சாலையில், வண்ணத்திருவிழா!
கோடையில், ஒரு வண்ண விதானம்
மழையில் நனைகையில்; வண்ண நிழல்குடை
வண்ண இழையில் நெய்த வானவில்
மடங்கிவிடும் கைப்பிடிக்குள்.
A rainbow walked
On the road, color festival!
In summer, a colored canopy
When soaking in the rain, a colored umbrella;
Rainbow weaved in colored fabric
Folded into the handle.
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.
I hope you guys remember the post - a crow nest, with a chick in a widely open mouth peeking out the same - from a few weeks back? I thought there were two chicks in the nest as my cousin saw two eggs in the nest before it hatched had only survived by one. As a juvenile, the crow grew faster and saw it sitting above the nest often, flapping its wings, like someone practicing to fly, jumped out of the nest suddenly last week.
(Image from an early post)
I was indifferent in capturing the bird when it came out of the nest in the thought of where it's going to go that sooner left me in empty hands. The bird seems to fail to learn the instinct of birds, jumped out of the nest in sheer curious to fly than growing its ability to fly.
I guess it's the nature of juveniles, of any kind, to become curious about things unknown fully and in curiosity get into trouble like this crow that leap out the nest before learn to fly quite.
The juvenile jumped off the nest, landed on the road - the crows built the nest on a branch of a rain tree that extended to the middle of the road - and glad there wasn't a vehicle passing on the road that time, so it was to end mess. After its various attempt to fly failed; One of the neighbors picked up the bird and left it on the other side of the compound wall of the neighbor's garden on the opposite side to us prevent it got rid of vehicles or prey to stray dogs.
That was the last I saw the juvenile crow. I was least happy the crow would be safe inside the neighbor's garden, but it lasted only until morning - when the gardeners who came to water the plants left the crow along the roadside just outside the home. It was early morning when this took place, so it was my aunt who told me this. She didn't notice where the bird went later, as she got busy with the day.
I hope the juvenile is safe; and learn to fly, to at least safeguard itself.
The Grand Sweets in the neighborhood is one of my favorite restaurants where I tasted crispy dosa and puri once in a while. After the shut down of my favorite restaurant in Chennai - The Woodlands drive-in - in 2010, it transformed into a botanical garden; I had no opportunity to eat at a restaurant until the grand sweet opens its branch in the neighborhood.
Not all restaurants are wheelchair friendly, and The Grand Sweets isn't an exception, but at least they allow us to eat from the parked car, and when they served from their own plates, it's hot and crispy to causes a desire to eat, which is missed in the parcel. I usually try this restaurant on Sundays, when there is less traffic on the road and space for parking along with the restaurant.
After the pandemic begins, they allow only for parcels; though it isn't a matter now as I almost avoided going out rather for a short evening walk on Sundays, I miss the flavor. The last I went to the restaurant was for a coffee in perhaps 2019, and I remember it now when I come around a few shots on the restaurant when looking for images to share for RGB Monday.
There's a textile showroom on top of the restaurant that caught my attention once, showcased colorful sarees on an array. They also have two mannequins wrapped in sarees, and the showroom has a glistening view.
I completed the 2 doses of vaccination on Saturday after 92 days of 1st dose.
My parent completed the course of vaccination (with Covishield/AstraZeneca) before I took the 1st dose, and the time period for them then was 45 days. But when I took it, the ICMR (Indian Council of Medical Research) extended the time between the 1st and 2nd doses of the vaccine to 90 days. I think this extension was to make the vaccine available for many, for at least one dose, to keep away from the seriousness of covid.
For my 1st dose, I visited the nearest vaccination center, and that time it was a total lockdown so accessing the wheelchair wasn't difficult through the empty main roads. Now, the city bumped back to its array of traffic, and steering the wheelchair wouldn't be smooth, but I was in intend of visiting the center if there aren't any options.
During my 1st dose, I saw the doctors and nurses at the vaccination center getting ready for home vaccination for elders and differently able as soon vaccinated me, as I was the last one to take a vaccine that day. And that was the day home vaccination was launched by the state government to facilitate those who couldn't access the center. So this time, I utilized the facility, and even before we enquired and two days to my 2nd vaccine, guys in two-wheeler came announcing in a megaphone that they would come home-to-home as a special vaccine camp (on Thursday 26 Aug) and the one who doesn't take can take.
I waited, with a sigh of relief, and I waited the whole day, but there wasn't a sign of vaccination.
The next day dad went to enquire about the home vaccination drive, and at the center, told there wasn't a home-to-home vaccination camp, and for me, they agree to come home if we arrange transportation. So upon this, dad took my cousin in our car and picked up the nurse from the center, and after vaccinated me (with Covishield/AstraZeneca), dropped her back. The nurse brought one dose for me after being vaccinated for 9 others as one vial of vaccine is injected to 10 people, and once open, it needs to be fully used within four hours.
Same as the 1st dose, the vaccination went smooth, and I didn't experience any unusual health beyond 48 hours now except for a sore arm. My cardiologist advised drinking plenty of water for 1st dose prescribed blood thinner for a week for the 2nd dose, perhaps because the doctor might want to be cautious. Our state has gone to nill restrictions now, and more liberty with social activities, there's a great chance for a surge in cases and vaccination being the only solution, I'm glad to complete the course to feel secure. But, still being cautious is more than enough.
A couple of crows have built a nest in the Rain Tree right outside of the balcony. 2 months back, I saw a crow nest on the Indian Tulip Tree next to the Rain Tree, and the nest was rest on the treetop so I could only see that too not clear for the eyes or cam lens. But I'm not sure it was the same nest rebuilt here because once the crow started building the nest, the other one disappeared, which I didn't notice after the new one.
The crows are always there, either sitting on the nest to brood or maintain a watchful distance. The parenting crows are friendly with us, unlike early, hitting the head when coming out into the balcony when nested. Perhaps, because these crows see us daily or old residents of the neighborhood, despite picking up titbits from the leftover dog food on the balcony, one crow used to venture into the living room to seek food for its chicks.
Another day I was eating something, and the crow came perched on the stool nearby in a gesture of asking for food, and the compassion in me couldn't stop dropping down pieces of food to the floor next to the wheelchair was picked up by the crow. We have a couple of dogs, and they always sleep on the balcony but never did they scared crows unless irritated, and for us, they are annoying sometimes when pooped on the clothes that are left for dry on the balcony rail. But for this reason, alone, we couldn't stop leaving food for crows.
My mom captured the nest (pic above) from the balcony above us showed the chick's partial underparts. But seeing her shooting nest, the crows flew in and covered the chicks, and thus she couldn't capture a clear picture of the nest. I think the chicks would get the wing to fly in a few weeks, but so far, its wide-open red beak alone is visible for me.
An
intricate work of nature
An
exhibition of stick science
Inherited
by birds by nature.
I marvel at
the engineering of birds
Building
their nest at such intricate
To rightly
balance wind and height
And to
endure storms and rain.
Each bird
kind builds unique nests;
Like ravens
built with sticks,
That just
outreach from my balcony
The only
closer encounter with a nest.
The eggs
hatched into chicks
The ravens
kept watching their nest
Day or
night, they work together
To ensure
that nowhere it unravels.
Every
glance at the nest is a marvel;
Indefinable
feel embrace
At the
interlace of the sticks
How
indifferently they couldn't build.
காற்றோடு கவி பாடும் குயில்
மலரரோடு தேன் சுவைக்கும் வண்டு
கிளையொடு கழைக்கூத்தாடும் அணில்
கீச் கீச் என்று மாங் குத்தும் கிளி
அழைக்கும் சைகையில் மயக்கும் மைனா
மறைந்திருந்து சடசடக்கும் மீன்கொத்தி
ஆரவாரத்துடன் வந்த தவிட்டு குருவிகள்
எல்லாம் சேர்ந்து சொர்கத்திற்கு வித்திட்டன.
translate in eng:
The cuckoo sang with the wind
Honey-tasting beetle with flower
A squirrel acrobat with branches
Mango stabbing parrot shrieks
Myna enchants in the nodding gesture
Kingfisher rattle from somewhere hideaway
Yellow-billed babbler that came with cheers
Altogether, they sowed to heaven.
I have a series of photos of the parakeets
piercing the mangoes hanging from the tree, but I haven't uploaded the images
to the laptop, so perhaps I would do it later. As of now, I share some photos
of hanging mangoes from 2019 and some from 2021.
Our relatives shared enough mangoes this time,
apart from dad’s purchase from the shop; we had mangoes almost every day, but
as a diabetic patient, I limit myself to a small slice. Mom and dad too take in
limits, and we take it along with the lunch as its effect against diabetes
seems less.
FYI, I have shifted my email subscribe platform from Feedburner to follow.it, so if you have subscribed already, please accept the change, or if I missed adding you or you want to subscribe, please carry on with it from the side column in my blog. Thank you
The neighbor's garden opposite to
us is not flourishing as before, and the neighbor hasn't spent much time
gardening, but how can we anticipate a son, who lost his father less than 2
months ago, to do active gardening? But the weather wasn't that kind enough for
plants to flourish or flowers to bloom.
The flowering pot plants have
changed positions where I couldn't take photos of the few bloomed hibiscus
despite the interrupt in wires and grown branches of trees. I see the red and
yellow hibiscus bloomed more among the fewer blossoms of hibiscus, and all are
replaced as facing the neighbor's house, perhaps because watching flowers can
give some solace to the hearts and forget someone who lived for 94 years is not
easy.
I didn't take any photos of the
neighbor's garden in the last two months, or I need to check the camera to see
if I have missed downloading any photos into the laptop; anyhow, I like to
share some photos of the hibiscus I shot in March. So here it goes…
Btw. The lockdown and the situation with covid keep promising as cases of covid continue to reduce across the country, as well as in our state; the lockdown may last few more weeks with slight relaxation, but perhaps a week later.
There are three different
vaccines available in India - Oxford-AstraZeneca's Covishield, India's Covaxin,
and Russia's Sputnik-V - and I took Covishield, which is the only available
vaccine now despite what I was about to take in case of. My dad and mom had
already completed the course of two doses of vaccine two weeks before mine.
They took the 2nd dose 6 weeks later, following their 1st dosage. For me, they
have given 90 days or 14 weeks to take the 2nd dose.
The ICMR (Indian Council of
Medical Research) has extended the duration between the 1st and 2nd dose of
vaccine from 45 to 90 days for Covishield. I don't know about the other two
vaccines. I registered online on May 1st itself, and till now, every time I
open the page of registration, it shows available for the 45+ only. So,
rejecting it, we went directly to the vaccination center as it had already
announced that differently challenged are an exception of all, and they are
true to their words.
Less than a km from home, I
reached the vaccination center riding my power wheelchair, and we had to wait
for only 10 to 15 minutes that too because of some issue going between the
staff and some public. Actually, they issued tokens to the people to take the
vaccine, and they all seated maintaining a distance, and suddenly the staffs
announced stopping of vaccination, and people erupt. After some argument, they
were allowed to vaccinate, but some went off already.
I'm feeling normal until writing down this, and no pain on the arms too, but I don't know what kind of reaction it stored for me further tonight or tomorrow. I'm quite confident that my body accepts the vaccine and works better to prevent Covid and lessen the effects of anything that comes against it. The doctors who were around me when vaccinated encouraged me to eat well and be confident. And don't go anywhere until taking the 2nd dose, without fail.
The nostalgic wind blows me
down the memory lane
I cherish the essence of
reminiscence
melting down like ice on leaves
as winter gives way for spring.
It wasn't a surprise as the season
returns
even if relationships aren't in
form as before
memories could not resign from
office;
the heartstrings feel the gentle
strokes
as wind touches the senses.
The squirrels and parakeets’
screech
despite their shrieks, the
afternoon
remained silent in the void of
curfew;
the winged birds fly, and the
wind blows
who dares to shut their doors?
The wind becomes stronger later
as storm clouds gathered to
oppose
the sun shutters its shop
earlier;
the memories of summer rain
harvested
as the storm, at last, hit hard
on us.
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.
Coming Tuesday, we are going for
the state assemble election; the propaganda by the political leaders and
candidates are rocking the state at every nook and corner, as the last date for
the propaganda being tomorrow. The two main political parties are scorning each
other rather than announcing the core activities they supposed to do.
Like how the temperature rises, covid 19 cases in the state and country is rising to an extreme level; the election field has become a hub for spreading the virus. We expected severe restrictions to implement on post-polling, but I don't anticipate a lockdown again, instead, there would be some enforcement to bring down the virus.
 |
| Oleanders along the driveway of the neighbor |
Coming to the post, I share some
of the photos of hibiscus and other flowers I shot from the neighbor’s house
opposite us. I hope you remember the post I did here on the neighbor's rebuilt
garden, and his hibiscus continues to bloom daily from his neatly arranged pots
close to the gate. I take photos of the flowers whenever I see them clearly for
a shot, but lately, the neighbor's father (age 94) wasn't well, so was his
hibiscus, as he couldn't take care of the garden like before.
Hope you like the photos.
 |
| Red Hibiscus |
 |
| Yellow Hibiscus |
 |
| White Hibiscus |
 |
| Orange Hibiscus |
 |
| Some cute roses |
The tree lost many of its branches to the
prune, and I wasn't happy looking at the sight of a part of the tree fall. Though
the tree slowly gets back to shape, the lost side facing the road would take a
few more seasons to rebuild its lost limbs. The tree continues to bloom seems
to produce more mangoes in the coming days and what you see in the photos were
shot last week.
Pleasant
with her radiant brush
The sun
caressed as she went to rest.
To
illuminate hope in the heart
She carried
a young yellow light,
Head stroke
on a young hot tip
Left night
to accompany.
As soon as his wife completed the Kolam, he
Whatsapp me the photos of the Kolam, and what you see in the collage above is
what he sent me that night. And the
following photos are of the same shot by my mom in the morning on my behalf.
My friend's house is located right behind our house
and narrow by street, doesn't allow the Kolams to last long, or until the
evening when I go out shooting Kolam in the wheelchair. Karthik's wife is a
talented woman and does well in artworks, and I have seen a few of her's on
Facebook and while admiring her work, I appreciate her patience, which I think
is mandatory when creating art. I hope you guys like her elegant work in Kolam.
