Mylai Manidhan

 

Childhood-Teen-Adult (Hood) – Life Continues

 

 

April 27 1967 – 3:30 PM – Mylapore – Apparsamy Koil Street – Dr Vathsala (Will be confirmed in a day or two – need to check with my elder sister – hope she remembers)

Cute and Sweet boy (as told by the doctor and nurses) – Boy who will be named Girish – born to K S Venkataraman and Ramani – as 5^th Child ; Later really becoming a Cute and Sweet Boy – Little Chubby; Cynosure to my sister/cousins/neighbours etc., Life started in Mylapore – Continued in early years in Lloyds road now Called as Hanumtha Rao road Royappettah – Schooling – MEI Childrens School then to SAOHSS. One anectode still remember is I went to a cousing wedding with my closest relative to Trivandrum/Ambasamudram – supposed to be for a month – but stayed for 6 months when I was 3 years old – so schooling delayed for 6 months. Not much of remembrance of my ‘Primary School’ days – till 5^th Standard. Always a Quiet child – that’s what ‘everybody’ told me – as they saying goes ‘truth is in the pudding’ – my cute kid ‘picture’ will be the pudding….

Middle level school was in Savitri Ammal Oriental Higher Secondary School – Mylapore – we have a whatsApp group now – 6to10 SAOHSS – sometime we reminiscence our schooling days – just think of that days and looking at us , a smile emanating in my face; Whenever I read some articles or talk with ‘new’ friends or school friends – they talk about the ‘GOLDEN’ period – but I don’t have any GOLDEN or Nostalgic about it – sometime I feel is that bad???- I don’t know – friends used to tell me that you did that – you did this – I simply cannot remember those things – few things I remember – getting slapped in the cheek by maths teacher – not for not doing the homework – but talking to a ‘Supposed to be a Rowdy’ that time in the school – Kneeled in the class room entrance for talking while the teacher was ‘teaching’ – stand up on the bench etc., Classes conducted under the Banyan Tree – which think was very pleasant with breeze – eating ‘Puliam Pazham’ – Sharing the curd rices of fellow friends – playing cricket – won few certificates in the school – merit certificates – sports certificates in carrom, chess, cricket, kabbadi. Kho-kho etc., Fringe actors in the school dramas- volunteering for the Kabali Kovil panguni Uthiram festivals – going to Chepauk in cycle to watch the Ranji Trophy matches – playing all kinds of sports in our ‘Compound’ – cricket/hockey/football/Gilli – Thandu/Goli/seven stones/catching the stones etc., Good thing here is learned Sanskrit Grammar – used to speak in Sanskrit – intermediate level – bcos Sanskrit is the ‘Main’ language – English and Tamil are secondary languages.

Few things remembered like getting my left hand fractured by trying high jump – same hand repeat fracture after 6 months – colliding with my partner in Cricket while running for a single – Deepavali festivals – sporty fights like who will light the first cracket before dawn – Father (AIR) will get the Standard Firecrackers from the Office Canteen – going to parrys to get some additional crackers – still touch with our neighbours like Forwarding the Messages / Good Morning Messages – festival time greetings over phone – limited to that. Friend (T S Mahalingam sons – youngest son) was our neighbour – who was very interested in the cricket – wanted to go into the Ranji Level Cricket – put on the ‘NETS’ in our compound and I used to bowl daily for about 45 minutes – that was very good time – it was going on for about 2-3 years – that is one real good time – played few 5^th division league cricket and some 5^th and 4^th division tournaments etc.,

Higher Secondary Schooling in P S Higher Secondary School – Mandaveli – 2 years – OKAY period – no friends or classmates are in touch now – played Basket Ball and Volleyball in the school – substitute player for the school tournaments – more of a ‘Practice Player’ ;Used to go to school in bus – that time ‘Free Tokens’ we can get and ride on the bus any time any day free anywhere within Chennai – just need to give ‘TOKEN’ to the conductor

During my childhood-teen days for every summer vacation we used to go to Trivandrum – spend two months – our time it was 2 months summer vacation – used to get school travel concession form – fill-it up and go to the central railway station – get the ‘ticket’ you know like a ‘Waffle biscuit’ in cardboard like sheet they will give us the ticket – by going to TVM – our neighbour was a RSS Man – elder to me for about 3 – 5 years – will go to Shaka continued for some time in – continued in  Chennai – at the Sanskrit college for few years but after going to CBE for Graduation – Post graduation stopped. There in TVM – learned to Speak – Read Malayalam. Sometime remembers those days – Travelling in the Train. In TVM in our house we had Mango Tree/ Jackfruit Tree -was fun -  very big house – good old days.

College days – PSGCAS  Coimbatore – 5years – 3 years B.Sc Computer Science and 2 years M.Sc Computer Science – we have a WhatsApp group – PSGCSC 85 – same old story – Greetings/Good Morniing messages that’s all – no phone convo etc., I will call ‘Friends’ and wish them on Festivals/Anniversary – I feel atleast once In a year we need to talk so I call them and wish them – will meet 2 friends who are in Chennai atleast 2-3 months once – wil meet them to have a dinner or breakfast; Few things highlight is – MS Amma came to CBE for one kutchery – it was in mettupalayam – I did the Harmonium for the kutchery – it was fun; MSAMMA whenever she came to CBE will stay in one house – PSG House – they used to have a Lion-Tiger-Stok etc.,  in their house – different experience. College days stayed in Hostel – nothing much to harp about – Usual Experiences – College Elections – Fighting in the college / hostel – drunken brawl (not me!!!!thats sure) – tied those guys like malayur mambattiyan style literally – going on night show – jumping the college gate – and going into the hostel under an opening in the Window Grill (so you can imagine how ‘THIN’ I was);

During the college days ‘Srilankan Tamil Issue’ was prominent – initial 2 years – there would be competition within CBE which college leads in the “protest’ – getting the ‘maquee word’ indefinite strike – college closed for week to 10 days – first time went to Salem-second went to Chennai – next time onwards we thought we can go to friends house – farm house of a friend – trip to nearby places etc., 4to5 times in the first 3 years we had that kind of hols. College election – after voting we know that there would be fight – so we will to city center – watch 2-3 films and then late night we will return to hostel – by that time tempers will be cooled down – friends who were in the ‘election’ as friends/enemies/frenemies will tell the story about what happened (First Year students no vote, 2^nd year and 3^rd year students only will vote – PG students not involved in the ‘election’.

Graduated and Post Graduated – 1985 to 1990 à Sometimes will think – what did I learnt in my School days / In my college days / in my hostel days; Guy who was very closeted in the ‘HOME’ suddenly left alone in the college – ragged few times in the hostel and in the college – normal ragging – not like few friends which was ‘Extreme’ – like standing in ‘Brief and running in the hostel corridor; that was one extreme; Early days in hostel – would not able to eat anything – Breakfast-lunch-dinner – everything is with Garlic – smell itself would make me vomit – taken some time to start eating, It took days for my nerves to get settled – come out of the ‘CLOSETTED HOME’ – ‘HOMESICK’ etc., devised ways to adjust to the menu – like Bread/Idly/dosai – breakfast will take very late – so I can get concession like Chutney for idly/sambhar for dosay and Jam for Bread – in good large quantities . Lunch was night mare till the last day – I cannot have that sambhar – rasam – oh god even today if I thing of that my stomach will churn – I will mix sambhar/rasam with Curd or Butter milk and eat- so that concession will get only if I go to lunch at the very last minute – have it and run to the class; Same rituals for the dinner too. Most difficult day is ‘SUNDAY’ – vegetable briyani – I don’t know how is passed the Sundays – will go very late – just have a mouth ful of biriyani and will settle with Curd Rice – so hostel canteen people knows my trouble and will give me two or three curds packet for me to drown the rice; I learnt that to survive in places first get friendly with people who will server ‘FOOD – that continued whenever I go to ‘OFFICIAL TRIPS’ and also during my days in GULF.

ADULTHOOD – My Interesting like started in Hyderabad – 5 Years – bachelor – comes with its own jubiliations / commiserations. It taught me great lessons – how to co-operate/ collaborate/how to fight for our rights/ what is right or wrong/how people will stab in the back/ who is friend-who is enemy – who is frenemies? But still we will falter you know – that Is how LIFE Goes. You stumble-get up – and continue.  Life lesson it is all ‘Written Up’ – you are destined to be – You fight to survive-Fight to Live; Motivational ‘TALKS” will work only when the destiny is ‘WILLED’ like that otherwise. One thing you need to be grateful to the GOD – SUPREME – ‘Oru anuvum asaiyathu’ – be grateful to elders – be grateful to ‘GURU – get on Spiritual GURU’ – follow – you will need in LATER Part of LIFE.  That is my lesson learnt – not to be so worked up – he is doing great – he is doing very well – out neighbour is happy – he has bought a house a car etc., Be content – unna unavu/udukka udai/irukka veedu; Contnet is ’you have a rice bowl to eat’ you know sappida kashtapadavillai – sometimes I wonder – why I couldn’t afford a CAR (TRUE) – why I am not able to go to ‘TOURS – domestic / abroad as few friends / relatives go – I wish – but this is what is destined to me. I feel very content in this life today as it is – My heartfelt / I cannot express my words (sometime I feel bad that I couldn’t express ‘LOVE’ significantly to my FAMILY – Wife/Children – so I express in my own way – SNACKS/DRESS/SWEET etc., Happy to get a FAMILY like me – nobody says explicitly they want as their peers has – car/vacation/dress expensive etc., it is the MIDDLE CLASS UPBRINGING – compassionate to others/content with what they have/not wanting exorbitant things etc., all thanks to ‘WIFEY’ – god given gift to ‘OUR FAMILY’ – the pillar… Extended family sisters/bils/nephew/nieces/cousins – thanks to all of them.  Sisters / Brother – very supportive/BILS very supportive – everything you know you needed – whenever you are down – as the saying goes you can identify True Family Friends when you most need – who they are – when Father was hospitalised/Mother was down and hospitalised and my elder brother was was bed ridden to few months. Also need to express my thanks to my wife family FIL/MIL/BIL – very supportive at the ‘HARD TIMES’ – you know how cultured a family will be and how they were brought up – when you look at the Wife supportive ness – the same thing our children are trying to learn. Hopefully it was imbibed to them. All my sisters family are very very extended family – 10 – 11 people In their family – but they have coped them – all the whims and fancies – that is how life will be – it is not a bread and butter – always sweet – it was always bound be with ‘hardships; - it is how we face them and come out is what tells us about or family/how we brought up/ how our upbringing is/ it is always like a bell curve – any ‘Low Curves’ will need to go up cannot stay in low very long.