Pongal 2023 with Nephews

The Pongal festival weekend went well; however, we couldn't celebrate it in our traditional way of cooking Pongal on a firewood stove. Though mom cooked sweet Pongal in an earthen pot on the gas stove, the taste was not as expected. 

A couple of years ago, we celebrated the Pongal in the traditional style of cooking Pongal, outside the home, on the balcony, or courtyard of the former house on the ground floor, which gives a sense of appreciation for nature that provides us with life. As of now, the festival passes without leaving any special feeling; perhaps we are shifting gears to perceive it as another day.

Unlike earlier, there weren't any programs on television that were interesting or watchable. All television channels rely on serial artists to create all programs, which can only be enjoyed by viewers who follow their serials; fortunately, no one at home watches serials, so I don't have to deal with these tortures. Thankfully, OTTs and YouTube were available for entertainment; I have subscribed to several YouTube channels, but the reality is that I don't have the time to watch them all, and they are either endless or unending. 

In my perspective, the best part of this year's Pongal festival was my nephews. Jeswanth and Kavin, the sons of my cousin's sister and my younger brother, with a nearly six-month difference in age, are doing their sums (troublesome) well. If they both came together, they would turn the house upside down, but at the same time, they would both show their tenderness and innocence, making our time together pleasurable and memorable. 

Kavin

Jeswanth

My cousin's sister is caring for her maternally ill grandma, who is in the hospital, and she has left her child with her parents, who are my uncle and aunt and reside next door. You don't need further details for him to enter our home once their door is open. For Pongal, we dressed the kids in traditional dothi and shirt outfits, which made them much adorable, and they each came up with a prayer bell to ring while worshipping the sun. 

If you forgot, Pongal is our harvest festival and thanksgiving day to all that nature and farmers have given us to survive, and the sun is worshipped on this day as the most important of all-natural elements. I understand that the kids have no clue about this or any other topic till they reach a certain age, but teaching them when they are young to be humble and rational about things will undoubtedly help them sustain and advance in the future. The images of my nephews in this post are from Pongal, and I hope you enjoy them.

Pongal Weekend

To put it another way, the long weekend is arriving. Pongal, the harvest and thanksgiving festival of Tamil Nadu and Tamils worldwide, falls on the weekend, with the first day as Bhogi; Pongal, Mattu Pongal, Kaanum Pongal, and Ulavar Thirunaal to follow, and is a significant festival time in Tamil Nadu. 

Each day has its significant reason to celebrate. Bhogi was observed on the concept of "the old goes away, and the new comes in," which means getting rid of the old and undesired things in our homes and lives and replacing them with the new, or letting out things to breathe fresh. People traditionally light a fire outside their homes on this day and burn undesired items in it, but lately, the practice of burning things has decreased, thanks to public awareness of the environment and pollution and the prohibition on burning tires and plastic items.

Pongal, the important festival of the series, takes place on the second day (Jan. 15), thanking the natural elements and farmers that give us life and progress in them. If nature provides us with the source, it is the farmers, who transform it into our life support, just like our two eyes, which have to work correctly to see a clear picture of life. On this day, people gather in the open to boil milk and rice in an earthen pot and worship the sun as the source of light and energy for everyone's well-being and future.

From the beginning, cattle have always been the only source of support in our farming, and it's a difficult question to answer if they aren't. So there is no farming without the cattle, especially the bulls, whose muscular pull gives rise to our grains; their dung is the best natural supply of fertilizer to yield abundantly. Farming and cattle are inextricably linked, and even though we are technologically advanced and have machines for every job, to coin the phrase, "old is gold," there is still a demand for them for organic farming. And dedicating a day to cattle is both appropriate and necessary to send a message to the world about the significance of cattle, and our relationship with the species is known as Mattu Pongal or Bull Pongal. 

Finally, the Kaanum Pongal arrives, a much-anticipated day for families and friends to get together and have fun. On this day, folks pack a lunch and go on a pleasant and entertaining journey to tourist attractions, beaches, and the banks of rivers and lakes. Farmers and workaholics take time off from their jobs to be with family and friends. So the four-day festival encompasses things that we may be grateful for and cherish all year: the worth of food and its evolution, and thinking and longing for time together. Happy Pongal to everyone!  

Kavin, Who Amazes Me!

He's one year and two months old and knows where to plug the charger pin into the laptop.

My parents, who usually plug in and out the charger, are frequently perplexed by the laptop's charging port's location. But my nephew Kavin remembers the point and plugs in exactly, even though he occasionally pulls out the charger when he is in a bad mood or in the middle of his mischief.

Kavin is on foot and walks through; though not totally balanced, many things went to a higher level that he couldn't reach, and what truly struck me was his grasping power and repetition of what we do. I know all growing kids do these things, but when I experience it, it looks unique and amusing to watch. But I still think he's smarter than most toddlers I have met. 

Apart from my parents, no one knows or has learned how to put the footrest and other supporting things in my wheelchair and even don't know the pattern of things to be followed. However, Kavin, on the other hand, observed how it was done and attempted to assist me by picking up items that went after another, but he was unable to execute them or too little for this work. He is also aware of my phone, and if he picks up, he hands me over my wheelchair board, and at the same time, he places the phone on his ear as if he is on call. Among the other mobile phones, his first choice was my iPhone SE 2016 because it was the smallest among the phones at home and could easily fit in his hand.

He likes upbeat songs, and when he wants to play them, he will hand me the remote and insist on playing them with hand gestures and nods. I oppose kids watching television or using smartphones, but occasionally, beyond the policies, when he sweetly asks me, I can't say no, and I also can't stop his parents when they do the same to force him to eat. I'm happy with them not showing him phones except for a few minutes on a video call with his maternal grandmother and aunts.

Aside from these, there are numerous things about him that I admire and marvel at daily. His presence always brings cheers, despite his share of mischief and stubbornness, which belongs to the kid. I just wonder how kind and sweet he is to me in particular, and I feel his special attention to me; perhaps he can recognize me as different from others. Sometimes he shows me the light at the end of the tunnel, but the other side of my life has taught me not to over-expect. But, in any case, when he's around, life is fantastic and raises me to new heights. 

Photos from his first birthday

His delicate touches and the authority he is taking over me give me a feeling I can't put into words. Even though my cousin's sister's kid and nephew, Jeswanth, gave me the tender feel of a baby (after a long time) before Kavin was born, I wasn't as close to him as I was with Kavin to experience the long-lasting essence of a child. From the time I woke up till I went to bed at night, I indulged in his mischievousness, smartness, and intellect, with him wishing me a good morning and night. 

I end with a quote I wrote:

"A child is a reflection of ourselves, and it's time to behave politely." But that doesn't mean you should never show the negative aspects of society."

My Tea Travel

Tea and rain are often combined to create an ideal time for a tea break! 

Tea has become inevitable in our daily lives, and many of us have become obsessed with its flavor and the refreshment it offers with every cup. The monsoon we are going through (right now) has become a favorite time and reason to have some hot cups of tea.

The weather in Chennai is unusually cool for the last few days, thanks to a depression in the sea that's moving slowly, and it's impossible not to compare it to the weather in hill stations or highlands; I'm mildly shivering in the open. I turn off the ceiling fans, something I rarely do in Chennai unless the weather is cool enough. A cup of hot tea would feel great. 

Actually, I was and still am a coffee enthusiast; tea came into my life in 2013 when I was bedridden for nearly two months owing to a femur fracture and cast. I sipped tea and coffee between breakfast and lunch and also took that as an advantage to sit on the bed -   I hate lying down for a long. Tea became my regular beverage.

Not that I hadn't sipped tea before, and I shouldn't forget that I'd been traveling with tea since childhood because my grandfather owned a tea shop, and my first tea may have been at his stall. I remember drinking tea solely to dip butter biscuits in; however, I liked tea when my grandfather made it personal. Tea and butter biscuits are my favorite combo.

I'm always looking for good tea, but that doesn't imply home-brewed tea is poor. When I travel, I prefer to explore different tea shops to acquire a varied taste of tea since I believe the flavor of tea varies from person to person, perhaps which is why someone who brews good tea is called a tea master. But if I see Kumbakonam degree coffee, I would land there!  

The Kumbakonam-degree coffee and Filter coffee are my favorites. If I were given a choice between tea and coffee - of the type mentioned above, I would go for coffee.

I attempted to recall some of my favorite teas, but I could think of a couple. The tea at the Waterfall Estate outlet in Valparai was one of them. Among the three journeys I took to Valparai, south India, no trip is complete without tea at the outlet. I also enjoyed a tea I drank in the Nilgiris village of Yedappalli, and the Chamraj Tea Estate outlet has the best tea. 

(Waterfall Estate's cute little hut tea outlet.)

More than a month ago, I only drank milk-made tea, which is still the same I enjoy most of the time. I'm always looking for the finest tea and the best among them. My parents drink a specific brand of tea, but I used to switch brands to taste something better and better, but after a few cups, the taste returns to the same, regardless of the brand. 

When I visited Munnar in Kerala, I made it a point to visit the Tata Tea Museum and factory - which I will write about in a separate post. I tried a different tea at their store and bought a couple of packets of KannanDevan Tea, but what I tasted there was not the same as what I tasted at home. So I understand that the method of brewing tea makes a difference. 

Some time ago, I  tried Assam Masala Tea, or Chai as it is known in other regions of India. I enjoyed the aroma of the tea, which had a little spicy flavor. And we don't make it daily because it takes time to brew, unlike the traditional approach of tea powder dropped in boiling milk. I recently bought Darjeeling tea, which I had been planning to taste for quite some time. 

I learned Darjeeling tea is the finest tea in the world, and it was even a favorite of the late Queen of England, the great Elizabeth. Darjeeling tea is organic and hand-picked to be distinct for its label, and it tastes best when made with hot water rather than milk. I ordered Darjeeling black tea from Amazon, and because it was my first time, I chose tea bags over tea leaves.

I looked for an excellent Darjeeling tea on Amazon and chose Typhoo Darjeeling Black Tea Bags, whose price seemed reasonable and dependable after reading the reviews. I'm not sure which varieties are the best because this is my first time tasting this type of tea, but I'm happy with the flavor. I always want to taste the true essence of tea, and Typho's Black Tea is delivered on that front within a few minutes of dipping the tea bag.  

Typhoo Darjeeling Black Tea Bags came with an offer of two boxes of tea bags, each containing 25 tea bags. I was hesitant to buy it at first, but after taking a sip, I couldn't think of anything else except savor. 

Blog, Blogger, Carrom and Kavin!

First and foremost, I'd like to thank everyone for your comments, suggestions, and concern for my emotional well-being in the previous post. It gives me a boost and energy to do something outside my regular activities, which keeps me continually occupied and ensures that I never have a dull moment or allow the dreary weather to cloud my cheery mood. I'm always an upbeat person who tries to grin even when things are unpleasant; even when things are tough, I keep an ear open for tiny notes of birds or other critters tapping around. 

Someone suggested I play Carrom, which was my childhood favorite. 

"Carrom is an Indian tabletop game that is immensely popular in the Indian subcontinent. It is widely played by families, including children, and at social occasions, with varying standards and rules in different places."

Most of our summer vacations were spent playing carrom (along with other games), and when our cousins visited home, we played carrom, but I don't remember touching the striker in the last ten years. I quit playing carrom when my cousins lost interest (because I can't play the game on my own), and I even lost my carrom board in a 2015 torrential downpour.

I have always wanted to play carrom, but my fingers have either stopped cooperating, or I lost the power to hit the striker afterward. My memories of carrom were always refreshing, and I could close my eyes and return to those treasured memories. I also used to stand and play carrom while wearing caliper shoes. 

Me and my cousins playing carrom from 2009.

My carrom board, which was 20 years old when I lost it, has always had a special place in my heart. My late maternal uncle bought us the carrom board in 1994 or 1995, and I took good care of it, even telling my cousins (born after 1995) that this carrom board is like your older brother so they wouldn't damage it. 

Everyone in our families adored our uncle, so you can tell how special he was. He was a philanthropist, not only financially, but his hard work had earned him great value and respect in the eyes of others. So how could I throw away something that remained as a memory of him, and I had only saved a few things that were also stored away in the loft? I could feel his thoughts were settled in the bottom of the memories like sediments underwater that never resurface until something triggered them.

My blog is significant in my life because it allows me to openly share my sadness, joy, and discomfort with life, which I have done for the past 17 years. Nobody supports me as much as you, bloggers, and friends, and your comments meant so much to me. In contrast to other social media today, where people only like and rarely share thoughts, I find your comment communicates with me individually. 

The hurting has never been a new occurrence in my life, and when it overflows, it bursts here in the expression of thoughts, but lately, I have discovered a delight in life. Kavin! 

My nephew Kavin lightens the mood, and I can't think of anything else in his company, and in his embrace, I am lifted to my emotional core since I haven't felt this way in a long time. I couldn't put it into words; when he hugs and kisses me, it's like the bliss of having accomplished something so pure, innocent, and beautiful that it will never be the same again.

It's something I've realized as he's been away from me for a while now; even though his absence was brief since he was visiting his maternal grandma, I feel the void intensely, but when I think of him, it feels unspecified. Though my nephew Jeswanth (my cousin's sister's boy) was the first to give me that emotion after a long time, Kavin, who is only six months younger than him, inspires me more because we live together in a household, and Jeswanth comes and goes from his house. 

Nothing but a little regret!

It was a tunnel called the parental, and there was no light beyond it. No one knows much about me other than a concern, or I don't know that I haven't shown much of myself to anyone curious about the person I am or me. 

Aside from the primary feeling that life will be unbearably difficult without my parents, I worry about how understanding the people around me are. I don't travel far, but within my home and the extended family, beyond my mother and father, there is no awareness of me. 

People see me in my wheelchair all day, but I wonder what they think of me when I'm not sitting in a wheelchair.  Life isn't pleasant sitting in a wheelchair all day, but it is comfort compared to other obstacles such as attending nature calls, bathing, eating, sleeping, and other essential daily demands. I'm just thankful I have an electric wheelchair to get around on my own; otherwise, life would be difficult and timid. 

I just realized that, aside from my parents, the people around me don't know how to handle me unless I guide them. Still, the important thing is that they lack patience (which is a risk factor when dealing with me), and despite living nearby and seeing me daily, they lack the basic knowledge to assist me. They help us simply because we call them, rather than acting in their self-interest.

I was recently emotionally injured, albeit not directly affected, and I am positive it was related to my issue. I often felt like causing problems for someone because of how they behaved or acted hastily. 

It's a blessing and a curse at the same time that I can read the expressions on my loved ones' faces, perhaps because I notice details; even little changes don't escape my attention; the tone and, most of the time, their eyes reveal their intent while their lips go mute or overtalk. 

It all started in 2019 when my father had an angioplasty and stents placed. He had been cautioned not to lift weights, so he no longer lifted me for any position-changing activities. Since then, my brother and cousin have been assisting me with this, and we have only lately employed an assistant to help my parents place me in the bath and toilet. 

We had an assistant at the beginning of 2019, but he only came for one day; when he lifted me, I tore a ligament in my shoulder. We didn't look for anyone after that, but now that I couldn't bear the hardships we caused them, or at least lessen the burden, we seriously looked for a caretaker and got a nice guy through my physiotherapist. He works as an assistant radiologist in an ortho clinic, taking x-rays, and he agreed to assist me on the side.

Everything is going smoothly till now, and my heart also feels light that I won't bother my loved ones too much. Although I know they don't deny helping me at any time when we call, and I want to emphasize "just when we call," they are aware of how much I rely on them, but until we call, they don't reply or ask on their own and sometimes have to compel when they are out somewhere. It's difficult to do justice because they aren't obligated to answer, but I'm grateful for the unconditional help, which is impossible if they don't love me.   And I'm glad that, despite their apathy, they continue to help me, even though I'm upset that they do so without knowing anything about how things work for me!  

Kavin's 1st Birthday Party

My nephew Kavin (brother's son) celebrated his 1st birthday on Oct 26th wonderfully in the Food Village (a beach restaurant come party space) in ECR, Chennai. The event went well, and the guests highly appreciated our arrangements for the birthday party. 

The event was organized by my brother independently, which is the first of its kind apart from the events related to his business. He looked for some party halls, but none were suitable, such as Food Village, which has an open lawn adjoining a closed hall to avoid a sloppy mess in the event of rain. Thankfully, nature does not shower us with rain until the next morning, which is uncommon because most of the events after my brother's marriage, which took place during a raging cyclone, had rain.  

We arrived at the venue an hour before the event began, and the nephew had a brief pre-birthday photoshoot on the lawn; I had some time to roam about the set up and take shots. A buffet dinner has set up on the lawn, and round tables were placed in the center to sit and eat, with a nice pavement to walk around. I liked the light and balloon decoration in the theme of blue; to match it, the nephew, brother, and sister-in-law also wore blue attire.

The birthday party was delayed by an hour from our original time of 6 pm, because of the late arrival of guests. The time we returned home became late at night. But this was not a problem. Everyone seemed to have a good time at the party, and some unexpected guests made it memorable. Just for the words of the invitation, a neighbor who had just arrived from Dubai the night before came over to say hello with his family. 

With close friends and family gathered around the stage, Kavin cut a cake, which was likewise a blue cream cake; he relished tasting the cake (but it was the cream) pieces fed by others. They used a firework candle on the cake instead of a traditional candle. As a result, there was no candle-blowing moment because blowing a firework is not easy unless it burns to empty. 

The only thing I didn't like about the event was the loud DJ music. While I don't deny that music is a party staple, the louder they play it, the more it leaves me in a blank where friends and family wondering about me can only shake their heads because I couldn't hear what they were saying and my words went unheard by them.  Even "happy birthday" and clapping sounds disappeared into the DJ.

We are glad Kavin wasn't grumpy during the party. Generally, he would whimper and cry his way through the crowd, refusing to go to anyone new. Most of the party attendees were new to him, yet he managed somehow without going to anyone! Lol. The guests showered him with presents and blessings. 

Food Village is entirely wheelchair friendly, with the restaurant in front overlooking the ECR and a party lawn in the back with a separate entrance from the sidestreet, which leads to the well-known Sai Baba temple. I had wanted to go to the restaurant for lunch or dinner for a long time, and it had finally come true owing to Kavin's birthday. 

These days, birthday parties are conducted mainly for Biriyani, and Kavin's birthday wasn't an exception.  There was Mutton Biriyani, Chicken 65, Parotta, Chicken gravy, and Veg-Biryani, for vegetarians. 

The food was much better and tastier than we expected from what we heard. I want to try the restaurant again for the biriyani because I couldn't get enough that day owing to the late hour. I generally avoid biriyanis at night because I'm concerned they'll be tough to digest, but I've had no problems so far and still want to avoid them at night.  

We hired a photographer and videographer to cover the birthday celebration, and I believe there is still a post-birthday photoshoot to be performed before the Pendrive arrives. After some thought, I stepped closer to the stage to take some photos and video of the cake-cutting ceremony; we'll have to wait a bit longer for clean pictures. 

In the end, everyone was pleased or had no flaws.   

If you have time check the video clip from the birthday

Confining!

Stretch your arms,

Embrace as much as you can, 

When you can stretch your arms 

Why do you restrain yourself?

Loving oneself isn't wrong

But rejecting someone who longs!

I try to embrace 

You, slipping out of my grip 

Thinking as I'm imprisoning you

And squeeze you to death.

I know, over-gripping makes breathlessness 

But running away makes you feel the same.

I'm not to hurt anybody 

But trying to live and let others do the same.

Krishna Jayanthi and Kids!

Krishna Jayanthi is a Hindu festival celebrated in India and wherever Indians live around the world to mark the anniversary of Lord Krishna's birth. Krishna is worshipped in the guise of a child on this day because it is his birthday, and thus young mothers easily associate the celebration with their child. The festival is held today. 

Every family with a child enthusiastically celebrates the occasion. Beyond a religious celebration, it has evolved into a children's festival, with families that have children under the age of five taking advantage of the opportunity to dress their children as Krishna (if a boy) or (for girls) his wife Ratha. 

Schools, like homes, celebrate the occasion by requesting kids to come to school dressed as Krishna or Ratha on this day or the day before or following the festival. I sense a compulsion forming during the festival; a compulsion from one's friends and family circle compel  (asking haven't you dressed your child) one not to miss the event, even if they aren't interested. 

Every child raised in a Hindu family seems to dress up as Krishna, and I, like my cousins, was no exception. I don't remember dressing as Krishna, but I have the photographs to prove it. Back then, we dressed as Krishna from a piece cut down of dad's Dothi and mom's jewels as ornaments. Today, however, they sell a ready-made Krishna costume for children. 

Though every festival and day has become commercial these days, Krishna Jayanthi also joined the eve; aside from the sales/buying of ready-made sweets and refreshments, which were previously homemade, the Dothi and other ornaments (as a set) have also added to relieve parents. I wasn't surprised to see a television commercial promoting the special Dothi intended for kids to tie on Krishna Jayanthi; my sister-in-law is concerned that she missed the ad because she purchased a set locally and early to dress my little nephew Kavin!  

Kavin as Krishna

My nephews, Kavin and Jeswanth, dressed up as Krishna. Jeswanth dressed as Krishna for the second time; he was 4 months old last year and cooperated well, but this year he refused to participate, and we could only put a Dothi and a flower band on him. Kavin's brows were decorated while he slept, and he had no idea how to remove the ornaments. Though they were ready to come out on their own, we managed to hold things on him sometimes and took photos. Below were the two in their respective costumes.

Jeswanth in his simple look with a peacock feather on his flower band and pearl-like chain.

A screenshot of Kavin from my facebook story.

Jeswanth in his costume from the side.

Jack and Black!

Jack and black as my bodyguards,

Accompanies me on my evening walks; 

Jack took the stairs while I elevated down; 

He became my chief escort, walking alongside me. 

Even though we protect him 

From his main adversary, Puppy,

A stray dog who frequently attacks him.  

Black is a daring bitch; 

A clever dog that survives amid crafty wolves 

She only comes home when she's hungry. 

Regardless of that, she comes with us. 

I'm about halfway through the backstreets.

Jack and Black have a good time together. 

Jack has many friends in the neighborhood, 

One of them greets him as if he were a guest.

Every time we pass by their house, we smile.

They open the gate for him and feed him biscuits. 

The entire family enjoys his presence.

Similarly, the Black isn't left alone. 

Jack has a down-to-earth demeanor. 

Despite its massive size and intimidating appearance,

He is, at heart, benign.

Seeing Jack, the kids run toward him.

Pat him, and he, too, stay up to his breed-

A descend of Himalayan Sheepdog-

A livestock guardian canine. 

Jack is the one who is lying, and Black is standing behind him.

P.S. Jack and Black are our puppy-adopted street dogs. When we lived at our previous home on the backstreet, one of our street dogs gave birth to puppies. We just fed them, but they refused to leave, and when we moved to our current home, they followed us. Jack was adopted by my cousin's sister. And when she married, we had to look after him as well. Because they were born and raised in the backstreets, the dogs roam the backstreets and return home to sleep and eat. Only Jack stays at home all day, owing to that one dog named Puppy, who blocks and sometimes hurts him when he enters their street, so he only joins us for an evening walk. 

The Agony

All of the fingers are pointing at me  

I'm well aware of this, and 

I'm doing my best to avoid accusations, 

However, fate has chosen me as prey. 

I'm at a loss for words to describe this

How deep are the emotional wounds?

Behind my blooming smile,

The agony draws up to the roots.

It's nothing new to me.

Even though I pretend to be numb,

It still hurts, as it does most of the time, 

and stymies my lighthearted demeanor.

It may well even be an illusion.

But my emotions are real,  

And due to my inability, 

It surges and subsides immediately.

Misleading Ad

There was a television commercial in which a family was traveling through the mountains, and the elder of the family sought to inhale the fresh breeze, but before he could fully breathe in, the family hurried him to another location, and this continued till they arrived home. The father complains at home that you didn't even let me breathe. The son asks his father where else he might go to breathe pure air.  We could be at home, and as he says, he turns on the A/C (a brand that comes with purified air), and afterward, the father stood in front of the A/C and breathed.

I was like what the heck! Actually, it was wtf, that came out unmindful. 

I was uneasy from the time I watched it, and I was like, how could they think of replacing nature and its breeze? I wonder if they realize what they are conveying through this commercial. The world is already descending into hell as people seek the artificial lifestyle and drown in a virtual world, disrupting their relationship with nature and fellow humans. Such commercials will be pushing into the abyss.

The growing generation, particularly children who are unaware of the commercial aspects of the AD, will believe that the air from the air conditioner is as good as or better than the pristine air that oozes from the natural environment. And this will encourage and induce them to use air conditioners frequently without realizing the harm they cause to the environment - and using excess a/c is also one of the causes of global warming. 

The gadgets had already held back kids inside the home, and the COVID came as an advantage to the younger generation, which was more than enough to keep them at home. Online education has encouraged the activity. The youngsters who come out to play have declined, and with such advertisements, it deteriorates! 

As a nature lover with a social concern, I condemn the commercial's creators and the concept of bullshit. At the same time, I am never against the comfort of people and in today's rising temperatures, normally in summer, the air conditioner is a boon, but we should know when and where to use it.  Sweating is not a curse, and there's nothing wrong with sweating unless it's extreme to dehydration.

No parent wants to see their children suffer during the summer, and the air conditioner has become such a necessity that we cannot stop its growth. However, sticking to limitations will benefit the environment. There are various ways to promote a product, but using nature as dice and creating an illusion against the natural elements would result in future generations being distracted and held captive within the home. 

As a believer in life outside the window, this ad made me endlessly sad. I wish the promoters realized the ad was misleading and changed its course before it reached a large number of people. 

For your reference here is the ad

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c_AtlUFREgQ

Prohibition to Laughing

If there is something unique that belongs to the human race is laughter. Though animals do laugher sometimes like the simian, it's the sense of humor that enriches our human lifestyle. Insisting we love and care and bring happiness to others and relieving stress like us. Life isn't and shouldn't be serious always; to keep it away, laughing is a great gift the human could have. 

(My happily laughing nephew Jeswanth)

They say there is no better medicine than laughter and that laughter is scientifically proven to help release certain hormones and help reduce stress, the leading cause of heart disease. And prohibiting such great cause laughter is an inhuman act and the prevention of natural ways of treatment.  

I think you have now guessed what I am talking about, yes North Korea's ban on its citizens from laughing, drinking, and shopping for 11 days! Drinking and shopping can be secondary, but laughing is a basic sense of being human, and banning it can not be brought within any definition. Simply a foolish act of inhuman. 

There is no wonder the announcement coming from a country ruled by a dictator, although I feel sorry for the plight of the people of that country and would like to condemn this act. What is worse was they also banned crying loud (and moving out the body) if anyone dear to us dies during the 11 days - the mourning period of former Korean leader and father of President Kim Jong Un's 10th death anniversary. 

Laughing is a natural tendency towards anything that moves us in a light-hearted way and an emotion that infects anyone (in good nature) who comes across. Banning laughing is a force you could not implement at all; since crying and laughing have been the only acts child could do, and prohibiting it is quite an offense against natural law and the pinnacle of oppression. I wish the lifestyle of North Koreans changed and they experience freedom from the stubborn kid Kim! lol 

Do people care or advise?

I observe most of the time, people advise rather than show care. I do not complain here, and my concern was that in place of care, why do you do log advice. For someone who suffers, only kind words and emotional support would comfort, in the first place, and that does not mean you shouldn't advise; there are places, where rather than being wise, warmth upholds life. 

I believe advice helps in the development, and that comes along with the experience is worth listening to, and care is what reassures our presence and those in need, often those in distress. But in the name of advice, some criticize people when they are in difficulty -  piercing the existing wound rather than applying a gentle ointment over them. 

For a crying child, the mother's warmth is the first and best thing to console; an adult is no different from a child when he broke down, and his anticipation is a few comforting words, and after that, any kind of advice would be appropriate. In the world, there isn't an easy thing as advice - a thing that everyone gives us, or we give others either we or the other like it or not. 

In place of emotion, how could you place knowledge? There should be advice based on improving one's condition rather than worsening in a tone of accusing someone. There are ways to measure or test one's mentality, but the level of emotion is relevant to heart and love, and your intelligence does not work when looking for relief from the thing that clings to your heart. 

Some people anxiously wait for someone to fall to make fun of them. Finding fault in everything someone does could be a disease, and nothing is possible without a failure; just because you are right in a few instances does not mean you should always be, and those who make mistakes will do only that. 

I think love is the basis of care, and no one could care without the same. Even those who advise us, have based on our care, the way they express themselves can also be harsh at times, as pointed out before comforting the person listening. I think this from the point of most of the time because someone needs or anticipates care when they feel down, our words and comforting should raise their spirit and courage to stand up rather than fed up with our advice. 

Take Care

Time to Light - Deepavali

The thought of just a day left for Deepavali brings excitement within. Though the weather wasn't that favorable to celebrate Deepavali - the festival of lights and fireworks - as it kept raining for the last few days and a warning from meteorology that there could be rains across the day of Deepavali. The covid has its share already in defusing the light of Deepavali; the supreme court's guidance has gripped the firework sale, but at masses, these don't matter when purchasing things and celebrating the festival. 

I love rain, and it must keep away drought, but never during the festivals, especially Deepavali. 

I hung rice led serial in our living room for Deepavali 

I see a general feeling of excitement of Deepavali is missing among the people; perhaps their lifestyle changes and influence of gadgets has kept their interest away from the festivals and celebrations. I have fond memories of Deepavali, the most anticipated days of our life - from childhood till now - an inexplicable feeling embraces. Since I grow up lighting fireworks, it has become an inseparable thing during Deepavali, and every year, I buy some fireworks as I enjoy the same. 

During childhood days, we begin celebrating Deepavali a month early to the festival. We buy crackers loosely from the nearby petty shop and burst one by one during the weekends. I recollect how joyful the days are then - with our neighborhood friends, we go for cracker hunting on the day of Deepavali, picking up the unburst crackers on the road to burst. Roaming the street is my favorite pass time, then, and it's fun as we keep talking and walking around the streets in our area.

I miss so many things right away, and when I think back, I feel the pleasure and pain equally. Not only that I miss those days, but I also couldn't make up with the contemporary world, even for the smallest desires and right to be human. Though I buy a variety of fireworks, what I could light was only a sparkler. My world is little with endless vision and works to do, but being a dependent, I could not achieve anything without aid from anyone. 

Hope you all have a Happy and Safe Deepavali! 

Human-Animal Conflict and The Man-Eater

Tiger - the national animal of India - spread all over the country from the foothills of the Himalayas to the southern tip of India Kanyakumari. India has many National Park and Tiger Reserve. It was Project Tiger - a tiger conservation program that began in 1973 to prevent the animal from becoming extinct and preserving its natural habitat - the tiger population in India has increased to nearly 4000.

Tiger wall painting from Amirthi zoological park, near Vellore

There are five tiger reserves in our state (Tamil Nadu), and the Mudumalai in the Nilgiri District is the oldest National Park and Tiger Reserve. Nilgiri is the largest biosphere covering about 80% of the forest, and Ooty, a popular south Indian hill-station, is the administrative town of the district. And Nilgiri being a great forest terrain with widespread tea plantations and small towns and villages,  the human-animal conflict has been a common thing, and sometimes it costs human lives. 

Most of the time,  elephants cause damage to materials and lives of people, and seldom tigers or leopards, or bear cause death. Human-animal conflict is mainly because of humans occupying forest space and interfering with the path of animals. Human encroachment and building of houses and cultivation on the migratory path lost track of animals to invade human habitation and confront lives. 

Now coming to the man-eater that has taken away the lives of four people in the last few months in the Nilgiris has become a threat to lives adjoining the Tiger Reserve. The higher officials have issued an order to shoot the man-eating Tiger against the initial decision of capture it alive using the tranquilizer to sedate. The decision to kill the Tiger was taken based on 4th victim, who was killed and ate by the Tiger,  while in the other incidents, the victims were just stroke to die. 

Tiger is said to be a shy animal and mostly seems to avoid the human presence and stay away in the dense forest area, infiltrate the human habitation only when it was unable to survive in the forest, due to wound or aging. The case of the man-eating Tiger, which caused the death of 4 people, has taken place in the buffer zone - an area adjoining the forest, where people drive cattle for grazing. 

We can't justify here where the villagers would go - who lives inside or adjoining the forest - to feed their livestock.  I think it's the human mistakes that we can't blame animals, and they don't know the boundaries, and deforestation has shrunk their habitation.  So the only way to protect their existence was by giving before animals and staying away from the forest. 

They say, once the man-eater would always like to taste human flesh, and driving it away could never be a solution than hunt down or cage the Tiger at some protected place. I watched a Bollywood movie lately called Sherni - acted by Vidya Balan as a woman forest officer - trying to catch (believed to be) a  man-eating Tigress and create peace in a remote village adjoining forest. But the movie ends with Tigress falling prey to human pride and official injustice, leaving back its cubs. 

The targeted man-eater seems to keep moving since the victims don't come from the same place, and the last man reported to die was from Masinagudi, about 30-35kms from the previous victim. Masinagudi is a small town located in the middle of Mudumalai Tiger Reserve is one place that greatly infiltrates the forest land by building plenty of resorts in the buffer zone. Due to strict action lately, many resorts built on elephant corridors were closed.

The latest update was the man-eater escape the official surveillance! And a search operation is launched with the help of Kumki elephants - trained elephants to trap and rescue wild elephants. As a piece of good news, the Tiger will be caught alive, said the officials. 

 (sorry for the long post) I just went with the flow of thought and info. Thank you 

Time

pic: google

Time is precious, and it never waits for anybody, and what I intensively know was I have a limited time. Though no one can predict the end of our lifetime, the fact is that no one lives beyond a limit, and for some, the time works short or lasts longer. Something that I utter often was 'no time. Not that it means I'm busy. My activities had slow down or cut short due to the progressive downgrade disability despite my intention of doing many things. Perhaps because of it, my writing has come down, or I'm taking a long time to write to improve myself to a standard of writing without mistakes. Not only writing, but all my daily activities take a toll, including the time I take for dinner or breakfast is had not less than half an hour. 

I realize the importance of time and its cruciality to be creative. I try as much as I can to use the time rather than just being idle, and I see how satisfied I am at the end of the day, either it helps someone or not. But one of the things I don't like is the division of time into good and bad times. I think it's good or bad depends on our intention and if we intend to do good all time is a good time.   

Some people always watch time to do things, some hurry to do within a time limit or delay up till the right time come. I know religious people follow a custom of watching good time to begin an event or any activity they take in front, similar to the Hindus who follow Rahu kalam and yamagandam - a time considered to be inauspicious. Though I don't believe in the mentioned above, I can't appreciate people-watching time for everything. Just because things didn't work for them, blame always falls on time. 

Like I said in the beginning, time never waits for anybody or hurry up for our impatience, and we need to adjust things according to the availability of time. 

Masks and Events

Masks have become mandatory in the period of the pandemic. Just because I didn't go out much, I did not experience the difficulties of wearing a mask much - except going through my brother's engagement and marriage last year, and the baby showers of my cousin at the beginning of the year and sister-in-law's yesterday. Mask doesn't become a matter in my life. I wear a mask only when I go for an evening walk on Sundays or guests visit our home. Since the members in our home follow the protocol sincerely leaves me pretty casual at home, and even seldom do they miss a thing or two, I remind them in earnest. 

The difficulty I experience - wearing a mask - is most difficult to speak and respond through a smile. It's not easy for me to lift my hands above the elbow unless I use a board or the wheelchair tray to support the hands, so usually, my response to those gestures by hands to say hi or bye is replay through a smile and headshake.  I got mild neck pain yesterday at the sister-in-law's baby shower responding to the relatives and friends visited the venue. I wore a mask the entire occasion, though it wasn't much difficult to complain rather than talking and responding to the guests, I hesitated to speak and converse wearing the mask. 

I saw two kinds of people at the event, those who wore the mask and those don't. And there's a third kind that masks the mouth alone or covers their cheeks. It has been proved that the events like these are the spreading ground of Covid, and keeping this in mind, we invited only close relatives and friends to count about 100 total, but it reached out of hand to about 150 members. 

I decided to stay in a corner to keep distance myself from others. I also minded them neither they check me nor not; I tried to stay away until finding me on their own. I like to interact with people and hear stories from their corners, and occasions like these are bridges to connect with people from distant relatives and friends, but now it is out of reach due to pandemic block. Though we know it's a temporary block, the occasion like these are limited in my life as I don't attend every event that takes place in our family, the pandemic has suppressed the leftover chances. 

The venue (of the event) is close to my house, so I went there in my wheelchair, and the hall located on ground level made my attendance easy. My uncle accompanied me to and fro the hall, And also, the event ended well, and those who could not attend the wedding (due to the cyclone then) made a visit to bless the couple. It's also one of the reasons for the rise in the number of visitors. 

Instead of turning better, the situation in our state continues to be the same or to say the cases of covid is slightly rose in last few days increases the anxiety. This event was something possible only because of the decrease in covid cases and relaxed lockdown. It's all in our hands to make such events possible only if all followed the protocol and sustain self-discipline.

Jeshwanth as Krishna

Krishna Jayanti (Aug 30), or whatever it's called in other parts of India, is a Hindu festival that marks the birth of Krishna, a Hindu god. According to mythology, many tales are told relevant to Krishna; and he's a popular figure among the women for his naughtiness, and for every mother, their child represents Krishna, so on the occasion of Krishna Jayanthi, they dress their children as baby Krishnan. And this seems like a tradition in every Indian Hindu family who has a baby at home. 

I don't remember me dressed as Krishna or have a photo, but my brother had been dressed this way, followed by my cousins walked the same path. No matter who, kids do look adorable in whatever way they dress. And now, my little nephew too joined the tradition, and at just 4 months, he's too young for this play. I have seen kids who don't cooperate easily to dress up fancy, but amazingly Jeswanth was very quiet and posed cutely. 

The general notion that children would cry was missing on him, and he would cry only when put to bath, so it wasn't an issue dressing him, but once excited, his movements become rapid, and nothing stays on him. It's not easy to keep things in place if the kid's cooperation was nill. In this way, I admire his attitude, and anyone seeing his photos was amused, and I hope you guys too feel the same. 

Krishna Jayanthi isn't a festival celebrated on my paternal side. It was my maternal parents who had cows and did dairy business. In mythology, Krishna is mention to be around cows, and he was also portraited as a cowherd, so naturally, Krishna was inspired to be their favorite deity to celebrate. Being a milk producer, they do not buy dairy products from outside as they produce the yogurt, butter, and ghee they need themselves. And butter being the favorite of Krishna, they offer all their dairy products, including homemade snacks, and celebrate the festival by placing idols of Krishna and cow-calf. 

Mom celebrates the festival by drawing little footsteps from the house entrance to the prayer room in the belief of welcoming Krishna into the home. Mom introduced this tradition at home after married into the family, and from then, she follows it annually. 

Happy 3rd month

My nephew Jeswanth, born on 3rd May, complete his 3rd month. The charming little kid is making life happier! You perhaps know how significant he was to me to give me the tenderest feeling of love and precious moments of life.

The little boy identifies me and smiles as I talk to him, and he also tries to speak with me that sound only ooo and haa, and those are moments I would cherish forever. It was his cuteness that spellbound me as I take in his glimpses of smiles and innocently staring quiet eyes. 

In the expression of a sports person – perhaps a boxer, but who knows, he may become one as he is already kickboxing with his hands and legs. lol 

The boy is available at any time of the day, or whenever we brought him home, there isn't a place for worry. He's such a stressbuster, and I couldn't think what if he moved to his house in 2 months. Though I know he would be visiting us often as ours was his maternal home, I enjoy his presence as much as possible.