Changing times...

Another New Year is round the corner...Let me try to recollect my New year experiences...Nothing memorable happened it seems. A few vague memories that still linger are

1. Staying late night, turning a deaf ear to my Mom's words, watching DD-1 top 10 songs of the year, with bated breath, anticipating Rahman's number to top the chart. I can remember that night when Chayya chayya topped the charts of the year.

2. In the year 2000, I was writing a Mock-JEE paper at 12 in the night when my friend Ashwin called up to wish. His astounded words still linger..."Dei...celebrate panradha vittuttu ennada test ezhudhitrukke..."

3. In the year 2002, I was in the TV room of the second year hostel, Anna University shuttling between the few windows to catch a glimpse of the fireworks that were underway in the nearby Adyar golf grounds.

And that is all I am able to recollect. Well this year, I'll be in Madurai at my home for the new year and the new year is going to open with a bang for me with the Bhava Spandana (I mentioned in a few posts before).

~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Ahh yes... People always come up with the list of bests at the end of every year. What were the bests for me :-?

1. Getting introduced to Isha Yoga
2. The effects of yoga on me: both physical and mental.
3. The time spent together with my gang of friends and of course, the wonderful lunches and dinners they prepare. Many a times I have felt it to be Hostel-Life-Part-II.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~
A small anecdote from my recent Mahabaleshwar trip (only for Tamil-savvy people;-)

We were on our way to Pune from Hyderabad in a Volvo bus. The lights were switched off. JP was sitting by my side while Vimal and Anbu were sitting behind me.

Anbu (to Vimal) : Dei, un water bottle-la innum evlo thanni irukku?
Me (to JP) : Ennada idhu loosuthanamaa kekraan...Idha kaettu enna panna poraan?
JP : Avanukku avasaramaa varudhu pola da !

And my pick of the album... 

Vimal with a better view of the chasm in the background... 

Yards away from the cliff-edge... 

Anbu engrossed in his own "sight-seeing"...LOL 

2 to 3 meteres from where I am standing is a free fall to the ground !!! This was an amazing view point. 

The ring...An amazing imagination by Vimal- one of the two "unofficial photographers" our trip, Mouli being the other. Starting with the orange shirt in clockwise direction: Anbu, Bala, Mouli, JP, Sharma, myself, Bhoobi, Banti, Mukunthan and Murugu. 

Too much to write...but where's the time!

I'm currently in a travelling spree. The last to last week, I accompanied Naresh and his father along with JP and Bhoobi to a few temples approx. 60 kms from Hyderabad. The prominent one among them was Yadagiri gutta. I had posted a few photos from that trip, but couldn't find time to write about that.

Last week, I had been to Mahabaleshwar with 10 other friends of mine: Sharma, Bhoobi, JP, Vimal, Banti, Koodu, Balsu and 3 of Bala's friends who later became our friends as well (Murugu, Mouli and Mukunthan). It was an amazing trip to say the least. I should find some time to write about this.

Coming Friday, I'm off to another long trip. From Hyderabad to Chennai to Madurai to Coimbatore and then back to Madurai to Bangalore to Hyderabad in a span of 9 days. I am eagerly expecting this trip to be one of the MOST memorable periods in my life as I am going to attend the Bhava Spandana program at the Isha Yoga Center in Coimbatore.

Till then...

HAPPY NEW YEAR one and all.

Organic thinking???

I suddenly feel I'm getting regular at posting, however crap they may be ;-) Thanks to my self-effected change in work time, I am actually finding useful time to read blogs and write posts too.

Today, my akka had mailed me and had written about a small interesting incident that happened with her daughter, Situ (my niece). Here it goes...

This is one of situ's answers in her social exams.

Q: How do farmers in Punjab get good crops and harvest?
Situ's Ans: By growing good crops.

Situ is all convinced that her logic is pretty straight forward and correct even though the answer should have been something else :-). Not sure if this is what is organic thinking !!!

"The war of the Words"

There's an addictive pass time, which I would call "The war of the Words", about which I'm going to write here. This wasn't introduced to me; so you may call me to be the ingenious behind this "phenomenon" ;-). It is the messenger chat, same as any other chat [read as "vetti"], but a lot more defamatory, abusive, offensive, profane...(whatever you may call). Either of the chatter begins the conversation with an abusive word and it just goes on, sometimes with a duel of profanities fired from both sides, sometimes meaningless words and at some other times rhyming words.

A "riot of rhymes" in vetti chat will be something like
#1: "Dei panni"
#2: "ennada thanni"
#1: "poda venni"
#2: "adinggga... ;-)"

"Star wars" is the one where all unparliamentary words (the *ed words) are exchanged in a matter of few seconds. The name, by now, should be self explanatory.

There's another kind where LEG-PULLING is the sole aim. I'll paste a conversation I had with banti today...

Ramasamy: when r the results coming out?
Parthi: I dont know
Ramasamy: dei,u shud be knowing da
Parthi: how da
Ramasamy: coz u took the test
Parthi: i took the test? u?
Ramasamy: rn't u anxious to know if u r HIV +ve or NOT
=))
muhuhuhaahaahaa
Parthi: ohhhh that one, eh?
new virus found
VIH
Very Interesting Human
Ramasamy: FO

OK, now, the important part. Why these inanities (or insanities)? I find it refreshing. There's absolutely no meaning/emotions/significance attached to the words exchanged. As a matter of fact, this chat actually happens with those who are really close to me (that is, who understand I don't mean what I say ;-)).

I've heard back from people that they found it relieving when they have a short 3 minute conversation like this. It is a kind of stress reliever. More often, you end up laughing like anything. In case you people are interested, you can try these too ;-)

p.s: No awards for guessing what FO means ;-)

Hanuman simulation...lol...=)) 

One solo shot with Naresh's car... 

Straight down the throat..eh??? The pancha-mukha Lord Shiva... 

Bhoobi,JP,Naresh and Naresh's father in front of the gigantic Hanuman statue en-route to Yadagiri gutta temple 

Colors of India...took this snap outside a temple in Hyderabadi suburbs...Vivid, isn't it? 

The story of onions...

Once upon a time, there were three friends: an onion, a tomato and a carrot. They were goody goody friends and they land up in a cinema theater on most of the weekends. They planned to go to the theater and started on their way. As they stood on the other side of the huge lane that separated them from the theater, enthusiasm started bubblingin the three.

Just as they were about to cross the road, a toddler stepped over the tomato..and lo...tomato was gone :-(
Before the two could realise what had happened, the toddler, who had stopped to see what had made his shoes wet, caught sight of the carrot. In no time, he was walking away with the carrot in the mouth.

Onion's heart was overflowing with sorrow at the loss of his dear friends and started giving vent to his misery. He was crying 24x7. finally God appeared before him and asked how he could help him out. Then Onion, amidst his sobs, said "Dear God, this man has made me friendless. He has taken away my best friends. So, whenever he troubles me, he should cry for what he did."

And god said "So, be it!!!!! Whenever man kills onions, he'll cry for it".

That's why tears flow whenever we cut the onions !!!!!

This is one of my favorite stories I use for children. I cook the story based on the situation I narrate them. For eg, when I was telling this to my niece (Seethu), she wanted to see Harry Potter. So I used the cinema name, theater name, the road names and other related stuff to make up for an interesting and familiar background. I am considered a good story teller, though I know not the verity of these claims ;-) Try these techniques and I hope they work for you too...

**This story is not mine. I read/heard it during my childhood days and just propagating the same.

Am indebted...

Today, just as I am writing this post, the time is 20.35, Sunday. Location- My office cubicle. After we shifted to our own campus, I rarely come to office on the weekends. But why am I sitting here in front of my computer. It's because I couldn't restrain the magical influence of A.R.Rahman. Rahman's latest flick "Rang de basanti" has released this Friday and that's precisely the reason I am here...to listen to the songs. The lack of any kind of MP3 player/ CD player at home is pretty much felt.

Of late, Rahman had been working for a lot of period movies and the songs were mostly situation based. Though they gelled well with the movie, it didn't catch the mass appeal for most of the time. But this time ARR has done a commercial one, with lots of strings and flashy numbers. As usual, there's a good deal of experimentation as well.

Coming to the crux of this post, from the time Roja released, this humble spirit from Madras has held me by a strong mesmerising power. I can't imagine a day without this Legend's music. Such an ingenious he is, I just don't have words to express my gratitude for this highly talented genious. I don't think many will refute me if I say that his music forms an integral part of our lives. Dear Rahmanji, we are all so indebted to you. Many a times I consider myself really lucky in this aspect, to have lived through the musical journey of Rahman. May the almighty bless Rahman and his music a very long memorable journey...

I've got to leave homeward now...Dragging myself away from the charm of ARR with loads of reluctance pulling down my legs.

"Lukka Chuppii..."

p.s: The above song is one of the best melodies I've heard of late, rendered by Shri Lata Mangeshkar and ARR himself in RDB :-)