C for Chennai

It’s been 9 months since I shifted to Chennai post marriage. And I have discovered some intriguing, some sweet, some surprising facts about this peaceful city.
I have compared Chennai to Mumbai in all possible ways because that’s what you do when ever you unwillingly shift to some place you don’t like from a distance. And then your feelings mould in ways the city treats you! I have started loving Chennai for its peaceful nature, in no hustle bustle routine life, its superb green environment and for the Horlicks Mysore paak I eat at Grand Sweets in Adyar!

So I thought I should write something about this city I adopted few months back. Our home is opposite to one of the renowned temples of Chennai, Padmanabham Temple, it has unruffled atmosphere around and inside. I am glad we got such a warm and comfortable place to dwell.
Here are some facts about the city which you won’t know until you live here!

Even people owning a Mercedes wear a lungi not a Gucci!
Traffic Police use walky talkies and are very considerate at least to the non Tamilians, they are not corrupt!
Rickshaw Drivers never use the proudly fixed meters, instead they charge money on god knows what basis!
Every road is shielded with lush green trees.
Many people perform sit ups in front of the deity as a form of Namaskar. Though I keep wondering why??
Almost all the localities can’t speak Hindi, though it’s our national language.
People eat rice for breakfast, lunch and dinner, if not rice then something made of it!
Rickshaw drivers carry people to the temple, wait outside till the particular person does his religious chores which could take more than 25 minutes and drive them back! Of course they charge money but assuming the patience of a rickshaw driver don’t you think its unbelievable!
There are more varieties of “Dosas” available in Mumbai than here! Guess who invented most of them ;p
All I could learn to say in Tamil after all these months is “Tamil Teriyaad”; it means I don’t know Tamil!!!

While I am still enjoying my stay in this city, I will add to my list facts that intrigue me and share with you all!

I am Tagged!!

Well I am tagged here by my cousin Nihit...actually lonnggg back....but never mind!
10 things I hate....phew....I ll have to give a real good thought on this!

1. Mondays ...I hate waking up on a Monday, I am sure many of you feel the same way!

2. Falling Sick for a long time....If I fall sick for a day or two I am having a great time, getting pampered my mom and now my hubby dearest...but if it extends.....I hate it :((

3. Staying Alone for more than a few hours....I am all excited initially if I have to stay alone at home...but within few minutes I hate it...:D

4. Rahul dravid....I know ppl might come and hit me for this...but I just hate him, his face is not a face of a winner.....he seems troubled to me all the time!! :((

5. Suneil Shetty.....I just hate to watch him! He is really dunb .....I know you all will agree!!

6. Interviews.....Though I have given many interviews till now...I am always shivering when the time comes!

7. Results.....I am more scared of the results than appearing an exam!

8. Himesh Reshamiya.....Who doesnt hate him...:)

9. Living away from home .....I am living in chennai...its not that I am not enjoying but am always looking forward to return ....:)

10. To lose something I love.....I am kind of a creless person and I tend to lose things...I can cry for those things for hours...and make everyone find it for me....I hate when it happens!!!

I have randomly written what rushed to my mind....ignore the order folks...;)

I tag.....
Nomad of http://diducee.blogspot.com/
Aneeket of http://aneeket.blogspot.com/
Shubha of http://chutkibharpyar.blogspot.com/
Messo of http://meesosweetandspicy.blogspot.com/

Sleepless in Seattle

Today morning I skipped office and decided to laze around at home.
Most naturally I switched on the T.V. hoping that a good movie features on HBO and I got hooked on to ‘Sleepless in Seattle’. I was totally amazed by the movie.
It is so subtly and carefully crafted movie.
Meg Ryan at her best. She is lovely, smart & foolish at the same time.
Tom Hanks as always, too perfect to be true, yet predictably ordinary! I adore him to death!
The movie is not too great with the story or the dialogues, but it takes you away with it.
The song , “Togther like a wink and a smile” in the background keeps you almost numb and surely leaves you with moist eyes.
I loved the movie....actually its also got the typical hindi film kind of flavour to it too.... a remake of it would be a super hit ....Aamir & Vidya Balan would give justice to the roles I guess....what say folks...? Wish I had some money...I would make the movie....lolzz....
Well.....all I will say is....Go watch if you havent!

My First Meme

1. Last Movie you saw in a theatre?
I saw “U Me & Hum”, it was again a copy of a Hollywood flick!!! And I kept thinking to myself, ‘If Shahrukh played the character of Ajay…it would have been a much better movie!!!” Hahaha…..

2. What book are you reading?
Well I am not reading any book currently….but I just finished reading ‘A thousand splendid suns’, by Khalid Housseni. It was an interesting book.

3. Favourite Board Game?
I love to play Carom!!! And cards too…though it isn’t a board game!

4. Favourite Magazine?
Well I don’t follow any Magazine to be frank, but I love to go through Woman’s Era, Femina and Inside Outside

5. Favourite Smell?
I would rather call it aroma or fragrance….hehe…..well I too love Petrol aroma o much that I feel like drinking it up!! And I like the smell of food….yummy food!!

6. Favourite Sounds?
I love the sound of Sonu Nigam’s voice!! And also Ghulam Ali Khan’s voice!
I love the sound of my husband’s voice.

7. Worst feeling in the world?
When my loved ones fall sick! That’s the worst feeling for me!

8. What is the first thing I think about when I wake up?
I think what sabzi to prepare in the Tiffin…hehe…

9. Favourite Fast Food Place?
In Chennai it’s ‘The Noodle House’

10. Future Child’s Name?
Well, I don’t want to disclose it so soon, because there is a lot of time before that happens! Hehehe…

11. Finish this sentence, “If I had a lot of money I would?”
I would decide it only when I get the money!

12. Do you drive fast?
Well I drive fast but safe too.

13. Do you sleep with a stuffed animal?
No. Earlier when till I was around 12 years old, I had a stuffed rabbit to give me company in bed. Hehehe…Not anymore!

14. Storms cool or crazy?
If the storm doesn’t cause danger, then I feel it’s totally cool!

15. What was your first car?
Pre marriage my father bought a Maruti 800, Post marriage we are still to buy one!

16. Favourite Drink?
Pinacolada

17. Finish the statement, “If I had the time I would”?
I would do just what I am doing right now, because I do have time for many things even today, it’s just that I don’t decide to do things really strongly!

18. Do you eat the stems of Broccoli?
Yes, I do!

19. If you would dye your colour what colour would it be? It would be reddish brown!! But I am not so brave to try it…hehehe…

20. Name all the different towns / cities you have lived in.
Not many, Thane & Chennai

21. Favourite sports to watch?
I don’t enjoy watching sports, but I like to give company to my husband to watch cricket and football, when he watches.

22. One nice thing about the person who sent this to you?
Hmmm….Laxmi is a very genuine person, very true at heart and caring.

23. Whats under your bed?
Nothing actually!

24. Would you like to be yourself again?
Yes very much, with a few corrected mistakes…hehehe…

25. Morning person or night owl?
I am night owl, I hate getting up early in the morning!!!


26. Favourite place to relax?
Home sweet home!

27. Over Easy or Sunny side up?
Both to be true, it depends.

27. Favourite Pie?
Apple Pie

28. Favourite Ice Cream Flavour?
I love strawberry and tender coconut!!! Wow!!!

29. Of all the people you have tagged, who is most likely to respond first?
I have no clue……really! Let’s wait n watch….hehehe…

I am tagging…..


Nishant Agarwal of http://specialpages.blogspot.com/
Aneeket of http://aneeket.blogspot.com/
Manpreet of http://meet-mann.blogspot.com/
Nihit of http://lvmk.blogspot.com/

'West View' - My all time favourite home!

My great grand father and my great grand mother built a house in the year 1942. They named it “WEST VIEW”, we are still trying to figure out why they gave an english name to it, though this name has already made a special place in our hearts.
Indeed one of the most beautifully crafted houses that I have ever seen in my life. It’s more than 65 years old today. It has a huge courtyard around it, though my father tells me that it was even bigger around 25 years ago, some area around the edge had to be given the government for road widening. The courtyard even after widening offers a well around 35 feet deep, trees of Mango, Peru, Papaya, blue berry, mulberry among fruits and other trees like Ashoka, Gulmohar surrounding it!
To me till date it has been a treasure land, I was always amazed by the fact that I had a home like no one else had!! All my friends shook their head in disbelief when I described my house to them. They experienced the richness of such houses only at their native place. I was the only one who shared a lovely huge ‘old world charm’ kind of mansion located right amidst the buzzing city life!
I stayed there for the first eight years of my life, and then I shifted with my parents & my brother to my father’s company quarters. But we visited our old home almost everyday. It wasn’t far away. In vacations I and my brother would spend most of our time there. My grandparents always insisted that we all cousins stay with them in vacations. We had a gala time, getting pampered by our grandparents, getting to eat all the fruits which were very much grown in our courtyard itself. I never remember wearing chappals while playing in the courtyard, though it was rough! Playing chor police, treasure hunt, lagori, dabba aispais, thikkar, carom and cards kept us busy. The courtyard was layered with cow dung in the morning; my grandparents along with others followed this chore every Sunday. It was followed by breakfast of delicious Kanda Poha! The fragrance of the cow dung (maybe there are a few people who hate it, but I love it) was really freshening! And believe me it’s not everyone’s cup of tea, it’s rather a piece of skill! Every tree had a fencing of bricks around it. The bricks were painted with reddish brown colour (geru) and rangoli was drawn around it! The well never went dry or even close to getting dry; we used the water for washing clothes, utensils and a lot of times on a Sunday, a great plan to swim in the well would be made. Some would prefer to be spectators. I was one of them. I loved the splash of water on my face when anyone jumped in the well! Some of the fat ones who jumped were always teased due to the volume of water splashed by them! After a nice swim, all of us were more than ready for a wonderful lunch comprising of aamras (mango pulp) and hot round purees!! Wow!! My mouth is watering even when I am writing this. Those times were about togetherness, fun and carefree souls!!
After we grow up everything seems to change, and though we keep feeling bad for it, we happen to be helpless!
The house is still the same even today, looks deserted in a weird way, as if it’s sad though. The trees have almost stopped bearing fruits, because there is no excited eager bunch of kids who want to eat them. The courtyard is not layered with cow dung in ages! My parents did their best to make it look like it used to look back then for my wedding in November 07. It looked really stunning, as if the house was peeping out hard and whispering to us, “I can look beautiful again!”
Now our salient home is about to be demolished and a new tower is going to rise in its place. Though this truth is too disheartening and disturbing to face, it’s also very necessary considering other factors. So this post is my little way to thank my great grand parents, who built such a breathtaking house and to my grand parents and parents who nurtured it to the best of their abilities, till it was in their hand.
But the thought that our generation didn’t do anything about it will always make me restless forever.

Dada

Yesterday while peeking into a photo album I saw a picture of my grandfather “Dada” (that’s what we all call him).In the photo Dada was smiling, the smile was saying ‘I know everything’. It was a smile of an old man who knew he was going to die, though he never left hope.
My mind was not moving ahead with the next pictures, that photo was so mesmerizing that I couldn’t help thinking about him. Since he has died, I have never let my heart think a lot about him, because it makes me cry. I just shoo the thought away if it sneaks into my mind. I can’t be brave enough for that. But the photo made me stay with his thoughts; I could feel his fragile body which was once so healthy that everyone envied him. He never fell sick for around 80 years in his life, he cured himself if he felt something go wrong with his body and the next day it would be just perfect! But at the age of 80 he fell sick, never to be fit again. He suffered severely for a year and then gave up….actually he didn’t give up, death must have given up and Dada must have smiled at death and said, don’t feel bad…am coming with you, I know its time.
He stayed with us for a year before he died. So the bonding between us had become stronger than ever. I remember feeding him liquids, while he begged not to. I remember taking him to the hospital while he pleaded not to. It was terrible to face such miserable situations in life, where you can’t stand brave yet you can’t run away too!
I cannot forget one instance when he was in Lok Hospital, he was in ICU for 15 days, his body as thin as linen. We couldn’t be with him all the time, though someone of us would be waiting outside, we couldn’t be close to him. We visited him when he was awake. The meaning of being awake to him had become realization of pain, he would keep whimpering, trying to explain how it hurt but lacked the energy to even speak. That day I wanted to meet him, touch him, so as soon as the nurse agreed to permit, I hurried towards the door, tossed my sandals away and went in. There he was to the right on a bed, to my surprise he was not only awake but he was spattering a few words also. The doctor was feeding him through the pipe in his throat. The doctor signaled me and asked him, “Who is she?” (Kon aahe ti?) He replied loudly in a clear voice, “She is my grand-daughter!!” (Majhi naat aahe ti!!) He said it with a sense of undying love; he wanted to convey so many things with that one statement! He wanted to let us know that he misses all of us, he wants to be with us, he loves us, he is bored of the hospitals and innumerable machines attached to his body and wants to be free! As I heard these words, I touched his forehead and I nodded with a smile! I pressed his head for a while, waiting for him to sleep. Going away while he was still awake was the hardest thing I could have done! As I pushed myself away from him leaving him alone with strangers, I clinched to my father and almost screamed with helplessness and dying hope. I felt belittle.
I loved him very much and I still love him. The difference being that I love him more now because I miss him too. He is everything that I would love to become someday. He motivates me even when he is not around. I feel his soul dwell in my home and I feel blessed. Love you Dada

I came across this piece of writing and I couldnt help myself from sharing it......so heres something I loved to read and it struck me hard...its an awakening to all......trust me.....

Easy is to judge the mistakes of others .....Difficult is to recognize our own mistakes
Easy is to talk without thinking ......Difficult is to refrain the tongue
Easy is to hurt someone who loves us........Difficult is to heal the wound...
Easy is to forgive others ..........Difficult is to ask for forgiveness
Easy is to set rules..........Difficult is to follow them...
Easy is to dream every night........Difficult is to fight for a dream...
Easy is to show victory......Difficult is to assume defeat with dignity...
Easy is to admire a full moon.......Difficult to see the other side...
Easy is to stumble with a stone......Difficult is to get up...
Easy is to enjoy life every day......Difficult to give its real value...
Easy is to promise something to someone.......Difficult is to fulfill that promise...
Easy is to say we love......Difficult is to show it every day...
Easy is to criticize others......Difficult is to improve oneself...
Easy is to make mistakes........Difficult is to learn from them...
Easy is to weep for a lost love......Difficult is to take care of it so not to lose it.
Easy is to think about improving......Difficult is to stop thinking it and put it into action...
Easy is to think bad of others.........Difficult is to give them the benefit of the doubt...
Easy is to receive........Difficult is to give
Easy to read this......Difficult to follow
Easy is keep the friendship with words.........Difficult is to keep it with meanings