There are few things as mesmerizing as looking up a coconut tree. The perfect formation of the huge leaves, the careful array of the baby coconuts, the tender coconuts and the ripe coconuts - it is amazing!
The gentle breeze that flows through it, the ruffling sound of the leaves, the small but enough shade it gives, the naturally sweet & cold juice, the clear blue sky through the rich green leaves, these are simple pleasures of my Indian summers.
As kids me and my brother would rush to get the fallen coconuts and take it to our Grandma who would sweetly kiss us. I would look at my Grandma's worn out fingers or my Papa's beautiful fingers as they cut open a coconut for use... Papa tried to teach me the trick; but it was too big for my little hands then...
Our showers would mostly be under a coconut tree with a garden hose... Also, I remember as a child, helping my Grandma make broom sticks out of dry coconut leaves. We would also eat the baby coconuts that fall in the wind - it doesn't taste the same now but I used to really like it as a kid... Tender coconut is an all time favorite!
Grandma used the wastes from the tree as fuel to make hot water for baths or she used them to steam fresh rice to make par boiled rice. I love the smell of smoke mingled with the rice being cooked.
I also remember my other Grandma weaving the leaves together to make partitions around the bathroom in our village house... Grandma used the coconut shells as bowls to mix salt or tamarind for her cooking or to beat an egg for omlet. Her preparation was so simple yet the outcome was so delicious...
Ofcourse we used coconut shells of all shapes and sizes as pottery for our play with mud and stuff pretending to cook with them. We also used to make a balance out of two similar size shells tying them to either end of a stick and pretend to be shop keepers.
It is such a sweet & simple life back home back then! This time I go, I promise to look up the coconut trees with my kids to share a glimpse of my memories!
2 comments:
Where did you take that pictue? Nice one. Nostaligia :)I remember India now :)Nice post
Thank you, A!
This is a picture we took during our last visit in 2008...
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