Sunday, July 14, 2019

Back at 'The Quarterdeck'.

Lekha had got up at 5, gone through her chores and I'd also got into the tempo of getting ready. Despite our efforts, we could kick off only by a half past 6. Suresh and Sindhu were at hand to see us off while Babu Syriac and Joma were fast asleep. Getting up early in the morning is something that they don't relish and anyways, they'd said it last night itself!

The sparse Sunday morning traffic made our get away smooth and easy. We'd our breakfast of 'puri - bhaaji' at the Usthad Hotel in Kadavoor, on the newly opened Kollam bypass by about a half past 8. Lunch was at the Saravana Bhavan in Chalakkudi by around a quarter past 1. The Paliyekkara toll, the Thrissur town and the highway towards Guruvayur were negotiated without any delay.

After reaching Guruvayur, Lekha had bought sundries from one of the supermarkets and we were back at 'The Quarterdeck' by a quarter past 3. After settling down, observed a swelling of her left cheek, wonder why? It has put me on my toes and I'm feeling very guilty because she wasn't very keen to make this trip to Thiruvananthapuram but had finally relented, to my pressure!


The revenge of the Turks?

Now that England has won the World Cup Cricket and Boris Johnson is poised to take over as its Prime Minister, here's an interesting story about the new gentleman.

At this time a century ago, the interior minister of Turkey was Ali Kemal Bey, who had established the Anglophile Society, advocating that Turkey become a Protectorate(Like Kuwait, Qatar and Johor were at that time). He was hopelessly on the wrong side of history.

When Ataturk completed the reconquest of Turkey from British, French, Italian, Greek and Armenian control in Nov 1922, Ataturk's colleague, General Nureddin, had Ali Kemal captured; he was, then, lynched and hanged from a tree.

In a few days from now, Ali Kemal's great grandson, Boris Johnson, will become Prime Minister of the UK!

Ali Kemal's son, Osman Wilfred Kemal, changed his name to Wilfred Johnson, taking his maternal grandmother's maiden name. Ali Kemal was a journalist and politician, just as his grandson Stanley Johnson was. Stanley's sons, Boris and Jo, are both former journalists and ministers and their sister, Rachel Sahiba Johnson, carries Ali Kemal's second wife's name as her middle name.

Finally, the Ottoman Turks have conquered Great Britain. Ertugral Gaza the great Bey of the Kayi and the Turkish Orghuz tribes and his son, Osman, the founder and first Sultan of the Ottoman Empire must be smiling from eternity and the grave right now.

One of their descendants is about to preside over the affairs of the seat and heart of the Old British Empire and he is about to take Britain out of Europe! Shakespeare's Othello must be a very happy man too. This is indeed the revenge of the Turks.

Note. This is an article written by Mohan Guruswamy.


Tailpiece.

Have delayed my trip to Thiruvananthapuram by a day because of Lekha's condition. Must take her to the doctor tomorrow!

















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