Jeswanth, my newfound delight

The Covid seems took a back seat in our state (wishfully slip to a nil stage soon), and we switched into a night lockdown mood since almost all activities are allowed in the state up to 7 pm; we happily continue to downgrade in numbers. Among a lot of negative things crunching us for more than a year and a half, and though we have practiced living among them, there's always a longing for a positive effect. And one significant effect that caused a lot of cheer was my newborn nephew Jeswanth.

My sister (cousin) delivered a baby boy last month, and he instantly took all our attention towards him, and passing a day without seeing him was like something. He's cute, just like every other newborn baby, but he looks special to me in all ways. It's been a long time I felt a baby, and now he has given me that chance with soft touches and gentle strokes on him. I loved the way it feels though I don't know how to define it, it feels nostalgic, reminding me of the distinct essence of my cousins (as babies) who clung to my heart.

I was amused to think that his mother is one of the cousins who I remember carried in my hand, and now I bear another coming out of her. The little boy just started to look at us, and staring into his eyes is magical and mystical as we never know what goes into his mind or is he really staring at us. He's precious and mind-blowing to keep away anything that bothers us in his presence and enclosed by his tiny fingers for grasp feels awesome.

I'm just looking out for words to define his presence. I'm glad we live next door, so it was easy to watch him and bring him home to play. She's my father's brother's daughter, and being her first delivery, she was looked after by us according to the custom; she will be staying with us for about five months. It excites me as I could see him growing sometimes. The last time I came close with a kid was my other nephew, Barath, who doesn't even care to meet me later, but my love for him will remain the same. Then came my former neighbor's kid Achu, who visit us daily since we lived in the same compound before they went on transfer.

The little boy sleeping on dad's lap

Jeswanth is my newfound delight, though I don't believe he will be different from others; I decided not to think anything further rather enjoy his presence and gain cheerful memories to cherish forever.

Moved to follow.it! Subscribe if haven't or new to the blog.

Dear friends, this is a post to inform you that I have shifted to a new email subscription platform "follow.it", following the Google-based Feedburner (an RSS web feed that allows users to receive emails of post updates in blogs and websites), announced the discontinuation of the email subscription service in July 2021.

I have imported the active email subscribers from the former web feed (Feedburner) to follow.it, so I thought to inform you about this shift in the subscription tool to avoid confusion in receiving emails from "follow.it". If I left any of you and if you read this post, please subscribe to the blog again (from the subscribe bar on the right-side column of the blog) and I invite the new followers and visitors to subscribe to the blog for constant updates.

"Follow.it" has many features, including filters to choose from on your interested topics/label and keywords and tags. And it has options to add on feeds for reading all blogs at a place and to receive updates from other news channels as individual emails or one email per day. I find the follow.it was simple, and that was the reason for me to go with their email inviting me to follow.it and I got good responses and guided replays via email to complete the progress of transferring subscribers' emails. 

I hope you continue to give me your support. BTW. I completed 16 years of blogging, and I thank you all for your visits and comments that encouraged me up-to-day and keeps me active in contrast to my immobile lifestyle. It's because of you I was able to come this far, and it was like a dream that I continue to blog, as many dropped out earlier. And blogging is the basis of my many activities online, and many of my friends still are bloggers despite connected through various social media.

Thank you

The Story of an Old Man

The oldest man in the neighborhood, and my neighbor from the opposite house, had passed away yesterday at the age of 94. I hope you guys remember the reworked garden and flowers from the house opposite us that I have posted here and here, and it was the father of the son who takes care of it all.

He's one of the oldest residents in our area and a neighbor of over 40 years.  He's self-restrained, which he seems to be maintained from his service as a wing commander in the Indian air force, continued this attitude throughout his life! During his early retirement period, he had been quite active, and he does all the garden work himself; and a member of a tennis club, he plays it every day, and drove his fiat 1100/103 until he was able to drive.

They had a long driveway, and it was fun then to see him reverse the car carefully, and what interested me was the way the car’s door opens and closes. Unlike the regular car front doors, the doors of fiat 103 were hinged to the center pillar, which is called suicide door – a slang term for an automobile door hinged at its rear rather than the front – perceived as being less safe.

I never remember seeing him speaking or smiling to anybody outside his home or family. He always stays inside the home, except working in the garden and going to a club to play tennis when he was active. What I'm saying was about 15 years ago, before we shifted home to another area. But what I hear from my uncle is that the senior citizen used to comes to the yard every early morning and then bow to the sun with few minutes of prayer and get back into the home immediately.

But I always wonder how he able to stay inside the home all day. We shifted back to the same house in 2018, but I'm not a morning person, so the time I come out, he would have gone to a day nap. The last time I saw him was after the rework of the garden when his daughter-in-law walked him up to the gate, along the driveway, to let him see his garden back in its elegant shape and glowing in the newly installed lights.

He also insisted his granddaughter drive a car and play tennis, which I heard that she still plays tennis and keeps fit like her grandfather even after moved to the US years ago. One day, I found it saw true when she was visiting her home two years back, she was returning from somewhere, perhaps from a tennis court, as she carried a racket in hand, and the way she paces in was obvious how the fit was she to fit into a teen outfit.

She's a mother of two kids, and she was back from the US two weeks before to visit her ill grandfather and returned only last week, and he's no more within days of her departure. The older man got married when her wife was 13 years old, and they moved to the opposite house purchased by him using his retirement sum, which was told to my aunt by his wife, who is age 84-85.

The family was relocated from Palakkad, in Kerala, and perhaps because of this, they had no relatives here to attend the funeral. Even their friends don't seem too close, or they haven't attached to anybody – like how they isolated from the neighbors – or because of the pandemic, they stood away, and the funeral took place with only a few people that includes my uncle and cousin, who helped them to lift the body into the hearse. 

I think the funeral was handed over to an agency, and they haven’t conducted many rituals, and only his son accompanies the hearse, and my cousin went on his bike to support him. It seems the reworked garden was one of the reasons to keep up the spirit of the older man, and watching the bloomed flowers and green lawn would certainly put him in a peaceful state of happiness. I believe he lived his life to the fullest, and from what his wife told my aunt once was that she visited many countries and have been around the world when he was in the air force, and perhaps because of this, they decided to live idle and away from people to lead the remaining days at peace. I hope he rested in peace.

No, he isn’t a covid casualty.

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

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.   

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. 

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.

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.

Wheels

Like the spokes on wheels
life rotates in support of
passion, affection and hope
to do better in life.

The activity of pedalling
like one’s deed in time, forward
the life to an enhanced state
of peace, wise and prosperous.

In the long run, normal bends
to slow down the pace
or pick up things at difficult, that
life isn't distant from worn out wheels. 

Like spinning wool on wheels
life weaves through relationships
love, trade, recreation and reproduction
to represent another wheel of life. 

A runaway cock and the neighbour

There’s a chicken shop in our street or to say a few houses away from us and every day morning they unload cages of broiler chicken and a few caged country chicken from a truck, and while doing so a country cock runs away from them and climbs up a tree, and to a top where no one can catch it. The labourers working at the chicken shop were the laziest that put any effort to capture the cock which became an advantage to it and the cock well settled in the trees of neighbours. 

The family living in the opposite house weren’t that generous to allow the cock inside their compound but the country cock doesn’t confine to anything unlike the broiler chicken that has a destiny has become a headache to them. The cock chose the open garden or lawn in front of their home as his favourite hunting ground for forage and used to fly off the compound or perched on the neighbour's tree when the owner came out to the garden. Until now, the situation wasn't different and the neighbour has a reason too to shoo off the bird, despite the fact it digs off the seeds and plants from ground, it doesn't keep quiet all the time rather crying loud esp. During the silent afternoon and sometimes even at night its crows disturb the peace and slumber of all in the house, including a 90+ year old man.

So far no one tried to catch the cock (even the labourers of the chicken shop) and the cock too doesn't come out of the gate or compound (or run into the streets) of the neighbour’s house. The house belongs to a 92 year old retired wing commander but it was his son in 60+ takes care of everything and he’s an enthusiastic gardener and loves planting or seeding new ones. Sometimes he used to share vegetables grown in his backyard and they don't familiarise with anybody in the neighbourhood and most of the time it was a smile or a few words of greeting that ended our relationship even though we are neighbours for 40 years. Click here to see and read my post on this house and neighbour!

I couldn’t get a clear shot of the cock from the mobile but you could see the cock in the image above and behind the gate it strolled.

Linking this post with SATURDAY CRITTERS

RIP, the Man of Laboriousness and Success

Undoubtedly his company's the No 1 dealer in India selling home appliances and we can’t easily point out someone who sustains the top rank continually and firmly for the last 35-40 years and it’s impossible without laboriousness.  Vasanth & Co is the brand name created by H Vasanthakumar (a member of parliament) who himself was the ambassador of the company and products he sold and he continued to taste the success in the competitive world even after the arrival of online shopping.  He’s someone who earned people’s trust in selling quality products, because people don’t trust anybody easily unless there's some truth and we have personally experienced it and as a regular customer we’re proud and content with any of the products bought from him. More than half the appliances that exist at our home are bought from Vasanth & Co and my first choice still to pick a product rather than online could be his and I always recommend purchasing from the same.

It’s really shocking and sad to know the man behind the successful brand is no more - he died at the age of 70 due to Covid 19. He picked up his business as a seller of home appliances from door-to-door in instalments and later opened his own shop in the shopping centre – T. Nagar, where our first television was bought. In 1984, a year before I was born, my parents bought a black and white Solidaire TV from him and he had enquired them about their income and the ability to pay the install amount, with personal care. My parents had mentioned this many times to us, and now watching his news of demise couldn’t stop them repeating the same. Should I need to mention anything more, how could he have come up this long (with 80+ showrooms across south India) without the concern and care about the consumers and supply of quality things? And he hasn't stopped there, rather chosen the field of politics or public life to serve the poor and simple people, as he himself comes from the same he understands the people's need and did what he could from his source of income and the posts he held as a Member of Legislative Assembly and Member of Parliament.

He chose Congress as his political party following his father and elder brother – Kumari Anandan, a veteran congress leader – and he shone well in the state politics and held office of working President and Vice-President and the Chairman of the Traders wing of Tamil Nadu Congress Committee. Upon everything, it is his laboriousness that put him on all these chairs and what everyone would admire him as an entrepreneur and his life is a good lesson to read by anyone to reach various heights. And like a gem on his crown he has written three volumes of his autobiographical book series Vetri Padikattu (Ladder to Success) focusing on his entrepreneurial success and community building initiatives which I really want to read sometime. He’s such a simple and humble being lived to easily access is what everyone close to him says and he is a familiar face of Tamil Nadu and never a day passes without seeing his smiley face on television. Though it's all for the business, his reach and popularity at the homes of Tamil Nadu is not easy to dismiss. People will miss him but not his face.

No Liquor Please!

It’s obvious how Pandemic battle down people on earth and our situation in India kept worrisome as we lose nearly thousand lives every day and fifty thousand plus new cases. While Chennai sustain a slow and steady pace of pandemic cases, the cases in districts follows the same to count 5k+ daily, and in this situation the govt. has ordered to open the liquor shops in Chennai that was closed for last 5 months or from the beginning of lockdown. The govt. had opened the liquor shops already in districts other than Chennai and its suburbs in May but their decision to open in the city caused no surprise rather made feel regret about their quicker move.
 
I felt not good actually when the govt. announced shutting down of liquor shops in the state, due to pandemic, as I believed it’s not easy for those addicted to alcohol to sustain without drinking and would cause a perplex leading to violent behaviours.  I know some people who find difficult to skip a day without drinking and lead a life quite dedicated to drink. I thought about them and it isn’t that I support them but I understand the pattern of their lives from my perception and wanted them to be alive rather drinking something more poisoning. But to my surprise, the people’s response was superb apart from few abnormal cases of drinking sanitizer (due to alcohol content) and commits suicide because of the unavailability of liquor.  
 
The drinkers in Chennai has already adapted to the lifestyle of sober in last 5 months of lockdown, and without drinking; now opening the liquor shops will certainly turn down the newly adopted norms, people practiced all these days despite many difficulties and emotional fights. Many a family felt a sigh of relief when the liquor shops were closed as the men in the family doesn't need to hurt women or extorting money anymore (although it is temporary) it keeps the suffering away. Tomorrow, the opening of government liquor shops will break the cells of self-controlled alcoholics, who truly amazed me though their sustainability in lack of liquor what I thought of quite impossible.
 
The nature and environment healed a lot during these pandemic lockdown periods and the shutting of liquor shops is another gracious thing happens at this time and I wished it turned out to be permanent. I know it’s not that possible unless government stops obtaining money from the sale of liquor, but I think there couldn’t be a better situation that this to regulate or create a s ober like circumstance that could be good for the country and home. I know however we cry the govt. isn’t going to tilt the ear. At least until the pandemic is over or reduced enough the liquor shops can wait rather become a spreading zone of Covid 19.

RGB Monday

Here is a kind of line houses in Valparai, what is just a piece of what was washed off in the recent landslides and flash flood in the high mountain ranges of Munnar; killing nearly 50 people belong to the families of tea labourers. The southwest monsoon is smashing around the Western Ghats Mountains of Kerala, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu and many a places are flooded and Munnar, a beautiful hill station in the Idukki district of Kerala is one of the top producers of tea and many a labours work here are from the plains of Tamil Nadu.

The landslide turned into a major disaster, where rescue operations are still underway as people are being dug out of the mud. The disaster location being close to the Anamudi, the highest peak of south India and the popular tourist spot (Eravikulam National Park) for Thar goat sighting, exposed to cold winds and rain to extend the rescue operation. Valparai is nothing less to Munnar, and these two places are bordered by a valley that separates the two states. And their living conditions were also similar and the workers were all settlers from the plains to work in the tea plantations. It’s the workers of Rajamalai tea estate went to grave before buried really. While the covid eradicating away the lives in plenty, the plane crash and landslides were doing their better half. Nature has its own plans and no one can predict its move and we could only mourn for those died.  

RGB Monday

(click for enlarge)

Some cool drinks and juice bottles line up at the Marina beach… image, from long time back – what made me continue to write below.

Pandemic has made forget everything or to say at least a lot of things and the normal life too seems left far behind to remember. We adapted to the change of life already and I feel only traveling has been missed out of my life. Nature creates wonder around us and trying hard to retain its wealth which vanished through smog and environmental evils stealing away its richness. Pandemic comes as a great teacher delivering life changing lessons to every one of us in some ways, despite the battle with virus, replacing the senses to respond to the need than greed of life. People utilize this period in different ways; thinking how to be productive and manage the loss of the lockdown period and some plainly entertain with what comes their ways. Importantly I see many a people come out with their hidden talents and creativities during this period and many prefer drawing and paintings in common but what they do is unique from each other to amaze.

The Covid above us had become no more and the asymptomatic tenant got well himself without going into any treatment and his family is safe as well without transmitting the virus from him. Their house was unsealed today but they were out already as his quarantine period ended on Saturday, and he restrained well himself at least within his home and we got free disinfectant sprayed everyday until his quarantine period ends. One of my uncles passed away yesterday and he was bedridden for last few months but he has shown improvement in last few weeks lost his breath suddenly. Though they say he had high blood sugar and the doctor had changed the medicine that day, some doubts it’s a result of covid which hardly had evidence. Hope you guys are Ok!

Healing Earth and Me

Pandemic is what all about and all roads lead to same for more than last three months and we still have any idea where and when it all going to end though we know for sure it will and should be end at an end. Everyone should have gone through different experiences during this period of pandemic and lockdown and this goes like a real life drama without any rehearsals and it has affected us in no way one could imagined. But one great comforting thing the pandemic made was refining nature and environment.  Today being Sunday and final day of total lockdown the carbon monoxide level in the air in Chennai has went  down to the level of 8 what usually used to be 60+, which marks moderate air quality, makes apparent how significant the changes are. But this doesn’t going to sustain for sure when the relaxed lockdown come into force from tomorrow, however getting life back to normal is quite important while keeping the environment clean.

The lockdown really made feel secured a lot during these pandemic days as we’re uncertain who carries the virus, staying home we feel safe.   I didn’t find the lockdown a greatly difficult as my life is almost made into home  but as a travel enthuse its quite different and I live all these days with my travel memories and watching travel/food vlogs on YouTube. Nature and environment is clean making me so happy and I’m enjoying more bird sounds these days than vrooming bikes and cars. I think if not pandemic the earth wouldn’t get a chance to cleans the manmade dirt though it isn’t a happier way to support or got this done from peoples suffering and deaths. Nature is rich and it has the power to recycle and we’re same as any other living on the earth. Animals traces their roots and corridors while we shut our roads and leave no foot prints inside their landscapes, it still make  worry to hear even the predators (us) are lockdown in home, more than a dozen elephants died (including the one shot by farmers) for unreasoning in Tamil Nadu in last few weeks.

I could say the last few weeks were the worst days for me during this lockdown period and I think you people know and if not, I went through a long-time fever ever in my life and I quite terrified as you know we go through pandemic I’m uncertain and anxious what these symptoms lead to. Glad it was only a urinary tract infection and the injections worked really well and I’m out of it. But before it got over I had a severe sprain at my ankle and I am still going through the pain and swelling and if it continues few more days, I had to take an x-ray to see what really happened. My physiotherapist said nothing to worry but I go through doubts. I hope you guys continue on the safe path and stay safe at home. Wish the pandemic is over or reduced sooner to become not a life thereat. 

கொரோனா பாடம் / Corona Lesson

உலகைக் கட்டுப்படுத்த விரும்பினோம்
அடங்கிப்போனோம் வீட்டுக்குள்ளே. 

கண்ணுக்கு தெரியாத கொரோனா 

கண்ணு மூக்கு வாய் என விரல விட்டு ஆட்டுது.

அதுவும் நம் கையைக்கொண்டு !

கோயில்கள் பூட்டப்பட்டுள்ளன

சுத்தமும் சமூக விலகலும் உயிர் காக்கின்றன.

மருத்துவமனைகள் கொரோனாவுக்கு ஒதுக்கி விட்டன.  

சுய கட்டுப்பாடே தடுப்பு மருந்தாகி விட்டன.

சுற்றமும் நட்பும்  விலகி இருக்கட்டும் -

கொரோனவை வீழ்த்தட்டும். 

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

We wanted to control the world
Domesticated at home.
The invisible corona
Fingered the eyes, nose and the mouth.
That too with our own hands!

The temples are locked 
Cleanliness and social alienation keep us alive. 
The hospitals were allotted to the corona 
Self-control has become the vaccine. 
Let go of the affinity and the friendship - 
Let the corona fall.

Some Thoughts and Pre Relaxations

Even after 42 days of lockdown, wearing masks, while coming out of home has been a matter in question with many a people. People are requested to wear masks, but not to close their mouth alone! I see some wear masks that are little to close their mouth only and I wonder what an intellect one must be to stitch such a mask that looks like a bandage on an operated mouth. I noticed it is the laity who suffers lot through the lockdown has been at the risk of transmitting the virus through their indifference attitude. The government has relaxed the lockdown a little to help people at a level but i feel it’s too early to do so, and this slack will end up tightening more as there's lot chances to share the virus and I see still people are carefree and wear mask only in fear of cops and not by self-conscious or in preventive manner.

To make matter worse, our state govt. have announced to reopen the liquor shops from May 7^th, following many other states that have already reopened the liquor shops and people started to throng there indifferently forgetting the situation we’re and some stood in queues that extends up to nearly a km. This is really a disappointment to see. People complain about standing in queue to buy groceries or reliefs but none bothers standing this long for alcohol! This lockdown proved that people could manage without drinking alcohol except few cases of self-destruction; there isn’t a great impact and actually people started to practice to a liquor free lifestyle and we should have maintained this structure rather get them back to the habit. There couldn’t be a better chance like this to keep them away from liquor but the govt.’s focus is only on its core income, which comes from the liquor sale, than the people’s welfare.

I wonder what kind of development is this to get money from the public, by selling liquor, what harms their immune, to spend back on their welfare. Wasn’t this sounds like wounding someone deliberately and later put medicine on the wound? I know the illegal liquor has raised heads as soon the liquor shops are closed but this couldn’t be a threat if there’s right legal actions.  But what worries me more now was, when people couldn’t be mindful on social distancing and wearing mask even at a normal state what kind of behaviours could we expect on intoxication?  

I know there are people, who would blindly follow whatever their favourite leaders or celebrities says (and sometime in different ways like taking street processions when asked to clap hands and light lamps in appreciating the healthcare workers working on Covid 19), so this could be the better time if those stars spoke on television, advising their fans and devotees to stay home or wear mask.  Lately I saw a video of a top actor’s birthday, celebrated by his fans group against the law of lockdown, and these crazy guys never seems to care about pandemic. I think, at least, if the actors with great fan followers could help these times, by appearing in media to advocate those blindfolds, just to see how well it works. Now we need more conscious on quarantine and any source of aid is resourceful this time.

Stay home Stay safe

Clean Environment and Covid 19

Unity is what Covid 19 taught us or forced us to do so today, but the difference here’s we all have to distance ourselves to stay together in the process of defending from the infectious virus. What this unity proves is that if we decided to stand together we can bring change over anything. Though positivity in Covid is worrisome and life threatening but there’s lot of positivity the togetherness we created by staying at home in influence of lockdown. Air, an essential element of nature, and the life source of every living species, have drastically changed over this period of lockdown since the transportation and industries come to a halt, it gives a great sigh of relief and desires to sustain in this flow.  In Chennai the air quality index has come low as ever and Adyar, where I live is below 8 (of April 29, 16:00) which regularly count 60+ before.

Same as air, the water bodies and rivers too refined without the flow of industrial waste and abuse of human. Prime Minister Modi in his election campaign promised to clean the Ganges River, which become dirtier in the long run of effluent against its state of sanctity, but before he initiate or think about it corona did it on his behalf.  People in belief of overcoming their sins, take bath in Ganges and leave their belongings into the river to become a mess and threat to lives depend on the flow of river. While Covid 19 troubles people and kills many simultaneously, it also silently cleanse the environment by holding us at home, even though it’s uncertain that the recovering of the hole in ozone layer is due to the lessening of pollution levels across the globe in last few months of lockdown, it was a great news and cheerful moment for environmental activists who work on this front.

Like how in sedimentation, the solid matters settles at the bottom of the liquid in lack of motion, the lesser amount of activities on earth helped the environment to resettle things that affects nature and health. I don’t think there could be a better moment like this to look back into the future we come across destructing anything that could be possible to improve our lives and livelihoods, taking nature, the only tool in hand. Now, all taking break at home, and fighting back the Covid 19, nature took this chance to restore the environment to its pristine or close to former conditions. Animals and birds too started to trace back their roots we uprooted to develop our lives or began visiting their ancestor’s homes we destroyed to build our own.

Lately, I was amazed to see a bird picture in Instagram, captured by someone in the neighbourhood and it was the same bird species I found in Kodaikanal. The interesting thing was it was a migratory bird from Himalayas and it flew down to southern states during winter and now I found Chennai has been a stopping ground on its course up and down! Though we know we’re paying a massive price to restore the earth and of course, it isn’t the way we anticipated or wished for things to change on earth, but preserving this state of cleanliness is must when we return to new normal lifestyle. I know it is not possible to quite sustain in this state of clean environment when life kick-starts again and industries open their shutters but creating a balance between environment and livelihood could make better our lifestyle. 

Hope all stay safe

Silence Speaks Louder

Captured from one of my trips to mountains, staying at uncle's woodhouse in  kodaikanal

The world speaks in silence

Desert as ever before

Soundlessness is strange

Yet it is not so quiet,  

Tiny noises make sense

And annoys as well

Diverts the attention of anything

That I try to concentrate,  

Screeches and screams are loud

Perhaps we used to noises

That sustained to a level of decibel

Now, incredible low, due to lockdown

Silence reinstitutes the natural syllabus

In wind prose and bird poems,  

While the most dangerousness stays at home

The endangered are out

To give voice to their lost chord

Or shriek in restoring its space

As if they got their (last) chance

To speak, when world is mute.

Nature Heal Its Own

View outside the home... something sure to unchanged for sometime
or at least till April 14.

Nature volume increased 

As artificial noises decreased
The days become quiet
As well the afternoons are blissful,
Eventides turned pleasure
As birds sings in chorus
The days turned out beautiful
As well as sunny, expose
Nature at its fine light and shadows.
The nature would heal its own
If not man continue to dig its wound
Nature forced us in from of Covid 19
To take a backseat at home
To see how nature tackle its own
What world stumbles to reset!

Take care all