FM - Vaan

Vaan meghangale - Pudhiya Vaarpugal

Vaan nila - Pattina Pravesam

Vaan megham - Punnagai Mannan

Vaan pole vannam - Salangai Oli

Pill

When new in this country, the numerous Advertisements for medicines used to surprise me. During a half hour programme on TV, out of 10 ads, 3-4 will be about some pill! Pills to sleep, to wake, to make you eat, to prevent you from eating, to absorb what you eat... happappa! No amount of fine-print side effects makes an iota of difference[I always get reminded of SVSekar's drama, 'Oru sondha veedu vaadagai veedaagiradhu' in which a 'mandreegan' character would prescribe a kashayam for mouth ulcer listing numerous side-effects and would end saying 'vaai punn pogum' and SVSekar would ask, 'vaai enna aagum?' :) ]. Every time an Ad ends with 'Ask your doctor about XYZ', I wonder how in India, patients get a good 'dose' from their Doctors for asking!

Pills was something one used, or so I thought, as a last resort after all 'kai vaidhyams'/ home treatments fail. Also, the art of swallowing pills is really something! Filling the mouth with water and dropping the pill straight into the throat without touching the tongue is a feat! But many a time, the water would rush through my throat and the pill would be left dangling!! And if there are multiple pills to be swallowed, then 'muzhi pidhungify dhaan'!!

Like many things that we have got used to here, I realised that pain balms were a non-entity in this country only when our folks complained of it during their visit here('Ennama, oru Amruthanjanam maadhiri onnum kedayadha inge?'). Sometime back, there was news about a lady never having cleaned her medcine cabinet in years with medicines' expiry dating almost decades back! I kind-of sympathised with her for like all other things sold in the US, these medicines too come in big packs! In our country, 'vitta, maathiraiyai padhiya odichu vaaile pottu vittu, 1/2 price vaangipaanga'!! These people can learn a thing or two from us!

FM - SRK spl.

My 'piriyamana thozhan'(philospher and _Guide!) celebrates and shares his birthday with his idol, Sachin Tendulkar on Monday. So, here comes a Friday melody specially for him of his other idol, SRK(In your name, I'm listing some of my favourites even though I belong to the rival group!).

Yuhi chala - Swades

Kal ho na ho - Kal Ho Na Ho

Ey ajnabi - Dil Se

Chaand taare - Yes Boss

Ay kaash ke hum - Kabhi Haan Kabhi Naa


And lastly,

Boomiku - Dishyum

for tomorrow is Earth day! This song is one of my favourites among the new releases. I've been wondering how to list this song as there aren't many boomi songs and thanks to my hubby for reminding about Earth day tomorrow!!!

Salavai Nottu!

Today my husband handed me a new crisp 10 dollar bill that he got from the ATM b'cos I love nice new crisp currency bills(and he knows I would never spend it!)! It used to be an obsession to collect 'salavi nottu' back in India. As far as I can remember, as soon as money reaches my hand, I used to separate new and old currency bills and hoard the new ones(kind-of savings!). I will try to 'thaLLi-fy' the old nottus as much as possible and use the crisp ones only during emergencies(heart wrenching, singing, 'poghudhey pogudhey....'). Anyway, today's crisp 10 dollar bill is nothing compared to my prized possession and collection of really crisp Re. 1 and Rs. 2 notes(will send pictures of it to those of you who find it hard to believe!) that I've carried with me as 'seer' from Mother India!

FM - "Putham Pudhu"

Putham pudhu kaalai - Alaigal Oivadhillai

Putham pudhu olai - Vedham Pudhidhu

Putham pudhu poo - Dhalapathi

Putham pudhu malare - Amaravathi



"Putham Pudhu Varusha Vaazhthukkal"!!

Current Cut!

Last week on one of those usual afternoons, it happened! Power Cut!! With dirty clothes getting a last minute parole, rice and dal getting an extension to remain soaked, I realised I wouldn't even be able to boil water. The hardest part was explaining to my daughter that nothing would work till power was restored! Even though the power came back in a couple of hours, the scare it gave me was really something! Only once before had I experienced this power outage in this country but that time too it was for a few hours in the wee hours of the morning. But every winter, every storm, the fear of a power outage will be nagging in the back of my head.

Managing without electricity in India was not a big deal but here, it is a nightmare! I was thinking of those numerous days when our family have had candle light or torch light dinners, the times when I would have waited an eternity for my favourite show on TV and the electicity dept. 'punyawaan' would choose the very same day/time to get his evil satisfaction by cutting the power supply or the numerous days when a little swaying of the leaves along with a drizzle would make the TNEB go 'munn jagradhai muthanna' or those times when I would have planned to burn the mid-night oil for my mid-term exams and 'poof' gone the power supply or the many midnights in hot summer when out go the power and in come the mosquito population to have their December season equivalent with 'arusuvai unavu'!!

FM - 'Minnal'

Minnale - May Maadham
One of my all time favourite song/album. I so wanted to watch the movie that I saw it on a 'nasa-nasa' rainy day in Kamadhenu theatre with my father!!

Minnal oru kodi - VIP
Don't remember much about the song/movie except that it is Simran's tamil debut movie. One of my friend who is such a Kamal fan that she wouldn't even look at the other artistes when Kamal is on screen, recently told me that when Simran dances with Kamal, 'naan Simran-e paakiren, di'!

Minnalai pidithu - Shahjahan
Just an entry for the 'Minnal' namesake. Nice melody by Unni Menon.


P.S. - This is my 100th Post! Like the batsman in test match cricket, naanum lottu-lottu thatti-kotti 100-rai thottuten!! Yay!!

Early risers - Endangered Species?

"Early to bed and early to rise
makes Jack healthy, wealthy & wise"

My father's favourite chant during the weekends! My father and their generation are incapable of lying down in the bed after 5-5.30 AM (and cannot tolerate people who can, I used to fume!). Any of you remember the drama, 'Aiyo, Amma, Ammamma'? We often used to advice Appa, 'Kathadi Ramamurthy' style, 'muzhippu varum, aana ezhundhirukka koodadhu. Thalai thalaganiye kaalukkum, kaal thalaganiye thalaikkum maathi thirumbi thongidanam'!!

I do love the ealy morning time, if and when I'm forced to wake up! The chirping of the birds, the clean and fresh air, the slight chilliness (even in hot Chennai).... The morning commute in crowd less buses used to be an added advantage. My mother tells me I was an early riser as a baby. I faintly remember how as a kid, I couldn't keep my eyes open after 8-8.30 PM(there used to be a muppet show called 'Arabian nights' at around 8.30PM in the early 80s which I remember trying to watch straining my droopy eyes!). I don't know, when I drifted away from that good habit! Should be after 'desiya nigazhchigal' started making sense!

In this country, most of my friends and relatives' life styles were kind-of shocking to me in the beginning. Even school/college going kids, work or party till late night/early morning and don't get up till noon or even 2 PM!! For the fear of getting cursed for waking them, I have given up calling them all together! It is recently that I met a family here who all are early risers and the inspiration behind this post(One of my husband's ex-colleague back in MA used to be at work before 6 AM everyday but he suffered from Insomnia!). That when they boasted that they are always on-time, rather first arrivers, everywhere unlike the others('kuttramulla nenjam'!) it really hit me!

I thought, 'better late than never', let me try & follow Appa's advice atleast now and set a good example to my daughter! Instead of being a night owl, let me prowl, I mean, browse in the wee hours, enjoying the same quiet time. But old habits die hard! However early I went to bed, sleep came knocking only at midnight and as a result eyes were refusing to open at dawn! But on Saturday, weary after an outing in the warm weather, sleep did seem to hug me early and I got up all refreshed early on Sunday morning, only to find 'day light savings time kicking in' and the clocks had all sprung ahead!! Ada Che!!