Tiny World

It's tiny but its the biggest dream ever. Very colorful even if after its paint came off or with scratches on it. it's valued very high even when it's old. Its treasure of a lifetime. our soul delighted with it every time we took in hands. guess what ??

My Choppu !

Photo credits: Sundharadhrusti

Oh my god, I feel much younger today when I write about it. it's not like Barbie dolls or other dolls like, the one which closes eyes when I put it to sleep, or that Krishna doll, which I make a bed for. even I tied a "dhooli" / (bed for infant made with cotton cloth to swing the baby to sleep) for it.

I strongly believe we incorporated our culture and lifestyle in these types of toys. It was the way our ancestors taught valuable life lessons to kids. it has definitely been fruitful.

Apart from these soulful dolls, I had tiny bullock carts, plastic small cars, lorry - most of them were part of the garden which I made during Dhushera Kolu.

I take them to the front garden or back garden, wherever the sand and grass were present. Took them through the grass forest and big trees [those infant plants]. and parked it on a rough ground. I plucked all the little grass to fit the size of that lorry's container and bundle it with another strong grass. the load is all set now. I would place all of them in the lorry and now move it slowly and pretend as its fully loaded, sometimes the tires come apart. it's the technical break I take and fix them. I unload sometimes to make sure the tire fits and ready for the next trip.

I make it roam around all forest and highways - yes, those concrete beams are the highways.  they are no much traffic. we haven't imagined this much of traffic on roads those dayes. Nah. keep delivering those loads in each station, the river bed - near the tap area. rocky hills, where the "jalli / (stones used to lay tar roads)" are laid aside. and last delivery is at the slippery mountain - the cemented slope. Sometimes, its just the sand that is delivered. once all delivery is done, I clean them, service them and keep in the bags.

I next take the bullock carts now the ride would be near the muddy place as those are near villages. I deliver the flowers, leaves and small veggies to the villages. I pick up small boys and girls in the cart and travel very slowly and reach some outskirts of urban areas. I build houses with sticks and leaves and make smooth ways for the cart to ride all into the villages. after delivery, the bulls are untied and kept near houses for food.

Again when the trip starts, cross the wet river - you know when little water splits from the bucket carried by elders, those wet sands are wet rivers for my world and the improper small stones buried under the sand are rocky hills. small grass patches are the bushy forest. such a simple wonder world it is. Gloomed in these muds, stones, and grass, I play until dusk. return to the cemented cell with all traces of where I was in my dress. I never wished to come out of that world, I won't change and wash...such an intense feeling it was, to withdraw myself from the dreamy world.

When it comes to summer holidays, we were not allowed to play outside during the afternoon. so I collect all the games and toys we have and line them up to play one by one. The most time spent was with these cute little vessels ...also called with love as "Choppu". I have all types of it, pots, storage containers made of mud & painted. Stainless steel Tava, cooker, idli plates, spoons & dosa tiruppi / spatulas. wooden containers, hand-pulled grinder, Ammi Kal, Vilakku made of stones.. some sharp materials found during play will be used as a knife or Aruvamanai. I secretly visit the kitchen and bring in all possible and reachable ingredients to my kitchen. I fetch all greens, sticks, and water from nearby. use vegetables and fruits whichever is available. Menu us decided upon the collections. longer greens are plates to eat, some fruits are kept as it is to guest.

I make the stove / Aduppu, with small stones or broken wooden sticks. use them as fuel. cooking is all about mixing all that we got or just pretend those wet round shape made of mud is ladoo, sand or real rice as rice, leaves are veggies and leafs made as paste in water is sambar. only water would be as real it is. I collect the fallen badam seeds and chinna nellikai and serve it too. pick tulasi leaves and mix with water to make rasam. sometimes pick curd and make buttermilk. real sugar, Horlick and Complan too get added in the list. The major item was baby coconuts, which wanted to participate and came down purposefully :)) I separate the head and body separately and server water on the cup.

Real or pretend, its a truthful moment of preparing the food on our own with local ingredients - lessons I learned on how organic we should be, right?

Especially, the food is made & served with a lot of love and enthusiasm for all friends. including the dolls - which is another lesson of sharing I recorded myself. without a disclaimer and complain, all participants will eat when edible or pretend when not. such was the understanding... it's a global language, right? but these boys come as guests sometimes always eat the non-edible thing and cry. still the same right, they never change - boys are boys Nah!

when it comes to silent participants, it would be my pink barbie, she was unable to sit, eye closing baby, dressless infant, Krishna doll and curly head plastic girl doll, I made a hole in her mouth so food goes inside when fed :))

these cute little toys called "choppu" are human life's antics. beautiful and colorful memories forever.