Snake Boat Race experience

Rajiv Gandhi Trophy Snake Boat Race

College is the time with loads of moments to cherish for the rest of the life time. I share an incident during my 4yr graduation studies at   Pulinkunnoo . Pulinkunnoo has indeed occupied a considerable amount of space in my mind. So much I have spoken about the life there that when ever in TV a backwater scene is aired my wife says...see here's your Pulinkunnoo.

I remember only Dhanesh now along with a few others who accompanied that time when we got into this. It was a time when Rajiv Gandhi Trophy Snake boat race was organized in the scenic backwater surrounded Pulinkunnoo. There will be boats representing the nearby wards and clubs. We were given a chance to join the rowing team of Pulincunnoo 'chundan' ['chundan' means- snake boat]  which was not in competition that time due to a crack in the boat which couldn't be repaired. We were definitely not in our natural senses to accept this offer considering this 'small' crack in the boat. :).

So we all took the row saying "eethu vallamada thuzhayendathu"*!, and sat back to back on the side rail of the very long boat. Due to the crack the water seeping inside needed to be manually removed using buckets by the rowers itself. So we all started to row the boat with all the strength but I am not sure the boat was getting even 1% 'row-power' contribution from us!. Who cares we all were rowing with full fury. The entire ambiance was indeed awesome. We couldn't hear anything else but  the loud thud noise made by the the leader standing in the middle of the boat with his "olakka"*! kind of wooden rod:).. We all were also shouting no matter it didnt make any sense. Vanchipattu[2] was everywhere..Aaarpoooy errro errro erro..With each rowing I was getting wetter and wetter with the water spattering from the one sitting in front. Tourists were taking photos and crowd were waving. I thought they are all waving at us only and I too raised my row and waved back!.

The demonstration round was planned to start right from the jetty near our kunchayi chettans shop and go little ahead till jankar cross and return back. Onward trip we completed and we started rowing back to the finish line. As we were approaching the finish line may be half way I think, I don't know from some were the ghosts of vallamkali or evil of vellamadi [getting drunk] stuck each of the rowers of our boat. We all started rowing with never before fury just like we were in real race. We just want to finish at top speed. Meanwhile everyone forgot about removing the water which is getting filled inside the boat. Almost 100m from finish line I realized that I am sitting with knee deep water in the boat. I just jumped and stood up. So did most of us. Some of the localities were shouting "chadiko*[jump]". I was like.."what" chadiko means were..it was right in the middle of the lake. We looked face to face. Many started jumping out of boat but I was not that confident to jump since I was not sure to reach the other bank. 'Kettalam erangi*'  I was sweating even though I was drenched completely.

St. Marys Church Pulincunnoo[1]

That time a tourist boat came near to the boat to rescue the 'still thinking' guys like us on the sinking boat. The motor boat neared at the front end of our boat and even now I don't remember how i ran over the just half feet wide side rail till the front of the boat to jump to the rescue boat. As soon as I jumped the snake boat capsized and turned upside down. Later the tourist boat dropped us at the VIP stands in front of the St Marys Church and we all sat there and saw the main event of vallam kali* [boat race] in grand.

[1] Pic Source: St Mary's Church Pulincunnoo

[2] Vanchipattu - literal meaning " Boat Song". Its a traditional song sung while rowing the boat to boost the rowers enthusiasm. See this video of vanchipattu

* Malayalam language

I Promise

Barren land as far as I can see, so dry

Lost I am some where in a dessert I thought,

But no, I see faces so familiar, pale and empty I realized,

Eyes gone deep, skin gone dark like workers from a coal mine.

Dead fishes afloat the river flowing by, torn fishnets swept ashore

Vultures hover around, even over my head.

  

My skin's burning from the scorching sun, My throat so dry but not a drop to quench it

Blank faces follow me as I walk through this street so strange.

Those shades gone, where my friends gath Those rivers dried up where I go swimming

Those hills, trees, flowers all gone in flames

I opened my eyes to know its just a bad dream

I looked out to find the chirping bird still making its nest

Drizzling it was , all so green so beautiful I found.

I never let go these beauty anytime I promised myself

I never see this place go dry, no not even in dreams I promise

                                                  

Being Human

I have heard that there is a beast in everyone of us. This beast is kept hidden in everyone and not let out for not getting spotted in the neighborhood of social beings. However, many a times it’s the human in us which is being kept hidden. Hiding the human, itself sometimes is 'beastliness' and I am no different. I always thought that I have a soft heart for the poor, for the uneducated children, for the green planet etc until when I realized that hiding the sole feeling itself is beastliness after an incident which happened to me last week.

I was returning home along with my wife and kid from the Chennai city and it was around 8.00pm. I was approaching the traffic signal at YMCA junction. I pressed my gas pedal to reach the signal "first". I don't know why I developed this "syndrome", may be Chennai traffic is getting on my nerves. As I was approaching the signal, I noticed in a little distance ahead some thing was lying on the road. As I came closer, I shockingly realized it was a woman lying with her face down on the road with her legs still on her scooter. I was the first to approach the spot it seems. In my mind, my human-beast tug of war began. Should I speed away or should I take her to a hospital. I got my wife and kid who were in a bit of shock and "scripts" started running on my head calculating the return home and losing a pleasant family time to a horrific one. Yes, I started hiding my human in me.

I slowed down at the spot and found the woman was not moving. My wife had a clear question mark on her face asking what to do now. I could not but to stop the car near the spot. People started running in and lifted her from the road. The woman’s face was covered with blood and was not moving. All who gathered to help was looking for a source to get rid of this mess and nobody seems to be coming forward to take her to hospital. The car drivers from the waiting traffic even shouted at us for making a “road block”.  It was then me, for the first time let the human out in a situation like this and opened the rear door of my car and asked them to put her in even though I did not have a clue, where to take her. There was total confusion around and I found myself constantly shouting at the crowd to get her in to the car and asking someone to accompany me to hold her. Finally, a young guy came forward to accompany me, while many among the crowd just wanted to know where I am going to take her. I floored my gas pedal towards Venkiteshwara Hospital as the guy who came along was directing me.

We reached the hospital and she was taken into the causality wing. Later within an hour, her son reached the hospital. Meanwhile the guy who came with me was explaining how a taxi has knocked her down and sped away with out stopping. However, the vehicle number was noted by this guy. The injured woman’s son later came to me and gave me a very cold shake hand, even though he could not say anything I could see his sincere thanks in his eyes.

Later in the night, I received a call from Guindy police station. I cleared my voice and told "yes sir please tell me". The police officer on other end was very polite and just asked about the incident and hung the phone. I thought for myself that police could be nice too! The next day I saw a guy wearing a T-shirt printed on which was "being human"! I thought being human just don’t happen like that nor it will happen by just feeling for it. What I did is a not a big thing but the change it made in me is big for sure. May be I will try to be more human and less of beast now on.

The Anonymous Me

The hard hit me is back again in me with vengeance
I do know no limits to how  far I can push
But I do push hard, much hard enough that I forget when I am normal.
I know its you who is behind , no not anyone but the
Anonymous me, the me within me

I cannot conquer you for you are my master,
I will never obey you though, but you will get me going for you
You are my worst enemy, even though I look out for you every time.
Nothing satisfies me more, when I suppress you in me.
For sure you will spread all over again, the anonymous me.

You hit me, drag me, twist me, tear me I still rise and look out for you
You the immortal being, but I believe I can kill you.
I see you lying in the rain, bleeding , gasping ur last breath
But you smile that grim one at me, cause you are still my another me
I realize again its me who is bleeding, the anonymous me

Memoirs of Japan Earthquake

An year has just past after the Japan earthquake and Tsunami. Natural disasters have been just another news on TV or a headline news of a morning newspaper. But not since 11^th  March 2011 for me. Having faced the after math of natures show down of power, I knew what it is to be like being insecure.  

Going to Japan was a much look forwarded trip after weeks of wait for my passport and then the final moment rush and visa and ticketing.  It was an official trip for duration of 6-months. Staying away from family was tough, as I couldn't take them along with me so the count down timer started clicking in my mind the day I boarded the flight for Tokyo, Narita airport. Japan and the living there has real contrast to the day today life in India, which I have been living. The first thing to notice is the sense of time that everyone has which is hard wired in to them. For four months and 18days, I used to board the train at sharp 8.08 in the morning to catch a bus to my office that starts at 8.18 from the second station, until the disaster struck. 

We (my colleagues and me) enjoyed every bit of stay in Japan. During weekends and holidays we went to the popular tourist places and took photos , went on rides at 'Disney sea' did skiing during winter went to the local bars and even used to have occasional Indian food from the Malayalee run restaurant at Hon-atsugi !. We used to tell that time runs faster in Japan, may be because of the busy schedule out there. Then came the "March”!, when time stood still. One day I met a colleague at the train station who was about to leave for India. I wished him a pleasant flight back home, who was standing with two hands full of shopping bags. He had his return flight on 16.30hrs on March 11^th.

March 11th was just another normal day in Japan.  I got in to the packed train and got down at the second station, then caught my usual bus to office and sat on my usual seat on the bus. I heard my favourite tracks on my mp3 player on the way and reached office at sharp 9.00hrs at office. However, that day was a real different one and we got a chance to visit the test labs. After lunch, my colleague and me got into the shuttle bus towards the lab like school kids being taken for a movie.

 It was a different office and was very different from what we used to see for the last few months. One by one, our mentor showed us the different test facilities and we walked behind him like obedient students. Then we reached one big testing rig where we stayed for a while discussing. Then my colleague asked me whether I have noticed that the hanging light bulb over us was swinging by itself. Before I could react to that, the whole place started shaking violently. We all gathered to a corner while I could feed the tremors right under my foot. I looked up to check which among the Iron bars and pillars are going to fall on us the first. But to my surprise no body ran in chaos but formed small group and stayed where they are. We waited there like in a submarine during a war waiting for that released torpedo to hit us anytime. I could hear my heart pumping blood. I thought about my wife and kid and checked my watch to note my last time, it was 14.45hrs. But thank god nothing happened to our building and we were evacuated to a safer place later.

Earthquake hit the northern part of Japan hard and we were at least 300kms from the epi-centre. Tremors were still felt even when we got back to our seats. When I came back to my seat, I saw a mail from my brother asking me weather I am OK. I was wondering how on earth, this quick he came to know about this in India. But the disaster was way too big than I anticipated when news started coming from the northern Japan. The spectacular scenes of Tsunami waves sweeping a large part of land in Japan was airing in all channels back to back. My parents tried to contact me but couldn't and were panic so were my colleague's. All train services were stopped and long queues of vehicle were seen on the road which is not a daily scene in Japan were traffic flows effortlessly through the narrow roads. My Japanese manager made sure that everyone got their conveyance to go home. I went home along with a Japanese colleague in his car. While waiting in the long queue the TV in the car was buzzing with the latest pictures and videos of the disaster struck northern Japan. Later I had to take a walk home as my colleagues took another route to their home. I could saw the fear one every ones face back at our dormitory except on the Japanese counterparts!

Morning when I woke up the next day I did not notice any visible changes but I got a mail from my manager saying that office will remain closed for the day. Later I came to know no train and majority bus services are in operation. I browsed through the online channels and saw the videos of Tsunami waves taking out a large portion of land area and destroying everything on its way like in a climax of a Hollywood thriller movie. By the end of the day news started coming about the unstable condition of nuclear power plant at Fukushima. Meanwhile my colleague who went to airport and was supposed to reach India the next day was stuck up in the airport. He posted photos from the closed Narita airport on his face book page, said he was OK, and said that he somehow managed to inform his family that he is OK. 

Even though I was in the shock of experiencing a major earthquake, I somehow made up my mind to stay back for my last month of my scheduled stay in Japan to avoid a return trip for completing the rest of the period. Going to office, the next day was a big trial of patience. As trains were not running because of power shortages and many of the bus services were cut down due to shortage of fuel supply. Office working hours were cut short to just two to three hours per day and reaching office and getting back home took more time than that. Still the Japanese colleagues went from one office to another depending on power blackout period to keep up the work. Most of the days Japanese colleagues used to drop me at my dormitory on their way.

Pressure was on a high for us Indians out there, and we started contacting our India office to call us back because of the unstable situation in Japan. Many among us started leaving of their own to India on the first flights available. Later we saw the videos of the Fukushima reactor buildings exploding out of steam pressure and fears of exposure to radiation were high. Food and water supply was falling shorter day by day in the nearby super markets. Japanese prime minister who has taken charge for controlling the situation at Tokyo Power Company was giving the updates on live TV. By the Tuesday of the following week my office has given us the choice of fly back or stay back for whom ever wishes. But as the third reactor building also exploded the radiation fear was out of control and even I have decided to leave Japan as soon as possible. My friends were checking whether I am ok on my facebook page.

Japan was no more the same after the disaster. We couldn’t go anywhere after that and power shutdowns were called upon to over come the shortage due to the closing down of Fukushima power plant. I noticed there were no back up power options anywhere in the homes near by or in our dormitory. May be because power cuts were never known to them. Colleagues who were leaving started dropping their balance stock of food materials at the rooms of few others and mine who were still "thinking" of staying back. Later my office has called all the employees from India office, back and started sending flight tickets not to mention the booking frenzy the travel desk people have undergone at that time.

My self and few others were among the last to leave Japan after the earthquake, who were from India office and by that time bus services to airport was already back in service. Every day there used to be a long line of taxis before our dormitory, which were booked by my colleagues for airport and had to pay them absurd amount of money for that. Of course, it’s the metered charge only! I left Japan on 20^th March exactly five months after I arrived in Japan. Never I did think of a situation like this when I boarded the flight to Japan. The resilience of that nation was visible right after the earthquake even though this time it will take much more time for recovery. I cannot forget the time I have spent during and after the earthquake and I don’t think anybody among us at that time will.