Short Verses

Rising sun, waking up to the melody of waves

Rising spirits, waking up to the call of the melody

Walking on wood, seeking the red fire in shining armory

Soul walking, seeking unison with the fire within

Legs limping, thriving for the water of limpidness

Feet feeling, being washed off the past

My “I” searching, looking for the meaning

As the melody, fire and water unite, rendering a perspective

Difficult to learn and different to watch

My eyes have opened to the elements

Short Verses from a highly energized soul that found heaven in “a place which holds trash for the sun’s adverse effect on man"

Striking Lightening

Calling, 91-44-26542528

Hello, Hi Amma
How was your day ?

Hi kutta.. My day has been good. Just reading the newspaper

Its raining Cats and Dogs here. The thunder struck my ear chords. The lightening brightened my eyes. I feel very aloof and unprotected. I feel like I am going to be moved from here for eternity. I don't want to leave. I want to enjoy being here, being successful, being among the loved ones and still scared of lightening and thunder. Will I be escalated to another world ? I don't want to leave you. Will you come here and be by my side during times of lightening and thunder ?

Looks like the lightening is bringing back memories to you. None can touch you, not even the lightening. You will be here to enjoy every bit of what you are doing. During such times, imagine me in your favourite saree sitting beside you. Reassuring that things will be ok.

Thanks for the reassurance. I love the way you say you will be there for me. Love you amma. Can you sing Kurai Ondrum Illai for me ?

..............

To indulge in reminiscence

Recent Addictions:
I understand sounds and music,
There is no need for a language
if you can understand the language of the heart.

( inspiration from Katrin Mozhi , from the movie Mozhi)


1995

Two gals , the elder one and the younger one sat before their old taperecorder, plugging in cassettes. The elder one being the elder one wrote down lyrics in Tamil for Yennavale, from the movie Kadhalan incomprehensible by the younger. The younger one trained in carnatic music picked up the lyrics instantly. They sat sipping coffee listening and singing Yennavale on Play, Stop, Play, Stop repeatedly till late evening.



(A small dedication to my sis, Suchitra)

Whether you know me or not

From the diary of Smitha,

Battle between whether he knows or I know.

As the three of us were waiting for my car, Sneha and her friend were talking and I happened to mention that I know my best friend, Sneha more than he knows her jokingly
Sneha told me " Ah ! No! He knows me better"
Its not a battle of who knows who. It just needn't have been mentioned so bluntly. Sigh I hit the sacks now! Yawn"

......................................Smitha

The book that didnt get the Man Booker Prize 2007

This book by Indira Sinha was nominated for the Man Booker Prize 2007. It didn't win the booker but yet shouts the sufferings of one who was affected by the Bhopal Union Carbide's explosion.

The author pays tribute to a friend that suffered from an irreparable loss- mental problem
http://www.indrasinha.com/sunil-bhai.html

Arth

Have you ever felt a drive , to find out the meaning of your identity to others ? Identity: as how people know me. As what I am to them. There I set out to find the meaning in me- My name: Saranya.

Saranya- one of the other names by which Goddess Durga is known to mankind.Saranya - one who gives shelter to those who come for help.

Sanskrit word- Saranyu , wife of Surya Bhagavan, chief solar diety. Saranyu , goddess of dawn and clouds who having turned herself into a mare is persued by Visvaswat(god surya) and becomes the mother of two Asvins, divine twin horsemen in the Rig Veda.
Saranyu - meaning quick , fleet nimble.

What is the significance of a name? When one is born, three names are whispered into one's ear according to the hindu tradition. Is name just an identity ? Till now, it was for me. I never had the urge to find out what my name means. Infact many dont even address me by my formal name. We have nick names, loved ones call us by different names. How significant is the name to your personality ? When one is born, how do we know that he/she is going to acquire certain qualities ? With a name like Saranya, am I expected to possess the quality of being protective ? I do not search for these answers, but I hope to discover them some day

Exercise Care while entraining and detraining

The southern railways passenger train was jostling and turning and finally reaching its destination- Chennai Beach Station. No whistles heard because it was just one of those passenger trains that unload their office-going crowd every 7 minutes and load office-going crowd to Tambaram station. The train was beaming at the Green Signal given to it as it was about to touch the beach station. The passengers woke up with a jolt after their short nap. There was this gal in a khadi kurta, making those wild faces because it was a Monday morning. Not even bothering to grin at her co-passengers. She was relieved that her destination had been reached, but was already moarning the walk up the overhead bridge to her workplace. She reached for the door and was getting too impatient to walk to the bridge. As soon as she spotted the train passing the overhead bridge, she placed her foot out of the train and didn’t manage to place both her feet at once. Thug and there she landed like a frog on the platform. Hands outstretched for help. Bag strewn away. Spectacles out of her nose and thrown at a distance. As she came to realize what had happened , she thought “ how come those college fellas that get out of a moving train never ever manage to fall “ or even “ how come Rajinikant doesn’t slip a step when he does one of his jumps from one train to another”. Then she came to her senses, picked herself up and rushed to the overhead bridge acting as though she was in a real hurry atleast to justify her actions to those worried faces. Sigh, Bad start to a mundane Monday.

P.S: The girl under reference is me – the gymnastics trying , early getting up , internship going, train traveling woman.
P.P.S 1 : Next time, I shall adhere to the rule on the board in the entrance of every compartment – “ Please do exercise care while entraining and detraining”
P.P.S 2: I shall never try mimicking those college going fellas. Never. Actions come with practice , yes, but I shall not risk a fall again. Anyway, you can’t experiment this with the MRTs :P

Well, the TamilNadu police are sure under pressure. I think they need some stress relieving sessions or probably a few visits to the Kilpauk mental hospital.. :) Check here for details : http://www.ibnlive.com/news/tamil-police-thinks-boeing-747-costs-rs-1600/44362-13.html

The umbrella woman

Monday back from work is life’s best gift. The very thought of a Monday sends a smirk on the faces of the otherwise smiling & bubbling. Samyuktha was getting back from one such day. The sun was beaming high at 5:30 pm in the evening. She had packed herself immediately after her head left for a meeting. Without giving anyone a clue, she left her bag on her table and rushed out of work with just her house key and wallet. Sometimes Samyuktha couldn’t sit at office and work. She would become restless and her legs would start shaking as if to the beats of the construction work that was going on outside. This was one such a day. The piles of documents were left unbothered.
Sam ( as she was fondly called by her friends) was feeling like a liberated bird. She took an auto and sat there dreaming about the book that she could finish today, now that she had all the time. What had seemed a bright evening suddenly darkened. She peeped out of the auto to see the clouds join hands to shower her with all their might. Rain drops tickled down her face, sliding as a roller coaster. She let out her hands out of the auto, to feel the rain on her skin. A man in red –bright shirt, on a Kinetic shouted at her and told her to stop acting like an actress and insisted on her putting her hands inside. Sam couldn’t care less. Suddenly the auto broke down. There came the bombshell just right at the time when she was rejoicing this lovely day. Sam got out of the auto, stuffed the money in the auto driver’s hand and ran to the nearby tree. She cursed herself for having ventured out of office on this day. All that seem lovely suddenly turned fateful. She liked the rain, but didn’t like getting jet-wet in it. Sam noticed a shadow lurking towards her. Her musings were interrupted by a soft gentle voice. “Oh you are going to catch a cold- come inside this umbrella. It will help you”. Sam was startled. She replied- “ Oh! No thanks . It’s not a problem”. The lady said “common , not a problem. This umbrella can take you and me”. Sam felt a sudden loveliness in the voice. Sam inched closer inside the umbrella. Inside, she was furiously thanking the lady for the offer. Not knowing what to say , she asked “ Do autos come this side ?”. The lady replied “ Yes . Ofcourse. Guess you can flag one of those running on the road”. Sam realized how silly her question was. She didn’t know what to speak and hence came rolling-that question. She felt a sudden happiness and realized that such a small act of sharing one’s umbrella really did give pleasure. She then asked herself if she would have done the same like the lady. Sam knew she wouldn’t have done it by herself. She was the kind of person who wouldn’t volunteer. She felt a thunderous joy, the yellow fat little vehicle whooshed past her. She stopped it. Thanked the lady-with the soft, gentle voice, and offered to drop her at her place. Sam hopped home merrily and dashed at the book.

Children, no more children

A lost childhood is the worst that one would want in one’s life. The crisis that India is beginning to face. Interestingly, there was a similar article in India Today Magazine with the title “No Kidding”. I am referring to the new fag that has set in. Cosmetic Surgery for Children. What rules in an Indian household today is what the children say. When I talk about children I am referring to those that fall anywhere between 6 to 16. Cosmetic change –laser surgery, breast implants, health spas, manicure, pedicure, facials, bleaching, hair coloring, nose correction. What is astonishing is that these children are being accompanied by parents. Rakhi Sawant, the controversial item number of Bollywood who underwent a breast implant says she was surprised when she found a 15 year old kid in the same hospital to which she went to. And she adds that she felt happy to know that they were other women (quote , unquote) like her who wanted to undergo a change and feel more liberated. A 15 year old is not a woman and undergoing a breast implant at the age of 15 is not liberation. Doctors have guaranteed that Breast implants are completely safe for adults. It is not medically safe to have one done in children. The silicon may interfere with the underdeveloped breast tissue and cause permanent damage. The question under consideration here is why surgeons take up such operations. It is these people who can place a firm standing on the argument, it is the surgeons who would be taken seriously if they advise the parents about the seriousness of this issue and not an editor of a newspaper or a blogger like me. When some children were interviewed for the reason that made them undergo the change, many quoted they wanted to be like certain celebrities and others said their boyfriends/girlfriends were not too happy about them

Bombay which is a hub for the new fashion has a umpteen salons and spas and parlors that are specially made for children. Fashion houses have started to dive into the beauty industry since it is one that is thriving in India. There are 2 sections of parents- those who are helpless and are forced to take children to cosmetic surgery hospitals, spas etc and others who think it is worth the money. There is a Gym for children in Mumbai where a lot of 6-7 year olds visit. Weekends are spent on making oneself look better while people of my generation used to play and enjoy the freedom that the week gives to us. Looks didn’t matter to us. As long as we looked clean and tidy, it was good enough. We were children. We didn’t need to look “good”. I also read about a girl who is in her 9th standard from Pune and spends a minimum of 3000-4000Rs at the parlor. When interviewed on why she spends such exorbitant amounts, she justifies herself by telling that she frequents the pubs, meets a lot of friends and hence it is a necessity that comes along with all this. There was another case , where a mother and child pair came to a hospital along with the photo of a celebrity and the mother demanded that her daughter be made a look-alike of the person in the photo. One section of doctors in India are fighting to remove this evil while another are pocketing the huge sums of money that they receive to perform the personality change surgeries on young children.

Kaya Skin Clinic offers laser permanent hair removal surgery and one of their advertisement picture has a young girl being operated at by a professional. These clinics are the branded ones in the country , hence come with a big price tag and drive a huge hole in parents’ pockets.

Why are these children wanting to become adults very early and at an age when they should be rejoicing their childhood. And many of us here, at this point in life would do anything to get back to good ol’ days. Are these the necessary evils of an easily westernizing world?

What is even more surprising are the rates that an operation would cost to a parent:

I have picked a few :

Breast Impant: 1.25 lakh Rs

Nose Correction: 50,000-75,000 Rs

Laser Hair Removal surgery: 25000 Rs

Love is in the air

Incongruous behavior, insatiable quest for knowledge is what describes me- Shreya Kamal

 

I sit at my office, the sun beaming in with all its pride. Sometimes I so hate you. Wish one could change the season according to one’s mood. This set-up is so inappropriate to my mental state. I see that pictorial masterpiece of the frame. The picture perfect frame- of me and Kamal Kashyap that Sampada our friend gifted us. Mom used to complain about me using "€œsweets" to refer to kamal before my in-laws or any of my relatives for that matter. It all seems so alien now

 

In the subway when I was traveling back home. This day hadn'€™t been more beautiful than ever. It had just been three months since I got married. After the elaborate wedding at India, we got back to the place that played with our destiny- New York. The train was crawling screeching and halting at every little station that passed by or at least that's how it seemed like to me. I wanted to rush home. I looked out and saw a carpet land right next to the window and there he was- Kamal sitting on the carpet with the Aladdin-like clothes. I scurried to the window waiting it to open up. A mighty halt met me and I realized my silly fantasies and got ready to get down at Amsterdam Avenue. Finally it came. I was very fast-paced. Today, I had decided to get back home, set right the mess in which our house was, cook the yummiest food that kamal would enjoy. Oh yes, forgot to mention It would be a candlelight setup to celebrate our three months of tolerating each other. With all these thoughts filling my mind, I stopped at the Indian grocery and picked the essential. Carrot, Cucumber tomatoes for soup, capsicum, tomatoes, onion for salad, atta and radish for the brilliant mooli paranthas, paneer and peas, and other greens for the peas pulao and paneer sabzi. (Too elaborate I guess). Meeting Julia –my neighbor on my way, I described to her my happiness and she was very amused at the way Indians celebrate and value little things in life. At this point I am telling you, we Indians are born that way. We don’t want to lose what we have. And if it is a person, you do not want to even joke about it. And for those Indians living at a home away from home, this is more important. Shreya –me is very keen on celebrating little things in life. Now you know why three months after marriage matters to me a lot. I opened the door like how a hungry animal would if it knew its prey was inside my door. In 15 minutes, the house sparkled with the lighting that we purchased at Home Depot last month. Finally, I wondered, it came to be of some use. It added to my romantic mood. I carefully collected those multi-colour pebbles that I been saving for long and rolled them out of my hands into the exquisite glass bowl. I saw the pebbles merrily dancing and sliding by the side of the glass bowl as though relieved to be out of my hands. I called up amma and told her I love her. Asked her last minute tips for the grand meal. I prepared the meal, the appetizers and the dessert in a jiffy taking all care not to heat them even for an extra minute. The doorbell sang. I hopped and danced to the door in my white dress that seemed to merge with the lighting. I checked myself in the mirror right beside the door for any last minute touch up that would be needed. I looked like an angel. There he was standing mighty, tall, dusky, handsome, messy hair- which I like the best in him. I could see that he was tired. Not giving him a minute to settle into the atmosphere that he was being welcomed into, I gave him a huge bear hug and told him to be ready in 20 minutes for the celebration for which I have been planning for the past 3 days. Kamal – looked around like a lost cat, thinking for a second if he was in the right house. Our house had never ever been so beautifully lit. We do make an effort to keep the house tidy but sometimes a house is a house only if it’s messy. I saw him limping down the stairs but just ignored it thinking it was one of those old cranky jokes. We went by the pool side and took our places at the table that I had put there with the lovely white lace drape flowing so perfectly over the table only to match my dress. As we ate the lovely meal, I started talking about those days when we used to meet to get to know each other better, those days when both are parents used to call anxiously to know whether we liked each other. He kept listening and laughing at the same time. As we finished our desserts. I felt a hand hold me hard and swing me into eternity. As I swirled and turned and tossed, I wanted to look back and see who it was. I wanted to know where I was being pushed into. I wanted to be there by my house enjoying and swallowing every little thing of this beautiful day. I wanted to keep replaying this every year. I had a wet feeling. A feeling that I was going to drown into reality. And then I felt the hand hold me again. I cleared my eyes to see the truth, the life that lay ahead of me. Then suddenly that hand seemed familiar, only to notice that it was Kamal. We had thrown ourselves into the pool. We floated with ecstasy. Singing merrily, dancing around. I thanked god for what had been showered on me, for the love I got. It was a day to remember, a day to relive

What does this look like?

Hey,
Guess what this looks like. The clue is it that we have played with this when we were young, in fact many of us have constrcuted this even ...
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And this?? easy one
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