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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Going Green?

This article would probably give you a jumpstart at how turning green, even if its too little too late can help going a big way into environmental healthiness.

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Does being Wealthy mean being Happy?

A recent New York Times article talks about whether having enough money at your disposal gurantee that you are actually happy. Now this is an interesting aspect. Would you be happier if you could go shopping and buy everything you wanted to buy or would it make you feel good if you had shorter commute distances to office and had lot of time to spend with family and friends.

There is a flip-side. If you had all the money you wanted, then you can choose to work less and still do the things you always wanted to. But does money alone guarantee happiness?

How much of money will make us satisfied? If we have above average income, or if we are earning more than our neighbours or friends? How do we measure that this much money is enough to make me happy?

Above all, should happiness be measured with reference to money?

The time-tested theories and the questions that are never answered. This article also lists some perspectives that are really interesting to know.

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Siddharth, Ayutha Ezhuthu and BITS Pilani

Siddharth stars in Bommarillu, Ayutha Azuthu and Nuvostante(did i spell it right?). Ofcourse i shall duly ignore Boys where he really launched his career.

He has a charming image and i really liked some of the songs in all three of his movies and coming to think of it, he had done a commendable performance in all of them.

This bit from ayutha ezuthu was what i was listening to today and hats off to mani ratnam and vaira muthu for thinking of the lyrics and picturising it the way it was done. Most 20 something girls and boys would relate to this lingo and rapport shared on screen by Trisha and Siddharth.

"Nee mazhai naan illai
Etharkumel uravillai,

Vidai kodu pogeren
Eeramai vazhgiren....

Nee yaro.. Naan yaro...
Kann thondri Kann Kanna Kanneero"

Gone are the days when we lived by the limits that were set by parents, grand parents and elders of the family. We define our own limits and we sometimes dare to go beyond them.

When i think of my days in college, something that stays out is the free spirit we enjoyed there. I know if we go back, nothing would change except for the fun we had and it will get a level higher. Now we all have cool, calculated fun which is restricted by the clock and by the dangers peril on the streets. Back then, we dint care for anything but the 11 o clock curfew. Making it in never meant the fun was over, infact it was beginning to get a new dimension.

So many dreams, wild and secretive.. some came true others went with the wind. But we all learnt a little bit, if not about computers atleast about ourselves.

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Paradigm Shift

Stephen Covey's Seven habits of highly effective people is a real self-help book. Atleast it is one of the book(of the few i have read), that doesn't really list some exercises which would make you look better in your's and other's eyes.

The best part of this book is about the paradigm shift. It was interesting to read about it and for a while i was begining to understand what the author was trying to say.It is difficult for me to beleive that in most of life's situations we have to act rather than react. Most of you would wonder why that's so difficult. It is difficult:- Imagine spending a weekend getting your clothes pressed instead of vegging out in front of television because it would make the rest of the week easier. Imagine missing a game(Suns Vs Spurs) for a trip to grocery store since you want to avoid visiting the weekend crowd. Ofcourse, life is all about choices, the ones we make and the ones we ignore. Going to the grocery store is a choice but being proactive is a choice as well. So you can imagine how complicated this book really is.

There is another concept of circles - Circle of influence Vs circle of concern. The time when fatalism and trying hard enough is separated by a thin line. You must know which of life's events and people fall on which side. Knowing what you can control and what you cant and the wisdom to know the difference.

In all, this book opened a lot of doors in my mind and got me introspecting more and more. The monk who sold his ferrari was the first book i read and thought this genre of books is not for me and stephen covey got me thinking. Reading such books can actually enrich your life. So i give a thumbs up for this book.

P.S: This post was actually written watching the game :), so ignore obvious erros. NBA overrules and my choice was clear :)

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My Alter Ego

I opened a new blog - The other side of me(listed on the right), where you can check out my hobbies - pictures, books and the side of me thats invested in doing things i love :)

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The French Truth

“Every man has two countries, his own and France"

Read this NewYork Times article on the Guide to the French, simply amusing and gives you a better insight to the land of fashion and glamour.

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3 Years and still going

Its been 3 years and a little more since i started blogging. Looks like the going has been good!!!

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Through thick and thin... YAWN!!

I picked up this book, thinking it would be an easy read. But i was wrong. The book did not have a great story line other than two sisters trying to lose weight, but it took a lot of effort to even complete the book.

When i finished it today, i gave myself a hi-five. Man whats with me, why cant i just put aside a book thats so boring as this one? Or do all readers have this undying nerve to finish the book and then claim it to be so boring. That goes even with movies :)

Anyway, the style of writing was confusing, sometimes its the first person and then the third. I would rather prefer the author stuck to one.

The best part of the book was the entry of DB Sweeney, since am doubly sure people wont read this book - Its the dog :) Kind of makes you want to have one.

The only thing worth in this book is the fact that it is difficult to lose weight. You need to try it in so many ways - WeightWatchers, Diet, Pointers, Scale, Clothes, Mirrors - the world is so determined to make you feel that you have to lose weight.

Anyways, if you have trouble sleeping, then go ahead and pick this one otherwise stay away!!

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Exams over!!

After a long time, i was preparing for an exam. My mom was constantly reminding me to read and take some sample tests and i felt i was reliving my 12th.

But its not as bad as you think. I was preparing for the license test and my mom wanted me to get it right the first time even if the DMV was considerate enough to give me two more attempts. She said "Why three, you have to clear it the first time itself" like it was some kind of benchmark which will be used in judging how good or bad i drive. Besides i'm mighty sure that this news will travel to all streets and blocks in my neighbourhood in chennai :))

So i prepared and took a couple of sample tests listed in the website and i thought this was fairly simple. Use logic, throw in some common sense, learn a couple of rules and you are set. There were a couple of questions i dreaded about parking uphill, downhill but i had the answers memorized for them as well.

I took the paper and went aside to mark the answers. It was quite simple, what does flashing yellow mean, should you stop or pass, should you wait or cross and then the uphill question. As with all exams, the one question you fear the most will somehow appear in the exam with its twisted ugly face smirking at you and murmuring "Gotcha!!"

I marked all of them and gave it for correction and then when he was passing through the answers marking the wrong ones i was thinking of mommy dear :)
When he was done, i looked at him with a smile and Voila, I Cleared.

For a long time i dont have to face exams anymore. PHEW!!!

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Interstate Highway System - Part1 (About America)

Now that the writers strike is over and done with, some of my favourite sitcoms are back in action. But this is not about that.


There are two things that have fascinated me from the time i have landed in US. 1) Freeways and 2) Sports. Sports will have to wait since am still hiding from the Suns loss from yesterday.


When i was in Germany for the first time, all i could think about was the AUTOBAHN. My colleague had given me some information about this system of highways/freeways/expressways, but nothing would have prepared me for what i saw. Plus the topping was there was no speed limit as long as you were within the German Borders. Can you beat that?


So i did not find it surprising that the US Freeways take a leaf from that book. Apparently, the Interstate Highway system was lobbied by President Eisenhower who was influenced by his experiences as a young soldier fighting the World War II and was in Germany crossing the Autobahn. Initially, what was commissioned as a means to aid military transport has become an integral part of the country's day to day transport mechanism.


Some facts about the freeways.


a)Most of them need you to maintain a 65mph speeding or you will have a cop chasing your wheels.
b) Primary Interstates are assigned a number less than 100
c) East-West highways - Even numbers
d) North South highways - Odd numbers

There are still some disputes about which was the first interstate highway to be commissioned and which was the last act of completion. Nevertheless this system proves that the leaders of this country had a vision and they started a plan that went well beyond their term of power, something that speaks for the country as well.

When i get back to Bengalooru, i will again wonder how much longer should we wait?

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A thousand times over

Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini does not require any introductions.

How much of what you were and were not as a child haunts you when you grow up and sting you time and again is well potrayed by the author.

The author's in depth potrayal of Afghan, post and pre Taliban and the change catches the reader's imagination. The unexpected twists and the characterization of Hassan and Amir live with you long after you have laid down the book.

I was in awe of the language and the choice of words and how he avoided cliches like the plague.(smiles). I started reading the book to kill time during my train journey but i was so hooked on to the book that i finished it the same day i came back.

I might probably go and see the movie as well.

Kite Runner, by far the best novels i have read. Thumbs Up!!!

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Giants Vs Patriots

What do you think?

The first thing i get fascinated by in the US is not the niagara, liberty or the grand canyon.
Its the SUPERBOWL XLII - Giants Vs Patriots.

The second most watched program ever in American history, this game made people swear through all of it. Tom Brady was the man most people pitched for but Eli Manning emerged as the undisputed victor.

The Giants played good defense for the first half of the game and Eli stole the show with the winning touchdown and led his team to victory.

My brother-in law's vocal chords went for a toss when Eli scored the touchdown and i was still grappling with the details of the game but i knew the team we were backing(giants) where reaching where we wanted them to go.

My sister and i went shopping for groceries on Saturday and i realized that the stores were more crowded than ever. She explained whenever the SuperBowl happens, people throw a party and invite friends to watch the game over beer and food. Nice tradition. We had a couple of people coming, no beer but still it was fun.

I learnt a new game, gawked at Eli, booed Tom and understood America a little bit more.

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