TRAVEL ( 9 )

                                                                                    TRAVEL  (  9  )

                      I was having whatsapp communication with a number of friends in India as well as Indians living in US.I was giving and getting messages from these persons, sharing with one another what we come to know.This always led to a feeling that  I was not in a foreign soil, though actually.I was.The Indians who were spread in different parts of US  had their own local associations . One  becomes a member of the association with elected office bearers who plan and coordinate the  activities .They have their own buildings and  discuss their common problems and also plan to conduct cultural  events.The Tamilians  have such associations in most of these cities.They conduct cultural debates and patti mandapams.The Tamilians settled here are most of them are highly educated and holding high positions. They also possess high  oratorical skills and hystrionic talents. In addition, people specialised in such patti mandapams in Tamilnadu are invited to participate. They are honoured in all the ways. Such debates are broadcast in TV and and other means so that one can enjoy all these from one's own home itself.For me it was a good source of entertainment.

29=02-2020 was a Saturday.No school for the children and was a weekend holiday for C and H In the evening , we visited the residence of Uma  , daughter of"Mami" our neighbour at Velacheri.. Uma's house  is  at Santa Claura - down south of Fcity 32 miles drive on the high ways.Uma, her husband Srinivasan and his parents were very happy to receive us.We spent a nice time of 90 mts , with a nice dinner and returned to our tenament.

                 By the beginning of March , more and more cases of Corona virus reports started pouring in through through TV and other sources of media.Already300 solid cases were reported in US and more and more precautionary measures were being taken by the Govt.Mass prayers in the Churches were stopped. People were asked to avoid crowded places, like markets, malls,congragations.  hey were requested to take hotwater only , not to touch eye mouth or face, wash them hands quite often.Use hand kerchief in case of common cold and cough,        We strictly followed the rules.  

            On the 7 th March we visited a place called Sunny Vel 58 miles away south from our place F.city.It was also raining all the way.Roads were damn wet.On both sides we saw nice scenaries , besides a number of industrial establishments.so/ftware, hardware firms,Apple, Google ,OracleHP , NASA. the children's Tamil Schools( which remained closed because of the pandemic Schools however were teching via phone )We did not miss the surrounding natural scenaries - hills , water bends,trees and flowers all the way . Many I;ndians live in this area. We were able to observe the construcion of new  houses. ,but using wood as anywhere else.

                      We reached Sunnyvele- Temple.It was a temple complex , housing a variety of deities under  the same roof , in a single hall of vast area aportioned  into small ones to house the different deities startingfromVinayaka. Muruga,Shiva,Vishnu,Lakshmi, Radhakrishna , Saibaba Navagraha all find their places. There are plenty of places to sit in front and medtate  sitting on matted floor.Archanas were performed on request . We spent an hour inside the temple peacefully.Having fed the mind , it was also time for feeding the stomach when the clock was showing  145 pm. Sunnyvel is a place where many Indians live  and many south Indian hotels are available.,serving pure vegetarian stuff. One such top hotel is Komala vilas , not far away from the temple.We enjoyed the south Indian traditional items of good taste ,payasam,paruppu , nei, koottu,karry, appalam  , sambar, rasam, thayir and pickles. The delicacy fails to vanish even today, after nine months.!! A2 took ghee roast only .

                        We returned home  but not in the same route but taking diversion. in order to touch some more important areas.San Jose,Union city, Femont, Hayward are all places of importance by their own way.. At Hayward a long bridge of length 11 miles conncts Hayward and Fostercity. This long oute is given number 92.It was very nice to look on the sides plying on he bay. On he right you have SFO aerodrome ,not far away. The flights will be passing  over your head in a small reasonable height to reach the  landing point. Berkely is another place of importance close to SFO on your right, east of SFO. At the end of the bridge, you nare almost in your area.

                  (  to  be continued  )