As should have been expected, despite being fully (or at least sub consciously) aware of the nightmare that train bookings in India are, and despite my constant requests to confirm their participation or absence by a specific date, most of the students confirmed their participation only one week before scheduled departure. Instead of telling them all off, I dutifully went to the railways booking office (online booking was still non-existent in those days in India) to reserve 14 seats! No surprises there: I was wait-listed a ridiculous 150-164 (or something similar). (I.e. 164 people with confirmed seats would need to cancel in the coming one week in order for all of us to get seats!).
I called the reservation office each day to check the status. The changes were miniscule - until 2 days before departure, we were still wait-listed 130 and up. Interestingly, not for one moment did the thought cross my mind that I should give up and ask everyone to book their own flight tickets. (I knew that most parents would not like the idea anyways!) So I waited... tried all my contacts, my dad's and mom's contacts, other contacts etc. etc. to get some or the other "quota" so my wonderful YES "kids" could go to Bangalore. But nothing was working. Everyone told me that getting 14 seats confirmed was difficult if not impossible on any quota and if by chance we could apply various quotas (which again, was not possible really), we would all be spread out all over the train and not be able to travel in one bogie. On the day of travel, I called the reservation office thrice. The first time, we were still wait-listed over 100. The second time, there was no change. I had decided by then that I would stuff everyone into the general compartment (which by the way is a nightmare and more so if you are on a 36 hour journey from Delhi to Bangalore!) and leave even if the parents protest. (See below - example of a general compartment in Indian rails)
So, as a last minute thought, and very halfheartedly, just before jumping into my car to leave for the railway station, I called the reservation office a 3rd time. This time, I was told by the cheerful machine at the other end, that we all had confirmed seats - in the same bogie, right next to one another :) I was dumbfounded!
I floated in the state of shock, surprise and uhhh - complete amazement, to the station where all the parents were still with their kids, expecting to take them all back home right away :) Instead, they were all given the shocking news that we had confirmed seats. (Those of you who are used to train travel in India will know what a miracle this was!)
So we all went to Bangalore in the comfort of 2nd Class AC as planned, singing songs and cracking jokes.
Needless to say, we had a wonderful course - learned a lot, made many new friends, felt refreshed, relaxed, inspired and energised to make a difference in this world of ours :) But on the last day, a thought kept nagging me: "We are also wait-listed 135-149 on the return journey :( Maybe the universe blessed us with a miracle so that we would not disappointed and could all come for the YES2. But will we also be so lucky/blessed on the return? None of the "kids" are really looking forward to being back home... but the parents would be worried!" And so went my thought process. Again, I considered stuffing everyone into the General Compartment and even mentioned this to some of the kids... they didn't seem to mind (young blood you know - always ready for adventure). However, I started getting phone calls from worried parents - how r u coming back? Is there a confirmed seat for my kid? To one of the parents, I mistakenly mentioned the General Compartment I think and that was it.... the kid was immediately booked on the next flight to Delhi. Now I was a little worried: "not all kids can do this... what will I do? Maybe it is not even safe to travel in the General Compartment!"
So once again, I decided to call the booking office, and once again, a similar chain of events happened. Call # 1 - wait-listed 100-114. Call #2 - wait-listed 99-113. Call #3 (this time a few hours before we left for the railway station) - all seats confirmed! :D This time, we had 14 seats for 13 people!
I've often thought about this and several unexplainable "miracles" that have happened in my life. And each time, I have remembered something that one of my teachers (I unfortunately don't remember which one) told me: "If you have never experienced a miracle in your life, it is because you have never stepped out of your comfort zone." Indeed, each time I have experienced a miracle, I have done something that was not so comfortable or easy: Shouldered responsibility beyond what I thought was my capacity, done something despite the fear or inhibition in me, done what I think is my duty, despite the discomfort or inconvenience involved, gone out of my way to help someone etc. etc. In each of these instances, there has been an "Invisible Hand" that worked from nowhere to help me out. I also often remember a quote from the movie "The Pricess Diaries" which goes something like: "Courage is not the absence of fear, but a realization that there are things more important than my fear."
In one of the knowledge sheets, Guruji talks about the qualities of the divine. He says that one of the qualities of the divine is that it is hidden. Every divine miracle can be dismissed as a co-incidence. But then again, can they ALL really be mere co-incidences? Twice in a row, all 14 seats confirmed, all in one bogie, right next to one another? More than 100 people had decided last minute to cancel their train bookings on two different occasions? One of the famous quotes from Albert Einstein says "Coincidence is God's way of remaining anonymous!" :D
I have also thought sometimes - why does it matter whether we treat an occurrence (similar to the one I experienced) as a miracle or a co-incidence? I have, over the years, realised that it makes a difference to me (and perhaps to anyone who consciously or unconsciously makes this distinction). When we think of something as a miracle, there comes with it a sense of deep gratitude and an inner softness. It makes the mind totally silent. It is such a precious space to be in! On the other hand, if we dismiss something as a co-incidence or even as "our good luck," we miss being in this precious space. In other extremes, our ego might come up and make us think "oh! I am always lucky!" and we might start taking the most beautiful gifts from the "invisible hand" for granted.
The "invisible hand" works in more ways than Adam Smith could ever have imagined :D We just need to have the eyes to "see" and the ears to "hear"!
Today's recipe (rely on a miracle and just try it!):
Sambhar and Lemon Rice (Once again, I was never taught how to make these, I just gave it a shot one fine morning, and was told that they taste really authentic! :D)
Sambhar: Ingredients (for 4-5 people with a good appetite)
5 medium sized carrots - chopped into circles (not too thin)
3 medium sized potatoes - chopped into medium sized squares
1 zucchini - chopped into medium sized squares
30-40 green beans - chopped into large pieces (each bean can be cut into 2 or 3 depending on the length)
1/2 cauliflower - cut out medium sized flowerets
4-5 tomatoes - chopped
1 cup yellow mung dal (yellow mung beans) (wash well 3-4 times)
2 inch piece of ginger - grated fine
1 inch piece of tamarind (soak in warm water for 15 mins and squeeze out all the pulp and juice for use (throw away the seeds of course :D)
3/4 tsp turmeric
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp coriander powder
1/2 tsp red chilli powder (if you are too sensitive to spice, you can avoid this)
2 tsp sambhar powder (you can use more or less to make it more or less spicy)
15-20 curry leaves (fresh if possible, washed and chopped into halves or 1/3)
1/4 tsp hing powder (Asafoetida)
3-4 tablespoons ghee or oil
3-4 tablespoons coconut flakes
2 large whole dried red chillies (If you dont have a high pitta problem or if it is high winter, you can use more. Or if you are too sensitive to spice, you can avoid this)
Salt to taste
Method:
In a large pot, put 1 liter of water and heat it to about 50 degrees. Put in the washed dal and let it come to a boil. Reduce the flame or heat to about half and let it cook for about 30-40 minutes or till the lentils are soft.
Now, add all the vegetables (including the tomatoes) and another 300-500 ml of water (depending on how thick or watery you like the sambhar to be), bring to a boil, and let it cook on medium heat for another 20-30 mins.
Add the grated ginger, salt and tamarind pulp+juice and let it simmer on low heat for another 5 minutes.
In the mean time, in a well heated small frying pan (or tadka pot), add the ghee/oil, all the spices (including the sambhar powder), curry leaves and cook while stirring on low to medium heat for 2-3 mins (make sure you don't burn the spices!) Add the coconut flakes and the whole red chillies (you can break each into two) and stir for 1-2 mins. Put this entire spice mix into the pot of vegetables+dal, stir well really quickly and immediately place the lid on the pot. Turn off the heat.
Lemon Rice: Ingredients (for 4-5 people)
3 cups Basmati rice (washed 2-3 times in cool water)
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1 handful of peanuts (I prefer the roasted split ones)
10-15 fresh curry leaves - chopped (not fine)
2.5 tsp white Urad dal
1.5 tsp mustard seeds
1 large whole dried red chilli
2 tablespoons of oil (not ghee)
Juice of 1/2 to 1 large lemon (depending on how sour you like the lemon rice to be)
Salt to taste
Method
In a rice cooker or pot, put the Basmati rice, twice the amount (or the advised amount) of water (i.e. 6 cups of water for 3 cups of rice), 2/3 tsp salt (or as you like it), 1/2 tsp turmeric powder and let the rice cook. (If you don't have a rice cooker, the method to cook rice is as follows: bring the above mix to a boil, reduce the heat to low, place the lid on the pot and let it cook until all the water is soaked up by the rice - this might take about 10-15 mins for 3 cups of rice).
Once the rice is cooked, transfer it to another broad, shallow pot and let the rice cool down. Once cooled, add the lemon juice and mix well with a light hand (dont mash the rice!) (You'll notice that the rice changes colour from orange to yellow once you add the lemon juice :D)
In a shallow small well heated frying pan, add the oil, then the mustard seeds. Once the mustard seeds start jumping around a bit, add the urad dal and the peanuts, stir a little till the urad dal becomes light brown. Add the curry leaves and the whole red chillies and stir again for 20-25 seconds. Remove from heat and mix well into the rice. Place a lid on the rice to retain the aroma in.
Just before serving (optional): In a frying pan, heat 1-2 tablespoons of ghee and stir in 5-6 fresh curry leaves (stir for no more than 10 seconds in the hot ghee). Pour into the Sambhar and mix well - serve immediately with the lemon rice. ENJOY! :)
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