Five days in Bali

I had practically no knowledge of Bali, when I boarded the plane to the same. I was excited by an invitation to Bali, Indonesia, by my husband, what with the hospital duty back at Kochi and an ailing mother. I thought it would be nice to get a respite from the busy schedule.

As I was in the hospital the last couple of weeks, I could not do some homework on Bali before travelling as I used to do usually. But, Swati, my husband’s nephew, who accompanied us, who had done quite a bit of groundwork, educated us on facts about Bali.

Bali, it seems was the region, ruled by Bali, Sugriva’s brother of Ramayana. The region was inhabited by 85 % Hindus.

My son, our nephew and myself were to travel to Bali via Kuala lumpur on 18^th August 2017. My husband would meet us at Bali airport.

We arrived at around 8.00 pm at Nedumbassery Airport. I was seeing the new airport for the first time. The counters were all decorated with plastic flowers of different colours and the display of elephants was thrilling. The various details like the height of the elephants etc were accurate. CIAL could be proud of being the first solar operated airport.

We boarded the Malasian, Malindo Airlines. There were lot of Tamilians on the KL sector. The KL airport was very cold. A group of around 25 personnel belonging to the sweet and namkeen, Delhi-based company, called, Babaji Namkeen boarded for Bali, all wearing navy blue T shirts, with names of their company printed on them.

While waiting for the Bali flight, Swati said, Bali was one among the 17000 islands of Indonesia and the language of the place was Balinese. Navaneeth, my son, quipped that Indonesia was the world’s largest archipelago.

After the vegetarian meal, settling in my seat, I watched the Roger Hammerstein Classic, Sound of Music. Once again, I was mesmerized by the adventures of the Von Trapp family and the acting of Julie Andrews. It was indeed a treat.

Reaching Bali, there was not much immigration formalities. We had just to fill a form. But the officials opened my box. Once they realised we were harmless, they let us go.

My husband was there at the Bali airport with his newly acquainted driver, Mr. Nyoman, a smart young man. He shook hands with all of us. We had fish fillet, sea food, vegetable curry, rice and orange juice at a restaurant on our way to our hotel, Sheraton.

After taking a little rest, we went to Uluwatu, a temple by the side of the beach. There are a lot of temples in Bali. According to our guide, Nyoman, each house has one temple. The bigger the house, the bigger will be the temple. In this temple by the side of the beach, there was pooja by couples. On our way back, we went to an Indian restaurant. The owner was a Malayali, hailing from Pala. On the walls of the restaurant, there were pictures of the maps of India and Kerala and also the family photo of the owner. There was a sweet looking girl, who waited upon us. She was Balinese and her name was Devi. I had lamb stew and Kerala parotta.

Earlier, in the day, we went to a place where Luwak coffee or the world-famous Civet coffee is made. The Asian palm civet is fed on coffee cherries and the defecated, partly digested, coffee seeds are made into the coffee powder. The Luwak coffee is the most expensive coffee in the world. We also tasted several other varieties of coffee and tea.

In Bali, people worshipped all the Hindu gods we worship in India like, Vishnu, Siva, Lakshmi, Parvathy, Saraswathy, Ganapathy etc. In Nyoman’s car, a picture of Siva and Saraswathy hung in front. And daily, remains of the offerings to the gods, like incense, candy, flowers etc were kept in a small basket in the front of the car. One day we were surprised to find an egg inside the basket.

The second day, we went to a place where Batik painting was done. Beautiful T-shirts and the like were painted on the spot by artists skilled in the same.

Later, we went to some sort of a monument, where a photo session of a bride and groom were taking place. Inside the monument, there were a lot of dioramas meaning small models of the natives fighting the British.

We proceeded to the hot springs near Batur volcano. The place was a beautiful resort with the volcano as a backdrop. My husband enjoyed a bath in the hot spring while I had a Toya salad and a mango juice by the pool side. The soil all around Batur was rich with lava from the volcano and everywhere there were cultivations of plants like onion etc. In our short stay at Bali, we came across a lot of terrace-farming at various places.

On our way back, we went to a restaurant by the hill side. Sitting on the terrace of the restaurant, we could see the volcano towering behind us. It was a thrilling experience. We had fried rice, noodles, chicken, tofu etc. We had a desert made of fried banana, black rice and honey which was very tasty. We took photos with the waitress, Marianee.

Coming back, we went to Tirta Empul, a temple. As is common in all temples in Bali, we tied the cloth, Sarong around our waist and entered the place. We were surprised to find a lot of people immersed, waist deep in water, in a queue as an offering to God.

The third day, we went to Baisakhi temple, beside the volcano, Agung. The last stretch to the temple, could be covered only by walking or on motor bikes. I clumsily got on a bike, with my husband’s help. The temple consisted of several flights of steps. While waiting for my family, I happened to meet a pleasant Indonesian lady, named Nandi, who presented me with a pack of post cards of Bali. She had come there along with some Greek visitors.

A small Balinese girl, who came to sell post cards, asked me for my bindi. As I had only one with me, I refused to part with it.

About a month after our tour to Bali, while I am writing this article, I came to hear the news that the volcano, Agung, is about to erupt and around 70000 people were evacuated from its premises.

Later the day, we went to the Elephant cave, where we saw idols of Ganesa and Siva linga.

In the evening, we went to watch the Fire dance. It was a dance drama with the story of Ramayana. There was a pretty Sita, agile Hanuman and ugly Ravana. A group of about 30 men served the purpose of the chorus.

The next day, we went to the beach in the morning. My husband and the children, indulged in water sports like, para-sailing, jet-ski and sea-walk.

By noon, we went to an Indian restaurant. I had chole batura and mango lassi. Our Balinese waitress’s name was Okta. Later on, we went to Krishna super market and bought some souvenirs.

The last day before going to the airport, we went to watch the Barong dance. The dance symbolises the fight between barong and rangda, the good and evil forces. There are many comic interludes in-between.

We proceeded from Bali to Kuala Lumpur around 1.00 pm or so. The Kuala Lumpur airport is huge with all sorts of amenities. I had a fruit smoothie from an Irish restaurant named, OBriens. There were lot of other eateries offering veg, non- veg and even vegan food.

The rest of the journey was uneventful. We will always treasure this brief episode in Bali, as a beautiful chapter in our lives.

 

Nine years in Qatar

2006 April 14^th. We were on board the Kochi flight to Qatar. We meant me, my husband and our son. It was five months since my husband joined Qatar Petroleum and now he was accompanying me and our son to Doha. My son and I stayed back in Kochi so as to complete the academic year.

After a tearful farewell, especially from my mother for whom this was my first separation from home, we boarded the Qatar Airways flight to Doha. I recalled our busy schedule for the past 2-3 months. There was a lot of winding up to do and some shopping to be done. Finally there was the packing up of bags. I used to take tuitions for CBSE students back home. I wanted to continue this in Qatar. So I had to take the necessary books also.

We arrived in Qatar full of anticipation. Disembarking from the aircraft, we proceeded to our flat in Mattar Qadeem. The day happened to be Vishu, an auspicious day , according to the Malayalam calendar. Leaving our baggage at our flat, we went to Radhakrishnan and Ambili’s house, where we had been graciously invited to partake in a Vishu sadya. I met a lot of people there all attired in traditional Kerala costumes. Food was served on banana leaves in the Kerala way while we had to squat on the floor, even though with some discomfiture. There was a lot of camaraderie amidst the revellers and  my first taste of overseas Malayali life is something which I can never forget.

As the days went by, I befriended many Malayali families with whom I and my family had many a pleasant moment together.

My husband being devoted to office work, I had a lot of leisure time which I thought I would devote to pursuing my various interests.

 This was a good opportunity I fancied to nurture the teacher in me. I started my tuition classes in English. There were more students for grammar. The systematic approach made me enjoy teaching grammar.

“Once Upon a Time” was a 10 day long course in English classics taken during the summer and winter vacations. Classes were based on a text book compiled by me consisting of excerpts from classics, Greek literature, Shakespeare and the like. A variety entertainment programme summed up the course the last day. Certificates and gifts were handed over to students and students displayed dioramas or models of scenes from classics. On that final day, I and my students brought to life characters from literature like the dreamy Alice in wonderland, the miserly Scrooge, the insane Ophelia etc.

During my college days, I had undergone six years training in water colour and pencil sketch. One of our newly found friends in Qatar came to inform us of a reputed institute called the Visual Arts Centre in Qatar encouraging art. It was a government organisation offering free courses in art to both locals and expats. I immediately jumped at the opportunity and joined the institute.

So one Tuesday afternoon, my husband dropped me at the institute. The building was a double-storeyed one, painted in cream colour. It had two symmetrical wings on either side and the painting section was  to the right . It was a totally new experience. I entered the painting section and went upstairs. I found myself in a large room. A well-dressed man of Egyptian origin (as I later came to know) in his early fifties stood there along with a young Arabic lady in a pardha. I later came to know that the duo were my tutors. The male tutors name was Mustafa and female, Fatima. They asked me to bring two of my paintings the next day. Only if they approved those, would they allow me to join the institute. I returned the next day with two sceneries- one a field of lilacs and the other a Shakespearean cottage with a wicket gate surrounded by flowers. My paintings found their approval and I joined the Centre. Mr. Mustafa handed over to me a pack of oil colour tubes, brushes, canvas, tissue rolls, turpentine etc. I really felt elated.

A lot of still life artefacts were arranged in different sections in the large hall in the ground floor of the main building of the Visual Arts Centre. Students, all women (timings were different for men and women)set themselves up in different sections trying their hands at copying the various still life. Mr. Mustafa and Ms. Fatima came now and then offering subtle advice on the nuances of painting. The whole room was filled with an artistic atmosphere. We imbibed the spirit of the classical painters like Van Gogh, Da Vinci, Monet etc in our humble works. Mr. Mustafa, finding it difficult to by heart my name asked me to write down my name on the margin of my canvas so that he could spell it out whenever he approached me.

According to the policy of Visual Arts Centre, half of the paintings you did while there was for the institute and half for the student. I did a couple of oils, an acrylic, a charcoal and a pencil sketch.

Another area I ventured into in art was, card making. Shops like Al Rawnaq  in Qatar had fancy ribbons, stickers, paper etc in plenty and I collected a lot of these materials. The quality of my greeting cards improved a lot and I began keeping my cards in prestigious shops like Archies back in Kochi.

During one vacation, I happened to attend a class in fabric painting and I started painting on bed sheets. The abundance of plain sheets in Lulu outlets provided vast opportunity for exercising my painting skills.

Yet another hobby, I pursued for a short while, while in Qatar, was writing for a monthly children’s magazine- Whizzkids. Stories like Children of Sunnyvale and Edwin and his Grandpa made me exercise my imagination to the fullest.

Iam grateful to my host country, Qatar for providing the amenities without which I would not have been able to develop my various artistic interests. I salute the Emir, H.E., Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, H.E., Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani and H.E. Sheikha Mozah bint Nasser Al Missned                                             for their developmental activities making Qatar one of the most peaceful and habitable regions of the world.

Qatar’s monarchy is the Al Thani family established since 1825. The ruling Emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani is the eighth Emir of the country.

A drive through the desert west from Doha for two hours would end in Dukhan and North for two                                                          hours in Al Ghariya. Desert trips provide endless pleasure, especially surfing over sand dunes in land cruisers and buggies. Stray camels are not unusual sights and once we happened to see a camel give birth to a baby. A lot of tourist attractions await you in Qatar- picnic spots like Souq Waqif, Qatara, Pearl Qatar, Al Ghariya, Shahaniya, Museum of Islamic Art etc. Museum of Islamic Art and Shahaniya, Sheikh Faisal’s Museum are both some of the best museums of the region.           

During my life in Qatar, my friends and I went shopping at malls like City Centre, Villagio, The Mall etc. My friend Priya, was always ready to take us anywhere in her car. We had chat and Dahi batata poori at Bombay Chowpatti. The taste of the dish, flavoured with our friendship lingers in my mouth still.

Family trips to Zubara, Sealine, Dukhan beach etc werealso not unusual. Once in Sealine, on an unusually cold weather, I began to shiver. My friend Neena dressed me up in socks, mufflers, caps, sweater etc. It was so funny to see me that we often recalled that incident.

World Cup Football was a big event with friends flocking in to our flat to see the game in full screen(ours was a big TV)and afterwards partake of the biriyani from Doha Rocks.

A red- letter day in my Qatari days was the visit of Sujuchechi (playback singer, Sujatha, who is my cousin) with husband, Mohan and daughter, Shwetha to our flat in Mattar Qadeem. Sujuchechi enjoyed my fish curry and coconut pudding. I presented her with a pack of my handmade greeting cards.

During my Qatar life, I had the good fortune to visit Egypt, the cradle of ancient civilisation. A boat cruise along the Nile, enjoying the local cuisine and the exotic belly dance, ended in a mesmerizing evening. The pyramids at Giza, the archeological museum of Alexandria, King Tutankhamun’s tomb, columns of Karnak temple, the recreated temble at Abu Simbel are all several wonders of Egypt luring tourists from all over the world. Modern Egypt has significant cultural, political and military influence over North Africa, the Middle East and the Muslim world.

After nine years, we are finally leaving Qatar in search of new pastures. Life in Qatar has been an enriching experience. We have been in touch with the diverse culture and traditions of the country. Saying goodbye to this magical land, I feel a part of me is still there beckoning me to come back.

Ammumma- the grand old lady of the house

The other day when I came across this title in my father’s autobiography (he was speaking about his grandmother), it occurred to me that it was my turn to give my own ammumma a fitting tribute.

Ammumma was, as we say in our language, the aiswaryam of her house, Kamalalayam. She was the devoted wife of her husband, my Achachen, a late Chief Engineer of the Kerala State Electricity Board.

Whenever I think of ammumma, it is her stoic nature that comes to mind. As achachen and ammumma would often argue about the real nature of the proverb, Speech is silver, silence golden, I often now think the second part of the proverb was literally true in ammumma’s case.

She was a great lady, a gifted lady. I remember how she used to sing lullabies to put my little son to sleep. The Jesus Christ she hand embroidered was mistaken by judges for a painting in a competition.

When I think of this ammumma of mine, I should also mention an equally lovable figure, my father’s mother- who also I used to call ammumma. She was a very hardworking woman whom I heard my mother say, would toil endlessly for the sake of her husband and her children.

She had great faith in God and would keep pictures of Lord Guruvayoorappan under her pillow till her last hours.

Ammumma would be up in the mornings early doing routine physical exercise. She was very fit which I think was one of the reasons for her living to a ripe old age.

She was exuberant in her love for me and would never lose a single opportunity to defend me.

A funny incident I always recall is my three-year-old son naughtily going and licking each of ammumma’s Calcium tablets and putting it back in the bottle for fear of somebody finishing it. Ammumma used to lovingly call my son, uppilittathu, meaning pickles due to his great love for the same.

I can proudly say both my ammummas have been in different ways a source of inspiration for me.

Speaking of brothers

Speaking of brothers….(written many years ago)

When my college going son was down with fever, in a far away place, I turned to one of my brothers for help. He assured that he would be in safe hands.

Time and again I’ve been bestowed with a lot of affection by all my brothers. Today I realize what great pillars of strength they have been, what an abundant source of energy, they have all been.

Let me begin with Rameshchettan, my senior most brother. He is working in IDBI Bank and has a sweet and talented wife. I will never forget that day when they accompanied me when I was off to meet my future husband for the first time.

Next in line is Nanduchettan, an IIT product now working in US. He is a devout follower of Matha Amrithanandamayi. I admire him the most. Premachechi, his wife is a family friend of ours.

Who can forget the lovable Unnichettan and his ever- sweet wife, Archana? They have two beautiful sons, Mahesh and Sanju. Unnichettan recently migrated to Australia

Next is my very own brother, Balc whom I call Chettan. We have great regard for each other. Prathibha his wife is a perfect sister-in –law. Chettan is a self-effacing and extremely helpful person.

Balgchettan is the cousin I mentioned in the beginning of this article. He is a gem of a person. His wife, Sonia is a wonderful sister. They have two beautiful daughters.

I don’t see Ramcchettan and his wife Amy quite often as they are in US. But still he is a well- wisher of mine. Ramcchettan is fond of photography.

Ramgchettan, the brother, close to my age and close to my heart is a great support always. Inspite of the muscular disorder he is suffering from, he is always positive and cheerful. He has a charming wife, Jayu and two wonderful kids.

The remaining two brothers are younger to me- Venu, a sweet boy who used to trail behind my brother and myself as a child. He had great love for automobiles right from his childhood and is well positioned in life. His wife is Joby.

Sanku, my youngermost brother is a simple lad. He has a very smart wife, Saritha and they are blessed with a baby boy.

After my marriage, I found several brothers in my husband’s home. My husband had four brothers and a sister.

My husband’s younger brother, Sudarsan (or Raji, as we call him), is a dear brother. He and his wife, Anitha are a strong support.

Well, you might be wondering why I wrote this article mentioning only my brothers.

I have had few wonderful sisters too.

Sailuchechi and Geethachechi, cousins on my paternal and maternal side are both fine ladies.

Preetha and Kalyani, both younger to me are strong girls and were my childhood friends.

And Chachu (Savitri)is the proud mother of two sweet little boys

Maya and Sneha are two adorable cousins of mine.

Having a brother or a sister is a wonderful thing. It produces a wonderful feeling. You can open up your mind to them. So always cherish them.