It happened when i was working as Field Officer at our Parassala branch. I had a branch manager, ravichandran by name. He was from Chennai. A very diplomatic person. Once, he told me that he wants to visit Padmanabha temple. I was staying very near the temple. He asked me whether i can help him. I said of course.. He wanted to place before the Lord an "al roopam" in gold (it was his wife's prayer.
I went early that day.I had enquired and found out that he would reach there by 6 pm. The temple would be closed by 7 pm.
He came by his Omni Van.. The time was around 6.45 pm.
I was tense that if he came by 7 or even later, the temple would be closed.
I thought he would be happy to see me before the temple.
On seeing me near the temple, he was upset.. I was wearing pants and shirts (which was not allowed inside the temple). He expected me to arrange inside the temple for his visit and
I was there in my office dress and not the temple goer's dress.
I told him how to go inside the temple and the ways to submit the "Al roopam".
he told me on my face.. "I know al these.. but i thought you would arrange it
in the temple and would wait for me inside the temple.."
i drew a blank face..
Had it been someone else, it would have surely been reflected in my next CR.. but Ravichandran was good.
But i still pity myself why i did not understand his mind..
Sunday, December 19, 2010
failure
I feel i have failed terribly.
But where did i..
my father who is now at Palakkad calls me and tells
that he has arrived in my brother's house by morning train.
my brother's son picked him from railway station.
I wondered.. I am alone at my house which is nearer to railway station.
But yet he has arranged with my brother.
When i asked him whether he is coming to my house, he said that he
wants some rest and would come in the evening.
I receive a call from him by 3 pm and he says that he is coming to my
house and enquired whether i will be there.
When he came to my house, i talked for a while and asked him
whether he would like to stay back. He says that all his tablets are
at Kalady ( my brother's house).
Earlier he was saying that he had difficulty pulling on with my wife.
but if that was the reason, why he preferred to stay at Kalady which was
away from the town whereas sreevaraham is very near temples,and is in the
town..
I felt very sad that my father calls me to find out whether i am available
for him to visit..why is is very formal..what prevents him to be assertive
on me and to say that he is coming and staying with me..
what part of my behaviour does that..
I always fought with padmaja to give him more respect
i dont remember any incident that i disrespected him.
but i dont know to show any love and affection. I keep them in my heart.
But i remember an astrologer once said.. that i wont get any love
and affection from any quarters...
But where did i..
my father who is now at Palakkad calls me and tells
that he has arrived in my brother's house by morning train.
my brother's son picked him from railway station.
I wondered.. I am alone at my house which is nearer to railway station.
But yet he has arranged with my brother.
When i asked him whether he is coming to my house, he said that he
wants some rest and would come in the evening.
I receive a call from him by 3 pm and he says that he is coming to my
house and enquired whether i will be there.
When he came to my house, i talked for a while and asked him
whether he would like to stay back. He says that all his tablets are
at Kalady ( my brother's house).
Earlier he was saying that he had difficulty pulling on with my wife.
but if that was the reason, why he preferred to stay at Kalady which was
away from the town whereas sreevaraham is very near temples,and is in the
town..
I felt very sad that my father calls me to find out whether i am available
for him to visit..why is is very formal..what prevents him to be assertive
on me and to say that he is coming and staying with me..
what part of my behaviour does that..
I always fought with padmaja to give him more respect
i dont remember any incident that i disrespected him.
but i dont know to show any love and affection. I keep them in my heart.
But i remember an astrologer once said.. that i wont get any love
and affection from any quarters...
Sunday, December 5, 2010
to teach
My son got a offer letter in INFOSYS. This i knew through my wife. Then again he got another offer from Accenture.this also i understood from my wife.
But why he did not tell this to me. it took me to my way of teaching the children lessons.
I have learnt that Girafee kicks its new borns by its hind long feet and the new ones will fall at some distance and with great difficulty it tries to reach its mother. This goes on for a few times and the little ones walk around the mother.
When the child miss school bus. I wont take them to school. I wanted his teacher to scold him so that he is on time thereafter. But my wife gets into and shouts and finally i will take them on my scooter 15 km away and when i go slow the child gets angry saying that i was purposefully slow ( which was not correct).
But what happened is when the child grows up he cuts off the communication line with me.
When he was angry with me for not buying the latest bike..When he grew his hair long to join his Rock Band i did not approve and when he wanted to become a pilot, i felt sorry. In order to keep the blodd pressure low, i was cool when he was talking to his mother of his interviews.
All the while i was praying to GOD.
I was never understood properly.
Was it because i wanted to teach my children the difficult way..i don't know.
But why he did not tell this to me. it took me to my way of teaching the children lessons.
I have learnt that Girafee kicks its new borns by its hind long feet and the new ones will fall at some distance and with great difficulty it tries to reach its mother. This goes on for a few times and the little ones walk around the mother.
When the child miss school bus. I wont take them to school. I wanted his teacher to scold him so that he is on time thereafter. But my wife gets into and shouts and finally i will take them on my scooter 15 km away and when i go slow the child gets angry saying that i was purposefully slow ( which was not correct).
But what happened is when the child grows up he cuts off the communication line with me.
When he was angry with me for not buying the latest bike..When he grew his hair long to join his Rock Band i did not approve and when he wanted to become a pilot, i felt sorry. In order to keep the blodd pressure low, i was cool when he was talking to his mother of his interviews.
All the while i was praying to GOD.
I was never understood properly.
Was it because i wanted to teach my children the difficult way..i don't know.
Sunday, November 7, 2010
sundari chellamma
Its 8 in the morning. Sundari chellamma is ready. Maharaja Chithira thirunal is arriving for the daily temple visit. The raja's humility is a "must see". Even in his plymouth car, he looks at you with folded hands. The royal look with a green velvet cap and the green stone mala shining on his chest and the diamond studded sword, he walks with all humility from Sree Padmanabha swamy temple to Sanghumughom on the Arat day. Everyone of us will love to be related to him.
It is this great man our Sundari Chellamma is waiting. She sometimes jump before the car. All she wants is a look at that most handsome face, because she has assumed herself to be the Rani.
She at her 50's still look good with the 'neriyathu' tied up in kerala style. Glass Bangles in her hand "kai niraya vala", eye brows in shape by nature (there were no beauty parlours ) The eyes are beautified by "kan mashi" (Kan mazhi when prepared from the carbon of the lamp lighted by gingelly oil adds to the health of the eyes). The jewellery is sure to be duplicate or else she would have been killed by this time.
We dont know where she sleeps, or eats.. but we see her around the Temple premises. She carries a "banda kettu" and in it is the photo of the young Chitira Tirunal. Though some miscreants shouts "Sundari Chellamma" which she reacts in a befitting language, the public see her with empathy. She carried a cane to drive away bad people.
She was as ordinary woman as any other lady, having dreams till that day Sri Chitira tirunal accidentally happened to touch her hand while distributing some prizes at a function in the school where she was teaching.
she became hysteric.
people who were in Trivandrum inside Fort area may remember her.
This was just one of the characters in my childhood days in this area.
It is this great man our Sundari Chellamma is waiting. She sometimes jump before the car. All she wants is a look at that most handsome face, because she has assumed herself to be the Rani.
She at her 50's still look good with the 'neriyathu' tied up in kerala style. Glass Bangles in her hand "kai niraya vala", eye brows in shape by nature (there were no beauty parlours ) The eyes are beautified by "kan mashi" (Kan mazhi when prepared from the carbon of the lamp lighted by gingelly oil adds to the health of the eyes). The jewellery is sure to be duplicate or else she would have been killed by this time.
We dont know where she sleeps, or eats.. but we see her around the Temple premises. She carries a "banda kettu" and in it is the photo of the young Chitira Tirunal. Though some miscreants shouts "Sundari Chellamma" which she reacts in a befitting language, the public see her with empathy. She carried a cane to drive away bad people.
She was as ordinary woman as any other lady, having dreams till that day Sri Chitira tirunal accidentally happened to touch her hand while distributing some prizes at a function in the school where she was teaching.
she became hysteric.
people who were in Trivandrum inside Fort area may remember her.
This was just one of the characters in my childhood days in this area.
diwali
Friday was diwali. Diwali in Trivandrum is an ejoyment mainly with the tamil community. The brahmins, though have lived in this land for generations, also enjoy this festival sans the richness. Of late thanks to the IT boom, some of the youngsters in this community have tasted money and spend some bucks for crackers. In some houses, they also spend for new dresses. I am not so happy with diwali, probably because i am afraid of 'vedi". I have seen sleeping crackers bursting when i go near it for lighting another one. The deafening sound creates butterflies in the stomach. So i always stop with some "mathappu" or with the "snake balls" which will send out thick black smoke but finally we can see carbon rolls form like a snake. The children around our houses burst cracker from their hands. For me its wasting lots of old news paper for lighting these crackers "lakshmi crackers make great sound". I light the newspaper and keep one or two "Lakshmi vedi" at the other end and run to the farthest corner with hands over the ears and wait for the bursting. Sometimes, the crackers may cheat you, it would send some "buzz sounds".
The oala padakkam (something like mukku vedi) is the cheapest. Though it is not dangerous i cannot light it without a piece of paper. There will be some rockets and the used bottles will be filled in with sand and used as launch pad.The rockets are dangerous ones as they are not guided ones, the bottles may fall down and the rockets may travel straight towards the watching crowds. Some may travel towards the neighbours thatched house. Once it went and hit on a coconut tree and it caught fire and fire engine came and flushed water all over.
We children waited for the "padakka pothi" over and above our father's purchase. We had three uncles and each brought their share of packets. Altogether there will be crackers for three times - One hour in the evening before the Diwali, the morning and the remaining for the ensuing "karthikai".
Because, we were staying in a compound owned by an Annachi (a businessman having their roots in tamilnadu). They are rich and earn by the 7 small houses rented. The children of Annachi's house will be bursting lots of crackers and most of the time we clapp and shout 'hai'.
At last after all is over, we small chilren will clean and make a bonfire wherein the unburnt, uncracked items suddenly get fired - some make sound and some only light.
in between we would go out to look into the streets (agraharams where lot of people live and hence lot of diwali) The pookutti and the beautiful children in the light of mathappu are all a sight to be seen
The diwali day begins like this. We dont exactly remember when we heard the fading sound of bursting somewhere and we slept. But we woke up hearing the cracker and the time is 5 in the morning. My mother would be ready with hot water ( there is no geyser) and 2 sets of cracker packets, new dresses are ketp before the God's pictures and a wooden palaka where we should sit after brushing teeth, and she would pour gingelly oil over the head and then all over the body. An old Murphy radio is switched on for "nadaswaram" from AIR (all india radio) When we come after bathing, she would give us inji lehyam(ginger), the very first item for diwali. We children would eat sweets from all houses and this is a precaution lest we may upset our stomach.
As we grow up, we get farther from this mother's touch and slowly our rituals are not followed and if we scold our children, they will retort that diwali will be good even if it is not followed.
This diwali, some children in our flat hung a huge malapadakkam. It was very near to the building and i objected to it but some child lighted. I got angry and poured some water over it and it did not burst.
Afterwards i felt sorry, i poured water over their enthusiasm. We could be ready with buckets of water and use it in case there is danger. Now i hate diwali.. The streets are full of cars and the crackers are lit in very near these cars (unthinking of the danger). These streets have less and less open space..I pity these children and also i feel spending on crackers and sweets when there are many under privileged children without diwali..
The oala padakkam (something like mukku vedi) is the cheapest. Though it is not dangerous i cannot light it without a piece of paper. There will be some rockets and the used bottles will be filled in with sand and used as launch pad.The rockets are dangerous ones as they are not guided ones, the bottles may fall down and the rockets may travel straight towards the watching crowds. Some may travel towards the neighbours thatched house. Once it went and hit on a coconut tree and it caught fire and fire engine came and flushed water all over.
We children waited for the "padakka pothi" over and above our father's purchase. We had three uncles and each brought their share of packets. Altogether there will be crackers for three times - One hour in the evening before the Diwali, the morning and the remaining for the ensuing "karthikai".
Because, we were staying in a compound owned by an Annachi (a businessman having their roots in tamilnadu). They are rich and earn by the 7 small houses rented. The children of Annachi's house will be bursting lots of crackers and most of the time we clapp and shout 'hai'.
At last after all is over, we small chilren will clean and make a bonfire wherein the unburnt, uncracked items suddenly get fired - some make sound and some only light.
in between we would go out to look into the streets (agraharams where lot of people live and hence lot of diwali) The pookutti and the beautiful children in the light of mathappu are all a sight to be seen
The diwali day begins like this. We dont exactly remember when we heard the fading sound of bursting somewhere and we slept. But we woke up hearing the cracker and the time is 5 in the morning. My mother would be ready with hot water ( there is no geyser) and 2 sets of cracker packets, new dresses are ketp before the God's pictures and a wooden palaka where we should sit after brushing teeth, and she would pour gingelly oil over the head and then all over the body. An old Murphy radio is switched on for "nadaswaram" from AIR (all india radio) When we come after bathing, she would give us inji lehyam(ginger), the very first item for diwali. We children would eat sweets from all houses and this is a precaution lest we may upset our stomach.
As we grow up, we get farther from this mother's touch and slowly our rituals are not followed and if we scold our children, they will retort that diwali will be good even if it is not followed.
This diwali, some children in our flat hung a huge malapadakkam. It was very near to the building and i objected to it but some child lighted. I got angry and poured some water over it and it did not burst.
Afterwards i felt sorry, i poured water over their enthusiasm. We could be ready with buckets of water and use it in case there is danger. Now i hate diwali.. The streets are full of cars and the crackers are lit in very near these cars (unthinking of the danger). These streets have less and less open space..I pity these children and also i feel spending on crackers and sweets when there are many under privileged children without diwali..
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
promotion contd..2
..3
I joined the Bank after resigning the job from federal Bank. Mr madhav kumar who joined on the same day in FBL, is now regionalManager. Whe i resigned i had in my mind..
to complete my ICWA studies in trivandrum, i had a fear that fbl was havng Christian lobby and SBT gave the appointment in my home town and i can go up if i work sincerely along with completing CAIIB. thAT WAS IN 1976.
After 34 years, see i did not go up the ladder..though i completed my MCom and CAIIB.
My CR was many a time in between blotted by unnecessary remarks and ow marks. The first one by Mr Sasidharan nair (he gave me only Good) next was Mr Sankaran my own batch mate He wrote Good and also "He is a brilliant officer but at times he should not be trusted in finishing jobs.." the next was Mr S John Controller ( he simply said that the excellent given by Mr Ravichandran BM, he did not agree for me. Then at Kozhikode, Mr KT Surendran gave me a blank remark column in CR. In tripunithura, mr shenoy did not give excellent. At Cherthala, also no excellent. in Ramankary, Mr kishore babu gave me less marks and painted me black..
I now feel that i could have been in Federal Bank, there it was not this bad.. or i could have gone to Indus Bank, alongwith mr joseph manimuri who did have good opinion of me and recommended me but i kept back because Mr bhoothalingam whom i accidentally met said that it was bad time for me to quit.
I now feel continuing in SBT was wrong... But some say..because it was SBT, i am still in service..
who knows who is correct..
I joined the Bank after resigning the job from federal Bank. Mr madhav kumar who joined on the same day in FBL, is now regionalManager. Whe i resigned i had in my mind..
to complete my ICWA studies in trivandrum, i had a fear that fbl was havng Christian lobby and SBT gave the appointment in my home town and i can go up if i work sincerely along with completing CAIIB. thAT WAS IN 1976.
After 34 years, see i did not go up the ladder..though i completed my MCom and CAIIB.
My CR was many a time in between blotted by unnecessary remarks and ow marks. The first one by Mr Sasidharan nair (he gave me only Good) next was Mr Sankaran my own batch mate He wrote Good and also "He is a brilliant officer but at times he should not be trusted in finishing jobs.." the next was Mr S John Controller ( he simply said that the excellent given by Mr Ravichandran BM, he did not agree for me. Then at Kozhikode, Mr KT Surendran gave me a blank remark column in CR. In tripunithura, mr shenoy did not give excellent. At Cherthala, also no excellent. in Ramankary, Mr kishore babu gave me less marks and painted me black..
I now feel that i could have been in Federal Bank, there it was not this bad.. or i could have gone to Indus Bank, alongwith mr joseph manimuri who did have good opinion of me and recommended me but i kept back because Mr bhoothalingam whom i accidentally met said that it was bad time for me to quit.
I now feel continuing in SBT was wrong... But some say..because it was SBT, i am still in service..
who knows who is correct..
promotion contd..
Mr ashraf of alapuzha absconded. His loan was collateraly secured. But it was closed by his family and the deeds were reelased. But he had taken money from six others who availed the loans and this is now NPA.
SBT had about 700 crores of NPA under this scheme. But Mr Kishore Babu charge sheeted only me. Mrs shanta of Pazhaveedu branch also had done lot of irregularities including clearing a housing loan cheque drawn fvg her son in law through her own account and the housing loan was availed from her branch. Mr kishore babu gave her clean chit and 99 marks in her CR.
So my enquiry is going on and orders have not yet been given. In between due to the good marks given by Mr Viswanathan i was in the zone of selection (320 persons).
How should i feel like? If i am selected it will be kept in a sealed cover. and if i am punished they will just tear off this cover..GMO who has to take the decision is in the Board..
CGM and GM knows me because of my AFI and SBI audit liaising and arranging ACE/ACB meetings.
Had i not been in the enquiry i had a fair chance of promotion. But now ...
This is where i dont know why God is not coming in..Some quote the Geetha..that all is for the good. Some feel sorry for my fate..Again some say that these are the action of Poorvikars (the souls).
Then i have to be happy..Mr.George Thomas, the first candidate and the senior most III, was not given promotion becuase, he was involved in a CBI case ( abil discounting case where he was a BM and not a party to it) which is running for more than 15 years and Bank could not give promotion and he can be placed in a higher post if exonerated by CBI.
and even when i did not have any memo i was not selected in earlier years..Because, the controller did not give 90 marks..
poor parameswaran or poor padmaja who wanted me to go high in career..or poorer children who cannot say my father is ....in a high post..
SBT had about 700 crores of NPA under this scheme. But Mr Kishore Babu charge sheeted only me. Mrs shanta of Pazhaveedu branch also had done lot of irregularities including clearing a housing loan cheque drawn fvg her son in law through her own account and the housing loan was availed from her branch. Mr kishore babu gave her clean chit and 99 marks in her CR.
So my enquiry is going on and orders have not yet been given. In between due to the good marks given by Mr Viswanathan i was in the zone of selection (320 persons).
How should i feel like? If i am selected it will be kept in a sealed cover. and if i am punished they will just tear off this cover..GMO who has to take the decision is in the Board..
CGM and GM knows me because of my AFI and SBI audit liaising and arranging ACE/ACB meetings.
Had i not been in the enquiry i had a fair chance of promotion. But now ...
This is where i dont know why God is not coming in..Some quote the Geetha..that all is for the good. Some feel sorry for my fate..Again some say that these are the action of Poorvikars (the souls).
Then i have to be happy..Mr.George Thomas, the first candidate and the senior most III, was not given promotion becuase, he was involved in a CBI case ( abil discounting case where he was a BM and not a party to it) which is running for more than 15 years and Bank could not give promotion and he can be placed in a higher post if exonerated by CBI.
and even when i did not have any memo i was not selected in earlier years..Because, the controller did not give 90 marks..
poor parameswaran or poor padmaja who wanted me to go high in career..or poorer children who cannot say my father is ....in a high post..
promotion
Today was my interview. I was the 5th candidate. we were asked to sit in the Board room and then one by one we were sent inside the Chairman's room where the interview is done. For 81 vacancies 320 candidates. The Board includes CGM - chairman, GM(O) and DGM (Credit). Just when i was sitting outside the room, two or three persons including the MDs peon asked me why i did not wear shoes. Suddenly Nandan of PA dept who manages the interview took out his shoes and gave me and i went inside wearing shoes. I thanked him for it.
This is the first interview i attended without inserting shirt or wearing shoes. One reason may be Padmaja was not well so she could not pull me out for shopping and the next was a story...
When all the traders special in the bank was taken lightly, Mr Kishore Babu sought to book me. He was after my blood. He gave me the first memo for late coming ( a branch cannot come late to branch without RMs permission ?? - the whole world knows ) then i was charge sheeted for a housing loan (i disbursed about 100 Housing loans and one became NPA and that house did not have proper road access. The borrower closed the account and i was warned.
The next charge sheet was for three loans mentioned in Audit. The mistakes were rectified and one or two loans were closed and hence it ended in warning. Then he has charge sheeted me for three Traders Special.
He says Edathua was 15 kms away. But i said it was only 9 kms. Enquiry was over and many charges were proved or partly proved. ie the guarantor did not sign on sanction letter, the Balance sheet was not properly processed, the recommendation letter was not dated.. But it all began with the Traders special loan given to persons in Alapuzha. M/s Soorya of Edathua was a fraud person. But he was the neta for CPM. Later it came out that he is a professinal defaulter defaulting in other banks also.
....2
This is the first interview i attended without inserting shirt or wearing shoes. One reason may be Padmaja was not well so she could not pull me out for shopping and the next was a story...
When all the traders special in the bank was taken lightly, Mr Kishore Babu sought to book me. He was after my blood. He gave me the first memo for late coming ( a branch cannot come late to branch without RMs permission ?? - the whole world knows ) then i was charge sheeted for a housing loan (i disbursed about 100 Housing loans and one became NPA and that house did not have proper road access. The borrower closed the account and i was warned.
The next charge sheet was for three loans mentioned in Audit. The mistakes were rectified and one or two loans were closed and hence it ended in warning. Then he has charge sheeted me for three Traders Special.
He says Edathua was 15 kms away. But i said it was only 9 kms. Enquiry was over and many charges were proved or partly proved. ie the guarantor did not sign on sanction letter, the Balance sheet was not properly processed, the recommendation letter was not dated.. But it all began with the Traders special loan given to persons in Alapuzha. M/s Soorya of Edathua was a fraud person. But he was the neta for CPM. Later it came out that he is a professinal defaulter defaulting in other banks also.
....2
Saturday, October 23, 2010
strike
We children were always afraid of strike. I have heard all horror stories of students being hit by policemen during strikes, and many innocent students having hit by the stones thrown by striking ones. I have in mind that these innocent students are pushed to strike by cunning politicians to take mileage. In those days, the main schools that are prone to strikes were, Fort High School, SMV high school etc..The Holy Angels Convent, St Joseph;s HS were not affected by strikes.
One such group of striking students came to our school too. The gates were closed and their usual prank of long bell did not work.i.e. The schools had a typical bell resembling a dosakallu. There was a small log and when it is hit for a number of times at a time, it is called Long bell. This can be seen in a recent advertisement also.
The students then threw stones. We in the classrooms hid under the desks because the stones alongwith the tiles would fall our heads. The class rooms are also unsecured. The walls along the side of the road are about 6 to 7 ft and then there was a very old and thin bamboo grill and thereafter the tiles. On the other inner side of the school compound, the walls are only 4ft and then the bamboo grills. The class rooms had plenty of natural light.
Many of us were timid and afraid to go out to the compound. We all were thrilled to see our leader Mr.Eugine catch a stone by the student strikers. At last because the striking students managed to have the long bell ordered by the HM. The gates were thrown open and we had to go to our school.
When i came out, there was a big crowd on the road. I was afraid and so i caught hold of another friend and instead of going to my home, i went to my grand mothers house because that friend was near my grandmother's house.
As there was no phones or mobiles like these days, one can imagine the great difficulty we had to reach our parents.
One such group of striking students came to our school too. The gates were closed and their usual prank of long bell did not work.i.e. The schools had a typical bell resembling a dosakallu. There was a small log and when it is hit for a number of times at a time, it is called Long bell. This can be seen in a recent advertisement also.
The students then threw stones. We in the classrooms hid under the desks because the stones alongwith the tiles would fall our heads. The class rooms are also unsecured. The walls along the side of the road are about 6 to 7 ft and then there was a very old and thin bamboo grill and thereafter the tiles. On the other inner side of the school compound, the walls are only 4ft and then the bamboo grills. The class rooms had plenty of natural light.
Many of us were timid and afraid to go out to the compound. We all were thrilled to see our leader Mr.Eugine catch a stone by the student strikers. At last because the striking students managed to have the long bell ordered by the HM. The gates were thrown open and we had to go to our school.
When i came out, there was a big crowd on the road. I was afraid and so i caught hold of another friend and instead of going to my home, i went to my grand mothers house because that friend was near my grandmother's house.
As there was no phones or mobiles like these days, one can imagine the great difficulty we had to reach our parents.
pranthechimi
Whenever i go to navarathiri mandapam at trivandrum, this haunts me. One day during the navarathiri days,when i was below 10, i went to mandapam alongwith some of my friends. as they would not allow us from 6 pm to 9 pm ( there will be concerts of great stalwarts like MDR, Semmangudi sir etc and the kings and queens would be there to hear it) we chose 3 pm. There was no one as it was not darshan time. Yet we tried to explore the heritage ( i always scored very less in social studies and i used to write the same things whether it is the golden period of Aurungaseb or Akbar) I being s shortie, would jump and see through the kilivathil ( a beautifully decorated small window through which the kings and queens would see us but we cannot see them - an engineering skill) Eda atha rajavinte kasera - a big cushion seat with golden decorations - (the ranis always were an attraction for me, the white skinned beautiful ladies dressed in Kerala style)then the mural paintings of the devi riding on the lion, the large wooden pillars decorated with wooden betelnuts, and the new coconuts from Chenthengu a variety of coconut trees that rises only upto about 5 ft.and the coconuts were of orange colour. We took pride among our peer group who stayed far away and knew very little of this mandapam, and told of these sights in the palaces..
Suddenly somebody from our group was yelling "eada odikko, pranth echimi is coming" She was seen running towards us. She was yelling, Kallan Kallan..The policemen in plainscloth stopped us..We lost the strength in us and did not know what to do.. but when they knew that we did not steal anything we were left free.. That was a lady who was mentally challenged..But she dressed like any other brahmin lady ( 18 gajam)..Her face was full of pox marks..I had even seen my grandmother giving meals to her at our house. She eats rice kept for 4 people.
After that incident we never went to mandapam at that time and we never met her face to face...
Suddenly somebody from our group was yelling "eada odikko, pranth echimi is coming" She was seen running towards us. She was yelling, Kallan Kallan..The policemen in plainscloth stopped us..We lost the strength in us and did not know what to do.. but when they knew that we did not steal anything we were left free.. That was a lady who was mentally challenged..But she dressed like any other brahmin lady ( 18 gajam)..Her face was full of pox marks..I had even seen my grandmother giving meals to her at our house. She eats rice kept for 4 people.
After that incident we never went to mandapam at that time and we never met her face to face...
Saturday, October 16, 2010
golu
It is navarathri times. it is mainly a joy time for girls. Every evening the girls and mamis, dressed up in pattu will be visiting houses, friends and families and by the time they return there will be a big bag with chundal of many types, a bundle of vettiali and pakku and some coconuts and also blouse pieces. The male children will go along with them only till the age of 5 or 6 or even 7. Sometimes there will be fights in our house for these chundals, because at some houses, they will be tasty. The male children will be busy showing their part of the golu. The golu will have bommais that have been bequeathed by three generations. The Chettiar and wife, dasavathara, saraswathi are main attractions. Then there will be our park in a corner. We will be eagerly waiting for the comments on the park and enjoy the appreciations, while having a deaf ear for disapprovals. My brother who has an engineering bend of mind, will arrange a rotating fan at the back of Saraswathi. the fan will be camouflaged with silver and golden papers and also the lighting. Our skills will be seen in the flower arrangements etc. In our house, the golu will be only for the last 3 or 4 days. The pooja eduppu will be done by the Harihara vadyar. The 8th day is the happiest day for us because our books will be kept in pooja and my mother will not say "Pdadida, padida"
I dont remember when the vadyar pooja stopped. now i am doing pooja, thanks to sabha's publishing the pooja vidhi abnd archana mantras in a book.
but my wife will be making the kolu at our house and preparing chundals. She knows classical music.
In trivandrum, the navarathri starts with the arrival of Saraswathi from Padmanabhapuram palace on the elephant(this vigraha was supposed to be used by Kambar), Muruga from velimala in the Velli Kuthirai, and Kundani mangai from suchindram. Saraswathi will be in the Navarathiri mandapam inside fort where there will be music festival. murugan and kundani mangai will be in Arya salai and chenthitta. We will go to these temples in groups.
I dont remember when the vadyar pooja stopped. now i am doing pooja, thanks to sabha's publishing the pooja vidhi abnd archana mantras in a book.
but my wife will be making the kolu at our house and preparing chundals. She knows classical music.
In trivandrum, the navarathri starts with the arrival of Saraswathi from Padmanabhapuram palace on the elephant(this vigraha was supposed to be used by Kambar), Muruga from velimala in the Velli Kuthirai, and Kundani mangai from suchindram. Saraswathi will be in the Navarathiri mandapam inside fort where there will be music festival. murugan and kundani mangai will be in Arya salai and chenthitta. We will go to these temples in groups.
Saturday, September 18, 2010
what is education
i happened to read pallavi's write up on education and i remembered this story.
a father was taking two kids for a walk. Don't ask which road for you cannot see any roads now a days walkable or even if there is a road somewhere with no vehicles, i canbe sure that youshould be a man with no nose.
While walking a child jumped on a round black lid. the lid was made of blackstone. Dum dum a sound. after one or two jumpings it went ahead walking. But the second kid when it heard the dum dum sound. it stopped and began questioning the father. the father then begins to explain the way of sanitation and why the cities were clean etc etc. The lid was the openings of these sanitation pipes underneath the ground and people can repair.
So education is for kids who can think.
Oliver goldsmith once wrote that he studied in the University of Passing Humanity (sitting on the roadside and watching people) but that has lot of meaning.
The story of Padmavyuh is known to all. The child could learn only half while it was in the womb.
Lord Muruga learned the meaning of Omkara when he was in the womb of his mother.
While i was class first from nursery to third standard, i was not upto the mark from 4th to 10th. I was third or fourth in the entire college for my pre degree. The astrologers say it is budha mandyam or so.
Swami Vivekananda could memorise a whole book by just looking at the pages. But he says that education is the unlearning of mundane things and it is the manifestation of the inner self.
I learned purusha suktham by just repeating while i was at the age of 10 whereas i could understand some of the words only when i was 18.
When some parents and teachers give thrashings to their children, i have felt sorry because i believe that it is not their fault.
so what is education..when it starts..
a father was taking two kids for a walk. Don't ask which road for you cannot see any roads now a days walkable or even if there is a road somewhere with no vehicles, i canbe sure that youshould be a man with no nose.
While walking a child jumped on a round black lid. the lid was made of blackstone. Dum dum a sound. after one or two jumpings it went ahead walking. But the second kid when it heard the dum dum sound. it stopped and began questioning the father. the father then begins to explain the way of sanitation and why the cities were clean etc etc. The lid was the openings of these sanitation pipes underneath the ground and people can repair.
So education is for kids who can think.
Oliver goldsmith once wrote that he studied in the University of Passing Humanity (sitting on the roadside and watching people) but that has lot of meaning.
The story of Padmavyuh is known to all. The child could learn only half while it was in the womb.
Lord Muruga learned the meaning of Omkara when he was in the womb of his mother.
While i was class first from nursery to third standard, i was not upto the mark from 4th to 10th. I was third or fourth in the entire college for my pre degree. The astrologers say it is budha mandyam or so.
Swami Vivekananda could memorise a whole book by just looking at the pages. But he says that education is the unlearning of mundane things and it is the manifestation of the inner self.
I learned purusha suktham by just repeating while i was at the age of 10 whereas i could understand some of the words only when i was 18.
When some parents and teachers give thrashings to their children, i have felt sorry because i believe that it is not their fault.
so what is education..when it starts..
Friday, September 10, 2010
cow days
I was then studying in 6th or 7th std. We were staying in a agraharam. In Trivandrum it is called, theruvu. Our street was a single row of houses situated on the Airport road before the West Fort. Our back side was a palace where the King used to rest before welcoming the Lord on his return from Arat. The street houses are in a row and lengthwise. There was a front room, then a rezhi a dark room but very cool. Then comes the thalam lit by natural light from the top. It will be good to see rain water falling. Then the “Adukalai” (kitchen) Our kitchen is small. There would be a path outside the kitchen that leads to muttam and after some free space (where there is a thulasi thara) and then a small kottil (where the fire items like viraku (wooden pieces), onakka thondu (this is also used for homams, srai, kari etc etc. Thereafter the bathrooms. It is difficult only if we want to go there during midnights. We were very happy. There was a nelli maram, some coconut trees and a cow shed in the backyard. After the wall, there is the free land of the palace where grass grows thick and high. Our house was owned by one Nagamma mami, our relative. She is now no more But her husband is now 101. The old house was later demolished and a new modern house has been put up.
The house we lived was an envious location on the Arat day. The arat procession will begin by 5 pm and will go to Sankumughom beach and return by 9 pm. While the children were happy to see the 4 pm onward procession because their eyes will be on the balloons and dolls. The making of balloon dolls is an art. He fills the air in the balloon by a hand pump and then by twists and turns a monkey or pumpkin or many a thing would be ready by a few seconds. Then it is hanged on the stand by his side . The balloons is sold as hot cakes. Some children just keeps it and it shrinks the next day. Some balloons burst with a big bang and the child cries in fear. Those are scenes to be seen. My mother has to go on making tea and will be mostly in kitchen. Sometimes we will be asked to distribute the tea and we do it with pride..They drink tea and pass on comments that we wish to hear ..”Konthe ethila padikarai? (which class you study?) Chamathu (Good boy)
Then one day my father who loved cows, bought one, so that we can drink good milk. The milk man replies when he confronted with the query “Paal thanniya irrukke?“ the cows milk is not as thick as it was in his early days..it is because of the poor quality of punnaaku (cow food) or the bad grass fodder. But we never thought it would be this hard to look after a cow. The cow , a loving animal.. it has all the required buddhi (brain). It makes different sounds for different purposes and to different persons. We have to have an eye always on it. Before we go to sleep, father puts some ‘vaikol” dried grass. Sometimes, we have to put some more during the night also. In the morning the milking man. (karavakaran) comes by 6 am. We have to keep the shed always clean. The cow dung is taken to a pit and the gomuthram (cow urine – a great medicine) has to be washed away. The cow has to be milked twice a day. But the way it licks you, and looks at you, you will love it and a bond is created unknowingly. Once, the calf was a male and so my father decided to give it to the Sreekandeswaram Temple. Even after some two days, it rushes to us when we go there. I was in tears to part with it and especially when we hear that such calves are auctioned to butchers. (we have to kneel down before our great rishis who gave the concept of goshalas)
After some months the cow was sold and another new one was bought. When the cow stops producing milk, it is sold and a new one is bought). This one was ferocious. It became my duty to catch hold of the Mukku Kayaru (a string tied by piercing the nostrils) till the milking is over.
But I will be full of pride when I am ordered to take the calf to the Palace behind our house to have grass fodder. The small one will jump and run here and there with tail kept high. But I will keep the one end of the long rope in my hand. Some times I had to run to many shops to buy dried grass. The dried grass is usually brought in lorry and there are many ‘viraku kadai” which sells this also. One was in Kaithamukku there were some two or three around Sreekandeswaram.
Once, when we moved to a new house, there was only a mulluveli around our house. But our cow somehow got wild and went beyond this to some other’s property. It ran here and there and we tried different methods. We showed fodder, we called by the cow’s name. Nothing worked till my father came and just called it. That was our last cow.
The contractor who made the cow shed made it as a room where we used to sit when it is so hot outside.
Those were our COW DAYS.
The house we lived was an envious location on the Arat day. The arat procession will begin by 5 pm and will go to Sankumughom beach and return by 9 pm. While the children were happy to see the 4 pm onward procession because their eyes will be on the balloons and dolls. The making of balloon dolls is an art. He fills the air in the balloon by a hand pump and then by twists and turns a monkey or pumpkin or many a thing would be ready by a few seconds. Then it is hanged on the stand by his side . The balloons is sold as hot cakes. Some children just keeps it and it shrinks the next day. Some balloons burst with a big bang and the child cries in fear. Those are scenes to be seen. My mother has to go on making tea and will be mostly in kitchen. Sometimes we will be asked to distribute the tea and we do it with pride..They drink tea and pass on comments that we wish to hear ..”Konthe ethila padikarai? (which class you study?) Chamathu (Good boy)
Then one day my father who loved cows, bought one, so that we can drink good milk. The milk man replies when he confronted with the query “Paal thanniya irrukke?“ the cows milk is not as thick as it was in his early days..it is because of the poor quality of punnaaku (cow food) or the bad grass fodder. But we never thought it would be this hard to look after a cow. The cow , a loving animal.. it has all the required buddhi (brain). It makes different sounds for different purposes and to different persons. We have to have an eye always on it. Before we go to sleep, father puts some ‘vaikol” dried grass. Sometimes, we have to put some more during the night also. In the morning the milking man. (karavakaran) comes by 6 am. We have to keep the shed always clean. The cow dung is taken to a pit and the gomuthram (cow urine – a great medicine) has to be washed away. The cow has to be milked twice a day. But the way it licks you, and looks at you, you will love it and a bond is created unknowingly. Once, the calf was a male and so my father decided to give it to the Sreekandeswaram Temple. Even after some two days, it rushes to us when we go there. I was in tears to part with it and especially when we hear that such calves are auctioned to butchers. (we have to kneel down before our great rishis who gave the concept of goshalas)
After some months the cow was sold and another new one was bought. When the cow stops producing milk, it is sold and a new one is bought). This one was ferocious. It became my duty to catch hold of the Mukku Kayaru (a string tied by piercing the nostrils) till the milking is over.
But I will be full of pride when I am ordered to take the calf to the Palace behind our house to have grass fodder. The small one will jump and run here and there with tail kept high. But I will keep the one end of the long rope in my hand. Some times I had to run to many shops to buy dried grass. The dried grass is usually brought in lorry and there are many ‘viraku kadai” which sells this also. One was in Kaithamukku there were some two or three around Sreekandeswaram.
Once, when we moved to a new house, there was only a mulluveli around our house. But our cow somehow got wild and went beyond this to some other’s property. It ran here and there and we tried different methods. We showed fodder, we called by the cow’s name. Nothing worked till my father came and just called it. That was our last cow.
The contractor who made the cow shed made it as a room where we used to sit when it is so hot outside.
Those were our COW DAYS.
Sunday, September 5, 2010
teachers day 05.09.2010
Today is Teachers Day. 5th of september. This year it is sunday and i happened to read some columns in the Open Page in The Hindu today. These are some of the incidents that run through my mind when i hear the word ' teacher'.
I never studied malayalam till 4th standard, in Holy Angels School. It was a girls high school and boys were allowed only upto 4th std. The subjects did not include Malayalam.
During the vacation, my father taught me some basics in the language, so that i can pick up with the lessons when i can take malayalam as second language. So i went to my 5th std with 1st std books in language. After about a week, the Malayalam Sir, began with the 5th standard text. I didnt know to read. He pinched me so bad and I cried. The next day, the sir ordered me to write a line from the text on the Black Board. I stood without able to write anything and again he pinched me severely.
I cried so much and was adamant that i will not return to that school. The next day i went with my parents and the headmaster allotted me to French batch and thereafter..it was Joy for ever.
The year was 1970. It should be somewhere in April or May. I completed my 10th standard. The School - St.Joseph's Higher Secondary School, General Hospital Jn, Trivandrum. I was one among the students waiting before the Head Master's room. Fr.Paul Kunnumkal was the HM. He is short with white beard. He usually could not speak because of some breathing problems. We understood that he was an able administrator. The HM came after his classes and the time was noon. We were waiting for some certificates to be signed by him. We all felt relieved that we could get the certificates. But all of a sudden, it seems that he was in a hurry to go out again, he shouted at us. I will sign only two..Come on Prasad and somebody else.... Prasad is now Dr.Prasad and he was always first in the class. We felt very sorry for ourselves and felt that our HM was not fair to us. As we had no choice, we waited for hours without even food.
We were in the 10th std. fr Kuncheria taught us English. His class he based on the dialogue between Kunti and Karna before the war. One day one of the boys came late and everybody laughed. He then turned to the class and told us "No", Who knows this boy may be the eldest, and would have gone to buy firewood and only after that he could get food..many poor families live like that..
Recently, we the students of 1970 French batch, celebrated 40 years of our leaving the school and 25th year of our alumni, by invitng our teachers. We sat on the same benches we sat in the VIII th Std. There were only four teachers. The Christian teachers took our hand and kissed and the Hindu teachers placed their hands on our heads, when we knealt down before them. They were very happy to be honoured.
But to be frank, the emotional ferver was absent. Was the forty years gap or was it that during those days, they did not touch our emotional chords..i dont know.
Once in Kannur, i heard that the class teacher refused to take the poem "krishna gaadha" because he was a communist ( and there were more muslim students and also that communism was strong among many families)
Another day i saw a Mash (teacher) and the student smoking beedi at a pan shop.
We remember some teachers for their love and affection (Fr Kuncheria )Some are remembered for their strictness which would have helped us later..
I feel that we like sincere teachers who did their duty dutifully and with a little affection.
I never studied malayalam till 4th standard, in Holy Angels School. It was a girls high school and boys were allowed only upto 4th std. The subjects did not include Malayalam.
During the vacation, my father taught me some basics in the language, so that i can pick up with the lessons when i can take malayalam as second language. So i went to my 5th std with 1st std books in language. After about a week, the Malayalam Sir, began with the 5th standard text. I didnt know to read. He pinched me so bad and I cried. The next day, the sir ordered me to write a line from the text on the Black Board. I stood without able to write anything and again he pinched me severely.
I cried so much and was adamant that i will not return to that school. The next day i went with my parents and the headmaster allotted me to French batch and thereafter..it was Joy for ever.
The year was 1970. It should be somewhere in April or May. I completed my 10th standard. The School - St.Joseph's Higher Secondary School, General Hospital Jn, Trivandrum. I was one among the students waiting before the Head Master's room. Fr.Paul Kunnumkal was the HM. He is short with white beard. He usually could not speak because of some breathing problems. We understood that he was an able administrator. The HM came after his classes and the time was noon. We were waiting for some certificates to be signed by him. We all felt relieved that we could get the certificates. But all of a sudden, it seems that he was in a hurry to go out again, he shouted at us. I will sign only two..Come on Prasad and somebody else.... Prasad is now Dr.Prasad and he was always first in the class. We felt very sorry for ourselves and felt that our HM was not fair to us. As we had no choice, we waited for hours without even food.
We were in the 10th std. fr Kuncheria taught us English. His class he based on the dialogue between Kunti and Karna before the war. One day one of the boys came late and everybody laughed. He then turned to the class and told us "No", Who knows this boy may be the eldest, and would have gone to buy firewood and only after that he could get food..many poor families live like that..
Recently, we the students of 1970 French batch, celebrated 40 years of our leaving the school and 25th year of our alumni, by invitng our teachers. We sat on the same benches we sat in the VIII th Std. There were only four teachers. The Christian teachers took our hand and kissed and the Hindu teachers placed their hands on our heads, when we knealt down before them. They were very happy to be honoured.
But to be frank, the emotional ferver was absent. Was the forty years gap or was it that during those days, they did not touch our emotional chords..i dont know.
Once in Kannur, i heard that the class teacher refused to take the poem "krishna gaadha" because he was a communist ( and there were more muslim students and also that communism was strong among many families)
Another day i saw a Mash (teacher) and the student smoking beedi at a pan shop.
We remember some teachers for their love and affection (Fr Kuncheria )Some are remembered for their strictness which would have helped us later..
I feel that we like sincere teachers who did their duty dutifully and with a little affection.
Sunday, July 11, 2010
The bug
he bug by Parameswaran
It happened in 1984. I did not get time to book in the Malabar express. The present day generation, even ourselves, can think of booking a seat in trains only through .coms. In those days, booking a ticket is probably the most difficult thing in this world as people are smart. everything was manual. If you did not plan your travel months in advance, gone; your travel plans either gets cancelled or it is horrible that you will take a sapath not to travel in trains anymore. The travel agents also play havoc to your plans. they book or block seats in advance.
and i decided to go to Trivandrum on a day just before a holiday. Malabar Express is the only train from Pazhayangadi station to Trivandrum. The train came fully packed and people who boarded the train from Pazhayangadi, only a few, squeezed themselves into the general compartment. Nobody seemed to be worried except me. I kept standing for about an hour and felt sleepy. Finally i found that some of co-passengers have brought newspapers with them which were neatly rolled out for sleeping on the passage. I found a new way out. I lied down with head under one seat and extended my legs to the opposite side. Nobody was able to sleep but all were half-sleep. It was almost mid of the night. A sudden scream in the compartment and all stood on their feet. I got up and found a most horrible thing. A man who proudly sat on a seat and looked down upon us was probing into what was the blood stains in his mundu and lifted the mundu beyond reasonable limits only to show us a handful of bugs that lived happily on his blood. The scene was horrible..
I wonder now where these bugs have gone. The trains now have only coakroches...
It happened in 1984. I did not get time to book in the Malabar express. The present day generation, even ourselves, can think of booking a seat in trains only through .coms. In those days, booking a ticket is probably the most difficult thing in this world as people are smart. everything was manual. If you did not plan your travel months in advance, gone; your travel plans either gets cancelled or it is horrible that you will take a sapath not to travel in trains anymore. The travel agents also play havoc to your plans. they book or block seats in advance.
and i decided to go to Trivandrum on a day just before a holiday. Malabar Express is the only train from Pazhayangadi station to Trivandrum. The train came fully packed and people who boarded the train from Pazhayangadi, only a few, squeezed themselves into the general compartment. Nobody seemed to be worried except me. I kept standing for about an hour and felt sleepy. Finally i found that some of co-passengers have brought newspapers with them which were neatly rolled out for sleeping on the passage. I found a new way out. I lied down with head under one seat and extended my legs to the opposite side. Nobody was able to sleep but all were half-sleep. It was almost mid of the night. A sudden scream in the compartment and all stood on their feet. I got up and found a most horrible thing. A man who proudly sat on a seat and looked down upon us was probing into what was the blood stains in his mundu and lifted the mundu beyond reasonable limits only to show us a handful of bugs that lived happily on his blood. The scene was horrible..
I wonder now where these bugs have gone. The trains now have only coakroches...
Sunday, June 27, 2010
madayi - the fish curry experience
i was promoted as Officer. It was in 1984. After years of homely food, i have to depend on hotels and a veg hotel in Malabar is different from a brahmins hotel in east fort, trivandrum. In those days the bosses used to get things done by threatening that you will be transferred to Malabar and Malabar beyond Palakkad is as good as landing in remote villages cut off from mainland. In kannur, it was six months raining and i abandoned wearing shoes because many a roads have rivulets and either walk with shoes on and mostly it will become useless or with due respect take the shoes and cross the small rivulets passing across the roads and mostly it will walking with shoes held high in your left hand and right hand pulling up the pants and sometimes with an umbrella tugged between the face and neck.
The fish experience is one that i can never forget. The first day i joined the madayi branch and in the noon, food was brought to our office from a near-by house. It was self service. I took some rice and made a big whole in the midst. Before pouring the yellow coloured "pulisseri" into it, i put my fingers into the dish and stirred it. I felt happy because i can have pulisseri here. But my Manager who was seeing all these, asked my whether i was a veg or non veg and i answered that i was a Pure veg ( I exactly didn't know the difference between veg and pure veg curries). He then asked not to take the curry..He said that it was fish curry.
Fever went down my spine..My god i have landed in a land where i cant make out whether a curry was veg or non veg. In the south kerala, we can know the fish curry by its bad smell or by the dark colour. I wondered how i will live here as a pure veg. but i was known not as a veg but as "pachakari"
The fish experience is one that i can never forget. The first day i joined the madayi branch and in the noon, food was brought to our office from a near-by house. It was self service. I took some rice and made a big whole in the midst. Before pouring the yellow coloured "pulisseri" into it, i put my fingers into the dish and stirred it. I felt happy because i can have pulisseri here. But my Manager who was seeing all these, asked my whether i was a veg or non veg and i answered that i was a Pure veg ( I exactly didn't know the difference between veg and pure veg curries). He then asked not to take the curry..He said that it was fish curry.
Fever went down my spine..My god i have landed in a land where i cant make out whether a curry was veg or non veg. In the south kerala, we can know the fish curry by its bad smell or by the dark colour. I wondered how i will live here as a pure veg. but i was known not as a veg but as "pachakari"
Saturday, March 6, 2010
mangoes
I was watching a TV show. Mr Innocent and some others were talking of the childhood days. Especially the child in those days who will fail to go the school without throwing a stone at a wayside mango tree. It took me years back.
We were a small group of boys. my parents went to work. and it was holidays. What else we have to do than roaming here and there. sometimes it was fishing. We had a "thorthu" and we will spread it under the water and we can see any fish because of the white background. As fish is used to squibble out between the fingers, it was a difficult task of catching fish by hand and we will usually get "manathu kanni" There will be a golden eye on the top of the head. The fish is then transferred to the bottle and carried all the way to a fish tank.
One day we jumped a 5 feet compound wall. We need climb only 4 ft because somebody had removed some one or two stones here and there. It was easy climbing because someone else had earlier made holes for stepping. Some stones were kept at the bottom as stepping stone also. It was the big backyard for Mr Muthunayakam, where he cultivated different varities of mango trees and jackfruit trees and many fruits. We were interested only in mango trees.
I never made it to get the mangoes. I never was good at aiming. I closed my one eye and threw the i ft long log which will hit the mangoes on my fifth or sixth throw but the mango bunches will not fall. The friends laughed at me calling "pachakari"(meaning vegetables..i am a strict vegetarian) Ponnappan, my neighbour was very good at throwing. He never missed any hits. He uses only stones with sharp edges. Let the mangoes be at any height his stone is sure to hit and when he is throwing it rains mangoes. we will run helter skelter to pick the mangoes. We shout "oh there oh here.There are "kilichoondan", vellayani, honey mangoes One of them is Karpoora mangoe..it smells camphor. When we are satisfied of showing our skills we will take the mangoes and luckily for us there was a cooperative store which kept the salt bag. During those days there was no packed or iodised or refined salt. We know only of one kind of "Uppu". The mangoes are made to pieces not by knifes. but it is smashed on the stones and the pieces are eaten with some salt. even now it waters the mouth just to think of it. A little water after the manogo treat from the public water tap.. and we can go for some rest.
r Mutunayakam it seems was worried of where the mangoes go. So one day he decided to deal with a firm foot.
We jumped and as usual we threw the stones. But suddenly a boy shouted. Oodikko Patti varune..(Run the dog is coming) Mr Muthunayakam released his big alsatian dog and i didnt know how it all happened. I ran and jumped at one shot over the wall..and thanked God..
we never ventured into Muthunayakam's backyard.. We ate mangoes from other trees somewhere else.
We were a small group of boys. my parents went to work. and it was holidays. What else we have to do than roaming here and there. sometimes it was fishing. We had a "thorthu" and we will spread it under the water and we can see any fish because of the white background. As fish is used to squibble out between the fingers, it was a difficult task of catching fish by hand and we will usually get "manathu kanni" There will be a golden eye on the top of the head. The fish is then transferred to the bottle and carried all the way to a fish tank.
One day we jumped a 5 feet compound wall. We need climb only 4 ft because somebody had removed some one or two stones here and there. It was easy climbing because someone else had earlier made holes for stepping. Some stones were kept at the bottom as stepping stone also. It was the big backyard for Mr Muthunayakam, where he cultivated different varities of mango trees and jackfruit trees and many fruits. We were interested only in mango trees.
I never made it to get the mangoes. I never was good at aiming. I closed my one eye and threw the i ft long log which will hit the mangoes on my fifth or sixth throw but the mango bunches will not fall. The friends laughed at me calling "pachakari"(meaning vegetables..i am a strict vegetarian) Ponnappan, my neighbour was very good at throwing. He never missed any hits. He uses only stones with sharp edges. Let the mangoes be at any height his stone is sure to hit and when he is throwing it rains mangoes. we will run helter skelter to pick the mangoes. We shout "oh there oh here.There are "kilichoondan", vellayani, honey mangoes One of them is Karpoora mangoe..it smells camphor. When we are satisfied of showing our skills we will take the mangoes and luckily for us there was a cooperative store which kept the salt bag. During those days there was no packed or iodised or refined salt. We know only of one kind of "Uppu". The mangoes are made to pieces not by knifes. but it is smashed on the stones and the pieces are eaten with some salt. even now it waters the mouth just to think of it. A little water after the manogo treat from the public water tap.. and we can go for some rest.
r Mutunayakam it seems was worried of where the mangoes go. So one day he decided to deal with a firm foot.
We jumped and as usual we threw the stones. But suddenly a boy shouted. Oodikko Patti varune..(Run the dog is coming) Mr Muthunayakam released his big alsatian dog and i didnt know how it all happened. I ran and jumped at one shot over the wall..and thanked God..
we never ventured into Muthunayakam's backyard.. We ate mangoes from other trees somewhere else.
Sunday, February 7, 2010
a photo
This is another story told by Krishnan Mama. The story is about a photograph .
Tholassery is a small place near to Thiruvalla. It is said that Thukalassery is locally called Tholassery. The legend is that the Lord killed the Asura called Thukala in this place and that is why it is Thukalassery. There were about a dozen of Brahmin families. Krishnan mama’s family was one.
Situated on the banks of River Manimala, life in tholassery revolves around “krishi” (agriculture) and the temple. For the city people this is still a sleepy village. It is about 2or 3 miles from the main town called Thiruvalla (Thiruvalla is a shortened form of Sree Vallabhan –Lord Vishnu)
This happened about a half of century ago. The Ravi studio is situated next to the Transport Bus Stand. This is the only studio in that town and we can imagine his leisure time. As in economics, if the demand exceeds the production, it is sellers market. That simply means that you have no choice. In those days the family photos are taken at the houses (family does not mean the present nucleus family).
To set up a studio is a very difficult thing. One has to first acquire the knowledge of photography from distant places like Thiruvananthapuram, Kochi and if you graduate from Madras your business is assured.
Somebody in Krishnan mama’s family brought the idea – a family photo. In those days, photos were hanged on the walls in all the houses. In some houses as we enter, we can see pictures of Gods, Goddess. In some others we can see big pictures of Grandpa and Grandma (that says they are no more). Whether the picture is a drawing in canvass – mat finish or a black and white photo depends on the financial capacity of the family and in some houses to tell others of their family lineage – many often linked to high jobs in palace. (My great grandfather was a Peshkar in Poonjar Palace or so). There will also be a line of photos nailed to the long thin piece of wood called “pattiyal”. The photos would framed (in my childhood days, there was a photo frame shop in every street corners. A middle aged man with a spectacle decked on the middle of the nose so that he can look at you straight and at his work through the glasses. He would always seem to be busy framing somebody - a rare thing now a days because one can even take a pic from his mobile and keep it digital) The frame cost would depend on whether it is golden or teak wood or one which has artistic bends and so on.
After many days running between Ravi studio and thukalassery, because there were no phones, a convenient date was fixed for photo and after the long days of waiting, the fixed date has come.
There was tension on everyone’s face. Krishnan mama was afraid that nothing untoward should happen in between. He was afraid of the egoist personalities in the family. He thought in mind “as if they are very handsome and cute”. Each of the family members felt that their photo should be prominent. Some ladies bribed Krishnan mama for buying them fragrant powder to be put on the face already covered by turmeric paste. The black skinned was called as the colour of Krishna !!
The black ambassador car came. The car could not come to the house because from the road, it was a four foot path to the house. The photographer unloaded a big studio itself and it was carried to the front of the house. A bench and one or two chairs were also brought out and arranged.
Though everything was ready, some of them were missing and to utter disappointment, it was because of some rumour that they would not get proper places, some wanted to stand with their hubby some ddidn’t..some wanted the middle and some wanted the end. And Krishnan mama had a tough time in bringing all of them and in between the photographer seemed to be angry at these and once he is gone, you can only imagine when next.
At last everything was in place, the camera was placed on the three legged pod and the whole thing was covered by a black cloth. For the lights, it was only natural sun light. He went into the black cloth and shouted “Ismile” Ismile”. Then he slipped a black slide at the back of the camera. After that , he again came out to adjust the people. You ..the tall one go to the back and the short one to come to the front. He asked jokingly why they were standing miles apart. A long sting at one end was pulled and the shutter n the camera was closed.
It was a sigh of relief.. till the black and white photo was received some days after. Some cries and some happy and some called the photographer a cheat.. and some told that it did not look like them..till all these died down..
But years later Krishnan mama was happy that the photo was taken..many of them were no more..
But he was taken aback when a boy hearing the entire story asked “why did they make a fuss of it when it can click a photo in my mobile!!
Tholassery is a small place near to Thiruvalla. It is said that Thukalassery is locally called Tholassery. The legend is that the Lord killed the Asura called Thukala in this place and that is why it is Thukalassery. There were about a dozen of Brahmin families. Krishnan mama’s family was one.
Situated on the banks of River Manimala, life in tholassery revolves around “krishi” (agriculture) and the temple. For the city people this is still a sleepy village. It is about 2or 3 miles from the main town called Thiruvalla (Thiruvalla is a shortened form of Sree Vallabhan –Lord Vishnu)
This happened about a half of century ago. The Ravi studio is situated next to the Transport Bus Stand. This is the only studio in that town and we can imagine his leisure time. As in economics, if the demand exceeds the production, it is sellers market. That simply means that you have no choice. In those days the family photos are taken at the houses (family does not mean the present nucleus family).
To set up a studio is a very difficult thing. One has to first acquire the knowledge of photography from distant places like Thiruvananthapuram, Kochi and if you graduate from Madras your business is assured.
Somebody in Krishnan mama’s family brought the idea – a family photo. In those days, photos were hanged on the walls in all the houses. In some houses as we enter, we can see pictures of Gods, Goddess. In some others we can see big pictures of Grandpa and Grandma (that says they are no more). Whether the picture is a drawing in canvass – mat finish or a black and white photo depends on the financial capacity of the family and in some houses to tell others of their family lineage – many often linked to high jobs in palace. (My great grandfather was a Peshkar in Poonjar Palace or so). There will also be a line of photos nailed to the long thin piece of wood called “pattiyal”. The photos would framed (in my childhood days, there was a photo frame shop in every street corners. A middle aged man with a spectacle decked on the middle of the nose so that he can look at you straight and at his work through the glasses. He would always seem to be busy framing somebody - a rare thing now a days because one can even take a pic from his mobile and keep it digital) The frame cost would depend on whether it is golden or teak wood or one which has artistic bends and so on.
After many days running between Ravi studio and thukalassery, because there were no phones, a convenient date was fixed for photo and after the long days of waiting, the fixed date has come.
There was tension on everyone’s face. Krishnan mama was afraid that nothing untoward should happen in between. He was afraid of the egoist personalities in the family. He thought in mind “as if they are very handsome and cute”. Each of the family members felt that their photo should be prominent. Some ladies bribed Krishnan mama for buying them fragrant powder to be put on the face already covered by turmeric paste. The black skinned was called as the colour of Krishna !!
The black ambassador car came. The car could not come to the house because from the road, it was a four foot path to the house. The photographer unloaded a big studio itself and it was carried to the front of the house. A bench and one or two chairs were also brought out and arranged.
Though everything was ready, some of them were missing and to utter disappointment, it was because of some rumour that they would not get proper places, some wanted to stand with their hubby some ddidn’t..some wanted the middle and some wanted the end. And Krishnan mama had a tough time in bringing all of them and in between the photographer seemed to be angry at these and once he is gone, you can only imagine when next.
At last everything was in place, the camera was placed on the three legged pod and the whole thing was covered by a black cloth. For the lights, it was only natural sun light. He went into the black cloth and shouted “Ismile” Ismile”. Then he slipped a black slide at the back of the camera. After that , he again came out to adjust the people. You ..the tall one go to the back and the short one to come to the front. He asked jokingly why they were standing miles apart. A long sting at one end was pulled and the shutter n the camera was closed.
It was a sigh of relief.. till the black and white photo was received some days after. Some cries and some happy and some called the photographer a cheat.. and some told that it did not look like them..till all these died down..
But years later Krishnan mama was happy that the photo was taken..many of them were no more..
But he was taken aback when a boy hearing the entire story asked “why did they make a fuss of it when it can click a photo in my mobile!!
Sunday, January 3, 2010
krishnan mama stories
This is another story told by krishnan mama..
It is a story of Demand Draft.
Krishnan mama was then working in a Steel Company near Calcutta..
His son Mr.N was studying for Engineering in Kerala.
Krishnan mama was very prompt in sending money to his son.. He was a loving father and never wanted his son's name on the College Notice board or the Hostel. But never for extravaganza.
There are two school of thoughts for parenting..One is "I had never the opportunity for any extravaganza and so i worked very hard and i am now like this." Another one is "I was never able to enjoy like this in my child hood and my children should not be deprived of this..let them enjoy"..But some say the second school of thought would bring out a spoilt child..
Krishnan mama would have been a mixed type of fixing limits for both..Anyway Master N was a good son of a good father and he understood the father well. He never asked for more..
It is month begining at Calcutta..As the salary is only to meet both ends, banking was, for many, only a savings bank account and of course trusted means of sending money to aged parents.. For many a malayali it could be a Demand Draft for a son doing education in far away Kerala. Our Krishnan mama also had his son educated in Kerala and looked upon the Bank as the most trusted means for sending money.
He says..
It was a night mare, without sleep for many days..when a month end is coming..I have to get a Demand Draft for Rs.500/- (Now the very same son would laugh at the mention of rs.500/- But in those days five hundred in equal to five thousand.. nay much more..) to my son. The Draft should reach him before the 10th. Or else, anything can happen..Standing outside the class, caning, The class teacher calling out the names of defaulters and it is another way of punishment.
Those days were days prior to globalisation and the customer was NOT the King. We can never argue with or shout at or be angry with any person in the Banks or Govt offices. The public are treated as servants though they are actually called Public servants. The banks were in sellers market. In banks the branch manager is to be seen only by big customers and DD customers have to be satisfied with Head Cashiers.
Our krishnan mama started the DD exercise every month by the 25th. That is the day to see the Head Cashier and say Hai.. The Head Cashier is more than a God..With the union support, he is even more than a branch manager.His wrath means the end of relationship with that Branch. So one has to be very careful in words and deeds or even in mannerisms..so that it should not hurt him..
This Hai of Head Cashier means that "You are acknowledged" and it also means that he will accept the money. One or the other day again Krishnan mama would go to say "Hai" and during one such Hai, the HC notes down Krishnan Mama's name and gives the date for remittance..3rd, 4th etc.. The salary will be received in Cash only on the 1st or 2nd. (Unlike in these days where it is only credited into the accounts which should be withdrawn by ATM cards and issuing cheques only for making credit card payments) and in between Sundays may be another tension because delay in taking DD means delay in sending DDs.
On getting the salary, Krishnan mama would rush to the Bank. One could not rush to the Head Cashier. He is the most busy man.. He shouts to customers..in between he closes the counter and rushes to the branch manager's cabin..to settle scores..while the customer has to wait. ( a customer in hindi once told me.."Jo Kasht se martha hai wo Kashtomer kahata hai.) So our Krishnan mama would enter the branch and would stand on a corner waiting for the Head Cashier to see him and acknowledge. The Head Cashier during one such rounds outside his cabin acknowledges and a deep breath goes in as a relief.. Then the HC calls by waiving of hand and with all respects like a man before the God in the temple, the cash is given alongwith the DD application slip ( the DD application is a piece of colourful slip which asks for a lot of details and as this is a ususal monthly item, it is filled at home and kept ready for 2 or three months ahead ) and after the Head cashier received the Cash.. that day is over..You should not stand there..In between he will say ..Come in the evening or sometimes, come tomorrow.." The next day the DD is on your hands and the next worry takes over Krishnan mama.. The Post office..
The Post Master and the people at the post office are more friendly but they are never the fast you wanted..
The DD is put in a cover and the address of Master N is written neatly and made doubly sure that there is no mistake and with a prayer..(as we have read in papers ..Post Card received after 50 years..")The DD is sent as "Registered Post" because delivery to the addressee is ensured.
And at last not knowing of all these hurdles, pains, tension, Master N happily receives the DD.. The father waits for the Post Card from N as acknowledgement..and the next 25th the same story again.
(The new generation should visualise how the elder generation suffered and now with internet banking, ATMs Credit cards, etc and with banks competing each other, banking a few decades before can only be an old story.)
It is a story of Demand Draft.
Krishnan mama was then working in a Steel Company near Calcutta..
His son Mr.N was studying for Engineering in Kerala.
Krishnan mama was very prompt in sending money to his son.. He was a loving father and never wanted his son's name on the College Notice board or the Hostel. But never for extravaganza.
There are two school of thoughts for parenting..One is "I had never the opportunity for any extravaganza and so i worked very hard and i am now like this." Another one is "I was never able to enjoy like this in my child hood and my children should not be deprived of this..let them enjoy"..But some say the second school of thought would bring out a spoilt child..
Krishnan mama would have been a mixed type of fixing limits for both..Anyway Master N was a good son of a good father and he understood the father well. He never asked for more..
It is month begining at Calcutta..As the salary is only to meet both ends, banking was, for many, only a savings bank account and of course trusted means of sending money to aged parents.. For many a malayali it could be a Demand Draft for a son doing education in far away Kerala. Our Krishnan mama also had his son educated in Kerala and looked upon the Bank as the most trusted means for sending money.
He says..
It was a night mare, without sleep for many days..when a month end is coming..I have to get a Demand Draft for Rs.500/- (Now the very same son would laugh at the mention of rs.500/- But in those days five hundred in equal to five thousand.. nay much more..) to my son. The Draft should reach him before the 10th. Or else, anything can happen..Standing outside the class, caning, The class teacher calling out the names of defaulters and it is another way of punishment.
Those days were days prior to globalisation and the customer was NOT the King. We can never argue with or shout at or be angry with any person in the Banks or Govt offices. The public are treated as servants though they are actually called Public servants. The banks were in sellers market. In banks the branch manager is to be seen only by big customers and DD customers have to be satisfied with Head Cashiers.
Our krishnan mama started the DD exercise every month by the 25th. That is the day to see the Head Cashier and say Hai.. The Head Cashier is more than a God..With the union support, he is even more than a branch manager.His wrath means the end of relationship with that Branch. So one has to be very careful in words and deeds or even in mannerisms..so that it should not hurt him..
This Hai of Head Cashier means that "You are acknowledged" and it also means that he will accept the money. One or the other day again Krishnan mama would go to say "Hai" and during one such Hai, the HC notes down Krishnan Mama's name and gives the date for remittance..3rd, 4th etc.. The salary will be received in Cash only on the 1st or 2nd. (Unlike in these days where it is only credited into the accounts which should be withdrawn by ATM cards and issuing cheques only for making credit card payments) and in between Sundays may be another tension because delay in taking DD means delay in sending DDs.
On getting the salary, Krishnan mama would rush to the Bank. One could not rush to the Head Cashier. He is the most busy man.. He shouts to customers..in between he closes the counter and rushes to the branch manager's cabin..to settle scores..while the customer has to wait. ( a customer in hindi once told me.."Jo Kasht se martha hai wo Kashtomer kahata hai.) So our Krishnan mama would enter the branch and would stand on a corner waiting for the Head Cashier to see him and acknowledge. The Head Cashier during one such rounds outside his cabin acknowledges and a deep breath goes in as a relief.. Then the HC calls by waiving of hand and with all respects like a man before the God in the temple, the cash is given alongwith the DD application slip ( the DD application is a piece of colourful slip which asks for a lot of details and as this is a ususal monthly item, it is filled at home and kept ready for 2 or three months ahead ) and after the Head cashier received the Cash.. that day is over..You should not stand there..In between he will say ..Come in the evening or sometimes, come tomorrow.." The next day the DD is on your hands and the next worry takes over Krishnan mama.. The Post office..
The Post Master and the people at the post office are more friendly but they are never the fast you wanted..
The DD is put in a cover and the address of Master N is written neatly and made doubly sure that there is no mistake and with a prayer..(as we have read in papers ..Post Card received after 50 years..")The DD is sent as "Registered Post" because delivery to the addressee is ensured.
And at last not knowing of all these hurdles, pains, tension, Master N happily receives the DD.. The father waits for the Post Card from N as acknowledgement..and the next 25th the same story again.
(The new generation should visualise how the elder generation suffered and now with internet banking, ATMs Credit cards, etc and with banks competing each other, banking a few decades before can only be an old story.)
Helmet Helmet.
Helmet
The dailies reported this and that of Helmet hunting by Trivandrum Police. I escaped during the last two hunting seasons. Many say that some helmet companies grease some palms and suddenly helmet hunters are busy, the sales outlets are crowded and some try to make undue profit. Some small sellers bring cheap helmet from Delhi and it is talk of the town till some ministers who put on the garb of public servants, interfere and try to stop to hunting and the lull till another dose of greasing..and that goes on.
and i ask many question to myself..
Are the helmet hunters (police)doing the job out of love for the humans?
Why are they doing this job very sacrosanctly, when there are many traffic points unmanned?
Is there any method to see that the entire collections goes to Govt coffers?
If they are so concerned of the people why they don't jointly take up the project of good roads, with other govt departments? Is it not the condition of the roads that make two wheeler traffic unsafe ? Is it not that the wrong way of driving by other vehicles that threaten the two wheel drive? Is there any nexus between the Bus owners / tour operators with govt officials / police and is this nexus that threaten the two wheel drivers? Can the licences issuers tell from their heart that all is well in issuing of licences and this is also one of the causes for road accidents?
I would suggest that the Traffic Policemen answer the above questions from their hearts and then implement the helmet rules..
Again the newspaper printed another controversy..
The Police say that the Trivandrumites are very reluctant to wear helmets
This again prompts me to ask a few questions..
Who are Trivandrumites ? If it is all those who now live in Trivandrum, then I feel that the statement be withdrawn as there are more from other districts of Kerala than the natives..
Or is that the Police find it difficult to implement in Trivandrum, then difficult questions crop up..
Is is because of any company between the insiders.. (Often i have heard that the autorickshaw in trivandrum are never booked by police because many are owned by policemen.) Or is it because the politicians interfere..but there are no ministers from Trivandrum..
I would request the Policemen not to be narrow and give such misleading statements on Trivndrumites.. and to be good samaritans by
a. having a helmet club consisting of helmet vendors, policemen, public activists (not to be selected on the basis of politics)and also the govt departments that deal with roads, water (because it is said that this department have an unerring urge to dig up roads whenever it is newly laid)etc
b. to have as far as possible one ways as many roads are narrow..
c. to charge a fee for parking on the roads (this has become another menace and threatening to life) (For eg the parking in between overbridge and East fort - both the sides are now parking areas..The car owners it sems have forgottten the traffic /parking rules.. it is now as if the jungle law prevails. Some take reverse in to the mid of the roads and more difficult it is when the traffic light is green at the junction and we are speeding to cross the points before it is red. the cars are parked zig-zag and at times we park our two wheeler and go for shopping but when we return we find that there is no space to take out the vehicle..other vehicles are parked all around..
and to my surprise i find some four wheelers parked on the footpaths)
c. conduct seminars, brainstorm sessions in all institutions /offices etc and evolve a good way out..
Only then implement the Helmet Hunt.
[edit blog]
The dailies reported this and that of Helmet hunting by Trivandrum Police. I escaped during the last two hunting seasons. Many say that some helmet companies grease some palms and suddenly helmet hunters are busy, the sales outlets are crowded and some try to make undue profit. Some small sellers bring cheap helmet from Delhi and it is talk of the town till some ministers who put on the garb of public servants, interfere and try to stop to hunting and the lull till another dose of greasing..and that goes on.
and i ask many question to myself..
Are the helmet hunters (police)doing the job out of love for the humans?
Why are they doing this job very sacrosanctly, when there are many traffic points unmanned?
Is there any method to see that the entire collections goes to Govt coffers?
If they are so concerned of the people why they don't jointly take up the project of good roads, with other govt departments? Is it not the condition of the roads that make two wheeler traffic unsafe ? Is it not that the wrong way of driving by other vehicles that threaten the two wheel drive? Is there any nexus between the Bus owners / tour operators with govt officials / police and is this nexus that threaten the two wheel drivers? Can the licences issuers tell from their heart that all is well in issuing of licences and this is also one of the causes for road accidents?
I would suggest that the Traffic Policemen answer the above questions from their hearts and then implement the helmet rules..
Again the newspaper printed another controversy..
The Police say that the Trivandrumites are very reluctant to wear helmets
This again prompts me to ask a few questions..
Who are Trivandrumites ? If it is all those who now live in Trivandrum, then I feel that the statement be withdrawn as there are more from other districts of Kerala than the natives..
Or is that the Police find it difficult to implement in Trivandrum, then difficult questions crop up..
Is is because of any company between the insiders.. (Often i have heard that the autorickshaw in trivandrum are never booked by police because many are owned by policemen.) Or is it because the politicians interfere..but there are no ministers from Trivandrum..
I would request the Policemen not to be narrow and give such misleading statements on Trivndrumites.. and to be good samaritans by
a. having a helmet club consisting of helmet vendors, policemen, public activists (not to be selected on the basis of politics)and also the govt departments that deal with roads, water (because it is said that this department have an unerring urge to dig up roads whenever it is newly laid)etc
b. to have as far as possible one ways as many roads are narrow..
c. to charge a fee for parking on the roads (this has become another menace and threatening to life) (For eg the parking in between overbridge and East fort - both the sides are now parking areas..The car owners it sems have forgottten the traffic /parking rules.. it is now as if the jungle law prevails. Some take reverse in to the mid of the roads and more difficult it is when the traffic light is green at the junction and we are speeding to cross the points before it is red. the cars are parked zig-zag and at times we park our two wheeler and go for shopping but when we return we find that there is no space to take out the vehicle..other vehicles are parked all around..
and to my surprise i find some four wheelers parked on the footpaths)
c. conduct seminars, brainstorm sessions in all institutions /offices etc and evolve a good way out..
Only then implement the Helmet Hunt.
[edit blog]
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