Happy Diwali/Deepavali to all Ilanders! I hope u are lighting earthen lamps and not using electric lights! Okay the global warming issue is still on my mind and I am doing what I can to help without making too many lofty resolutions that I may not be able to keep up.

As for Diwali or Deepavali as we say around here, I must admit its one of those festivals that is traditionally not celebrated in Kerala. So growing up I did not celebrate it at all. But once I got married I try and include certain rituals of all festivals in the spirit of doing something ancient.

So we light lamps make some sweets, burst some crackers and have fun! That’s Diwali to me the dancing lights make me happy I enjoy decorating the balconies and float some  candles in an uruli, have some flowers around and clean the house.

We play Holi, again a festival not celebrated in the South traditionally but then its such a fun festival though I’m not sure what it is all about really! We also enjoy decorating a little plant for Christmas and also put up a star! The kids love it! For Id I don’t know what to do, but I eagerly await being invited to the breaking fast feast! :) All the goodies served with a lot of bonhomie makes me happy! So happy Diwali/Deepavali and I will be celebrating with you in my own way! 

Now for the main news! I'm happy to report our apartment is now recycling our garbage. The Kerala Builders Forum(KBF) has helped our society implement this and most of our residents are eagerly sorting our garbage into green and yellow buckets! These buckets are collected by women who come daily and they take it to be processed into compost!

The plastic is going to be used to repair our road nearby they are planning to have vehicles collecting unwanted plastic from houses to polymerize the roads. I am told the gravel will be coated with plastic polymer and this will make the roads five times stronger. That’s like the ultimate thing that can happen in Kochi! :) Pinch me!

Milk packets are to be washed well and should be cleaned before it goes to the yellow bucket. Plastic bags used to buy fish and meat should similarly be cleaned before it goes into the yellow bucket. I have decided to carry a box to buy fish from now on. Hope that goes well! The compost will be sold by the women who collect the garbage and we are asked to pay them one or two rupees daily as an incentive!

We are all excited to say the least, frantic calls going on between women here - "Where does the coconut shell go yellow or green bucket?" - A common question?" - "It goes to the yellow bucket whereas the husk to the green bucket!" comes the answer! Happy recycling everyone! :) Lets grow more trees and keep our flora and fauna safe!