Projectile Motion

There are times when a certain clip of a movie reminds you of something that has happened in your life. For me that movie is Titanic. Like in the movie, I never knew how to spit !!

- DEEPA SESHADRI

This could explain one of the reasons why I found living in Kerala so difficult. When I moved there, I found that they washed their mouths after every intake ( liquid or solid) !!

Whether it is tea or a full-course meal, gargling of the mouth was an essential part of being a mallu (malayalee). After gargling comes spitting. This is again an 'inborn' quality in mallus.

I did my college in Kerala so needless to say that it was shocking (in more ways than one). My lunch will usually be 2 chappatis also called roti. Some vegetable curry and a few cucumbers, tomatoes, and green chili (all to be eaten raw as a salad). Everyone would surround me, trying to see what I have brought. After seeing my lunch, the usual reaction will be "Aaeyeee!!!"

The usual Remark will be "She is going to start cooking only now !!"

I used to get very hurt by their comments. I hated rice. Which is Kerala's staple food. So they used to bring one huge box full of rice and another box will usually have two compartments. The first floor would be a small plate. On this floor usually nonvegetarian dishes are brought. Then comes a bigger second floor where some curry is brought. This may/may not be vegetarian.