December is here already?

Gosh! Are we already in the last month of the year? When did the rest of the months come by and where did they go? It seems like y’day that I bid adieu to a very distressing 2011 and welcomed 2012 with full of hope for a better tomorrow.

The year didnt disappoint, I can say that for sure . It has largely been a memorable year for us. And I’m deeply grateful to God for that.

In fact, to be honest, I sort of hoped that this year would move past at a more leisurely pace so I could take in all the positive vibes and joyous moments that the year has had to offer me and my family.

But the year seems to have gone by in a flash! And I haven’t even had the time to let these moments sink in. Or have I? Am I getting greedy? My heart craves for more such moments.

When I think of the tough and draining 2011, I shudder!

Right then I feel blessed when I realize how so beautifully has this year made up for all the depressing times of the previous one.

And now, its that time of the year again when I have the same nagging sense of unsurity slowly creeping inside me.

Am I ready to say goodbye to this year yet?
Can I not hold on to it for some more time?
Will all the good moments lived and cherished in this year be carried forward to the next year?
Will the happiness last for years to come or will it be short-lived?
Will the coming year unfold for us things that we may not have prepared or asked for?

Just when these moping thoughts begin to needle me, my mind drifts away to look for some positivity around. And I realize that I dont have to go very far. Because this also is the time of the year that brings a smile on my face..

for everything looks so beautiful and festive..
for the weather is so nippy, cheering me up every time a soft breeze brushes my cheeks..
for my plants look so happy when they wish me each morning with their freshest blooms…

for I feel ever so kicked up to pick up a book to read..
for I feel ever so driven to scribble something( even if gibberish), to give free passage to the words brewing inside me…

for this so is my favorite time of the year..

For I feel so blessed to be…

Touchwood!

Vishu Aashamsagal

Wishes for a year filled with joy happiness and blessings coming from Deeps’ home to one and all! Vishuaashamsagal!

Vishukkani @ Deeps’

Wishes for a year filled with joy happiness and blessings coming from Deeps’ home to one and all! Vishuaashamsaga!

A sense of uncertainty mixed with a sense of hope for the coming year…

This is how I feel as each year draws to a close.

Uncertainty because theres always a sense of jitteriness about what the future may hold, and hope because, despite the uncertainty, there is this unfailing hope that everything will be fine….just fine. Although I have no control over life’s unpredictability, there’s this want to start the new year with a fresh perspective, on a happy note, all the while telling myself that the coming year will have far better things to offer than the previous one.

This year in particular being a little rough on me and my family, what with the surgeries and constant health-scares to have plagued my parents, the anticipation of what’s in store for me in the coming year is even more so.

Yet, this is one time of the year when I feel extremely positive because it is such a beautiful time of the year, isnt it? Everything- from the lovely weather to the wide array of festivals to the smiling faces of people to the well-illuminated houses to the beautiful decorations adorning all the malls and roads, not to mention the promotional-flyers of supermarkets and malls finding a space in between the sheets of my newspaper every other day alerting me of their festive offers and sales-every single thing seems to cheer me on towards staying positive, staying happy .

When, R & Namnam geared up to set up the christmas tree a few days back, what set me thinking was how little it mattered that we didnt follow the religion that normally was associated with christmas. What mattered was how symbolic the festival was with happiness and cheer. In fact a friend and I were even discussing about how this was one of those festivals which transcends religion, caste and creed…how over the years, it had come to mean more about staying happy, spreading joy and being hopeful of better things to come than the birthday of Jesus Christ.

In this world where there are diverse religions, festivals are occassions which reiterate their co-existense.

When my Punjabi friend comes upto me to wish “Happy Onam’ or when I hug my Arab friend to wish her,’ Eid Mubarak’ or when an American joins his Sikh friend to burst crackers on Diwali, or when, in an Islamic country like Qatar, I find malls and retaurants beautifully decorated with christmas trees and stars or when I find ‘konnappoo‘ being sold in shops around Vishu

Konnappoo (image courtesy Google Images)

it makes me realize how beautifully religions can co-exist in this world. How we can respect each other’s religion without having to compromise on our ideologies and beliefs.

And this is the time of the year when I miss being home the most for I know how beautifully festive my city looks all around. In fact the yearning to fly down to soak in the festivities starts to creep inside me much earlier…when the second half barely trickles in. With so many festivals lined up one after the other my heart fills with so much of happiness that as the year closes in, more than feeling sad about bidding the current year goodbye, I find greater joy in looking forward to the coming year with more fervour.

On that note leaving you with our Christmas tree and heartfelt wishes that the coming year will have loads of joy and happiness in store for you and your loved ones

Wish you a Merry Christmas and a very happy & a blessed New Year

Andu Pirappu

Inspired by Solilo,I’m encouraged to share this here on my page as well.

According to the Malayalam calendar,Chingam is the first month of the year.Today,the first day of the month marks the beginning of the New Year,locally referred to as Andu Pirappu

Chingam marks the advent of spring after the rain-filled season of Karkidakam.People of Kerala welcome this month to usher in the harvest season.Hence particularly auspicious for farmers.Onam,one of the most popular festivals of Kerala,is celebrated in this month,which falls in August-Septemer.It is believed that in olden times the whole of Chingam month was observed as the Onam season.

I,like any malayali,feel very festive and positive during the entire period.I remember how,I used to look forward to the festivities around me.How in school,I used to wait for the after class practice sessions for Onam celebrations!How I used to wait for those umpteen TV shows which showed me glimpses of festive Kerala and made me yearn to go there just to witness it myself!Not to mention the grandiose feast,the Ona-sadya which my Amma and Ammamma would prepare for us!
Ah!those were the days!

So,heres wishing you all,especially my fellow malayalis,a Happy New Year!May the year bring us all joy,happiness & prosperity.

EDITED TO ADD:Regarding the virtual Ona Sadya,those of you who are willing to share a recipe of your choice,it will be nice if you would specify the dish that you’ll be sharing on your page,beforehand like Crafty offered to share her mom’s Inji-pulli recipe on the comment-thread.I can share the recipe for Sambhar or Avial or both.
This way,I think we can avoid repetition of recipes and confusion thereby!