Twitter into dwellings

Ever feel like getting yourself out of this niche as an urban machine and fleeing to some sober, down to earth village?

Oh yeah…you do!?...but do you have the time to get away and stay away??

Nay..you don’t??..then Dakshin Chitra is just the place for you if you live in Chennai. It simply takes you on a journey through time and space to rustic hamlets of the yester years.

Talking about hamlets, every one of them, however small and simple has a certain serenity about it - the serenity that lasts as long as we humans don’t tamper, more than to the extent required to make it habitable, with the handiwork of Nature.

The earthen ware, paintings, sun rays falling on floors glossed with red oxide, copper and brass utensils, smoky kitchens, creamy milk, dew drops, mist, chirping sparrows, rivers with sparkling water, fields ready for harvest, people who would rather talk about the saplings in the back yard than about rocket science…everything adds to the tender sweetness of villages.

The houses, standing tall and beautiful, exhibiting proudly their valor to be unique in every single small way, add a magical dazzle to every village.

The beauty of the various kinds of houses, of people in different states and belonging to different sects, has been captured flawlessly at Dakshin Chitra. This apart, there are innumerable forms of art, both on display and for sale.

A visit to Dakshin Chitra on Saturday brought back memories of my Maternal Grand Parent’s palatial house in one of the most beautiful hamlets of all times. I absolutely adore that village and the house.

To cut a long story short, I’m in love with those houses I saw. The quaint, cherubic houses with the utensils, furniture and wall hangings are a treat to the eyes. They are complete in every sense and are ready for occupation. If only they would let me occupy the Tanjor house…*sigh* :p.

Hey….I almost missed out mentioning; I bought myself a ring studded with 2 dazzling white stones and 2 white pearls. I can see it shimmer as I type and with the twinkle, it brings in memories of that wonderful day at Dakshin Chitra :)

Back with a Bang!

Hi there…am back! Couldn’t get my brain to spawn any stuff to blog on last week, partly ‘cos I was occupied with work, but principally ‘cos I was exploring for possibilities of writing some stuff that would never have anything to do with ME.

I’m sorry. I don’t think that’s doable. I can never really separate my blogs completely from myself. I could definitely write about things that would interest a wide cross section of people, but there will be traces of my thoughts, my opinions, my experiences…. ME in everything.

As a result of this analysis, I’ve come up with an algorithm to work out a solution that I believe would be acceptable to everybody.

The pseudo code is as follows……

If ( finding traces of the pollutant (ie) ME in my blogs is a problem)
{

If(you are not my friend)
STOP visiting my blogs;
/*NO OFFENCE. Many of us in India are just getting to taste blogging for the 1st time ever and its understandable to have conflicts on what should be written and what not…but, I’m definite about what I would write on*/

Else
{
/* it is assumed that you would only be too happy to know more about how I get on
with life…but there could be exceptions :( */

If (you are forlorn about it in spite of the friendship we share)
{

I can’t help it. You’ll have to accept me with my shortfalls and we must get
along (ie) I’ll keep writing blogs and you’ll keep reading them. You are free to
criticize but not to stop reading what I write ;) }

Else
{ // am glad that you've changed you mind after you entered the code :D

No worries, lets move ahead together :)
}
}

}

Else

{

Am Honored! :)...Thank you!

}

Btw…if you still with me, then I really do want you as a friend (if you aren’t 1 already)..so go back to the pseudo code and check out what applies to U ! ;)

Heady Totter

I was thoroughly excited about this because I had never done this before. I couldn’t stop smiling and I was all set for the excitement to begin.

The minute it started, I was convinced that this is by far the worst mistake that I’ve ever made. The momentum increased slowly. It kept increasing and seemed to go on forever. My head started reeling and my stomach was churning badly.

Before long, there was a sharp pain on the left side of my neck because, my whole self had remained tilted at varying angles, all of them uncomfortably away from normal, for quite a while. It felt like I was in a flying saucer out in the sky and the saucer was out of control, wobbling from side to side.

The fluffy pink cotton candy, the sweet popcorn, H2O and everything seemed to be getting mixed up inside me. At one point I even thought I would get thrown out of this frantically wobbling horrendous object (am definitely too young to die…) I found myself wishing that this would stop and I would be on level grounds once again.

It finally slowed down and came to a halt. I was out of it, my head still reeling and my legs weak from all the rotation about multiple axes at varying points in the past 10 minutes or so. My throat was sour and that’s when I realized that I had been screeching all the while

It was terrific…my first ride on the tornado at a fair that I had been to yesterday. I just loved it and am waiting to be on it again. Hey..I’ve still not told you what happened after I got off that scary wobbler. I slowly started feeling better and in a few minutes I was atop the Giant wheel, all my shadowy fears dispersing into nothing. :)

From Cobwebs to Cables ...in a jiffy!

As a kid, I wasn’t naughty but I’ve got chided abundantly for the habits that I used to pick up from time to time. It used to be more or less seasonal (if I can call it so) . I invariably used to end up with some droll set of habits/ideas after every vacation. The summer hols were the most munificent in terms of the number of new habits that it rendered.

After a week long stay at my Aunt’s place, I got back home and announced to my Mom the next morning that there was a minor change in the way I operate and that I would like to have my glass of milk before I brush my teeth from that day on. I got lectured for an hour on the implications of this habit and when this did not work, my Mom declared that there was a minor change in the way the household operated and that I won’t get anything to drink or eat, till I brush my teeth. So, that’s it. I loitered around for a while, but finally it worked like magic!

At another point in time, when I was a pre-schooler, I had some friends in the neighborhood who had nick names. I came home one evening after playing all day with them and told everybody at home that I would like to be called ‘Pinky’ henceforth and that I wouldn’t respond if people didn’t address me by that name. For the next 1 week or so, I used to turn around spontaneously if somebody called me by my name and then turn back once I remember that they should have called me ‘Pinky’ instead.

All my silly childhood ways apart, everybody gets in and out of various kinds of habits all through life. These habits could range from something as innocent and common-place as singing in the bathroom or reading a newspaper every morning, to something that bothers/agitates others such as talking very loudly over the phone or back biting.

Although people have always told us that it’s important to develop good habits ‘cos once developed, they die hard, we still tend to get into habits that we ourselves would desire to (and struggle to) get rid off later on. Habits turn from cobwebs to cables really fast!

All the same, habits are a two edged sword. If you could prioritize effectiveness ahead of convenience, you would soon be comfortable with the most effectual habits. Check out Stephen.R.Covey's best seller ‘7 habits of Highly effective people’ (the link only gives you a summary of what the book contains)

All tall talks…btw, have you noticed that every para of this post starts with an ‘A’? (NO!!..I didn’t do it intentionally *giggle* ). Hope I’m not habituated to this now! ;)

The chains of habits are generally too small to be felt until they are too strong to be broken.

Sugar and Spice, and everything Nice

If you think this is about all the goodies that I hogged over the weekend, you are right…but not entirely! The past 4 days have spiced up my life, if you believe that variety really is the spice of life (ie). Some of them (the days, I mean) have been as delicious as the cream that’s atop a strawberry tartlet and some others have produced in me, the effect of consuming an abominable amount of chili sauce.

Last Thursday was a garlic bread day. It wasn’t sweet surely, but it wasn’t spicy either. It was very tasty. Pongal was round the corner. To add on to this, we were relocating to a new building. Everybody in the office was busy packing their stuff (ranging from documents, books and floppies to clocks, marble figurines and peacock feathers) in cardboard cartons, sealing the cartons with a great deal of care and writing their names on the cartons. People were making fun of each others keepsakes and there was a lot of excitement about the seating arrangements at the new location. It sure was fun to sit back and watch. I, for one, did not have anything to pack.

I did some shopping at Mylapore on Thursday evening. The place was buzzing with activities. There were people everywhere, busy bargaining for or buying sugar canes and bunches of turmeric. Got back home thoroughly tuned and equipped with all the raw materials (sugar, cashews, raisins, ghee, sugarcanes, turmeric, veggies, etc) for Pongal.

Of the four days that I’m focusing on (Friday to Monday) the first two were strawberry tart days filled with fun and frolic. Kalkand bath, rangolies with bright hues, temple bells, crisp new cotton kurtas, chirpy neighborhood, a whole lot of guests, the fragrance of ghee in the air…hmm, life can’t get better than that!

Sunday wasn’t as sweet as the 2 days that preceded it, but it was delicious in its own way. Had a very good time. I bought some beautiful glass bangles for the first time and will repeat this act again frequently, ‘cos, doubtlessly I like the bangles immensely! ;) They are a peculiar shade of brown. A 3-in-1 shade-The color of honey and chocolate with a ting of reddishness.

Monday is the day that actually made me feel like I’ve drained all the chili sauce in a can down my mouth. It made me realize that not only curiosity, over-enthusiasm too kills the cat - especially if it has a bit of ugly luck to go with it. This being the first day of work at the new office, I was suppose to be picked up from a spot that’s about 4 kms from where I live, at 7.45am. With a great deal of zest I woke up at 5.30am and was ready by 7.15am. I was at the pick up point at 7.30 on the dot. The pick up point (like hell) was beside the main road that takes you to the airport. My day started with inhaling the abundantly available carbon monoxide and a whole lot of dust while waiting for the bus. By the time the bus (finally) came to that spot at 8.30, I was coughing badly, my eyes were watering and I was completely pissed off. It was sunny and I was sweating as well. Although every nerve in my brain instructed me to scream at the transport coordinator who was seated comfortably on the first seat, I had enough sense in me to give him a smile and take one of the seats at the front end of the bus (so that I wouldn’t add a sprained back to the list of problems that the day had already ‘blessed’ me with). After all, it isn’t anybody’s fault. I casually mentioned to him that this pick up point is quite far off from where I stay and that the bus has been a bit too (unforgivably…grrr!) late on the very first day. Nothing extraordinarily bad happened the rest of the day, but I wasn’t happy with anything the whole day. The after taste of the happenings of the morning was there all through the day!

I always do my best not to hit the roof when I expect things to go one way and they head in the direction that’s right the opposite. It’s evident that I haven’t been very successful. In this case, I’m glad that I at least did not blown out steam and make somebody else’s day as distasteful as mine.

It’s definitely important to be able to accept (if not relish) the spicy side (awfully spicy. Not the kind that just adds taste) of life as comfortably as one accepts the sweeter side. I hope to be able to do it, but only with the best teacher by my side-Time!:)

How a Shutterbug took me on a Joy ride to Lillyput…

Although I do annoy people at times, I seldom annoy them by forwarding junk e-mails. I’m not habituated to passing on forwards. I avoid doing that as a matter of principle (Ok, I confess, the truth is I don’t have the patience for it).

If you had asked them a few weeks back, my Friends and Colleagues would have vouched for what I told you just now about my tendency with regards to forwarding mails (not forwarding mails, rather). Not any more! :(

Not so long ago (read ‘a few weeks back’ ), I was completely blindfolded by an e-mail I received and sent it across to many people in haste, claiming that this is one of the most interesting pieces of info I’ve ever come across.

THE e-mail …for your perusal....

Recent exploration activity in the northern region of India uncovered a skeletal remains of a human of phenomenal size. This region of the Indian desert is called the Empty Quarter. The discovery was made by National Geographic Team (India Division) with support from the Indian Army since the area comes under the jurisdiction of the Army.

The exploration team also found tablets with inscriptions that stated that our Gods of Indian mythological yore, "Brahma" had created people of phenomenal size the like of which He has not created since. They were very tall, big, and very powerful, such that they could put their arms around a tree trunk and uproot it. They were created to bring order among us since we were always fighting with each other. One of the sons of Bhima of the Pandava brothers is also thought of to have been carrying these genes. Later these people, who were given all the power, turned against all our Gods, and transgressed beyond all boundaries set. As a result they were destroyed by God Shiva.The Geo Exploration team believes these to be the remains of those people. Govt. of India has secured the whole area and no one is allowed to enter except the Nat Geo personnel. A very small article on this was published in TOI Mumbai edition on 22-Apr-2004. See the attachment and note the size of the two men standing in the picture in comparison to the size of the skeleton!!

There was a snap attached to this mail. Whatever was captured in that snap was absolutely incredible. There were 2 men digging out a massive skeleton. The men looked like those little humans from Lilliput, considering the size of the Skeleton (the Massive Gulliver)

‘Smart’ me…I was thrilled. I had never seen anything like this before. I just couldn’t contain myself and immediately forwarded it to all my Friends and Colleagues. In less than an hour, one of the smart guys to whom I had sent the mail had done a bit of digging on this and had come out with the truth.

This is a snap that had been taken for a Photoshop contest (the title being ‘Archeological Anomalies’). It’s a proof of the photographic skills of some freak. Its so picturesque that its deceiving. All I could do was give people a sheepish smile! :D

Since you’ve come this far, do take a look at this sensational SNAP that completely fooled me out of my wits!

There’s one more STORY of this sort floating round, with this snap as the pivot.

By the way, if I’ve missed out mentioning it before…good job shutterbug!! :)

My Favorite Model

Sleek, sophisticated and versatile…I really do long to make him mine *sigh* !!

Click here to fall in love

My life sure would be grander with him!! If only pay cheques were fatter and taxes were lower....

Eternal Companions

Each of these companions is elegantly dressed and has something unique and interesting to offer (I would call them ‘Xs’ from now on). There are some people who constantly seek their company and are badly addicted to them (I would call these people ‘Ys’ from now on). Most often the people who are destined to dwell in the same house as these addicts (the Ys) have problems getting them away from Xs (taking the Xs away from Ys, rather).

All Ys are not the same when it comes to their passion for Xs. Different Ys prefer different times during the day when they seek the company of Xs. Depending on the magnitude of the addiction, Ys take the Xs with them to the drawing room, the dining room, the bed room and also to the loo. They don’t take Xs with them to the shower though!(to the best of my knowledge…but, the world is a weird place. Probably some Ys do that as well)

Most of the Ys are very touchy about anybody else taking their Xs even if it is for a short span of time. If any of your friends is a Y, then you would better be careful about asking for the company of his/her X because you might end up killing the friendship if something goes wrong (such as you spending too much time with the X or worse still, you physically injuring X) Ys are damn possessive about their Xs-BE WARNED!

Every mind is a blend of ideas, visions, beliefs, ambitions and fears all of which are distilled out of experiences, facts and data that are fed in. These companions I’m talking about are undoubtedly the most interesting source of inputs to our minds. Their attires are of varying hues and textures, and so are the inputs that they would feed into our minds. Nowadays, Xs are very colorfully dressed. You can choose your Xs and they’ll remain your friends forever!

OK .I think I’ve taken this too far. If you’ve not yet guessed who these companions are (I’m sure you have…but if by some stash of bad luck….)…BOOKS thats what its all about (what else could it be?)

I had been to the 28th Annual Book Fair, at the Quaid-e-Millet Government Arts College for Women, on Saturday. This has been organized by the Book sellers’ and Publishers’ association of South India and has been happening for the past 27 years in succession.

There’s a very wide spectrum of books. It takes about 2 to 3 hours to just browse through the collection in all the stalls and believe me, its tiring! With some popcorns and papads, you can make it to the exit with some energy still left in you to check out the ‘seconds sale’ that’s happening in parallel, on either sides of the gate (outside, of course!).

Entirely satisfying, although I didn’t spot some of THE books that I was looking for. This Book fair is on till the 17th of this month. So, what are you waiting for??

Fact or Folklore

Correct me if I’m wrong, but I’m not aware of any animals getting killed in this tsunami catastrophe. There were no dead animals found on any of the shores. The Sri Lankan Wild life authorities have reported that the killer waves have astonishingly missed out killing any animals. Can’t help wondering how they escaped?

I’ve read and heard of many instances when animals have exhibited a strange ability to sense the approaching danger and keep themselves away from it. Virtually every culture has reported such observations.

Such issues, which have a tint of mystery, coupled with some scientific explanation to de-mystify it altogether (something like Scooby-do’s adventures) definitely capture and hold my interest. Perhaps, there really were witches and they really did communicate with their cats. Perhaps, there’s some truth in the belief that misfortune is round the corner if dogs howl.

Digging deeper, I found some interesting tit-bits on this!

Heres my find for you to take a look at….

National geographic
Levity
Animal Sentience

I haven’t found any proven explanation for such behaviors in animals although there are so many theories hanging from mid air.Be it a myth or reality...its interesting either ways, is'nt it?

Too FAT (Fearful, Awful and Terrifying) to die!

Last Friday was just like any other Friday ‘cos I had made up my mind that I wouldn’t go out and celebrate this New Year eve. There was no reason to celebrate. Many a times in the past, I’ve ‘sacrificed’ celebrations on account of such painful happenings, but there always used to be a certain bit of resentment in a corner of my heart for making the ‘sacrifice’. For the first time, I felt no such resentment. I had no urge to celebrate.

A visit to my Uncle’s place at Gopalapuram was long over due and I finally made it on Saturday. On my way to his house, I was mentally juggling with facts about the geography of that calm and beautiful place. I, like any other Chennai vaasi who has been unfortunate enough to hear about and see the tragedies that tsunami left behind, have become paranoid about it altogether. Now, considering the location of my Uncle’s place, its less than 2 kms from the beach (This is by road, but road maps and traffic signals are not for tsunami…so probably its much lesser than that) I’ve somehow fallen into this futile habit of keeping track of the distance of any place I go to from the sea (since the 27th of Dec 2004). My thoughts drifted to a movie that I had watched a few weeks back-’Resident Evil’-part II. ‘Alice’, the key character in the movie has become one of my favorites (not as much a favorite as Xena is thought :D ) I thought I would be able to save people from such calamities if I had the agility and swiftness of Alice. I finally reached my Uncle’s at about 2pm, had a scrumptious lunch that my Aunt had prepared for me and took a nap till 5pm.Helped my Uncle out with the preparation of some docs from 6 to 10 and finally went to bed at 10.30pm.

The next morning, I was jolted out of sleep when my cot suddenly started shaking. The movement was very rhythmic. Had I been a baby with no knowledge about earthquakes and stuff, I would have slept on peacefully because it was more or less like lying inside a cradle that was being rocked gently.

To give you an overview before I let you know what exactly caused the ‘tremor’, my Uncles house, (just like my mind and this site) is a messy place- with due respect to my Aunt’s house keeping skills (not her fault really. My cousin is more to be blamed). There are too many things everywhere. The cot that I was sleeping on is placed close to the wall and immediately to the left is the washing machine. Thankfully, the movement that I felt was due to the washing m/c being operated and not due to an (other) earthquake.

The rest of the day was uneventful. I found some interesting books amongst my Grandpa’s vast collection, did a teeny-weeny bit of shopping with my cousin in the evening, bid adieu and got back home by 7.30 ...8ish.

Yesterday exhibited the true colors of a Monday. It never gave me a moment to sit back and think of something to write. Thankfully today has been nicer, but will I ever get over tsunami nightmares!?