Jelebi demysitfied

Oh...hot, crispy jelebi-s. It is a work of art.. a complicated delicious thing or so I thought

On the way back from a shop where I tried my best to behave well, I pleaded for some jelebi-s from the local street shop. ammA decided to buy them and asked for 100 gms. The shopkeeper packed a few pieces in a newspaper and handed over the small package. I was unimpressed..

pAdukA - ivalavu dhaana (that's all)

ammA - 100 gms.. avalavu dhaan (100 gms is all that much)

ammA - seri innum 100 gms vangalAm ( ok let's buy 100 gms more)

The shopkeeper did not have more ready to pack and asked us to wait while he prepared jelebi-s.

pAdukA - so easy.. andha bag-a pidichi round round-a maava podanum oil la (so easy, you have to make round shape into the oil with the dough in the bag  )

ammA - adhu pannaradhu kashtam pAdukA (that's hard to do pAdukA)

pAdukA - idhu enna heat pannarAr (What is he heating?)

ammA - sugar syrup

pAdukA - Ooh... 

Watching the fried jelebi-s thrown into the sugar syrup 

pAdukA - apparam enna pannanum (What has to be done next?)

ammA - pack 100 gms

pAdukA - huh? eppadi sweet aagum?(How will it become sweet?)

ammA - Sweet syrup la potta illayA?(Did he not put it in sweet syrup?)
pAdukA - Oh.. nAn ninaichen, sugar syrup-a syringe la eduthu jelebi oda oru end la inject panna, adhu full jelebi la flow aagum.. (I thought that the sugar syrup is injected from one end of the jelebi and the syrup will flow through the entire jelebi)

ammA - ! (that will be cool :)

Good samaritan

One phone call made my ammA's and appA's day. It's not the news of their daughter being a topper/a star at school but news that she is a good human being. I did not think it was a great deed as it seemed like the right thing for anyone to do. I did not even mention this to my parents. So here is what happened...


My friend S came to school with a box of pizza for lunch. Her family was moving from one house to another and it was her lunch for the day. Imagine what kind of jealous response she would have got from the class. She is a generous soul and everyone just surrounded her and took some portion of the pizza without a thought. She was left with  2 meagre pieces for lunch and nothing else.

Feeling sad and alone, she sat in the class. I felt bad seeing her. I called her and sat with her for lunch. I offered the box of fruits which I had with me. She liked fruits and was happy to have them. She even offered to share what was left of her pizza. It was sooo... tempting  (you know I love cheese) but I refused as she needed the food and company to cheer her up.

We had a good time chatting and finishing our lunch. That's all happened and it was not much to go back home and report. But my friend thought it was so kind and sweet of me and recollected the incident to her parents. S's mom was touched that she picked up the phone to make that call...


(P.S. - Paaduka, when you read this post that we recorded on your behalf, know that you made appA and ammA proud as you are a good human being with a pure heart. Never ever trade that for anything as that's what makes you stand tall and head and shoulder above the rest)