The book lover and the budding artist

Hello to all, from the ottai mandai (that is how I say 'mottai mandai'). First of all, a BIG Hi! to Abhijeeth, Sumathi perimma and Sridhar perippa's baby, who was born earlier this month. I'm feeling old already!

This is how I used to look before my ottai!




This is how I look in my ottai mandai now.





My ottai was at Vaideeswaram Kovil, near Sirkazhi. Mahesh Mama had come along with us from Bangalore. He got off at Trichy and brought along Thatha and Paati from there. Thatha, Paati and Chitappa had come from Madras along with Chinna kollu thatha. Krishnan thatha and Chitra paati were there at Sirkazhi. The day before my mottai, we all went to Asikkadu to see Kollu paati, Murthy thatha and Kamala paati. I was enjoying myself there, running around the house. But after I woke up from my sleep, I started crying non-stop for nearly a couple of hours. On checking my temperature, it was found that I had a fever. The fever started reducing the next morning and so my mottai was done. I did cry a fair bit when my hair was being shaved off. I kept wailing 'Paapaa ... Jaagruthi ... Thooku' but no one came to my help. After that I was bathed and wore new clothes. In fact I got so many new clothes that day! Amma then taught me that I was now a 'mottai' and I learnt to point to my head and say 'Ottai'.

I'm in Madras now. I've come here to celebrate Madras Thatha-Paati's sashtiabdapurthi. What is a sashtiabdapurthi? Well, I don't know much other than the fact that Thatha turns sixty years old. I'll obviously have a lot of fun, because I do love kalyanams! Amma has taught me a song to sing. But it is secret. Only Appa, Amma and I know about it! Ssssshhhhh! Satish pappappa (ok, I can actually say chi-ta-pa, but somehow I keep saying pappappa) was not at Madras when we went there. Now he is.

There is a lot of work to be done. I wonder what my contribution will be. I suppose eating, sleeping and playing on time and being cheerful is a good start. We've so far done some shopping and I've enjoyed myself, as usual, during those outings. The first two days or so, I was really scared whenever we went to someone's house and I used to start crying because I was unprepared to see so many people! I hope (and so do others as well!), I stop doing this soon.

From Amma and Trichy Thatha, I've learnt how to keep the house spick and span. Whenever Pamma (Padma) cleans the house, I take a mop and keen the floor. Sometimes the mop is double my size. But I still manage quite well!

I love reading books and reciting rhymes. Mahesh mama bought me some rhymes CDs and since I am now tall enough to reach the top of the table, I switch on the DVD player and wave my arms around indicating that I want to listen to 'The itsy bitsy spider'. Amma taught me 'Johnny Johnny yes papa' and although I don't know all of it, I am the one who says 'papa' and the 'ha ha ha' at the end.

A couple of weeks ago, Appa and Amma went to a bookshop in Bangalore to see if they could buy new books for me. Well, it was actually a second-hand bookshop, so it couldn't have been a new book anyway! In any case, I was elated when I went in and started frantically saying 'Booku booku booku'. To keep me quiet, Amma spread half-a-dozen books around me and I was happily looking at them while they tried to figure out which book to buy for me. I think I've inherited this habit from Appa. He loves going to bookshops and even more so, loves reading up entire books while sticking around there. Amma sighs at my behaviour and wonders if there could be a day when Appa and I will just say bye to Amma and go away to the nearby bookstore for entertainment.





Oh, we bought a nice shiny new Alto car. It is blue in colour and I love going in it, although Appa does drive quite slowly. I have a new vehicle as well. I call it the doggy cycle. I think I'll challenge Appa to a race one day. I am sure I will win. On second thoughts, nowadays I walk so fast, I might actually run and win the race against Appa driving the Alto.


One of my books has a list of numbers, days of the week and months in it. But I need the start from others. I don't know what the starting number, day or month is. But once you say one, I can go ahead, skipping a few numbers here and there. I never remember July and always jump from Joo to Aakuth (June to August). Some of my favourite months are Maa (March), Ockoba (October) and Diichem (December). My week always ends with Thathuday (Saturday), whether you start from Thunday (Sunday) or Monday.


I can effortlessly climb up and sit on chairs, sofa sets and cots. It has taken a while to learn it, but I've mastered it. My next problem is to ensure that I do not fall off while I'm standing on them. Since I get so excited, I immediately stand and try to run or walk very fast.

As part of a family tradition, I've also inherited a tendency to catch a cold very easily. So I've been to my doctor, Dr. Bhaskar at Manipal Hospital, quite often, ever since I came to Bangalore almost exactly a year ago. Now, I actually recognize the hospital very well and the moment we enter it, I begin wailing 'Daaktaaaa ... aandaam' (Doctor! Dont want!). Sometimes I get distracted by seeing something else and don't realize we're in the hospital until I see the doctor! My crying makes everyone laugh because my mood has changed so suddenly. Sometimes I've even pushed Dr. Bhaskar away when he has tried to use the stethescope on me or when he touches my face.

Inspired by paintings on our walls and elsewhere, I've now started trying my hand at art work. I guess since the paintings sit on the walls, there is no reason why I can't draw on the walls. I use pencils and crayons to express myself. Once I do it, I say kiruk (scribble). Appa and Amma draw (on paper, not on walls) pictures of crows, elephants, faces, dogs etc. to keep me entertained.

Right, I need to now try to get hold of a pencil or crayon at Madras so that I can kiruk here as well. Bye bye!