Raju blogs

 I think the year was 2012.  I retired and did not know what to do though I was already into other social service organisations.  Wanted to get into something different. Geetha provided me an opportunity .  She connected me to Ramani , actively involved in an NGO .  I met Ramani and got to know a little bit of the NGO called Unnati . I was called for one of their monthly  meetings. That time the Gokulashtami festival was nearing. I attended the meeting with all earnest.  That meeting was more for discussing celebrations of Gokulashtami. I was formally introduced to  committee members present in the meeting.  As the discussion went on about the Gokulashtami Program ,  selecting famous music celebrities for performing at Unnati , I was getting restless. I thought this was not my cup of tea. Neverthless I listened to the proceedings.  I was hitherto used to the suited-booted gentry of Lions Club.  This was different.  Very in...

 There is no parallel to Amma in the whole world.  Very active, social, shrewd , farsightedness, naughty and above all very fast in all her actions, whether it is cooking, walking and  planning everything.  Always ever smiling, caring for others and you can keep describing her with no end.  If only she was more educated she could have become a CEO of any Corporate.   I used to have lot of friends right from the school days. Some of them come home with me sometimes  after the school as they love Amma's Dosai and Sambar.  She would not ask a single word  why I brought them but would serve them all with a smile.  There are many instances worth remembering . But I would like to narrate some of them which comes my way When I passed out 8th class I need to chose between Science and Commerce.  Only those who did well in Science and Maths in 8th class could take Science Group.  I did well both in Maths and Science but chose Commer...

 CRICKET is a very popular game.  Every one likes to be a part of it  all the time.  I am no exception. Our cricketing life started when we were in middle School.  Four to five of us join , choose any place , be it a "barsathi" (terrace) on the Road etc. play cricket .  Our bat used to be the laundry bat which  my mother used it for washing clothes. .  Many of our younger generation may not have seen it.  It looks more or less a bat but not long one.  Those days no washing machines.  We stealthily take it and start using it as a bat.  The ball used to be a plastic ball.  The wicket is the wall. Sometimes we don't even get that plastic ball.  We put some stones , cover it with newspaper, tie it up with rubber band ,make it a ball shape and play.  As we grew older, we used Tennis Ball, then Cork Ball and finally graduated to the actual Red cricket ball.   No T Vs those days.  Only Transister Radios....

 The year was 2003.  One day when I looked down from my Balcony, I could see lot of activity happening in our next Building.  Big long sophisticated cars lining in , suited -booted people going in .  Wondered what was going on.  The adjacent top floor next to our house was fully lit up.  Thought some Events happening.  Curious to know what was it I went down just to see what it was all about. I could gather  there was a Lions Club Meeting Hall on the 6th floor and the event was District Governor's visit to the Club .  A District Governor is the head of the District (Bangalore) of Lions Clubs International.  He visits each club to inspect and assess the activities done by a particular club. I said to myself, Lions are big influential people ,business guys in high places and surely not my cup of tea. I was new to Bangalore then with no friends and I just left it at that and forgot.  In the next few days , a new Lions Club was formed i...

 In the late 70s we enjoyed visiting Palakkad , Kerala.  I remember for the first time we took a long rail journey with family to Palakkad after a gap of a decade.  I still wonder why we did not venture out for so many years. It needed lot of planning.  It is a long journey.  Almost three days travel.  No direct train connectivity to Palakkad  then.  The only train  was G T (Grand Trunk )Express up to Madras .  G T Express terminates there and the Kerala compartments stay in the Platform till a Train Trivandrum Express comes to get it attached to these compartments in the Evening.  Those days in Delhi there used to be a Bakery shop near our house. They  used to make nice biscuits for you .  You need to give Maida flour, ghee sugar etc. and the Bakery  makes biscuits and put it in a big Tin for a  some small amount as service charges.  You could see all your friends at this Bakery who were going on vacation ....

REGAL AFFAIR I can never forget my attachment with REGAL Cinema.  Those were very good childhood days . REGAL CINEMA used to be our only entertainment those days.  Situated in Connaught Place in New Delhi.  Whenever I think of Regal Cinema my memory goes back to my school days. This was constructed in 1932.  We Tamilians used to live in Karol Bagh , New Delhi  for almost over 20 years. Whosoever comes to Delhi those days find Karol Bagh a very nice place to live . Each Tamilian knows the other one as it used to be a small community then. We lived in a small rented accommodation in Karol Bagh,  You need to climb six stairs to reach your Kitchen , another six steps to Washroom, a drawing room, one small room . Enjoyed life immensely. We five of us, my parents,  a sister and a brother spent our entire school and college life in that small accommodation My father used to work for a private organisation, just behind Regal Cinema.  Those days No T V, no...

It was the year 1973 in Delhi.  I always wanted to have a Military outfit. So joined NCC in College. My friends laughed. They said you get a new uniform free that is why you are joining. I just laughed.  Got a new pair of big  heavy shoes unable to even lift with one hand. A  new pair of pant and shirt with NCC cap.  I was quite lean and the dresses were hanging loose,  But I liked and was dreaming how I would look in  this outfit .  We used to have regular Drills before college started.  After each Drill the Drill In- charge gives a break.  He says" Das minute ka break hain bhai.   Beedi /cigarette peeyo".  I had not started smoking then. But many around me had started. When we do parade,  the In-charge says " Left Right Left Right, 3rd row 4th Lounda Ullu Tha Patta  Seedhe Chalo.  So much Gaali he used to utter,  We were  scared. Though I was interested to  join NCC  these regular Drill...