Anuradha Sridharan

Continuing the tradition of 2005 and 2006 , it's time to work on the exercise of looking back on the year 2007. There were some areas where I focused upon very well and other areas where my focus has reduced. 1) Got enrolled to PGSEM course at IIMB this year. My dream to study in one of the best institutions has come true. The past six months have been eventful and a wonderful journey has just begun. 2) Worked on many projects at work that kept me busy throughout the year and has been a very good learning experience as well. 3) Was part of the Dream Newsletter team at Dream a Dream for three months. Took interviews of volunteers who were part of other programmes such as art, drama and summer camp. It was fun to take notes while asking questions and then creating an article out of the interview. Since my Saturdays are occupied by PGSEM classes these days, I couldn't contribute much to Dream a Dream this year. 4) Visited Kodaikkanal and Vythiri,Wayanad (first time to the N...

My contribution to Totally Optional prompts - Road signs redux A journey on a road called life mysterious signs are intuitions crossings and speed breakers around guiding directions are values option to stop and relax or take the highway and zoom past traffic signals to regulate, recognize and not stop aghast Pristine beauty all around A smooth ride it is! Potholes and bumps abound A rough ride it could be! excited and energetic dull and dragging, continue the drive the journey is the destination

My contribution to 3WW Words for this week - clumsy, fire, overlooked A posh car driving down 4th lane, RC Nagar in a misty morning is not something new. Ravi goes to the nearby park for a jog, parking his car right outside the main gate. Though it's hardly a kilometre from his villa, he prefers to drive down to the park and then start his jog. Switching on the heater, his fingers tapping the steering wheel for a Bryan Adams song, he feels the warmth of air swooping past his face. The rustling noise of the broomstick from the sides of the road doesn't reach his eardrums. Or does he purposely overlook the actions of people from the rest of the society? Muthu wonders. He is an employee of the Municipality and his daily duties are to sweep the roads and streets of RC Nagar and the neighbouring areas. His sweeping of the 4th lane and observing Ravi's car taking a turn towards RC Nagar has become an everyday affair happening at the same time in the early mornings. As a sweeper,...

My contribution to Monday Mural A universal language no words spoken, no pleasantries exchanged no adjectives needed intrigues every living being the presence of a companion hearts to share willingness to care realization of the soul that someone is mine, time stands still a message from the divine A sparkle in the eyes when soul mate is around, the magic of love spreads peace abound No moribund state in its life cycle pure bliss in eternity an unexplainable miracle

Immerse in fresh air smell the bloomed red roses admire the smile of an infant feel your breathing patterns Not a roller coaster ride that starts and ends in a few seconds, a graceful ballet is life that has its own twists and turns Reality not an ultimatum Embrace inevitable changes, focus not on the momentum but every step towards the ranges Target not the summit as new horizons appear, but the stones and sand that glitter in the near Slow and steady says the turtle, the rule that works against every hurdle

My contribution to Writer's Island - "This season" "Ma, where is my blue bag?", shouted Sheela from her room. "I don't know, search in the cupboard" Rathi answered in a not-so-interested tone from the living room, watching a reality show on TV. Sheela didn't mind her mom's unresponsive attitude. She has been used to such responses since her childhood. She has all the comforts in the world, a 15 year old teenager could ask for. A room of her own, a personal computer, the top-notch school that she goes to and all the books and gadgets every child would dream of. Although born on the New Year's eve, her birthday was never special. It was just another day but with a huge cake party with her parents' friends and colleagues. When Rathi was expecting a baby, she hoped and prayed fervently that her baby would be a boy. But to her utter disappointment, it turned out to be a girl. Who says gender discrimination prevails only in low incom...

My contribution to Sunday Scribblings - #89 Dance A culmination of music and soul so enchanting, so pure I sway in a trance tapping my feet shoulders move to the beats hands swing to the rhythm the enthrallment has begun, transporting to a whole new world I jump and rejoice, expressions now flowing I feel the emotions Grateful, it's drizzling A cool breeze to give me company, My palms filled with raindrops so many The nature's concert, to all six senses I dance like a little princess

My contribution to Totally optional prompts - Birds and bonds Gliding into the clouds flapping the wide wings, Exploring the distant lands A life so unbound Roam around the world Reach for the distant skies No boundaries, no limits A life not to belong Love and care for the nestlings, snuggling in its cozy nest A harbinger of growth A life so worthwhile Vast blue oceans, New unknown territories flying with no measure Experience meant to treasure.

My contribution to 3 word Wednesday Switching off the headlights , parking his four wheeler Closing the front door he walks towards the lonely trail A dark, muddy, less-trodden path Spooky, freaking noises Carefully taken footsteps Wandering, fearful eyes Destiny unknown Direction unclear Lands in a virtual land at the end of the world No armor to shield faces the worst fear brainwaves at the fastest speed peaceful death so near

My contribution to Writer's Island prompt - The moment A sunny morning an anxious beginning Will I get through? to be part of software crew To make myself stand out prayers chanted loud, Shutting down other choices Ruling out external noises The deciding moment no room to repent, heart pumps fast adrenalin flows aghast no reason to sob, I got my first job The offer is mine, pay myself to dine freedom to stand on my own feet, the turning point a memorable feat

Another interesting, light-hearted fiction in the lines of "Five point someone". This time, it's not about the IITs but the IIMs, specifically IIM Bangalore. As a present student of IIMB, I could relate to many of the instances and characters. But it would be more appropriate for full time PGP students/alumni since it reflects on one of the important phases of their lives. This story captures the exact emotions and ambitions of a typical middle class family and the relatives' pressures, how a kid's life turns topsy turvy with the board exams and engineering days, how the peer pressures impact one's daily life etc. The subtle humour is really good at some places. The storyline is very easy to relate by someone who has passed school in the late 1990s like me. This is definitely one interesting book to read on a lazy Saturday afternoon. The protogonist Shekhar Verma and his adventure in various places in UP on account of his summer placements is very well narrate...

My contribution to Sunday Scribblings #88 - Competition A benchmark to accomplish, A horizon to reach A milestone to target, A landmark to set Doesn't end there, Compete with full spirit The bar set high, There is no limit Takes you to new heights and achieve new targets, Healthy competition creates a perfect mission Realize your full potential with a never-give-up attitude Challenge your self today for a better tomorrow for without competition, Minutes are dragging Days are boring Life is never soaring Aim for the pinnacle and way around obstacles, If it's worth a fight Never let go off your sight

My contribution to Cafe Writing - December project (Option six) I would like to relate the word "tradition" with the different festivals that we celebrate throughout the year. 1) Diwali (festival of lights) is our favorite festival that we look forward to every year. We buy new clothes for everyone in the family, put a small mark using vermilion on the edges and place them in the Pooja (prayer) area, on the eve of Diwali. It's a traditional way to thank God for the new clothes. 2) Another special festival is Saraswathi (Goddess of wisdom) Pooja, the ninth day of Dussehra (a 10 day festival in October). We keep our textbooks, pens, pencils and other tools in the Pooja area and then offer prayers. The textbooks remain in the Pooja area for the whole day. As kids, we loved this tradition because of the fact that we don't have to study the whole day. 3) Bhogi is an interesting occasion in the month of January. During childhood, I used to love celebrating Bhogi with my gr...

My contribution to Cafe Writing - December project (Option five) I loved this challenge. I wrote this poem in 9 minutes (between 10:01 AM and 10:10 AM) and haven't edited it. I know this is not a good one but I hope I will get better at it soon, with more practice. Tradition not something that you follow not something that you crib not something you adapt not something you adjust Tradition a binding love force a proud realization, turns monotonies into fun and laughter Tradition celebrating festivals family time together, meals and delicacies on a certain platter Tradition something to remind for years to pass by, something to carry forward for generations to come Tradition defines one's character with principles and values, designs a game of life with expectations and surprises Tradition loved by everyone but rare to accept, will to follow but lazy to admit Tradition Converts diversity into unity Converts singleton into groups

My contribution to Cafe Writing - December project (Option four) "Sumi, where's my coffee?", Shyam's first question in the morning as always. "On the dining table", replied Sumathi, his wife. He savours his coffee with another of his can't-live-without habits, reading newspaper ofcourse. Shyam has always been an early riser. Sharp at 5 AM, he is awake and bustling with energy. His next course of action is to walk to the nearby CM Park and jog along with his friends. He likes to observe the different people who visit the park and their mannerisms - some prefer to walk briskly while some others prefer to take a lazy stroll. Being a regular for the past 28 years, many of them recognize him and offer a smile. He quickly gets dressed up after coming back from the park. He heads straight to the Pooja (prayer) room to offer his daily prayers. "Breakfast ready", Sumathi's voice echoed from the kitchen. After a sumptuous breakfast, Shyam leaves for...

My contribution to Cafe Writing - December project (Option three) Sun rays at dawn piercing the skin awakening the senses touching the soul Bird flock from the nest aiming for a new horizon The blooming white jasmines adorning my flower garden A cool breeze through the window the wafting aroma of fresh coffee Gift of a new day not a mere ritual, but a miracle of hope microcosm of peace

Winter at its full bloom, Nothing better than a warm room Distant fields in complete mist Only the clock ticks in the wrist Time stands still welcoming the festivities, Colours of Christmas and a hope for a new year Time to dream Moments to relish, with loved ones hours to cherish This beautiful month has lots to offer, Everyone's waiting for the cool December!

My contribution to Cafe Writing - December project (Option two) I have the power to face boldly the commanding heights, the worst fears A small stature but a larger than life image one single move can make the enemy rage Not to be ignored I trip the opponent I initiate the first move I win close contests Arsenals of attack can become useless So many options at my defense One step at a time, my king in his prime in the life game of chess I'm the impeccable pawn

I hope all those rash drivers who only know to honk and cause chaos on the roads because of their impatient and arrogant attitude are reading this poem. பொறுமை இழந்த மனிதா எதற்காக இத்தனை அவசரம் இரவுநேர அமைதிப்பொழுதில் எதற்காக ஒலி எழுப்புகிறாய் நடந்து சோர்ந்த கால்கள் ஓய்வு கேட்கவில்லையா? வேலை செய்யாத கைகள் சுறுசுறுப்பாகி விட்டனவா? பகுத்தறிவு இழந்த மனம் கல்வியால் மாறிவிடாது எறும்புகள் கடைபிடிக்கும் குணம் எக்காரணத்தாலும் மறைந்து விடாது பொறுமை ஒருநெல்லிக்கனி அதன் விளைவுகள் ஒரு நிமிடத்தில் கறைவதில்லை ஒரு நொடி வேகத்தால் ஒரு வாழ்வை இருட்டி விடாதே! ஒரு அலை கோபத்தால் உன்னை நீ இழந்து விடாதே! A rough translation in English The one who has lost patience Why you are in such a hurry? Is there a reason to honk in this quiet, peaceful night? Doesn't your swollen feet demand you for some rest? or does your inactive hands want to be busy? Your mind with no common sense will not change with your education The discipline followed by ants will never change for any reason Patience is like a gooseberry I...

My contribution to Cafe Writing - December project (Option one) Does her effulgent smile claim that she has the whole world's happiness? One might ponder. Her glistening eyes and the joyful look on her face might reemphasize that she is the happiest person one has ever met. She is returning home with lots of stories to tell her dad. Her new friends, her class teacher, the black board and the different colour chalk pieces, the school bell, the text books and pencils - she wonders where to start. A new experience for the 3 year old, Shrishti. It's her first day at school. Her dad, Prakash is a postman and wants the best for his daughter. Shrishti is his only source of happiness in his struggle to get ends meet. He has faced many twists and turns in his life but today, the turn he takes towards RC Road prove to be a bad twist in little Shrishti's happiness. The speeding car, with no respite for traffic signal hits his bicycle and he collapses in the middle of the road. His...

My contribution to Sunday Scribblings #87 - Walk free steps swaying hands relaxed shoulders gentle motion I walk towards my destiny I smell red roses Fully blossomed on either side with dew drops stay abide blushing towards the reddish sun blossoming in serene beauty My legs rejoice my heart enjoys my eyes glisten my face brightens birds in harmony reciting a symphony, "morning's here fly with no fear" The woods feel fresh I dance and relish my best buddy offered by nature, my everyday walk on this green pasture

கண்கள் சொருகி பார்வை விலகி சென்றேன் கனவுலகத்திற்கு திரும்ப மனமில்லாமல் விடுதலை வேண்டும் கண் கருவளையத்திலிருந்து வேக ஒட்டத்திலிருந்து கால சக்கரத்தின் சுழல்களிலிருந்து நிற்க வேண்டும் ஒவ்வொரு நிமிடத்தை ரசிக்க கால் தடத்தை பதிக்க இசை வெள்ளத்தில் மிதக்க நடை போட வேண்டும் தென்றலின் திசை நோக்கி இயற்கையின் அழகை நாடி சிறு ஓடையின் தெளிவைத்தேடி காற்றில் பறக்க சிறகு தேவையா? கடலில் கலக்க கால்கள் தேவையா? அளவில்லை உளறல்களுக்கு எல்லையில்லை கனவுகளுக்கு A rough translation in English In a state of trance with my vision blurring I stepped into my dream world with no desire to return wishing for freedom from dark circles around my eyes speed of the race rotation of the life wheel wishing to stop for relishing every minute leaving a footprint floating in music wishing to walk towards the direction of the breeze the beauty of nature the stillness of the stream To fly in air Do I need wings? To walk in ocean Do I need legs? No limits to ramble No boundaries to dream PS: Inspiration can come at any time, any pl...

In the 20 odd years that I remember, Diwali is one exciting festival that I look forward to every year. I could think of so many memorable experiences that this day has offered me. The most distant memory I could recollect is waking up to the music of Nadaswaram at 3.30 AM on the morning of Diwali. The musicians used to visit every house, played Nadaswaram and Mirudangam for a few minutes and collected some money. The specific rituals would be in the order of taking oil bath before sunrise, wearing new sets of dresses, eating a delicious breakfast with a lot of sweets, firing crackers and visiting relatives' houses. There used to be times when I was so scared of crackers that I would hide inside my house. When I had to go to my nearby grandpa's house, I would run fast with my ears tightly closed. My only interest was the harmless sparklers which my dad used to buy a bunch of boxes, especially for me. My little brother had all the crackers in his control with no competition from...

Today is a special day and you know why! It's been 4 months ever since I joined PGSEM in IIM Bangalore. It would be highly dramatic if I say that life has changed a lot. Maybe, I will try to keep it subtle. It has been a long cherished dream to study in a premier institution like IIMB. Fridays and Saturdays are days that I now look forward to every week for many reasons - getting back to student life, interacting with students from different backgrounds in software industry and Profs who are experts in their respective area. Ever since the first quarter started on June 16th, it has been a busy 4 months so far. The learnings that I receive from the classes every weekend have been excellent, which is the key motivating factor behind my full attendance. The mode of communication has been two way with students and Profs discussing every aspect and the situations we face at work. Apart from the classes, the projects/assignments that are part of the curriculum are very interesting and he...

I've been wanting to watch Chak De India ever since the movie got released. With a single day weekend and unwillingness to go to the other end of the city just for the sake of a movie, a trip to PVR cinemas had been disappointing, with the movie shows running house full. So my hubby and I decided to drive down to Innovative multiplex to watch Chak De. We were shocked with the ticket prices for a multiplex so far from city - silver class for 180 and gold class for 200. Heights of inflation, I swear! We had some time to dispense before the movie starts. What better time than now to visit Homeworld! With the huge banners and advertising in the newspapers, we cannot miss this chance. It's a massive complex with a variety of options for home decor. Anything and everything you need for a house is out there. The display pieces are wonderful but not the prices, ofcourse! The less expensive furniture models are of poor quality. The display pieces had many cracks and very easy to figure ...

I like spending time at CCD (Cafe coffee day). Though I don't do it quite often, the moments I engage in a cup of coffee are memorable. I love the CCD at the Crosswords book store after roaming around and browsing through different collections of books and having a quiet chit-chat (an oxymoron?) with dear hubby. My preference would always be for a cup of milky latte. Having been brought up in a South Indian family where coffee is close to everyone's heart and a daily morning ritual, I like my cup of coffee as a mixture of strong decoction at the bottom and frothy milk all the way up. I came to know of this new coffee place Brewhaha in Koramangala while whiling away my time reading blogs sometime back. Having got disappointed with the tickets of Chak De not available on a Saturday evening, we decided to hang out at brewhaha around 7 PM. It's a unique place with a casual ambience and with many college-goers playing Scotland Yard and Scrabble. They have implemented a differen...

Having been a proud owner of a Tata Indica Xeta car for the past four months, this is our first time to test drive the car on a long distance situation. I'm not going to ramble about the car performance or mileage related details but just about the journey and the destination itself. It was a totally unplanned trip (unlike me) when we (six of us) decided to drive down to Shivasamudram falls on a Sunday morning. At 9 AM on a bright morning, the traffic was smooth and the drive started well. We were driving on Mysore Road when our stomachs started grumbling for breakfast. Our first pitstop was Kadu Mane, a Veg restaurant where we had thatte idlis, vadas and coffee. Once our palate was full and the plates were empty, it was time to hit the road again. The highway was smooth with very little interruptions by the barricade lines and speed brakers here and there. It was a good idea that we decided to buy lunch parcels since there is no good place to eat after the left turn from Maddur to...

My contribution to Sunday scribblings #77 - Collector personality A very appropriate prompt that's applicable for me, to explore my collector personality. There's one thing that I have been accumulating since childhood, since the time my friends started to exchange presents during important occasions, since the time I started to feel the myriad colours, sizes and shades of greeting cards. I have been collecting all the greeting cards that my friends and cousins have given me in my lifetime so far. They are precious to me, that I have them neatly tucked in a small handbag inside my cupboard. Whenever I receive a card, I ensure I store it carefully inside the bag. It's a treasure bag, worth exploring once in a while, to remember the old friends, to reconnect with special moments, to laugh at funny verses, to feel the touch of once-upon-a-time-best-buddies, to admire the handwritings of close ones. I do not browse through this collection often but very rarely, once in 6 months...

Hanging in there pretty close to the window, hoping I would open and let her reach me to put forth her preciousness "I'm cool, I'm unique, I have the power to refresh and rejuvenate I bring along my best buddies - Wind so forceful, yet so gentle Lightning so powerful yet so bright Thunder so wrathful yet so still Wet soil with a fresh smell Green grass with a tiny dewdrop Cloudy sky with a peeping sun I bring magic to the monotonies I bring life to the dull I topple day-to-day routines Why don't you rejoice and dance with me? Why do you shun away from me? Why don't you feel me on your tender palms? Why don't I caress your brown hair? Why don't I be your best buddy?" Oh lovely rain! I'm moved, Such a darling you are! Now I hate my black, boring umbrella I wish you would come again today! It's time to dance and play!

Having been brought up in a traditional background, I have attended quite a number of family functions and weddings. Elders in the family usually took the responsibilities of picking up gifts before attending any such events. The kind of gifts vary with different occasions. For a wedding, if the bride or groom was a very close relative of the family, the gift typically would be a gold pendant or a ring. In case if it was for a distant relative, the gift would be a silver lamp or kumkum storage box. If the gift was for a friend, it would either be a display item or just plain cash. Now that I have grown up to be someone who can no longer outsource the gift buying responsibility, I decided to buy a gift for my cousin's wedding recently. After marriage, my cousin would fly off to US. So any bulk gift would just be lying idle in her house in India. Based on my criteria that the gift should be useful as well as usable while they are living abroad, I bought a pair of Titan watches for th...

It's been a long time since I touched my RK Narayan collection. Before I left for Vythiri, I took this book from my home library, hoping to read atleast half of this book during my vacation. Thanks to the heavy rains, I finished reading this book in the past three days. It's always refreshing to read RKN after a while. The town of Malgudi, the people and their lives, the characters and their attitudes are very similar to any other RKN novel. This story is about the lives of a printer Nataraj, his helper Sastri and his friends and how their day-to-day lives get affected by a taxidermist Vasu. Nataraj is a friendly person by nature and he doesn't have the ability to say No. Vasu comes to his life and inflicts pain to Nataraj and others in the village in many ways. How the villagers cope with the complications caused by Vasu and what happens to Vasu in the end is what this story is all about. The characterization of Nataraj and Vasu is so clearly written that you feel so sorry...

Wayanad has been part of my to-see list for the past four years. As a keen lover of God's own country, I want to explore this state so much. Though I had visited the central and southern parts of Kerala, the Northern region was something I didn't get a chance to explore. A break from my first quarter and a long pending vacation from work provided the perfect chance to visit Wayanad. After the initial rounds of browsing and gathering details on best places to stay, my hubby and I finalized on Vythiri resorts. We made the bookings and also got the travel arrangements done. The Kallada travels bus got delayed by an hour and we left Bangalore around 10:40 PM. After a six hour ride, we reached a quiet village called Vythiri around 5 AM. It was dark and spooky. The jeep that was supposed to pick us up was no where to be seen. A small tea shop owner asked us to walk a few more metres to find the jeep. We found the driver and he took us to the resort, around 4 kms from the main road, i...

I've been listening to Rahman-Unnikrishnan combo since morning. I haven't heard Unnikrishnan singing any new songs off late. He has such a soft voice, perfectly suited for melodious music. The classical background from which he hails from is a huge plus point. Also,the crystal clear pronounciation of Tamil words makes his rendition all the more worthy to listen. "Roja roja" from Kaadhalar Dhinam is one of my favorites. A very nice melody with good beats and a unique background score (birds chirping between the first and second stanza). The picturization could have been better. Everyone would agree with me that his best song is indeed "Ennavale" from Kaadhalan. A less popular but a superb romantic number is "Sonnalum" from Kaadhal Virus. Apart from Rahman fans, no one else might have heard of this song as it's never played in Sun Music. Another classical song of Unni Krishnan is "Narumugaiye" from Iruvar. A poetic number with such not-...

The saga which began 10 years ago (it's 4 years back when it all began for me) has finally ended. I finished reading the Deathly Hallows in a span of three days last week and was completely enthralled in the quick narration of events that kept me glued to the book for long hours.It was a fitting end and all the loose plots were tied together beautifully by Rowling. Not even once did I feel that the pace was slow or slacking. It was action and magic right from the first page. Potter fans who haven't finished the book yet, please don't read further. There might be some spoilers that I might talk about. As always, the story begins at the Privet Drive but Harry, Ron and Hermione are not to board the Hogwarts Express this time. Many people die in this book, first ones being Mad Eye Moody and Hedwig. Hagrid escapes by a whisker. The story unfolds with Death Eaters disrupting Bill and Fleur's wedding party. The trio escapes to Grimmauld Palace, seeking shelter and Kreacher bec...

Yay....I'm going to grab my copy of the seventh book tomorrow (prebooked it in advance 3 weeks ago). Unfortunately, I cannot go to the bookstore at 6.30 AM and collect my copy as I have my MBA classes and on top of it, my midterm accounting exam. More than the anxiety of exams, I'm excited about the Deathly Hallows :-) That's what a Harry Potter book can do! The way I got hold of the "Half Blood Prince" was a complete surprise. To read it in detail, check out my hubby's blog link below. He has given a beautiful narration of how events unfolded on that day. http://chells.blogspot.com/2005/07/art-of-living.html I'm also thrilled about the movie "Order of the phoenix" that I will be watching tomorrow. The promos look superb. Looking forward to Dumbledore's army, the crucial attack at the ministry of magic and most importantly, the duelling between Dumbledore and Voldemort. It's sad that the series is coming to an end. Let's just hope tha...

Being an ardent fan of RK Narayan, I wanted to visit Malgudi (I wish I could visit the fictional town but all I could do was to visit the restaurant in Bangalore) ever since I heard of this restaurant. Saturday was the day. My friends and I decided to go for dinner to this place. The ambience portrayed a typical Chettinad house with the pillars and paintings. To catch a glimpse of such a house, watch the first half of the movie "Kandukondein Kandukondein". The menu had varieties from the four South Indian states. Being a vegetarian, I just had two choices for soups - tomato and drumstick lentil soup. I opted for the second and to my shock, it was horribly spicy. Though I knew it's going to taste like sambhar, I still ordered it and spoilt my taste buds. At a normal situation, I would have added salt/pepper to soup but I was forced to add sugar if at all I need to taste a few more spoonfuls of the spicy sambhar-so-called-soup. Even after adding 2 tsp of sugar, it tasted ba...

It's not just my blog that didn't get my attention but my health as well. The past one month has been exciting and busy that finally had it's toll on my health. I was down with migraine in the past three days. Let's not talk about the bad migraine but the good and exciting events happening around. First and foremost, I've got an admission into PGSEM programme of IIM, Bangalore. Exciting would be a simple word to explain the feeling. I'm thrilled. Classes are going great and keeps me quite busy. I'm getting used to balance sheets, strategic case studies, supply and demand curves etc etc. The best part is that back-to-school feeling after 5 long years of work. Ok, that's an indirect way of saying that I've completed 5 years of professional work life on July 1st. I watched the most hyped film of the century, Shivaji. I'm a very big fan of Rajni and have watched most of his movies umpteen number of times. Shivaji had many typical Rajni scenes and di...

I neither have a credit card nor do I need one at this point of time. Last week, I got a call from a private bank. This is how the conversation went. The lady on the phone : Madam, I’m calling from xxx bank. Me : Is this regarding credit cards? The lady on the phone : Yes, madam Me : No, I’m not interested The lady on the phone : Since you are working for company, we are offering you a free credit card Me : I don’t need it The lady on the phone : It’s absolutely free, for lifetime Me : Still, I don’t need one The lady on the phone : We have already allocated the card for you and we will be dispatching it soon Me : (In an angry tone) Who asked you to allocate it? Did I ever apply for a credit card? Just because I’m from company, you just send a credit card to me? You are not sending the card to me. Why do I have to face the hassles unnecessarily? After a year, you will charge me with some useless charges. Why do you guys cause so much trouble to people? The lady on the phone : No char...

What do you do when your cousins visit Bangalore on their summer vacation? Take them to Mysore, of course! Though I had visited Mysore last October, I didn’t mind going again. We hired a Tavera and started very early, around 7.30 AM (What do you expect on a Saturday morning?). Once we hit the Mysore Road, it was a smooth, no-traffic ride. We stopped at a restaurant Indra Dhanush, around 80 kms from Bangalore for breakfast. It’s a good enough place to have a sumptuous South Indian breakfast. We then visited Ranganatha Swamy temple in Srirangapatna. It’s a beautiful, ancient temple and had lots of visitors as well. The only negative part is the parking charge of 30 rupees which I feel could be reduced. The heritage city Mysore greeted us warmly and our first pitstop was the famous zoo. The kids had a good time, admiring the different species. It was two and half hours of excitement and fun. Our stomachs growled so much that we rushed for lunch to a restaurant Hotel Saptagiri. The food wa...

Is it so complex to write about the word "simple"? I have been thinking of what to write on this topic for the past few days. I got a glimpse of a few ideas but I never tried to spend some time exploring them. Forget it, this is the time! "Simple" means many things to me. A simple, yet delicious tomato rasam (South Indian tomato lentils soup) with a roasted papad and yummy curd rice is one perfect combo with which I can survive for long. After coming back from a long trip or a wedding function, all I need to satisfy my appetite is this kind of simple home made food. A simple song, according to me is one where minimal musical instruments are used. The Tamil song "Pottu Vaiththa Oru vatta nila" from the movie Idhayam is a perfect example. It's a beautiful, soothing melody sung by the genius Yesudas and composed by the melody raja "Illayaraja". There are many such simple, yet lovely songs composed by the maestro worth listening to umpteen number...

Tagged by Skely 1) Whenever I go to a restaurant, I ask for the menu, peruse it for a while and then order Veg Pulav. 2) While walking on the pavement, if the person driving a motorbike on the same pavement honks at me from behind, I shout at him angrily in my mind. 3) I make peculiar sounds while I’m sneezing. 4) I get amazed by watching aeroplanes. Whenever I hear the sound of flights, I look up and observe them with awe. 5) I talk to the moon and the stars. Of course, I have to be in a certain mood for it. 6) When I lend a pen to someone (even to my husband), I ensure I get it back. 7) If I get hurt, the first emotion I express is anger, after which I feel the pain. 8) I can converse better with guys than girls. I tag everyone who is reading this :-)

A lovely cloud cover in the evening followed by thunder and lightning eventually leads to heavy rains lashing the city. Such evenings are perfect to remain inside the cosy comforts of one's home and welcome the monsoons and not to roam around the busy roads. On Friday evening, I got stuck for about 2 hours waiting for the rains to stop, asking every auto driver to take me to my place and finally, with one auto driver agreeing, little did I know the mess is not over yet. There was a huge traffic jam and the auto driver refused to drive further. Thinking it's just another half a km, I started walking. A few steps further, I noticed this waterlog; knee feet deep it was! With no other route to take, I started walking, with my heavy bag lurking on my right shoulder. I managed to cross this pool of water and rushed home. Never make the mistake of hanging out in the shopping malls or multiplexes like me on a rainy night. It's been raining movies as well. In the past week, I've...

I opened my journal last night after a long time and scribbled for 15 minutes. Posting the contents here. How I used to love writing! I always used to be proud of my handwriting, flaunting my neatly written course notes to my friends and teachers. And these days, I hardly write. It's been a long time since I heard the screeching noise of the fountain pen talking to the white paper. I realize that this noise has been completely overshadowed by the crackling keyboard and clicking mouse. This week's Sunday Scribblings topic is Masks. This term brings to my mind the kind of masks superheroes wear all the time. I always wonder why superheroes wear them, what makes them so special. After giving quite a bit of thought, I understood the significance of masks in superhero stories. When the superhero takes off his mask, he is none other than us. He looks exactly like us - his eyes, nose, ears, cheeks and chin are the same. But we fear the super hero in ourselves; the hero who is capable ...

How would you feel when you had taken a 3 week vacation, where all you had to do was to roam around the city, spend the evenings visiting new places, wake up late with no hurry, eat at new restaurants and realize the minutes of the clock moving slowly? Don't you want to experience it often? Don't you love to give a second chance? This topic has brought back those wonderful memories I got to experience in Dubai last May. 3 weeks of a complete vacation! Most importantly, I returned with a fresh mind and took a very important decision in my career. Vacations do help to give clarity in your thoughts, think from a new perspective and provide a break from day-to-day schedules. I wish I could have such a vacation every year, where I'm totally away from workplace and get to see new places and meet new people. I guess this is the best time to share my Dubai travelogue I had written for my office magazine. Dubai - A friendly city for everyone I was really looking forward to my 3 week...

Two places where I love to hang around in Bangalore are Crosswords, the book store and Planet M, the music store. Though Crosswords is not as spacious as Landmark, it's such a peaceful place to browse through books, sit down for a few minutes and read a couple of pages before deciding to buy a good book. It's not very crowded as well. Planet M, though very crowded and a noisy place has a quiet corner for Indian classical music lovers. When I visited last weekend, there were hardly a couple of people in this section. What a pleasant and serene evening it was, listening to my favourite Hariprasad Chaurasia's flute and Zakir Hussain's tabla being played in the background and browsing through a nice collection of Carnatic and Hindustani classical music. The traditional Indian music has such divinity and tranquility in itself that regardless of the kind of raagas, it mesmerizes the listeners' ears. I don't understand the kind of raagas or other intricacies of classic...

I wish I could shout at certain people like this! People who forget to bring a pen when they visit a bank. Yesterday, I had to go to a bank to get a demand draft. It was crowded and I had to finish off this work soon to catch up on some other appointment. I was waiting for my turn after filling the DD form. A guy came near me and was asking for my pen. This is not the first time this is happening to me. Whenever I visit the bank, there would be someone without a pen and would borrow it from me. My turn finally came and I went to my counter. While talking with the banker, a girl patted on my back and was asking for my pen. I got very irritated and replied that I can't lend as I need to sign the form. She had a handbag but not a pen inside. I don't understand how someone can forget and borrow from others with no regret whatsoever. The worst part is that they don't bother to return it back. When will these people ever realize their mistake?

I love to observe the vast expanse of the waters, the distant ships and the roaring waves. I also wonder everytime how it would look from the horizon towards the coast. For boatsmen, it would be the end of their long journey. For cruisers, it would be a pleasant sight to see a new piece of land. The topic "Ocean" reminds me of my first-ever sailing trip in the Pacific Ocean when I visited San Francisco on an official trip. I didn't quite understand the intricacies of a sail boat. I was watching happily when the sail was set and we were ready to go on a 36 hour trip in the Pacific. Crossing the Bay Bridge and the Golden Gate Bridge, our boat was sailing smoothly, with the coast still within the reach of my eyes. A perfect evening it was, with the sun setting in the background and the sky reflecting different colours of yellow and orange! After a light dinner, I dozed off on the wooden bench inside our boat. A cold weather woke me up early in the morning. I walked up to the...

Huge and strong, Wide and colourful, Pink shades intertwined in white. Beautiful pair makes everyone stare You give me the power to dare a wish to fly, a dream to roam, the ride to glide, the height to stride I fly high I see places thanks to you, my dream comes true Wish I had you by my side not just when I'm asleep, but also while I'm awake.

Sounds like an oxymoron, isn't it? Being an impatient person, I couldn't wait for July 21st to get my hands on the final book of Harry Potter series. So I was casually browsing through the net a couple of weeks ago to catch a glimpse of the HP cover and what other fans had to predict on the storyline. Little did I know that the next two weeks, I am going to be engrossed in a fake "Harry Potter and the deathly hallows" book. A casual web search took me to this book. I didn't care who has written this book or if it's worth a read. I desperately needed a break as it's been a busy 2007 so far. If I have to review this book in one word, I would say "brilliant". How can someone imagine in such a way and write an unputdownable book in the first place? I'm sure that person should have read and re-read all Harry Potter books several times before attempting to start this fake book. He/She has given attention to so much detail. When I finished the book,...

There couldn't be a better day than today to write about one of my superstars, whom I admire for his stylish approach to his batting, his impeccable commitment and above all, a simple, down-to-earth human being. On this day when he celebrates his 34th birthday, Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar is a star to millions of Indians. Whatever the media says or people who don't like him try to anguish his fans like me, the statistics speak for him. I'm not going to elaborate on the statistics and prove that he is a great player. Cynics never agree on them, anyway. As Tony Greig often says in his commentary "What a player!", he is truly a gem in the current, high pressure game of cricket. It wasn't a smooth journey for him in the past 17 years of cricket, especially the last 7 years. His consistent, flawless and ferocious approach to the game for a span of 10 years had taken it's toll on his physical health and he is not able to perform at the same high limits that he had s...

You glow bright basking in twilight I admire your beauty all through the night You change forms You change shapes Yet, something unclear of your nature A silver plate to the richest A perfect pancake to the hungry rest Not crystal clear, yet not far off An irresistible illusion you are! A characteristic that you can be proud of, Obscuring the reddish, powerful, distant sun. In few seconds, the earth gets to witness glimpses of day and night. Not so common, yet can't be ignored Your secret identity in a day of eclipse.

Time is flying at a brisk pace. No wonder, it's already April 17th. I'm contemplating on things I see, topics I discuss with friends, situations I face and minutes I while away in useless thoughts. I'm wondering about the sudden downpour on a sultry summer evening in Bangalore, followed by the continuous power cuts. These days, you cannot claim this as a "power cut". The power goes off for hours,comes back and then goes away for hours. This cycle keeps repeating for the past few weeks ever since we started experiencing a glimpse of summer. Is the Electricity Board playing hide and seek with common people? Whether the concerned authorities are taking any action or not, definitely God has understood and thanks to him, the evenings are cooler these days. I understand the need for power cuts when there is a shortage, especially in summer. I'm thinking of a solution that can be proposed to the Electricity Board. Let's say, the power has to be cut for 2 hours ev...

I'm completely mesmerized by the sound track of Mozhi (Mozhi means language). This is definitely my kinda music. I simply adore the title track "Kattrin mozhi" - the tunes, the lyrics, the singers and the picturization. I've been listening to this song since morning and feel so relaxed. I do like Vidyasagar composed melodies. Though it might sound like you-have-heard-this-tune-somewhere, still it is very beautiful. My other favorite song "Kannal pesum penne" is sung by none other than SPB. It's been a while since I heard him sing a soft tune in the recent few months. Even after so many years of singing, his voice sounds so fresh. Wish he keeps singing such nice songs for many more years to come. Again, you feel that you have heard a similar tune somewhere. But who cares? As long as it is soothing to eardrums, repetitive tunes or tracks hardly matter. My third favorite "Sevvanam selai" is being played continuously in Sun Music. I guess this is t...