Churning effect!

Have u felt that feeling of churning inside your stomach mostly caused due to nostalgia..
Last sunday when I decided to walk down the memory lanes - literally that is, along the lanes I used to spend my time during my college days..
I first went to the house I stayed in the late 80s, last couple of years of my college life,on RH road..thats now a hotel! (churn count-2)
Then walked along that (in)famous road to the tea shop (mahesh tea shop?) where we used to consume more tea than what we used to consume from our books:-) infact in this tea shop of our many midnights, we used to have a running account.(hey..i swear we settled them all)..hmm..good old days..any time “t” time..(CC - 3)
Just opposite that tea shop next to the 'these day's standard chartered bank' used to be my friend's snacks shop..as i used to discuss passionately about politix, movies and books, i used to open the variety of huge bottles filled with various chips and south Indian snackoos, which added so much spice to the topics, literally! (CC - 5)..met that owner friend too, who incidentally has reduced his 'across the counter sales' to supply to caterers..
Then went to the house next to AVM studio - my famous night study adda..where we chased a small petty thief one midnight and made a big hungama about it to our neighbour - IG of police then! so were thrilled to see the beat police come every night and 'show us' off their presence just to let that news spill to the IG..ha..haa..we made the police work in nights bcos of our brush with a petty thief (nalla venum..he..hee..) btw CC-2
Then went to RH road again, but the great YMIA hostel where most of my college mates from the neighbouring states used to stay..(ok, no confessions here off why they preferred this to the college hostel..if u infer they were chucked out of the hostel, its ur choice..iam not going to spill the beans here..thats for another day) That run down haunted building is still there housing such colorful students like my 'old' friends but there is a hep building just in front of that now - ymia commercial complex! how many days of laughter, pulling each others legs to hearts content, staying after night shows, combined efforts to night study... (CC- 5)
Then I go across the thiruvalluvar statue to that dungeon of middle class houses where I spent some time during the first working days..those run down roads, dilapidated temples - all in same conditions, even that old corner house in the same shape..(CC-5)
Touché: as I walk there in that street, I think of one of my class girls who we were told had settled (after marriage?) there in that street, but I never got to meet her then in the early 90s. Now to some interesting facts: This girl (need i say beautiful - the very reason for a recount more than explains it ain't?) was in my class from kg till 5th and crossed over to a girls school. In that period of kg to 5th too, she was the brightest and pleasant faces. We did follow her growth once a while though she was blocks away and in a different school. We were indeed pleased the way she was shaping up. I mean academically! Then we all spread away from our small town to various cities and towns for furthering our studies and in effect our careers. In between wondering once in a while what she would be doing! and to think of she being in the same area after a decade, though allegedly married - no rumour is to be fully believed u know, we learnt that the hard way in many other cases. But no luck..we never bumped on her. Hey..was that long enough already? so enough of flash back..now cut it back to present.
As I walk the memory lane here, I bump on her near that madhs temple..what a pleasant surprise..after all our rumors then were right..she had indeed married and happily settled in that same street from 90s..ahemm..to talk of CC,it did happen..but sorry lost the count;-)

Punctuality!

I wonder how many of us remember this virtue!
Its like this. I took an appointment with a doc for my father. I was promptly give 9pm! I protested saying he is an old man and sleeps early (ok after that shoopid serial, still) and gets too tired these days..and after all this visit is more a gen check up more to get a ‘clearance certificate’ for a dental activity. No other time in the near future said the doc’s assistant. We promptly went there just before 9pm..some 10kms from our house..but when I approached the assistant, he said “only 6.30 case is going now..it will take another couple of hours”..and I thought 9pm was late!

While I accept that docs have a variety of reasons, mostly very serious n genuine, to come late or to attend to people..but such 3- 4 hours is taking people for granted. My pop says its normal and that’s why he wud take a moring appointment with him, so he can be back home by evening.
This set me thinking. Can’t this doc plan his patients with more clarity. Give some 30 mins for each patient and allocate appointment accordingly and if u save time, meet those who come without app.hmm..

But they are not the only offenders..I see this callous attitude for time at many places.

While I was in my friend’s office he was just mentioning me he was going to visit a friend in Vepperi. (6kms) and just then he received a call from his wify and he coolly says “ya..ya we are going for sure dear..I shall come home to pick you up..I shall be there in half hour..am just going to vepperi and be home soon”..man! to vepperi and back will consume, even if I assume he spends only 5 mins with his friend will take him 45 mins and from here to his house another 15 mins...so a cool mention of wrong time..

I was just walking next to my house, near alwarpet signal..and here I over hear a bike guy promising on his cell- “ no..no in 5 mins I shall be there..Iam just near the fly over, at the signal..shud be there any moment..” I was impressed! But only for a few seconds before he said “the Gemini flyover” where as he was at alwarpet flyover..so 5 mins is impossible!

I should confess here that in my younger days I used to consider punctuality a virtue of joblessness. But with time (I mean age) I am recognizing what a virtue it is. It’s a sham to take some body else’s time for granted and ruin it.

So ladies and gmen! (ahemm..all u 1000s of readers of this blog;-))
When u teach your kids (or others' as in the case of some ‘teachers’ who visit here) about honesty, hygiene, cleanliness, traffic sense etc please add this virtue too as a very important one. Please…

wanna help..think!

to lighten up..a real story..
My sis had moved to a new place and applied for a fone thru Dot and got it. The number happened to be one used (prolly years back) by a doctor. So lots of calls started coming asking for the doc. While I was there I suggested we find out that doc’s new number and give when people call. After all its anxious distressed people calling!
The next day I happened to receive a call asking for that doc and I promptly gave the new number we happened to fish out. Yeah, I was smiling on having accomplished a cool favor! Pat came a call in few minutes..hey! I remember this voice, I was thinking..and the caller happens to be the one who had called for the doc a few mins back..and here he was coolly asking me – “sir! That number u gave me keeps on ringing! Any idea on the doctors schedule..”
Phew...and u think I cud have replied..no..I was astonished and bowled to even open my mouth for quite some time;-)

Steel noise

This Mittal noise is so high here in India..I cant understand..
I do find the racist comments from EU hurting. All these 'globalising giants' are only preachers for other countries but never the ones to open their economy/gates! But let that digression stay..I have other questions..what has Mittal done to India? What's his investment here? close to nothing..there has been some gas statements on and off, but never delivered. Don’t we remember that even for his daughter’s marriage he chose Versailles palace and not any exotic locale in India! Now every one (yeah our MSM) is talking of Indian Govt needing to pitch in. But why, I pray? He for one knows how to maneuver govts across the globe and am sure he is capable of handling his shit himself. Why shud GOI pitch,in his troubled waters? When we have hardly done anything diplomatically possible for many deserved cases! If ONGC or some other public sector (lets even ignore the other innumerable private ones that we can think of) were stuck in some deal, wud GOI even react, forget bailing out..
I hope this noise dies a normal death - swiftly.

me a disciple..

One of those old moral story goes like this: There was this great saint who went off on a pilgrimage with his disciples, needless to say they all had a big reverence for the guru. As they went past one of the forests there was this river they had to cross. Suddenly they spot a beautiful young lady who had to cross this river too, but did not know to swim and was sitting there on the banks, maha worried. The disciples all behave like they did not notice her and proceed. So the guru who could not ignore her struggling ,offers to carry her on his shoulder to the other side and promptly does so, thus helping her reach the other bank. Then he proceeds on his mission followed by his disciples who are baffled. So confused and confounded were they, that they hardly pronounced a word. None had the courage to question the guru. Suddenly one of the disciples mustered strength and posed a question to the guru – “ Guruji. We are all confused and affected by your act of carrying a lady on your shoulders. After all we are sanyasis and that was a beautiful damsel at that..” For this the guruji said with a smile – “ my dear! I dropped her on the banks long back and you people seem to be carrying her still”..
So looks like I am like one of the disciples..I still cant stop thinking of it..
Prolly one of the best bollywood movies made..hmmm..

Just three words!

While I mean all the three points said at the end of this post,
just three words now:
DONT MISS IT!

Cinema for (NRI) dummies..

If u were one like me brought up in a small town with 2 Rupees or 2.90 as the highest ticket in cinemas, u need to read this by rote and then only attempt going to movies back home here..
No! u don’t walk or cycle across to the theatre (ok..if u were in the west by now u wud have been admonished innumerable times that u DON’T get to see movies in a theatre!)..

U decide to see a movie, then just get the number and dial! Now the experience of having called callcentres comes to ur help now..u patiently wait;-) Then the person who takes ur call wishes u, brushes u and enquires ur choice..u ask about availability of tickets for the movie of ur choice and its delivered at your home! And the cost is decided by when and what time u wanna make it.

The theatre is not like what it used to be even 5 years back. Forget the mayajaals and recent breeds, even sathyam complex (chennai) has been redesigned and has some dozen theatres in the same place! The architect should have been good at solving cubes/puzzles..The theatres have hep names like studio5, six degrees etc.. The ambience is great..these new ones are cute and small, with excellent audio and only few seats..so looks like ‘thangam’ (madurai) and kalai arangam (trichy) days are gone..so much like the cinemas of the west- in ambience, food courts, audio-more milder & crisp, few in number but comfy seats..

Ok now to more imp points – for rote..

a)Enquire well before booking. Don’t insist on a particular day/show. Then u will land up shaking hands with the hero/heroin. Yeah u will land up on row 1!

b)Plan well in advance, esp.if u are like me who wants to see from ‘Hamam advt’, for the parking will be far off and will take long time.

c)Before u take ur seat make it a point to go in with a big popcorn pack. It looks like it’s a ritual to start munching popcorn (preferably with noise that can beat the side speakers) as soon as the movie starts. Else u shall be looked down up on by all and sundry like I was:-(

d)Easy! The toilets are immaculate, eateries spick and span, water available!

e)Learn the art of ordering for food later to your seat esp 30 mins after the intermission. That seems to be the in thing. So many had opted for it that these guys with the food kept crisscrossing.

f)If u go alone, just don’t look around! U feel u are the only lonely guy in the world of couples..better watch the movie – rather that’s what u were in for;-)

g)Keep ur cell phone off or atleast in silent mode. Not that every one does so, atleast one irritating ring/sms tone lesser.

h)Go one week (or more)later to the movies, so that u are the only first timer. So no late comer is gonna ask u if the song/fight was over or the story line till then!

But believe me its an experience!
Now are you tempted to ask me which movie I saw? I bet it, u are!
NO!! am not going to say the name or write a review..
1.The whole blogging community-1 has written review for this movie.
2.I am the only one who stands out by not reviewing this movie.
3.Now do u believe me when I said I am different and one-in-a-million blogger;-)

One good and one bad event in recent politrix..

The good thing is BJP has endorsed the govt’s stand on Iran vote. Iam maha pleased with that..for long my wish has been that, the BJP shud support this govt on important issues(esp those strategic and other issues that can affect our country in the long run).This not only sends a clear message to outside world but a good and right one to the nasty left..

The other one is pretty bad..The idea of taking census of the muslims in our Army!
Ridiculous and dangerous to the core! Why wud/shud one mess around with a completely professional and truly secular outfit like our Army? This minority vote bank politricks has pushed us down enough..and these jokers seem to have no limit..what all innovative ideas these crooks keep coming up with…hmm..they will not really rest until India is fully gone to dogs,eh?

Update: Dont be surprised at such low numbers at the new counter on the right side of this page...am just trying a new(o) counter..ofcourse a free one:-)

(L)hazy wandering..

Honestly I have nothing to write here today..personally am on a high after that terrific innings of Dhoni maharaj..but donot want to have an over dose of cricket here. (seriously, I am not bored of the overdose of cricket Iam having now..what with 3 VB series final sandwiched between 3 Indo pak one days, phew..what better to ask for..and mind u,Iam not scrambling on the net - cricinfos,cricbuzz,cricwhatever -but watching all live..ha..haa... believe me retirement is fun..

So let me try letting my brain wander a bit and scribble things here..(ok- within a small time frame). yeah, I know there is no need to necessarily fill up junk here..but why not..just why not if it can push some of u regulars here to atleast pen down (oh wrong verb,eh?) some reprimands..ok, even if some complain it as a ploy to increase the comments..

Actually nothing much apart from cricket happening! or is it only me who feels that!

On politix, esp in TN, Jaya seems to be on a roll..MK & co inspite of all that biiig conglomerate are jittery..they sure are looking like they are on a sticky wicket..They are expecting some parties from this union to break away (btw who is this “they” Iam mentioning?). At the centre, its funny that leftists are making a big noise that they are not happy with UPA/cong and shamefully twitching their hands while off the camera..its clear they are preparing for the coming election in kerala and WB and so are putting up an act..so they have started to fool the media and people..so preparation in full swing!

Elsewhere there are so many protests against ‘freedom of speech’ in Denmark being organized that the actual freedom of speech has been killed in many places..hey! even in a sleepy small remote coastal town like Bhatkal in Karnataka some 20000 get together to protest against this Danish publication..all this for some cartoons that were published in september’05!! I find it crazy and am sure most of the protestors across the globe are as ‘informed’ as me in this issue..

Iran, Bush, Cheney are all freaking out...less said better here..so u r spared:-)

I remember seeing some 2568 articles saying India will rule economically in 2015 (2050 in some cases) and 2654 articles that China wud rule in 2015/2050..so u know how much of it I wud have gone thru..

To give fair representation lemme try some other sport..oh yeah! The winter Olympics is on and Indian medl hope ( I swear that’s how our media has been portraying) is placed 25th in some event called luge, if my memory serves right..so u know what happens if I foray in to commenting on other sports;-)

Ooppss..this is already long..some day I shall write a good funny one, I promise..but for now this is what u get..

my 0.02$ worth..

This Inzy issue is being blown out of proportion..just see it like this..
If Raina or any Indian had not appealed and this “out issue” would not have been there..so many reams of paper would not have been wasted, so you would think!!
But it would have been the other way..all these moral and spirit of the game polices like Moin, Mohinder et al would be talking a different tongue- “ hey…there is a rule..why don’t you use it”..”I told you, this Indian team is useless..they stopped thinking long back..” and this guy Chappel is preparing a very defensive team, I told you, blah blah..dadadadadada…
So either way reams of paper and GBs of space (!) would have been wasted..
So its best for the team (the one involved or chided) to put this behind..I am sure u got it..I mean put this ‘ream of paper’ for the posterior cleaning use and proceed with your game..least of all give only such an importance to the great ‘lipspecialists’ and ‘moral n spirit polices’..
Hey..even Azhar has voiced out…I feel like asking “great Bhaiya..how much did u ‘take’ to voice this comment?
so u know where cricket commentating is heading? Azhar voicing of whats wrong or right? Moin talking of spirit of the game and to be sportive...a jobless's retreat!

Did it!!! (but am I happy?)

U guys know of my cargo fiasco and that I had vowed, I shall not spare them..I know, many of you would have coolly brushed it off as empty gas..but I was not to leave it at that..
As promised I pursued, pushed, pressured, threatened (ok sometimes begged, but why should I say that in public) and finally turned some stones..
Finally I made them cough up USD3000! But am I happy? NO..
No, don’t get me wrong..am not being greedy..just that wanted them to feel a pinch..I did contact one of my close friends, a lawyer with good practice(ya a rarity!). He said – try and pinch what u can, don’t expect our system to help u overcome ur agony or understand ur pains..You cant expect our court or system to pitch in and understand ur woes and get u better compensation..infact u wud get an insensitive “they are saying they will compensate na? get it..” for what ever little is the compensation offered..so push only with words and get as much..
So I had lost the hopes of a legal redressal long back..but was resolved not to take it lying back easily..after all I had the time and patience..so many mails, phone calls, tacit pressures/ threats later I got something.. I know I should be happy..No I wanted the pinch to be more so that they really lost some face and some (figure)heads turned around to take care this wud not happen again..but I have my doubts..
Still, something is better than nothing..
so the early birds* who read this and happen to live in Chennai and reach me in time can claim a treat at a place of your choice..am in town only till the weekend btw.
* - pl note that I said early birds and there is a star there!

Sanskrit – not dead (yet!)…

You would all remember that I had posted here about hunting for a Sanskrit teacher for me to learn sanskrit..while I was searching I happened to hit on this – Samskrita Bharathi! A service organization that helps spread Sanskrit. Though they have various courses - correspondence and spoken or conversational, it’s their spoken course that’s more popular and not surprisingly I was attracted to it too. This unique 10 day spoken course (conducted at various places all thru the year across India) and since it was in my neighbourhood, I decided to attend (rather check out.). This 2 hour a day spoken class was taken by a young lady who said she has dedicated her life or atleast the next 5 years for service! A keralite (something about kerala pushes more of them for service like nurses, teachers etc across the globe. Amazing,eh?)who has left home and moves around taking classes! She would talk to us only in Sanskrit. Third day on she would narrate a story at the end of the class, that would comprise most of the words we learnt till then and believe me, we all could understand almost in full!
I more or less believe that this language is within us (may be in genes or DNA or at least in our deep memory – probably heard somewhere spoken by someone) and hence its so easy to pick up. By the end of 10 days course, its amazing that one gets to understand good enough and now the eagerness to learn is even more.

Meanwhile some of my friends did mention that it’s a dead language! Hey..NO! Its not a dead language.. There are many great people across the globe who have wondered how come this language was given a comprehensive and scientific theory of phonetics, phonology, and morphology and in so much detail as early as 500 BC by Panini! Panini's work is considered one of the greatest achievements of human intelligence! Ok that’s a digression..panini himself can help me filla pages, but that’s for another blog;-)

Thanks to organizations like samskrita Bharathi its spreading well enough. Today there are 10 million people speaking/learning Sanskrit. Its one of the easiest language to pick up. Its being taught in many countries across the globe and there are many universities. It definitely has lots of gems like vedic mathematics or treasures like ancient sciences of excellence like astronomy etc. may be some day we will unearth them..

Sanskrit is a beautiful ancient language. Learn it if u can..its worth it!!
Vadhathu Samskritham! Jayathu Samskritham!!

cartoon of the week!

you all know of the controversial stand taken by Google to sensor its search in China!
While I should admit I am a great fan of google (hey, I have just not heard people shout - "what ur not able to find ur spects? go search thru google", otherwise everything is being Searched err..googled)I am always averse to this capitulation of the west in China..so I doubly enjoyed this toon.

what would u do?

I was just walking back from mylapore towards alwarpet last night..(I make it a point not to take auto or other gas guzzlers for distances up to 4kms, plus a free exercise u see) and suddenly this friend of mine calls up..
He: (shouts) “don’t u remember its my anniv”
Me: he..hee.. I was just about to call u, wink wink..
He: ellam theriyum..dont gas..if u don’t treat me with a dinner, atleast come fast and join me and my wify for free food at Kabul..
Me: ok..shall join u soon..
He: where the heck r u? how much time it will take?
Me: walking ..will be near viveka college in a few mins..
He: no..take an auto and be here in 5 mins..dont give me that walk story..
Me: both will take the same time, I shall as well walk..ok briskly..and make it to Kabul in 15 mins..
He condescendingly grunts and keeps the phone..
Now I need to really make it there asap, else this guy, one of the very impatient ones u can get, will call me another couple of times..so I walk briskly..
As I cross Isabel hospital, right on that bus stop, a bus – typical of a Pallavan (the Chennai bus) does a dual zig – probably the driver sort of half pushes both the accelerator and the brake, so u get to see both actions happening..(hey to bull with all our physics that we studied, these PTC bus drivers really defy physics so often in each trip of theirs). Mind u, all this in the middle of the road..and the rest of the traffic like autos and bikes race past between the bus stop and the bus, so u really have to be an extraordinary athlete to wade thru this zipping traffic and fling urself in to the bus correctly in the split seconds that the driver gives u..
So u may ask, whats new?? What r u up to??
Ok..let me come to the point..
At this point a middle aged person catches my attention…he tries a half cock motion towards the bus direction, I say direction because, I see that man is sort of turning his head and is moving..then I see the long white stick in his hand..oops..he is trying to follow the sound and attempt getting in to the bus..how’s this man going to wade his way thru to the bus amidst the zipping vehicles? So I rush to him involuntarily and ask him “do u want to catch this bus?” meanwhile I dance, whistle soundlessly to attract the attention of the driver or conductor of the bus, but to no avail..This man asks me whats the number? I say 12 and meanwhile the bus driver has decided to take his half leg off the brake and so moves to join the traffic ocean..luckily this man, with out knowing that the bus has moved off says to me “ illa sir, I want 12B”..oof..i sigh relief..good that this man did not notice that the bus left..good that he did not know he was surrounded by heartless careless goons..then I tell him ‘move back and lets wait. I shall tell u when I spot 12B”..hey..I told u all this happened involuntarily and that too in 3 mins. So I have 12 more mins..now suddenly Iam reminded of my impatient friend, waiting there (plus the food there..did I tell u I was hungry too by now, esp its Kabul..) Just then I notice 2 well dressed ladies in that bus stop who were there all the while but sitting and talking like nothing was happening around them..
Now, what should I do?? Knowing PTC (or any city bus service for that matter) and at night and for one specific route bus, do I wait perennially to help this deserving man?
Or do I honor my commitment of 15 mins to the restaurant to my friend, impatient one at that!

Lets forget, for a while, what I did? What would you do, tell me?? I promise this is no brain teaser or the silly forwarded joke..tell me, tell me..

shame..shame..

I wud have been happy if I had seen Gangs and sehwag opening in the 2nd innings (what ever they were to chase) and especially with instructions to go hammer and tongs..hey..no team has scored beyond 400s in the 4th innings..so why not try the inevitable with some nerve? Die fighting, atleast it wud have left many of us really happy that atleast our chaps tried differently, for once. Mind u, if we had scored this same 250+ in 2 sessions (assuming sehwag and gangs clicked it wud have been even more..hmm ) and then some 300+ from 3 sessions on the last day..u wud have scared the paks, even if u lost in the process, hey that wud have been glorius..but we are after all ‘mental’ guys..who get scared and imagine mentally and lose out to nothing..one just needs to see the ball for which Tendul got out to understand what I said in the last sentence. Paks steam roll us in 1.5 session for close to 200 runs (and who? Some bachu Iqbal and now-in-now-out-of team-Razzaq) and here we go there and display sheer spineless character. Iam sure Anjum chopra, mithali et al wud have achieved better than this – on same pitch, same bowling, same target..shame..shame..(shame on me too..with all such frequent frustrations, I still follow this game)

update: There is a nice funny post by gaurav sabnis here

strange world,eh?

AAI employees striking..so whats new?? Its bcos the govt is opting for privatization of the airports (its plural as its 2, don’t imagine privatization is for all Indian airports)..Did u happen to see those flashy fotos across in the print media? Man, I beg, why they never get agitated like this to improve their output or to put their resp AAI in the world map or to help the customers who are often stuck in their premises..
So all this protest against privatization is nothing but expression against 'need to work'!Simply put - privatisation means gotto work..so u know why the protest! And as always the red comrades will be in their side - after all strike, public sector etc pushes our country back by a few years..that means we will have poor, labour, unions and all those ‘loveable’ factors of the comms..but NO! we don’t allow such things in China..(psst..now a days even in WB:-))

Else where in mideast, west of India that is, in Palestine, the Hamas who got thumping victory in recent elections, cried wolf for money! It seems they are bankrupt and want the world (esp the Western world) to help with funds..so they have no money for food but have plenty for the AK47s, rocketlaunchers, bazukkaz, etc but no food..tsu..tsuu..and their prime targets should help them it seems..thats gumption ain’t?? and u know what? These supposed fund granters are not to put any conditions..just give money and phuck off and don’t even bother if we aim at you for target practice..ha..haa..strange world,eh?