Senior citizens are one of the most vulnerable groups to the COVID-19 virus, Dr Karthiyayini Mahadevan, head, wellness and well-being, Columbia Pacific Communities suggests a range of ways to address this situation COVID-19, the newly emerged pandemic has woken up the consciousness of human beings to a unique challenge. During these times, there is a lot of focus on how to defend oneself against the offending agent, the COVID-19 virus. In any illness, there is an interaction between the host and the agent, and there is a need for the host to be less perceptive. A spectrum of symptoms and the course of the disease keep changing every day, dynamically. Virus load and reactions to the virus bring about change to the course of this illness.

A lot of credit for making a fulfilled life possible goes to my grandmother and my parents. Right from my early years my grand mother and mother instilled in me the value of education and the importance of learning to stand on one’s own feet. My grand mother always said” your hands should be held high to give , never in supplication to take” .Whether you marry or not you have to have an independent income. You may have three brothers but never be dependent on anyone. That stood me in good stead throughout my life.   All the same it was never easy. Despite the family support , at every stage I had to run twice as fast as men to be in par, as life showed that it is a Mans world. As an attractive young girl one had to learn early to protect oneself from the groping hands  of men who tried to take advantage of a child’s innocence. Strangely, danger did not lurk in the form of strange men but men known to the family, at times even close relatives .I clearly recall the strategy that my friends and I had while travelling in Chennai buses and trains as students to keep at bay wandering hands of male passengers . We had a sharp edged umbrella handle tucked under our elbows to poke any anatomical detail that brushed against us. That was convenient and sure worked!   In then male dominated  coed colleges after the initial reluctance to speak up in class one learnt to shed ones inhibitions encouraged by teachers and soon realising that we were smarter learners than our male counterparts!At work as a lecturer and then a university professor while there was absolutely no problem with students one had to learn to assert oneself with male colleagues very representative  of the patriarchal world. In order to be heard one learnt to speak up, to speak loud, even yelling if necessary at meetings where male dominance was the order of the day. Yet in mixed group research collaborations this was seldom a problem . The male colleagues in the group,  especially when from abroad, recognised our contribution and respected our views. That toned down the Indian male colleagues!   As for publications in national and international journals the blind peer review system that was followed eliminated the male bias .My work was recognised for its value not because of my gender. Hence name and fame followed . This enabled me to travel all over the world for conferences ,teaching, and collaborative work opening the windows of ones mind. Incidentally one came to realise that male dominance was not India’s monopoly though it was better disguised abroad.   However, one must admit that there was a price to pay for the rewards of independence and achievement. Having seen the male dominance in the family, despite otherwise progressive attitudes, one became wary of the submissive role expected of women in marriage. Hence no partner seemed to suitable and egalitarian enough resulting in a lonely path of ones own choice. Well as a  Jyotish  once commented on seeing my horoscope, “ Good you did not marry. Otherwise because of your independent nature you would have been a divorcee” !   T.S.Saraswathi Serene Urbana by Columbia Pacific Communities . Bangalore 4 706  

It is a MAN’s world alright! That is what you are reminded at every stage in life. We distribute sweets at the birth of a baby boy and shed tears when a girl is born especially if she happens to be the second or third girl in a row. I was fortunate to have parents who accepted me as the third girl baby and even considered me lucky because my brother came after three years. And two more followed. Unlike most middle class homes where boys  went to more privileged higher fee charging schools than the girls did, we all went to the same good schools. Like my brothers my youngest sister chose science and math a as major subjects and I chose social science of my own preference. We breached the usual practice of engineering for boys and soft careers for girls.   Then comes the major hurdle in life. Boys see the  likely bride to be in formal settings and accept or reject the proposal. Thank God times are changing and girls are beginning to have a say even in arranged marriages at least in educated families. Yet the man remains the head of the family the final decision maker. Even in the senior citizens residential complex I live in, there is no end to the tales of male domination and female subjugation in marriage partnership. Note that at every socio economic level it is the woman who holds the family together and keeps things going in crises situations regardless of whether she is a home maker only or is also employed. I have often seen men fall apart in a crisis situation while women often gather an inner strength and carry on. However gender socialisation runs so deep that it is the man who is considered the head of the family. I have often  been asked “where is Saab?”  when going to register property in my name or call a carpenter to fix a furniture.   Then come the twilight years. Often it is  the stronger sex  that departs  first leaving the lady partner behind. It is amazing to see how this so called weaker sex the dependent  women come on their own and manage to carry on at times expressing their assertive selves hidden so far. At the same time when it is the man who is left behind I find the widower quite lost finding it hard to cope without a partner.A widow is expected to cope on her own whereas a man is permitted a second and even a third wife if the earlier ones depart. A man cannot cope alone. He needs a companion at every age!   Can we break the circle of gender socialisation? Of course we can and in some families we do. Yet it is often that women themselves are women’s worst enemies because they play an active role in perpetuating the myth of male superiority and that of women being the weaker sex instead of standing up and being counted.   T.S.Saraswathi Serene Urbana by Columbia Pacific Communities Block 4 706.

The fondest memories are made when we are gathered around the table over a sumptuous meal. This #WorldFoodDay, join us in celebrating some of our residents’ favourite heirloom recipes passed down generations. Bon Apetit!   Angaya Podi By Ms Girija Janakiraman, Serene Urbana Eating is a necessity, but cooking is an art. Also, there is no “saying no” to grandma’s cooking. I would like to share one of my favourite recipes called the Angaya Podi that I had learnt from my grandmother. It is a dry chutney powder that is made with highly nutritious ingredients. This powder is best enjoyed with steaming hot rice topped with a generous dollop of ghee (clarified butter) or til (sesame) oil. Besides setting you into a bout of rapture, the podi aids digestion, increases the rate of metabolism, cleans up the bladder and has a great nutritional value. Ingredients 1/4th cup sundakkai vathal (dried turkey berries) 1/4th cup manathakkali vathal (dried sun berries/wonder berries) 1 teaspoon dry neem flowers 50 grams dry ginger powder 2 teaspoons asafoetida powder (hing) 2 teaspoons cumin seed (jeera] powder 2 teaspoons pepper powder 1/4th cup coriander seeds (dhaniya) 1 cup dry curry leaves 5 to 6 dry red chillies Rock salt to taste Instructions Dry roast the following for two minutes on low flame: sundakkai vathal, manathakkali vathal, dry neem flowers, coriander seeds, dry curry leaves, dry red chillies and rock salt. Cool and transfer the ingredients mentioned above to a mixer jar. Add dry ginger powder, asafoetida, jeera and pepper powder. Grind the ingredients into a fine powder. Enjoy the chutney powder with hot rice and ghee. Manathakkali Vathal Kuzhambu By Meera Srinivasan, resident of Serene Urbana by Columbia Pacific Communities The food made by one’s grandmother is always special, not just because it is a mouthwatering culinary delight or a childhood favourite, but also because of the simplicity and love that go into its preparation. Regardless of the dish, I love how my grandma didn’t use any readymade masalas or instant powder while cooking. I think the freshly ground ingredients lent a special charm to my grandma’s recipes. In today’s times where a wide variety of cuisines from around the world are available on a platter, we still crave for the food prepared by our grandma. Keeping this in mind, I am sharing my grandma’s recipe of pepper jeera kuzhambu with manathakkali vathal. This kuzhambu aids digestion, fights stomach infection and improves appetite. Ingredients For grinding 1 tablespoon black pepper ½ tablespoon cumin seeds (jeera) 1 tablespoon black gram (urad dal) 1 tablespoon coriander seeds (dhaniya) 4 red chillies (byadgi variety) Other ingredients Tamarind (lemon sized ball) 1/4th teaspoon turmeric powder Salt to taste 1 teaspoon jaggery 1/4th teaspoon asafoetida powder {hing} For tempering 1 tablespoon gingelly oil 1/4th teaspoon mustard seeds 1 tablespoon manathakkali vathal {nightshade berries) 1 sprig curry leaves 2 red chillies Instructions Soak tamarind in warm water for ten minutes and extract the pulp. Roast all the ingredients listed under “for grinding” on a low flame until they turn golden and grind into a fine powder. Cook the tamarind pulp along with the “other ingredients” mentioned above. Allow the mixture to boil for three minutes and add the masala powder, two cups of water and let it simmer for another five minutes. Adjust the consistency of the kuzhambu by adding more water if required. In a pan, heat gingelly oil and add the ingredients meant for tempering. Once they start spluttering, pour the tempering into the kuzhambu and mix it well. Take the pot off the flame, cover it with a lid and leave for ten minutes. Serve hot with steaming rice and a dollop of ghee. Thippili Rasam By Anuradha Jagannathan, Serene Urbana My grandma’s special Thippili Rasam is not only enjoyable on rainy evenings but can also be used as a medicinal soup to build up immunity against cold, cough, fever and digestive disorders. It also helps to prevent nervous cramps in the calf muscles. The special ingredient, called thippili or pippali (long pepper in English), is a widely used spice in ayurvedic churanams, kashayams and lehiyams. Consumed twice a week in the form of a soup or mixed with hot rice and ghee, this rasam can do wonders for our system. Ingredients For rasam powder 1 cup black pepper 1 cup cumin seeds 1 cup long pepper (thippili sticks) 1 cup pigeon pea (toor dal) For rasam ½ lemon sized lump of tamarind 1 tablespoon thippili rasam powder A pinch of asafoetida (Hing) ¼ teaspoon jaggery Salt to taste 1 tablespoon fresh curry leaves Instructions Dry roast all the ingredients on a low flame, cool and make a fine powder. For making rasam Soak tamarind in warm water, extract the juice and dilute by adding two cups of water. Add salt, asafoetida, thippili rasam powder, jaggery and curry leaves. Bring to boil on a low flame till you get a subtle aroma, then add four more cups of water and let it simmer for a minute and keep aside. For tempering, heat cow ghee in an iron ladle on a low flame and add mustard seeds. Once the seeds splutter, pour the tempering into the rasam. Paati’s Kashayam By Barathy Balakrishnan, Serene Urbana They say that an apple a day keeps the doctor away. However, for my siblings and me, it was a so-called magic drink that kept the doctor away. Our grandmother used to prepare this elixir with a variety of herbs and ensured that we drank it every day during winters and monsoons. Decades later, I find myself on the other side of the table. Being a grandmother myself, I make sure that my grandchildren have this drink every single day. In fact, it is not just for children, but for people of all age groups. I strongly believe that, if taken every-day, it will give you enough immunity to protect you against not just occasional illness, but also COVID-19. Ingredients: 25 grams turmeric powder 15 grams ginger powder 25 grams coriander powder 25 grams aniseeds 10 grams cloves 10 grams cinnamon 10 grams fenugreek seeds 25 grams cumin seeds 25 grams pepper corns 25 grams parsley seeds Instructions: • Grind the above ingredients into a coarse powder and store in an airtight container. • Add one teaspoon powder to one cup of water to make one serving of the kashayam. • Bring the mixture to a boil and let it simmer for five minutes. • Filter and drink the kashayam every morning on an empty stomach. • To enhance the flavour of the kashayam, you may add a bay leaf or basil leaf while boiling it. Kovakkai Avial By Seetha Bharathy, Serene Idigarai You must be familiar with avial – a blend of six to seven vegetables in delectable coconut and curd-based gravy. One afternoon, my family unanimously decided that avial be served for lunch. To my utter dismay, there were no vegetables at home, except kovakkai (ivy gourd/tondli/tindora). And thus, was born kovakkai avial. It has been a family favourite recipe for decades now. Here’s the recipe. Ingredients 250 grams tender kovakkai, split lengthwise 1 cup curd 1 coconut, grated 2-3 green chillies Turmeric powder, one pinch Salt to taste 2 teaspoons coconut oil 2 sprigs curry leaves Instructions Take kovakkai in a pot, sprinkle turmeric powder and salt as per taste. Add one cup or just enough water to cover the vegetables. Cook the kovakkai for 10 minutes and keep aside (take care to not overcook). Beat the curd smooth and keep aside. Finely grind half of the grated coconut along with green chillies. Add the remaining half to the paste and churn briefly (it adds to the coarse texture). Add the paste to the cooked kovakkai, stir well. Add the curd and mix well. Allow the mixture to boil for 2 minutes. Add coconut oil, curry leaves and mix well. Cover the pot and switch off the flame. Let it stand for 5-10 minutes as this lets the avial to absorb the flavour of oil and curry leaves. Serve with rice and sambar or puli kaara kuzhambu.

It was a fine Sunday morning Twilight announcing the Rising of beautiful orange sun In the eastern horizon.   A group of seniors from Serene Pelican waking up Taking their cars with some Senior friends proceeding to Zest beach 5 kms away   A grand sight await to receive the Oldies with extended arms A big orange ball sprouting from Watery east, trumpeting the Arrival of beautiful sun   A happy meeting of a few Seniors having friendly chat While walking along the Unending stretch of sea shore Watching the graceful sight of sun rise   After thirty minutes of brisk walking Up and down, body full of perspiration Sitting around in the shore sand Analyzing thread bare the day to day Happenings of A to z of world around   As soon as they start feeling The heat of morning sun, Stand up withering away The sticking sand from the body Happily returning to Serene Pelican.   Bad clutters in the brain Peeling off to calm the mind Rejuvenating the life force To joyfully accept the day to day Happenings of good and bad alike   28-04-21. villa 166,Serene Pelican by Columbia Pacific Communities Anna.Mohan-A.Ramasami