Motor Skills

It's been ages since I wrote(I mean actually wrote with a pen/pencil on a paper!) anything more than 2-3 lines. But if I had to write a letter/essay for 1-2 pages, will my hands ache???

The following from the latest Reader's Digest got me wondering.

Christmas Card Cramp

Writer's cramp is a bona fide ailment. But in our computerised world, we're more familier with carpal tunnel syndrome, which is caused by repetitive motions such as typing. So even though you barely pick up a pen all year, you spend hours writing notes to everyone you know - and then more time nursing your aching hands.

Stay safe secrets Don't do more than a half-hour of repetitive muscle work without getting up for a five minute break" says Dr. Schiller. Even better, get your kids to help out.

அட பாவிகளா!!! IMO, The சொகுசு life style of our time seems to mean except "sitting on the couch and watching the box(and munching something!)", everything else is stress!!

Further, the article mentions about this website, www.fontifier.com to scan your handwriting and print "hand written" notes, pain free!!! Wow-o-wow!!!

FM - "பொன்"

"பொன் மானே" - ஒரு கைதியின் டயரி

"பொன் வானம்" - இன்று நீ நாளை நான்

"பொன் மாங்குயில்" - மனசுக்குள் மத்தாப்பு

"பொன் மானை" - மைதிலி என்னை காதலி

"பொன்னை விரும்பும்" - ஆலய மணி

Chills n' Thrills!!

What is the (hi)story behind Halloween? The costume parade and visiting the neighbourhood houses collecting sweets seems similar to the fancy dress parades(in those days!) by the neighbourhood children collecting Sundals during the South Indian style Navarathri festival!! என்ன, அங்கே சாமி, இங்கே பூதம்!!

Around 10 years of age, I had a christian friend who used to tell me a lot of scary stories like the end of the world day, ghost stories etc. I so much wanted a 'cross' at that time as she said nothing would dare to come near a cross! Anyway, it was at her place that I saw my first scary movie. The movie was "Alligator"! Toilets, water, window everything scared me for days after I watched the movie. One of my Uncle had a VCP in the early 80s and my cousins used to have great fun teasing me, "hey, வாடா, நம்ம போய் 'பேய் வீடு' எடுத்து வந்து பாக்கலாம்"!

I have always kept my distance from the horror genre. Hypothetically speaking, I think I can even handle the horror stories shown in jungles, cemetries etc.(அங்கெல்லாம் போக மாட்டேங்கற தைரியம்! Although Michael Jackson's "Thriller" video is one nice thriller!). There are those scenes that is shown happening in common locations that really creeps me out! When I fell in love with old B/W movies, I watched Hitchcock's "Psycho". Even today if I get reminded of that shower scene from that movie while I am in the shower, I shudder! OMG!! Another horrifying scene that still haunts me is from the movie, 'Poltergiest'. Thank Goodness, the idiot box has gone 24/7 i.e. there are no grainy screens now. What demented imagination to have kids, dolls in such horror stories!

BTW, does Halloween celebrations help kids get rid of their fear of darkness, ghost and the like?

FM - "நீல(ம்)"

"நீல வான ஓடையில்" - வாழ்வே மாயம்

"நீலக் குயிலே" - சூரசம்ஹாரம்

"நீலக் குயில்கள்" - விடுதலை

"நீல நயனங்களில்" - நாளை நமதே

Superlative!

Superlatives in my younger days meant awe, wonder and generally positive. Like Carl Lewis is the fastest man or Himalayas are the highest mountain range! But these days, superlatives gives me the shivers as it is mostly distressing like 'it was the worst floods since records started' or 'greatest debacle/fraud" (or 'KANK is the biggest grosser overseas'!)!

Appy Birthday to the One(of the few people) who maintains his superlative status, அன்றும் இன்றும் and என்றும்!



P.S. - Ravan Kanth, huh?! Interesting!!

FM - "அழகு"

"அழகிய மிதிலை" - அன்னை

"அழகிய கண்ணே" - உதிரி பூக்கள்

"அழகு ஆயிரம்" - உல்லாச பறவைகள்

"அழகோ அழகு" - ராஜபார்வை

"அழகு மயிலாட" - வைதேகி காத்திருந்தாள்

"அழகான ராட்சசியே" - முதல்வன்


அழகு தமிழில் எழுத தூண்டிய/உதவிய திரு. ஜிங்குசக்கா & திரு. சியாம் அவர்களுக்கு நன்றி!!

Righta? Thappa?

The 'righta' part of the title reminded me of the game 'paandi' where in the second(and final?) round, one has to jump on squares with eyes closed, calling out "righta, righta" to check if you have stamped on the lines or not! Does anybody play this anymore? Anyway this post is not about 'paandi'!

Several years ago, during an usual Deebavali visit to my Aunt's, I was surprised to learn that my cousin had decided not to light crackers, a silent protest against the use of child labour by the fireworks industry. I don't know how well these protests affected the industry but certainly at that point I felt so proud of my cousin! As always when something seems right, there comes a counter-arguement. In this case, the issue of the children who are supposedly freed from the fireworks industry forced to go into other jobs to support themselves and their family. So every Deebavali I used to debate, to burst or not to burst crackers?

Same in the case of beggars. On one side, I know that our charity might make them lazy and on the other hand when Parthiban or some other rowdy hero in a movie says, "if only you had fed me then, I wouldn't have become like this"! Now, to give or not to give alms?

When doctors here advice me to check/limit the sugar/salt/fat content in my baby's diet and when in India, the elders think I am going overboard putting a kid on diet!! To be strict or not to be strict about diets?

By my upbringing, I know I shouldn't talk back to elders. But when elders take wrong sides, to point out or not?

Dylaamo, dylaamo...... Dylaa dylaa dylaamo.....

FM - Megham

Megham kottatum - Enakkul oruvan

Meghame - Paalai Vana Cholai

Megham karukkaiyile - Vaidehi Kaatirundhal

Megham karukkudhu - Anandha ragam

Megham thiraludhadi - Thaneer Thaneer

Weirdo - tag

Thanks, Raju for tagging me! (How's that for weird no. 1!). Anyway, like Actresses(btw, I find female artists referred to as Actors too and not Actresses these days. Anybody knows the reason?) who talk about some role in a movie as "oh, that is/was a great role. I totally identify myself with the character, blah, blah..", this weirdo tag is totally for me!!

I religiously follow a routine. Very much like the check-out clerk at the grocery store, one little hitch in the sequence and I become a fish out of water! I count when I do monotonous jobs like stirring sugar in milk!

Women and observation go hand in hand, isn't it? I am hopeless in that. During my school/college days, when my friends would be discussing about the ear-ring/nose ring/bindi the compere wore in a TV Program or the white shirt/blue shirt guy they saw at the bus-stop, I would be lost! For, if I had looked at the compere/bus-stop guy, their attire/jewelery wouldn't have been noticed and vice versa!

It bugs me when the door knobs(namma ooru thazhpaal) are not fully pulled down. If it is left half way up/down, I would be uncomfortable until I straighten it out! Similarly, in the 60s-70s' movies, the heroines used to have a few locks of hair hanging from the sides/front which highly irritates me!

I absolutely hate anybody loading my dishwasher/folding clothes(I would redo it if someone tried to help!). My friends even suspect I have an obsessive compulsive disorder!

I can return empty handed from a shopping trip if I didn't find what I went looking for! When buttoning up a shirt, I do the odd(1,3,5) ones first and then the even(2,4,6)!

I dislike some of the most popular figures(like Steffi Graf, Sachin..) for no reason at all!

FM - "OLi"

Olipadaitha kanninaai vaa

Olimayamana edhirkaalam - Pachchai Vilakku

Oliyile therivadhu - Azhagi


Iniya Deepavali Nalvazhthukkal!!!

Saaba Vimochanam?!

For the past few days, this blog had been inaccessible. Every morning I hoped that my 'sleeping on it' would magically rectify whatever problem my blog was experiencing. Yesterday I found that only my main page wasn't loading and I could access my blog entries separately. Still not onto a solution to the problem, I posted my reply comments and 'lo & behold' came my main page!!! Was that the spell breaker to the curse??!!

BTW, did you hear about the new Pocket Sarees?

FM - "AB"

Teri bindiya re - Abhiman

Chupke chupke - Chupke Chupke

Kabhi Kabhi - Kabhi Kabhi

Ey kahan - Silsila

Tu na ja - Khuda Gawah

Kajra re - Bunty Aur Bubli

Sonnapadi Kelu!!!

Recently, I met an old acquaintance at a friend's house. When my friend (re)introduced me to him, for a minute I couldn't recognise him. He used to be wafer thin (that was almost a decade back!) and he really is on the other side now. Utterly surprised, I exclaimed, "oh, you've become so, so, ..." My mind was telling me not to use the word 'fat' but my adhigaprasangi vaai, blurted the exact same word!! Every time my mind flashbacks that incident, I feel so terrible!

This is not an isolated incident. Lately my mind and mouth seem to be like me and my daughter(the latter in both cases are developing a mind of their own!)! Another time, some of us were waiting impatiently for my brother who had gone on an errand, taking with him the tickets to 'Vettaiyadu Velaiyadu' . One of my relative was catching a train that evening but so wanted to join us for the movie. As it is she was feeling bad for not being able to join us and I commented, 'neenga saabam-keebam koduthuteengala? Ticket aala kaanume!', with my mind blaring, 'don't say that! It is not funny!'! She is one of the softest, sweetest person I know and 'Che, what a thing to have said!'

I am generally a person of few words(comparitively!) and admonish others to weigh their words before uttering that I'm appalled that such out of control things are happening to me! Idhu ippadinna, there are times when my mind would command, 'say something!' and Mr. Big Mouth-le verum kaathu dhaan varum!! Ennamo po!!

On an unrelated note, as it is, it is difficult to make people eat healthy food and now with the Spinach/E-Coli scare, 'romba nalladha pochu". Spinach - Why you? Why now? Why?? :(

FM - "Chinna"

Chinna papa enga sella papa - Vannakili

Chinna poo chinna poo - Jappanil Kalyanaraman

Chinna mani kuyile - Amman Koyil Kizhakale

Chinna poove - Chinna Poove Mella Pesu

And my last 'chinna treat',

on popular demand,

Kalakkapovadhu Yaaru - Kamal
(All credits to my dear 'ennavar' who on my 'eLLu' request came up with this 'eNNai'!!)

UPDATE : Sorry that the 'KY-K' link doesn't work any longer. Google Annachi says 'Your video "Kamal.wmv" was rejected because it didn't comply with ourProgram Policies.' :(

Pulagaangidham!!!

Got to watch 'Kalakkapovadhu yaaru - Kamal', Saraswathi poojai special programme on Jaya TV and what a show it was!!! Generally, I am sick of those supposedly special cinema programmes that come on festival days but this one was too good!! The focus of the programme was Kamal, the musician.

First, Mr. Balamurali Krishna came on video conference and as Kamal's guru, asked him to sing a song taught by him. Kamal, the sishyan obliged.

Then came 'Padum nila' Balu!!! As they reminiscenced their good old days, pulling each other's legs whenever possible and rendering songs like "unakkenna mele nindraai", "thakida thadhimi", "neela vaana oodaiyil", "tere mere beech mein", "unna nenachen", "saandhu pottu", ... Kannukkum, sevikkum enne virundhu!!!!!!

Ms. S. Janaki, the female playback singer to have sung the most no. of duets with Kamal, came on stage and delighted the audience by singing "sundari neeyum", "inji idupazhaga" with him. Kamal recalled how his singing "one is the loneliest number" for a filmfare awards function fetched him the chance to sing "ninaivo oru paravai"' (along with 'pa..ba..pa'). 'Inji idupazhaga' was born when Kamal wanted a song like 'eh dil deewaana hai'!!!

'Chinna kuyil' Chitra came to sing "Injirango" with Annathey.

A group of young singers(there were three, one of them was Karthik, another one I heard them mention as Naresh and who was the third?) sang some lovely songs of Kamal like "adhisaya raagam", "pachai kiligal tholodu", "manaivi amaivadhellaam", "paartha vizhi" with the songs forming the answers to the questions quizzed by Ramesh Arvind. Then, they sang a series of fast songs, "varudhu varudhu", "Annathey aaduraar", "maarugo", " en jodi" etc. with infectious enthu'!

Aatchi Manorama and Annathey sang "jaambajaa jaggu, naan aalwarpetta makku"(that's how Kamal's elder sister used to sing that song to Kamal as a kid, it seems!) and "muthu kulikka vaarigala".

Some young female singers(didn't recognise anyone!) sang "unna vida", "maarugo"(sathi leelavathi), "Muthe muthamma" with Annathey.

One of the segment of the show was a chat with Director K. S. Ravikumar, Music director Bharathwaj and Prof. Gnanasambandham.

Jayam Ravi danced for 'Raja kaiya vecha'.
A guy resembling one of the 'Boys' did Kamal's andha kaalathu "ilamai idho idho" kind of songs.
The programme ended with "yaar yaar sivam". The concept, the orchestra, the group singers/dancers and above all, a fit and fantastic looking Annathey made it an enjoyable show!

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