FM - "Paattu"

It's this time of year again!!

Paattu paadava - Then nilavu

Paattum naane - Thiruvilaiyadal

Paattu thalaivan - Idhaya kovil

Paattu onnu naa - Pudhu Vasantham

Paattu solli - Azhagi

Trip Diary Tidbits!

So many parks with slides, swings and walking trails(and wow! so many walkers!!)!!!

Impressive online train ticket booking system. Order online (with a Rs. 40 service charge) and the tickets arrive by courier in 2 days!!

The 'Anju Maadi Kattadams' of Usman road can clothe the entire mankind!! "Oru naal podhuma..." and aadi thallupadi or aaLa thallupadi?? Yemma!!

I know, I said this but watching 2 even 3 at a time isn't a bit too much?!!

NRIs are next only to 'theeviravaadeess' and 'arasiyalvaadhees' in getting bashed. Onga oora, enga oora, namma oora??

Last but not least, a very sad revelation that my system doesn't handle kalyana saapadu anymore!! :(

FM - "Vizhi"

Vizhigalin aruginil - Azhagiya Theeye

Vizhiyil vizhundhu - Alaigal Oivadhillai

Vizhiyorathu kanavu - Rajaparvai

Vizhiyile malarndhadhu - Bhuvana Oru Kelvikuri

Vizhiye kadhai yezhudhu - Urimai Kural

Malampuzha Dam

Some pictures from the nice trip we made to Malampuzha Dam about 60 kms from Kovai. The timing was perfect with river malampuzha brimming from the never-fail West coast monsoon showers and temperature just right to take a stroll over the dam or see the aerial view from the rope car ride or explore the gardens! With mountains and water and greenery, what more could we ask for!


The beautiful garden view from atop the dam


Another view of the garden but this picture taken from the rope-car ride


The dam!


River Malampuzha with a lakshman joola type bridge across.


A nice 20 mins ride on the rope car is a complete paisa vasool[Rs. 20 (or was it Rs. 30?)]


Kaalinga nardhana Krishnaa!


Many more fountains through out the park


Mountain view from the dam



The bridge to Malampuzha dam!!!

FM - 'Dhisaigal'

Merke merke - Kanda Naal Mudhal

Then merku - Karuthamma

Then kizhakku - Kizhakku Cheemaiyile

Fly away!

As a kid(like most, I guess!), I had a huge fascination for aeroplanes. Every time I heard one going over my head I used to look at it with awe wondering when I was going to experience flight. That chocolates/candies were offered(only in Indian airliners??) during flight was all the more enticing!!!

When my father got qualified to take family on plane for vacation, we excitedly planned a trip to Delhi from Bombay. With me and my brother fighting about who was going to get the window seat even before arriving at the Airport, my parents were relieved to find all our seats at the middle row!!! It was such a short flight that even before we could meddle with anything, our destination had arrived!

Probably because of the short first flight, I still had the fascination for flight journeys till my first trip abroad, little knowing how I would come to hate it! "ALavukku meerinaal...."!!! Like in those maayajaala kadhai(s), one has to endure the 7 malai thaandi, 6 nadhi thaandi kind-of torture to reach the destination!

The last couple of times I have been flying Lufthansa and it's been terrible. At Frankfurt, after 4+ hours of waiting(to my utter dismay, the flight always gets there earlier than expected making our wait time at the Airport longer!!!), with an already jet-lagged, starved kid wailing in the stroller, the Lufthansa personnel gets us to stand in a queue with the whole waiting area cleared. As most people who travel to Chennai in Lufthansa would know how many people generally are at the waiting area and how most are senior citizens and passengers with kids. Has anybody else experienced this situation in any other Airliner? Both times when I expressed displeasure at their treatment of passengers, all I got in return was a special "Passengers with kids first" entry into the Air craft. This time the lady at the counter went even so far as to tell me that that is Lufthansa policy and if I wanted I could complain!!

All said and done, I would again be flying out to India in the future, probably in the same Air liner cursing the long journey, the policy!

Friday Melody is back!!

Back to pavilion!

Atlast(and atleast) one of my favourite filmy jodi is soon to be real life jodi. So, this second innings of FM starts with Suttum vizhi chudare Mama & Ra-ra Aunty special!!

Churidar - Poovellam Kettupaar

Ennai konjam maatri - Kaaka Kaaka

Munbe vaa - Sillendru oru Kaadhal


Sept 11 also marks Mahakavi Bharathi's 85th death anniversary. In his memory,

Suttum vizhi chudardhaan / suttum vizhi chudardhaan

Nandri! Meendum Varuga!

'Aadha-Yennangal' is a few weeks shy of its first birthday! The blowing of trumpet about this giant leap is advanced as me too will be vacationing in SenTamizhnaadu at that time!

Last year this time, I was just a peeper and I am so glad that I took that bold little baby step! The number of (blogger) friends I've made this past year is amazing! People otherwise I wouldn't have met, let alone chat, pulled legs, shared, supported!! Follow up to my inspired to read post, I have made head start there too(I have so far read 'Namesake', 'Kite Runner' and 'Da Vinci Code'!). Thanks a ton to all of you! In the past, the back to grind after India trips used to be so hard. Guess, I can look forward to some interesting catching up here in the blog world this time! ;) See ya!!

Friday Melody - SPB Spl.!!

ILakkanam - Nizhal Nijamagiradhu

En kanmani - ChittuKuruvi

Uchchi - Rosapoo Ravikaikaari

Raagangal - Thillu Mullu

Idhu kuzhandhai - Oru Thalai Ragam

Paruvame - Nenjathai Killadhey

Nee dhaane - Ninaivellam Nithya

Thamarai Kodi - Anandha Kummi

Kaadhalin - Thambikku Endha Ooru

Enna saththam - Punnagai Mannan

Manram vandha - Mouna Ragam

Mannil indha - Keladi Kanmani

Muthu mani - Chinna Kounder

Semboove - Siralchaalai

Mettu podu - Duet

Omkara - Shankarabharanam

Belated 60th birthday wishes to the multi-talented and the ever humble, Mr. SPB!

Sssss.... list!

This tag had almost skipped my mind!!

Sweet - My favourite! Anytime!!

Smile - From Monalisa's sikkana smile to kutti papas' generous pokkai vaai smile, a charmer!

Serenity - Tranquility, peace! Especially like the abbreviated version of this Prayer

Serendipity - The pleasant surprise the 'discovery by accident'(most of our Actresses are so, they say!)brings!!

Silence - It's golden!

A true aadha, I stop here. Hope snehidi, has to be me, wouldn't mind it!!

FM - Raja!

Birthday wishes to 'Maestro' Ilaiyaraja!!

Raja kaiya vecha - Aboorva Sahodarargal

Raja raja chozhan - Rettai Vaal Kuruvi

Raja magal - Pillai Nila

Raja enbar - Bhuvana Oru Kelvikuri

Raja rajadhi - Agni natchathiram
(And birthday wishes to Manirathnam)

Saw B(K)'s post and hurriedly changed my Friday Melody!! Sorry KC!

World No Tobacco Day!

Veggie Tales

"We love Vegetarians
More Beef for us"

said an Ad in a magazine. Surrrr.... climbed anger on top of my nose but then gotta agree with the Ad. guy's kurumbu!!

A few years back a friend and her husband visited us. My friend's husband's work involves a lot travelling abroad, entertaining clients etc. He told us about the many awkward situations he had faced being a Vegetarian. He even seemed to be upset with his parents for having brought him up a Vegetarian!!! As if they would've known he would be living abroad, entertaining foreign guests!!

During my school days, most of my friends were NVs though they hardly brought it to school lunch(not sure if it was not allowed). But I was never the fussy(nose-shutting!), complaining(aiyo!) Vegetarian like some others. Even used to go so far as to boast that I was not afraid to eat it if I got a chance. Even argued with everyone about how plants have life and how we, vegetarians are killing life too!!

Once during our Sports day function which was held outside of the school campus, a friend brought some NV food and said, 'I got it especially for you. You always wanted to try it, isn't it?'. It sure was a great chance but I just couldn't bring myself to eat it! Was it fear of going against my parents? my religion? or Mohandas Gandhi's lesson? I don't know!

As a child, many a statistics had taken me by surprise. Like Christianity, the largest followed religion in the world(I used to think, only 'MV' is a Christian in my class then how come??') or Chinese the most spoken language in the world. Similarly, the statistics about Vegetarians.

Setting foot outside of mother-land, began a whole new challenge. Reading the miniscule sized ingredients list in every can/container, missing parties b'cos they have to order 'special' food for our sake, amusing others etc. As always, I don't have a problem with NVs as long as they respect mine. Many a times I have wondered how if not for those people who can survive on anything and everything that I am able to sit comfortably & read, learn about the many things that I wouldn't dare to travel to/experiment.

As it is, flight journeys are tiresome and a nerve-wreck for me. Once while flying BA, we were stranded in London due to bad weather and had loitered in the Airport nearly 10 hours. My husband, the ever calm and super-understanding personality that he is, had been 'sorry for interrupting' to find seats for us the whole time. Suddenly, just 20 mins before the flight departure, they called us to board the flight. In all the confusion, we forgot to mention about our Vegetarian preferance at the time of the check-in. In flight, when we asked for Vegetarian meals, the way they created a fuss about us not informing at the time of check-in!! OMG!

Anyway, the idea to this post was born when I was pleasantly surprised to learn about the many Vegetarian restaurants(not just Indian cuisine) in the Atlanta area. I like to try new cuisines, new dishes and if it is fully Vegetarian, I can experiment without fear and drag my husband along too!!

FM - 'Nenjam'

"Nenjangootil" - Dishoom

"Nenjamellaam" - Ayudha Ezhuthu

"Nenjukulle" - Ponnumani

"Nenjathai alli" - Kadhalikka Neramillai

Ca.. ca... ca.... cockroach!!!

I am next only to 'Thenali' Thenali with my numerous phobias but at the top of the list is my insects phobia. I have always wondered if smaller things scared me more(During Deepavali, I could get myself to light many a 'damaal dumeels' but never hold a cape Gun!) though I have not(touch wood!) encoutered T-Rex or KK kinds!

Anyway, coming to the topic, for quite some years now, I have not had to face the daunting task of dealing with 'karapps'. In the NE, the only uninvited guests during summer were ants or some tiny wriggleys! The ahimsawadhi I am, especially after I became a big fan of Kratt brothers and their lemur-friend, 'zooboomafoo' and to not reveal the scare-d-cat that I am to my daughter, I dare enough to guide them outside shivering & holding them in a long sheets. But now, am having to go against my virundhombal traditions (Valluvare mannichidunga!), having to show faces (and brooms!) to my uninvited guests who crawl from outside.

One evening last week, I was 'dheme-nnu' checking mails, when my husband commented, 'oh, so you've got company!' and that was when I saw Mr. Brown coat big moustache-walla after many years!! With my daughter sleeping in the other room, couldn't let out a scream too. That's when I realised along with good weather comes these free bonus too.

As far as I can remember, I don't have many memories of roach encounters in Chennai(Guess, it is Lizz(ard)y amma pettai!). But boy, did my Mumbai life compensate for it!! The nice big wardrobes in our Mumbai flat was a big attraction to us bare-shelf Madrasis. But soon I realised how it housed numerous Brown-coat-wallas too.

There used to be regular Pest control exercise in our Apartment community involving huge efforts almost equalling a mini-move! Almost the whole day we would spend at neighbours and return home only in the evening to see a battle-ground scene with hundreds of dead roaches. For the next few weeks, the house would be free of bugs but then those smart ones which moved to the floors down/up to other apartments during the extermination would start to return when the effect starts waning!

During close encounters, my mother used to be my only saviour! The Maha-ahimsawaadhi my father is, would just walk past it and at the most announce it to my mother if she was not aware of my 'cornered mouse' status! To my brother, it used to be the perfect situation. He would get all 'vaakurudhis'/ promises from me before the rescue mission! Ofcourse, these days, it is my 'Ennavar-Knight' who comes to save this damsel in distress!

Meesai aaNNmaiyin chinnamenbadhu
migaipaduthapatta uvamai!
Karapanpoochi yenna
aaNNmaiyin chinnama?

-unknown

***************Warning - not for delicate hearted souls*****************
Nobody needs reason for the gross feeling for roaches but I have a horrible story. During the late eighties, one of my neighbour, an avid Junior Vikatan reader, used to scare us with the stories she read on 'Ju Vi'. One such was about how kids were kidnapped and made invalid to make them beggars.
Please, last warning to those you who think they can handle #$$#%# things to not read further. I have not been able to erase it from my mind.
Anyway, what I heard was that the kidnappers blind-folded the children's eyes with roaches in them to make them blind!!! I am not sure how true this was but rips my heart everytime it comes to mind.

FM - 'Uyir'

Uyirin uyire - Kakka kakka
The opening song and sequence were so impressive that the movie, the hero, the director and the music director entered my favourites list(note: this was a movie I saw after almost a 2 year hibernation!) in a click!

Uyire - Bombay
When a friend declared how boring a song this was when it was the rage at the time of its release, I was shocked beyond belief and thought she was the most unromantic person in the whole world!

Uyire en uyire - Thotti Jaya
Haven't seen the movie or the song. Nice melody from HJ. Quite impressed with singer Karthik after 'oru maalai' from Gajini.

Uyire uyire urugadhey - Oruvar Vaazhum Aalayam
Could not find a link to this song anywhere on the net. The movie had some nice songs.

Movie Comments!

King Kong

Anybody not yet watched Titanic, Jurassic Park (what else? fill in the blanks) etc.? Catch this 3 hour 'all in one' movie and save time & energy!
IMO, no other movie has the title character with this late an entry(Malayalam Superstar thothaar!). I even doubted if I was watching the right DVD!
Naomi Watts, the heroine reminded me of our yester year bollywood actress Tina Munim(remember her?).
Indha compooter graphics vandaalum vandhudhu, summa buy 1 get 100 free maadhiri, yekka chakka creatures and fights! Thangale da, saami!
People who complain about the length of 'Lagaan' and 'Thavamaai thavamirundhu', should watch this. No songs to fast forward also!!
The big plus watching this has been that 'King Kong' has come to my rescue when I had exhausted almost all creatures to scare & get things done from my daughter. Vaazhga King Kong!


Parineeta

Somehow I had an impression that this was a tragic melodrama. The movie was like watching a 70s era Hindi movie in non-geva(what is 'geva', btw?) colour. Guess, Bollywood is bitten by the remake bug. Where can I catch the Bimal Roy original now?
Shekar and Lolitha made me kind-of forget Saif Ali and Vidya Balan, only nagging thought was the news I read about Vidhu Vinod Chopra not thinking Aamir suitable for the role(of Shekhar, I had presumed)! But since it was Sanjay's role, I forgive VVC!
VVC sure is improving(from 1942 - a love story to 1962 - Parineeta. So which 1982 story next?)

Like I commented in another blog, some years back learning of an Indian movie as a copy from some foreign language movie used to bring a shocked response. These days it has become a game as to who guesses the original first!!! :) So, after watching an English movie, the only thought that comes to my mind is, will it be remade by our Bolly/Kolly wooders?

So, in a language near you... soon....

Pay Check - In the line of Memento-Gajini, this has great potential too to enter 'namma pettai'. Any suggestion as to who can act in the role of Ben Affleck, Uma Thurman?

Just like Heaven - A sure winner, bolly/kolly wooders! Romance, mystery, emotional drama, you name it. I cannot wait to see who is going to replace bubbly Reese Witherspoon!

Red Eye - An interesting thriller! Who is the Vijay Shanti of the 2000s? Cos' this is a heroine oriented film. Can try getting the Blue eyed guy himself to do it in Hindi/Tamil/Telugu and can try to convince big eyed Jothika to do the Hotel Receptionist role!!

Special Friday Melody!

"Ennavar's" birthday special melody!

Ennai thalatta - Kadhalukku Mariyadhai

Sattham illadha - Amarkalam

Krishna Kripa - Sargam


And Mother's day special,

Arariraro - Raam

Fwd:

Got this email forward recently.

I think we should have job reservations in all the fields. I completely support the PM and all the politicians for promoting this. Let's start the reservation with our cricket team. We should have 10 percent reservation for Muslims. 30 percent for OBC , SC /ST like that. Cricket rules should be modified accordingly. The boundary circle should be reduced for an SC/ST player. The four hit by an OBC player should be considered as a six and a six hit by a OBC player should becounted as 8 runs. An OBC player scoring 60 runs should be declared as a century. We should influence ICC and make rules so that the pace bowlers like Shoaib akhtar should not bowl fast balls to our OBC player. Bowlers should bowl maximum speed of 80 kilometer per hour to an OBC player. Any delivery above this speed should be made illegal. Also we should have reservation in Olympics. In the 100 meters race, an OBC player should be given a gold medal if he runs 80 meters.

There can be reservation in Government jobs also. Let's recruit SC/ST and OBC pilots for aircrafts which are carrying the ministers and politicians (that can really help the country.. )Ensure that only SC/ST and OBC doctors do the operations for the ministers and other politicians. (Another way of saving thecountry..) Let's be creative and think of ways and means to guide INDIA forward... Let's show the world that INDIA is a GREAT country. Let's be proud of being an INDIAN..May the good breed of politicans like ARJUN SINGH long live...

Villadhi Villains & Silly Villis!!

A couple of movies that I watched recently, "Arindhum Ariyamalum" and "Sanda Kozhi", had a nice twist about the Villains. Our ooru 'dishoom dishooms' are getting too gory(How enjoyable were the MGR era 'dishoom, dishooms'!)! Thankfully, I only get to see movies on the small screen with the 'FF' button of the remote on hand!

What is with (silly) Villis & Rajni movies? (Starting from?) 'Mapillai', 'Mannan', 'Padayappa' & even 'Chandramukhi'(that Villi invented to make up for the real life defeat, eh? The original doesn't have that (silly) villi character!). No more Villis, huh, 'Sivaji' Sarr(Villain-kku semma hunt-a?)!!