A Weekend Trip to Native – Part 1

After a year or so, I went to my native place – Hosapete (Hospet). The occasion was an invitation from my PU(Pre University ie 11th 12th std) College Kannada Lecturer, who now teaches in one Government Degree College in neighboring district of Davangere. He had invited me a guest speaker to the annual valedictory function of final year degree students. I was supposed to speak on Civil Services and UPSC exam preparation. He had invited me earlier also, last year but could not go due to official engagements. However this year, the weekend schedule permitted me to say YES. It’s been my nature since childhood. With little persistence I agree to persuasion. I feel I yield easily, going by the flow with not much resistance. That’s quite some self awareness hehe.

I was really excited going to Davangere. For two things –

1. Being my mother’s native, that’s where I spent my childhood summer holidays in grandparents home, playing, swimming, going to farms, cousins, fights, mischiefs so many things. The city itself has grown quite elegantly, lot of greenery, gardens, wide roads etc. Davangere, that’s where I was born, that’s where my younger brother as a small kid got his burnt foot treated, that’s where I went to get my migraine headache diagnosed as a kid. Those waits in the bus stands, waiting for the buses to Hospet to arrive, with a childish fear of what if bus doesn’t arrive, and that we have to spend the whole day or night in bus stand! Going to Davangere is always a trip down the memory lane.
2. Second I had to give speech. Well that’s a daily affair now being a Civil servant. But the speech would be in Kannada, predominantly. That’s like first time I Would deliver a speech on stage in Kannada. That kept me on edge all the while traveling from Dharashiv to Davangere. I had dictated part of the speech in English to my wife while driving to Davangere, with the hope of translating it to Kannada. But the bookish translation put me off. I thought let’s just go to the podium, make a claimer and start speaking with whatever Kannada I can pull off.

The program went well, speech went well. The audience, majorly final year students were happy to hear my experience as Civil Servant and more so about UPSC Civil Services preparation. There were Q&As later. I and wife were felicitated. The Raag Rang music being played in the background while the anchor waits for the formalities to be over on the stage, is always cherished. After the program we went about in the city shopping. Had lunch at one famous Khanavali (Lingayat eatery). Left for Haveri. It was a day spent well. Grateful!