So today is my last full day in lovely Nedumkandam. I'm very sad about this, even though I'm happy to be going on to other places.
Yesterday was Malasadass ('monsoon meeting'), the schools event at which I was to talk. It was opened by an MLA. Other speakers included the Deputy Director of Periyar Tiger Reserve, a local director of education and a fantastic poet/singer. Malayalam folk songs can be entrancing even when I don't understand a word of them!
My talk was delivered, in my opinion, really badly (although no-one else to whom I mentioned this appeared to share this opinion.) And I'm horrified and thrilled in equal measure to learn that my mumblings were broadcast as far as Trivandrum. Er, this was my fault for arriving back at Nedumkandam at 3 am yesterday morning.
Oh well, this is how Random Bozo's life goes. With hindsight, I can smile about it all. At their request, I've typed the text of what I tried to speak and will email it to a newspaper that's covered the event. I've already sent them the photos that were taken with my camera. And I've finally finished the essay I'm writing for DS! OK, time to go!
After finishing DS's essay and most of the other bits I intended to do before leaving Nedumkandam, I finally got to photograph while walking along the North stretch of the main drag. Some of the auto-drivers asked me to photograph them too. I met up with Ajeesh, Anish and another Malasadass organiser, Vinod, at Mini's.
Email had brought some good news concerning one of Ajeesh's projects. I showed it to him and asked if the reply I'd drafted was OK. He liked it, so we quickly visited the architect/DTP cybercafe for me to send it on. It was also time to say goodbye to Mr Ozhathil and his sons and colleagues. One of them, Shaji, was away - his brother had just been killed in a road accident. Mr Ozhathil showed me that day's copy of Malayalam Manorama ('Keralan-language world') newspaper. There was a report on yesterday's event. I can't read a word of it except that I recognise my name in there: I've been in a foreign newspaper, for doing something good and I'm very pleased about that.
Ajeesh's fuller name ('Ajeesh Kumar') is underlined in the middle column and my name ('Dr Bruce Ryan') is underlined in the right column. There's a higher-resolution scan of this article here.
Ajeesh also took me to a the town's coffee-roasting plant to buy some coffee to take back to friends in the UK. After that, Ajeesh drove Anish and I to meet Sindhu. We had a quick cup of tea and play with her children. Her older son liked drawing caricatures and there were all sorts of hi-jinks involving a bamboo cane.
A final black tea and a goodbye to Mini, Raji and Remia. I wondered how much the girls will have grown when we next meet? Vinod had brought me some jackfruit chips and banana chips he'd made for me. I still can't believe this - I'd met him only twice and he'd done a hugely nice thing for me.
Then we went on to visit Ajeesh's middle sister (Ambali) and her husband and daughter (Rajiv and Pavitra). They lived about 1 km from a metalled road, along a track that was more reminiscent of a dried-up stream-bed. It sorely tested suspension on both the car and me. Ambali, Rajiv and Pavitra lived in a two-room house in 2 acres of cardamom-producing land the family bought for them last year. The house was about 15 km from Nedumkandam, so I guess it's a rare occasion when all of Gopalakrishna and Radhalakshmi's children and grandchildren are together.
We then went on to say goodbye to Ajitha and Santosh and their children (Sandra [with whom I'm well smitten] and Kanan). Sandra and Kanan were fast asleep - by now it was 10pm. Again, I'll carry images of them with me in my heart for a long time The way to their house is across a river: there's a bridge made of three parallel and loosely connected bamboos. It's great for testing and increasing your sobriety!
Back at Ajeesh's house, I learned that Jaya and Gopalakrishna had cooked more goodies for me to take away. I didn't know how to express the lump in my throat. I was and still am very sad that I would miss Jaya's wedding by only 4 days. I so hope she and Rajesh will be safe and happy.
© (except the blatantly ripped-off bits) Random Bozo 2006