[StarVegabond]

Hi MX6,

your story is moving very slow, you haven't posted in last 4+ days.

it seems you are busy appreciating travelogues of C_L, Advait, and the tales of 100000 KM on Indian roads and debating how to improve general public behaviour in India with you know who.

post man, post.

[SmartCat]

This is a moving tale, close to the heart. It has to be stretched like the Hindi serials on Sony or Zee TV, to let all the emotions sink in.

[MX6]

Originally Posted by sbraj

Such things would be beyond the domain of Reason.

P.S. I am continuously working in office since the last 48+ hours. MX6, your thread (and TBHP in general) has been helping in keeping me refreshed.

Wow. That's the best thing I've heard in a long long time. Thanks sbraj.

Originally Posted by live360

MX6,
Thank you for the detailed Photoshop instructions. I don't have PS yet, I will buy it soon.

I have APS2. APS4 is too costly and hi-fi for me. I'm yet to master the nuances of ps. Just picked up a few tricks of b/w!

Originally Posted by DWind

Any reason why you chose the Dindigul route. The route via Melur on NH45B would be shorter, faster and less strenous than NH 7 via Dindigul

True. I should have taken the melur route. But I was in love with NH7. Wanted to motor that one as much as possible. Further, leaving at 5 pm, we wanted to reach Trichy for dinner. Melur route would have ended us reaching trichy earlier for dinner. I didn't want to stop anywhere other than trichy.

Originally Posted by StarVegabond

Hi MX6,

your story is moving very slow, you haven't posted in last 4+ days.

it seems you are busy appreciating travelogues of C_L, Advait, and the tales of 100000 KM on Indian roads and debating how to improve general public behaviour in India with you know who.

post man, post.

Lol. Star. Both me and my daughter are unwell since 5 days. some viral fever. Hence sitting at home! And CL, Advait and Smartcat deserve all the appreciation! Will start soon. definitely will post on this by 5 PM (like Pallod baba)

Originally Posted by smartcat

This is a moving tale, close to the heart. It has to be stretched like the Hindi serials on Sony or Zee TV, to let all the emotions sink in.

Boy. you've reduced my story to hindi serial, which is now only full of adultery I hear.


Just getting better. Lost a nice long weekend due to bad health.

[SmartCat]

@StarVegaBond

Replying to a post takes between 5 to 10 seconds, while writing a travelogue with pics takes around 30 - 45 mins.

[StarVegabond]

Originally Posted by MX6

Lol. Star. Both me and my daughter are unwell since 5 days. some viral fever. Hence sitting at home! And CL, Advait and Smartcat deserve all the appreciation! Will start soon. definitely will post on this by 5 PM (like Pallod baba)

Oh, Sorry to note that your doll fill ill. it must be difficult for your wife to handle 2 kids falling ill at the same time. This is the time when winter is changing into summer, coupled with your travels, must have casued the fever.

wish both of you fast recovery.

Originally Posted by smartcat

@StarVegaBond

Replying to a post takes between 5 to 10 seconds, while writing a travelogue with pics takes around 30 - 45 mins.

let me have some PUN.

oh, is it ?, i was not not aware, thanks for letting me know.

[MX6]

We reached Trichy by 7 pm. The roads again were amazing. We stopped for an extended break till 7:45. Had a quick dinner as well. I don't remember the hotel name. But food was good. While my family downed Idly/ Dosa/ Pongal, I stuck to just chockolate milkshake considering the fact that I had another 320 kms to drive.
We left Trichy and started on the cumbam road. Soon we were on to the chennai bypass. Many stretches till we got on to NH45 was still WIP. Hence by the time we were out of trichy and on the NH45 it was 8:30 pm.
Once on NH45, it was really amazing. I againt kept a steady speed of 100 - 110 all the way. Crossing the vaigai and kollidam took me back to old days. Vaigai express used to take us across in broad daylight. The sound of a train on a river bridge was the most exciting thing I heard as a kid. Now ofcourse, it's my Ikon engine that's on a song, interrupted by gleeful noises my daughter makes.
I stopped briefly near Ulundurpet because my stomach took a turn towards worse. The restroom facilities were nothing to write about. Strange that for a place where almost all buses stop, basic facilities are poor.
I sat there listening to blaring music of latest Vijay songs, feasting on some wonderful tender coconuts. The songs were really amazingly torturous. What ever sleep I managed to get was driven off. I was fresh again.
Started driving yet again and reached Chennai over to my grandparents place by 12:30 am.
That's a little over 4 hours from trichy to chennai.
The roads were amazing. Especially I loved the reflectors on the road from trichy. Every curve, these reflectors came on very prominent.
Crossing Meenambakkam, I came behind a moron in an alto. Looked like a IT professional in mid 30s who was smoking his way to glory driving between two lanes, going at 30 kmph. You don't expect such morons at midnight.
I tried flashed the high beam asking him to push over. The moron, looked at me in his ORVM and held out his cigarette in a very contemptuous way and flicked it out of the window. Then he made obscene gestures with his fingers, clearly pointing at me, observing the whole thing on the ORVM.
For a moment, I got damn pissed to see a lit cigarette coming right on to me followed by his gestures.
But common sense prevailed. I just slowed down, waited for some traffic to catch up and there was an outstation bus coming.
I just tail gated the outstation bus and when the bus over took the alto, I quickly squeezed in and overtook the alto and kept right behind the bus.
Seems the guy recognised my car, and he was damn frustrated to see me in front.
He was doing may be 30 - 40 till then. Suddenly he started accelerating quickly to catch up with me.
Those were the most tense moments I ever had in the trip.
My whole family was sleeping. I didn't want to let him go ahead. Didn't want him to stop in front of me and pick up a fight.
So I kept going in front without giving him a way.
This guy kept going mad and tried searching for a gap both on the right and the left and tried squeezing between anything to get ahead.
Finally I was relieved to reach kathipara junction. The moron took a left below and I proceeded straight on to the flyover (wow, a new one that took me across a junction without stopping) towards 100ft road.
Coming back to chennai, I was amazed at the kind of welcome. Definitely the guy looked drunk as well from the way he was zipping in and out. And his nonchalant flick of the cigarette clearly aimed at my vehicle coming behind was a big put off.
My family was fast asleep and never knew what happened!
Anyways, the guy was driving a WB reg vehicle in chennai.
I didn't let this get over me and start a road rage scenario.
I had my dinner at 1 am. Good home cooked simple food. Curd rice.
My plans of leaving to Pune next morning had to be re-worked. My stomach was in a very poor condition.
Further, chennai is at it's cultural best during dec/jan. Dance, drama and music reverberates all around chennai.
Coming up next - Cultural chennai and a dream come true!

Chartered buses ferrying artistes performing in Chennai Sangamam.


Now how can they cover up the whole bus that even the vehicle registration plate is covered? Isn't that illegal?
But barring this, sangamam was fun.

[ampere]

Originally Posted by MX6

We reached Trichy by 7 pm. The roads again were amazing. We stopped for an extended break till 7:45. Had a quick dinner as well. I don't remember the hotel name. But food was good. While my family downed Idly/ Dosa/ Pongal, I stuck to just chockolate milkshake considering the fact that I had another 320 kms to drive.
We left Trichy and started on the cumbam road. Soon we were on to the chennai bypass. Many stretches till we got on to NH45 was still WIP. Hence by the time we were out of trichy and on the NH45 it was 8:30 pm.
Once on NH45, it was really amazing. I againt kept a steady speed of 100 - 110 all the way. Crossing the vaigai and kollidam took me back to old days. Vaigai express used to take us across in broad daylight. The sound of a train on a river bridge was the most exciting thing I heard as a kid. Now ofcourse, it's my Ikon engine that's on a song, interrupted by gleeful noises my daughter makes.
I stopped briefly near Ulundurpet because my stomach took a turn towards worse. The restroom facilities were nothing to write about. Strange that for a place where almost all buses stop, basic facilities are poor.
I sat there listening to blaring music of latest Vijay songs, feasting on some wonderful tender coconuts. The songs were really amazingly torturous. What ever sleep I managed to get was driven off. I was fresh again.
Started driving yet again and reached Chennai over to my grandparents place by 12:30 am.
That's a little over 4 hours from trichy to chennai.
The roads were amazing. Especially I loved the reflectors on the road from trichy. Every curve, these reflectors came on very prominent.
Crossing Meenambakkam, I came behind a moron in an alto. Looked like a IT professional in mid 30s who was smoking his way to glory driving between two lanes, going at 30 kmph. You don't expect such morons at midnight.
I tried flashed the high beam asking him to push over. The moron, looked at me in his ORVM and held out his cigarette in a very contemptuous way and flicked it out of the window. Then he made obscene gestures with his fingers, clearly pointing at me, observing the whole thing on the ORVM.
For a moment, I got damn pissed to see a lit cigarette coming right on to me followed by his gestures.
But common sense prevailed. I just slowed down, waited for some traffic to catch up and there was an outstation bus coming.
I just tail gated the outstation bus and when the bus over took the alto, I quickly squeezed in and overtook the alto and kept right behind the bus.
Seems the guy recognised my car, and he was damn frustrated to see me in front.
He was doing may be 30 - 40 till then. Suddenly he started accelerating quickly to catch up with me.
Those were the most tense moments I ever had in the trip.
My whole family was sleeping. I didn't want to let him go ahead. Didn't want him to stop in front of me and pick up a fight.
So I kept going in front without giving him a way.
This guy kept going mad and tried searching for a gap both on the right and the left and tried squeezing between anything to get ahead.
Finally I was relieved to reach kathipara junction. The moron took a left below and I proceeded straight on to the flyover (wow, a new one that took me across a junction without stopping) towards 100ft road.
Coming back to chennai, I was amazed at the kind of welcome. Definitely the guy looked drunk as well from the way he was zipping in and out. And his nonchalant flick of the cigarette clearly aimed at my vehicle coming behind was a big put off.
My family was fast asleep and never knew what happened!
Anyways, the guy was driving a WB reg vehicle in chennai.
I didn't let this get over me and start a road rage scenario.
I had my dinner at 1 am. Good home cooked simple food. Curd rice.
My plans of leaving to Pune next morning had to be re-worked. My stomach was in a very poor condition.
Further, chennai is at it's cultural best during dec/jan. Dance, drama and music reverberates all around chennai.
Coming up next - Cultural chennai and a dream come true!

Chartered buses ferrying artistes performing in Chennai Sangamam.
Attachment 300724

Now how can they cover up the whole bus that even the vehicle registration plate is covered? Isn't that illegal?
But barring this, sangamam was fun.

Welcome back. Hope you are well. Porur road 24X7 is full of traffic. Possibility of getting on a with dim-wit is exceedingly high at all hours.

Traffic Sense? What is that ?

[aargee]

hmmm...so you finally started picking up as you're stepping to Chennai; even if you're good, the city turns you to a moron, that's the air of Chennai

[sbraj]

Originally Posted by MX6

Then he made obscene gestures with his fingers, clearly pointing at me, observing the whole thing on the ORVM.
For a moment, I got damn pissed to see a lit cigarette coming right on to me followed by his gestures.
But common sense prevailed. I just slowed down, waited for some traffic to catch up and there was an outstation bus coming.
I just tail gated the outstation bus and when the bus over took the alto, I quickly squeezed in and overtook the alto and kept right behind the bus.
Seems the guy recognised my car, and he was damn frustrated to see me in front.
He was doing may be 30 - 40 till then. Suddenly he started accelerating quickly to catch up with me.
Those were the most tense moments I ever had in the trip.
My whole family was sleeping. I didn't want to let him go ahead. Didn't want him to stop in front of me and pick up a fight.
So I kept going in front without giving him a way.
This guy kept going mad and tried searching for a gap both on the right and the left and tried squeezing between anything to get ahead.

I don't understand this. You just overtook him. Why should he pick up a fight for that? Overtaking is a natural thing on the road.

[SmartCat]

It's an ego thing. And drunk men get irritated when they are flashed at. However, if you blare the horn like a Lorry, they will give way though. After a few drinks, I guess their eyes become more sensitive than ears I guess.

[MX6]

Originally Posted by sbraj

I don't understand this. You just overtook him. Why should he pick up a fight for that? Overtaking is a natural thing on the road.

He wasn't letting me overtake initially. He was throwing obscene gestures. Seems his appraisal didn't go well on a friday so he drowned it in some roadside bar near chennai airport

He didn't stand a chance with the TN state transport bus. I quietly sneaked behind the bus and over took him. That threw him off and he started frantically chasing me to ascert his superiority again.

One never knows when a drunk moron with a big ego picks up a fight.

@SCat. I didn't know the lorry horn funda till now. Guess, will try that next time. But honking is very irritating even for me. I hate hearing to my own car's horn!

[sbraj]

Originally Posted by smartcat

It's an ego thing. And drunk men get irritated when they are flashed at. However, if you blare the horn like a Lorry, they will give way though. After a few drinks, I guess their eyes become more sensitive than ears I guess.

Usually in night time, practice is to beam.

And it is difficult to find out whether the guy is drunk or not and then decide to honk/beam.

BTW, lorry drivers (drunk or not drunk) respond to beam.

[MX6]

on the 9th morning when I woke up, all the tv channels were showing repeatedly a footage of a dying sub-inspector. I was horrified seeing that in tv as it was very graphic. And another thought sent a chill up my spine. The incident happened around the same time we left Tirunelveli! Tirunelveli was always a place known for the famed fights between the Devar clans. Kamal Hassan made a movie on this called Devar Magan which was also remade in Hindi (virasat).
We were thinking of driving down further south towards places like kadayanallur, suthamalli etc. But then I decided to stick to the original plan and decided to drive up north.
The poor police officer died on the afternoon of 7th Jan. We were in tirunelveli and were just leaving the place. A stark change from the cops of sringeri. They were busy chasing cows for the cm's visit. Here, this person was dying in front of two ministers, attacked on account of mistaken identity.
Oblivious to all this, we'd spent the whole of next day in Madurai templa and then on the road to chennai. After 2 days I still see tv channels showing the gory details on tv.
The thought kept going on in my mind. I was almost there. Is it safe to travel anywhere at all now? For the second time in this trip, memories of Mutthina haara came flooding to me. The earlier time was on 30th Dec in Udupi, the day when vishnuwardhan died.

But I wanted to move out of such disturbing thoughts. That's when my Uncle turns up and says, do you want to catch up with some of my old friends?
There was a gleam in my eye. Because, his old friend is a very talented person by the name Gopi. And Gopi is a stage artist. Gopi acted in a movie as a character called Varadhukutti.
I left my wife and baby at home and took my parents to watch a comedy drama.
Chennai is one of the few places where music and drama still flourish. Much like Pune.
And Dec / Jan is the time to be in Chennai. The weather is salubrious. Those are the two months in chennai when summer is at it's best! Ofcourse, chennai doesn't have any winters. Those are the months when classical music takes centre stage.
I'd already missed out on the Thiruvayyaru plan (to go for the thyagaraja aradhana).
Every sabha becomes very vibrant during this period.

Further, my health wasn't improving and I had a 1200 kms drive planned on 3 days of 400 kms each. So decided to take a couple of days more leave and rest in chennai.
Changed the plan to leave on 11th Jan instead of 9th.
My grandparents were very happy. They had extended time with me and my baby.

Coming up next. Chennai's theater!

[MX6]

Gopi is a member of the troupe called Crazy creations. Their drama, Crazy theives of Palavakkam was scripted by a Mechanical engineer from Guindy engineering college (anna university), called Mohan. The drama starred a very popular stage artiste and comedian called S. Ve. Shekar. It was a run away hit that, the writer, Mohan got the name Crazy Mohan.
He went on to become one of the best comedy artiste and writer TN has ever produced.
Mohan went on to pen over 15 dramas and over 70 movies which were run away hits. He was the writer for many of Kamal hassans comedies.
Mohan writes and acts in his plays. Also has acted in small cameos in many of the movies he scripted.
His brother Balaji (Maadhu) is the quintessential hero of all his dramas.

Balaji (Maadhu) at the car park 10 mins before the drama started. The t-shirt he wore is what he wore on the drama as well. No costumes or make up for this man. He's natural on and off stage!


Me with Balaji.
Me: 20 years back I saw your drama for the first time. How come you look the same even now. What's the secret of your youth?
Balaji: Humour.


The lord of Comedy. Crazy mohan dressed up as Krishna. He plays Lord krishna in this play. He learnt stage magic for this. It's a treat to watch humour with magic on stage. At an age when every artiste (Mohan is 60) thinks of hanging up their boots, Mohan is busy innovating. Standing next to him is a dream come true. I might not have been so happy even if real lord krishna stood next to me.


Gopi. The quintessential competitor to the hero Maadhu (Balaji). He took up retirement from professional work because he lost eyesight. But he still acts in the troupe (37 years since inception) as his vision is still intact. Blindness doesn't deter him.


My favourite actor in the troupe. Appa Ramesh. He don's the role of Ramanujam (mostly Maadhu's father).


Brothers in act


A scene from the play. Gopi is third from left. A person aged over 60, without eyesight, still being a part of this troupe and family and the troupe also carrying him along the same way, made me cry even though the scene was comic.


New artistes have come in. But most of the troupe is still intact.


Yet another day was over. I was adviced rest by the doctor for a few more days. Hence extended my stay in chennai by another 3 days. Decided to leave on 15th of Jan from chennai, back to pune.
My grandparents were very happy. I had to give respect to the viral fever and the upset stomach as well.

Up next: The uneventful long drive back to pune.

[arindamray]

read it in one shot and really late for hitting the bed.

have to show this to family members for my next trip plans. my daughter is close to 4 months now