Reliving moments

Monday mornings were mostly blue... A year ago, the ecstacy of sleeping in for over 15 mins would cause a whirlwind shift to my schedule. The rush to the bus-stop, wondering if its going to be the volvo or the SAP Shuttle, whether i would be lucky to get a place to sit, praying that there are no jams on the way, wondering if my manager is keeping tabs on the no of times i come in late, day dreaming about mondays where i dont have to get set and go, half awake and aware of the crowd, sifting through the work-to-do and the deadlines to meet.... the fast paced life of a working professional!!!

Many evenings have gone by, blissfully unaware off, there have been days when i have never seen the light shine outside, except during coffee-breaks and after lunch walks. Dinners were always fast-to-cook nice-to-eat consumed hurriedly during the wee hours...

Spring could slide to summer and to autumn and slow down at winter without raising a reaction except a sigh here and a shrug there. Weekend trips to Chennai to veg out in my fav couch was always my idea of recharging and the ride back to bangalore was always with a heavy heart.

Now although i miss chennai, weekends are fun-filled and there are no deadlines. I can stand and stare at the sunshine as long as i want.. Bikin, hikin, cyclin.. have time for all that. Dinners are always delicious and we even have desserts that are sinful indulgence. Yet is it possible that i miss that life?

What is it about us? Why do we always crave for the things that we dont have? Why is it that the grass is always greener on the other side? I dont want that hectic life back but i think somewhere along the way when you dont get to work, a part of you is lost.. the lack of identity. Dont get me wrong, i love my life as it is.. but i would also love to do something that would be food for thought!! I need to figure it out, which is why am thankful for the time i have now...  until then... am enjoying the lazy days and the hot home cooked meals!!!

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The art of Skiing

It all happens when the winter sets in and there is snow everywhere. You  want to get out and get somewhere but all you can do in this dreary weather is skiing/tubing or watchin' movies/musicals.
Since i wanted to be outdoors and i wanted to check whether i have improvised the art of skiing, i was inviting trouble.

Its not that i hate skiing or i suck at it. Its just that i never get better at it, or maybe i do but its definetly happening in a very slow pace. Atleast this time i dint fall as much and i even learnt to get up without taking my skiis off. This was perfect solution for attempting to ski for much longer.

I have learnt that its definetly easier if you are lighter and also helps if u have shorter skiis(would have to push forward harder). You can never trust the ski instructor and you hate him as much as your fourth grade math teacher. It works if you act in reverse to your instincts but how the hell do you do that? It hurts when kids who have just learn to walk jet ski and land next to you when you have almost managed to ski four inches forward without falling. Holding on to a rope with your skis and without your poles to move forward is a sure recipe for muscle ache the day after.

We went skiing in Nashoba Valley, Boston this weekend and although i dint ski really well, i enjoyed it better than last time. The next time i can do it without the instructor, so am definetly moving forward. Mohawk has to wait until next year!!

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Posted in: Skiing,Snow,Winter

S.O.U.L.M.A.T.E.S

Ever since Monica and Chandler declared that they were not soul mates, I wondered if there was really something destined, pre-planned about marriage and would it guarantee that you live happily every after.


I’m not sure whether soul mates exist, but this is more about believing in such an intended, fatalistic knot between two strangers who decide to spend the rest of their lives together. The more I think about, the more I’m convinced that it is a hard-to-believe concept.

Relationships require lot of investment – Investment of time, care, love, money. It requires lot of patience and endurance, giving up the insignificant clichés and fighting for things that matter most. Definitely such a thing is complicated and nobody would make it easier by suggesting that throw a net and find your soul mate and I give you a 100% (time-back) guarantee of happiness, not even the almighty. Having said that why is it that some couples are happy and some are hanging by the thread, staying together for society and not truly finding the satisfaction of having a better half.

With no experience in marital life, even I can say that there are days when you would most likely want to kill the other person or not even bother to strike a conversation. The silence suits you both but it doesn’t mean you have reached the end of the road.

If you know this is the man I want to walk with through bumpy roads, share your moments of high, crack silly jokes, trust with your deep secrets, not wonder how you look in the morning, then you have found yourself a partner – for life. You don’t opt out the minute you have a difference of opinion but what makes things easier, is laying out the ground rules for any fight.

Being in your late twenties in the ever transforming Indian melodrama is not something I want to talk about in this post, but if you have stuck so far without tying the knot, then when you actually take the step forward, trust me, we know what we are getting into. We have weighed the merits and demerits and even picturized most of the fights but still want to go ahead.

It probably makes us more prepared but doesn’t make it easier. So am taking the step forward and opening my doors to the insanity, companionship and the romance. Here’s to me.

I dont beleive in soul mates but i do beleive in the man i'm marrying and may we live happily ever after!!

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Fall

When i landed in JFK, i was greeted with shades of red. The leaves were all in different hues and shades and it was a breath taking sight. The rustic red was nestled between subtle yellows and deep orange and if you have always thought of the color of leaves as green, this was a treat to your eyes.

I thoroughly relished the sight of Fall and was drunk in crimson. Little did i know that such joy lasts for not more than a week. The morning after, the leaves started falling. When i looked out of my window i could almost hear the thud when each one fell flat on the ground, lifeless and in mourning. I felt sorry for the bare trees.

Today when i look out, all i see are the leaf-less trees waiting for the snow to settle. But what cheers me is that pretty soon, there will be new leaves and the trees will come alive again. With everything that ends, a new beginning awaits you, so there is no sorrow that is too hard to cope with.

I seem to love the seasons and the changes they bring along, since for almost a quarter of a century i have basked in nothing but sunlight. So everyday when the sun peeks through my window i cherish it and my whole day becomes cheery. Seasons are good and change is always for the better.

To a new beginning and a new place.

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Bundle of Joy

The past few days my primary job is to entertain a 8 month old little angel so she eats her cerelac and drinks her milk with a smile. Ever since i styled my crowning glory, i assume she thinks am her puppy.

Babies are the form of God. Their smile steals your heart and when they grasp you with their delicate fingers, your heart skips a beat. Never mind, that to bring them into this transient world, the mother has to endure a year of pain & struggle but one look at her blessing and the pain vanishes.

I wonder what goes inside the mind of this little bundle of joy. Do they think we are funny since we entertain them with our acrobatics and mimic all animals to make her smile? Do they understand when we speak to them? This angel, Aradhana, has learnt to make noises drumming her fingers on her mouth and gargling water. All i want to do is scoop her up and flood her with kisses when she does this with a mischeivous smile. I'm almost sure she already knows that we love it when she does this.

When we our born we have no impression of this world, so i'm certain that what we are today is how we are raised. The experiences, the people and the family are the people who shape us. We are born with a clean slate and every kid is special and the embodiment of God. Isn't it then uncouth to separate and categorize them like vegetables in a supermarket with price tags? Will our generation shed this surreal hypocrisy and move ahead? Will we be the carriers of change, the suffering for the greater good?

I'm not sure of the answers but i know every moment i spend with her is a moment of immense joy and i cherish it with all my heart. She is a very special kid with loving parents and am sure she will grow up to be a lovely girl. I just wish the world takes good care of her.

Someday she will know this post was about her, till then sleep on my lovely angel, dont grow up too fast!!!

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Addicted to

Arey Re Arey Re - Happy Days
Kangal Irandal - Subramaniapuram

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SAROJA - HEROES all the way!!!

SAROJA directed by Venkat Prabhu is a thriller alright. The comedy is so good that even the normal kidnapping story has been made edge-of -the-seat, laugh your heart out thriller. A big Hi-Five to Venkat. The movie has some real good highlights - Chennai 600028's main cast in a scene, Siva's TV serial dialogues - a real rib tickler, Premji's never tiring romantic interludes, SPB Charan's rolly polly figure and ofcourse the new-comer Vaibhar(he is going places).

The women in the movie are non-existent and Yuvan has some good numbers to his cap. I loved Jai's tation dialogue and Shiva's entry. Jairam and Prakash Raj give a seasoned performance and Sampath has done a commendable job.

Seeing Saroja restored my belief in Tamil Cinema. Off late i have seen some real dampners like Kuruvi and Kuselan and was wondering why heroes take the style, statement, dialogue, item number and stunt route all the time. They should be willing to experiment new stories and don better characters. Although the story is a tad old, Venkat has handled the screenplay and casting with finesse.

Vekat doesnt disappoint his cult fan following. SAROJA - Heroes all the way!!!

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Hillary and Chiru

Chiranjeevi launched his party Prajarajyam yesterday in Tirupathi amidst much fanfare and a huge fan following.

Hillary Cliton urged democratic party supporters to vote for Barack Obama to end eight years of poor failed Repulblican rule.

Chiru is from a middle class family who spent the better part of his 30 years in tinsel town, paving his way to become the leader of AP. It is not new in India that stars turn politicians overnight and hands down, they win elections. Although Chiru vouches to get rid of corruption, support agriculture, aid IT development and tackle Naxalites, only the future will tell us which of these will see the light of the day.

Hillary, the first ever woman who was so close to being the President, gave a emphatic speech to garner support for Barack Obama. Anybody who reads her transcript have to say that she said the right words and there is a ring of presidency in those words. Healthcare, Mortgage crisis, war, outsourcing and oil are the key issues threatening to topple the economy of US and she hit the nail on the head by shedding light on the failed Republican rule. She spent years as a New York Senator and has tangible plans for making the economy stronger and hope for a better tommorrow.

Looking at both these events, i wonder if India is heading in the right direction. Is it healthy for a nation that is developing at such a rapid pace to support yesteryear superstars to head the country? Are we encouraging people to choose shortcuts to get to the top? How much does Chiru really know about foreign affairs and infrastructure development? Are we asking the right questions? Will Indian politics ever get cleaner and greener?

God Bless India. Godspeed.

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Indian Sport: Chasing the dark

Lets be fair here; By a show of hands how many of us knew either Abhinav Bindra or Saina Nehwal before Olympics? Or even better before Abhinav won the gold.

To be fair, Abhinav winning the gold medal is a moment of great pride and joy for the nation, but by no means is this nation worthy of any credit, for supporting this man's dreams. It belongs to him and his family alone. India is a cricket crazy nation and not only does this sport occupy most of the sports pages but it does not entertain the common man. People who make it to the indian team do it against all odds and even when they play they play against all odds.

Other than cricket, no other sport is watched and encouraged. Paes, Bhupathi and Sania Mirza stirred some interest in Tennis but that dint last for long. Indians spend more time measuring Sania's skirt length than appreciate her forehand. Even CHAK DE does not motivate people to watch Hockey.

People like Abhinav Bindra and Saina Nehwal chased their dreams without any support from the government. They were not encouraged by the people of this country. They fought their battles alone to go about playing or shooting, to be precise, the sport they were passionate about. To say that their win brings hope for more olympic victories is like chasing the dark.

Bindra and Nehwal did not succeed because of the system; they succeeded despite it.

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A band full of convicts

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh demands resignation from Shibu Soren

On 28 November 2006, Shibu Soren was found guilty of murder in the twelve year old case of the kidnapping and murder of his former personal secretary Shashinath Jha. Apparently Jha was abducted from the Dhaula Kuan area in Delhi on May 22, 1994 and taken to Piska Nagari village near Ranchi where he was killed. The CBI chargesheet stated that Jha's knowledge of the reported deal between the Congress and the JMM to save the then Narasimha Rao government during the July 1993 no-confidence motion and an act of sodomy was the motive behind the murder. The charge-sheet asserted that: "Jha was aware of the illegal transactions and also expected and demanded a substantial share out of this amount from Soren."

Shibu Soren walks a free man
The Delhi High Court on 23 Aug 2007 overruled the District Court and acquitted Soren, [4]. stating that "the prosecution has miserably failed in bringing home the charge against the accused persons. The trial court's analysis is far from convincing and not sustainable."

Manmohan Singh wins no-confidence motion.

Shibu Soren as Jharkhand CM?
JMM chief Shibu Soren on Tuesday staked claim for Chief Ministership of Jharkhand, demanding that the incumbent Madhu Koda should quit soon, failing which support to the state government will be withdrawn.

A well drafted screenplay which was enacted with finnesse. The audience is the common man who can clearly see the band full of convicts and the music of the guilty. How helpless are we really to stop this?

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Cheennnaiii

I have crossed half the globe and now am in Singapore. After an insignificant tour of the city, am all set to land in my favourite place in this entire world - Chennai.

Lets hope the rest of my flight is just as eventful( i slept thro most of it).

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Kuselan: Out of Focus

Dolphins in Malayoor, you must be kidding. Superstar is shooting for Annamalai Part II or Chandramukhi Part II, not both. Z Category black cats is headed by overweight Senthil Nathan, now thats really crosses the line.
What was Vasu thinking?

When i watched Kuselan, i was constantly thinking what was running in the director's mind. Surely he couldn't beleive this was a great movie. Either he assumed we were naive and just having Rajni would satisfy our appetite or he thought we were dumb to notice the subtle potholes and visible disconnects in the movie.
He got so caught up with his success of Chandramukhi, which i have to admit was a good venture, that he had to stuff Kuselan with it and expected it to fly. Only the movie dint take off at all.

I walked into a packed theater in San Jose and was ready with confetti to greet the Superstar in Silicon Valley. Clearly i dint know there were so many Indians and Tamilians living here and was shocked with the efforts they had taken to promote the movie. Towards the last fifteen minute run, there were groans ,catcalls and witty comments by us. We couldnt wait for the movie to end, it was a treat to watch the Superstar but that was not good enough. Where the hell was the story we were promised?

I dont want to dig into the movie since am sure you can read the synopsis from the official website, but this was a good story. A poor village barber and a larger than life hero, bonded as school buddies. Rajni was doing the cameo and this was close to his real life persona but why was he called Ashok Kumar? Why dint they even have a fifteen minute flashback of their early days? How could Meena look so perfect with mascara when she was a barber's wife with no bank balance? Surely, she is a better actress. Why do we have Nayan dancing in the rain suddenly? Vadivelu was loud and where did he lose his sense of humour?Mayil Sami, Manobala, Thyagu, Krishnan, Vijayakumar, Nizhagal Ravi and Prabhu never saw the light of the day.

Vasu wanted to give us the movie which had Rajni as-is. His focus was the Superstar and Chandramukhi. Pasupathy, the only relief in the movie who did some real acting, dint stand a chance. He was teary eyed and trembling inside out most of the time. The movie is a dampner and the director should learn from this mistake. This could have been one of the movies where we would fondly remember Rajni and see it several times to grin at his charm. Unfortunately, nobody in their right mind would do that. This is one of those off-the-shelf movies which we would forget in a week.

Kuselan - Out of focus.

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Rainy Days

When it rains the only thing i want to do is to curl up with a book and a steaming cup of coffee. But today i did something different. I sat on my favourite recliner from where i can peer at the world outside. I gazed at the rain , the sky and the greenery that comes alive once the rain stops.
I played Suttum Vizhi Sudar Than in my laptop and it was perfect.

I have always had a strong fascination for Bharathiyaar songs and this one tops the list. There is something incredibly romantic and mystic about the way the song ends - Maruva Kathal Kondaen, it makes me wonder what was running on his mind when he penned these words.

As i watched the rain, i wondered if there was a way one could wash away the pain and the unwanted memories we had in our lives. Was it as simple as taking a bath and absolving all those sins or does it always require deep introspection. When the greenery comes alive and gushes emerald at me, i wonder do we also feel deeply rejunevated when the past fades away and there is only hope for the future and the joy of the present.

Rain drops and Bharathi are a heady combination, even better than books and coffee.

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My adventures with the DSLR

More images on my photo blog

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Coming Soon - KUSELAN

I can still recollect standing in line eagerly waiting to catch a glimpse of Shivaji and watching it as early as possible. Now in a few days Superstar hits the screen again with a cameo in Kuselan.

Although it is a remake of a Malayalam movie Katha Parayumbol, the music and the shots i have seen so far are promising.

As long as it has the adrenaline pumping drama of the superstar, i have no complaints. The countdown begins.

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The world in my Hands!!!

I logged into facebook after a really long time and found this tool and really liked it. I always wanted to keep track of the places i've visited and the ones am eager to visit. I recently wanted to do a wholescale research on Alaska and then i dint want to plan too much too early so i stopped.

Here is a snapshot of the places i've visited and some which i want to visit. Also specially marked are the places that are my favourites. This is a tool provided by tripadvisor and although the original tool provides the names of the cities i decided to leave it aside for you guys to guess!! So go ahead and have some fun.

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Sex and the City

When you are bored to your wits end and then utterly jobless, i thank god for sitcoms like Friends and Sex and the City.

I have watched FRIENDS so many times that i can even remember the witty remarks of Chandler and every episode crystal clear so this time around i chose SATC to kill my boredom.
My good friend K had told me about this sitcom when i had kicked the idiot box out of my life and finally i found my way to it.

Although i was skeptical about the series and wondered which would feature more Sex or the City, having watched it i could say two scoops of each and shake it with a Cosmo and have four women talk about men and add a pinch of platonic love and there you go.

Aside the trashiness and the nudeness portrayed in the series, i actually got around liking this one and maybe i would watch the movie someday. Carrie, Miranda, Charlotte and Samantha are good friends and its easy to say who you like the best. I thouroughly loved Miranda.

The series ends with a rendevouz in Paris but if your bored to your bones there are many sites which screen them online or better yet you can read the book first. I would say just plunge into it and go with the flow.

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Nadal crowned King

The Wimbledon Gentlemen Singles Finals on July 6th was undoubtedly the best in the history of tennis. Rafael Nadal and Roger Federrer bring out the ultimate best in each other. The charm of this game was that it did not matter who clinched the title after a gruelling 4.5 hours but the indisputale winner was TENNIS itself.

Nadal had never come this close to the championship and Federrer had never tried so hard to win one. It was in everyone's mind and i guess even the Swiss 5-time champion acknowledged that Nadal's game was better and he was the deserving champion.

Nadal had already slipped through 2 championship points and was defeated in both the tie breaks and it was a releif that the 5th set did not require a tie break. Neverthless one should never underestimate the heart of a champion and thus Nadal ran left and right and picked up the serves of Federrer with power and audacity. He slandered the ball and sent it flying to the never-before-hit corners of the court and Federrer never once gave up.

Watching these two men play make us understand how important it is to be mentally tough and never to give up if you are passionate about what you want. There is no such thing as trying too hard and if you want it, you better run for it.

Rafael Nadal emerged as the winner of the Wimbledon championship but this was never about who was crowned since we had seen and witnessed the greatest game in tennis and the race was not about winning. Emotional and child-like Nadal ran into the arms of his father and we could see how important this win was for him.

Rafael Nadal stopped Federrer from making history and the brakes were well applied. I just hope we see a similar game in the Flushing Meadows.

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Diets dont work

I keep seeing the weight watchers ad on TV and although i find it interesting until i actually went on a diet, i never realized how difficult and restraining diets were.

About a year ago, i did a week of GM diet not for losing weight but for health reasons. I read about it and found it a very intriguing way to get rid of the toxins sitting comfortably in me.
Now am in a desperate need to get rid of the extra fat sitting in me, so i decided to do it again.

I cant remember if the first time it was this difficult but am having trouble sticking to the diet. Maybe in the past few days, i have been eating cheesecake and ice cream(hence the diet) so its self-restraining and over the edge to eat watermelons and steamed vegetables.

As per the GM diet, the first day is only fruits and if you stick to watermelons there is a chance to lose more lbs. There are six more days to go and i keep wondering if all this is going to show to a difference in the weighing scale.

The first time around i stuck only to the diet, but since am more desperate am gymming everyday as well. More updates as the diet progresses.

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I'm in love!!

Yesterday i had the first bite of a cheesecake and i fell in love with it. Ever since i saw the episode in FRIENDS where Rachel and Chandler eat cheescake from the corridor, i wanted to know how it tasted. So when i bumped into a cheesecake factory in Palo Alto, it was natural for me to throw caution to the wind and order a piece of Choclate cheesecake.

For those of you who have never tasted one, well what can i say? If you cant fall in love then have a cheesecake, its by far the better and tastes delicious, or should i say sinfully delicious.
The cake melts in the mouth and you dont have a clue of the fats adding to your circles, enlarging them.

Chocolates leave me on a perpetually high ever, and i love Tiramusu and chocolate mousse. But nothing quite compared to the cheesecake i had. I wish i could have cheesecake everyday but too much of anything spoils the taste.(I have learned this from having gum all the time) so right now am drowing in the taste of cheesecake in my mouth and shall savour it. I hope the next time comes sooner.

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