Back into the Groove

I am trying to get back to real life--real "clean your home" life, real "do your own laundry" life, real graduate student life (I think that has always managed to stick around), real "get the garbage out before it is too late" life.

It is not bad though. I love it (I do wish I did not have to do the dishes, but guess I have to now). Living with my parents is always "fantabulous", but it is very nice to be back to a space that I call mine. For instance, my own kitchen, where I know FOR SURE where the ingredients are. I love to cook and since I am a self-taught cookie, I am constantly into some or the other kind of experimentation. One of the recent dinners was Spicy (I think everything I made is usually spicy) Vegetable Pasta.

Tomato sauce in progress

The brown "stuff" in it are various Indian spices waiting to be stirred in. Strange but true and edible.

Spicy Vegetable Pasta

Tibetan dinner at Tsampa with knitters Geraldine, Katrice, and Gina
I had yummy veggie momos. Hmmm, but they were shaped like Chinese dumplings, and not the way I am used to seeing them.

"A lot of girl talk" dinner at Gusto with Shubh and Ami

I am currently trying to finish this crocheted peach stole
for my mom.

She picked the color and I picked the pattern. I have never tried a ripple pattern and I am loving it!

My mother saw this in progress and we both really like the "arrow" texture.

Do you think this stole is too plain Jane?
I am thinking of adding some beads on it...if I succeed in holding onto my ripple stole enthusiasm.

Totoro Inspired Birthday Present for Tomoka

Amresh, Diane, and Sofia

Some of my colleagues-friends stayed back in NYC/visited NYC after the conference. Of course, that meant that they had to do some shopping and eating. I was quite jetlagged, with all the conference attending, paper presenting, and unpacking, but that did not stop me from tagging along for the fun. I had a great time--thank you to my friends. It is great to be back.

Tomoka, also my colleague from school and currently in Japan, traveled to NYC for the conference. Her birthday was last month and though I had her mailing address, I did not manage to send her birthday gift. (How life could comes in between such things). Anyway, it is always fun to personally deliver presents, right?

Totoro-inspired birthday hat

:)

This was a super fun, super easy hat to knit. It is inspired by Tomoka's favorite person, Totoro, and then embellished with a cute iron on. This hat totally fits Tomoka's personality--a little quirky, very funky.

Tomoka!

Oh yes. My friend Ami also wanted to model the hat.

Pattern for adult size Totoro hat:
Use worsted weight yarn and US 8 needles. I used in-house cotton polyamid yarn from Gotta Knit, NYC.
Cast on 64 stitches and join in the round.
Garter stitch (knit one round, purl one round) for about 5 rounds.
Then knit until desired length.
End with a three needle bind off.
Embellish attractively!

NYC. Jetlag. Swap Packages.

It is 3am and I am currently in blog-land. Jetlag is such a weird kind of animal.

I have been away for a while now, and it is great to be back...to another home. I look out of the window, and it is all familiar. The yellow cabs and the wonderful, constant honking. Beep Beep. I have not started to unpack yet. I have landed strategically during a conference (thank goodness it is in NYC. No more traveling for me), so I will get to see my advisor and colleagues today.

But I have done a different kind of unpacking. Leslie sent me this Granny Along, January swap package while I was away. I am glad that I am fulfilling my objective of joining swaps. I have found a new yarny friend in Leslie. Over several months, we have got to know each other, and it gives me great happiness to say that we share a special friendship across several thousand miles.

Now back to the box. This is such a super-dumper, thoughtful package! It seemed like an endless pit. I kept putting my hand in it, and something kept coming out. Leslie: I could not thank you enough.

I cant wait to rip open this package!
Someone sent a package to me, me, me. I love postal mail and packages.

The Endless Pit

I now have a handmade, granny square scarf!
I love everything about it. I wore it today :)

The scarf says: Come a little closer. Dont be shy. I am only a granny square. It is a another story that I am a classic, ever-lasting piece of work in the crafting world.

We are Happy Hookers.

I love the color! If only I had a box to organize all my embroidery threads. Well.

How did Leslie know I needed more of these guys?
And this has a floss winder. Oh Baby! I have never had one or used one. Ok Rima. Calm down.

Such a pretty purse. This is so me.

When I saw these peppermint truffles, I forget that I was taking photographs.
After a couple of truffles in my tummy, I remembered to get back to clicking away.

More chocolate for the chocolate piggie in me.

Oh. Leslie knows I like spicy food.

She really knows I like spicy food.

Color, color, color.
This has been taken away from my hands. Ami (my best friend and artist) and Suketu are currently dividing the sharpie-happiness loot between them. How much I hate craft thieves.

Wait. There are more craft goodies.

Beautiful Card
Leslie: Thank you once again.

So Far Away

Living away from what one usually calls "home" is an ongoing journey. As I prepare to leave India again, I re-examine my personal meanings of home and belonging. In a political sense, I have come to appreciate the ever-changing dimension of home, and what it means for me to "belong"--here in India, and there in the US. I must admit that this re-examination is usually confusing and immensely emotional.

My 95 year old Grandpa

I spent the last 24 hours with my grandparents (my mother's parents), who live near Mangalore. They, especially my grandfather, hold a special place in my heart and in my life. I am told that as a baby, I was extremely fussy and stubborn (big surprise). Other than my parents, I would only go to my Dad's mom or my Grandpa. I remember being most eager to see him, and anxiously awaiting for him all the time. He has been a wonderful grandfather.

He has been sick on and off for a couple of months, and its scares me to death. I think it scares me even more, because I live so far away. So far away, I might not be able to just pack my bags and visit if I could only see him for one last time. I have deeply embedded hope that he will be around the next time I come to India.

Here is my grandparents' home.
All of us cousins have torn this house apart with our childhood games and teenage nonsense.

This is the back-in-the-day, still functioning, everyday-used,
hot water reserver in the bathroom.
It is a huge copper pot which has a heating source (usually of dried coconut husk or palm leaves) underneath it.

Aunts and Grandma (seated) making yummy rice noodles with a traditional noodle making, lever "machine".

Here are the noodles!

First there were flowers

Then they were tied into garlands by my aunts.
These flower garlands are sold in the local market.

"Perfect" Handkerchiefs: Birthday Gift for Grandma

There is always some celebration going on at home in India. Someone getting married, someone's birthday, someone just had a baby, someone is having a 7 course dinner because (s)he just felt like it. When I got here in the beginning of the year, I attended weddings like it was going out of style. My brothers have grown to have busy lives (you know how it is), so I got my sorry butt dragged around by my parents. I am not complaining. Apart from the consumerist foolishness that one might see at some weddings, I enjoy these gatherings. Over the past couple of months, they were the primary occasions where I got to meet most of my family and our family friends.

Now it is March. March is an important month in our family because two important people have their birthdays--my Dad and my Grandma (this is my Dad's mom). For both of them, birthdays are serious business. Actually, I am convinced that my Dad feels that the yearly calendar clocks on his birthday. Now you know why I am the way I am. It is all in the genes.

My Grandma's 85th (oh yes, 85th) birthday was last week. Her birthday requests were a hat and white handkerchiefs. As some of you might have already read, the hat worked out pretty quickly under her close supervision. It was an early grandma present which is currently undergoing ample use.

Coming to the white handkerchiefs. When Grandma means white, she means white. No frills or detours from the plan. This worked out perfect for me. I had no intention to make hand-knit handkerchiefs...and now that I can (somewhat) sew, why not some cotton kerchiefs?

Is sewing for the obsessive?

In the beginning, these kerchiefs drove me peanuts. I just had to get perfect squares, and all of them had to line up in the EXACT same way. Let me tell you that the kerchiefs did not go "perfectly as planned"--they are not perfect squares and the stitching is not in a straight line. I did not use grid boards, etc, but now I am convinced that they were made for people like ME.

PS: I now I have deep respect for all who sew--especially my tailor here in India who puts up with my obsessive way.

Ok, Grandma said white. But how could I?

I mean, I do like white, but just white? So I slipped in some bright orange for the stitching. When she received the gift, it seemed like she did not mind.

Fabric: White cotton fabric from Ravi's Craft Shop, Commercial Street, Bangalore
Pattern: Do not get me started about perfect squares and perfectly straight lines.

Goa: Paradise for the Creative

Wannabe Tourists: Mom, Dad, and Me
My brothers could not make it to Goa. Rayan was buzy with school, and Alan had a dance competition.

We stayed at Molly Malone's (Calangute, Goa).
Molly Malone's also runs an Irish pub. I promise it was a coincidence that we lived here (it is besides the point that my Dad loves Goa because he believes that one has an instant license to walk around with beer-in-hand).

A silver jewelery flea market near our hotel, Calangute, Goa
Anjuna Flea Market: Every Wednesday, off Anjana Beach
A must see for all things handicraft...several artisans from all over the country sell their ware here.

Wooden Handicraft at Anjuna Flea Market

Mapusa Market at Mapusa, Goa (every Friday)

This market is very different from the Anjuna Flea Market. The market brings together local fruit and vegetable vendors, cloth traders, and food producers. You will also see some handicraft artisans.

Yummy, homemade Goan Sausages
These sausages are made of uncooked pork, marinated in various Indian spices.

Indian Spices at Mapusa Market

St. Xavier's Church, Old Goa, Goa
Do not miss its (and other Goan churches') architecture. Breathtaking.

The Altar, St. Xavier's Church

16th century stone flooring at a church in Old Goa, Goa

That was quite a vacation. Would you like some tender coconut?