Motivation of a different kind!

dear sir,

to all of you who rose from the grass-roots of triplicane to booking your passage in advance to Sweden:

sir, you have accredited your father with his 'fond compliments'(!) for the high-profile you acquired. perhaps, you have forgotten a couple other things to attribute:
- no.1, the education you received under the stern vigilance of the 'panchakacham vathiars' at Hindu High School;

- no.2, the long,narrow houses in thiruvallikeni, adoringly reckoned as 'pura-koondu' or 'ondu-kudithanam', with their poor ventilation were what instigated your survival instinct; that is to say, "payaley,get out of here! adhukku padikkanum!"

today, the kids won't take any negative comments- they are simply disheartened when told to be a barber. we try the carrot & stick trick-they like the carrot, despise the stick.

idhudhaan manidhanin parinama valarchiya?

 

Enjoyed reading your musings about life and times of Triplicane. Your childhood does sound out of another world.
But it is each to his own. I am sure that the children of today will grow up and in the not so far future, will look back and say how innocent and sweet their childhood was?! Surely, today's TVs and Computers will be collector's items of tomorrow. Progress must take place, time cannot be stopped. But what all of us have to remember is that it is up to us to see that our little ones are left with sweet nothings for them to cherish and look back upon with a smile.
That child, no matter when and where his childhood was spent, is the fortunate being.

L, Kamla

 

dear sir,

i am much delighted to read your articles on your sub-forum. they remind me of the not-so -serious talks on the 'thinnai'. unfortunately, i could enjoy those for just a few yrs of my early lfe. alas,they have given way to the ever-growing madness of the cities! when i see multi-storeyed apts today, they appear to me like 'vertical streets within streets'.

the 'thinnai' talks, coated with humour, gave an intellectual blend of the past & present to us kids, who were silent listeners,of course. i think, we are the most unfortunate generation to have seen very little of those days and all on a sudden, being put thru' a tremendous transition to the present form of life, where we have to seek 'intangible thinnais' on the net.

nice of u to suggest a good book that you enjoyed. third war seems inevitable and certainly humans will have to commence afresh from the ruins caused by themselves. but, the thought of a war sends chills down my spine ,after having seen iraq,afghan,sudan,lebanon.....also closer home,of late.

so, i ease out by seeking solace in extremely harmless, innocent creations of classic-authors like elizabeth gaskell. do u know of more creators of the gaskell -type,please?

looking forward to much more of your ramblings!

regards.

 

Dear cheeniya,
I fully agree with our friends here that flattery takes a person nowhere. he overestimates himself like our cricket team. But criticism though unwelcome makes a person aware of his failings and he bounces with determination to disprove it. I think it is human nature to want to do what critics say you are not capable of. A very realistic post indeed.
Regards,
Meenu

 

Dear Sri Sir
I forgot to mention in my earlier posts that your articles draw a smile as I absorb the deep message they impart.
You have that delightful light-hearted tone that makes me recall the gopulu cartoons that featured in the yesteryears Deepavali malars!
This is another where I can see the Triplicane aunt chiding her young son sporting a military-cropped hair flying kite on the road with those words you mentioned above!
At first I thought the Nobel prize aspirant was Dr. Chandrasekar but looking at the date it must be someone else! Did he win it?
I have not seen the miracle man - it is on my list now!
The last para is a profile on my husband! He is like that too! I learnt that to have him not do something I just ask him to do it! !