CinemadaMare, Italy

Dhruva first mentioned this sometime last June, a casual mention, saying he wanted to apply to a program in Italy, and are we okay with it. It meant setting aside an year after college, and on the 'if' chance that he gets selected. Knowing very little about it, as he'd come across it by chance while submitting his film for a festival, he was likely more hopeful, than confident.....yet really keen, and he got his go ahead.

February this year came the intimation that he'd been selected... it was a wow feeling. Then began the process of visa application. 

Three days back he says "now I'm beginning to feel the excitement", and I was like "what ?!!?... and all this while?". Unlike me, he doesn't believe in building anticipation...says he doesn't like handling disappointment.

Two weeks after submitting application, he'd got a call from the consulate saying his application was weak, and they wanted additional documentation. Can only imagine what that must have felt like to him. Then started the frenzied work of getting in touch with the sponsors and another trip to his university at Pune. (we'd already booked tickets per program itinerary ) 

And finally, just last week came the Visa !

CinemadaMare in Italy

This is one of the most enticing and interesting sounding programs I've heard off. It's called the 'biggest gathering of young film makers in the world'.

Last years poster

A three month program, one hundred film makers from across the world, with not more than ten from any one country, (they've had participation from 65 countries) , travelling across Italy, one week in each town, shooting films, completing one film a week.

They call the program 'travelling movie campus and production house'. While airfare to Italy and food is paid for by the participant, the stay during the three months, and travel within Italy is completely taken care of by CinemadaMare. 

Participants need to pick any area of filming they are interested in, and can even try their hands at other facets including screenplay, acting, anything. The selection is done based on application and portfolio. Dhruva has picked Editing and Direction as option 1 and 2, and is hoping to do both, and maybe more as he has a really keen ear for sound.

It starts in Rome in June, and ends in Venice at the 'Venice International Film Festival' in September. Travelling through Fiumicino, Genzano, Cattolica, Foligno, Potenza, Vasto, Maratea, Erice, Matera, Nova Siri, Napoli, Vercelli, and Venezia. I know none, but they all sounded to intriguing and Astrixy, that I just had to write :)

They also have well known film professionals taking classes and workshops in each town. Plus screenings of their films in open air town squares where city municipalities sponsor the events.

In the 'practical advice' on their site, alongside the more serious stuff of 'bring your laptop and your camera as your first job is filming', it also says, 'don't forget your bathing suit as you will also get to enjoy some of the most beautiful Italian beaches'. And it ends with:

'And finally...bring with you many ideas and resilience.....get in the game, it will be fun'

Filming with film makers from across the globe.... road travel across Italy.....live masterclasses.......screenings in town squares.....italian beaches.....a pretty exotic program design.

His thatha was saying "lucky fellow, getting such a wonderful opportunity so early in his career" While I agree, I'd also like to give full credit to Dhruva, as this was an opportunity that didn't come of it's own. It's one he pretty much created for himself, and I'm super proud of him for having done that.

There's now full excitement in the air...he leaves tomorrow !

First phase of packing today

A nice surprise last week was that Dhruva's film 'The End', got selected at the CinemadaMare Film Festival too.

Many Congratulations Dhruva ! For the film being selected, and for you being selected too. And like they said ....go join in the game, enjoy the filming, and have loads of fun. 

For all that exposure and experience, three months from now, I guess we'll welcome you back a changed young man :)

Seetharampuram

Nostalgia trip continuing...

Seetharampuram was literally in the jungles.......living in tents, amongst the wilderness, the clouds and the local adivasis.

It's located in the Ananthagiri hills of Araku valley, about 50 kms from Vizag. Another 4 year posting for dad. While we didn't live there with him, we spent all our school vacations there.

While there are several instances recounted of seeing cheetahs, pythons, cobras, and even tigers, one which I myself distinctly remember is this; dad had come for lunch...our dining area was a small folding aluminium table and four folding chairs, placed under a tree, a little distance outside the tent. We were sitting at the table, and suddenly there was this snake that came dangling out of the tree .....almost onto the table.

I'm recalling this incident, and mom's like "yeah, a green snake, long.... and it's tail was still wound to the branch ...rest was hanging in front of us..... you remember, it was beautiful". 

And I could only go 'omg', I was like "emi ma...I'm amazed that dad and you did this, that too with us so little......tell me more about it...how did we even live there, what was it like, didn't snakes come into the tent?".

Dad: We had what's called a snake trench dug all around the tent. It has specifications, per which a snake cannot cross in. But there were many outside.

Mom: There was once this massive python that came into the area, and someone came running to us saying you both were sitting very close to it, looking into its face. We go with them to find it true, you were still sitting with it .... just that the python couldn't move as it had swallowed a hen whole which was stuck in it's throat.

Dad: We used to have mosquito nets for each cot, we had only camp cots, and they were different kind of mosquito nets.  There was no electricity there. ( I was like, what !!??!! we lived without electricity...how?!? ) .

Mom: It was only lanterns and petromax, we used to finish everything before dark, and at times even going out to the bathroom in the night was a big issue as we had to use the lantern and go. (so we had bathrooms?). Not really, that was just another tent, one for a bath, and one with deep holes in it, which would keep shifting. Hard to imagine, but that's how it was.

Dad: I used to read a lot, even in lantern light, and once when I finished reading, and as habit I overturned my pillow, there was this huge black spider with hairy legs under my pillow. I jumped out of my skin, as the only thing I can't stand is spiders.

Mom: We had to have gemaxin powder put all through the snake trench regularly. In the market what we get is 10% potency, but for the scorpions and spiders we needed much higher potency, so we needed special permission, which had to each time be signed by the collector of the area. Many mornings we would find scorpions in the trench, not the usual ones we see ( really ma, usual scorpions?), but big...huge black ones.

Dad: There were times we had to go find new mining sites, and there would be no paths, we'd have to walk through jungle for four to five days at a stretch. They would give us 20 labour to carry the head load, and we'd carry about 50 phulkas, raw rice, onion and green chillies and that would be our entire ration for days, we would have to manage on that.

When I took Geology, they had told us that we should opt for it only if we liked outdoor life, but at that time I never thought that this was what they meant. There were times it was very tough ...I've gone days without food, and just rain water for drinking.

Mom: While snakes and scorpions were kept out, there would be big rats on the roof of the tent between the flaps, we could hear them running around in the night.

Then there were days that were so beautiful that clouds would pass through us, just sitting outside the tent. It's after all in araku valley.

Dad: Once it rained really heavy, this was when you weren't with me, and my surveyors tent collapsed. He had brought his wife to camp, newly married, they'd arrived just that week. When their tent collapsed, they both came and sat in my tent. Water was flowing through my tent as well. We were sitting on opposite cots and in between there was my trunk, which also served as table. I sensed something and turned on the torch for a moment, and saw a huge snake sitting curled up on the trunk. It must have got carried through with the flowing water and when it found a foothold it settled. I didn't tell them, as I also didn't know what to do, but those were definitely very tense hours. His wife packed up and left the next day.

Most of our officers wives and family wouldn't want to stay in camp, but mummy is that way very different, very courageous, more than me in fact, she was always game, and that's how we could take you two also.

Mom: If I think back now, even I wonder how I did it, but back then it was a wonderful life. After Seetharampuram, Srisailam was like a luxury. It was after all a town, so what if it had only one street for market and only one theatre.

And it had electricity. Seetharampuram, after dark was just lanterns.

Dad: Vizag was the nearest town and once in a while we would go there as outing... watch a movie, eat and come back. On the way back , we had to cross Gosthani river and once we got caught in floods. One of my most harrowing experiences, a time I thought we were all finished.

It was dark, and though the headlights picked up the water, we didn't think it was deep, and we didn't realize the river was in floods.  As we drove onto the causeway, we felt the water flow through the jeep...... within a minute the headlights failed... and then the engine went off. It was pitch dark, and the sound of the gushing water was terrifying. The jeep started to swing.....you started crying then. (what a detail to remember).

What saved us was a pen torch that Haq's wife was carrying in her bag. When Hussain, our driver got off, the water lifted his legs, and I had to pull him back in. Then I got off the other side, against the flow, and holding the jeep and then the trailer, walked back and managed to get to the village. I had to also unhook the trailer and let it go with all our stores, as it would have tilted the jeep which was already swinging. I knew the post master in that village, so I went and woke him up, and he brought help. That night we all slept in the post office.'

By this time I was pretty much listening dazed and open mouthed.

Next morning, I scouted all their old albums, and found a few pictures from then. In fact like Diksha asked, what kind of camera did they even have back then?

Hard to imagine....big cameras, black and white pictures, loading film, getting it developed, printing the pictures....a different world....with a different and wonderful charm to it. 

I simply love this picture: (what they're sitting on is the back seat of the jeep serving as chair :)

Praveen and me, in one of the camps...

Dad with his surveyor outside our tent

 Both of us with dad

Back home in Mehdipatnam, the only picture from there I could find

Daddy and Ma, I'm so so amazed at both of you....and so glad and grateful that you did what you did, and enabled all these experiences for us. Also a little overwhelmed.

Guess, it's only now I'm beginning to understand the level of exposure and independence you've allowed us.....for instance allowing, or rather encouraging me to not just go to the station and book my own train tickets, but even travel alone right from when I was twelve, letting me participate in the Asiad opening ceremony though it meant missing school and staying in tents outside Delhi for two months and many many such. 

This is an exceptional level of trust and faith in life. I now know where I get it from :)

Down the nostalgia road....

Post moms surgery, staying at their place a few days was opportunity to go down nostalgia road. In fact so many roads....so many triggers for stories from yore.

Some really interesting ones were from dads postings at remote places.

Dad being a Geologist, had several unusual and adventurous kind of postings...dam sites for foundation work and jungles for mineral mapping. The ones I have distinct memory from are Srisailam where we lived for four years, and Seetharampuram, again a four year posting, where we did vacation stays.

Srisailam holds some of my fondest memories ever...a phase that also had a large influence on my love for small town....anything rural and rustic... and not surprising as that was at the really young age of 8 to 12, when experience seems to get imbibed whole.

A casually triggered chat, but one I wanted captured :

Me: So how did the transfer to Srisailam come about? How did you feel about it ?

Dad: I was already working on the Srisailam dam foundation, you all were living here, in Hyderabad, in Mehdipatnam. I used to travel every opportunity I got and be as much as possible in Hyderabad.

One day over a dinner my boss asked why I go off so much to Hyderabad, and though I tried telling him it was work, someone else said it was because of family being in Hyd. He asked if I'd be willing to shift them, and they would take on all the arrangements, including quarters and a cook and everything. I straight away said yes.

Very same week they sent a truck home, packed up everything and we moved, at a speed which was like an evacuation.

Me: Ma, did you have any apprehensions? were you even consulted in this... small town.. our education.. leaving friends... anything?

Ma: I don't remember, but thinking back I feel I didn't have the maturity to do my own thinking. It was like, 'we've been transferred, so we move'.... And I was okay to living anywhere, I was anyways not doing anything. (she started work only after we moved back to Hyd)

Dad: In fact your school principal, Holy Mary High School, she tried a lot telling us to not move saying we were in a good school, why risk education...but I wasn't willing to listen, not because I was clear, but because I also didn't have the maturity to think that we might be making a mistake.

Me: I'm so glad both of you didn't think, I think I learnt more from my stay in Srisailam than any education, whatever good school could have given me. I also loved my school in Srisailam, Lutheran Convent, as small and sweet. Also gave me opportunity to be head girl :)

What comes to memory from life there? I remember you both used to go play shuttle, so many visits to camp office, visiting the dam, including inside the dam, going to the temple on the opposite flank, trips to Hyderabad in a Jeep, picnics at paaladhara panchadhaara waterfalls ......

Dad: I really liked our stay there too. I'm also glad we all moved. I enjoyed my work, I had comfortable timings. Go in the morning, come home for lunch, nap in the afternoon,  again go in the evenings, and come back at night.

Mom: Me too...It was a lovely life there. No TV, no relatives,  but good friends, Yashoda aunty, I am still in touch with because we formed such close relationships there. We used to go play shuttle during weekends.

Dad: There was only one theatre for the whole village, and we used to occasionally go there to watch movies.

Me: I remember a lovely garden, a stone wall, a sand pit in the garden.

Mom: Yes, daddy got a large sandpit made for you, half the garden he converted with a tipper full of sand. Every morning as soon as you got up you would go straight to the sand pit to play. You've spent a lot of time in it. You once saw a snake coming in through the wall as you were playing, and you just sat and watched it slither away. You weren't scared of snakes at all.

Me: I recall going down to the dam once when the went into floods.

Dad: Yes, you remember that? We were at the dam in the evening, some days I used to take you just to see how the dam was getting built, and as we were there, the waters rose and overflowed the foundation weir. It was a fascinating sight.

Me: I remember that, in fact there were others telling you to move us, but you allowed us to watch from really close, that's why I can recall the excitement even now.

Ma, you remember when I did a whole big function for my doll? Full marriage and all?

Mom: Vaguely ....

Me: Ayyo, vaguely aa? It was the marriage of my doll with another friends doll. Hussain, our driver and I went to the market to buy clothes for the doll, got them stitched, then bought lots of other stuff, including kumkum bharinis to give everyone. I myself embroidered their clothes. We had so many of our friends come, including your friends and daddy's. So much fun it was.

Mom: Yes, we had no TV or radio then, all entertainment was what we created, so I can imagine you doing it like that. One thing we would all do is read.

Me: Yes, each time daddy would come from Hyderabad he would bring me Enid Blytons. It was so exciting. I had them all catalogued and all...I had a small library by the time I was 10.

Looks like reading was a fancy even before I could read :)

 Praveen and me at the dam site foundation

With neighbours and friends ....thought it was a cute picture

L to R, Matheen, Mobeen, Me and Anita (Anita was my first best friend, who'd come from Hyd to spend vacation with me .... someone I'm still in touch with :)

 Our quarters there, back then

The very same house, still very there, when we went to visit in 2009

And the most amazing thing was that when we walked in and introduced ourselves, saying we lived there thirty odd years back, the lady knew of daddy, recognized him and had such wonderful things to say about him. She was a junior clerk back then. A wonderful way to end that recall.

Will save Seetharampuram for another post :)

Temple of God

I use this phrase in different perspective today.

Context is, we're just back from a surgery that mom underwent, and it yet again brought me close to not just the awesomeness of the human body....... but to the wonder at how surgeons set it right when it goes wrong.

So much so, 'temple of god' seemed apt metaphor for hospital and doctor too.

Discharge from hospital: Menaka, taking back the wrist band and saying 'enka meeru patient kaadu' :)

And this is really more of a wonder because, for over two weeks, up until yesterday, the process was filled with fear, stress, pain, ignorance, anger, confusion........not pleasant feelings... so, for something like that to end in such absolutely happy space, did take a 'temple of god' experience.

(the phrase popped out at me from a book I was reading just now......almost like a perfect fit :)

As with any disorder, the situation started with intermittent symptoms. When they became persistent enough to shake the antennae was when mom saw fit to visit a Doc. One Doc and then another as the Docs said the symptoms were indicative of something scary, very scary in fact.

Then started the tests. Tests...waiting..results....docs...more tests....more docs...and that cycle went on for a longish bit. Simple tests to complex tests. Spread over two weeks. 

This is space for a lot of stress and fear.....we're at our most vulnerable

Under duress, we couldn't help but wonder at tests being repeated within days, some within a day....seemingly illogical. 

It's very easy at that stage to point fingers. Talk of what's wrong with the system. And we so easily pass judgement, judge not just the system, but those who are part of the system too....doctors included. And from our judgement comes anger and pain, and that's not a conducive space, definitely not for sustained healing to happen.

There was a lesson there.....'what do you want to focus on'

There are tests done thrice....there's a doctor who is gentle.
There are queues and waiting time....there's a lady who will smile and make you sit.
The parking was a dread.....there's a valet guy who's sweet.
There's a cafe that's closed.....there's a nurse who comes along with coffee

Which one are you seeing?

Focus on the positives....and you'll make that space grow. This was an experience that surely validated that.

Every facet of the hospital experience was so positive. Right from the gentle and kind surgeon, Dr. Prasad Raju, and CARE hospital....which so fully stood by it's title, where not just it's doctors but even the nurses, the ayahs, the lift boys (girls), the tea boys, the cleaning staff...each of them did such a sensitive and marvellous job, that I have no doubt that mom is on her way to full recovery.

A couple of instances in example......

When mom was in post operative, yet groggy from the anesthesia, and I was allowed to meet her, the doctor asks for her name, and then gently nudges her shoulder saying 'sukrutha, sukrutha......you did great, everything is good' until she registers it........ and then tells me all other details. There was such a personal touch in how he did it. A gesture that brought out the tear and the smile ...one that will stay with me. 

Two days later when we were leaving, if mom raised her hands in a full namasthe to him, I could so totally see why. It's not just about a super efficient surgery...it's about what he evoked in her.

Our nurses, Tia, Stephie and Menaka.....were so sweet and pleasant...that they made the poking, the many many pills and other intrusions seem even nice and welcome.

Another person who left an impression was Parvathi, one of the lift operators. Two days there, and I could empathize with how tough a job that could be in a hospital....the way she handled a really irate and huge man who was just screaming at her. Patient and firm. I was so impressed, I told not just her, but met her manager to give him the positive feedback.

The hospital was doing something right at it's leadership and philosophy level. Every single person there had a nice energy and positive demeanor to them....and it's such a critical component  in a space that's so fragile and difficult. 

Overall, an experience that made my attitude towards hospitals shift...from one of underlying suspicion and fear.....to one of honour and respect.

And mom....well, such a wonderful and easy patient you were ma. Even the doctor later asked me about her, whether she was working, whether she was a doctor...stuff like that.

She handled it all so well.....quiet, calm, no unnecessary drama, focused, all energy conserved towards handling the issue......yet another lesson in courage, stoicism and positivity.  Proud of you ma!

Vadakkumnathan Temple - Thrissur

Vadakkumnathan temple is one of the most ancient, and largest of Shiva temples in the country.

Once in Thrissur, knowing it's an old and traditional town of Kerala, in the less than 24 hours we were there, between functions, I was hoping to fit in a temple visit. Optimizing see...and this temple was recommended by Beena. The opportunity showed itself as an early morning window, so off we were at 6 am, and Diksha joining me was a lovely last minute surprise.

Firstly, it was impossible to remember the name ....I'd ask and within minutes I'd forget....it's such a mouthful. As is most of malayalam...in fact like Diksha said "I don't know when they take a breath between words, they just seem to roll into each other". So true :)

As we enter the temple grounds, what strikes is how spread out and green it is. And how beautiful, and serene, and old, and clean, and pious, and peaceful, and sanctified. Please read all those as feeling words :)

The temple is spread over 9 acres, with many many really gigantic old trees, banyans and peepals and others, interspersed with old and statuesque looking gopurams. No detailed sculptures, no imposing architecture....just these clean straight lines.....somehow felt like a no frills, more direct connect to god (or maybe nature...or maybe self....same thing I guess)

It is said to have been built by Parusurama, the sixth incarnation of lord vishnu, the legend creator of Kerala. You start to understand 'God's own country' from a whole new angle.

Thrissur gets it's name after this temple , with Thrissur meaning 'town with the name of lord Shiva'.

This is entrance to temple.

The main dome..the one that houses the sanctum sanctorium

Full of these nice long walkways everywhere

One of the side gopurams

Another view of the main dome

Banyan tree.....interesting how it's outgrown it's platform

Another angle to the side gopuram

A kutti temple to ganesha, which had several oil lamps lit, that I was trying to capture, but from too far

This tree had some exotic looking flowers hanging all over it's trunk....and the fragrance was heady...like literally intoxicating heady

We somehow did no pictures of ourselves, guess the temple just took over...here I happened to catch diksha's back...by chance with the graceful twirl of her lehenga :)

Loved the serenity and connect that this temple offered.....what we, in essence, look for in temples.

A Lovely Mallu Wedding

A wedding in Thrissur…..a quintessential Malayali Wedding

Also, a milestone in time. Beena and I went to school together, that many many years back, and now it was time for her son’s wedding. A first. First friend whose child was getting married, that’s why a milestone, and there was no way I would miss it.

I mention that, more because there were enough and more obstacles coming up to our trip. Was on uncertain ground right till the evening before we left, and today, I’m just so glad each of them was overcome one at a time. Some, god helped...and some I’m happy to say was ‘taking a decision’. Lesson there….all about keeping the focus on goal, and goal was to be with Beena on this occasion that meant so much.

That got captured for me in two very differently intense moments. One, in Thrissur, when Beena and I found ourselves alone in the hotel corridor for two minutes…. she gives me a hug and says “I’m just feeling sooooo happy”. I could feel her joy through the hug. A wonderful moment.

And second; at the reception, at the Bolgatty Palace ground…...everything’s beautifully set, almost fairytale like beautiful. It’s in the lawns, set against the spectacular backdrop of the ocean. 

We’re there early, and enjoying the beauty of the venue….almost time for the event….….. and suddenly the sky darkened...and in minutes it was like the clouds burst. 

Huge bolts of lightening and thunder... and sheets of rain.....a massive thunderstorm. Beena sitting there looking out into the pouring rain, watching her weeks of painstaking effort ...every chair and every bouquet, every curtain, every flower impeccably matched ….helpless...her eyes going red, holding back the threatening tears. While there was nothing I could say that would change things, just to be sitting with her and saying it’s okay to cry….and know the reception will yet happen.

We were watching Narayanan, walking around everywhere, umbrella in hand, yet fully drenched, likely as much from sweat as rain, such a worried look in his eyes...one that we could all feel for, but none of us could talk to.

Half hour later, yet pouring and drenched...everything was magically reorganized.....turned out an as grand reception, with so much participation from all invited, and more.....a lovely reception, one that even the rain gods couldn't stop. Beena, that says a lot for you and Narayanan. Wonderful wonderful stuff.

I now understand that what I said as 'magically reorganized' had behind it the hands of one special individual. A Dr. Gangadharan, a close friend of Narayanan's, someone I've been hearing off through the years. I understand that when he saw what the storm was doing, not just to the venue setting, but to Narayanan, he pretty much took over. Actually gave Narayanan lime and salt, reframed the situation for him, and then he and his team (Gangadharan is a world reknown oncologist) set about reorganizing the venue to alternate arrangements. Some great work there, by him and his team.  Wow stuff.....makes for some great memories.....and lessons too.

Onto the event itself.

We landed at Cochin on 24th afternoon, plumb in the middle of a pooja ceremony at home….. women in traditional white silk kasavus and men in mundu with colourful silk shirts ......was a lovely sight. 

Ceremony done, nice lunch done...couple hours later we were on the road to Thrissur, for the wedding. 

Rest in pictures:

24th evening was a hybrid of a traditional ceremony and a sangeet. The women in the family all sitting to make vathulu (cotton wicks), for the very many oil lamps that are lit for the wedding. Such a pretty sight.

And the now newer mix of the sangeet that has seeped its way into south indian weddings as well. Who doesn’t like music and dance, so, fun it was...even in the watching.

The wedding itself, at Kaustubham in Thrissur. The actual ceremony a quiet and pious affair, with the stage being prominently occupied by the nilavilakku (traditional brass lamp) and a para (brass vessel) filled with nellu (rice husk) and coconut flowers.

A lovely family picture. Beena, Narayanan, Pranav, Vaishakhi and the cute kid brother Monu (ok ok...Saurav :)

Sadya, the traditional and well known kerala spread. So Yummm. The payasam was to die for.

A lovely moment captured there. More importantly, I wanted Shobha, Beena's sister and mom (sitting behind) here, and sadly had no other pictures with them. I've after all known them since I was 12.

Shaking a leg...friends of the bride and groom, and the bride and groom, Vaishakhi and Pranav themselves, both in pink...so cute :)

From the previous day, when we just reached, but had to put a picture of Beena in a kasavu :)

Diksha and me....Beens, thanks for sending me this picture :)

Reception next evening....at the Bolgatty palace. The mandapam against the waters, so very elegant and beautiful.

The palace itself. A 1744 building, apparently the oldest existing Dutch palace outside Holland

Beena, me and Diksha enjoying the venue before start of reception

And then the clouds appeared, with a speed and ferocity that was spellbinding

And then it poured

Venue shifted to alternate hall....and here's the flag off, so rightfully done by Dr.Gangadharan, (extreme right, with the mike in hand) who pretty much saved the day

A pretty picture..the couple with the bridesmaids

An interesting episode during the reception was when well known actor Mammootty (he's a friend of Narayanan's) walked in, and we could feel the energy in the room so palpably shift. You can see Mammootty in white to the right. Even the photographers turned the other way and took selfies :)

A picture of their house, all decked up for the wedding, so pretty

End of day, almost midnight, and when the rain finally went into a drizzle we went back to the original mandapam for some final pictures.

There was one super cute moment here. Pranav and Vaisakhi were getting some pics on the mandapam, you know the 'candid' ones. You could tell that the photographer had asked Pranav to kiss the bride, and we see this quick and furtive glance behind...at his parents... wondering if it was okay with them around. Such a cute look that was.

Beena and Narayanan, many many many congratulations to you both !!

And thanks much for hosting us for the wedding, and more for making us feel so much a part of family...can’t tell you how touching and wonderful it was.

A Week That Seemed Way Longer

A week away from home is by itself just that..a week. Then you add in experiences as varied as what we had, and the week seems to go into a time distortion. One that feels way longer.... in essence from the intensity and spectrum of new and varied experiences. 

Varied was at multiple levels. The pictures speak of landscape...and our experience encompassed, in addition to the sea and the mountains:

The hulabulu of a wedding in the city, and the quiet of just the two of us in Munnar.

The extreme heat and humidity of Cochin, and the chilly and windy monsoons in Chinnakanal. 

A well known temple in Thrissur, and the hip cafes of Fort Kochi. 

A ferry drive in the car at Ernakulam, and driving through clouds in the western ghats.

Wine through the evenings and ayurveda during the day.

You get the drift....

It's a trip that Diksha and I did to Kerala last week.....visiting Cochin, Thrissur and Munnar.

This morning a friend asked "just the two of you, didn't you get bored?". The thought hadn't even occurred to me. We had such a marvelous time ....even cooped up in the room during the rains that seem to never stop.......doing things together, syncing when needed, doing our own thing at times....in fact we didn't even think of turning the TV on, not even once. It was a simply beautiful week.

Back home and wanting to write, was when I realized just how wide and deep an experience spectrum it was....so much so, that in itself seemed a thought worth capturing,  and a good enough place to start :)