A Day at Hotel Singaar International

                   The cool breeze swept our faces as the car passed by the seaside...yes..it was finally happening....the trip to Kanyakumari which we had planned for a number of times but in vain had finally become a reality as we 7 sat in the Ivory,Innova.

                  The 7-Terrors/7-Devils as we call ourselves,are a very famous and popular[& a bit notorious]  set of friends at my college,RIIT. The 7 of us include-Mary,Kanmani,Laavanya, Afrah, Tameem,Boazina and Myself.

                       
                  Mary owns a Hotel at Kanyakumari[Apart from the Textile Shop in Town,Singaraya Naadar]. So we always planned to spend some quality time at her Hotel etc.It was Saraswathi Pooja vacation and so having a consecutive 3-day vacation and after making sure all 7 of us could come, we planned to leave for KK the next day at 11A.M

                 We all arrived at Mary's house and were so excited after much anticipation.Mary's mom was supposed to be accompanying us but when we were all ready to get into her car,we came to know,much to our delight that Auntie wasn't coming and that we 7 were on our own along with the Chaffeur! Woww! Talk about Freedom!   This celebration however stopped within seconds as we overheard Mary talking to Uncle and promising him that we will not go to the beach.Laav,Bozi and I were rather bummed about us prohibited to set foot near the beach while the others agreed that it was not safe to go there without an adult.After some thinking,we realized it was true and so dropped the idea of going to the beach.

                Mary,Laav,Kannu and Bozi were dressed in jeans and sweats whereas Tam,Afra n I wore Churis. We chatted all the way,as the car glided past the roads. We were taking the Beach Road to KK,the route through which i have never gone. The Sothavallai Beach looked so beautiful,with the sea having almost three colours-Greenish blue,Sky blue and a darker shade of blue and some boats which were anchored,moved with the gush of waves.Mary enlightened us with small descriptions about the Sea and the bridge which followed,which had been destroyed by the Tsunami in 2006.There were also a number of  Churches,perched atop the small mountains.The beach was in view for about 10mts drive and very soon we passed the beach,nearing towards our destination-Kanyakumari.

             The Kanyakumari beach came in view,looking stunning as always.And we all screamed with excitement.It was a beautiful sight--the vast,deep sea with the 3 shades of blue,glittering under the Sun's radiant light-the smell of the fresh sea-the cool,windy breeze gushing through the window,caressing our skin and making our hair windblown.......

            We passed the seaside,entering the streets which were crowded and full of tourists.After a few seconds of driving,there it was-"Hotel Singaar International",towering like the rest of the buildings.The car came to a halt at the entrance and we all got out,carrying our belongings.We entered the Hotel led by Mary.I experienced a very different feeling-A mixture of happiness,thrill and felt mature.

            I surveyed the room-The White Marble floor was spotless,there was an enormous Chandelier hanging from the roof and a  well-attired,smiling Receptionist's,greeted us warmly.Mary introduced all of us and she asked if we were all from Chennai to which Mary replied in the negative.She looked a bit surprised and remarked,"Oh! So there are pretty girls in Ngl too!" and we all blushed,smiling broadly. :P

           Mary got the key to a room in the top floor where she said we would get a nice view. So we took the Lift up to the 5th floor.Mary led us through a few corridors and we found ourselves standing in front of Room 5516.We all squealed with excitement.The room was large yet cozy with Red,velvet curtains draped near the windows.There was also a balcony were we got a wide view of nearly the whole of KK.We started fooling around-applying make-up,changing hairstyles and taking pictures.Soon it was lunch time and we were called.

                                      
                The dining area in the ground floor was again splendid,with a rich ambiance-With dim,yellow lights and light,soothing music played in the background.Mary led us to a large table which had a small block written,"Reserved". "Woww! I am going to sit in a Reserved Table!!" i thought to myself smiling. Food was served- With a first course of hot,steaming soup followed by a variety of things-Chappathis,Chicken,Fried Rice,American Chopsuey,Paneer etc.We were making the most of noise,talking on the top of our voices,laughing away which resulted in people glancing at us frequently.We had our fill,eating more than we should and got up after 1 n 1/2 hrs :D

          The back of the Dining place was the swimming pool where we settled down for sometime[We were too stuffed to move].Later,we followed Mary towards the backyard of the Hotel.We strolled down the long stretch of  grassy pathway which were lined with big trees-it looked more like a park.There was also a big tank with fishes.Next to it, i found to my surprise,a big cage packed with around 25 Guinea Pigs! I literally ran towards them and they all gathered there-scrambling quickly and nibbling my fingers when i put them through the net to touch them.They were the most cutest,adorable things-small,white with brown spots,with its tiny black nose sniffing rapidly with long whiskers.Oh! How i loved them! (I have been nagging Appa to get me a Guinea Pig ever since) :)

        After some time of walking and plucking small gooseberries,we returned back to our room.We spent the rest of time clicking pics and posing away.Boy,was that fun! 

                          

              We wanted to go shopping,so we got ready.We were accompanied by a lady from the hotel while we shopped.The streets were busy,bustling with people.I wanted to get a handbag like Bozi's,the one I had been eyeing for sometime.I found one which caught my eye,a sky blue with white stripes.On asking the price,we were told it was 180Rs(Bozi had bought it for 100Rs a month back).We started bargaining and the rates came down to Rs 120.I was prepared to pay that much but Kannu silenced me,asking for Rs 110.The salesman was pretty adamant and after egging him more,he finally agreed.I got my dream bag and left the shop feeling very happy and pleased with myself...:P :D

          We had to stop shopping as it was getting late.So we got ourselves some peanuts and ice-cream and headed towards the car and travelled back home and reached at 7P.M.Thus we went to KK without going to the beach n also spent a day at a 3-Star Hotel  for free :P...but what a day it was! With all the fun! It was truly an Unforgettable experience!!

Teeth Extraction

               "Akshaya can we extract ur teeth next week?" my dentist asked me casually in a tone as if it's an easy job like cutting the hair when he was done examining my teeth and after i told him i still found it to be protruding a bit.The colour drained from my face as the words sunk into my mind.I looked blankly at my parents sitting on the chairs placed opposite to the Doctor's table.Amma's eyes became wide and she looked back at me. Appa's mouth curved to settle into a small smile[he always said that my teeth would go inside better if i extracted them].Deep inside my head,i knew this procedure would be highly effective and so nodded my head slowly at my dentist.I opened my mouth and heard myself asking him,"How many teeth will you extract,Dr?" even though i knew what he was going to say.He again held his cool,casual tone and said,"4 teeth-2 in the upper and lower jaw on both sides" confirming my answer.

              I nodded again,swallowing hardly.Appa went on asking him about it and the Dr gave his explanation.[Removing 4 of the teeth will provide better spacing for the teeth to push in better and thus fill in the gap's of the extracted teeth] I sat there,hardly listening to them,lost in my own thoughts,thinking,imagining about the pain i would have to suffer during and after the extraction.After they had stopped talking i smiled at my Dr, embarrassed about what i was going to ask him,"if he would be giving me a local anaesthesia and if it will be painful".He replied back saying,"Ofcourse not! Not a bit of pain,u'll just have to follow the instructions post extraction.That's all!" and booked the appointment at 7:30 P.M the following Monday.

            I dreaded about the whole thing for the next three days.My friends laughed,as i told about my extraction calling me a "Grandma without teeth" and others who had done it reassured me,trying to convince me that it won't be painful at all and that the area would become numb after injecting some anaesthesia in my gums....The thought of the injection on my gums added to my fears and i was praying Monday would never come...but it did.

Monday Morning at College: I was hardly my usual self,quite and not fooling around.My best friend Afrah told me,"Think about your dream boy Akshu,and you won't feel the pain".I gave her a deadly look but then thought i would consider it.By evening i was mourning to my friends and flashed them my teeth,smiling broadly telling them,"Have a last look at my beautiful teeth"........

I had my dinner at 7 P.M cos i won't be able to eat after the extraction,brushed and again flashed my teeth to my parents asking them to have a last look.....


At 7:30 P.M I arrived at the hospital which was a bit crowded.I settled at a seat beside my parents to wait for them to call my name whereas another part of me wished they wouldn't.I sat there,going back to my dreadful thoughts........

                "Akshaya" i heard my name being called at 7:45 after what seemed to be hours of waiting.I stood up and dragged my feet to climb up the stairs in the direction of the room and kept mourning to Amma,"Am not going....I don't wanna go...."

                I opened the door,gulping hardly...my Dr greeted me with a smile and i smiled back,trying to hide my fears.He asked me,"Are you ready?" and i nodded.He beckoned me to the Dental seat as i handed my specs to my mom.........

                I sat there,almost lying down as my Dr switched on the light opposite to me.I laid there,swallowing as i saw him coming towards me,holding an Injection,which seemed to be the most dangerous weapon on earth and shut my eyes tightly.I opened my mouth wide,praying and kept thinking to myself,"Come on...relax..it's just an injection...." trying to muster up all my courage and will-power.I felt a sharp pain....something more like an Ant-bite and a prick,nearly four times in the right side of my upper and lower jaws."Ok,done" i heard my Dr's voice and opened my eyes."You can wait in the opposite room and i'll come after 10 mts" he said. I nodded and got up, smiled a bit at Amma's apprehensive look and walked towards the door.

God....am done with the 1st part....i thought to myself.......

              After some seconds,I could feel the right side of my cheek bloating...expanding like a balloon....I touched my cheeks and felt it to be puffed up and could hardly open my mouth to talk.The injection had done it's work,working it's magic...helping the aneasthesia to settle into my gums and doing it's spell by making it numb.......

             Amma kept on asking me how i felt and i made noises,"Mmm mmm...meii maah" etc and started showing sign languages.I found the whole thing funny,inspite of the situation on listening to me own noises....

"Ok its numb....i won't feel a thing....." i thought to myself but as 10 mts passed,another part of me thought,"What if the Dr hasn't given me enough anaesthesia? What if it's effect grows less during the extraction...??" I tried to banish such thoughts and stay positive minded.....

            After 15 mts,the Dr and his assistant came in.By this time,my cheeks had become really numb.He beckoned me to the dental chair and i sat there...again becoming engulfed with my fears and doubts....my heart pounding faster than ever in my chest....my palms becoming chilled and dampened by the sweat.........

           Paralyzed with fear and rooted to the seat,i closed my eyes,as my Dr approached me....i could feel him trying to pull my lower tooth...but i could not feel the pain...only sense what he was doing..."Aaah! The anaesthesia is effective after all!!" I thought  to myself with relief...i suddenly became more relaxed....my fear fading away....I started thinking,dreaming about some happy thoughts..."of how beautiful i would look with perfect teeth and a dashing,gorgeous smile....." inorder to divert my attention. These helped tremendously to my surprise.....

          I could feel the Dr using a thread to pull out my tooth....again i felt no pain but could taste some of my fresh blood oozing out and the Dr pushing in some cotton to stop the bleeding.....

          He then started working on the next tooth on the upper jaw...this i figured out to be more stronger and more difficult to pull out...i could feel the Dr struggling his way to uproot the stubborn tooth....which resulted in my head bobbing to the left and the right...but again i felt no pain.......

         After a few more seconds of struggling,my Dr succeeded,pulling out the tooth which had lost it's hold...he pushed some more cotton onto the empty space as the blood started oozing out...

"Yesssssss!!!! I had done it!!! I have extracted two of my teeth and am still alive!" I thought to myself with joy not able to open my mouth with 2 swabs of cotton placed inside my mouth.......

The assistant handed me a piece of paper,"The Do's and Don'ts post Extraction"...i was supposed to keep the cotton undisturbed for another 45mts and avoid consuming anything too hot or too cold.

I nodded at my Dr,feeling helpless without being able to talk and left the room.As i walked in the reception section,i could feel some eyes staring at me,following my steps as i walked..."I must be looking funny with my mouth puffed up and shut tightly" i presumed.......

45 mts passed and i removed the cotton.The bleeding was still there and so i pushed in some more cotton inside the sockets...the effect of the anaesthesia diminished and started to become weaker.I could feel pain in my teeth...i took the painkillers prescribed for me and spent some more time making noises and showing sign languages in a way to communicate with my parents....and i hit the sack early......

The next morning the bleeding had stopped but the area still felt a bit raw and vacant and i found it difficult to brush my teeth..I had the course of tablets and felt much better later in the evening[bunked college that day :P]

I had the next appointment on Friday,to extract the next two teeth in the left side....Friday arrived and i felt more fearless and relaxed during the next extraction...the same routine followed......

           Thus i succeeded in extracting 4 of my teeth successfully! I hope that this will help in making my teeth better alligned.......

           And another thing I realized is that it was not the extraction that was painful or difficult but the bleeding which followed it.......

          The two sides of my upper jaws shows am toothless when i smile broadly so i constantly keep reminding myself not to smile "Eeeeeeee" like i always do......

         My Grandparents were the most sympathetic when they found out i had extracted 4 of my teeth.My Appupa was the most worried and was saying"Aiyoo! Who will want to marry my beautiful grandaughter when they find out she doesn't have 4 teeth??!!".I smiled and reassured him saying,"Don't worry Appupa,my teeth will fill in the gaps before i get married....."

Rush Hour

                    I guess everyone must be knowing Jackie Chan and his heroic Kung-Fu fights and stunts.Well,i was an ardent fan of his once and still am[Just with the depth of obssession decreased over the period of years] and having a record[which i consider to be] of watching one of his famous movies "Shanghai Noon" for nearly more than 25 times. I just watched the movie a month back and found it to be as hilarious and entertaining as i did some 7yrs back,the first time i watched it.I also developed a liking for his cartoon,"Jackie Chan Adventures" with the amusing characters including his Uncle and niece,Jade.

                   As i look back at his set of movies,"Rush Hour" comes to my mind.Well...the thing is another version of "Rush Hour" is played in "12,A.Colony West,R.V.Puram.Ngl-1".

                  Cutting short of all the suspense..i mean to say that the term "Rush Hour" directly implements "the time i get ready to college". Yes,it is a "Rush Hour" to me or should i rather be using the term,"Rush Minutes"........

                             Below is My Morning Routine for most of the Weekdays:

                  My "Main Hoon Don" alarm ringtone rings at it's highest volume,blaring into my ears and awakening my senses.I open my eyelids with difficulty and reach out to my mobile and look at the time trying to focus my mind."Bahh...it's only 6...lemme sleep for another 5mts" i say to myself while setting my alarm at "6:05" again and close my eyes intending to "sleep" for that precious "5mts"....It rings again and precisely at the same time my mom rings the bell in my room,"Buzz,Buzz".I wake up with a start and jump off the bed like a Ninja and shout at the top of my voice,"I got up!!Am Coming!!!"

                  I get my steaming,hot mug of Green Label filter coffee...slowly,deliberately taking in each sip and letting it roll into my tongue and slide down my throat,relishing it's rich taste with contentment as i sit down to do my last-minute work for college.My College commences at 8:30 AM.My parents go to work and have to get ready around the same time.The usual time Appa wants to reach his school is at 8 or 8:10 and not later than that and so as i go to college with my dad in the car even i have to get ready by the same time[I don't mind going to college at 8:25 or 8:29 A.M :P].

And this is when the "Rush Hour" starts.........[Timings can vary]

7:30 A.M:I am about to finish all my homework for that day...scribbling faster than ever into my note in an attempt to finish it.

7:35 A.M:I complete my work and put down my books....."Achuu!! Haven't u gone for ur bath yet?" my mom shouts...."Am going,ma!" i shout back and rush to my bathroom.

7:40 A.M:I take a "Kaaka-Kuli" and jump out of my bathroom.

7:45 A.M:I dress up...in my uniform which is pants,a shirt and a sleeveless coat.And search frantically among the heap of clothes which is sometimes strewn on the extra bed in an attempt to find my socks,belt and specs.

7:50 A.M:I rush out of my room and head towards the computer room,where my books lie.I grab them and run down the stairs with my hands holding the load of my engineering books etc or usually button up my coat[in order to save the time :P] and almost jump down the last few steps in the stairs.

7:50-7:55 A.M:I head towards Thatha's room,snatch my ID-card n watch and run to my mom[while combing my hair] to make her plait my hair[Yes,i mostly plait my hair as it gets unbearably tangled at the end of the day]

Amma holds her angry,hurried and impatient expression mumbling away saying that its getting late. I wait impatiently as she ties my hair and jump off the sofa as soon as she's done.....Appa gets ready by this time[Even after getting glued to the Newspaper in the morning] and has his breakfast.My eyes dart swiftly to the clock in the hall......

 Amma's auto arrives and she leaves to work.She usually never makes him wait[stands near the gate waiting for her auto]

7:55-8 A.M:I wash my hands,and devour my 1or 2 idlis swallowing it with haste,gulp my mug of milk and down a glass of water.[If i really get late,i do these while standing] & run to wash my hands........

8 A.M: I take a last look at the mirror,patting some more face-powder onto my face and apply a dash of my "Estee Lauder" neutral shade pink lipstick......

I hear Appa putting on his shoes and opening the grill and i say to myself "Oh God..fast fast..make it fast".....

I grab my books and stuff them into my bag,thinking of the day's time-table......and close my bag........

I hear Appa open the gate.....and reverse the car.......

"Dammit.....fast fast......." i breathe......

I literally whoosh towards the Pooja room,and the portraits of Annai,Aurobindho,Amritha amma and my deceased Grandparents and have a quick prayer...........

I hear Appa honking..............

I hurry to close the door,the grill and the gate...put the keys in my pocket and walk towards the car with my bag dangling behind me.......

I open the door and sit in  the passenger seat...Appa glares at me,impatiently tapping his fingers on the steering wheel and i tell him "Start pa,start" grinning,and let out a deep sigh of relief...........


And thus.....the "Rush Hour" ends for the day......................

The Angel in My Life-My Mom

                     I know it's cliche and everyone says so but that can't stop me from telling that my mom is an "Angel" and that i love her so much.

                   She's everything to me--the most  beautiful,charming,confident, smart,loving,caring,independent and modern yet modest woman in the world. She is a Jack of all Trades[Apart from using the Computer which she finds boring and strenuous.lol],a working woman,being the first[& the BEST] French teacher in KK District,doing all the house chores and keeping the house a "home" and making it beautiful the way it is-a good cook and always piling so much food on the plate inspite of knowing my dad has to lose a few pounds :P-fluent in English and nearly 5 other languages-drives the scooty and the car,a good and devoted wife to her husband and the most caring and loving mom a mother can ever be,sacrificing her joy and happiness for the well-being of her children and putting their needs above hers and the rest.Yes,she's the ideal mom.

                  I never really realised she meant so much to me until the other day when an incident took place at my college.I have a classmate called,Chitra Poorni,with whom i am not very familiar with.She's very sweet,shy,quiet yet friendly,calm and very reserved and never fools around like the rest of us. She's hard-working and clears my doubts whenever i ask her.I often used to tell her,"Come on Chitra,don't be so serious and study so much.Enjoy,have fun and talk with us.We are in College!!" And she used to just smile.......

               Yesterday,she dint turn up at college[being very regular,otherwise].Classes went on as usual.It was  our Analog n Digital Communication period and mam having finished her portion for this semester was just having a small chit-chat with us.She's quite fond of Chitra and she asked after her.One of her close friends told her that she had fever and that was the reason she hadn't come to college.Then mam went on about Chitra,telling that she was a very good girl and asked her friend if she still cooks her lunch for college.Her friend replied in the affirmative.Mulling over what she had just said,i asked mam why.Mam looked at me surprised and said,"Don't you know? She lost her mother".I let out a gasp of surprise and was so stunned that i was left speechless.Later i found out that Chitra's mother was a heart patient and had suffered a heart attack when she was at a tender age of 15.I felt very sorry for her and was asking myself why i never came to know about it.This news came as a shock for most of us who have never mingled so much with her.

              Turns out she lives with her elder brother and father and does all the house-hold chores and also cooks 3 meals a day on her own,packs her own lunch and comes to college ever since her mother passed away.I was really moved by the thought of how she does all this and also manages to study.Here, i cannot even manage to plait my hair without my mother's help and i would also feel annoyed or disinterested to help my mom in the kitchen to just chop the vegetables at times.

             I can never imagine what it would be like to live and grow up without a mother..a mother to share our secrets,a mother to rest on her shoulders and cry upon,a mother to console,comfort and encourage us,a mother who cooks our favourite dish and clears our bedroom even if we ask her not to.

            Chitra never gave us a chance or reason to suspect something bad had taken place in her life and that she was missing one of the most important person in her life.A wave of emotions and sympathy rushed through my entire body as i thought about the entire thing.Admiration,adoration and a new found sense of respect for Chitra filled my heart.....

Hallooo!!

A Very Good Morning to all!!
                                                The reason behind me blogging here is coz of my dear bro. I got really inspired and motivated when i started to read his blogs which he has been doing for almost a year now (Read his blog at www.aneeshramaswami.blogspot.com) So i wondered, why don't even i? They say,writing is a good way of expressing yourself...and today being 10-10-2010, an auspicious day to start something new,i thought i would start off by blogging and writing to my heart's content!

                                So Welcome ye all to a new world filled with a melange of sorts! :)