At Thiruvananthapuram.

Got up at a half past three, the chores and was ready by a half past 5. Vishnu, Sreedevi's son, was our saarathi and he fetched up by a 5' to 6. He had overslept.

We were on our way, soon, to Thiruvananthapuram by about a quarter past 6 and reached the Aattukaal devi temple. Lekha, Mini and Geetha entered the sanctum sanctorum. After having their 'darshan', they came off within half an hour. We, then, sped straight to the Sri Padmanabha temple; the three ladies were dropped at the east nada and they had returned about 45' late.

The same ritual was repeated at the Pazhavangadi Mahaganapati kshetram.

I was dropped at the Foundation's premises. 

Lunch, with Chambu, was at the Gandhi Bhavan, nearby.

Wrote up my mail for the month of Feb and had sent it over to town by about four in the evening. Gave my  responses by about five in the evening. 

We visited the VJT Hall and returned to the Foundation. Gopu, Kuttu and young Sidharth had dropped by to meet us and boy, the little one wouldn't even smile!

Enroute to Maman's house, we'd halted at Muthachhan's statue and had a relook at the preparations for the morning activity.

Yakkitiyak with Ammai.

A fairly late night!

Tailpiece.

Lekha, Mini and Geetha had dropped by on Lekha's folks at PTP Nagar and Mini's friend at Peroorkada. They'd returned to Raj Nivas by a 10' to 3.

  

How old are you?

Many people often ask : "How old are you?"

I tell them : How can I answer this unfair question?

When I play with a little child, I am one year old.

When I watch cartoons, I'm seven.

When I dance to the tune of music, I am sweet sixteen.

When I laugh with friends I am twenty, at the most thirty..

When I guide my children I am forty.

Yes, when I try to heal someone's wound, I'm sure I've crossed six decades of my life span...

And when I chat with butterflies, sparrows or bulbuls or play with kids in the park, I become their age.

What is there in age? Isn't it just in the mind?

Like the light of the Sun and the Moon and the flowing water in the rivers or the softly blowing breeze, we are all ageless....

I keep changing every moment with time and with my experiences.

Days are marching towards night. 

No doubt, whenever my sunset arrives, I shall hold on to it and be gone forever!

Till then it's not my age that matters.

What matters is how fully have I lived thus far!!

Tailpiece.

Got up at 6, the chores and was ready by a quarter past 9. 

Mini and Geetha, Mithun's mom fetched up soon after.

We went to Padmakumar-Rema at a half past 12. It was yakkittiyak followed by lunch.

Lekha could get our month's rations from Vijayamma chechi's ration stand.

At Raj Nivas.

Lekha's cellphone alarm had gone off at 4 and our day had begun. We went through our chores but could finally kick off from The Quarterdeck only at 7. Kittu and Chakki were more composed today, probably because our trip today was almost on the heels of our last week's trip to Jaipur and they seemed to be ready for the resulting situation. Poor guys, we feel bad for them!

The traffic was comparatively sparse being a Sunday and we could do whatever we wanted to do. The first stop was at the Ananda Bhavan at Chalakkudi and we settled down for a combo shared between the two of us along with filter coffee.

Ernakulam and Alappuzha whizzed past at the appointed times and we turned off for Adoor on the KP Road at Kayamkulam. By 1, we had reached Hotel Diana - at the tip of the Adoor bypass - and the young lady, Renjoo was damn sad at my intake. Damn sweet of her. Had to tell her that I usually ate only the amount that she'd given me.

The guy at the parking had an unusual name - Kartoos - wonder whether he was fibbing. He was yet another guy from Assam, a Rohingya? A well behaved guy, but!

Lekha had picked up fruits from the More outlet on our way to Raj Nivas where we reached by a half past 1. The house looked neat and clean. We quickly changed and hit the sack as both of us were feeling very tired. After a good two hours' rest, the evening cuppa, I'd spent time at my parents' resting place and informed them about our program.

A quiet and restful evening, thereafter.     

Hindenburg Report and Adani (2).

.......contd(2)..

A port is no cosy monopoly. It has to compete in logistics and pricing to woo ships from established rivals. Mundra's logistics have attracted business investments of thousands of crores, creating an industrial hub in the desert. It has the world's largest automated coal-handling facility. A 2017 Morgan Stanley report puts Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone (APSEZ) in the top 25% of global port companies.

Critics focus on government favours to Adani. In India, business success requires good management of not only factories but politics too. All businessman cosy up to politicians. But while this opens doors and overcomes some rules, it cannot guarantee success. Anil Ambani is often accusedby Rahul Gandhi of getting Rs.30,000 cr in defence deals. Yet he has flopped commercially.

One, Dhirubhai Ambani was also accused of political manipulation and boondoggles. He responded, "What have I done that every other businessman has not?" There was no reply. Other businessmen, many with formidable historical advantages, had also wooed politicians and fiddled books. For a newcomer like Dhirubhai to beat the old giants at their own game signified immense talent. Something similar can be said of Adani.

Dhirubhai's dubious acts are detailed in Hamish McDonald's 1998 book, 'The Polyester Prince'. But critics are dead wrong to think that he was just a successful manipulator. During the licence-permit raj, manipulation was inescapable. But once the economy was liberalised, he built the world's largest export-oriented oil refinery with operating margins higher than even Singapore's famed refineries, proving himself world class. He got favours in telecom but created the cheapest telephone network in the world. Those who focus only on his manipulation are blind to the phenomenal skills that made him a historical titan, warts and all. Adani is treading a similar path.

Critics say Adani deals mainly in infrastructure where cosiness to the government  matters more than true skills. No. Dozens of new tycoons with strong regional political clout joined the infrastructure boom of 2003-08. But despite having political godfathers, many ran into trouble and went bust, leaving banks with enormous unpaid debts. Success in infrastructure requires skill, not just political friends.

Readers may think I am a great Adani fan. But I do not own any Adani company shares because of high prices and high risk. Adani has been diversifying and expanding at breakneck speed using borrowed money, bidding very high prices in auctions and acquisitions. This facilitates fast expansion but carries great risks. History has examples of business titans who diversified crazily to create giant conglomerates, succeeded for a few decades amid applause but eventually came a cropper (like General Electric under Jack Welch).

So, I think the Hindenburg report may be the best thing that ever happened to Adani. It will slow his speed of expansion and diversification and force his financiers to be diligent and cautious in future. This could impose highly desirable financial discipline on Adani, to his own benefit. Hindenburg may have been a blessing in disguise - or, in Winston Churchill's words in response to his wife trying to cheer him up after his post-war electoral defeat, a blessing 'quite effectively disguised'.

One day I might actually buy Adani shares.

........concluded.

- Courtesy. What'sApp

My take

The maze clears!

Tailpiece.

Got up at 6, the chores and was ready by a quarter to 10.  

After breakfast, drove our Chevy to the petrol bunk to top up with fuel and check tyre pressure. The bunk's manager, Ramesh and Krevka helped me.

The evening chores and shut down The Quarterdeck.

 

Hindenburg Report and Adani (1).

Why Hindenburg report is a blessing in disguise for Gautam Adani. 

- Swaminathan S Anklasaria Aiyar.

In 2006, I researched and wrote a paper for the Cato Institute on Gujarat's new strategy of port-based development. This strategy was launched by Congress chief minister Chimanbhai Patel in the early 1990s and expanded by BJP successors. I visited Gautam Adani's new Mundra port and was struck by its high automation and speed. I was astounded to hear that it financially compensated any ship that was not admitted and unloaded on schedule. While working in Bombay in 1990, I had seen ships wait 20 days for port entry. So Mundra seemed to be on another planet.

The Hindenburg Research report has alleged vast price rigging and fraud by Adani companies. The charges are serious. Global investors have stampeded out of Adani shares. We need a thorough investigation and punishment of the guilty.

Let me raise a separate linked issue. Adani's critics say he shot to riches not through skills but manipulation and political favours, minting money in cosy monopolies. I disagree. Going from humble origins to global no.3 in two decades is impossible without exceptional business skills.

Critics accuse BJP of 'giving' Adani valuable assets, from ports and mines to airports and transmission lines. No. What the government initially gave Adani was the right to operate a minor port in the Kutch desert without even a rail connection. To convert this desert patch into India's largest port is close to a miracle.

Adani has also acquired jetties and ports in a dozen other locations, beating global giants like Maersk and Dubai World in competitive auctions. He's incomparably India's top port operator, handling an estimated quarter of the total Indian freight. This makes him a national champion.

So, GoI is backing him to acquire strategic jetties and ports in Sri Lanka and Israel. Critics call this a favour. Really? The Sri Lanka terminal will cost $750 million and Haifa Port $1.18 billion. No Indian rival would dare risk so much even if offered on a platter. Adani's skills have made him a strategic player, more than just a businessman.

......to be continued.

Tailpiece.

Got up at 6, the chores and was ready by a quarter to 10.

A quiet Friday.

The evening chores. Lekha helped me to wash down our Chevy.

Why the US is trying to pull down India.

It is estimated that there is a shortage of 600,000 barrels of diesel per day in Europe right now. And this number will only increase over the course of this year because most forms of transport run on diesel.

Surprisingly, the major supplier to plug this gap will be India as we will be meeting nearly 60%of this diesel demand thanks to our huge refining capacity. India is emerging as the upstream refinery destination of Russian crude oil which is then refined and exported to Europe.

This is a huge game changer in geopolitics as India will move up from Consumer to Producer.

Currently, India is buying 1,700,000 million barrels of Russian oil everyday at roughly $47 per barrel. This means that the potential export revenues is to the tune of $70 billion this year.

The US simply cannot tolerate this rise of India in the energy geo-economics especially when it is built on a partnership with Russia. This is why all these attacks on our country are happening. They have moved beyond "human rights" and "religious freedom" to wild documentaries and even attacking Indian businesses.

The other reason for the US to get upset is that India is securing its sea route through the "Necklace of Diamonds" bases which can be used for global supply chain as well naval military purposes.

But what threatens the US the most is the next step where India is likely to join other BRICS nations to implement the 'mBridge' platform for international hydrocarbon trade. That will be the death knell for the US Dollar.

The recent direct trades between countries is already a warning shot to the USA. The idea of moving international trade away from the US Dollar is spreading fast. The American chairmanship of the Oil, Arms and Pharma mafia is tumbling like a pack of cards.

The BBC story and the Adani issue are only a couple of such attempts to derail India. There will be more to come. 

We need to stand united and thwart such attempts.

Courtesy. What'sApp

Tailpiece.

Got up at 6, the chores and was ready by a half past 10. Washing machinex in between.

Off to the bank for work and was ferried by Hameed.

The evening chores. 

Resovilla to Guruvayur.

Lekha's cellphone alarm  went off at 4 and for us, the day had begun. The early morning cuppa tea, the chores and the rounding off of the remaining packing were done in quick succession without disturbing Anil and Radha. Were ready by a quarter past 6 and then, interacted with them.

Selvam and his car were already there. An extremely resourceful boy who remained cheerful at all times and had a positive outlook towards life, in general.

The traffic from Resovilla to Santa Cruz looked sparse and we'd reached there by a half past 9. Couldn't ensure a wheel chair for Lekha and consequently, she'd to walk quite a lot - especially from Gate 52 to 41B. I'd my way at the check-in counter by booking the three pieces of luggage but the guy, Tahir ensured that I paid extra. And I was sure that the total weight of my baggage was < 30 kg. Anyways, didn't wait for the wheel chair that took an awfully long time.

The departure from Bombay was delayed by a good 45 minutes. Had in-flight lunch of Dal Chawal and noodles. Landed at Kochi at a half past 2.

Sajeesh was there and soon after, we were headed for Guruvayur.

From Angamali the traffic was smooth flowing.

Reached home by a quarter past 5. The opening up of the house, giving food for Kittu, Chacki, rewinding the grandmother clock to keep it going.

 

A quiet day, at long last. 

                     

@ Bombay (2).

Got up at 6, the chores and was ready after a leisurely grooming. Let Anil display his yoga exercises to me and a scrumptious breakfast.

It was yakkitiyak and going through our intricate chores.

A yummy lunch followed by siesta.

Got up by 5, the chores and we went for a drive through Resovilla.

It was a quiet evening with a mixture of photography, yakkitiyak and listening to the evergreen Malayalam songs.

Dropped Radha's cook, Alka, at her house and rounded off our packing.

The six-day-holiday comes to an end tomorrow.   

@ Bombay (1).

Got up at 2, the chores and was ready by a quarter past 3. The reception was called up and our luggage was brought down and the others had joined up. Rana, Lokhi, Lekha and self packed ourselves into one of the Innovas while Mike Charlie, Kondu and their wives piled on to the other and we headed straight for the airport.

Alas there was a snag! The tickets were not on my fingertips, the security gal did not allow us to get in and so, had to go across to the Indigo counter to collect a hard copy. Then entered the terminal, stood a long queue, got Lekha a wheel chair assistance and we boarded the flight, which took off at 0545 hrs.

Chaudhari, our chauffeur whom Anil had sent, was at the airport. We were handed over to him by Rajeev, the wheel chair man. Headed straight for my course and Squadron mate, Col KC Murthy and his wife, Vijaya who gave us an excellent breakfast. Earlier, we'd purposely overshot their flat to facilitate buying of fruits from the Dadar market!

Met their daughter, Rittika and her husband, Sripad and spoke to her for about 10 minutes. Their son, Shaurya, is an absolute delight.

We, then, buzzed off to Kandivali. Anil and Radha took us from Kandivali to  Resovilla.

A quiet siesta and the way ahead was thought upon.  

At Jaipur (3).

Got up at 6, the chores and was ready by a quarter to 9. Had breakfast after a leisurely grooming, was ready by a half past 10 for the group photograph. Set off for the Museum and after taking more photographs, we left for 'Makhan' and Meena's house. And what a grand reception it was?! The entire family was there to look after us.

For lunch, we'd gone to the nearby Sharma's Dhabha where the lunch was Rajasthani cuisine and boy, it was out of the world!

We were back at the Raj Palace and after an hour's rest, we were at the lawns to receive Jo, Tila, Rithika and li'l Rushank. The meeting lasted for an hour and a half and it was a poignant moment! Each one of us savoured that moment with the Joshies' fighting spirit in adverse conditions.

The entertainment program was at the 'mehfil' and it was a wonderful three hours.

After bidding farewell to each and everyone, we secured for the evening to finish our packing as ours is gonna be an early morning get away at a quarter to 4! 

At Jaipur (2).

Got up at 6, the chores and was ready well in time only to realise that we were the first off the block! It was, basically a mix up on my part regarding the timings.  

Had a frugal breakfast of a dosa with sambar and Lekha, too, had followed me on this though because of the over-crispness of the dosa, she finally settled for a slice of brown bread. Sudeep captured us on on his lens and yet again, after I'd changed into my temple-going attire.

We, then, went across to a Sri Krishna temple and was there for about a good three hours. Recited my prayers and subsequently, was one among the five who were selected to sit at the sanctum sanctorum and the subsequent event at the office.

We, then, went to the Jantar Mantar. Had always shirked this visit but really enjoyed this time at the knowledge received. There are five Jantar Mantars in India! Our guide, Yogi was good.

While I could catch my forty winks, Lekha had proceeded for shopping and returned by 5.

The evening was quiet and we had our tryst with Madan Singh and his son.

A nice and enjoyable day.

At Jaipur (1).

Dateline 17 Feb

Last evening Lekha and I'd arrived at Jaipur by 1730 hrs. We were taken to Hotel Glitz for the night stay. From the airport to the hotel, we were dropped by a hired car and were deposited at the Hotel Glitz by a half past 6. Our room was 201 and it was a comfortable stay. RK Singh and Usha were our neighbours. We were entertained by Varsha and Priya with their superb dances and Digambar, along with Inani, gave us a rendition of  "Damadam mast Kalandar" that was immortalised by Runa Laila, of Bangladesh, during the late '70s. It was a lovely start to our first evening at Jaipur.

Had got up at 7, the chores and was ready by 9. Met a few more of our course mates at the breakfast table. We, then, went on a 'fatfatiya' to Hotel Raj Palace for the next three days. It was a grand welcome there and we were allotted Room 215. Boy, it was real royal in every sense!

Met every one and it was mehndi time for the ladies while we'd a beer at Kul's room. The lunch was simple but great. Returned to the room by a quarter past 3, had an afternoon snooze.

Most of our course mates had fetched up by then and it was great to catch up with them. Had a short walk for the evening with Jags, Virmani, Bala.

The evening was full of music and fun.

Nadiyum and his treatment was nice! 

PS.

A few says ago, it needed to be a deep breath taking kin in order that I needed to be part of it. By 1987, we took Sebastian, with a number of the press AND HDY     .     

The navy never forgets its fallen.

A unique tribute under the deep sea to INS Khukri.

The Indian Navy on Saturday, 11 Feb 2023, paid a unique tribute in eternal gratitude to the ultimate sacrifice of the brave INS Khukri and her crew by laying wreaths underwater at the final resting place of the ship that was lost in the 1971war.

Named after the curved battle dagger of the indomitable Gorkhas, thr Khukri sank on the night of 9th De 1971 with 18 officers and 176 sailors, including  the Commanding Officer, Captain Mahendra Nath Mullah, who stayed courageously on the Bridge as the ship went down. The gallant Captain was later awarded the Mahavir Chakra posthumously. The ship and her fearless crew now lie at a depth of approximately 80 m, about 100 nautical miles off Diu.

On Saturday, 11 Feb 2023, the navy paid them through a poignant reunion as deep sea divers of Diving Support Ship, INS Nireekshak, placed three wreaths on the Khukri; one on behalf of the survivors and families of those lost, the second on behalf of all the ranks of the Indian Navy and the third on behalf of the Operational Commander, the Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief of the Western Naval Command.

Khukri continues to live and forever inspire a grateful nation and her Armed Forces.

Tailpiece.

Our day began at 2 AM, the chores and were ready by a half past 5. Kannan (Visakh) reached us by a quarter to 5 and we set off for the airport. There was an apprehension as to whether we'd reach by 7, which we eventually did.

Suresh and Supriya were our co-passengers from Kochi!

The transfer from Terminal 3 to Terminal 1 - at Bombay - sapped our energy. 

Eventually reached Jaipur by about a half past 10. The evening was spent with RK Singh and Usha.

Is Narendra Modi really transforming India?

Replied by Jay Agarwal, who works at Federal Government of the United States.

His answer.

Since I have not lived in India for almost 25 years, I can only answer this as a perspective. Note that as a US citizen, I can neither vote in Indian elections nor have any vested interest in the electoral outcome in India. Hence, objectivity!

I will narrate two stories to make my point. And I will not even use any boring statistics!

Story 1.

A routine Uber ride in Washington DC and an Afghani driver picks me up. After a few minutes, he asks me if I am Indian, I say yes and he smiles and says that he loves Bollywood. I smile back. His next question, do you know when somebody will make a movie on Modi. Anyway, I ask him why. His answer is that Modi is considered a magician in Afghanistan and Afghanis pray that they get a leader like him to make Afghanistan like India.

Story 2.

My beloved coworker from Nigeria, Iteogu, starts every morning at work with a curse at the Nigerian President Buhari. In his expert opinion, Buhari has sunk Nigeria. He then  gives me a baleful look and says, what do you care, you have Narendra Modi. Look at where India is today. After this morning routine, we get our coffee! Every morning!

So, two completely random non-Indians, with no political agenda, want somebody like Modi to run their respective countries because they believe Modi can turn their fortunes around.

Nobody has fed them propaganda.

They simply see what India has become under Modi and how its international prestige has soared.

I'm not saying anybody is perfect but in my 25 years in the US, I have never seen India receive so much attention and status as it has under Modi. You have to give credit where it is due.

Haters will hate but it is undeniably Modi's magic, pure and simple.

My take

He has nailed it!

Tailpiece.

Got up at 6, the chores and was ready by a half past 9.

The maid had come by for work.

Shut down The Quarterdeck systematically.

 

A true story.

A chance encounter with an Ola Cab Driver (Lt Cdr RS Sodhi) in Chandigarh, who turned out to be a Vir Chakra awardee...

"It's not often that you get into an Ola to hear Pink Floyd's #Echoes playing. It was an even bigger surprise when the driver muttered about 'right of way' when a female driver almost drove into the cab as we hit the main road. The driver did not appear to be the talkative kind but the previous events and his clipped Hindi got the better of my curiosity.

A couple of probing questions and that I knew or two about the navy came in handy and the reticence gave way.

Lt Cdr Raminder Singh Sodhi was a naval aviation officer and flew Seahawks on board the INS Vikrant till the early '80s. He later flew for the Indian government including the PM's aircraft. During the 1971 Indo-Pak War, he carried out 8 strikes on the heavily defended ports of Chittagong, Khulna and Mongla. He was the section leader during an attack on Khulna harbour on 06 Dec. Although his aircraft was hit by enemy fire, he continued his attack and led his section until one enemy ship and port oil installations were set on fire. He was awarded the Vir Chakra for his role as a young Lt Cdr.

Like a lot of ageing citizens, the property that he created for his children became his bane and the prolonged legal battles with his own have taken a toll on him that the war could not. He is a part of an increasingly growing tribe of senior citizens whose twilight years are robbed by the very security that they have created for their loving children. Driving through the light fog of the night he fondly reminisced about his love for night landings on the deck of the aircraft carrier.

I marveled at his stoic acceptance of the situation, maybe due to his war experience, while experiencing the surrealism of being driven on the road by a man who had flown in the air from his home on the sea. On reaching our destination all I could do was stand to attention and salute him with a proper palm down naval salute.

He drove away to David Gilmour's vocals echoing in my head gently prodding me to reflect on what destiny will bring at the next step....

"And no one called us to the land

And no one knows the where's or why's

Something stirs and something tries

Starts to climb toward the light".

My take

The unexpected twists and turns of life!

Tailpiece.

Got up at 6, the chores and was ready by a half past 9.

The maid had turned up for work.

A quiet day. Took part in our on line meeting to take stock of our digital literacy campaign. A lot of technical glitches to be sorted out, the earlier the better.

  

A game changer!

Massive Lithium reserves could be game changer for India, J&K. Known as white gold, Lithium is a chemical element used in rechargeable batteries of mobile phones, laptops, digital cameras and electric vehicles.

Why is it important?

* These reserves are rare.

* The discovery of 5.9 million tons of Lithium reserves means that India is the second country in the world with Lithium deposits, after Chile that has 9.2 million tons.

* Australia with 5.7 million tons, Argentina with 2.2 million tons and China with 1.5 million tons are the other countries that are blessed with Lithium deposits.

* It will be a major boost in the manufacture of rechargeable batteries.

* It would reduce the need for imports and improve employment opportunities.

The discovery of Lithium reserves in the Reasi district of Jammu and Kashmir is definitely good news. The reserves have been discovered by the the Geological Survey of India (GSI) in Salal-Haimana area of Reasi district.

The discovery has come about 26 years after the GSI submitted a detailed report about the presence of Lithium in Reasi.

My take

The Government, in power then, needs to answer as to why it had hushed up the report. 

Tailpiece.

Got up at 6, the chores and was ready by a half past 10.

Went to town for the following :-

  * the cell of Lekha's watch replaced.

  * to the Canara bank for reactivating an account.

  * to get print outs of our tickets from Prithi's internet cafe.

  * to fetch sundries.

Helped Lekha in watering the plants. 

Humour in uniform.

Sena Medal & Bar or SM**

I am a recipient of Sena Medal (Gallantry) twice, awarded for two operational actions, almost 16 years apart from each other at two different locations. This post is not to be misunderstood as a self tomtomming exercise, it's only to convey the agony I am undergoing by virtue of this double 'dhamaka'. Maybe it's a revenge by the terrorists despatched to their heavenly(?) abode by me and my team.

Everything was fine as long as I had only one gallantry medal. When I received the second gallantry medal I went through varied experiences. On receipt of my first award, I received a personal letter from the then COAS, Gen AS Vaidya. Then a bachelor, my brother's comments were that this would get me a bride fast. Unfortunately in God's own country, an Army officer, awarded or not, is way down the marriage market, no guesses for the top one. I happened to get a bride who had no clue about what an Army officer did and awards and rewards had no meaning to her at that time.

When I received the second medal, the first guy who did not appreciate this was my helper (Buddy). He told my wife, "Didn't the government realise that saab has already got a sena medal, why have they given him the same medal a second time? They could have awarded him a Visisht Seva Medal (VSM) at least". (VSM is below SM in the order of precedence). For him an additional on my chest would have looked better be it low on precedence.

The second was the Government of Kerala or rather a Babu sitting in the Secretariat. The state government allocated remuneration (Kerala allocates peanuts as compared to other states for valour) to various award winners. I wrote to the government asking them to sanction me the authorised cash benefits. The reply from them was that they had already sanctioned for the first one and there was no grant for the repeated awards. The letter almost meant, "Don't disturb us time and again or so what you received an award the second time" or words to that effect.

Till I was in service I could write SM & Bar against my name as it was understood by the man as it was understood by the men in uniform that it's Sena Medal and Bar to Sena Medal. But when my cousin , a known film personality visited me, I saw a very happy smile on his friend's face. The guy thought that I have a bar attached in my house.

So I changed my appendage to SM*. It went on without any hiccups until I had to make a visiting card in the new organisation where I worked. Even after all briefings, the draft was put up to me minus the asterix (*). I asked him where did the asterix go missing - he told me that he thought that the asterix meant a pointer to a footnote, so he thought why avoid the confusion - just leave it.

The best one which knocked me unconscious was from a guy who had a little bit of knowledge about the Army rank structure, came up to me and said, "Sir I have a doubt. How can you be a Colonel and a Subedar Major at the same time?"

Tailpiece.

Got up at 6, the chores and was ready by a half past 9. 

Akhil, with the car, was at the gate on the dot at a half past 10. Lekha had to go across to Chavakkad to buy sundries and we called on Sajish, our usual chauffeur, who lost his wife the day before yesterday.

The evening chores.   

 

Operation Dost.

Two images of Indian personnel deployed in earthquake-hit Turkey were heartwarming on a day when the body count was otherwise grim, as the toll there and in neighbouring Syria has crossed 25,000. A video of a stretchered six-year-old girl wrapped in a blanket with a rescuer carefully holding her neck after pulling the child out of a Turkey rubble showed the professional skills of the Indian NDRF teams working there as part of Operation Dost.

Every life saved is a victory against time and the elements. The survival window is rapidly closing in the region where rain and freezing temperatures have made rescue that much more difficult. The other photo was of a grateful local woman hugging and kissing a female Indian Army personnel at what appeared to be a field hospital that got operational in Turkey. India has already sent loads of relief materials besides personnel, sniffer dogs and specialised equipment for the rescue efforts. It was a quick outreach to save lives in their hour of need without geopolitical considerations.

Contrast it with Turkey President Erdogan shooing off Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif hours before he was to board a flight to Ankara to offer his condolences and the short shrift he got is stark. To put it in context, Erdogan has been raising Kashmir in the global fora for quite some time at the behest of Pakistan, though his position was quite nuanced at the UN General Assembly last year. The softer tone was seen as the outcome of his one-on-one with PM Narendra Modi at the Samarkand Summit.

On a different note, earthquakes are a regular occurrence in that part of the world as the tectonic plates are seismically active. Yet, there is growing evidence that this was a man-made tragedy in Turkey as quite a few multi-storeyed buildings that collapsed like pancakes were claimed to be quake-proof when sold to prospective home buyers. The heat is already on the housing sector regulators. No wonder Erdogan is grappling with popular anger at ground zero.

As for Syria, India has flown in relief supplies despite global sanctions, as curbs don't matter when the scale of the tragedy is colossal. The need of the hour is to reach food, water, shelter and medical aid for the thousands of survivors on both sides of the border to avert another humanitarian crisis of gargantuan proportion.

Courtesy. Masthead of the NIE

My take

Yet another diplomatic masterstroke by the PM by emphasising upon human considerations on a country that had taken a sustained negative attitude towards India. Great!

Tailpiece.

Got up at 6, the chores and was ready by a half past 9.

The maid had got on with her work and insisted on a book about Muthachchan, to know about him.

Sajish, our chauffeur for long trips, reported the passing away of his wife yesterday. She had quite a few medical problems and not diagnosed properly, as I understood from his narrations. Om Shanti! Sadgati. They have a son who's schoolgoing.

The NIE ThinkEdu Conclave.

The two-day education conclave that began at the ITC Grand Chola yesterday was a gathering of India's intellectuals that had got together to present their perspectives on contemporary issues. The important aspects are being highlighted below. 

    1. Education has been allotted the highest budgetary funding this year of Rs.1.12 lakh cr, keeping the      aspirations of the youth power in mind.

    2. The Amrit Kaal of the next 25 years marks the journey of a New India which the nation has envisioned as an era of inclusive and exponential growth.

    3. The objective behind the implementation of the National Educational Policy 2020 (NEP 2020) is to focus on learning and inculcate the habit of critical thinking among our youth to make them future ready.

    4. Mandatory internship for law students to work in rural areas.

    5. NEP is not a policy of any government but it is policy of the people.

    6. Criticism, as long as it remains within limits, is not anti-national.

    7. Dissent, democracy's first born child.

    8. It is up to the minority to also ensure that it conducts itself in a way that public morality is largely dictated by the majority in every jurisdiction.

    9. Funds should be allocated according to the budget's outlined schemes.

  10. Women's careers are careers, they are not hobbies.

  11. The utmost satisfaction is obtained when one's work brings change to somebody who likely needs it. That keeps one going.

  12. The Congress of 2011 to 2014 was corrupt, arrogant and that's exactly what Bollywood is today.

  13. 25 years ago, we had to ask parents to send their kids to school. Now, no matter their economic condition, they aspire for their children to go to a good school.

My take

A good exercise that should throw up the best solutions for implementation!

Tailpiece.

Got up at 6, the chores and was ready by a half past 9.

A quiet Friday.

The usual evening chores.  

Geopolitics through Economic Clout (2).

......contd (2).

Africa is another place which everyone is vying for. So far, China had monopoly. Here again the Adani Group has invested in Clean Energy in Morocco, where there is a plan to produce electricity and export the surplus to Europe.

The other places where Adani Group has entered are Tanzania, South Africa and Nigeria, where it plans to commit 19,000 cr to produce 3,700 MW of electricity. 

The belief is that this is not only hurting China but also big investors in the US. Even Hunter Biden (son of Joe Biden) has a lot of investment in Chinese Companies. So, Adani was on the radar from both. And that is the reason why some believe that the Hindenburg is a hit job. The world has not reconciled to the fact that India is becoming number one in Pharmacy, as a transportation hub, as a service hub and as a manufacturing hub. It seems too much to swallow. Only an attack on the economy would offset and reverse this trend.

As against what was understood earlier, the credentials of Hindenburg are far from illustrious. The owner, Nathan Anderson, is an Israeli educated in the US. He is part of the Deep State, which does not want India to progress on the Geo Political front. It is difficult for them to accept the position that the world has fragmented into a multipolar state and India seems to be holding centre stage.

Anderson is not new to hit jobs. In 2017 alone, he targeted 45 Companies, out of which the shares of 34 fell and he minted his profits through the famed short selling procedure.

It seems that this is now being played out with the Adani Group. Something on the same lines as happened in the Harshad Mehta case when foreigners targeted the Indian Stock Market, as it became a major destination for foreign firms to park their funds.

Hindenburg's claims are that :-

   * Adani's debt exposure is heavy.

   * If Adani goes under, the banks will collapse.

But an assessment of Adani's investment in the banks shows that :-

    * Adani's debt exposure is just 1.5% in Public Sector Banks and 6% in Private Sector Banks.

    * Even these loans are against infrastructure projects.

A look at Adani's infrastructure projects would reassure :-

    * He is operating 13 sea terminals in India.

    * Controls 24% of Indian Maritime Commerce.

So, how do the banks go under?

A belief is beginning to grow that this is a hit job at the behest of China. And it will continue to happen till the next elections or till there is a regime change in India. 

Luckily the Indian industrialists and the nation stand together, in the cause (less the select few, who would rather spite the nose in the bid to attain their nefarious aim, the nation be damned).

.......concluded.

Courtesy. What'sApp

Tailpiece.

Got up at 6, the chores and was ready by a half past 9.

Lekha had gone across to the Guruvayur temple to have a 'darshan' of the good Lord.

Our fruit basket was ordered over the telephone.

Geopolitics through Economic Clout (1).

China has done/does it, why not India? The Adani Group - a perspective you cannot miss.

When the Adani Group replied to the allegations of Hindenburg, the latter retorted, 'Fraud cannot be obfuscated by nationalism'. There is a school of thought that says that the Hindenburg report was a hit job and Adani is a nationalist. Let us evaluate.

Leave aside the fact that the Hindenburg report was timed with the release of the FPO; there is a greater aspect to the timing. It was done when Adani was to acquire the Haifa port in Israel. And who other than Adani was interested in the Haifa port?

It was the Chinese. They already run the container yard at Haifa and wanted control of the entire port. But what destroyed their goal was that Adani bid five times the bid of the second bidder and secured the contract. Was it at the instance of the Indian government?

What is the importance of Haifa to India? India is coming up with a trade route which starts at JNPT Bombay, goes to UAE, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Israel (Haifa), Cyprus, Greece and beyond - giving access to entire Europe and vice versa. It is under active progress and without this important link to Haifa, there would be a hitch. So, it was no surprise that Adani bid five times the amount to acquire it. 

China was trying the same thing and it has already invested 13 billion USD in the BRI project in this area. Is it the government of India that was indirectly trying to undo this Chinese attempt to acquire Haifa?

Future wars will be fought more on the economic front than on the battlefield. It is now a conviction that the government is backing its two financial giants - Ambani and Adani - who commit to promote national economy and acquire strategic assets, as also counter any outside forces that tend to obstruct this path.

This school of thought also believes that the Egyptian President, who was called as the chief guest at the Republic Day parade, was not without reason. As among the many MOUs signed with Egypt, one very significant was "India being given the right to develop the Economic Development Zone and industry around the Suez Canal". Since Haifa and Suez are the two main gateways to Europe, this would be a big step in that direction.

Now, it would be worth evaluating where Adani has invested and whether those match with the government's interest.

In the immediate neighbourhood, Sri Lanka is a case in point. So far China had monopoly and it had started taking over the ports after Sri Lanka was cash strapped and went insolvent. It was here that Adani entered the scene and acquired the rights to develop the Colombo Port's western container terminal, committing 700 million USD.

In addition, Adani Green Energy has received approvals for two separate projects to produce 510 MW of electricity which requires an additional commitment of 500 million USD. It has freed Sri Lanka from a portion of its debt trap.

.........to be continued.

Tailpiece.

Got up at 6, the chores, the Wednesday 'aarathi' of the house and was ready by a half past 10.

Arya and Sharon, from ICICI Bank and Roy, the plumber had come by post lunch for work.

The maid was at work and left after completing her work by a quarter past 5.   

LCA Navy lands on INS Vikrant.

Achieving a historical milestone, LCA Navy, the naval version of the indigenously developed Light Combat Aircraft successfully landed on board INS Vikrant, the country's first indigenous aircraft carrier.

The carrier is undergoing flight trials ahead of operationalisation. It demonstrates India's capability to design, develop, construct and operate indigenous aircraft carrier with indigenous fighter aircraft, the Indian Navy tweeted.

Earlier, the IN had rejected the single-engine naval LCA as its thrust-to-weight ratio was not meeting the requirements for take-off with a full load from an aircraft carrier. The naval version of the LCA has been designed with stronger landing gears to absorb forces exerted by the ski jump ramp during take-off. It can get airborne within 200 mts and land within 100 mts. 

The Indian Navy currently operates the MiG-29K fighters for INS Vikramaditya. The LCA (Navy) is only a technology demonstrator but the landing on the a/c carrier is considered an achievement as it demonstrates India's capability to develop niche technologies for deck-based air operations. It will help in developing the twin engine deck-based fighter which the IN is looking forward to.

- The NIE

My take

Bravo Zulu!

Tailpiece.

Got up at 6, the chores, washing machinex of the bed linen and was ready by a half past 9. 

A massive power interruption from 1000 to 1915 hrs! Had plugged my cellphone to the power socket but had forgotten to switch on; so it had to be kept switched off for most of the day.

A quiet day otherwise.

 

9 years ago to the present.

  1. 9 years ago, income tax on taxable income between 2 lakhs and 5 lakhs was 10%, now 5%.

  2. 9 years ago, tax on restaurant bills was 13% to 28%, now 5%.

  3. 9 years ago, interest on home loans was 10.3%, now 6.65%.

  4. 9 years ago, 1GB of 3G data pack was Rs.250/-, now 1GB of 4G at less than Rs.5/-

  5. 9 years ago, sky high prices of medicine and stents, now they are several notches less.

  6. 9 years ago, inflation was in double digits, now under 5%. Prices of pulses and vegetables fall.

  7. 9 years ago, there were 17 different indirect taxes, now it's just GST.

  8. 9 years ago, our economy was in fragile 5 group, now it's in BAA3.

  9. 9 years ago, in ease of doing business we were at 160 rank, now we're one of the top performers, it's 77.

10. 9 years ago, Real Estate builders had 'Manmani', now they are bound to deliver projects before deadline under RERA.

11. 9 years ago, highways were made on crawling speed, now it is 70% higher than in 2014.

12. 9 years ago, medicines' prices were regulated by big pharma companies, now the same is regulated by government and has brought them down to 50%. 

The only problem with us, middle-class people, is we never realise all these developments are of us.

Schemes like Udaan, SwatchBharat, JanDhan, GST, Beti Padao and Beti bachao are for us.

And the most important point.

9 years ago, we were not sure who our PM was, now even the world knows about him. He is not a puppet, at least.

Take care of India!

My take

India, under PM Narendra Modi, has made great strides in all fields. May the all round progress continue.

Tailpiece.

Got up at 6, the chores and was ready for Sajish, the khalifa, who fetched up at a half past 7.

To the Pookkode Panchayat office to sort out the house tax issue. Took two hours, phew! Befriended Rajni ma'am, the new superintendent of the panchayat; is helpful.

Lekha could give her clothes for stitching. 

Extreme immaturity and sadistic!

Within the last 12 months :

* Amazon lost    $756.7 billion

* Alphabet shed $689.7 billion

* Meta around    $616.8 billion

* Tesla+Nvidia, if included, then total wiped out was about $5.6 trillion of market value.

And no one in the west behaved or acted like fools...India is the only country where

activists, comedians, left-leaning journalists and opposition leaders pray for top 

Indian companies to fail so they can pin down the Modi Government.

They would prefer to see India fail just to settle scores with the leader whom they 

deeply abhor. 

    *      *      *

3 facts that are hidden about Hindenburg

* It's facing 3 criminal investigations in the US

* Its bank accounts were seized for a long time due to their fraud practices.

* It's banned from publishing any report about companies in New York stock exchange.

Tailpiece.

Got up at 6, the chores and was ready by a half past 9.

The maid had come by for work.

The evening chores.

Chinese balloon over US airspace.

China has said that a balloon spotted over American airspace  was used for weather research and was blown off course, despite US suspicion it was spying.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken postponed a planned weekend diplomatic visit to Beijing and weighs a broader response. The balloon was flying over sensitive sites in the western United States. After initially hesitating to say that the object was Chinese, Beijing in a statement admitted ownership.

One of the places the balloon was spotted was over Montana, which is home to one of the country's three missile silo fields at Malmstrom Air Force Base.

The US had prepared fighter jets, including F-22s, to shoot down the balloon if ordered. However, the US has assessed that the balloon has "limited'' value in terms of providing intelligence that couldn't be obtained by other technologies, such as spy satellites.

My take

A frenzied over reaction by a high-strung 'super power' which is suspicious about everyone on earth! But China is equally capable of carrying out a perfidy!

Tailpiece.

Got up at 6, the chores and was ready by a half past 9.

A leisurely Saturday. Our fruit basket was ordered and received.

Watched the 606th version of Aazhchakkoottam, on YouTube from 1630 to 1730 hrs, where Advocate K Prakash Babu, CPI central committee member spoke on the "Controversy in the appointment of judges".    

A global conspiracy?

Unlike India which has always endeavoured to do well on its own strengths, China has, time and again, shown that it tries to put down India to show that it is good. Therein lies the problem because when things go wrong, it begins to show! Now, let's have a look at the backdrop of the present circumstances.

* Indian troops give a sound whacking to the Chinese PLA at the border of Arunachal Pradesh. A loss of face!

* India's economy is the world's fastest growing, pushing China to second place. China is wilting!

* China's Covid- 19 management has been a pathetic failure and nothing needs to be said about the efficacy of its 'home grown' vaccines which the state forces on its people. And there are no takers from anywhere else in the world but for a few. In contrast, a lot of potential buyers are queueing up for Indian vaccines. And China is fuming!

* Leaders of the world look up to PM Narendra Modi for leadership. Xi Jinping is nowhere in competition! He's fuming!   

* In the meanwhile, India takes over presidency of G-20. India is going about to get the whole world to chuck their differences and get together on the lines of 'Vasudeiva kutumbakam'! The programs that have been initiated and those that are still in the pipeline will be understood as they bear fruition in the course of this one year!

* So, it's India all the way!

And see what China is up to.

1. It funds the BBC through 'Hua Wei' and brings out the docuseries - India : The Modi Question - against India and Modi, in particular. 

The result : The BBC gets a negative publicity and an egg on its face! 

2. It funds the Khalistani groups which let loose violence on Indians in Australia and Canada.

The result : The governments have been told to safeguard the lives of Indians, pronto!

3. It seems to be behind the 'Hindenburg Report' that has been going hammer and tongs at Adani, whom China and the Indian opposition say is a Modi-man. (By this I don't imply that Adani is squeaky clean and like any businessman/house, he must have striven to achieve advantage in his business deals).

The result : Adani's company' stocks are on a freefall. 

And the conspiracy? 

Simple to understand. India's General Elections are due in May 2024. PM Narendra Modi has been guiding the country through it all and is poised to return to power next year. These guys are throwing anything and everything at us to stop that.

What the Indian opposition must do is : fight the BJP on issues and the good things that it can offer if it came to power but for the country's sake, do not join the inimical foreign forces.

Tailpiece.

Got up a trifle late at 22' past 6, the chores and was ready by a half past 9.

A quiet Friday.   

The origin of Jai Hind.

Though the origin of "Jai Hind" is usually ascribed to Chempakaraman Pillai in 1907, it didn't have a popular usage till Netaji Bose made it the standard greetings of the INA. How this happened has a Hyderabad connection.

It is believed by Netaji's close followers that the slogan "Jai Hind" is coined by Abid Hasan Safrani. He was the son of the soil of Hyderabad in India. His real name was Zainul Abedin Hasan. He preferred to be called Abid Hasan. His parents expired during the British Raj. Before that they had sent him to Germany instead of England for Higher Studies in Engineering stream. During that time, Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose visited Germany and addressed Indian Prisoners of War and also students and asked them to join Indian National Army (Azad Hind Fauj). Abid Hasan met him and got inspired by the charisma of Netaji. He told him that he would join him after finishing his studies. Netaji said tauntingly that if he was caught in such small considerations, he would not be able to achieve anything big in life.

This remark inspired him. He instantly decided to give up his studies and complied to the call of Netaji. He became his Secretary and Interpreter. He was upgraded to the rank of a Major in INA.

Integration of the soldiers was a burning issue for Netaji. He saw that each community greeted each other with their own salutation. The Hindu soldiers said, "Namasthe", "Ram Ram", the Muslims said "Assalamo-laikum" and the Sikhs said "Sat Sri Akaal". Netaji decided to replace these religion based greetings with a common salutation and this task was entrusted to his brilliant aide Abid Hassan.

Once he overheard two Rajputs greeting each other "Jai Ramji ki". That thing triggered off his imagination and the idea of "Jai Hindustan Ki" was born. This in turn, led to the shorter form "Jai Hind" (Hail India).

Netaji was delighted with Hasan's idea. Finally, he adopted it as the formal manner of greeting for members of INA. Subsequently it became the National Patriotic Salutation in Independent India.

On the midnight of Independence day, Nehru used it in his speech addressed to the nation.

The renowned researcher and writer Leonard Gordon in his book "Brothers against the Raj" has specifically mentioned that "Jai Hind" has been coined by Abid Hasan Safrani. In order to uplift the communal harmony, he adopted his title to 'Safrani' after the holy Hindu colour.

Some interesting facts may also be added here that when Netaji made his historic escape from Germany to Japan by submarine in 1943, he took Hasan along with him. It was the longest submarine voyage in history till then.

In a movie on this voyage, Shyam Benegal portrayed the "The Forgotten Hero", Rajit Kapoor played the role of Hasan. In August 1945, Hasan was one of the key aides whom Netaji picked to accompany him on his final flight along with AS Aiyer, Col Habibur Rahman, Col Gulzar Singh and Debnath Das. The plan was to fly together from Singapore to Tokyo via Bangkok, Saigon, Taipei and Manhuri. But at Saigon, Netaji suddenly asked Hasan to remain behind to finish some work and meet up with him in Tokyo.

Netaji took off in a Japanese Mitsubishi Ki 21 bomber accompanied only by Rahman. The story thereafter doesn't require to be elaborated here...

At the end of World War II, Hasan was imprisoned by the British. After trial, he was repatriated to India in 1946. He joined the INC. After independence, he joined the newly formed Indian Foreign Service.

He served as an Ambassador to a number of foreign countries. Netaji's nephew Aurobindo Bose had married Safrani's niece Surya Hasan. Abid Hasan's father Badrul Hasan was one of the great freedom fighters. He worked with Gandhiji. Abid Hasan Safrani died on 05 Apr 1984.

My take

Jai Hind!

Tailpiece.

Got up at 6, the chores and was ready by a half past 9. The maid had come by for work.

It was a quiet Thursday.

The evening chores.  

Budget 2023 - Highlights.

Nirmala Sitharaman, India's Finance Minister, presented the union budget for 2023, in Parliament today. Given below are the highlights.

* First budget in Amrit Kaal.

* Implementing free food scheme for the next one year - Rs.2 lakh crores to be borne by the centre.

* Current year's growth estimate at 7%.

* Per Capita Income doubled to 1.97 lakhs

* 7 Priorities of Budget

   - Inclusive development

   - Reaching the last mile

   - Infra investment

   - Green growth

   - Youth power

   - Financial sector

   - Unleashing potential

* Launch Atmanirbhar Clean Program

* Spend 2,200 cr on high-value horticulture

* Agri Credit target increased to 20 lakh cr

* 157 new nursing colleges to be established and co-location with the existing 157 medical colleges since 2014

* New Pharma Program for R&D through Centre for Excellence

* National Digital Library for Children and Adolescents to be set up

* 6,000 cr for promoting fusheries

* 15,000 cr  for three years for development action plan for scheduled tribes

* 38,800 teachers to be recruited for 740 Ekalavya model residential schools serving 3.5 lakh tribal students

* Capital Investment Outlay increased by 33% to 10 lakh cr (4.5% of GDP)

* Effective Cap Expenditure by entre at 13.7 lakh cr (4.5% of GDP)

* Cap Outlay of 2.40 lakh cr for Railways - highest ever outlay

* 100 critical transport infra projects for last mile connectivity to be taken up on priority

* 50 additional airports for improving regional air connectivity

* 10,000 cr per annum for Urban Infra DVPD Fund

* All cities and towns eligible for mechanical sewage de-slugging from manhole to machine hole

* Ease of doing business : > 39,000 compliances reduced

* Centres for Excellence for Air Intelligence - 3 centres to be set up in top educational institutions

* National Data Governance Policy to be brought out for access to anonymised data

* 7,000 r for phase 3 of E-Courts project

* 5G services : 100 labs for developing apps to be set up in Engineering Institutions - Smart Class rooms, Intelligent pharming etc

* Lab grown diamond - R&D grant to be provided to one IIT to reduce cost of production

* 35,000 r for energy transition and net zero objective

* Target to reach green Hydrogen production to 5 MMT by 2030

* 20,700 r for renewable energy in Ladakh

* PM PRANAM Scheme to promote balanced use of fertilisers

* 10,000 bio input resource centres to be set up

* Vehicle replacement - replacing old polluting vehicles 

   - Scrap old vehicles of central and state governments including ambulances 

   - Budget allocations to be made

* 36 Skill India International Centres to be set up across states

* Revamped Credit Guarantee Schemes for MSMEs

   - 9,000 cr infusion to corpus

   - Cost of credit will be reduced by 1%

   - Effective 01 Apr 2023

* Mahila Samman Savings Certificate for 2 year period up to Mar 2025

   - Will offer deposit facility up to 2 lakhs @ 7.5% with partial withdrawal option in the name of

      women and girl

* Revised Estimates - Total receipts 24.3 lakh cr

* Net tax receipts - 23.3 lakh cr

* FY 24 Fiscal deficit target at 5.9%

PART B

* Rebate increased from5 lakhs to 7 lakhs for tax free income in the new tax regime

* New tax slabs in the new regime

   - 0 - 3 lakhs        - 0%

   - 3 - 6 lakhs        - 5% 

   - 6 - 9 lakhs        - 10%

   - 9 - 12 lakhs      - 15%

   - 12 - 15 lakhs    - 20%

   - > 15 lakhs        - 30 %

* Highest Surcharge rate reduced to 25% from 37% in the new tax regime. Reduction of Max Tax Rate to 39%  

* New Income Tax Regime to be the Default Tax Regime

My take

The middle class has a lot to rejoice.

Tailpiece.

Got up at 6, the chores and was ready by a half past 9.

Went to town at a half past 10 to get a few utensils repaired and purchases sundries.

The evening chores.