I was angry with Alex for reaching home by a quarter past 8, but proceeded to the office where Komalam was yet to come by. I'd waited till 9 and we, then, proceeded to the Tholicode panchayat, adjacent to Vithura for the following reasons:-
(a) There was a public meeting, scheduled at 10 and we couldn't afford to be late.
(b) Late coming without giving me adequate warning as to what the reason for the delay was,
needed swift tackling.
(c) I was clear that I could stand in for her and handle the show, till she fetched up.
(d) The meeting would give her adequate time to catch up!
The ice breaker was at the busy junction below the loftily positioned panchayat headquarters atop a hill and the mobile science exploratory couldn't have climbed the steep approach without damaging its extended rear view mirrors! Eighty year old Subeida Biwi, from the inquisitive crowd, inaugurated the proceedings and I outlined our mission from the extended platform at the rear of the exploratory. It was a smash hit and the visitors came by in droves. Komalam had fetched up at the correct time.
We, then, shifted to our second post where even students constituted a large gathering. The star, however, was 68 year old Rajamma, who'd been felicitated recently for passing the class X exam! The Ward Member, Sheela was at pains in streamlining the procedure, organising our lunch and finally, showing us our next post which was called, 'Vinoba', a bastion of the scheduled tribes. I took on the task of explaining the science exhibits to reduce the load on poor Komalam because even today, the crowd was making a beeline of getting their BP, Blood Sugar and weight measured! No amount of telling them that our main aim was to promote e-literacy and therefore, to refrain from us being used as mobile clinical labs!
However, we'd to relent because of repeated requests and by the time we secured for the day, it was 6 and I reached home by a half past 8!
Tailpiece.
An interesting day with plenty of interaction with the people.
(a) There was a public meeting, scheduled at 10 and we couldn't afford to be late.
(b) Late coming without giving me adequate warning as to what the reason for the delay was,
needed swift tackling.
(c) I was clear that I could stand in for her and handle the show, till she fetched up.
(d) The meeting would give her adequate time to catch up!
The ice breaker was at the busy junction below the loftily positioned panchayat headquarters atop a hill and the mobile science exploratory couldn't have climbed the steep approach without damaging its extended rear view mirrors! Eighty year old Subeida Biwi, from the inquisitive crowd, inaugurated the proceedings and I outlined our mission from the extended platform at the rear of the exploratory. It was a smash hit and the visitors came by in droves. Komalam had fetched up at the correct time.
We, then, shifted to our second post where even students constituted a large gathering. The star, however, was 68 year old Rajamma, who'd been felicitated recently for passing the class X exam! The Ward Member, Sheela was at pains in streamlining the procedure, organising our lunch and finally, showing us our next post which was called, 'Vinoba', a bastion of the scheduled tribes. I took on the task of explaining the science exhibits to reduce the load on poor Komalam because even today, the crowd was making a beeline of getting their BP, Blood Sugar and weight measured! No amount of telling them that our main aim was to promote e-literacy and therefore, to refrain from us being used as mobile clinical labs!
However, we'd to relent because of repeated requests and by the time we secured for the day, it was 6 and I reached home by a half past 8!
Tailpiece.
An interesting day with plenty of interaction with the people.
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