I completed two years of my stay at Coimbatore on 25th February, 26. Since I have already written about the Pros and Cons of my stay in Nana Nani, Phase 4 (NNP4), I will restrict this article to the activities that kept me busy during the second year in Coimbatore. And there were plenty of them!
In the last 12 months, I attended more than 30 variety entertainment programmes arranged by groups of talented residents in the community at the Meditation Hall in the Club House in NNP4. Besides these, there were Music and Dance Festivals arranged by Hari Om Mama (96 years), featuring talented artists not only from Coimbatore but also from other cities. I also made an appearance as an actor in a short film produced by my good friend Samji, @ Sambadkumar, as a part of the entertainment programmes he organises regularly. I had the opportunity to watch over 35 films ( Tamil, Malayalam or Hindi) shown free to residents in the plush Ananaya`s Cinema in the clubhouse this year. Considering that I used to watch just 2 or 3 films in a theatre in a year in Chennai, this was a record
Apart from continuing to write my reviews of some of these programmes, this year I took on the additional responsibility of writing the `Curtain Raisers` for all the programmes arranged by Hari Om Mama, which appeared a day before each programme. These articles were shared by me only in the WA groups in Phase 4. I also did some interview-based articles about a few talented residents, which have appeared in magazines like Ladies Special and Dignity Dialogue. I continued to write my essays on various topics, which I share on all my social media handles like Blog, Facebook, WhatsApp and email. Some were published in magazines like Dignity Dialogue, Madras Musings, and Mixed Bag, an online magazine edited by K.R.Ramakrishnan.
Another important development on the writing front is my new ability to type my essays and short stories in Tamil. A couple of my stories in Tamil have appeared in Ladies Special, a monthly edited by Girija Raghavan and Malar Vanam, another online magazine in Tamil edited by K.R.Ramakrishnan.Since I am unable to think in Tamil, I write my stories first in English, based on which I write the Tamil versions.
While the year witnessed me becoming more than a prolific writer, sadly, my reading has come down drastically due to eye-related issues. Whereas I used to read two to three books a month, I am sad to say that I have not read a single book in the last 8 months. Though my vision is good and I have not undergone Cataract surgery so far, I had to undergo a short but delicate surgery for my entropion problem in the left eye. These days, I am unable to read more than 10 to 20 pages at a time. I have to be content with reading newspapers and a few magazines. This has also resulted in my keeping on hold the draft of a self-help book, which is ready but requires more editing before it is sent to the printer.
In my first report, I had mentioned the lack of imagination in menu planning by the catering department in Nana Nani, resulting in my taking dining breaks on days when I don't like the menu. Since I enjoy cooking, I manage to cook my own meals, sometimes shared with my friends here. Besides skipping my meals at the dining hall in the evenings for the last 20 months ( though I am paying for it), I also miss my lunch service at the dining hall for 10 to 15 days a month. I am also known in the community for my cooking abilities.
My visits outside Nana Nani are restricted to visiting the Naga Sai temple in Saibaba colony on every Thursday and the Perumal temple on Saturday mornings. I also visit my daughter`s home once a month and have visited specialist doctors outside the campus for my health-related issues. This year, I attended a couple of dinner meetings of the 41 Clubs in Coimbatore and a Rotary Meeting where I was a speaker, giving a talk on my favourite topic, `Biography as History`. I have consciously avoided keeping in touch with all my old friends in Coimbatore, lest I become too active socially and expose myself to the risks of potential accidents. The traumatic experience of being involved in a road accident ( when I was knocked down by a speeding cyclist) during one of my visits to Chennai last year to receive the `Inspiring Senior Citizen Award` from Tag Group & Ramu Endowments, has resulted in my developing an acute anxiety syndrome. The fear of a fall resulting in avoidable fractures has made me content with participating in programmes within the NNP4 campus, which is always buzzing with activities.
I have made lots of friends in Nana Nani who make me feel completely at home here. It is like a big joint family where I feel very secure and happy. Last year was certainly an action-packed year. Praying God to keep me in good health so that I continue to enjoy my life in Coimbatore. I have become 100% a `Coimbatorevasi`.
The good news is that the owner of my apartment has allowed the extension of the lease agreement of the apartment for two more years. Om Sai Ram!
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Only for those who are interested in my daily routine in N & N
I get up at 5.00 am. I start the day doing Chair yoga for 45 minutes, spend a few minutes going through messages on my smartphone and then go for a walk ( 25 minutes). Come back, take a bath & complete the morning puja rituals. Have my breakfast, followed by reading the morning newspapers. I have a pre-lunch siesta for 60 minutes, after which I spend about 90 minutes on my laptop working on the articles or stories that are in progress. Before or after lunch at the dining hall, I spend some time with friends gossiping outside the dining hall; Come back to my room for some more reading, and post lunch siesta for 60 minutes. If I have no programmes to attend in the evenings, I get into the kitchen to experiment with new dishes. I have an early dinner of a simple meal cooked by me or ready-to-cook items, before 7.00 pm, watch the News ( nay Views ) channels on TV for about 90 minutes and go to bed latest by 9.30 pm. Needless to say, like all people, I keep browsing through my smartphone from morning till going to bed. So there is no question of feeling bored or lonely.
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