tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-64962436398310213672026-04-06T15:39:16.654+05:30My thoughts, imaginations that I have published and am looking to publish...V.V. Sundaramhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11009199967555249992noreply@blogger.comBlogger353125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6496243639831021367.post-55800388455531937792026-04-05T11:25:00.000+05:302026-04-05T11:25:36.308+05:30

Any major move calls for weighing its pros and cons; more so when it is contemplated way past one’s prime.  Two Paripalana Retirement Home families that I know of returned to Bangalore for different reasons. One, when he was hospitalized, his son in Bangalore told him that it would be difficult for him to make it to Coimbatore often and suggested his parents to move back to base.The

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In Palakkad, my native place, one’s profession gets appended to his name:  Enna Kadai (Oil Merchant) Chuppamani, Pohela kadai (Tobacco merchant) Mani or Marundu Kadai (Medicine shop) Chellappa.By this token my father should perhaps have been posthumously hailed “Pan-India love-marriage family” Samikutty. Yes, we have a boy or girl in marriage from Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Karnataka, or

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“Doorstep delivery from a Government body?”  ‘No way’, you might respond. Not any longer if we go by what is now happening in SFV. A team of BBMP officials were busy helping SFVians getting E-khatha or carrying out corrections to some of the earlier ones.  They did an extra day as well. Thank you BBMP and your staff.No less gratitude is due to the members of the MC who did an

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SFV plays a mute witness to a host of activities. Hopefully, she enjoys some as puts up with others. Come morning, and she watches the disorderly haste or confusion of children not to miss their school bus. Some can be seen engaged in last minute preparations for possible questions, while in the lift. The parents are fully supportive. They hold their heavy-duty backpacks, run in advance to

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An aura of vacation fills the air what with Christmas and New Year round the corner. Person of the Year in various walks of life is what the newspapers and TV channels are replete with. That leads one to think why we in SFV should not introspect, be it in a lighter vein, and identify some who might qualify for being the SFVian of the year – for his/her contribution to the community. With my

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“Oh, that problem? It’s Age-related…Anything else…?”  Chances are, that is the response an elderly patient might get if he goes all the way to the physician with a complaint that he thought he might as well get examined. This response might be a statement of fact.  But the cryptic way it is delivered does not augur well for the patient in terms of value for money; more so after

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Treatment of any kind will have its attendant problems. In physiotherapy it is pain of varying degrees and resistance of the affected portion to comply with Physio’s instructions. ‘Raise your leg by 30 degrees in supine position and twist it, count ten.’ First it took me two sessions to guess how high or low is 30 degrees. ‘Rest on your shoulder, raise your leg and kick backwards forcefully – ten

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They say when a great rock is dislodged, the worms come to light. Vaguely, when someone’s mobility is restricted, the TV flashes some best movies – this time the old ones. Yes, with just a day left for my Physiotherapist to pronounce, “Now I set you free, sir; you are on your own - with or without walking stick”, here are some old movies that stood by me.A time to Kill. (Netflix) Based on John

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Buzz is the word for ladies - as for every Navaratri - moving merrily in and around the complex in various friends-circle, attired in the day’s dress code, and seemingly on top of the world. The fragrance of jasmine flower fills the corridor and lifts.Flower sellers Venkatesh and Mahadevi’s son Ravi had a hectic time keeping up their promises to deliver not just flowers this time, but garlands,

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Maybe I should not make a general statement. It may differ from person to person.  For me Navaratri is the period when I am at the receiving end of instructions day in and day out. Here’s just a day shared. ‘I say,’ the lady of the house calls me in a raised voice from kitchen to be heard in the Master bedroom where I was reading newspaper. ‘I have placed an order for over a dozen items

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You might be a person with good habits – regular morning and evening walks, moderate eating habits, exercises to an extent, and the like.  Regardless, sometimes problems that grow within begin surfacing. I felt pain on my right knee two months ago. “Over 50% of the cartilage and menisci have worn out,” said the Orthopedician, looking at the X-ray report. I have heard ‘cartilage’ earlier

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I have heard the expression misfortune never comes single. But can’t particularly remember anything to the convey opposite. Wait a minute. There is a Hindi phrase, "Upar Wala Jab Bhi Deta Hai, Chapar Phaad Ke Deta Hai" - translates to "When the Almighty gives, He gives abundantly."Yes, yesterday was one of those days. First, we had the day-long Varamahalakshmi festivity when ladies, attired in

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It was May 2019 when a handful of us floated an IPO (read: idea) for setting up our new Company (read: Vedam Class). I was asked to shoot out the message in Telegram. It was well received. The baby was born. Just four of us to start with. Next, who would teach, and who would learn? That was the big question. When it came to teaching Rudram, Chamakam or the Suktams, everyone knew something or

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With the Orthopaedician prescribing for one week, “Walk only when necessary, and not just for walking”, it was movies and webseries all the way.Good Wife, Tamil, Jiohotstar: An adaption of The Good Wife in English, this is directed by Revathy, the seasoned Tamil actress. Professionalism, and follow the story line with a blinker seem her hallmark. Engaging and moves swiftly. Priyamani dons her

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“Vaalu (tail) poi, Kathi (knife) vanthathu Dum Dum …”  Kathi poi Viraku (firewood) vanthathu Dum Dum…,’ then Dosai; Earthern pot, till the chameleon ends up getting a Drum. It goes about merrily beating it and singing thus. That is among the umpteen rhymes and stories that my grandma used to tell us while she relaxed in the front yard in the late evenings to enjoy gentle breeze. We

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Ravichandran, of 8022 Alder.  celebrated his 60th birthday at Club House last evening.  Everything about the family is simple, grounded.I can’t claim any prior closeness with Ravi. I knew of him since he moved to SFV after I did. Once acquainted, I realized two things bind us. First, we both were Delhi-ites. Thus, on the few occasions we cross shoulders we recall Delhi days – the

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Thudarum (‘to be continued’) Malayalam, Thriller, Jio Hotstar: Once again we get a taste of the Drishyam series – riveting. Here it is all about how a contended and happy taxi driver’s life gets entangled at the hands of police. The police officer, George (Prakash Verma), a debutant, does an outstanding job. So much so, the established police constables of Malayalam movies can feel a little

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The title is an inspiration from poet Shelley’s lines, ‘If winter is here, can spring be far behind,’ just to fit in with the monkey menace in SFVI don’t know how it is with you, but I always think that things go wrong only for others. Misfortune happens only to someone else, never to me. Optimism rides supreme despite repeated warnings from well-meaning co-residents, sometimes with photographic

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A long trip awaited us on Day 2. Breakfast was arranged at the same hotel where we had lunch on day 1. This time 2/5, inordinate delay as well. We headed to Abbey falls which was in full blast. The wife of the 80-year-old had warned him not to venture. “Why not? When my 85-year-old friend can do it, why not I?” And he climbed all the 154 steps. On return only to realize that I had skipped it.

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Karnataka abounds in tourist spots – Historic, Religious, Cultural, Architectural, or the Nature. I have seen quite a few - just a drop in the ocean. Lekin koshish jaaree hain (efforts are on).We were three senior couple, two from SFV. After a joint meet, we first considered and selected the place of visit - Coorg – because we did not want the tour to extend beyond three days. Then came the mode

V.V. Sundaramhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11009199967555249992noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6496243639831021367.post-81494895043732474442025-06-02T18:33:00.001+05:302025-06-02T18:33:17.007+05:30

One sees several messages in SFV’s electronic groups: Mango seller arriving soon in Gate 4; tender mango chap now in Gate 5 till 11 am; freshly plucked Sindoori and Badami mangoes from our farm for sale... Even in lift one often hears, “yesterday I bought some Imam Pasand and Mallika from the Gate 4 guy - simply delicious”, or, “I bought Appemidi mangoes from Gate 5 for vadu mangai - the

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Murali of SFV Vedic Group celebrated his 80th birthday today. It was neither a great pomp and show nor too modest. It was a very good gathering.Murali by nature is very quiet, and his movements in the complex are calculated to attract the minimum of attention. A shopping bag is his inseparable partner. “You never know. Suddenly you might remember that Uma (his wife) had told me in the morning to

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Three of us WHO retirees and our spouses headed Thursday evening to Hosur to attend a wedding Reception of the granddaughter of another retiree. The long- distance drive and the rush-hour traffic jam gave us ample time to reopen our hitherto buried project – two-three nights away from Bangalore. Yes, for ‘rest and recuperation’ at a resort. ‘Rest? for seniors? What else do you do the entire

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This is the talk in SFV, whether during morning walks, chance meet at Ratnadeep, Club House, or in the evening chats at the park bench (if you wangle a seat, that is). Yes, with digital payments ruling the roost, we tend to pay any bill at first sight in any format and be done with it – be it from Bescom, BBMP, telecom service provider, or DTH TV services (except perhaps for the Maintenance

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The SSLC results were announced yesterday. That tempted me to dig out my old middle-piece that Hindustan Times carried in June 1989. Here it goes.“With my office located not very far from that of the Central Board of Secondary Education, I cannot but sympathize with my neighbouring colleagues at the hardy annual that announcement of examination results has come to mean.“Going down memory lane, I

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