It is almost 4 months since I came to stay in Nana Nani, Phase 4 in Coimbatore. Friends have told me that my articles have promoted only the excellent facilities in this retirement community. This article attempts to list the things I miss in Nana Nani.
While I have made a reasonable number of friends in the community- some of them known to me earlier and many new friends, I have yet to feel a part of a family. I feel close to many but yet not so close. Though I don`t feel like a stranger I do miss the bonding that comes through frequent interactions daily. It happens to me, even today, with my walking friends on the Bessy ( Elliot Beach Road) whenever I am in Chennai. Besides the chance to see the sunrise on the Bay of Bengal and breathe the fresh air, I interact with two sets of friends after finishing my morning walk every day. One set consists of septuagenarians and a couple of octogenarians, many accompanied by their spouses. When there is full attendance there are more than 20 of us. I noticed the number has gone up significantly during my recent trip to Chennai. The group not only exchanges the latest news about happenings in their families and society but also indulges in a lot of leg pulling, cracking jokes, and generally has a hearty laugh. The beach area reverberates with the laughter from this group. It is a really fun time.
The other group is a little more serious and enjoys the tasty Kumbakonam degree coffee served by the Adyar Saravana Bakery near the beach in Besant Nagar. The discussion here invariably centers around cricket and politics. Velu, the owner of the coffee shop provides customized coffee to the members-- with sugar, half sugar, no sugar, Nattu sugar( Jaggery powder), strong, medium strong, black coffee, etc. Velu`s memory is phenomenal. I really miss Velu`s coffee.
A brisk walk followed by a dose of hearty laughter and a good cup of filter coffee sets the right tone for the rest of the day for me. I come back fully charged to spend an active day ahead. Though at Nana Nani the morning get-together is not practical because of the fixed breakfast timings, I have noticed smaller groups of residents getting together in the evenings in different locations on the campus. I am also a part of one such males-only group. And the discussions are more serious and less fun. I wished discussions could provoke hearty laughter helping group members to relax. After all, laughter is the best medicine at any age!
The other aspect in which I am not so happy is in the area of food. While the meals served are generally tasty, the monotony of the predictable menu being served on different days makes me feel less enthusiastic about the food being served- though there are occasional exceptions. As a man from Bombay, I can say with certainty that the cooks in Nana Nani do not know how to make chapatis, particularly what they call phulkas. The chapatis served are not consistent in shape, sometimes half burnt and rubbery.
As a part of my plan to reduce my Madhya Pradesh (tummy), I have started having only Vegetable soup for dinner, which I cook myself on my Induction stove. Though I am not taking the evening meal served by the management, I have to pay for it. The system of having to pay for the full day`s meal charges even if a resident has only morning coffee is grossly unfair. Hope the management`s promise of introducing the system of `pay for what you eat`, once their centralized kitchen becomes operational, is true.
Despite some drawbacks, I would consider Phase 4 of Nana Nani, the best of many other Homes that I have visited in Coimbatore, in terms of facilities, activities, and the number of talented residents it has. I am sure I will begin to feel an integral part of this wonderful family soon!
What I miss in Nana Nani!
by R.V.Rajan
It is almost 4 months since I came to stay in Nana Nani, Phase 4
in Coimbatore. Friends have told me that my articles have promoted only the
excellent facilities in this retirement community. This article attempts to
list the things I miss in Nana Nani.
While I have made a reasonable number of friends in the community-
some of them known to me earlier and many new friends, I have yet to feel a
part of a family. I feel close to many but yet not so close. Though I don`t
feel like a stranger I do miss the bonding that comes through frequent
interactions daily. It happens to me, even today, with my walking friends on
the Bessy ( Elliot Beach Road) whenever I am in Chennai. Besides the chance to
see the sunrise on the Bay of Bengal and breathe the fresh air, I interact with
two sets of friends after finishing my morning walk every day. One set consists
of septuagenarians and a couple of octogenarians, many accompanied by their
spouses. When there is full attendance there are more than 20 of us. I noticed
the number has gone up significantly during my recent trip to Chennai. The
group not only exchanges the latest news about happenings in their families and
society but also indulges in a lot of leg pulling, cracking jokes, and
generally has a hearty laugh. The beach area reverberates with the laughter
from this group. It is a really fun time.
The other group is a little more serious and enjoys the tasty
Kumbakonam degree coffee served by the Adyar Saravana Bakery near the beach in
Besant Nagar. The discussion here invariably centers around cricket and
politics. Velu, the owner of the coffee shop provides customized coffee to the
members-- with sugar, half sugar, no sugar, Nattu sugar( Jaggery powder),
strong, medium strong, black coffee, etc. Velu`s memory is phenomenal. I really
miss Velu`s coffee.
A brisk walk followed by a dose of hearty laughter and a good
cup of filter coffee sets the right tone for the rest of the day for me. I come
back fully charged to spend an active day ahead. Though at Nana Nani the
morning get-together is not practical because of the fixed breakfast timings, I
have noticed smaller groups of residents getting together in the evenings in
different locations on the campus. I am also a part of one such males-only
group. And the discussions are more serious and less fun. I wished discussions could
provoke hearty laughter helping group members to relax. After all, laughter is
the best medicine at any age!
The other aspect in which I am not so happy is in the area of
food. While the meals served are generally tasty, the monotony of the
predictable menu being served on different days makes me feel less enthusiastic
about the food being served- though there are occasional exceptions. As a man
from Bombay, I can say with certainty that the cooks in Nana Nani do not know
how to make chapatis, particularly what they call phulkas. The chapatis served
are not consistent in shape, sometimes half burnt and rubbery.
As a part of my plan to reduce my Madhya Pradesh (tummy), I have
started having only Vegetable soup for dinner, which I cook myself on my Induction
stove. Though I am not taking the evening meal served by the management, I have
to pay for it. The system of having to pay for the full day`s meal charges even
if a resident has only morning coffee is grossly unfair. Hope the management`s
promise of introducing the system of `pay for what you eat`, once their
centralized kitchen becomes operational, is true.
Despite some drawbacks, I would consider Phase 4 of Nana Nani,
the best of many other Homes that I have visited in Coimbatore, in terms of
facilities, activities, and the number of talented residents it has. I am sure
I will begin to feel an integral part of this wonderful family soon!
What I miss in Nana Nani!
by R.V.Rajan
It is almost 4 months since I came to stay in Nana Nani, Phase 4
in Coimbatore. Friends have told me that my articles have promoted only the
excellent facilities in this retirement community. This article attempts to
list the things I miss in Nana Nani.
While I have made a reasonable number of friends in the community-
some of them known to me earlier and many new friends, I have yet to feel a
part of a family. I feel close to many but yet not so close. Though I don`t
feel like a stranger I do miss the bonding that comes through frequent
interactions daily. It happens to me, even today, with my walking friends on
the Bessy ( Elliot Beach Road) whenever I am in Chennai. Besides the chance to
see the sunrise on the Bay of Bengal and breathe the fresh air, I interact with
two sets of friends after finishing my morning walk every day. One set consists
of septuagenarians and a couple of octogenarians, many accompanied by their
spouses. When there is full attendance there are more than 20 of us. I noticed
the number has gone up significantly during my recent trip to Chennai. The
group not only exchanges the latest news about happenings in their families and
society but also indulges in a lot of leg pulling, cracking jokes, and
generally has a hearty laugh. The beach area reverberates with the laughter
from this group. It is a really fun time.
The other group is a little more serious and enjoys the tasty
Kumbakonam degree coffee served by the Adyar Saravana Bakery near the beach in
Besant Nagar. The discussion here invariably centers around cricket and
politics. Velu, the owner of the coffee shop provides customized coffee to the
members-- with sugar, half sugar, no sugar, Nattu sugar( Jaggery powder),
strong, medium strong, black coffee, etc. Velu`s memory is phenomenal. I really
miss Velu`s coffee.
A brisk walk followed by a dose of hearty laughter and a good
cup of filter coffee sets the right tone for the rest of the day for me. I come
back fully charged to spend an active day ahead. Though at Nana Nani the
morning get-together is not practical because of the fixed breakfast timings, I
have noticed smaller groups of residents getting together in the evenings in
different locations on the campus. I am also a part of one such males-only
group. And the discussions are more serious and less fun. I wished discussions could
provoke hearty laughter helping group members to relax. After all, laughter is
the best medicine at any age!
The other aspect in which I am not so happy is in the area of
food. While the meals served are generally tasty, the monotony of the
predictable menu being served on different days makes me feel less enthusiastic
about the food being served- though there are occasional exceptions. As a man
from Bombay, I can say with certainty that the cooks in Nana Nani do not know
how to make chapatis, particularly what they call phulkas. The chapatis served
are not consistent in shape, sometimes half burnt and rubbery.
As a part of my plan to reduce my Madhya Pradesh (tummy), I have
started having only Vegetable soup for dinner, which I cook myself on my Induction
stove. Though I am not taking the evening meal served by the management, I have
to pay for it. The system of having to pay for the full day`s meal charges even
if a resident has only morning coffee is grossly unfair. Hope the management`s
promise of introducing the system of `pay for what you eat`, once their
centralized kitchen becomes operational, is true.
Despite some drawbacks, I would consider Phase 4 of Nana Nani,
the best of many other Homes that I have visited in Coimbatore, in terms of
facilities, activities, and the number of talented residents it has. I am sure
I will begin to feel an integral part of this wonderful family soon!
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