Super San Antonio

         
       The mesmerising River Walk is one of the main attractions in the city of San Antonio.We could spend only three hours in the city of San Antonia after attending the wedding of my cousin's daughter in Austin.A co passenger who happened to be from Chennai,flew with me from Kansas City to Dallas.He had done his Master's in San Antonia and lovingly insisted that, going all the way to Austin, though only for two days, the River Walk of San Antonia, just two hours drive should never be missed.


      The grandeur of the boat ride through the river for 40 minutes covering the entire city with its hotels, offices, historic buildings on both the sides of the river was awesome.Actually this is not a kind of river like any other river with sand banks on either sides but concrete walk ways and buildings, something rare and also picturesque.


    This wonderful view of river with the buildings seemed to be a miniature of Venice, despite the fact that Venice is more excellent in its majesty and magnitude.My brother from Detroit and a paternal cousin from Tennessee, also invitees for the wedding had backed up this trip from Austin to San Antonia and back.

          A word of thanks to them and the co passenger !

The Gala Wedding

           The gala wedding of my cousin's daughter held at his place, Austin is one the happiest and memorable moments of my second visit to US.Meticulous were the arrangements in each and every aspect, be it the decoration of the marriage podium and hall, the costumes of the bride, bride groom, their parents, hospitality shown to the invitees,the food etc.


         Weddings are always joyous occasions for us to bless the couple, to meet our relatives and friends, to renew the connections with the acquaintances, to become nostalgic and go down the memory lane, and also enjoy new contacts and of course the delicious wedding feasts.When the wedding is organised in a distant land, it becomes an event of double joy, happiness and enthusiasm. 

        Only the venue of the wedding happened to be miles away from our hometown but it was very much our wedding in respect of all the rituals, traditions and customs right from the auspicious Rose Manjal Thirumana Pathirikkai, Mappillai Azhaippu, Yanai Kudhirai Arasanipanai,Mulaipari Thelilthal, Pallangkuzhi Aduthal, Appalam Udaithal, Thengai Uruttuthal and so on,without any compromise. The real efforts, a natural outcome of the mutual love, care and interest of the close knit family seemed obvious, making the event grand and memorable.

      The Colour Purple, also an acclaimed novel by Alice Walker, a living legend among the American authors, was the theme of the wedding.The alternate invitation for the wedding, the the decoration of the wedding dais and the back drop, petals on the dinner tables and the glittering Sarees looked pretty and gorgeous in the purple colour. 

      The occasion made evident how my cousin's family maintains the ties with their friends and relatives.Such a huge crowd,from not only the local place but also from different parts of US and a few countries on both the days, one on the day of wedding in a star hotel and the next on day of the reception in one of the halls of the University of Texas was said to be unprecedented in most of the weddings held at US.

            The South Indian food arranged was very delicious and enjoyed well by the Americans.Many of them in our costumes of Sarees and Kurthas looked graceful.My cousin's family personally took care of each and everyone of the invitees.They were very overwhelmed at the presence of their cousins,relatives and friends from far and wide.

          Watching the weddings online, is known to us.Now,thanks to the 
parents of the bride, the auspicious occasion was enjoyed live by about two hundred of our relatives with fun, blessings and a sumptuous buffet in the Banquet Hall of Hotel Aryas at our home town, Tirunelveli. A novel and noble gesture!

        May God bless the couple with all prosperity and joy in their married life.

                

                    
               

A Happy Reunion

               A big thanks to my cousin and his spouse for organising the wedding of their daughter in the last week of August in Austin, that coincided with my visit to my daughter's house in Kansas.

               My last visit happened to be a great reunion of the three classmates in the city of Detroit.This time Austin turned to be the venue for the joyous wedding as well as the memorable meeting of siblings, aunts, uncles, relatives, niece and nephew from far and wide.

              The happy announcement of the wedding of my cousin's daughter at Austin, his home for more than twenty years was known to me five months prior to my departure to US.The very moment, I decided to attend the wedding.More than being my cousin,younger to me by two years and exactly of my immediate younger brother's age, he was very much a childhood friend for both of us in Tirunelveli, our hometown till he left for Coimbatore for his Bachelor's and Master's Degrees at the prestigious and magnificent Tamil Nadu Agricultural University. 

           On the occasion of the birth of my son in late 1970s, the greeting cards congratulating on the arrival of the new one, not common in those days sent by both of them, my cousin, a student of TNAU,Coimbatore and my brother of the Regional Engineering College, Trichi,now renamed NIIT are still cherished by me as treasures.

         In those days of living together in the same town paved the way naturally for strengthening the ties with the extended family members, developing an intimacy, the quality of compromise, feeling of security etc.No games with the computers, ipads but all outdoor games like Kabbadi, Killi, Pambaram, so on under the canopy of the branches  of the Mango and Tamarind trees. 

     For us girls with no gender bias of excluding boys, indoor games galore, naming a few are Cards, Thayakattam, Pambukattam, Pallanguzhi and Kalachi, a game  played by the girls with the throwing and catching of seven pebbles one after one in rhythmic motion using both the hands.Can there be a better indoor exercise for the entire arms, wrist, eyes and above all developing a focus with the eyes and a power of concentration with the mind simultaneously!Not the days of indoor equipments for exercise, investing a sizable amount!

    Going  to take bath and swim in the great perennial river, Thamirabharani, the life and pride of Tirunelveli, playing Pandi, other games and drawing water from the well could act as conditioners for physical fitness.

    Be it Kapparichai livu, Quarterly holidays,Arapparichai livu, Half Yearly holidays,Muzhu Parihcai livu, Annual vacation, a commuting by a town bus with the fare  of 20 paise  could bridge the gap of five miles between our houses.It was also fun going to movies, discussing them, taking sides with the great  heroes of those days, Sivaji and MGR, Jayshankar and Sivakumar.

    The crown of all the feathers is the visit to our family temple called Malai koil, nestled in the beautiful, sylvan settings of the Western Ghats.

    Above all drenched in the love and care of all the aunts, uncles, Achi and Thatha, the golden days of the childhood, partly enjoyed by our children could only be heard but rarely experienced by most of the kids of the future generation!

    

Grandpa Turned Corporate

             A very Senior Executive in an MNC, that is my younger brother was nothing but a wonderful Thatha to my grandson, Jiji of four and a half during his stay with us for three days at the residence of my daughter at Overland Park, Kansas.

            My brother was on a purely personal trip to US to attend the wedding of  a cousin's daughter at Austin, Texas. En route he had a break with us.Despite being a busy executive, he graces us with his presence on all the auspicious occasions of our big family, be it a Wedding, Engagement, 60 th B'day or 80 th B'day.Yet it would appear that he was physically present with his mind full of preoccupations about work.True, that the face is the index of the mind.

          The picture became totally different for the three days,on playing the role of an affectionate grandfather perfectly. Jiji also felt very comfortable calling him Thatha, hundred times a day, getting glued to him at home or at the outing or on the drive to his preschool or swimming class.Both of them were kids in their role play, reciting of rhymes and dance. All this seemed to be a typical flash back of the good old happy days,he spent with my son of the same age during his vacation from the IIM nearly three decades back.

       These days," Tension " has evolved into a buzz word even with the toddlers, a word unknown and unsaid by us till a few years ago.

       The best panacea is taking time off to disconnect the modern gadgets and reconnect with a mind cent percent charged only with love and care.

         

Uzhavar Sandhai at Kansas

                            Uzhavar Sandhai, only the name is Tamil but the Farmer's Market of the Kansas City where I felt very much at home with the crowd, is thousands of miles away from our home state

                           A couple of weeks back, while sharing my reflections on Adi Velli and missing my nativity,never had it occurred to me then that soon my visit to this Farmer's Market would make up for the loss and carry me very much to our local markets.That may be the daily Uzhavar Sandhai, just a ten minutes walk from our house at Coimbatore, other weekly Sandhais  within a radius of three kilometres from our residence, the mammoth Friday Sandhai at Sulur.The attractive Sandhais pictured in our Tamil films mostly in the fight scenes can be a perfect replica of the Farmer's Market here minus the hero and his enemies.

                  One side we can see  colourful tents selling garments, in an other stall small toys are heaped and so on.Then the long roofed corridors with the farmers standing behind the tables with their products on the table in small bowls called baskets.The tags with the price per basket is on the table.Their vehicles mostly vans and trucks  used for transporting their farm proucts from the farms can be seen parked near them.Right from our Vendaikkai, Katharikkai, Kothavarai, Murungaikkai , Vazhaipoo, Avaraikkai , Araikkerai, Murungaikkeerai all very fresh directly from the farms beckon us to buy everything.

                 What was so  joyous,surprising and exciting was the sight of the Pachai Sundaikkai,green and raw. Even in our hometown, Coimbatore, this Sundaikkai  is got   mostly from the kitchen gardens and rarely available in the markets. This Sundaikkai is very much relished by my daughter.During her visits to our hometown,at times it is sad that she has to forgo them, neither available in the kitchen garden nor in the market.So what else can make a mother happy to find the beloved vegetable of her kid in a faraway land, which has become her home!

             This green Sundaikkai is sold as Thai Brinjal or Pea Eggplant.Here Brinjal is tagged as Eggplant in all the Indian Stores and so also in the online cookery recipes.Our Brinjal and sundaikkai is much used in Thai Cuisines.

           Tender coconuts and Karumbu Juice delighted us as it was hot here in the mid of August.Similar to our Sandhais, cookies and eatables, not branded are displayed and sold in small sack.A number of small shops like our petty tea shops with the sound of the music could be spotted round.

           What made me happy and feel at home is the surging crowd holding the children in the hands or pushing  them in the strollers.Such a crowd has not been witnessed by me so far in the hospitals, big malls or even international airports.

            One more aspect of this Market worthy to be recorded is only cash payments, quite contrary to the system of swiping the cards everywhere even for transactions of less than five dollars.This seemed to me a different side of US.In and around the market,men singing and seeking arms could be sighted.

          Be it it India or the US, markets and masses go together!

          That is universality! 

            

Two Prime Ministers Meet

                 

Nanbenda!

                    True Friends ! This was the title given earlier. What immediately comes to one's mind is a long time friendship or a friend in need, as the adage, A friend in need is a friend in deed.

                  This interesting friendship, at the age of less than five, true to the age is beyond the nations, colour and race.

                 My beloved grand son, Jiji, four and a half years old had been studying in a pre school and that was closed in June, July and the first week of August. So he was admitted in a different school during the break.

             Every evening Jiji used to return from his class and ramble on about the happenings at school. Landon was found to be his close friend.Daily Landon's name would figure in his talk.

           In the first week of this month, Friday was the last day for Jiji in the summer class.The following week his old pre school was going to be reopened.On the last day Jiji was late to school. Landon was eagerly waiting for Jiji. On seeing him, Landon became wild with joy, hugging him and showering him with toys. 

            Back home after dropping her son at the school, my daughter was little upset, that the dear friends  would not meet each other on Monday.I chided her for not clicking them in her phone.Later,to our pleasant joy, the teacher had mailed a picture of both the boys, titled The Best Friends.

          During Jiji's return from school in the evening, to our surprise there was a tag attached to his bag with Landon's name and a contact no. Jiji' father had gone to school to pick him up.The teacher told him that Landon' mom had already picked him up, sticking a note of her contact number on Jiji's bag.What a momentary thought and presence of mind ! My son in law had given our contact no. to the teacher to be passed on to Landon's mom on Monday.

        Both the moms talked over the phone.Dates were scheduled, rescheduled and finalised for the two Prime Ministers to meet.

        A week later,yesterday, being a Sunday, both the Prime Ministers had their high level talks, playing and having snacks and ice creams in an indoor play area.

       Sadly, both the friends parted after an hour with a heavy heart !

       

The Irresistible Call of Adi Velli

           Looking back at Coimbatore,the music of the devotional songs  from the nearby temples, the decorations and the colourful garlands outside the temples, the rustling of the glittering silk and semi silk sarees of the women folk, their hair adorned with Malligai Poo, a sight very common on the road,in the commuters to work and also at work, people thronging with the Vettrilai,  Pakku, Pazham and Thengai to the temples in the evening, are more than enough to declare that the Friday must be a special Friday like Adi Velli.        


         Thousands of miles across the oceans from our place, as long as we are inside the house , everything is very much Indian, to be true, very much like Tamil Nadu,even Coimbatore with the same food,all the items A- Z, from Vazhaipoo, Vazhai Thandu, Murungaikeerai available at the 5 or 6 Indian stores within a radius of 3 kms, all the Tamil Programmes telecast by the popular Tamil Satellite channels, the Poojas performed for all the festivals at home, inviting the ladies for Thamboolam on auspicious days can bring a festive fervour inside the house but never the ambiance of the parts of our country interwoven with the celebrations of not only Adi Velli but any religious or national festival.

      But we made it to the local Hindu temple, at a drive of 20 minutes on the first Adi Velli, which also happened to be the first day of the Tamil month, Adi.

     Adi is also the month, when people offer Adi Kouzh to Amman and distribute it to the devotees.My mother, an Octogenarian with an unflinching courage enjoyed the prerogative of preparing a very big pot of Koozh with the aid of the maids and offered it to the people with the Murungai Keerai, which is said to be the combination for the porridge in Chennai. 

         This year is the inauguration of the offering of the Adi gruel by my mom. For years, Annadanam is offered at our door steps on the occasion of the Arupathu Moovar Thiruvizha, a rare celebration of the 63 Nayanmars at the Shiva Temples but a grand festival of the Kapaleeswarar temple in Chennai.With the falling of this festival on convenient days in the year make me take off from my work to go to Chennai and enjoy the Thiruvizha.

      Next year, let me be a part of this Adi Festival with my mom in Chennai and invoke the blessings of the Goddess.

Dear son ! We are so proud of you !

             Occasions galore to be proud and delighted on knowing that our products, both in the professional circle and personal circle, top at various levels in their academic pursuits, career path ,reach greater heights at the IT industry, enter the medical fraternity to serve the humanity, pass the UPSC Examinations to become Collectors, Police Officers, migrate abroad to top Universities for higher studies, work and assignments, qualify to be Chartered Accountants,accomplished writers, singers,dancers,eminent sports personalities,so and so. The listing, definitely is to be infinite. 


           In this context, what moved me very much in recent times is the noble, undaunted and unselfish decision of my friend and erstwhile colleague's son to join the Indian Army to serve the nation.Needless to say, a topper both at the school and at one of the renowned Engineering Colleges in the city of Coimbatore, with excellent academic scores, multiple placements in various MNCs and bright prospects of getting admission for a Master's Degree into premier institutes within the country and off the shores, this patriot has brushed aside all the offers .

          Clearing the tests at different levels held for five days,especially the rigorous ones for physical fitness, in the first attempt,despite being a strict vegetarian, abstaining from eating even eggs,recruited as a Lieutenant to serve in the Permanent Commission,recently he left for Dehradun for training in the Indian Military Academy, just within two months of completing his Engineering degree.  

                   
        It deserves to be recorded that he is the only child for his parents, born a few years after their marriage with the ardent prayers to various Gods.His mother during our days of working together frequently used to remark that her son becoming a great professional was never her desire but to turn out to be a good individual .Her lofty ideals, no doubt, imbibed in her son have moulded him  into a valuable professional. As per the sayings of the universally renowned Tamil poet in the globally acclaimed couplet, Thirukural

            Eendra Pozhudhin Peridhuvakkum Thanmakanaich
           Chaandron Enakketta Thaai
                   

          The parents must be really proud, gifted to be blessed with such a precious son.He called on us to get our blessings. It must have been our privilege to have called on our dear son.Nevertheless,with all our pride, happiness and encouragement, consoling my friend with tears welled up in her eyes, anxious about the risky job, was not that easy.

            Other than using this platform to express my boundless joy about the innate qualities of our son,it is also a medium to reveal my wish that the world should be one and every body kith and kin of a large family as visualised by our illustrious Prime Minister, Nehru.

            The content of an essay of a school student in an Essay Competition at the National Level, qualifying him to speak at the UNO, published in The Hindu, a few years ago remains indelible in my memory.To that " large hearted boy " the whole world is one and the various divisions into different countries and boundaries  exist only to facilitate effective administration.

          
            Such a scenario, soon to become true, the days are not far away, when the defence people are free from risks, safe and secure,only to help the people in times of inevitable distress,natural calamities, within and out of the country.

           Perumal Devanpatti,a small village near Srivilliputhur enjoys the rare privilege of sending at least one son from each family to the Defence .With the blessings of the Goddess Muthumariamman, the presiding deity of the local temple, every one has returned safe and continues to be safe in guarding the nation.My fervent prayers to Her to safeguard our son and all the other sons, serving in the Defence sector.

          With such youth, having noble and patriotic bent of mind, the days are fast, for our country to become a super power, turning the vision of our charismatic President, Dr.Kalam into a reality

        Congrats and Hats off, our dear son ! We are so proud of you !Definitely  an icon for the posterity, you are !May God bless you with all peace and prosperity in your life!

 

             


            

Mother Nature, Impartial and Just.

           The whole country of US can be called a great blessing of Nature with each of the 50 states, having to offer something, renowned or less discovered, to the people with the time and mind to admire its Beauty. It always beckons men to enjoy the exotic Niagara, the lovely Miami Beach, the strikingly colourful flowers in Spring,the explosion of myriad colours in Fall, the formidable Pacific Coastline of California,The majestic Rocky Mountains,the towering Redwood trees,some of them, even 300 feet tall, icy Alaska and so on.

          Nature must have also plans of showing the other side of its face, quite contrary to the lovely side, a thing of joy for ever.Hence some parts of the country often becomes  victims of Nature's fury, in the form of Tornadoes, Hurricanes, wild fire and flash floods.

          To cite an instance, the tragedy and the devastation caused by the storm, Katrina in New Orleans, in 2005 telecast in the TV. channels are still fresh in the memory.Two months back in the month of April, a train blown off the track in the same place is yet an outcome of the wrath of Nature.

          The trauma of witnessing if not the heavy storm but little gentle, preceded by the sirens was undergone by me during both my visits.

         On May 25,2011,at 11 AM, the siren sounded in Overland Park, Kansas, where we reside.Being my first time experience of being exposed to these frightening sirens,my daughter and myself with our Jiji, an infant of not even three months, ran to the basement, grabbing the necessary things like milk for the baby.My son in law at his work, with the least idea of the forthcoming storm, it was a nightmare for us alone, the baby in our lap at the basement for nearly two hours.

          What made the situation very alarming was the outbreak of one of the deadliest storms in US, that devastated the town of Joplin, in the neighbouring state of Missouri, just 257 Km. from our place, a couple of days back. More than 100 people were killed.The damage was heavy, ripping off the roofs of the Mal mart and shaking off the St. John's Regional Medical Centre .All these visuals from the channels, flashing in the mind, not memory,words are out of place to express the agony.Later, the confirmed reports came out with the tragic loss of 158 lives and the damage to the tune of 2. 8 billions

                 By God' Grace, impact of the thunder storm was not much in Overland Park. On telling my daughter to come back to India, rather than facing such crisis, she retorted, " Amma,Think of the entire population of Overland Park,if not the country.Can they all migrate to other places?"

                July 6, 2015.This time, the warning and the storm at about 6.00 PM, the whole family at home was joined by an other family living in an apartment.Again rushing to the basement, as the saying,united we stand,with ten of us together,the situation was overcome, undaunted, of course, with the prayers going on silently in each individual.The sounding of the sirens, the howling of the  high winds and the torrential pouring of the rain could be counted as one of the life time experiences,lasting for 40 minutes.


            Mother Nature, though furious at times has to be hailed for being impartial and just as  Nature knows no discrimination between the prince and the pauper; the natives and the visitors !
              

                            

The story of the Maple Syrup

         

          During my last visit to US, on meeting my friend from Canada, she presented a big bottle of Maple Syrup, not the one in the picture but, much bigger than that. Canada is the largest producer of the Maple Syrup, said she .That Maple Syrup, seen and heard by me for first time tasted too good to be seen in the fridge for long .My" small brain" could only recall the name of the Maple tree mentioned in some stories and text books and nothing more. The Maple Syrup went into oblivion for four years.

                   
      The Maple Syrup came into the picture again now, on feeding it to my grand son, Jiji along with the bread or the Pan Cake.

            
      Stacked in the shelf of his room were the series of the Curious George, the Monkey, one  of the most popular Children's books.  A book titled Curious George Makes the Maple Syrup got my attention as I picked up a few books to read till I could go to the library. These books would be read to him at bed time.


         What could be special in making the syrup, mused me. The Maple Syrup like any other juice, at times called Cider like the Apple Cider  must be extracted from the fruit. Only after going through the pages, I could realize my ignorance, learning that the Maple Syrup is extracted from the bark of the tree by tapping it .Not only was I ignorant but also impulsive not to have patiently looked at the cover, which has the picture of the syrup being tapped from the tree. Besides being informative, the book was quite interesting. These series have also been made into animation movies.

         On googling, loads of information popped up, as to how the trees are found in England, US and Canada. On seeing the picture of the tree, many Maple trees could be identified even in the neighborhood of my daughter's house but no idea of any syrup being extracted. 

       With an open mind, it is to be admitted, a lot can be learned from the Children; so also from their books !

     

Just a small spark

                






            During my camp at US, July 4 is a day of rejoicing for the whole country, celebrating the Day of Independence with an extended long week end of three days.

            Colourful and dazzling fireworks for nearly twenty minutes at a particular place still linger bright in my vision.

           Turning my memory camera towards my hometown Coimbatore, July 4 is bright again within the focus as one of my products is being honoured for her excellent and exemplary performance.Despite my inability to cheer up in person, my congratulations and blessings, are always due to her.

            Just by igniting a small spark in her, happy am I to see that she could nurture and guard it to glow as a luminous torch with her determination and hard work, as per the words of one of celebrated Indian writers of today, Mr. Chetan Bhagat.

            May God bless her with greater success and greener laurels by guiding her to achieve her short time goals, ultimately leading to the winning of long term goals.

            May her dreams come true and that she gives back to society ! 

The Dancing Daffodils!

   Hundreds could I see during a drive  and a stroll,
        Fifties greet me from the morn till night as night falls late,
               Daffodils! Daffodils ! as I get up,as I cook, as I stroll, as I dine!
                      Fluttering and swaying in the breeze !
                              And dancing their heads in sprightly dance !

                  The beauty of the golden Daffodils immortalized  by the great poet William Wordsworth mesmerized me at all times and at all places in Overland Park , the state of Kansas, US during my visit.


                  True to the words of the legendary poet, the lovely flowers swayed their heads gracefully.Ready to greet me right from dawn on opening the blinds of the window ,coming down to make my coffee, while I cook and partake my meal, their grandeur within my focus,the bright flowers in full bloom make my day.


                  Again on an evening stroll or a drive, along most of the stretch on both sides of the road, alighting at the shopping complex or the the hospital, where our cute little Aarji enjoyed his first light of the Earth, the awesome flowers welcome me.

                               
                 O ! Daffodils !  Let you be thankful to the Nature Poet and let me be thankful to you for making my days more joyful and enriching. 

           
                                     

Welcome our sweet little Prince !

                                                     

                             With the abundant blessings of God, it was once again, one of the happiest moments of our life, with our sweet little grand Prince entering our abode with his tiny feet,hands and cute face, in the middle of June to light our lives.

                             A big thanks to Dr. Crystal Newby, the Gynaecologist and her team, the nurses and the other staff of the Overland Park Regional Medical Center for bringing out our precious Aarji ,fondly called  RG , Reward of God, safe and secure to this world.They all did an excellent job right from the time of consultation for the ten months and during our stay at the hospital for three days after Aarji was born.

                              Exciting and ecstatic,the occasion for all of us means, it was beyond expression for his Big Brother of four and a half years.He came running to the room after his summer classes, too anxious to look around for the baby, asking ," Where is the Baby ? "

                              May God Bless Aarji, His Reward with good health, long life and all prosperity !

                            May God Grant him a life of PEACE true to the meaning his name, AARAV !

                                   

A Night At Dallas Fort Worth International Airport

                   

                 It is a billion dollar question till this moment, how my stress was overcome without much panic ,held up at the Dallas Fort Worth International Airport over night on May 28,en route to my daughter's place in the US. Despite being optimistic and undaunted, stress and emotions take control of me easily even at the slightest provocation.          

                 Boarded the third and final flight ,the American Airlines at Dallas, scheduled to depart at 9. 50 PM to reach my destination, the Kansas City, after 90 minutes.The flight took off at 10. 30 PM only to stop immediately at the runway,with the announcement that the flight was stranded due to the bad weather.The delay was conveyed to the other end with the help of the phone from a good Samaritan, seated next to me, as the status of the flight would  be displayed as "Departed ". At 11. 00 PM, the passengers were told to alight and go back to the gate.

               At 1 O' Clock midnight, the flight was officially cancelled, followed by the issuing of alternative tickets, a standby ticket for the 7.00 AM flight and a confirmed ticket for 11.55 AM flight. All these formalities over at 2 O' clock midnight, taking the elevator and the Sky Link, reached the other gate to board 7.00 AM flight. Also had the first time experience of eating at midnight in a restaurant, that too Burritos in a distant country.

               A pleasant surprise, of course midst of so much of anxiety, was the sight of some folding, camp cots at the gate.Nearly 36 hours since leaving home at Chennai,what else can be so alluring to stretch the body for a couple of hours.Camp cots being provided at the airport was not known earlier to my daughter and family, other friends and relatives, some of whom happen to be frequent fliers  but had missed the " adventure " of being held up over night in an airport.

             Getting ready to board the 7.00 AM flight, my name, listed as the 42 nd standby, lost all hopes.Opening the mouth to narrate my ordeals of a 36 hour Odyssey to the Airlines Staff at the Gate on two or three occasions had to end abruptly seeing their  hands raised,signalling to stop and mean   " We do understand you; yet we are helpless ! Listening to such stories are a part of our profession, when the weather plays truant ! "

           Noting that there was also a flight at 10.00 AM , my request to give a seat for me in that flight was accepted.To move from Gate A 11 to Gate  A 37 ,again the elevator and the Sky Link, with the bare minimum to walk.Had Coffee and Chips at the stall. Confirming the departure at 10.00 AM, the news was conveyed to my daughter again with a phone of yet an other good Samaritan.The co passengers and others waiting ,at the gate ,were very cordial and supporting.

        Last time Jiji , GG, God,s Gift, safe in his mother,s tummy was  now holding his mother's hand to receive this grandma while his brother to be,Aarji, RG, Reward of God has succeeded him in taking his place.May God' s blessings be with their family for ever !

Rain, Rain Go Away !

                            Rain, Rain, Go Away!
                       Come again another day !

                        Had this popular rhyme could become true due to a miracle,the inconvenience turning into an experience for me at the Dallas Fort worth international airport in US could have  never happened.

                      Really, it is a sorry state of an incidence as well as incident for the passengers with immediate,urgent and prior appointments, engagements, persons with health issues, infants etc.

                     A couple of days before my departure from India, my son living at the opposite of the globe casually said, " Amma, I remember you are going to US through Dallas, Texas.The news is that the state of Texas is in floods." Busy with the travel priorities ,what he conveyed was least assimilated by me and brushed aside.

                 The first leg of the journey, departing at 4.10 AM from Chennai and flying for 4 hrs. and 30 minutes to Doha, Qatar was fine. Hamad international Airport, Doha whose expansion work is going on for more than 10 years seems to be an airport of world class, well connected to many destinations through a wide network of airlines.The service both by the Qatar Airways and the airport deserves to be recorded.

               After a transit of nearly 2 hours at the airport, embarked on the long mission of 15 hours plus to Dallas.On many an occasion discussing my travel to US,letting out my ordeals to be encountered on board for several hours, despite my optimism had no check.Fortunately,time seemed to have taken wings! My long time desire of watching the movie of my favourite star, Kathi, was fulfilled.There were nearly 10 Tamil Movies downloaded in the mini TV.

             To my joy, the fight landed at Dallas,the port of entry, at 3.30 PM, Local Time, 30 minutes prior to the schedule.The immigration took nearly 1 hour followed by the collection of baggage, Customs check, rechecking of the baggage to the American Airlines domestic flight to Kansas City and the Security Check up. Completing all these formalities, had a sigh of relief at 5.30 PM at the gate to board the domestic, final and third flight to Kansas City,from where my daughter's residence at Overland Park is a 30 minutes drive.The gates of the all the terminals at the Dallas airport are well served by the Sky link, only with a bare minimum to walk to reach the gate.I remember even at the Chicago O,hare airport, the passengers have to walk a long way depending on their gates, after alighting the train at the entrance of the Terminal.

         With more than 3 hours to board the flight, walking through the several corridors to while away the time, had the least thought that this airport is going to be my haven for more than 15 hours!

           



         

           

A long lull

                    Three months since my last post! A long lull indeed !

                    It is also going to be a necessary but pleasant break from my work to go to US to welcome my cute little grand prince likely to step into our  kingdom around June 20.

                 The pressure of completing the assignment at the work place, getting ready to embark on the long trip and so many chores kept me off, from recording my recollections.

                My travel from Chennai to Kansas City, especially the second leg of the trip from Doha, Qatar to Dallas, US for about 15 hours was not as tedious as anticipated .

               The unanticipated halt for 12 hours at the Dallas Fortworth airport due to the rains, before boarding my third and final flight of a duration of 90 minutes accepted easily as an experience by me, still seems to be surprising !

This Sunday,Very Much Auspicious

                Today is the first day of the Tamil month, Panguni, the last month of the Tamil year. Next month, the same day is going to be the Tamil New Year's Day. Unbelievable, one whole year is going to get over.

               Today seems to be very " mangalaharam ", boosting up my spirits. Every day, I try to make it to any one of the temples nearby on the way to my work. Mostly week ends and holidays are skipped, unless the day happens to be significant, personally or religiously.

             Today being the Tamil Matha Piraappu, the Siddhi Vinayaga Temple in the adjacent locality was my priority. On reaching the temple, to my great joy, abishekam was going on for Vinayaga, not anticipated by me at that moment and that made my day.

            Today also happens to be the 48 the day after the Kumbhabhishekam of the Mariamman and the Murugan Temple near our house on Jan.26.One Mandalam, 48 days are over.Chanting of the Mantras in the temple reverberate in our house right from the early morning. With the blessings of both the Gods, we could make it to that temple on all days of the whole Mandalam.

          Today, while this post was being typed, there was a call from one of my  my friends, who is also my school and college mate, inviting me to the Valaikappu Function of her daughter.

        Today,that is this Sunday is unique, the word. " Today "is used half a dozen times in this post. !A Big and Special Thanks to All The Gods, that all these fell on a Sunday, to be enjoyed to the full extent.

             

Over to the end of 1970s

    March 08, Sunday  

      Today is the Women's Day. My memory takes a giant leap backwards to this day by end of the 1970s when I was a final year student of my U.G. Course at the prestigious Sarah Tucker College, Tirunelveli.This college has the honour of being the first women's college in South India.

      Even four decades back, we were advanced and fortunate to celebrate this day.Then it was called the International Women's Day.Mrs.Latika Padalkar.I.A.S, Collector of Chennai was the Chief Guest. As the chairman of the College Student's Union, I had the prerogative of spending the whole day with her, right from receiving her at the Railway Station till seeing her off at the station again.

     A Golden Day, painted brightly in the memory canvas.

    Anxious to know how and where that great lady must be now, googled and found that she has settled in Pune. All the photographs taken with her are great treasures.

   A ray of hope to meet her with the pictures of her taken during the Women's Day, on getting a chance to visit Pune in future.

  Salutations to the lady who sowed the seeds in me to take the UPSC examinations. Though that remained only a dream with just getting the application from New Delhi, such elegant personalities continue to keep up my spirits.

May she live long with a good health !

Two Celebrities , Too simple

       Simplicity, I always strongly feel is a great quality to be applauded. It becomes obvious, being found in highly qualified or very wealthy persons. Highly learned individuals make me curious to know the contributing factors behind, be it hereditary, acquired, situational, motivated etc. In this context, Mrs. Sudha Murty, Chairman of the Infosys Foundation and her writings in English, the small stories about ordinary things, made extra ordinary with a message are simply adorned by me. How I Taught Grandma and Other Short Stories, authored by her finds always a place in the gifts given by me. The day,I am longing to meet her may be a golden day in my life. 

      A rare and enviable opportunity, indeed it was, I felt, to spend a few hours with two celebrities,  a couple of weeks back. One is an Indian diplomat in the Indian Foreign Service and the other, a business magnate of national as well as international fame, also with a social consciousness. Meeting and chatting with such dignitaries by the people outside their known circles may happen, at times in the flight or at the airports lounges waiting for the departure.

    A function organized at my work place facilitated such a wonderful get together. Both the guests carried away the audience with their captivating speeches. We felt at ease with the diplomat who continues to serve outside the country. Listening to her perceptions about places and persons were delightful.

   The philanthropic bent of mind and the sense of creating social awareness made the business man endearing to every one.

 

Utopia - Excellent Service

                   Excellent Service, similarly rendered everywhere and every day to every one is sure to make our country a Utopia.

            Utopia, Called " Yootopea " is the  name of a book written by Thomas Moore, which describes an imaginary place or state, where every thing is perfect.

                  Yes, the services at the Passport Seva Kendra, Coimbatore during the renewal of my Passport was awesome. By God's Grace, I had the opportunity to visit a few countries with transit at some of the top international airports. Hence this is not the first time of my exposure to an ambience of high tech. and sophistication Yet, mesmerized and speechless,, was I at the execution of the process at the various counters, that deserve to mentioned as world class.

             Police verification was not required as there was no change in the address. Subsequently the experience of the renewal of my passport from the moment of applying for the reissue, online till the time of receiving the second passport by speed post, all within 72 hours was hazzle free, enriching and pleasant.

Daman To Coimbatore

            Daman, the name may be alien to many of us, except the ones with an interest in places, people, precisely Geography.


          Geography, being one of my favourite subjects, along with English and Maths, the names of the Union Territories and their capitals taught by our great Social Studies Madam, Ms. Lilly Bedford Solomon in a commanding voice, nearly four decades back at the elite St.Ignatius' Convent Higher School, Palayamkottai , the Oxford of South India still resonates in my memory. May her tribes live long !


           Daman, one sentence I know, earlier about the place is that it is the capital of the Union Territory, Daman and Diu, earlier occupied by the Portuguese. Daman, not read about often in the headlines of our state newspapers, though, located in our country, the name goes into a state of oblivion  like the thousands of cities and towns of our country.


          It is ironical that frequent occasions occur to us to get first hand and direct information about some of the countries and cities from conversations with some friends and relatives living in cities across the globe, be it USA, UK, the Gulf, Australia, News Zealand etc. Within our country such known people live either in the Metropolitan or some other big cities, outside our state. Rarely do we get a chance to come across people from many parts of India.

         So, a couple of months back,on knowing that a Professor from Daman was going to be the External Examiner for the Viva Voce for awarding the doctorate degree to my niece, excited  was I to meet him, as he is basically from Tamil Nadu. 

         The Professor, as obvious was not only a man of high academic credentials but also very humble. With his hard work and dedication, he has  made a long way from a town near Coimbatore to the Union Territory of Daman, as a faculty in the Govt. College of Arts and Science by passing the UPSC examinations. A giant leap indeed through education and hard work !

    Getting a chance to chat with him for an hour during lunch was liberal education of the highest order!

       

Welcome 2015

Devi Durga

                             
                                 We are all getting geared up to welcome 2015, bidding good bye to 2014.Looking back 2014 has been a year with a lot of blessings from God and a few disappointments. Thanks to the Almighty for his abundant blessings.

                                   My fervent prayers to all the Gods and Goddesses to bless each and every one in the universe with all peace, prosperity and happiness. 

                                  My humble request to the Shantha Sorubi Durga to keep me cool and composed and free from unwanted and undue stress for nothing at all. Goddess Durga is mostly visualized as awesome but this Devi Durga in a temple is so pleasing and endearing that makes me call her Shantha Sorubi,
remembered in my prayers daily, for me to be calm and courageous.

                                 Jaya Jaya Devi Durga Devi Saranam !

                                
                                   

                        

Flowers ! Flowers ! Flowers !

                                       Ten thousands saw I at a glance,
                                       Making me joyous !

                        In the flash of a second, these lines, though modified, can make the lovers of poetry recall the great Nature poet William Wordsworth and his Daffodils, one of the most wonderful poems of the English language.

                     Beautiful, bright, and colourful Chrysanthemums and roses of numerous variety for sale in front of the Sai Baba Temple in Mylapore.  greeted us immediately we step out of the house.


                    This time, during my visit to my mother's house in Chennai,
my greatest source of joy were nothing but these Chrysanthemums, similarly looking Kenthi flowers, so elegant and amazing, and the multi coloured roses.

                   Malligai and Jathi, full of fragrance, yellow and white Sivanthippoo, Purple coloured Vadamalli ,Kolikondai adorn the entrance of the temples and flower market in Coimbatore also.

                   During our periodical visits to Madurai, along with the temples, Madurai Malli too attract us.But, the variety in Chennai seemed to excel the others.

                  What else can be a simple source of joy than the flowers!