For a Rainy Day

I am just an element,

I was in my elements.

I know nothing of joy and anger, 

Nor indeed of safety and danger.

I fall from heavens without bias

Equally on the evil and pious

And on the ground when I fall

I seek new paths ignoring all.

Make way for me

Room to flow to the sea

If you place obstructions

I flow around constructions

Don't the poets admire?

My overcoming situations dire?

Oh you thought I had given up?

And abandoned you to a dry rut?

I thought you will enjoy

And not call me killjoy

I poured hard to make up

But you had no deep cup

To unite with my mother I seek

Flowing through concrete streets

To sink in her arms, is all I desire

But she is lost amidst muck and mire

I go away to distant lands

Will you ever want me back?

I am but one of the elements

Sometimes ruthless, sometimes clement. 

Back to the Village

Lush green forest, a treat to watch. Circled - 2 elephants

Around the water body came human dwellings. Trees were cleared, dwellings constructed, farms came up and industries were set up to service the people living in the vicinity. The region prospered, started supplying to other regions. Roads were constructed, faster, better transportation infrastructure, storehouses, production methods...

Yes, this is history; the story of development, progress, prosperity.

Yes, this is the story of destruction.

It seems natural, the direction we have taken. From the prehistoric man's struggle with other inhabitants of the jungle to the modern man's struggle for space, it seems inevitable that more and more of that which sustains him should also be destroyed - forests, water, flora and fauna. It is scary, how this Development gobbles everything along the way. Most of it goes into connecting two remote points by land, water or air, destroying everything that stands in its way.

Finally, what will earth be left with? What will man grab to grow?

In destroying nature, is he not destroying himself too? Lifestyle diseases, killing commutes (which kill not only in the literal sense), long working hours in artificial conditions are upsetting the balance in urban lives. In parallel, rural life is also suffering.

In this depressing scenario, sometimes I hear sane voices. Voices that reflect the need to be cautious, march but watch where the next step takes them. Earn, but with responsibility.

More than townships, some builders in Chennai are looking at green constructions beyond just the measurable terms needed for a certification. They are talking of an entire ecosystem being created around the ecosystem - workplaces, educational institutions, commerce - the entire gamut that cuts down the need to commute to reach the place of choice.

More importantly, developing and maintaining a small organic farm within the township to meet the food needs at least partly; composting and solid waste management; rainwater harvesting and water recycling - these efforts maybe drops in ocean, but these are happening.

Do customers understand these benefits? Tragically not. Most are trained only to think of ROI, and only a few want to know how their household can become economically and environmentally viable.

To me, it seems plain common sense that we return to the old village model. Self-sufficient townships maybe the new term for villages, but this is the model we will have to follow if we wish to remain sane. Produce and manage locally primarily and reach out only when needed.

Of course, this model will go through a phase of rigidity and closed mindedness. Then we will try to spread out, build long bridges. But hopefully, by then, nature would have been righted and the destruction can begin afresh.

Don't Mess Around!

Give crow rice, it will eat neatly, not a scattered grain.

Koels are fairly clean eaters too. Not much mess around their dish.

Mynah, I am not so sure. One visits occasionally, but by then, pigeons have visited already.

Pigeons, sorry to say, are quite messy. They eat less and scatter more! Of course, they also keep the surroundings dirty - balconies become dirty thanks to them! But at least while eating they can show more respect!

Give crow bread, roti or dosa and it will use its claws as hands, hold it neatly and expertly tear the pieces.

Koels and mynahs don't care for solid pieces of food, ignoring them largely, knowing their limitations probably.

Pigeons, on the other hand, don't know well enough to leave it alone! They peck and the bread pieces fly in different directions. What is the use of looking puzzled, pigeon dear? You can't keep walking and eating. Learn to sit in one place and use those claws effectively!

Nowadays, the state of my balcony tells me about my visitors. Till it was just the crow, I didn't have trouble with my balcony floor, which remained clean more or less. But if half my floor is covered with bread pieces and rice, I know that pigeons came a-visiting too!

No Tree Frogs, Please!

Nature, lovely nature. When I saw the three basic but intelligently made bamboo huts in Karadimalai Camp in Chengelpet, I was excited. We were in a forest, with a hill for a backdrop. The hut was raised on short stilts with water at the base to keep out crawlers. Wow! That was just cool!

Silent, except for the chirping of the birds. No sounds of traffic or human beings even. We were the only couple there at the time, with one boy to tend to our needs.

We went to a Tribal herbal centre in Tandrai 20 minutes from the resort. Many plants look like common garden plants, but have medicinal property. What a pity we don't remember much of how it is used. There seemed to be a leaf for everything - right from common cold to kidney stones!

A tasty hibiscus tea prompted me to buy a few packets of dried hibiscus leaves.

Making herbal medicines

A bonus - a sudden excitement in the centre when a bronzeback snake fell on the fence from a nearby tree. You can't probably make it out in the photo on the left - it is so well camouflaged!

There is a worm in that ring that traps ants!

That evening we trekked up the hill. That's Janaki Lenin, wife of Romulus Whitaker - the Snake Man - leading us up the hill. Apparently they had lived here for almost 10 years before they came to know that the hill was visited by a leopard. They got to know because their dog, Karadi, was killed by it. And incidentally, that's why it is called Karadi Malai, and not because it has bears!!!

This looks so cute, sleeping in a swing

The next morning, we went on a snake trail, seeking these slithering friends in the field. More of that some other time. But I was amused. While out in the open, I am willing to meet any number of animals. I hoped to sight the tiger and the wild cat and the porcupines on the hill. I desired to see the snakes on the ground. Scorpions and spiders seemed almost cute.

But what I was not prepared for my cohabitants in the hut - the tree frogs. We saw one in the room during the day and one in the bathroom. But at night, 2 became 8! That was not fun. Mercifully there was a mosquito net. But when we woke up in the morning, a bat was busily circling our bed. The frogs were hopping around and so were we, trying to get out of their way.

When I complained later, my brother pointed out that we were out there to be in the wild, close to nature.

Yes, I was in the wild to be close to nature. But I realise that when I am back in my fortress at night, I want the wild to remain outside! My love for nature has limits!!!!

Even after I returned home in the city, I couldn't stop scanning the bathroom before shutting the door.

Now, a week later, I confess I feel I was overreacting. Maybe it just needs getting used to.

What's Your Excuse?

On a busy thoroughfare near Mount Road, Chennai, on a narrow stretch between the footpath and the flyover, stands this dustbin occupying the pride of place. Vehicles crush the garbage bags that fall on the floor, scattering the food waste. Pedestrians have no way of crossing this stretch except by stepping on the mess.

And, this is on one of the upmarket localities, though bordering a slum. Can we say that such sights are exceptions rather than rule?

We screw our noses, walk on tiptoe and crib at the state of waste disposal in the city. What do we do to make sure we do not contribute to the mess?

Composting is not easy, but then, nor is balancing family and career, passing exams or even driving in the city. Yet we do it. Day in and day out.

Why not compost?

All you need is one corner in your balcony.
All you need are three pots to manage the food waste.
All you need is 30 minutes a week to stir the pots.
All you need is some time once in two-three months to take out the compost.

Even if you don't have plants, even if you throw the compost by the roadside, on muddy patches, where trees grow, no one will notice. It will not stink. It will not be an eyesore. It will fertilise the soil at no cost.

What are you waiting for?

Spring Cleaning

Rats had taken over the ledge above one of my bedroom windows that opened into the balcony. One of my composting pots had a lid that it could easily remove and it found an easy source of food.

Though I managed to keep the lid tightly closed and eliminate the first round of rats heartlessly poisoning them, we found them invading our balcony a second time. It was hard to say whether the rats managed to make a home this time for though we saw one on the ledge one day, and we saw the droppings on the balcony floor a couple of times, it was not like the last time, when every morning we would see evidence of the presence of the rats.

Then, two days ago, I felt some Presence in the balcony, some hectic scurrying around, lots of excitement and activity, but couldn't catch the culprit. Lots of rat droppings on the floor the next morning and I felt heavy at having to resort to means to eliminate the menace yet again.

Then day before yesterday, I felt something heavy falling. I rushed to see two squirrels busy cleaning the ledge, pushing all the evidence of the rat presence out of the way to make it its home.

I smiled, and of course, noted my prejudice. I was ready to welcome the new family, and convinced my husband that this will keep the rats away. He promises it will turn out to be a bad decision.

What struck me was the diligence with which the new occupants quickly pushed any signs of the old occupants out. If we had given them paint, I am sure they would have painted the ledge with a colour they liked! They aren't very different in their outlook from us, are they? They want only their own imprint in their residence...!