Mission Impossible

He stared at the unfinished letter. He was still not sure how she would react to it. He and his friend had endlessly chit-chatted that day and she was the dominant topic. She was the Principal's daughter but was very friendly and down-to-earth types. They had spent quite sometime together and he liked her very much. End of that day, he knew, he had to write to her.

Though he doubted the choice of his words, he completed the letter and after one long thoughtful moment, signed it. The next morning, she walked upto his desk and asked him with a pleasant smile, "Why didn't you come yesterday?". So, she had noticed his absence. He could feel the presence of the neatly folded letter in his shirt pocket. His throat went dry and he was nervous. But an inner voice said "Don't give the letter to her. Better disclose it to your parents first and let them take it up from there"

He followed his instincts and told her "My father will speak to you about it". Without giving her a chance to question further, he rushed out. Huh! His friends were right. All night he had convinced himself that it would be a cake walk. But, bunking classes and giving a leave letter to a favourite teacher, that too with father's forged signature was not a easy task, realised fourth standard Vicky!!

Maiden attempt

He was a handsome, successful, young doctor. But he broke the ground rule and got emotionally involved with his patient. She was so beautiful that he couldn't resist. They said she was an orphan but by looks he knew she was from a cultured family. She was too weak when they brought her to him, her health was in a pretty bad shape. She was only half-conscious and trembled under his first touch. It was at that moment that he decided that she belonged to him.

He treated and took good care of her day and night and his efforts were very well rewarded. She regained her complete strength and started enjoying his company. He kept telling her that she was his Princess and she was overjoyed. It was time for her to be discharged from the hospital. He discussed it with his mother and the understanding mom welcomed her son's idea. He took her to his house and told her she was also part of the family.

She looked at him starry eyed, filled with gratitude, and she did not know how to express her happiness. She liked his soft-spoken, affectionate mom too and made up her mind to serve them and care for them all her life.

They made the best pair - he, a warm hearted vet and she, a loyal pet dog. And they lived happily ever after.

September 23rd

Me : Gud morning dee.
My friend (MF) : VGM! Do you know what day is today?
Me : Friday (Well,that was after checking my desktop calendar)
MF : Idiot! As if I don't know that. Something special dee
Me : Hmmm Anybody's birthday? But I don't remember any Libran in our gang.
MF : No dee. Not birthday. It is chocolate day dee Idiot!

Time 8:40 am

She kick started her work after this conversation. But I was curious. What on earth is this Chocolate day? I started googling and hit a site on this hindi movie bye name "Chocolate" stg Anil Kapoor, Sunil Shetty and Arshad Warsi. It is a thriller which portrays the mystifying personalities of seven individuals. And this movie also gives the word chocolate a different meaning - It is British slang for illegal goods it seems. Sulekha Reviewers have given it 3 stars out of 5.

After reading the stupid review, I realised my original aim and went back searching the origin of the special day. There was a music review on CHOCKLET aka CHOCOLATE. A music buff as I am, I clicked it and it was lolluexpress.com's review on that Prashant/Mumtaz movie. I remembered the gaana numbers of the film (Marudha Mala-all girls who've been in hostel can never forget this towel number) and the ridiculous climax where the nearly dead Prashant gets up with all josh when the sounds of the Ganesh Visarjan Bhajan drifts into his ears.How stupid and masalaish!!! No, this is not the one.

Quotations page - Now people had time to quote chocolates also? The inquisitive me, didn't leave that site also. Oh! There were just 2 of them

A little nonsense now and then, is cherished by the wisest men.
Roald Dahl (1916 - 1990), (Willy Wonka) Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

Life is like a box of chocolates... you never know what you're gonna get.
Tom Hanks, Forrest Gump

Blogs - There were lotsa blogs posted on chocolates including Kumari's. But none of them had the information that I was looking for :(

The Virtual chocolates website. I had good longing look at the mouth watering chocolates and delectable candies. But even they didn't say anything about the reason behind chocolate day celebration!!

Discussion Forums were there..But they discussed only about how happy they were because it was a National Holiday, their plans to prepare chip pancakes, and a lady said "I missed Chocolate Day? Totally not fair. I guess I'll have to celebrate late. Or maybe turn it into a chocolate weekend" Huh!

Time 9:40 am

MF : I guess it is time we login from here for the meeting.

Oops!! I'd spent almost a full hour doing nothing but trying to gather pieces together to solve the puzzle on "Chocolate day"!!
But, still I feel that was the best hour of the day, when I was happily browsing, unaware of the surroundings, enjoying/criticising/laughing at each and every article I read, though they were totally irrelevant and all in vain :)

And yes, me and MF treated ourselves with a big pack of Cadbury's Temptation and celebrated Chocolate day (as if we needed an excuse to have a bite at the irresistible confectionary)

And this is for all those chocolate lovers!!

Friends forever

The first thing that caught my attention on Sunday morning when I went to pick the paper was the beautifully decorated short wall, bang opposite to my house. When I asked my mom about this, she said "Venky,Subbu,Prakash and Avinash have come". I was surprised. Itz been years and years since they had visited our area. Apart from the discussion at home which crops up once a while or somebody enquiring about them to Babu aNNa I'd hardly heard anything about them till that Sunday.

Who are they?

They are our locality seniors. All four of the them are best friends, who were doing their graduation in a local college. One of those few colleges which was on strike for almost 3/4th of the year and their favourite pass time was sitting on the parapet n commenting each and every passer by. They were called "fit for nothings", tharudhalais, Kutty chevaru boys and by many other names. I still remember how Venky aNNa's mom was worried about the foursome's future, for they were wasting their precious time and golden years and my mom consoling her. The only one who was spared of their bullying was Babu aNNa who owned a petty shop very close to the wall.

What they used to do?

Untie the calf much to the annoyance of the milk man fondly called as "paal thaatha". The poor young one will lose its way and old man will spend a good 1 hr to find it. Shout at an uncle who takes 3 of his kids in TVS 50 along with his wife, "Your are supposed to take a family in the vehicle not an entire village". Roll out a rumour on a drizzling/cloudy day saying "Schools aren't functioning today". Distract attention by clapping & singing "Oram po,Oram po,RukkumaNi vandi varudhu" thereby making the person concerned nervous & fall down when he/she is learning how to ride cycle.

What happened?

It all started with Avinash aNNa's dad's transfer, then Subbu aNNa's elder brother bought a new house and shifted the family and one by one all four of them got separated. The wall was deserted!

How they (were) celebrated?

I stood in the balcony and was a silent spectator to the celebrations. Babu aNNa's petty shop has grown to a departmental store, a flat had come up nearby and I donno for what reason they didn't demolish that curb. All four aNNas had come with their wives n kids. They sat on the wall and tried continuing their earlier commenting sessions and ended up in splits. Sweets were distributed.

Paal thaatha was close to tears when they gifted him with a shawl and a cow-calf statue. Then there was snap session. Crest of fun was when each of their kids took up position in the wall and shouted "My Daddy Strongest". My mom asked me to go say a HI to them. But I was damn sure they wouldn't even recognize me. So I refused to join.

But they did come to my house. And what I had in store was biggest slice of the cake - a Teddy, the Pooh, Mickey, Minnie and a box full of Nutties. Well, they had expected me to be that 8 yr old who fought with them for the 5 Star they'd snatched from me, the same kid who along with her kiddo friends cheered them during the Kabbadi match and got a Poppins in exchange.

While it took 5 long minutes for Prakash aNNa for the fact that I've completed my Engineering and that am working to sink in, Venky and Avinash aNNa kept asking me repeatedly if they were right with the choice of gifts. When I showed my recent collection of soft toys, they were relieved. As per Subbu aNNa's suggestion, I accompanied them to their houses (which had once been) and at around 2 pm, it was bye-bye time. They set off to the local non-AC theatre to watch ThuLLaadha Manamum ThuLLum and carry on from there.

Who are they now?

Two of them are green card holders well settled in the U S of the A and the other two hold respectable positions in reputed concerns. Few of those who called them ne'er-do-wells were dumb-struck and other said the same old dialogue "I knew he would be succesful in life one day"

Now, wasn't that more interesting than a high-school reunion?

Great quotes

By me...


































" or ' - Open quotes/Close quotes

Me in office :( Thanx to the god damn batch issue. Therez nothing on this earth, as worse as working on Sundays that too in the evening :(
Hence this stupid post. Pls ignore this one & go watch TV/listen to music/enjoy & spend time with your family and friends. If you are having a look at this on Monday morning, I hope atleast you had a great Sunday evening...
Mummmmiiiiiiiieeeeeeeeeeeeee

Sing a Song

I've got a brand new CD - a compact video cum audio collection of all songs from Maniratnam movies :) That was a thoughtful gift given to someone like me - a big time fan of MR.

And yes, I named it - MUSICALLY MANIRATNAM :))

Thanx dear Miru!!

I was enjoying myself, each n every song was fresh n breathtaking as if I was listening to it for the first time. My all time favourite...Thoongaadha vizhigaL penned by Vaali, composed in Raagaa Amruthavarshini sung by S Janaki and KJ Yesudaas was just enchanting as ever. A masterpiece without SPB though :( The humming is really really difficult n till date I admire the ease with which Yesudaas has sung it. Man! IR knows where to draw the line between Carnatic n light!! Doesn't he? And I dedicate this post to all those MR,IR fans out there :)


Thoongaadha vizhigaL reNdu
Than thuNai theydum nenjam ondRu
Sempoo manjam virithaalum panneerai theLithaalum
Aanandham enakkeydhu anbey nee illaadhu
Thoongaadha vizhigaL reNdu
Than thuNai theydum nenjam ondRu

Maamara ilai meley Aa..Aa..Aa *Humming*
Maamara ilai meley maargazhi pani poley
PoomagaL madi meedhu naan thoongavo
Raathiri pagalaaga orupodhum vilagaamal
Raajanai kaiyendhi thaalaattavo
NaaLum naaLum raagam thaaLam
Seyrum neram theerum baaram
Aa..Aa..Aa *Humming* (thoongaadha)

Aalilai sivapaaga angamum neruppaaga
Noolidai kodhippeyRum nilai ennavo
Aadhiyum puriyaamal andhamum theriyaamal
Kaadhalil arangeyrum kadhai allavo
MaadhuLam kaniyAda, malaraada, kodiyaada
Maarudham uRavaadum kalai ennavo
Vaalibam thadumaaRa orubodhai thalaikkeyRa
Vaarthaiyil viLangaadha suvayallavo
Meylum meylum mogam koodum
Dhegam yaavum geedham paadum
Aa..Aa..Aa *Humming* (thoongaadha)

TGIF

This week had been hectic.With overseas calls scheduled at sharp 8:30 am,I had to rush to catch the 7:20 train without fail.Though it is the regular train that I catch,I do decide once/twice a week to swipe in late.I couldn't do it the whole of this week.(I missed 7.20 today,but the call was cancelled hee hee)

Amma s also coming late from office nowadays,damn tired.So I decided to be a chamathu daughter n told her (No...Don't panick!I didn't take over the task of cooking) "This week u need not get up early n prepare food for me.Neways,dad is out of station,Shriek(my bro) has only lab sessions that too in the afternoon.So u can get up at around 7 and finish cooking by 8.Aaraam se leave home by 8.45.I will manage outside".

Perumaya solliten..But now I feel "What a life is this?".Inspite of coming from home,I'd been having breakfast n lunch at canteen & company guest house for the past 4 days:( I miss amma's simple thayir saadham+vendakkai/lime pickle and my tupperware :(

But THANK GOD!IT'S FRIDAY :) Which means,for the next two days,3 meals a day at HOME SWEET HOME :)Have a fantanstic weekend folks!!Glad news is that my training session which was scheduled over the weekend has been cancelled!So "TV/MUSIC UNLIMITED" is guaranteed and I won't miss Captain's interview Part 2 also :))

Padichadhula pidichadhu

From the book "Live and Learn and Pass It On"

I've learnt that
-just when I get my room the way I like it, Mom makes me clean it up. (Age 13)

-couples without children always know just how you should raise yours. (Age 29)

-you should never be too busy to say "please" and "thank you". (Age 36)

-the more creative you are, the more things you notice. (Age 51)

-the best thing about growing older is that now I don't feel the need to impress anyone. (Age 79)

Swaahaaa!!!

I withdrew Rs.2000 from the ATM on Tuesday afternoon.And guess vot the curr bal in my purse is?Zuk-Zero-Poojyam-Shoonya-Cipher :( Initially thot I'd missed the money somewhere n opened an XL sheet to find out the loss incurred.I strained my kutty brain n jotted down all the purchases I did in the past 3 days.The results were shocking!!!!

Train Season - 350

Lending Library - 40

Lunch @ company guest house 3*30 - 90

Auto fare to reach office 3*25 - 75

Gifts+Chocolates when I went to meet my 1st std twin cousins - 100

Butter half a kg+coffee powder half a kg for home-poRupaana poNNu u c - 155

Petrol-Elixir of bikes 2 litres - 100

Tea n Snacks @ Residency with my friend - 150

Harry Potter + Spy Kids 6 in 1 DVD which I wanted to buy for a long time - 375

Contribution to colleague's birthday - 50

Petty purchases in Ranganathan street - 87

Paid Hutch Bill for my cousin for he flew to NJ without paying his bills - 425

My regular bribe to Mr.PiLLayaar 3*1 - 3

Grand Total - 2000

:( This doesn't include the Breakfast and Espressos had at canteen for the past 3 days. Thank you! Sodex ho coupons.Hmmm My Dearest ATM,Am on my way...

Resolution: I solemnly swear that from today onwards I will maintain a daily tracker on my spending habits and cut down the unnecessary expenses.

My manasaatshi(in a feeble voice): Nee enga poga poRa,naan enga poga poRen.Lemme see for how many days u r gonna follow this resolution :)
Me: SHUT UPPPPP!

Thumbaka dhaaney Ambi Lambaano!!

Today the first class compartment in train was unusually crowded and there was only one seat which was vacant.I occupied that one,enjoying the song "KalyaaNa then nilaa"(Some puNNiyavaan was listening to Suriyan FM on loudspeaker).Me flipping thru "If Tommorrow comes" for the Nth time.Many don't appreciate,but I enjoy each n every plot whenever I read.I opened the book n skimmed,trying to remember the page no/scene I last read,coz my bookmark was missing.Suddenly a voice near me said "HI".I almost jumped from my seat and turned to check out who it was...huh!Chamathu kodam "Ambi"(as we call him)

Well,God knows vot his real name is,but he reminds me of "Anniyan" Ambi.Ofcourse,u can make out 6 vidhyasam between celluloid and the real one.

Anniyan Ambi | Train Ambi
Kondai | No Kondai
Sreechoornam | Sandhanam+Kungumam
Vakeel | Engineer
Iyengar | Iyer
Seen in Luna | Seen in train
Movie-la avan rules pesi kazhutha aruppaan | Ivan pesiye kazhutha aruppaan

I don't even know who he is,apart from those few times when I'd seen him while travelling.But I have a pre-conceived notion that he is irritating n vexatious.(Though I don't have the bad habit of judging people by looks,this fella was an exception)

Me:Hi
(I remembered the scene!It was Big Bertha helping Tracy to escape from the penitentiary.I tried to concenterate on the book)
Ambi:Train-la padikkareLey kaNNu valikkaadhu?
Me:(Romba akkaRai dhan)Illa,adhukku dhan reading glasses pottundu irukken
Ambi:Naan school/college times-leye train-la padikka maaten.hee hee
Me:(Sandhosham) :) (I bend down to read)
Ambi:Neenga Sukanyavoda frienda?
Me:(Quizzically) Aamam
Ambi:UngaLa ava marriagela paathen.
Me:(Deiii adhu wedding daa) o i c
Ambi:Neega Lakshmi nagar road meleye dhaney irukkeL
Me:Aamaam
Ambi:Engaam piLLayaar kovilukku edhirka irukku.Neenga Scooty-la porachey paathrukken
Me:oh!(I try to get back to Whitney's masterplan)
Ambi:Inniku enna thaniya vandhrukkeL
Me:(Paathaa theriyala?)Aamaam
Ambi:Unga kooda oruthar varuvarey?Unga friend-a?
Me:(Romba avasiyam)Illa avan ennoda brother..cousin.
Ambi:Appdiya?Avar kooda avvLava pesinadhilla.Aanaa train-la adikkadi paathu Hello sollipom
Me:(Andha idiotnaala dhaan unkooda ivvLo neram pesa vendi irukku)Hmmm
Ambi:Avar varaliya?Avar keLamba late aayidutho?
Me:(I shoot a longing glance on the open page)Illa
Ambi:Pinna?
Me:(Vidaa kandaa!kodaa kandaa!)Avan New Jersey-la irukkaan.
Ambi:oh!on site offer-a?Very Good!Very Good!Unga company-layum irukka?
Me:Mmmm
Ambi:Neenga eppo poReL?
Me:(Andha pakkam train pidichu tirisulathula erangi poga vendiyadhu dhaan)Offer vandhaa poven.
Ambi:Ennoda visa kooda process aayindu irukku
Me:(Naan kettena?)All the Best!

I generally get up from my seat only after the train pops into Mambalam Station.Today,I decided to scoot once the train entered into Saidapet.

Me:Sari naan kelambaren.
Ambi:Ok!C u.Bye!

Once out of the train,I heaved a sigh of relief.Yammmaaaa!!I observed that inspite of minimal conversation from my side,he kept on chatting endlessly.I've heard about old maamaas n maamis going on and on like this.But for the first time in my life I'd met a youngster(that too a guy) who could prattle non-stop :)) In retrospect,I feel I could have been politer in this harmless conversation :(

That Day That Age

Genre: Memorabilia
Disclaimer: Long post ahead

En route to office I happened to hear "Idhu Vivithbharathiyin varthaga oliparappu.Neram kaalai 7 mani 10 nimidam 20 nodi.Aduthu varuvadhu seidhigaL.Vaasippavar Usha".This transported me,the self proclaimed queen of nostalgia,to those "Sun TV less" years,the variety of programs offered then and adhai kooda vidaama paatha namma spirit.

Lemme start with the weekend special.Saturday Morning 10:30 is slot for Kannada/Telugu/Mallu movie/documentary featuring Veedu fame Chokkalinga Bhagavathar/short film written,directed and produced by the same person(Eg:Thaamarai Manaalan).Starting 3 pm-The sword of Tippu Sultan,Vikram aur betal,Panchatantra stories and a few toons.5 pm-Hindi movie *End Of Day*

Sundays begin with Tom&Jerry/Black n white legendary comedies(Laurel n Hardy/Charlie Chaplin) followed by Rangoli.8 am regular weekly serials-Ladies Hostel/Neela-Maala/Gokulam Colony.9 am Mahabharatha/Ramayana(Ramanand Sagar n BR Chopra are worth a round of applause here,coz for those who've watched these 2 epics' telecast,Lord Rama is Arun Govil n Lord Krishna is Nitish Bharadwaj always)/Chandrakanta.11'o clock-Spirit of Unity Concert with the brilliant ARR piece in the title card.12 noon-Aalavandhaar kolai vazhakku,1:15-News for the impaired where this aunty with a tight kondai is a constant factor.1:30 pm-boring award winning movie(piRa mozhi thiraipadam).4.15-Munnottam which is generally watched regularly to make a note of next weekend movie(most of the times disappoinment awaits,for the announcement goes as "NyaayiRu maalai 4.30kku Tamizh Thiraipadam" as if we don't know).Then comes the highlite-The aRadha pazhasu Sunday evening tamil movie(ok!admitted that at times they do screen good ones like Kaadhalikka Neramillai,Mouna Raagam,etc).Nights are for Ramana OLi,S.Ve.Shekar's VaNNa kolangaL and GOOD NITE TamilNadu by max 10 pm

DD has quite a number of serials to its credit.Shot in inhouse sets are Shakti'93(not sure of the year tag though),the lanky Raghuvaran as hero in Sivasankari's Idhu oru manidhanin kadhai(Tuesday 7 pm),Sujatha's En Iniya Iyandira(I witnessed waterbed for the first time in one of its episodes).KaNNuku kuLirchiyaa outdoor-la shoot paNNina serials,which are supposed
to be costlier,are Saavi's Washington-l thirumaNam,Moulie's Flight 175,NizhalgaL Ravi in Rayil Sneham(who can forget the evergreen number..Indha veeNaikku theriyaadhu,idhai seidhavar yaarendRu..composed in Sahaanaa).Medai naadagangaLa kooda vittu vechadhu kedayadhu-Cho's Saathirangal azhivadhillai(I guess),Heren Ramasaamy's Thirumalai Naicker,RS Manohar's ChaaNakyan.There will also be a 1 hr drama on Tuesdays at 7:30pm where generally ARS plays the lead role of kudumba thalaivar and directed by GPR.

Antecedent to today's mega serials is andha kaalathu "VizhudugaL" directed by Gopi Bhimsingh,where a millionaire goes in search of his long lost offspring.This one and Sujatha's Kolayudhir kaalam,where Gayathri(Soundarya of Kudumbam/Saro of Metti Oli) plays the role of Leena,will be screened in the afternoons and I used to get a chance to watch it only during times when the terminal exams are scheduled in the afternoon session at 1:30PM.PeNNin Kadhai with Mohini as protagonist was another mega serial which tasted success.

If you wanna watch Hindi songs,Chitrahaar(Wednesday 7.30pm) and Rangoli(Sunday 7:30am) were the only sources.For Tamil songs it was oliyum oLiyum(Friday 7.30pm).Not to forget the situation songs that they screen-VeLakkethu veLakkethu veLLikizhamai(Kaarthigai),Pattasa chuttu chuttu podattuma(Diwali),Devaney ennai paarungaL(Christmas/Good Friday),Ellorum koNdaaduvom allavin perai cholli(Ramzan/Bakrid),India naadu en veedu(Independence day).Point to be noted is that there will be no VJ interruptions in any of these programs.

Thirai malar,Oru pada paadal,Edhiroli with UM Kannan,Spashtamaana tamizh seidhigaL by Shobana Ravi/Sandhya Rajagopal/Fathima Babu/Senthamizh Arasu,The News with Minu,KaNmaNi poonga,Manaimaatshi,ILanthendRal,Wonder Balloon,Vayalum vaazhvum,Nalavaazhvu,etc will be the right choice if you wanna get bored,irritated & kill time all at the same time.

Adhoc programs like Non Stop Nonsense,melodious Mile Sur Mera Tumhara,"Equal rights to girl child" promotion song Odi aaduRa peN kuzhandhai iva eno onju thala kuninja will be telecast whenever they get a 15 min cycle gap.

Advertisements..I hardly see any of these nowadays-VenniRa paRkalukku Gopal Palpodi,MaapiLaikku coffee enna aachungRen-Narasus,Idea husband Arvindswamy in Leo Coffee,Chandrika soapin thooymai,Endha college padikkaReenga-Santoor,Dharani pugazhum Bharani pattu centre,Ortem fan,Coffe/Toffee Melody,Optonica TV,Readymoney shop-Itz a gr8 new way to shop,Needithu nilaikkum Lesancy(which I expected to last for months together but felt cheated when it was reduced to nothing in less than 2 weeks),Aarogya vazhvinai kaapadhu Lifebuoy,Enna aachu kozhandhai azhudhudhu Woodword's gripe water.

Topping it all-KaaNaamal ponavar patRiya aRivippu where a 98 year old veLLai veshti,neela niRa kattam potta sattai aNindha,mana nilai sari illaadha thaathaa will be missing.Ivarai patRiya thagavalaRindhor should contact kaaval thuRai kattupaatu aRai,ezhumboor,chennai 8

On a later stage,DD2 otherwise known as Metro was introduced to add color to Chennai-ites' life.And along with it came a bunch of hindi mega serials which were subsequently dubbed into tamil literally(like "Naan enna kettenna nee enna paNRannu" for "maine poocha ki tum kya kar rahe ho")

Junoon@Pidivaadham requires a spl mention.Idhukku munnaala "Kyunki" craze is nothing.Oru kaalathula Aditya&Seema Dhanraj,Sumeer&Rekha Rajvansh,Mini Aggarwal,Keshav Khalsi,Thaatha Nagarkar,Inspector Wajahad Ali,DGP Brij Narayan Bhaweja,Neel Bhati@Vakeel payya were treated as family members in most of the households.I lost track of it after Aditya's daughter n Sumeer's son went to the same boarding school.It was speculated that they both will grow up,get married and the Dhanraj-Rajvansh clash will come to an end.

Other serials were Neena Gupta's Dard(following KB's style for relationships/affairs),Naya Nukkad@Pudhiya therumunai,Imtihaan@Sodhanai which brought Renuka Sahaney into light,hilarious Dekh Bhai Dekh@Paaru kanna paaru with Shekar Suman,Pankaj Dheer(who played Karnan in Mahabharatha) in Kanoon,Detective serial Raja aur Rancho,Ajnabi@Anniyan,Madhavan in Seahawks,adventurous Streethawk and Countdown shows like Colgate Best of the Best&Superhit Muqabla.

In the pure tamil section,a brand new series of Maadhu Cheenu dramas,variety entertainment programs hosted by Metro Priya for her well-known over actions and a game show by Babloo@Prithviraj were included.

huh!!!My memory is exhausted!!Have I missed any of ur favourtie programs?Do lemme know :)

Sleeping Beauty

Dreaming permits each and everyone of us to be quietly and safely insane every night of our lives.
- William Dement

Dreams allow us to create our own world where scene shifts happen at lightning speed.We dream about things we like the most and hate the most.We identify ourselves with the dream character and laugh & cry & get drenched along with them.At times they continue even after a short break.Once up from the bed, it is a mixture of emotions."You woke me up.It was such a nice dream,I could have continued with it:)" or "Thank God! It was only a dream"

I have my own collection of wierd ones:

- I am climbing a ladder which is around 1000 feet high.Am on the top most rung of it,about to reach my destination.Just a fraction of second before I alight,the ladder starts swining like a giant tora-tora in mid air.I scream for help.There isn't a single human being seen around so I cling to gadget as it is my only lifeline.At one stage,I fall down,realizing each and every second of my looong free fall.When am I sure,with heart in mouth,that am gonna hit the ground,I am into the cognizant world wide awake.uhhh!

- When I go back to office after a nice vacation,I'm informed that I've been put into a project.I don't know ABCD about its requirements,technology or domain.Hell breaks lose when I inform my TL that am not qualified enough to work on the project.My PM and TL shout at me(in real time they are really really sweet,helpful,co-operative & soft spoken) for not updating myself with the new technology during holidays.All of a sudden, another colleage barges in,gives an invitation and invites us for his wedding(Irony is he is actually already happily married and has a 3 year old kid).I am angry,for he is betraying his wife and punch him on his face.Ouch!My knuckles pain when I get up,as I had actually hit the window sill near my bed:)

- I am on a trip to some hilly region with my friends and I get lost.I walk for miles inside the forest which is devoid of any animals except dogs (in all colors including blue, green and red ones)I am so scared and keep chanting sashti kavacham and the dogs do not attack me at all.Finally I reach something like a Main Road,where I receive the signal on my mobile.(Instead of calling my friends and informing them where I am)I call my Hutch Corporate Customer Care and squawk at them "I'm a customer who is using ur services for the past 1 year,I pay my bills regularly in time,never made late payments still was lost inside a forest.Is this how you treat your customers?Am absolutely unhappy with your service and am gonna surrender my connection once am back in the city". The customer service rep (instead of wondering what is the relation between making payments and getting lost)marks me as a good but irate customer,Hutch tracks my exact location from the tower which was picked when I made the call and rescues me.Immediate screen shift and am riding my Scooty on Anna Salai.My brakes aren't working.The signal turns red.I am tensed and have no idea what to do.Cut!Am watching a comedy movie with my friends in Satyam.The film is so hilarious that I wake up,smiling away to glory,my confounded brother asks me "Are you alright?":)

In school days,generally during weekends, I postpone my homework to Sunday evening when I can write it watching the DD1 Tamil movie.I sleep after a heavy lunch on Sunday afternoon
- Cousins of mine come, I play with them and go to school "Mission Unaccomplished".I am the only one not to finish the chore and my teacher makes me get out of the class.Am so ashamed and cry.
I get up,push the curtains aside and check the time.Itz 6.45.I do not know if it is AM/PM.Panicked and confused,I come out of the bedroom and my chithappa tells me "Go,brush your teeth and have coffee.Get ready soon or you'll be late to school".Am half convinced that the dream is gonna come true and decide to bunk classes that day and mentally work out a plan to persuade dad to sign the leave letter.Very slowly,chithappa's smirk on seeing my baffled face and Sunday evening lethargy sinks in and I realise my foolishness :)

Well,that was just a handful of the many.Recently I read an article on dreamless sleep and wondered, if it is possible in this hectic world full of pressure and tension?

Luxury or Necessity?

Friends! Indians! Country men/women! Petrol is no longer Rs.44.26 a litre.Petrol/Diesel prices have been hiked again and the ruling party can be considered for nomination for "Most Frequent Oil Price Hiker Government".Chennai and Mumbai are worst affected among Metros,the increase being Rs.3.23 per litre making it Rs.47.49.If this continues at this rate, "The Inevitable Fuel" which is already consuming a considerable chunk of our salary credit,will claim the lion's share. May be Mr.Mani Shankara Iyer is emphasizing that we should adopt a simpler life style.



and sing...
Thallu model vandi varudhu thalli vidunga
ENNa vela koodi pochu maata pootunga
Shankara yenappaa paarappaa :)

Facets of life

Right from 1997 June, I'd been travelling regularly in the Chennai local EMU for around 2 hrs everyday (Well,minus my college days 1999 August to 2003 June). The train is mostly filled with grim looking office goers (in peak hrs-the time I commute) who detach themselves from the crowd by reading novels/meddling with their mobiles/chattering endlessly about their sons,daughters,office pressure,etc,etc. But definitely, there are a few odd ones out who are sure to capture ur attention.My observations...

* A mom with her school going kid.The mother keeps scolding the child under her breath for not getting up in time,coz of which they missed the usual train and are forced to catch this over crowded one(Nobody will raise the question how I heard when the mother scolded under her breath,coz years before I'd been at the receiving end ;-)) Then the routine dosage of advice - Behave properly in school and creche, Pay attention to the teacher's announcement on homework, Eat the lunch without wasting, Take good care while boarding off the train, blah blah blah

* A group of middle aged women chanting all slokas from Ganesha Pancharatnam to Lalitha Sahasranamam to Vishnu Sahasranamam, converting the compartment into a mini bhajan house. After the slokas there will be a devotional song session where the lady with the most mellifluous voice (among them, ofcourse) sings the choicest numbers based on her train fans' request

* Atleast once in two weeks,there will be a lady with a baby(which is less than a week old) wrapped in a cloth, who manages to squeeze herself and secure a corner place offered by one of the co-passengers. It is a "sight" to watch the cute bundle with half opened eyes and pinky pinky tiny feet, wriggle and cuddle itself closer to its mum.This kinda scene will repeatedly remind me of the preferential treatment given to newly-borns at my home.

If this is the case in the ladies' compartment, the First Class Compartment has its own charcteristic.

* An old couple,suiting the description "dhoti-slack white shirt-bald- spectacles//traditional madisaar(9 yards saree)-hands tightly clutched to the air bag hung on shoulders with some Trichy jewellery shop name in it-hawaii slippers-kumkum+metti(toe ring)" board the train. A SRMU (Southern Railway Masdur Union) staff,who looks like a Tamil Cinema villain with a dark moustache shouts in a commanding voice "This is first class compartment.Get down n board the 2nd class".The old man,slowly but steadily pulls out his Railways Retirement pass, flashes it to the SRMU staff and takes the seat with his wife leaving him dumbfounded

* A group of college girls feverishly giving final touches to their assignment,pulling each others' legs,discussing their new chat friends and their "oh!damn smart" favourite hero.Anyone who appeal to them to reduce the decibel level is quickly snapped by a sharp tounged teen-ager "We are also paying to travel in first class" Appealer accepts the defeat saying "Uh!Nungambakkam is just 3 stations away.The train will be calm and quite then"

* Newly married couple on their way to office, exchanging understanding glances, mischevous smiles, murmuring sweet nothings as if the train is the only place where they get to meet n share their secrets ;-)

* Amidst all these hungama and noise, there will be a blessed soul enjoying a quick but sound & peaceful sleep, sailing in dreamland, with half-opened mouth, moving in all directions along with the train, their belongings safely tucked between clasped hands and get up occasionally to mutter a faint sorry when he/she hits someone unconsciously n wake up because of that.Then they resume to the noblest deed of all - dozing.. :)

As far as the general compartment is concerned, I absolutely have no idea as I hardly get into one of them :)

98.3 FM

Inspired by Ferrari's Blog on Media here is my version of the same:)

Good Morning and Welcome to Hello Chennai with me Suchitra. Enna breakfast ready pannitu saaptutu kelambaradha,saapdaama kelambaradhanu yosichutu irukeengala?Health dhaanga mukiyam.Office-ku late aanaalum boss kitta samaalikka ungalukka theriyadhu?

Sari,inniku namma showoda 1st hrla nethioda Pallavaram power cut dhaanga highlite. Kitta thatta 3 mani neram current illama namma makkal vervaila puzhungi paadu pattutaanga.Idha pathi thunai min aanayar thiru Muthuvel Pandian(MVP) kooda interview, SMS kelvi ellam kekkanumna stay tuned 2 Radio Mirchi,idhu sema hottu machi...

*SONG* Navaraathiri Thookam edhu, sivarathiri thookam edhu? Pani raathiri pattu paai viri vidiya vidya sivarathiri...

That was a beautiful melody from Michael Madhana Kamarajan.Inniyoda SMS kelvi,"Nethu nite powercutmbodhu enna pannineenga A)kudumbam+neighbours kooda anthakshari velayadineengala B)Battery irukkara varaikkum Radio Mirchi keteengala C)kaathey pathalanu radio ketukitte long drive poneengala" Ungaloda choice-a A,B,C-nu type panni ippave 5566-ku SMS pannunga, Honda company-oda genset win pannunga

*SONG* peigala nambadhey pinjula vembadhey nee yosi doi...naal oru poi vaaku solbavan punnaku kaal dhoosi doi....

Mahanadhi padathula irundhu oru thriller song keteenga.Thunai min aanayar Mr.MVP line-a irukkaru.Avar enna dhan sollrarunu keppome..
Suchi: Vanakkam Sir.
MVP:Vanakkam ma.
Suchi: Sir, nethikku nadandha min vettu pathi unga karuthu enna?
MVP: Seidhi kedacha udaney naan Pallavaram pagudhikku ponen.Inspect pannina podhu venumney thundicha madhiri theriyudhu. Wilful Tampering-nu solluvaanga illaya adha madhiri irukkumonu sandhega padarom.Visarichu uriya nadavadikkai eduppom.Nethikku mattum enga call centre sevaya 2,24,403 vaadikkayalargal payan paduthi irukkanga.
Suchi: Makkal andha sevaya nalla use pannranganu sollunga. Romba nandri Sir
MVP: Nandri ma.

Ellarum fone panni enna Suchi ippdi current cut paataa podreenganu kekkaraanga. Avangalukkaga

*SONG* Ilamai idho idho...Inimai idho idho...college teen age pengal...ellorkum en meedhu kangal...

Enna nalla lights jolikkara paata keteengala.Idhoda namma showoda endku vandhuttom. Pudhu maapla Balaji thannoda show-la indha powercut pathi neraya trivia kudukka porennu solli irukkaru. Avar kitta irundhu korthu vaanginadhu "Newyork power outage-ku appram ulaga alavula para parappa pesa padradhu indha pallavaram power failure dhan endru UN council arikkai veliyittulladhu".

Thatz it for now. With this it is Suchitra signing off.Ungaloda comments n suggestions-a engalukku email pannunga. mirchisuchi@indiatimes.com...thatz m i r c h i s u c h i@indiatimes.com

Tata..Bye Bye ciao..take care