Croaking frogs are back…!

Wow the monsoon is back again in advance..! Some thing to cheer for me. Feels like listening to “Geri Halliwell – It’s Raining Men” on a louder volume. The blistering hot and sunny days are withdrawing from climatic calendar of kerala giving way for showers. Look at the south west sky, do you ever get a chance to miss a cloud. Wow the overcast sky with a mild wind blowing forecasts the arrival of another big rain.

Get ready for it..! Look at the kids freaking out in the muddy waters..oooh look at the small kids riding his bycyle like crazy through the water logging…splashing all through the rear of the parked cars. he doesn’t realize it is wrong to do such thing.The priority now seems to enjoy to the max till the school reopening. Am i taking you to those nostalgic days…!

As I said in my earlier scribbles, monsoon for me is mind boggling. I always feel a rejuvenation of nature. time to shed the old , start living fresh. Look at the dry bushes now dangling in the wind like a young girl. The green leaves has a different glow. Look at the sky looks like crystal clear visibility.

But the topic I started was about the croaking frogs. Did I carry too much through the monsoon. Last night I was listening to this familiar croaks. Must be really celebrating the arrival of the monsoon. I wish I could understand those language, What could be their topics? Is it only monsoon or are they telling the shortage of insects? Do they feel the snakes are vanished from the drainages.

I still remember that frog which used to be always near to the pot. Like hiding and waiting for those drops to fall on earth.

The ultra slow motion camera depicts this scene very beautifully. the way it falls and the red clay like the ones on the Roalnd Garos splashes around. in few seconds every thing is wet from dry. The next day morning after the first monsoon rain you could listen to those morning birds busy in conversation. Might be they are talking about the monsoon. The way that wind came and almost taken their nest away. But she was appreciating the skill of her partner’s nest making skills.

Lot to write..wish I could get more time on this….!

Filed under: Nature

City Driving

It is the most tensed thing to do for a new person on the roads of Kochi. Your minds works like a radar. where am i gonna get a hit. If you look at the vehicles on road, it really reflects how a person and his behaviour is. In the conjusted roads of Kochi my observation came to conclusion regarding the size. The bigger the size it is easy to drive. I know majority of you must be raising your eye brows, what non- sense am I talking!! In such a cramped and conjusted road how cana big vehicle go so easily…

Being a common man we can only expect good things happen soon to our city! A metro rail, broad and wide roads…and no more traffic jams. Am i thinking about an UTOPIA? but i feel the thinking administatros and gutsy officials can make a change to our society and state… Is this begining of Munnar to continue for ever or else is it gonna be

That’s where the red monsters of the roads of Kochi comes to front line in making you reach your destination ahead of any vehicles. It is a skill which can take your life as well. They play mind games, try to make you scare, try to push you to the side of the road. Just imagine the monster looking tyres are parallel to your ears. Isn’t it a scary site to see in such a close vicinity? Oh man It is a tough situation to handle but if you keep yourself kool i feel city driving can be easy and smooth!!

We have hardly very few roads which can support good overtakings. But still if you observe the kind of people and their habits on the roads and if you try to understand them , some times you can overtake them with ease. there are people who drives to the right side of the road and never leaves an inch of gap and these rigid individuals never goes fast too. Dont you think you feel like banging from the back…. I have noticed some smart drivers really understand such people and they simply overtake them like people does it in the west. Thruogh the left…legally under traffic rules it is banned. But it makes you reach. But make sure the vehicle is alerted in advance about your wrong move.

Some times I feel our vehicles should be fitted sensors which can read the distance from each vehciles from each side. I have read these are in the west and they do have on the front and rear of the cars. But if this technoliogy is getting implemented here I woudl say we should have it on all sides of your car, because you never know from which side some one is gonna bang you.

When I see the type of driving take place in our roads, I often ask myself the basic issue for such nasty way of doing it. Why , what provoke or prompt some to drive badly? Does it reflect our culture and our lifestyle? I have always come across articles written by the tourists about the roads and the driving in India. They always carry a very scary image about it. No rules , no signals, no alerts….

The city of Kochi has some unique fact about the signals. They often goes on strike. Today the signal you saw may not be working tommorow. Dont you belive? I have crossed a red signal giving a total confusion to others, who thought I am crazy!! The reason yesterday there was no signal working even day before yesterday. How can I realise all of a sudden it is working? This is really tricky! better not to do this next time orelse you are gonna geta bang from others!

The recent developments can cause Kochi a real standstill situation in terms of traffic. As we all know it is getting more and more active and business oriented. how we are gonna accomodate such people and the vehicles. As Kochi is ina real estate boom the number of flats gonna increase , it can support and accomodate more and more people….But what about those cars which needs space on the road? Is there gonna be a unexpected developments on our roads….Is there gonna be bulldozars and JCB’s ina demolition mode to facelift the arteries of Kochi? Seems changes are happening…so let us be bit proactive in this time…!!!

Filed under: On the road

Restless RICK

 

The mode of transportation varies from country to country, When I think of India, that’s where I reside and belong to has got a unique vehicle called RICK.

 

Auto rickshaw the most popular andaffordable vehicle on Indian roads and it is in abundant on all parts of the country.The early memories of majority of Indians starts with the schooling, the days we traveled to school in those dubba three wheelers. Just rewind and imagine the look and feel of it.

Hope you remember the rubber horn placed exactly above the side view mirror. I have seen the luckiest of kids who got the seat in the drivers cabin got the privileage to play with it. It produced 2 different sounds…When you squeeze it the air goes out which in turn produces a sound, while air getting back inside it creates another.. it sounds to me like a pleading or crying. Usually the top roof used to be rexin mostly in black color and the body part used to be yellow and black combination.

 

I am much aware of the different type s of ricks in the kerala. The design and asthetics vary from place to place. If you go to the north part of kerala you have the Karnataka influence, ricks with extra ordinary boot space. It looked more feminine and usually inside is painted with bright blue color. The particular looking design is mostly found in the brand called LAMBRETTA. I belive this partuclar brand gave the maximum flexibility in various types and designs. The major designs patterns reflects the Kasargode types, Kannur types, Tellicherry types, Calicut types, Cochin types,

The last 20 years the market is grabbed by Bajaj auto, still selling the good old out dated looking one. I feel the bajaj has reach the last session of his stage in using the prehistoric design.

 

Look at this front engine Bajaj auto..looks like a frog ready to jump. Pretty hard to sit andIt always jumps while going. It s funny stuff to travel, I am not sure these days any of these are there on roads.

Tellicherry

Kochi

 

Kasargode

Chennai

Mumbai

Delhi

Rajsthan

 

Filed under: Uncategorized

Vintage bike

The land of festival of festivals Trichur Pooram, art culture and elephants, The land of Legendary King Sakthan Thampuran ( The name I gave to my buddy recently) Trichur. It is called as the cultural capital of Kerala. I was doing my schooling in this exciting place and the most memorable with unique experiences and festivities, Amogn the list of hobbies the latest one to add was the interest for Vintage Bikes. That time I was having a RALIEGH cycle with a green coated paint and sparkling Chorme plated rim. The unmatched MILLER dynamo which made the night riding easy. It was like a big cycle. But I had a crush towards the BSA SLR but found out from the experts that cabled break system doesnt function well. This time around I came to under various parts of a cycle and the most interesting was the valtube. Such a small piece of rubber tube made the magic of holding the air pressure. The curiousity made me a good observer. The most exciting of my observation list was a1940 BMW bike , and the uniqueness was it chainless technology and used the axil instead of it. The front mudguard was big, 2 seperate seats with unusual springs fitted. The indicators were fixed on the handle bars. The owner was a Flour mill merchant. he has an amazing collection of Grey Hounds. The barking noise was like a roar heard a long way around. It was a classic and I always dreamed of having one Vintage Bike. I would say till this day I havent come across a complete one but though I had much luck to have one ARIEL RED HUNTER 1945 bike. The sadest part was I was not capable of maintaining such a rare excusite item.

It was the year 1998, . the hunt began and knew it is very hard and tough to get one. On a visit to Bangalore bought a Vintage bike dictionary from Higgin Bothams on the Brigade Road. Its opposite to KFC the one which Dr.Nanjudaswamy tried to stop it from functioning.

The free time I was hanging up with the Vintage bike dictionary, which had a elegant classic look. When I glanced through the inner page , it says printed in London.The cold november month in Bangalore, when you cant ride your bike with out windsheeter, The winter season used to be my favourite. The cool wind passing through your ears gives an amazing feeling. Walking down MG road and Brigade Roads were really thrilling in those days. The metropolitan crowd in all sort of dressing styles, makes you feel you are in a different world.

Once in a while the thunderring noise of new generation YZFR and HONDA’s and Kwasaki Ninja’s used to vanish like lightning. On the rear there were sizzling babes sitting as if they have conquerred the throne. The teenage wilderness was the meaning of that silent stare from an old man.

In between in the mornings when I use to ride my Yam, I have spotted one vintage bike. I thas got an amazing rear wheel cover and sound use to be more beautifull than Royal Enfiled. One I followed the bike from Ulzoor lake to Richmond cirle, just got carried away with its beauty of the mechanical marvel. My eyes were searching for the logo on the tank. It was a TRIUMPH. I could breathe with an accomplishment. The man who was riding it had an elegance. Reminded me of some one who were really cosmopolitan.

The ARIEL club of UK send me details regarding the restoration and it cost few pounds which was no where near my budget. I still carry the letter as a reminder of my efforts. This bike had only front suspension and crank case was so huge. According to few people this bike was brought to Tellicherry by some Birtishers in the olden times.

Filed under: Uncategorized

Global Warming

An important concern for those who are concerned about it. If you look around your developing town and cities you might have heard and seen rivers getting dried up, sand being stolen, bore-well being digged at every spots, polluted wastage being dumped by factories. But majority’s needs getting prioritised by ignoring long term effects on our environment.

The administrations of different legal elected bodies were more efficient in looking at the laws and rules. Is this happening because the society being not developed to understand the consequences which will be drastic on the future generations. Or is it the people sitting on the top are lacking vision and insight to such issues. Are they blind political elements of this unprofessional machinery of politics. Or the people like you and me have the time to raise such issues.

I have asked and tried to understand these, Why such things happens by-knowing the realities that the global warming can harm and erase certain species from this world.

There were declarations and notices issues in newspapers about banning the plastic, but still everyday you and me get your groceries in those. If you look at the sideways of highways and rail tracks you can spot huge quantities of plastic scattered all over these places. I have heard about the efforts of Greenpeace and other organisations to check these issues.

But as i told earlier the majority who doesn’t bother such things becomes a threat to minority who are concerned about mother nature, rivers, birds and ………

May be the future belongs to big corporates who can make money out environmental protection and it could be a new concept. Does it mean it’s all about money and business? May be we need to think more about the answer but looks it is!!!!

Filed under: Nature

Tea break

History says tea was invented by Chinese. Chinese has some thing special in them. In the present competitive world of globalised economy and industrial developement, the chinese proved themselves as the front runners. While sipping the evening 3′o’ clock tea at office few thoughts came in to my mind. Which made me to scribble few lines about the tea.

Have we ever thought about a world where tea was not there! what could have been the replacement? I belive as you all feel, It can’t be a coke or a Pepsi. The essence of tea is rejuvenating beyond words. It brings a refreshed mood from the routine work styles.

Filed under: Tea