Racism, Casteism, is there a word Stateism???

Its high time we shld coin one if not and patent it by India. Been observing this for a long long while, never felt people actually think in these lines until I stepped out of the country 7 odd years ago..Though first glimpses of how people tend to think hang around with their own folks obviously was in college hostel (though I didn’t stay in one..) The mallu gang, the Andhra gang....even subsets inside of TN like 'Nagerkoil'etc etc...Well it’s perfectly within reasoning , ppl new to a place (new college) want to share something in common( like studies and chasing girls aren’t common 'fields' of interest) and form their comfort zones amongst their won 'folks' from the 'native'....fine.

Well then there I was , stepped out of college to nother country, the much talked bout U.S of A (duh!). Hmm ok am in Michigan now, n so there are forums to meet, share and 'help each other' site and a message board. Nice! But I haven’t seen the amount of North -South (India) bashing anywhere else. On an average in a week's time this forum will have at least 10 posts with direct and indirect lewd remarks on Gultis(A.P), Lungis(Mallus), Madrasis, Gujjus, Punjabi, Bihari etc etc...major subsets being -North South. Initially I used to judiciously reply (read affected) to those posts. Then after all these years it’s more like a comic strip to me to read the mindset of a bunch of jokers. To tend to hang out with ppl of common interest/lang/state is one and to totally hate the rest is nother. Am I generalizing the whole Indian community based on opinions formed from one message board? May be not.

Well the Gujjus and Punjabis from my observation most N.I community have moved there thro their business acumen n run the show of most gas stations, dunkin donuts, 7 11..n most convenience stores...How they got there at the first place is always a point of discussion for the Southies. Yes a gen ago most sneaked thro the Mexican border, and got their Green cards thro al loop holes available. Their crop - the kids -the 'hep' ABCDs- American Born Confused Desis look down at the FOBs n H1s ( ok thats not a 'Stateist' divide there is a whole new dimension to it..later). and what do the Northies crib about? Well The Southies are mostly( again from what ive observed in North East corridor of u.s) white collar professionals( read workers) who went there a gen ago..Engineers( did u read IT), Docs etc. Gotto give it to them the 'Southies' thrive there with their educational background than their business skills( debatable..but an observation). Reddys are mostly familiar in hospitals than seen running a Dunkin while the 'motels' and 'patels' rhyme together... So the Northies mocking @ Southies pot bellies..hehe like all of em are like the khans in bollywood. come on at least the SI filmdom don’t portray heroes as a 6 pack flaunting macho man who always lands in India in his private jet. Tollywood n kollywood at least don’t run out of ideas n remake old movies...n the reality is nortie average aunty doesn’t look like rani mukharjee with grey hair but is just nother plump couch potato(made of paneer n ghee) fit for the Southies hero...hehe am not starting another bashing here...just on lighter vein..n I still haven’t figured out whts the prob with rice eaters....we are what we are be it cant ppl just let go...hmm. As a whole unit we aint topping the charts alongside China in Asian games so why mock at 6 chapattis or mound of rice..

My humble 2 cents is everyone has his own skills be it tech, non tech or business..based on his background n environment back home and is moving to a different country to make a better life(better life ? am not too sure again debatable). Can we just not acknowledge that? In Singapore it was Tamilians(ok they are natives and Tamil is 1 of official language) and rest of India. Here in the ME it’s even more hilarious. A few weeks ago, was done with work and was waiting for the lift to go down. 2 guys in suits stepped out of the lift..and since I look like an 'Indian' he goes akadam takadam in malyalam..since I understand a lil bit of Malayalam n not speak, I gave him a disapproving look n answered in English. Here this is how it is..you are a Malabari or an Indian...It’s very normal to hear 'Are you from Kerala or India’. This just reminds me of nother incident...well the educated n the uneducated are pretty much same in this perspective...this is with the 'elite' waiters in MI...most of em are from Goa, n if a gora asks where he is from u can hear 'I am from Goa' For some reason they associate themselves with Portuguese n Portugal n not India...Well here is something that irked me today and made me blog. One Mr. Anil Nair (Anil Nair is managing editor (India) of cricinfo.com so it says..I mean the footer in the article) has wasted no time to highlight the lone star from Kerala who’s already a prodigy..hmm what a sorry state Indian cricket is in..they had nothing to write on and when one brat got a 5 wicket haul this Nair saab wastes no time in saying 'Clues to Sreesanth's aggression lie in the history of his home state, Kerala'
Like the author is diggin deep into a legend called Sreeshanth whoz 1 wicket away from 700 wickets in test cricket and probin on his resilience n resolve...people it was just a 5 wicket haul for this kid...though I do wish him well the lauds n tracing his history back to Kerala hahahahaha hilarious Mr. Nair.


I had discussed prejudice in my previous post, all of us are, so am I , the opinionated, the degree of prejudice vary I might justify my opinions as being 'guarded' instead of giving the benefit of doubt to the stranger...its abad world out there, I swear a coupla days ago AGAIN this cold store guy(in Middle East its not a patel its ALWAYS a mallu) ripped 50 fills extra on a drink n a pack of chips I bought, didn’t care to ask him...am embarrassed on him bein so blatantly shameless...

I am neither goin to preach , nor goin to curse, lemme sit back relax n enjoy the humour in the attitude of ppl....no one is right or wrong.....n I have 2 chapattis n then a mini mound of rice, I cant curse neither nor am I 'roshan'ing India's name in Asian games. Baseline lemme shut the eff up n do wht I can do..purposeful things I mean...peace.

Haves and have not...

It was raining outside this morning...its Sunday morning blues, back to work after weekend..stepped out of home n stepped into slush n dirtied my shoes..ya for the rare bouts of rain Bahrain has...was mad already and got pissed at the traffic..

Was bumper to bumper traffic, I switched cd to listen to Lynyrd Skynyrd, S&G and Aerosmith assorted collection my fav cd..n then four guys sitting under a tattered polythene sheet for a roof in a pickup truck in front of me caught my attention. They were laughing n smiling and looking at the flooded roads..quite a rare sight in Bahrain you see..one stretched out his hand n felt the rain just enjoying the journey to what could be a grueling day's work. They looked like manual laborers, but they obviously werent worried bout what was ahead of them n here they were enjoying the moment talking and giggling like school kids.., hmm I thanked the Supernatural for bringing my attention to these people..no cursing traffic no soiled shoes to let me bothered, I rolled down the window n felt the rain myself smiled @ the guys in front. These laborers Ive noticed have those big 'naan' bread for lunch n dinner all days thats all they can afford, and work for as low as 30- 40 BD/month and still blessed are their souls to be soo carefree and happy. State of life boils down to 'state' of mind. Wonder who are the haves and the have nots....Abundance has different meaning to diff people but am sure its meaningless if we cant cherish the moment 'one day at a time' n the elusive happiness will ever remain elusive...

This is one of my fav song I love to listen to on my way to work..its Aerosmith Dream on..

Everytime that I look in the mirror
All these lines on my face gettin clearer
The past is gone
It went by like dust to dawn
Isnt that the way
Everybodys got their dues in life to pay

I know what nobody knows
Where it comes and where it goes
I know its everybodys sin
You got to lose to know how to win

Half my life is in books written pages
Live and learn from fools and from sages
You know its true
All the things come back to you

Sing with me, sing for the years
Sing for the laughter, sing for the tears
Sing with me, if its just for today
Maybe tomorrow the good lord will take you away

Dream on, dream on
Dream yourself a dream come true......


I am gonna have a blessed week ahead and make the days of atleast a few people around me better... Smile.

Update to last post....

Hmm I sound like a sexist. No one complained but I thought so... That definitely wasnt what I wanted to convey. Point is whole lotta women too spend their entire life 'sacrificing' for their family, couples live with relations for fear of insecurities due to a broken marriage, future of kids etc....Is it all that important to drain yourself in getting into a relation and make it work. Is it a must that when you are in late twenties/early thirties to get married? What drives us to do that? I mean is it social acceptance? All required to follow the pattern? Stalemate creeps in very soon in this dog eat dog fast paced world, and in the end its a breakup or wld be one of em making major readjustments in their attitude, likes and dislikes to make it 'work'. Rather if you are clear of your priorities its much better to stay aloof of the most complex relations of all....

Be Unorthodox

The way I look at things...

1. Make a really close circle in your personal relations- parents n good friends and never waste your energy thinking of the rest. I mean unless you have anything constructive to do dont bitch about it atleast.

e.g - Early morning traffic. - These days I keep a check on the number of swears on my way to work. Wait a sec not all the ppl I am swearing at can be wrong n me right...why drain my energy getting tensed, not a good start afterall. Can all drivers be bad drivers all are mean n I am nice, driving to work wearing a smile needs a tweak in the attiude.

- Bitching about the bad 'state' of anything...people, the roads back home ...social problems etc. If I cant really do something purposeful, Id rather not complain or worry bout it. Rather spend my energy on doing something useful for some1.

2. Time on girls. Very much debatable... Lets face it is all these relations worth it? Day in n day out making calls to check on her, listening to her frm morn till night stories, that never ending yap yap yap....ya ive been there done that.. for what ? Is it investing in a relation? Am tired of this companionship, 'getting settled' bullshit. Its such a drain on my eneregy n time.

A coincidence here is an excerpt on 'Bitchology' and Russian Women on Times of India ...'After the initial lectures, the women then attend the "school of seduction" in which they learn to use their sexuality to attract the most discerning of men. by flaunting their sexuality. In the final lesson, the women learn the art of the striptease.

And it seems that the classes do indeed work, for the Rakovskys' students swear by the technique which, according to one, gives every Russian woman what she wants, namely "Great sex, money and a man who looks after you." '

What a waste. Agreed there are a few good ones,may be a lot of good ones and I am shortsighted n picking the wrong ones..there are 'true' relations n stuff, but personally the time and energy to make a relation work is just way too much , and I d rather save em for a 1000 good stuff to do goin around this world. Feel like father? Adopt some kids there are thousands orphaned back home make some of their lives.. If fear of loneliness 'on my grey days' shld push me to gettin into a relation that wld be soo not right.. 'Do mingle but stay single' is my mantra.


3. Dont listen to a friend's problem. If it is a relation issue. She said that, he said that,so I said this....relax, 3 views of 1 thing, n ppl love to be sad, please be but dont try to make me sad. Also I feel each person has to grow from within there is no point in pampering them while they are down, unless I got anything constructive to say or do I cant do a 'I know how it feels, its soo hard on u ' n number of times day in n day out.. I mean if you really care for the person u d rather want him/her to get up n move on..

4.Prejudice - The case with rude waiters..rude any customer service person..May be they had a bad customer earlier, may be they are doing a double shift...give them the benefit of doubt, n you be nice instead. You might make his n the next customer's day by the generous act of kindness. Kindness and compassion to who when and where are highly debatable and has individual perspectives...A simple gesture and deliberate help to the struggling can boost your energy and trigger a +ve chain. RS says' Soul of all things in this universe is the same' so lets nurture the soul. Spend less time on your already pampered girl friend and drive your office boy w/o a car to a shopping centre n spend a measly amt to make his day. Try it..trust me.

Beautiful Bahrain....

Whoa didnt know this place can get soo much better. Well when I landed up here it was right onto summer, no car, no frenz n sick weather....

Cant miss this precious 4-5 months of pleasant weather, n wht more its been raining for da past 2 days!!!!!! Just the whiff of fresh air when u walk out of the house can do so much to our spirits..it does to mine.

Done reading 'The monk who sold his ferrari'. Quite a nice book, Ill have to save a seperate post for that..for now lemme sneak out of office n go 4 a walk.


N that reminds me of hot bajjis, samosas n chai in the evening....hmm.

What is to make up??? ahem...

Yaall yaall yaall! When do u 'make up'? I make up for the lost time, I make up for my mistakes, basically 'fix' someting that aint proper. So what does it mean when a girl spends those innumerable hours doing 'make up'.

I read somewhere the average person over 50 will have spent 5 years waiting in lines...though I didnt buy it. How bout stats on average woman over 50 spends____ years in front of the mirror 'making up' flawed/already beautiful n thinks it aint face...


Out of curiosity I peeped onto a cosmetic site n got dizzy(lemon salt soda please..) lookin @ their base coat, top coat,acrylic(????) primer....waterproof, scratch proof(hahahah I knowwwww) maskara, lip stick , gloss...kiss proof(may be..) Dunno why they love soo much to eat fish scales...n what not....take them layers of coats off u wld see a pale, rabietic(addan sori) skin cryin out for mercy after years n years of torture.....sigh. N ya make up 'removers' thats the part when the mirrors go berserk n break cos it doent want to face it.., I heared there is some research goin on to make 'reality' proof mirrors.

Look at excerpts from 'Make up tips' a site recommends..for softer? ultra modern? sick my bad look...'Use a small angled brush (there's a great one in Cat Cosmetic s Open Sesameow!) to line the top of your eye with a rich, black shadow. Then use Diane's Liquid Liner over the black line, right at your lashes'....Oh well that sounds very simple.


Think its reflective of their own state of mind, just cant do nething simple u see...if anything is straight twist em up, make it complicated, n then worry bout it. 'Necessity is the mother of all inventions' huh? read bet lines the cosmetic guys say necessity to make money is ... n has got a perfect ally with the media.hmm i give up.

Places taken for granted, food, calories, ectomorphs, endomorphs n the inbetweens...

Ya what else can I talk bout but food? Ive been catching up with an old pal from school on chat, n the discussion finally boils down to food n our fav eateries..mostly cos of me..no always cos of me...

N in doing so I lined up some places thats worth a mention...n most of em/all of em are renowned for their snacks. The list has no particular ranking n its my own personal favs..

1. Alsa mall entrance sandwich shop at the right most corner as you enter - toasted masala sandwich

2. Bhats Paradise, Tambaram - paav bhaji

3. Pani poori stall by the side of Sriram stores, Tambaram

4. Ofcourse Podi dosa across Brilliant tutorial, T Nagar

5. Idli kada with their still patent pending assorment of yellow, green n white chutneys.. near BT Mansion, Triplicane.

6. Early morning pongal at anadha bhavan, triplicane (again near BT mansion ).

7. Samosa with mint chutney in the evenings at 'Main bus stop' stall, Gud Van Cherry hills(Guduvancheri)

8. Fried rice + Gobi manchurian, Caspa, Tambaram.

9. Pullayar kovil pongal, Gud Van Cherry hills(Guduvancheri)

10. Mangadu Amman kovil puliyodara

11. Cauliflower, molaga bajji @ besant nagar beach

12. Two Haywards 5000 + chilly beef ONLY at Henkala, Tambaram

13. That big ass lassi @ Sowcarpet no clue which road, wht shop...

14. Ras malaai @ Aggarwals, Mint Street/Broadway

15. Masala paal, Bhats paradise, Tambaram

16. Veg puffs @ that bakery whose name I forgot in Shanmugam road, Tambaram.

17. Fresh parottas n seruva @ the big 'drive in' onto the left in GST road just before u enter Gud Van Cherry Hills.

Might have missed a few.....but ya the time spent @ those places carry much more memories than great food, those were quality time spent with friends pondering over the future of the world resting on the then 'young' shoulder of ours....those were also days when I cared a damn bout what ecto, meso and endomorphs meant , wldnt have possibly been able to explain the diff bet calories n cholestrol, never 'felt' the tummy after I ate between meals..

Yaa I actually used to eat before meals, between meals and after meals....n was not worried bout the 'side' view of my abdomen in the mirror....just dunno where , when n how i burnt the 'calories' (ya now I know wht calories, empty calories mean, damn the internet)

There have been days when I had made visits to 3-5 of the above listed places on any given evening, hogged all thro and then still go home to my unwitting mom n have a dinner like none of it ever happenned...

At times I get soo pissed at what I put myself thro..I mean the diet..the supplements n all that bull shit. Why cant I just eat what I want to n when i want to n still 'flaunt' a 6 pack? Or shld I even flaunt 1? Whoz set the benchmark that 10-12% BMI is healthy? Hidden agenda of the supplements maker that I blindly bought over the internet? Punnakku payaluva. Ya its my conscience talking...I think this craving for all the good stuff I miss is gettin me enlightened......

Shez hot, shez gorgeous, but shez made me insecure, n got me thinking....

A month ago one fine morning I got this mail from my chief- BMW 330 ci Cabrio 'individual' convertible as subject. He was selling his 2004 beamer with just 13k odd miles on it. I knew this was it. A bmw convertible with just 13k miles, n single hand use from some1 who is soo meticulous bout doing things..I just cldnt resist. To cut it short, yes I bought it.

The reason my boss sold his hardly used beamer was cos he bought this beast - Porsche 911 Turbo a few months ago, n his wife convinced him to sell off the bm (I cannot thank her enough for that). So my boss took me from our office to his place to hand me over the keys n the car. N guess wht i gotto step into his 911 for our ride upto his place. Hmm it was a 15 odd min ride..it was fast n it floated n he was cruising at 100 mph as his normal speed. I gasped, I drooled n it was quite a ride..When I reached his place n gotto to get onto my 'new' car, I was still coming out of that ride...n wasnt quite enjoying my ride back in my new car, but instead my mind was fixed on the beauty that roared past ahead of me - my boss's car...

A quick recap of my past - I could afford my first bike only after college on my first job..I didnt have the luxury of driving to college, though I always fancied bikes like any average teenager. N while I was in India I never drove a car. Yes I didnt even know to drive 1.

Fortunes changed,I moved around n here I was sitting in a beamer, my own car the moment to cherish n my mind was fixed to the beast that flew past me..hmm mind, my mind am just an average human right? Sethu had aptly pointed out in one of my previous posts that if I intend to buy the mustangs n beamers I cannot really do wht I claim to be my passion- paying it forward. Those high sounding words just rang a bell onto my ears n I woke up. Where is my philosophy of keeping things simple? Where am I heading from here? Save enough to buy a porsche or plan something concrete for my ambitious foster father plans.

I used to tell my frenz after half a dozen beer n steak that had we set aside this days outing n used the money we cld actually sponsor a kid's whole year's food clothing shelter n foremost - decent education. Idealistic yes but practically plausible. I personally dont believe in a buck here or max 20$ bill there...charity. At 28 , I guess I am level headed and when I say I want to personally take charge of some kids, see the them grow spend some time with them every year, give em all n inspire them enough to pay it forward again -is it wishful thinking? May be not. I love kids n I love the old ones, I mean both the first and second childhood in a person's life is and should be beautiful - and both need some help. The kids and the old ones - the needy ones, the rest can n shld take care of themselves. Aint that simple? I have this new found approach thats worked very well lately -to push myself up to my goals by putting it on papers n lettin the world know - no secrets bout it. Remember 'creative tension'? I strongly believe in Paulo Coelho's words "when u know what u want, the whole world conspires with u to achieve it". Yes no matter what career I pursue n how I make my money my only ultimate vision is to be a foster father for a handful of really 'lucky' kids back home. period. I wld love to do this and also travel around the world with no 'strings' attached (read girls).

This blog is to reassure myself of where I come from (read oor naatan) my where I am heading...yes life is beautiful n i intend to keep it that way.

Biriyani

Let me confess, I tried twice in my life to become a vegetarian, 2 months once n 45 days once ( when Nik n I watched some horrible videos on PETA website..)I really dont care for remaining a veg but how, how, how on mother earth can I ignore an aromatic, steaming plate of fresh Hydrabadi dum biriyani out of the oven? I cannot and I will not try the stunt (being veg) again but may be down the lane...ill replace non veg food with just biriyani once a while.

Making of biriyani....hmm its a poem. soak that saffron in a cup of milk let em mingle n get to know each other....n the basmati...soak em too let em stand out seperate n 'dum' it with the right spice n meat....the right texture of meat(goat/lamb) n a hint of fat that drips n mixes with beads of rice while in the oven...the subtle spices n ints flavors that keeps u guessing n teasing ur taste buds....hmmmm sigh( i swear i just had a biiig sigh visualizing a plate of biriyani now) its not bout the rice or the meat or the spices...its bout bringing all the 3 together in the cook's own artistic way to bring in a poem with its words complementing each other. Not all biriyanis can become 'the' biriyani...even by the same hands it doesnt come out consistent all the time..

I am shameless when it comes to annihilation of mounds of biriyani...the really good ones. I wish to recollect my close encounters with the best of best till date...

All time first was on Yu's bhai's nikka...I sat for the first round with ppl..they came , they ate, they left, I think I was there until the third round 'pandi' ws close to over n I stood like a rock conquering those humanly not possible quantity of biriyani...

Close to heels second was Z n R's engagement....hmm there were no 'rounds' it was in their house, the folks there thought I might be shy n were trying to 'force' me to eat, cant help it they didnt know me..n then there was a point they just placed a mini handi of the sacred biriyani n 'enna kathirikka' right next to me to save me(or them?) from the embarrasment.

Next best I can just close my evey n relive the moment was this 'specialist' biriyani stall in Meenambakkam that my beloved frenz took me on my last visit to Chennai. To my standards I was acting wierd cos I wasnt sure of 'eating out' after a long stay away from India. I started with a 'half' plate. Hmm then came the second n add to it mutton 'chukka'...This continued to an 'undisclosed' no of plates....I dont know how I do it....

Other fav spots for biriyani were...Sulaiman Set biriyani in Camp road across MCC, the kaiendibhavan with no name in Chrompet( no I dont think Ive tasted kaka biriyani these guys rock)....hmm engirundaalum vaazga.

At present there is this one place here in Bahrain that wld get a B+ grade. I order 2 reasonably huge plates there n Ive actually 'lied' to the cashier its for me n my friend n the friend being me...I know I am a glutton , my mom says I was notorious for cleaning up boxes of 'farex' in just few days while I was a kid...

'Vanjana illama sappiduppa' always holds true with me, but I take it too seriously when it comes to good biriyani. Oh plz veg biriyani shld be renamed, no offence , with due respect to ghaas bhoos, biriyani is no biriyani w/o meat.

N for Eid I am sending out request for invites....I told u I am shameless. Its ok.

"Even if you are on the right track, you've got to move on"

There is this genius called Sachin Tendulkar n this is what he says explains him the best. There is soo much debate we get to read on Tendlia not being a match winner etc etc am poor @ debating rather dont want to think too much bout nething, but every time little master walks in I get goose bumps, I see humilityn I see determination ...

One of the questions thrown at him.... "Surely at times you feel a sense of power beyond measure? Your endorsements are heftier than even Amitabh Bachchan's. Global icons like Michael Schumacher and Dire Straits are your admirers... "


Just one look @ this pic n we can say what this man is made of(no am not talking bout the rice n curry on his plate) .Hez still got his feet very much on the ground even after 17 odd yrs....

And the count down begins...

the final 12 week countdown has begun...

2+ months ago i made a promise to shed some serious weight n get ripped 'FLAUNT MY 6 PACK' by new year. Its almost half way through, been smooth with some hiccups (read 40+ beers) but still my obsession with running has kept me on track. Now its time to say good bye to beers TOTALLY n say hi to jack n diet coke....

feels good to work hard to get 'back' my 6 pack( i really had washboard abs in college until i read 'milk is for babies bodybuilders drink beer').

5 meals - wheat bread, tuna(yukk), nonfat milk, NO RICE, chicken breast,pasta, casein, whey, amino acids, omega 3, 6 fatty acids, EGCG, hoodia... cheat day, or carb up day to boost the metabolism 1 day i get to eat rice....

Workouts - weight training, plyometrics, shadow boxing, heavy bag n aerobics (trust me i got nothing else to do here..)

I shld be listing all this after I reach the pinnacle...well call it complacency...

Creative Tension

Stumbled into an article on Leadership and Creative Tension. Excerpt-

Just a "Creative tension is the primary source from which effective leaders derive their power. One can compare creative tension to a bow and arrow. The bow is nonfunctional as a weapon until tension is applied. When the arrow is placed on the string and pulled, it increases the tension. The potential power of the weapon is then developed. Therefore, the power and effectiveness of the arrow lies in the tension exerted in the bow.
Leaders throughout history derived their influence and power through creative tension, not tension as in destructive stress, but tension as in potential energy - energy to achieve, to accomplish. This creative tension, unique to each leader, exists between love and fear, position power and personal power, success and effectiveness, and the current and the possible. To achieve, we must begin from the current conditions we face today if we are to ever achieve the possible future we hold only in our mental vision."

Holds so true to every individual than just looking at it from an organization's point of view. The Inspiration or the vision on top and the current reality at the bottom and the tension in the band - You either raise ur standards or lower ur vision. Beautiful. Sports, career, or even personal relations....I guess this holds true. This tension is just the 'drive' the 'passion' each person has just depends on which one gets the better of the two.... U either say 'itna tension nahi lene ka' or view it as 'creative tension'.

Tom Yum Soup !

I ordered tom yum soup n veg noodles from a new rest that claimed to have continental, thai, indi chinese, etc etc in their menu. I felt a lil bit 'fishy' when the guy who took my order turned out to b a mallu...never mind anyone can take order..was sure they had a great kitchen crew...

Reality : I got a light green liquidy liquid that tasted more like more kozambu than nething close to a soup forget tom yum. Ive had the best of tom yum the ones that make u sweat as u go thro the bowl, fragrant with lemon grass n that unique lime leaves..hmm.. The one I had in front of me cld win an 'innovative' recipe award for making more kozambu with shrimps n ya CHICKEN CHUNKS(may be they got some from some leftover stew..)

Wait what about the noodles? Well I was reminded of semiya uppuma,a lil bit of tadka well it would be a very interesting combo....

I dont have to pen down the moral of the story I know it by heart now. Wait did I see clam chowder in the menue......

Ang Mo Kio St 81, Orchid Park...

My mom...hmm she is very innocent, mean she believes me n whatever I say...all BS she'll buy n its fun to watch her getting 'punked'

This one is one recap of her visit to Singapore...

Venue : Immigration office, Singapore
Purpose : To get stamping on her passport for her stay
Status: Impossibly loong line..I was gettin restless and wanted a break.
Plot : I tell my mom 'So uve memorized my offce n home address? What about my ph numbers?

She gave me a blank look. I was like 'What I already mailed u about this before you came' I went on with my 'explanation' that since she will be staying here depending on me they will ask for her passport no, my name, designation, office address, ph no , home address and cell ph no just incase she gets lost.. Pressed the panic button just right...All that she knew was my cell ph no.

I suggested she write it down n start memorizing. Also added she better do it in her hand so she can have a sneak look just incase she forgets. So she draws a line seperating -Home address, Office address, ph no , ext, my designation etc n started memorizing like lil kids. After 5 min I started asking her random questions n she judiciously answered. I still remember the look in her face..tensed, focussed n hiding the panic feeling. She did a great job in crammin up all the info in that 20 odd min wait.

' My home address' my question 'Ang Mo Kio Street 81 Orchid Park...' came the reply. She was prepared. N when we reached the counter it was a 2 min job, the 'interviewer' hardly had anything to ask, I dont remember anything 'challenging' asked, n when we were done she had this sparkle in her eyes like 'I got lucky they didnt ask me anything'... the rest is history.....Those 20 min is a fav topic of discussion for me n my sis n my mom just goes mum. Her only complaint is what all the ppl in the line wld have thought of her while she was busy memorizing the lines n saying it out loud...something like when u see kids fall down, they decide how to react only after they look around...

Thats not just that. Mama has never been on an escalator before , so I took her to the MRT when it was not too busy, got her to do the climb up n way down 'n' no of times n she was kinda ok...Then came the judgement day, we were @ Orchard road station, its like a mini NY or Mumbai, extremely crowded, n then came my mom's turn to show her expertise. I told her to just relax n step on the escalator just like she did the other day. She stood, she stared, she stared n she stood...behold look some1 has brought Orchard station to a grinding halt may be just 10- 15 sec, I didnt count but it seemed like forever.Poor thing did finally manage to climb on n may be I shld have opted for the lift in that crowd...I turned back n gave all an apologetic look but the ppl r nice out there...

A coupla months ago I got this sms from mom n it read something like 'You know what I did, I used the escalator in Kumaran silks today' hmmmm good joob!!

Whats with this space? Hear it from Robin Sharma

Some excerpts from Robin Sharma...made simple but interesting reading.

Just got back from the desert. Enchanting. Wide open spaces and utter silence. Reminded me of something important--we need space in our lives. Space to be creative. Space to reflect. Space to pursue our dreams. Space to become what we know we must be. Yet many of us don't give ourselves space. Our desks, our minds and our relationships are cluttered. We are burdened with unfiled papers, unfulfilled obligations, unfinished business and other talent-consuming messes. And these messes are a barrier to a world-class life. Here's the big idea: we need to make space in our lives in order to achieve our greatness.

Creating space in your life can be as simple as reflecting in a Starbucks or having a conversation with an extraordinary person or having the discipline to walk in the woods to ensure you are putting your best resources on your biggest opportunities. By doing these things you free yourself to focus on the important and you make certain that you are climbing the right mountains.

Examine every dimension in your life and ask yourself the questions below. Some areas may be easier to de-clutter than others. However, I assure you that when you make space in your life your productivity and impact will explode.


Career:
Are your files and workspace organized and easy to use?
Do you have any unfulfilled obligations hanging over your head?
Are you overcommitted to things that don't add outrageous value to you or the organization?
Do you check your email constantly? Can you reduce the amount of email you receive?



Relationships:
Have you celebrated a teammate?
Have you told your family that you love them?
Are there people you need to forgive or apologize to?
Are there difficult conversations that you need to initiate?
Do you have friends that you must connect with?



Finances
Do you have a financial plan written out?
Are your will, taxes and insurance in order?
Are you saving for the future?
Are you living within your means?



Health and Energy
Are you working out three times a week?
Have you had regular check ups with your doctor and dentist?
Do you consume sugar, caffeine and alchohol in moderation?



Home
Is your car in good repair?
Does your home and environment rejuvenate you?
Are all of your tools and appliances in good repair?
Are your closets organized?

Complex, confessions and gratitude...

A few confessions...then...

I had a complex that I have flat feet n so I cannot run as well as others

I had a complex I am from a village school when I joined college and cldnt relate to ppl when they spoke of Gill Adarsh, Anna Adarsh, SBOA...etc..

I had a complex I had to give my ph no starting with the STD code and a few 'friends' actually refused to take it cos they wont make an STD call (again in college)

I had a complex(may be guilt) I transferred from Adiparasakthi engineering college thro reco to 'hep' Crescent and I didnt really deserve it.

The above mentioned guilt discouraged me from trying for a 'better' group and opted for Polymer science while I had got the least score in Chemistry in my +2 exam.

The low score in Chemistry in turn is tied in with the fact(read mental block) that a guy who had BSc Biology as his qualification took Chemistry for us in my village school. I thought he knew nothing n I learnt nothing....I had a complex I wont do well in Chemistry when i moved to a diff school for +2.


Now...a few confessions..

I run 13 kms flat in 70 min and I do it min 5 days a week.

I know which school you went to can only do 'as much' to you. It doesnt really matter when you know what you want to do....I look back with utmost gratitude for all the personal attention I got in my school (class strength was 5 I swear) and howmuch influence Ive had by a great personality like my school principal (Late Mr. Felix Bosco, died in a freak accident), he taught me discipline and hardwork thro his English classes.Unconsciously I learnt what is to be humane, what is to remain +ve always, ALWAYS from Sister Rita (Maraimalai Nagar St.Joseph's) and now I know these 2 were my greatest inspiration on a personal level and these I learnt from my 'village schools'.

I take pride and n am thankful for growing up in such a peaceful, serene place. I hate the fact that my beautiful village is no more a village, It has a chennai code(thats ok). Its crowded, its messy n will find a lot of 'People talking without speaking'..man i refer to these lines in every other blog...

I know now it was neither Chemistry nor Computers( though i do some code crunching now) where my heart lies...Adiparasakti or Crescent doesnt matter..I am here for a better purpose..(can u see the halo behind my head?)

I thank Thee for the blessings , the opportunities, the real life experience and all the twist and turns life has thrown at me and continues to do so...

This song is soo reflective of my current state of mind. Touchwood...did u hear me say Mashallah!

Well it took so long for me to realize
That my destiny was right before my eyes
If it were up to me to travel through this life
I'd find an open space for me to live out all my dreams
I'm such a lucky man, I try to be a stronger man
I shed a tear or two but that don't make me a weaker man
It's made me a better man, I've given all I can
To a world that sometimes thinks that I'm a lesser man
I remember all the things I've been through
Gave myself to all those people I once knew
I'm such a lucky man
I'd like to thank you for the times that you have been with me
I hope it meant as much to you to share these memories
There's a guiding light that always seems to shine on me
If I did it again I'd be happy 'til the end
I'm a lucky man, I try to be a stronger man
I shed a tear or two but that don't make me a weaker man
It's made me a better man, I've given all I can
To a world that sometimes thinks that I'm a lesser man
I remember all the things I've been through
Gave myself to all those people I once knew
I'm such a lucky man
It's right here in the moonlight...
Whooooooooohhhoooooohhhh
I'm a lucky man, I try to be a stronger man
I shed a tear or two but that don't make me a weaker man
It's made me a better man, I've given all I can
To a world that sometimes thinks that I'm a lesser man
I'm a lucky man
Yeah
MMMMMmmmmMMMMMmmm.... I'm a lucky man
Whooooooooohhhoooooohhhh.... just a lucky man

Accents- UK accents, U.S,...Southern..Manglish ,Hinglish n the rest....

This is in response to what Sethu had to say . Well whats with this fuss on english accent? Is there like a benchmark on how it needs to be spoken? If english is from the U.K from my limited knowledge they still have their Scottish... Irish...Welsh accents. So which one do I pick?

If you ask me I dont know what accent I speak with. Mean its not my native language. When the native speakers have their own 'flavors' well I care a damn bout how I do. Its just that out of 'necessity' we learnt it. Well the Americans and the whole lot hire ppl who speak Japanese to deal n sniff on Toyota way and learn a few Six sigma tricks cos its their 'necessity' to learn the language to deal with the Japs..If Indians were resourceful, innovative, industrious, and 'lean' enough (this opens another topic for dicsussion /debate lets save that for later..) may be they might be forced to learn telegu n tamil n we can make fun of their 'wierd' accents...Let me not tread away from the topic of discussion.

I do want to recollect an incident when I called up one of the support centre for a software I deal with. From the first greeting of the lady on the other side I cld see it the call had gone to India. I was amused and then a bit irritated by the accent like third pardy(party- ????) tool...pEASsword(password -Southern/ Texan? ) I was soo tempted to ask her to speak english. From my own accent she wld have very well known I was from India or even Southern India but still she continued her whatevr...Point here is its ok to stick to your natural accent n not feel guilty than act like a retard tryin to fake one..

It is also true that I am bound to have some genuine influences on my accent based on where I am.. 21 yrs Ive been in India 5 in u.s and close to 1 in singapore( singlish- can also aah( can you? )going back ready aah(are you leaving?)) n now in middle east-Yalla yalla lets go, i sneeze n if i say 'excuse me' i dont hear many bless yous, they say something else i havent caught up on that..Down the lane I might end up saying alhamdulilla instead of excuse me. Touchwood wld get replaced by Masha allah. Hopefull by Insha allah...n a whole lot. All the Brits, South Africans(my boss) Australians n Dutch whove been working here for a while add those whole lot of arabic words to their vocabs n have a 'customized' accent. So whats the big deal?

So next time some1 pulls a prank on manglish , tanglish or hinglish its ok. Shame on them. This trend is so prevalent with the FOBS landin up for Grad studies and couple of yrs down the lane make fun of the ones who hasnt picked a cue or two or just hasnt come to terms with the new place. ABCDs makin fun of Grads Grads on FOBS n FOBS on say hmm may pe direct H1. 'Kinatril vaazum tavalai pol' they r just morons. its perfectly ok to forgive the ignorants n be happy you have a broader bird's eye view of the world. Stay humble. Peace be upon you..Assalamalaikum.

Machi Sethu I know I treaded away from what you had to say or this post has nothing to do with what you wrote, but I wanted to blog on this some day, u just gave me the lead...

Mike Wasowski!!

It was cartoon weekend last..I watched Monsters inc and Ice Age...effect of my colleagues. One of em had highly recommended Monsters inc cos her son loves it n she was guarded in confessing she loves it too , nother one has got 'mike wasowski' as her ring tone...I liked Ice age though..the last one I really enjoyed was Finding nemo..hmm been a while.


Well everyone has a kid in em, some are just too conscious to reveal it. I remember the line from the story chota jaadugar 'paristitiyaan manushya ko bahut jaldi chatur bana deta hai' we not only get smart/cunning/mature we kill the kid in us....Neways I am gifted with colleagues who always fool around, funny videos are forwarded by my chief (very picky though), n walking into office shouting 'mike wasowski' is considered very normal. Touchwood.

Thayir saadam

I made fat free curd rice for lunch. So whts the big deal? Well Ive added half scoop of slow digesting casein protein powder to it.....aplause aplause aplause!!!!

Laka laka laka laka

This aint reel life but this pic of Jyotika reminds me of Chandramukhi. N ya i got these bunch of Jyotica -Surya marriage pics from my sis saying I resemble Surya...wink wink hehe. Enna seyya reminds me of the saying 'kakkaiku than kunju pon kunju' Neways jo-surya look cuuitee beri cuuitte. So the question is where is my Jo????

American dream in Arabian soil....

Winter is tops down in Bahrain , 2006 Mustang has a good deal goin on, torchred GT conv is readily available with the dealer, I ask the bank n they are fine with the loan with minimal interest, I forget bout the poor resale value here in ME...I forget for every 200m there is a signal n there aint many 'freeways for my way of driving' nthe caption on car wld be 'The legent driven by a legend'............ I am all ready to buy........................................................................................................n then I wake up from the dream.

Friends...

Today is one of those days when I miss my frienz terribly,n crawl back into my shell..

My friends...they are such integral part of my life...ppl I can just take for granted..they are always there, u can be u (read stupid) n still be loved.

Well there are friends and the acquaintance...

The roommates who never become friends even after couple of yrs living together(yes I had 1), the friends whom ull never dare to have as roommates(i have frenz who r awesome to be around but just cant imagine havin him as a roommate..)

The colleagues who remain to be colleagues....good ol langoti yaars(they r the besshhht), tea kada friends, darru frenz( they end up bein genuine ones..) n the ephemeral ones( oh well that wld b a looong list)...


I soo loved to cook when my folks n frenz r around..the beers, the music, the bakchodi...hours of talk that looks soo serious but wld mean nothing...

When I look back on whats amiss, I can see all the travelling has taken its toll....


I also notice that the older you get the harder it is to make frenz(acquaintance yes). Like I find most of em too boring n very 'phoney' in their talk...may be I am wrong. As we grow older the innocence,the genuine tone in the voice n the warmth in the eyes is lost...its more like the 'how are you's you hear in the office and not waiting to hear the 'never been better' reply..again reminds me of the lines

'People talking without speaking,
People hearing without listening'


Life sans frenz suxxx....


Courtesy S&G /Arun

Old friends, old friends,
Sat on their parkbench like bookends
A newspaper blown through the grass
Falls on the round toes
of the high shoes of the old friends

Old friends, winter companions, the old men
Lost in their overcoats, waiting for the sunset
The sounds of the city sifting through trees
Settle like dust on the shoulders of the old friends

Can you imagine us years from today,
Sharing a parkbench quietly
How terribly strange to be seventy

Old friends, memory brushes the same years,
Silently sharing the same fears

Loneliness is the poverty of self; solitude is the richness of self.

I love my solitude but at times I am confused...

I did it!!!!

Read the book 'The Alchemist' cover to cover yesterday. The only other book I remember reading @ 1 go was 'Black Beauty' bout 14-15 yrs ago....

Eros - I WILL GET ALL PIRATED DVDs

Morons eros this , i pay a friggin 1 b.d for a hindi movie n these dvd makes fill em up with soo many ads, n wht more u cant skip em...just forward n wait the movie's title is on cool n wht do i see nother lowlife eros ad...morons i am gonna watch all pirated ones , copy n distribute all movies for free if they r on eros. grrrrrrrr..y a i am a bit 'disturbed'

Saif , Ajay n Salman ...the good, the bad n the ugly(read disaster)

Shaadi karke....whatever this movie with Salman n Shilpa(wink wink old wine is givin the phat ass newbies a run for their money) in the lead. man its been over 15 yrs with sallu in movies he will make our Narasimha Rao proud...He just doesnt know how to emote..the model n the stripper still has some fans following...rehne de..

On the other side we have our Saif Ali Khan n Ajay in Omkara...man Saif just keeps getting better n pulls it off convincingly as Lagda n Ajay rocks again in the bad ass role (cant beat aur Dutt saab though, but Devagan has this class of his own..)

'pathetic'

is what one of my close friends had to say bout my blog. he was nice enough not to leave a comment, since hez a very good critic, ill take it..am honoured. sethu hope u read this.

Imagine...

A honda civic convertible...

To piss the auto dealer

Ask for a honda civic convertible with a sun roof...I guess I am getting 'normal'.

Wishlist

A punching bag in the recreation room in the office- for starters let them work on a recreation room.

Some 1 just pissed me off in the office n am venting it out orkutting n blogging. But yes I really wish there was a punching bag...have to wait till I reach home. Sigh.

n nother weekend passes by..

Well the whole of last week I did nothing. Most of the folks in bank are in vacation, my PM n Chief are @ Singapore n South Aftica having a good time (hopefully) n here the IT has its fun time. Its like going to school on Saturday in colour dress n knowing the teachers are not gonna turn up. Well doing nothing the whole week @ work stressed me out(hehe i knowww) n on my way back home on Thursday evening I picked up some 8 beers ( dont ask me why 8 , I dunno). Ive stopped trying out the bars cos sans company it depresses me even more, well whts the point in goin to a bar?

It was like the good ol days on friday ordered a pizza n some chicken wings, had picked up some movies, so drank my beer n just thought nothing bout the empty calories, the saturated fat...all those counts Ive been doing for the past 3 months..To make up for the lapse in my fitness regime I hit the treadmill first thing on saturday did 8 kms n had a fruits day to cleanse up the system..

It wasnt all bad, I guess am getting used to being alone, gives all the time in the world to think n take stock of things that otherwise wld leave it for that spl day to ponder on....

Khandahar

Picked this movie..the review says plight of a woman in Afghanisthan trying to reach her sister in one of the war ridden towns. Hmm sounded interesting, lately have this liking for movies on wars, conflicts bet west n east, civil wars in Africa watched some really good ones - Hotel Rwanda (real life story in lines with Schindler's list bout this guy who trades his all to save a few lives of his tribe from slaughter.) Paradise Now(tracks the mindset of 2 young Palestinian friends who decide to become human bombs) Syriana (on oil , money n dirty deals of west), Lord of war (how a weapons smuggler thrives on civil wars/disputes across the globe..)

Well lets get back to Khandahar - I was just baffled by Sai Baba n some Hindu holy chantings as background score all thro in a movie based in Afghanisthan. Well am I missing something or the director is just plain ignorant....

Pay it forward

Well it is an old movie, it might seem silly to some, too idealistic to others but I think it is soo imperative that everyone of us pay it forward. I was just thinking of all those occasions that someone totally not related or known to us come across our lives n help us out when we really need it and we just dont have that chance to pay it back to them than just say a biig thank you from the heart. Well what do you do after that?

I remember this one incident I can never forget. One fine evening I took an Amtrak from Newark n was goin all the way up to Ann Arbor. I was sittin right next to a late 40s/early 50s old African American gentleman . We had a small chat, he was headed to Detroit had a fond recollection of Cass Avenue n downtown Detroit, on what he did, a lil bit bout his family etc... All thro the morning n noon I was busy with some stuff n kept skipping my meals n was famished. I was thinking of grabbin something from pantry. This guy stepped out of his seat n asked something like 'want somethin to eat? ' n before I cld reply he walked off. I too headed to the pantry didnt see him anywhere nor did I bother n all I had in mind was how loong i had to wait cos the pantry was packed. I kept staring @ the menu , n picked up the turkey club, the iced tea n a bag of chips virtually. I then pulled out my wallet as my instincts said I didnt have ne cash. I checked , I didnt have any, jumped out of the line walked up to the counter n asked if I cld swipe my debit card n got an affirmative nod. Had a sigh of relief n walked back to the line. I waited eagerly for my turn placed my order n gave my card n guess wht, the lady tried to swipe, stared at the machine walked in n walked out. 'apologies sir, this wldnt work'. Loong night,growling stomach n was almost in verge of a breakdown. The train wld reach toledo early morning, nother transit, n go home n have an early breakfast with sister, its ok. I had made my plan. I walked back to my seat n I find my support pulled up, a sandwich n bag of chips nicely placed n a drink tucked up in the front. This man asks me 'where have u been I was lookin out for you? I got u som'in to ea' n that 'some'in' was a turkey sandwich , some chips n iced tea. May be thats all that was there in the pantry but I just cldnt believe. I sat down n told him bout how hungry I was n wht happenned in the pantry. He just grinned n looked up n I interpreted that as its all taken care of from up there. I knew that the train wld reach in such an awkward time in the morn @ Toledo that i will not get a chance to pay it back to him nor did he buy me food expecting anything,n even if I do so its just not gonna be as much.

Well whats the big deal with this incident? While I was in school one of my worst nighmares was to walk down the overhead bridge in Tambaram..there was this frail lil thing - a very old lady, no teeth n partially blind who used to sit there hoping someone wld help em( the word is beg i feel too delicate to use it). Its such a sorry sight to see n guilt takes over walking past her, so everytime I have a few rupees I wld walk up to the canteen get some food n give it to her. I was very shy n discreet bout that. Nothing was bliss to me than watching that toothless smile of the old lady.

Is there a connection bet wht I used to do in school n what happenned in Amtrak, I dont know n I dont care. I am not too religious, I dunno if it is Christ or Krishna watchin over my shoulders, well my mom takes care of the praying. What I believe is everyone of us have to pay something back to the society we come from. This again I see as being selfish cos I just said pay it back to 'society where we come from' mean I do my lil charity back home n not where I make my money.Did I pay it forward in u.s , singapore or am i doing it in bahrain is something we can contend but point is I do pay it forward.

Why do we have sorry faces around, everyone is trying hard to make a better living, lets give them the credit n make someone's day , we all are blessed in some way so lets be thankful for this life. I want to quote these lines from S&G (thanks Arun) which is soo true to the current world..

And in the naked light I saw
Ten thousand people, maybe more.
People talking without speaking,
People hearing without listening,
People writing songs that voices never share
And no one deared
Disturb the sound of silence.

Bahrain -lotsa fresh brewed coffee , crammed for space n toomuch sunshine...

4 months ive been in bahrain..Quite honestly I miss my mom, sis n more of my bhai log, my machis, the taporis n 'kudikaara payaluva' s- my friends. When I look back at these 4 months this is wht Ive been doing all weekdays n weekends

Month 1- got a 24 pack Pilsner beer n a 'fith' (thax Detroit) Jack Daniels n guess wht they were all over in over 3 weeks time...sigh

Checked out all the so called 'fun' clubs..yes the ppl were havin fun but wht was amiss was the group that I hang out with. Forget it.

Month n half over , I looked back at all alcohol n junk food Ive been eating, so just quit my first love - beer n hit the gym...

Past 3 months have been something like this

weekdays -work - gym - home
Weekends -home -dvd rental shop - home.

N guess wht Ive exhausted 60+ 60+ 120 DVD rentals in the past 4 months...i must confess a dozen of em i ust skimmed thro in 10 min / movie cos they were pathetic. I watched Rocky series for the nth time...Bourne..the old cowboy classics, nething n everythin of De Niro, Al Pacino, Clint....some masala flicks like Julie n Sheesha fell in love with the woman of substance hehe trying to get back my sense of humour u see...n then fell in love with Katrina n now in love with Priyanka Chopra - well that rounds my love life. all in all I was left with watery eyes - from watching nonstop.

Yes Ive got a big ass kickbag, practice my shadow boxing n muay thai, lost 5 kgs am fitter more disciplined with my food habits , work is great, n get a lot of time for reading - yes thats something ive never done - i read on investments (thanx Saif), hypnosis, all martial arts, Buddhism, Chi n wht not...

Am soo crammed for space here, miss all my folks, a long drive wld mean tresspassing into nother country, n summers mean burners up ur ass, but all these tradeoffs Iam ready to forget when my pragmatic mind looks at the paycheck n so Ill hang in here , may be end of summer wld pep up my dying spirits..

Birthdays....

one of those days that reminds how lonely i am here...

mama ooo mama

my mom! hmm wht shall i say..well everyone loves their mom, so do i, more so cos shez entering her second childhood n soo much fun to be around....mmmmmmmmmuaaaaah

today i was writing an sms to her, i got a call, as luck would have it, it was her, i wanted to tease her n so i said ' call me back later am writing an sms to you' n guess wht she very innocently says 'ok' and hung up the phone....i was stumped.

i have more of her for now i wanted to pen this one down....

Business is Business!!!! keim cho?

One day many years ago at a school in South London a teacher said to the class of 5-year-olds, "I'll give $20 to the child who can tell me who was the most famous man who ever lived." An Irish boy put his hand up and said, "It was St. Patrick." The teacher said, "Sorry Alan, that's not correct."Then a Scottish boy put his hand up and said, "It was St. Andrew." The teacher replied, "I'm sorry, Hamish, that's not right either.Finally, a Gujarati boy raised his hand and said, "It was Jesus Christ." The teacher said, "That's absolutely right, Jayant, come up here and I'll give you the $20." As the teacher was giving Jayant his money, she said, "You know Jayant, since you are Gujarati, I was very surprised you said Jesus Christ." Jayant replied, "Yes, in my heart I knew it was Lord Krishna, but business is business .


Dunkin donuts....Subways.....Motels.......they are all over the place...hey its a compliment!

For once a hilarious forwarded mail, so decided to archive it...

IF DADS WERE TO RAISE THE KIDS BY THEMSELVES.....

Boys would read more...

Kids will get more rest

Work wld get done more efficiently..

Potty training? Who needs it?

Kids would be more able to express their emotions!

Bath time would be more fun!

But never let dad go to a T-Shirt making store

To the bloggers..

Blogs blogs blogs... some that touches a chord somewhere deep within that gets me nostalgic bout my college days, the 'tea kadai', hustle and bustle of 'ranganathan street', to the harmless water snakes in the fields of my village...to blogs that discuss hi fi technology, palmtops, the dupods.. such indepth knowledge on how wipro evolved, comments on CEO's mantras...man world is soo filled with such intelligent and well informed peple that I just gasp and get awe struck...Each person is soo unique and have their own way of narration. Some are very laid back discuss their day at work, some comment on 'naatu nadappu' current affairs and comment on Iran's stand on nuclear deal some that just goes over my head...or I dont intend to comprehend things that deal with politics, scams, money laundering 'chuna lagaana' on the new metrosexuals etc etc...cos may be I dont relate to them.Blogs blogs blogs..hmm blogs on a good friend, blogs on an old highschool teacher, blogs that rekindle memories, blogs that discuss sexuality, blogs on camping grounds, an event in the university, am soo thankful to all those bloggers who take me thro a virtual ride of soo many things...People taking their time out to scand really old photographs of friends , their native place etc, blogs on pets, and amazing stuff of places theyve travelled..Hmm coming to think of it, if I can blog for months together on just recollecting all the blogs Ive read till date....Anyways i want to make this blog of mine a dedication, a token of appreciation to all those bloggers whove made my days soo occupied.