Thotzzzz

Today was one of those beautiful days I woke up with a broad smile and a very plesant feeling.A dream to build a day on! My earliest memory of you is the St.Francis kindergarten maybe we stood next each other singing 'I'm a little teapot short and stout' in Ms.Uma's class.. Giggling as we imitated the big fat teapot. The kg class photo I treasure because of people like u that little face.. your bushy ponytail..your beautiful red frock. we grew up exchanging short shy smiles as our paths crossed in tht sprawling campus.Never a word was spoken,twas a bus journey which got us talking.It kinda felt we picked up the conversation from where we left in kindergarten!! Then it was no going back been the sort of friends everyone envied.walking hand in hand joking and yapping all the time.I still remember how are eyes met often and the glance made sure we were in synch.I love the nostalgia the watch u gifted me brings.. The last time we met was at ur wedding and both of us felt it's a good bye and tWas indeed. No tears no promises.Just a touch of genuine love and sweet friendship.I don't where you are.. how u're doing but this morn gal u made my day by stepping in... into my dreams.. Thank you
with smiles,
.. as u say it Pepsi:)

'Hope is a good thing, maybe the best of things, and no good thing ever dies'

They say it has no memory.That's where I want to live the rest of my life.A warm place with no memory..

Salvation lies within

There must be a con like me in every prison in America. I'm the guy who can get it for you.


..prison life consists of routine, and then more routine'...

..those voices soared higher and farther than anybody in a gray place dares to dream. It.. made those walls dissolve away, and for the briefest of moments, every last man in Shawshank felt free...

'I have to remind myself that some birds aren't meant to be caged. Their feathers are just too bright and when they fly away,the part of you that knows it was a sin to lock them up does rejoice, but still, the place you live in is that much more drab and empty that they're gone. I guess I just miss my friend

Andy Dufresne who crawled through a river of shit and came out clean on the other side.

I can barely sit still or hold a thought in my head. I think it is the excitement only a free man can feel, a free man at the start of a long journey whose conclusion is uncertain



Reality bites:The human mind once stretched by an idea never regains its original dimension


Question of the day : How does this new fence look? ;)

♪Hey hey hey snowflake my pretty lil snowflake
♪The change in the weather has made it better for me ♪
Hey hey snowflake ♪ my pretty lil snowflake,snowflake
You've got me warm as ♪ a fire with a burning desire for you♪

♪ Snow was falling when love came calling on this lonely heart of mine
...........♪
You kept stalling while my thoughts were calling on every way I knew ♪
For one excuse to get ♪ aquainted with you
♪

Hahaa for those of you who know me well the opening lines must have shocked you. Well!! It happens and it has happened to me

Looking out of my window sipping my hot cup of coffee
I feel it gently rest on me.
The still white grandeur making its way

real yet magical
silent yet musical

cruel yet royal
wild yet mild

horrible yet beautiful
terrible yet delightful

cold yet warm
crude yet perfect

severe yet light
dull yet bright

appearing yet disappearing
nothing yet something

oh what poise without a noise....

Today I woke up to all the Christams cards I have stacked up over the years.
Pictures of snow glistening on tree tops and roof tops.
Snowman with his carrot beak, snowball fights quite a sight
Here I sit falling in love with the snow all over again in this winter wonderland

Then I said snow flakes......♪
The ice was breaking and ♪ love was waking in a winter wonderland ♪

This is one of my all time favourite songs and today I got to love it and live it yet another time. Check it out

♪ Now snow is gleaming and I'm not dreaming I know this is for real ♪
The love I have ♪ is too much to conceal ♪
Hey hey hey snow flake...♪♪
:)

How was it Lord?.....

To be the Life
Facing death and strife

To be the Way
Standing at the crossroad of life

To be the Shepherd
Among a pack of wolves

To be the Lion
Slain like a lamb

To be the Leader
Yet calmly follow

To be the Healer
Beaten, smitten and torn

To be the Magnificent
Despised, rejected and spat at

To be the Victor
Staring at the face of defeat

To be the Bright Morning Star
Clouded with dark insults and stares

To be the Living Water
Offered bitter vinegar

To be the Lifter of heads
Bearing the shame

To be the Truth
Accused by the false

To be Love
Surrounded by hate

To be the King of Kings
Wearing a crown of thorns

To be Dressed in Splendor
Hanging half-naked on a cross

To be the Resurrection
Embalmed in myrrh and aloes

To be the Son
Given up like a slave

To be the King of Glory
Locked in a tomb

To be the Sinless
Dumped with sin

Oh how was it Lord ??
To be the Saviour
Helpless and forsaken

Well my child,
It is all part of the plan
For every clan
There is no one to blame
Rejected, despised and in shame
Torn down and ripped
Hated and ridiculed
Left alone and forlorn
Taking your place
Paying the price
To set you free

Now draw near to Me
I’ll keep you safe in the hollow of My hand
Till we reach the Promised Land

Woke up to the voice of the railway gal 'Yatrigan kripya dhyan de…' and found the train gliding slowly through the din and smell of the Chennai Central. With anxious commuters thronging the platforms I managed to find my way and come out in one piece! Chennai … I prefer Madras; in spite of the mad-rush has its own identity.

Stepping out I found a place in one of those 'thaazhthala sogusu peirundhu'. Impressed with the bus being clean,I settled down to hear the driver and the condrructorr (some sort of tractor I guess ) converse… ’inna namakitiya filim kaatriya’ … Does modernization ever affect the common guy on the road… in terms of language! But thatz the best about Madras nothing can take away its self-proclaimed identity. The vibrant urge to survive and excel can be seen in every other guy…by hook or crook that’s a different story. Smart work culture everywhere from the streets to the Secretariat ;)

But later into the day I realized Madras is slowly catching up on the so-called Metro culture leaving behind its admirable identity… headphones on shaky heads, gals donning crazy accessories and funny Tees, many youngsters walking hand in hand!, beach sundal replaced with popcorns and pizzas, ‘lifestyle’ determining most of the styles, coffee pubs ever full …so ..so… In fact a very good turn…. Hmm but why is every Munniyandi, Mayilswamy and Kamatchi talking in English!!!!!! even when the person on the receiving end is Thamizh personified. Had a very interesting take on this at the Regional passport office… (wasted 3 whole hours in the government office amidst long queues, scores of people, some stray animals, honking cars and ofcourse an array of policemen/women). I have this thing whenever I’m in a queue; people usually cut the queue exactly at the spot where I stand. So I’m pretty used to those looks, pushes and ’ konja thalu ma’ (sigh).But this time it was quite an experience… first came a lady round and scary she looked straight into my eyes and said ‘Esgoose me’ .. I strained hard to figure out wht she said… !! wht goose was she talking abt?! But then considering her figure I stepped away a bit…. A little later heard a man in between his loud breaths, ‘yes-curse madam indhuva andha queue’.. How dare u curse me fella!… Then came a daintily looking gal saying ‘yech-use panreengala andhanda poyikuraen’ … naan ella alphabets-um use pannuvaen neenga epdi! Two college-going guys right in front of me found all this ‘periya kaamedy da ivanunga.. !! After the long wait the moment did come by I was finally at the counter… with a new leash of energy I stood there… when a gendle gendleman rushed in before me… and this time no trace of tht magic word… An intruder! so here was my turn to say a gentle ‘Excuse please, there is a queue already’.. he gave me one hard look and said inna ichuse inna please …. Ah haaaaa ….. Thanks to the official who gave him a stern look

It is fascinating how people express somehow what they want and care very little of how they do it.. When in comes to language, English - take it or leave it - is a binding force atleast in Tamilnadu but what is this new tongue so prevelant these days!! With a heavy dose of it, to be frank I did look up freedictionary.com for the right pronunciation.. Just to make sure I was right :)

It's been 150 days since I landed in this awesome city-San Diego.Pure fun in the sun.Looking back here is a random collection of the sweet moments,crankiness,lessons learnt and changes gone thru.

1. A broad smile and a 'Good morning' from a stranger really brightens up the day.

2. I still dont get it why hot dogs are named so, it is neither hot nor is there a dog in it..yikess..

3. So far the wildest thing I have done in my life was done out here in San Diego,went kayaking in the deep blue Pacific!!! An amazing sensation to be held captive by the raging ocean and the still sky.With the kayak swaying in the waves twas quite a thrill to know there are some tiger sharks close by and be reminded now and then that I hardly know to swim

4. 'Gracias' is the only spanish word I've picked up.Otherwise to me it is tongue-twister and a nose-blocker.No offence meant blame my poor language learning skills

5. Dogs like people come in all shapes and also with strange voices.Smaller the dog shriller the bark.

6. I have completely fallen in love with the writings of Nathaniel Hawthorne.

7. Voicing one's opinion doesnt work well always.Had had a bad eye on a couple of occassions :)

8. Now this one calls for a party..I can cook!!!!...cook well!!! from fried rice to vegetable kurma, pakore to bisebelabath,sambhar and chutney all in style.:) and ..and...delicious chicken.My cooking skills always had negative rating ah but that was before 100 days;)

9. Talk a lot with your friends and a lot less about them.

10. Holding the door open for somebody is really cool..

11. I've managed to survive without the hot cup of coffee early in the morning :).Narasus kaappi besh besh ..romba miss panreaen

12. Haven't typed a single message on my mobile yet.

13. Met more ABC's than americans.

14. Done a lot of thinking on the sermons preached in church.Sundays have become more meaningful.

15. One can loose a lot of money on a highway call phone even before the call gets through.

16. For the first time experienced what 'unity in diversity' meant;and how unique it is in us Indians, when there is a Hindi-wallah,telugite, mallu and a few tamilians hanging out together.Each speaking in their own language in an effort to teach the other.A clasic blend with a noisy touch.

17. Thai is just Indian food with an extra dose of rice noodles and a lot of red and green bell pepper.Mexican food is too many sauces with a cup of beans.Italian is pastas in all colors.Hawaiian is too little to even mention..

18. Weather forecaters here are always right.. rain or shine.. unlike Madras Metereological society.

19. I miss the airtel ringtone on my mobile phone.

20. Conversing with people who understand neither English nor sign language is a challenge.You offer a handshake with a hello she'd give you a solemn bow and say her cat is not well!! ..now does hello rhyme with meoww by any chance..

21. Old people like to smile often and pass on sweet blessings.

22. It such a relief to live in a clean city without the 'Keep your city clean' hoardings all over the place..thats quite a mess by itslef

23. Work while you work and play while you play.Time management is a fun-thing to do.

23. Spent considerable time wondering if the crows here ever poop while in the air.hmm do they take a break to visit nest restrooms on some tree.

24. Clean air and a beautiful landscape is a blessing.

25. we speak in Pounds and farenheit but think in kilograms and centigrades.Voila! the Indian brain is quick man ;)

It was just another Friday evening stepped out of work with a 'donno know what to do next' mood.I heard my mobile ring announcing there is something good brewing at home,weekend planning is usually a series of phone calls and off we wud go on a sudden trip.Before I could say 'Hello' the voice on the other end announced,'Heyyy! hurry we are going to the beach in an hour'.I said ok.click.A smile on my face.

After an hour we were heading north.It was a winding road edged with tall trees an occasional rise and fall in the terrain.One such rise in the road revealed a beautiful skyline dotted with colorful air balloons.For a couple moments I imagined myself on one of them..looking down from up above on par with the drifiting clouds just a closer look at the fluff and puff.In a few minutes we pulled up and in front of us lay the majestic Pacific sunkissed and silent.It was a perfect evening... with the sun shying away slowly.. we were a dazzled group silently watching the mighty ball descend.The wide canvas, a perfect picture beautifully colored in shades of orange, purple and red.Just then a group of birdies in their best v-style flew past.A sponaneous flash of Jonathan Livinstone seagull.As the sun dipped low there was an urge within me wanting it to rise above a li'l bit for just another glimpse unwilling to let go the beauty.And then it struck how unredeemable time and events are! :p With the purple sky casting its spell we stepped into the chill waters.We trotted the shoreline in deep silence a group of 5 people relishing each moment lost in the spectacle put up by nature.As the waves swept my feet it was as Nathanial Hawthorne says - "there is something in the encounter(with the waves) that makes the heart flutter with a strangely pleasant sensation"

In a distance were a group of kids gigling and shouting enjoying the cool sea breeze and slimy sand.The sea was receeding increasing their play area..sand buckets and castles soon crowded the beach.To see one's footprints in the sand evokes a fascination, every step followed by a keen glance.Footprints beside sea shells and pebbles and then you are invariably drawn to pick a few of them reminiscence of chilhood days of how these stuffs used to be treasured.. drawing pleasure out of nostalgia!!.With the mist slowly descending we saw the lone fisherman cast his rod in a new location.He was patience personified but yet focussed.we hurried to have a look at his bounty with little hope of finding any fish..but boy! it was full with fishes in all shapes and color.Was all the patience we saw on his face for that last fish of the day!!.. Ah!this is what hobbies can do to men :)

The cold air forced us out of the beach but nevertheless the evening at Solana beach was worth every bit.Allowing oneself to be immeresed in nature was more solace than anything else.With no serious thoughts it was a simple but powerful remainder of the Reason behind the excellence.



Afterthought : Memory is a way of holding onto the things you love, the things you are, the things you never want to lose

They gazed and gazed
And still the wonder grew ...

out in the sun
having all the fun
... sweet moments of life

This afternoon a friend of mine remarked , ‘lunch is optional ,ennaku norukku theeni irundha podhum ‘ (Lunch is optional just snacks would do ).Norukku theeni – guess am hearing this word after a very long time….did ring a bell… my mom often discouraged us (me and my sis) from having these. It was a long list…

Japanese cake
I seriously donno know from where it got its name… but this three layered delicacy is just irresistible even today. The middle layer is rich cream… the top (presentation) layer has a dollop of chocolate… and then it is a mixture of wafer, nuts and cream. This was eaten only layer by layer …with occasional eyeing on my sis on her cake … don’t u think finishing last is a piece of cake by itself.
P.s : Over the years my eating habit has improved…hmm .. now am a lady

Masala kadalai
These are those groundnuts with the red covering made of chilli powder and some masala stuff with a few cloves of garlic...way back 5:30 p.m meant cartoon time!! am talking abt the good old Doordharsan days.. out came Mickey mouse ,Donald duck , mole , beaver .. as they went clack,clack we would start to separate the masala from the nut make small mounds of masala and kadalai…then have a serious discussion as to which is to be eaten first..masala or the nuts. Yes wasting time even while watching TV… but those were the days … worries and concerns strictly lasted for only 2 mins.

Thien mittai
Thien mittai or honey sweet if u like it that way , was something I was not allowed to eat I have seen it, heard about it but never tasted it for a long, long time…-garden of Eden experience. Nowhere in the world will u get such tasty sweets...this is trademark Tamil nadu... and it was not sold in packets, but sold in loose (that’s how they called it) when I was a small kid. For hygiene sake this was a big NO NO at home… Days changed and these awesome stuffs came out as packed items…God what a relief! It became as regular as getting provisions at home one pack every two days… But stopped eating them ever since the honey in the sweet was replaced by sugar syrup…the glorious days of thien mittai became history.

Double Decker
Dairy Milk, Amul ,CampCo, FiveStar, KitKat , Crackle ,MilkyBar, Perk , Munch…whatever be it ..comes only after DoubleDecker both chronologically and yummylogically!! This was strictly after school call it extra curricular activity…on the way back from school my hand would be adorned with this chocolate with my taste buds having a jolly good time…This choco is no longer available in the market…so for those of u who missed it - u missed it for life 

Turkey Egg
8:55 a.m - Re.1 - Kitchen Choice( de shop opposite our school) – anna turkey egg - red one – globuck… gulp!!!! Not sure if it is still available….turkey eggs where oval sweets made of just condensed sugar syrup that came in different colors. They were some 2 inches wide…so guess how my mouth wud have looked with one of them. But this was my sole savior during morning assembly which started at 9, since the chatterbox was otherwise occupied. Talking during assembly was a forbidden act!!

and then last but not the least..The mighty 'Maggi noodles'..hmm.. the two-minute miracle deserves a seperate post all for itself..catch u then

There was a surprise call last week...
'Twas a good friend of mine saying, "Hey !! u've got a BLOG ? … pretty neat, just read all your posts... interesting and engaging.." - Yours truly was totally flattered, elated, euphoric, completely bowled over…and what not.

A few hours later it was my cousin..’Hey ka wazzup der ain’t any updates in ur blog??!!.Is that what ppl call ‘A sweet coincidence’..Hmm my day was made …

And today late in the evening with nothing to do I logged onto gtalk…I see this offline message …’what ra ur blog hasn’t seen 2k8 yet’ …aree!!! there r folks out there who read my blog… God!!..a sense of sheer joy, excitement and fulfillment descends softly on me..

But wait…do I blog for the sake of others…!? …nah not at all….Retrospection mode(drumming my fingers on the desk…am thinking…)I relish the simple joys of life strewn all around me… be at home or office or while on a journey or looking at the sky…life has a lot of Kodak moments to talk about...hilarious small talks.. the world is full of interesting people....and to top it all I love to write,the best way out.And blogging in this little space of mine means ultimate freedom...I write what I feel deep down... and the pleasure derived is just priceless..
so here I come..back with a bang...let the camaraderie begin ;)

P.S : Variety is not the spice of life, enthusiasm is!

Here's an excerpt from Paulo Coelho’s Like the Flowing River,there is lesson even in the small unnoticed things. This one is thought provoking..just a simple pencil...

First quality: you are capable of great things, but you must never forget that there is a hand guiding your steps. We call that hand God, and he always guides us according to his will.

Second quality: now and then, I have to stop writing and use a sharpener. That makes the pencil suffer a little, but afterwards, he’s much shaper. So you, too, must learn to bear certain pains and sorrows, because they will make you a better person.

Third quality: the pencil always allows us to use an eraser to rub out any mistakes. This means that correcting something we did is not necessarily a bad thing; it helps to keep us on the road to justice.

Fourth quality: what really matters in a pencil is not its wooden exterior, but the graphite inside. So, always pay attention to what is happening inside you.

Finally, the pencil’s fifth quality: it always leaves a mark. In just the same way, you should know that everything you do in life will leave a mark, so try to be conscious of that in your every action.

Finally I give in for this meme stuf which is strewn across the blogosphere.Hmm so decided to start one as well.. '8 lesser known facts about me' to talk about one's own self..that isn't a difficult thing.. all of us to do it at one point or the other

So here I go .... 8 Lesser known facts about me

1. Was chased by a ferocious cat when I was 7....well feline won over female...escaped with just a few paws here and there.
2. Just can't stand tomatoes in any form cooked, boiled, cut, raw, juice.. ewww.. hmm.. ketchups are an exception tho ;)
3. I respect men who can aprreciate the worth of a lady than her beauty.
4. According to me there is nothing called destiny it is just a word to use when u don't know how to account for ur actions.
5. When I like a song I listen to it over and over again around 40 times at a stretch... right now it is 'An Innocent man' by Billy Joel.
6. Once I hit the roads I keep adding up the digits on the number plate of the vehicles which pass by.
7. I don't remember spelling the word 'their' correctly until my 4th standard.. it always used to be 'thier'
8. It is easy for me to say what I don't want and don't like rather than what I want and like.. sigh!!?!!

Rules to continue the meme:

1. Tag atleast 5 people to continue the meme
2. Leave a comment to the person who tagged u once u've completed.
3. Mention the person who tagged you.
4. Put down these rules below ur meme.
5. keep it going :)
   
   The following people are tagged
   
   1.Laksh - one of the two-of-a-kind,always in synch
   2.Saravana - the thought machine
   3.Stephe - my most talkative companion
   4.Collins - the enigma,he can see beauty in a lot of things
   5 Karthik - he never runs out of ideas and creativity.
   6 Vinu - tamil thought machine.
   7.Partha - a great analyst,u'll find it out in his must read blog.Too good
   
   Random quote: "People often say that motivation doesn’t last. Well, neither does bathing - that’s why we recommend it daily."
   - Zig Ziglar

Down memory lane....

'Here we go marching on with arms stretched resting on de shoulders of the one before.Innocent giggles and same-pinch(es) exchanged... "Hey u are wearing new dress ya..(a beaming smile) yes my thatha got for me... hehhee.. I have Gems we will eat in interval ok-va?.. hehee
In a distance we hear the shhh...shhh...time for assembly children..no talking...which means no more holding hands... we silently fall into the -stand in fours pattern--and look straight for further instruction...Soft music fills de air teachers come forward to do the actions...and then we start singing

"God's love is so wonderful(2)
[ hmm 'wonderful' was index finger and the thumb together..the other fingers spread out!! Phew! for a KG kid that needed xtra effort]
Oh! wonderful love finger on chin Oh!
So high u can't get over it
[this was fun got to jump as high as we cud..so it was jump,fall, get up before ma'am spots u ;) ]
So deep u can't get under it bend low...pull de legs of ur neighbour
So wide u can't get around it
[both the arms spread out one full circle...merry go-round it goes on and on.till we loose balance]
Oh! wonderful love” again finger on chin

Assembly is almost over sister comes forward to say a few words..and then the morning wish and disperse... with the waltz playing at the background we march back to class with great fervour kicking and lifting the legs way upto the chin.. with mud all over de face we hurriedly pull out de water bottles for a hasty sip.. '

hmm …. happy thoughts... Those were the days,my friends life used to be awesome!! Nothing mattered but fun and frolic...

These little choruses taught years ago is still fresh in the mind.And everytime I want to thank the Lord for something or the other somehow this chorus is on my lips...

And today after years am singing the same song in a school campus very similar to our KG assembly ground and my heart invariably longs for the company of the girl who used to be my neighbour..sweet Miss.Charlotte singing.. Ms.Saldhana's strict look. Sr.Lucy and her loving smile.... the banyan tree above. the colorful appearance of the stage.. My oh my.. St.Francis Convent nursery..

Childhood memories...nothing compares..

Appreciation is like an insurance policy
which needs to be renewed regularly

Somehow the famous phrases, idioms, wisdom words...or say the famous accepted quotes just don't seem to work with me.As I mentioned in one of my earlier blogs abt how 'Practice makes perfect' doesn't go well for me.Today it was 'First impression is the best impression'...uhh a couple of months ago I spoke to NJ and found her very disgusting.She was so curt & loud that I was forced to leave the place.Her unwillingness to hear me filled the air...I felt suffocated.. to be honest!!.So the so called 'First impression' was imprinted on my naive mind.
Then came along my second encounter with NJ..hmm that was sometime last week..I hesistantly walked into the room...that 'First impression' kept popping up... "oh hi so what can I do for u (followed by a warm grin)... u can call me anytime I'll be glad to help .. u've got a beautiful name ..how do u pronounce it?..." what am I hearing? I was hit hard by surprise was too shocked that I didn't really give a proper answer for any of her queries... a totally different person with the same face and same voice..whatz happenin?!!?... This kept me occupied for quite sometime..that 'first impression' thing which was etched on my mind for the past 2 months was totally wrong and what a poor way to judge a person.. :( felt ashamed of myself.regrets aside I resolved - First impression is not the best impression..the BEST is to not have an impression at all the very first time..
what say..?

well part 2 ..coming up soon ...the list goes on..
Here you go for part 2

It's the 60th Independence day..
At home happy and gay..
Dependent on the T.V all day...

It was rather calm and serene this morning...so I sat down to watch TV after a very long time.. Doggie Howser M.D , on ZeeCafe..itz abt a talented 16yr old doc and his funny friend.He puts his job at stake and gets approval for a million dollar fund being set up for medication to the poor and homeless.. towards the end of the episode..these lines appeared - "to many ppl medicine is a business but the best business of them all is to listen to the language of the heart".
And since then this line kept coming back to me several times during the course of the day... Language of the Heart - the small prompting from within which says stand up for what u kno is right maybe ur difference can become a miracle to ur neighbour...
and I belive to 'still' this prompting is the worst folly anybody can ever do...