India trip

It was so refreshing to be in India after two years. But the days went pass so quickly, its only 2weeks later back from India; but feels like its been long time since been to India.
Registration of Bangalore house was the biggest achievements of this trip and it was one of the proudest moments. At last I have my own house in my own land! Not bad for a useless country boy?
I was such a tensionless life of 3 weeks with no worries. No need to bother about getting up in the morning, what to cook, what to eat, running for the bus, getting seat in the train, playing politics in the office, fighting with colleagues for the credit of the work done! I still felt people has more time in India than in London!. At Udupi I haven’t seen anybody in a rush or tensed.

Everyday morning once I get up read a book, while sipping the coffee amma made. Play with the cow, dog and cat; take bath by then morning breakfast is ready. Read news paper and watch some TV, read some book. Lunch ready! Post lunch small sleep then again some TV with coffee and some snacks then to Udupi to lord Krishna. Some shopping and back home. Talk bout friend and relatives and sitting all together and watch TV and dinner and go to bed!!!

I went to Sunithas place as well. When I had to leave her back home go to Bangalore for house registration I felt very sad. I felt longest 3days away from her. After finishing my work at Bangalore with out wasting even a single minutes I left to her place!! It was so funny!

We had nice time with her cousin and her family. We went to melukote

Riot in London

I have not been to my blogg for a while. May be due to my laziness! Yep I am been lazy off late!. I want to write a lot but just postpone all my ideas I don’t know why. May be I am too tired  because nearing forty?!!!

Lots of things happened since last I wrote something here. It is not only past makes me to write its also the present which hurts and make me to write. It was riot in London. I was lucky I never felt the heat of it other than my mother’s frequent call! She didn’t believe me, when I said to her there is no problem for me. She thought I was lying! All thanks to international media coverage.

Someone died and started the riot. I cannot believe in that is the main cause for all these fighting. I think this country should weak up now. Basic cause for all these problems is the law in this country. Can anyone believe that the youngest like eleven year olds were among looters! I knew this is what going to happen when people do not know what is happening with the young once. When we were kids, we had fear of parents, teachers, any elders and lawmakers. But this country think that kids having fear will hamper their development!, but it will not create rouge citizens!!

House is the first school, and mother is the first teacher. This is what told to me when I was a kid and I think everyone believe this. Yesterday I was travelling on the national express east Anglia from Stratford to home, since Sunday not much crowded. There was a buggy with father standing next to it and mother sitting by the side, they were young couple, in between the talk mother said ‘F’ word to the husband (it is western culture wife or husband no need to have respect because people in this country started forgetting the word respect!!!). After couple of station father said something to the kid. She told him the ‘F’ word! I was shocked

Cause root for all these according to me is the fear. I feel the law in this country gives too much freedom to the younger generation. In the name of modernisation, the teenagers in this country act crazy on the street. They don’t care about parents or elders not even teachers and by the name of law they are given more rights than they should be. Kids are like clay, however we mould them they take the shape! If we don’t have right to mould them they will be rotten. Once it is rotten it is just a blame game politicians blame parents! Parents blame teachers! Teachers blame politicians! Who is responsible?!

I feel that India need to learn from this. I have seen parents in India and the government trying to follow the western culture in the name of modernisation and civilisation. I don’t think we need this kind of brutish behaviour. We should be happy what we are, but it is fashion to follow western culture. It is unfortunate that people does not understand the prize for this.

Ugadi

Ugadi festival, the beginning of the year for Hindu’s. There are 2 of them one according to solar calendar and another as lunar calendar. We follow the solar one so usually our one falls around the date 14th or 15th April. This year I missed it a lot because I hadn’t to home for last been for dipawali as well.

All the remembrance started unfolding  on the day after the ugadi in the morning sitting alone in the conservatory and sipping my cup of tea. Sunitha was still in the bed!

We use to have ‘Khani’ to see in the morning. The Khani is a plate full of rice seeds and a coconut decorated with all the gold's in the house and flowers and coins with a mirror kept in front. We have to getup early in the morning and with out looking at anybody's face straight go in front of the worship room were the Khani is kept and look in the mirror in front of it. The significance is that leaving all the old evil and taking only the good things to the new year. Then take bath and wear new cloths. It is also the starting of the new season of farm works. So the rice seeds need to be seeded in the paddy on the same day. Father use to do the worship then he would ask me to take the seeds to paddy and seed them.

Before seeding we need to burn some dry leaves collected from the wood nearby with some dry mud from the paddy. We have to do 3 burning spots on the each paddy and do the burning then pray god for the good yield in the year ahead and plant the seeds. I use to go to the paddy's and finish all burning and seeding then play there itself! mother use to come with a cane to chase me back to home and from there to school!!

Now only all the customs we followed and celebrated are remembrance. My father said all the paddy’s are no more a paddy’s now everybody filled them with more mud and building the houses and constructed roads. For me paddy’s are not only a piece of land, it has the life as well, it need to be kept as cultivation land not as a building. I don’t know why people does not understand this. I had a dream of buying a lots of cultivation land and do a mas farming.

I feel that in India rules are crazy. There is no protection for the farming land. After seeing the way the farmers do the farming in England, I feel that India is not doing anything towards agriculture. It was my dream form my childhood that I want to be a farmer. Unfortunately the amount of land we have I am not afford to do that. So I decided to go out of house earn some money and buy some more land and settle down as a farmer. When I came to Bangalore I started thinking of buying a coffee plant, but it is very expensive so I came to London!!!  It was chasing a dream and going in a wrong direction!!!! But still I want to do that I don’t know how?

I was lucky in a way because for my High school education I need not had to go to Udupi like my sisters. I had a high school near home. I had privilege walk a short distance to reach to school and having afternoon lunch at home!!. My mother never brought me up like only son. I had to do all the households. Cleaning the house, washing and milking the cows, paddy works, if time remains then play!, then in remaining time read!!!. I think in my life I never gave first preference for study which was very unusual in India. My parents wanted me to give first preference to my studies but I never did!!

I high school I seriously started thinking about writing. Our Kannada teacher Gopal Bhat encouraged me as well. I was good in making different models with cardboard. I did a model of a ship and couple of flights! Science teacher Nagabhushan Bhat encouraged me for that and because of him I developed interest in astrophysics. I did a model of planetary system with clay, I carved a galaxy on a stone! My teachers in my high school encouraged me a lot. Whatever I did they appreciated my work. I did wrote a book about solar system!!

I met some of my good friends for life there! Yogeesh and Ajith are the couple whom I am still close with!! I look back those were the golden days of life. Tension use to be only couple of days a month!. When I get my marks card of the monthly exam!!!. My dad wanted me to do well and be first in the class. But I use to be 5th or 6th!!! Every time I get my marks card acting like I am serious about reading and read all day. Once dad signs the marks card then all the other things come ahead of reading!!!!

My teachers called my mother to school, when I was in 10th standard and told her that your son is intelligent but he doesn't concentrate on study he may miss first class result. Because 10th standard was one of the important stage of study, my parents want me to concentrate. Previous day of the exam I went to play cricket! On the day of exam early morning my dad caught me reading Kannada novel!!!. Now it feel like such a fool I was.

I don’t know was I a rebel those days? Was that a age? Whatever it may may be I understood one thing we need to pay the price for every action we commit in life!!!   

Early Summer (Unexpected Photos taken in my Mobile)

One early summer afternoon
Sun signaled its summer soon

People of UK out with their sun bikini's on!

Envied Cloud wage a war
Engulfed sun with the colour of tar!!













Everybody stared at sky with disappointment
Clod wind blow with excitement!!!


























People wanted sun to win

wind blown with rain!!





























Sky heared the people pray

Started looking sun's ray

















Cloud scattered, sun shine

people happy with the wine



Beautifully girls with bikini on

started whistling summer is on!!!!!

India Pak Semi-final 2011

Congratulations team India, You did a brilliant work you made us proud. The way team India played against Australia I was sure India has all the capability to beat any team in the world.

I was bit nervous to see Ashish Nehra in the playing eleven!, But he proved why he was in the team. Full credit to Verendra Sehwag again. If he fires no one can stop India in any format of cricket. It was dream the way he batted again. I would love to see a match in which he play at least 30overs! Thanks to Pakistan for giving chance to Tendulkar bit disappointment he could not reach 3figures.

According to me Bjji’s 2wickets of Umar Akmal and Afridi was the turning point with out that there was all the possibilities Pakistan would have turned the match in their favour. It is very important Bajji bowls his 10overs with good economy with out getting frustrated because of no wicket.

As Dhoni said Indian team has given chance to all its player to show their talent! this is the advantage for the bats men to play the final against Sri Lanka. Every match only Sri Lankan top order played. Their middle order not played enough in this world cup they had very less exposure! India need to penetrate through the top order of Sri Lanka by initial 10overs then the match is India’s !!!

India need to play the Malinga’s 10overs with bit of caution (definitely not Veru!!! let him play his own game!!) If it is Veeru’s day Malinga may not have a place to hide in the first spell. If team India penetrate through the top order (Dhilshan, Tharanga, Sangakara) in 10overs and stop untested Jayawardana Sri Lanka will not be able to host or chase a big score.

One of the Indian top order bats men need to play a long innings (If it is happen to Veeru it will be a one sided match only India will win the match).

Bowling, I am not sure what kind of pitch Mubai will have but worth to take the 3rd spinner if it is a spin track rather than taking a gamble like against Pakistan. May be Dhoni need to do a lot of bowling changes if he fail to take the wickets. Zaheer need to get his tally more than 21 wicket. Munaf need to support Zaheer and keep his cool and be a integral part of team India. 

Gambir need to realise how important for him to play his role with more responsibility, Kohili need to understand what he need to learn from the senior players to be a reliable part of team India, Yuvi and Raina convinced me to feel that they know what they are doing and what team expected of him.  

A billion prayers, a billon wishes and a billion dreams are with you team India. When you get out on the 2nd of April to the field each and every Indian will be ready to follow all their superstitious believes and take their posture on which you won the match the Pakistan match. It may be sitting in the left hand side of the sofa or lighting the ghee lamp to the god!! You may be 11 out their but it is the dream of a billion dreamers. All the people criticised you it was just because we love a game so much we cant see you helpless. Get out their and make a history we will witness that moment we all can cherish that moment for rest of our life. All the best Team India we love you.    

Why don’t India learn the lessons ?

Good question to ask. Indian players might say that Indian fans are mad and they are there when India win and they blame the team when they loose. But why does the fans do that , because they do believe that this team could win the match by looking at the initial performance but when team India decide to suicide then the fans go wild.

Match against the South Africa is a good example for the above reason. As They had been shown how poor they are on the batting power play, they need not have to prove that again and again they need to show the fans they are living up to the expectations of the fans.

Well played Sewag you did a brilliant job. We the fans could understand your frustration after you played with that pace and distracted one of the best bowling side in the world of cricket, your team let not only you down but also the fans. Well done you my man you are unstoppable on your day. South African attach looked like worse than then a bunch of common boys bowling at a international bats men! I don’t have any comment on Tendulkar’s batting as well I will bow at his mastery in batting. It was a different Tendulkar fans could see in this world cup. I had seen Tendulkar pulling the balls from off side to leg side long ago. But now Tendulkar decided he want to bring the World cup to India. I don’t remember when Tendulkar scored 90 to 100 so quickly. But he do have a question from a sincere Indian fan!     

I think the team India need to realise the Sewag can not bat till the 50th over till he was in the crease team India had a plan and they were on the track to score a big score. Gambir came around, it was a good day for him to find some form he did it well. Once he did his fifty it was his time to go for some slogging because to win a big match team need to play the innings around a experienced  player. Gambir had a massage from the dressing room and he shown some sign that he received that message that he is the man going for it and not Suchin, by hitting couple of consecutive boundaries. With all the respect for Tendulkar my question is why he had to go for a foolish shot by knowing that his responsible to finish the match? If it was the massage from the dressing room was both the batsmen are going for big hits blame goes to Mr.captain. Some one need to answer these question because this performance is the repetition of Match against England.

Next came was the Mr.Patan. Does Mr.Patan knows that only 3fielders will be out side the 30yard circle when batting power play is on? If so does he know that it doesn’t take much effort of him to lift the ball above the 30 yard circle or find a gap as a responsible player and does he know that he hasn’t been thankful enough for being in the playing eleven with out much contribution in any win? And also I got a good suggestion for him if he want to be a integral part of India for long time, he need to sit and watch the South African innings of the second batting power play. He need to understand when 2 new batsmen are in the crease how to build the innings.

I may ask the question to Yuvi as well that why he didn’t realise what had happened against England but he had just been build 2 beautiful innings and also he warned after the last match that batsmen need to take some responsibilities but Yuvi no one cares you!

Mr. Kholi do you know that one century is not enough to cement your place in the world cup for ever? do you know that there is another person called Suresh Raina is in the boundary lines looking at your place? Do you know that he can be a more consistent performer than you with bat and he can challenge you fielding? Mr. Raina can also handy with bowling which provide Mr. Captain with another option?

Mr. Dhoni goes a step forward and comes back couple! If he had given the instruction for both Tendulkar and Gambir to go for hit then he is the culprit. If not I got a question he had seen his side dropped like flies against England after a amazing performance with batting so why Mr.Dhoni thought that he will increase the run rate by sending Mr.Patan ahead for a innings stabilizer like Kohli? I know he need to be aggressive if so why didn’t he send Yusuf Patan as one down!. Why do we need Kohli in the team? Did he ask Yuvi to go for hit after he hit a six why didn’t he asked him to stay and build the innings like last two?

Bowlers we don’t have complaints. One don’t expect them to score, when our middle order failed repeatedly. We can not blame them they bowled well other than last one over!!! Mr.Dhoni can some one speak to Harbajan Singh and ask him to keep his mouth shut and improve his bowling performance, rather than pissing the batsmen in the middle he need to concentrate on how he can help Tendulkar to make his dream true.

There were lots of lessons to learn after the England match first and far most is the importance of singles! Yes scoring singles I can show the 2 pieces of clips one from Indian innings, one from South African innings, a ball played to the same place with same pace Indian batsmen rested South African batsmen scored a single. Indian scored a single South African scored tow runs!! If team India had taken a page from the English team of the tied match they would have learnt a lesson. Fitness needs to be maintained except Kholi and Nehra every body looks like they are pregnant. I feel shamed to see the shape of some of the Indian players. Why don’t they realise they represent a country in a sports which needs a lots of fitness or are we watching the matches in extra wide screen Televisions!!!!!!!    

South African innings was a good example of how to chase a big score. Simth was not inform but he knew this was not a match for him to do that. They built their innings around Amla. Once he was out they looked at Kallis, he stood there and played through. At the fall of Kallis one could see that De Villers was the centre of batting. Once he gone innings started building around Duminy, then it was Plesses who finished the match. There was no confusion seen. When was the last time India did that?

Oh my dear team India you need to learn from the defeat. You cant act like fools. You are representing a billion fools! We thought you 11 are not as fools as we are so try to live up to our expectations.

As last thought some one wrote on face book ‘ a bunch of jokers representing a billion population!’ and some other  felt ‘even Dhoni thought Indian doesn’t deserve to win so he opted Ashish Nehra fro the last over to Bajji !!!!!!’ 

India-England WC

It was not a convincing win against Bangladesh. I don’t know why India is favourite. I expected Robin Uttappa to be in the team for South Africa tour itself. Unfortunate that he could not qualify for the world cup as well. Should we thank or curse Srikanth?

Virat Kholi came up well against Bangladesh no question about explosive Verendra Sehawag. I always knew that if Veru explode and play 30 overs nobody can stop India. I was expecting as a favourite India would not have let Bangladesh to score more than 200. Whatever it may be India won the match. The bowling capacity of India was naked according to me!

Second match with England. According to British media there is a bright chance for England to win this cup this is the better than any near past English team. Michel Vaughan (ex-captain)  said England has the talent exposition because one or the other bowlers are performing every match but India don’t have any bowlers like that. These were his words just when England won the 4th ODI against Australia after loosing the first 3 matches and he predicted England is going to bounce back and going to win the series. Final result was 6-1 series win by Australia.

I expected a better bowling performance but ultimately Sachin is a master of this game and he stuck to one side but was pity that such a great player at time forgotten that singles win the matches. I have watched India for a long time there never been a point they understood that singles are very important in ODI’s they always chased 4s and 6s. It was only the time of Kaif and Robin Singh Indian team had the importance for singles.

In a flat pitch like Bangaluru 2overs were maiden! That too when the best players of the game on the crease. It was a brilliant idea of sending Yuvraj Singh early because we needed him to come it to form before the crucial matches. As expected he was very slow but he needed a game and it was a suitable situation and he did exactly what he needed.

Mahendra Singh Dhoni need to stay there as a finisher and would have taken the team till the end but he try to show off? or expected English team has come to see his power? It is his biggest mistake of playing a foolish shot.

Virat Kohli need the experience to finish the match. He should have realised that he is the last recognised batsman. 

All credit goes to Strauss he really played a captains play. Indian captain need to see the way English team played that match. When they came out to play they really had a game plan. They played the match over by over according the plan. They never missed any opportunity of scoring, it may be single or it may be boundaries. At the end as a proud Indian I felt India need to win the match but they way English team played I do feel that India was lucky to tie, it was a deserve victory for England.

It was like they drew the plan on a piece of paper and they followed it exactly till Strauss got out. They always stayed ahead of India in scoring the run. Because they always scored singles and hit a boundaries of loose balls. They made the equation look so simple. Dhoni was lost his hope when Strauss got his 100. Defeat was clearly written in his face.

Thanks to Zaheer Khan for striking right time and bringing the match to nail biting finish.

I am searching for the reasons to praise the Indian team in that match but nothing comes to mind other than Sachin’s 100 and Zaheers last moment wickets.

It was such a horrible statement by Dhoni that ‘there is nothing to improve because we scored 338 runs but England played well, we cant score 400 in every match’

Mr Dhoni need to understand he is playing World cup as a leader he need to accept the mistakes on the ground. As a spectator and as a well wisher of the team I could tell some of the horrible sights I had seen in that match. Strauss shown really a far better leadership qualities than Dhoni. If it was India chasing I don’t thing match would have been such a close finish. If India need to win the matches they need to discipline their bowling and they desperately need to realise the importance of singles in the flat pitches of subcontinent.

Wishing Sehwag bats at least 25 overs in all the matches, hoping Yuvraj Singh came back to form, Tendulkar wont get injured, Kohli retains his enthusiasm to score, Gambhir realises his sticking capacity to the ground, Yusuf Patan hit all the ball he faces, Zaheer remains the back bone of Indian bowling attack with Harbhajan there is a light of India winning the world cup. But some times to be honest it looks too many things to fall in place. I feel that’s what it is there need too many thing fall in place to achieve big things.      

As last thought, Just imagine if India was not made 2 maidens and scored couple of singles in those overs. Or just imagine one of the batsmen realised that they need to finish the match and bated 50 overs.

Now all ifs and buts, Indian team has lots of things to learn from this match, lots of issues to address before going for the next match and next round. I am sure if they ready to accept this and learn they will come out with flying colours. All the best India                 

Govinda the Guru!!

Govinda was a mudstone cutter become my buddy and guru. He was of my fathers age. I believed whatever he said. He used to come to cut the mudstones near our house all our uncles houses built by the stone he cut. He had couple of equipments to cut the stone and size the stone. Over the period of time I learn to use those! He used to be alone in the ditch where he cut the stones I use to sit on the bank and watch him working and he use to talk to me all the time. He use to come as early as 8am and use to go back around 6pm. So I had some time to chat to him in the morning before go to school, after noon after the lunch before go to school and as soon as I reach from the school in the evening!!!.

He use to tell me the stories from the mythology, history and present. He was like a Guru for me whatever he said it was true and I use to argue with everyone  who speak against him!. He taught me to sing, he taught me to tell the stories, he told me the daily stories around the village, he told me to act, dance, dream!! He use to sing the whole Sithapaharinaya, by repeated listening I learnt it started singing whole of it!!!. He use to tell me the ghost stories and I really believed everything he said about ghosts and one day I told my dad I am frightened of ghost so he made me to stay in dark outside for an hour!!. Those days my mother knew where to look for me if I was not at home.

He always had to go home early on Fridays because he had a Kali god at home and he had to worship on friday and after the pooja he use to say that god Kali use appear in his body. He never had any non veg on friday nor drink liquor because he need to be pure when god appears on him!!! I would always told my mother that I want to go to his home and see him when he become a god. My mom always neglected me and I use to get angry. Once I was fighting with my mom for the same reason and dad was behind me I never noticed he gave me couple of slaps and I became quit!!!

I did had nice beatings by everybody at home because I was the youngest! I never had any concession for being the youngest for that!! Now I feel that it is must for the kids a feel for it. As kids we had the fear of elders, police, teacher, I pity for this society the kids are so arrogant. We always enjoyed life as kids but not at the cost of others inconvenience. Here I see the kids are making so much noise in the public transport and in public places, they don't care for police, teacher or elderly people I feel sorry for them.

I feel there is a fine line between assertive and arrogance, most of the western people dose not understand that and most of the time they call that arrogance as assertive.

Crazy Mind, Beautiful Life

Some days every kid likes to be grownup, they never likes to be kids, they try to act like grownup. Other funny part of life is when we grownup and beaten up enough by life want to stay as kids!!!. Probably, if grownup had an option to go back in life and be a kid none of them want to be grownup again! I feel the life from age ten to nineteen is that one everybody want to be. You know what is around you but some one else there to take care of you(I felt fortunate to be in this group of kids, because I do know some kids unfortunately don’t have this luxury also).

My parents made us to know what we were better off compare to some other kids who don’t have parents. My dad studied only 4th STD but he has seen enough life, He is well educated himself, even though he is not graduated.  He speak and under stand English, Hindi, Kannada. He spoke Malayalam, Tamil, and a bit of Telugu. He also spoke well Konkani with his mother tongue of two types of Tulu(they are different from each other person speak and understand one can’t understand and speak the other!!).

My mother studied 5th STD(one more than my dad as always she proudly announce her self!!). But she cant speak or understand English or Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam or Konkani. she can understand Hindi but cant speak. Her biggest concern even today is she can’t speak or write English. I am proud of her because she has that vision that English is a global language and all girls should learn English, only by learning English girls can be equal to boys!!!!!!. She made sure that her girls learn English and every girl come in her influence does the same!!. She always said to me marry any girl I don’t care which cast or religion she is from but she should be able to write read and speak English!!. She always told my sister as well ‘My life is wasted because I don’t know ABCD’

I always wondered my parents, even though they didn’t had good education they made sure that we had that. My oldest sister didn’t want to continue her education after her higher secondary, she was interested in craft works so my mom gave her an option of learning the same. She married early in her life. My second sister was good in study (better than me!!!!) so my mom want her to learn as much as she can.

I was 1st in study in the class till the 3rd STD. I feel I was started attracted towards the extracurricular activities at that time. I started dreaming I wanted to be an astronomer!. Shivaram Karanth(Gyana Peeta award winning Kannada writer) influenced me around the same time to be a writer!! I wanted to act!!!, I wanted to be a bus owner, I wanted to be a carpenter etc. I wanted to be a different one in every day. I started thinking why should I be the first in the class?!!

All the time I was in my dream world. I read for my exams only on the examination day morning and the day I got my progress report!!!! we had a class exam every month so after the each exam we had a progress report which need to be signed by parents and returned to the class teacher. From the 1st place I slipped to  3rd or the 4th place in 4th STD

So it was a sad day every time I get my press report!. My routine during school days use to be, get up morning around 6am and do some work at home like washing cows, some help of mom in the kitchen(not always), taking the cows to the ground, or some paddy work, then take bath and finish my daily prayers and ready to go to school by 9am. Then leave to school and reach the school by 9:15am I will be in school and 9:30 school starts. 12:30 noon back to home finish lunch and back in the school for 2pm and finish the school by 4:30pm reach home by 5 pm and finish the home work and go to play by 6pm. A strange thing we(me and 2 of my cousins who was in my class)  use to do those days is we use to run home from the school, we use to have competition to reach home first!!. I never figured out why!!!. I never studied everyday. Finish playing at the ground and come home by 7:30pm and finish my daily prayers and sit with my sisters and sing bhajans. If I had to do some work at the paddy then no play go to paddy after the school home works.

As I mentioned before I was a only boy of my age at the time near my house which made me some times introvert. I was funny and very active but somewhere inside me I love to be silent some times. I was looking for a leader with out my knowledge. A person whom I can believe, a person whom I can talk with, a person whom pass all his wealth of knowledge!!!!! And I found him!! He was Govinda!!!.

Reflections 2

The years use to be a long ones when we were kids. It was proud moments when we had more than one text book in 3rd STD, got promotion to pencil and note book from slate (but still slate was the main note book till 5th STD!!). But still had only bench to sit and write! We were waiting to be in 5th STD to have desk to write and a little compartment to keep our things underneath the desk. It was in the 3rd STD 2 of my cousins joined me in the same school and same class!!(One of them followed me till I finish my BSc.!!).

My dad was the only bread earner at home, lots of works at home to do he use to get up early in the morning and leave home by 6:30am and back only after 5pm. He use to ride his bicycle till udupi and then take a buss provided by his employer to manipal. I never remember him using bus for transport. He never let me touch his bicycle.

I still remember 2 of my favourite things at home were one of a tin box (my drums) which I always use to play (making sure dad is not around !!!) and a wooden plate made of a packing box had 3 metal wires fit it to it (was my guitar!!!!). I had lot of liking for music and writing at that time. I always dream to be a musician who writs. Another thing which I liked was a big bag which had all my playing things in it. I still remember I use to keep it out side the cattle's hut on a platform. When the first rain come I use to run and same my bag from rain it may be in the day or night I use to run for it like I had kept million pound in it and drag it in to the hut!!!!!. I had all my self made toys in it we never had the luxury of buying the toys from shop those days. I use to make lots of toys by myself I use to make my toy buses and trucks using the tonic bottle boxes and the rubber cork of the injection bottles!. I used every bit of wastages and created some thing out of it to play!!. I had lots of screws, nuts, wire pieces, nails etc in my bag. Lots of times when my dad needed nails I supplied him from my bag!!!!.

I loved sports, we use to have a heap of sand always by the side of our backyard. I use to do long jump and high jump on it by hiding from dad again. If he see me jumping on the sand heap he gathered he would beat me because by playing on them they scatter all over the place. I use to play and make the heap again and vacate the place before dad come home!!!. My mother always scold me but never cared even she beat me I never bothered about it much!!!!. I use to make my cricket bat with the coconut plant or pam tree branches!! Because I was the only boy near my house, I sue to collect lots of small stones and throw them in the air and hit them with my self made bat!! It use to be purely one man show I was the bats man, bowler, commentator and use to imagine playing in Lords with full of posh British spectators who just clap for a boundary or a wicket and pin drop silence after that!!!!!. I use to bowel at a plant, with stones thinking that it was wicket!!!!. It was hard to get wickets because I never new where my bowl will swing to because of their shape!!!!!!

In the evenings after finishing all the home work from the school and home work I had the chance to go and play in the ground. Because I we were leaving very close to the ground I had lots of chance to play cricket and volleyball.

In the 3rd STD first time in my life I had the chance to act in the drama. That was my another dream. I had a lead role in a drama as Beerbal (King Akbar’s friend). It was a great hit. I found one thing that I had nervousness before going in to the stage once I get in I am the boss I don’t have any problems. I still love to perform on the stage.

Around the time I was in 3rd STD once I wanted to learn the Tabla (Kind of indian drums). I put my request to mom which was rejected! I never had dare to speak to dad, I went on a hunger strike for one after noon my mom wont budge. I know my parents never had that much money, but it was one of those childish instincts after reading Gandhi’s hunger strikes!!!!!

We never had electricity at home till I was in 7th STD. It was such a fun 3 kids sitting under one kerosene lamp and read the books. In the rainy season we had a routine that we had to read one chapter of Ramayana, Mahabharatha everyday loudly so that all the member of family can sit and hear!! We three kids a time table that one person read each day!! I still miss those days, out side heavy thunder shower with lighting in side spiritual journey. All kids has to go to bed by 8:30pm get up by 5am. All home works should be finished in the evening, only reading in the morning.

I still love to go home in the rainy season and sit at home watching the rain drops bubbling and spilling the water when the bubble breaks. I would happily watch them sitting by the edge of the roof for hours. I some times think those bubbles represents lots of our dreams!!!           

Reflections1

Mind is full of footprints,  some are clear some are not, some of them are ready to erase needs a brush up once a while to keep them fresh because we relish them. Some we want to brush off because we don’t like them there because they caused pain, but all of them will be there faded or bold. I feel we need them to be there and call them experience. With out them we may do the same mistakes again.

I never been to pre school. I had been in my grand parents house(My mothers parents) for most of my pre school days then my father decided to stop all his business ventures and lead a normal life!!! He moved to kuthpady his parents house. That was the time he moved us also from punaroor to kuthpady.

After the marriage my parents were together for a while in different parts of Karnataka and my father doing the hotel business. My mother seen the good and worst time with my father.

When we moved to Kuthpady I didn’t know what school is my eldest sister was in 8th STD next sister was in 7th STD and I wasn’t in any!!!! So on the first day of the school I still remember my dad came with his brother(Sadu uncle) to the school and filled some forms and they asked me to go to the 1st STD and someone gave me some space on the wooden bench, I kept my bag with the slate and one Kannada book and sat there I saw my dad and uncle leaving the school with eye filled with tears. I think I would have run behind them but I was so scared of both of them.

Kuthpady aided higher primary school was a village school with 7th class. My second sister was in the same school in the 7th SDT. She came around to see me in the class between her classes I was still with tears. My teacher told her to sit with me for a while because this was the first time I was ever away from the home. In the afternoon my sister took me to home for lunch after the lunch I don’t want to go back to school. My sister told Sadu uncle  he just looked at me I picked up my stuff and on my way to school. I was so angry with my sister I didn’t spoke to her on the way just cried.

We had Kamala teacher as our class teacher(She was the teacher to my dad as well!!!!) She was a old lady but lots a enthusiasm to teach and she had two wooden rulers to beat students! She want to beat the students but she don’t want them to get hurt. She use to hold them together and beat the students which gives a big noise but little pain. We use to think she was hitting hard but later on when we get beaten by other teachers with one rulers we realise Kamala teacher was better!!

Recently someone asked me that can you remember the names of the teachers names. I was surprised by that questions I do and I can very well recognise them if they come in front of me and the incidents in the school as well.

I do remember very well in the school days I never had a full slate always my slate use to be a broken!!. Three things lacking in my school days were full slate!, slippers!! and bum part of my school shorts!!! I did sincerely tried to have them but in my remembrance I never had them in  a stretch for more than a month!!. Till the 3rd STD there was no practice of having foot wear after that when my dad bought me one with cheap quality I use to drag my feet when I am walking so the later part of the slipper use to get torn off !!!. We had a cement sliding at the school and I love to playing in that, new shorts, slide in the slider one slide torn off then no bum part. Couple of times my sisters stich them for me then they also got fed up!!!!

I loved to have umbrella but my dad would not let me have one because he thought I would get wet more in umbrella. So he use to get me rain coat. I think I had a feeling that rain coat was for kids only but I am not the one!!!!!

We have an Ayurvedic College on our way to the school. I use to watch all these students with thick books and dream about owning a thick book one day. We had one book for 1st STD(Kannada)!, 2 for 2nd STD (Kannada and Maths) plus maths tables book!!, 4 for 3rd STD(Kannada, Maths, Science, Social studies)!!!

2nd Standard I had lots of friends. I always had lots of stories to tell when I came back form for school I always love to tell stories. My mom never discouraged me even though my sisters did.

Our 2nd STD teacher and 3rd STD teacher had a love affair we never know what was that in those days. Our 2nd STD teacher use to give me or one of my friend a small piece of folded paper to give it to the 3rd STD teacher and we use to take it to the 3rd STD and give it to the teacher there and back to the class. Later another boy form that class use to bring a letter back. For us it was just a fun. Later on when I was in the 3rd STD once our teacher was very upset and 2nd STD teacher didn’t come to the school for weeks me and my friends prayed god please god let the 2nd STD teacher come to the school and let out teacher be happy. We have a temple in front of the school and we offered offerings to the god as well!!! After couple of weeks when the 2nd STD teacher came back she was married and our teacher was very upset and he left the school for couple of days. One way we were very happy that till he come back no class and nice fun. If the head master didn’t come to the school then it is festival for us!!!

When our teacher came back he took a transfer from our school to other school. He was a very nice teacher we all cried because he was leaving us. Those were so emotional days and no barriers for the emotions.

We had a poem call ‘Govina Kathe’ (story of a cow) in our curriculum in the 3rd STD. Whole of the class together recite it loudly.  It is a beautiful poem which explains the honesty of a cow. A cow(Punyakoti) faces a tiger and tiger want to eat because of hunger but cow want to see her son once before the death so she requests the tiger to leave to see her son once and whenshe comes back he can eat her. After a bit of negotiation  tiger leave the cow to go and have a last visit of her calf. When calf realises that his mother is going back to eaten by the tiger he start crying and the cow try to console the son, at this part of the poem most of us start cry in the middle of the recitation.Those days we really thought the story is true.