Two worlds and foodie thoughts.

The two worlds I refer to are food and fitness.

These two worlds go together IFF the food is healthy and by healthy, I mean low fat and perhaps taste-free! But my current experience of these two worlds under one roof happens as I try to 'frequent' a gym located in a posh office building with a Food Court almost adjacent to it. The options for food in that food court are by Planet Yumm and yum the choices certainly are...Noodle House (Chinese), KFC (Fried Chicken, basically), Palimar (Indian vegetarian), Qwiky's (coffee and snacks place), Sam's Kitchen (biryanis, etc.), Pathankot (Parathas), Pizza Corner and as a saving grace, Subway. I am not even sure if this is the right list nor am I sure whether there are more eateries inside the Food Court, because, I have not yet set foot in it! This is not to say I don't gaze longingly at it or kick myself for not throwing caution to the winds (as I am prone to doing often!) and just GET it out of my system, eating at this food court.

It's not as if I don't eat out. But, this proximity kills me what with the gym being situated right next door to the Food Court and all. Got me thinking I need to blog about it and feel less GRR.

Both these worlds are good. Here's what stares me in the face all the time...

1. Good facilities at the gym, good options at the Food Court.

2. You can buzz in and out of the gym anytime including during odd hours, you can do the same at the Food Court.

3. You can enjoy the ambience at the gym, and so also at the Food Court!

4. You can experience some of the best equipment at the gym, you can savour some of the best delicacies at the Food Court.

5. You can get aches and pains after visiting the gym, and so also after the Food Court.

6. You can pour out the stuff at the gym, you can pour in the stuff at the Food Court.

Oops.

6. You can burn calories at the gym and earn calories at the Fooc Court.

Ok, ok, it goes downhill from there I know. THIS is why I have steered clear of it. The thought of burning all those calories and then 'earning' them back a mere stone's throw away is too much for even me to bear. So, this is what I have decided...when I finally cave in to my deep, dark desire that haunts me during every gym visit, I will strut in to the Food Court, pack up some food and leave with it...Haaaaaaaaaaaaaaa. Yes, so THEN, when the calorie-earning begins, I will be far away from the gym and it will be like I have visited any other eatery. Hah.

It's a different matter that the end result will not change. Not relevant to this post, you see.

Until then, everyday, I think to myself...Soooo near and yet soooo far.

Bad moods

This ought to sum up the bad mood situation but I have more to say...as usual.

Poster 1:
"Nothing helps a bad mood like spreading it around".

Years ago, I picked up a poster with these wordings on it and really enjoyed it. Now, I realise how true it is. And not in a good way. The bad mood hits, you snap, perhaps you snap at the person who gave you the bad mood and then ...also at others who did not! Then those others get into their own bad moods and then, I guess they pass it on. Maybe after it reaches the 3rd or 4th person on the path, your own bad mood is quite on its way out. Kind of interesting and...can make you feel satisfied if only for a minute and then...you feel quite quite small. Regret takes over sooner or later. Sigggghh.
Personal pearls of wisdom??!

Poster 2:
"I might as well exercise. I am in a bad mood anyway."

This poster too I picked up many years ago. Quite funny I thought, since I was not into exercising at alll then. Now that I am far more aware of exercise and its wonders (Hrrrrrrrrrumph!), I am not as full of 'josh' about this clever poster. Still, for a lazy, the thought of getting off his or her butt and getting to exercise is probably enough for a bad mood to set in. The exertion and all that good stuff! BUT, I can definitely say that exercise does help a bad mood cos, after all that pounding (feet) and huffing (breath), there is not much energy left for a bad mood. No wonder, exercise is also a cure for depression.
Argh. Don't I sound preachy?! WEll, as long as it's common knowledge that I don't all the time practise what I preach;), I won't be made out to be a holier-than-thou character -- the type I sincerely dislike! On second thoughts, I suppose I am more the eviller-than-thou types...

Poster No. 3:
Oh and speaking of posters, there is one I love even today....the one where Garfield stands on a weighing machine and goes"Liar!" at it.

That is still so great! Unfortunately, the one thing that has changed about this poster is that I have finally realised that the weighing machine does not, in fact, lie. Sooo sad, no? Worse, it is also quite unforgiving. Crafty thing, really and a serious bad mood-causer!

More posters coming up...

My First Solo

One thing I will never tire of talking about is my romance with flying. I can't say I don't harbour hopes of ever flying again...but of course, right now, I don't have anything to do with flying except as an occasional passenger. Sigh.

One of 'those times' I will always cherish is when I learned to fly a small airplane. Cessna 172, single engine, propellor driven.

It was October 13th and a Friday...in 1995. Yesterday was October 13th and brought up this memory. But that October 13th was special. It was also Friday, the 13th! I knew it but did not want dwell on the horrors it bespoke*, because my flying instructor Joel Rogers finally said to me that day, "Ok, Su, I think you are ready for it." I was quite ready -- for the previous few hours of flying, I had felt an impatience. I directed this to my instructor (whom I quite respected -- read: was afraid of -- although we were almost the same age!) and fiinallly, he got the vibes / confidence.

So, he signed me off, wished me luck (looked nervous, he did). I was later told by a friend there at the flying school in West Virginia that he was certainly nervous as hell and even said once: "I can't look" and walked away. Well, in Charleston, WV, there were very few students at the flying school. And, I was the only foreign one and perhaps a bit more exotic than the average foreigner! (Naane sollikiren / even if I say so myself!)

As an Indian student, I was supposedly given the most 'stable and mature' of the 3 available instructors who were all in their early twenties and trying to make it as commercial pilots by building up flying time and experience by teaching flying.

So I jauntily walked up to the airplane. Took my time (as my paranoid, usual self) with the pre-flight inspection of the aircraft, perhaps slightly delaying the actual flying on purpose! Just some nerves and all, mind you. Finally, I taxied out, and took off down the runway.

Taking off is always easy, it's the landing that's tough! SO much like life, eh?;)

A first solo, I think, usually consists of the student pilot on his or her own handling the airplane and doing 3 takeoffs and landings, going around the airport to do so. Now, the airport I was training at was on top of two mountains. Two mountain tops were cut off and the area flattened, to make the airport and obviously, there were many up and down drafts of air that could buffet the small airplane about a bit etc. Yeah, baby, 'Almost heaven, West Virginia', indeed!Of course I was not THIS wise on my first solo and after the first take off, coming in to land, I started singing Dum Maro Dum, giggling feverishly. I still remember how idiotic I felt...and how exhilarated. My second take off was ok too, but during the landing, I was a bit 'off'.

The runway has lights that guide the airplanes but they also indicate whether the pilot is making his or her descent within safe and permissible limits. The easy-to-remember code for the two pairs of lights on either side of the runway was...
White over white = too high (need to descend faster / sharper)
Red over white = You are all right (maintain that descent and you will probably land OK and stay alive!)
Red over Red = You're dead. (nothing more needs to be said!)

So, on my second landing approach, I saw red over red. (This was probably when my instructor turned away feeling queasy!) Trying not to think about crashing into the mountain side and ending up dead, I increased power to get up higher and then landed sharper. My third take off and landing were perfect...as far as memory serves me!

It felt so good. It just did. It still does, I think. Unforgettable.

After all, what's life if not for memories?

*p.s. Have always wanted to use the word 'bespoke';)

Life's all about ultimatums

Ultimatums follow us from babyhood to 'deathhood'!

If you don't eat your food, you can't play with your favourite toy.
If you don't drink your milk, you cannot watch your favourite TV show.
If you don't finish your homework, you cannot chat with your friend over the phone.
If you don't come out of your room when guests come, you will not have a room.
If you don't study well and get good grades, you will not get that birthday present.
If you don't come back home by 10 pm, you are grounded for a month.
If you don't get a job soon, people will label you a loafer.
If you don't get married soon, people will label you a spinster / bachelor. (Now, why does 'bachelor' sound so much more cool than 'spinster?' Or is there a better word these days?)
If you don't have a baby soon, you have a problem.
If you don't admit your child into a 'good' school, you are a careless parent.
If you don't get your 'kids' married early, you are not a responsible parent.
If you don't babysit your grandchildren, you are not a good grandparent.

If you...
then you...

ARGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGH!
Where does it end?

Oh, and there are more...
If you don't exercise and diet, you may get some terrible disease.
If you drink and smoke, you will die young.

Now, don't even think that you can do good for the sake of doing good. Noooo. You have to do it so you are not perceived as BAD. Cool, no?

Observation: If you are given an ultimatum...the job will be done!

Inference1: Adi Odhai udhavaraa maadhiri annan thambi udhava maatanga. (Whacks and kicks help shape a person better than even your own siblings' support!(??)
Inference2: We are not just God fearing, we are MUCH fearing. Or are they branches of the same tree?
Inference 3: If you want someone to 'be good', you have to threaten him first...to BE good...or else.
Inference 4: Nobody is free from ultimatums...???

If I don't make another inference...



nothing will happen. Therefore, I will NOT make it.

Howzzzat?
Cheers!

What I REALLY wannabe and oughtabe...

1. Less paranoid
2. More happy
3. More funny
4. Less fussy
5. More loving
6. More patient
7. More physically active
8. More positive
9. Less fat -- eeks this comes everywhere and then...goes nowhere!!
10. More strong -- mentally and emotionally
11. Less snappy
12. More quiet
13. More caring
14. Less in-charge
15. More 'musical'
16. Less curious about vetti things!

Oh dear. This seems more difficult than my wannabe list!;)

DappanKoothu

This is what I call a real Tamil Nadu dance. This super dance style lays maximum emphasis on the beat. The best thing about dappan koothu is that it is informal. Anything goes and this gives the dance a sense of freedom that cannot be matched. (Ok, maybe 'disco dance' is also like that...but this is so very local-Tamizh).

One does not need formal training in dance to do a dappan koothu. In fact, perhaps formal training will not help for dancing dappan koothu, since you need to let go. You just need to get with it, feel the beat, groove and MOVE. The moves can range from very stiff to very loose. Cool, huh?

Ideally, the dancer's back will be straight, with head held high unless the step requires you to bend a bit. The impression is one of confidence and mock seriousness. Then come the funny steps which make the others laugh and stop their dappankoothu for a bit. Seriously, life does not get more fun than the uninhibited dappan koothu. 'Koothu' itself was (I think) derived from a sanskrit word meaning dance, but is also loosely used to describe a fun scene or incident with some amount of chaos in it. Dappan Koothu is for everyone -- those with grace and...those without.

Ideal film songs for Dappan Koothu of different types and moods (maybe available on youtube)...but hardly a comprehensive list:
1. Vaalameenu from the film Chithiram Pesudhadee
2. Jalsa pannungada from Chennai 600 028
3. Surangani from where I dunno (!)
4. Annatha aadurar from Aboorva sagodharargal (quite an orginal dappan koothu variety)
5. Appadi Podu from Gilli
6. Singari sarakku from Khakhi Chattai
7. Indadi Kappakazhange from Dhool (PUCCA dappan koothu beat)
8. Kathala Kannale from Anjadhey
9. Nakku Mukka from Kaadhalil Vizhundhen
10. Yennadi Muniyamma (remix version?) from Vaadhiyar -- stylish yennadi muniyamma

Some people look down at dappan koothu. They are the uptight la di da ones. Quite 'ignorable' folks, those, only fit for a cuppa and smooth, formal talk. Besides, who gives them right to look down at any folk dance?

The only thing is you have gotto be in the mooood for dappan koothu.

Dappan Koothu -- very very 'local' and very very good.

Wannabe

Quite idly only...

Not at all in order of priorities, I wannabe...

1. A music composer
2. A popular writer
3. A fabulous mother
4. A best friend
5. A pianist
6. A good entertainer
7. A good singer
8. An artist (woo hoo even I did not see this coming)
9. A model daughter (in law too;))
10. An aerobics instructor (in my cousin's words, BWAHAHAHAHA, I know)
11. A DJ
12. A pilot (finally, something you cannot laugh at!Yes, a PPL does count;)
13. Streetsmart
14.An excellent cook
15. A kind soul
16. A frequent holidayer;)
17. A strummer (guitar)
18. A modest know-it-all!
19. Less fat (very noncommittal)
20. A party animal...but only sometimes. Not as young these days, you see...

'BLEAH!' to the pseudostars, cos SAROJA does Kollywood proud!

SAROJA entertained me for three hours today. From the first scene, until the end. The movie refreshes Kollywood to say the least. Even though I am yet to watch 'Chennai 600 028', I did learn about this entertaining film from a friend (www.spotlightsu.blogspot.com) and when I got the opportunity to spend my Monday midday with Saroja, I just upped and went.

The film is mainly about friendship between four friends. It is also about other things -- a missing girl, another friendship, unrequited love, and so on, and everything is the main plot! Yes, plot it is. Even if you did anticipate somethings in the film, which is unlikely, it is a very well taken film.

Now, I don't usually do film reviews, nor can I call this one. But, I so enjoyed it that I felt it deserved a post on my blog.

I enjoyed it because...
1. I was watching a film after a long time (3 weeks to a month;))
2. It was unscheduled...
3. I expected it to be good (weird logic I know, but it worked for me)
4. The friendship portrayed between the four guys was wonderfully painted and so realistic...such as fighting with each other in a crisis, finally standing by each other, working together against odds, showing weaknesses openly, sharing 'two-aside' secrets, inviting a spouse's irritation by 'just being' , etc.
5. The fights seemed real, unlike in most films when the hero lifts a leg and sends the opponent flying through a glass wall, or he punches / gets punched fifty times and the fight still stays fresh with the fighters quite unscathed. Also, the fights did not have the hero (es) fighting gunmen with his/their bare hands, oblivious to lethal weapons. Oh and people got hurt even when you did not want them to...
6. The songs were pretty good and entertaining with one song showing Macarena-like steps, except it was just A step;) Cute and ...doable. Watch the film and go back and try the moves. Hoo hoo. and upload to youtube or at least pass it to me for MY entertainment.
7. Imagine, I was not even interested in my popcorn and cold coffee. The film was enjoyable enough. Now, that's a first!
8. The dream scenes were scarce, but when they appeared, they were as funny as they ought to be.
9. There were no idiotic duet songs with a couple dashing around or rolling around.
10. The pace was racy.
11. The actors all delivered. Except perhaps for Prakash Raj (who was average), whom the other actors with less experience, simply outshone!
12. Because of one of my favourite actors' presence -- Jayaram. Now, HE delivered.
13. THERE ARE NO SIX PACKS! Whew. Relief. These guys look real and act it.
14. The girls look their age and part. AND, they are attractive; even the siren is super good looking.
15. THE HUMOUR in it...and not always from the designated comedian (although it seemed there was one*), but from the entire cast.
* The guy (Premji) truly brought out the full meaning of the phrase 'comic relief' with not just witty, meaning-to-be-funny remarks...he was funny as a person, and never-endingly so.Definitely a must-have guy in any gang of friends!
16. Fairly good looking villains;) (Sampath, his cronies, etc.)
17. It actually made me long to be part of the cast!
18. The 4 guys -- SPB Charan, Shiva, Premji and Vaibhav were all believable and likeable characters and not because of their looks or screen presence but because of how well they were 'in character'.
19. The film made me laugh heartily, loudly, scream in frustration or fear, yell suggestions and egg the characters on...basically, I lost myself in it and reluctantly found myself again at the end;) Even the end credits were entertaining with not unusual clippings of funny takes.
and
20. The background score...scores. Yuvan Shankar Raja I think. Damn good.
21...Oh, dear! I wish could go on, but the rest will be the story, which I ought not to divulge and rob anyone of their enjoyment. I will just stop now and say...FINALLY, it's not a bad thing after all that Rajini and Kamal, the original Kollywood superstars are getting old....cos there are some super duper films being made and excellent performers being served up. As for the pseudostars, even if you pull up your socks and work at those six packs to make them five and a half or whatever (Sheesh!), or deliver more of those lame punchlines, you DO have some great guys to compete with, who don't even have THE so-called LOOKS to brag about. Well, pseudostars, 'BLEAH!' to you!

It's a Venkat Prabhu film, by the way.

Cheers!

Yours truly entertained,
Teesu.

Bear Hugs

A bear hug is the best kind of hug.

I don't think I want to be hugged by a bear in real life although a bear hug from a human (wonlee a human I be liking very much;)), is great. We Indians -- oh, ok, we South Indians, tend to underestimate the hug as a gesture and often get embarrassed by them -- regardless of whether we are looking at people hugging or experiencing a hug.

Hugs are great. A hug is a gesture of affection really, and nothing more, nothing less.

I am not referring to the kind of pseudo hugs that are followed by one or two 'Ummm...uahs', which are kisses blown in the air by smacking your lips. Typically, these Ummuahs go with: "Hi, darrrrling" or "Oh, hellllloo sweetheart" and so on. That would be drip drip drip, my pseudo ship.

No, I mean the kind of hug you may give / get when you are meeting and greeting somebody after a long time (at least a month) and you have really missed and / or are REALLY happy to see him or her. The hug should be tight, warm, whole hearted, platonic (thank you) and feel-good. Ahhhh, yes. Such a hug is almost like therapy, I say.

Anyway, so, sometimes we may be a bit shy to hug someone or are put off by the false hugs. But I don't let such hang ups stand in my way these days. I was taught the art of great hugging by a friend from college and must remain thankful to her forever:). Before that, hugs just made me uncomfortable and conscious of onlookers.

Now, I hug like ...a bear. I do pseudos too sometimes(!), but cannot bring myself to Ummmuah anyone;)

Pommanaati (Tamil word)

Pommanaati.

I am sure there is something seriously wrong with this word. I love my mother tongue Tamil or Thamizh to be precise, but this word I strongly object to. It means woman -- general, just 'woman', but I sure cringe every time I hear it.

It is the sound of it being pronounced that sounds ugh. Somehow, even though it just means woman, it sounds like an insult. 'Pombalai' sounds better although am sure it came from 'Penn Pillai' -- quite charming then.

I am sure there are more words I dislike but for now, it has to be just pommanaati.

Pee in my pants!

Umm no, don't get scared. This is not actually about the pee in my pants, nor is it about me peeing in my pants (well, maybe a little about that!), because that is another story, he he. No, stories -- plural.;)

What I want to say is that I miss the pee in my pants. Er no, I don't want to suffer from incontinence or any other such embarrassing health issue, nor do I want to be in a situation where I am so scared I pee...but I want to laugh so hard that a little pee will make its way out.

For a really satisfying laugh, something has to tickle you. For a really hearty laugh, the laugh has to last. I want both obviously.I honestly think it's been a long time. I do of course laugh from time to time but not quite that way.

Oh, and when such a laugh happens, it is most enjoyable if it comes on in the company of your best crazies -- friends or friendly relatives(!). During such a laugh, you will laugh so hard you cannot stop, with belly shaking, eyes watering, stomach aching, a lot of noise making, looking at each other and shaking your heads, which will keep triggering off more such bouts and then finally for the grand finale, some pee will escape and you will think "uh-oh, I have peed in my pants and I had better stop now...". This thought itself can make you laugh even more a;though you will now be guarded (more pee = wet spot and all that). Sadly then, like all good things, the laugh too will come to an end.

Now that it's been such a long time, I really won't care if I do laugh and the grand finale happens.

Right here...waiting for you

The song. 'Right Here Waiting For You' by Richard Marx, whose songs all seemed to me to sound sommmmewhat similar! Yet I chose that song for my hitherto one and only solo vocal performance. Oh, yeahhhh, those were the days when i roamed around the campus with my guitar in hand. Heavy stuff.

The guitar, I meant. Definitely not my perfomance.

I chose that song in my final year of school in the inter house competition (Western Music category) precisely because it was not challenging and I would not easily make a fool of myself. Now, I don't normally sing soppy stuff, but this was an easy song, I say! So I went up there on the stage and sang my heart out. Closed my eyes and all. Really FELT the moment of waiting for 'you'. Thankfully, when I opened my eyes, the audience was still around. In fact I got them woo-hoos and cheers. Oh well, after 14 years in the same school (Rosary Matric. Chennai), I had better have been at least that popular!;) Although, of course, it was my big group of friends and acquaintances who rooted for me.

SIGH. In spite of all that, I did not get the best vocalist prize -- even out of 4 measly singers. Sour Grapes Inc.

But I contributed to my position too. Not by singing badly -- er, not that I sing great but my friends did tell me I sang SOULFULLY and was very impressive -- AHEM. The truth was, because of a misguided goodness of the heart, I went about coaching another girl (my at-that-point VERY nervous and high strung junior and my namesake) competing in the same category on how to sing 'Nothing's Gonna Change My Love For You' and taught her to use her high-pitch moments beautifully. Stupid I was. I see it now. Only 16 years later.

Lost moment of glory.

Hmph.

Keep it on your head!

So many motorcyclists around me. They weave in and out, zig and zag, fast and aggressive or slow and wobbly. And so many of them have no helmets or worse, have their helmets attached to the handle at the rear of the seat. What is that about?Are these characters in so much of a hurry that they forget their heads? Literally, they can forget their heads. Ha , ha. Morons. I feel even those with no helmet in sight are ...well, as stupid and careless. They obviously don't care if they may at any point become brain dead -- well, then if that's the choice, HMPH.

Those who ride their bikes and hang their helmets around them -- oh please! I want to shriek at them, I want to intercept them, put my hazards on, get down and go and shake the twit's shoulders and yell into his face "WHY DO YOU HAVE YOUR HELMET BEHIND YOU IF YOU'RE NOT GOING TO WEAR IT?" Obviously, he has taken the pains to buy his fat head a helmet. What for, then?

Please one of you idiot bikers, have mercy on me and tell me what it's about. Is there some funda my small brain is not able to fathom?

Going crazy with this here.

And another great man or woman will say "I am only going a short distance so I do not need a helmet". Or, "Mine is only a scooty. It does not require a helmet". I salute you, dumb sirs and madams. Your logic is astounding.

Perhaps I really don't know better.

Oh and don't even get me started on all those who let their small kids hang out at various angles from their motorbikes.

That deserves another special post...later. I am all wrung out now.

Arrey, baba!

The gym I go to. Yes, it is a very good one with very good facilities. That's why i go there. Point made.

Now, I am no GREAT writer but I am usually with it when it comes to writing simple sentences. I corrected a badly written 'thought for the day' kind of thing on this gym's notice board, which is visible to all members as they work out.

The weirdly written thought for the day glared at me for ten minutes until I could bear it no longer and summoned the one who wrote it and requested her to correct it at least to SOME extent. The whole thing goes something like this -- i.e. the corrected version: -

"Try to be unique in life the way 'SALT' is -- Its absence makes things tasteless / useless"

Right. Slightly more relieved though still not 100% satisfied, I continued with my workout, which was the purpose of my going to a gym! (Yeah, yeah and not to vettily / joblessly edit stuff, but mind YOU, I did not stop huffing and puffing all through my suggestions.)

Then I saw another member -- a guy whom I shall now unfondly call Mr. Know-it-better-than-you (who was watching all this), call another gym-employee and make a further (SNORT) correction to the above. Below, please find the wronged version...(Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr)

"Try to be unique in life the way 'SALT' is -- Its absence make things useless / tasteless"

Yes, he removed the 's' so I now understand that 'SALT' is plural.
Soooper pa.

Arrre... arrey... arrrrrrrrey Baba. I really need to scream long and hard sometimes.

I still cannot bear it ("its absence make"...ARGHHHHHHHHH)...
You know these people can even have you doubting your own eenglees I say!With such confidence they go about wronging things!

Am sure tomorrow, I will wage a fresh war. Today, I managed to focus away from the damn notice board!

Is it just me?

Catty talk, but heartfelt;)

Oh God. This Kollywood place is full of them. Heroes, heroines, comedians, villains, monkeys, donkeys and more (last three are mostly wannabes). This post however, is only about heroes, not heroines -- heroines are quite a separate chapter. No, wait, I may mention them too.;)

Coming back to heroes and the sheer numbers out on the loose...

Agreed -- with all this knowledge and information explosion, more is 'in'. Gone are the days when a handful ruled the roost. MGR, Shivaji, Gemini, Muthuraaman, etc. followed by the nextgen Kamal, Rajini and more recently Suriya, Vikram, Vijay, Ajit...but does it stop there? We got Arya, Vishal, Simbu, Dhanush, Prasanna, etc. also on the scene and admittedly, doing quite well for themselves. Okay. BUT. but, but but.

There are also all kinds of new faces that honestly, I don't GET. Oh, how do they think they will make it as heroes? Beats me. Now, am not going to name those who just are not going to sell, because quite frankly, I don't even want to KNOW their names leave alone, remember them. Even some heroines...ugh.

Okay, I AM all for 'beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder' (um, kinda my point) and high self esteem, etc. Being a wannabe is also very important because what's life without some hopes and dreams? But there is a LOT of over-confidence and blind faith in one's saleability as a filmstar, and these are often but not always limited to, sons and daughters of the who's whos in the industry. Romba Dhayariyam (lot of courage) for some, I must say. But I call it Ashattu Dhayariyam (silly courage). And who suffers? People like me of course, who might chance upon such movies with such actors. Even if such characters ASPIRE to become film STARs, it can ruin the moment. (not my life, nope...always the silver lining!;))

Just reading about these characters bothers me...enough to write this post! At the very least, I would ask people interested in Kollywood adventures to gaze for LONG at themselves in the mirror and analyse what roles they would be best suited for, if any. Good looks alone are not enough although they are of course, necessary. If not GOOD, at least some arresting characteristic, please. And if nothing's there, how about some talent? Huh?

Analyse, analyse ...it's not just for your own sakes, please!

So, wannabes of Kollywood, I say, please rethink and get objective opinions before launching your mugs out there. There is only so much the world can tolerate.

Miaw.

Gyan No. 4

The real power is will power.

What's a good word? Pang!

The English language maybe a bit of a puzzle sometimes and maybe 'other' things as well. But there are some nice words that really give the real feeling of the meaning behind them. One such word is 'pang'. There is a certain ring to this word. "He felt a pang" is self explanatory. To a Tamilian it means the 'dwainnngk' sound. It may be a pang of hunger (insistent ringing of the stomach for food) or a pang of grief (a DWAINNNGK dramatic sound) or just a pang. This last one would be a strong whoosh of feeling-feeling (will take a true Chennai-local to get this) -- an emotional pang, that is.

That's why I like the word pang. It means what is says.

Serious Question (perhaps morbid too!)

Ok, so we all have to go one day. But where do we go? Heaven, hell, space... cyberspace? True, I am sadly ignorant since I don't read books on spirituality or LIFE or certainly not on life after death. Still, the question persists in my mind and I now insist on asking it. What happens after?

I asked a dear friend this question soon after my father died. Since this friend is definitely older (just a tad) and always seems wiser than most people I know, I remember I posed the question to him in utter grief and frustration: "But WHERE do they go? Can you tell me?" I vividly remember that his answer was equally helpless but deep. I say deep because....I dunno. It sounds deep, at least in this context. Shaking his head decisively he replied "I don't know. I just don't know." Clearly, most people don't know. Perhaps even the ones who die will not know. Hah. How weird is that thought?

I think we also on some level may not want to know because we then will invariably think of death itself and then spend some feverish and paranoid moments wondering how that fellow will greet us! Ugh. The 'how' puts me off it even right here and now.

Right. So, since I am too lazy to read any of those 'telling' books, if anyone knows, please feel free to enlighten me... perhaps as briefly as you can because lengthy explanations are the reason I don't wade through them books. I could not even finish The Monk who sold his Ferrari because of the long, rambling and seemingly similar stuff about some things that I just found blah. No offence to the book or its author because: (a) It is a bestseller (right?) and (b) I could also see on some other level, how it could be useful to one in a similar or close-to-similar situation. I personally own no expensive car leave alone a Ferrari (hmph.) for it to make a world of sense to me and bring that damn elusive halo closer to my fat head.

Ok...so back to my question: Twinkle twinkle little star, how I really do sometimes wonder what you are. Ok, ok, I know you must be a celestial body or something but... are you more than that???

P.S. Please do NOT teach this version of the rhyme to any child, thank you;)

Cheers!

Tag on Page 123 of a book

This tag came from my cuz. Bit of a 'homework piece' for me and not the random sort of bullshit I usually like to indulge in;) Hence, the delay. But am still obviously OK to do it quite cheerfully and so here I am. Also, was a wee bit 'embraced' about the book am presently reading so the reluctance. Then I decided...what the heck?
(And now as I REALLY read the rules herein below I realise that it is the NEAREST book. All this while I had thought it had to be the book I am currently reading. OHO. )

Now, for the Page 123 tag.These are the rules:
1. Pick up the nearest book.
2. Open to page 123.
3. Find the fifth sentence.
4. Post the next three sentences.
5. Tag five people, and acknowledge the person who tagged you.

Now, very revealingly, the nearest book to me all this while was the Gourmet Guide!! (Chennai's restaurant finder -- like I need one!) but then the book nearest me today right now is one MODERN Mills and Boon called The Billionaire Boss's Secretary Bride by Helen Brooks. It is rather boring (too much thinking on the part of the lovebirds and not enough conversation) though the theme was good since the usually skinny, svelte, slender and downright frail heroine has in this book been replaced by a curvy and rounded figure which although does not necessarily translate as 'fat but beautiful' (Ahem!), is still better than the 'I will huff and I will puff and I will blow this Mills and Boon heroine away' types;)

The necessary part from Page 123 for this tag is:
"She needed milky cocoa to help her sleep, she told herself firmly. And perhaps a couple of slices of buttered toast too. Her heart might be in shreds, she might be looking at an empty future devoid of husband and children and all the things she'd thought she'd have one day, but she was n't going to crumble into tiny pieces now or at any other time."

Now for tagging others. My cousin shyam tagged me and now I ain't gonna. Anyone wants to take this on, you can feel free. Cos am lazy to think of anybody now.:)

Oh and if I had gone with the Gourmet Guide, I would have landed on this supposedly snooty restaurant called Prego where a meal for 3 may cost Rs. 9000/- (hearsay) and this restaurant is located in the Taj Coromandel hotel in Chennai. The hotel's chinese is rather superb but that restaurant (Golden Dragon) is presently closed for renovation.

Cheers.

Ten Secrets

Ten secrets about me (copied idea from my dear cuz's blog).
1. When I was around 4 years old or just over, I developed a major crush on MGR after watching him relieve a lion of it's pain (thorn in the paw) in 'Vettaikaaran'. So much so that I wrote feverishly on the walls of my home ..."MGR MGR MGR MGR" punctuated by the odd "Latha" who used to be his then heroine.
2. I wanted to become a vet until I realised I would have to treat pigs and cows too. (I had seen a vet put his entire forearm into the womb of a cow to remove the placenta after the calf's birth -- at least I think that's what he was doing!)
3. I was my older sister's 'fan' until I turned a teenager. I am not sure if fan is the right word. She was my master!
4. I was mortally afraid of my father until I turned around ten or eleven even though he never ever beat me even once! I was just shit scared of him. My mother did a good job of "Appa kitta sollatuma?"(Shall I tell dad?)
5. I am still a bit scared of my mother! (Though it does n't look that way)
6. Although I always wanted to fly, once I started learning, I was actually quite scared of the whole thing. Only through sheer will power did I get through my PPL course. But was not scared after the intial hours in the sky.
7. I am horribly afraid of natural disasters -- earthquake, tsunami, volcano eruptions, storms and even rain! I am paranoid too!
8. I am afraid of the dark.
9. I have once lied blatantly to a policeman once and pulled a fast and smooth one on him. He stopped me in my car once on Mount Road after midnight and asked for my license. I knew I did n't have it with me in the car (though I had/have a valid one) but I said "Sure, sir, RIGHHHT here" and leaned over to the dashboard. I was so convincing and dramatic that he quickly waved me off without checking!
10. I once stole (I was 8)my classmate's ruler from her and NEVER gave it back. I felt bad later but still did n't own up. Later that same year, I also stole a fountain pen. When i later discovered my then best friend crying and hunting for her new pen, I panicked, dropped it down somewhere and then pretended to 'find it' and pounced on it and triumphantly handed it back to her. I never stole anything after that!

How are my secrets?;)