NAP

 Not everyone is blessed to fall asleep as soon as they lie down in the bed ....Sleep is a blessing and those who don't get to sleep peacefully at night know the pain of what it takes to do your daily chores. The fact is pharma companies are selling sleeping tablets more and more and am afraid sleeping tablets are becoming as common as Iyengar bakery puffs. So why is sleep becoming a problem ? Answer is 'Stress' ..Stress is playing a predominant role these days in everyone's life ...I can bring some examples why people are stressed so much these days :

1) Co-sister's blouse is more grand than mine and tailor messed up mine hence stress level shoots up 

2) Branch of our mango tree full of mangoes falls into our neighbor's whereas neighbor's thengai mattai keeps falling in our house hence stress level shoots up 

3) Scoring less marks on midterm tests shoots up stress levels for parents

4) When you have rasam rice in plantain leaf and realize rasam runs in all four directions, you shout at the person for pouring more rasam 

These are some of the basic silly reasons why people get stressed out which in turn disturbs your sleeping pattern. 

Recently I plotted an analysis where I figured out those who take a nap in the afternoon are much more productive at their work than people who don't take a nap. In IT world you don't get the luxury to take a nap in the afternoon but for people who run their own business they have the option to take a nap and extend their office hours in the evening. Taking a nap in the afternoon gives you that extra strength for your mind which in turn results in a productive evening. I believe in Japan young children are allowed to take a nap in order to increase attention spans. Because one is deprived of sleep it takes extra time for brain to translate visual input into conscious thought. It is even said with good nap it removes toxic waste from brain. There is a theory that napping improves creativity as right side of the brain remain active during napping and is associated with creativity. 

Staff at NASA, Google and Samsung have one thing in common that of taking a quick nap during your work hours; I have been to Google office in California and amazed to see the specially designed sleep pods called 'Metronaps' where you get into the machine and outside world is shut by a large visor playing soothing music before it gently wakes up its occupant by switching on light patterns. 

One of the biggest factors people are afraid of taking a nap is that they are afraid they will put on weight by doing so. People spell out fancy terms like 'Carbs', 'Calories', 'Diet' but they seldom realize how do temple priest live with Pongal, sambar rice, lemon rice, tamarind rice but still maintain their fitness. How many priest had heart problems ? They are constantly on the move running in and around the temple and many tend to take a nap in the afternoon. Many senior doctors in India take a good nap in the afternoon for a productive evening session; 

So what are you waiting for ? Go take a 30 minutes Nap every afternoon !! 

Next Blog: Pilferage 

My adventure

 As far as my memory goes, I have never been part of any adventurous stuff except the fact that I have been to some thrilling rides in theme parks. I have never been part of serious trekking, scuba diving or sky diving. Only thing I can remember being adventurous to some extent is while being part of some white water rafting and ice skating. December 31,2021 had different plans for me and by far this was the most adventurous ride I have experienced and going to share what happened that evening. 

There is this train called 'Lokmanya express' which stops at Thiruchirapalli junction and goes to Kanchipuram directly so my Mother in law had this train reservation on a Friday evening. Train leaves trichy 6 pm + so we left home around 5.30; It was cloudy and was thinking whether kids should come but since it didn't rain all four of us decided to go to the train station. We went all the way to the platform for the train to arrive and my son was like "Appa enaku ucha varudhu" ..I took him all the way to the main entrance and realized landscape of Trichy junction is very badly planned. So we are standing at the platform for the train to arrive and train arrived few minutes late. All four of us went inside the train and as soon as we spotted the seat we were searching for plug point to charge her phone. Suddenly we realized train started to move ..man I came running to the door and train already picked up speed. If it was just me I could have jumped but since I had kids with me I was wary of the consequences. I just had to be wise and realized train may stop at Sri rangam; and could always take a taxi and come back to junction. I was shocked to know this is an express train and does not have frequent stops. Not even lalgudi or Perambalur and next stop is all the way to Vridachalam. I have no clue where Vridachalam is and how far it is from Trichy. I realized Vridachalam is 120 kilometres away from Trichy and easily couple of hours away. 

Inside the train ...

So we four of us were stuck inside the train without knowing what to do ...TTR came to me and I pleaded to him that he has to take our case as emergency and drop us at some station. I said I was ready to pay fine as much as 5000 and expressed my willingness to pull the emergency chain ...He pleaded or I should say begged asking me not to do so as that will put both himself and me under police case. It will also make his job into trouble as there are legal ramifications for allowing passenger to pull the chain. He sat next to me and made me understand "Emergency" is defined when person is suffering from chest pain, stroke etc., and me stranded with kids will not fall under emergency and this is example of carelessness. Well I think he has a point but somehow I was not convinced. Blame game started between me and my wife and we both realized we need to get back home safely.

7.55 pm Vridachalam Junction ...

Here comes Vridachalam junction and we got down from the train and went into reservation counter to see whether there are trains going back to Trichy ....December 2021 was the timeframe third wave was picking up and IRCTC closed unreservation tickets as they don't want people to be crowded in one compartment. I was looking for plain seating, 3AC, 2AC or even Tatkal bookings and nothing was available as it was new year's eve and all the train where booked pretty much in full. So train option was ruled out. 

8.15 pm 

Next option was to take a taxi ..I was trying to approach taxi drivers and each of them were like Telugu cinema villains getting down from Tata sumo not having time to shave for the last six months. One gentleman advised me to go to Vridachalam bus stand which is few kilometres away and can get reputed taxi from there. So we got onto to Auto and went to Vridachalam Bus stand. 

8.30 pm 

I was trying to look out for taxis like Ola or Uber by that way I can keep accountable of the whole trip. Since it was new year's eve we don't want to get into some unknown taxis which is unreputed because there is a good chance drivers could have been drunk. There was one medical shop next to bus stand whom we supply medicines but the staff was like the person whom Kajol gets to meet before marriage in Minsara kanavu ...for anything and everything "owner a kekanum" ....time was running and we are getting into the night ...With Train, taxi ruled out only option was to take a Bus. I spotted a Trichy Bus and when I was trying to catch I realized my fitness is at a very bad shape. Finally I got hold of a bus and reserved seats through the popular method of placing a cloth in the seat and in this instance my hand ker chief. My wife and kids got into the bus and all three of them went to sleep as soon as the bus started. With so many windows and natural air flowing in it was a new experience for my boys to rejoice the bus travel. Half way through the journey my MIL landed in Kanchipuram when we were returning to Trichy. Around 11.35 pm we got down at Chatram Bus stand and got hold of an Auto and came home around 11.55 pm to light the lamp in time and offer prayers just before the year turned to 2022. 

Last six hours of 2021 was definitely adventurous and it was an experience. In life some things are planned but many things are destined to happen and this one incident makes me nervous these days to get inside a train in order to send off people. 

Next Blog: Nap