Nokia Phone to the rescue!

 I have been using the iPhone for over 15 years. 

Old trusted Nokia, where the keyboard has faded!

Before that, like every Finn,had  I was a Nokia phone user. 

There were intervals where I used Jolla and then went back to a Nokia, but came back to the iPhone. 

Part of my collection of mobile phones from 1987: 2 Mobiras, Jolla, iPhone 4, Nokia clam shell, other 2 Nokia antiques, an Häger internet phone.  (My only Samsung was lost in Helsinki and my Nokia 920 was lost at Delhi Airport.)

When my iPhone 4 gave up the ghost, my friends, The Gang of 18 from around the world (Canada, India, Israel, Malaysia, Saudi Arabia, UK, USA)  made sure I got an iPhone as a present so I would keep in touch with all my classmates. 

It has been very reliable, till yesterday, when it refused to charge.

I was in a desperate situation, as I have several phones, right  from the original Nokia, when it was called Mobira, but the problem was all of them are in a safe place but I did not know where the charging cables were.

It was a desperate search as without a phone I am dead to the world. With our two daughters,  it is OK as they used FaceTime and we can call each other from my MacBook Air.

The problem was that to even call a taxi to go to the repair shop  is a problem without a phone, as we are both house-bound. 

I found some charging cables and played around till I found the one which matched one of my ancient Nokia phones. I got the phone charged. Then the problem was of getting my micro SIM from the iPhone to fit the Nokia. 

I knew I had a lot of adapters, but when you want one, it is impossible to find it. Annikki’s  grandfather had a saying that when one stops looking for something, it will just come to hand!

I found an old wireless adapter with an old SIM and in its old large holder frame. I fixed my mini SIM to that, and voilà, worked.

I called my taxi service. Annikki and I went right  across town to the K-Citymarket in Rusko, where I knew FONUM has a service centre working on Sinday.

The two youngsters were most helpful. 

While Annikki and I did our shopping they fixed  my iPhone. They found some dirt had got into  the charging port and they cleaned it out.

When we got back, it was working fine.

The charge was to be €25.

I asked them to change my Elisa home network connection to 5G from the present 4G, which was just €2 per month more than my present charge. I also bought a wireless INSMAT wireless charging station. No more dirt likely in the charging port! The boys did not charge me for cleaning the iPhone. I got the charging station for just €4. 

I bought a SIM card for my old trusted Nokia and now that is hanging next to my TV for hopefully another unlikely emergency..

The lesson learnt with this experience is that although I have everything to handle any situation, I have left everything disorganised after my health issues got to the foreground. 

Now is the time to reorganise as I have all these beautiful gadgets, all sitting there and I waste so much time when an emergency arises.

I am on 5G from tomorrow. I hope that will help get my blogs out faster. 

I have some great news for our blog readers as we shall concentrate on a new schedule to help you get to the blog you want to read in a more organised fashion.

I have two new blogs lined up for December and a couple of older focused ones will come back on line, completely refurbished. 

I will give you the calendar schedule shortly.

Here are the list of our blogs:

1. Collectibles By Annikki (Daily)

2. Jacob’s Blog (Weekly)

3. News (Weekly) Findians  Breaking News

4. Maliyakal Family Blog (New) (Weekly)

5. Kandathil Family Blog (New) (Weekly)

6. Seventh Heaven for Cathedralites (Fortnightly)

7. Oulu Best (Worst) Buy (Fortnightly)

8. JM Politics (Fortnightly)

9. Findians (Fortnighly)

10. Findians Editorial (Fortnighly)

11. Findians Briefings (Fortnightly)

12. Kooler Talk (Web Version) (Monthly)

13. Art of Kamutaza's Tembo (Monthly)

14. CHAFF (Chamber for Assistance of Finns and Foreigners) (Monthly)

15. Photographs from Finland and India(Monthly)

16. Last Will and Testament (Monthly)

17. Move The UN (Monthly)

18. Mobile Snowman (Winter)

19. Talk Show Ratings (When news is available!)

Do stay turned for this BREAKING NEWS which we have scheduled for the next Finnish Independence Day on 6th December 2023.

Maliyakal Web Sites Updated

RAJA MANTRA PRAVINA DEWAN BAHADUR

MALIYAKAL KURIYAN (MYSORE) MATTHAN

I have been a bit lazy regarding the updating of the Maliyakal family web sites.

Thanks to a major input from Suresh (Rev. Chandy Kuruvilla) in Lucknow, India, and a simultaneous update from Sarasu (Sarasu Isaac) in the Virginia, USA, I did a major update of all the Maliyakal web pages. I still lack much data to be able to call this a comprehensive site of our family.

But that depends on the inputs that you can provide me - such as birthdates, family notes, etc.

• Maliyakal Ravoor Matthan Kurien, alias Maliyakal K. Aaschan, alias Kurien Assan, the founder of the House of Maliyakal




1. Kuriyan "Mysore" Matthan (1877 - 1951)


2. Dr. Kurian Kuruvilla


3. K. George


4. Mariamma


5. K. Kurian


6. Elizabeth


7. Susan


8. K. Jacob


9. Sara

An article by Prof. M. M. Ninan has been brought to my attention which states that according to Thomma Parvom, the first convert by Apostle St. Thomas on his second visit to Kerala was from Maliyakal who became Thomas Maliyakal the Ramban.

I have seen this article many years ago as it was released at the time of the 50th Indian Independence celebration (1997). There has been much debate about many of the statements made and is still a matter of considerable debate.

The page which is entitled STORY OF ST. THOMAS THE APOSTLE AND THE ST.THOMAS CHURHES OF INDIA; A SHORT HISTORY and is by Prof. M. M. Ninan. Hope you find it enlightening and many thanks to both Abu and Sarasu for reminding me of this.

Half done

I had been wanting to update the K. C. Mammen Mappillai



and the Dewan Bahadur Kuriyan Matthan



Web Pages for a long time.

Today, I managed to update the K. C. Mammen Mappillai page and added some new pictures of the family.

Like in the case of the Maliyakal web pages, I shall try to breakdown each family and put up relevant details with appropriate pictures.

I have not yet put up pictures on the Maliyakal pages, except on Dewan Bahadur's web page, but I will do that when I get some time.

Please submit any data and pictures you want to go up on your family tree unique page.

These are not a genealogy pages or sites but tributes to great men who taught me my fundamental values.

Thanks to Shalu

Anand and me

Many thanks to Shalini, wife of Anand (son of the late George Matthan Sr.) and daughter of the late Dr. Nainan Varghese, for providing me with the name of her daughter-in-law (Kavita) and also correcting me that Pushpa's only son's name is Rohan George. Pushpa is the second daughter of Jacob Matthan Sr. (me being Jacob Matthan Jr., but not the son of Sr., only a nephew). The Dewan Bahadur Kuriyan Matthan page has been updated.

One small story about Shallu's late father, who was one of the most famous haemotologist that India has ever known. He met me at a party one evening in Madras where my parents were also present. We were all standing together and my dear mother was ranting about how much dessert I was consuming and that I would soon become a diabetic like my dad.

Dr. Nainan Varghese chipped in and told my mom that I would never become a diabetic!!

Coming from such a renowned expert, I was taken aback, as were both my mom and dad. He went on to explain that as both my mom and dad were considerably shorter than me, I am 6 foot 2 and half inches (191 cm) while both of them were below 5 foot 6 inches, the level of inherent growth hormone in my system would always keep me from becoming a diabetic as I had the natural anti-dote.

We all laughed, but he was deadly serious, as he had made this a serious study and was convinced that the immense volume of data he had collected had no exceptions till that date!!

And, in truth, I have been a borderline diabetic for many many years. I have never reduced my sugar intake, usually in the form of chocolates, biscuts, ice creams, barfi, sweet curd, and every other delicious form of sweetmeat that I can lay my hands on (my mouth just waters when I think of carrot halwa, jelebi, gulab jamuns or a tin of condensed milk), and I remain as such, a borderline diabetic. The moment I do some gym work, within two days my blood sugar will fall well below the borderline!!

Dewan Bahadur Kuriyan Matthan site updated

Thanks to all the inputs, I have updated the Dewan Bahadur Kuriyan Matthan website.

The site of his father which links to all his brothers and sisters and their Families will be updated shortly.

Bookmark the sites for your convenience. Do send me photographs that can be used on these sites.