Plethora of Emotions

Arjun applied his breaks just in time to pause for the signal.. the traffic was heavy as people were being help up to clear the road for a safe passage for the minsiter’s convoy.

He was staring without an aim and reflecting on his thoughts..his emotions were getting the better of him and his mind was clouded and disturbed..

He was feeling pretty low and sorry for himself, perhaps the worst state one could ever wish to be..

He had let ANGER get the better of him, picking up fights with his friends for no apparent reason,his DEFEATist attitude was making him feel bad with every FAILURE,he wished certain things would go his way: with a mixture of EXPECTATION and HOPE and when reality had something else in store, he was cursing himself in self EMBARASSMENT.

His own INDECISIVENESS and that of people around him was adding to his frustration and he was lamenting the fact that not enough SUCCESS came along despite him pitching in the best of efforts and the grief and PAIN of disappointment and unfulfilled EXPECTATIONS were haunting him.Harsh realities in schooling days had taught him that REVENGE eats up half your time and peace of mind, and it takes strength of mind to abstain oneself from seeking it, and the best way to avoid JEALOUSY was to celebrate others’ success. The traffic was starting to clear and the road ahead seemed clearer now, and Arjun was moving forward through the army of vehicles..

Just then, Arjun’s ears began revebrating with the dreaded hissing sound..yes it was a flat tyre..Luckily, the garage was nearby and Arjun asked the mechanic to hand over the car at his home when it was ready, and he proceeded to have a walk towards his home which was a couple of kilometers away.

An old woman was waiting patiently for her turn to cross the road, and inconsiderate people seemed to be unmindful, hardly caring to stop, yet there was not even a hint of ANGER due to frustration in her visage. She waited patiently, knowing her turn would come.Arjun clasped her wrinkled hands firmly and helped her cross the street.

As he walked on, he saw a few kids playing a game of marbles. A kid narrowly missed his shot, and the winning group traded high fives and the losers sulked for a moment. Almost immediately, “one more time” said the losing group captain.. ” get ready for the next win” said the victorious captain to his team. Arjun watched with keen interest as to how the losing kids quickly shrugged off their DEFEAT, and how the winning team wanted more SUCCESS.This time around, the other team won and soon the kids were holding their hands together, gazing at the huge billboards in awe, with no trace of PAIN,REVENGE or JEALOUSY.

A herd of goats were scampering accross, almost reaching the other side only to come all the way back on hearing a loud horn..so much for INDECISIVENESS and yet Arjun could spot them realligning themselves, sticking to their original plans ,determined to give it a try all over again.

Arjun was just a couple of cross streets away from his home and
on one side of the road, a lame beggar was sitting besides a magnificient paiting of Lord Hanuman. Arjun stopped, admiring the beautiful piece of art, and the beggar looked up at Arjun with HOPE. Arjun thrust a ten rupee note into the beggar’s hand. “Thank You, Sir this is a bonus as I usually expect just a well done or a one rupee coin from people for all this”. So much so for EXPECTATIONS for efforts !

As he moved ahead, Arjun observed a middle aged man squatted under the street lights. Arjun walked up towards him, partially wondering how one could take up such a job. “I can guess what you are thinking Sir, I can tell you I dont see any EMBARASSMENT in doing this: I need to feed my wife and kids and I prefer stooping down and polishing shoes for a living rather than standing upright and stabbing others behind their back for instant success! ”

Arjun was speechless ” Polish ?” the man asked cheekily. Arjun was retiring to his home for the night and obviously he did not need one but still, he decided to have his shoes gleamed up and handed out a two rupee coin. ” And now tell your wife that though you bent down to polish my shoes, you recevied your pay with your head held high !” said Arjun with a wink.

Arjun was coming out of his cocoon,thanks to a flat tyre, and the realities of the outer world made him realise that everyone else was having their own set of emotions to keep them occupied as well.

Back at home, Arjun unbuttoned his Orange shirt and let it hang neatly.After some minutes, he was all by himself in his room, lights switched off, the moonlight finding its way, tricking through the curtains, blissfully illuminating the room. The Moon is a magical mix of charm, mystery and romance Arjun looked up at the fast revolutions of the ceiling fan, going back to those glorious days as a kid..

Arjun longed for those days when ..

1.INDECISIVENESS meant being unable to choose between a packet of Uncle Chips and Cadbury’s Crackle
2.JEALOUSY was when you looked with hate at the big ice cream cone on your sister’s hands when you were struggling with a sore throat
3. ADAMANCE meant refusing to let “Paatimma” watch Mahabharatham when the timings clashed with India’s cricket matches
4. REVENGE was all about letting the air out of the cycle wheels of your friend who won the race to touch the school gates first
5. PAIN was something that you experienced when the family doctor drove his sterilized syringe right through your bum
6. EMBARASSMENT made you blush when the girl next to you pointed out that you had failed to pull up your zip after attending nature’s call
7. APOLOGY was never at premium especially when the Social Science teacher expected one and the clang of bells meant the next hour was the P.T period
8.DESIRE meant longing for a gulp of “Goldspot” after having spent the entire day playing under arm cricket in the blazing sun
9. DEFEAT and FAILURE meant a lost opportunity to be the first person to wish the prettiest girl in class on her birthday
10. ANGER made you fume when Mom refused to let you indulge yourself in the rain but vanished as soon as she opened the window to let you admire the rainbow
11. EXPECTATION and IMPATIENCE meant glancing at the intercom longingly, waiting to utter the chants “hari ohm shanno …”- the evening prayer so that you could crash straight into mom’s arms for a tight hug after having won a prize at school
12 HOPE meant you would still keepy praying for an Indian win, even after the fall of Sachin’s wicket
13 COURAGE meant the guts to walk upto your neighbour and ask if you could retrieve the ball,after having just smashed his window with a swashbucking hit
14 And most importantly, SUCCESS meant both “NOTHING and EVERYTHING” and CELEBRATIONS NEVER NEEDED A REASON

Arjun was reflecting on all that had happened, the lessons he had learnt on the streets that day. He was tossing and rolling over from one side to another,unable to sleep.He was just hoping for better days ahead and realised that no one else but Arjun himself had to take the initiative if he wanted his state of affairs to improve. Slowly, the effect of the moonlight softened, upto a point of non botheration ,Arjun stopped sensing the comfort of the breeze and he could not hear the sounds made by the rotations of the fan blade against the wind anymore…

And in case you thought Arjun had breathed his last, courtesy a massive cardiac arrest…

Arjun was in his own dreamy world by that time, a world where the Aishwarya Rais and Nayantharas were waiting to welcome him with open arms

Life is too short to be spent worrying. Live for the moment

The “Endhiran Experience – Part 2..

Today we went to the auditorium early at around 8 30 A.M and we were all hoping for a few surprises and guess what.. we saw Superstar in his scientist avatar today !

In he walked,brisk and trim, a cheerful smile and his trade mark “vanakkam” to all of us, with his hands held well above his head.He is sporting a french beard for the scientist role and the wig is similar to his “padikadhavan”, “maaveran” days..He was in a white designer shirt and black trousers today. He was concentration personified, with a stern look and his left hand placed firmly on a nearby ladder for support, he was browsing through his dialogue papers intently.

We were then asked to wait outside as they were about to shoot some confidential stuff but from the scenes that we witnessed since yesterday and the overall theme that was evident, this is gonna be one cracker of a movie,definitely the first of its kind in Tamil cinema

We waited patiently for about 3 hours and it was fun watching the activities of all other junior artists.. most of them were North Indians and a few were foreigners, who were happy to lie down on the lawns, with the sun beating down on their backs..A few junior artists were selected for the main shot and a couple were cribbing about the length of their costumes ( they seemed pretty lengthy though for today’s standards )

After lunch, we entered the auditorium again and as we entered, we saw with open mouth and wide eyes, the Miss World Aishwarya Rai. The entire audience was stunned. Beauty at its best, and with drop dead gorgeous looks, she is definitely the most beautiful spectacle that I have ever witnessed so far. She was wearing a black top with short sleeves, that complemented her glowing skin, and a black skirt.

The director called for a break and so we rushed out to be near Ash’s car for a closer look.We waited gazing at her caravan..the door slowly opened ,a hand, visible till the forearm emerged , pushing out the caravan door, and the frame was frozen for five seconds, for all of us to gape open mouthed again..out she emerged, and now we were five feet from her ! For the next few seconds,none of us blinked,the hormones were working overtime
Light as a breeze, she got into her car, that guy Abhishek Bachan, is damn lucky , she is a “Creator’s Masterpiece”..

By the way, one more interesting news is that Danny Denzongpa( remember the DD teleserial Ajnabee/Anniyan ? ) is one of the premier villains in the movie.

Endhiran “The Robot” – A Childhood Dream Comes True !

There is a wise old saying “Do not ever get desperate, if something is destined to happen, it will happen”.. how true these words are..!

January 10th 2009, the D-Day where my childhood dream of seeing the Superstar LIVE on location was realized was one such day where destiny proved its superiority

The day could not have begun on a more worse note.. I was at home, waiting impatiently for the afternoon as I was asked to receive a top CMU dignitary from the airport and drop him at the college guest house and lo! all my friends were messaging from the college that Superstar had arrived and was in his Caravan!

I cursed my fate and luck for deserting me at this inappropriate time.. I went in time to receive the dignitary but my mind and heart lay elsewhere..

We reached my college guest house at 4.00 P.M and me and my friend decided to just have a glance into the auditorium and to our surprise , nobody stopped us from going inside!

Inside the auditorium, I got a comfortable seat and could spot director Shankar busy giving instructions to his crew..camera man Rathnavelu was listening intently.. and as I gave a casual glance towards the right of the auditorium, a face looked familiar, I turned around only to feel a hammer like bolt striking me hard to glance carefully and.. there he was! the one and only Super Star Rajnikanth ! I froze !

I was shocked, shell shocked, my heart was pumping faster, I was shivering with excitement, my eyesight deserted at the instant and blurred out intermittently, I was rubbing it hard in disbelief and there he was sitting with ultimate grace,.. cool and composed as ever..

I became crazy and lost my mental balance ( if it ever existed )..I was mesaging all my friends in an inebriated exalted state, like a child receiving his favourite toffee, a guy giving his first kiss to his love and above all, a drunkard who had just emptied his favourite bottle of drink..! I must confess to all my friends that those messages were definitely not texted by me in my proper senses.. My apologies to all those whom I drove crazy with those messages.. after all, what are friends for

The director was asking Superstar to get ready.. there he was looking sauve,chick,smart, handsome,manly, dashing,STYLISH.. curse the Oxford, it does not have enough adjectives

He looked stern at the camera, A violet colored shirt, a black tie and matching trousers, a black blazer and his trade mark coolers, wig that resembled his “Thillu Mullu” days, clean shaven, he oozed grace and charisma..

I heard him utter his dialogues even, but I am an ardent fan of Shankar and my respect towards his hardwork and creativity prevents me from describing the scene and dialogues here in public..

Once his scenes were finished, he retired to his caravan, and I left the auditorium in awe. We met Santhanam and Karunas outside the auditorium and Santhanam was his usual self, making witty remarks laced with humour.On enthusuastic fan repeated the dialogues uttered by Karunas in Polladhavan ” Boy touching girl hand, Harry Potter also same problem,5 th chapter 7 th page”, just that he picked the wrong person and told these to Santhanam instead He gave a typical reply ” Sir, adhu en problem illa Karunas problem”

Another Santhanam gem was ..
An enthusiastic female fan : “Cha Aishwarya Rai kooda dhaan photo eduthukka mudiyala,vaanga di atleast Santhanam koodayavadhu photo eduthuppom”
Santhanam : ” idha solra Aishwarya Rai yaaru ? ”

I left the place, still unable to come to terms with what destiny had in store for me for the day..A child hood dream was realised

Oh my LOVE!:is it ME or HIM?

All alone .. Legs folded,with knees pointing upwards, hands wrapped around knees,head lowered, dripping sweat and shedding tears, I look up to narrate this..
It is almost dusk now.. the rain has stopped..gently,I roll the curtain up.. the last trickles of the setting sun fall upon my face,but there is no sting in those rays,much like my present state of affairs..I roll the curtains down ..

I switch on the television.. I watch a few snippets with minimal interest.. as I keep changing the channels,I keep my eyes glued to a scene from a popular movie..”Evanda kandu pudichan indha Love a?” the dialogue that resonates through my conscience umpteen times these days appears for yet another time..I switch the television off..
“Ennada nadakudhu inga?? en kooda irundhava enga..” from the movie “Kettavan” is the first track played in the radio at that instance..Some times, when the rub of the green does not go your way,you get a notion that nature’s odds are stacked against you..
It is heavily dependent on moods and perceptions I guess..As the clouds loom large above our heads,A person,enjoying happy times would get excited at the prospect of a cool shower,where as some one not having the best of days can not look beyond the obvious dip in sunlight.
Suddenly the power goes off.. nature continues to have its way..I stumble upon a few things before finally managing to grab a candle..

I place it an an optimal position..My eyes are fixed on the flickering candle flame.. fierce.. determined..Yes..”I can take it no longer…I want those glorious days back.. I want to be the way I was before..it hurts.. it pains..tomorrow I am going to meet HER and pour out everything that makes my heart heavy and haunts my mind”..
Falling in love is a wonderful feeling..I know SHE too loves me..you need not communicate it verbally like ” little school kids”.You can feel the chemistry.I knew it was the same with her too.It could not get any better..life was blissful..everything was smooth..until.. “HE” entered into our lives…

My friends often used to come up with a cliched slogan “Machi.. don’t trust women..ponnungala nambadha”..I used to laugh it off saying only losers who did not find the right women could utter such a dumb phrase..The woman in my life was an angel.. but off late to think that even she has changed .. it hurts all the more.. trust me, those words of my friends prick now..

I would jump out of bed early in the morning,the time of the day when you can hear the flap of the birds’ wings, “eaves drop” into their conversations,hear the trees whisper,see the grass kiss the soil,after having bathed themselves in the morning dew..

I used to rush to the gardens,put my hand carefully between the thorny bushes,pluck out the white rose she so much loved,unmindful of all those thorns that pierced my skin..all for that one moment when I used to stand in front of her,my shyness failing to hide my lips from breaking into a smile..
With a deep gush of breath,struggling to bring out the voice that would just refuse to open up in front of her..”This is for you !”.. she would accept it,with a smile that would lift me off the ground..it was an elysian moment..
I still remember the first time I wore a tie and went straight to her,as restless as a “kid waiting to grab a toffee”,head lowered a little,eyes directed towards her “unique bracelet made of shells” to know if she liked it.. a kiss said it all..

The entire world has turned upside down since “His” entry.. she takes the rose only from him these days..It is not just about giving a rose DEAR..it is something else, almost impossible to pen down in words.. YOU know it.. I know it..He has now virtually taken my position in her life..”My love: just tell that it is ME and not HIM”

“I may not be academically as proficient as HIM..I might not be in the same league as HIM..HE might do most things better than me”..I walk up without confidence towards the mirror,examining myself from whatever illumination the candle could offer..I might not be as fair complexioned as him even, but what can I do? I did not deserve this DEAR..

The telephone rings.”Hi,are you back home? I will drop in in fifteen minutes”..Yes its HER!
Destiny again..! Nothing can substitute a one to one talk to iron out the differences.. and I am going to do it today..the candle flame dies a slow death but the power supply is restored at that very instant

With nervous excitement,as I keep impatiently waiting for her.. “HE” enters..
HE:”Hi wassup”?
Me:(Non nonchalantly)”I am waiting for HER”
He:Sounds great! lets have dinner together
Me:(Straight on his face)I don’t want your presence here,vacate immediately to save your skin..
I could take it no longer..the burning fire within me was fueled further on seeing him in person ..a verbal duel followed.. finally he said “I am not giving up either.. LET THE BETTER MAN WIN”..

I look around to grab something heavy to give him a thump and break his head then and there..finding nothing,I make a swish at him with my arms,he ducks, I miss..
With a wicked smile enveloping his evil face, he looks straight into my eyes,as if asking me to bring on all that I had..like a mad raging bull,I rush menacingly towards him..my head banging straight into his chest..He loses his balance..trying to seize the opportunity,I try another head butt,but his imbalance proves lucky for him, I miss and he trips me down..

Sitting on my chest,he delivers a shower of slaps..just when it seems like I was gonna blank out,I grab his throat,choking him till he let go of me..with my left lower palm, i jab straight at his chin.. I hit the bulls eye this time..
Blows are exchanged.. both were tiring out..wiping the dripping sweat off my brow,I grab his tie.. dragging him along..until he delivers a cheap low blow.. and both fall to the ground..grabbing each other and rolling along till we feel two firm hands grabbing us by the collars..Yes.. I could feel HER touch.my eyes fell again on the ” unique bracelet made of shells”..it was HER.. “Mom, it was
he who started it”,we both blurt out in unison

Looking at my soiled shirt,she asks”Sanjay,How was your cricket camp today?” .and turning to my brother,”Why have you not removed your tie yet? In a firm tone,she orders “Go change your clothes and get ready..let us all have dinner together in a few minutes,Dad is on his way..”

Not a single word is spoken between me and HIM at the dinner table.We both exchange angry glares ,threatening to even bang the plates on each other’s head while having a hand wash..
Mom is talking over the phone “Oh yeah ,my kids are doing great.. Sanjay is in third standard and Vijay is the topper in second grade at school..”
My brother is peeping from behind my mom,making mocking gestures at me.I advance towards him,but Mom is looking straight at me..I back out as I do not want to “spoil my image” in front of “HER”

I take out my note book and start preparing for an important test .. thinking to myself “Let the DICTATION Test get over tomorrow,then I will have another show down with him at the school park,LET THE BETTER MAN WIN”…MAVANE,GAALI DA NEE

PS:To Fall in Love is a wonderful feeling

(Theme loosely based on an e mail joke narrated by good buddy Vignesh)

Irresponsible Journalism: At What Cost??

Reputation is built over the years but knocked out in seconds.. several examples stand testimony to this adage.. and one newspaper too has dumped its long treasured tradition by joining the list of junk dailies..

For those who do are not aware , I did my U.G in a reputed private college and am pursuing my MS IT(CMU tie up) in the same college.. I am one who takes pride in associating myself with this college as it has given me extremely fond memories.. and the reason why I am stopping from mentioning the name is with a purpose..

“A reputed self financing college which is among the top five colleges and is situated near Thiruporur” is how it has been described by one such daily in a junk article..That daily is a ” A newspaper which reflects the “Times” of a five lettered Nation which is currently spiraling down to depths (where iron exists in molten state) due to its minority appeasement policies”( a dose of the newspaper’s own medicine ) and of course as I recently discovered,writes rubbish junk..( for those who still can not make out the College’s name and the Newspaper’s name, chuck it.. the Cartoon Channels still run their shows of Tom & Jerry; and fresh Complan in many new flavours is available in the market).

The newspaper recently published an article that “aimed to bring to light” the “trauma” suffered by the first year students due to ragging menace in the college..some of the “major” issues highlighted were ” proposing to senior girls in the bus” and treating seniors to a sumptuous meal” in the canteen apart from a few other issues.

I am not going to argue in favour of ragging,nor am I heartless enough to claim my College is Buddha’s walking paradise and ragging never exists.I have experienced more grave forms of ragging than those listed in the newspaper,and I have given it back in equal amounts too.Getting back to one of the issues highlighted,”treating seniors to a sumptuous meal” ,I would appreciate if the author walked up to the canteen to check out the quality of food available, and if at all it would be possible in wildest dreams to “sumptuously treat a person” there,and write an article about that instead.

What was really irritating was the fact that nowhere in the Article,was there any mention if the newspaper editor bothered to check with the college authorities about the facts quoted.Is this how Investigative Journalism was made out to be? Aren’t you supposed to listen to both sides of the story before forming an opinion?This was irresponsible journalism at its exemplary best.

How could they have blindly assumed that what ever said was true? And why the Hell were they not brave enough to mention the college’s name? That very fact indicates that they were playing a safe game by not wanting to get into legal tangles where they might be required to solidly justify what they wrote.Or was it the case of an influential baron whose kith and kin were directly affected forcing these junk to appear on a newspaper? If so, was it not an instance of misuse of a tool of democracy to highlight a personal issue with out having solid proof? Did they find this personal issue so important to be highlighted over other “trivial” issues like shortage of power supply, public opinion on how it affects them, their suggestions to combat the situation etc.. or did not anyone in cine industry attend some party where there could be potential link ups with co stars to keep these journalists on their toes?

Being an avid newspaper reader, it pains to see the fate of newspapers these days relying on cheap items to increase their circulation.The paper with “religion” in its name( not the one that carried out the above mentioned junk article though) ironically talks aggressively about secularism and saffron forces these days You could sit with this family newspaper once for more than 3 hours in a day..it had so much of content.. these days, you can skim through the entire paper in 10 minutes.. the page 3 magazine that comes as a supplement has more pages than the main issues on most of the days..

So next time the editor of the newspaper that carried out that junk article looks for ways to sell off his stock, we would be grateful to him forever if he could put in a word:the protective mesh in our hostel rooms have a lot of holes which provide a free passage for rats and we need to plug them

Beating Boredom

It has been just two days since resignation but already its been tough.It is always a struggle when we miss something which is a routine for quite sometime.I have spent time watching Cricket Matches and songs on Television. I am really running out of ideas as to how to spend the next few days.I think I am well past those days when I used to have a voracious appetite for books.I simple don’t have the patience to sit through an entire novel these days.But today morning , I chanced upon Paddy Upton’s blogs.I read only a couple of them but I just can’t have enough of it.The thought process of this man is simply mind blowing.For those who have not heard of him, Paddy Upton is the ‘Biokineticist’ & Sports Psychologist of the Indian Cricket Team.

One topic that instantly caught my fancy was “Self Organized Learners”.To put it in simple terms,he calls those willing to practice this theory as “people who think for themselves”.The best thing is that he stops with just a couple of lines,instead of dwelling on it,allowing the reader to come up with his/her own interpretations and relate to his/her own thought process.This set me thinking,and I tried to come up with my own interpretations of what he meant.The following are my personal views where in I have tried to come up with a summary as to how we can assimilate his thoughts.The individual,sits down,thinking on what could be the possible solutions to a particular scenario.The same applies to all players in a group.At the end,each individual shares his/her views to bring out the best possible outcome.It sounds so simple,but it is very tough to practice.The process behind it is amazing, a closer look would reveal that each individual has set his mind thinking to find a solution without any external help,and also learn the best practices of others.Thus,after each group analysis,the individual emerges a better person than what he was before it,and also the quality of the team improves after every outing.This is not a scenario where people are thrown the long end of the rope without a clue.At the same time,there is no focal point or “senior mentor”.Each peer latently helps the other!

Imagine each and every one of us thinking to ourselves ” I am no Edison.I am no Einstein either.I may not have the capacity to invent anything( who cares for it??!!),but still,I definitely can do certain things,the best way as only I possibly can!”.Sounds great!

Paddy Upton’s theories are tailor made for guys like me,who don’t have the patience to sit through personality improvement lectures for long hours.Only the tip is revealed,and the rest is left to our imagination.I am this sort of person who loves sitting alone,and imagining,living out, dreaming- (I just can’t find the right phrase)- about the things that I want to do in the very near future,I see it visually, as to how we see a cinema..and I try penning it down in words.. yes a perennial “dreamer”.. but who does not love to dream??

It also set me thinking on a few other things that I have been trying hard to practice.Just two weeks before my resignation,I had decided that I wanted to be good( or at least diplomatic,at best) to each and every one I was gonna get in touch with.It was difficult,believe me,at times people really tested my nerves but I quickly realized it was not impossible.I knew that it was possibly the last time I was gonna meet a few people in person for the near future,so I had made up my mind that,at least by the time I leave,parties from both sides should have only pleasant memories.I was reasonably successful I should say.I even went to the extent of taking people who bitched about me ,behind my back to my manager for a treat,with me bearing the expenses.I personally believe that it works out best when you try to be good to people who were not so good to you, as it stings them hard!One of the foremost things that made it possible was cutting down on expectations.Frustration arises mostly when expectations are not met,leading to bitterness and anger,so I had lowered my expectations.Nope it was not a Saint life,where one has to cut down on the root causes( which, in my humble opinion is never possible for mortals like us).It was just plain simple life in the sense that one needs to hold back on the urge to chase things that we covet/desire , but when it comes along,there is no harm in enjoying it to the fullest.I have tried to put this into practice,and it has been quite an emotional bliss so far.

Yeah I think we can wind up on that cos else,it would be me blowing my own trumpet a bit too much.This prompts me to ruminate on another happening that has set me thinking.A clip of Mr.T R (Vijaya T.Rajhendhar) losing his cool when a reporter asks him why he is not able to draw crowds like others.What followed was utter chaos,with T.R making desperate efforts to promote himself.This happens sometimes to us too.We try to comfort ourselves with the fact that we are the best,or better than other/other(s) who we think are our rivals,without pausing to think if we really have solid credentials to back ourselves.It becomes really dangerous,as after a point,our growth as an individual might stop,if we refuse to come out of the cocoon,as we first fix it up in our mind that we are correct, and then try to reason out facts for it,though ideally it should be the other way around.So that could probably be my next challenging activity.To go back in time and check out if I had acted with that sort of mindset in any such situation,and if possible set it right at least now.Look at the classic digression in topic.I had started out with Paddy Upton’s “thinking for ourselves”,only to end up talking about myself, and our TR,moving over to “thinking about ourselves” instead.Paddy Upton and T.R,though in contrasting styles, have set me thinking!
More to come..

This Day,That Year..Part 2

June 01 2007: A defining moment in my career,the first day of the orientation programme at COGNIZANT.We had just finished college three weeks back and so we did not have even time to let the feeling sink in.The day seemed just like another ordinary day,with good buddy Viki dropping me at Liberty Bus stop in the evening and me getting into a 12B after a mini struggle ,until I got a call from Srikanth..”Machi ..I got placed da”.. those words really made the day.. I have been with him through a torrid month in his academic life and this was really warm news for all his good friends..

After the first few days, we were clubbed into a batch titled “AJ34″.Only after meeting people there,did I realise how invisible outside my department because almost all girls from IT department did not even know that I was from their college!I built bonds really thick
and fast and got to know more about a few people than those 4 years in college.It was unlimited fun,if one could ignore those minor irritants in the form of exit tests.It just seemed like an extension of college.. life was getting better..and I got aquainted to some really wonderful people..( especially KAVYA-she is one of the most interesting personalities I have ever met.. )

The fun continued through the month of July and August…and what Lalith Modi was to IPL,Siddharth was to AJ34.. he introduced a game titled “Mafia” which soon became our staple diet..It also brought our batch a lot closer..Bench life though was getting monotonous beyond a point and I starting putting serious effort towards my Graduate Record Exam preparations. On September 17,we were deployed into different projects..

I was ushered into the account “HartFord Life” in Thoraipakkam Campus.Initially,I was supporting the Business Analysts and had to make shuttle trips to Palikaranai for my Oracle Training.It was quite a challenge to keep pace with my GRE preparations during this time.I used to sit in the lobby at PKN office in the mornings for revising my word lists and in the evenings, I continued my preparations while returning by bus from TCO.I used to take up the last seat where the lights were really dim.The journey via the velachery by pass roads added to the eeriness,making me wonder if ever bright times were around the corner…

Another twist in the tale, one that would change my life for ever… In the first week of October,I was pulled into the Oracle Back End team in my project as they were short of resources to start development work.I was working under a brilliant Project Lead Hema,to whom I am indebted for having confidence to entrust responsibilities on some one who was a novice.I gave my GRE a shot on October 18,and God’s grace , I got 1450..but this time too,no time to celebrate because I had a deliverable the same day.I finished my GRE at around 12 noon,and was back to PKN at 1 30 to report to work!

Things started getting hectic in November, and again I had to balance out between my work and application procedures to the Univs(most of my work in this regard was offloaded by my sweet sister.. lucky to have her around!).

December:An eventful month..began with some drama with me almost missing my dearest friend Lakshmi’s engagement thanks to a deliverable at office.I somehow managed to pull it off and make it to the function at the last minute…It was a month of hope and near misses..Had an emotionally draining time,especially as the year drew to a close..but there was some solace towards the business end of it all,with the dawn of the new year bringing me super cool news that I was selected as the “Star of the month” at the account level for my contribution towards my project…

It definitely was a very defining year for me,career wise and also on the personal front.. one that made me carry joy,hope, and the subsequent gatecrashes, pain,disappointment,elation all along…but looking back, one that would be hard to forget..!

Tagged by Srikanth!

Last movie seen in a theatre:
Vellithirai(Enjoyed it)

What book are you reading?
Was a voracious reader once upon a time but not much these days.. last read a book some time back on the experiences of a british diplomat who was in India during the late 80’s and mid 90’s

Favourite board game:
I am an outdoor sports freak but would not mind a game of snake and ladder!

Favourite magazine:
Sportstar

Favourite smells:
The leather on a cricket ball,amma’s vathakozhambu,petrol,fresh paint,bakery bread,”gatsby” deo,”Channel” perfume.

Favourite sound:
Of course..ball crashing into the timber and also hitting the sweet spot on the willow(music to my ears),my niece’s shreiks when i pull her leg..

Worst feeling in the world:
Going to bed on a day that has not been yours…

What is the first thing you think of when you wake up?
Give a longing look at the mobile( to check out time) to see if its really time for day break..

Favourite fast food place:
Matta’s(ashok pillar),You can create your own spots with those stool like chairs right along the busiest road in the vicinity,eating along as if you have all the time in the world when those people in the lofty cars caught in traffic jam look at you and your food with utmost envy..
aaga enna oru feeling… ultimate and the food tastes better than most posh hotels…

Future child’s name:
Ada ponga boss neenga veara.. innum figure eh madangala…
.. but if it were a girl child,it would be “Sahana”..

Finish this statement, “If I had a lot of money I’d…”
Probably would like to spend it with/for dear ones..

Do you drive fast?
I dont have a 2 wheeler now but no would never set the wheels on fire..

Do you sleep with a stuffed animal?
Nope.. not even during childhood..but i have this habit of hugging a pillow…

Storms – Cool or Scary?
Cool

Do you eat the stems on broccoli?
No.. but does it make a difference anyway..??

If you could dye your hair any colour, what would be your choice?
Hmmm.. blue perhaps..

Name all the different cities/towns you have lived in:
Chennai

Favourite sports to watch:
Cricket.. and almost all sports to pass time..

One nice thing about the person who sent this to you:
Machi Logic.. nee deva… naan surya.. idhukku maela enna sollanum??

What’s under your bed?
Never bothered to check but yes in case some one’s planning to surprise me like in “elves and the shoe maker”.. most welcome

Would you like to be born as yourself again?
Definitely yes.. I love being myself..

Morning person or night owl?
Morning of course.. (adhukkaaga maalai kannu nu nenachidaadheenga)

Over easy or sunny side up?
yabba dei.. puriyara kevli ya kaelungada..
if still an anser is required…over easy..(artham kaetingana kola vizhum..)

Favourite place to relax:
Home sweet home.. !(Special mention about those sunday evenings I love spending in motta maadi..)

Favourite pie:
Choco pie

Favourite ice cream flavour:
Chocolate.. (but usually anything other than strawberry is fine..)

You pass this tag to –
Vinod Krishnan ,Swetha ,K Srikanth,Lakshmi Narayanee .. have i missed out any one?? guess the rest have already been tagged(If you can tag yourself that will be great too)

Skool Life Memoirs

Sometime last week ,me and my school friend were reliving our fun filled days at school-P.S.B.B K.K. NAGAR and I thought it would be nice to write down some of the most light hearted/embarassing moments here.

1.We will start from the kg days..I was a die hard Rajnikant fan right since childhood, and those were the days of video casette times and mom had just bought an imported akai set from singapore..I was bunking classes under the pretext of fever and used to watch thalaivar movies like raja chinna roja,rajathi raja,maapillai etc and once while I was with dad on the way to the casette shop, I was caught red handed by my class teacher.I had bunked the day citing fever and when she saw me,all hell broke loose.The next day,my parents were pulled up by our headmistress, and there was this female, complaining to the head mistress that I was all the time doing thalaivar styles in class.. semma dose anikki.. but years later , I had my sweet revenge.This female came to my street looking out for another ma’am’s house which was near my place and when she asked me for the route, I guided her in exactly the opposite direction( I have not seen her since!).

2.The next one was in second grade.By this time,the focus had shifted to cricket.It was one of the benson and hedges tri-series finals and I did not want to miss it.But we had a cycle test on that day, and it was difficult to get permission from the staff on test days.Luckily I had high fever that day and used it as a reason.In my school,people who had health ailments were quarantined to write in the library so that the other children would not be affected.But, we all know nature is unpredictable and right in the middle of the test, nature came calling( singles).I asked the librarian permission but being the strict female that she was,she refused sternly ,saying I was not to budge until I completed my exam.The next few moments have caused me embarassments till this day..most of my close school buddies still recall it.I do not know why I did it but after the next few seconds, warm urea matter(good enough to warm a kettle) was tricking all over the library.The librarian realised this after a few seconds and could only laugh.The next two days were a laugh riot for all at school but I was left hiding for cover…

3.Fourth grade..this time in the music class..Me and my bench mate were pretty bored with all the sa re ga ma..And I am sure all of you would have tried this cute little game.. allow air to enter your ear holes..spread your palms ,place them facing each other and gently move them towards your ears,striking them gently,and move them apart.. the faster you do, the more you feel the gush of air.Unfortunately,it did not strike my mind that this was not the cutest game that could be played when some one was singing!the teacher thought we were mocking her by trying to close our ears..and the next instant,she boxed my ears hard..the swelling did not go down for more than a week..

4.Cricket again,this time in sixth grade.It was the friendship cup between India-Pakistan at Toronto,and being the cricket buff I was, I had stayed through the night to watch India’s victory.Trouble started when one of my mates asked how Saeed Anwar was caught by Nayan Mongia and I demonstrated the dive for him.He was not visibly pleased and wanted me to give a clearer picture.I looked around and as fate would have it,my eyes fell at the teacher’s desk(which is usually higher than all other desks).Namma pasanga thaan yethi vudradhulla killadinga aache,plus naan cricketer veara,so goaded on I climbed up the desk and attempted a full length dive,and the next moment, I could feel my jaw snapping, I landed straight on my jaw on the hard floor and it required four stitches.

5.The annual sports day is always fun and the selections were on for various events like high jump,long jump etc..the P.T master was a tough man and he ensured that every body participated in the prelims of each event,whether they liked it or not.There was a guy called “eli” who was not particularly fond of high jump( he was just about 3 1/2 feet).He somehow got through the first level,and now the P.T master raised the bar.”eli” stared long and hard.. it was his turn.. we all waited with bated breath.. “eli” ran in hard, his face was looking straight at the bar.. he was determination personified.. we were alternating between watchin “eli” and our P.T master.. “eli” was now only two feet from the bar.. and as we all got ready to see his grand kick off..”eli” ran straight under the bar!He did not stop there.. he ran all the way out of the ground,up the stairs,into the class room..you should have seen the look on the P.T master’s face.. well.. no words to describe it..

6.Ninth grade time,and my friend was interested in a girl from another section.. after some R&D,we started collecting the details about her..unfortunately,when she confronted him straight,my friend panicked and gave my name out for the R&D part..In the evening,when I went to look for my cycle in the stands,I could not spot it.. and lo! after a thorough search,we found a highly shabby mass in the puddle.. Yes,it was my dearest”highway patrol”.. lying in a pathetic state..besides it was that girl’s cycle,standing upright, containing a note saying it was the girl’s work..dejected, I picked up my “highway patrol” from the mess( well girlie,if you are gonna read this by any chance ..take this from me.. when you and your boyfriend are on a jolly ride on a highway,the tyre would be punctured,the bike will run out of fuel,the brakes would fail,and not a soul or a shop would be anywhere in the vicinity..)

7.This happened during the biology class.. the teacher was busy explaining about different systems in the body and my pal was busy dozing off..she was taking classes on the excretory system and she pulled him up for a question.. poor guy was hardly in his senses.. the question was “is control of our senses of urination voluntary or involuntary?” Pat came the reply.. no second thoughts..”Involuntary ma’am”..the entire class burst out laughing.. the poor guy had still not woken up properly and he could not understand what was going on.. the teacher for her part joined the fun,came straight to his desk, made a thorough search and remarked,”well I was just wondering if I could get a sample of your involuntary actions”!..

These are a few of the incidents I can never forget..and for those who want to comment,please do include some of your memorable moments in your comments..For it is our school life that has many “firsts”.. those are always memorable days.. those hurried two minute “kuliyals”.. one or two mouthfuls of breakfast..the breathtaking cycle races to school,with each one taking pride in his/her own “highway patrols”,”cannon barrels”,”hercules mtb”,the early morning prayers, of course with one inquisitive eye always half open..the breakfast break for ten minutes in which we eagerly scan what the others have got for lunch,and gulp them down,so that the half hour for lunch could be used to play “four corners’ and tennis ball cricket..the silent afternoon naps after lunch,with a few other already planning which lane ruotes should be followed for the evening cycle race back home..telling loads of stories about the day’s happenings to mom.. and of course goin to bed with wonderful memories and hopes for the next day… as I keep saying.. sometimes I wish we never grew up..

“MAN”AGING IN A WOMANIZED ZONE

A few weeks back I withdrew my first salary and decided to turn my long cherished dream of getting a saree for my mom into a reality.Just to spice up the events , my sister was not in town and since I wanted it to be of my own choice, I decided that my mom should stay out of the selection process.So me and my ever enthusiastic dad started in right earnest to accomplish the task.
We decided to shop at Kumaran’s(T Nagar) and for all those males who have absolutely no idea about this ardous task of shopping for sarees, I suggest this place as the staff here are ever so patient and very helpful.Shunting up and down all the sections and ultimately rejecting most of those varieties like plain kanchipuram,cotton silk,raw silk(yes I had done my homework on this meticulously!),we finally landed up in the section that displayed machine woven kanchipuram silk.The colors there were so vibrant that it would arouse any artist’s senses( not M.F HUSSAIN though because that pervert never prefers his women wearing sarees, or anything for that matter..).I finally settled for a maroonish one, of course after those ever flowing tips over the mobile phone from mom.
But it was really a peculiar sight observing a few women who went about their task of choosing the right saree(s).The women next to me, for example( and most of them) was always inquisitive about the ones that I had set aside to have a second look.Each time I set one aside,she would pick it up and ask ” Idhu enna vilai ” only for me to gently remind her that I had my aspirations on that.She kept on doing this untill the guy was fed up..The next time she picked one up, the guy himself without any hesitation blurted ” adhu 2500..” and pat came the reply from the female..”velai ya edutha odane solladha paa.. pudichirundha evalo venalum vaaguvom”.. and needless to say could there be another ending to this..?? Of course , she left without purchasing anything..!After umpteen assurances from the guy at the counter that the fabric etc was of good quality( no other go , cos it seemed very easy when I started out but once we started having a look ,I was all at sea…)we now proceeded to another section to get a salwar for my sister..and this was how it all began..
man at the counter:”Sir CREPE( which i comprehended as GRAPE) la parkaringala ..???”
me:” GRAPE thavara micha colors um kaatungalen..”
man at the counter:” sir, CREPE color illa sir, adhu material..
me:( sheepishly) “oh apdiya , seri adha kaatunga”
But after this initial hiccup,there was no stopping.. for I picked the first one that caught my eye.. but still ( for both vetti bandha and to learn a few things..) , I hung around for some more time..
Call Sir Edison who had those inventions to his name, call Tenzing and Edmund who scaled Mt.Everest.. and ask Kapil who led his Devils to that miraculous triumph in 1983 to pay attention.. yes I had achieved something that could be placed on par with all these…
I HAD SHOPPED SUCCESSFULLY FOR A SAREE AND A SALWAR FOR TWO SEPERATE WOMEN WITH DISTINCT TASTES WITHIN 30 MINUTES..!
and I found out the simplest technique to achieve that.. DON’T TAKE WOMEN ALONG..DO IT YOURSELF..!