Kochi's monsoon magic

If you want to experience a magical monsoon, Kochi is the place fo you!

Jun 19, 2023

Dear Reader,

Monsoon has finally arrived in Kochi. Schools have reopened with a fervour. It is a joy to watch little tots in smart uniforms and fancy looking umbrellas await school buses. School reopening does wonders for the local economy. Most stationery stores generate the busiest sales and children are excited to get back to school.

So, what is special about the monsoon season? So many little things, really.

June is a month of fresh new beginnings in Kerala. It rolls out a comforting midpoint before the year is set to wrap up with more festivities.

Mornings are a rain-laden experience. When it rains in Kochi, I love to watch how the coconut trees tower above and sway towards the pale blue sky. The colour of leaves on trees turns several shades greener, and the different hues are a visual treat.

Evenings are a treat for the restless soul that craves for much more than a life of comfort. Watching the sky is a profound treat, more so if you are creatively inclined. A few words of poetry, discussion on films and literature with family or simply listening to good old songs while watching the dance of raindrops is heartwarming.

My thoughts circle back to the festive air that pervades school reopening in Kerala.

From branded pencil boxes to notebooks, cartoon-themed school bags and more, most small stationery stores tempt school children with endless options, teasing the cash out of the wallets of reluctant parents. Branded umbrellas were and are a huge rage with students. Expensive umbrellas come with fancy features whereas the ordinary ones with solid or classic colours are a throwback to celebrating the season quietly.

The scent of new textbooks fill newly bought school bags.

Oh, how I used to love monsoons in Kochi, as a child!

The one thing I used to love was jumping into puddles while walking on the way back home and irritating elders. But I used to dislike getting my feet or socks wet.

Wet shoes were a no-no in the house and had to be kept outside the verandah. Once dry and cleaned, it was fine to bring it to the shoe rack.

In a way, monsoon wasn’t just about school reopening, as it was about new rules and new processes to be defined at home.

Truth be told, no one can resist the lure of enjoying Kochi’s monsoon magic.

Take out a few moments every day to breathe in the gift of life.

Let gratitude bring magic into your daily life.

Celebrate the little things. It matters.

My happy moments in June 2023

I turned a year older and stubbornly insisted that I want no birthday cakes and candle cutting. On my birthday, I enjoyed a delicious Kerala sadhya!
With gratitude to my Guru and to my parents, I contemplated on all the blessings they have blessed me with in my life. Words are never enough to describe the unconditional love of my parents. Without their love, my life would not be what it is today.
I made up my mind to try and visit as many restaurants that served homely Kerala meals as possible and shun the fancy stuff. [Read: Mangalore Ghee Roast and Tender Coconut Payasam] I discovered few underrated hidden gems in the city and I want to write a separate post about it. Watch this space for more:)
I am enjoying monsoon gazing and movie watching with parents. If you enjoy watching movies, I would highly recommend this Malayalam family entertainer - do watch and share your review!
As someone who has been mostly sleep deprived, I am enjoying daily afternoon siestas! If you feel stressed out and overworked, try this at least twice a week. You will feel good.
My teen enjoyed his solo trip to Singapore. Meeting global student leaders from across the globe and engaging with them are a key highlight of the trip.
Highlighting the greatness of Bharatiya culture, I was overjoyed to hear the teen quoting a sacred verse from the Ramayana that is rendered into English as follows: Mother and Motherland are greater than Heaven.’