Ramblings of Ramasamy Pullappan

The routine life

2011-08-08T12:42:00.003+05:30

This week, surprisingly not much activity and I found a machine with net connection handy... With some time to spend with old friends (online of course)...

What I realized after sometime was that the "routine" life somewhere seems to be lacking in something... an inexplicable emptiness that any number of dollars or properties or relationships or anything can fill in. It looks like one mad race, towards what, nobody knows. I'm not saying it is devoid of happiness or fun or cherish-able moments, there are moments, but in the larger perspective, it seems like one monotonous drone. After a few years, it may all seem one meaningless doodle.

In my limited understanding, what makes the difference is the context in which you go through life. The content doesn't matter. When there's a tinge of spirituality constantly in the tongue, the taste of life differs and it makes all the difference. As Sadhguru says, if you are in touch with the source of creation on a daily basis, then life is very very very very different. So true...

For me, spirituality came when I started work. Till then it was youthful energy pushing me in a variety of directions. After that, I feel it has been a rich colorful canvass, no longer a doodle. Somewhere I feel, looking at all my friends, that for many of them, life is happening on the surface, very superficially, which leaves a little complicated happy-n-sad taste in me... in a way empathy, how much they are missing out on life... in a way relief, that my life would have been no different but for the miraculous ways of Life's shower of grace...

At the end of the day, everyone wants to lead their life by their choices. I made my choice. Your choice is in your hands...

The dynamic ways of Life...
And its uncertainties,
The only surety.

Unmindful of the capriciousness that life is,
The foolish life squanders away.
And when reality knocks,
Bewildered and crying, exits.

The watchful one,
Can't miss the touch of Thy Hand...
One look from the corner of your Eyes...
The same source of suffering
Now, is the source of freedom.

Shambho.

:-) :-| :-/ :-O :-D

2011-08-04T22:37:00.003+05:30

Thinking up a title is becoming a big task these days :-)

so decided to go with some of my favorite emoticons that i use in chat. emoticons are one of the cutest things in the net-era...

felt like writing, a few hrs ago, and got the machine working now, but now...what to write... b'day is around the corner... last year, the birthday was a special one. i had a different new dress that day, a unique, once-in-a-lifetime sort of dress. u can't even call it a dress. it was actually a shawl - a saffron shawl, a shawl soaked in grace... yes, it was my teacher's shawl and i wore it for the first time on my b'day last year aug 12, 2010 as that was my first session as a teacher. it felt like a new birth in many ways :-)

an year has slipped by like a second... when u r happy, time does fly doesn't it... different experiences in every class and at times the intensity and clarity with which the class happens (for myself), it leaves me stunned n flabbergasted at times when i realize how certain things beyond me happen through me, which makes what i am doing so worthwhile... to be constantly in touch with such a potent possibility and guiding force...

The (so called) intellectuals...
Dabble with your iPads and iPhones,
But you will miss the "I"

The (so called) practical people,
When will you get cloyed
Of your limited perception of life

My own dear ones,
When will you start thinking beyond security
An illusion in itself

One and all,
What you wish to do with your life,
That's your choice.
But I will continue
To care for you
And I will continue
To walk my path.s

Breaking the long break :-)

2011-04-14T12:17:00.003+05:30

so this has become a defunct blog... hmmm... in those times, i had the need to express a lot of things and the blog was an outlet... now if i look at it, the speed at which my life is happening, there isn't much time to write anything nor the need... this is not to be understood as "oh my work! oh this! oh that!"...no, this is not a case of work becoming burdensome... my work is absolutely joyous and i have no qualms about it whatsoever... in fact, it is such an intense game, a privilege...

so, today got some time and i thought i will post a few updates for the sake of those that aren't in touch anymore... in 2009 sept, i quit my job in microsoft, knowing that kind of professional life wouldn't quench my thirst for life and i moved back to india, not certain of what life would offer, just placing the trust on Life. And as it has always been, grace guided me all along (and still is guiding)... with what began as a dabbling, it became my life... went through the process and now am a Isha yoga teacher, and am honored to say that.

and life took another turn too... all those confusions about the path to take and deeper questions effortlessly settled during these 2 years time... i realized my way would be more in tune with Krishna's way of life, the path of Leela (Shakthi would bear testimony to the previous statement :D... what to do, i was born on Krishna Jayanti)... and i got married in Feb this year (2011) in a simple and elegant ceremony at the Isha yoga center. As life takes its course, rough edges are getting smoothened and unexplored territories are getting exposed.

And the joy run continues...

random ramblings on a random day

2010-11-07T14:02:00.005+05:30

This Diwali, I could spend it with my parents... Was happy to be with them.

After the blizzard that was, just before Diwali, the teachers' meet, this way of life that I was used to for years before just the last one, seems so different. I used to be a TV freak, especially when it comes to festive occasions. I would rather watch TV than meet up with people outside then. Now it is slightly different. I would rather not watch TV nor meet up with outside people :-D

A few critical turns around in life,

The trust in Grace to see through,

Life unfolds...

The wicked one

One hand to feel,

One hand to hold the stick,

To feel through the world,

This man, blind of vision...

Wading through the world,

With mighty instruments two,

Thought, I did.

Until I realized,

The wicked smile of yours.

The apparent guiding lines

Nothing but binding ropes

Such an evil scheme!

Or is it the true masterpiece?

To abandon the stick,

To abandon the hand,

To simply walk,

With true vision...

For what use are they,

To see within...

Am dazed. Truly dazed. The logic which was the guiding force now is muddled.

Now I see "I don't understand. I don't know. I don't know what to do". From here where next?

When Grace descends the questions vanish. The questioner vanishes. But only for that period. After that the drama continues...

c.r.a.p

2010-10-03T15:38:00.001+05:30

yeay! everybody has a job, i also have a job...
yeay! everybody has a wife, i also have a wife...
yeay! everybody has a child, i also have a child...
holy heavens, i am no less than any of you...
i can hold my head high up in the society and walk...
nobody can point a finger at me...
nor can they pass whispers...
i think i have made my life...

what crap!

First gifts of Life

2010-03-09T18:43:00.003+05:30

The fettering love
The unconditional out pour
The maddening emotion
The wishful thinking
The child in you
The Divine in you...

Torn and humbled...
Can't give...
In or back...

Helpless...
To strike the balance
Shambho, see us through.

VTV music review

2010-03-08T23:40:00.002+05:30

Ok, this one is for Srini... Vinnaithandi varuvaya music review... In the order of the songs which my music player plays...

Aaromalae...
Begins with an extremely addictive guitar riff that continues through out the song, on the lines of Pink Floyd I heard. And then comes Alphonse, a name unheard of, to melt himself into this track that takes twists and turns not so easy to follow. And that is where the addictive "swasthi swasthi" hook comes in to support the listeners. Awesomeness in the use of guitars! Such a nice blend of classical "Swasthi swasthi" with a pure western track and a delight as always for a Rahmaniac, one of those concoctions that only ARR can mix!

Those not used to western songs may find it a bit difficult to digest in the beginning.

Anbil avan...
Loved the choir type intro intertwined with the playful tune in the prelude. For once Devan's voice was tolerable in this song and Chinmayi belts this out in total style. Also the variation in the "puyal veyyil mazhai" repetion where Chinmayi goes high and Devan maintains the low is catchy. A nice peppy number that has a constant pace throughout. The very first feeling I got when I heard this was that of a Christian marriage but the use of nadhaswaram in the middle got me confused a bit, which gets explained very well in the visuals (the marriage is repeated in Hindu style).

Hosanna...
One of ARR's best in so many aspects. The soothing flute to begin with...Vijay crying out with a sweet pain "yen idhayam udaithai"... the soft pads... the tingling bells... angelic Suzanne's humming "Hosanna" (this is totally angelic, just close your eyes and listen to Suzanne singing Hosanna with those chimes)... add another layer of orchestration to the already heavenly sounds... snap comes in the beat and Vijay starts singing those amazing lyrics... the panoramic sound shifting between ears... the flute that is a constant resposne to Vijay's voice... the peppy rap bit of Blaaze... throw in the guitars and make it more peppy while still maintaining the soft romantic mood... orchestra and beats to support Suzanne... "Vanna vanna pattupoochi"... and so on goes this masterpiece...

Thalai engayo poiteenga thalai... indha madhri oru feel good song kaettu romba naal aachu :-) This will be on my playlist for years to come...

Kannukkul kannai...
Once again one of those songs that I'll play for the years to come. I don't know how many people appreciate this song, but this is a total rocker of a song. The opening Irish style cello rocks to the core...total class and style... through in the beats and some more beeps and sounds... And there begins Naresh, to not stop till the end of the song... Awesome lyrics once again. The brief pause between "kaadhal kondu naan pesa...kathi thooki nee pesa" gives a hip-hop flavor the song... and then he takes off with another melody in "un nanban illai..." with constant chorus shouts and electronic sounds and the constant cello backing is still going on... the charanam is one of THE most innovative in terms of structure... every word alternates between the solo and the chorus... and the songs content is not lost in this structure... awesomeness!

Thalai... once again engayo poiteenga... indha situationku yaarume ipdi oru paatu potrukkave mudiyadhu....

Mannipaaya...

What to say! Seriously what to say! Totally awesome song in terms of singing, lyrics, tune, pianos, the thirukkural bit ... Most importantly the emotion it evokes and how much on target it is. Going by the sitaution in the movie, that elatedness in love as well as the pain in it is so well captured that I wouldn't be surprised if this song becomes the chart topper this year and the award grosser! Shreya and ARR are flawless in singing and in a very long time (Read years), I haven't enjoyed the lyrics as much as in this movie. Kudos to Thamarai....

காற்றிலே ஆடும் காகிதம் நான், நீதான் என்னை கடிதம் ஆக்கினாய்...
அன்பில் தொடங்கி அன்பில் முடிக்கிறேன், என கலங்கரை விளக்கம் நீ...

அனைவரும் உறங்கிடும் இரவெனும் நேரம், எனக்கது தலை அணை நனைத்திடும் நேரம்...

The thirukkural bit brings goosebumps, not sure whose idea it was, but it works big time!

Omana pennae....
Once again, a masterpiece that I'll be repeating for years to come. I don't know where such creativity oozes out from. A song that doesn't follow the norms of film usic and one that hooks you onto it the very first time you listen only to keep growing on you more and more... Benny rocks! The soft bells... the beats that join in (I guess some of the chords are getting played in the reverse after the beats join in which gives a peculiar sound. I am sure those are reverse notes)... the reverse chords... "aahaa...adadaaa...." beautiful chorus "hey"... multi layered "omana penna" ... the "hooo" crooning bit, I am wondering if BEnny did it himself or if it is Arr's synthetic sounds... the nadaswaram bits, mallu bits with Kalyani... more new sounds (not even sure of instrument names these days with the variety of sounds this man is cooking up)... once again beautiful lyrics... and a masterpiece!

Vinnaithandi varuvaya...
This is again an unconventional song that rambles at its own whims and fancies and takes all those unexpected twists and turns which is more of a situational piece. And when I saw the movie, I could see the huge impact this piece was creating. Especially towars the interval, when this song surfaces for the first time, no other tune could have been used at that place. IT was heavenly. Now about the song. Once again a very strong guitar backing up, Karthik's exquisite renditioning, a very yearning tune, really asking the moon if it will come over the skies... beautiful lyrics again "netru un iravil...."... the time Karthik finishes asking, the strings take more quirky twists and then the song goes from the questioning phase to the answering phase, and the slight transition in the tune is so beautiful...heavenly... "inimel neeyum naanum pirivadhillai".... and after this self pacifiying answers, he returns to the basic question, "will you come?" essentially summarizing KArthik's (the hero) predicament.... Beauty!

Rahman has outdone himself any number of times and this time is no exception. I always admired Gautham Vasudev Menon's music taste and he hasn't let me down. VTV is a huge musical and I am more than eager to hear of more of ARR-GVM combos. Must buy!

TOTAL AWESOMENESS!

First post of this year

2010-03-08T14:59:00.003+05:30

And it took this long a time due to the frenzy of activities I was in. Trips to Mumbai, Goa and then the Bhairavi consecration, Yaksha, Mahashivarathri, Samyama and now again on trips... A very peculiar thing came up this week (the FB status). I was suddenly asked to make a trip to Africa which threw me by surprise (a pleasant one) but due to certain health related formalities that couldn't be completed on time I couldn't make it... But definitely some karma in play :-)

And I saw Vinnaithandi varuvaya! One word verdict: Awesome! I loved the movie every bit of it. The best part of the movie was the music. Music was the constant character in the movie apart from Simbhu and Trisha. I love strong female characters and Gowtham Menon is an expert in that genre... The way the story was told, the whimsical Jessi, the pursuant Karthik, the painfully moving background score, the rich songs, the gentle humor in line with the story, the on-the-mark-lyrics, some very very interesting scene conceptualisation... it was just so perfect... like an alaipayuthey... If I were to cringe about anything in the movie, it would be the song picturisation. Most of them were in dark and when the songs came out, as I ran it in my mind, I had imagined more expressive, more colorful close-up picturisation. I have no complaints about the song positioning, but just the way it was shot, it could have been better.

I am definitely looking forward to more of the GVM-ARR combos, like Mani-ARR :-) I love this man's music taste... Very much of that sort that I would love! Going by the +ve reviews in the net, VTV can very well become the alaipayuthey of this decade, exactly 10 years after that super hit.

Good job VTV team! Looking forward to more...

New year :-)

2009-12-31T20:11:00.002+05:30

As I was pondering to write a new post for the new year, I chanced upon Deepak's post and he has exactly written what I wanted to... Here you go.

A new year means nothing existentially. It is as trivial or as important as any other day. But in the human mindset, there is a difference. There's a possibility for renewal. That is where the significance is. Personally, I can't remember any time in the recent past when I attributed any significance to new years. What I wish is for renewal, every moment.

The very first wish I wrote as a greeting in FB was "For all those moments gone in unawareness, let every moment pass by in awareness", for some reason, didn't want to share it there.

I was thinking, what happened significantly in my life. Experientially speaking, when I am writing this, it doesn't feel like much, but actually, in terms of enormity/impact of action, yes, so many things happened. A huge shift happened in my personal life. But it doesn't feel like anything. I am only left craving for more awareness.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Thirsty was I,
Water you gave,
Little drops,
Salt water...

More thirsty I am,
More salt water...

This mad thirst...
When will it quench?
Show me the sea
Ready for the dive...

:D :D :D

2009-12-20T21:19:00.000+05:30

TADAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

Life time wish comes true...

2009-11-04T17:46:00.002+05:30

As I sit here, recuperating from a bad viral fever, I thought I should record the memorable event that happened on Oct 11, 2009. I had one of my life time wishes come to fruition. I attended the A.R.Rahman concert in Chennai. Yeayyyyyy!!!

Let me recollect *some* of the moments in it.

As we waited patiently for the show to begin and the Reddys to wrap up their promos for their site, we could hear AR speaking in the background, and suddenly he emerged from a case that moved from below the stage onto it singing Jaage Hai... Standing ovation followed... He went on to sing Khalbali, ably supported by Shivamani moving to the foreground. The closest view of AR I could get was when he moved above the crowd in the crane, singing Jiya se Jiya, which was thundering!

The improvised version of Mausam and Escape, (Ar in the piano, Azad in the sitar and Sanjeev in the guitar) was out of the world. As the sitar started playing out a different tune with piano chords in the background, it beautifully wove itself into the M&E track and when the rock guitar joined in, it was totally out of the world.

The entire section with AR in the piano was worth the whole show. Especially, when Hariharan sang the Tamizha Tamizha, suddenly AR stood up and started doing something different. He actually started playing the continuum keyboard and belted out Ishwar Janato out of nowhere and it blended so well with the mood that it was heavenly. I had tears :)

There was this girl, Lush, a rapper, who could dance like a lightning and still continue singing. She rocked. Suzanne's energy was mind blowing as well. This is the first time I am seeing her and in spite of her heavier frame, she had so much energy that she could literally pull the entire crowd to its feet. Neeti Mohan also amazed me with her singing and simultaneous dancing. She could effortlessly reach the higher scales in spite of the heavy dancing :)

The Visual effects was top notch in the show. Blaaze truly is a great showman. He could pull the crowd up whenever he wanted. So is Benny. Rashid Ali showed his western singing. Javed Ali impressed me big time. He is such a perfectionist. He could deliver the songs just as they are on record and belt out beautiful improvisations. The Khwaja and Maula he and AR gave in the sufi section of the concert shall remain in my memory for a very long time to come.

When AR came for Rehna Tu, he said how much that song mattered to him and how that song is a dedication to accept a person simply the way the person is. When he said that, the sincerity with which he spoke those words cannot be missed and just observing that sincerity was elevating. Hats off sir!

There were much more moments that can be recorded, Chitra's renditions, Sadhana and Hariharan's versatality, the extremely awesome Delhi 6 rendition by the crew (Benny, Tanvi, Blaze), the Taxi taxi number (Vivianne, Benny, Blaze), Mustafa, Humma Humma, Jai Ho, AzeemoShan medley, Style, Athiradi (it really was an athiradi), special RAP bits added to Chandralekha, sweet improvisations by Naveen on the flute and so on....

It was a great show and I loved it to the core. One more of my Karma is down now :D

Bees-2

2009-09-26T00:58:00.004+05:30

I wrote this 2 and a half years back...

And the prophecy is coming to fruition... I don't know what made me write it then, but now I am having goosebumps...

September 25, 2009

2009-09-26T00:42:00.003+05:30

This shall be a very special day... One that I shall look back in the future... The one that marked the end of what was sparked off about 6 months ago...

As emotions play around, as a meloncholic strain of breaking a relationship of sorts arises, I am reminded of the futility of the mind that wants to cling on to anything and everything. The stark truth being that in the end, when mortality comes into picture, not a single atom can be taken along. When that is the reality, I can't help but smile, amidst the emotions playing a mourning cello in the background. There lies the power of death, in driving home the point of futility of our actions, clinging on, not wanting change, let alone transformation.

Such is the mind - flimsy, whimsical...
Such is the emotion - flimsy, whimsical...
Such is Life.
No, such is life of the ignorant.

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood
and sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
and looked down one as far as I could
to where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, as just as fair,
and having perhaps the better claim
because it was well trodden and safe
as opposed to the less travelled one;

And both that morning equally lay
in leaves no feet had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!

And the other day came...
-Sorry Mr. Frost, for the edits to the original

Transformation

2009-09-03T03:20:00.004+05:30

From an egg to a caterpillar to a pupa to a butterfly... It is a fantastic process, quite unbelievable in many ways, to see that such a beautiful butterfly appears out of a little dull egg. Such is the magic of creation, but if you didn't read it in Science books, and if you saw an egg and a butterfly, will you know that one came out of the other. No... That is the way I feel at times. When I see human beings who have transformed themselves in such a tremendous way, I doubt if such a thing is possible for us, but they were also once like us. After crawling through life like the caterpillar, right now life is like the pupa. A little more evolved than the caterpillar, but still a dull pupa... Happy, warm, comfortable and cuddled up inside the little cocoon... Not knowing the life of a soaring butterfly, stuck and unmoving... If the transformation has to happen, the cocoon must be broken. What appears like life threatening, that is, breaking of the cocoon that has been the very protection so far, is actually liberating. For a logical mind, a security seeking mind, it may seem absurd that the very house is being broken, but that's the only way the butterfly can come out. It may be a painful process to break open the pupa, but the end result is far more worthy than the shell. Other pupae will never know the experience the butterfly has... They may belittle, argue and call out the foolishness in breaking open the cocoon. But once the desire to transform has set in, one has to make the effort to break open the cocoon... Once the cocoon starts breaking, someday Nature may take over and one may end up soaring as a vibrant butterfly...

Must watch video

2009-08-19T03:59:00.005+05:30

A very humbling video, about the universe... The modern sciences is puzzling about what the spiritual sciences have found thousands of years ago...

Mirage

2009-07-22T06:01:00.007+05:30

To leave behind a legacy, that cannot stand Time,
To extend the lineage, that knows not the Origin,
To maintain the glory of the caste, that I did not choose to be born into,
Can't you see Dear, all but futile attempts to live Beyond
The inevitable hands of physical mortality...

Immortal, Limitless, Unbounded...
Call it whatever you want...
The fundamental need is the same...
Only the expression differs...
For you and me...

In your quest, you charter my Life
And in my quest, I charter, again, my Life...
Never may understand my ways
But that is not going to stop me
From pulling you Home.

p.s: This had been lying in the drafts for quite a while. Now that I decided to post it, couldn't think of any title. So, if you were looking for the reason for the title, can I say

Dry and parched, Too thirsty am I
A mirage can't quench anymore...

Seeking...

2009-07-10T05:32:00.003+05:30

In a way, this outlines seeking. The interpretation may depend on one's mindset, life situations, aspirations, etc, but it is a wonderful outlining.

http://www.osorhan.com/bigo/index.php

Few pics from the episode...

2009-07-02T04:26:00.016+05:30

Somehow this never got published... was lying in the drafts...

The events, as it unfolded....

Waiting for our turn, with Sowmya and Maya...

Batch one, after their landing... All smiles...

Second batch, all dressed and geared up...

With my instructor "TK"

My landing...

When the last person landed...

Group photo... post the landing of the second batch...

Another of those casual shots...

The entire gang...

Sky dived!

2009-07-02T02:47:00.004+05:30

This Sunday, on June 28th, I sky dived with a bunch of friends in Florida. Quite an experience. From the moment we decided to go sky diving, as always, there wasn't much going within me. It has been the case of late with me, may be the last few years. If I am about to do something special/out-of-ordinary, people ask me "are you excited" and when I look at it, not really, I'm just as always, may be a little intrigued... Well, we had an appointment at 12:30, but it got extended to 3:30.

As we were waiting I could see some of them pretty nervous, some changing from confident-looks to a-bit-scared-looks. Finally our turn came and it was only when I was on the plane up that a little thought was running, just to look at the ground from the open plane was something! When my turn came, I moved along with my tandem instructor "TK" and we moved in a squatted position to the open door. Before jumping out, I had a look at the ground below... took a deep breath and as I was aware of the breath, I uttered "Shiva" and out we dived 13500 ft from above sea level!

For the first 2-3 seconds I didn't know what was happening as we fell off the plane and the wind was hitting the face in full flow and I got in to the position with belly pushed out and arms out-stretched and eyes wide open. I could see the ground approaching at a crazy speed... woahhhhhhhh..... And my instructor was giving signals that we were doing safe and ok and was pointing to the altimeter from time to time... We also did a few rotations during the free fall... My eyes were watering a moment due to the speed and at one point, I realized my mouth was open and how the instructor had advised to inhale through the nose rather than the mouth. As I closed my mouth, I could be aware of the breath in that crazy moment and I was pleased about that :D... And then we had a lucky day as we could move into the clouds. When you dive in to the cloud, you really know how fast you are traveling. And inside the cloud, it's cool, very cool, like a really air conditioned space... By this moment, we had reached the 6000 ft mark and my instructor was signaling for the parachute to be opened and around 5500 ft I pulled the lever to open up the parachute... And then we did a few other things like rotating, suspension, accelerating and moving around in the parachute before finally landing.

Quite an experience, and highly recommended for everyone! A must do, at-least once in a lifetime!

Happy birthday appa

2009-06-23T04:13:00.003+05:30

:-)

I know, you don't even know what a blog is and I write something here... I may not have done what you would have wanted me to, or may be I did do something... It doesn't matter, I've done something that is the most life essential to you, which you may not understand now... I only wish you walk along and life completes a full circle :-)

Oh my Rajaa...

2009-05-31T13:38:00.002+05:30

Now, here's a full orchestral version of "Azhagu Malar Aada"... Very hard to not get moved...

Mindblowing stuff!

Zoozoo :-)

2009-05-22T04:07:00.003+05:30

These are one of the prettiest and cutest creations in recent times. While I don't follow cricket anymore, it was repeated email articles about Zoozoos that made me check them out. And I was so fascinated by the creativity of the entire Ad campaign. In case you didn't know, these were real people, wearing costumes and shot at an appropriate frame rate to seem as though it were animation.

And this is my most favorite among them. The male character is hyper-active in every frame. The way it rotates while moving, the hand movements, the sounds and the moon-walk in Paris are just priceless. And if you were wondering what He says, they are "Parotta", "Puttu kadalai" and "Kappa meenu"... the food delicacies that Prakash Varma, the director of the Ad, missed when filming it, as quoted in his blog.

The One

2009-05-09T05:54:00.003+05:30

Assertion: ரெண்டு உயிர் சேர்ந்தாதான் வாழ்கை..

Answer:
ஒன்னும் இல்லே...ரெண்டு உயிர் சேர்ந்தாலும் ஒன்னுதானே ஆகணும்.அப்படிதானே... ரெண்டு உயிர் சேரணும்னு ஆசை வந்துதுன்னா ஒன்னு ஆகனும்னு தானே ஆசை... இப்போவும் ஒன்னுதானே இருக்குது... ஒன்னு பண்றதுக்கு இவ்ளோ எல்லாம் arithmetic பண்ணிக்கனுமா? ஒன்னாதனே இருக்குது...இவ்ளோ பாடுபட்டு ஒன்னு பண்ணிகனுமா... அப்படி இல்லே... ஒன்னாதனே இருக்குது...

Disclaimer: By just reading the above excerpt, you can NOT derive the answer that was given. I am recording the above excerpt just for my own record...

:-) :-) :-) :-) :-)

2009-05-09T04:44:00.002+05:30

I happened to see a few hours of "Sadhguruvin Madiyil" webcast.

Ruthlessly demolishing people's ideas and ideologies and taking all for a ride in His own merciless fashion! If there is a bit of ego left in us, we'll sure run away from the place, for the intensity He displays. With His play of logic, He can make an utter fool out of everyone of us. Spell binding!

All that remains is the title of this post....

Random things...

2009-05-05T01:21:00.003+05:30

There are a few days, when I wake up, I have this feeling in my "Anahata"... It's a certain feeling that brings about a certain depressing emotion for the entire day... When someone is sad, I believe it is this activity in the Anahata that makes people exclaim "heavy in heart"... While I am able to see clearly that this is what is happening and when I'm aware, I'm able to go beyond that uneasiness, but during the moments of unawareness (which is in plenty), it easily sucks me up... Reminded of how Sadhguru says that everything within oneself is just a chemistry (joy, misery, etc)... today is one such day...

The last 2 days were a blast. Sai Suresh and Gokulnath had come from SFO for the Tulip Festival... The weather was just fine and it was lots of fun... tulip fields, flowers, pictures, "Taboo" games, the drives, the frisbee, the double rainbow, california pizza kitchen, cheesecakes...

An idiot of my relative has landed himself in to some serious trouble. The lack of even a bit of remorse for what he has done is such a disgrace. He and his family are one such kind of people who eat, breathe and sleep money... While I can't but pity his plight, his insolence and lack of humanity and the position they are planning to take in the coming days only speaks volumes of their inner state. I can only see more trouble coming their way. If they can't learn out of such a big incident in their lives, may be they need more life-times for any transformation to happen. BTW, this incident, it is a real drama, just like in the movies... And this incident, happening at this point in time, may not be so ideal a situation I would have wanted, but things have happened... Let's see...

Fear: I thought I didn't have any... But I can see as they surface... There was this medical test for which they had to take some blood samples. And I saw this fear surface up. Once I became aware, it dissolves in a moment... It was funny and at the same time, I could see how what they say in the IE class was practically true. There's one other fear now...

The sea is calm, beautiful and serene...
The pearls are below, radiant and inviting...
The moment is opportune, unfettered the diver,
Ohh, how to ruffle the placid waters...

The story of me and Him

2009-04-23T03:34:00.001+05:30

As we meandered, through the dreary desert,
In meaningless circles, parched and dry...
Thirsty were we, searching were we...

Did we come upon a clearing in the woods,
Lush and green, full of life,
Irresistibly inviting...

Asked did I... lured and wary...
Is this THE Home?
What about our desert tents?
And our treasure bags?

Said did He... confident and steady...
Not at all. The tent is the home.
Let's add a few berries to the treasure bags
For the rest of the journey...

And today,
He's dropped the bags
And gone back Home... to THE Home!

2009-04-22T03:44:00.002+05:30

Why can't this one final piece in the jigsaw puzzle fit itself in, in whichever way it wants to...

Life

2009-04-18T04:36:00.001+05:30

மயிரே போச்சுன்னு இருக்கணும் ...
:-D

Circus of Life...

2009-03-30T06:30:00.003+05:30

As I wallow in the mire of emotions...
Strangled by the psychological ropes...
Bounded by the twines of deeds...
Gripped by the fear of unknown...
Taunted by the filial obligations...
Tormented by the sweet little emotion...
Can't trust I,
This failing mind...

A sweet little wish,
Here and There...
Is the pain of a whip
Taking no where...

Shower Thy Grace, and see me through
Am a lost little one, Behold my hand and lead me through
Tricks and plans, I continue to conjure
In vain hopes, of trying to be secure

Where will I go, what shall I do...
I seek thy Grace, for only that shall see me through...

Hahahaa....

2009-03-28T07:02:00.004+05:30

So manyyyyy things happening around... that it is literally sweeping me off my feet... Yes, Sadhguru's visit happened in a splendid way... For those who couldn't join us, here's the web stream: http://www.ishafoundation.org/IshaLive/Streaming.php (catch this soon as the link may get invalidated soon)

So how does it feel to be part of the event, asked Prasanna... Nothing, it simply felt nothing. I didn't want His time to get wasted here (due to our carelessness or uselessness). To me, it appears that this visit was worth it and hence am relieved in a way...

What else... something is cooking now...

What more... I did something so uncharacteristic of me... But the whole incident was handled in a very mature way... So depressed... And again I did something and that lifted me up... I could so easily see the way the emotions sway and how it pulls one off track quite so easily... With the ground breakng changes impending, I guess so many things will open up, throw all stones, strip me naked, until the unwinding happens completely... Am grateful to the people involved and I should make use of this as another incident to look within...

And now, focus... Whoooooooooosh!

Wearing out...

2009-03-12T05:17:00.003+05:30

Pitchai paathiram nails the current state...

Raja sir's mastery with the words is equally scintillating...

இம்மையை நான் அறியாததால் சிறு பொம்மையின் நிலையினில் உண்மையை உணர்ந்திட...

அத்தனை செல்வமும் உன்னிடத்தில்
நான் பிச்சைக்கு செல்வது எவ்விடத்தில்?
வெறும் பாத்திரம் உள்ளது என்னிடத்தில்
அதன் சூத்திரமோ அது உன்னிடத்தில்......

ஒரு முறையா... இரு முறையா...
பல முறை பல பிறப்பெடுக்க வைத்தாய்...
புது வினையா பழ வினையா...
கணம் கணம் தினம் என்னை துடிக்க வைத்தாய்...

பொருளுக்கு அலைந்திடும் பொருளற்ற வாழ்க்கையும் துரத்துதே...
உன் அருள் அருள் அருள் என்று அலைகின்ற மனம் இன்று பிதற்றுதே...
அருள் விழியால் நோக்குவாய்... மலர் பதத்தால் தாங்குவாய்...
உன் திருக்கரம் எனை அரவணைத்துனதருள் பெற...

A.R.Rahman at the Oscars - video

2009-02-24T04:25:00.002+05:30

The First Oscar

And now the second

Backstage footage with the awards

The special thank you note

It was written!

2009-02-24T03:10:00.004+05:30

The oscars... not one, but two :-)

How does this change my devotion to this humble prince of music... Not a bit! He will always remain the same sweetheart for me... His humility, "level-headed-ness", versatility, humanity, musical genius, spiritual inclination... just about everything that made him dear to me still remain with him and will now open themselves up to the world now... He will no longer be my personal treasure (or our Indian treasure) and will continue to enthrall people all around the globe now.... this is just the beginning!!!

Dear ARR, as you say, you indeed have the choicest blessings and may you get all that you seek in this life!

A letter to my ...

2009-02-14T03:20:00.005+05:30

This is more of a personal letter rather than a blog post. As the blog is the medium of communication, it makes more sense to put it here rather than an email...

Dear one-particular-reader-from-Chennai,

I am sure many of the posts in this blog don't make sense to you...

I know some of these might even be alarming...

And I also know you can't grasp these things in totality, given the diverse natures of our lives, given the different paths we've taken, given the varied experiences of our lives...

When you don't understand these ramblings fully, it is not necessary to spread this to the whole world...

All that I hope and wish is that you understand that I am experiencing life in a deeper way than you, and I further wish that desire also sprouts within you, that you may also lead life in a peaceful, blissful way... The desire that arises when someone buys a house, a plot, a car, a property, this, that... where is that desire going when it comes to this... the very fundamental question about your life and existence... It's time to wake up... I wish you wake up soon...

Sincerely,
Rams.

:-)

2009-02-14T02:57:00.005+05:30

I think I'm coming up with totally non-descriptive titles by the day...

Well, as my friend wished me a happy valentine's day, it dawned on me that this day is here... one day to celebrate the one-happy-emotion-that-most-people-seem-to-cherish... the secret mantra that seems to open doors... Not that I am against love, but it's the general connotation with which the word is being used (thanks to the utter crap in the name of movies) that it scares me to even use that word...

Well, let's see... what all this means to me now... To fall in love is so easy within me now... I am able to see I can throw myself completely when being with anyone and also remove myself when needed... Just as the new song is playing, I got reminded of this person, who was a co-traveller in one of my journeys to the place-beyond-the-world... I could totally give myself when being there... Now I am thousands of miles apart... There's no necessity for words or actions to re-create the inner state that was... No entanglement but total involvement... In fact I am able to be in this state with so many people, with no effort... It's effortless and blissful :-)

Just as words can't express emotions, so can't they express the gratitude... I bow down to Thee...

Ways of Life...

2009-02-06T06:03:00.003+05:30

Hate and love,
Success and failure,
This and that,
All that's sought after...
None of these matter,
When the next inhalation fails...

Hmm

2009-01-30T08:02:00.002+05:30

Almost the first month of the new year is going to wind up. It's been quite tight since the new year began. Lots of work. And yes, lots of good news from the music world too (the Golden Globe and the Oscar nominations and of course Delhi-6 and Connections).

The coming months shall be even more hectic. Not just with office deadlines closing up, but with the preparations for Sadhguru's first ever visit to Seattle. Yes, in case you did not know, Sadhguru is going to be coming to Seattle on March 24 and is going to be giving a free public talk and it goes unstated that you MUST attend it, if you are going to be anywhere in this area, and that might be the best decision you ever made in your life. It is, for me!

More about the event, later!

Rahman on a Roll !!!

2009-01-23T08:33:00.003+05:30

The Golden globe was just the beginning. As the Academy award nominations (aka Oscars) poured in, I am sure most of the fans of the humble musical genius, A.R.Rahman would have had a tear or two, out of sheer joy. I don't perceive Oscar as a big deal, their tastes are different, the audiences different and much more... they are not necessarily the final judges. But what an Oscar does give is a world wide recognition, and ARR deserves it every bit. Such a versatile composer, I've never seen. Even if one simply enumerates the different genres he has composed, one can come up with such a huge list, and that too, not a sample composition but one of the highest order, that no one can match his versatility.

Rahman has the following nominations:

1. Best Original Song: Jai Ho
2. Best Original Song: O Saya

Is this the first time a composer is self-competing in the Oscars. The only other song nominated in this category is from Wall-E.

3. Best Original Score: Slumdog Millionaire

Enough said. I am going to watch how things unfold and here's wishing him deep down from my heart that he wins both the Oscars for which he has been nominated for.

As Anil Kapoor says in the movie, "My heart says you are going to win more"
And as Salim says in the climax, Rahman is going to end up saying "God is great"

Naresh vaai adangum neram...

2009-01-20T06:06:00.005+05:30

Raghu has the peculiar habit of murdering any class song with his "bhai - paai - saai" gibberish, the one that he invented during college days, and continues to carry on fervently, even after 5 long years. Today, due to the recent requests to make another inane video like this, I got reminded of this and thought that I should record it here.

Context: Naresh is known to love to eat out in restaurants when we were in Hyderabad (and even now), however costly they may be. Due to a fractured jaw, he was mouth-arrested for more than 2 months and when he came out of it, Raghu and myself wrote this song for him. It eventually became a regular song amongst us that we recorded it one evening. It was FUN!
BTW, all proper nouns like Angeethi, Shikaar, Chutneys are all restaurant names.

Thalaa.........Delhi 6

2009-01-16T03:18:00.005+05:30

Looks like the master thought that the continuous barrage of musical hits (Sakkarakatti, Yuvvraaj, Ghajini, Slumdog, Ada, Jaane Tu, Jodha) wasn't enough, here he comes, with Delhi-6 that is going to set the music industry on fire!!! You can safely mark my words, as I write this, just listening to it for the first time (not even finished listening to all the tracks), that this is one of THE MOST CREATIVE WORKS from Rahman. You wouldn't have listened to such exotic music before, ever!

Rahman is Rahman - peerless. PERIOD.

while(true){:D}

2009-01-13T02:23:00.004+05:30

I am mad right now. Should not be a big surprise if you've been following this blog. YES. A.R.Rahman has won the Golden Globe award for the best original score- motion picture this year (2009) and I've no words to express the elation I am right now in.

Yes, tears rolled over as the news sunk in. Being an Indian does not make this award special to me, as is the case with many. It is the person who is getting this award that makes it so special. Here's wishing him all the very best for more to come.

The Golden globe in itself is a huge achievement and a great platform to an international arena. If Oscars also come his way, then it will be an even greater visibility that this versatile genius long deserves. Let us see :-)

By the way, this will be the next Khwaja mere Khwaja... This is from Delhi-6. Songs yet to be released. This song also bought tears in me. Maestro ARR, you are so special!

Happy Birthday ARR

2009-01-07T00:24:00.003+05:30

Dear A.R.Rahman,

It is not needed to reiterate how much you are part of my every day... Here's wishing you a very very happy birthday and a fabulous new year. May all your wishes be fulfilled... And hope you get to delight us, song after song, year after year, for a very very long time...

Happy that the first post of 2009 happened to be this one :-D

Have a great new year!

2008 - personally

2008-12-31T02:18:00.005+05:30

Missed opportunity - the longing and pain - The sleepless night - the rapture - the presence - In the presence of the master - linga bhairavi - the explosions - the tears - the nature re-creation - the hanging from the rope knotted at chest - the slow salutations - gratitude - BSP - new friends -
Kailash Manasarover yatra - the fall there - the finger touch - the thumb touch - the dip - the vision - the questions - the initiation - the stories - the mystery - Continuing madness - continuing longing - dropping desires - Two classes - more volunteering - Sunday special rapturous communion - Mahima consecration - the Bija mala - the slap - the question - the impending answer - the planning - The fake reason fruition - Fun trips - yellow stone - natural geysers - nature in colors - wild life - camping - india trip - confrontation at home - the emotions - filial obligations - the nieces - betterment of lives - vegas - the games - the circus - the grand madness - the canyons - the magnificent beauty - los angeles - the beaches - the zoo - the sea world - the coaster rides - one less fear in heights - musically rich - physically same - mentally less blocking - spiritually ???

100 posts in 1 year... my boss should be happy :-D

Yes, I am blessed. Ending this year with lots of gratitude and wishing for a definitive clarity and fruition of THE opportunity.

2008 - Musically...

2008-12-31T02:02:00.004+05:30

It has been an extra ordinary year for Rahmaniacs. Such a variety and grandeur in every offering that came by us this year. A quick observation on each:

Jodhaa Akbar: Grand, magnificent, melodious, mellifluous, spiritual and fresh for a period movie.
Jaane Tu: Fresh, fun evoking, peppy, foot tapping, youthful, soulful, romantic and jazzy.
Ada: Different, stylish, soulful, melodious, vintage ARR.
Sakkarakatti: Stylish, Melodious, foot tapping, experimental, vintage.
Yuvvraaj: I can't get enough of this masterpiece. Operatic, western classical, soulful, melodious, mellifluous, orchestral, energetic, euphoric, levitating... Trademark ARR.
Ghajini: Rocking, hip-hopping, jazzy, mellifluous, blues, experimental... sure shot commercial music, like Sakkarakatti.
Slumdog: Trademark ARR! One movie to get him the world recognition that has been long due.
Connections: Haven't heard it yet...

Here's wishing him all the very best for the Oscars and Golden Globe and wishing him an even more successfull 2009 and hoping for a even bigger treat to the ears in the coming year.

Recent happenings

2008-12-30T05:28:00.002+05:30

As the title says...

Saw bommalattam. Not a bad movie. One of the better movies to come out in the Tamil film industry. Bharathiraja must change his editor. A fascinating climax!
Listening to aahaa FM via aahaafm.com. Gives a feeling of being in Chennai :-)
Have been having a lot of physical ailments one after another (back sprain, stomach pull, teeth and gum problems, continuing stomach ailments) and just going along.
Went on a single day of silence
Watched a few crappy movies that were supposedly good (Poi solla porom was one of them... I can't even seem to recollect the names of the others)
Was snowed in and house arrested for more than a week due to heavy snow.
Went on a trip to San Diego and Los Angeles.
Had an adventure filled trip including a business class flight travel as the operating airline had to give an alternate flight due to flight delays and snow.
Seem to have gotten better off my acrophobia and took all of the rides that we could manage in the time we had, along with the other guys (Anto, Arun, Gokul, Raghu, Satish and Sai) at six flags
The whole world's in vacation right now for the holiday season.
Belated Christmas wishes
Advance New year wishes...

Tiring madness

2008-12-30T05:17:00.002+05:30

Aimless and purposeless,
In one kind of madness...
Aimless and Purposeless,
In another kind of madness...
A world of difference, between the two
Tiring out slowly, in between the two...

:-D :-D :-D

2008-12-12T07:16:00.003+05:30

L.A. critics named A.R.Rahman for the best music score of 2008 (for Slumdog Millionaire of course)
http://www.variety.com/VR1117997085.html

Even better, A.R.Rahman gets nominated for the best original score in the Golden Globe Awards.
http://www.goldenglobes.org/nominations/index.html

Let's wait for the Oscar nominations as well...

Settler vs Pearl Diver

2008-12-06T06:05:00.004+05:30

The lake is calm and serene...
Should I muddle the waters?
All fish peacefully asleep...
Should I disturb them?
The body is warm and cozy...
Should I allow the cold to bite?
No, for the settler...
Yes, for the pearl diver.

:-D

2008-11-26T05:25:00.004+05:30

Looks like this blog finished it's 4th birthday and entered into the 5 year recently (Nov 21st). It was a friend of mine who observed this...

Anyways, right now, as it goes unstated, I am 24x7 immersed with Ghajini (Hindi) songs. I'll write a review when I'm back from vacations this week. Is this the first time rediff has given a 5/5 for the music of a film? Check out Ghajini's review here.

Well, for the thanksgiving weekend, Raghu, Arun, Pala and myself from Seattle will join the SFO troupe (Sai, Murry, Goyya and 2 others) at Vegas and the Canyons...

Should we term this trip as Vagabonds in Vegas or Kenayans in Canyons...

Is A.R.Rahman repetitive?

2008-11-25T01:35:00.004+05:30

This is from the A.R.Rahman's fan group that I am part of. Originally written by one Mister "Chord".

ORIGINAL POST: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/arrahmanfans/message/106665

Content pasted here for convenience...

As he always has! Listen to all the soundtracks this year alone and just observe how varied his music is, never sounding repetitive. If someone says that Rahman has been repetitive this year, I'm going to scream! He is the most versatile composer probably the world has ever known.

Lately, Rahman has been more in experimental mode, dabbling in various musical genres that for some, may sound foreign and unusual, hence the strong initial reactions to his soundtracks and why his music does indeed take time to sink in. Rahman's music has always taken time to sink in due to the thick layering of his music, complex arrangements, and use of different musical genres. There is nothing at all predictable about what he will do next! You may not like a particular album due to the sound, style, genre etc. and that's ok. There's always the next one. That's why I can never say that Rahman is "not living up to his standards" because he keeps reinventing himself each album. All successful artists have the burden of matching up to their previous successful works and I for one am so glad that Rahman is progressive enough to not fall into the trap of trying to recreate old albums in various disguises. That would lead to him being bored, uninspired, and others labeling him as repetitive and outdated. It's got to be tough on him to try to create something new and fresh with each release and I so admire Rahman's brilliant
creativity and couragessness, knowing that sometimes, his experiments may not be taken as well as he had hoped.

Let's be clear. Rahman works hard on every album. Maybe at certain times, there are too many demands that don't allow him spend more time on a soundtrack, but given the time that he has, I am sure he gives it his all. Before some of us moan and groan how Rahman is not living up to this or that, just remember how blessed we are to be able to hear his music today. That's not a guarantee.

And lastly, who says that Rahman has to give perfect elegance and mindblowing complexities to each and every song he makes? Have some of you ever thought that when he creates light numbers like Latoo, etc., that it's the director who demands that type of number? Please
try to keep a broad perspective. You don't have to like a particular Rahman song, but please keep in mind that maybe it's the type of song needed for a film situation or was demanded of him.

Rahman is trying to force us to be open minded about music, to appreciate different genres, and to challenge our musical tastes so that we can enjoy life more, enjoy a broader range of music. Whether an album receives a positive or negative review or whether it sells good or bad, Rahman is human afterall, but I know that he is trying his best despite the pressure from all around him.

Satsang

2008-11-12T03:24:00.004+05:30

To sit with you
Is threatening...
To listen to you
Ego shattering...

Every moment passes by...
In inexplicable ways...
Frenzied at times...
Serene at others...
Exploded sometimes...
Imploded other times...
A million different ways...

Still, there isn't a better way
To live through a day...
Awakened...
In your presence,
In life's essence.

2008-11-11T04:46:00.002+05:30

In a sathsang during Mahima consecration...

Shankaran Pillai wanted to build a house. He met up with an architect. The architect showed one plan after another and Shankaran Pillai kept rejecting all of them. Finally, exhausted, the architect asked "What is it that you want?". Shankaran Pillai pulled out a small door knob from his pocket and said "I need a house that will go with this"

This story shall bear a great significance in the coming times...

Obama!

2008-11-06T05:17:00.003+05:30

Congratulations!

History has been made as the first non-white person becomes the president of the United States. Let us hope the world becomes a better place from now on, now that the irresponsible ruler of the nation that dictates many a situations in the world is replaced by a more sensible one.

Being Rahman

2008-11-05T08:17:00.004+05:30

I can't get enough of this person's humility. On a question on how he gets time to choose fresh singers for almost every one of his projects amongst his tight schedule, he says "Out of the thousand voices, if 2 voices can get your attention, when it can make a person like me turn and look, won't it make the thousands of listeners, the better judges in music, want to listen to them...."

Many people flaunt humility as it is considered a virtue, making it vulgar. But he is one person I am seeing who lives it. I don't have anything more to say but to watch this adorable saint, in great admiration...

2008-11-05T02:15:00.001+05:30

Let thy presence be all that I desire.

A.R.Rahman

2008-11-01T04:48:00.006+05:30

Highly recommended interview... The way he is rooted is simply amazing... He is a saint, isn't he?

Yuvvraaj

2008-10-31T04:29:00.003+05:30

A.R.Rahman is the yuvvraaj!

The first few times when I heard it, it seemed a bit unfamiliar and I could not get the melody flow. But once you get the flow of the song, it is simply mind blowing. It is rich, profound, grand and magnificent. This will go in as one of the master pieces of the little Maestro.

Each song can be discussed in great detail, but I'll limit myself for want of time.

1. Main hoon yuvvraaj: Beethoven's 5th symphony aptly used as an intro to the character as well as the album, to hint on what the listener is in for.

2. Tu hi mera Dosth: The intro with the cello, backing vocals and solo female operatic singing is sheer magic. Benny rocks. Shreya croons and Rahman aptly supports. Gives you a feeling of floating.
Note at 3:57 the introduction of an African drum kind of percussion for a brief while... WOW!

3. Tu Muskura: Alka and Javed score fully. Sargams are euphoric. Another song that lifts you up, makes you light. Note at 2:01, how the interlude switches from the Dosth to serve as a prelude to the tune in the Charanam. Another WOW!

4. Shano shano: I hated this song for the first few times, with its old style pop music feel. But after some time, now I am able to enjoy this. This will be the next Pappu can't dance... Straight to the disco floors. The "shano shano" is quite catchy. The singers omitting the last words of the line for the first time and then singing it the second time in the beginning of the song gave an interesting listening experience. The switching sounds between left and right will give an enhanced listening experience to those using headphones.

5. Shano Shano remix: Awesome for a remix. Do not skip since it's a remix. In fact, this is slower than the original, with a great hip hop theme around it.

6. Manmohini: Vijya Prakash will become a well known name after this song. Very catchy "thom thanana" backing up, great hindustani rendition and an ultra cool fusion song. When I saw "manmohini" in the song list, I was actually expecting a slow devotional number, but this surprised me pleasantly. Wouldn't have complained if the song was longer.

7. Zindagi: Srinivas, MY MAN!!!! What a soulful number and what a soulful rendition. After a long time, this song made me search for lyrics and memorize it for I can sing along. One of the best melodies in the recent time.

8. Mastam: What a fun number!!! It's very unconventional... We haven't heard a song like this before. Sonu justifies why he was chosen. With all the different animal noises, continuous claps, unconventional melody pattern, I am eagerly awaiting the picturization of this song...

9. Yeh Rishta: Should be the climax song. This has the standard ARR trademark for racy orchestration and full throated vocals. A very interesting song with sargams intertwined with a western classical tune that flows to Indian style too. Great singing by everyone. The beginning piano is simply awesome.

I don't have a great confidence in the movie's plot but I do believe that Mr.Ghai would do visual justice to this opulent composition. The preview pics are promising. However the movie be, it is going to be a musical treat as the music is interwoven with the whole story with all characters related to music in one way or the other.

One line summary: As this post begins, A.R.Rahman is the Yuvvraaj.

Isai...

2008-10-30T05:45:00.002+05:30

One of the everyday activities for me is to indulge in music... be it singing along, or just listening, or both or working alongside music... but music is an essential part of my everyday life... My interest in music grew primarily from Film music... Tamil film music to be particular... since advent of A.R.Rahman in Roja, to be even more particular... Ever since my interest in music has only grown and that little master never ceases to amaze me and continues to captivate me... It was after A.R.Rahman that I started to listen to the older compositions of Ilayaraja, another master with his own niche... The interest in Irish music and western classical violin stemmed out of exposure to these genres in the recent past, thanks to youtube...

Music isn't just entertainment... It takes me to various states depending on what I am listening to... Music does definitely have an impact on your inner nature, in my experience...

As is eating and sleeping, so is music, to me... This post stands in thankfulness to the above people for being a part of my life, everyday...

Half baked

2008-10-30T03:36:00.002+05:30

Not of the intelligent lot
To just be focused on the one...
Not of the other lot
To wallow in the mundane...
This half-baked state...

Came the knock one fine day,
To go about strengthening
That rope on the path...
The one that will Hold
Till the very end,
To the other end...

:)

2008-10-28T05:14:00.003+05:30

The get together went along very very well... All 14 turned up and we had a great time and of course great food. The menu that Naresh and I decided was thus:

Starter: Vegetable bread bonda (Gomathi/Vimal)
Panneer curry (Pallavi/Vijay)
Chapathi (Us)
Veg biryani (Gomathi/Vimal)
Bisibelabath (Us)
Kovakkai fry (Harini)
Curd rice (Us)
Gulab Jamun (Vidya)
Payasam (Harini)
Chocolate torte (Yamini)
Ice cream + Fruit custard (Sindhu/Ramanathan)
Miscellaneous snacks from shops

General chat followed by lunch followed by the gaja-buja game, some sam anderson and TR stunts made the entire day a laughter filled one...

Back row: Harini, Pallavi, Yamini, Gomathi, Vidya, Sindhu, Vimal and Naresh
Front row: Arun, Vijay, Ramanathan, myself, Raghu and Anto

Happy diwali!!!

Diwali here...

2008-10-25T08:23:00.001+05:30

This is what has been planned... Let's see how things go... A potluck get-together among my college mates (Anna univ 2k4 passouts)

:-D

அன்புள்ள பெரியோர்களே தாய்மார்களே...

வரும் தீபாவளித்திருநாளை முன்னிட்டு சியாட்டில் வருத்தப்படாத வாலிபர் சங்கம் தங்கள் இல்லத்திற்கு வரும் ஞாயிறு (26 ஆம் தேதி) மதியம் ஒரு மணிக்கு உங்களை வருக வருக என வரவேற்கிறது... இந்த முறை நாம் அனைவரும் "அதிர்ஷ்டப்பானை" (அதானப்பா பாட் லக்) முறையில் தீபாவளியை கொண்டாட உத்தேசித்துள்ளோம்... ஆகையால் தாங்களும் தங்கள் துணைவி/துணைவரும் எங்கள் வீட்டிற்கு வந்து சிறப்பிக்குமாறு கேட்டுக்கொள்கிறோம்.

சமீபத்தில் எங்கள் வருத்தப்படாத வாலிபர் சங்கத்தில் இருந்து முதியோர் சங்கத்தை சேர்ந்த திருமணமான மக்கள் தங்கள் திருமணப்புகைப்படங்களை எடுத்து வருமாறு ~~கேட்டுக்கொள்ளப்படுகிறார்கள்~~ மிரட்டப்படுகிறார்கள்.

அனைவரும் இந்திய பாரம்பரிய உடையில் வருவது அந்நாளை இன்னும் சிறப்பாக்கும் என்று எங்கள் சங்கம் நம்புகிறது...

கொசுறு: நாம் கொண்டாட இருக்கும் தினத்தில் தங்கத்தலைவி அசின் பிறந்தநாளும் இருப்பதால், சியாட்டில் அசின் ரசிகர் மன்றத்தின் தலைவர் மற்றும் ஒரே உரிப்பினருமான நரேஷ் நமக்கு சிறப்பு நிகழ்ச்சிகளை வழங்குவார். எங்கள் சங்கத்தின் மேற்கூறிய கோட்பாடுகளை மதிக்காதவர்களை அசின் மற்றும் தெலுங்கு சூப்பர் ஸ்டார் பாலய்யா நடித்த பயங்கர மொக்கையான ஒரு அட்டுப்படத்தை கட்டாயப்படுத்தி பார்க்க வைப்போம்.

தங்கள் வரவை எதிர்பார்க்கும்,
சியாட்டில் வருத்தப்படாத வாலிபர் சங்கம்.

SA-RO-JA

2008-10-11T02:56:00.004+05:30

Super entertainer!!!

I don't bother if the meat of the plot was from an English movie, still it is a pucca time pass movie.

Why you should watch it?
- The comedy intertwined through out the plot, including the climax fight
- PremG, his dialogues and expressions. Special mention is needed for the one who has written his dialogues: springing out a surprise every time he opens his mouth.
- The kind of humor we see in college... predominantly teasing in nature... esp teasing the recent movies/actors (Sivaji and Simbu)
- The unique flavor and slang in the dialogs, esp Shiva (Eg: when he sees saroja for the first time, he asks "yaaru saar indha ladieS"....)
- The entire team is fun and does a good job in the acting department... Special mention to Sampath (the kidnapper), who has what we call as gethu
- Nice songs. Goes well with the pace of the movie
- Kodaanu kodi song + Nikitha.... I liked her a lot in Kurumbu and she is sizzling in this raunchy foot tapping number. I liked the black and white effect with just the red color singled out.
- Climax.
- The scene where most of the chennai-28 crew does a cameo... Rockers Raghu once again rocked (Tason pakkathla veedu venaam tason pakkathla veedu venaamnaa kettadhaanae...)

Would like to see more movies from the crew!

2008-10-07T04:43:00.002+05:30

Just as the thoughts were endlessly going on within... just when the topics of the recent past were surfacing... just when I wanted answers... the speaker in my PC plays....

காலம் இன்னும் கூடவில்லை
மாலை இன்னும் வாடவில்லை
நம்பிக்கை இழக்கவில்லை...

2008-09-30T04:33:00.002+05:30

மெய் அறியா அறியாமையில்,
பொய்யான மெய்யில் ,
சிக்குற்ற எந்தன்,
கட்டுக்களை அறுக்கும்,
அறக்கட்டளை என்று வருமோ...
அன்று பித்தம் களைந்து,
சித்தம் தெளிந்து,
பித்தனும் ஆவான் சித்தனே...

Snapshot

2008-09-30T04:13:00.003+05:30

Comfortably postponed - uncomfortable situations - time's closing - Stuck, quite uncomfortably! - paining the circle - not wanting to decide - doing crap - knowing not any reasons - making up pseudo claims - dabbling and getting stuck - sticking past - fear - societal valuation - unknown yearnings - how much will quench - when will they drop - what's happening within - not to get stuck - not to wander away - how to get out - how to be on - how to reach - what to do - misgivings - total confusion - Unappealing pseudo-goals - self-hate - incapable baggage - desiring being - Eternal thirst for eternity.

Way of life

2008-09-27T04:54:00.002+05:30

A hungry ant, chasing the floating sugar lump, hanging from the stick, knotted unawares at its back...

Non-being

2008-09-18T01:26:00.003+05:30

Mighty words
Spoken about it
Didn't help recollect
The "accidental" experience of it.

One similar fall,
In the sacred space,
Bought it all back...
And now, I want more.

Back!

2008-09-18T01:05:00.001+05:30

Back and yearning!

26!!!

2008-08-13T09:06:00.002+05:30

Biologically, 26 revolutions is over!

Though 26 sounds like getting older, it doesn't feel so... With the rejuvenating source within, let's see how much younger we can get....

It took years twenty-two
To meet my father, the second
How many years more
To take the birth, the second...

2008-08-07T11:56:00.001+05:30

Go away...
Don't stick yourself to me...
Away... Go...
Ego.

2008-08-07T04:00:00.002+05:30

A couple of more revolutions...
All that is to be seen, will be seen,
Including the third pinnacle
And the eyes will close.

2008-08-07T03:52:00.002+05:30

A million things might have gone my way, but a small mosquito, right now buzzing around my ears, can take it all away... Such is my poor plight...

Yesterday and today have been a revelation of sorts... Whatever was spoken about was just there right in front of my eyes. The fickleness of my mind, the fickleness of my emotions, body getting affected by the thought process... How to run through with these impostors... Hayyo...
Inability to come to terms with a few things... I am able to see the reason but I am unable to come out of it in a sensible fashion...

Mercy please.

Hmmm

2008-08-06T03:22:00.002+05:30

So... dazed!
As I watch this play,
Unfold with its twists and turns,
Dazed... so dazed!
----------------------------------
As I hang around
In dropping leaves to the ants
The older ant is on board
Grace!
----------------------------------
The half understood verses
Were probably right...
As the plot unfolds
An inexplicable peace
Is all is.

void *

2008-08-05T00:48:00.003+05:30

When I yearned,
It didn't happen...
When I yawned,
It did happen...

Why, I wondered...
Then it dawned...
For it to happen,
Only I was not needed.

Titbits...

2008-07-31T02:49:00.004+05:30

In the last few weeks, I am noticing that a few emotions/reactions I haven't seen in a while are surfacing up... Anger, irritability, dislike...

When one door is shut,
The others have to open,
For the air isn't still yet,
It has to flow...

For a long time, I used to keep shaking my legs involuntarily while sitting... Now in the last few days I realize I am doing this. What I am not clear is if I did have this habit in the last few years too but was unaware of it or that it had subsided but is now surfacing up again due to "one door shutting up"

Yet another incident to prove how futile the situation is.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

You're here
Wherever I may be...
For you are the person
That drives me...

Fall here and there
Wherever it may be...
There's always a Hand
To lift up me...

I'll do what I do
Whatever it may be...
For we are together
In this lovely sea....

p.s: The above song is not mine. It was sung by someone in the context of this post. I modified it a bit to suit the present moment.

Lunch at office

2008-07-29T05:08:00.003+05:30

Lunch at office... Unlike the people I see here, I am absolutely fine eating alone. If someone comes and joins me, I don't have an issue with that too... But even if I see the whole team eating together, I don't join them.... I simply find my sweet secret spot, eat and just go...

Loner? May be... I kinda enjoy that... One of the reasons might be that I don't wish to speak when eating... Especially when people want to socialize... oft-repeated topics from the few lunches I've been part of mostly center around shopping or technical discussions or american humor that I hardly find it funny... yuck!

p.s: But eating along with friends at home is a different case...

Leaf or life

2008-07-19T11:23:00.003+05:30

A bunch of leaves
Floating together
The swim is nice
Warm and Happy...

With the swim
Tiring down
One after another
Settle on the shores...

The few wild ones
Eyeing the ocean
Unmindful of the shores
What will they do...

In the winds
They trust
In the winds
That begun the swim
In the winds
That power the swim
In the winds
That will power
The swim, to the ocean.

This day, that age...

2008-07-19T11:11:00.005+05:30

Last year, this day, the day of Guru poornima, was at Lake Manasarover. Had one of life's greatest fortunes that day. Performed Guru Pooja to Sadhguru... And to The Lake, the numerous "visitors" and to Kailash, who was very clearly visible from the banks of the lake.

And to touch and bow down to the foot marks of Sadhguru... It wouldn't have mattered to die that day...

Was it the fruits of a hundred life times? Whatever it was, doesn't matter... Gratitude is all that is prevailing right now...

Gratitude...

2008-07-19T11:00:00.003+05:30

Words fail...
For what you've imparted
The way life has transformed
The way every little thing about
That which is called me has changed...

"A tiny freckle of energy"
The words keep resounding...
A tiny freckle, this one,
Still wants the expanse
A riddle, it was
Until you unraveled it...

Words fail...
In silence...
In gratitude,
I bow down to thee.
To all the other kind hearted ones
Who lit lamps along
The path they walked...

And to the very one
Who taught all this...
Who IS.

Sakkarakatti...

2008-07-17T04:54:00.003+05:30

Another Rahman musical for a newbie's debut (following JTYJN, Ada), this time in Tamil.
While there was some debate over some of my friends over their incapability to appreciate the music as they used to in the older days, I liked the album and it has been running for quite some time in my music player...

Naan eppodhu: Loved Reena's voice. Was able to appreciate it more than Meenaxi's "yeh rishta" as I was able to understand the lyrics.

Chinnamma: One of my all time favorites. In Tamil, it just became better. Benny and Chinmayi did great justice. Loved the female counterpoints.

Elay: Refreshing guitar strumming and violin interludes. Nice rendition.

Taxi: What a cool song. I won't be surprised if this became the chartbuster of the year. Blaaze's rap and Vivian's French interludes are awesome

Marudhani: The "munbe vaa" for this year. One of the songs that can make it into my all time favorite melodies. Madhushree's voice is indeed "madhu". Though the diction is better, still there is room for improvement.

I miss you da: One of the weirdest experimentations I've heard so far. Catches on slowly. Special mention to the totally different style of singing by Chinmayi...

Summary: One of the better albums you can lay your hands on.

Another one...

2008-07-13T09:23:00.001+05:30

Similar experience, but this time, due to this.

Ada pongayya...

2008-07-09T11:24:00.002+05:30

Context: Even if all of the never ending desires come true, this being will not get satisfied unless it finds its ultimate expression.

Mood: Lost!

IF

2008-07-09T01:46:00.001+05:30

If only the skin hadn't imbibed the sweetness of the fruit within...

Calvin, the Hero

2008-07-01T08:14:00.003+05:30

Rather, it should be Bill Watterson. The most entertaining comic strip I've ever read.
This has been my status today. Just loved it.

Happiness isn't good enough for me! I demand euphoria!

Mazhayin thuliyil nadhiyaa?

2008-06-21T08:11:00.004+05:30

Nadhiya was the favorite actress in my school days. Happened to come across an amazing song, both in terms of music as well as the on screen appearance of my yesteryear favorite stars...

And I think there is none yet in Tamil cinema to displace her charm and beauty...

p.s: BTW I am smirking at the title ;-)

General wonderment!

2008-06-21T06:57:00.003+05:30

Why is it that most of my yesteryear "beauties" ended up marrying absolutely "dhadhdhi" guys...
:D

p.s: My roomies will ratify the above claim :D

The game of hide and seek...

2008-06-18T12:15:00.001+05:30

புல் அரும்பாகட்டும்
மலையின் முகட்டாகட்டும்
பிழம்பாகட்டும் பனியாகட்டும்
...எதுவாகட்டும்...
படைத்த ஒவ்வொன்றிலும்
உன்னை ஊற்றி ஊற்றிப்
படைத்து என் கண்ணில் இருந்து
மட்டும் ஒளிந்து விளையாடும்
விளையாட்டும் உன் திருவிளையாடலோ...
இந்தத் திருவிளையாட்டிலே என்றேனும்,
தன் திரு ஆடலை காண மாட்டேனோ...
கரை சேர மாட்டேனோ...
அப்பனே...

The "Truth" stories

2008-06-17T05:50:00.002+05:30

Stories in hundreds
Colorful, magnificent and fantastic...
Verses in thousands
Extolling, melting and dissolving...
And fantastic too...
Were just "fantastic" stories
Once...
But not anymore...
As they begin
To mock at my existence
And its ignorance
With nothing at disposal
But for the breath,
Now I sit,
Simply watching...
In...
Out...
In...
Out...
In...
Out...

What's up

2008-06-12T05:30:00.003+05:30

The last 5-6 weeks has been running off just like that... Some of the significant things that happened...

In the presence of the master
BSP volunteering
Mahima foundation stone laying
Buddha poornima
SFO trip
Weekend treks to nearby places
Usual loads of laughter with leg pulling reaching new heights in our house
Ada and JTYJN albums
Office deadlines
A few new Isha friends
May be a few other stuff
A new realization

The impermanence of it...
The triviality of the moment...
As it dawned out of nowhere
Dispelled the mighty darkness of fantasies
That held me for long in dreams
To awaken into the reality
To walk more freely...
As I walk, I can't help but wonder...
When will I fly???

Orkut and my fortunes

2008-06-05T07:01:00.003+05:30

Today's fortune: You will be unusually successful in business

"You will be usually unsuccessful in business" would have reflected the reality better, given my total lack of interest in doing business :D

Ada and Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Naa are rocking albums from thalaivar...

Had to leave the post midway and don't feel like continuing...

Andha oru naal...

2008-05-29T10:46:00.001+05:30

அந்த ஒரு நாள்...

இன்னல்கள் பல கொண்டு
வினைகள் பலவற்றில் சிக்குண்டு
தவித்துக்கொண்டிருந்த இவ்வுயிரை
உன் கல்லையே கரைக்கும் கருணையால்
அனைத்தையும் உருக்கும் உன் புன்னகையால்
அரவணைத்து அனைத்திலிருந்தும் விடுவித்தாயே
என் அப்பனே, மாயக்கண்ணனே...

:D again

2008-05-06T12:57:00.002+05:30

:D

என் காதலே என் காதலே
என்னை என்ன செய்யப்போகிறாய்...
கிள்ளுவதை கிள்ளி விட்டு
ஏன் தள்ளி நின்று பார்க்கிறாய்...

:D

2008-05-05T09:52:00.000+05:30

Today's fortune: Your dearest wish will come true

I wish too :))

Summer break

2008-05-03T06:49:00.002+05:30

As I come
To the door once more...
Will I get
The elusive peek...
Will I get
The direction I seek...

:D

2008-05-03T06:11:00.000+05:30

Today's orkut fortune: You are soon going to change your present line of work

Got tagged

2008-05-02T12:12:00.002+05:30

Well, this is the first time I get tagged I believe... Though wasn't so keen in the topic, still let me try something at something different for a change... BTW Fathima was the one who tagged me (http://fathimas.blogspot.com)

Family:
Amma, appa, akka, letchu, seethu and paddhu... One of life's blessings are my parents... That's all I can say... In a lot of ways, they brought me up the way children are supposed to be brought up. Given the right kind of freedom and choices while at the same time guiding in those situations that demanded them...

Friends:
An integral part of my life... Here again, it was life's blessing when I met a plethora of them during my undergraduation in Anna university. To this day, it continues. The gang at Hyderabad was special. That was when my life directions changed for good, to the better, and the group there was definitely an integral part of the development within me. The group still continues here at Redmond :)

My love:
I don't know what to write here... to get into the state of love is getting quite natural by the day... not with a person, object or situation... but just getting into the state... the ability to see another person as one's child is happening much in abundance these days though I don't make an effort to do so... it's nice btw :)

Things I like:
I don't feel like filling this in...

Books
Sadhguru's books and articles, browsing through blogs...

Movies
Lots...

Myself
The best of all topics :D
How can I answer my life's search here... :))

Recent plans
A few trips here and there... General amusement over where life is going to take me soon.

Activities
Cook, eat, work, sleep, do practices, volunteering, roaming around places, laughing like crazy, pulling friends' legs at any given opportunity...

Dreams
It's been a long time since I dreamed... The focus is just on one.

I tag:
Well, people who feel interested or are looking for something to blog, please continue...

Ignorance

2008-04-24T11:47:00.000+05:30

அங்கும் இங்கும்
தாவி ஓடி
தொங்கி குதித்து
அதில் வரும்
சிற்றின்பத்தில் இன்புற்று
இவை இயலா
மற்றவைகளைக்காட்டிலும்
இன்புற்று இருப்பதாய்
நினைதுக்கொண்டதாம்
சுதந்திரப்பறவைகள்
பற்றி அறியா
கூண்டில் சிறைகொண்ட
குரங்கு.

Music

2008-04-24T07:21:00.004+05:30

If you knew me, it wouldn't be a surprise that I idolize A.R.Rahman. One of the often repeated characteristics I keep repeating about his music is the multiple layers, intricately woven in perfection... that most of the times you listen to the same song, you get to catch a new instrument or sound that would have remained hidden for years to surface.. I should take one song as an example and write in detail about the layers my ear could perceive... In many ways, listening to the songs with a single pointed focus on just listening is a meditative experience in one way for me.

Well, I happened to listen to one of my favorite tracks from Mr.Romeo called "Thanneerai kaadhalikkum meengala illai"... Most of you should be familiar with it. Here it is...
http://youtube.com/watch?v=odGzSyKN8OU

Listen from 00:05 to 00:15. There is a synthetic sound in the background. For all these years I enjoyed it as a new sound. It was only two days back when I happened to listen to the song in a new Zune player, thanks to my roomie, that I knew what that sound was.

Highlight here to know the answer: It is basically the first two lines of the song, synthesized electronically to sound that way.

It was an OMG experience...

Hmmm

2008-04-22T07:50:00.002+05:30

Came across this during some random browsing today...
http://www.bharatadesam.com/people/ramana_maharshi.php

At the end of reading it, tears were uncontrollably flowing... reasons... I don't know... This is not the first time this kind of a thing is happening... There is something fundamentally within that is responding but the mind is unable to decipher it... but that's fine... I don't want it to either...

Space

2008-04-16T07:39:00.003+05:30

It's the space...
That makes all the difference...
It's the space...
That makes ayogi a yogi...