AInickal

Tag: life

  • My high school (8th to 10th)

    ~50 years gone — and still feels like yesterday!

    Govt. Model Boys High School, Thrissur — the “Oxford of Thrissur” back then — ran under the iron fist of Headmaster “Laddu”, based on his overall shape. (Yes, the man’s nickname was a sweet, but his rules were anything but …!)

    Only Balaji (my childhood friend) and I, from Wadakkanchery cracked the entrance exam. Balaji sailed through with flying colours, while I clung to the waiting list like a passenger on a crowded bus to Thrissur — eventually squeezed in! But later realized in the class that there were direct entries too, especially those little “over aged” back benchers! 😊

    btw. Just two days before, happened to meet Joy Chandy and learnt that he too was there with us from Wadakkanchery, as daily commuters. 🚎

    My “legendary” memories:

    • Drama disaster: Got thunderous applause for a tiny role in a play. Then came the annual drama offer — playing a blind kid. I panicked, thinking I had to act with eyes literally shut. Stage fright + closed eyes = guaranteed collision! 🎭

    The shed attached to the classrooms, where drama also was staged.

    • Football fiasco: As goalkeeper, I perfected the art of diving… not to save goals, but to collect elbow scratches. The watching crowd cheered my acrobatics, not my saves, there were not many!⚽🥅
    • Cinema escape: Balaji dragged me to Ramavarma theatre (later Sapna, now vanished to a “thin” ground!). The movie? Ponnapuram Kota!  While in the queue, just as ticket counter was near, I spotted a familiar Wadakkanchery face. My survival instincts kicked in — I bolted like Usain Bolt. Balaji followed me without knowing the reason; I maintained my reputation stay intact. Only from pre-degree, that too from second year only, I dared to go for movies from college, which continued throughout. 🎥🎞️

    Theatre space is converted parking space by Joy and Jose Alukkas! 😒

    • Maths master “Goods”: Famous for walking with his umbrella in a particular swing of hands like a train coal engine. His equations were tough, but his locomotion was steady.🚂
    • Social studies “Mooken”: Constantly fiddled with his nose, and graded papers by weight, not by the content. A heavy answer sheet meant heavy marks!📚
    • Drawing Mashu: Had his favourite student, though I still sketched decently. Sadly, favouritism > talent. But I liked him like Ekalavya.🖼️

    Recently met Kuriyappan Master who was our PT Mashu and when he asked me about few teachers by name, but I could not recollect them by their real names! 😒

    Arts college, nearby. 🎨

    • School strikes: Though rarely, St. Thomas boys storms in declaring freedom to students from their prison class. Once, I saw a fight between factions during such a strike, where a compass became a weapon. Geometry turned violence! 💪
    • Daily commute: 25 paise ST ticket each way, crossing three railway gates, hopping Maya, Bharath, Karippal private buses. Balaji and I were like a sitcom duo — always returning from school together. 🚐
    • Lunch luxury: ₹5 allowance, after commuting charges, meant daily masala dosa + coffee at Hotel Thriveni nearby  Paremekkavu Temple. Sometimes I skipped a day just to double-dose the next day. Small but crisp dosa, super masala with coconut chutney, and sambhar — pure heaven! 😋 Never tasted that delicacy ever since as I still feel it! 👅

    Hotel Thriveni is now “Candere” by Kalyan group.😭

    Those were truly the golden days, nostalgic indeed.🪙

    It’s amazing how those little details, like the tasty masala dosa or those nicknames of teachers, first movie experience, can still bring a smile decades later.

    I could see few notable unchanged ones, while many changed.

    Back gate: 🚪

    View through the back gate.

    Effect of rains.

    This big house was there opposite to the back gate! 🏘️

    Front side, this building was there but not sure if there was a hotel, but remembering a stationary shop.🏪

    The only Pen hospital, the same now too.

    with consulting time:🩺

    Sahithya Academy, nearby.📘

    Back side of Academy. It seems to be a trick by Corporation to justify those places which are not maintained well.

    Model Girl’s. the other side of the road, but this entrance is towards the famous Thrissur round. At times, we used to take the short cut through this gate to Vadakke Stand to catch buses to Wadakkanchery.🏫

    Flower shops remain the same.🌻💐

    Town hall road is now a shopping place for both textiles and gold.💰

    But the school remains the same with all its magnificence. 🙏

    Tail piece:

    Just learnt that, the Government Model Higher Secondary School for Boys in Thrissur is the oldest government school in Kerala, established in 1836. Wow!

    Childhood memories are dear especially here, for those who were in Model High School. ❤️

    Comments would be encouraging for improvements in future posts. 🙏

  • P-Chetan from memories – A Tribute

    P-Chetan (പിയുച്ചേട്ടൻ, പീച്ചേട്ടൻ), I am proud that I am YOUR brother!

    Pius Tharayil, my mother’s elder sister’s son, were at Mission Quarters, Thrissur.

    We were very, very close. Lot of time in my childhood I had spent at his house. For his parents too, I was his real younger brother, integral part of that family along with other 3 elder brothers of his.

    He was exceptional in everything he did.

    –              He was a genius in Computer programming. Initially solely wrote Corporate Banking software for CSB Bank, Head office, Thrissur which was in use for several years.

    –              A good teacher of Computer programming. Trained many including his colleagues at CSB EDP department. Each of them remembers him on his knowledge and teaching skills. For me I was already into Job so seldom had got chance to attend his classes which was set at first floor of his house, with board, desks and chairs. It was like a tutorial.

    –              Developed a number of general-purpose applications like file encryption etc. and several games, all by himself. His eldest brother was in the USA (who was into computer field itself) had gifted him with several computers over the time, starting with a Casio PB-100.

    –              P-Chetan had studied at NIIT, Mumbai and had won 1st Rank in COBOL. There was only 2 NIITs in India then, one was at Delhi and the other was at Bombay. In fact, I too had bagged 1st Rank later (1982-83) from the same place, for BASIC, as inspired by him.

    –              Passed BSc Degree by writing all papers of 3 years together (even after Hindi text was changed and came to know only few days before the exams). In fact, he wrote those exams when I was doing my final BSc, (note that I am 3 years younger to him). Later he took MCA too. I was staying with him for combined study to help him. While he was rigorously studying my notes at night though out, I was not that determined in studies though I could grab the subject faster! I remember him crying like a baby after Chemistry exam, as he could not write all the answers since he lacked writing practice for years together. In fact, he could narrate the entire Chemistry notebook by heart, remembered even the page numbers!

    –              Exceptional in Tennis (Thrissur District Champion from Banerjee club)  

    –              Excellent Shuttle badminton Champion

    –              Record holder in weightlifting feather class (University of Calicut). Practiced at gymnasium mashu’s place just opposite to his house.

    –              Was in St. Thomas college football team as a famous forward & goal striker (We used to play തുണിപ്പന്ത് (thuni panthu, a strong ball made up by closely tying strips of cloths over and over in many layers) at the rough paddy fields at Mission Quarters beside current Ekkandawariier Road.

    –              Intellectual, as he had put record fastest in solving Rubik’s Cube then! I remember accompanying him to the Manorama Office at Ekkandawariier Road, Thrissur. for the live demo. It had come in the news papers. Don’t remember if I was in that photo!

    – ⁠          Good painter

    – ⁠          Composed music and sang too on occassions

    Guess I left few more points!

    He was so determined if he decides to do anything!

    His birthday was on Apr 30th!
    Last month 30th was his 10th celestial birthday, on which I shared this to my friends and relatives thru WhatsApp.

    Those days won’t come back! But almost every day I remembers, still

    R.I.P. 🙏🏻