Fifty Shades Of A "Tam-Bhram"

'Thayir sadham' MAMAs and 

'Vatha kozhambu' MAAMIs 

Hello readers.. so, you would have had a long tiresome day and probably relaxing in front of your laptops or PCs or tablets or err.. technology is soo developed..that everyday something adds up to the label of "trending digitized gadgets"! and you probably are looking up at this blog!! spare a moment.. let me lighten up your mood ! 

"TAM-BHRAM" is the supposedly the cool way of terming the "tamil bhramins" ! and this blog is dedicated to all 'thayir sadham' MAMAs and 'vatha kozhambu' MAAMIs ! I was thinking too much about a topic to write about and this bumped into my head !

 "Why not write about the family i'm born into and its cultures? I have lived with this lifestyle for about a twenty years and I pretty well know what a ' Tam-Bhram' family is all about..  Haha, sounds like a plan !" and there this begun !

the "Tam-Bhrams"

There are certain traits of "Tam-Bharm" that i think you guys will find interesting or rather hilarious !

The most "nightmarish" thing a girl of a "Tam-Bhram" family in her late twenties will ever face is being called a "MAAMI"! .it's more like being called an aunty but being called a 'maami' adds DTX effect to it !

We celebrate a bunch of festivels for which there will not even be a 'local holiday' granted.. and for this generation kids the only way to be aware of the festive happening is from their mom's "madisari"..the saree wore in the most uncomfortable manner yet looks elegant ! (the one wearing it will know its difficulty!)

when life gives the "Tam-Bhram"s a lemon,they'll put it under the tires of the car ! "ohwhy?"  "because it takes away the evil spirits!" ... "seriously!?".. i know how it feels ! or they probably  make "vadaaam" out of the lemon mixed with few ingredients! more like chips ,but home made ! (that could very well pass a "real brand's" tag line).

We are called "thayir sadham" which originally means curd rice ! It is a phrase  used to mock at us ! and I swear not a single 'tam-bhram' will be a hater of tacchu mammu! Yes, that's how we call it..  cute ain't it?? why because, they are brought up from the childhood will the curd-rice.. its either the main dish or the dessert..for the breakfast and lunch and yeah sometimes as a dinner too ! you just can't skip it !

And side-dish for "tachhu mammu" is.. we don't fuss much.. there is always "maavadu" or "oorugai" (home made preservatives with mango) that our paati would have prepared in the beginning of the year !

A home without "maavudu" will be looked up and down at ! and only paati (grand mother) knows to prepare it at its best ! They make the best 'puliyodharae'(tamrind rice), the best 'vatha kozhambu' (translation not available.. since its taste is beyond perfect), the best 'akkaravadasal'(a type of swwet).. what else do you expect?? just eat a lot and gain calories.. who cares about 'zero size'? ;P

The girl children will be pampered a lot by their parents.. specially the father !It's the same everywhere, just not 'Tam-Bhrams', ain't it ? When it comes to me.. I was never allowed to enter the kitchen other than for eating..It was my father who makes a bigger fuss about me cooking..

or rather standing near the stove or let's say.. Entering the kitchen !He goes like this -"she's a kid.. she'll burn herself.. she'll spurter oil on herself !" and the moment you reach twenty everybody wants you to cook ! *sigh*.. because she'll get married soon..and the "puuk-aathukaara" will expect it (the groom's family)..
that reminds me of the language ! and yes,this makes us feel ridiculed at places and looked up like aliens ! I can never be able to speak a normal 'tamil' without a touch of  the 'aathu' language.. That's how it goes ! Thachu mammu.. pappu mammu.. namaskaram.. ummachi..  viboothi..  bakshanam..  athimbaer.. aathukaar.. machinar.. chamathu.. ashadu.. vaangoo.. pongo.. echal.. pathhuu.. abishtoo.. and once my friend got influenced my

 'my' language.. and yes, she is trying really hard to speak 'normal tamil' and not 'tam-bhram' tamil !

the trademark of men of 'tam-bhram' : wear the 'poonal' ( a white thread across the chest ) , put up a 'namam' or 'pattai' on ur forehead .. wear a 'panjakacham' (as difficult as wearing madisari!) then you're the 'chamathu kozhandhai' !I, being a pukka 'tam-bhram' .. i dream of Bradley cooper and Gerald butler with a poonal on ! ;) alright, that's over the notch eh? never mind !

And this is what I live in ! interesting aint it? 

Be it 'Tam-bhram' family or any other family .. all we seek is happiness and love ! may we all be bestowed with it !

so, with this i'm signing off ! Aathula amma koopadra ! :)