Thank you, Rio

Thank you Rio. Rio is over. 'What will you do now,' asks Rama over Monday coffee. Brooded. Well nothing but drift into a familiar ordinariness. For about 15 days, woke up mostly at 4, watched till 9; evening sat before TV at 5 in the evening; did not get up till 12; read the Guardian and Shivani Naik essays in The Indian Express; have a Naik file with all her reports; Sunday night was fun with marathon and the protest undressing by coaches of a Mongolian wrestler; reminded me of the Sanjay Dutt film when a retired pensioner strips in front of a government official to get papers signed; saw others win; we lose; it has always been so, we and me out, others in; since 1947, relishing a zeroness; never into wins; exulting losses. Thats been India and me. Having never won anything, do not miss out. Wayde von Niekerk of South Africa in a 400 metres world record of 43.03 seconds, running the outer lane, Bolt, Phelps, Mohamed Farah, Brazil volleyball team beating Italy, 3-0, for gold, Matej Toth, Slovakia, 50k walk gold at 3:40:58; Liu Hong, China, 20 k walk (women), 1:28:35; Wang Zhou, China, 20 k walk, 1:19:14. None writes on walks; TV shows little; 'walking is boring...walking is just on an on, no quick bursts...but walkers think..no walking reporters'; yet, me favoured event. Perhaps, our women walking hours across villages and bare lands to fetch a pot of water, could turn into gold medalers; a silly, thought as then who will bring pond or well water to homes. That odd moment sticks: New Zealander Nikki Hamlin stops to hand-help American Abby D' Agostino after the Ameican athlete falls in agony after they tangle in the 5,000 metres run; Hamlin gets the Pierre de Coubertin medal for fair play. After being pressed to the mat forever, me am a boor, want gold and gold alone. Sindhu and Sakshi are appetisers leading to no saddhis. At least the two ladies have done a thing; me is a no, no. Sports is not to be; at least me has Perumal Murugan and his poetry to look ahead. On Monday, relief; Perumal Murugan to write; to publish 200 Tamil poems, in an Indian Express interview with Arun Janardhanan. 'Author Perumal Murugan has decided to live again,' says Arun Janardhanan. Sports and songs make a kicking cocktail. Astu.