Footpaths make all the difference

“The single biggest difference between the infrastructure of an advanced nation and a backward nation is its footpaths, not its highways,”

Enrique Peñalosa, the former Mayor of the Colombian capital Bogota tells to The Hindu.

I have never before heard anyone speaking about ensuring an enjoyable street life within your city life. And ever since I heard that (which was this Sunday), I'm missing my home town (Thiruvananthapuram). In particular the Rajbhavan road from Kawadiar to Palayam and the dear friends with whom I had enjoyed the walks along them.

I wonder how this one phrase - street life - covers so much of the things that I miss when I'm out of home town. Am I street sick?

സാഹിത്യം, സംഗീതം, ശബ്ദം‌ - നിങ്ങളുടെ സ്വന്തം

An audio version of my last post! (As if the lyrics was not enough :-).

Music direction is evidently absent, and the rendering is done by the only one who would dare - your's truely. Thanks to blip.tv for hosting.

എന്താണെന്താണെന്താണ്

എന്താണെന്താണെന്താണ്, സ്വപ്നം കാണണതെന്താണ്?
ആരാണാരാണാരാണ്, സ്വപ്നത്തില്‍ ചിരിപ്പിച്ചതാരാണ്?

കളി പറയും മുത്തിയോ, കളിയാക്കും ചേട്ടനോ,
കേട്ട പാട്ടിന്‍ ഈണമോ, നുണഞ്ഞ പാലിന്‍ മധുരമോ?
എന്തു കണ്ട് ചിരിക്കണ്, എന്തിന് കാലിട്ടടിക്കണ്,
എന്തിനു ചുരുണ്ടു കൂടണ്, എന്തിന് മൂരി നിവര്‍ക്കണ്?

എന്താണെന്താണെന്താണ്, ഇങ്ങനെ ഞെട്ടണതെന്താണ്?
ആരാണാരാണാരാണ്, നീട്ടി തുമ്മിയതാരാണ്?

പത്രം നോക്കണ അച്ഛനോ, പത്രാസ് കാട്ടണ അമ്മയോ,
പിണങ്ങി നില്ക്കുണ ചേട്ടനോ, തൂങ്ങിയാടണ പാവയോ?
എന്തിന് ചുണ്ട് പിളര്‍ക്കണ്, ആരോട് നീരസം കാട്ടണ്,
ആരെടുക്കാന്‍ പിടയ്ക്കണ്, എങ്ങോട്ട് നോക്കി കരയണ് ?

എന്താണെന്താണെന്താണ്, ഇങ്ങനെ ആടണതെന്താണ്?
ആരാണാരാണാരാണ്, കുട്ടനെയാട്ടണതാരാണ്?

വിരുന്നു വന്നരോളമോ, തേടി വന്ന തെന്നലോ,
ഓടി വന്ന കാലുകളോ, വാരിയെടുത്ത കൈകളോ?
ആരുടെ കയ്യിലിരിക്കണ്, എങ്ങോട്ടേന്തി നോക്കണ്,
എന്തു വര്‍ത്താനം പറയണ്, എന്തു കണ്ട് ചിരിക്കണ്?

എന്താണെന്താണെന്താണ്, ഇങ്ങനെ മിന്നണതെന്താണ്?
ആരാണാരാണാരാണ്, തേച്ച് കുളിപ്പിച്ചതാരാണ്?

എണ്ണ തേപ്പിച്ച അമ്മയോ, തമിഴ് ചൊല്ലണ അക്കയോ,
പാട്ട് പാടും ചോലയോ, ചിലങ്ക കെട്ടിയ മാരിയോ?
എന്തിന് ശ്വാസം പിടിച്ചത്, എന്തിന് കൂവി വിളിച്ചത്,
എന്തിനു കാലിട്ടടിച്ചത്, എങ്ങോട്ടു പോവാന്‍ കുതിച്ചത്?

എന്താണെന്താണെന്താണ്, മിണ്ടാട്ടമില്ലാതതെന്താണ്?
ആരാണാരാണാരാണ്, പാല് കുടിക്കണതാരാണ്?

കുളി കഴിഞ്ഞ വാവയോ, പുത്തനുടുപിട്ട സുന്ദരനോ,
ചുവന്ന ചെറിയ ചുണ്ടുകളോ, പല്ലു വരാത്ത മോണകളോ?
നമുക്കു ചാച്ചിയുറങ്ങണ്ടെ, പുതിയ സ്വപ്നങ്ങള്‍ കാണണ്ടെ,
സ്വപ്നം കണ്ട് ചിരിക്കണ്ടെ, വീണ്ടും ഞെട്ടിയുണരണ്ടെ?

വാവോ വാവോ വാവാവോ, താളത്തിലാടിയുറങ്ങിക്കോ.
വാവോ വാവോ വാവാവോ, കണ്ണും പൂട്ടിയുറങ്ങിക്കോ.

Perfect Surprise

The eve of Safdar's noolukettu ceremony, I had taken Nandu out to the caterer's and had a plan to surprise him with a new dress for the function. This is the conversation that happened while coming out of the caterer's place.

ഞാന്‍ : എടാ, നിനക്കു surprise എന്ന വാക്കിന്റെ അര്‍ത്ഥം അറിയുവോ?
നന്ദു : അറിയാം.
ഞാന്‍ : എന്താ?
നന്ദു : പെട്ടെന്നു കിട്ടുന്ന prize!

Today he was showing me some of his homework. This is something which happens once in a blue moon. So I took some interest and tried to bring some improvement to his English writing. After a long discourse on the difference between being correct and being perfect, I wrote a question for him from his text book and asked him to write a perfect answer for the same. He took the book to next room and came back after a minute or two.

അച്‌ഛാ, ക്വെസ്റ്റ്യനില്‍ perfect എന്ന വാക്കും കൂടി എഴുതി തരുവോ? അല്ലെങ്ങില്‍ എന്നിക്കു ആന്‍സര്‍ perfect ആക്കാന്‍ പറ്റില്ല.

Safdar Sudev

... thus was the little one named on his 28th day since birth.

Safdar is a Farsi word (صفدر). Many around me call it a Muslim name, but I call it a human name of Persian origin. It translates to courageous in English.

All that was incidental. But my affinity for the name was because of the admiration for Com. Safdar Hashmi, the revolutionary and writer who is most known for his street theater movement. Most importantly, his vision of a People's Cultural Movement.

By the way, Safdar was also the name of one of the main characters in the my first (and hither to last) drama. (Thirasseelaykkapuram - which Raghu and I had scripted for NITC Staff Club). I also had a student at GEC Bartonhill with the same name who incidentally happened to be the College Union General Secretary.

Sudev is a mashup of SUdheera (my house name), DEepak and Vinita. It was very difficult for me to accept any special rights as father when it comes to second name.

Sudev, by chance, also happens to be the name of a descendent of Harishchandra and a great grand father of Rama (Info from Sri. Harikrishna, NITC).

So that's how he will be known - Safdar Sudev. At home, we will just call him Aju.

Along with the naming ceremony, there was also the rituals of a noolukettu. Here are the photos and a video.

Safdar 28

छोटाकूस बडाकूस

छोटाकूस ... बडाकूस ..., दोनों भाई जिगरी दोस्त। सूरज जैसा बडाकूस, चंदा जैसा छोटाकूस। साथ रहे तो दोनों खुश, इनकी यारी बहुत खूब।
	रोता है जब छोटाकूस, दौड़ कर आता बडाकूस। गोद में लेकर छोटे को, लोरी सुनाता बडाकूस। साथ खेले तो दोनों खुश, इनकी यारी बहुत खूब।
इनके बीच की भाषा में न वाक्य है न व्याकरण। इनके बीच की हंसी को न समझे कोई बाहर से। बात करें तो दोनों खुश, इनकी यारी बहुत खूब।
	छोटाकूस... बडाकूस ..., दोनों भाई जिगरी दोस्त। सूरज जैसा बडाकूस, चंदा जैसा छोटाकूस। साथ रहे तो दोनों खुश, इनकी यारी बहुत खूब।

पाप्पाकूस

This is my first genuine attempt at children's literature. Thanks to my wife, my father in law and my friends Raman and Nilesh for the corrections.

If you are seeing cryptic things, then it may be because you don't have a Devanagari font in your system. On a debian system,

# apt-get install ttf-devanagari-fonts

as root is all that you need to do.

Else, you can read a PDF version here.

A new life springs

Abstract

A boy was born to Vinita and me on this Sunday at 1.22 pm (IST). The delivery was in Bangalore (Manipal Northside Hospital).

Minutes [Last two days]

Aug 15, 2009

Morning : India commemorates 62nd independence day. Jo Chechi and Aji Chettan (Vinita's sister and brother in law) arrive at Bangalore for a weekend visit to us. MuSa (Dr. Muralikrishnan, Faculty, NITC) comes to meet his better half. Mummy is already with us since last month. A typical getto menu - lunch with shark fry and prawns theeyal, 56 and jokes.

Evening : I and Aji chettan take Vinita for a NST testing to Manipal Northside hospital. They give Vinita a buzzer to press whenever the baby moves so that they can take the foetal ECG. Baby refuses to move. Mother is warned yet again of keeping the baby starved and is sent to canteen. Baby responds after three glasses of horlicks. The test goes fine. When asked about when we can expect the delivery, the doctor gave the usual reply - we can't tell, may be you will need to come back tonight itself.

Night : MuSa and Jasine join us. Jo chechi's special green chilli and pepper chicken curry, home made ari pattiri, our house owners' home made pizza, tender coconut water and Smirnoff Twisted V Green Apple Vodka. MuSa's kachchery, my evergreen melodies, 56 with Jasine leading the team with me and Aji chettan. MuSa stops at 2.5 as promised (he had decided to ride back to IISc). I and Aji Chettan share the remaining 10 between us without favoring either way. We part at 1 am and I go to bed. Mummy is floating a few rumors of my speeches at bed. Don't believe any of them even if you happen to hear one.

Aug 16, 2009

Morning : [5 am] I wake up hearing Mummy and Vinita quarreling. Mummy says its a fluid loss, but Vinita insists that it is urine. By 5.15, mummy wins the argument and decides that we should go to hospital. I get out of bed quickly, feeling unusually more alert than a usual post booze morning and gets ready. By then it is almost sure that it is a fluid loss. I and mummy drive Vinita to hospital. We walk into the duty nurses' room at 5.45 am and with in a few minutes I see most of them on their heals. Vinita is taken to the labour ward. Mummy says, if its a fluid loss, then they won't wait any longer. The sisters call up our gynecologist (Dr. Manonmani) over phone and are doing something on her orders.

Mean time, Aji chettan, Jo chechi and our house owners (Santhosh and Sevanthi) joins us at the labour room corridor. Dr. Manonmani comes at around 7 and rushes into the labour room. After half an hour she calls me inside and tells me -

"The fluid loss is a bit high and we have artificially compensated. But we have to take the baby out today itself. We will first try for a normal delivery by inducing some pain by medication and wait till afternoon. There is nothing to be afraid of."

I said OK to everything. (I was already very impressed by the doctor during the many consultation visits that we had made to her.) I come out and tell this to others and mummy is visibly shocked but in control.

After 20 minutes, doctor comes out and starts scolding me because Vinita took tea in the early morning and that has added to her gastric problems and that she was continuously vomiting. Then she calms down and tells me that its OK, they have given antacids and that the pain inducing will start after Vinita settles down. The doctor then leaves. Nothing much happened then and Sevanthi manages to squeeze news out of whoever comes out of the labour ward.

At 9, mummy, I and Jo chechi were allowed inside one by one with the strict warning that we won't be allowed inside any more. Vinita was looking tired but recovering. By 9.30 we could hear Vinita crying of pain whenever someone opened the door. Pappa joined us in between. He too had decided to join us on the weekend since everyone is going to be here.

The previous day's boozing began to take its toll on me. My head was burning and my stomach was almost giving me away. I skipped breakfast and was half asleep on the waiting chair, pulling my head up whenever someone opened the labour room door. Doctor had paid one more visit during this time.

Noon : At around 1 pm, we saw the doctor running into the room again. In 10 minutes a dark and stout looking ayah walked with her glows on. Many were going in and out, but this particular ayah had taken my attention because of her strength of look and confidence in steps. In 5 minutes a call went out for the Pediatrician and he also was seen rushing in. Every one was now sure that something is going to happen.

At 1.30 the stout ayah slid open the door and appeared poked her head out with a smile (for the first time in the day.) and shouted -

"Yaru Appa?" [Who is the father?]

I stepped ahead. She looked at me and said -

"Super Kolanthai." [Super baby]

and then one more sentence in tamil-kannada which no one could make out. Pappa claimed that the the third sentence was "Penn kolanthai" [Girl Child]. Mummy refuted and debate started. Pappa won the debate. Mummy slid the door half open and called inside -

"Boy or Girl?"

Ayah's voice came from inside -

"Male Boy."

The pediatrician brought the baby out wrapped in a blue flannel. Eyes closed and as pale as snow. He said -

"It is a heavy baby. We will keep him under observation for 4 hours to check for hypoglycemia"

and took him to a blue room on the opposite end of the corridor.

The uncertainties ended there. Vinita came out after another 2 hours - delayed mainly due to another emergency delivery in the same labour room. We shifted to a normal room. The baby was brought out for his first feeding. In between Jasine came out laughing to inform everyone present that the baby wasted no time in starting to suckle and showed no signs of stopping. He was taken back to complete the probation period and then at around 6 pm he joined back with his most trusted companion.

From A Closer Look

Post Script :

It is been two days now in hospital, and probably one more day should suffice. Some more snaps are available in my Picasa Album. [All clicked with flash and AF assist forced off.]

A Closer Look

What lingers with me as the the lead trailer clip after these few days is the scene of that ayah stretching out of the sliding door and shouting - "Yaru appa?".