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. 

RGB Monday

Here's another multicolored image for the RGB Monday series... comprising red, green and blue.

The colorful balloon  shooting (or ready for shoot) at Marina Beach, Chennai

Bird watching @ Thandikudi: Asian Brown Flycatcher

Thandikudi is a wonderful place to enjoy bird watching and it’s a paradise for birds.  When i was staying amid the coffee plantations and canopy of trees, in the Narumana Kudil (fragrant huts) maintained by the village council there, I got to watch many birds and listen to distinct voices of same and one of it was the cute little Asian Brown Flycatcher.

The Asian Brown Flycatcher is a small passerine bird in the family of flycatcher – Muscicapidae, and it is an insectivorous species which breeds in Japan, Eastern Siberia and the Himalayas. It is migratory and winters in tropical southern Asia from southern India and Sri Lanka east to Indonesia.

doesn't this look cute?

This species is 13 cm long, including the cocked tail. It is similar in shape to the larger spotted flycatcher, but is relatively longer-tailed and the adult has grey-brown upper-parts, which become grayer as the plumage ages, and whitish under parts with brown-tinged flanks. Young birds have scaly brown upper-parts, head and breast. (source of info: wiki)

Linking this post with SATURDAY CRITTERS

A house, fence/rail and flowers

This is a house opposite to my great aunt’s in Neelankarai, Chennai, and I casually shot these photos at different time period and it is a pretty house with flowering shrubs around and my point of shoots here, were on flowers.

It was kind of bungalow and I have seen it from the day of building and the house sits on a high platform or basement that was supported by deep foundation!  As I know a couple of elder people were residing there along with their son or daughter, both seems to be married.

The house has two spacious baloneys extends from the first floor, has a tiled roof and portico... they have also captured a theme of red, green and white to the building that colors the roof and balcony, and grills/rails and windows to look neat.

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

Grandpa back to home, with a tendency for his house

My grandpa had discharged from the hospital and was brought back to our home against his wish to go to his home. He’s doing much better now and breathes easily. He had been admitted to hospital with complaint of chest pain and whizzing on Sunday night (13 Sep) and was kept in ICU for 4 days and transferred to ward when his condition becomes stable. He had been on oxygen mask almost his stay and until his breathing becomes normal. His diet had been completely depended of liquid food and he was fed through tube and only a day before his discharge he was on normal feeding through mouth. So he looks frail to even sit on his own balance and his back was exposed to sore due to confined to bed all these days in hospital. This has been a great setback in his journey after his post hospitalization (3 months back) and he showed great improvement in his health and activity after doing physiotherapy. But now it seems everything has to be started from the much earlier stage and would be very difficult to achieve what he had gained these days. Doctors have said his heart is very weak and he could not be active like before and also anticipating him to do much is not possible.

He’s very intense to go to his home and only because of his pressure we moved him out of the hospital, but more than moving out of hospital he’s eager to go to his home rather coming to ours. He was in anticipation to go to his home with 3 days ahead before he was shifted to hospital with chest pain make him feel disappointed. Once moved out of ICU, but being there no one was allowed to interact with him and being on oxygen mask, he couldn’t talk as his whiz when try to speak, he openly and indirectly conveyed his wishes to go to his new house and his attitude also conveys the same. I heard, he seemed vigorous when said go to his home and at same time when doctors extend his stay at hospital the expressions become anger and he showed less response to others. He arrived at home in ambulance, as he was unable to stand, and thinking that he had come to his home he was seen happier and seeing me he enthused as if I was visiting him at his home. We understand his desire to go to his home, but practically it seems very difficult with grandma handling him alone. Though there was his son and in-law, but being there always for them is no possible as they have their own family and work to look after, we decided to hold them sometime until grandpa put pace on him. But I am not sure they stay that long and to make him feel not frustrate, he will be transfer to his home in a day or two to decided to return back or stay over there. 

Sunday Photos – Ganesh Chaturthi

Ganesh Chaturthi is a grand festival in India, devoted to Ganesha – a prime deity worshiped by Hindus. Here I like to share some photos relevant to festival at home and Ganesha procession from our street temples.

 The clay idol of Ganesha, bought for the festival at home

 Feast in front of the idol as a dedication and part of worshiping

 A worshiping process (burning camphor) before the clay idol was put to immerse

Clay idol of Ganesha immersed in tub water to dissolve... to be poured for plants and shrubs once turned liquid. This is a process we have been practicing for last 5-6 years, rather immersing into water bodies that result water pollution.

Couple of Ganesha procession (above and below) from our street temples on the day of Ganesh Chaturthi 

Park Fence

Last week I went to a corporation park in the neighborhood, in my new powered wheelchair before yet to send it for rectification. Though it isn’t a big park, there’s a nice footpath to come around and it has a fence portion where some shrubs and flowering plants and crotons are preserved to look good and feel greenish. The other part of the park has a play area for kids to enjoy swings, slides and seesaw and also has some colorful benches (made of planks and concrete) for elders to sit and relax while kids play around.

A pretty flower though fence

I spent some time there watching things happening around and fun checking kids sliding and swinging around. I saw a couple with a pair of kids, who were left to play while they work on the laptop, and in between their job, perhaps looks some office work, the mother put the kids to play. An elder man got to occupy a bench for long time, keep watching me taking some shots using the mobile, and a middle age couple was relaxing aside after taking some walks around the park.

A tree close to the entrance gate

The fence that covering the green area seems to be a kind of chain-link, daubed in green. Seeing the fence I couldn’t avoid thinking about Good Fences run by Run a Round Ranch, so clicked to present/link here. 

Grandpa at hospital and desire to go home

Just 3 days ahead for my grandparent’s to return to their home, as per their plan to shift to their newly built home after staying more than 3 month with us following grandpa’s hospitalization and ill being, he was once again at hospital from last night. Mygrandfather experienced chest pain late at night Sunday and continue to whiz and find difficult to breath forced us to admit him in hospital without delay. It was post 11 pm and we are yet to sleep after watching my favorite talk show (Neeya Naana) in TV, grandpa waked up granny complaining chest pain and we gave him Gelusil, thinking it may be heartburn. But he continues to sweat and whiz, so we thought it could be perhaps cardiac arrest and doesn’t want to risk waiting and watching. Glad he was able to stand and walk, so instead calling ambulance we took him in the car to the hospital, suggested by the doctor on the call, and he was admitted to ICU. His condition seems to get little worse on admission and was put on oxygen mask to breathe ease. Doctors said there’s ‘fluid in the lungs’ and that’s why he had trouble breathing and whizzing heavily.

First they said he had no cardiac arrest or any trace like that in the ECG, but later in morning confess he had a mild attack following an echo-cardiogram test. For the last 24 hours he has been in ICU and doctors had decided to keep him there for two more days to monitor his condition and he still breathes on oxygen mask as his breathing ability continue to be inadequate, he’s also on medicine to remove fluid in the lungs. Only if his lungs become empty, it is believe he could breathe normal and during this time his heartbeat also touched the lowest which makes us all worry. He has been feeling chest pain more than a week, but he hadn’t told anyone of us and we also haven’t noticed any symptoms about us as he continues to act normal until hitting the bed that night. Being a Parkinson’s patient he could not talk much and also experience unsteady mindset sometime to forgetfulness. He seemed cheerful for the last two days as they anticipated going back to their home and he even conveyed his adieu very early to me thinking of going home. Hope he gets well soon and go back to his desirable home – the comfort zone and familiar in environment, perhaps! 

Annoy with Meow!

Who don’t like cats and their cute purr? Long time back we had cats as our pet and it used to be fun watching them playing around. But that’s a different story for another day. For last few weeks we were experience quite annoy because of the cat’s purr – Meow! The cats are cutest animal and their purr is of course somehow pleasant, but the matter is when they cross the limit and hangs around frequently on the wall and make noise in a way disturbing, not us, but our pet dog, Maya.  Generally it is believed and witnessed by many that cats and dogs don’t go together and ours is no more different.

The cat in the image is the main culprit interrupts the peaceful slumber of our pet dog often by its curse. Purr! Actually she/he isn’t grown enough to become a cat, because I saw her/him as a kitten less than a month back, perhaps he/she should be in her pretty teen now to be naughtier. : D It all began from the day my grandma fed the cat with fish heads, after cutting off the heads and cleaning fishes before progress with cooking. Generally we don’t encourage cats and after owning a dog we stopped petting any other and not only because our dog hate cats, it’s also not easy to detach once become friendly. It is an experience we leant through many occasions of losing pet dogs and cats, to keep us away.

This black and white kitty is so daring animal and doesn’t seem to fear about our barking dog and come around bravely with meow, how many times we shoo away! Other day, the cat quietly came under our couch while we eating fish curry and mom was shook for a moment seeing the cat there, which was a look strange for her rather the usual sight of our fluffy white dog. It came in, when our dog was sleeping inside and didn’t move out easily until we put forceful shoo. Apart this there are two more cats – one with black and white with orange and other was a tabby cat, but they aren’t annoying like this BW though they come around our home often. Even while writing this post it’s making purr from the compound wall to let our dog bark.

You might know the boldness of this cat from the photos above, which was shot from closer distance through the back door and in one of it; it was giving pose for us, looking at the mobile camera.

Linking this post with SATURDAY CRITTERS - for the firs time.

Little gates and letter/milk boxes

Few weeks’ back I was at KK Nagar and come across few streets where I find couple of gates of houses adjoining one another. What interest me to capture these little gates were the letter and milk boxes hanging from each other.

Both were ground plus first floor and the house above was painted in bright orange and light green combo. The houses on this street where built in a row and this house has a twofold gate with three boxes – one red letter box and two blue milk boxes.

(both images captured on mobile and can be enlarged click on it)

Like the red letter box, the blue milk box is also slowing becoming my favorite thing and I find more gates with milk boxes these days than the red letter boxes. Apart the blue milk box, in the gate above, I also liked the simple design of the gate which seems patterned in fishes! 

Seven Spotted Cockroach

First I spotted this kind of bug in the Theosophical Society in the neighborhood (Adyar), around a muddy terrain and fallen leaves. About half a decade later, I was surprise to see this bug inside our compound wall and again around the fallen (dry) leaves of Neam and an unknown tree of the neighbor. I spotted the bug few months back and days after showering, the bug was wandering around the dry leaves for its prey.  And last week it decided to stick to the compound wall sometime for me to shoot.

P.S. Thanks DI (Destination Infinity) for letting me know the real name of the bug in comment, which I referred early as white spotted black bug.

My New Powered Wheelchair – Disappointments and Comforts!

I was looking forward for a new wheelchair from the time I started to experience back pain (from the beginning of this year) and that’s mainly because of the pelvic misalignment and mild scoliosis in spine that we find through a diagnosis in April. Without delay we approached a leading wheelchair manufacturer in Chennai to get a comfort wheelchair that perhaps decreases my back pain and prevent further spinal curvature. You might get more detail about the alignment and discomfort from my earlier post here. 

We placed an order on May 20 after discussing with him (the wheelchair manufacturer) at home; who came on our invite and as we know him already and being the manufacturer of my old power wheelchair, I thought he perhaps know my condition well and do his best to provide me the comfort I seek. Following his websites and the models he posted there, I thought of picking one from that that suits my need. But only listening to him at home reveals that those are models just to give an idea about the wheelchairs they manufacture to those unknown and he manufacture a wheelchair only on order.

He sent me a quotation listing down the facilities on the powered wheelchair including the specs I requested, with a notification on delivery within 45- 60 days. Though I was quite disappoint with the days his delivery marks, I console later that my normal powered/electric wheelchair took 30 days to deliver about 8 years back, the deluxe perhaps take that much. But what really happened was I got the wheelchair only after 100 days. We started inquiring about the wheelchair from the minimum days to delivery, in hope he deliver as soon as possible since my condition wasn’t comforting. But he keeps extending his delivery period from week to week on a constant basis of our inquiry.

He delivered the wheelchair on the day 101! To say the truth I was frustrated at the look of the wheelchair, which stood like a robot with big boot and being taller than expected I was somehow taken aback. I had no idea how he going to design my wheelchair. Because he hadn’t showed me exactly how the wheelchair would come up and also I hadn’t thought to ask him about the wheelchair height (from the ground to seat) as I didn’t find great difference in height when checking the wheelchair models in his website. Though the seat height is just about 4” more than the old wheelchair there’s great difference when putting me to seat. Perhaps it could become normal as we used to but right moment it matters lot!

I have nothing to complain much about seating in this new wheelchair, which has a bucket seat to sooth my back and very comfortable sitting to relax with reclining backrest and elevating footrest and handling! The wheelchair is much powerful than the previous one, where I used to drive in 3 of the total speed of 5. But in this I get the speed of riding on 3 in 1 apart the top speed of about 10-12 km/hr in 5 speeds. Though I feel comfort and increase in my level of confidence with the power of the new wheelchair, I somehow dislike on the look. The base and bottom of the wheelchair look disdain and the color of green isn’t likable and rather being thematic it outshines oddly.

I am a person don’t want to be noticed unnecessarily in public and the same goes to my wheelchair and I want it to look decent and though it wasn’t appealing much, I wish it was grayish instead being green. This wheelchair doesn’t come out exactly what I anticipated but it need to be rectify a lot to be more comfort and we have also stressed him to reduce the height of seat as main cause. I don’t feel any discomfort with the height but my parents do find hard to put me on seat. I took the wheelchair to road couple of times to check its ability and to see how comfortable it was on the long run. And few days back I took it to the doctor clinic, across the main road (LB road, Adyar) to check for my cold. The wheelchair is said to run 15 km per charge, but I guess it should be giving less than 10 km. Hope to test it more after the rectifying process, where the wheelchair will be brought back to the company. 

My Bicycle Diary (Part II)

Part I here

There’s nothing like pedaling the bicycle as fast as I can, though my maximum speed is almost below normal there’s a feel of achieving something that when exists from my own strength and energy is unequal to anything. I think not only cycling, but anything that has a personal touch and contribution from same is always special.  Even though we have or get assistance from others on any job/work but when it comes to things we are passionate or close to be, doing it on self is something satisfactory that no one could repudiate.  Sometime I feel lack of power to pedal the cycle and those times what help me (to move ahead) were the ramps built in front of many houses and my uncle having his own workshop with ramp in front of it to make way cars enter the garage. I used to bring the cycle above the ramp and pedal fast along with the force to cover certain distance and repeat it from some others ramps.

Cycling is one of the best parts of my active life then and the only vehicle I drove on my own using my ability. I got great control over the handlebar by propelling the cycle helped me to drive Scooty (a sort of Scooter), but rather independently I ride it with the help of my dad who used to support from pillion when the bike need to halt, as I can’t balance its weight on foot. But those are a decade and a half old story. I have drove bicycle for more than 6 years but I wasn’t powerful unlike when I started to pedal bicycle and as I lose power subsequently and walking becomes difficult I quit cycling. The memories of cycling are always evergreen, although I couldn’t remember all of it, certain incidents and phases continue to exist. Thanks to Aarumugam (six face) and if he hadn’t spent time teaching us cycling we couldn’t have got the opportunity to learn quickly since every other was busy with their lives.

Not that riding cycle alone is fun but also going for a ride with your friend or favourite person who could pedal fast. I don’t remember my father or mother following our cycle journeys; it was the employs of the workshop run by the uncle whom we interact mostly and it was a time I was drop out of school for a year and I used to spent all the time with them and it was Arul (a young employ at workshop) used to take me for speed rides in cycle which I find so thrilling. Sitting sideways on the centre bar and holding the handlebar it was fun to kick start a ride and it is a way I used to go around with my neighbourhood friend who has enough ability to pedal me along. Many a time there used to be clash between me and my brother over driving cycle and sometime I along with the friend put him wander (street-by-street) by driving fast and let them chase away. But many a time he has been supportive to me and pushed the cycle for me to drive fast.

I have also drove hire cycles few times and though I had a wish to try different cycles and when my brother refuses to give me a change I took for this. I remember I liked and feel easy to drive the Anjali cycle (a bicycle which was famous then following the Tamil flick Anjali); it has a long and narrow seat with back support and could accommodate 2 kids at a time. The hire fee used to be Rs.1 per hour but I leave the cycle before the time, even though the shop keeper doesn’t seem to be accurate I fear what he may say. When we shifted to our grandpa’s house for a year, while we reconstruction our home, and being close to my school I got to cycle along with my classmate for some time and the street of our grandpa’s used to be crowded so we mostly end up lifting the cycle to terrace to make little rounds. It used to be a large terrace with all sides wall; it feels safe to ride on. 

The bicycle we used has been a worth product (BSA Champ) and worked for long years, which has been used by our other two cousin when my brother brought another for him. My first bicycle ride (not pedalling) I remember was with my father. He took me to home from grandpa’s making me stand on the bar holding his shoulder in one arm. I really hate sitting on the bar as it make feel discomfort, I always wish for a baby seat (a small seat on the bar connecting handlebar and seat) which has been in my friend’s father cycle. The days that are close to my heart and final rides of me on a bicycle were with my grandpa. Sometime if no one comes to pick me from school, which is near his home, he would come in his bicycle and put me seated on the carrier and the school bag in the handlebar he make a great balance despite his difficulty in climbing and pedalling. I would cherish those moments forever and it bothers me much when I see him fighting with Parkinson latterly.

End

My Bicycle Diary (Part I)

I think not many would have led a life without pedaling a bicycle at least in their childhood and it is a dream for every child to get a bicycle when they see other kids enjoy riding their own. I’m no more exception! I got my first (and last) bicycle when I was 8 or 9 years old and although I have a dream for bicycle it was my doctor (whom we consulted for my disorder and it was the time of discovery that I was affected by Muscular Dystrophy) encouraged my parents to get me a bicycle as a part of my exercise. Knowing this, my maternal uncle decides to get us (me and brother) a cycle but it took some time for him and the waiting period was something put us on eager and dream a lot about cycling.

My uncle is a car mechanic and had his workshop adjacent to our home and stepping out is indeed into his workshop. After the school we used to spent time in the workshop, apart playing with friends at backstreet and during this time we frequent to cross his sight as a kind of reminding him about the cycle. We had no idea about the cycle, what brand or kind to buy and it is he chooses the right one for us. It was a cycle belongs to the middle category which can either ride by children as well adults if seat was lifted to their comfort height.  I think he should have bought the cycle with a perception to ride for long period as we are in growing age then. I still remember the evening he took one of his employ in pillion to buy the cycle so that he can let him pedal to home while he returns in his bike.

He bought the cycle for about Rs. 1500. Those days I don’t know the value of money and that price seems to be a huge sum for me and from the size of the bag (a kind of backpack) I thought he should have bundles of currency inside.  I have no idea still why he took that bag along with him when the amount could easily slip into his purse.  Mom did some puja to the bicycle, which is a custom here to be carried with any newly bought things and it is a belief that by doing such prayer the thing will last long and work good. The next day been a weekend and Saturday, we catch up with the cycle early in the morning and one of my uncle’s workshop employ, Aarumugam, taught us how to ride the cycle. And that was the first time I try to pedal a cycle and within an hour I rode it individual.

Our area in Adyar is somehow quiet except the office and school time, learning cycle is easy enough and he (Aarumugam) continue to accompany us through our initial days of leaning and used to hold back the bicycle wherever we go. Though I started to ride the cycle without a support in an hour time, I don’t know how to land and also need someone to hold the bicycle to climb on. At one point he left the cycle and stayed behind or I rode leaving him and I don’t know how to land but that moment (with a turn ahead) I went close to a pile of sand (that unloaded on the roadside for a building construct) and fall/slide over it slowly along with the cycle so I don’t get hurt. And I followed this idea for some time until there was a sand pile.

I used to drive bicycle too slowly as I lack strength to put it fast and I do drive alone rarely, as I don’t want to risk falling somewhere. So mostly my brother used to accompany me, at least he follows me not to miss his round. Every evening we used to go for a round in cycle, apart getting conflict between the numbers of rounds, I mostly give away as I could not pedal for long.  Sometime my brother used to help me pedal fast by placing his foot on mine, while sharing the seat with me, give his force upon mine. When driving like this one evening, we unexpectedly fall down and my front tooth uprooted fully. It was an unforgettable incident happen with my cycling experience which identity is left in my tooth still.

I came home with a bleeding mouth bearing the tooth in one hand. My mom was in quite shock and took me immediately to the dental clinic at the street end, but we had to wait some time until the dentist arrives half an hour later. We don’t know how to handle the uprooted tooth, so folded it in a paper and brought to the dentist. I just remember how we used to bury the milk tooth in mud when it falls; according to our elders instruction and belief that showing it away the tooth will not grow. Perhaps because of that my mom would have folded in papers, but the dentist on arrival reveals that it should have dropped in milk or water to perhaps to keep alive the roots. The dentist fixed the tooth at its place and tied it along with the other tooth using a wire and was left to set on its own. I wasn’t sure getting back my tooth, but glad it decided to grip hold the gums.

Continue...

(I think the post could extend to another length or I could write more on this front... so will write in two parts and the other will follow soon or perhaps be next)