Friday, August 19, 2005

My watch tracked my Schoolmate.

I had broken the glass of my watch, and was happy to see its still running fine. I got a watchmaker shop after "Killipalam"
and before "Thampanoor" I suppose its called as "Chentitta".

I went in and, I understood I was talking to a real professional repairing watches ( He/She who dooes so is also called horologer).
The art of repairing mechanical things has always admired me. Sometimes I try to do these things,
and I have screwed up at least 5 watches in good health in my high school, because of which my "dad" stopped wearing watches.

The microscopic crank propelled by a very small spring or jerk from piezoelectric Quartz crystal, is 50000 feet view of the
technology that drives watches with minute and hour hands. Our horologer, has many open specimens of these watches in his
desk, I would say the skeleton of these time machines. I am sure, he doesnt have the architecture diagram, nor the work flow
graph, nor design spec for each timepiece. Yet he should have got smiles in many people because he got their watches working.
Watches are important to people mostly because its perfect gift and hence an emotional attachment for most people. FOr some its
their first earning, for some its status symbol and there are "n" number of reasons why we like watches.

We started talking, and he was proudly saying, I didnt have a chance to continue my studies, even if I was doing good in it. And
'I learned from "M G R" movies'. He has treasured a copy of MGR's Photo in his diary which I saw later.
He continues " I didnt let that happen to my children. I educated them in Arya Central School. All Four". I know Arya fee structure
was little above an average person can handle. So it should have been tight for him.

Later I found out the elder, "Sugandhi" is from our batch. I remember the her !!.
She had brownish hair, was slim and was fair.
Do any one else remember her ? She was with us till 10 th class. She stays opposite to "Jayanthi" teacher.

She has some optical instruments , bachelors and is studying masters as correspondence. Great to know we have a diverse crowd
if trace back our school mates. Most, like me has landed up slogging on keyboards.

I saw a glow in his face when he was talking about his second boy. He now works with Indian Airforce. And he took out his diary
and showed the money order, which was his boys first salary. I am sure he can tag is life "successful".

I got my watch back with new glass. And I want every one including me to have that glow in us, long after may be 30 years. Our
life should have meaning.

Its sentimental, I know. I some times get awakened by such thinking's. Cant help. May be my stay away from work prompted me.

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