Then, I packed up, thanked Ponnusamy Chettiar, Lakshminarayan Gounder and all my co-workers, some of the kids and caught the bus to Pollachi. The experiment had come to a close. The experience was terrific!
Showing posts with label Joy-sharing. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Joy-sharing. Show all posts
Jan 7, 2012
Day 5 - The cockfight and packing up
The day was normal other than me witnessing a cockfight. It was happening the first time we went to the boss's farm but I didn't have my camera with me then. This time around, I managed to shoot some pictures. The fight was super. It was something watching it. Aroused excitement in a sort of medieval way. I wonder how bull-fighting would be. Must watch it from close quarters some time.
Then, I packed up, thanked Ponnusamy Chettiar, Lakshminarayan Gounder and all my co-workers, some of the kids and caught the bus to Pollachi. The experiment had come to a close. The experience was terrific!
Then, I packed up, thanked Ponnusamy Chettiar, Lakshminarayan Gounder and all my co-workers, some of the kids and caught the bus to Pollachi. The experiment had come to a close. The experience was terrific!
Day 4 - Some changes in the routine
With Manoj gone, I reported to work under Mr. Muthu and accompanied him on his tasks. Apart from weed cutting, this time we sprayed the cattle and livestock with insecticides to keep them free of infections. I had to hold the cattle while Mr. Muthu sprayed them.
Holding the buffalo was quite easy, but the cows and specially the calves gave some trouble. I held them as they tried to run and often had to hug them tight to keep them still. As a result, when we finished, I was also disinfected with insecticides.
I couldn't bring myself to hold the dogs - Mickey, Bon and Chutti. Thankfully, the boss's maid gave us a hand. I photographed this from a safe distance.
After work, boss asked me to take a shower in the small canal inside the farm and stay back for a while. Me and boss cooked wild boar again and had a good chat. He was warm and friendly. As we talked he asked if I wanted to go hunting that night. I said yes. But unfortunately, the forest guards were on rounds that night (A deer that my boss shot earlier had walked a bit on and died in a neighbour's farm. As the forest department got scent of this, the troops were on constant vigil.) So the plan was cancelled and after a long chat, during which some of the boss's friends joined, I went back to the mill and slept soundly.
Holding the buffalo was quite easy, but the cows and specially the calves gave some trouble. I held them as they tried to run and often had to hug them tight to keep them still. As a result, when we finished, I was also disinfected with insecticides.
I couldn't bring myself to hold the dogs - Mickey, Bon and Chutti. Thankfully, the boss's maid gave us a hand. I photographed this from a safe distance.
After work, boss asked me to take a shower in the small canal inside the farm and stay back for a while. Me and boss cooked wild boar again and had a good chat. He was warm and friendly. As we talked he asked if I wanted to go hunting that night. I said yes. But unfortunately, the forest guards were on rounds that night (A deer that my boss shot earlier had walked a bit on and died in a neighbour's farm. As the forest department got scent of this, the troops were on constant vigil.) So the plan was cancelled and after a long chat, during which some of the boss's friends joined, I went back to the mill and slept soundly.
Day 3 - Getting on!
The next day we woke up by 5am and after the usual routine, reported to the job by 7am. Now we went to work in the farm as labourers. We met our co-workers on the way and after some chatting, started the work.
Our colleagues :)
We worked well till the 10am break.
We shared some food with our new friends and then ate some more food prepared by the boss's maid (since we worked for food, the boss made sure he gave us good stuff :)) during the 10 o'clock break.
A custom in the village was that people who eat must take their leaf or plate with them and clean or dispose it appropriately. The custom was applicable at homes, work places and restaurants.
After that, we were assigned other jobs - weed cutting, spraying water to cocoa plants etc.
Mr. Muthu with the weed-cutting machine.
Watering the cocoa plants.
After work, we reached the mill, had lunch and were talking stuff and laughing about when kids came in for tuition classes. Every evening and morning, the kids come to the mill for their tuition. Since this was a holiday period, only 10th class students came.
The kid in the red t-shirt was the son of one of our co-workers and the other kid, called Sethupathy, wanted to become an IPS officer.
Manoj had to leave that day to Chennai to attend an interview the next day. So he went off, saying good bye to some of the people who had become friends with us. After sending him off, I came back to the mill and slept alone. This time I was suddenly aware of all the sounds and activities around the mill. I removed my belt and kept it at an arm's length to use as a weapon in case something happened. Apart from that, things were fine, I slept like a log and woke up at 5am. I was into the fourth day now.
Our colleagues :)
We worked well till the 10am break.
We shared some food with our new friends and then ate some more food prepared by the boss's maid (since we worked for food, the boss made sure he gave us good stuff :)) during the 10 o'clock break.
A custom in the village was that people who eat must take their leaf or plate with them and clean or dispose it appropriately. The custom was applicable at homes, work places and restaurants.
After that, we were assigned other jobs - weed cutting, spraying water to cocoa plants etc.
Mr. Muthu with the weed-cutting machine.
Watering the cocoa plants.
After work, we reached the mill, had lunch and were talking stuff and laughing about when kids came in for tuition classes. Every evening and morning, the kids come to the mill for their tuition. Since this was a holiday period, only 10th class students came.
The kid in the red t-shirt was the son of one of our co-workers and the other kid, called Sethupathy, wanted to become an IPS officer.
Manoj had to leave that day to Chennai to attend an interview the next day. So he went off, saying good bye to some of the people who had become friends with us. After sending him off, I came back to the mill and slept alone. This time I was suddenly aware of all the sounds and activities around the mill. I removed my belt and kept it at an arm's length to use as a weapon in case something happened. Apart from that, things were fine, I slept like a log and woke up at 5am. I was into the fourth day now.
Day 2 - First day in the job
The rooster began crowing by 5.30 am. There were sounds of activity around and we woke up by 6.30am. We walked about 200 metres to a use and pay toilet. Then we rented a cycle and pedalled our way to a stream to take our shower. The picture of the village wouldn't have been complete for me without the stream and the temple on the way.
This was the temple on the way to the stream and was said to house a very powerful amman. As I passed it I wondered if there was a sthala purana for Sethumamdai. It would be interesting to hear it. Sthala puranas, apart from being interesting and imaginative stories have a lot of reality and many of the local customs of a village would also find explanation (logical and superstitious) in the story. I made a mental note to ask some suitable guy about it if I get the chance. But that never happened.
After the shower, we changed, had a light breakfast and reported in the farm to work by 9am. Our employer, Mr. Lakshminarayan Gounder, was examining some electrification in the middle of the farm and when we neared him, said to us 'I'll be back!' and hopped into his jeep and went for his rounds. A short way on, he opened the other door of his jeep and yelled 'Come on'. As we looked around in confusion, two deadly daubermen raced forward and even as I held my breath involuntarily, one of them jumped into the jeep and off the trio went, boss and pets, to inspect their farm.
After waiting for some 15 minutes, our boss came back and said 'So... apprentices!' and smiled. We smiled back. I recounted the experience of yesterday when we came to ask for the job. There were four unchained daubermen sniffing at us and cock-fighting was going on in one corner. There were two thickset men waiting near the boss. Whenever he addressed them, they bent in obedience. The scene was straight out of a movie. This man was one of the hot shots of the village, Maniyan had later told us. 'He owns more than 100 acres of coconut farm, no one knows how much exactly. I personally think it is around 400 acres', he said. After this we didn't know who to be more wary of - the boss or the daubermen! Taking no chances, we obliged both. We stood still as the daubermen sniffed our balls and boss said 'You can start by cleaning the goat shed, then wash the horse and give it a haircut. Let us see.' And off we went to do the job. The shed was full of droppings but we hardly cared. The experiment was underway. 'How awesome!' was all we could think.
I didn't take the camera with me for the first two days of work. Two days after we cleaned it, this is how the shed looked.
The horse that we washed. And look at that haircut! Close and trim! All that first day sincerity on the job looked good on the horse.
Then there was some wild boar for lunch. Our boss had hunted it with his .22 calibre hunting rifle just two days ago. He then cooked it himself. This was apparently to be a visit of many firsts. The sight of the guy in his jeep with rifle and the three daubermen would be one I'd want to witness. We went back to work and then our day got over by 1pm. We then reached home, slept for a couple of hours, showered in a well opposite to the mill and by this time it was evening. We went to the group of children playing kabaddi close by and joined them. Time went on merrily as Manoj caught the guys many times and I got caught by the guys many times.
Here is Manoj interacting with the guys.
Here, he shares some tips with them on playing Kabaddi.
After this, we had dinner and talked our way to sleep lying on the good old sack bags. A wonderful beginning!
This was the temple on the way to the stream and was said to house a very powerful amman. As I passed it I wondered if there was a sthala purana for Sethumamdai. It would be interesting to hear it. Sthala puranas, apart from being interesting and imaginative stories have a lot of reality and many of the local customs of a village would also find explanation (logical and superstitious) in the story. I made a mental note to ask some suitable guy about it if I get the chance. But that never happened.
After the shower, we changed, had a light breakfast and reported in the farm to work by 9am. Our employer, Mr. Lakshminarayan Gounder, was examining some electrification in the middle of the farm and when we neared him, said to us 'I'll be back!' and hopped into his jeep and went for his rounds. A short way on, he opened the other door of his jeep and yelled 'Come on'. As we looked around in confusion, two deadly daubermen raced forward and even as I held my breath involuntarily, one of them jumped into the jeep and off the trio went, boss and pets, to inspect their farm.
After waiting for some 15 minutes, our boss came back and said 'So... apprentices!' and smiled. We smiled back. I recounted the experience of yesterday when we came to ask for the job. There were four unchained daubermen sniffing at us and cock-fighting was going on in one corner. There were two thickset men waiting near the boss. Whenever he addressed them, they bent in obedience. The scene was straight out of a movie. This man was one of the hot shots of the village, Maniyan had later told us. 'He owns more than 100 acres of coconut farm, no one knows how much exactly. I personally think it is around 400 acres', he said. After this we didn't know who to be more wary of - the boss or the daubermen! Taking no chances, we obliged both. We stood still as the daubermen sniffed our balls and boss said 'You can start by cleaning the goat shed, then wash the horse and give it a haircut. Let us see.' And off we went to do the job. The shed was full of droppings but we hardly cared. The experiment was underway. 'How awesome!' was all we could think.
I didn't take the camera with me for the first two days of work. Two days after we cleaned it, this is how the shed looked.
The horse that we washed. And look at that haircut! Close and trim! All that first day sincerity on the job looked good on the horse.
Then there was some wild boar for lunch. Our boss had hunted it with his .22 calibre hunting rifle just two days ago. He then cooked it himself. This was apparently to be a visit of many firsts. The sight of the guy in his jeep with rifle and the three daubermen would be one I'd want to witness. We went back to work and then our day got over by 1pm. We then reached home, slept for a couple of hours, showered in a well opposite to the mill and by this time it was evening. We went to the group of children playing kabaddi close by and joined them. Time went on merrily as Manoj caught the guys many times and I got caught by the guys many times.
Here is Manoj interacting with the guys.
Here, he shares some tips with them on playing Kabaddi.
After this, we had dinner and talked our way to sleep lying on the good old sack bags. A wonderful beginning!
Day 1 - Reaching Sethumadai - Hunting for a job and place to stay!
After a fantastic pleasure trip with friends to the Kolli Hills, I boarded a bus directly from Namakkal to Coimbatore on the night of 26th December. After staying the night at my aunt's home, I boarded the bus to Pollachi the next morning where me and Manoj planned to meet. From there, we were to take a bus to Sethumadai and begin our experiment. As I sat on the bus to Pollachi with my backpack, munching on a few pieces of cucumber, I thought of what we were about to do. Me and Manoj, the two of us, were about to practically do things we've always been wanting to do. All those plans in paper and animated discussions of what we'll do when we have the time or the money or the means. No more just talking. We were giving life to our thoughts that very moment. 5 days of going incognito, in a sense, and living the village life. Curious? Hell, yeah. Excited? You bet.
I glanced at the Thirukkural on the bus - “Iniya Ulavaaga Innaadha kooral, kaniyiruppa kaai kavarndhattru” ("Why should we use negative words when there are so many positive/good words to express the same?"). I didn't know its meaning then but learnt it byheart just to pass my time till I reached Pollachi. Somehow byhearting classics, even when I don't totally understand them, leaves me calm and filled with a sense of well-being. I was wondering on this and debating in my mind if knowledge is essentially a good thing or a bad thing, when the bus reached Pollachi. Manoj was already waiting. Together we finished the curd rice my aunt had packed and borded the bus to Sethumadai. With Manoj, I need not repeat plans and impress upon him the purpose of the visit. I could trust him to be sensible and do the right thing, which was a big plus on an experiment like this.
As we boarded the bus, we were aware that we had to make friends as soon as possible if we were to have some chance of getting a job for a week and a place to stay for free. The people in the bus too, were very friendly. So, after a few smiles and warm enquiries, we found ourselves chatting with half of the bus, explaining why we were going to the village and supplying curious questioners with information on what we do and where we come from. There was a particular gentleman, called Ponnusamy Chettiar, travelling with his aide Maniyan, who quickly grasped our intent and asked us a lot of interesting questions. When we reached the village, he said to us with a smile and fatherly affection 'You guys stay here and have some tea. I'll make sure Maniyan gets you a job and a place to stay for a week.'
This was the tea shop at the village centre, where he left us. Later we understood that tea shops here were a parallel to the coffee shops of the city. This particular tea shop was a hang out for the middle-aged and was owned by Kirukku (Madman) Palanichaamy.
As me and Manoj actively eavesdropped and sipped our hot tea, we learnt that Kirukku Palanichaamy was a very gentle old man. When Maniyan returned after talking to a few people about our job, he gave his mobile phone to Palanichaamy and said 'Your daughter wants to speak to you.' The old man's face lit up like a bonfire and all the men smiled and nodded understandingly. 'Palanichaamy is so proud of his daughter!' said one. 'He damn well deserves to be' remarked another 'having brought up such a well behaved and independent woman. The man did back-breaking labour to provide for her, now she takes care of him'. And the others grunted and nodded in agreement. Palanichaamy handed the cell phone back to Maniyan. Maniyan said to us 'Ok let us go talk to the land-owners'. The trip had begun! After being denied a job by two people, the third one agreed to give us a job. He was sceptical about us in the beginning, not trusting our intentions but anyway told us report back for job the next day. Since he didn't agree to give us accommodation, Maniyan said we could stay in the Rice mill of his boss. We agreed gratefully.
This is the mill where we stayed.
Maniyan asked us if we needed some mattresses. 'No, it's alright sir. We'll use the sack bags lying there. Thanks for everything.' we said and then were left alone. The day's job was done. We had a job and a place to stay! We spread out the sack bags and folded some of them to serve as pillows. And when we stretched ourselves, we observed that one pillow was fatter than the other. There was an immediate rush for the fatter pillow and me and Manoj ended up having a wrestlemania match. I guess you'll know from the picture as to who won it.
I glanced at the Thirukkural on the bus - “Iniya Ulavaaga Innaadha kooral, kaniyiruppa kaai kavarndhattru” ("Why should we use negative words when there are so many positive/good words to express the same?"). I didn't know its meaning then but learnt it byheart just to pass my time till I reached Pollachi. Somehow byhearting classics, even when I don't totally understand them, leaves me calm and filled with a sense of well-being. I was wondering on this and debating in my mind if knowledge is essentially a good thing or a bad thing, when the bus reached Pollachi. Manoj was already waiting. Together we finished the curd rice my aunt had packed and borded the bus to Sethumadai. With Manoj, I need not repeat plans and impress upon him the purpose of the visit. I could trust him to be sensible and do the right thing, which was a big plus on an experiment like this.
As we boarded the bus, we were aware that we had to make friends as soon as possible if we were to have some chance of getting a job for a week and a place to stay for free. The people in the bus too, were very friendly. So, after a few smiles and warm enquiries, we found ourselves chatting with half of the bus, explaining why we were going to the village and supplying curious questioners with information on what we do and where we come from. There was a particular gentleman, called Ponnusamy Chettiar, travelling with his aide Maniyan, who quickly grasped our intent and asked us a lot of interesting questions. When we reached the village, he said to us with a smile and fatherly affection 'You guys stay here and have some tea. I'll make sure Maniyan gets you a job and a place to stay for a week.'
This was the tea shop at the village centre, where he left us. Later we understood that tea shops here were a parallel to the coffee shops of the city. This particular tea shop was a hang out for the middle-aged and was owned by Kirukku (Madman) Palanichaamy.
As me and Manoj actively eavesdropped and sipped our hot tea, we learnt that Kirukku Palanichaamy was a very gentle old man. When Maniyan returned after talking to a few people about our job, he gave his mobile phone to Palanichaamy and said 'Your daughter wants to speak to you.' The old man's face lit up like a bonfire and all the men smiled and nodded understandingly. 'Palanichaamy is so proud of his daughter!' said one. 'He damn well deserves to be' remarked another 'having brought up such a well behaved and independent woman. The man did back-breaking labour to provide for her, now she takes care of him'. And the others grunted and nodded in agreement. Palanichaamy handed the cell phone back to Maniyan. Maniyan said to us 'Ok let us go talk to the land-owners'. The trip had begun! After being denied a job by two people, the third one agreed to give us a job. He was sceptical about us in the beginning, not trusting our intentions but anyway told us report back for job the next day. Since he didn't agree to give us accommodation, Maniyan said we could stay in the Rice mill of his boss. We agreed gratefully.
This is the mill where we stayed.
Maniyan asked us if we needed some mattresses. 'No, it's alright sir. We'll use the sack bags lying there. Thanks for everything.' we said and then were left alone. The day's job was done. We had a job and a place to stay! We spread out the sack bags and folded some of them to serve as pillows. And when we stretched ourselves, we observed that one pillow was fatter than the other. There was an immediate rush for the fatter pillow and me and Manoj ended up having a wrestlemania match. I guess you'll know from the picture as to who won it.
The village experiment!
AIM: The purpose of the experiment was to live like a villager, to immerse ourselves in that lifestyle.
APPARATUS USED: We (The two social scientists carrying out the experiment - Me and Manoj) knew no one in the village and we had no experience of this sort before. We worked for food, slept on sack bags and played Kabaddi for recreation.
PRINCIPLE: One of the things in my bucket list is to live in an Indian village for a year. I would love to do it right away but there are other things to be done like clearing civil services, making money etc. that have to be taken care of. Therefore, this time around, me and my friend (Manoj) visited a village in Tamil Nadu and stayed there for five days, as a kind of warm up for the eventual one year stay. The village we chose was Sethumadai, some 33 kms from Pollachi, near the Tamil Nadu - Kerala border.
PLAN/ PROCEDURE: The plan was pretty simple. Go to the village. Find a place to stay - preferably without having to pay rent. Find a job - preferably as an agricultural labourer. Survive for five days. Return home.
The posts that follow give an account of how this experiment turned out.
Nov 11, 2011
Being vetti!
Lot of difficult choices to make these days. Watch movie, call friends, roam about, sleep, eat, keep gaping at Facebook, keep checking all tweets, there is just so much to do and so little time! God, it is tough to be vetti! But I keep reminding myself that life is complicated like that, only the test of fire makes fine steel, and that it is important during these difficult times to stick to the basics and hold on. So I just do two things basically - Watch TV and sleep. If I'm too bored of watching TV, then I sleep. If I'm too bored of sleeping, then I watch TV. Keeping it simple. Yeah, I'm talented that way. Next. Rest.
Nov 10, 2011
Post exam plans and forecasts!
So what do I do now that I've got nothing to do? Apart from indulging in the cardinal sins of lust, gluttony, greed, sloth, wrath, envy and pride, what can I possibly do to get wasted after getting pissed? Here are some potential plans followed by forecasts of the 'weathermanastrologer' on what'll actually happen.
Plan: Eat, sleep, work out and nourish the body.
Forecast: Clouds suggest that there is a certainty that I will get pissed, sleep like I'm on drugs and neglect good food.
Plan: Watch and enjoy movies, probably start thinking about a script to work on.
Forecast: The low depression in South Andhra suggests there is an 80% possibility of this happening.
Plan: Work on the blog and probably on a website.
Forecast: Definite possibility of this happening.
Plan: Travel to various places, preferably where the weather is cool.
Forecast: The retreating monsoon promises definite possibility of this happening and a good accompanying shower.
Plan: Visit friends, trouble them with persistent presence. Give so much trouble to family that they would never complain again about me not visiting them.
Forecast: What instruments we have agree that it is going to be a hard cold winter for my friends and relatives.
Till next season, stay indoors, stay safe :)
Nov 9, 2011
And then, there were none!
The civil services Main exam has come to a close. God, it was like the close of commonwealth games. Couldn't wait to get out of it. I had nine papers and therefore the following poem inspired by the nursery rhyme 'ten little indians' and of course, Agatha Christie.
Nine little exams had me studying late,
One was a bummer and then there were eight;
Eight little exams were too difficult to govern,
One had general questions, left were seven;
Seven little exams demanding many tricks,
One was an essay, so there were six;
Six little exams made me nose dive,
English came to the rescue and then there were five;
Five little exams made me all sore,
Hindi almost choked me and then there were four;
Four little exams, let them all mighty be,
Was prepared for history, so left were three;
Three little exams still, Oh what shall I do?
Wrote some story and then there were two;
Two little exams haunting like an Injun,
Literature was not bad, and then there was one;
One little exam between me and fun,
Scribbled something out and then, there were none! :)
Nine little exams had me studying late,
One was a bummer and then there were eight;
Eight little exams were too difficult to govern,
One had general questions, left were seven;
Seven little exams demanding many tricks,
One was an essay, so there were six;
Six little exams made me nose dive,
English came to the rescue and then there were five;
Five little exams made me all sore,
Hindi almost choked me and then there were four;
Four little exams, let them all mighty be,
Was prepared for history, so left were three;
Three little exams still, Oh what shall I do?
Wrote some story and then there were two;
Two little exams haunting like an Injun,
Literature was not bad, and then there was one;
One little exam between me and fun,
Scribbled something out and then, there were none! :)
Oct 24, 2011
Pre-exam nerves!
I've got my IAS Mains exam this Saturday. I've been preparing hard for it but as the exam inches closer, my studying hours become lesser.
Today - 10 a.m - Woke up, listened to some songs.
11 a.m - Called my friend who is also preparing for Mains.
Me: 'Hey I feel very lazy to study today, what are you doing?'
Friend: 'I just woke up, will call you after brushing.'
Me to myself: Okay, let me just watch one
1 p.m - Half the day is gone, will have to start studying now. Opened laptop. Then out of sheer instinct, my fingers just opened Facebook! Then Twitter! And then, yes, Youtube and Gmail!
3 p.m - Call from another friend - 'Macha we have booked tickets for the Diwali release day after tomorrow. It's a night show, so don't give some lame excuse. Just turn up at the theatre by 9pm.'
Me: 'Fine, will see you there.'
Him: 'And we play football in the evening, come there, we'll have dinner and leave together for the movie.'
Me: 'Okay'
Him: 'And I've got some fancy crackers this time, I'll bring them to your home in the morning, we'll have fun'
Me: 'Oh! You're welcome any time.'
Him: 'Okay, I have to get back, Happy Diwali!'
Me: 'Hey...' Call disconnected!
6.45 p.m: Me to my IAS friend: 'Mate what are you doing?'
Him: 'Watching TV only. I'll start studying by six.'
Me: 'But it's 6.45 now'
Him: 'What? Ah, yes. Okay then I'll start by seven. What are you going to do?'
Me: 'Uhm... Just watch another inspirational video, I guess.'
___
Aug 14, 2011
On falling sick after getting drenched!
I got drenched in rain a few days ago and quite liked it. The next day, I went around my routine sneezing and the day after, fell sick. I do understand that it would've been tough for the rainman to digest that a few guys were rejoicing when he was working his ass off, co-ordinating the clouds and wind and sending down batch after batch of rainwater. It is like when you have your holidays but your dearest play-mate has his exams going on. You are bored but you flaunt even your boredom to piss him off. And he considers the most rhetoric of flaunts to be the irresistible of tempting devils. This time likewise, the rainman seems to have taken it a bit too personally, my rejoicing seems to have been perceived as a taunt. As if telling me to behave, he seems to have sent a few drops of raindrops on me with some deadly bugs. I know what he was thinking then. 'You cockroach, you enjoy my shower alright and you go and put a post on your silly blog about it to rub salt in my wound? Eat this, then. Go influenza, corynebacterium and staphylococci!!!' Yeah. You've had it. I fell sick. You got me by the balls. You win. Wait till I taunt you next time with a raincoat on.
Aug 10, 2011
Chennaiyil joraana mazhaikkaalam
It rained today. Here, in Chennai. The blue abode up above grew all murky and what followed was a generous downpour of H2O. No sweeteners, preservatives, wasn't carbonated or extracted from fruit concentrate. A shower of pure, unadulterated H2O. I got caught up in it while riding back home and it turned out to be such a nice experience. It eased traffic, the dense lot of commuters crowding under covers, awnings and shelters to escape the rain. Only four wheelers rode on and they too, were slow and accommodating.
It all started like this. The clouds thickened and there was a perceptible drop in temperature. When I started riding my bike, there came a forceful cool breeze. A meek kind of gust which made fallen leaves, torn up paper and roadside plastic scatter and swirl without pattern, as if terrorising them by announcing the arrival of a sudden torrent of rain and making them disperse in chaos. Then came the raindrops, stiff and firm, dropping heavily on the helmet. COME HAD THE RAINMAN. He sent shaft after shaft of pure rain drops down, playing and rejoicing with the few who cared to play along and sternly intimidating those who tried to escape him by indicating that he'd continue for some hours to come. Some immediately ran for shelter, some cursed and tried to hurry to their quite near destinations, some vacillated and looked around trying to make a choice while some rode on. Within seconds, the rain drops were coming down with a flourish, the initial stiffness of the clouds easing out as a travel-weary person on reaching his lodging would ease up while slowly un-shouldering his luggage. I just drove, happy to be in that place at that time. I got quite lucky, you see. A moving traffic that wasn't heavy, accompanied by a good steady shower of cool rain, the comforting thought that I'd soon reach home to warmth and dry clothes and perhaps some hot food, all combined well to place me perfectly in the position to get the most out of the rain episode. This was also the first good shower in quite some time, so the roads weren't really bad. Of course, when this gets over, it is all going to get slushy and stinky but as for now, the setting was perfect.
So I reached home and thought if I should write about this. We sometimes write for ourselves and often for others. But in certain cases, we write for the sake of an experience. Some wonderful experience which deserves to be remembered, which deserves its place in writing, just so that they are preserved, in however minuscule a forum. I guess this was one such pleasant experience - a little romantic, poetic and much cliched, yes, - but still so damn pleasant that it does deserve its own little dwelling in this maze of a world.
Aug 5, 2011
One of those satisying weekends! - Sunday
Sunday, mate. Fun-day. It was the perfect climax to the week. A sleep that stretched to the wee hours of afternoon. Direct lunch. Then caught up with friends. The best thing in life would be to have a rocking set of accessible friends. You meet a lot of rocking guys, they stay with you a while and get scattered to some other part of the city, if not the world. They are not accessible most of the time. But not your neighbourhood guys. Friends here, though in different universities or jobs always are readily accessible for fun - especially on a weekend. So I caught up with the guys after a lot of days. And was enchanted. They still called each other by nicknames. You know, the sort we give each other when we do our sixth grade. It sticks. And some the sort we give each other in high school - the cheeky ones for cocky guys. And if you're thinking - 'High school is so over', I do beg your pardon. High school, my friends, is never over. Ditto with neigbourhood fun. Never gets over. So we played cards, and football and then some more cards.
A lot of fun, they say, and a bit of a run,
Is top class life, second to none.
Aug 4, 2011
One of those satisying weekends! - Saturday
I had a satisfying evening. All those shrill voices that often pronounce that the world is heading to the bin and life is becoming routinely crazy and crazily routine took a break. The more dominant voices this evening were those of the good kind - that there is still plenty of goodness here, men can be trusted and mankind admired.
I went to Kovalam beach, the drive along the East Coast Road was pleasant and the company engaging. I went with two guys, both interested in photography. So when we reached the beach, they started shooting pictures, it was a bit over my head but they explained the basics of that complex camera thing and I could soon get along. They were pretty much involved in taking pictures and it was a nice leisurely activity. I posed for them a bit, then came a beautiful sunset and it relieved me of the posing duty, though I did like the guys taking pictures of me eagerly and didn't want it to end all that soon :) Then we drove back, had dinner on the way before reaching home.
Well, a simple evening, some genuine conversation, friends who were really interested in what they were doing - overall a pretty good time. Evenings like this really give you that much required leisure and a time to be laid back, get into that tranquil mode, feel good about the world and recharge yourself. I was lucky too, a cheerful waiter, playful kids, caring parents and happy couples made the scenery more gratifying while some rude waiter or a rash driver would've spoiled the evening. These are the moments when you realise how little sweet acts can go a long way in smoothening your ruffled mind and guide you into that Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam and Ubuntu mode embracing all humanity with good temper and a glad heart.
These evenings make you wonder if a good life has to necessarily be a rather quiet life, for it is in times of leisure and beauty that you really find the mood to be all that you mean to be - good, kind, tolerant, humorous and in the flow. And these evenings are much more enjoyable after long work hours as it heightens the contrast and so enhances its preciousness, just as an extremely thirsty man would savour a chill drink of Nimbooz more than a normal guy.
End of the day, I felt at ease and was wondering why everything in the world isn't nice and easy? I think this nursery rhyme sums up what I felt quite well.
"A wise old Owl sat on an oak;
The more he saw the less he spoke;
The less he spoke the more he heard;
Why aren't we all like that wise old bird?"
That was it, altogether. Wanted to keep the post simple, just as the evening was, earnest and without decorations.
Jul 17, 2011
Mi'lord, let's fine-dine in our Kaiyendhi bhavan!
Kaiyendhi bhavan (henceorth kd bhavan) is the king of all manners of dining. Here are five reasons why they are the absolute best and the rest are all inferior to it.
1. The menu: The most important aspect of any restaurant. The menu of my favourite kd bhavan is a classic - Idly, molagai bajji, all egg accompaniments (omelet, half-boil and the sort). Bull's eye. You keep ordering and they keep serving, hot, fresh and without delay.
2. The best place for the indecisive: Leave dining alone, a fellow can't even get a cup of coffee easily these days. Picture this in a coffee shop:
'What would you have sir?'
'Coffee, please.'
'Yes but hot, cold, espresso, capuccino, mocha, latte??'
'Cold coffee. Adikra veyilku, cold is better, don't you think? :)'
'Tall, medium venti, small grande?'
'The medium thing, I guess. Am not much of an eater... or a drinker, I suppose.'
'Decaf, normal, blah-bloo-hooo'
'Sorry?'
'Never mind. Would you like some cream or marshmallows on top??'
'Yes, just cream, I think :)'
'Would you like to take this with the offer of the day or our special combo?'
'Well, it's all a bit complex for me!' after going through the available offers. 'I'll just have my coffee, I think. As long as you guys don't dip it in yogurt or flavour it with onions. Haha.
The girl in the counter keeps a straight face.
''Tis a puzzling world, it is.'
And at each step you have to decide, and decide, and decide. And did I mention decide? God, they give us a prompt headache for the coffee to work on.
None of this in our kd bhavan. You don't have to choose your sauces from some numismatic puzzle - chipotle southwest, honey mustard, sweet chilli?? sweet chilli in Chennai??!!! Will you just stop already! In kd bhavan you get unlimited servings of kaara chutney (hot chilli), coconut chutney and sambar.
A real manager in action - Watch and learn: Running a kd bhavan is no easy task. With just one helper, you have to keep making idlies and bajjis, podufy innumerable omelettes (with very finely chopped onion, mind it!), get the plates cleared up and keep track of the cash register. And they remember orders with such elan. Kd bhavans have just two work environments. Pressure and high-pressure. And all you MBAs, come with your notepads ready, for this is your laboratory.
Feel good about the world: The kd bhavans never keep count of what you eat. They don't serve scantily and bill secretly. You eat how much ever you want and when you finish, tell the guy what you ate and he'll tell you how much you'll have to pay. I can guarantee that the most voracious eaters won't exceed Rs. 80. But the trust! The trust! He never doubts your account and I've never seen him cross checking it. Oh he's so busy working, it feels like collecting cash is a pain to him. He does it hurriedly and gets back to attending his stove and customers. When you witness such scenes combined with the enterprise of the guy and the healthy appetite of the customers, I bet it'll act as the perfect antidote to living in this often crazy world. Your tummy full and heart likewise, life will appear so much more pleasant.
Beat falling ill: There is but one remedy to prevent illness. Enjoy, enjoy your food and merrily, merrily live. Eat how many ever idlies, molagai bajjis and half boils in whichever order, and say ciao to illness. (Atleast the psychological effects will fight the lifestyle effects?)
Here is an interview I took of my favourite kd bhavan owner (his name is Thamaraiselvan). It's quite raw but I caught up with him not without difficulty, so you guys better watch it. :)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6k8ZDvc5DuI
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zxkd5Lhb9CA
Some pics of Thamaraiselvan's KD Bhavan
1. The menu: The most important aspect of any restaurant. The menu of my favourite kd bhavan is a classic - Idly, molagai bajji, all egg accompaniments (omelet, half-boil and the sort). Bull's eye. You keep ordering and they keep serving, hot, fresh and without delay.
2. The best place for the indecisive: Leave dining alone, a fellow can't even get a cup of coffee easily these days. Picture this in a coffee shop:
'What would you have sir?'
'Coffee, please.'
'Yes but hot, cold, espresso, capuccino, mocha, latte??'
'Cold coffee. Adikra veyilku, cold is better, don't you think? :)'
'Tall, medium venti, small grande?'
'The medium thing, I guess. Am not much of an eater... or a drinker, I suppose.'
'Decaf, normal, blah-bloo-hooo'
'Sorry?'
'Never mind. Would you like some cream or marshmallows on top??'
'Yes, just cream, I think :)'
'Would you like to take this with the offer of the day or our special combo?'
'Well, it's all a bit complex for me!' after going through the available offers. 'I'll just have my coffee, I think. As long as you guys don't dip it in yogurt or flavour it with onions. Haha.
The girl in the counter keeps a straight face.
''Tis a puzzling world, it is.'
And at each step you have to decide, and decide, and decide. And did I mention decide? God, they give us a prompt headache for the coffee to work on.
None of this in our kd bhavan. You don't have to choose your sauces from some numismatic puzzle - chipotle southwest, honey mustard, sweet chilli?? sweet chilli in Chennai??!!! Will you just stop already! In kd bhavan you get unlimited servings of kaara chutney (hot chilli), coconut chutney and sambar.
A real manager in action - Watch and learn: Running a kd bhavan is no easy task. With just one helper, you have to keep making idlies and bajjis, podufy innumerable omelettes (with very finely chopped onion, mind it!), get the plates cleared up and keep track of the cash register. And they remember orders with such elan. Kd bhavans have just two work environments. Pressure and high-pressure. And all you MBAs, come with your notepads ready, for this is your laboratory.
Feel good about the world: The kd bhavans never keep count of what you eat. They don't serve scantily and bill secretly. You eat how much ever you want and when you finish, tell the guy what you ate and he'll tell you how much you'll have to pay. I can guarantee that the most voracious eaters won't exceed Rs. 80. But the trust! The trust! He never doubts your account and I've never seen him cross checking it. Oh he's so busy working, it feels like collecting cash is a pain to him. He does it hurriedly and gets back to attending his stove and customers. When you witness such scenes combined with the enterprise of the guy and the healthy appetite of the customers, I bet it'll act as the perfect antidote to living in this often crazy world. Your tummy full and heart likewise, life will appear so much more pleasant.
Beat falling ill: There is but one remedy to prevent illness. Enjoy, enjoy your food and merrily, merrily live. Eat how many ever idlies, molagai bajjis and half boils in whichever order, and say ciao to illness. (Atleast the psychological effects will fight the lifestyle effects?)
Here is an interview I took of my favourite kd bhavan owner (his name is Thamaraiselvan). It's quite raw but I caught up with him not without difficulty, so you guys better watch it. :)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6k8ZDvc5DuI
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zxkd5Lhb9CA
Some pics of Thamaraiselvan's KD Bhavan
Jul 15, 2011
On enjoying Jane Austen's 'Pride and Prejudice'
I have been wanting for sometime to write about the books I read and the films I see. But my own disposition, being that of a very negligent and dilatory blogger, was floating around flirting with various prospective topics. But I just finished reading Jane Austen's 'Pride and Prejudice' and I feel such elation at the unision of Mr. Darcy and Ms. Bennet, that I can hardly contain myself from sharing how I feel. The involvement in the plot and the enjoyment of the content has been so much that appreciation of the writer comes as a much later wave of feeling, like a pleasant after-breeze to the immensely drenching first shower of monsoon.
The plot itself is woven with such skill, the characters etched with pleasing sensibility, the narration filled with an abundant supply of compelling wit, generous spraying of subtle humour, garnished with a lady-like charm in its execution and served in a characteristic platter of British restraint, which makes the reading of the novel exceedingly gratifying. This book is definitely to be tasted and savoured, swallowed and held up, chewed and enjoyed to its very essence, wholly digested and permanently cherished. For you won't be able to enjoy it once and not go back to it again and again for procuring further joy.
The book opens wonderfully, the introduction of characters is smooth and their interactions flow with a fluidity that deserves credit. Mr. Darcy and Ms. Bennet meet, move in and out of the story while it revolves around them, excite our minds and supply us with ample reasons for turning the pages of the book with eager anticipation. The etching of Mr. Collins and Lady Catherine is nothing short of excellent. The resigned ridicules Mr. Bennet bestows on his wife combined with his warm affection for Lizzy are wonderfully portrayed. His incredible sense of humour, evident as the book reaches its last few phases, had me in raptures. It earned me many an awkward glance, with everyone around serious with work or study and me laughing heartily at Mr. Bennet's statements often accompanied by a vigorous shaking of my head.
All the major characters blended into the plot so perfectly that I couldn't help but admire Jane Austen's sense and skill and was often left wondering on what prompted her to make the characters as they were and if there is any shade of her at all in any of her characters. Perhaps she resembled Miss Darcy? It'd indeed be terrific if I can just be invisible and watch Jane Austen going through her drafts, reading it to her friends and family, making modifications here and there and hear her speak in an interview of what she thinks would happen to Miss. Darcy or how good will the Bingleys' children be or how deceiving and wicked Wickham is!
The last 100 pages is just gem. It is stellar Jane Austen in her wonderful fluidity. A witty statement, a wonderfully humorous one, a funny lamentation and a romantic suspense tumbles one after another hardly giving the reader time to take in all the beauty at the first reading.
I just finished the book today and felt wonderfully happy. With a disposition that makes happiness spill forth into mirth and chatter, I couldn't help but talk about it. Even after sharing it with my close mates, I'd nevertheless have talked about the book and its author to every unlucky acquaintance who happens to pass before me for the next one week had it not been for the wonderful invention of a blog. Now that I have poured forth my joy in this cosmic blogger void, any fellow who glances upon it perchance or by intention can make all he can of it. If that fellow happens to have read Jane Austen, well, welcome to the 'honourable brotherhood of guys who've read awesome Austen'. If not, then perhaps this post'll tempt you to read Austen and join the brotherhood.
P.S: Though I'd like to think I was calm and composed while writing this entry, I know I'm very much hung over from reading Jane Austen. This post was written without consideration and published without correction, so make what you want of it and comment what you like! Hail spontaneity!
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