mother Food

                                                  

There is a small hotel in Puthur, Palakkad, named ‘MOTHER FOOD”.    I went into the hotel, asked for a tea, and casually asked the owner what Mother Food really meant. I gently informed him that the word ‘Mother Food’ does not convey any truthful meaning in English!   The hotel owner looked at me for a few moments and said that he wanted to say

‘അമ്മയുടെ പാചകംപോലെ'that could be translated into English as  ‘As good as the food cooked by one’s mother'. As such a lengthy sentence cannot be given as a name for his hotel, he chose the words ‘Mother’ and ‘Food’  in the sentence and coined the Malayalam and English hybrid phrase “Mother Food”!

The meaning of the Malayalam phrase ‘അമ്മയുടെ പാചകംപോലെ' is partly conveyable in English, but to know what ‘Mother Food’ really means, you need to learn Malayalam.

Nidhi

                             നാട്ടിലെ നിധി 

 ഇവിടെ, അമേരിക്കയിലെ ഇന്ത്യക്കാർ ദീപാവലിയെ സ്വീകരിക്കുവാനുള്ള തിരക്കിലാണിപ്പോൾ. ഇവിടുത്തെ ഇന്ത്യൻ സ്റ്റോറുകളിൽ തോരണം തൂക്കുവാനുള്ള മാവില മുതൽ മധുര പലഹാരങ്ങൾ വരെ നിറഞ്ഞു കവിയുന്ന കാഴ്ചയാണിപ്പോൾ. ഒരു പെട്ടി മധുരപലഹാരത്തിനു രൂപ.760 , നാളികേരത്തിന് രൂപ. 180 , തോരണം തൂക്കുവാനുള്ള മാവില അഞ്ചുഎണ്ണത്തിന് രൂപ. 82 എന്ന നിരക്കിൽപ്പോകുന്നു വിലപ്പട്ടിക. 

ഇവിടുത്തെ ഇന്ത്യൻ സൂപ്പർമാർക്കറ്റുകളിൽ ഇന്ത്യൻ നിർമിത ഉൽപ്പന്നങ്ങളുടെ വൈവിധ്യം എന്നെ എപ്പോഴും അദ്‌ഭുതപ്പെടുത്താറുണ്ട്. നാട്ടിൽകാണപ്പെടാത്ത പലതരം ബ്രാൻഡുകളുടെ വിവിധ ഉൽപ്പന്നങ്ങൾ ഇവിടെ ലഭ്യമാണ്. 

 ഇതൊക്കെയാണെങ്കിലും വിൽപ്പനക്ക് വച്ചിരുന്ന മാവിലയുടെ വിലകണ്ടപ്പോൾ ഞാൻ ശരിക്കും ഞെട്ടിപ്പോയി! ആ സമയത്തു വേറൊരു മനക്കണക്കാണ്‌ എന്റെ മനസ്സിലൂടെ കടന്നുപോയത്. നാട്ടിൽ എന്റെ പറമ്പിലുള്ള മാവുകളിൽ നിന്നും ഉദ്ദേശം ഒരുലക്ഷം മാവിലകളെങ്കിലും ശേഖരിക്കുവാൻ സാധിക്കും. ഇവക്കു ഇവിടുത്തെ കമ്പോളവില രൂപ.16,40,000 !!! 

 നാട്ടിൽ എന്റെ പറമ്പിൽമാത്രം ഇത്രയും വിലക്കുള്ള മാവിലകൾ വെറുതെ ചവറായി കൊഴിഞപ്പോകുന്നു! ഇത്തരത്തിലുള്ള ഒരു നിധി കൈവശമിരുന്നിട്ടും അതനുഭവിക്കാൻ എനിക്ക് കഴിയാതെപോകുന്നല്ലോ എന്നോർത്ത് വിഷണ്ണനായി ഞാൻ ആ മാവിലകളെ ഏറെനേരം നോക്കിനിന്നുപോയി. 

ഈ വിലയുടെ ആറിലൊന്നൊ എട്ടിലൊന്നൊ എനിക്കുമതി. ഞാനൊരു കച്ചവടകരാറിൽ ഏർപ്പെടുവാൻ ആരുമായും സന്നദ്ധനാണ്. ആരെങ്കിലും തയ്യാറാണോ !!

                                 Halloween 

 

Halloween is a big celebration in Dallas - especially for children.   They like it for two reasons. The weird dresses they get for Halloween and the candies they are allowed to pick from homes.

While we were returning after purchasing  the Halloween dress for my grandson, I jokingly told my daughter:

“ Now the ‘*Appachan’ in ‘**Akkarakazchakal’ has come to my mind.  Would people find it bizarre if I also go around with my grandson calling out  “Trick or treat”

My daughter smiled and replied: “ I know that other than just going around addressed as loco piglet or a car mechanic with your grandson, you love the sweet candies you also can pick along with him”!

I was silent.Yes, that was the truth!

Before entering the car, she made another compliment:

“I would be least surprised if you went around calling “Trick or treat” as your character very closely resembles that of ‘Appachan’."

I just murmured without looking at her face:

 

“ Now, farmers like me and “Appacchan’ have just become   comic characters for others.  SAD.”

 

* ‘Appachan’ (grandfather) is a humorous character in the once popular Malayalam TV episode **Akkarakazchakal”.  In this  humorous episode,  ‘Appachan’  is a funny character.   This farmer visits his son in the US and finds the customs of the land strange.   Often his  behaviours and actions embarrass his son and his family.   In the episode 36 you can see ‘Appachan’ in a fancy dress going around collecting candies calling out “Trick O tree” on a Halloween evening.

 

Akkarakazchakal:

https://www.google.com/search?q=akkara+kazhchakal+episode+36&sca_esv=579769985&rlz=1CDGOYI_en#fpstate=ive&vld=cid:936b26c0,vid:Y4dpwcZaGVM,st:0

 

                                                                              I have been. Transformed into …………..

Before I describe my post Covid syndrome I would like to say something about me.

I am not an achiever in life, I think have been good and prompt in executing the tasks assigned to me in my professional carrier. But I have not been wise enough to grab great opportunities when they appeared before me.   Earlier in my life I cherished many noble ambitions, but could achieve only one or two of them.   So, definitely I am bot an achiever. Now when I turn back, I realise that I would have become highly successful in life if I were prudent enough to make use of just one of those opportunities.    Whenever  this sickening thought pops up in my mind, I  sweep them under the carpet in my mind.   I had the confidence that I would achieve my ambitions sometimes in my life.  Now I have lost those hopes also.

I

t seems Corona has almost been eradicated.  All over the world thousands of lives  were taken and millions still suffer due this deadly  virus.   I belong to the latter.  I was so badly affected by Covid that it was a highly traumatic time.  But for a slight fever days passed on nor,

Normally.  But nights were horrific.   I would wake up by midnight by some painful thoughts.  I would remain sleepless till morning thrown into a kind kind of delirium accompanied so many   strange delusions and I often felt I was floating over chasm of death.   Miraculously I recovered but the tiredness was so extreme and  for months I looked as if I had just escaped from a concentration camp.  

Now it is more than two years since I have recovered from Covid.   On a broader  sense I may  say I look perfectly normal but I know I am not.   I have not escaped unscathed.  I used to attend hard works in my backyard.   I attend such jobs even now but I get tired very soon.   A clear sign that I have slowed down! 

In the course of time I realised that I was not only physically slowed down but some strange psychological changes also were taking place in my mind.  At first I thought my advancing age was the cause for this slowing down. Slowly I realised that apart from physically slowing down a weird behavioural change were taking over me. They would have passed unnoticed if they were minute.  From my childhood - I still remember- I have been keen on being on time.  May be because I got 

How I came to realise it was from the words of my wife who one day exclaimed:

 “Dilip, I have observed some changes in your behaviour.   You never wanted to do multiple tasking and are used to saying that multitasking always ended in shoddy works.  Nowadays you start doing a work and jump form one to a few and finish none! Are you okay?”

I looked at her thoughtfully and said:

“I don’ think you are wrong.  The same realisation has started tormenting me also.   Yesterday, morning while I was pruning the branches of the mango tree it came to my mind that I hadn’t completed cleaning my room and computer.  Now I remember; I didn’t finish the work as I suddenly remembered that the weekly car washing was overdue.  While I was drying the car, it struck my mind that my friend had called and informed me that he would be visiting in the evening.   I glanced at my watch and there were just ten minutes left for my friend to arrive!  I might take ten minutes to have a quick shower and start waiting for my friend.   I gazed at the dripping car and said to myself that the wind is a perfect drier and would dry my car in half an hour.”

My wife looked worried and said:

“This is what is the change I observe in you these days.   You never used to attempt all these one day.   Only after completing one work you would start another one.

I have even commented that you are a slow but steady person.   But now your works are tardy  and you look restless and impatient and leave all the works unfinished.”

“Mmmmmm……I know. I know.  I am fully conscious of it and try my best to come over it, but I am unable to.  If one suffers from such a psychological ailment, they needn’t  be aware of it even with others looking at the person suspiciously.     I am glad that I am fully aware of it, and I 

have been trying to come out of it.”

Some days I wake up slightly earlier and start brooding over some issues.   During  such ‘revelation like trials’ I find answers for many of my problems.   On one such morning, I asked myself “Why do I go on skipping from one work to another and get depressed in the end?”I might have tossed left and and right for a few time before the answer dawned on me.

The dormant  and conveniently forgotten thought hidden in some corner of my mind that I have not achieved what’s I really wanted to  be successful person has prevailed my conscious mind.   The Covid virus is so clever that it has scanned all the files in my mind and has rightly judged this vicious file could make me mentally uneasy, if opened.   The virus has opened it.  The virus has carried out this vengeance in retaliation when all its efforts to harm me physically failed.   

I think there will be many who have had post Covid syndromes.   Obviously they will be different in forms.  I invite such people to share their experiences on this page.

 

 അമേരിക്കയിലെ സൂപ്പർമാർക്കറ്റുകളിൽ ഞാൻ എപ്പോൾ ചെന്നാലും ചെല്ലുന്നത് നാളികേരവും നാളികേര ഉൽപ്പന്നങ്ങളും പ്രദർശിപ്പിച്ചിരിക്കുന്ന ഭാഗത്തേക്കാണ്. നാളികേരം ഇവിടേക്ക് വരുന്നത് മെക്സിക്കോ കോസ്റ്റ റിക്കാ എന്നിവിടങ്ങളിൽനിന്നും നമുക്ക് ചുറ്റുമുള്ള ചില രാജ്യങ്ങളിൽ നിന്നുമാണ്.ഉപച്ചത്തേങ്ങ തൊണ്ടോടുകൂടി വിലക്കപ്പെടുന്നത് ഒരെണ്ണത്തിന് undefined ൩ .൯൯ (രൂപ ൩൧൯ .൦൦ undefined പൊടിച്ച തേങ്ങാ നാരുകൾ പൂർണമായും നീക്കി ഇറുക്കിപ്പിടിപ്പിച്ച ഒരു പോളിത്തീൻ കവറിനുള്ളിലായിരിക്കും വിൽപ്പനക്ക് വച്ചിരിക്കുന്നത്. ഈ കവർ നാളികേരം കൂടുതൽ നാൾ കേടുവരാതിരിക്കുവാൻ സഹായിക്കും. മിക്ക സ്റ്റോറുകളിലും ഒരു നാളികേരത്തിന്റെ വില undefined ൨ undefined ൫൦ മുതൽ ൨ .൯൯ undefined രൂപ ൨൦൦ മുതൽ ൨൩൯ undefined വരെ ആയിരിക്കും .ഇതുകൂടാതെ , നാളികേരപ്പൊടി ഇളനീർ , നാളികേര ഐസ് ക്രീം , തുടങ്ങി വിവിധ നാളികേര ഉൽപ്പന്നങ്ങൾ (വാല്യൂ ആഡഡ് എന്ന് വേണമെങ്കിൽ പറയാം) വിൽപ്പനക്ക് ഭംഗിയായി അടുക്കി വച്ചിരിക്കുന്നത് കാണാം. ഇവയെല്ലാം തന്നെ വളരെ വേഗത്തിൽ വിറ്റു പോവുകയും ചെയ്യുന്നു. ഇവിടെക്കാണുന്ന വിവിധ തരത്തിലുള്ള നാളികേര ഉൽപ്പന്നങ്ങളിൽ എന്റെ ശ്രദ്ധ ആകർഷിക്കുന്ന ഒന്നാണ് നമ്മൾ നാട്ടിൽ പാഴാക്കിക്കളയുന്ന കളയുന്ന ഇളനീർ.ഇളനീർ മൂന്ന് വിധം പാക്കിങ്ങുകളിലാണ് ഇവിടേക്ക് വരുന്നത് undefined ഒന്നു ‘ടെട്രാ പാക്കിൽ’ രണ്ടാമത് ‘ടിന്നിൽ’ മൂന്നാമത് വളരെ കൊതുകകരമായി നാളികേരമായിട്ടുതന്നെ! ഇവയുടെ വിലകളിലും വ്യത്യാസമുണ്ടു. പുറത്തെ ചകിരി മുഴുവൻ ചെത്തിക്കളഞ്ഞു ഒരു കണ്ണിൽ അടപ്പോടുകൂടിയ ഒരു പ്ലാസ്റ്റിക് പൈപ്പ് കുത്തിയിറക്കിയിരിക്കും. ഇതെല്ലാംകൂടി പൊതിഞ്ഞു സീൽ ചെയ്തിരിക്കുന്ന സെലോഫൺ നീക്കി അടപ്പു തുറന്നു ഒരു തുള്ളിപോലും പാഴായിപ്പോവാതെ കുടിക്കുവാൻ സാധിക്കും.വേനൽക്കാലത്തു ഇത്തരം പതിനായിരക്കണക്കിന് നാളികേരങ്ങളാണ് ഒരു സൂപ്പർമാർകെറ്റിൽ മാത്രമായി വിറ്റുപോകുന്നത്. ഇത്തരം ഒരു കരിക്കിന് വില undefined ൩ .൯൯ (രൂപ ൩൧൯ .൦൦ ).ഈ വിലക്ക് നാളികേരവും നാളികേര ഉൽപ്പന്നങ്ങളും വിറ്റുപോകുന്നത് കണ്ടപ്പോൾ എന്റെ മനസ്സിലേക്ക് വന്നത് നമ്മുടെ പാവപ്പെട്ട നാളികേര , നെൽ കർഷകരുടെ മുഖങ്ങളാണ് .കേരളത്തിലെ കേര ആർഷകനെ യഥാർത്ഥത്തിൽ രക്ഷിക്കുവാൻ ഇനിയുള്ള മാർഗം ഈ വിദേശ വിപണികൾ നമ്മളും കണ്ടെത്തുക എന്ന്മാതു ത്രമാകുന്നു. കാർഷിക വകുപ്പിലെയും നാളികേര വികസന വകുപ്പിലെയും ഉദ്യോഗസ്ഥർ നക്ഷത്ര ഹോട്ടലുകളിൽ ശില്പശാലകൾ നടത്തിയതുകൊണ്ടൊന്നും ഇവുടുത്തെ നാളികേര കൃഷിക്കാർ രക്ഷപെടാൻ പോകുന്നില്ല. 

 മൂല്യാധിഷ്‌ടിധ വസ്തുക്കളായി നാളികേരത്തിനെ മാറ്റി എടുക്കണമെങ്കിൽ അതിനു സംസ്കരണ കേന്ദ്രങ്ങൾ വേണ്ടിവരും. ഇവ സഹകരണാടിസ്ഥാനത്തിൽ തുടങ്ങാവുന്നതേയുള്ളു. ഇതിനു വേണ്ട സാങ്കേതിക വിദ്യയും വിദേശ വിപണിയും നാളികേര വികസന കോര്പറേഷന് എളുപ്പത്തിൽ നേടാനാവും. അതിനുള്ള ആർജവം അവർ കാണിക്കണമെന്ന് മാത്രം. ഇപ്രകാരം വിവിധ ഇനങ്ങളായി നാളികേരം കേരളത്തിന്റെ ഒരു കയറ്റുമതി വസ്തുവായി മാറുകയും കേര കര്ഷകന് നാളികേരമൊന്നിനു കൂടുതലൊന്നും ലഭിച്ചില്ലെങ്കിലും ഒരു നാളികേരത്തിന് രൂപ ൧വച്ച് undefined ലഭിക്കുകയാണെങ്കിൽ കേര കൃഷിക്കാർക്ക് പിടിച്ചു നിൽക്കാൻ കഴിയും. എന്നുമാത്രമല്ല ഇത്തരം സംരംഭങ്ങൾ രാജ്യത്തിന് ഗണ്യമായ വിദേശ നാണയം നേടിത്തരുകയും ചെയ്‌യും. 

                                                                                    ചന്ദ്രയാൻ 3

 ഇന്ത്യയുടെ ചന്ദ്രയാൻ 3 ചന്ദ്രനിൽ വിജയകരമായി ഇറങ്ങിയത് ലോകത്താകമാനമുള്ള പത്രങ്ങളിലും TV          ചാനലുകളിലും  പ്രധാനമായ വാർത്തയായിരുന്നു.  എന്നാൽ, കേരളത്തിലെ ചില TV ചാനലുകളിലൊഴിച്ചു ഒരു ഓൺലൈൻ പത്രത്തിനും അതൊരു അത്രത്തോളം പ്രധാനപ്പെട്ട വർത്തയായിരുന്നില്ല. 

എനിക്ക് ഇന്ന് പ്രഭാത്തിൽ എന്റെ ആകാംഷ  റോവർ പുറത്തുവന്നു നിരീക്ഷണം തുടങ്ങിയോ എന്നറിയുന്നതിലായിരുന്നു . വിദേശ മാധ്യമങ്ങളൊക്കെ വളരെ വിശദമായിതന്നെ റോവറിന്റെ പ്രവർത്തനത്തെക്കുറിച്ചു വാർത്തകളുണ്ട്.   എന്നാൽ കേരളത്തിലെ ഓൺലൈൻ പത്രങ്ങളുടെ ഓൺലൈൻ പതിപ്പുകളായിൽ ഇതൊരു അപ്രധാന വാർത്തയാണ്.   കേരളത്തിലെ ‘തെരുവ്നായ ശല്യം’ എന്ന വാർത്തക്ക് നൽകിയ പ്രാധാന്യം പോലും ഈ വാർത്തക്ക് നല്കിയതായിക്കണ്ടില്ല.  ഇപ്രകാരം നൽകിയ വാർത്തയോ അപൂർണ്ണവും!

എന്തായിരിക്കും കേരളത്തിലെ മാധ്യമങ്ങുളുടെ ഈ നിഷേധ മനസ്ഥിതിക്ക്‌ കാരണം ?   കേരളത്തിലെ എല്ലാ പത്രങ്ങൾക്കും ഏതെങ്കിലും ഒരു രാഷ്ട്രീയ മുഖമുണ്ടായിരിക്കും.  പ്രതിപക്ഷത്തുള്ള സർക്കാരോ പാർട്ടിക്കാരോ എത്രതന്നെ ഉജ്വലമായ നേട്ടം കൈവരിച്ചാലും മറ്റു രാഷ്ട്രിയക്കാർക്കൊന്നും അതൊരു നേട്ടമേ അല്ല . ഇത്തരത്തിലുണ്ടായ പുരോഗതി എല്ലാവരുടെയും പുരോഗതിയായികാണാതെ അതിനെ നിസ്സാരവൽക്കരിക്കുന്ന ഒരു പ്രവണതയാണ് പരക്കെകാണുന്നത്.   ഒരു രാഷ്ട്രീയ കക്ഷിക്കും ഇത്തരത്തിലുള്ള ചിന്താഗതി ഭൂഷണമല്ല.’ Political jealousy ’ അഥവാ ‘രാഷ്ട്രീയ അസൂയ’ ലോകം മുഴുവനുമുണ്ട്  എന്നാൽ നമ്മുടെ രാഷ്ട്രിയാർ ഈ  അസ്സുയ മുത്ത് , ഒരു മാനസിക അസുഖമായി മാറി ചങ്ങലക്കിടപ്പെടേണ്ടവരായ  അവസ്ഥയിലേക്കാണ് എത്തിച്ചേർന്നിരിക്കുന്നത്.

I love visiting a particular supermarket in Allen, not for the quality and variety of the products but for another unique reason. In this supermarket, there is a sticker or board by all the products on display for sale mentioning the goodness of the product and finishing with a catchy slogan luring the customers to buy the product.

I think I have read all the stickers in the supermarket, and during every visit I check for new stickers. I always come out of the supermarket appreciating the genius behind the creation of these thousands of stickers.

There have been instances when I could find some customers judging my action through the corner of their eyes and wondering if I had mistaken the supermarket for a museum!

In the picture is a board with mangos on sale, mentioning a three hundred-year-old mango tree in India.

Coronatology

 

 

When Corona was spreading like wildfire; I was held up in the US. This followed many unpleasant incidents like the cancellation of my return ticket, an extension of my visa by paying a hefty sum, returning home in an evacuation flight paying fifty percent more of the normal fare, and so on. The evacuation flight was full but everyone was forced to wear a mask and a wiser. The passenger looked like

prospective contestants on a flight for the final selection of ‘Superman’!

When we reached home

I told my wife: “Most probably, you or I will get the virus”.

“Uhmmm. Probably.” Was her response.

The health workers had been informed over the phone from Cochin airport that two probable Covid infection cases were on their way home. The next morning a lady from the Department of health came and gave us a list of instructions on the symptoms of Covid infection, and how to fight Covid. She said that we had to remain in home quarantine for two weeks.

A notice was pasted on the front wall of our house warding off people away from home! I have heard of isolating people in their homes and leaving them to die during the great plague in London. Luckily, we hadn’t been left to die as we hadn’t been found ‘covid positive’. I had kept a long wooden pole outside. The vegetable, fruit, and grocery vendors would call me out from outside and when my presence by a window is confirmed hook the purchase on the tip of the pole and handout to me. The same way, I used to wrap around their cost using a rubber band and the pole would be withdrawn saying ‘Thanks’.  Very often they said it pitifully!   

Yes, two years ago if you got infected by Covid you had two options – option 1) Go and get admitted in a private hospital. Wait, before getting admitted to the private hospital you needed to make sure that you had Rs.1 M with you! 2) Remain at home, eat some paracetamol, and if you are lucky you will

wake up to a new life or just die away!

After fourteen days we came out like Polar bears waking after hibernation.

We had to go into quarantine though we were not covid positive.

For two years life became dull and slower as leaving home became only when necessary. Whenever I dared to move out I was wearing ‘double masks’, washed my hands whenever I found a tap and soap, and frequently sprayed sanitizer on my hands – sometimes all over me to ward off the coronavirus!

One day last month, I woke up in the middle of the night with a slight fever and choked nose. I just lied down and called the local healthcare assistant and informed him that I had been infected by Covid.

“ Don’t jump to conclusions. Just go for on OTPR test and then call me”. The healthcare assistant said.

The OTPR test result said “ RESULT: POSITIVE.”

I called the health assistant again and informed him the test result was positive.

  “What treatment should I follow,” I asked.

“ Nothing special. Just swallow Paracetamol tablets three times a day and take bed rest. If you feel suffocation while breathing or the oxygen level in your blood drops below 94 just call me, you will have to be hospitalized. Get one oximeter and check the oxygen level three or four times a day”. I was advised.

On the second the body pain started. On the third day night, I was rather very tired. I checked mytemperature and oxygen level. I was still running a fever but the oxygen level was 94. I was not in thedanger zone but my mind started working in a way I did not want it to. I have done various jobs in my life. I must say I am lucky as I suffer from no chronic diseases. It may be because I take everything that

happens in life positively – even failures and calamities.

I believe in ‘Master sprits’ and these master sprits – my ancestors – have guided me through my difficult times. This is not an ancient pagan faith. ¹ Dr. Brian L Weiss the American psychiatrist who specialises in past life regression through his research has confirmed the entry of the master sprites many a time in one’s life.

It was all dark around but for the dim blue light of the night lamp. I could hear the ticking of the clock and the humming of the ceiling fan. I should have fallen asleep sometime after midnight.

The stillness of the night brought into my weak virus-infected mind memories of my friends and colleagues who died infected by covid. There was a parade of their faces in front of me before I drifted to sleep. Then the dream started. I was lying in a bed looking totally tired with a short beard and my hands were put across my chest. The hands were so thin they resembled dry sticks. Was I going to die?! I tried to get up but I couldn’t! While I was lying there totally defeated, I heard someone whispering in a stern voice near my ear:

“You are still strong. Get up. Try again and you can do it.”

I suddenly woke up. I was sitting on my bed with my clothes almost drenched in sweat. The next thing I did was to check my body temperature and oxygen level in my blood. The temperature was normal and the oxygen level was 95. I strongly believe that it was one of my ancestor's spirit  had come down to induce energy into me to make me stand up again.

Now it is more than two months since I have returned to normal life.

                                                    *************************

 

1 .  The Weiss Institute has kindly given me permission to use Dr. Brian L Weiss’s name in this article.   I Thank Beth at The Weiss Institute for her wholehearted support.

in2healing@aol.com	Mar 3, 2022, 10:05 PM (9 hours ago)
to me

Dear Dilip,

You have Dr. Weiss's permission to mention his name, work, and the two names of his books on your blog.  However, the correct link to his facebook page is

 www.facebook.com/DrBrianWeiss

 There is no space between W and eiss.

 Best always,

Beth  at  The Weiss Institute

facebook.com/DrBrianWeiss
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                              SARVASUGHANDY MY TREE OF BEAUTY

 

More than a decade ago, during a rainy season, I bought a small ‘sarvasughandi’ (Pimenta dioica) plant from a vendor. Before handing over the pot with the plant, the vendor gave me this advice:

"It is not easy to get this Sarvasughandi grown into a tree. You need to give it extreme care until it grows into a plant".

 The good vendor further gave me some tips on how to tend it as it grows into a tree. I carefully followed his instructions, and in three years, it grew taller than me. I tried to convince my wife about the ayurvedic properties of the leaves of Sarvasungandhi, but she paid no attention to them. But I used to collect a few dry leaves of the plant and store them in the kitchen wardrobe. The moment I remembered that the leaves were in the cupboard, I would take one and add it to the hot water for tea. It really smelled spicy!

 I lost the habit gradually, and the sarvasugandhi was nearly forgotten for a decade. I will water it during the summer and look at its dark green, oily leaves and murmur:

 "You look beautiful and smell beautiful. Ayurveda says you are a medicinal plant, but here you stand just as an ornamental plant".

 One day last month, my wife asked me to get some dry leaves of the sarvasungandhi. I looked at her in total surprise and asked:

 "Sarvasugandhy leaves?!   I have been telling you about its ayurvedic properties all these years, and you haven’t asked even once to test it—just to please me at least!"

 "I will tell you later. Now please go and collect some leaves." She urged me.  

 While I was walking towards the tree, she called out: "Dilip. Thank you for taking the pains to have grown such a valuable medicinal plant."

 This compliment was another shock for me! "Valuable medicinal plant"! I cannot believe her words. There must be some reason for her to address my tree of beauty in this way.

 While I was sipping a tea specially brewed by my wife with the aroma of rich ‘organic’ spices, Uma disclosed her sudden passion for sarvasungandhi.   She showed me a WhatsApp message on her phone. The message was like this:

 "The dry leaves of Sarvasungandhi contain an elixir that can prevent and even cure various heart diseases, high blood sugar, and high cholesterol; (the list was exhaustive). If you add one dry leaf of sarvasughandi while brewing your tea or any drink, it is very much like acquiring a passport to good health".  I am sure the person who first started the message must have read the web page: https://www.rxlist.com/allspice/supplements.htm

 This can be partly true, but not wholly. My ten years of work have at least been recognised by my wife, who had maintained the view that I was only planting useless trees.

 Days passed like this, with almost all our hot drinks smelling of sarvasungnadhi. You cannot keep a Whatsapp message a secret for ages, and some of our neighbours found out that we at our home were consuming a heavenly elixir every day.   I am sure they also might have received the same 1,000 times forwarded message as I did, and my neighbours soon found out that the "Tree of Life" was actually standing in our backyard! I readily gave express permission to all of them who requested that I just collect the fallen, dry leaves. 

 My neighbours have competitively started collecting the sarvasugandhi dry leaves so early in the morning that the latecomers do not get a single blade of leaf. So, the latecomers swipe all the dry leaves in my backyard, carry them home, and separate the Sarvasugandhi leaves. Usually I will have to sweep clean, dry leaves in my backyard every week. Now I don’t do it because my neighbours do it for me!

 

 

 

                          The Sycamore

There was a "Travelers’ Bungalow" in the place where the town bus stand is today in Palakkad. The travelers' bungalow was pulled down long ago but the road passing in front of the travelers’ bungalow is still named "T B Road."

 

There is a very old sycamore tree standing on the western side of the shopping complex. The tree was on the left of the entrance to the travelers’ bungalow. From the structure and size of its bark, it seems like it might have been standing over there for more than a century.

The tree was still there when I was a university student fifty years ago. Every day we would pass the travelers’ bungalow, and every day I used to appreciate the beauty of the magnificent tree. The tree added elegance to the bungalow, though there were many trees in the compound. 

Now the bungalow and all the other trees are gone, and the sycamore alone stands in the bus parking area. Whenever I come to the town stand or pass it, I still observe it with the same charm I had for it. The sycamore stands like a sentinel when the buses pass by, but the buses spew dust and smoke onto it. I affectionately pat it whenever I come close to it. Sadly, every time I go near the neglected sycamore, I feel like the tree is lamenting over its glorious past.