Off to London - Trip 2 - MAD TAS

The next stop was 'The Madam Tussauds'.
Though I and Purnima have visited this place thrice now, but we dont want to miss the chance of being with so many famous personalities, that we invariably turn up every now and then.

We are seen posing with the imaginary idol of Sherlock Holmes, Appa is actually touching his feet !!!

Once inside, Amma and Appa were quite confused to see so many people taking snaps. Only later they understood that some of them were actually Wax Idols. Though they were impressed, unfortunately they had not seen many of the personalities, let alone know their names to recognise them.

It was left to me and Purnima to make them pose with actors whom we thought were quite famous and worth taking snaps with.

Amma did recognise the Titanic star and wanted to take his snap for Uma (my sister)

As often happens with people visting Mad Tas for the first time, Appa was also confused how to pose with these personalities. He tried to copy the poses which people were giving. Unfortunately, the girl before Appa who took the snap with 'George Clooney' was trying to hug him and Appa also tried to do the same.
He very soon understood his mistake and was more formal later.
Except for this one !!!

Amma and Appa, though truly in awe of the place were not very much impressed with the statues of Indian personalities, who as per them were not looking very real.

Next in line were the Sports personalities ...Appa was truly looking uncomfirtable posing with the tall Becker.

Amma though was very happy to have been able to take a snap with Diana, who ( as per my obervation) is much more popular in London than the entire Royal family.

Though they were very much excited to see Indira Gandh and Mahatma Gandhi in the midst of world's famous personalities, Amma and Appa were not happy with the colour of their idols.

Sahasra also was interested to have a snap with Gandhi thatha...

Purnima was of the opinion that Indira would never have had wore such boring shades of Sarees in her life.

Off to London - Trip 1 - Buckingham Palace

Last week, first of the places that we visited was the Bucingham palace to see the "Changing of Guards". Amma and Purnima prepared Rava Idli and Upma for breakfast and lunch and off we were by 8:00 in the morning.

We travelled through several modes of transport, first of them was the bus. Amma and Appa seen waiting for the bus.

Next in line was the travel in the famous underground tube of London.


Changing of Guards is a ceremony that is held every day by 11:00 at the Buckingham Palace grounds. We should be at the place much before that time to catch a favourable place to view the proceedings.

Amma Appa seen in front of the Palace before the crowd gathered.

Very Soon, people were cleared of the way and place made clear for the guards to arrive.

Right after that, Guards were seen performing their march-past with enthusiasts cheering them and enjoying the ceremony.

Band seen perfroming for the huge crowd gathered.

Well, though the cermony was continuing, we had seen what we had wanted and moved on.

Tirupathi mottai

Gautam had his parents take him to Tirupathi, where he parted with his hair to be offered to Balaji at the hill temple. His mundan follows Gautam's first birthday, celebrated recently.
With didi saranya before Tirupathi.After the mottai
Gautam on his first plane trip. Didi Saranya is a veteren in this department.She has even been on an international flight.On her flight to Singapore Saranya took her grandma Bhagya along,on her first foreign trip.Both did their sight-seeing while Uma had to attend office at Singapore. Her job with Macgraw Hills,New Delhi,entails foreign travel.
After mundan at Tirupathi Gautam and family went on an extended pilgrimage that included a visit to Sucheendram temple,near Kanyakumari.
Gautam's grandparents at Kanyakumari.
With daddy on the wind-swept seafront at Kanya Kumari.
With a great-grandma, Govindan's aunt, at Trivandrum.
Next stop:Pollachi, where mottai Gautam and didi Saranya pose for this picture with their great-grandma Mangammal.Saranya has great-grandma to herself in this photo.
With Padmanabha thatha,Sambu patti,and Raghav anna at pollachi.
With a cane (madikole)in hand Sita-patti could as well be cast in a movie role as Avvaiyar,now that K B Sunadarambal is no longer available for the role.
Mom who can read Gautam's mood says he had such fun on the trip that he didn't want to return home, to New Delhi.

Puja for San Francisco

Following our post on Annakutty mama's family we heard from his daughter Maheshwari in Bharuch, Gujarat; and from her daughter Puja, who is joining San Francisco State University to pursue her Master's in Kinesiology and Exercise science. (its a dual specialization related to sports physiotherapy).This ought to make Annakutty mama proud. Incidentally, we believe, Puja is his second grand-daughter to go abroad for higher studies. Annakutty Mama's son Shanmugam's daughter Arthi is in Australia for a degree in mass communications.
Maheshwari with husband Dr Krishnamurthy.The photo was sent to us by their daughter Puja.
None of the Pollachi clan seniors in Annakutty mama's generation had been to college, let alone pursue higher studies abroad. His decision to move to Bombay from Pollachi after schooling enabled all of Annakutty mama's children - three sons and two daughters - to acquire college education and more.
Puja is expected in San Francisco on Aug.9. Learning of our presence nowadays at Ravi/Meera's place in San Ramon (an hour's drive from San francisco) Maheshwari e-mailed us,saying it was 'a big relief to know that somebody from our family is there for Puja..'. On their part, Meera and Ravi conveyed to Puja that they would be happy to have her over to their place in San Ramon before Puja's academic session starts on Aug.17. They see it as an opportunity to be able to make contact with Annakutty mama's family.

Ravi and Puja haven't met. And if it is not for this family blog,they woud not have,perhaps,even heard about each other.

The London Apples

The first thing which amazed my mother in London was not the London roads or the airport or any building, as I had expected, but its the small Garden which my house owner has in the backyard.

My mother has been so much impressed of the Apple tree that drops apples every now and then that she showed childlike enthusiasm in taking snaps of the tree with apples and sending it across.

My house owner's mother, an old lady in her 70s, takes much care to keep the garden clean. She cleaned the Garden by collecting all the fallen apples and keeping them separate, much to Amma's displeasure.

Amma also was not left far behind and again collected all the Apples and spread them below the apple tree.

Purnima who also ably assisted her mother in law in collecting the apples, is seen having her morning coffee below the pear tree....

while father in law is looking after Sahasra.

The other thing which interested or I must say hurt my parents was how old furniture was being wasted in London. After seeing the old sofa kept at the backyard of our neighbours, Appa already was planning how to take the Sofa to India......