Trite as it may sound, it seems just yesterday that we said hello to 2026 and now we are already saying goodbye to January.
If such a thing is possible, January for me was one big hangover. Ever since I set off to Ratnagiri, I’ve been moving in a whirl from one place to the other like a dog trying to catch its own tail. With all the travelling, eating and meeting over the last quarter of the year, I was really in a daze.
So now it is time to take stock of what really happened in January.
Sleepless in the toilet
I started my third month of Ayurvedic treatment for a mysterious ailment that began as an itchy scalp, then progressed to hives in different parts and finally ended up as a swollen lip or eye or both.
So before my trip to the Deccan, I accompanied my sister-in-law to an Ayurvedic doctor in Pune. Funnily enough, my SIL who lives oceans and continents away from me in the US and who is related to me only through marriage, had similar symptoms that vanished when she took Ayurvedic medicine. But before I knew it, the consult turned into a treatment and the good doctor gave me some medicines to sort things out.
The basis of all Ayurvedic treatment is to address the gut, because all inflammation starts there. So I was given some potions, lotions, and powders to reset my metabolism. I took these dutifully and must say that none of my strange symptoms have recurred. But since the aim of the medication is to empty the bowels and thus clean out the toxins, I spent a large part of the night in the loo. So this added to my zombie-like state, thanks to my lack of sleep.
eating & Meeting
While most of the overseas visitors had left by the end of December, there were still some whom I had to meet. So the eating and meeting continued until mid-January, and while it was fun catching up with old friends and family, it was quite exhausting doing it in a semi-daze.
Boarded up
Our building, which is quite old, is boarded up because the external walls need to be strengthened with gunniting. Imagine staying in semi-darkness for the better part of the day! It is depressing to say the least and contributes to my state of zombiness
Book Reviews
Looking for a book to read?
Look no further.
Eve and Nate are high school teachers in the sleepy town of Caseham. While Nate with his dashing good looks is the heart-throb of his English literature students, Eve is considered a cold, unfeeling fish.
Addie, the severely disturbed student finds herself isolated by the movers and shakers of the school because she was associated with a school scandal that led to the sacking of a beloved Maths teacher the year before.
Once again, Addie finds her school life upended in this psychological thriller by The Freida McFadden.
This was truly a disturbing book. for me but perversely I couldn’t put it down. Like The Tell, it was a compelling read. I just had to find out what really happened because even though the genre is not something I enjoy, the storytelling was brilliant with its unexpected twists and turns in the plot.
Only meant for the strong hearted people who don’t mind readng unpleasant and unnatural things.
Was I subconsciously driven to read these books month? No other book seemed to hold my interest beyond the first chapter.
So to break the monotony of reading such unpleasant books, I binge-watched a mindless show on Netflix called “Home Town” in which an enterprising couple in Laurel, Mississippi, fix up old homes for new occupants. This was quite a relaxing show till I read that the actual town was not at all like it’s made up to be picture-book perfect, but was actually the scene of some pretty horrific stories of segregation.
Another interesting show but gruesome, was The “Guinness Story” which showed the atrocities of a colonial power, the depravity of the rich and famous and all in all, not really fun to watch. But it holds your interest all the same.
Cheesy RECIPE FINDS
Always on the look out for quick and easy recipes to please the palates of my fussy eaters, I was lucky enough to discover two wonderful recipes.
Homemade Cheese Crackers by Sally’s Baking Addiction truly made the most scrumptious crackers that are Ms. Papaya’s favourite. They are quite simple to make and I highly recommend that you try making them too!
Another good find which is also Ms. Papaya’s favourite is the one-pot Mac & Cheese by Ali of Gimme Some Oven that I found on the net. This was by far the easiest and yummiest Mac & Cheese so far and the closest to what Ms. Papaya considers as the ultimate comfort food.
I used our very own Indian Cheese – D’ Lecta’s Cheddar which is sharp and melts beautifully. To get the Velveeta finish of Mac & Cheese, I added some orange food colouring that I normally use to make Biryani.
Talking of Biryani reminds me of the big booboo I made last week when I used Biryani essence instead of vanilla essence while making a batch of Chocolate Chip Cookies! Needless to say, the family never let me hear the end of it.
So I do hope that February is less zombie-like and the toxins leave my body once and for all.
Ciao,
Twenty- five Seven 
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