#sareespeak
#womenofsareespeak
#cotton
#SS/21/100/2020.
And so it goes on.
Life is generally a challenge, more so during lockdown?
With these lockdown challenges :
Food challenge, share a recipe challenge – now even on email, saree challenge, movie challenge, chores challenge. You name it, there’s a challenge for it.
Don’t get me wrong, I love them.
But am not sure if my family has caught on.
My food challenges have cluttered up friends’ posts on social media. I have apologised profusely and have told them to ‘unfollow’ me. Instead, they have set dates for coming over once the lockdown is lifted. Not sure whether to insert a happy or crying smiley emoticon here so shall do both. 😂😭
Anxiety is setting in as my husband seems to admire his growing beard – no shave challenge.
I like the white hair contrast against my bright red lipstick – no dye challenge.
Girls challenged us to watch the Marvel series and Harry Potter.
It took hubby and I, half the evening to decide what to start with, our marriage is built on healthy disagreement, it tends to be upsetting when we find we agree on something.
I wanted Thor, who wouldn’t want Thor, or Captain America, he wanted Harry Potter.
We agreed to disagree and watched Petta. Note, neither conceded defeat.
Petta was watched with the girls, in the midst of food prep, another challenge, Nachos, daughter 2’s grilled parsley, mozzarella, garlic, chilli toast.
Daughter 2 left halfway to hibernate in her yellow room. Daughter 1 left three quarters of being into the movie, to look at the spoilers on Wikipedia.
My already fried brain was on overdrive, there were so many plot twists, I went to bed, quite confused.
At least, we had a topic of conversation the next morning.
Yesterday we watched Spiderman : Homecoming while slurping our instant noodles, another food challenge?
Oh yes, music, dance, art challenges?
Take an iPhone ring tone tune, embellish it.
Create some fusion music.
Enthusiastic me challenged the girls. I’d hoped they’d come up with an intricate music video but no,
They sent me videos of them doing voiceovers to tik tok videos. Funny but sigh..
I shouldn’t have challenged them, I now feature in their videos which only they and their friends seem to understand and find the embedded humour.
Challenge yourself dear Sakhis,
Make a dish, recycle fridge leftovers, my dishes are aptly named ‘Parabhrahman’ – nameless, formless, after cycles of recycling.
When you shop, add some chocolates to the list and gift them to the ladies at the cashier counter.
Call a friend, an elderly person, a lonely person, a not lonely person, have that long chat about nothing in particular or that deep and meaningful conversation.
Order some groceries online and get it delivered to someone you know would welcome that extra support.
Send some crazy whatsapp videos and memes, however irritating you or they think it may be.
Or look inwards, meditate, read, reflect, whatever floats your boat.
Pay it forward.
Just remember, anything positive you do, will help, even if it helps only you.
Laugher is infectious,
Goodness is way more contagious than the virus making its rounds.
To add to the growing list of challenges, I draped a saree to symbolise the Ayiram (1000 in Tamizh) challenges we can set ourselves to keep going during this lockdown, to maintain the sanity and well being of us and those whose lives we touch.
Am in an Ayiram butta saree – A saree that has buttas within each of the squares, amounting to approximately 1000 in the entire saree. My saree features my favourite woven Annapakshis/Swans and Rudraksham/circular pattern. A Chettinad pure handloom cotton. Purchased on a trip to India some years ago for intensive music lessons with my Guru for a few months stay. Handcrafted, handwoven saree from weavers of Karaikudi. Perfect for the Chennai summer heat as the drape of the saree is so comfortable and lightweight that I would wear it without any discomfort the whole day. Incredibly easy to maintain by hand or home machine washing.
A favourite khaki body and borders, buttas in gold and orange, with stripes of Annapakshis and Rudrakshams in gold and orange running through the gorgeous olive green pallu.
And finally..
with its Matching green blouse with black and gold borders.
Stay safe, blessed, be kind, be happy. Lots of love.
Here’s a link to a lockdown challenge in NZ.
http://www.indiannewslink.co.nz/lockdown-releases-homegrown-talent-among-siblings/
Bavani’s Happy Place 