.....Greater Male’.......a reality......

.....Friday was the designated day for inspecting the bridge now linking both the islands....brand new ....Greater Male’ finally is a reality....the twin city Hulhumale’ bubbling with activities....as Friday is a holiday....Male’ appeared jaded in comparison upon arrival......

.....Banana Leaf ....freshly cut .....

....as  the  train  rumbled  in MAS  Central    late  evening , it was  time  to  scamper  back  to  MAS  Egmore for  onward  connections....undoubtedly  Father  was  the  leader &  we  his  ardent  followers ...he  had an uncanny  knack  of  keeping things  v  interesting  for  us ....his choice  was  the  public transport ferrying  us  to MAS  Egmore  ....SIR , Elephant  Logo Rly  Stn ...the wooden  staircase thr ,thn, were  resounding  &  our  hurried  footsteps wud  be  resonating as  we  climbed  up  to  the  Waiting  rooms ....2200 hrs the RockFort Express  wud depart via  Villupuram  to  Trichy....&  we  had  enough  time  to  hv  dinner  across  the  street.....the  air  thick  in  these  restaurants  with  aroma of  freshly  cooked  food ...&  diligently  we  all  sat  together,  being  served  in  freshly  cut  washed  banana leaves....the steaming  rice  , sparkling  white,  stuffed  in  steel  bowls , to  be  placed  as  a mound as  it  is  served  unpacked....the  hot  Sambhar  ,  Rasam , Mixed  veg  curry  with Appalam & Ghee  tasted  ethereal .....as  the servings  were  unlimited  , thr  was  no  room  for  not  being  satiated ...the 36  hr train  journey  frm  Howrah  to  Madras & wht best  was it  thn  having  a  simple sumptuous meal with equally  sumptuous  stretching  of  limbs.....  

.....The Meltdown & a watery mouth to remember .....

...Sept  is  the  month of  meltdown ....meltdown in  the  Clinic  &  also  the  Mkt. area....as, major  festivities  here r  over  ....the disease  process  slowly  recoiling & its  easy  at  the  clinic ....last  nite the  "Escape  of  the Dalai  Lama" one  of  a  series  of Great  Escapes on Netflix was  riveting as I watched ....authentic  narration , & superb depiction by the  Characters , more  so  the  part  played  : as  the Dalai Lama....Tibet , China , Mongolia , India  the  backdrop....during student  ship  ,  the  freq  visit  to  Rajgir  ( Raja Griha) , Bodh Gaya & exposure  to  the  Monks , the  Gridhhakut  range  &  its  Gompa , the Mahabodhi  tree at Gaya were  telltale imprints  indelible....the  Ropeway ride  to  the  Monastery  at  Rajgir...the  deathly  silence  of  the  valley underneath the  ropeway  climb with  clean cool  air  , with  distant sound  of  the  Drum  &  Chant  enticing .....a  place so  rich  in Mythology    Rajgir , with  its  hot  water  springs...eateries ....&  the  famous  Silao  khaja  a  sweet  pattis to  savour, not  to speak of  Anarsa a hell  of a  sweet  meat  for  the  sweet  tooth  ....!!!!    

....Krishna Janmasthami .....

....there is  lot  of  sunshine  now  &  the  Earth's  position at  this  time  of  the  yr  ensures  abundant  such, as  is  evident in  the  east  facing    rooms....the intensity is a feel  of  the  festivities  round  the  Corner  ,  not  too  Warm  ...not  too  mild  .....Krishna Janmasthami  is  celebrated today , which  will  usher  in  the  festivity  mnths  to  come  ....at  least  this  part  of  the world  with a  Monsoonal  clime , a  part  of  the  subcontinent, generates  the  same  feel  of season's  waxing  &  waning .....as is it was  felt  back  home....the  Sun  , Moon , Stars  , Sea as  constant  as  ever bathing  our  Lives with  its infinite energy  as  before...the  Cycle  of seasons  ,  the  diurnal  variations  all regulating  us.....the  Calendar  pages  change, mnth  after  mnth ....we  r  upbeat  , optimist our  basic  human  trait .....as our  parents  age  , we  age nd  Children on a brisk  path  of  maturity....the  Earth's  Rotation &  Revolution  around  the  Sun  is  the Passage  of  time  for  our  empty  coffers  to  be  filled  up gradually   with  rich  experiences  of  Life....!!!!