RANDOM THOUGHTS

  JANMASHTAMI OVER THE LAST 6 YEARS  Like Diwali or Deepavali , KRISHNA JAYANTI OR JANMASHTAMI is a festival celebrated with Devotion and Pomp in most Hindu Households .  Children like the festival all the more because it is associated with many delicacies like the   APPAM , CHEEDAI , MURUKKU , VADAI , THENKOZHAL , AVAL , PAAL , THAIR , VENNAI AND AN ARRAY OF  FRUITS are offered as neivadium .  The  gents usually  extend a hand in the preparation of such a large menu if nothing else , atleast in the purchase of the many items that go into making these mouthwatering items . As I look back , barring the year 2017 , the Janmashtami function was Celebrated in Canada with my Daughter or Son in 2016 , 2018 and 2019. The JANMASHTAMI 2020 as also the festival this year  with Covid as a deterrent , the toned down version is being Celebrated at Agasthiarpatty in India . 25 TH AUGUST AT 4353 GREEN OLIVE WAY REGINA , AT MY DAUGHTER ANOO/KAMESH s PLACE WITH AARNA AND ARYA . 2ND SEPTEMBER 2018 AT 28

                   Waiting for Better Days ----------------- I am now 77 years old , it is almost 10 years since my wife has passed away . It really saddens me now , I have never been forthcoming to express my love or affection to her . Spending 1 month with each of my four sons was now the routine .  I am now with my 3 rd son . I still have 4 days before I move on to stay with my youngest son . I have already started keeping count of the remaining days on my aged fingers . The faded Veshti which my 2 nd DIL had presented during the last Diwali was getting a wash . My specs which was bought by my first son 2 years back already had its  one side broken . I was afraid to get the same repaired at my 3 rd sons place as I was never sure of what his response would be considering his short temper. I have to somehow manage the remaining 3 days here . I shall get the same repaired at my 4 th DIL s place . I started getting my clothes washed after both my Son and DIL left for work . My clothes w

                         My Nano Car  After a lot of search and efforts , I could lay my hands on my TATA NANO CAR picture . I ssem to have missed storing the same in the huge volume of pictures that I have in my DRIVE .                           TN 76 H 7221 A car is always a prized Possession especially when it is  the first one .  Senthil Murugan , my close associate is now the owner of this car . I chanced upon the same while attending his Daughter Anoo s Betrothal Ceremony and captured the pictures for posterity .

               3 rd Test at Headingly , Leeds  Nothing seems to be going right on day 1 , The Pre Lunch and the hour after the lunch session seems to be an absolute disaster . 67 for 8 is the score after 37 overs . 1 ) Electing to bat first after winning the toss is a debatable decision . In seaming conditions  and under a cloud cover with a battery of 4 world class fast bowlers , putting England In would have been a better option . 2 ) Leaving out Surya Kumar Yadav does seem rather odd when you have both Pujara and Rehane very much short in confidence and out of form . 3 ) Leaving out Ravichandran Ashwin , undoubtably the best current slow ball bowler in the world smacks of cosiderations other than Cricket seemingly at play between the Coach , Captain and Team Management . Headingly reportedly favours the spinner on day 4 and 5 . 4 )This comes as a severe disappointment to me  as I have spent close to 6 months at Leeds in the company of my Son who was then stationed there officially .

                       भगवान् से ऐक प्रार्थना  ब्रिज भूषण जी के गुज़र जाने की खबर धीरे धीरे सारे गाँव में फैलने लगी १ लोग इखट्टा होकर उनकी अंतिम संस्कार की तैयारी कर रहे थे १  कैसी अजीब बात है , ब्रिज भूषण जी तो आज से २० साल पेहले ही गुज़र चुके थे जब उनकी धर्म पत्नी उर्मिला देवी का देहांत हो गया था . उसके बाद तो उनकी भलाई के बारे में सोचने वाला कोई ना रहा १  बहु का उनके सुनने के दूरी में रेहकर ये केहना की " इस आदमी को इतने दिन रुकने की क्या ज़रुरत है , अपने पत्नी के साथ चले गये होते तो कितना अच्छा होता , ख़ामख़ाब हमारे पीछे पड़े हुवे हैं " १  माँ के baad पत्नी ,  पत्नी के बाद घर का कोई कोना , किसी ने भी उनके बारे में नहीं सोचा १   " पैसे क्या पेड़ में उगते हैं , इनकी दवाईयोंने तो हमें कहीं का ना रखा "  जैसी बातों को सुनना अब आदत सी बन गयी थी १   " इनको  किसी ओल्ड ऐज होम में छोड़कर आ जावो , इसमें ही हम सब की भलाई है " " कितना खुश नसीब आदमी है यार ये ब्रिज भूषन , बीवी के जाने के बाद , खुषी में अपने दिन गुज़ार रहा है "  ये बातें , ये सब बातें गलत हैं , मिया

SHOES AND SLIPPERS ,  WHAT A PAIR   The ubiquitous SLIPPERS somehow comes a very distant second to its more hallowed cousin the SHOES  .  For some unfathomable reason , the Black Polished Shoes were  a must as part of  my  school uniform . As you grew up , you began to get the hang of putting the Shoe Laces in the right way    and the more intricate Rocket Science of putting the knot on the shoe lace . The Navy  Blue socks that went with it were a breed which required a  special care . Washing them a regularly was  a must , the foul smell of a shoe removed midway in a classroom full of students is not a very pleasant odour . The elasticity of the socks on your feet does give way over a period of time  . This is where the multi task fixer ,  the RUBBER BAND comes to use . Keeping a few  Rubber Bands in your Geometry Box was  always a wise decision . Your shoes often found space in some corner of the shoe rack  as soon as you returned from school , only to be searched for in all frenzy 

                 ME 71 YESTERDAY 20/8/21                                    TODAY        SENIOR CITIZEN s DAY TODAY 21/8/21                                    Two very contrasting and unrelated events over the last two days hold a very special sway  with me . Yesterday the 20 th of August was my Birthday. Getting to be 70 years is definitely a Milestone . Being quite healthy with the Almighty s Bleesings is a sure boon . More often than not , with advancing age ,  health issues do become a Millstone not only around your neck but around the neck of your very near and dear ones . Though retired , I am an active person always on the look out to dabble with anything new and interesting . These Covid 19 Days under lockdown does offer that much more space and time to  persue these interests . In these days of instant and easy access to the Social Media platforms like the WHATSAPP , E MAIL AND FACEBOOK , I have been flooded with 100 s of BEST WISHES from Friends , Relatives and former Workpla

 Certain places or monuments have a History of their own and a story to tell . The OLD BRIDGE  across the River Tambarabarani between Ambai and Kallidai is one such item . As one belonging to this place , I thought it fit to pass on the Hallowed  History of the bridge . Note : The Tamil Description is not mine but taken from a Facebook Post . கல்லிடைக்குறிச்சியின் சுதந்திரப் போராட்ட வரலாற்றுச் சின்னம் இது ஏதோ வழக்கமான ஒரு பாலமாக பார்ப்பவர்களுக்கு தோன்றலாம். ஆனால் இந்த பாலம் சுதந்திர போராட்ட வரலாற்றின் ஓர் அடையாளச் சின்னம் ஆகும்.  கல்லிடைக்குறிச்சி பிராமண சமூகத்தவர்  பால கங்காதர திலகரினால் ஈர்க்கப்பட்டு தாங்கள் நடத்தி வந்த பள்ளிக்கு அவரது பெயரை சூட்டியதோடு, சேரன்மகாதேவியில் குருகுலம் நடத்தி வந்த புகழ்பெற்ற சுதந்திர போராட்ட வீரர் வ.வே.சு. ஐயரிடம் பள்ளி நிர்வாகத்தை ஒப்படைத்தனர். அருகில் இருக்கும் அம்பாசமுத்திரம், விக்கிரமசிங்கபுரம் பகுதி மக்கள் கல்லிடைக்குறிச்சி வருவதற்கு தாமிரபரணி நதி தடையாக இருந்தது. இதில் ஒரு பாலம் கட்ட வேண்டும் என்று பொதுமக்கள் கோரிக்கை விடுத்தவண்ணம் இருந்தனர். ஆங்கில

 MAIL FROM THE UNITED  NATIONS                                                                   reply now - - - - - - UNITED NATION <un687644@gmail.com> to you &  1 other(s) Wed, 11 Aug 2021 09:22:30 We the Peoples a Stronger UN for A Better World Address: 8 Canada Square London E14 5HQ - United Kingdom E-Mail:  un687644@gmail.com The World Health Organization (WHO)/United Nation(UN) headquarters are  located  in Geneva, which is the largest city in the United States. Dear Sir/Madam, W.H.O Foundation Grant.              This is to notify you that you have been chosen by the World Health Organization (W.H.O)/United Nation's (UN) in-conjunction with the World Bank Organization (W.B.O) as a Quarantine funds donation to help and fight against the Corona Virus Disease (COVID-19). The World Health Organization (W.H.O)/ World Bank Organization (W.B.O) released a total of  £800 Billion  Pounds   to spread around the world. You have been granted with the sum of  £500,000.00 GBP (

    MY TRAVELS WITH THE INDIAN CRICKET                                     TEAM   The Title I am  sure is going  to confuse many and most  People I am sure would  have got me wrong about my place in the Indian Cricket Team . Barring a few occasions at the Eden Gardens , Calcutta ,  The Brabourne Stadium in Bombay or the Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bangalore where I have watched a few matches from the distant and packed stands is about the closest that I have ever got to The Indian Cricket Team . From Schooldays onwards , for some reason my   favorite Cricketers tag has always been  with a PAIR  , Pataudi/Borde , Gavaskar/Vishwanath , Gavaskar/Kapil Dev Gavaskar/Srikkanth , Ganguly/Sehwag, Sehwag/Tendulkar, Tendulkar/Dravid , Dravid/Sehwag  , Virat/Rohit Only missing name in that list  is that of the THALAIVAA  Mahendra Singh  Dhoni . He has been the single Lone favorite of the entire nation for more than 15 years now . Captain Cool Dhoni s unmatched credentials as CAPTAIN , BATSMAN ,WICKETK

              TALL EDIFICE ON A MAKEOVER  What started off as an offhand post in Facebook , has  set in motion a whole lot of former Coats Employees who have been  forthcoming to voice their genuine feelings about their days as an employee  at Madura  Coats, Ambasamudram . As for myself , I joined the then Harvey Mills which went on to become Madura Coats Ltd in the year 1974 as an Apprentice.  , It would not be out of place to add here  that , though having Ravanasamudram as my native place ( Hardly 15 kms away from Papanasam ) my association to South and to be very specific ,  to Tamilnadu till then was limited to the annual summer holidays spent in the native village . Having done my entire schooling and college in Bhilai , Kharagpur near Calcutta  and Mumbai , it was widely believed both by my parents and myself that it would be only a matter of time before I shifted back to Mumbai on the  lookout for greener  pastures . Days went on to become Months and  , Months to  Years and fin

            My Love with the Railway Stations  இரயில் நிலையங்கள் என்றுமே என்னை ஈர்ப்பவை. இதைத் தொடர்வண்டி நிலையம் என்று தமிழில் சொன்னாலும் பேச்சு வழக்கில் இரயில்வே ஸ்டேஷன்தான். அந்தக்காலத்தில் ரயில் கெடி என்பார்கள். 'ஸ்' உச்சரிக்க முடியாதவர்களுக்கு இன்றும் 'டேசன்' தான்! இலங்கையில் 'புகையிரத நிலையம்!' என்னை வசீகரிப்பவை சிற்றூரில் உள்ள நிலையங்கள்தான்! வறட்சியான பகுதிகளில் கூட ரயில் நிலையங்கள் பசுமையாக மரங்களோடு காட்சி தரும்! நீளமான நடைமேடை, அமர்ந்து கொள்ள தடித்தடியான சிமெண்ட் பெஞ்சுகள்! அவை அளிக்கும் சுகம் பஞ்சு மெத்தையில் கூட கிடைக்காது! எல்லாவற்றுக்கும் மேலாக அங்கு இருக்கும் ஒரு அமானுஷ்யம்! இரவு நேரங்களில் தொலைவில் தெரியும் மின்விளக்குகளில் ஒளிர்ந்து தொலைவில் இருளில் மறையும் நீண்ட தண்டவாளங்களைப் பார்ப்பதற்கே அச்சமாக இருக்கும்! சிற்றூர் நிலையங்களில் பாசஞ்சர் வண்டிகள் மட்டுமே நிற்கும். பயணிகளும் குறைவாகத்தான் இருப்பார்கள். அமைதிக்குப் பங்கம் வரவே வராது! சில நிலையங்களில் நூறாண்டு கண்ட ஆலமரங்கள் விழுதுகளை ஊன்றி விரிந்து நிற்கும். கருப்பு நிற இரும்புப் பட்டைகளைக் கொண