Add your name into the voters'list Kerala India

There was an announcement in the news papers that those who wish to have names listed in the voters list, (if your name is not already in) could do so, by visiting the nearest polling booth. The day is today, a Sunday.

Polling booths are, usually schools, so you drive past the one , the gnear you, but its gate is locked. What the heck. Contact the nearest cultural centre run by any political party, they would guide you. In this case, the main gate is closed, never mind, look for a side door and enter a deserted school compound. Indeed, a side door is open and you would ask the chowkidar or doorkeeper, he will show, the office where election officials are waiting for you. You show documents relating to the building where you live, maybe electoral cards of other residents so that, you could write your own data, including details of your residence. There is an application form, do fill it in with all the required data.

You will receive a receipt for your application, and an order to appear for an hearing before an electoral officer; place, date and time inclusive.

You are living in a city, therefore, local city authrities need to certify that you are a resident. start working on it. (Things should not be different in small towns and villages, but rather faster and easier because the people in the office might know you by your first name. )

If you own your own house, you need to pay arrears of house tax and produce the house receipt along with your application for certificate of residence.(Hey, pay your arrears man!) If you live in a rented accommodation, your contract, or landlord's letter would do.

A written application, on plain paper, wth one rupee court fee stamp on it, and a payment on challan in triplicate are necessary attachments. During process,you will see at least sx persons, clerk, cashier, heaven knows who else. What kind of proof do you have to support your claim that you live in the address you have mentioned?

If you have some solid document,(driving license, passport, insurance papers, telephoe bill) that shows your name and address to match the one in your application, presto, you will get Certificate of Residence the same day.

Now you are ready for the hearing, you might soon become a voter soon!

This line is being added on the 23rd March 2012

There is some new ID called Aadhaar and there are may ways to get it legally. Cant write all, as, this info could be used by crooks. Well this Aadhaar card will suffice as ID proof now. It is the mother of all cards!

Thoughts on Death

Ernst Y passed away on the 4th. Funernal on the next day, at Saudi Church. Saudi, or Saude, as some spell it, is a small fishing village close to Fort Kochi, very close to the sea. Real sea not back waters here.
a band called St. Jude's Bank played music, apt for mourning family. Bands are no more vogue, but this gentleman was a traditionalist, and always admired bands. What is the current situation at funeral processions in Saudi Area? Well, they play a casette or recorded prayer.
At the house of the dead gentleman, a pandal is erected. Plastic sheets on the top, with a slope, just in case it rains. Under the plastic sheet, there is whte sheets sewn together, like a temporary false ceiling, with borders of black, like an inverse skirting, that is found around floors. Several wreaths were placed, on the leg side of coffin, there were one after another, could not read who were the senders. Individuals using their firms names. Firms include political parties. So , there was one from a Bombay firm, one from a bank, another from Communist Party Marxist, yet another from Communist Party Marxist. That floral offering from Communist Party shows that some member in the house of the dead gentleman has Communit connection (Currently, Communists rule the state).

At the church, the priest who said mass, mentioned the name of Ernst, plus a wrong surname. Not very nice. After a while, some one sent in a slip, and then, the name was revised.
Way back, we returned via the Fort Kochi, Vypeen ferry. The roads are bad, one cannot drive, just roll in and out of pot holes, the shakes and jerks almost did every one in. The aches and pains are awful. Had no energy to go for the evening walk.

coconut curries costs and labour for climbing

Balu my friend says that his daughter in a distant city came visiting. Instead of using a plane or train, she and her husband chose to drive all the way to Cochin. The stay in here was two weeks long, and while here they needed a car to move around. That was the reason why.
On return , the daughter wanted to take some coconuts. Papa has coconut palms, so why not fill the dicky with a month's supply.
Time was not right for bimonthly harvesting, yet, a climber was, arranged. Ad hoc job and ad hoc costs. Yield 20 coconuts, labour costs 200 rupees. It would have worked out cheaper for the family, if the daughter had bought her coconuts at Chennai. But how can a father tell his daughter such things. Hey lassie, hope you would read this.
If a land owner sells coconuts from his farm, these days (Nov 2008) he would earn Rs 5.25 per coconut. If I buy a coconut from Reliance, I would have to pay Rs. 9 per nut.
Tender coconut, ( young coconut, which is not seasoned, but has plenty of wanter in it) on the roadside vendor joints, would cost about Rs. 15 per nut. As usual, it is the middle men who makes the moolah. If you want to make money, you know what to be.
I went to my piece of land, some 6 kilo meters away, to harvest 7 coconut palms.
It cost me, petrol, time, labour, and 350 rupees to bring home 124 coconuts.
In Kerala, we need coconut in every dish, like fish in coconut milk, putty with coconut, chutney,
avial, you name it, there is coconut in it. Dont forget, all that seasoning of spices and frying of fish, are done with coconut oil.
Coconut prices have not kept pace with vegetables, inflation or cost of land. Basic reason, coconut oil cannot keep up with the attractive offerings from palm oil, mostly from Malaysia and Indonesia.

Plucking coconuts is such a headache, here, in Kerala that, some land owners do not even visit their coconut plantations.

Even where, one gets his coconuts plucked, the farmer, gets about 5 Rupees, or 10 Cents a coconut, while a consumer in a shop will have to pay 10 Ruppes (20 Cents a coconut). Young or tender coconut (where the coconut water is the star element, not the edible kernal) a fresh half peeled coconut will fetch 15 Rupees (30 Cents) a piece.

Price information as far as coconut oil is concerend, it is Rs 65 ($1.30) a kilo.

Mother and son

I was out with my wife, for a walk. Suddenly a a youngester appeared in front of me, smiling and grinning ear to ear. Hello young man, I greeted this boy of 13, who was as big as me, bigger than his mother, who was just bit infront of me in a car. When I asked him, where he was coming from, he simply said, mother is in the car, and pointed out to a car in front. Not quite sure what to say to this boy, I walked, on to a parked car in front of us. My niece steped out of the car, said that she was having an altercation with her son. The mother would not let her son, 13 to drive a car. Ï know my son could drive better than me," said my niece, "but I would rather remind him to obey the rule, he is not mature enough to drive now"
I wish every parent thought likewise