#mga writes

I've been to Kochi recently and what’s fun if you are not trying the local cuisine? So I tried Parota with beef, Iddiyapam, puttu, appam and kappa. As someone who loves trying new foods, watching Malayalam movies has been a gateway to discovering Kerala's delicious and unique cuisine. From up-close shots of people enjoying their meals to pivotal plot points centred around food, these movies have genuinely influenced my taste buds. One particular scene from the movie Hridayam stood out to me. When Arun asks Nitya on a food date, he takes her to an authentic hotel where they enjoy Kerala's famous parotta with beef. Another scene from Vikram Vedha has Vedha instructing Vikram on how to eat the Parotta with beef 101. These scenes highlight the role that food plays in Malayalam movies, and how it can bring people together in different ways. As someone from Andhra, where beef is taboo and even talking about it can be culturally insensitive, I was curious to try it for myself. And...

Meet Subramani, the owner of a tea stall in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by dense forest for kilometres on end, there is just a bus stop along the ghat road and this tea stall. One must get down at this bus stop and walk 2 km into the forest to reach nearby villages or resorts. He's like Chellam sir from the Family Man series - if you need information about local transport, accommodation, or anything else, Subramani is your man. You just need to ask and he was like "oru nimasham thambi" and he's on the phone, making things happen in no time. The day I was leaving I found his stall torn to pieces. Locals said an elephant emerged from the jungle and destroyed the tea stall overnight. Locals started to help and I am sure he will rebuild his shop and start again. When asked how he was doing, Subramani simply replied "Ellām cariyāki viṭum thambi" (everything will be fine) with that same infectious smile.

A gift from my parents when I was in the 9th grade, more than a mere object, it holds memories much greater. I remember playing GTA Vice City and Hitman, we all wish we had those cheat codes in life, 'comeflywithme', 'fannymagnet'. I remember the nerves and excitement I felt, awaiting the results of my 10th-grade public exams while staring at its screen. I remember getting awe-struck by looking at photos of Dubai city that my cousin sent in an email. I remember burning DVDs with the photos, it's funny some people reading this might wonder why the hell they burn,lol I will remember today, as it rests in scrap, obsolete and forgotten, its purpose and function now long gone, Yet the memories it holds remain timeless, A treasure trove of moments to look back upon.