Viva la Vivāha

It is going to be a little more than two months since I've got married and I don't have a single post on the wedding stuff. Bad, no? Here are some salient points from the experience.

• The jee-i'm-actually-gonna-get-married feeling sunk in when Sindhu (my wife) & I started plan the look and layout of our wedding invitation. We had a simple design in mind and were particular on the colour, texture and feel of the invitation card & cover. Menaka, Eureka, Butterfly, Kalyani, Sankeshwara Papeir...it took a lot of running around to get what we wanted. We got there in the end.
• I totally relished the Maapla treatment at home. It is a super feeling of being the star of the show. You're lavished with attention from everyone. Want something? Just look up...and ten people will be hanging on to the word you say.
• Couple of days before the wedding, my brothers & I went for a grand beauty treatment to a men's parlour in Mandavali. I had the Groom's Special which had the full works - Diamond facial, bleach, scalp massage, haircut, manicure, pedicure etc. All this took the whole day! My brother found out how ticklish he's on his feet during his pedicure. He just couldn't sit still. The beauty trip was very relaxing and we were refreshed at the end of it.  Everything was great except that ghastly five-figure amount we got billed for their services. 
• My grand-dad had it. My dad had it. My uncle had it. My cousin had it too. But, more importantly, one Mr Kameshwaran from my favourite Thamizh movie had it. And I decided long time back I was gonna have it when it is my time. Janavasam. I had it. And I totally loved it.
• It was a typical Tambram wedding...peppered with the highs and extreme highs and thereof (emotionally speaking).
• People marry. Some re-marry. But you get married for the first time only once. Pah, wattey logic, you may say. The point is - when you do something which you can do only once, why not do it properly? I dug into my reserves of patience and cooperated with whatever rituals I had to do from my part. The motto was: Cooperate, don't kovama operate.
• Talking about doing things properly - the Sastrigal told us to NOT shake hands with anyone after Mangalya dharanam until he tells us to do so. "Nee avala mattum dhaan thodalaam. Vera yaaraiyum thoda pdaadhu. Purinjidhaa?" #haun. He informed the handshake ban to the audience through microphone. After the Thaali was tied, once the rain of akshadhai and flowers subsided, one Maama ignored the handshake ban and extended his hand with a megawatt smile only to be met with a huge NO from me. Not the one to be cowed away easily, Maama insisted again, the Sastrigal belted out a high decibel bark "Kozhandha correct-a kai kudukka maaten 'granono, yen padutharel! Apram vaango saar!". Got the nods of approval from junior sastrigals and the photographer.
• I got a candid photographer to cover the event. I closely followed some photographers who specialize in this and boy they are a creative bunch! Glad I had PV cover my wedding. Check out his work here.
• Panjakacham is an underrated men's garment. 
• My mum planned to put together a surprise video of me & Sindhu to be played after Janavasam. But poor thing was smashed for time with the wedding prep that she couldn't do much on apart from collating old photographs. She really wanted it to happen so I (with some help from my bro) made a video which was basically a time-line with photos from memorable stages/events in our life and some funny anecdotes thrown in. We played it after Janvaasam. Everybody loved it.
• Nalangu was a total riot. I sung this song. The family were in their element and reached resonant galaata frequency when I prompted them for chorus. I still wonder how they made me sing 3 songs (incl. a duet) compared to her two songs. I tell you, girls have this amazing ability to slither away from spotlight.
• We went to Seychelles for honeymoon.

Some changes happen gradually. Sometimes you acknowledge a change is taking place but you don't realise the change until a particular moment. During oonjal ceremony, I looked at the huge gathering of people around us. Before me were persons who were involved in my life in various degrees - like my 2nd standard Sanskrit teacher, cousins I used to play with, classmates, my aunts, my mum - people who were in some way from my birth, childhood, till that point in my marriage played a part in me being the person I am. Looking at them, I felt stock of the changes that has happened in my life. Its moments like these in my wedding and other moments that I am unable to put in words, but are imprinted in my mind far better than any HD camera can record, that made my wedding a happy and emotionally satisfying experience.

The EpiLASIK experience

I had EpiLASIK surgery done to my eyes couple of months back. This post is a recollection of events and moments leading upto, during and post surgery written in the form of a timeline. Hope some of this info is useful if you're considering laser surgery and wondering what it's like.

T - 9 years: Frank C, my calculus class buddy at high school, suggested (almost pleaded) to get my eyes checked after I asked him one too many times what Mrs Webster wrote on the board. I became four-eyed the same evening. OPSM; oval shaped glasses; looking oh-so-fresh; plus, $450 damage to Amma's purse.

T - 8 years: Squash game with my good friend, Kumanan. Thwacck! Squash ball from a full-blooded forehand screamed into my right eye. I roamed around with a black eye for a week and a bit. The plastic lens dislodged on impact and hit my right eyelid. The lens probably did more than damage than the squash ball. Playing squash with prescription glasses is a nuisance.

T - 5 years: 1st year of professional work. I went on numerous substation/site visits that meant wearing PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) all day. Wearing safety glasses over prescription glasses is the next worst thing to pain in the ass.

T - 2 years:  Eye check up time. The ophthalmologist confirmed my eye power has stabilized, however, she recommended I should wait for another year before going for LASIK.


T - 4 days: Had the pre-operative eye check up at Madras. It included numerous tests to check the nuts and bolts of the eye.

The most uncomfortable test was the testing of tear ducts. The ophthalmologist poked a tiny needle-like thing in the corner of the eye and she left it hanging there for a minute. If it isn't there already, I recommend this test to Lord Yama to be included in the list of punishments in Garuda Puranam.

The doctor said my corneas were normal - though slightly on the thinner side of normal. We decided to go for Epi-LASIK.

T - 0: The day of the surgery.

It felt as if I was appearing for an Electromagnetics exam. A subject I loathed. On the way to the hospital, we somehow happened to tune in to Mr Suki Sivam on the radio, he was firing on both barrels about fate and death. Sivam is a great orator and infuses a lot of energy, but fate and death wasn't the topic I wanted to listen that morning. So, not the best-est of starts, but good thing was we reached the hospital on time despite driving at centipede's pace.

I had a quick peek at the surgery order and I found myself slotted in at No. 4 - just like the Big Man. Ah. God :)

After 1 hour wait, the Pre-op technician took me in. He cleaned the area around my eyes and applied numbing drops. He checked my details, confirmed the type of procedure I was gonna have and asked if I had any questions or concerns before I go in. I had none. It was only few minutes to 10AM, just about time for Tamil Nadu Electricity Board to flick the switch off for the suburb. And, just like that, the lights flickered and the generators/UPS kicked in.  

"Adada. Nalla sagunam sir. Na ready."

"Haha. Worry panrathuku onnu illa. Maydam irukaanga. Instructionsa stricta follow pannuga. Okay'nglaa?"

I was under the laser. They started with my right eye. Eyelashes were taped. Eyelids were held apart by a suction thing. The surgeon checked my details again. There were 4 people around me and one on the far side of the room presumably before a computer. All set to go.

There was lot of pressure exerted on the eye by the gadgets. It was bearable. I did not feel pain at any stage. The surgeon was a gem. Before each manoeuvre, she explained what is being done, what I should do (or shouldn't do), and what I may feel/expect.

I did have an anxious moment. When the keratome (blade) was set to move across the cornea to remove the epithelium, the surgeon alerted me there would be a brief loss of vision and it was important I keep looking at the green light straight above. As the blade went across my eye, it was as if a dark grey curtain slid across.

I lost vision.

It was slightly unnerving to be honest. And, when you lose something, whatever it is, you look for it. That's what I did.

Surgeon:  Oh my...you're moving your eyes everywhere Sriram! Look at the green light!

Me:  Um...I can't see.

Surgeon:  Yea I know. Just look straight.

Me:  I cant see which way straight is.

Surgeon:  Huh! okay. Just don't move your eyeballs. Can you do that?

Me:  Yea.

Clearly, some people screw up no matter how much you prep them.

Now that the epithelium was taken out, it was time for Laser. The doc repeated that I should focus on the red light and not look anywhere else. The vision came back...slowly. Now that I could *see* where the blimming red light was, things became a lot easier :P

So, blinking red light, slight burning smell, five seconds for each eye and it was all done. A "bandage" contact lens was placed on the both eyes to help the epithelium regenerate.

T + 25 minutes: I saw the difference straightaway. I could read the sign on the other end of the operation theatre. The surgeon checked my eye. She said the procedure went as expected. I was given a LASIK kit that had eye drops and instructions to follow for the next 3 weeks. I was also given dark glasses to wear. It was a horrible piece of eyewear. It did a decent job covering the eyes on all sides but was uncomfortable to wear and kinda made me look like Moo Ka's younger brother.

T + 1 day: I couldn't open my eyes for the rest of the day. It felt heavy and drowsy. One of blogs I read in my LASIK research said the feeling is akin to the burning/drowsy sensation you feel when you peel onions. Spot on. Just multiply that feeling by 10 times. There was no pain or itchiness - although my eyes looked horribly bloodshot. I was told to stay indoors for rest of the week, apply eye drops every 2 hours and strictly keep away from dust and bright light.

T + 2 days: The drowsiness was still there but not as bad as the first day. I still couldn't keep my eyes open for any longer than 10 seconds. Went to the hospital for check up. Everything is okay. Come back after 3 days, they said.

As per prescription, my eyes were flooded with eye drops every 2 hours. Everytime I (or Amma) instilled eye drops, there was a bitter, metallic taste at the back of my mouth. It was yuck! The first few times it happened, I was concerned and the idiot voice in me wailed, aiyayooo kannu karaiyidhuraaa. But, as always, wise Google came to the rescue. Apparently some of the eye drops flow through the tear ducts, which is connected to the nasal passage, which in turn drains into the throat. So nothing is wrong, all is well. I am used to the bitter taste now :P

 
T + 5 days: Got the bandage lens removed. No more drowsiness. Eyes were very sensitive to sunlight and I had my sunglasses (Oakley, not Moo Ka's) on all the time. I could watch TV and work on the computer comfortably (with sunglasses on) for half an hour or so, then had to rest a bit. I slept a lot in the first week.

Doctors say EpiLASIK patients should be fit to go back to work after the second day post procedure. I am not sure about that. Maybe its me, but I feel one needs to rest atleast for a week before you can really work your eyes. Some of my friends who've had LASIK (not EpiLASIK) say their eyes were normal and fit for work the next day. I think they have magic eyes.

T + 2 weeks: Eyes felt almost normal BUT I was experiencing ghosting/double vision. My vision was a perfect 20/20. The doctor said it is normal to experience double vision in the first 6-8 weeks, and it should go away as the eye cures itself. I felt like our old Solidaire TV. It was robust, stood the test of time, and always showed the spirits of characters it displayed.

T + 3 weeks: Still experienced double vision. A week back, it was on both eyes. Now it was only on one eye and it alternated between eyes. Some improvement. It was weird and frustrating. And, three weeks of limited/restricted activity and staying mostly indoors was getting to me.

T + 5 weeks: First month check (i.e. 1 month after removing the bandage lens). The Ophthalmologist gave a clean chit of health. I told them again about double vision, and they gave the same answer as two weeks back. The double vision was there and the occurrences were coming down...slowly. I could feel the improvement. It takes time. Patience!

Now: There is improvement every week. Little by little, one step at a time, eye-am getting there.

Life, without prescription glasses or contact lens, is great! Super glad I had EpiLASIK done.

Madras return

I am back. I want to write on many things about the India trip but I am not sure where to start. I'll use this post to write a follow-up to the wishlist I wrote almost a year back.

Life is a journey that takes you to places. But, when it takes you to the same place again where you took that all important first step, there is a certain magic to it. It is a special feeling. I felt that during this trip.

Going through the wishlist...

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Hindu & Filter Coffee - check

I must admit I found Times of India more interesting and informative than Hindu. Reading Hindu of today was like having filter coffee with very little dicoction. Not strong enough!

Also, the newspaper delivery guy gave me a weird look when I asked him for Gokulam. Wonder what happened to that lovely magazine.


Madras Music Season

Didn't attend any kacheris. I reached Madras after the music season got over. There were few Kacheri held at random places. I wanted to attend concerts by top artists (Sanjay Subramanian, Aruna Sairam, Nithyashree etc). And I neither had the time nor the patience to sit through any thenga moodi kacheris.


Talk to the old kids - check

I spent quality time with my grandparents. I have the coolest Paati in the world and we spent a lot of time together. Whether it was accompanying her in morning walk to the Theosophical Society, or helping her (err...read mostly talking and doing nothing) in the kitchen, or learning to make the perfect kashayam...we had an awesome time.

There were a few old kids whom I found it very difficult to say bye to. They are in the late evening of their life.


Theosophical Society & Adyar Broken Bridge - check check

Adyar Broken Bridge

I visited TS numerous times with Paati in our morning walks. One morning we walked till Adyar Broken bridge to watch the sunrise. It was a cloudy morning unfortunately. We sat on the bridge admiring the views. The Broken bridge is an idyllic place to see the confluence of three elements: the urban nature, the city's past and its present. The Adyar river estuary was dotted with heaps of white storks and other native birds. It was beautiful.

Being an alumnus of Chettinad Vidyashram, I was a bit sad to see Chettinad palace being dwarfed by all those huge buildings beside it (in MRC Nagar). The palace used to look majestic on the banks of Adyar river. She was quite a sight when seen from Thiru Vi Ka bridge. As a kid, I used to point at the palace and proudly tell my visiting cousins "anga dhaan da yen school iruku. Madras-liye enga school dhaan perusu!"

Taken from the broken bridge. The Adyar river estuary was dotted with heaps of white storks.

Gangothree - check.

Archana, you were right about Gangothree.


Riding in Chennai - check

It took me one ride from Adyar to Mylapore to adjust to Chennai traffic. I was given a crash course by my cousin on how to handle Maama, just in case if I get caught for riding without a driver license. I was reminded that Driver license doesn't necessarily be the ones issued by RTO office. Other handoverable license exist particularly those thin leaves from RBI which has Gandhi thatha's megawatt smile printed on it.

It was fun not to follow any rules and ride with gay abandon. Chennai traffic is lot more tolerable than Mumbai traffic. Unlike Bombay, most motorcyclists in Chennai wear helmets. And boy some helmets look real flashy and cool.

(Very very) busy roads like Arcot Road need to be studied by Road Engineers on how all types of motorists, pedestrians and other creatures can share a small, pathetic strip of thar and still manage to move about.

Some cyclists - mainly thundu pasanga (teenage boys) - punch above their weight. This incident happened at Greams Rd (near Iyyapan kovil at RA puram). A thundu paiyan (one of the dangerous species on the road) was simply cycling along. Upon seeing a girl riding an Activa, he suddenly started to peddle away like crazy to reach the same speed as her. Once he was cycling beside the girl, thala gives this paathiyaa-na-cycle-liye-un-speed-la-ottaren look at the girl. She kept going at the same speed. After 75-100 metres of this madness, traffic came in from RK Mutt-Greams Rd intersection (near Govt. Music college). Thundu paiyan's brakes weren't in top condition I think. He narrowly missed colliding into an Auto rickshaw. Thundu deservingly got Archanai'd by the Auto driver. The Auto driver exercised his sweacabulary to the max by questioning/doubting Thundu paiyan's family tree.

Thundu paiyan, with his rickety bicycle, did everything he could to die that day.


Drink goli soda - check.

I couldn't get Goli soda in Chennai. I tried in a few potti kadai's and grocery shops at Adyar, Mandaveli & KK Nagar. Finally managed to get Paneer Soda at Swamimalai, Kumbakonam.

Manga & cholam at Besant Nagar Beach - check

My younger brother claims he should be credited for this pic because it was his idea . I dont agree with him, but I accept his claim. So there!

Pattam vidardhu (Flying kites)

The only pattam people were talking about is MBA at top B-schools.


Kalyana sapaadu (Lunch at weddings) - check

Attended my cousin's wedding and vettu-vettufied the lunch. Apart from the usual items, speciality items like Coconut poli and Avul payasam (Avul = Poha) were served. The taste was divine. By the time more (buttermilk) was served, cousin and I weren't able to sit erect. Cook Jagadeesan Iyer simbly rocks!.

The South Indian community here could do with people like Jagadeesan Iyer. Usually, food for weddings/poonals is catered by an Indian restaurant or a random chef who doesn't know the difference between appam and adhirsam (or between badushah and basandi). So the food ends up tasting a bit better than Raj Takeaways down the road.

After reading Kavi's post, I re-realised there is something about having food served on a vaazha yela (plantain leaf). It may be a bit slippy-sloppy but it beats having lunch served on a small plastic plate with Raita served on top of Channa masala due to space constraints.

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I visited most of the famous temples in TN - Meenakshi Amman Kovil at Madurai, Brihadeeswara Kovil at Thanjavur, Chidambaram, Srirangam, Swamimalai, Gunaseelam, Samayapuram....and other lesser known temples which are vishesham for Pithrus (for my late Grandma)

Taken at Madurai Meenakshi Kovil

At Trichy, I visited a Shiva temple at Thiruvanaikaval (near Srirangam). Outside the temple, there were shops selling various items for the deity. One of them was the flower shown below. Do you know the name of this flower? It seems this flower is sacred because it has a shape of a serpent and legend has it that they once found a Shiva lingam inside the flower!

Do you know the name of this flower?

So, it was a great trip. I am glad I went with my parents. Had I gone alone (or with friends), I doubt I would've visited so many wonderful places in mainland TN. Looking forward to the next trip :-)

Madras

pic courtesy - Indian Backpacker

Happy New year! :D

2010. This is a big year for me. There are lots of things set to happen on many fronts. One of the 'happenings' is the India trip. I fly out to India next week. I am visiting Madras after seven years. 7 years. Long time. Over the past few days, memories from my childhood & early teenage, images of Coimbatore and Madras of 1990s have been swirling in my mind. A quiet excitement is bubbling within me. When I booked the flight tickets in May I told myself not to daydream about the India trip as the trip is far away. Now, with the D-day only a few days away, it is yet to sink in that I am actually going back home. The trip seems so surreal.

The 4 week trip is packed with events, rituals (for my late Grandma) and meetings with rellies/friends over many cups of filter coffee, lunches and dinners. I am really looking forward to it. However, I am also a bit nervous, a little anxious as to what to expect. 7 years may not be a very long time to be away from a place. However, with Madras, it seems like an eternity to me. "Lots of things have changed", they say. "Dei. This place is not as you knew it. Neeye vandhu paaru". Time changes many things. From the look of the place to the outlook of people. The question is to what extent I can identify & relate the present Madras to the Madras I knew from 1999. Once I do that, the extent of changes my friends were talking about will start to hit me.


Yea, whatever. As long Saravana Bhavan serves crispy Masala Dosai, the waves still foam up the shores of Elliots beach, North Mada Street is still as crowded as it used to be, Grand Snacks still makes kick-ass poli, we are able to play Street cricket without Visu Mama growling at us, and I do all the things that I planned to do, I am a happy chappie!

Madras, here I come :D

Return to motherland

Besant Avenue, Madras
(Thanks Traces)

In the last ten years of living outside India, I've returned to motherland only once. The 3-week India visit in 2003 involved helter-skelter trips to Trichy and other places, purchasing random things for random people, handing over trivial things to relatives so distant that they had to be reminded how I am supposedly related to them (yes! this person actually asked me to explain it again) and the remaining minuscule time I had was spent recovering from fever and catching up with few of my school mates. The trip, to put it very mildly, was a waste.

We have decided our next India trip is going to be in Jan '10. I am excited about this. I am resolute in making this trip memorable. While going to work today, daydreaming went into overdrive as I thought of things I want to do in Singara Chennai next January.

This list comprises of variety of things which reflects and relives my time in Madras. They are mostly chinna chinna aasaigal. I want to do all of them, time permitting. Most of the things in the list are obvious, some of them are...um err, yeah - you decide.

a. The Hindu & Filter Coffee - The Hindu was the first thing that arrives at our house everyday. The moment I hear the 'dupp' - the sound of the newspaper hitting our door step (the paper guy chucks the newspaper you see), coffee is prepared and the morning paper-reading ritual starts. My Dad, being an early riser, has the honour of reading it first. The Hindu played an inseparable part in my life while growing up. My dad has a strong allegiance to this venerable newspaper. Sitting on vaasa padi (door steps), sipping hot coffee and reading Hindu so satisfying compared to reading online Hindu over a bowl of cold corn flakes. Plan: Read Hindu and drink lots of filter coffee.

b. Madras music season - Dec to Jan is the Margazhi maasam music season. I learnt Carnatic music (vocal) briefly when I was a kid. I was stupid, foolish and naive to discontinue the music classes. Learning Carnatic music did not appeal to me then. I sang for a while till people appreciated me, persisted with attending the classes for almost a year due to constant goading from my mum and finally due to the pressure of CBSE syllabus combined with the eagerness to play street cricket after school - I stopped attending music lessons. Had I been a bit more assiduous and listened to my mum (underline), I would've been able to pick out raagas and would be able to contribute when conversation veer into realm of Carnatic music. Hmm...its never too late to begin any thing in life.

Over the last few years, I've developed a renewed penchant for Carnatic music. I hope to catch a Sudha Ragunathan/Unnikrishnan/Sanjay Subramanian/Nithyashree concert at the Music Academy. I've been to the concerts of the above mentioned artistes when I was a kid. But neither I had the interest nor did I have the true appreciation for Carnatic music then. This time I am ready to immerse myself fully in Carnatic music bliss. I really want to see Kadri Gopalnath perform. A much better deal would be a jugalbandhi with Mandolin Srinivas, Sivamani and other percussionists. Ideal Plan: Attend kacheri at Music Academy with mum, have lunch at New Woodlands and back for kacheri again.

c. Talk to the old kids - Time is flying. Years seem to race past us quicker than ever before. Old people are getting... older. Last year was quite bad for our family. The head count of septuagenarians and octogenarians took a hit. 2009 barely started, two seniors of our family received the ultimate ticket. Being away from India, I never got the chance to have talk at length to most of the elder group. I intend to engage in good conversation with elder group in the family (basically mum's parents, my parent's mamas/mamis/chithapas/peripas etc). I enjoy talking to old people. They are insightful, witty, have an awesome sense of humour and are surprisingly very enthusiastic. I had a great time talking to my mum's uncle and his wife in 2003.

IMHO, from my observation in few families, I believe the current generation don't really listen to older people. They perceive them to be always out of touch or sometimes even immature in their views and opinion. I believe old people, if you actually listen to them closely, say lot of sensible things which are timeless in their application. At least it'll help you not to repeat the time-old mistakes which have committed repeatedly by every generation. I plan to write more about this sometime. Plan: Talk to the perusus. I am considering a interview sort-a thing with a mixture of fun and probing questions (e.g. marriage, love, profession, attitude, ethics, society, first crush etc). Perhaps even video tape it. That'll be fun. What would be your questions? Give me three questions...you will be credited for it.

d. Street cricket. Look here.

e. Theosophical society - Take a early morning walk in the Theosophical society. Ts is the haven for early morning walkers/joggers. The serene surrounding of Ts gives you solitude feeling. Lush green surroundings, away from the hustle and bustle of city - its a perfect start to the day. I think we can go to the old Adyar broken bridge from Ts (this is location of the first fight scene between Madhavan and Surya in Aaiydha Ezhuthu).

f. Gangotree and Karpagambal Mess - Have breakfast at Karpagambal Mess (Idli-Sambhar, badham Halwa and degree Coffee) and evening tiffin at Gangotree (near Chola Shereton). Full stop.

g. Bike with/in Splendor.

h. Celebrate Pongal - How to do it my way? I've covered it here.

i.

It was my first time ever
And I'll never forget
I'd do it again
Without a single regret.
The sky was dark
The moon was high
We were all alone
Just She and I
Her hair was soft
Her eyes was blue
I knew just what
She wanted to do
Her skin was so soft
Her eyes was blue
I just knew what
She wanted to do
Her skin was so soft
Her legs was so fine
I ran my fingers
Down her spine
I didnt know how
But I tried my best
I started by placing
My hands on her breast
I remember my fear
My fast beating heart
But slowly she spread
Her legs apart
And when I did it
I felt no shame
All at once
The white stuff came
At last it finished
It's all over now
My first time ever
At milking a cow...

Author: unknown

Karandhufy - Children and young adults hear lots of advice from elders. The most popular advice is to study well. It'll go along lines of "padikalena appram maadu dhaan meikanum. So mariyadhaiya utkaarndhu padi". I can say I've fared reasonably well in studies. However, whenever I heard the previous quote, I've always wondered how maadu meikardhu feels like. Parents threaten us but they never give us the opportunity to have a shot at this. Before you thuppify and say unnaku vera edhuvumey thonaliyaa, no I dont want to maadu mechufy. But I always wanted karandhufy a maadu (milk a cow). Back in the days, my great-grandparents had a cow; my grand parents - both in dad & mom's side - had a cow before they migrated to city. So this is not a new thing in the family. It, LOL, runs in the blood. I want to have a go at it.

Also, karundhufying is not an easy task. It is a knack it seems. Some people call it an art - I am not sure about that. Well, one of our distant relatives (whom we may visit) has a maadu, I guess the paalkaran in me will be unleashed there. We live in interesting times.


To be continued...

Maanga Adi!

Thanks Kunal_clicks at Flickr

It was a hot Sunday afternoon. Channel Nine was showing the highlights of a beach cricket game between Australia and South Africa. This game was part of XXXX GOLD Beach Cricket Tri-Nations Series Summer played at Coolangatta Beach, Gold Coast. Jason Gillespie trotted in to bowl to a random South African batsman. There was no intensity in the game. The players were going through the motions for the sake of it. I was bored. The heavy 'Sunday Special' lunch made me feel dull and sleepy. Slouching on the couch, reminisce the cricket I used to play with my mates in Madras, I slipped into a nostalgic reverie...

Rewind back 10 years...

Madras. Summer holidays. Street cricket. Its them vs. us. The best of five 'series' stands at 2 - 1 to our opponents. It's a must win game for us. We were confident and the intensity was high. I am A. I have B and C in my team. They have X, Y, Z. Its 6/6 (six overs per side). Z came up to me for the pakka street cricket version of toss - IN or OUT. Z showed his closed fist and asked "In or Out?". I said to C "Dei, nee sollu". C was the youngest in the team and had the reputation of calling it right when it matters. C cupped his palms under Z's closed fist (C does this so that Z does not cheat by hiding the stone between his fingers, if C calls in) and called "in". "Panni, epdi da eppavume correct-a solra" growled Z.

6PM. We won the toss. It was half-light of late evening and it wasn't going to get any better, so we chose to bat. It is an unwritten rule in street cricket that if you win the toss you, obviously, chose to bat. We would've chosen to bat anyway had we played with the Sun blazing on our heads. We were all out for a decent score of 31 with three deliveries to spare.

The light was fading. Since it was summer holidays, time was not an issue for us. All of us were eager to finish the game. But there was a problem - the state of our team ball. The rubber ball had a small superficial tear on its 'seam'. This is was the beginning of the end for the ball. From our vast experience, we knew all the balls need to split open is a powerful shot or to bounce of a sharp edge/stone on the road. As school kids we could only afford the ten-rupee rubber ball from naadar kadai. The reliable and longer-lasting Cosco or Jupiter tennis balls were a bit dearer.

Rubber balls always give up at the most inappropriate moment. This ball didn't fail to disappoint us. In the second ball of the innings, the ball announced its end with the 'pock' sound after it hit the deck. No one had any spare tennis/rubber balls. What to do? It was late twilight now. The light was fading. Our signal to finish playing was when Meenakshi Mami comes out with bucket of water and kola maavu (rice flour). Mami doesn't like anyone running over her kolam. Usually she'd say,"Pasangalaa, sandhyakalam. Iruttu ayidthu..ellarum aathukku pongo" and wait for us to finish. But today, she was a bit early for the kolam. Maybe she was in a rush. Kolam was drawn and she was off.


Coming back to the ball issue, none of us were willing to go. We were milling around wondering where we could find a ball. The chance of an angel handing us a ball on a silver plate was remote. Kids like us do not get extraordinary opportunities. We have to seize daily situations and make them favourable to us. We have to create/make our own opportunities. The house adjacent to our bowling crease was the residence of Viswanthan Iyer. I saw Viswanathan Iyer's grandson playing with a ball in their portico. Tling...bells rang. Bulbs flickered. I knew where our next ball was coming from. Getting the ball from this ten-year old was not an easy talk because he is a mini-Viswanathan Iyer himself.

Viswanathan Iyer (VI) was a retired man in his early sixties. He was known for his mercurial temper and angry outbursts. He was a man of many moods. VI was not only the supreme authority in his house - he is also the great iyer-vaal of our colony. He treats cricket as a waste of time. He considers playing cricket, that too street cricket, inexcusable. VI proclaims he doesn't watch any cricket telecasts. But the Man is up to date with his views (mostly criticisms) on India's latest defeat. A common friend vowed he would never to talk cricket with VI after a peaceful conversation turned into high-pitched emotional monologue "Yenna captain saar indha Azharuddin. Prasad-a paarunga...Avan nadaiyum, avan moonjiyum. Thoongi ezhundhu vandha maadhiri podaran. Indha kammanatingallan India'ku aada vandhutaanga. These fellows are spoilt.". His face would become purple with rage when he recalled/quoted a spectacular only-india-can-do-it batting collapse "Ninnu aada matengaranga saar. Yedho vechada yeduka pora maadhiri, wicket thooki vitterinjitu poranga. Ivanga aadratha paatha, yennaku pathindu yeriyardhu". Since then, the common friend would think twice before entering our street.

VI, expectedly, was never happy with us playing cricket outside his house. He made a fuss whenever the ball went into his lawn. After VI did some home-renovations, he told us to play another place, may be in a ground. We chuckled and told him there were no grounds nearby. Back in our minds, we were like "aama, Chepauk Stadium, Nehru Stadium ellam tharandhu vechu engala "Come on, Come on" kuparanga paaru!, sariyaana tubelight mama neenga".

Street cricket layout

Coming back to the ball issue, VI's grandson, lets call him 'o' (for reasons which will be know soon), was playing with a tennis ball. I put to him an offer which was too good to refuse. The offer was: He would get a two gaajis - one over in the beginning of the innings and one over in the end. He can just sit on the compound wall and watch us play i.e. he doesn't have to field. "Naaa...amma kitta kett...", I intertupted him and said "Nee Amma kitta, aatukutti kitta, kettu vararthukula time ayidum. Ippo nee variya ilaiya?". He gave me a look which was a mix of surprise, excitement and suspicion. He agreed. o was an ordinary kid with no outstanding virtue of muscle or cricket-ability. o was our 'oppukuchappa'.

Game on. The target for X, Y and Z was 31 in 6 overs. B was our opening bowler and Y was the batsman in strike. B was our strike bowler and Y was their best batsman. The duel between B's bowling and Y's batting was stirring to watch. An outsider may not find the clash of B's bowling and Y's batting engrossing - let alone they realise there was a battle in the first place. For us, the game hinged on this battle. B and Y are good buddies off the field. The moment B, with a ball in his hand, marks his run up with a sengal and Y takes the leg stump guard, there was no friendship or fellowship between them. Fierce competition. The intensity raised a notch. Everyone was focused. No one spoke. This moment, this particular moment, where we are oblivious to the happenings around us, each and every person in both teams wait with a bated breath on what would unfold next is, for me, the essence of street cricket. Street cricket, in those moments, is more than a game. It is a feeling, a sensation. It is this passion which is the genesis of many fine Indian cricketers. There is no phenomenon like a street cricketer.

6.40PM. The score was 22 from 4 overs. They needed 10 runs from 12 balls with two wickets in hand. Easy you may think. Cricket is a funny game - always throwing up twists and turns. Y was batting. C bowled a half-tracker outside off stump. Y tried to loft it over the bowler's head but ended up getting a top edge. C back-pedalled, almost lost the ball due to bad light, but somehow sighted the ball and caught it in the last moment. We were back in the match. It was getting darker, but it did not matter to us. We just had to get one more wicket. We quickly got into positions. Just then o was called in by his mother. He quicky jumped of the compound wall, promptly took the ball from C and left. End of the day's game.

Thanks to Mai An Hoa Flickr

B, Y and I were going to watch India vs. West Indies Test at C's place. 8.30PM. We met outside C's place waiting for the match to start. There was a cool breeze, monotonously repetitive noises of night insects, the rustle of neem leaves - it was an idyllic evening. Y, sitting on his bicycle - Street Cat, said "Man, I almost had that shot...twas a pazham ball, if only had I watched the ball more closely, we would've won the game". I responded "Machi...you were foxed by the pace, the lack of it. You did expect that ball to be a tad slower". X and Y nodded in muted agreement. B brought his bat (the free bat given if you buy Boost, one of the leading Health food drink) that night. He was shadow-batting and mimicking the stance, signature strokes of Tendulkar, Mark Waugh, Jadeja etc. There was a pile of jalli stones beside us. Y took the bat from B, grabbed a handful of jalli stones. With his left hand, Y tossed a stone in the air, as the stone rised up and came down, he gently stroked it along the road. Y displayed perfect execution of various strokes, the power in his hits increased with every stroke. B and I sat on the compound wall listening to crunching sound of stone meeting the bat and tried to spot each stone as it made its way to the street's dead end.

Suddenly, Y with a smirk on his face, chirped "Idha paar (Check this out)". He,once again, tossed a stone up in the air. This time the stone went little higher and away from Y than usual. Y attempted a flat batted hit, more like a tennis-forehand. The stone hit the toe-end of the bat and BANG! We looked at each other and ran.

Thank God it rained the next day. We knew we broke something in either VI's or Meenakshi Mami's house.

Two days later, we were back playing for the first time after that night. The incident was lurking in the back of our minds. C and X, who live in the street, did not mention anything to us. When we were just about to finish for the day, VI came outside. We were almost sh*ting in our pants expecting a dramatic denouement. "Dei pasangalaa, inga vangada. Rendu naal munaadi, naanga aathla illadha podhu, enga aathla thirudan vandhirdan. Idha paaru...(pointing at the front door) glass-a odachu, ulla vara try pannirkan. Door grill irudhadhu naala pozhachom. Indha area'la aal nadamattam romba jaasthi-a irruku. Neenga yaravadhu suspicious-a yevanachu paathela da?". Y, putting on a puppy face, in a beautiful Thirunelveli-jilla accent, "illa mama. Indha area-la kadavaali pasanga remmba jaasthi aitaanga! Nallaa-ve illa". VI sighed and said "Hmm...Seri, neenga pongo".

As we walked back, the three of us felt a heavy burden off our chests. That night, we assembled again outside C's place to watch the final day of Ind v WI test match. We were sitting on the compound wall just staring at VI's residence. I said to Y, "andha shot-a nee marupadiyum correct-a adikala...aana, machan, adhu Maanga adi".


Disclaimer: All characters are fictitious. Any resemblences are supposedly coincidental :D