We went to Kollur Mookambika temple this Firday evening and cam back today (Sunday) morning.  Caught the 8 pm bus on friday night and reached Kollur on Saturday morning 7.45. Went to the same hotel in which we stayed last time. Checked in, took bath and went to the temple. Oh on the way from bus stand to the hotel we brought a new towel as Manu forgot to pack it even after my repeated warnings.

In side the temple we were stood in the queue and prayed. Later came out took coupon for archana and panchamruth prasad. Got in and prayed again. For doing the archana they seek the devotee’s active participation.
Came out and took the prasad from a different counter and went for a small shopping. 
Had breakfast and went for shopping. We brought different colored bead necklaces and story books for Kunjoo. Brought some more towels and then went back to the room. In the afternoon had lunch, freshened up and again went to the temple. This time I was carrying threads that are to be tied on our hands after the pooja. Got it done and while we were coming out it was raining heavily. (Photo is of the rain). We waited in the temple for the rain to get over. Then we came back to the room. Rested, and later had some chapathis and got ready for the 7 pm bus to come back to Bangalore.

There were small cradles made out of wood hanging on both sides outside the sanctum sanctorium. Little sparrows were flying in and out of it. Even with a huge crowd standing very close. Near goddess Mookambika what need to be get scared?

I brought a ring with goddess’s picture. I feel calmness settling in me. I got the small beaded japamala (made of wood) with 108 beads. I was searching for a similar one for such a long time.

From the time we reached there it was raining on and off (Thanks for my thoughtfulness to carry umbrella). While going we took the long route (through Kundapur). While coming back the bus came through the forest area. It was beautiful. I was in the side seat J and though it was getting dark I was able to see the beautiful forest. There was small waterfalls on the road side and tiny bridges we crossed. The crackling sound of different small insects, gushing water and the moon peeping out of the clouds made a perfect back-drop for any of the following:

1. Romantic story
2. Goddess coming to save the devotee in distress
3. Horror with a yakshi (female ghost clad in white saree) singing
4. Smuggling of heroine / cocaine (forest area right?)
5. Murder mystery
6. …… you can create n number of them J

The wild, untamed beauty of nature somehow made me calm. I slept well in the bus.

Still I am not able to capture the whole essence completely. Words at times are inadequate for our emotions.

Hmm yesterday by afternoon pretty I was bored. Well I was done with my cooking and washing and almost cleaning. The only catch was the motor went for a toss and there was no water to complete my task.
I took a quick bath put my foot up and tried to enjoy. Alas but in vain. No amount of browsing or watching tv did any good. So I went back to my favorite hobby (addiction as Manu calls it) reading. I have 3 Mary Higgins Clark pending and I am done with the first one. These were the gift for our upcoming anniversary.  
Hope the motor is mended by the time I reach home today. The owner came today morning with a plumber. Manu told when I phoned to let him know I have reached office.

About the book “We’ll Meet Again” a perfect web of deceit and treachery and emotional draining (not mine for the heroine). I read a few novels by “Georgette Heyer” – Historic Romances. The books were given to me by Savitha (a colleague).
The other day I was skimming through some poems written by some one I know. Again it brought back the thought “Where are the modern poets heading to?” The global warming, loss of forest and computerization is not just affecting the habitat but also our art. One poem which says about not able to remember the name of a familiar face ends like this “My brain said bad command or filename”.
A few years back I am sure it would have said:
“Like a cloud that drifts away in wind
 Without showering the pearls from above 
 My memory sailed away as thought of those wide eyes” Well atleast the adherence to law “Reduction of 20% in word count” (for us - technical writers) has been followed.

 Someone has thought about English language a lot I got it as a forward.

Pre-Degree (+2) is the time that your neighbors induce your parents with entrance fever parents. A kid who is studying in 1^st / 2^nd group ought to take up the entrance. If not the whole town will consider you and your family as asylum cases. So my parents were also gripped by the poisonous tendrils of entrance fever (I secretly think my father wanted me to become an engineer though he never said that). I was send to different teachers for the coaching.

For Chemistry (the subject I hate) I went to Anil sir. A young handsome college teacher, who had a doctorate, a beautiful wife (they had a love cum arranged marriage) and a very sweet kid. He was a dancer and could sing too. When we were studying there he even brought a car (green Maruthi 800). He lived in a rented house with his wife, kid and his sister’s family. He loved is mother a lot. His father passed (when he was small I believe).

He used to take some special entrance coaching classes in St Thomas school and there were many girls who had a very severe crush on him. They used to attend his class just to have a look at himJ.

He would at times forget everything and stand there and argue with guys who were fans of Michael Jackson saying “I can dance for his music using classical steps”. He used to go to cheer his students who were participating in youth festivals. He could also make guys to sit quietly by giving a dirty look.

When his son gave us girls flying kiss we had a good time teasing him for teaching his son “the art of flying kiss” and Shabi with a very innocent air told him “Sir I never thought this about you”. He had a hard time convincing us that it was his nephew that taught his kid to do that and not him.

Once his son, then 1 yr came into the class and started calling “acha, acha”. He didn’t respond and continued teaching. At last the guy sitting in the front row took pity on the child ad asked “Entha mone? (What do u want son?) Well sir gave the guy a look before he could respond and the whole class started to laugh.  Well the guy didn’t mean anything bad, just that he took pity on the little one.

I never got through the entrance (even though I repeated) and Anil sir became a part of my past. The next year on June 25^th I heard the news he died of brain tumor a few days back (June 21^st or so I believe). I was shocked. For the next 5 minutes or so I couldn’t move.

Anil sir was my uncle’s student / colleague. When Anil sir wanted to do doctorate in a certain branch in Chemistry every body tried to stop him but he was adamant. Due to lack of proper safety measures in the universities in India research in that particular branch is considered to be hazardous to life. As far as I know he is not the first one to die as a result of his thirst for knowledge and goal to get a doctorate.

A lot of poisonous gases are emitted that later cause a slow and painful death. He was lost: a good teacher to his students, a husband to his wife, a father to his son, a son to his mother and a brother to his siblings.

Ammayi Gopi is a character from my childhood. We were in Thalasery as amma was posted in Govt. Brenan College. Achan travelled to Kozhikode (then Calicut) for work. During the summer vacation (April-May) amma went for the valuation camp in Kannur (Cannannore). As crèche and day care system was not popular / known in those times I was left at amma’s colleague’s house. It was a joint family and there were a lot of kids. Ammoomma there said as additional kid won’t make a difference.

A lot of people came and went there. A help hand called Ammayi Gopi came at times to carry big lot of groceries, go to ration shop or for a free cup of tea and food.

He was a short, thin, grey haired man who wore bright color lungi and used to walk around with feminine mannerisms (Like Dileep in Chanthupottu).

The story goes that he wanted to marry very badly but that never happened (Not sure why?)

His lungis are always bright green or magenta and the like. He had a very feminine smile. Us kids use to run away the moment we see him. He liked to touch everyone. So we had the kind of yuck attitude towards him. The boys teased him calling “ammayi gopi” even though the grown ups asked us to call him “Gopi chetta”. The moment he hears the call he will chase them or complain to grown ups. I never thought he meant to beat anyone.

Everyone in there thought of him as a help and used to give him a free food and clothing (as in if there is a Gulf return). He was considered to be the source of gossip as he could enter most of the kitchens. No one thought of him as a “anya purushan” (not a man in the family) or even as a man.

Whenever there is a marriage he will go there be an all in all in the kitchen. After the marriage is over he goes home and beat up his old mother for not marrying him off. I have never seen the old lady and I have no clue what kind of a person she is. He used to be a source of good laugh when I was a kid. But when I look back I am not sure any more.

When attending a mandatory training you come across different specimens.

 As usual I was among the first few who are forced to wait and hear the trainer say “ Oh lets wait for 5 more minutes?” with a plastic smile.

Then walks in this girl, at the first glance I thought “babe”.  Then a closer look at her revealed that she is not. She is fair. In the scores of dark / brown skinned south Indians a fair skinned female is supposed to be a babe especially if she is one of those no-bath, brown haired damsels from North India. She had a bulging fore head, nose – it is there, and the mouth of a 90 year old. Not her tongue but her mouth, it is so deep set that you feel that she doesn’t have any teeth, and a crooked upper half. She had the attitude of Miss Know All. She described herself as “I believe action speaks more than words”, however her words were louder than her action throughout the session.

A guy for a few seconds couldn’t take is eye off till he got a better look or till she opened her mouth I am not sure which. But after one of this he scarcely looked at her. Whenever she said the alphabet “S” the sound that came out was “Sh”. I felt it like a snake hissing. Someone in the group asked a question to the trainer and this one started off in full swing. I couldn’t make head or tail of it except for the “Sh”. Then I supposed I went to listen to my inner chatter (those who do yoga or mediation will understand what I am speaking about).

In some other training, I was sitting next to a fresher cum colleague of mine. All the training sessions will have some group activities. This one was sitting next to me and started off all blunders. I heard she is an IITian and I wonder how she got into it. I have done enough reasoning tests to be sure of some type of tricky questions and always my answers are right in those. This one started off “Phat Phat Phat Phat”, her illogical chatter and was speaking all nonsense. Some of us were saying the correct answers and this one would give a host of wrong answers and then reason the blunders with all illogical nonsense. Then screams out the answer even before anyone can open their mouth. Again a North Indian with brown hair.

So now I have learned not to sit next to a brown hair north Indian female. Run for your dear life if they come and sit next to you. If none of the above solutions are possible be gross to them ;). Well there is a 101 ways to be gross. If you know none read Calvin and Hobbes.

The laborers from Tamil Nadu (both male and females) have a thing for music. They also let the whole world listen and rejoice with them. They also do that for their fights (domestic or otherwise). Many a times I have seen them coming to a shop, give the shop keeper the list of things required and then stand there singing and drumming to themselves.

Late in the evening while coming back from work whenever I am near a construction site I can hear the songs in full blast (Most of them live in and around the construction site).

There is an old man who goes to work in the cycle in BTM. He is an ardent fan of old movie songs in Tamil. He has a mobile music system in his cycle. This is basically a wooden box powered by battery (big ones) and loud speakers inside the box. I have never seen the equipment inside the wooden box. The whole thing is fixed to his cycle

You can know when he is coming by the old Tamil songs being played. To think that he actually spends his hard earned money for charging his battery will made me realize the love for songs the guy has. I don’t know if he has a family in Blore or if he keeps on travelling to Tamil Nadu on weekends. All I know is the way he plays the music. That too the old one which actually makes you stop and listen till he cycles away.

I created a document and someone mean wants to tweak it according to his ideas. Well if am alive and kicking believe me it is not going to happen.

Went to Homeo doctor yesterday and Manish got a new set of medicines. So now in wait and see mode.

Vanitha with the Dileep – Manju Warrier ran an interview with a Meenakshi, author of the blog “The Compulsive Confessor”.The moment Manus saw the photo he gave a degrading comment. The comment censored due to various reasons. Yesterday I did a search and found the blog Hmmm well spotty_sriis gonna kick me for this saying “ Reks I thought you had some sense. M&B is fine and please make sure you stick to it in future”. 

Work front is hectic. I am being dragged into 3 different projects at the same time. Well I am not complaining but one of them is a high security one and the amount of paper work I had to do amounts to almost a tone. After sitting and typing for so long I find it difficult to write. I blame the pen saying it is of bad quality.

 

Thinking of pens there is a shop in forum where they sell expensive pens ranging upto 6 lakhs. Yes u heard me right!!!!!

 

I am thinking of posting about some interesting characters met / saw in the course of my life and name it as “The Character Series”. I have quiet a few of them lined up. Will start off with it soon, I promise J.

I was in training till afternoon and royally missed my lunch. All through the weekend I was busy as a bee. Saturday washed, did a bit of cooking and then I slept almost the whole day. Sunday we got up at 9 am then I was working till 2.30 pm, then we went out to get my tickets done for 13^th March. Came back and had a nice time watching a little bit of the movie Uncle Bun (Very own Lalettan movie). A little bit of reading and my japas were done.

Kunjoo is getting naughtier each day. Oh we brought Vanitha with the cover page of Dileep – Manju Warrier and their daughter. Manju is looking pretty as ever. I love that female.

I was reading yesterday. Basically other blogs and in the evening in bus I finished Premalekhanam by Basheer. I forgot to change the book for a new one today. I started off with my japas today. Brought the Ganapathi idol Srivathsan gave me (I know it is PeeDee’s selectionJ) to my desk and kept it at a corner. Then I kept the green leaves with three red beads owned by PeeDee earlier in front of the idol. Partially the idol sits in the leaves.

I don’t have to worry about those days when I can’t touch anything because the idol is at a corner. Nope no lamp lighting or offering flowers. Just kept the idol there so that we can see each other always. It is a sort of peaceful feeling for me.

In those early days when I used to travel from Bangalore to Kerala by KPN, if the photo of the old couple was there in the semi sleepers (Volvo was not there then or was not common) I  used to take solace in in it. Always felt that they are my guardian angels

I miss rain. Yes the pitter patter and getting drenched. I know it is absurd but some how I feel a good rain can revive my spirits.

The seedless black grapes I brought yesterday was yum. But I get this craving for orange and I plan to buy some from the street vendor today.

Someone told me I am looking better and peaceful today. That exactly was my intention. So what next? Oh yes I need to complete updating the screen shots so here I go back to my work. JJJJ

16^th was PeeDee’s birthday. I wished her on her 16^th. Well when you are two continents away I find it pretty difficult. Lately I am so busy that I don’t get time for my journals. Got a CRR of 2. Well feel there is no other way just be satisfied with it.Today I leftmy hair open for the first time in 3 yrs to office. Mm I can manage. Eddie is missing and I can’t write as emails are blocked. The latest movies am watching Rest House, Prem Nassir starrer. Phoned Rani, she had a C-section on 14^th Feb. A baby boy. Jayesh gave me Rani’s number. Rani asked him to do so.

 No mails as in yahoo, gmail and the like and dunno when they will stop the rest of the internet facilities. Well I came back from Kerala on Monday morning. Sunday night when we were in the bus I saw a beautiful sight. We came through Tamil Nadu and there was lot of fields and hills faraway and in the sky there was this beautiful lightning without thunder and rain. May be it was raining somewhere. I felt as if it represented me at that moment.

It was so painful to see Kunjoo bringing her comb and asking “Veno?” (Want?). May be she thought we will take her with us if things are packed. She slept this time when we where about to start. I know

Kunjoo was not feeling well and I stayed at home full time. We didn’t go to Manu house as he himself told so. Manish went and came back. He had to go to the doc too. After that again as ususal my life went for a toss for obvious reasons and am fed up with this. I plan to go to Kerala this year. As in take a transfer and go.

Yesterday I brought japamala from Rajani (ISKON) made in neem wood. Next Wednesday I will start with the japas.  

naughty_kunjoo

I miss Kunjoo L. What else I am rated 2^nd place in Eddie’s journal for comment. Breathing issues has come down. I will be in a new project from Feb 1^st.

Eating applies and grapes and fish.

For estimation if it is me I have to learn by myself, for others we need to baby sit and show them :-P

There are huge book shelves coming up at home. So Mission set: Fill up all of them. Oh I need to leave a bit of space to Kunjoo. Don’t let her hear it. She claims to be the boss. As such she owns my amma and achan.

They are planning to stop gmail L. Now what else???