Book fair Nostalgia

If there is one thing that all the kids in our town awaited with bated breath, it has to the Book Fair. It has about 60-80(?) book stalls of various publishing houses spread across a big ground, and then to finish your evening on a high, there was always joy rides that included giant wheel, tora tora, cup and saucers, dashing cars and once, a water slide and go karting, even! And not to forget the food counter serving Delhi Appalams, Gobi 65, Fried Idlis and what-not! The one thing I'm always guilty of skipping is the auditorium, which used to have speakers/authors from across the State, sharing their views on various topics. I think this again had a separate theme for each year and a sub-theme for each day. 

It happens every year around June-July, for a period of 10 days. Starts at about 4:30PM in the evening and ends at 9:30-10:00ish. Every year there used to be a theme for the entrance decor, which kept getting better year on year. They had a daily entry pass or a seasonal pass for the entire 10 days, both of which if I remember right, didn't exceed Rs.50. 

The only motto during the book fair days was to rush out of school by 4:00PM and finish off all the homework, and get to the book fair by 6:00PM. This was possibly around Class VI-Class X. There were separate visits with friends and family. With friends, it always used to be loitering around each shop trying to find a book that you like, and note down the shop name & the book name, go on all the rides, hog on a little of the food that was bought on shared money.  I wouldn't call myself a voracious reader - most of my books were Tenali Raman, Mullah, Akbar Birbal and the likes. The one other thing I was absolutely fascinated about were puzzle / activity books like word finders, 365 pages of activities, etc. The day I come with parents is always with the motto to empty their pockets - buy all the books shortlisted, eat so much that you wouldn't want to have dinner when you go home and go on all the joy rides, all over again. 

Something else that was very interesting to me in book fairs were bumping into your class/schoolmates (people that I haven't really talked with). It feels like you get a glimpse of another side of their life outside the school gates.

Thinking back, I'm honestly stumped at how NLC had managed to pull off a book fair year after year, because it is definitely no easy job. Bringing together so many people, publishing houses, scouting for speakers/authors, logistics, theme ideas - all of this required so much time, effort and money - but I'm ever thankful that they did it, because it was all absolutely worth it. Anyone who had lived in Neyveli, would definitely have fond memories of any time they spent there. It was as close to an annual oor-thiruvizha you'd have in any village - this was our oor-thiruvizha.

You may wonder why all this nostalgia all of a sudden. It's because of this one picture that a friend of mine shared. Apparently, there is a book fair this year at Neyveli, after a gap of 4-5 years. This picture triggered out a lot of old memories, stashed right at the back of my mind, which I felt were worth putting down here!

Happy 3 Champ!

Dearest Athi,

It's been 3 years since you stepped into this world, and boy, time flies. You are no longer that squishy-squashy tiny goofball, but a fully blown young toddler, with a mind and choices of his own. 

This year, you started school. It sure was a testing time for me as you took 2 months to settle. There'd be the going inside whimper, sudden cries in between the class time remembering us, coming out and checking if were waiting outside the gate - so many different portrayals and iterations of separation anxiety. Phew! I was tired. But then, slowly you came to terms with the scenario and started enjoying going to school. And now, you have your own set of friends, sing a lot of songs that you listen and learn there. 

If there is one thing that has been a constant since the beginning, it's definitely got to be your love for drums. There were quite a few wedding events that we attended this year where you were inseparable from the Thavil and Nadaswaram musicians. It so happened that once Thatha Paati took you to a Wedding Reception, but you went there and declared it wasn't a wedding at all, as there was no Thavil / Nadaswaram. You have a sweet spot for Thavil, and often keep wearing sketch pen covers onto your fingers at home, in the same way that the Thavil musicians wear their finger accessories. 

This year also saw the first time you stayed overnight at my parents' home without me / Venky. I was overwhelmed at the way you answered to my desperate pleas to hold you back. I was anxious that we might need to wake up in the middle of the night and bring you back home, but you handled it really well. That night I really did feel you were grown. 

You started riding the various cycles at both the houses (parents and in-laws) with so much ease and speed. From pushing the cycles to using the pedals to drive, you have come a long way. There isn't a day that passes without the cycle, and it gives you immense opportunities for pretend play - such as going to the shop and buying the vegetables. Annachi is your favorite character. And anybody who'd be interested in joining your pretend play has to be the Annachi.

Doctor visits this year were a little too frequent owing to the intermittent wheezing, cold, coughs and HFM. But you were so well behaved when we met with the doctors that they were quite surprised and pleased. I used to dread giving your medicines earlier as you didn't want to have them, and rebelled so much, but even that has changed now - you are very cooperative. There are certain prohibited foods at the moment, such as sweets, chocolates, bananas, etc. - so when we do say that you can't eat them, you are mostly acceptive of it and hardly make any tantrums. You are a good kid!

You listen and talk so much now. I'm simply in awe at the way you remember things. I keep wondering what is this brain man - how does it remember so much, while I'm struggling to remember even the basic things. Once somebody promises or tells you something there is no going back in their words, you refuse to accept those changes. Like for example, if V tells that he'd take you to school in Car on a certain day, it's really a tough job to convince you to come with you in bike that day. You keep repeating - Appa car la kootitu porenu sonnale - you don't let it go.

You make it a point to communicate your preferences very clearly, and a No means No! We may beg, plead, force, mildly scream - but nothing works. At the most, the No changes from a No to May be Later, but definitely not a Yes. So, the only way for us is to put with it and try a workaround. And most often than not, it works. 

You like little kids and caress them so well. There are 2 little kids in the apartment - you engage and play with them really well. There was one particular day where I left you over at their home (on your own) to play with the kid and came back after a while to bring you back home. Oh, so many such little instances where I feel you are growing really fast. 

Lastly, one thing that I'd always be thankful to the moms of school friends is sending me the videos of their kids eating on their own. That was the final push that was needed for you to start eating on your own. So, for the past 1 month, you at least have one meal a day on your own. Your food preferences have hardly changed - the handful of additions being eggs, adai, chapathi, radish, pasta, pooris. Poori being your absolute favorite. The sides though always constant - sugar, ghee and naatu sakkarai - and all the three of them together. You don't agree even if we skip one of them. As long as you eat the main dish fully, we are good. 

Happy birthday again, Champ! 

Love,
Amma

School!

Dear Kiddo, 

You started school on 27 June 2022. Before this day, you were asked to come over to the school for a couple of days to get know about the school environment, more like a trial class. The trial class also allowed the parents to sit in a corner of the room and observe what the kids do. You were totally in awe with the classroom and the materials that were available around. You happily went about exploring them one after the other, once in a while checking if I / V was around in the room. You enjoyed spending time in there, even though it was as short as 20 minutes. 

The way you enjoyed those 2 trial classes led me to hope that you'd be fine to be there on your own. Well, you proved me how wrong I was to make such an assumption. The first day came, and V and I took you along to the school. You were excited to be there, but when we told you that we'd not be accompanying you into the class, your whole mood changed. It started with a mild whimper and grew into a full blown cry with tears streaming down the cheeks begging us not leave you alone. We didn't have a choice but to leave you in there and walk out - it was heartbreaking, but had to be done. 

One hour later when we came back, you still hadn't calmed down entirely, but were glad to go back to your known territory and be around the humans you knew and recognized. 

Once the evening descended and we started talks about you having to go to school the next day, you went around the house pleading to each of us to accompany you into the class. But when none of us obliged, and you started telling you don't want to go to school. 

The next day came, and a lot of cajoling had to be done to get you into the school. Once there, the crying intensified and the same routine of us leaving you crying there continued. 

It's been about 1.5 months now, and still the crying while entering the class hasn't stopped. Every evening there goes a conversation at home where you ask each of us - School ku poitu azhava? Azhava? or you just say na school ku poitu azhuven, azhudunde vilayaaduven.. 

On a brighter note, you seem to enjoy the class and generally are very excited to tell us what activity you did each day. There are days when we don't understand what exactly you are trying to convey, but hey, we are learning too. Most often your communication is neat and clear to make us understand; but some days its tough - like the other day when you said you did grains pouring and I was hearing it as grinding and pouring which somehow didn't make sense.

Also there was this one instance where you randomly started singing Wheels on the bus rhymes and told us that it was sung in the class. We were stumped and didn't believe it until the teacher herself confirmed that they'd sung it in the class. Ever since, that song has been going non-stop in your mouth. Whenever you feel like singing you sing that, whenever you are bored you sing that, whenever you are engrossed in some activity you sing that. Its so cute to watch it all.

Here's to hoping you settle well in the school and enjoy it. Its going to be your space for more than a decade and I wish you like it as much as I did mine. Good luck kiddo!

Love,

Gayuma

A big fat yellow BULB

It all started with my craving to have one big fat dinner tonight. And you know what, I got lucky. There was this wedding reception of one my dad's colleague. Like always, I bounced at the opportunity and tagged along with my dad, having absolutely no clue about that colleague.

Before leaving, I just scanned the invite lazily to look up the venue. Only on the way to the place did it hit me that I had seen both these names somewhere in FB yesterday. So thus comes the big fat yellow Bulb No. 1, it was the wedding of my 10th standard school mate's brother.

Well, ignoring my hunger pangs, I survey the entire hall to find the schoolmate, but she was no where to be seen. And out of the blue comes an aunty asking me if I can recognise her. Phew! I had forgotten, as always. Taaaaaadaaaaaaaa comes BULB no.2. Its one of my closest friend's mom. *Bangs at the wall* Irony being, I had met her once and ate some of her yummy yummy appams.

Enough was enough. I so wanted to hog the food and leave the place asap before I get one more bulb. But fate had other plans. Being the small town that my hometown is, almost everyone knew everyone. This being the wedding of dad's colleague's son, naturally all his friends were there. So he went about introducing all his friends. He was particularly explaining about one of his friends who was engaged in charitable works and wrote some good articles for the office. Guess what, third bulb, that uncle happened to be the father of the guy who was my class topper in Class X.

Podhum da saami nu kilambiten angendhu :P

P.S.: The food was nice. Also, the 2 scoops of vanilla ice cream in the end ;)