I am writing this on the plane from Bangkok to Tokyo - I must admit that the layover in Changi airport in Singapore or a short and quiet hop such as this one is some of my favorite times - when I get time to myself to reflect a little, write a little even between catnaps. And this despite being seated between two Japanese girls one side and a Japanese-American family, with a really cute one year old baby on the other, it's a nearly meditative state. Of course "Lady in Red" playing over the earphones in low volume adds to the mood which was induced in the first place by reading Eknath Eswaran's Climbing the Blue Mountain.
One of the thoughts that crept in was how peripatetic our family has become. It was not too long ago that Leela and Krishna were living in Japan (and guess before/after that in Hong Kong/China was it?) and now in the mid-West. Ramesh of course was in Australia before his unfortunate passing away nearly two years ago now. Bala, and Dheivya are some place out West I guess and Harish continues in greater Dallas. Chitra and Ravi in London are holding the flag in Europe and Moshe did her little bit in Italy. Babu and Vidhya too put in their time in Hong Kong before making it to Canada and of course Bammi akka and Swaminathan athimbare spent all that time in the Philippines before doing the concert circuit in Chennai. Even amongst the folks in India, between Shanthi and Kumar in Delhi, Usha in Goa (when last heard from), a whole lot of us in Bangalore and of course the large base in Chennai. And that's just us cousins - our kids are already making us look like dawdlers with their travel.
Over the Christmas break, Chitra, the girls Ragini and Malini and I drove ourselves down to Chennai from Bangalore (and back)- for those of you who haven't driven cross-state recently in India (I am told Bala has done this many a times now and is probably more competent to comment on it - That's a hint bala, in case you missed it) , it was an unbelievable experience - an incredibly pleasurable and actually fun drive. We packed food for six or eight - Adigas' idlis and puris, homemade pulao, and that staple of any self respecting Tamil family on the road, thayeer sadam. Plenty of water, CDs and music for the girls and we were ready to hit the road. And what a road it was -.the toll road that links Bangalore (actually Hosur/Krishnarajapuram) to Chennai - mostly four lane and in places a six lane toll way - its an amazing reminder what can be accomplished if someone puts their mind to it. The trip reminded me of so many road trips we had made as kids, to Tanjore or Allampallam with one of the mamas driving. The amazing thing we saw, once we left Bangalore, was how much of Tamil Nadu is still green - the coconut groves, the rocky, I mean really rocky, hillocks and lush fields. And after Bangalore, the tollway felt practically empty and for better part of two hours we were able to average over 110 kmph comfortably. Make sure to try this next time you are in town!
I am still waiting for all your lurkers who have not yet piped in with your stories, thoughts, pictures and such. Whatcha waiting for?
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