Monday, November 16, 2009
Scintillating side berths
I had got what I had asked for; and got cozy for the night. The 'side lower' berth on Indian trains are unique in two aspects - being 'lower' berths, no one competes for them (they being shorter in length than full-sized berths); and each berth has two windows to its own. It's quite an experience at night on this kind of a berth; with both windows drawn up, one can observe stations, structures and foliage whiz past, somewhat symbolic of the progress of the Indian Railways. With the stars above and the wind gushing into you, what more could you have ask for one helluva night! Of course there's plenty of noise, but that doesn't disturb my sleep; it's the occasional departure announcement at some nondescript station at the dead of the night that would. Nevertheless, I'd take it for all that I get!
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Hone your honk!
Honking in India is all pervasive... People honk when they turn left, right, while passing a lone sidestreet, when the stretch of road ahead is empty, when they're at a red, or just simply to show that theyhave a good horn on your vehicle. The loudness, tones, and duration all vary. Irrespective of the kind of vehicle, everyone honks... right from the autowallas to the 'national permit' lorries. It seems to be a kind of a way of asserting themselves on the road, which is sad.
There are adverse effects to excessive horning on the health of our citizens which honkers don't seem to realise. I've felt it myself, and I bet you have too - when someone honks right behind you, you get tensed and annoyed for a brief period - few of the many health hazards of noise pollution. Roadway noise is a major source of noise pollution; I could go on about its ill-effects (of course after some online research), but I'm not a health expert.
Compare our road behavior vis-a-vis honking with that of the U.S., where honking is considered a stern reproach to the guy who's ahead of you. You hardly hear a honk on the roads!
Alas, excessive honking has already defeated the purpose of the horn - most people here, myself included, ignore horns, because there are so many of them at one instant and simply because listening to and addressing every honk would be impractical. For instance, in a crowded street, how would you know whether the horn is directed at you, let alone take corrective action? :)
Monday, October 05, 2009
Ramblings after a long hiatus
Two and a half years into work and there's already a feeling of mental inactivity. The work-home-work rhythm that appears to have set in gives little time for more intellectual involvement. Back in college, I used to read magazines, novels and full length newspaper articles, and develop opinions on almost everything under the sun. My bro and I would argue endlessly on politics and social issues. Reading used to be one of my chief passtimes; alas, that's no longer the case now.
My reading stats are pretty abysmal for the past two years - No novels for the past year; magazines only when I go home once a month; The newspaper doesn't help either - I glance through the headlines once a couple of days on average. The absence of thought-provoking stuff only makes it worse. Work seems to have consumed all my time - the flute though is a welcome distraction, though learning on my own requires a LOT of motivation from within. Fortunately I have a background in carnatic music that really helps.
The big challenge now is to revive interest in reading; I've observed that I haven't lost it, fortunately - it's just the absence of time or interest to 'go after' books. I'm looking to purchase a couple of good books and start right away.. hope this plan materializes!
As part of this 'plan', I've decided to revive blogging as well. Blogging your ideas and opinions also is a good stimulus, apart from improving (or at the least, maintaining, depending on how much effort you're ready to spare ;) ) your vocab. I only hope this doesn't die down in a week's time (much like the 'resolve' to go to the gym regularly :) ).
My reading stats are pretty abysmal for the past two years - No novels for the past year; magazines only when I go home once a month; The newspaper doesn't help either - I glance through the headlines once a couple of days on average. The absence of thought-provoking stuff only makes it worse. Work seems to have consumed all my time - the flute though is a welcome distraction, though learning on my own requires a LOT of motivation from within. Fortunately I have a background in carnatic music that really helps.
The big challenge now is to revive interest in reading; I've observed that I haven't lost it, fortunately - it's just the absence of time or interest to 'go after' books. I'm looking to purchase a couple of good books and start right away.. hope this plan materializes!
As part of this 'plan', I've decided to revive blogging as well. Blogging your ideas and opinions also is a good stimulus, apart from improving (or at the least, maintaining, depending on how much effort you're ready to spare ;) ) your vocab. I only hope this doesn't die down in a week's time (much like the 'resolve' to go to the gym regularly :) ).
Tuesday, April 07, 2009
Air Conditioning contributes to dehydration!
While we rush to the air conditioned confines of our office to avoid the sun's terrible glare, do remember one thing - air conditioning contributes to dehydration as well. The dry air that's constantly pumped in by the a/c dries our skin off moisture. For people who spend most of their time under the a/c, remember to drink enough water everyday!
Thursday, March 05, 2009
Tadikalapudi Trek
I had bravely enrolled in this trek, thinking that it would be a breeze for my rather strong physique (yeah right, it's an oxymoron :) ). No sooner had I registered than I fell ill with just two weeks to go for the trek! Fear began to creep into me, and I wondered at one point whether to cancel the trek. Luckily, I recovered in time.
DAY 1
First came the preparation which in itself was tiring. I being a first-timer, had to purchase a host of stuff, including a backpack (a rather large one), cooling glasses, a sleeping mat, and a cap - all of which cost a cool 3k. And then came the heaviest of them all - water - 8 whole litres of it (for just two days!). When my bag was fully loaded (with 2 kgs of food), it became difficult to carry. I was wondering how far I could go with this before collapsing :).
We (14 of us) took Machilipatnam Exp from Secunderabad.
DAY 2
We reached Tadikalapudi at 4.15 in the morning. Having a penchant for frequent headaches, I emptied a litre of water early in the morning, hoping to keep one at bay that day. We started our walk from the station at dawn around 6 AM and kept walking through lovely cotton and paddy fields. Then I saw the ornage morning sun - something which I hadn't seen in a while :) . We walked around a couple of hills and approached a small hill. It looked puny to us, but no one had an idea of what it had in store for us. We met one of the villagers on a bullock cart (which was in itself a rare instance - the first and the last time we ever saw humans in the trek!) who suggested to us to take a path a little further away to cross the hill. We ignored his suggestion, and took the nearest 'route' right in front of us. By the time we reached the peak, my breath had become faster, and we all needed rest. So much for this 'tiny' hill!
Having climbed down this hill, which in itself was an ordeal with lots of thorns (my protruding sleeping , we then reached the plains and our walk became easier. We reached the base of a taller mountain around 8 and settled for breakfast near a stream. A hundred grams of corn flakes with soya milk was all we had for breakfast (Poor me...I was used to eating upma and pongal!).
Yours truly emerged stylish after breakfast with sunglasses and a cap :) . We then started our ascent through the pass between a couple of hills. Our mission was the head of the stream, where we were planning to cool off with a possible bath and a swim. The ascent was smooth at first, and then became rocky. Climbing became difficult, but I was able to manage rather well, usually among the first few in the group. We crisscrossed the stream, and the weather was also perfect during this time (still morning at around 10 AM).
Somehow, in the next half hour or so, we lost the stream, and the land became kindof barren, with just dry grass and fewer trees. Combined with the hotter sun (the season being almost summer), trekking became difficult with more dehydration. I started sweating more, and consuming much more water.
A word has to be said about our leaders. None in the group had any idea where we were going, and simply followed Ravi and Raghu. Both these guys knew this place (this was their third trip here) and often asked the group to rest while they ventured out in the sun to explore routes when they were not sure of the path to take. And yet, they continued to climb with ease! Where did these guys get their stamina from???
The group as a whole started taking more frequent breaks till lunch. Then came the search for a lunch point. We couldn't find a single area with a shade for around half an hour. Then came two smaller such areas, where we split in two and accommodated ourselves. Five chapathis with rajma and channa masala was our lunch. We stayed there for an hour and half (a few even slept).
Thinking we would all be energized post lunch, we resumed our trek - only to rest in another ten minutes :) . We had reached the peak of a 400m high hill and agreed to find the nearest decent plain area to retire for the night. Ten minutes later we found a good spot; but Ravi was still reluctant. "Our original resting point is atop that peak", and he pointed to the top of a adjacent hill 600m tall ("peak 2075" - which measured 2075 feet)! To reach there, we had to descend the peak we were on and ascend the other one.
"Come on guys, it's just 1 km!" Yeah.. if we jump down straight, break our heads and then climb up straight! Otherwise, easily more than 2-3 kms, if we were to properly get down and then up. The group managed to convince Ravi to calm himself down and rest for the night :) . We then prepared the spot - flattened the grass, spread out our sleeping mats atop plastic sheets, and prepared a fire for dinner after collecting dried wood, and removing all the grass off a 2m wide circle. (The last thing we wanted in that scorching heat was a forest fire that we triggered). That was when my headache which started around noon worsened, and I took a tablet and slept soundly for an hour or so. I appeared in such a poor shape to quite a few people that they thought I was dead :)
After sunset, we began our dinner prep - a pack of noodles each for most people on a kadai. We noticed a couple of forest fires - one, on peak 2075, was composed of two magnificently bright lines tapering towards each other, and the other on our peak (the fire itself was not visible, but the fumes were). This was what really scared us - we did not know if and when this fire would hit us, and were told to pack up our stuff and be ready to start descending if we actually saw the fire. However, I and most others slept rather soundly, believing that it wouldn't hit us. Karthik later revealed that he was so afraid (he even woke me up a couple of times), that he didn't sleep well, what with both his legs bent (fearing a snake bite :) ).
DAY 3
Sure enough, as the night got cold, the forest fires disappeared - and when we awoke the next day at 5 AM, they were no longer there. We started our descent at 530 AM - the descent was tougher than the ascent since we usually do not use our hands during descent for grip (we would be on all fours throughout the descent if we did :) ) and had to rely on trees, and consequently I fell down twice. Thankfully we reached the base by 730 AM well before the shadows left. We moved on near the breakfast point, and after freshening up, walked towards the station. We were there by 11 AM and took a passenger train to Bhadrachalam by 12. We were there at Bhadrachalam Road by 1230 AM, and took a dorm. Most of us were truly relieved to see a town with facilities that we usually take for granted :) . After a good lunch, most of us went to the Ram temple there (35 kms away from the station) while Karthik, Venkat and myself stayed behind (Karthik had a swollen knee, thanks to his bent leg the previous night :). I had been to Bhadrachalam the week before and had visited the temple, and Venkat was not interested). After idling around for the rest of the day, we had dinner and boarded the train to Secunderabad.
Overall, it was a fun trip and I'm looking forward to the next one!
DAY 1
First came the preparation which in itself was tiring. I being a first-timer, had to purchase a host of stuff, including a backpack (a rather large one), cooling glasses, a sleeping mat, and a cap - all of which cost a cool 3k. And then came the heaviest of them all - water - 8 whole litres of it (for just two days!). When my bag was fully loaded (with 2 kgs of food), it became difficult to carry. I was wondering how far I could go with this before collapsing :).
We (14 of us) took Machilipatnam Exp from Secunderabad.
DAY 2
We reached Tadikalapudi at 4.15 in the morning. Having a penchant for frequent headaches, I emptied a litre of water early in the morning, hoping to keep one at bay that day. We started our walk from the station at dawn around 6 AM and kept walking through lovely cotton and paddy fields. Then I saw the ornage morning sun - something which I hadn't seen in a while :) . We walked around a couple of hills and approached a small hill. It looked puny to us, but no one had an idea of what it had in store for us. We met one of the villagers on a bullock cart (which was in itself a rare instance - the first and the last time we ever saw humans in the trek!) who suggested to us to take a path a little further away to cross the hill. We ignored his suggestion, and took the nearest 'route' right in front of us. By the time we reached the peak, my breath had become faster, and we all needed rest. So much for this 'tiny' hill!
Having climbed down this hill, which in itself was an ordeal with lots of thorns (my protruding sleeping , we then reached the plains and our walk became easier. We reached the base of a taller mountain around 8 and settled for breakfast near a stream. A hundred grams of corn flakes with soya milk was all we had for breakfast (Poor me...I was used to eating upma and pongal!).
Yours truly emerged stylish after breakfast with sunglasses and a cap :) . We then started our ascent through the pass between a couple of hills. Our mission was the head of the stream, where we were planning to cool off with a possible bath and a swim. The ascent was smooth at first, and then became rocky. Climbing became difficult, but I was able to manage rather well, usually among the first few in the group. We crisscrossed the stream, and the weather was also perfect during this time (still morning at around 10 AM).
Somehow, in the next half hour or so, we lost the stream, and the land became kindof barren, with just dry grass and fewer trees. Combined with the hotter sun (the season being almost summer), trekking became difficult with more dehydration. I started sweating more, and consuming much more water.
A word has to be said about our leaders. None in the group had any idea where we were going, and simply followed Ravi and Raghu. Both these guys knew this place (this was their third trip here) and often asked the group to rest while they ventured out in the sun to explore routes when they were not sure of the path to take. And yet, they continued to climb with ease! Where did these guys get their stamina from???
The group as a whole started taking more frequent breaks till lunch. Then came the search for a lunch point. We couldn't find a single area with a shade for around half an hour. Then came two smaller such areas, where we split in two and accommodated ourselves. Five chapathis with rajma and channa masala was our lunch. We stayed there for an hour and half (a few even slept).
Thinking we would all be energized post lunch, we resumed our trek - only to rest in another ten minutes :) . We had reached the peak of a 400m high hill and agreed to find the nearest decent plain area to retire for the night. Ten minutes later we found a good spot; but Ravi was still reluctant. "Our original resting point is atop that peak", and he pointed to the top of a adjacent hill 600m tall ("peak 2075" - which measured 2075 feet)! To reach there, we had to descend the peak we were on and ascend the other one.
"Come on guys, it's just 1 km!" Yeah.. if we jump down straight, break our heads and then climb up straight! Otherwise, easily more than 2-3 kms, if we were to properly get down and then up. The group managed to convince Ravi to calm himself down and rest for the night :) . We then prepared the spot - flattened the grass, spread out our sleeping mats atop plastic sheets, and prepared a fire for dinner after collecting dried wood, and removing all the grass off a 2m wide circle. (The last thing we wanted in that scorching heat was a forest fire that we triggered). That was when my headache which started around noon worsened, and I took a tablet and slept soundly for an hour or so. I appeared in such a poor shape to quite a few people that they thought I was dead :)
After sunset, we began our dinner prep - a pack of noodles each for most people on a kadai. We noticed a couple of forest fires - one, on peak 2075, was composed of two magnificently bright lines tapering towards each other, and the other on our peak (the fire itself was not visible, but the fumes were). This was what really scared us - we did not know if and when this fire would hit us, and were told to pack up our stuff and be ready to start descending if we actually saw the fire. However, I and most others slept rather soundly, believing that it wouldn't hit us. Karthik later revealed that he was so afraid (he even woke me up a couple of times), that he didn't sleep well, what with both his legs bent (fearing a snake bite :) ).
DAY 3
Sure enough, as the night got cold, the forest fires disappeared - and when we awoke the next day at 5 AM, they were no longer there. We started our descent at 530 AM - the descent was tougher than the ascent since we usually do not use our hands during descent for grip (we would be on all fours throughout the descent if we did :) ) and had to rely on trees, and consequently I fell down twice. Thankfully we reached the base by 730 AM well before the shadows left. We moved on near the breakfast point, and after freshening up, walked towards the station. We were there by 11 AM and took a passenger train to Bhadrachalam by 12. We were there at Bhadrachalam Road by 1230 AM, and took a dorm. Most of us were truly relieved to see a town with facilities that we usually take for granted :) . After a good lunch, most of us went to the Ram temple there (35 kms away from the station) while Karthik, Venkat and myself stayed behind (Karthik had a swollen knee, thanks to his bent leg the previous night :). I had been to Bhadrachalam the week before and had visited the temple, and Venkat was not interested). After idling around for the rest of the day, we had dinner and boarded the train to Secunderabad.
Overall, it was a fun trip and I'm looking forward to the next one!
Wednesday, January 07, 2009
The art of bargaining
"How much does this cost?"
My mom and I were at Pondy Bazaar, one of the main shopping areas in Chennai. We were at a roadside shop, one of many which thrive thanks to the overwhelming crowds there. The article of interest was a foldable magazine holder made of wooden strips. Mom had zeroed in on this, and popped up the question.
"375 rupees" was the reply.
My mom (and most other women) has this ability to judge the value of an article perfectly,by just looking at one. She knew that this would not be worth more than 150 bucks, and braced for a bout of bargaining. It was amazing to watch her play this out :) She looked disappointed and surprised and waved her hand indicating that she was not satisfied. "Why are you quoting such a high price? I can only give 150 for this."
"Ma,am, for your sake, I am reducing the price by 25 rupees. Please pay up 350! Besides, this is imported material; you can see how strong and durable this is". The vendor opened and closed the holder to prove his point. He then went a notch up - he picked up 200 rupees from his pocket, and claimed -
"Ma'am, this was the amount that another lady just paid for a smaller version of this same stuff. This is a larger version and is worth a lot more".
My mom, not to be let down, retorted -
"Such people are those who have money in plenty and who splurge. I can give you only 150". (At this point, I could not help but laugh quietly :) )
"Ma'am, I'm sorry... Your price is not feasible".
"Fine.. Keep it with yourself."
Then she played her trump card - she began to walk away, with me mutely following. Women use this technique so effectively against vendors. I personally don't prefer this, since I'm afraid that I wouldn't get this product elsewhere and won't be called back again by the vendor. But my mom simply knew that the vendor would agree to her price. Sure enough, he called out.
"Ma'am, give 250 and take it."
My mom returned - "No way, I'll settle for nothing more than 150"
"200 maam"
"Fine"
The deal was done. My mom handed over 200 rupees, with a touch of disappointment. She later reaffirmed to me that the holder was not worth more than 150. At almost half the quoted price, an article had been bought.
Men generally hate to bargain, which is why we shop at retail shops and malls where bargaining is pretty much ruled out. What would I have done in such a scenario? At the maximum, I would've bought the article at 20 rupees lesser than the original quoted price. When will we ever learn to bargain effectively? :)
My mom and I were at Pondy Bazaar, one of the main shopping areas in Chennai. We were at a roadside shop, one of many which thrive thanks to the overwhelming crowds there. The article of interest was a foldable magazine holder made of wooden strips. Mom had zeroed in on this, and popped up the question.
"375 rupees" was the reply.
My mom (and most other women) has this ability to judge the value of an article perfectly,by just looking at one. She knew that this would not be worth more than 150 bucks, and braced for a bout of bargaining. It was amazing to watch her play this out :) She looked disappointed and surprised and waved her hand indicating that she was not satisfied. "Why are you quoting such a high price? I can only give 150 for this."
"Ma,am, for your sake, I am reducing the price by 25 rupees. Please pay up 350! Besides, this is imported material; you can see how strong and durable this is". The vendor opened and closed the holder to prove his point. He then went a notch up - he picked up 200 rupees from his pocket, and claimed -
"Ma'am, this was the amount that another lady just paid for a smaller version of this same stuff. This is a larger version and is worth a lot more".
My mom, not to be let down, retorted -
"Such people are those who have money in plenty and who splurge. I can give you only 150". (At this point, I could not help but laugh quietly :) )
"Ma'am, I'm sorry... Your price is not feasible".
"Fine.. Keep it with yourself."
Then she played her trump card - she began to walk away, with me mutely following. Women use this technique so effectively against vendors. I personally don't prefer this, since I'm afraid that I wouldn't get this product elsewhere and won't be called back again by the vendor. But my mom simply knew that the vendor would agree to her price. Sure enough, he called out.
"Ma'am, give 250 and take it."
My mom returned - "No way, I'll settle for nothing more than 150"
"200 maam"
"Fine"
The deal was done. My mom handed over 200 rupees, with a touch of disappointment. She later reaffirmed to me that the holder was not worth more than 150. At almost half the quoted price, an article had been bought.
Men generally hate to bargain, which is why we shop at retail shops and malls where bargaining is pretty much ruled out. What would I have done in such a scenario? At the maximum, I would've bought the article at 20 rupees lesser than the original quoted price. When will we ever learn to bargain effectively? :)
Thursday, December 25, 2008
No smooth rides!
I was driving tonight, on one of Chennai's 'prime' areas near my home. Having just overtaken a Premier Padmini which had been ambling ahead and frustrating me, I finally got a clear strip of road ahead, and started to speed considerably. Out of nowhere, at a lazy right turn, came a huge bump! By the time I could acknowledge it's existence and slow down, it was too late. The car bumped on top of it... fortunately no one and nothing was hurt. Ever since, I didn't dare exceed second gear till I dropped granny back at home.
This road is on the route of quite a few buses and one of the main roads in my area. If this city road is not smooth, one can wonder how pathetic other city and suburban roads would be. Can we expect decent roads from our babus at all?
This road is on the route of quite a few buses and one of the main roads in my area. If this city road is not smooth, one can wonder how pathetic other city and suburban roads would be. Can we expect decent roads from our babus at all?
Saturday, December 20, 2008
Small consolation ;)
I've been hitting the gym for the past three weeks; and I'm already expecting tangible results. Of course, that may not happen since I've been working on considerably light weights [Thanks to my strong physique :D]
My regular glances at the mirror hoping for a Schwarzenegger to stare back at me have indeed yielded disappointing results [:)].
With no means to actually 'measure' the 'progress' made (if any :) ), I've taken refuge under a rather small shirt which I have with me. This shirt used to fit me rather well - it reflected my thin physique including my embarrassing tummy; nevertheless, it did fit. When I put it on now, the shirt's arms and chest seem to have tightened a bit around mine... Is it real, or am I imagining things? ;)
My regular glances at the mirror hoping for a Schwarzenegger to stare back at me have indeed yielded disappointing results [:)].
With no means to actually 'measure' the 'progress' made (if any :) ), I've taken refuge under a rather small shirt which I have with me. This shirt used to fit me rather well - it reflected my thin physique including my embarrassing tummy; nevertheless, it did fit. When I put it on now, the shirt's arms and chest seem to have tightened a bit around mine... Is it real, or am I imagining things? ;)
Wednesday, December 03, 2008
The value of an Indian life
After 16 terror attacks in the last four years [see pic] that left nearly 7000 Indians dead, we're yet to see any concrete steps to fight terror from our government. Every time an attack happens, all that our politicians do is take refuge in the 'spirit of the people' to recover from any attack, and 'promise' that 'strict action' would be taken against the perpetrators. That none of this translates into real action, is a fact well known. Lives aren't considered very precious in the relentless chase for money and power.
Compare this with how other nations, notably the US, deals with terror. Three instances come to my mind. The Kandahar episode where a single US citizen was part of the hijacked plane, hence inviting the interest of the FBI which ultimately filed a case. Then came 9/11 - and we all know the two wars thereafter. Now, the Mumbai attacks - the FBI was sent here immediately after 6 of their citizens perished. Such is the quality and sheer scale of their response, not to mention their security and anti-terror steps taken to prevent attacks in the first place. It is indeed amazing how every single American life is valued and treated.
Compare this with how other nations, notably the US, deals with terror. Three instances come to my mind. The Kandahar episode where a single US citizen was part of the hijacked plane, hence inviting the interest of the FBI which ultimately filed a case. Then came 9/11 - and we all know the two wars thereafter. Now, the Mumbai attacks - the FBI was sent here immediately after 6 of their citizens perished. Such is the quality and sheer scale of their response, not to mention their security and anti-terror steps taken to prevent attacks in the first place. It is indeed amazing how every single American life is valued and treated.
Thursday, April 17, 2008
Yaaradi Nee Mohini!!
Spoiler Warning: Details of the storyline below
Vasu (Dhanush) is an easy-going youth, who is jobless. He's been searching for jobs for five years now, but hasn't been able to get one. He shares a rough relationship with his father (Raghuvaran) , who accuses him of being irresponsible, when Vasu demands money for buying a job application.
It is then that Vasu glimpses Keerthi (Nayanthara). Vasu is so forlorn and downcast, his application and his dress being just drenched by an outpour of slush thanks to a speeding car. People on the pavement look at him mockingly and pinch their nostrils due to his stench. It is at this point that Vasu gets a fleeting glance at Keerthi and it is love at first sight (so cliched!). Vasu chases Keerthi and dances around her for one whole song :) . The transition in Vasu's mood, from one of desparation and loss, to one of sudden love, is indeed shocking for the viewer.
Keerthi is employed as a manager in a software firm, and becomes an inspiration for Vasu to join the same firm. Vasu starts mugging... "Java is an OOP" :D , and then goes on to get a job at the same firm!! (with some generous help from Keerthi herself!)
Deserving special mention is a particular scene which would make us software engineers feel as fools and cause great offense indeed. Vasu manages to crash an entire lab (by hitting one key!) and then stays up all night to rectify the bug, managing to make the deadline, all for Keerthi's sake!! Only when the monitor pops up a message saying 'Code Activated', does everyone heave a sigh of relief! My God, where could this possibly happen?
Vasu and Keerthi, with a couple of others are chosen for a project at Australia. Vasu expresses his love, which Keerthi refuses citing her orthodoxy and her marriage that has been arranged at her hometown with her uncle's son.
Vasu's so depressed that he cries and reveals his tragedy to Raghuvaran. Raghuvaran, instead of consoling his son, setting him straight and being the responsible dad that he should be, runs straight to Keerthi and pleads on Vasu's behalf!! Predictably Keerthi becomes angry and bellows at him. Enter Vasu, and without showing an iota of respect a manager deserves, abuses her. This is probably the ugliest and the most ill-orchestrated scene in the movie. Who would argue about love publicly in a plush software firm?? Keerthi slaps (accidentally?) both Vasu and Raghuvaran.
Raghuvaran drinks and expires that very night while sleeping from a heart attack. The late Raghuvaran's skill and experience enables him to craft his role very well indeed. The father-son relationship does indeed form a poignant aspect of this movie.
To protect Vasu from depression, his friend Cheenu (Karthik) takes him along to his native village; Vasu learns that Keerthi is the girl that Cheenu is slated to marry.
Second half
The second half is what props up the movie, and salvages it from being a pointless exercise. Cheenu and Keerthi's families are Brahmin families living together, and their mannerisms, which are completely alien to Vasu, evoke genuine laughter.
Keerthi's younger sister (?) flirts with Vasu and develops a crush on him. Her role as a young, starry-eyed teenage girl is humorous and enjoyable.
A series of incidents showing off Vasu's heroics, his supposed innocence, and his presence of mind in saving Keerthi's sister results in Keerthi falling for Vasu this time around (with just a couple of days to go for her arranged marriage :-) ).
How Vasu manages to win the head of the family's approval and marries Keerthi is the crux of the climax.
What was Cheenu's fate, you may ask. Well, as usual, he's the sacrificial lamb, this time too. I do wonder why he chooses such roles involving huge sacrifices :-) . (Remember Kanda Naal Mudhal, where he played a similar role?)
Vasu (Dhanush) is an easy-going youth, who is jobless. He's been searching for jobs for five years now, but hasn't been able to get one. He shares a rough relationship with his father (Raghuvaran) , who accuses him of being irresponsible, when Vasu demands money for buying a job application.
It is then that Vasu glimpses Keerthi (Nayanthara). Vasu is so forlorn and downcast, his application and his dress being just drenched by an outpour of slush thanks to a speeding car. People on the pavement look at him mockingly and pinch their nostrils due to his stench. It is at this point that Vasu gets a fleeting glance at Keerthi and it is love at first sight (so cliched!). Vasu chases Keerthi and dances around her for one whole song :) . The transition in Vasu's mood, from one of desparation and loss, to one of sudden love, is indeed shocking for the viewer.
Keerthi is employed as a manager in a software firm, and becomes an inspiration for Vasu to join the same firm. Vasu starts mugging... "Java is an OOP" :D , and then goes on to get a job at the same firm!! (with some generous help from Keerthi herself!)
Deserving special mention is a particular scene which would make us software engineers feel as fools and cause great offense indeed. Vasu manages to crash an entire lab (by hitting one key!) and then stays up all night to rectify the bug, managing to make the deadline, all for Keerthi's sake!! Only when the monitor pops up a message saying 'Code Activated', does everyone heave a sigh of relief! My God, where could this possibly happen?
Vasu and Keerthi, with a couple of others are chosen for a project at Australia. Vasu expresses his love, which Keerthi refuses citing her orthodoxy and her marriage that has been arranged at her hometown with her uncle's son.
Vasu's so depressed that he cries and reveals his tragedy to Raghuvaran. Raghuvaran, instead of consoling his son, setting him straight and being the responsible dad that he should be, runs straight to Keerthi and pleads on Vasu's behalf!! Predictably Keerthi becomes angry and bellows at him. Enter Vasu, and without showing an iota of respect a manager deserves, abuses her. This is probably the ugliest and the most ill-orchestrated scene in the movie. Who would argue about love publicly in a plush software firm?? Keerthi slaps (accidentally?) both Vasu and Raghuvaran.
Raghuvaran drinks and expires that very night while sleeping from a heart attack. The late Raghuvaran's skill and experience enables him to craft his role very well indeed. The father-son relationship does indeed form a poignant aspect of this movie.
To protect Vasu from depression, his friend Cheenu (Karthik) takes him along to his native village; Vasu learns that Keerthi is the girl that Cheenu is slated to marry.
Second half
The second half is what props up the movie, and salvages it from being a pointless exercise. Cheenu and Keerthi's families are Brahmin families living together, and their mannerisms, which are completely alien to Vasu, evoke genuine laughter.
Keerthi's younger sister (?) flirts with Vasu and develops a crush on him. Her role as a young, starry-eyed teenage girl is humorous and enjoyable.
A series of incidents showing off Vasu's heroics, his supposed innocence, and his presence of mind in saving Keerthi's sister results in Keerthi falling for Vasu this time around (with just a couple of days to go for her arranged marriage :-) ).
How Vasu manages to win the head of the family's approval and marries Keerthi is the crux of the climax.
What was Cheenu's fate, you may ask. Well, as usual, he's the sacrificial lamb, this time too. I do wonder why he chooses such roles involving huge sacrifices :-) . (Remember Kanda Naal Mudhal, where he played a similar role?)
Monday, April 14, 2008
Killer auto!
It was around 7:10 AM on Friday, the 11th of April. Vignesh and myself were on our way to the swimming pool at Gachibowli, on Vignesh's stylish and brand-new bike (you'll know shortly why I mention these adjectives :) )... Oh, and I forgot.. Vignesh was riding.
We were on the three-lane road to the pool, when we got behind a mini-bus on the right lane. There was an auto on the left lane, and Vicky planned to overtake the auto through the middle lane. Vicky being the careful rider that he is, (he never rides beyond 50ks), stuck to proper procedure, shifted to the middle lane, honked his horn and surged forward. We were then almost parallel to the auto.
That was when fate struck. The auto driver, for no reason, swerved suddenly to the right, virtually closing the middle lane. Vignesh tried hard to break and avoid the auto and was sure he'd manage to do exactly that. I being the experienced two-wheeler rider that I am ( 8+ years on a TVS XL super :) ) had no such false hopes, and knew that very instant that we would crash. Sure enough, the handle of the Apache hit the front curve of the auto's bonnet on the inside and the bike fell to the right. Vignesh was hurled to about 20 feet from the bike, and I, a few feet behind him.
We were on our feet fast, and I felt myself. No major injuries, just a couple of minor bruises. Vignesh seemed to have a suffered a few more bruises, on his arms, and there was blood on his teeth and nostrils. We went straight to the auto driver and started blasting him. What surprised me was his age. He would've been around just 14 years, and here he was, driving an auto.
No wonder then, I sighed and thought dryly. Being the young man he is, he would've seen an empty stretch of road in front and zig-zagged his way with glee, the way small kids do on their toy tricycles.
By then a crowd of around ten people had gathered and all of them supported us. I thought of calling the police, but the crowd suggested otherwise. One of them was concerned of the young guy's 'future'. That was indeed a stupid argument.. I wondered how many humans' futures he'd snuff out driving in such a manner. Anyway, being in a hurry to get to the hospital as quickly as possible, we took his keys (which we would realize later was a stupid move) and gave our contact number, hoping to get some money from him for the damage done to the Apache.
Vignesh rode to the hospital, and by then his right foot started aching terribly, so much so that he could hardly walk. An X-Ray was done, and the worst was confirmed; A fracture on his right ankle which would restrict his free movement for the next 6 weeks. The doc applied an orthopedic cast which would have to be in place for the same amount of time.
The bike had suffered considerable damage, and the adjectives that I used in the beginning no longer seem to apply to it now :) . The cap on the side of the accelerator had bent, the electric start and gear display weren't working, and there were numerous scratches and bent structures throughout the bike.
Needless to say, our ploy of grabbing the auto's key didn't work. On the evening of the same day when I was on my way from office, the auto wasn't there. We should've thought better.
Sunday, January 13, 2008
"A promise is a promise"
These words, which emanated from Ratan Tata, chairman of the Tata Group, literally moved me to tears. Having promised a car 'for the common man' in 2003, he would have found it extremely difficult to keep it, owing to a spurt in global steel and fuel prices over the years. Why then, in spite of this, did he keep his promise? Why didn't he increase costs to reflect increase in input prices?
Mr. Tata contradicts the image of a conventional corporate. The drive to make such an audacious attempt came when he watched a family on a motorcycle, with a wife behind and a kid in front, endangering the safety of the entire family. This sprang up an idea in his head, and keeping the middle class Indian family in mind, created a product that would revolutionize the way the common man travelled. Indeed, he is one of the few corporates who really thinks of improving the condition of the common man, rather than just blindly running after profits. We do need more of such inspired corporate leaders, to make up for the lack of those in our political system.
Instead of taking the usual path of developing a car, Mr. Tata decided to innovate. What enabled him to achieve this feat, is to be analyzed and emulated, not just by auto makers, but by all entrepreneurs. He started with a clean slate, and finished with 40 patents in the process, and a car which defied conventional automobile design. Hats off to a great thinker, a visionary, an innovator and an altruist.
Mr. Tata contradicts the image of a conventional corporate. The drive to make such an audacious attempt came when he watched a family on a motorcycle, with a wife behind and a kid in front, endangering the safety of the entire family. This sprang up an idea in his head, and keeping the middle class Indian family in mind, created a product that would revolutionize the way the common man travelled. Indeed, he is one of the few corporates who really thinks of improving the condition of the common man, rather than just blindly running after profits. We do need more of such inspired corporate leaders, to make up for the lack of those in our political system.
Instead of taking the usual path of developing a car, Mr. Tata decided to innovate. What enabled him to achieve this feat, is to be analyzed and emulated, not just by auto makers, but by all entrepreneurs. He started with a clean slate, and finished with 40 patents in the process, and a car which defied conventional automobile design. Hats off to a great thinker, a visionary, an innovator and an altruist.
Friday, December 14, 2007
All for a cup of cafe caramel
I was working(gaming, really), when Pradeep pinged me.
"Hey, Try this... Pour out a bag of chocolate powder and sugar into a cup, and add milk coffee to it. Voila, you have cafe caramel! I did it.. It tastes great!!"
Well, I hadn't yet tasted cafe caramel ever, and I thought this was my best chance. I went straight to the coffee machine, and kept a paper mug ready. I then zipped open the container with the chocolate bags, and took one out. I looked around for scissors. Damn... they weren't there. Not one to be put off by such minor obstacles, I tried to open the bag with my fingernails, only to realise that I had none protruding out of my fingers, thanks to my habit of nail-biting which had born with me.
I was thinking on what the heck could be done, when my eyes wandered to the intersecting line of two adjacent walls, which were pointing towards me. I looked at it closely. Well, was it sharp enough? Would this be the mystery weapon which would tear up the chocolate bag and satisfy my now-burning desire for cafe caramel? In typical South Indian style(where the florists would use walls to cut and measure jasmine garlands), I tried to cut open the chocolate bag. Nope, no use. It just wouldn't even leave a tiny intrusion.
I was frustrated by then. I tried the same with the intersection on the coffee machine. It wouldn't just work. I wondered why people don't keep a pair of scissors at the coffee machine to save so much trouble. It was then that I noticed a CCTV camera fixed above a neighbouring cubicle. The stunning revelation that all my futile attempts to tear open a chocolate bag could've been recorded hit me right in my face. What a shame. I wondered how many security staff had watched me in action. How many would have laughed, jeered, scorned.
I made up my mind. I took sugar with milk coffee in a cup, alongwith the chocolate bag to my desk. I was filled with determination, in spite of the humiliation that I had suffered. Nothing could then stand in the way of me and my cafe caramel. I didn't bother about the absence of any tool to tear the bag. My teeth, the most potent of any weapon on earth, were there to assist. In a moment, the chocolate was out into my cup. I devoured my cafe caramel with relish. It cooled my agony of public humilitation, and soothed my desire. I finished it, and looked back at the camera. It was pretty far, and the only lights that were on in this wing were those of mine.
Would it have caught me biting into the chocolate bag? I shuddered at the thought....
"Hey, Try this... Pour out a bag of chocolate powder and sugar into a cup, and add milk coffee to it. Voila, you have cafe caramel! I did it.. It tastes great!!"
Well, I hadn't yet tasted cafe caramel ever, and I thought this was my best chance. I went straight to the coffee machine, and kept a paper mug ready. I then zipped open the container with the chocolate bags, and took one out. I looked around for scissors. Damn... they weren't there. Not one to be put off by such minor obstacles, I tried to open the bag with my fingernails, only to realise that I had none protruding out of my fingers, thanks to my habit of nail-biting which had born with me.
I was thinking on what the heck could be done, when my eyes wandered to the intersecting line of two adjacent walls, which were pointing towards me. I looked at it closely. Well, was it sharp enough? Would this be the mystery weapon which would tear up the chocolate bag and satisfy my now-burning desire for cafe caramel? In typical South Indian style(where the florists would use walls to cut and measure jasmine garlands), I tried to cut open the chocolate bag. Nope, no use. It just wouldn't even leave a tiny intrusion.
I was frustrated by then. I tried the same with the intersection on the coffee machine. It wouldn't just work. I wondered why people don't keep a pair of scissors at the coffee machine to save so much trouble. It was then that I noticed a CCTV camera fixed above a neighbouring cubicle. The stunning revelation that all my futile attempts to tear open a chocolate bag could've been recorded hit me right in my face. What a shame. I wondered how many security staff had watched me in action. How many would have laughed, jeered, scorned.
I made up my mind. I took sugar with milk coffee in a cup, alongwith the chocolate bag to my desk. I was filled with determination, in spite of the humiliation that I had suffered. Nothing could then stand in the way of me and my cafe caramel. I didn't bother about the absence of any tool to tear the bag. My teeth, the most potent of any weapon on earth, were there to assist. In a moment, the chocolate was out into my cup. I devoured my cafe caramel with relish. It cooled my agony of public humilitation, and soothed my desire. I finished it, and looked back at the camera. It was pretty far, and the only lights that were on in this wing were those of mine.
Would it have caught me biting into the chocolate bag? I shuddered at the thought....
Thursday, November 22, 2007
Investment blues
Having observed the bull-run in the Sensex over the past few years, I decided that investment was the way to go to make a quick buck. I invested in a couple of mutual funds, which were 'recommended' by my savings account relationship manager.
That was when fate struck. The day my money went into the bourses, the Sensex began to tank down. I saw my portfolio dive downwards. I became nervous, and began looking at http://www.bseindia.com/ every couple of minutes, rejoicing at the tiniest increments and sulking at every drop. However, the net losses far outweighed profits, and at the end of the week, I found my investments having dropped significantly. My sole consolation was the rise by about 200 odd points in the last day of the week, which gladdened my heart.
Well, there's nothing much that could be done. Even if my portfolio continued to make losses, I could only brood helplessly, as I've invested in a tax-saver MF. Which means, a lock-in of three years. I'm however fairly confident that I'd end up making money at the end of the period, given the way the Sensex has recovered in the past few years from similar lows.
At least, this has given something to be excited about in my rather mundane life, and I'm thankful for it.
A tip before I close, for first-time investors out there. Your attitude towards your money, is what matters. You should be prepared for the worst that might happen to your money, and not expect to make profits right from the day 1. I have a don't care attitude towards my investment, and that's what keeps me from brooding :) .
That was when fate struck. The day my money went into the bourses, the Sensex began to tank down. I saw my portfolio dive downwards. I became nervous, and began looking at http://www.bseindia.com/ every couple of minutes, rejoicing at the tiniest increments and sulking at every drop. However, the net losses far outweighed profits, and at the end of the week, I found my investments having dropped significantly. My sole consolation was the rise by about 200 odd points in the last day of the week, which gladdened my heart.
Well, there's nothing much that could be done. Even if my portfolio continued to make losses, I could only brood helplessly, as I've invested in a tax-saver MF. Which means, a lock-in of three years. I'm however fairly confident that I'd end up making money at the end of the period, given the way the Sensex has recovered in the past few years from similar lows.
At least, this has given something to be excited about in my rather mundane life, and I'm thankful for it.
A tip before I close, for first-time investors out there. Your attitude towards your money, is what matters. You should be prepared for the worst that might happen to your money, and not expect to make profits right from the day 1. I have a don't care attitude towards my investment, and that's what keeps me from brooding :) .
Monday, October 01, 2007
Judicial activism vis-a-vis executive audacity
I have tried to resist writing related to politics, which is my favourite domain, for long -- but after this one incident of judicial overreach or executive arrogance,whatever you may call it, I couldn't help.
Background
M.Karunanidhi (MK)(Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu) had passionately been vouching for the Sethusamudram project, which involves constructing a canal across the Sethu bridge between India and Sri Lanka, to reduce shipping time between the two countries and improve trade. The project had been approved by the Centre during June 2005, and it's implementation started henceforth.
However this project involved dredging right across what is known as the Adam's Bridge(a.k.a Ram Sethu). This 'bridge' is believed to have been built by Lord Rama, the seventh incarnation of Lord Vishnu, to cross over to Lanka to rescue his wife.
Quite expectedly, petitions were filed in the Supreme Court pleading a stay/cancellation of the Sethu project. Having granted an interim stay,the SC sought the Centre's response on the issue.
ASI's foolishness
The Archeological Survey of India(ASI) filed an affidavit in response to the SC's query. The affidavit said that the Ram Sethu was a natural formation and not a man-made structure.
It could have well stopped at that. The ASI tried to act smart, exceeding it's brief and claiming that there was no proof to support Ram's existence. The Centre was embarrassed, and fearing a backlash from communalists, suspended a couple of ASI officials and filed a modified affidavit a couple of days later.
MK miffed
MK, a known atheist, was miffed at this. It prompted him to take refuge under his famed anti-Hindu stand. He commented that a mythical character couldn't be used to hinder development. Further, he called for a bandh in Tamil Nadu, to press for the speedy implementation of the project. The game had begun.(MK - 1, SC - 0).
Quite expectedly, JJ, MK's main opposition, seized on this opportunity and filed a petition in the SC against the bandh. The SC came down heavily on MK and ordered the TN govt not to hold a bandh, stating that 'public right is superior to the right of political parties'(MK - 1, SC -1).
MK cleverly changed tack promptly and changed his 'bandh' call to that of a 'hunger strike'. After all, extensive preparations had been done for the bandh to become a success, and he couldn't possibly dissappoint his party workers. And of course, we all know that a 'hunger strike' is just a euphemism for a bandh, atleast in TN.(MK - 2, SC - 1)
Judicial activism
It's clearly a correct, but impractical observation, especially given the fact that MK is a strong ally of the UPA. The UPA wouldn't even dream of upsetting the old man and losing his support, given the never-ending headache it already has, with the Left. The SC did well to draw the line with an observation. Had it given a direction in this regard, the Centre wouldn't have budged, and the SC would've risked losing it's respect.
However, the stinging observation seemed to have had the desired effect. MK immediately left the venue (after about 3 hrs of 'hunger strike') and later in the day, went to office and then home. DMK leaders said that he had to meet a doctor.(Yeah.. He would've gotten butterflies in his stomach :-) ). But he still insists that he had not violated any SC order and that shops had closed on their own and bus drivers had, on their own accord, taken leave(yeah.. as if we would believe that..). With scores level, it still remains to be seen as to what would gain the upper hand.. executive arrogance or judicial activism..
Saturday, September 22, 2007
Nothing for the purists
Goaded by my friends-cum-roommates, I decided to buy a shirt for my birthday. One evening, we went to Hyderabad Central, a mall which contained 2+ floors of dresses. I wanted to buy a half shirt or a tee, and started looking at the first floor. There were rows and rows of shirts, most of them formals, from various popular 'international' brands. Though not interested in them, I did steal a look into their prices. Expectedly, they were pretty prohibitive, most of them close to a thousand rupees or more.
Then came the t-shirt section. My idea of a shirt is a pretty simple one.. A plain/striped tee would do, but I loathe tees with huge meaningless text/extravagent designs on them. They do look awful to me. In short, a taste of a typical purist. Unfortunately, I couldn't quite easily find what I was looking for. Most of the t-shirts had some designs... Eagles, Shakespeare(what on earth was he doing on a tee?), beer, a guy on skates attempting to climb a steep hill... and what not.
By then, I'd given up hope that I'd chose anything at all from that mall. So much so that I asked my friends to look for some dresses too, fearing that the 45-minute trip to the mall would become pointless. I then wondered.. what does it take to just make a simple tee and dye it with a color that is appealing? Why do people just splash it with some nonsensical graphic or meaningless text? Maybe they're of an idea that the 'youth' who buy such shirts feel 'funky'?
The very fact that there are so many disgusting tees put up on sale seems to suggest the same. Even if that be the case, I am pretty sure that there would be many like me who would desire a simple, uncomplicated tee. Am I not entitled to one? Are purists like me supposed to be confined to cloth shops where I'd have to pick some (so-called) old-fashioned piece and get it stitched to a shirt? I guess we deserve our own space too.
Anyway, after about an hour or so of searching, I ended up with the best shirt that I could find. I did want to take photos of a few of those horrifying shirts and post them here... But when I was about to take a second photo, the executive over there stopped me :-)... Here's the one that I managed to click...
Then came the t-shirt section. My idea of a shirt is a pretty simple one.. A plain/striped tee would do, but I loathe tees with huge meaningless text/extravagent designs on them. They do look awful to me. In short, a taste of a typical purist. Unfortunately, I couldn't quite easily find what I was looking for. Most of the t-shirts had some designs... Eagles, Shakespeare(what on earth was he doing on a tee?), beer, a guy on skates attempting to climb a steep hill... and what not.
By then, I'd given up hope that I'd chose anything at all from that mall. So much so that I asked my friends to look for some dresses too, fearing that the 45-minute trip to the mall would become pointless. I then wondered.. what does it take to just make a simple tee and dye it with a color that is appealing? Why do people just splash it with some nonsensical graphic or meaningless text? Maybe they're of an idea that the 'youth' who buy such shirts feel 'funky'?
The very fact that there are so many disgusting tees put up on sale seems to suggest the same. Even if that be the case, I am pretty sure that there would be many like me who would desire a simple, uncomplicated tee. Am I not entitled to one? Are purists like me supposed to be confined to cloth shops where I'd have to pick some (so-called) old-fashioned piece and get it stitched to a shirt? I guess we deserve our own space too.
Anyway, after about an hour or so of searching, I ended up with the best shirt that I could find. I did want to take photos of a few of those horrifying shirts and post them here... But when I was about to take a second photo, the executive over there stopped me :-)... Here's the one that I managed to click...
Monday, September 17, 2007
A rather tame end
This post is long due, considering the fact that I've read the last of the Harry Potter series about a month and a half ago. Anyway, here it is...
The adventures that the trio of Harry, Ron and Hermione faced throughout the novel were, I have to admit, pretty gripping. However, the way the novel ended left me pretty disappointed. I expected that the duel with Voldemort would last for quite sometime and Harry would ultimately end up proving his superiority over him. Alas, Rowling chose to introduce the concept of the deathly hallows and use it, rather effectively, to rescue Harry from the first Avada Kedavra death curse and then guarantee his victory over the Dark Lord at the end, courtesy the Elder Wand.
Well, so you might ask, what's your problem.
I had been hoping for an exciting finish, one that would've left me satisfied that Harry had indeed comprehensively beaten Voldemort with skill. I had expected a lot of fireworks, hoping that a minimum of ten curses and counter-curses would've ensued before Voldemort's death. I wondered how Harry would train himself to raise his skill in time for the ultimate duel and how Rowling would handle that problematic point.
But that was not to be. I do realise now that I should've expected this sort of an end. It does match perfectly with the development and portrayal of Harry's character. I failed to look at the larger picture and wondered how Harry would develop his skill.
There's absolutely no doubt that had Rowling set up a proper duel between the two rivals at the end of the novel, it would've been a fitting and an exciting end to the seven-part series. But to effect such an end, Harry should've been extremely intelligent and should've excelled in his academics. He would've had to master, or atleast tried to master, most of the magic out there. And that would've meant immersing himself for hours in the Hogwarts library :-) .
But, understandably, Harry is a simple guy, not a geek or a nerd. It is this image of Potter that has endeared him to his young fans, and has helped Rowling earn what she has. Making Harry an intellectual, with skill that would've matched that of Voldemort, would've been a disaster. Such an approach would've alienated the countless number of ordinary fans who wouldn't have touched the book. Rowling's approach does indeed make perfect sense.
For Rowling, the end would've been a minor compromise. Or it might not be one at all, given that she has compensated quite well with an exciting concept of the Deathly Hallows, and of course, love, right from the first to the last of the series. However, I do feel that she would've desired to give an exciting finish to the series with a good duel instead of a tame single-spell end to the life of a great dark wizard. Even if she had desired to, she wouldn't have been able to provide such an end, given the way she had groomed Potter. Potter wouldn't have been able to master spells in the last novel, nor would he have been able to give a proper fight to the dark lord.
Come to think of it, the end isn't very apt, but Rowling had no other choice.
The adventures that the trio of Harry, Ron and Hermione faced throughout the novel were, I have to admit, pretty gripping. However, the way the novel ended left me pretty disappointed. I expected that the duel with Voldemort would last for quite sometime and Harry would ultimately end up proving his superiority over him. Alas, Rowling chose to introduce the concept of the deathly hallows and use it, rather effectively, to rescue Harry from the first Avada Kedavra death curse and then guarantee his victory over the Dark Lord at the end, courtesy the Elder Wand.
Well, so you might ask, what's your problem.
I had been hoping for an exciting finish, one that would've left me satisfied that Harry had indeed comprehensively beaten Voldemort with skill. I had expected a lot of fireworks, hoping that a minimum of ten curses and counter-curses would've ensued before Voldemort's death. I wondered how Harry would train himself to raise his skill in time for the ultimate duel and how Rowling would handle that problematic point.
But that was not to be. I do realise now that I should've expected this sort of an end. It does match perfectly with the development and portrayal of Harry's character. I failed to look at the larger picture and wondered how Harry would develop his skill.
There's absolutely no doubt that had Rowling set up a proper duel between the two rivals at the end of the novel, it would've been a fitting and an exciting end to the seven-part series. But to effect such an end, Harry should've been extremely intelligent and should've excelled in his academics. He would've had to master, or atleast tried to master, most of the magic out there. And that would've meant immersing himself for hours in the Hogwarts library :-) .
But, understandably, Harry is a simple guy, not a geek or a nerd. It is this image of Potter that has endeared him to his young fans, and has helped Rowling earn what she has. Making Harry an intellectual, with skill that would've matched that of Voldemort, would've been a disaster. Such an approach would've alienated the countless number of ordinary fans who wouldn't have touched the book. Rowling's approach does indeed make perfect sense.
For Rowling, the end would've been a minor compromise. Or it might not be one at all, given that she has compensated quite well with an exciting concept of the Deathly Hallows, and of course, love, right from the first to the last of the series. However, I do feel that she would've desired to give an exciting finish to the series with a good duel instead of a tame single-spell end to the life of a great dark wizard. Even if she had desired to, she wouldn't have been able to provide such an end, given the way she had groomed Potter. Potter wouldn't have been able to master spells in the last novel, nor would he have been able to give a proper fight to the dark lord.
Come to think of it, the end isn't very apt, but Rowling had no other choice.
Wednesday, July 11, 2007
Kaatrin Mozhi
'Mozhi'(language), the film where the song 'Kaatrin Mozhi' appears, is about a woman who has the misfortune of being both deaf and dumb. However, she compensates amply by being fiercely independent. How the hero(Prithvi Raj) convinces the misogamist to marry him, forms the crux of the story.
There are few songs which have stirred me up like this one did. This song is a case where fabulous music, a lovely voice and stirring lyrics come together. 'Kaatrin mozhi...' ('the language of the wind...' ), as it begins, says that you don't need to know any language save that of nature, to interact with anyone. The song does make lots of sense, unlike many others from Kollywood. I've put up the lyrics of the song below. I have also attempted to translate it to English.
katrinnn mozhi...oliyya? isaiyya?
poovinnn mozhi....nirama? manamaa?
kadalin mozhi...alaiya? nuraiya?
kaadhal mozhi...vizhiyya? idhazha?
iyarkeyin mozhigal purinthu vidu
manitharin mozhigal thevai-illai
ithaiyathin mozhigal purinthu vidu
manitharikku mozhiye thevai-illai
katrinnn mozhiyee...oliya? isaiyya?
poovinnn mozhi....nirama? manama?
((The language of the wind.. is it it's sound or music?
The language of the flower.. is it it's color or fragrance?
The language of the ocean.. is it it's waves or foam?
The language of love.. is it the eyes or the lips?
Understand the languages of nature,
Man's languages are unnecessary,
Understand the heart's languages,
No language is necessary for man...
The language of the wind.. ))
kaatru veesum bothu...thisaigal kidaiyathu
kaadhal paesum bothu...mozhigal kidaiyathu
paesum vaarthai pola...mounam puriyathu
kanngal paesum vaarthai....kadavul ariyathu
ulavi theeriyum kaatrukku....uruvam theetta mudiyathu
kaadhal paesum mozhi-ellam... satha koothil adanggathu
iyarkeyin mozhigal purinthu vidu
manitharin mozhigal thevai-illai
ithaiyathin mozhigal purinthu vidu
manitharikku mozhiye thevai-illai
katrinnn mozhiyee...
((When the wind blows, there aren't any directions..
When love speaks, there aren't any languages..
One can't understand silence (like one understands) spoken words,
(God?) won't know the words spoken by the eyes...
The wind, who roams and wanders cannot be given a shape..
The language of love does not lie in the domain of sound(voice/words)..
Understand the languages of nature,
Man's languages are unnecessary,
Understand the heart's languages,
No language is needed for man...
(Repeat)The language of the wind.. ))
vaanam paesum paechu...thulliyai veliyagum
vaanavillin paechu...neeramai veliyagum
unmai oomai anaal...kanneer mozhiyagum
pennmei ummei anaal...naanum mozhiyagum
osai thoongum jaamathilll...kuchi meengal mozhiyagum
asai thoongum ithaiyathil...asaiva kooda mozhiyagum
iyarkeyin mozhigal purinthu vidu
manitharin mozhigal thevai-illai
ithaiyathin mozhigal purinthu vidu
manitharikku mozhiye thevai-illai
(The sky's speech(language) emerges as droplets..
The rainbow's speech(language) emerges as color..
When truth becomes silent, one speaks (language) tears..
When (a woman's) feminity becomes silent, (her) shyness will emerge..
(The time) When all sound sleeps, tiny(?) fishes talk(language)..
In (one's) heart where desire sleeps, slight movements too become a language..
Understand the languages of nature,
Man's languages are unnecessary,
Understand the heart's languages,
No language is needed for man...
(Repeat)The language of the wind.. ))
katrinnn mozhiyee...oliyya? isaiyya?
poovinnn mozhi....neerumma? mannumma?
kadalinnn mozhi...alaiyya? nuraiyya?
kaadhalll mozhi...vizhiyya? izdhala?
iyarkeyin mozhigal purinthu vidu
manitharin mozhigal thevai-illai
ithaiyathin mozhigal purinthu vidu
manitharikku mozhiye thevai-illai
katrinnn mozhiyee...
((The language of the wind.. is it it's sound or music?
The language of the flower.. is it it's color or fragrance?
The language of the ocean.. is it it's waves or foam?
The language of love.. is it the eyes or the lips?
Understand the languages of nature,
Man's languages are unnecessary,
Understand the heart's languages,
No language is needed for man...
The language of the wind.. ))
(P.S.1.. I've used the terms talk, speech and language interchangeably according to context. They all are translated from the same word, mozhi.. )
(P.S2.. This may be considered as a disclaimer as well.. I'm no expert in Tamil, but I believe I've done a decent job. Comments and corrections are welcome. I'll incorporate corrections regularly. )
There are few songs which have stirred me up like this one did. This song is a case where fabulous music, a lovely voice and stirring lyrics come together. 'Kaatrin mozhi...' ('the language of the wind...' ), as it begins, says that you don't need to know any language save that of nature, to interact with anyone. The song does make lots of sense, unlike many others from Kollywood. I've put up the lyrics of the song below. I have also attempted to translate it to English.
katrinnn mozhi...oliyya? isaiyya?
poovinnn mozhi....nirama? manamaa?
kadalin mozhi...alaiya? nuraiya?
kaadhal mozhi...vizhiyya? idhazha?
iyarkeyin mozhigal purinthu vidu
manitharin mozhigal thevai-illai
ithaiyathin mozhigal purinthu vidu
manitharikku mozhiye thevai-illai
katrinnn mozhiyee...oliya? isaiyya?
poovinnn mozhi....nirama? manama?
((The language of the wind.. is it it's sound or music?
The language of the flower.. is it it's color or fragrance?
The language of the ocean.. is it it's waves or foam?
The language of love.. is it the eyes or the lips?
Understand the languages of nature,
Man's languages are unnecessary,
Understand the heart's languages,
No language is necessary for man...
The language of the wind.. ))
kaatru veesum bothu...thisaigal kidaiyathu
kaadhal paesum bothu...mozhigal kidaiyathu
paesum vaarthai pola...mounam puriyathu
kanngal paesum vaarthai....kadavul ariyathu
ulavi theeriyum kaatrukku....uruvam theetta mudiyathu
kaadhal paesum mozhi-ellam... satha koothil adanggathu
iyarkeyin mozhigal purinthu vidu
manitharin mozhigal thevai-illai
ithaiyathin mozhigal purinthu vidu
manitharikku mozhiye thevai-illai
katrinnn mozhiyee...
((When the wind blows, there aren't any directions..
When love speaks, there aren't any languages..
One can't understand silence (like one understands) spoken words,
(God?) won't know the words spoken by the eyes...
The wind, who roams and wanders cannot be given a shape..
The language of love does not lie in the domain of sound(voice/words)..
Understand the languages of nature,
Man's languages are unnecessary,
Understand the heart's languages,
No language is needed for man...
(Repeat)The language of the wind.. ))
vaanam paesum paechu...thulliyai veliyagum
vaanavillin paechu...neeramai veliyagum
unmai oomai anaal...kanneer mozhiyagum
pennmei ummei anaal...naanum mozhiyagum
osai thoongum jaamathilll...kuchi meengal mozhiyagum
asai thoongum ithaiyathil...asaiva kooda mozhiyagum
iyarkeyin mozhigal purinthu vidu
manitharin mozhigal thevai-illai
ithaiyathin mozhigal purinthu vidu
manitharikku mozhiye thevai-illai
(The sky's speech(language) emerges as droplets..
The rainbow's speech(language) emerges as color..
When truth becomes silent, one speaks (language) tears..
When (a woman's) feminity becomes silent, (her) shyness will emerge..
(The time) When all sound sleeps, tiny(?) fishes talk(language)..
In (one's) heart where desire sleeps, slight movements too become a language..
Understand the languages of nature,
Man's languages are unnecessary,
Understand the heart's languages,
No language is needed for man...
(Repeat)The language of the wind.. ))
katrinnn mozhiyee...oliyya? isaiyya?
poovinnn mozhi....neerumma? mannumma?
kadalinnn mozhi...alaiyya? nuraiyya?
kaadhalll mozhi...vizhiyya? izdhala?
iyarkeyin mozhigal purinthu vidu
manitharin mozhigal thevai-illai
ithaiyathin mozhigal purinthu vidu
manitharikku mozhiye thevai-illai
katrinnn mozhiyee...
((The language of the wind.. is it it's sound or music?
The language of the flower.. is it it's color or fragrance?
The language of the ocean.. is it it's waves or foam?
The language of love.. is it the eyes or the lips?
Understand the languages of nature,
Man's languages are unnecessary,
Understand the heart's languages,
No language is needed for man...
The language of the wind.. ))
(P.S.1.. I've used the terms talk, speech and language interchangeably according to context. They all are translated from the same word, mozhi.. )
(P.S2.. This may be considered as a disclaimer as well.. I'm no expert in Tamil, but I believe I've done a decent job. Comments and corrections are welcome. I'll incorporate corrections regularly. )
Thursday, July 05, 2007
Good food isn't always helpful!
Four years of college life helped me maintain a sort of balance between food and my work. The food was pathetic, needless to say, and all that I managed to eat at the mess was a bit of rice in the afternoon with some buttermilk. The canteen helped supplement my food for a few days, but not always. As a result, inevitably I lost quite a few kilos throughout that time. The only time when I could put on some weight was when I went home on weekends or vacations, but of course such small increments didn't help much. I prevented further damage by doing absolutely no physical workouts(no gym, very limited outdoor sports).
But things have changed at work. The food is pretty good, and I continue to be physically inactive. As a result of which, I've become heavier by about 4 kilos in 2 weeks and even grown a tummy!! Going at this rate, I shudder to imagine how I'd look in 2-3 years time.. :-(
But things have changed at work. The food is pretty good, and I continue to be physically inactive. As a result of which, I've become heavier by about 4 kilos in 2 weeks and even grown a tummy!! Going at this rate, I shudder to imagine how I'd look in 2-3 years time.. :-(
Headache's gone for good!!!
My blog's literally been sleeping for quite a few months, thanks to lack of topics in the author's mind :). But finally it has risen from its slumber, and hopefully'll now be more active.
I've been having headaches for quite a few years now, and thankfully I hope I've gotten rid of it finally, thanks to a doctor at the place where I work. I used to get these numbing, disabling headaches for years, when I didn't have a proper breakfast with coffee. It used to start at one or both sides of the forehead, and spread to the eyelids. Once I got one of those, I wouldn't be able to do any sort of activity, and all that I would earn for was a sound sleep. Once I had a tablet (I was so faithful to Dolopar... :) I never thought of any other :) ) and slept, it would vanish. I'd visited quite a few number of doctors since childhood regarding this problem, but none of them gave lasting solutions nor reasons for their occurence.
Finally I visited this doctor at my workplace, to collect my medical report. Strangely he said everything was normal (ppl looking at me would wonder if I am from a famine-stricken place :) ). I even specifically asked him whether I was underweight. He reassured me saying that the numbers really didn't matter and that what I felt was an indication of my physical state.
Pheww.. I was relieved!!
When he had handed over the report, I decided to ask him about it. Gingerly, I mentioned the headache. He then explained that the brain needed a fixed level of sugar in the blood and that my levels were falling down once in a while. He added that it was pretty common with others as well, and advised me to take sweets/hot milk with sugar to get rid of it. I'm following his advice scrupulously, having hot chocolate with excess sugar twice a day :), just to keep the devil at bay. And I've succeeded!!
I've been having headaches for quite a few years now, and thankfully I hope I've gotten rid of it finally, thanks to a doctor at the place where I work. I used to get these numbing, disabling headaches for years, when I didn't have a proper breakfast with coffee. It used to start at one or both sides of the forehead, and spread to the eyelids. Once I got one of those, I wouldn't be able to do any sort of activity, and all that I would earn for was a sound sleep. Once I had a tablet (I was so faithful to Dolopar... :) I never thought of any other :) ) and slept, it would vanish. I'd visited quite a few number of doctors since childhood regarding this problem, but none of them gave lasting solutions nor reasons for their occurence.
Finally I visited this doctor at my workplace, to collect my medical report. Strangely he said everything was normal (ppl looking at me would wonder if I am from a famine-stricken place :) ). I even specifically asked him whether I was underweight. He reassured me saying that the numbers really didn't matter and that what I felt was an indication of my physical state.
Pheww.. I was relieved!!
When he had handed over the report, I decided to ask him about it. Gingerly, I mentioned the headache. He then explained that the brain needed a fixed level of sugar in the blood and that my levels were falling down once in a while. He added that it was pretty common with others as well, and advised me to take sweets/hot milk with sugar to get rid of it. I'm following his advice scrupulously, having hot chocolate with excess sugar twice a day :), just to keep the devil at bay. And I've succeeded!!
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