Hailstorm!

After a long time and kids all around are very excited! And of course, me too.

The Spacemaker

Today was a big cleaning day and I finally created some space!! Of course it remains to be seen how it will get filled and how soon. I'm watching! Right now, bone-tired.

Annoyed

Being passionate about your work is rewarding most times but occasionally people make you pay for it.

So Near and yet So Far

My neighbour V and I went to climb Bedrugudde today. From our terrace, that hillock looks so close and for many years it had been and we'd taken it for granted. But of late, our old shortcut has been inaccessible and today we realized how far it could be. We went looking for a way based on what people said and returned not having set foot on it. The base of the hill is now swarming with houses and the moment we asked for ways to the hill, people asked us whose house we were looking for. It was revealing enough but somehow I had thought at least some of those houses would have rough routes leading to the hill but no. So we suspended the quest for the day and made ourselves happy with some jamuns and raw mangoes, throwing stones like highschool girls. Hope we can reach the dear old gudde tomorrow at least.

Some people are incorrigibly shameless and I for one never know how to deal with them. I can just smart and sulk after they take me for a ride. 

Reflections

Looking at the old mirror and trying to recollect how I looked in it 20 years ago. Looking around me and trying to see what I saw there 20 years ago...

A summer ritual for my parents is to visit either Polali or Kateel temples and Rishi has accompanied them for many years now. I went after a long time and we usually have lunch and return. I had forgotten that they have this separation of Brahmins from others for food and male members are to remove their upper-body clothing, which will show the sacred thread. Now, kids and I aren't Brahmins anymore but my parents don't want us to be separated so my mother took us along and it was a difficult feeling. The last thing I wanted was someone asking Rishi where his thread was and making a scene of it. I'd rather have my food outside in peace. Rishi doesn't like it too. I don't know if I would've given much thought to this Brahmin privilege if I wasn't in this predicament. I may have happily taken it for granted.

My mother was doing arati to the Gods in the morning and Anu watched the rotations for some time and asked her if she was hypnotizing the gods. I don't know if she was serious.

Recycling

Reading Gorky's Mother. For the umpteenth time. I discovered it at home in the year 1998 when I was desperate for something to read and it's been one of my favorites since then.

I have so many houses to visit and I've hardly started! Some of them are difficult because people one takes for granted are no more there.

On the Name Hunt

I've reached home and one of the things I feel compelled to do while here is to go out. Go for a walk along the road, go strolling on the ground, go to BCR, Mangalore...somewhere. So I did some part of it already and the only problem is meeting people who I feel I know but don't know how. So if somebody gives me a second look I get alarmed as that means there is a chance that he/she has recognised me. It's established now that I can't put names on the faces of some of the girls in my class, on many boys who haven't grown a beard and not to mention seniors, juniors, brothers and sisters of classmates and people with any kind of growth on their face. So when I notice somebody of this category looking at me like that, I just busy myself with something, do not meet the eye and just move away. Yesterday I met a no-name lady but since when I looked up I met her eye directly and she immediately smiled at me, I just asked some general questions avoiding names and waved at her while leaving. Gosh, I'm going to be roasted by somebody or the other soon.