Life along with Maya

Though she is seven years old, Maya remains to be a child for every one of us and even for those visitors. Maya, our pet dog, has undergone a hysterectomy surgery a day before yesterday as she suffered from serious infection in uterus, we decided to let her some relief and remedy to lead further ease. We had two options then: one was to let her deliver some pups or go for a surgical removal of uterus. Though we had space outside the living home to let her breed, taking care of things mattered much and been (she) ever stayed out of certain seemed practically impossible.  So we went for the other, and she is showing very positive note on recovery within a day of surgery and   hope to see her back in normal attitude at a week’s end.

She never stayed away from us in the last seven years, and we had left her at home at only fewer occasions of traveling that too in charge of my brother. She spent two days and a night at the veterinary clinic and we heard that she was very quiet throughout the process and responded so well post surgery. We were so surprise towards her behavior, which perhaps because of fear and the new environment with other dogs (barking) around she couldn’t do anything rather accept whatever happens. Though it is not our intention to threaten her like this, certainly it gives a guilty feeling as we well know her attitude; it perhaps could have got her hell feeling. That’s what could be the reason for her to show dull feeling toward us and not responding quickly like before.

Maya is a very sensitive dog and allows no one to touch her unless she’s familiar with that person.  Being an untrained dog (and coming from a branch of wolf family), she is very aggressive toward strangers but once she smelt there fragrance she won’t do anything unless they take advantage and will also behave friendly if she likes them.  And if not, she maintain a distance and also ignore them rather inquire like other. Although she shows affection and love, she is very protective on family members, esp. she has a special care for me and allows no unfamiliar person to touch me or thing related to me in front of her.

Lhasa Apso is the name of her breed, which originate to Tibet and so has the name of the capital city of Tibet, Lahasa, and Apso is a word meaning bearded or long-haired in their language. Maya too would have flourishing hair if we allowed her to grow, but due to maintenance and hair falling we make certain cutting her hair after a period of time. Actually it is a dog not belong to hot weather conditions like Chennai, since inherent an ability to withstand bitterly cold winter of the Himalayas they have trouble with summer heat. We had no idea of rearing a dog, but it’s my brother who brought her home against all our wishes and being adamant to give up, made her life into ours.

Rearing dogs are not a bad intention and I have no different thought on it, but not everyone could afford a pup. There are certain things that need to give hand and rearing dogs is a burden for people who are already exercising enough. For a person’s desire, is it right to leave a whole family to suffer? If someone loves to have a pet, they have to be certain about their adequate and should never ignore their responsibility just because they brought it to home and things will happen on its own. Apart sparing time to take care on their (dogs) needs, the most difficult thing about rearing pets was if anything goes wrong with them we can’t tolerate easily. I think just having a kind heart isn’t enough to accept a pet, but need a very brave heart to withstand vibrations that went wrong with them. 

A lighthearted moment with DI

Usually we go to a destination, but will you believe me if I say a destination came in search of me? J But you have to, because, it happened to me. Such incredible will happen only with people like us, who are challenged or differently abled. Hehehe… But one small correction in this term is, the destination is not a place but a person called Destination Infinity! Shortly referred as DI, is the identity of this blogger in blogosphere. 

Usually we invite someone into our house from being inside. But for a change, he invited me with a charming smile sitting inside our home, as I came little late while back on a ride on ECR. Though coming back from the same, with a different destination, he was on time at home. But well knowing about his visit, I decided to make a quick hop on and off on ECR. Glad I didn't miss the opportunity as I assured our meeting and it was a moment I could cherish for very long time.

I wasn’t certain will I meet him in person until that day. But I was quite amazed when I saw his mail that enquires the opportunity of meeting me at home that evening. I would have easily missed this chance if I haven’t login my Gmail on Sunday and went on my way leisure on ECR. I know Rajesh for a long time and came to visit his pages through fellow blogger Rakesh’s blog. Initially I showed interest on his posts on places of interest, but gradually stared to follow his every post as I find it simple yet interesting. Though it a personal blog, his way of writing sounds professional… perhaps because he also make blogging as his profession with another blog.

Apart scrolling back his personal diaries, he is a brilliant writer on short stories and reviewing books and movies. He also lately established himself as a published (self) novelist. The Archers Revenge (his book) is a very interesting crime fiction set in India. He is a wonderful event manager, as he covers many events happening in and around Chennai through his blog. We share a similar passion for blogging, which I think made us quite travel by blogosphere.

I was happy meeting him and it was a lighthearted moment, and I think he also felt the same. Our conversation was almost around blogging, places of interest and traveling. I too learn something about him and the meeting was a great transformation on the perception I got on him. To be frank, I thought he must be someone uncertain talking about, but I saw an amusement guy in him, who giggles and shows great conscious about things. More than happiness it was a feel pride moment meeting you DI! Thank you so much J

A glance @ Kasimedu Fishing Harbor

A fishing boat arrives at harbor

Few Sundays back I had been to Kasimedu in north Chennai, but I couldn't make into the fishing harbor (one of the major fishing grounds for catching fishes in Chennai) which I have done twice long back. The Ennore High Road was pretty much busy even being Sunday, the containers kept moving in and out of the Chennai Port (which seems active 24/7), forced us to take U-turn at the entry level of the harbor since we don’t want to take risk of getting struck with those heavy duty trucks.

A ship anchored at mid-sea, seen beyond the pretty  neat harbor pier

When I was back in 2004 (a month ahead to Tsunami attack, which sent great destruction towards the fishing harbor) the road had been so empty and we managed to drive till the end of Ennore High Rd that leads up to Thazankuppam, a fishing hamlet. The road travels almost close to sea, experience wonderful splashes of water as waves crash the rocks and concrete blocks that make seawall. It was great excitement then, when we were allowed driving into the concrete fishing pier that surrounds the harbor, and got the opportunity to see boats enter and exit as we come to halt at the mouth of the harbor.

Boat building and mending yard

A boat number

The Kasimedu fishing harbor located north of Chennai Port (under the administrative of same) is also facilitate of building fishing boats, and the harbor has a capacity to handle about 575 fishing craft, is used by over 1300 boats. Renowned as a retail fish market, Kasimedu has 90 stalls located within the fishing harbor complex adjacent to the auction shed. On the day of our visit, and due to some work going within the harbor pier couldn't make us drive into and the police had also made some block preventing vehicles.  But somehow managed to get some pictures shot from the Ennore High Rd, which u see here.

This photo was shot from the Royapuram flyover, overlooking the Chennai Port (container terminal) and what you see there was one of the huge cranes that transfer containers. Actually it was on the move while shot this picture and it makes siren sound as it progress. 

Thandikudi – A place where I felt quite tranquil!

Nestle amid the mountains of Palani Hills, at a range of about 1500m on the Western Ghats; Thandikudi is a pretty small village encompassed by coffee plantations, dense forest and mountain peaks keep it always cool and comfort weather to stay forever. I was so glad exploring this place last summer in June (2013) and the most fascinating thing I find there was bird watching. Though, Thandikudi is famous for Murugan Temple, coffee plantations and archaeological significant site, where Pre-Iron age burials are found. The pleasant weather and quite calm environment (where melodies of birds resonate) was something I never used before and deserves peace at best.

Panoramic view on the Thandikudi village

Thandikudi is about 45 km northeast of Vathalagundu in the lower Palani Hills in Dindigul district of Tamil Nadu. The village is on half the mountains of Kodakanal, hence named as half Kodai, was reached partially driving on the Kodaikanal Ghat Rd and then take right near Ooothu and drive past Pannaikadu. Thandikudi is about 10 km from there. Though there are also alternate routes via Palani and Oddanchatram, apart Pattiveeranpatti which I preferred during my course of travel, since I sought for a change, this road comes as an isolate, fresh and traffic free unlike Kodaikanal Rd. It’s a pleasure on its own driving past dense forest and coffee plantations with few mountain villages making mild voices amid the chirping of birds.

Close-up on the village residence 

We reached Thandikudi in the evening, since began to climb the hill between 4-5pm driving all the way from Chennai. It started to drizzle slightly as soon we are on the narrow mountain road, and looking down the plains was then a sight of active rainstorms playing on the ground. Past Dindigul, the weather has been stormy making it only more exciting. We made a leisure drive across the winding ghats, just being cautious at the occasional opponents since the road is sufficient only for a vehicle to pass at a moment. The slightly wet condition then made pretty cool as the elevation rises slowly, we stop at the Mangalamkombu, a small village near Thandikudi, to pick a person who booked rooms for us at the Panchayat Kudils (concrete huts) for accommodation. 

Mountains of Palani

Derived from the belief of people here that during the fight with monster Idumban, Lord Muruga jumped over the hill to reach Palani and thus obtained the name “Thandikudi”, which is a two, conjoined Tamil words meaning “cross-jump”. According to an archaeological survey, there’s one more reason to call it Thandikudi. The Kulasekhara Pandya inscription issued during the 12^th regnal year (1280 AD) records this village as Tanrikudi. Where “Tanri” is a variety of tree (termenalia bellarica) famous for its medicinal value and found in abundance in this region and “Kudi” means a clan based settlement. The archaeological survey also suggests that the site lies in a perfect ecological background, which helped to occupy continuously for more than 3,500 years.

Coffee beans at Thandikudi

Thandikudi is a coffee hub, where the famous Leo Coffee brought their base there. The central government has also established a Regional Coffee Research Station (the sole kind across the state) there in aim of evolving suitable practices for the cultivation of coffee, since this areas come under the North-East monsoon influence with low rainfall and hence require set of package for cultivation. The Panchayat run cottages or huts (made of concrete) had also built their premises among the coffee plantations and canopy of trees provides quiet environment and enrich with birds sighting. Black pepper, orange and jack-fruits where also among the plantations thrive aside coffee in Thandikudi, the silver oaks too rooted strong base abundantly across the mountains.

A screen of silver oaks

Thought Thandikudi is not a tourist destination, it too has places at receiving end. Except for the Balamurugan temple and certain view points (that come along roadsides) which we covered during our sightseeing, most of the places are pedestrian based or hiking. Although we managed to cover the area within a day, I still believe there’s much to experience and enjoy through personal exist. The Thandikudi chapter doesn't end here, but there will be more come into the blog through some other pretty posts. 

Sunday Photos: Bowl of Flowers

Being Onam today, I thought of sharing some photos on our flowers bowl… since Onam is a festival related with floral designs, called Pookalam, here is my mom’s arrangement of flowers on the bronze bowl filled with water.

These pictures where shot last year, while staying at our apartment house.  

Reflection of lights

image courtesy: google

A serial light-effect on my windshield;
expose to sodium lights
the droplets glitter and gleam in front of me.

The vibration of the vehicle, recreates
various designs as we cruise,
turn, overtake and drove on potholes.

There’s an artistic effect on every move;
 with constant drizzle all the way
a lightshow performed lively on my windshield. 

Irumbu Kuthirai – Unfit to Run

It was another thunderstorm rain in Chennai last evening and night. I was almost out got ready to visit drive-in for a Tamil feature film Irumbu Kuthirai (Iron Horse) and looked at the sky and it was almost pretty dark with clouds glooming around. As expected it performed so well, and interrupted greatly on movie watching. Though it doesn't matter literally, the real disappointment was already waited for us abundantly being a damn blunt movie. The lightning was spectacular, as we watching the screen fluorescent cracks flashed across the sky were striking much than the flicker.

The AGS entertainment has produced number of quality films in past, but this is something out with great disappointment. I wonder how they decided to produce a film with nothing worthwhile to watch and quite boring rather being really racy apt to the title – iron horse – the film can’t even fit into a wood or paper horse. It lost to felt majestic! An effective camera work has gone nil due to lack of on-screen present and emotions. Having a super martial artist (Dong Lee alias Johnny Tri Nguyen) and reality bike racer (Alisha Abdhullah, India’s only female bike racer), the film couldn't live up to its action genre.

Atharvaa is a young bike racer, who stopped driving bikes after he lost his father in a bike accident but due to her mother’s (Devadarshini) force, he took job as a part-time pizza delivery boy so that she thought he regains inspiration for biking. Being a strictly follower of rules, he always makes free delivery as he couldn't be on time but things chance once he met his girlfriend (Priya Anand), who has been so passion about bikes put him back on track (I mean a jolly ride on ECR). Thus he encounters speed bikers who kick him out of bike and took away his girlfriend as hostage. Now standing at an intersection, how he reclaims his girlfriend and what their intention, remains. But there’s nothing to anticipate different!

Atharvaa looks handsome and perfect in physique attaining six-packs, doesn't have much chance to exhibit his ability, though being an action movie it was very limited.  Priya Anand is a lovely lady to romance; though Atharvaa come closer there is something miss fell. Lakshmi Rai acted as his friend. But a report says both the heroines were at conflict whose photo should appear on the ads, for a movie where there part wasn't interesting. The films greatest speed brakes are the songs, dragging along the surface. Wished the film was quite action, but it lags romance and superficial. The film could turn into a messenger if they let the hero die at the climax with a footnote: speed thrills but kills!  

A cute teaser

I frequently come across the teaser of the Tamil film Megha in television recently and I couldn’t avoid looking at it every time flashed on the screen. Though it seems like a romantic film, since the picture has a handsome hero and pretty cute heroine… the title (a female name) itself reveals the film perhaps centers a girl called Megha. But I couldn’t stop watching the ad, as it makes glimpses out of beautiful shots and romance between the pair esp. the girl’s presence admire watching. Not to forget the film’s music was composed by Maestro Ilaiyaraja enhances the beauty so well in the teaser.

From a small Google search I come to know the heroin’s name was Srushti Dange and she’s a model turned actress. I also realized that I have admired her already through an ad which I couldn’t recollect well now, but her cute dimple and sweet smile has something magic to captivate. Isn’t it?  She is someone so pretty and lovely, to become a dream girl ;)  

Ganesha (clay) Idol @ Home

Ganesha is a celebrated idol in India and Vinayakar Chaturthi is one of the grand festivals celebrated here on the belief of Ganesha’s Birthday. Despite being an atheist, Ganesha Idols are my favorites from childhood and I had been an ardent of Ganesha when I wasn't conscious about my belief, but I still like the idols of Ganesha that comes out in various and unique shapes. I know a friend in Flickr who has been a passionate collector of Ganesha idols and every year he used to arrange Golu (display of dolls) from the huge collection of Ganesha idols he had been collecting for years. Take a look at his Golu set (here) to wonder how huge is collection of Ganesha idols.

Above (and beneath) is the picture of a clay Ganesha idol we bought for the festival at home. Parents purchased the idol a day before to the festival and placed under the Puja cupboard. We made vada, sweet pongal and chickpeas along with usual meals, and I spent most of the day watching special movies on television.

Mom has decided to dissolve the clay idol into a bucket or tub water tomorrow, which we have been practicing for past half a decade, instead dropping the idol at sea or river. The dissolved clay water is later watered to the plants. It is also believed the idol must be immersed at the end of the day of worship or three days later from then. 

My White Window

Window, how mesmerizing and breezy it used to be! I believe windows are an essential factor of a house. It’s a crucial player in bringing the ventilation inside our home, to make breathe easy and versatile sight to cheers. I couldn't think living in a house without windows and I strongly believe life begins only outside the windows. I think not many could understand the wealth of windows like the author of My White Window and me – who spent days almost inside the house. Window means a lot to me.

A cottage window at Kodaikanal

The windows are not meant the only ones at our homes. Every building installed windows in various shapes and frame work but the view we get were almost enchanting. I realize the worth of windows and I really want to mention something that made me felt the pulse of windows. During my course of war over lungs infection in early 2010, I was supposed to visit a lung specialist frequently related to my treatment and his clinic was on the 2nd floor of a building that we reach by a lift. He was a mid-aged doctor and kind being towards not only patient but everyone; and he treats with due care and concern which I haven't seen with any other doctors. Though every doctor treats patients to be cured, I saw something special in his way of approach and patience but not a bit of laziness or wearisome.

The doctor room was well equipped including desktop computer and split A/C to check patients at his own comfort level; but he chose the nature way of ventilation though wide open windows. Being a lung specialist, no one could understand the importance of breathing and which is healthy inhaling unlike him who prefer to open air windows rather switched on to A/C.  Through the entire visits to his clinic I saw him leaving the windows open, perhaps being on 2nd floor he might doing so I thought, but he follows the same at his resident come clinic at ground level. He also advised me to stay where I could get good ventilation. And if not the windows what can provide us such relief; and I’m also a kind, unroll the glasses whenever possible or elsewhere no pollution or heat occupy the space while on travel in car.

I know cities aren't a safe zone to seek fresh air, but we aren't lost with oxygen is a consoling fact.

Through window I see a world right opposite to my life inside the home. I don't envy at birds flying in the sky and butterflies fluttering in stunning coated wings, but I enjoy bearing fresh breeze on my face, the fragrance of flowering and chirrup of birds and crunching leaves. Well I can't explain much how heartwarming and pleasure looking through windows, a zone not so comfort like being at home. But I still and ever want to go outside exploring the glimpses I catch via windows.

There are two windows that connect me outside home: other than the one which inspires me often through the sights, sound and sense of breeze that caught behind the window bars, the Microsoft windows of my PC helps communicate the message I got through motion scenes and emotional core. Both these windows lead me to a world of wisdom. I cherish and console me through various grief and emotions that I experience in everyday dilute of life.

Footnote:

Other day while chatting, the sweet Preeti asked me to write a guest post on her blog. But for some unknown reason she’s could post it, so I make it way through my blog. I know Preetilata for long time through blog and she writes from deep heart and sometime lighter moments as cheerful. She’s one of a sweetest girl I ever know on earth and her blog (My White Window), is a best outlook for any writer and inspiration to come up with a post on windows. As she began a happy married life, I wish her all the best.

Surprise Smile

image courtesy: google

She smiled from her heart
I guess, as it wasn't planned;
a cutest encounter
while she left the house
in the morning rush hours.

Though she closed the doors,
eyes behold at the doorstep
whether she turns back
with another surprise smile,
a flash that conveys quite comfort.

They says, but not only that
a photo speaks thou words
a quiet smile expresses like feeling;
though she smiled casually
it made my day ahead cheerful.

That’s one wide smile; despite
enhancing her beautiful aspect
furthered our relationship
which has been lately conveyed
as brother and sister. 

Sunday Photo: Austin Classic

Shot at a heritage rally on vintage cars, couple of years back held at the VGP Golden Beach parking lot on ECR.

Happy Birthday Chennai

Our city celebrates 375^th year of establishment today… here I share a couple of photos on one of the city’s oldest bridges, Napier Bridge.

Also known as Iron Bridge was built in 1869 by Francis Napier, who was then Governor of Madras. The bridge was constructed over the Cooum River, connecting Fort St. George with the Marina Beach. Although the bridge was narrow before, it was soon converted to a concrete structure in 1943 by Arthur Hope.

funny to see buffaloes across the bridge

Alongside the old bridge, a new one was built in 1999 with a 10.5 meter-wide carriageway on the western side. The bridge is 138 meter long with 6 spans (bowstrings) across the river near the mouth. As part of the Marina Beach beautification, special lights have been fixtures beneath and on the arches and surface of the bridge, provides visual effect during night times. This architectural marvel stands tall and proud, making it one of the most significant landmarks in the city.

 

Life along with monkeys

My place of residence in Adyar, Chennai, has lot of monkeys! Since my native is Adyar, we transferred to the neighborhood area (buying a ground floor flat, 8 years back) to prevent difficulty of climbing up and down to the first floor home there. Now shifted back to Adyar for the last 5 months, mainly because of the emotional attachment my father hold towards this area and having been grown myself for more than 20 years here, he is more than three decades ahead of me. Though we couldn’t go back to our native home - which remained to be first and second floors since my uncle runs a workshop at ground floor -  we had rented a house close to ours, therefore my dad don’t need to wander between the neighborhoods.

a monkey on the fence (click any pics for enlarge)

I have seen monkeys (bonnet macaque) in my area even before shifted to neighborhood, though I had no idea about them until transferred back to Adyar. I not even thought that I would be back here like a bounced ball, but taking years to respond. For me where I reside becomes second, because I have come to believe that I don’t belong to one place. My intention was comfort and peace, and I am always open to experience new environment and ready to adapt anyplace with basic infrastructures. I dream of living in suburbs, where pollution and noise were at least. That too driven towards the southern districts rather closes to Chennai.

The monkeys here aren’t much troublesome, though they make their presence noticeable. At the rear of our house, canopy of trees (mostly large) sprawls for few hundred meters provides wonderful shelter to the monkeys from very young to aged. Also being very close to Adyar Theosophical Society and Besant Garden, which are very few patches of green across Chennai, adjacently, gives way to forest environment including number of rare flora and fauna. I’m really not sure these monkeys reside among the canopy of trees at the backyard, because they don’t make their way everyday across us. But few houses away from us used to make mild explosions sometime, which we come to know through our servant maid that they blast crackers to drive away the annoying monkeys.

a monkey perched on our staircase handrail

Mostly they come as a group or family, sitting here and there, climbing up and down and leaping through the branches of trees. But they don’t stay long into our sight, as they keep moving like nomads. There are even huge monkeys (perhaps obese) among them, which could scare anybody with their looks. Before I go ahead continue with monkey stories, I need to say my house has inbuilt something pre-cautiously to prevent monkeys entering or looting things leaving its hands through the windows grills. Or perhaps through their early experience with monkeys annoyance, the owners of the house has made additional frames of net to the existing windows, so that we could open the windows without fear of monkeys.

But the windows in the hall doesn’t have this facility, so monkeys have attempted few times entering our house and also succeeded, which we haven’t know until one night dad wake up to see a monkey sitting on my bro’s helmet left on the sofa. Once saw him it leaped through the windows but certainly scared my dad who didn’t expect a monkey sitting on our sofa, that too at mid-night. We were blaming the cats other day for coming into house and drink the milk left at the dining table. But through this attempt we confirmed it was the monkey, and not the cat. Few days back I read news in paper, that a monkey has been constantly attacking an apartment in the neighborhood and its main intention was drinking milk from the milk packets that dropped at every doorstep in early morning. Before the households collect the milk packets, the monkey empty those and also become so obese because of drinking only milk! Lol

Humpty dumpty sat on a wall

A monkey here also tried to scare me once, when I was alone. I working on my laptop other day and suspect something leaps off the window before I saw it clearly. But our pet, which was sleeping near my wheelchair, alerted me by suddenly barking at the window. Initially I too thought it must be a cat, but following the incident above it sounds certainly to be a monkey. Our pet haven’t seen monkeys often, so she kept barking every time they come around and also become crazy to chase them. My mom was plucking flowers one evening (from daily jasmine vine), which has become her daily activity after shifted here, a monkey came waking on the compound wall threatened her thinking she’s having something eatable in her bowl, which she use for collecting flowers. Though it doesn't do anything, she left the bowl on the wall and moved away and it passed as well.

So far the monkeys hadn't been a trouble for us; but it is fun something watching their activities and also provides opportunity to conduct photo shoot on them. The huge ones make wonder through their appearance and they aren't active and fun making like the young and middle once. I leave the post with a small collage on the monkeys fun below, shot at various moments! Thank you 

Sunday Photo: Gate

A wood planked gate of one of my neighbors… actually it is a gate of a construction office situated on our house lane, opposite to our side entrance. 

Meet my grandfather!

My grandfather (maternal) visited me yesterday on the sideline of my late great grandmother’s annual ceremony. I haven’t seen him for a very long time, as he wasn’t well to move out of his house or climbing down from his upstairs home. I was truly surprised when my grandma brings him home along with her. Since he was suffering from certain health setbacks in recent past, I didn’t expect him to visit me and for me it is hardly possible to meet him at his home in first floor and coming across their congested street in wheelchair is something quite awkward to image. Since it is hard to take a car inside their street and also post fracture last year, I am going through difficult times transferring between car and wheelchair.

My grandfather and grandmother (shot at Kodaikanal in 2012)

I feel so happy meeting him and I really moved looking into his eyes that was yearning to see me… His affection and care for me is something very special and is always evident through his eyes. Though he won’t speak much and couldn’t make gestures easily, I understand him quite well and I can’t explain how much I love him and he means to me. He is our best well-wisher and what and where we are today is only because of his chief intention along with his son’s (my late uncle) hard work, and selfless being provided us so many advantages in life. Until he closed his teashop at early 20s, he has been a hard worker and active being.  For more than two decades he had been a cabs car and lorry driver, before started fulltime dairy business and opens the teashop.

My uncle’s demise in late 2001 had hit him immensely and shutting down the teashop, left him jobless at home resulted in greater drawback at health followed by a cardiac arrest due to clot in heart.  But in latter days he suffers from diabetic and nervous problem and the side effects of tablets forced him to quite depend on others. He could walk only at very slow pace and someone need to lift him from the chair to stand and being little obese it has been very difficult for my grandmother to take care of him. We ever expected him to become infirmity at this early age of 75, while older than him are progressing well. I am one of his main concerns to make him feel regret, and he had expressed his sorrow many time with granny for unable to help me in anyways.

In 2001 he used to drive me every day to a clinic in T.Nagar here, where I took Ayurveda treatment for nearly two months. Driving through the heavy morning traffic is a true venture in his way of driving, though he manages only because of the eagerness to see me as a normal being. While studying in school, he used to pick me in his bicycle if I received none.  Putting the bags on the handlebar, he pedals me to home placing me on the rear carrier, since my school was very close to their house. He had scolded me and also embraced at same, as he always had special attention towards me.

I think it is our turn to take care of him, not only because he had worn-out his life for our self but true love he has shown for others and as children/grandchildren it’s our duty to support not only physically but also make him feel happy and content. At my stand I am conscious not to disturb him anyways, but I feel sorry that indirectly I’m one of the main concerns on his drawback stream. Emotionally he has been disturbed by others, forgetting whatever he had done for them and just for the brief of ego and updating their fake statues - though they deserved to be so – makes him feel anguish. Until 2012 he had traveled with me for many places, as I love doing it so, I am helpless now leaving him at home as he finds it very difficult to travel and getting in and out of the car, and in case of urgency he prefers Auto (rickshaw) to pick and drop him at doorstep.  

World Elephant Day

On August 12, 2012, the inaugural World Elephant Day was launched to bring attention to the urgent plight of Asian and African elephants. The elephant is loved, revered and respected by people and cultures around the world, yet we balance on the brink of seeing the last of this magnificent creature.

The escalation of poaching, habitat loss, human-elephant conflict and mistreatment in captivity are just some of the threats to both African and Asian elephants. Working towards better protection for wild elephants, improving enforcement policies to prevent the illegal poaching and trade of ivory, conserving elephant habitats, better treatment for captive elephants and, when appropriate, reintroducing captive elephants into natural, protected sanctuaries are the goals that numerous elephant conservation organizations are focusing on around the world.

dad bears an elephant trunk

The World Elephant Day stressed the need to experience elephants in non-exploitive and sustainable environments where elephants can thrive under care and protection. The intention of this day is to share knowledge and support positive solutions for the better care and management of captive and wild elephant. (Read more on elephants current status here)

Footnote:

Pictures shot at Kozhikamuthi Elephant Camp at Top Sip, near Coimbatore. 

Sunday Photo: Stanley Reservoir

Stanley Reservoir is one of the largest fishing reservoirs in South India, River Cauvery as its main source of water. The water is retained by the Mettur Dam, which has a capacity of totally 90 Tmcft!  The creation of the reservoir means submersion of two villages, all of whose inhabitants were relocated to Mettur.  

PS. Right now its celebration time at Mettur Dam, hence dam has touched 110ft of water on the total height of 120ft. Thanks to the heavy rainfall across Cauvery catchment, which forced the dams of Karnataka to release surplus water from the KRS and Kabini dams to rose to nearly 1,00,000 cubic feet per second from less than 40,000 latterly. The shutters of the dam are opened for samba rice cultivation from today. ( Photos composed while the level of water was about 75ft , while taking a drive on the dam few years back)

Stories (memories) related to Tea Urn and Bicycle Vendors

Coffee and Tea has become an essential part of life and we grow up drinking either one of the other, depending on our lifestyle or taste buds; some take regularly or occasionally for refreshment and at the occasions of meetings and events, they becomes a treat. I know some who don’t drink coffee or tea, thinking it’s not good for health, but gulp bottles of soft drinks!  There isn’t certain facts how much good or not taking coffee or tea, but in my opinion there’s a limit for everything. I enjoy both coffee and tea according to my desire at that moment, but my most favorite is coffee. 

Coming to the post, I just thought to share some of my memories related to Tea Urns (can) and the vendors carrying it on their bicycles to make life out of selling tea or coffee. Since my grandparents have done dairy business and owning a tea shop then, I grown up watching their day-to-day activities but the Tea Urns are seldom used by them. They make coffee or tea using the milk that kept heated in a vessel directly on the stove and being a crowded residential area, theirs was the only tea shop to open from early morning to night and they work hard to keep up customers.

(Tea Urns tied to a vendor's bicycle at marina beach)

My initial memory of Tea Urn was in 1991!  During the assassination of Rajiv Gandhi, the then Prime Minister of India, all the shops were closed in Chennai or perhaps because of Bandh (a form of protest used by political activists in India) to mourn his death. Since the bomb blasts (in which he was killed) occurred close to Chennai (Sriperumbudur is 40km from here), there was a situation of anxiety everywhere and I still remember how uproar  my grandfather’s house street was, where the tea shop also lies, where people standing together here and there, and discussing about the matters…

My grandparent’s house is situated in one of the crowded or congested street in south Chennai and getting in and out of it is an adventure and taking a car means stickers in scratches. The people here don’t need a reason to engage in street fights and it used to be an entertainment for the residents here, to come leaning on the wall and watching the scene. So, in a situation like this, the turmoil has been in its full swing related to the assassination. My grandparent’s does not only run a tea shop, but also reared dozen of milch buffalos and couple of cows in the backyard. So shutting down the tea shop means, lose of liters of milk.

To avoid the situation, they sold the milk in black (market) through the side entrance of the house and the Tea Urn was filled and put on the street side to deliver tea.  I accompanied my uncle while he took care of the Tea Urn, open and closing the tap filling the little tumblers with tea. Every time I see a vendor pedaling with Tea Urn in the streets, I remember that moment and my grandparent’s use on Tea Urn is rarity and I have seen it only left ideal on the loft. Apart this, there was also a ginger coffee vendor who later joined the neighborhood of my grandparents.

He come from a very poor family and stayed at a rented hut, adjacent to my grandparent’s house along with his wife and an infant. His only source of income was selling ginger coffee in the Tea Urn carried on his only bicycle. Since they rented hut at our neighbor’s friendly house, I used to go to their house while playing around and have witnessed him filling the Tea Urn with ginger coffee. But with my bad memory I couldn’t recollect the procedure he handled in making the ginger coffee. (Couple of years back I happen to taste the ginger coffee while visiting marina beach, from one of the Tea Urn vendors and it was such hot and spicy to hurt my throat, and then I decided not to taste it anymore.)

It was also a period where the plastic or paper cups weren’t prevailed; so he used to take two small pails of water along with him, which used to hang on both sides of his bicycle’s rear carrier. He also put hang a wire basket on the handlebar with few dozens of steel tumblers, pressed one inside another, and once the customers sipped off he wash away the tumblers with the pails of water immediately, for another round of service. It was also interested to watch him tying the Tea Urn in his bicycle carrier, making sure it doesn’t fall off while pedaling on streets.

(A ginger coffee vendor at marina beach)

In early 20s, there was a bicycle vendor who used to visit my uncle’s workshop regularly to supply tea and coffee to the employees. My uncle runs a Maruti (car) workshop at the ground floor of our native house in Adyar and while I am quite out of the school then, I used to watch his (bicycle vendor’s) activates from our balcony. He used to put stand his bicycle in front of the workshop, which means getting a good sight on his from the balcony and unlike the ginger coffee vendor, who sold only ginger coffee, he was capable of selling 4 in one (bicycle).

He was such an active young person, and his hands used to play while he makes anything out of milk. With one Tea Urn (filled with milk) tied to his bicycle carrier, he satisfies four kinds of taste buds with sufficient use of coffee and ginger powders, hot teas brew and spice ingredient. He used to come hanging two wire baskets on the handlebar, one had two vacuum flasks of hot milk and teas brew and the other with three cylindrical boxes containing powders of coffee, ginger and spice for making masala milk! It’s another great entertainment for me, then, watching his series exchanges made between the beverages according to the customer’s request.

If it is for coffee, he picks up a little plastic cup (from a packet of series of cups that hang on the side of the Tea Urn) and drops a little spoon of coffee power and fills it with milk by opening the Tea Urn tap. Before he serves anybody, he make two long pours using another steel tumble he separately handled for this purpose. And for making tea, he opens of the flask and pours few mm of teas brew in the cup and makes another long pour after filled with milk. He maintained this act for every other beverage.

Many a time I had taken coffee from him and those days the quality of content used to be somehow fine… but these days they are just hot water Tea Urns. Except hotels, restaurants and homes, coffee or tea has gone so bad in taste and thickness at tea shops and bicycle vendors. Once, the tea shops at countryside used to be excellent in beverage, with the use of direct cow or buffalo milk, but now, they also seems well spoiled by making use of packet milk. I really feel regret how well have we gone down in quality and quantity compared to early days. Not only beverage, anything u takes lacks quality today.  

P.S. Both the pictures were captured at Chennai Marina beach at various moments, and what inspired me to write this post.

Nephew’s drive

My nephew Barath is so passionate about cars and he is also capable of identifying any kind of vehicles at the age of 2.4!   When he hears a siren, he gush ambulance and for him any sort of SUVs is Jeep.

Here he rides his Swift car; actually it’s a pullback car but he likes only sitting on it and moving front and back. He cheers me excessively whenever he visits home and I really look forward to spent time with him, admiring his infant speech and childish behavior. He’s almost ready to go to lower kindergarten and so was his knowledge now. His parents teaches him through e-learning at their free time and being interested in watching television, he picks up easily with things  he sees on screen.

Everyone conveys to put him in school as he learns things quickly; I really wish he joins the regular kindergarten like most others children instead going to a preschool. I wish he enjoyed his childhood as much he could before fall into the enforced education system. 

Madras is Beautiful – A short video

Chennai, formerly known as Madras, is once again cherished though a slow motion video, that make feel one nostalgic about the city before it become modernized. An old gramophone spins merrily, pursued by fishermen carrying baskets of fresh catch… the camera moves then capturing the frothy waves crashing on the majestic rocks of Kovalam beach are the opening scenes of Madras is beautiful – a video by Madras Photo Factor.

The excellent in quality video is an absolute treat to not only Chennaities, but anyone who had come across Madras. Shot by Balaji Maheshwar, a 28-year-old documentary photographer, the video encompasses everything that is this city.  A beautiful tribute to the elegant beauty of Madras! The two and a half minute video was shot at the century-old dhobikhana, Marina Beach, Balaji Saravana Theatre, Kapaleeswarar Temple and Parry’s Corner.

The video also features filter coffee, an old Fiat car trundling by, boys playing beach cricket, a yellow cycle rickshaw and cultural elements like Bharatanatyam and Carnatic music. Through the background music sounds Bengali, it sooths despite unmatched to Madras essence. The video was shot in a month’s time and it was launched on Youtube on July 25 and at current ratio it marks 82,826 viewed and 991 likes. I loved the video :)

P.S. The team also reveal another video on the request of viewers, Madras is Calling, is a 4.33 minute-long footage shows more than enough in brief to make realize the love for city. It also has a Tamil background score which got it from A.R.Rahman’s composition for Swades.