Category: Life in India

Finding our space

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The holiday was a thank you from MAnjula and I

We just had to build castles as it’s such a strong English tradition

It was a real joy spending time with good friends who are all so interesting and different.

Great food
Local friends like Shabaz
Families coming together
Making new friends
Chera Rocks guard dog.
Directors of Manjula’s Mysore being monitored
I’d already spent 30 mins on Kaveri’s hair and Sowbaghya had to finish the job. How do you girls manage?
Bringing in the catch
Contemplating
Lucie becomes communist, she explains that vegetarianism is a step too far.

The famous five have expanded and are in Kerala.

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Three separate vehicles travelled from in and around Mysore to Kannur

Our roles began to evolve within the first few hours.

Shafi drove our group.

We’ve got a lovely mix of young people
Tanuja as Arkala consulting the group.
Sowbhaghya organised our fragment and provided lunch.
The directors of our new company Manjula’s Mysore: Satish and Tanuja

We’re at Chera Rocks, a great venue so let’s discover the sea.

Kaveri and Rhadika

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Grandmother suggested I charge as a taxi. 🤭😉🙂

On an action filled day.

Went rounding with Stephen uncle, for a drive around the base of Chamundi Hill, playing in the park (for one of them anyway) , a stop for pani puri

before the grand finale (which wasn’t) ginormous Ice creams.

The ice creams were too much for the girls and they couldn’t finish. Each cost almost a daily wage.

Wrong impression.

At her grandmother’s place Kaveri showed me her school work.

She has exams over the next two days and her English is improving.

The teddies (gift from Poppy my granddaughter) are tired as is the old man. We even fitted in a tandem cycle ride.

I really enjoyed my time with Kaveri and Rhadika

A wonderful surprise, the next morning

Eleven plus an Englishman and a dog go mad in Kerala

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On MAnjula’s death anniversary, we came up with a great idea to celebrate her— even more — by going on holiday to one of her favourite places.

It may provide material for an Enid Blyton story

Kannur is where Manjula and I first went on holiday together after our engagement in 2015.

Maybe we’ll find treasure, or at least get wet.

It’ll be a great adventure with MAnjula giggling from the antics of the loosely formed team.

It’s a challenge, anywhere, to bring together fragments of four families with two additions of an Englishman and his dog but this is India. It’ll be OK.

Thankfully we’ll not be cycling.

It’s a great way to thank Sowbaghya, Tanuja and Satish for the help they’ve been in so many ways, including setting up the new business.

It’s also an opportunity to spend fun time with Kaveri and her young auntie Rhadika.

That’s Rhadika dressed up for ethnic day in the midst of her exams.

We’ve got the go ahead from Kaveri’s mum, Satish has worked it out with the school and Jo will definitely have completed her term.

So we’re good to go…

Wonderful

So which amazing place is going to host this motley crew?

The days after, three years ago

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Doing my duty…

When one suffers such loss that forms a trauma and it’s aftermath, it’s an extra challenge to focus on the positive.

It’s especially difficult at anniversary time. There’s a preoccupation with the loss, the guilt, a blaming.

In this month there’s also helpful reminders of good, our wedding ceremonies.

Some might wonder why I follow so ‘religiously’ the traditions. It’s simply my love and devotion for MAnjula.

I always tried my best to do what she wanted
And she was bossy

The day afterwards brings out memories of when she was laid to rest on her bed, outside our house with the tell tale symbols of the smouldering wood informing the neighbourhood what was happening. Next we’d go to the industrial shed-oven aka crematorium and before that a puja by the side led by Manjula’s brother.

A kindly neighbour brought Bhagavad Gita to help emphasise our duty not to become too attached to our loved ones and to help their soul spirit move onto another body.

Here’s me doing precisely that…..

Do follow the link and check the video at the end where I’m at one of the most significant places on Srirangaptnam; visited on every cycle tour over the past ten years.

I was so lucky

The day itself.

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The third death anniversary of Manjula. We try to do all the right things.

Signs are posted next to M’s garden to explain that we’ve created it in her memory. (It’s even in the shape of a ‘M’.) A large image of MAnjula is positioned at our gate, Hindu’s recognise immediately what it’s about.
We’re inviting her to come in. We all take it in turns to do puja, a request to the gods and wishes to MAnjula to help her on her way. Who
nows? Maybe she’s already found her next body but We play safe and do the ceremonies in case she hasn’t
I close the hall (lounge) door behind me as we all leave the house. This is to allow Manjula’s soul spirit to eat. We’ll gently knock on re-entering so she knows to go.
Sowbhaghya, who now tries her best to hold it all together is ably assisted by Tanuja and Satish the director’s of the new company: ‘Manjula’s Mysore’ to create a great day, remembering and helping MAnjula on her way.
Over the years friends have created a MAnjula memory tree.

Ina the Scottish Australian who became a great friend of ours and especially Manjula calls and arranges to visit later in the year.

Thank you MAnjula for being the all-embracing you, we all miss and cherish you while continuing to feel your presence.

I have another bright idea, I might regret it.

By the end of the day and unusually for this time of year it rains.

Making Connections

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Meeting people, making new and celebrating old friends is what it’s about.

We’ve missed that over the past two years but things are changing.

This lovely family who look after a construction site, live over the other side of our park and have become good friends.

Their teenage daughter Radhika is dressed up for ethnic day at school.

Occasionally the bundle of fun, Kaveri, their granddaughter, also visits from the other side of Mysore and brightens our lives.

We look forward to more ….