Summer Special

 (I wrote this poem on May 10) 

Overnight, the weather turned cooler 

Shawarma exhausted news channels

Refreshed through the shower-ma

Because of the bypass of Cyclone Asani

Chennaiities experience the weather in Kodai 

In the season of Kodai (summer), 

The moister wind blows to cool everything down.

The wind chimes ring cheerfully 

As the chilly air enters via the window, 

Excitement mounts in the body 

Meet the cheerful memories at the summit 

As is typical during the summer 

The summer rain churns it into something even more special.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 

P.s. If you are unaware, "Kodai" is a word that refers to summer in Tamil, and the same word is also the abbreviation of Kodaikanal, a hill station in South India. 

If you're from India, you might know my reference to Shawarma. The issue refers to the same following the death of a student in Kerala after she ate Shawarma, a renowned Levantine cuisine consisting of meat chopped into thin slices, stacked in a cone-like structure, and roasted on a slowly revolving vertical rotisserie or spit.  All shawarma restaurants are now subjected to rigorous testing by the health authorities to ensure that the food preparation is hygienic. Some southern districts have prohibited selling Shawarma. 

இளவேனிற்காலம் / The Spring

இளவேனிற்காலம் தொடங்குகையில் மைனாக்களின் கொஞ்சல்  சத்தம்!
கத்தரித்த மரங்களில் துளிர்விட தொடங்கிய இலைகள்;
மெல்ல மெல்ல விலகும் பனி
சூரியனின் வெம்மை உருகியது இளவேனி!

மெருகூட்டப்படாத சூரிய ஒளியில்  
இதமான  கடல் காற்றோடு
கிளியும் குயிலும் பாடல் படிக்க
விடிந்தது வசந்த காலம்.  

மழையை கடத்தும் மேகமாய்
நினைவுகளை சுமந்து வரும் கடல் காற்று.
வருடம் தவறாமல், மனம் இளைப்பாற  
இளமைக்கால நினைவுகள்ளோடு இளவேனிற்காலம்.

the translate:

As spring arrives, the faint sound of mynas!
The leaves of pruned trees are beginning to bloom;
The dew is gradually melting.
The sun's rays thawed the springs!

In the unpolished sunlight
With a light breeze from the sea
Parrots and Koels read the song
Spring has arrived. 

Clouds that transmit rain
The sea breeze transports memories.
Year after year, the mind relaxes.

Spring with memories of youth. 

Breezy Afternoon and Bird Watching at Kanyakumari

(a following of previous post)

The afternoon and sea breeze always move me, and how could I miss the pleasure when it blows from three sides of the sea; Kanyakumari bestows me the same when I stay back in the garden of the guest house after lunch; the wind was enough to send for a comfortable and lazy sleep. I never take a nap in the evening, so to beat time before we get ready to visit other places, I chilled under the shadows of trees, and in one corner of the guest house complex, cops were relaxing from their parked vehicle and on the park benches. 

Garden space of the guest house complex.

The place we stayed was very close to the center of the tourist destination. The junction from where the roads lead to the beach, boat deck, and other monuments line the shore. The paths further from there are congested by shops; all the buses and other vehicles parked near the junction create a roar. And besides that, the cops on the microphone occasionally blare, controlling the crowd and vehicle. 

Clock tower at the junction.

The rooms allotted for us were a little further from the noise except for the cop's alarm; it was quiet and peaceful to let everyone relax around. By later afternoon we moved out to explore other places, leaving mom and grandma, who were to board the cruise to the rocks of Vivekananda and Thiruvalluvar. 

I visited the Vattakotta fort, a beautiful square-shaped fort on the shore of the Bay of Bengal - 6km from Kanyakumari in the northeast direction. Vattakotta is a conjoined Tamil word of  Vatta and Kotta, meaning Circle Fort. But in my observation, the fort looked more square than a circle! I will make a detailed post on it later, now leave you with a couple of birds shots. I shot it along the driveway of the guest house.

The mynas and egret were foraging along the driveway of the guest house. I shot the birds before checking out the guest house the next day. I did not mind leaving that place; the majestic monuments along the coast and the grand view of the three seas fascinated me. I want to come back one day, but that day is still away.

July Rain

Begin July it's raining almost every day in the evening and somewhat warm in day times with pretty blue sky. This pattern of rain is unusual for us during this month and season of sunshine. The month of July would bring good wind into our state of Tamil Nadu, and perhaps this time seems to be the best winding season to lead the rain, although the Upper Air Circulation has been the cause of rain.

The southwest monsoon is rocking the western part of the country, including the western ghats of Tamil Nadu, and in the Nilgiris, almost all dams are full to open the shutters. My dad complains daily that his evening walk is interrupted by the rain. The rain clouds suddenly cover the sky by the late afternoon or evening, and it was my duty to alert mom to collect the dry clothes from the balcony rail before the rains drench.

We're working on our bath and veranda floor, and this rain had caused some difficulties and every day we had to cover the area to prevent wetness from the rain. For about a week, I had difficulty using the restroom and was forced to use the restroom at my uncle's home next door despite some difficulty. But things settle for good now, and we are fine with the rain unless it was flood type.

Linking this post with Skywatch Friday

A Weather, Reminder of Mountains

The weather has been pleasant and cools these days (in Chennai) and it wasn’t raining either but still, the clouds, continue to seize the sky, kept low the temperature that lures me to dream of mountains. Though not exactly, I feel a mild cold in the air to embrace me and my mind cling to the memories of the same feel. It’s been more than a year I visited mountains or stayed overnight other than the home esp. this cool weather is impossible to restrain the thoughts of Smokey Haven or what I call a bird paradise – Thandikudi – nestled in the lower Palani hills of Kodaikanal. It was a place that wasn’t too cold as Kodai or hot as plains but comfortable weather to stay all day out exploring the locality of coffee and pepper plantations and listening to birds in woods.

 

Glad my uncle built his wood houses there, so it was always a hassle-free and home-like stay for us and it would be fun if two more families of my uncles join the stay. I too used to the comfort of the woodhouse or to say my uncle had built the house easily accessible by the wheelchair so that I could visit it anytime without difficulty. He knows how I enjoy staying into nature or travel to hills and the woodhouse was first executed for personal use before the idea of renting happen. The weather is one pleasing thing about this place and no matter what the season was, it never drops out of comfort and the weather in Chennai right away is something that makes the mind think about. Perhaps due to Aadi (the season with high wind blow, falls between July-August) is believed to bring a successful year of rain and these cloudy moments brings hope as the southwest monsoon had smashed this year.
 

I leave you with some nature and cool images for the glimpses of the locality from different times of the visit. I love being there any time of the season and it has something to please or offer with the arrival of differences in nature like the migration of birds, flowering environment and wind.  

Linking this post for  Good Fences by Gosia

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

Summer Breeze is Back

The summer breeze is back;
A favourite time of the year
Is here, and it embrace me;
The tender cool invisible wind
Inspires to take a break, to breathe
A refreshing sort of wind
Caressed me to goose bump.
While the sun shines bright
The simple cool sea breeze
Is a pleasure, immeasurable by levels;
Hold back lot in memories
I cherish solely sitting in the living room.
The trees shoot leaves outside
Brought spring in the air
Doubles the delight of summer
That ever leased alone to warm up.

கடத்து காற்றே / Hijack wind

The image captured at Kurangani, near Theni
and it is a highly windy area.

காற்றே, என்னை கடத்தி செல்
உதிரும் இலை போல்
திசை தெரியா என்னை
அழைத்து செல்.
விண்வெளிக்கோ, இல்லை
சவ குழிக்கோ.
சமவெளி கடந்து
பள்ளத்தாக்கில் உருண்டு
மலை முகடுகளை  முகர்ந்து
அருவியில் விழுந்து 
கடத்தி செல்
காற்றே, எல்லை கடந்து.

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

Wind, hijack me

Like a deciduous leaf

I do not know the direction  

Take me.

Either to space, or

To grave;  

Across plains

Rolling down the valley

Sniffing the mountain ridges

Falling in the waterfall

Hijack, wind

Across the border!

End of Cool Breeze and Diverted Storm

The summer breeze has took backseat to zero ending up a weather that wasn’t complaint despite the bright sunlight, today turned out to be the hottest day of the year so far. There isn’t a motion of wind outside the house unlike few days ago where I enjoyed the cool breeze even at the midday to noon, things turned different overnight which perhaps due to the pulling up of wind by the cyclone formed far away from the bay. Body soaks in sweat unless sitting under the fan or blowing air con. The sky was mildly cloudy allowing light sunshine but muggy weather turned it worse with lack of blowing wind there’s unknown pressure in the atmosphere forcing us down. Being the last day of the month, April, it become an unfavourable despite being a month of nothing much to complaint comparing previous years (where the hot weather emerge even in March itself) at least coming to the part of my city at the state level.  

The weathermen read a report last week, sending pretty cool waves whispering happiness into the ears by forecasting a cyclone to form on the Indian Ocean and drives toward Chennai and its surrounding and I also mildly heard of red alert dispatched from weather dept. that we all looked forward keeping away the thoughts of destruction that a cyclone could create, it was the rainclouds that we desired to see showering, wetting and quenching thirst of our mother earth to nurture her children alike. But it was disappointing when cyclone took diversion from the path predicted, although from the experience in past the cyclone didn’t fascinate me as I too felt it was early to predict,  it was the rain we miss a lot since the failure of northeast monsoon that our water source is largely depend. All the reservoirs that supply water to the city (with more than 10 million people) has went drought and the only source remains now was the seawater desalination and bore wells. The weather is predicted to be terrific hot in coming days and weeks following the draw of moisture wind and land breeze to gain power. Stay safe Chennaities 

Summer Breeze (2.0)

Curtains took wings by the blowing wind 

    and if not for the hangers to hold eyelets
could escape through the summer breeze
    to enjoy a vacation that I made not in a year.

Shimmering sunlight has nothing to do
   while summer breeze continues to be cool
carried all over the living room, where
   I usually hangout with my lap and books.

The tender breeze holds some magic  
   to bewitch through its ethereal touch
caress like a lassie trying to seduce
   while I continue to windlass from wheels.

தென்றல் / Breeze

தென்றல் வந்து தொடுகையில் 

புது இன்பம் வந்து தழுவியது;

அழுத்தத்தில் தத்தளித்த இதயம்

சற்றே சுவாசித்தது, வீசுகின்ற கற்று

தன் மூச்சை நிறுத்தும் முன்.

விரக்தியில் இருந்தேன் நான்

புது உத்வேகம் தந்தது காற்று;

வாசல் கடந்து இழுத்து வந்தது

ஒரு உணர்வு, விவரிக்க முடியாதது

தென்றல் தொடும் தடம்.

செல்வம் கோடி இருந்தாலும்

செல்லமாய் தீண்டும் தென்றல் போல்

தாலாட்டும் தன்மை கிடைக்காது;

முகமற்ற வாயால் ஊதும், அதனை

நாம் உணர மட்டுமே செய்வோம்.

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

As breeze comes in touch
a pleasure came and embraced;
the heart swayed in stress
slightly breathed, the blowing wind
before stopping her breath. 

I was frustrated!
The wind gave me inspiration;
I was dragged across the door
a feeling, what’s unexplainable
the breeze touching track.

However billions is wealth
like the touch of sweet breeze
nothing tends to be lullaby;
blowing from faceless mouth
we’ll only do feel that.

Ps. Inspired by the cool breeze  blowing through  afternoon

Beginning of the season – Wind

Up in the air
heart got lifted
to a state of ecstatic,
as beginning of the season
wind blows and blows me out
before it turned hot.

Elevation of sunrays
and tail of summer trail
blew down hot waves
blowing up the cool breeze
back to the sea
as land winds took charge.

Heart yearns
for the eventide
to bring back cool breeze
but it only turned muggy
despite formation of clouds
weather turns quiet unanswered.

Ps. Picture captured around the same time last year at Kurangani Hills! The wind was so heavy there and it was the location where forest fire killed 23 trekkers in March. The poem deals with Aadi, a Tamil month which means “beginning” of a season of wind.

Strawflowers

Suns scattered on ground

though they don’t glow like real

they own their sunshine.

Yellow strawflowers 

in the universe of green 

outshines like a sun.

P.s: Haiku inspired by yellow paper daisies captured from one of the wildest place in Theni. 

Commonly known as the golden everlasting or strawflower, is a flowering plant native to Australia and it grows as a woody or herbaceous perennial or annual shrub up to a metre tall with green or grey leafy foliage. Golden yellow or white flower heads are produced from spring to autumn; their distinctive feature is the papery bracts that resemble petals.

Summer Poem

P.s. The background image was shot around Nemeli in ECR (east coast road) during an evening.  

Munnar, Travel in Brief

The entire travel (from Nov 26 to Dec 2) has been really cool and comfort and except couple of sunshine moments, the travel was indeed cloudy, misty and rainy. Thanks to the low pressure and cyclone Ockhi, though it created a great destruction in Kanyakumari/Kerala and blocking certain views during my travel, the sun got total holiday from the sky. The weather was very pleasant when we started our journey from home early in morning and was drizzling though hazy just out of the city. We took OMR to reach the highway and being Sunday roads are bare enough and we felt quick transit entirely and reached our destination (Udumalpet) earlier by 4 pm and settled in the room in about an hour.

Man driving cows in drizzling rain near Udumalpet

Following dinner, we also took our breakfast from Hotel Ariya Bhavan (which was really tasteful) on Munnar-Udumalpet Rd before move into the mountains of Munnar, via Anamalai Tiger Reserve and Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary. Munnar is about 85km from Udumalpet, though it was slightly drizzling all the way to the town, we passed through heavy mist that blocked the sights of certain places including the chance of closely watching the Anamudi, the highest peak after Himalayas in India. But it wasn’t disappointed me anyway since the mist and rain has put us in sheer delight of watching number of waterfalls from the fresh mountain streams. We reached Munnar by noon, and after buying lunch we moved to the cottage (Tea Drops plantation) we have already booked.

Driving through the mist and rain in Munnar

It was really a wonderful place (nestled 7 km away from Munnar) to stay rest and relax among the coffee and cardamom plantations, and its owner Lijo is a friendly person and helps in any other ways. Except the three steps to get into the cottage, it wasn’t difficult to stay around, though it was an old house renovated into a cottage the owner has made things simply neat and hygiene. But the only thing bothered us was the way leading to the cottage. It was about 200 meters down from the main road with a narrow steep road, which at glance felt impossible to climb down or up, but we made it using our SUV which is quite difficult for any other cars.  They provide Jeep support for those come by car to be parked at their Pvt. Parking, but we took risk as I wouldn’t be comfy at their Jeep.

Night effect in Tea Drops plantation cottage

Staying there we visited various places and sightseeing from the two day and three nights. We missed many views as most viewpoints are covered in mist by the time we check, which is perhaps because of the storm but glad there wasn’t heavy rain alike we travelled to Ramakkalmedu, before climbing down the hills. The highway was like a gushing river and the muddy waters were running down the road/hillside and once rain over, mist over take. We couldn’t see anything at the Ramakkalmedu, popular for high blowing wind and viewpoint and shooting spot. The grass mound here has a huge statue of Kuravan Kurathy, a tribal couple, to mark the Sangam landscape and period.

A pleasant view on mountains and tea slopes of Munnar,  and there's a falls beneath, which u could  see in further post

Actually we planned to stay at Cumbum or Theni before taking the long back journey to home, but took a day rest at my uncle’s woodhouse in the mountains of Kodaikanal. We climbed down via Cumbum valley and took the scenic highway, which is my favourite route that travels along the Western Ghats and reached Kodai Ghats section by evening. I thoroughly enjoyed the travel between Cumbum and Kodai and the mountains covered in clouds and lush green fields, along drizzling weather was awesome feel. I also took a short detour to stop at my favourite spot (which u saw in my previous post) to take some shots, but I was disappointed a bit to see two big banners blocking the view.

Breathtaking view on the beauty of Theni, and mountains covered in clouds

We reached the woodhouse by late evening, but it was a real challenge than the entire trip because the road to woodhouse (in Thandikudi) from the Kodaikanal main road was quite lost in mist. The visibility was very very low and we couldn’t see anything beyond two or three feet and the road was a single lane, though there wasn’t a vehicle opposite finding the road and bends were challenging. I open the Google map and using the GPS I kept telling my cousin the curves ahead and  it was really tremble passing the deep valleys. Our entire stay at the woodhouse was under mist, cold and heavy rain. Even Munnar wasn’t cold enough, but this is first time I experience heavy mist and cold in Thandikudi, where it is rainy season. And we returned home on Saturday  (Dec 2) evening.

Wild Fence and Flowers

A post shared by Jeevan Kumar (@jeevan.grp) on Mar 19, 2017 at 8:41am PDT

During an evening walk in my wheelchair at the neighbourhood and across the Blue Cross road in Adyar (adjoining Besant nagar) I capture this piece of fence that I find it to be wild. The entire road has been fenced one side that belongs to former Besant school (now The school KFI) and was covered by canopy of trees. Sadly many trees fallen on this road in recent cyclone Vardha, but still the road continues to hold charm by greenery and shadows. I also found some little flowers bloomed pretty in pink covers some area of the fences… and I do think this is some kind of wild flowers thrive on its own. 

A post shared by Jeevan Kumar (@jeevan.grp) on Mar 8, 2017 at 11:28pm PST

Linking this post for  Good Fences by Gosia and Floral Friday Foto 

Experience Wind

Image courtesy here

Wind blows
unfolding my memories
stored in the mind folders.
A great enthusiasm
unexplainable spirit
exists, when wind blows
though open doors n windows.

Summer breeze
in late winter isn’t surprising
but vacation mood uplifts along.
A sense of cheerfulness
days of boyhood
the lonesome afternoons
make feel tickle through air.

Smiles for no reason
refreshing springs within
every time wind blows through.
An inspiring feel of any indication
a sweet essence
breathes through the skin
without adding sugar. 

Trees aftermath Vardha

As you all know cyclone Vardha has brought down thousands of trees across the city of Chennai and the suburbs, has also left many trees skeletons. The trees were battled by the gusts leaving almost trees naked trunks and remaining was left to dry leaves as trees expose to die blow. Last week I was around the neighbourhood clicking photos on the trees on way to the beach, and one of the beautiful roads of Chennai, Besant Avenue, with canopy of trees experienced the worst disaster in decades with many tree falls marked the Ave. Being evening and expose to glowing sunset, the dry leaves and bare trunks brings out the glory of trees and I really enjoyed taking photos with couple of lanes turn picturesque, perhaps because of the cleaning process of the aftermath of cyclone.

The cyclone has left a great impact of planting native plants and trees, which were the mostly survived trees in cyclone with gusts last up to 140 km. The trees such as Palm, Neem, and Portia are still standing strong even though going through the battle where left with little damage. The need for trees has been pretty strong now (with loss of one third) but more than planting trees, selecting the native ones is the best for long-lasting. It’s everyone’s responsibility to plant trees to bring back the enrichment of environs, and I think every person has to plant a tree to live beyond their existence. Hope you enjoy these beauties 

1st Avenue Adyar/Besant Nagar

3rd Avenue Besant nagar

5th Avenue Besant Nagar

An unforgettable, environmental havoc - Cyclone Vardha

Cyclone Vardha stroke Chennai on Monday created an environmental havoc, bringing down thousands of trees across the city (which is estimated to go beyond 10,000) turning into a forest environ and ruin. It’s really hard to describe the state, although there isn’t much loss of lives, the trees aren’t less than anymore and what we have lost is impossible to replace immediately. Most of the trees are at least more than 10 to 50 years old. The city recorded high wind velocity of its history, lasting up to 140km speed smashed almost everything it could, from trees to sheet roofs, hoardings to electric poles and transformers, flipped cars and bus… its unimagined before that we face a great damage to our breathing source - trees. Almost streets in our city faced a tree fall! I ever heard or seen a situation alike and even on our street there’s half a dozen tree fall.

(The tree fall in front of our house)

The Vardha cyclone had been pretty fast and doesn’t left with enough time to prepare well, but we still managed good at least preserving the lives. We well aware there won’t be power on the day of landfall and following days, so we filled our overhead tanks and charged all the battery operated in advance, perhaps the last year’s devastating flood taught us to be precaution than before. As expected the power goes off as soon wind started to blow with heavy rain and the DTH went out of signal, from which we were learning about the progress of the cyclone and the mobiles also lost network in next few hours. It was a storm, a howling we ever heard before. The tense was at high while the rainwater continues to rise around the home and the terrific wind creating a feel of unsafe to find out.  We did none until the cyclone took a brake by 2.pm.

Glad the mobile network lasted sometime and if not we would have thought the cyclone landfall quite. I know it was a very severe storm but never to be very extreme and long-lasting. It took more than 7 hours for the cyclone to completely landfall with an eye (centre part of cyclone) of 100km, which passed in quietness for about 2 hours, before resurface into another extreme twist and turns. The road was blocked on both the sides of the house, because of the tree fall; we had no option just to move to the upper portion of this house which was rented but unoccupied. As we’re uncertain about the rainfall, due to storm, we moved to upstairs after getting permission from the “down-to-earth” household. But there wasn’t much rain after the first stroke and the rainwater also restraint entering the house but the streets turned messy due of fallen leaves and stalks.

There was no power for quite 2 days/night, but had enough power in the inverter for a day which we used for charging mobiles (for the torch), battery light, mosquito bat to spent our evening and night with less trouble. The next day power was restored at our uncle’s house (in the next street) and we brought the inverter there and got charged for another night. It was our neighbours, whose protest and road blocking brought back the power immediately, if not it would have taken a day or two.  Glad we moved our car to another location… the wind was very extreme and there was a loud bang outside. Yes, a 30 feet tall cotton tree fell completely and slightly across the road. And if the wind was blown from the east it would have blocked our way and crashed the car. I really need to say I miss this tree, because it was a cotton tree and if the pods broke away the cotton would float in the air and many green parakeets visit this tree to feed on the cotton pods seeds.

It’s really sad to think how many birds missed their favourite trees in the cyclone Vardha, a word our Chennaities will not forget for long. When the centre part or eye of the cyclone landfall suddenly number of birds appears from somewhere, started to circle the sky near a skyscraper in neighbourhood, perhaps looking for some hideout to protect them from the storm. I learned from the metro plus, many birds from the deep sea have been pulled into the city by the cyclone and the water birds were landed on the marshlands of Pallikaranai and Thuraipakkam. I really wonder how birds manage such strong winds and nesting of birds… but I am happy to see crows, parakeets and babblers back in the neighbourhood. The sudden rushes of birds on the day were looked similar as sparrows and were flying so terrified and bewilder to head where. Hope there’s a sense of peace in their environment despite great loss of trees – arresting. 

Chennai turns Chill

It’s supposed to be a downpour season in Chennai, of course across the state of Tamil Nadu, due to northeast monsoon, but what’s happening was cool enough. For more than a week the weather feels unusually cold (even cooler than Bangalore), and in place of rain, the winter took advance, and when we were thinking that rains have concluded the tidings report of rain in few days since the low pressure in ocean turned cyclone "Nada". Even at this time of mid noon the blowing wind was cool enough to make feel goose bump and reminding the vacation times in Ooty and Kodaikanal.

Though the weather was cool enough, I sense dryness during the nights and my throat get intensely dry by the time of dawn and I was forced to wake up and take some glass of water. Being a type 2 diabetes, dry throat and water loss is a common thing, but these days it has been intense and mildly interrupts the breathing. Though it sounds unlike a serious problem, the unusualness makes me feel difference and I was glad that something disturbing me mental let me go off for last few days… and i hope it disappears soon.

Still I feeling wonder about the weather and the much anticipated northeast monsoon (since the widespread southwest monsoon failed to live up to) seems to be unfair this year, unlike the torrential rains that stroke Chennai and Cuddalore at this time last year and created a historic flood. First it was predicted to be an average rainfall this year and later it was announced to be less than normal and now it becomes obvious there could be minimum rainfall with the arrival of low pressed.

The year has almost come to end and there wasn’t even minimum rainfall to feel happy.  Even though abundant rain may cause problem, apparently we could not live without it and a small kind of suffering couldn’t be avoided sustaining for a year. Right now I am enjoying the weather that seems to be nostalgic i.e. after long time I sense refreshing through the weather of Chennai. Even at the time of torrential rains (the unforgettable Dec.1) it wasn’t cool enough… if you are in Chennai don’t miss to exit whether you in office or home, just chill outside the door.