Backing the Memories

Friend Balar has tagged me to write about my eight-summer holidays. Here is mine (a big post!!)

Summer holidays are very expected times that too in our school and collage days. For me holiday is as usual like others its grannies house. My grandpa house is just 2km from my house, in my childhood days I go there in weekends and come, but on holiday times only I could stay their and I enjoy with my sweet aunty. I used to roaming behind my aunty wherever she goes, we both go to her friend’s house, beach, and cinemas... Bro and me would like to fight with her with pillows and some times even with broomsticks hehe… Playing with the tube water, spraying on each other, bathing in the water tank at grandpa bull shed are the days that never comes again. After aunty was married our visit to grandpa house has reduced, but it’s really fun if the grannies houses have a terrace. We usually spend our times in the terrace by leaving kits. In this my bro fly kits well, we also used to put maanja (no English meaning) for the thread, not like using glass piece or rust, with the Kolamavu (the powder used to draw kolam) and color calcium power that used for whitewashing house.

Visiting grandpa’s village is another fun, the green fields, playing in vayakkal (canal) and bathing in pump set is a wonderful enjoyment. In our village visit there was this interesting sight kattukku porathu (going to forest), to pick cashew nuts. Going there is very thrill as the forest was under government, its risk to go inside, but we go with our uncle to pick cashew fruits and nuts; we kids collect the nuts that was spills and bring it to field. Then we burst the nuts in fire and my uncles distribute our shares. After eating nungu (Palmyra fruit) we create this adventure vehicle called nungu vandi (Palmyra vehicle), I love to drive this vehicle. Taking two nungu and connect with a bough and another stick to push it is called two-wheeler and single wheeler is taking a bending stick and connecting with it. To add more fun, we take the dry plam leaf and stick it with big thorn and drive in the village streets, it gives this tap tap tap sound.

In one of my holiday to my relative village, my cousin and me were walking inside the Savukku grove (the trees that use for burn fire) that we always do to reach the lake. That day in the middle of the grove we were shocked to see this cow was died, and being alone we screamed in the fear, and my cousin run from that place quickly, as I was running slowly I couldn’t see him near. I was crying in fear and confuse which way to go and the thoughts of the ghost rumors were threatening me and with a different sound from the grove was more shivering with me and only I could reach the house after roaming sometimes inside the grove. After this I have little fear on the groves.

The most excite expectation was to visit my small grandma house near Chengalpattu. They live in a calmness place with little house and hills surrounding, it’s the place for us to enjoy well with my cousin aunty (she is a year elder than me) and uncle. We spend much time to story taking (kadhai peasa) and playing dice, going to their garden. Sitting behind the cycle with uncle and rounding all places is our main work, and escaping from my bro who cries to come with us. Going to Thirukkalukundram and visiting temples, going around the hill on full moon days is what I like, esp. to eat sundal, pongal that was given by houses around the hill.

My first long time travel for the holidays and very enjoyable one was to Ooty. That was a big story till we start and end our trip. We had this big travel in the small Maruti car with 5 adults and 3 children (that time i was 11 years old), including the bags. Climbing the hill was so pleasant the chill wind experience is awesome. Rolling in the green grass at botanical garden, being with my little cousin the trip was enjoyable. Driving on the Ooty-Mysore road was a jungle safari; near mudumalai sanctuary we find dozens of elephants, monkeys, dears... The cool breeze, in the calmness road we making noise esp. shouting Veerappa ennga irukka (calling the sandalwood smuggler veerappa, where are u), that was the times veerappan were involved in kidnapping, that was funniest :D Going to the great Mysore Palace, beautiful and the tired waking on Krishnarajasagar Dam to watch dancing water. In that trip the more adventures and fearful place was this Hogenakkal. Traveling in the Parisal (Coracle) in the 60-foot deep water, the bathing in the falls and the canal, hot fish fry on the banks are superb.

My first time holidaying in kodaikanal (my most favorite hill station) was very stressful, even thought with some kind hearts I managed to enjoy with pain. The place we stayed was like an old bungalow, but mornings were very different, with rose flowers blooming around our house. Last year we were with our whole family to kodai, with the help of wheel chair I could go everywhere, the mist filled sight in Coaker walk, drizzle rain allover are awesome season. The road leads to kodai to thekkady was great sense, the both sides are sky raised hills and green fields, different language. The boat ride in Thekkady was shivering joy.

Its 10 years since this summer holidays we visit Ooty, very happy to write the memories again here. First pic was from Ooty, with my family, the boy in violet coat is me:) the 2nd one was the car we travel to ooty. Thanks for giving time to my big post!

I send this tag to one and only Thooya:)