Saint Bernard, Pug, Shih-tzu, Siberian Husky, Miniature pinscher are some of the breeds I could register. The dogs cost between Rs.1.5L to Rs.15k and no doubt they were all caged. It was only the night before I watched The Matrix for the umpteenth time and I could not stop my mind from comparing this place with the human fields shown in the movie.

Apparently, the golden retriever pup was visiting his father’s place! The kennel had charged around 45K, with the condition that they would return the money if they were offered the best male pup from the litter. The lady complained that the pup’s hind legs were bent and was expecting them to look like ’11′. So, rejected it straight away.

Another shock I had in the morning was when I heard the cost of the dog food. The ‘Royal Canin’ sack I saw in my friend’s place is Rs.5K! After rejecting the pup the lady a gave piece of advice to my friend. She said, “It was foolish that you chose a Golden Retriever. Instead you should have taken a Shih-tzu initially. They are small and eat so little that one bag comes for three months”. To this my dear friend countered saying, “their litter is small, around 3-4 pups unlike the retrievers”. The lady replied, “Yeah.. but the pups need very little space and a small cage is sufficient for the entire litter. They also poop very little and its easy to clean”. Very practical indeed but my heart was sunk and I knew that I was in a wrong place.

We were about to leave and I saw some mongrels roaming around in the compound. In all likelihood, they are meant for guarding the facility. Karupu was looking beautiful and I asked him what he had for lunch. Probably, he didn’t understand and just kept wagging his tail.

The monsoon trek through Mullayanagiri-Bababudhanagiri-Kemmangundi has not gone well, the group had to return midway. “We should go for Kumara Parvatha”, said Senthil. I did not give it much thought. A few months passed and suddenly there was a mail chain but for god’s sake there was no chain! The Mullayanagiri gang didn’t reply to the thread; Senthil and myself decided that we would go about with the plan of Nov 15 & 16, even if no one else joined. Few days later I checked the availability of 3 of my close football buddies and they were game to the idea! That meant Anoop, Mahesh kini and Mohan would join the trek. Senthil on his part got couple of his office-mates, Chandra and Rakesh. And thus the seven of us started.

We reached Subramanya Road railway station in the morning and hired a jeep to take us to the town, for Rs.25/head. We had a tough time finding a lodge to freshen up. Understandably, the temple was attracting quiet a lot of devotees and all the lodges were full. At last, we found a place; A home, providing the ‘service’ for Rs. 50 per head. With the morning mission(s) completed, we started the trek around 10AM. The internet is flooded with the details about the trekking trail which I won’t cover. The path was a bit tough to negotiate and more than the path it was the weight on our shoulders that was causing discomfort. Probably, I got carried away a bit while shopping at More Megastore and bought more than what was required. Add to this, a tent and a sleeping bag.

The beauty of the landscape, the aroma of the green algae with their meticolous contortions and the sound of a distant stream dripping through the tree trunks made me forget the world, why not the pain? We reached Bhatta’s house around 2PM and had our lunch near the viewpoint (hoping to lose some weight!). We met two other people near the view point who informed us that it would take another 6-7 hours to reach the peak, in ‘our’ speed. Also, we need to cross the forest checkpost before 3PM. The forest department charged Rs. 200 per head for entering the Pushpagiri wildlife reserve.

We concluded that we may not reach the peak before it gets dark and the consensus was that we would reach Mantapa and move further towards the peak till it gets dark or we find a place to tent, which ever comes second! Few of our folks got terribly dejected at the sight of the Mantapa. I thought it would be quiet spacious to be called a ‘Mantapa’. The rocks near the Mantapa offered breathtaking view of the valley(s) we crossed. It was around 5PM and the mists had started to settle for the night but not us. The group moved with much more determination and they had to.

Inquiries with few of the gangs who were coming from the summit gave confusing accounts of the travel time and the place to tent. At last it was a gang of three who gave a more confident estimate. They told that we shall see some flat ground and a stream nearby in some 1-1.5Hrs of trekking and that shall be the excellent place to trek. They told not to try to scale a steep cliff, which will take us to the summit, at this time.

By this time, the footballers had started to gather speed and Senthil, who usually stays ahead, had to slow down because of his shoes and his office-mates. The three (Senthil & Co) coming behind were now convinced that we shall camp very soon and they spent some time taking photographs. The other four got caught by the misty anxiousness and treaded too far. At last, we saw some flat ground good to tent, but there was no water source in the vicinity. Suddendly, we saw another group at the top of a nearby peak. We could recognize the group as the one lead by a guide from basecamp. The four of us decided we should follow those folks as they definitely have a better knowledge about the place. Picking up pace we closed on them and the other three were left far behind. The guide (a lady) was mentioning that they shall camp in the next 5-10mins. This gave, the four of us, hope that the trailing three could find us easily.

And then, the path led us to a forest. I was in two minds whether to stop for the three to join or move ahead. The problem was, all the 3 tents was with us and we had no torchlights. The other three only had sleeping bags and the torchlights were left with them. By now we had crossed all the most-likely-places-to-tent. The basecamp guide kept saying that we were so close to the camping site. We had no other option but to follow the guide as we didn’t have any lighting options. It was darkness all around and I could only hear my own echoes and there was no reply from Senthil. The forest trail ended with a steep cliff and I could now recognize it. This was the cliff I was warned against and all through the path we were moving towards the peak and not a camping site midway.

This is it and there was no point going forward. The other 3 could have easily picked-up the trekking trail so far but not from here. The absolutely steep cliff shall make it look as though there was no route further. In the pitch-darkness, it can be impossible for someone to find the path if it was their first trip to the place. The four of us decided to stay put and not proceed unless we find the other three. Those were frantic moments, we 4 were perched on a slope and were saved from absolute darkness only by a faint pen-torch light. Such was the situation that I even prayed! In that chaotic mind I could hear a frail voice calling my name. “God”, I whispered. It was no frail voice but someone literally scowling and it was Senthil’s voice. It was not that those three were just underneath us, they were quiet a distance away but the fact that we were standing above the forest helped. The basecamp guide was just meters away and I asked her to help us. She said that the peak was only 5mins away and shall return after leaving her group there. My temper gave way and I said, “Lady, you have been saying this (the 10min thingy) for the past 45mins”. Again she said that she will come and started to climb further. It took us another 15mins to help the other 3 negotiate the terrain and at last the 7 were together. With the help of torch lights we found/made the way and reached the peak in 30mins, around 7PM. The peak was a bit crowded with tents and we found some place for three tents and I slept like a baby.

The tent woke me up. Yes, it collapsed unable to bear the weight of three damp jeans trousers. We thought leeches might sneak-in and decided to hang the jeans outside; unfortunately, it rained overnight and the dress was all wet. Now my bag was heavier than before, even after eating so much, because of the wet dress! The ultimate truth was, sunrise wasn’t that great!

We started to descend by the same route around 8AM and had good view of the path we came by. It was incredible! We reached our starting point around 3:30PM and were completely drenched in rain. The sense of achievement was immense and I vented the emotions in the wild in a wilder way! It has been my best trekking experience and I hope it doesn’t remain the best.

p.s: It would be interesting to hear Senthil’s account of the adventure!

Sheer coincidence or just that astrologers have become more cooperative, most marriages seem to fall on a Sunday! But, there are still some ingenious people left out on this earth. Not being one of that kind has helped me think of some trips in and around our destination.

On 28th morning, we ( Ashok, Arunprasaaaaaath, Hari Madhavan) reached Tirunelveli and checked into our rooms. We really need to appreciate ourself that we didn’t lie down and sleep! It was Ashok who suggested Thirparappu. We hired an Indica and set out to cover the falls and also the Padmanabhapuram palace at Rs. 6.5/km. Moving along in small groups is always good in one aspect, decisions are fast and you need not have to spend too much time on driving consensus. The bath in the falls is unforgettable. In the palace, I was stuck in awe seeing the intricate works on wood. Both the places are wonderfully maintained. Ban on plastics is adhered in these parts of the world!

For the Madurai journey, I felt some undefined inertia preventing me to make a decision on travelling. I couldn’t think of anything else when Venky phoned. I booked the tickets right away and am happy that I went to the marriage.

Madurai, she was as beautiful (mind you that beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder!) as ever. She has also changed in all these years. Some small ad-hoc alleys have been made for bus stops (this was long overdue). Yellow-Red buses were now green and lots of blue (read ‘jnnurm’) buses roam around. Some posters have become smaller and others have grown. To keep it short, life just thrives here, no matter what. I stayed in Nari’s house and thanked his mom for the great food she prepared.

A visit to the college was on cards and few of us ( Ragunath, Sp Savaranan, Rajesh, Suresh, Nari, Sairam, Vins & myself) went there by evening. Took some pictures around the campus and spent almost till 8pm at Pump house. A very nice evening! Sunday evening I roamed around Town hall road and Nethaji road with Vins  and did a bit of shopping (I had walked so much in the weekend that the pedometer clinging on  to my waist read 38k when I reached Bangalore!)

Hoping to share the few photos taken, soon.

Both the marriages were splendid and I sense that more such marriages are in the pipeline!

p.s: bought a travelling bag and a pair of trekking shoes! So, whats next..?

There was time I worshiped God, but slowly different notions of God started to creep in my mind. I started of see God as an element of History. I found it hard to argue in favor of his existence and nor was it easy to argue against. I decided to leave the hard work to brighter minds and live in peace.

Recently, one of my friends found me in IM and told that his brother has been diagnosed with brain hemorrhage. He asked me to pray God for his health and I did, very much. After a few days he called me back to inform that his brother has left this world and asked me to pray for his soul. This time again, I did pray. The idea of God is more to do with psychological factors rather than anything else.

Just be what you want to be… and don’t ever push your ideas (of God) on another…

Some serious questions arise about the functioning of the Judiciary. It all comes down to the prosecution to determine the outcome of the case. The prosecution is controlled by the ruling party (‘Govt.’  is not the correct word; after all, Party takes precedence over Govt.). If all the cases are to be sorted out only by the Supreme Court, why do we need a hierarchy of courts? Either it is meant for buying some more time or meant to filter out those who can’t afford justice. The Supreme Court observes that a lower court is rotten and how am I supposed to trust the system? And, I may face contempt proceedings for saying this and why not the Supreme Court judge, as his words carry more weight.

We need not always seek the west for an outlook, ‘Made in China’ is pretty popular now!

p.s: Kasab’s trial still continues…

But, what I can do is, mourn. Yes, mourn for the demise of the principles for which we got our freedom, mourn for the death of justice, and above all, mourn for the death of the conscience of all those who committed these crimes.

From 29 Nov – 3 Dec, I would wear a black band as a symbol of my protest.  Our silence shouldn’t be taken as acceptance, let the people know that we do take notice. Do you mind doing the same?

Had to wait for one more day because of the rains and at last visited Citi Center on Sunday, which was actually the last day of the exhibition. Though, it was a nice collection from the archives I could not connect well, may be that I am relatively new to Chennai was the reason.

Three more things played a part in setting a rather not-so-good impression about the exhibition. One was the choice of location; a decent hall would have done but not Citi Center. Arts like these are better enjoyed in a silent or at least not disruptive environments. Two, the photo arrangement was awkward. In a congested maze like display area, photos were pinned even at knee level and surprisingly, the caption for those photos were to their bottom. Virtually, one had to lie on the floor to read them. Three, the article on the exhibition had set wrong expectations!

The photo which I enjoyed the most was that of the policemen in their baggy trousers.

Would love to see one such exhibition on Madurai.

———-

Death reported in newspapers don’t evoke any kind of emotion. This is no fault of mine, too much of something will only diminish its value. But, it’s hard to digest a fatal accident, if the victim is someone close to you. It was 3rd July, I was standing on the shores of Tiruchendur when I came to know about the demise my childhood friend, Shanmuga Karthik. A short and shrewd guy, I used to call him either ‘kataan’ or San. We have spent lot time in the ground playing, hugging, scolding & even kicking. The best part we shared was the Hindi periods and our trip to Trivandram and also our unforgettable journey to TVS school for a cricket selection. I live in those moments. Dei kataan, will definitely meet you when I get there machi.

———-

Human mind is still a mistery. It changes so drastically that Nature can’t catch up with it. Of late, my idea of commutation has changed. I now see motorcyclists as Sons of a lesser ‘God’, those waiting for a Bus seem to be miserable and those on a car are certainly obnoxious idiots! The Cyclist would of course look divine as I am one. Got a cycle recently and I am pedalling to office these days.

———-

Its a Wonderful Life

Its about life! The movie ends with a quote that would probably convince you to watch this:

“No man is a failure who has friends”

I do trust this statement, hope you too would.

Casablanca

This one was a love story. It was really fascinating .

There is something that I loved in these two movies, you get an insight into life of that period (1940s) and also note the conversations. They were romantic!

In case you wish to watch the movie and can’t find it anywhere in the Net (which I doubt!); I might help,  when contacted.

I packed everything, except for my soul, from Madurai. Our family moved from Madurai to Chennai on the evening of 11th March, 2010. And I last visited Madurai on 6 & 7 March. This brought down the curtains to another important part of my life. I would have completed 12 years in Madurai with June.

This post is an account of my personal experiences.

I spent some time trying to play-back all that happened in these years. Beautiful days they were, for I never thought about the next day.

Life in KV:

Life started with a Big Bang in Madurai. I sketched “Sultan and Jasmine” characters from Walt Disney’s Alauddin and sent it to Yes Vibes. It appeared on the day I first went to KV Madurai. One of my class mates noticed that and told this to her teacher-mom and she did appreciate me! I was colored good. I tried to settle into this descent image and became one.

In the first midterm exams that came along, I could not save my ‘studious boy’ image. The only subject I had scored well was History. There a still a lot of things I feel happy about. Myself and my friend Ananda krishnan spoke with our physical education master and convinced him to form a Foot-ball team. Thus, KV Madurai’s first football team was formed, led by 8th Grade students. Le Chattlier school was the first team we won against.

Friends and games filled-up all my time, with studies coming by the footboard. 10th exams provided me the opportunity to convince my parents that I could study as well. Perhaps, I chose a wrong time to prove my point, and lost the handle to my life. It’s history now, I would leave it there.

+1 & +2 passed without any spice. And my life at college is something everyone knows. At times, I think what was the greatest mistake I did in college. Though a couple of things come to my mind, I would select one from it. I didn’t get an AG from anyone and thus lost to note what people saw in me.

KV Madurai would be missed ever through my life. The adventures were immense.  Life at TCE was not the best I had expected, except for the friends I won.

Pets:

I never owned a canine in Madurai. Instead, cats walked into my life. He was a fearless one and my brother named him Rowdy. After joining college, my parents decided to shift close to the college. So, we shifted and Rowdy back ( this is where they differ from Dogs!). To my amusement, another kitten entered our life. She and her kitty were the reason for my low scores in one of my semesters.

Maduravalli, I can’t forget her. She dwells at Kudal Azhagar Perumal temple. Such an intelligent and social pachyderm. With time, I felt she recognized me. And I even started feeding her directly. The caretaker would ask her if she knew me and she would give a happy nod for that. It’s hard to guess whether she really knew me or it was part of her job. ( Even, I do the same when relatives come visiting!) I paid her a visit to bid her adieu.

Madurai… Mind blowing…