I touched briefly on Pradhan Kaka in my last entry about Memories of Malaysia.
He was quite a character really.
When we met him for the first time in 1971, he was already past 55, and looked more like 65 really.
He was not very tall, dressed very simply, slightly bent, with watery blue-green eyes, and a kindly face.
With the influx in Marathi speaking families around 1970-71, he sort of adopted us all, and he was a common fixture at all get togethers.
He used to live in a small house in Bangsar area of KL, not far from the National Museum. He was a widower, but the pride of his life was his son Vinayak, who at the time had just finished High school.
Over the years, as we kept talking, the story of his life came to light slowly.
He was from Mumbai, and did not have much formal education, and shifted between odd jobs. Things became so tough at the end of the World War 2, that he thought of looking for his fortune outside India. One fine day he just landed in Singapore with the clothes he was wearing and little more than that. That must have been late in the decade of 1940, though I am not sure of the year.
He tried his hand at everything, starting with selling Agarbattis, and selling nearly every thing else. Times must have been really hard with Malaysia itself not doing so well. He did not know the language, which he had to learn from the scratch.
He did not have a place to stay, and stayed with people for the initial years. He made some durable friends also. The Tata family in Malaysia was one of them. Mr. Tata worked in the Rubber Research Institute, and I think, was childless. He stayed with the Tata family for a while and they became great friends. Life for Pradhan kaka must have been always hard.
When he was about 40 he received a marriage proposal from India. The lady was from a well-known family in Pune, the Guptes.[ Col. Hemachandra Gupte was the brother of the bride]. They were married somewhere around 1955 or so. Vinay was born and I can imagine that all their life revolved around the child, which was born late in Pradhan kaka's life.Those must have been happy times.
Tragedy struck just when he was savoring the rare happy part of his life.
After a brief illness, Vinay's mother passed away when he was just 7 years old.
This must have been a thunderbolt, and one can only imagine how Pradahan kaka must have coped in a strange country as a single parent of a seven year old. He did not talk much of those days. Tata family must have been a great help.
When we met Pradhan kaka in 1971, he was frail and pushing 60, with a teenager son, brilliant in his school, but apparently with not the best communication with his father, perhaps as a reflection of boy's age then. On the other hand I became immediately friendly with Vinay, [who had by 1973 joined the Law school in Singapore], who perhaps identified the 30 year me as nearer to his age group.
He played cricket for his school, college, and then even for a state in their league matches. So that was another common point of interest.[ I even turned out for his team the VI Old Boys in one match]
He had radical views on socialism, the idle rich, and the partying rich. We had a lively, but for me a little worrying, exchange at a dinner in our house when the guests also included the Kashyap family [MD of my company, and who fell into the category generally disliked by Vinay]. Vinay was always enjoyable company for me.
Prdahan kaka in the mean time would always be a part of all our dinners. he enjoyed Marathi food. Mostly quiet, sipping his beer, his was a comforting presence of an elder at these gatherings. He made it a point to come to all our picnics. He had not read much, but knew enough to insert some Pu La quotations once in a while.
He of course enjoyed being with us all, the so-called extended family of his, and enjoyed interludes of Marathi family life which he had missed out on most of his life. He loved all the small children around, and they too flocked around him.
He knew all about the political scene of Malaysia of course, and though a bit old fashioned, it was enjoyable to discuss the day's politics with him.
The one common strain that came across as he conversed with you was his anxiety of how Vine was shaping and what would be his future. He was at one level trying to find out from us as to what he had confided in us.
Then suddenly around 1978[Again not too sure of the year], he was diagnosed with cancer, and in no time at all was hospitalized. So much was Vinay's future on his mind, that in his last days in delirium, he was asking the hospital nurse if she would marry Vinay. We went to see him a couple of times, but he was slipping very fast, and the end came much too soon.
I still remember the last rites.
Vinay broke down completely, as the only pillar of his life was consigned to flames.
So a lonely hard fought life of Pradhan kaka ended, but leaving fond memories for us.
Postscript.
There have been many occasions subsequently when I met Vinay. Now the roles were reversed, he was now asking me repeatedly as to what his father used to talk about him. A father, with whom he had not perhaps complete rapport, had gone and now he wanted to know how much the father loved him.
Very poignant indeed.
I am tempted to say this, but is there a message here somewhere?
I think it is, ' Show love to a person close to you before it is too late'.
Vinay is now one of the best-known corporate lawyers in Malaysia. He has married Varsha, a Malaysian Indian, herself a Barrister. They have two lovely children, and a fabulous house in PJ. We are in touch often. Every time I see Vinay's full life with its comforts, the thought in my mind is inescapable, Pradhan kaka is not here to see all the good part of life, he only suffered hardships.
Friday, February 29, 2008
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
Memories of Malaysia- Part 3
We pick up the thread in mid 1972.
Ashwini was now nearly 3 year old. The family had kind of settled into a routine.
We now explored the countryside in more detail.
We went mostly on day picnics.
One of the common ones was Templer Park, about 30 KM away.
On the North- South highway [When people see today's 8 lane N-S expressway, they would have laughed at the 4 lane ' Highway' at that time], the park itself was really lot of forest with a waterfall in the center. Very pretty and good splashing about in the water. Lot of trekking in the forest too.
The most important attraction was the Chinese restaurant at the entrance, and the understanding was that at the end of the picnic around 1 PM or so, lunch would be at that place accompanied by a lot of beer. The most popular beer those days was Anchor or Tiger beer.
The meal was simple enough, with so many vegetarians, it was Mee [Noodles] of two kinds, some sauté vegetables and chicken. Heavenly! The beer was best enjoyed in the afternoon heat of Malaysia.
We also visited Fraser Hills quite regularly.
Developed by the British, it was not very high altitude or large, but very nice to visit since it was only about 2 hours drive. It too had a nice waterfall, with a pool at the bottom for swimming. All families spent many a Sundays at this resort. It had a nice golf course too, but none of us were golfers yet.
Talking of children, there were at least 5 children in the age group 3-6, so they enjoyed these outings most. Apart from Ashwini, there was Aparna [Ashok- Anuradhha's daughter], Kavita Ramalingam, two more Gokhale children [These were the children of another Gokhale from Kirloskarwadi], Anju Hukeri [who died much later in India in a tragic accident], and Mahesh Pethe.
The families, who formed the group apart from these names, included Pradhan Kaka, [More on him later, since there is much to write about him],the oldest Marathi resident in those parts, and Madhav Rao.
We often went to the beaches, mostly on the west coast, such as the Morib beach, south of Port Klang.
This was a novel experience for all children, almost all of whom had no exposure to the sea before. Swim suits, floating rings, beach toys were bought.
The elders when they were not drinking beer, also enjoyed some splashing in the sea.
A little more to the south was the Port Dickson beach. This one was much more organised, with good eating-places on the beach, and nearby.
We also went specifically to eat crabs by the seaside at Port Klang. There was a famous restaurant on the jetty, which served basically only crabs. The menu was very short. There was a soup of some kind, and then crabs either steamed or fried in a special sauce, and some rice or noodles. The crabs were sold by weight. The headwaiter would take one look at those assembled and declare, '' 2 kg fried, 1 kg steamed, la''. [Two things to be remembered here. We found during our stay that in a good Chinese restaurant the headwaiter estimates how much to order and advices accordingly. We always went by their advice. Second is the ubiquitous'' la’’, which came at the end on almost all sentences, uttered by Malaysians.]
I have never eaten crabs like the Port Klang ones anywhere else. Memorable meals.
I was settling down in my job too. I learnt some words in Tamil, since most of our workers spoke Tamil. And Malay with others. We started taking some lessons in Malay language in our office. We had a Govt requirement that all workers must be Malaysians, except we Expatriates whose work permits had to be approved at regular intervals. In addition the work force had to reflect the racial break up of the population.
In 1971, the population break up in Malaysia was something like this:
Malays-- 50%
Chinese-- 40%
Indians-- 10%
The Govt was really keen on the 50 % for Malays, and was not really bothered who made up the rest. We had to submit monthly statements that we were meeting the quota requirements. Later on the Prime Minister was to introduce the well-known '' New Economic Policy’’, which was to change the entire face of the country.
We were observers of the social life of these three races and the interactions between them. The Government was extremely sensitive to racial issues, since just before our arrival, in 1969 there were serious racial clashes between Malays and Chinese. This had resulted in very restrictive laws, and press censorship.
The Govt was committed to improving the financial position of the indigenous Malays [bhumiputras], and took all steps similar to our reservations, not only in Educational institutions, but also in Govt jobs and contracts. Although this resulted in large-scale resentment in the Chinese community, they could not really prevent the change. The Indian community was never in business, but mostly in clerical jobs in Govt offices, apart from the large base of plantation workers. The second generation Indians had better education and turned professionals such as doctors, engineers, lawyers.
Malays as a people were very friendly and nice. Very soft spoken and polite. We have visited their homes in villages and they are very hospitable. Simple folk and they were mainly farmers and fishermen, and later in Government service. The only rich were their Royalty.
All that changed with the New Economic Policy and soon we had several new Malay rich people.
Chinese on the other hand arrived in Malaysia about 300 years ago, and by their very nature of being shrewd business people established small businesses, which became very big in the 1970s. The entire trade was in the hands of the Chinese. They chafed that they did not have any political power. Their radical Party won the state elections in KL in 1969 and that is how the riots started.
The coalition Govt then [and now] comprises of several parties, representing all races, and was led by the dominant Malay party UMNO. The Prime Minister was always from UMNO.
Chinese as a people there fore were hard-boiled, and did not make friends easily, except for business reasons.
Indians were living in poverty. The only satisfaction some of them had was that the children had good education and they turned out to be good professionals respected by the society.
Talking of education there was just one university in the whole country those days, which became three by 1979. You can imagine how difficult it was to find a seat in the University. The education standard in the University was very good, thanks mainly to the large expatriate teaching staff.
We started playing badminton in the courts of University courtesy Ramalingams.
Very enjoyable games too. There used to be mass baby-sitting at one house, taking turns so that other ladies could play. Badminton is almost a national sport In Malaysia. Several courts which the public could hire.
While playing in the University, on many occasions we saw famous players on the next courts, those who represented Malaysia in Thomas cup.
Seeing all major badminton tournaments in the huge indoor stadium was a great privilege and big events for us.
Back on the home front, Ashwini had now taken a fancy to the car models. Standing at the house gate, she used to watch the stream of traffic and learnt to recognize most models. Being just about 3 years age, she could not pronounce some of the names, but she was very accurate most of the times. A couple of years later she just lost interest in cars.
Sujata had started making some other friends as well apart form the office families. She also started taking swimming classes.
Buying weekly groceries became a hobby of mine, so long as it was supermarkets. That hobby still continues. Also a small interest in the kitchen, for eggs breakfast, tea coffee etc. Nothing major, I think the Alpha male hangover was still there.
With family needs increasing, I was looking forward to a raise in salary, which was not forth coming. At the end of two years a raise did come about, but not what we expected. So Sujata impressed upon me that we needed to save on expenses and one way was to find a smaller house.
By now my colleague Atul Gurjar had taken a smaller house in the rather distant [but close to the factory] town of Klang. So by end of 1973 we resumed our favorite pastime of looking for a house. We found one in Klang in a row of newly built two-story houses semi detached. The house was quite good, but having no garden to speak of, they were considered not as good as independent bungalows, which we had lived in so far.
We shifted by beginning of 1974. Now there was a new school for Ashwini.
New neighbors, rather crowded and predominantly Indian neighbor hood, no big parks nearby, no super markets. It was to be a new life for us.
Our experiences after 1974 will be covered in the next installment.
Ashwini was now nearly 3 year old. The family had kind of settled into a routine.
We now explored the countryside in more detail.
We went mostly on day picnics.
One of the common ones was Templer Park, about 30 KM away.
On the North- South highway [When people see today's 8 lane N-S expressway, they would have laughed at the 4 lane ' Highway' at that time], the park itself was really lot of forest with a waterfall in the center. Very pretty and good splashing about in the water. Lot of trekking in the forest too.
The most important attraction was the Chinese restaurant at the entrance, and the understanding was that at the end of the picnic around 1 PM or so, lunch would be at that place accompanied by a lot of beer. The most popular beer those days was Anchor or Tiger beer.
The meal was simple enough, with so many vegetarians, it was Mee [Noodles] of two kinds, some sauté vegetables and chicken. Heavenly! The beer was best enjoyed in the afternoon heat of Malaysia.
We also visited Fraser Hills quite regularly.
Developed by the British, it was not very high altitude or large, but very nice to visit since it was only about 2 hours drive. It too had a nice waterfall, with a pool at the bottom for swimming. All families spent many a Sundays at this resort. It had a nice golf course too, but none of us were golfers yet.
Talking of children, there were at least 5 children in the age group 3-6, so they enjoyed these outings most. Apart from Ashwini, there was Aparna [Ashok- Anuradhha's daughter], Kavita Ramalingam, two more Gokhale children [These were the children of another Gokhale from Kirloskarwadi], Anju Hukeri [who died much later in India in a tragic accident], and Mahesh Pethe.
The families, who formed the group apart from these names, included Pradhan Kaka, [More on him later, since there is much to write about him],the oldest Marathi resident in those parts, and Madhav Rao.
We often went to the beaches, mostly on the west coast, such as the Morib beach, south of Port Klang.
This was a novel experience for all children, almost all of whom had no exposure to the sea before. Swim suits, floating rings, beach toys were bought.
The elders when they were not drinking beer, also enjoyed some splashing in the sea.
A little more to the south was the Port Dickson beach. This one was much more organised, with good eating-places on the beach, and nearby.
We also went specifically to eat crabs by the seaside at Port Klang. There was a famous restaurant on the jetty, which served basically only crabs. The menu was very short. There was a soup of some kind, and then crabs either steamed or fried in a special sauce, and some rice or noodles. The crabs were sold by weight. The headwaiter would take one look at those assembled and declare, '' 2 kg fried, 1 kg steamed, la''. [Two things to be remembered here. We found during our stay that in a good Chinese restaurant the headwaiter estimates how much to order and advices accordingly. We always went by their advice. Second is the ubiquitous'' la’’, which came at the end on almost all sentences, uttered by Malaysians.]
I have never eaten crabs like the Port Klang ones anywhere else. Memorable meals.
I was settling down in my job too. I learnt some words in Tamil, since most of our workers spoke Tamil. And Malay with others. We started taking some lessons in Malay language in our office. We had a Govt requirement that all workers must be Malaysians, except we Expatriates whose work permits had to be approved at regular intervals. In addition the work force had to reflect the racial break up of the population.
In 1971, the population break up in Malaysia was something like this:
Malays-- 50%
Chinese-- 40%
Indians-- 10%
The Govt was really keen on the 50 % for Malays, and was not really bothered who made up the rest. We had to submit monthly statements that we were meeting the quota requirements. Later on the Prime Minister was to introduce the well-known '' New Economic Policy’’, which was to change the entire face of the country.
We were observers of the social life of these three races and the interactions between them. The Government was extremely sensitive to racial issues, since just before our arrival, in 1969 there were serious racial clashes between Malays and Chinese. This had resulted in very restrictive laws, and press censorship.
The Govt was committed to improving the financial position of the indigenous Malays [bhumiputras], and took all steps similar to our reservations, not only in Educational institutions, but also in Govt jobs and contracts. Although this resulted in large-scale resentment in the Chinese community, they could not really prevent the change. The Indian community was never in business, but mostly in clerical jobs in Govt offices, apart from the large base of plantation workers. The second generation Indians had better education and turned professionals such as doctors, engineers, lawyers.
Malays as a people were very friendly and nice. Very soft spoken and polite. We have visited their homes in villages and they are very hospitable. Simple folk and they were mainly farmers and fishermen, and later in Government service. The only rich were their Royalty.
All that changed with the New Economic Policy and soon we had several new Malay rich people.
Chinese on the other hand arrived in Malaysia about 300 years ago, and by their very nature of being shrewd business people established small businesses, which became very big in the 1970s. The entire trade was in the hands of the Chinese. They chafed that they did not have any political power. Their radical Party won the state elections in KL in 1969 and that is how the riots started.
The coalition Govt then [and now] comprises of several parties, representing all races, and was led by the dominant Malay party UMNO. The Prime Minister was always from UMNO.
Chinese as a people there fore were hard-boiled, and did not make friends easily, except for business reasons.
Indians were living in poverty. The only satisfaction some of them had was that the children had good education and they turned out to be good professionals respected by the society.
Talking of education there was just one university in the whole country those days, which became three by 1979. You can imagine how difficult it was to find a seat in the University. The education standard in the University was very good, thanks mainly to the large expatriate teaching staff.
We started playing badminton in the courts of University courtesy Ramalingams.
Very enjoyable games too. There used to be mass baby-sitting at one house, taking turns so that other ladies could play. Badminton is almost a national sport In Malaysia. Several courts which the public could hire.
While playing in the University, on many occasions we saw famous players on the next courts, those who represented Malaysia in Thomas cup.
Seeing all major badminton tournaments in the huge indoor stadium was a great privilege and big events for us.
Back on the home front, Ashwini had now taken a fancy to the car models. Standing at the house gate, she used to watch the stream of traffic and learnt to recognize most models. Being just about 3 years age, she could not pronounce some of the names, but she was very accurate most of the times. A couple of years later she just lost interest in cars.
Sujata had started making some other friends as well apart form the office families. She also started taking swimming classes.
Buying weekly groceries became a hobby of mine, so long as it was supermarkets. That hobby still continues. Also a small interest in the kitchen, for eggs breakfast, tea coffee etc. Nothing major, I think the Alpha male hangover was still there.
With family needs increasing, I was looking forward to a raise in salary, which was not forth coming. At the end of two years a raise did come about, but not what we expected. So Sujata impressed upon me that we needed to save on expenses and one way was to find a smaller house.
By now my colleague Atul Gurjar had taken a smaller house in the rather distant [but close to the factory] town of Klang. So by end of 1973 we resumed our favorite pastime of looking for a house. We found one in Klang in a row of newly built two-story houses semi detached. The house was quite good, but having no garden to speak of, they were considered not as good as independent bungalows, which we had lived in so far.
We shifted by beginning of 1974. Now there was a new school for Ashwini.
New neighbors, rather crowded and predominantly Indian neighbor hood, no big parks nearby, no super markets. It was to be a new life for us.
Our experiences after 1974 will be covered in the next installment.
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
Ngorong Ngoro crater
Let me take a break from my Malaysia narrative and shift to Africa again.
Some three million years ago, there was a big active volcano near the equator in Africa, in what is now Tanzania. The place is also close to Olduvai Gorge, called the birthplace of the human race, since the fossils of the earliest humans were found there.
This volcano collapsed upon itself and created a caldera, somewhat different from a crater, but still called a crater. The main crater is about 60 km in diameter at the bottom, [2600 sq km. area of the table, and the depth is about 700 metres. Although close to the equator, it is at a high altitude,[The altitude at the rim of the crater is 6500 feet!], along the rift valley, and not far from Mount Kilimanjaro. The area adjoins the famous Serengeti Reserve.
This is the famous Ngorongoro crater.
I visited this spot in August 1998.
We took a flight from Nairobi to Manyara with a brief stop in Kilimanjaro, in a small aircraft.
[Lake Manyara Reserve is another story, which might appear somewhere else later.]
From Manyara, we took a Land Rover along the steep road to Ngorongoro.
Rural Africa is not very different from rural India. Same poverty, same simplicity of people, but the nature here was spectacular, as we climbed the road. A scattered group of Masai were seen herding their cattle. A large number of Maasai tribesmen, who are basically cattle herders, live in the Ngorongoro Conservation Area.
When we finally arrived at the lodge, we were stunned. It was located right at the edge of the rim. A walk of 100 feet or so brought you to the very edge of the precipice.
This was the famous Crater Lodge.
Beautifully designed cottages and an imposing dining and entertainment area greeted us.
The dining room was all wood and leather, and a huge fireplace to go with it.
The temperatures were already dropping, and we were warned that it would get very cold at night. And this was the equator!!
The cottages were huge with a large glass door facing the rim.
We were also warned not to get out of the rooms at night since the wild animals came grazing right up to the room doors sometimes. On top of this, the generator was shut down at 10 PM. Now I had only a torch to rely on. There was a big fireplace in the room with the fire going nicely. Electric blankets too. To begin with I kept the curtains on the glass door open to be in a position to see any straying animals. As the night progressed, any sound outside increased the nervousness, and in order to get some sleep. I closed the curtains.
It was a very cold morning, about 5 C. So cold in the room, that the hot water from the shower became cold before it reached you! We did see some hoof marks in the grass outside the rooms.
After a big breakfast [tradition of most hotels in East Africa], we boarded the Land Rover and took the road to the crater. There is only one road to the bottom of the crater. The volcanic soil has made the entire area very fertile, and with the heavy rainfall, it is lush green. This was also the reason for the abundant wildlife found here. Most animals spend all their life in the crater. Only elephants, some Wildebeest, and Zebras migrate seasonally. For others, it is only the crater.
As we climbed down, the temperature started going up. As usual, the first animals we saw were the gazelle, followed by zebras and wildebeest. The size of the herds of these was smaller than those on the plains. All together, some 30000 animals live in the crater. Out of these, the density of lion population is one of the highest.
Not too many elephants, though, we were lucky to spot a small herd on our way down.
Just about 6-7 elephants.
Next, we saw a couple of wild buffalo, really big and fierce. If you are close enough to stare into the buffalo’s eyes, they are motionless yet fierce. A very fearsome animal when it charges. A group of 7-8 buffalos easily drives away a pride of lions. The lions, on the other hand, wait for an opportunity to isolate a buffalo, and then it takes the combined efforts of 3 or 4 lionesses and a big lion to bring the buffalo down.
Finally, we saw the lions too. A mating pair!
They appeared oblivious to the stares from the surrounding Land Rovers and carried on regardless. Someone joked that they were waiting for the audience before they commenced the next performance.
A mating pair stays together for days together, away from the main pride.
The mating can be violent at times, leaving the lioness out of hunting for quite a while.
We wound our way to the bottom, where there is a huge sodium lake. Here we saw a great number of birds, including the beautiful Flamingos, with their pink feet. It is a great sight when they take wing together. We had a picnic lunch, with the walls of the crater, the lake and blue skies as the backdrop.
In the afternoon, we saw more lions, this time a whole pride with cubs. Somehow the lions appeared better fed here. Perhaps they spend fewer efforts in finding the prey, the area being smaller.
The best sight was that of three big male lions walking together with their big black manes shaking with each weighty step they took. These were probably a group of bachelors looking for a pride of their own. A magnificent sight indeed.
We also saw a Secretary bird, a silver-backed jackal, and some hyenas. No wild dogs in the crater, apparently.
In another area, we saw two Rhinos, and one of them was a rare white Rhino.
These animals are not present in big numbers, and it is always an exhilarating feeling when you do spot them.
Looking at Rhinos in the wild always reminds me of a cartoon in Punch.
We see a charging Rhino, two people who are trembling, and one is asking the other, '' I know she is a vegetarian, you know she is a vegetarian, but the question is, does she know she is a vegetarian?''
It was getting late, and we started our way up a narrow road, through thick forest, with the late afternoon rays of sun lighting the path. Our final sight as the sun was setting was three elephants pulling down the branches of a tree, with their trunks held high, set against the walls of the crater.
As I trooped back to my room, I had a feeling that I had observed something very unique. This wide variety of wild life but enclosed throughout their life cycle in that crater. Amazing.
The next morning, with more pictures from the rim edge, we set off to Manyara, with vivid memories of the amazing Ngorongoro Crater.
Some three million years ago, there was a big active volcano near the equator in Africa, in what is now Tanzania. The place is also close to Olduvai Gorge, called the birthplace of the human race, since the fossils of the earliest humans were found there.
This volcano collapsed upon itself and created a caldera, somewhat different from a crater, but still called a crater. The main crater is about 60 km in diameter at the bottom, [2600 sq km. area of the table, and the depth is about 700 metres. Although close to the equator, it is at a high altitude,[The altitude at the rim of the crater is 6500 feet!], along the rift valley, and not far from Mount Kilimanjaro. The area adjoins the famous Serengeti Reserve.
This is the famous Ngorongoro crater.
I visited this spot in August 1998.
We took a flight from Nairobi to Manyara with a brief stop in Kilimanjaro, in a small aircraft.
[Lake Manyara Reserve is another story, which might appear somewhere else later.]
From Manyara, we took a Land Rover along the steep road to Ngorongoro.
Rural Africa is not very different from rural India. Same poverty, same simplicity of people, but the nature here was spectacular, as we climbed the road. A scattered group of Masai were seen herding their cattle. A large number of Maasai tribesmen, who are basically cattle herders, live in the Ngorongoro Conservation Area.
When we finally arrived at the lodge, we were stunned. It was located right at the edge of the rim. A walk of 100 feet or so brought you to the very edge of the precipice.
This was the famous Crater Lodge.
Beautifully designed cottages and an imposing dining and entertainment area greeted us.
The dining room was all wood and leather, and a huge fireplace to go with it.
The temperatures were already dropping, and we were warned that it would get very cold at night. And this was the equator!!
The cottages were huge with a large glass door facing the rim.
We were also warned not to get out of the rooms at night since the wild animals came grazing right up to the room doors sometimes. On top of this, the generator was shut down at 10 PM. Now I had only a torch to rely on. There was a big fireplace in the room with the fire going nicely. Electric blankets too. To begin with I kept the curtains on the glass door open to be in a position to see any straying animals. As the night progressed, any sound outside increased the nervousness, and in order to get some sleep. I closed the curtains.
It was a very cold morning, about 5 C. So cold in the room, that the hot water from the shower became cold before it reached you! We did see some hoof marks in the grass outside the rooms.
After a big breakfast [tradition of most hotels in East Africa], we boarded the Land Rover and took the road to the crater. There is only one road to the bottom of the crater. The volcanic soil has made the entire area very fertile, and with the heavy rainfall, it is lush green. This was also the reason for the abundant wildlife found here. Most animals spend all their life in the crater. Only elephants, some Wildebeest, and Zebras migrate seasonally. For others, it is only the crater.
As we climbed down, the temperature started going up. As usual, the first animals we saw were the gazelle, followed by zebras and wildebeest. The size of the herds of these was smaller than those on the plains. All together, some 30000 animals live in the crater. Out of these, the density of lion population is one of the highest.
Not too many elephants, though, we were lucky to spot a small herd on our way down.
Just about 6-7 elephants.
Next, we saw a couple of wild buffalo, really big and fierce. If you are close enough to stare into the buffalo’s eyes, they are motionless yet fierce. A very fearsome animal when it charges. A group of 7-8 buffalos easily drives away a pride of lions. The lions, on the other hand, wait for an opportunity to isolate a buffalo, and then it takes the combined efforts of 3 or 4 lionesses and a big lion to bring the buffalo down.
Finally, we saw the lions too. A mating pair!
They appeared oblivious to the stares from the surrounding Land Rovers and carried on regardless. Someone joked that they were waiting for the audience before they commenced the next performance.
A mating pair stays together for days together, away from the main pride.
The mating can be violent at times, leaving the lioness out of hunting for quite a while.
We wound our way to the bottom, where there is a huge sodium lake. Here we saw a great number of birds, including the beautiful Flamingos, with their pink feet. It is a great sight when they take wing together. We had a picnic lunch, with the walls of the crater, the lake and blue skies as the backdrop.
In the afternoon, we saw more lions, this time a whole pride with cubs. Somehow the lions appeared better fed here. Perhaps they spend fewer efforts in finding the prey, the area being smaller.
The best sight was that of three big male lions walking together with their big black manes shaking with each weighty step they took. These were probably a group of bachelors looking for a pride of their own. A magnificent sight indeed.
We also saw a Secretary bird, a silver-backed jackal, and some hyenas. No wild dogs in the crater, apparently.
In another area, we saw two Rhinos, and one of them was a rare white Rhino.
These animals are not present in big numbers, and it is always an exhilarating feeling when you do spot them.
Looking at Rhinos in the wild always reminds me of a cartoon in Punch.
We see a charging Rhino, two people who are trembling, and one is asking the other, '' I know she is a vegetarian, you know she is a vegetarian, but the question is, does she know she is a vegetarian?''
It was getting late, and we started our way up a narrow road, through thick forest, with the late afternoon rays of sun lighting the path. Our final sight as the sun was setting was three elephants pulling down the branches of a tree, with their trunks held high, set against the walls of the crater.
As I trooped back to my room, I had a feeling that I had observed something very unique. This wide variety of wild life but enclosed throughout their life cycle in that crater. Amazing.
The next morning, with more pictures from the rim edge, we set off to Manyara, with vivid memories of the amazing Ngorongoro Crater.
Monday, February 11, 2008
Malaysia early memories-Part 2
July 2nd 1971.
This was the day we set our foot in Malaysia for the first time.
Although it was my first overseas trip too, I was already practising my favorite trick of appearing outwardly confident although quite nervous inside.
As the aircraft descended, the view was spectacular. After coming in over the Straits of Malacca, the approach to the runway at Subang airport was first over a thick forest, and then over palm oil plantations. Green, green everywhere. Skies were a mix grey and black, with lightning flashing, with a shower threatening at any time. When we came out of the airport though, the skies were clear and brilliant blue. Our old friend Mr. Kokatnoor had reached Malaysia earlier and had come to the airport to pick us up in a Volkswagen van. Unlike some of my colleagues, who had arrived single, stayed at the YMCA and searched for a house and then sent for the rest of the family, we had decided to all land together and share the experience .
Our drive from the airport was to set the tone for the impressions of Malaysia. Wide clean roads, disciplined traffic, big cars, very few pedestrians at the crossing. Our first sight of the multi racial Malaysia too. There were Malay faces, Chinese faces and of course the South Asian faces.
Our journey ended at the YMCA, located in the Brickfields area of Kuala Lumpur. It was small and very pretty in those days, nice clean rooms.For the three of us, coming in from India all things were a novelty. We came down to lunch after leaving our bags. And thus started Ashwini's romance with the non Indian food, away from Poli bhaji. There was a Chinese caterer from whom we ordered Cantonese noodles I think. For the next seven days, Ashwini would demand that we go down and sample his goodies, which included hot dogs and Burgers. After attending the office briefly, we started our house hunt earnestly. Kokatnoor had seen some houses for us, which we did not fancy too much. Finally, we chose a house in the suburb Petaling Jaya [called PJ in short], located somewhere between Kuala Lumpur [referred to simply as KL] and Port Klang, on both sides of the huge Federal Highway, connecting the capital city with the port city.
PJ is divided in numbered sections. Our house was in Section 10, off the main road Jalan Gasing. [Jalan being the Malay for 'Road' and Gasing the name, meaning a spinning top]. As the small approach road descended, it reached a huge and lovely park called Taman Jaya.The rear compound of our house joined with the Park fence.On the same approach road, on one side on a hillock, was a beautiful Siamese temple, another land mark in PJ.
Our house had three big bedrooms and a nice living and dining area. I recall the house full of sunlight during the day. Our stuff was yet to arrive from India. In the mean time we needed basic things in the house. So, the shopping for sofa sets, bedroom furniture, dining table, started; all very enjoyable. We had not done much serious shopping after our marriage [mainly because we did not have that kind of money]; hence this was really the first big shopping for us. Here we were introduced to the world of buying on credit. For all this stuff, we barely paid 20% upfront; the rest was to be paid over six months. Then came the TV and refrigerator, both of which were our first. All an exciting time for Ashwini, who gave hints of her future influence by naming the shades of color she liked even at that age.
Then came the surprise. All along in Bangalore, Ashwini had shared her bedroom with us. Here she announced that she must have her own room! We were quite worried and dissuaded her from the idea for a few weeks. Finally she had her way and was installed in her own room with a small bed, all at the ripe age of 2 years. This was a first glimpse of her independent spirit.
We were still shopping and that left little money for fun, and we had no car yet. We all used a common transport to the office, a Volkswagen van.
Something about the factory now. Named Indo Malaysia Engineering Company Sdn Bhd, [The last two words being the Malay for Pvt Ltd.], the factory was built over 5 acres of land in the biggest Industrial area in the country called Shah Alam Industrial Estate. Built in a very modern way, it had tried to replicate in a small way the facilities at three of our factories in India. Except for the MD who had a cabin, [we trust the practices of the British]; all others sat in an open office. Like everything else in Malaysia, open areas were green. In fact one of the major expenses was to trim the grass every 15 days.
We manufactured Electric motors and AC generators, and my responsibility was to take charge of the Design, Testing of products and the Quality aspects. I do not want to dwell too much on the factory side, but let me say that for me professionally this was a very revealing experience. Whereas I had not learnt a great deal in India on the subjects to be called an expert, here I was an expert and had to find an answer. Very quick learning curve indeed. There were five other Expatriates in our Company. Most were living not far from each other, all in PJ. [Far is of course relative and the distances were ranging form 3-6 KM.] In addition there were two more working in our Area sales office.Most knew Marathi, although for some of them not their mother tongue.
Our social life for the first few months consisted of get togethers at the house of one of the families and picnics on weekends. To continue the proud tradition of India, we toiled on a six-day week, so weekend meant only Sundays. We had our first look at the countryside, which was jus beautiful, I know I am repeating myself, but green everywhere. The forests were very dense. Then there were plantations, rubber trees with regular cuts on their barks and cups attached and very early in the misty mornings, workers collecting the sap in pots. Palm oil plantations with the squat trees laden with huge bunches of fruit. All trees in regular rows with streaks of sunlight between them and turning the top of the leaves to gold.
Something about the Malaysian weather, you get to see all three seasons during a single day. Cool in the morning, hot and very hot during the day, thunder, lightening and a downpour in the late afternoon, again cool at night.With all that rain however, we managed without the umbrellas for quite a while, since the heavy shower lasts only a few minutes, clearing the skies immediately.
Now we started making other friends as well.
Two friends with whom we have had very long relations, were the Pethes and the Ramalingams, with whom we came into contact by a coincidence. The Ramalingams at the Independence day flag hoisting at the Indian high commission. Pethes we met in more amusing circumstances. There were not too many shops selling Indian groceries in PJ those days. The most popular was the ' Pillay' shop. We were there one evening, when we heard a lady trying her best to explain to the shop owner about '' Sabudana''. The conversation was something like, '' You know, round round, white white, to make porridge''. That was Mrs Pethe.
These two families and later on Ashok and Anuradha Gokhale became our closest friends in Malaysia.
Dr Shivaji Ramalingam was one of the best known entomologists working in University of Malaya. Viju Ramalingam was the granddaughter of Veer Savarkar's cousin [who converted to Christianity] from Pune and was longing to speak Marathi. They had three children, the youngest slightly older that Ashwini. Dr Pethe was a professor of mathematics, who after working in Canada and the USA was now with the University of Malaya. Mrs. Pethe from Mumbai was equally keen to have Marathi friends. They had two children both older than Ashwini. Manju the older one became Manjutai for all younger children.
We had by now paid up for most of our stuff by now, and my urge to buy a car became unbearable, although Sujata was urging caution. Through a mutual friend we came across a used Austin 1100, white colour, and we jumped at it. This was October 1971, and finally we had our own car! This also meant that the car was going to remain at home all day, since we still used the office van. So driving lessons for Sujata became a necessity. To be frank, I had never seen such systematic driving lessons. [My own were very practical with the most senior KEC driver taking me thro the steps and declaring one day that I was ready for the test.] Those were fun days. After all her lessons were over, I insisted that Sujata do a few hours on the road with me. That helped her in the practical aspects and she passed her test at the first attempt. Now she was truly independent.
1972 was the time for the first school for Ashwini. That was Assunta Convent, one of the better known schools. I was there on her first day and hearing the cry she let out when we dropped her off was a very sorry moment for me. She managed however and became used to the school. Her teacher [Miss Shanthi] on the first day, whom we met months later, told us that she still remembered how much Ashwini cried on her first day. And ironically it was also a first day for the teacher, and what her worry was that if Ashwini did not stop crying what would happen to the teacher. She was sweating all over but finally Ashwini stopped. She later became Ashwini's teacher in another school, and had only nice words to say about Ashwini.
We were just about completing one year in the house when the owner, a huge Sikh man, decided that he wanted a substantial rental jump, which we could not afford, and then began a series of house hunts thro PJ, which finally took us through five different houses in the 8 years we spent in our first stay. That also introduced to a fairly reliable house agent Mrs Low who was our partner in this unending quest. This regular shift in residences led to many jokes amongst our friends, who concluded that we just love to shift houses every year for the principle of it.
Before I talk about our next house, a few words about the park next door. It was a huge park with a lake in the centre and childrens' playing areas. Ashwini just loved it there, and we spent many evenings there, followed very conveniently [ for Ashwini] by a visit to the nearby A & W with their specialty hot dogs, or even a cart outside the park with his own brand of burgers. We were also introduced to the delectable Satay, which were sold on roadside carts [like our Bhel carts]. Even to watch the satays being grilled on a charcoal grill was a pleasure. Satays are small boneless pieces of meat marinated for hours with a special mix, and then skewered on a stick and grilled, and served with a special peanut sauce, cucumber rounds, and a cake of glutinous rice called Katu pat.A great treat, and so affordable! Satays were made from chicken, Beef, or lamb for Malays who are Muslims, and also with pork for non Muslims.
So, in July 1972, we moved to our new house, on Jalan Gasing, the main road itself, not as picturesque as our first one, but more convenient.
More about our life in Malaysia, 1972 middle onwards, in my next installment.
_________________________________________________________________
This was the day we set our foot in Malaysia for the first time.
Although it was my first overseas trip too, I was already practising my favorite trick of appearing outwardly confident although quite nervous inside.
As the aircraft descended, the view was spectacular. After coming in over the Straits of Malacca, the approach to the runway at Subang airport was first over a thick forest, and then over palm oil plantations. Green, green everywhere. Skies were a mix grey and black, with lightning flashing, with a shower threatening at any time. When we came out of the airport though, the skies were clear and brilliant blue. Our old friend Mr. Kokatnoor had reached Malaysia earlier and had come to the airport to pick us up in a Volkswagen van. Unlike some of my colleagues, who had arrived single, stayed at the YMCA and searched for a house and then sent for the rest of the family, we had decided to all land together and share the experience .
Our drive from the airport was to set the tone for the impressions of Malaysia. Wide clean roads, disciplined traffic, big cars, very few pedestrians at the crossing. Our first sight of the multi racial Malaysia too. There were Malay faces, Chinese faces and of course the South Asian faces.
Our journey ended at the YMCA, located in the Brickfields area of Kuala Lumpur. It was small and very pretty in those days, nice clean rooms.For the three of us, coming in from India all things were a novelty. We came down to lunch after leaving our bags. And thus started Ashwini's romance with the non Indian food, away from Poli bhaji. There was a Chinese caterer from whom we ordered Cantonese noodles I think. For the next seven days, Ashwini would demand that we go down and sample his goodies, which included hot dogs and Burgers. After attending the office briefly, we started our house hunt earnestly. Kokatnoor had seen some houses for us, which we did not fancy too much. Finally, we chose a house in the suburb Petaling Jaya [called PJ in short], located somewhere between Kuala Lumpur [referred to simply as KL] and Port Klang, on both sides of the huge Federal Highway, connecting the capital city with the port city.
PJ is divided in numbered sections. Our house was in Section 10, off the main road Jalan Gasing. [Jalan being the Malay for 'Road' and Gasing the name, meaning a spinning top]. As the small approach road descended, it reached a huge and lovely park called Taman Jaya.The rear compound of our house joined with the Park fence.On the same approach road, on one side on a hillock, was a beautiful Siamese temple, another land mark in PJ.
Our house had three big bedrooms and a nice living and dining area. I recall the house full of sunlight during the day. Our stuff was yet to arrive from India. In the mean time we needed basic things in the house. So, the shopping for sofa sets, bedroom furniture, dining table, started; all very enjoyable. We had not done much serious shopping after our marriage [mainly because we did not have that kind of money]; hence this was really the first big shopping for us. Here we were introduced to the world of buying on credit. For all this stuff, we barely paid 20% upfront; the rest was to be paid over six months. Then came the TV and refrigerator, both of which were our first. All an exciting time for Ashwini, who gave hints of her future influence by naming the shades of color she liked even at that age.
Then came the surprise. All along in Bangalore, Ashwini had shared her bedroom with us. Here she announced that she must have her own room! We were quite worried and dissuaded her from the idea for a few weeks. Finally she had her way and was installed in her own room with a small bed, all at the ripe age of 2 years. This was a first glimpse of her independent spirit.
We were still shopping and that left little money for fun, and we had no car yet. We all used a common transport to the office, a Volkswagen van.
Something about the factory now. Named Indo Malaysia Engineering Company Sdn Bhd, [The last two words being the Malay for Pvt Ltd.], the factory was built over 5 acres of land in the biggest Industrial area in the country called Shah Alam Industrial Estate. Built in a very modern way, it had tried to replicate in a small way the facilities at three of our factories in India. Except for the MD who had a cabin, [we trust the practices of the British]; all others sat in an open office. Like everything else in Malaysia, open areas were green. In fact one of the major expenses was to trim the grass every 15 days.
We manufactured Electric motors and AC generators, and my responsibility was to take charge of the Design, Testing of products and the Quality aspects. I do not want to dwell too much on the factory side, but let me say that for me professionally this was a very revealing experience. Whereas I had not learnt a great deal in India on the subjects to be called an expert, here I was an expert and had to find an answer. Very quick learning curve indeed. There were five other Expatriates in our Company. Most were living not far from each other, all in PJ. [Far is of course relative and the distances were ranging form 3-6 KM.] In addition there were two more working in our Area sales office.Most knew Marathi, although for some of them not their mother tongue.
Our social life for the first few months consisted of get togethers at the house of one of the families and picnics on weekends. To continue the proud tradition of India, we toiled on a six-day week, so weekend meant only Sundays. We had our first look at the countryside, which was jus beautiful, I know I am repeating myself, but green everywhere. The forests were very dense. Then there were plantations, rubber trees with regular cuts on their barks and cups attached and very early in the misty mornings, workers collecting the sap in pots. Palm oil plantations with the squat trees laden with huge bunches of fruit. All trees in regular rows with streaks of sunlight between them and turning the top of the leaves to gold.
Something about the Malaysian weather, you get to see all three seasons during a single day. Cool in the morning, hot and very hot during the day, thunder, lightening and a downpour in the late afternoon, again cool at night.With all that rain however, we managed without the umbrellas for quite a while, since the heavy shower lasts only a few minutes, clearing the skies immediately.
Now we started making other friends as well.
Two friends with whom we have had very long relations, were the Pethes and the Ramalingams, with whom we came into contact by a coincidence. The Ramalingams at the Independence day flag hoisting at the Indian high commission. Pethes we met in more amusing circumstances. There were not too many shops selling Indian groceries in PJ those days. The most popular was the ' Pillay' shop. We were there one evening, when we heard a lady trying her best to explain to the shop owner about '' Sabudana''. The conversation was something like, '' You know, round round, white white, to make porridge''. That was Mrs Pethe.
These two families and later on Ashok and Anuradha Gokhale became our closest friends in Malaysia.
Dr Shivaji Ramalingam was one of the best known entomologists working in University of Malaya. Viju Ramalingam was the granddaughter of Veer Savarkar's cousin [who converted to Christianity] from Pune and was longing to speak Marathi. They had three children, the youngest slightly older that Ashwini. Dr Pethe was a professor of mathematics, who after working in Canada and the USA was now with the University of Malaya. Mrs. Pethe from Mumbai was equally keen to have Marathi friends. They had two children both older than Ashwini. Manju the older one became Manjutai for all younger children.
We had by now paid up for most of our stuff by now, and my urge to buy a car became unbearable, although Sujata was urging caution. Through a mutual friend we came across a used Austin 1100, white colour, and we jumped at it. This was October 1971, and finally we had our own car! This also meant that the car was going to remain at home all day, since we still used the office van. So driving lessons for Sujata became a necessity. To be frank, I had never seen such systematic driving lessons. [My own were very practical with the most senior KEC driver taking me thro the steps and declaring one day that I was ready for the test.] Those were fun days. After all her lessons were over, I insisted that Sujata do a few hours on the road with me. That helped her in the practical aspects and she passed her test at the first attempt. Now she was truly independent.
1972 was the time for the first school for Ashwini. That was Assunta Convent, one of the better known schools. I was there on her first day and hearing the cry she let out when we dropped her off was a very sorry moment for me. She managed however and became used to the school. Her teacher [Miss Shanthi] on the first day, whom we met months later, told us that she still remembered how much Ashwini cried on her first day. And ironically it was also a first day for the teacher, and what her worry was that if Ashwini did not stop crying what would happen to the teacher. She was sweating all over but finally Ashwini stopped. She later became Ashwini's teacher in another school, and had only nice words to say about Ashwini.
We were just about completing one year in the house when the owner, a huge Sikh man, decided that he wanted a substantial rental jump, which we could not afford, and then began a series of house hunts thro PJ, which finally took us through five different houses in the 8 years we spent in our first stay. That also introduced to a fairly reliable house agent Mrs Low who was our partner in this unending quest. This regular shift in residences led to many jokes amongst our friends, who concluded that we just love to shift houses every year for the principle of it.
Before I talk about our next house, a few words about the park next door. It was a huge park with a lake in the centre and childrens' playing areas. Ashwini just loved it there, and we spent many evenings there, followed very conveniently [ for Ashwini] by a visit to the nearby A & W with their specialty hot dogs, or even a cart outside the park with his own brand of burgers. We were also introduced to the delectable Satay, which were sold on roadside carts [like our Bhel carts]. Even to watch the satays being grilled on a charcoal grill was a pleasure. Satays are small boneless pieces of meat marinated for hours with a special mix, and then skewered on a stick and grilled, and served with a special peanut sauce, cucumber rounds, and a cake of glutinous rice called Katu pat.A great treat, and so affordable! Satays were made from chicken, Beef, or lamb for Malays who are Muslims, and also with pork for non Muslims.
So, in July 1972, we moved to our new house, on Jalan Gasing, the main road itself, not as picturesque as our first one, but more convenient.
More about our life in Malaysia, 1972 middle onwards, in my next installment.
_________________________________________________________________
Thursday, February 7, 2008
Malaysia- early memories Part 1
It was December 1970.
I was a young design engineer, 27 years old, working with Kirloskar Electric Company in Bangalore.
Married just 30 months ago, and Ashwini was just about a year old.
There was talk in the factory about the decision to start a new Joint Venture in Malaysia, where we had considerable Exports in those days.
Being mainly in Machine Design, and away from all Marketing activities, these were just distant waves for me.
Not so, it was proved to me soon.
I got a call one afternoon that the CEO Mr Ravi Kirloskar wanted to see me.
That itself was rare. Although I had met him a few times, also at his home, it was by no means frequent.
So with a worried look I entered his office.
With Him was Mr Kashyap, the Managing Director designate of the Malaysian Joint venture, whom I knew a slightly, since we had played Bridge and cricket together.
With hardly a preamble, Mr Kirloskar popped the question:
'' Tambe, would you like to work in Malaysia?''
Such an offer coming out of the blue stunned me completely.
Seeing me speechless amused both of them, and the boss then explained patiently, '' Look, we are starting a JV in Malaysia, would you like to take charge of Designs in that factory?''
''It will be for about 5 years, and you will shift there with family ''
I found speech at last,
''Thank you very much Sir, but May I have some time to reply?''
'' Of course, but not too much. Please tell Kashyap your decision by next Friday''
I left the office hardly believing my ears.
As bad luck would have it, Sujata was in Pune attending Upendra's wedding.
Phones at home were rare those days. I was bubbling with news with no one to share it with.
I went to the public phone in our office and called the only close friend we shared all our news with, Mrs Sulochana Marathe! She was as ecstatic as I was. I talked about consulting Sujata and my parents before deciding. In her usual steam rolling and efforvescent manner, she just brushed aside the issue saying that I should go to Kashyap and say Yes straight away. Being ever the balanced chap, I pointed out that I had a week any way , so why not use that?
Then I wrote a hurried letter to Sujata at Pune. Letters to Aurangabad and Parabhani, and asking them to phone me their reactions. I got a call from Sujata who was very excited. Subsequently a call from Auranagabad that although they would be sad for us to be so far away from them, Anna Vaini only wanted the best for us, and hoped we would be back after 5 years. Remember that Anna was 71 and Vaini 60 at the time, and were hoping to spend many years with me.
Ditto from Dada from Parabhani.
So with a day to spare, I informed Kashayp, that it was 'All systems Go', who was actually mildly surprised as to what was the big deal about consultations.
I was relived of my normal duties in February 1971 and was on special orientation at other manufacturing units and other companies in the Group.
Time was flying, and other personal preparations were on too, like learning car driving and getting a licence, getting rid of things to be left behind, bank work, visas.
Farewell dinners were going on with several friends.
I made a trip to Aurangabad and Parabhani. The final parting was very difficult with the knowledge that we may not meet for at least a couple of years. I already mentioned earlier about the difficult communications those days, with trunk calls only at Post offices.
Now it was time to leave. All packing done, and bigger packages following us by sea.
Our house on 11th main road in Malleswaram, where we had so many memories, and where Ashwini was born, was handed over to Prabahakar Dixit, my BiL, who shifted to Bangalore around that time.
His daughter Aparna was born just the day before we left Bangalore.
Although I had taken a few air trips by then, for Sujata and Ashwini that was the first air travel. Ashwini was all excitement.
We had to change aircrafts those days at Chennai, with an overnight stay at Chennai, paid for by Air India at the 5 star Connemara! Unbelievable to day of course.
Our flight from Bangalore was in the afternoon. The Marathes, Prabhakar, my friend Padhye were all at the airport. With tears in the eyes for what we were leaving behind, but filled with the excitement of the new life, we left Bangalore.
At the Connemara, still talking about Bangalore, we got a call from Sulutai Marathe, who had put on a gramophone record of our mutually favorite Kumar Gandharva song,
'' Ajooni rosooni aahe'' and put it near the phone. Very very touching. These were the type of friends we were leaving behind.
Bhau and Dada arrived in Madras to see us off, and they too stayed at the Connemara, of which Bhau can recite the stories even today.
We took off from the old Madras airport, where the relatives could actually over the fence watch us board the aircraft. More waves, more melancholy and we were on board,little Ashwini all excitement, all of us embarking on a new life.
The day was July 1st, 1971.
I was a young design engineer, 27 years old, working with Kirloskar Electric Company in Bangalore.
Married just 30 months ago, and Ashwini was just about a year old.
There was talk in the factory about the decision to start a new Joint Venture in Malaysia, where we had considerable Exports in those days.
Being mainly in Machine Design, and away from all Marketing activities, these were just distant waves for me.
Not so, it was proved to me soon.
I got a call one afternoon that the CEO Mr Ravi Kirloskar wanted to see me.
That itself was rare. Although I had met him a few times, also at his home, it was by no means frequent.
So with a worried look I entered his office.
With Him was Mr Kashyap, the Managing Director designate of the Malaysian Joint venture, whom I knew a slightly, since we had played Bridge and cricket together.
With hardly a preamble, Mr Kirloskar popped the question:
'' Tambe, would you like to work in Malaysia?''
Such an offer coming out of the blue stunned me completely.
Seeing me speechless amused both of them, and the boss then explained patiently, '' Look, we are starting a JV in Malaysia, would you like to take charge of Designs in that factory?''
''It will be for about 5 years, and you will shift there with family ''
I found speech at last,
''Thank you very much Sir, but May I have some time to reply?''
'' Of course, but not too much. Please tell Kashyap your decision by next Friday''
I left the office hardly believing my ears.
As bad luck would have it, Sujata was in Pune attending Upendra's wedding.
Phones at home were rare those days. I was bubbling with news with no one to share it with.
I went to the public phone in our office and called the only close friend we shared all our news with, Mrs Sulochana Marathe! She was as ecstatic as I was. I talked about consulting Sujata and my parents before deciding. In her usual steam rolling and efforvescent manner, she just brushed aside the issue saying that I should go to Kashyap and say Yes straight away. Being ever the balanced chap, I pointed out that I had a week any way , so why not use that?
Then I wrote a hurried letter to Sujata at Pune. Letters to Aurangabad and Parabhani, and asking them to phone me their reactions. I got a call from Sujata who was very excited. Subsequently a call from Auranagabad that although they would be sad for us to be so far away from them, Anna Vaini only wanted the best for us, and hoped we would be back after 5 years. Remember that Anna was 71 and Vaini 60 at the time, and were hoping to spend many years with me.
Ditto from Dada from Parabhani.
So with a day to spare, I informed Kashayp, that it was 'All systems Go', who was actually mildly surprised as to what was the big deal about consultations.
I was relived of my normal duties in February 1971 and was on special orientation at other manufacturing units and other companies in the Group.
Time was flying, and other personal preparations were on too, like learning car driving and getting a licence, getting rid of things to be left behind, bank work, visas.
Farewell dinners were going on with several friends.
I made a trip to Aurangabad and Parabhani. The final parting was very difficult with the knowledge that we may not meet for at least a couple of years. I already mentioned earlier about the difficult communications those days, with trunk calls only at Post offices.
Now it was time to leave. All packing done, and bigger packages following us by sea.
Our house on 11th main road in Malleswaram, where we had so many memories, and where Ashwini was born, was handed over to Prabahakar Dixit, my BiL, who shifted to Bangalore around that time.
His daughter Aparna was born just the day before we left Bangalore.
Although I had taken a few air trips by then, for Sujata and Ashwini that was the first air travel. Ashwini was all excitement.
We had to change aircrafts those days at Chennai, with an overnight stay at Chennai, paid for by Air India at the 5 star Connemara! Unbelievable to day of course.
Our flight from Bangalore was in the afternoon. The Marathes, Prabhakar, my friend Padhye were all at the airport. With tears in the eyes for what we were leaving behind, but filled with the excitement of the new life, we left Bangalore.
At the Connemara, still talking about Bangalore, we got a call from Sulutai Marathe, who had put on a gramophone record of our mutually favorite Kumar Gandharva song,
'' Ajooni rosooni aahe'' and put it near the phone. Very very touching. These were the type of friends we were leaving behind.
Bhau and Dada arrived in Madras to see us off, and they too stayed at the Connemara, of which Bhau can recite the stories even today.
We took off from the old Madras airport, where the relatives could actually over the fence watch us board the aircraft. More waves, more melancholy and we were on board,little Ashwini all excitement, all of us embarking on a new life.
The day was July 1st, 1971.
Wednesday, February 6, 2008
Geet Ramayan- 2
Hello,
I did hear from some of you on the first mail on this, but still no additions or corrections.
In the mean time here are some more I found.
29] Maj aanooni dya to hareen Ayodhynatha: Piloo
9] Maar hee Tratika Ramachandra : Hansa dhwani
23] Maata na too vairini : Darabari
2] Ayodhya manu nirmit nagari : Bhoop
5] Dasharatha ghe he payasdaan : Bheem palas
The interpretation could be subject of argument, since I am focussing on the general picture of the Raag, and not the actual Swaraas.
I mentioned the exquisite samples last time, but must add the striking Jogiya in ' Maaj sang Laxmana jau kuthe', as one of the best.
Sudheer
I did hear from some of you on the first mail on this, but still no additions or corrections.
In the mean time here are some more I found.
29] Maj aanooni dya to hareen Ayodhynatha: Piloo
9] Maar hee Tratika Ramachandra : Hansa dhwani
23] Maata na too vairini : Darabari
2] Ayodhya manu nirmit nagari : Bhoop
5] Dasharatha ghe he payasdaan : Bheem palas
The interpretation could be subject of argument, since I am focussing on the general picture of the Raag, and not the actual Swaraas.
I mentioned the exquisite samples last time, but must add the striking Jogiya in ' Maaj sang Laxmana jau kuthe', as one of the best.
Sudheer
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