Aha to Ha Ha Moments in My Life

  It’s December 31st, and time to pause and look back at the whirlwind that was 2024. Arguably one of the most tumultuous years in recent memory, the world endured overwhelming natural disasters and brutal wars. Amidst the chaos and destruction, though, there were moments where humanity found ways to bring hope and relief, proving resilience even in the darkest of times. These are just my personal reflections on the events that stood out to me this year—not a comprehensive report, but a journey through the moments that resonated deeply. As always, I’ve touched upon key world events, happenings in India, and the highs and lows right here in Chennai. Here’s to leaving behind the challenges of 2024 and stepping into a brighter, better New Year 2025! 10. Trump Triumphs,  Thulasendrapuram Weeps:  Trumping all predictions former President Donald Trump dodged a bullet and won the presidential election against incumbent Vice President Kamala Harris in November. With this thumping...

During my younger days of working with a Non-Formal Education (NFE) project for fishing communities along the now famous East Coast road, we worked in Pudupattinam Kuppam, a small fishing hamlet right near the Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research, (IGCAR) in Kalpakkam. We had a Jesuit Father, a Doctorate in Andragogy as our team leader.  After our field visits, Father would lead us to a small tea stall right outside the IGCAR main gate for our evening chai. He’ll order tea for all of us and crispy masala Vadais . (To call it Vada is a crime)With the steaming glasses of hot chai, we’ll bite into the flaky vadai  served hot on bits of torn Tamil Newspapers, and discuss the day’s visits. We practically finished our de-brief for the day at the tea stall. Once, we all had our fill, Father will call out to the Tea master and ask for the bill. The tea master Thambi, will smile but will not reply. Nevertheless, Father will tell him, how many glasses of chai and vadais we each ha...

To beat the Chennai heat, I usually stop by some  elaneer (tender coconut water) cart by the roadside. So, that day I stopped by a elaneer cart to quench my thirst. Usually, the elaneer sellers are men. I was mildly surprised to see a lone woman, manning the cart. There was a mound of tender coconuts balanced expertly on top of the push cart.   Responding to my request for ‘ water only ’ nut, the lady selected a lemon green coconut from the pile. She rolled it into position with one hand while with the other, she deftly wielded the aruval (heavy iron knife). In few seconds she had shaved off the tough husk until the pale off-white skin of the tender coconut was exposed. With the same swift movement, she carved out a small hole on top of the tender coconut and handed it over to me to drink.  I asked her to give me a straw so that I can drink it without spilling the water. She smiled and said almost mockingly, “ You city folks don’t know how to drink elaneer proper...