t@knev

Wish i was a kid again…..

2009-12-11T12:11:00.001-08:00

Oh I wish I could be a kid again….

a teenager….a toddler…..anything would do….all I want to be is a kid again

a kid with no worries on my mind….

to whom everyone around would be nice and kind….

a kid wondering why the roosters flock their wings and crow everyday

one who just wanted everything he could lay his hands on no matter who was to pay…

A kid who was never clean and hated the color green….

all the bad guys I knew were either the villains on the screen or people who were mean….

a kid who you could win over with a cone of butterscotch ice cream

who at the mere sight of a cockroach would just scream ( i do that even today though!!!)

A kid who would wrap a towel and proclaim he was a king

or one who would just shout thinking he could sing

A kid who thought adults are robots made of nuts bolts and wire

one who had fun playing with sharp knives, blade and fire

A kid who did not care about anything and just put on an old torn shirt

have people surround him and pamper whenever he got hurt

how fun and easy life was back then …

makes me want to go to that time back when….

i was a kid…

Oh how I wish I could be a kid again…..

just to have all the fun….all over again….

O' Sweet Rain...

2009-07-27T10:59:00.001-07:00

I was standing outside, in my shed ,
When a tiny little droplet, fell on my head
I look up above,towards the sky,
An all i see, i am no longer dry
For falling from the sky, was the first winter rain,
Bringing plenty of joy, an wiping people’s pain
It fell on my head an flowed into my brain,
It fell on my hand an flowed into my vein.

Then at a distance, echoes a sound,
Oh! a bolt of lightning just hit the ground
It wasn’t that far, may be a mile ,
The candy bar sky lights up for a while
Thunder and lightning bring some light,
Making the night shine nice and bright.

My mind just races,
My heard just pounds
Do i drive,
To the beach nearby or,
Take to the sky
And just fly!!

And just when it all seemed good,
And just when mind was getting a mood
As sudden as it came the rain just stopped,
an all my bubbles they just popped.

Cost of Airline Tickets ???

2009-07-22T13:54:00.000-07:00

While on my flight (which by the way was a 11th hour booking) one thing irked me...why is that when u book a flight early you get a better deal(often rock bottom prices) whereas a last minute flight is costly (nearly Double, like the one i have shelled out now)....Shouldn't all the seats cost the same irrespective of when they are booked?? Quite not able to come up with plausible explanation for this....The search is on...

Ah....the Void....

2009-07-06T12:39:00.003-07:00

We seem to have everything and yet there always seems to be something out there that the heart desires....

Is there ever a state of true contentedness??? Will one ever say...yes i have everything in life and i actually do not need anything else now.....

I have been fortunate to have the best the world has to offer....a good education...a loving family...friends who simply would do anything for me....a rewarding job where there is great deal of respect too...a great car...i can cook without killing people....had my share of travel....seen the world...but yet deep down there is a void....and there is something out there that would fill this void...what is it...how would i get it...why is that only that would fill the void....that i do not know

We all need lotta things in life....but one thing is for sure....if you really need something....and you know you want that something ....and strive to get it...then one day it would be yours...and then....

well and then you can move on for the next one....as for me...am already trying to fill my current void...yeaaa...i do know what it is and i do know how to fill it....this is something i have been after for a lil over 5 months now...so just wanting all the prolonged dedicated followups and call backs to work out....lets see...have my fingers crossed...all 16 of em....

who knows what lies ahead....a neverending hairpin bend...or a smiling friend...life is all that simple....just take it as it is and be humble...cause there is just this one life to live....why ask always when there is so much to give....

remember every journey, however long or short....always starts with a single step....

how long is 2 years....

2009-03-28T04:13:00.000-07:00

Two years doesn't seem a long time...but things are quite not the same what they were two years ago...traffic on the streets of chennai have doubled may be tripled...many people who i knew and went around with are long gone from here....some others are pretty busy with their new family (the occasion that i so dearly missed, sure they missed me too )...people seem older...ofcourse the landscape has changed quite a lot too...

The thing that hit me first was the fact that i just seemed to have lost track of how "costly" everything had become (staring at me in Eastman color in the form of the note in my wallet)....but the worst (an probably something that i expected) was yet to come.....

succumbing to the urge of the tasty sambar smell from saravana bhavan (keeping with tradition to eat there when i come from US...haha u do need reasons machi) i went to munch down my favorites with a buddy of mine...we sat at the table catchin up on some moments in history as we chomped on some kara dosai (this just is out of this world...try it if u ever get a chance to step into saravana bhavan) an vegetable paratha (aka chilly paratha)....i realized as i sate there that day....some people don seem to be the same....don seem to look the same...heck don even think the way they used to earlier....things have certainly changed...the way i look at things has changed....the way i don expect anything now has changed (yeah earlier i used to but now i don't....expectation is the cause of all misery if u ask me!!!)..... it was then that i said to myself "2 years is indeed a long time"...

one silver lining though is that people who i call friends who are close to me are still the same....nothing has changed between us.... infact we have actually grown closer....they say distance is always the yardstick to test any relationship dare i say distance is something physical that can always come between people but there is no great distance that can ever come between hearts......now that is real power....

Reading whats at "the end "

2009-02-27T22:31:00.000-08:00

It is something which we all have....something that is there on every check...every letter every mail and virtually anything that we write...It is the tiny little thing right at the very bottom called "Signature".

It is fascinating, conveys unseen thoughts and emotions and reveals your persona like you are an open book. If there is a toss up between "Signature" and "Handwriting" as to which reveals a persons behavior better, signatures would win hands down....reason....writing is influenced by the several thoughts that run wild in the human mind which often tend to cause variations while Signature, is free from such frequent variations hence it's more reliable.

Reading signature is not an art but an occult science. While some signatures are very beautiful and linear there are some which are irregular and shabby...the point!!! it is not necessary that the personality matches your signature...a person with a beautiful signature is said to be cruel and dangerous and a person having an irregular signature is said to be very courageous and kind.

That being said....analyzing the letters alone does not provide basis to judge the personality traits completely.

Personality is not "created" through Signatures, it is "exuded" through the signatures. It is possible to change one’s personality by espousing virtuous attitude towards life and self-refinement.

Is the grass is always greener on the other side....

2009-02-27T19:33:00.000-08:00

One often comes across....

The more happier neighbor....

the more successful senior....

The more popular lawyer...

the techy computer engineer...

The richer ... more Popular...

the gold card member....

the frequent flier...

makes us wonder....

is the grass on the other side greener???

and then we take the boat to the other side....

the more greener side...

and what is that we find with our eyes opened wide....

alas!!!

the other side ....

the side that looked a lot less greener

looks more greener....

Where's God...

2009-02-23T21:40:00.000-08:00

A young man, stuck in no mans land desperate to return to his hometown on time for his marriage only to be helped by complete strangers suddenly comes across something that really amazes him...one of the so called stranger looks at the young man weeping and visibly shaken after being witness to a tragedy...the young man distraught and clearly overcome with emotions questions "Is there a god???" the stranger just looks at him and with smile replies....yes....he is right here....and points to the young man himself...and explains...when your heart feels for someone whom you don't even know....that is the place where god resides....

Now that might sound as though it is lifted from a movie (when infact it is...for those of you who did not realize...the movie Anbe Sivam...the Young Man Madhavan...the stranger Kamal hasan)...

This has had a lot of impact in my life and the way i see everything and everyone... We spend a lot of time doing stuff that gives us pleasure....hell we even do things which is a complete waste of time n resource....why not sit and think "have i touched someone's life that it has changed forever ???, Have i made a difference to someone's life??? Will someone look at me and go...."the heart that's inside of you is where god lives???"

I dunno about others...but I have been fortunate that i have had people in my life looking at whom today i can say..."your heart is where god is...." these guys have helped in many ways to overcome things from a simple confusion to riding the tough times when i was in a place full of strangers...from facing an interview...preparing for the final...job search...to even issues with people around me....if not for them life sure would have been difficult....am not gonna say thank you....no...no...that would just be too easy....i am just gonna ensure that i am there for them when they need me....just like how they have been there for me...

I can see god in you....what can i do my friend...
I bow to you with respect...what else can i do my friend....

The Moment is here.....A.R.Rahman take a bow...

2009-02-22T21:52:00.000-08:00

Our very own A.R.Rahman created history today with 2 oscars on the same night....one for the best Original Score and another one for Best Song ( Jai Ho )

A big salute to him....he has done us all proud....

Life..It's all about how see it...

2009-02-19T20:53:00.000-08:00

Some recent events have reminded me...

"Getting something that you want makes you happy...."
"The more important something is to you,the more you tend to just hold on to it and not let go...."
"When something is not changed,it just ceases to exist...."
"You can be afraid of anything,but, never be afraid to stop being afraid!! Will you ever achieve anything if your afraid???...."
"It does not matter which direction you are going as long as you know where you wanna go cuz then whichever direction you take wouldn't matter,you will get there mebbe late but you will get there...."
"Imagining that you reached where you wanted to reach will lead you down the path to salvation..."
"The reason why past is called history is cuz half of us don't care, an the rest of us don't remember..."
"Don't slide down on the snake that is your past,it's a ladder, use it an climb, success is just a roll away...."
"The only person stopping you is you..."

Crawl when you wanna Standstill...Walk when you wanna Crawl...Run When you wanna Walk...drive when you wanna run...

Its not "IT Reveloution"....but "IT Revelation"....

2009-02-13T17:55:00.000-08:00

It's really inspiring how Indian Software firms always seem to bag all the international projects...well of course its cuz of all the knowledge, skill and talent that we have...No one can compete with US....everywhere around the world when there is a need for any software to be developed or worked on its our guys....

I was wondering if it is really this or could there be something behind the scene which is literally putting the projects in our pockets...

after six hours of mindless googling...cracking with numbers for another hour...I came up with a interesting business model,which could be the plain reality which is so apparent it makes me wonder are we really that ignorant... It’s kinda simple really...

Your "average joe",a software engineer with 5 years of experience at abracadabra.com specializing in "pinto beans" and "servelets" would be paid around $40/hr (again average...cuz its average joe...your above average joe could be getting more)or about $320 in an 8 hour day, and $7040 for the month, and $84480 for the year.

Now, our hero "super santanam" from Insatcro,the 5th largest IT firm from India, is sent on project to US...he is over the moon and is so proud that he is coming to the US to work....wohoo...big treat for friends at TAJ...an gets on Kuwait Airlines to the US...(an exciting route....Chennai....Mumbai....Kuwait...Qatar...Timbuktu...California...New York ofcourse the ticket sponsored by the company....so a free tour of the world on his way to US).

He lands and is pretty excited the first two days...his Picasa is flooded with new photos taken right next to Lady Liberty....n every single building u can find in Big apple...

finally its time to get to work at "Clients Place"...now our super santanam works in place of Average Joe....gives him a run for his money an completes about double the work in half the time....

a month into the project....Super santy (yea Santanam is now Santy baby!!!!) gets his first American Pay check... A charge about $20.00 an hour, thats 160 for a day (he works for 16 Hours ....8 hours for US 8 hours for co-ordinating with team back at Insatcro...but ofcourse gets paid only for 8hours man come on what more did u expect)...so if my math is right....our santy gets $3520 for the month or $42240 for the year...ofcourse he spends for his apartment....food....travel...cell phone...Long distance calling card...an everything.....ends up with how much..well lets not get there....don't wanna spoil the fun now....

So with Super Santy abracadabra has saved approximately 42,000 a year....but ofcourse santy would feel homesick so give him company....insatcro sends 9 of his friends to "face" similar "exciting" and "rewarding" client experience...

so net result....thats about $420,000 for abracadabra....and their work is done....and they have people feeling really proud of their US Experience..

It is But Obvious....Uncle Sam is not the only place where this would apply....In Europe, the "average jack" is paid more than Average joe, owing to a costlier lifestyle... So, the our "super santy" bags the European projects as well!....

Now this is just my idea.....could it be this is what is the real thing??? Are our people being Used....If so...why are we putting up with this....knowing fully well that we are being exploited why do our tech guys take to such things like fish to water....the "Sweatshops" only come to mind....the situation is pretty similar..low pay...hard(I din't wanna use Inhuman even though that's what i should have used) working conditions...no real development...no real change in work pattern...monotonous work....Boyyyy....we run one super techy highly motivated Sweatshop don't we.....

We have conquered Land of the Braves...now off to save the Falling Bridge... my fair lady (get it remember London Bridge is Falling down.....)

What When Who Why????

2009-02-01T11:16:00.000-08:00

Think:

Who would you rather be??
Someone who is Technically Sound but Lacks Applicability or Someone who is Street Smart but not technically sound!

What would you rather do??
Put all your money in a Bank or Invest it in the stock market

Why would you do something??
'Cuz you wanna do it or everyone expects you to do it

When would you feel good??
Do something for someone even before they ask or you are called when someone needs something

Who do you want by your side?
Someone who is selfish or someone who is untrustworthy

What would you rather have??
90 Dollars today or 100 dollars in one year's time!

Why do you want to Smile??
It's natural or Just to make someone else smile

When do you feel bad??
When you fail or when you give up...

Is India really Poor.....

2009-01-13T07:49:00.001-08:00

India for long has been considered as a developing economy....As of 2007, the total outstanding loan on the Indian government was worth 41.57 billion US dollars, among which some portions belonged to global financial organizations and some were meant for bilateral financial assistance. The actual breakdown of the outstanding loan
->World Bank will receive 25.49 billion dollars
->14.05 billion dollars will go to the bilateral assistance

In an nutshell, the external debt condition in India declined from March 2006 to March 2007 when the debt stock increased from US$126.5 billions (2006) to US$ 155.0 billions (2007). In 2007, the accumulation of debt worth US$ 28.2 billions represented an escalation of 22.6%.

I googled to find what's our debt today....According to the financial ministry,India's external debt stood at $222.61 billion up to the end of September '08, down $2.1 billion from the end of the last fiscal year in March. According to a financial ministry report, Long-term debt was at $172.5 billion, while short-term debt stood at $50.1 billion. Private debt accounted for $166 billion (74.6 percent) and government debt amounted to $56.6 billion (25.4 percent) of the total external debt as of end September 2008.

Why does our debt position never becomes favorable...despite the booming economy the debt is on the rise...Why do we borrow???? duh we don't have money that's why we borrow...well think again....

Recently,During the Vibrant Gujarat Global Investors' Summit (VGGIS) 2009, Investors from various parts of the country have pledged several billions of investment across different industrial sectors in Gujarat....How much are we talking about...get ready.... a grand total of $570 Billion....an that too Just for one State!!!!

Larsen & Toubro has pledged Rs 250 billion, The State Bank of India Rs 300 billion, ONGC Rs 300 Billion, Suzlon energy Rs 90 Billion, Bharat Forge Rs 70 billion, Sterling Biotech Ltd Rs 210 billion, Wellspun Group Rs 45 billion, Air Deccan Rs 30 billion, Tata Rs 210 billion, Essar Rs 240 billion, Aditya Birla Group Rs 200 billion, Videocon Rs 120 billion, Adani Group Rs 270 Billion, SRF Group Rs 30 billion, Cellular Operators Association Rs 200 billion

Now if just a handful of Investors have so much money....Is it even remotely possible for our country to repay our debts....

Miles to go before i sleep....an there are certainly some things to do too.....

2008-11-21T23:55:00.000-08:00

There are things that we take for granted so much so that we don't realize it's value till we either lose it...or get away from it...or it gets away from you...or simply time just runs out....I just saw the movie "dasvidaniya"....long story short our hero...a hardworking, sofspoken, your average joe suddenly gets to know he has just a few months to live...one day...he is confronted by his own conscience...he makes a list of things...things he had always wanted to do but never did...ten things that defined his life...this made me think....are there things that i wanna do before i well you what am trying to say....here is a not so exaustive list of things(in no particular order though!!!)

A euro tour(something like DDLJ)...how about a trip to the Moon(wowww am way over my head now but after chandrayaan u never know it can happen)...my longtime passion has been to play for the indian cricket team(just one one day score a double century an then retire in style now there's smthing for the record books)....Swim with the dolphins....Have my own Cartoon Charecter.... Take mom n pop on a world tour(every single place from andaman to zimbabwe)....Meet my school friends,College Friends,MBA Friends once (yea all of em jus once)....Meet Dr.Abdul Kalam and Nelson Mandela...
Become the President of India(i know i know konjam jaasti aasa padaren but i am ok if i become the chief minister of tamil nadu or finance minister also, i wanna do something back to the community man!!!)an last but no means the least....Sky Dive(actually a bungee jump from himalayas would also work fine)....

I Don know how many i can fulfill...but am sure I will do most of em...atleast things which are possible....

How equal is equality....

2008-11-05T18:29:00.001-08:00

Some latest developments around the globe made me think about equality....Now everyone cries for equality at every walk of life...right from a place to sit on the bus...to a seat at a premiere educational institution...hell even at work place you have people getting reservations all in the name of equality...people wanna be treated equally...but look for reservations....this is like saying...2 guys are running a 100 meter race...one fellow (the faster of the two)is at the starting line while the other (the slower of the two duhhh!!!)is starting from 50 meters down....fair game!!!!...i started pondering about this...after cracking my head for a bit i came up with something which is my perception of equality...

the way i see it(an am not saying this is right an others should also advocate this)...you can truly say you are in an equal opportunity society...the day when there are no reservations....there is a single line at the ticketing counter...an "Indian" competes for one of the 100(could be more) seats up for grab at star engineering college (Could be any college or university)rather than 1 or 2 (after the reservations...10% s for SCST...20% is for minority...30% is for other minorities...20% is for Muslims...20% is management quota....you end up with one or two seats only)...vallavan (could be any public transportation system) does not have indications like "ladies"(not being an MCP here...i for one believe women are not just equal to men but are a step ahead).....the list is endless....

think otherwise....that means your just not equal with me(you are either ahead or behind....)

Closing in on a 50....

2008-10-26T01:52:00.000-07:00

half century is just within striking distance...

Twinkle Twinkle Little Star....Sachin is the superstar

2008-10-26T01:45:00.001-07:00

The Maestro of world Cricket our own little master sachin tendulkar wrote a new chapter in the history books...adding to his tally of records....the highest run scorer in one dayers...Most One day Centuries....Most Test Centuries...the master blaster when on 15 went past the west indian batting sensation Brian Charles Lara to become the Highest Run Scorer in the Longer Version of the game....

The Icing on the Cake...India went on to register a momentous victory over the team from down under....The 320-run win is India's biggest win in its 76-year old Test history.

When Dreams catch the Moon...

2008-10-26T01:33:00.001-07:00

When i read a few months back about India's proposed unmanned mission to the moon- Chandrayaan-1 (the voyage to the moon), i was really thrilled simply for the reason that the so called journey to "space supremacy" for India had finally begun...I for one believed it was high time we start aiming for the stars and beyond...well this journey to the mooon is the starting point....it's not far when One lucky Indian would do the Neil Armstrong- "One small step for an Indian One Giant Leap for Indian Space Research"...

This whole episode reminded me of our ex-president Dr.APJ Abdul Kalam....this is my salute to a great man and for all his contributions to this great country and its space research...'Wings of Fire' is truly awe-inspiring...

Language....

2008-10-24T01:06:00.000-07:00

What Language does the Wind Speak...is it the sound...or the music....
What Language does the Flower Speak...is it the color...or the fragrance...
what language does the Ocean Speak....is it the waves... or the froth...
What Language does Love speak....is it the eyes...or the lips...
If you understand the language of nature...you no longer need the human language...
If you understand the language of heart...the human does not need language....

Awesome aint it...well not mine though....here's the original...

day or nite its the festival of light....

2008-10-24T00:30:00.000-07:00

Been more than a month and a half since i scribbled something....

Its late night...well actually its 2:30 am so technically early morning...so what am i doing when i should be fast asleep....something is on my mind thats keeping me awake (Apart from talking to my friend on gtalk)....

Its that time of the year when night turns to day (wattt that happens everyday now doesn it!!!)...darkness turns to bright light(we call that dawn man!!!)...silence turns to loud sounds of bombs....bombs...yea bombs...atomb bombs...wowie...now we are talking...bijlee vedi...redforts...lakshmi vedi's...10,000 wala that keep on going for 15 mins...an my personal favorite...the double sound...whether it is kuruvi brand or standard....its dwali...and you better play it safe...

Diwali is generally a time when my entire family gets together....my uncle...aunt...cousin come home the day before...a mad rush to the stores at the eleventh hour to get the jean n t-shirt....get some whisltling rocket...n other less polluting cracers...yeah rite we are the more society Conscious bunch...ask y and i can give u "n" number of reasons....try child labor...noise pollution...smoke...air pollution for size...anyways...getting back to the nicer things...where was i...yeah...how could i forget the most important thing...the aroma of ghee rich savories n sweets that fills the air...we gather around after dinner....try an play some cards...not just any game but our family special...MAIL....not the slow one but the fast one...as usual i end up losing....then its time we hit the bed....

its 2:30....no no not now...but 2:30 on the day of diwali...mum wakes up first...then aunt...then all the kids one by one...after brushing up n everything...its time for the royal treatment...tadaaa...a good oil massage...some nalangu....an then a small piece of vethalai n paku...i don eat but this is sastram and sambrathayam so have to give into it an eat..what to do...jus kidddin...after that is done...a gud hot bath....then come out go to the pooja room...thatha takes the new dress an hands it over for me to wear...which i with all enthusiasm wear fast fast an come out to proudly show to everyone..."ada ada summa super ah eruku"...."perfect size and fitting"...."suma hero mathiri eruke"...."kalakal po" nu lam comment parakum suma.... chumava...namma pota vera epadi "suma athirum la"...then one by one ashok and vijay will also get ready..then chittapa an dad will also get ready..then what we do is nothing short of incredible...you would expect us to burst cracker rite...after all its diwali...but naahhh remember social consiousness n all....we sit around as a family in front of the T.V...with a cup full of muruku....palgova...ladoo...everything in hand...n jus watch every single program from nadaswaram to leoni patimandram to the "thiraku vandu theatre lendu odi poi sila naatkale aana putham puthiya mokkai thirai padam ungal sun tv il"... parka thavara matom....aparum kalambi elle relative vetuka poi....kal la vizhara mathiri vizhundu...collection (athane main matter) atha vangindu...nalla pillai mathiri aathuku vara vendiyadu...aparum round 2...main course vada payasathoda virundu than....evening varaikum apadiye tv...then nite ka ellarum poiduva kalambi aparum nan thirumba tv pathutu...nite saptutu padutha...habbadi...diwali mudinjidu da nu erukum....

enge epo...nan erukan...ashok erukan...vijay um erukan...diwali um vara pogudu...aana...mum...dad...chitti...chittapa...enge??? nalangu naane potuka vendiyadu than....sweet um panika vendiyadu than...tv um net la pathuka vendiyadu than....aana onnu....patasu vedika Illinois Govt la permission theva elle....ennapa evalavu time sola...naanga social Consciousness oda alayara kumbal la....Happy Diwali....have a blast....but remember...its diwali...play it safe....

ten more days....one more year gone by....

2008-09-16T00:52:00.000-07:00

they say time flies when you are having fun....every hour seems like a second....in jus ten days its gonna be my second bday in Uncle Sam....even though i have never done anything exciting on my birthdays like leaping of a cliff....or diving into the ocean...or sky rocketinggg.....but the simple blessing from mom dad...the srinivasar kovil archanai....the alwarpet anjaneyar kovil spl archanai...nan nuttu karti hogging on garlic bread....n...veggie lovers at pizza hut in adyar....elle nanum archanavum freez zone poi oru rainbow sundae oru chocolate sundae sapdardu... elle nan vantu an abi poi 'dil chahtha hei' parkardu....elle naan shammem revathi abn pantry la okandu samosa sapdardu...elle nanu ganesh...umakanth....ghouse...suresh triplicane la antha kutti sandu la erukara ice cream kadaila antha 5rs cone ice cream sapdardu....elle nan sridhar besant nagar beach la poi antha doku mcclaren burger kadai la okandu adikara veggie burger avan apadiye orama ninu rendu damu vera adipan apo apo kuda sachin vera erupan oru rendu na chitu vera erupa...elle nanu amaresh...daari...chintu sriram suneel ellaruma poi orama gangotri la sapdara bhek purium...samosa chat um...elle amma panra kesari....elle na okarara seat la baloon kati vitu...en thalai deepak wish panradu...12 mani ku fone busy agume nu ellarum 1145 ke fone panni enne pidichi vechi aparum 12 maniku wish panradu....i dunno which of these is gonna happen this year...but one thing is for sure....i never realised i would stick on and would be seeing this day here again....

but you know what.....i know foram an shalabh are gonna tlk secretly among themselves...forget to get a cake an card that i want...an then finally say something to me to keep me busy an go get it....then surprise me by getting me something else...then singing a happy bday at 12....sticking happy bday stickers on my bedroom wall....cook food for me and not make me cook...an keep wishin me happy bday for god knows how many times during the day....replaying "happy bday to u" in youtube again n again.....making up for whatever i wld be missing....well not completely...but still to an extent....

ten more days.....one more year wld have gone by....and the only major improvement in me...am that bit closer to my thrid masters....jus 3 more months then am done...done for good....cant wait to get out again into the corporate world....

would i see another bday in this place....wld i get back to all that not so hair raising but nevertheless nostalgic moments....or wld i be in a totally new place with some new ppl only time will tell...well 375 days and one more year later to be exact.....as for now....am counting down the ten days.....

Chennai Senthamizh marakavillai yaralayum....andrum endrum endrendrum

2008-09-11T00:25:00.001-07:00

summa va sonaru namma ramarajan....
Sorgame endralum adu nama oora pola varuma.....
nan america la erunda enne england la erunda enne anda ooru ellam india viku eedaguma....
193 naadugalil vera 6911 mozhigal pesinalum aduellam en tamil pol enithidumaaaa..........
enne than peria business school la padichalum en P.S.Senior Secondary School mathiri varuma....
ele nan enne than chicago la navy pier la kathu vanginalum adula marina oda mann vasanai varuma....
enne than dodge status enne than pontiac grand prix enne than nissan altima nalum adu ellam en super duper maruti zen kita vara mudiyuma.....
enne than pasta erundalum veggie burger erundalum veggie lasagna erundalum athellam namma saravana bhavan dosai vada idlee pongal kita thothu than pogum....
enne than cine 14 magic nu 14 theatre erundalum...mega max screen erundalum namma satyam mathiri ayiduma.....
enne than Red B...Organge H nu color color ah bus erundalum...namma 12B um 49C than da Bus enge erukardellam verum thagara dabba than....
enge erukardu enne da vazhkai....vazhkai na adu namma chennai la erukardu than ba....

time....stops for none...

2008-08-17T09:55:00.001-07:00

if u wanna know how much a sec is worth... ask the person who came in second in the 100 mts race by a sec...
if u wanna know what a min is worth...ask the person who just missed his train by a min...
if u wanna know how much an hour is worth...ask the person who waits for his wife to deliver his kid
if u wanna know how much a day is worth...ask the person who comes home after a long time abroad....for just a short while....someone like me....

indeed time stops for none(from "time and tide stops for none...) yet, we all at some stage expect time to just freeze...the moment to just last forever...the present to just stay and never become the past...the future to never happen now itself....i am your average sam who over the past 3 weeks has been praying ever so for time to just stand still...the tomorrow to never come....as they say...tomorrow is something that is always there but never comes....but as i realised there's another way to put it...tomorrow is just like a sunday monday or for that matter a friday ...it is something that comes always but never stays....

P.S: the last entry that i wrote was 5 days ago...how time flew lil do i know!!!

27th Aug....Look up....

2008-08-12T04:41:00.000-07:00

Its just a couple of weeks away...27th Aug... i dunno about the rest of you but am waiting eagerly for it....Mars...considered earth's lil sis will be trying to tag along on a joy ride with earth as it comes within 34.65M miles off earth and would appear the brightest in the night sky and will look as large as the full moon to the naked eye.

so be sure to get to your terrace...or the beach...or a playground...and look up... mark your calender....synchronize your watch....on Aug. 27 12:30 am it will look like the earth has 2 moons.

Don miss this cuz it is said that the next time Mars may come pay us a visit is in 2287...thats jus 279 years from now....

This Krishna on Chocolate Krishna...

2008-08-10T08:29:00.000-07:00

Heeding to the constant request from my bro i took my mom dad and two of my friends to catch crazy mohans latest stage show "Chocolate Krishna"...

claimed to be his best work to date the drama was a comedy riot...with some good rib tickling humor which not only gave you stomach cramps but also made the time dawn some wings and fly...out and out complete entertainer....

there is another Krishna whose popularity is raging like fire across Chennai....he is none other than guru velgudi krishnan....everyone present at the show had a pleasant surprise....during the intervel break there was a CD release function and the special guest was none other than the guru himself...after the function he captivated everyone with his philosophical speech and made everyone smile with his humour...honestly...i have never seen or heard him speak and have always wondered why is everyone so fond of him...now i know...truly a person with an inspiring stature....

coming back to chocolate krishna....the show had jokes all thru but some that i liked were....

"son nan vandu british airways la poren ne edu la porey....nan vandu ma alphonsa la poren.....alphonsa vaaa appa adu alphonsa elle pa LUFTHANSAAA"

the drama has some dogs being changed into humans by lord krishna...this is when these come....

"enge appa vela matum than dog mathiri eruparu...Apo ulla....hmm BULL DOG"
"namma kalyanatha sunday vechikalam....sunday is a good day...sunday sunday...adu enne da orey sunday sunday ngrathu....enne pa puriyaliya sunday than pa aduku gud day...sunday na enne...."nai" thi kazhamai paaaa"

an the best of em all....

"nan kunakudi, drums mani, kalyanam naalu perum vasika porom da....oru fusion...appa naalu perum vasicha adu fusion elle....CONFUSION!!!!"

a one to watch....go...laugh...have fun....

Life...its about living and not existence....

2008-08-09T09:51:00.000-07:00

As we grow up, we learn that even the a person who wasn't supposed to ever let us down, probably will. You'll have your heart broken and you'll break others' hearts. You'll fight with your best friend or maybe even fall in love with one, and there willl come a time when you'll cry because time is flying by.

So what can one do??? well there are some simple things that one can do like take too many pictures...laugh too much...forgive freely...love like you've never been hurt...

The thing is...life comes with no guarantees...no time outs like in the games...and you definetely do not get second chances... the best way to enjoy is just live life to the fullest...tell someone what they mean to you..dont worry just speak out what you feel as Dr.Suess says "Be who you are and say what you feel because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind"...enjoy smallest things that give you immense pleasure like dance in the pouring rain when others are running for shelter(my personal favourite)...hold someone's hand could be someone special could be your sis, bro or a friend don say anything just hold...comfort the person who you seen in distress...once in a while fall asleep watching the sun come up and if possible stay up late(which i do fairly regularly)...be a flirt(be the best at what you do)...don't ever be afraid to take chances or fall in love...live in the moment because every second you spend angry or upset is a second of happiness you can never get back...and finally the best of em all....smile until your face hurts... you never know how many people have their brightened because of your smile....

Happy Friendships day...

2008-08-02T11:22:00.000-07:00

The National Friendship Day is celebrated every year on the first Sunday in August.

this is to all my friends who have made a difference in my life...an made it worth living....

The best of friends,Can change a frown,
Into a smile,when you feel down.

The best of friends,Will understand,
Your little trials,And lend a hand.

The best of friends,Will always share,
Your secret dreams,Because they care.

The best of friends,Worth more than gold,
Give all the love,A heart can hold.

Call...Don't Call...Who can really Control...

2008-08-01T04:35:00.000-07:00

With the efforts of the the don't-call registry proving futile in curbing pesky telemarketing calls, there may now be a do-call register.

The Supreme Court on Thursday asked the Union Government to explore the possibility of whether such a register could be put in place. As the name suggests, it would contain names of those interested in receiving such calls.

Only time will tell how successful this is going to be and whether it would reduce those calls from people asking you to buy the unwanted Insurance policies or those Home Loans...

Solar Eclipse....The Next Big thing...

2008-08-01T04:28:00.000-07:00

Eclipse is something which has always attracted the same attention every time it occurs irrespective of where it is visible and which one is it...be it the lunar or the solar... It is considered at a religious level in many parts of the world where people take holy dips and some even do religious ceremonies...all in all the eclipse is more or less becoming a national event.

This year however we have not been so fortunate to be able to observe the eclipse in india but there is good news in the not so distant future...The Next year's total solar eclipse supposed to happen on July 22, 2009 - will be more southern and last the longest of the 21st Century: 6 minutes, 39 seconds can be seen in India, Nepal, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Myanmar, China and the Pacific Ocean.

The only concern...it will be during monsoon season and can be seen, only if the weather cooperates. So lets say our prayers to the rain gods... an hope they stay away on that day to let us observe another god as they say...getting eaten up....

Mathematics and Statistics....

2008-07-29T22:30:00.001-07:00

Axiom 101

Never tell your problems to anyone...20% don't care and the other 80% are glad you have them....

Axiom 101-A

In the end, it's not going to matter how many breaths you took, but how many moments took your breath away

Axiom 102

When life gives you a hundred reasons to cry, show life that you have a thousand reasons to smile.

The Journey....

2008-07-24T10:02:00.000-07:00

Sitting in the airport waiting for my flight,
Somehow everything just don’t seem right
Going home after a year and a half,
I am so happy I feel like a little calf
I am where am supposed to be,
But I still wonder how things are going to be
My eyes keep searching for someone somewhere,
What I not know is whether it is someone here or someone there
May be it’s both, may be it's neither
Or may be its just cuz my head feels light, light as a feather
May be it’s the fear of coming back to this place
Where people are strangers and everything is a maze
But return I must to finish what I started
Again leaving everything behind…something that I always hated
But things are not in the same trend
This time I have people who I call friend
Friends who really make me feel nice and easy
Whose presence makes my stay comfy and cozy
As graduation day comes near
Am sure to miss people who are very dear
What lies ahead I don’t know
But where my heart takes me is where I will go

its not just cricket that requires partnership ....

2008-07-18T21:45:00.000-07:00

Krishnapatnam(in andhra pradesh)...the new and the largest pvt sector port in india opened its waters to the world today...this is the second biggest operation undertaken by a pvt sector company in coalition with the Indian government following the Rajiv gandhi international airport....Now how about that for partnership...how easy or difficult is it for the private and the government to co-exist...with India constantly being blamed for poor infrastructure...this is perhaps a step in the right direction...more of such infrastructural developments is the order of the day...everything needs a start...and perhaps this is the start that this great country has been looking for...a long wait...lets just hope the wait is over....

Could there be more avatars or should i say re-avatars...

2008-07-15T21:29:00.001-07:00

"In 1979 the film "Ninaithale Inikkum" directed by K. Balachander was released starring Jaya Prada and Kamal Haasan.

Kamal Hassan the lead actor was a singer who goes around the world performing stage shows with his band. (interesting fact the movie also starred Rajinikanth one the few movies where both the superstars shared the spot in front of the camera). It is during one of his overseas tours that our hero meets his love interest Jaya Pradha, only to find that she is terminally ill. Long story short….Kamal a Singer…Meets Jayapradha his Lover…who is suffering from Illness and in the end dies….

Now for the connection…Look at Dasavatharam…. This movie stars Avatar singh a Singer…and his Wife Jayapradha (Promotion now…finally the pair is united). Strangely enough there is a reversal of fortunes, this time its kamal who is ill with the only change that he survives his tryst with death

One more Interesting coincidence between the movies…the scenes in "Ninaithale Inikkum" are filmed in and around Singapore, while "Dasavatharam" was shot at a lobby of a Malaysian Airport, both being Neighbouring countries (Check it out in south east asia).

The reincarnations were not just for aandal...chola king…poovarahan…govindraj…but also for avatar singh…and his wife too…really a thing that has happened after 29 Years (in the actual sense….1979-2008)…Amazing isn’t it!!!

It Doesn't stop with "das" avatharam....

2008-07-14T23:39:00.000-07:00

After watching the much awaited dasavatharam first i couldnt help but admire the courage of the man for undertaking something of this magnanimity and i think he has pulled it off quite well. but after reading the stuff thats been floating around surrounding the true idealogies behind the movie i Somehow started to wonder whether Kamal was influenced by Ramanuja’s preachings in his development and execution of the story. here’s my take on that!!!

Firstly i dunno how many noticed or are even aware of this but, the idol of Govindaraja perumal shown in the movie has a touch of influence of the Melakotey uthsavar with respect to the looks of the Perumal and also the keeredom (no not the ajith movie the actual one). Intrigued i started finding some more about the perumal and found that the perumal also had a history of changing hands before finally getting back to the place where he actually belongs. sound familiar???

Nammazhwar in Thiruvaimozhi says “vaikuntam pugudalum mannavar vidhiye”,the influence of this can be seen in the movie. Initially during the 12th century episode the Cholan says that Nambhi should go to Vaikuntam and not the other realm (which happens to be kailasam).during the 21st century vincent poovarahan(believed to be reincarnation of the chola king) later gets blessed by Krishnaveni patti that he should go to Vaikuntam!!

This fact of birth rebirth and the vaikuntam seems to have influenced Kamal so much so that he decided to have this incorporated in the movie….

an one last thing....did u notice....the century's the first being 12 and the second being 21... mebbe another coincidence or just to show the tables have turned or could it be that this was bound to happen....rebirth of the numbers!!!

DLP Cinema's

2008-07-08T12:34:00.000-07:00

Recently i just found out that there is only One theatre in India which has this facility....made me curious to find out who....i actually made a wild guess who it would be and i was right!!!

Yea it is our very own Satyam Cinemas....Hard to Believe isnt it...well now thats something truly Amazing...

Attention Chennai..Announcing the Arrival of Meee!!!

2008-06-21T23:56:00.000-07:00

the 429 day long wait is finally gonna be over...in less than 30 days when qatar airways touches down at Chennai Meenambakam airport in the early hours (3:45A.M to be precise....atleast thats what is expected) of 22nd July 2008 i would be setting foot in singara chennai...cant wait to get out the plane filled with a crowd which is equally excited to be there as me...

The scene outside the airport is already getting set in my mind....mom dad...chittapa chitti...cousins....nu one big welcoming committee would be there...given the fact that me an my cousin both of us are coming together....

what would i do?? who will i see first?? who will i hug first??? will i fall at their feet?? who will my eyes search??? who will it be happy to see?? who will it miss??? will i kiss the ground as how my annathai does when he comes(gosh now i know why he did that...now i know how he used to feel.... )i don't know what i will do....well am not thinking of anything right now...But one thing is for sure...am getting prepared to have the best 30 days of my life....no stopping for anything...no thinking before doing anything...no stone left unturned...no road left undriven...No food left untasted...(do these even sound right!! who cares!!!)

An yes....i am really really happy for one more fact....am gonna be there for one of my closesttt friend's birthday...really missed being there last year..but not this time....

life is where fun is...fun is where home is....home is where chennai is!!! C ya Soon Meri Jaan....Chennai Meri Jaan....

Indo-US....No not the Nuclear Deal....thats not my cup of tea!!!

2008-06-03T11:17:00.001-07:00

According to Consul General in Mumbai Michael S Owen there has been a 80% increase in the US Visas for Indians this past year (approximately 2.26Lakhs as against 1.25Lakhs issued in 2006). This comprehends the brain drain that has been happening for quite a while now from India.I am no exception as i sit today in Bloomington IL wondering when i would get back to my motherland.....

something worth wondering..why is this drain happening...when the Indian education system is arguably one of the best in the world...why are there so many people coming here for their higher studies...why do people come here for work when there are so many multi nationals and industry leaders In our own country....why do people come over here face what they face rather than staying back and contributing to the place that has given them so much all these years....

My favourite scene from one of my favorite Movies "Swades" comes to my mind..."Apne Chaukat ka diya and giving light to the neighbours house"(or Taking the candle from our house and giving light to the neighbours house)....

Is money the sole reason?? Is it lack of appreciation?? is it lack of exposure?? is it lack of potential for growth?? what really drives the Indian Brain which aspires to crossover to the pastures which look greener in Uncle Sam!!!

Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na

2008-06-03T01:11:00.000-07:00

The latest composition of the mozart from chennai...A.R.Rahman has created a stir among listeners...being quite the rahman fanatic i couldn't control for long...just finished listening to the songs...the entire album seems pretty ok....undoubtedly the best song is Kabhi Kabhi Aditi sung by rashid ali and fittingly is being promoted extensively first....what i believe is the second best song is Nazren Milana Nazrein Churana sung by an array of talented singers bringing alive the college spirit and the fun and frolic that is college life...the guitar which dominates the song is worth making a special mention. This song has the Rahman touch to it....Tu bole Main Boloon rendered by the maestro himself is the title track of the movie and is funny take on how a guy and a girl have two different perspectives to everything....for the people who like soft slow numbers Kahin to Hogi woh is a treat...All in all the soundtrack of Jaane tu ya Jaane Na is sure to be a winner at the box office...

Kabhi Kabhi Aditi...

try and listen to the entire album...

P.S. one more Kollywood connection if you noticed the video...Genelia Dsouza...well the heroine of the movie...

This is Cricket my dear....

2008-06-03T01:09:00.000-07:00

The players were auctioned...the teams were picked...interesting names were christened...the colors chosen...theme songs were made...videos were shot...players became actors... singing and dancing to tunes...and then finally the cricket started...

The IPL was certainly a risky venture in an uncharted territory. A game which was traditionally played over five days got shortened to one day and now has been reduced further to 20 Overs a side game. The idea was to get in some international players along with top indian players side by side with the players playing the little league so that they get a feel of the competitive game that is cricket...

The tournament certainly had its opposition...boards not wanting to send players...rebel leagues and tournaments being announced...countries banning players from playing for their national side who signed up for the IPL...players getting banned for other reasons just before the tournament started...players being banned for a friendly pat on the cheeks(otherwise called as the slap) and pouring water over dreams of having the Hummer....

but when all the dust settled...the tournament had its share of surprises...the team expected and pipped as the strongest and favourite to win the cup, started strongly "riding" the waves... but then just ran out of gas....falling into total darkness as that of the "night"...failing to meet expectations by a long way....

the thunder from down under (naah not australia..this is India we are talking about...down under in India get it....) had a wave too...spur of victories...then followed by some mediocre performances leading to string of defeats before bouncing back to surprise everyone by reaching the finals....

the "devils" from the capital had a some what similar run....they might have had the orange cap(for the leading run scorer)...the best opening pair...the most explosive batting attack...but were stopped midway by the "kalakal rajas"

the "indians" no the other indians from the financial capital were like the pheonix....a string of losses initially....people just wrote them off..then suddenly started jus toying with everyone....winning consistently till the final moments of the tournament they had a setback and had to settle for 5th place...

perhaps the underdogs of the tournament....the royals...no not the ones from caribbean but the one from the desert land....surprised everyone with a wonderful performance all the way to the finals losing only 2 encounters...and were convincing enough to take home the cup...fittingly crowned champs...

All in all...a success in every aspect...its really good for the international players because they get a feel for the indian sub continent....good for the local players....since they get the required top cream experience....good money....bt whether it is any good for the game on the whole only time will tell...

அக்கு....

2008-06-03T00:44:00.000-07:00

recently i have had the time off from work n studies...been watching so many movies that if you pick any movie that has been released over the past few months there is a good chance i would have already seen it...

i have never been an avid review believer hence when i wanna watch a movie i don waste much time trying to look up what the critics have to say about the movie...i jus find online streaming of the movie and start watching it...i don't expect much...my needs are pretty simple...all i am looking for is some timepass thats it...but honestly speaking...in this movie i got more than timepass...

dedicated to the sincere and daring policeman and politicians of the country "அக்கு" apprently is how a bomb squad expert (anu hassan) helps diffusing well a bomb...simple enough...but the twist is that it is not just your normal everyday bomb made of rdx but a new type never known to anyone (well not everyone...the bomb maker knows about it duuhhh!!!)which is fitted to the boot of the hero and is armed once he started running...an would explode if he stops...apparently planted by the leader of a major terrorist outfit headquartered in chennai...now for the reason...simple enough again...the hero is in love with the younger sister of the villan...how the hero keeps running from chennai to madurai to some other remote village...how the doctors keep him going....how the police track down the terrorist outfit and take them out in the process some of the officers give up their life...how finally anu hassan puts her life in danger for saving the hero and what happens next is the movie...all in a all...not a wowieee movie but one worth watching...

Pro: low profile star cast with people doing justice to their job.. a new concept attempted...the movie is not very long...infact it hardly runs for an hour and a half...

cons: Some of the stuff doesn't seem believable (for example the villan always seems to use real time tracking system which zooms in and shows real live pictures of what is happening where..hero running from city to city 100's of kms non stop...doctors able to see xray reuslts and scan results shot from a small video camera through video conferencing while the person at the other end doesn't seem to have the facility for the conferencing set up...)

overall...i liked it...even though at some point you would feel come on man give me a break....where in the real word do these things happen....but then again...thats what movies are for right...imagination....sometimes just trying to extend what we know as reality...

Chronicles of the foodie....

2008-06-01T12:31:00.000-07:00

been a while since i scribbled smthing...so why not something on my day so far...

After about a weeks break am working today and that too 8 hours straight(yea its sunday but am working!!!)...an the saddest part is none of the cafeteria's are open (being a sunday and some renovation going on around campus) so i have to survive the day on a muffin n a bottle of fanta...i walk out an none of the proper dine in restaurants are open and am greeted by a board We are open MOnday thru saturday 9:00am to 9:00pm (can you believe it they close down by 9;00pm when we generally decide where to have our dinner...and yea if you din't notice they are not open sundays at all...they are generally closed sounds strange isnt it...well thats my town for ya!!!)

i stroll pillar to post for about half an hour and at the end am still unsuccessful to find even a single potti kadai open or a brother selling pani poori or samosa channa or mulaga bajji(whom am i kiddin there are no potti kadais here...these guys don't even know the definition of a pani poori or a samosa channa or the hot mulaga bajji... to them its baked rice cake with potato filling and crispy fried lentil dipped in hot and sweet sos and fried hot pepper dipped in gram flour!!!)...dejected i return back to my office hoping to call up the pizza guy to get something delivered atleast a bread stick or a veggie delight...

well lookie here its almost 3 and my break is almost over...so bye bye pizza man... i should probably just gulp down the last bit of fanta that is left and get back to work and convince myself thats its jus couple more hours and then am home scot free...where something more nice would be waiting for me to dig into...

moment i step into my cabin...my boss is waiting with lunch...exactly not what i was expecting to eat but it was inviting none the less....veggie lasagna with mashed potato....we share a few laughs over lunch not bothered about the time or the work that was supposed to be completed...

Once lunch was over it was time to get back to work...before i realize its 5pm an time to go home...i head home and what awaits me at home was nothing short of a treat...my friend had made urulaikizhangu cauliflower kai...roti...Gujarati style parupu...rice...without a second thought i sit down and start enjoying this meal while watching the latest bollywood blockbluster hastey hastey (which by the way means laughter....and it jus din make me laugh one bit...)...really a nice end to a day of unusual happenings....

Life in a Metro....

2008-05-18T23:46:00.000-07:00

Recently i had been to New York City...the Big Apple....the financial capital of Uncle Sam...one of the victim of the 9/11 terrorist attacks...standing there by the waters edge riverfront i could imagine how the twin towers would have dominated the NY Skyline...i was really amazed by the well planned and constructed Subway system which not only runs through New York but also Connects to New Jersey...people running like crazy to catch the train fittingly called the Metro...here life is on the fast lane...get up around 10 when the alarm goes off...putting it to snooze..i fall back into the bed and after 4-5 snoozes and an hour later i unwillingly get up...head straight into the restroom....brush...bath....and come out and do my prayer...and grab a glass of juice...gulp it down and look at the clock and start running as it is getting late for my bus...life is on the run...just like my life back in Chennai...the picture is slightly different as it is not the alarm snooze but mom and dad taking turns to wake me even before the sun was out cuz i was getting late for my office(yes office i used to work the early morning shift...mostly 6:30...sometimes 4:30 sometimes 5:30). A quick shower...gulp down the coffee and off to work...10 hours later am just itching to leave the office...with the same hustle and bustle i dash out...get into my car (parked in spot 127...incidentally even today after 2 years the spot still bears my name call it bad information management or whatever!!!)with the stereo switching between "Hey Goodbye Nanba" and "Honedo Dil Ko Fanaa" i race along with one hand on the steering wheel...the other busy on the cell phone dialing in a friend to talk on the way home...even though it takes me only approximately 8 mins to reach home (mount road to mylapore in 8 mins impressive aint it!!! yeah i just litreally fly....)i just recount the day with the friend...then decide what i would be doing the rest of the day...and getting to know the other persons idea of the perfect evening...i hang up as i pull into my parking garage...home atlast....

as i enter...mom is all ready with some good old home made lunch...it just takes a nod from me for her to go into the kitchen and mix some rice and sambar put some vendakai on the side and bring it to me....while am already on the sofa in front of the TV where i plan to sit for the next 2 hours atleast....tuning into the cartoon channel(yea cartoon...so what if am 25 who said cartoon is only for kids!!!). it is almost 7 when "endendrum punnagai...mudivilaaa punnagai...." rings...no its not maddy singing but a friend calling me on my mobile...while he would have heard me singing "ninaithu ninaithu parthal nerungi arugil varuven..." instead of the boring tring tring....i jump out of the chair...a quick face wash...i first run the comb then my fingers through my hair...wollah all set for a night out...the car stereo starts where it was left hanging but now plays couple more songs since it is crowded and it takes me a while to reach sangeetha in mandaveli...where i patiently wait for this friend of mine....who left from his office about half an hour ago but still isnt here...when i just start to get suspicious whether april fool's day came a bit early this year...he drives into the parkway in his super duper honda...not the accord or the city but his activa....we hit the tables...order some sambar vadai...pav bhaji...a masala dosa...an a paratha kurma...while we hogg on this inviting array of items we just chit chat about evey tom dick n harry that we can think of...even the president is not spared...then comes a more serious topic our past present and future...finally its ring ring time again...this time its "ennai konjam matri....from khaka khaka..." n my mom is on the line...really curious as to where i am....a quick glance at my rado shows that its way past 12....no wonder mum called....assuring to meet him online in about ten fifteen minutes i bid adieu to my friend and head home...this time trying to beat the stereo...well i had this freaky habit of trying to reach my destination before the third song finished....(not all destinations ofcourse...but since this was a short 10 min drive...i knew i had a fair chance of making it)....9 mins down and just 2 songs had finished when i park the car into the garage after doing a bit of a circus act....first take the car wayy forward then put it in reverse and get it into the garage...i had quite perfected the technique...not even our driver could do it as fast as i could...once that was done...i head upstairs...straight into the computer room...where my PC is waiting for me....i sit around chit chat some more with people on yahoo...play a few rounds of yahoo pool...cursing my bad luck when i lost...i finally feel its time that i hit the bed to get atleast couple of hours of sleep...checking on the alarm clock i finally hit the bed and call it a day...well night...well midnight...no actually daybreak...cuz in a few hours...mum would wake me as i have a 4:30 shift...

An then there is this Life!!!

2008-05-10T17:34:00.000-07:00

Learning is a continuous process. You either know things already or you learn them. The best learning method that i have found is known as "Experentia", it is the art of learning things through experience.

Sometimes we learn a lot of things at the least expected places...realize some things which seem pretty simple pretty late...it ranges from something as simple as a smile to a "hi" or a "good morning" to a fellow pedestrian/traveller, now think how a small smile or two simple words "Good Morning" would change the other persons mood(It has happened with me many a time that my mood has taken a U-Turn cuz of that gesture even though it is just out of courtesy!!!).Think how many times have you said "thank you" to the Pallavan transport bus driver/conductor for getting you safely to your destination(something which i do here every single time when i use the bus)...do we even look behind us let alone hold the door when we walk out(something which is like a routine over here)...these are all pretty simple stuff which i guess people should do everywhere...the feeling of making someone's day is the best gift you could give that person...The thing that pains me the most of the things that i have realised....for the past 25 years amma has cooked my meals every single day...made sure that she makes the items that i like...they taste delicious...how many times have i appreciated her food(here when i cook i expect my friends to say it is good...tastes great...good job an stuff!!!)....i never even realised what amma thought...was she waiting for me to say "amma urulaikizhangu super....sambar atagasama eruku....rasam nalla eruku....parupuoosli A one!!!" was she ever disaapointed when i never said a word about the food but just came sat ate and went off(Like Julius Caesar..."he came!!! he saw!!! he conquered!!!")...Thanks Mom!!! you are the best....and Happy Mothers Day.....

paying bills regularly is a big headache...keeping track of em is a bigger headache....now i realize how dad might have felt every single time he sat an calculated the electricity bill for all the 3 meters...the water tax...telephone bill...etc...etc...etc...never did i even bother to ask him whether he needs any help with those!!! this time when i go home...am taking care of the bills....

an last but by no means the least...Grocery....mada veethi la poi to get karikai is like a big no no for me...but here....every ten days go to walmart and Indian stores...stock up on food during finals week...make sure to make a list of items that i need so that i don't forget to get it when i go....see which vegetable i need...whether it is fresh or not...how to cook it how to store it....man...appa and amma are just great!!! something which i got fed up doing for the past two years...they have been doing for the past 25 years...and not once did they resign....

Like i said...life teaches you things...things that you may sometimes find in books...but teaches them just a bit better...through experience...makes imprint in your heart that can't be eroded by the sands of time...Imprint of the finer things in life that make a world of difference...

Those days!!!

2008-05-06T00:15:00.000-07:00

There i was parking my bike outside foodworld... climbed the stairs...took a right and went into a room full of strangers...not knowing how i am going to spend about 8 hours a day,5 days a week, for the next 2 years of my life....who among them would i get close to and hang out with...who would i have a crush on...who would i fight with...who would completely detest me....with all these questions lingering on my mind i stepped into the room for what was my induction ceremony of my double masters degree.

Its been 6 Years since my program director took our first class....there i was in the last bench...sitting next to this guy from a place 540 km south west of chennai (Thanks Wiki)....who had a background in physics and had a mad passion for bikes and cars...a champion at racing...made me wonder what is he doing here??? he had this very unique looking samsung phone with him which had these funky looking backlits...aqua...pink...blue...i had never seen such weired choice of colors....

An then there was this 'jim carrey look-a-like'...who seemed very soft spoken...later i found out he had this abnormal craving for juice,a connoisseur of lil shrubs and grass, this guy can survive on jus a can of tropicana for a whole day...i stood dumbfound looking at this guy guzzle down the liquid as my mind wandered "does he ever eat any proper food??"

then there was this female sitting all alone behind me...seemingly lost in her own thoughts just like me...now my instinct kicks in...i reach into my pocket n grab a pack of spearmint...an ask her if she is interested....no...that was her first and only word...

A quick glance around the room....one corner i see a big guy...seeming completely disinterested in the class scribbling something in his notepad....another guy a ring in one ear,chewing a gum, was seriously trying to pay attention to what the prof was sayin....there was this other guy seemed all too interested in what the girls sitting behind him were giggling about...then there was this other female who was the epitome of attention trying to take notes....an then this other guy who just seemed so out of it that he was probably daydreaming by now....

time just flies when your are having fun...before i realized it was lunch break.....we all kinda sat together....trying to share what we had and for a while it seemed as though it was going to be all ok....suddenly it din't seem all that strange....the strangers about whom i was so skeptical suddenly seemed friend material...may be this was going to work out after all....

Days passed....fun was in the air...we were having a ball....our so called gang was nice and big....people sharing things with each other talking,laughing,hanging out....basically having a good time....all seemed too good to be true...

then as quickly as things got good it all changed one fine day...suddenly people seemed to ignore me...lunch table became a place where i had to see peoples back...like as though i no longer existed for them....the thing that was irksome was that no one was telling what the issue was...being the way i was i just chugged along my merry way not letting things change who i was...

as the semester came to an end....so did my ignorance....nothing would have prepared me for what i was about to hear...the issue was of much bigger proportions than i had imagined....started with a basic misunderstanding....someone telling things which i never uttered...another guy saying i did something which had never ever even occurred to me even in my wildest dreams...an then this other guy went about digging my grave right under me....i was shocked to hear... only one question lingered on my mind...and it probably does even today....all this had a simple solution a question face to face would have solved it all...but thats life....sometimes things which seem obvious just doesn't happen....

Life indeed was not the same...and would probably never be the same...As they say all that happens happens for the good....what came out of all that misunderstanding was that i realised what true friendship was....i realised it doesn't matter how many are with you when you are having fun...all that matters is how many are there for you...it got me closer to people who i am close even today...yea...its been 4 years now after we got out of the place....am still in close contacts with those two guys...am thankful to god that whatever happened actually happened...because if not for those things i probably would not have got two dear friends who mean nothing short of the world to me...guys who i miss everyday....guys who i know are missing me too...

looking back today sitting in a place full of strangers...again wondering who among these would i hang out with....who among them would get a crush on...who among these guys would detest me....seems all so familiar....the only difference is....now am prepared....am ready to face anything....am sure whatever happens is not make a difference to me...if not anything else it is only gonna make me stronger...if things are gonna be like what have been happening for the past one year...i just cant wait to go back.....an i would have no issues of missing people all together....

Nostalgia-Series 1

2008-05-04T01:12:00.000-07:00

Some of my Favorite songs....old is definetely gold...gosh some of these songs are as old as me but they still make you swing....

hope you like em too....

Series -1

'Skinny' the Pencil

2008-05-02T19:20:00.001-07:00

At the wake of dawn On a cold winter morning, the Pencil Maker was giving the final touches to what was gonna be his last pencil. "this one is going to be special, what can i do to make him be the best of em all" he wondered. He decided to call him skinny for he was as 'skinny' a pencil you could ever see. With One last cut, the pencil maker was done and then he said "there skinny....you are all ready to go out into this world", but before you go i got something to tell you come with me" and took him aside.

said the Pencil Maker "Now before putting you into the box and send you out into the world There are few things you need to know,always remember them and never forget, and you will become the best pencil you can be".

"what are those things dad" asked skinny

"i will tell you my son" said the pencil maker, "the first thing is, You have the potential to do great things, the things that you dream of,but,you can do them only if you let yourself to be held in Someone else's hand".

"You will experience a painful sharpening from time to time, Don't worry,it is for your own good. withstand it and it will only make you a better that what you already are.".

"Three: Not everybody gets this chance but you will be able to correct any mistakes you might make."

"Four: Never forget that the most important part of you,is and will always be what's inside you."

"And Five: You may be used on any surface, some might be hard, some might be soft, some might be colorful, others may be a dull old white, but whatever you are used on, you must always leave your mark. No matter what the condition, you must continue to write and never give up."

Skinny understood and promised to remember, and went into the box with purpose in his heart.

Now its your turn to understand and promise to remember this parable on Skinny the pencil.

Mirror Mirror On the wall

2008-05-02T00:45:00.000-07:00

Mirror Mirror On the wall....who the fairest of them all....no this is not an ad for fair and lovely but this is from 'snow white and the seven dwarfs'....

we see the mirror everyday...Have you ever looked into the mirror and all you saw was yourself,trying to be what you want to be instead of what you really are!!!

Your World Upside Down!!!

2008-05-01T20:16:00.000-07:00

Life comes at you really fast...sneaks up on you when you don't realize...everything is going fine and then suddenly your whole world is upside down....the days seem long....summer feels like winter....you start skipping meals...and what not!!!...no this is not just cuz u r in love...this could also be cuz its exam time...and you are stuck juggling between 4 final exams...3 research paper presentations...20 hours of work...and 2 group projects....all due in a couple of days....???

Been there done that already??? Let it out here!!!

Imagine....Life Without the Moon

2008-04-28T22:19:00.000-07:00

Life is a tenuous thing, Very often one generally tends to take some things for granted, thereby fail to appreciate them. We realize their value only when they are not around any more. There are things which are minuscule and then there are some things which are of astronomical proportions. In point of fact, it is almost certain that countless Extinction-Level events would have sterilized the surface of our plucky planet had it not been for our constant companion and benefactor; a body which unwittingly wards away many of the ills that could befall us: the moon.

Most of us are amazed by the beauty of the moon in the sky. It has driven men to poetic verse and romantic notions... But what if the moon did not exist? The next time you notice the moon in the sky, try to imagine how things might be different with no moon orbiting our planet.

Besides the obvious; no moonlit walks, no "Moon River" and no Apollo Moon landings (one small step for a man one giant leap for mankind!!! )...Imagine...no solar or lunar eclipses. Many of our vocabulary words are "moon oriented." The words "honeymoon"(Now can you imagine this in any other way Honeymars,Honeyearth naah!!! not quite the same). Imagine you cannot call your annoying boss a "'lunatic"... you just cannot have a "moon madness" and say bye bye to the "moonflower" it would not even exist and try having that showy social past-time of "mooning!" with the Sun well not quite the day type right!!!

No more would we be able to enjoy the waves...The moon is largely responsible for the tides....with its pull responsible for the ebb and flow of the tides....

How about the word month, (derived from the word 'moonth!')...how about that...if not for the moon...January February would have been called 'sun'th or something....just doesn't sound right now does it!!!

I still remember when i was young my mom used to show the moon an make me eat...now if there was no moon what would she do??

How about chandamama...am sure all of us would have heard about it or read it at some point of time...no moon no 'chanda'mama....

Looking at the sky all you would find is a star lit night...a bunch of small dots...

Now for some science...Many calendars were based on the 29 day cycle of the moon, in fact,Today,the Islamic calendar as well as a few others, are still based on the moon.Christians calculate the date of Easter by the full moon. Easter is the first Sunday after the first full moon after the Spring Equinox.The Chinese date their new year according the moon.

Our nearest neighbor in space has been a major part of our life. The next time you gaze at the moon, think of the role it has played, and how lost we might be without it!

Whats your ten!!!

2008-04-28T00:04:00.000-07:00

Once i was at subway with a classmate...he suddenly sprang a surprise on me...."hey venky name 10 things you consider most important ....things which you share with people"...was the question.

i was flabbergasted...but then got thinking...after a while i told him "buddy i need time"...being the guy he was..."i can wait dude...just make sure you let me know once you think of em! you know where to reach me right!!!" was his reply.

That evening i sat and penned down things which i feel are the ten most important things that i share with someone....ten things which i feel are very easily ignored!!!

they go like this...

LOVE:
The Special Feeling That Makes You Feel all Warm And Wonderful....the same special feeling that you give someone very close to you....

RESPECT:
Treating Others As Well As You Would Like To Be Treated...Give respect and you shall be respected....

APPRECIATION:
To Be Grateful For All The Good Things Life Has To Offer...Live in the present...appreciate the finer things in life....yesterday is history...tomorrow is a mystery....today is a gift thats why its called "present" so live life to the fullest....there is only one life to live...why waste by worrying!!!

HAPPINESS:
The Full Enjoyment Of Each Moment. A Smiling Face.You never realise there is someone in this world somewhere whose day is bright because of your smile....

FORGIVENESS:
The Ability To Let Things Be Without Anger. Forgive and Foget....Do we do it!!! i sit and wonder whether i do it!!!

SHARING:
The Joy Of Giving Without Thought Of Receiving... Ask what you can do for this world never ask what this world has done for you!!!

HONESTY:
The Quality Of Always Telling The Truth... truth is bitter but it is on any day better....

INTEGRITY:
The Purity Of Doing What's Right, No Matter What...Integrity to oneself...an to the ones around us...

COMPASSION:
The Essence Of Feeling Another's Pain, While Easing Their Hurt...everyone needs someone when they are hurting...realise that...the best part of the human body is the shoulder as it is the one which supports the head of a friend who needs the support!!!

PEACE:
The Reward For Living The 10 Most Important Things...peace towards one and all....

So whats your ten!!!

Just another day in the life of a hungry young man!!!

2008-04-27T00:23:00.000-07:00

It’s way past dinner time an my stomach started growling so as to say come on u idiot don make me shout again eat...eat...and i start my long walk home as it is another half an hour for my bus and i just cant wait that long(Dude where's my Car....no not the movie but my ZEN....), then i think how about going an having a dosai or a plate of idli sambar at "Mathura" or a bowl of fruit salad at the "ABN pantry"... i start thinking i would do exactly that...i start strolling...i could almost smell the parata kurma from "Sarmani"...the chit chat of the people waiting for the movie to start at jayapradha right opposite to raheja...cars honking continuously...the autowallas flocking...an wondering what movie is running i step out on to the road...when my mind suddenly changes....its been long since i have had kara dosai at saravana bhavan why not that today....of course 50rs but i was hungry for the dosai now so i had already made up my mind...

i start walking a bit faster...could almost see the dosai inviting me...i cross woodlands where the night show of "nadu kadal thigil" (Deep Blue Sea for all who din get what that movie was!!!) is running houseful would be funny to see Samuel L Jackson an co speak Tamil wouldn't it...."odunga adu nammala thinga pogudu"...laughing to myself i continue "in pursuit of kara dosai"(get the drift..."in pursuit of happiness")...

A mad dash across the road when the signal is green...an the frustrated uncle with all the love an affection enquires whether i told my parents an came("Vetla solitu vantiyaa"), ignoring as ever i push on...enjoying the ever so elegant interior decor of JVM...an wondering why Pilot always shows movies which you just have to watch with your family (again get the pun....pilot jus does not show movies which you can call family entertainers ever wondered why!!!)i reach the bridge....a good quick jog an i see people standing outside NIIT- the dating center oops the computer center...where everyone comes just for learning computer....precisely why i went there...

The end was in sight...the home stretch...i could feel it...my goal...there in the distance...round the corner to the left was saravana bhavan...where a tasty crispy hot buttery kara dosai was waiting...cant wait any longer i start running...for a moment i turn an look whether the trusty hutch network is following or not...why hutch when i got an airtel connection!!! am refering to the doggie...get it??? where ever you go it follows...not the connection but the man's best friend...

5 minutes later, finally stopping when my legs could run no more,gasping for my breath, i look up and find myself standing in front of the brightly lit...ever crowded...saravana bhavan...The setting couldnt be better...The road lit up with the sodium vapor lights, the mada veethi buzzing with action, as shoppers and shopkeepers each trying to bargain their way into a deal...the shoppers for a few more pieces of inji and kothamalli and the shopkeeper for a few extra ruppes...is music to the ears.

The aroma of the sambar and the masala paal fills the air...my eyes open as wide as my mouth... as I stand outside Saravana Bhavan. the music of kunakudi's violin floats faintly in the background,I can’t wait to get my hands on the dosai. I can visualize amma bringing tumbler (not cup) full of filter coffee (not Folgers) to Appa who is already in front of the tv...a break from the computer(not laptop)... I influenced my mind to go home and then bring appa and amma to saravana bhavan...been a long time since we all came here...

this is when i am shaken out of my reverie by the strident noise of the microwave indicating that the frozen malai kofta that i had got for $2.99 and the Deep aaloo paratha for $3.99 that i got from R.K grocery is done and ready to eat....

I walk out the door to the entrance of my apartment complex, and all I see is an empty road and pin drop silence,occasionally broken by a car whizzing past at break neck speed every now and then, or a bunch of guys jogging with jarring music on their ipods...

thinking again...the life half way across the globe...as they say the grass is always greener on the other side....am happy...am having fun...am enjoying my life...but there is heart inside me which just can’t wait to go back to the place where i grew up...the place called HOME....

Is Common Sense Really Common!!!

2008-04-24T11:25:00.000-07:00

If one were to look up the dictionary to see what Common sense meant we would find this - Common Sense (or, when used attributively as an adjective, commonsense, common-sense, or commonsensical), based on a strict construction of the term, consists of what people in common would agree on: that which they "sense" (in common) as their common natural understanding.(Thanks Wiki for this wonderfully laid out explanation...)

I was just reading a collection of quotations of one famous American writer ralph waldo emerson when i came across this-"Nothing astonishes men so much as common sense and plain dealing". this made me think how can something that astonishes you be common!!!

i started wondering how do you categorize something as common...everyone is very different in our own way...whats easy and routine for one might not be the same for someone else....if you put some thought into it we can find everyday things which is not the same for two people. when i think of this am reminded of a good old joke that i heard back during my school days(Gosh am talking 1990's wayyyy back!!!)so here it is...don't forget to laugh once am done ok...aaaahh don start laughing already i havnt started yet....so the joke goes something like this....

A Company which manufactures Washing detergents based in mera bharath mahan thought of introducing the product in arabic country. they developed a poster for the ad campaign which went something like this... "scene 1... A guy holds a dirty shirt....scene 2...the person displays the company's detergent pours it into the a bucket and adds in some water...wallah instant foam...the person dips the shirt into the bucket full...scene 3...a sparkling white shirt..." the marketing team was excited about the product launch.everyone was expecting the sales to sky rocket...but alas when the first month sales report came in everyone jaw dropped....the company hadnt sold a single packet... people were confused as to what could be wrong...then one day when the boss was thinking about his ad campaign at home...his servant suddenly let out a loud shreek...shocked he asked him what is the issue....to which the servant said who in the right mind would make a product which turns white shirt into a dirty one....it was then it hit the boss that in that country people read from right to left....so the ad got projected as " a guy takes a white shirt...pours some of the company liquid and then wallah u have a dirty shirt" no wonder the company dint sell a single packet!!! ( OK now its about time you laugh!!!)

I recently saw a another good demonstration of the profound change in something which appears common but in actuality is least bit common...it is what is called reversal of picture layout. intrigued read on...

A friend had created a picture with a menacing wolf staring at a small child – both on the left of the picture with a nature landscape scene spreading across the picture. To my mind, a much more dramatic effect resulted by flipping this scene horizontally so that the viewer first sees this very tranquil, sunny landscape and then is jarred by the sight of this impending attack on a small innocent child.

Of course the artist was not intending to make a comment about how savage things happen in the most innocent of places, his idea was something different than what i had thought of.

Its probably because of my personal perceptions that what is common may not be that common ....so how does one define if indeed one wants to sit and define "common"!!!

Ponder on this while i take a break...shall try to give my end of the deal pretty soon!!!!

Tickle your Brain a bit!!!

2008-04-24T11:22:00.000-07:00

A basket contains 5 apples. Do you know how to divide them to 5 kids so that each one has an apple and one apple stays in the basket???

Is it people or is it the situation???

2008-04-22T17:01:00.000-07:00

For sometime now, i have been wondering whether coming to a different country does it really change people???? do they become someone they were not back home? Is it the surrounding or the urge to blend in that brings about the change? This also makes me wonder is it really worth doing something when you end up becoming someone you are not?

This flows from certain perceptions that i had like for example there are things which are in built in you and then there are things which you pick up as you grow. People generally say that what you are is something which cannot be changed, how you are is what changes with time... like how a person becomes more mature with age(atleast thats what happens to most of us!!!).

My brother made a very good point sometime back that when you are with someone for a longtime you tend to pick up some good points from them...points which inspire you...points which make you wonder is that the reason why he is like this??? so what you do is try an mould yourself accordingly... but then again what you are deep down is something, that can never be changed...

The things i have seen and experienced over the past one and half years have certainly made me a tid bit stronger and more appreciative of things around me.

How Difficult is it to be Nice???

2008-03-18T16:27:00.000-07:00

In life you can never be too kind or too fair; everyone you meet is carrying a heavy load. When you go through your day expressing kindness and courtesy to all you meet, you leave behind a feeling of warmth and good cheer, and you help alleviate the burdens everyone is struggling with.

If you can’t think what life must be like inside someone else’s skin, you can’t appreciate the hardships that others endure. Those who can and do look at life from another’s point of view usually (in my experience, always) find that they wouldn’t trade their life and their troubles for those of anyone else.

That’s a strange phenomenon. When we only look at our own problems and consider how hard life is on us, we seem to have the worst problems in the world. When we seriously think about the problems that others must endure–really learn what they are and how other people struggle to cope with them–we never want to trade ours for theirs.

Look at the people you meet every day, the people closest to you, with the same eyes. Every one of them struggles with problems and almost every one will hide them so that you learn nothing. Everyone wants you to think they are fearless, until proven otherwise. Everyone wants you to believe they never make mistakes, until they are caught.

Everyone wants you to believe that they can make it on their own, no matter what their problems and no matter how little help they have with them, until they break down.Sometimes that breakdown is emotional. Sometimes it shows up as an addiction

If you are only thinking about your own problems and not those of others around you, when they go over the edge you may not be prepared. You may not be able to help.

You may miss the signs and live to regret it for years afterward.

Other people have it worse than you. If you dig deep enough, you may find that everyone else does. Be gentle. Cut them some slack. Forgive. Offer a shoulder, or some time to listen.

You may save a life if not atleast you will certainly enrich your own in the process.

The Indian Real Estate - The Real Deal

2008-01-18T08:37:00.000-08:00

Recently my brother was looking to acquire some land back home and during our discussions i got intrigued into the Indian real estate market how it has suddenly undergone such a drastic change especially in the metros where the land value has more than doubled in the past couple of years.

In the new millennia India has emerged as strong, swift and bold player. Industry expert’s believe that the Indian real estate has huge demand potential in almost every sector, be it commercial, residential or retail.

India is the most exciting real estate market in Asia,It's one of the last major countries in Asia with an improving market.

This spurt of growth in the Indian real estate is in large part due to the burgeoning outsourcing and information technology (IT) industry. It is estimated that by 2010, the IT sector alone would require 150 million sq.ft. Of space across major cities.New companies means new offices, houses, shops in short commercial, residential and retail space.

This growth is facilitated by favorable demographics, increasing purchasing power, existence of customer-friendly banks and housing finance companies, professionalism in real estate and reforms initiated by the Government to attract global investors. People have more purchasing power and exposure to organized retail formats has redefined the consumption pattern. Even small towns want to emulate the culture of their big city cousins. As a result, retail projects have been mushrooming across even B-grade cities.

This new way of life has quite drastically changed the face of India’s real estate, may it be the city centers the urban areas or the new yuppie towns. Small shops, old fashioned bungalows and office blocks have all changed into luxurious apartments, with club-houses, pools and sprawling greens. Instead of small shops we have humongous sprawling malls and office complexes.

with the boom comes the crunch, property prices in India are rising fast, real fast and not just in the biggest cities. As the tech boom spreads across the country, and as more Indians buy homes, and as the economy grows at faster than 8% a year, real estate is attracting more investors, many of them from abroad.

But one thing is for sure it is no longer going to be cheap or easy to be a player in the Indian Real Estate Game.

Old is Gold....

2008-01-16T21:14:00.000-08:00

There has recently been a spur of remixes hitting the screen with not just songs being remixed but we had people trying their hands at remaking movies.

How do the new ones fair as compared to the originals??? to be really fair some of the remixes have been equally successful latest being "Pon Magal Vanthal"(from Azhagiya Tamil Magan (2007) "Engayum Epodum" (from Polladhavan (2007)) and My name is Billa (from Billa(2007)). Even though all these are pretty good i really feel the best ones were " Thotal Poo Malarum" (from New(2004))and Asai nooru vagai(from kurumbu(2003))...

Pon Magal Vanthal....

Engeyum Epodum....

My name is Billa...

Thotal Poo Malarum...

Aasai Nooru Vaagai...

Heaven on Earth

2008-01-13T08:05:00.000-08:00

There has always been that one special place which sticks in your memory,could be the sands of Goa or the foot hill of Himalayas, Green Kerala or Cosmopolitan Bangalore. It could be because of the fun that we had or the people whom we were with or could be that we just were so stressed out that the place gave us the perfect setting for just letting our hair down and relax and rejuvenate.

I have had my share of places that i have visited with friends,families and even strangers. I just thought of listing down the places that i enjoyed the most and reliving those memorable moments!

Series 1:

SHORE TEMPLE AT MAHABALIPURAM (Chennai)

The Drive to this place is one of my most cherished route ever. The 'ECR' is one of the best roads in Chennai- wide Roads, Cars whizzing through left and right, Toll gates, a picture which i see here in the U.S.

It is believed that there were seven magnificent temples what are known as the seven pagodas, built near the sea shore. But today the shore temple is the lone survivor. Built during the 7th century and later completed by Narasimha Varman II, (Rajasimha) the temple is a real work of art. One of the oldest of the south Indian Temples constructed in the nature Dravidian style these stand proof for the importance that was placed on establishing that particular style of architecture. The shore temple in particular has gained popularity and tourists flock here by the thousands every day. UNESCO has listed this among its list of world heritage sites.

There are three temples, Two Shiva Temples which face east and west respectively and one Vishnu Temple. The Vishnu temple was built by Narasimha Varman I and the other two were built by Narasimha Varman II. One can find the beautifully carved twin Dwarka Palaks (gate keepers) at the entrance of the east facing Shiva Temple. There are sculptures of Somaskanda - lord Shiva with his better half, Parvati, and his sons, Skanda and Ganesha. Apart from Lord Shiva’s sculpture, one can find the sculptures of Narasimha and Goddess Durgha also.

The central shrine is in the form of a rectangle. It has a statue of lord Vishnu which is known as Sthala Shayana Perumal or Ananthasayana which means sleeping Vishnu. The peculiarity about this particular temple is the lord reclines on the floor listening silently the sounds of names. Another speciality of the temple is that the figure of Vishnu is found in segments which are to be looked through various doors.

Coming Soon...The "Windy City"

Will Nano be Numero Uno!!!

2008-01-11T19:37:00.001-08:00

After months of rumors and tantalizing leaks, Tata Motors has finally unveiled the Tata Nano its already legendary $2,500 (1-lakh) car. As expected, the car that Tata claims will change the face of not only the Indian car market, but the global auto industry. A comfortable, safe, all-weather car, high on fuel efficiency & low on emissions is what you will get when you go in for the Nano.

The inspiration for such a venture had to be something out of the ordinary. In Ratan Tata’s own words "I observed families riding on two-wheelers - the father driving the scooter, his young kid standing in front of him, his wife seated behind him holding a little baby. It led me to wonder whether one could conceive of a safe, affordable, all-weather form of transport for such a family. Tata Motors' engineers and designers gave their all for about four years to realise this goal. Today, we indeed have a People's Car, which is affordable and yet built to meet safety requirements and emission norms, to be fuel efficient and low on emissions. We are happy to present the People's Car to India and we hope it brings the joy, pride and utility of owning a car to many families who need personal mobility."

I got really curious and started to dig deeper and found some interesting specs about the Nano.

With a length of 3.1 meters, width of 1.5 meters and height of 1.6 meters, it is smaller in size than the current small car in the market but boats of increased seating space. Its mono-volume design, with wheels at the corners and the power train at the rear, enables it to uniquely combine both space and maneuverability, which will set a new benchmark among small cars.

The car has a rear-wheel drive, all-aluminum, two-cylinder, 623 cc, 33 PS, multi point fuel injection petrol engine. This is the first time that a two-cylinder gasoline engine is being used in a car with single balancer shaft. The lean design strategy has helped minimize weight, which helps maximize performance per unit of energy consumed and delivers high fuel efficiency. Performance is controlled by a specially designed electronic engine management system.

It has an all sheet-metal body, with strong passenger compartment, with safety features such as crumple zones, intrusion-resistant doors, seat belts, strong seats and anchorages, and the rear tailgate glass bonded to the body. Tubeless tyres further enhance safety.

In terms of overall pollutants, it has a lower pollution level than two-wheelers being manufactured in India today. The high fuel efficiency also ensures that the car has low carbon dioxide emissions, thereby providing the twin benefits of an affordable transportation solution with a low carbon footprint.
(For more information: www.tatapeoplescar.com )

These things aside I was just wondering how the Nano would play on India.

The increase in the number of four wheelers on the road is something which cannot be overlooked. With lack of wider roads, multiple lanes and cars already lining up every inch of the roads not just in the metros but in almost all major cities, it would not be long before you call up home to say ‘Honey am stuck in this mad traffic jam, looks like am not gonna make it for the wedding on time’. More cars means need for more parking space in public places like malls, restaurants, cinema halls and those little side roads that we park while going on a shopping spree.

The effect on fuel consumption and its price is another thing which is a cause for worry, with oil prices increasing consistently showing no signs of coming down in the near future, more consumption would effectively mean the government would hike the prices which affects everyone from your little daughter who drives her little scooty to your boyfriend who drives around in his CBZ, from your boss who drives around In his Accord, the auto walla who always seems to take you for a ride when it comes to the charge, your next door neighbor who flaunts around in his Honda City to the lorry wala who scares you the highway with his driving.

Well only time will tell whether the car for the average Indian is going to have the average Indian as well the others in a spot of bother or is it going to make the Indian dream into a reality.

Where is the Game Heading!!!

2008-01-08T15:48:00.000-08:00

The Second test between India and Australia in Sydney has made headlines for all the wrong reasons. Players in trouble for misconduct, the umpires giving some horrendous decisions which changed the whole course of the match this test had it all. The entire tour is now in jeopardy, what happens now is anybody’s guess!

Once again the rub of the green went agianst the Indians who were at the receiving end of much of the off the wall decisions. First, Australian captain Ricky Ponting was ruled not out by Benson couple of times even though the television replays clearly showed that the batsman had edged the ball. In the end it turned to be an anticlimax of sorts for the Australian master batsman who was ruled out leg before off a huge inside edge. Veteran Umpire Steve Bucknor fared no better. This time it was Andrew Symonds who was the beneficiary when on 30 he got a thick audible outside edge which was smartly gobbled up by Dhoni much to the jubilation of the bowler Ishant Sharma but Bucknor much to the agony of the bowler, the team and probably the entire nation turned the appeal down. It just seemed like the umpires including the third umpire sitting upstairs were just in no mood of cutting short the Australian’s stay at the wicket. Symonds benefitted again when the third umpire failed to declare him out stumped even though his feet had not touched the ground. ‘Roy’ got another reprieve when Bucknor refused to use the third umpire off a close stumping appeal. A Second look at the television replay showed that Symonds, who was on 148 then, was short of his crease, he went on to make a match winning knock of 162 N.O

The Indian batsmen also suffered heavily. Wasim Jaffer was bowled by Brett Lee off a fast delivery which on another day might have been called a No-Ball. In the second innings Rahul Dravid was given caught behind when a second look showed the bat nicely tucked behind the pads and miles away from the bat. Saurav ganguly was given the marching order even though Michael Clark took a bump catch, also grounding it while rolling over. Peter Roebuck has been critical about the umpire in his column for the Sydney Morning Herald where he wrote: "Clearly, the sweet-natured Jamaican is past his prime. Indeed, he was expected to retire after the World Cup. Those responsible for allowing him to linger were also partly responsible for a decision that changed the course of the day and possibly the match and series."

While one could argue that the umpires are also humans and just like you and me are prone to have bad days in office,shouldn't something be done to make sure such things are avoided in the future since a bad decision could change the course of the game, the series and dare I say even a player's career.

How realistic is it for me to expect the ICC to start penalizing umpires for not performing their job upto expected levels, just like how a player is dropped when not performing properly the umpires should also be subject to such considerations. Probably explore options where a rating and scores are given for the umpires or assign points based on their experience and then start docking points whenever they make blatant errors and start taking actions when the points fall below a certain level. I think such drastic measures would play a major role in keeping the umpires on their toes because the decision that they give could change a match on its head!!!

The Maestro...

2008-01-07T19:38:00.000-08:00

A.R.Rahman born "A.S. Dileep Kumar" fittingly named by time magazine as the 'Mozart of Madras' has redefined music to a new level.

Here is my pick on the compositions rendered by our maestro

Melodies

Does Vijay TV have a Winner....

2008-01-06T16:57:00.000-08:00

Finally there is a one of a kind talk show on television which is guaranteed to keep you glued to your seat, spur some discussion among friends and will not make your mom cry for sure. Titled “Neeya Naana” it is anything but an argument between two groups. It is a debate that is well controlled by the host gopinath, who ensures that the discussion never escalates into a squabble. The show prides on being the perfect platform for people to share their views and opinions.

One of the usp’s of the show is its choice of topics for discussion. Topics like “Romance in public”, “Young mom Vs Young daughters" spurred much interest among people. Then again there have been some topics which are touchy and subject to personal beliefs like “Rasi Palan”. Whether such topics which spur controversy be avoided or whether such radical topics be welcomed is open for discussion.

To all my fellow viewers I would just like to float a few thoughts. Firstly, Should controversial topics which have the potential to hurt people’s sentiments and question their very beliefs be discussed openly? (Topics like “Rasi Palan” where it is difficult to justify which side is right!).Next, while discussing a topic like “Tamil Nadu Vs other states” where you peg one state against rest of the country gopinath says that "hopefully this show breaks the barriers and have made people to be more forthright in their opinion" it is difficult to sideline the fact that by discussing are we unconsciously weakening the very foundations of our country like “Unity in Diversity” by advocating open hostility towards certain sections of people because of our own prejudices? Let’s cross our fingers and hope for the best and pray that Gopinath’s words hold fort. Another debatable fact is the level of honesty that people would show in these discussions,For example during the discussion about romance in public all the while there was a big group propagating that romancing in public is not wrong and then suddenly when confronted openly “how many of you have shared a passionate kiss with your lover” it took a good five minutes and a great deal of persuasion for people to accept and even then only a handful acknowledged the fact.

Before i wrap up i would like to put forth few things which i myself am pondering for quite some time now:
In today's world where situations dictate how a person behaves and each and every single person adapts himself/herself to the situation they are in how fair is it for us to decide based on just a few personal experiences whether people from one state are trustworthy while people from another state are not?
Where do you draw the line between a healthy debate and downright argument?
When someone who says that he/she is from a particular cast/community and is blessed to be born into that community, does it make others any less fortunate? How do u decide?
What can we do to weed out any issues that arise from these discussions? Is there any forum that addresses such issues??

New Year....New Beginning....

2008-01-06T16:42:00.001-08:00

I just thought of joining the Blog bandwagon in the New Year in this new space....

I wish I were a star, shining so bright
Hiding in the blue clouds, I would play all night...........