An Art Travelogue

My recent trip to Athens Greece was quite remarkable in many ways. We went there just before the Covid 19 struck  the entire world. Since then any  travels seem like a distant dream and I am so grateful to have visited the place , a choicest  destination for any Art lover!

 It was also  the first time  I saw the ancient city of Athens not through  the big pages of Janson’s Art History book  or a picture posted online but with my own organic eyes!

 Decades ago as an Art History major I would often look at the pictures of  Nike or the grand fluted pillars of Acropolis and wondered if I would ever  see them. I finally saw and experienced the majestic art and architecture of Greece.  Here are a few things that caught my attention in a mild or impactful manner. 

Goddess Athena : The main Goddess of Athens, goddess of wisdom and war,

and patron of arts and crafts. She was the one who  gifted the Olive Trees to Athens. Interesting fact : Did you know that there is  a full replica of the statue of Athena in The Parthenon in Centennial Park, here in the USA ,in Nashville, Tennessee built in 1897.

 Column Orders  and a Special  plant:   Classical Columns ( or  Pillars in layman’s words) in architecture  that we see all over  the world, from the White House to the porches of our homes were also a gift from the ancient Greeks! I still remember studying  these column orders  in great detail during my BFA days!  But  keeping  it simple  ~ there are three styles of columns  1.Doric order - simplest and the smallest. 

2. Ionic order- taller and had a scroll like vault on the top. 3.Corinthian order- the most decorative , tallest(and my favorite). 

While taking a tour of the Temple of Zeus (which still has 15 Corinthian columns standing ), the  guide showed a plant nearby, to which I didn’t pay much attention, until I came to know that this plant was perhaps the inspiration for the elaborate design of the Corinthian columns! It's called the Acanthus plant and grows wild in the area. Clearly so, I could then make a direct connection between the  shape of the leaves and designs donning the capital of the grand pillars! 

One of the most prized sculptures of the Hellinestic Period is the Nike of Samothrace  the winged goddess of Victory. There is a small Temple dedicated to  Athena Nike at Parthenon. However the Nike of Samothrace which I had been wanting to see up close is  not in Athens but at the Louvre Paris! It  is undoubtedly  the star attraction of the Louvre Museum (apart from Monalisa ).  Made around 2000 years ago,it is awe inspiring to think  the way white marble had been carved with many tactile  textures, the contrapposto pose capturing  the moment Nike  just landed on the ground, the way the sculpture emits  and weaves the energy around is absolutely remarkable! One needs to see this to experience it.

 But until our future  impending  trip to the Louvre, we decided to get this gorgeous marble replica of the Nike of Samothrace  from Athens, and  now descends and graces  my home! 

 Arch of Hadrian: Just 2 minutes  away from the Temple of Zeus is the  Arch of Hadiran. Back in 2c AD it divided the old and new cities. Now it’s right in the middle of the city, just off the main road. The  archway is made out of marble, standing  tall and wide with Corinthian columns on the top story, it also  has some inscriptions on it. 

 After looking at the  monument ,that  particular  day, as we walked around the cobblestone streets  in the Plaka area (market), I gave more attention to  the quaint  windows, arches and decorative doorways of the regular greek households. They had a character of their own, a charming reminder that  aesthetics and colors  bring joy to everyone, no matter where you are , who you are,  powerful or ordinary , mighty or mundane.

 The Olive Trees! Who doesn’t like EVOO !(Extra Virgin Olive Oil)

 Known for its profound qualities, this plant is the top choice for salad lovers  like me, especially the  Kalamata olives !

 Legend has it that the olive tree was gifted to the city of Athens by Athena in a contest against Poseidon,  which she won, as the people chose her gift (olive tree) rather than Poseidon’s (salty spring water) !

I saw these trees represented  in many ways : metal  sculpture, decorative artifacts & wreaths, patterns on textile  and of course olive plantation  all over in the region.  It is said that an olive tree (highlighted in pic’s) is planted in the very same location  as the  first olive tree given to the city of Athens ! No it's not that old though ! The present tree is around 60 years  old~ It stands in front of the Temple of Erechtheion on the Acropolis.

 City views : Athens is beautifully set in between many small hills, surrounding it like a garland. It  also offers many high hill top locations to see some stunning panoramic views, espeically at night.

The Parthenon being the center point of the city, looks  spectacular  both during the day and night. The highest point in the city is Lykavittos,  (seen in pictures taken from the Acropolis). Some panoramic views taken from Delphi were also mesmerizing. The greenery was fresh and vibrant in contrast to the hills and rocks, standing still  for  thousands of years. 

This culmination of the new and the ancient was a calming and humbling experience. I tried to absorb these moments by consciously paying attention to deep breathing and being present in the ‘now’. Those moments are now stored in my eternal gratitude file to be cherished  forever !

Reflections on a modern electronic makeover in my Desi kitchen

It was a humid August evening in Ambala, India. Looking towards the pink sky from the kitchen window she said to her sister,“It's your turn today!”

“No! It’s yours!” replied her sister within a split second.

“Oh well !”the girl obliged. Rolling her eyes she shabbily walked over to the slab and started working. Beating and punching her fists into the loose flour,taming out her extra energy.

At the back of her mind she knows that this task will be judged and so she must do it well. In 7 minutes precise she rolls out a pliable and fluffy dough ball, feeling accomplished and relieved.

The huffing puffing teenager beating the dough was none other than me ,few decades ago!

Each day my sister and I took turns to knead the dough for dinner that our mom would then make “rotis” of , and depending on the quality of the dough ,we could be over the moon with her praises or walk away sheepishly with a sharp dose of her criticism.

This was one of the many essential skills that mom had enforced as highly necessary and made sure we practiced through our teen years.

Fast forward it to a quarter century later. I am talking to my 16 year old daughter “Beta, we need to set a time for me to teach you how to knead the dough!” She replies “ Mom, please don't worry I can see the youtube tutorial and learn, you don’t need to go through the hassle of giving me live demonstration!”

My jaws drop and eyes open wide, exclaiming with tension in my forehead I said “You cannot learn everything on the net! Kneading the dough is the one of the most basic but very difficult skills, it needs expertise and you will have to learn it through practice!”

“OK mom,I will if you insist!” she replied with a nonchalant shrug,“ But honestly what is the need of learning all this... when was the last time you kneaded the dough yourself?”

Now that was ‘the’ question! With a clueless look, I thought to myself.”When? Wait, I did last week ! Nope! Seriously, when was the last time I kneaded the dough?”

My daughter was right!

It had been quite a while now. Not that we had given up eating bread or had outsourced to another person. I was still providing my family with fresh and home cooked rotis but the process of things had really changed.

Until recently my kitchen was run in a very traditional way. Early in the morning I would put the pan on the stove and pound the fresh cardamom to make masala chai. It was similar to what my mother had done back in India, a whole generation ago.

I had adopted the conventional style of functioning in the kitchen just as I had learned from her. From tea to dinner, I still believed in doing everything from scratch, otherwise it was no good.

As the years went by, the topic of an immigrant Indian women bringing Indian traditions to the American kitchen observantly increased around my coffee meet ups.

While my friends would talk in awe of the convenience of using frozen meals and pre- made masalas or outsourcing dishes completely, I, in no ability to relate to them, would keep quiet of my reality of still choosing to chop fresh ingredients before every meal.

However, I was gradually realizing the cons of my lifestyle. It was time consuming and tedious, to say the very least. With a full time job and without any helping hands I often found myself grumbling and venting about my inconveniences.

The fact that this precious time being used on the chopping board and stove could have easily been an opportunity to unfold my creative outputs and hobbies, greatly bothered me.

Then, a visit from a dear friend one day, led to a series of drastic changes that my kitchen had never experienced before!

It all started with a gift of gourmet tea bags which simply prefered to to be steeped in a certain temperatures of boiling water rather than being boiled in a open pan, to bring out the subtle flavors. She suggested I get an electric kettle to enjoy the speciality teas.

Only for the love of tea and our friendship did I get the electric kettle to which otherwise I never had felt the need of.

Not only did it brewed that perfect cup of tea with the right temperatures , it also eliminated the hassle of scrubbing the pan with the dishes afterwards!

As my friend and I sat back sipping the aromatic brew, the topic of kitchen time management obviously came up. “ I love to cook, but it is becoming so time consuming”,no sooner had I started complaining,she gave off the looks as if I was living under a rock !

“There are many smart intelligent tools out there that you desperately need girl, what in the world are doing with this ancient style of cooking!”She stated in my face with a matter of fact concern.

It hit me hard in that moment that my kitchen was crying of modern technology upgrades and I had paid no attention to it in years!

That conversation initiated a splurge of investments in smart kitchen appliances. From an electric egg beater to an egg boiler, electric skillet ,grill and cooker (Instant pot ),rice cooker ,roti maker, I got them all!

I had clearly delaved into the evolution of my kitchen.

Most of the smart tools, not only helped a typical task in the kitchen, but were also amazingly helpful for my Desi style of cooking.

The tools became the helping hands that I had always missed. Like the roti making machine (Rotimatic) replaced the sieving , kneading ,rolling and cooking of rotis and turning it all into an efficient and automatic affair.

In this light, even YouTube tutorials on kneading dough seemed irrelevant.

The best part of using the smart technology was it didn’t need the babysitting typically needed in the manual methods. The satisfaction of still providing the family with fresh home cooked meals plus the benefits of being time saver sealed the deal for me!There was no going back!

And while a machine can never replicate the human touch, my zeal and enthusiasm of using it was infectious and my family adjusted well to the food being cooked in slightly different ways.

I felt as if I had transformed into a modern, hip version of myself, adapting to the urban lifestyle I had missed out on for so long in lieu of new and top of the line cooking technology.

This “hi-tech love” was new and I displayed it unabashedly , simply because like a personal aid the technology was there to help me anytime of the day.

So where did the question of teaching my daughter kneading the dough come in my mind?

Well it must have been the remnant effects in my subconscious of a phone conversation with my aging mother from across the sea back in India. Her concern and anxiousness about teaching her granddaughter the basic household skills (just like when I was a 16 years old) must have influenced me.

***

Mom, please don’t worry on that anymore. Not only will your granddaughter manage it all but even your middle aged daughter has finally got it all under control, on a press of a button!

-----

Divya Attri is a visual art educator, an artist and a writer living in Princeton, New Jersey. When she’s not teaching art to kids , she is  gazing at an empty canvas or paper  trying to give her colorful ideas a life. 

https://www.indiaabroad.com/blogs/reflections-on-a-modern-electronic-makeover-in-my-desi-kitchen/article_1dbaa710-0d1a-11e8-bd49-7fd73f54db7c.html

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Of midlife, midriff and a meditation on rest of life

“Mom, read this book, you will love it!,” said my teenage daughter enthusiastically. I glanced at the cover of the book and handed it back to her. It almost felt unfair to out rightly put the book down and say that this best seller doesn’t interest me anymore. I replied “Thanks beta, will definitely do after I finish the current one.”

“Which book are you reading these days?” she asked inquisitively. I paused for a moment and hesitantly showed her the cover of the book. Parts of the title read, “The Ancient Science of Mantras.” She looked bewildered at me. “Really mom! Ancient Mantras! Is that what you’re reading these days? What happened?”

For a person who wouldn’t pick anything other than best sellers and popular book club titles, reading a rather obscure book about the ancient knowledge of mantra surely marked a change.

Beating around the bush, looking for an answer myself, I wondered, what had happened?

The other day I revamped my wardrobe, pulling out all the tight-sits - pretty- at- the-waist kinds of outfits, replacing them with bohemian style, relaxed fits. The body must have finally thanked me for letting go of those bodycon dresses which demanded that I suck in the belly and take half breaths for that perfect look.

Driving in my car last weekend, the whole family dozed off as my Spotify belted out deep soulful Sufi music that I was joyously listening to. It was a far cry from the usual Bollywood top charts that would usually blare in my car before, mostly just to keep up with the trends.

The shift in my food palette was notable too. Of late, I’d been wearing the sash of being herbivore queen in the house. Keeping the typical heavy Punjabi food at bay, I was feasting on veggies and fruits. Even the husband was not spared in this regard, his favorite methai being replaced by a red apple for a dessert.

What was going on? Was there any pattern between these changes? Were they indicative of something I was not aware of? Or, was I suddenly getting old, too early, too soon?

Oh, dear. Before my hair completely turns grey and my teenager graduates from school, it was time to assess the situation.

45! A number in life, that neither holds the excitement of starting a new decade nor the maturity of becoming a quinquagenarian. One is in middle of life, dealing with oddballs thrown in here and there. The hustle bustle of family life, jobs, social engagements, lifestyle and health issues. Ah! The grind of everyday life! Adulting felt like being a hamster on the wheel all the time.

Where was the time to pause?

A few days back my girlfriend passed along this forwarded “Whatsapp gyan” which actually caught my attention. It read, “I’m at that point in my life where I don’t have time for games. Either be real or be gone!”

How true was that. And how exhilarating. Half of my energies would not be depleted if only I focused on things that were necessary, meaningful and rewarding.

That was it! “Either be real or be gone.” This quote from so called ‘karma bitch’ slammed right in my face igniting a desire to set some changes in. As if I was waiting for this moment to fix my midlife burnout.

“Svadhyaya,” a word mentioned by dad (who is an avid practitioner of yoga) had made little sense to me until now. Harking back on the ancient knowledge and wisdom of the sages, I was ready to dig into it.

Upanishads and Patanjali’s Yoga Sutra greatly emphasizes the importance of “Svadhyaya,” which directly translates to “self-study.” It is the art of contemplative meditation, where you take some time to reflect and bring awareness to your thoughts, actions, emotions, feelings, subconscious programming, conscious choices -all of which are often pushed aside to attend to our daily responsibilities.

There is no better way to declutter your mind, body, and soul than by just by paying attention to all that we do in our daily life. We do so many things just to please people. We are afraid of rejection even in saying a polite ‘no.’ We don’t value our time or just do things because it is trendy and everyone else is doing so.

Just by giving a few minutes every day to focus on what we did and what decisions we could have made better also helps draw the mind away from outward-going tendencies, silencing the crowd of thoughts, and ultimately nudges us towards inner harmony.

Paying attention to what you wear, seemed like a good starting point, hence the revamping of wardrobe. Removing those pretty “party stunner” dresses was like weeding out the “unnecessaries” out of my life. If I could not breathe deeply under the comfy layers, what good were they hanging in my closet?

The same thought applied to food that was not nourishing, music that was not

soulful, books that were not insightful, social engagements that were not uplifting, even chatting on Whatsapp that was redundant.

These were small baby steps but necessary to assess where one stood in life and in what direction it was heading. It definitely helped in carving out some extra time to pause and fill the mundane days with fulfilling moments. Especially if you start at 45, there is a whole lot of room for growth and miles to go on that journey.

Divya Swami Attri is a visual arts educator, an artist and a freelance writer based in Princeton, New Jersey

https://www.indiaabroad.com/blogs/of-midlife-midriff-and-a-meditation-on-rest-of-life/article_bcb9315c-4085-11e9-a3de-0778020f7c40.html

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The Nine Sacred Days

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http://www.tribuneindia.com/2000/20001001/spectrum/main7.htm

The nine sacred days By Divya Swami Attri MOST of us go to temples during navratras to worship Goddess Durga, but not many of us are  aware of the philosophical significance behind it. It is believed that there are 40 navratras in a year (40x9=360), out of whichChaitra - Sukla  (March - April) and Asvin - Sukla (September - October) are the most important for  devi worship. According to Devi Bhagwat Puran, "The two seasons, autumn and spring,  are known as the teeth of Yama, the God of Death". The beginning of summer and  beginning of winter have the right weather and solar influences and are taken as  sacred opportunities for worship. Durga Puja or Navratri commences on the first and ends on the tenth day of the  bright half of Asvin Sukla. It celebrates the victory of Durga over Mahisasura,  the buffalo-headed demon. The tenth day is called Vijayadashmi or Dasehra  and is also the day when Rama defeated Ravana. Das means ten sins and  Harameans to remove, and so Dasehra celebrates the cutting of ten heads  of Ravana associated with passion, pride, anger, greed, lust, infatuation,  hatred, jealous, selfishness and crookedness. Because of its auspicious  character, Hindu kings in ancient times used to undertake ambitious expeditions  on this day. In Rajasthan, even now, people arrange mock attacks on some forts  on Vijayadashmi.

Religious observances, festivals and traditional worship are  more important than the adoration of the Divine. Apart  from commemorating important events in history, they  are allegorical when interpreted from a mythological standpoint. On a spiritual level, navratras symbolise the stage of man’s  evolution into God-- from Jivahood (state of individualisation)  to Sivahood (state of self realisation). Navratras can be divided into three sets of three days each,  dedicated to the three different aspects of the Goddess. First,  she is adorned as Durga, the Terrible, where she fights  against and overcomes the base animal qualities of the  individual. It marks the destruction of impurity and  evil tendencies in one’s mind. The next step is to acquire  positive qualities and build a sublime spiritual  personality by worshipping Lakshmi, who bestows the  divine wealth on her devotees. The worship of Saraswati  in the last three days is to receive the  light of supreme wisdom. Vijayadashmi, on the tenth day,  marks the triumph of the soul at having attained liberation  while living in this world. Even the images, their various forms, attributes, symbols  and weapons have a esoteric meaning with deep  philosophical significance. The worship of the image  of Durga indicates the victory of the soul over animal  passions -- the demon personifies passions, desire,  anger, pride, jealousy and attachment. This victory is  achieved with the help of Saraswati (higher knowledge)  Ganesha (determination for success) and Lakshmi  (good fortune).  They are the companions of Durga. The various weapons in the hands of Durga also have  their significance. The trident given to her by  Shiva represents satva, rajas and tamas qualities,  the discus given by Vishnu represents rotation of the world,  the conch given by Varun relates to sound and symbolises  the sky. Similarly, the bow and arrow given by Maruta  represents Sankhya and Yoga, and the danda given by  Yama is the Rod of Fate. Sun gave her red rays which  is the source of all lust. Destiny presented her with  a sword and a spotless shield, which is symbolic  illusion, necessary for the creation of the world.  , the elephant-headed Ganesha represents inflated  ego or consciousness. ‘I’, Saraswati’s two eyes stand  for the sun and moon, her four arms represents  the four Vedas, rosary represents time and the veena  in her hand stands for all achievements. Lakshmi’s  pot of nectar represents the essence of water,  while lotus in her hand represents wealth,  and the bilva fruit in her hand symbolises  the whole world. This truth should inspire devotees to graduate from  idol worship to Para-Vidya — the highest knowledge in life.

http://www.womensweb.in/articles/thanksgiving-traditions-indian-mom/
http://masalamommas.com/2011/11/22/thankful-for-moms-perspective-on-thanksgiving/

What Are You Thankful For? A Mom’s Perspective on Thanksgiving

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on November 22, 2011 at 4:31 am

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By Divya Swami Attri

“Mama what is our family tradition for Thanksgiving?” my eager 8 year-old daughter asked me with a pronounced emphasis on *our*.Mildly surprised by her curious tone, I gave her a quizzical look, trying to decipher her possible concern. As she went into an explanation mode, giving me all and sundry details of her day at school, it turned out, that it was “the question of the day,” a part of her homework. Every student in her class had to speak about this topic the next day, a share-segment, for the Morning Meeting Activity.  The exact answer to her question flashed upon my mind immediately. But to the tell a second grader to go and say in front of her class that, “ we do NOT have any family traditions for Thanksgiving and therefore I will not participate in the discussion”, was a heartbreaking thought!

As trivial as it may be, I chose not to reveal the fact. Instead, I concocted an impromptu and an ‘instant tradition’ (‘instant’- is my magic mantra these days) for our family on Thanksgiving, which she could share with her classmates, inflating her with confidence about it all.  My daughter went to school the next morning, assured and certain in her mind. However, it left me pondering with many questions that many of us migrants often have to deal with. Should one remain oblivious to the local culture of the place you are currently living in or adhere faithfully to your inherent culture, or try to be the all-inclusive, embracing types, taking both of them in your stride?

After living in three different continents and four different countries in a span of nine years, it felt like going on perpetual cultural absorption, assimilation and preservation spree around the globe! Life has been an assortment of myriad socio-cultural experiences, a mixture of adapting the new fronts, and harboring the old values.

Since the ‘instant tradition’ had been already established, I preferred to stay with an ‘all-embracing’ frame of mind.  In retrospect, in all the previous years that we have been living on the American soil, Thanksgiving for me was only about being thankful for the long weekend. Frankly, there was a lot to like about this rather humbling American tradition. The idea to allot a day in your calendar primarily to express a feeling of gratitude towards whomever one may wish is indeed a noble one.

Thanksgiving remains outside the realms of over commercialization and unlike other festivals; it has nothing much to do with elaborate ritualistic and the materialistic aspects of gifts, costumes, or decorations.   The celebration is simple and undemanding, it is mainly about getting together as a family or with friends, having an elaborate meal (Turkey being the special ingredient), and thanking God (the pilgrims and the harvest) but also expressing gratitude in general to family, friends, pets, house or anything else.

As a typical desi family, we are more of a God-thanking people than human thanking. In innumerable ways, we thank God many times a day. However, in the daily parlance used at our home, the word ‘thank you’ comes in the grandiloquent category.  Knitted in a secure and a strong relationship, we tend to take each other for granted, which has a charm of its own.

Nevertheless, the gratifying experience of a personal acknowledgement by heartfelt kind words of thanks is irreplaceable. Moreover, I genuinely believe that each one of us is worth the honor at least once a year.    A holiday like Thanksgiving, will give us an opportunity to focus on the spirit of gratitude. It will also give us another reason to add, in the repertoire of the many celebrations that we are now accustomed.

So how am I going to celebrate Thanksgiving this year? We will keep it simple. We will cook a sumptuous meal, and with tenderness in heart and humility in mind, will answer the question –‘What are you Thankful for?’

More about Divya Swami Attri:

Divya is an art teacher, wife and a mom of two children living in Princeton, New Jersey. When she’s not teaching art, she’s in the kitchen concocting new recipes or slouching over her laptop trying to give her writing ideas a life. Divya’s articles have been published in international magazines such as India Abroad, Tribune India and India Post

My daughter's first tea party!

http://news.rediff.com/column/2010/jun/02/column-my-daughters-first-tea-party.htm

One of my favorite topics and article - welcome all TEA Lovers to this read!

My daughter's first tea party!

June 02, 2010 03:24 IST

Divya Swami Attri tried to pass on the love for tea to her daughter. Here's what happened next

As a FOB (Fresh of the Boat) immigrant, I zealously carry on my Indian cultural sensibilities, with a lot more gusto then I would have back in India. Seen as a typical FOB syndrome, a lot of desis like me go through this transformation! It is not only for the sake of nostalgia that we cherish and hone our sensitivities towards our diverse and multilayered culture but also because these significant sensibilities are the byproducts of our bringing up which act like branch-roots, spreading in all directions providing us the stability and nourishment needed for our identities in an new land.

My attachment to the foods and drinks that I grew up on goes beyond the standard realms of habit and patronage, insomuch that a humble cup of tea becomes much more than just a cup and its contents. I went through this realization a few weeks back when my eight-year-old daughter received a cordial invitation for a high-end tea party. I surprised myself when I--rather than my daughter--displayed a childlike enthusiasm to the invitation! The concept of a tea party celebration for young girls of her age was certainly not the "in thing" these days. Fearing that she might inadvertently decline it, for the oddity of its nature, I accepted it on her behalf, and cajoled her to go for it.

The reason for this elated reaction was my genuine interest for this humble beverage called Tea, which is also a preferred desi drink, aptly labeled the 'national drink' of India.

Growing up on umpteen cups of tea right from my early childhood has made it a pint-sized but integral part of my desi food habits, which I would like to pass over to my kids. Having enjoyed a fine selection a variety of tea, from premium Darjeeling to fruity Nilgiris, from the strong intensity of desi dudh-patti (milk-and-leaves) to energizing herbal blends, from experimental drinking of spicy sage to exciting mint flavors. I have admired this soothing beverage, regardless of taste, form, and style.

Sipping freshly brewed tealeaves in exquisite silverware surrounded by the cascading green tea plantations of Kalimpong, to drinking in an unbaked clay pot in an overcrowded Indian train compartment are the two broad ends of the many memories that I associate with tea.

Tea is one of the many good things immigrants have bought to the United States. However, I feared that in a coffee loving country, if unexposed to the fine tastes of tea blends, my daughter's food palette would only accept an occasional Chai latté on the go! Attending this tea party would introduce her to this genre of beverage bringing some excitement to her expanding taste buds. Who knows it could even pave the way for her becoming an ardent tea enthusiast in the future.

My daughter went ahead for the party and my keen anticipation began. While I was curious to know her feedback regarding her first 'formal' connection with tea, I mused about my own connections with the tea world.

It is not merely a warm cup of infused green leaves and spicy aromas, for many tea lovers. The entire process of brewing and consuming brims on the verge of a holistic approach. While drinking my cuppa, depending on the circumstances that I am in, my mind switches on to different modes, and the word 'Tea' takes on a more profound statement than a mere commodity.

This is how it goes; in the company of others, tea for me becomes 'The Evergreen Act-of kindness', establishing and sharing a warm relationship. When in solitude, it becomes a time to 'Think Easily Above-all', giving me the ability to recuperate, reflect and reenergize. In headlock situations where I am looking for a break, drinking tea becomes a 'Truly Effective Alternative', giving me a much-required moment to pause. Above all, packed with abundant antioxidants and other stress relieving and energizing qualities it subtly becomes 'The harmless Enjoyable Addiction'!

I stopped musing as I see my daughter cheerfully waving goodbye to her friends. "Mama it was good fun, we learned some rules about table manners, we drank and ate in real chinaware, we learned how to stir without any noise!"

"But how was the tea sweetheart?" I asked her, growing impatient by now.

"Oh no mama, not tea, we had 'pink lemonade' to drink in those pretty cups!" 

Divya is a teacher and freelance writer. She lives with her husband and children in Robbinsville, New Jersey
Illustration: Uttam Ghosh

Divya Swami Attri

Tags: ABCD, Divya Swami Attri, FOB, Uttam Ghosh, Nilgiris