Preamble.
A novel event, conceived by the PN Panicker Foundation on the eve of Vishu. Accordingly, Sri VS Achuthanandan, the leader of the opposition was to release an abridged biography of the late PN Panicker, titled, "PN Panicker - Grandhappurayude Perunthachhan" authored by Sri KP Vijayan, at the PN Panicker National Institute for Social Development at 1015 hrs, this morning. Following the book release, the entire lot of people attending the function was to be given the 'Vishukkaineettam', consisting of the book and Rs.10/- by the chief guest.
Accordingly, we'd left home by a quarter past 8 and reached the office to take small, yet important stuff for the smooth conduct of the function. VS Achuthanandan, however, did not make it due to a sudden development and his place was substituted by Sri. M Vijayakumar, the former speaker and minister and above all, a key member of the Executive Committee of the Foundation and the function was presided over by Adv. Cherunniyoor Sasidharan Nair.
I'd a lump in my throat when the Headmistress of a reputed school sought my blessings, offer my thoughts on her school's achievements with an invite to visit the school's library, soon after the event if I'd the time! Unfortunately, I was bound for Guruvayur by the Bangalore Express leaving Thiruvananthapuram at 1245 hrs and therefore, had to postpone the visit to another time, another day - I'd have loved to interact with her students to find out as to what motivated them and give them some of the lessons that I'd learnt from my life. Clearly, an example of a lost opportunity!
The train journey happened to be a prolonged one - an express train that went through the motions of a passenger train stopping at almost all the stations! It's good, in the sense, that it helps the public to avail of its services. But the flip side is that I'd got my reservation done through 'tatkal' by paying about Rs.1,150/- for an a/c 3 tier berth and it took me about 8 hrs to reach Thrissur, which is simply ludicrous and no, there wasn't much of a delay due to the track doubling work - a reason that's usually bandied about by the railways!!
Lekha had, meanwhile, rung me up about not having got the 'Laburnum' flowers, an essential ingredient of the 'Vishukkani' and whether I could pick up a bunch on my return leg? But alas, since I'd fetched up at Guruvayur a trifle past 10 and despite going to all the likely places, around the temple where the flowers were available till a while earlier, I couldn't manage even a clutch of it!
Mom, meanwhile, had given me a flurry of calls to find out as to why I hadn't fetched up till then and the way her face lit up as I'd entered the house, was more than adequate to make my day.
Tailpiece.
A quick wash and change followed by dinner. It was, then, time to set the Vishukkani and Lekha and I went about doing it without much ado.....the absence of the Laburnum notwithstanding!
A novel event, conceived by the PN Panicker Foundation on the eve of Vishu. Accordingly, Sri VS Achuthanandan, the leader of the opposition was to release an abridged biography of the late PN Panicker, titled, "PN Panicker - Grandhappurayude Perunthachhan" authored by Sri KP Vijayan, at the PN Panicker National Institute for Social Development at 1015 hrs, this morning. Following the book release, the entire lot of people attending the function was to be given the 'Vishukkaineettam', consisting of the book and Rs.10/- by the chief guest.
Accordingly, we'd left home by a quarter past 8 and reached the office to take small, yet important stuff for the smooth conduct of the function. VS Achuthanandan, however, did not make it due to a sudden development and his place was substituted by Sri. M Vijayakumar, the former speaker and minister and above all, a key member of the Executive Committee of the Foundation and the function was presided over by Adv. Cherunniyoor Sasidharan Nair.
I'd a lump in my throat when the Headmistress of a reputed school sought my blessings, offer my thoughts on her school's achievements with an invite to visit the school's library, soon after the event if I'd the time! Unfortunately, I was bound for Guruvayur by the Bangalore Express leaving Thiruvananthapuram at 1245 hrs and therefore, had to postpone the visit to another time, another day - I'd have loved to interact with her students to find out as to what motivated them and give them some of the lessons that I'd learnt from my life. Clearly, an example of a lost opportunity!
The train journey happened to be a prolonged one - an express train that went through the motions of a passenger train stopping at almost all the stations! It's good, in the sense, that it helps the public to avail of its services. But the flip side is that I'd got my reservation done through 'tatkal' by paying about Rs.1,150/- for an a/c 3 tier berth and it took me about 8 hrs to reach Thrissur, which is simply ludicrous and no, there wasn't much of a delay due to the track doubling work - a reason that's usually bandied about by the railways!!
Lekha had, meanwhile, rung me up about not having got the 'Laburnum' flowers, an essential ingredient of the 'Vishukkani' and whether I could pick up a bunch on my return leg? But alas, since I'd fetched up at Guruvayur a trifle past 10 and despite going to all the likely places, around the temple where the flowers were available till a while earlier, I couldn't manage even a clutch of it!
Mom, meanwhile, had given me a flurry of calls to find out as to why I hadn't fetched up till then and the way her face lit up as I'd entered the house, was more than adequate to make my day.
Tailpiece.
A quick wash and change followed by dinner. It was, then, time to set the Vishukkani and Lekha and I went about doing it without much ado.....the absence of the Laburnum notwithstanding!
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