Fascinated...

I went to get my new employee ID tag today. I was given a thingamajiggy to wear the ID around my neck. It has this breakable plastic connector on the cord. If someone is hellbent on strangling me with my ID cord, then this plastic connector will break and prevent me from choking. It also has this comfortable neck rest so the cord doesn't cut into the skin at the back of the neck. I was totally fascinated by the thought someone had put into designing this neck cord! Just goes to show how much innovation is possible even in the simplest of things if only we put our minds to it.....

Bad Times of India

Mumbai's primary news supplier is Times of India. The Hindu, believe it or not, doesn't have a publishing office in Mumbai. The paper is delivered only in the afternoon. For those who've grown up reading The Hindu, waking up to the Times of India is not a pleasant experience. The paper is almost tabloid-like in its choice of headlines and format. I don't know how you all like your news but I prefer to read my news item at one go. I hate being directed to P8 or P3 for the rest of the piece. It gives me the feeling of a mega-serial. Even NY Times and Washington Post employ this format but at least the quality of their news excuses the format. But given that TOI features Parveen Babi's death and the controversy surrounding her legacy as the headlines, I don't exactly feel like forgiving the paper. Yesterday, the headline was whether Liz Hurley's trousers had a tear on the seam or not. And they had this big photograph of Hurley in her trousers splashed all over the page. I mean, is this what I am supposed to wake up to???? And today, I read a great ode to the Nightie and how it represents the liberated Indian woman (??!!!??). The author had explored why the nightie has become popular, why women wear it to the marketplace, the reasons for its popularity, the peculiar comfort of its design and how it fits the female form.....I really wonder why this piece has to feature in the main sheafs of the paper and I am even more amazed that a writer has the capacity to wax eloquent on a nightie!

Bhuleshwar Market and Phanaswadi Mandir

We were trying to get to Kalbadevi Road but since Mumbai is a maze of one-ways and strange by-lanes, my driver had to take a circuitous route through a very crowded, crooked and narrow street. I had accidentally discovered Bhuleshwar Market. It is like our very own Ranganathan Street, Chennai. Imitation jewelry items, accessories, bindis are piled high on the platforms and shops. Went chudda-hunting at all the glittering, inviting stores. Mumbai Kangan has the best varieties in bangles and bindis. I forget all the other stores I browsed. The saree varieties are quite beautiful out here-typical North Indian fare with lots of chemki and embroidery works. Georgette seems to be the material of the fashion season. Bright colors- yellow, fluorescent green, magenta, aqua blue- are in and the sober colors (brown, gray, beige...) are out. Bold and striking seems to be the fashion trend.
My poor father got carted all over the place and most of the times, he was sitting outside some shop I had entered into. He must've been wondering how he got talked into this. I enjoyed the crowds and the festive atmosphere of the place. I rather enjoy shopping in such areas than prim, proper fashion houses.
Anyways, after three hours of shopping, we decided to go to the nearby Phanaswadi Mandir of Lord Venkateswara. It is quite a pretty temple amidst a bustling marketplace. Then came back home after a good 4 hours of outing. Thus ends another day in Mumbai.

Fashion Street

Fashion street in Mumbai has the hottest deals in clothes anywhere in the city. T-shirts, kurtis, tops, you name it and they've got it. And the maal is quite pretty and nice too. Only thing is that we have to be bargain masters. If they quote a price, we have to start bargaining from 1/3 of the quoted price. I bought a jeans top that was initially quoted as Rs.450 but was given away finally at Rs.100...Anyways, it was quite an instructive affair for me because frankly, I suck at bargaining. I am learning now.

Malaikottai (The Rockfort)

The gates of Mainguard gate are closed for renovation. Chennai silks has opened a branch just opposite Mainguard gate. Two brightly lit, artificial coconut trees advertise the new store. Browsed around their collections. The churidhar and short tops collection is ordinary. Nothing tempted me to undo my purse strings. Other than the novelty of escalators for Trichy residents, it is going to be yet another store. In view of competition, Sarada Stores in Chinna Kadai veethi has expanded his shop to nearly the entire block before malaivasal. The front of the store has undergone a huge makeover intended to convey size as well as splendor. But everything else remains the same.

Had good darshan of Manickavinayagar. Renovation work is going on around the sannidhi. Vinayagar Agaval which was inscribed on the walls around the sanctum sanctorum have now disappeared and given way to marbled walls. New sculptures and paintings adorn the walls above. I preferred the old, authentic temple. Went upto Thayumanavar Sannidhi. As usual, the climb had me huffing and puffing. The temple is as serene and inviting as it has always been. Then visited Uchi Pillaiyar. The view of Trichy atop the Malaikottai is worth having. Looking across the Kaveri, one can see the Srirangam temple tower. The white eastern tower can also be seen. Tiruvanaikkoil is also visible. To the east, one can see the paddy fields near Ariyamangalam. Chathiram bus stand bustles as usual.

Took some pictures with the temple elephant: a playful, young animal. Roamed around Chinnai kadai veethi and Theradi veethi. The unique flavour of Malaivasal mixed in with the smell of jasmine flowers, santhanam, javvadhu, camphor and agarbatthis still lingers in my nostrils. So long till my next visit!

Meendum Srirangam

Srirangam has not changed much in these past 1.5 years. The roads have become more pothole ridden thanks to the development of underwater drainage schemes. The ride from Srirangam station to home was like a ride on a maattu vandi (bullock cart). Apparently, the copious rain of the past year also contributed to road woes. The crowds have increased considerably. I was told that even Srirangam temple regulars couldn't go to the temple on Vaikunda Ekadasi because of unprecedented crowds! The temple is as it has always been. New paintings depicting the history of the Sriranga Vimanam have been added near the Garudazhwar Sannidhi. And a new Devasthanam stall has sprung up selling calendars and books about the temple. Other than that, even the bhattars in the sannidhis have not changed. As usual, I got very good sevai (helps to know all the bhattars around the temple. A simple "Enna maama, sowkiyama irukkela? Ungalai parka dhaan US-lerndhu vandhen..." will do wonders!)
Visited Nachimuthu Stores near the southern entrance and a couple of other well known faces. A new Vasan Medicals store has opened in Subha Complex in Srirangam. This will alleviate the pain of going to Malaivasal for rare medicines, especially for the plentiful octogenerians in Srirangam.
Thirumanjana Kaveri has water flowing plentifully. Usually, this is a small stream with a trickle of water. In my four years there, I've never seen this much water flowing through the stream. Lends a greenish cover to the surroundings. Looks really pretty.
The familiar flower vendor near Mangamma Nagar remembered me and offered me 2 mozhams of jaathi poo at a discounted price for me (Rs. 6 for 2 mozhams. Apparently, it is Rs. 10 otherwise). She even remembered my favorite flower. It was quite gratifying and satisfying to be remembered affectionately by these simple people.
It was just a whirlwind trip around Srirangam in the brief 2 days I had there. In a world of change, it was reassuring to see that my old town had not really changed much. Tenuous though it may be, it gave me a sense of security and belonging.
Watch out for pictures of Trichy in forthcoming posts. More on Trichy coming up....

Journey to the heart of Tamilnadu

Flying is an impersonal business. Only meteorologists or a few other experts can fathom the skies and its myriad hues. For me, it is just flying through miles and miles of unchanging blue/white space without any kind of feeling of familiarity or attachment. My time in India is short and many friends and relatives advised me to make my trip to Trichy/Chennai via air. Somehow, the idea did not gel with me. The pulse of a country can be felt only by travel via land with its smells, tastes, sights. And a country like India literally attacks all the five senses with its multiple offerings.
Anyways, to make a long story short, I took the 1.5 day journey via Dadar express from Mumbai to Chennai and from then onto Trichy by Rockfort Express. And I truly enjoyed my ride. I passed through many types/kinds of cities, landscapes. It is quite strange but nothing struck a chord with me till I neared TN borders. I enjoyed all the passing landscapes but they were just that: a passing and objective enjoyment of the different hues of my country. After crossing Renigunta, I began to feel that I am home at last. The billboard advertisements rang familiar. The noises, songs from temples and even the smell of the land seemed quite familiar and enjoyable. Gopal Palpodi still rules the roost as far as wall ads go. And the familiar Mariamma songs in the month of Margazhi rang loud and clear from most temples.
The other curious thing I found this time around is that the multitude of marathadi Pillaiyars increases by leaps and bounds once we reach TN! Andhra and Karnataka didn't seem to have that many roadside temples.
Finally, I boarded Rockfort Express from Chennai Egmore. A contented feeling came over me that I had arrived at last. Kollidam had some water this time around (finally, at least to justify its name!). The familiar Southern Tower of the Srirangam temple rose high from amongst coconut trees as the train rumbled across the Kollidam.
Srirangam had just partially awoken to the call of dawn as yet another day began its relentless rhythm.
More on Srirangam experiences in my next post...

Tsunami Trivia

Tragedy apart, the Tsunami has triggered some rather funny and interesting conversations in these parts. Overheard in the general compartment of Vaigai Express: A not so well educated village woman was holding court to her fellow travelers about the reason for the Tsunami. The entire group, composed mostly of village women, was listening in rapt attention chin in their hands. Some things are best heard in the native language:
Tsunami vandhadhukku karanam intha Chargu Pushu-dhaan (read George Bush). Avanukku Tamizh naattoda sezhippum valamum kandu porukkala...Namma amma nalla aatchi panraanga illai..enga naama romba nalla vandhura poromo nnu avanukku ore vayiru erichal..adhanala, avan kadal-la poi gundu vechittaan..adhu dhaan nammala vandhu thaakkiduchu..avan naasama poga!

Yet another theory, this one coming from an educated office going middle aged man:
Jayendrar arrest panninaaanga illai..adhaan kadal pongiruchi.....siva poojai ninnu pona sarva naasam dhaan aagum..adhaan rudra thaandavam aadittan avan.

Whoever said that life is most enjoyed only in the upper class carriages??!! The most interesting people and conversations are in the general compartment!

Flight to India

It is amazing what kind of royal treatment you get in Business class. It is as if you are in a whole new world. I got upgraded to Business class because my flight was canceled. I got to board first. Immediately, you get a nice fortifying drink. They serve meals waiting hand and foot on you. And the seats are the best! Man, I got the best sleep of my life in a flight. Anyways, that made up for the horrendous wait I had to endure in Cincinnati and NY.
Calvin and Hobbes collection gave me company in Cinci and NY airports. At NY, we boarded the flight on time. But then, the flight was grounded for 1.5 hours because of some suspicious baggage on board with no corresponding passengers..that was probably the most boring wait of my life.
Finally took off for Frankfurt. We had to reboard the flight at Frankfurt. But the stupid lady at NY had given me a boarding pass till Frankfurt only. The person at the gate was trying to tell me that I couldn't board the flight to Mumbai because of that!! After much arguing with the thick German accent, I managed to convince the person that I had indeed purchased a ticket to Mumbai...Anyways, finally after a lengthy flight, landed in Mumbai. Picked up my baggage (which took forever) and cleared customs...
Home at last!
Some funny incidents on my next post...

Snowed in in Lexington

Lexington is an isle of safety amidst this severe winter storm raging all around us. Cincinnati up north is snowed in under 2 feet of snow. Louisville is also under snow. All interstates between Indiana, Ohio and Kentucky are closed or almost closed. And two of my friends who came to visit me from Chicago are stuck here (poor souls!)...One of them has a flight to catch on Christmas Day (which I hope he makes). One other thing worth mentioning: Greyhound customer service sucks. I have had a couple of adventures the past two days which I will blog about when I am in the mood for it...Right now,I am signing off...Ciao!

Finals crunch

Well, it is that time of the year again. Finals on Wednesday and Thursday. And I have been on a marathon study of some 4 hours (quite a record by my standards) and I thought I'd take a break and do something else for a change....
Have a long to-do list for this week and next before going to India. Promising to be a very, very hectic schedule for a couple of weeks! But first order of business: finish off finals.

Land of the Cauvery

When I first set foot in Trichy some 5 years back, it was the #1 hated spot on my list. If someone told me then that after spending 4 years there, I'd be blogging about Trichy one day, I would have laughed in their face. But I guess the place grew on me and I actually began to love Srirangam with all its quirks, incoveniences and eccentricities!
Way back in December 1999, we had a good monsoon . Till then, in the 3 months or so that I had been there, I used to travel daily between Srirangam to my college. Everyday, I used to cross the dried up, desert-like horizon of sand that was the Cauvery and I used to wonder what inspired so many people to write verses on the so-called beauty of Cauvery. But after the monsoon, after a week of holidays, I ventured out of Srirangam in the good old TST (Trichy Srirangam Transports) bus. The roads were awfully water logged and I was wondering how in the world I was going to manage to come back home in the evening without becoming a muddy mess. When we crossed the Cauvery bridge, I truly held my breath. The water level was almost near the top of the bridge and the river was truly in spate with the swirling waters dashing against the embankments on either side. The coconut trees on either side of the river were lush green. And the big banyan trees were bent over the river with their branches caught up in the spate. It was truly one of the most amazing sights I had ever seen in my life and I realized then why Ponni was the touted possession of the erstwhile Chola kingdom. A couple of days later, I had to travel towards Ariyamangalam to meet a friend. And the lush green paddy fields after the rain and the cool green orchards enchanted me.
After my first year exams were over, one of my good friends suggested that we both start reading Ponniyin Selvan over the holidays. Back then, I was an ignoramus and I thought Ponni was some girl and the novel was about her son/lover or something. I wasn't too keen but because of a lack of things to do, I started reading it. And the masterpiece by Kalki had me at the first page. The Cauvery, of course, is the lifeline running through the novel. I guess it inspired me to learn more about the history and culture underlying the region and I was much the better for it. Anyways, I went on to read all of Kalki's historic novels.
The thing is that at the end of four years, which I thought would be the most hateful, I ended up being very much attached to Srirangam, the temple, its culture, its distinct flavour. When I had to say goodbye to Srirangam when I was leaving for the US, my heart was truly heavy. When the Rockfort Express crossed the Cauvery and headed out, I saw the temple tower soaring majestically from amongst coconut groves and I had a strange feeling of loss.
I have been in many cities and towns in my life. I am used to moving around and adapting to places. But this was the first place that inspired in me such deep sadness upon leaving. It might not be the hippest town (sometimes, it is dead boring!) and not perhaps the trendiest, but the land between the Cauvery and Kollidam certainly holds a special place in my heart.

Seinfeld Quips

"Our body is high maintenance. There's a lot of shaving, grooming, washing and feeding. Really, if our body were a car, you wouldn't buy it because it is too much maintenance!"

"Men's magazines don't contain a lot of advice because men think I know what I am doing.....just show me somebody naked."

Jerry Seinfeld

Manmathan

By the way, watched Manmathan on Sunday against all the better counsel of my brain (I had an unfinished project due Monday). Okay sort of a movie. Hats off to Simbu for a stunning performance. I am not a Simbu fan (in fact, I was virulently against him) but he made me sit up and take notice. But as far the movie went, it is desperately lacking logic. Because of one woman's adultery, a character becomes upset and murders her?! And because of his brother's heartbreak, the hero turns a "cleanser of all adulterous women"?
I am not a female lib person or a chauvinist or anything remotely close to it but why is it that female adultery is somehow more heinous than male adultery????????!!!??? I've never seen a movie where a female character turns to murder because the guy in her life cheated on her.
Anyways, I guess it is stupid to anyway look for logic in Tamil movies. And this movie is compared to Sigappu Rojakkal and Manmatha Leelaigal. I think those movies had far better cause/effect logic than this one. But oh well, it was an okay way to spend time...

Gone in 45 mins

I have an Algorithms class from 3.30 to 4.45 PM on Tuesdays and Thursdays. To be frank, I rarely ever focus fully in this class. I am always in a half-dazed state. Not that I feel sleepy in class or anything. It is just that I cannot bring myself to listen to the lecture. The rambling style of the prof doesn't help matters much. But anyways, the one thing I learnt from this course: I know my attention span precisely to a minute. And it is exactly 45 minutes. Yup, everyday as I sit through this class, I will glance at my watch exactly at 4.15 PM for the first time. After that, it is 10 minute increments of glancing. The initial 45 minutes, I at least try to listen with half an ear. After that, it is all downhill.
Anyways, I just wonder how it is that people sit for hours together listening to lectures or even watch movies. The other day, my friend told me he watched 4 movies back to back. These days, I can't sit through a single tamil movie in one sitting. I start fidgeting after an hour or so. Maybe this is just a reflection on the sad state of movies or MAYBE I am getting old!!

Sound of a ticking clock

I have this little red mechanical clock, you know, the ones that operate on battery. I was using it until some 6 months back. Through the night, I would keep focusing on the interminable tick, tick, tick of the damn clock and I couldn't sleep. In the mornings, when I became half-conscious, the tick, tick would creep into my brain and I couldn't go back to sleep. So finally, I put the clock out of use and in storage. Well, this evening when I got home, a sudden surge of conscience made me think I should put my resources to good use. I rifled through my drawers and decided I would use the clock albeit at a safe distance from my bed. So I plomped it on a chest of drawers safely away from my bed and went to take a nap. Whaddaya know.....the ticking still irritates me..I lay in the bed tossing and turning for an hour focusing on the clock instead of sleeping and when I actually got out of bed, I had a horrible headache.
Well, now I am stuck with a bad headache and a horrendous loathing for the little red clock.

You know you are a Desi when....

I came across this article. Found it funny. Check it out and Happy Thanksgiving everyone!
http://www.blogthings.com/Indian.html

Which Planet are you from?

You Are From the Moon

You can vibe with the steady rhythms of the Moon. You're in touch with your emotions and intuition. You possess a great, unmatched imagination - and an infinite memory. Ultra-sensitive, you feel at home anywhere (or with anyone). A total healer, you light the way in the dark for many.

What Planet Are You From?

The Mess in Kanchi

I had decided not to blog about this issue because it is a highly sensitive one. I changed my mind. A friend forwarded me this link about the Shankaracharya titled "The Real Shankaracharya":
http://www.rediff.com/news/2004/nov/22guest.htm

I was a great follower of the Paramacharya, Sri Chandrasekharendra Saraswathi. I have read his collected talks "Theivathin Kural" and many of his ideas have moulded my thoughts and perspectives in many ways. I confess that I am not that great an admirer of the present Acharya but nonetheless revere him as one who's above the average populace. It came as a rude shock to suddenly read on rediff that he had been imprisoned on a murder charge.

Of course, immediately, the press went to town on how he is a power wielding, goonda in ascetic robes. Somehow, I find it very difficult to believe that a man who has been performing Chandramouleeswara Pooja for the past 50 years or so is capable of committing murder or even masterminding it. Regardless of the fact that he is active in politics, he is still an ascetic, has been under the guidance of the Paramacharya and has the exclusive right to perform pooja to Kanchi Kamakshi in the garbhagriha. Would such a person even contemplate a heinous sin such as this?! I can't imagine that.

What is more irritating is the "holier-than-thou" attitude of politicians. Karunanidhi who now tarnishes the Acharya freely is a scoundrel himself. And Jayalalitha is no better anyway. These are all people with so many criminal cases pending against them and they are in no position to accuse the Acharya of anything.

Do I belive the Acharya is guilty? Frankly, I don't know. I hope it is not true. If he has indeed committed such a crime, then I think the spiritual punishment for doing Pooja with such impure thoughts would be more severe than any that mortal law can impose on him. If he is not, then I hope that all these years of purity and tapas will bring him through this test of fire stronger and untarnished. But there is no denying the fact that the Hindu community is indeed deeply hurt by the arrest of a religious figure of the Shankaracharya's stature.

The more things change...

Everyone says mankind has "evolved". We have grown progressive since the middle ages, apparently. We have invented new things and shrunk the world to a global village. Sure, we know a lot of things now. We know that we have come from monkeys; that we are just a speck in the dust swirl that is the universe; that each of us is just a fleeting moment in our beloved Earth's history. But despite all this, Nature still holds the upper hand. The impulses that drove men and women 2000 years back still drive us. Men went to war out of greed for land, women, wealth. We still do. Iraq is a case in point. Long back, they had all those crusades in defense of religion. We still have our jihadists, Protestants Vs. Catholics in Ireland, Hindus Vs. Muslims in India, Conservative Christians Vs. Liberals in the USA. Even today, people wage war in the name of God, be it on the stump or on the battleground. People murdered for wealth back then; that remains the primary cause even now. During those wars back then, they murdered and slaughtered POWs. Geneva conventions notwithstanding, that's what is happening now too.
And if they burnt witches back then, now we have gays.
The only thing I find different is that, these days we do everything with a James Bond-like sophistication. I guess in those days if you wanted to kill someone, it would be a very messy affair with a lot of splattering of blood. These days it can be done with a grease-like polish. Same goes for almost everything else.
The more things change, the more they stay the same. All progress is an illusion.