Tag: India 2007

It was around 3.00am when Saie waked me up and said that the taxi had arrived. Though I wanted it to come at 3.30am, it came a bit early. But as I was ready with everything the last night I washed my face and was ready to leave. Saie helped me getting the bags loaded into the taxi.

Saie is a great friend I have met, thought I knew him before that was brief he helped me a lot in this tour to India. I just wanted him to find me a place to stay, but he invited me to stay with him, and also other guys with him, Arun and Prai were cool. The last think Saie said to me before the taxi leaving there is ‘If there is some one else coming, just tell them to contact me’. Really nice friend..!

I was flying back to Colombo after on Air India Express(IX671) from Chennai Airport(MAA) to Katunayake Airport(CMB). The flight was at 7am and I thought I should be there three hours early. The taxi left from Saie’s house at around 3.15am and after a quick drive arrived at the airport at 3.15am. It was due to my miscalculation of the distance I went there another 45mins early. Also they started check-in only after 4.45am and I had to wait at the lobby for 1 1/2 hours, and I thought of sleeping there, but I didn’t because I had doubts of this place regarding thieves and cheaters. Anyway nothing happened wrong and the check in call came at 4.45am and i checked in as the first person.

Things don’t happen that faster always, and I had to wait till 5.45am for security checks and another 1 hour till boarding at 6.45am. While waiting for boarding I had a coffee and a sandwich. Thought the boarding call came at around 6.45am, things were again happening slow and late and the passengers were coming in till 7.15am and finally the plane took-off at 7.25am, 25minutes late.

I got my seat changed to allow a family sit together. The snacks were same as in the flight to Chennai, and we landed at Colombo Airport at 8.45am. I finished all the immigration formalities soon and came to the belt earlier to get my bags. Then only I realized of the bad side of checking in first. My bags came only in the last lot. So had to wait a bit more time there and came to the customs where I was not checked along with may others at that time.

Appa had come to the airport to pick me up and reached home in van at around 11.30am. So my story of my Indian tour ends with this. May be this is the only series I have written so long on my blog. May be only few are reading these, but it is just for me, as a dairy, just to look back someday. I would love to visit India again on a more planned tour someday in future and I might write that as well on this blog. So thanks for all you reading this all long blog entries….

Memories… Forever…

So Leos, may be others also,

Today I participated in the second Leo Club project, during my visit to India, second to the project done in Bangalore. I’m glad that I got the opportunity to join hands with our twin club, Leo Club of Sri Lakshmi Ammal Engineering College and I hope this is a rare to occur in our Leo Clubs to do join projects with foreign Leo Clubs.

So I decided to go to with Vimal, and I confirmed it with Hemalatha, VP of the host club, and we were to picked up by their principal near a hospital in Thambaram. So we got up early (at around 7.30am is early ;-)) and went to the Thiruvanmiyur Bus Stand. From there we took a bus to Thambaram. The bus route was through Old Mahavalipuram Road(OMR), where a lot of IT companies and IT parks are there and coming up.

We reached Thambaram at around 9.00am and we were picked up by there principal with in 10 minutes. In the mean time we got the chance to see some Indian Air Force planes practising over the skies. We reach the children’s home after a 30 minutes drive in the principals car. Leos of SLA. Engg. College arrived in a few minutes and we got our selves introduced. There were around 12 Leos from there Leo Club, headed by their vice president Hemalatha, and their Leo advisor Mr. Puhazhraj was present.

After that for about an hour or so we had a get-together like thing with children, where Leos and the children did various entertainment items. Leo Hemalatha performed a dance, while another Leo did a superb(?) mimicry performance. I also got a chance to sing, and they wanted me to sing a Sri Lankan song, and I sang a few lines from our ‘Rothu mela poran oru kedi…’. Also many children did dances and singing. Following this their Leo Advisor, who is a lecture at their college, taught the children some subject matters, even other Leos joined him in clearing some of the doubts the children had in their subjects.

Then the children were given gifts which were brought by the Leos. After that we exchanged mementos between Leos of Leo Club of SLA. Engg. College and myself. Also I took a couple of photos with all the Leos present. We left the place at around 1.30pm.

We came back to Thambaram with the Principal and we were asked to join him for lunch, but as I had to go for shopping in the evening we thanked him and got down near Thambaram train station. Vimal and I decided to try going on train, as I had to go to Bank of Ceylon, which is near Egmore and Central. But we didn’t know which station we had to get down. So we got a ticket to Chennai Beach, which I think is the last stop on that line.

When we came down to the platform, train had just started to move, and we managed to get in. It was not like the Sri Lankan trains, bit more wider in space aswellas it operated in electricity (I think). We passed so many stations, but both of are not sure about where to get down. I knew if we get down at Egmore we could go but we missed to get down at Egmore, and we got down at the next Poonga Station, which indeed is near to central on that line.

As it was already around 2.30pm, we had our lunch in front of Central Station Hotel Buhari. Vimal is a vegetarian, but I had some chicken for me. As we were so hungry we had enough for the time. Then we came out and walked for a bit and got a auto-rickshaw, to Bank of Ceylon, where I had to meet Linda Acca. I wanted to buy some dresses for my sisters, so I thought she could help me out in selecting. When we went there she was just finishing her work and with in five minutes she was ready to go.

We got another auto-rickshaw from there to Purasaivaakkam, which is an area in Chennai famous for the garment shops in the area. First we went to Madar Sha and bought shalvar for Rosy and Mythily and sareee for Lukshy Acca. Vimal and Linda acca helped me in selecting some of these and then we went to Ranjanas and bought another Shalvar there. Finally we went to a jewells shop and bought some of the stuff my sister waned me to buy. But it didn’t stop there, and for a suprise I got some sweets for me from Adayar Anandabavan, from Linda Acca.

Then we got a 23C from there and came back to Besent Nagar, and came Saie’s place. There I met Prem going home, so it happened to be the last meeting. I had to go to Mr.Rajendra’s house and Vimal had to catch his bus back to Bangalore. So Vimal got ready with his bag and we came out and took a 5E and got down at Vadapalani, and walked some towards Koyampet and got a share-auto to Koyampet.

Vimal went to the bus stand, and I got an auto-rickshaw to Anna Nagar, and got down near Chinthamani junction, as the auto driver didn’t know the exact address which I had. So got another auto from there and went to Mr. Rajendra’s house. He gave me some parcels to be given in Sri Lanka. I came back to Anna Nagar junction with Mr. Rajendra, and got a 47D to Thiruvanmiyur and then came to the room in an auto from the bus stand.

As it was already late and I had to get things ready, I couldn’t have dinner. So I packed my bags and get a bath, and Saie called a taxi, and asked him to come at 3.30am. So all my activities in Chennai came to an end as I went to sleep…

Machan /Macchi /Maamu,

Vimal and myself arrived at the Koyemped bus stand at 7am. We searched for the bus going to Besent Nagar or Thiruvanmiyur, but couldn’t find it till 7.30. As we felt bit tired went to a hotel near by and had a coffee. Then we came back got the bus to Triplicane from there. From Triplicane we got a 23C and went to Besent Nagar. Vimal got some money from the Citi Bank ATM, and we went Saie’s room.

Saie is the only guy at the room who knew Vimal, so introduced him to others. In the mean time Leo Prakash of Leo Club of Nightingale called and informed that the project planned for today was cancelled due to unavoidable reasons. Then I contacted Leo Kannan of Leo Club of Valluvarkottam, and he too was busy with some office work and couldn’t meet him either.

Arun and Prai said they are going to Trichy for some family matters of Arun. So that was the last meeting before leaving India, as they will be back only on Monday. After they went, I slept till 3pm. I went for lunch with Saie and Vimal to Murugan Idly Kadai and had masala dosai and sarkarai pongal. We coming back to room and browsed for awhile and slept. Leo Hema called regarding the tomorrow’s project. We discussed about it and their principal also talked about that.

At around 9pm went to dinner at Tharavad Restaurant, which is a kerala food place. Saie, Vimal, Prem, Anbu and some other guys were there. After dinner we went to the Fruit Shop in Besent Nagar. It is a special place for fruit juices and milkshakes. I had a pineapple juice. After coming back to the room, Anbu and Prem went to some friends house, and that was the last time I saw Anbu as he goes home tomorrow.

Vanakkam,

• Reached Thanjavur at around 7.30 with Vimal and we a room to keep our bags and my laptop and we got bath there
• Had breakfast at a road side ‘patti kadai’, and it was one of the best in my life I would say, very nice Thanjavur ittaly
• Went to Periya Kovil at around 8.15am (About and Photos)
• Stayed there till 10am, had some sweet ‘pirasatham’
• Came back to room and transferred photos taken at kovil to laptop, go gain some space to take more photos
• Went to Saraboji Palace (Photos and About), and stayed there till 1pm
• Went to Tamil University, and Vimal bought a book
• Had lunch and came back to room transfer files
• Went to Darasuram in bus, which was a journey of 1 hour
• Went to Darasuram Temple (About and Photos) and stayed there till 4.30pm
• Got a bus from Darasuram to Kumbakonam,and from there got another bus to Gangai Konda Cholapuram, which took anther 1 hour
• Reached Gangai Konda Cholapuram temple at around 6.30 (About and Photos)
• It was already very dark, and unfourtunately camera batteries were weak, there was no place to find new batteries, so took only a few photos, and stayed there till 7.30pm
• Came back to Thajavur by bus through Kumbakonam, and it these buses they play DVD movies
• Reached the room by 9.30pm, and we had to catch the night bus to Chennai, so packed our bags hurrily and went to have dinner
• After dinner came to bus stand and got the 10.15pm bus to Chennai, and it was a Tamil Nadu UD bus

I have just posted by diary log, just copy and paste… Thought this is the one big day for me in India this time, and I have a lot of nice memories about Thanjavur, I’m feeling lazy to write those in detail. So if I happen to find some time, I’ll try to complete this.

Nanu yellige hogabeku?

Ofcourse, today I got many new directions to my life, I got to know where to go and where not to…

<!–The Day… Another Day… Mc.Donalds at M.G.Road…–>

I came to Kicha’s room after lunch with Vimal, but we had already made the decision that I’m leaving Bangalore today. Vimal told we can go to Thanjavur on the way to Chennai, I also needed to see some places in this tour which didn’t happen yet. Kicha was not happy with my sudden decision, but I had to go. I asked Kicha to call Hithesh and Shibthosh to tell them I’m leaving and they came to Kicha’s room. It was a few days I knew them, but Shibthosh is a great guy. He is in his final year and will go from here this year and he is going to get married soon. They wished me good luck and I wished them the same. They left after a while.

At around 4.30pm I went to Vimal’s room from Kicha’s room. Franklin, the Tamil guy from Selam, was there with Vimal. Again he is another good friend of Vimal. Vimal was ready and we came to Hebbal bus halt and got a bus to Majestic bus stand from there. At Majestic bus stand we booked tickets for bus to Thanjavur. It was a Tamil Nadu SETC Ultra Deluxe bus. The bus was at 8pm, but it was late and came around 9.30pm.

Saying Good bye to Bangalore… I had expected & unexpected happening…
I hope I’ll be back here someday sooner or later…