354 - My Andamans Dream,

 None of us know What Tomorrow Holds; it is always a Mystery 

Yes, I am a Dreamer and my life is guided by my premonitions too as many of you who know me well know.

I am reminded of my Favourite John Lennons song Imagine 

"You may say I'm a dreamer, But I'm not the only one"

My Andaman Dream Seems to be Coming True As I speak:

As you all know I was born in Port Blair Andaman's Post WW Ii on 10th Dec 1946 and Pre Indian Independence and lived there until 1954 to age 8 and had a most amazing childhood. They say once you pass age 70 you regress and revert to your childhood. I can assure you this is so truye and is happening to me now.

All my dreams to study well become a professional and get a good job, get married, buy a home, raise children and pets, get them educated so they can stand on their own feet, get them married have grand children and boom you travel back in time.

I have a Grand child now and watching a Grand Child Grow up  is so different to seeing your own child grow up. As a Grandfather, I can leave all the responsibility of raising my grand child to her parents and become a child once more to bond with the little one. This probably explains why some people as adults are so attached to their grand parents .

Today after 60 years of striving for being a Wannabe something life. As a kid I admired my Mum singing Hymns and Bhajans and today I am singing songs from my Childhood, mostly from Hindi Movies like Barsaat, Andaz, Awara, Deedar, Aan, Baiju Bawara, Anarkali, Ladki, Do Bigha Ka Zamin,  AAh, Nagin, Taxi Driver, Boot Polish, Shree 420, Azaad, Janak Janak Paayal Bajae, Insaniyat,Devdas, after that I was in transported to Madras to Chori Chori era.

Believe it or not, I can sit and watch these Black and White Movies ( I have a Big Collection of DVDs too) all day as It takes me back to my child hood in Port Blair.

If you belong to my vintage you may want to listen to these songs

Bachpan ki Mohabat ko

Ooo Bachpan ke din Boolana Dena

For those of you who know Hindi, read  lyrics that follow:

lambe hain jeevan ke raste - 2
aao chale ham gaate hanste
gaate, hanste
aaa aaaaa

lata:
door des ek mahal banaye
pyar ka jis mein deep jalaye
deep jalaye

both:
deep jalakar bujha na dena
aaj hanse kal rula na dena
o.. bachpan ke din bhula na dena

Brings Tears to My eyes, as I have ignored the Love of My Life "Port Blair"

There is something else this song reminds me of "The Mouth Organ the servant is playing as he runs after the horse". I pestered my Dad for a Mouth Organ aka Harmonica. He said he'd see if any of the sailors have one and willing to sell. As Labour officer my Dad was in charge of stevedore work meaning loading and unloading cargo from ships, which meant he met a lot of sailors. One day he came home and told me he had good and bad news for me. He found a sailor playing the harmonica on a ship and asked him how much it costs. The Price in US Dollars was more that two months salary so I did not ask him to sell it.

Fast forward to St Bedes and my Best Friend Narayan's Father was going to Germany so we begged him to buy two mouth organs for us. we Told him Please get the Horners Mouth Organ with a Button, G & E Scales 

This is what he bought as what we wanted was too expensive

Puck Mouth Organ by Horners

From 1958 to 1968 This Mouth organ was with me always. I bet many of my Hostel mates were annoyed listening to the same songs being played by me. 

I have to mention this incident: around 1980, I walked into the Largest Music Instrument shop in the City in Sydney and asked the sales man to see the mouth organ collection and asked him for the Puck Mouth Organ. The ignorant Fool, yelled out to his Boss and said this Indian Gentleman is looking for a Fuck, what should I do ? I glared at him and said It is so fucking funny I am in stitches and you are an ignoramus because I spotted the Puck in the Horner's Catalogue and showed him.

Any way from 1954 to 2013 almost 60 years there was always a desire to go to Andamans, which topped my Bucket List

Dec 2013 was an IITM Batch reunion organised in Gods Own Country Kumarakom Kerala. I decided to attend the reunion and planned to leave a week early so Mithu and I could Visit  Port Blair. was never excited as much, Mithu was Happy for me but it did not mean much to her. All My cousins had Left Andamans and I Did nit know a Soul there to share and rejoice with me. We reached Madras from Singapore and the Following morning were up early at 4.00am saying Andamans here we come. Were too early at the airport waited and checked in and about 15 minutes before scheduled departure the Board said Flight Delayed. we sat there for three long hours seeing the same sign which switched to Flight Cancelled. Passengers were told a Hurricane had hit Port Blair and the Run way was under water. What a Bummer. Airlines took theior own sweet time to get our baggages back to us and I never got a refund ever. This had to be one of those "Man proposes and God Disposes" moment.

Not been back to India since 2013. For that matter not travelled anywhere since 2013.

Fast Forward to 2021:

Thanks to Delta Variant of Covid, I cannot even go to my next suburb and my sons insists I wear a mask when working in the garden so for a Trip to Post Blair Andamans, I needs some assistance from Elon Musk to get a seat in his spaceship

A Strange Twist:

On 2nd feb 2021 I receive a message from a friend of a friend:

[10:19, 2/10/2021] Good morning Rama. I am Peter Lewis. Suresh your Smule pal introduced us.I am from IITM 75 Chen. Jamuna. now Live at ECR Chennai and spend much time at Indonesia prefab ing timber frame houses and teak furniture. Been there since 1991

I get to know Peter slowly. Me the extrovert I share heaps of post with him, with an occasional one word comment for Pete.

Very interesting that Peter and I have binded as friends and Suresh from smule who introduced us has exit the scene.

17th August I wrote:

Despite all the Bad and Sad news last few days from Afganistan, and My India and My Sydney ravaged by Delta, something wonderful happened in response to this post of mine about Port Blair Andamans.

My Good friend and IIT Madras alumnus Peter introduced me to a friend of his Hari now living in Port Blair. 

I left Port Blair as an 8 year old in 1954 and that OMG is a whooping 67 years ago and I have revisited my Birth Place and now know how the Paradise on Earth Looks in 2021. Like Kerala Port Blair Andamans is also Gods Own Country to Me.. Am sharing some pics and videos to share my joy. 👇👇👇