Tribute to my M I L

Last Friday I lost my mother-in-law. Very rarely one can come across a lady totally simple, unassuming, soft with everyone, always active, preferring to be on her own, never showing dissidence even where required - well, I can go on like this. She compensated to me for all the good parental response I missed personally. The last few weeks of physical discomfort were quietly born by her without any murmur, when she should have been comforted but was miserably let down by those who mattered most to her and on whom she showered affection and care.

I pray for her very noble soul to rest in peace.

Last was best

It was curtains down last week for Neengalum Vellalam Oru Kodi (NVOK) - the Tamil version of KBC hosted by actor Suriya. I did not watch regularly or with seriousness as most of the questions were very elementary, sometimes childish too. With tips from Big B, Suriya was trying to make it as lively as he could with unassuming interaction with the contestants. I am not sure how many of you were regular to NVOK.

I happened to watch the last episode of this season. Suriya brought all the contestants and made the best of them sit in the front. It started as usual with pleasantries and farewell notes. Then unfolded the emotional bits with rewind of some exceptional moments. I felt that I was being drawn to the arena by the sheer humane lessons I could learn in life. There were fun, frolic, mockery, melancholy, grit, cool attitude, helping hands and some real human beings.

At the end of the show I saw Suriya emerging a hero with his humility, real concern and generosity. I also saw that when compared to the lives of less privileged, I was better placed with nothing to lament or complain. I have nothing much to boast of either, when I see how Suriya or his dad were helping many quietly. When I switched off, I felt very uneasy about everything around me. Maybe incomplete life?

Last should never be lost, as last was the best.

Break ke baad

Well, after a break of 3 years, I am trying to revive my blog with regular posts. I have been driven to this by the idle days again in California, from where I started this blog.

I do not see much change in the life here, except maybe some new gadgets and new products in shops and malls. Probably I got this feeling because of late everything is available back in India and I have not been much excited. As always the gadget market offers new things, mostly brought out by Asian brains.

I must however admit that the cleanliness outside, the law abiding citizens, the planned development of the infrastructure, pure water and air, disciplined shopkeepers, no powercut, cooler climate - all these touch my heart in my every visit. Indian food joints, Indian movies are also on the rise.

In my fourth visit now, I meet good number of Indians, specifically South Indians in larger numbers when me and my wife go for daily walk. A new cult has developed of desi parents visiting their son/daughter mostly for baby-sitting. Ladies make the best out of these visits, enjoying their husbands doing dish-washing,  laundry, cutting vegetables, singing lullabies and even handling diapers.

All these somehow get extended to our homes when we get back to India. We grin and bear it!