ECR – A Highway Ride

Last week I was on ECR (east coast road) to a temple festival in Mamallapuram with family and it was my travel on this road after some long time and the road wasn’t almost 4 lanes (highway) unlike now when I travel last, but was under extreme widening. The transformation from a pretty 2 lanes to advanced 4 lanes with high divider brought lot of changes on the look, locations and landscape. Though ECR is an accident prone road and due to increased traffic, such large scale development is needed but I always go for the former, the scenic double lane road which keeps me inspiring no matter how many times I ride.

ECR is one of my favourite routes, not that we stay close to the road and have been frequently hit, I feel pleasure every time I take a ride on this road bearing the cool sea breeze. ECR is packed with entertainment centres and amusement parks to keep one occupied and lately number of showrooms and cafés adds fun to the scenic highway. Except weekends, the ECR is mostly traffic free once crossed Muttukkadu, from where the ride is almost close to the coast of Bay of Bengal with Casuarina groves for company.  I usually hate riding on national highways mainly because of the bare scenarios that make feel bore… even getting a shadow is rarely evident.

Though ECR doesn’t bear many trees to provide shadow or to cut off, but still feel the widening has affected certain aspect of the scenic road. I find the new elevated bridge across the Muttukkadu backwaters got back the undisturbed, picturesque view across the estuary which was latterly hindered by a water pipe that transports the purified seawater to the city purpose. Coming to the road ways, undoubtedly we need smooth roads and protected lanes to travel from a place to another. And in today’s uncontrolled vehicle population (and pollution) road winding is the only option to let all vehicles and drive crash free. But what really happening is the four-lane encourages rash driving, where the need to care about opposite vehicle is almost absent. I wish the ECR comes under speed control, which is the only way to bring down the accidents.

The photos here were shot during the course… And I linking this post with Good Fences

RGB Monday

A colorful family

The picture shot at Kodaikanal Lake Road is a random image, where you could see a family representing the colors of red, green and blue which I find apt to add to the meme. Apart that you could see bicycles of different kind and colors in the image, which are rented cycles, that tourist enjoys riding around the lake. And to the left, you could see a foot cart selling bread omelette and bajjis, which has become one of the top pick by tourist visiting the hill station.  I find the number of foot carts making similar business along the lake road has been in rise so much lately. 

The lack of content

There’s a proverb called ‘old is gold’, which meant that old things are valuable as gold and what’s happening with things produced these days proves that quality is something we lost in the past and what’s in the production today couldn’t deliver the best and anything we take is out of content and quality. I’m not denying quite that all things made are useless but less in quality and quantity. The manufactures produce more than enough things these days and we aren’t in lack of getting things but do they all make feel content? Lately, I feel more the quality is something sacrificed on almost everything we purchase. Because I could obviously see the difference in quality on things bought back (at least in less than 10 years) and now. For example, my new wheelchair is just 7 months old and the front wheel tyre is torn out!

I am using power wheelchair for more than 9 years and until I get the new one lately I was constantly using a power wheelchair (which was my primary) purchased in 2007. The wheelchair is in good working condition and I use it sometime to keep in touch and sustain with its comfort, even though its tyres are worn out there isn’t a piece of damage to them and the joystick is still doing well for even the wheelchair manufacturers to amaze! Because, they themselves admit the joysticks provided these days couldn’t last more than 3 years. And I don’t want to say anything more on it. Even though the technology has advanced they couldn’t sustain the quality make feel worse.

Other days on my evening outing in wheelchair I spent some time at my uncle’s workshop and was amazed to see the plastic chair that was bought in 1990, when they started the Maruti workshop, still exists without damage. Only its legs have shortened due to long and excess use. I have seen the chair used for all sort of activities and many a time the chairs have supported the car engines during reassemble.  But with today’s chairs we are supposed to be beware sitting, because the chairs aren’t strong enough like before and a small drag will see its legs bending. So was the quality of plastic used these days. We had couple of chairs and a stool from 90s and until I got my fracture in 2013, I used the stool for bathing and even the color of the stool was faded and it came with a damaged leg, but continued to support without a mishap. We had searched for a similar stood but couldn’t get a strong one alike anywhere.

I know there are different kinds of mirrors in market to see our face, in colourful frames and design… but do u believe I still use an old car wing mirror to see my face daily. Yes, it was a side view mirror that broken from a car door, long back, at uncle’s workshop and we have dropped it down number of times but haven’t see a damage or fading mirror. I mentioning it mainly because the plastic and the mirror where such standard piece and I didn’t need a change as any mirror do the same. Another thing that makes me believe the quality has lost its foot was the Air con machine (split a/c); we bought at the same time I got my first wheelchair (2007).  

Our LG A/C is more than 9 years old and only last year we are forced to change the indoor unit due to gas leak but the outer unit (compressor) continues to work well supporting the second hand Samsung blower unit. I know few people have changed couple of ACs during this period. Ours was so far raised only minor issues and the AC was under annual maintenance contract (AMC), though it is one of the reasons for its long stability but that alone is not enough I believe, because if the unit wasn’t a  quality content it’s impossible to survive.  We bought another AC for my brother in 2013 and before completing a year it witnessed a major problem and the enter coil unite was changed in the outer unit. And about a year from then, the compressor goes off and made a huge sum for mending. It all makes clear what kind of standard we are living.

Could we replace the Nokia 1100’s stability? Though I know today’s mobiles are sophisticated but when it comes to calls I think the former is best. Even though we could manage with certain things that support life from outside, the food that lack quality is impossible to digest. I really want to say I fear to intake anything got from the tiffin café or hotels and eat with hesitation that nothing indigestion should happen. I have experienced trouble having food from the hotel, but I think its normal thing to happen sometime and another thing I like to put front is the taste and quantity of food served.

Almost restaurants have raised their price tag, perhaps, due to economic growth and increase price of grocery, but why do they reduce the quantity of food? When the price increases, at least the amount of food should have sustained, right? The couple of idly and vada got from the hotel couldn’t feel me content and taste different from one time to another. Though it was perhaps the intention of restaurant owners to reduce and increase certain things, the naturally gown Apple deceives me to feel bad. I eat an apple per day and I find the apples aren’t tastier and easily chewable these days.

We used to buy apple and other fruits a familiar woman who sells them from a roadside stall and being a well-known, she only gives us if the fruits were good enough. The apples don’t expose any damage or insect bite and sometime comes in delicate pink and dark in red, but until we cut-off we couldn’t guess the quality inside. Sometime it’s very hard to nibble and taste similar as pears and futile to eat. I know everything has a market in this world, and there could be some people projecting what kind of apple should be grow in what quality and quantity. I believe it’s the hybrid cultivation that keeps the nutrition away… the apple industry (and any kind of farming these days) seems to focus on only high yield and don’t care about the quiddity.  I feel the content of eating an apple is possible only if we eat more than two apples… but when I can’t eat a one, how could this possible.

The complaint about quality has been in trend for long but I feel it more lately compare with things available around. I feel very imbalance with this kind of trend where things become costlier but the quality and quantity couldn’t reach that height.  Thanks for taking time to read my frustration…

Appa, the Best Father (Movie Review)

There are very few films share our personal views and things we thought could be right if the outcome was this manner. Appa’s subject is very close to my heart and what I really thought how a parenting should be has been highlighted in this Tamil flick Appa. What a feel it was to watch a father son related movie along with your father? Actually I didn’t feel anything wonder (as i went with my father and bro to watch) but the scrip does enough and what it delivered is best.

Though it is a father son/daughter relationship subject, the objective has been parenting and the movie exhibits a model where the child was himself rather following the serious modes and being a replica of others. Directed and acted by Samuthirakani, the film deals with three different kind of parenting and the outcome of the children and parents reaction make it worth watching and also   entertaining.

Samuthirakani has played an ideal role model of a father, who wants to bring up his child with individuality and morality rather forcing him into certain kind of pressure the other children go through. Right opp. to him, his wife, being an arrogant and comparative person, wants her son to do what all other kids do instead of concerning his real needs and deeds. The parents were separated and the boy grows on his father’s guidance as a confidant, friendly and cheerful young man.

On the other hand, Thambi Ramaiya is as a strict father who dominates his son’s life and wants him always to be topper in academic. Being an anti-Samuthirakani he keeps his son away from them and later put him into a residential school against his wish. The third one doesn’t come into either category and with a son of retarded growth wasn’t encouraged or disregarded, but the short guy was the real show stealer.

After a gap of two years or so, Samuthirakani has took the Saattai (whip) in hand once again to drive away the force that implemented on children in name of education, supervision, suspicion and authoritarian. In Saattai(Samuthirakani’s previous movie), as a teacher, he took reform in education system and function of school and in Appa, he took a step further exhibiting certain kind of attitudes from the parents side to observe and put right  things.

I believe not everyone would get a father like the Samuthirakani’s character in the movie, because the way he handled his teenage son’s confused state of meeting with a girl and facilitates his discomfort feeling when he understand his unfamiliarity towards the opposite sex is absolutely wonderful and best ever expressed. I don’t think any father or mother would discuss the children about the things happen during the teen, like the film emphasis, because this is the phase decides ones behavior pattern and if it wasn’t designed properly the incidents against the women are impossible to avoid.   

Appa carries message on the shoulder which is apt to the current leading society and the movie is a testimony to the misconception happening in the education and children’s growth. Vignesh (the one played as elder brother in Kaaka Muttai) as son of Kani expressed smart and intelligence, although being an average student his character is quite impressive. Mailvagam (Nasath), the child with retarded growth, is one of the best aspects of the movie and his every move is noteworthy and amusing.  

Thambi Ramayai has continued his role from a teacher (in Saattai) to parent in Appa with same frustration, and has proved his ability in twisting his character in the rear end. The boy acted as his son expressed almost everything on his face and the two girls as their friends has given their best. The movie doesn’t have songs (though music by Ilaiyaraja) and also I couldn’t remember the one what lyrics, because Samuthirakani’s dialogues have saturated. It’s a movie for everyone to be must watched. 

RGB Monday

RGB Monday is a meme I stared to share photos that comprises and highlights the colors of Red, Green and Blue either in a photo or three different photos where the colors are connected in either ways. The series completes a year by July and it was received nicely by the fellow bloggers and this meme along with the other ones keeps me active in blogging. A bright color always capture our attention easily and I have many photos shot during my travels and I find these memes helps in sharing them. Thanks for the support. 

The above one was shot at Kodaikanal, during my vacation, where a woman vendor selling fruits from a temporary fruit stall on the observatory road and the fruits sold are grown from the small farms across the mountains. They sell plums, pears, peaches, butter fruit and other related fruits, including delicious carrots. 

Asian Koel and Summer calls

Asian Koels and summer seems to have some connection between them, because I observed their presence more these days unlike any other season. Proving that, couple of my friends has also uploaded Koel photos in Flickr shot at their neighbourhood from across the country. Though I don’t see this birds often unlike it used fall into my sight during my residence in apartment previously (the pics below were also shot there), their call from the trees around my home is frequently loud.

Sometimes I see both the male and female Koels when I come out in the evening and the house next to ours has different kind of trees along the space around their home… invites birds such as Rufous Treepie, Green Parrots and Yellow billed Babblers. And I used to try capturing these birds but the angles they perch don’t fall into my comfort of shoot.

Male and Female Asian Koel

Koels are renowned for their sweetest tone and despite being black and grey in colors the bird’s enriched calls are inspiration for many poets to pen down beautiful verses. Koels are hard to distinguish from crows (due to black in color) unless taking little notice at their eyes - crimson red in color, and the female is differentiated by the white and buff spot on its brown back which resemble the look of an hawk. 

Linking this post with SATURDAY CRITTERS