Log in or Sign up

Have an Interesting Snippet to Share : Click Here
Dismiss Notice

Sharing space with caterpillars!

Discussion in 'Cheeniya's Senile Ramblings' started by Cheeniya, May 29, 2014.

Page 1 of 4

May 29, 2014 #1
Cheeniya Super Moderator Staff Member IL Hall of Fame

Messages:

12,638

Likes Received:

16,943

Trophy Points:

538

Gender:

Male

Sharing space with caterpillars

Today’s morning walk was not quite enjoyable. The morning had all the markings of what was in store for us. The sun had just come out of the Bay of Bengal looking fresh and ready to roast the people of Chennai alive. It is incredible that this same sun is a weak powerless one elsewhere in the world while in some parts of the world, people go gaga over the very sight of the sun! The Sun is not a multifaceted personality but just a ‘multifaceted’ one, a hot one for me, a very cold one for the Polar souls and a very cheerful, friendly one for the NRIs in US. I pulled out my massive kerchief and did some mopping operation with it. After offering my salutations to the Sun God, I traced my way back home rather disappointed with the ‘step-fatherly’ attitude of our life giving Star.

I was surprised that I was the only one sulking about the Blazing Star above. The rest of the world seemed to be carrying on with their life unmindful of the sun, moon, the stars and the like. My hostile attitude could be due to the excessive sweating that the uncalled for fat I had acquired over the years was causing in me. Excessive sweating is a great nuisance. The rivulets that start off my balding head cascade down my forehead, temples and neck making me resemble Lord Shiva with a subdued Ganga on His head. My major problem is mainly with the couple of rivulets that prefer my nose and eyes for their downward journey. My expensive specs wriggle uncomfortably in trying to stay moored to the slippery bridge of my wet nose. The ones that traverse through my eyes make them blurred. If I take off my glasses to drain the sweat, I suddenly find myself straying to the middle of the road thanks to my eyes suddenly getting deprived of their glass dependent vision.

I am not complaining in case you are trying to rush to me with mollifying words. I am one of those strong ‘grin and bear it’ types though my grinning in such trying circumstances may make me appear more like an angry gorilla baring its teeth. Still I could not help thinking that if Pippa passed me this way right now, I would have given her a cold stare and a bit of my mind. With such weighty thoughts occupying my mind, it was only natural that my head was more inclined towards the ground than usual as I continued with my walk. And what a providential escape it turned out to be for a couple of jaunty caterpillars who were trying to cross my way! With my head facing the ground, my vision fell on them and I abruptly stopped in my tracks. “Veetla sollittu vantheengala? Enda ippidi kurukka vareenga? Savu grakki!’ I shouted at them. (Have you taken leave of your folks at home? Why are you crossing my path like this? I can’t translate Savu grakki being one of the most exclusive Tamil epithets of annoyance!) So saying I moved away from their path and they surprised me by arching their bodies upwards in one big gesture of gratitude to me!

I know that most of you may be looking askance at me wondering if it is the combined effect of my age and the beastly heat of summer that my rambling is bordering on blabbering. Before your estimation of me takes any further beating, I must hasten to assure you that I have always believed that the billions of creatures inhabiting this planet of ours have as much right to space as the humans have. I have never consciously stamped out the life of any crawlies in all my long life this far. Wherever and whenever they cross me, I let them cross with a song on their lips knowing that they are using their pedestrian crossing legitimately. The two caterpillars that had their providential escape were probably telling each other, ‘This fat guy is a very considerate chap! Any other fatso would have made us skip the next three births and taken us to the fourth by placing his massive feet on us like Lord Vamana!’

It has always been my dream to be like Dr.Dolittle blessed with the ability to speak the language of every living being on earth. How enchanting it will be and what a broad perspective it will give us about the human’s role in the well being of our planet!

Last edited: Aug 11, 2020

Cheeniya, May 29, 2014

Cheeniya, May 29, 2014

#1

13 people like this.

Loading...
Similar Threads
1. Sharing My Space With You !!
  
  Drpreethis, Sep 8, 2008, in forum: Snippets of Life (Non-Fiction)
  
  Replies:
  
  9
  
  Views:
  
  2,151
  
  soumya234
  
  Aug 11, 2012
2. Sharing My Happiness…..
  
  anika987, Mar 16, 2023, in forum: General Discussions
  
  Replies:
  
  6
  
  Views:
  
  1,013
  
  anika987
  
  Mar 20, 2023
3. Sharing The Restaurant Bill
  
  Anusha2917, Aug 22, 2022, in forum: General Discussions
  
  Replies:
  
  14
  
  Views:
  
  2,146
  
  Thyagarajan
  
  Aug 29, 2022
May 30, 2014 #2

Srama Finest Post Winner

Messages:

10,083

Likes Received:

11,579

Trophy Points:

538

Gender:

Female

Dear Cheeniya sir,

You are right about one thing! Personally I could never get upset with the Sun himself, however fiercely or meekly he chooses to shine. I am happy when he is out and about. If at all I am bothered, it is the lack of greenery, the clouds, the rain and the rainbows that would let me not play hide and seek with that Sun. So I can understand your aggravation at that scorching Sun of Chennai. It must be a coincidence for just today, I saw this picture on FB

Well, well I know you are no Pappu asking to reduce the brightness like in computer screen brightness but we can all see the future generations doing that! Can't we?

All that sun did some good somewhere didn't it? At least he had you looking down heavy in thought and those lucky caterpillars got away taking their own time. It is Sun God's way of asking us not only to look up but also down every now and then for there are interesting beings even there!

Hope you had some relief from the heat with a good lassi or a fruit drink!

Ps: currently in our parts of the world, it is mostly earthworms sir crying for our attention as they wiggle around trying to go god knows where.

Srama, May 30, 2014

Srama, May 30, 2014

#2

7 people like this.
May 30, 2014 #3

Cheeniya Super Moderator Staff Member IL Hall of Fame

Messages:

12,638

Likes Received:

16,943

Trophy Points:

538

Gender:

Male

My dear Srama
Thank you for being the Iyerviji of this Ramble of mine! Viji came and gave a 'Like' but not the first FB as usual! I am happy you took that role.

Sitting where you are, it is easy for you to take a benevolent view of the Sun's dispensations. But for the Pappus like us, he is merciless. After going through the miserable 'Agni Star' for over 3 weeks, we were told that the spell has ended a couple of days back. We were hoping for a massive cloud burst relieving us from the scorching heat of summer but the heat has only increased now. To add insult to injury, the Sun's reply to Pappu has only left me fuming. Carbon emissions and concrete jungles are far less in Chennai than some of the climatically cosy cities of the world and yet only we keep paying the price here.

But I agree with you that all these weighty thoughts resulted in a couple of caterpillars escaping certain death! I am happy about it. I hold the caterpillars in great esteem. Whenever I visit the Kapali Temple in Summer, I dart through the corridors to save my feet from getting burnt by the hot stone slabs. Mind you, I make so much fuss with just two legs but the caterpillars have six real and ten false legs. They hardly show any dissent about the heat of summer. When the heat is unmanageable, they just become a bit gymnastic like this:

Sri

Cheeniya, May 30, 2014

Cheeniya, May 30, 2014

#3

3 people like this.
May 30, 2014 #4

iyerviji IL Hall of Fame

Messages:

34,597

Likes Received:

28,768

Trophy Points:

640

Gender:

Female

MY dear Anna

As usual I wanted to give the first fb , but since we have just shifted our house that too 3rd floor in next wing only,as our own house is under reconstruction and this is the 3rd house we are shifting since 2010.,I am busy settling the house. Whenever Iget little time comehere and yesterday was happy to read your post

Caterpill ars were lucky not to be stamped by you because you have a soft corner for everyone. If only the caterpillars could talk they would thanked you. This year the heat is terrible everywhere I think. Till we shifted we could manage but now being in 3rd floor could not bear the heat especially when we go down and come back climbing 3 floors. Only after we fitted the AC its a little better.

Its always a pleasure to read your ramblings

iyerviji, May 30, 2014

iyerviji, May 30, 2014

#4
May 30, 2014 #5

Srama Finest Post Winner

Messages:

10,083

Likes Received:

11,579

Trophy Points:

538

Gender:

Female

But sir, who told you this?

Cheeniya said: ↑

My dear Srama
After going through the miserable 'Agni Star' for over 3 weeks, we were told that the spell has ended a couple of days back. We were hoping for a massive cloud burst relieving us from the scorching heat of summer but the heat has only increased now. Sri
Click to expand...

Is that from the esteemed meteorologists on TV? If you were to ask my DH's opinion on weather or meteorologists, he will give you one for a good one hour as to how weather can change and more over haven't you heard this - Once an Editor of a news paper went to Russia and was curious to understand their news papers. So he asked a friend and the response was "Our papers have truth, half truth and complete lies" Seeing the surprised look on the editor's face, he elaborated, the truth is in the sports section, half truth is the weather section and rest all is lies So unlike the effect of that hot weather, the weather reports are only half baked! Don't you believe them!

But I have to agree about these caterpillars! They seem to be smart enough to understand that it is better to be a gymnast than a completely burnt caterpillar not to forget their metamorphosis into a butter fly unlike those wiggly earthworms!

Srama, May 30, 2014

Srama, May 30, 2014

#5

2 people like this.
May 30, 2014 #6

shyamala1234 Platinum IL'ite

Messages:

2,474

Likes Received:

3,125

Trophy Points:

283

Gender:

Female

Dear Sir,

At any time +42 is better than - temperatures. Believe my word. I have seen both and today at Hyderabad the heat is 42 degrees!
Last year I was in London. Literally they pine for sun. On a sunny day the whole city would be in public places and parks...complete festive atmosphere. In New Jersey one snow storm after another....it is miserable.

Another is sharing space with caterpillars and other living beings. I believe that God has created the world almost perfect. Every living being is important for him. Provided weapons and safety measures to each and every living being including insects and caterpillars. They live within that range and are safe. But we, human beings are trying to destroy forests, trees, polluting the whole atmosphere for our own selfish reasons (umpteen, I need not mention). Better not to know the language of animals because then one would understand how much they abuse humanity for our doings.! We have to bend our head with shame.

If I have gone in a tangential direction in understanding your blog I would try to understand when others write their FBs.
I was waiting for Viji Madam to write her feedback. But this time it is Sabitha.

Thank you.
Syamala

shyamala1234, May 30, 2014

shyamala1234, May 30, 2014

#6

sindmani and Kamla like this.
May 30, 2014 #7

DrPreetha Gold IL'ite

Messages:

1,354

Likes Received:

253

Trophy Points:

158

Gender:

Female

Hello cheenaya sir,
My 1st fb on your thread with hesitancy (all are hall of fames here) and pleasure(i feel i was with you watching the stepfatherly sun!).If everyone thought humans atleast, like you view caterpillars world would have been in threythayuga itself! really laughed when i read veetila... line! caterpillars skipping next 3 births like under vamanas feet!! sir exactly i have thought of this too..If i could understand like Dolittle!

DrPreetha, May 30, 2014

DrPreetha, May 30, 2014

#7

1 person likes this.
May 30, 2014 #8

Mindian IL Hall of Fame

Messages:

6,330

Likes Received:

3,346

Trophy Points:

355

Gender:

Female

Dear Cheeniya Sir,

It is 50 degrees C here and the air is so hot even at 10 pm. One has to really experience the gulf heat to know it.And this coming from someone who can actually brave the heat rather than a minus degree.
yes, knowing how much our Sabi loves the sun does make me smile
hahaha ,Shiva with a subdued Ganga ? I tried hard to imagine that and failed miserably. Also wanted to be the first one to come up with a translation of saavu graaki ...Again, failed !

Mindian, May 30, 2014

Mindian, May 30, 2014

#8

4 people like this.
May 31, 2014 #9

shyamala1234 Platinum IL'ite

Messages:

2,474

Likes Received:

3,125

Trophy Points:

283

Gender:

Female

Sorry for the interference.....
Dear Mindian,
Don't worry about the word Saavu grakki. In every language there are words which cannot be translated. Majority can understand here. Me and Kamalji cannot understand....it's o.k.

Syamala
Syamala

shyamala1234, May 31, 2014

shyamala1234, May 31, 2014

#9

1 person likes this.
May 31, 2014 #10

Viswamitra Finest Post Winner

Messages:

13,411

Likes Received:

24,178

Trophy Points:

538

Gender:

Male

Dear Cheeniya Sir,

Isn't it so interesting to notice the way people describe the scorching Sun in different parts of the world? You prefer to describe it as "fresh and ready to roast the people alive" whereas most people here ask me a question when I go for a walk, "Isn't it a gorgeous day?" A shiny day is a wonderful day to them as they hate rain and snow. The prism of mind works differently in different part of the world.

I can very much relate to the sweat you experience as I am also a pride owner of the wonderful asset called "FAT". When I expose myself to Sun or when I work out, invariably it is my head that gets really wet and I need a towel instead of hand kerchief to dry it out. I also relate well with the sweat traveling towards eyes and nose, as I used to wear glasses earlier. Thank God I went through Lasik vision correction in 2008 and now it is easier to stop the sweat going through the bridge of the nose. Subdued Ganges in Shiva's head? Uma Bharati is mandated to clean it up so that Shiva's curly hair will appear neat and clean.

After so many attempts, I failed to find a translation for Savvu grakki. Many of your previous snippets clearly indicated your deep love for the crawlies. I am not surprised at all about your giving way to the pedestrians crossing your way. You don't need the Sun's help to take care of those crawlies. How nice it would be if we can have the ability to listen to such wonderful souls like Dr. Dolittle? Thought of it makes me feel very good.

Viswa

Viswamitra, May 31, 2014

Viswamitra, May 31, 2014

#10

3 people like this.

(You must log in or sign up to reply here.)

Page 1 of 4

Share This Page