Friday, August 29, 2008

A morning in pictures

Yesterday, Ash did not go to school since he was itching real bad and his dad thought it would be a disaster sending him even though we had got him ready for school and though Ash confided to us that his teacher scratched for him when his skin got too itchy in school (I hear that the sweet lady carries him on her arms often). And V blamed a tin of Lays that I had brought home and which Ash had discovered, though we try to hide many undesirable stuff from him.

So instead we took him along when we went to drop Mira at school. We then proceeded to the park. While we walked, Ash took over the play area. There weren't any other kids at that point of time, so he had the swing, the slide and the see-saw to himself. He ran from one to the next, as he always does.

There he comes sliding down, and prepares for the next.

There he is, sitting alone on the see-saw. He would call out loudly to me, and then join me for a jog. I mean, he jogs and I walk.

There are two gardener families using the pump rooms (that red brick building) as their dwellings. But the park is not spruced up the way one would expect in such circumstances. The older gardener lives with his wife and daughter to the left. The younger one seems to have got a new wife - or maybe she is back from a holiday from her village. There she is washing clothes, and draining the soapy water into the lawn.

And then she comes to the other side to check on whatever she is cooking. Some of these lights in the foreground have their shades broken. The Corporation of Chennai should have fixed them higher off the ground as the one on the other side of the road is. I wonder when our people will stop damaging/defacing public property. Brand new MTC buses have their seats torn, people happily spit on the roads.... the list is endless.

I come home, open my bedroom window and look out to this view. A new bungalow that has come up next door. Their garden is as good as mine. It is so close. They have been taking their own sweet time to get the house and the premises ready, but very soon I will have a beautiful garden to look at first in the morning, when I open my window. Thank you dear neighbours.

4 comments:

ush said...

hi, everything looks nice just wish everyone helps maintain it. if each one does their part..it would be great.
here the people in the neighbourhood plant flowers etc /water and maitain it themselves.. parents do it for school.
unfortunately people like having others pick up after them.
maybe city could have made a slightly bigger area for gardener that way their cooking/washing , u guys walking need not see.
thats good Ash enjoyed playground by himself.
Dr not give him meds for itching?
take care ust

Anonymous said...

Actually, the motor rooms are not meant to be used as dwelling units but the Corporation prolly turns a blind eye to this. For the gardeners this would be heaven-sent - having free housing in a picuresque locale in a posh area in a city where rents are skyrocketing.
All their belongings are strewn outside the room, an eyesore in an otherwise neat park.

Romila said...

lucky you! rite now, I am enjoying reading whatever i missed while I was away for a month.

Those pics of Mira's up above are so cute.

Ladybird said...

thank u, was wondering where u were. hope u had a good holiday.

On the penultimate day of reporting duty at the photography festival, the boss of the English writing dept, came and told me: When we both a...