I remember visiting Sikkim around March-April. Nestled in the Himalayas, Sikkim is a cute state to the north of West Bengal, India. The beautiful mountain slopes all through were peppered with bright and varied colours – orchids, rhododendrons, bamboos, ferns – the landscape was truly beautiful.
The north of Sikkim also had oaks, wild cherries, pines and chestnuts blending into a lovely aroma.
But what was best were the orchids – this little state boasts of around 600 species of orchids. They find their place of glory in the International Flower Festival organized during March-May.
We visited a show which had wide varieties of ferns, gladioli, rhododendrons, magnolias, orchids, roses, other alpine plants, pot plants, cacti, succulents, creepers, climbers, herbs and even wild flowers. A nature lovers paradise.
While the lectures and seminars were being held, a food festival with local delicacies pampered the taste buds. River rafting and Yak Safari were the added attractions. I got up on a huge white yak which initially just refused to move – and then suddenly just as I was posing for a photo, it started moving viciously !! God, was I scared ??!! :)
So although the yak photoshoot did not happen, I treasure the photos with the orchids et al :)
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
Monday, July 21, 2008
“Carnaval” in Goa
Goa – is a beautiful colourful place known for fun, frolic & food. Having spent 2 years there and regular visits thereafter, how can I not talk of the lively Goa Carnival ?!
I remember that the first December that we were in hostel, our Goan fellow-students told us with obvious pride about the Carnival that was about to take place.. in February !! Yes, although it is held for only 3 days, the preparations start weeks ahead. Every weekend I remember our friends rushing off to their homes to prepare for the forthcoming carnival. Young girls & boys start designing their colourful costumes & masks (all set to even impress each other), bands pick up their practice, floats are created.. oh I remember waiting with anticipation for that day to come so that we may witness carnival for the first time.
Yep .. the Goan people are known to celebrate colourful festivals. But perhaps the most eagerly awaited one is the Goa Carnaval (that’s Portuguese for Carnival). It was initiated by the Portuguese who ruled over Goa for more than 5 centuries. The word Carnival is derived from a Latin word meaning ‘to take away meat’. It is celebrated as a precursor to the 40 days austere Lent period, during which Christians abstain from consuming meat and alcohol.
The carnival used to be a raucous affair with eggs, flour, oranges, lemons, mud, dirty water etc being thrown at people. Even used kitchen utensils were thrown out of windows. Maybe this was significant in cleaning up the house before lent. It was accompanied by gorging on lavish spreads. All this being the preparation for lent.
As we found out, the carnival remains much of the madrush of yore with festive travelers joining in from not only India but from all over the world. As we non-Goans lined up the streets of Panjim, we heard that the festival has started with the election of “King Momo" – he is the king of chaos and would preside over the next 3-days’ festivities. Then came the procession of vibrant floats, preceded by the King.
We were pulled into the madness as the last few weeks’ frenzy reached its zenith – the crowds hit the streets and danced along to live music. So did we on the sides. & being a whole bunch of hostel-ites, we really freaked out together. The whole atmosphere was literally “electric” and no one could escape the excitement & joyous carousing.
Revelers with colours smeared on their faces did not spare the onlookers either. So I suddenly found myself in hues of blue, green & yellow !! But it was so much fun.
In these 3 fun-filled days, street plays, songs, dances happened everywhere. Cultural competitions were held where the winners were crowned by King Momo himself. The floats of the carnival were also judged and awarded prizes.
The merriment continued with grand dances held in the evenings. The most famous was the concluding “Red-And-Black dance” held by the Club National in Panjim. Oh yes … we ran around like mad.. getting together red, black & gold attires to wear to the dance that night … & boy.. did we enjoy
I remember that the first December that we were in hostel, our Goan fellow-students told us with obvious pride about the Carnival that was about to take place.. in February !! Yes, although it is held for only 3 days, the preparations start weeks ahead. Every weekend I remember our friends rushing off to their homes to prepare for the forthcoming carnival. Young girls & boys start designing their colourful costumes & masks (all set to even impress each other), bands pick up their practice, floats are created.. oh I remember waiting with anticipation for that day to come so that we may witness carnival for the first time.
Yep .. the Goan people are known to celebrate colourful festivals. But perhaps the most eagerly awaited one is the Goa Carnaval (that’s Portuguese for Carnival). It was initiated by the Portuguese who ruled over Goa for more than 5 centuries. The word Carnival is derived from a Latin word meaning ‘to take away meat’. It is celebrated as a precursor to the 40 days austere Lent period, during which Christians abstain from consuming meat and alcohol.
The carnival used to be a raucous affair with eggs, flour, oranges, lemons, mud, dirty water etc being thrown at people. Even used kitchen utensils were thrown out of windows. Maybe this was significant in cleaning up the house before lent. It was accompanied by gorging on lavish spreads. All this being the preparation for lent.
As we found out, the carnival remains much of the madrush of yore with festive travelers joining in from not only India but from all over the world. As we non-Goans lined up the streets of Panjim, we heard that the festival has started with the election of “King Momo" – he is the king of chaos and would preside over the next 3-days’ festivities. Then came the procession of vibrant floats, preceded by the King.
We were pulled into the madness as the last few weeks’ frenzy reached its zenith – the crowds hit the streets and danced along to live music. So did we on the sides. & being a whole bunch of hostel-ites, we really freaked out together. The whole atmosphere was literally “electric” and no one could escape the excitement & joyous carousing.
Revelers with colours smeared on their faces did not spare the onlookers either. So I suddenly found myself in hues of blue, green & yellow !! But it was so much fun.
In these 3 fun-filled days, street plays, songs, dances happened everywhere. Cultural competitions were held where the winners were crowned by King Momo himself. The floats of the carnival were also judged and awarded prizes.
The merriment continued with grand dances held in the evenings. The most famous was the concluding “Red-And-Black dance” held by the Club National in Panjim. Oh yes … we ran around like mad.. getting together red, black & gold attires to wear to the dance that night … & boy.. did we enjoy
Friday, July 18, 2008
Nazar Boncuk - Evil Eye
A couple of my friends have visited
In
Apparently, evil eye beads go back thousands of years with the earliest written references to occuring on Sumerian clay tablets dating to the third millennium BC. Agate beads of exceptional quality, worn to protect the wearer from the influence of the evil eye, were also discovered in royal Sumerian graves at
In
And it is now quite the rage amongst Indian college-goers. They have it on their wrists as bracelets, they carry their car/bike keys on them, they have badges pinned to their college satchels… and so on. You even see beads of different colours co-ordinated with the clothes that they are wearing. Even I had picked up a bracelet with
blue beads in different hues strung together.
In any case, the bead is believed to protect you from “buri nazar”.
Wednesday, July 9, 2008
Hungry Hungry I Am Hungry
Was wondering which country should I learn about next .. & in the evening an old uncle was regaling us with stories of his Austria visit. Since he is hardcore foodie - hats off to him given his age – its always good fun to listen to his stories. He started talking of the amazing stuff that he has had there. Mouthwatering for sure .. slurrrrp ….. you are wondering whats that got to do with this blog .. well as he patiently explains .. "cuisine is after all a part of a country's culture" :)
He started right from breakfast with coffee & bread & his favourite marmalade. Oh god, this is my favourite breakfast too.. but then nothing out of the blue here. And then he would binge on the sausage rolls too at the street corners as he walked around taking in the sights & sounds of the places he visitied. Again I commented - but we also get hot dog rolls here .. but he insisted that these were out of the world :)
He would settle for an early evening tea / coffee accompanied with sandwiches or cup-cakes. Hmm ... thats life ...
But what caught my attention was the lavish dinner that he talked of. Soup, Knodel (some potato dish) and goulash. Goulash .. hey I remember singing about it in a cute song that was taught to us in school … something like ‘hungry hungry I am hungry table table here I come” … never mind that now … so goulash is a beef dish with paprika & onions. This was all washed down with wine or beer as his mood may demand. Aah sometimes he settled for simple salad with a a traditional dish of veal cutlet .. the photo of the dish was neatly taken & labeled as Wiener Schnitzel – something he picked up from the menu card. Oh he supposedly also had rye bread for accompaniment !! gawd .. all this sounds just so very delicious…
But you know what made my mouth water the most .. his description of Sacher torte which is a rich chocolate cake with apricot jam and chocolate icing.. sigghhhh .. when will I go to Austria ..
I just love these traditional dishes :)
He started right from breakfast with coffee & bread & his favourite marmalade. Oh god, this is my favourite breakfast too.. but then nothing out of the blue here. And then he would binge on the sausage rolls too at the street corners as he walked around taking in the sights & sounds of the places he visitied. Again I commented - but we also get hot dog rolls here .. but he insisted that these were out of the world :)
He would settle for an early evening tea / coffee accompanied with sandwiches or cup-cakes. Hmm ... thats life ...
But what caught my attention was the lavish dinner that he talked of. Soup, Knodel (some potato dish) and goulash. Goulash .. hey I remember singing about it in a cute song that was taught to us in school … something like ‘hungry hungry I am hungry table table here I come” … never mind that now … so goulash is a beef dish with paprika & onions. This was all washed down with wine or beer as his mood may demand. Aah sometimes he settled for simple salad with a a traditional dish of veal cutlet .. the photo of the dish was neatly taken & labeled as Wiener Schnitzel – something he picked up from the menu card. Oh he supposedly also had rye bread for accompaniment !! gawd .. all this sounds just so very delicious…
But you know what made my mouth water the most .. his description of Sacher torte which is a rich chocolate cake with apricot jam and chocolate icing.. sigghhhh .. when will I go to Austria ..
I just love these traditional dishes :)
Thursday, July 3, 2008
With Love & Blessings, From: your Mom-in-law
“Arpitaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa” … the shriek rang thru our house one June morning !! Thinking of all possible bad things that can come to mind in a split second, I ran out to see what had happened to my hubby. Much to my annoyance (which later turned to amusement), I saw him happily sitting amidst colourful wrapping paper, gurgling like a child, holding up “goodies” that he had just received by courier .. he was delighted.
Like a child learning his first words he read out that its been sent by my mom for “Jamai Shoshthi”. And there were presents for me too.. And the subsequent Bong treat that he got at night, on his first “Jamai Shoshthi”, left him so happy that while he thanked my mom over the phone at night, he sheepishly asked “does this happen every year or its only in the first year of marriage”.. the indulgent mom-in-law assured him that this is an annual custom .. could see the content excited glow on my hubby’s face :)
You must be wondering what’s all the melodrama about .. just as I had wondered.. till I realized that what is a purrrrfectly normal custom for me is great delight / amazement for my hubby… okk lemme explain..
My Maharashtrian hubby is married to a Bong girl (yup yup that’s me of course) and so he gets to enjoy all the love & blessings that a doting Bengali mother-in-law showers on her beloved son-in-law .. & my mom takes extra special care so that her son-in-law can enjoy Bong customs to the fullest. Phewwwww….
Jamai Shoshthi - Might sound like a tongue twister to those not initiated to Bengali .. but it is one of the most cherished traditions that have been passed down the ages from one mom-in-law to the next .. oh before I proceed .. “Jamai” in Bengali means son-in-law & “Shoshthi” means … ah well … we have Goddess Shoshthi who is usually worshipped by the women folk of the family for the goodwill of their children. And the “jamai” is of course an additional child for the mom-in-law.
In essence, this is a day in the 2nd month of the Bong calendar (called “Jaistha”) when the Bengali son-in-law is welcomed with much fanfare at his wife’s place (his shoshur-bari) .. he is usually presented with some 5 fruits and is blessed with “dhaan-dubbo” (umm … that is paddy & couch grass for you and is considered extremely auspicious by us) .. A blessing of curd on his forehead and a string covered with haldi tied around his wrist marks his reception.
He is then treated like an emperor to his favourite delicacies, prepared meticulously by the mom-in-law!! The “center of attention” (literally) was made to hog in all awkwardness as the family bestowed their undivided attention on him and goaded him on, the youngsters gaping at this “Bakhra” (scapegoat) and the young girls stifling their giggles. To top it all, the mom-in-law of yore used to sit next to the “jamai”, heaping food on to his already overflowing plate & fanning him with a hand-fan made of palm leaf!! Am sure it took a good few “Jamai Shoshthis” for the son-in-law to gradually acclimatize to all this attention and then actually start relishing both the attention & the food :)
In fact there’s usually a big plate laid out with “gaw-roam ghee bhaat” (rice with hot ghee) or “pulao” (special rice with vegetables), and surrounded by bowls of the yummiest Bong dishes. The non-veg menu usually includes “hilsa”, the succulent fish that hits Bong markets at this time of the year, prawn and other fish dishes & mutton … often accompanied by “luchi”, our patent flour “poori” ..
& just when the son-in-law is bursting at the seams .. u end the grand feast with a flourish of “misthi doi” (sweet curd), rosogollas and of course special “Jamai Shoshthi” sandesh (sweetmeat). Oh the “mishti paan” (sweet beetel leaf) of course was given at the end of the meal to aid digestion - sure would need that.
Since we live in different cities, my mom treated her emperor son-in-law with a long-distance treat.. basically I had to take him out to a Bong restaurant & stuff him with the Bong delicacies … which he relished so so so very much that he immediately planned the next visit here ..
Well although this is meant for the sons-in-law, my sweet mother always ensures equality of the sexes … & so I was also loaded with goodies & treated to a royal feast … I love u Ma… :)
Like a child learning his first words he read out that its been sent by my mom for “Jamai Shoshthi”. And there were presents for me too.. And the subsequent Bong treat that he got at night, on his first “Jamai Shoshthi”, left him so happy that while he thanked my mom over the phone at night, he sheepishly asked “does this happen every year or its only in the first year of marriage”.. the indulgent mom-in-law assured him that this is an annual custom .. could see the content excited glow on my hubby’s face :)
You must be wondering what’s all the melodrama about .. just as I had wondered.. till I realized that what is a purrrrfectly normal custom for me is great delight / amazement for my hubby… okk lemme explain..
My Maharashtrian hubby is married to a Bong girl (yup yup that’s me of course) and so he gets to enjoy all the love & blessings that a doting Bengali mother-in-law showers on her beloved son-in-law .. & my mom takes extra special care so that her son-in-law can enjoy Bong customs to the fullest. Phewwwww….
Jamai Shoshthi - Might sound like a tongue twister to those not initiated to Bengali .. but it is one of the most cherished traditions that have been passed down the ages from one mom-in-law to the next .. oh before I proceed .. “Jamai” in Bengali means son-in-law & “Shoshthi” means … ah well … we have Goddess Shoshthi who is usually worshipped by the women folk of the family for the goodwill of their children. And the “jamai” is of course an additional child for the mom-in-law.
In essence, this is a day in the 2nd month of the Bong calendar (called “Jaistha”) when the Bengali son-in-law is welcomed with much fanfare at his wife’s place (his shoshur-bari) .. he is usually presented with some 5 fruits and is blessed with “dhaan-dubbo” (umm … that is paddy & couch grass for you and is considered extremely auspicious by us) .. A blessing of curd on his forehead and a string covered with haldi tied around his wrist marks his reception.
He is then treated like an emperor to his favourite delicacies, prepared meticulously by the mom-in-law!! The “center of attention” (literally) was made to hog in all awkwardness as the family bestowed their undivided attention on him and goaded him on, the youngsters gaping at this “Bakhra” (scapegoat) and the young girls stifling their giggles. To top it all, the mom-in-law of yore used to sit next to the “jamai”, heaping food on to his already overflowing plate & fanning him with a hand-fan made of palm leaf!! Am sure it took a good few “Jamai Shoshthis” for the son-in-law to gradually acclimatize to all this attention and then actually start relishing both the attention & the food :)
In fact there’s usually a big plate laid out with “gaw-roam ghee bhaat” (rice with hot ghee) or “pulao” (special rice with vegetables), and surrounded by bowls of the yummiest Bong dishes. The non-veg menu usually includes “hilsa”, the succulent fish that hits Bong markets at this time of the year, prawn and other fish dishes & mutton … often accompanied by “luchi”, our patent flour “poori” ..
& just when the son-in-law is bursting at the seams .. u end the grand feast with a flourish of “misthi doi” (sweet curd), rosogollas and of course special “Jamai Shoshthi” sandesh (sweetmeat). Oh the “mishti paan” (sweet beetel leaf) of course was given at the end of the meal to aid digestion - sure would need that.
*Advice to my hubby - if you are present in person to enjoy a "jamai shoshthi" meal, please dont eat for the previous 2 days ;)
Well this whole custom is supposedly to ensure that he treats their daughter with due respect whole year … ahem hubby … hope u r tuned it ;) .. kidding.Since we live in different cities, my mom treated her emperor son-in-law with a long-distance treat.. basically I had to take him out to a Bong restaurant & stuff him with the Bong delicacies … which he relished so so so very much that he immediately planned the next visit here ..
Well although this is meant for the sons-in-law, my sweet mother always ensures equality of the sexes … & so I was also loaded with goodies & treated to a royal feast … I love u Ma… :)
Wednesday, July 2, 2008
Sip some tea
So how was yesterday ?? It was a terribly rainy day in Mumbai and yours truly became the victim of waterlogging & stagnant traffic. Don’t know what will happen when the rains come down harder!! Managed to convince the cabbie to drop me somewhere near home. As I started working, cups & cups of hot tea were gulped down to keep myself warm – it wasn’t too pleasant to come wading through dirty water you see. And then as I sat slurping on the evening tea, my eyes nearly shutting because of unexplained exhaustion (actually could be the exhaustion of sitting in a cab which was in water).. I suddenly thought of the elaborate Japanese tea ceremony. Don’t ask me why .. I just thought of it..
My father had once visited Japan and had witnessed this ceremony. Returning home he had obviously very proudly narrated the stories to us. I remember him saying how he was ably guided by his friend in this entire performance. Oh yes, even guests have to abide by certain norms!! Out here the only norm I would follow is not pouring the chai on to my saucer & sipping from there ... heh heh ..
Apparently this ceremony is deeply influenced by Zen Buddishm - honestly didn’t understand much of what this meant when dad narrated it with all gravity. But it sounded very ..well .. exotic.
I loved the photo of the beautiful host in her pink kimono – that’s anyways my favourite colour and dad had even got back a cute pink kimono for me. Oh by the way, dad and his friends had to go in formal wear. That just goes to show how somber the ceremony is. I do recall dad uncomfortably sitting down (that’s coz he cant sit on the floor) with a forced grin on his face on straw mats (tatami) in a room with very simple décor and light brownish walls. Oh yes he did have to leave his shoes outside – well but of course, if you have to sit on the tatami that’s most logical and clean. Yup even the conversation was minimal and my usually boisterous dad & his group of equally enthusiastic friends had to consciously control their emotions, if I may say so. But they simply loved the ambience with the gentle fragrance .. I still remember that that description had excited me much more than the ceremony itself.
Much to his delight, the ceremony started with guests being given sweets to eat (or was it some sweet cake) – my dad has a special weakness for sweets .. heh heh heh. Well he was sure zapped by the wide assortment of tea paraphernalia (chadōgu) that was used. No hoping here that tea would be ready in a jiffy.. ha ha dad you had to be patient then.
And dad had shown snaps taken in proud detail of the tea equipment that is used. I had been awed as a child to see all those photos. And to wonder that here we use a simple vessel and teapot where as there even a simple tea ceremony translates into an elaborate performance !! Yet again could not recall all the names that dad had mentioned. So thought of turning to the ever-helpful internet to get the Japanese names. Let me jot down those equipments which I could recall & that I found on the net.
Special white linen/hemp cloth called “chakin” were first used to wipe all the utensils in a specific order and dad later understood, in a specified manner of hand movements too !! What would I have done with my clumsy and quick wiping of “tea equipment” that I use … heh heh. They are even placed in a specific order – yeah that’s more believable. No wonder dad loved this part, given his penchant for placing cutlery around the dining plate in the perfect “British’ format.
They use powdered green tea leaves called matcha, which are stored in tea caddies. Even tea caddies have 2 variants – the natsume, used for thin tea (usucha) and the chaire, used for thick tea (koicha). Natsume are short with a flat lid and rounded bottom, and are usually made of lacquered or untreated wood while the latter is tall and thin, usually made of ceramic with have ivory lids with gold leaf undersides.
Measured amount the tea powder was placed in the tea bowls using tea scoops (chashaku) carved from a single piece of bamboo and then hot water was poured on to it. Ok much like how I prepare tea. But not like stirring it in pre-defined motions with tea whisks (chasen), again carved from a single piece of bamboo!! Even the whisks would be thick or thin depending on the consistency of the tea.
The tea bowls (chawans) can also mesmerize you with their range of styles & sizes – different styles used depending on whether you are drinking thick or thin tea, shallow bowls for summer & deep ones for the cold winters. Hmmm … I guess I am ok with my all-weather tea-cup.
Anyways the host had bowed to dad and placed the bowl in dad’s hands. Poor thing was just about to take a sip when his experienced friend came to his rescue. He was told to bow back to her and to drink from the “back”side of the cup – now he never did know that cups also have backside & front side. But then realized that some protrusions were there on the cup which was the “front” .. if I recall correctly.
After tea, the host cleaned the utensils .. needless to say in a pre-defined way. Dad was told that these tea ceremony tools are reverentially treated and are handled with extreme care. Not only are they thoroughly cleaned before and after each use, some of them are even handled only with gloved hands!! Well for all the cribbing that my bai might have about me asking her to be extra careful with tea cups, I think I should narrate these stories to her.
Then dad & friends were handed over some of the antique utensils .. to look at. Oh yeah, he held them with a special cloth – he had described it to me but I just cant remember the name. The host bows to them as they leave – and that my friends is the end of the tea ceremony. Whew …. What amount of training must be going into it. Am all set for a holiday to Japan .. to see the orchids, buy a kimono or two and of course to partake of a tea ceremony ..
My father had once visited Japan and had witnessed this ceremony. Returning home he had obviously very proudly narrated the stories to us. I remember him saying how he was ably guided by his friend in this entire performance. Oh yes, even guests have to abide by certain norms!! Out here the only norm I would follow is not pouring the chai on to my saucer & sipping from there ... heh heh ..
Apparently this ceremony is deeply influenced by Zen Buddishm - honestly didn’t understand much of what this meant when dad narrated it with all gravity. But it sounded very ..well .. exotic.
I loved the photo of the beautiful host in her pink kimono – that’s anyways my favourite colour and dad had even got back a cute pink kimono for me. Oh by the way, dad and his friends had to go in formal wear. That just goes to show how somber the ceremony is. I do recall dad uncomfortably sitting down (that’s coz he cant sit on the floor) with a forced grin on his face on straw mats (tatami) in a room with very simple décor and light brownish walls. Oh yes he did have to leave his shoes outside – well but of course, if you have to sit on the tatami that’s most logical and clean. Yup even the conversation was minimal and my usually boisterous dad & his group of equally enthusiastic friends had to consciously control their emotions, if I may say so. But they simply loved the ambience with the gentle fragrance .. I still remember that that description had excited me much more than the ceremony itself.
Much to his delight, the ceremony started with guests being given sweets to eat (or was it some sweet cake) – my dad has a special weakness for sweets .. heh heh heh. Well he was sure zapped by the wide assortment of tea paraphernalia (chadōgu) that was used. No hoping here that tea would be ready in a jiffy.. ha ha dad you had to be patient then.
And dad had shown snaps taken in proud detail of the tea equipment that is used. I had been awed as a child to see all those photos. And to wonder that here we use a simple vessel and teapot where as there even a simple tea ceremony translates into an elaborate performance !! Yet again could not recall all the names that dad had mentioned. So thought of turning to the ever-helpful internet to get the Japanese names. Let me jot down those equipments which I could recall & that I found on the net.
Special white linen/hemp cloth called “chakin” were first used to wipe all the utensils in a specific order and dad later understood, in a specified manner of hand movements too !! What would I have done with my clumsy and quick wiping of “tea equipment” that I use … heh heh. They are even placed in a specific order – yeah that’s more believable. No wonder dad loved this part, given his penchant for placing cutlery around the dining plate in the perfect “British’ format.
They use powdered green tea leaves called matcha, which are stored in tea caddies. Even tea caddies have 2 variants – the natsume, used for thin tea (usucha) and the chaire, used for thick tea (koicha). Natsume are short with a flat lid and rounded bottom, and are usually made of lacquered or untreated wood while the latter is tall and thin, usually made of ceramic with have ivory lids with gold leaf undersides.
Measured amount the tea powder was placed in the tea bowls using tea scoops (chashaku) carved from a single piece of bamboo and then hot water was poured on to it. Ok much like how I prepare tea. But not like stirring it in pre-defined motions with tea whisks (chasen), again carved from a single piece of bamboo!! Even the whisks would be thick or thin depending on the consistency of the tea.
The tea bowls (chawans) can also mesmerize you with their range of styles & sizes – different styles used depending on whether you are drinking thick or thin tea, shallow bowls for summer & deep ones for the cold winters. Hmmm … I guess I am ok with my all-weather tea-cup.
Anyways the host had bowed to dad and placed the bowl in dad’s hands. Poor thing was just about to take a sip when his experienced friend came to his rescue. He was told to bow back to her and to drink from the “back”side of the cup – now he never did know that cups also have backside & front side. But then realized that some protrusions were there on the cup which was the “front” .. if I recall correctly.
After tea, the host cleaned the utensils .. needless to say in a pre-defined way. Dad was told that these tea ceremony tools are reverentially treated and are handled with extreme care. Not only are they thoroughly cleaned before and after each use, some of them are even handled only with gloved hands!! Well for all the cribbing that my bai might have about me asking her to be extra careful with tea cups, I think I should narrate these stories to her.
Then dad & friends were handed over some of the antique utensils .. to look at. Oh yeah, he held them with a special cloth – he had described it to me but I just cant remember the name. The host bows to them as they leave – and that my friends is the end of the tea ceremony. Whew …. What amount of training must be going into it. Am all set for a holiday to Japan .. to see the orchids, buy a kimono or two and of course to partake of a tea ceremony ..
Tuesday, July 1, 2008
French Wedding Traditions and Customs
Wedding day is a very special day in a person's life. I feel that the traditions and customs make it all the more richer.
Weddings are oh so romantic. And romance immediately brings to mind France – the enigmatic country of eternal romance. So turned to the net, and this is what I learnt from : www.sprachcaffe.com, www.worldweddingcustoms.com, www.njsweddingshop.com; www.travour.com
It’s a wonder how old time traditions have lived on, albeit in a modern form.
French Wedding Costume
During the medieval and renaissance periods, wedding dresses were basically the bride’s best dress that was embellished with jewelry, embroidery, laces and small bits of finery like ornamental tags, bow knots, tassels, ribbons, beading etc. Hmmm that sounds so much like the improvisations we do for our parties, isn’t it??
In fact, up until the late 19th century, brides wore just about any color for their wedding, including black if the bridegroom was a widower. That would be some colour.
The white wedding dress as a token of the bride’s purity and innocence is a relatively new concept that came into popular
vogue only in the19th century!! Along with the impact of neo-classic fashion, brides from French aristocracy and bourgeoisie are reported to wear all white dresses, trimmed with golden or sliver embroidery. That would be so chaste and elegant. It was Empress Eugenie who first wore the elaborate modern wedding gown during her wedding to Napoleon III in 1853. Oh am sure even today if I wear a dress like this I would feel like an empress myself.
The popular orange blossoms represent fertility and prosperity. It is a tradition in France for every bride to flaunt an orange blossom at the day of the wedding symbolizing virginity. However, there was a time when the fashion for orange blossoms outstripped the seasonal supply, and some brides resorted to orange blossoms made of wax. That’s such a grand colour.
Bridal trousseau and wedding armoire
A wedding armoire, also known as hope chest is presented to the bride as she departs from her parental house. According to tradition, this is used for the bride's trousseau, symbolizing hope and good wish for her married life. It used to be hand-carved by the father with symbols of wealth and prosperity and given to her when she was still an adolescent. As she grew up, she would fill it up with her own wardrobe to take it with her to her new home. This armoire was destined to become a central piece of furniture in the household of the newlyweds.
The French term “trousseau” literally refers to a bundle of linens / clothing. The trousseau usually would contain clothing for Sundays, everyday dresses, lingerie and also embroidered linens she had prepared with initials of her future family. Over the years it has evolved to denote the special outfit the bride will wear after doffing her gown and take with her on her honeymoon. Also the concept of trousseau has given rise to the modern day bridal shower, designating all the chief household articles required to raise her future family. Now that would sure make all girls grateful to the French brides of yore.
Wedding procession
Still practiced in small villages today, it is a traditional French custom for the groom to call on his future bride at her home on the morning of their wedding. The groom escorts her to the wedding chapel in a procession, headed by musicians, followed behind by the bride with her father, guests and the groom with his mother at the end of line. It is also customary that French village children blocked the bridal couple’s route with white ribbons which the bride must cut. In Brittany beggars plaited a hedgerow briar across the newlyweds until bribed to remove .All these symbolic obstacles are created for the wedding couple to overcome together and thus to signify their common path in a new life. As I said earlier, traditions make weddings so much more richer.
Wedding ceremony
Once the guests have gathered at the church, the groom and his mother precede the rest of the wedding party down the aisle.
In traditional weddings, the couple stands beneath a silk canopy called “carre”, a predecessor of the veil, to receive the priest's final blessings. This is believed to protect the couple from descending malice. The same veil is used for the baptism of their new born child.
As the bridal couple leaves the chapel, they walk through a flower arch or over laurel leaves scattered in their path. The custom of using fragrant flowers as decorations, bridal bouquets and adornments has been popular for centuries. Fragrant flowers were believed to ward off evil spirits and helped freshen up atmosphere. Hmmm to think of it, there were no deos & air freshners at that time after all. But the natural fragrances would have been so much better .. I can only dream on ..
Outside the church, depending on local custom, guests might throw grains such as wheat or rice for fertility or even gift the bride with loaves of bread. In Southern parts of France, wedding guests toss dragées (almond covered with chocolate , sugar or nougat) and coins at children waiting on the doorsteps of the chapel, as symbol of happiness and festivity. Now I would surely not mind yummy dragees being thrown at me.
Wedding reception
During the Middle Ages, wedding guests would bring small cakes and stacked in a pile, as high as possible, in the center of a table. If the bride and groom could kiss over them without knocking them over, it was thought to symbolize a lifetime of prosperity.
The traditional French wedding celebration cake, known as croquembouche or today's common term, "la pièce montée" was invented by a French chef at the end of 17th century. The cake is made of small, creme-filled pastry puffs piled in a pyramid and covered in a caramel glaze and spun sugar.
Weddings are oh so romantic. And romance immediately brings to mind France – the enigmatic country of eternal romance. So turned to the net, and this is what I learnt from : www.sprachcaffe.com, www.worldweddingcustoms.com, www.njsweddingshop.com; www.travour.com
It’s a wonder how old time traditions have lived on, albeit in a modern form.
French Wedding Costume
During the medieval and renaissance periods, wedding dresses were basically the bride’s best dress that was embellished with jewelry, embroidery, laces and small bits of finery like ornamental tags, bow knots, tassels, ribbons, beading etc. Hmmm that sounds so much like the improvisations we do for our parties, isn’t it??
In fact, up until the late 19th century, brides wore just about any color for their wedding, including black if the bridegroom was a widower. That would be some colour.
The white wedding dress as a token of the bride’s purity and innocence is a relatively new concept that came into popular
vogue only in the19th century!! Along with the impact of neo-classic fashion, brides from French aristocracy and bourgeoisie are reported to wear all white dresses, trimmed with golden or sliver embroidery. That would be so chaste and elegant. It was Empress Eugenie who first wore the elaborate modern wedding gown during her wedding to Napoleon III in 1853. Oh am sure even today if I wear a dress like this I would feel like an empress myself. The popular orange blossoms represent fertility and prosperity. It is a tradition in France for every bride to flaunt an orange blossom at the day of the wedding symbolizing virginity. However, there was a time when the fashion for orange blossoms outstripped the seasonal supply, and some brides resorted to orange blossoms made of wax. That’s such a grand colour.
Bridal trousseau and wedding armoire
A wedding armoire, also known as hope chest is presented to the bride as she departs from her parental house. According to tradition, this is used for the bride's trousseau, symbolizing hope and good wish for her married life. It used to be hand-carved by the father with symbols of wealth and prosperity and given to her when she was still an adolescent. As she grew up, she would fill it up with her own wardrobe to take it with her to her new home. This armoire was destined to become a central piece of furniture in the household of the newlyweds.
The French term “trousseau” literally refers to a bundle of linens / clothing. The trousseau usually would contain clothing for Sundays, everyday dresses, lingerie and also embroidered linens she had prepared with initials of her future family. Over the years it has evolved to denote the special outfit the bride will wear after doffing her gown and take with her on her honeymoon. Also the concept of trousseau has given rise to the modern day bridal shower, designating all the chief household articles required to raise her future family. Now that would sure make all girls grateful to the French brides of yore.
Wedding procession
Still practiced in small villages today, it is a traditional French custom for the groom to call on his future bride at her home on the morning of their wedding. The groom escorts her to the wedding chapel in a procession, headed by musicians, followed behind by the bride with her father, guests and the groom with his mother at the end of line. It is also customary that French village children blocked the bridal couple’s route with white ribbons which the bride must cut. In Brittany beggars plaited a hedgerow briar across the newlyweds until bribed to remove .All these symbolic obstacles are created for the wedding couple to overcome together and thus to signify their common path in a new life. As I said earlier, traditions make weddings so much more richer.
Wedding ceremony
Once the guests have gathered at the church, the groom and his mother precede the rest of the wedding party down the aisle.
In traditional weddings, the couple stands beneath a silk canopy called “carre”, a predecessor of the veil, to receive the priest's final blessings. This is believed to protect the couple from descending malice. The same veil is used for the baptism of their new born child.
As the bridal couple leaves the chapel, they walk through a flower arch or over laurel leaves scattered in their path. The custom of using fragrant flowers as decorations, bridal bouquets and adornments has been popular for centuries. Fragrant flowers were believed to ward off evil spirits and helped freshen up atmosphere. Hmmm to think of it, there were no deos & air freshners at that time after all. But the natural fragrances would have been so much better .. I can only dream on ..
Outside the church, depending on local custom, guests might throw grains such as wheat or rice for fertility or even gift the bride with loaves of bread. In Southern parts of France, wedding guests toss dragées (almond covered with chocolate , sugar or nougat) and coins at children waiting on the doorsteps of the chapel, as symbol of happiness and festivity. Now I would surely not mind yummy dragees being thrown at me.
Wedding reception
During the Middle Ages, wedding guests would bring small cakes and stacked in a pile, as high as possible, in the center of a table. If the bride and groom could kiss over them without knocking them over, it was thought to symbolize a lifetime of prosperity.
The traditional French wedding celebration cake, known as croquembouche or today's common term, "la pièce montée" was invented by a French chef at the end of 17th century. The cake is made of small, creme-filled pastry puffs piled in a pyramid and covered in a caramel glaze and spun sugar.
Toasts of "health" to the bride and groom hark back to actual toast. Even today, a piece of bread may be placed in a traditional engraved two-handled cup (la coupe de mariage) along with wines from two different vineyards. This represents the couple's union, and after they drink the wine, they eat the bread, a symbol of life. The cup would usually be a precious family heirloom passed down from generation to generation. Wow that would be so precious.
Dancing is a popular pastime at French weddings. In Brittany, the traditional dance is the "rond" in which people join hands and dance in a circle.
Chiverie (Le Charivari)
Chiverie is the wedding night prank to interrupt the wedding couple at night. A crowd (usually the friends) used to gather clanging pots and pans & ringing bells and horns. The bride and groom were expected to appear in their wedding clothes and provide treats for their tormentors.
When the celebrations wind down, someone may head to the kitchen to prepare a strengthening onion soup as a morning after pick-me-up.
Other Customs - Garter (La jarretière)
The tradition of garter is originated from the ancient Jewish society where fidelity was symbolized by the ribbon worn by the bride on her wedding day. Tossing of the bride’s garter became popular in 14th century.
In France, it was a best man who was in charge of stealing it off from the bride or the groom who would take off garter and sell it into small pieces to wedding guests. Or it is said to be the bride who would throw her garter to the guests before sometimes unruly drunken mob tearing it off from her.
What is in common, though, a belief that pieces of brides attires would bring good luck to whoever caught it. There is no such tradition in the Maritime Provinces. Today the bridal bouquet toss serves the same purpose.
Beheading Bottles of Champagne
A tradition that is popular at weddings is beheading bottles of champagne using a specially-made saber. The tradition originated in the time of Napoleon when the Hussards under the famous general’s command began celebrating victories by swinging a sabre and thus neatly slicing the top off a champagne bottle. According to legend, the Hussards’ skilled cavalry would ride up at full gallop to one of the ladies holding up the bottle and with one swipe, behead the bottle.
Even now The French often hire a professional champagne opener for weddings. This expert uses a saber, a Napoleonic cavalry-style sword, to whack open bottles of celebratory champagne.
Dancing is a popular pastime at French weddings. In Brittany, the traditional dance is the "rond" in which people join hands and dance in a circle.
Chiverie (Le Charivari)
Chiverie is the wedding night prank to interrupt the wedding couple at night. A crowd (usually the friends) used to gather clanging pots and pans & ringing bells and horns. The bride and groom were expected to appear in their wedding clothes and provide treats for their tormentors.
When the celebrations wind down, someone may head to the kitchen to prepare a strengthening onion soup as a morning after pick-me-up.
Other Customs - Garter (La jarretière)
The tradition of garter is originated from the ancient Jewish society where fidelity was symbolized by the ribbon worn by the bride on her wedding day. Tossing of the bride’s garter became popular in 14th century.
In France, it was a best man who was in charge of stealing it off from the bride or the groom who would take off garter and sell it into small pieces to wedding guests. Or it is said to be the bride who would throw her garter to the guests before sometimes unruly drunken mob tearing it off from her.
What is in common, though, a belief that pieces of brides attires would bring good luck to whoever caught it. There is no such tradition in the Maritime Provinces. Today the bridal bouquet toss serves the same purpose.
Beheading Bottles of Champagne
A tradition that is popular at weddings is beheading bottles of champagne using a specially-made saber. The tradition originated in the time of Napoleon when the Hussards under the famous general’s command began celebrating victories by swinging a sabre and thus neatly slicing the top off a champagne bottle. According to legend, the Hussards’ skilled cavalry would ride up at full gallop to one of the ladies holding up the bottle and with one swipe, behead the bottle.
Even now The French often hire a professional champagne opener for weddings. This expert uses a saber, a Napoleonic cavalry-style sword, to whack open bottles of celebratory champagne.
Friday, June 27, 2008
Spain's futbol craze
& as Spain reaches the Euro’08 soccer final lets take a look at fútbol (in Spanish).
It’s cult following has made it more like a religion in Spain. It's a passion for millions & millions of men, women and children of all ages. Spaniards can be seen bunched into local pubs to passionately cheer on their favorite soccer teams.
The country literally comes to a stand still (much like the cricket craze in India or Pakistan) whenever an important partido de fútbol (soccer game) is being played.
Soccer here being engaging passionate entertainment for the masses, the tickets are real easy on the pocket. A game being played by Real Madrid, Barcelona, Sevilla or Atletic de Bilbao, will simply keep you on you feet.
It’s cult following has made it more like a religion in Spain. It's a passion for millions & millions of men, women and children of all ages. Spaniards can be seen bunched into local pubs to passionately cheer on their favorite soccer teams.
The country literally comes to a stand still (much like the cricket craze in India or Pakistan) whenever an important partido de fútbol (soccer game) is being played.
Soccer here being engaging passionate entertainment for the masses, the tickets are real easy on the pocket. A game being played by Real Madrid, Barcelona, Sevilla or Atletic de Bilbao, will simply keep you on you feet.
Bian Lian
And as the mind wandered, I chanced upon an ancient Chinese dramatic art form on the net - BIAN LIAN. Saw a couple of VDOs too.
Curiosity drove me to Wikipedia and I found out that “Bian Lian” in Chinese literally means “Face Changing”. The performers have vividly coloured masks on their faces and wear equally bright coloured costumes. Moving to quick, dramatic music, they change their masks within a fraction of a second, revealing completely new and vibrant visages !! Its amazing even as you see the VDOs.
Few have been gifted with true talent and skill of changing these Sichuan opera masks in magically quick succession. As they flourish their arms and twist their heads, their painted masks change over & over again.
It is said to have its roots 300 years ago, during the reign of Qianlong (1736-1795), a Qing Dynasty Emperor. At the beginning, opera masters changed the color of their faces during performances by blowing into a bowl of red, black or gold powder. The powder would adhere to their oiled skin quickly. In another method, actors would smear their faces with colored paste concealed in the palms of their hands. The colours reflected the character's mood - red representing anger and black extreme fury.
By the 1920s, opera masters began using layers of masks made of oiled paper or dried pig bladder. The masters could peel off the masks one after another in the blink of an eye. At present the masters use the full face, painted silk mask. They can be worn in layers, as much as two-dozen thick, and be pulled off one by one.
The art was technically forbidden to women. Only in 2007 was it announced that recently women had been allowed to learn the techniques and perform them publicly.
Watch this amazing VDO: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sEgaC7EEsoc .. took my breath away .. what alacrity !!
Curiosity drove me to Wikipedia and I found out that “Bian Lian” in Chinese literally means “Face Changing”. The performers have vividly coloured masks on their faces and wear equally bright coloured costumes. Moving to quick, dramatic music, they change their masks within a fraction of a second, revealing completely new and vibrant visages !! Its amazing even as you see the VDOs.
Few have been gifted with true talent and skill of changing these Sichuan opera masks in magically quick succession. As they flourish their arms and twist their heads, their painted masks change over & over again.
It is said to have its roots 300 years ago, during the reign of Qianlong (1736-1795), a Qing Dynasty Emperor. At the beginning, opera masters changed the color of their faces during performances by blowing into a bowl of red, black or gold powder. The powder would adhere to their oiled skin quickly. In another method, actors would smear their faces with colored paste concealed in the palms of their hands. The colours reflected the character's mood - red representing anger and black extreme fury.
By the 1920s, opera masters began using layers of masks made of oiled paper or dried pig bladder. The masters could peel off the masks one after another in the blink of an eye. At present the masters use the full face, painted silk mask. They can be worn in layers, as much as two-dozen thick, and be pulled off one by one.
The art was technically forbidden to women. Only in 2007 was it announced that recently women had been allowed to learn the techniques and perform them publicly.
Watch this amazing VDO: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sEgaC7EEsoc .. took my breath away .. what alacrity !!
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