Velu the philoshoper

                 Velu was a coolie in our market. I used to book my goods for shipment through his help and he charges rupees ten per parcel.  His only aim in a day was that he needs to earn a  minimum of thirty rupees that day. If he doesn't get enough parcels for making up thirty rupees, then whoever utilize him has to shell out thirty rupees even for a single parcel. Why thirty rupees? That is all he requires to by him one round of drinks. If he earns more than that, then the consumption of liquor that day will also be more. His food expenses were very less. Whatever money he earns daily will be spent on the same day as he never bothered about the next day. He believed that God will provide him for his requirement, though in outward look he does not look like a pious man.

               He carried 50 kilos weight parcels effortlessly whereas even 30 kilos is very difficult for me. The food I take contains all vitamins, calories and proteins whereas Velu eats some rice and sambar alone and not much of vegetables. Even with that kind of foof Velu can lift the heavy parcels and does not get tired. We have been told about balanced food and eat the recommended one, but have less energy.Velu had few clothes and lived in a hut; had no savings for the next day, but slept nicely without the help of sleeping tablets. He died two years back, but his memories are still in my mind.

Kings of India

                     How we value or imagine certain things is very interesting. My father-in-law had lent money to some of his friends. When he fell sick he started sending my wife and her elder sister to collect back the money he had lent. One such friends to whom he had lent money was from Srivaikundam in Thirunelveli district. This friend hailed from a caste called Kottai Pillamar. Kottai pillamars usually build a fort and they lived inside the fort. The fort was made of clay and brick, and entry to the fort was very restricted. This particular friend of my father-in-law was the chieftain of his fort. My wife and her elder sister went to Srivaikundam to collect the money back from him. In my wife's mind the idea of a fort and a chieftain had created a big imagination. She thought that being a Raja[chief] meant that he would look like the Kings depicted in our history books. When she entered the gate along with her sister, the guards told them to wait.After getting permission from the King, they were allowed inside the courtyard of the Chief. The courtyard was another clay building and a man with bald head,and a dirty linen appeared. On coming to know that this ordinary man was the king, all the imagination built up in my wife's mind went to dust.

                      In another incident she went to Anantha Padmanabasamy temple in Trivandrum. She was told that Raja of Travancore will be visiting the temple in the early morning. So she went to the temple and positioned herself to have a good view of the King. And then a man with ordinary cloth appeared without jewels and other ornaments of a KING. In India we have many stories like this.