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Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Days-1
Early years……..
Trying to recollect the initial four years of my life…..
Life spent at Kinginimattom…Kolencherry…
Early memories of my childhood…Nothing seems organized…just some scattered and vague pictures of the most beautiful part of my life….
Early years at the picturesque little village of Kinginimattom…the years that laid the foundation of love and peace in me….The years of innocence and ignorance…
“a peace loving little girl” is what my mother wrote about her little one to her colleague… this is the earliest comment I know about me….
I don’t remember my first day at school.. but do have some incidents at Anganvadi still clear in mind..candid and clear as if , if I stretch out my hands I can get hold of time to those days of mine..days I cherish the most…
Kuttan –my best childhood companion, Kunjumol kuttan’s younger sister,Edho..as I called another friend of mine ,Mary teacher, Appachan and Amma are the ones who come to my mind first when I think of those little days of mine.I don’t remember days before I joined Anganvadi…
Once I started going to school the routine was something like this…..
By the time I got up in the morning ..Pappa and Mummy would have already left for office. I would go straight from bed to Kuttan’s house which was only about 100 mts from mine. He would usually be in bed still …I would have to wake him up …almost everyday..for the morning stroll to Saramma chedathi’s house which my appachan didn’t approve of .. but we would go there daily…She loved kids and would daily give us something to eat .From there straight to Panikkan ‘s house which was on the other side of the untarred road which we were strictly prohibited to cross.
They also loved kids and would make me sing songs and tell me my name.
When asked to tell my name , I would tell “ Ari Mulla Muttu Muthu Unni Puthan vava Kunju unni kudukkasan” , this was the name my Pappa had put for me..he taught me one word each day and would add a new word to it every day..and ask me to tell them together…he felt it would help improve my memory…and the chechis there loved hearing me tell this name of mine…and I enjoyed being their pet….and so made it a point to be there every morning..
Both of us would run from there on hearing Amma call us…may be it is time for us to go to Anganvadi….I would be rushing back since our stroll to Saramma Chedathi’s house and Pannikan’s family was a secret that we shared, unless caught on our way back…Amma and Appachan thought that I would be at Kuttan’s house and Veliyammachi and Appachan , Kuttan’s parents , thought that we would be at my house…
Kuttan is my Grandfather’s elder brother’s grandson, which is my second cousin….
Kunjumol rarely joined us those days as she was smaller than us and preferred being at home.Kuttan and I made better friends
Back home it was getting ready for school…Amma had to play merry-go-round around the Jack fruit tree in front of our house to get me to brush my tooth and take bath…I hated the very thought of pouring the first cup of water on my body…but then she would sing songs ,tell stories and get me to take bath..
She would dress me up for school…I remember one frock of mine …One which had a rabbits face with long ears in the front and pajama like bottom..baby yellow in colour..it was gifted to me by my an aunt of mine , Leela Aunty ,my father’s cousin sister when she was back from some distant land ..somewhere in gulf as they call it…
I loved that frock of mine and remember fighting with my Amma for that dress daily…
Most Of the days we –Kuttan and me were taken to Anganvadi by my Velliappan , Kuttan’s Grandfather , my grandfather’s brother..it was a stroll we loved…except for when we came in front of one old house…which velliapan told that was the House of a Pappan…an old appapan with long beard who hated kids…I have seen him only once ,but whenever we came in front of that house we would hold hands and run fast…till we crossed the gates..Big gates…which looked fierce..
Velliappan is no more today..and in place of that old house is a two storied mansion… ..
Anganvadi was a one room building. Mary teacher and Molly chechi were the ones who managd it.Mary teacher taught us the Alphabet of Malayalam , Digits in Mathematics and to count from one to hundred and hundred to one. I remember very vividly the difficulty she had in teaching me to write ‘Ka’ in Malayalam .I would always write the letter upside down .Then she told me it is like keeping glasses for an egg, after which I learned to write the first letter of the Malayalam Alphabet. To this day , that incident comes to my mind whenever I write ‘Ka’ – putting glasses for an egg.
Rainy days were the most eventful in the Anganvadi..We would run out of the room on the first drizzle of the rain and teacher and chechi had a difficult time managing us.
Appachan –my grandfather usually came to pick us up in the evenings.The stroll back home though tired and worn out after the days games and plays are memorable for the “bonda” that appachan would regularly buy for us from a small hotel on the way.It was a routine affair and we enjoyed having them.
Saturdays were special for me , the day Mummy came home early from work.She would always bring something special for me every Saturday .I remember one Saturday..I pulled a chair near to the window , climbed on it and was looking out to the fields from where Mammu used to come walking .On other days Pappa and Mummy came together in our Lamby scooter KBE 420 .They reached home only around 8:30 – 9 and I would have slept by then. So Saturdays were very special for me…that day I spotted her from far…I jumped from the chair and ran to her climbing down the stairs and running through the Aracca fields…and climbed on her on reaching her…Another day..again a Saturday I remember my mom carrying a big lion shaped swing for me..It was a big one and she carried it with great difficulty..I had a number of toys to play with…a duckling..a set of kitchen wares …a lamp…
Sundays ..Of Sundays what I hold close to my heart is the afternoon nap I had with my mom..after lunch..we would lie down on the coat and I would become Mammus and my Mammus would become me and I would act like going to office, working in the kitchen, washing cloths ..singing songs to put her to sleep .Amidst the game some where I would fall asleep and by the time I get up she would have gone to wash cloths ..I would run to behind the kitchen near the washing stone and continue my game there pampering her….She would spread a sheet for me to sit there and play…
Afternoon lunch on Sundays..I don’t remember if it was on Sunday afternoons or weekday mornings ..pappa telling stories to make me have rice..I preferred Pappa giving me food to mammus especially rice because the balls he made of rice were of better shape than those made by mom…Mom’s were oval in shape while Pappa’s balls were perfect round… like the eggs of the Manjakili..in his words…lovely days…
One holiday, as was usual on most holidays I was at Kuttan’s house, playing with a cute little doll which was gifted to him by an uncle of his when he came from abroad . It winked its eyes and I loved playing with it since I felt it winked its eyes when I winked mine…That day I don’t remember where Kuttan was , I was playing alone..and suddenly a leg of my doll …no kuttan’s doll… came out ..little Anu knew guilt for the first time..I tried hard to place back that leg…but failed everytime I tried..I didn’t know what to do ..I knew the doll was more precious to Kuttan than it was to me…I kept it under the bed and ran back home crying all the way back..I didn’t tell it to anyone at home..I kept quite..looking out through the windows..to the way from Kuttan’s house..may be he will not come again..he may not talk to me..he may not play with me. By evening ..I spotted velliammachi from far..I was frightened , may be she is coming to scold me..As she neared I could see the doll in her hand…I confirmed..she is coming to scold me…I ran and hid myself under the coat..Velliammachi came in..and I could hear her talking to Amma..I tried to listen ..it was not about me ..neither was it about the doll..time seemed to be crawling to me…so slow that I felt I had spent hours together under that coat..
Finally, Velliammachi asked “Where is Vava” Kuttan and others at Velliappans house called me Vava…Amma replied “She was there somewhere here”..I heard them calling me…and crawled out from under the coat trying hard to hide the tears that were push opening my eyes...Velliammachi gave me that doll.Through the tears that filled my eyes I could see that the leg was placed back..I winked at Velliammachi and she winked back…..Kuttan’s doll became mine…
I asked her “ Where is Kuttan” . “He has gone to his uncle’s house”
Trying to recollect the initial four years of my life…..
Life spent at Kinginimattom…Kolencherry…
Early memories of my childhood…Nothing seems organized…just some scattered and vague pictures of the most beautiful part of my life….
Early years at the picturesque little village of Kinginimattom…the years that laid the foundation of love and peace in me….The years of innocence and ignorance…
“a peace loving little girl” is what my mother wrote about her little one to her colleague… this is the earliest comment I know about me….
I don’t remember my first day at school.. but do have some incidents at Anganvadi still clear in mind..candid and clear as if , if I stretch out my hands I can get hold of time to those days of mine..days I cherish the most…
Kuttan –my best childhood companion, Kunjumol kuttan’s younger sister,Edho..as I called another friend of mine ,Mary teacher, Appachan and Amma are the ones who come to my mind first when I think of those little days of mine.I don’t remember days before I joined Anganvadi…
Once I started going to school the routine was something like this…..
By the time I got up in the morning ..Pappa and Mummy would have already left for office. I would go straight from bed to Kuttan’s house which was only about 100 mts from mine. He would usually be in bed still …I would have to wake him up …almost everyday..for the morning stroll to Saramma chedathi’s house which my appachan didn’t approve of .. but we would go there daily…She loved kids and would daily give us something to eat .From there straight to Panikkan ‘s house which was on the other side of the untarred road which we were strictly prohibited to cross.
They also loved kids and would make me sing songs and tell me my name.
When asked to tell my name , I would tell “ Ari Mulla Muttu Muthu Unni Puthan vava Kunju unni kudukkasan” , this was the name my Pappa had put for me..he taught me one word each day and would add a new word to it every day..and ask me to tell them together…he felt it would help improve my memory…and the chechis there loved hearing me tell this name of mine…and I enjoyed being their pet….and so made it a point to be there every morning..
Both of us would run from there on hearing Amma call us…may be it is time for us to go to Anganvadi….I would be rushing back since our stroll to Saramma Chedathi’s house and Pannikan’s family was a secret that we shared, unless caught on our way back…Amma and Appachan thought that I would be at Kuttan’s house and Veliyammachi and Appachan , Kuttan’s parents , thought that we would be at my house…
Kuttan is my Grandfather’s elder brother’s grandson, which is my second cousin….
Kunjumol rarely joined us those days as she was smaller than us and preferred being at home.Kuttan and I made better friends
Back home it was getting ready for school…Amma had to play merry-go-round around the Jack fruit tree in front of our house to get me to brush my tooth and take bath…I hated the very thought of pouring the first cup of water on my body…but then she would sing songs ,tell stories and get me to take bath..
She would dress me up for school…I remember one frock of mine …One which had a rabbits face with long ears in the front and pajama like bottom..baby yellow in colour..it was gifted to me by my an aunt of mine , Leela Aunty ,my father’s cousin sister when she was back from some distant land ..somewhere in gulf as they call it…
I loved that frock of mine and remember fighting with my Amma for that dress daily…
Most Of the days we –Kuttan and me were taken to Anganvadi by my Velliappan , Kuttan’s Grandfather , my grandfather’s brother..it was a stroll we loved…except for when we came in front of one old house…which velliapan told that was the House of a Pappan…an old appapan with long beard who hated kids…I have seen him only once ,but whenever we came in front of that house we would hold hands and run fast…till we crossed the gates..Big gates…which looked fierce..
Velliappan is no more today..and in place of that old house is a two storied mansion… ..
Anganvadi was a one room building. Mary teacher and Molly chechi were the ones who managd it.Mary teacher taught us the Alphabet of Malayalam , Digits in Mathematics and to count from one to hundred and hundred to one. I remember very vividly the difficulty she had in teaching me to write ‘Ka’ in Malayalam .I would always write the letter upside down .Then she told me it is like keeping glasses for an egg, after which I learned to write the first letter of the Malayalam Alphabet. To this day , that incident comes to my mind whenever I write ‘Ka’ – putting glasses for an egg.
Rainy days were the most eventful in the Anganvadi..We would run out of the room on the first drizzle of the rain and teacher and chechi had a difficult time managing us.
Appachan –my grandfather usually came to pick us up in the evenings.The stroll back home though tired and worn out after the days games and plays are memorable for the “bonda” that appachan would regularly buy for us from a small hotel on the way.It was a routine affair and we enjoyed having them.
Saturdays were special for me , the day Mummy came home early from work.She would always bring something special for me every Saturday .I remember one Saturday..I pulled a chair near to the window , climbed on it and was looking out to the fields from where Mammu used to come walking .On other days Pappa and Mummy came together in our Lamby scooter KBE 420 .They reached home only around 8:30 – 9 and I would have slept by then. So Saturdays were very special for me…that day I spotted her from far…I jumped from the chair and ran to her climbing down the stairs and running through the Aracca fields…and climbed on her on reaching her…Another day..again a Saturday I remember my mom carrying a big lion shaped swing for me..It was a big one and she carried it with great difficulty..I had a number of toys to play with…a duckling..a set of kitchen wares …a lamp…
Sundays ..Of Sundays what I hold close to my heart is the afternoon nap I had with my mom..after lunch..we would lie down on the coat and I would become Mammus and my Mammus would become me and I would act like going to office, working in the kitchen, washing cloths ..singing songs to put her to sleep .Amidst the game some where I would fall asleep and by the time I get up she would have gone to wash cloths ..I would run to behind the kitchen near the washing stone and continue my game there pampering her….She would spread a sheet for me to sit there and play…
Afternoon lunch on Sundays..I don’t remember if it was on Sunday afternoons or weekday mornings ..pappa telling stories to make me have rice..I preferred Pappa giving me food to mammus especially rice because the balls he made of rice were of better shape than those made by mom…Mom’s were oval in shape while Pappa’s balls were perfect round… like the eggs of the Manjakili..in his words…lovely days…
One holiday, as was usual on most holidays I was at Kuttan’s house, playing with a cute little doll which was gifted to him by an uncle of his when he came from abroad . It winked its eyes and I loved playing with it since I felt it winked its eyes when I winked mine…That day I don’t remember where Kuttan was , I was playing alone..and suddenly a leg of my doll …no kuttan’s doll… came out ..little Anu knew guilt for the first time..I tried hard to place back that leg…but failed everytime I tried..I didn’t know what to do ..I knew the doll was more precious to Kuttan than it was to me…I kept it under the bed and ran back home crying all the way back..I didn’t tell it to anyone at home..I kept quite..looking out through the windows..to the way from Kuttan’s house..may be he will not come again..he may not talk to me..he may not play with me. By evening ..I spotted velliammachi from far..I was frightened , may be she is coming to scold me..As she neared I could see the doll in her hand…I confirmed..she is coming to scold me…I ran and hid myself under the coat..Velliammachi came in..and I could hear her talking to Amma..I tried to listen ..it was not about me ..neither was it about the doll..time seemed to be crawling to me…so slow that I felt I had spent hours together under that coat..
Finally, Velliammachi asked “Where is Vava” Kuttan and others at Velliappans house called me Vava…Amma replied “She was there somewhere here”..I heard them calling me…and crawled out from under the coat trying hard to hide the tears that were push opening my eyes...Velliammachi gave me that doll.Through the tears that filled my eyes I could see that the leg was placed back..I winked at Velliammachi and she winked back…..Kuttan’s doll became mine…
I asked her “ Where is Kuttan” . “He has gone to his uncle’s house”
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Earth Hour 2009
Switch off lights and vote earth to save EARTH….!!!!!!!!
Initiated in 2007 by WWF – Earth Hour campaign aims at highlighting climate change and its impact on our planet. More than 75 countries, including India have committed to join WWF’s Earth Hour in 2009 and the number keeps growing. Delhi and Mumbai are among 825 cities across the globe that have pledged to vote EARTH this year by switching off lights for an hour.
On: 28 March 2009
At: 20:30– 21:30 IST
Join the campaign wherever you be..!!!!
Visit: http://www.earthhour.in/ for more information and to get registered.
Initiated in 2007 by WWF – Earth Hour campaign aims at highlighting climate change and its impact on our planet. More than 75 countries, including India have committed to join WWF’s Earth Hour in 2009 and the number keeps growing. Delhi and Mumbai are among 825 cities across the globe that have pledged to vote EARTH this year by switching off lights for an hour.
On: 28 March 2009
At: 20:30– 21:30 IST
Join the campaign wherever you be..!!!!
Visit: http://www.earthhour.in/ for more information and to get registered.
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
To all my F R I E N D S….!!!
At School,
I always had ears that listened to …
Hands to clap for me
Eyes that cried with mine..
Friends who took me for what I was .
In College,
There was always someone with me..
In spite of my claims of bravery to be alone..
And tolerated my indifference and arrogance
Friends who were there with me wherever I was .
At work,
There was always someone to hug me and say
“I love you the way you are even if you don’t like you”
And “you can do it” even when I was least confident.
Thanks a lot for loving me more than I can ever give back..
Thanks a lot for trusting me more than what I’m worthy of..
Thanks a lot for BEING THERE FOR ME..!!!!
At School,
I always had ears that listened to …
Hands to clap for me
Eyes that cried with mine..
Friends who took me for what I was .
In College,
There was always someone with me..
In spite of my claims of bravery to be alone..
And tolerated my indifference and arrogance
Friends who were there with me wherever I was .
At work,
There was always someone to hug me and say
“I love you the way you are even if you don’t like you”
And “you can do it” even when I was least confident.
Thanks a lot for loving me more than I can ever give back..
Thanks a lot for trusting me more than what I’m worthy of..
Thanks a lot for BEING THERE FOR ME..!!!!
Character
When there are...
No friends to guide and correct
No foes to ridicule and laugh at..
When there is ..
No light..
No sound..
and you are all alone..
what is left with you is your character.
No friends to guide and correct
No foes to ridicule and laugh at..
When there is ..
No light..
No sound..
and you are all alone..
what is left with you is your character.
Friday, March 13, 2009
...
Woman – as a child
Games are different,
Toys are so,
But ambitions are as high,
To sprint , fly as high.
Woman – as a lady
Emotions more intense,
Judgments so,
Eyes wider, mind sharper,
To judge, let go and yet live.
Games are different,
Toys are so,
But ambitions are as high,
To sprint , fly as high.
Woman – as a lady
Emotions more intense,
Judgments so,
Eyes wider, mind sharper,
To judge, let go and yet live.
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
God Sees
It was vacation time and Hanna , mother of four, was busy at home, with kids running around her for every little thing. One day she called all her four little ones near and as part of teaching them lessons from the bible gave them a small task.She gave each of them a piece of bread and said that whoever ate the bread without showing God first would win a prize.The children ran in four different directions enthusiastic to win the prize of the day.
The eldest of the four, 12 year old Akshay , returned tired after an hour and said,
“ Mother, I had the piece of bread that you gave hiding God , now today’s prize is for me” . Mother asked “ Okay..tell me where did you have it”.Akshay was quick to reply “I ran to the end of our backyard, climbed up the Pipal tree that was covered with leaves and I had the bread hiding beneath the leaves”“Oh my dear ..you had the bread but God saw you having it .Don’t you remember the story of sachai , who climbed up the fig tree to see Jesus and Jesus saw him hiding under the leaves of the tree.so you failed in today’s test”
By then they saw 10 year old Adith, coming slowly but happily . He exclaimed “ I had the bread at a place that I’m sure God wouldn’t have seen”.Mother asked “ Okay ..where did you have it”.Adith replied “ Mamma, don’t you know the pond far away near the fields ? I dived into the water and hiding under the water had the piece of bread that you gave me , so the prize is mine.”
“Adith, you also failed the test..haven’t I told you the story of prophet Jonah who was sent as a sign to the Ninevites. God had arranged for a whale to transport him to the city of Nineve.He traveled by sea but was still seen by God” .Adith was also disappointed.
By then the third of the group, little Grace had returned from the ordeal .She exclaimed
“ Mamma , the test of the day was indeed tough.I had to search for long to find a place to hide from the eyes of God.But I found out a place ..there is a wardrobe in the kitchen which opens up to the darkness of the room where we dry our cardamom seeds .There in the darkness I had the bread that you gave me..so the prize is mine”
“oh..my little girl don’t you remember the bible verse that tells that darkness cannot hide the eyes of God”.
By then , little Gyan returned disappointed and on the verge of tears.He ran to mamma with open arms throwing the piece of bread , “ Mamma I could not have the bread that you gave and I don’t want the prize. Where ever I went I felt like God was seeing me and I could not find a place to have it..”
Mamma was quick to hug her little one “My little boy..the prize is yours.There is no place that lies hidden in the eyes of GOD”.
She called all four of them near her and recited Psalms 139 verses 1 to 12:
“ O LORD, you have searched me and you know me. You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar.You discern my going out and my lying down;you are familiar with all my ways.Before a word is on my tongue you know it completely, O LORD.You hem me in—behind and before;you have laid your hand upon me.Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain. Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast. If I say, "Surely the darkness will hide me and the light become night around me," even the darkness will not be dark to you; the night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to you.”
[ Courtesy : Prof M Y Yohannan ; Christian Revival Fellowship, Kolenchery ]
The eldest of the four, 12 year old Akshay , returned tired after an hour and said,
“ Mother, I had the piece of bread that you gave hiding God , now today’s prize is for me” . Mother asked “ Okay..tell me where did you have it”.Akshay was quick to reply “I ran to the end of our backyard, climbed up the Pipal tree that was covered with leaves and I had the bread hiding beneath the leaves”“Oh my dear ..you had the bread but God saw you having it .Don’t you remember the story of sachai , who climbed up the fig tree to see Jesus and Jesus saw him hiding under the leaves of the tree.so you failed in today’s test”
By then they saw 10 year old Adith, coming slowly but happily . He exclaimed “ I had the bread at a place that I’m sure God wouldn’t have seen”.Mother asked “ Okay ..where did you have it”.Adith replied “ Mamma, don’t you know the pond far away near the fields ? I dived into the water and hiding under the water had the piece of bread that you gave me , so the prize is mine.”
“Adith, you also failed the test..haven’t I told you the story of prophet Jonah who was sent as a sign to the Ninevites. God had arranged for a whale to transport him to the city of Nineve.He traveled by sea but was still seen by God” .Adith was also disappointed.
By then the third of the group, little Grace had returned from the ordeal .She exclaimed
“ Mamma , the test of the day was indeed tough.I had to search for long to find a place to hide from the eyes of God.But I found out a place ..there is a wardrobe in the kitchen which opens up to the darkness of the room where we dry our cardamom seeds .There in the darkness I had the bread that you gave me..so the prize is mine”
“oh..my little girl don’t you remember the bible verse that tells that darkness cannot hide the eyes of God”.
By then , little Gyan returned disappointed and on the verge of tears.He ran to mamma with open arms throwing the piece of bread , “ Mamma I could not have the bread that you gave and I don’t want the prize. Where ever I went I felt like God was seeing me and I could not find a place to have it..”
Mamma was quick to hug her little one “My little boy..the prize is yours.There is no place that lies hidden in the eyes of GOD”.
She called all four of them near her and recited Psalms 139 verses 1 to 12:
“ O LORD, you have searched me and you know me. You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar.You discern my going out and my lying down;you are familiar with all my ways.Before a word is on my tongue you know it completely, O LORD.You hem me in—behind and before;you have laid your hand upon me.Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain. Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast. If I say, "Surely the darkness will hide me and the light become night around me," even the darkness will not be dark to you; the night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to you.”
[ Courtesy : Prof M Y Yohannan ; Christian Revival Fellowship, Kolenchery ]
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