Year ending muse!

What is the best advice your mother ever gave you?

I was about 10. My mom had just finished creating one of her amazing meals and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Delicious.

Later as I was washing the dishes, my mom came up to me. "Sorry, dinner was so awful again", she said.

I was shocked. "What? No, it was so great. I loved it".

"Really?" she said, with mock surprise. "You always eat so quietly, never saying anything. You've never told me you liked my cooking, so I thought you hated it".

"No, you're the best cook I know".

"Then you should tell me that", she said.

"Whenever someone does something nice for you, you should thank that person. If you don't, then she might think she's not appreciated and stop doing those nice things".

Something clicked right then.

From that day onward, I thanked everyone for literally everything.

If anyone did something that even vaguely helped me, I thanked that person profusely.

It became a habit, something I didn't even think about and that's when the magic started happening.

People liked me more. They talked to me more, shared with me, were more friendly.

In my first year of high school, during the final week, I came home and found a giant freezie (a kind of sweet frozen snack) waiting for me. "Thanks, mom!" I said instinctively. 

"This isn't from me, she said. "This is from your bus driver". He had been driving that bus for years and my siblings and I were the first people to ever thank him as we got dropped off.

Those two simple words made a huge difference, so much so that he went out of his way to tell our mom and give us a present.

My mom taught me many things but taking two seconds to say 'thank you' every time, in any situation, was the best.

Debriefing of this story

You would have met people who all themselves as good critics but have you ever met a person who says I am good at appreciating others?

Isn't that a something we an improve upon in our society?

Let's start appreciating people more frequently starting from people more frequently starting from people who are close to us.

"The sweetest of all sounds is praise".

Tailpiece.

Got up at 6, opened up the house, put on the music. Went about our chores and was ready by 9. Had breakfast and finished our packing. 

We were off to Pidavoor, had a quick lunch and set off for Ayathil. We, first, dropped at Karthika's house, spent about half an hour and then went to Aarcha's house to look up Lekha's sister, Letha who has had her little toe of her left foot removed, being diabetis.

We reached Sanil's house at Ayur by a quarter to 5. It was a great evening as we bonded after a long time. The missing members of our group were Achu and Karthika.

 

It does take a rocket scientist!

From the Rolls-Royce Staff Magazine.

Scientists at Rolls Royce built a gun specifically to launch dead chicken at the windshields of airliners and military jets all travelling at maximum velocity.

The idea is to simulate the frequent incidents of collisions with airborne fowl to test the strength of the windshields.

American engineers heard about the gun and were eager to test it on the Windshields of their new high speed trains.

Arrangements were made and a gun was sent to the American engineers.

When the gun was fired, the engineers stood shocked as the chicken shot out of the barrel, crashed into the shatterproof shield, smashed it to smithereens, blasted through the control console, snapped the engineer’s back-rest in two and embedded itself in the back wall of the cabin like an arrow shot from a bow……

The horrified Yanks sent Rolls Toyce the disastrous results of the experiment, along with the designs of the windshield and begged the British scientists for suggestions.

Rolls Royce responded with a one-line memo :-

“Defrost the bloody chicken”.

Tailpiece.

Got up at a 10’ to 5, the chores and was ready by a quarter past 7. Boarded the bus to Kottarakkara at our gate.

Got a Fast Passenger bound for Tvpm around a quarter to 8. Reached the Foundation by a quarter past 10. 

Was at work till a 10’ past 5. Got my laptop repaired in the meantime.

Set off for Kottarakkara soon after and reached there by a quarter past 8. Last bus was missed and so, hired an autorickshaw.

A quiet but late evening.

Goodbye iPhone!

Goodbye iPhone. Samsung and any mobile phone will become a thing of the past within a short span of time as Tesla, the car manufacturer, will launch the first generation of its satellite phones and you can get high-speed internet with high-quality calls wherever you are on the globe, even if you are inside the earth or underwater at a depth of 100 mts, you will enjoy a high-quality service.

No one on the globe will be able to control your calls or stop you from the internet. In addition to that, you can control your car and use it as a remote. This phone does  not charge with electricity but it does so via fiber. The optical and its battery never die. The memory of the phone is between 1,000 to 2,000 gigabytes. 

The GA will be  announced once Tesla finalises the ORM licence. 

My take

Can’t predict as to what our lives will be in a couple of years. We’re passing through exciting times!

Tailpiece.

Got up at 6, lit the lamp, opened up the house and had the music going. The chores, breakfast-before-bath and got ready soon after.

My laptop was erratic and so, didn’t browse my mail.

Lekha went to the Kottarakkara Mahaganapati kshetram by a quarter to 5 and also bought sundries. Kunjumon was her chauffeur.

A quiet evening, thereafter!

The latest Covid scare and India.

An interesting analysis!

China population 141 crore

Everyone was administered Made in China vaccine by force. The virus, today, is playing havoc and 8 million are already dead. People are locked up with no food, many reported burnt alive. City after city going for a lockdown, tanks patrolling cities.

US population 33 crore

Most were administered Made in US vaccines, Pfizer and Moderna. Even children below 15 were given and multiple boosters forced. Today Covid has suppressed 100 million people and counting, dead and many post vaccine complications as per research reports.

India population 140 crore 

Everyone was administered Made in India vaccines Covaxin and Covishield. Mostly free by the government with no pressure to take any boosters. After no death reported lately, no lockdown, at least till now. Yet we doubt our scientists, doctors and the Modi government.

My take

We have to come out of the colonial mindset that what comes from the West is the best. If not the best, we are at par with the world today. Start respecting our professionals in every field.

We may not be the best yet but we are not less than the best today.

Tailpiece.

Got up at 6, opened up the house and heard the music in fits and starts. The chores and was ready by a quarter past 9.

Washed down the soiled clothes.

The Thrikkonnamarkodu temple management committee members had fetched up around a half past 4. Handed over our contribution.

Omanakkuttan had come by with his second son, for a job.

Christmas.

Dateline 24 Dec

T'was the night before

Christmas,

He lived all alone,

In a one bedroom house, 

Made of plaster and 

stone.

I had come down the

chimney,

With friends to give

And to see just who,

In this home, I did live.

I looked all about,

A strange sight I did see,

No tinsel, no presents,

Not even a tree.

No stocking by mantle,

Just boots filled with

Sand,

On the wall hung pictures,

Of far distant lands.

With medals and badges,

Awards of all kinds,

A sober thought,

Came through my mind.

For this house was

Different,

It was dark and dreary,

I found the home of a

Soldier,

Once I could see clearly.

The soldier lay sleeping,

Silent, alone,

Curled up on the floor,

In this one bedroom home.

The face was so gentle,

The room in disorder,

Not how I pictured,

A true Indian soldier.

Was this the hero,

Of whom I'd just read?

Curled up on a poncho,

The floor for a bed?

I realised the families,

That I saw this night,

Owed  their lives to these

Soldiers,

Who were willing to fight.

A bright Christmas day.

They all enjoyed freedom,

Each month of the year,

Because of the soldiers,

Like the one lying here.

I couldn't help wonder,

How many lay alone,

On a cold Christmas eve,

In land far from home.

The very thought

Brought, 

A tear to my eye,

I dropped to my knees,

And started to cry.

The soldier awakened,

And I heard a rough voice,

Santa don't cry,

This life is my choice.

I fight for freedom,

I don't ask for more,

My life is my God,

My Country, my corps...."

The soldiers rolled over,

And drifted to sleep,

I couldn't control it,

I continued to weep.

I kept watch for hours,

So silent and still, 

And we both shivered,

From the cold night's

Chill.

I did not want to live,

On that cold, dark, night,

This guardian of honour,

So willing to fight.

Then the soldier rolled

Over,

With a soft voice and pure,

Whispered, "Carry on

Santa,

It's Christmas day, all is

Secure".

One look at my watch,

And I knew he was right.

"Merry Christmas my friend,

And to all a good night".

This poem was written by an

Indian Army soldier stationed overseas.

The following is his request and I think it is reasonable.

"Please

* Would you do me the kind favour of sending this to as many people as you can? 

* Christmas will be coming soon and some credit is due to all of the service men and women for our being able to celebrate these festivities.

* Let's try in this small way to pay a tiny bit of what we owe.

* Make people stop and think of our heroes, living and dead, who sacrificed themselves for us.

* Do, your part to plant this small seed".

 Tailpiece.

Got up at 6, opened up the house. Had our morning cuppa tea soon after.

The caretaker bought us our breakfast. Murali came by a trifle after a half past 9, fixed up our Christmas star. 

We were off to Padmakumar's house, bit of yakkittiyak and had lunch. Off to Tvpm by 1. The roads were full of traffic; reached the Foundation by a quarter past 3.

Met everyone. The Aazhchakkoottam started at a half past 4. Left by 5.

At Kottarakkara, topped up the Chevy, pulled out some money from the ATM and collected our new set top box.

Dropped Rema back at Pidavoor and were back at the Raj Nivas by a quarter past 9.

At Raj Nivas.

Had got up at 11' past 3 to go round the corner and sleep was reluctant to get back, thereafter! Got up at 4 when Lekha's cellphone alarm had gone off.

We'd planned to kick off at a half past 6 but something or the other kept delaying us and we finally, got started at 14' past 7! The stretch from Guruvayur to Thrissur was okay and the Paliyekkara toll was crossed without any waiting. Had idlis, sambar and chutney for breakfast along with a cup of filter coffee. It was a quarter past 9 when we hit the highway as I took my time to send off my usual morning what'sapp messages to a gang of close friends.

Reached Satish Bhat's clinic by a quarter to 12 thanks to the traffic snarls galore that we'd come across all along the way. It was a quick meeting with the doctor as he was happy that my HbA1C was 6.6 and after wishing him and his staff a merry Christmas and a very happy new year, we were off for lunch at the nearby Aryaa's.

After a quick bite of our favourite dish, we'd steered course straight to Padmanabha Shenoy's clinic at a half past 1. Lekha's lab tests were carried out and we met Dr Aswathy, who was gonna monitor Lekha's progress, from now on. The doctor was quite happy with Lekha's overall medical condition and has slotted her for 23 Mar '23 for the next medical review. 

After a tea and snack at the clinic's canteen, we were off on our way to Raj Nivas at 4. Thanks to the heavy traffic that we came across all through, we reached Kottarakkara at a quarter past 8. Headed straight to our dish TV guy to activate the connection and we picked up our dinner from a new eatery which was just a month old.

We reached Raj Nivas by a quarter past 9 and the caretaker was there with the house opened and lit up. Incidentally, no amount of coaxing could get the TV on and the proprietor has said that the 'cardwala set top box' needed to be chucked away. And that will be done tomorrow.

The early morning get away, the long drive and the appointments that had to be met had taken their toll. Was drowsy with heavy eyelids and ready to drop on my bed once I finished writing this piece and my diary!       

We remember them everyday.

In the Cadets' Dining Hall of the NDA, Kharakvasla, at the entrance of the hall there is a table set for one, with the chair tilted forward. This table is set for the Prisoners of War who are forgotten but holding on the hope that they will return one day.

The placard on the table has the following written on it....The table set is small, for one, symbolizing the frailty of one prisoner against his oppressors.

The single rose displayed in a vase reminds us of the families and loved ones of our comrades-in-arms who keep their faith awaiting their return.

The Red Ribbon tied so prominently on the vase is reminiscent of the red ribbon worn upon the lapel and breasts of thousands who bear witness to their unyielding determination to demand a proper accounting of our missing.

The candle is unlit, symbolizing the upward reach of their unconquerable spirit.

The slice of Lemon is on the bread plate, to remind us of the bitter fate.

There is salt upon the bread plate - symbolic of the families' tears as they wait.

The glass is inverted, they cannot toast with us this night.

The chair - it is empty. They are not here.

Remember! All of you who served with them and called them comrades, who depended upon their might and aid and relied upon them, for surely, they have not forsaken you.

Remember until the day they come home.

Each day a fresh set is placed......How our forces treat the missing warriors despite knowing that most of them are no more......My salute to these brave hearts.

Tailpiece.

Got up at a half past 5, thanks to Lekha's cellphone alarm. The chores and was ready by a half past 7 for the medical duo who had come by to draw my blood samples to check the blood sugar level before food.

Had breakfast immediately after. Lekha, then, went to the Mammiyur temple for the 'darshan' of the good Lord.

The team had returned to draw the blood sample after food around a half past 9. 

Topped up the Chevy and checked tyre pressure. The maid didn't fetch up as promised and hence, resorted to Washing machinex.

Got the test results and bingo, the improvement has been great. Selvam had come by to press the clothes.

Shut down The Quarterdeck