Enamavu to Palghat and back...!

The bus stop was empty as the time was late morning.  The extreme busy period is the school time.  We were there by eleven of the clock.  But then there will be waiting.  Sure enough, there are no long intervals for a line bus.  In fifteen minutes the bus took us.  the sun `was strong, but the cool breeze kept the climate under control.  Trichur was forty minutes away.  Once there, it was the panic to catch the next KSRTC bus to Palghat from near the King's Statue near the Dharmodayam Building or the St. Thomas College. 

The bus conductor mumbled 'Binni' is the next stop, if not then the next one is at 'Shaktan'.  That is a warning.  Either you get down at Binni or else.  We got down at Binni.  'Binny' is a cloth shop where clothes from the brand name 'Binny' is sold.  Next is Shaktan meaning the famous 'Shaktran Thampuran' Bus Station which is the private Bus Stand.  Soon we understood the mistake we made by getting down at 'Binny'.  As we walked up to the Dharmodayam and Paramekkavu Temple front, we understood the Buses to Palghat are not coming there any more!   Times have changed.  There are new routes in force now.  The Buses have to be found out.  We enquired of the KSRTC bus conductor whose bus was there.  He advised: "Catch something to KSRTC Station or go to Shaktan.  We had already disembarked from our bus which was going to Shaktan.  Now we can reach by Autorikshaw to the KSRTC Bus Station which we did. As soon as we reached the hilarious Fast Passenger Bus was coming out the Station which took us to Palghat.

From Palgthat we were to get our car and drive back.  The roads were fine except for some constructions going on for a toll are near 'Kuthiran' mount and  a couple of other places.  We got the car soon enough, after getting off from the Bus at the Palghat Station.  A gentleman had driven it for us from Coimbatore.
The drive home in the afternoon against the afternoon sun was really good but for the hitting sun on your eyes which had to be warded off with the sun shade.  A two hours clean drive reached us back to Trichur as the sun was setting which was enjoyable.

The Chicken Soup....!

The Chicken Soup....!

I am an admirer of soups. Both chicken soup and tomato soup. My favourite of course, is asparagus.

When our son said he wanted us to have chicken soup, me and my wife were thrilled. He said he would reach it across and he did. When it arrived we were slightly taken aback. On one afternoon, he brought it gift rapped and in beautiful blue ribbon bind. On opening the rapper, we found it was “The Chicken soup for the Soul for Empty Nesters”.

Our son had got married the previous spring an our daughter a couple of years before that. Since his soup was only a book, which we may own in future, like all other books one owns, I kept separately to be read later.

The soup wasto be taken little by little, in the years to come. ! It was the experiences of hundreds of parents who had their children married off to suffer the ultimate bliss and loneliness of their lives.

We have a fw pigeon couples on either side of our apartment who routinely build and rebuild their nests and bring forth loittle ones time and again. Painstakingly they teach the little ones to fly and they fly away. The old pigeons are ready to rebuild and do another trip. However, we humans do it only once and when the nest is empty, engage in other activities or philanthrophy if we have the energy, some ofcourse, start praying for the long journey..!

I for one was not allowing myself to have the soup so far, even though it had been with me for the last four five years. But one of these days when I lost my sleep, my eyes fell on the book and I thought of going through it. It was about the lovd and angst and pain of parting with children whom we painstakingly prepared for life always under the false impression of being together all along,l as was the old custom in the underdeveloped country side. Electricity and motor cars were rare then and the lucky few (so it was thought) only went high up in the air in an air plane. Were “Chicken Soup” available then, people would have laughed at it. Times changed. Progress came. Countrysides started to become empty. Children flew off to distant places in search of nest and bread. At times they wrote letters, then telephoned and 'skyped'and always their work load increased.

The calls and letters became fewer and fewer and in certain weeks they did not call at all. Even if they did not call or write they still remained our little kids. We could never put away their thoughts. That is how I started to grab the full meaning of the chicken soup for the Empty Nesters.

Me and my wife are now empty nesters often times discussing our happy times to keep ourselves amused at the “wise” present given by our son..! His kissing wish on the inner cover of the book was “To Mom & Dad – For the youthful years of you two....”

The boy who made it to the Capital: My Father and the Fountain Pen!

The boy who made it to the Capital: My Father and the Fountain Pen!: My father and the Fountain Pen! I was studying as a border, in a small upcoming school a few miles from house, in those days. I...

My Father and the Fountain Pen!

My father and the Fountain Pen!

I was studying as a border, in a small upcoming school a few miles from house, in those days. I was around ten and almost looked eight. All undernourished children of that time in Kerala, coupled with various childhood diseases looked younger than their age. But we were fed well in School and I was picking up.

I had my belonging of a small box containing a pair of dresses and a little soap and a Kerala cotton towel. A sleeping grass mat, a cotton blanket and a pillow completed the belongings. My father had told he would come of and on to visit me and then I can have any money if I needed. I never needed any money as such.

The Principal cum Manager of the School a very kind and generous man, had, on my our admittance given us, a small diary to write our accounts even though we did not have any money. As I was in Class V we had started writing with ink pens. At least, we were allowed to. I had a few ink pens with their blocks and nibs which were discarded by my elder sisters who were in higher classes. These old pens looked good but there was the little problem of leaks from their neck parts. I thought that I can fix them with the washing soap and kept applying them with the same. It worked to some extent. But after a time when the flow improved with continuous writing the ink slowly came to my three fingers which gripped the pen. The fingers turned blue with inki which I used to wash off with the washing soap called 'Sunlight' (Or was it called 'Sun Lite' ?). As I was a bit lazy in washing clothes and all my soap didn't have much other use.

A few months passed and in between my father arrived one day enquiring after me. After his talk with the Principal, he came to me and spoke for a while about everybody else in the family (We had a large family with a number of brothers and sisters, which is huge in any respect as per the present day considerations), all of whom had enquired of me and had sent their Good Wishes. Then he told me that he has brought a present for me. He checked his large shirt picket and brought out a beautiful brown fountain pen -brand new at that-Imagine my surprise! It had a nice brown cap and a glittering yellow brass clip topped by a black plastic clip holder! I hit the ceiling with surprise.! At our financial condition any kind of equipment was considered a secondary need as he had to meet both ends for the family with his small incomes. I feebly mumbled to father if he really did have to spend on the pen or me as I have two - three old pens to which he stroked my hair longly and said “ I had noticed your pens earlier. They are all leaking. It will be good for you to write with a good pen. Even if we are poor in other things, we should not be poor in studies. It is my duty to get you a good pen if not many other things”. That completed the conversation. And he slowly wished me 'Tata' and walked off.

I was speechless and very much touched by his insight and kindness. All through my studies I wrote with that pen until my Under Graduate days. The present day ball point pens were not prevalent then!

On a Tuesday Morning...!

Getting stuck at home is not a very good proposition for men folk if they can move around.

On a sunny morning of November, I was easing at home reading the morning newspaper.  The permanent companions at these times are the pigeons who do their continuous singing..'h...m....hm.....h....m....hm....'  They keep on for a long while before falling silent.,  at times I got up to ward them off, but many a time they flew away by themselves...  Only to come back at the least sign of my moving away.  It is, as if, they are saying: 'this is our place, you move away'.
They very well know that these human folk are not that good a group to live with, and used to make homes only on tall tree tops.

Now that the tall buildings came up they are making houses at corresponding heights and my house falls in that height.  The carrying machines called elevators, are provided these days by we which we can conveniently reach these high spaces.

The news paper in hand had a lot of advertisements on cars which are being sold a lot.  Next come a lot of mobile phones. I don't know who all buy them.  Many be, many are buying them too as there are no space left on the roads and I rarely see any one without using a mobile phone.  It is to that extent, that many use them while driving as well as on the roads and at every place they are walking.  At times, I heard a phone ringing in the church in between the sermon.  It sure, rattled the speaker as well as all the listeners, their dismay is complete when the owner took it out and pretended to squeeze in a few words in hushed tones which every body listened avidly "I am in the church, shall  call back after the church".

My newspaper also told me of the doings and non doings of the political leaders and the connected opinions which I turned over after a glance.  A lot of ink is always put on these matters as in every country.  From the headlines anyone who are regular readers knew what one would say or would not say.

Then came the advertisement pages called "Classifieds" which is just a pain if you are not either looking for a needle or crowbar in the paper or very young in age.  The elderly after a long life, generally resigned away from them.  That page over are the pages on sports.  In India we sit and we get to read that someone has won a bonanza in America, Australia or some other far away land and feel joy over it. Never knew the guy who one nor does he know the readers.  But still, we feel proud of them.

Once their running and playing are over comes the great pages the supplement.  It is as if the newspaper runners knew that one would be tired by the end of their newspaper and needed some relaxation in the form of entertainment.  In this 'Supplement' section, one generally got to read of the filmy news also called movie news, and this thrilled most of the readers.  At least there will be reports of one film suiting each reader.  There will be come accompanying pictures too which all of us are supposed to like. Some of the pictures are of heroes whom we adore in movies and some are of heroins, those beautiful ladies whom we cherish to be around us, but are not. There will be write ups of the parties and conversations of those who are in the upper echelons of either movie world or the power world with suiting pictures as per the judgement of the paper they are published.

The paper over the reader moves in the house around to do other house hold works. Or further readings.  There is an almirah full of old books which I have kept of reading at leisure, but dread to go near.  Books once read generally create a feeling that we know it already.  And if the book is my own, then I keep it away to be read at some other time.  I don't know what is the case with other people.  To cut at this bad habit, I joined the public library.  Here I have to put myself to some inconvenience to go and get the books and there is always a date by which I have to return them.  This date generally prods me to read it and it has worked so far.  My hats off to the Library.  It works.


If ever the Library allowed me to keep the books as long as I wanted, I may not have read many of the books I read. Here in, it becomes time for me to visit the near by grocery store for daily groceries and milk and there finishes my winter morning session.

A simple journey by the Delhi Metro!

Everybody was sitting listless as the metro train moved on. “The next station is......the doors will open on the left” the familiar voice of Rini Khanna or some one keep on coming from the microphones in the compartments. Sometimes, the doors will open on the right as per announcement. Most of the regulars knew where the doors will open.

It is the new comers who will be at unease about the side of the opening. There are uite a good number of people waiting at the Botanical Garden Station waiting for the train. How fast all got trained to get in as well as use the automated ticketing system including the use of metro cards and using the escalators etc. We are a fast and remarkable people, indeed! The youngsters are fast learners, indeed!

Most of them had ther mobile android phones in hand and their roots going into their ears. They fingered their android phones from time time. There is an occasional phone talker who may talk aloud as if to make all around to listen to his talk. This was much earlier now has become very rare. The compartments are very good in their lighting and fittings which is a solace and with a great airconditioning system, one would have a pleasant journey wherever one is slated to go.

I undertook a journey from the Botanical Garden to Dwarka which was superb.

A drive from Kerala to Delhi by Road..!

We took off on a pleasant morning in end September, in our little i10 car with a due check up and certification from the local car expert. The car always functioned well and there was no doubt about the drive in the trusted little guy. We had a plan to skip the Kuthiran' bottle neck' but decided otherwise as we could pass it without much problem as we started quite early in the morning. Our assumption proved right as the passing was smooth there. The big tunnel which was being made for the straightening of the road and removing the bottle neck could be seen on the right. The road had its share of huge three axle and four axle vehicle carrying weights to be carried by two trucks or more. The drivers of those large beauties should really be stury ones as it takes many days for them to reach their destinations covering several states. We passed Coimbatore still in the early mornings and headed straight for Salem to get the Trichy curve. The roads in Tamil Nadu were excellent but for the large number of toll tax gates where we have to give the small tax which is also called a toll for passing them. A due receipt is also given and they were generally well managed. Each toll ensured a good distance of good road which is a driving pleasure for any road user. This time the Trichy curve was easily visible as the road signs were sere put in such a way that the drivers could catch it if attentive.

Once th Trichy curve is recognized, we took the customary left turn to be born on to the Chennai road. The signs will bring brough us to the Vandalur zoo from where we cut across to catch the OMR road which brings us to our cherizhed destination at Kelambakam.

We rested fopr a few days before starting off to Bangalore a joyful run of five to six hours. The run has its own scenic beauties and good road signs. We cruised in to our destination in the after noon, of course, starting in the early morning. We had been advised by other driving bloggers that night driving is better avoided and we took those advices of the experts or our earlier road users. The traffic in Banglore was heavy but we avoided entering the thick of the city and went and stayed at a far end called Jakkur Plantation side where the traffic was a little manageable. No doubt, even there, traffic was heavy, compared to olden times. New constructions and cheek by jowl shops and establishments leaves very little room for any one to park or do any thing lavishly on the side of the road. If one got a little space to park for sometime without a shop owner or his assistants coming running to tell you to not to park, one is lucky. But if one could, there is a chance one may bet affable people to talk to and enquire of the surroundings according to ones needs.

I got an old gentle man to enquire of the road direction I had needed and of shops where I could purchase some articles. We could spend well half hour talking , which went from introducing the roads, how to criss cross them, where to find a few needed shops, to heavy traffic and parking availability. In between we slipped on to how is life?, Ar you retired? How is the family settled?, How are the children placed? If life really comfortable? So on and so forth. He told me of his Delhi life, how good times were, how tough life were at times, but could grew up children in a peaceful atmosphere where schools and colleges werre good and teachers were dedicated. I could easily relate to him as I had also been a Delhi worker and had similar experiences even thoughbring ing up children were tough in those days of old, but people aroun, all from various villages in various states were too simple and truthful without much ego. Those times each one understood, the others around also had similar situations at home in their own states and the good will they had were enormous! Oh..bothof us agreed to meet a continue with the talk, if Almighty allowed us to meedt and parted ways by the time my co-driver had brought the car after making a long phone call and setting the GPS on the phone where are now available in the new kind of phones.

He joked at me about the way side conversation that I may settle down there, if I had more time to converse a few more people. In elderly years, it is like that! When one gets to hook on to, the time passed if the opposite gentleman is good and to your liking having a flare to speak. We started off without much ado discussing our own small work in hand as the power had suddenly shown a fluctuation while driving. We also thought the muffler of the exhaust has loosened somewhere. We could find a mechanic on the side of a small road who checked up in a few seconds and said,that our silencer tube is worn out and that has to be replaced. Then was a search for the possible shops. Most of the shops were closed due to the Deepavali festival but some were to be found on a small road. There was a work shop also shown on the inter-net. We visited the work shop, a small crampy place with a biting step steep gradient. The nice English talking and well educated Engineer came out checked the vehicle and said he needed a further check to thoroughly check the vehicle and wantede to drive check and also examine in his little workshop. We agreed. He took to the driving seat and the car brought out added energy and the little vehicle bit on the biting gradient to his shop in a little growl and cough. He showed a sign to his younger mechanic who went under the car and came out to report of the worn out tube again which our earlier mechanic had already advised, without any fanfare. The moment the junior mechanic came out, the senior English speaking friend got the front wheel opened and advised a possible simple problem on the right wheel brake side which may not make a problem as such, but could as well make a problem in future. We checked up his total charges we if we wanted to fix them. He did not give a straight answer but took us to his special cabin and started writing on a small receipt book a few figures and spoke to us about the possible causes of all the exhaust tubes available in the market and the best tubes he would use for us which is really a smart tube and also the simple work on the right front which he will to for a little sum to save us a headache in future! He showed us a total figure of seven thousand and odd rupees for the whole work at a go and would need half a day!

We tahnked him for his advice and moved on to find the required exhaust pipe. Without much problem we could locate the shop with the help pof a few other mechanics who were also going to the same shop. We could recognize them easily as it was a mechanics cum automobile area and most of the real mechanics had greese and black on their hands and they all wore soiled clothes whhich is a sign of good mechanics as they have to go under vehicles all the time and do the work on vehicles which are worn out. Affable people though, they guided us to the shop and we made a good buy of the tube mentioned.

The bill showed a fine charge plus a few taxes and the latest GST tax which was really a bit to drink in. Once the tube was our own we had to wait to get the bill cut and payment done. I was standing at the shop holding the long exhaust tube as a pole for a while and then thought I shall as well put it in the car some how. Once I was putting it into the car a boy came running from the bye-lane and asked if I wanted to fix it straight away!

He said his Ustad was free then, and he could fix it for a small sum and his shop is just few meters only. We agreed and in a matter of half an hour his Ustad, a middle aged youngster, with a broad inviting smile, in all grease and black in totally soiled clothes fixed it, drove the car around and took his fees of four hundred rupees and that was it. The work was done in half an hour and including the price (which was a bit high with the taxes) it came only below four thousand. The car now became smooth and the lost power came back and the extra noise was gone! A day's rest and we were ready for our next leg to Goa.

The next morning took us through a panoramic drive under a cloudy sky through the mountainous curves and hair pins, zig-zags and hill ranges of Karnataka to ultimately arrive at the city of Churches and St. Francis Xavier in the late afternoon. We could get the blessings of St. Mary as we reached a church of the Immaculate Conception and attend mass there. It was raining and the blessings were there, sure to be enjoyed. We could find a little inn nearby and settle down for the night. Could walk around the beautiful and clean streets around and see the boating going on in the inlet waters with the huge signs of the boat companies and a very very large board of 'Kingfisher' drinks. (The bird itself is a very very small one, those who have watched the kingfisher would know. Of course, it is a colourful bird and a joy to see always).

(Continuation..)

We walked in the streets near by our stay holding little umbrellas as it was raining heavily. The Arabian sea is generous with its abundant rain clouds over Goa which the mountains in Goa and Karnataka stop from going easterly and they rain over Goa profusely. The feeling is great and any one can enjoy it if they liked rain as such. The small hotel were we entered had culinary delights and at very reasonable cost. There are plenty of eateries and places to drink in Goa which are generally people friendly as in Calcutta or its suburbs.

There were pleasure boats cruising in the inlet waters and were collecting customers even in late hours. One could see the boats sailing away with lights and the Managers and Executives of the company were accepting guests with great gusto in a gentlemanly way. We did not go for a cruise as we had to travel out early and a lot of places to see the day after before we started out the day next. The hotel which we stayed in too were very family friendly and provided all needs for the little kid with us. The next day we visited the St. Francis Xavier's relics and the undecomposed body (even after five hundred years) of the Saint kept in a casket. The body was buried twice and exhumed to find it was uncorrupted. Then transported to be interned in this church called Bom Jesus Church, meaning Little Jesus Church. A red stone structure of great architechural beauty. Any one who visited got a blessing from the Saint and felt the peace within.

Opposote or Eastern side of the church is a much more beautiful Cathedral Church! Being a World Heritage church it is well maintained while there are no charges for the visit. The culture of St. Francis Xavier and St. Francis of Assissi were evident as the whole place of a complex of four wonderful churches are a marvel by any standards!

The day next we travelled out again into the forest zig-zags which we had used to enter Goa. This time it was another way but the same mountains and mountain roads to catch the national High Way. For a couple of hours we had to follow the boards and be very careful as there were boards informing crossing of wild animals on the route. There were signs of caution about falling boulders. If the rain is too heavy the danger may become real from the present warning. Luckily for us there were no rains but fog which was also a matter for caution as head on traffic would have to be tackled at times. However, we got considerate drivers and road users all through and we entered the national highway to Mumbai. Once on the high way one is alerted by the frequent tolls and most of the time the roads are really very good. Until we reach Mumbai one has to be on rapt attention on the road and be careful in his lane. There are generous number of Toll Gates and one only has to keep a bag with loose money to pay as and when the toll comes. At times the Toll Gate Operators are slow to slow down and irritate the road users in as much as there will be clogging at the gates and huge lines will be seen waiting to pay the tax, undedrstand, to pay our money to them and to proceed. For this one loses time on the road which was meant to increase your easiness of travel from point to point. Next is POL. I mean petrol which one pays of and on as the tank empties out on the constant run. The travel goes without incident till the Pune Mumbai High way which is generally considered to be one of the assets of the travel as it is a prestigeous roads.

The long drive had made us a bit complacent and we did not check on POL for a while. We we noted the danger we were already ending on the Pune Mumbai High way. We decided to pull up sat the next HP Bunk and we did. The highest price we paid for Petrol was here a sky rocketing Righty Two rupees per litre. Since we had no other option we filled up and continued our journey after a little snacks at the exhorbitantly priced airport like shops there. It seemed there was some under arrangement to skim the travellers from the side of all the authorities together the HP leading it. The lesson learned was there is no room for complacency while on a long haul and fill up at convenient places without waiting for the last drops or the empty light to blink.

We entered Mumbai in the late afternoon with the help of the Google GPS and it brought us to the place of our friend where had to make a visit.

To Udaipur from Mumbai

We had a day's rest with them and visited the famous Mahim Church where the prayers to St. Mary are always stated to be granted. The picture and statue of St. Mary of Perpetual Help were on all sides of the Church and a continuous flow of devotees from all walks of life to the place made it a great prayer centre. Even though it was hot and humid, the people visiting were enormous. It was informed the Novenas are attended by one and all without consideration of religion as it has been reported to be fruitful to attend a prayer there. After our prayers there we proceeded to the old Bandra church Fort and the adjoining park which seemed to be a lovers' paradise. We could see the Bandra Worli Link Bridge from there whichis also a great sight. We wished to take a ride on the bridge but decided against it as going up upto Worli may get us into heavy traffic and would take away a lot of time in the humid heat. We thought it better to save our energies to the other drives on hand.

After a nights rest at Gandhinagar Gujarat, next day early morning we started the maze again to catch the High Way to Udipur in Rajasthan. The GPS on the phone were extremely useful in guiding the correct route to climb to the High way to Udaipur. The roads again were good with enough tolls to spend our money, of and on, and the early morning breeze were soothing! We drove on the toll ways and switched off the GPS. Once we are on the highway, the sign boards in green will guide us well either to Delhi or Calcutta which are great cities. Enroute is Udaipur or Jaipur. Since it would be tiring to catch Jaipur or Delhi in one lap we had planned a pit stop at Udaipur. We had prebooked a small hotel called Ramvilas Hotel, where two double rooms with three beds each were good for us. This we did only as a matter or caution as in case we reach late etc. we may not have to wander around searching for a stay. Once there, we could find plenty of small hotels which would have taken us on arrival too. But a pre booking on the net saves us a lot of on the spot paper work and all.

The road was good and smooth with the land-scapes on either side with either plan land or fields or mountainous terrain. At times there was the sudden spurt of small winds throwing up the reddish or white dust which makes an air conditioned and closed vehicle a good asset to travel. This kind of wind is natural to this part of the country as there were less rain in this period of time. If the wind is strong it can throw up a dust cloud too called a 'loo' here. Luckily for us there was no major wind or 'loo' (as such winds are called here) on the way. At a little way side tea stall a young boy was selling tea in the morning. We made an unscheduled stop for a sip and it was worth it. A few country gentlemen had already assembled for their morning teas and the boy was meticulous in serving them, first come first basis.   His charge was a simple Rs.5 for tea and Rs. 7 for a good samosa. The village people are full of goodness. They do not overcharge!

The Rajasthan country has a lot of marble excavation and hence one can see the long lorries carrying marble to various places in other states and most of them one will get on the high way from time to time. Even though the lorry trucks are huge by any standards, it did not seem they are properly air conditioned for the drivers and staff accompanying in their cabin. May be the conditions will improve in the coming days.