Blissfully unwinding

In Kerala since April 6. Just me and Mira. Had come down for an entrance test and decided to take a 3 week break from my routine in the Gulf.

Mira had applied for BA economics/ social science at Azim Premji university in Bangalore but until a week before the test in April  9th, we were kept in the dark about the test centre. It turned out to be a private engineering college in Chirayinkeezhu near Trivandrum, in what seems like an arrangement between two Muslim-owned colleges.

So we took the night flight to Kochi, with onward fares in Emirates being surprisingly cheap despite being Passion Weekand and a lot of Kerala Christians traveling home for Easter or Eid a few weeks later.

Dad's driver Vinod was there to pick us up, and after a refreshing cup of early dawn tea at Miaow (or some similar name) inMuvattupuzha, we napped and reached home in time for breakfast.

It was our first sighting of Brutus, dad's 9 month old Labrador, and boy! He took to us instantly and asked us for belly rubs. 

We soon released him from his bondage, and he began playing Frisbee with us in the evenings. He would not fetch it for us but dump it somewhere and came running the moment we picked it up. 

Despite being Easter Sunday, two Christian neighbors including the driver, came with us to the test centre. We had a filmy arrival to the college. Just 10 minutes before the reporting time, we found ourselves at a railway crossing, closed for a passing train. Binu, our ADC, checked with some auto wallahs and they said it could get late since there could be the wait for a second train. They suggested we cross the tracks and take an auto from the other side. While the car and driver

waited, we did that and reached at 1.40 pm for the 2 pm test. Wish I had heeded dad's advice to start early.

The following week, we went to see Vinod's parents who were both recuperating after eye surgeries. Though Mira longed to return to Chandanapally and Brutus, we stayed put for a week. The driver took us to Kochi for a wedding over the weekend where I got to meet old colleagues and a (Assumption)college mate after 30 years. Rounded up the day with a birthday dinner with s-i-l and nephew.

Brother arrived the following week,  so I hitched a ride to the capital city and met another (MCC) college mate at the relatively new Lulu mall,  teeming with Ramzan shoppers. Bro soon ensured Mira got some exercise,  taking us for morning walks to the stadium nearby. Days became more lively with Binu, our neighbour tagging him until our final trip to the airport. We also gave dad a small birthday party; it was also an occasion to honour all our domestic helps and their families, some of whom chipped in to make an ada payasam.

1. Stopping for lunch on Easter Sunday en route to the (Azim Premji  uni) entrance test centre near Trivandrum, with Binu and driver Vinod; 2. in Kochi with an old pal,  and 3. later a dinner at a Malaysian restaurant; 4. at Parumala church, Kodumon stadium and Costa in Lulu Trivandrum; lighting candles at our church cross tower, lunch with cousin and his Nigerian guests in Kumarakom, and Mira bidding good bye to her grandparents.