Jaipur 2011 - Bus from the Railway Station to MREC

I left Jaipur after 4 years of MREC in July 1996 to go work for GKN Invel Transmissions in Faridabad (Plot 270 , Sector 24) as a GET (Graduate Engineer Trainee). I did go back a few (4?) times later for various academic purposes. On this my most recent visit to collect my marks transcripts, I was waiting outside the Railway Station for a bus to take me to the main gate of my former college from where I would walk to the guest house in my college campus.

I waited a long time to catch a once frequent "saath number" [No:7 bus] but failing to do so and seeing "Malaviya Nagar" written on the Electronic Signboard in the front asked a "cheh number" [No:6 bus] "MREC jayega?" to which I got the reply "Nahi Jayega". Now I knew that a 6 No: goes past the front gates of our college. Then why did I ask this question ? I guess it must because of 2 reasons.
1. I was not sure of my memories being reliable
2. or even if they were relevant to the present day.

Fortunately there was a IT faculty - S.K.Jain - in the bus who stopped the driver and said "andhaar aayiea. aap puranee student hain kya?" asked me to get in. He then told me "MNIT poochnaa padega, aaj kal koi MREC nahi jaanthaa". It was then that I realised the full impact of Union Government policy on not just the memories of generations but on history itself. He was referring to the renaming of the college from MREC to MNIT following some brain dead Union politician or bureaucrat's decision to rename all "Regional Engineering Colleges" to "National Institutes of Technology".

Now back in the day, there were 2 buses that went past my college gates. The more frequent and convenient one was the 7 number as it would go past the boy's hostels as well. The less frequent 6 number would not go past the boy's hostels and the walk from the main gates to the hostels was a long one. The girls could take either bus as their hostel was more easily reached from the main gate. So almost all hostelites were frequent users of the 7 number which I never got to see on this trip. Jaipur has changed a lot from the barely busy and slow moving city to something of an emerging metro. The increased number of vehicles and new flyovers along with the huge modern buildings came as shock for me. I remembered it as an Indian version of my childhood in Maiduguri - semi desert quiet town with just enough activity to justify being the capital of a large state.

Sunil-liney Paambu Kadichu - Veendum :-p ... ssssssssssss

In Malayalam we use an expression "paambaayi" [which translates to "became a snake"] to denote a state of extreme inebriation. The usage comes from the idea that when a person is very drunk he will crawl on the floor like a snake and put his tongue out [but IN THIS CASE - to vomit] like a snake.

Facebook Update on 3rd Feb : Just saw my 5th snake since moving to Chengottukonam ... this is in addition to the hissing sound and windlessly moving grass near my feet a month ago AND the dead cat on my lawn a week ago ... scary place this is :-o


I came to know today that my friend Sunil Lekshman who was earlier bitten by a snake on his right wrist [a month ago] in his sleep was bitten again by the same snake ... again in his sleep :-) ... this time 17 times on both feet - [ left 6 and right 11]. Apparently he tried to kick it away with his feet in his sleep as an involuntary reflex and this pissed off the snake which went on giving him "a piece of me". Poisonous  snakes apparently will slither away if they have not been touched. But if they have been pushed, shoved or in any other way harmed [or even if they perceive that they 'have been' OR 'are being' harmed], then they will go on attacking you and making a nuisance of themselves.

He survived as he was already on a heavy dosage of anti-venom tribal-Malayalam medicine recovering from the first bite. At the time, there were no signs of bites on his right wrist but that was the only place aching when he was bitten about a month ago. The reason for the pain and other body symptoms were suspected but later mostly confirmed to be the initial diagnosis - as a snake bite - when he saw it crawling out of his room. This was fortunate as thanks to this glimpse, his treatment became accurate. I believe that the local ayur-medic treated him till then with some kind of "cure-all" anti-venom. On seeing the snake for the first time, however, Sunil did not kill it. He decided to forgive it for the assumed offence and let it go. This is what happens when nature lovers live in civilization.

The snake got away but was killed the next [3rd] known time it entered his room. It was the snake known as "ettadie veeran" or 8-feet-killer. It is one of the "Big Four"of Indian snakes. Killer is not the correct translation for "veeran". "Brave" as a noun would be a better approximation though I am not sure why we Malayalis would call a poisonous snake that bites us as a hobby "brave". Either we are immune or even more poisonous than the snakes :-) . The 8-feet implies that if bitten, you will die within the time it takes you to walk that distance.

If you must know, Sunil does not live in Chengottukonam. For precautions go here.

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I got the following relevant information from this link.

All the major venomous species of snakes found in India are also found in Kerala. Kerala is recognized as having a major problem with snakebite. The five common poisonous snakes found in Kerala are Indian Cobra, King Cobra, Russel’s Viper, Saw-scaled viper and Krait. Out of these, Indian Cobra, Russel’s Viper, Saw-scaled viper and Krait are the most dangerous since the King Cobras usually habit in dense forests and hence rarely comes in contact with humans.

KRAIT

SCIENTIFIC NAME : Bungarus caeruleus

MALAYALAM :Vellikettan, Mothiravalayan, Ettadi veeran, Ettadi Moorkhan, Samkhuvarayan
Krait is a common snake with many species. The common species found in Kerala is Bungarus Coeruleus with blue or dark bluish grey colour and stripes across. These are found near human habitats due to availability of rodents. They are also found in farmlands and open forests. Venom is neurotoxic.

Feeds mainly on rodents, frogs and other snakes. The prey is pursued and a lethal dose of venom injected. The prey is then let go and consumed once dead. It is notorious for its appetite for snakes and frequently consumes blind snakes and other species including other members of the genus bungarus. When in pursuit of rodents it often ends up in human dwellings.

FW: The Difference Between Sending Something & Having Already Sent It

This is an old email that I had composed and senT when a colleague of mine got fed up with the usage of these 2 words among our colleagues especially Keralites.

-----Original Message-----
From: Sanjay George [mailto:Sanjay.George@old_email_id_of_my_employer.com]
Sent: Thursday, May 05, 2005 3:36 PM
To: scent_of_a_sentence@old_email_id_of_my_employer.com
Subject: The Difference Between Sending Something & Having Already Sent It
Importance: High

THIS IS BEING SENt ON POPULAR DEMAND

Kindly Note : SEND & SENT are different words

There are no words as senDed, senTed or senTing

Before senDing something make sure that you have not senT it already.
While senDing something make sure that you senD it to the right person.
Before senDing something make sure that you are senDing it to the right person.

To senD something tomorrow please make sure that when you senD it today, it is senT to the right people.

If you have already senT it then you have not forgotten to senD it ;-)

----------------
TIP

: 'senD' is used for present & future tense
: 'senT' only for past tense.
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By the time you reach home, he would have senT it.

Here the past tense version is used in the future tense because it is explaining a situation in the future after we have been 'transported'(senT?) there.
----------------
Did he senD it ?

Here we have been transported to the past and that time is now our 'virtual' present from which we will then make the sentence.

Idea no ?
----------------
Did he senD it ?
Was he senDing it when you were there ?
Will he senD it ?
Has he senT it ?
Is he senDing it ?
Will he be senDing it ?
Was it senT ?
Will it be senT?

For more consternation visit
http://www.antimoon.com/forum/2004/4729.htm

Thanx & Regds
Sanjay George

Erros with this form ...

Regarding http://www.tata-aig-life.com/contact-us/email-us-fields.html

Sent to Customercare@TATA-AIG.com

Hi TATA-AIG,

From your feedback webpage, I have sent you a message asking you to expect THIS email. My complaints are as follows.

1. Wrong Spelling of places.

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Your Spelling of South Indian places reflects a strong North Indian Pronunciation bias.

It is "Kerala" or "Keralam" NOT "Kerela". 4rth letter is an "A" and not an "E" .

It is "Angamaly" or "Ankamāli" but NOT "Angamally". Avoid the double "l".

It is "Alappuzha" NOT "Allapuzah".

Only 1 "l" but 2 "p"s.

Also ends as "zha" and not as "zah"

It is NOT "Aleppey Arcade" but "Alleppey Arcade". There are 2 "l"s here.

NOT "Kasargod" but "Kasargode". Add an "e".

NOT "Malapupuram" but "Malappuram".

NOT "Muvattapuzha" OR "Muvattupuza" but "Muvattupuzha". 7th letter is "u" and not "a". Also ends in "zha".

NOT "Perintalmanna" but "Perinthalmanna".

Add an "h" after the "t".

NOT "Thiruvandapuram" but "Thiruvananthapuram". This mistake occurs for the 2nd branch in the branch locator.

2. The Feedback form is buggy

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Why do you not allow us to enter special characters? Even "quotes" and question marks are not allowed.

3. Error Messages are also faulty

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The error message that pops up says "No Specialchars allowed".

====hopefully you will correct these when I check in later====