நிழல்நீரும் இன்னாத இன்னா தமர்நீரும்
இன்னாவாம் இன்னா செயின்.
There is this verse 881 under "Internal Enmity" which states "Even shade and water are unpleasant if they breed disease." It extends the metaphor to relatives who might cause harm.
May is ending, still where is the Bangalore where peak summers had 21 degrees? All trees are chopped in this apartment and mall construction madness. This verse is what came to my mind first, the moment i craved for shade, optimal shade without being too shady.
Why Swimming
It was 2006, right after ambassador accident where my legs were unequal after neck of femur replacement and i had to wear height adjusted slippers to walk evenly. Had shifted to a south facing house in palavakam during Aadi month and the accident happened within a week of shifting home. Four months later, would cook breakfast, lunch in box, early mornings, for my sister to prepare for her entrance exam in the MGR University campus with her batch mates.
So one morning around 6 am, was shopping for vegetables to prepare breakfast lunch and there comes a tall guy like a hero, in an imposing black bike, dressed in black with black helmet. The bike stops right next to me and he introduces himself as guy from neighbouring locality HAPP and how he had seen me on crutches in our OFT bus and says he is glad to see me walk independently without crutches. So learn that his name is Rudradeep Ray (unsure), Feb 10 (very sure), working in Wipro and he is back from early morning salsa classes in TNagar. Inspired by him, wanted to learn something early morning. What else other than swimming.
Even in Chennai, maargazhi, december mornings are quite cold. I got my navy blue swimsuit and went to palavakam swimming pool early morning 5:30 to 6:30 am to learn swimming in ice chill waters. No one would be there early morning and i would have the whole pool for myself for a good one hour. On the way to the pool in the darkness, once even got to listen to tiny tots wondering on how did the day get divided into 24 hours and how time came into being. At their age, i just took for granted the seconds ticking, never wondering why, like those 2 feet boys discussing time early morning. Would be scared with dogs barking. But that 1 hour in pool every morning was my answer to fight back, no matter what destiny did to my legs.
In 2006, could not exhale inside water and could swim only short stretches, to the extent that i could hold my breath. After ilizarov limb equalizing surgery in 2007, no longer had to wear height adjusted footwear. Only in Jayanagar PM swimming pool, finally learnt swimming during summer holidays in 2009, 3 years after the Palavakam swimming pool episode.
Am still scared of diving, but can swim for hours in pool and love swimming and floating on water. Now with the scorching sun and chlorine water and lady's public timings at 25/hr (rather 40 minutes) from 3:30 pm to 4:30 pm, wish they had a sunshade or big trees shade covering the pool with net to catch the leaves. Wish desperately for shade from this scorching sun.
Let maari pour down optimally, fill all lakes, ponds, reservoirs and rivers, let trees grow all around, let the whole earth be decked in green, like the paradise it once was. Wish, had a swimming pool nearby without its rates burning my purse, wish public timings were after twilight hours when the sun was gentle. Wish!!!!
Wish rivers were clean enough to swim. Where has our ahneeka procedure on treating water bodies as devis disappeared? Need to research trees now. Plant all around now. There is this forest department in bannerghatta road, malleshwaram for saplings. Rains are going to come and need to start planting trees.
இன்னாவாம் இன்னா செயின்.
There is this verse 881 under "Internal Enmity" which states "Even shade and water are unpleasant if they breed disease." It extends the metaphor to relatives who might cause harm.
May is ending, still where is the Bangalore where peak summers had 21 degrees? All trees are chopped in this apartment and mall construction madness. This verse is what came to my mind first, the moment i craved for shade, optimal shade without being too shady.
Why Swimming
It was 2006, right after ambassador accident where my legs were unequal after neck of femur replacement and i had to wear height adjusted slippers to walk evenly. Had shifted to a south facing house in palavakam during Aadi month and the accident happened within a week of shifting home. Four months later, would cook breakfast, lunch in box, early mornings, for my sister to prepare for her entrance exam in the MGR University campus with her batch mates.
So one morning around 6 am, was shopping for vegetables to prepare breakfast lunch and there comes a tall guy like a hero, in an imposing black bike, dressed in black with black helmet. The bike stops right next to me and he introduces himself as guy from neighbouring locality HAPP and how he had seen me on crutches in our OFT bus and says he is glad to see me walk independently without crutches. So learn that his name is Rudradeep Ray (unsure), Feb 10 (very sure), working in Wipro and he is back from early morning salsa classes in TNagar. Inspired by him, wanted to learn something early morning. What else other than swimming.
Even in Chennai, maargazhi, december mornings are quite cold. I got my navy blue swimsuit and went to palavakam swimming pool early morning 5:30 to 6:30 am to learn swimming in ice chill waters. No one would be there early morning and i would have the whole pool for myself for a good one hour. On the way to the pool in the darkness, once even got to listen to tiny tots wondering on how did the day get divided into 24 hours and how time came into being. At their age, i just took for granted the seconds ticking, never wondering why, like those 2 feet boys discussing time early morning. Would be scared with dogs barking. But that 1 hour in pool every morning was my answer to fight back, no matter what destiny did to my legs.
In 2006, could not exhale inside water and could swim only short stretches, to the extent that i could hold my breath. After ilizarov limb equalizing surgery in 2007, no longer had to wear height adjusted footwear. Only in Jayanagar PM swimming pool, finally learnt swimming during summer holidays in 2009, 3 years after the Palavakam swimming pool episode.
Am still scared of diving, but can swim for hours in pool and love swimming and floating on water. Now with the scorching sun and chlorine water and lady's public timings at 25/hr (rather 40 minutes) from 3:30 pm to 4:30 pm, wish they had a sunshade or big trees shade covering the pool with net to catch the leaves. Wish desperately for shade from this scorching sun.
Let maari pour down optimally, fill all lakes, ponds, reservoirs and rivers, let trees grow all around, let the whole earth be decked in green, like the paradise it once was. Wish, had a swimming pool nearby without its rates burning my purse, wish public timings were after twilight hours when the sun was gentle. Wish!!!!
Wish rivers were clean enough to swim. Where has our ahneeka procedure on treating water bodies as devis disappeared? Need to research trees now. Plant all around now. There is this forest department in bannerghatta road, malleshwaram for saplings. Rains are going to come and need to start planting trees.
