RGB Monday

Today’s post will have something more colorful, connecting two peace loving countries. Yes, I see the relationship between the Tibet and India exhibit through these photos and how well they coordinate to do their business.

Below is an image carrying colorful flags above a row of Tibetan shops on the Kodaikanal Lake road.

The shops that sells woolen clothes seems to have a fixed rate for their products, forming a Tibetan welfare association they work in a way of supporting  each other. You could see a name board placed above the shop, thanking India for supporting the Tibetan causes with the images of the fathers of both the nations.

Above is another set of shops from the same array, bearing the board of their association and being a hill station most of their products are woolen blankets and scarfs to keep the nights warm and comfort. 

Awesome Vacation @ Serene Woods

I had an awesome vacation last week (July 23^rd - 29^th) at my uncle’s woodhouse, aka Serene Woods, in Thandikudi, near Kodaikanal. It was my second vacation for the first time in less than 3 months times. Because only in the 2^nd week of May I visited the same and stayed for a week with my family including two cousins and grandma, but this time it was a kind of get-together with couple of my aunt/uncle families, it was a celebration sort of moment. Last time I haven’t spent enough time at the woodhouse but was at much leisure exploring some nook and corners of the Kodaikanal Hills by staying there. This time I went quite blank to enjoy what comes my way and we spent most of the days at the wood-house/cottage, eating, sleeping, taking photos and chatting except a day drive to Poombarai.

Last year my uncle organised a ceremony formally informing the built of the woodhouse and cottage but for some unspecific reason no one from our side (maternal aunt) could attend the event. And from then on, they are planning to bring us all there to compensate the event (even if they haven’t built woodhouse we would be somewhere together) or give treat to share their happiness. But before they could come up with a plan we landed there on our own and experienced the woodhouse and cottage that built amid the coffee, pepper and orange plantations. This was my 4^th time visit to Thandikudi and second time stay at the woodhouse. Our journey started too late this time and reaching out the suburb (Chennai) took more than 2 hours – due to some traffic jams and detours – it was almost dark when reached the Serene Woods.

Oranges grew in the vicinity of Serene Woods

The first day was spent quite at the woodhouse and cottage. It is a two story building with the ground and underground goes down the road and the woodhouse comes atop. But only woodhouse has ramp facility to allow me to stay there with much ease. The woodhouse contains a big hall and spacious two bedrooms with a king-size bed and a single cot on each room with attached bathrooms. And it has a wonderful wide balcony overlooking the woods and wild vegetation on the backyard. The cottage on the ground beneath has a similar partition with a veranda and open staircase come steps gallery to sit, chat and retreat along a bonfire pit in the courtyard.  The underground holds the kitchen and room for the caretaker and the cook. The cottage has a parking facility and space to park two big SUVs.

Interior of the wood-house (hall and bedroom)

We were 14 people in two cars (Innova and Scorpio) took charge the woodhouse/cottage for 6 nights and 5 days was blissful. Except day one we experienced rain daily. Though it rained almost every evening, the weather was wonderful throughout with bright sunshine in mornings and chirping of birds (in different notes) at the dawn and dusk become my favorite moments. It was cheerful being together with cousins, uncles and aunties and cooking ourselves what we like, despite have a cook, and it was indeed enjoyable sharing the moments at nature’s lap. Just for a day I was brought down to the ground floor cottage, as I haven’t been there, and we had a small bonfire celebration at night. It was refreshing to watch showing around the woods from the balconies of the wood-house kept enchanting.

The last day was spent at the premises of the Thandikudi Murugan Temple; since it was a special day at the temple, leaving our parents there we (cousins) went on and off the area and had the lunch at the temple itself. Being to Thandikudi for forth time, the landscape becomes familiar to me but still hold breath with the transformation happening through the mist wrapping the peaks and mountains. First time experienced mist outside the woodhouse and at night the effect seems fabulous in the presence of night lamps, illuminates the cottage around. Since it was the beginning of Orange season, I could see the orange trees in the vicinity thrives in green and yellow. The Serene Woods is facilitate with the facilities of a home, including free Wi-Fi, television and power generators to make feel comfort and connected! But overall I enjoyed the natural environment and being together with dear ones.

A group photo before leaving the  Serene Woods

P.s. If  you are in facebook do check the page i created (here) promoting the woodhouse/cottage

ECR – A Highway Ride

Last week I was on ECR (east coast road) to a temple festival in Mamallapuram with family and it was my travel on this road after some long time and the road wasn’t almost 4 lanes (highway) unlike now when I travel last, but was under extreme widening. The transformation from a pretty 2 lanes to advanced 4 lanes with high divider brought lot of changes on the look, locations and landscape. Though ECR is an accident prone road and due to increased traffic, such large scale development is needed but I always go for the former, the scenic double lane road which keeps me inspiring no matter how many times I ride.

ECR is one of my favourite routes, not that we stay close to the road and have been frequently hit, I feel pleasure every time I take a ride on this road bearing the cool sea breeze. ECR is packed with entertainment centres and amusement parks to keep one occupied and lately number of showrooms and cafés adds fun to the scenic highway. Except weekends, the ECR is mostly traffic free once crossed Muttukkadu, from where the ride is almost close to the coast of Bay of Bengal with Casuarina groves for company.  I usually hate riding on national highways mainly because of the bare scenarios that make feel bore… even getting a shadow is rarely evident.

Though ECR doesn’t bear many trees to provide shadow or to cut off, but still feel the widening has affected certain aspect of the scenic road. I find the new elevated bridge across the Muttukkadu backwaters got back the undisturbed, picturesque view across the estuary which was latterly hindered by a water pipe that transports the purified seawater to the city purpose. Coming to the road ways, undoubtedly we need smooth roads and protected lanes to travel from a place to another. And in today’s uncontrolled vehicle population (and pollution) road winding is the only option to let all vehicles and drive crash free. But what really happening is the four-lane encourages rash driving, where the need to care about opposite vehicle is almost absent. I wish the ECR comes under speed control, which is the only way to bring down the accidents.

The photos here were shot during the course… And I linking this post with Good Fences

RGB Monday

A colorful family

The picture shot at Kodaikanal Lake Road is a random image, where you could see a family representing the colors of red, green and blue which I find apt to add to the meme. Apart that you could see bicycles of different kind and colors in the image, which are rented cycles, that tourist enjoys riding around the lake. And to the left, you could see a foot cart selling bread omelette and bajjis, which has become one of the top pick by tourist visiting the hill station.  I find the number of foot carts making similar business along the lake road has been in rise so much lately. 

The lack of content

There’s a proverb called ‘old is gold’, which meant that old things are valuable as gold and what’s happening with things produced these days proves that quality is something we lost in the past and what’s in the production today couldn’t deliver the best and anything we take is out of content and quality. I’m not denying quite that all things made are useless but less in quality and quantity. The manufactures produce more than enough things these days and we aren’t in lack of getting things but do they all make feel content? Lately, I feel more the quality is something sacrificed on almost everything we purchase. Because I could obviously see the difference in quality on things bought back (at least in less than 10 years) and now. For example, my new wheelchair is just 7 months old and the front wheel tyre is torn out!

I am using power wheelchair for more than 9 years and until I get the new one lately I was constantly using a power wheelchair (which was my primary) purchased in 2007. The wheelchair is in good working condition and I use it sometime to keep in touch and sustain with its comfort, even though its tyres are worn out there isn’t a piece of damage to them and the joystick is still doing well for even the wheelchair manufacturers to amaze! Because, they themselves admit the joysticks provided these days couldn’t last more than 3 years. And I don’t want to say anything more on it. Even though the technology has advanced they couldn’t sustain the quality make feel worse.

Other days on my evening outing in wheelchair I spent some time at my uncle’s workshop and was amazed to see the plastic chair that was bought in 1990, when they started the Maruti workshop, still exists without damage. Only its legs have shortened due to long and excess use. I have seen the chair used for all sort of activities and many a time the chairs have supported the car engines during reassemble.  But with today’s chairs we are supposed to be beware sitting, because the chairs aren’t strong enough like before and a small drag will see its legs bending. So was the quality of plastic used these days. We had couple of chairs and a stool from 90s and until I got my fracture in 2013, I used the stool for bathing and even the color of the stool was faded and it came with a damaged leg, but continued to support without a mishap. We had searched for a similar stood but couldn’t get a strong one alike anywhere.

I know there are different kinds of mirrors in market to see our face, in colourful frames and design… but do u believe I still use an old car wing mirror to see my face daily. Yes, it was a side view mirror that broken from a car door, long back, at uncle’s workshop and we have dropped it down number of times but haven’t see a damage or fading mirror. I mentioning it mainly because the plastic and the mirror where such standard piece and I didn’t need a change as any mirror do the same. Another thing that makes me believe the quality has lost its foot was the Air con machine (split a/c); we bought at the same time I got my first wheelchair (2007).  

Our LG A/C is more than 9 years old and only last year we are forced to change the indoor unit due to gas leak but the outer unit (compressor) continues to work well supporting the second hand Samsung blower unit. I know few people have changed couple of ACs during this period. Ours was so far raised only minor issues and the AC was under annual maintenance contract (AMC), though it is one of the reasons for its long stability but that alone is not enough I believe, because if the unit wasn’t a  quality content it’s impossible to survive.  We bought another AC for my brother in 2013 and before completing a year it witnessed a major problem and the enter coil unite was changed in the outer unit. And about a year from then, the compressor goes off and made a huge sum for mending. It all makes clear what kind of standard we are living.

Could we replace the Nokia 1100’s stability? Though I know today’s mobiles are sophisticated but when it comes to calls I think the former is best. Even though we could manage with certain things that support life from outside, the food that lack quality is impossible to digest. I really want to say I fear to intake anything got from the tiffin café or hotels and eat with hesitation that nothing indigestion should happen. I have experienced trouble having food from the hotel, but I think its normal thing to happen sometime and another thing I like to put front is the taste and quantity of food served.

Almost restaurants have raised their price tag, perhaps, due to economic growth and increase price of grocery, but why do they reduce the quantity of food? When the price increases, at least the amount of food should have sustained, right? The couple of idly and vada got from the hotel couldn’t feel me content and taste different from one time to another. Though it was perhaps the intention of restaurant owners to reduce and increase certain things, the naturally gown Apple deceives me to feel bad. I eat an apple per day and I find the apples aren’t tastier and easily chewable these days.

We used to buy apple and other fruits a familiar woman who sells them from a roadside stall and being a well-known, she only gives us if the fruits were good enough. The apples don’t expose any damage or insect bite and sometime comes in delicate pink and dark in red, but until we cut-off we couldn’t guess the quality inside. Sometime it’s very hard to nibble and taste similar as pears and futile to eat. I know everything has a market in this world, and there could be some people projecting what kind of apple should be grow in what quality and quantity. I believe it’s the hybrid cultivation that keeps the nutrition away… the apple industry (and any kind of farming these days) seems to focus on only high yield and don’t care about the quiddity.  I feel the content of eating an apple is possible only if we eat more than two apples… but when I can’t eat a one, how could this possible.

The complaint about quality has been in trend for long but I feel it more lately compare with things available around. I feel very imbalance with this kind of trend where things become costlier but the quality and quantity couldn’t reach that height.  Thanks for taking time to read my frustration…