Signs2: Little Folks

 For those who love coffee like me:

Cute Little Folks

Little Folks is an abandoned amusement park on ECR near the Nemmeli Seawater Desalination Plant, which provides an alternative water source for Chennai residents. I visited Little Folks nearly 25 years ago when I was 12 years old. I came here after watching the Sealions show at the Dolphine City opposite the same.

Our actual plan then (1998) was to see the dolphin show at Dolphin City, but due to an illness that affected the dolphins, the show has canceled, and we ended up watching the Sealions performance, which was quite amusing. The dolphin city was the first of its kind of fun-filled water park in the country. Unfortunately, the dolphin city and the little folk stopped their operation in the latter years after the dolphins died. 

Ponniyin Selvan and Kodikkarai

It's been ten years since I visited Kodikkarai (aka Point Calimere), yet the memories are still vivid in my mind. Furthermore, the novel I am currently reading, Ponniyin Selvan, has a lot of connection with the place in its second and third volume, which overlaps with the time of my visit, precisely ten years ago. 

Ponniyin Selvan is a renowned classic historical novel in Tamil written by Kalki, which needs no introduction if you come from Tamil Nadu, the southern state of India. As captivating fiction, the novel tells the story of the greatest king, Raja Raja Chozan. I love reading this book, or more accurately, I enjoy traveling through it, and Kodikkarai is one of the key stops on this journey; that transports me through nostalgic memories and into a thousand-year-old fantasy. 

At the pristine shore of Kodikkarai

I envisage a dense forestation once in the already widespread scrub forest of Kodikkarai,  home to many blackbucks and chital deer, wild horses, boars, and foxes, where the courageous Vanthiya Devan follows the insane girl Poonkuzali, who tricks him and saves him from quicksand. 

Kodikkarai is a vast network of backwaters that includes the Great Vedaranyam Swamp and the Cauvery Estuary; it opens up to dry evergreen forests, mangrove forests, and wetlands where quicksand is common. 

Based on their discussion in the book, I can imagine how wild it should be to have tigers and leopards in the Kodikkarai forest a thousand years ago. They used to say that where there are deer, there will be tigers, but now in Kodikkarai, the deer are safe from everything but the cunning foxes. 

The 9th Chola lighthouse ruin was surrounded by water during high tide.

While I sat along the pristine and powdered sand shore of Kodikkarai, besides a half-cylindrical ruin of the Chola's brick and mortar lighthouse, I had no idea that I was sitting at a historical landmark of the Chola dynasty. And that our Ponniyin Selvan (Raja Raja Cholan) arrived in Sri Lanka from here.

About a thousand years ago, the Chola lighthouse was a tower-like structure where firewood is lit atop the tower to indicate the ships and warn about the shallow seashore.

Ponniyin Selvan is a 5-volume novel, and I've finished the first two and am now reading the third, which seems to be more intense and all pointing towards Kodikkarai; my imagination is taking new sights and vistas of the shore. The Kadikkarai coastline is shallow for a few kilometers and has stripes of sandbanks to keep ships away, and only tiny boats can access. 

It was a magnificent sight to see hundreds of birds take off and land on a sandbank by the sea, as well as a herd of deer leap across a long stretch of ground and disappear into the bushes. It was a scene that struck my mind's vision like a flash of lightning forever. The forest department permitted safaris within the forest up to the Chola lighthouse to watch the wildlife.

Kodikkarai is a nearly right-angle turn in Tamil Nadu's coastline in the delta region of Nagapattinam. It houses wildlife, a bird sanctuary. Kodikkarai is a 10-kilometer drive from Vedaranyam and takes us past extensive salt pans on one side and woodland on the other. 

A white heron taking off

Every winter, millions of birds from all over the world visit Kodikkarai, and it is popularly known for the Greater flamingo. During our trip to Kodiyakkarai, we stayed at the forest guest house, close to the forest and the new lighthouse. And the suite allotted for us is named "Flamingo."

It was a beautiful experience to see deer and peacocks casually roaming around the guesthouse, and the rattle of peacocks was a rhythmic way to wake up in the morning. Since the guesthouse had a tile roof, we heard knocks at night, which was nothing but peacocks who enjoyed a stroll on the roof. 

Unfortunately, I could not share many photos from Kodikkarai, as I have saved the photos on DVDs, my new laptop doesn't have a DVD drive. Some of these photos are from my archiver, and those remained on the hard disk I have many photos of the wildlife, the beach, and the forest to share with you, but you'll have to wait till I buy an external DVD driver.

Signs from Theni

There was once a custom in Tamil Nadu (or perhaps it is a practice throughout India, I'm not sure) to number the trees along the highway to ensure their protection. We can still see those numbers on trees along state highways, and the tamarind trees were usually the ones with the marks on their trunks. 

Once we were driving towards Theni (a southern district in Tamil Nadu), we happened to come to a halt in front of a tamarind tree with the number 10 painted on its trunk. We stopped to buy palmyra jaggery at a roadside stall, and the jaggery (sold by a couple) was worth buying, so we bought from the same stall again the next time we passed. 

We have been using palmyra jaggery and palm sugar for the last few years in place of white sugar. So we couldn't pass them up when the palm jaggery sold by them was of such high quality and purity. 

Coming to number 10 - 

There is also a popular comedy in Tamil, where the comedian Vadivelu draws the number 10 on an old woman's forehead who complains of fever. In Tamil, the number 10 is spelled pattu, and the same word is used to refer to patches or medicine applied to wounds; the entire village would chase him to beat, and one in the crowd would say, "See, he had drawn 10 similar to the one on the tamarind trees on highways."

The doll you see is at the entrance of Meenakshi Bhavan, a restaurant where we generally eat when traveling through Theni. It is one of the best vegetarian restaurants in Theni, though the taste of the food isn't as good as before. The doll serves as a welcome sign to the eatery, and it has idlis and dosa on the plate. 

Scissor Beak Crow

This isn't the first time I've seen a crow with a scissor beak, also known as a crossed beak or crooked beak, which is a physical deformity in which the top and bottom of the chick's beak don't match correctly. It usually emerges within a week after the chick hatches.

I've seen some more crows with severely crossed or displaced beaks, which I assumed might be the cause of a fierce fight between the crows. But it wasn't until now that I learned that "scissor beak can be caused by inferior genetics, an injury to the chick's skull causing the growth plates to not grow at the same rate, or inappropriate incubation temperature."

Incorrect hatch positioning can also result in a scissor beak if the chick is not in the normal hatch position with her head tucked beneath one wing. A shortage of calcium, folic acid, or vitamin D can also lead to abnormal growth, but eating and drinking shouldn't be difficult unless it is serious. 

Albatross Elaichi Luxury Suite, Yelagiri

Trip to Yelagiri, Day 1 Arrival, follows:

Although the check-in time was noon, we arrived at the Albatross Elaichi Luxury Suite in  Yelagiri at about 4 p.m. We ordered tea as soon as we arrived, and it was a welcome break from the journey and a way to digest the late meal we had eaten before climbing the hill. 

I love their trendy villa sign.

The Albatross is a beautiful and comfortable place to stay in Yelagiri. They offer luxury villa suites at a reasonable price! There are many accommodation options available at Yelagiri, and our preference was an individual cottage away from the center of tourist attractions as we wanted a calm stay. 

There were fewer cottages in Yelagiri that met our expectations (accessible in a wheelchair and elevated no more than a step or two) at a reasonable price. While there are resorts and hotels with easy access, our budget and expectations differ, so we choose the one that makes us feel the most at ease. 

From the front gate, a GoPro shot of the villa in super-wide mode. 

We saw the Albatross villa suites first on Airbnb and subsequently obtained their phone number from their website. The owner was kind enough to respond to our inquiries and send us images of the property, which we promptly reserved. The property has a modest lawn in front and backyard but is beautifully maintained; each suite has a flower bed outside, and I loved the hibiscus and roses that bloomed to add charm to the villa. 

The beautiful front yard and driveway, as well as me. 

I liked everything about this place that looks simple, clean, and welcoming. 

Each suite has a living room and a bedroom with an attached bathroom; both the rooms have a queen-size bed, plus a television, couch, and dining table in the hall. They also offer free wifi, which we didn't bother to check as we use our mobile data, and a/c in the bedroom. 

Bright winter sunset at Yelagiri

Being a late winter season, the weather in Yelagiri became cold after sunset, just as the day had begun for us in Chennai with fog. I can feel the cold, which is half the temperature of Kodaikanal or similar to Thandikudi, where we visit (and stay at my uncle's woodhouse) regularly until 2019. 

We had no plans for that day because I wasn't sure about other places (accessible by wheelchair) besides the lake and nature park that I had seen on my previous visit. I wasn't interested in seeing those places again, and I had no plans for the trip other than to see what unfolded along the way. 

Another specialty of staying at the villa is the delicious food cooked and served by their chef, Manikandan. They gave us complimentary breakfast for the two days we stayed there, and for the first-day dinner, we ordered dosa and uthappam. As a side dish, he gave chutney sambar and chicken gravy. Though it was very spicy, it treated the taste buds. 

Night, we slept in the living room bed while my brother, sister-in-law, and nephew slept in the bedroom. Although the night was quiet, we got to listen to various bird sounds at dawn and dusk because the property is just across from Yelagiri Bird Park. I couldn't get to the bird park even if I stayed directly across the street since the surface was not suitable for wheelchair access. 

Albatross is an excellent place to stay, especially for families. They don't allow bachelors, and you can't drink or smoke, so I recommend it. The rooms are simply decorated with wall stickers and painted frames to cheer us up during our stay. The gated villa offers car parking on the premises, and it feels secure with CCTV. The staff who are staying next door are on-call round the clock. 

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. 

Trip to Yelagiri, Day 1 Arrival

Last week we visited Yelagiri—my first trip in the last three years—a small hill station in the Tirupattur district of Tamil Nadu. It was a three-day family trip with a two-night stay at a cottage in Yelagiri, which we booked in advance. It was planned as a short trip in a short time, and we weren't sure until we paid in advance for the cottage, as we had some health issues, but we are glad nothing popped up, and the trip went smoothly. 

Yelagiri is about 230 kilometers from Chennai, according to Google Maps. The travel duration on Google Maps is 5 hours; however, due to terrible roads, it took us nearly 7 hours, including breakfast and lunch stops. The construction of flyovers at several crossings caused frequent detours on the Chennai-Bangalore route up to Vellore.  

We haven’t driven on the highways much in the last two years, so we didn’t get stuck on the FASTag (an electronic toll collection system in India, administered by the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI). From Chennai to Vaniyambadi—where the road turns left to reach Yelagiri—there are three toll gates; we hadn't considered the FASTag until we were close to the first toll gate; those without a FASTag must pay double the fee. 

So right after crossing the first toll and paying double the amount, we got the FASTag from the same booth; it's open for recharging or instant installation of the FASTag. A FASTag sticker was paste to the top left corner of the car's windshield, and it functioned right away, so we didn't have to stop at the toll gates from then on, but rather slow down for the sensor to scan the tag.

FASTag is a system that works on recharge, similar to prepaid mobile phones, and if we fail to recharge or maintain a minimum balance amount, we had to pay twice the toll fee. So there is an additional charge for us to check the balance before picking up a trip on the highway. 

Highway with colorful shrubs 

Hills on highway nh48

The FASTag has a tie-up with Paytm to make recharging easier, and even if we fail to recharge but have a balance in Paytm, then the fee will be deducted from that.

We bought our lunch in Ambur, which is well-known for its biryani! So obviously, everyone's choice is the world-famous biryani, but I preferred vegetarian, to make sure the trip wasn't troublesome. While traveling, I try to avoid non-vegetarian dishes as much as possible, but on the way back, I like the same. 

Though I didn't eat biryani, I searched for the best biryani in Ambur, and Rahamaniya emerged as our top choice after reading positive reviews. I say the biryani was delicious and lived up to the promise (I admit that I took a few mouthfuls to get a taste), but the biryani that we ordered to take away was missing a piece of meat. For some, it was a significant letdown in addition to the flavor.

The restaurant should consider this to avoid negative feedback from customers who come in search of delicious biryani after reading positive reviews.

While looking for a nice place or shadow to have our lunch, we came close to the foothills of Yelagiri and decided to have our lunch outside Amma Park at the starting point of the ghat. We were a group of five adults traveling with my nephew Kavin, my brother's 4-month-old baby. It was also one of the factors that contributed to the delay. We arrived at our cottage at 4 p.m., and the journey from foothill to hilltop took only half an hour, even though the distance was 12 km. 

As if waiting for us, the staff of the cottage (Albatross Luxury Suite) welcomed us with a smile and helped unload the luggage. More of that later. 

Black Drongo

Following Kumizhi, we visited another lake about 10 km from there. On the way to the lake, we took a tea break, and while waiting for the tea at a teashop, I spotted a Black Drongo lepping here and there on a plant. 

Sadly, due to the limitations of my camera, I was unable to capture a clearer image.

My Canon Powershot suffers from blackness around the screen, leaving only a small viewer point-like zone to focus on the image. Taking this one-shot comes only after a lot of effort.

I need to service my camera, but I took it with me on my trip to Yelagiri last week, my first trip in three years. 

One intriguing fact I learned about this small Asian passerine bird belonging to the drongo family is that it is notorious for its aggressive behavior toward much larger birds, such as crows, and will dive-bomb any bird of prey that enters its territory. This behavior has earned it the nickname "king crow." 

Women participation in Local Politics

Young people entering politics is a good thing, and women's participation in politics is both respectable and necessary for women's growth. But, it is also crucial to know what kind of politics they're participating in.

In the recently concluded state local body elections, an unprecedented number of women ran for office. No, this time, more blocks are reserved for women! However, the majority of them have a political background. Their father, brother, or husband is a member of a political party.  

When women are given the required blocks, males are unable to compete, allowing their daughters or spouses to compete, win, and operate from a position of superiority. What else can these women do if they're going to be like this?  

Many graduate women have won the elections, yet it is safe to argue that they will be unable to act independently. They are nothing more than empty capsules that will not cure any condition. Women must have personal political interests, a desire to serve the people, problem-solving skills, the ability to utilize authority freely, and the concept of non-compliance. 

It's amusing how this press portrays young women, graduates, winning municipal elections as a major accomplishment. (There isn't much of a distinction between educated and illiterate people.) The one who perseveres is the one who acts with awareness. Education is mandatory, and I won't get into it right now, but educated people aren't the only ones born to rule. 

I wasn't referring to all of the women. There are many independents, non-partisans, and social activists who would have won. The reality is that they will never be able to surpass the existing parties, although a singular rise is impossible to erase. I applaud such achievements. In our neighborhood, a 90-year-old woman ran as an independent candidate. So it makes no difference how old you are or what grade you are in. It is the service mindset that is needed to help the public, not the commercial approach that earns money. 

Kumizhi - The ideal place for picnicking and camping near Chennai!

Last Sunday, I was able to go out for the first time in nearly 5 months. I chose to go to a place that hadn't been much explored by many. But when I got there and saw rows of cars parked in front of the lake, I realized I had guessed wrong. 

Among the row of cars, ours (a black Scorpio) is in the middle, and it was me sitting in the passenger seat.

I learned about Kumizhi from a vlog and knew I had to come as soon as possible, but it took me more than a year to visit. Kumizhi is a village about 50 km south of Chennai, on the Nellikuppam road between Kandigai and Othivakkam. Kumizhi features a beautiful lake and small hill forests at a distance of 700 meters in the western direction from the Kumizhi bus stop.

Being Sunday, I expected to see a lot of bikers in Kumizhi, as I had seen a lot of photos and videos of them on Instagram, but instead, I saw families and kids. The reason I noticed it was because the Kovalam Surf School had set up a camp there, and the students and their families had accompanied them and kept themselves occupied on the peaceful lake. 

Another surprise awaited me: the lake bank had been fenced off from vehicles entering, and a small gap was left for the public to enter. Though it kept me away from the water, as I thought of getting close by car (I haven't taken my wheelchair to get down there), it was a good decision to protect the lake and its environment from damage by vehicles since the bikers take their bikes deep into the woods beside the lake. 

We drove for a km and a half on the road alongside the lake and forest to enjoy the scenery, and the wind was cold since it was evening and the late winter season. It caressed. 

I have marked a couple of peacocks spotted in the forest. Because of the contrasting sunlight, we didn't get a clear picture. 

The forest seems to have many birds, and we observed some peacocks, one of which flew across the road, and I also noticed a mongoose on the road.  Although seeing a mongoose isn't surprising given the number of them in our neighborhood, I wish I could have spent more time there viewing additional birds and creatures. Avoid Sundays if you want to appreciate the peace of nature. 

In addition to swimming, the surf school (that was camped there) appeared to offer kayaking to students, and I also spotted a student balancing on a surfboard on the tranquil lake. During the rainy season, I saw images of the lake where the water level had risen to the road, but when I saw the water level had dropped, it seemed to be an advantage for practicing water sports.

My mom went close to the lake to capture these photos on my behalf. We left the place with a desire to come back, and I wish to come back in my wheelchair to explore the nature out there. I recommend this place as the best picnic spot for family and friends' gatherings and for those who want to spend time in peace and meditation. 

I'm guessing the lake is already a campsite, with small hikes and tent stays arranged in advance. The road is well tarred for less than a kilometer from the lake up to the Siva temple in the middle of the forest, and it continues to be a perfect off-road for riders alike. 

I went for a short ride on this road just for fun, and I believe that the road that is less traveled or offroad provides the best experience of nature, and I enjoyed it. And it wasn't difficult for us because we were in a high-ground SUV, but cars will suffer. 

RGB Monday

 Few colorful Kolam from Pongal. 

On the evening of Pongal (Jan 14), I went for a walk around the neighborhood, like what I was doing for the last few years on Pongal day, looking for colorful Kolams drawn from the neighbors. Same as last year, I couldn't find many kolam, but somehow managed to click some.

Happy Valentines to all 

Narai Ezhuthum Suyasaritham (A Tamil movie review after a long back)

Manikandan of Jai Bhim, Aela, Kaala fame’s directorial debut “Narai Ezhuthum Suyasaritham” is an excellent reflection of a middle-class retiree’s life and his struggle to cope with the younger generation.  With Manikandan himself as an actor in the role of the unemployed, survives by just drinking tea is a motion poster of a youngster who seeks jobs by trekking across the streets of Chennai. 

For Delhi Ganesh, as a retiree, “NES” is another imprint on his career.  Hats off to the team for coming up with a simple story, the contemporary reality of the former generation that struggles to move along with the IT-based younger generation. 

I admire Manikandan as an actor on screen for revealing realistic acting, and now as a director and writer, my admiration has grown. And he had tried well to fill the generation gap through this beautiful and emotional flick. Manikandan's acting in Jaibeam as a lockup victim is exceptional and sent us to an emotional peak, and his appearance in unkempt hair and beard resembled a typical tribe.

The comedian-actor and anchor in Tamil, Aadhavan, had done a role opposite to his character in nature (as lighthearted) with a formal face and scornful against his retired father is a different experience for him and us as well. A couple of songs in the movie had significantly woven to suit the emotional texture, and the lyrics were of pulling the right strings of the heart. 

The importance of the later generation and their memorization of what the automated and computerized world missed had well captured the director's notice impressed me. Overall, a must-watch movie with the family. I think every family who has a retired person could easily connect with the subject likewise. 

(The movie is available on SonyLiv)

Pruning Trees and Tree Maintenance Platform

Our state (Tamil Nadu) is busy these days with upcoming local body elections for all corporations and municipal councils, and I assume perhaps because of this, the ruling government has arranged for tree pruning in our neighborhood. Our street has many trees (planted by volunteers) on the streetside, and they didn't prune in a long time resulting in overgrown branches, as any heavy vehicle or lorry passing the road got rubbed against the same. 

The trees opposite our house had grown dense and spread widely/wildly, blocking the light and wind at our receiving end. We used to cut a few branches of the trees now and then, and last week too, we cut a branch that extends to our balcony using a worker from the cousin's bike service. The raintree on the east side of the road opposite our south-facing house had grown wildly or improperly in shape, disturbing the view outside - blocking the light from the streetlamps. 

The same thing happened with the Indian tulip tree right opposite our house, except the tree took a neat and beautiful form. These trees were planted after the 2016 Vardha cyclone - the natural disaster that had taken an abundance of trees in the city - these trees were planted by a neighbor without knowing what saplings they were. The pruning of trees should take place before the monsoon to prevent tree falls and to encourage growth, but this pruning is purely for positive results (in the local body election) for the ruling party. 

The Greater Chennai Corporation uses a tree maintenance platform - a three-wheel vehicle with the driver standing on a bucket lift controls the machine completely, cutting and moving from the same. It's the first time I see a pruning machine or pruning tower in use, though there are bucket trucks or truck cranes where the crane is attached to the back of the trucks, and the trucks had to move independently and the crane separately. But this pruning tower is entirely controlled by someone standing from the bucket is amusing to watch.

In a few minutes, with the help of the tree maintenance platform, the corporation worker pruned the trees to half, letting us a sigh of relief as if we had come out of stuff. They say pruning trees will help it to grow better and more productive. The trees look bare now, the sky widely visible, and the balcony is full of sunlight, the wind blows freely, and this is the best time of the year, with summer not far away - the rising sea breeze lifts the spirit. 

(Clean view of our street from left to right, after pruning)

I wish the trees grow again, but not the way to look uncomfortable and block other natural elements. I love trees and don't wish to cut any trees, but rather desire to see more trees planted and forestation happens. We need more forest landscapes to prevent human-animal conflict, which had risen lately never before; to increase the oxygen level and to reduce carbon dioxide, growing trees are the only source. Let's trees grow and protect the resources of life. 

Update

It was like yesterday, we welcomed a new year, but we had already come to the end of a month of the year. January, a month to be refreshing and cheering up following the Tamil festival and cool weather, had become a month of great exhaustion, and on the other hand, the cool weather had come worsening the state while one is ill.

More than a week has passed since I touched the laptop. My health took a setback with fever, abdominal infection, and loose motion dragging me out of the course of regular activities. To put it simply, I'm not a person who takes afternoon naps, but all these days I was forced to take it with exhaustion and from sleepiness nights. My fatigue almost went to a state of IV therapy, but I didn't go that far and managed with ORS and chyme to sustain against the heavy dose of antibiotics. And I can understand the seriousness of the infection from the gripping pain in the abdomen. 

Now, after completing the course of medication, I'm slowly coming out of nausea and tracing back to normalcy. The past week was quite difficult for us, and I had trouble attending the restroom more times; the worst phase was at night, with no one to help mom and dad. I never faced a situation like this and am still reclaiming my previous condition and hopefully will do so soon as I  plan a short trip before the winter season closes. 

The covid doesn't seem to be an issue these days, except the consoling fact that many people wear the mask in public, either due to awareness or fear of paying fines. The govt. to comes to slack mood or deliberately doing so because of emerging local body election, despite the omicron at peak, many people move along with the symptoms of same but untested. Covid almost added to the norm, and the only thing we have to do is keep the system running smoothly until some changes occur. 

We are living at the best and worst at the same time. The worst is undoubtedly the deadliest covid, a tremor that keeps shaking the entire earth and killing millions, and the best is that we came up with a vaccine that quickly, and ever in history, to shield the people from the spikes of covid. I can't imagine a situation now without the vaccine; what a great source of life our scientists found, and many still hesitate to take, and some skip the second dose while the booster began. I wish everyone joins this war to break the chain that confines us in the embrace of covid.

I hope you all are safe and progressive.

Skywatch Friday: contrail and sunrays

I accidentally looked into the sky last week, as I moved into the balcony, found a jet flight crossing the sky, and as I had the phone in hand, I shot the flight with contrail before moving out of my sky.  

The same evening, a few minutes later, with almost sunsetted behind the rising clouds that rose behind a building, leaves a beautiful view of the sun's rays going upwards. It's not a daily occurrence unless clouds form over the west.

Hope you all have a nice weekend

Linking this post with Skywatch Friday

RGB Monday

Our Colorful Pongal Kolam

Not alone Pongal, any festival or event is not celebrated without drawing Kolam in Tamil culture. Although kolam is a Hindu custom or tradition, drawing a beautiful kolam in front of or in the courtyard of an event venue draws attention and adds charm to it. In Hindu custom, drawing Kolam is a daily activity of a household (mostly the women) in front of their house; until we moved to the 1st floor of our native home, mom used to draw Kolam every day. But now, due to a knee problem and difficulty in waking up early morning, she stopped drawing Kolam; but my aunt continued to draw the kolam on our doorstep, which was common to both of us.

This year's Pongal festival was better than the previous year where the covid and some personal losses took away the festive spirit and celebration mood. Though, this year too, we missed the traditional way of celebration with mud pot Pongal, what made it special was the arrival of the two new nephews. My sister’s (cousin) son, nephew Jeswanth, went to their house to celebrate Pongal while my brother’s son Kavin came here from their maternal home for the Pongal. Now Kavin had gone back, and Jeswanth returned. I hope you guys too had a good festival time if you celebrate Pongal.

Omicron Vulnerability?

Omicron is spreading at an incredible pace in India, and the trial for Omicron has stopped here as most of the cases are the same. The possibility of catching the virus has become a no issue as I guess most of the cases of mild fever or cough and cold should be Omicron, including myself. It began with a throat cramp, improved with cold symptoms, and mild fever. After medication - 3 days of antibiotics and cold medicine, I have improved to the point where I can type this post on my laptop. Perhaps, the mild symptoms of Omicron and 2 doses of vaccine help fight this stage.

First, my brother experienced the same few days early as mine, and now, my aunt also faces the same. It stops me from doing anything that I'm interested in rather than watching tv and listening to music since tired or annoyed by the cold symptoms. I skipped two days off of regular physiotherapy. I keep checking with the oximeter that reads normal, and the temperature is too normal to keep away the anxiety.

Though I know Omicron isn't life-threatening for those who took the vaccine and even unvaccinated face any serious issue or go to ventilation condition, the weaker immunity as mine has to be cautious. Our state Tamil Nadu has gone on night and Sunday lockdowns as cases grow as 2 thousand per day, and further restricting or relaxing depends on the increase or decrease of the virus spread. But hopefully, it looks like at the speed of rising, it perhaps falls short and disappears quickly from the society. 

With two years of experience related to Covid, we should be well aware of the reasons for that and adapt to the new lifestyle, which is already 2 years old.  But I am still annoyed hearing that some people haven't taken a dose of vaccine and fall into the custom of masking their jaws. For example, our servant maid doesn't wear the mask properly - at least she took the vaccine. And because of that, my mother wears a mask whenever she enters the kitchen. 

I hope you all are safe and following the covid protocol to prevent being affected.

Take care

New Year with Nephews

We celebrated our new year by cutting the cake in the wake of the New Year, keeping ourselves awake beyond midnight like usual, but unusual about this New Year was the cake and nephew Jeswanth. After 2015 I stopped cutting cakes for the New Year, not that I don't celebrate the new year, and though I lost interest in cake cutting, the real reason was no one to celebrate. 

For the New Year 2013, all my cousins met me on New Year’s Eve and stayed at our house all night to cut the New Year's cake and celebrate with joy. That was the last time I enjoyed the New Year and later years were just we 3 - me, mom, and dad - woke up till midnight, watching television, which boomed with a loud greeting of the happy New Year and a few greeting calls from dear ones beginning our year. 

Usually, my brother used to go to bed early or visit his friends on New Year’s Eve, so it was only the 3. Now, after shifting to the native home with my uncle's family in the adjacent portion, we have at least a few people around, but I still miss the cousins' company with whom I find delight. This year, my uncle's family came up with a surprise cake, and the arrival of my nephew is the reason behind it. This being his first new year (and first time seeing a cake), he was excited only to pick up the cake to eat rather than cutting the cake.

My nephew's activities have increased a lot these days, it's fun to watch them, and he's eight months now to sit and crawl on his own, and except for the time he sleeps, it is hard to control. Keeping an eye on him has become a must. He was kept awake till midnight to cut the cake, but unhappily, he has kept away from eating the cake as we can't feed him the same without consulting the doctor because he just got well from diarrhea.

Kavin - my other nephew and brother's son - 2 months old, visited us last week. As per custom, a newborn baby has to stay at his maternal parent's home for at least 5 months before moving into the paternal home. So, they stayed only for two days, and he's too little to have fun as he smiles and cries at the same. He notices the movements and sounds to either smile or cry, and he's someone who sleeps all day and is awake through the night. So, his wake-up time is too little in the day times to play. 

Welcome 2022

The sun, setting between the row of trees in the neighborhood, Besant Nagar. The sunset here to rises somewhere as a brand-new morning or a day, as well as a year, to dismiss is impossible. However, let wish and welcome the new year to bring a lot of positivity in lives (better not to be covid positive); cheers to mind, the goodness of health and prosperity for everyone to sustain and progress in life. Wish you all a Happy New Year, 2022.