.



 These cards offer a vast avenue of entertainments including sex and massage anytime anywhere, without the fear of being watched by the moral police ...

Click the link for more photos of Shanghai : Shanghai city