Of Coffee, Conference, and Civic Pride! ❤️

Of Coffee, Conference, and Civic Pride!

A Day in Erode

#musings #reflections

Quite early this morning, in the solemn and quiet streets of Erode, I was up and about on my routine morning walk. My mission? The search for that magical cup - the cup – “whose rich aroma coaxes us gently from our dreams at the crack of dawn.” The quote is from the brew, oops… the barista… oops… the book titled, Chicken Soup for the Coffee Lover’s Soul. 😊

I couldn’t resist borrowing that lovely excerpt since I’m currently reading it you see!

While ambling my way thus to the nearest coffee shop, I was pleasantly surprised to find the pathways on either side of the roads so beautifully paved, with not a whiff of rubbish on them! Felt so happy! Santharaj buddy… I hope you’re reading this! 😊

And as I inched closer to my local coffee shop, the joy on my face was unmistakable! 😊

After a steaming, revitalising cup of coffee, I was making my way back to my residence, clutching the day’s newspaper in hand, when, I chanced upon the good ol’ Post Box that was adorning the walls of a very busy street corner. Felt a bit anachronistic, and nostalgic at the same time!

By 8:45 am, I proceeded toward Indus Arts and Science International College, Erode. It was a true delight to reconnect with Dr. Balakrishnan and a host of other wonderful friends and colleagues, including Dr. Nithin Varghese (Head, Dept of English, St. Berchmans College, Changanassery) and Dr. Thamizhini (Thiruvalluvar University), among others. The programme commenced on a high note, with a lively welcome band leading us all into the conference venue. The forenoon sessions were awesome!

In the afternoon, we were treated to a folk theatre performance by a vibrant group of students from Bharathiar University, Coimbatore. As always, there is something deeply engaging about watching students take the stage, and this dramatic staging was a wonderful cultural addition to the academic discourse.

Returning in the evening, I couldn’t help but observe several best practices in Erode City that are truly worth emulating elsewhere.

Firstly, a note on the immaculate streets. The roads were noticeably clean, and in all the byways I walked through, there wasn’t a single stray cattle let loose.

Secondly, the public health initiatives are highly laudable. I rarely spotted anyone smoking in coffee shops or in the streets. The city corporation has done a commendable job by placing huge posters at vantage points, exhorting citizens to keep public spaces smoke-free.

Thirdly, Erode is known for its poultry, its turmeric and its textiles. It is just 55 kms away from Namakkal, the Egg Basket of Tamil Nadu. 

And finally, to top it all up, I had been tipped off by some friendly folks earlier in the day that, “Erode is known for its variety of chicken dishes - please don’t miss out on them, sir!”, they had cajoled me to the core!

Well, I had to oblige them, you see! 😊

And how! 😊 Slurp! 😊

On an added note, our heartiest congratulations to Prof. Balakrishnan and his vibrant team on having organised this International Conference in such a grand manner. There were more than 250 participants for the event.

And one laudable aspect of the conference was that, everything went like clockwork right from the word Go! Well-planned, and so meticulously executed! 

On the whole, a rewarding day in every way!