Burthday

Best wishes to NG on his birthday today, as he completes 79.  He has the special pleasure of the company of Aparna and Rama on this birthday.  We wish him all the best and many happy returns.

Events

Ramakrishnan's post is a nice obituary for Thambi.  When we were in Srimukha, Thambi and I saw well over 100 movies (closer to 130 if I remember aright - I have lost the diary in which I kept a list) - all night shows - in a period of one year! After dinner, he would casually ask me to see that was running and we would go to one or the other.  On his motorbike.  And on the way back, on many  nights we had tea at Irani's, Royapettah.

It is the end of an era.  And then Nana.  And today, one of the residents of Brindavan Palm Grove died in hospital after a brief illness.  A sad time, all said.

With our trip to Colombo and then with all the things happening, I have been quite inactive with the blog. Apologies to everyone.  I am glad that Ramakrishnan has filled the gaps.

Jayaraman

Saradam and I wish a happy wedding anniversary to Rukku/KN and Mythili/Chandru and a Happy Birthday to Ramesh, Ketan, Papa, Divya and N.G.Srinivasan and many happy returns. With Thambi's death, the older generation of P.R.Sundaram Iyer's grandsons is gone (Raja, Ramani, Mowli, Kanga and Thambi). Thambi was his usual cheerful self even when he was confined to a chair and weak in memory. During our college days, Thambi was the guardian in Madras for me and Jayaram ( a very liberal guardian ) and we spent a lot of time with him and also later till I got a job. We used to go on a cycle each , carrying a radio under one arm to far off locations like Nungambakkam and Sterling Road from Alwarpet, to many English clients when Thambi was in Vernon & Co. He was in London when Princess Elizabeth (now Queen) got married. He had gone to England for a six month training in servicing HAMMOND ORGANS. Later I have gone with him (as his assistant) to Bangalore to service a Hammond Organ in a school church (Bishop Cotton School I think). He was once caught in a London fog when he said he could not even see his hand and he prayed to the Lord of Tirupathi that on his return he would have a MOTTAI in Tirupathi. Thambi could sing with good Sruti and he was better in demand for his imitation of stalwart musicians like Chembai and Musiri. He was a very good car driver and I learnt driving from him. Thambi died on Tamil New Year Day and now Naanaa has died on Akshaya Trithiyai. It is very sad that he suffered a lot for about two months. I heard that in the last get-together organised by Ashok, Naanaa sang some old Rafi songs and he sang very well. We all wish that God should give Ramaa the strength of mind to bear this loss. -Ramakrishnan.

THE OTHER SIDE

This time it's a small story I received as a forward...

"A Father was reading a magazine and his little daughter every now and then distracted him. To keep her busy, he tore one page on which was printed the map of the world.

He tore it into pieces and asked her to go to her room and put them together to make the map again.

He was sure she would take the whole day to get it done.

But the little one came back within minutes with perfect map.
When he asked how she could do it so quickly, she said, 'Oh Dad, there is a man's face on the other side of the paper. I made the face perfect to get the map right."" she ran outside to play leaving the father surprised.. "

Moral : There is always the other side to whatever we experience in this world.

This story indirectly teaches a lesson..whenever we come across a challenge or a puzzling situation, look at the other side...

You will be surprised to see an easy way to tackle the problem..

Birthday

Best wishes to Papa on her birthday today, 22 April.

Answer

Perippa, nope it's not vacuum. It's a secret :)

A riddle

A small riddle to lift our moods :)

When one does not know what it is, then it is something;
But when one knows what it is, then it is nothing!
What is it?

Answer tomorrow ;)

RIP

RIP Thambi Perippa. Never got to see him but heard a lot of good things about him from appa and appa.

Birthdays

Ramesh (Vidya) had his birthday on 13th April and Ketan on the 15th.  Our very best wishes to them.  The picture above shows Ketan with his brother Kiran and parents when they all visited us at Shankar's house in Chennai on the 8th April.

No words.
Just a deep sense of loss.

And praying for Naana athimber to recover completely.
Hare Ram
Gayathri

THAMBI IS NO MORE
 Thambi passed away this morning, Tamil new year's day.  Some of us had seen him only a few days ago, quite ill and in pain. 
 The end of a generation, as it were.
  The funeral rites are being done as per Arya Samaj tradition.
 

Thambi

Yesterday Vimala and I, along with Priya and Shruti, visited Thambi.  His face lit up when he saw us and he spoke (even if haltingly) a few words, asking where I was coming from.  He asked who Shruti was and, when told, said something about being happy to see the new generation.

Ashok is looking after Thambi with total dedication.  

It is saddening to see someone who, when in good health, was so full of energy and wanting to do things, lying helpless with a painful body.  We pray for his early recovery.

Jayaraman