The Mushroom park of memories

Let me introduce you to this park - ‘Zipliner park’ or ‘mushroom park’ as we call it. A month ago, we frequented this place when our parents had visited. It was at the time of heatwave, the grass was dry and brown. Every evening as we stepped out for walk, amma and I discussed different routes. But we always ended up at this park, it being a favourite of achan and Laya’s.

While achan walked determinedly around the park to complete 5 rounds or more, Manish and Laya checked out the gym equipments and amma and I had our ‘deep’ mother-daughter conversations (can’t have enough of that, right).

Later, everybody took turns at the swing set. And I didn’t need to swing for joy..my heart was filled to the brim just watching them enjoy and laugh in care-free manner, which was a rare sight. Even when amma kept asking me to join, I did not want to move an inch from my place. I was trying to freeze that frame in my mind, as no photo or video did justice enough. Later, amma told me that it was the first time she saw achan on a swing. How precious is that! It was their first proper holiday. And for once they weren’t worried about forgetting their phones, glasses or bag.

Later we all walked upto these mushroom seats in the middle of the park. There were exactly 5 of them. Laya always sat tall on the tallest seat. While we talked away, we took turns to play badminton. In between I sneaked a few pictures. 

While on some of these days we played with dogs, hid painted rocks and picked feathers with Laya, this was more or less our routine when parents were here. 

I had not visited this park for the longest time after they left. Today morning, I fancied a walk there. The park was empty and inviting. The grass was lush green as we have been blessed with a rainfall or two recently. My heart is filled again with the memories of our laughs. As I walked the path following achan’s footsteps, there was a breeze and a few leaves fell on me, as if to enquire where the rest of us were. 

Well, the grass is green now. The memories too.

 

The Spring that sprung!

I am at a place where the foliage play the weather guy. From luscious green leaves entwined with flowers to raining down yellow and gold in the chilly Autumn wind, from showing off the shape of their heads and a few hidden pigeon nests to sprouting fresh new buds in a plethora of shades in spirited Spring, it is a lot of activity that I’ve missed to experience ever before. Once I was jokingly told that I am more acquainted with the trees of this town than the people; such is the fascination that lasts the whole year and then some more.

Last December, all the trees got their haircut and the late bloomers quickly shed their clingy leaves in time for Christmas. With a promise of chilly winter that lasts till February, I was partly relieved that there wouldn’t be any unpleasant spider encounters too until then.

Getting me completely wrong, on December 31st, I spotted Three of them at different spots busying about their webs. A week later, Daffodil stems had shot up with little buds looking ahead for an early adventure. The tortoise who was meant to hibernate peeked out of his shell at the nearby lake!

 

My weather guys were utterly confused as we had a perfectly sunny warm day in the midst of winter. They don’t seem to understand climate change like we do.

Well, looking ahead to an early Spring that has sprung in the midst of ‘winter’!

Maps and paths!

Do you like your maps? Well, I do! Not always though. As I have decided to make the most of this lovely summer weather and pollution-free air here that helps me breathe easy, I have taken to walking a lot more than I ever thought was possible for me back in India. Only that, I get bored walking the same route on two consecutive days.

 So I have taken to exploring new ways and hidden paths and get quite excited in discovering something new and beautiful. The foliage, butterflies and clouds in a zillion shapes and shades have always interested me. I feel incredibly lucky and grateful for being able to enjoy this every other day. Like my friend said, I feel like I am on a permanent holiday at times.

So in the day time, I take an hour to walk around, finding new and amazing stuff, suggesting the same to my husband and daughter as we go on round two in the evening. Over the weekend we have adventures of almost getting lost in the woods, GPS showing a path through a thicket impossible to walk with a kid, but miraculously finding the path later (by miracle I mean finding a fellow jogger who can guide us through).

 

Incredible adventures apart, one day I went to a park which was so beautiful that I wanted to get there again with family. Only problem, while walking to the park for the first time, I was with a friend who had my full attention in her amazing stories so that I mixed up a left and a right. Next evening, the three of us embarked on a journey to the most beautiful park in the neighbourhood, only to be guided by me in a completely different direction.

Long story short, we walked over two kilometres, braved some rain and shine, but I refused to give up. After passing a lot of new routes, we doubled back to a road that’s right opposite our home. By now my husband was quite sceptical of my navigation skills and I had to constantly remind him of the million times I have successfully guided him with a map (he just chuckled). Well, about two minutes before we got back home, there the park was, hidden by a side road, in all its glory. So that’s the day I made my family walk a few KMs to get to a park about 200m from home. Well, it’s good exercise after-all!

Inci Vinci tales!!

For those who know me well, one of my (sometimes irritating, borderline cute and mostly annoying) traits is that I’m mortally terrified of spiders. To the extent that even typing out their name freaks me out as I start imagining the creature and now I can’t take the picture off my head. It gets worse as I start feeling it crawling all over me. (Okay, thinking of skies and rain. Rainbows and roses. Taking a deep breath. Let’s continue). 

Due to the name anomaly, I had started calling them ‘Marshmallows’, but the current christening is ‘Inci Vinci’ thanks to a rhyme that Laya sings. 

So, Inci Vinci has played a dramatic role in my life which has been integral though traumatic. Ever since childhood there have been several incidents of me running out of house, out of classrooms, etc. for the same reason. Once one shows up in a washroom, I don’t use that washroom for months even after it’s caught. My friends and family will have their share of Inci Vinci dramas to share in plenty, thanks to me. 

The day I met my husband for the first time, he got rid of an Inci Vinci for me and that sealed our bond.😂 One day, he had to come all the way from his office (which was a walkable distance, still it’s a big deal you know) to take care of an Inci Vinci incident while I sat under a quilt with baby Laya trying to keep her from catching the creature herself! She was about 8 months old then and we were in UK at the time. Following that, we mailed the agents complaining about an Inci Vinci infestation, soon after which a lady came by to hand over a bottle of Hit to me. She said the Inci Vincis here aren’t scary or poisonous as the ones you find at your place. Well, thank you for that wise nugget, doesn’t change my feeling anyway. We did put the Hit to good use since then. Spraying every nook and corner and having dear husband inspect the place every time I stepped in! Well, enough about those days. 

Things are even more scarier at hometown as I expect one to pop up any time, day and night. It’s like we have a special connection. I can know it when one is in the same room, even before I see it. And I can spot one however deceptively it hides. It’s a bane, I tell you! And it’s as if it comes to say hello right after everyone else go to sleep. One night in 2020 during the lockdown days, I set up my bed with paints, brushes, and a few canvases planning to do several paintings together. It was a challenge and I was excited. So was the Inci Vinci. Right after I put out the paints on my palette, a particularly large and scary one came and sat on it!!

I ran for my life. I woke my brother, woke my mom. I was shivering and sobbing all the while hiding in my brother’s room! We did have a beautiful brother-sister moment when he had no idea what to do and just hugged me till I pulled myself together. Then, super-mom and super-bro went to the rescue leaving no stones unturned in finding and getting rid of the creature. Later, I just about managed to go back to the room to save my paint tubes and brushes. I slept at my brother’s room that night, and him, in the living room. Phew! That was one of the worst Inci Vinci experiences. It took me a while to get back to painting.

Recently, as I was picking Laya up from school on a rainy day, I found a little one inside my umbrella and asked a stranger if she could help me get rid of it. And since then we have been good friends!

Things took a whole new turn when Laya’s teacher Rethi miss brought an Inci Vinci figurine to her online class, making it move up and down! My vision was compromised for the entire class and Laya had much fun watching my expressions. 🙄

Today morning, there was a recap of the concept of Up & Down. 

Rethi miss : Everybody please look up and tell me what you see.

Laya : I see a bulb and an Inci Vinci!!

You can imagine the drama that unfolded after that. Thank god it was a little one, for the class wasn’t disrupted. It had come in through an open window and I couldn’t help looking up and on the screen back to back so many times that it may have looked like I had a squint eye. Taking Laya’s suggestions, my dear husband (he has become quite an Inci Vinci catching expert, I must say) saved the day once again. Poor teacher would have had no idea what her harmless activity caused here! 😊

Hoping for no more unwelcome Inci Vinci incidents, though it’s such an irony that each most incidents have given me something precious in life and if nothing else, a good laugh later.

Scot Scot Scot Scot Scotland! The tale of an incredible 8 day road trip.

As Laya and I came to UK during COVID period, I had no expectations for a long travel anytime soon, let alone stepping out of our lovely little town. I was content and grateful too for a healthy and safe time with my family. 

And then, COVID second wave just about finished here. Summer began, lockdown eased, Laya started going to school, life was almost normal ( or the new normal of mask, sanitizers and 2m distance). On one such laid back Saturday, as we watched a random movie with coffee & crisps in hand, this conversation started suddenly, like it does. 

“ You know what I wanna do? Get packing, stay at a nice hotel, get ready in the morning, go sight-seeing, click lots of pictures, return to the hotel all tired and sleep like a baby, come home later to reminisce the journey and look at all those pictures. When was the last time we did that?” I said. 

It was just a fantasy and I didn’t imagine that exactly 2 months later we would embark on one of the most memorable journeys of our lives.

Stage one : Planning 

This was an exciting phase. Nailing down places to visit, deciding the number of days and mode of transport and so on. We decided on Scotland as it would be within UK and is supposed to be quite scenic. As we did not want to risk travelling by public transport due to obvious reasons, this ended up to be a road trip. So we rented a car, booked hotels, ferries etc. Everything was sorted, but then Glasgow (where we were to spend a night) was in level 3 meaning no tourists were allowed. We tweaked our plans again to include Lake District (no regrets there!) and it turned out to be an excellent decision. By the time we decided this, Laya fell sick followed by us. It was a tension-filled week as we were to travel soon and didn’t know if it would be possible at all. But thankfully we all tested negative and recovered in time for our much awaited journey. A day before travel, I prepared a detailed itinerary and completed the Lake District bookings. 

Stage 2 & the Ultimate: The Travel!!

Day 1 : Travel to Edinburgh 

We started off in the morning hoping to reach Edinburgh by later afternoon and planning to roam the city at night and dining out. As it was a long weekend, the roads were busy and we got to our rooms only by night. The drive was rewarding though! Clear blue sky with whisps of cotton-candy clouds and abundance of mustard fields on the way! We had a pit stop at Mainsgill farm near the Scotch corner. A beautiful little farm with fresh produce including farm-made ice creams & a lot of cattle including cows, donkeys, ostriches, emus, sheep, alpacas and double-humped camels! Layakutty had a memorable time there and it was refreshing for all of us.  A couple of hours later, we reached the border. To add to our much anticipated arrival, the entire area with the “welcome to Scotland” signpost & flag was quite mystically foggy and cold! About ten minutes later, as we moved on the weather became sunny again. I was amazed to think this is Scotland welcoming us for an unforgettable week ahead. And unforgettable, it was.

Day 2 : Edinburgh - St Andrews

We had pre-booked a tour of the palace of Holyroodhouse ( the Queen’s official residence in Edinburgh and the home of Scottish Royal history) and that’s were we began our day. Soon after that we took a walk along the Royal Mile, which is a one mile long street between the palace and the Edinburgh castle. With shops, restaurants, street side shows and kilt clad people playing bagpipes in at every corner, this street was bustling with activities and the walk was fun. On the way, we checked out the ‘Elephant House cafe’ which is claimed as the birthplace of Harry Potter as J K Rowling frequented the place while writing her books. The table we sat on had the view of Edinburgh Castle on a cliff top and it looked a lot like Hogwarts to me. I imagined how J K Rowling may have sat at the same place and looked over the window at the castle while writing about Hogwarts. A notice on the wall read that other writers like Ian Rankin and Alexander McCall Smith also frequented this cafe! How cool. 
After the cafe, we walked on towards the castle, passing by the colourful walls of Victoria street. In the afternoon, we drove town to the town of St Andrews (birthplace of golf) and spent some time at a beach by the remains of a castle. The drive itself was scenic with grassy landscapes  and lots of sheep.

We took the coastal route on the way back to experience the beautiful sunset and twilight colours of the sky embracing the sea. 

Day 3 - Edinburgh - Kinlochleven

We started early to the enchanting highlands of Scotland. Our first stop was the Kelpies, the sculptures of the heads of two larger-than-life horse-like mythical creatures looking over a waterbody.  The Kelpies are rumoured to have been inhabiting the waters of Scotland like the fabled Loch-Ness monster. We drove by Sterling and lunched at Blair Drummond Smiddy Farm shop. Passing by the scenic town of Callander, we got our first glimpse of the highlands. And mountains were a part of everywhere we looked, for the next three days! We stopped at Lake Lubnaig on the way and as I enjoyed the cool, calm and clear waters, Laya picked up pebbles to throw at the water. By the end of our journey, Laya has collected quite a few pebbles from each place we visited, her own little souvenir. 

Rannoch Moor was the first highlight of the highlands. My camera was on throughout the stretch and there was a lot to take in. Just the majesticity of it all was incredible. And then we reached Glencoe. We stopped at a point hoping to go on a pre-planned hike. But we missed the route and ended up going on an entire other walk which was not as easy. The experience was rewarding though, with green landscape, a lake way below  and a nearing waterfall! I was surprised to see how easily Laya walked up and down and how excited she was about it. This was our encouragement to go on several more treks over the coming days. 

This day’s twilight time was spent on a drive through Glen Etive, 12 miles of nature showing off its best. Mountains & lakes and mountains & lakes is how Laya describes the Highlands.
That night we checked-in at Edencoille guest house at Kinlochleven where everything was just so pretty, from garden gnomes to porcelain figurines and marmalade jars. The windows of our rooms framed mountains. That night we dined on cup noodles as unfortunately we got caught up in the scenery and forgot to hit the restaurants before their early closing hours due to COVID. 

Day 4 - Fort William - Isle of Skye

We started our day at the Nevis Range by taking a Gondola ride up to 650m above the sea level and then hiking a bit more. The mountains were snow-capped like calendar images of the Himalayas and the Alps! It was picturesque.

 Our next stop was Glenfinnan Viaduct to watch the steam engine (Hogwarts Express). I was amused to see the number of people perched over nearby hills to get a better view of the passing train. The experience was okay-ish for us as we aren’t new to seeing trains, but the beauty of the highlands did add its charm to it. 

We had pre-booked a ferry from Mallaig to Armadale at Isle of Skye. As we rushed to catch the ferry on time, I was excited to be on water and take in the view of skyline around it. But to our disappointment, we had to remain in the car while on the ferry and nothing much was visible. The only way to know we were on water was by the slow lull of the ferry, that too required some concentration to notice! The disappointment didn’t last long though. 

As we entered Isle of Skye, we were welcomed by the setting sun in between the M shaped mountain ranges just like our childhood drawings! We had booked a house for two days through AirBnB at Carbost. This house was located right by a lake and opposite Tallisker Distillery, the second largest in Scotland. The windows of the house had views of the calm blue-green lake with a boat parked here and there like within a photo frame.

Day 5 - Isle of Skye

Our plan was to go around the famous Trotternish Loop. On the way to our first stop, we stopped in between to view turquoise waters on the way! Turquoise being my favourite colour, this was something on my bucketlist since forever and I felt lucky to have stumbled upon this view unexpectedly. 

Later we reached Fairy Glen, a bunch of Hillocks overlooking massive rock formations, a pond and an ancient stone circle that’s supposed to have magically formed by itself. Everything screamed magic about this place. The hillocks reminded me of Vagamon in Kerala. We had a nice time climbing up and down before we headed to Quiraing, another vantage point to take-in the scenic brilliance of Skye. 

Our next stop was Kilt rock and Mealt falls. The view of the sea from this point is what caught my eye here. Blue clear water with pebbles visible way below. The next place is my list was Rubha nam Brathairean or Brother’s point. Finding this spot wasn’t easy and it was a 2KM walk downwards and it was all worth it. This place was the cherry on top. Throughout the walk we had sheep for company and Laya tried to befriend a few of them, all the while engaging them in potty-training conversations. The walk ended by the sea. A pebble beach with blue waters from which I just couldn’t take my eyes off, lined on both sides by cliffs and hills. A small Brooke was running on another side where the cutest lamb was grazing with vigour. A few years back, several dinosaur footprints were uncovered at this place! The climb back up required a lot more stops in between to catch my breath, and the view from each point was energising. Laya said goodbye to the sheep after promising them a letter as soon as she got back home. I fondly remembered scenes from Heidi. 

After stopping for lunch at Portree at a restaurant that claims to have been visited by Allu Arjun, we continued to our sunset point of the day, Neist point. The drive itself was memorable and as we reached the destination, we could see several caravans parked and tents erected for the night. As the weather got chilly suddenly, Laya didn’t wish to walk much. Though we didn’t walk up to the light house there, whatever we got to see was just as beautiful. “Mountains and waters” in Laya’s words, joined by the sun playing peekaboo behind the clouds!

Day 6 - Isle of Skye - Carlisle

We checked out of our little stay at 10 AM and visited the Tallisker distillery for a whiskey tour. Unfortunately they were fully booked till July due to less number of intakes and fewer slots due to COVID. Then we went to the one place in Trotternish loop that we had missed the previous day; The old man of Storr. The hike up to see the old man was 4.5KM and we did not go all the way up. But we did our bit, enjoyed the view, Laya plucked a few wildflowers and then we said by to Skye and embarked on our longest drive yet back to England. The drive by Loch Lomond on the way was exceptional. 

Day 7 - Lake District

In this journey, most of the places we visited were ones that we do not tire of. They can be experienced in a day, a week or hundred days and still each moment would be all the more memorable. There are several walking trails ranging from 1 mile to 150 miles, easy to moderate and extremely risky walks. There is something here for everyone. And Lake District is one such place too. As we had just a day in hand, it had to be spent wisely. We had pre-booked a boat ride at Ullswater steamers starting from Pooley Bridge and ending at Glenridding and this is what we did first. 

Post the breathtaking steamer ride, we spent some time at the lake and then drove by lake Windermere to an aquarium. Later we went to Hill Top, the home and gardens of writer Beatrix Potter. It was a busy Friday and our entry ticket had an hour and a half of waiting time. We spent this time at a nearby village called Hawkshead which looked like it was taken right out of Beatrix Potter’s imagination. After a cup of delectable Hot chocolate with marshmallows at Ginny’s Teapot, we headed back to Hill Top and were in awe of knowing her life a little more closely. 

Later we spent time at Coniston waters, another lake nearby. After driving around Derventwater and Buttermere, we reached Castlerigg Stone circle for that day’s sunset. This stone circle is supposed to have been erected centuries back to hold important meetings of trade. The view around the field and the skyline was incredible. We finished the day at the town of Keswick where I found a bookshop (‘cos no journey is complete without one of those!). 

Day 8 - Journey back home

It was that time of the journey to scroll through the nearly Two Thousand pictures taken and talk about them all, trying to find which part of a mountain went where. It was that time of the journey to realise how tired we really were and yet how fulfilled and gratified we felt after this whole experience. It was a drive back with prolonged silences and sudden bursts of conversations as we all mulled over the week that was. It was that time of the journey where playlists filled the silences and mustard fields waved back at us. As I looked at the cotton-candy clouds over a clear blue sky, I could see the shapes of sheep of all sizes, the hairy and cute Highland cattle and even a couple of Kelpies.

A lockdown tale - Covid 'con'-calls

"Bro! Your laptop has been beeping for five minutes." 

I'm Sam. On a sabbatical and travelling the country. Or so I thought two months back. Now it's mostly playing with niece and catching up on Netflix.

I decided to visit my dear brother and family on my way to a remote village in Attapadi for a literal social distancing and life with nature. That's when Covid struck and the lockdown began. Now social distancing is happening here itself, minus the nature.

Today is day 51 of lockdown. As I alert Simon about his 'ringing' laptop, I kinda know where this would end. It's day 51 of lockdown and 'my' 7th official call (including the one I'm about to answer), not to mention the 5 different group calls of his; class-11 friends, gym friends, hostel mates, wild wild workers (whatever that one is) and yogis of Bhaskaran Pilla street. Oh I almost forgot his 'Liverpooler forever' group. Actually had fun with that one. I doubt he is a 'Liverpooler forever' anymore after that call.

And his 'Porotta-beef chunkz', 'Nature dudez' and 'Lalettan rulez' have scheduled their calls this week apparently. I have never understood how the use of 'z' makes anything sound cooler. Like a bee buzzing at the end of each..."Eda Sam!!" His echo calls from the bathroom. 

"I hear you Sima" I reply with the least enthusiasm. "Da please answer my conference call! I'll be out in five. Just take it, text them 'How's it going?', pass a couple of cliche hand-wash jokes and play Indiavision. By then I'll be there. Well, you know the drill!" 

 Oh yes I do. Something doesn't add up here? It's time I tell you our beard story. Simon and I are not twins, but we look quite alike nowadays. I started growing my hair and beard as part of my 'lone traveller' look and just for the ease of it all. Simon started growing his after he lost a bet. He was about to get rid of it, but then the lockdown started and he just wouldn't trust any of us to chop it down for him. He gets all edgy and sensitive when it comes to facial hair. In short, like any Malayali with a Thor-like beard and hair, Simon and I look quite alike (Having inherited out mother's nose has helped too). We also sound alike. When I answered his first con-call for him as he was watching the finale of Game of Thrones (that was a fair reason right?), I was thrilled no-one caught it! I just answered the call, exchanged niceties, and then he took over and got to business. Noone knew any better!

Soon it became this cool thing that we could do as brothers. But now things have gotten out of hand. One day, Simon decided to answer my call before I got to it. It was my girl friend. She did call the bluff in about Thirty seconds. But it was enough for our brotherhood to turn evil. So now Simon has me doing his bids for him and if I refuse, my gf would be introduced to my mom and the temporarily shut down tele serials will resume live from home!!

I have been answering all these crazy calls for him as he gets more complacent by the hour.  If I'm about to get caught, Indiavision saves the day. "Can't hear you! Can't see here! Wifi is down!" Etc. Etc. and etc. until Simon-the-original takes over. 

But this has gone on long enough. After Zoya (my niece) and I execute our master plan today afternoon, Simon will step back ( imagine my evil laugh as you read this). I'll tell you more about the plan after this call.

"Hi guys..sorry sorry! Took the extra Twenty seconds to wash my hand, you know". 

I know none of those half-willed laughters would be there if Simon wasn't their boss. 

"So..how's it going? Is lockdown suiting you well? Hope you are well fed, if not fed-up!" More feeble hahaha.

Simon asks me to close the monitor so that he can step in. "Sorry guys! Little technical hiccups!..." 

I wish I could throw in a couple more PJs before he caught on. 

"Hey Simon! Are my eyes playing trick? Weren't you just wearing a blue tee? Its white now? "

Now this is getting interesting. One of his sharper colleagues has caught it finally. 

"Oh Hema..good observation! My little one just spilled some juice on me. I just rushed to change when the wifi went down. Merits of lockdown, you know!" And Simon is back in the game with desperate measures to appreciate work from home and motivate his team.

Let's discuss our plan then. It's quite simple, actually. As Simon enjoys his post-lunch siesta today, Zoya is going to cut off his beard randomly, leaving him no choice but to shave off the rest when he finds out.

It's lunch time already! Let me go make sure my dear brother eats some extra desserts that give him a deep slumber today. 

"Hey Sam! I am so excited. Our HR wants us to make a short-film to spread awareness. Put your film-maker shoes on! We are gonna rock this. I'm thinking, how about hugs that go in and out of each frame! Like we are actually together and supporting each other, even though we are all in our homes safely..."

Simon goes on to explain each frame as he adds curry onto his rice. "Sima, do you think hugs are the way to portray social distancing?" I ask, trying hard not to roll my eyes.

"I didn't think of it that way. How about passing on lit lamps instead? Modiji would like that."

I nod along as I can't stop imagining a beard-less Simon holding out a lamp. It's somehow more comical in my head.

After rambling on for 45 minutes about technical details of filming that would confuse even Prithviraj, my dear brother goes to nap. Zoya tails him holding a pair of scissors as dearly as she holds her Teddy. Merits of having a doting niece, I tell you. 

Long story short, Simon is too excited about the film to sleep soundly. Zoya gets caught red-handed before she could cut 2 strands of his beloved beard. I run into my room disgruntled.

Two hours later, Zoya comes to my room and shouts, "Ayyo! Sammy mama Motta!!" 

Yes. There was always a plan B. It took me two hours to completely remove my Santa-beard and hair. But they are not as dear to me as the expression on Simon's face as he saw me bald as a baby.

We don't look alike anymore. No, not at all.

Okay. Cut. It's a wrap! (Camera zooms-in on Simon's shocked face).

Chakshushravana galasthamam darduram evide??

It's quite alright if you don't get the title, I didn't either. Well, that's what led to this blog entry anyway. If you do get it, well done!!

Have you ever felt like there's a 24*7 jukebox inside your head? Mine has one that obsesses over lyrics too.

A couple of days back, I happened to come across these wonderful Malayalam rap videos by Neeraj Madhav on YouTube. It's a set of three videos called Jungle speaks. Spread over these three songs, there are five animals that rap/sing about their lockdown perspective and give us a piece of their heart.

My favourite is Bobby the snake. Having gone to sleep listening to Bobby's woes one night, my head kept sending in "chakshushravana galasthamam darduram evide" every few minutes the next day. It was indeed part of the song. Hearing me murmur this on and on, my daughter replied "ivide und amma" more than once! (Thanks to this habit of mine, she is familiar with Bella Ciao too). Then my brain started digging up the meaning of this sentence. At first I assumed it means greenery pleasing to the eyes and ears which is not easily seen today and hence the snake questioning it. 

Though chakshu means eyes and shravana means ears ( brain did it's duty digging up whatever Sanskrit I learnt in school), the rest of it was guesswork. Sort of like writing an essay for exam without having a clue about the actual question. 

By the end of the day, curiosity got the better of me and I turned to google guru for help. After some search, I learnt that this is an excerpt from Thunjathezuthachan's Adhyatma Ramayanam. And it means a frog caught in a snake's throat. Though the blogger had gone on to explain the whole context philosophically, I was still not satisfied. Even if frog was 'darduram', where is the snake mentioned?? 'Galasthamam' must be something to do with throat.

After thinking and thinking, I decided to message my friend for help. She did her share of googling and listening to the songs too. All this happened super late at night. But of course you can count on your new-mommy friend to be up at odd times to help with finding the meaning of tough malayalam words. So the search went on. I started reading Ayodhya Kandam of Ramayanam all the while chanting, "chakshu shravana galasthamam darduram evide??" 

Finally my friend laid the last bit of that puzzle. So chakshushravanan is another name for snake! One who hears with his eyes. But of course. What a beautiful way of describing that mighty being! Meanwhile, I found the entire stanza of the poetry and its meaning. Here you go if you are interested, a small summary as I understand it -

 The duration of our life is as little as the time taken for a droplet of water that falls on a hot piece of metal to evaporate. Still, our soul searches for material desires like a frog that tries to catch a fly even while it's halfway down the throat of a snake. 

Finally, mind at peace, I listened to Bobby's tale once again and went to sleep.

If you would like to know more about the poem, this is part of Lakshamanopadesham in Ayodhyakandam. ( http://rajathathas.blogspot.com/2012/06/aodhya-kandam.html?m=1 )

Do check out Junglespeaks videos on YouTube! Rest of the lyrics are more colloquial. And also 'Panipali' if sleep evades you too.