What Happened In April?

On the 1st of April, school closed for a month. After several years, I am finally getting a summer break. I announced my vacation to all my tuition kids and geared up for the holiday plan. First, I had to head home - Surathkal. I had been procrastinating my visit home for a long time.  I was waiting to see my mother, who had been unwell, but is better now. I made arrangements for the cats to stay independent for 2 days. Food  was available in abundance; the balcony doors were left open to  allow movement outdoor. 

On the 1st of April, at around 4AM, Preethi and I left Bangalore on my Hyundai i10 car. I wanted to reach home as early as possible. On our way, we stopped for breakfast at a local restaurant near Hassan. The drive down Shiradi ghat was enjoyable. Another stop was made at Nelyadi for some Mangalore buns and then we continued our journey to Mangalore. We stopped at Pabbas for some much needed ice cream to beat the humid weather. 

We reached home at around 11:30 AM. After lunch, my mother, Preethi and I drove to Mulki, to visit my aunt (Mother’s elder sister). My uncle had passed away recently and I insisted upon seeing her. I was filled with memories of my uncle as I stepped into the house. He would always greet everyone, including the kids, with a smile and pleasantries. My uncle taught Hindi and seeing my interest in reading books from various languages, he had given me three of his books to read. I like the fact that I am filled with only fond memories of people. Remembering those cheerful moments is the least we can do as a tribute after their passing. 

My aunt accompanied us to Guru Narasimha temple in Saligrama - Our family deity. After finishing the prayers at Hanuman temple opposite Narasimha temple, we tried some snacks at the famous Mantapa hotel. 

On our way, we had witnessed a long procession at Uchila Mahalakshmi temple. Devotees from various parts of Udupi district were offering Horekaninke - grains, vegetables, coconuts and groceries for the temple’s punar prathishta, brahmakalasha punyotsava. (Rennovation and reinstallation of main deity). My mother and aunt wanted to visit the temple. So, on our way back, we stopped at the crowded temple. Luckily, I easily found a parking spot and we got to see the deity (yet to be reinstated inside the temple) without any waiting. 

Satisfied of having had a divine evening, the three ladies returned with content. We dropped Doddama at her home and headed back. 

On the 2nd of April, we mostly stayed at home. My mother has freed herself from the task of cooking, a thing she should have done much earlier. She now arranges for breakfast and lunch from a local caterer. We ordered some local delicacies. In the evening, Preethi and I went to the beach.  I am always happy to be back home. I also enjoyed my early morning jog by the beach. We also got to watch a good Yakshagana performance at a nearby temple. 

While my wife returned to Bangalore that night, I stayed there for a few more days. My plan was to drive my mother around and make her do whatever she likes doing. One day, we both drove to Mangalore to have lunch with my cousin sister. Restaurant House of chef served fewer items from the menu, but whatever we ordered was delicious. After lunch, we watched the movie RRR. It is a well made film, but I must mention that it is important to remember while watching this fantasy film that India is known for its independence movement, which was predominantly peaceful. I particularly liked the performance by Junior NTR. 

On another day, Amma, our family friend, Vinoda Akka and I drove to Nitte, where we met my niece Varsha who is studying at NMAMIT. We drove to Karkala for lunch. I had heard of the new branch of House of chef opened recently in Karkala, so we decided to go there. After a lot of enquiry, we finally found the place. The food there was amazing. After a good meal, we stopped at a pastry shop called “Ribbons and Balloons” for some desserts. While dropping Vinoda Akka at her place, I got to meet her 9 dogs and 4 puppies. Her German shepherds and Labradors are adorable. 

Thus time just flew. On the 6th of April, I drove back to Bangalore. My nephew was visiting from the US and so, my sister and family made a trip to Bangalore upon my return. I must say that I had a frabjous time with my nephew, niece and sister. We tried local food joints, for which my locality is known for and watched some movies together. One night, at around 9PM, Varun, Deeksha and I took the metro to reach Corner house ice cream shop on Lavelle Road. It was great speaking to them along the way. 

On one of the evenings, I also stepped out for a reunion dinner with my ex-colleagues. A set of us had joined the company together and we still share a special bond. Our friendship has sustained the test of times, the corporate world and its politics for a long time now. Most of us have moved out of the company, but we still share the same warmth for one another. It was a delight to meet them all again. 

On the 11th of April, I dressed in white shirt and white pant to attend my Masters convocation ceremony. Since it was the first convocation ceremony ay Bengaluru city university after the trifurcation in 2017, a grand event was arranged. We even had a rehearsal the previous day. I received my gold medal and rank certificate from the Governor of Karnataka. At this age, the excitement to receive such an honour sure has died down, but it sure did motivate me to study further. I realise now that I am the most happiest, when I am learning something new. After the ceremony, I had to rush back home to pack my backpack. Yes! an exciting trek was waiting for me. 

Stay tuned for some interesting posts on my latest trekking adventure!