RELIANCE FRESH

Reliance Fresh Supermarket, Kollam

TSUNAMI - 2004

My vacation ended early in 2004 and I had to return to Maldives on 21^st December. Usually I return after Christmas and New Year. I tried to change the date of my flight but was informed that all the flights during the end of December and early January were full.

At the airport, I met a friend and on landing at Male, the capital of Maldives, we decided to take a room together. Unfortunately, most of the hotel rooms were full and we had to stay at a less convenient place. Next morning we vacated the room and found a better place. Another friend landed at Male on that day and joined us.

On Christmas eve we left for Raa Meedhoo in Raa Atoll, which was our place of work. We traveled by a speed launch. We reached Raa Meedhoo in the afternoon. Next day, it was Christmas and we had lunch together. One of my friends had bought canned chicken from Male and we had it with lunch. The three of us were early. Another colleague from orissa arrived that day. The others would join us only in the first week of January.

On 26^th December, I was at my residence washing my clothes in the morning, when my two friends came rushing to inform me that the sea waves had come deep into the island near the boat jetty. They looked shocked. I couldn't understand. I was staying near the center of the island and the waves did not reach that far. Afterwards, I went to the boat jetty and noticed that the sand was wet for a long distance inland. Water had come inland and gone back. I saw that the sea level was higher than usual. Some boys were placing sacks filled with sand at the gates of their houses near the boat jetty hoping to stop the water if the waves return.

Later that day, I came to know that there was an earthquake near Indonesia which set off the Tsunami. It was the first time I heard the word ‘Tsunami’ which is a Japanese word. It seems in Japan they experience it more often. I got the news that more than two hundred thousand people had died in Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Sri Lanka and India due to the Tsunami. I tried to call home to inform them that I was okay but the phone lines were disconnected. Late that night I got a call from my brother in the UK. I told him I was okay and that the Tsunami did not have much affect on our island. I asked him to call home and inform them that I was safe.

Only a few islands in the Maldives were badly affected, though they are all low lying islands. Later on, I watched a program on TV in which an expert gave an explanation. He said since there are more than a thousand small islands in the Maldives, the tsunami waves were able to pass along the gaps between the islands, which resulted in less damage. We were lucky to be unaffected.

KSFE BUILDINGS

KSFE Buildings, Kollam

FACT OR INFORMATION

I usually do not believe everything I see in the news or what is told to me. I accept them as information and not as fact. Unless it is important to me, I do not try to verify the information. It remains with me as information, which may or may not be true. This may be due to the bad experiences I have had, being misled by news and people.

I have met some people who believe every information they get. Such people sometimes get cheated. They may lose their money or find themselves in trouble. It is best not to be gullible.

HOTEL SUDARSAN

Hotel Sudarsan, Kollam

HOTEL NANI

Hotel Nani, Kollam

KASHMIR

I have never been to Kashmir but I have met a few people from Kashmir. Most of the people in Kashmir are muslims and there is a feeling in India that they would prefer to be a part of neighboring Pakistan which is also predominantly muslim. I have never discussed this issue with the few Kashmiris I have met, since I felt it may be a sensitive matter.

One day, I met a Keralite who was working for the Indian Air Force (IAF). He was stationed in Kashmir for five years. I asked him if it is true that the people in Kashmir would prefer to be with Pakistan. He told me it is not true and that it is an impression created by the media and politicians in India. I then asked him the reason for the regular protests and violence in Kashmir. He said Pakistan is fishing in troubled waters. They use small groups to cause some problems but the majority is not involved with Pakistan. I said if only small groups are causing the problems then a solution could be easily found. He told me there is a bigger problem; most of the people in Kashmir do not see themselves as Indian. They are not interested in India or Pakistan. They are seeking Independence.

In India, each state has a different language and culture. There have been demands for independence from some other parts of India. No government in India can allow Kashmir to be an independent country because that would encourage people in other parts of India to seek the same.

PASSPORT SEVA KENDRA

Passport Seva Kendra, Kollam

SAIN PLAZA

Sain Plaza, Kollam

ARCHANA & ARADHANA MOVIE THEATERS

Archana & Aradhana Movie Theaters , Kollam

PRANAVAM MOVIE THEATER

Pranavam Movie Theater, Kollam

HEAD POST OFFICE

Head Post Office, Kollam

It’s been many years since I entered the Post Office. I used to go there to buy stamps, post letters, send registered letters and sometimes send something by speed post. I remember standing in queue for these services. They also have other services like savings bank account, accepting payment of phone bills, money transfer etc. 

Now very few people visit the post office. Thanks to email and SMS, people rarely buy stamps and post letters. Their speed post service closed down recently. I think they were unable to compete with the private courier companies. They are trying to diversify into other business. They now have a service where they distribute advertisement leaflets in envelopes to a target customer base. It seems they have the information regarding age, qualification, income etc of the people residing in their area.   

HARD WORK

When I was a student, I thought the secret to success is hard work. When I first started working, I had a colleague who had just returned from the US. He had a master’s degree in engineering from a US university and had worked there for about eight years. He told me that you can succeed with hard work in most countries but in India you need an additional quality, you need to be cunning.

Later on, I realized he was correct. I came across people who took the credit for other peoples work and when some thing went wrong they tried to shift the blame on someone else.

One day, I had to meet the Chief Engineer of the Post and Telegraph Office at Palakkad. The office was an eight storey building, the tallest in Palakkad at that time. I arrived at about 1 pm and found that he had left for lunch. His office was on the top floor; all the others were literally working under him. I took the lift down and waited outside the building. Soon I saw an elderly distinguished man heading for the lift. I thought, he must be the Chief Engineer. I waited a few minutes, for him to leave. Then, I took the lift up. When I entered his room, he was already seated. On seeing me, he stood up and asked me to take a seat. He was in his fifties and I was in my twenties. I could not understand why he had to show me so much respect. I was trying to sell him a product but soon he started talking about Japan and how that country had made so much progress. I told him that they are a hard working people. He did not agree with me. He said some of his relatives had visited Japan and brought back some electronic gadgets. He asked me whether anybody in India can make some thing like that with hard work. He said what is required is intelligence and not hard work. He went on to say that if a person does hard work for long hours, he is going to fall sick. After talking for some time, I got up to leave. He stood up and bid me farewell.

I thought about it. Are some people just born intelligent or is it something we can work on. Maybe there is physical hard work and mental hard work. Just like physical hard work builds muscles, maybe mental hard work improves intelligence. Everybody cannot be a Mr. Universe and everybody cannot be an Einstein. Maybe you just have to work with what you have. If you use your intelligence at work and find ways to make work easier, you are doing smart work.I think smart work is definitely better than hard work.    

   

BARN OWL

Saw this barn owl near my house.

Went very close to it to take this photo. It didn't seem to mind.

COUCAL

A coucal. Saw this one near my house. It is a common bird in kerala. It is called 'uppen' in the local language.

CORPORATION BUILDING

Corporation Building, Kollam

BROOM

This photo was taken by Mamiko Sakamoto a Japanese Volunteer (JOCV) who was working with me in the Maldives. She was there during 2006-7. I  like it.

END OF JEALOUSY

I can remember only two incidents that made me feel jealous. Both of them happened while I was at college studying for my degree.

One day I met an old classmate and asked him what he was doing. He told me that he was studying for his degree at one of the top institutes in the country. I could not understand how he managed to get an admission there. He was not a brilliant student. He went on to explain how his father had used his influence to get him an admission. His father was a highly placed official. I felt it was unfair. I felt jealous. After sometime I realized that my feeling jealous was only hurting me. It did not hurt him in anyway.

Much later, I met another old classmate at a café. He was sitting near me and asked me if I knew him. I said ‘no’. I did not recognize him since he had changed a lot. He told me his name and mentioned that we were old classmates. I then remembered him. He had failed his exams. I asked him what he was doing. He told me he was studying for his degree at one of the best institutes. I did not bother to ask him how he managed to get an admission there. Obviously, he had the right connections. Since he had failed his exams he must have reappeared for the exams and passed. It was unlikely he could have got good results. I felt it was unfair. I felt jealous. A few months later, I met another old classmate and told him that this person who failed his exams on the first attempt is now in a top institute. He said ‘Yes, I know but he is dead.’ I was shocked. I couldn’t believe it. He said they are from the same town and that he had died of leukemia a few weeks ago. It was difficult to feel jealous about anybody anymore.

JEWELRY SHOPS

Keralites buy more gold jewelry than any other people in India. They see it as an investment since gold prices just keep going up. Even a small city like Kollam has big Jewelry Shops.

Joy Alukkas, Kollam

Josco Jewelers, Kollam

Bhima Jewelers, Kollam 

THE WORST JOURNEY

I was home for a break in ’96 when I got the news that rail tracks on the east coast were damaged by heavy floods. This meant the return journey to my place of work in Andhra Pradesh would be difficult. Anyway, I decided to go ahead since I wanted to report on time. I would get a bus from Chennai, if trains were not running as usual.

I booked my train ticket from Kollam to Chennai. On reaching Kollam railway station, I found a special enquiry counter at the platform near the entrance. There was a lady behind the counter. I asked her if trains were running from Chennai towards the north. She looked at me and repeated my question. I could not understand the need for a special enquiry counter if they couldn’t provide the required information. A man standing nearby overheard me and told me that the trains from Chennai towards the north were not running.

I boarded the train to Chennai. The compartments were dilapidated. Like most travelers, I had a chain and lock to secure my luggage. If you don’t do so, you may get down for a tea and return to find your luggage missing. Theft was common. I saw my brothers on the platform. They had come to see me off. The train started moving but it was slow and reached Ernakulam at about 8 pm. Then there was an announcement that we had to change to another train on the next platform. Since I had less luggage, I could easily change trains. Those who had more luggage found it difficult. I noticed a man with a leg in plaster being carried to the other train. The train started moving and early next morning we reached Coimbatore. Again there was an announcement that the train would not proceed any further and that all passengers could report at the ticket counters with their tickets for a full refund. We stood in queues and collected the refund. I decided to get a bus to Chennai. I saw the man with the fractured leg being carried to a taxi. They may have decided to go by taxi since getting on a bus would be difficult.

I got a bus to Chennai but by the time it reached Erode it got a flat tyre. Since they didn’t have a good spare tyre, they send someone to get one. While waiting for the tyre to be replaced, I met two keralites who were traveling with me. One was a navy man and the other worked in a bank. I was having a headache and took a disprin. My new friends asked me to join them for a beer at a nearby bar. I was reluctant since I had just taken a disprin and didn’t know if it would react with alcohol. They told me it would not cause a problem. The navy man told me disprin was banned in the navy and that I should not be using it. After having some beer and snacks we went back to the bus and were informed that the bus will not be going anytime soon. We were told to board another bus that stopped nearby.

 This bus reached Chennai early next morning. The navy man left for his house in Chennai. I went with the other man looking for a room but were informed that rooms would be available only at 6.30am. I then decided not to take a room since I had to continue my journey. I left the man and went to the railway station. There were no trains running towards the north. I went to the next station where electric trains were available. They were running but they do not go long distances. I took an electric train as far north as possible and then took a bus to Nellore and had my lunch there. Then I took another bus to Vijayawada. I reached Vijayawada at night and had some snacks at the bus station before boarding another bus to my place of work. Along the way there was a railway crossing and our bus was moving very slowly across the tracks because it was between a convoy of trucks. It was frightening because I have read of trains crashing into vehicles on the tracks.      

I reached my room at about 2 am, took a bath and had a cup of tea before going to bed. I had taken 3 trains and 5 buses to reach my destination. A normal journey would have required only 1 train and 1 bus.

ST. SEBASTIAN'S CHURCH

St. Sebastian's Catholic Church, Kollam

Liturgical Timings. Stations of the cross can be seen on the left.

Stations of the cross I

Stations of the cross XIV

CLOCK TOWER

Clock Tower, Kollam

RARE FLOWER

Top View: Saw this flower near my house. It is called Amorphophallus Paeoniifolius.  Found the name from the net.  It is about 14 inches in diameter.

Side View

BARENTU FALLS

Barentu is a small town in Eritrea near the Ethiopian border. I had never been to Barentu, but I knew a few Indians who were working there. At that time, I was working at another town called Segeneity in Eritrea.

During the year 2000, there was a conflict between Eritrea and Ethiopia. The towns near the border were more affected by the war. One weekend the Indians in Barentu got together and were playing cards. While they were enjoying themselves, a jeep was moving around the town making some announcement in the local language. The Indians did not understand and thought they were announcing a meeting for the locals. 

After sometime, when they had finished playing, they went outside. To their surprise, very few people were around. When they enquired about the reason, they were told that the authorities had announced that Ethiopian forces were moving in and people should evacuate the town, which was about to fall into Ethiopian hands. 

The Indians looked desperately for any vehicle that would take them out of the town. They could not find any since all the vehicles had left carrying the locals. They then decided to walk carrying only their essential documents. They walked for hours and finally crossed the border and reached a town called Kassala in Sudan. They then got some assistance in Sudan to return to India. 

BOAT JETTY

Boat Jetty, Kollam

MOTHER IN LAW

I met her at an institute. She was newly married and had joined a course to improve her skills. Since she was highly qualified, I could not understand her need to join the course. Her husband was working abroad. Later on, I came to know that she was staying with her mother-in-law who treated her as a servant. She had to do all the household chores which included sweeping the house and the surrounding area, cooking for everybody, washing clothes and dishes etc.

To escape the torture, she had joined the course. Initially, her mother-in-law did not allow her to join the course. She talked to her husband who convinced his mother that if she does the course, she will get a good job once she joins him abroad and they will be able to send her more money. Her mother-in-law agreed but on one condition. She had to get up very early every morning and finish all the household chores before going for class. She agreed to the condition and chose a full time course so that she could spend as much time as possible away from her mother-in-law. She then prolonged the course till she got her dependent visa to join her husband.

It is surprising that this could happen in kerala, the most literate state in India. 

INCOME TAX OFFICE

Income Tax Office, Kollam

UPPER THOMSON SECONDARY SCHOOL 1969-70

Class Photo Sec.1  (1969)

There were so many extra-curricular activities in secondary school. I was a librarian and had a special badge for being one. Twice a week, I had library duty and had to issue books or just be at the entrance. I joined the Judo club and gymnastics club. I wanted to be like the ninjas in the samurai programs on TV. The clubs functioned on Saturdays. For Judo class, we had to carry the mats and lay it before beginning. After the class, we had to again carry it back. For the first few months we only learnt how to break fall. Then we started learning the throws. Mr.Phang was in charge of Judo. We also played a lot of badminton during the weekends at school.

During the recess, after having food and drinks at the tuck-shop we would just walk around till the bell rang. Sometimes we used to look at the cars in the parking area. Some teachers had nice cars. There was one sports car which attracted us.

1969 was the toughest school year for me. Technical Education was introduced and I had to go to Thomson Technical Secondary School twice a week in the afternoon for metalwork and basic electricity classes. I could return home only in the evening on those two days. I bought do-it-yourself kits and assembled an electric motor and an electric bell. Technical drawing class was held at Upper Thomson Secondary School but I had trouble keeping my drawing neat and the teacher would get irritated and sometimes pinch me. The same teacher was teaching basic electricity. I was doing well in that class and he liked me during that class. I realized then that he was only interested in our performance. There was Educational TV (ETV) and we only had to go to the TV room and watch TV during that period. We made a photo album during the art class.

I was the only student taking Malay in my class, so for secondary two they put me in another class where there were other students studying Malay. It was difficult not being with my old friends but soon I made new friends.One of my classmates in Malay class died while playing hide and seek. He was living in a flat and was hiding somewhere and slipped and fell from the seventh floor. It was a sad day. A minute of silence was observed during the assembly in his memory.  New buildings were constructed and metalwork and basic electricity classes were held at Upper Thomson Secondary School in 1970. So life became easier.

CORPORATION OFFICE

Corporation Office, Kollam

BEST TEACHER

A teacher should have a good knowledge of the subject he teaches, good communication skills to transfer the knowledge to the students and a good character to earn the respect of the students. Teachers may use different methods of teaching which may also depend on the subject. Some teachers are kind, friendly or funny but may not teach well.

The best teacher I had was Mr. Jacob, a mathematics lecturer at Fatima Mata National College, Kollam. He taught me for two years (1974 – 76) during the pre – degree course. He made a tough subject easy by clearly explaining each step involved in solving a problem and getting us to do it along with him. He would then give us problems to solve on our own.

Mr. Jacob had a stern face and would not smile even once during the two years he taught us. There were about eighty students in the class. He would stare at any student who made even the slightest noise till there was total silence. There was pin drop silence during his classes. He never had to raise his voice. When asking questions, he would point a finger at a student and raise the finger. The student is expected to stand up and give the answer. If you see him outside the class, he would totally ignore you.

When the results were announced after the final examinations, most of the students got very high marks for mathematics. After the course, when he was no longer teaching us, he would smile briefly when we wished him.