An on the road saga - Part 5!!

We sat anxiously outside the two different RTO offices to get our International driving permit sanctioned. Suddenly my cell phone rang... it was PP ..."success... I got mine done ! what about yours?" 'No",I replied...."Mr.RTO has still not arrived the scene.Looks like we will have to cancel tonight's train ticket." "OMG! I have an important meeting in office tomorrow... I can't spare any more leave.You come later with kids...."said PP. After two day long satyagraha outside the RTO and after filling the empty pockets of various administrative staff I got my much awaited IDP....

With the valuable IDP safely in my purse , we packed our bags once again to leave our land ... for a 3 year long stay in US. My first impression of US roads was admiration and awe.... then came anxiety ....who would not be anxious to see the cars zooming on the free ways ...each time a vehicle passed me I could feel a burner kindling in my tummy. "How can I drive on these roads...."

After much thought I was enlightened ... yes I understood that till now I was never driving....being still alive after driving on our Indian roads was not less than a miracle! After a few weeks in US, necessity forced me to sit behind the steering and drive our FORD Taurus... Yes ., I enjoyed those moments when I drove the car in the early morning to give dance lessons to a group of Indian kids. We started feeling the necessity of having a second vehicle and leased a Chrysler town and country...From then on that became my on the road companion.... I was transformed into a full time chauffeur ... driving the kids to and from school, shopping , trips to library , to my dance classes....

My IDP was expiring in a few weeks .. when a new rule came up by the SOS that only green card holders were issued a drivers permit. I was in a dilemma .... Still with the confidence that very thing will fall into place , I continued with my road trips ....

One day as I was on my way to dropping my kindergartner to school ... one police vehicle suddenly came opposite our vehicle... before I knew, the police car took a U turn and with the lights and the siren blaring started following me.

I remembered what PP told me what to do when a police car follows you, with the lights and siren on,... just take your vehicle to the side and park it safely and wait for the officer to come .. I did exactly that .. trying not to panic ...my toddler started screaming on top of his voice.... "amma .... amma ... police .... ammma ...." I could see the fear in the eyes of my kindergartner, even when he tried to calm down his brother.... Those few minutes of waiting seemed to be like hours...and finally the officer came beside my the driver's window and asked ... " license please" .
.......to be continued.....

An on the road saga ! 4

After a fun filled and adventurous year in Japan, we landed in Taiwan. The on the road adventures here were limited to profuse use of expression and hand gestures to the locals and the taxi drivers in an attempt to make them understand our destination . Even the famous "TESCO" shopping mall had to be translated to "to-hi -ko" with right voice modulation and intonation : which used to be rehearsed again and again ....After staying in Taiwan for a year, we landed in one of the most picturesque and serene places I have stayed... South Africa.

Our stay in South Africa was fun and full of life. We stayed in a huge bungalow overlooking a nature reserve . A well maintained garden with bird baths, lush green trees and fragrant flowers would invite the huge birds, Hadidas, to land in our compound. The outside atmosphere was perfect for a walk ... and we would put on our walking shoes and venture into the lap of nature.... I would always wonder how and why people preferred to either stay in doors or just zoom in their vehicles......for we would be the only ones enjoying our evening walks.....And were often stared at by those in their cars.

It was only later that I came to know that , it was not safe to walk on the roads .... or even drive with out carrying knifes or revolvers....the crime rates in South Africa, even in a "safe" Pretoria neighborhood like ours, was high. From then on we started practicing "awareness"..... Even when we had the privilege of driving a Mazda offered to us from Pp's office.....It was in South Africa that I really drove.... Each moves , each turn, each stop .... each change of gear was practised with utmost awareness.

I was the chauffeur of the family ... as Pp was yet to master the driving skills on the road. I took up yet another job ... of teaching my husband driving. He was a good student flourishing under the tutelage of an able and experienced Guru...The confidence level in him was rising with every class ... that he finally drove on the roads with out my promptings.....He explored the different roads in Pretoria with the help of maps ..... and one day while taking a confident turn with his eyes surveying the map ... he dashed on to a near by lamp post crashing our white Mazda .....

........to be continued

An on the road Saga! : after a hiatus!

It was indeed a herculean task to even sit down in front of the monitor and pour out my thoughts after a long hiatus. There were many reasons for going on a long break.......our sudden relocation to India... setting up a home in here, getting admission for kids, adjustment and settling down problems for them,sudden change of weather and a series of non stop infections in the family.... the list goes on and on. The only reason I have started blogging in spite of the umpteen excuses is that , I really missed out on something these past few months.... I missed my virtual friends who kept popping in now and then to check on me in spite of my long silence......I missed reading my own thoughts on print... which otherwise kept piling in my head pacified by the ever flowing tasks at hand..... I just missed blogging!!!

Now , I am back.....hoping not to be infected by the virus , inertia....:

So , here's my “On the road saga....” part 3....

Chapter 3

After my on the road adventures with tempo trax and maruti Suzuki , I was back to hiring auto's and buses on the Chennai roads....Sitting as a passenger in an auto was no less than an adventure... with the high frequency and high pitched Tamil songs jarring from the driver's seat and the unpredictable potholes on the middle of the roads that takes you roller coaster riding .. without visiting any amusement parks.These adventure rides also had a short life … we flew to Hiroshima , Japan soon.

I was amazed at the discipline and smoothness that prevailed on the Japanese roads. My ears ached to hear the honking sound which pervaded our Indian roads. We did not own a car when we were in Japan. Our main mode of transport was the local train. I used to be picked up and dropped by my friends whenever necessary. One of my student's gave me a bicycle which was my on the road companion from then on. Biking, then became a very relaxing and energy boosting exercise. Pp also got a second hand bicycle and we used to go biking on weekends,... hiking, shopping and just exploring Hiroshima.It was fun, relaxing and romantic. These biking moments left me wishing for Indian roads with bicycle paths ….ensuring safe and environment friendly travel. I have biked to my school and tuition classes as a high school student....but today, with the crazy traffic on our Indian roads … can we really relax at home having waved good bye to our kids on their bicycles?!!!

…......to be continued.

The only thing that is permanent in life is change!

If we watch carefully at our life we sometimes see a pattern ...of things being repeated constantly!
This is very true in my case. There are two things that keep happening in my life. So what is the inference you gather from this... .It might be a game of Nature to teach us something. Or it might be a reminder for us to change something in our life so that the pattern does not repeat...

Let me tell you what are the things that create patterns in my life.
1. It has to do with my wrist watch. The relation with my watch is always short lived. We are not made for each other. If I can have a smooth relationship with my watch for at least a month it is a miracle. I don't have an answer to why our relationship is always on the verge of breaking...Either , the watch just stops working , or is just not to be found. So what should I learn from this.. just stop using a watch! this is the only answer I can come up with.

2. In the past 8 years I have moved 10 houses , in four different countries. Last two weeks I was busy shifting to a new place , and that is why this late post. The most amazing aspect is that I am always in love with each of my 10 homes...I have enjoyed making each house into a home only to leave it and enter into a totally new environment.And what do I learn from this pattern in my life which has granted me varied experiences.
1). That the only thing that is permanent in life is change.
2). And to never accumulate baggage along the way. Live light , so that you can have a comfortable life. May be this is true with the journey called life itself. Never carry with you grievances or hatred, that your journey becomes a pain.
3).Always accept help.You will discover some wonderful friends along the way ,who can make your journey smooth. Let me thank my dear friends who have given me their time and love and helped make my moves enjoyable.