The Swimming that wasn't....!

A Swimming in Chennai which did not take place.

The morning had pretences of slight rain but it did not rain but remained cloudy. A son offered his father a swim in a pool connected to his office building if they were allowing it that day. They were road born with their simple swim gear and landed up at a nearby office building with very good gate arrangements. The cloudy atmosphere had changed to sunny and it had become steamy by then. The strong black gates told it was perhaps not possible and the two kept their wish under wraps.

Then the son went over to the little sub gate to enquire, since they had come thus far and found out that it was really open but they keep it closed as the custom was to open it on requirement only. That is good fo the new times. The son said, he would be allowed in as he is working member of the company but the father has to go through another gate. This was undertaken and the father was ushered in by a smiling security youth.

He was usheered to another registry desk where an elderly security lady was reading the day's vernacular daily. The moment she saw the outsider she did not even raise her head, but said simply, “Today no body can go in” . The the security assistant intervened to mention that this is the father of an employee on which the lady kept away her paper reluctantly and came over to make a photo ticket for the outsider. Once that was done, was a regisration and signing, both by father and son. There onwards, they moved to the next room to enter the main area where there was yet another registration and signing. The security arrangements were really good and competitive with the agency's name, resembling a dog's name, dash-hunt or labrador, on the pockets of the guards. It was really funny. Somebody had thought of that great animal who are so helpful in security and saving of humanity from time immemorial..!

After that they walked in the bright sun in very clean atmosphere with flowers on flowering plants arranged on both sidesof tile spread walkway which was sizzling in the bright hot sun shining through the coulds. Two minutes walk brought them to the pool building where they were told that there is no swimming allowed in that pool but only gym was only available but only for the employees which was useless to them.

A look at the pool was heart warming. As the crystal clear water in the shallow blue pool was rejuvenating. It was decided that there is no point in going for a swim in such a shallow pool in any case. On the way to the pool they saw a boy and his team at work with some road laying stuff. The boy started walking in their direction with some material in his hand. His jersy had the following caption on it : “IT IS THE SAME SHIT, A DIFFERENT DAY.” The father son group could not hide their smile while the youth walked away unknowingly what his jersy was blairing.

The father son started back on the 'hard drive' of OMR to return home.

Driving it Again......!

Driving it again

My fiirst thoughts of driiving is learning to drive a much longed for little fiat car (an Italian fiat, which was available in plenty at that point in 1972s in Kerala). At that point teaching was by small driving schools who had a trainer master, who taught his student to drives and those who did not perform well were treated to strong whackings on the head or neck or any other means like pinching or beating on the thigh etc. as the instructor pleased. As the people at that time had not liberated from the old Gurukul mind set where Guru is never questioned, it went on with all except those who categorically took special allowance not to be mistreated.

I was one among those who took special allowance as I took it as a great slight as I was already working in a responsible position in a local office. The Trainer School Manager agreed to this as he knew me and my family and he and my father were friends. When I put forth the suggestion he squirmed a bit at first and after giving it a thought and my difiant position he agreed saying: “Then I shall ask the Junior Master to take you in his sessions”. This was acceptable to me as I was not keen on who was training me and also I knew the Junior Trainer guy. The Senior Trainer cum Manager Owner was quick on his temper and bet up any one who happened to be helpless in front of him, especially in his training sessions.

Once this issue was settled and a brief introduction to the Junior Trainer we were on the road in the little bundle whose doors opened from the front side and we fell back into our seats. One is given the wheel straight away and the Trainer sitting on the left controlled the pedals but pretended not doing so initially. Once we got the feel of the road and generally started to control the wheel satisfactorily so as to avoid any accidents to self or other road users we were taken to a large tract of land for intensive training in reversing and moving backwards in different angles ultimately making each one take a test in driving forward in the hands of an “H” which shape was made of small iron wires which will stand straight on loose earth and will fall down as soonas a part of the car touched them. The test was to move the vehicle up in the left part of H and then reverse and move on the reverse to cross over to the right of the H through the middle. Then repeat the same through the right hand of the H and come back on reverse to turn and reach back to the left of H.

This was achieved in a matter of a month by which time one learned the beautiful little gear system which was operated through a stick set below the steering wheel, which was lovingly called the steering-gear. It had a steering mounted horn almost the same technique seen now also. There were no mirrors on either side, but a single rear vew mirror in side the cabin. The mechanism was too simple considered to the complex vehicles today.

Once a driving licence was earned, one was on top of the Everest but there was no further driving. Only one entered a car whenever one used a Taxi car. The taxi cars were mostly the old timers like Ambassador and Land Master and a springling of the old Hillmans and Plymouths. The fiat cars were mostly private cars used by well to dos like Doctors or Engineers or Business men. Ordinary millions only saw the cars. At times where there was an emergency they hailed a taxi car and sat through to reach a particular place.

The Ambassadors the ubiquitous of them were almost everywhere. They had the great backward closing doors, additionally mounted side rear views. A light shifting button to be operated by foot, a side indicator to be operated by hand but the button for the same provided in the centre of the steering wheel, a steel or chromium plated little circle above the steering wheen for the horn which was too very convenient. A common seat both in front and back which was supposed to take three each was used in an economy fashion to accommodate four almost all the time and in case of necessity to push five in the front seat and upto seven or eight in the rear a few little children also pushed in to utilise the whole space. Howsoever it was, all enjoyed a journey as the driver of the vehicle was almost always a known fellow and he in return also knew almost all in the village and conversed with them en route all through the journey.

A great part of the ceremonious work which all taxi drivers craved for was a special call to carry a marriage party. It was considered to be an honour to be called for such an errand as the fare collected is a lump sum plus a sumptuous lunch at the marriage venue. The cars in such cases are used for the whole day as it has to be taken early in the morning itself to ornament them with flowers and garlands, at times a smear of kalabham and chandan paste, a little perfume is also applied inside of them and it is taken to the house of the bride or de-groom as is the order and from the house of the caller it will go in an entourage of other cars too called for the same occasion carrying all the near relatives and friends called to grace the occasion. They had to wait at the marriage venue, where they can have their meals and rest and then return with the same group of people whom they carried along with the bride if it is a boy's marriage or with out any body extra but 'less' the bride who remains in the groom's house.

Of course, one of the same or more taxis will get a fare to bring back the bride after a few days according to custom. Except very rich people no body drove a car for pleasure as we see now.

A car, a taxi at that was summoned only on occasions of emergencies like accidents, diseases, exceptional meetings between relatives only.

All the time people were of and on seeing these moving chariots and were mesmerized at the convenience of moving. But a serious thought of such a requirement did not occur as the public transport was pretty good and in the old farming oriented society, people were mostly living in their own places of birth only. The life was in the village only if not in the farm lands and evenings were a time for one and all to assemble at home. With new governments and progress and information explotion that system was being changed. Cities were fast getting two wheelers which started to be considered a necessity by those who can afford them. A few motor cycles like Bullet, Jawa and Rajdoot from Yamaha etc. ruled the roost.

In the eighties, a new urge came to the people in general. Telephone possibilities and long dialling facilities were being increased and improved, news via television were becoming popular, the colour television was making an impact and people who saw them all started to become impatient in using more fast moving objects for their travel. There came a number of little moving equipments called mopeds with fifty cc engines and they were the fore runners of a driving India. As the common man could not afford a good motor cycle or scooter at that time, a little in between vehicle, between a bicycle and a motorbike was quite the thing to introduce. Once people got them they fast lost interest in what they got.

Then came the 'Marutii' from Suzuki which taught most of the people to use a personal vehicle. There after the interest in cars and their models have not looked back until this day when those who are too much used with all of them are starting to think if they can get from the world of all these vehicles to a vehicle-less period to avoid pollution and save the earth.

The old times..!

Times were of old and the boy lived in his big family. Their difficulty to meet both ends were common among all their neighbours too. The place did not have electricity and electricity was considered to be a luxury of the rich living in city towns or those who lived on either side of the important roads of the village angadii roads.

Those who lived in the inner lanes and bye lanes were used to the non electricity life. Rain and sun shine was plenty. The boy's house was a cutcha house with walls made of mud bricks and a tiled roof. The roof frame was entire built with bamboo stems and the whole structure gave a lot of fresh air. The little house stood on the side boundary of a largbe cashew orchard and it was the duty of the house hold to lok after the orchard. It gave them plenty of unripe cashew which was used to grind chutneys for morning break fast recipes like iddly, dosa or plain ice pudding called kanji.

The land did not belong to the boy's family house hold but to a rich land owner who came once in an year to collect an amount as due, for the usufructs of his land. He was a generous man as he did not insist on a huge amount and this made the life of the boy's family a bit easier compared to the tough land lords who meted out high charges to their lands entrusted to others.

The boys along with his brother roamed around the cashew trees, played there, at times made swings on the branches of the trees and enjoyed themselves. At times their sisters also joined them in these activities and it made the time all the more enjoyable. The father and mother looked after the house hold, father with his meagre incomes from a technical job he was doing in a leather business house and the mother doing all the house hold chores. She was a simple soul whose life revolved round her husand and her children. There was no other division of labour except all the chhildren were free to assist the mother all the time depending on their availability at home.

Mostly there were available as the only out side activity was to go to school which was from ten to four on six days a week. The school was nearby within a two kilometres of the house and all of them walked to school bare foot along with all other children who were also of the same predicament. The children (two girls, if one remembered correctly) from a rich Ayurvdea household came in a black ambasssador car and one child from another rich merchant's house hold came in a colourful single bullock cart in blue colour and the bullock having a bell at its neck. The bell jingled from time to time the cart ran and children made way for it automatically. The car also rarely made a horn, as the children on the road knew almost by heart when the black ambassador will pass.

The children had the aroma and smell of rose flowers which emanated in the gardens of the Christian Convent sister's school. The boys liked the school building as it had, apart from the smell of roses, a first floor with a wooden stair case which once in a while the boys got to climb. Small children were not allowed on the upstairs as the classes of the little ones were always below on the ground floor. The higher classes girls went upstairs to their classes. The boys' elder sisters studied in the first floor and that is how the tiny brothers could enjoy a climb to the first floor and see the little flower garden from upstairs. The boys were surprised to see that the garden had, apart from the roses, chrysanthamums, sun flowers, the yellow scented golden yellow chetti flowers and the purple ten o' clock flowers which opened up at ten o' clock every day.

All these made the school a little heaven from ten to five and the holiday on Sundays they could enjoy the breeze and quiet of the cashew orchard. The schooling of the boys and girls parted ways when the boys passed out of class three as boys above class three were not allowed in a girls school. The school was a girls school and the boys parents were to find other school for the boys. They got a far away school for an year for class four and another Government school after class four. The far away school was good in fresh air and so so in studies which suited both the boys and once they pushed that, were urceremoniously put to the Governent school whhich was also far away in the exactly opposite direction. Putting them to school was simple in those days as the only thing needed was to take them to the new school, give their head count and get their names written in the register for the particular class to which they are to be enrolled. The age etc. was what ever is told to the teachers by the parents or those sent by the parents who accompanied the children. The rest was according to the common sense of the registering teachers. The teachers carried a lot of weight and respect in those days and they also in return gave a lot of honour to the parents or the elders of the children.

Once studies upto Class ten was over, the elder boy went to study a trade in photo graphy and the younger one went to pre college. Both went to the local town, one to a photography studio and the other to the college. The one who went to college had to give a monthly fee to the college where as the one who went to the studio got little sums at times for doing extra work on holidays. The week day works were considered to be apprenticeship and hence the studio owner excused himself. This was fashion in the days of old.

Whatever holiday wages the elder got he brought home and it made their holidays a little posh..in their extreme poverty. Another thing he brought at times were the little batteries which were used up for flash photography. Their parents and all the children w ere surprised to see the small cells as the only cells they used to see were the big torch light cells used in the jeep torch when the elders had to carry at night for being safe from tropical snakes which were abundant and they crossed the roads and rivulets many times at night and one had to be careful as some were extremely poisnous.

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