Lappy back and A short video/photo slide of Bro’s wedding

The laptop is back in its former condition, and I'm glad the technicians saved the laptop nor should have looked out for new. To everyone’s amazement, my laptop survives 9 years without any major repair! There won’t be a surprise if it comes up with another issue because I’m in a situation to install anything additional to the system or force anything out of its circuit. I’m happy I could blog again, and I wish this laptop last some time to celebrate our 10 years partnership. lol 

Brothers wedding photos selection was going on my laptop and this setback with the laptop delayed the progress of sending photos for the album. I took some photos from the wedding folders and made a short video or photo slide with the Clips app on the iPhone to send to friends and relatives as Whatsapp messages. The app has some animation clips, and I used them to enhance the photo view. I share below the video for your views. Watch in full screen for a good show.

Unresponsive laptopy

My laptop shut down without a warning on Saturday, and I tried to wake it up but it stopped responding. The dell Inspiron n5110 laptop is with me for the last 9 years and it doesn't require service for the last 3years where I only had to change charger and keyboard. I know I was in need of change and it kept showing me many a sign that it’s getting old but it continued to serve the purpose of me. The technicians at the dell service has given 50% hope to retrieve the laptop or else I need to look out for another.  Unlike other social media, blogging is not a easy thing to do with mobile so was the absence of posts here. Until I get back the laptop I can’t visit all of you and posting is uncertain too. Take care of you all

My Brother’s Wedding Story

Before I go ahead, I need to say I wasn't in mind to post this blog because we faced a great loss to pluck away the happiness instantly coming out of the wedding mood. The unexpected loss of one of my uncles shattered us to pieces and left us in a great void of grief. I should make a post soon on this ironman, who had been greater shoulder support to our family and who also conducted the wedding from the front.  

Despite the pandemic restrictions and alert and alarming Nivar cyclone, the last week's wedding of my brother went on well and trouble-free as along. What we anticipated wasn’t far disappointing, but instead, reversed in order of what we planned.

We headed to the wedding hall earlier than we planned as we had no idea when the cyclone would hit hard or reach its extreme, so we informed the cook to prepare lunch for us,  and the bride’s family too reached the hall by the afternoon for the evening reception. There’s a custom that the bride should be invited only from the temple rather than going straight to the wedding hall had been broken down by the Nivar cyclone.

The day the reception and wedding was surrounded by gusty winds and pattering rain, agree to blow along the resonating Nadhaswaram and Thavil – our traditional music instrument used in weddings and any auspicious functions. Our family friend Selvam and his team of instrumentalists hit the notch in their playback instruments. Perhaps because this’s a wedding everyone looked out for for a very long time, and the enthusiasm hasn’t left him alone.

Everything went on planning or timing we set on other than fewer disappointments. We anticipated more people for the reception and less for the marriage, but the cyclone kept the twist, thereby reversing the order. The threatening Nivar cyclone had kept away many people from attending the evening reception as many don’t want to take a risk paid a visit to the morning wedding. But there weren’t people up to our expectation, and we understand the situation wasn’t favorable to us and there’s a waste of food for about 200.

Glad we decided to advance going to the wedding hall and halted there for the night, instead of coming home and return in the morning, like how we planned first.  Sure it would be a bad idea to execute our former plan in the gusty wind and rain, and our stay at the wedding hall was comfortable too. The room allotted for us on the ground floor was spacious with two king-size beds, reminding the cottages we hire during our travel,  was convenient to stay and watch every aspect of the wedding.

The night wasn’t easily forgettable apart from the gusty wind and rain blasting outside, there’s something disturbed the sleep, and it was a cold night that didn’t allow us to use to twin a/c in the room. The bride and the groom looked fair at their wedding/reception outfits and makeups what didn’t go right at the engagement.  After the wedding, the couple went to Tirupati to fulfill the request from the bride’s side.

I wore the mask thoroughly at the wedding, while many didn’t care a bit. I keep insisting my father wear the mask. But during the rituals, it goes off.  I keep the mask away only when I got to pose for a photo!

We were worried about conducting the marriage in the pandemic period, but the cyclone steered the wheel differently. We stayed at the wedding hall till everyone leaves and we moved out only after loading the things the bride brings home as Seeru (gifts from her parents) in the mini-truck, and we also made sure that we didn't miss anything. We are almost content with the happenings at the wedding, and the couple is happy, and the sis-in-law is quite calm and familiar to practice though we haven’t met before. And everyone had our part of smiles through the event.

A group photo of our beloved families after the wedding session and the one standing 2nd from the right (with a big mustache) is our uncle who passed two nights ago in a heart attack. 

Preparing for Bro's Wedding

Brother’s wedding arrangements were going in full swing, and with only two days left for the occasion – of Nov 25^th evening reception and Nov 26^th morning marriage – the invitation process came to an end with Panthakaal on Sunday. Panthakaal is a pre-wedding ritual, where a wooden pole is planted in front of the house (a few days ahead of the wedding) after prayer for a trouble-free wedding ceremony. In the bygone era, word of mouth was the only source of communication; so pole planting ensures the passers-by get to know about the wedding and also the good news is passed to others.

Now, following the Panthakaal, Nalanggu is performed on him for the remaining days to the wedding. Nalanggu is an activity of applying turmeric paste on the cheeks, hands, and feet of the bride and groom by the married women, and as a blessing, saffron is applied to their forehead. Mostly it’s a 3-day ritual, and we are having guests visiting us every day to perform the rite, and my brother is at hold at home from Sunday.  Other than relatives, we invite friends and neighbors to visit us to perform the ritual, and for me, I get something special to eat at home in the evenings and at night as we have guests.

Everything goes well until now, and our house got a cheerful look like the wedding lights that set home in the festival glow. But not to forget, the Nivar cyclone is nearing us and threatening to mess the celebration mood as it is predicted to strike exactly on the dates of the wedding. We have no option other than facing anything that comes our way, but we hope the cyclone passes off quickly before the event began.

The last few weeks were kind of huff and puff for the parents, and presenting the invitation has kept them away from the afternoon naps and our bedtime to past 11 pm. My uncle's family next door has taken care of me while my parents were away on an inviting spree, we still can’t reach out to many of them as we got a very short time, and the pandemic is another troublesome kicking ass as well. Conducting a marriage in a situation of social distancing and mask-wearing is a different experience we’re looking forward to, and hope things work well for us safely and securely.

Deepavali Festival Celebration

Deepavali passed off peacefully, leaving us in a glowing festival of lights and fireworks. The day wasn’t far different from a regular day except for the sound of bursting crackers and night fireworks; I was in a self-celebration mood, spending the evening skywatching from the balcony at the various displays of aerial shots. There’s more than fireworks that are related to Deepavali, but people are no more interested in anything rather than staring or discussing at the mobiles. Smartphones are handled all-day, and people intimate with it like a newlywed, but the lust surrounds it never seems to diminish even on a cheerful, colorful, and sparkling festival of lights.

We had a couple of boys from the backstreet to join the festival night, and we lit some fireworks in the street. I enjoyed watching and taking some photos and videos of fireworks, and my favorites were the sky shots. It's only during this time (of Deepavali), we could see the dazzling show of fireworks in the sky, and the firework mode in the camera is an inspiration for me to shoot a perfect sky shot. But it seldom happens to me, and the GoPro helps me get some decent videos of the fireworks that are waiting to be edited before upload here. I downloaded video editing software and got into trouble as it slowed the system, I uninstalled it, but the system lost its speed and probably would need an OS reinstall. 

Just a week left for my brother’s wedding and everyone is so busy with work schedule, and taking the laptop to service is not possible and insisting couldn’t be right at the moment. So perhaps my blogging couldn’t be regular because I find it really difficult to make a post or upload photos in-between the lag.  Deepavali is always connected with nostalgic memories, and it becomes impossible to drive away from the thoughts of celebration, and I couldn’t stop comparing the past with the current. Though the trend has changed a lot these years – the sound of crackers and smoke level had also drastically reduced this year  – couldn’t create the festival mood naturally these days. I hope you guys had a great festival of lights. And don’t forget to check the short video below, having some glimpses of the celebration.

Happy Deepavali 2020

 Hope you guys have a Great Festival of Lights and Cheerful Weekend ☺

இமைக்கா நொடிகள் / Unblinking Seconds

 

கண்கள் வழியே காதல் மலருதே

கொடியேன நாளங்களில் புது ரத்தம் படருதே

உற்சாகத்தில் இதயம், வேகம் எடுக்குதே

வெயிலோ மழையோ, மெய்மறந்து போகுதே.

 

அவள் அல்லி மலரோ அல்ல, அழகில்  

குறிஞ்சி மலரோ அல்ல, வியந்திட

முல்லை மலரோ அல்ல, மணத்திட

மனம் ஒன்றிய பிறகு எம்மலரும் சம்மதமே .

 

அவள் அருகே இருந்தும் மௌனம் பேசியதே!

வளையோசை மட்டும் தனியே ஒலித்தது

இமைகள் மூட மறந்து உற்று நோக்குதே   

கருவிழியின் கொள்ளை அழகில்

- விழிகள் விலக மறுத்து

சிறு பிள்ளை போல் பிடிவாதம் பிடிக்கிது.

மேகம் திரண்டு மழையென பொழிந்தாலும்  

இமைக்கா நொடியில் பரவசம் ஆகுதே.

----------------- -----------------

Love blooms through the eyes

Like the vines, new blood spread in  the veins

In excitement, heart take the speed

Either it's sunshine or rain, mesmerized.

She isn’t  a lily in beauty

Or Kurunji to be surprised

Nor Jasmine to be fragrant

When the mind is united, any blossom is consent.

Although she was nearby, silence spoke!

The whisper of bangles sounded alone

The eyelids forget to close and stare

At the robbing beauty of the iris

The eyes refuse to roll  

Stubborn like a small child.

Even if the clouds gather and rain

The unblinking seconds be ecstatic.

RGB Monday

A colorful Ganesh temple

Last week, I got to travel to some relative's house to present an invitation to my brother's marriage (Nov 26^th) along with the parents, cousin, and uncle, and a few of them were distant relatives similarly staying at a distance of about 60 to 70 km from our location. So my parent thought that it would be an opportunity to take me out as I haven’t traveled anywhere (other than going on a half-day trip to Mamallapuram last month) since the announcement of lockdown in March. One of a relative’s house located on ECR got a colorful Ganesh temple (pic above) at the end of their road.

I hadn’t taken my wheelchair along with me, and I haven’t intended to visit anybody, as I haven’t done it after a stage, and they are our relatives we seldom visited. And above all, this is a period to better stay away, as my intention had been only traveling, it doesn’t matter anyway. We traveled on roads that we rode many times in the earlier days, brought me a nostalgic feel, and make feel wonder looking at the changes that happen everywhere. Some things are unchanged for good to feel relaxed, like the Mamallapuram – Thirukalukundram road with enough greenery and country life. 

I couldn’t see things around me after some time, as we spent a lot of time at Mamallapuram and it being our ancestral town we have many relatives there and when we move out of the town it turned evening and quickly get into the dark to block me from many views. After a long time, I come across a railway crossing and waiting some time for a couple of trains to pass, and it was a joy I long missed because many places I have traveled had flyovers and subways to move at swift. I took photos of things that I find interesting, and many of them were sky shots that I could share sometime later on the blog.

10 Days To Go

I’m counting the days for Deepavali. This year, November 14 is Deepavali or Diwali, and what makes it more special was, it falls on Children’s day – the birth anniversary of the first Prime Minister of India, Jawaharlal Nehru, who likes children a lot, thus this day is celebrated as Children’s day – and Deepavali is a festival more likely celebrated by the children like bursting crackers, wearing new clothes, and eating sweets. Deepavali is my favorite festival of all time, and I always look forward to this day for nothing but bursting and watching the fireworks. Kids grown up through the 90s could easily relate to what I mean and bursting how much crackers would be the task of the day and see who ends with abundant trashes in front of their homes.

In later years the loudness of crackers had become not my kind of thing, but my passion for fireworks hadn’t come down quite. The night fancy fireworks were my favorite thing from the past decade, and every year I buy fireworks, to only watch it turning my night into delightful light, and colors as someone lit fireworks on my behalf. Deepavali always surges an excitement in me and roll me down the slopes of memories of childhood, what I consider the best part of my entire life despite my belief of best is yet to come. The festival was in a real festive mood then, and the anticipations were high, to look forward to this day all the year perhaps because I was active then to ignite fireworks on my own to see it blast with great joy.

These days I almost forget this day until the day gets closer. My kind of celebration shrinks a lot at every passing year, and I was confined to my house alone rather than going around the neighborhood to enhance my festival mood by watching things happening around relevant to Deepavali. People’s interests had become varied from me, and they have their own set of activities to look after, and I don’t complain about it, and I can’t demand that they should take me out, and on these occasions, it was the cheerful memories of childhood keeps me going. It’s just 10 days to go for Deepavali, and I started to look forward to how to celebrate the festival, despite the pandemic drawback, I wish everyone had their best part of the festival.

In memories of Maya!

She came rolling into my life like a snowball

The furry coat, like snowflakes, goosebump

As she comes caressing around the legs

To lay head, cozily around the wheels

In hope, I won't hurt her, as I lived up to her.

 

She forced into my life like a syringe 

Though it hurt, she eases the pain to the least

Like an ointment over the wound, her licks  

Wet the heart, to hate her, to become impossible 

Unavoidable trouble to walk all our paths to delight. 

 

She’s someone I fought to forget

As her memories are quite fond, to forget

Never did I felt pain like this at the heart

Missing someone ever been closer, to

Share space in the bedroom for eleven years. 

 

She's pressure on life to always end with a cheer

And I ever got angry with her for human error

The black marble eyes often convey a message

Of love, affection, and care in reciprocation

I never dream of her staging a lifeless drama.

 

She’s truly an angel in the world of us

Still, I keep away her thoughts, yet a year to pass

Nothing disturbed me like what she did in my life

The furry soft were spike sharp when I feel at last

She departed, leaving us in the clutch of hearts.

Ps. To know more about her (Maya) click Here

Midnight Rain

The northeast monsoon opened its doors with a bang of a thunderstorm and rain ever like before in the last three years, beginning from midnight to dawn, it poured near 200mm of rain in a brief time. The rain flooded the roads of Chennai city (yesterday) within an hour or two of the downpour, though it drained hours later into the day, the rain at night was such forceful to increased the risk of water entering our home as our terrace got flooded. The overflowing water that cascaded through the staircase filled the balcony and came close to the threshold.

Our threshold is less than an inch high (which we kept it low to allow the wheelchair to cross easily) had come boon in blocking the water, while our uncle’s portion, at the other end of the balcony, with a two-inch threshold, couldn’t stop the water from entering their home! They were busy throughout the night, pulling the water out of their living room since their balcony is a slight decline from ours, the water easily flows into their side to flood the home. And it’s a usual thing that happens with them, whenever it rains forcefully, but before it extends, we need to workout it sooner.

The night was roaring in a thunderstorm and a kind of laser show in lightning. Though I didn’t wake up to see all that happens outside, the sound of the activities and flash of lights conveyed me the drama. The garden of the house (pic above) opposite us was in stagnant rainwater, and it took nearly a day to recede. The metro water workers had dug a couple of digs (pic below) on our street, to clean up the drinking water pipes that was going on for some days, had messed up the place with heavy rains. The meteorologists predicted heavy rains further into the day, but as usual, the weather went in contrast to what they said, and there wasn’t rain after that.

It Rains

It rains as if never going to rain

A trial of the northeast monsoon

Draw trail as if clearing the way

For heavy rain to run down the drain.

 

The day was brighter and sunny

To ever think of raining

Until silvery clouds float in  

To become gloomy and rain.

 

The pitter-patter of rain

Continue its rhyme, wordlessly  

like a kindergarten kid, I

rejoiced singing along the rain. 

The beautiful sunny day in the morning contrary to rain in the evening.

Linking this post with Skywatch Friday

My Experience with Megaphone

There were the days, during the elections, or kind of emergencies, people speak through the megaphone to draw attention or warn people of the upcoming danger.  Sometimes they speak live on the mike, other than playing the recorded voice of the announcement while coming around the streets in the autorickshaw to let people know. The same applied to the announcement of polio drops, every year, had now become a common use by hawkers in selling their items instead of shouting out the throat.

To my memory, I first heard the recorded voice (used by street vendors) was the silk lace buyers in bikes, in urging tone buying old silk lace of any kind at a reasonable price. And regardless of Sundays, they used to wander our street playing the recorded voice as disturbing the leftover peace, and many a time they stop near our home and playback the audio aloud.  Following their footsteps, I heard the same in different words from the sellers of Idiyappam – a rice noodle dish from south India, Kolamavu (chalk or rock powder used for drawing Kolam, a design drawn in front of the houses as an invite to home), Knief grinders; and many others on the track. 

During the lockdown days, some vendors came on the street selling veggies in mini-trucks, as coming out of the home has been restricted, these vehicles pull off the doorstep and their playback is something constant and without a break is a headache. Glad they aren’t often these days after the announcement of relaxation; though I care for their livelihood, the noise they create was a nuisance. Today I found an interesting thing happening right outside the home, where a north Indian hawker, with a bike, loaded with door and floor mats were adjusting his megaphone. And I just watched what he was doing as he handed over the megaphone to a vegetable vendor, who parked on his side speaks over it like one mat 20 rupees, two mats 50 rupees’ in his familiar tone of selling vegetables in Tamil.

It’s apparent that he doesn’t know Tamil and though he may understand, his trouble with colloquial forced to use him on his behalf. He playback the megaphone as the vegetable vendor moves a little,    turned back to respond with a smile. I moved the way hawkers helping each other even if it was a little bit of this. I think about the many vendors who ventured into the south Indian states (or any other state with different languages) to speak or understand, this kind of help from the fellow vendors will improve their business, and hope to survive out of their town. And this is what inspired me to write the post – my experience with megaphones.   

Sync with Squirrels

Saturdays and squirrels always sync with me and I have mentioned it a few times in this blog itself and this unity works out from childhood to till date when I spot a couple of little squirrels chasing one another like kids try to defeat either in a running race or like players running endlessly on the ancient walls in Temple Run, on the extended arm of the rain tree, the guys hurried down to disappear in seconds. They look perhaps siblings who chase another for silly things as kids do and there’s no wonder as they are younger to be in a playful mood.

I have always seen the little squirrels running around the Rain and Indian tulip tree opposite our house but not sure which one of the two. Another day I saw a little one eating the pods of the tulip tree while dangling on the edge of branches.  Squirrels are everywhere and only we have to look out if want something fun with nature and squirrels is great entertainers and I enjoyed them more when I was close to the ground before moved to the first floor of our house.  The houses we moved in the past had squirrels wander through the yards and I’m enthused to shoot squirrels in my camera and I have also seen the worst of a black cat killing a Lil squirrel while I was capturing it.

The Indian palm squirrel you see in photos was way a few weeks back and was nibbling on the leftover rice on the wall beneath the tulip tree. The squirrel was quite alert while eating the leftover making quick trips up and down the tree when it feels fear and I got these cute close-up shots from the maximum zoom of my Canon point and shoot cam. Hope you like the little acts of the squirrel. Have a nice weekend. 

Linking this post with SATURDAY CRITTERS

Despite I Smile

How long should I pretend to be happy?

To smile, while I actually couldn’t

Just like the smiley yellow ball - stress reliever

I was squeezed to smile.

While I pass through various emotions

The heart hurts the most, to break up

Despite creamy layers of joy or love try to forget

The scars remind me of the same.

And I tried to keep emotions at bay

But like a gale, I was pushed ashore

To pause and pursuit the same

To, lash repeatedly into the shore. 

Sunday Afternoon

In the silence of the afternoon

a squirrel screeched from the bushes

neither signaling its mate nor scared of prey

went silent later, as if it ended either way.

Rolling of the brass cuboid dice

the metal sounds from another side

slide me down the memory lane, like fall colors

memories of a cheerful period fall back.

A flock of birds in the background babble

indicates the return of the yellow-billed babblers

the crazy noisy guys, who always hangout to ground

kept me from joining, as I lifted to the first floor.

A sound of the saw at a distance

came distracting me as rooster began its crow

the day reached its edge and a sip of tea

lighter the evening, as the sun, drops its glow.

The Sunlight

It feels good to get warm in the sun

Months after its migration

The shadow over the balcony deviated

To give way to sunlight

Though I miss the cool shadow

I cherished through the summer

My body badly needs some sunlight

To supply with its nutrient

The sunlight becomes mandatory

Igniting some senses to upbeat

As I venture into the sunlight

The illumination of the sun

Is bright enough to light up the living room

While the daylight dims earlier. 

The Moon

She moves into my sky

In her usual way of silence

Though she sings for,

Only solos could be heard

Becomes a mood changer

While I fight the invisible   

That tries to pull me down

In the usual way, it was

Altered my night, to quiet and pleasant                    

As she’s a wonder and to be not

Her magnificent white 

Always remains an angel in my world

For me to believe in a force

Like men attracted to women

And women for the same

The Moon remains an illusion

To illuminate the night

The heart longs for. 

Sunday tale – a trip to Mamallapuram

I got an opportunity or I agreed to take a short distance ride on Sunday, after so long days of not coming out of home – for nearly seven months I held myself inside the home, other than looking out from the balcony. Glad we moved here, to our native house, a year and a half early to the pandemic starts so I have this benefit of watching from the balcony what is not possible in our previous house in backstreet with least activities on road. Lockdown days were quiet and pleasant here, but the relaxations lately made it very noisy. Back to Sunday, we accompanied our extended family for a temple visit in our ancestral town Mamallapuram, as per our family tradition, visiting this goddess temple has been made mandatory when a marriage is fixed.

The busy ECR on Sunday in the shadow of trees. This is part of road beyond Mamallapuram towards Pondicherry.

Yes, my brother’s engagement is fixed at the end of this month and so was this visit. I’m not a believer in god exist but I still accompany my family to temples as long it takes me out or traveling. We hit the east coast road (ECR) early morning but the ride wasn’t fun and comforting as well, as I had to wear a mask all the time even though I pull down to chin often it lacks freeness. I now understand how difficult it must be for those who go to work, wearing the mask all the time and while I couldn’t sit freely, I wonder how tough it is to do tasks with masks!

I couldn’t see any great changes on ECR other than closed amusement parks and tourism and entertaining hubs but the traffic was unusual for the time 6.30 in morning. I saw many cycle riders on the ECR, enjoying the cool morning weather, while quietly pedalling on the left side of the road unlike a lot on motorbikes vrooming and terrifying the other bike/car riders. We extended our ride another 25km from Mamallapuram to visit another family deity temple. Due to the pandemic and lockdown the government has restricted any rituals, so my family simply visited and worshiped the deities in the temples.   

One of the temple is located amid palm trees and farm lands, a km away from ECR main road

I sat in our SUV quite after a year gap, because only last October we left the car for interior tinkering and painting which was delivered only a week early to lockdown in March so I didn’t had any chance to travel or sit in the car. My trip to Amirthi Zoological Park (Vellore) in February happened in my uncle’s car and it’s the only trip I had this year where I drove for a 150 kms. My travel to Mamallapuram on Sunday was a half day trip and our breakfast was brought from a relative’s house there and we returned home by noon for lunch. It was good to travel even it was for a short distance of 70 km but for a travel enthusiastic this gives a bit joy and I hope the pandemic is over soon so that I travel every length.

Random Rant

I know

And I obviously know

Nothing stops for anything

And anticipation is sick.

Up and down is nature

Like high-low tides in the sea.

Never estimate anybody

Because, they unseen what you saw.

To pretend to be intelligent

It’s unfair to tap down somebody.  

Nobody knows everything

And sky’s the limit

Beneath it, everyone’s the same.

October for Me

 

October, often reminds me of Mahatma Gandhi’s specs perhaps because the O – the first letter of the month October – resembles the shape of Gandhi’s specs and moreover October 2nd is Gandhi’s birthday and it could be the reason to connect O with his specs. Gandhi’s birthday is celebrated as Gandhi Jayanthi and we’re proud to say he’s the father of our nation!  

October Sky is one of my favourite movies and the teens experiment with rockets in the movie reminds me of the childhood days as kids when we explode firecrackers and the Indian festival of light, aka Diwali or Deepavali also often fall on the month of October is appropriate to connect. Diwali is a festival that we could not be far from fireworks or firecrackers and it is fun to play with those and watch rockets boom the sky with light and colours stroke a chord of sight.

Ayutha Poojai is another childhood delight that falls in the month of October this year. The festival celebrates weapons or tools, is conducted to maintain and cleans the machineries that helps in production and day-to-day activities will pull-off for a day or two to give rest to them and worship for the wellness of machineries and business. I grew up watching my uncle’s garage as our home was adjoined then and putting a step outside the home is left into the garage. So I don't need to say how well I put on delight during the Ayudha poojai festival which is celebrated as a family festival that please me when I join the employees  in decorating and cleaning the workshop. The festival was so delightful until my uncle was alive (he passed away in Dec 2001) and later they celebrated the festival but the spirit went missing. You can check the link here to read how delightful the festival was then.

October is the starting season of Northeast monsoon which bestows with rain across south east India and dipping of temperature makes favourable weather for traveling. Except for the areas along the Western Ghats, the Tamil Nadu experiences hot weather across the plains and it is from Oct to Feb the weather turns cooler. And it was the time I love to travel as it is a pleasure to do the same with windows rolled down rather using AC – only for highways cruising and dusty roads – the weather out here is inviting for a ride but I do remember the pandemic isn’t over.  I wish at the same time the monsoon flourishes this year at least to say 2020 wasn’t drought!

Hope all is well at your side and great month ahead.

Money Matter

Money changes many things,

people do not know what to do

with a lot of money in hand

take a hazard in booze.

Hard earned money, lose value

when the requirement is not met

rather filling the empty glasses

that flushed off the drain.

Eyes are obvious to absorb

the changes, followed by shapes

surprise to believe, monetary

could derail anyone however sturdy.

Relationships too change

in money making attitude

drives one from their natural state

or what the latter had been pretending.