Dilemma

I hounded ravenously, for ages
Felt it at hand’s reach
Only to let it drift away

Gave up hopes, almost
Saw them dissipate, the dreams
Wallowed in self-pity

Then I lay dormant
For lack of resolve
And it swims by, without warning

Now it’s at my feet
Beseeching for attention
I pay none
…that strange thing called dilemma!

An open letter to Selvaraghavan...

Dear Mr. Selvaraghavan,

I had always thought you are a bankable director in the Tamil film industry. Bankable as in one who is capable of directing sensible movies, albeit with often unrefined portrayal of extreme human emotions. But that’s ok; someone has to be audacious enough to tell the other side of life in the conservative and cliché ridden Tamil films.

But watching Ayirathil Oruvan in the theatre – first day first show at that – as the movie unfolded in front of my eyes, I was horrified at the sub-standard joke of an epic you have made, spending years and thousands of feet of film good enough to make two movies. The movie honesty didn’t work right from the beginning for its unimaginative storyline and Karthi did definitely not jumpstart it either as you would have expected.

Any one of your Assistant Directors would have told you that the basic plot is flawed and will not hold good even if it means administering it on a Tamil audience, who are generally tolerant (for lack of taste or whatever the case may be). Agreed the movie is fantasy / action / adventure suchlike. Having taken a thin line from the Chola and Pandiya conflict, shouldn’t you have done atleast a bit of research to bring in credibility to the story (and by research I do not mean Wikipedia. It’s an open encyclopedia and all but everybody knows how credible it is).

If profanity spewing, boob flaunting, bitchy women are your version of confident women, I beg to differ. It just makes your perspective about women shallow. And there is better way to portray a woman’s character strength than just make her use cringe-worthy swear words for the sake of vying for a man’s attention.

It’s not that I have issues with women flaunting their sexuality. After all, we are a nation of item number loving citizens – and there are reigning item dancers in our country who are happily married with kids. I am willing to believe that even item dance numbers have a purpose in any film, when you consider Reema Sen’s kinky, role-play based, and acrobatic mating session with Parthiban. And your excuse? A Pandiya princess wants to steal a statue from the Chola King. How lame! I have never considered myself low enough to watch women urinate, but you have made it possible. On a big screen at that. And Reema does it with so much confidence that she wants to elevate the cause of urinating in public to the level of making it a fashion statement. And again the reasoning? To identify her person! Go figure…

I can go on and on: a threesome like sequence with Reema, Karthi and Andrea after Karthi’s very suggestive proposal, the horrendous gladiator -like skull smashing sequence that goes for about 20 minutes, Parthiban’s introductory scene where he feeds his subject with raw meat…

And what’s the need of painting the poor chola men with charcoal (a tacky job at that)? Are you trying to tell something here? If yes, I’m willing to bet no single soul other than you has got the message.

If depressing scenes don’t make your heart go out for the actors and makes you revel in plain disgust, you get the hint about the movie. It’s just a piece of showman-isque megalomania – an awfully bad one no less.

You have probably not watched Cannibal Holocaust as you have defended yourself, but there is no denial to the fact that you have created a much worse counterfeit of that 1980s banned movie.

With disappointment,

Your fan!

பிரிவு...

இழவு வீட்டுக்கு போய்வந்தேன்
எதையும் தொட்டுவிடாமல் குளி, என்றாள் அம்மா
தீட்டாம்
இறந்து போன நண்பனின் முகம்
நெஞ்சமெல்லாம்
எங்கு சென்று குளிப்பேன் அதை கழுவ

The New Year...

They hooted, brandishing glasses
Clasped, kissed and shrieked
Said the New Year has arrived
The fireworks lit up the sky
Streaked it with anomalous colors

I pulled my rug over tightly
The tattered cloth showed the fireworks in patterns
There’s no respite tonight, from the voices and noises
Tonight is different, I thought
Not another night in my life
It’s the New Year

Us....

Here’s to our new life
You raised a toast
...Of the deep red Pinotage

The clank of glasses
It sounded different
From our previous times

May be the wine, may be us
Or the clinking of two souls
Brimming with hopes
Life does feel different, I ponder

[image courtesy: http://www.fotobank.ru/img/SF14-1859.jpg?size=l]

Change

Depressed
Losing sanity
Blurring vision
Fading horizons
Crushing monotony

Caged
Hands and legs tethered
Left to choke
For breath
For life
For space

Sucked out
Of energy
Of ingenuity
Of life

Need
Brevity
Peace
Death

Picture courtesy: http://anne.teachesme.com/

I’m moving on…!

Of late I am debating on cutting down on the newspaper expense. No, recession hasn’t cut into my household budget. Well, not yet at least. Simply that the amount of newspapers and business magazines that are available online at no price whatsoever is prompting me to take the decision. Everything from the ultra conservative and hushed-up Hindu to the glad-rag Times of India is available online. All it needs is just a click and a few moments of browsing to get hooked to the mind-boggling amount of online content. Even better, most of the newspapers have the e-edition of their daily editions online the same day. And you also get the e-editions of some magazines online. All for free.

Significant international business magazines including wall street journal, economist, businessweek, forbes and fortune are online with a treasure trove of their business analysis and latest in the business. What’s more, some of these websites have their content custom-made for the Indian region, which means you get to read the perspectives of famous market analysts and gurus on Indian market.

That apart, the prominent business dailies of India, economic times, businessline and mint are open for free-viewing. Financial times has a dedicated Asia Pacific page with news and analysis on markets. All these are excluding the countless websites owned by the television channels in India, prominent of them being NDTV and CNN-IBN. And the websites of news agencies namely PTI and Reuters.

How can the newspapers afford to put up almost all their content online for free viewing even when the online advertisement revenue is measly in these testing times of recession? I guess the Indian newspapers are banking on the plain fact that not many people in India have access to the internet. That makes sense.

So there it goes. I am going to splurge and make the most out of the free online newspapers much to the chagrin of our corner-street shop newspaper wallah. And you can’t find me dead, my head buried in a newspaper, literally!

I appreciate....

After a little gyaan from a senior colleague whose trite but meaningful ‘appreciate and be thankful for what you got rather than whining for what you don’t’ advice, I decided to really appreciate what I got. As clichéd as it might sound, the feeling is capable of generating some good vibes, I found out.

So I decided to jot down a little of list of things that I immediately need to appreciate:

• My very existence and the plain fact that I’m physically able and mentally sane (!)
• My sarcasm…!
• My very few but abundantly loving friends
• Mom’s dosas - It amazes me how she batters up using different flours in varying consistencies for dosas ranging from crisp to soft ones
• The Internet for having made the world accessible at the expense of a few keyboard taps
• Free online music and movies
• The internet radio that I discovered recently that is super cool and plays all the latest tracks
• Of course my job

PS: But no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t just appreciate the Chennai weather. It remains just as oppressive!

Go Goa!

Lush countryside, dustless road drives, coconut palm trees that sway their head suggestively in the breeze, sinful sea food and lovely sun kissed beaches. In more ways, Goa can easily be mistaken for its striking similarity with god’s own country – Kerala. Only that there are relatively lesser number of firangs who whizz or strut around, as the case may be, basking in the sunshine in bare minimum clothes either lying in the beach or riding in the countryside on their rented bikes.

Goa’s beaches are inviting. Seductive, in fact, with their calm emerald blue water with relatively less tide bordered with coconut palm trees, super silky sand and above all clean. While few of North Goa beaches are frequented by local and foreign tourists alike, most of them are devoid any tourist attention, well almost. These beaches are unhindered paradises for swimming although tourists trickle in negligible numbers every now and then. That’s probably the advantage of visiting Goa during the initial times of the tourist season, relatively less crowd. Talking of which, the best time to visit Goa is from November to March.

Old Goa’s quaint churches have an unmistakable charm and the old houses, built in European style architecture, are a treat to the eyes.

Staying in Panjim is a good idea if you are planning to do a trip to the North Goa beaches, but if you want to visit the famous ones like Palolem in the South, you have to camp at Madgaon. In North, while Sinquerim, Baga and Anjuna are haven for foreign tourists who soak up some sun blissfully, Vagator beach is relatively crowd free.

Renting a bike is the best available option for getting around. Goa’s roads are equipped with road signs that are tourist friendly and it’s convenient to reach the beaches even without a map. In few places, like Anjuna, where there are both rocky and sandy beaches guidance from the local nimbu-pani seller comes handy for directions. The flea market in Anjuna that boasts of cheap clothes, junk jewellery and wooden knick-knacks is a haunt for white tourists but of less use for Indians. The shopkeepers don’t pay attention if you are an Indian and, in all probabilities, ask for an exorbitant price even for a silly silver ring.

Apart from the beaches, the lip-smacking Goan cuisine is a must try when in Goa – especially the Fish and Chicken Vindaloos. There are countless restaurants and beach shacks that serve fresh sea-food. There are also a few very good restaurants that serve fusion-cuisine, like the Goan-Portugese food. The availability of plenty of booze could be tempting, and there is the strong local delight Feni – brewed from cashew fruit.

There’s a weekly train from Chennai to Vasco and back which is on time, most of the times. It snakes through the picturesque Konkan stretch and is peppered with tunnels and the Doodh Saagar waterfalls. The journey takes a whole 24 hours, so if you are travelling on a stringent budget and have no time constraints the train helps save a lot of money. Goa’s only airport that sports a rather rundown look is located in Dabolim.

2008 - Was it the year or was it just me?

While the entire world plunged into recession and sported a gloomy look, I seemed to have had an okay year - taking two vacations in a year, trying out as many restaurants in the city as I can and hitchhiking on a relationship.

The eventful year had…..

1. A trip to Nepal – The tiny Himalayan country was lovely and I AM going back.

Eating out:

a) Bella Ciao – True to its word. Authentic Italian food.
b) Casapicola – Nothing but their Fish.
c) Don Pepe on ECR – Mexican? Excuse me!
d) Eden – Tiny menu but never boring.
e) Galloping Gooseberries – Only for their juiciest mushroom dumplings.
f) Cedars – Gooey affair, order carefully.
g) Osteria @ Deccan Plaza – Good Italian food with a hole in your pocket.
h) Cornucopia – Little on the plate, lots on the bill. The food fine nevertheless.

2. Shantaram, a gripping tale of a convict in the run. The only book that held my attention after The God of Small Things, long after it was finished.

3. Ridley, the Red Eared Slider in my life.

4. A job change that seemed almost imminent and faded into oblivion.

5. A trip to Goa – One can never get enough of this beach state, I guess.

6. Some good movies, thanks to bit torrent and mininova.

7. A wedding engagement in the family.

8. My first trek. Although that would fall in 2009, plans were made in 2008.

On Walking the red carpet....!

It's 4.32 and my eyelids are closing on me... I am back from the premiere of Vaaranam Aayiram only an hour back... first ever premiere in my life... Surya looks rather short than I thought he would be, Sameera had a cute smile and a weird hairdo, and the plump looking Divya is rather puny... well din't they say looks could deceive?

About the movie,it's quite long and since Gautham did not seem to have any intention of entertaining his fans, the movie remains that - a little drag and a little ordinary. Well, may be i come from the school of thought that cinemas have to be larger than life, but isnt that the case usually?

For a review of the movie, head here!

Five simple steps to know it is inflation:

Now that the hullabaloo surrounding the skyrocketing sensex is over, it’s time to focus on the inflation that is scaling new heights. And it’s quite easy to figure how it affects the life of a common man unlike in the case of sensex. All you have to do is just look around and yeah I did look around and found these:

1. When I decided to go on diet and switched to Parathas, little did I know that the Parathas would go on one too. Thanks to the inflation and soaring prices, the thick and delectable Parathas served at the office canteen thinned down and could easily be seen through if you lifted it up a little bit. So there goes sign number one, the prices won’t always go up but the quantities go down – an interesting balancing equation of sorts.

2. The thinning down formula applies not only to Parathas and Chappathis but for other inedible stuff too. For instance, the newspapers that used to be quite a handful for toilet reading suddenly became awfully slim without prior notice. It’s hard not to feel strange when you finish reading the papers before your nature’s call is over.

3. Now the toilet tissues would hardly get replaced and the liquid soap dispenser almost never gets refilled (at work). If that’s not enough, the TV sets in the canteen would disappear mysteriously, evidently in an attempt at cutting down the expenses for cable subscription.

4. Oh yeah, did you hear the railway announcement that they are going to add a middle berth to the two side-berths in regular and AC sleeper bogies. They actually did it and it makes you feel like you are a consignment of chicken if you are trapped in that seat unluckily.

5. And when the airfares fly through the roof, please also be ready to bear the brunt of infrastructure maintenance costs as the Airports across the nation are planning to levy service charges for passengers.

Start from home!

The other day I had to go to Chennai central station to see off one of my close relatives who was visiting us for a couple of days. The idea of visiting railway stations do not particularly enthuse me. For who would willingly want to subject themselves to the madding crowd, putrid smell of urine and the not-so-clean environment that prevail in the rail stations. Not that the government is turning a blind eye to the sanitation and hygiene issues, I think the issue of cleanliness and keeping our surroundings clean and orderly lies in the individuals’ hands.

Coming back to my story, our family wished the relative a safe and comfortable journey (which we did not anyway think was possible with the amount of luggage he chose to carry with him) and exchanged parting pleasantries. In the inevitable list of the parting ceremony was sipping coffee. Sipped we did and once the paper cups were empty, my parents were ready to throw them underneath the train. Were they unmindful of the fact that the train does move out of the station and the track will be littered after that? It can’t be!
It turned out that my mom considered tossing trash into the designated trash cans a noble act. I snatched the paper cups from her and tried to explain the whole thing.

It took me by surprise when she commented my act with ‘are you trying to be a Gandhi?’

Well, everything starts from home. I wondered whether there is any point in spending millions trying to educate and change people’s approach towards things. Afterall, old habits die hard!

Limited Edition!

Ever wondered what manufacturers do when experiments on ‘what could have turned out to be a coolest flavor’ prove to be a damp squib? Simple, they launch a limited edition of that particular product. Who knows? Just in case if the so-called consumers liked it, the product could even become a full-fledged one.

I figured this only recently.

Well, who wouldn’t want to have a taste of Lychee in their mouth every morning they wake up and night before hitting the hay? I did, atleast. Tempted by the idea, without wasting much time I picked the limited edition of ‘Close up – Lychee flavor’ while shopping recently for toiletries.

Bought I did and tried it the same night – only to realize that they didn’t mean the taste would be of a fresh tasting Lychee’s. I tried hard to recollect if atleast one of the fresh Lychee’s I had in the recent past tasted anything remotely or grossly displeasing like this. I fail.

I hate to think, and worse, feel the taste of a foul fruit twice every day in my mouth. To make things worse, I can’t help but repent on blowing money for a tube of toothpaste and end up not using it. I guess I’ll blame myself for the decision until the tube is squeezed to completion.

May be you would want to think twice before buy anything similar, for instance a ‘wood apple flavored toothpaste’ or a ‘paneer flavored face pack’, and of course anything that is limited edition.

And the things that I’ve learnt………….

Yet another year has just passed by and while looking back I don’t have a sense of accomplishment. If surviving the year doesn’t count as one. For that matter, I don’t feel a sense of disappointment either.

Can’t use phrases like ‘what a year it’s been’ because this year has just been yet another one. Have had people dissecting my abdomen in the name of appendicitis, changed jobs after taking up in less than a year, and resisted parents’ pressure for the inevitable – wedding, that is… and yeah if obtaining a driver’s license at the age of 30 count as an accomplishment, I’ve done something.

On the funnier side – if this isn’t funny enough yet – have visited the gym once dropping out the very next day. Still can’t figure why most people drop out soon after joining the gym. Well yes, doesn’t that top the list of my 2008’s resolutions – rejoining the gym that is? Now that brings up another revelation. I’ve learnt to laugh at myself, now that’s something.

Now for the resolution part:

a) Curb laziness – I realized that I hate last minute bill payments and the consequences associated with it.
b) Get a shape – Will I resist my laziness and stick on to a gym routine?
c) Drive – Something that I’ve not attempted in my entire life.
d) Learn a Language – French / Spanish / German? I’m contemplating…
e) Blog – Sticking to a stricter blogging routine…

And yes, before I forget, Happy New Year 2008!

The Jingalalaa life....

Finally and finally, contemplating on the good and bad effects of it, I bought TATA Sky that promises of DVD quality picture and CD quality sound… yes, the sound and picture are really crisp for someone who was ‘santusht with blurred and grainy images’ earlier. I was earlier in despair since there was so less to watch on TV and now there is real confusion as to what to watch. It does feel good to be spoilt with choices at times.

Holy Worker

I’m not an atheist nor do I hate idol worship. This could amount to blasphemy, however, I’m never inclined to join my hands in reverence for idols that are seen every nook and corner. I could be termed as an arrogant person, but as if to support my claim of questioning any idol’s sanctity, I witnessed something that made me contemplate.

Recently, I happened to visit a training institute since my company decided to conduct an inevitable training program over a weekend. In the reception area of the organization stood a giant Ganesha statue made out of black stone that was of six feet. It was evident from the surroundings that Ganesha is being taken care of everyday.

Not long before I finished this thought appeared a priest with his son – who was a frisky little kid not more than 8 years old. Apparently, he had come to perform the daily pooja for the idol. Fair enough, I thought.

The priest flung his bag in one of the visitors’ chairs and ordered his son to be seated while he finished his task. He began his job by stripping the idol of its clothes meanwhile inquiring the receptionist of his paycheck for last month. The idol is devoid of any clothes now and he took to the task of cleaning it. Once done, he started rolling sandalwood paste into his palm to festoon Ganesha – all the while chattering with the watchman about the prevalent weather and ordering his mischievous son to be calm.

He had now reached the process of adorning the idol with the garland – this time teasing the old cleaning lady of her husband’s visit to see her at the workplace. “He can’t stay without seeing you for a single minute, can he,” he sarcastically asked. The old lady, in turn, replied with her side of the argument and this went on for a while until the idol is fully adorned with garlands and the sandalwood paste with vermilion is pasted on its forehead. He gave the idol a fleeting glance after all is done.

The idol is now ready for ‘Aarti’ and he started to chant the requisite mantras – interrupting in the midst to call out his son to bring the ‘karpooram’. He did not forget to tell us to join the process – while still muttering the mantra – of Aarti.

All the while, Ganesha was smiling at him peacefully.

After observing him performing his duties with perfunctory ease, I couldn’t stop but think that it’s just his job and he treats it as lackadaisically as anybody else treats his/hers.

I couldn’t bring myself to think that the Ganesha idol has now become holier than it was before.

A Wanderlust’s debut travelogue

If the deafening noise of the roaring waterfalls did nothing to scare me away from poking my body underneath the downpour, the fear of any rocks rolling flippantly down the falls did prove a matter of concern for me. But not for too long. I couldn’t help but get used to the (meaningless?) fear of getting squashed – if that happened – in no time and join the number of half-naked men who took a bath amidst loud screeches.

That almost sums up my entire funny little trip to Courtallam. Funny little trip as in ‘the trip only lasted for two nights’.

The lushly peaks that border the place, the dense tree-packed landscape, lovely vegetation planted countryside, and not to mention the chill air with no pollution in the slightest form – especially without the maddening dust that clouds the roads after each vehicle passes by – makes the place awfully beautiful. Being the off-season period, Courtallam is blissfully devoid of its usual jam-packed tourist crowd. The place in itself seems to be enjoying its own tranquility and exuding a sense of self-pleasure, only if you care to read the signs.

Waking to the chitter-chatter of strange and unfamiliar birds and the squeals of monkeys trying to pilfer food from the tourists make a pleasant wake up call. For once, I wished that I woke up there everyday.

A tiny piece of nature’s bounty, Courtallam has numerous waterfalls – small and big – in its territory. All it takes is just a day or two to be able to visit all the attractions. Season starts from mid-June to mid-August.

During this monsoon season, the entire region wears an almost deserted look. However, there isn’t any dearth of enthusiastic – and often noisy – visitors who take a dip in all the falls with profuse merriment. Options to stay are plenty, in nominal charges, especially during the off-peak season.

More info>>

The art of saying No

It wasn't until an absolute stranger banged a phone on me that I started to think that I should learn the art of saying 'No', a tough one for me so far. I have never practised saying no in my entire life, probably for the fear of offending/hurting people's sentiments when I am asked for a help or to run an errand for that matter.

Hey, I'm looking for a change of job. You think you can help? Hey I want to rent a house in your locality, Can you give me some leads? I'm looking for people for my company, let me know if you have any contacts. You think you can finish this task before the deadline?

These and many more such requests / questions invariably receive an 'of course I can' reply from me. I tend to forget the whole thing of promise right after. Or in some instances I genuinely try and fail to follow up that leads to zero results. Nothing sucks as bad as breaking a promise or doing absolutely nothing about to fulfill the same and the strangest thing is that I'm absolutely aware of that.

However, it dawned on me recently – thanks to the wisdom of a telemarketing female – that I should start saying no. I usually do not attend calls from unknown numbers for fear of wasting time mostly or just to avoid those annoying calls trying to sell a holiday package, credit card or a club membership. I had a girl calling me recently asking me to enroll in their club. In an attempt to avoid her, I told her I was busy and that she could call me back at a later time (I sure have missed my chance of saying No at this point). She dutifully called me 'at a later time' on the same day evening and started explaining the benefits I enjoy if I were to join the club.

After a while, when I couldn't stand it anymore I told her that I was not interested in any club memberships. She could've thanked me before ending the conversation. But, she rather preferred to question me as to why I did not tell her at the first place if it was not of any interest to me before banging the phone on me.

Fair enough! I wasn't angry or upset. It suddenly dawned on me that it was my fault. Had I told 'No' I would've saved some time for her and a little invisible embarrassment for me.

Sometimes strangers teach lesson too.

Only in India where……… Part I

Disclaimer: Ranting of a fellow Indian in a slight hope that things would be better after atleast a couple of generations. (Only people in touch with contemporary India’s occurrences can relate to this ranting)

1) A State Government can overlook the Supreme Court’s order proscribing a state-wide public strike and still cripple the entire functions of the state in the name of a hunger protest. In the same breadth, Politicians can challenge the orders of Supreme Court and go on record saying that this matter is not under any court’s jurisdiction.

2) Friends kill each other for reasons as silly as not getting the first bite of the snack when they are drunk. Kill as in beating and thrashing the victim – their friend, mind you – to death in the sidewalks.

3) Individuals accused of road rage that seized 7 innocent people off their lives are sentenced a mere 3 years in jail. Even worse, they are granted bail upon appeal to the Apex court pronouncing them free.

4) Companies perform a thorough background check before recruiting for the lowest of the lowest positions. On the contrary, no criminal records – however in severity they may be – will prevent individuals from entering into politics. Worse even, they are conveniently elected into power by the so-called innocent people and enjoy ranks of cabinet ministers and even chief ministers of state.

5) Sensex soars to unbelievable levels and share market presents a rosy picture of the economy. However, on the contrary, there are still suicides of famine struck farmers induced by hunger. May be this is what they call ironic.