Gayu's Corner

Have a Tweet day !!!

2009-11-23T15:32:00.000-06:00

Card galleria

2009-11-23T15:31:00.000-06:00

I was on a card making spree this week. Here are a few.....

Trick-or-Treat?

2009-10-30T22:15:00.003-05:00

In festive spirits...

2009-10-17T07:36:00.000-05:00

Deepavali is one festival that triggers wonderful memories that tickles all senses - like Omam infused oil that is redolent in the air all morning, the pungent smell of bursting fire crackers, new clothes smelling of starch, yummy sweets and savories, (I made Badam cake, Kasi halwa - made of white pumpkin, Thenkuzhal, wheat crispies) and not to forget the home made leghiyum. Yum. Here's to a bright and sparkly Deepavali that illuminates your life with unbounded joys and Happiness.

Festival Parade

2009-10-15T08:38:00.000-05:00

Happy Deepavali !!!!

Autumn - Fallen Umber Leaves

2009-10-14T15:34:00.000-05:00

Bride

2009-09-30T14:12:00.000-05:00

Another one of my favorite drawing. A bride in her regalia.

what do you see? :)

2009-09-17T12:40:00.000-05:00

An Madhubani drawing on canvas.

A color riot from my drawing book

2009-09-09T12:56:00.000-05:00

My favorite piece

2009-09-05T07:19:00.007-05:00

A freehand Madhubani style painting by me. (Design Courtesy : internet.)

Off to School

2009-08-31T22:36:00.006-05:00

The back-to-school buzz inspired me to create a couple of lift -the- flap greeting card over the weekend for my nieces . As I was making them, memories flooded through my thoughts when going back to school shopping meant all things new; starting from new uniforms smelling of starch, new shoes with the smell of Kiwi shoe polish, new lunch bags, new in-vogue pencil boxes, new books with crisp brown covers.

Birdie up a tree.

2009-08-28T14:18:00.004-05:00

This is my maiden attempt with a new medium - Water Color Pencil.

In black and white!

2009-08-17T11:36:00.014-05:00

Warli tribe painting inspired me to attempt a similar one on my own (on construction paper and acrylic white paint). For more information about this kind of painting, click here.

Orange burst!

2009-08-13T13:48:00.006-05:00

I am happy when I paint. Here is a clematis flower in bloom.

Tuning to you-tube

2009-08-12T13:06:00.004-05:00

Absolutely love this cute and funny song! All morning, this tune has been ringing on my mind!

Garden shots

2009-08-09T15:06:00.004-05:00

Here is a glimpse of my garden with some frequent visitors.

Birthday Card

2009-08-06T12:09:00.003-05:00

I made this card for N's cousin.
Caillou Image courtesy: PBS kids

A few more by me.....

2009-07-15T09:40:00.003-05:00

A Madhubani painting by me. For more information about Madhubani art, click here

My paintings...

2009-07-15T08:51:00.003-05:00

card gallery-part 1

2009-07-12T10:18:00.003-05:00

card gallery-part 2

2009-07-12T10:16:00.006-05:00

card gallery-part 3

2009-07-12T10:14:00.002-05:00

A R T WORK or AT WORK ????

2009-07-12T09:39:00.004-05:00

Back then, I have heard that my great Aunt on my mother‘s side was very artistic. My Mom has that streak too (she has a few amazing projects to her credit), and that could be the reason where the creative juices in me have ebbed. To be modest, a sprinkle of my ancestor’s creative dust landed on me to do the things that I love, like drawing and painting (the other things that interest me are card making, gardening, and cooking, and I would like to include mothering too; which is a serious hobby, but fun!). I am not saying that you could be creative only if you have that genetic proclivity. It is quite possible that anyone could get creative. If you have a paper and pencil, and you are doodling while you on the phone with someone, that’s art too! I would add a twist to the adage – “A creative mind is a devil’s workshop”. Well, at least in my case, the devil (I visualize that imp with paper, scissors, crayons, paints and pencils in hand… and a speared tail, of course! :-) ) ignites my creative side of the brain to get working on the things that I love to do. The source of inspiration could be any occasion; a birthday or a season, or even a person (it is usually the kids in my extended family). When I sit down to craft cards or paint, imagination sets sail, fuelled by on-the-spur ideas, and I am driven by a zealous impulse to create the very best. The end product when I am all done to my satisfaction makes me smile. If it is a card, it gets mailed. When the recipient opens the card, they are sure to smile. I can picture that person well in my mind. That’s joy in an envelope. For instance, when my darling niece called to share that moment of happiness, it pleased me immensely. It has made me even happier to see that it inspired her to create her own card for me, which I have fondly hung on my refrigerator. These are simple things that make life a joy. Someday, I hope to eke an income out of my avocations, but till then I would just like things the way they are right now. The pictures above are a few snapshots of my works.

Summer of 2009

2009-07-09T14:39:00.009-05:00

Summer is here and is at its peak. It is time for vacations, and if you are along the coast, it is a great time to hit the beach. That’s what we did. Though, I am really not the traveling kind, ( I wish I flew on a magic carpet that took to me to great places without the strain and pain of traveling by plane or car), I somehow managed to enjoy. When I was a kid, summer vacations meant family outings, visits to our grandparents, aunts, uncles and having a fabulous time with good food, great company, and lots of fun. Therefore, with that in mind, K and I decided to visit Savannah, Georgia to visit his sister and to enjoy a bit of everything. Packing up suitcases and taking more than what we needed, which is normally the case for us; we left on our trip during the July 4th weekend. Foot tapping to the tunes of Ilaiyaraja and Ghajini music, in repeat mode to enable my darling 2-year toddler to sit on her seat and who absolutely raved its music; we had fun along the way. A goodnight rest for our backs in Birmingham, Alabama and a hearty breakfast the next day, we hit the road again. On route, we had a glimpse of Atlanta that fondly reminded us of our NYC. After taking in a few more sights along the way, we reached Savannah. We were welcomed by a cherubic smile from N’s little cousin V, and after exchanging greetings and dinner, we hit the sack. The next day we hit the beach on Tybee Island. The kids (N and V) absolutely loved it and watching them dabbling in the vast water and running after beach balls was the best part of the trip. It took me on a nostalgic trip when my Amma and Appa would take us to the Marina on cool summer evenings and I loved the feeling of the bubbling briny blue under my feet. I enjoyed the simple pleasure when the water recedes past me to give an illusionary feeling. Have you ever felt that way? Then a drive around historic Savannah made me nostalgic about my trip to Louisiana that I took a few years ago. The evening saw us enjoying fireworks by the riverside that ended the wonderful day. We enjoyed our family time and it was nice to see my baby having a rollicking time with her cousin. I brought back a little bit of Georgia home – peaches for our trip, and blueberries that we had picked from a local farm. I savored it in the form of blueberry pancakes that I had this morning and that drove me in the mood to put our good trip to words in this post. Thanks to my SIL and BIL, for the wonderful company, nostalgia and all.

I am listening to.........................

2009-06-30T12:01:00.002-05:00

2009-06-29T14:44:00.001-05:00

For lunch, Maggie noodles and a bread toast with orange marmalade sure hits the spot...YUM!

Another one of my favorite......and K's too!

2009-06-29T11:45:00.001-05:00

The Wizard of Chemistry

2009-06-19T22:39:00.005-05:00

When I called my ex-boss a couple of weeks back, I was very happy to hear his voice on the other end. The reason being, he is one cool boss I should say, with whom I could just talk about anything without even having to rehearse before I speak and it gives me a warm feeling of pride in me; the pride that he was my boss. I am talking about Dr. Seymour Lieberman, Professor, Emeritus of Biochemistry, Special lecturer in Obstetrics & Gynecology at Columbia University. I had called to congratulate him, because he had been chosen to receive the Worcester Foundation for Biomedical Research's Gregory Pincus Medal, given to honor the highest achievements in the field of endocrinology.

He gave me a job at the Big Apple that enriched both my professional and personal front. To this date, I am glad that I did not let go of that opportunity in my life. He is an inspirational teacher, a philosopher, guide, and friend. Not very many people rheme about their previous or current work superiors; but to have worked with a world renowned scientist as him, is one of the many facets in my life that I will always treasure. I can talk to him on any subject matter starting from the very mundane to scholarly discussions and he would give his opinion that voiced profound thoughts which I value. Even at his advanced age of 90, he still has the same vigor and the sprightliness in the science research he does.

Every morning, he takes the bus from the East side of the City to the West Side just to pursue one of his many passions, Research. His mind never ceases to think of chemical bonds, equations and steroid chemistry. He would pour into a sea of books and scientific papers and his quest for knowledge never ends. I can only hope that I have the same amount of zeal and the mental acumen to do these things he does at that age. He taught me not only to read science, but to love the way it works. I still remember that small piece of paper that hangs on the wall on his room; a quote by Richard Feynman, “Science is a way of trying not to fool yourself”. I still remember the first day of my job when he recited that quote to me. Just as I take pride in mentioning that he is my boss, he takes his pride in introducing me to people as one of his best assistants. Thinking about that gives me the goose bumps even today. G A I…that's how he would call me and that booming voice never staggered. A Commentary paper with him in a renowned journal such as The Journal of Steroid Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (see link) is a true testimony of my association with him. Years from now I am sure that I can look at the printed matter and feel proud. A man of great humility, Dr. Lieberman inculcated so much self confidence in me and I am forever thankful to him for the opportunity to be associated with him and for all the great things that he had taught me.

Rose sighting!

2009-06-03T13:28:00.004-05:00

I am back after a long hiatus in the blogosphere. I hope to keep posting regularly, but often stuck with the clichéd phrase – “Writer’s Block”. Heh Heh….Anyway, here I go…

I have always been a lover of Nature, and will always be. May be, that is also the reason why I love gardening. Any plant that I do not know about, always arouses my curiosity. I am intrigued by its nature and that drives me straight to Google it. Somehow I have to know about it. So, this love affair with gardening and plants always puts me in the spirit of enjoying the things that yield bountiful results that come with TLC ( tender, loving , care) starting from the seeding to the luscious growth. This was the case, when K ( yes! he is a mirror of me when it comes to Nature and Gardening!, Lucky me! ) and I planted a small rose bush weeks ago. Every morning when K leaves for work, I would pause and enjoy the lush greenery around me (since the weather is kind of OK here for now to allow the greenery to thrive!) and to take a sneak peek at this newly planted “baby” in particular. Initially, my pangs of pessimism hit me, when it started to show signs of leaf rot and what-not, but it was always bordered by K’s optimism that one fine morning, perfect day as it was, my eyes fell on a bud. K’s response was, “I told you so!” My joy knew no bounds when I saw that. I was grinning from ear to ear and K was enjoying that! Now came the waiting part again. The patience eventually paid off, this time when another fine morning; another perfect day; dawned on a beautiful burgundy rose, standing there as an epitome of perfection and pride. I squealed in delight and the feeling this time was ecstatic. There I was enjoying that burgundied beauty to the fullest and capturing it in all angles on camera for you all to enjoy too.

P.S: I have planted several others too; but this was the only one that yielded visible results for now. I will photograph them now and then, and post them here to keep you updated on my garden. Ciao for now!

A Perky Song and my all-time favorite !

2009-05-27T17:12:00.004-05:00

Check this link out and see what I am talking about!

The song has always brought me zings of optimism. Great to hear on any day!

Triggered Memories of My Extended Family

2009-03-19T22:40:00.011-05:00

I woke up this morning to the shrill ringing of the telephone, which was a call from my dear sister urging me to come for a chat on cyberspace with one of our favorite maternal uncle, S mama. My sister echoes all the things that I put forth in this post here and the memories that come along with it are ours to share. Speaking of uncles on my maternal side, S mama is one of them who always evoked very pleasant memories with images of creamy, chocolaty bourbon (I meant the biscuit...ahem...not the Whisky!) biscuit and veggie puffs treats. Not just S mama, but all my 2 other mamas, our R Chittappa and V Chitti who always had a unique way of showering their love and affection on us. When we were kids, a visit from them meant a lot to us, simply because we would be treated to the above mentioned yummy delights and lots of fun like the trips to water parks and beach rides on Suzuki motorbikes.
Me and my sister could still envision these few wonderful memories like S mama's bourbon biscuit, the trip with him to the cake shop in Anna Nagar Harrison's at the corner of Chintamani, Chennai. This brings a very funny anecdote in which we were an inch close to become a non-vegetarian. We would never forget that incident when he took us there to treat us to some savory puffs. We headed back home to relish them, the moment we opened the package, we were surprised beyond our astonishment to see a small bone sticking out of the puff. We later found out that the food order was wrongly delivered or probably swapped. Just reminiscing that small incident even today brings shrieks and peels of laughter from us sisters. The fun we had at 'F' flat, Rangarajapuram, the movie theater experience with him, his chitty-chitty bang-bang noise making green Lambretta scooter, the argument with the waiter at the Palimar Hotel, and subsequently leaving to Savera hotel for a scrumptious dinner. Those are some of the cherished memories that we would always cling on to. In short, he is a cool-dude kind of person as my sister calls him, very broad minded and certainly a likable one.
On describing my other 2 uncles, one being K mama -a good spirited, patient,a great father who has exceptional talent for organizing, and would do it with such elan right from a planning a small event to a huge one. We would also never forget the fast thrill rides that he would give us on his bike along the the Marina beach which would practically leave us gasping for breath, and the special murukku treats from Adyar bakery every time we went for our short stays or long summer breaks at his home. The other uncle being, R Mama - an ardent academist, inspirationist, and a zesty person who instilled fun in our studies, especially the math multiplication tables which he would always quiz us to. An error in tables meant a threat to us that we would end up in cow herding business, that included making cow dung patties. It really makes me laugh out loud everytime that I think of this! I thank him for my baby ABC's and "hindi- Darvaza" experiences. His visit would always bring us Elaichi/Cardamom cream biscuits, banana chips, and numerous pen and pencil gifts (to practice our tables, I think!)
One other person who deserves to be mentioned is our V Chitti, a warmhearted person, who always showered us with fond blessings and best wishes everytime we visited her that included big monetary gifts when we received her blessings. I cannot forget the trip with her to her house in Adambakkam, where she let me play with pricey toys and keyboards. We always appreciate her for her undaunted effort toward her singing career. Her constant passion and diligent effort that she puts in her first love - singing. Hats off to you, Chitti.
On our paternal side, the person who immediately comes to my mind is the creative Zen of our family, R Chittappa. He has helped us with lot of project ideas right from our school assignments to college presentations and seminars. One of his creative nugget that is etched in my memory is the innovative idea to hold a Deepavali sparkler (kambi mattappoo) pierced at the end of a plantain stem. Who would have ever thought of that? And I also take pride in mentioning that he never misses our birthdays and wedding anniversaries.
Each and every Mama, our V Chitti and R Chittappa have exceptional qualities in them, and we look up to them every time. Thank you, Mamas, Chitti and Chittappa, we are so happy to have you in our life.

Of blossoms and poetry

2009-03-08T15:59:00.005-05:00

After I had my heavenly coffee, I strolled around my backyard to parry my pensive mood. As I walked, I caught whiffs of the morning fresh air which had an edge of warmth, indicating that Spring was just around the corner. I do love winter which has a charm of its own, but Spring is here! The days of snow-removal, snow angels, snow man-making are over and the onset of warm seasons has begun. With a heavy sigh, I bid adieu to Winter, and welcomed the season that is filled with brightness and cheer in its own sweet way. My heart was filled with joy when I saw daffodils in my very own backyard, the first flowers of Spring, with their brilliant yellow hues, putting on their showy display. I personally like these flowers for two reasons. One being, these flowers to me are a symbol of optimism and hope, in the sense that they promisingly come out burgeoning out of the cold wintry soil every year, enduring heavy snow and blizzards along the way to become the harbingers of Spring. With their bright, cheerful disposition, they are sure to put a smile on everyone's face. Another reason being, my dear Appa, who always quotes William Wordsworth's "Daffodils". A line in this poem says, "Tossing their heads in sprightly dance." My Appa, with a flair for poetry appreciation, will sing the sing-song tune of the poem, with a small dance in his step in tune for that poem, would truly appreciate this literary flower, and so will I. So, here I am welcoming Spring, another season that I truly adore.

Nature's Beauties

2009-03-05T22:33:00.001-06:00

Image courtesy: Photo: Chris Livingston for The New York Times

Pizza and cake...anyone?

2009-03-03T19:03:00.005-06:00

This week, my maiden attempt on baking... and to my biggest surprise, the bake and the works came out well!

Cherished wishes

2009-03-03T11:32:00.008-06:00

When I went to bed last night, before I drifted off to sleep, a small thought was hovering over my head, reminding me that tomorrow was not any other day, but my birthday! I know, I know, you must be thinking.....What an egocentric person? as though we do not think enough about birthdays? But then honestly, think about it? Don't birthdays mean nothing to you? even a tad bit? Hmm... Another milestone in my life and another gray hair! But then who cares ? To me it does! It always makes me think that the world seems to be a much better place today that it was yesterday.
Anyways, the next morning I woke up bright,cheery-eyed, and peppier when I got a wide smile and a big wet kiss from my to-be-2 year old daughter, who is the apple of my right eye, the left one being none other than my darling niece, who left the cutest birthday wish on my cell phone. What more could I want? My heart strings were tugged by these kutties in my life! What a wonderful way to start the day!
I freshened up and ran downstairs to grab my fuel for the day. There he was smiling from ear to ear and wishing me Happy birthday with the same smile that K has given me for the past several years and will always give me for many more years to come.
As I savored the coffee by K, which he stirs up for me with dollops of love and affection, I sat to check my emails. The inbox already showed me several unread messages. It put big smile on my face when I got fond wishes from near and dear. I have to mention my chittappa-Chitti who NEVER forget my birthday, no matter what! Each and every mail from friends and relatives brings immense happiness to me. It makes me think how lovingly I am thought of on this day. As I write this post, a bit teary eyed, I thank you so much for making my day special starting from the wet kiss to wishes from Appa Amma, my darling sister, Mama-mami, my cousin, an old friend, a renewed friend, a childhood friend, all of whom mean a lot to me.
Here's to many more gray hairs on me and wonderful wishes from you. DANKE!

Ode to Paati's cuisine

2009-02-08T21:29:00.009-06:00

Here I go, nostalgia has struck me again! This time I was pondering really hard as to, "what's for lunch today?". The usual kuzhambu, sathumathu, though comfort foods as they are, did not appease well to me today. The little light bulb in my brain lit up! :-)
How about upma kuzhakattai? Hmm...seemed laborious, but then again...I thought...is it really doable? Hmm... YES! Upma Kuzhakattai it is then!
The moment the recipe came into form, Vilakkudi Paati jaunted into my little memory. Somehow, this dish was so frequently made that it lost the usual enthusiasm in the tiffin ranking.
Anyway, Paati would whip up this dish in a jiffy anytime that when Saturday palaharam time came, she was in her best with her forte. She prepared this recipe with great care though the small balls from the hot upma to be steamed made her soft white hands became pink and glossy like a newborn feet. I noticed this when I peeped into the kitchen with a growling stomach. When ready, a bite into the perfectly steamed kuzhattais with an accompaniment of freshly grated coconut chutney or tomato gothsu would take any taste bud on a gastronomic journey.
Thank you Paati, for this wonderful trademark dish of yours. Though you are fondly thought about in a million ways, thinking about your delicious kuzhakattai dish is my most favorite one of all! It always stands apart.

strawberries

2009-02-02T18:43:00.005-06:00

There is one temptation that I simply cannot resist! It's strawberries! Luscious, delectable and ambrosial! I bought these from Costco this week and the moment I returned home, I could'nt wait to pop these in my mouth!

A river runs through it!

2009-01-29T09:35:00.004-06:00

This picture always brings a state of tranquility for me.

Thinking me!

2009-01-27T15:27:00.006-06:00

followers already! Hmmmm....need to think about writing something now...
image courtesy from www.toolboxesforwomen.com

A trip down memory lane

2009-01-26T15:53:00.002-06:00

A conversation with dear Kaushik at the dinner table brought back some fond nostalgic memories of my summer at my grandparents place in Vilakkudi.

Some of the narrations here brought a floodgate of memories. Though some of these memories were splotchy, most of them were very vivid, and I was very happy to remember a few and immediately jotted them in before they became a forgotten chapter in my brain.

The trip to Vilakkudi with amma and appa during the summer holidays meant anticipation towards an exciting train journey, oodles of fun and the wonderful things that awaited after reaching my village.

The long, steam locomotive, would chug all night, and the next day saw me wide awake at the early crack of dawn.. I would peep through the barred windows of the train and see endless black smoke coming out from the front chimney of the train to its far rear end. It was a beautiful sight to see especially when the train curved to make a turn, with green paddy fields, bullock carts, and hardworking farmers bending to tend to their yearly crops.

The train would rumble, choo-choo and chug along bridges and tunnels making strange rhythmic sounds on the tracks all along the journey. It would come to a brief halt at the Thiruthiraipoondi Junction and a ensuing ride on the bullock cart would evoke fun and surprises to what lied ahead further in our journey to Thata Paati's place.

Thatha- Paati’s home welcomed us with antiquated wooden pillars and a sun-lit atrium with water gleaming from huge bronze containers. How could I forget the old musky smell that came from the rooms that had been home to many bats fluttering their wings endlessly to find a good spot to hang upside down? We would place our bags and other luggage, and a look in the mirror would reflect black soot on our face that came from the train's smoke. After exchanging a few pleasantries, and some refreshments with freshly brewed coffee and hot milk (with sugar, which I do not like, but somehow, it ends up in my cup due to forgetfulness!) a good bath awaits; hot water heated from the wood-burning stove, that soothed even the tiniest of muscles, in every corner of the body. Talk about a good spa treatment in a village!

While the big meal for the day is being prepared, we would walk in the barnyard which had paati's favorite cow, Lakshmi. Paati would feed her bananas and thavidu and Lakshmi would lap it all up with her big black tongue. Somehow, I lacked the courage to feed her, and I would eventually end up dropping the hay bundle on the floor, instead of Lakshmi's mouth.

My reminiscent images of my trip include thatha’s stentorian voice giving agrarian orders to Nathaiyan, a local farmer.

During a quick stroll on the narrow street, I would gather a lot of red and black beads called kundhumani and also blow tiny bubbles with a safety pin borrowed from amma or paati, from the sap of the leaves of a small vine that grew prolifically on the fence.

Playtime would be interrupted with a sumptuous meal cooked from locally grown produce on the wood burning stove that brought a burst of flavor to even the remote taste buds. I remember paati's thiratupaal and Vendanga sambar which stroked a tasty palette. The meal would bring in an afternoon siesta on the huge oonjal which made interesting squeaky and creaky noises each time. Soon everyone would snooze in for a half hour nap and awake to crisp batchanams, and freshly brewed coffee with creamy cow's milk ! Lakshmi's, I presume!!! Ahhhh...Mmmmmmm!

A visit to the family temple perumal, Kasturi Rangan and his divine consort, just at the corner of the street, is a absolute bliss that adds up to this wonderful trip. The evening would also bring in meeting with the locals, and then a walk around the village, the small water kulam/pond with the nellikkai tree on the banks that bore big fruits, the big wood apple tree that was both a visual as well as a gastronomic delight and also the Aathangarai that carried swifts currents when the water was plenty. The kulam/pond brings another small memory within this trip when Seema Mama once taught us swimming by lunging in the cold water. This pleasant walk would bring us home to a very simple supper of just a sathumathu and sutta appalam that would touch the soul. Homemade sutta appalam on the wood-burning stove, what more could I say? Then a chat on the thinnai by the elders would bring in memories of near and dear, some still fondly remembered even today.

A good night's sleep awaited without banish mats or tortoise mosquito coils. A hand held palmyra fan brought in a unique smell and soon sleep would find its way, only to awake to another beautiful day.

Summer would soon end and then a trip back to the city would bring a fresh start to another term at school.

Thus, here ends my nostalgic journey that I wanted to write down, so that when I read it several years from now, it would still bring back such fond memories that I will always cherish.

2009-01-24T11:48:00.000-06:00

nothing like piping hot sambhar and Beans on a cold day ! Mmmmm.....

2009-01-23T18:44:00.001-06:00

made some carrot rice today....came out really good and yummy ...will post the recipe soon....

2009-01-17T19:42:00.000-06:00

Bone-chilling cold up here !