The two brats

The two brats, Bruno and Britto are the two great personalities in our family.

Bruno:
Bruno was brought into our house more than 17 years ago as a lean but naughty puppy weighing about approx.750 gms. Today, I should not call him a brat as he is an old naughty member of my house, but to express my affection towards him, I just cannot remain but, have to, call him a brat. His arrival in our house was by a mere chance. My children Betsy and Cyril were very fond of pets. This liking must have been in their blood because their mother, of course, my wife Pearline was and is mad about pets and I too have been not at all averse to animals. In my younger days also, we had dogs and cattle in our house and if I remember correctly, Kaiser was the pet dog we had when I left home for Baroda in 1970. Coming back to Bruno, in the initial days he was not very much heeding to instructions and with certain very light punishments he fell in line and started behaving very intelligently and affectionately. We did not notice how he was growing up as a younger member of the family taking care of every one and expressing his deep love which cannot be described in words. Simultaneously, he was also claiming his stake with each and every one of us. His sense of belonging even today is great. He is very sensitive and adapts to the circumstances in the house. He still jumps and sits in the lap whenever he gets an opportunity. He has made it a matter of right to sleep in our bed for some time before he goes for his regular sleep.

He does not forget any one and with children, my God! He thinks he is their care taker and their safety is his exclusive duty. My memory is fresh as to how he was lying near the cot and taking care when young Maanya, Manshree and Manvi were sleeping. Any slight movement by them will make him restless and will run to call his mom. He understood me as Papa and Pearline as mom, as our children used to call. By God’s grace he did not have any serious health problems except the incident in 2010 when we had gone to Kerala and he was kept at our servant’s place when three street dogs attacked him. We were crossing our fingers and praying for his recovery. The efforts put in by my son Cyril to arrange immediate medication and the care taken by him and his friend Anand were commendable. By God’s Grace and great care taken by us all especially his Mom, we would get back him active. This time, when we were to go to Kerala last month, our main concern was to find out a suitable place where he could be kept and finally we got him accommodated in a dog hostel, though at a higher cost. He does not forget people he meets once, for years, and he will hug and kiss them when he happens to meet them again. He likes to be in our company always, especially his mom. If he is kept alone, he will cry though it is more than seventeen years since he is with us. Of course, he is gone old now, he has cataract in one of his eyes, he gets tired frequently, his hearing is also slightly impaired. We never miss out in giving his regular injections and routine medicines and tonic. He not only guards the house, but is an active, loving member of my house.

My grand daughter Maanya is too fond of him. She tells ‘‘Bruno is my saga bhai. Cyril and Prashant are his cousin brothers and my mummy, Bruno’s cousin sister”. Our Manshree, whenever she talks, her third sentence will be about Bruno and she often insists to hear Bruno’s barking sound on phone. Bruno is also very fond of Maanya and Manshree. When these two girls happen to meet Bruno, I admit, I have no words to explain how they express their love and affection. Cyril, whenever he is on chat with me, he will ask how are you Dad, Mom and Bruno. To sum up, Bruno is an important part of our family, whose role cannot be described in words. Our only prayer is that he should remain in good health.

Britto:
Some time ago, my elder brother, Johnachayan had told me that he had brought one more pet dog (he already had one), a Pomeranian mix breed who resembles our Bruno in appearance. When we reached home in September, we were rather pleasantly surprised to see Britto, who had much in common with Bruno. He had a look almost like Bruno. Both of them belong to the same breed and more or less same behavioral pattern. He is only nine months old now and appears as if he is the younger brother of Bruno. For the first couple of days he barked at us, certainly it was not friendly barking, we could make out. We simply called him Britto and ignored him. When he realized that we are not giving attention to him, he changed his style. Infact, we knew from a dog instructor that you should ignore a dog at the first instance and should not try to make friend with it for a couple of days. We sensed that his barking style has changed and he wanted us to reach out to him and make friendship with him. We slowly started going near to him and give some thing of his liking to eat. With in a couple of days, he made us his friends. He is very affectionate and spared no time when he got an opportunity to play with us. Of course, he is a naughty little brat in the complete sense of the term. He became very excited in the company of my wife and she being a pet lover had very good time with him. He soon became a friend of Cyril also. Thereafter, during the few days left for us to leave, he wanted that we should spend time with him and play with him. When we left for Bharuch, the poor thing was crying his heart out and we also had to leave with a heavy heart. We pray that he grows up with the same charm and also hope that we shall meet him again.

Both Bruno and Britto, we consider them as brothers, have many things in common. Both are lovable, affectionate beings and are grateful to those who nurture them. They cannot be called dogs, but they are members of the house and the very presence and affectionate behavior of them, can ease out any tension which one can have in the hurly-burly of day to day life.

Meeting an old time friend

My very recent visit to home town in Kerala was to attend the marriage of my youngest of the nieces Sindhu who is also important for me as she is the youngest daughter of my youngest sister. It was a comparatively long stay in Kerala this time. During the engagement day, I happened to know from a common friend that one of my old time friends who was not only my class mate in my college during degree course,but also a co-traveler for 3 years in the crowded private buses from Puthoor to Sasthamcotta, is sick and frequently undergoing dialysis for his kidney ailment. Though during many of my earlier visits to Kerala, I thought of meeting him, I could not make it. If I remember correctly, our last meeting was about 32 years ago. When I knew he is sick, I made up my mind that I will for sure, meet him before I leave Kerala. Probably on the 20th of September, I met him at his residence. I got the exact location of his house from one of his brothers, who is running a whole-sale foot wear business at Pothoor. In-fact, his brother called an auto-rickshaw and asked him to drop me at his brother’s place. We were meeting after more than three decades. I recognized him immediately but it took him a few minutes to recognize me. Of course, there could be a lot of changes that might have happened to both of us in 32 years. He was pleasantly surprised when I called him ‘Varghese’ and told him I am Baby. His official name is Geevarghese Daniel and known as Raju in his home and nearby. We sat down and talked and in half an hour time we reiterated our college life of 3 years and also remembered and talked about many of our class mates and some events happened those days which were worth remembering. During the talk, he told me that he is retired as a Dy. Director from one of Kerala Govt. departments. He also told me that since some time he has become the victim of a very serious illness and undergoing dialysis after every 5 days. He looked gloomy and I was saddened to hear the news from him though I had prior knowledge of it. I have added his name also in my daily prayer list; the only thing I can do for a dear friend. We had tea together and after half an hour I said bye and wished him speedy recovery.

My friend Mr. Geevarghese Daniel is a down to earth man. I know that he is from a very wealthy family in Puthoor. His father late K.Daniel was the Greatest General Merchant in Puthoor. Mr. Varghese, though he was from a rich family, his life style from the student days has been so simple. The reason for my liking him was, as a boy he never had thickness in his head and he mingled with each and every one of us which was just contrary to certain other boys from rich families who hardly bothered to consider less privileged students as human beings. We were best friends in our college days,sitting close and passing comments some times etc.etc. His family had a motor car on those days when hardly there were only two cars in Puthoor.At the age of 19 years, he knew driving when I had seen a car only from outside and thought that revolving the steering speedly will increase the speed of the vehicle. I had never thought on those days that I will drive a car one day. Man proposes God disposes. He too believes that money and material possessions are not the be all and end all of human life.

May God give him strength in his difficult days.

Posted on 09th October 2011.

Certainly a silly thought it was - even now I think.

When we look back there could,atleast, be some occasions where we feel that we erred in our decision making. For me, an incident more often comes to my mind which makes me think that I was really a stupid (at least for that time) to have occurred such a thought in mind. I was in my II-year graduation. As had been throughout my studies I was the shortest, light weight boy in the class of 36 in the Political Science subject. It was,therefore, compulsory for me to sit in the front row as otherwise I will not appear in the vicinity of my lecturers due to my fantastic frame. The practice in degree classes in Kerala, at that time, was that languages were taught in the first and second year final university exam is taken for the languages at the end of the second year. (Of course,politics was a subject of my great interest right from my early childhood and even I remember when I was a very little boy of 9 years I had participated in the procession during the liberation struggle to get rid of the first communist govt. in Kerala headed by the late EMS Nampoothiripad in 1957). Coming back to the incident which I want to tell, I was,somehow,had a great interest in English language. It is mainly because of the fact that we had excellent lecturers and professors who were highly scholarly. English paper-II was taught by a highly qualified and efficient lecturer named Thumpamon Ravi who, at that time, was holding Masters Degree in Five subjects. I still can imagine the way he was explaining the lessons like 'Voluntary Poverty' (taken from the autobiography of Mahatma Gandhi) and 'What I believe' (from EM Foster) etc.etc. I was greatly attracted by the fluency of the language of my respected English lecturers&professors viz. Shri Thumpamon Rave. MRT Nair and the like. Once the classes were over I just used to jump in to the platform and imitated them,of course with bundle of mistakes). But I always used to think when I will be able to speak English like them.
Because of my innate desire to speak fluently, on those days I used to mug up the notes given by my teachers word by word including the punctuations. The first terminal examination took place. The result came and I got 56 marks out of 100 for English Paper-II. On those days, to get a 50% mark (second class) for English subject was considered a rare achievement and even through out the University there could hardly be one or two students who could get 60% marks in English subject. My lecturer Mr. Thumpamon Ravi specially took out and read my paper not only in our class but I later came to know that he read out the paper in other classes of degree students and advised students to study and write the paper the way I did. Unfortunately, I was absent on that particular day and whatever happened on the day was explained to me by my well wisher and close friend Mr Appukuttan on the next day. I knew my mark from my friends and all of them congratulated me on the next day. My teacher did not give my paper to any one & after announcing the marks he kept the paper with him.I,as a simple boy, felt happy, that's all. Many times, I thought that I should ask the teacher for the paper but,felt shy to go to the teachers' rest room . My feeling was different. In my innocence, I felt how I can I go to the teachers room as I was wearing clothes much below in quality compared that of my class mates and particularly in the teachers room where all of them were clad in the latest of textiles.
I felt that my presence in that dignified room will diminish its value. An immatured, simple boy from a village from very ordinary surroundings can think what else.
Therefore, I felt I should not go there. When the second terminal exam took place, there also I stood first in the paper with 55%. The teacher read out the result and congratulated me.
In the last day of the second year which was the last day of the language class, my lecturer after concluding the session, called out my name and gave that paper to me.He was in a different mood, I could guess. What he told on that day is drumming in my ears " I thought you will come to the rest room and collect the paper and I have been waiting for long and,in fact, I wanted to congratulate you in the presence of all the lecturers and the Head of English and Political Science departments. You missed that great occasion. Now you can take this paper and do what you want to to do. Any way my best of Luck to you". Nearly, tears came into my eyes. How can I forget that moment ? The second year final exam took place. I got 53% in English paper-II,highest in the class. After the vacation when the III-year classes started, I happened to see the same teacher in my bus-stop when he smiled at me and I wished him. He had come to visit one of his relatives. He was also waiting for the bus to go to college. We together occupied a two seater and when I reiterated the instance and explained him the reason as to what made me for not approaching him for the paper, he laughed loudly and patted me and murmured 'silly boy'. Certainly, I felt my thought was not only silly but,of course, stupid.
During the last year of my graduation though this teacher did not have any class for us but whenever we met on the premises he,invariably,used to give me a concealed smile (which recollected the incident) and I wished him. Even when we were to bid good bye after finishing the studies, I met him in the rest room and sought blessings.He asked me whether I would go for further studies, I told him though I have a great desire, I should seek a job.

Posted on 23 July,2011

What a contrast!

If I remember, it was on the 15th of May 2011, I landed in a ST bus from Narmada chokdi for Baroda to meet my sister and brother to see them personally and to have some interactions with them as it happens when we meet. Of course, it certainly gives me lot of happiness and joy when I meet my people, what to say if it happens to be after a long spell. Since I am now retired, time is not a constraint for me.

I started from Bharuch at about 10.-am . Of course, I had to wait at the bus stand for about an hour. That is nothing new when we have to avail the public transport systems in our country. I got into a Gujarat ST bus which was coming from Surat towards Idar( I guess Idar is a place somewhere in Mehasana Dist). There were a few passengers who also got into the bus from the point I got in. The conductor was a an young man around thirty five, I guess, with fair complexion and with a neatly trimmed beard. His smiling face when at his job has rather surprised me as it is a very rare phenomenon. In fact, I have hardly come across such a man in public service doing his duty with a smiling face especially when it was hot summer and in a crowded bus. I gave a hundred rupee note for the fare. He asked me very politely with a closed smile whether I can give him change.I said no as I did not have it. Some other passengers also gave hundred rupee note and in all the cases he had to give back the balance. With a pleasing smile he was murmuring himself and thinking ways to accommodate every one. Somehow, he was managing from here and there and returned the balance respectively to every one. There was no expression of grudge on his face instead a sense of satisfaction was evident on his face. He was doing his duty with a pleasant face and with a music in very mild tune. His courtesy impressed me. Even when the passengers were getting out at their destinations, he did not miss to give a small smile to each and every passenger. I do not know anything further about him but his face certainly stuck to my mind. Service with smile that is what he does. I am sure, he is a satisfied man in his job. I wish him good luck.

The experience on the next day while returning was just the other way. My brother dropped me at the Railway station. I always prefer to travel by train wherever possible. I came to the Baroda Station and enquired for the next available train. I was told that the next train available for Bharuch is at 11.-am. I went to the ticket counter to buy a ticket for Bharuch. One madam, may be at her middle age, was issuing ticket at that counter. There were a few passengers ahead of me for buying tickets. The madam at the counter appeared to be so arrogant and uncaring and busy talking to her colleague nearby. Her expression would feel one think that the passengers on the queue are just bothering her, conveniently forgetting that she is paid for issuing tickets promptly . I have noticed that when a woman, seemingly with no schooling, asked her for timing of some train, the madam just stared at her. I knew she must be feeling what the hell this woman is asking and , don't her know that there is an enquiry counter? The way she was just printing the tickets throwing at the passengers and the way she grumbled at passengers whom she had to return balance amount etc. made me to remember the previous day's bus conductor. I simply wished ' let God save this country'. I am sure, the madam at the railway counter may be more educated, better paid than the conductor and the working conditions are also far more better than that of the bus conductor though there was a wide gulf between them in their attitude towards their jobs.


Two service providers - what a contrast !!







Published on 13th June 2011.

Cricket World Cup-2011

For me Cricket is a very recently developed interest. But, if some one gives me a small test even on the preliminaries of cricket, I bet I will not get a pass mark, not to speak of the great technicalities of cricket. The hype ,especially in the media since 3/4 months, was at its zenith; I thought I should watch the World cup matches, at -least when our (Indian) team plays. Of course, now a days, I have no major jobs to be attended, there was no limitation for the availability of time at my disposal. No doubt, I have been in Gujarat for the last nearly 40 years and have-had many colleagues from Gujarat in my office, I knew from them terms like Run.Wicket,LBW,Out, Not out, boundary,sixer etc.etc. That is my so called 'great' knowledge of cricket. Here, I end my preface. I have started watching the matches from Motera to Wankhade - quarter final to final of India

playing with great teams like Australia, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. I was watching all these matches very religiously,ball to ball. Since matches began at 2.30 pm, I was even foregoing my one hour nap from 3 pm to 4pm which I (except for some extreme compelling reasons) never miss.That was the seriousness I gave to the match. I am certainly a hard core patriot to my conscience. In all these three critical matches there were moments of great anxiety. When Raina came to the rescue in the quarter final and along with Yuva Raj turned the fortune, it was a wonderful moment. Yuva Raj made brilliant bating scoring a little over a century. The fielding by Kohli,Raina,Sachin and all other team members was worth watching. The mighty Australians were sent back. Zaheer Khan displayed his talent as a professional once again. The whole of India went under extreme jubilation.

Of course, the semi-final between India and Pakistan was an event by itself. Sewag was dismissed early. As usual, Sewag started hitting from the beginning. Every one thought that the opening pair of Sachin and Sewag will last for a long time. After Sewag was out, the little master Sachin, the God of Indian Cricket took control. His brilliant 85 runs turned the course of the match. When Yuva Raj was bowled out, the moments were tense. But, the team spirit of our players which they displayed in fielding, bowling and extremely cautious approach by the team as a whole has indeed paid dividend. The skill played by Indian bowlers Zaheer,Harbajan,Munaf,Yuva Raj etc. have shaken the Pakistani batsmen. When India won by 29 runs in the semi-final defeating Pakistan, the whole nation rejoiced. The celebrations throughout the country, singing,dancing, crackers and what not. Thus, India was destined to play in the final with Sri Lanka.

With the talents displayed by our players in all the faculties,batting,bowling and of course, precise fielding my conscience was telling me that the outcome in Mumbai is for us. But, Sri Lankan team was in no way inferior with world's best spinner Murali and very fast bowlers like Melinga etc. and highly seasoned batsmen like Jaywardane,Snagaraka and others, it was no ones guess. Sri Lankans winning the toss (after confusion) and opted to bat, Indian bolwers kept the

opponents in their toe keeping the average very low. Zaheer Khan,Harbajan,Munaf, Yuv Raj etc, have again proved their worth. Luck did not favolur Sree Santh. But, he will come up to the expectation as appears to be a very sincere boy.

Jaywardane proved once again to be a strong man who cannot be dismissed easily and his brilliant century alongwith the performance of other batsmen of Sri Lanka put their total to a seemingly unbeaten 274. May be this score was even beyond the expectation of the Lankans themselves.

Indians started batting. When Sewag was declared out on the first ball, gloom pervaded through out Indian camp. But, fans still kept hope on Sachin. Every one expected that the pair of Sachin and Gambir will show miracles. Again disappointed when Sachin was dismissed early. Indian fans throughout may have lost hope.

To me, in my inner conscience was nourishing a feeling that some thing good will come handy. Though my wife told me to switch off the TV (she felt disappointed by the early dismissal of Sewag and Sachin), I said no and told that at the end India will be the winner. (This conviction of mine is due to the fact that I have had many occasions in my personal life where I had to face the odds and but for the mental courage I developed, I would have vanished by this time-no boasting please).

Gambir started batting.Slowly but steadly he started adding runs. His excellent 97 runs ( I felt sad he could not complete his century). Virat Kholi has also played his best and if I am not mistaken he has taken 40 quick runs. The entry of captaiin Dhoni has changed the tempo of the game. The captain leads from the front amd that is what he has done. After going slow for a few overs, he started playing the captains's innings and wonderfully every one started feeling that it can be any ones game now. Each and every ball appeared precious. What to speak, the end came with a fantastic sixer from Dhoni when a boundary (4) was needed for India to win.

Thus, India claimed the World Cup -2011.

I have a lot of appreciation for Raina,the small, always smiling boy excellent in field alongwith Kohli. Munaf, very energetic sincere boy from our Bharuch desrves special mention.

The scene in Wankhade after winning; I do not have words to explain. When Yuva Raj caught hold of Dhoni and cried out of joy and Sachin sheding tears and each and every member of the team hugging each other. Their joy knew no bounds so also the fans there and spread over the length and breadth of this great Nation. I was greatly touched by the sincerity and honesty of each and every member of the Team India, hard core patriots. Kudos to you all boys. Keep it up and keep Nation's pride up above your head.

I am greatly moved by the gestures of various State Govts giving them handsome cash awards,

houses and confering them honours. Surely, they all are deserving it.

Jai Hind !

Published on 04.04.2011

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My Village - Pavithreswaram -

I am not an extraordinary man in any way. I do believe that I am a mere ordinary man. The circumstances under which I grew up were also very ordinary. I am not from any aristocratic back ground, rather, am from a middle class family more so from a low middle class family if classification is based on material accruals. Farming was the main occupation of most of the people in my village, though there were a few small business men,mainly doing coconut and other seasonal cash crops business. They were also not very rich if we compare the business men of today. There was no industry in Pavithreswaram. but in the nearby village called 'Poreekal',there was a cash nut processing factory owned by the famous TKM Group of Kollam. The only service class,which I understood in my early childhood is of 'teachers', as we had a few teachers in our village. As I grew up, may be at the age of 10 or so I learned that there are Village officers, accountants in village office etc. who are all falling in the category of service people. Teachers' profession was considered to be one of the dignified positions and they were viewed with great respect. My village,at that time, had a school with primary and middle school sections. This school was about one and a half Kilometers from my Home. Needless to mention that we all had to walk down to the school on those days. In fact, the secondary school, I studied must be at- least 4 KMs distance which we walked down. That was the practice on those days and affording 50 pause per day for bus trip was much beyond imagination of children like me.

My village, with a very quite life was occupied by lower middle class family who lived on daily earning. One important thing to be mentioned is that on those days I did not find a single person in my village who did not believe in God. Of course,there were marxists but they were all temple or church goers. May be that they neither knew the hard tenets of Marxism nor did they gave any importance to the hard tenet. Almost all the family had the habit of evening prayers as per their faith or worship. People on those days were almost peace loving barring a very few. There were no communal hatred, thanks to God, even today my village is free from this menace.

My village even today maintains the natural beauty of Kerala, the God's own land. The greenery, though it has considerably diminished, still pleases the eyes. No pollution, quite a peaceful oasis,away from the Hurley-burly of a busy town or a city is still very dear to my heart and I adore my village. My memories are still fresh of my maiming cattle, taking them away to nearby stream for a bath,etc.etc.. I still remember the day when my little nephew Raju was brought to home at the age of 3 to stay with us who followed me where-ever I went and in fact, he was my favourite and this continues.

The villagers were very keen to send their wards to school though the earlier generation lagging behind in education. But, people were more or less literate. The Public library existed at Pavithreswaram even before I born illustrates it. People in Kerala on those days were also politically conscious, but unfortunately, today the generation is over-conscious and lacks far sight. Being in Kerala, my village is also not free from the clutches of this trend. The concept that hard work alone can bring prosperity is missing from the minds of younger generations which is a dangerous signal. Sooner it is corrected, the better.

The older generation of Kerala believed in duty,beauty and fortune, so also people in my village.

Now people are failing in duty which does not add to beauty but can only invite misfortune.

I cross my fingers and hope for the best as the outcome.

Posted on 09th of January 2011.

My Village - Pavithreswaram -