PONDY 'HOME' REVISITED

We chose the tour of Temple Towns of Tamil Nadu, which included Pondicherry too. That was because of my intimate connection with the city - I had spent three years there when my father was posted as the Director, Public Works Department. We used to live in the government quarters, just above the PWD Office building Travaux Publics - on the first floor. My engagement was held in that residence, so it held nostalgic memories for both of us. 

Much before the tour, I had checked up the place - I mean Travaux Publics - on Google - the photo looked great - the gate looked the same as before - looking majestic and fresh!

Soon after we checked in at Hotel Atithi at 7 pm, my husband and I decided to visit the place. I must have looked like an excited little girl as we were exiting the hotel. We had no clue whether to go left or right. We asked the security guard about the distance and location of the PWD office. He said we could take an auto and be there in ten minutes.

We hailed an auto, seated ourselves and asked him to take us to Travaux Publics. He charged us Rs 100 for the short distance of less than three kms - we were in no mood to argue and we didn't let that dampen our enthusiasm.

We stood at the tall gate with freshly painted doors and gazed at the imposing building beyond. It was 7.30 pm, but the office had not closed down. A few persons were seen there.

 

We gazed up at the first floor. We could see a light there. We were hoping that the present Director of PWD must be staying there; perhaps we could pay a quick visit and look around the place. My heart started beating fast.

Looking at us staring at the building, the security guard politely inquired what we wanted. I excitedly told him that I used to live upstairs once upon a time - 50 years ago to be precise, when my father Mr. N.D. Rajan was Director, PWD. We told him that we wished to visit the house upstairs and wanted to know who was living there. He said it was occupied by an ex Minister of Puducherry but he was out of town, visiting his family in his home town Mahe. I was crestfallen - my hopes of going around the house to refresh my memories were crashed.

In fact, we saw a separate gate leading upstairs to the house - it wasn't there then; it was new. We used to use the same gate as that of the office. We double checked that separate gate - it was locked, so no chance of visiting 'our' house.

Meanwhile the guard went in and came back after a few minutes after checking out my father's name on the board. He respectfully told us that we could come to the office and see the board listing out all the Directors.

 

We walked in and saw the huge board; the security guard pointed to the first name. I told him that was not my father. Scrolling down further, I saw my father's name in the sixth spot and told him that was my father. 

When we were clicking photos, he obliged us by taking our photos in front of the board. Everyone around, though total strangers, looked at us with respect in their eyes and it made us feel good.

As we came out, the guard clicked a picture of both of us and then gave us privacy. 

We started taking photos of the first floor of the building from every angle. It was dark, but I managed a few pics.

First, the mango tree - it used to supply us with loads of delicious mangoes (lal bagh / sendoora variety). The mangoes would be plucked when ready and brought home. It was my mother's job (assisted by our Man Friday) to spread hay on the huge  pooja room and place the mangoes there to ripen. My mother enjoyed choosing half a dozen ready mangoes for each day. I still remember all of us seated around her, as she'd neatly peel each one and cut equal sized pieces and make five equal portions. This would be repeated with each mango. Everyone would get to taste equal number of pieces of each mango! The seeds also would be equally shared to relish the flesh. I was so glad to see the tree still alive and well.

I could see that particular room beyond the tree on the left side. What was new? I could see an A/C, which we could see connected from its balcony.

Behind this room was our drawing room - my most pleasant memories of that room are about the 'girl-seeing' incident, when my would-be husband had come over with his parents, and we got engaged the same day. I did not get a view of this room.

Then there was the long verandah / corridor, with large windows, right above the center of the office downstairs.  We had a long swing, where all five of our family could squeeze in to be seated. What's special about the house is the height of the ceiling.

Beyond that was our dining room, where we had a big dining table, which would double up as table tennis table, where I would agree to play with my champion brother - on the condition that he would not slam shots / aces.

Behind that was the extra large kitchen and adjoining pantry, which had their own share of stories ....

On the right side, we could see the balcony of what used to be our bedroom - my sister's and mine, I remembered how at bedtime, we'd be discussing the stories and scenes of the movie we had recently watched, only to be ticked off by our parents in the adjoining room, their bedroom. 

Their bedroom had a balcony too, which faced the road. There was a small tea stall there, which would cater to the office staff too. It was called 'Janaky Tea Stall' - incidentally, Janaky was my mother's name. The tea stall would play film songs in the mornings and evenings. 

When I came out to see the tea stall, I saw no sign of it. Nothing along the neat wall of the building on the opposite side of the road. I asked the guards there about 'Janaky Tea Stall', and they said it had been shut down some years ago.

I remembered the numerous movies we had seen in Pondy - I remembered the many modest movie theaters of those times - all lined up on the same road - Newtone, Ratna, Raman, Raja, Kandan, and Ajanta. I ventured to ask the guard about the theaters and he started telling us which ones were still there and which ones had turned into malls / hotels. I told him we were put up at Hotel Atithi. To our surprise, he informed us that it used to be Ajanta theater. Oh wow! I remembered watching so many Tamil movies, including - 'Avalukkendroru manam', 'Engirundo Vandaal' 'Raja', even the ancient 'Ambikapathi' (re-run) ....

The beach is located pretty close to the house, but dad would choose to drive us all to the beach on some late evenings. It was not for a walk (those days we had not heard of 'walking for health'). We'd sit there and enjoy the breeze for half an hour and drive back home.

In this context, I remember my father proudly taking us to a famous French restaurant (forgot the name) on the beach front. We kids were overawed by the ambiance. Dad ordered fruit salad for all of us. We were waiting impatiently for it to arrive. Arrive it did, and as soon as the waiter left, we dug our spoon into the attractive cup and eagerly put in the first morsel in our mouth. Dad was excitedly watching our expression. What did he get to see? No, not cheerful smiles and sparkling eyes, but twitched lips and sour expressions. Why? The fruit salad tasted different - it was sour, in fact. We whispered among ourselves that they would have added curd (yogurt) in it - probably by mistake. None of us took in a second spoon. I don't know why, but we didn't make an issue of it with the management but just paid the exorbitant bill and walked out, vowing never to set foot anywhere near the precincts. Looking back, I think they must have added sour cream to the fruit salad.

We were happy to spend some wonderful moments reliving the wonderful memories associated with the house. We then took leave of the security guards, gave one more longing look at 'our' house of yore and took an autorikshaw back to the hotel - this time we were charged a reasonable 50 Rs.

That was the best one hour of the entire tour for me. I could not help remembering our visit to my father's sprawling government quarters 'Haddo Villa', when we went on a group tour of Andamans in January 2016. It is now Tribal research Center. We were also fortunate to visit in January 2015, my maternal grandfather's official residence in Cochin, where I was born. It is now Maritime Heritage Museum. Some connection - eh?

We enjoyed the sumptuous spread for dinner and retired to bed, ready to dream about my good old Pondy days....

THE CORONA MONSTER

CORONA monster lords over the world,

Unabashedly scaring mankind bold,

Clawing into the roots of existence,

Even as humans fight it with resilience.

CORONA has changed the very way of life ...

Social networking lessened face-to-face communication,

Next we may even unlearn the art of human interaction,

As we may de-recognize the once familiar faces,

With stay at home due to CORONA cases.

Saloons and spas and beauty parlors are shut.

Men sport mustache-beard and roam with hair uncut.

Women happily sport the mask, during their brisk paces,

As they cover their bushy brows and facial-seeking faces.

CORONA has changed the very way of life ...

Gone are the rejuvenating walks,

As we know not where the virus stalks.

For fitness, no gym nor yoga classes,

Not even parks and playgrounds for the masses.

Adults working from home, backs bent over laptops,

Are only allowed quick and short errands.

With no office, or excuses for drives,

Untouched vehicles gape with punctured tyres.

CORONA has changed the very way of life ...

Where are my lady's days of parties, and interaction?

Of relaxed days, with maids plunging into action,

To maintain the home spotlessly clean,

Also assisting in kitchen chores, as we've seen?

Gone are the days of pleasurable activities -

Marketing - has now become quick, unexciting,

No self-selection of tender vegetable varieties,

With the now busy vendor, no thrill of bargaining.

CORONA has changed the very way of life ...

Kids are cooped up at homes,

Mind you, outside no one roams,

Like caged birds from windows peering,

When over video games, not pouring.

Kids learn online, not within school gates,

Seeking self-entertainment with no mates.

Now babies bawl, kiddos cry - events once rare,

They know not why, may be for fresh air.

CORONA has changed the very way of life ...

Bracketed in the high risk category, 

Independent seniors put up a brave face,

Burdened with home chores, saddled with health issues,

Dreading to venture out even for essentials.

CORONA has changed the very way of life ...

No birthday parties, no social calls,

No vacation trips, no malls,

No movies, not even online shopping,

Yes, that's forced expense-chopping.

Caution and care are the best bets -

Be it own self, or home gadgets,

Fragile - handle with care,

No chance of help for repair!

CORONA has changed the very way of life ...

With drained income, lost jobs,

Economy plunges, global trade bobs,

Food, shelter, travel for stranded mobs,

A nightmare of desperation and sobs.

The swelling numbers of COVID patients,

The statistics of deaths and cases,

Send heads reeling; with crest-fallen faces,

The world waits for relief with patience.

CORONA has changed the very way of life ...

As we crib even to safely stay home,

Doctors and hospital staff risk their life,

Attending COVID patients, their numbers running rife,

In suffocating safety kit as in wards, they roam.

Then there are the brave CORONA warriors,

The messiahs from different sectors, who cross all barriers,

Offering selfless services; with patience and grit,

Compassion and concern, they pitch in their big bit.

CORONA has changed the very way of life ...

Changed are our ideas of enjoyment, our lifestyle,

Our eating habits, our dressing style.

The biggest boons - hygiene, health consciousness,

Tolerance, resourcefulness, and economic awareness. 

GLOBAL ISOLATION, COURTESY COVID 19

                 

COVID 19 ... CORONA VIRUS ... SOCIAL DISTANCING ... STAY HOME ... STAY SAFE ... LOCK-DOWN ...

These terms have been reverberating in our ears day in and day out for a couple of months now; and will continue to do so for God knows how long!

There have been enough and more opinions from all quarters .....

Why shouldn't I too put my hat in the ring? 

Please, please, don't go away. Mine is going to be a take on COVID 19 in my own perspective.... So please .... keep reading ...

How has the lock-down affected us? ( I am including my husband too - we are inseparables).

Not much, I should say; at least not in a big way, retired senior citizens that we are! Also we are basically home birds and love to enjoy our time in our nest most of the time - except when we go on group tours, once in 3-4 months. You won't believe it when we say we have two international tours in our kitty for May and July - booked in as early as January. Inseparables, we might be, but differences of opinion erupt now and then. Like when Corona Virus had just started clawing into the Indian population, I was apprehensive about our forthcoming tours. My better half, the personification of optimism, asserted that he would go ahead with the tours even if I backed out. God! There was no point arguing endlessly about a hypothetical situation at that point of time - those were early days still. We'd cross the river when we came to it, I felt, and never opened that topic again. Now, we hear these tours are being rescheduled for next year! Guess who's having the last laugh!

Arguments galore must be prevalent in most homes these days, as everyone is cooped up at home 24 X 7. It's less at our home with just the two of us - we try to give space to each other, to minimize sparks from flaring up. But flare-ups are inevitable. Even after PM Modi announced the first lock-down, my husband insisted on his schedule of morning walks, which, he argued were absolutely crucial for his diabetes and hypertension; he scoffed in derision at my suggestion to walk up and down inside the house. Within a couple of days, I managed to convince him to restrict his walks inside our society, and I too joined him for the half hour early morning walks, when there were less than a handful of walkers. And wonder of wonders, he was willing to use the home-made mask. Come Modi 2.0, my husband was in a more condescending mood. To my secret glee, he dropped his morning walks and quietly took up my earlier suggestion to walk inside the house. Such a behavioral change! We can proudly claim to be law-abiding, dutiful citizens of our country, trying to keep ourselves as healthy as possible, not only for our sake but also for our family, neighbors and society at large.

Are we luckier than many others? Definitely. Fortunately we are not in the 'CORONA' war zone .... We are those lucky ones who have to just stay home and stay safe. How challenging is that?  

Well, in our case, we are not saddled with kids, so no worries about how to keep them indoors - entertained .... and help them with online classes ..... Handling caged, cranky toddlers, is even worse.

We don't have old parents to take care of .... well we ourselves are old and have no one at hand with us, our sons and families, settled far away ..... The very thought of global isolation due to travel bans in every country is enough to send shivers, and drive one to desperation or even depression. The best way to stave off these depressing thoughts is to take each day as it comes, stay healthy and let tomorrow take care of itself. And of course, indulge in some hobbies / activities of one's choice to keep oneself physically and mentally occupied.

We don't have to work-from-home, so we have all the time on our hands.... Then are we bored to death? No, not at all ... we have enough activities lined up, so we are in fact short of time at times.

What do we miss? How do we cope up with it?

What we miss most is our two-hour evening outing which used to include a good walk, and innocent / interesting conversations with our groups of friends at the park, and also marketing for essentials. How do we adjust? Simple - as I mentioned, we walk briskly from one end of the house to the other, for as long as we can, rather, till we get bored. Oh, forgot to tell you - we have to take turns, otherwise we'd bump into each other! Socializing is restricted to phone calls - even with neighbors. Outings? Once a week, I make a quick dash to my neighborhood vegetable / fruit vendors early in the evening, maintain social distancing while I grab enough for a week, and pay them the exact change (for maximum hygiene / safety). (I don't have those apps - Pay Tm / Google Pay or whatever - seriously thinking of downloading one of those Apps). Now I don't spend time bargaining. And I go in full gear- no, not body suits. I mean well-guarded with a mask - rather scarf / dupatta. Though I had read and heard that it is only the sick who need to wear the mask, I don't want to take a chance. Yes - extra-cautious, alright. Better to be safe than sorry. And recently, the theory has changed in my favor. Everyone should wear at least some sort of mask.

A bottle of hand sanitizer awaits us at the elevator of our building. Still we have to touch the button of the elevator, which is the worst hazard. What I cringe about is the rigmarole that awaits me after the outing. First wash hands well with soap. Then empty the bags, and put them to wash. Change my clothes, put to wash, the clothes that had gone out. Then I go for a shower. Sometimes, I end up washing my face and hands again with soap.

Then give each vegetable / fruit a nice clean scrub and wash. (My friend told me she uses hand-sanitizer to clean them, I don't, I'm not that fastidious!) And spread them out for drying, before they take their positions in the fridge. Once again hand-wash routine. Hmmm .... Recently, I ordered for veggies from my friendly neighborhood vendor and he obliged me. Bless him .... 

but I had to compromise with the quality .... after all, beggars can't be choosers!

Well, groceries have always come to our doorstep. How was it different this time? Well, it just took a few extra days for delivery (smart me had ordered in the last week of March itself). And the quantities ordered were doubled, so that I could sail through the tough times ahead without botheration. No, I wasn't hoarding. Definitely not, guys.

Well, the stuff was delivered at home close to midnight by my overworked grocer (bless him!). I can't wash the plastic bags containing lentils / grains, can I? So I quarantined them - I let them sit near the entrance, right where they were put - for three days. 

After the third day, I emptied them into the bottles / containers ... the virus must have 'died' by then (as per my research). Lock-down period - so no visitors, so the groceries did not have to face any stares! I was asked why I didn't clean the plastic bags and empty the groceries in containers and wash my hands with soap. Good question, to which I have no answer.

I miss my group at morning yoga class and the interesting exchanges and updates, but I don't miss yoga. I have no issues doing yoga all by myself, unlike some. On some days, I do yoga in installments, as per my convenience, that's all.

So we have our exercise, all right. Fresh air? We spend our mornings and evenings on our terraces. Once upon a time, we used to browse the newspaper while 'breakfasting'. 

Now we watch the birds - flying from branch to branch - we never realized our trees hosted so many parrots and tiny birds, not to mention crows, pigeons and sparrows. We lend our ear to their chirping which form a morning harmony! We have been getting closer to nature, I should say. What we miss is the kids' shouts and hoots as they'd play on the society ground. Not a kid, mind you, not one is seen around. How the parents manage to keep them occupied indoors is beyond my comprehension. Kudos to the kids! Actually they are more disciplined than the adults, who step out on some pretext or another, valid or otherwise.

I miss my maid, of course. Thankfully, I am not overly dependent on her - I had her just for dishes and sweeping-mopping. We voluntarily proclaimed a lock-down on her. Now my husband and I are putting to test our 'maid for each other' status. One does the dishes, the other does the sweeping. The rooms enjoy the luxury of 'mop' only on alternate days. Basic cleanliness is maintained. Anyway, thankfully, no visitors are expected! The dishes - most of them are sparkling clean but not all .... the frying pans ('kadhais') and 'tawas' have started getting sticky and have started crying out for my maid. And my gas stove is not so spotlessly clean .... But you know what? I am so happy with the limited wastage of water and dish-washing soap. Just looking for positivity ... everywhere. No offence meant to my darling 'Woman Friday'. Of course when she returns - don't know when that is going to be - she will definitely give me guilt by saying, "What happened to the gas stove - so oily and brown! The 'kadhais' and 'tawas' .... Shae ... look at the floor - so dull...". But at least we are managing ... without her .... and without cribbing. And we have learnt to live without her. And our schedule is not governed by her - our timetable is entirely our own. 

With this current stalemate, I am seriously giving a thought to investing in a dishwasher and 'robot' (the super mopper).

How do we spend time at home? Basic exercises, home chores. Then planning and preparing interesting, healthy snacks, with limited resources and restricted extra work. Then spend more time pursuing our hobbies - mainly singing (more than ever before) and writing. TV viewing? It's been minimal - always. So movies / even 'Ramayan' and 'Mahabharat' are not in our viewing list. News we watch, three times a day - just for ten minutes each time. Otherwise it gets quite depressing. Social networking? Yes - as usual.

Calls? Yes, more than usual. The world has become more virtual than ever before. Video calls with family, several times a week. Catching up with a handful of friends every day for exchanging notes. At least we should not forget voices, and the art of communication. With masked faces moving around, and stay-at-home schedule, we are likely to forget our friends / acquaintances when we meet them - who knows when! With beauty parlors and salons shut down, it might be difficult to recognize them, forget about their figures, with exercising, jogging ...all having gone for a toss!

I need to add this too - we had our New Year - of different states lined up during March - April - Telugu New Year, Gudi Padwa, Ugadi, (25 March 2020), followed by Baisakhi, Boishakh, Tamil New Year, and Vishu (14 April 2020). Of course everything was low key. The New Year of Keralites is called 'Vishu'. The night before Vishu, every family lays out the 'Vishukkani' - a spread of grains, pulses, vegetables, fruits, cash, flowers, mirror, in front of Krishna's statue. Usually whole vegetables and fruits (common in Kerala) are procured for the occasion. Due to the pandemic this year, we had to forget about the golden yellow 'Konna' flowers and 'vellarikka'. Watermelon was decked up instead of vellarikka. 

Carrots, tomatoes took the place of snake gourd and ash gourd. Adjustment - that's the key word. So I grabbed whatever I could from my vendor and laid out a colorful spread. I was happy with what I managed - at least there seemed to be enough. There were exchanges on social media - of pictures of 'vishukkani' of friends / relatives. Looking at the near-perfect 'kani'of a friend, I suspected her of posting a photo of last year .... and I was right! Poor thing, she was so disheartened by this year's 'apology of vishukkani' that she didn't click the customary photo for sharing.

So that's about how our life has changed. Being retired senior citizens, our outings had been minimal even earlier - limited to essentials. So if there are no movies, no malls, no restaurants, no social calls - at all, we don't feel deprived. But then, my wardrobe has gone totally neglected - it's a month or more since I delved into it. It's nothing more than home-clothes these days for the stay at home schedule.

We are extra cautious while handling our gadgets - if anything were to go 'kaput', then we'd be left in a soup - be it a mixer or a tap! Most importantly, we are trying to handle ourselves with care, being biologically fragile.

Let us count our blessings and take everything in our stride. After all, what is expected of us? Nothing much, except stay at home. Count it as a boon - you are getting family time on a platter, unexpectedly. Make the most of it. Be positive. Aren't we luckier than those right in the CORONA war zone ....?

Before signing off, my salute and gratitude to the CORONA warriors - the doctors, medical staff, hospital workers, police, media persons, and all other staff who risk their health to offer us their services.

MEMORIES OF MY AMMA ......

It's my mother's 10th death anniversary today. How time flies! 10 years - since my mother turned silent! It seems like last week that she was talking to me on the phone - touching on numerous trivia - a, b, c, d, e ... then again c, then some more on a ...... My Amma just loved to talk - on anything. No gossips, people! She had the guts and honesty to call a spade a spade, so there!

As I have already posted write-ups on my Amma a couple of times, I am focusing only on one of her fads - talkativeness. (Click on each of the above highlighted words to view my earlier blog posts.)

I can't help remembering that occasion when just the both of us were travelling by car from Navi Mumbai to Pune. It was at the end of the journey that I realized that all through the two hour drive, she was doing the talking, while I had no inputs except oh, hm, aha ..... And mind you, she didn't even need a sip of water. Yes, none of us could beat her at loquacity.

Amma not only maintained a good rapport with relatives and neighbors but also indulged in fruitful conversations with them. In fact she would chide us for not being chatty - and not without reason! Her claim was, "You get to exchange and share ideas and news only when you open up with others". Very true! Two interesting incidents come to my mind in this connection. 

Amma had come to our place to help us with my second delivery. She would have preferred to have me at her place instead, if she had her own way. She was a bit nervous, sort of fish out of water, being away from her comfort zone, away from the proximity of her mother during such a time. She felt she could do with some well-wishers and advisers during the post-delivery care. We were staying in a cosmopolitan campus and had quite a few friends, mostly young. A South Indian family had moved in a month ago, two houses away, but we had not yet called on them - they were quite a senior couple - almost a generation apart, with two sons past their teens and a ten year old daughter. Amma wanted to befriend the mami and mama. I accompanied her to their place. After a few exchanges, we came to understand that both families were Palakkad Iyers. Nay more, both belonged to the same place - Manjappara. Hmmm .... interesting. That mama (MRS) then asked my father's name and I said, 'N.D. Rajan'. Amma got excited and started giving details of her inlaws - her father-in-law was Mr. M.D. Narayana Iyer, who had retired as Chief Engineer, Cochin State, and was based in Ernakulam. MRS mama said, "M.D's second son Dharmarajan was my close friend and classmate in school." Amma couldn't control her excitement, "That's my husband - shortened his name, you see!" Oooh! That was some coincidence! When we informed my Appa about our neighbor who happened to be his buddy, he was counting days for his visit to our place, to meet not only his new grand kid but also his good old friend. Needless to add, mami and mama became our closest friends despite the age difference! Amma would have her last laugh as she'd often quote the incident to prove her point, "See how it pays to build up your conversations!" She did have a point there!

Now another episode. When my father was in service, we used to move all over India, but after his retirement, my parents settled in Madras (now Chennai). Come festivals, and Amma would celebrate all with great fervor. I had spent my formative years with my paternal grandparents, who were more scientific and hence low-key in ritualistic-religious matters. Their refrain used to be, "kaattu kozhikkundo makara sankranti?" (What does a jungle hen know about the festival of makarasankranti?). I turned out a cross-breed - my outlook was partly influenced by them, partly by my parents. So I could be called a 'naattu kozhi' (country hen) - modifying festivals / celebrations to suit my convenience. All major festivals would be celebrated at my place with the respective 'neivedhyam' items (again thanks to Amma's training). But when it came to minor ones, (for which I didn't have a holiday), I'd shelve it. One such festival was 'kanu' (which comes after 'pongal'). Amma was once visiting us during that period. She was not particularly happy with my 'steel pongal paanai', that too without the traditional 'manja-kannu' (fresh turmeric plant / leaves) adorning its 'neck'. I told her that 'manja-kannu' was not available in Pimpri (I'm talking of the early 90's, when South Indian items like even 'pearl onions' and 'naarthanga' had to be carted from Madras during our visits). I think the sugarcane and of course the 'pongal' appeased her to an extent. On the day of 'kanu', I had to leave home for work as usual at 6.45 am, so I had made no preparations whatsoever. Amma was aghast - how could I not celebrate 'kanu' - it seemed to be nothing short of blasphemy. So she prepared the yellow rice, curd rice etc and placed it on a banana leaf along with sugarcane pieces and jaggery - minus the fresh turmeric.

Now comes the twist in the story. A couple of days later, I took Amma to meet my neighbor on another floor, whose ma-in-law was also visiting her. Amma being Amma, it took no time to break the ice - there she was chatting away - as if with a long-lost friend. Soon she popped the inevitable comment to my neighbor - "What sort of place is your Pimpri! You don't get even 'manja-kannu'!" To my joy, my friend replied, "True aunty. 'manja kannu' is not availble in the local market ..." I couldn't help interrupting jubilantly, "See I told you ...". This time my friend's mother-in-law blurted out, "But mami, we have 'manja-kannu' in our pots - which we have kept on the terrace." She then turned to me and said, "You shouldn't have hesitated to ask for it. Haven't you seen our plants on the common terrace?" I was left red-faced, even as Amma scored one more point in favor of her chattiness. I should have acknowledged, "Amma, tussi great ho!" But did I? I was not garrulous enough then ..... 

But I have improved over the years, I guess. So all I want to say now is, "Truly, Amma, we miss you so much!"

RIP PLASTIC!

Oh Plastic, My Plastic!

Maharashtra Government proposed a ban on the use of plastics of all sorts and thermocole  items in a bid to protect the environment, granting three months time for its implementation. A very valid and welcome decision indeed. After all, we have seen the havoc caused by the uncontrolled and irresponsible use and abuse of plastics causing a threat to animals as well as the environment.

The ban has officially come into force today -  23 June 2018. A hefty fine of Rs. 5000 is to be levied on anyone caught for the first time with  plastic bags. A second-time offender will have to shell out Rs. 10,000 and a third-time culprit will not only become poorer by Rs. 25,000 but also have to cool his heels in prison for 3 months! Isn't that some punishment? That too when this is not recognized as a universal crime? By the way, what is the penalty for using the mobile phone while driving? 

Agree that most of the countries have reduced the use of plastics and have switched over to paper / cloth items but they have allowed the ubiquitous plastic to co-exist as a minor player. Of course they are collected and recycled separately. Even international flights have not stopped using disposable cups and cutlery.

Coming back to the total ban on plastics in Maharashtra, can't it be done in phases? First ban 'one-time-use' carry-bags below certain microns - these have been used for anything and everything - even to carry tea from the tea-stall to the nearby vendors! These are the main threats - quality-wise and quantity-wise. Again, has the Government really deliberated on the consequences of such a ban and identified the solutions to them? Have they proposed concrete alternatives / made alternative arrangements required on a large scale?

While deliberations are going on seriously, I want to look at the situation in a lighter vein - mainly from a woman's point of view.

Taking a look around my house, I can see a lot of colourful  plastic baskets and bowls to hold potatoes, onions, and non-refrigerated fruits. And bottles of various sizes and shapes galore. A few curios too. Oh - what about the indispensable plastic buckets and mugs? Don't tell me we have to bid adieu to them too! Some of my friends who are socially active, have stacks of disposable glasses and dozens of forks and spoons. What happens to all these and more? 

Well, the authorities are not going to visit each of our houses which are our private space. So first let's deal with the bigger 'offenders' easily spotted in public places. I mean the plastic bags of all kinds.

Well, in the case of fruits and vegetables, it is no problem. In fact the ban is welcome as the thin carry-bags have become a great hazard. People can easily manage to carry cloth / jute bags during their weekly marketing. But every woman will be happy to tuck in a decent, sleek, folded, plastic bag in her purse along with the mobile and cash during her outings / walks -  in case she comes across some odd requirement. A cloth / jute bag is bulky and needs to be carried separately. Not an issue, except that I will miss the carry-bags which I re-used - to place inside the garbage bag lining the trash bin for neat and economic disposal of daily garbage. Still, not a big deal. Only I have to figure out what to use for efficient garbage disposal till the markets provide some good option ....

More issues - the grocer has to package his grains in biodegradable plastic bags which have shown up in the market. Take one look at the grocer's shelves - all manufactured / processed items are packaged in customized plastic packets / boxes / jars. Come to the liquids - oils, and more importantly milk that are sold in plastic pouches. What's going to be the alternative? Not to forget about the plastic bottles - the aerated drinks, even mineral water ..... Will it be going back to glass bottle days? Anyway, it's the manufacturer's headache, not mine. So why should I bother? 

Well, bother, I should - to an extent, on another count. What do I do with all the useful and handy plastic bottles and containers which I have been accumulating /  using for storing kitchen stuff? And the small, 'fit-in-your-purse' water bottles and the big pearl pet / plastic bottles I use for storing water in the fridge and outside .... You see these 2 litre plastic bottles are great space-savers and water-holders, compared to steel utensils. Right? Well, I have to figure out what to substitute in their place. It is going to be a total make-over for my kitchen! What about yours?

I can vouch for the fact that if you take a survey around any house, you will come across a lot of these handy plastic items stowed away in different parts of the house. Pull the drawers of the kitchen cabinet and plastic bottles will come tumbling out. Open the wardrobe / drawers and you will find stacks of neat plastic bags of different sizes for various uses. You'll find some even under the mattresses - just as cash was discovered by husbands during the note-ban. Some of the exclusive plastic bags (from branded stores / jewellery shops/ airports) occupy pride of place and are used for special occasions. They prove to be very handy and serve several purposes, so ladies have a tendency to collect them during their shopping sprees. When I look at my pile of treasured plastic bags, my heart bleeds. I have been flaunting a different bag each day during the past month to let the world know my shopping hot spots before I bid them a teary farewell.

The pearl pet bottles and jars I had lovingly purchased, as well as the plastic ones saved after the use of packaged stuff gave me pathetic glances as I dumped them with a heavy heart in crisp plastic bags for their mass burial.

Farewell, my dear 'plastics'. You have served me well. Now rest in peace to let us live in peace!

FAREWELL SRIDEVI

The enigmatic legend, Sridevi, who dazzled the silver screen with 300 films over 50 years which included a sabbatical of 15 years, bid adieu to the world suddenly, plunging her family, friends and fans in grief. 54 is not an age to die - for a health-conscious fitness freak.

Sridevi first appeared in Tamil movies (starting with 'Thunaivan') at the tender age of 4, and went on to share screen space with veterans Shivaji, MGR and Jayalalita. As Lord Murugan in a couple of South Indian movies, she looked more cherubic than Murugan himself! 

She also wrenched our hearts with her natural acting in 'Babu' (Tamil) and 'Poombaatta' (Malayalam). Then Sridevi was cast as heroine at 13 by none other than the great Balachander in 'Moondru Mudichu' with Kamal and Rajini as co-stars and THREE stars were born. There was no looking back since then as she churned out blockbusters portraying her in a variety of characters mostly with Kamal / Rajini as co-stars. She did 72 movies in Tamil, 81 in Telugu, 23 in Malayalam and 6 in Kannada with all the top stars including Prem Nazir, NTR, Chiranjeevi .... 

and reigned as the Superstar of South Indian films in the 70's and 80's. 

Destiny led her to Bollywood - with 'Solwa saawan' but it did not fare well at the box-office. 

Five years later, she made a comeback with 'Himmatwala' with Jeetendra in 1983, and earned the nickname 'Ms. Thunder Thighs'. Her 'Sadma' proved her mettle as an actor. Half a dozen releases followed in each of the next two years. And in 1986, 10 of her Hindi movies were released. After the initial hiccups, she got over the epithet of 'Ms. Thunder Thighs' and evolved as 'Bollywood's first lady superstar'. With author-backed roles, she rubbed shoulders with the top stars in the 80's and 90's, with her chutzpah, grace and enigma.

It is such a delight to watch the myriad expressions of innocence, impishness, coyness, oomph, sensuousness, romance, anger, sadness .... effortlessly flit across her face through her expressive eyes and lovely lips. The cherry on the icing was her perfect comic timing - she was a total package, who seemed to have an affair with the ... camera. She retired while at the pinnacle of her career to raise her family, still retaining her poise and glamour and making a successful comeback with 'English Vinglish' after a 15 year hiatus. 

When she was not acting, Sridevi continued to be in the limelight, gracing the ramp, reality shows, and awards functions, carrying herself with elan in any attire, be it the sari / anarkali / western outfit. The glamorous fashionista and dazzling diva was a muse to fashion designers and a fashion icon to the young crowd. 

She has had 3 - 4 generations rooting for her - I can vouch for that. Her costumes were trend-setters in the South in the late 70's and 80's and 'Sridevi dresses' were a rage. My sister and I were die-hard fans of Sridevi (she could have been our younger sister) and swooned over her in most of her hit Tamil movies - whether it was the oh-so-young Selvi of 'Moondru mudichu', half sari-clad, spirited village belle Mayil in '16 vayadinile', cute, young, 'madisaar mami' Kokila in 'Meendum Kokila', svelte air-hostess Devi in 'Vaazhve maayam', child-woman Viji with amnesia in 'Moondraam pirai' adorable singer Archana in 'Johnny', the list is endless .... . If we had our way, we would have played Cupid to Kamal-Sridevi. Would you believe it if I say my father too was an admirer along with my mom? Well, he bought mom a bright red saree with huge flowers just because the shop had a poster of Sridevi posing in it! 

After marriage, we siblings were settled in Maharashtra, so we had become Bollywood fans. Weren't we excited to see our favorite star climbing up the ladder of success in Bollywood? We continued to go gaga over Sridevi's looks and acting which was getting better and better with age. My children too loved watching her especially in Mr. India / Chaalbaaz. If my grand daughters were growing up in India, I'm sure they too would have ended up being admirers of the evergreen star. Such was the magnetic charisma of Sridevi! It is really noteworthy that she has acted with almost all the top Bollywood actors from Dilip Kumar to Rajesh Khanna, Amitabh Bachchan, Rishi Kapoor, and Vinod Khanna, Anil Kapoor and Jackie Shroff, to Akshay Kumar, Shah Rukh Khan, Salman Khan.... The glaring exceptions are the remaining Khans, Aamir and Saif. Of course Sridevi was a guest at one of the episodes of Aamir's TV show, 'Satyameva Jayate'.

Sridevi had everything one would desire - but she was lonely. She had missed the joys of childhood. After losing her dear father, she also tragically lost her mother, her pillar of strength. Her relations with her younger sister soured over property dispute. Boney Kapoor offered his comforting shoulders and she was a willing taker. She married the much-married Boney and retired from films to raise her family. She was extremely conscious of her looks and the rumour mills were abuzz with her efforts. But Sridevi like a loving mom, nurtured her two daughters Jhanvi and Khushi with love and care and had big dreams for them. How sad that she won't be around when Jhanvi's debut movie releases later this year! And what a way to go - leaving the fans and media frenzied and speculating! Most of us were in tears, shaking our head in disbelief and muttering, "Not fair; she didn't deserve it." A freak accident with so many loose ends? Or something more? It's best to let her rest in peace, though our hearts and minds are still not reconciled to the fact that the diva is no more!