Adventure Trip 1 -India Tour: May 2007

This blog has a special significance out of all. It brought me heaps of joy being with my friends after a long time.We had planned this trip very much before 3-4 months even before my plans for visiting india.I should thank my buddy Ramesh for organising this excellent trip. This trip fulfilled my long time desires of visiting wildlife parks and trekking experiences.

Waynad Jungles

Day 1:(May 10th 2007)
We started on a cool morning on 10th May from Udumalpet, a town from Coimbatore district in the early hours with Ramesh, Badri and Dinesh whom i knew through Ramesh. we had a white

Santro Xing we reached Mysore by afternoon where we were joined by 3 more guys in a Ford Icon including Ramesh's bro Raj kumar.The other guys were Dinesh and Arun. We had a small intro and got into our business.....LUNCH! We had our stomachs full in a bunglow turned hotel in Hunsur.Next we started off to Nagerhole, a wild life park around 45 kms from Hunsur. The place was scenic and we were warned not to use music as well as horns as we were into the wild habitats. We expected some animals to be spotted but unfortunately it was damn hot and not a single soul to be seen. We reached Nagerhole at around 3pm,we were issued tickets for a forest ride through the deep jungle. A 15 seater van took us into the jungle.We saw deer, deer and many deers. The deers we so bold that they did not run away after seeing the loud van. They were found in large herds. we returned back to the dorm after an hour as it was getting dark. we had some fun chat together and we had a cook who was preparing chicken curry for our dinner. Someone asked me to go out of the dorm to fetch something.I opened the door and Lo!!It was pitch dark and i was not able to see anything at all literally. No lights and not even moonlight.I used the search light and focussed on some bush nearby only to see hundreds of eyes gleaming The deer herd was gazing nearby quitely.It was thrilling enough to send a chill on my spine. we had a lovely dinner together and hit to bed.

Day 2:(May 11th 2007)

Next day we go up early and hit to the car by 9am. We went to Waynad, Kerala which was a few kms away from Nagerhole. We planned a forest trip on a jeep and set off deep into the forest. we were not very lucky enough this time as we were able to see deers, deers and deers. We were able to catch a close glimpse of a wild Squirrel,which has a magnificient bushy tail. This trip was for an hour and we were back again on our car to Iruppu falls.It was a bit of a dense walk into the forests. Ramesh and myself were not too comfortable to get into the ice chill water.The others had a splendid time on the natural showers. We had a couple of heart felt laughs when Ramesh's bro slipped twice at the same place but was safe enough to get back.Then it was time to hit for lunch in a place called Sultanpathre. By the time we started it was almost 3pm. We started to enter TamilNadu border through the Ghat road which was through a forest road. we were advised to drive bit slow than normal due to animals that are supposed to cross the road. We did encounter a herd of eliphants which were just across the main road.

They were harmless as they were in herds. Luckily we did not sight a loner which is said to be the dangerous on such roads. We entered Mudhumalai finally during sunset. All we could see was some deer herd and some wild buffalows. We then arrived to a Forest Officer's office at Masinagudi to get the permission letter to stay in the forest guest house. The officer being a friend had n qualms giving us the"GO" sign.It was an old guest house which was built in early 1920s.We did some grocery shopping in Masinagudi before reaching the guest house.We all were a bit tired but were ready to go for a night ride. We had quick dinner which almost dozed us off. But we started our night ride in just one car.It was around 11:30pm. We started for the adventurous night ride. We had a forest ranger as a security with us. we did not find anything interesting. Then came the dangerous episode. All of a sudden our Ford ICON engine turned off. Immediately we could find some strange oud sounds near by. Since it was too dark, we tried to use search light. To our horror we were in the midst of a herd of elephants on the road side. The moment the head lights got OFF, the elephants could view us clearly I used the search light to see a elephant charging at us at just 5-7 feet. It was trying to get down off the road. All of a sudden we could see another angry tusker charging from back of the car.Our hearts were on our mouth. In sudden presence of mind, Rajkumar who was driving, started the car and zoomed off from the place. We still could not believe that we escaped. we reached our guest house and hit to bed only to be flooded with elephant dreams.

Day 3:(May 12th 2007)
Then came the next day. None would forget this scary, memorable, tiresome day in their life. We all got up bit late as we hit to bed late. The day was bit scorching. The forest jeep came to pick us for a ride.We all started by almost 10:30am which was very late from our plan.
we travelled through some rocky roads which really did not have any path in particular. Finally our driver left us on a high cliff. Now our trekking started which was deep below. There was a temple in the middle of the forest which was totally 5kms from the top of the cliff. We started exactly at 12 which was so sunny for the day.Only big blunder was we did notcarry water. On the way deep down the rocky passage we could see some elephant trails which brought a chill down on our spine. Hearts started beating bit fast when we saw some fresh elephant waste. It was bit difficult for us as we did not have a recent trekking experience.The forest staff who accompanied us gave us one more shock that he did not bring weapons for safety. He said we all started late as this time being too hot, animals will come to the river to quench their thirst.
We had reasons to get scared as we all need to cross the stream to reach the jungle temple. Ramesh became bit furious as we were not in a mood to risk our lives. Finally we made up our mind. Come what may we started towards the stream.We saw a bison which was so huge in size.We were about to cross the river when we heard a deep growl nearby. Thats it! we thought
of getting back as we did not even have a weapon. We saw a leapord or cheetah some 50 feet away but it just vanished into the bushes.We all started praying our favourite gods to get back safely. We finaly crossed the stream which was so muddy.We reached the temple finally.
It was bit scary as we were totally surrounded by forest and we started imagining if we came across any wild animal and the nearest place to hide.We started back after spending some time. By the time the sun was on top of us and it was so hot. I almost knocked the doors
of heaven as the sun was too much for me.Finaly it took us 2-3 hours to climb back to the jeep waiting for us. Since we called for help, a forest ranger came with his staff to aid us. Since I was so drowsy and head spinning, they caught hold of me and took me to their vehicle. Finally we reached the guest house and all guys were served lemonade which brought our lives back. We took a small nap and had lunch. I was still tired but was really excited that we were leaving the place. Then around 3pm we started off to Ooty through the Mudhumalai road and reached Sterling Group of Hotels at Elk Hill around 6pm. We did not wander much in the same evening. Ramesh's parents had also come to meet us. That day Ramesh and myself, the two
great cooks(!!!!!!) decided to risk the guys lives with our cooking. It was wonderful experience as we tried to cook the dish with available resources we had.We hit to bed after receiving one more member Ganesh. It was such a memorable moment as we all guys were together after 4 years.

Day 4:(May 13th 2007)

Next day we started late after having lots and lots of chat with Ganesh and we started to Pykara dam. It was almost afternoon when we reached there. We had lunch and did not visit much places and set back to the hotel. We played cricket on a tennis court which aroused curiosity for many tourists who were our audience. It was fun playing cricket after 2 years. We had dinner early and had lots of chat sessions which were never ending. We bid adieu to Ganesh as he had to leave next day early morning.

Day 5:(May 14th 2007)

We kick started our day early enough and set to wonderful places which I never had visited in my life time. For people Ooty means just, Boat house, Botanical garden and Pykara. We decided not to venture into these places so early. We started off to Avalanche, Emerald and Upper Bhavani. These places almost awed us as looked like places in New zealand. Surprising that these places were not much known to tourists as lack of transport. Luckily we had our own vehicles to explore such areas.We arrived to a dam in upper Bhavani where powershut down is regular after 6pm. Just candle lights in a forest bunglow made us excited. Unfortunately we
decided to leave as another guy Arun had to board the bus to chennai the same evening. We rushed back in time and send him off. We had seafood dinner at a "very good" chinese restaurant. Cant forget the bearer who fooled us with the bill and also Badri who was backing him. It was fun any way. We hit back to bed after cleaning the kitchen.

Day 6: (May 15th 2007)

Today being the last day of the powerpacked tour, we had to leave the hotel early. Default destinations like Boat house and Botanical garden were left out for the day. Reached the Boat house and waited a long time to get the pedal boats. We all had a wonderful time making fun of each of the guys while pedalling. We spent around 2 hours there and sped to the botanical garden. Marvellous would be so small a word to describe the beauty of different flowers displayed from different parts of the country. No wonder we had our camera guns working all day. It was almost evening when we decided to start the journey back to Coimbatore. We reached back safely.

The tour was one of the memorable moments in my life as we had encountered many things including danger. My friends still curse me for being always available on the most wonderful thing in the world--MOBILE PHONE. Overall, good time management and planning helped us a lot in visiting all places. Thanks to Ramesh and his
bro Rajkumar for letting this happen. Wish to plan one more soon.....................

The Living Legend:Kamal Hassan

It would be unfair of me if my blog passes without a single trace of the living legend Kamal Haasan. Recently Mumbai based UFO Digital Cinema Company has announced "contemporary living legend of the year 2007" to our great Universal hero. Though it is a rare honour which was awarded to Amitabh Bachan, Lata Mangeshkar, Dilip Kumar and few more previously, I feel its a bit late to bestow the honour to him. He is the only actor to have a record number of awards in his name. 171 awards in the lifetime spanning 47 years is extraordinary to hear. Though I share the same birth date as this legend, I always had a passion for his movies. His dedication towards his most lovable profession, CINEMA and his struggle to raise the par of Indian movies( not to say Tamil movies!) to an international level has always amazed me.

There once came a time when he almost refused to accept any more awards as his house was already flooded with many. Recently he was titled "Doctorate" by the Satyabama Deemed University for his passion for his work. Kamal, the humble person he is, said "Iam a illiterate person who has never crossed high school and this title has moved me to tears". He is the one person who does not make business out of his profession. He does not invest his money in any other field but Cinema. Being amidst actors who invest their "hard earned" money in real estate, complexes, theatres, marraige halls, Kamal stands out of the blue.

He is the very few actors who have acted and mastered all south indian languages and of course Hindi! There was a time where no south indian actors were well recognised in Bollywood. Kamal carved a niche for himself acting with all leading actors of his time, even with Big B.

His national awards count only 3 but people who have watched most of his movies will defintely feel he was worth many. His experimental films though bombed at the box office has always earned him "A" class audiences. His movies are no longer a commercial film. It started to teach the nuances in film making to young film makers. Each film he makes is very much different from his previous ones. He always says he wants to make a better film than his last film released, but truth is all his movies shine in their own way. Few films which did not make big were "Guna", "Anbe Sivam". Though he started as a dance assistant in early 70's he went on to play the lead roles, singing, screenplay, lyrics, story,choreography, direction, production which no other actor can just imagine. His dance talents came to limelight in movies like "Salangai Oli", "Punnagai mannan" which deserved National award obviously. Though he is an atheist, his "Anbe Sivam" came up with a different theme about love for God. He has shared his screen presence with many leading heroes like Rajnikanth, Shah rukh Khan, Amitabh Bachan, Rishi kapoor, Jayaram,Prabhu, Madhavan.

His on screen chemistry with his lead ladies is always worth mentioning. His combination with Sri Devi in yester years always made the cash registers ringing. Though he said to have more proximity over his heroines, he has always done it on the script's request. One of the few films is the suicide attempt in "Punnagai Mannan", "Mahanadhi" which needed those scenes for the story. Whatever controversy he is in, he always cares a damn and lives his life for himself rather than pretending. He is different from heroes who play heroes in "reel" life and extremely otherwise in "real" life. He has made remakes of other language films which is worth mentioning like "kuruthi Punal", "Vasool Raja MBBS" which were from hindi movies "Drohkaal" and "Munna bhai MBBS" respectively. The original director Govind Nihalni of "Drohkaal" appreciated the tamil version as "the remake which was original". Beside doing serious movies he has made many people's jaws relocated due to rib tickling comedy flicks like "Michael Madana Kama Rajan", "Tenali", "PKS", "Pancha thanthiram". His non-speaking film"Pesum Padam"(Pushpak) which made the talking made him showcase his versatile talent.

His first experimental movie was "Rajapaarvai" in which he played a blind man falling for a girl made people raise their eyebrows anxiously. His body language in each film changes according to the role he plays. His pain taking efforts for make up in "Indian"/"Hindustani" and "Avvai Shanmugi"/"Chachi 420" in which he played as a old patriot and a 60 year old woman!. For his movie "Alavandhan" he went on to get a commando training from army officers for his role in the film. He increased his body mass like a hulk for the same movie which has another psycho character which was amazing. One of the mysteries in Indian movies is still left untouched is the role of a dwarf he played in "Aboorva Sagothargal". And not to forget "Nayagan" which is a trace from "The God father" and which fetched him a National award. It was rated as one in 100 best movies of the century by the Times Magazine which is a rare honour for an Indian film. He is the first hero to convert his fan clubs to welfare clubs which still goes strong with many followers.

He has acted under almost all leading directors from Bharathiraja, K.Balachander, Mani Ratnam, Shankar, K.S Ravikumar, Singeetham Srinivasa rao, Sundar C, Charan, Suresh Krishna, P.C Sriram and himself!

His upcoming movie "Dasavatharam" is yet another milestone in which he plays 10 roles which is a record yet to be broken by any other actor. Surprisingly each role was given special attention such that he is not recognised by anyone initially. His starvation as a "Perfectionist" will be broadcasted in his big budget dream "Marudhanayagam". This movie still lying under the cans due to financial issues was inaugrated in mid 90's by none other than the British Queen which is a rare feather in his career cap. I wish I could see him doing more movies though is already more than 50. His works which was once not appreciated initially will certainly do the talking after a few years as Kamal is a legend who makes movies racing time. I wish the Thespian for the recent award for "Living Legend" which is a worthy and heart felt contribution to this Great Person!.

Movie Review:
The Pursuit of HappYness:

One of the memorable movies that will linger my heart forever.An excellent heart breaking performance from Willy!Kudos for that. This was one of the true life depicted stories Will has acted after ALI. This movie is all about Chris Gardner, a struggling salesman who tries hard to sell bone density scanners for a living. His wife, desperate about the life works on a double shift for running the family. Chris has an eye on becoming a stock broker through an internship, which is difficult for a person like him. Due to this his wife leaves him along with the kid. Will fights back and gets back his son, played by Jaden Smith, Willy's real son. He has to be appreciated for his commendable performance matching his dad. Willy through hard work starts to prepare for the internship. He is forced to leave home with Jaden. His days become more miserable when he gets jailed for his car in non-parking area. His bank accounted gets empty due to tax seizures adding much misery. One such a time he stays in a toilet of a railway station for a night which shakes you altogether as he cries for the first time, having his kid sleeping beside him. He always wonders how the people around him can be so happy and he feels out of the blue. Willy has sported a different get up for this movie which exactly suits him as a struggling middle class man. He attends his internship interview straight from the jail with shabby clothes and makes the interviewers look at him so weird. There are a few good moments shared by the father and son regarding English vocabulary. Its like a gentle wind in a struggling life of Chris Gardner. The meaning of "possibly" and "probably" by Willy and the instance by son Jaden is funny and excellent.

Finally the day comes when he becomes a stock broker. Willy has surely excelled in his acting skills from previous movies. An absolute example being the last 2 minutes of the movie. His eyes turning wet after hearing the good news. The movie ends up when Will joins the happy people band on the streets on whom he wondered about their Happiness. It then becomes his HappYness!!!!! A movie not to missed and worth a watch.

The Long Drive for My Graduation Ceremony:
I was packing my baggage on Friday December 15th to Sydney from Melbourne Southern Cross Railway Station. I arrived in the last few minutes to the station. Thanks to the excellent "right time" driving by my friend karthik. It was my other friend Preethi who helped me get to the train I need to board. This was my first long travel on a train to another city. I arrived in Sydney for the first time next morning at 7am. Nattu alias Natraj picked me from station to his place. I had high notions of Sydney before I landed in there. I was bit down after seeing the railway station and the nearby places. It did not strike any difference between Chennai or Mumbai and Sydney. I liked Melbourne much not because I moved in there currently.

Graduation day-Adelaide,December 20th 2006

My previous blog about Melbourne stands up prior to Sydney. Over population has created such a thought in my mind. I had a great breakfast with Uppma and yogurt prepared by Vinodha, Nattu's fiancee.The same day Hari or Harry(to his colleagues) or Nari(to me alone!) drove from Wollongong to Sydney to pick me in his brand new car Holden VIVA(not to forget the name!). We had a great lunch at Janani Restaurant, a Srilankan Cuisine which had specialist cook for Dosas. Finally said goodbye to Nattu and started with Hari to Wollongong. We reached there by 2 hours. It was a beautiful town across the Pacific belt with not much population. Hari was buzy with his official stuff and I stayed in this beautiful town for couple of days. Then on Monday the journey began. We both drove to Canberra(my first ever visit to the Capital city). I was not able to view the Parliament as it was dusk. We reached it by 11pm. Gary or Giridharan or Guitar joined us from there. It was back again with the same old friends. Both guys drove the entire 15 hours with a couple of breaks. We had a gala time mocking each other and cherishing the old memories when we all shared landing in Australia 2 years back. The road was dry and was such a hot day springing up to 40 degrees.By the time we reached Adelaide, our hub it was around 2 pm on Tuesday. It was fun to meet all the old buddies and stayed in our good old home. My room was now shared by the new inmate friends. Anand and Prakash were the ones who were expecting us, mainly Hari.

Next day was The Day for us. It was a "funny" and "cool" experience wearing all black suits and gowns on a very hot day. Thiru the professional Photographer did not let our spirits down and took marvelous pictures on the most important day of our life.

Special thanks to him. We actually owe him more. "singam" Prakash was posing with all the graduation awards evoking laughter around. Trust me! We miss all those fun times we spent the whole week. We all returned back with heavy hearts after the whole week. Even I postponed my travel once to be with them. Now getting back to the normal life, makes me feel nostalgic. At times we need a special boost up at every quarters of our life like this. Though it was short, was a memorable one.

My First Australian Interview:

This was one of the blogs I was yearning to pen for long. But finally today was the day which met my utter desires. My previous blog about moving to Melbourne was justified by this blog today. My first Australian interview at Melbourne was not much of hype but I was bit excited about getting through it. Though this position was totally different from the technical stuff I gained from the universities. My interview was on for about an hour which comprised of 5 -6 questions which focussed on my previous customer service experience. I knew I would get through it easily. And finally I received the call for confirmation. My training was for 4 days and it was fun nothing much to add. Knowing about the company's offers and way to speak to customers were the main highlights. My first day was very smooth. The authentication systems awed me. Each consultant were given a fobe key which has a 6 digit number running in it randomly. It changes each minute and we should pop the digits when it changes. This was for security purposes.

A week passed and I found myself comfy in dealing with the atmosphere friendly people. If I had issues I had people who would come to my rescue. They are called SMEs. Quite number of them.I could see Indian guys doing well in the role of SMEs and Team Leaders. Sometimes I do encounter "respectful" customers who have the "F" word coming out 8 of 10 words. I learnt to be patient and my temper was tested couple of times. My accent being asian is different for the Aussies and gradually I developed to speak English in a way they could not ask, "I'm Sorry!" or "Pardon me". Hope to stick on to the job till a right one strikes my way. Its been just 2 weeks and I think I feel a bit bored about doing the same job again. But I had to gain some experience too. Hoping for the best in the near future.

Melbourne For Good:

Melbourne: A bird's view

Time has taken a fast run these days may be as per my view. Now time has come to start a new dimension of life. Adelaide has been my initial hub for my entry into Australia for the past 2 years. Now its Melbourne's turn to give me a break. Or call it break my head. Life in Adelaide has been too slow which made me taking my career break a bit slow than usual. Its only in Melbourne Iam able to realise the value of time. Between lost in the midst of crowd in Melbourne, I wonder the low profiled and populated Adelaide has always kept me at bay. The vast city infrastructures has made me liking the city. I could see scores of Indian people compared to Adelaide. Never seen such a busy and happening crowd in the past two years. I was baffled by the tall buildings. Trams play a vital role in the city's transportation. Unlike Adelaide which had a couple of trams and were so punctual. I was pondering over the decision I made by coming down to Melbourne leaving my dear Adelaide. But as I believe that Survival of the Fittest can suit any place. Eventually I do get updates from Adelaide and its happenings from lots of friends. Sometimes I recollect the nostalgic moments I shared with my friends when we first arrived in Australia in 2004. Everything seemed different and we felt lost. Some guys even packed their bags the very next day fearing of survival. It lasted for a few months and now its gone. I thought I would feel the same when I land in Melbourne but Lo! this was too fast for me and I could strike the resemblence with Mumbai or Chennai.

Just last week I got the shocking updates of Indian students being attacked by local people. This racial behaviour has arised some sparks throughout Australia through the media. This happend in a "primitive"indian student community/suburb called Enfield where I used to stay. This was not common as we friends too faced such issues before. Our house was targetted mainly because we were asians. Our window panes were crashed by some mob who hurdled some pebbles or stones at the glass windows. This happened continously for 2-3 times in a week's time. We did not fail to inform the local police who cooly ignored the issue by replying that they cant send a patrol for protecting a mere 5-6 guys at that time of the night. I was so perplexed at the situation and so were my friends. But slowly the issue died down in the midst of our schedules. Now, this recent attack has a lot to count for. Two students were attacked brutally and their face was crushed. Those guys are admitted now in the hospital recovering. The Australian Government earns its revenue mainly by the overseas students and Indian students have a lion's share in it. So protecting international students is an absolute necessity. If the Government fails to take any security steps it will lose its major revenue obtained from the asian students. Flash updates from friends say that those guys are recovering and eye bleeding has stopped for one of the students. One of the local social organisation has taken responsibility to pay all the medical bills for those students. Its really a heart warming gesture inspite of the happenings. Hope no such incidents occur in future.
Melbourne which promises to be the"the place to be" is a such a happening city in the small state of Victoria. Since it is densly populated security measures are taken care of. Hope this justifies my take off from Adelaide. I would be much happy if I had a chance to return back to Adelaide, my favourite place in Australia. Even the locals awe at me when they knew Iam from Adelaide. They claim it to be the peaceful place on earth. Hope the Government takes some serious steps regarding that and give a new leash of life to international students and make them sigh for relief.

The Aftermath

It is always a pleasant feeling we would like to cherish over the past time, may be days, weeks, months or years. Not all have a feel good memory over the past. Some still haunts us while some vanishes as time flies by. After spending more than a couple of years in an alien country(not really though now!) like Australia I could very well feel time has changed my nature, attitude and my thoughts. Living alone away from our dear family has made us lead a life all together. Things that I have learnt here is plenty apart from my university studies. Have never ever spent money so conditionally ever before. Learnt the true value of money here. Many of my friends who have started earning their first penny feel happy managing their own living. At times back at home in India, I have wondered why dad and mum object me in talking in phone with my friends for hours. The same which I followed here cost me money which I had to earn all by myself. Some time I can help feeling proud of earning while I study which I had never done in India.

One thing my friends here and myself can boast of is by living all by ourselves.Self cooking has taught us to save money and spend it within the restricted budget which cannot be followed in India. Sometimes it is a really lazy job but most times it is fun cooking along with friends. Now we can be overlooked as modern day "Nalan". Many have turned to be excellent cooks totally part from their professional studies. A weird feeling in India which even I had when I was there was, "Foreign country is a land of oppurtunities: everything very much aristocratic: colourful ambience:most important "money trees grown in each backyard". Phew!! I tried to explain some friends and relatives that its not the reality we face here. None believe that. Even my picture sent with a scenic background or at a beach creates waves like, " Hey! look at the picture, this guy is enjoying a lot and struggles to spend his dollars, look at that...look at this".

I used to smile while I hear the comments and when shared with my friends here, it obviously erupts a guffaw. These pictures are sent to the family to make them feel happy about us and gives them some hope that we are happy. We still need to earn our bread(not just spend from the money trees from backyard).

Friends have always changed my lifestyle in all quarters of my life. I have seen people running after money and also people rushing to help their needy friends. Has the change of country corrupted the mind? Has friendly relations just an eyewash? People shed away from people as money becomes a major part of life. Each hour is considered important. I could differentiate between people here and people in India. Both being friends, I could see myself inclined to friends in India. One thing that can be fished out of controversy is EXPECTATIONS. Even I expect a lot from my friends. I feel bad if my expectations fail. Each person trying to outdo the other person inspite of being a friend. Can I call it a healthy competition in India? Yes! I can. But I can call the "J" factor here. J=Jealousy. Other one is "expect the unexpected". I am very happy and proud of my friends who are the greatest support for me. As a coin has two sides, same is with friends here. Iam always blamed for being so emotional and sensitive. But it has helped me to be a close friend to many of my friends. Its my strength as well as weakness. It has kept my relations alive till now.

This blog defintely is not a personal outburst of my feeling. Its the same for each friend living outside India. All this urges me to rush towards my dearest country. But My commitment pauses me. Still long way to just think about return. But waiting always fascinated me. It still is. One thing is sure. The world has become Survival of the Fittest. It will still be the same in the forthcoming years. Gearing up with confidence, I wish all my fellow friends to attain their dream goals.

The Art of Letting Go......

This was the best ever article I have ever read before. Please spend some time on it. You will feel relieved.

Dr. Alan Zimmerman's Comments:

Sooner or later, everyone you know will disappoint you in some way. They'll say something or fail to say something that will hurt you. And they'll do something or fail to do something that will anger you. It's inevitable.

Unfortunately, you make things worse when you stew over someone's words and deeds. When you dwell on a rude remark or an insensitive action made by another person, you're headed for deeper problems.

In fact, the more you dwell on these things, the more bitter you'll get.

You'll find your joy, peace and happiness slipping away. And you'll find your productivity slowing down as you spend more and more time thinking about the slight or telling others about it. Eventually, if you don't stop doing it, you'll even get sick.

So what should you do the next time someone betrays you?

TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR YOUR FEELINGS.

Even though the other person may be at fault, even though the other person wronged you, you are still responsible for your own feelings.

In other words, other people do not "cause" your feelings. You choose them.

For example, two different people could be told that their suggestions made at the staff meeting were "stupid and idiotic." One person may "choose" to feel so hurt that he never speaks up at any other meeting again. The other person may "choose" to feel sorry for the critic, sorry that the critic couldn't see the wisdom and necessity of her suggestions.

As long as you blame other people for your feelings, as long as you believe other people caused your feelings, you're stuck. You're a helpless victim.

But if you recognize the fact that you choose your feelings and you are responsible for your feelings, there's hope. You can take some time to think about your feelings. And you can decide what is the best thing to say or do.

Then, you've got to learn to WALK AWAY FROM DISAPPOINTMENT. It's difficult to do, but it's possible. The famous 19th century Scottish historian, Thomas Carlyle, proved that.

After working on his multi-volume set of books on "The French Revolution" for six years, Carlyle completed the manuscript and took volume one to his friend John Stuart Mill. He asked Mill to read it.

Five days later, Mill's maid accidentally threw the manuscript into the fire. In agony, Mill went to Carlyle's house to tell him that his work had been destroyed.

Carlyle did not flinch. With a smile, he said, "That's all right, Mill.These things happen. It is a part of life. I will start over. I can remember most of it, I am sure. Don't worry. It's all here in my mind. Go,my friend! Do not feel bad."As Mill left, Carlyle watched him from the window. Carlyle turned to his wife and said, "I did not want him to see how crushed I am by this misfortune."

And with a heavy sigh, he added, "Well the manuscript is gone, so I had better start writing again."Carlyle finally completed the work, which ranks as one of the great classics of all time. He had learned to walk away from his disappointment.After all, what could Carlyle have done about his burnt manuscript?

Action:Identify two people that have disappointed, hurt, or angered you. If possible, select two people towards whom you still have some bitterness.

Then ask yourself, "How does my bitterness serve me?

Am I happier holding on to it?Do I sleep better?

Is my life richer, fuller, and better because of my bitterness?"

If you find that your bitterness is hurting you, make a decision.Actually decide to let it go.Walk away from the disappointment -- which means you no longer dwell on it or talk about it.

A Sad Demise!!!

I dont watch news so often. But yesterday evening I did only to find the news of " Crocodile Hunter" Steve Irvin being killed by a stingray. He was filming for a documentary and was involved in diving off Port Douglas.The man who was a brand ambassador of Australia and known to tame the world's deadliest species was killed while on such a expedition for a documentary. He was one of the greatest personalities representing Australia. His TV show "The Crocodile Hunter" is still being aired througout the world and he has a great fan following mainly kids.

Unlike other adventurers, Steve was a man in tune always with the dangerous environment. He tamed venomous snakes and Crocs as mere cats and dogs. Many objected his celebrity status for publicity stunt. But he went on to start a Zoo employing more than 500 people. He is survived by his wife and two children. He championed environmental projects like, "Steve Irvin Conservation Foundation" and "International Crocodile Rescue". His death news created ripples throughout the world. May this daring guy's soul Rest In Peace.

Movie Review: Vettayadu Vilayadu

"Vettayadu Vilayadu" or VV came out of the cans and hit the screens after a long time. Though the film sufferred some financial hitches at the instant, it continued to give a false promise on its release. Its been almost 6 months the movie was given final touches. Gautham and Kamal would be cursing their gods(of course Kamal wont) for too much hurdles on the way. If I am not wrong the movie hit the floors last July 2005 and hitting the screens almost took more than a year. Though "Mumbai Express", which was Kamal's previous film failed at the box office, VV promised a much more hype on its release.

Now coming to the review, I could not still understand what made kamal sign in this movie. Though his long time penance for different movies breaks a bit in this movie. I cant find anything different in this movie except the grandeur and US locales which are a major plus point. The camera work by Ravi Verman is excellent. Gautham has taken almost 3 years to give his next movie since his last film kaaka kaaka hit the screens. That movie won him accolades as well as for Surya. But that movie 's impact is still on Gautham and the hangover is still strewn in this movie. A few examples, the police officer in that movie plays a baddie in this movie. The heroine's name is the heroine's daughter's name. The flyover in chennai is the same in this movie, even the exact place too. What made the director go for this movie? Was it Kamal? Now the movie has opened big was because of kamal obviously. The director seems to gaze under kamal's glory. The music is undoubtedly good. I was expecting a taut screenplay in a cop movie, but really disappointed. Harris has experimented a bit for this movie and the songs "Vennilave" and " Uyirile" are melodious to hear. It is still ringing in the ears.

Kamal has underplayed his role as a DCP in this movie. The costumes he wears can only fit excellently for him. None can object it. Thanks to the director for having no duets and Kamal playing in 40 plus is acceptable. The matured love between Kamal and Jo is relishing. It may be new to tamil movie after "rhythm" showing post marraige relationships. Kamalinee, though a short role does justice to the role as Kamal's wife. She being a new face to tamil looks bubbly and promising. The whole movie lacks one thing. It is the kamal's instinct. Gautham has failed to the hype caused by the movie. He in trying to give a sleek entertainer has not explained clearly certain things which you would guess while watching the movie. Daniel Balaji acts as the baddie psycho path with his friend. He has done his part well except the same impact of Jeevan in Kaaka Kaaka. He shouts throughout the movie. Not too fearing as well. Usually Kamal has the name of ghost directing each film. But sometimes I feel he has not interferred in Gautham's. The movie lacks a bit of tempo in the second half. I still dont know why Gautham does not prefer a happy ending. He "kills" Jo in Kaaka Kaaka but in this film he kills both kamalinee and Jo. It has been a curse for Jo finally being killed in Gautham's movie. But in this movie its "almost " killed. As the baddie says " Killing spree" which would suit gautham on his heroines.

Movie Pluses:

Kamal, Harris for music, Ravi verman for camera.

Movie Minus:

Screenplay, slagging second half, a few more cannot be listed.

Undoubtedly not a kamal movie. Being an ardent fan of kamal I was disappointed. But the movie can be watched once.

Hello folks!!!

Iam back again from a hibernation period for almost a month....wat does a blog mean more than getting into hibernation often? I need to catch up with and stick to the rules rite??I was bit more interested in starting a THAMIZH blog soon but not getting the right tempo to start with...As a person from tamilnadu, I would rather blog in a language which iam very much comfortable with. Prior to the hibernation period I was happy about maintaining a blog which made me exhibit a few thoughts. Post hibernation I worry much and ponder over the issues not to drown in hibernation again. Its not always a positive stunt to dormant your blog for a while as you may disappoint your regular readers giving them a sudden screeeech... In that case I am fortunate to be a beginner or a blogger at the "intermediate" level or less than that to be precise. Hope I dont encourage myself much making the blog quiescent again.....

Movie Review : The Kid (2000)

This movie was not a recent one as the date counts back to 2000. I got to watch it just last week and IMO it was a great one. Though it is termed as "The Kid" it is not only for the kids. It has reality strewn throughout the movie. It sticks to the tagline "Nobody ever grows up quiet like they imagined". The movie categorizes under the comedy genre and promises a hilarious entertainer. I have missed it all these years and finally caught up with it last week.

Here the movie goes. Russell Morley(Bruce Willis) is a man approaching 40 is a popular Image Consultant who runs after time and money. His frigid attitude towards life is well potrayed by the director, Jon Turteltaub. One night he hears a babble of murmurs in his apartment and comes face to face with a 8-year old kid Rusty(Spencer Breslin). All of a sudden he finds that the kid is Russell himself at a young age. He remembers his name being Rusty during his earlyhoods. He realises that its not a phantasm as he expects it to be. The kid is a naughty kid who scores equally to Bruce Willis. He asks too many questions which are no doubt makes Russell to hate him at the instant. He as a kid had always dreamt of becoming a jet flyer but ended up as an popular Consultant to all celebrities. There are certain dialogues which arise laughter and thought provoking. Like the one the kid says, "How old are you?", "Iam turing 40 within a couple of days", says Bruce. The kid comments, "That...........is...........old". After realising about the happenings Russell gets crazy and yells at the kid, "Look!I dont have time to get crazy". One more is his assistant Janet asks Russell over the phone, "How are you and hows Mini-you?".The strange thing is all the other characters are able to "see" the kid which is not logical. One more dialogue which reserves in memory is when Rusty asks,"What happens between being me and becoming you?" is such a weird one but a good one. The kid finds that Russell does not have a dog, not committed till 40 and is not able to answer questions like "Why does the moon sometimes become orange?". Russell struggles hard to answer only to wear a frown on his face. The kid sighs, "I knew I am growing upto be a loser!".

The latter part of the movie finds Russell yearning towards the good part of life. He even finds himself after 30 years who is played by an "older" looking Bruce Willis who has a family, a dog and a jet. Within a second glance the kid disappears bringing an incentive smile on Bruce who concludes, "Now I know what to do".

Those who have not watched this movie just give it a chance. You are sure to love it. It runs roughly for about 1.5 hours and which is obviously a feel-good movie. Once the movie ends we could feel and remember "the Kid" in us. Good work by the movie team.

[Image Courtesy: Disney Pictures]

Black Tuesday

Today morning, many would have woken after a good night sleep. I had a very good one without knowing what had prevailed in the previous evening in Mumbai. Yes!The City is targeted again for raising communal violence. My heart struck in my throat after reading the news headlines in The Hindu.

[Image Courtesy:The Hindu]

The serial bomb blasts in the city's suburban trains have taken the death toll to 190 and wounded were recorded close to 450. The blasts started after 6.20pm in a suburban train from Churchgate to Borivali. Churchgate being one of the terminals for many suburban trains was targeted during the peak hour as most of the civilians take a halt or change to a different train from that terminus. Mumbai, being the commercial capital of India was targeted by some militant outfits to attract global attention. This Tuesday is a Black Tuesday for the people of Mumbai. There were totally 7 blasts out of which 4 were in the First class compartments which was located in middle to cause a major casualty. Since it was a monsoon day, police had a tough time locating the bodies due to the early darkness of the season. The next blasts were reported from Matunga, Mahim,Bandra, Borivali, Jogeshwari and Mira road.

My deep heartfelt condolences to the families of the deceased. I pray to God to give the family members the strength to bear the demise of their dear ones. Whoever involved in this brutal killings are condemned. Their act is trying to disturb the national integrity and weaving seeds of fear of the people of Mumbai. This terror act should be a personal grief for each INDIAN. We all should join hands and keep the militants a major setback by not spreading the communal violence like wild fire. Mumbai has already taken many blasts in its heart for the past couple of decades. Being indians our role is to remain united throughout this rough phase. Our country has to be saved from terrorism. Praying that no more such happenings would occur anywhere in the country following Mumbai.

[Courtesy: The Hindu]

The Home

I was wide awake at 7am. My eyes gazed through my bedroom window to be struck by the pale morning sunrays. Today is Monday. The day has come finally. My heart was beating with guilt each second. Am I doing wrong? or Am I right?. Just then the bedroom door creaked to open. Ramya, my wife entered with coffee. She was bit more happy today than usual and she pretended she was not. She tried hard to bring a gloominess in her face and failed. "Hope you remember what's today?", she asked. I looked her straight into her eyes. Her eyes could not meet mine and drooped down at the floor. "How can I forget? Today we need to send my mother to The Home for the aged". "I think we are running short of time and should start before 8am. Athai(mother-in -law) has just got up and gone for a shower. It is you to get ready soon. I have prepared breakfast specially made for her with all her favourites. Get up dear!".

I smiled to myself. My heart was heavy than usual. I got up. "Can we still reconsider the decision Ramya? She has no one except me. How will she be all alone herself without a moral support?". Ramya's face changed a bit pale. "Vishal! Do you think Iam happy in taking this decision? I know it is hard for you. But she has not changed a bit. You know the turmoil between us. You are busy with your office but I need to stay with her the rest of the day till you get back home. Her words prick me each time and I feel really bad. You have seen my mother and how silent is she in my brother Aravind's place. Not a complaint about her. Why can't your mum be like mine? By any chance I dont want to pick on Athai and that would hurt her. So better she is kept away for some time. She may realise her mistakes and call us again. Then I would be happy to take her back home. The place is not far and just a hour drive. We can visit her anytime we want. Moreover this is just for temporary. We spoke to her last week and she agreed for that and now why do you start it again?". Agreed???? Did my mum agree??Last week when we started this to mum, I could not see her face and was talking with my eyes on the ground. She was forced by Ramya to agree. I was helpless at the situation. My mum was gazing at me whether I would object. But of vain.

The same night after Ramya slept, I creeped to my mum's bedroom and sat by her feet to apologise. I tried to weep silently as possible cautioning never to wake her up. What if she has not slept? Yes! She was wide awake. She got up and sat beside me. I tried to look at her face but my tears found no barrier and my shoulders started shaking. However my mum's face was calm and she put her arm over me and smiled at me. This was really more unbearable. She patted me and said, "Dont worry! Everthing is for good. I know how you feel. Dont cry. Anyway The Home is not far off. You have promised me to visit me each weekend. That is enough for me. Iam not angry on Ramya. She is a young girl. Dont show hatred to her because of this. That would be a favor for your mother. Now get back and catch some sleep". My head started aching and somehow got back and hit my bed.

"Have you finished taking bath? It is getting late. Are you sleeping inside the bathroom"-Ramya. I came out and had my breakfast with mum for the last time. I know this would probably be the last time as I know Ramya's intentions of not having my mum back. This is not a temperory plan. I knew it. No one spoke anything over the dining table. Ramya was serving my mum very happily as she treats a guest. My anger rose but had to remain quiet. As usual I was not able to utter a word and see mum's face.

I started loading mum's luggages in the car's boot. My mum came out and heaved a heavy breath of sigh. She got in the car. Ramya sat in the front along the driver seat. I locked our home and started the car. After passing a few streets the car hit the Highway and the car sped towards North. Ramya turned back slowly, "Athai!We will visit you often and all necessary luxuries are made for you in The Home. You wont feel lonely as there are many people out there and you will feel a happy and calm environment". My mum calmly in turn, "Thank you very much Ramya" said that with an incentive smile. This pricked me more. That smile had heaps of meanings. Ramya did not know what to speak next and turned back. After a hour of travel we finally reached The Home. It was a beautiful place and a large building with just the ground floor. The garden was maintained beautifully and I could see some old people relaxing in the benches. They all rose up from their seats with curiosity to find their new inmate. We parked the car in the parking lot behind and carried all the luggages to the reception. Mum and Ramya followed me. The Receptionist smiled and greeted us and took the details and asked us to wait in the waiting room. Mum and myself moved slowly towards the waiting hall following my wife. Suddenly Ramya stopped, her eyes fixed on something. I was wondering what was that. I followed her eye trail and my heart almost stopped.

There sitting in the corner waiting room was Aravind, Ramya's brother, his wife Archana and their beloved mother. Aravind was speechless when he saw us all. My mum sat behind Ramya's mum who started to sob on my mum's shoulders. Aravind looked at Ramya who was still in a state of shock, "Ramya!Mum and Archana are not in good terms. I felt a little bit change would favor both and came to leave mum here for a few days. Just Temporarily!!!!

The End.
A Short Story.

[I know that many would feel the story as an very very old issue. But can anyone swear that the in-laws problems have ended completely?. Moreover the story being old wine in new bottle/(may be old bottle too). But this is almost a true incident and names involved are changed on purpose]

Orkut

I was introduced to this wonderful community a couple of months back. And truly amazing how many old friends I have lost touch for years were back in touch. I could realise that I was topping up my friends list day by day and was able to retain all their contacts through Orkut. Iam very much thankful for my friends who introduced it to me. But at the same time its a time consuming sweet poison. I hope my friends go with my stand. I almost lost a day on Orkut when introduced to me within a couple of days. My joy knew no bounds as I found friends whom I thought would never meet again my life. Slowly Orkut has become a part of my internet life along with emails, blogs, chat, movie reviews. I even found in a recent blog that the person who started this, Orkut Büyükkökten is a Turkish engineer working in Google is to become the richest person in the world by 2009 due to the bucks he earns for each person getting introduced and so on. But that is an amazing fact soon to become true in 2009. India is in third on the list on the number of users next to Brazil and US which is second(true!!!). I hope to find some more "lost" friends soon and push many into it. As the saying in Tamil goes, "Yaam Petra Inbam Peruga Ivvayagam"(meaning: the joy I received should be shared throughout the world).

Hello Everyone!!!
Welcome to my blog. I was yearning to start a blog for long and was pondering over which issue should i focus upon. I always had a passion for cinemas. Wait! Did i say cinemas??? hmmm I was right. I loved them on the technical grounds like the angles in cameras used and the type film rolls involved. One of passions I had was on photography in films. I would rather give a higher rating to the director of photography than the casting crew. One such legend I wondered the most was P.C Sreeram. I saw his recent interview in Vikatan. Man! he has an other side too. A person who loves to be silent and his films make the speaking. I wondered how come a calm guy like him went on to pull the box office with his Kuruthipunal. Music always plays a vital role in movies and producing a movie without a song is really a daring act. What else does he need when he had a stalwart working with him in the movie called Kamal Haasan. P.C's work in Alaipayudhe is still appreciated for the colours he painted in the movie. I had to watch the movie a couple of times especially the songs for his creative works and only then I dealt with the story. I did not realise that my first blog is turning to be a movie review!! I wanted to initiate something interesting and found my passion for fine arts very interesting. Thank you for spending time in pouring over my first post. Lets keep rocking!!!