Wat a relief!!

It's Sunday and I dint cook anything! We have all been invited by our neighbour for having lunch.. time to relax before TV

A perfect day...

A sudden rain made me very happy today. I know I sound very tame by jus mentioning that “I’m happy”… couldn’t get an apt word.

I was sitting in my bedroom and was reading a magazine when I heard the sound of rain drops. Surprised, I went out to have a closer look. It got a lil heavy and a big bang of thunder followed. I cursed it as it startled my lil baby… but l8r, was very happy abt it, as it made the weather so cool and soothing for her. The roads were a lil flooded and the trees looked very pleasant after a month of sun’s tough regime. This was a rare scene in Chennai at this point of time.

It’s a day to rejoice and it really helped my mind to be at tranquil.

The book I badly want to read

Few months back I was reading a book called "Hour Game", written by David Baldacci... It was about a serial killer and full of suspense (till I read). I kept my eyes glued on the book, but unfortunately I couldn’t complete the book as I got very much involved with something else.

The killer was an interesting person and all his strategies were mind-blowing. The killer had adopted killing styles of different serial killers such as The Zodiac Killer, Son of Sam, etc. The killer used the code language and was very meticulous in erasing all possible forensic evidence from the crime scene. He was very notorious and had a strong urge to kill a cross-section of people; killing was just a sport for him.The book was really good; I will definitely grab a copy from the library as soon as I get time.

Something Special

I got up from the bed; the clock was ticking around 7. It was so cold and there was no glimpse of Sun. It was raining cats and dogs and I was lazy enough to curl myself up and prolong my sleep as much as I can - if and only if it was a normal day. Last night, before going to bed, I kept telling myself that today should not be a day filled with mundane affairs; it should be something new and something special. So, I came out of the bedroom and made myself a hot cup of tea. I sat down on a chair facing the balcony and started to plan the day carefully, with "something special" as the primary objective.

To read a book, was the first thing that came to my mind. I can't go out to library and get a book.. But, thank god! I had got a latest copy of Business Today, which was one of my favorite magazines. I stopped subscribing for BT last December and never got enough time to read one till date. I sat down in the afternoon and read it fully!!

To listen to good music, I managed to do it in the evening. I listened to all my favorite numbers.To LMAO (Laugh my a** out), for which I watched a spoof on the TV, it was funny but not like what I expected. Anyways that was okay!

And finally, to blog about something. From the morning at the back of my mind I was thinking on "What to write?" My mind was totally blank as there was nothing much to write. But I made it a point that I should write something (and kill people who read it!!) as this space gives me so much happiness and makes any day complete. I just opened the laptop and started to scribble on the notepad. Here I am feeling happy and contented with what came out.Feeling great and fresh… I'm charting out things for tomorrow, things that I couldn't do today.

Peace at once

Peace was the thing which I craved for last week and got it at an instant when I inadvertently stepped into Sri Parthasarathy Temple (in picture) at Triplicane yesterday.

The temple was rarely uncongested and I was so fortunate to be on one such rare occasions. Even then, I had to wait for a while to see the deity as the screen was dropped. It made me impatient and I was vaguely scrutinizing the people who waited along with me. The screen was raised and the exquisite idols glittered in front of my eyes. Everything in the divinity was beautiful and the adornment was tailor-made for an obviously expensive simplicity. It was about fifteen minutes I spent worshipping the God, which instilled peace on me. I was totally rejuvenated and my heart was beating felicitously.

Temple must not be an unusual place for too many people who live around here; it certainly wasn't for me as well. But, it's been a long time since I just passed through a temple to say "Hi" to my favourite God, which, I think, made me feel unusual about it.

For some strange reasons my mind was not at its normal state last week. It just seemed restless and was at the heights of its eccentricity, plausibly on something which didn't make any sense to me. I was brooding over it for a while. This unplanned visit made me happy and made my mind placid again.

K - PODU

Let me first explain the exact situation,

Locality: Areas where pakka Brahmins live (Eg: Mylapore, Triplicane, few parts of West Mambalam, etc)
Country: India
State: Tamil Nadu
City: Chennai

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Disclaimer: This blog is not written to pin-point any indifferences or whatsoever of any of the community. All the characters used in this blog and all the situations explained here are not fictitious. If at all, it happens to be u, what to do? It’s just a blog and it's my space, so buck off!!
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It was a summer vacation and I just passed out of 5th Std. It was around 10 o'clock at night when my brother and I were on the road playing odi-pidichu (running and catching). Suddenly, pakkathuvitu Raju mama came out, he had a ladle on his hand and there was a burning camphor on it. He put the burning camphor on the floor and fled inside without looking back. We were watching the burning camphor... 10 o'clock and a burning camphor? Hmm…Weird, I thought....

Suder (my brother): Raju mama enna pannrar?
Me: Theriyala da
Voice: Inga enna panrenga rendu peyrum.
Both of us were shocked and turned back. It was my mom with an angry face.
Me and Suder: Valayadindhom
Suder: anga paren, Raju mama edayo erichi konduvandu poturkar...
Mom: moonu vaati karithupitu, ullavanga modhalla...
Me: yaarmela ma thupanam
Mom: Kizhathupitu va...appodhan avanga drishti namakku varama irrukum, thirippi andha karpuratha paakama vaanga
Both of us were confused, did wat mom told and went inside

Suder: ennadhu ma adhu?
Mom: Karpooram
Me: edhuku karpooratha koluthi koduvandhu poturkar?
Mom: Drishti kazhiyardhuku
Suder: Kannu-podrathuna ennama?
Mom: adhellam onnaku edhuku? pesama irru

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“Kannupodardhu” - Oru sirappu paarvai (One Special sight)

A spl interview with K-Guru Aiya Kannu (Translation: Sir Eye)…

Sir, What is meant by Kannupodardhu?
Kannupodardhu (here-in-forth referred as K-podu)... (Translation (T/n): Eye dropping)

Meaning: "K-podu" is an act of getting jealous at people, esp at ur neighbours, for having/ doing something new. For eg. If they have bought a new ac, car, fridge, etc, u visit them and say, "Cha evlo superaa irruku", but inside u will have vayatherichal or u jus stay at home after staring at him/ the new thing for a while with vayatherichal (T/n: stomach burning).

What is meant by Drishti and Drishti Kazhikardu?
Drishti (T/n: Eye sight)

Meaning: Drishti is another word for K-podu... I think the word has its origin from Sanskrit, it can also be reffered as "Drishti podardhu" (D-podu) (T/n: Eye sight dropping) or Kan Drishti podardhu (KD-podu) (same meaning)...

Drishti Kazhikardu (T/n: Eye sight canceling) Also called Drishti Suthipoodardhu (T/n: Eye sight circling-dropping)

Meaning: It is an act or a process of canceling "Drishti". For eg: If a neighbour is seen looking at son/ daughter going to school, esp. exams, or if he has seen wondering at any of ur new things that u bought or assuming that he would have seen wondering at these, you "Drishti Kazhichify" or "Drishti Suthipotufy"

How do we Drishti Kazhichify?
Drishti Kazhikardhu is an art, which has acquired many forms over a period of time... there are specific days in which this process is carried out for it to achieve its real purpose and there are numerous tools used in this process.

Ideal days: Amavaasai (No moon day), Tuesdays and Saturdays

Popularly Used Tools: Karpuram (Camphor), Elumichai pazham (Lemon) with karpuram on top, Thengai (Coconut) with karpuram on top, Pooshanikkaai (Pumpkin), Uppu molagaai (Salt and Red chilly)

Process: There is a host, the host is mostly an elderly member of a family, she/he will use one of the above tools eg: Most simplified way of Drishti Suthipodardhu is to put Karpuram on a Spoon or Thengai/Elumichai with karpuram on top, The family members will sit together (as in group photos), then the host holds the tool on hand, hand is stretched out and lifted high and draws three clock-wise circles and one anti-clock wise circle on air (So as to cover the entire crowd from head to toe). Immediately after this is done, the group moves out of the place in the opposite direction without looking at the tool. Then the host, quickly, moves out of the house and drops the tool on the ground. Usually excepting for the first two tools and the last tool mentioned above, the other tools have to be dropped with full force so as to break it into pieces.

Spl usage: Few of the above mentioned tools have a particular time/day in which they are used. Elumichai pazham is generally used, if a person gets a new automobile. He has to put one lemon under each tyre and start the vehicle to squeeze them. Pooshanikaai is used mainly by shop-owners on amavaasais. Generally, a small triangular hole is made on top of the pooshani and a couple of low-value coins are put inside the hole. Then the hole is sealed with the piece of pooshani and a lot of kum-kum. Karpuram is usually lit on the top of this triangle

Easier tools: Cracking knuckles - rotating the hand thrice before the group and cracking the knukles by bending ur fingers on ur forehead, Uppu molagai (Salt and Red chilly) - hold them on fist, then, rotate it thrice before the group and put it on burning sticks

What is the impact of K-podu?
Well, that’s a good question. The impact of eyes dropping depends on the thing on which it is dropped. It also depends on the experience of the person dropping it. For eg: If it’s dropped on a person, he might end up meeting some accident on that day. However ppl don’t actually know that someone has dropped eyes on him, so end up with some unpleasant thing and then come to a conclusion that it’s all because of "Kannupodardhu". If there are series of ppl (esp neighbour’s neighbbour and his neighbour and so on) who actually puts eye on a poor fellow, he might end up with some serious problem.

Is there any way to avoid K-podu?
There are many ways to avoid this invisible trouble. There are instant tools available everywhere, like, tying Karrupu Kayaru (Black thread) on neck or hand, Mai or My (Soot, applied on eyes), Karrupu pottu or Mai pottu (Black bindhi or soot bindhi), Black dress, any forms of black apparels, even if a person is dark, he has to use one of these to avoid K-podu.

What if a neighbour peeks through window when one isn’t using/wearing any of these tools (at least while on bathroom)?
Put a black screen silly.

Can this be put only on a single person?

No, it can be put on anything

Then, wont it be very easy for countries to destroy its enemy without a war?

It cannot be generalised as a country as a whole. It can be possible only for a small circle, maybe a family.

Btw Sir... What is meant by O-podu?
O-podu??...... hmm, after K-podu, the person ends up with sth unpleasant and u say "O! wat a pity", that’s O-podu, ...

Do you believe in these things?
Many times you don’t and sometimes you do. Esp when u have a baby at home, u tend to believe all this.

Well I asked if YOU believe in all these?
And that’s what I jus tried explaining…

Escape!!

Taken for yoga class and its useses!!

This the most funniest newspaper insertion that i ever got!!

Useses:

1. Veecing?

2. Angry?

3. Peacefull?

4. Lunks scapacity?

5. Increasing?

Thanking you??

I guess this is some kind of marketing strategy, or a new type of - "Making-others-laugh-Yoga"??

The case of "the missing me"!! (Me - In all time V-Zone)

I'm lying on the bed trying to take a nap. It is noon, there is no one around and there's an absolute silence. When I realize this, I feel strange noises around me, I can even feel the footsteps of strange ppl walking around, sometimes talking to me. Is this any kind of imagination? Is this a devil's workshop? “Confused” as usual... God! Yes it is my own damn imagination...!! I have had these weird thoughts right from my childhood, particularly whenever I was home alone. I think I have this V-Phobia (Vetti phobia) which is actually known as Eremophobia – fear of loneliness.
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When it started?

V-Zone - Vetti Zone
This is something very new to me - being idle!! (Romba over!! officelayum vetti dhan.... hehehehehe). Though I was not doing something very gr8 at work, I never get bored. I had my own world; I was meeting new ppl everyday, disbursing too many loans, listening to peers gossip around, so on and so forth. It was cool, but I wasn’t all that satisfied doing it. I cannot work at citifinancial all my life! Oh! Enough!! I’m just not gonna start my citi story again, after all, "Citi never sleeps!"....... and "doesn’t let others sleep" hahaha...

Being in the V-Zone or making good use of V-Zone... (Adhan vetti zone adhuku dhan ipidi oru peyr koduthuten) was the next big task lying ahead of me. I have loads of options for whiling away time as discussed in "pros" on my previous blog, but I felt I have to give importance to my career as well and also the things as discussed can make me occupied rather giving any value addition to my future

Working round the clock vis-à-vis idle round the clock - It was thinking about this huge transition ever since I decided to get married and never managed to come to a conclusion for this question "How to kill idleness?"

It was one boring evening around 6 o' clock, I was hungry, so, I made myself a cup of hot n sour soup and some Act II pop corns. I was idle for almost the entire day and from the morning since my husband left to office, I was thinking about all the household tasks that I had lined up on my mind, the list was too long... I felt I might overlook few, so I made a to-do-list.

To-do-List for tomorrow
1. Broom and mop the floor.
2. Clean the toilets
3. Clean the balcony (it was totally dumped with the things that didn’t find a place to relax inside the house)
4. Wash all the clothes (there was a huge pile of clothes and the laundry bag was overflowing, it had nearly 50 clothes. The worst part was the washing machine wasn’t properly installed and I dint want to postpone things anymore, so I planned to wash it all myself)
5. Plan for dinner
6. Prepare a "shopping list" and do some shopping
7. Check on mom and dad, grand parents, mother and father-in-law
8. Clean the kitchen shelves... which was like Pandora’s Box
9. Prepare a to-do-list for day after tomorrow... hehehe

I was in a huge rush when I was preparing this list. I wanted to finish off everything at once, but I knew, 6 o'clock in the evening was meant for relaxing and not for rushing things up.

It took two hectic days to complete this task and the huge mess to my eyes was somewhat cleared, but not spic and span yet.

My in-laws arrived at home by May 15, and thereafter, I was fully engaged with some kind of work. Then I went out of town for sometime, it was full of fun.

The mystery started when I and Prasanna returned home. Usually, he leaves to office at 10 o'clock in the morning and returns home by 9 pm...

It was a Tuesday, Prasanna went off to work, I dint have any household tasks that day, so, I decided to work on the stitch kit that I had got the other day. I was working on it since morning, so, by noon my eyes became weak. I thought of taking a short nap and hit the bet around 4:30. I had strange thoughts, but I was too tired to think about anything weird.

I was in a deep sleep, I had too many dreams, I had strange characters dancing on my dream stage… I was like totally lost on my dream world… Then, suddenly, with a quick jolt I got up, confused, my heart was beating faster than usual. I looked out for Prasanna, who waked me up few minutes ago; I heard him saying, "Savitha... late aaiduchu" or something similar to that. It was very bright, and then I thought probably it’s too late in the morning and he might have got up in a hurry... I came out of the room and started searching for him, he wasn’t there, and the time was 5:30. How come it's so bright when the time is only 5:30 in the morning? I was very confused and was still searching for him.... I stepped into the balcony and looked at the sky... it was a clear blue sky with sun shinning on to my face... then I realized… "Oh man... it's 5:30 in the evening" and a million question follows... How come there was a quick jerk on the bed (exactly a sec before I got up)? How come I felt Prasanna sleeping beside me and also talking sth to me (exactly a sec before I got up)? Was there anything happened while I was asleep? Wat happened exactly a sec before I got up?

Or probably it was all jus a dream?
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It is as if I had reflections of all the haunting stories I have read/heard... everything around me is weird now... Is this the plight of ppl who live alone? Romba tension pannudhey.... I know this is happening to me because my whole world is suddenly shrunk to a triple bed-room apartment... I think I need some exposure... Exposure to new environment.... how about books? Hmm…that is a good idea... let me try one (after a looonnng-time) that way I can get my own self back


Appettu....

Silly but funny

Hey, i came across a mail, it's really silly but funny

Bloody good ! Even if u r American!

George: Condi! Nice to see you. What's happening?
Condi: Sir, I have the report here about the new leader of China .
George: Great. Lay it on me.
Condi: Hu is the new leader of China .
George: That's what I want to know.
Condi: That's what I'm telling you.
George: That's what I'm asking you. Who is the new leader of China ?
Condi: Yes.
George: I mean the fellow's name.
Condi: Hu.
George: The guy in China .
Condi: Hu.
George: The new leader of China .
Condi: Hu.
George: The main man in China !
Condi: Hu is leading China .
George: Now whaddya' asking me for?
Condi: I'm telling you, Hu is leading China .
George: Well, I'm asking you. Who is leading China ?
Condi: That's the man's name.
George: That's who's name?
Condi: Yes.
George: Will you, or will you not, tell me the name of the new leader of China ?
Condi: Yes, sir.
George: Yassir? Yassir Arafat is in China ? I thought he's dead in the Middle East .
Condi: That's correct.
George: Then who is in China ?
Condi: Yes, sir.
George: Yassir is in China ?
Condi: No, sir.
George: Then who is?
Condi: Yes, sir.
George: Yassir?
Condi: No, sir.
George: Look Condi. I need to know the name of the new leader of China . Get me the Secretary General of the U.N. on the phone.
Condi: Kofi?
George: No, thanks.
Condi: You want Kofi?
George: No.
Condi: You don't want Kofi.
George: No. But now that you mention it, I could use a glass of milk. And then get me the U.N.
Condi: Yes, sir.
George: Not Yassir! The guy at the U.N.
Condi: Kofi?
George: Milk! Will you please make the call?
Condi: And call who?
George: Who is the guy at the U.N?
Condi: Hu is the guy in China .
George: Will you stay out of China ?!
Condi: Yes, sir.
George: And stay out of the Middle East ! Just get me the guy at the U.N.
Condi: Kofi.
George: All right! With cream and two sugars. Now get on the phone.

Jaleo

Jaleo means commotion.. It's pronounced as haleo, it's a Spanish word and it’s also one of my favorite songs by Ricky Martin.

I had so many confusions in mind that’s when I remembered this song. (Commotion in heart - the theme based on which the song was written)

My heart started to sing the song without much interest. Firstly, I dint know the entire lyrics because it was all Spanish. Secondly, I wasn’t very happy when I sang that and finally, the song dint suit the situation. Then I began to think, I just thought to take a closer look at what’s happening around me and why I’m sad.

I asked myself, what’s happening??? The answer was "NOTHING", nothing at all. At least I was sure that nothing was happening my way.
I wasn't doing any good to myself and to the others around. I have become dumb. I wasn't productive in whatever I did. It’s ok now, I mean the time when I started writing this blog, still uncertain about how much I recovered from this jaleo.

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My life was like two sides of a coin, Head and Tail.

"Head" was the real me, it contains the characters that i portray to the outside world. "Tail" was a strange one; it was full of hidden secrets!!
Secrets? I had so many silly stuff that I don’t share with the others. Secrets remain secret to one set of ppl I knew; it may/may not be a secret to the others. Eg: I freak out with friends sometime, but I don’t tell all that to my parents. I love my parents and they love me. But the thing was, whenever I tend to avoid this "Tail", they both turned weird.

Eg: 90 on 100 times I go home late because I went to a coffee pub and 99 on 100 times my parents would be angry at least until I say the reason why I was late. In these situations, to tell or not to tell truth was my choice. If I tell truth (i.e. to avoid tail) they turn weird because they- not they both but my dad- dint trust me. He always suspects that I roam around with a guy all evening, whenever I come late. He never admitted this to me straight, but would ask numerous questions. My dad used to impose all his imagination to my mom (without my knowledge). My mom's very innocent, she'd believe everything (if reinforced on and on).

Dad: (with angry face) yen late? (The time would be just around 8 o' clock)
Me: (tensed) vella poinden
Dad: Phone panni sollitu poga koodadha?
Me: illapa time aagumnu theriyadu adhan (Moving in to keep my things in the study, my mom is sitting in the dining room and I sit opposite to her)
Mom: enga poinda?
Me: Bharani, Sarenya oda coffee day poindenma.. adunaala dhan late aaiduchu... inniki orunaal dhan ma please..
Mom: Yedukku dedeernu vella ponenga?
Me: Illama romba bore adichidu adhunaladhan
Mom: Seri inniki oru naal paravailla... inime vella pona munnadiye solliduma pls...
Me: (lil relieved) ok... sollidren ma
Now my dad closes the main door and comes in

Dad: enga ponna nee? (Still angry)
(He sits next to me, staring at me)
Mom: Friends oda vella poindalam.. inniki oru naal dhan
Dad: Friendsaa ennda friends?
Me: Friends na Bharani, Sarenya dhan.. verayaaru?
Dad: Oru Phone pannarthukku onnaku evlo neyram aagum?
Me: illa pa ivlo neyram aagumnu theriyaadu
Dad: Seri adellam right.. dedeernu edukku inniki vella ponenga moonupeyrum?
Me: (with pale face) chumma dhan pa ponom
Dad: Chumma ipdidhan vella povengala? (Raises his voice)
Mom: Seri... vidungo.. paavam inniki oru naal dhana..
Dad: Nee chumma irru.. ennaku idellam konjam kooda pudikala
Me: Seri....... vidunga.. Sorry inime naan engayum pogala.. (Getting up and heading to another room to change my clothes...)
Dad: (keeps mumbling to my mom) olunga veetuku vanda enna? ipdi dhan oorasuthitrupaangala...
Mom: seri.. vidungo..
(Inside the room... I start crying)
Dad: Konjam kooda sari kadayadhu... (Leaving the place)
Me: (Coming out) amma.... naan enna thuppuma panniten... ivlo kelvi kekarenga? neeyum appavoda senduta illa? enna nambave maatengala?
Mom: Seri. vidu.. onngappa ipdidhan.. Deepava koda ipdi dhan pannuva.. Deepa thirrupi nanna thituva.. nee chumma irruka adhan difference. Nee varrathukkula kathinde irrunda...

Me to my dad (after sometime): ennapa yen mela nambika illaya?
Dad: nambika thumbika ellam illa Savitha.. kaalam romba kettu kadaku.. onnum sollrathuku illa... (Other way of saying he doesn’t trust me)

This was just an example.. Though my dad never asked me whether I hang out with a guy or doing anything wrong (wrong – from his perspective) I always had a feeling that he suspected me. So, i always got screwed whenever I avoided tail. So I told numerous liessssssss

Same situation – The tail way

Dad: (with angry face) yen late?
Me: Bharani veetuku poinden.. naan sarenya, bharani sendhu oru project pannrom.. ma'am innike mudikka sonnanga, naalaiku print-out eduthu sumbit pannanam.. State-level competition... (Never allowing my dad to speak and moving in to keep my things in the study)

Then after explaining all this to my mom, dad enters.. (Not very angry, but confused)
Dad: enna dedeernu project???
Me: Ma'am inniku dhan sonnaanga... nalanikkudhan dead-line.. So adunaala anga poitom.
Dad: ohh.. ok.. Phone panni sollirkalamla.. bharani veetla dhan phone irruke
Me: illa pa.. konjam kuda time illa.. nyabagamum illa... project mudikanamnu orre tension.. (Getting up and heading to another room to change my clothes)
(With this both my mom and dad would become alright and stop interrogating me)

In Head.. All the three of us weren't happy. But would always leave them suspect me more whenever I come late in future. In Tail, both of them weren't unhappy.. (I don’t say they were all that HAPPY). But I felt terribly SICK that I never even had that courage to face reality.

Reality? To hell with it.. It always left me in deep shit. So, I always call all my lucky angels when I go home late!!

Suspicion was the word I hated in English, (ennaku Englishla pudikada orre vartha..... Sandegam) it made me go mad, it spoilt relationships. Till date, I have kept so many stupid things away from my parents. I couldn’t blame my dad completely for this; it was also because of me and my stupidity. I only gave room to all this. I should have stopped my dad in the beginning and should have made it clear that I would be a good girl from his stand point. I thought I shouldn’t suspect anyone. The funny part was my dad never knew that i was terribly hurt because of him.

I hardly go by "the-tail-way" with my friends.. But then we had our own limitations.

Imagine the plight of ppl who are like "Open Book"?? If I suddenly decide to open up all things I had in tail side.... I would be a deserted kid!!
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I dint like to have these two sides, I jus wanted to have one... I mean I just wanted to be myself. I dint want to carry so many little secrets in heart. It made me SICK..... Terribly SICK!! (Chicungunya vanda madri!! hahaha)

ahh!!.. Coming back to jaleo..
* I was idle almost all time at office.. Doing nothing.
* I wasn’t talking properly at home.
* Not reading books.. Not learning anything. I felt like a waste...

These were jus small things. Let the big thing be unwritten.
-----I felt like a likely-to-be-deserted woman!!

I got hurt last Saturday... had a tough time. So many things I have to get rid of all this...

Firstly, to find another job
Secondly, to talk to ppl at home properly.. with patience
Thirdly, to read books
And, finally, to continue my vrath (viradam)

The relationship between jaleo and head/tail scenario remains in “tail” side!! Varrta!!

Appettu!!