Mushroom is a non vegetarian food but pastries or chocolates made of eggs is a vegetarian food!!!

One of my colleagues is a strict vegetarian since she is from a Thamizh Brahmin family. She just can't stand the smell of non vegetarian food items.

I was surprised when she would not touch mushrooms. When I had asked her, she told me that their community does not consider mushrooms to be a vegetarian food item. I tried to explain to her that mushroom is a plant and not an animal. She explained to me that she understood that mushroom is a plant, but the principles that were instilled in her from an early age would not allow her mind to consider it as a plant.

The same day, she had picked up the pastries (that contained egg as an ingredient) and was happily eating them. I asked her if she was ok in having pastries that had eggs since egg is not a vegetarian food item. She said she does not mind that. She has no problem in having pastries, chocolates that have egg as an ingredient.

I was puzzled. It did not sound logical to me.

I then noticed that this was the case with most of the people from the Brahmin community. They will not touch mushrooms, but they would have egg based food items. I know of some folks who used to have whole eggs to make sure that they have enough protein and calcium in their body.

On the other hand, when I had decided to forego non veg for almost 2 years, I used to check the ingredients of the chocolates I had. I wouldn't eat the ones that had eggs as ingredients.

Today, we both had an interesting conversation -

U: R, I wanted to tell you something. Today I was about to distribute the chocolates that H had got from onsite to the team

Me: Ok.

U: That was when H told me that one box of chocolates had rum as an ingredient.

Me: Oh. What is wrong with that?

U (with disbelief) : You are asking me what is wrong? How can I give that to the team and the girls in particular?  I asked him to take it back.

Me: What is there in that. Give it to them and tell them. Let them decide if they want it or don't want it.

U: No. That is wrong.

Me: U, you like plum cakes right?

U: Yes. I like them.

Me: do you know that one of the ingredients they add in the plum cake is "rum"?

U: No, I don't. I never read the ingredients in any item that I buy

Me: Ok, but most of them have it. I don't see any difference between the plum cake that has "rum" and these chocolates.

U: Plum cake is fine. But these chocolate are not right to eat.

I rest my case!!!!!

I couldn't help smile at that - this community follow a strict vegetarian life style. Eating anything else is considered sinful. But the whole concept can be overlooked if an individual likes to eat a certain food item!!!

Solving the Rubik's cube

My cousin Si had bought the Rubik cube for himself two years back. While he was packing his stuff before leaving, my mom noticed it and asked him about it. He asked her to keep it with her knowing very well that she would love to work on it.

After he left, my mom used to pick it up and try to solve it patiently whenever she had some free time to do that. She was able to place at least 7 or 8 cubes of same color near by but never able to place the 9 cubes. I used to tease her and ask her to just swap the stickers with the colors she needed 😀.

I even told her that there was a problem with the way it was manufactured since it was just not possible to solve it with the way the cubes were placed.

Finally two days back, she solved it. She was so excited and proud of it. Me and my dad were happy for her and took out the chocolates to celebrate it.

I sent in the picture to my cousins Si and K telling them that their periamma had finally solved the Rubik cube. They were glad for her.

K immediately sent me a photo of the Rubik cube that she had finished today by coincidence.

Aunt and niece do have a lot in common!!!

My tryst with the Japanese language

When I was doing my post graduation, we knew of a small IT firm that had hired our seniors in college. Majority of their customers where from Japan. It was mandatory that anyone who was hired by them had to learn Japanese language since that would aid in the projects they do.

We got to know that if one already knew Japanese, then chances of being hired by this IT firm was very high. One of my friend had already finished few levels at the institution that taught Japanese. Eager to get a job, I immediately enrolled for Japanese language classes in an institute. I got books for the first level and was asked to attend the classes in the weekend. 

I have some vague memories of my first few days at these classes. Remembering the vowels, the symbols that were used was really tough. I tried very hard to understand and remember what was taught in the classes. Let us just say that they went over my head. I remember reading out aloud and repeating what the instructor taught us in the class.

I asked myself if this is what I really want. It was going nowhere. I had no interest (apart from the fact that it would get me a job) and I had a hard time remembering the grammar. Finally I decided that I was just wasting time and I am never going to learn anything. I went back and told the institute that I was quitting. Although they tried to convince me, I had already made up my mind. I returned the books they had given me and they gave back some part of the fees I had paid initially. 

And that is how I had bid good bye to the Japanese language. The language was over whelming for me. At the same time it was interesting and was different. I wish I had the patience to learn that language.

I had lasted just two weekends!!!! 😄😄