I finally know what a raga is!!

Strange as it probably sounds I have started learning classical south Indian music -  karnatic music.It has been one of the most humbling experiences of my life. Just when you reach a certain age and you come to the conclusion you know a fair deal about the world and its trappings, you are given the chance to realise how little you actually know!and little is an understatement here....
This has been the overwhelming emotion for the past couple of weeks - I know squat all. I was fortunate enough thanks to a few forces on  my side, to meet my guru who has been living with this music all his life. We started off with baby steps of the saptha swaras - Sa Ri Ga Ma Pa Da Ni . He said he was starting with the Sarali swaras,  mayamalavagowla raga in adhi thalam with shruthi G sharp. Great! good to know.....but what in God's name does that mean? Greek and latin would have sounded friendlier then trust me....
I was amazed and in awe of the vast intricacies that were to be presented soon. There are only 7 swaras but gosh! what wonders can be achieved with them!. For example  a Ri could be a suddha Ri or Ri 2 or even Ri 3 (not sure what they are called - had only few classes before you judge!). These are in fact the positions of each swaram. Hence a ragam is in fact the positional placing of each swaram or in other words Swara Sthanams. Add your beat - thalam and the all important pitch - shruthi to that and there is fianally a whole and lo and behold!!, I might just have come to the end of this story. Pardon the rambling but had to share that piece of new-found wisdom with you.
Osho has mentioned the three M's - mathematics, music or meditation as the founding pillars of any religion. Music is no less a maths from what I have seen and a musician uses logical reasoning no differently to a mathematician. I know in the coming days I will be presented with loads more challenges but hey let's not worry about building bridges even before we need them!
As the very appropriate cliche goes music is definitely a vast ocean. Will I ever learn to swim? Not sure. For now I am happy to just test the waters.....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j3elIEZlOao

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pVkC_eJvnv0

Christmas

Guest Post by my son 

Cards are given to each other
Holly leaves are hung up together
Roaring fire tells a spooky tale
Icy cold nights gives a fright
Stockings hung on the warm fireplace
Television is the thing to watch
Mince pies and turkeys are all eaten
Acting your own school pantomime
Santa Claus is finnally coming to town!!


- Varun

The Edge Of Reason

Standing at the precipice,
Only echoes of pain and despair from the depths below,
Would he fall into a deep nightmare?
Or would he soar lighter than a bird into the heavens?
Would he lose himself to the darkness beyond?
Or find himself in a way he never imagined?
Would he come out in one piece?
Or end up healing from scars forever more?
Was there ever a question of turning back?
Or only the hope that it would be as dreamt a million times?
He had to take the plunge,
He had to go for it ,
to do so was risking the unknown,
to not do so would be never knowing the unknown,
he jumped ,
he fell,
he fell in love.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=En4aZkij_q4

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6J4uLflEB40

Sense or Sensibility

Have you ever wondered why sometimes each day  feels like its been churned from the same mould....one big deja vu! From the moment we learn to comprehend we are taught to be sensible, to keep our wits about us, to do the right thing and do it despite everything else. All true and very wise and yes, we do live in a dog-eat-dog world where only the fittest seem to survive but in this constant struggle to be the best we end up burying so many of our sensibilities.
For it is these little nuances of ourselves that defines each day.That one act of kindness, a cheeky prank that brings a smile, a skip in the step when no one's watching, a spontaneous hug, that eccentric shopping splurge. Alas! to lose those sensibilities. Of course we need the scientists and the doctors but what a miserable world it would be without the dreamers and the visionaries. A beautiful painting, a fascinating movie or a soul searing song, aren't they after all expressions of some one's sensibilities? someone throwing caution to the wind and nurturing a passion?
I often remember Wordsworth's profound words "we have no time to stand and stare...."
So the next time you do want to stand and stare and end up feeling guilty about it, Don't! 
Give yourself a break, grant yourself that one luxury and give an otherwise dull day a defining moment, a memory you can lock away forever. As important as our senses are to us our sensibilities set us apart and shouldn't always be given second place. Being sensible doesn't have to mean hiding away all those little quirks does it? Do it your own way and you will be none the loser for it......

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZeOTYd2mSaE&feature=related 

Autumn Leaves

Each leaf falling with the sorrow of a summer past,
with one last flourish in nature's palette,
woodland creatures curling up for the nights long,
the air wafting with the smell of wood fires and mulled wine,
each dewy morning forewarning a winter cruel and long,
a twinkling Christmas tree, a beacon of  hope,
the call of church bells, carols and festive feasts,
spreading cheer with near and dear,
but oh! the sight of you falling, brown and golden blankets on the sidewalk, memories of glories bygone,
why does the heart yearn so when the autumn leaves begin to fall?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gk20o_-LZn8&feature=related

Nothing but music

My 25th article since starting this blog and have been pondering for days now that this one had to be special. I'm not too big on anniversaries but wanted to make this article special for some reason. Don't ask why? Just one of those crazy things I guess.
And then it hit me why not talk about the one thing that will be with me all my life. Through all the smiles and the tears. Always a song there to be a friend for the day. Where do I start and where do I stop? So much out there that has inspired. Like the first time I heard Michael Jackson's  Billy Jean and realised that this was no ordinary singer. His voice is so undefinable that one can only hope that of sort magic can be recaptured again. Or what about all those illayaraja songs I grew up with in the 80s. Wow! such soul stirring melodies. Humming those songs on the way to school , tuning into watch those rare chances when they came on TV - remember the likes of olliyum oliyum and chitrahaar, mind you this was in yesteryear with no internet. And then when I discovered hindi and bollywood, the floodgates really opened then. All those feel-good movies from the khans when every 15 minutes they would break out into song. Wedding dhamaka songs, love songs, hip shakers believe it or not I loved them all.
Oh don't even get me started on all the boy bands I was hooked on, they defined my teenage years, songs of everlasting love, yeah just what every girl needs at that age. Boyzone, Backstreet boys,Take that.......I grew up listening to you guys and you get some credit/blame for the way I turned out.
And then one of the best things that ever happened to music - AR Rahman. Critics always had something to say about him but then crtics always do don't they? His music opened up a new era and people realised that this was no ordinary backstreet kid toying with a keyboard - the first rays of sun bursting through the treetops at dawn - there I had to throw in some poetry, job done. Music no longer remained instrumental and became more a mish mash of sounds blended cleverly. He has the power to set your feet tapping and touch your soul all in one go.
Music is so much more open-minded now and there is an appreciation for all sorts of talent and sounds. Some of it works and others not so much but the efforts must go on surely. And what am I into now?  have discovered ghazals and sufi based numbers and yet another chapter. But that must be what makes it special - a song for every mood, every emotion, every moment of evey day. And what you liked yesteday may not what you're into today. The music changes with you and yet lives within you. Let the music in and you've found a friend for life.......

For Michael
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wUrqFkR7QlI

For Illayaraja
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xlot5sIH6xk

For bollywood
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=32tNhs2Vk8U
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WyiIcEmO4BQ&feature=fvsr
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wgwYPwUjAtA

For the boybands
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w_Rut4qm33g
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4fndeDfaWCg&ob=av2e

For ARR - one of his best
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jmCSBadJcw4

My latest ones -
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EqIBUZCVtco&feature=BFa&list=FL33QnRxwcH8jatzSgnE4vTA&lf=mh_lolz
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MAOamM7wMIc&feature=BFa&list=FL33QnRxwcH8jatzSgnE4vTA&lf=mh_lolz

Living it up with scraped knees

Steaming mud pies in the mid noon sun,
dusty bare feet that never seemed to want to stop,
longing to reach for the sky on a swing,
hide and seek, tag, treasure island
was there anything we couldn't take on?
Feeling the wrinkles on his hand while sitting on grandpa's lap,
stories and songs from grandma,
treats from the family.
Long long summer holidays that never should have ended,
bruises and scrapes learning to ride the bike,
the magic of movies and first heroes,
starring at the stars on the terrace shaded by coconut trees.
Butterflies and stomach churns on the first day back at school,
homework and tests,
sharing with friends, knowing others exist crazier than you,
feeling the first pangs of a crush, pretending to hate them anyway,
Saturday trips to the beach,
fighting over ice cream,mullaga bhajis,samosas,chat and whatnot,
guilt free junk food never tasted better.
Cricket, teasing and punching you bro,
just talking and more talking with you sis,
Searching for love, pride and approval in your eyes mom & dad,
so many laughs, so many tears,
so many victories, so many failures,
the first bittersweet taste of life's medicines.
Living it up.... alas! at breakneck speed,
Each day a precious gem stringed together to make a whole,
oh grant me a single wish to go back for but a day.......

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2okBwE8jjys&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zqDTZJYf5bM

Milagu Rasam for the Soul 2

He was sure he was lost. He had been trekking for hours now. He and some friends had decided to explore the mountains starting at dawn. He had separated from the group to take some pictures and now it had been almost three hours of wandering around mountain tracks with nothing but the birds and bees for company.
The most blissful of days , the autumn sun warm and  pleasant. A gentle breeze and the beautiful  colours of fall all around, reds, browns, yellows and maybe even a few golds. He was willing himself not to panic having lost signal on his mobile with only a  bottle of water and few mars bars to keep going. Almost at the very top of a mountain track now ,he knew that he was definitely way of course.
Suddenly a gushing and gurgling, the unmistakable sound of water. A glimmer of hope – he could follow the stream to see if that led somewhere. He pushed past some bushes to a clearing and saw the most breathtaking of scenes in from of him.The trees and bushes had formed a clearing almost as if somehow they knew to obstruct such a  view would be a sin. There were mountains towering around in every direction and the stream turned out to be a roaring torrent of  water falling down the mountain’s edge to the valley beyond. He was so high up the clouds formed a fog around him. But the thing that held his gaze was a girl standing at the very edge taking pictures of the waterfall. Yippee he wasn’t alone! She was the strangest sight though. He could have sworn she had almost every colour of the rainbow on her. The worst dress he had ever seen. She was equally shocked to see him. He exclaimed how relieved he was to see her and she listened intently as he explained his predicament. She said that she knew the way back although it was still a few hours back to civilization. She took the lead, he followed.
Dusk had set in and the buzzing of the mosquitoes was getting louder, shadows merging into the darkness of the trees. Eerie was an understatement but he didn’t care anymore. She entranced him completely, the wisdom in her comforting eyes in paradox to the innocent lines of her face. She didn’t speak much English but seemed to understand it well. A faraway country, a strange culture and differing mindsets but a kinship in those kind eyes, urging him to tell everything. And he did, everything, how his friends had to drag him on this  trip, his problems at work, the months of depression that had preceded, his trouble getting back to the living after his dad had passed. The strange aura about her comforted his troubled soul and this was one journey he didn’t want to end.
The lights of the campsite were visible now but this was one time the darkness held more comfort. He had to hold onto to very moment. She said she was leaving early the next day and that they should keep in touch. Should he ask for an address? He couldn’t bring himself to ask for more and neither could she.
Sometimes one had to lose their way to find it, in more ways than one. Some relationships last a lifetime, some  over in the blink of an eye. Does that make them any less profound?  He woke up oddly healed knowing there would be more journeys and more lost ways.
Would there always be an angel in the colours of the rainbow to show him the way?
He was going to wait and see.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ni3ceognNHI

I Do

I went to a friend's wedding recently and must admit it was one of the most beautiful experiences I have ever had. Lots of love and laughter in the air.
The day every girl dreams off and the day probably every guy dreads. Made me think about all the weddings I had attended.
When I was kid I remember the months of anticipation and excitement building up to the big day when there was a wedding in the family. Planning outfits and days of shopping galore. Yes, those were the days when weddings were family get-togethers more than anything, people congregating days in advance and each day one big haze of rich food, endless rituals, petty squabbles and of course the togetherness.The house becoming one big playground with cousins from all over.
The pressures of modern life have made that impossible now but the emotion hasn't been lost thankfully. Be it a Church wedding or one in a temple, a romantic wedding at sunset on the beach or one filled with the whole clan in a more traditional setting, a wedding where two people who hardly know each other embark on a journey of discovery or one where two people very much  in love tie the knot forever, the overriding emotion is that of commitment. Committing to love and cherish, in thick and thin.
The union of two people for a lifetime. Ain't a joke by any one's standards but nothing to run away from either. With ever rising divorce rates what needs to be remembered is that everyone at the end of the day only looks for acceptance and respect from their spouse.
Future generations may question the sanity of this institution and maybe rightfully so but what needs to be remembered is that it may not work for everyone but when it does work the rewards speak for themselves. The sharing, bringing up kids, watching them grow, seeing you in them, sharing those proud moments, growing old together. That's one risk worth taking for sure.
So that one day filled with tears, blessings, confused emotions, fear, anticipation and laughter is just the beginning remember not the end.
So here's a toast to you friend for those two magical words you uttered "I do".

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BK98ixu8CVQ&feature=related

The sound of rain

I was introduced to Anoushka Shankar's work today and can't stop raving about it since. What an amazing talent! It's sheer joy to see modern Indians embrace classical music and elevate it to  new heights. The combination of her passionate work and her alluring dusky looks is definitely something of a trance. If there is a place called heaven then surely this is the kind of music the gods must be listening to.

My mom described sitar music as the sound of rain and I couldn't agree more. When feeling down and out, the sound of water can do wonders but now the divine strumming of the sitar have made that pale in comparison and who better to deliver that than a very talented enchantress.

Believe me when I say you wont't regret this click.....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z_HT-d8W1_M&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U_5plCs7I5g

10 years on....

and I still get goose bumps when I think about it. September 11, 2001, I was flying to India. In my third trimester with my son our plane had been one of the last ones to take off from Heathrow before the world changed forever.


While growing up I have lived in several places owing to dad's work but like any Indian of that time, always dreamed that someday I would go to America. And one of the most vivid elements of those dreams was the New York skyline and most of all the twin towers. Mere structures of steel and iron, it's what they symbolised that we lost that dreadful day  - freedom. We were rudely awaken from the dream, such acts can't happen in the modern world.  A new reality dawned on us that yes we had to understand what was happening and  No burying our head in the sand  was not going to work anymore.
Thousands of lives were lost that day and none of those people had a clue what hit them. The enemy was unknown, the cause plagiarised and what good came from it?  The reaction that reverberated was even more befuddling - more wars and lost causes. Diplomacy and politics are lost on me but as Joe Bloggs I know something is wrong with the whole system. There must be another way to make this work. We are all humans at the end of the day, the same tears, the same laughs, surely that can be driven home.
When we look back on these 10 years, what strikes out is that terror once sown into our minds only festers and multiplies. And no amount of wars or vivid scenes of retribution can heal a wound. If at all anything only peace can ease a troubled soul.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2xB4dbdNSXY

Venus and somewhere very very very far from venus

Why can't we ever see eye to eye with them? Why do we rarely seem to make sense to each other?
Here are a few insights to help out for both sides -


For him


1. Whenever she asks how she's looking words like OK, nice and good are simply not enough, always and I repeat always superlatives is what she's looking for.
2. When she starts nagging you at the end of the day even if you don't have a clue what she is worked up about, for god's sake put away the laptop, iPhone and game consoles and any such paraphernalia...she is probably just tired and whats you to acknowledge what a great job she is doing.
3. She rarely wants expensive gifts for birthdays and anniversaries....the fact that you remembered to make it special is what counts. A cup of coffee and your undivided attention could rock her world.
4. Her idea of an holiday is always just taking it slow and spending time together, recapturing the magic....it definitely is not walking around a strange city with a map in hand dragged from one tourist attraction to another.
5. When she has cooked something for you wait for her to comment on it first....she does have taste buds surprisingly and will accept if something is not great. Being the first to comment and especially saying things like "My mother was amazing at making...." is what a dead man walking would do. If a death wish is what you want who am I to stop you....Hahaha don't say I didn't warn you though.


For her


1. When he starts talking animatedly about politics, cars, gadgetry or the like just nod along. He is only talking what he knows best to impress you. Humour him.
2. They do not and never will understand the word shopping and the concept of window shopping is a sin in their bible. They are happy to get it over with in the first shop and within half an hour of starting out. Never take him shopping - you are sparing yourself a lot of heartache.
3. The person who coined the saying "The best way to a man's heart is through his stomach" was a genius in my opinion. Yes and I emphasise this is true in almost all cases, anything you want, cook him a slap-up meal and you will be smiling at the end of it.
4. Don't give him too hard a time about wet towels on the bed, or toilet seats left up, he knows you don't like it. He is only doing it to wind you up. Don't react and you have probably driven home a stronger message.
5.  When he can painfully sit through rom-coms with you, make an effort to sit through football/cricket matches. And discussing about saving money, the economy or investments always earns  a few brownie points.


Although I do have to acknowledge that each person is individualistic and each relationship unique. So not all points may apply but breaking kitchenware, pulling out our hair or for that matter each others is not the answer. After all we are from Venus and they must be definitely from some place very very far from there. Accepting our differences and probably laughing at ourselves for it is the only way out.

Dreams in the air

Lazing on the sand,
the sound of the waves,
a patchwork of colours,
sandcastles, children screaming, deckchairs, sunhats, the anticipation
the drone of the commentator in the distance,
thousands of eyes scanning the horizon.
small at first but getting closer,
 a deafening roar and you stream past,
a tail of smoke in your wake,
dipping, diving, soaring and gliding,
up, down and over again,
you gave the biggest heart ever
why did you have to go and break it than?
flights of wonder don't ever touch ground.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1yJ2HEDJvQA

Population Conundrum

On one hand a natural instinct to procreate, to nurture and care for our own, to leave our footprint in some way.
On the flip side a planet crying out for help, being plundered every second, so many species disappearing.
I remember a time when I would walk down streets of my hometown and they would be clutter free and peaceful. But just a decade later I see tremendous development everywhere no doubt, but not at a sustainable rate. Huge apartment blocks, overflowing streets, infrastructure struggling to bear the burden. Will there be enough food for all these people, drinking water, or for that matter clean air.
I don't know.....we all want to leave with the reassurance that our children and their children can live as we did.
No signs of reassurance though, what with  rising food prices, water being squeezed out from every source, lakes and ponds drying up, landfills piling up, exorbitant fuel prices, climate change, rising unemployment, growing poverty - the list seems endless. All gloom and doom yes, but possibly something we can decelerate if not halt.
None of us have the right to preach but the question is an impending one and there are no easy answers. But realising there is a question is often the first step to addressing it......


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0qiwM7ad-xQ

Artistic and commercial?

- I know, unbelievable but true. Ever since movies like 'Subramaniapuram' hit our screens, a whole breed of movies were encouraged to follow suit and have pushed the boundaries of our imagination. Based on rural themes, the simplicity of thought and purity of action portrayed in the characters strikes a chord.
Have you ever swam under a pump set in a village on a stifling summer day when the ice cold water feels sublime? Have you ever felt a oneness with complete strangers, cramped on the back of a tractor filled to the brim, everyone screaming to duck from the thorns of the overhanging branchs? I have - used to do that in my mother's village for the tamil festival, Pongal, a long time ago in a world that's sadly been left behind when the rest of us moved ahead with breakneck speed. For all our iphones, laptops and urban savvy trappings, there is still a simpleton waiting patiently within each of us to come out and man does he lap up these 'new age' movies.

The lead roles are usually played by people characterised physically in the worst possible way, but by the end of the movie you are left refactoring your definition of beauty. Beauty is definitely skin deep and there is a humanness in all of us to see past the exterior to the truth and honesty inside. I applaud directors like Sasikumar and Suseenthiran for not underestimating the masses...keep at it gentlemen - I'm a big fan


The movie 'Azhagar Swami kuthirai'  from director Susi was bang on the money in this regard and I simply loved it.
Here's a beautiful song from that movie.....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M_IG4m5TDzY&feature=related

Home away from home

10 years now and it still never ceases to amaze me the buzz I get when I walk down the streets of London. What is it about cities like London, Paris, New York or Mumbai? Is it their long histories or the numerous generations that have lived and shaped them in their one special way? Is it the millions of dreams that people bring that light them up or is there something more?
Be it the murky, mystical waters of the winding Thames, the historical stone buildings of Whitehall, the reverberating chimes of Big Ben, the electric pulse of Trafalgar square, lazing on the greens of Hyde Park or the fleeting cloud cover that forever seems to threaten the city, there is something special about London.
People often  highlight the negatives of city life, the crowds, high crime levels, pollution, expensive lifestyles, blah blah. But I never seem to see any of that when I'm walking down Oxford street, carried forward by the bustling crowds. In which other city in the world do people worry about the mood swings of the weather like a temperamental loved one? A pub in every street corner with the weirdest of names - 'The horse and saddle', 'The dog and and the bone', some of the best restaurants in the world, the stamping ground for fashion power houses, the eternal words of the Beatles, the drama of  Westend and so much more.
What is it that makes a city great? What is it that leaves you wanting more? The answer has to be the people, the hoards of people that flock there, their diversity yet their unity.The fact that you can find a Chinese takeaway next to a tapas restaurant, sushi and frozen idlis at the local supermarket, being minutes away from a curry house in any corner of London, the knowing that you are accepted no matter what and can choose to cling to your identity or blend in harmoniously.
It's the people that weave in the colour and patterns like the silken threads of a tapestry, giving it a live that breathes and throbs. It's them that make you come there and leave you spellbound.
India lives at the very essence of me but why should that stop London from having a special corner in my heart?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aTsIMVIWjlQ

Milagu Rasam for the Soul 1

He stared out into the horizon, his feet buried deep into the sand, the salt water from each wave teasing him. A few minutes to sunset. He knew it would be a breathtaking one, maybe because it would be his last one, maybe because it was one of those amazing cloudless evenings. He thought about her, she was never far from his thoughts. How many sunsets they had shared!
Her flowing ebony hair, her eyes always alight with amusement, her heart shaped face - many wouldn't call her beautiful but he could never take his eyes off. Fate had had the last words though, taking her from him and ending all his hopes in one crash.
He was shaken from his reverie, the sound of children laughing. He looked across at a group of boys, flying their kites in the distance. The sea breeze had picked up their kites and was the source of their excitement.
Yet again she came back to him, she had loved kites.Their abandon, their spirit, a bit like her.
The crowd was thinning and only few lingered basking in the gentle glow of that spectacular sunset. He knew, just a few more hours and the deed would be done. He would join her for all eternity. He was so scared yet felt like their was no way out. He turned back to look at the sea and its never ending dance with the shore.
A gentle tug on his arm, he turned to see a a little girl with deep brown eyes, something oddly familiar stirred in him. She had a kite in her hand that seemed far too big for her. She handed it to him with a silent plea. Seeing no one with her, he assumed she was with the group of boys. His eyes caught her eager expression and an answering wave of tenderness washed over him.
He loosened the string and ran at a fast sprint to let the wind catch it. Soon enough it was dancing behind him. He tugged the string, loosening and tugging skillfully as the wind lifted it higher and higher. He was entranced now, the soaring kite, the sound of her laughter in the background, this blissful abandon. He heard himself laughing softly...when had he last done that?
With a smile still lingering he turned, looking for her. The place was deserted except for the boys flying their kites. He walked over to them and questioned about the girl. No one had seen her or knew off her. He was confused and oddly shaken by the whole thing but knew it had to mean something.
He never did what he came to do that night. If he could still laugh, it was just a case of going on.
He believes she had come back for him...but for a few seconds to make him laugh.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EfqDPzkFsCI&feature=related

Brand you

Went outlet shopping the other day. Am no fashion fanatic but I do love my clothes and dressing up. If you have bags of energy and are ready to rummage around dozens of shops, yes a great day out for everyone. Although I would suggest not to go with the kids - my son claims it was the worst day ever and he would rather take a nap than ever do that again and that's saying a  lot
Go alone. Cause they are all there to keep you company Prada, DKNY, Jimmy Choo, Roberto Cavalli , Ralph Lauren, Diesel, Missoni et al. Designer Dreamland! I would probably never ever wear most of their stuff - too outrageous and just not me, yeah as if that's the only reason I wouldn't wear them - conveniently ignoring the fact that I can't afford most of the stuff anyway but we are talking rhetorically here so humour me.
But one has to admire the marriage of good quality cloth - mostly Italian I'm told , the working of someones' imagination and the skillful artistry of tailoring and hey ho! people go gaga over them. I can understand why though everyone likes to feel one of a kind and when you wear designer you are precisely that - one of a kind(now what kind exactly is up for grabs!) and it does make you feel special and your husband, well he probably feels not so special but again ignoring reality let's carry on strolling though fashion heaven.
But what these places do really well is introduce you to the latest trends and set your imagination working. You are armed then to mix and match pieces which suit your needs, and your wallet of course, to create a brand that's unique to you. Brand you!
So for just one day let's forget what the critics say or how superficial it is touted to be, every woman deserves a day of shopping where it's just about her. We can save the world tomorrow!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mBrbpWwWafQ&feature=fvwrel

The men behind the red noses

Making people laugh....wiping away those frowns and making someone forget themselves for a few minutes.Wow! and to do that for a living. Talk about living the dream. But let me add that can be no easy task.It seems to be that in the world that we live in, it's lot easier to upset or make someone angry then get them to laugh. Put it down to stress or our unforgiving routines or just losing ourselves to trivialities which have no bearing on the bigger picture but that's just who we are now. Not everyone was the class clown but if you were one, you were probably the most popular and best loved in the class.

Over the years many moments on screen have managed to achieve that magic - just simple sequences which after all highlight the humanness and foibles of our kind. At the end of the day laughing at ourselves is the best way to get through the stress of a long day cause believe you me we all have a comedian hidden within us red nose, giant feet and all.We just need to laugh hard enough to wake that part of us up!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v3eWKOVrxPo

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ROjyejgijnM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VkNWtaePxa4&NR=1

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xM2FS2pIG8A

Dusk

A comforting melancholy settles in as the shadows creep out,

The birds biding each other adieu,

The trees and flowers closing in for the slumber party,

A firework explosion of crimson, purple, orange and red,

There must be an artist somewhere up there,

Whoosh! With an almost audible whisper it disappears below the horizon,

Taking in it’s wake yet another day.

who better to turn to at moments like this then the maestro of melody himself......

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hymujdC0mlw

Cruel to be kind

My mom never ceases to amaze me. Just when I think she can’t know anymore she regales me with another new anecdote. She mentioned about the OSHO spiritual talks to be once and I was sceptical as always about these spiritual groups but curious nonetheless. A quick search on my beloved youtube and presto!, I was listening to some of their stuff, and what I heard really made me think. The concept was simple enough – to truly discover the treasures within oneself and believe me when I say we all have them and to be able to give off ourselves we must first become selfish. Hold on, don’t judge me as yet, I was as taken aback by this as you probably are now. Society and religion have always drilled into us the perception that ‘selflessness’ alone can provide salvation. But the more I thought about this the more I could see the light at the end of the tunnel as it were.

How many times have we all done what we perceived as a “Selfless Act” for a loved one or a friend and then been left feeling disappointed and disillusioned because it was not appreciated let alone reciprocated. Can an act be truly selfless if we expect even a “thanks” at the end of it? Not really and in reality even loving our children should be purely for the security and comfort that it provides them without any expectations at the other end.

Many of us enter our marriages having said the proverbial “I Do “and often find ourselves asking “Do I” later. This often is not a reflection of how happy your marriage is or how much love exists, all it really seems to suggest is how little you know yourself. I went straight from my parent’s house to my husbands and with equal haste was also faced with the daunting prospect of becoming a mother at the age of 24. Looking back now I can see that I was nothing more than a child myself who didn’t have a clue who the hell she was or what she wanted. In hindsight I can see this is why I constantly felt like I was on a runaway rollercoaster not really sure if I should stay on to go wherever fate takes me or risk it and jump.

But now 10 years on, with the very near possibility of my first grey hair, God forbid, I think I have come close to finding the answer – took me long enough! It’s simple really when we take the time out for ourselves and understand who we really are – what we like and what makes us truly happy only then can we even contemplate giving happiness to others. Otherwise every time we give of ourselves we are only left feeling more empty and clueless then when we started.

So the next time you feel betrayed or letdown by someone, ask yourself the question - Why? Is it your fault or the clueless culprit’s?

Let's finish with a flourish by quoting Shakespeare “To thine oneself be true…”

27C

Four years of going on that bus and what amazing days they were. Waking up at 6:30AM, a mad rush to use the bath before everybody else, throw on a cotton churidhar, a quick appraisal in the mirror - hey it was co-educational after all, hassle with amma to get the lunch box packed and I was off. A 15 minute walk to the main road to catch a bus to vadapalani, possibly meet a friend there and decide we were running late and jump into an auto. Get off at the 100 feet road, where the four roads met - very symbolic ain't it? And the place was already filling up with familiar faces - some rearing to go and some couldn't care less. 
How many days I would have stood at that corner, chatting away to glory, panicking about this, that and the other. By 8:00AM in the morning the sun would be beating down with such vengeance sometimes we would be bathed in sweat but did we care about suncream? Never.
And then suddenly it would appear in all its green splendour, often filled to bursting. I often wondered why some boys felt that the foot board was their birthright and refused to move even when space was available. Did the sadistic driver ever stop in front off us? Of course not, that would just make things too easy for us, the standing rule being always drive past and stop 10 metres away. We would somehow bolt, shove, push and grab onto anything we could to make it into that haven. Consider yourself one in a million if you manged to find a seat.One ticket to 'vengaya patti' was it? - somebody correct me if I am wrong.
Possibly the only route in the whole wide world where the bus would be half filled with screaming, boisterous vegetable vendors/pilgrims and the other half by us supposedly more civilized college students.They hated the sight of us and we them I guess. They were always complaining about the size of our bags while the fact that their huge baskets laden with heaving market ware actually occupied coveted floor space, was always conveniently ignored. That was the unique beauty of our college, located in the middle of literally nowhere, sandwiched between a bustling vegetable market at one end and a temple at the other end. 'Pottal kaadu' to be precise.
It was nothing short of a miracle that we managed to reach everyday on time but did we have a choice? No, the only bus that went from TNager, thro vadapalani and straight past our college, Oh pioneering 27C, you were the only one!
For some reason your brain shuts out all those sleepless nights of studying, numerous practical records to complete, the craziness of each lecturer to endure, paving new roads to the Xerox shops and countless exams. Instead I seem to remember only the best about those hot summer days, laughing without a care, giggling over who likes who, making senseless jokes in the lab when none of the experiments ever seemed to do what they were meant to do.
Only the ringing sounds of our laughter and those amusing journeys on that notorious 27C are forever alive in my memory.


This one's for you ICE batch of 1998.....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t-SVBlZRbWk&NR=1

They walked together......

in silence. The darkness of the cool night cocooned them in its embrace. He looked up at the star studded sky and thought about all the good she had brought into his life. A million emotions spiralled through him and he was left disorientated.The tinkling of her chains comforted his confused delirium and her soft rhythmic footsteps soothed him. They reached the end of the road. He opened the gate to let her in. She walked past and turned around slowly for one last glance. Their eyes met and locked. There was so much they wanted to say to each other but knew not how.....cause


scroll down for the ending.....
































































cause he was the farmer and she the cow.......

Hahaha......gotchya

Click on the below to finish off

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eN8nHk_VD04

My Father

I walked into a card shop the other day and felt a sudden sinking feeling. Father's day was upon me again and the knowing that I couldn't buy anything for you.I can only hope  that this message reaches you even as the faintest of whispers.To the world a very normal person with a normal job, a normal middle class life but to us the epicentre of our very being.The strapping yet vulnerable young man, the dignified executive with the greying temples,forever a man of few words.
My ode to you dad, my hero, my inspiration, my appa.
Born the eldest in a family of five to a tamil pandit father in vellore, his early life had little room for any luxuries.But that driving ambition to achieve took him places far removed from his humble surroundings. He finished university with honours and took on the responsibilities of the family as early as that and then amma happened. Brought together in holy arranged matrimony his union with amma had none of the usual trappings. No stolen glances, no fervent proclamations of love,no sweet-
nothings but boy was there magic.I grew up with your love story all around me so don't blame me for being the die hard romantic I am.The way you both argued all the time and then made up in the blink of an eye, the way amma's eyes well up when she talks about your humble past, the way you patiently humored her while she shopped for hours on end - none of my best loved M&B romances have come close to capturing any of that.
Being the eldest with a sister and a brother soon after, there have been so many days when I have regretted being the eldest. First one to make all the mistakes, first to step out into the big bad world and why forever this constant sense of responsibility and protectiveness I feel for my siblings so much so I have been accused of interfering too much. But the one thing I will never regret is having those extra years of knowing you and having you to myself.
For all our materialism its always the little things we remember.The little things, the way you gently patted my hand when I was troubled,the way you said your name when I phoned, the way you insisted on buying just that bit more for us on our weekend trips,the way you used to drag me out of bed when I fell asleep skipping dinner, that unique aftershave that was just you.
Amma often accuses that I love you more. Dear dear amma we challenge each other constantly,we argue like crazy, you drive me to lunacy sometimes but not a single day is complete
without our quick catch ups and packing in an hour's worth of information in 10  minutes,my confidante, my guru, my friend. Of course I love you both equally just differently. Can one ever choose between the searing warmth of the first summer sun and the blessed relief of the first monsoon showers? For that matter can any girl describe what she feels for her father? Every other man is measured against you and found wanting.....
Growing up in suburban chennai in the repressed age I did, I have never been comfortable with displaying affection of any sorts but I have never kicked myself over it it as much as I do now. Did I ever tell you how much you meant to me, did I hug you enough or at least thank you enough?
Why did it have to be you and not some nameless face? Why did your own cells turn against you when you hardly ever hurt a fly? That gut wrenching almost physical pain I felt when you went has all but packed up and gone and left in its wake only a dull persistent ache that I can often set aside. As the cliche goes, time does heal most wounds but do I feel guilty about it, yes, everyday. People often reiterate to me that age old Hindu belief that when loved ones pass over they never go far and are
reborn  as a niece,a son or a daughter.But no that hardly provides any comfort,a thousand times over and I still want you only as my father.
Do I thank that almighty for all those days we shared or curse him for all those lost moments you should have had - your proud face at your son's wedding, growing old with amma,seeing more of your grandchildren and so many many more. I choose to do neither and take fickle solace only in fatalism (sorry i get that from amma) - it was meant to be.Some stars are meant to shine only for a short time but leave an afterglow so profound that it lasts a lifetime and more.

That second pink line

It's funny how some distant moments are forever etched in your mind while on the flip side you can't even remember what you had for breakfast a couple of days past - My hands shaking with excitement and anticipation, that one moment in your life when joy,trepidation,anxiety,bewilderment ricochet in your head in equal measure.And there it was, faint at first but strengthening with each second like my love for you, the second pink line. And I knew my life had changed forever. You gave me the biggest honour ever - motherhood.
Yes 10 years on and it feels like just yesterday, each second vivid in high definition.
Thank you son for making me whole.

Rahman - Breaking the moulds

I don't need to pile any accolades on him. We all know what a treasure he his. But I was not familiar with his work in the movie Delhi 6. The movie did not do too well at the box office and some of the songs never reached the limelight. I stumbled on the Genda Phool number accidentally and  was blown away by the composition. To take a song oozing with nativity and bring it bang up-to-date for today's rap generation, you've done it yet again with panache Rahman. Magic doesn't happen often but has definitely touched this one. Give it a go and I so do love those subtle dance swerves from Abishek.......

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AgiMhAH2jj8&feature=related

Saiyaan ched dewe,
Nanad chutki leve,
Sasural genda phool,
Saas gaari deve,
Dewar samjha leve,
Sasural genda phool,
Chora babul ka angana,
Bhaave deraa piya ka ho,
Saas gaari deve,
Dewar samjha leve,
Sasural genda phool,
Saiyaan hai vypaari,
Chale hain pardes,
Sooratiyaan niharu, jiyara bhaari howe,
Sasural genda phool…

Dhanush in Aadukalam

He doesn't have your stereotypical good looks. He is nowhere close to getting six packs or even half the number of packs - by the way is that even possible, could some one have three packs? Anyway what was I saying, oh yes , he's carved a very unique and niche style of acting. He isn't big on 'punch dialogues' but boy has he left an impression with this one.
I think the hardest thing for an actor must be to shed their upbringing and privileged disposition and place themselves utterly and completely in some one's life and Dhanush has done that with remarkable ease in this one.You can't help but live through the range of emotions he has portrayed as an innocent lad in love with an 'awe-inspiring upper class girl'. In particular I want to highlight his expression in this song when he pretends to ride the horse of success.Wow! No one could have done it better.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CFEopDtnBwQ&feature=related

Soulmates

Have you ever wondered about this word? I often do.

Is it looking across a room of people and connecting with that one person? Is it that feeling that words are inconsequential when a few stolen glances speak volumes? Is it seeing  a part of you in their eyes and knowing that a strange connection exists beyond the physical? Two souls like a jigsaw fitting together seamlessly to make a whole? A bolt of lightening that leaves you disorientated forever?

Or rather is it the knowing that you are very different from someone but yet loving them despite? Is it that ability to highlight only the good and work at the bad as a team? Brought together by circumstances yet choosing to form an inseparable bond no questions asked? Is it a love that only gets richer and deeper with time like vintage wine?
Not sure. what do you think?

Summer

Blue skies,
Cotton candy puffs of white clouds,
Shimmering lakes scattered with millions of diamonds,
Girls in bright dresses,
The song of the lone bluebird,
what more could the heart yearn for.


On cold winter days this one never fails........

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F27ryBUd6Tg

Why and why now?

We all would have had days like that, waking up and feeling a strange disorientation, looking back at life and feeling a sudden disengagement and you realise that you have done so many things to make others happy, been a dutiful daughter, a loving wife and mother, a sincere employee but how many seconds of those millions have you spared doing something for yourself.
Call it a premature mid-life crisis of sorts(35 next year and dreading it) or a sudden self-realisation moment that I often read about in yogic experiences but something has changed in me. I now know I need to give something back to the world not just for myself but by bringing a small smile to your face or a fresh tear to your eyes, I would have shared that tiniest of moments in your life and that's more than I could ever ask for.
Believe me when I say I have had my fair share of craziness, highs and lows, moments when the bleakness over took with no solace, and moments when the joy of life was restored with such passion it can blind like the first rays of the sun after a long dark night. Have you ever experienced the sheer bliss of seeing a sunrise when it feels like the world has just been laundered and rearing to go or have you felt that sudden sadness and retrospection engulf you as the sun disappears with a flash of orange and red at sundown on the beach. Isn't that what life is about though, living through each experience good or bad and living it fully without losing yourself? My dad used to say to me often "I believe in optimism because there is nothing in anything else". He is sadly no longer around but his words live on in me and I can only hope that my words will touch your lives too in someway.
Hey don't get me wrong, my work isn't all about self realisation or a bible for life as it were, it's more about making sense of the world around me with plenty of humour blended in for good measure. As you can see I do love my poetry and romantic metaphors but just humor me on that one. After all what is life without laughter and love?
I know it's probably cliched but I'm going to say it anyway - It's not about where we come from or where we are going, its all about the ride. So join me.