Charity begins with the heart

I started thinking about charity and lots of opinions that go around about it.Some say charity begins at home, some says avoid some charity ,some says do as much charity as you can.According to me,Charity begins with the heart and the most important thing in charity is the intention behind doing charity .What is the point in helping someone to just gain some advantage out of it .When i talk to people who are from NGO's ,many of them tell me how some celebrities are a part of it to gain more popularity .It shocked me as some of them i thought were genuine also figured in the list. But there are also some who genuinely do give back to the society . And then comes how we do it .Some think the more you give matters and small help /donation will not help or they feel bad about giving less. Any help , small or big is always appreciated by any organizations that run towards social causes.Once i came across a touching interview by vidya sagar who is the man behind "Udhavum Karangal" who said that one of his regular supporter is a 80 year old grandma who sends cloth napkins that are stitched by her using her old saarees. Imagine ,how thoughtful this is and at her age she is still trying to do something that she can So next time , you hesitate to help - don't -Just follow you heart and do it . As we may wonder about how our gesture will help or not -but you never know how much difference you are making to someone's life . And in terms of money , many hesitate to shell out .It is absolutely okay to think about if your money is reaching the right source . But once you are sure about the organization's good will - take it from me -you will never stop giving as many organisations who are doing the right things will affect you so much positively that you will only become better and better at giving . Two such organisations that i have come across so far are
" The United Physically Handicapped School " from coimbatore & Nalandaway from Chennai . I first learnt about "The United school for physically handicapped Children" through a good friend Srinivas .It was my 19th birthday and the very first birthday i was not around with anyone in my family .I have never woken up at the dawn of my birthday without my parents and sister around .But that year was so tragic for me that i had no choice to accept the fact that our lives have changed and hence the birthday had dawned in sadness. But this good friend wanted to compensate for all the sadness and to ensure i had a real happy birthday -he visited me with a bunch if flowers and had planned to spend the entire day with me . He then told me-Please don't mind this gift -it may make you sad ,but i want you to see this place and i am sure you are one person who will like doing things like this. And that is how it started .The ride from my home to sathyamangalam was long but i still vividly remember that birthday where i visited this school. I was only in tears from then. As there i saw a bunch of children, guess about 100 of them then -Orphans and top of it physically challenged children (Oh ! God -how can you be so cruel to create them with disabilities and top of it take away their parents) This was my gift - Srini had booked a breakfast for all of them for the occasion of my birthday and they all sang a happy birthday song for me and did a small prayer . The in charge over there asked me if i want to serve them and i happily agreed . It is not a happy feeling to visit a place like that on your birthday but i truly appreciate this gift and this birthday will remain my most memorable birthday for years to come as from then , there was no looking back for me in terms of charity . Srini told me -I brought you here and my only request is you continue supporting them . And i do just that ... for the past few years i regularly book a lunch or dinner for all of them at the school for special occasions . As it is said that "Dhanathil sirantha dhanam -ANNA DHANAM" So friends, don't ever hesitate to help someone .You don't loose much -You only gain happiness and good fortune for your life by such kind acts. May charity begin with you heart !!

To know more about this special school -Please visit http://tuphschool.org/school.html

Chetan -You Inspire!!!

I know am so late in reading his books. Guess am always late in catching up with trends. Finally got to read all his books at one go . Started in the reverse order though ...Everyone would have first read his five point someone and latest would have been two states.But i started with "Two States" . It was one hilarious book . Really like Chetan's style of writing .Very casual , easy to follow.You don't have to keep a dictionary by your side to understand some complicated words that are generally used by most of the writers. His books are like movies, thoroughly enjoyable and the characters come alive when you read them . Two states clearly brings in the picture of what happens when two families from different back ground of culture and sect come together for a wedding.It was also thought provoking to read Chetan describe how people target a person's language /region and judge them .And he offers the solution to put a full stop to these caste/sect battles-Love marriages amongst different communities..Nice to read , hope we can achieve it too. However, i did not like him narrating too much details on love making and personal stuff..Guess bedroom stuff between individuals are not for the books. It is something that happens between people in love and needs to be given its due respect.
Coming to Five point someone,as i watched three idiots even before grabbing the book i started visualizing the movie as and when reading the book. The book definitely had the pull of making it a huge success. Ryan's character stood in your mind.His questions like " How can machine reduce human effort when gym equipments only add to the effort" tells you what kind of an intelligent guy he would have been."One night at the call center " was my favorite as it inspired me the most.Chetan beautifully brings out the amercianised craziness that has changed the Indian youth in to the MTV youth to whom all the USA products are easily marketed via the culture change that a call centre life brings in. Nicely put- Indian brains getting stuck at nights catering to help and assist for some silly questions from the american brains. He made me smile when reading about the god part. Being not such a huge believer of the defined God's existence, i liked the way he conveyed the essence on how all of us need to self reflect and the awakening has to come from within to pursue our dreams. The GOD's call happens like a awakening call for all the six characters who appear in the story who then go on to make the changes that they wanted to . Totally CHETAN BAGAT is a writer to be watched out for. He connects to you as an author who inspires you to think on his opinions and this way am sure he can do so much for the society by writing a lot of good stuff /subjects. Chetan -You Rock ! Pls keep writing !!

Time to change our Mindset !

First thing that entered my mind when i stepped in to that restaurant was , oh this is for Muslims run by a Muslim .We were so hungry that now i did not want to change my mind and go back looking for another place. After ordering and settling into the restaurant ,i kept saying this place has a lot of Muslim population. The owner was a Muslim , so he had another restaurant in the same building specifically catering to the Arabian cuisine .So, some of them who did not get a table landed up here.Just when i kept thinking on those lines,i realized the kind of mindset that we all develop towards a certain community, nation or be it even gender.

It is all in us to change the mindset. Starting from simple things to serious issues.These things register in our minds starting with comments as funny as " don't select this dress, you will look like a Muslim " .Well this has happened to me so many times.. I don't know why people think Green is only for Muslims. My wardrobe is filled with many greens. In fact , during my wedding , i picked up a Saree that i liked instantly. But to decide if i have to buy that or not should have taken more time than i took to decide my wedding date. You know why -just because i have heard that Green color comment from so many and i did not want that coming up on my wedding day. Finally
- i picked it up.
I made the decision after thinking -i like it and i don't care if people are going to say i look Muslimish on that. In fact , i even came up with an answer when some people commented that i look like a Muslim -My answer would be "Yes, i was Zubeida in my previous birth" . Well this is not it, so many things start this way only . Simple comments from everywhere registers in our minds as a child and we grow up with it.And when we are so grown -it is so difficult to part with it ..It definitely takes an effort to change.If we change, we are not going to have the telenganas , Jai maharastra talks and even the muslim talks. It is okay to be proud of where one comes from but what is the point in claiming only we own the place we stay and we cannot let others have it / enjoy the experience .High time we stop that .I know a lot of them comes up with "This wont happen in Saudi Arabia yaar , will they celebrate diwali etc" but then that is what is special about our country na ...India If we say we are united in this diversified land..let us really practice that and not have the differences . I also have to say that many contribute a lot to not being liberal in some ways . I know some of them who give preference to their community or their language speaking folks to encourage their own community/race -is in't that wrong too ..why discriminate based on the religion. So it works both ways ..whether you are a hindu , or a muslim or a christian ..or a madrasi or a gujarati -change your mindset dear from that of thinking about your religion / native language alone to seeing the human connect in oneself & the others !

Some Characters !!!

You love some , you hate some ..you enjoy some's company . But some characters -you just cant stand them . I wonder why some people love putting down the others and they think they are god sent !!! oops ,hope they realize that people may say good things about them in front but the reality is they are genuinely hated

OK, how does all this happen ?? where do these people get those feelings from "i am the best , i am god , i am god's gift to man kind , i am the only talented one"
Oh..even when i write it ..i hate these lines. I wish i could just give one tight slap on some of these morons and say -you are just as bad as anyone else..don't dare to dream this way ..if only wishes were horses!!

Well , this is not a hate blog or something ..i just meet so many people who have this ego that they are the best . I can understand that feeling but i don't understand why they feel they are the "only best" or cannot stand if someone else is better than them .And why is it so difficult to be nice to someone else or treat someone kindly .I always wonder how some people find it much easier to be nasty and rude.

Really wish ,pray and hope they reflect on themselves and bring out the better of themselves not only for the sake of others but for their own good too!

DEFIANCE

I was browsing through the channels and as usual got hooked on to star
movies.Defiance movie was just starting and i watched the first scene which hinted me i should not continue to watch it as it was based on war. I saw mothers crying saying " spare my little children" but the ruthless police officers shooting them down -Yes, innocent adolescent boys and girls .I quickly switched the channels as i was putting Vihaan to sleep and did not want some scary gun shots to wake him up. In the process of browsing the channels again , i was tempted to see star movies again .i don't know why i felt i should watch Defiance. Am glad i followed my heart as i got glued to the channel until the movie was over. The movie was truly a wonderful one.Well written and brought the emotions of the characters out where you almost felt like you were going through this along with them.

Trust me the cinematography has been brilliant that in spite having a war backdrop , you still have some feel good factor through out .The Bielski brothers lives and courage has been portrayed very well. It touched me at last when the TV screen gave synopsis on what happened after this movement that was started by Tuvia and Zus.

When you realise it is a true story, you are actually dumbstruck .How people actually lived in war period.Amazing is it nt? Creating a small army within themselves to be together rather than to fight , go find food in turns and also in between somewhere have a wedding and some fun .Unthinkable to me as of now but that is what Defiance has taught me . This movie showcases the true meaning of being defiant esp to me who thinks am nothing but one super bold woman filled with defiance. Probably Zus character was like me , i like to oppose and fight injustice but in the long run we loose everything in a battle. Rightly, Tuvia points out , We live like human and we will die like humans - i e not become animals by taking revenge and killing every german we come across. Defiance is about that , Standing up with courage for oneself but not necessarily by putting down/killing the other person. It is so difficult to do that when the enemy is killing your near and dear and your country men .But the whole point is thinking of the bigger picture . Here is where a whole new perspective came to light through this movie. The courage to form a group even when you know you don't have much to fight , the strength to carry on and face the adversity in spite of our chances of making it through being minimal.

Hats off to the brilliant cast and crew of the Defiance movie and the real men and woman who actually made this happen during the Nazi movement that it has saved a ten thousand and more people -survivor's descendants to live as on today

Corporate World

Well.. there is so much to write on this space . I don't know whether the title is apt as i see almost all the things happen not only in corporates but sometime even in business families, friends network and so on .

Politics, back stabbing ,ego clashes and what not .Wonder why people forget the other person is also a human being .When in corporate world , people forget about the rest.They tend to focus so much on themselves that they enjoy thrashing down the other person .And people glorify someone else only because they need to please them but not genuinely.Oh , why is this corporate world so filled with cunning minds , confused morons and heartless humans. Sometimes it bugs to even see people not treat someone else with basic courtesy . People may be however senior or in a top most position but their approach to human relations and treating even the lowest grade employee with utmost respect only will make them a better person . I wish everyone was like some great people i hear about and i only wish they were true .Some nice things i hear about can always and only be from the great Mr Narayan Murthy . I was touched to know that he has set this company apart through his behavior . I could not believe that his company Infosys does not have many discriminating policies that others follow .Even he and his team go to the same cafeteria to have lunch just like the others .There is not divide like a manager /executive /staff stuff .How nice is it n't .It's saddening that these days a lot of people from his companies are cribbing about a lot of things.I dont know if that is because his legacy not being followed after him or because the employees are not counting their blessings .

Coming back to the subject , corporate world stinks! I wish i soon do something unique and feel complete satisfaction staying away from the corporate cunningness or may be i should stay in the system so that at least i will show them that a lotus blooms in this muddy pond .. Time will tell !!!

Creativity at it's best

I am sure i will tell a hundred more people about this advertisement that came out today as it is one creative advertisement that has become the talk of the town .Am sure many would have noticed it to ..the Volkswagen ad about Vento .. what an awesome ad ,huh..they added this speaker along with it which gets talking the moment you open up the newspaper . Awesome is not the word !!

Way to go - the creative minds who keep getting this innovative ideas.

Let us not limit our creativity and let's go for it at every aspect of our lives.
And please never ever fear to speak up as sometimes some of the best ideas also may go into the bins because of wrong leaders who do not want to accept it but am sure one day we will get an opportunity to apply it in some part of our life

Boss Engira Baskaran - Through my eyes !

We kept hearing raving reviews about the movie's comedy riot. And experienced a sample of Arya's wit in one of his chat show He appeared in Coffee with Anu program and i could not stop laughing listening to him .He was so casual , witty and fun on the show. Hence we decided this movie is a must watch . There we were at sathyam cinemas spending a nice night laughing our gut out. The movie began with a nice feel of a typical introduction of our hero Arya's (Baskaran aka Boss) family members . And comedy started there itself with the beautiful narration on Boss's sister who wants to be an aspiring TV compere and she fitted the bill by enacting the typical compere acts even when having a normal talk with friends and family. Then comes our Arya's best buddy rather we refer him as "Nanben" Santhanam .The story starts with Arya getting himself geared to appear for his arrear exams and hiding all his bit papers for copying in the exam. And the theater gets in to splits when the lollu sabha combo appear on screen .It took a while for me to understand the typical Chennai slang to follow the jokes there but it is not new to us to laugh along when others are laughing. So did just that and then had a solo laugh when hubby translated the slang to my understandable language.The heroine Nayanthara appears as the invigilator and gets boss out of the exam hall when he attempts to copy. But Arya falls in love instantly with her . Every time she keeps him shut from talking further by using her favorite word in the movie "Pardon" . It becomes hilarious when the Kumbakonam brought up , not so educated hero and his best friend converse with each other on what that "Pardon" could be .Aptly Santhanam uses this opportunity to break us into another laughter by translating that as she wants you to sing -as it is Paa deen?? The movie is so fast and not a moment you feel that it is boring or the general want to think what next , why the hell this scene is dragging etc .

Only suggestion would be Arya should not straighten his hair as he did not look so great in the songs pictured abroad.Bad hairstyle and choices of costumes. On the other hand, Nayanthara has been wise in sticking to Nalini Sriram's outfits off late and the costumes looks colorful and nice .But she could have chosen a red boots for the red gown ..black looked odd when it was a full flowing gown .And what was she thinking when she wore that dusky gold make up !! Guess every movie has its flaw and this is nothing major as the story line keeps you laughing most of the times.

The audience get very excited every time the duo get into their "Nanbenda" dialogue and does some funny pose together for the sign of victory (like the one guys do for getting a wicket) . Suddenly it gets sentimental with the tutorial business not doing so well and when showcasing the behavior of the rural youth towards a blind teacher .However things get filmy very soon and everything falls into place . I did not like the Jeeva part much but guess it is not too bad as it added more humor towards the end though it could have been edited better .Unbelievable to think a guy coming back from US will settle down on a terrace for a quarter with a stranger and then give up his prospective bride. Again ..it's a movie ..so let's say OK to that scene too!

Totally -a comedy riot and we were on a laughter coaster ride while watching this movie. If you are the kinds to enjoy comedy films and like it when the big screen showcases a carefree guy's life , then book your tickets now to enjoy and have a hearty laugh !

What an Idea Sirji?

I love them ..the ads that come up every time with "What an idea sirji?" tag .
Idea mobile advertisements deserve a special award for the social message they convey every time with their innovative and creative advertisements.It does take a lot to convey something meaningful and ensuring it connects with your brand or the product you want to talk about. And what an idea sirji ..really ..their ideas are refreshing and instantly gets you thinking about what they are trying to say. Whether it was the walk when you talk , or the tree one or the latest one on "Bolne ke liye Basha ki zaruri nahi hothi" which means to say something , you do not need a language :-) how meaningful this tag line is in spite being contradictory . Here he means , to convey something .we don't need to actually know the language .It makes sense as so many of us adapt to a new city , state or country even when we are not well versed in the native language .

And even when they launched the "walk when you talk " campaign, it created buzz as some even criticized that how can the ads encourage walking when talking , it can cause accidents on roads etc...i pity those who always comes up with something like that . When there is some message , we always want to dissect the essence and take the residue seriously .In practical sense ,walk when you talk actually helped me manage my time effectively .Imagine how much time we actually spend on mobile phone these days . I started walking in my terrace when i had to take up calls from home.
Even at work , for long calls , i started walking in my corridor ..This definitely helped as i felt refreshed after this walk break :-)) And am sure it also contributed to my physical activity .For all those who keep cribbing that they don't have time for an exercise regime , Please implement "walk when you talk" idea and it will help you reduce some weight for sure !

Oops. How can i forget to mention about Abhishek Bachan who aptly suits their commercial as Sirji!! He emotes so well in some of them that it helps reach many more audiences. The latest one on basha , he has acted so well as a deaf n dumb person that he brought tears in to my eyes when i saw these ads initially!!
Even now when i catch up a glimpse of this ad, towards the end of the advertisement, his emotions connects with you and makes you shed a tear drop or at least a smile in empathy !

Stop the CWG bashing !

Every time the whole episode on CWG bashing happens - i ask myself -is this something to do with Indian gene or human beings are made this way ? Fault finding exercises , having a sadistic laugh trying to expose other's weakness, enjoying the sight of someone hanging heads down in shame !!! I have a feeling it is so much to do with the way we -Indians are made to think . Wonder why everyone is finding some fault or the other about common wealth games venue or the committee or the players. Gosh -aren't we forgetting that the whole world is watching us .Common wealth games are being looked down upon by the entire world and we are mocking at ourselves and having fun .Is this the spirit of a nation like India.When china hosted the Olympics, everyone was in awe .Look at the way that country carried itself then and what are we doing guys ? I know corruption and inflating their accounts on expenditure -all that is ethically wrong ..but is that happening only now ? why blow it up so much to create hatred on the CWG itself instead the people concerned.If the intention is to correct the wrong things, media could have exposed the corrupt but also simultaneously take steps to keep common people excited about CWG or get opinions on what else can we do to make tings better etc . And what a crap show "Headlines Today " showcased ..Interviewing all the pimps and prostitutes in Delhi and focusing on how they were marketing themselves. Hypocrites is my word for them . And recently saw the news paper mocking at some of the players who have given positive results on testing of drugs .How much more you want to focus on pointing out faults in the system .

How long are we going to do this my dear Indians?

What have you done to make the Common wealth games more interesting ?

Why complain about Delhi Ministry and the CWG committee?? Did you contribute in anyway other than just cribbing along with the media who is only concerned about TRP their ratings.

I feel very sad that we are not in a position to do anything nice for our country in this ,at least we can start spreading positive thoughts and spirit towards the games from this moment .Wish we Indians behaved much better and put up a great show in this CWG that will make the world look at us with respect again !


Cheers to the success of the Common Wealth Games!! Lets rock it Shera !!!

Inithu Inithu -Inimai & Ilamai !!

"Inithu Inithu " movie reviewed from my eyes and heart!

Once you notice that the movie is from prakashraj's home production ,you don't want to give it a miss as he has been setting a trend in making good movies that appeals to audiences who like feel good movies combined with a message to the society.

This movie was one of that kind . He proves it again that you don't need a big budget or a big star cast to make moolah at the box office. All fresh faces including the main characters from the supporting actors /actresses. The music director is also on his debut i think , as i have not heard of this name mickey meyer before.His music adds to the vibrancy of the characterization . So much freshness and youthfulness in his voice.Same goes with the characters played by the young team of the eight new talented performers. All of them exhibits freshness and vibrant energy .They are just the characters in the movie and it does not look like they are in a acting mode .Watching Inithu Inithu is just like entering your college campus once more and living a few days of that life .

Seniors , juniors ,raging , love and friendship goes around in circle in the college life and that is what happens in the movie throughout. The lead character played by the charming young boy and other characters make up with the comedy ,drama and anti hero roles.And introduction of the paal pandi character suddenly aches your heart when you realise the disparity in our society .Director has neatly brought out the difficulty faced by some of the rural area students when competing with the urban crowd.And when he talks in his campus interview , you feel like you have had an achievement in life .Such is the emotional connect from this characterization .I loved the scene when it amused me by connecting the English teacher's (Anjala Zaveri) poem lines to the lethargic student's life at a later stage in his life.

Totally , a movie that you can just sit back , relax and most importantly watch it along with friends ,family and anyone - which is a rarity these days :-)

So , have your share of fun by getting into the cinema hall to catch up on Inithu Inithu which is filled with inimai and ilamai ( i mean sweetness and youthfulness)!!

What is your Bucket List?

I did not know what was kicking the bucket until i met some friends who often used this word. Well , it means leaving this world . And then i came across this term Bucket List in one of my official meeting where in my director was giving a brief to relate to what she exactly wants out of the creative we were doing etc .One fine day, i was browsing the channels and ended up watching some parts of this movie -Bucket List.Awesome thinking ..the guys in the movie knew they have only a few days to live but decides to do the wild and most desired things they have always wanted before they died .

How nice -is it nt ? I wonder how much more we can add to our very own bucket list when we are alive and kicking .

Actually, none of us know when we are gonna bid good bye to this wonderful world.Let's face it ..Death is a reality ..it is going to happen one day or the other .And for some , it comes so soon .Hence i am very sure that i will have my bucket list ready soon and i will make sure i cross out at least 50% of the things in my list. And some of the things that i really want to do before i die .

1. Tell Sujay " i love you" a 1000 times in one day
2. Make a trip to Disney Land with Vihaan and Sujay
3. See Ireland Shires
4. Watch all the original episodes of Friends
5. Take a flight with my mom
6. Go for a movie with appa ( Just me and him)
7. Try bungee jumping
8. Go on a catamaran ride with Keerthi
9. Watch a hatrick movie -3 in a row
10.Stand on top of the Eiffel Tower and tell sujay how much he means to me !!!

So , what is your bucket list buddy? Get one soon and enjoy life to the fullest!!

Behind Enemy Lines

I was catching up on "Behind enemy lines" movie two days back and regretted
for missing the first one hour. That movie was so good that it kept me glued to
the tv even though it was so late at night.Portrayal of a fighting spirit of a soldier and the captain's spirit on saving that one life left at the enemy's place was truly awesome. And top of it , some scenes were truly touchy and simple to relate with your heart. One among them was a scene where they show kids skipping the trap wires so carefully -which are planted bombs to kill anyone who would cross that .Imagine , if children are exposed to this way of life, what will they turn out to be when they are adults.No wonder terrorism is breeding in leaps and bounds in this world .

Another scene shows Owen Wilson taking a lift from a group of young guys and his interactions with them reveal they are so cool like any other young men wanting to listen to rap music and hip hop stuff. But the war zone makes them hang around with guns and run for their life every day.

The climax scene is too heroic and makes you want to clap actually - i was all smiles and looking at my husband proudly when watching the scene as if i were the one recovering the CD that had all the evidence of proving these guys guilty of the genocide . Fighting spirit is what you learn from movies like these .And in that note , i cannot forget the scene from Gladiator -i love that movie and fall in love with Russel crowe every time i see him as Maximus.One fight where he gets together all the salves on his side and fights against the tiger is truly a treat to the eye.

I start to think why we do have people fighting over states, places, rivers,religion and power .Really , life is so beautiful and it is worth living every moment of it smiling and being happy. How i wish i can change the world - rather heal the world and make it a better place for you and for me and for the future of our children !!!

May there be only peace in this world please !!!

Creative Thinking!

One hour went so quickly that i wished for more. Our meeting with him started on a joyful note when he said "let's think we are back to kinder garden" .So we all
did just that .Going back to the basics of learning.

The first program started with him asking every one to say a word and the white board by now was filled with 50 words at least .Now the challenge was to remember exactly all the words in the same order. Everyone sighed saying it is impossible. That is when he threw this question at us -How many of you think it is possible ? Not a single soul thought it was possible, i was surprised even my inner voice was saying it is not possible, be practical. Then he said , it is possible .Just that our mind pattern is so used to learning things in a certain way using the right brain.He faced us and called out exactly all the names in the same order and also taught us the technique of how we can do it ..It was a wonderful one hour of enlightenment . Basically , i learnt from that whole session that creative people are not born -they are made. If every school taught in an interesting method to comprehend the data which needs to register in our brains -how nice that would be !

But we were always taught in a different pattern. We were told one multiplied by one is one but now how it became one . I keep reading about the different modes of learning that comes about in the recent times. Some are commendable but they are also so expensive . If every home , children are taught how to think , be creative - am sure we would not have to depend on the expensive schools for children to become more talented and capable . The problem partly lies in our school system of placing such high importance on grades and marks , following a theoretical syllabus. Three idiots was one such movie which show cased the plight of our education system . Peer pressure on students , no room for creativity and discrimination is at it's worst in schools and colleges. I loved the scene where aamir khan tells boman -his principal during the photo shoot that he feels the seating arrangement based on grades is like creating divide between students . So true , i remember similar stuff from my school days too. I wish the dream school which offers creative learning that aamir khan builds towards the climax of the movie becomes a reality sooner

I adore you "Nature"

As i look outside my window, the tiny rain drops keep falling on the window pane .In it's background i see the greenery ..so many trees growing out there , all the greens ,light ones and the dark greens. wondering if it would be the same in a few years to come .I only wish so . Its a serene feeling to listen to the cuckoo or the maina birds ? as i keep typing on my laptop. I can listen to them as if they were singing a nice song.All the kuyil songs are coming to my mind ..wish i can just go around this rain smelling atmosphere and sing like my favorite actress Nadiya " Panniril nanaintha pookal mella sirikka " Tat song would be just apt for this mood

Natural scenery is something that can be watched over for a long time, like for this sky ..so wide and clear now like a white blanket..and it amazes me that my friend in the US would be watching this same sky which am seeing in Chennai right now ..

Are these small wonders ? Sun ,Moon & Stars -they also keep me gazing .I just love watching the moon on a full moon night .When we drive down to the beach and i get surprised seeing the full moon - i jump in the car like a child exclaiming "It is a full moon day ...or i will go inniki pournamiya ? " And the reflection of the moonlight on the waters is another wonderful sight to your eyes .I think our cornea will be more than happy to watch such stuff especially colors .Wish i get to admire nature in everything i see , everyday !

Kudos to Mother Nature !

You are so lovely & beautiful -Stay young and as pretty as you are today!!

Status -Who creates this?

Sara picked up this conversation with a colleague on a casual chat. About how even in temples , the poojari sees status of the person who comes to worship .This colleague went on about how someone who drops in a ten rupee note gets more attention than someone who may not offer money or can afford only a rupee. Sara nodded her head in agreement and she could not stop thinking of this one temple which people always told only the rich visits. Also the tirupathi VIP dharshans crossed her mind .Why a VIP in front of GOD ..in his eyes everyone should be equal -right .Not only there , many a places like this exists. The same colleague who spoke so much on this topic that morning was telling sara that she was visiting the sai baba temple that evening .And she added " am going in the VIP dharshan list, hopefully i will get done soon " Sara could not help but laugh -now who is creating this opportunity for status bias ..its people like us .Then what is the point in cribbing about poojari offering biased services. Why in the first place opt for a VIP and special darshans etc. Status differences exist everywhere . Another realization was when Sara's best friend consoled sara saying why a common friend did not visit sara but visited her other friends when she was in town. Sara was told that is because some people even see status when it comes to friendships.However ,Sara denies this as she has so many friends who are rich and so many who are not so doing well like sara .But that has never come in between friendships. But our society at large is somewhat like this only - that is the harsh reality .The middle class hangs out with middle class.The rich with the rich and the poor with the poor. Have u ever witnessed otherwise ? One way it is also good, as people can tend to feel very inferior / superior amongst a group who are much weaker/stronger than them

For my darling "VIHAAN "

Sweetie pie , Amma wrote this poem for you !

He arrived on a night
He will grow into a modern knight

He made me smile even in pain
He will take away all my vain

He is the one i can die for
He will be the one i will live for

He is my little big boy "Vihaan"

I can't believe you are going to be one and i thought let me give you a special gift and i started writing a poem for you .. Hope you get to read it once you grow up .Love you loads Vivi..

AMMA

Mind

Mind tells you so many things
It wanders, it doubts , it thinks and what not?

Mine tells me to

Be cautious
Be wary
Be not naive
Be careful
Be strong
Be assertive

Why is that suddenly many a things are looking so different from the way i usually see it ...guess because am listening to my mind more these days !

Remembering my teachers

Today was a great day .The training programme am attending is really good .Though there are lot of opinions on so many trainin programmes that are being carried out , having an open mind always helps. I went like a child willing to learn and that is how it became a great session i guess.

One of the exercise was to write about our favourite and worst teachers .Let's not talk abt the worst treacher.. For the favourite ,I wrote remembering vividly -sagaya mary ma'm .My english teacher and in tenth ,she was my class teacher too.An amazing person who taught with passion and care.Her examples and narration from personal life incidents always added life to our classes. I wish i meet her once again in life .She would be so happy to know that i blog and write so much :-)

Waiting to blog about importance of training in every organisation.

Soon , I shall do that !

Sila Nerangalil Sila Manithargal

This caption was a famous tamil novel and went on to become a movie too in the 80's.
But this line comes to my mind when i so often get to meet people in different moods, or different people or the same people after they change colors / moods etc.

Sometimes you do bump into nice people Like that Mr Narayanan who offered me and mom his car to drop us seeing i was pregnant . That day i felt like ..this is experience of seeing a god in human being ..I had accompanied my mom to her eye doctor when i was in my ninth month pregnancy .We were at the clinic and it started pouring We were waiting patiently for the rain to stop but time was flying .Once the rain drops reduced , amma was telling me she would go get a rick and come to the entrance and if i can manage to come until there ..we could just go home. Watching all this was this person who was another patient at the eye clinic.He just came & told us , i will send u my car and driver , just tell him where you have to be dropped.I cant forget that day ..a mere stranger offering you some help
Or should i say people are considerate about pregnant ladies ...NO, not really ..it is just that he is a good human being as there were also other places i visited as a pregnant lady where people did not even bother to give me room to stand by the counter , then only talk about being considerate .I cant forget gangotree for that ..i loved pani puris and every Sunday i almost went there ..when getting the pani puri , the men next to me just rushed and pushed ..i used to look at my husband (as i cant be angry with that stranger) in wonder and my eyes would say ..cant this men be more considerate at least seeing how big my tummy is :-P


So, u see .. people are different kinds .. Some don't even respect others ..
and what i can never understand is how some are so jealous of their neighbors, friends and even family members.I have also experienced some incidents with a neighbor who constantly wanted to know what we are bringing home , where we are going and where we buy our stuff etc.

And some people's behavior shock me , they are more interested in other people's life than their own .Some even go to the extent of checking what is happening in our lives and when i come across such people all i can remind myself of is Eleanor Roosevelt's quotes

"Great minds discuss ideas.
Average minds discuss events.
Small minds discuss people."

My thoughts on Rouvnjith's Suicide

I wonder how someone who is just thirteen can commit suicide . When i was thirteen , i knew only to play sports,study and have fun in my colony that had four houses.We were taken care of even by the caring neighbors when parents were off to work .I did not have any clue about what are the methods that can be used for a suicide when i was so young !!

So , is this a blessing of the advanced technology that we have .Children have access to everything these days - Movies on net, TV and I was surprised that google has pages on how to commit suicide .Parents these days too are so busy running behind the best schools and best stuff for the children but forgetting the best thing that they can give their child is their time and love. I know this kid's parents will be in so much distress now, but at least things would have been different if they could have stayed in constant touch with what was happening in their son's life .A mere school disciplinary action has taken away his life ...??? And coming to talk about school..Oh, that is a place which makes or breaks one personality . Many teachers these days are coming to the profession to teach not because of passion but because of no other career option , then what is that they can do to stop their frustration.I learnt from one of my friend too that her daughter was spanked at school and when she was back home , she noticed a wound on the spine .This kid who looks lovely as a princess is just 5 years old -what could she have done to take such cruel beating at this tender age ??

I feel this is another classic example of modern day boon which has become a bane.
Advanced technology , a great school system and more money making opportunities which are keeping parents busy making money for their children but leaving them with no time to do the little things that make a difference to their children who end up watching wrong things from the television or the internet.And teaching system ...what is the point in having all the advancements in technology when the core person -the teacher has evolved in to something totally different .

In our days , we respected our teacher and looked upon them to learn something .And even they Set an example for us . But what i observe today is totally different ...
Many children are becoming so snobbish and they have little respect for their teachers and i wonder if the teachers are setting an example for them yet!

I only wish this happens in a few places and hoping this is not the trend everywhere

Ironies of Life?

Applying that face cream , we are not going to become fairer -still we make those commercials? watch those commercials and sometimes we buy them too

We are talking about gender equality time and again but still woman want a man to give up a seat for her in the bus or anywhere and also they use the woman tag to
get things done / make it easy for themselves.And they are the first to gossip about woman too !

Man wants to flirt-around with the happy go lucky ones but marry only the sitas little do they realize their sitas were someone's gita earlier

We know the media hypes everything , but still we cant do away with those programmes or the news

We speak so much about our passion for the country , but we grab whatever
opportunity we get to go out of it

And we know that all the people in the filmdom/ page 3 circuit live almost a fake life ..still we adore them and want to have a life like them

These are some common ironies in life that i witness almost everyday...

Mesmerising Songs

Felt like listing down the songs that mesmerize me !!!


Have been hooked on to " Usurepoghuthe " from Raavanana from this morning..
Its like Karthik is singing as if he is really gonna die in her love-so much depth in the lyrics and voice ..and i dunno if its because of just music or lyrics or the voice ..oh after i watch it ..it wud be adding on to this list on the photography / direction of Manirathnam aswell

Nenjukkul peithidum song was like growing along with Vihaan in the tummy , have listened to it literally every day in my pregnancy :-)) And loved the bit of Oh Shanthi Shanthi by SPB Charan !!

Kiya hua tera wada...a wonderful song from Mohd Rafi is like i am making a wada to the song itself ..that i will never forget to mention in my list of favourites

I love "Am Alive" by celien dion -It really makes me alive in times of low feelings

And these songs makes me feel so light at heart ... Minsara kanavu ones -to be specific Manamathurai -Ooh la la ..so so nice n peppy! Pretty woman -the one from kal ho na ho ..Golmaal ..everythings gonna be golmaal .

Some at nites ..i can only relate to ilayaraja songs..
oh..when u drive down the besant nagar theosopical road during a rainy day ..
It has to be an ilayaraj song playing in the car nd my evening is perfect if the song is " En iniya pon nilave" ...Yesudas has some honey in his voice i think :-)
It feels so sweet and makes such a pleasant experience to listen ..
Ilaya nila pozhigirathu, Pani voizhum malarvanam , Idhu oru pon malai pozhuthu ,
Anthi mazahai all these are SPBS bestest songs in his career ..No wonder they made him such a big hit ...What voice !!!

Ooohhh ..Guess , high time i work on my singing skills too -as Listening Songs becomes better when you can hum along :-))

Rajneeti -Hindi Movie Review

I wanted to watch this movie because i was too fascinated by the lovely trailers and an awesome starcast.Also a little interested in politics but i dont have any clue what happens out there.. Finally we made it to the movie .Only then i realised, it was a narration which took inspiration from Mahabharatha too!

I would call it a Modern Day Mahabharata.However, i wish i had known better hindi to get charged up for some of the best dialogues.Though with the broken hindi and the expressions i figured out the story and the narration .The actors did justice to their roles.Loved Manoj Bajpai's attitude , Nana Patekar's effortless acting ..Arjun Rampal's Charisma , Ranbir n Karishma's Freshness.And Ajay Devgan did so much justice as the leader of the dalit .He was rugged ,angry and delivered a performance that was brilliant.I always thought Katrina to be the dumb doll but she stunned me with making her acting work in this movie .She carried off the politician bit so well . And the politics drama was played off so well in the movie that you are waiting to watch what is gonan happen next .

Totally , a nice movie -worth watching is what i would say about RAJNEETI !!

Singam -Tamil Movie Review

"Singam" , this name itself got me excited as my son Vihaan is a LEO and it so happened that his favourite lullaby happened to be "The Lion Sleeps Tonight" from the movie "The Lion King". And after seeing Surya in the movie stills and trailers , being an ardent surya fan.. will i give the movie a miss ?  Also i was super excited as this was my kutty singam's first movie .

Now to the review... Singam is a total masala ,family entertainer. It starts with the setting as a backdrop of a village and Surya's diction in tamizh language enhances the role played by him -Durai Singam, the dedicated but also wise police officer .Why i say wise is because he avoids the unnecessary false cases and avoidable  battles on petty issues very well. And delivers the heroic punch dialogues very well. You feel some excitement inside you when he gives some physical punches too. Surya has some charisma onscreen for sure else i don't know how he can strike such good chemistry with all his heroines. As for this movie, Anushka
fits in perfectly as the Hero's lady love . Only thing i wish , is to see tamizh cinema change the stereo typing of its heroines from just singing to dancing. Anushka did some daring heroine oriented subjects in telugu and i hope to see that she should get a bit of it in tamizh too .As far as this movie is concerned, she did her part very well .. I was happy at least there was a part where she motivates the hero to not give up but fight against the wrong ones and emerge victorious ..That was appealing !!

How can i forget talking about the bad guy who competes with the hero equally in the acting and also the characterisation . Prakash Raj is excellent,  He just gets better with every movie that he does yet has not bored us playing the bad man time and again .He performs like as if this was his first appearance as a villainous guy ...Music score was ok but the background score stole the show .Devishri Prasad had some echoing compositions for the train chase and the police patrols.

Totally the movie is packaged very well and has got everything that a movie needs .. A nice cast of actors , story, screenplay , music and everything that a movie needs.

Worth a watch ..Actually i can even watch it once more..

Totally , Singam was a  Super Duper Movie ..Now , get your tickets booked :-))

GOD

I don't know if GOD exists or not . But just feel liking pouring out my opinions on GOD here.
I was raised as a god fearing person , parents always took me to temples for summer vacations.Have been to all the thiruvannamalai to mantralayam and tirupathis. Even till this date, i feel at peace when i visit our family god temple.. Bagavathy amman's temple @ madapalli kaavu . Every time i am there ...my soul searching begins ..it is one of the places that is so close to my heart .And when in Coimbatore , i always enjoyed doing my daily visits to Dhavanthiri temple, ayyappan temple and Sathyanarayana temple. It was like a routine to visit the temple. But once i took up Buddhism my view towards idol worship and GOD changed.I felt there was no supreme human power above us who is controlling everything in our lives. Tried applying logic to everything we did in Hinduism and when i did not find a logical reason , i mocked at it. Abhishegams reminded me only of the poor for whom this milk and honey would do wonders. People talking in temple put me off... all they were doing inside a temple premises was gossiping and discussing about others. Is that what god wants ? The more i read about buddhism , i understood ..we do not profusely say there is no GOD ..all buddhism says is do not leave everything to an external source ..work on yourself first . As even buddhism believes in the zhoten zenjin and buddhist gods . It's the positive protective forces working in the universe . As i keep writing here , am still an amature in this topic. NO one yet knows who GOD is ..if he exists etc . All we know is faith ..yup ..the word is faith..when we believe in something ... we work towards it and we will get it.. but sometimes..out timing is just not right ..even the most deserving thing does not come your way when your timing is  not right ...now that is what is called KARMA. Again i wonder..how something i did in the past should affect my present ...sounds ridiculous that someone is born rich because he did so much good in his previous lifetime but someone is poor because of all the bad deeds... But when you actually experience it..it all feels so right ...KARMA, GOD ..FAITH ...everything...

Finally i realise ,all these stuff are created ,written and passed on by someone called MAN.. so it is he who creates everything and gets the ball rolling .. until i find some answers to these innumerable questions ...i will believe in MYSELF !!!!

Dedicated to both the AMMAS

Mother's day is just a reason to make those lovely ladies i know feel special .. I started the day with an SMS that i created and sent it to the few mothers i know ... some of them were delighted reading the message and instantly replied... my message was " Motherhood teaches you that it is possible to love someone unconditionally" . I had my buddhist meeting that day and so quickly i got ready to go for the same. I surprised my mother in law by gifting her something that she has been wanting for a long time ..A feng shui bamboo plant. After seeing the broad smile on her face, i left for the prayer meeting .Back home , lunch was perfect with the potato fry and the lovely sambar . Then it was time to visit my mother as i had got her the gift that she really liked.It was BOBBY movie dvd and Kanda shashtikavasam by Soolamangalam sisters. I had rushed to odyssey to get the same previous nite but they did not have stock with had soolamangalam sister's voice .But according to my mother, kanda shastikavasam sounds perfect only when Soolamangalam sisters had rendered their voice to it :-) i agree with her as these ladies had some divineness in the way they had recorded this song. So , rushed out of odyssey and checked out another small music shop.We went to buy one CD but ended buying so many audio cds and some old time classics like kaadalikka neramillai , bama vijayam ..all those nostalgic nagesh hits. There was already a plan for our family dinner , so quickly i had to head to amma's house so that i can catch up with her before we went out . As i was entering amma's apartment my mother in law called me and said .. i have invited a special guest for the the dinner tonight and she will join you at ur mom's plc ..bring her along etc .. i took a few guesses assuming , it must be one of her sisters or relatives ...
But later, i  realised it was my AMMA.. felt so happy in my heart ...as when i was leaving my home ..i had this slightest regret on how marriage changes priorities for a woman and how you have to put even you mother behind and go ahead with your life etc.. but this nice act of my mother in law proved to reassure me that not necessary that things have to change after marriage .It is all in our hands .. if we give so much love , it will come back in multi fold and that is what i am getting now ... I could not have asked for a better Mother's day gift as this was my first mother's day ...a dinner with both the AMMA's in my life along with their dear children and the most lovable grandchild Vihaan ! It was just a perfect way to end the day...

Is this a womanish quality ?

I don't know what to call it..envy , jealously ?? or what that is i don't know .you will get to know what i am talking about as you read this blog.


One day , i was at the tailor's place  giving my new saree and blouse material to stitch the blouse .
And there were a mom and daughter duo giving thousand different instructions to the tailor as to how they want their salwar material etc . I waited patiently and as the Tailor realised these guys are gonna take
more time with him -he turned towards me to ask my requirements. I just gave him a sample blouse , chose a neck design and got done with it in i guess about five minutes. As i was gonna leave the duo , especially the
daughter asked me where i got the saree from and i instantly replied saying Nalli .They even went ahead and asked which branch etc . Very sweetly i gave them all the details .I also noticed even the salwar material she had was looking nice and i complemented them saying it is very nice and asked them where they bought it .I was taken aback with their answer to my question  as -with a pause after thinking for a second , she said " It is a GIFT " and i could clearly see it was a LIE . Gosh - i wondered why are some women like this .Why is it that they do not want others to know about where to get good deals and stuff .Why is that they hesitate to complement someone else on their looks or a dress etc .What is the issue ?


As this incident repeated again in my life .This acquaintance called me up to check where i buy my skirts as she noticed me many a times wearing skirts .After i gave all the details , as it was close to Diwali -i asked her where have they bought their Diwali's buys for their new born  baby and instantly came the answer that we did not buy anything for him . His uncle has bought his new clothes.Cant u believe tat as family who spends on luxurious things did not buy the baby new stuff for his first diwali .And what amused me was that she is here calling me to check where i buy stuff and does not want me to know about the places that she buys her stuff from ...


ooh ..i wonder why some woman are like this !!!!


And some them actually make me feel stupid thinking of the way i share my good deals with everyone so sweetly .Guess all i want is to recommend the good guys who give me a great deal of service and value for money . Dont you think it is just right to pay them back by recommending them to as many as possible !!
Why hold on to them as a big secret ? Why feel so envious that everyone else will also get to wear good stuff , buy economically etc... I keep wondering again is this just a womanish quality or does it exist in many of us irrespective of the gender !!

Music

There is some sort of power to this thing called " Music" . As this famous quote goes
when words fail -"music speaks" ..trust me ..i experience it so much in my life ..

Sometimes , all i got to do is just listen to some of the songs that can make me come back
to the zing mode. I am so emotional and can feel so easily weak hearted even when the problem
is not related to me or my family .All i have to do then is ,listen to a lovely composition that can pep me up .
And is it only me or many others too who feel this way about some songs ...
Whenever i listen to tamizha ,tamizha -i feel some kind of patriotism arising inside.
And when i listen to some songs like Pani vizhum malarvanum and recent songs like Hosana, Nenjukkul
all those rehman ,harris melody ..i feel bloody romantic . Of course, some of these songs even bring some nice memories to my mind. And how can i forget some of these peppy pop numbers. Oh , i crazily sing along too. i remember during school times , keerthi and i used to just hum along and have competition amongst us .
Even appa added to it by asking us questions on name of music directors , lyricist of some of the old hindi songs .We had fun playing those quizzes. Then , there was no computer at home or we did not  even know what was google to figure out answers .It was wild guesses or answers that we would have to recollect names based on some previous conversations . Some of the english songs that kept repeating on our tape recorder were Ricky Marting -Maria , Steps, Macerana. And now it  seems so funny but still am unable to stop myself from thinking how Keerthi and i recorded our singing talent ..we used to even practice before the recording .And like some expert musicians ..we even hummed the lines or the chorus for the other :-)
I still remember recording kannalane song from bombay and the " gubusu gubusu chikku " en all that !!!

How can i leave out the anthakshari competitions .it continued even at work places . I always won those
competitions . It is fun and  fun and just fun !!!
Having good knowledge on both hind and tamizh songs helped me win those games as most of the participants would be well versed with  just one of the languages songs and not so much with the lyrics.

Some songs leave you with nice feelings , some pep you up , some makes you dance and some brings in sadness .. Some voices are so deep and they have the power to create magic ...Like A R Rahman and Mohd Rafi ..off late , i like Alisha's too ..she was too good with her rendering on Tera hone laga hai ...
ARR ..solla ve vendaam ..some of his songs haunt you and some are rendered with so much bhakthi -like Haji ali , Khwaja meri khwaja. I have to talk about Ilayaraja ...can't leave out his compositions ..some songs are awesome ..he has made the best use of  orchestra in his times ... violin was used so much !!

Music has so much power ... Vihaan turns around to the computer or TV when some song is played.
He loves the DOCOMO jingle ...he is keenly watching the TV when Docomo ad comes .And i always play old macdonald song on the computer when he his having his food . Now when i sing that song he looks at the computer thinking that song usually comes from there :-)

It amazes me ... Music and it's power !!!!

No wonder JAI HO got us the OSCAR !!!!!

What's happening to true spirit of Journalism ?

 
Offlate , the journalism industry has become more commercial than any other .Wonder what is happening to the true spirit of journalists . I know that any change should be welcomed .But this drastic change is not serving the purpose of  it's existence .From the newspapers to television -everywhere there is political party's involvement .How will a common man understand the truth  ? Take a look at the channels and hardly any of them is not owned by the political family/politician. Kalaignar,SUN,Jaya .and now Captain TV on its way ??
They are into radio and newspaper segment too and even magazines .And how does even the common man beleive all these news to be true .Each one does bashing of the opposite party and we contribute to their revenue by buying or tuning in .

Where is the real journalist spirit here ..Is it not a responsibility of a media to broadcast unbiased news .A reality as a reality to the common public and not publicise only something that is will bring down the image of an opposite party .And they focus so much on unwanted news than real problems .For example -The recent swamiji nithyananda's sex scandal -was it of so much importance to have so many repeat telecasts throughout those two days ??Clearly we can see all they needed was TRP ratings and the scape goat was the actress Ranjitha .If this had happened in the west ..she could have sued SUN TV..end of the day it is her personal life and what it has resulted her is in a suicide attempt .

And come to the national television channles ..MY god ...are they just  into news ....? NOOOOOOOOOO
It's like each one has an agenda everyday to promote some movie star or gossips .Sharukh's or Big B blog will be a HEADLINE NEWS !!!!  And some clippings from a relaity show -which will go on repeat telecast for a week until that makes another headline . They are helping people like Rakhi saawant and Rahul Mahajan become a celebrity .A  decade back -News channels were watched to help accumulate general knowledge and be in tune with the current affairs .But currently news channels only help you to know
about what is happening in Bebo's life or which political party is in a mess.

Don't we think we have better things to cover in news that public should know ...

How nice it would be if news channels started spreading awareness on common issues and give the public the real news without the spice and masala to it and also cover news even if the newsmaker is not a celebrity!

WOW-IT'S TAJ !!!

I have been wanting to write this blog for a long time .Almost a month now..
I decided the moment i stepped in to TAJ kumarakom that i have to tell the whole world about how great that place is .Trust me ..it's beyond what you can express in words ..you got to feel it .The way they make you feel...
Hospitality industry should learn from TAJ to follow suit in giving the customers a WOW experience .
When we checked in , we were welcomed with the fresh tender coconut .As i was having Vihaan along with me, the thoughtful  receptionist Parvathi got him a nice gift ( a teddy that he still plays with when going to sleep) .She instantly reminded me of my good old days at the park sheraton where i worked once as a guest service assistant.Then Mittu -the front desk attendant escorted us to the room .Little did we expect that he would offer us so many services which came by .He told us we can get a baby cot in the room so that Vihaan can sleep peacefully .Also he informed us that we can avail the services of a baby sitter the next morning .Then he gave us a brief on the room and services and left .Sujay & I were so impressed as it's not the typical artificial smiles that we got that evening ...everyone at TAJ exhibited positive attitude and that is what made a difference to their service.It was like they were not doing a job ,but they were really offering to help us in making our stay a memorable and convenient one .Even at the restaurant , Bipin and another guy -i  forget his name but he was a staunch kollywood fan was so friendly that vihaan just went to them easily and they took him for a detour of the restaurant while we enjoyed our dinner .It was all magical-the whole experience of staying at TAJ. The manager of the place also constantly checked if we were comfortable whenever he met us and there were all always asking for Vihaan and interacting with him .The next day i even opted to go for a massage as we were offered a baby sitter to take care of the baby .It was TAJ that gave me the confidence to leave my baby with someone i never knew for two hours to sit back and indulge in a body massage.I have not done that even in Chennai ,my home town yet (as obviously there is always my family who can extend help but in kerala -do i ever know anyone to leave behind vihaan to take a break , can't imagine doing that if not for TAJ ). If i have to start telling about the room -i can go on.I fell in love with the SUNBIRD .That was the name of our room -it was a VILLA ...beautiful room .It had a wonderful balcony which is like an open space that leads to a pond .And the bathroom was opening up to nature scenery..they have put up nets on top...we can overlook the tress and bathe ...but you did have the bath tub a little inside and optional mat curtains were there to close in case you need more privacy ..I loved that bathroom ...Guess after a long time i indulged in some one hour bath :-))


Everything in TAJ was wow ..wow ..wow ...We also had cycles to help you reach the reception , restaurant from the Villa as it was quite far off . I guess after ages -i cycled all the way to and from my Villa -enjoyed it absolutely . If you get a chance- you MUST visit TAJ KUMARAKOM and feel the royal treatment that they offer you !!!!

It's worth every penny that they charge you .....

From this vacation -Sujay & i have become  a TAJ loyalist. We dont min'd cutting short on the duration of the stay to afford it ..but even if it is three days somewhere -we are gonna opt for nothing but TAJ TAJ TAJ !!

Kerala Trip -Filled with Moments of FALSE

Our kerala trip was filled with many a moments of bad customer service . The first moment happened right at the airport when the guys happily announced that one of our baggage was still stuck at Chennai (and we were in Cochin ) . It was a travel bag and all of my husband's clothes were in that bag. The only comfort feeling was that he had anticipated this and had just one set of clothes for each of us in the hand baggage .May be that was the reason the usual fussy customer (my hubby) sounded cool when the jet airways representative told us about the missing baggage and that it would be sent to the hotel in a few hours .They were expecting it to arrive by the next kingfisher flight. We were too tired to talk anything more and we took the drive to munnar as planned .By the time we settled down at the hotel , we had forgotten about the missing baggage .It was already evening and there was not even a courtesy call from Jet airways to inform us the status on the baggage.I told sujay to call them up and we were pleasantly shocked to hear the response .The duty manager was telling us that bag is still in chennai as kingfisher did not accept it , so it has to wait for the next jet flight .He then enquired what we were supposed to do and what about the compensation .That guy was rude enough to say , baggage loss is bound to happen in air travel and company can compensate only if they do not deliver it beyond 24hrs. We told him , it is going to reach us literally the next day (as estimated time to receive the bag was 01.00am) .Finally we gave up on this call and were telling each other how jet airways have gone to dogs.That is when my hubby told me that even in the flight he asked for coffee or tea (it was a morning light -departure at 06.30) and the flight attendants told him that only vegetarian meal is available .Do they expect the customers to have a meal at 630am ??

Now , the second moment - Nothing could have been worse than the services at Waterscapes -shame on kerala tourism for running a hotel like this . Forget getting Big B as an ambassador and better buck up on your service else your tourists will only drop .If you want to experience the worst holiday in life -Stay in waterscapes . We checked in to the room and from that moment -my 7 month old baby was only crying .As the A/C in the room literally did not work and the weather is kumarakom is twice as hot as how it is right now in chennai ...can u imagine our plight ?
We called the reception to complain -Staff there only speak malayalam and they do not even make an attempt to understand our english .We try all the sign languages and the Malayalam accent tamizh to tell them what we want .Comes an A/c technician (after half hour ) who just checks the machine and tells us " It's working " .He just leaves ...we wondered if this is how all the rooms were.We asked for a room changed immediately and left for sigh seeing .We instructed them to leave the A/c on .When we came bk to the room , we thought everything was fine until it dawned and became the next noon .I had to remove all the clothes on vihaan so that he could feel some air .His hair was wet because of the sweat.It was HORRIBLE !!! And every time we called the reception -they understood nothing and once the guy just hung up the phone.

Sujay and i went up to the reception , blasted them and called for the manager .There he came justifying this is how it is as kumarakom weather is bad .We told him the previous night we had dinner at Taj and we did not feel this way at the restaurant. He then offered a room change .Again we were going out , so we told them to shift ....story repeats ..when we were back ...the room was just HOT. Sujay was at his worst temperament and told me i better agree to shift to TAJ. I did not have a choice as then i cud not see the money being more important (as we had already paid for this hotel) than vihaan's sweat. We then moved and what we experienced from there was just ROYAL treatment. It was like as if all the bad experience was compensated with the TAJ experience .

For the TAJ experience , follow my next blog !!!

Child labour -We can change it !!!!!

Have heard so many politicians say that they want to do service to the poor wonder if even 1% of the population is doing anything .As often i see some unpleasant situations around me and feel helpless to change the situation .At least people in power , if they put their mind to it can make a difference !! so , shud i get into politics or something -but ppl i know have always told me it's a mess and u will become one if you get into it !

So many young children coming with those glass cloth or ear buds -trying to force you to buy and the moment u buy -another three or four follow them and insist you buy from them too. What pained me was when this small girl kept saying she was hungry when sujay n i were sipping in to the elanee by the road side. Sujay bought her one and offered as she was hungry .Felt great to see him do that (i was thinking about it and he just did it ) .This cunning elanee lady asked him if it was for that girl and she will give it to her later -as we were done with ours and were waiting for the lady to give it to her .Sujay strongly told her that it's okay for us to wait but he wants her to give it to the girl before we leave .When we were done - i saw another girl on the other side trying to sell her duster and ear buds .And there were also two more ladies and what is worse -one of them was pregnant .My favourite question popped up on my mind , how on earth people plan kids when they can't afford a meal for themselves !!!! bang came sujay's usual reply -that is their only entertainment that they can afford ...again my question : i wonder if they have ever heard of condoms or know that they can use some protection ...well even when the most educated , socially aware are not taking precautions , how can we expect them to do that . If people who plan kids are not responsible enough to think about their children's future , who will ? I know all of us can think about contributing to the poor etc .But won't it help instead of making them dependant on others financially -attacking the root cause will solve the issue to certain extent .The children born under this circumstances grow up in to individuals who are more vulnerable as they wud even rob or steal to afford a living as parents force them to work (this road side selling) at this tender age when they shud be out playing or studying.

haven't we heard of even some terrorists confessing they did not have money and they came in to this because their parents will be paid 10k -imagine their life was worth just that!

i think even ajmal kasab in his one of the earlier trials confessed something similar

how can we change this ..i feel responsible to do something about it and i wish many other

people think abt it too.These days suddenly i get so affected when i see some children doing a lot of labour work .I witness atleast 2 or 3 of them in my daily life .Saravana bhavan has small boys -they shud be 15 or 16 clearing tables for u .And these small time shops -near my house the mahalakshmi stores has a boy who will be just 12 or max 14 -he comes home to deliver stuff and my mom is too generous to tip him on his every visit as she feels so bad for him .Even my medical shop that delivers medicines home have small boys working for them who are actually from the owner's village and they are given food and accommodation (as this kind of labour fee is economical for a business) and some meager wages.

We are doing a campaign for tigers -Just 1411 left ...this campaign is all over for which we can hardly take any action ( u see , i don't live in a forest or jungle -how am supposed to save them yaar?)

but don't u think at least for child labour - we can influence certain people not to do that or even we can oppose ppl /companies doing it ?? Can't some awareness campaign be done about child labour . Don't u think children -the future of india is more important than the national animal of india?

There used to be the advertisements on CRY airing on TV , but they only say -contribute .But no one tells you how we can eradicate it or voice against it .As not all the time can we afford money -and even if we want to offer financial help , we would want be sure , it's been used for the right situation .And in this case,we don't know if it's actually helping the person we may want to help .

These are all just questions with no answers .

I have just one simple solution .If all of us can put our mind to it -WE CAN CHANGE SOME % of the children from this issue. Am sure all of us have maids coming home for domestic help.All probability they need a lot of help with their children's future .If we can offer to help one of the maids who works very good for you and has a small child who is school going age -am sure ,they would be damn happy that their children's future are taken care of and may become even more responsible with a little bit if support like this .Already , many of the house maids that i have come across are so sure of wanting to give their children good education and they are slogging for it with so many difficulties lying ahead of them.

We need not pay them the money directly , but we can offer to pay their child's school fees directly .I dunno it's just a thought ..let's see if it can work !!

All of you -Welcome to pour in your thoughts as well!!

என் தாய் மொழி தமிழ் பற்றி

On my recent trip to munnar ,we stayed at the tea castle . The security guard of the hotel was delighted and his face glowed when i asked him a few questions in tamizh.
He was like " madame , neenga tamizha?? " .I was like very produly "ammam- neengalumaa??" He was so happy to interact in tamizh and he told me he mistook me for a north indian and assumed i wud speak hindi or english .He also added that even if people knew tamizh -they preferred to speak in hindi or english .I was thinking in my mind ..is it a good trend or should we actually feel great to being a global citizen. There is no harm in being more westernised and talking english but the problem lies in loosing the passion for our mother tongue.Am not asking for a a dharna and attacks like the shiv sena's do going about promoting marathi .but i ask every one of you -a tamizhan to realise -where is your interest gone is peaking your mother tongue .As many of the people i met in this vacation came up with the same kind of surprised face when they heard me speaking tamizh .The tea estate workers at munnar too could not help but rejoice that they met tamizh speaking people after a long time and the irony is many visitors who visit munnar are from CHENNAI !!! and can u imagine that they don't speak tamizh..(i assumed that it was foreigners or people from the north ) well , this made me think of a lot of other things ...
Developing a passion for your mother tongue cannot be forced into people by the government . But they can be developed from one's childhood .I think my passion towards tamizh is firstly because am born in this land and i studied this language from school .But the biggest mistake a lot of parents do here in tamiz nadu is that , they enroll their children in hindi or french classes and where can u expect your children to grow up in to people with a passion for your mother tongue .
Also , my father always read out one thirukural to me everyday .I cant tell you how much value that has added to my life and my outlook towards life .Everytime something happens , i remind myself of the kurals that i have read about.I remember travelling in government buses during school days and memorising every thirukural written on the CHERAN bus.Also i hate it when some tamilians think it's a FAD to speak English and that is their identity of being westernised .I feel being western is more to do with your outlook towards life and people and not the dress you wear or the hair cut you have or going pub hopping n getting sloshed .The west have taught us many a good things .But why is that we want to copy all the wrong things ??
Why not the good ones ?? Most of them speak only their mother tongue at home !!!!
Am not saying boycott English ..English was my favourite class in school ..i loved the non detail part all the shakespear tales etc but that did not make me loose my passion for TAMIZH .And that is what am trying to blog about.And how can i forget the hypocrisy of the politicians .They have so many rules in the tamil nadu government ..like movie title names ( and that is still just name sake and merely to get the tax benefit -The Boss became SIVAJI ,THE BOSS -still it had english !!!)
top ranker's recognition only for tamizh students etc ...but they harp about boycotting other languages when their own grandchildren are studying overseas .why all this fuss when your own is not following what you preach??

If they had true passion for the language -they would have acted in many other ways to promote the language .Just doing a chennai sangamam is not the way to promote your tamizh language and culture .If you think , there are many other ways too!!


And SAD is the word to read some of the tamizh ads or articles .That is the plight of our TAMIZH NADU -at least ,chennai !!!

And lets take a look at some of the TN/chennai's varied fields and evaluate their TAMIZH background/knowledge

Superstar -Fron Karnataka (atleast he speaks very good tamizh)
CSK captain -From Jharkand (can he speak TAMIZH??)
No 1 heroines in Tamil Films -From Kerala or Andhra(and the chennai ones also cant speak or dub in TAMIZH)
Top Singers -From Bollywood (who kill the tamizh pronunciation & the language )
Music Directors - Most of them from Kerala /Andhra
Top Business Men - You can count the TAMIZH guysssss

I don't think this will be the situation in anyother state !!
I dont know if we should hyprocitically say Chennai is more INDIAN -we dont bother
about the native or background of the people who represent us ...I dont think that can come from many of us -can it ?? Am not saying we should become like the Telangana but lets not be the reason for TAMIZH and TAMIZH culture to disappear
from taking any leads in our own state atleast !!

What more people?? When we speak about this ..all they will have to say is
வந்தோரை வாழ வைக்கும் தமிழ் நாடு . But let them live here happily but not kill our language and our traditions .They also tend to takeaway the opportunity of many more capable people from the very own land and let us not LET THAT HAPPEN !!!

What makes news?

I was having my tea and a colleague of mine asked me -did you see the news on the sex scandal of swami nithyananda? I was wondering what was that all about and ignored the subject completely .Only this afternoon , i realised that it has become headlines for many of the television channels .Also heard about the video which shows him in a compromising position with an actress etc .Why the hell the TV channels show such videos on TV which is meant for all category of audiences.I wonder how many of them are so selfishly motivated to spread these news which are of
least importance .If they were to say , they are educating the innocent public about
dangerous men in swamiji avatar-is this the first time that this is happening?
How many times have we come across the same type of news.

I clearly see ,the Television Channels are only concerned about their TRP ratings.
They just want more and more people to watch their programmes .This is so evident when i realise that Ashaji's comment on "mumbai belongs to all " has not become a headline on all of them as you see she is not hot or is not as famous as SRK.Also wonder why there was no repeat telecast of what is happening in Shimoga ?? Because it's not a terrorist attack or is it because it's not mumbai?? huh !!

Most of the television channels these days want only-TRP ratings -THAT'S IT

Gone are the days when media played a role on being the face of the common man and showcased what is happening in the society without taking a side and wanting justice