My Mother's Prayer

Rajaram, you have to improve so much!!!!

This is the advice I hear everyday, from almost everyone I encounter, whether it is family members or relatives or friends or even my little nephews.

Mama, you look good, but your tummy, and your shape..........YUK!!!. You have to reduce your tummy to improve your shape, my elder nephew used to say.

Did you call your Driving Instructor............ Asked my Brother In Law.

NO!!!!

You have to get rid of procrastination to have any improvement in life!!!!! My BIL advices

You have to hold your pen little tightly, and give little more pressure towards the paper to improve your handwriting. Your pen will not get hurt if you hold it tightly!!!! My teachers and Big Brother used to say.

Yes I know I can’t even read later, whatever I wrote previously.

Improvement!!                           Improvement!!                              Improvement

Why I am not improving?

There is a reason!

 It is due to Mother's Prayer!!!!!!!

All of you may wonder, whether any mother would pray to god to abstain her Son from "Improvement"

Yes, my Mom did this!!!

Are you interested to know the reason?

I will tell you the incident......The flashback will take you to the year 1992-1994

That was the time when I had written my 10th Standard Exam and awaiting results and my past time hobbies were Cricket and Only Cricket and occasionally visit relatives in the same village.

I was not a studious Student and I was always scoring  poor marks in Science and Mathematics.

When I hear, Trigonometry, or Newton's Law or H₂SO₄, I feel less appetite and migraine.

I am having a cousin named Babu, in my neighborhood, who was perusing his Electrical Engineering Studies then.

He used to repair old radios for the villagers and assemble new ones up on demand

He used to make other electronic articles like Digital Clocks, walkmans etc and I used to be with him watching, how he plugged in his Soldering iron? How he solder Resistors, Diodes, Capacitors to the Printed Circuit Board. (The Circuit Boards were also made by him by mixing some chemicals)

I even like the smell when he touches the hot Soldering iron to the soldering Flux which is meant to clean the Surface before soldering.

I used to watch him carefully, how he used his Multi meter and one day he allowed me to touch it to my joy knows no bounds.

I also wished and wanted to make a Radio and to make my parents and brothers wonder about my ability.

I hesitantly told this to my cousin. He advised there are "Radio Kits" available in the city with instructions on it and if I simply follow the instructions, I can also be a proud owner of self made Radio.

He also suggested that, the most user-friendly and famous brand is "Jetking".

I requested my dad to buy me a radio kit. But the city is 60 Kilometers away from our village.

There was a person called Ravi Warrier in our village who goes everyday to the city as he employed there in an Ayurvedic Hospital.

Fed up with my constant requests, my dad asked him to buy a Jetking Radio kit and handed over the cash.

When the petrol price was only Rs. 17, the Sugar costs only Rs 7 per Kg and Lifebuoy Soap costs only Rs. 3, my dad spend Rs. 300 to my childhood fancy.

I was daydreaming that, immediately after getting the Kit, I would Start the work and complete my radio with in a day. So I kept my Soldering Iron, lead and flux ready on a table which was near the plug point.

Even though I know, Mr Ravi would come at 8:30 PM, in the last bus, whenever I hear the noise of a bus, I ran towards our gate to see whether he is coming with my kit.

At last he came with my kit at 8:30 PM and to my horror, Electricity had gone as it was our scheduled time of power cut.

I thought, by the time the electricity comes, which is usually half an hour later, I would read the manual, so that I can start my work immediately.

At 9.00 O Clock all expected that the electricity would be back but it didn’t.

Up on enquiry we understood that, electricity can not be expected that night as some tree had fallen to the 11 KV line near by and the repairing was going on.

In the candle light, I completed reading the Manual once and re read it 2 times after that.

The next day, when the electricity was restored, I started my work.

I plugged in my soldering iron and kept all the components of the kit in order along with the instruction Manual.

I took the Printed Circuit Board and started soldering the components one by one. There were many components; the Resistors, Capacitors, Transistors, and Diodes and so on.

By this I was slowly learning the basics of electronics.

Now I know a transistor has 3 lead named Emitter, Base, and Collector and a diode has 2 leads named Cathode and anode.

 I felt very happy as I was progressing in my work..

All at home and some of my friend looked at me surprisingly and my dad even told me that I look professional.

That night, once the last resistors and Volume control are fitted on the board, the Battery compartments connection had been given and I was very eager to test it.

I made it sure that, no one is around as I was afraid that, if something goes wrong and if nothing is heard from the radio.

I prayed to god and slowly switched on the Radio!!!!!!!!!

Instead of hearing a song I heard a sound  TUP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! With Smoke!!!!!!!!

Without telling anything to anyone at home I took my radio to my cousin and showed and he found out that, I had interchanged the leads of a Diode while soldering.

Fortunately, he was having the component and he replaced it and did some checking with his multi-meter and at last he switched on.

As he tunes the radio on, to my surprise, my radio captured signal from Akashavani Trichur Station.

I thanked him and took my radio to my home and I called everyone to my "Experiment Area" and shown to them that the radio is working.

My parents were very happy and they sincerely thought that an Engineer is born!!!!!

My fate / Destiny were written on that day!

We should get him First Group to his Pre-degree; I heard my Mom telling my dad; See his taste in Engineering!!!!! See how he repairs things!!!!!

 At last the results were out for my 10^th Standard and some how my parents managed to get First group for my pre degree and the subjects comprises of Science / Mathematics and English.

The First day itself... I understood that and I do not understand anything taught in the class that too in a different medium, English, which was not at all familiar to me.

At that time I was not aware any English sentence other than " What is your name?",and I found it very difficult to concentrate in the class and obviously all my concentration was on the Cricket ground outside.

My College was situated on the top of a Small hill. The main office and buildings were on the top of the hill, the Entrance and the Physical Education department on the valley. The cricket Ground was on the mid of the hill.

Everyday I reach my college by 8 o Clock and stand in front of the Physical Education department waiting for others, mostly senior cricketers to come. Since there was not a proper cricket pitch in the ground, we have to take the Coir Carpet from the dept to the ground which was too heavy.

The seniors made us to do that. We juniors form a group of 6 people and keep the Carpet on the top of three stumps and lift the stumps side by side and  walk to the ground which is around 100 Meters away from the Ground level.

Even then we juniors did all the sacrifices we hardy get an over to bowl and batting was not allowed at all.

Despite of that,  I was on good spirit as I see a future Kris Srikkanth on me who was also an Engineer.

My first year in college just went like that and the college was closed for Study leave for a month.

The first 15 days went just like that.

The 16th day I opened my Physics Text which looked like Brand New as I was opening it for the first time.

I realised that  I don’t know anything in Physics.

I thought, Lets start with Chemistry.. Physics I will do later......

There also the same!!! I don’t know anything!

At last the exam dates came near........ And I wrote the exams............

I was afraid and Sure that I am not going to pass!!!

On the eve of my first year exam results my mother read out the Sadness on of my face.......

Why are you so sad and why you are not eating properly? She asked

I told her the truth!! Mom I am afraid of my result!!! I am not sure that I will pass!!!!

Calmly my mother asked........ What will happen if you fail?

Do you have to sit in the same class again?

No...... I said........ I can sit in the second year class. And there is scheme by the University called "Improvement", So that I can re write my first year exams.

“Improvement" What does that means, my mother asked.

A candidate who fails in the first year exams my re appear for his failed subjects along with second year Exams or even if a candidate passes the exams with low marks may reappear the exams to have improved marks and the highest mark out of both the exams will be taken in the mark list. I answered.

For you not to get any "Improvement", you have to pass the exams in the first chance, right? My mother reconfirmed.

Yes....... I Answered.

That evening my mother went to our village temple and prayed

 ദൈവമേ, എന്റെ മകന് ഒരിക്കലും Improvement കൊടുക്കല്ലേ !!!!!!!!

கடவுளே, என் புல்லையக்கு ஒரு நாளும் Improvement  குடுக்கதும்கோ

 Oh God, Never Ever give my son any “Improvement"

When the results were out next day, to my wonder I had passed for all papers with stagnant (Opposite of Flying colours) colours.

But whether god took my Mothers prayer wrongly as if the prayer of Kumbhakarna was answered by Goddess Saraswathi

I was escaped from my "Improvement Exams", but in life, am I improved?????

Even if you say NO........ I won’t agree.

Except my Hand writing and Tummy........Everything has improved!!!!

If I have not Improved, I wouldn’t have written this story.

www.rajaramvasudev.blogspot.com

The Art Director

Is there anyone without a nickname? There won’t be, I swear. My dad’s Pet Name is Vasu Swami and he has many more nicknames. Each name was bestowed upon him based on some incidents that happened to him or where he was a party to it.

For quite some time the people in our village used to refer to  my dad as “Art Director Vasu”.

Isn’t it a wonder how a person living in a village, never interested in films got the title “Art Director”?

My Dad’s uncle was a renowned Malayalam novelist. He called my dad one morning and announced that one of his Novels is being filmed as a TV Serial. He also told my dad that the main cast and location were already decided and to our amazement, the location was our own village. He requested my dad to provide all the help that he can to the Serial  Film crew.

The novel was based on the incidents from the life of the novelist, in a joint Tamil Brahmin family. As the shooting progressed at various parts of our village, the villagers were in a festive mood and were ready to do anything for the success of the serial. Many of the villagers including my dad got an  opportunity to show their faces in the serial.

During the course of the shooting, one day the art director came running to our home to see my Dad. The art director was in a dilemma. To find a solution he requested my dad’s help. The problem was that they were supposed to shoot a death scene that evening, but the art director did not know the   rituals practiced and clothes worn by Tamil Brahmins after a death had occurred.

My dad agreed to help him out and both of them went to the director. The director also requested my dad’s help and asked him if there was anything to be bought for setting up  the scene. My dad agreed to prepare a list and indeed as you imagine it was a big list!

Sandalwood Powder, Sacred Ashes, Flowers, Garlands, Oil lamp wicks, coconuts, betel leaves, areca nut and many more things that usually are required for such an occasion. He arranged that one of his friends would bring it from the town. My dad was very happy that he was going to be an art director and  the perfectionist in him wanted to do it  perfectly. So he rechecked the list to avoid any omission.

Thank God….! it’s good that I rechecked the list, my dad exclaimed. We need a white silk cloth too, my dad said to his friend.

Dad’s friend started to the town which is around ten Kilometers away from our village. It takes at least two hours for him to  go and comeback.

My dad thought of remaining in the location itself so that he can observe what was happening there. He saw the art director pouring something into the glasses.

What is that? ……. Dad asked the Art Director

Its Butter milk Sir……the Art director replied.

Can I have one glass? I am too thirsty!!! My dad requested.

Extremely Sorry, Sir. It’s the property for a lunch scene , that will be shot today. The art Director replied.

PROPERTY……….What is that?  Dad asked.

 Property means any items or objects used on the set of a play or movie to create an effect to the viewers. For example, if the background of the story is olden times, then we select dresses and articles of that time which will create the  feel of that era to the viewers. The Art Director explained to my Dad.

My dad was very happy that he has learned a new terminology “property”. And at the same time he got confused.

If it is to create more effect, why the butter milk is on the steel glass? My Dad Questioned.

That should have been Copper Glass as the time line is 1950s, my dad added.

I shall provide you the PROPERTY. I have many copper glasses at my home. My dad decided to bring some.

My dad felt very happy  that he was able to correct an experienced Art director and  was full of self admiration for this  brilliant observation.

He bought the old Copper Glasses from home and he himself poured the Butter Milk in to it and kept the PROPERTY ready for the next scene.

The Director saw that, and he appreciated my dad for his sincerity, which further boosted my Dad’s confidence.

Two hours passed and my Dad’s friend returned with the “properties”.

Vasu, you can start now…….the director told my dad to arrange for the Death scene.

Ok Sir I will start right now……..replied my dad.

My dad called the actor and asked him sit on the easy chair and started “decorating” him with the “properties”.

He mixed the  Sacred  ashes with water and made a paste and he dipped his three fingers in to it and drew lines on the actor’s arms in three places, upper arm, elbow and the just above the wrist.

With the balance paste he drew three lines into the actor’s forehead and chest.

Dad then made a paste out of sandalwood powder and the same too applied in the same manner.

He took red KumKUM and placed it on the middle of the three lines on both the hands, on forehead and on the chest.

After that he placed a chain made of “rudraksha” through the actor’s neck which followed by a garland made of Jasmine.

All these decorations by my dad took around 2 hours to complete  and in the mean time the director was busy  shooting the lunch scene.

There were three people in the lunch scene. The hero, his sister and his brother in law. The hero and his BIL were sitting on a mat and in front of them the plantain leaves were kept. The scene was like, the sister has to serve rice and other stuffs and the two guys sitting should eat the “properties”  as if they are having a delicious feast. Towards the end the hero should drink the buttermilk and appreciate his sister for her cooking skills.

The scene was ok on its third take and now the hero has around three glasses of buttermilk in his tummy.

Once the lunch scene was over, the director asked his associate whether the makeup was over for the corpse. my dad was on its final touch up and he told the associate that, he would bring the actor in another 5 minutes.

After 5 minutes my dad and actor went near the Director. Seeing the actor and his makeup, the director was very happy which  can’t  be expressed in words. He appreciated my dad for his valuable contribution for the success of the scene.

The camera was set, the director asked the actor to lie down in the “frame” and to close his eyes.

All set!!!

Start Cameraaaa.....the director shouted

Rolling………, the Cameraman shouted,

Scene No 21…Shot no 1…...the Clap boys Clapped.

Actio……………

One second, director sir. My dad interrupted and he gave the white silk cloth to the associate director; which if you remember was the last item in the list of properties and said.

Now you have to cover the body with the silk.

The director appreciated my dad’s timely advice and ordered his associate to cover the body and the associate covered the body of the actor.

Again All set

Start Cameraaaa.....the director shouted

Rolling………, the Camera man shouted,

Scene No 21…Shot no 1…...the Clap boys Clapped.

Actio……………

Before the director could complete the word “Action”, an innocent boy from the gathering asked….his doubt little louder.

Why did you cover the body? If you wanted cover it, then why  did you decorate his chest and arms with garlands, holy ashes and Kumkum?

The Director, my Dad and the others gathered were stunned and embarrassed for a moment and when they realized their mistake, all of them burst out laughing. Even though, they had incurred unnecessary expenses to buy the properties as per my dad’s list they still saw the humor in the situation..

Ultimately, it was decided by the director not to cover the body as, considerable time, effort and money  had been spent on the  actor.

When all the people were laughing, the hero, who acted in the lunch scene was missing and a vomiting noise attracted the attention of the gathering.

Yes that was the hero, who had gulped down  three glasses of buttermilk form the copper glass,  who was vomiting excessively.

An elderly man, who was an expert in remedial medicines, explained the reason of  the excessive vomiting. When the  green patina clinging to old  copper vessels (Copper Oxide)  mixes with acids ( the chemical name for buttermilk is Lactic acid)    the lactic acid becomes very  poisonous.

My dad looked in to the eyes of the art director helplessly. The art director also looked into my dad’s face and the unsaid  message could be this;

Thanks Vasu……….thanks for ruining my day………..

That day onwards, the nickname “The Art director” was bestowed up on my dad for a long  time to come.

I Salute You!!!!

Today I met an attention-grabbing personality at my office, LIC international.

He came to my table with a service request and started speaking in Malayalam with a sort of North Kerala slang and I recognized him as a Malayalee. Before handing over the papers to me he got a phone call and he started speaking in Telugu without any “AAhs and Errs” and now I recognized him as a South Indian who can be a Malayalee as many of my friends fluently speak all south Indian languages like Tamil, Telugu, Kannada and Malayalam.

After the phone call, he handed over the papers to me, and to my surprise, the name and sign on the paper doesn’t match what I have expected as I was expecting a typical South Indian name.

I could not control my astonishment and I enquired and found out that he was born and bought up in, Thane, Maharashtra.

Ooh!!!… So you know Marathi too other than the South Indian Languages. I asked.

Yes……and he can speak Gujarati, Punjabi, Tulu, Konkani, Bhojpuri, Arabic and Hindi and a little bit English too. His friend who came along with him said.

After the man left; to complete the service request and little bit curious too to know further about him, I took his Policy file.

I found out that, he has studied only up to Matriculation and working as Crane Operator and drawing a small Salary.

  

Dear       Dada Rao Thaku Ingole,     I Salute You………

I recognize you not as a Malayalee or South Indian.

I recognize you as a True Indian.

Epilogue

Mr Dada Rao Thaku Ingole was looking tensed when he came to my table.

He told me he will be leaving Bahrain with in a day or two as the company has terminated him.

He showed me the termination letter which states the reason that, he took part in the strike against the Company Management.

I was not a party to it. He said

I was passing through the rage area and somebody took a photograph which later came to the notice of the Management. Along with the other 25 people who took part in the rage I also got terminated without seeking for explanation. He concluded

Mr Dada Rao came to my desk to transfer his policy to LIC of India.

If he happened to come to Bahrain again he will definitely come and meet me as his request can not be completed by me due to the regulations in the policy.

Too Sad....

rajaramvasudev@gmail.com

Red Chilies

Howzzaat!!!!. My Dad and his gang were      shouting in our TV room. That was 31 of October 1987, the historical day in world cup cricket. The up roaring was when Chetan Sharma took the wicket of Ken Rutherford. As an 11 year old boy, I was also eating, drinking and breathing cricket at that time. The idiom “Born with a silver spoon” can be re phrased as “Born with a cricket Ball” in my case.  But I seldom view a full length one day match as my friends wait for me to play two or three 10-10 over matches. On holidays or on vacations we will on ground full time in the scorching sun. Due to the constant Sweating and drying made my ears get infected.

On that historical day I was bed ridden, due to intense unbearable pain on my right ear, I was rolling on the bed. Seeing my state of distress, my mom thought of calling my dad to console me; and to consult a doctor in the evening.

That was when my mom reached our TV room, the wicket of Ian Smith also had fallen and Chetan Sharma is on hat trick Chance. Without knowing this stressful, nerve racking moment, my mom conveyed the message to my dad and asked him to be with me. My dad wanted to see the next ball of Chetan and he was waiting for Ewen Chatfield to come to bat.  Mom demanded his presence with me immediately and with due hesitation and irritation my dad came to my room with his mind still on hat trick.

The most influential person in my dad’s life his years old friend Mr Pappachan was also there in my room seeing my dilemma and he suggested a onetime remedy for this infection. The remedy is that, take one spoon of coconut oil, boil it and pour the hot oil through the top opening of a red Chili. Allow it to cool and once it is little warm which is bearable enough for me, nip the bottom portion of the chili and pour the oil drop by drop to my infected ear.

As instructed my mom made the things available. In the mean while some body from my dad’s gang was shouting that Ewen Chatfield on the crease and Chetan is ready to bowl. My dad’s thoughts were still on Chetan’s Hat Trick, took the Chili and nipped the bottom part keeping it just above my ear.  As he nipped the chili big the medicated oil started flowing to my ear instead of drop by drop.

Haaaaaaaa,  I screamed and rolled on my bed upper ear down.  Yes!!, as Chetan Sharna is ready to bowl, dad had forgotten that the heat should be bearable and he had poured the extreme hot oil on my ear.

Hearing my scream all the gang rushed to my room and along with my mom and Mr Pappachan, they started shouting at dad for his carelessness. In the mean time Chethan Sharma was taking his run up from the pavilion end of Vidharbha cricket Association Ground, Nagpur to bowl against Ewen Chatfield. The rest is history!.

That power-less night, I was sleeping on my dad’s lap I saw the reflection of the lantern on the bottom of dads eye lids.

During this vacation, I happened to see dad’s friend who prescribed the medicine. Seeing me he started asking me so many things for that I have not responded. In frustration he asked,Are you deaf?

I replied. Yes, your Red Chili treatment made me deaf.!!!!!!!!. Hearing that, he and my dad burst into laughter.

At last, one question remains. Where the infection has gone? If we personify the infection as a demon, he scared and ran away from my life seeing my dad and his red chili.

rajaramvasudev@gmail.com

My experiments with life

This is the Ice Breaking Speech I had given at WMC Toastmasters Club* Bahrain on 20-11-2009

The best day to plant a tree was 20 years ago.

The second best day is today……………..

Toastmaster of the day, fellow toastmasters and my dear friends,

Warm good evening to you all…..

Yes, today is the second best day in my life….my career…

Do you know why???

I was very fortunate to attend the very first meeting of WMC TMC as a guest and it took long 6-7 years for me to join this club.

Iam finally here..Today…to give you a sip of the water…The water from the ice which has taken 6 years to melt!!!??

Friends, I am Rajaram,

 Born and brought up in a small village in Kerala, under a joint family type atmosphere. My grandma was the master and the mistress of the house …a strict disciplinarian.

Like any middle class child, my parents bought me up…by feeding Banana s and Cerilac…which turned me into the bonny baby…or shall I say…the eligible handsome bachelor that I am today!

At the age of 4, my parents arranged a teacher to teach me Malayalam alphabets and numbers with the intention that I can do good when I join the school at age 5.

Every day he used to come to my house……….to teach me …   After an hour or so, my mother used to bring him coffee. Immediately after having that, he would stop the class.

That was when An idea raised in my little mind.  If we give the coffee, in the beginning itself?? … He will

go.     Then no need to study.

So I started shouting in the beginning of the class itself…1+1=2…….. Ammaaa     Kappi….

Probably this is the first experiment in my life.

As ours was a  joint family, everybody  was always busy discussing this and that, and we kids  were not supposed to make noise.

If we made noise…then gone……..they would arrange a new tuition teacher with an instruction to load us with homework.

Friends, now you know……..Terrorists are not born…they are made..

The kid who made the least noise was considered as “Maryada Raman” and would escape…scot free!

So we all pretended to be “Maryada Purushotham Rams”…to get rid of these tuition teachers.

That can be one of the reasons that we all were introverts until we reached  college.

What do you want to become??

Probably that’s the question kids are often asked by elders.

My passions were many and varied. It ranged from Policeman to Mahout to textile sales man to tractor driver

In my teenage I wanted to become a cricketer like K Srikkanth.

Unknowing my limitations I wanted to be a singer also………

Fellow toastmasters, Do you know one thing???the president (Referring Ganapathy, my BIL who is also president of the club) of my home is Bahrain an autocrat.

Whenever I started humming a song

“Chookkar Mere Man Ko

Kiya too ne kya Irada”     

Raja   Can You Please stop it   ….. my kids are sleeping!!!!@$&*...…. that also nipped on bud

Not A BIL and BIL Business

 After my Bcom I Joined for ICWAI. That was when I started applying cost control techniques at my home too. I gave long lectures to my mother regarding how to optimally utilize available resources. I spoke to my father, how to reduce labor cost, on his agricultural activities.

They were finally fed up of my management. 

In the year 2002, my mother made a  1000.00 rupee call to my sister in Bahrain to  take the problem making child out. That’s how I put my first step in Bahrain……and thank god I don’t have a     sister in Andaman Nikobar Islands too

Today I am working with LIC International, as the officer in charge of Unit Linked Products.

I have started my MBA, Toast mastering and my driving lessons this year.

Friends, as our founder president always quote.. “A journey of 1000 miles starts from a single step.”

Yes friends I have started.

If I am something today, I believe that’s only because of that 1000.00 rupee phone call and the generous support from my brother in law………Support for everything I do except………………..Any guesses…………………. for my songs!!!!!!!!!!

I believe whatever happens in life is always for good… what matters is …. Your attitude and commitment to succeed.

So…here I am…continuing my experiments with life…crushing all that ice…spilling water…before you…to Empower my Dreams!!!

***WMC Toastmasters Club [WMC-TMC], chartered in 2003, as part of the Toastmasters International movement is the second largest Toastmaster Club in the Kingdom of Bahrain. Actively engaged in developing communication and leadership skills through the approved Toastmasters International curriculum, WMC –TMC   is recognized as a powerhouse of talents in both domains. It is today acknowledged as the most innovative of all the Toastmasters clubs in Bahrain.