That feeling of being lost in a book while being lost in nature; I’ve experienced that this time over during our holidays in Kerala!!! To elaborate, I was sheer joy personified as I read “Where the rain was born” (a collection of stories about the rain in Kerala, edited by Anita Nair) in a monsoon soaked Kerala!
And not just that, taking part in some fun filled family get-togethers, running into old friends when least expected, doing some serious shopping, hunting around for good music and books, enjoying the so-called new gen movies which reflect a fresh and positive outlook in the local cinemas, rekindling all those nostalgic tastes, travelling in a few (still a few unfortunately!) recharged roads, watching the new developments like Kochi metro with awe, engaging in some pushed-for-time picnics, being part of some last-minute projects (as it happens in India), taking kids for occasional walks in and around home, visiting a few cities across Kerala, trying to answer the unending questions from kids on why India is different from what they’ve been imagining, meeting some new people, seeing how auto rickshaws are being replaced by Tata Magic (a magic that I believed is almost impossible to happen), experiencing the prominence of malls and supermarket chains as opposed to local shops, watching how ‘farming on terrace’ has become fashionable again, enjoying the privilege of leaving kids under the care of grandparents when needed… so on and so forth!! – A month long holidays in Kerala- gone too soon!!
As we got back, along the sides of the aeroplane’s wings, the dusky Sydney had a beautiful welcome view for us- of a delightful saffron sky that gradually transitioned to the greenery below! And what better sight to come back home than to my mandarin plant in bloom with a few half ripe fruits (something that we had been waiting to happen, for 5 long years)!
Feeling rejuvenated and positive!