RANDOM THOUGHTS

           AMBASAMUDRAM TO TAMBARAM                           NORTH EAST VISIT  Our flight to Guwahati from Chennai for our visit to the Four Day NORTH EAST visit was Scheduled to depart on 30 th Aug at 5.00 am .  We had booked our ticket by the 3 rd AC on the 20684 Sengottai to Tambaram Superfast Express entraining the same at Ambasamudram which is pretty close to my place at Agasthiarpatty on the 28 th .  The M 1 compartment like all other compartments in the train was extremely clean and had nothing to complain about .  The name SUPERFAST EXPRESS though is an absolute misnomer. For one , it takes nearly 4 hours longer than the route by the chord line . There are far too many stops enroute and the duration at each of these stops is far too long for comfort . The train which commenced journey at 6.15 pm reached Tambaram at 7.45 am . The cacophony of the Mobile Phones ...

               PRECURSOR NORTH EAST VISIT  I have often heard friends and acquaintances mention in passing that I am born with wheels on my feet or wings over my shoulders . Be that as it may , I have always maintained that the Almighty has been rather benevolent on me . I am fortunate to have visited quite a few places which attract tourist footfalls in large numbers  both in India and Around the Globe . The visits to London Leeds Manchester Birmingham  Paris Lyon New York New Jersey Los Angeles San Francisco Philadelphia Toronto Ottawa Niagara Regina Brussels Ypres Amsterdam and closer home at Colombo Pilliyandala Bangkok  Singapore Manila Makati and Puerto Princessa come to mind immediately. I have been to many places across India and it  sure is going  to draw a fatigue if I were to start listing them in detail . Despite many attempts NORTH EAST however  is one place in India which I have not visited thus far...

      A  WELL ORCHESTRATED LOOT In these times of active and extended social media participation , we come across advertisements in various platforms like the FACEBOOK etc of products that easily  catch our attention . Glossy advertisements of all these products make them all the more attractive .  I have made purchases on quite a few occasions . The experience thus far has been very satisfying. Payments could be made before hand using the UPI or  the payments made on receiving the product .  Barely 10 days back , I came across a promotion on Facebook for Cotton Linen Full Sleeved Shirts in various attractive shades . A pack of 4 such shirts was being sold for Rs 999 /- with the delivery being undertaken by Amazon . I liked the shirts and ordered for a pack of four with the payment option being on delivery . The pack arrived today on an AMAZON package. What I found inside on opening the package came as a shock . Two totally crumpled T Shirts of th...

        TAKING US ABSOLUTELY NO WHERE !! We have made it a practice to visit , both the Sorimuthu Iyyanaar Kovil and the TENKASI Kasi Vishwanathar Temple each year after our return to India  from Canada . We had completed the Sorimuthu Iyyanaar leg earlier . We usually hire a cab for our visit by  the  Selvamcabs . With a bus service on hand starting hardly a Hundred Meters from our House at Agasthiarpatty and heading to Pavoor Chatram Bus stand from where frequent Bus Services were available for TENKASI , we decided to give this mode a trial . We boarded the almost brand new Bus with digital display Boards at 3.15 pm and were on our way . The route mentioned was via Dana and  Kadayam and Avudayanoor . Ours being the starting point , we were seated comfortably in the new Bus with hardly any other  passengers . Slowly other passengers began to enter and by the time we were at Amali School , the bus was almost full . I failed to notice that mos...

         SOME NICE PEOPLE AROUND US                                                                              Somewhere around the same day last Week , I had my Brother In Law , Wife and his Son's Family from the US Visit us at Agasthiarpatty for a short stay . A visit to the Tiruchendur Murugan Temple and their Kula Deiva Temple at Mela Pavoor was almost mandatory . To make it more interesting for their two young kids/grandkids we had planned a trip to the THENMALA ECO PARK in neighbouring Kerala for Thursday 11 th June  . On Wednesday 10 th evening itself we had showers at the  Ambasamudram Erichudayar Kovil River Bank where everyone had a fun filled evening   . On search , Google Akka was quick to inform us that things were downright bad at THEN...

            NELLAI JUNCTION 7.00 to 7.30 AM  Nothing fascinates me more than the business or entrepreneur spirit of the People of the erstwhile District of Tirunelveli which  now has expanded to TUTICORIN , TENKASI AND A PART OF IT INTO THE KANYAKUMARI DISTRICT . Leave alone the TVS , POTHY'S , RMKV , VASANTH AND CO , SARAVANA - SELVARATNAM STORES , AMALGAMATIONS OR MANY OTHERS OF ITS CLASS . The ANNACHI KADAI have made their mark in totally unchartered waters of MATUNGA , CHEMBUR , DHARAVI , ANTOP HILL and a dozen other places in Mumbai , Ballygunge in Kolkata , Camp and Sector 10 Market in Bhilai , Gole Bazar in Kharagpur , Karol Bagh in the National Capital.  These are all besides the many Grocery , Fruit and Flower shops in every nook and corner of Tamil Nadu . Before 7AM every morning ,  near half a dozen trains from Chennai , Coimbatore , Bangalore arrive at Tirunelveli Junction Railway Station . Platform number 4 and 5 is where al...

                       HARD TO BELIEVE  Of and On there is always a controversy and postings on the Social Media each time there is an announcement of an increase in the number of AC COACHES in any Train Route . The ever popular rant of the POOR being short changed to keep doing the rounds .  One key member in one of my WhatsApp Group is a very vocal and articulate supporter of this view and wastes no time in pointing this out whenever the issue arises  . I had a surprise waiting for me when I tried booking tickets from Tirunelveli to Chennai Egmore in AC 3 TIER  with a departure earmarked for the 7 th of July . With more than a month of interval , I had not expected much difficulty in getting confirmed reservation as I was looking for disembarkation point at Chengalpattu with a visit to Kanchipuram and Thennangur in mind . Surprise , Surprise , no accomodation was available in any AC CLASS be it 2,3 TIER or...

            A NIGHTMARE OF A TRAVEL  For want of a better option , we had to book  Berths in AC 3 Tier on Train No 16252 YESHWANTPUR - KOCHUVELI EXPRESS from Yeshwantpur to Kollam on 28 -05-26 . WE , meaning a 75 and 73 Year old couple had confirmed ,  reserved lower berths in Coach B 10 under the PNR 4649729251 . I am sure many of the readers might be wondering as to what is a Couple whose final destination is Ambasamudram doing in a Train Proceeding to Kollam . We made the reservation while we were in Canada by the IRCTC Website. A wedding of a very close relative was scheduled on the 28 th of May . We managed to get onward  reserved accomodation by the Nagercoil - SMVB Express , but return was a big issue and hence we chose the Kollam Route . The Wedding was conducted on a grand scale at the JP NAGAR BRIGADE MILLENIUM SQUARE.  Having been a resident of Bangalore for a while and also a frequent visitor ,  we were aware of the...

       RETURN TO INDIA FROM CANADA  It is now almost close to a year that we are away from India . We had booked our return Tickets on the 12 th of  May by The Etihad Airways Flight EY 22 from Toronto to Abu Dhabi and the Flight EY 364 from Abu Dhabhi to Chennai . This was much before the skirmishes in the Gulf Region had started to make Headlines .  The reason for Choosing Etihad Airways as our Travel Partner was pretty obvious . Besides being cheaper , their  travel time was also less . Barring the Transit Halt at Abu Dhabhi for 4 Hours , the entire trip was of  less than 24 hours duration  . The all important TWO check in baggages for each of us was a definite advantage. Most Airlines restrict the same to one per head . The Gulf Crisis and Iran War commenced on the 28 th of Feb and started escalating by the day . Drone and Warheads damaging Oil and other Financial Institutions in the UAE  were sporadic. Dubai Airport took a few h...

                  30/4/23  COATS STAFF GET                                    TOGETHER  Madura Coats Staff have all been in  a diverse group . Be it the Spinning , Weaving , Processing or  any other Supporting but equally  important functions , the common binding  thread that ran  among all the staff was working as a Group .This is  distinctly different from working for one's own individual climb up the ladder of supremacy as is mostly the case with the less successful organizations.  A lot many   have worked  for a few years in Madura Coats and gone on to make their mark in their subsequent places of work . A few  have worked their entire career in this esteemed company .  Service in Madura Coats because of its work practices and ethics have gone on to be recognized in their subsequen...

                      TAKING CARE OF US  22 nd April is one more Landmark Day for us  It has been 34  years since you embraced us in your fold and made us very much a part of you - Maruthi . I guess the one item closest to a person's heart after your Family is your HOUSE .  The name Maruthi was always a favourite with my parents and it gives me an immense sense of fulfillment for naming our HOME  as Maruthi . The pleasure is even more when I recollect the many many hours that  I spent in the scorching sun and the pouring rain while   overseeing  Maruthi being built brick by brick and the financial and physical hardships that we  have had to face to make that happen . The Grahapravesam on 22nd April 1992 is still fresh in my mind .  This ,  in  a place which was originally a Cricket Ground where I have  played many a match in the Inter Unit and District level Crick...

         FINALLY GOT TO SEE THE SUN  BARRING A GAP OF 2 MONTHS IN MAY AND JUNE OF 2025 , I AM NOW IN CANADA AT REGINA AND TORONTO FOR CLOSE TO TWO YEARS . WINTERS ARE LONG WITH FREEZING COLD AND SNOW . ONE HARDLY GETS TO SEE THE SUN FOR CLOSE TO 5 MONTHS . THE WINTER SET IN RATHER EARLY IN THE MONTH OF SEPTEMBER ITSELF IN 2025 AT AJAX IN TORONTO . I AM NOW AT REGINA WHICH HAS STILL HARSHER WINTERS . AFTER ALMOST 7/8 MONTHS , THE TEMPERATURES HAVE STARTED TO MOVE ON TO THE POSITIVE SIDE . SURPRISINGLY IT WAS PLUS 22 DEGREES TODAY AT REGINA . NICE TIME TO USHER IN THE SUN AND DISCARD THE LAYERS OF  WARM CLOTHING , GLOVES , SCARF AND CAP FOR A FEW MONTHS . A  SUNNY DAY IS A VERY MUCH CELEBRATED EVENT AROUND THESE PARTS . I TOO JOIN THIS GANG NOW .

         DRAVIDA UNDHAR  - ONE  BEFORE 23 April I have had a great time while watching both  parts of the iconic movie DHURANDHAR which is set in the suburb of Lyari in Karachi -  Pakistan . The movie has gone on to become the all time highest grossing Box Office hit of film  made in India .  The recent scenario playing out at VADAPALANI ,  a suburb of Chennai in India where assembly elections are due prompts me to bring to the notice of ADITYA DHAR AND YAMI GAUTAM who are the original story tellers of the Movie Dhurandhar that there is an absolute unheard of Goldmine just waiting to be mined here in our own India .  The iconic Lyari Arch with the symbolic Falcon Bird  Atop in the original Dhurandhar can be replaced here with the equally iconic AVM Arch at Vadapalani . Instead of the male Hamza Ali Mazari we have a female here who goes by the name of Prema Captaini . How Chanakya , Singham ( this of course is not thei...

YOU ARE JUST AS OLD AS YOU LIKE TO BELIEVE Age 70 , 75  + or thereabouts is a rather difficult place to be in . Nothing can be more apt than the Tamil " ingeyum illai , angeyum illai "  இங்கேயும் இல்லை , அங்கேயும் இல்லை  "or the Hindi " dhobi kaa kutta ( kutkaa ) naa ghar kaa naa ghat kaa "  धोबी का कुत्ता ना  घर का ना  घाट का somehow seem to sum up the feeling .  The years of toil to make both ends meet and the efforts taken to bring up the family to its present state of comfort would have  started to take its toll on your health and your general well being  . The health related niggles will be conspicuous only by their absence . It is hard for one to realize that unless one is in a very specialized field of excellence , the chances of employment are almost next to Nil  . The fact that the final bell toll which seem closer each passing day , seem to add on  to the misery . There have been occasions when i have had to manage the hou...

       The Best Coffee Shreemati Ever Had              It was already late by the time they got to the Egmore station . The big clock on Platform No 1 showed the time as 3.50 . They were to catch the 20605 Chennai Egmore/Tiruchendur Express on their way to Kumbakonam to spend time with their Daughter as there was a long weekend ahead. The Scheduled Departure time was 16.00 Hours . Shree and Shreemati's departure from their Home at Vadapalani itself had started on a wrong note. She wanted to travel by Cab , while he insisted on using the Metro as it would be a faster mode and cost much less . They soon found their coach and settled in their seats .No sooner had they done this,Shreemati pointed to the Book Stall opposite their window and asked Shree to get her some books to read during their travel . Shree hardly had any option .Only a few minutes remained , he rushed to the stall , bought the books and huffed and puffed his w...