Highly intrigued by SRK's moustached mug and since it was Amol Palekar at the helm, went to watch Paheli yesterday.
Based on a folk story in Rajasthan, it is colorfully depicted and includes some Shankar-style-special effects. For once (actually twice if you consider Swades), SRK doesn't irritate you with his affected acting. The settings, the pagdis and the narrating puppets bring out the essence of Rajasthan. It feels good to experience the richness visually. BTW, the puppets (Naseeruddin Shah and Ratna Pathak Shah) are a nice touch.
Rani Mukherjee looks simple and good, acts well, no surprises there. But inspite of depicting a village woman, she has no problems showcasing her cleavage and more. I liked SRK in this one, reminded me of his pre-star days. Juhi Chawla, o my G, is so pretty, looks younger than Rani in some places. She could have easily done the lead. Suneil Shetty shows up in 1 or 2 scenes, and you end up thinking, what was the point?
There is a subtle humor, quite enjoyable. The settings were awesome. Especially the walls which were painted with typical folk art. Elephants on the stairs was a nice touch.
Amitabh was the acme, stole the show in his one act appearance. The ending was tame, abrupt, too pat and filmy. Until then, it was a great movie. Compared to the run of the mill they churn nowadays, this is good stuff.
I have to say again though. SRK needs a quick course on how to grow a good moush :-)
Thursday, June 30, 2005
Wednesday, June 29, 2005
Cosmic Clues
As mentioned earlier, I am in the middle of this book called Cosmic Clues, a detective fiction by Manjiri Prabhu. It is based in Pune and is a good read. The narrative sometimes is artificial, using words not found in common practice. But then, we Indians tend to use such words, probably we are the only country that still does it may be :-)
Anyway, if you ignore those things, the book is enjoyable. If you are a whodunnit fan, then do read it. The detective (a female ) combines her knowledge of criminal psychology and vedic astrology. Interesting to say the least and doesn't seem too improbable for its locale.
Talking about astrology, I came across this sani peyarchi predictions blog today. If you can read tamil, do check it out. Very useful ;-)
My mom had been talking about this for sometime, something about my nalla kaalam porakirathu because of this. I am not fully taken by all this, but it is nice to think that good times are upon us. I guess I tend to believe the positive tales ;-)
My husband is interested in such stuff, but it is hard to find someone who can give accurate predictions. Having watched chidambara rahasiyam avidly, he tried to check one out, just out of curiosity. The guy he went to was a quack for sure.
I know of one person who has been on the mark quite a few times. He predicted girls for me during both my pregnancies, and he prophesied that we were going to have a baby, barely a week after we found out.
So I am not completely ready to disbelieve what the stars foretell. And as Firenze would say, it is not that easy to predict the future.
Anyway, if you ignore those things, the book is enjoyable. If you are a whodunnit fan, then do read it. The detective (a female ) combines her knowledge of criminal psychology and vedic astrology. Interesting to say the least and doesn't seem too improbable for its locale.
Talking about astrology, I came across this sani peyarchi predictions blog today. If you can read tamil, do check it out. Very useful ;-)
My mom had been talking about this for sometime, something about my nalla kaalam porakirathu because of this. I am not fully taken by all this, but it is nice to think that good times are upon us. I guess I tend to believe the positive tales ;-)
My husband is interested in such stuff, but it is hard to find someone who can give accurate predictions. Having watched chidambara rahasiyam avidly, he tried to check one out, just out of curiosity. The guy he went to was a quack for sure.
I know of one person who has been on the mark quite a few times. He predicted girls for me during both my pregnancies, and he prophesied that we were going to have a baby, barely a week after we found out.
So I am not completely ready to disbelieve what the stars foretell. And as Firenze would say, it is not that easy to predict the future.
Sunday, June 26, 2005
Herbie - Fully Loaded
We were supposed to have a girl's night out to see the Smiths on Friday which didn't materialize. Instead we took the kids to see Herbie Saturday.
First of all, it ofcourse lacked the vintage charm of the old Herbie. But by itself it is a good enjoyable movie. It was good to see Michael Keaton; I don't think I have watched anything of his since Multiplicity. Justin Long reminded me a bit of David Schwimmer of Friends fame. Lindsey Lohan is mostly cute.
But considering that it is a race movie, there is not too much adrenalin going on. The NASCAR scenes lacked that energy you would expect on the tracks. I guess it was tamed down to earn a "G".
Herbie makes you laugh quite a bit and it is good to see a movie that your little kids thoroughly enjoy. My older one enjoyed watching it. My little one, who has connected movies to popcorn, watched a bit of the races, but mostly sat and ate the popcorn. A little towards the end, she started singing. (She sings all the time, I mean ALL the time) I had to get her back to her popcorn. Otherwise, she was very well behaved, considering her personality. Then she comes out and says she loved the movie :-)
The hall we watched was one of the older ones; we had gone to a friend's neighborhood to watch it, in the middle of hickland. They had the old style seating and that was a different kind of experience. A movie for the child in you.
First of all, it ofcourse lacked the vintage charm of the old Herbie. But by itself it is a good enjoyable movie. It was good to see Michael Keaton; I don't think I have watched anything of his since Multiplicity. Justin Long reminded me a bit of David Schwimmer of Friends fame. Lindsey Lohan is mostly cute.
But considering that it is a race movie, there is not too much adrenalin going on. The NASCAR scenes lacked that energy you would expect on the tracks. I guess it was tamed down to earn a "G".
Herbie makes you laugh quite a bit and it is good to see a movie that your little kids thoroughly enjoy. My older one enjoyed watching it. My little one, who has connected movies to popcorn, watched a bit of the races, but mostly sat and ate the popcorn. A little towards the end, she started singing. (She sings all the time, I mean ALL the time) I had to get her back to her popcorn. Otherwise, she was very well behaved, considering her personality. Then she comes out and says she loved the movie :-)
The hall we watched was one of the older ones; we had gone to a friend's neighborhood to watch it, in the middle of hickland. They had the old style seating and that was a different kind of experience. A movie for the child in you.
Friday, June 24, 2005
A long overdue book tag - including fines
I love books. My idea of heaven is a good book, a cuppa of strong tea and a slice of chocolate pecan or almond cake with fudge frosting :-)
Balaji had tagged me sometime back and I never got around to doing this.
Total Number of books I own: About 200 + (collectively with my husband, that is. If I include my kids, it might be another 100)
Last books I bought: The Closers by Michael Connelly (for my husband on father's day) and Black Rose by Nora Roberts
Last book I read: To Kill a Mockingbird
Books that mean a lot to me: (more than 5, coz books, just by definition, they mean a lot to me, I like to read everyday.)
Fountainhead: Since this was the first Ayn Rand book I read and I feel she shaped me to an extent.
Bharathiyar Kavithaigal: My pocket sized book has seen better days, but it is with me and that gives me a lot of reassurance. My love for tamil is partly owed to this.
Kannadasanin paadalgal: OK, I came across this book as a kid, Ever since then I have been trying to buy this. It is a big bound volume of all his movie songs. If anyone knows what I am talking about, plis to leave a comment.
All PGWodehouse, but especially his Jeeves/Wooster ones and Leave it to Psmith.
Enid Blyton: The ones I liked best were the fairy tales with gnomes and elves and fairies. The adventure ones were next. I love reading them to my kids now, especially the wishing chair books.
If tomorrow comes: Light and very fast reading for me. I read it so many times. I liked her character - strong and resourceful.
Gone with the Wind: The same reason as above.
The Winner: same reason as above (Also, Saving Faith by Baldacci)
Jane Eyre: Had it in school and it was a starting point for me towards Bronte and Austen.
Treasure Island: It was a defining moment (series of) for me to realize I could write. We had detailed essays on this book and mine were favorites of my English teacher that he read it out aloud in class.
Harry Potter and the half-blood prince: Well, right now it means a lot to me :-) I can't wait to get my hands on this one.
Meenakshi ammal's Samaithu paar: I guess most tam-brams are familiar with this one. It was a savior in my kathu-kutti days.
Dr. Suess (esp Fox in socks): I would read them to my older girl and it gave me an appreciation for the nonsensical. I was suessical for a brief period in my life then, trying to ape that style. And no, I am not calling myself a monkey here.
Code Complete: Probably the only tech book I read cover to cover.
And any book I may be currently reading. I can't put down a book without finishing it. I seem to be drawn into it and cannot get back to reality quick enough. One of the reasons I cannot read some of the more engrossing books during the week.
Books lined up for immediate reading:
Cosmic clues by Manjiri Prabhu - I saw the author's name and picked it from my library. Don't have any clue what it is about except that it was in the mystery section.
Hour game by Baldacci - I got to read all his books.
Eragon - the size intimidates me :-)
I am planning to get the highly touted one about birds and bees and also Sedaris's talking pretty soon.
Balaji had tagged me sometime back and I never got around to doing this.
Total Number of books I own: About 200 + (collectively with my husband, that is. If I include my kids, it might be another 100)
Last books I bought: The Closers by Michael Connelly (for my husband on father's day) and Black Rose by Nora Roberts
Last book I read: To Kill a Mockingbird
Books that mean a lot to me: (more than 5, coz books, just by definition, they mean a lot to me, I like to read everyday.)
Fountainhead: Since this was the first Ayn Rand book I read and I feel she shaped me to an extent.
Bharathiyar Kavithaigal: My pocket sized book has seen better days, but it is with me and that gives me a lot of reassurance. My love for tamil is partly owed to this.
Kannadasanin paadalgal: OK, I came across this book as a kid, Ever since then I have been trying to buy this. It is a big bound volume of all his movie songs. If anyone knows what I am talking about, plis to leave a comment.
All PGWodehouse, but especially his Jeeves/Wooster ones and Leave it to Psmith.
Enid Blyton: The ones I liked best were the fairy tales with gnomes and elves and fairies. The adventure ones were next. I love reading them to my kids now, especially the wishing chair books.
If tomorrow comes: Light and very fast reading for me. I read it so many times. I liked her character - strong and resourceful.
Gone with the Wind: The same reason as above.
The Winner: same reason as above (Also, Saving Faith by Baldacci)
Jane Eyre: Had it in school and it was a starting point for me towards Bronte and Austen.
Treasure Island: It was a defining moment (series of) for me to realize I could write. We had detailed essays on this book and mine were favorites of my English teacher that he read it out aloud in class.
Harry Potter and the half-blood prince: Well, right now it means a lot to me :-) I can't wait to get my hands on this one.
Meenakshi ammal's Samaithu paar: I guess most tam-brams are familiar with this one. It was a savior in my kathu-kutti days.
Dr. Suess (esp Fox in socks): I would read them to my older girl and it gave me an appreciation for the nonsensical. I was suessical for a brief period in my life then, trying to ape that style. And no, I am not calling myself a monkey here.
Code Complete: Probably the only tech book I read cover to cover.
And any book I may be currently reading. I can't put down a book without finishing it. I seem to be drawn into it and cannot get back to reality quick enough. One of the reasons I cannot read some of the more engrossing books during the week.
Books lined up for immediate reading:
Cosmic clues by Manjiri Prabhu - I saw the author's name and picked it from my library. Don't have any clue what it is about except that it was in the mystery section.
Hour game by Baldacci - I got to read all his books.
Eragon - the size intimidates me :-)
I am planning to get the highly touted one about birds and bees and also Sedaris's talking pretty soon.
Men and their fungal fuzz
Now don't get me wrong, a lot of men look good sprouting some hair below their nose. I have threatened my husband that on no condition he may shave off his. I have a picture from his pre-me years, it is scary to say the least. To me, Kamal looks best in his pre-nayagan days than in his clean-shaven northie-wannabe look. There are some who better not show their face without it. Then there are some, who better not forget to shave everyday, may be even twice a day.
Look at Vijay, Arjun or Prashant, they look like they need a healthy dose of Miracle-Gro. And then there is old man Sharath, who looks good either way. There are still people around who sport a naam-ke-vaaste one, a la yesteryear romantic lead Gemini. Don't you feel like taking a razor to them while they are sleeping? And for some time, there were men sporting a small caterpillar just under their lips. What was that, for G's sake? Either you want one or you don't. These are the wishy-washy neither-here-nor-there undecided types.
You are wondering what brought this up? The new look that SRK is sporting for Paheli. Most northies don't look good with a moush and most southies without. Wonder why! Admitted, it is necessary for him to grow one, in going with his Rajasthani character. But couldn't he have done a better job with it? I guess these people are not used to one and cannot figure how to look good with it and end up being awkward. There are of course exceptions. I liked Aamir in his hirsuite avatar for The Rising.
(Pics: Rediff)
Tom Selleck and his moush are synonymous. Kevin Kline looks better with it. But only people with dark hair seem to hit it off in their relation with facial fuzz. Either that or the Santa Claus look. Only extremes help the fair folks.
I think they need to have a course in growing a suitable moush. May be the Coimbatore Goundar or the Tirunelveli Pillai or the Tiruchur Nair can teach it!
What I am trying to say is, all ye men, if you can't handle it, then don't grow those handles. I think SRK needs to brush up(pun unintended) on his reading, especially Jeeves, as in Jeeves and the Feudal Spirit.
Look at Vijay, Arjun or Prashant, they look like they need a healthy dose of Miracle-Gro. And then there is old man Sharath, who looks good either way. There are still people around who sport a naam-ke-vaaste one, a la yesteryear romantic lead Gemini. Don't you feel like taking a razor to them while they are sleeping? And for some time, there were men sporting a small caterpillar just under their lips. What was that, for G's sake? Either you want one or you don't. These are the wishy-washy neither-here-nor-there undecided types.
You are wondering what brought this up? The new look that SRK is sporting for Paheli. Most northies don't look good with a moush and most southies without. Wonder why! Admitted, it is necessary for him to grow one, in going with his Rajasthani character. But couldn't he have done a better job with it? I guess these people are not used to one and cannot figure how to look good with it and end up being awkward. There are of course exceptions. I liked Aamir in his hirsuite avatar for The Rising.
(Pics: Rediff)
Tom Selleck and his moush are synonymous. Kevin Kline looks better with it. But only people with dark hair seem to hit it off in their relation with facial fuzz. Either that or the Santa Claus look. Only extremes help the fair folks.
I think they need to have a course in growing a suitable moush. May be the Coimbatore Goundar or the Tirunelveli Pillai or the Tiruchur Nair can teach it!
What I am trying to say is, all ye men, if you can't handle it, then don't grow those handles. I think SRK needs to brush up(pun unintended) on his reading, especially Jeeves, as in Jeeves and the Feudal Spirit.
Continuing the unfinished busy-ness...
Arvind has written a commendable part 2 of my unfinished busyness.
Now, who is willing to take up part 3? This could be an interesting chain.
Know what? Let's play tag with this. I am going to tag someone else to write the continuation. They could either finish it or write one part and tag someone else.
Balaji is it. Please continue the story :-)
Note: The writer can set the size of his segment to his discretion. Just make sure it keeps continuity and also is not too short.
Now, who is willing to take up part 3? This could be an interesting chain.
Know what? Let's play tag with this. I am going to tag someone else to write the continuation. They could either finish it or write one part and tag someone else.
Balaji is it. Please continue the story :-)
Note: The writer can set the size of his segment to his discretion. Just make sure it keeps continuity and also is not too short.
Thursday, June 23, 2005
Space Tolet
I grew up in a house that had only one level. My dad got into the idea of building the second level. It would have a separate entrance with stairs outside. Once the upstairs was completed, we got an unplanned bonus - the space under the stairs. This was very convenient for storage. Not just for us, but also for the neighborhood insects. These tenants refused to pay rent and could not be evicted.
Then for sometime, we had a different set of tennants. My father moved the golu bommais to this space for storage. The Gods ruled the roost, or in this case, under the roost, for some time. This was an era when Chennai was used to occasional downpours. That very season, the skies opened up really wide. Unfortunately for the bommais, they suffered a premature end when they drowned in the floods and turned to variegated slush.
So, again we cleaned up the space and it remained empty for sometime. Our ex-watchman's wife, who was now a widow, wanted to use that space in the night. We too let her, since we believed there was safety in numbers. She seemed to have no problems with her multi-legged roommates, if she came across any. And then, she decided to move to her native village. I missed her, a part of my childhood (toddlerhood rather), and also the fresh groundnuts she used to bring from her village.
It lay empty for a while. Meanwhile I was given a bicycle which found a home there. Since the bicycle was factory direct, it came without accessories - no stand, seat cushion, chain guard or other fancy stuff. It would lean pitifully against the wall under the stairs. For some reason, my dad bought me a lock, but I could not get the stand until much later.
Then, this enterprising lady decided that the place was ideal for a lending library. We sorely needed a library in our neighborhood and to me, having it at arm's distance was a heavensent. My mom hemmed and hawed about it, The insects got first priority and as most of us know, they are not good roommates for books. But eventually the lady got her way and started her small scale library. I think I read all the books there during that summer. Unfortunately, our neighborhood was neither the most erudite nor inclined to be so. Having failed to gather more than one member (me, but it was free for me since we owned the land), she finally accepted defeat and moved out. I was quite saddened, selfishly so, by the lack of success in her enterprise.
After that, the place was discarded by everyone except for my bike. After my bike was sold, that place lay vacant. And to this day, it stays so, patiently waiting for someone like Maadipadi Maadhu in Ethirneechal to fill up its emptiness.
Then for sometime, we had a different set of tennants. My father moved the golu bommais to this space for storage. The Gods ruled the roost, or in this case, under the roost, for some time. This was an era when Chennai was used to occasional downpours. That very season, the skies opened up really wide. Unfortunately for the bommais, they suffered a premature end when they drowned in the floods and turned to variegated slush.
So, again we cleaned up the space and it remained empty for sometime. Our ex-watchman's wife, who was now a widow, wanted to use that space in the night. We too let her, since we believed there was safety in numbers. She seemed to have no problems with her multi-legged roommates, if she came across any. And then, she decided to move to her native village. I missed her, a part of my childhood (toddlerhood rather), and also the fresh groundnuts she used to bring from her village.
It lay empty for a while. Meanwhile I was given a bicycle which found a home there. Since the bicycle was factory direct, it came without accessories - no stand, seat cushion, chain guard or other fancy stuff. It would lean pitifully against the wall under the stairs. For some reason, my dad bought me a lock, but I could not get the stand until much later.
Then, this enterprising lady decided that the place was ideal for a lending library. We sorely needed a library in our neighborhood and to me, having it at arm's distance was a heavensent. My mom hemmed and hawed about it, The insects got first priority and as most of us know, they are not good roommates for books. But eventually the lady got her way and started her small scale library. I think I read all the books there during that summer. Unfortunately, our neighborhood was neither the most erudite nor inclined to be so. Having failed to gather more than one member (me, but it was free for me since we owned the land), she finally accepted defeat and moved out. I was quite saddened, selfishly so, by the lack of success in her enterprise.
After that, the place was discarded by everyone except for my bike. After my bike was sold, that place lay vacant. And to this day, it stays so, patiently waiting for someone like Maadipadi Maadhu in Ethirneechal to fill up its emptiness.
Wednesday, June 15, 2005
antha naal muthal intha naal varai
Kannadasan's magic is sorely missed these days. If the current crop/trend is applied to some old songs, what would happen? Apocalypse? Catastrophe?
Kannadasan avargalum avarai saarnthavargalum ennai mannipaaraaga.
| adhoa andha paravai poalap vaazhavaendum idhoa indha alaigal poala aadavaendum orae vaanilae orae mannilae orae geedham urimai geedham paaduvoam | atho paaru kaaka parakuthu paaru freeya inge paaru alai aaduthu paaru joaru mela paaru vaann(u) keezhe paaru mann(u) paadi paaru naina ayyavoda gaana vera inaathukku veena bejaaraaidum aama |
aayiram nilavae vaa oaraayiram nilavae vaa idhazhoadu suvai saera pudhup paadal onru paadap paada | 1000wattu bulbu comeon comeon 1000 wattu bulbu comeon comeon lip to lipu come on comeon puthu paatu paadu come on comeon |
| aththikkaay kaaykaay aalangaay vennilavae iththikkaay kaayaadhae ennuyirum neeyallavoa | koyembedu marketu kumbakonam kamarkattu (no reason of course) aatha kadai omelettu you are my sweetheartu |
Kannadasan avargalum avarai saarnthavargalum ennai mannipaaraaga.
Tamil movie meme
With all the different tagging going on, Balaji had to start his own. Pothathukku, ennayum tag pannirukkaan!
So here goes, my list. If I think some more, I might come up with a different list probably. But for now, this is it.
1. Mouna ragam - saw it 10 or more times and loved it everytime, satisfies the romantic in me.
2a. Puthumai Penn - I like strong and silent women characters.
2b. Vetham Puthithu - Especially for the last scene.
3. Raja Paarvai - Loved everything about this movie - it reminds me of rain and violins
4. Nadigan - one of the best lollu movies.
5. 6 to 60 and kai kodukkum kai - I club these 2 together, Rajini as an actor, not a star.
6. Moonram Pirai - my 2 favorites
7. Vanchikottai Vaaliban - Mainly for that dance, Padmini and VaijayanthiMala - sabaash, sariyaana poati.
8. Michael Mathana Kamarajan and Tenaali Two of the best comedies IM(not so)HO
9. Mugavari - Good no-nonsense movie with great songs
10. Kaathalikka Neramillai full of vintage fun
Salangai oli is a favorite, along with sippikkul muthu - but those would be in my fave telugu list :-)
Nayagan is a fave too, but since it is a much hackneyed listing, I skipped it here. Other movies that I liked - Anbe va, Hey Ram, Friends, Sethu, dhool, samy, Vaali, Ilamai Oonjaladugirathu, ninaithaale inikkum, Kshathriyan, varumaiyin niram sivappu, man vaasanai, vaazhvey maayam, and countless more.
So my turn to tag a few:
Ram.C
Bharath
Venkitu
Kaps
So here goes, my list. If I think some more, I might come up with a different list probably. But for now, this is it.
1. Mouna ragam - saw it 10 or more times and loved it everytime, satisfies the romantic in me.
2a. Puthumai Penn - I like strong and silent women characters.
2b. Vetham Puthithu - Especially for the last scene.
3. Raja Paarvai - Loved everything about this movie - it reminds me of rain and violins
4. Nadigan - one of the best lollu movies.
5. 6 to 60 and kai kodukkum kai - I club these 2 together, Rajini as an actor, not a star.
6. Moonram Pirai - my 2 favorites
7. Vanchikottai Vaaliban - Mainly for that dance, Padmini and VaijayanthiMala - sabaash, sariyaana poati.
8. Michael Mathana Kamarajan and Tenaali Two of the best comedies IM(not so)HO
9. Mugavari - Good no-nonsense movie with great songs
10. Kaathalikka Neramillai full of vintage fun
Salangai oli is a favorite, along with sippikkul muthu - but those would be in my fave telugu list :-)
Nayagan is a fave too, but since it is a much hackneyed listing, I skipped it here. Other movies that I liked - Anbe va, Hey Ram, Friends, Sethu, dhool, samy, Vaali, Ilamai Oonjaladugirathu, ninaithaale inikkum, Kshathriyan, varumaiyin niram sivappu, man vaasanai, vaazhvey maayam, and countless more.
So my turn to tag a few:
Ram.C
Bharath
Venkitu
Kaps
Tuesday, June 14, 2005
erumbu kadi (PJ warning)
An ant knocks the door of a house. House owner opens the door.
"I want a place to stay", said the ant ..
"I have a vacant room which you can occupy for free of cost", said the owner.
Ant went inside and occupied that vacant room.
After some days, the ant brought in another ant and requested the owner
"Can you please allow this ant to stay along with me".
"Oh sure, you can do so without paying any rent" said the owner.
After some days the ant brought one more ant and requested the owner to
allow that ant to stay with it. Owner agreed to it without asking for
any rent.
This continues and ant brings in one more ant and owner agrees for it.
On one fine day, the ant brought in the tenth ant and requested theowner
to allow that tenth ant also to stay with it.
The owner said "Ok, you all can stay here but you need to pay rent".
Now the question is : Why did the owner ask for rent when the tenth ant
came in?
Highlight this section to see the answer:
...Because they are now Tenants (Ten ants) !!
"I want a place to stay", said the ant ..
"I have a vacant room which you can occupy for free of cost", said the owner.
Ant went inside and occupied that vacant room.
After some days, the ant brought in another ant and requested the owner
"Can you please allow this ant to stay along with me".
"Oh sure, you can do so without paying any rent" said the owner.
After some days the ant brought one more ant and requested the owner to
allow that ant to stay with it. Owner agreed to it without asking for
any rent.
This continues and ant brings in one more ant and owner agrees for it.
On one fine day, the ant brought in the tenth ant and requested theowner
to allow that tenth ant also to stay with it.
The owner said "Ok, you all can stay here but you need to pay rent".
Now the question is : Why did the owner ask for rent when the tenth ant
came in?
Highlight this section to see the answer:
...Because they are now Tenants (Ten ants) !!
Friday, June 10, 2005
Paeru porutham
I am sure many of you have heard this joke:
leg spinnerkku ponnu porantha enna paer vaipaanga?
Bala Thirupura Sundari
So how many other names can we think of like that? I had collected a huge list some time back and lost it. Here is what I remember:
Dandapani - vettiya eppavum mappula irupavan
Azhagappan - plain jane's dad
muzhumathi - fat person
kesavan - lawyer
raman - salad virumbi
karmegam - car mechanic (car may come)
sindhu - constantly stuffed nose
Nidhi - eternally under debt
sengamalam - constipated
Prakash - electrician
Gopal - MilkMan
Charulatha - works in a fruit juice factory
Chakrapani - water lorry driver
Ramya - thanni party
Mallika - pookaari
Hari - avasara kudukkai
Harsha - rude guy
Anjappan - bayanthaangoli
Pandiyan - Pawn broker
Gnanam - person with low IQ
PeriyaNambi - big sucker
Nedumaaran - tall fella
Pallavan/Pallavi - prominent front teeth
Subramani - someone who sucks his thumb
Ranjeet - always wins running races
Jumbulingam - high jump winner
Vishal - big guy
Sanjay /Saira - cannot stand straight
Anupama - guard in temples, who is always pushing people forward.
leg spinnerkku ponnu porantha enna paer vaipaanga?
Bala Thirupura Sundari
So how many other names can we think of like that? I had collected a huge list some time back and lost it. Here is what I remember:
Dandapani - vettiya eppavum mappula irupavan
Azhagappan - plain jane's dad
muzhumathi - fat person
kesavan - lawyer
raman - salad virumbi
karmegam - car mechanic (car may come)
sindhu - constantly stuffed nose
Nidhi - eternally under debt
sengamalam - constipated
Prakash - electrician
Gopal - MilkMan
Charulatha - works in a fruit juice factory
Chakrapani - water lorry driver
Ramya - thanni party
Mallika - pookaari
Hari - avasara kudukkai
Harsha - rude guy
Anjappan - bayanthaangoli
Pandiyan - Pawn broker
Gnanam - person with low IQ
PeriyaNambi - big sucker
Nedumaaran - tall fella
Pallavan/Pallavi - prominent front teeth
Subramani - someone who sucks his thumb
Ranjeet - always wins running races
Jumbulingam - high jump winner
Vishal - big guy
Sanjay /Saira - cannot stand straight
Anupama - guard in temples, who is always pushing people forward.
Wednesday, June 08, 2005
He didn't want to be left behind
Was listening to songs from Oru Naal oru kanavu. Looking at the list of singers, I wondered if it was indeed a tamil album. Sonu Nigam and Shreya Ghosal have taken over most of it. Hariharan gets one, but he is a Bombayya anyway! Sonu Nigam has joined the crowd now. What is happening here!!!
Books, etc
The current topic for Indibloggers seems to be books. One of my favorite topics. I buy all kinds of books, no idea how many I have. I have boxes up in the attic, books around me, in shelves, on the floor, on kitchen counters, tables and sofas. As a family, we are all voracious readers, my older one immersed in one as we speak. She could be a good contender for a reading bee, if such exists.
My husband and I both love Wodehouse. Asterix and Tintin comics are good for the 15 minute read breaks. Harry Potter, I am ready for the third time around. May be after reading the sixth, I will start again. David Eddings - Belgariad, Mallorian, Terry Brooks - Shannara series were good reads. All of Enid Blyton is still a favorite. I grew up on them, along with Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys, moved on to Chase and Edgar Wallace. And then I discovered Ayn Rand. I was blown away after reading Fountainhead, I was 17 I think. Atlas Shrugged was a special favorite. I went through Gone with the Wind in 2.5 days, in spite of being in the thick of school work :-)
Then I started on Sidney Sheldon, If tomorrow comes is still a favorite. There was another saga based in Russia with Rasputin playing a heavy role in that.
During my summer holidays, I would bike away to my aunt's house, my uncle had a great collection of all kalki, kumudam and ananda vikatan novels bound together. He guarded them preciously and refused to lend them. So I would go there everyday and sit there till I finished a book. I was not good enough in fluent reading (Tamil) and preferred easy reading. These were mostly the post independence era books. I don't remember much about them now. Wish I could get hold of those again.
I have started Umberto Eco's The Island of the day before. This is the first of his I am reading, wanted to read Foucault's Pendulum, but couldn't find it in the library. From the first few pages I have read, I like his writing style, which, to me, is very important to sustain my interest - I couldn't finish Life of Pi. I guess I will someday.
Another book I have been reading is about India's Independence. This is really interesting, me being a sort of a history buff. It is mostly unbiased and shows how things were in those days. Advani is not too far away about Jinnah. He was quite secular initially, but seems like he was forced into being what he was later on. I couldn't finish it before my India trip, I didn't want to carry the huge book around, haven't been able to get back to it yet. If I don't finish a book right away, it is hard for me to get back, unless it is Nora Roberts or Wodehouse. :-)
BTW, if anyone recollects this Wodehouse story, let me know what the title for this is. I have the omnibuses and one of them has it, but I can't recollect which one. Bingo Little says he used to be a pretty baby, but one day his nurse took him out in the pram and he was swapped at the park. So he ended up being ugly. Any ideas?
My husband and I both love Wodehouse. Asterix and Tintin comics are good for the 15 minute read breaks. Harry Potter, I am ready for the third time around. May be after reading the sixth, I will start again. David Eddings - Belgariad, Mallorian, Terry Brooks - Shannara series were good reads. All of Enid Blyton is still a favorite. I grew up on them, along with Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys, moved on to Chase and Edgar Wallace. And then I discovered Ayn Rand. I was blown away after reading Fountainhead, I was 17 I think. Atlas Shrugged was a special favorite. I went through Gone with the Wind in 2.5 days, in spite of being in the thick of school work :-)
Then I started on Sidney Sheldon, If tomorrow comes is still a favorite. There was another saga based in Russia with Rasputin playing a heavy role in that.
During my summer holidays, I would bike away to my aunt's house, my uncle had a great collection of all kalki, kumudam and ananda vikatan novels bound together. He guarded them preciously and refused to lend them. So I would go there everyday and sit there till I finished a book. I was not good enough in fluent reading (Tamil) and preferred easy reading. These were mostly the post independence era books. I don't remember much about them now. Wish I could get hold of those again.
I have started Umberto Eco's The Island of the day before. This is the first of his I am reading, wanted to read Foucault's Pendulum, but couldn't find it in the library. From the first few pages I have read, I like his writing style, which, to me, is very important to sustain my interest - I couldn't finish Life of Pi. I guess I will someday.
Another book I have been reading is about India's Independence. This is really interesting, me being a sort of a history buff. It is mostly unbiased and shows how things were in those days. Advani is not too far away about Jinnah. He was quite secular initially, but seems like he was forced into being what he was later on. I couldn't finish it before my India trip, I didn't want to carry the huge book around, haven't been able to get back to it yet. If I don't finish a book right away, it is hard for me to get back, unless it is Nora Roberts or Wodehouse. :-)
BTW, if anyone recollects this Wodehouse story, let me know what the title for this is. I have the omnibuses and one of them has it, but I can't recollect which one. Bingo Little says he used to be a pretty baby, but one day his nurse took him out in the pram and he was swapped at the park. So he ended up being ugly. Any ideas?
Ethirpaarpu
Paarpen endra ethirpaarpu. yesterday's mail brought me a bunch of Mohanlal movies that I had ordered sometime back. Haven't even checked out what all I got. But they are all good selections, here is the list I ordered:
kilukkam
akkare-akkare-akkare
varavelppu
Balagopalan M A
Thoovanathumbikal
spadikam
manichithrathazhu (have seen this, but had to add to my collection)
Mazha
Peyyunnu Maddalam Kottunnu
Thanks to all the guys who reco'd some of these over at BB's blog.
Kalari
Talking of Malludom, Rediff had an article about Jackie Chan getting interested in Kalaripayattu - the mother of all martial arts. India has outsourced so many things, which have evolved and taken a shape of its own. It would be nice to trace the roots. I do remember from a visit to Splendid China in Orlando, that a monk brought the art of Kungfu from India over to the Shaoling temple in China around 500AD. Here is more info.
Remember Mammooty in Vadakkan Veera Katha?
Reading from the links listed here, Bodhidharma was the monk who brought about this. He was born in Kerala, probably in the Pallava Kingdom. This is interesting because, I have been reading Kalki's works which are about this period too. Buddhism was flourishing in this region at around this time. It is hard to believe now that the monk was from Kerala; Buddhism has become a minority religion in India, if at all. Now, wouldn't it have been interesting if the monk had travelled west rather than east? Sorely needed I say.
kilukkam
akkare-akkare-akkare
varavelppu
Balagopalan M A
Thoovanathumbikal
spadikam
manichithrathazhu (have seen this, but had to add to my collection)
Mazha
Peyyunnu Maddalam Kottunnu
Thanks to all the guys who reco'd some of these over at BB's blog.
Kalari
Talking of Malludom, Rediff had an article about Jackie Chan getting interested in Kalaripayattu - the mother of all martial arts. India has outsourced so many things, which have evolved and taken a shape of its own. It would be nice to trace the roots. I do remember from a visit to Splendid China in Orlando, that a monk brought the art of Kungfu from India over to the Shaoling temple in China around 500AD. Here is more info.
Remember Mammooty in Vadakkan Veera Katha?
Reading from the links listed here, Bodhidharma was the monk who brought about this. He was born in Kerala, probably in the Pallava Kingdom. This is interesting because, I have been reading Kalki's works which are about this period too. Buddhism was flourishing in this region at around this time. It is hard to believe now that the monk was from Kerala; Buddhism has become a minority religion in India, if at all. Now, wouldn't it have been interesting if the monk had travelled west rather than east? Sorely needed I say.
Friday, June 03, 2005
New genre of housekeepers?
Today's morning edition on CNN showed this interesting clip about an orangutan that has gone domestic. Apparently, it keeps its cage spic and span.
Gosh! I need to send my family (myself included) over to learn from that one. Anyone know if they are for hire? My home sorely (and I mean sorely) needs some cleaning up.
Gosh! I need to send my family (myself included) over to learn from that one. Anyone know if they are for hire? My home sorely (and I mean sorely) needs some cleaning up.
A road to nowhere?
This morning, my husband and I were discussing the spelling bee. I said, what is the point of going through so much stress. And he said, the money-minded guy that is, well, he did take home 22,000 bucks. My thoughts on this, which he ultimately agreed with - what is the point in learning up spellings of words you are never gonna use? Those kids are so talented, but they are so stressed, the parents go through so much tension, to what end result? So, they won some money. This has become a sport, as ESPN acknowledges.
When I read this blog on msnbc, I felt an empathy to this person. If the kids were to get some useful knowledge, like in a geography bee or a math or science quiz, which (probably) he/she could use in furthering his/her education, then all this can be understood. To my practical mind, it doesn't make sense. I don't like stressing kids to such things. I still remember how I felt before my exams. In fact I still get nightmares that I am appearing for an exam with zero prep. It can be traumatic. Now if it is like this for a person who considers herself above average in studies, can you imagine what these kids go through?
If it is done as a lark, a quiz is fun. Consider this one or this one. I had no problems with either. But when you have to do it under pressure, it is not fun (at least for most people). Some people thrive on competition. But we are not talking about those. The parents tend to force their kids into doing all kinds of things which might not always be welcomed by the kids.
For some, every issue is a mountain, every mountain needs to be scaled. We need to watch and understand what our kids enjoy and help them nurture that.
Saying all this, I guess I do tend to expect certain things from my kids. But the minute I realize my kids cannot handle that, I will step back. I have promised myself not to forget how it feels to be in the spot here.
When I read this blog on msnbc, I felt an empathy to this person. If the kids were to get some useful knowledge, like in a geography bee or a math or science quiz, which (probably) he/she could use in furthering his/her education, then all this can be understood. To my practical mind, it doesn't make sense. I don't like stressing kids to such things. I still remember how I felt before my exams. In fact I still get nightmares that I am appearing for an exam with zero prep. It can be traumatic. Now if it is like this for a person who considers herself above average in studies, can you imagine what these kids go through?
If it is done as a lark, a quiz is fun. Consider this one or this one. I had no problems with either. But when you have to do it under pressure, it is not fun (at least for most people). Some people thrive on competition. But we are not talking about those. The parents tend to force their kids into doing all kinds of things which might not always be welcomed by the kids.
For some, every issue is a mountain, every mountain needs to be scaled. We need to watch and understand what our kids enjoy and help them nurture that.
Saying all this, I guess I do tend to expect certain things from my kids. But the minute I realize my kids cannot handle that, I will step back. I have promised myself not to forget how it feels to be in the spot here.
Bollywood Buzz
Got a pleasant surprise when I went to the yahoo website. The search box had Aishu's pix. Clicked on it and it brought me here.
While on that, heard another news/rumor that Hrithik Roshan will be doing Rambo's adopted son role in the next Rambo. He is to be an American-Afghan boy. Wonder if this is true? That will be good. So will he be dancing in that one too? :-) Well, he does dance well.
Rediff has Vipul Shah's top ten movies today. Should say, that is a much better list than Ghai's.
Saw Bunty aur Babli day before yest. A good entertainer. Songs are good by Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy. Talented trio! Kajra re is a foot tapping and visually appealing (especially for the drooling hombres on not just the front benches) number. But then, a part of me is thinking, Aish is down to doing item numbers a la Jayamalini and gang of yesteryears ;-) Amitabh does a rap number at the end with the credits rolling. You got to see it :-D I have always like Abhishek B, and he has done a good job here. Rani M was bordering on slutty in that Balle Balle Sunday ke Sunday song. I mean, you can be stingy about your dress, but there is a thin line that you shouldn't cross. She does act well though. Especially that scene when she starts howling/wailing. There is great chemistry between the lead pair. Makes you wonder ;-)
While on that, heard another news/rumor that Hrithik Roshan will be doing Rambo's adopted son role in the next Rambo. He is to be an American-Afghan boy. Wonder if this is true? That will be good. So will he be dancing in that one too? :-) Well, he does dance well.
Rediff has Vipul Shah's top ten movies today. Should say, that is a much better list than Ghai's.
Saw Bunty aur Babli day before yest. A good entertainer. Songs are good by Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy. Talented trio! Kajra re is a foot tapping and visually appealing (especially for the drooling hombres on not just the front benches) number. But then, a part of me is thinking, Aish is down to doing item numbers a la Jayamalini and gang of yesteryears ;-) Amitabh does a rap number at the end with the credits rolling. You got to see it :-D I have always like Abhishek B, and he has done a good job here. Rani M was bordering on slutty in that Balle Balle Sunday ke Sunday song. I mean, you can be stingy about your dress, but there is a thin line that you shouldn't cross. She does act well though. Especially that scene when she starts howling/wailing. There is great chemistry between the lead pair. Makes you wonder ;-)
Thursday, June 02, 2005
Unfinished Busy-ness
This is up for adoption by anybody interested. (Think chain blogs)
I wrote this long time back. I am not sure what the theme was. I just had a glimpse of lovers( may be too strong a word) separated earlier, meeting again, each with their own families. I am not sure what was supposed to happen. Now I don't know what to do with it. So, here it is, anyone interested in continuing this in their blog, can link to this as part I. Interested?
Sowmya gave a 500-rupee note to the shopkeeper at the counter, collected the change and turned around to leave. Her eyes locked on the man who was entering the store. And recognized him at once. Older, mature in an elegant way, a thick mustache adorning what was once a clean-shaven face. Rajesh. Once a very familiar face, now on a stranger. How many hours she had spent looking at him surreptitiously, as he played street cricket! Hidden from view behind the drawn curtains, she had sneaked many a peek at him.
Rajesh spotted her at almost the same moment. Shocked at seeing a very familiar and once dear face, he was struck speechless for a few seconds. Recovering quickly, he gave her a hesitant smile, not knowing if she recognized him or wanted to acknowledge him, if she did. Her reciprocating smile warmed his heart and he walked towards her quickly.
“Hi, Sowmya! Gosh! How long has it been? I haven’t seen in you in ages. You haven’t changed at all!”
“And you have changed so much! How have you been, Rajesh?”
“Not too bad, Sowmya. How about you? I know you got married when I was doing my MBA.”
“Yes, I live close by. Why don’t you stop by for a cuppa?”
Rajesh looked at his watch and hesitated. Then decided, what the heck and agreed to go along.
She unlocked her front door and the smell of sambrani brought in a wave of nostalgia, reminding him of times, spent in her house.
“I see you have carried on your mom’s habit of using sambrani around the house”, he smiled.
“Yes, I love the smell. I am so used to it and I can’t do without it now.”
“You have a beautiful house, Sowmya.”
“Thanks. Why don’t you take a seat here, while I make some coffee? You still drink coffee the same way, right?”
“I am surprised you remember. Yes, I haven’t changed, Sowmya.” For a minute, his smile faltered as did hers. She tucked in to the kitchen in the pretext of making the coffee.
Rajesh sat down on the sofa and glanced around the room. In typical Sowmya style, he saw her touches around the room. Her handcrafted art, well placed around the room, showed her elegant taste. Next to the sofa, he saw photos on the table. Sowmya and her husband. His arms around her. Her face lit with a happy smile. Another one of her with a little boy. He had her eyes and the same smile. One more with all the three looking on with happy smiles.
“Is this your son?” He asked her as she came in carrying a tray with two cups of steaming coffee and a plate of biscuits.
“Yes, that is Karthik. My one and only. What about you? Married? Kids?”
“Oh, Yes! Three years back, no kids yet.”
“How is Chitra?”
“She is fine. She lives in Singapore now. Her husband works there. She has two kids and has become a real aunty.” He smiled.
“You haven’t changed, Rajesh. Always teasing.” She was reminded of times when he had teased her along with his sister, Chitra. Those were such carefree days. Playing games on each other. They were all in high school. Rajesh in his twelfth while Chitra and Sowmya were in their eleventh. He had been a big prankster, always getting in trouble with his parents over something or the other.
I wrote this long time back. I am not sure what the theme was. I just had a glimpse of lovers( may be too strong a word) separated earlier, meeting again, each with their own families. I am not sure what was supposed to happen. Now I don't know what to do with it. So, here it is, anyone interested in continuing this in their blog, can link to this as part I. Interested?
Sowmya gave a 500-rupee note to the shopkeeper at the counter, collected the change and turned around to leave. Her eyes locked on the man who was entering the store. And recognized him at once. Older, mature in an elegant way, a thick mustache adorning what was once a clean-shaven face. Rajesh. Once a very familiar face, now on a stranger. How many hours she had spent looking at him surreptitiously, as he played street cricket! Hidden from view behind the drawn curtains, she had sneaked many a peek at him.
Rajesh spotted her at almost the same moment. Shocked at seeing a very familiar and once dear face, he was struck speechless for a few seconds. Recovering quickly, he gave her a hesitant smile, not knowing if she recognized him or wanted to acknowledge him, if she did. Her reciprocating smile warmed his heart and he walked towards her quickly.
“Hi, Sowmya! Gosh! How long has it been? I haven’t seen in you in ages. You haven’t changed at all!”
“And you have changed so much! How have you been, Rajesh?”
“Not too bad, Sowmya. How about you? I know you got married when I was doing my MBA.”
“Yes, I live close by. Why don’t you stop by for a cuppa?”
Rajesh looked at his watch and hesitated. Then decided, what the heck and agreed to go along.
She unlocked her front door and the smell of sambrani brought in a wave of nostalgia, reminding him of times, spent in her house.
“I see you have carried on your mom’s habit of using sambrani around the house”, he smiled.
“Yes, I love the smell. I am so used to it and I can’t do without it now.”
“You have a beautiful house, Sowmya.”
“Thanks. Why don’t you take a seat here, while I make some coffee? You still drink coffee the same way, right?”
“I am surprised you remember. Yes, I haven’t changed, Sowmya.” For a minute, his smile faltered as did hers. She tucked in to the kitchen in the pretext of making the coffee.
Rajesh sat down on the sofa and glanced around the room. In typical Sowmya style, he saw her touches around the room. Her handcrafted art, well placed around the room, showed her elegant taste. Next to the sofa, he saw photos on the table. Sowmya and her husband. His arms around her. Her face lit with a happy smile. Another one of her with a little boy. He had her eyes and the same smile. One more with all the three looking on with happy smiles.
“Is this your son?” He asked her as she came in carrying a tray with two cups of steaming coffee and a plate of biscuits.
“Yes, that is Karthik. My one and only. What about you? Married? Kids?”
“Oh, Yes! Three years back, no kids yet.”
“How is Chitra?”
“She is fine. She lives in Singapore now. Her husband works there. She has two kids and has become a real aunty.” He smiled.
“You haven’t changed, Rajesh. Always teasing.” She was reminded of times when he had teased her along with his sister, Chitra. Those were such carefree days. Playing games on each other. They were all in high school. Rajesh in his twelfth while Chitra and Sowmya were in their eleventh. He had been a big prankster, always getting in trouble with his parents over something or the other.
Wednesday, June 01, 2005
overloaded and overwhelmed
Too much to do and too little time. That has become the catchphrase of my life. I need an extra 2 hours every day. appo kooda pathaathu pola irukku. Intha azhagula netflix dvd kitta thatta oru vaarama ennoda kitchen counterla waiting. Hmm! Thalaiya pichukkalaam pola irukku.
This last phrase is so familiar to most of us. Do you know one word to describe that feeling. It is trichotillomania! Interesting, isn't it? The spelling bee is going on and this was one of the words chosen.
Where do they get hold of these words? Is there a special dictionary for bizarre and arcane words such as this?
Anyway, back to me, :-). I want to find some time to write out this screenplay/story that is going on in my mind. Will blog it soon. I am thinking it would suit Rajini quite well :-D (I am not a Rajini fan, except for 6 to 60). I know this will go nowhere, except in my imaginary world and may be here. But still, it is a lot of fun.
So, if you had all the time in the world, what would you do?
Me - write fiction, become an accomplished dancer and Veena player (well, at the rate I do now, I will be 60 before I get there), try my hand at carpentry, get some interior projects done, read a LOT - to name a few. Gosh, I don't think this world is enough!
This last phrase is so familiar to most of us. Do you know one word to describe that feeling. It is trichotillomania! Interesting, isn't it? The spelling bee is going on and this was one of the words chosen.
Where do they get hold of these words? Is there a special dictionary for bizarre and arcane words such as this?
Anyway, back to me, :-). I want to find some time to write out this screenplay/story that is going on in my mind. Will blog it soon. I am thinking it would suit Rajini quite well :-D (I am not a Rajini fan, except for 6 to 60). I know this will go nowhere, except in my imaginary world and may be here. But still, it is a lot of fun.
So, if you had all the time in the world, what would you do?
Me - write fiction, become an accomplished dancer and Veena player (well, at the rate I do now, I will be 60 before I get there), try my hand at carpentry, get some interior projects done, read a LOT - to name a few. Gosh, I don't think this world is enough!
Another top 10 beauty list
Harpers and Queen magazine has come out with their version of the world's top 10 beautiful woman. Rediff has the pix here. I find it hard to believe that Aish is No.9, when you consider who occupy the higher slots, especially Nos 5,4 and above.
Oh, well! people are biased. :-D
Then there was Miss. Universe on Monday TV. Miss. Canada won it and she was quite pretty. Like a porcelain doll with striking dark hair.
(from cnn.com - not her best picture)
Oh, well! people are biased. :-D
Then there was Miss. Universe on Monday TV. Miss. Canada won it and she was quite pretty. Like a porcelain doll with striking dark hair.
(from cnn.com - not her best picture)
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