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