Had got up at 5, gone through the chores and was ready in time. Manu had come in by a quarter past 6 and I took a ride on his mobike to the nearest bus stand where the red, line buses of the RTC passed through to the bus stand. Without much wait, I could clamber on to a bus and withing the first few meters of the journey I realised that both, the driver and the conductor, were awful guys - the driver made me and another would-be-passenger run for the bus as he'd stopped the vehicle quite a few meters ahead!
I didn't have the change and the conductor told me very clearly that he was unable to return the balance, amounting to Rs.7/- and I told him that he could keep it! But before I could disembark, he returned Rs.5/- with a look as if to say, "Boy, you can forget about the remaining Rs.2/-". The KSRTC can never hope to improve with such obnoxious staff. Period!
I did miss a bus, when I went to ease my bladder which was a matter of requirement, prior to a journey. I sat at the aisle end of a 3-seater and was getting wedged against the seat's hand rest and the huge guy sitting in the middle. I'd to finally shift to a 2-seater which was comfortable and reached Kottarakkara by a quarter past 9. During the journey, I could recite my prayer but had to repeat the 'Vishnu sahasranama sthothram' six times as I tended to drift off to sleep in between!
My initial plans were to travel by the Saranya private bus that passed through the road in front of the house but the need to freshen up, perhaps, change the vest and the shirt and to be prepared for a sudden rain, made me take an auto rickshaw and the caretaker was in attendance. Meanwhile, Rema had reached the Thalavoor UPS with two lunches for us, packed by my brother-in-law, Padmakumar!
The meeting started off at a half past 10 and the following were in attendance:-
(a) Mr. Somanatha Sarma - Head Master.
(b) Mr. Bhargavan - President, PTA.
(c) Mr. Thazhvara Gopi - Poet and a diehard PN Panicker fan.
(d) Mr. Aravindan - Library activist and my friend.
(e) Rema and I.
It was nice to interact with the children from classes 1st to the 7th. The highlight was when I'd made the children tell aloud with me the magical PN Panicker slogan coupled with our promise - thrice - to him,
"Vaayichu Valaruka, Chinthichu Vivekam Neduka" (The translation would be "Read and Grow. Think and Attain Wisdom!") and our promise, "Njangal Vaayichu Valarum, Chinthichu Vivekam
Nedum". That electrified the children and brought them out of their daze. Interacted with many of them and they wanted to shake hands, click 'selfies' with me!
Thazhvara Gopi sir's (70) poem was nice to hear and what I felt nice about him was his insistence of being part of the programme to meet me as it gives him the feeling of having met PN Panicker all over again - he insists that I resemble my grandfather! We were taken around the library where the books, bought with my contribution, were on display. The drill master, Ajith dropped us back.
Rema and I'd a quiet lunch at Raj Nivas and we caught up from where we'd left last. By 2, Sreekumar and his auto rickshaw had reached the gate and we set off for the Kura Girls' Lower Primary School. At this meeting, Ragesh, the Panchayat President, Vinod, the PTA President, Ambili Dasappan, Panchayat member, Mr. Benson, former HM and Anandu, from the local media were in attendance. It was, again, an exhilarating experience where the children wanted to bond with us......Malavika of class III got very attached that she, literally, stationed herself around me. It was truly a humbling experience! The interaction was interesting, here too.
Around 4, Rema left for Pidavoor and I, to the RTC bus stand from where I could board a fast passenger to Thiruvananthapuram. Reached by about a quarter to 7 and Manu had come by to pick me up. We were at home comparatively early.
Tailpiece.
A day of interactions that I enjoyed thoroughly! Missed Lissy teacher and Prasanna at the Thalavoor UPS and the Kura LPS, respectively!!
I didn't have the change and the conductor told me very clearly that he was unable to return the balance, amounting to Rs.7/- and I told him that he could keep it! But before I could disembark, he returned Rs.5/- with a look as if to say, "Boy, you can forget about the remaining Rs.2/-". The KSRTC can never hope to improve with such obnoxious staff. Period!
I did miss a bus, when I went to ease my bladder which was a matter of requirement, prior to a journey. I sat at the aisle end of a 3-seater and was getting wedged against the seat's hand rest and the huge guy sitting in the middle. I'd to finally shift to a 2-seater which was comfortable and reached Kottarakkara by a quarter past 9. During the journey, I could recite my prayer but had to repeat the 'Vishnu sahasranama sthothram' six times as I tended to drift off to sleep in between!
My initial plans were to travel by the Saranya private bus that passed through the road in front of the house but the need to freshen up, perhaps, change the vest and the shirt and to be prepared for a sudden rain, made me take an auto rickshaw and the caretaker was in attendance. Meanwhile, Rema had reached the Thalavoor UPS with two lunches for us, packed by my brother-in-law, Padmakumar!
The meeting started off at a half past 10 and the following were in attendance:-
(a) Mr. Somanatha Sarma - Head Master.
(b) Mr. Bhargavan - President, PTA.
(c) Mr. Thazhvara Gopi - Poet and a diehard PN Panicker fan.
(d) Mr. Aravindan - Library activist and my friend.
(e) Rema and I.
It was nice to interact with the children from classes 1st to the 7th. The highlight was when I'd made the children tell aloud with me the magical PN Panicker slogan coupled with our promise - thrice - to him,
"Vaayichu Valaruka, Chinthichu Vivekam Neduka" (The translation would be "Read and Grow. Think and Attain Wisdom!") and our promise, "Njangal Vaayichu Valarum, Chinthichu Vivekam
Nedum". That electrified the children and brought them out of their daze. Interacted with many of them and they wanted to shake hands, click 'selfies' with me!
Thazhvara Gopi sir's (70) poem was nice to hear and what I felt nice about him was his insistence of being part of the programme to meet me as it gives him the feeling of having met PN Panicker all over again - he insists that I resemble my grandfather! We were taken around the library where the books, bought with my contribution, were on display. The drill master, Ajith dropped us back.
Rema and I'd a quiet lunch at Raj Nivas and we caught up from where we'd left last. By 2, Sreekumar and his auto rickshaw had reached the gate and we set off for the Kura Girls' Lower Primary School. At this meeting, Ragesh, the Panchayat President, Vinod, the PTA President, Ambili Dasappan, Panchayat member, Mr. Benson, former HM and Anandu, from the local media were in attendance. It was, again, an exhilarating experience where the children wanted to bond with us......Malavika of class III got very attached that she, literally, stationed herself around me. It was truly a humbling experience! The interaction was interesting, here too.
Around 4, Rema left for Pidavoor and I, to the RTC bus stand from where I could board a fast passenger to Thiruvananthapuram. Reached by about a quarter to 7 and Manu had come by to pick me up. We were at home comparatively early.
Tailpiece.
A day of interactions that I enjoyed thoroughly! Missed Lissy teacher and Prasanna at the Thalavoor UPS and the Kura LPS, respectively!!
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