Grandfather passed away…

The year had end for us with greater destruction and sorrow sent down to heart. Missing someone who’s dear, when we’re looking forward with hope and improvement in health is something painful to bear.  Although my grandfather wasn’t well for last few months, he continue to show hope through his little gestures and when the force inside him decides to stop, no one could do anything and at least he exhale at peace (just like his desire to go home) is consoling. As you all know my grandfather has been with us until three months back, though it was for a short term, the time spent with him and grandmother was precious and never going to replace anything. He’s someone great at expressing through his eyes and I always see a yearning in his eyes for me. His affection and care is something very special for me and is always evident through his eyes. Though he couldn’t’ speak more and make gestures easily, I understand him quite well (I guess) but I can’t explain how much I loved him and mean to me. He’s been our great well-wisher and what and where we are today is only because of his chief intention and selfless being provided us so many advantages in life.

With my grandparents, during one of our traveling to Valparai

He had been a hard worker and active being until he decides to retire from his dairy business. But what brought him more down was the demise of my uncle in 2001 and just being idle draws greater setback at his health and a cardiac arrest in later years and expose to Parkinson’s put him out of action. We never expected him to become so infirmity as early as 70s (though he died at the age of about 77), while many older than him were progressing well. I’m one of his concerns to feel regret and many a time he had felt sorrow for my state of unable. Though the memories of him are immense and certain things are impossible to forget, and during the days of school, he used to pick me in his bicycle if I received none. Putting the bags on the handlebar, he used to pedal me to home taking on pillion since my latter school was nearby his house. In later days he used to drive me daily to a clinic in T. Nagar here, where I took Ayurveda treatment for some time. Driving through the heavy morning traffic is a true venture in his way of driving, and he managed it only because of the eagerness to see me as a normal being.

He had scolded me and also embraced at same, as he always had a special attention towards me. Until 2012 he had been traveled with me for many places, as I love doing so, he and granny had been great companions for us and moreover I enjoyed taking them along and I also thought they deserve going out, as they spent most of their lifetime for others comfort and prevented to be outside. Though his bad health condition is the cause for his loss of life, he has been emotionally disturbed by others or changes in their attitudes, forgetting whatever he had done and just for the brief of ego and updating their fake statues, made him feel anguished. If there’s something to exhibit purity, I think grandparents love and affection has a large space to accommodate. What the old age people anticipate from their children, as well as the grand ones was to make feel comfort, which I think, exists only by reflecting what we receive from them and that happens through sharing. Though my grandpa’s demise left a deep sadness and hollow in our lives, the consoling thing was that we had been around him and also got to spent time back at home (when he was staying with us) before the unexpected blow.

I know he lived a content life and his death was also peaceful and concluded without pain. But grandma’s state really makes us all worry. She has broken down quite when let know grandfather is no more and also become fragile weeping all the time from the moment doctor declared his death. Grandfather got a severe heart attack on 30^th night and become unconscious when transferring to hospital where they told he has died on the way or at home. After years I visited my grandparent’s house to pay my respect for the grandfather, who was kept at his newly built home, which was constructed mainly for his comfort of living and grandparent’s moved to this house only 3 months back. Grandma couldn’t console the loss and the struggles she took to make certain he’s well and his needs are addressed to become nothing now make her feel lost. I don’t know how to console her and seeing me she burst into emotions as she knew how much I love him and they petted me. Wondering what would have been filled in his mind during the last moment of breath, which I believe, perhaps, how granny going to accept his destiny? I know it’s impossible to anticipate feeling better soon from granny, but I do hope she come up from his loss and lead her remaining life at peace in the embrace of his dear ones like us. 

Happy New Year

Greetings for a bright and beautiful year to dawn, and let there be peace and happiness, hope and vigor to sustain our growth and cheerful warmth was spread through the thought of sharing.

The picture above was captured during the morning hours (in March) when the sun rise above a mountain and peek through the branches and leaves of a tree, at Cloud Mountain – my favorite part of Western Ghats. It make feel of waving a good bye, as well warm smile as we leave the pristine mountain landscape.

December and Troublesome

The year has almost come to an end with Christmas and New Year ahead; I convey the greetings to you all for the same, first. The mood seems to be refreshing every time a year set to dawn or beginning something anew and this time too I feel the same, though I decided to skip making Christmas tree that followed by lighting for New Year this time, the feeling of celebration happening around could not prevent giving a sense of happiness to me. Though the mind doesn’t agree to celebrate, when still many of our people are affected by flood and rain haven’t returned to normalcy, my anticipation with the year ahead were lot. There’s a promising feel in the air, which I don’t want to disappear, and the mind also makes conclusion with an urge to renew the activities to do much better. I don’t know what things going to happen next year and I wasn’t sure about my anticipation to share anything right now. But hope for the best, as it is yet to come.

So far this month, I have done only two posts and that too on the experience related to flood and rain. December has been a devastating month for some time lately, with great disasters taking place at this time mostly, the torrential rains and flood had made this year an unforgettable one revealing a face of Chennai that the modern Chennaities unseen before. December has been my favorite month always, despite being a primary season for mosquitoes, and the beginning of Margazhi – the Tamil month and the coldest season of the year, and the only time Chennai becomes cooler as it is well known for the hotter weather almost the year. December brings me memories of travel in past, as some of the places where explored during this time and trying to connect the moment and time of each passing day make feel cherished. I also decided to make use of this month to explore places around the Chennai that I wanted to do for some time and also waked up on the day 1 of December with an active mind-set but what happened keeps me away from almost everything and also couldn’t blog on things I intend to cover this month.

But later my laptop becomes a problem, which perhaps I guess is because of the disaster. When I opened my laptop after more than a week, I was slightly taken aback seeing at its condition of dirt and dust spread around the screen and keypad. I thought something could have happened and when I switch on the device I was asked to select windows to go inside rather right into the desktop. The screen read windows memory diagnostic and later it took long time to boot and unresponsive from certain keys make me feel useless to hold back the device rather way to service center to mend on things early. I didn’t expect it to make such expenditure on hard disk and keyboard, but glad I got back the data’s that stored in the hard disk, which was converted into an external hard drive. With the new and replacement from 320 to 500GB hard disk, the laptop works pretty good and quicker than earlier and I also decided to hold minimum files on the computer to keep alive the swiftness.

Alright, have an energetic and cheerful year ahead and more charming Christmas. Time to catch up with all your blogs and some have been untouched for less than a month. Hope u all bear me…  I am also on a mission to finish APJ Abdul Kalam’s autobiography (Wings of fire) before the year end, and being a slow reader, I am trying to be fast. Lol

Hand pump – comes handy

(Hand pump shot at our previous house)

Though we use hand pump occasionally, during the flooded moment it helped us getting water when our sump and bore wells were fill by rain and sewage water. Not only us, many people in the locality used the hand pumps during this time since there was no electricity for more than 3 days to power motors to fill the over tanks with sump (metro water) and bore well waters. Chennai once infamous for water problem, haven't been through at least for last five years due to enough rainfall during the seasons of monsoon in past has make forget pumping. This rain people had restored the activity. Though torrential rains caused suffering, it remained us the significance of certain things and trigger memories. I remember, once people use to wait  in line to fetch water from the street pumps (as not many hold pumps at their home then) and the water will also be released between certain time and sometimes people has to wait throughout night when the time of release becomes uncertain.

I remember the time we got water connection at home and a hand pump being installed by the corporation workers. They dig the road across and brought a pipe from the main pipe line on the other side and seeing water pouring through our hand pump was a happy feel. Even before we got water connection many houses in neighbourhood  was connected with hand pumps and seeing those, I truly wished we had one and I was interested in pumping and many a time it would be very hard and I would make pour very little. At the house here, there's a pump at ground floor and also on the first floor and as we moved there during the flood the hand pump helped us (there was not only no electricity, but also the sump water was polluted by the mix of sewage in rainwater) so we are dependent on the hand pump.

Though we filled our over tank before rain started to flood and power goes off, the water wasn't enough for us and gladly the hand pump was there and we used it for domestic purpose and can waters for drinking.

P.S.  Some keys on my laptop’s keyboard stopped working, so was force to post through mobile... sorry if   I couldn’t reach you blogs, but I trying to read all.

Torrential rain and effect of volunteers

As you all know the torrential rain that stroke Chennai, last week, has washed off the city leaving very little places apart. December 1 recorded the highest rainfall in Chennai breaking down a 100 years history. Though we are affected in the usual way of rainwater flooding our home, this time it was threefold in height of coverage and electric was unplugged for more than 3 day and no mobile signal for 48 hours. The northeast monsoon was at peak for last one month and from the time of Deepavali there were more than couple of constant downpours making Chennai float in water and Dec 1 seems to be the climax. Glad the upper portion of this house was unoccupied from the first flooding time on Nov 15 and we used the upstairs as a temporary shelter to keep ourselves from calamity. Though it struck us in different ways this time with no power, and signal lose of mobiles and the scarcity of milk and can waters make brief trouble but what we have gone though was nothing when it comes to the worst hit areas like the southwest suburbs and places around the banks of river Coovum and Adyar.

Even though it was a great disaster Chennai faced ever or post tsunami, the volunteer’s involvement in rescue and relief operation was heart-warming than the painful disaster itself. Except the time of absence of mobile signal, I was keep checking Facebook (as it was the only source of information for me since there was no electricity at home to watch news/Wi-Fi for internet) for the update on rain and relay on things happening around and related to flood relief. I was quite amaze at the selfless act of youngsters, even before the local body and army arrive, the young people leap to rescue without waiting for anybody make feel the humanity doesn’t’ fail anywhere. SMSs, messages, calls were flying wherever possible on things on available and needed and people kept sharing messages on relief and rescue and teams up to promote the activities around. Beyond the manual helps, fishermen’s in boats were the first to land on water and gave wonderful aid to people to come out of their flooded homes and provided relief to those denied to exit.

It’s been 10 days the disaster stroke us and the surroundings continue to stay wet as it rained mild to heaver throughout last week and due to waterlogged the courtyard remains sludge and need to be washed away. Climbed down to home today, the entire day was spent on setting things around and this time we decided to stay above for some time, since the weather continued to be unstable with heavy spills now and then we doesn’t want to experience trouble again.  Glad the rain decided to stop and the sun was showing up nicely today, sending down hope rays that rain don’t come again and would be lighter even if it showers. Last 10 days was spent without watching television and no update on blog, but I continued to Facebook using the mobile network and later on Wi-Fi. Most of the time was spent on browsing newspapers which carries reports on torrential rain and floods in detail. The relief and rescue effects took by volunteers and uniformed personnel’s was the most impressive things about this time and without them it’s impossible for Chennaities to wake up from the disaster. Hats off all... because of you all we are safe here (though we aren’t affected the most, in some ways I believe their attitude make things possible) and wish you all the very best for the operation on relief and rescue. Let’s continue to stand for each other. 

RGB Monday

A bird frame

The pretty colorful image (of a bird in frame) was shot at one of the cottages we stayed during our visits to Kodaikanal. 

துயரம் / Misery

கண்கள் வழியே  கசிந்து சென்றது

துயரம்! கண்ணீர்ராக.

Through the eyes leaks

Misery! As tears 

Snail and Shell

Though the pictures were shot last year, during the season of rain, it was fun following the snail and this is one of the biggest snails I have seen ever. I watched the snail trying to pass through an iron handle of a concrete slab at home and it somehow entered its head and antenna but not the big shell on back. Understanding the hindrance, it reversed the decision and makes a move above the handle and the progress was amuse to watch.

Monsoon or rain brings out numbers of hidden species and we couldn’t have seen a trace of them until there was constant showering. Many a time I have wondered how these stems shoot up only when the earth becomes wet and organise lives nonetheless things are invisible. Though science reveals almost, certain things amazes beyond understanding and I think that makes life interesting.

Coming to the snail, it has a wonderful shell coil that goes in shape of cone. I have seen snails, but mostly bear spiral shells and also smaller in sizes. I observe the snail’s shell pattern and shade was faded somewhere to make it look little aged, but I wasn’t sure it was the snail dead dried and stick to the wall days further from then. 

Linking this post with SATURDAY CRITTERS

Fence across Field

For today’s Good Fences meme, I share a picture from Javadhu Hills – an extension of the Eastern Ghats, near Vellore.

And here’s a fence run across a patch of step paddy fields, adjoining a pool of water near Jamunamarathur – a major village and town that connect many mountainous villages of Javadhu Hills.  I visited this place in 2013.

Once again with downpour!

Once again water entered home last night due to another heavy rain stroke the Chennai city. We didn’t anticipate such heavy rainfall after the second week of November’s downpour – that almost flooded the Chennai city, and met. Dept was also certain that heavy rain is not possible unless there’s a low pressure in Bay of Bengal. But still we received heavy rainfall because of the air circulation or pulling up of air by the low pressure in Arabian Sea (according to the met. Dept), although it had disappeared now, there’s a trace of low pressure in the southern bay which perhaps trigger rain in one or two days if it further moves northeast. It was pretty quick this time that the water level around our home touched the doorstep within an hour of rain and as usual, the sewage was the first to rose inside followed by the footsteps of flood water. Lol

Once again having an holiday at the upper portion of the house, with water receding slowly and food coming from my aunt’s home in next street, it was a feel better situation right now as we used to this already. Just only four days back we climbed down to home and now with another replay waits ahead.  We are in perplex whether to climb down again or not with the weather condition been unstable here, and with the trace of new low pressure and warning of raining throughout the state, we’re yet to decided to do what only tomorrow. Glad there was electric and I was able to connect to internet Wi-Fi to make a post on the condition we go through. Though I really don’t want to write post on this and also not want to make a friend feel bad about declining the invite to home during this time. I just write to let know others what’s happening at this side. Will catch up with blogs once got down... 

Dabchick @ Kukkal Lake

The Little grebe, also known as Dabchick, is a member of the grebe family of water birds that I found in the Kukkal Lake, a pristine water body near Kodaikanal. About 30km from Kodaikanal, the Kukkal Lake sits amid a great ecosystem which includes swamp, grassland and sholas and during my visit to the lake first time in 2012, I was amused to check this little bird species creating lovely ripples across the lake. I initially thought it to be an insect due to it’s smaller in size but only at the maximum zoom length on my point and shoot cam I come to reveal the bird and at that moment also I considered it as a little duck.

At 23 to 29 cm (9.1 to 11.4 in) in length, Dabchick is the smallest European member of its family and commonly found in open bodies of water across most of its range. The little grebe is a small water bird with a pointed bill and the adult is unmistakable in summers, predominantly dark above with its rich, rufous colour neck, cheeks and flanks, and bright yellow gape. The rufous is replaced by a dirty brownish grey in non-breeding and juvenile birds. The little grebe is an excellent swimmer and diver and pursues its fish and aquatic invertebrate prey underwater. It uses the vegetation skilfully as a hiding place, and during my visit too, I checked the bird taking numerous dips on the tranquil lake.

(sources of info wiki)
Linking this post with SATURDAY CRITTERS

Experience with Flood and Rain

We sat watching updates on northeast monsoon’s rain and floods reported from various parts of the city from more than two news channels. Usually rainwater used to stagnant around my home, whenever there’s heavy rainfall and water will recede slowly once it stopped raining. But on Sunday, from the morning the rainwater started to stay around my home in the usual way and from the evening and once in started to downpour there’s no way of receding and the level of water continued to rose as it rained constantly. Our attention from the TV slanted towards our own and what we have seen through all the years during the monsoon has at last reached our destination or we transferred towards it. Though this is not a usual monsoon and the rain didn’t’ last throughout the season, but showered the entire sum within a week time, blocking every waterways and drainage system, and over flowing rivers and lakes and heavy dose of rainfall brought things to standstill. 

Some flood scenes on neighbors and ours, shot from first floor

We don’t’ know what to do when water level touched our floor surface and when our attention was how to block the doorway to prevent water entering our home, the water started to outflow though the bathroom gullies blending rain and sewage water. With constant rain and increasing water level around the home, the flood started to enter our home in all possible ways and with the warning of met. Dept for intense rainfall for next two days, there was no other option than moving out of home. It was a moment perplex to do what next and mom didn’t have a mind leaving the home like that and obviously we are in charge of taking refuge at our uncle’s house in next street, which is of course our native house  and just being an upstairs homes we couldn’t reside there. At that phase mom remind us about the empty portion above our home, which is waiting for a tenant and the key, was also with us. Just informing the landlord, we moved couple of cots to the first floor with the help of my cousin and his friends, who also uplifted me using a chair.

My uncle’s family was very supportive throughout this phase and only that we were unable to stay with them... thinking about that now, mom had took the right decision and moving to my uncle’s home at that time should have been more difficult with water flooded all over the streets and moving upstairs within the building is most easiest. The late evening was spent quite putting things at safest and believing that water won’t raise more than a feet (although it rose only one third of it) we made sure no electric device was exposed and moreover switched off the main for two days until water recede quite. The only thing was we were unable to cook and was also not in mindset to bring stove and utensils above (as we feel it won’t be nice to make cooking at the house that was yet to be rented) so it was my uncle’s family take care of this too. My aunt prepared dishes consecutively throughout our stay above and passed it though my cousin and uncle and what we were doing was just eating and taking rest.

It wasn’t like we were affected by flood, but come to a place on vacation surrounded by water and the weather make feel of staying at a hill station. No televising and internet to connect, though we are glad there was electric throughout, unlike many other places, we can’t play television or interest. But that wasn’t a matter as we have Smartphone’s to connect via mobile data, there was little update about rain and flood in neighbourhood. Though water recedes in two days, we decided to stay upstairs for couple of days to wait and see what the weather condition was, because going back and front is not easy task. But glad there wasn’t heavy rain after the constant downpour and we have moved down this evening after going through couple of water washing the home and used cleaning agents to keep away germs and smells. The recent downpour made Chennai float in flood but when checking other places and esp. the suburbs that was almost covered by flood, what we have gone through isn’t much. And it was an experience and brought things close to explore lives at lowest. Glad things are back to normal now. 

My favorite Cat and the annoying Kitty

Collage on my favorite cat, when fed on carrots (click for enlarge)

Though black and white is the common color combo of the cats that frequent our home, the one with an extra color of orange is my favorite cat and it is quiet and quite opposite to the annoying kitty in B/W. This cat in trace of orange is a silent visitor and somehow dare to enter our home unlike the little scary BW, which make noise by coming across the compound wall and it only annoys our dog goes away if we shoo... but will be back with annoying meow.

Why the one in orange become my favorite is because of its quietness and always calm being, exhibits a friendliness that I sense in his/her presence, as she never seem to care about me and show very little  hesitation when I come across him/her at close distance. Things being like this, the BW have become my mom’s pet and she started to communicate with it and also try to convey the kitty that our pet dog is sleeping and thus to come back later.

My mom's pet (black and white) cat on the wall (pic by mom)

The orange layered cat is so daring and used to enter the house, in the usual manner of silence, even when I was sitting in the hall. I think the cat didn’t consider me as a person, or understood my nature (just like our pet dog Maya, who used to take my kindness into her advantage and sometime refuses to give way for my wheelchair knowing or in belief that I will never hurt her) and try to deceive me or refuse to move away for my little shoos unless I show severe in my manner.

Linking this post with SATURDAY CRITTERS

My Deepavali Celebration and Rain

This year’s Deepavali was somehow fun despite the northeast monsoon rain rocked the Chennai, as well the entire state. I think the rain is very important, which let us survive throughout the year rather the one day celebration Deepavali! Fireworks can be ignited on any other day or skip to Karthigai Deepam, if rain permits, but when drought stroke the heart of the state – Chennai – the real celebration was receiving rain. Though everyone was happy about the rainfall, thanks to deep depression in Bay of Bengal, the storm that landfall near Cuddalore suffered a lot on the day ahead to Deepavali and still fighting to come out of the flooded water. The Chennai experience showering throughout the day, though not heaver, the festival of light was burnt and bound little for the day.

Sparkling Ground Chakra on wet floor

I bought some fireworks for Deepavali through online shopping. Glad the leading firework manufactures open there own site for purchasing, with a demonstration video on each firework on how it displays. I was certain not to get any crackers that make noise, as I myself could not withstand the loudness these days; I went for the fancy fireworks that make colorful the night sky (though it make noise up into the sky, the effect perhaps is less and unavoidable) aside sparkles, ground chakra and flower pots. Every year I used to go out into the neighborhood (on the day and ahead to Deepavali) to catch up the festival mood and looking out into the sky for fireworks displayed by the area people, but  this time I couldn’t make up such moves, as rain continue to shower uncertainly when will it stop and begin. I stayed indoors all the day and to and fro to Deepavali, watching the pretty bore programs on TV and looking at the rain whether it stop for an hour to light fireworks.  

By afternoon the rain decides to hold sometime, and thus I went to my uncle’s house in the adjacent street and had some fun joining/watching my cousin and his friends playing with crackers. Though I hated the noise come from the crackers, I enjoyed the moment being there and it remind me the days I celebrated Deepavali with those crackers (Lakshmi, Sparrow, Red bijli cracker...) and daring to hold it in hand and throw away once ignite. I managed to stay there sometime and chatting with them but the time came in droplets of rain rushed me to home before it started to pour. In the evening my cousin and his friend come to home to help me leaving the aerial fireworks and I really enjoyed our own display of fireworks. As I was feeling uneasy that evening, I couldn’t capture photos on the display of fireworks, so got couple of photos on ground chakra that we let last night. 

A festival that enthuse me

While nearing Deepavali (Nov 10), the enthusiasm about the Festival of Lights ignites inside. When it comes to Deepavali, the thing that comes to mind first was fireworks.  Though fireworks aren’t the only thing or matter of celebration, apart sharing sweets and snacks and greeting each other for the well being and lighting lamps to drive away the darkness that not only surrounds the environment but also the wicked mentality. Fireworks has been the main intention and attraction for me from the childhood and I couldn’t image a Deepavali without fireworks and the noise of crackers, and I think there will be a feel of something missed if there isn’t crackling sound of crackers and colourful display of fireworks at night.

I sense the eagerness of celebrating the festival of light (also the other kind of festivals) has been coming down by each passing year and the gadgets keeps people away from any part of activities.  Whether I ignite crackers are not, going through the festive feel is something I cherish within myself, as I could not force anybody to share my season’s joy, I try to enhance the festival mood in whatever possible way I could and going out in the evening of and a day early to Deepavali is a part of my celebration to get a glance on things happening around my neighbourhood related to the festival. The only Deepavali I couldn’t take part in firework, though I could not ignite anything other than sparkles, it was the year 2013 and because of my fracture I couldn’t even come out of home.

When we were residing in the apartment, we had wonderful opportunity to share the festival feel with our neighbours by exchanging sweets and snacks and it was good to see kids come together to fire fireworks in colourful attires.  Being shifted to couple of houses in last two year, we miss the sharing opportunity and before we become familiar with neighbours the time to move out comes earlier. Though we moved back to our native area now, the feeling wasn’t quite familiar and strangers to many, this if first Deepavali we suppose to celebrate here after 10 years. Among the festivals, I find Deepavali as more social and apart various belief and faith people celebrate it with great happiness and when lighting crackers over life somehow gleam colorful.

P.S. For those who don’t know about Deepavali, also called as Diwali, is an ancient Hindu festival celebrated every year and it is one of the largest and brightest festivals in India that signifies the victory of good over evil. 

Highways Divider

Every time I was on National Highways, I try to capture some images on the road and like taking long angle shots for a wonderful perspective on the pretty neat lanes... somewhere there are dividers in flowering plants, bloom in dazzling colors seems picturesque to shoot.

The eye-catching yellow dividers here is on NH 46 – Chennai-Bangalore highways. I shot these photos long back when driving back from Bangalore and this part of road is somewhere between Ambum and Vellore, I guess.

Linking this post for Run a Round Ranch's Good Fences

Demonte Colony

Horror is the trend (successful trend) in the Tamil cinema and this year, number of films released under this genre and almost tasted the success.  I haven’t watched many films of this genre, but from the few I checked and heard about, humour has been the main source for the success of these films except the movies – Maya, Strawberry and Demonte Colony (which I watched last weekend) are suppose to be serious. Demonte Colony grips watching throughout without got to be disturbed by the commercial factors anywhere but it was entertaining in a different way and it has an interesting screenplay set between four friends fighting against the spirit within four walls of their bachelor room.

Though the film doesn’t expose any scary images but got to experience a real thriller through the characters expression and haunted feeling. Inspired from a real time rumour related to the Demonte Colony, in Alwarpet, Chennai, though I don’t know what history the colony holds, the director’s creation was superb and the time period he capture through the scene was another impressive part. Arulnithi dictated the leadership well, and the other three friend characters are greatly supported the venture and has put a realistic effect while exploring the ghost bungalow as well fighting against the fear of being killed. The director has put the story simple to understand by everybody and though intellectually played the scenario there are certain moves confuses the naive while the focus is on fatality or escape.

Demonte Colony is tremendous and gives a bit of realistic feel among the horror films!

RGB Monday

I got to capture a photo yesterday when there was a downpour, following the presence of northeast monsoon. The rain created a pool across the courtyard, though it drained after the downpour ceased I want to make an image out of it and coincidentally the image got the colors of red, green and blue, which I come to know only later. So how can I miss the opportunity rather posting it on RGB series?

Here: Red bricks of the under construction building across the road, Green foliage of the neighbor's house and our Blue plastic drum, which was placed under a roof drain  for storing rainwater. The rainwater drain through this was pretty cleaner and we redirect it to our sump later for domestic use.    

Garden Lizards

The garden lizard that I shot, while it climbed on the Neem tree, in front of our home, doesn’t seem to be the same (in the picture below) I encountered earlier. I saw a garden lizard in the courtyard few months back and while I was watching it, another came from a direction and both started to fight each other. Standing on the rear legs, and in the support of their tail they clashed using their front limbs. I was quite amazed at the sight as I never seen garden lizards fighting. Not liked to miss the chance, I rushed inside to take the camera but when I was back both decided to separate and moved on their way and I could only shoot/focus on one to let other escape.

During the childhood, when visiting the village I have seen boys trying to catch the garden lizards along the fences, using a knot at the end of a thin stick and try to fasten the neck of the lizard... though I haven’t seen one being caught by them, I find it memorable. It is also fun to watch the garden lizards doing push ups like men work out at the gym – a study say that lizards doing push-ups mean display of strength and indication of get out of my territory.

P.S. The northeast monsoon is here, the earth becomes cooler and moister in weather. Downpour in Chennai makes us all feel happy and cheerful due to the showering.

Linking this post with SATURDAY CRITTERS

Love Lit

Eyes closed, when lips enclose
at the end of love proposal.
Nothing matters, when the hearts
weld in the warmth of hug.
Life blooms, when the love essence
spring within burble.
Autumn colors, when thus fall
into either dream.
Let the dream come true.
Light glow the end of tunnel! 

Fence and Flowers - Torch Lily

Kniphofia is the scientific name of the Torch Lily (which also known as Tritom and Red Hot Poker due to the shape and color of its inflorescence) I found near Ooty, across a chain link fence. The flowering plants are native to Africa and have narrow, grass-like leaves that reminiscent of a lily, and the flower head can reach up to 1.52 m in height. There are many varieties of touch lily and they bloom at different times during the growing season and comprise flowers color in red, orange and yellow, often bi-colored.

கனவு / Dream

pic courtesy: google

குழந்தைக்கும் எட்டும் கனி கனவு.

வயதுவரம்பின்றி அனைவருக்கும் வரும் கனவு.

கண்ணுக்கும் கனவுக்கும் சம்மந்தம் இல்லைஎன்றாலும்

பார்வைஇல்லதவர்க்கு? என்று வரும்பொழுது வியக்கிறது.

இரவிலும் இருளிலும் வரும் கனவுக்கு

பதில் என்னவோ வெளிச்சம் என்றாலும்

வெளிச்சத்தை கண்டிராதவருக்கு? என்று வரும்பொழுது

என் கனவுகள் தோற்றுபோகின்றன.

இருளில் விடிந்து இருளில் மறையும் உலகில்

இருளை மட்டும் அடிப்படையாக கொண்ட மனதில்

என்ன தோன்றும் என்பது என் கற்பனைக்கும் எட்டாது.

கனவுகள் மெய்பட என் வாழ்த்துகள்.

The fruit that even reaches a baby is dream.
Without age difference dream comes to everyone.
Although there’s no relation between eyes and dream
when it comes to those without vision? it wonders.

For the dream that comes in night and darkness
the answer maybe perhaps illuminated
but when it comes to those who never seen light?
My dreams become failure.

In a world where it dawn and end in darkness
for the mind that based only on the darkness
what appears to be doesn’t even reach my imagination.
Congratulations for the dreams to come true. 

Sunday Photos – Uthandi Beach

Couple of weeks back while on ECR, I come across Uthandi beach and spent some time on its peaceful and pretty clean ambience.  Uthandi beach exists (take left) with a km ahead to ECR toll gate, when coming from Chennai, and the beach comes to view at the end of VGP Uthandi Layout. The road to the beach was well laid in concrete and has a police booth at the entrance of the road and also bears barriers across the road to prevent speeding. The layout has moderate number of houses and bungalows to look beautiful and could see many taking walks along their pet dogs – perhaps, because of the strange feeling and loneliness and calm being.

It was about 5.45pm and the place was turning darker as sun hides opposite leaving little light for capturing image. I find the beach to be neatest and pretty clean, perhaps because of fewer visitors and frequented by local residents alone. The new beach also has restrooms to my amazement, with ramp facility and dustbins indicates to keep away trashes. I didn’t take my wheelchair but could experience the serene from inside the car with a desire to be there again on my wheelchair to explore the pretty lanes and houses. I also saw some wonderful gates and fences there, which i like to capture sometime for good fence meme. Hehe... 

wow... we got to see little beach crabs there (one left on car bonnet to shoot)

oo

Shooting Wood Fence

The lookalike country fence here was erected for a film shoot (Shanker’s “I”) and it was shot during my vacation to Kodaikanal in year 2013. The fence along a gate (click here) was pretty good and represents a real farmhouse entry and this location was shot in such a beautiful way in the movie I. The setting was put up on a little mound facing grasslands, pine and eucalyptus plantation/forest near Kavunji, about 35km from Kodaikanal. And Mannavanur is a place very close to this location, which has been shooting hub for many movies with rolling grasslands and sheep farm.

Linking this post for Run a Round Ranch's Good Fences

Tribute to Aachi Manorama

There are certain things happen unexpectedly and Aachi Manorama’s lose was such and she is a greatest Indian legendary actress and senior artist where no one in this word would have achieved like her. She’s the only actress in the world to be acted in more than 1500 films and 5,000 stage plays! I was thinking about Manorama’s contribution to Tamil cinema lately and was feeling grieve that no one took notice about her and truly wished that someone take a grand function for her when she was alive; commemorating her appearance in almost Indian languages and character that nothing left behind.  An amazement rise up every time thinking about her and I always think, apart being an actress she’s someone very special and no Indian actress would have received such recognition and withstood for a period of long time or more than 60 years in film industry.

pic courtesy: google

I think it is her base that kept her existed for record breaking years in film industry – the drama or theatre performances she continue to do beside her acting in movies.  As a mainstream comedian and character artist, she had done milestone performance in number of movies and in emotional and mother characters there was a time no one couldn’t defeat her or no films made without her.  There are number of films I admired her acting, but I haven’t been familiar with movies of her in earlier stage. Samsaram athu Minsaram, Paati Sollai Thattathea, Chinna Thambi, Chinna Gounder, Nadigan, Guru Sishyan, Kizakku Vaasal, Pangali, Thillana Mohanambal, Aboorva Sagotharangal, Savaal are some of her many films I enjoyed her role. Not only acting, she’s a wonderful singer and has sung about 300 songs and all her songs are super hit and her vocal is something distinct and standouts.

Though I feel there’s something absence in recognizing her presence while she alive, the crowd that gathered for her final procession towards the funeral is not everyone celebrates. In a decade, not a celebrity or artist gathered such crowd (after Sivaji’s demise in 2001) and almost Tamil cinema had paid their homage to her at her premises. The actress had acted with 5 Chief Ministers and her association with Chief Minister Jayalaitha, in cinema, is too close and her personal homage to her is quite appropriate and an honour that entitle everything. Though being an epic chairperson in acting her association with actors and public always seems to be simplest and her record doesn’t showcased anywhere and she lived a life that everyone will appreciate and adherence. She’s a role model to all actors’ esp. who wants to long stand in film industry and for an actor he/she should be ready to take any role rather doing only hero and heroine. Manorama has broken this practice and had done what she itself wouldn’t have expected. Until cinema/theatre is there, she will be alive in memories and film and digital rolls. 

Sunday Photo and Update on week

Sky and Leaves

For last one week, I haven’t been quite well! Begin with the symptoms of cold and fever, touched the peak in couple of days to influence me on the routine taking me on its own control and route. I wasn’t interesting on anything rather watching TV (just to defeat boring), and had headaches ever like before and high fever keeps me awake for two consecutive days/nights. I was in medication for more than a week now and continue to have it for some time since my x-ray reveals mucus/sputum in lungs and was also going through some mixed feeling about my health lately. I checked with a cardiologist last week for my difficult with upper body and chest pain sometime... but I was glad to know everything related to my heart was healthy and normal. The doctor also suggested some medication for muscle strength (since my upper body doesn’t get any exercise, the muscles  get lose or tight to feel uneasy) and this is first time a doctor lead a medicine for strengthening muscles in muscular dystrophy and I hope it helps better.

The entire week has been hell for me and I wasn’t suffered that much and was forced to take a nap one afternoon which is something unusual for me and it happens only if I wasn’t really well. Right now doing much better and you might know about the situation from the post itself as I could write blog after a week but still something bothering me to keep not quiet. I hope nothing serious happening with my body and will be completely ok soon. I will try to be active and catching with blogs.

A beautiful song

Adiyea Azhagae is a just released single track from an upcoming Tamil movie Oru Naal Koothu. Like they say love at first sight... I fell in love at first time listening to this song, which gives a sense of soothing although it sounds familiar here and there. For the simple and realistic lyrics, Justin Prabhakaran has done beautiful justice/composition and in voice of Sean Roldan and Padmalatha it was nice listening. The move was led by Attakathi Dinesh, Mia George and Nivetha Pethuraj – a Miss India UAE, who also has a facial resemblance that reminds Trisha.

அடியே அழகே... மிக அழகு

Hindustan Photo Film, Ooty

The Hindustan Photo Film is one of the major industrial units of the Nilgiri district and a public sector enterprise. This unit is located about 5 Km away from Ooty railway station over a sprawling area of over 300 acres, near the Ooty Golf-links on the Ooty- Mysore road. The HPF was inaugurated by late Prime Minister Mrs. Indra Gandhi, in January 1967.

This industrial unit is currently producing Indu roll films which are used for taking photographs; Hindu X-ray films, the quality of which is acknowledged to be among the best in the world; Hindu bromide paper on which photographs are printed; and Hindu aerographic for geological and defence mapping, industrial X - ray film, laser recording film, CAT film, special film for space photography, oscilloscope direct print paper, photo typesetting paper and range of chemicals for the film processing.

Linking this post for Run a Round Ranch's Good Fences

Lost a dear one

We missed one of our dearest neighbour come aunts last week. Though being a neighbour our relationships with her has been kith and kin from a very long time or to say last from our grandmother’s time period. We moved out of our native area (Adyar) about 10 years back and being here, now, our relationships haven’t been any different but were a kind of reconnection (with old neighbours) and looking back into memories. Though our families know each other well, this particular aunt (whom we called from childhood as aththai – a Tamil word which refers to sister of father) has been so affectionate and holds great concern towards our family. Almost our close relatives know her well and she never failed to enquire me the times I come across her, and I always see happiness in her face every time she faces me (since we moved out of the area) but later become very unhappy and she couldn’t hide her dismay as she was seeing me from the birth – who has been very active quite, my inability to move around bothered her much.

Their house was in the backstreet of ours and during the childhood days it was our playground and most of the evening we are seen roaming around with couple of our best friends, whose house was also on the same street. Moreover, most of them on the street know us and our family being a long time resident along with many others, our parent allow us to play there in belief that we stay safe because of the affinity we got with coupe of families and the family of this aunt was more attachable.  My mom and great grandmother used to exchange words frequently with her, either she visiting their or they. She’s a hard working woman and had done milk business and reared cows.  Her husband is a car mechanic and owned a garage, but being addict to alcohol it was she who take care of everything, along bringing up her 4 children.  There was a great similarity between us (maternal side) who was also involved in milk business and reared cows, apart running a Tea Shop, my maternal uncle is also a car mechanic and had a garage adjacent to our home. 

Until about 15 years back or her children settled she continued to be a hard working woman and used to drive cows for grazing from vegetable shops to open grounds or wherever there is pasture. Most of their life was spent in thatched roof and her husband and my father were all grown together in their past and only in latter half (or after 2000) they transferred to concrete house.  It was happy for us to see them coming up in life and to a stable place and looking forward to the comfort, but the sad part was they couldn’t lead forward happily. The rapidly increasing cause among the Indian – Diabetic – struck both their lives and her husband due to increase consumption of alcohol exposed to kidney failure and has been living still through dialysis and this too because of her care taken and restrictions. This hasn’t end there, but herself experience problem with her body with diabetics being the main culprit and she also lost her toe in an advanced stage of sugar. And going through number of treatments and surgery brings drawback in their lives. Even though money becomes a matter not, she couldn’t live happily. Like they say health is wealth, and however they become weather with a bad health nothing seems to be cheerful.

The day wake up for us in the sound of drums and I was sure it was the sound of death but wasn’t anticipated to be her. Though she was not well enough and was admitted in the ICU at the same time and hospital where my grandpa was admitted for chest pain and whiz and she was going through the same problem and was discharged a day ahead to my grandpa. And she was breathing through the oxygen mask at the home as well and was suffering so much that she couldn’t explain what. Though she was admitted to hospital once again for a week before her demise, as her condition becomes unstable, the doctors couldn’t indentify exactly from what she suffers from and the diagnosis also fails to understand what make her feel agony. At the mid-night of Friday she breathed last in the hospital. But the breakaway news – drum beat – reached us only in the morning and silence is what remains inside. 

RGB Monday

Flowers in red, leaves are green and blue at the bottom

A distant shot, using maximum zoom length, on the flower pots of one of the neighbors. It wasn't a planned shot for RGB, but I find the image matching the theme. 

Gate gets painted and painters on work

Thinking about what to post for “Run a Round Ranch’s” Good Fences, I casually come out of the home and saw painters painting the gate of a newly constructing apartment right opposite to our house caught my attention. Though the three storey building rose even before we shifted to this home, the work has been reached its final stage only now with just paintings left to complete the structure. The builders have done some neat designing on the exterior, which I hope to capture once the building is completed. So now, here is a gate (one of the two) being painted in black on top of yellowish coating and I hope you like my candid on the painters J

Painters mixing colors... perhaps black!

An update on grandpa and my health

My grandpa went back to his home happily last week, after staying with us for about 4 months. He spent only couple of days with us after discharged from the hospital and knowing his desire we didn’t stop him going to his home but also felt this change or transfer to his familiar environment could improve his health condition and the thought of coming back to home will give him confident to do better. His back sore due to confine to bed in the hospital is also healing well and he started to have normal food like before but only he couldn’t stand and walk. But we hope he regain the strength very soon and able to walk by doing physiotherapy.

I never thought a person could change such drastically in a very short span, though I don’t want to refer directly who he was, it certainly affects the lives of my grandparents now. My grandma was in need of a helper to support her in taking care of grandpa. Until being here, there doesn’t need someone as we (and my uncle family) supported her in every way in taking care of the grandfather, the attitude of drop out from their own son seems  trouble them surely. I feel that supporting someone is not that only physically assisting but giving them hope to believe (if they are elders or disabled) that they are not alone and even if you could not talk in a way, a small gesture and smile could do much better.

Apart grandpa, I experience some issues with health lately to put me feel trouble, though they aren’t anything serious, at least now, I went for a respiratory functional test last week and found poor breathing ability/capacity. I had some difficult with breathing last week, which was very unusual for me and without any delay I check with my doctor and took the functional test in Fortis Malar. It is a diagnosis conducted only in big hospitals, because this kind of test are not taken frequently by many and being an muscular dystrophy patient trouble with breathing is a normal thing after certain period and the main cause for this is believed to the severe lung infection I had 5 years back or due to some other reason my lungs have been shrunken little to make inadequate breathing space. But right now I have no trouble and I breathe easily but I am more careful to do my breathing exercise regularly and increase in terms.

For the last few days, my back pain takes new shape and shifts to my upper back to hold breath sometime. My therapist suggests it is perhaps problem related to neck and was advice to sleep without pillows and reduce my usage of laptop or change the position of viewing. To make my problems little difficult my new wheelchair was sent back for rectification and it expected to take more than a month (according to the manufacturer) to put right things I needed. I had certain comfort in that bucket seat and nothing felt painful when reclining towards its cushion back seat. Hope they haven’t took much time to settle my wheelchair before things become more difficult.