Kaanum Pongal: The Last Day

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Kaanum POngal marks the end of the Thai Pongal festival. In this context, 'Kaanum' means 'to visit'. Families will reunite and brothers pay a special tribute to their married sisters. People will go to the beach or to theme parks, or simply stay at home with their family and decorate their homes with Kolam.

That was my task today - to make a kolam for the house... it did not go well. I don't know how the Tamil people I watched on Youtube did it, but mine did not look like theirs. There is clearly a knack to holding the flour that I just did not get.



I finally got a response from my brother. After sending him a message say that I prayed for his well-being and hoped that 'our brother-sister ties are as strong as two crows that live distantly and independently from each other'.

'Two erudite, wry and wise crows, obviously.' he replied. I wished him a Happy Maatu Pongal, and he had no clue what I was on about.

I think that says everything about our siblingship/siblinghood.



Today is also National Prohibition Remembrance Day (I don't whether I'm supposed to drink, not drink, make moonshine, or join the mafia), Martyrs Day in Benin (commemorating an unsuccessful mercenary attack on Cotono (the city with the government) in which European mercenaries with the support of Gabon attacked the city - the lives of those who died defending Benin are celebrated to mark the victory against the foreign invaders and Homage is paid to those who fought), and National Nothing Day in the US - which goes to prove that Americans have a day for everything. It is an un-event with the purpose to 'provide Americans with one National day* when they can just sit without observing or honouring anything.' (*it is not a national holiday).



Tomorrow - Patras Carnival!

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Photos

kolam
What it should have looked like (from google)

Kolam
My attempt. Find the feather, flower, star and jammy dodger.