Simple Rasam

After 3 literary posts I decided to explore my cooking expertise. I wanted to post a “sweet” recipe but ended up with this “Rasam” as "ரசம் இல்லாமல் வாழ்வில் ரசம் இல்லை."

Ingredients:

·         Tuvar dhal-3 tsp

·         Whole dhania-1 ½ tsp

·         Pepper corns-1 tsp

·         Jeera- 1tsp

·         Red chillies-2

Pressure cook the above mentioned ingredients & grind to a smooth paste.

·         Turmeric powder=1/2 tsp

·         Asafoetida- a few pinches/according to taste

·         Tamarind-size of medium sized lemon

·         Tomato-1 ripe

·         Salt to taste

For Garnishing:

·         Ghee-1 tsp

·         Mustard-1 tsp

·         Jeera-1/2 tsp

·         Curry leaves- a few

·         Dhania leaves- a few

Method:

·         Soak tamarind in water & extract. Mix with water to make 2 cups.

·         Chop tomatoes finely & add them to the tamarind water. Add asafoetida, salt & turmeric powder & allow it to boil.

·         Once the raw taste & smell of tamarind disappears, add the ground paste. Dilute the rasam according to taste.

·         Once the rasam froths up remove from fire.

·         Garnish with curry & dhania leaves.

·         Heat ghee. Splutter mustard seeds & jeera.

·         Add the same to the rasam.

·         The rasam is now ready.

Rasam can be served with hot rice & any curry of your choice.The given quantity can serve up to 3 persons.

For the Love of Music

In this monotonous & fast world, few things bring happiness into the, otherwise, mundane life. Music is one such thing. Friedrich Nietzsche in Twilight of the Idols wrote “Without music, life would be a mistake.”

   Wikipedia defines music thus:

      “Music is an art form whose medium is sound and silence. Its common elements are pitch (which governs melody and harmony), rhythm (and its associated concepts tempo, meter, and articulation), dynamics, and the sonic qualities of timbre and texture. The word derives from Greek μουσική (mousike; "art of the Muses").”

Music is a universal language & everybody relates to it. Though interests & choices vary, all human beings enjoy music.

My rendezvous with music began thirty years back when I started learning Indian Classical music. Though not very keen at that age, I was compulsorily asked to attend the classes. Here I would like to mention that majority of my clan (my grandparents, father, mother, aunt & cousins) could sing which made music classes more demanding as the need to excel was challenging for me. As I grew older, my fascination towards music grew with me. I became an avid listener, thanks to my grandfather, who had an awesome collection of records.

I was introduced to the likes of Lata Mangheskar, Mohd Rafi, Kishore Kumar through his records. The thirst towards music was immense & I started savoring the music of Maestro Illayaraaja at this stage. I grew & my world sprouted, matured, and flourished listening to his music.

His music was my consort & has travelled with me through my good and bad times. All emotions, ranging from elation to despair, pride to humility was related with his music.

I also learnt to appreciate the nuances of classical music during this period. The search for soulful music introduced me to the melodies of Bombay Jayashree & Unnikrishnan(not many people would agree with my choices but I have always found solace in their music).

However, as a music lover I have not been able to relate to Western Music. Some of them have indeed captivated me but the majority I failed to understand. Is it my ignorance or my refusal to embrace anything other than Indian music?

The music that we listen to now has evolved through lot of revolutions & innovations. It is the new voice of music. Though the changes have been impressive & remarkable, I fail to comprehend them & my heart still yearns for “Illayaraaja”.

Certain new musicians do create magic but it fails to stand the test of time. Among the recent musicians A.R. Rehman & Vidyasagar have enthralled their fans with their music. The former of the two has indeed revolutionized music & made the country proud with his achievements.

Since my childhood days I have been accustomed to a particular kind of music which has filled each cell of my body & I cannot distil the same from my blood.

By writing this I do not wish to glorify a particular artiste or demean another. It is just an opinion which I wanted to share. Music is still my companion & has helped me to overcome stress & eased my mind.

I would like to conclude by quoting Shakespeare:

"The man that hath no music in himself,
Nor is not mov'd with concord of sweet sounds,
Is fit for treasons, stratagems, and spoils."

Children with ADHD, LD & their parents

Life can be tough, taxing & stressful if you have a kid with ADHD & learning difficulty. The children with this problem also face a lot of difficulty as they struggle at school & find it difficult adjusting themselves to the complexities & demands of life.

Let us first understand what ADHD really means. So many things have been written about & discussed about this problem. ADHD or Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder in children can cause lot of emotional problems in parents. There is no clarity on what causes ADHD. It is definitely not the result of laziness of parents, poor parenting or poor teaching. Hence there is no point in parents blaming each other or rather specifically the mother being blamed for not being patient, attentive & caring towards the child’s need. Lack of motivation and discipline or too much television or too much time spent on fast paced video or computer games are also not reasons for ADHD, though these factors may certainly worsen ADHD symptoms.

ADHD coupled with LD (Learning Disorder not learning disability anymore) can disrupt schooling life for children. Every day becomes a hurdle which they struggle to overcome. School life can be stressful due to inability to perform & non acceptance by peers.

Parents also undergo severe stress due to the same reasons. These children are very difficult to handle as they have high energy levels, are adamant & are capable of manipulating people according to their whims & fancies.

If your child is hyperactive, inattentive, or impulsive, it takes a lot of energy to tackle them. The constant monitoring can be frustrating and exhausting. Therefore parents should first learn to accept the fact about their child, & adjust accordingly, even if it involves sacrificing their personal goals & careers.

When it comes to behavior management, as a parent, one should be stern enough to say a “NO” whenever required. If the child realizes that you are likely to breakdown or give in to his demands, they gain an upper hand & try to use it to their advantage.

Some children with ADHD are hyperactive, while others are quiet—with their attention miles away. Some focus too much on a task and have trouble shifting it to a different task. Others are only mildly inattentive, but overly impulsive. Children with ADHD who are inattentive, but not overly active, may appear to be spacey and unmotivated. These children are often able to concentrate on activities they enjoy. But no matter how hard they try, they have trouble maintaining focus when the task at hand is boring or repetitive.

Parents should try to identify the child’s interest & nurture it accordingly. Extra care should be taken in designing activities for these children so as not to make it too long & boring.

These children try their best to be good, but still be unable to sit still, stay quiet, or pay attention. They may appear disobedient, but that definitely does not imply they are doing it purposely.

These children with impulsive signs and symptoms of ADHD also tend to be moody and to overreact emotionally. As a result, others may start to view the child as disrespectful & weird.

Patience is the key virtue here. However, it is easier said than done.

When a child becomes aggressive & has temper tantrums, parents should not react or try to control the child. The rage lasts for 10-15 minutes & will subside by itself.

Adjustments in life should to be made according to these children’s needs. Food habits need to be modified. Chocolates, fast food & sweets need to be avoided. Life should be patterned & followed with a set of rules as these children cannot accept changes. These patterns should be maintained as closely as possible to bring about positive results. It is necessary that the school also helps these children in overcoming their problems, assisting & encouraging them in their academics.

Remedial therapy for LD is necessary to boost self-confidence in these children; Occupational therapy helps in improving the attention & motor skills. Behavioral therapy aids in controlling the mood swings & temper tantrums.

Lastly ADHD often continues into adulthood, so don’t wait for your child to outgrow the problem. Treatment can help your child learn to manage and minimize the symptoms. Help these children & as parents one should aim in educating the society in understanding these children & helping them.

How do I start

After much contemplation, I decided to try my hands on writing with the limited skills I possess. The next step would be the subject I would inscribe about. Being a food enthusiast, the first choice was to post recipes as I thought I have quite a bit of cooking experience also.

    Though food was the first option, I did not want to confine myself to one aspect alone. I thought I will also explore my literary skills, if any. Being my father’s daughter, shouldn’t I be possessing at least 10% of his writing skills?

   Hence I venture out to become a blogger & I want to become a successful one too. With this thought in mind, I start my 1^st journey into the field of blogging, with my limited knowledge & hoping to succeed.

  Anticipating that I will be able to satisfy whoever visits the blog. I will soon start posting whatever I deem is good enough. Expecting a good response & support.