The Lost years of my childhood..Part 2

Part II
Something that never struck my mind was "What is death?", even "What is life?", "Where do we come from?" & "Where do we go?"
***
It was March of 1989, some random day when I was playing around in the kindergarten (and my last year in the same Kindergarten). Around 1230 in the afternoon, I saw through the window, my mother & one of my uncles talking to a teacher. I was just wondering, what happened--they came to take me--not to home but my grand parent's house. Reason: My Grand father was not well.
During the last few years, he was ailing--nervous breakdown (as I said, before, I find it more like Alzheimer's ) & finally he was suffering from Hepatitis B. He had a completely different lifestyle. For him, always eat the best (mostly heavy foods). Though 10 years before he had a major cardiac arrest with most of his heart blocked, little did that matter to him since he had never had any issues with heart again.
So that day, we came to grand parents house to find that my grand father was admitted to the hospital (fondly, I used to call him, "Goshaai" and he would call me "Sada shiv")....
A few days later, in the afternoon, I was in the middle of the room--the other two people being my grand mother & my mother. They were talking about something (which I dont remember...)however, I can still see what was happening with my eyes open/closed. It was a cloudy day. My father was in the hospital where my grand father was admitted & in sometime, we got the news that my grand father breathed his last.
His lifeless body was brought to the house for paying the final respects. I was completely aloof of what was happening, what I was wondering was, "Why was he sleeping when everyone is crying?". His bed was adorned with many flowers & any that dropped, I was putting it back, on his chest. And finally, when he was taken to the crematorium for the funeral, I infact found a couple more flowers & regretted for not being able to put it back ...then, I actually cried a lot...but of no reason. Since, I felt something must have happened, but then I didn't know what death is? I also remember on the 4th day of his death, during the final rites as per Hindu religion I donated an umbrella to him...those were my memories when my grand father died. I heard actually many things about him, but I wished he lived a little more..

The Lost years of my childhood..Part 1

I actually don't know from where to start with. Will it be the one when I actually chewed down my grandfather's sleeping pills??Or walking (rather forced) home barefoot on a scorching summer afternoon, when the pitch was almost melting (I was just 3-4 years old then!!)??
Or shall I say when I flunked for the first time & got a red ink in mathematics when I was in standard 3 & actually didn't understand the "value" of the red inked number??

I was only 2 years old then, I guess

There are a couple of incidents which I remember pretty clearly & there are some, which I actually dont remember happening but I hear them as "stories" from my parents or family members.

Perhaps,the one that I can recollect clearly is chewing down my grandfather's sleeping pills. Since on his final years, he became a patient of nervous breakdown (I find it more like Alzheimer's now) he was prescribed to take sleeping pills.I was around 3 years old I guess when my mother took me to my grand parent's house (or "Mama-r bari" as we say in Bengali) and I was just playing around. Perhaps you know by now that how found I am about sweets. It was a regular day & I saw my mother carrying a tray containing some tablets. One strip was interesting--9 out of 10 tablets were white & one was red in colour. She came inside the bedroom & put the tray on top of the television (so as to keep it away from my reach). As soon as she left the room, I got myself a chair, climbed upon & wanted to eat that "most interesting tablet", wondering it must be something sweet. But to my surprise it was bitter in taste. I was like "eww" crying to my mom what I ate. My grandmother who was preparing for lunch, was terribly upset & gave a hard blow on my back, "Why do you do all these here?". They knew that I just chewed down a sleeping pill!!
My mother took me the family physician, who told not to panic, "He will just sleep a lot, nothing to worry. However, if you really want, can take him to the hospital to pump the medicine out". But then...I quite actually didn't fall asleep..

***

There is another incident which I must share with you. The first day of my school when I was admitted to the kindergarten. It was a great day--I met a lot of people & friends (and also my childhood crush I may say, about who I have no clue anymore!!)But when my mother came to pick me up, she was surprised!! I actually took my *shorts* off, threw the shoe laces away & I had a small box--which I broke completely. Well, it was taken care of, however, I had this daily ritual of throwing shoe laces away. Still, I don't know, why I used to do that, but I completely see myself throwing it away in the afternoon (It was my mother who used to tie my shoelaces..and not me!). It was really problematic for her everyday as she had to find a pair of shoelaces every day! So one day she decided to punish me.
It was a scorching afternoon of summer. As usual, I opened my shoelaces & threw it out of the window. Once she picked me up from the school she told me to open my shoes in the middle of the road. I was quite surprised as how I would walk barefoot when the pitch was almost melting. And once I started walking, I started crying out loud, "I will never open my shoelaces again..I will never" & walk for about sometime till we reached home. Our neighbor hearing my loud cry came out to see why was I crying & on finding out the reason ridiculed my mother. They immediately got some ice water for me, to dip my feet. I actually didn't open my shoelaces again. Such was my mother' punishment (which were very tough I must say) when I was only 3.5 years old..

More stories to come...

V-Day--Cooking for your love (or my love too ;) )

"Wise men say only fools rush in,
But I can't help, falling in love with you..."

It is spring here again (though the deserts of Middle East have only two seasons "Not hot" & "Very Hot") everywhere- the season for the new grass, new produce & yes, season for love. And for some, this is the favorite season of all, mostly, in Europe where winter is harsh.

I was not even sure, that if I'll plan a menu for this Valentine since off late, I was busy with work & stuff. But then, if I prepare a menu, I make sure, I would rather cook all & gobble everything till the last bit. The only problem lies where I am just too tired to eat after the main course (and get drunk, if drinks included!!). So too make it less interesting, I just planned a small menu, which you can cook for your valentine (or me for mine or for myself even ;) ).

The entire menu is devised with seasonal inspirations for example, Beef is paired with vegetables of spring. Also my feelings had been incorporated in the menu, especially when I want to eat the perfectly cooked Salmon & when my heart is melting, which is further reproduced in the Chocolate fondant cake, in the shape of a heart. Without beating around the bush, let me propose my menu for this very Valentine' Day!

Les huitres declinaison- au natural, au gratinee et en raviole
Declination of Oysters three ways
Served natural, served gratinated & served as a raviolo
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Saumon cuit au “sous vide”

"Sous vide" cooked Salmon
Fennel, Mustard, Tomato
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Le filet de boeuf

Angus Beef Tenderloin

Ala Printaniere, purple potato, pepper sauce
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Le Coeur au Chocolat

The Chocolate heart
Chocolate fondant, Raspberry sorbet

Wish you all a very Happy Valentine' Day!!:)