Nila.. vaanam... kaatru..

This is one of the best songs that i have heard and liked (actually loved) in the recent times. Its from the movie "pokkisham" by Cheran. The movie by itself was very nice - every person whose relationship blossomed through love letters nowadays emails will be able to empathize! 

The lyrics of the song are here. I want to keep this forever...

நிலா  நீ  வானம்  காற்று  மழை
என்  கவிதை  மூச்சு  இசை
துளி  தேனா மலரா திசை  ஒளி பகல்

நிலா  நீ  வானம்  காற்று  மழை
என்  கவிதை  மூச்சு  இசை
துளி  தேனா மலரா திசை  ஒளி பகல்

தேவதை  அன்னம்  பட்டாம்பூச்சி
கொஞ்சும்  தமிழ்  குழந்தை
சினுங்கள்  சிரிப்பு  முத்தம்
மௌனம்  கனவு  ஏக்கம்
மேகம்  மின்னல்  ஓவியம்
செல்லம்  ப்ரியம்  இம்சை

இதில்  யாவுமே  நீதான்  எனினும்
உயிர்  என்றே  உனை  சொல்வேனே
நான்  உன்னிடம்  உயிர்  நீ  என்னிடம்
நாம்  என்பதே  இனிமேல்  மெய்  சுகம்

நிலா  நீ  வானம்  காற்று  மழை
என்  கவிதை  மூச்சு  இசை
துளி  தேனா மலரா திசை  ஒளி பகல்

(பெண்)
அன்புள்ள  மன்னா அன்புள்ள  கணவா
அன்புள்ள  கள்வனே  அன்புள்ள  கண்ணாளனே
அன்புள்ள ஒளியே  அன்புள்ள  தமிழே
அன்புள்ள  செய்யுளே  அன்புள்ள  இலக்கணமே
அன்புள்ள  திருக்குறளே  அன்புள்ள  நற்றினையே
அன்புள்ள  படவா  அன்புள்ள  திருடா
அன்புள்ள  ரசிகா அன்புள்ள  கிருக்கா

அன்புள்ள  திமிரே அன்புள்ள  தவறே
அன்புள்ள  உயிரே  அன்புள்ள  அன்பே
இதில்  யாவுமே  இங்கு  நீதான்  என்றால்
என்னதான் சொல்ல சொல்  நீயே
பேரன்பிலே ஒன்று  நாம்  சேர்ந்திட
வீண் வார்த்தைகள்  இனி  ஏன்  தேடிட

Video

Kutcheri Season - Sudha Raghunathan

Sudha was disappointing. She killed the start by reading the theme of the concert from a piece of paper. It wasnt a difficult theme to recite. She was going to sing Oothukaadu VenkataSubbaiyer songs. As though it is so tough to say that in layman terms. Anyways, i knew most of the songs that she had chosen, but she dint sing it in the ragas we are familiar with. Her rendering was sub par. Her voice is still lovely, but i wish she wouldnt try something different and spoil the fun. Sorry Sudha fans - i dont mean to be cynical. This is just my opinion and i am disappointed because i was really looking forward to listening to her sing. Especially OVS songs. Hmm! never mind. 

Mom's the word

Well, all moms know that motherhood is demanding and beautiful at the same time. Being a mom is a tough task and being a good mom is a tougher one. But i think, just as babies should not be compared with another, moms must not compare themselves to other moms.

Moms i have met recently somehow want to feel that they have been a better mother. Well, there is no comparison here. Each of us have our own way of handling our babies and we do what we think is best for them. I dont see a right or wrong in this. I believe that each baby is unique and that there is no steadfast rule in bringing them up. But most mothers i meet have to offer - " why r u doing this? shouldnt u be giving him this food instead of that? why r u using the pacifier? i cant understand what this complex is all about? Excuse me - pls let me handle my baby. 

What bugs me most is that when u have a genuine concern and u need advice, no one has anything worthwhile to offer. Bugs me totally. Unsolicited advice is not welcome. 

If these are one type, type 2 consists of people who are on the other end. The " i think you are being overprotective" types. 

I hope these people one day understand that motherhood is not about a competition on " who's the best mom'. All of us need our space and at the end of the day, its only our baby that rewards us for being a good parent. Noone else does, noone else really cares. 

I am not a perfect mom, but i am a good one and strive to get better each day as my baby and i grow together. 

Books

I usually dont forget the books i read. But with so many things on my mind these days, i dont want  to forget anything. Notes on some books that i have read lately:

Between the Assasinations by Aravind Adiga

Its an ok read. A collection of short stories set in a fictionary town called Kittur between the assassination of Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi. The author’s imagination is good in the sense that he describes the town beautifully. But i should have known – ‘never judge a book by its cover’. I was expecting some major thriller going by the title. But alas! Well, one would expect some link between the assassinations, but no. And I wonder why the author chose an unhappy setting for each of the stories.

The Riot by Shashi Tharoor

I liked this one. The book is about – democracy, communal clashes, insane religious fanatism,  love, betrayal, commitment, power, what not. Set in a communally sensitive region in India, the story revolves around a cross cultural love affair that ends in a rather tragic way.

My Sister’s Keeper by Jodi Picoult

One of the best books that i have read in recent times. Totally loved it. Just couldnt guess what was coming next. So much research has gone into the medical and legal terminology. The characters in the story seem so familiar and are easy to relate. Sometime in our life, we have been through the same situations, the same emotions presented in the story. The mother’s character can stir a lot of criticism, but towards the end, one is able to emphatise with her. Some quotes that i liked from the book -

” Doubt thou that the stars are fire; Doubt thou that the sun doth move; Doubt truth be a liar; but never doubt that i love” –  William Shakespeare

“Who we are isnt so much about what we do, but rather what we are capable of when we least expect it”.

” One fire burns out another’s burning; one pain is lessened by another’s anguish” – Shakespeare quotes, used in this book.

Becoming Mom

I am a mom. I have a baby boy – 7 months old.  

Well, this was not how i intended to start my blog.  I wanted to write about a lot of other things. But i guess the baby always comes first.

7 months have zoomed by. Life has changed so much. There is always something to do. From washing baby clothes, folding onesies, changing diapers to making baby food, nursing, spending sleepless nights. This is a full time job, most often i work overtime. But i get paid with the most beautiful toothless grins and a soul that thinks the world of me.

Parenting advice- there is always so much that people have to offer. But i have learnt that no theory holds good when it comes to babies. Sid has his own way for certain things and i have to discover ways to handle him. A baby at six months old is supposed to sleep through the night. I would have loved it if it were to happen. I still wake up every 2 hrs in the night. But i am not complaining. All the weariness in the morning vanishes when he gives me his best smile and says “amma”. The baby that cries otherwise is happy the minute he sees me.

Well, i love being mom- i love being his mom. i know there will be a time when he will be on his own and wont need me as much – so i relish every moment I have with him now and secretly wish that these moments last forever. Dont grow up baby…be the sweet little momma’s boy in my arms forever!

Fun with photos

I have a passion for photographs. Whether i like to click photos or not, i love playing with pictures. especially with a tool like picasa, i freak out.

Recently a friend shared a website with me which lets you have more fun with your photos. Its an excellent website - www.photofunia.com. One thing led to another, and i am now spending all my time looking for more things to do with photos. The kind of things one can do is absolutely amazing.

This and That

Time is flying by and before i know, my little boy is going to be three months old. Amma has gone back to chennai and now its family time until the next set of grandparents come. Well, the days are mostly busy - cooking, being with Sid, cleaning etc etc. Its good to be busy though. Ug's been home too - working from home a couple of days and then we had the long weekend - so good fun. We have become so lethargic these days - dont know how we will cope in a busy set up! Funnily, our boy is just like us. Change his regular routine or just change the position in which he is and he doesnt like it.

We went to " Picture People" last week for a photo shoot. Ended up with four pictures this time. Sid looks adorable in these pics. we are running out of real estate to put up these pictures now.

I have been trying a lot of new recipes. Found a new site - www. myrecipes.com. It has different cuisines which are fun to try. Talking about food, i have to make a mention of my manga pachadi. Ugen loves it so much that he eats curd rice just for this. I once used to make little just for myself coz i loved it- but now i make loads coz ugen loves it.

Nothing much to pen otherwise. rest in next. So long until then - cya!

Enchanting Varkala

10th of march marked a very important day in history. It was our first wedding anniversary. An occasion to rejoice and celebrate. And so we did- In Varkala.
Varkala is a small piece of paradise, about 55 kms from Trivandrum. We had to change two modes of transport before we could get there. Thanks to the old rickety bus and the scorching sun, getting there became really tedious. As you get closer to Varkala, the air becomes cooler and one is relieved by this comfort.
Exploring this little piece of paradise doesn't take too long. The usual "sight-seeing" venues includes a Sivagiri ashram, the Janardhan temple, the beach and a cliff that offers a complete view of the beach.
The janardhan temple is about 2000 years old. Considered as dakshin kashi, there are a lot of tourists thronging this temple.
The beach is perhaps the highlight of this place. It has beautiful white beach sands backed with tall red cliffs. This is such a beautiful sight. The sea is very inviting and provides a welcome relief from the scorching sun. Playing in the sea, hand in hand sea shore walks and sunset views filled our days there.
10th evening, we celebrated our anniversary with a quiet candle lit drink along the seaside followed by a quieter candle lit dinner.
Before we could realize, our stay in this paradise was over and we were boarding our flight back to chennai. There is nothing more that i can write, except that Kerala truly is "Gods Own Country".
Photos of our paradise will be posted on a later date :-)

:(

Sometimes, life has so much to offer, one is confused..what to accept and what not to. Don't mind me, this is just one of those times! :(

Nostalgia!!!

Yesterday, Ugen and me went back to the place we got married-Hotel Kanchi!!! Nostalgia beckoned us. I somehow dint think we did go back to that place; more coz i dint expect any occasion that would take me back there...but, there we were, talking about our wedding, recollecting the wedding proceedings, remembering the people who came to the wedding...remembering almost everything. Its a good feeling...believe me when i say it!
Well, over the last few weeks, ugen and me have been on a movie spree - Sillunnu oru kadhal, Lage raho munnabhai, Vettaiyadu Vilayadu, Emtan Magan.


VV had amazing screenplay and direction and everybody who acted in the movie, showed immense commitment to their characters. really well taken-almost in the range of a hollywood movie!


lage Raho Munnabhai- absolute entertainment, with perhaps a message to carry back here and there. Infact, both ugen and i thought arshad warsi was far more entertaining than sanjay dutt! and to all the fuss about Gandhigiri, no comments on that.

Emtan magan! well in my opinion is another version of tavamai tavamirundhu!The father-son senti. i perhaps dint like the movie too much coz i couldnt empathise with the relationship. i must dig into ugen to find out the impact it had on him!
Last week was a little hectic at work. there always are inconsistencies that prevent one from working efficiently..that was what happened to me as well. I dont want to get into the depths of what happened-but if there was something i learnt from the issue, it was " tolerance is a virtue!!!

The last three days, I was at home..completely relaxing! i couldnt ask for more from life. someone once said " if there is strife and contention at home, very little else in life can compensate for it". I cant agree more on that one!!! :-)

Fitness and Leisure!!

I just got back to work today after a nice 5 day weekend-holiday. an amazing holiday. Ugen and me spent all our time together and believe me, we couldnt have enjoyed our togetherness in a better way. Starting friday night, until wednesday morning, we have shared some very memorable moments.


The holiday was a combination of health fitness and leisure. It was very relaxed coz time was never a constraint. Has one slept for over 12 hours anytime? its an experience by itself.And believe me, its an amazingly nice feeling!!
Kodai is perhaps best known for its lake and we made the best use of it. Ugen and me hired a two seater cycle. This cycle is so much fun. I mean, its so hard to explain. One needs to experience that kind of fun. We found a very nice place to rest near the lake.We would cycle upto that point, rest for a while, admire the lake in front of us, sometimes talking, sometimes just enjoying the silence. and then ofcourse, we also went boating. we hired a pedal boat. often, we would pedal upto a particular shady area and then relax at that point. moments of absolute tranquility. Life is at its best when you have nothing to do but to sit back, relax and enjoy every moment of your life! We did go on a sight-seeing tour. Well, we couldnt really relish the beauty of a lot of places due to the number of people crowding these places and ofcouse, the most unpredictable climatic conditions. If one were to call the British Weather unpredictable, i wonder how he/she would define Kodaikanal weather. One moment it is bright and sunny and the very next minute, its all cloudy, with rain to follow.


I must make a mention of the best things i have eaten- things that have never tasted better than this one. To name these best things- bread omelette, Chikkoo ice cream, masala tea and idli sambar!


Life is full of ups and downs. Just like the Yin-Yang Principle. In all good, there is one element of bad, and in all bad there is one element of good. For me, this element of sorrow was that i lost my camera and with it, i lost some nice photos as well. Ugen did console me saying we always had our memories to carry forward. yet.....


Not to forget, on the 15th, there was this Christian festival that happens once in a year in Kodaikanal. People from all the neighbouring villages come here to witness this occasion. Well, one goes to places like Kodai to escape the crowd in the cities and enjoy the tranquility and here we are, just seeing more of them. what made it worse was that in one road, there were about four loud speakers playing loud awful music. i must admit, i am accustomed to a very quiet environment- both at work and at home. Noise was making me so depressed and i found myself waiting to get out of there.


well, thats how my stay in Kodaikanal ended. Back on Kodai road, Ugen got me the best Idli Sambar i have ever had for dinner. Wow! i mean, its so nice to enjoy the little things in life.


Back home on wednesday. I was relieved by the warmth of my home. Home sweet Home!

The Weekend

Well, the weekend started with ugen and me working on a saturday. now, that is a rarity. however, soon after work, both of us caught on a movie- Yun Hota Tho Kya Hota- which translates to "what if". Fairly simple storyline, the movie is about the 9/11 incident, featuring a few Indians who aspire to go to US for varied reasons, ultimately to die in the plane that crashed into the twin towers. the movie is taken from one man's perspective who wonders what would have happened if his wife had travelled by the same flight. a very neat movie and simple star cast.


soon after the movie, we went shopping to chennai's most happening hangout- The Spencer Plaza. I wonder how people actually fancy going here. Its always so full of people. well, apart from people who come there to shop, there are these annoying people who come there just to stand and gape at people passing by.


Thats how saturday went by. Sunday was quite. pretty relaxed. managed to catch up on some lost sleep.
Today is monday...here i am..back at work, trying to finish all the pending work and responding to emails that have come in through the weekend. Life sometimes becomes so monotonous and there is nothing one can do to change it, but be patient and hope things would get better.


i was just going through some of the other blogs. its interesting to see people cover topics on environmental pollution and other environmental concerns.This is such a good feeling. Way back, when i chose to graduate in environmental science, i found it tough to fight people who thought i was crazy to choose such an offbeat subject. Today, a lot of people are making a career in environmental studies and it seems to be the most happening subject, ofcourse apart from the more conventional ones. what can i say-keep the good going!

7/11

Just as i rejoice four months of married life, i realise that there are other things happening around the world.
7/11, was disastrous to people in mumbai. yeah, there were 7 blasts across the city killing almost 200 people. i was upset.

Mumbai is special to me. I spent the happy days of my childhood in mumbai and i have some very pleasent memories to carry forward ever since. But, apart from this sentiment, i was upset that a tragic incident had struck the city and that noone was doing anything to change the current situation. What is the motive i wonder. why would anyone want to kill innocent people? It is plainly an act of cowardliness.
Yes ofcourse, normal life will resume sooner or later. But how is one going to replace valuable relationships lost during such incidents and why isnt anyone doing anything to prevent the occurence of such incidents? what is happening to humanity and humanitarianism?
As ugen rightly put it, this is just another event that the news channels can cover for another 3 or 4 days. There would be analysis of what happened, why it happened etc...but noone is going to stop and think as to how he/she can prevent such ill occurences. where is the world heading to???