Memoirs of Mallu-Land

Memoirs of Mallu-Land

This blog is dedicated to Tony. Senior & Friend. Marxist (maybe) & Hedonist (100%) . Bibliophile and Chaotic puzzle. Finally my host to this trip.

HOST & GUEST

For many days I wanna visit his place called Painava. Painava nestled in western ghat region of Kerala. I have chosen his place to popular tourist spots of kerala as I was on short of time and Impatience for cliché. I went with no plan nor expectation. Just with curious bent of mind. I really wanted to see how/what kerala is : "The land of Sashi tharoor and Shakeela the oomph actress. Gods own country yet ruled by Godless Marxists". Thus this blogpost is photography, travelogue, storytelling and exaggeration. All rolled into one.

BEGINNING OF KERALA STATE. PIC FROM TRAIN

Journey : “Your holiday begins the moment the journey starts” thus spake Sri Sri. So I literally started to enjoy the entire journey than concentrating on the destination. Train (Kerala Express) was late by hour. So this gave me opportunity to see the transition of geography and topography between Andhra , Tamilnadu and Kerala as most of my journey was after daylight. Early morning was greeted by tons of coconut trees and typical kerala building architecture where buildings have sloping roofs. The reason I learnt was that this land receives heavy rainfall hence the sloping roofs. From Ernakulum to Thodapuza to Painava. Plains to Mountains and City to jungle . All through rubber plantation and huge houses funded by Gulf money. While returning, I choose not to trust train and booked flight from Kochi airport. Paradoxically I just made in nick of time as this time I was late.

MORNING WALK

I never visit many places at once as it complicates my tiny brain. I would rather have depth of experience of single place/event than breadth of experiences in visiting multiple places. Relish one place than a hurried holiday. Hence only one place I choose to visit.

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Place:  Like I said I generally don’t prefer popular sightseeing places. I would rather prefer rough unknown tracks and places. My guest house was nestled in forest land, enclosed by barbwire and huge gate with spikes jutting out. All the security to prevent wild animals especially elephants. I just visited Idduiki dam which is one of the biggest source of power to kerala . And these inter state waters are also responsible for bitterness between tamils and mallus. Photography is prohibited but managed to sneaked in the phone.

MORNING WALK TO HILLTOP

Food: i am quite fussy about food. Too many Do’s and Don’t’s.  But here I totally relished local food. Though Malayalis eat plenty of non-vegetarian of all kinds, I restricted myself to basic veg food. Though my host wanted to get white rice , I was more than insistent to have authentic red Rice which infact is more healthier and fulfilling. Coconut oil and grated coconut seems ubiquitous to kerala cuisine.

RED RICE, SNACKS

I had some street food like stuffed idli dumplings, coconut barfis, banana bajji. Actually none are named so but their malayali names would send my tongue in knots while pronouncing. I found malayali script amusing. It appeared as jilebis and murkus. (well all south Indian scripts are more or less twisted if I may add).

JUST PIC WITH FEW OF BOOKS

Books: like I referred initially, my host is bibliophile and his home has tons of books. One of main reason for my visit is to deliver few books which I didn’t want to send my post. His collection is immensely overwhelming with diversifying genres. Checking those books is ultimate aphrodisiac for me and visiting such collection is pilgrimage to aficionado like me

VIEW FROM THE CHERUTHODI  DAM

 Specter of unknown :

 Like I said this place is on top of hill. Mornings I spent walking and exploring around the hilltops. Top of hill reminded me of my stint in Mizoram which has similar terrain. The place is surrounded by jungle and deafening silence. Silence often broken by whooshing wind and insects chatter. Swaying of flora is captivating. I tried to absorb as much of silence as I could and retain it. However its futile as one moment is taken over by another new moment. Impossible to capture the moments of bliss. You eventually have to give up the ownership and go by flow. 

SPIKES TO PREVENT ELEPHANTS CRASHING INTO HOUSE

I was only soul living in guesthouse. Even smallest noise creates huge echo. Creaking doors gave eerie feel. On one night I was trying to meditate when I head sudden sound of electric switch going On and sounds of someone walking up the stairs which led to me to think whether I latched up the door down stairs. I rationalised that some local staff seeing unlatched door walked in. I walked out to see no human presence expect howling wind.  Did I imagine it as I read lot of spooky stuff or hallucinate it in meditation. I don’t know. My host concluded it broken door at top floor . Well, I don’t wish to dwell much on it.

TRYING TO CAPTURE THE MOMENT

Finally I conclude holiday was short and taut. Fulfilling and heart content.

Living-Now

# Nostalgia # Hyderabad #Realism

As I was reading this book “Woodsmoke and Leafcups by Madhu Ramnath”, my concentration broke to melody played in background. It was song I used to love to listen in my teens. For a moment, I was transported back in time. It was only for a moment. But I felt like re-living the sweet golden moments of past. Ever notice, that some songs trap time and moments we had? How often we think like this?how often we revel in Nostalgia?

Well!  I seldom do. I don’t keep much of photographs or things of past which I feel as burdensome of baggage of remnants.

I left Hyderabad a dozen years ago. Hyderabad which was my home from cradle to next quarter of century. Few months ago I got opportunity to re visit the place once again. For weeks I planned many things. Drink my favourite Irani chai with osmania biscuits or lukmi or meet my old pals or go through lanes which I used loaf as useless kid.  With loads of dreams I land at 0400am. With so much anticipation I go to my favourite hang out to have irani chai. First cup hardly satisfied me. I go for second. Its still the same. I don’t get to revel in it. Taste doesn’t give me high as I expected in my nostalgic moments. City changed forever . Metros rail construction erased some of iconic buildings where I used to hang out. Meeting old pals was major disappointment as everyone is changed.  Everyone caught in their own life’s bubble. i hardly could connect with any. Maybe its not them but me who is changed.

I guess Nostalgia is just sweetness of emotion that your mind generated which itself has gone on chemical trip when triggered. Too much importance is given to it. This moment is only reality. No past nor future exists. This moment is eternity.

Chill wind hits me reminding me of time I spent in jungles at edge of our country. But this time, I quietly get back to my book saying goodbye to Nostalgia and to you my dear reader. I just enjoy the chill as wind sweeps me without bothering memories it carried.

CRIME, CON MEN & SCAMMERS

CRIME, CON MEN & SCAMSTERS

I recently was in conversation with a pal where he was telling how his prime land got occupied by some slum dwellers. And now he has to run from pillar to post to get them evacuated. It’s a painful experience he had to undergo where he is rendered helpless against organized gang.. Modus operandi is simple, a gang leader of slum dweller occupies land and refuses to budge till some amount is paid. Normal people are no rowdies who can get them kicked out. Normally we pay tens of lakhs to buy land/house yet fail to secure it by perimeter fencing or get check antecedents of buyer and documents by hiring lawyer/engineer. As loan officer in government bank I get to see how easily builders/developers/promoters fool buyers.  Quite often we are like “penny wise pound foolish”. We spend 50 lakhs to buy property ,yet feel stingy to spend 5000/- on lawyer/engineer to get property inspected. Rather we depend on Bank or Builder to provide for such facility. My landlord trusted his property to care takers and seldom bothered to inspect his own properties and one fine day he found that caretaker exploited owner trust and took a loan of a crore on owner property and scooted leaving owner to repay the loan and face court trials. Its your property. It’s your duty to monitor your money/investments/properties but often “Trust” we use often is mere excuse for our laziness.

Humans are so greedy and want to make quick buck with no sweat on their brow. It amazes me how greed can blind people common senses and fall for traps like ponzi, Nigerian scam or similar investment where scamster promises huge returns with minimum investment. One guy I came across invested 5 lakhs in a unknown company which promised him nominated Director post and twice the investments, ie., 10 lakhs. Similar investments were sought from similar gullible people and later renegade the promise. The investor doesn’t even know the company owner nor company operational plans to make money. He just went by promises of double investment promise. Agrigold scam in Andhra Pradesh reflects human greed which was used to scam thousands of investors in crores.

With influx of digital era, scams have gone online. In a day we get hundreds of calls offering money, cheap loans, etc..web-links saying “PM offering free laptop” or “airline giving away free tickets” or worse “you have won 5 million dollars from coco cola company”. I wonder why the hell would any company give away their products for free?. Quite often these links are malware. Delete without even thinking about its contents. Better safe than sorry. These come in ingenious ways. Couple of months back there was mail in my inbox saying that someone signed in my facebook account.  I always keep my FB deactivated. But seeing this, without thinking much I clicked the link , which activated my FB account. Beunknownst to me, it was malware which immediately posted some 40 advertisements in all my friends fb walls. Imagine the headache they faced to delete all 40 advts from their walls at same time cursing why I posted on their wall. Thankfully, it was just an advertisement. It could ve been worse. Nigerian scam has become popular these days. I used to laugh and wonder how anyone can fall such silly trap. But newspapers scream new victims every day unfortunately.

But that doesn’t stop there. We hear now a days scamsters targeting their victims through matrimonial sites. Scamster lures his/her victim by winning their trust and later dupes gold or money. One of my acquaint lost whooping 30 lakhs  to online romeo scamster who wooed her by promising some business plan, love, and high profits. And one foreigner was fooled by online lover with picture of ashwariya rai. Imagine police amusement when foreigner came to India and showed her photo? No where I am talking about highlevel scams . I am speaking about scams that middle class fall on daily basis. All these scams mentioned above are ones I saw firsthand.

In most of cases , people fall to scams due many reasons such as foolishness, lack of knowledge, laziness…but most importantly GREED. People are so greedy that they want their money to turn gold overnight. There is nothing wrong in being greedy but expecting quick overnight results is. Nothing wrong in desire to get rich. For that one should be ready to work more, plan more, study more on some business plan. Remember old adage “There is no free lunch”

League Of Extra ordinary Gentlemen -1

  League Of Extra ordinary Gentlemen -1

I always wondered why we like some people. Is it because we find ourselves in others? Do we find something we like in our life and we see the same  in them? Probably and very much possible. Here are two amazing people whom I happen to meet in AOL ashram  ,so I jam packed them in one part with other Extra ordinary gentlemen (EOG) which being part of next blog. These EOGs impacted my life in one or other way, either in gross or subtle, certainly in positive way which made me experience Life in more joyous richer and deeper way.  Consider these series of EOGs as my effort of appreciation of some lovely people whom I came across on this particular path of my Life. 

Vandy Vandier :

I was just reading this fantastic book world chess champ Garry kraspov  “How life imitates chess”  which is replete of anecdotes from battles on chess board. One particular chess champ “Tigreon Petrosian psychological profile caught my attention as first person who flashed my mind when I read personality of this man is Vandy vandier , not that vandy is chess player but the depth of his personality is similar.

Vandy with monastery boys in nepal

Vandy though South African citizen of Indian origin is more a spiritual gypsy searching deeper meaning of life. Traveling to different spiritual regions, trying to give expression to the inexplicable calling of soul through myriad ways  . His life is full of syncretism and eclecticism.  He is Painter-Philosopher-Poet-Writer-Blogger-Travel enthusiast-Spiritual junkie who dabbled everything including esoteric and forbidden substances. 

There are some people whom u meet who will repel u by mere presence. There are people who will brighten the spirits by mere presence… When you talk with this guy, you will feel as if you know him for ages. Its as if some ancient memory has woken up. Such is his magnetic personality.

Very articulate. Very creative. Very humble. Very mysterious like Sphinx , this Man  has transcended religious identity , who is on verge of spiritual cliff , before he spreads wings to merge into infinity.

His interesting take on life through his eyes can be read on http://brahmagyani.blogspot.in/

Now I wonder, why he stopped writing.

Commercial Break: Ding Dong..

This is the photo taken after tired day at mid night in  irani café on one of  the week days in city of nawabs” Hyderabad”. As you see , three people having whale of time guzzling gallons of irani chai for which hyd is famed for. Please don’t think these three are best of pals though their association goes back to more than dozen years.

Who says you need to have same hobbies, likes and dislikes or for that matter anything in common?. We three have absolutely nothing in common. Only thing that brings us together is we literally suck each others blood. When Garam Dharam (dharmendra) screamed “neech, kamane, kutte “, probably he had we three rogues in mind.

Cheers..Rocko-Jacko-Myself

Trust me,when we three come together , the event is like super eclipse where all three celestial bodies : sun, moon, earth coming together, which is not often. We meet in irani cafes. Pubs is for gals. Coffee days are for lovers. Real hydi man goes to irani café . No matter what ever your social status is. So also as pukka hydis we meet in cafes.

But when it happens, the result is massive explosion of destructive sadistic humour.,Laughter riot and over dose of Dopamine secretions.

Three musketeer’s slogan: “All for one and one for all”

Our slogan : “None for every one and None for anyone”.

We three involve in bitter back biting , cheap gossiping , slandering about each other. but the special part is that all these things get done right on each other faces, relishing every moment of embarrassment other party undergoes. Trust me, these 3 are the guys , every girls mother warned her about.

Rajoe the big Mojo : The poor rich boy , sits literally on crores of wealth but no access to cash

Jacko the loose tongue lafangey : Always in dilemma over on what he should spend his crores

Myself:  told u na, we slander about others , never about self

End of commercial break…ding dong…

Rushdies Rustlings: Part-1

Like  I promised , my dear friends, here’s dollops of more dough on Rowdy Rushdie. Many avatars are there in Rush but before I write more, lemme tell you..Rush is no blue tailed alien species from James Cameron “AVATAR” .Rush is “She” in Brat-like-He-mind-set with She-body set.(Simply put, she is a tom boy)

No matter what you ask , the answer is standard “IDK”..I-D-O-N-T-K-N-O-W. Well, didn’t someone say that Appearances can be deceptive? But on this case, only expression she royally carries is…”..I-D-O-N-T-K-N-O-W.-look . i didn’t know if her name is IDK or she is belongs to same league of Amir khan in gazini or Jason bourne in Bourne’s series ( my fav films) suffering from“ incurable Amnesia” and thus has forgotten her name. maybe somewhere on her body her name is tattooed. For quite a time I thought her name is “IDK” and maybe “IDK” is nick name for something un pronounceable like the following Russian name 

‘Varsonofy Panteleimonovich Krestovozdvizhensky”

She has many avatars. Almost like Ravana, many faces , many facets, many personas juxtaposed . One never knows which is true. 

IDK the sportswoman (When this 5 ft -50kg gal  runs twice the 5 kms and cycle 50 kms(minus 10), you seriously wonder if she is girl or lady version of rajinikanth? )

IDK the funny blogger ( http://randdom-e.blogspot.in )

IDK the humanitarian (check her fb dudes)

IDK the man-eating vegetarian (oops, just joking)

Thus IDK is certainly combination of RDX+ TNT+ NIMHANS+ SPCA ..now that’s certainly mega explosive persona.

Lost in Oblivion

Now for serious stuff., despite of all faults and flaws , she is girl with amazing empathy and astounding raw uncut intelligence. She is capable of making brilliant analysis in real time. Trust me, I was baffled at times and more often than not got intimidated by dazzle of pure grey matter, sometimes even bordering to bruise on my male ego. Throw her dozen disparate dots and see how she sees through wiles by connecting all dots into greater whole. Alas, she is just not in right place to allow her hyper creative imagination give a free run.  There is something more…what I said is stuff for world, some labels struck by world on her.  There is core of hers , albeit unknown,which is real stuff. 

Best part of persona is hidden beneath the depths of her heart. Now, this is what one should experience on their own (can u describe taste of water to someone who never tasted water? So even I cannot describe it in words, experience it at ur own risk). The mystery and esoteric stuff her core is made up of is something that I wonder if even her own pals have felt or not…now  the essence of those secret hidden spaces in her heart is  what makes Rushide unique, wonderful n amazing.