Ambujam Maami

Every Iyengar Family will have an Ambujam Maami (synonomous with Ambi) tucked away in their family...more often than not she's always the next door neighbour...

There's even a popular song based on her..."Pakath aathu ambuja tha paathela...Ava aathukaara konjarde kaettaila". :)))

So..we had this bhajan session at my place this evening...a group of 12 - 14 iyengar maamis (i think i should call them pattis..cos the avg age was around 55) decended upon our place..complete with pattu sari and matchin jewellery...they all were semi-professional carnatic singers..who all share the common sentiment that given a chance they would all do a better job in the kutcheri season ...

So after singing for abt an hour..they were really good..i suitably impressed them all by putting thaalam for all their bhajans and singing along for a couple of songs...tiffin came...each one claimed they were diabetic, high BP, low BP..but all vettified on the keerai vadai, mundri pakoda, barfi and badam kheer we gave... :)

I had the wonderful opportunity to drop these ambujams back home..and the topic of discussion in the car was which airline had how much luggage quota for passengers flying to US :))))))) each one was more well versed than the other with complete knowledge on the various sectors, time of landing, how best to deal with jet lag..and more importantly..the priority item of things to carry :) items which topped the list included rice cooker, appalam, bakshanam and of course various thokus, podis and ooduvathi... :)))

They were sufficiently impressed with my driving skills and I made sure not to drive aggressively like I always do and swear at every dickhead auto / bike guy who cut me..Instead I borrowed one of my colleague's lines and exclaimed "Traffic romba shadai ya irruku" :)))))))))))) I could not be more iyengar at that moment :)))
I was sure I got their vote when I passed statements like "Onga AAN engai irruku" and "Kavalai padaathengo..yennaku onnu shramam illai"...I was also quizzed on my culinary skills and since my mother had already fulfilled her duty by teaching me "iyengar thalligai"..i could stand my ground.... :)

All the Ambujams blessed me with "Jamminu oru Maapillai varruvan" dialogues. :)

I can only imagine the day I too will become one Ambujam Maami. GOD HELP US ALL :)))