Ah!!! Its the splendid Kerala Monsoons again. If there is one thing that is a MUST-DO in your list of things to do in a lifetime, then it would be to enjoy Kerala in all its Monsoon glory! It is Monsoon time here. And it has been raining and giving a new lease of life to ‘namma Cochin’. We are not fortunate to enjoy all the four seasons and the excitement that surrounds the onset of each- the brightness of summer, the enthusiasm of the spring, the colours of autumn and the chillness of winter. We just have the sweatiness of summer and dampness of the rains. Duh! But atleast we are better off than many. Like a friend in the UAE jokingly remarked, they have three seasons too – summer, light summer and heavy summer! So Iam not complaining at all. The summer has given way to the rains. The crankiness has given way to wistfulness. From wanting to have tall, chilled glasses of fruit juices, bowls of smoothies or tubs of frozen ice creams all the time, now I want to have steaming cups of coffee, hot chocolate or some home-made soup. Green veggies and fresh fruits were the comfort food for summer. Now its all french fries, chicken tikkas and spicy biryanis. Or banana fritters, if you want to go all ‘naadan’. From wanting to switch on the AC all the time (all the while mentally calculating the electricity bill), I just want to cuddle up under layers of blanket. Watching a mushy movie or reading a romantic book also seem like a plan. The images that play in my head are changing too. The image of pretty peasant tops in pristine white, floral summer dresses in pastels and lovely skirts in crisp cotton are giving away to cozy woollen sweaters and quilts.

My first memories of the rain are puddles, bright umbrellas and colourful raincoats. The monsoons often coincide with the school reopening. And it’s a happy-sad feeling. Feeling sad that the much-lovely ‘free-of –homework’ vacations,- spend playing with the cousins and sleeping late into the noons- have come to end. But quite happy to move up in the grade, to probably have a new class teacher and excited to wear the new uniform, carry new school bag and wear brand new shoes. And I would be wrapping my arms around my new bag fearing that it would get wet, successfully avoiding the smaller puddles, only to fall into the biggest one!!! The effort of balancing the umbrella against the wind, getting dirty with the speeding cars splashing muddy water, the fear of writings being ink-stained ,all put together would tire me out. And I wouldn’t want to step out in the rain again. Then I grew up, went to college, carried fewer books and stopped fretting over them. I learnt to balance the umbrella and even to accommodate more people under one, mastered the art of avoiding puddles, and suddenly rains became such good fun. I found a new thrill in getting drenched.¬¬

Years passed. Now I have a strange relationship with rain. At one hand, rains are such joy! They infuse a new life into me, makes me want to write and dream and write more and envelopes me with a certain sense of goodness. The smell of wet earth, a fresh lease of life, glistening roads. greenery and the chill in the air – such a beautiful imagery. On the other hand, rains are such a pain. Slush all around, traffic jams, lesser outings – it can spell doom. And yet at other times, it can trigger a sudden flurry of memories, a feeling that your fond, childhood days are rushing to you. . There is something about the rain that makes me nostalgic. So now I prefer to sit alone by the window, watching the rain, sipping on a cuppa steaming coffee and revisiting old memories – both beautiful and wonderful.

Despite everything, I still love to romanticise the rain. All those years of watching Indian movies would not have been for nothing.

Bookworms and those are stuck at home not able to go out and play should check out the Monsoon Book Fest at the DC Books, Panampilly Nagar. Starting on July 1st 2011 to July 25 2011, the fest has quite a few other attractions to offer. Apart from their wide range of English & Malayalam books they have discounts running and they are even conducting daily lucky draws.

DC Books is located at The Kairali Co-operative Housing Society, South end Panampilly Nagar.  Call Mr. Rajeev at 9745604781 for more details.

Kochi looks messy now. You guessed it right, it started raining, and Kochiites shall be taken for a ride this time too. Ohh yeah, we have been promised a couple of amendments in the condition of roads, drains etc. But as usual, they can be written off as ‘promises never done’.

It has just been a couple of days since it started raining, and most of the places are already under water (especially the low-lying areas). And does the condition of roads require a special mention? The road that leads us to KSRTC bus station has been in the worst possible manner since the last couple of months. With the rains arriving to the scene as a ‘villain’, don’t even think of crossing that path. Electric and phone lines coming off is now a sight not rare. We must not forget the power cuts which shall visit us from now on (at least every day during mid nights).

Lot has been said by our authorities, and Kochiites expected a better monsoon this time. But prepare for the worst. Nothing worthwhile has been done. We still might have to go through hell like the previous years. But yeah, at least the weather does not cheat us. Enjoy the coolness, Kochi!

Ah yes monsoon has descended upon us like….well how monsoon would usually does. Nothing beats sipping on a hot cuppa ‘chai’ and munching on some freshly prepared ‘vadas’. Whiling away your time and enjoying the slow drizzle or the fast downpour of the rain ( whichever be the situation). Sure paints a nice picture in your head, doesn’t it? Well hold that thought then, lets set aside the romantic notions of the Monsoon Fever and get a more cautious note in. Monsoon fever can be taken in the literal sense here, ’tis the season for water-bourne diseases and such to spiral to maniacal heights.

The monsoon can really wreck havoc upon you if you don’t address caution to your intake of food and water. When in doubt always follow the golden rule and just avoid such kind of food. Especially water, never have water from outside where its origin or appearance can be shady. If you are at home, just boil, don’t even think twice, BOIL. Avoid open, cut vegetables, fruits, etc where chances of infection laden bounties are very high.

We always have a tendency to gorge on food no matter what time of the season it is, but monsoon is when we should pay an ample amount of caution to our dietary actions. Junkfood and cold beverages can cause havoc for you in this cold weather. Cut down on such food, simplicity is the best so go for simple food like rotis, dal, etc. Not saying that you have to lead a Spartan life, just know when to stop. Vitamin C is a good thing to get inside your body at this horrendous time, the sour tasting foods can help you out in you time of needs, keep common colds at bay. Lemon teas, yogurts, naturally sour foods are really keen sources that will help fend off infections and fevers.

It always great to purge those bid bad toxins and keep your body fresh and clean. I am in no way insinuating that it is to cut you open and serve you on a platter, but it’s alway great to have detoxed system.

No matter what we are always bound to be caught on the hindfoot irrespective of the precautions we take. So keep some cures ready, Ginger teas can really help against colds. To help fend off colds and cough, have the following mix every morning, crush 6-7 leaves of tulsi and mint leaves, crush an inch of ginger and mix it with honey and give it a nice gulp.

Happy monsooning!