New Year Eve

My return from the village of Andhra to Kochi. The cold weather there has given me an awful cold and sore throat. So, mostly at home dusting clean a few months of emptiness, aggravating the physical uncomfort.

Historic CSI Christ Church of Nellore

The Christmas in the remote village I was at was very lonely. The churches at Nellore and the neighborhood was busy with activities and packed for the Christmas eve and morning service. I couldn't make it to any of these churches for the Christmas eve celebrations as I did not have a  vehicle to go around with. The public transport is not so frequent and is limited. 

Though at first I was not really bothered, hoping to go for the Christmas morning service, as the Christmas eve progressed, I became restless and sad. True, there are not many Christmas to look forward to, we have to celebrate the one we got at any cost. But it was too late for me when the realization finally dawned. 

Christmas at Nellore

The crib at our nearby church in the village of Golagamudi

Crib at St. Joseph's Cathedral |Nellore

St. Joseph's Cathedral few days before the Christmas day

The canal

The public works department of our town are widening and concreting the roadside canal of our village. They dug up the entire canal network deep and wide which got wider infront of the Mercy Home run by the sisters making it difficult for the children and the elderly sisters to cross over to the other side over a narrow makeshift ledge.

Cyclone

As the cyclone passed over our town Nellore without rain but winds blowing strong, we were busy going to church and farmers planting rice plants.
I reached the church very late. Infact the service was over and members coming out of the church when I reached there.
A very special Sunday as the week that went by was the one in which my students took the university exam in the subject I taught them. Since the paper involved statistical maths, it wasn't easy for some, as they prepared only for the problems and ignored the theory. Those who prepared for the theory had a good day.

December

The fields around our village in Nellore are busy with the rice planting. An auspicious time with the best wishes for a good harvest.

I am away from Vallarpadam for a long time now. The wonderful opportunity I have got to engage with graduate students here is keeping me busy.
The semester has closed and my brief engagement will be over in a few days.

The most beautiful Christmas month is here and some stars are already up in Nellore. Christmas and New year are very well celebrated here, as Nellore was a prominent town during the British Raj for many centuries. The tradition still continues.