Repeat-u!

A2 stepped into infanthood from babyhood. A2 is still too young to comment/reject Amma's homemade cakes but for A1 the yummy cake with icing from the store is worth waiting!

December in Chennai is kutcheri season and here in the US, it is 'jingle bells' season. I was remembering how some people used to get tired with the ''oliyum oliyum' team in the DDO(doordarshan only) days for featuring appropriate songs around the pongal, navarathri, Christmas festival times("போச்சுடா! இன்னிக்கு ஒரே பொங்கல்/கிருஸ்மஸ் பாட்டா வெப்பான்!"). Also, repeat programs wasn't much welcomed in DDO days, isn't it? But I am grateful to the numerous channels here which repeat old comedy serials. Even if I've watched it numerous times, some serials like Friends, Everybody loves Raymond, Cosby show, Spin City etc. are so enjoyable that I don't mind watching it again and again! And the entire cast in some shows(Spin city, Everybody loves Raymond) are just too too good!

Once again, its the time of the year, to say goodbye to one and welcome the next. It can be just another year for some or a new beginning for others. Whatever, asusual, wishes for a happy year ahead. Ey meri Guzarish(Asin, you lucky girl! First Surya then Kamal and now Aamir-a!! BTW, the credit shows Javed Ali/Sonu Nigam. Who has actually sung the song?) !

Andrum Indrum

In my grandma's generation, coconuts were got directly cut down from trees in the backyard, then fibres removed, outer shell cracked open, white edible part grated and used in cooking;
In my mom's generation, coconuts were bought from stores and then outer shell cracked open, white edible part grated and used in cooking;
My generation, frozen grated coconut packet is cut open and used in cooking;
My daughter's generation might just read it in the ingredients section of ready-made meals!!

In my grandma's generation, they hardly knew their exact birthday;
In my mom's generation, they were aware of their exact birthday;
my generation knew to celebrate their birthdays;
my daughter's generation start planning their birthdays as soon as that year's party get over!!!

அன்று கிளி ஜோசியம் பார்த்தார்கள்
(Andru kili josiyam paarthaargal)
இன்று டார்ரொ ஜோசியம் பார்க்கிறார்கள்!!
(indru tarrot josiyam paarkiraargal!)

Digital(l) age!

Ever since I heard/saw in the news about television broadcasting in the US going all digital from February next, it's been unbelievable that there are television antennas in this part of the world and that there are users too!! It looks like eons now those good(!) old days in the then, Madras with most houses showing off (multiple, sometimes!) antennas which was crows' kuttichuvar' for their daily discussions. There had been numerous times when we had to dance with those antennas moving it in different directions to get some decent audio or grainy video.

For me, digital age started with those Rs. 35 digital watches. Aaah, those were the days! Now almost every room in our house has a clock with digital display like clock radios, cooking range, cable box etc. that sometimes I doubt my clock reading skills from dial clocks!

When my husband bought his first digital camera, I thought it was an unnecessary expenditure(little did I know, mega pixel count was in competition with mega serials!). Although I agree that digital cameras help us record every smile, every step, every milestone of our little ones, it is no match to looking at a physical photo album. And with the numerous pictures sitting in supposedly organised, appropriately named folders, it's become so tedious to find 1-2 specific ones from the chakravyugam! I fondly remember those 24-36 film roll camera days when finishing a film roll was a big task followed by the wait for the prints('aanandha avasthai'!). The look on our faces at the photo lab - priceless(can be 'Salangai oli' Jayapradha style or that podi payal style!)!

Ragasiyamaai...!

"Can you keep a secret?" asked a (relatively, at that time) new friend. Why and how she trusted me with that big secret which I had to keep for 2 semesters is still beyond me. But the hardest of all was when on the big secret reveal day, I had to pretent as if I was hearing it for the first time infront of the rest of the gang!!

Recently read this in a fwd message

3 fastest means of communication

1. Tele-phone
2. Tele-vision
3. Tell to woman

Need still faster - tell her not to tell anyone.

LOL!! But that's because most Men have communication and/or memory problems! When my friends prided about having conspired with my husband for my surprise baby shower, I was glad he remembered about the party and taking me there!!

I used to be a better secret keeper in my younger days probably b'cos I didn't talk so much then! Infact, I was so good that it upset some close friends later when they found out that I hadn't shared some of the secrets with them!! These days I am having to do a lot of 'mennu-muzhungi' to guard secrets. It is easier if we know how long we got to keep it a secret and if we don't have to mingle/face the concerned parties.

Having said all these and with a blog mostly about me(2), what secret have I got to share for this tag of yours, mitr? :)

Lost (and found) in translation

Isn't it a shame that perseverance like some other qualities like innocence, shrewdness which as children we casually and effortlessly master but let fade with age? It is both amazing and bugging when after lengthy discussions with a child about why (s)he is not allowed to do something or why (s)he is not ready for something or why (s)he cannot have something, the child goes back to square 1 the very next day(and the next day and the next day...) and asks 'Can I have/do it?' just in case Amma forgets and let her/him have/do it!! But then, thinking about it, as parents, we do persevere in repeating some gems handed down thro' generations hoping they would echo like 'அசரீரீ' in their later years just like it did/does to us.

எடுத்தால் எடுத்த இடத்தில் வை(Eduthal edutha idathil vai) - The most common 'asareeree', I guess! Even if you are an organised person, if your spouse/partner is not, then 'searching...' is unescapable!!

கண் பார்த்தா கை செய்யணும்(KaNN paartha kai seiyanam) - If there are things strewn on the floor or water dripping from a faucet or see any unfinished task, my hands will go 'para-para' because of this gem from my grandfather!

Do you hear any (more) of these 'asareerees'?



Cho says in Muhammad-bin-thuglak, 'அரசியல் ஒரு சாக்கடை, அதில் எது வேண்டுமானாலும் கலக்கலாம்(arasiyal oru saakkadai, adhil edhu vendumaanaalum kalakkalaam!)!' Not-so-very-similarly, English language has a lot of kalakkals! Didn't know that a word's language of origin gives clues to its spelling! Kudos to those kiddy bees! Anyway, coming to my point, I'm wondering how some English words got totally different meaning in India. Like how 'smart' got to mean beauty instead of brains. How wild 'assault' got tamed to mean 'casual'? And how 'hold on' became to function as bus' stop chain!!

Truth (sometimes) Triumphs!

Writer Sujatha's passing away was shocking inspite of the knowledge about his poor health and hospitalisations in the recent years. For many of my generation, reading(novels) mostly meant in English language but the limited reading in Tamil would definitely include his works. I really admired the balance with which he dealt with science and religion.

Long time back he did a Q & A in Junior Vikatan. I remember someone asked him about 'maru jenmam'(rebirth) and I vaguely remember his explanation about how it can't be true sighting that the human population has always been on the increase. Now thinking about it, according to Hindu religion, rebirth can be as any creature and not necessarily human, right? So, if we take the total count of all life forms on this earth, will it be a constant no? That all those extinct animals are reborn as humans now?

Vaimaiye (sila samaiyam) Vellum was my very first attempt in reading a 'thodar kadhai' and not surprisingly it was Sujatha's. Talking of truth, when I read reports about person(s) confessing to a crime in India, I can't help doubting if (s)he is the real culprit? Is (s)he being framed? etc.(too much of movie influence?) Similarly, I can't help wonder why and what prompts people to confess to their crime after many years!

தமிழ் புத்தாண்டு வாழ்த்து - தமிழ்நாட்டில மட்டும் சொல்லாதீங்க!!
(Tamil new year wishes - say not in TN!)

Going, going.... green!!

It's been months since I wanted to post on this topic but by the time it got the chance to see the light of day, all these have become old news!! Anyway, better late than never!

Green - never been my favourite colour. Probably because the colour is always associated with raw, dirty etc. in Tamil. The colour's association with our arch rival neighbouring country could have added to it. In my nenavu theriyadha vayasu, Amma tried to get me a parrot green with rose border pattu pavadai but luckily the store didn't have that combination and I ended up with a peacock (neck) blue with rose border pattu pavadai! But in the recent years, the dislike for green has begun to change like tamil movie hero-heroine's modhal-pin-kaadhal style(starting with 'pachai nirame', may be?).

After pillayar suzhi with this, information super highway (mis?)led to very many scary articles about pesticides in produce, rBGH hormone fed cow's milk etc., that I began 'organic-organic' chant. Like (mythological) Markandeyan's parents I had to choose between short life-spaned almost-never-on-sale organic produce or pesticide friendly regular produce. A friend was helpful enough to add to the confusion commenting that since proper regulations aren't yet in place for organic farming, even her garden vegetables can get passed as organic produce. Appo aadha-aadha(adhanga, 50-50!) dhaan!

Next it was time to buy a new washer-dryer. The kathukutty armchair environmentalist was all for the neela nira energy saver tag. For the budget which would have fetched a laundromat size washer-dryer, we ended up with a petite front loading W/D(Now about the comforters... which can't be washed in our petite machine... Should I wash them in non-energy saving-laundromat machines or replace them every season?). Oh, btw, the uncomfortableness and back-ache caused from loading the clothes crouching infront of the machine will go away when visitors' exclaim, "oh, front loading machine-a!". ;)

Now what is the use in having energy saver appliances if one is using environment unfriendly detergents! Chi-chi-chi! Try, try and try again with detergent names starting with eco, bio in Whole Foods or Natural/Organic sections of Supermarkets. With Indian cooking, Curious Georgina(s), any detergent will need some extra help, isn't it?

Since the beginning of the new year, 'Going Green' has become 'hot'(almost topping the new resolution list!!) Like SVSekar says in 'Ellarum Vaanga', 'ella porukki pasangalum namma technique-y follow panranga'! So, in TV, magazines and everywhere there is tips, tips and more tips to go Earth friendly.
First in the list is car pool and/or switch from gas-guzzling vehicles. Except to work, we never let my husband go anywhere without us(hey, he gets to drive peacefully on the car pool lane!) and so what if in place of Accord we have Civic now, it is hybrid!
Next in the list is energy conservation - shut off unnecessary electrics. Hey, we are from a country where it is in the genes like our elders to follow people from behind and shut off lights/fans even when they just step out to get a glass of water! 'Yaar kitte pesureenga', huh!
And then there are those recycle/reuse plastics(anga dhaan naama nikkaromey!), run dishwasher/washing machines on full loads(overload pannamey irundhaley perusu!) etc. etc. on which we don't need any more lessons!
I mostly adhere to and even change my lifestyle if it would mean doing my bit for the Earth/Environment but for #1 in this recent article in RD - Iyaa, mudiyadhaiyaa!!

Taare zameen par

Preschoolers, A1(my older one) & B are good friends. B's mom often complained about this boy, C who bullied B at school. From the teacher, we came to know that C was not only troublesome but a troubled kid too(his parents were in the midst of a divorce!). After learning this, I kind of sympathised with C than with B. Don't know if I would have been as sympathetic had the bullied kid been mine. During one of my visit to the school, C once told me, 'A1 doesn't like me!'. I didn't know how to react. My heart went out to this little boy who for no fault of his, was undergoing stress at this young age. C no longer comes to school. Wonder which parent won custody of him!

Update

I am not done yet, like A1 says! I was in a hurry to publish my post on the special leap day of the year! Anyway, while browsing through the TV channels, I landed on 'Supernanny' programme recently after a long time. I told my mom about this programme and she was appalled at how kids were disciplined. "Manushaal illadhadhanaaley ennannamo seiyaraangapa, indhoorley" was her comment!

When A1 was in her terrible 2s-3s stage, I thought these Supernanny, Nanny 911 etc. would be interesting and helpful in learning to handle toddlers. But after watching a couple of episodes, I realised what a gem A1 was and more, I didn't want her catching me watching it for I feared she might think, 'oh, ippadiyellaam pannalaama!' I've often wondered, how those children captured on camera would feel years from now!

Mahanadhi

Sa...d movies, always make me cry!

அதுவும் மஹாநதி-யை பார்க்க எவ்வளவு தைரியம் வரவழைத்துக் கொண்டாலும் முடிவதில்லை, முழுவதுமாக பார்க்க!

Echo

In those good old DD only days, there used to be a programme called 'Ediroli' where viewers sent in their comments, suggestions about the week's programmes. The one & only highlight of the programme was that the name of the Sunday evening movie MIGHT get revealed! Does something like this exist in any of the Channels these days? Lately, I've been catching up on some of the Tamil channel programmes and my letters to the imaginary 'Ediroli' team.

Watched your(Sun TV) "Koottu Pongal" with Pushpavanam Kuppusamy, Nithyasree and Lakshman Sruthi shown as part of the special Pongal programmes. The concept was novel where Pushpavanam Kuppusamy & co sang a folk song and based on its raagam, Nithyasree sang a classical song and Lakshman Sruthi & troupe sang a film song. Only the choice of songs by Lakshman Sruthi was 'naaraasam'!!!

The other musical programme called "Pattikaada Pattanama" compered by Gangai Amaran with Manika Vinayakam, Gana Ulaganathan and co on the Pattikaadu side and Harini, Tippu, Haricharan, Jaydev & co on the pattanam side was quite enjoyable. It started off well with both teams singing songs based on a theme like Bakthi, Pengal etc.(Especially hilarious was when for the 'thaikulam' theme pattikaadu team sang 'ammadi... ponukku thanga manasu' and the pattanam team retorted with 'ammadi.. athadi..'). Kadaiseeley, konjam sodhappal!!

"வாயுள்ள பிள்ளை பிழைக்கும்" என்பற்கேற்ப, இன்றைய தேதியில், தமிழ்நாட்டில் பேசத்தெரிந்தால் போதும் பெரிய ஆள் ஆவதற்கு!!

In Vijay TV, the 'Neeya? Naana?' is the jolly kind of 'Arattai Arangam'. The Kalyanam, Rasipalan topics were interesting. The compere, Gopinath doesn't let any discussion to grow into an arguement. Surprisingly, he speaks good Tamil too! But the casualness that has come to this kind of speaking in public is making people say anything and everything without shame! In the rasipalan episode, one boy proudly told the audience how he scored less than 300 marks in his 12th Std and how when everyone said he couldn't get into any college, one josiyar predicted he would definitely get into a good college. The boy proudly showed off his AMJain college ID card!! "இழுத்து ஒரு அறை விடவேண்டுமென்றிருந்தது. என்னால் தலையில் தான் அடித்துக்கொள்ள முடிந்தது"