It's Raining and I should be Happy in such Weather! But...

Since yesterday, it's been raining. Yesterday it was drizzling more than pouring. But then early morning today, I heard the heavy footprints of rains drops.

Drought is more typical of California than rain. Water has been a serious problem here for years now. But this year, it has been different. And the year end seems to be more different than anytime before. Looks like 2011 will be welcome with showers.

I was born in the rains. In July in Assam in India, where heavy rainfall is a way of life. And then over the years, have grown reading and seeing and experiencing floods. Have seen bamboo plant rafts during flash floods from the Brahmaputra in Dibrugarh while growing up.

But then, years later, when I spent a long time, another type of weather had dominated my life. Extremely hot, dry in summer, and cold in winter. So where was the rain? Occasional short spells that never continued over days. Like back in Assam.

And now, in California, the unending rains have brought back memory. Childhood, growing up years, etc etc. I should have been happy. Why not?

Because I am missing home. What to say? Parents, sisters, the sights and smells, the food and colors, the people and the festivals. It isn't easy to stay away from family.

A Day for the Outdoors

It's sunny, totally the opposite of what it was yesterday. The balcony is swathed in a sea of brightness, the towels are drying, I've put out the milk that I'm making into curd outside so that it would warm up. And have a great thought in mind. What is that thought?

That today I must brace myself up, strap my shoes, the helmet, and bicycle away. If I don't do that, I must not forgive myself for laziness. Such a great day, and me languishing inside the house, watching TV, brooding about not losing weight, eating a few more pieces of that tasty cake that I baked for my sister's birthday - that would be unpardonable sin.

Overeating is itself a sin, I'm come to that conclusion gradually. If I am unable to control myself from eating more than my body needs, then what else it can be but some type of sin? Just as people confess for adultery, theft, etc etc, one should also confess for overfilling one's stomach. Any guilty activity is sin. When one experiences guilt after an action is finished, like smuggling a piece of cake, or chewing away at cheese, is sin. There is no doubt about it.

And one must pray to God to forgive one's sins, or trespasses. Maybe I sound like a good Christian, which I am not. I am a devout Hindu, but I also believe that all religions finally talk about the same things. So praying for forgiveness to God is a prerogative of any believer, whatever her religion.

How much should one eat?

There is no end to advice about the number of calories a normal person should eat. The most common is that for woman, it is 1800, for a man, 2200.

But what if one is overweight? Does one continue to eat 1800, and sometimes accidentally overshoot that limit? Someone has said that if you (a woman) want to lose weight, then, whatever you eat, make sure that it is 1000 calories, and you'd lose weight. And guess what? I've been trying that formula out on myself.

Roughly I've been eating way below 1800. Which is good. but the bad news is that, it has been almost impossible to stick to the 1000 level. Somehow, by the end of the day, when I add up the food values, it always is a few hundred calories above 1000.

I'm trying to remain optimistic, inspite of slipping from the goal occasionally. And I think, there has been a small amount of success. Like losing a few pounds. The dinner of rice, sambar and eggplant curry this evening, even though it was very little, on a quarter plate, was above 1000.

The point here is to be more determined, at least until reach my goal, which is 105 lb. For that to happen, I have to keep reminding myself. Several times during the day, I have to examine, and also revise my strategy.

Monday Morning Blues

It's Monday morning, and there's some blue in the air. It's chilly, looks like summer has come to an end early. Summer in Santa Barbara had been very short this time. It was difficult to figure out if there was any summer for any length of time at all, so soon it came, and then went away.

I've been trying to read books off and on, in between festivals and fiestas. The long line of summer celebrations seem to be unending. The number of programs taking place simultaneously during the recent Viva La Fiesta from August 5 to 9 was exhausting. At least three venues were packed with cultural programs, apart from the children's play and games sections and the food and drinks stalls.

Now that all that is behind us, the air would very naturally seem calmer, and hence, maybe, colder. So much gaiety has gone past. The frenzy was amazing, the drinking was ridiculous, the size of the crowd was incredible.

Lingering like wine

One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich by Alexander Solzhenitsyn is an excellent novel, lingering like wine. And it is all due to the cold and the hunger and the suffering of Ivan. It is also due to the countless prisoners, the gang leaders, the guards, the repeated counting of the gangs. The prisoners working outside in the biting cold, hungry, sick, and homesick, are hawklike, ready to snitch food from anybody. And the apathy of the prison authorities when it comes to the condition of the prisoners.

There is endless hope too, about a parcel, about extra food, about lowering years of sentence, about not being put in the cell where less food is supplied and which is cold. Fear about not to be caught with anything like wood or knives in one's person. The leadership pattern was such that the prisoners listened only to their leaders.

There is closeness of some prisoners with others, as they sympathized, bought and sold tobacco. There were other kinds of sharing too.

he writer's style is personal, and the reader feels a part of the story. There is curiosity, and no boredom while reading the book, although it describes only one day. The ending is optimistic - of a day well-spent.

Comfort Food by Kate Jacobs

I didn't take Comfort Food by Kate Jacobs seriously, in the sense that I thought it would be more about eating high sugar, low nutrition food. You know what I mean. I took the title literally. Of course I shouldn't have.

And I am surprised by what I'm finding as I'm reading it. I must say, the book, although it overarches the theme of cooking for TV, has more drama than in the recipes you'd find for any comfort food. And then, it isn't comforting, 'cause I turn the page to know more, and end up turning it again and again.

Would love to read the other book by Jacobs, The Friday Night Knitting Club.