I like that!

The other day, as a college tradition, the tams of NLS went out on a tam-dinner. While I insisted that it should be a good south-Indian restaurant and arranged for the dinner at Ponnusamy, one miscommunication led to another and eventually we landed up at Desmondes for a late dinner. There were around thirty of us of different sorts- full tams, half tams, quarter tams, tams from different parts of the country (and this time, different parts of the world too!), tams from chennai, non-tams from tamil nadu, etc. Tam dinners/lunches are a lot of fun. We get to know the juniors, treat them and try to welcome them aboard. I still remember my first tam-lunch at Sapattu Raman- we had lovely dosas and sambar, introduced myself in tamil (like: vanakkam, yen per krithika. nan chennai-lendhu varen. psbb-la padichen, etc) and now I can't believe four years have passed and this was my last tam dinner.

Desmondes had a great variety but we chose to order a few and share amongst us. Great food, hours of laughing together and racking our brains to divide the bill. And then we hit Corner House on Lavelle Road (did you know Corner House people, whichever branch, speak super tamil?). I had my favourite cake fudge while Vivek had litchis with ice cream, Shruti had something chocolate-y, Latcho was too full to have anything and Dv had choco mousse with ice cream. Shruti, our very own DISCO convenor, was being all responsible and sent off the juniors in the cabs first! And then we had a long long chat fully in tamil about nothing in particular while we waited for our cabs to come. This was different- nothing bitchy or intense but just a funny gathering of memories of four years! We didn't even realize the time until it was about eleven fifteen. And then we had to leave the place... but continued the laughter riot in the cab. At the end, Shruti's cheeks and my stomach were hurting so much. But who cares!! We had an awesome awesome time! Evlavu sirichom-nu oru alavu illa, edhukku sirichom-nu kooda nyabagam illa. Aana nariya sirichom, romba jillu-nu irundhudhu! :) :)

Ilaiyaraja-na Ilaiyaraja dhaan! ;)

Ilaiyaraja is a genius when it comes to making situation-specific songs and one of the classic examples is the song Sorgame Endralum from Oora Vittu Oor Vandhu. When it comes to lyrics, singing and the music, this is my all-time favourite. The genre is folk, set in Hamsanadham apparently, with Ilaiyaraja and Janaki rendering the song with brilliant expressions. I love Ilaiyaraja's version of Tamil folk and this song just stands out. The song, in the movie, appears when the lead couple leave their village and go to Singapore to accomplish their mission. The translation, however done, can do no justice to the spirit of the song but I still have tried:

Pallavi:

Sorgame endralum adhu nammooru pola varuma?
(Even if you take heaven, would it like our own city?)
Ada ennadu endralum adhu nam naatukeedaguma?
(And would any other country be so good as our own?)
Pala desam muzhudhum pesum mozhigal Tamizh-pol inithiduma...?
(There may be many languages but which one sounds as sweet as tamil?)

Charanam I:

Yerikarai katrum elelelo paatum inge edhum ketkavilaiye...
(I cant listen to the breeze on the banks of river and the sound of folk music here)
Padum kuyil sathham aadum mayil nithham paarka oru solai-illaye...
(Neither can I see cuckoos singing or peacocks dancing)
Vethalaiya madichhu maaman adhai kadichhu thuppa oru vazhi-illaiye...
(There is no way I can give my husband folded beetel leaves to eat here)
Odi vandhu kudhichhu mungi-mungi kulichhu aada oru odai-illaiye...
(And there is no lake here in which we can run, jump, play and bathe)
Ivvooru enna ooru, nammoodu romba melu,
(What kind of a place is this? Our city is so much better!)
Odum pala caar-u, veen adambaram paaru,
(There a hell lot of cars and unnecessary sophistication)
Oru dhaagam theerka yedhu moru...?
(But would I get buttermilk to quench my thirst?)

Sorgame endralum...

Charanam II:

Maadu rendu meikka meiyuradha paarka mandhaveli inga illaiye...
(There is not a farm here for the cows to graze or to see cows grazing)
Aadu-puli aatam pottu vilaiyada arasa-maram medai-illaiye...
(And there is no banyan tree under which we can play games)
Kaalai rendu pooti kattai vandi otti ganam paada vazhi-illaiye...
(There is no way I can sing songs while riding a bullock cart)
Thozigalai azhaichhu solli solli rasichhu aatam poda vazhi-illaiye...
(Neither is there a place I can take all my friends to sing, dance and chat)
Oru yendhirathhai pola ada inge ulla vaazhkai,
(Life here is like that of a machine)
Idha engai poi solla manam ishta padavilla,
(Where can I go coz I dont like to be here)
Nammoorai pola ver-ooru illai...!
(There is no better place than ours)

Sorgame endralum...

A damn cute video and great music- just the way Ilaiyaraja makes it work everytime. I repeat, Ilaiyaraja-na Ilaiyaraja dhaan! Someday I want to meet him and I will never forget that day in my life! :)

Never too young for anything! ;)

These twenty days have been so full of life and I am loving it! With no internship and no exams, I have been painting the town red! Met up with a lot of friends, heard my share of good news (Varun is coming down in September, Vids is going to New York and Gow is going to the Oxford), hogged on great home food and got myself into a project- revamping my house! We have the Asian Paint guys, the carpenter, the computer service guy and the A/C mechanic practically living here and there is a hell lot of noise and dust around. My room looks lovely (the sea-green paint is beautiful) and I am happy. Sindu has been my constant partner in going out in the sun and going out in the dark and sitting at home to idle away time. After one French movie, two Hindi movies, random shopping at Pondy Bazaar, morning walks with amma, countless dosas, unrestricted access to internet (especially youtube), book shopping at Crossword, lot of traffic-rules skipping with Sindu on the bike and intense sun-bathing, I am totally rejuvenated to go to college for my final year. I still have no freaking clue about what I want to do with my life. But I love the way my life is- a lot of work, a lot of chilling and a hell lot of suspense. This is crazy but I am thoroughly living it. :)

25 + 1 Random Things:

Here is the list:

1. There is only one person in this whole wide world I look up to and it is my mother. She is everything I respect and want to be.
2. Black, purple, ruby red and peacock blue are my favourite colours. I wish to paint my home in all of them.
3. With my first salary (whenever that happens!), I would like to gift my mom a treadmill (she has always wanted one but considers it an unnecessary expenditure) and to my dad an I-Pod (he thinks it’s funky but isn’t confident enough to use it).
4. Music is my only solution to all problems in life. And to me, music is predominantly Ilaiyaraja’s.
5. I love traveling. Europe, as it always was, is the best resort to holiday.
6. Heels- I hate them yet ogle at them all the time. I promise myself to learn to be comfortable in them and sashay around.
7. It is true that I spend at least two-three hours talking (/chatting) to (/with) Varun everyday and I have never felt bored of it no matter how much we fight. In fact (at the cost of getting mushy) I am looking forward to doing it every day of my life.
8. Corporate law has been my favourite subject ever. I can never get enough of it.
9. I believe I belong to Chennai and I simply love the place for more reasons than one.
10. Predictably, thayir sadam (curd rice) with vadaam (namkeen, sort of), maangai thokku (cut-mango pickle) and vazhakka fry (raw banana fry) is my favourite followed by crispy dosai with tangy thakkali-vengayam chutney (tomato-onion chutney) and molaga podi (sundried red-chilly powder) followed by chilly-cheese toast with tomato sauce.
11. I am crazy about stationery of all kinds- pens, pencils, highlighters, erasers, notepads, tags, etc. I make sure I have them in all colours and sizes.
12. If I had all the strength in the world, I would dance till my last breath.
13. I hate the taste of alcohol, the smell of cigarette and the sound of abuse. Hence, I think I am very lucky!
14. It is a (sad) fact that I put on eight kilos in the first nine months of law school and have maintained it till this day.
15. If I were to be defined in one word, then it has to be energy. I am usually found in really high spirits and I put in a lot of energy even into sleeping.
16. I can’t keep mum. It is scary that I once lost a bet with a friend who challenged me to remain silent for sixty seconds.
17. Ayyo is my only idea of exclaiming- be it in happiness, surprise, shock, disgust or anger. Only the tone and pitch differ.
18. I think I have a big capsicum for a nose which I have inherited from my dad along with the juvenile sense of humour.
19. Someday I hope to build my own kaapi shop (ideally along with Starbucks!) and give, inter alia, kumbakkonam degree kaapi with thattai and murukku in the most sophisticated fashion ever.
20. I love the concept of bathing and explore my creativity while bathing in terms of the products I use and the procedures involved.
21. My mom once told me I behave like I was born in rakshasha ganam (literally, the time of demons) and I told her (proudly) that it is called so because I was born at that time. That was the day when she totally gave up on me.
22. I have a very wide scale of endurance ranging from highly irritable to highly patient. The scale changes according to the person, the person’s behavior towards me or others and the circumstances.
23. If there is one thing I can’t get myself to do, it is waking up on my own. I need somebody to wake me up every morning regardless of the time.
24. I love the A/C. I don’t care however elitist that makes me sound but I repeat I love the A/C.
25. There is something I admire about myself- the ability to help people in spite of something ugly that could have happened between us.
26. I can’t believe I can keep writing things about myself. Truly a narcissist. And a talkative person.

Ok, I stop.

Merrily Merrily!

An awesome awesome awesome day!

My best friend's birthday today, opened with the good news that she is now just visa-short of going to the US (NY, baby!) to join a fully sponsored Masters course in Animation! This is something she has been reaching after for a long while and all her work paid off! Hats off, Vids!

BJP lost. Thankfully, I don't have to change my wardrobe to only salwar kameezes and we can now think about living in a much less dangerous/hostile environment. Also we would now be living in a more constitutionally valid atmosphere and a more secular India. I am not really bothered about the rest- whether Congress won or Vijaykanth did!

Also hooray!! CSK won the match against Mumbai. What a close one! Hayden is my new super star! They are in the semis (unofficially but who cares!)! I was so happy to see Malinga's expression in the end. ****wicked slimy grin****

All said, it was a brilliant day. And I loved it! :)

P.S. Somebody please start suspecting Malinga's bowling or rather throwing! He throws the ball here and there and everywhere. Who calls that bowling, dude?!

P.P.S. I am craving for lasagna (its been donkey's years!)! So Monday shall be the lasagna day.

Chennai Super Kings-ku Whistle Podu, Machi!

WOW! What a come-back! Hayden-ku kovil kattalam! I almost lost interest in this season’s IPL when they were thrashed by the Deccan Chargers. Latcho and I were steaming when we saw Gilchrist and Gibbs fly every ball outside the boundary! But I guess that was just the calm before the storm. The subsequent matches against Rajasthan (twice), Punjab, Delhi and Deccan were a treat to watch. It’s not only about winning and marching up to the top of the table from sixth or seventh position. It’s about their attitude about the winning and losing(Yuvi, you got to learn something from us da!). Dhoni, for his experience, pitchu odharran and Hayden, for what he has accomplished in life, is almost deivam. Badri is finally getting the attention he deserves and Raina has been one hell of a thala throughout the season. I went all awww when Badri said “I owe it to Hayden”! Enna batting, enna bowling. Morkel, Balaji and Jakati wickets thookradha paakanume! I know they suck at fielding but that’s just one little little problem and with their attitude, they can be all Jonty Rhodes anytime they want! Idhula too-cute matter enna na, the not-so-skimpily-clad cheerleaders and Sivamani’s drumming! Thaaru-maaru! Truly Chennai! No matter where we go, adhe spirit! Also Hayden is planning to settle down in Chennai (another awwwww!). If he does stay back, I am so going to meet him!! CSK, they rock!! With great style and attitude, they are roaring it out! And I am loving it totally! Thanks machi, for all the entertainment and pride you brought us! CSK-ku, truly, oru periya whistle podu!

p.s. I really wish IPL would happen in India next year. I really really do. Room-lendhu whistle podradhu vendam. Stadium-ku poi oru ragala pannanum!

Little Joys of the Not-so-long Life- Part I

When I was putting down a post yesterday, there were a list of things running in mind...ones that I would look forward to anytime, any day and any where! The best part is when such lovely little things happen when you least anticipate them. They come by and make your day. Countless, yet I thought I must put down some. May be we would have something common...the little pleasures to save for a lifetime!!

I study in Bangalore and hence get to go back home (Chennai!!) at least once a month. The ritual is to rush from classes (at 1:30 in the afternoon) on a Friday afternoon to catch the Brindavan at 2:30. Though it is one of the crowdest trains in India with people getting in, with or without a ticket, and stuffy...it still gives you the hope that you will reach home for dinner. A nice home-cooked meal. When I reach Madras station at 8:30, Dad would be there waiting for me with cake (or something to snack on) from a bakery in Spencers Plaza (on his way from office)...he has never come late. Never. I usually go home after exams or submissions...But the questions my dad asks have never been related to academics. It would be something like "hostel sapadu ippo paravaliya? (Has the mess food become any better?)";"gowthaman, vivek, latchana, tuhina ellam epdi irukanga" (How are gowthaman, vivek, tuhina and latchana doing?); "friends-a kootindu vara vendiyadhu dhaan-e" (Why dont you bring your friends home sometime?) etc... Once we get into the car, I grab the phone from dad and give my mom a call. And I know she would pick it up with the very first ring! Through out the drive, dad will take me around the city (as if I have never been around) and give me updates about the place. When I finally reach home at 9:30, Mom would be waiting at the door to greet me saying "Chellam! Vandhutiya...Epdi irukka?!" (Dear! You have come, finally...How are you?!). By then, my bed would have been made with the A/C turned on so that the room is not hot. Within minutes of freshening up, hot dosas with sambhar and curd-molagapodi are served. For desert, it has always been the carrot halwa I love. By this time, dad will already be whining about how I sweep away all the attention when home! :D After an hour of updating my mom about hostel, Bangalore, the train journey, etc, I go to sleep. Go to sleep on a well-made bed with the temperature just right (thanks to the a/c!) and cuddle up in a blanket. As every other time, the weekend would begin...full of hopes and plans. And I have never gotten bored of this routine. :)

Fortunately, a TAM!

Please don't mind the Tamness! :D

Somewhere in law school, one begins to feel the explosive need to defend one's language, one's caste, one's hometown...say one's everything. And I am no exception to it. I started to represent Madras and slowly shifted to telling people (who wouldn't listen) about the place and language, then to support...then to defend...and now wouldn't mind FIGHTING for it. At the same time, its beginning to feel like an exercise I am almost tired of. May be the moment has come to withdraw myself from these immature politics (that I was a part of) and just breathe out "fortunately, I am a Tam!" I mean withdrawal actually looks solemn when thought of as an idea to experience my culture without having to feel the need to defend it.

I am happy (probably the happiest) to come from Madras (as I would like to call it) and NOT any other place in the world. Tamil pesardh-la oru thani sugam irukku...Adhellam inga varadhu! To speak Tamil in this godforsaken place is not to be considered for a few reasons:
(a) dearth of people who know anything other than Hindi
(b) convenient use of Article 19(1)(a)... probably the only thing they can jump to
(c) fear of diluting the actual beauty of my language
(d) and of course, common sense (which I don't think is that common here) that language is for effective communication (i.e. at least the addressee must be able to understand the bloody thing) and NOT to create differences in the society.

But thankfully, there are a few others who look at it from a normal perspective- who believe and respect the diversity. May be, that is why I still haven't taken to any violent methods to combat it! Tell me which idiot would like it if you go on and on in some imperceptible language (and then say, sorry bhai, it comes out naturally yaar!).

Coming to why Madras is very special to me. I mean its not only because it brought me up or because I can express myself more freely there...but also because its so quiet and simple yet SO rich. Even if you want to criticize the place, it can only be for it's weather and the malicious autokaranga. Otherwise, it is a paradise. A gem. At least it is comparatively free of people who believe in one national language. It is reasonably clean and unpolluted. And it works best for me because people don't break things and kill eachother for nuts and cookies. Not much of a traffic jam here because the city wakes up early. Its conservative and hence, safer compared to its counterparts. Semma transport system (MTC rocks machi!). Marina Beach and sundal. And so much more.

Namma Madras. Tamil. Dosa-Sambhar. Suprabadham. Arisi-mavu Kolam. Madisar Mamis. Tea Kada. Gana Padalgal. Chettiyar kadai. Pillayar Kovil. Bharathanatyam. Margazhi Pugazh. I can instantly see a smile coming out of my face as the list goes on in my mind...! :)