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