Morning walk Vignettes - Men are from Mars and Women from Venus.

 Morning walk Vignettes - Men are from Mars and Women from Venus. 

During my morning walk today I met Dilip.

"Met" is a really wrong and misleading word. 

This is what happened. 

I saw smart, younger than me man walking towards me. Due to the mask, it was only when he was about 10 to 15 feet from me that I recognised him as Dilip, one of the very limited friends I have. 

He also must have recognised me. 

We were coming face to face after 27 May 2020 when Priti and I had gone to their place for dinner in the day we had returned from Delhi. 

We did not stop and talk. While on the topic of 'talk', we do not even ring up each other for months. 

He raised his hand and waved. I raised my hand waved and said "Good morning". We crossed each other, continued going our ways. There was no pause or even slowing down in our marching steps. 

I remembered and written about the accidental meeting of Madhuri and Priti, ( better halves of Dilip and yours truly.) For those who do not know about that meeting, it is @

https://www.facebook.com/pmvelankar/posts/3419330534957905

The contrast in the meetings of two men and women friends proved the truism- 

 Men are from Mars and Women from Venus.

POSTSCRIPT

Men Are from Mars, Women Are from Venus is a book written a relationship counsellor John Gray, The book states that most common relationship problems between men and women are a result of fundamental psychological differences between the sexes................

The book has sold more than 15 million copies and, according to a CNN report, it was the "highest ranked work of non-fiction" of the 1990s spending 121 weeks on the bestseller list.

 POST POSTSCRIPT.

As I already knew what it was about, I did not read the book, have not even seen it ☺

Morning walk Vignettes. - I cry for my tree.

 Morning walk Vignettes. -   I cry for my tree.

आपटा पान 

This is a leaf from what we call in Marathi 'आपटा' (Apta) tree. कठमूली या झिंझोरी in Hindi, otherwise known as Bauhinia racemosa, 

At Dussera time this leaf assumes tremendous significance. As per Indian Mythology, these leaves are supposed to represent GOLD. 

On Dussera day, people below the poverty line and maybe above it are seen with huge heaps of these leaves at almost every chowk and traffic signal. I am sure these branches and leaves must have been plundered from apta trees wherever they were found, to be sold here

People pay and get a fistful of leaves or a mini branch full of leaves. As per tradition, they use these leaves to make a gift of gold to friends, relatives and people of acquaintances, on this Dussera Day.

It is now a couple of days after Dussera. 

In my morning walk, I am greeted by a sight of a totally denuded apta tree treated with extreme violence. See photo

Apta Tree denuded.......

 

The sight brought to mind visions of an innocent girl violently raped, ill-treated and left to die in a deserted field. Here was my Apta raped, violently treated and left to suffer. No FIR will be filed, no investigation will be done. No one will be punished. No one will even mourn what all such trees have suffered this Dussera Day.

Nature only gives. My trees are no exception. Even in this adversity, my tree is still offering a thing of beauty of its pink flowers to the world and onlookers to behold. (See right of the tree along the top of the wall in the photo).

    Flower to the right centre of the tree along the wall top.

 

Beautiful Apta flower.

I am filled with rage at those who did this to such a magnificent tree. Feeling of rage is quickly overcome by sadness at the cruelty of humans to all of nature and environment.

 My heart cries. I feel helpless.............

Can we all collectively do something? 

COVID-19 & Morning walk Vignettes.

 COVID-19 & Morningwalk Vignettes. 

Recently most of my blogs have been titled  COVID-19 OR  Morningwalk Vignettes. 

COVID-19 blogs contained feelings, thoughts and experiences about this dreaded scrouge.

Morning walk Vignettes contained feelings, thoughts and experiences during my morning walk.

What happened today left me no alternative but to call this blog "COVID-19 & Morning walk Vignettes."

This is what happened,

Two ladies in the picture. One is Priti, my better-half and the other, Madhuri, better-half of my friend Dilip. Both of them are also friends. In fact, they have become much closer and better friends than Dilip and I. This normally happens with ladies as they can freely talk about the shortcomings of their husbands ☺. A past time husbands don't indulge in.

In BC** era they used to meet at least 3-4 times a month. Once COVID hit things changed drastically. There was no meeting between them for the last 6 months or so. Contact on mobile was the only consolation. Once I timed their call at 58 minutes ☺

Today during our morning walk all of sudden Priti exclaimed: "Hey there is Madhuri". I also noticed her coming from the opposite side. 

Any other time they would have shaken hands, hugged, each other. This was was covid time. They stopped a yard from each other, initially silently gazing at each other. But even the big mask could not hide their smiles which were ssoooooooo huge that it reached there eyes. Their ecstatic happiness was apparent even to the strangers walking by.

They chatted for a while and then parted.

It is only in such a period as COVID when all are homebound, that an accidental and chance meeting after a long time, between two friends, can cause such great happiness

How we wish COVID to be over as of yesterday. 

But till it is over, wear a mask, observe social distancing and keep washing hands often.

A chance accidental meeting after almost 6 months.

Morning walk Vignettes: Sights to make your day.

  Morning walk Vignettes: Sights to make your day.

Road dividers on my morning walk route, Mangamurti Chowk - Hingana T point - Subash Nagar Metro Station have been planted with bougainvillaea plants.

These dividers, as part of the contact, were planted with delicate, seasonal and garden type variety of plants after the completion of four-lane concrete road and Metro Rail. Again as part of the contract, these were watered regularly by the contractor. At that time I had adversely commented on the type of plants selected for the dividers and recommended bougainvillaea or similar plants. Once contractual obligation was over, watering stopped. Plants which looked beautiful till then withered and died. Dividers looked barren and desolate.

Almost a year back these dividers were replanted with bougainvillaea plants. It is a hardy plant and able to survive harsh conditions and minimal water.

In certain segments, now these plants are in full bloom with delicate and colourful bougainvillaea flowers. In the soft light of early dawn, they look absolutely stunning and beautiful.

 When you see such beautiful sights in the early morning your day is made.

Do not miss out start morning walks.

Morning walk Vignettes: Good Morning Nagpur.

 Morning walk Vignettes: 

Good Morning Nagpur. 

Greeted by a very orange sunrise. Indicating that even though air quality index is 78 (sat) as compared to 254 of Delhi (poor), there is a lot of haze and high humidity.

Happy with AIQ, great for morning walk, but my solar generation will suffer :-(

Morning walk Vignettes: First Fruiting of young Tree.

 Morning walk Vignettes: First Fruiting of young Tree.

Around 10 to 15 years back Nagpur Municipal Corporation had planted saplings on both sides of all along the road. Most of them happened to be on my morning walk route. There were saptaparni, pipal, neem, fig and few other varieties unknown to me.

Surprisingly a lot of them survived. I had helped the survival of some of them by seeing that they do not lean towards the road to be knocked down by the vehicles moving on the road by ensuring they remain upright by giving them support.  

I have been seeing them grow, flower. Follow the cycles of autumn (पतझड़) and getting new leaves. I have sort of become fond of these trees. We need them. I am glad that they survived and are around my morning walk route.

Noticed a few days back that my fig tree has started fruiting. ( I have started calling them my trees, maybe presumptuous of me but there it is :-))  

Waited for the fruits to grow a bit bigger so that they would be visible. Did it a couple of days back. Unfortunately, it is the type of fig that is not edible.

Happy that it with coming of age it will spread its kind.

Young Fig Tree.

Young Fig Tree. Different angle.

First fig fruits.

Morning walk Vignettes: Velankar impact - aka - Hitavada impact.

Morning walk Vignettes: Velankar impact - aka - Hitavada impact. 

Nagpurians know of periodical photo articles published by The Hitavada, a local English language newspaper, taking up public interest and safety issues related to public concern and amenities. Potholed roads, indiscriminate garbage dumping, uncovered manholes and road diggings without safety barricades etc by are just a few examples.

 If ever concerned authorities wake up and do something about all those countless problems. The Hitavada prints another photo article titled The Hitavada impact. Indeed a rare event thanks to concerned authorities.

Today during my morning walk I observed that point raised about slipshod work and waste of public money raised in my blog and FB post "Public works in "Andher Nagri"

 published on 29 Sept 20 has been put right.

 I happily call this blog "The Velankar impact"

Photo as on 16/09/20.

Photo as on 12/10/20.

 

Morning walk Vignettes - Made a new friend.

 Morning walk Vignettes - Made a new friend.

Those who regularly go on a morning walk on a fixed route and more or less around the same time, say between 5:45 AM to 7:15 AM, will invariably see some people regularly. Some walking ahead or behind you. Some coming from opposite sides, passing you like ships that pass in the night.

At such times face recognition feature of your hard disk kicks in and you start recognising them as kindred souls liking their morning walk. Before BC era, without masks, you could see their expressions. Some neutral, some with a bit of smile as if remembering good things. There were some who were mostly with dour expression or a scowl as if they were carrying a chip on their shoulder.

After a while, I start a small wave, a smile and wish them a "good morning".  First two type of people almost always respond. At times they take the lead and start wishing first. The third type seldom.

I call those who respond as my "morning walk friends". I do not know anything about them. No name, no address, no occupation, no family details. Nothing at all. A big Zero. Yet they are my "morning walk friends" because I miss them if I do not see them for a day or two. Next meeting, without stopping, while crossing, I ask them not "seen you". They also give a vague response like were out or just say yes and walk on. Rarely a morning walk friend will stop and exchange name. Rarer still personal details.

In the recent past, We have been seeing a young man taking a puppy along on these walks. As is normal with a lot of young men these days he sported a nicely trimmed beard. Even though none of our business, Priti and I commented on him or his puppy as he was a kindred soul, a morning walker.

Nowadays due to diminished hearing, I tend to talk loudly. So, Priti constantly keeps telling me ' कुमार हळू बोल ' (kumar, speak softly). If I am excited while telling, a rebuke is added ' ​कुमार हळू बोल​​,  ​किती जोरात ​बोलतो' (kumar, speak softly. How loudly you talk). One morning, I saw the young man clean-shaven! 

Spontaneously I exclaimed, "अग राणी  त्या मुलानी दाढ़ी ​केली" (Oh! my Queen, that boy has shaved). There was instant rebuke ' ​कुमार हळू बोल​​, ​किती जोरात ​बोलतो' 

After leaving Priti at home I proceeded for my extended walk. Saw the same fellow near Hingna T point. He also noticed me and as I neared asked me "काका तुम्ही काय मन्हाला होता "(Uncle what had you said). I told him that I was telling her that you have shaved. He removed his mask, revealing a clean shaved smiling face and said yes he had indeed shaved. I told him that he looked handsome and added, even with a trimmed beard also he looked handsome. He laughed. We waved at each other and continued with our walk. 

That was three days back. 

Every day after that whenever we cross, he removes his mask, reveals a clean-shaven visage with a huge grin and loudly says " Good Morning Kaka". I reciprocate the greeting and we continue going our ways.

I feel HAPPY - for having made a new friend.