Sunday, October 14, 2007

purindhum puriyavillai..DID I UNDERSTAND !!

It was a 4 storied building where I spent my chilhood.Each floor had four flats or apartments.We lived in first floor.A lovely terrace where we used to play all sorts of games(!)including cricket.Obviously every second ball used to be hit out of the terrace and next 15 minutes spent retrieving it.4 apartments but only six of my age to play with.Kite flying was one of the favourites in the city I lived in,with elders participating forgetting their age.When elders occupied the terrace we were mere spectators doing all odd jobs like fetching water,etc.There were three south indian families in all .All south Indian families generally addressed as madrasies!All that was known was..south of Vindhyas only madras existed !

Kishore, Mohan, myself were the three boys,mohan being younger brother of kishore.Naturally ,being the eldest,I had the advantage of making mohan do the running around like picking the ball etc.They lived in the third floor.
With too many people in my house I used to spend a lot of time in kishores house.Theres was a small family.kishore,mohan ,his father and mother and Kishores fathers brother(Donno how to call a chitthappa in english).He was called KAKA, with the looks of a hero wearing spotless dresses with an ever hanging fag in his mouth.A hero for most of us.He used to hold Lakshmi vedi in his hand allow it to explode,during DIWALI time.Unimaginable by any standards by us.He never went to work and perhaps was living on his brothers income.But the stylish man always had his seperate room ,squeeky clean.We were never allowed to step in there.

Summer holidays were intersting days when parents used to quietly send of their children to neibhours house ,passing off the headache,i guess.So kishores house used to be my place to spend the day ,since the terrace was there anyhow for the evenings.
Kishores father was an intersting person too,full of jokes and he used to sport a funny looking hat whenever he went out.A sort of straw hat which,the chennai policemen use in summer.He used to leave home in the morning at 7 and return only by 10pm or so. But every afternoon,kisores mom used to ask us to go off to the terrace or go onto the street for two hours.I thought she wanted to rest and she was particular KAKA should not be disturbed.

One day,I was told, Kishores father got transferred to a remote part of the country and I never saw him till I left that city.Years rolled by and I was around 14 or 15.
One day Kaka passed away and it was a sad day.Not many people had turned up and those who were around also ddnt understand the customs.Calm and composed Kishores mom called mohan (who was by then around 11) aside and told him ..Mohan I want you to do the ceremonies since KAKA was like a father to you.. Appa maadhiri da..appa ne vechu koyen !

Enakku appo athoda artham puriyale

CU

48 comments:

Pri said...

can u please translate the last line to me?? :(

Compassion Unlimitted said...

@pri
since KAKA was like a father to you.. Appa maadhiri da..appa ne vechu koyen !

Enakku appo athoda artham puriyale
..

He is like your father da...He is your father

I never realised the meaning then

TC
CU

PurpleHeart said...

Is it like he IS your father ? Doesn't it mean he's almost like your father !

Compassion Unlimitted said...

@PRI,
She said first..He is like your father..and after a pause said,,,He is your father
TC
CU

Compassion Unlimitted said...

@PurpleHeart
She said first..He is like your father..and after a pause said,,,He is your father
TC
CU

Unknown said...

:O Okka Mokka :P

Vidya said...

hmmmm...so is this a story?

I remember when we used to go to Patti & Thatha's house for summer holidays. I guess passing the "headache" has been around for a while.

Vidya

P.S Thank you for your welcome! :D

KC! said...

no clue what to say, aana romba ethical lady ;)

Compassion Unlimitted said...

@vidya
Welcome back.already on the blog great.
TC
CU
@USHA
Ethical or not.She was a wonderful lady always full of bubbling energy,laughter and happiness.The varieties of eats she used to feed us.Donno myself what soured. Was Draupadi wrong ?
Tks for dropping by
TC
CU

aMus said...

appadiya!!!rumba nalla ...that's my limited tamil working,sweated it out in then madras for 4 years...fond memories..:)

Compassion Unlimitted said...

@Thinking Aloud
Welcome TA. 3 words of Tamizh in as many years.Come on.Lol.Take care and keep dropping by.Well I think,Singapore is equal to chennai,in climate, I guess
TC
CU

Ponnarasi Kothandaraman said...

Ayayo :O Enna nadakuthu inga! :P

Joy said...

eduthan kalikaalam enpathoo???

Compassion Unlimitted said...

@vedha
Scroll back..perhaps thats the reason he left early morning and returned late night.perhaps thats the reason he never came back after his transfer
TC
CU

Compassion Unlimitted said...

@Ponnarasi Kothandaraman
Do you recollect an old song of chandrababu of yester years..onnume puriyale ulagathhile!
TC
CU

Compassion Unlimitted said...

@Joy
Kali kaalam kili(gili) kaalam aagamal irundal sari
TC
CU

Raghavan alias Saravanan M said...

@CU,

first time being here.. got through some people's blog..to name a few, Ponnarasi, Sumathi!

Compassion Unlimited! - a nice title.. is it for others also? :) Lol..

Raghavan alias Saravanan M said...

Good write up.. but what to say? as some1 else said, 'is this wat kalikaalam'?.

I was shocked to read the climax. Nice you said that you have not understood the meaning of it by then!

Raghavan alias Saravanan M said...

//All south Indian families generally addressed as madrasies!All that was known was..south of Vindhyas only madras existed !
//

Very True. Experienced the same.

Agreed :P

Raghavan alias Saravanan M said...

//Naturally ,being the eldest,I had the advantage of making mohan do the running around like picking the ball etc.//

U too CU? ;-(

அந்த வயசுல அதெல்லாம் சகஜமப்பா -ன்னு சொல்றீங்களா? ஹா ஹா ஹா..

இந்த வயசுல கூட அதையே செய்யாம இருந்தா சரிதானுங்னா...

Raghavan alias Saravanan M said...

//(Donno how to call a chitthappa in english).//

டோண்ட் வொர்ரி..

I think we can use 'Uncle' for the same. That's what i remember!

Uncle, Aunt - common nouns u know :)

Raghavan alias Saravanan M said...

//He was called KAKA, with the looks of a hero wearing spotless dresses with an ever hanging fag in his mouth.A hero for most of us.He used to hold Lakshmi vedi in his hand allow it to explode,during DIWALI time.Unimaginable by any standards by us.//

KAKA - just bcos of his colour and looks? U meant 'crow'?

yeah thats true.. during each stage of our life we tend to get impressed by some or the other personalities around through what we either see or hear about!

no wonder!

Raghavan alias Saravanan M said...

//We were never allowed to step in there//

விஷமக்கார பசங்களா இருந்தீங்களாக்கும்.. அதேன்....

Raghavan alias Saravanan M said...

//Summer holidays were intersting days when parents used to quietly send of their children to neibhours house ,passing off the headache,i guess.//

Yeah Yeah.. very true. though i m still a bachelor, could very well get and infer the mentalities...

துரத்தினாலும் தீராத தலைவலி! :)

Raghavan alias Saravanan M said...

//Kishores father was an intersting person too,full of jokes and he used to sport a funny looking hat whenever he went out.//

சின்ன வயசுல இப்படி ஒரு ஆள சந்திச்சிருந்தா, கண்டிப்பா நாம மறக்க மாட்டோம்..இல்ல? அதுவும் நம்மள சிரிக்க வைச்ச மனுஷாளை, விஷயங்களை கண்டிப்பா நினைவு வெச்சுக்குவோம்!!

Compassion Unlimitted said...

@Raghs | இராகவன்
Varugha varugha..
1)Compassion unlimited is for everyone.Indha vayasila vera enna solla.
2)Enakku thambi ,thangachi kidayadu pa,adhu nala akkam pakkam pasangala velai vangiduven
3)Kaka in the local lingo where I lived means uncle..Not a racist for sure pa
Kelvi kanaigalaga thoduthutteenga..oru moochu vaangittu varen
meendum meendum varugha
TC
CU

Raghavan alias Saravanan M said...

//Varugha varugha..//
வந்தேன் வந்தேன்.

Raghavan alias Saravanan M said...

//1)Compassion unlimited is for everyone.Indha vayasila vera enna solla.//
வேற ஒன்னியும் சொல்லவேணாம் அன்னாத்தே..

Raghavan alias Saravanan M said...

//2)Enakku thambi ,thangachi kidayadu pa,adhu nala akkam pakkam pasangala velai vangiduven//

ஓ.. சூப்பரு.. அப்படிப்போகுதா கதை? சரிங்ணா.. டாங்ஸ் ஆன்ஸர் பண்ணதுக்கு..

Raghavan alias Saravanan M said...

//3)Kaka in the local lingo where I lived means uncle..Not a racist for sure pa//

ச்சே சே.. நான் அந்த அர்த்தத்துல கேக்கவும் இல்ல.. சொல்லவும் இல்லை.. ச்சும்மானாச்சிக்கும் ஒரு ஜெனரல் நாலட்ஜ்க்கோசரம் தேன்... :)

Raghavan alias Saravanan M said...

//Kelvi kanaigalaga thoduthutteenga..oru moochu vaangittu varen//

அப்டீங்களா? ச்சே.. நான் என்னுடைய பாணியில நம்ம அட்டண்டன்ஸ் போட்டன்.. அவ்வளவு தான்!!

சரி சரி.. ஹாப்பி மூச்சு வாங்கிங் :)

Raghavan alias Saravanan M said...

//meendum meendum varugha//

சூர்யன் FM விளம்பரம் இதை இதை இந்த வரியை மிஸ் பண்ணிடுச்சோன்னு தோணுது!

நன்றி ஹை!

Raghavan alias Saravanan M said...

சொல்ல வுட்டுட்டேனுங்னா..

உங்க மின்னல் வேகம் என்னை பிரமிக்க வைக்குது! கலக்குங்க..

டாங்ஸ் ஃபார் யுவர் ஃபாஸ்ஸ்ஸ்ட் ரிப்ளை!

மங்கை said...

//Enakku thambi ,thangachi kidayadu pa,adhu nala akkam pakkam pasangala velai vangiduven///

When i started reading the first line of this commnet i thought u were about to tell that as u dint had bros and sis saw a bro and sis in everybody...hmm..and finally there comes the punch..:-))

Nice one

Compassion Unlimitted said...

@மங்கை
Vaanga Vaanga..Mudal muraiyaga varughai ena ninaikkiren.
//as u dint had bros and sis saw a bro and sis in everybody...hmm..//

Andha thappa mattum idhu varaikkum senjadille..lol
Meendum varugha
TC
CU

anits said...

kathai super o super! hehe...have a nice day!

Compassion Unlimitted said...

@anits
Kathai alla nijamappa!Kathaiya irundhu irukkalam..aanaal...
Tks for dropping by
TC
CU

venuss66 said...

It's a beautiful writeup. Beautiful memories you have. You must have enjoyed your young days much. I like the way you present your story. Keep writing. Take care.

venuss66 said...

Visit venuss66 too if you have time.:)

Compassion Unlimitted said...

@venus66
Thanks venus for your nice words.Donno whether I enjoyed my younger days as much as I am enjoying reliving it !lol
You have a nice blog too.I do read it regularly
Tc
CU

Aarthi said...

I think this is the blog I have seen with so many comments..42 including mine...yeppa..well abt the blog...i donno whether i can laugh or not..

Sandhya said...

Hi CU

Even i can't understnd d lingo bt after reading comments, got to know d meaning.

Nice post. No comments. I dont know what to write.

Bt nice description.

Compassion Unlimitted said...

@Aarthi
Well,thats all life is all about,piquant situations and we carry on !
TC
CU

Compassion Unlimitted said...

@Sandhya
Welcome,I thinkits ur first time here.
I can understand ..no comments..If you read thru,most people have written the same.Diffucult and really nothing to comment ,I guess.Pls do drop by
Tc
CU

Prats said...

aiyyoo...apdiyu irpaala??
wow!!

Compassion Unlimitted said...

@Prats
Never know the suspences or surprises which exist in life
TC
CU

Sairekha said...

Hi C.U!! Interestingly, I remember an arrangement like this... very close neighbours.. the chitappa lived with family of mom,dad n two daughters, in a small cramped house.. I remember the afternoons we were ousted out to play like clockwork.. as I grew older, I heard insider gossip and tongues wag about a nexus.. mom, chitappa n the daughters moved out to someplace nearby when the dad died, young.. never found a confirmation to the tales.. so haven't made up my mind.. didnt want to really.

But sometimes, I would like to give it to the westerners... when they don't seem to get what they want from their marriages, be space, respect or intimacy, they aren't afraid of walking out and starting afresh. Atleast everyone is on the same page. Plus what good is it to your kids' psyche when they grow up to find out they had their parents "fornicating" right under their ignorant noses! :)

Compassion Unlimitted said...

@Ziah
I agree Ziah,societys pressures are unnerving sometimes and break ones confidence too!
tc
cu