Wine & the habit of drinking

In China, on the contrary drink is a way of life as in western countries. All the dinner parties have alcohol as their principal drink and toasting are numerous and long.

Drinking is considered to be an evil practice in the Tamil society. There are very few people who openly consume alcohol. Those who drink do it secretly and try to hide the fact from others.

Therefore, brought up in the above culture, I was deeply prejudiced against consumption of alcohol. In addition to witnessing the elders disapproval of drinking relatives and friends, receiving advice of the teachers in school I was exposed to literature explicitly portraying the evils resulting from alcohol consumption.

The stories I read were abound with instances of drunken husbands beating the wives and spoiling the families. One story went as far as that the drunken man steps on his baby and kills it in the dark. Ananda Vikatan was on the forefront of this campaign. Sivasankari has written long and short stories on this.

An avid reader of Tamil literature in my student days I was deeply affected. In college also this continued. However, during the college days the ‘youth rebellion’ attitude made me question all the morals, religion, good things not based on logic and reasoning. Drinking by reasoning also leads to destruction. However, the moral strength of my mind was lost during that period.

Therefore, when I joined TEL and come to Indore for working, in the beginning I successfully spent the party evenings sipping some fruit juice. However, after having transferred to Marketing and on OKK’s advice, I made myself taste beer and other alcoholic drinks to give company.

My constitution was such that with one glass of beer or one peg of whiskey I get drunk. My head start spinning and I lose control of sense. My ‘alcohol capacity’ as the Chinese call is very low. It is a blessing in disguise.

In working life having seen a few, who have succeeded in their career, and still teetotallers, I was encouraged and started declining offer of drinks in informal occasions. However, when I visit Chinese factories or customers, when they offer wine it is impolite to refuse and am forced to take atlas a small quantity (which does not make me drunk).

Thanam maman used to drink. I still remember his red eyes, which were attributed to his drinking habit. Chellatthai’s husband died because of alcohol related health complications. Even though I have never seen that person, I have a vague horrible imaginary picture of him in my mind. I have seen how Chellatthai lived alone with her two daughters and one son and went through a lot of hardships.

I have never seen Appa consuming alcohol. When the prohibition law was relaxed, in every street corner Arrack shops mushroomed. With colourful lights and cinema songs blasting loud speakers, they look like a dream land (from outside, of course).

One of Appa’s office colleague took licence for arrack shop and was running it. He is in good terms with Appa. I was never able to understand how a man running arrack shop can be a good man.

In one movie, the girl selling arrack turn out to be very principled and virtuous. In one Rajnikanth movie the heroine is introduced as a smuggler of illicit liquor. Rajni is a taxi driver. His taxi used to refuse to start when any bad people are taken in. This girl fills a rubber tube around her waist and dress as a Muslim pregnant woman and walks on the road. The good hero Rajini wants to give her a free ride. But the car refuses to start. Rajini could not understand and the girl has to get out and walk, the car starts. The story goes on thus.

There was a movie, though I have not seen, I have read about a lot, about alcohol industry. They show how the illicit liquor makers adulterate, how unhygienic the conditions are etc.

The police taking money from the illicit liquor brewers is a famous topic for joke writers and story tellers. Some stories, the police even ask people to make arrack and sell so that they can earn their commission.

Anyway, the breathing of drunken men are obnoxious to me. Probably it may not be due to alcohol, the men I met in Chennai buses who drink, do not have a clean breath.

Still I associate drinking with immorality.

Sonntag, Januar 03, 1999

Soap

When I say I usually mean the one used during bathing. I remember my father or my mother soaping the body when I was a child. Water is poured only on the body and the face is wiped. The head is not made wet before the body is soaped and cleaned.

While applying soap, they rub the soap between the wet palms and then rub the palm over my body. The eyes have to closed so that the soap does not go inside the eyes and hurt. One day my father was taking bath and after applying soap in the face he could open his eyes, all of us were so surprised. Later on I also tried this technique. It worked. You have to close the eyes, apply the soap and then open the eyes so that no soap goes in. Previously till I pour water I have to remain blind.

Soap is rarely applied on the hair. Once in a few days, when the hair is to be cleaned soap is applied. For my sisters shampoo used to be bought. When I started taking bath on my own applying soap on the head became a daily routine. My brother also does. Looking at him I followed suit.

When I was a child we use Lifebuoy. When my sisters grow up, my mother decided to buy Hamam, my father, my brother, and myself decided that Hamam is not for men and reverted back to Lifebuoy. I continued to use Lifebuoy in college, in Dewas amidst a lot of fun making by friends and mates.

While going to the canal for taking a dip, applying soap takes new dimensions. If I drop the soap on the floor (sandy), a lot of sand particles get embedded on that and it is difficult to get all of them out.

After having a hair-cut, invariably a number of hair bits get sticking to the soap. It is impossible to remove them unless you are prepared to rub off half of the soap.

Village folks, among whom I was one, do not like to use soap. My grandmother used Sihakai powder. She uses coconut sponge to rub the body clean.

For some time, my mother bought Mysore Sandal Soap. Once or twice Kerala Sandal Soap. But Kerala Sandal Soap does not last long. On this count Lifebuoy is the best. As they advertise, bath after bath after bath it remains the same. But it has an unpleasant smell. Even though the body does not retain the smell after bath, the soap itself smells. There is another version of Lifebuoy with a good smell. But there are so many with nice fragrance. Lifebuoy is speciality is its unique smell, colour, shape and long life.

The fashion soaps Lux etc., I have rarely seen or used in real life. Watching on the TV or in the magazine advertisement in the limit. Since there is a number of cinema heroines associated with it, I even had a negative image of Lux.

For hand washing, there was paper soap. It is a soap slice on paper, one slice for one use. While buying something, it was given as a compliment and liking the idea my mother started buying that for sometime.

Another I found disconcerting in soaps is Lifebuoy is not the same when I buy in Chennai and in Nagercoil. There is a number of subtle differences. In Indore it is totally different. I was puzzled and confused. Later on I read somewhere soap industry is reserved for small scale industry, and therefore can not be produced in mass scale. Thus, the famous brands do only the marketing job, and the production is done by units spread all over the nation. There went the brand loyalty for a six.

Tusharika is allergic to common soaps. She can use Dettol soap. So in Shanghai , we started using Dettol. The Dettol soap bought in India is pink in colour and more strongly medicated that one available in Shanghai which is yellow in colour.

For baby’s Johnson’s Baby soap is available. I have never tried one on me. Must be a good product.

Soap advertisements are also of different types. I hate Liril, Rexona ad.’s, as I have a negative image about them. I like Hamam family ad and the of course the various Lifebuoy advertisements. Lux ad does not affect me (contradiction).

Montag, Januar 04, 1999

Calculators

The first time I was exposed to calculator was with the scientific calculator of Akka. Since she was doing B. Tech, one month with an additional budget of a couple of hundred rupees she had to buy the calculator.

In the school use of calculator is not allowed. Those days the electronic revolution just got under way. Therefore, calculators were still an expensive preposition. Not like today, calculators available even for less than 50 rupees.

The scientific calculator was bought after she lost the larger one given by Nageswary atthai to her. That was a great grief for her. And when I went to join B. Tech, her scientific came to me. Calculator is one thing very easy to lose. Since it does not fit into the pockets, it has to be carried in hand. And while going to the labs or somewhere else, we carry it in the hands and forget to bring back.

I do not remember correctly, but it seems that I also lost one.

During the pre college days, when the calculators were being used by the traders and local business men my elder brother was remarking that even business people use calculators only to cross-check the manual calculations, since they can not rely on ‘electronic’ thing. They may play foul.

In school, for calculations we have to use logarithm tables. That is an elaborate process and supposed to require brains. We also used to discuss the superiority of our educational system vis a vis the western system, where the people have to pull out their calculators even to do a simple addition, which we can do in our heads.

There are also stories about astonished white men gaping at brown Indian on his miraculous capacity to do figures in head.

Later on calculator became a useful tool. After joining Tata, and started working in marketing not carrying a calculator is considered to be an offence. A Marketing man is supposed to carry his calculator all the time to quote prices and tap tap figures out.

Still they are considered as a luxury item. Bought with a lot of consideration and used reverentially. After coming to Shanghai, with an independent office of the largest group of India, the budget widened and buying a desk calculator is considered to be normal.

I got a desk calculator. A simple one, which can do simple arithmetic.

In Dewas Mallay kumar made me buy a scientific calculator for his son who is studying in school. The cost was not much for my bachelor life that time.

Now I carry a pocket calculator, with a clock also. It opens like a cellular phone and we can do calculations. It is so tiny, it looks funny for others. After started carrying this calculator I stopped wearing my watch also.

In Dewas/ Madras I used to have a pocket calculator which had a foldable cover. Either I lost it or gave to some one now there is no trace of it.

Playing with calculator is a lot of fun. Some operations bring all eights on the display, which is supposed to be the way to check the quality of the calculator. With the scientific calculator which has numbers to the base of 16 having the first 6 alphabets, doing certain operations with some numbers bring some funny answers. I never managed to master these tricks, even though I was so eager every time some one does it.

Some advanced calculators have more than one memory. You can store 10 or so numbers at a time. In the examination hall to convey the answers to the problems these calculators are lent and borrowed. Some examiners prohibit students lending calculators. However, this such an innocent act, no one can stop such a thing.

For strength of material examination the use of calculator is a must. Even with calculators it is a head ache and a number of students get cup in the paper. I used to pride myself by doing sums in my head, even though I have calculator. Even now, sometime I derive a great deal of pleasure by working out calculations in my head while some one is doing it on the calculator. But, the Chinese do not appreciate it much.

Another calculator is the bigger one used in packing in Dewas. Thousands of leather pcs are listed and their area calculated in bundles using these calculators. The operators so skilled that they need not look at the key board at all. They look at the leather and punch the numbers.

It is the same with the data punching operators in EDP. Computer is also a big calculator, more sophisticated?

When the battery gets weakened the display starts losing its sheen the numbers start dancing in the calculator. This is a painful period of using calculator. For lazybones like me changing the battery will take a few days of torture. Only after that I will get enough drive to go to the shop and get it changed.

Some calculators are of use and throw type. Once the battery is finished no replacing throw it away. for my Indian psyche throwing anything is a difficult task to accomplish. The useless calculator may end up at the bottom of the table drawer.

The more modern calculator computer is doing wonderful things today. Using numbers it writes letter, connect people and enable us to talk over long distance, watch video over long distance. The calculator is a mighty gadget which is going to rule the next century.

Before the advent of computers, for the calculations involving numerical methods, they use human computers. A number students set up serially to work the same way as computer to do the sums. This is precursor to modern computing machines.

The abacus is the earliest calculating machine. But I never learnt to use an abacus. In China it is widely used. I thing it was invented in china,

Mittwoch, Januar 06, 1999

Prostitution

The first time I came face to face with prostitution outside the stories I used to read was when I was still very young. One afternoon, our father was telling us some story which we loved to hear and was not very often. Suddenly one woman came running at our gate and pleaded that some one is after her and please save her.

We, the father and all the kids except my younger sister, ran out calling thief! Thief!, There are 2-3 men dropping their bicycle ran away. We chased some distance and finally taking the cycle came back. By the time the neighbours also assembled in our house and there was a discussion. The woman was telling that they were after her jewels. My mother was as usual suspicious and looked down at the woman.

We were standing outside our house, when we could see the guys loitering just across the wall. They came near and wanted to talk to my father and the fat ‘Tagore’ mama (his dog was named Tagore). We children were turned away. My father came back from the inquest dejected and muttered, the guys are say so accurate information, how much money they give etc. I did not understand then, now I do. That time my only regret was the abrupt ending of the story session.

The next time I faced the disgusting aspect of prostitution was from my class mate Veerapandiyan when we were in 12^th standard. My mother did not like him and wanted me to stay clear from him. But I liked him. He is from Tirunelveli district. They go to their village every year. That year after coming back, he was quiet and restless. Finally, he broke his story. In their village he along with some of his young cousins hired a prostitute and had sex with her. He was also shocked and disgusted with the experience and gave us a negative feedback. He said it was so easy. My cousin went before me. When I went she was open, and I just had to put mine in, and it is so disgusting. I felt nauseating.

There was a story with a heroine named manohari. She is prostitute and develops a nice relation with a small girl lattoo and even conceived to please her and finally lose her friendship because of her social status.

Fortunately, in our college these kind of activities were non-existent. Atleast I never came to know about it. All our class mates are from decent city families and those from village are helpless in the city. In Indore/ Dewas also I did not face prostitution in real life.

After coming to China, I had a few experiences. More that what I had during the rest of the life time. When I was staying in Haining, early morning there was a phone call and a girl spoke in Chinese. Proud of my Chinese language skills (which were non-existent then), I gave some affirmative answers. After a few minutes the door was knocked and a normal looking girl was standing. I let her in thinking that she is a hotel servant to do some work. She came in sat on my bed. Then it struck me. Just short of crying with a flurry of Chinese expressions I chased her out.

I asked my interpreter to tell the hotel reception about the incident and lodge a complaint. They said they can not do anything and can not even stop the calls from coming.

The next time was when I was staying in Nanxun. The phone was ringing non-stop. And voices asking for business. Finally I took the phone off the hook and slept.

Another experience was with one Indian business man in Shanghai. Mr. Chester took him out for the evening and left him at the hotel at about 9 pm. Next day morning Chester told me that he wanted to go to some massage parlour and Chester asked to remain in his room. The hero was coming in the office with his glasses broken and travellers cheques torn. He said he was mugged, but it was clear he went out for adventure.

When I was staying in Jinjiang hotel, at the gate there are guys hanging around offering Shanghai girls. I was hit scared.

In Shenzhen hotels I see a bunch of girls but never bothered by any of them, except once, the last time. I checked in at noon and started eating the lunch I brought with me. Some one knocked the door and offering the services. I was indignant and chased her away.

Having widely ready, I have ready so much about prostitution also. This is the oldest trade in the world. In old Indian society the women are called Devadasi. There was one novel by Tamaraimanalan, Oru Madhavi Pesukiral. A girl born in Devadasi caste, faces the stigma attached with it goes through a lot of trouble and end up committing a murder.

In Tamil movies and stories girls taken away and sold for prostitution is one of the common themes. Even Lakshmi novels sometimes have this incident.

In. Ko Vi Manisekaran’s historical novel, Ajanta the prostitute cum dancer finds out that Mahendravarman has been replaced by his look alike by the enemies. She finally dies as a heroine.

There is a story told in the temple, about the prostitute who charges 1000 gold coins for one night, and when a poor man boasted that he spent one night with her in night, how he sued for payment and how the clever judge taught her a lesson.

Then we used to have crude jokes about prostitutes with unsatiable sexual hunger.

I personally am repulsed by prostitution. The usual sense of pity when looking at these girls selling their body does not arise. I just feel disgust. I also do not understand what kind of men who can go and have sex with a prostitute for money.

Siva

Donnerstag, Januar 07, 1999

‘By stealing away the comb you can not stop the marriage’ is a Tamil saying. Combing has always been a head ache for me. I simply did not have the sense to use comb and beatify myself.

I pride myself about my unkempt hair which I imagined gives me a rugged look. But I had only a mild look always.

In the school carrying a comb in the pant pocket is considered to be the practice of undisciplined students. Those who go after girls and tease them. It was not considered as an essential to keep one’s good looks.

So, in college and in later life I could not bring myself to carry a comb in my pocket. So, at the end of the day or even during the day my hair becomes dishevelled. Many times I forget to comb my hair after taking bath. And the look settles down morning itself.

Dr T Ramasamy, had a flowing hair which keeps falling on his face, and by a twist of his face he sends it back. He was an ideal for us in those days, still he is for me. So in the college unkempt hair is considered by me as scholastic and mature look.

My sister has a great amount of bugs in her head. They use a lot of oil and no shampoo. As a result a lot of problems. There are special combs to comb out these bugs. There is a special comb to kill the eggs and young ones of these bugs, which are aplenty in my sisters’ hair. Later days they got rid of these troubles by using herbal shampoos. Kenz was the first one used by them.

Use of comb also is not very simple. For combing the hair we should use the broader portion first, and when the hairs are disentangled use the finer portion. Some combs have the finer portion only. Those which are carried in the pockets are of finer size.

The combs used by women have much bigger teeth and easy to use. There is a comb to curl the hair. Which looks like a brush and I think it is called so.

In the barber shop the use of comb is essential. Coming the hair and cutting of the portion above the hair is the basic of hair cutting, in my observation. Some guys come into the barber shot just to comb their hair and go away. I saw in one shop a board declaring that for combing the hair the charge is 50 paise. This is to avoid unnecessary crowd.

For the road side Romeo’s the comb is a status symbol. When they see their heroine, the hero proudly displays his comb and passes through his hair and deftly replaces it in his pocket.

When the comb is used roughly on the head it can cause damage to the scalp. It is quiet painful. I remember my sister combing my hair. She tries to part my hair into neat division and always fail. But, when I come back from the barber shop the barber succeeds in doing so, she often remarks, the barber does a good hair style to this fellow and later on he messes up and no one can arrange parting also.

Taking a comb in the hand my sisters can spend hours together combing through the hair. If there are two girls, good pals, one combing other’s hair, the gossiping and fun, they pass time as if they are in the heaven.

With the habit of using oil and not using shampoo or soap the hair tends to become dirty. A lot of dirt accumulates in the comb. To clean that is a special job. I hate it. My sister puts the comb in water to soak, and using a sharp object removes the dirt from the teeth one by one. My mother wants all the combs to be spike and span and expects us to clean them regularly. I never liked that tiresome job.

Finding a comb in a 7 member family is also very difficult. In this house, it is always necessary to search for the comb. Why don’t you children keep the comb in the specified place. To steer clear of this problem, we kept a separate comb for our father which nobody uses. Since his hair is normally clean and he uses and keeps in place, this comb is clean and always available. But we dare not use it and dirty it.

Combs come in different colours. The low caste women come to sell combs. These combs are made of animal bones. Nowadays, combs are all of plastic and mass produced. In the villages during the temple festival the girls buy their combs from the migratory traders.

Owning a comb is the symbol of a grown up girl in the Tamil movies based in rural surrounding. With Bharathi Rajini movies, the rural setting really took off and comb played a role in those descriptions.

The lover brings comb, mirror and ribbons for his girl friend. To depict the poverty, the comb is toothless and the mirror is coatless.

Some tribal women keep the comb in their hair dressing. But I have seen them only in TV and some documentary.

Who invented comb first, I do not know. Must be one of the earliest inventions. When man started getting the feeling of orderliness and beauty he should have started using the comb.

Once I went to study and work, I am the only person using my comb. I developed a distinct liking for my comb. I this the first one the college was of sandalwood colour and liked and kept for very long time. Somehow, these kind of things I do not manage to lose, as I do with many other things. Probable it is used only once a day at a particular time and place, the chances of misplacing is small.

Freitag, Januar 08, 1999

Cold

In Nagercoil the winter is very mild. In fact, we do not know winter unless travel outside. Very few houses will have woollen sweaters or blankets. There is no need. In December and January in the evening there is a cold breeze and mother will rush us inside warning that Pani is falling.

When we go to Ayyappan temple by walking we have to cross Jayasekaran hospital. We saw a person sitting in front of the hospital with a cloth tied around his face. I remarked this is the standard symbol for patients in the cartoons. It is meant to protect one from the cold. The weather in Kerala is relatively colder.

Madras is also hot with no real winter. Not even the ‘Pani’ of Nagercoil is available.

In Tamil Nadu during December- January, it is considered auspicious to get up early in the morning and chant Thirupavai and Thiruvempavai. Margazhi month is considered to be the holiest of the months, as it is the morning of the Dewas. These pathikams are the means to wake up Dewas. It is cold. One is supposed to take bath in cold water and go to the temple.

In the stories pious old men and women in spite of their old age get up and go the temple. Young unmarried girls go as a batch to take bath and worship. Andal and Manivasakar Pavai is very rich, I memorised all of them, even though now I remember very little of them. I shall relearn them.

In Dewas I met the real winter for the first time. Our seniors who came there one year ahead of us pioneered a tradition of not wearing woollen sweater in winter, even when the temperature drops to 5-7 degree Celsius. Mr. O K Kaul also does not wear any. From the second year of my service in Dewas Mr OKK started and I also did. We will be standing at the bus stop shivering and shaking. Sit in the bus which is warm inside. In the factory, the teeth teeters.

So, I started owning 2 sweaters of very common quality. When I was to go to Europe with Mr. Kaul, I did not have any warm clothes. The day before my departure I searched to buy a sweater but could not find a decent one. Finally bought a sleeveless one. The other one I had, had a hole in the chest.

In Bologna it was COLD. I was miserable throughout without proper clothes. Bologna, Rome, Munich and Austria everywhere I was cold and frightened without understanding the reason. Mr. Kaul did not say anything, asked me to buy a good sweater in Rome, which I still own. I liked it very much.

In Shanghai, I had to live in the winter. I remember BMG using 4-5 pants to guard from cold. I started wearing 2 pants. One day I bought leather gloves. Tusharika had brought leather jackets, which were very helpful. Still later I started wearing 2 sweaters.

The worst day was when I tried to go by bus to Nanxun. It was snowing that day and I reached Huqingping gong lu by taxi and got off at some bus stop. There were no buses. I was shivering from cold. My socks is not woollen. My feet were frozen. My shoes are ordinary leather uppers. Finally took another taxi to Qingpu. Inside Qingpu there are no buses to Nanxun. They directed to go to 318 again. It must be about 2 km. I was shaking and was afraid may fall dead any moment. After drudging for some distance, again got into another taxi, who put me in a bus. The bus is also not very warm.

Coming back also I had to change 2 buses. The roads were full of coarse muddy snow. My shoes have become wet. The socks was moist and the feet were numb. When I came back home I was relieved so much. But, there was nobody to share, Tusharika had become a stranger to me. There were so many evenings like that. I will be always a loner.

Began donated his sheet to a Peacock. He was walking through the forest and the peacock was preparing to dance with the expectation of rain. This generous king thought that it is feeling cold and covered it with his blanket and came away. He was praised for that.

Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens talks about cold and hunger of the poor. When I was in Indore, I used to go for having breakfast early in the morning. I go for long walks. I had a clear understanding, if there is enough glucose in the blood the cold will not be felt as severe as when you are hungry.

My hands remain cold in winter. Anybody who shakes hand with me has to suffer. Lalit’s hands are warm. He makes a fuss everyday touching my hand. Tusharika also told me that her hands are warm and her colleagues in office try to take heat from her hands. I wish mine are also warm.

Once, from college we went to Kodaikanal for a picnic. It was in December and was very cold. We searched and found a place to stay. It was a house run by the young couple living there. They said they will charge for a bucket of hot water. I decided to take bath in cold water.

Each mug of water poured over my body drained all my strength. The blood was going cold. With a stout heart I completed the bath without omitting any detail. After drying and dressing up I came out to the lawn and lied down on the grass. I became unconscious. I could feel myself giving up. I was thinking what will happen to me, why did I do this foolishness. Without breakfast I was hungry also. After 10 minutes or so, I came back to senses.

In the same trip we went trekking and missed the bus for coming back. Had to walk. Begun bravely. It started raining and we were drenched. It was cold. Finally took lift in a tempo and reached the place where we were staying.

In Idhayathai Thirudathe, there is a scene. The hero/heroine stands inside the room. Someone opens the door. The cold draft moves and touches him/her. The turn back. I liked very much and I love Manirathnam for that poetic imagination.

siva

Montag, Januar 11, 1999

Telephone

Telephone is a rare commodity those days. Only very rich people or senior government officials have phone in their house. We had a phone in the ‘Society’ in our colony. To do gas booking, my brother goes there and make a call. I have touched the phone once or twice I think.

When Muthu’s appa became Kanya Milk MD, they got a phone in their house. The black one with a characteristic ringing sound. If we want to make outstation calls, we need to book a trunk call and wait for a few hours to get through. One day due to some Bandh, my father could not go to the office in Boothapandi and wanted to convey the message, it did take 3-4 hours, by that time it was lunch time in the office.

In our school there was a phone. None of our set had phone in their house. So, we were all in par. When my brother graduated and started practising as a Doctor, in his name we got a phone in our house. The phone in our house still in his name.

My sister’s hostel in Madras had a phone. But she can not use as none of us had phone. When I joined Anna University, in the hostel we have a phone in the hostel mess. If some one calls they will come to the room and call us. It may take up to half an hour. The phone will be on hold. No wonder, half of the time the phone will be engaged.

If we make any calls they charge on account. The Dadhas make calls and distribute to unsuspecting accounts. I used to call my sister at her hostel in Chrompet. The briefest chat we used to have.

I had no telephone manners. When someone picks up the phone I will say Valliammal Kitte Pesanum. One day my sister told me the warden upset about that and I should talk properly.

When I came to Dewas, in the beginning, I am hesitant to pick up a ringing phone. If the other end asks me who am I, what should I say? Nobody knows my name. Making a call is very rare. I would have made not more that 10 calls during the whole of one and half years. Then I came to marketing. After some time I pounce upon any phone ringing. I also learnt to say Hello, Siva here? And to say polite words.

There was a hotline to Mumbai shipping cell. It was a black monster. I detested in the beginning. The people at the other end are typical beaurocrats.

Phone and the revolution brought about by Sam Pitroda under Rajiv Gandhi and the resultant STD/ISD booths played a major role in developing my relation with Tusharika. Even today, Tusharika says I could understand you from your voice. When you are in front of me I don’t understand you, you become so strange.

We talk for long time and I spent a huge amount of money on phone calls. We also used to write letters.

Making an international call from Dewas is a privilege provided to only a select few. As KR’s assistant I had that. Receiving call from Schmenger is a pleasure. They will say ‘ this is "so and so" speaking from Schmenger Leder, may I speak to Radhakrishnan please?’ The whole sentence in one breath they finish. Good fun.

When Pedro in on line, it is very difficult to understand. He chews his words. Glory Chen does not allow the other person to speak. For him the telephone coversation is a monologue by himself. Shrut’s calls used to be with faint sound quality, but even in that we can feel the softness of his voice.

Mr. Murali and Goel have the habit of talking for hours on the phone. They make international calls and talk like that. Hong Kong telecom gives them free gift periodically for running such a high phone bill.

Most of what they talk could be done much efficiently, if they sent a fax first and call up the concerned person to give a personal touch. They talk unnecessary rubbish on long distance calls.

Having a phone at home is a luxury I started getting after being posted in Shanghai. A phone with a number owned only by me. I had a heady feeling. I shoot off faxes to the bosses informing my number. The saddest point is they omitted my name from Tata telephone directory and my number. That is one of the grudges against Mr. Murali I have.

January 12, 1999

Tooth Paste

When I was a child we neither used Tooth brush nor tooth paste. We use, Umikari to clean the teeth in the morning. Sometimes Gopal tooth powder. Still later one Siddha powder. For a time period, the soft fine powder of Promise or Colgate. But using the paste is not contemplated. With a family of 7 members using paste means buying tooth brush for all at least once in a month, leading to an additional expenditure head.

When we go to Thovalai maman’s house, Chorna atthai uses paste, and we take the paste in the fingers and brush the teeth. It is a unpleasant experience. The paste and the finger does not go well together. For using finger Umikari or some substance with solidity is needed. Paste is too Vala Vala.

After coming to the college hostel, the paste saga started. My brother used to tell us the story of buying tooth paste in the hostels/ student rooms. Any one of them will have the paste which will be used by all. Sometimes, they put load on the tube and sit on it to squeeze out the last remains of the paste.

But in our hostel we did not have this problem. However, I was so stingy, I lock everything in my cup board. I do not like to share anything with anybody.

Toothpaste war between Colgate and Close-Up is very famous. Colgate advertisements always used to be one advocating switching over from crude materials to the powder and paste. Advising wives to make husbands use the paste to get the Colgate circle to the family. They were generating demand. Close Up took Colgate head on. There is a white tooth paste which the man in the ad detests looking at every morning. Then the blue and red Close Up comes along and he brushes with a dance.

Then the mouth wash thing started. Boys and Girls, youngsters dancing together and breathing into each others nose and still smiling and so on Close-Up continued. Colgate had to introduce its Gel version to counter this after losing a considerable territory to this mouthwash tooth paste.

There was one paste Binaca. They advertise in Ambulimama. The bad guys attack the teeth and gums and the Binace super hero fights and defeats them with the help of his army. Later Binaca changed to Cibaca. Apparently the licence terminated and when Cibaca started advertising Binaca is now Cibaca, there were objections from the Binaca.

Pepsodent Germi Check was the next famous ad. The boy eating chocolate and his sister scaring him about the germs and the mother reassuring that Pepsodent Germi Check continuously fights with the germs round the clock.

Colgate used Doctor in their advertisement. There was a E-mail from one of the Indians living in Shanghai that some chemical used in tooth paste is carcinogenic. Unilever guy was furious and gave a reply with a lot of contempt.

My gums started bleeding very early. I never suspected what is it? After Tusharika came to Shanghai and arranged to get Pepsodent the problem was solved. Anyway, brushing two times a day helps a lot.

Whether persons with no teeth need to brush or not? That was the doubt I had as a kid. My father explained patiently that they need to clean their gums, so they do brush their gums. My father has always been very patient in answering such silly doubts of the children. Somehow, we do not bring ourselves to ask my mother this kind of questions. She is more serious type.

Tooth paste making is reserved for the small scale sector in India. Even then, the multinational marketing companies have a big share of the market. The marketing power.

In Shanghai I found the mouthwash to be used after brushing teeth. When I go to meet Tusharika, I brush my teeth very carefully, taking care that every nook and corner is touched by the brush and once I brushed twice. I wanted no smells into her face.

The women in our villages brush their teeth well into the day. Many educated people also. They take coffee eat some thing and leisurely brush. The reason given is they want to do this all important job carefully, do not want to rush through.

Saturday, January 23, 1999

Books and Reading

Anyone who knows me knows that I am a book worm. It started very early in my life. My mother is a Tamil Pandit and consequently had a number of books in her collectioin. She used to buy Vikatan weekly. My father also had his own collection of books comprising mostly of philosophic numbers.

I was reading Ponniyin Selvan by Kalki when I was in standard II. I read MuVa’s Karithundu when I was in second standard. I do not even understand a greater part of the books. I just read along.

When we moved to Simon Colony, the flooding of books started. Raju’s mama buys many weekly’s and collects the serial stories and keep them bound. They buy comics. I have become a regular visitor to their house to borrow house. My mother is not very happy about that.

Arthanari used to buy Rathina Bala, we buy Ambulimama and we exchange after reading it. After some time Arthanari switched to Gokulam, when it was resurrected.

Once we were returning from Simon Colony where the house construction was going on to the town. My elder brother and I were with our parents. My father had brought his cycle. The distance is over 4 km. We walked the greater part of the distance, during the final leg, my mother suggested that my father can take one of them and go in front. Being the younger one I was offered the choice. I declined to go in the cycle, the reason being, Amma will be buying Ambulimama on the way and I want to be the first one to see that an lay my hands on. Amma was so surprised and remarked about it.

In Simon Colony years my reading was extensive. I read everything on which I lay my hand. All of them are Tamil works. I tried to read one or two English books, but could not go after the second page and left it.

When I was in the final years of my school, I was almost an expert in the contemporary Tamil literature. Starting from the pulp fiction, to serious writings I read. I read Kalaimagal as well as Rani and Devi. Amma used to buy Vikatan, Kalki, Kalaimagal. Later years she bought one or two special issues of Kalki and Kalaimagal brought out during Deepavali.

Some times my friends use my passion for books to torment me. Especially Arthanari. If he is having a book I want to read, I will bend backwards to obtain it and he knew it. Raju’s house is more gentle. In the later years I even started reading his father’s Tamil literature collections.

First time I encountered pornographic books was in Rajesh’s house. His father was in a foreign country and the three brothers were living with their mother. For reasons I still do not understand their house abound with pornographic books and we children had a free access to them if we keep Rajesh in good humour. We seldom see their mother.

After coming to college, reading changed direction. I started with English books. I was the member of American Library (4 books), Connimera Library (3 books), A C Tech library (3 books) Tambaram lending library (2 books). The duration of lending is usually 2 weeks. I plan and make myself read almost all of them in 2 weeks time. With American library I assimilated a great deal of knowledge about United States of America.

When I was staying with my sister in Tambaram and commute to college by bus, I read The Hindu. That was the beginning. I faced the initial boredom in reading a foreign language. Since, the bus is so much crowded and the journey takes almost 45 minutes, I gradually made myself able to read the paper. I started with the editorial. Within the four years, I read the paper fully. I had a pattern. I read the front page first. Then the sports. Then the centre pages, International etc. I was not much interested in business, stocks pages.

After coming to Dewas, I started with Economic Times. That also launched me into a new horizon. I enjoyed reading it. When I was transferred to marketing Mr. Sanyal remarked on that. I felt good. When we do something regularly people around us do notice it.

I started buying books in Indore. I bought mostly the second hand and pirated books available at low prices. A few books I bought in Rupayana. One is Economics by Samuelson, Physics lectures by Feynmann.

Careers & Job Search

When I was a young boy and studying in school I used to read and hear about unemployment problems in the country. I always worry about my prospects. What I will do? I will also complete my degree or diploma register my name in the employment exchange and wait for a job from the Government.

In Kanyakumari district, outside government job and traders there are no other opportunities. When MGR was Chief Minister he announced a scheme by which unemployed youth registered with the Exchange for 5 years will get a monthly stipend of Rs. 50/-. There were people employed in the private sector showing to the government that they are unemployed and getting this money.

My father’s sister’s son completed B Com and could not find a job. He worked in many kinds of odds and ends jobs and finally got lost somewhere, now there is no trace of him. Amma’s brother could not find a job in the traditional sense and started his own business Sundar Sounds and launched himself.

In Thovalai, job is not a problem. Even Children are employed. In the morning go to the flower garden and pluck flowers, you get money. During the day, make malai using the flowers you earn money. In the evening go out to sell the flowers. You earn money. Work in the wholesale market. Go to Kerala to market the flowers.

When Annan got into a professional course and Akka completed Leather Technology and landed in Wipro, some clarity and confidence developed. One of the main reason for joining Leather Technology is the job opportunities.

In A C Tech, the three branches of B Tech were constantly compared in terms of job potential. Leather is considered to be the best with even the worst of the lot getting good jobs. Textile is the poor cousin.

Every year, during the second half, i.e. even semesters, the campus interview fever starts. The no of students who had been already employed is discussed like the latest cricket score. During the final stages, if someone is left out it is considered to be a problem not only for that particular batch, but for the whole branch.

As we entered the final year, we also earnestly started thinking about finding a job. My favourite clich? was I am fed up studying and college life and want to start working. I did not appear for any competitive examination for higher studies courses. In the third year itself students go for GRE and CAT. GATE is taken in the final year.

Even though Akka got a good score in GATE qualifying her for the scholarship for post graduate studies, she decided to go for job. I did not work for any leather chemical companies. I applied only for the tanneries in the campus interview. The first interview I attended was Farida. Even though I was not disappointed with the interview, I was not selected. Nachiappan got selected. I had applied for L&T and took their aptitude test conducted for all the students. My name was short listed and they called me for the final interview. However, as I had already been selected by TATA I send a letter to them informing that I am off.

Tata is my dream. I was all pumped up for the interview. However, with the usual casualness during those days, I was in a pant shirt and chappals without tucking in the shirt. The interview was conducted by Mr. Kaul and when I was being interviewed DKS came in. Bhaskar who went in before me told us that the interview is gruelleing and they are asking all sort of questions. He was very upset. I went in confidently.

Mr. Kaul had a bunch of papers with notes written in them. He was asking questions from them ranging from chemical structure of proteins to the mechanisms of machines to commercial side of leather making. I did not expect this. Tried to answer and managed to give reasonable replies to most of the questions. However, towards the end I felt that I had messed up everything and I am not going to be selected. DKS asked me to drop the pen I was holding and hold up my hands. They were shaking. He said, if you lose your poise with this interview, how you are going to handle situations involving problem with workers if selected. Mr. Kaul said there is no reason to get tensed. If I do not get selected by Tata there are so many companies for leather technologists.

Finally he advised me to utilize the remaining three months well and brush up my basics. He asked me to utilise the library in CLRI as this is one of its kind in India.

I had a surprise in store the next day. My name toped the list of candidates selected by Mr. Kaul. Akka told me this must be a sort of stress interview to test us. I was on top of the world.

After joining Tata I never contemplated change of job while working in Dewas, Chennai. I told myself, if I can not perform in this company, how can I blame the company. I must utilise the opportunity and make the best out of my situation. I devoted myself fully and worked. I got one or two indirect job offers from visiting business men, which I did not consider at all.

Monday, February 08, 1999

Sleep

I found a remarkable truth about sleep. The more I sleep, the more sleepy I feel during the day. Sound sleep for about 6 to 7 hours refreshes and keeps the day brisk. Interrupted sleep is the worst of all. The whole of next day would be spoilt, without understanding why?

When I was a child I sleep like a log. My mother wakes up even with a slight noise. I can sleep through an earth quake. When I start sleeping if my head is in the North direction, in the morning it can be in any of the other directions. I do gyro in sleep.

As a child I did not like to sleep in the afternoon. The sleep is very pleasant, but the aftermath is not palatable. After a full meal, when I sit and try not to disturb my parents who are relaxing, or reading something, the head starts nodding off. It is very difficult to resist the temptation and not to sleep. I try hard and many times succeed in not sleeping. However, when I do fall asleep, I had to wake up after 1 or 2 hours and the evening is ruined. I feel dull and the stomach feels like a heavy bag.

I hate routine as followed by others. Therefore, in 10 standard I adopted a practice of going to sleep by 8 pm and getting up at 2 am in the morning. My mother is very happy. The son is studying so diligently. It is helpful as morning is quiet without outside disturbances.

I could never bring myself to cram before the examination. In the college most of the students spent the examination week without sleep. The spent the nights studying. I make it a point to go to sleep at 8 pm during exam time.

Another occasion to lose a night’s sleep is video shows. As Video players for hire scheme came, people hire video for 24 hours and watch (!) movies round the clock. I can not and never did.

The first time I spent a night without sleeping during a Saraswathi Pujai day, when we went to Ranithottam for the Light Music performance and came back at 4 am in the morning. During the initial 2-3 hours it is difficult with sleep dominating. After that the brain reaches a sort of super awareness and anytime we close the eyes, it is impossible to get up without completing the sleep.

In Dewas, I spent a number of sleepless nights. It started with the second shift. The shift ends at 12 midnight. By the time we reach Indore and hit the bed it is about 2.30 am. It is as good as morning. I had a habit of getting up at about 7.30 am during this period. Those guys who go by second bus for the office shift starting at 8.30 am used to exclaim at it. Latter came the days when I go to the night shift, Starting from 12 midnight to 7.30 morning. It is no sleep during the night. It is reversing the clock.

Still latter came instances where I stay back and spend the whole night in the factory after a day’s work and followed by another day’s work. In production, it was only a couple of times. After coming to Marketing department, it is a regular feature every month on the last day of the month.

At least during these closing nights there are other people staying behind in Marketing. For ISO 9000 documentation, I used to stay back alone and work in MS Word. It takes endless hours to perform simple tasks. The earlier version of Windows loaded in a 386 computer is damn slow and I did not have a formal training. I had learnt everything during this sessions. After working for a few hours, the computer screen start playing tricks. I start seeing images. Sentences appear which I did not type. I get all type of illusions.

I had a fight with Hassan over my sleeping habits. In Jobat I take dinner and go to sleep very early in bachelor standards. Even when he arranged a party, I had to have my food early. Even when I am the mess in charge I want to go to sleep early. One day he banged the door so violently to wake me up.

During Deepavali night they put fire crackers into the room where Sundar was sleeping. Sundar was not amused.

During Indore life, whenever I take off on Saturady, it is spent sleeping. The bad side is the next day feels awful. The hangover of the previous day’s sleep is badly affecting. That is one of the reasons, I did not take off on Saturday if the factory is working.

Arun can sleep for record hours. He sleep like ET with his lungi and hand baniyan. We all make fun of him.

I get irritated if disturbed during sleep. My mother had a habit of waking me up from sleep and asking me to eat some food. I get unbearably angry. She gradually stopped that. However, if I sleep without having food, she can not resist.

Flying

The fear of flying is called aerophobia or aviatophobia. When we were kids we run out to look at any passing aeroplane. One of us would spot a plane on the sky and shout for the others to come out and have a look. When the jets came the smoke trail was something to watch out for.

Have seen the helicopters when Indira Gandhi came to Nagercoil for electioneering. There was a helicopter dropping advertising leaflets. Flying was for the rich and mysterious.

The first time I did get a chance to fly was when Mr. Kaul took me with him to Bologna fair. The previous instance when KR was travelling he was asked to go by train to Bombay enroute to Europe. I also decided to follow the lead and started arranging for train journey. Mr. Kaul brushed that aside and booked me in Damania flight.

That morning Mr. Murali and Marc Benchimol were also flying. We reached the airport. We were waiting at the airport. Got into the plane. It is damn small. But, of high quality. Sat on the seat, two seats away from Mr Kaul. Trouble with seatbelt. The neighbour helped. Mr. Kaul had obviously observed that. He said latter, had I known that it is your first time in a flight I would have given you guidance in advance