Kili

Kili

        There are two types of buses in Kerala – private buses and transport buses (yes that is how state Govt. owned buses are called in Kerala) .All transport buses have a driver and a conductor like all buses in the country. But the private buses have one more person to take care of it. This blog is about that person.

        The third person of the bus is called a ‘Kili’. The literal meaning of this word is bird. How this person came to be called ‘Kili’ is not really known. Now, let us look at the purpose behind the existence of this person. This person is there to ensure that the people get in to the bus in zero time. He stops the bus with a single bell and makes the traveler get down before the bus stops. He starts the bus with a double bell and ensures the bus moves just when the last traveler has his/her foot on the footboard. Many a time, some ‘Kilis’ get in to trouble for getting a tad bit too pushy and shovey especially when the women folk get in to the bus.

        Having said all this, there are also kilis who are kind enough to help elderly people get on and alight safely from the-always-in-a-hurry buses 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

Pink Vodka

Pink Vodka

        No, this blog is not about the drinking habits of mallus. We will address that in another blog for that has become a part of the identity of being a mallu even if many of us like it or not.

        This blog is what my friend Sachin (He is from Karnataka) calls the mallu drinking water :) . He walked in to a Kerala restaurant and ordered drinking water. Here comes, a glass with a pink liquid in it. His malayalee friend drank it without batting an eyelid. 

        We malayalees know that it is just plain water boiled with ‘Dahashamini’ powder or ‘pathiukham’. This pink water is absolutely drinkable and it even has some medicinal values. People from outside find it a bit strange to drink this pink water.

        You might ask whatever happened to boiling plain water and drinking it? Well, that is just another way of mallus playing mind tricks on others ;)

Mallu Names

Mallu Names

        In spite of being one of the most educated classes of people, we mallus do not put the effort it deserves in finding a name for our kids. It is almost as if we do not want to waste time in something like a name. I guess we took Shakespeare a bit too seriously when he said “What is in a name?”

        Once you are in kerala, watch the rear windshield of a car. If you see Aji on one end and Jiji on the other end of the glass, that is a typical mallu family who doesn’t believe in wasting time naming people. When I was in school, I had friends with names like Pinto, Tinto and Minto. The other class had a guy called Linto too! And I am not even beginning to exaggerate.

        Another great idea we use is to take syllables of father’s and mother’s names and come up with out of the world names. For instance, if father’s name is Babu and mother’s name is Treesa, then their son will be Sabu and daughter will be Treeba!

Next time you hear a person with a typical mallu name, do not judge the person. He/She just had parents who were busy reading up international affairs or politics that they didn’t want to waste time by just naming their kid even if he/she will be stuck with it for a lifetime 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

Bobanum Moliyum

Bobanum Moliyum

        If you haven’t read ‘Bobanum Moliyum’, the seminal piece of literature by an immensely talented cartoonist Toms, your right to be a called a malayalee is lost by half!

        It is interesting to see how influential those characters have become in our day to day lives. We use the dog in this cartoon to refer to people who are omnipresent – who insists on being present everywhere.

        Ittunnan chettans are those people who have refused to grow wise with age. Chettathis are all those dominating wives who control their husband by a leash.

        Unnikkuttan has evolved in to Tintu mon in today’s world. We shall discuss about him in a later blog. Appi the Hippie are all those people who are pretentiously modern – those who throw in a word or a sentence in English when it is completely un necessary.

        We are all thankful to Toms for making us laugh and smile during a time when there weren’t much reasons to be happy about.

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