Drive me crazy!

Got this email forward sometime back.

Driving Styles ...

One hand on steering wheel, one hand out of window. - Sydney

One hand on steering wheel, one hand on horn- Japan

One hand on steering wheel, one hand on newspaper, foot solidly on accelerator... - Boston

Both hands on steering wheel, eyes shut, both feet on brake, quivering in terror- New York

Both hands in air, gesturing, both feet on accelerator, head turned to talk to someone in back seat- Italy

One hand on horn, one hand on holding gear, one ear listening to loud music, one ear on cell phone, one foot on accelerator, one foot on clutch, nothing on break, eyes on females in next car, *** - Welcome to INDIA!

P.S. - If foreigners(and NRIs) are scared of our indisciplined traffic in India, so was I with the disciplined traffic here!! It was such a rude shock to me that I who used to (free style!) ride a 2 wheeler on Chennai roads had to go 'Gajini Mohammad' style to the RMV to get my license!!

Friday Melody - Kamal III

Get up/set up/make up is another specialty of Kamal. So, here are some of the songs from movies where we saw a different looking Kamal.

Ther kondu - Enakkul oruvan

Pudhu maapillaikku - Aboorva sagodarargal

Pachai kiligal - Indian

Vela vela - Avvai Shanmughi


P.S. - Sorry, couldn't link up the last song. The file hosting site is giving some problems. Will try to fix it asap.

Varumaiyin niram sivappu!

I am sure for many of you, like me, the defeat of Chandrababu Naidu and NDA government would have come as a big shock. It seemed as if the masses were mocking at/curtailing the government's steps to improving the economy. Later it emerged that the governments were only concentrating on the outer shine, polishing while the main inner core was/is rusting and decaying. Read this post, Green revolution, by Senthil about how globalisation is affecting our agriculture sector and how the poor farmers are caught in the middle. With nature playing truant most of the time and governments playing political games, the farmer who toils and labours on the field not able to feed himself and his family is so pathetic.

Friday Melody - Kamal II

Today's songs, all sung by Kamalhaasan.

Panneer Pushpangale - Aval Appadithaan

Ninaivo oru paravai - Sigappu Rojakkal

Pon Maanai - Oh Maane Maane

Vikram - Vikram

Muththe muthamma - Ullasam

Boom!

Though there are still debates, beliefs and non-beliefs about 'love at first sight', movie industry had strongly held on it for decades. Then there was a time when directors were bitten by 'vidhyasamana kaadhals' for a while.

Anyway, in recent times, there seems to be a new trend: 'love at the last minute'!! It was in 'Azhagiya Theeye' that I first noticed it with the hero expecting the heroine to fall in love with him suddenly one fine day, 'boom'! As it always happens in movies, the heroine does go 'boom' at the climax. Then, the same happened in 'Gilli' though for a change, it is the hero who goes 'boom' at the last minute. Then again in 'Ullam Ketkume', the hero goes 'boom' in the climax with the heroine happily smiling inspite of missing her flight(Wonder what would have been the female's 'nelamai' if after missing her flight, Shyam shows no change of heart!).

Friday Melody KAMA(A)L - I

No surprises this week! Ofcourse, with 'Annathey' celebrating his birthday on 7th, what else could anyone expect!!

Today, it is some of "Kaadhal Ilavarasan's" duet melodies!

Maunamana neram - Salangai oli

Thallattudhey vaanam - Kadal Meengal

Endhan nenjil - Kalaignan

Poonkuyil - Nammavar

Nee paartha - Hey Raam

Onna vida - Virumandi

Instrumental - Punnagai Mannan

BTW, the rest of the month's Friday melodies will also be Kamal specials!!

For your eyes only!

If your eyes follow the movement of the rotating pink dot, you will only see one color, pink.
If you stare at the black + in the center, the moving dot turns to green. Now, concentrate on the black + in the center of the picture.
After a short period of time, all the pink dots will slowly disappear, and you will only see a green dot rotating.
It's amazing how our brain works. There really is no green dot, and the pink ones really don't disappear. This should be proof enough, we don't always see what we think we see.



Happy Deepavali!

Yaar yaar Sivam!

Senthil's post about Temple for Gandhi reminded me of a childhood conversation I had with my mother. It was around the time when my history lessons talked about the different religions, their founders etc. It embarrassed me that all other religions had a founder, a history etc. whereas Hinduism didn't. My mother, to pacify me, told me that probably Rama, Krishna were Kings who lived so long ago that no documentation exists to prove their existence. She went ahead to say that I need not look upto them as Gods, but as human beings from whose life we can learn morals and lessons. She added, "For all you know, after 'n' thousand years, people may not believe that a person called Gandhi existed!".

The above I had started soon after I commented in that post. But even before I could finish mine there have been many comments and more posts on the same topic! As most of you know that I am a 'confused Desi' and an 'aadha'! So, just pouring out all those that are in my head. I never imagined that one day I would be on this side of a 'religion' argument!!

Definitely a library full of books on Gandhi or a theatre screening archival footages and movies made on him would have been a better option than building him a temple. But like I said in my comment, "In our country, worshipping a person is the way to show their respect, devotion etc." A temple will surely attract more people than a library or a theatre(ofcourse if it does not show 'thalaivar' films). If Mr. Vaiyapuri is genuinely interested in spreading Gandhi's messages and teachings, he could arrange for guest lectures, story recitals, paint the walls with his messages etc. That kid who prays to Gandhi for help with Math paper will in due course realise that no Gandhi, no Krishna, no Jesus is waiting by the door ready to grant boons!

IMO, religions, castes must have been created to bring some sort of order, discipline. Though in the years, with little or no documentation, the interpretations(and interpreters) have taken it in different directions. Stories are told to drive some point, to present morals in an interesting way. We are free to read anything and everything now. We may not agree with everything, follow everything. I am sure we are able enough to absorb the good and discard the bad. In the glorious past, Monarchs might have forced their subjects to worship them. They are still happening in this 21st century, in African countries, in dictatorships (in some state governments in our own India)!

Also, religions were built around fear. Probably with a good intention to make people follow righteousness. Especially, with human beings of that time being more aggressive, less thoughtful this might have been a great way to bring them in line(Like with kids, until they start thinking by themselves, we can scare them into not going hay-wire!). From the kids stage, the human community has probably reached the adolescent (thinking) stage now that th(w)ey are questioning the not-understandables, not-followables.

Friday Melody - 'Ding dong'

Just a reminder that on Sunday the 'day light savings' ends. Yay! We get an hour extra(Once a year our house-hold will be on time!) on Sunday!

Ding dong - Ji
A very lovely melody. The first time I heard it, I did not know which movie it was from, who sang or anything. The picturisation is also neat with no 101 people behind or the hero/heroine in the front exercising!

Irandum - Panakkaran
Another 'ding dong' song.

Oru mani - Kaalamellam kaadhal vaazhga
One of the many nice melodies of Hariharan. I cannot seem to remember anything related to this song/movie!

Peigala - Mahanadhi
It is 'halloween' on Monday. Adhukkaga, enga Annathey paattu onnu!!

C-real addiction!

In Chennai, for that matter, through out India, TV (mega) Serials have become a part of daily routine. I am neither a mega serial watcher nor a mega serial basher. Its just that most people seem to be complaining about their parents/relatives/friends' addiction to these mega serials. Some thoughts that I've been having about its whys and hows.

Recently, a friend called me to find out the name of the movie, 'Kannadi Pookkal'. His parents had come to visit from India and he wanted to rent some DVDs to keep them occupied during the day while he was away at work. He also wanted to know if they were any other movies suitable(!!) for their viewing and I just could not come up with any!! I may be stereo-typing them but really there are no Visu/V. Sekar style movies these days, isn't it? Even the few 'good' movies are about undertakers, immature lovers, murder suspects etc. Probably thats one reason why 'ms' is scoring now as most of them are about families, their problems etc.

These days with most house-holds having both spouses working or living abroad, the elders have nothing but the television to help pass time. I remember my grandfather who would push those boring evening hours going for walks or sitting in his 'easy-chair' and chatting with passers-by! I never realised how tough it would've been for him. That way, how different are we here. We too switch on the televisions the minute we enter home. How many of us don't watch reality shows, Friends(repeated for the umpteenth time!) etc.

I do agree that the creators of these 'ms' should stop competing in writing more sob-sob type stories. Guess, like movie industry which when making few films in those days made quality movies. But once every Tom, Dick and Harry started making movies, the quality deteriorated.

BTW, if you are wondering why I am so supportive of these serial addicts, I am also a 'cereal' addict!! The cereal aisle is my favourite in any supermarket and if my favourite type is on sale or if a new exciting type has come to market, I go bonkers!! I got into this cereal eating habit to set a good example to my daughter. Today whether my daughter has got into that habit or not, I have become an addict!!

P.S. - My mother tells me that nobody gossips these days! First of all, nobody has the time to chat with anyone or they will miss their dear 'ms'. Even if they do find time, it is mostly about the characters of those 'ms'!!!

Friday Melody - 'Thangam'

Thanga thamarai magale - Minsara Kanavu
A feast to the eyes and ears(for both men and women!), huh? Recently, quite a few blogs carried a recent picture of Aravindsamy. It was shocking! But wow! I realised from the comments how much of a competition he had been to the men-folk in his prime!!!

Thanga changili - Thooral Ninnu Pocchu
One of the earlier movies of Bagyaraj. Trademark Ilayaraja melody.

Thangathile oru - Baaga Pirivinai
An old classic with Sivaji Ganesan and Saroja Devi.

Thanga Magan - Batsha
A nice song. One of the few surprises from music director Deva! (Only listenable, for me!)

Thanks to Raju for his interest & support every Friday for this post!

Bias?

Has anyone else felt that BBC is biased when it comes to India-Pakistan? In quite a few of their earlier news reports on Kashmir I have felt that they mostly show the Pakistan side of the story, their point of view etc. But after these recent earthquake in Kashmir, IMO, they seem hell-bent picking on the Indian administration's relief efforts. Check out cruel joke, cold and hungry and do Indians care?

Outsourcing!

Blog-hopping, I come across a lot of book recommendations. Most of them are fictions which I am hoping to read in the (near) future. Deepak had posted this while reading "The World is Flat" by Thomas L. Friedman, a non-fiction which seemed quite interesting. Recently my husband suggested that I read this. "The World is Flat" seems to be its inspiration and I was thrilled that I was aware of that book!!

Friday Melody - 'Mazhai'

Its been a rainy week for us here in the Northeast and its been raining in Chennai too. So, what better theme than some 'Mazhai' songs.

Mazhai mazhai - Ullam Ketkume

Mazhaiyum neeye - Azhagan

Mazhai varudhu - Raja Kaiye vecha

21st Century Women

While blog-hopping, I came across this post(is in Tamil fonts) by Ramya Nageswaran. Brings tears to my eyes everytime I think about the post. So much for those of us who think we are in the technologically advanced / developed 21st century!

Check out Goonj

Oru Paatu Paadri!!

Navarathri brings everyone sweet(or salty depending on whether you like sundals or payasam!) memories from the past. In my case, this Navarathri time is next only to my Bank experiences.

Ladies function!! So, have to wear traditional dress, plait the hair, put on some 'muzhams' of jasmine flower and wear a smiley! In short, have to behave like a girl!! If this is not enough, folks would be reminding that neighbourhood 'mami(s)' and 'vaandu(s)' have invited for 'Golu' 2-3 times already and they have already collected their 'vethalai paakku' and that I haven't!! If it is a 1-2 days affair, there is a slim chance of escape. But this goes on for 9 days!!!

So, to get-it-over-with, when I step into one of the houses, an elder of the house will start with 'vaadimma, ippavavadhu vazhi therinjudha?' and end with 'oru paatu paadri'!! This uncomfortable situation is like an examination hall, where even if you know you cannot answer any of the questions, you have to sit an hour before handing over the paper! Here, having come all the way, one cannot go home empty-handed(without the sundal). So, just have to dodge till they give up and in the mean time listen to 'Paatte theriyaadha? Cinema paataavadhu paadu'!! Atlast when I step out of the house triumphantly with the sundal packet, it is time to visit next house and the loop starts again!!

Friday Melody - Mohd. Rafi Spl

Once again, it is celebration time at home. My father celebrates his birthday today. Mohd. Rafi is his favourite singer and so, today's melody is a collection of hindi songs by the mesmerising voice of Rafi Saab.

Madhuban mein Radhika - Kohinoor

Chaudavin Ka Chand Ho - Chaudavin ka chand

Taareef karoon kya - Kashmir ki kali

Tere mere sapne - Guide

Raahi manwa - Dosti

Dear Dad!

Moms somehow get enough or more attention from all quarters. Even while blog-hopping, I found quite a few posts on Moms but not on Dads(Let me know if there are any). I was pleasantly surprised when my brother told me that the day after Father's day(since Father's day falls on a Sunday) his office gave a 10 mins. break to all their employees to call & talk to their Fathers!!!

Another thing which prompted me to make this post is the movie, '5 Star'. One of the character's Father(played by Vijayan) is shown as a strict, hard-hearted Villager who though loves his son does not show it. The Father, in his own stern way, imposes all this thoughts and plans on his son that the son eventually leaves him and the country alltogether. Towards the end of the movie, the Father regrets his actions even though he did everything thinking he is doing it for his son's good. But the damage done is done and he dies never seeing his son again.

This kind of Fathers did(probably still do too) exist in our soceity(though not common in our generation, I guess). I myself know of friends who have such strict Fathers and I have many times felt mad at them. Though we all think we know and understand our parents and their situations well, it is only when we become one that it really sinks in. These days, I am glad that men (and women) seem more mature, more prepared and more expressive of their love and affection to their loved ones.

Friday Melody - 'Chinnanchiru'

Chinnanchiriya vanna paravai - Kungumam
I somehow used to hate this song whenever it came on radio or in 'Oliyum oliyum' in those good, old DD days. Sounds good to me now! Enjoy this Sivaji classic.

Chinnanchiru vayadhil - Meendum Kokila
Sweet song, simple picturisation and featuring one of my favourite pairs!

Chinnanchiru kiliye - Kannukkul nilavu
Just added this song for those who would find the earlier songs too old. Fits my keyword and sounds melodious!

Chinnanchiru kiliye - Manamagal
"Enga veettu chinnanchiru kili" is celebrating her birthday next week and this is one of her favourite songs. Though there are so many versions of this classic in movies, I love this one from the old movie, Manamagal featuring the beautiful young Padmini.

Keerthi & I discussed in my previous Bharathi song post about how this song could very well come under Kannamma, the lover/wife more than Kannamma, the daughter. Any thoughts, clarifications welcome.

Baaa...nks!

Banks have always been a scary place to me, with so many counters(cages, actually), so many coloured slips and perennially irritated people, both inside and outside the counters! Added to it, are all those technical terms which most of the times won't make sense to me. One of the many embarrassing incidents was when my ears failed me to rightly hear the often said 'panam draw pannanam' and I once told a friend that my parents have gone to the bank to 'drop money' and she laughed till her belly ached!

When I turned a 'major', my father announced that I had begun to reap the benefits of the seeds(or units!) sowed in Unit trust of India. I had got a cheque for some 150 Rs. in my name. He said it was my money and I could do anything with it. "Hooray!", I cried and thanked my Dad hoping he was going to hand me the cash. Instead he said that I could cash it (only) in a bank(oh, not again!). Since I did not have a regular bank account, he said that this was a great opportunity to open one. On enquiry we found that most banks needed a minimum balance of Rs. 500!! Anyway, after finding a bank which considered poor people like me, I went along with 'kodi veetu' mama (who had influence there!) one early morning. After a few hours(b'cos of influence, mind you!) of uncomfortable wait with many 'sidu sidu' looks and producing numerous documents, I atlast got to open an account.

After quite a while, I went to withdraw the money. First of all, bad timing, cos' it was the beginning of the month and there was a huge crowd. With difficulty, I found the withdrawal slip and shaking and shivering, filled it up, stood in the queue to deposit the slip and waited for the "token no. xxx" call. Having done so much successfully, I was quite proud and patting myself when suddenly I heard someone screaming 'Aparna, Aparna'. For a minute I thought it must be somebody else but Nooooooooo!!! I ran to that person who was yelling 'yarunga adhu withdrawal slip pinnale sign panname, Che!' The whole crowd was looking at me! Boo-hooo!!!

Then there was this time when I went to the bank to send a Demand draft to my friend. This was my first time dealing with a DD and I, once again, shaking and shivering, entered the bank, found the form, filled, stood in line and handed over the form. After this, I was not sure if my task was over or not. I was debating if I should sit down for a while or just walk away. I was walking towards the exit wondering how my DD was going to reach my friend when asusual I heard the bank employee yelling from behind "your DD, your DD"!

Friday Melody - 'Kaalam'

Fall(autumn) season has started 'officially' since Wednesday. The above picture was taken during the pre-digital camera days at Flume Gorge in New Hampshire. Fall is beautiful(some consolation to endure the long winter) in the Northeast. So, come visit us!

Kaala kaala - Punnagai Mannan
It was those days when only Kamal did any dancing (and so gracefully!) on the screen. I remember how my Anti-Kamal friends used to say things like 'pombala maadiri dance-llam aadararu!'(though the same friends boast about their heroes now as 'ennama dance aadaraaru!!!'). Anyway, wonderful music, great choreography, superbly supported by the talented Revathy. How I wished at that time that I could learn dance from 'Sethu master'!!

Kaalangalil - Paava Manippu
One of the evergreen songs of yesteryear Tamil movies. Superb lyrics of 'Kavingar' Kannadaasan, velvet voice of PBS and enacted by the great pair, 'Gemini' Ganesan and Savithri.

Kaalamidhu - Chithi
A beautiful, moving lullaby song sung by Padmini(in the movie) to her daughter. My mother was always lenient with us when it came to sleep. She will always quote this song when others chided her for pampering us! I dedicate this song to my mother who celebrated her birthday a few days back.

Toronto (contd)

Just one more left from my travel diary, the African Lion Safari in Hamilton, about an hour's drive from Toronto. Since there were a lot of pictures, I thought I'd make it a separate post.

What a great idea to cage humans in their vehicles to see the freely roaming animals [There is one such safari near Bangalore too, isn't it?]! The sight of 'singa raja' Lion or Cheetah did not excite my daughter. But the minute we entered the baboon land, it was electrifying! And then, there were zebras, ostriches, deer, rhinos, giraffes etc all roaming around, occasionally coming and peeping at the vehicles. There are a lot of things to see and do here like train/boat rides, water parks, shows featuring Birds of prey / Elephants. One day is not enough to cover all.

Elephant show

King of the Jungle Rhino

Zebra and a beautiful strange bird giving a fine pose!

Baboon Land!!

Giraffe giving a close-up

Bulls

P.S. - Forgot to mention about the various crazy records that people have created climbing the CN Tower.

Trip to Toronto

The trip, for the most part was to meet friends. So, I list down the few interesting spots we visited!

Hotel Saravana Bhavan - HSB is a 2 min. walk from our friend's house. Needless to say, it was our first outing. We enjoyed a wonderful brunch buffet with Kesari, Pongal, Kichadi, Masala dosai, mini idlis, vadai etc.

Richmond Hill Temple - The temple is the 'largest of its kind in North America' and has the 'tallest Muruga idol in the world'. A big 'ther'(Chariot) welcomes the visitors at the entrance.

Lakefront Promenade Park - One of the lakeside parks in Mississauga. When I say 'lakeside', it is the gigantic Lake Ontario that borders this side of Canada. These Lakes are aptly called the 'great lakes' for they look like an Ocean! A little jealous that this North Americans are blessed with so much fresh water! A great place for water sports lovers . Saw a faint skyline of Toronto from here.

Hippo Bus tour - Went Toronto sight-seeing in this funny looking bus. It is an amphibious vehicle which goes on land and water. The bus went through the narrow Toronto downtown streets packed with people, with the tour guide rushing with the details of the various landmarks. The last 20 minutes was a cruise on the Lake. A considerable portion of Toronto stands on man-made land(the construction waste pushed onto the lake seems to have made a good base for the new developments that includes the CN Tower!)

CN Tower - Every city with a tower like this boasts of having the tallest tower in the world. IMO, it was similar to the Sears tower in Chicago with views of the city, lake etc. One unique feature(I don't know if other towers in other countries has this) here is the glass floor through which you can see the ground below directly(dizzying!! I did not have the courage to set my foot on it even though the glass floor is said to be stronger than the surrounding concrete!). A small airport along the lakeside made a beautiful sight from the tower.

Friday Melody - "Kanmani"

Kanmani anbodu - Guna

Kanmani nee vara - Thendrale Ennai Thodu

Kanmaniye - 6-il irundhu 60 varai

Rainbow Taggu...(bgm: Anniyan 'Remo, remo')

'Me too' tagged by Deepak Giant. Initially, I struggled to find seven things to fill in but now I have seventy things to write down!

Seven things I plan to do before I die:

1. follow 'take it easy' policy
2. find the person who started/created this Tag(empa yosikka vekkareenga!)
3. be a "Naadha/Vasuki(Mrs. Thiruvalluvar) style wife" to my hubby
4. decide on either theism or athiesm
5. learn knitting and make atleast one sweater
6. straighten my teeth
7. make a difference/be a positive influence to atleast one person
on this earth

Seven things that I can do:

1. eat sweets anytime
2. be a reliable, life-long friend
3. appreciate/enjoy art
4. write in a neat hand
5. draw/sketch
6. get emotional easily
7. window shop


Seven things that I can't do:

1. not make plans/schedules/routines(even for others!) in my head
2. forget Family/Friends' special(b'day, anniversary) days
3. make quick decisions
4. write poems
5. pretend(even for fun)
6. forgive/forget
7. stand hypocrisy

Seven things that attracts me to the opposite sex:
1. Simplicity
2. Knowledge
3. Patience
4. Non-temperamental
5. fun-loving
6. Affectionate
7. Understanding

Seven things I say the most:

1. Chellam!
2. Oh, God! or 'Kadavule'
3. Amma... Raamaa...
4. Not bad
5. Semma!
6. ille?
7. I don't know!!


Seven celebrities I want to meet:

1. Ayn Rand /Audrey Hepburn
2. Gorbachev
3. P Chidambaram
4. Thenkachi Swaminathan
5. 'Annathe' Kamal / Tom Hanks / Aamir Khan
6. Nagesh Kukunoor
7. Marie of 'Everybody loves Raymond'(the rest of the cast too!)

Seven people who have to take this quiz:

Anybody not tagged yet, please free to carry on the chain.
mmm... tag Rajni?!! Heard he is doing 7 roles in his next movie!!

Friday Music - Bharathiyaar Paadalgal I

September 11th is Mahakavi Subramania Bharathi's 84th death anniversary. His works greatly influenced my love for tamil language & poetry. He remains immortal through his works.

Ethanai kodi inbam Mahanadhi Shobana

Ninnai charanadaindhen Bombay Jayashree

Kaani nilam vendum Unni Krishnan

Nirpadhuvey Harish Raghavendra

I will post more of his songs (categorised) in the coming days/months.

Back to routine!

I am back from Vacation. The title actually means still trying to get back to routine! I have so many posts ready in my head but have some minor challenges ahead of me in the next couple of days. Will try to resume from Friday.

Happy Ganesh Chathurthi!



Jai dev arathi

'Mangal bappa mourya'!

Appy birthday Kichna!!!

Enjoy some Krishna Jayanthi photos!


Kutti Krishna(s)



P. S. - We are going on Vacation for a week. So, catch up with you all after the labour day weekend. Happy long weekend[this week in India(not for everyone?) and next week in US]!!

Friday Melody - "Kaalai"

Kaalaiyum neeye - Then nilavu
An evergreen 'kaalai' song sung by A M Raja and S Janaki.

Kaalai nera - Amman kovil kizhakale
A very melodius song sung by SPB

Kaalaiyil dinamum - New
A nice song by Unni Krishnan and Sadhna Sargam.

B & P

Recently watched Gurinder Chadha's 'Bride and Prejudice'. It was quite a disappointment. Probably because of my (too much) expectation from the director, with a previous hit, 'Bend it like Beckham' and this, based on Jane Austen's classic novel, 'Pride and Prejudice'.

The movie seemed too rushed. To give 'the Bollywood' feel, every now and then, people were bursting into song/dance sequence(with Indian style music and lyrics in English) that the story has been squeezed and hurried through. IMO, some of the events does not suit(or is it now?) the Indian culture(mother sending her marriageable daughter(s) to Goa with eligible bachelor guys)!!!



Anyway, the only good point(for me) in the movie was Martin Henderson. For once in movies, it was the hero who was the 'doll'! Any girl who has read Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice, cannot but love William Darcy. I have watched almost every visual version of the novel,

Hollywood P & P (Laurence Olivier, Greer Garson),


BBC's miniseries (Colin Firth, Jennifer Ehle)


and even a hindi serial(cannot remember its name). Somehow Martin seemed a better looking Darcy than the other three(In my younger days, I thought 'Thalapathi' Arvindsamy was the perfect Darcy!!).

Even though the parents characterisation is strong in the novel, the actors(Anupam Kher and Nadeera Babbar as the Bakshis) had no scope. I felt it especially since the characterisation(Anupam Kher and Shaheen Khan) in Bend it.. was so impacting. The only character worth mentioning is Nitin Ganatra as Kohli. He was hilarious! Surprisingly most review sites have positive comments about this movie. I guess, Aishwarya Rai is the reason!!

Raksha Bandhan!!!!

Friday Melody

Enjoy some 'flower' songs today!


Poove iLaya poove - Kozhi Koovudhu

Malaysia Vasudevan is not associated with melodies much but this is one of the rare ones.

Poove sempoove - Solla Thudikkudhu Manasu

One of the many melodies of K J Yesudas.

Poo vaasam - Anbe Sivam

A lovely song and picturisation!! What else can I say!

Poove vaai pesum - 12B

After 'Kaaka kaaka', I've begun to like HJ's music. This, I am guessing, was his debut album.

Phoolon ka taaronka - Hare Rama Hare Krishna

And you thought I had forgotten 'Raksha Bandhan'!!


"Poo mazhai pozhiyattum"

1000th Issue of RD!!

I am not a voracious reader but reading is one of my favourite hobbies. Did not quite realise how a teeny-tiny baby could change one's life. Anyway, after a couple of years of break and inspired by fellow bloggers(especially, Balaji, and Munimma who with 2 kids, blog, read, watch movies, write stories etc. etc.!!!), I decided to renew my Reader's Digest subscription as a first step. Yesterday, I received my first issue and it was the 1000th issue of RD!! Let's see if I can live up to the challenge of finishing one book in one month!!!!

Pongi vazhiyum NR-I patriotism!!

Until she was in India, she was as normal as any other Indian, neither felt proud nor sorry for being an Indian, did not contribute anything to the country and hence did not expect much from it , enjoyed Independance days, Republic days like any other holidays either in the company of friends/relatives or watching the 'whatever' day specials on TV.

It was only after leaving the 'porandha maNN' that Patriotism started overflowing! Giving broad smiles to fellow Indians, reading Newpapers from front to back for India news, watching News/documentaries on TV featuring anything Indian, picking up fights with every person who complained about Indian (lack of) facilities or bureaucracies etc. The height was watching Ms Universe/World shows or the Olympics Parade!!! The latest addition is her brightening face when her daughter points to India's map and says, 'India'!!

No prizes for guessing who that 'she' in there is, it is me, ofcourse! It was only recently that I came to know about the Independance day Parade in NYC (from Senthil's blog). My first reaction was 'enna patriotism!'. But when I gave it some more thought, I realised how pseudo-patriotic I have become! Wish Nagesh Kukunoor had shown how Ashwini lived and reacted in the US in his part II of Hyderbad Blues!!

Diversity is both a boon and bane to India. I cannot think of another country in our earth even half as big as India, even quarter of India's population, with as many languages, religions, castes and still as one. Though I say the above sentence with pride, I also feel that a lot of time and energy is spent in keeping it together. When I think of India, I remember most school teachers famous complaint to parents, 'He/She has the potential. If he/she puts enough effort, he/she will definitely come out in flying colours'!!!

Friday Music - Independance day Spl.

A homage to the numerous unsung heroes/heroines of our country whose sacrifices has led us to enjoy this freedom.

Paarukulle - Kappalotiya Tamizhan

If this patriotic song by Bharathiyaar makes us lift our heads with pride now, what boost it would have been for the freedom fighters then!

Tamizha tamizha - Roja

Even after 58 years of freedom, we are still dealing with border problems with our neighbour. Hope that the talks bring peace.

Mile sur

Doordharshan had some wonderful music videos on National Integration in the late 80s/early 90s. I am sure this will be an ever-green favourite with you all too just as me.

Nostalgia!

Long time back, DD used to show animated short films to fill gaps in between programmes. Some of my favourite cartoons used to be 'misusing stop chains in trains', 'cleanliness' etc. While searching for a song, I came across this clip which sure took me down memory lane.

Check it out:
Ek Chidiya Anek Chidiyan

What Women mean!!

Women's Dictionary

Yes = No

No = Yes

Maybe = No

I'm sorry = You'll be sorry

We need = I want

It's your decision = My correct decision should be obvious by now

Do what you want = You'll pay for this later

We need to talk = I need to complain

Sure go ahead = I don't want you to

I'm not upset = Of course I'm upset, you moron

You're so manly = You need a shave and you sweat a lot

This kitchen is so inconvenient = I want a new house

I want new curtains = and carpeting, and furniture, and wallpaper

I heard a noise = I noticed you were almost asleep

Do you love me? = I'm going to ask for something expensive

How much do you love me? = I did something today you're going to hate

I'll be ready in a minute = Kick off your shoes and find a good game onTV

You have to learn to communicate = Just agree with me


P.S. - Guys, the above information is very valuable and essential to Martians(men are from mars, I hear!). So, take a print out, laminate or do whatever you want but keep it handy(I am in need of some good wishes!!).

Happy Friendship day!!

Keep smiling, keep shining
Knowing you can always count on me, for sure
That’s what friends are for
In good times, in bad times
I’ll be on your side forever more
Oh, that’s what friends are for

That's what friends are for

Dil Chahta Hai, Dil Chahta Hai
Dil Chahta Hai, Kabhi Na Beete Chamkeele Din
Dil Chahta Hai, Hum Na Rahein Kabhi Yaaron Ke Bin

Dil chahta hai

Mera to jo bhi kadam hain, woh teri hi rahon main hain.
Ke tu kahi bhi rahain tu meri nigahaon main hain.

Mera jo bi kadham hai

mustafaa mustafaa Don't worry mustafaa
kaalam nam thoazhan mustafaa
Day by day day by day vaazhkaip payanam day by day
muzhugaadha Shippay FRIENDSHIP dhan

Mustafa mustafa

Friday Melody

Hoping to have a Friday melody special with a theme(nature, colour as suggested by my dear friend, philosopher and ---guide, Sadhashiv) every week.

It is 'Kaatru' this week.

Kaatrekenna veli - Avargal

I cannot say which one I like the best about this song: the lyrics, the picturisation, the voice. One cannot help feeling elated listening to this song. In the picturisation, the first thing that comes to my mind is the scene where Sujatha hesitates and then goes ahead & plucks a flower where there is sign board saying 'Do not pluck flowers'!!

Kaatre en vaasal vandhaai - Rhythm

Vasanth, IMO, is the best director to come from KB's school(has anyone noticed that alternate movies of his are hits). Like his Guru, K. Balachander, Vasanth too has always given special importance to music in his movies. Enjoy this one from Rhythm.

Kaatril endhan geetham - Johnny

I have never seen this movie but love all the songs. So this is for all you Rajni fans!

From the News!

Blogosphere Report

Hey, I'm part of this Universe!


Reduce your iPod Volume

There is concern that continuous listening of loud music on personal music players(with ear phones) may lead to hearing problems.

L, XL, XXL!!

IMO, one of the most prominent thing that catches the eye of new people in the US is the size! Be it the country, the people, the food served or the items available, it is big, bigger and biggest.

Even before coming to the US, I had a lot of Friends & Relatives here. Never paid attention to where in the US they lived, though. So, when we were to move here, I was overjoyed that I would be enjoying their company often. Only after coming here did I realise how vast this country is(it is three times that of India, it seems). I understood that, 'oh, we live in the East coast too' meant anywhere between 10-1000 miles!!

Most people here are of big-built, not necessarily fat/overweight category. Even now it is sometimes hard for me to tell if a guy standing next to me is a teenager or an adult! So, quite a few of my friends of heavy-built(according to Indian stds.) are so happy here that they don't look big and that they find clothes in the normal(!) section!!

If ever one wants to give up a favourite item, they should shop at whole-sale clubs! The items available are in such mammoth sizes that you would wonder if it will get over at all!! The first time I went to such a store, we were urged to stock up as they were of great deal prices! Even after 2 years, I still had some of the items bought during that trip!! A special mention is needed for our cannot-live-without Indian groceries. Both Sambar powder and Turmeric powder will be available in the same size!! What a contrast to our 'potti kadai(s)'!!

Ah, the Restaurants! This is one place where you can have your 'paisa vasool'. For the money one pays, the food served would be so much food and if unable to finish it, can always ask for a doggy bag and save it for the next meal!! I have never managed to finish a medium sized beverage till now!

Some interesting news!

10th Planet of our solar system

The Universe and its secrets always intrigue me. Ever since my 5th Std Physics master while teaching about celestial bodies, told us about the possibility of life elsewhere on the Universe, I am wondering like many others, 'Is there anybody out there?'.

English speaking Priests wanted!

No Chinese competition this time!!

Aadha clarification!

Blog makkalukku oru sedhi!

Num fellow blogger Keerthi-kku orum perum sandegam. Adhai theerthuvaiporkku... enna kodukkalaam... 1000 comments??

Sorry, sorry! Just trying to help with your Monday blues!!

Anyway, my blog address seems to have made Keerthi curious. Let me try to clarify him (and any others who felt a question mark on their mind). As most people would be knowing, aadha means half in Hindi and I am famous for doing 'arakora' stuff(arakora.blogspot.com sounded terrible)!!

The story of my getting this 'aadha' title.

It all started when I had lent an audio (recorded)cassette to my friend. I am not a person who would buy cassettes just for the sake of one good song('kanjathanam' my brother would say, 'sikkanam' I would say!). So, I used to record my favourite songs from the radio. When my favourite song gets announced, I would come running to hit the 'record' button of our 2-in-1. I generally used to have the cassette ready on the tape recorder but as it happens, sometimes someone would have played it or reversed it and so the existing song would get overwritten or would play after a big gap etc. More interestingly, if you had read my Vividh bharathi post, you would be aware that I listen to multiple languages, genres etc. and so my recordings also used to have different songs(hindi song... half way cut tamil bajan.... quarter way cut English pop... annoying advertisements and so on).

Now you can imagine how my friend would have 'padharified' on listening to my cassette! It was around that time that there used to be an advertisement for a tooth paste(Cibaca, I think) on TV in which a little girl would ask her father 'Aadha kya hai?' and all my friends started to pull my leg about how I could write a thesis on that! And that is how I became the 'Aadha' club President! I am also famous for quitting things half way. It is my hope that the address would remind me not to do it to my blogging!!

Melody Manjal!!

Was listening to "Manjal poosum vaanam tottu..." from Friends the other day when I realised that most other Manjal songs are melodious too.

Like
"Manjal veyil maalaiyitte poove..."(thought this was from 'Udiri pookal'. Which movie is this from?)
"Konjum manjal" (Ullasam)
"Manjal nilavukku..."(?)

Anyway, humming the mellow yellow songs, let me wish you all a good weekend.

Packrat!

According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, packrat is one who collects or hoards especially unneeded items[If it is Pack rat(2 words), then it is a rodent which hoards food and miscellaneous objects!]! Anyway, it was along with Caillou(the little fella in PBS Kids show of the same name) that I learnt this word and felt overjoyed that there is a term for such obsessions!

As long as I can remember, I have been a packrat! I would collect almost anything from ticket stubs, feathers, colour paper, jigina paper to paper cuttings, posters, greetings etc. But that does not mean my shelves would be shabby. It used to be my favourite hobby to pull everything out of my shelves, admire everything and arrange them back. Amma would threaten to throw my collections out everytime we moved(and we moved a lot!) but somehow I managed to drag along with me all my 'pokkishams'!

It was only after my marriage when I moved abroad that Amma and my dear thambi got the chance that they had been waiting for! Though I intelligently carried a few of my dearest things along with my 'seeru'(parting from my Aamir Khan posters were the hardest!! Background song: 'Mera kuch saamaan....' from Ijazad)! It was most upsetting when my folks triumphantly boasted about having busted my remaining collections that I vowed not to collect anymore items.

I could not collect things like before anyway as in the first couple of years of our marriage, we moved three times! But these past few years, to our amazement, we have not moved and things have got collected themselves!! And now, my daughter is hoarding little things in her bondu(s)!!!

Mumbai Monsoon

Monsoon rains during June/July in Mumbai(and most of Westcoast of India) is as regular and casual for the Mumbaiwalles as heat for the Chennai makkal. Though every year atleast one day the nature will stun the uninterruptable Mumbaites to take notice of it. I remember a time when I came wading thro' knee deep water from Sion to Matunga. And one year, Appa could not come home from office because of train cancellation due to power failure and reached home the next day afternoon thoughtfully with a packet of milk!!

This year I guess, nature did not want India to feel left out in its record-breaking streak[the rains(944.2 mm) seems to have surpassed Cherapunji's 95-year-old record of 833 mm(as reported in The Pioneer)]! Hope, as always, Bombay would bounce back from this latest setback.

P.S. - With the Westcoast(Gujrat, Maharashtra) of India battling excess water and the Eastcoast from water shortage, I just feel like tilting the plane for the excess water to flow onto the other side!! If only that was possible!!

My favorite filmi jodi(s)

Kamal-Sridevi
I have been a big fan of this jodi since my childhood days. At that time I was puzzled why they couldn't just fall in love and get married to each other!
Be it 'Chippi irukkudhu muthum irukkudhu...' or the mischievous 'Perai chollava...' or the soft 'aadi velli thedi unnai...' or the sad 'kanne kalimaane...', Wow!!

Karthik-Revathy
To think that they did not have even one duet song together in 'Mauna Ragam' is surprising! Though none of the other movies they did together was as good as 'MR', I just love this pair.

Surya-Jothika
This entry is for the sake of Surya and that wonderful 'Ennai konjam maatri...' from 'Kaaka kaaka'. No funny dance steps, no 200 people dancing behind. Just a casual trip to Pondy!!

Gemini Ganesan-Savithri
One great pair in the oldies category. 'Kaatru veliyidai kannamma...'

Aamir-Juhi
When QSQT was released, I was a fan of another star of that time. When my Dad said I could either watch this or my favourite star's movie, I confidently refused QSQT! Afterwards I only saw the movie after it completed 500 days! 'Ey mere humsafar....'

Dev Anand-Nutan
I am not sure how many movies they did together but I thought they made a great pair. The song 'Dil ka bavar kare pukar... in 'Tere ghar ke samne' is simply classic. The whole song is shown as they climb down the Qutab Minar. I can listen and watch it the rest of my life!

Children's Rhymes?

Thanks to our daughter, now my husband and I know more nursery rhymes than we ever did! We have this CD collection with 100 rhymes. I was surprised that I only knew about 10-15 songs in the entire collection. Slowly along with my daughter, I too learnt them. Most of the songs are really cute like 'How much is the doggy in the window, Wooh, wooh!' or 'Do your ears hang low?' But there are some which are crude, gory.

There is this lullaby called 'Rock-a-bye baby'

Rock-a-bye, baby,
In the treetop,
When the wind blows
The cradle will rock;
When the bough breaks
The cradle will fall,
And down will come baby,Cradle and all.

I'm puzzled why anybody would sing this to their child?

Then, there is this famous, 'Three blind mice'

Three blind mice,
Three blind mice
See how they run,
See how they run!
They all ran after the farmer's wife
She cut off their tails with a carving knife
Did you ever see such a sight in your life
As three blind mice?

The farmer's wife in the rhyme is believed to be Queen Mary I of England. Mary was a Catholic and her persecution of Protestants led to her nickname, Bloody Mary. The three blind mice are said to have been three Protestant noblemen who were convicted of plotting against Mary. She didn't have them chopped up as the poem suggests, instead they were burned at the stake.
(http://www.sundaymail.co.uk/mailbox/
tm_objectid=15719201&method=full&siteid=
86024&headline=mailbox-name_page.html)

My daughter often hums this song called Clementine. The lyrics goes something like this...

Oh, my darling, oh, my darling
Oh, my darling Clementine
You are lost and gone forever
Dreadful sorry, Clementine

How I missed her, how I missed her
How I missed my Clementine
Till I kissed her little sister
And forgot my Clementine!!!!!!!!

And there are a few rhymes my daughter refuses to listen to. One of them is

My bonnie lies over the ocean
My bonnie lies over the sea
My bonnie lies over the ocean
Oh bring back my bonnie to me

Bring back, bring back
Bring back my Bonnie to me, to me
Bring back, bring back
Bring back my Bonnie to me

My daughter can't understand English and it puzzles me if she can sense the mood of the song that she doesn't want to sing/listen!!

The whole idea for this post came to me since my daughter has started asking what these rhymes mean when we read/listen.

Mind-Blogg(l)ing!

Lately, my mind is occupied by blog-o-blogs! While cooking, while putting my daughter to sleep or while travelling, all I can think of are the different posts & comments or ideas for my next post etc. I am just short of thinking aloud (like Deepti Naval practising her singing everywhere in 'Chashme Badoor'!). And atlast when I find time to sit infront of the system, I am eager to read new posts in my regular blogger-pal sites, go blog hopping and by the time I am back, I hardly remember all those ideas/thoughts that I've been having all day!!!

Healthy - at what cost?

I am one of those recently transformed health freaks! With everyone publishing statistics every other day about the increase in obesity problems, heart diseases etc., and everyone talking about LDL, HDL(which is good and which is bad, again?), trans fat etc., quite naturally I began changing my eating habits. In addition, our local supermarket started a separate section for 'organic foods' with monthly newsletter containing articles, recipes, coupons etc. that it became all the more convenient.

Soy and its related products have especially become a regular item in our menu and in addition to its health benefits, it also serves as a convenient non-veg substitute. But recently, I read somewhere about how the demand for soy in the developed countries are putting strain on the existing soy growers and more disturbing, how some countries are switching to soy from their regular crops for profit. The Amazon forests in South America are being destroyed to make way for growing soy.

As it is, we have done enough damage to the environment for our comfort and luxury. With more forest areas cut down, more green house gas emissions and more climatic changes, will there be Earth for us to live a healthy life?

Embarrasing then Funny Now - II

This happened when we were new in the US and my Husband's Boss took us out for dinner. We were at TGI Fridays and we were desperately putting across the message that we were Vegetarians. We ordered a salad, a 'garden' burger and a 'vegetable' medley. The food came. The salad had predominantly multicolour leaves and the 'vegetable' medley had steamed(half cooked, in our dictionary) rice and vegetables. I managed to push in a few leaves and some of the veggies which I could identify. My husband happily devoured his burger. At the end, the Boss was puzzled to find left-overs, mostly vegetables and remarked, 'you said you were vegetarians but you don't seem to eat any vegetables?!!'

Hard work Vs Smart work

Long time back, I heard from a colleague about how her boss told her to be a smart worker and not a hard worker! Since then I have wondered about it a lot. All my life I have heard people telling me to work hard to be successful. So, putting in extra effort to achieve something seems so natural. But if after all that effort, someone grabs the trophy because of his/her being smart(reminds me of the mythological story where Pillayar and Murugan compete for the 'nyana pazham'), is it even right to be angry?

How babies are born in the 21st Century

A little boy asked his Dad one day, "Daddy, how was I born?" His father responded, "Ah my son, I guess one day you will need to find out, anyway! Well, you see, your mom and I first got together in a chat room on Yahoo. Then, I set up a date via e-mail with your Mom and we met at a cyber-cafe. We sneaked into a secluded room, where your mother agreed to a download from my hard drive. As soon as I was ready to upload, we discovered that neither of us had used a firewall, and since it was too late to hit the delete button, nine months later, a blessed little Pop-up appeared and said, "You've got male!"

F R I E N D S!

Is making friends this difficult? I didnot realise this until I moved abroad. A couple of times it happened that when people voluntarily came forward to introduce themselves it was for chain businesses like Amway, Quixtar! If inspite of all this, I do end up making some good friends, they will move out of town, city, state or even country(anybody wishing for a move, contact me!!!).

Movies like 'Dil Chahta hai', '5 Star' make me envious of those characters who get to live, enjoy and share their friendship even after college, marriage etc. Do they happen only in movies? The serial 'Friends' was good too.

When I started visiting blog sites and read posts & comments, it felt as if I was participating in a friend gang's 'arrattai'(chat). The arguements(Kamal Vs Rajni), the teasings, the support everything brought back memories of my good old days with friends' company. Then, I decided. I am jumping in the bandwagon. To make friends. To renew old friendships.

Embarrassing then, Funny now - I

Senthil's comment about MGR inspired by Errol Flynn's style reminded me of an incident involving Hollywood stars. It also brings me memories of quite a few other incidents of this kind (embarrassing / funny incidents) which I will post in parts.

Till about 15 years of my life, my exposure to Hollywood movies were minimal. My parents would occasionally take us to watch some famous, children's movies of that time. This happened when our family had moved to Bombay and I was this timid Madrassi girl! One friend asked me who I liked among the Hollywood stars. At that time I only knew 'Rambo' Stallone and Jackie Chan. My mind was racing to give the answer which would make me part of the gang and bang I said, 'Jackie Chan'!!!!!!

P.S. - Later that friend took me to watch 'Risky Business' to show a real hollywood star, Tom Cruise!

Kathrikka, Vendekke, Kotharange....

A few years back, the names of these vegetables would make me go 'Phbbbt'! Like in the movie, 'Kaadhalikka neramillai', 'I only liked English Vegetables'!! Even outside of home, I would not lay my fingers on any dish with those vegetables. But today, after a few years away from India, we drive miles to the Asian grocery store in the hope to find something other than the carrots and beans!!

I sometimes feel funny when I proudly inform my mother on the phone about how great my 'vaangi baath' or 'dudhi kootu' or 'kothaveranga usli' came out as I know my mother would be smiling. And these dishes are reserved for special occasions now!!!! A special mention has to be made for curry leaves. The 'kariveppilai' which is given the least respect in India is the most expensive abroad felt my mother-in-law.

Most of people(from India) who have lived in the US for a long time tell me how a lot of Indian Vegetables, spices etc. are readily available now unlike those days. But I (high) hope that in the future, as in the title, the voice of the mobile vegetable seller would ring in like the ice cream van!!

Did you know...

Ladies Finger is also called Okra?
Brinjal is also called Egg plant (and Aubergine in UK)?

Double Act!!

Do they appear to me only or has anyone else noticed the resemblance of some Hollywood Actors and some of our own Indian Actors? Like yesteryear Hollywood Actress Bette Davis & Bollywood Actress Aishwarya Rai, Hollywood swashbuckling hero Errol Flynn & our own swashbuckler MGR!!

Vividh Bharathi - I miss you!

I really miss listening to radio and in particular, Vivid Bharathi. Call me old fashioned, but the times when only Doordarshan and Vivid Bharathi were the entertainers, was really something!!

My association with radio goes a long time. Listening to radio was a part of our daily routine: from 'Venkatesa suprabadam' to when we leave for school/office, it would be giving us company. I even had my schedules based on the programmes like bath after 'Indru oru thagaval', breakfast along with 'neyar viruppam' etc.

My family had no language boundaries. So, we would listen to tamil, hindi anything. Especially, the 'aap ki farmaish' around 2 PM used to be such a soother!! All in our family are used to working along with the radio playing. I even had a pocket radio to listen to when it was quiet time for the rest of them!!

In those days when owning numerous cassettes was a luxury (and no downloading mp3s, ofcourse!), when a favourite song is played, it would feel so ecstatic!! Now even though current facilities would let me listen to any song of my choice, somehow the 'radio style what next' seems more exciting.

These days I am having to contend with the online radios of which only one (thendral.com) seems to be working fine so far.