Random Musings of a Confused Mind

Ratatouille Ravioli with Tomato Sauce

2012-01-07T19:48:00.001+05:30

I was always of the opinion that Italian cuisine comprises of only thick, cheesy Pizzas. However, one trip to Italy and I was introduced to this new fascinating world of pastas, gnocchi, ravioli and crostinis. I discovered that Italian cuisine is far far versatile than what our Pizza huts have to offer. Today I tried my hand at making pasta right from scratch and discovered that it wasn't such a big deal! Here's the recipe

What are we making?

Ratatouille Ravioli with Tomato Sauce

Ravioli is a square shaped pasta with a vegetable filling. It tastes best when prepared fresh.

What you will need:

For the pasta:

1/2 cup of maida

1/2 cup of atta

1/4 cup spinach ground to a puree

1 tablespoon oil

a little salt to taste

For the ratatouille filling:

1/2 cup of finely chopped tomatoes
1/2 cup of finely chopped capsicum
1/2 cup of finely chopped onion
1/2 teaspoon of dried oregano
salt to taste
a tablespoon of oil

For the tomato sauce:

1 cup of blanched tomatoes, peeled and ground to a puree
1 tsp peppercorns
1 cup of sliced baby corn

Yeah! seems like a long list! but its incredibly easy to make.

Start by making a dough using the maida, atta and spinach puree. Knead the dough well until it is soft. I generally leave the dough for about half an hour as this makes it a little elastic and easy to roll out. Now, heat oil in a pan and toss the chopped onions and saute until brown. Add the capsicum and tomato and saute until the tomato loses it raw smell. If you like you ravioli spicy, add finely chopped green chilies. Finally add some salt to taste and the oregano and mix well. Oregano adds a rich flavor to the dish but too much of it can make it too pungent. Now, allow the mixture to cool.

Now, roll out the dough to a fine sheet. It is important that this remains thin otherwise the ravioli will be too sticky. Cut out little squares from the sheet. Place a little of the ratatouille mixture onto the middle of the square. Now, cover it with another square and press the edges firmly. Your first ravioli is ready! ;)
Now, repeat the procedure to make as many little raviolis as you want.

Now for the tomato sauce. Heat some oil in a wok and add some crushed peppercorns and saute well. Peppercorns give a nice mildly spicy flavor to the sauce. Now, add the tomato puree and half a cup of water and boil until it reduces in volume. To get the rich red color of the sauce you can also add a pinch of red food color. Toss in the sliced baby corns and saute for a few minutes. Finally sprinkle some oregano and add salt to taste.

Meanwhile we can start cooking the ravioli. Boil plenty of water in a large pan with some salt and oil. The more the water, the better. Now, add the ravioli one piece at a time and cook for 3-4 minutes. Once cooked, the ravioli will rise to the surface of the pan. Scoop it out and transfer it to a bowl of water for a few minutes. Then drain it and keep aside.

Plating is an important aspect in Italian cuisine. The food should look enticing and taste heavenly as well :)
First scoop out some tomato sauce and coat it on the serving plate. Carefully place 2-3 pieces of ravioli and add more tomato sauce on it. Finally grate some cheese and also sprinkle some oregano on the dish.

Voila! Authentic Italian Ravioli is ready!! :)

Go ahead and treat your taste buds!

Frankfurt, Stuttgart and Kosubat

2011-06-12T16:51:00.006+05:30

Far far away, through the dimly lit streets of southern India, the residents were plagued by a crisis. A crisis that was being tackled from years but which had not seen the light of the day. First came Tortoise and then came Mortien, and half a dozen of its counteparts; but come what may, nothing could challenge the existence of the killer mosquitoes. Then it happened one day. Some good samaritan came up with a unique weapon to defend the human population against the blood-sucking community! And lo, the KOSUBAT was born! One swish of the bat saw hundreds of those tiny pests wiped out in seconds. And all was peaceful once again.

Strangely enough, the people of Hamelin also faced the wrath of pesky insects and houseflies. Unfortunately the Pied Piper was dead and gone for good. And the world famous German Engineering was unable to come up with a solution. This must have propelled a Weber, Heisenberg or a Scrodinger to visit the dwellings of the commom man in India. And lo, were they stumped!

So now history will be re-written. India's most popular export after the zero will be the Kosubat! And yes, its a hit in every German city. So, thanks to our ingenious minds, the need for another Pied Piper has been eliminated.

Long live the Kosubat

Through the Bazaars of Bangalore

2011-05-24T14:18:00.000+05:30

Its been a month and a half for me, living in this alien country, far away from home. People back home ask me what I miss? Why do I yearn to return back? Why I prefer living in the chaos, the dust, the pollution and why not in this serene, calm land?

I must say that I miss the vibrant colors, the joy of gliding through the chaotic markets of Malleshwaram, the spicy bajjis sold at the road corner, the young little girl who hands out bunches of coriander to pedestrians, this and much more. This in fact reminds me of a poem that I had read years ago by Sarojini Naidu - The Bazaars of Hyderabad. Somehow, I feel that this is quite apt to describe the wonderful chaos that is the bazaars of Bangalore.

What do you sell, 0 ye merchants?
Richly your wares are displayed,
Turbans of crimson and silver,
Tunics of purple brocade,
Mirrors with panels of amber,
Daggers with handles of jade.

What do you weigh, 0 ye vendors?
Saffron and lentil and rice.
What do you grind, 0 ye maidens?
Sandalwood, henna and spice.

What do you call, 0 ye pedlars?
Chessmen and ivory dice.
What do you make, 0 ye goldsmiths?
Wristlet and anklet and ring,
Bells for the feet of blue pigeons,
Frail as a dragon-fly's wing,
Girdles of gold for the dancers,
Scabbards of gold for the king.

What do you cry, 0 ye fruitmen?
Citron, pomegranate and plum.
What do you play, 0 musicians?
Cithar, sarangi and drum.
What do you chant, 0 magicians?
Spells for the aeons to come.

What do you weave, 0 ye flower-girls?
With tassels of azure and red?
Crowns for the brow of a bridegroom,
Chaplets to garland his bed,
Sheets of white blossoms new-gathered
To perfume the sleep of the dead

Virtually Networked??

2011-03-01T22:06:00.000+05:30

Man has always been a social animal.

Right from the instant human life appeared on the Earth, man realized the need to socialize. Living in small groups soon paved the way for river valley settlements; incomprehensible murmurs matured into sophisticated languages. Awkward streaks with unburnt charcoal gradually transformed into the legible script of today. We have reached the pinnacle of civilization, we claim! But slowly and steadily we are drifting away from our true human nature.

Thanks to social networking, the meaning of human relationships is slowly but surely fading. We chat with a friend miles away from us, yet forget to greet the simple chap sitting across the next cubicle. Gone are the days when true happiness was turning a year older amidst the cackle and laughter of best friends. All we see now is a thankless birthday greeting posted on our wall. A handmade birthday card from a childhood friend brought tears to our eyes; but even a genuine greeting in our scrapbook does not excite us anymore; thanks to the birthday reminder feature. We now merely "like" it when our friends get promoted or engaged, and worse we still "like" it when they are in despair.

What has happened to the "human" inside us? Do he/she still exist? Has technology made us ignorant and lazy? We are fast building a wall around us - one that obstructs the warmth of friends, one that breeds loneliness. We need to act fast, pick up the drill and pierce holes in this invisible fortress.

A gentle smile, a casual wave, a comforting shoulder,a pat on the back, a warm hug - All this mean much much more than a few words sent through a mail transfer protocol. Get out of your lonely den, walk across the street, stop to smell the roses, appreciate the beauty of nature, spare a moment to thank your sub-ordinates, spend a minute to give your best friend a tight hug on her birthday, shed a drop of tear for a dear departing colleague. Tiny actions like these add meaning to our existence and brings hope in the hearts of the depressed, the forsaken.

Let us break down the walls that we have built around us.

Let us bring back the human in us.

After all, man is still a social animal.

Midnight Dogs - A mundane effort!

2011-02-27T18:32:00.000+05:30

A few weeks ago, all Tamil channels were abuzz with Gautham Menon appearing in every single program promoting his latest venture "Nadunisi Naaygal (Midnight Dogs)". In fact, this movie was touted to be a tribute to the erstwhile Kamal Hassan starrer "Sigappu Rojakal". But after having watched both, a stern piece of advice to Mr.Menon - Please do not compare your yawn-inducing so called thriller "Nadunisi Naaygal" to BharathiRaja's 80's master piece!

Nadunisi Naaygal deals with child sexual abuse and its possible repercussions with the protagonist transforming into a psycho, schizophrenic and serial killer rolled into one. 8 year old Samar is subjected to sexual abuse by his own father and is forced to participate in such activities. A kind neighbour Meenakshi rescues the kid and gives him shelter and tries to bring him back to normalcy. Unable to bury the ghosts of his traumatic childhood, Samar now rechristened as Veera, turns into a violent possessive young man who kidnaps, rapes and kills young women. His bloody run comes to an end with the kidnap of Sameera Reddy.

Gautham Menon has this unique knack of picking talented new comers and this time too the casting is perfect. Its neither Sameera's wails nor newcomer Veera's menancing looks but Swapna Abraham's performance that makes us sit and take notice. Swapna as Meenakshi amma, the middle aged single woman in smart kurtis and jeans gives a convincing performance. Check out the scene where her maternal instincts comfort Samar and the following one where she is unable to resist his advances. Full marks to Gautham Menon for aesthetically filming a very sensitive and what could have been a sexually explicit scene.

Inspite of having excellent actors and a well conceived story, Gautham Menon falters in the most important department - screenplay. It looks like the director got carried away with so many details that he forgot to give an answer to many obvious questions that might arise in the minds of the viewer. For example, didn't it strike Meenakshi Amma that a young kid subject to such explicit sexual activities would require counselling??

Secondly, what is the real motive behind the serial killings?? Kamal Hassan in Sigappu Rojakal had a solid reason for his eccentric behaviour, but we fail to understand Veera. Did the director forget the fact that a whole lot of people actually watch a lot of English thrillers? The mother-son relationship and the brutal killings are a rip-off from Hitchcock's Psycho!

No doubt, Nadunisi Naaygal is a welcome break from the scores of the run-of-the-mill movies, but this is far from Gautham's best work. Cmon Gautham, we know you can do much better than this!

P.S: And in case you were wondering what the significance of the title could be, there you have 4 black dogs chasing a hapless Sameera at midnight! (Seriously Mr.Menon, your viewers are not so dumb!)

The Silver Sorceress

2011-01-13T20:38:00.001+05:30

The icy blue queen glides through the moonlit sky,
Her silver gown envelopes the arid plains;
Silently she does begin her lonely hunt
Through vales, hills and lanes!

The lovely Luna looks at her in fear
"Oh No!", she chuckles in despair,
For the silver temptress brings naught but anguish;
Into the minds of men and women, no matter poor or rich.

The swish of her skirt pellets tiny grains of ice;
They strike the happy, the mirthful, the joyous.
The blue poison now spreads across the unfortunate
Eroding the gaiety, the happiness,
Swallowing their jocund mood!

She silently sucks the energy, the radiance, the happiness
And unlocks the secret vault of dolor and distress
She sparks off a series of musings,
Among the hearts of her victims.

Isolation is ushered in,
Memories hoped to be buried forever, unearthed again!
An icy cool breeze grips the prey;
Any attempt to resist goes in vain!

Sorrows, guilt and fear
Are unleashed from within!
Those terrible monsters
Feed on the tears of their masters.

The queen breaks her silent spell,
She laughs scornfully, dances in glee!
A drop of tear,
Rolls down the tender cheeks.

"My day is done!", says she,
"My mission accomplished!"
To bring loneliness into men's lives
Is the law on which she thrives.

The first few rays of Sun shine down!
Piercing through her lovely gown.
She slowly fades into the oblivion,
But wait! I know she has still not gone!

For when the moon light illuminates the streets,
When night gently descends on the creeks.
She will return with her silvery wand!
To haunt the minds of countless in this vast land!

The Purpose of Existence

2011-01-12T21:52:00.002+05:30

One tiny drop of water, seated elegantly on a green petal glistened as the Sun's first rays shone through it. The tiny water droplet seemed to enjoy its last few moments of existence as it sparkled like a polished diamond. This serene sight triggered me into deep reflection. What was the purpose of existence of this tiny drop of water? Had it been placed there just to be sucked by the radiant sun a few seconds later?

We pride ourselves in unearthing the secrets of nature. First it was the atom, then it was electrons, protons and neutrons, and now they say that quarks are tiniest sub atomic particles known to man! Scientists may have mapped the human genome; men of medicine may have perfected the art of saving countless lives in pain, yet we cannot pinpoint the exact moment when the foetus is infused with life or when the soul leaves our body! The more we try to unlock the mysteries of nature, the more bewildering it is.

Such thoughts bring a plethora of questions to my mind. Who is the architect of the universe? What is his ultimate goal? Why would he painstakingly build such a complicated cosmos? Why should a single drop of water be constituted of hundreds of electrons, neutrons and protons?? Wouldn't it have been much simpler if there had been only one particle? Why are there so many stars, planets and satellites? If God wanted to create life, it would have been simpler if he had just created the Earth and the Sun. What purpose does Pluto or even Andromeda serve?

God is widely regarded as the most powerful of men, the invincible! He who singlehandedly controls the destiny of all organisms in the vast emptiness called the universe. As humans, we rule over the rest of the animal and plant kingdom. Does that make us the Almighty for a bunch of weeds that grow at our feet?
For a colony of hardworking ants that trot across my living room, I am the one who controls their destiny. They are at my mercy as I can choose to either stomp on them or let them live in peace. I can disrupt their well formed line and create havoc among those tiny helpless creatures. But I'm sure that in a day or two, I would be soon be bored of trying to control them. Now the question that perplexes me is how does the creator manage to govern us all day in and day out? Doesn't God ever get weary of ruling this vast universe? Doesn't he get weary of creating humans, animals and other living organisms? Is He playing a game? One of creation and destruction? Assuming that there are numerous Gods who play this game, will they also not get tired one day?

This brings me to the final question. What is the purpose of existence of God?? What does He gain by this never ending cycle of creation, destruction and re-creation? Is He merely gambling??

I'm forced to contradict Albert Einstein.
My dear friends, looks like God does play dice!

To my friend! with love :)

2011-01-07T09:18:00.002+05:30

In the journey of life, we meet people who smile at us; who chide us; who anger us; who shower their love on us! There are people who we wish we had never met, and yet again there are the ones whom we wish to know forever. This post is dedicated to one such friend of mine, Sushma Ananda.

In fact, the beautiful poem below was written by her for me on her last working day in Siemens. It stands as a living testimonial of our friendship and I am honoured to share it on my blog ! Thank you dear friend! Wish you a lovely future and may our friendship bear the toughest of weathers!

The accessories, earrings, the necklaces, pearls
We had discussed it all
The dresses, lipsticks, Kajal, we spoke endlessly…
The coffee breaks, the solutions, the discussions,The Christmas carols, cakes, flowers,
We loved and lived in them…

The never ending shopping sprees,
The friends, foes, the corporate, the life, philosophy, the blogs,
We read like book of each other…
You held my hand right there, Whenever I felt sad and lonely…
It’s sad that we have part when it all goes so sweetly…
The proposals, disposals, the love stories
We discussed it all!
Your fast blinking eyes compete with the speed of your words and perhaps the unheard heartbeat too!

My dearest Nandu…
I say, I am always there for you and with you…
Just a call away to hear from you…
I wish you a very happy new year!

Endhiran - Robotic Extravaganza

2010-10-26T19:26:00.003+05:30

When the superstar of Indian Cinema, the breathtakingly beautiful Aishwarya Rai, the maestro A R Rahman and the extravagant Shankar get together to make a movie, the result is a 3 hr visual spectacle called Endhiran!

Endhiran is the story of a scientist Dr.Vasi's who creates an adorable android humanoid robot called Chitti. Trouble strikes when he decides to give it the power to feel and understand human emotions. And before he realizes his mistake Chitti is all ready to snatch away Sana, Dr.Vasi's girlfriend from right under his nose. And if that isn't enough, Chitti soon turns evil and destroys half the city. Dr.Vasi's desperate attempts to save Sana and the city forms the rest of the plot.

When I witnessed Rajni in the opening scene, busy working on the Robot without a second glance at his ringing cell phone, I sat up. I instantly realized that this wasn't going to be a typical Rajni movie. This is probably the most demure entry scene ever for a Rajni movie!No over the top punch dialogues, no introductory songs glorifying the hero, no flip-the-cigarette scenes either. Big disappointment for Rajni fans!
However, Rajni had done a full justice to his roles both as Dr.Vasi and Chitti. As the cute robot in the first half and as the cold blooded murderer in the second, its Rajni's show all the way that holds the film.

Aishwarya plays the geeky scientist's hot girlfriend. She looks ravishing!! (Any wonder that the Robot falls in love with her?? ) Apart from the leading pair, no one else seems to have an impact on the viewer. Shankar could have done without the so called comedy track in the movie.

Crisp dialogues have always been one of Shankar's strengths. Its only when I watched Endhiran that I realized what a vital role Sujatha had played in all of Shankar's movies. The magic of his writing is clearly missing in Endhiran and, Shankar and Karky have failed to fill in this vacuum.

The real showstopper is the splendid special effects. The last half hour literally drives the audience to the edge of their seats. Though the sequence is probably inspired from half a dozen Hollywood movies, the director deserves nothing less that an a standing ovation for bringing world class technology to Indian cinema. Given his humble background, I'm amazed at his ability to conceive a concept so complex as this and yet execute it flawlessly! Hats off to Shankar!

"Happy Deepavali Folks" declares Rajni in one scene before he proceeds to shower bullets on his adversaries and thats when I quietly chucked to myself, "This movie is definitely paisa vasool" :)

Raavanan - A Connoisseur's Delight

2010-06-26T21:45:00.006+05:30

Maniratnam is probably the only director in India who has set such high standards in film making. So much so, that the audience expect every film of his to better its predecessor. His previous film Guru being a masterpiece, the expectations were naturally sky high on Raavan. Here is a director, who presented us with a new age Mahabharata in "Thalapathy", gave us our very own Godfather in "Nayagan" and reinvented the mythological story of Satyavan-Savitri in "Roja". Hence, I was more than eager to see how Mani would present one of the best known epics in Indian history - The Ramayan.

The film starts off with Veera (Vikram) abducting Raagini (Aishwarya), wife of a police officer Dev (Prithvi Raj). The whole film is a cat and mouse game between the estranged husband and the dangerous outlaw, interspersed with tales of heroism and treachery. Veera is an outlaw(a dig at the Maoists, Mr. Ratnam?) who heads a group of forest dwellers. He is Robin Hood to them. The one who protects them.The one who stands up and fights the police and yet plays with their little children and helps the needy. His abduction of Raagini is justified in his eyes. Its not out of love or lust, but revenge that drives him to do it. By doing so, Mani has not painted him black - he has shades of gray.Prithvi who plays the daring cop is not entirely white. Be it the scene where he storms into Veera's sister's wedding or the one in which he suspects his wife, the ugly black streak runs across his face.

Mani's heroines are always complex in nature and Raagini is no exception. Her mental anguish is fathomable, unable to accept the dark side of her husband and also the gentler side of her abductor. She is not able to decide where her loyalties lie. In one way, she reminds me of Revathi in Mouna Raagam, torn between her ex-lover and her current husband.

I like Mani's movies for the hidden symbolism in them. However, in Raavanan, Mani goes one step further and flashes them right on our face, which is disheartening. For instance, we know that Karthik is analogous to Hanuman. He needn't have to literally climb trees and jump up and down to tell us this fact. And we also know that Veera is Raavanan. Still, innumerable references are made comparing Veera to Raavanan. And in case you didn't realize that Priya Mani plays Shurpanaka's role, you have a police officer literally holding her nose and threatening to cut it off. But apart from these obvious comparisons, I found a couple of symbologies fascinating. Veera cutting off the hand of his sister's husband for instance, a little decoding and you realize the striking similarity to Ravan cutting off Jatayu's wing in the actual epic.Raagini, decked in pure white is suspected of infidelity by her husband. And the breathtaking climax has Veera & Dev fighting it over a wooden bridge (Ram Sethu anyone?:)

Vikram breathes life into Veera and comes up with yet another convincing performance. Aishwarya gets her expressions right and is breathtakingly beautiful. The scene where she falls off the cliff is magnificently shot and the audience are literally pushed to the edge of their seats, biting their nails and wondering what would happen to her. Prithvi raj as the dashing young cop is top class. He brings out the emotions of a traumatized husband very well. But the real hero of Raavanan is the eye behind the camera. To say that the cinematography is brilliant is an understatement. You have to see it to understand what I mean :)

However, the one major drawback is the title of the movie. By naming it Raavanan, Mani has made the biggest blunder of his career. For us, Ramanyana is made of characters that are either black or white. Ram & Sita are white and Raavan is black. There are no two opinions about this. But by painting Sita gray, Mani has stirred up a hornet's nest. The average movie watcher will not accept this fact and that explains the mixed reactions to this movie.

Walk into this movie with a blank mind. Forget the fact that this is a modern day adaptation of the Ramayana. Walk in without any prejudices and you surely wont be disappointed.

Yet Another Tamil Movie!

2010-06-06T22:27:00.002+05:30

5th June, 2010, 7:30 a.m :

I was woken up by the booming ring of my cell phone. Mumbling, I checked the display. Radhika was calling!! Now, Radhika doesn't call every day and that too at this unearthly hour. I answered in my half-sleepy tone. Rads was literally yelling,

"Hey Nandu! Surya's new movie has released it seems! I haven't seen a Surya movie $%##%##&*^%%"

The rest of the conservation seemed muted to me after my brain registered the word "Surya". I am crazy crazy fan of him and never miss any of his movies, no matter how crappy they are. I quickly jumped out of my bed and in no time was all set to watch Singam, with Shruthi & Rads, my best pals.

The film began with an badly animated lion's face roaring and symbolizing the Hero's lion-like persona. 10 minutes into the movie and i realized that this was yet another masala no-brainer. It follows the tried and tested pattern of "action-romance-action-romance-sentiment-action" and is completed by the "Hero kills villain and wins the babe" climax. Sure enough, Surya plays an upright cop in a tiny unheard village in TamilNadu . He fights goons single handedly, settles petty disputes among his village folks and also fits in romancing with the heroine in his already tight schedule. The movie in fact, is clichéd in every possible way. For instance, the heroine's duppata is usurped by some local goons and our dear hero sweats it out to recover her lost property, but the next scene is a dream duet where she is shown strutting around in cleavage revealing outfits. The action sequences show the hero who in fact is devoid of any weapons pound the goons to pulp with his bare hands. The chemistry between the lead pair is virtually non-existent.

But there were 2 factors that kept me glued to the screen, one was Surya's charisma and the second was the yummy caramel popcorn that INOX offered :D. Sparks literally fly when Surya appears on the screen. The poor guy has put his heart and soul into the film. How I wish he were offered better roles! A great potential goes wasted here. Another capable actor Anushka is also wasted and is made to merely run around trees. Prakash Rai seems to have carried his Ghilli act in Singam too. He merely induces a yawn.

Anyway after 3 hrs, Icame out of the theatre with a sheepish grin on my face. Even though the movie was the usual run-of-the-mill, Surya was worth the 150/- that I had invested! :)

In pursuit of friendship

2010-05-14T21:54:00.003+05:30

I was walking along the thorn-strewn path,
My feet shuddering with every step,
No! it wasn't the gash of the uncut stone,
Neither was it the sting of the drone!

The dry autumn leaves crumbled into bits,
Filling the air with an eerie chill.
Shivering, I pulled the veil closer to my body,
And continued my solitary journey.

The road ahead seemed infinite,
Embanked by trees, towering in height!
What perils lay ahead, this I couldn't perceive
"Will I see light?", my conscience wondered!

Then came a tap on my shoulder,
And I turned back in horror!
A flash of lightening! A roar of thounder!
There stood my companion dear,
With folded hands, no trace of fear.

Moisture clouded my vision,
My heart felt light!
I clenched my dear friend's fist tight,
I had found my guardian - through day, through night!

New found ecstasy filled me,
It gave me confidence, it gave me energy!
"What is this nectar, that breathed new life into me?", I thought-aloud!
"Aah....that's friendship", whispered the silver cloud!

The long, daunting path, no longer seemed rough,
We walked in the fading sunlight, hand in hand!
In pursuit of the new land.

I walk through the vast wilderness without fear,
Now, I know my best friend's near!!

P.S: This is dedicated to all my dear friends! Thank you for being an integral part of my life!

The Solitary Reaper

2010-05-04T21:47:00.000+05:30

When William Wordsworth lay on his couch, in a pensive mood, the image of the golden daffodils flashed upon his eyes.When I lay on the sofa, aimlessly gazing at the ceiling, I am reminded of the Solitary Reaper. She stands all alone in the deserted field, with a mere sickle in her hand. She sings to herself in mirth. The vast emptiness around her doesn't seem to bother her.Never does loneliness creep on her. Harvesting the fields gives her pleasure. And so she sings!

Behold her, single in the field,
Yon solitary Highland Lass!
Reaping and singing by herself;
Stop here, or gently pass!
Alone she cuts and binds the grain,
And sings a melancholy strain;
O listen! for the Vale profound
Is overflowing with the sound.

No Nightingale did ever chaunt
More welcome notes to weary bands
Of travellers in some shady haunt,
Among Arabian sands:
A voice so thrilling ne'er was heard
In spring-time from the Cuckoo-bird,
Breaking the silence of the seas
Among the farthest Hebrides.

Will no one tell me what she sings?--
Perhaps the plaintive numbers flow
For old, unhappy, far-off things,
And battles long ago:
Or is it some more humble lay,
Familiar matter of to-day?
Some natural sorrow, loss, or pain
That has been, and may be again?

Whate'er the theme, the Maiden sang
As if her song could have no ending;
I saw her singing at her work,
And o'er the sickle bending;--
I listened, motionless and still;
And, as I mounted up the hill,
The music in my heart I bore,
Long after it was heard no more.

Standing amidst ten thousand lifeless stalks of corns, the solitary reaper is in fact, far from solitude!
Living amidst tens of thousands of people, we are the ones immersed in solitude!

Rahman in Raavan

2010-05-02T12:47:00.002+05:30

The dark, delirious Rahman is back with Raavan! This time there are no soulful romantic numbers or foot-tapping item numbers. In fact this album lacks "the song" that is likely to be associated with the movie forever. For instance, "Choti si Asha" instantly reminds us of Roja, "Tu hi Re" instantly makes us remember "Bombay" and the more recent "Tere Bina.." pulls us to Guru. However, Raavan's songs are strikingly different. Way different from any Rahman soundtrack that you have ever heard. Raavan is raw and rustic!!

The album opens with "Beera Beera", a power packed song rendered by Vijay Prakash(of Hosanna fame). Rahman begins the song in his characteristic style and then, passes the baton to Vijay. This song glorifies Beera (who is probably the protagonist in the movie)and heaps praises on him and his prowess. I could almost visualize Beera(a well built, powerful Abhishek) standing in the battlefield, ready for combat. Rahman has a given a light African tribal feel to the song with the usage of drums in various pitches. The cry of a rooster in the song took me by surprise! (Only Rahman can think of such things!! :D)

"Behene De" by Karthik is a slow number and a slow poison too. It may not appeal to you the first time you listen to it. But repeated runs will hook you to this one. This song distinctly reminds me of "Satrangi Re" from Dil Se.

For some strange reason that I am yet to fathom, "Kata Kata" is the song that has completely intoxicated me. The bride and groom are mocked at in a jocular fashion and the poor groom is compared to a "Bechara Bakra", waiting at the altar, ready to be sacrificed. The chorus is so full of life and the repetitive use of the lines, "Gaya Gaya ek aur gaya" gives the alcoholic-effect to the listener.

The pick of the album is "Ranjha Ranjha" by Rekha Bharadwaj(Remember Genda Phool from Delhi-6?)
Once again, the beauty of this song lies in the repeated use of the chorus. Rekha Bharadwaj in her characteristic rustic voice charms us and is ably supported by Javed Ali.

After giving such raw numbers, it looks like Rahman wanted to make the purists happy. Which is why we have a "Khilli Re" in the sound track. This is a slow, soft and melodious number and surprisingly Rahman has not used Shreya Goshal! Its Rekha Bharadwaj once again!! She simply pours her heart and soul into this song. The tabla piece from 1:30 to 2:02 is simply heart-wrenching!

"Thok De Killi" is the last song in the album and I must confess that though this is racy, it didn't appeal to me. I must have listened to it atleast a dozen times now, yet I am unable to decode this one. But I'm not giving up! "Manippaya" from Vinnaithandi Varuvaya was one such song . Even after listening to it for 2 months, I couldn't capture the essence of it. But once I viewed it on screen, it hit me like a bolt of lightning! I'm hoping that Manirathnam brings this song to life, on screen.

Raavan definitely doesn't possess the instant ecstasy that Vinnaithandi Varuvaya brought on us, it may not be remembered forever like Roja but it contains a certain "something" that makes us hooked to it.

Rahman has just set a new standard in music! Period.

The Ruler of the Universe!

2010-03-21T20:21:00.006+05:30

The king arrives in His golden chariot. His blood red clothes blind the eyes of the onlooker. His crown glitters. The seven horses that pull His chariot zoom at an unimaginable speed. The light that stems from His chariot reaches every corner of the universe. He is the one who defines day and night. He slowly rises from the cool, blue ocean, spreading His radiance in all directions. He slowly turns the dark blue twilight into a bright red morning.

He calls out from the skies asking us to shed the lethargy imparted by the night.

"Rise and shine all my men!
Come out of your filthy glen,
I bringeth light to the dim-lit skies
Come unto Me & worship Me
I'm the guardian to thee"

He gives life to the dying weed, hope to the old banyan tree. He nourishes the embryo which is buried deep in the soil. He gives energy to the green plants. His radiance illuminates every corner of this Earth. His mere presence brings optimism to the whole of mankind. "Yes, we can see Him. We are still alive!" remark thousands when He arrives. He retires at night only to come back brighter & better the next day.

The Gods above bow to Him in awe & respect. He is the controller of the lunar mansions. He spins in glee & the others revolve around him silently. His power sustains the solar system. He creates the seasons and sends nectary water to the world below.He is the destroyer of coldness, the vanquisher of darkness.The destroyer of evil.The source of happiness.The giver of light and life!

He is the mighty Surya - the all powerful Sun!

Let us bow our heads in respect to Him who sustains us!

Will you cross the skies & come with me?

2010-03-20T18:19:00.004+05:30

When I first watched the trailer of Vinnaithandi Varuvaya, the first thought that struck me was "My! What a cliched title for a film?" I felt that Gautham Menon decided to tread the path taken by most film directors. In tamil cinema, cliched titles work! But the reason behind this dawned on me only after watching the movie. The question "Vinnaitandi Varuvaya?" is put forth to Jessie throughout the movie and her answer defines the climax.

Vinnaithandi Varuvaya is the usual boy-meets-girl & falls-in-love movie treated in Gautham Menon's trademark style. It is a welcome change from the annoying masala movies which are churned out every week. But,I found a certain "something" missing in the otherwise technically flawless movie.

First things first. Simbu is revelation! Often slammed for his annoying gimmicks and over-the-top dancing, Simbu has matured into a calm actor through this movie. He is in fact the most compelling reason for you to watch VTV. Trisha looks good & her wardrobe is sure to set new trends. But a word of caution for Gautham Menon - you really should try and avoid the "guy-proposes-to-girl-at-first-meet" thing. It's been overdone(Kaakha Kaakha, Vettaiyadu Vilayadu,Vaaranam Aayiram).

I was deeply disappointed with characterization of the leading lady, Jessie. She is in complete contrast to other Gautham Menon's heroines. Jessie simply fails to impress us. She neither carries the grace of Jothika in Kaakha Kaakha nor the smartness of Sameera in Varanam Aayiram. There seems to nothing charming or enigmatic about her. She sighs, simmers and is helpless, unable to decide between her orthodox parents & her boyfriend. Her indecisiveness brings us to the brink of irritation. The programmer analyst from Polaris needs her parents permission to even write "Hello World!" But once in a blue moon, when she wants to defy her parents orders, she needs Karthik to take her out for a movie.

Jessie falls into the genre of people who are "complicated". These people like to complicate things and they derive a lot of satisfaction by screwing up their lives. They can't make a decision when they have to and live the rest of life repenting their decision. Jessie had the guts to publicly reject the groom on her wedding day but is scared to convince her parents about Karthik. She fails to invoke sympathy as her sufferings are a result of her own indecisiveness. It looks like the director was well aware of this which is why Karthik always pops up the question, "Ulagathla evlo ponnu irundum, naa yen Jessie ah kaadalichen?"

In short, VTV suffers on account of Jessie's clichéd characterization. If you have not yet watched the movie, probably you must just for Simbu. If you have and you liked it, then I must ask you, "Ulagathla evlo padanga irundum, ungaluku yen VTV pudichirku??" :)

Of Marriages & Receptions!

2010-03-14T18:20:00.001+05:30

A marriage is often the D-Day in a person's life! Indian marriages are nothing short of a festival. There is always an excitement in the air when a marriage is near. Nevertheless I hate attending weddings. Generally I'm forced to attend weddings of some distant relative and they're nothing but plain torture.

Let's take the case of a typical South Indian Iyengar/Iyer wedding. You are greeted by a couple of teen girls clumsily clad in a silk langa/pavade or a ghagra-choli offering you a Rosaceae minus the long stalk and a pinch of sugar.Another lady in a heavy Kanjeevaram saree whom you've never met before will lead you to your seat & hand you a glass of coffee. There will be a large congregation of Maamis gossiping, laughing & exchanging compliments about each other's sarees & jewellery. If it's not jewellery, it has to be about someone's son/daughter's education/married life.

"Revathi's daughter married Iyer boy u know! I was shocked. Inda kaalathu pasanga ella love-give nu ooru suthara(roughly translated it implies the young generation kids are falling in love & roaming around the streets)" And having nothing else to do, I would be staring at the ceiling looking for some solace & wondering whether Jalebi will be served at lunch.

If you think that's bad, let me tell you the worst. Every Maama/Maami will be considering you as potential son-in-law/daughter-in-law material.I remember an incident where a 80-something grandma was trying to convince my Mom to get me married to her grandson.

Paati/Granny :"Maami...my grandson studied at IIT. He is in US working for Microsoft. They are calling from other companies, ready to give double the salary. And they are calling from this big college MIT.Everyone is sayin, come to my college, come to my college. But he is not going. Your daughter should be blessed to get him as her husband."

Mom: "No Paati, we are not planning to get her married so soon. She has got a job now. She will be working for the next few years"

Paati: "Ayyo...All girls will tell like that only Maami. My grandson is good looking. There is already a big queue in front of our house. Everyone wants to marry him to their daughter. Some of them are Iyer girls also. But we said, No. We want good family. That's why I'm telling. What nakshatram is your daughter?? Our Seshadri is Uttaram. Very good nakshatram!"

Mom: "Illa paati, she is not interested in marriage now. Please find someone else for him"

Paati: "I tell you, these modern girls are too much. They don't listen to elders. Always want money. Even their mothers are like that(obvious dig at my mom). Want to send their daughters and eat their money. I tell you Maami...this is not good. Taking your daughter's money is sin."

I looked like an idiot standing by my Mom's side unable to utter a word lest the old granny comment more on my modern-girl status.Ever since this incident occurred, I have completely stopped attending marriages.This is because every Maami uses the marriage hall as a platform for advertising their "IIT/REC/MIT" educated son, who is currently working in "Microsoft/Google/Apple/Any damn software company" in the US, and is as white-as-snow and is an incarnation of the Almighty Himself and that girls are ready to snatch him away!

Last Heard Gossip from a recent wedding: It seems that the same Paati was persuading another innocent lady into getting her daugher married to her grandson. :P

IPL fever @ its peak

2010-03-10T20:30:00.002+05:30

Cricket fans never had it better! The Cricket board is overwhelmed by the rocketing sales figures inspite of costlier tickets! Advertising companies are celebrating big time! The parent community is probably the only section of the society that is complaining! :P

With barely a week to go for the IPL to begin, temperatures are rising. Crazy cricket fans are keeping a close eye on the schedule. I got a print out of the IPL schedule 2010 & pasted it on my cupboard ( in between Hrithik Roshan & Ranbir Kapoor's wallpapers :P)

So, are you a cricket crazy fan who wants to book IPL tickets?? Great!! Then waste no time, Buy them asap!! Better make it quick else you will have to wait for another year to catch the action.

Majaa maadi :)

Slow Poison from the Music Maestro

2010-01-24T18:45:00.001+05:30

Music can be of two types. The first category consists of those numbers that instantly appeal to us, make us tap a foot and hum along, urge us to listen to it again & again and yet, a few months down the lane, we get tired of the same song that we were so crazy about. Songs like "Aal izz Well" or " Kuch Kuch hota hai" belong to this genre.The first time you hear this song, you will love it, the second - enjoy it, the fifth time - like it and by the tenth time, you're already sick of it.

But this post is about the second variety of songs. These songs evoke absolutely no interest in the listener the first time, may slightly ruffle your thoughts the second time and soon, you will be falling for this one, clutching your heart and closing your eyes.

Rahman has weaved one such song is his latest album "Vinnaithandi Varuvaya" called "Aaromale".

Frankly speaking, I found this song rather dull and boring when I listened to it the first time. But it soon began to grow on me and this happens to be my current favourite now. Aaromale starts off with a light, soft and soothing instrumental piece till 0:30. Suddenly, Alphonso's voice brings in a deeper, rustic touch to the pallavi. By now, Rahman has already set the mood of the song and you now know that the "wow" moment of the song is not far away. And then, the chorus starts with the most soulful rendition I have ever heard.

"Susti Susti Sumuhoortam
Sumangali bhava manavaati.."

And yes... I just discovered Rahman's golden touch in this song.

And just when I haughtily thought that I had figured out the rhyme of the song, Rahman managed to surprise me in the Charanam. Alphoso Joseph begins the para on a soft note and brings in some pace as the song progresses and finally ends it on a remarkably high note. My heart just melts when I hear him croon "Aaromale...." towards the end of the charanam.

Rahman then brings back his golden touch towards the end of the song and leaves the listener yearning for more! This is what I call Slow Poison! It slowly spreads across your entire body and leaves your limbs motionless, while your heart is immersed in the rhythm of the song.

Aaromale..........truly divine!

Coffee with Kaapi!

2010-01-16T19:29:00.001+05:30

"Gum Sum Gum
Gum Sum ho kyun tum?
Gum Sum Gum
Gum kyun ho tum?"

It was a pleasant evening and this song made me wake up from my blissful sleep. I adjusted my ear phones and listened keenly. There was something about the song that made me smile. And I suddenly discovered why!

This song is set in the melodious Kapi raga.

Kapi is as intoxicating as Coffee :) It soothes & calms down the agitated mind and brings freshness into you. Typical Coffee i must say!
Yet there seems to be a certain melancholy that mysteriously envelopes the raga.

Another beautiful in Kapi that immediately comes to my mind is the beautiful "Kaadhal Rojave/Roja Jaaneman" from Roja. Rahman seems to have extracted the best from SPB for this number.

There are innumerable pieces in Kapi in Carnatic music. One of my favourites is "Jagado Dharana", which describes Yashoda's love for Krishna. Indeed, this is a masterpiece in Kapi and captivated the hearts of hundreds of world leaders when MS Subbulakshmi rendered this at the UN. This melodious piece can be heard here

Of course, how can i forget "Enna Tavam seidhane...Yashoda" which is also in Kaapi, which once again talks abt Yashoda and Krishna. This song drives me nuts really!! A marvelous song!

Kaapi truly scintillates me!

Save Trees Campaign! Do they serve their real purpose?

2010-01-09T22:09:00.001+05:30

IDEA mobile is always known for its unique campaigns, rather IDEAS :) So after the stupendous success of "What an IDEA sirji" & "Walk while you talk", we now have Abhishek Bachhan asking us to save trees.

In IDEA's latest ad, we have Abhishek as a tree showing us how mobiles can replace paper.

I'm not sure if such campaigns really serve their purpose. Every year, we have hundreds of groups protesting the felling of trees. I'm sure we have a "Save Tree day" that is celebrated every year. Most of the urban youth must have a T - Shirt with a picture of a tree & a caption that reads "Save Trees". And of course, walkathons & marathons are organized at regular intervals and we have celebrities enthusiastically participating in them and claiming to promote the cause of trees.

But how many of us really care about it?? Just wearing a T-Shirt or talking about saving the planet is just not going to help. We still watch helplessly as hundreds of trees are being felled for the construction of Metro rail in Bangalore. We all talk about saving the planet, yet how many of us have stopped wasting paper??

I think its we who have to make a difference. Each one of us have to really do something for the cause and not merely pay lip service. Unless we act, I'm afraid that all such campaign will go in vain

Robert Frost & Code Duplication???

2009-12-06T21:06:00.004+05:30

So... it was a nice & sunny day and i was busy typing out some lines in C++, when my good friend stopped by my cubicle for a small chat. And suddenly, his eyes lingered on my desktop background. I had put up a picture of a lonely road leading into the wild woods and i had edited the picture so that it now had some of the best known lines in English poetry,

"The Woods are lovely, dark and deep
But I have promises to keep
And miles to go before I sleep
And miles to go before I sleep"

But my peer peered through his glasses & declared,
"This is not good poetry! Its flawed".
Now...I have never come across anyone who despises this piece of poetry by Robert Frost. In fact, there have been countless interpretations by various people for decades together. With a bewildered look on my face, I retaliated and said,
"But Why do you say so?"

He replied with a smile on his face, "See the last 2 lines...I have miles to go before my sleep, And miles to go before I sleep. That's Code Duplication!! 2 out of 4 lines are repeated! 50% duplication!! Robert Frost would have been a very bad programmer!!"

I was just shocked for a moment. I don't think anybody would have looked at this from this angle.So, I just smiled and marveled at the human brain & the capacity of every human to think differently :)

When Sachin Scores A Century...

2009-11-08T18:38:00.002+05:30

I love to sleep.I need a minimum of 9 hrs sleep everyday.In fact i go to bed by 10 p.m every night amazes all my friends. I wouldn't sacrifice my sleep for anything in the world. But of course, there is one thing that makes me sit up the whole night.
An adrenaline pumping cricket match in which India have the unmistakable lead!! :)

So... on Nov 5th, when India played against Australia in Hyderabad, I was naturally excited. The series evenly placed at 2-2, this match was a sort of a morale booster to the winning team. I was all geared up for the match. Cans of soft drinks, pop corn & mom's special evening bajjis were waiting, ready to be munched in between the commercials. Me, sis and Dad were all glued to the TV set.

Australia started the innings with a quickfire 91 by Watson. Not very promising for India. "Lets wait for some time..." said my optimistic Dad." I'm sure our top bowlers will rattle through the Australian middle order." But Shane & Shaun showed no signs of resigning from the game! :( After nearly 25 overs, Indian bowlers got a breakthrough. "Aha...this is what we were waiting for...Now ...wickets will tumble ..." said I, cleverly :)

Unfortunately for India (and fortunately for Australia) the fall of a wicket did not seem to affect the morale of the Australian team. So...even as a wicket fell here and there...Australians players came and went and kept adding to the scoreboard. At the end of the innings, the scoreboard read: 350/4

A deep gloom descended on the living room. The bisi-bisi bajjis had become cold now. My dad got up from the sofa and declared ,"I knew this would happen!!! The Indian players are always like this! We are definitely going to lose now!". With that announcement, my Dad left the living room. But, I always seem to have a deep rooted faith in our team.
"No Appa...I shouted back! Sachin is there...when he is there..we have nothing to fear!"
My Dad smiled and said, " Nandini...if Sachin scores a century, India will lose today. So..lets pray that he plays well but gets out at 99"
"No way...", I retaliated. "Sachin is gonna make a 100 and we are going to win!!"

"Lets see..", said my Dad

And of course, India got to a thundering start with Tendulkar blasting the Aussie bowlers. And when he got his half century, i jumped up, fist in the air and gave menacing smile at Dad. He reminded me again..."Don't be too optimistic..." I gave an indifferent stare and continued watching the match.

At 99, my dad was praying that Tendulkar gets out. My dad put up a long face when he discovered that he had just crossed the 100 mark. "We are definitely going to lose today...Its always been like that..When Tendulkar scores a century, India loses. Do you remember the India-Pak match in 2003 world cup?? Sachin scored 98 and then got out. That's why we won!" , declared Dad.

At the 47th over, Hauritz got T'kar's wicket. Does it matter?? With just 19 runs to score out of 13 balls, it seemed like child's play. And then it happened, India's tail fell like a pack of cards to the Aussies. At the onset of the 49th over, we needed 8 runs off 6 balls...Only a miracle could save India now!! And then Praveen Kumar fell just a few inches short of the crease. The decision was in the hands of the third umpire. As the LG smiley revolved in the huge screen on the field, Im sure that 1 billion Indians must have been nervously chewing their finger nails. And then..came the verdict... " OUT "

I let out a huge sigh. Another match just slipped through our fingers!! :(

Dad with the Oh-I-told-you-so look, gave me a cunning smile and said
"I told you...When Sachin scores a century...........India loses"

For once...i agree...... :(

So...What did you do this weekend?

2009-10-25T21:26:00.001+05:30

Having been an integral part of the software industry for almost one year now, there is one question that is thrown to me every monday morning.Almost every Tom,Dick and Harry (Jane and Mary too :P) ask me the same thing....
"What did you over the weekend?"

hmmm....its not like one can go on a Mediterranean holiday over the weekend!Anyways,when my answer is "I was just @ home,sleeping and relaxing .." people give me a bewildered look!
"Thats all? You didnt do anything else??

Well...that question kinda stirred my thoughts and one fine day i thought, why not do something interesting during the weekend?? So i decided to do the following things over a particular weekend

1) Wake up early & practise yoga

2) Help mom in doing the dishes

3) Catch up with some old friends - that means chit chatting, catching on some old coll gossip & spending abt 100/- on a cup of coffee @ CCD which has a super sexy name like "American Coffee Fiesta" or "Tropical Double Sundae with Choco blast " but tastes like muck! But hey...once u've ordered it u atleast got to pretend its good!! ( illa andre...friends munde maana maryaade ella hogathe :P)

4) Watch a brand new hindi/english flick

5) Read a good book

I glanced over the list that i had just prepared with the same sense of pride & joy that the framers of our constitution might have had when they had prepared the first draft of the Indian Constitution. I now had so many things to tell my friends on monday morning! :)

I saved the .txt file that i was working on, switched off my laptop & went to bed on friday night. Btw, i dutifully set the alarm clock to 6 o'clock sharp and then pulled over my bedsheet gracefully & entered my dreamland.

I was in the midst of a blissful dream, when the alarm went off. Frowning i got up and checked the time. 6 a.m on a beautiful Saturday morning. Who in the right sense would want to get up now?? I mean...this is the best time to sleep. And trust me, going back to sleep at this heavenly hour feels so good. But what abt the plans that i had made? "Of course...", my inner self replied , "We can postpone our plans by a few hours..No harm in that :)"

The sun was overhead when i actually got up. I looked at the clock. 11:59 a.m.
Noon already?? Ok...there goes my yoga plans. No one practices yoga at noon.
Ok..this will have to be postponed to next weekend. But of course I can definitely do the other things mentioned before.

By the time I took bath it was 2 and then I had my brunch @ 2:30 :)

Now...time for a movie!! I called up my friends and suggested that we watch a movie.
So..we spent the next 1/2 hr deciding on which movie to watch. Finally, we settled for Kamal Hassan's latest flick. Excited, I logged in to book the tickets online.
Surprise!! No tickets available for any major movie this weekend unless u want to watch some third rate regional flick. Ok, so no luck there.

The rest of the day was spent @ CCD drinking a brand new coffee drink ( Cookie Medley! looked inviting but tasted terrible!! ). And by the time i came back home it was dinner time and all i did was eat and then go to bed.

Sunday was no better. Though i had a copy of Ludlum, I never bothered reading it :) I ended up watching medieval Hindi movies ( Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, Amar Akbar Anthony)
and before i could realize, Sunday was over!! Another weekend had just slipped through my fingers!! :(

Before going to bed, I looked at the beautiful txt file that I had prepared on Friday night. I smiled. I closed the file, seleted the icon & Pressed "Shift + Del".

They say the satisfaction that you get out of destruction is unparalleled :)

Afternote:

Monday morning
---------------

Colleague: So...how was your weekend?? What did u do?
Me: I was just @ home,sleeping and relaxing ..."
Colleague: Thats all!! You didn't do anything else???

Girl against the jungle

2009-10-25T20:42:00.001+05:30

"....I was in a wild forest, surrounded by tall trees.I don't know how tall they were...because try as i might i could not see the top of the trees. hmmm....weird!

Dont ask me what i was doing here. I don't even know how i got here. In fact i don't seem to remember anything at all. Who am I here? Why am I here all alone? Where are my belongings? Did I have any belongings in the first place??

All these thoughts flashed through my mind. I didn't have an answer to any of them.

I took a few steps forward. The dry leaves on the ground crackled under my body weight. It was a strange, spooky sound.The kind of eerie sound that we so often come across in Horror movies.

I could hear a constant buzzing sound. What could this be?? crickets?? bees?? wasps??
I don't know what it was..but it was definitely scary. Suddenly , i could hear a strange hissing sound. Definitely snakes! ( you may ask how. But cmon ppl, I've watched enough Hindi movies to confirm this fact).

Beads of sweat adorned my forehead. I could hear my the sound of my heart thumping. My pulse quickening....What do i do ?? How do i get out of this place???

Hey ...what was that sound? Some wild animal looking for its prey?? Oops....

Now i was REALLY scared! I have to escape from this place. I have to find a way out. but how??

Somewhere in the distance, I could hear the sound of water hitting a rock. A waterfall?? Yes....this is my only hope. I need to get there somehow!! The stream will surely lead to me some other place. Perhaps a place with human habitation.Or perhaps...nothing at all!

I had to make a choice and that too, a quick one. "Run ...Run" , said my inner self.
"This is your only chance. Run or else become meat for a hungry wild beast"

Yes...i had to run. Left with no other choice, I blindly followed my intuition and ran towards the source of the sound. I ran for almost 10 whole minutes and then ... i saw it.

It was the most beautiful sight i had ever seen in my whole life. A tall, steep hill and water gushing from its cliff to fall 50 ft downwards into the bottom below.
Wisps of smoke seemed to engulf the junction where the falling water met the placid lake. Goosebumps popped up on my skin. I was feeling cold. Somehow, this landscape made me forget the grave danger I was in for a few moments.

All of a sudden, i could hear a tiny beeping sound. This sound seemed to get louder and louder. I had no idea of where it was coming from. I turned around, panicking.
"Hello...is anyone there?" . No response.

The sound was becoming increasingly loud. I couldn't take it any longer. The sound was becoming unbearable. No..........it seemed to rattle through my head! I crouched down, hands over my head.

Stop!!!!!!!! Thhhhhhissssssss ssssoundddddddd........
Itssssss ddddesssstrrrooooyyinnnng me!!!!!

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO..............."

I was catapulted into reality. The alarm on my NOKIA 3110 was beeping.

5:00 a.m.
24th October 2009, Saturday

uuggggghhhhh..........Why do i forget to disable the alarm when i go to bed on Friday night???

Rahmanism

2009-08-01T21:14:00.001+05:30

Enough had been said about the musical genius A.R.Rahman!We've grown up listening and enjoying his compositions. I'm not going to write abt his best compositions. In fact, I guess no one can ever draw up a "top 10 best songs" list. But this post is going to be about those compositions of Rahman that have influenced me :) This is a set of songs that brings back nostalgic memories of different parts of my life.

so...lets get started ..shall we?

1) Humma Humma (Bombay)

One of my personal favourites.This was a cult favourite way back in the 90's when Bombay film had just released.I vividly remember my neighbour who was a elderly person, in his sixties complaining abt this song to my grandma all because this song was played morning ,noon and night on local tv channels "Humma Humma nu oru paatu vandurku aarungo maami....moochu erake eraka paadaran...ennaku bayama iruku! (Translated: He(singer) sings as though he is gasping for his breath!I'm really scared abt what will happen to the poor singer if he continues to sing this way!)lol

2)Thee Thee (Thiruda Thiruda)

one AMAZING song!!! The flute interlude and the clever drum beats make this song a must - listen!! Vairamuthu lyrics add vigour to this number. "Boovi eerpu sakti thaandi po...puthu ulagam parandu po.." Somehow this fascinated me! :) Honestly...this is one song i can listen to...on and on and on...without getting bored at all!

3)Jiya Jale (Dil Se)

I really dont know why but everytime i listen to this song, i get goosebumps!! :P

The unique fusion of hindi & malayalam gives that special feel to this song.And i love the charanam "Dekta ha hai tan mera, man mein chupti hai nazar..."

But i really wished someone other than Lata Mangeshkar had sung it...Nevertheless...this is one of his best pieces indeed

4)Anjali Anjali (Duet)

How can i forget this masterpiece from the maestro?? I would be pure blasphemy if i had missed this one! SPB's brilliant rendering of this song and Sujata's high pitched voice are simply mind blowing.Check out the Sax instrumental in the beginning of the song!The way he concludes the interlude after Sujata's "la-la-la" and the short musical piece played on the casio that follows next truly has the makings of a genius

5)Hai Rama (Rangeela)

This melancholic number set in Pantuvarali is sure to squeeze out tears from the eyes of the listener.Swarnalatha does complete justice to this song and is well complemented by Hariharan.

6)Kadhalikum pennin (Kaadhalan)

This is a peppy feel good number from the Mozart of Madras :) Cute lyrics and some superb choreography make this an entirely enjoyable one! Check out the part where SPB dances with Prabhu Deva in Bharatnayam style :):)

7)Kannamoochi yenada(Kandukonden Kandukonden)

Rahman proved his versatility with this semi classical number based on NattaiKurunji raga with traces of Sahana.The violin interlude is spell binding.Of course, the picturisation is simply superb! Aishwaya Rai definitely look her best in this song.

8) Rehna Tu (Delhi 6)

One of the best compositions i have heard in a long long time!! Rahman himself has rendered this song in his trademark husky tone.The classical piece towards the end of the song is brilliant.My God! how did he even come up with such a piece!!
Can anyone out there tell me which raga this is based on?

9)Munbe Va(Sillunu oru kaadhal)

All credits for this song go to Shreya Goshal and Naresh Iyer!! Check out the first 30 secs of the song...breathtaking!!

10)Nenji jil jil (Kannathil Mutham ittal)

Im always at a loss for words when i listen to this song.The ultimate expression of motherhood! An mother expressing her love for her beautiful daughter.Soulfully rendered by Chinmayi

Of course, I can write pages and pages abt Rahamnism but these are a couple of songs that i listen to..over and over and over and over again :P

Significance of Samasrayanam/Bharanyasam

2009-07-12T15:30:00.001+05:30

I have always wondered about the significance of rituals, homas ,pujas and other such things in our much revered Hindu religion(originally known as Sanathana Dharmam).For example,Why are our weddings so elaborate? Why do we follow so many rituals in day to day life? What is the point of performing "Sandya Vandanam" everyday? My mind continues to be boggled by such never ending questions??

So,let me come to the point. A few days before my parents paid a visit to the Ahobila Mutt to seek the blessings of the Jeeyar(In case you dont know who that is - Jeeyar refers to the guru of us all Iyengars,just as Shankaracharya is the jagadguru for ppl of other sects).And they came back,having undergone the rituals of "Samasrayanam" and "Bharanyasam".

Btw ,I belong to that sect of youngsters who take nothing for granted! If you want me to perform some rituals,you have no choice but to explain the significance of it in DETAIL:)

So...I gathered some interesting information on the above mentioned rituals.
"Samasrayanam" is the process of a Guru/Acharya initiating a person into the family of SriVaishnavites
(OMG!! I cant believe I actually gave a Software Engg -like definition for this...lol :) )
So,the Jeeyar initiates this process by heating the emblems of Maha Vishnu i.e the Chakra and the Conch and embossing them on the arms of the devotee.This means that the Acharya has accepted the devotee as his disciple.The devotee on the other hand promises to live as per the wishes of his Guru.

Why Sangu(Conch) and Chakra??Why not anything else??
Sangu(Conch) - represents auspisciousness
Chakra - wards off all evil

A person who has undergone this ceremonial branding is expected to lead a pious life, giving up all materialistic pleasures.

So much for Samarayanam.Lets have a look at Bharanyasam.
Bharanyasam is derived from the Sanskrit word "Bhaaram" meaning burden.
The whole purpose of this ceremony is to remove all burdens from your shoulders and surrender yourself to God.A devotee having undergone Bharanyaasam is expected to completely surrender himself to Maha Vishnu!This is a total and unconditional surrender to the Supreme Being.In simpler terms,it means that you have realised that Maha Vishnu is the ultimate truth.

We all must be familiar with the concept of "Confessions" in Christianity.This is something similar to that.You ask the Lord to relieve you of all your sins and also promise Him that you will henceforth stick to the path of Dharma.

But of course,there are certain clauses that a devotee is expected to adhere to.
For example,He/She is forbidden from worshipping any other God than Maha Vishnu.At first, I felt that this kind of a restriction didn't make sense.Aren't all forms of God supposed to be equal?Why do we earthly beings have to discriminate among the various manifestations of the Supreme Being?

The answer to this question is in itself another question :)
You have completely surrendered to Vishnu.He has promised to liberate you from the cycle of birth and death.You have realised that He is the ultimate truth!
Why worry about anything else then? Hmm..Simple enough!

BTW, I have to mention that many ppl I have come across,haven't truly understood the essence of Vaishnavism.Being a Vaishnavite is NOT about ridiculing all other manifestations of God.Its NOT about being "madi" and NOT eating out. Its NOT about simply wearing a Madisaar/Panchkacham and saying "Naanga Samasrayanam/Bharanyasam pannind irkom".

Its a pact that you have entered into with Him.And you are expected to live up to it :)

Ponniyin Selvan...a historical masterpiece!!

2009-06-21T20:03:00.001+05:30

"Aadhi antham illada kaala vellathil,karpanai odathil naamudan seri siridu neram prayanam seyyumaaru neyargalai azhaikirom"

Thus starts Kalki's magnum opus "Ponniyin Selvan" , inviting the reader to join him and travel back to the chozha era in history.The journey starts there and Kalki truly transports you back to that magnificent period in Indian history!

Man....What a book!! Thrash all other books that claim to be fantasies and pick up a copy of Ponniyin Selvan! Kalki has weaved fact with fiction so cleverly that u never know the difference! Each character leaves an everlasting imprint on the mind of the reader! Kudos to Kalki indeed!!

Personally my favourite character is Poonguzhali - the "odakaara penn" aka boatwoman who secretly longs for ArulMozhi Varmar.Kalki has portrayed her as a beautiful and courageous yet eccentric girl.
Who can forget the beautiful melancholic verses penned by Kalki for Poonguzhali?

"Alai Kadalum Oyindirukka Aga Kadal dhaan Ponguvanden?? "

No one knows the answer to your question Poonguzhali! :)

Of course Kalki has created more such unforgettable characters

1) Vallavarayan Vandiya Devan - The hero of this epic.Clever & astute and successfully woos the princess - Kundavai
2)Kundavai - Daughter of Sundara Chozhar & sister of ArulMozhi.Kalki portrays her as an independent and intelligent woman who is the real power behind the throne
3)Nandini - Of course,who can forget this mystic "Maya Mohini"? She is revenge personified.She cleverly uses her husband as a pawn in the game in a bid to take revenge on the crown prince
4)Azhwar Kadiyan - The Vaishanvite spy who is a master of disguises.Kalki uses him to provide comic relief to break the monotony of the story
5)Aditya Karikalan - The melancholic "Sogame vadivaana" crown prince who is smitten by Nandini and is ready to do anything to gain her forgiveness

If you've been reading this so far...what else are u waiting for?? Go grab a copy of this great work and start reading!!

Of course there is a lot more to write about this masterpiece but im saving them for my next post :)

My Favorite Ragas

2009-05-24T13:56:00.001+05:30

Imagine this:
A calm & pleasant evening.Leaves rustling in the air.Tiny droplets of rain are falling down from the Grey sky,cooling the ambiance around you.A piping hot cup of tea awaits you.Well...what more do you want??Some music?? :)

Yes, the perfect evening for some music that soothes your ears.And what better than "Sahana" ??

Sahana- One of the most soothing ragas i have ever heard.It is one of my favorite ragas.I don't think there can be anyone who would not fall in love with this this simple yet scintillating raga.

It is a sampoorna raga where the notes follow a zig zag structure.
Arohanam:S R2 G3 M1 P M1 D2 N2 S
Avarohanam:S N2 D2 P M1 G3 M1 R2 G3 R2 S

Hats off to A.R.Rahaman for weaving magic out of sahana in the song "Anbe Sugama"(Parthale Paravasam).Just listen to this masterpiece! Dont miss the beautiful violin score.

One of my eternal favorite raga is ReethiGowle.This raga as the name suggests is supposed to bring "Reethi" or method into the mind of the listener! Interesting isn't it?
Arohanam: Sa Ga Ri Ga Ma Ni Da Ma Ni Ni Sa
Avarohanam: Sa Ni Da Ma Ga Ma Pa Ma Ga Sa

This is not one that is commonly used in film songs or even carnatic music songs but is one such raga that will instantly delight the listener.Dont believe me?? Have you heard the song "Kangal Irandal" from Subramaniapuram?? Now...how many ppl do u know who didnt like it?? :)

Rahman's "Azhagan Rakshasiye" from Mudhalvan is a superb composition in Reethigowle.SPB's excellent rendering of the song adds more vigour to this raaga.Check out the part where he goes "Kiliye....aala Kiliye"! Reethigowle is in full fervour!

Sahana & ReethiGowle - I LOVE you :)

Ayan! A crass commercial entertainer

2009-05-17T19:07:00.001+05:30

To begin with let me confess that i am a die hard surya fan!Ive always felt that he is one actor who has evolved with his films.From a non impressive debut in Nerukku ner(trust me! i really thought a star-kid like him sans acting,sans dancing will ever make it big in tamil cinema!)and then starring as a non significant actor in multi starrer movies to finally striking gold with movies like Kaakha Kaakha & Ghajini - he has definitely evolved as an actor!! With Ayan , Surya has opted for a crass,commercial subject to establish himself in the league of tamil cinema's so called top heroes! sigh!!!

Ayan is all about the world of smuggling.Surya plays the role of deva ,a smuggler who works for Prabhu.His arch rival is Kamlesh, who wants to be the numeruno in the smuggling industry.The entire movie is all about how Surya succeeds in successfully smuggling goods into the country - ( Dicaprio in "Catch me if you can" anyone?).Of course you have the quintessential tamil cinema ingredients of romance , crass comedy n stunts thrown in to make it a "masala entertainer" :)

The movie starts on a high note with surya flaunting his English skills in the airport.5 mins later we discover that he is in fact smuggling diamonds!Veteran actor Prabhu dons the role of the chief smuggler - but wait..this guy is an "honest" one who considers it a sacrilege to smuggle drugs!!(big deal!as if smuggling diamonds is all right!!) As one of the sidekicks rightly points out "Pannaradu Kadathal idla needhi nermai vera!!" lol :D

The movie shifts focus to Congo where he is sent on a mission to get diamonds.Congo is a very rare place for movies to be shot! so i was kind a surprised!The action scenes in this part are worth a mention.Brilliant stuff indeed !!

Just like in all tamil movies, here you have a villain Kamlesh(Akashdeep Saigal) who is the typical baddie! He speaks outrageously,smuggles heroin n cocaine,smokes ,drinks,flirts with women...etc etc.And he constantly locks horns with our dear hero n is out to get him.But behold even though our hero here is also in the same "profession" he is an honest young man who wouldnt dream of looking at anybody other than his lady love! Of course, he is a typical tamil masala hero...how dare he look at anyone else?? :P

Tamannah plays Surya's love interest.Supposedly studying B Pharm,....but u would never see her going to college :P The cell phone comedy between Surya n Tamannah belongs to what i call the "mokkai genre" , still it does induce laughter! :-)

The rest of the movie completely consists of action and bloody gory scenes with the hero ultimately trouncing on the villain - the usual tale of good wins over evil..and tada...the movie ends with Surya turning a new leaf and leading a new life.

Surya's performance is definitely good but i really wished he would have selected a better subject after the highly successful Varanam Ayiram.Its sad that he also has fallen prey to commercial movies (double sigh!!) I would still say that VA was a much better movie that Ayan.I simply loved Surya's polished looks and attitude in that one.Ive always loved Gautham Menon's heroines....each one of them is smart,independent & is in total control of her life!.Honestly ,in which other movie would you find the heroine curtly refusing to marry the hero and moving on to pursuing her higher studies?

Anyways, Ayan is just 3 hrs of edge-of-the-seat type action with loads of the usual masala items like songs, item numbers & sentiment thrown in.

Go for it if you belong to that genre :)

But in case you belong to the multiplex crowd who look for credible cinema....take my advice.. go get a copy of Varanam Ayiram or Ghajini or Kaakha Kaakha! :)

Calvin n Hobbes - my new love :)

2009-03-07T18:40:00.001+05:30

Well........i never thought that I would fall in love with a comic book! and that too with the adventures of a 6 yr old boy and his pet stuffed tiger! :P

The other day i was talking to my colleague over a cup of tea about how monotonous software developer's lives can get and lamenting about the lack of time to read something new and interesting.And thats when he suggested that i try reading "Calvin n Hobbes"

Sreeni:"Loosu of india!Have u ever read Calvin and Hobbes?"
Me: "Calvin n Hobbes??? You mean that ridiculous comic that appears on the 2nd page of Bangalore Times??Plzzzzzzzzz....loosu....im no kid!"
Sreeni : "Try it loosu...i'll give u the book....its amazingly funny....I couldnt stop laughing"
Me: " Ok.....fine..pass it on...i'll try reading it"

And so Sreeni diligently gave me the book the next day(the only thing that he has done on time till now :P)

And trust me...i fell completely in love with it! For ppl who dont know abt this comic strip, its the adventures of an imaginative 6 yr old boy called Calvin & his pet stuffed tiger called Hobbes written and illustrated by Bill Watterson.
Calvin is a witty , energetic , bad tempered kid who hates going to school.He gets low grades all the time but is quite smart.Though Hobbes is a stuffed toy,to Calvin he is a real tiger and his sole playmate

I'm posting a few of my fav strips.I'm not compelling you to read it but its definitely worth a try :)
This was the first ever strip from Watterson which introduced us to the world of Calvin

Lazy Calvin!!

This strip just illustrates his ability to cook up the best ever stories :) but,..as usual they arent enough to impress good old mom or ms.Wormwood , his school teacher

Susie Derkins is Calvin's classmate and also the girl he has a crush on.But he refuses to acknowledge this and tries to outwit her every time.

This one's a complete surprise from Watterson.In this u can Calvin and Hobbes shed tears for each other.But of course,his sense of humour is quite predominant in this emotional scene

Oh ya...i hope to finish the entire series of this great comic strip!! I will :) :)

My Experiments with Cooking :)

2009-02-15T11:30:00.001+05:30

Ok.........im no Tarla Dalal or Sanjeev Kapoor when it comes to cooking :) But i thought that it was time to test my culinary skills.So..one fine morning,when mom wasnt @ home...i decided to explore the kitchen.

Dad suggested that i make "mendiya kozhambu"!( Well..for u non-tamilians,mendiya kozhambu is made from fenugreek seeds and tamarind and it is one of THE standard iyengar dishes!!).but i had no clue as to how to go abt making it. After an hour and half of an extensive search(no!i didnt use Binary Search!! :P) , i finally laid my hands upon a copy of "South Indian Dishes" by Mallika Badrinath.I carefully dusted the 1/2 inch of grime that lay upon the book and scanned the contents.

Mendiya Kozhambu - pg 107

I neatly arranged the ingredients on a plate

The recipe asked me to fry "manatha kaalika vathal" ...dont ask me what that is!! i have no clue...finally dad found some for me and i went about frying it along with some mustard & fenugreek seeds
Now...the book asked me to "fry" all the stuff...but there was no indication of when to stop the activity.And the typical sofware engg that i am ..i need unambiguous and precise instructions! So....the result?? The contents of the kadai had turned into a revolting black color!

Dad was mad now :)
Dad: adhukku dhaan naa appove sonnen...concentration inge irukanam
Me: Appa...po pa!! naa enna pannaradu?? adhuve karuppa ayiduthu
Dad:Nee sonna pechaiye keka maate!
Me:po Pa!!

After a futile blame- game session, i proceeded to add the tamarind water and let it boil.Now...according to the recipe book ,i had to wait until the mixture boiled and then add the seasoning.So, i decided to catch a glimpse of Surya's latest song until the kozhambu reached boiling point.Dont blame me!! :D Surya rocks!!! It was only after 10 minutes that i realised that there was still some unfinished activity in the kitchen! oops.......too late
The kozhambu was far beyond boiling point!! and the vessel had turned black!!
So much for Surya!!!

Now i had to cover up this fiasco before Dad realized what had happened.I quickly emptied the contents into another bowl and added the seasoning!Well....hehe...it didnt look promising either! :D

Nevertheless, now it was time for the most important phase in cooking!! that is...tasting it!!! Obviously I didnt want to be the guinea pig!!neither did my sis (the smart,no-risks gal that she is!) So...It had to be my Dad

I silently served him rice along with the kozhambu.I looked at him with fear and anxiety in my eyes.Dad unwillingly had a morsel of Kozhambu saadam and after a few seconds exclaimed,

" Nandini...indha kozhambu enga aatha vekkara kozhambhu vida nalla irku!!!!!!!!!!!"

Yipeeeeeeeeeee!!!!!!!!!!!