'Twelfth Night' is back in town - be there!

Put on your laughing hats and be prepared to be floored with a dose of humour and satire

for the renowned Filter Theatre's Twelfth Night

@ Phoenix Marketcity, 142, Velachery Main Road, Chennai Tamil Nadu 600042

On Tuesday, 08 December 2015, 7 pm to 8.30 pm

Olivia’s melancholic, puritanical household clashes head on with Sir Toby’s insatiable appetite for drunken debauchery. Orsino’s relentless pursuit of Olivia and Malvolio’s extraordinary transformation typify the madness of love in Illyria: land of make-believe and illusion. 

This story of romance, satire and mistaken identity is crafted into one of the most exciting and accessible Shakespeare productions of recent years. Experience the madness of love in this heady world where riotous gig meets Shakespeare.

Filter approach this show with their trademark fusion of sound, music and narrative drive, creating live chemistry between actors, audience, text and sound that explodes into a vital and exhilarating theatrical experience. 

Duration: The production is for 90 minutes. No interval.

There’s no entry fee. Register yourself for free by mailing lisa.adhyapok@britishcouncil.org

 Admission on first-come-first-served basis!

Impactful Interventions with Students @ the Cashew Capital of the World! ❤️

They say - a little warmth goes a long way! 

So it was, that the moment I alighted at Kollam Railway Station at around six in the morning today, I was eagerly on the lookout for a chaai shop! 

After a hot cuppa chaai to bolster my spirits, I indeed, literally went a long way…... got into an omni bus [‘dolby’ing out Tamil and Malayalam songs by the dozen!] and alighted at Ezhukone, some 20 kms from Kollam, where I was lodged at a good hotel (Nila Palace).

Once you find yourself in totally new environs, the instinctive ‘call-a-friend’ option comes to mind and, yes, there I was, calling up my good friend and going on and on and on, only to be interrupted by Mr. Vineesh, who came and gave me my itinerary for the day. 

So I had to cut short on my ‘live commentary’ and soon got into ‘get-ready’ mode! My cordial host Mr. Vineesh had a lot of interesting things to tell me about Kollam, and I was pleasantly surprised to know that I was in the land which is called the Cashew Capital of the World, and that a whopping majority of the populace in and around Kollam are involved in the cashew industry. Coincidentally, 

Nila Palace where I was lodged, is one among the popular cashew exporters here. Their Residency, in fact has an exclusive duty-paid shop which sells their brand of cashews of all hues and shades. One rarely comes across such splendid varieties of cashews!

Aqua tourism or backwater tourism is yet another specialty that Kollam offers! Interestingly, Vineesh also told me that Kollam is fast becoming a Cherrapunji, as rains have started battering Kollam too in equal measure, and true to his words, in no time there was a heavy downpour which lasted at least four hours into the night! 

The next morning, it was astonishing to see that there wasn’t any visible sign of the previous day’s ‘cats and dogs’ spell anywhere on the roads, thanks to their locale!

Vineesh drove his Wagon-R with such alacrity and ease through the highs and lows of the hilly terrains in and around Ezhukone, and when at last we reached Musaliar Hills, it was indeed a fascinating sight to behold! A breathtaking panoramic view it was, through the hilly terrain over the lushy mountainous landscape ensconced in such pristine environs!

T K M Institute of Management, Ezhukone is housed in such a salubrious and envious locale and I was told by my hosts that, it was one of the premier B-schools started as early as in 1995.

Professor Anju, of TKM was our cordial host, and in my interactions with over a hundred students at TKM, I was bowled over by the ease and conviction with which they’ve opted for a course in Management, and their passion for the English language was evidenced in their effective and impactful interactions! One could see a sincere conviction coupled with a passion for excellence in all the students with whom I had the opportunity to interact with!

After a fruitful and memorable time at TKM, and a comfortable stay in Kollam, I geared up in all eagerness for the next day’s (Saturday) itinerary. Travelled a distance of around 60 kilometers from Kollam to Trivandrum by Mango Cabs [much akin to our Fast Track!, and yes, OLA has not been a success story in and around Trivandrum at least till now, mostly due to local taxi operators threatening and intimidating OLA drivers, and/or because of problems galore in payments].

Our next destination for interaction with students was Mar Ivanios College, Trivandrum! Situated in a huge campus that houses many sister institutions, Mar Ivanios is without doubt trendy and highly updated – be it their syllabi or the skill-oriented courses that they offer, or the commitment of the Dept of English to take in staff who are competent and well-trained in skill-oriented courses, Mar Ivanios is sure a step ahead than many of her counterparts, in this part of Kerala. 

Dr. Joseph, senior Professor of the Department ushered me in, and the Department Room for the Staff was so large enough to accommodate even 30 members! The Department has a modest 15 members of staff on its rolls, and with a dynamic and dedicated team, they are doing a passionate and committed work in training the students in a variety of skill-based courses, apart from their Specialisation – English! 

It was a Saturday, and hence a holiday for the College. But the fleet of NCC cadets who docked in front of the English Department, sprightly dressed up in their NCC Khakis, and poised with purpose in their goals, was indeed a sight to behold!  The NCC Seniors (aka Under Officers!) were indeed having a whale of a time, enjoying their stint in disciplining their juniors to perfection.

Now to the students! Most of the students with whom I interacted were from the Department of English, and a few from Economics and Commerce. ‘A cut above the rest’, ‘Way ahead’, ‘Astounding’, – some words that come to my mind in describing the high EQ (Enthusiasm Quotient!!!) and Communication Skills of the students! 

Full credits to Dr. Joseph and his dynamic team!

I would be failing in my duty if I do not acknowledge with gratitude the immense help and local hospitality rendered by a host of our former students, friends and staff. My sincere thanks to Sara Joseph, Biju, Sunny Joseph, Anju, Sunil, Jacob Mathews, Shoba, Ajesh, Vineesh and Ginoy for your kindness and warmth. Love you all J 

Academic interactions are delightful interventions that have the potential to transform our perceptions for the better, resulting in an amazing academic output in our journey in the awesome arena of academics! Hence my heartful of thanks to TKM Institute of Management and M. I. College for inviting me over! Thank you so much.

After a memorable day at M. I. College, we were on a fanatic-nature trails mode, and the adventurer within us was raring to go...

More on that, in our next blogpost! :-) to be contd...

Theatre: Theory and Practice @ Thrissur - A Report

Thrissur has the privileged sobriquet of being the ‘cultural capital of Kerala’, and so visiting Thrissur has always been a top priority on my academic go-to places. It’s little surprise then, and a coincidence too that this semester I had the opportunity of visiting three prestigious colleges in and around Thrissur, starting with Mar Dionysius College and now in Sree Kerala Varma College!

From my interactions with the Professors here at SKV, I came to know very interesting facts about the college. Sankaran Nambiar, a literary giant, [known for his renowned Malayala Bhasha Charitram,] was the first principal of this college. Moreover, greats like T. Balakrishna Menon, G. S. Ramakrishna have also worked here, they said. Quite interestingly, the college got affiliation to University of Madras, and it was inaugurated on 11th August 1947.  For the first time in Kerala, a course in Music was offered only in this college, I was told.

The three-day National Seminar on Theatre at Sree Kerala Varma College, Thrissur got underway today (25 Nov) at 10 a.m. Mangai from Stella Maris, Chennai [Currently Visiting Professor, Centre for the Study of Law & Governance, New Delhi], gave the key-note address on “Theatre as Transformative”.  Elaborating on the primal texts like Aristotle’s Poetics, Bharatha’s Natya Shastra, and the golden text of the Sangam Age – Meypaatiyal of Tolkappiyam, she said that humour is much more subversive than tragedy, but “Aristotle doesn’t give us much of comedy – it’s quite truncated”. Silappadikaram translates the tenets of Natya Shastra and the Poetics, and this unique epic literature [Silappadikaram] deals extensively on music and dance, and also describes the various grammatical and technical rules that define music and dance, she added.

The weight of being a great and a ‘heavy’ tradition is a burden, she said, and so the very ancient nature of theatre can also be a burden, at times! Theatre is a discipline, and what they call experimental theatre in the West is actually our traditional theatre, she opined.

The very ephemeral nature of theatre makes it a perfect medium for capturing the raw emotions of the moment. In other words, the ephemerality of ‘Hold that Moment’ gives theatre its significance. So every single space that you occupy makes a huge difference!

Chandradasan, Artistic Director, Lokdharmi Theatre, spoke on ‘Theatre in the Globalised Context’. His talk approached theatre from socio-political outlook, as a product of the collective, and reflected on the paradoxes offered by the new spirit of globalization.

Excerpts from his talk:

Theatre is a cultural construct – and culture is a political construct; thus theatre represents the pangs of the time and social anguish through representations / metaphors / images / narrations, etc.

The connotation of the term globalisation is mostly about the global influence of imperialism rooted in a capitalist economy which is decided by market strategies of selling and profiting, decided by the industrial/commercial/corporate house, the politics of market trying to control all walks/sensibilities/sensitivities of life including the cultural milieu.

The new era of globalisation is creating the feeling of a global village, where boundaries and distinctions fade off, different entities merge and dissolve into a melting pot – and at the same time this is not relaly real. It offers a virtual reality of oneness, a hallucinatory possibility which never is true. 

At the core, issues of race, ethnicity, gender, nation and many more socio-cultural-political issues are operating negating a homogenous global entity. So the happy safe bubble of a global culture and hence a global art practice is just an idealistic metaphor, a dream which is never actual. The advances of technology and communication systems reinforce the fact that such a global system is never possible.

Deepan Sivaraman, from School of Culture and Creative Experience, Ambedkar University, New Delhi, shared his experiences with Theatre while talking on the ‘Post-dramatic turn’ in Theatre.

Love Adventure...? Then Join Us...!

Interested in Adventure? Explorations? Join us for the wildlife camps at Pulicat Lake, Kattupalli, Palaverkadu and at Venadu, near Sulurpettai in Andhra Pradesh. Dairyam, a platform for explorers gives you a wonderful chance to bring out the explorer in you! For details write to sylvan@prakcen.com or call 9940355521. 

Seminar on Publishing @ Anna University

Seminar on Publishing @ Anna University Campus

A seminar on the topic “Publishing – Exploring New Horizons” will be organized at Anna University on 28 November 2015.

The publishing landscape is undergoing a paradigm shift in terms of content distribution and delivery and it is imperative for the publishers to keep offering something new to the readers in order to sustain in business.

The programmes intend to highlight the various avenues and technological innovations happening in the field of e-publishing. The session will explore how people involved in publishing space need to adapt to the emerging trends and which would open up new avenues in content delivery.

Essay Competition

Nandini Voice for the Deprived and Rajaji Satsangham are conducting an Essay Competition for College Students on the Topic – “Is Rajaji’s Advocacy of Alchohol Prohibition Feasible in Tamil Nadu in Today’s Condition? 

Last Date for submission is 10 December 2015.

Essays can be written in English or in Tamil without exceeding 1,500 words. The articles can be sent either by post or by email to the following address.

Nandini Voice for the Deprived, M 60/1, Fourth Cross Street, Besant Nagar, Chennai – 600 090.

Email: nsvenkatchennai@gmail.com

For more details, 044-24916037

NET Preparatory Classes - December 2015

Sathurangam - Tamil Play in Chennai

Sathurangam: Play

21st Nov - 27th Nov, 07:00pm - 09:00pm

@

Narada Gana Sabha Trust, 314, TTK Road, Near Sankara Hall, Alwarpet, Chennai

Director: G Krishnamurthy

Written by Anand Raghav, the Tamil play deals with a hardcore subject taking place in Manipur. Based on an award-winning short story, it describes a game of chess played between two soldiers of the Indian army stationed in Manipur. The play’s narrative moves between the Chess game and various other characters who represent the Manipuri society – a father who is in a desperate search for his son whose whereabouts are not known, a Journalist who is a sympathizer for the separatist cause and a militant who was inspired by the journalist, a youngster who is prepared to sacrifice everything for the sake of a peaceful life, and a girl who strongly believes in the fight through peaceful means. Sathurangam’s theme assumes importance in the context of India’s continuous efforts at fighting insurgency within its border states that seek an identity of its own.

Tickets available on Eventjini for Rs 150 and Rs 300.

Please note there are shows on 21st, 22nd, 25th and 27th November 2015

Budding Photographers Watch out..!

Travel Photo Exhibition

16th Nov - 22nd November 2015, 10:00am - 07:00pm

Lalit Kala Akademi, Regional Centre,

4, Greams Road, Near Apollo Hospital, Thousand Lights, Central, Chennai

The popular photography group of Chennai Weekend Clickers will be showcasing their 6th year annual photography exhibition for 7 days. They will be showcasing an exhibition of old as well as modern and contemporary photographs of travel across borders, that are noteworthy for their subject, the message and its quality. There will be important sessions and workshops conducted by professional photographers in the industry which will be valuable as a platform for the budding photographers.

There's No Entry Fee.

Stand-up Comedian Neville Shah @ Chennai

We Should All Kill Ourselves: Comedy

21st Nov, 08:00pm - 09:30pm

The Raintree Hotel, Plot No. 636, Anna Salai, 

Opposite Appollo Speciality Hospital, Teynampet, Central, Chennai

The popular writer Indian standup comedian Neville Shah will be performing a live comedy gig at a premium hotel in the city. 

The regular comedian at Canvas Laugh Club performed extensively in India and abroad. Neville is half-Parsi and half-Gujarati and his one-of-a-kind view on life with insightful wits, and harshly honest views is hilarious and thoughtful at the same time.

We Should All Kill Ourselves is his special skit that has been written over 35 years and explains why Neville is the way he is, why he thinks what he thinks and why he does what he does. 

The story is told through stories and observations, that are often deprecating. 

Explore the various moods of his humour and laugh your guts out.

Price: Rs 750 including Rs 500 redeemable.

Come, Let's Clean Up!

On the occasion of World Heritage Week Celebrations (19th-25th November, 2015) there will be a Cleanup around St.George Gate and surrounding areas in Fort St. George coming under the Archaeological Survey of India, Chennai Circle.

The Fort came into existence with the arrival of Francis Day and Andrew Cogan on 20th February 1640, the fort was named after St.George, the patron saint of England. It took thirteen years to complete the first form of the fort and the oldest surviving British building is the St.Mary's Church added in 1680. The hectic construction activity between 1756-1783 saw the fort to its present shape. Spread over 42 acres significant buildings include The Secretariat, Exchange Building (Fort Museum), St. Mary's Church (Oldest Church East of Suez), Clive House, Grand Arsenal and Kings Barracks.

The Cleanup includes clearing of partially covered wild vegetation, collection of scattered litter with the cleared wild vegetation around the St.George Gate and the surrounding area, disposal of the waste in the designated dumping area.

CLEANUP & RIDE PLAN

Heritage Site Cleanup (Ride) Fort St.George

Date: Sunday, 22nd November 2015

Start Time: 5.00 am - Finish Time 9.00 am

Clean and Green Mogappair & Nolambur - Updates

For those of you in the city, who've missed out on the news and photos related to the mega event of the month "APJ VISION 2020 - Clean and Green Mogappair & Nolambur", you may now check out the same in our JJ Nagar Times HERE. It contains two of my articles too. You may also contribute your articles for the future issues of JJ Nagar Times. For queries contact Sam @ 9884859066

The World Needs Your Novel...

Are YOU Ready to Write a Novel?

The World needs your Novel

Nov 1 – 30 – National Novel Writing Month

Committed to writing 50,000 words in the 30 days of November?

Then, follow these easy steps to get started:

1. Fill out your profile.

2. Create your novel.

3. Start writing.

Join rightaway

CLICK HERE to SIGN UP

Essay Competition

Nandini Voice for the Deprived 

is conducting an Essay Competition 

on 

‘Does Age by Itself Give Wisdom?’

Participants must be less than 25 years of age.

Essays can be written in English, Tamil or Hindi and a maximum of 1500 words. Email nsvenkatchennai@gmail.com or send to

Nandini Voice for the Deprived

M 60/1, 4th Cross Street, Besant Nagar, Chennai – 600 090

Last date is 05 December 2015.

Contact: 044-24916037

PC: equinecanada.ca

Rasipuram Reflections - I

The name Rasipuram immediately brings to mind the legendary Rasipuram Krishnaswami Narayan (R.K.Narayan) and his memorable oeuvre. Yes, how can one ever forget the young and mischievous Swami, and his ‘mighty good-for-nothing’ friends who have been our childhood reads for years and years!

Ambassadors - they still rule the roost in Rasipuram...

Well, it was for the first time I stepped on the soil where R K Narayan was born – Rasipuram! Lucky that I was able to take a direct train from Chennai to Rasipuram, and only after I alighted in Rasipuram, I was told by my ushering friends here that the new broad gauge line was opened for traffic only in May 2013. Well, the train was indeed overflowing with passengers, which was greatly suggestive of the massive surge in demand for this route! Kudos to this largesse of the Southern Railways!

After my programme at Paavai Engineering College was over for the day, had an equally refreshing rendezvous with faculty friends here who gave me tips on the various tourist locations in and around Rasipuram.

 ‘What is Rasipuram famous for?’ I asked one of the faculty friends, rather unduly curious!

‘GHEE’ came voices in varying vocal ranges – [SATB? ;-) ] exemplifying the local pride in all its magnificence, in their happy voices!

Such is the name Rasipuram has earned for herself over the ages for her ghee and butter. Then I asked him for shops where I can get good ghee, and he directed me to one famous Veerappa Chettiar Shop down the busy market street, where he said, you should ask them to give you the ‘first quality ghee’!

Okay! I nodded, and prodded him again, ‘What else is the town famous for?’

Monkey and the Mobile

Perch Theatre with the support of Alliance Française of Madras, India Foundation for the Arts, The Heterotopian Design Group (A division of Human Factors International Inc.),

Sundaram Finance Group & Z Enviro Industries

presents

MONKEY AND THE MOBILE

a play by Perch Theatre

October 31st – 7 pm

November 1st – 3 pm & 7 pm

at Edouard Michelin Auditorium

24, College Road (Opp Good Shepherd School)

Nungambakkam, Chennai

Duration – 75 minutes

Language – English, Tamil, Malayalam, Hindi

Free passes available on eventjini.com

 *****

Synopsis –‘Monkey and the Mobile’ uses the mobile phone and technology as a theme and explores their impact on our lives through stories – some real, some imagined.

Personally with my I MA Students...

Dear Students of I MA English,

I am so happy and delighted to have read all your book reviews that you’ve submitted to me via email. I’ve posted them all on the MA weblog separately. Can’t wait to give you all my comments and feedback for each and every review of yours. However, due to lack of time, I am not able to write to you all personally. In case you need an elaboration/analysis on your style, your manner of articulation, your presentation, etc., feel free to drop in a line via e-mail, to rufusonline@gmail.com and I shall reply in right earnest.

Moreover, now that you’ve become an expert on one good & precious book, go ahead and start reading your next one rightaway!

In case, you want to do a revision of your book review that has already been posted, please do submit a revised review of the same, so that I shall upload the revised one on our blog. But do it before the semester reopens!

Next semester you’ve got to read two good books and give me your wonderful impressions aka personal reviews on the same. So sift through landmark / starmark / higginbothams / bcl / Anna centenary / Connemara etc during the weekends or during the holidays and grab your pick at the earliest possible.

I am uploading your model QPs too at the earliest possible. By the way, i've uploaded all your reviews without editing, on 'as-is-where-is' condition :-)

Here's wishing you all great success in your maiden tryst with exams @ MCC! Go ahead! Conquer! Shine!

God bless.

Best and regards,

Rufus

Dr. Seshasayee on Linguistics

Dr. Seshasayee was in his elements throughout his phenomenal elucidation on the nuances of linguistics for our I MA Students. Linguistics is, for many the achilles heel, and for some, the very mention of the term sends alarm bells ringing, especially if you've gotta write half of your Question Paper devoted to this 'back to the wall' subject. Of course, help wasn't far behind!

Guest Lecture by an Eminent Linguist

In fact, the moment I contacted Prof. Dinesh (a vibrant alumnus of ours) to get Dr. Sesha's number, he promptly obliged, and very soon I got in touch with our good ol' friend Dr. Seshasayee. The moment I asked him for his help in this 'hour of crisis', he immediately obliged, and also gave me a long mail detailing at length about the specifics that he would deal with, the strategies he will use in broaching issues, and added that, although he was excited to come over to MCC, at the same time he was also slightly nervous, as he 'had lost touch with his subject ever since his retirement, a couple of years back'!, he said.

But...! his lectures on both the eventful days proved otherwise! Phenomenal by all means, to say the least! Well, Initially Dr. Sesha told us that he would give a two-hour lecture on both the days (26, 27 Oct). But the very first day he helped our students to break the back of the beast, albeit with alacrity and ease, and in no time the students were as keen as mustards listening to the wizard in rapt attention. Mid-way through his lecture, I strategically pit stopped him, (concerned about his health), and asked him to wind up for the day if he found the going tough. But Dr. Sesha, by all means, is made of sterner stuff. In fact, it was only after the midway break, when we had tea with him, that he put the pedal to the metal and there was no stopping this legend after that.

On Day 2, Dr. Sesha talked the students into the nuances of Morphology and Syntax. At the end of the day, the students were, - bright-eyed and bushy-tailed - raring to go - and heaved a great sigh of relief at having got a wonderful elucidation on an otherwise 'ball and chain' subject! We're glad that the lectures have had a great and salutary effect on their LQ, going by the very vibrant feedback we've got at day's end!

In short, 

Thank you Sesha Sir. You made our day! [both days inclusive] ;-)

Dear Students of I MA English, 
As I had promised you today, I'm uploading your earnest and vibrant book reviews HERE. 
Regards and all best wishes, 
Rufus

MIDS Monthly Lecture Series

Serampore Musings

When Dr. Thomas asked me if we could make it to one of the oldest Arts & Science Institutions in India, at Kolkata, for a Conference on ‘Multiple Shakespeares’, I was thrilled to bits, and gave a big ‘YES’ rightaway! Well, Thomas Sir was talking about Serampore College, Hooghly, Kolkata, which was founded by William Carey, Marshman and William Ward, way way back in 1818.

My great fascination for all things Bengal was the second impulse which spurred me on to go ahead!

The Scenic River Hooghly viewed from Serampore College

Indeed, it had taken us a month’s patient planning to chart out our itinerary for the course of the week.

Now, over to Didi's land: 

The moment we alighted in Calcutta, at Dum Dum Airport, I promptly (and instinctively!?) turned on my ola app to browse for cars in the vicinity and happily ‘confirmed’ one. Mr.* will pick you up in 17 minutes from now, said ola! We waited and waited! More than 25 minutes flitted us by with no signs of the promised ‘ola’. 

In the meantime, with a sense of curiosity writ large on our visage, we wanted to take a look around the precincts of Dum Dum, and our eyes rested on a pre-paid taxi service run and managed by the Calcutta Traffic Police, where passengers were queuing in. We rightaway booked a prepaid cum regulated taxi with them, (cancelling the belated ola, which must have been tottering in on of the byways of yet another corner of Bally, by then, we presume!) and in no time we were blissfully striding along the alleys and byways and highways of Calcutta in an old 1999 model (I guess) amby (ambassador). Thank God the brakes were still at work! The driver was at his rashy wishy washy best and we had to slow him down periodically, enticing him with a cuppa tea, that made his tattered Amby come to a rugged and screeching halt in one of the immediate tea jaunts that adorned the NH. Yet, our driver was a pleasant fellow, and the first thing he asked us on our stopover was, ‘saab, do you know Bengali?’ “mujhe nahi maloom!” we replied, and he was glad to offer his own bengalish hindi-ized commentary on life and society in Bengal and in New Delhi!!! which spanned a huge realm from local ‘Mamata didi’ to ‘Modi ji’ to the local body elections that had recently concluded! Our 22 km-long adventurous journey in this amby was interrupted only by this brief stopover for a cuppa chai (and guess what, for a mere Rs.5 in 2015!!!) He was well-read, going by his panoramic sweep of current affairs! Way to go bhaiya!

Dr. Seshasayee is back!

Dear Students of I MA English,

Don't miss out on this once-in-a-life-time opportunity to listen to Dr. Seshasayee, the veteran linguist on Monday, 26 October 2015 in the III BA English Classroom, Selaiyur Hall.

We have had the pleasant privilege of having Dr.Sesha with us five years back on Saturday, 24 July 2010, to give our students an overview on Language, Grammar and Structural Linguistics from a UGC-NET perspective. 

This time, Dr. Seshasayee will talk to you entirely from your examination point of view, and we have given him your past question papers along with the Syllabus for the Linguistics part of your Paper. He will be there to answer all your queries on Linguistics. Dr. K. Ganesh, our HoD will introduce the speaker and preside over the session.

Be there!

Best and regards, 

Rufus

Clean-Green Initiative

It took weeks of intensive planning and careful coordination over coffee and whatsapp to bring to reality an amazing event such as this!

Indeed, this edition of APJ Vision 2020, going by day-end output, was a great success by all means!

The events of the day included cleaning up the two bus stands, sprucing up the compound walls by cleaning and white washing them, planting tree saplings (my favourite hobby), and clearing garbage in the vicinity.

committed to the core :-)

We gathered sharp at 7 am at the Mogappair West Bus Terminus and were surprised to find more than 200 volunteers from apartments and avenues in the vicinity, vibed up in elegantly-uniformed tees, geared up in gloves and smoke masks, and cleaning, scrubbing, washing and painting implements in hand!  It was indeed a great motivating sight to behold!

young and old

Yes, even the by-standers, on-lookers and passengers were one curious lot, trying to come to terms with the this ‘hullaballoo of sorts’ within their bus terminus.

As time passed by, the volunteers gathered in strength. Obviously, today being a Sunday, many would have wanted an extra hour’s harmless dozing off, we presume! And, we were all on our mark… get… set… and there we go!

Well, well, well, it took just a matter of one hour flat (unbelievable to the core!) to white wash the entire stretch of the compound wall that bulwarks the huge bus terminus.

entrance to bus stand

Paint brushes and distemper buckets of all hues and shades were seen all around the place and girls and boys, men and women of all cultures, languages and states exhibited a spirit of camaraderie and a joie de vivre that propelled and motivated all of us to further move on! 

Even as we moved on cleaning up the vicinity, we realized that there is great happiness in keeping our surrounding clean, and still greater joy when we step outside from our ‘narrow divisive walls’ and come together with ‘one goal-one aim’ in the interests of society, with the bonhomie, the camaraderie and the spirit of unity that pervaded the hearts and minds of all of us gathered over here!

Well, on the lighter side, how can we forget the tea/coffee that came in at the right time (with sugarless/sugarfree for the oldies too!!!) and the other food items that gave us the gastronomical prop and the much needed respite from work!

The neatly-cemented bus stand had loads of dust accumulated on its surface down the days (ages?!) and it took nearly 50 of us to clean up the platforms much to the joy of the passengers and satisfaction of the MTC staff!

The conductors and drivers also chipped in at times with their ideas and suggestions!

One episode that added a little shock to the event was the mysterious disappearance of a young and mischievous boy who was part of our group. 

This little lad was happily whiling away his sweet time trying his little hands at wielding the brooms and the mopsticks and also taking turns to play within the buses that were  lounging in the bus stand. In one such instance, he comfortably perched himself in the corner seat of a bus in the terminus. (77 J) 

Expecting an added amusement ride in the bus, he was overjoyed to see the bus driver start the bus and drive down the road towards Guindy. (Well, we assume that this little guy must have been all along under the impression that kids were given joy rides in buses on Cleaning Days!!!) 

The bus was on its way - more than three kms - when the parents realized their ‘missing son’. 

Soon, the members of our group swung into action, and the staff at the MTC terminus contacted the conductor of 77 J who, confirmed the presence of this mischievous little imp of a lad, and promptly handed him over to the nearest police station!

The kid was quickly ‘retrieved’ (rescued) and brought back! He, unmindful of the perturbed look on his parents’ faces, took a broom and started his quota of ‘cleaning’ the bus stand!

Mid way through his ‘cleaning’ work, he asked, (albeit with innocence-writ-large on his little visage) to one of the members, "Uncle! Why did the conductor take me out of the bus midway???"

He had us all there!!!

We couldn’t find a possible cure for our belly cramps that followed ;-)

Slideshow on the Great Transformation wrought!