Some ‘PDA’ thoughts

Be it in coffee shops, malls or roads, PDA or Public Display of Affection is now as common as handshake. Go to a nearby part in the evening and you can see many older couples holding hands and walking or sitting on the park bench, which I think is a romantic sight to watch. But what I am saying is often a ‘porno’ kind of affection, which should be done only in a closed bedroom and not in public. Yet people go out and do all these in open places.

Seeing the 'over-pouring' intimacy, many people misconstrue PDA and call it the intensity of love that two people share, but if you ask me, I would say that in most of the cases PDA is just an exhibitionism that people often indulge-in, only to hide the fissures in a relationship, only to make others believe that they are intensely in love with each other. Or else, why should a couple with rock-solid relationship go out in public and cosy, when they have their own private space and time to cuddle and get intimate with each other? PDAs can be seen most among people who are in immature relationships give vent to their initial fantasy and delight, where as people who are in forceful relationships that have hit the rock bottom, only to make their near ones feel that they lead a happy life.

I am not sure whether to say PDA is good or bad, as the opinion may vary from person to person. But I personally feel it’s something that people should try and avoid and make themselves understand that when they are in a healthy relationship, there is absolutely no need to go out and display it in front of the whole world and make them go gaga over your relationship and your happiness. If you are happy being in a relationship, that would obviously reflect on your face, and person with average intelligence would definitely understand that you’re happy, only by looking at your pleasant expressions.

But nowadays, you can see a whole lot of people who are seriously in to outward displays and PDAs, whereas in private, they often fight like cats and dogs. On the other hand, I’ve seen a lot of couples, including many of my friends, who are still going on steady with their relationships, yet don’t even hug each other or give a quick peck on the cheek in public. Initially I used to wonder why they remain emotionless in public, whereas now I feel they are absolutely right. No one can make a relationship stronger and lasting by getting intimate in public.

What will be your immediate response on seeing a couple kissing passionately or getting intimate in a public place, like on the road or in a shopping mall? Want to know my answer? I would laugh my lungs out!

Appetizing to the eye and the palate

Whenever I have a new issue of Vanitha, my mom's women’s magazine, I turn the pages swiftly and start looking at those glossy shots of beautifully garnished dishes displayed in the cookery column, as I have a high instinctive attraction towards visually appealing food stuffs, even if they lack nutritious value.   I think food can become increasingly delectable with its incredible looks, which is why I love watching cookery programs on television, to see mouth watering and tempting dishes being prepared and served with incredible perfection. But often we give undue experience to the health benefits of food and thus undermine the relevance of color and smell.  Food can stimulate our digestive juices only with its smell and visual appeal, and I've also read that nice smelling and well garnished food can actually aid to proper digestion.

It’s Friday today, and as usual we will have that same old dinner which we call Kanji, and when translated to English can be called a kind of rice soup, rich in nutritious value, tastes average, and takes the last place in looks. To be frank, I don’t hate it, but nor do I love it. Ask me the reason and I will say it’s mainly because of the totally unappealing look and smell, which kills my hunger in no time.

Colour and smell of the food have tremendous effect on my appetite.  Those reds, yellows, and greens excite and entice me a lot, and so I am very much inclined to the food stuffs with incredible looks and smell, the reasons why Kanji fails so badly with its lackluster look and lack of alluring smell. I really don’t mean to offend any ‘Kanji’ lovers out there, but for me, Kanji is one among those dull looking foods that I would prefer when I am left with no other choices.

Be it breakfast, lunch, or dinner, I 'eat with my eyes first'.  This in no way means I would opt for an expensive meal, just to get a visual delight, as there are many affordable options to have a tempting and scrumptious meal, without becoming a spendthrift. If you ask me about my option for the day, I will have a lip-smacking Dosha with 2 different chutneys and Sambar. What’s different about Dosha when compared to Kanji is its enticing smell and look, and I love having it with tantalizing chutneys that are appetizing to the core.

When served with tea, Dosha would make a perfect dinner, in just thirty rupees, which I think is quite very reasonable, as I take the liberty to have this lavishness only once in a week.