Unworded - Flower Beautiful

Hanging Flowers - Clicked at Munnar

Versatile, they thought and so be it!!!

Ambulisamma has honored this blog with an award (gasp!) for its versatile content (okay, okay, I am flattered!) and so, here go the thanks and the customaries.

 RULES

1. Thank the person who awarded you & link back to them in your post

2. Tell 7 random facts about yourself

3. Pass the award

Thanks Ambulisamma (AA, in short) for the award and hope I am indeed versatile. When you sign AA in your comments, I recollect only Alcoholics Anonymous and not American Airlines, hic!, :-) :-).

RANDOM FACTS

1. I remember most of my classmates' names from my 10th standard than my 12th or my grad classes, given that it is eons since passing out of SSLC. Some nostalgia, that! I have never ever done full nighters before exams at any time. The only instance I remember studying past midnight was till 1:00 pm for a Chemistry exam in my undergrad class. I have been known to take it easy and played street cricket on the days of my SSLC final exams (even before heading for the exams) that my father was asked later if I passed. It is another matter that I passed with a very decent score that even I didn't expect. :-)
2. I loved to read newspapers end to end including classifieds at one point in time while my ears shut off from the rest of the world. It has reduced to just quick eye scans these days, but I usually need something to look at during my morn coffee or during meal times, even if it is a flyer for something useless (As Vivek, the comedian, quips in some movie about folks in a tea-shop reading about the Indira Gandhi assassination in the newspaper kept there). In fact, my cousins and aunt used to tease me stating that my future wife would insert ads in the newspapers to make me to get groceries et al or do chores. :-) Of course, Señora doesn't do that, I get an eyeful and an earful (unmuteable, unpre-emptible and unblockable) these days if I don't do the requested things. :-) :-)
3. I have always been intrigued at all the Page 3 folks in the newspapers (my paper is Times of India, ToI) as to what they do in real life other than cling on to each other and grin ear to ear all year long, have parties or pose with wine glasses and having interesting names with numerological twists. I even remember a few regulars on those pages. Those who know ToI know what a 'masala' paper it is. Señora now knows more about the Hollywoodies/Bollywoodies than me though she scarcely skims those pages. I used to nag her with questions on 'general knowledge' as to who is the current husband of whom, the past wife of whom, who is this/that, yada yada and these days she can identify almost all those 'icons' with their past and present and ex-es. :-D :-D
4. I used to lie (of course, not on serious topics) straight-faced as a practical joke on parents/Señora (examples being I am transferred to Delhi or I have to leave abroad over the weekend, I am going to quit my job etc). In earlier times, it was believed to the fullest and I would keep up the act for a long time. How long can one keep up with 'huli banththu, huli banththu' (puli varudhu, puli varudhu)? These days, one look at me and Señora sniffs it out as bluff though very rarely she errs. Fun, it is (was)!
5. Would like tiffin/snacks rather than a meal. I used to hate veggies, but now I eat almost everything (used to hate ladies-finger (okra) the worst, but now it is okay) with the singular exception of capsicum which I can only ingest as 'bajji'. Similar case with North Indian foods/masala. I only tolerate aloo-parota with pickles/curd. :-) You now know how to make me run a mile away!
6. I love the smell of rains and the weather just after it has rained. However standing in the rain or getting drenched is a strict no-no. I seem to have an skin reaction with respect to cold weather and dampness. So, no Holi for me folks!
7. Habits die hard, laziness rules and it does, really! I do not believe why one would need to go to the railway station and stand in the platform a full hour or two before the train ambles in. I believe in being kept on the toes. :) I have missed a train once to Bengaluru from Chennai and saw the last coach vanish slowly to a dot as I ran into the platform. Have been warned by Señora to leave home early especially if we are dropping her parents at the railway station. I ran out of petrol in the car once while doing the drop to the station and blood pressure shot through the roof for all folks in the car. Even now, I drive the car with the 'Fuel-low' lights on for a fair distance before I go to re-fuel. You should see the reaction of those in the car these days when I state that I see the fuel light has come on in the console. Ha Ha Ha :-) :-) Don't I need folks to push the car? 

THIS AWARD IS SHARED WITH

• Zeno, the philosopher, who was my inspiration to blog :-D
• RS, mysterious and dignified. :-)
• chennaigirl, P's mother and an interesting blogger :-)

Well, I have rambled on and on and on to make it 'random stories' and so here it stops. :-) :-)

Unworded - Color contrasts

Tamizh New Year Greetings & Wishes!

 

Lavender amongst shades of green - Jacaranda blooms

Powers of Persuasion

A few days back, on a Friday, I had to work out of home because of back-to-back early morning teleconferences and as driving into Bengaluru is a nightmare after 8:30 am. El Niño was having a holiday and the first thing he said after waking up was 'Thum aaj office nahin jaayaengaey'. We wonder as to how he manages to 'think' and talk in Hindi fluently when no Hindi is used at home except for watching what the characters mouth in Doraemon, Perman, Ninja Hattori, Shin-chan, Beyblade, Oggy and the cockroaches etc etc. :)

After fueling up and realizing that I was still at home and on my laptop, El Niño persuaded me to come and play at 9:00 am in the morning. Barked back saying that I had work to do and hence no play. For around half-an-hour there was no sign of him and then whoosh!, there was a paper rocket flying over my head. I ignored it and continued. A few minutes later, another paper missile landed with a dire missive. "Do not speak to me. Until you say sorry I wont talk to you".

And then I go, to find him behind a fortified barricade of pillows, sheets and blankets, drawn from all the rooms. A few sorrys and cajoling did not get him out of his frown. And then the magic words, "Shall we go and play TT and squash?", did the trick. And off we went out for an hour or so, burning a few calories with sweat, tears (me being accused of cheating in TT) and toil, while the work waited.

A similar scene two days back on Sunday. We had played tennis for around an hour in the baking morning sun on a concrete basketball court and came home to cool down when there was trouble again in the form of the swimming pool. Looked out toward the pool and not a soul in sight with only the shimmer of heat waves floating. Tried to wriggle out saying it is hot and I do not have swim trunks. And he went in, dug into my 'junk collection' and pulled out two big rubber-bands, strapped them to my knee length shorts and said, 'your swim shorts are ready. lets go'. Not to disappoint, drove down with him for around 6 kms to a sports shop, bought swim trunks and headed back home for lunch.

The negotiation started as to when we enter the pool.
"4:30 pm, when the sun is lower", I said.
"No, 2:30 pm", he refrained, "I'll finish food by 1:30 pm and then one hour to digest".
"It will be too hot even then. Look at you, all tanned. Okay, We'll go at 4:00 pm", I persist.

After a few minutes of back and forth of watching puppy-faced at the clock and at me, I had to melt (is there a choice?) and move the time up to 3:00 pm as the pool rendezvous. Slipped into an afternoon siesta after lunch with the drone of some toon TV channel in the background when a loud noise startled me. The TV was still on and the time was 3 minutes to 3:00 pm and there he was, before me, ready with his swim-wear accessories, towel et al and asking me to get mine to go to the pool.

And off we trudged to the pool, after dabbing some sunblock, with the sun beating down, for my 2 hours of flotation and attempted breath control in the water. I know only one water manoeuvre, the back float. (Need to learn swimming, but the thought of water going inside my nose freaks me out to panic)

Don't know where El Niño gets his energy from; his usual day now has an hour of swimming classes, an hour and a half of tennis thrice a week, then the local cricket and swimming sessions and at times, playing badminton and TT, hide-and-seek games with the kids around, Wii gaming as a side-kick to La Niña and then watching the toon channels. And for La Niña, except for the swim classes, and thrice a week music, the days are spent at immense leisure, watching TV/toon episodes on youtube.com, playing Super Mario Galaxy on the Wii and arranging and re-arranging her junk collection (like father, like daughter :-)) and maybe an hour or so of playing with her motley group of friends.

And for Señora, I have to thank her for all the mercies! Her day remains almost the same. She did mumble, 'Hmmm I should have the persuasive powers of El Niño. You seem to obey what he asks and he can twist you on his little finger.'

Ah! the joys of the school summer vacation, Still 50+ days to go for us to cope. Looks like El Niño asked Señora yesterday as to why I do not have a summer/Dussehra vacation like what he has. I am so overwhelmed with that gesture. Hope I had that luxury. :-) :-)

Unworded - Self Portrait

Clicking Self
(with due credits to Ilaiyaraaja's 'Singing Self' from 'Nothing but Wind')

Universality

It was a very busy week with everyone in my team struggling to cope. Was in a team meeting where some action items were being discussed and disbursed. There was one line item which had no takers. Our manager called out to one who was logged in on the conference bridge. "Rob, looks like it is in your area. Do you want to take it?" Rob, after a few moments of silence, replied. "Ok, I'll take it. Does it really matter that with my work and the other actions, I am already under water. It doesn't matter if it is an inch or a foot. Pile it on.". And we burst out laughing.

Reminded me of a Tamizh saying (or movie song) தலைக்கு மேலே வெள்ளம் போனால் சான் என்ன முழம் என்ன (When the flood flows above your head; matters not the measure, a cubit or a wrist!)

Some adages (sayings) are indeed universal!!! :-)

Voids not filled

I knew Vaidhyanathan Sir (Sir, as we called him or Vaitthaa maama for the kids) from the time of my marriage. Señora knew him maybe from her school/college times. He was an LIC agent, down to earth, going around with a bag of folders/documents on his TVS-50 in Thanjavur and minding his business. I do not know his age, maybe around 50+, looked a bit older than his age, with some broken teeth and a quirky laugh. He was a bachelor, lived in a simple tenement in some bylane of Thanjavur, and didn't have much of an extended family from his side. He was a pillar to Señora's parents and considered a member of the family. Any occasion/emergency in the home, he was there, either helping out on something or just there with his presence lending moral support and in case we wanted any helping hands or some quick errands to run, He never expected anything in return. Whenever Señora's parents visited us in Bangalore for long visits, he would be requested to take charge of the house, which he did.

At Thanjavur, we would meet at Señora's place, discuss state, local, colony and LIC office politics or some trivia, with him seated in a foldable metal chair in the hall near to the entrance. We would force him to have tiffin/coffee or lunch at our home in spite of his protestations and he used to drop in regularly at our home with a caveat that we don't force him to eat/drink. We used to pull him in on any of our visits to places around Thanjavur, if he was available, so that he gets a break out of his day-to-day routine. He was always a busy man, being in Thanjavur one day, the evening in Tiruchi, the next day in Bangalore and maybe the next day in Madras or Mayavaram or sometimes Bombay. He had a rickety old Nokia cell phone and refused to buy a new one saying that was more than enough for him. He knew maybe half the people of Thanjavur, maybe an exaggeration, but he knew lots of people.

He used to visit us and my parents at Bangalore. He would call up and tell that he would visit us, or drop by just like that, waiting for us to return if we were out. He would at times book a hotel and we would protest that he could always come in to any of our homes at Bangalore and of late he did stay with us on his known visits to Bangalore. In any of the functions that we hosted, he was usually there, though he didn't need to be. He was a man of very simple needs and we were always in doubt as to what to gift him other than shirts or pants, even of which his tastes were very down to earth.

Two weeks back, he was in an accident when a two-wheeler hit him and suffered serious injuries on his head. Some good samaritans who knew him rushed him to hospital. He had surgery on his skull/brain and was in coma for around a week and on a respirator and passed away without any sign of recovery middle of last week.

Señora is distraught and her parents are in shock. It is painful for one who was close and known to you to be no more, all of a sudden. We do not know what his plans were for the future (or if he really planned something), any encumberances that he was addressing, things he promised for others or for that matter if he thought of anything beyond the present. He probably did not even get a chance to even think of his day ahead, leave alone a future plan or a post life plan or for that matter anything to convey to anyone as his life was cut short. For us, we do not have one who was trusted and was someone to lean on. We hoped that he might come out of coma, but he was sinking slowly and it was distressing that he was alone as he passed away in the ICU with no one nearby.

I hope time is a healer. Sometimes, voids never can be filled or forgotten. Everytime now if we see the iron foldable chair at our house where he used to sit, everytime we hear a TVS-50 rumbling down the road, everytime we see a rectangular black bag of documents, we'd be remembering him.

May Vaidhyanathan Sir's soul, wherever it is, rest in peace.

[I am using this post as a personal vent to what I feel and hence disabled comments]