A Daughter and an Impish Appa

It s been almost one year, I am far from my home. But never once, I ve felt missing my father. It so happened today that I heard John Mayers Daughter’s song and actually started sort of digesting the lyrics. I ve been hearing this song for years and have never had an idea of analysing it. But today this somehow made a deep impact and thus comes this post. This post is an ever special dedication to my special father in this little world.

Fathers and daughters always share a special relationship which is much more special than mothers and sons do. I was born after eight and half years. This fact, itself made me more special in the family and the credits kept on added as me being a girl.. Being the only girl, my brought up was so rich and healthy. My father was so careful that apart from being a father’s girl I was also brought up with more liberty, freedom and independent. 

This tall, medium-built, balding old man (never mind, he tags himself young) with sparse silvery hairs adorning the rear portion of his head, and looking mischievous totally incongruous with his 55+ age could be spotted, more often than not, always with his daughter. He wakes me up 5 times in the morning.

The first would be with singing (funnily) some old song,,(this at times include dancing). Obvious, I would show no response.

The second with a slogam that his father used to wake him up (ezhun-thirin-gada pa-san-ga-la,,blah blah).

Third with “kannama,,,amma thitra,,wake up”.

Fourth with “Preethi!!!”.

Finally fifth with, “ I am not going to wake her up, its none of my business. She should have her responsibilities” (with an angry tone).

Finally I would understand my limit. 

Despite all his histrionics and theatrics loaded with tons of practical jokes, appa was far too innocent and had a pristine heart. Starting from the morning newspaper time, I would always want his company. He packs my bag, drops me in bus stand, at times rushes behind the bus, and picks me back in the evening. I was so dependent on him and loved that. He gave me my own space in everything I needed. He has always asked for my decision from very small to big matters and has implemented everything.

Honestly he never had patience. He would tune his piano to my shruti and if I am not louder enough or if I miss it once,,Over. I know how much fun, thrill, exiting and more fearful it was, when he taught me driving. Soon enough I expressed my wish to ride, he bought me a cycle. I was asking for a three wheeled medium cycle and he bought me a big two wheeled matured cycle. I learnt how to ride, except that I can neither sit and initiate the ride nor I can turn 180 deg with balance. I needed him for both.  Years passed by and he bought me a scooty. Learning that wasn’t pretty tough. He named it as “Achtung Baby” and pasted the sticker. Soon enough me and my scooty became so popular. He next wanted me to drive a car and presented me a car on my 18 th birthday. Seriously, I understood how difficult it was to be his student. Never mind, Out of limitless sweet encounters, the above will be still vivid in my mind, never to go away ever.

I still remember, an aged handicapped beggar couple, scantily clad and shivering, thanks to the nippy breeze, opened the gate of the house and walked in, straight towards appa and begged for alms. What he did was something monumental. Without a second thought, he went straight inside the house. Took many good pairs of his shirts and pants, many good sarees of amma, woollen bedspreads, food, money, and gifted them, giving them a total makeover. The couple, found themselves cosy, prostrated before this crazy donor and ambled out wishing and blessing his generations.

Appa, you have ever been my craziest lovable father and you are the best man, I have ever seen. ( Hoi!! Remember, I told best man, not best boy, I have someone else to be my Best boy).

I love you  :)

A Holiday in Tioman :)

Have you ever felt the feeling of hearing a romantic rocking song walking along the beach in the white sand with the sea waves touching your feet softly now and then? Ever felt the loveliness of a lonely night watching the stars and in dark, really dark midnight with hearing the sound of waves, sitting in the sea shore? Ever felt tasting delicious rich tomato soup and stuffed capsicum with garlic butter naan seeing the sunset along the sea shore? Ever felt the timeless experience of spa treatments allowing the body mind soul to pamper? Most importantly snorkeling in the middle of the sea seeing sharks, turtles and corals, when there is a thunder storm and heavy rain?

 All these freaking awesome things happened to me. I’ve had infinite number of vacations in my life time and have gone to numerous number of places which also includes three to four islands and heard my friends telling their experiences of different islands they have went. Oh yeah!!Definitely Tioman is God’s island.                                                                   

It was a long trip from Singapore, starting from 5.00 clk with high energy we reached there by 2. Didn’t really feel like taking rest. The whole trip really didn’t make us tired. The first evening went gathering stuffs, planning for the other days and spending some good time in beach with awesome Indian dinner.

Snorkeling 

This was the very first activity we stepped into. The perfect thing is I am a poor swimmer (damn poor- even struggles and wants a life jacket in swimming pool) and most afraid of jumping in super chill water. At last reached the middle sea, wore things, people started jumping as such it was some lake. Even then, I told “Oh wow, the water is so clear, yeah I can see everything inside. So u go am not coming”, No way they got convinced. I was standing in the first, and finally was last in the boat. So chanting slogams, and holding the ladder of the boat tight, finally went inside water. Oh my god what a world it was. It was exciting seeing numerous numbers of varieties of fishes, turtles, corals, sharks, freaking awesome!!..So with enough guts proceeded snorkeling in all the three islands.

Trekking

Trekking was not new to me. So with the satisfaction of knowing this already we headed to the Rockfall trip. That was nothing new. A bit extra adventurous. We saw many new creatures. And seeing sea 800 meter above the sea level, from a hill was an experience I can say. Had awesome time in the waterfall. Came down down down the hill.

Sea Swimming

There is nothing much more than the heading. Went till 5 feet in the waters found broken corals and sea cucumbers. Badly wanna bring them home. Also found quite  risky and dropped the idea.As a result of this got used to chill sea water.

Spa

Aha!!here it comes ..The purpose of Tioman. This was my first time seriously, and I was bit excited about this. First we were treated with a lemon ginger grass jelly drink. Then we were taken to the room. At first thought it might be painful a bit and as I din wanna take risk just went with aromatherapy avoiding the deep tissue massage. One of my friend was so stupid that he really thought deep tissue dealt with massaging the body with tissue papers..(am sorry- wanna add some humor to the post). That’s it. It was a world of indulgence and rejuvenation. This was relaxing, refreshing, balancing or exotic for a calming and relaxing massage that involves long rhythmic strokes. The unbelievable part of the whole thing was, how efficient the massager was in maintaining the same amount of pressure from the start to the end.

With all other small adventures here and there, It was time for us to leave Tioman, and that day we started by 11 o clock from that place. Seriously it was the longest day in my life. Generally me and my father had the habit of being sad and less energetic on our return trip of any holidays. This was as same as any other return trip. It took only 6 hrs to reach Tioman from Singapore, and it was 12 hours getting back to Singapore. So…So what??The holiday got over…

Love u Tioman. U r the Best Place I’ve ever seen.

Before and After EXAMS

Yeah it’s been quite a long time, I posted something. And that was because of the hectic-hectic exams. The words – study holidays, books, sample question papers, planning, schedule, time-table, anytime doesn’t have bothered me much. I would some or the other get my energy by thinking the holidays next to exams and the favorite post exam ritual-cleaning of the house after the exams. So these are quite exiting stuffs. It’s pretty different feeling that we experience before and after exams.

Before Exams:

 Morning Time exams would be the most preferable. It starts with a slow, medium, fastest revision with completely no distraction and then proceeding to the exam hall. The afternoon exams are the most challenging, even if it’s not technically, definitely mentally. With no sympathy for a girl revising for her exams, the trees, the birds and especially the plumpy cats in NTU divert a lot. And it’s worse when you hear a song from some very distant place. It makes you think a series of songs and though you don’t openly sing it, it starts ringing in your heart the whole day. Am sure a lot many girls would have experienced this. I know the case is completely opposite for boys. I very well know how blessed the boys feel for the afternoon exams, and how many of my best friends search page numbers for important questions in local author books.

This is all what we (at least me) think about when there is an afternoon exam. Think a title for blog, seriously think how gifted the bird is to fly, think in deep about the mechanism of the bird’s wing, wonder the lyrics of some song, badly badly think about the long planned holiday, dresses to wear, poses to give, sounding silly???No this is true, at least for me..

After Exams:

Oh my God. You start listing out things you wanna do that day, I am sure, you’ll have your diary’s page filled. Hwz tat we are active every two minutes in Face book on study holidays and not spared with a single minute in holidays?? Truly a million dollar question. But there is really nothing much to express the feeling of how we feel after the exams. It is just fun and fun. Lots of fun.

Now here it gets over, my precious student life of 20 years from Kindergarten to Masters. And am I technically sound enough?? It should be a big yes. Enough of this now. And most all the credits goes to definitely my mom dad and many other dear lovable friends. The valuable moments will be preserved all along, and overall this is a journey worth remembering.