Week 20 of 2025, Sunday to Saturday, May 11 to May 17

‘Rarest of the Rare’ kind of a program happened in Sirsi on May 13^th - ‘Sāhitya sahavāsa’ organised by ‘Azim Premji University’ to celebrate the works of few famous Kannada writers from our Uttara Kannada district.

story telling session by 'Chintana repertoire'

For a book reader like me, it was a treat. More than that was meeting theatre director Dr.Shripad Bhat. Many don’t know that I am a theatre artist. I would better say “I was”. I discontinued (I have all the hearts to resume). I appeared, was in lead roles, in several drams that participated and won national competitions; ‘The Life of Galileo’ which won ‘Best Science Drama’ award at national level, ‘The Children’s Tagore’ which was enacted at ‘Jashn-e-Bachpan’ ‘Children’s Drama Festival’ at ‘National School of Drama’, to name a few. All under the guidance of Dr.Shripad Bhat. I am forever grateful to Dr.Shripad Bhat and theatre for my academic excellence, my habit of writing and reading, my way of thinking, my life style in whole. Not to boast about myself, but to share how magical it is to learn theatre (In fact life) at a very young age. So, I was thrilled to meet this special person after ages. I also saw OG Jayant Kaykini, he looks fairer, much older, more taller than what you see in pictures and interviews.

Me with Dr.Shripad Bhat

Its summer holidays. Skanda, my six-year-old nephew is hyper active. It’s interesting to see what he does in a day. He craves to eat every minute. He play games which as an adult I would never be able to understand. At one moment he is painting the wall. Next moment he is eating Puṭāṇi (fried chana). Next moment he is lifting soil from the bucket of his remote control JCB. Next moment he is playing in the mud. Next moment he is making a road for his car with building blocks. Next moment he is watching Oddbods on youtube. Next moment he is joining the dots to reveal a picture in his activity book. Next moment he is pampering Dhruva. Next moment he is kicking the sand bag from his boxing gloves. Next moment he is cycling down the hill. Next moment he is dancing for the Pushpa Song. Next moment he is trying all his clothes from the wardrobe. Endless. I involve in some of this activities, it’s fun. It was art and craft week for me too along with Skanda this week. We together made some clay models. We also made a ‘Bee Costume’ planning to celebrate bee day on 20^th.

FABRIC PAINT on the WALL! Skanda drew a picture of himself watering a FLOWERING plant with a HOSE PIPE, and his Ajji is plucking ‘SAKKARE KANCHI’(pumelo) from the tree.

I was watching clay dates reels on insta. Its anyways not going to be a DATE because Sujay doesn’t like such things, So I went in solo and tried making these

Skanda got influenced by me, and made some veggies (Identify them and comment)

I dont know what to call this gameof arranging beads and carrom coins 

Our cow, Kannikā gave birth to a he-calf. The calf was born on Tuesday - Maṅgaḷavāra. Skanda named him ‘Maṅgaḷa mūrti’. He was born, and just in an hour tried to stand up, in a week he is running. Dhruva is 6 months, and still struggling to crawl (Just joking. Cows live shorter- they need to start early). Everyone is happy (Eating ಗಿಣ್ಣ- cheese from the colostrum) except my atte (mother-in-law). She is scolding the veterinary doctor. She had paid for the she-calf semen.

Our workers Narayana, Suresha and Parshu busy in cleaning the cow shed, making space for the calf, milking  Kannikā, at 10 in the night.

My insta feed was filled with the advertisement of Sweet Karam Coffee. I got soooooooo tempted, I ordered few. It got delivered in two days, the taste was disappointing. products are overhyped. But their idea is good. SKC doesn’t produce anything. It markets the products from local small entrepreneurs, under SKC brand. Hats off to their marketing.

Letter from Janaki Paathi, it’s a very interesting letter, says to keep trying new things in life. The only thing I liked from SKC.

I was mostly reading this week. I read two books (Not going to bore you by reviewing them). Wrote my column for the Shramajeevi magazine on genome edited rice. I have started to make one pot meals, ‘Ranga Pravesha’ to the kitchen (Again nobody eats it except me, even dare to taste). I watched ‘Ayyana Mane’ crime thriller webseries on Zee picchar.

Me and Dhruva enjoying cloudy skies and evening walks. Ignore that burnt scar on my nose, it’s the mango sap, the ultimate proof that I enjjjjoyyyy sucking wild mangoes.

Mango picking is on. Bumper yields this time. Ten times of fruits are on tree, yet to harvest. Ten times of these are under the tree – Monkeys have harvested before us. Half of the fruits you see here are going to rot because of fruit fly maggots already inside, invisible.

This is my sixth week of writing weekly notes. I am enjoying it. I am actually addicted now. As usual Sujay doesn’t like me writing this. He is of the opinion, it’s not good to share with a third person about what’s happening in our life. Anyways I am not sharing everything here. That’s why I wont call it a diary but weekly notes. I am picky. I am conscious about what I choose to write about. I am glad audience like my way of telling. Comment if you are with me or Sujay.