Bhagya/Govindan in London

Bhagya sent us this picture she has uploaded in Orkut. It was taken, presumably, at a London Underground train station. In an earlier mail, sent soon after her arrival in London, Bhagya mentioned that the locality where her son Shankar stays - Southall - is peopled mostly with Punjabies. In London she finds herself at home, with easy availability of desi food items, that too the North Indian dishes to whiich the Govindans are accustomed to, back home in New Delhi.
Sahasra, Govindans' London-born grand-daughter.With her daddy.

Monterey moments

Settled in bed at Monterey Plaza hotel, ater a busy day sight-seeing, for their favourite cartoon serial on TV. Sidharth and Nikhil went on a trip to Monterey, California coastal resort. Initially planned for two days, the trip had to be extended by a day because Sidharth didn't want to go home, to San Ramon, yet. Nikhil endorsed his brother's proposal, saying 'Me too' (don't want to go home).
One shouldn't go by the innocent look; if you look into Nikhil's eyes, you can read mischief written all over.
Got the picture ? When Nikhil sets his mind on a thing he fancies - such as jumping about in bed - no one or nothing can stop him.Even a 'time out' from mom. Nikhil got timed out twice for jumping about in bed.
Sidharth on phone - long distance - to his Ajji in Bangalore to report on the day's headline news - Nikhil kicked a puppy held on leash by a passer-by on the sidewalk near the hotlel.
The fountain at Monterey Plaza, where Sidharth made a wish after tossing a cent into the water. Posing for a picture after tossing a cent into the fountain. Sidharth said he made a wish for his mommy, though he wouldn't say what it was about.
Looks a movie star - Bollywood style.
Window-shopping on Cannery Row.

Trolley ride on Cannary Row wasn't much fun for Sidharth; he said it was too slow and made a disagreeable noise. Another reason why Sidhath wouldn't get on a trolley - 1901 vintage - again was that he didn't want to have his grandpa stumble on the footboard, as he did the first time.
Back at the hotel Sidharth has the run of the lobby.
So does Nikhil, who coudn't wait to cut himself loose from his daddy's hold.
Drawing for his dinner. At the restaurant they hand in blank sheet and a box of pencils to children, to keep them busy while waiting for their meals.

Nikhil, flanked by daddy and......mommy at the dining table.
At the Monterey water front.
Moonlit night, a view from the hotel-room balcony.

Gautam cuts the cake

His parents may have celebrated Gautam's birthday earlier, with all the rituals. But it didn't interest our toddler friend. For him and his didi Saranya, a bithday is not a birthday, unless you get to cut the cake.
This was what his parents - Uma and Rajesh - laid out for the earlier celebrations. No wonder Gautam wasn't impressed.
Besides the cake Gautam got presents.

Gautam's grandies at the gathering.Grandma Bhagya gets to attend two birthdays within as many weeks - of grandson Gautam, and her only son Shankar. Soon after her grandson Gautam's birthday ar Mayur Vihar, New Delhi, Bhagya and Govindan flew to London, to be in time for Shankar's birthday, July 12.

Annakutty mama for the US

We have it from his son and daughter-in-law - Sreedhar and Geetha - that Annakutty mama is likely to visit them in the US later this year. Sreedhar, a chartered accountant based in Edison, New Jersey, has been asking his father over to thier place, ever since his family moved to the US from Seychelles some years ago.

And Annakutty mama,who has a 10-year US visa he acquired over two years back,hasn't yet brought himself to making the trip. Whenever I have raised the matter mama has been telling me that his US trip was very much on the cards.
At our last meeting in Pollachi,in early June,he told me,"God willing,we would meet in the US".

We -my wife and I - have been in the US since mid-June. When I phoned Sreedhar, from my son Ravi's place in San Ramon, California, his wife Geetha said she planned to go to India with her daughters - Anjana and Anushree - later this month, and, on their return to the US in early September, Annakutty mama might join them. Geetha mentioned that her daughters planned to spend their school vacation doing community service in Mumbai. Both girls are known to be service-minded. I recall Geetha telling us about how her daughters gifted their lock of hair at a fund-raiser for cancer research.
Geetha and Sreedhar said they would very much want Annakutty mama to spend time with his grand-daughters in the US. Speaking of grand-daughters, Annakuttty mama would have occasion to visir another grand-daughter - Puja - later this year in California.Puja,who is Annakutty mama's daughter Maheshwari's daughter, is joining the university in San Francisco this August to pursue higher studies in physio-therapy. She has graduted from Mangalore medical college.

Maybe, Puja's presence in California would bring Annakutty mama to visit Ravi, Meera and grandsons - Sidharth and Nikhil in San Ramon. And Puja, during her stay in San Francisco, would have someone to visit when she feels like a weekend with family or some home-made food. Besides the southie food, Puja can count on some Punjabi dishes made by Sidharth/Nikhil's neighbourhood nani Preetam Kaur.

Super-senior Balanna is no more

My mother's cousin and, perhaps, the eldest of the surviving super-seniors of the Pollachi clan died at his son's place in Podannur on Sunday. He was 94; and has been bed-ridden for the last many weeks, as a result of multiple complications caused by a hip fracture, pre-existing ailments and sheer ageing.
When we visited him in January last, Balanna,though confined to bed, insisted on making his way to the living room (with considerable assistance from his son Kalyanam), to be able to receive my mother Mangammal and share a few moments recalling their early days spent in Pollachi.

The e-mail informing us about Balanna's demise said he had been ailing for some weeks due to a nasty fall he suffered at the entrance of their Podannur house. Balanna, who was staying with son kalyanam in Podannur, had spent most of his working life in Sathyamangalam as head constable of police.

In an earlier blog post on him we wrote that Balanna moved in to live with his son because of ill health associated with ageing. Besides, he didn't have much going for him in Sathy, following retirement over three decades back. Balanna lost his wife Muthamma 20 years back. Many of his police colleagues and cronies in Sathy were gone. A conversationalist with a flair for political gossip, Balanna used to be lively company, sought after by friends. And the worst thing that could happen to such a person was losing friends, and being left with no one to relate to in the very town where he had spent a life-time.

Chasing soap bubbles

Aunt Lakshmi brought Sidharth and Nikhil a bubble-making kit, with which the kids had fun at their backyard during July 4 weekend.
Lakshmi - Sidharth tends to swallow the 's' in pronouncing her name - is less an aunt than a pal to the children. Even the 18-month old Nikhil is on first-name terms with her, and he and Sidharth can often be seen buddying up with 'Lakhmi' in the playroom,as they would ,their favourite cousin Anusha.

The Govindans for London

My sister Bhagya and her husband Govindan are due to leave for London on July 11, to spend time with their grand-daughter Sahasra. The Govindans are expected to spend a couple of months in London, where their son Shankar of TCS is posted.