Poooiiiiiiii…..

Poooiiiiiiii…..

We being a state blessed with a head to toe coastal line, fish is a staple diet in Kerala. It comes in fried and curry form. The preparation of fish with ‘Kudampuli’ is a Kerala delicacy. 'Karimeen fry' is synonymous with Kerala coastal tourism too.  Of the many similarities between Bengal and Kerala, liking for fish is one.

There are people whom we call ‘Meenkaran’ chettan (Fisherman) who bring fishes to houses from the coasts. They used to come on cycles earlier. Now they have begun to use motorcycles. But one thing has not changed. The way they indicate their arrival. They make this loud howling sort of sound – ‘pooooiii’ and the people come out to buy fish.Even though people in the house will be alert about his arrival, equally alert are the cats and dogs. They await for one or two fish that the meenkaran might throw at them.

Keywords : Malayali blog, Malayalee blog, Kerala blog, Mallu blog, Kerala, Malayalee, Namaskaram, Malayalam, Onam, God's own country, Back waters, Coconut, Coconut oil, Coconut trees

Kerala’s George Clooneys

Kerala’s George Clooneys

        We have our own Clooneys who are always ‘Up in the air’ J. They are what we call ‘Chethu karan’ chettan. Due to their profession, they spend more time on coconut tree tops than on the land. They extract ‘Kallu’ which is native toddy from the coconut trees.

        I would say they were the first visionaries of the mallu land, quite literally so ;) . Their line of sight were always above and beyond us, the mango people. Owing to this ability to ‘foresee’ things, it is said they were privy to many family secrets of olden times ;). They were the first of its kind drones or ‘eyes in the sky’ as the world calls it these days J.

Keywords : Malayali blog, Malayalee blog, Kerala blog, Mallu blog, Kerala, Malayalee, Namaskaram, Malayalam, Onam, God's own country, Back waters, Coconut, Coconut oil, Coconut trees

Fathima & Mehruba

Fathima & Mehruba

        Those are not the names of two political figures who have had immense influence on the Kerala landscape. Neither are they two journalists who were the gate keepers of Kerala conscience. But, those are names of two albums which became a rage across the state J.

       That was a time when all the malyalees were humming the tunes of Fathima & Mehruba. From the autos to the Sedans to the public transport buses, the speakers were singing out loud the lyrics of these two albums. There were many other fabulous albums like “Sundariye vaa” and many from East Coast.

    That was a time when our language Malayalam was being used increasingly lesser by the modern generation. Such artistic excellence acted as positive interventions towards viewing Malayalam in a much endearing light.

Keywords : Malayali blog, Malayalee blog, Kerala blog, Mallu blog, Kerala, Malayalee, Namaskaram, Malayalam, Onam, God's own country, Back waters, Coconut, Coconut oil, Coconut trees

Shashi

Shashi

        This is one name which has turned out to be a curse to people. 5 years before, no one would have thought the name “Shashi” will be looked down up on.

     In today’s kerala, one is referred to as shashi when one is taken for a ride by someone else. For instance, if a girl dumps a guy, the guy becomes “Shashi” J. It can also be used when one makes a fool out of oneself.

    This name has been made fun of so much that it no more suits a person in a position of power or respect. For instance, if you introduce yourself as “Hi, I am the director of XYZ company. My name is Shashi”. The person you are talking to will suppress a smirk especially if he/she is a youngster.

    The only person remaining in Kerala who still commands respect and repute with the same name is Mr.Shashi Tharoor which implies his achievements are of such scale. Else he also would have come under the fun curse of “Shashi”! J.

Keywords : Malayali blog, Malayalee blog, Kerala blog, Mallu blog, Kerala, Malayalee, Namaskaram, Malayalam, Onam, God's own country, Back waters, Coconut, Coconut oil, Coconut trees

Dubai Duty free

Dubai Duty free

        A large section of kerala population lives in the Gulf of middle east (‘Gelf’ as we mallus say it). When I say a large section, it means at least one member from a family! Due to this, there are many aspects of the gulf culture which are familiar to the mallus, be it kubboos, shawarma or saying Aiwa J.

        The picture here shows a duty free carry bag. There was a time when this became an integral part of our existence. For many of us, seeing this cover at home meant that our father or an uncle or aunt has come home for leave J. Then begins, the search for goodies – chocolates, perfumes, toys, videogames and what not.  People even used to carry a bunch of these covers to distribute among relatives. There was a scent which these covers brought along – the scent of the deserts of the gulf J.

Keywords : Malayali blog, Malayalee blog, Kerala blog, Mallu blog, Kerala, Malayalee, Namaskaram, Malayalam, Onam, God's own country, Back waters, Coconut, Coconut oil, Coconut trees

Ola!

Ola!

        ‘Ola’ is neither a way of greeting in Kerala nor a cab service. It is the leaf of coconut tree. We all have fond memories of playing with toys made of ‘Ola’. I don’t know how many of today’s generation have seen them. Toys ranging from balls to Kattadi(sort of a small windmill) to watches can be made from Ola.

        The picture shows the new logo of Cohin Airport. I am in love with the creativity here. How better can Kerala and aviation be represented together? It is a plane made of Ola J. 

There is also a usage in Malayalam called ‘Ola Pampu’(snake made of Ola). This refers to a phoney tactic to scare people. People often say “ I won’t get scared seeing this ola pampu that you are showing” J

Keywords : Malayali blog, Malayalee blog, Kerala blog, Mallu blog, Kerala, Malayalee, Namaskaram, Malayalam, Onam, God's own country, Back waters, Coconut, Coconut oil, Coconut trees

Sancharam

Sancharam

‘Sancharam’ is one of the first programs which became popular in the Malayalam television world. It is a travel diary in motion. Malayalees are known to travel far and wide. Anywhere in the world you go, you will find at least one malayalee family; be it in Africa or in Argentina!

The popularity of the show is due to two factors – One, it shows picturesque locales from different parts of the world in a very unique way. It is unique in the sense that it doesn’t show those places as you see in a typical travel show. It has got a personal touch to it. When you watch the show, you feel like it is you who is travelling .The second factor is that it looks like the traveller,Mr. Santhosh Kulangara. is a lone traveller. Very rarely does he come in front of the camera. The voice over is given by Aneesh Punnam Peter whose voice has become synonymous with the program now.

It goes something like this. “Njangal ippol Latin America yude theruvukaliloode angolam ingolam sancharichu kondirikkayanu. Ivide road arikil valiya pine marangal undu. Roadukal vishalavum thirakkozhinjathum aanu. Sancharam thudarunnu… “ J

Keywords : Malayali blog, Malayalee blog, Kerala blog, Mallu blog, Kerala, Malayalee, Namaskaram, Malayalam, Onam, God's own country, Back waters, Coconut, Coconut oil, Coconut trees

Jagathy & Mala

Jagathy & Mala

        I do not know what will come up if you Google the above words. You can try out this also. Go to any place in Kerala and ask the people what they think of ‘Jagathy’. They will pause for a minute for, In Kerala, these words can mean two things. These can be names of places. At the same time, these can be names of two immensely talented actors too. 

        Jagathy Sreekumar and Mala Aravindan are two veteran comedians of Malayalam film industry. They both have made us laugh and cry with their craft. ‘Jagati’ is a place in Trivandrum, the capital of Kerala and ‘Mala’ is a place in the ‘Thrissur’ district.

            Although Jagathy has done many memorable roles, one that has always stayed with me is his role in the film ' Sukhamo Devi'. There is a scene where he goes to Mohanlal's burial place and he salutes. It is heart breaking. Mala has always come to my mind in the role of a talented comedian. What about you?

Keywords : Malayali blog, Malayalee blog, Kerala blog, Mallu blog, Kerala, Malayalee, Namaskaram, Malayalam, Onam, God's own country, Back waters, Coconut, Coconut oil, Coconut trees

Santhoshamayi Gopiyetta!

Santhoshamayi Gopiyetta!

We mallus are quite crazy about our films. Malayalam film industry is quite a vibrant one. As much there are those class of films which win national awards year after year, there are commercial films too. Due to this, they have become a major influence in our day to day lives.

The title of this blog is one such snippet from a movie. It literally means “(elder bro) Gopi, I am happy”. But today, it is used in a much more comical way. People use this phrase quite often these days to express disappointment in a comical way. For instance, if your friend ditches you, you may tell him, “Santhoshamayi Gopietta!”. If your father promised to buy you a bike and went back on his words in the last minute, you may tell him “Santhoshamayi Gopietta” but ofcourse, from an arm’s distance J. 

p.s. Don't forget to breathe heavily when you say this dialogue ;)

Keywords : Malayali blog, Malayalee blog, Kerala blog, Mallu blog, Kerala, Malayalee, Namaskaram, Malayalam, Onam, God's own country, Back waters, Coconut, Coconut oil, Coconut trees

The Chettan Conundrum...

The Chettan Conundrum

Consider this situation. A malayalee family have guests from some other part of the country. The lady of the house says “ Chettan has gone to office.” She also says “My chettan and I studied in boarding school since my parents were always transferred”. For us, it doesn’t require much effort to understand the lady is referring to her husband in the first line and to her brother in the second part. But for others, this is the ultimate riddle of all.

Non-keralites are confused as to why would a lady address her husband and brother by the same word! I don’t know how they will react when we say anyone from an auto driver to a postman to a person delivering gas cylinder can be a chettan !!!

I really don’t know what I will tell them if they ask me “ok we agree. But then, who is ‘Mathai Chettan’ ? ;) Only we know “chettan” is mostly just a word attached for showing respect.

Keywords : Malayali blog, Malayalee blog, Kerala blog, Mallu blog, Kerala, Malayalee, Namaskaram, Malayalam, Onam, God's own country, Back waters, Coconut, Coconut oil, Coconut trees

The Mallu Super Hero

The Mallu Super Hero

        Every community worth their salt has their own super hero. Does mallus have one? Yes we do! That hero who comes to help us in danger, that hero who is just a shout away, that hero who rescues us from every situation – He is DINKAN!

        Much before X- Men and crew came, mallus had thought about mutation. ‘Dinkan’ is a mouse who underwent mutation. Hearsay has it that he was changed to a super mouse by a visiting UFO too.  The truth, only Dinkan knows.

So it works likes this.. whenever you are in trouble, all you have to do is shout “ Dinkaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa…..” and Dinkan comes to your rescue. Every week in the world of Balamangalam, some danger or the other befalls the forest where Dinkan dwells. And the animal kingdom turn to dinkan for help. As kids, many a mallu has turned to Dinkan for help and some of us, as grown ups too ;)

Keywords : Malayali blog, Malayalee blog, Kerala blog, Mallu blog, Kerala, Malayalee, Namaskaram, Malayalam, Onam, God's own country, Back waters, Coconut, Coconut oil, Coconut trees

Kiss of Love???

Kiss of Love???

        There was a recent campaign held in Cochin called ‘Kiss of Love’ which was a message against moral policing prevalent in our society. We mallus have a strange kind of moral conscience. We are one of the largest, highly educated communities in the country. But when it comes to matters concerning Love, we go back a decade. I think whatever conflict happened had more to do with the expression of love than love itself.

If you have paid attention, we mallus don’t hug. For that matter, it is a bit difficult for a large majority of us to express love. We do care deeply about people close to us. But when it comes to the physical expression of it, we shy away.

Even when it comes to elders, we show respect in very subtle ways. Many of us do standup when an elderly person walks in. But to touch their feet, it has to be a wedding or a ceremony. This is the reason why many mallu parents get a shock when their children’s friends from other states come and touch their feet. If they are of opposite sex, the mallu mother considers it as a marriage proposal! J

So one has to be a bit aware when it comes to physical expression of Love in God’s own country.

Keywords : Malayali blog, Malayalee blog, Kerala blog, Mallu blog, Kerala, Malayalee, Namaskaram, Malayalam, Onam, God's own country, Back waters, Coconut, Coconut oil, Coconut trees

Mimicry

Mimicry

There is no other state in India where ‘Mimicry’ has as much popularity as it has in Kerala. In most of the other states, it goes only as far to imitate film stars. But in Kerala, it has evolved to be an art form on its own – with variants ranging from skits inspired from politicians to socially relevant themes.

Mimicry became so popular that it became a grooming ground for aspiring film stars like Jayaram and Dileep who made it big in the malayalam film industry. 'Kalabhavan' played a huge role in popularizing this art form. Another great artist from this organization is Mani.

Those of us who would have seen the local temple festivals in the late 1990s and even early 2000s would fondly remember the ‘mimics parade’ which used to be held on temple grounds. They became such a rage that there were Video Cassettes released during that time. There are certain characters who were born out of mimicry directly to mallu hearts like Amina thatha and Ayyappa baiju more recently. We will read about them in the upcoming blogs :)

Keywords : Malayali blog, Malayalee blog, Kerala blog, Mallu blog, Kerala, Malayalee, Namaskaram, Malayalam, Onam, God's own country, Back waters, Coconut, Coconut oil, Coconut trees

Pirivu/Sambhavana

Pirivu/Sambhavana

One of the reasons why most of us mallus have a dog is to fend off people who come home asking for money. No, I am not talking about beggars here or those who are in trouble financially. Most mallus are large hearted enough to help out those people.

There are a group of people who come to mallu homes and ask for money not for themselves but for the ‘development of the society’. They come home asking for ‘pirivu’ or ‘sambhavana’. For instance if there is a festival that is happening in the locality, all the houses should pitch in for this. The same applies for political functions too. How much of this actually goes in to the cause is debatable though.

The people who come for collecting ‘sambhavana’ are the best financial analysts you can find. At one glance of the house, they will deduce how much the person residing there can contribute. They are talented negotiators too. They beg, plead and at times threaten (mildly though) ;).

Keywords : Malayali blog, Malayalee blog, Kerala blog, Mallu blog, Kerala, Malayalee, Namaskaram, Malayalam, Onam, God's own country, Back waters, Coconut, Coconut oil, Coconut trees

Mazha Mazha Kuda Kuda

Mazha Mazha Kuda Kuda

        ‘Kuda’ is umbrella in Malayalam. We take this accessory a tad bit too seriously. To the extent that this small state of Kerala is home to one of the world’s largest manufacturers of umbrellas. Just before monsoon sets in, there are Ad campaigns on all major media channels in Kerala which will put any FMCG company to shame. You hear about them on TV, Newspaper, Radio and may be on internet too these days.The one that you see in the pic is known as 'Kalan Kuda'. The name is such due to the shape of the handle of the umbrella.

        We take our ‘Kuda’s seriously for a reason. Kerala is a state where it rains for about half of the year. And it is not that it drizzles, it pours to the extent that most Kerala rains are mini cloud bursts. So in other parts of the country, if you see someone with an umbrella claiming position of prominence in their home, more often than not, he/she will be a mallu.

        The influence of umbrellas is so much that in festivals; umbrellas have a pride place atop the elephants. There used to be a time when the Malayalam film heroines will have two accessories with them without fail – a handbag and an umbrella! 

Keywords : Malayali blog, Malayalee blog, Kerala blog, Mallu blog, Kerala, Malayalee, Namaskaram, Malayalam, Onam, God's own country, Back waters, Coconut, Coconut oil, Coconut trees

Queen Mary/Mary thampuratty

Queen Mary

You might think people of Kerala are admirers of British monarchy. This post is not debating that possibility at all. In Malayalam, the title of blog would roughly translate to ‘Mary thampuratty’ J.

Mary thampuratty is more than what meets the eye. It implies a Christian lady who has become a Hindu queen. This is used in context where a person has a name with his/her first name and last name represent two different religious affiliations. Another example would be Anthony Nair!

Having said this, Kerala is one place where we all (people who follow different religious beliefs) live together much in love and peace. We celebrate Eid, Christmas and Onam with equal fervor.

Keywords : Malayali blog, Malayalee blog, Kerala blog, Mallu blog, Kerala, Malayalee, Namaskaram, Malayalam, Onam, God's own country, Back waters, Coconut, Coconut oil, Coconut trees

10 Months of Pregnancy

10 Months of Pregnancy

Yes, you read it right, 10 months! All malayalee mothers are doting ammas and take very good care of their children like all other mothers in the rest of the world. But the mallu mothers take a tad bit extra credit for it J.

Although pregnancy is 9 months long, mallu moms claim to have carried their children for 1 extra month – for 10 months. So in situations that demand emotional black mailing, they take out this dialogue: “10 masam chummanna ennodu nee ingane paranjille!” which means how could you say this to me who carried you in my womb for 10 months?

Either the mallu doctors have brainwashed the mallu moms and tricked them in to believing it is 10 months or they are taking extra credit ;). I think it is time someone investigated this.

Keywords : Malayali blog, Malayalee blog, Kerala blog, Mallu blog, Kerala, Malayalee, Namaskaram, Malayalam, Onam, God's own country, Back waters, Coconut, Coconut oil, Coconut trees

Sulaimani

Sulaimani

 A steaming glass (not cup) of black tea with a dash of lime added to it. The rest of the world calls it black tea and we Keralites call it ‘Sulaimani’. Why is it called so? It’s in the history and on google. Let’s not fret about it.

This beverage owes a bit of its popularity to the veteran comedian of Malayalam cinema, Mr. Mamukkoya. In many a films, he has mentioned or offered this beverage with much love. Much recently, ‘Sulaimani’ made a comeback with a bang through the much loved film, ‘Ustad hotel’ too.

It is usually had as refreshment at any time of the day. We also have it after a heavy meal like a full on Malabari chicken biriyani. Quite often, people add a dash of lime also to it.

When you visit Kerala, make it a point to have a pint of sulaimani. Do not have it in those fancy mugs. You must have it in small glasses as one in the pic and have it by holding the rim of the glass allowing the steaming vapor to refresh you.

Kerala monsoon, a glass of ‘sulaimani’ and a group of friends to chat with. Believe you me, it is as close to heaven one can get!

Keywords : Malayali blog, Malayalee blog, Kerala blog, Mallu blog, Kerala, Malayalee, Namaskaram, Malayalam, Onam, God's own country, Back waters, Coconut, Coconut oil, Coconut trees

Varatte?

Varatte?

Of the many quirks of mallus, one is the way we bid good byes. There are various ways of bidding adieu. One such is by saying ‘varatte’. This word actually means ‘Shall I come?’. Imagine a person sitting in your home for about an hour and just about when he/she decides to leave and you show them to the door. Then this person says ‘Shall I come’? What can be more odd than that? But such are we malayalees J.

There are other ways also of saying good bye. One is to say ‘appo shari’. This would roughly translate to ‘okey then’. About the various usages of that, we will see in another blog J. Another way is to say ‘Kaanam’ . This means ‘We will see’ literally and which actually means ‘We will meet again’.

There are also a group of mallus who say it in English. But they say "Good bye" in a way which is made popular by the man in the picture. He is Mr.Sreekantan Nair, an extremely talented and popular talk show host who has his unique way of saying "Good Baaayyyy!!" :).

The best one which I have come across is when one says “Poyittu varam” which means I will come back again.

Keywords : Malayali blog, Malayalee blog, Kerala blog, Mallu blog, Kerala, Malayalee, Namaskaram, Malayalam, Onam, God's own country, Back waters, Coconut, Coconut oil, Coconut trees

The ‘fa’ factor

The ‘Fa’ factor

        There is a group of people in Kerala who pronounces ‘Bha’ in  quite a different way J. For instance, ‘Bharatham’ will be Faratham for them! Shashi ettan’s studio ‘Bharani’ will be Farani!

        I really don’tknow how the primary level school teachers achieve this feat. Imagine teaching the kids the Malayalam akshara mala and telling them there are two ‘fa’s which are written in two different ways!

        My friend from Kottayam says it is only with Malayalam words that the do this cruelty ;). For example, if there is a board with ‘Bharat Petroleum’ written on it, they will read it the way the other human beings do. But if they see a board with ‘Bharathapuzha’ written in Malayalam, then they will read it as farathapuzha!

        The funniest part is when people from this part of the state think that ‘fa’ is the right way of pronouncing and the rest of the world is wrong in pronouncing the letter as’Bha’ J.

Keywords : Malayali blog, Malayalee blog, Kerala blog, Mallu blog, Kerala, Malayalee, Namaskaram, Malayalam, Onam, God's own country, Back waters, Coconut, Coconut oil, Coconut trees

Kollalo Videon

Kollalo Videon

        Now for you to understand the title of this blog, you should have grown up in Kerala in the early 1990s watching DD MalayalamJ. It was a time when Doordarshan was the only channel available and the number of brands from Kerala which used to advertise were really countable on your hands.

        ‘Kollalo videon’ was the catch line in an advertisement which featured Innocent, the comedian of Malayalam film industry.  He delivered it in his own humorous style. This has come to be used as a phrase now. It is used in situations when a person lists down the various uses of a particular product or a thing and  you want to approve of it, of course in a funny way J.

Keywords : Malayali blog, Malayalee blog, Kerala blog, Mallu blog, Kerala, Malayalee, Namaskaram, Malayalam, Onam, God's own country, Back waters, Coconut, Coconut oil, Coconut trees