Mini, off to Bangalore!

Got up at 5, sent all the messages, opened up the house in a restricted fashion, lit up the puja room lamp and switched on the hymns on the television.

Morning cuppa with Lekha.

Our idea was to avoid wasting Mini's time as they were on their long, return drive to Bangalore. We were all going to Padmakumar's house to have Rema's breakfast. We left soon after 7, met Syamala after her last night's surprise tryst with the hospital! Had breakfast of idiyappams, appams and curry.

Mini and Mithun resumed their journey at 0800 hrs.

Left Padmakumar's place by 1100 hrs. Rema gave us packed lunch.

Washed the set of soiled clothes, recited my prayers.

Lunch, watched television for a while followed by siesta.

Pulled out the dry clothes from the clothing line before the rain.

Power interruption for 2 hours which was restored by 9 PM.

Mini had reached her home by a quarter past 9.  

A comparatively quiet day!

Dateline 08  May

Got up at 5, sent the messages, opened up the house for the day, lit up the puja room lamp and switched on the hymns on the television.

Morning cuppa with Lekha.

Walked within the house and recited my prayers.

Letha had come in an autorickshaw and both the sisters went to Kottarakkara for the following :-

    * the 'darshan' of Maha Ganapati

    * buy certain add ons for her ear studs.

    * buy grocery

    * buy our lunch

She had returned by a quarter past 1!

Lunch, watched "Snehakkoottu" followed by siesta.

Pulled in all the clothes that were put up for drying. Between us we'd washed down quite a bit of clothes including a pair of bedsheets!

Thundershowers and power had got interupted at 5 and was restored only at a 5' past 11! A miserable evening spent in darkness. 

    

At Raj Nivas.

The day started at 4 for us this morning. Monish came in about five minutes later and went off to sleep in our Chevy. We were ready by a half past 6, Lekha gave Monish his cup of tea and we kicked off by a quarter to 7. It was drizzling all the way.

We'd breakfast in Swami's Anubhavam at Chalakkudy - idiappams and kadala kari - by a quarter past 8.

Took the Angamali route and were in time for lunch, Letha's place, by a quarter to 2. Dropped Monish at Kottarakkara and drove our Chevy to Raj Nivas, reaching there by a half past 3.

Unnigopan, from Sarathy Autocars came to collect our Chevy and we signed the agreement paper by 5. "Crazy" has been with us since Oct 2010 and I'd run a total of about 1,29,000 km todate! My mom and dad have ridden in it and Lekha and I had developed a fondness for her. She had never let us down throughout the last sixteen years. Once she'd developed a problem, when Lekha was travelling from Guruvayur to Ayur and she came to a grinding halt in front of my sister, Mini's house.

I suppose she'd developed a fondness for us too. Driving through the roads in her was quite relaxing and I never felt the tiredness, even after a long drive, ever. Will miss you Crazy and we shall always remember as to how you'd brightened our lives!

Another worry in the background is the results of the biopsy done on Lekha's tongue. O God, hope that the test results are not sinister! Mini's fatty liver is another constant worry!

We should get our Maruti Victoris latest by next Wednesday.

 

The Great Nicobar Project.

It's a game changer for India's maritime future.

India is on the verge of a maritime transformation!

For far too long, our cargo has relied on foreign stops but the Great Nicobar Trans-shipment Hub is set to change the game.

 * Planned capacity .              16 million TEUs.

 * Strategic location.              just 40 nautical miles from the Malacca Strait.

 * Economic boost.                Retaining $200 - 220 million in port handling charges annually.

This project is more than just about infrastructure. It's about reclaiming our maritime sovereignty and

building a truly self-sufficient India.

My take

Building up of strategic infrastructure is an ongoing activity for the progress of a country which is aspiring to be a superpower in the not too distant future.

Tailpiece.

Got up at 5, sent the messages, opened up the house for the day, lit up the puja room lamp and switched on the hymns on the home theatre.

Morning cuppa with Lekha.

Walked on the courtyard, recited my prayers and carried out my exercise regimen.

Breakfast of dosas, chutney.

Lekha goes to town for the following :-

    * to check with the gas agency about the position of supply

    * to get the monthly dues from the ration stand

    * to get her ornaments put back at the jewellery

    * to Harisree supermarket for groceries

Bath.

Lekha's beautician comes in for her help.

Lunch, watched "Snehakkoottu" followed by siesta.

Shut down The Quarterdeck systematically.

Dropped in on the Air Marshal on his discharge from Rajah's Hospital.  

The day after the results.

Got up at 5, sent the messages, opened up the house, lit up the puja room lamp and switched on the hymns on the home theatre.

Morning cuppa with Lekha.

Walked on the courtyard, recited my prayers and carried out my exercise regimen.

Breakfast of idlis and sambar.

Worked on my laptop.

The aftermath of the election results :-

* Kerala. Endless rounds of discussions have begun to zero in on the chief minister from among the

   three viz. VD Satheesan, Ramesh Chennithala and KC Venugopal. Meanwhile, Pinarayi Vijayan has 

   submitted his resignation but will not meet the Governor!

* Tamilnadu. Vijay is preparing to take over as the chief minister and the Congress has decided to

   support him annoying the DMK because both of them are part of the Indi alliance!

* Pondicherry. The incumbent chief minister is preparing to take oath with his new team.

* Assam. Hemant Biswa Sarma is preparing to take oath with his new team.

* West Bengal. Mamata Banerjee refuses to resign saying that she has won a moral victory - wonder

   what that is? She has refused to go to the Governor. Meanwhile, the BJP is preparing its team

   to take over.

Lunch, watched "Snehakkoottu" followed by siesta.

The evening chores.

A quiet evening.

Tailpiece.

The atmosphere has definitely cooled after last midnight's rain! 

What a day?

Got up at 5, sent the messages, opened up the house for the day, lit up the puja room lamp and switched on the hymns on the home theatre.

Morning cuppa with Lekha.

Walked on the courtyard, recited my prayers and carried out my exercise regimen.

Bath and breakfast of toasts, egg, chhole bhature.

Worked on my laptop.

An early lunch.

Off to the Saroja Multi-Speciality Hospital at Thrissur for Lekha's tongue's biopsy by Dr Sreekumar Pillai. By the time we left the hospital, it was a half past 5.

Wayside refreshments before reaching home.

A quiet evening thereafter!

Tailpiece.

The UDF has swept Kerala with 102 seats, with the BJP capturing Nemom (Rajeev Chandrasekhar), Chathannoor (Gopakumar) and Kazhakkoottam (Gopakumar).

BJP has won Assam, West Bengal and the NDA, Pondicherry. 

Kept me riveted on to the television during my spare time.

How to read anyone?

 * Status                          revealed by their shoes

 * Discipline                    revealed by their nails

 * Background                revealed by how they sit

 * Intentions                    revealed by their eyes

 * Personality                  revealed by how they laugh

 * Confidence                  revealed by how they walk

 * Loyalty                        revealed by where they look

 * Intelligence                 revealed by how they listen

 * Maturity                      revealed by how they argue

 * Respect                        revealed by how they treat people  who can't help them

 

Tailpiece.

Got up at 5, sent the messages, opened up the house for the day, lit up the puja room lamp and switched on the hymns on the home theatre.

Morning cuppa with Lekha.

Walked on the courtyard, recited my prayers and carried out my exercise regimen.

Bath followed by breakfast of "chhole bhature".

Worked on my laptop.

Lunch, watched a longish episode of Crime Patrol followed by siesta.

The evening chores.