Endless Thoughts...

Oru Kelvi Unnai Ketkkiren - Priyam Lyrics

2010-04-01T22:11:00.000-07:00

I'd been searching for this song and the lyrics for quite a while and finally today got a chance to listen it online, thanks to 'Abas_Swaram' frm Paltalk for finding this on request. Since there are no lyrics available online thought i'll share what i wrote for my reference here.

Click here to access the song page

FEMALE:
Oru kelvi unnai ketkkiren nee soll anbe
udal uyire thalli vaazhumaa nee soll anbe
vaal kondu aruthaalum piriyaadhu antha vaanam
MALE:
nee ennai veruthaalum vilagaathu intha nesam
FEMALE:
Oru kelvi unnai ketkkiren nee soll anbe
udal uyire thalli vaazhumaa nee soll anbe

[MUSIC]

MALE:
Gangai indri desam vazhalaam o...o..
kaatrillaamal jeevan vaazhumaa
FEMALE:
netrillamal indru thondralaam o...o..
neeyillamal vaazhvu thondruma
MALE:
vaanillaamal kizhakkil endrum udayamillai kaadhali
FEMALE:
neeyillaamal en udambil idayam illai kaadhalaa
MALE:
anbe...anbe.. anbe
Oru kelvi unnai ketkkiren nee soll anbe
udal uyire thalli vaazhumaa nee soll anbe

[MUSIC]

FEMALE:
Randu kilikal kadhal kolkayil
adhai kandu yaarum pirippadhillaye..
MALE:
aanum pennum kaadhal kolkayil
indha ooril yaarum poruppathillaye
FEMALE:
aanavangal pirithapodhum anaikkavendum devane
MALE:
raanavangal thaduthapodum thazhuvikkolvom jeevane
FEMALE:
anbe...anbe.. anbe
Oru kelvi unnai ketkkiren nee soll anbe
udal uyire thalli vaazhumaa nee soll anbe
vaal kondu aruthaalum piriyaadhu antha vaanam
MALE:
nee ennai veruthaalum vilagaathu intha nesam
MALE:
Oru kelvi unnai ketkkiren nee soll anbe
FEMALE:
udal uyire thalli vaazhumaa nee soll anbe

Human Calendar

2010-02-19T13:26:00.000-08:00

Visit the website for more info

Best iPad joke

2010-01-31T12:10:00.001-08:00

Within a few hours of Jobs announcing the iPad, jokes about the product started flooding Internet and here is one video which tops my list of iPad jokes as of today :)

My Führer, i totally share your sentiments from 2:27 to 2:40!!

DIY Photoprojects - Sunset through the rain

2010-01-20T11:02:00.000-08:00

Click the image to enlarge

When i saw the setting sun through the sliding glass door covered with rain drops on my patio, i could sense a wonderful photo op presenting itself. I would call this a photographer's delight in a week where the Southland is being soaked by series of heavy winter storms.

I've had several people appreciate this image so i figured I'll post a tutorial on creating this image without the main element 'rain' by replacing it with an alternate way to create the effect. Although i shot this image with my point and shoot Olympus C750UZ, I'm sure you'll get better results with an SLR or a DSLR.

Apart from a good view of the sunset, here is what you'll need:

SPRAY BOTTLE -fill it with a cup of water.
SMALL SHEET OF GLASS - preferably from any photo frame i e., if you don't have access to a glass window through which you could view the sunset, not forgetting the liberty to spray some water on it too :)

If you are using a glass sheet you may need to provide support so it stays vertical, try to keep wooden blocks or books to keep the balance. Do use a cling wrap to protect the book from water. Use the spray bottle and spray water on the other side of the glass sheet facing the sunset view and not your camera. Now align the frame on your cam's viewfinder so you could see the sunset through the glass sheet. I used "Macro" feature in my cam to shoot this image. Alternately, you could keep the point of focus on the foreground [in this case, water droplets] so the sunset which is in the background goes out of focus and you'll get the same effect as in the above image.
Another interesting aspect is, depending on the efficiency of your cam you may get a clear "flipped view" of the background [sunset] in each droplet. My low end cam was unable to capture the same but I'm sure you'll get better results with a DSLR.

Hope you find this post helpful. If you have any questions or if you give it a shot do leave a comment here with the link to your post, I'd love to view your version.

PS: Post Processing - Cropped and added "Texture" using Paint Shop Pro.

A day without my laptop..

2010-01-08T20:28:00.000-08:00

I was greeted with a blue screen when i powered my laptop yesterday morning. Needless to say it stayed non responsive to the repeated attempts to repair and i knew i had to make other plans to survive the day.

If you dont know me enough i spend most of my waking hours with my laptop, NO i don't work in the IT sector...wrong guess! Ever since i got the laptop in 2004 most days the damned thing stays always ON so imagine my plight when it died on me yesterday!! I knew i 'stress tested' it all this while and it was bound to give up any day but it sucked to feel cut off from the virtual world and i hated it.

Anyways in no time i realized there wasn't much i could do about it [I'm technically challenged, u see.. ] The next best thing [read as 'the only' thing] left to do was tell Iyaps to look into it. He was glad that he got another chance to talk me into getting an iMac for us [I'm a windows gal, not Mac] but he was kind enough to dedicate all the spare time he had to fix the issue and thanks to him, my laptop is back in action within a day!

Although i missed not having access to my laptop it turned out to be quite a blessing in disguise. Instead of staring at the 15.5 wide screen all day i got a chance to actually look around my house and complete some of the long pending chores.

* For the first time i realized 'holidays' were actually over and the decorations had started looking quite out-of-place. I removed all the decor and put them in storage.
* Next in the list was long pending loads of laundry which i finally got a chance to do. I know...not that i'm proud of it but did i tell you 'procrastination' is my middle name? ;)
* Watered the plants, pruned the roses, planted two rose plants and a hibiscus in my patio garden.
* Dedicated sometime to review Bar exam study materials i picked up from the library, worked on the assignments from study group.
*Took pics with some photo props to post on my photoblog. check MAGICLENS to view the same.
* Cleaned the kitchen and hung a new frame on the wall, i gotta make sure i don't trun that space into a living room.
* Marked all the family & Friends birthday on the Malayala Manorama calender i purchased from Kerala Store.
* Cooked a new dish with cauliflower,pepper,and Maggie curry cubes in coconut milk. Recipe coming soon.
* By 5pm it started getting foggy outside and it was wonderful to view the park opposite to our home listening to IR's 80's tamil songs playing in the BG.
* Explored some of the Balance/Strength Training games on Wii Fit Plus, that was quite fun.

By evening although i was dead tired, i got more things done than on any average day. Also i realized how much time i unnecessarily spend on the laptop and the need to prioritize things.
Thanks to my non responsive laptop i have a clean house, fresh clothes in the closet, hot food on table and the satisfaction of dedicating time to study.The pleasure of finding warm crsip towels in the shower and to end the day by sinking into fragrant linens in bed is simply...priceless!

Whoever said "A clean house is the sign of a broken computer", has quite a point!! :))

over & out
rosh

The End

2009-12-03T10:00:00.001-08:00

Always wondered why they show a slide which says "THE END" everytime the movie ends. Don't we all 'get it' that [depending on the language] 1/2/3 hour magic/ordeal has finally come to an end without watching that end frame?

Thanks to my google group buddy i got a chance to browse through an online collection of "The End" frames from various movies. Check it out...you just might enjoy "The End" for a change.

Recommended viewing: Click here for the Slide Show

Priyanu Mathram Njan - Robinhood Song & Lyrics

2009-10-02T07:36:00.000-07:00

....been humming this song for a while now and since there are no lyrics shared online thought i'll do the honors. Feel free to copy/paste the lyrics elsewhere ;)
enjoy the song too...

Priyanu Matram.mp3

FEMALE:
Priyanu mathram njaan tharum
madhuramee pranayam
karalin-eazhazhakil thodum
kavitha ee pranayam
MALE:
athiloorum eenamozhukum
pranaya munthirikal pookkum
FEMALE:
ende...
Priyanu mathram njaan tharum
madhuramee pranayam
karalin eezhazhakil thodum
kavitha ee pranayam

(MUSIC)

FEMALE:
veyilin thooval pranayam
kuyilin kooval pranayam
mukilum mazhayum pranayamayam..oo..oo..
MALE:
malarin ithalil pranayam
vandin chundil pranayam
thaarum thalirum pranayamayam ho..
FEMALE:
thoovennilaavil raavinde pranayam
MALE:
ninne kurichhu njaanen nenjil
kurichuvaicha gaanam muzhuvan pranayam
FEMALE:
ende...
Priyanu mathram njaan tharum
madhuramee pranayam
karalin eezhazhakil thodum
kavitha ee pranayam

(MUSIC)

FEMALE:
arikil ninnaal pranayam
akale kandaal pranayam
mounam polum pranayamayam ho...ho..ho..ho
MALE:
mozhiyil konjum pranayam
mizhiyil thanjum pranayam
chalanam polum pranayamayam ho...
FEMALE:
premopahaaram thaaraganangal
MALE:
aakasha gangayile aasha tharangangalil
aaro paadum pranayam
FEMALE:
heyy...yy...
Priyanu mathram njaan tharum
madhuramee pranayam
karalin eezhazhakil thodum
kavitha ee pranayam
MALE:
athiloorum eenamozhukum
pranaya munthirikal pookkum
FEMALE:
hmm...hmm....hmm..ha...aa madhuramee pranayam
karalin eezhazhakil thodum kavitha ee pranayam

2009-08-07T13:18:00.000-07:00

Washington Post conducted a poetry competition for Two -Line Rhymes with the 'Most romantic first line, but the least romantic second line.
And the winner is....

My darling, my lover, my beautiful wife,
Marrying you screwed up my life.

I see your face when I am dreaming.
That's why I always wake up screaming.

Kind, intelligent, loving and hot;
This describes everything you are not.

I thought that I could love no other --
that is until I met your sister.

Roses are red, violets are blue, sugar is sweet, and so are you.
But the roses are wilting, the violets are dead-
the sugar bowl's empty and so is your head.

I want to feel your sweet embrace;
But don't take that paper bag off your face.

I love your smile, your face, and your eyes --
Damn, I'm good at telling lies!

My love, you take my breath away.
What have you stepped in to smell this way?

My feelings for you no words can tell,
Except for maybe “'Go to hell.”'

What inspired this amorous rhyme?
Two parts tequila, one part lime

JJJ

123456789

2009-08-06T08:00:00.000-07:00

On August 7 , 2009 @ 12hr 34 minutes and 56 seconds the time and date will be 12:34:56 07/08/09 which is 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
Will this happen in our life again?? dont miss it!

PS: Here is the last time i missed to notice something similar.

Memory Test

2009-08-05T11:13:00.000-07:00

This test will determine if you're getting enough sleep or if your mind has really lost it! The test consists of three parts:

You'll be shown 12 photos in the first part,
You'll be shown another 12 photos in the second part,
You'll be shown 48 photos in the third part and asked if you saw them in the first part, the second part - or never saw them at all.

When you have finished the third part, your results will be given to you.

Its quite interesting..Click here to begin.
And send me back your SCORES !!!!

btw, here is my result...guess i haven't lost it [yet] after all those sleepless nights ;)

Smile - Michael Jackson

2009-07-07T10:30:00.000-07:00

I never knew such a wonderful song even existed till i heard it today......at his memorial service :(

"Smile"

Smile, though your heart is aching
Smile, even though it's breaking
When there are clouds in the sky
You'll get by...

If you smile
With your fear and sorrow
Smile and maybe tomorrow
You'll find that life is still worthwhile
If you just...

Light up your face with gladness
Hide every trace of sadness
Although a tear may be ever so near
That's the time you must keep on trying
Smile, what's the use of crying
You'll find that life is still worthwhile
If you just...

Smile, though your heart is aching
Smile, even though it's breaking
When there are clouds in the sky
You'll get by...

If you smile
Through your fear and sorrow
Smile and maybe tomorrow
You'll find that life is still worthwhile
If you just smile...

That's the time you must keep on trying
Smile, what's the use of crying
You'll find that life is still worthwhile
If you just smile

~~RIP MJ~~

Good one!

2009-06-22T09:13:00.000-07:00

Cooking with Kale - Recipe # 1

2009-06-10T13:12:00.000-07:00

Kale is a leafy green vegetable that belongs to Brassica oleracea Acephala Group. Kale is considered to be a highly nutritious vegetable with powerful antioxidant properties, very high in beta carotene, vitamin K, vitamin C, lutein, zeaxanthin, and reasonably rich in calcium.
Visit this link for more information and health benefits of Kale.

Although I've always seen this big-green-crumpled-leafy-bunch in stores i had never thought of buying it or cooking the same until a week before i had a chat with my friend's mom, Chandni Aunty about its health benefits. I was totally clueless how to cook this stuff so she even suggested couple of ways to cook the same, btw she's a great cook.
To my surprise the leaf didn't have any bitterness, as you may find with most of the variety of leaves available in stores. Needless to mention the dish came out pretty well. The idea for the recipe posted here is thanks to Chandni aunty although i did personalize a lil bit. I will post some variations which i tried on my own since Kale has now become a regular item on our menu. Enjoy the recipe and bon appetit !!

Dal with Kale

Ingredients:
* 1 small bunch of Kale, 2-3 leaves - chopped
* Toor Dal cooked with a pinch of turmeric - 1 cup
* Dry Red Chilly - 1 cut in half
* Salt - to taste
* Oil - 2tsp
To Grind:
* Fresh grated Coconut - 1/2 cup
* Green Chillies - 3
* Cumin/Jeera seeds - 1/4 Tsp
* Amchur Powder/Mango Powder - 1/2 tsp
To Season:
* Mustard Seeds - 1/4tsp
* Split Urad dal - 1/4 tsp
* Curry leaves - 1 stalk

Preparation:
Heat a pan add 1tsp oil. Add dry red chilly, chopped kale and saute adding salt till it is soft to touch. Grind coconut with all the ingredients mentioned to a smooth paste. Add cooked dal and coconut paste to sauteed kale and mix it well. Cook for 2-3 minutes stirring occasionally. Take another pan, add 1tsp oil and season using ingredients mentioned, add the seasoning to the cooked mixture. Serve with hot rice or chapathi.

*Image Copyright www.roshonline.com. All rights reserved.
* Information Source on Kale : Internet

Jai Ho !

2009-05-15T16:02:00.000-07:00

I'm sure you could totally relate to this video if you are yet another 'desi in pardes'. remember how your neighbors stopped by to exchange a dialogue or two about the movie..well, it may have started with the movie but we know how it ended up as a 'reality check' on India leaving you at your wits end trying to convince them "its a f...reakin movie, so get over it"!!

worse...people you've never spoken to found the time to talk to you about the movie as if it was 'your home production' or you played a part in it. Well, lets blame it on the Oscars ;)
Check out this video, I am sure this is what exactly goes on their mind when they talk to you abt it...kudos to the team who created this video..Jai Ho, ppl!

Descanso Gardens, La Cañada Flintridge

2009-04-23T10:00:00.000-07:00

Hailed as one of the most spectacular locations in Southern California, this 160-acre oasis is highlighted by 80 acres of colorful flowers including camellias, lilacs, roses and contains forests, streams, a lake, a bird sanctuary, tram tours, mini train rides, hiking trails, a 22-room home, a gift shop, café court gardens, and a serene Japanese garden complete with Tea house, Cherry trees, Japanese maples and a Koi pond.

This is the perfect place to spend a lazy afternoon, walking in the woods or just to sit back relax and take a guided tram tour around the garden.

A little history, In 1769,the King of Spain owned the current area known as Descanso Gardens claimed for him by the Spanish explorer Gaspar De Portola. Years later, a Governor deeded the 36,000-acre site to Corporal Jose Maria Verdugo in 1784, as part of a vast rancho. Verdugo died in 1831 and his land was divided between his son and daughter, who retained ownership until 1869.Then came a period of years where the land was continually bought, sold, and subdivided. In 1937 the newspaper magnate, publisher of the Los Angeles Daily News E. Manchester Boddy purchased the 160 acre property. He developed this magnificent parcel of land and called it "Rancho del Descanso", for "ranch where I rest."

In 1953 he ceded the site to Los Angeles County which further developed the property to include a world-class rosarium and all other facilities and attractions which we see today. The County hosts professional camellia shows, chamber music, and weddings. Nearly 300,000 people visit Descanso Gardens each year.The busiest time of the year is the Easter weekend.

We decided to visit this place after reading about it here.
I wanted to spend a part of my birthday at someplace away from the concrete jungle and what better way than to choose 160 acres of wilderness which also has a garden?
After dodging the terrific sunday traffic on 405N,10E and 5N for almost an hour we reached there in the afternoon. Parking was free but the lot was almost full.

We reached right on time to catch the Tram Tour at 2pm. This 45miniute guided tram ride around the garden is considered the best way to view the site if you are visiting for the first time.

Taking this tour saves time and one can decide which area of the garden to explore based on their interest once the tram tour ends. Our tour guide was quite experienced and jovial too which made the trip interesting.

I was totally lost during the tram ride trying to take in everything my eyes could see that i hardly heard the tour guide talking. All the time i was thinking why it took us such a long time to discover this place. I regretted it even more thinking I wish i knew about this place when my In-Laws visited us as i am sure they would have certainly enjoyed it.

They were quite excited to visit new places during their stay with us and I know how much Amma love flowers and how they enjoyed visiting the "Lake Shrine" gardens.
Even Iyaps was awfully quiet during the tram ride and i realized maybe he had the same thought and he was missing his parents.

To add to it, i was disappointed when i reached for the cam in my bag i realized that i had forgot to pack my trusted Olympus and i was left with my point and shoot Nikon S200.
As the saying goes "Something is better than nothing", thanks to my P & S cam i was able to capture some images to remember our first visit to this place.
The image you see on the right side is "Descanso Garden's Enchanted Railroad". An eighth scale replica of a diesel train runs on the tracks which takes young and all young-at-heart visitors around a small section of the park.
This is the second most preferred activity by the visitors after the Tram Tour.

A trip to Descanso Gardens will be an unforgettable experience for anyone who loves well maintained landscapes and wilderness. Any time of the year is suitable to visit this place and most of the weekends are busy with events. Descanso Gardens has the largest Camellia collection in North America.

We couldn't spend much time there due to time constraints but we hope to head back there to explore the 'Rosarium' and the 'Japanese garden' during our next visit.

The following information is collected from Internet which lists the names of flowers and their blooming month at Descanso Gardens. It may be interesting to find out your favorite flowers from the list and plan the trip accordingly.

Also check Descanso Gardens Visitor Guide:
Where to See Roses Camellias and Lilacs in Southern California

Whats in Bloom?

JANUARY: Camellias, cherry trees and winter annuals.
FEBRUARY: Camellias, magnolias, cherry trees and daffodils.
MARCH: Camellias, iris, lilacs, cherry trees and daffodils.
APRIL: Azaleas, camellias, iris, lilacs, native plants and wildflowers, tulips, clivia, and wisteria.
MAY: Azaleas, camellias, roses, iris, wildflowers and California Natives.
JUNE: Modern and heritage roses and summer annuals.
JULY, AUGUST & SEPTEMBER: Roses, summer annuals and perennials, crape myrtle and cassia.
OCTOBER: Sasanqua camellias, roses and Fall foliage.
NOVEMBER: Camellias, toyon berries, annuals, gingko and Fall foliage.
DECEMBER: Camellias, toyon berries, annuals and gingko.

Website: http://www.descansogardens.org

DESCANSO GARDENS
1418 Descanso Drive
La Cañada Flintridge, CA 91011

(818) 949-4206
Open daily, 9 a.m. - 5:00 p.m., except Christmas

To view more pics visit the "Descanso Gardens Set" in my flickr page.

(All images posted here and in Flickr are copyright protected. All rights reserved. Send an email to "voice4music [at] gmail [dot] com" if you wish to use any of the images.
Information source on Descanso Gardens : Internet)

कुछ लफ्ज़.. / വെറുതെ ഒരു കവിത..

2009-04-20T09:37:00.000-07:00

तो सुनो ये कहानी, मधुरिमा की जुबानी
एक ऐसी कहानी, सदियों पुरानी
जिसमें राजा न रानी, ना परियां दीवानी॥
कुछ यादों कि रवानी , गम-ऐ-उल्फत की निशानी।
न तेरी न मेरी, हम सब की कहानी॥

തല്‍ക്കാലം ഇത്രയും മതി, ബാക്കി പിന്നീടാവാം...എന്താ?

Love, Life & Poetry

2009-04-18T20:00:00.000-07:00

Picture this..
there you are...lazing away on a saturday evening
the aroma of the rose incense filling the room and your senses
your favorite ghazal playing in the background
while you slowly lose yourself in the pages of 'Essential Rumi'..

isn't life beautiful? just beautiful...

Aan Milo Sajna - G...

"In your light I learn how to love,
In your beauty, how to make poems.
You dance inside my chest,
where no one sees you.”
~ Jalāl ad-Dīn Muḥammad Rūmī

Spicy-Tofu Stir Fry

2009-04-15T12:52:00.000-07:00

Spicy Tofu Stir-fry

Ingredients:
* 2 blocks pressed firm tofu
* 1/2 cup celery
* 1/2 cup green bell pepper
* 1 tbsp Soy Sauce
* 1 tbsp stir fry sauce
* 1tsp crushed chilly sauce
* 1/4tsp garlic powder
* 1 tsp cornflour dissolved in 1/2 cup of water
* Oil to saute tofu and to stir fry the veg's
* Salt to taste

Preparation:
Cube pressed Tofu and marinate with salt, 1tsp each soy sauce & crushed chilly sauce for 5mts.
Heat oil in a pan and stir fry tofu for 3mts, remove from stove. In a wok, heat oil and stir fry the veg's.
Add salt, garlic powder & rest of the sauces and saute for 3mts.
Add tofu mix well and add dissolved cornflour and cook until the sauce thickens.

[Image and Recipe Copyright www.roshonline.com. No part of this recipe may be reproduced without my written permission. All rights reserved.]

Cooking Tip [External Link] :[Find out how to cook/press tofu]

Happy Vishu

2009-04-14T00:00:00.000-07:00

കാലം ഇനിയും വരും
വിഷു വരും, വര്‍ഷം വരും
പിന്നെ ഓരോ ഇതളിനും പൂ വരും, കായ് വരും
അപ്പോള്‍ ആരെന്നും എന്തെന്നും ആര്‍ക്കറിയാം ....
കക്കാടിന്റെ 'സഫലമീ യാത്രയില്‍' നിന്നുള്ള വരികള്‍

Kaalam iniyum Varum
Vishu varaum Varsham Varum
Pinne oro ithalinum poo varum kaay varum
Appol Aarennum enthennum aarkariyaam...
From the poem "Saphalamee Yathra" by N N Kakkaadu

2009-04-12T08:12:00.000-07:00

TIME only has the "PLAY" button
no PAUSE, no STOP, and definitely no REWIND.

And that's the tragedy of it all..

(Image Source : Internet)

The Great Park Balloon Ride

2009-04-09T10:23:00.000-07:00

The Great Park Balloon Ride is the first major attraction of the Orange County Great Park, a 1,347 acre public space on the site of the former El Toro Marine Corps Air Station in Orange County, California. What makes this attraction more interesting and popular is the fact that for right now it is FREE!

(Image Source: Internet)

Balloon Riders climb aboard the 30 passenger tethered helium observation balloon that takes them floating up to 500 feet above the surrounding landscape to enjoy a bird’s eye view of the retired air station’s transformation into the first great metropolitan park of the 21st Century. The Orange County Great Park Plan provides a wide array of active and passive uses, including a 2.5 mile canyon and lake, miles of walking and biking trails, a cultural terrace, Orange County's largest sports park, a botanical garden, and a tethered helium observation balloon which is the icon for the Great Park. The park is expected to be finished by 2015 and the balloon ride, the first attraction to open at the park is indeed a great way to watch the new park being constructed from the old El Toro base.

We were excited to visit this place from the time a friend mentioned about it and we planned a weekend trip to the park with some of our friends. Did some research online and came to know this is quite a popular attraction and the Balloon Ride can be sold out or fully booked for the whole day if we do not go there early. Also the balloon ride depends greatly on the winds and weather conditions. If the wind kicks in, the balloon will fly lower or will be grounded until conditions are favorable. Before you leave, be sure to call the Visitor’s Center at (866) 829-3829 for up to date ride info. This can save you the disappointment of an unnecessary long drive since this is the only attraction at Great Park for the time being.

We picked a Saturday for our Balloon adventure and reached the place with our friends by 11am. Parking and admission are free but every passenger must sign a liability waiver to receive the boarding pass from the visitor center. One thing you will notice is the fact that all the staff are incredibly enthusiastic to happily share their knowledge about Great Park and the Balloon ride. We got our boarding pass and left for the balloon ride area and thankfully the waiting lines were shorter and we could take the ride without waiting for a long time.

Lets get real, In case you were hoping to fly away and disappear far into the horizon, you chose the wrong balloon ride because this one goes only up and down. The five story-tall, 10,560-pound orange balloon is very securely tethered to the ground by a steel cable which is used to raise and lower the balloon. The tour guide briefed us on what to expect from the balloon ride, safety instructions etc and we climbed onto the gondola connected to this enormous 210,000 cubic foot orange balloon. Once inside we were asked not to gather in one area in order to keep the balance since the balloon could shift if everyone stands on one side. Once it stops in mid-air we can walk around the gondola but in an orderly fashion, no jumping around here :)

The ride is approximately 10-15 minutes depending on winds and weather conditions and on a clear day the visibility is upto 12 miles in any direction. We weren't so lucky on that part as the visibility was low the day we went but it wasn't too bad as we could see the mountains and distant parts of Orange County. The ride was very smooth and overall a pleasant experience. For a free attraction, it was pretty cool. I enjoyed it and plan to go back there to check out the balloon ride around sunset and in the night next time. Also they have the coolest summer night concerts so that's something to look forward to.

Click on the link for
Driving Directions and Park/Balloon Ride Hours
(Information source on Great Park and the Balloon Ride : Internet)

V won a V !!

2009-03-30T12:08:00.000-07:00

How about some good news? We won a "Nintendo Wii Console w/ Wii Sports"!!, first prize in the sweepstakes conducted by Blockbuster for their customers. Hear the best part, we didn't do a thing to win this other than renting bd/dvd/games as usual during their 'contest period' about which we had no clue about. Talk about being "Lucky By Chance"!!
Anyways we are hooked on "Wii Sports" ever since we received it and its pretty neat. It was fun to score in games which i'd never played in real time like Golf, Baseball,and Boxing. To quote from a review "In a world where video games = couch potato, it really is quite amazing to have a game where you have to move around and be active. You don't lounge back and gain pounds here while playing games". We both had a sore arm after playing for a number of hours, in a good way, as it would from exercising. Wii is totally rocking our world.
Trust me, you are hearing this from a die hard PS3 fan. Finally our PS3 is getting some breathing space after all those non stop shooting on Killzone2, since Wii has been taking up all our free times lately. Thanks "Blockbuster" for rocking our world with this wonderful surprise gift.

VOTE FOR EARTH - Earth Hour 2009

2009-03-28T10:37:00.000-07:00

Earth Hour is a global event organized by WWF (World Wide Fund for Nature, also known as World Wildlife Fund) and is held on the last Saturday of March annually, asking households and businesses to turn off their non-essential lights and other electrical appliances for one hour to raise awareness towards the need to take action on climate change. Earth hour was conceived by WWF and The Sydney Morning Herald in 2007, when 2.2 million residents of Sydney participated by turning off all non-essential lights. Following Sydney's lead, many other cities around the world adopted the event in 2008.
Earth Hour 2009 was from 8:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. local time, March 28, 2009. 88 countries and more than 4,000 cities joined Earth Hour 2009.

Updated on 30, March 2009:
Click on the link to view some "Before-and-after Earth Hour 2009"photographs from around the world. http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2009/03/earth_hour_2009.html. Don't forget to click on the images [From Image #2] to see an animated fade between "on" and "off". This effect requires java script to be enabled.

Mundinam Paarthene...

2009-02-05T11:21:00.000-08:00

so here is the song i've been humming these days. hopefully someday you'll hear my take of this song on my audioblog...untill then, enjoy it with the lyrics..

Song: Mundinam Paarthene
Movie: Vaaranam Aayiram

mundinam.mp3

MALE:
Mundhinam paarthene parthadum thotrene
Salladai kannaagha, nenjamum punnanathe
Ethanai naalaagha unnai naan paaramal
Engu thaan poneno natkalum veenanathe
Vaanathil Nee vennila yeakkathil naan theaivathaa
Ippozhdhu ennodu vandhaal enna
Oor parka ondraagha serndral enna
Ippozhdhu ennodu vandhaal enna
Oor parka ondraagha serndral enna
Mundhinam paarthene parthadum thotrene
Salladai kannaagha, nenjamum punnanathe
Ethanai naalaagha unnai naan paaramal
Engu thaan poneno natkalum veenanathe

(Music)

MALE:
Thula thottil unnai vaithu, migar seyya ponnai vaitaal
Thulaabaaram thoarkaatho per azhage

FEMALE:
Mugam parthu pesum munnai, mudhal kaadhal sindhum kannai
Anaikamal poveno aaruyire

MALE:
Oooh nizhal pole, vidamal unnai thodervenadi
Pugai pole padamal pattu nagarvenadi
Vinaa nooru kanaavum nooru vidai solladi

FEMALE:
Mundhinam parthene parthadum thotrene
Salladai kannagha, ullavum punnanathe
Ithanai naal agha [oh my love] unnai naan paaramal [yes my love]
Engu thaan poneno natkalum veenanathe

(Music)

FEMALE:
kadal neelam mangum nerum aalai vandu theendum dooram
Manam sendru moozhgaatho eerathile
MALE:
thalai saaykka thoalum thandhaai viral korthu pakkum vandhaai
Idal mattum innum yen dhooratile
FEMALE:
Pagal neram kanakal kanden urangamale
Uyirendu muraya kanden a
Unai andri enakku aedhu edhirkaalame

MALE:
Mundhinam paarthene parthadum thotrene
Salladai kannaagha, nenjamum punnanathe
Ethanai naalaagha unnai naan paaramal
Engu thaan poneno natkalum veenanathe
Vaanathil Nee vennila yeakkathil naan theaivathaa
Ippozhdhu ennodu vandhaal enna
Oor parka ondraagha serndral enna
Ippozhdhu ennodu vandhaal enna
Oor parka ondraagha serndral enna

vennilaa...vennilaa....

The Return

2009-01-30T11:54:00.000-08:00

I'm back to blogging after abandoning my blog for years...wonder how my blog feels about my return. Anyway lets say, i'm here to stay this time.
here is a poem by 'The Blue Gentleman' i could completely relate to..go ahead, give it a shot.

It has been so very long,
Since I have been able to write.
But I’ve returned; I’m back
And I have conquered the night!

-

I was wandering; I was lost
In the deep emptiness of my mind.
But I’ve found my spark; lit the fire.
My eternal inspiration I did find.

-

No longer will I wait
As I slowly die inside.
“I am the Master of my Fate!”
I have the choice; I shall decide.

-

From my dark pit. I arise
Like the sun on a new dawn.
My inner daemons are defeated
And my fears are all gone!

-

My eyes once again sparkle.
My voice is again strong.
My soul is now complete.
For I know this is where I belong!

Places i've visited in the US

2007-01-29T13:15:00.000-08:00

10 down! 41 more to go!! I long to be bitten by the travel bug :)
create your own personalized map of the USA

Song of the year :)

2006-12-31T10:12:00.000-08:00

Movie: Anwar
Song : Jaaveda Zindagi (Tose Naina Laage)
Singers : Kshitij, Shilpa Rao
Music : Mithoon and Pankaj Awasthi

शम्मा को पिघलने का अरमान क्यों है?
पतंगे को जलने का अरमान क्यों है?
इस्सी शौक का इम्तिहान ज़िन्दगी है।
-
मोहब्बत की है दास्तान ज़िन्दगी
मोहब्बत ना हो तो कहाँ ज़िन्दगी।
मोहब्बत जिससे बक्श दे जिंदगानी
नही मौत पर ख़त्म उस की कहानी॥

Javeda Zindagi (To...

Sunset

2006-11-09T15:37:00.000-08:00

Out over the ocean and it’s waves it lay,
A magnificent orange sphere, as it drops to the sea,
With spears descending from within the fire,
The magnificent beauty of the sunset each day,

An immanent display, for the world to share,
As it seeps below horizons, to end the day,
Only to share light, so that others may see,
The beauty of the sunset for all who care,

Up above the clouds, that shadow the light,
The rain, the snow, and the elements that blind,
That magnificent glow, that brightens our world,
Another sunset awaits, just to share its light,

Poem by B J Ayers

Tagged Again - Nostalgic 8 !!

2006-11-07T15:10:00.000-08:00

Thanks to Iris for the tag, again...

Rules were:
1. Write 8-10 things about childhood that I miss.
2. Write 8-10 things that I disliked about childhood.
3. Tag a few people.

Things i miss :

# Childhood itself !!! Cant think of a moment when i felt "i am just a kid"!! Have always felt like a 'child adult'!

# My grandfather, he was very very strict with us. The only way to make him talk nice was to hide his things, then he'd ask in the sweetest way if i could search the same for him. I wanted to tell him someday, i couldn't.

# Summer vacations and holidays. I grew up with my 2 brothers and 3 cousins who lived next door. All the fond memories of my childhood are filled with the good and not so good times shared with my brothers and sisters. No prizes for guessing, 6 of us always gave a tough time to our grandfather. My cousin and I being the youngest of the crowd always had to do sentry duty for the gang and we were always blamed if we missed to inform the gang when our grandfather decided to check on us.

# All those days of waking up to Lathachechi's music practice. I have always admired her talents immensely. If i know something about carnatic music it is only because of her and my grandfather who'd make her practice songs for hours early in the morning.

# Growing up with my 'responsible' brothers. They were always held "responsible" for all my mischief's !!

# All those extracurricular activity classes which used to bust so many of my weekend plans. I used to hate it then, but i miss them now.

# Going to my mom's school and getting all the attention from her students.

# All those days of "ignorance is bliss", knowing too much messes up ones life eventually.

Things i disliked :

# Being treated like a 'kid' by people, remember i was a 'child adult'!

# My school, i just wanted to finish up somehow and get the hell out of that place. 12yrs were too much to handle.

# Having to take permission from grandfather for even the mundane things. 6 of us had to make a written request and get it signed by him even if we wanted to go for a movie!! Worse, we had to pay for the movie from our "vishu kaineettam"!!

# Being photographed. I hated it when ppl with a camera thought they had a right to photograph anyone, esp children.

# The song/dance entertainment sessions during family get together's, hated it being asked to do things just to entertain others. Also the 'comparison' sessions by relatives with other cousins.

# All those 'go to your room and study' remarks. Trust me, i never did!

# Being dragged to all the places where the family went even if i didn't want to go.

# The eternal question, what do you want to be when you grow up ?? dont u just hate it?

The last part [most difficult one too] is to tag a few fellow bloggers. Well, i am taking the easy way out by keeping this an open tag...so if you'd like to take up this tag, go for it.

To my cuppy cake...

2006-11-04T23:50:00.000-08:00

Happy Anniversary !!

strawberry shortca...

Quote of the day !

2006-10-26T19:59:00.000-07:00

"Cowardice asks the question, Is it safe?
Expediency asks the question, Is it politic?
Vanity asks the question, Is it popular?
But conscience asks the question, Is it right?
And there comes a time when one must take a position that is neither safe, nor politic, nor popular, but he must take it because his conscience tells him that it is right."

~Dr. Martin Luther King JR.~

Flickritis !!!

2006-10-24T11:23:00.000-07:00

I read these interesting lines from one of the groups i belong to in Flickr.com aptly titled "FLICKRITIS". If you think it sounds like 'Arthritis' you aint wrong..lol.. Though the list is building up everyday here are my favorities.

You know you have FLICKRITIS" when....

#1 The first thought you wake up with in the morning: What should I take a picture of today?

#2 You upload 3 or more versions of every photo: original, black and white, color cut out, HDR, color tinted....

#3 Instead of ink stains on your fingers, you notice a gradual change to flickr fingers... subconsciously pushing your finger down on an imaginary button even when not holding a camera

#4 You ask your mailman to pause for a second when he sends your mail through the slot so you can capture the moment with your camera. (And you were waiting at the door for him to come all morning!)

#5 On the public bus ride home from work, you gently move the person sitting across from you closer to the man wearing solid green to get a better color composition.

#6 While visiting the zoo, you get more glances than the animals in the exhibit. (What!?! Lying upside down parallel to the starfish aquarium glass is so normal!!)

#7 You're looking forward to seeing what comments your new photo got more than you are .... well.... almost anything!

A Poem on Life

2006-10-18T18:36:00.000-07:00

As we grow up, we learn that even the one person
that wasn't supposed to ever let you down, probably will.
You will have your heart broken probably more than once
and it is harder every time.
You'll break hearts too,
so remember how it felt when yours was broken.
You'll fight with your best friend
You'll blame a new love for the things an old one did.
You'll cry because time is passing too fast,
and you'll eventually lose someone you love.
So take too many pictures, laugh too much,
and love like you've never been hurt
because every sixty seconds you spend upset
is a minute of happiness you'll never get back.
Don't be afraid that your life will end,
be afraid that it will never begin...

~~Anonymous~~

Story behind the image...

2006-10-12T17:04:00.000-07:00

Story behind the image / Progressive thinking on an old saying.

The image above is based on an old saying in malayalam .."ila vannu mullil veenaalum mullu vannu ilayil veenaalum ilaykku thanne keadu". This age old saying literally means "If a leaf falls on the thorn or a thorn falls on the leaf, it is the leaf not the thorn which will suffer the damage".

Now you can interpret that saying in different ways, but whoever coined the phrase meant it to reflect upon how women should be cautious in this [man’s?] world. Well, I dont believe that statement coz I don’t think men are 'damage proof' or it’s always the women who suffer. I believe both the genders are equally capable of causing damage/hurt to each other and no one can claim superiority.

To me the saying makes more sense when it is about good and evil rather than a lame warning for women. This is how I perceive…The leaf and the thorn are nothing but the nature of human beings, good and evil. Sometimes we are the leaf and sometimes we are the thorn to other people. Maybe we cannot escape being a leaf but we can always stop being a thorn which hurts another person. Many of us would rather choose to be a leaf than thorn so we need to keep ourselves away from the thorns we meet, coz no matter a leaf touches the thorn or the thorn touches the leaf, it is only the leaf which suffers the damage.

So there goes the saying again.."ila vannu mullil veenaalum mullu vannu ilayil veenaalum ilaykku thanne keadu"...ippo manassilaayoo??

2006-10-04T23:52:00.000-07:00

Mile sur mera tumhara

All Fire'd Up...

2006-10-02T14:58:00.000-07:00

You can find the black n white version of the same image in my other blog MagicLens.
It took a while for me to decide whether to post the color or BW version there. Color version had great amout of excitement in it while the BW version looked melancholy.
Since Kals left a comment asking me to post the color version i thought i'll post it here with the lyrics of the song which was playing on the radio. When i looked at the image it seemed the flower was all fired up, maybe it was really happy to reach full bloom.
I couldnt find the mp3 online to share the song with yall but i could find the lyrics which i'm posting/pasting below..

All Fired Up
From Pat Benatar's ablum Wide Awake in Dreamland

Livin’ with my eyes closed, goin’ day to day
I never knew the difference, I never cared either way
Lookin’ for a reason, searchin’ for a sign
Reachin’ out with both hands, I gotta feel the kick inside

All fired up
Now I believe there comes a time
All fired up
When everything just falls in line
All fired up
We live an’ learn from our mistakes
All fired up, fired up, fired up - hey!!!

Ain’t nobody livin’, in a perfect world
Everybody’s out there, cryin’ to be heard
Now I got a new fire, burnin’ in my eyes
Lightin’ up the darkness, movin’ like a meteorite.

The deepest cuts are healed by faith
Now I believe there comes a time
When everything just falls in line
We live an’ learn from our mistakes

All fired up
Now I believe there comes a time
All fired up
When everything just falls in line
All fired up
We live an’ learn from our mistakes
All fired up, fired up, fired up - hey!!!

I've been tagged.. 6 WEIRD THINGS ABOUT ME!

2006-09-29T23:01:00.000-07:00

Iris was kind enough to tag me to name 6 weird things about myself with a friendly reminder that i didnt honor the last tag he sent. So i thought of posting this as soon as i could..so have a look at the list below..

``1``
When an online id doesnt specify a particular gender, I assume every stranger talking to me online is a female. I thought the person who tagged me was a gal untill i saw someone mention his realname somewhere.

``2``
If i like a song i have to own it at the earliest, how i get it doesnt matter. At times it applies to other things in life and thats when it really gets weird..if you know what i mean.

``3``
I keep my mom's saree under the pillow when i sleep. I took it when i left home for college, its been years but till this date i couldnt grow out of that habit.

``4``
I remember things, esp the ones i really want to forget. I'm cursed with good memory and i think it is weird to keep remembering the things one really wants to forget.

``5``
I need the sound of a fan when i sleep irrespective of weather conditions. I cant bear absolute silence, it deafens me.

``6``
I'm really bad at Math...so bad that i need a calculator for even the simplest of calculations. When i used to have 'ego-fights' with my brother he'd just ask me to calculate some numbers and i'd blink...and he'd give me a smile which screams...'say hello to your dumb self'!!

When i started thinking about completing this tag i couldnt think of a single thing to pen down...but now so many 'weird things' about myself are pouring into my head out of nowhere...but i can mention only 6 here :( Maybe what they say is true, too much of something is bad enough. So lets call it a day or a night according to the timezone where you belong.

Well, There are STILL things about me which you dont know..and if you are really lucky 'YOU WILL NEVER KNOW' !!

Apparently I am to name six other bloggers to go thru the same ordeal...I'd love to tag Anand Prabhu, Ann, Anoop, Jo, Krishna, Poornima.

Dont find your blog in the list ? Dont worry this is an open tag..if you want to participate consider yourself tagged by me :)

The Folding of the Petals

2006-09-27T16:08:00.000-07:00

The Folding Of The Petals
Poem by Jerrold Ham

The folding of the petals means that night is almost here.
The day has turned to twilight;and the sun soon disappears.
The flowers sleep in silence as they wait for morning's light.
They seem to be at peace as they rest throughout the night.

With a growing sense of joy,the dawn begins to break,
The birds begin to sing,and the flowers, they awake.
As the sun comes up to touch them with its rays of blessed warmth,
We watch their petals open,and reach out with open arms.

The flowers are our loved ones,whose blossoms we have shared,
They clothed and fed and taught us, they showed us that they cared.
And suddenly it seems,they're in the twilight of their years,
As we watch their petals folding,we can't hold back the tears.

But the story is not over,they're only resting for awhile,
And when the dawn arrives,they'll awaken with a smile.
The folding of the petals is not the end, oh no
It's just another step on the journey we must go.

Talk to me Bumble Bee

2006-09-26T15:38:00.000-07:00

Talk to Me Bumblebee
Poem by Sandy alias The Rose Petals

Hey Mr. Bumblebee Buzzin' on your way.
You haven't a care as you fly on through the day.

A flower brings you so much joy, And keeps you so happy.
So, tell me what's your secret now, Talk to me Bumblebee.

Talk to me Mr. Bumblebee, Tell me all that you know.
Tell me how you stay aflight, When the summer breezes blow.

Hey Mr. Bumblebee Flyin' through the air.
What's the secret to happiness? Tell me if you dare.

For I am just a poor fool, Whose heart is on the mend
So talk to me bumblebee, 'Cuz I sure need a friend.

A Dead Rose

2006-09-22T17:00:00.000-07:00

A Dead Rose
Poem by Elizabeth Barrett Browning.

O Rose! who dares to name thee?
No longer roseate now, nor soft, nor sweet;
But pale, and hard, and dry, as stubble-wheat, -
Kept seven years in a drawer-thy titles shame thee.

The breeze that used to blow thee
Between the hedgerow thorns, and take away
An odour up the lane to last all day, -
If breathing now, - unsweetened would forego thee.

The sun that used to smite thee,
And mix his glory in thy gorgeous urn,
Till beam appeared to bloom, and flower to burn, -
If shining now, - with not a hue would light thee.

The dew that used to wet thee,
And, white first, grow incarnadined, because
It lay upon thee where the crimson was, -
If dropping now, - would darken where it met thee.

The fly that lit upon thee,
To stretch the tendrils of its tiny feet,
Along thy leaf's pure edges, after heat, -
If lighting now, - would coldly overrun thee.

The bee that once did suck thee,
And build thy perfumed ambers up his hive,
And swoon in thee for joy, till scarce alive, -
If passing now, - would blindly overlook thee.

The heart doth recognise thee,
Alone, alone! The heart doth smell thee sweet,
Doth view thee fair, doth judge thee most complete, -
Though seeing now those changes that disguise thee.

Yes, and the heart doth owe thee
More love, dead rose! than to such roses bold
As Julia wears at dances, smiling cold! -
Lie still upon this heart-which breaks below thee!

Iris has another post with the same image, check that out!

My Fav Elmo

2006-09-21T15:48:00.000-07:00

Check out the new "Tickle Me Elmo X" in action..never thought Elmo could scare a dog !!!

Yoga fest 2006

2006-09-09T06:30:00.000-07:00

Check out this link for more info on YogaFest2006 If you happen to be there between 5-8pm do stay back to listen to our group perform Devotional Kirtans.

There you are...

2006-09-08T15:58:00.000-07:00

Received the following info frm a friend as an Email FW:

If you believe your security online is unapproachable, think again.
Take a look at the following web site and be amazed.

http://www.zabasearch.com

Type in your name and check ... you'll be surprised!
Information about you could be available to the general public
free of charge that displays your personal information
(names, addresses, phone numbers, birth dates).
(Soc. Sec. is available for a price.)

Check to see if your name and information is in their database.
If so and you want it removed, send them an e-mail to request it be
removed. After opting out by e-mail, check back after a few days to
make certain your information has been removed. If it has not been
removed then file a complaint with your State's Attorney General.

Here's some more links to 'find yourself online' in case you feel
'lost' in realtime :))

http://www.ussearch.com
https://www.intelius.com

Onaashamsakal...

2006-09-05T06:30:00.000-07:00

Hearty Onam wishes to everyone reading this post.

You might be thinking i get around to blog only during Vishu and Onam and maybe my next post might appear during Diwali or X'mas...who knows ;)
I do hope to stay active n blogging more often coz i really appreciate the efforts some of you took/are still taking to visit my blog to check for updates although i failed to keep the space updated.....thanks a bunch ppl, its your invisible support which makes me come out of the cocoon at times.

Wishing y'all better days ahead !

LIAR !

2006-08-19T23:30:00.000-07:00

We are many and you are few,
we listen to the crap you spew.
Don’t think we aren’t up to speed, on truth and lies as you deceive.
You spout out lines of twisted tales, like politicians or car sales.
You change what we would like to hear, while your treachery has no fear.
You are what’s wrong in every way, no longer care ‘bout what you say.
You paint your picture so distorted, you change the story not reported.
The words come out but do not say, the truth behind what you portray.
You bend the facts for your own gain, How is it that you feel no pain? LIAR!!!

(Image & Poem Source : Internet)
For the uninitiated: Seeing the truth is sometimes just a matter of perspective. Look at the picture, tilt your head to the right to see the word.

Happy Vishu !

2006-04-13T14:13:00.000-07:00

Tonight when you close your eyes to sleep
Open it for the new beginning...

(Image Source:Internet)

Did anyone notice this??

2006-04-05T11:23:00.000-07:00

01:02:03 04/05/06

All the numbers frm 1-6 nicely lined up (:>
I realized it late, better luck next time if you missed it too.

Cherry Blossom in my Photoblog

2006-04-03T22:38:00.000-07:00

Check out my Photoblog all this week to view the pics frm
National Cherry Blossom Festival in DC.
This aint going to be a photo-journal about the festival,
i've just tried to capture the flowers in full bloom...
for more information about the festival click here

Click here to view the images, taken daily at the Tidal Basin,
showing the current condition of a branch of a cherry blossom tree
and the area near the Jefferson Memorial.

Ajnabi - song of the weekend

2006-04-01T05:54:00.000-08:00

I heard this song Ajnabi by a Pakistani band Aaroh.
The highlight of this song is Guitar. Listen for
yourself how they ROCK this song with guitar.

Aaroh - Ajnabi.mp3

Find the guitar tabs for the song here.

Word Verification: Smenita

2006-03-23T07:41:00.000-08:00

And for the nth time i typed "s m e n i t a" taking almost 5 seconds to type each letter correctly and again it gave me the same error "Enter the letters as they are shown in the image."!!
If you are one of the many bloggers facing the same issue then don’t fret, here is the good news! Blogger is acting up again and this time it is stuck on the word "Smenita". No matter how carefully you type that 7 letter word it aint gonna let u comment..nope..no way.

Looks like it is part of the 'anti-comment spam campaign' going on at Blogger, but it is rather forcing all the users to turn off the 'word verification' so we could let the visitors comment on our blogs.
Since i've already started getting that alienated feeling without any comments i hereby remove word verification thingy [sigh!] I can almost hear a voice screaming..Spammers of the world Unite!!

So folks, if you are one of the Blogger/Blogspot users out there who are used to my comments in your blog, I’ve tried to comment on your blogs but since i cant get pass this "smenita" i haven’t been able to. Now you know whom to blame for no comments, nope its not something you blogged about, lets blame it on "s m e n i t a"!!!

PS: A lil research on the word.
'smenita' means 'disavowal' in Italian. Also read a comment it means 'Blogger is having employee trouble' :))

Here's the best interpretation for the word..
Guess 'smenita' is a French word which means the Blogger Word Verification system is "down". Well that is the word we see every time Bloggers Word Verification is not working...don’t we?

National Leaders [ Indian ]

2006-03-17T22:51:00.000-08:00

Let's see how many you can spot and name.. :)

My Birthday Wish....

2006-03-15T23:31:00.000-08:00

I'd like to be the sort of friend that
you have been to me;
I'd like to be the help that
you've been always glad to be;

I'd like to mean as much to you
each minute of the day
As you have meant, old friend of mine,
to me along the way.

I'd like to do the big things and
the splendid things for you,
To brush the gray out from your skies
and leave them only blue;

I'd like to say the kindly things that
I so oft have heard,
And feel that I could rouse your soul
the way that mine you've stirred.

I'm wishing at this time that I
could but repay
A portion of the gladness that
you've strewn along my way;

And could I have one wish this year,
this only would it be:
I'd like to be the sort of friend
that you have been to me.

For you..

2006-03-11T15:34:00.000-08:00

If I could catch a rainbow I would do it just for you,
And share with you its beauty
On the days you're feeling blue

If I could build a mountain I would do it just for you,
You could call your very own,
A place to find serenity, A place to be alone

If I could take your troubles I would toss them in the sea,
But all these things I'm finding
Are impossible for me

I cannot build a mountain, Or catch a rainbow fair,
But let me be what I know best,
A friend who's always there

- Kahlil Gibran -

Je suis désolé...

2006-03-07T00:18:00.000-08:00

Lo siento..Ik ben droevig..Sono spiacente..Perdóname. Before you start blinkin reading all these words here's the fact. These words mean "sorry" in different languages. Courtesy: Madonna's song titled "Sorry". I thought this song was her 'sorry' to someone [ or to the whole world :)) ] but when i heard the song it said something else.
Check out the song and listen to her say "mujhe maaf karo" very painfully, no kidding.
Phrase of the Day : Forgive & Forget.

Pandu pandu oru onakkaalathu...

2005-09-15T21:00:00.000-07:00

That is the mallu way of saying 'Once upon a time during Onam'.
Somehow today while surviving an Onam in another continent i find myself taking a walk down the memory lane....back to my home and back to all the Onam's celebrated with family and relatives. To be frank i never really bothered about the legend behind Onam nor felt sorry for the great king Mahabali, who was sent to 'paathaalam' for being a good ruler. For me Onam was 10 days of fun holidays. Time for movies, games, roaming around places, new clothes and all those upperi's, sharkkaravaratty's and yummy paayasams which was made at home only for Onam.

My Dad used to be the most excited one among us about any festival. I still remember him making all the arrangements for Onasadya, which is the highlight of this festival. He'd even be in the kitchen giving instructions to my mom in his own style. How much care he used to take to see everything went perfect, i can never imagine myself giving so much importance to things like the way he used to.

Our kitchen used to be really busy with all of us trying to help mom with something or the other till lunchtime. And i missed that today while preparing an Onasadya all by myself in my kitchen here. Missed my dad and his infinite instructions on how to do things perfect...Missed my mom trying to get everything together according to my dad's wish, read as 'instructions'... Missed my brothers trying to munch the pappadam's as soon as it was made and trying to have the first taste of every dish which was being prepared. Missed my Vallyamma's very spl Sambar and Vendaykka kitchadi and that Parippu Payasam she makes, i'll never be able to make it that tastey.
Dad would ask my brothers to cut plantain leaves frm the backyard and they'd disappear to watch all those Onam exclusive shows on TV, leaving me and my Dad to complete the task. It was my Dad who taught me how to serve the lunch on a plantain leaf. Every dish had a specific place in that leaf, wonder who made all these rules. I never understood why 'parippu' had to be served only on the right side of the leaf nor the 'Oh so very tastey Kichadi' had to be served so little on the top left corner of the leaf near the pickle and upperi's. I can still picture him and my mom making sure everything is served right before asking everyone to the dining table.
Well, Instead of them being here with me in person i have their photographs in the corner of my kitchen, and today i tried to fool myself in vain about their presence for the nth time.

So i guess Onam, apart frm being a good harvest festival is much much more for everyone who is faraway frm the malluland and their loved ones. I could never imagine myself being so emotional about a festival which happens every year like clockwork, but hey its happening.
I know those days will never come back no matter how i wish, i am glad at least i am left with some good memories to survive all the Onam's to come.

Will leave this post with an interesting note...If you ask any old person in Kerala about Onam they'd tell you this for sure...Ippol enthu Onam? Ithonnum oru Onamae alla...Athokke oru kaalam, njangal ellaam Onam aaghoshicha pole ippol nadakkumo?

I think finally i am able to see light in those words.

Zindagi ke safar mein....

2005-09-14T20:00:00.000-07:00

Been thinkin about updating this new blog of mine for sometime but i cant seem to find the right words. You must be thinking, whats the need anyway? If i cant write why started a weblog in the first place? But hey, it just got me typing something which i am doing right this moment. And in fact i am enjoyin the way my fingers are converting my thoughts into words by tapping on the keyboard. Never realized i'd get this far and now i feel i can keep on doin this blah blah coz all of a sudden it doesnt feel like a big deal at all.

Before you proceed anyfurther let me warn you there wont be any intellectual musings out here, well i have reserved all that for my fellow bloggers who can actually "write"! This is just my attempt to convey my thoughts in some words and thats what it is all about. So pls keep your expectation levels real low. And NOW would be the right time to stop reading this and get on with your life, baad mein khit pit nahi karne ka, kya?

While i am typing this, a wonderful old hindi song is going on in the BG which goes "Zindagi ke safar mein guzar jaate hai jo makaam
Voh phir nahi aate, voh phir nahi aate"
What a song, what depth in those lyrics, maanna padega Anand Bakhshi ko who penned those wonderful thought provoking words. For anyone interested to know more about the song try the following links.

To check out the full lyrics click here

To listen to the song click here

Tagged !!

2005-09-07T19:30:00.000-07:00

Got tagged by Jo!!

Seven Things U Plan To do Before U die

1. Come to terms with 'death', own a lawn crypt and take it easy.
2. Buy/Rent a caravan and travel extensively in the US and India.
3. Sponsor a child's education.
4. Join a flight school and take a PPL
5. Learn all the necessary things and build my own house in Big Bear.
6. Meet some people in real time whom I met online.
7. Have aerated drinks without waiting for the fizz to vanish.

Seven Things That U Can Do

1. Sing, play 5 musical instruments.
2. Cook
3. Talk for hours
4. Browse the net forever, download stuff like crazy
5. Confuse people with words
6. Fight for no reason at all
7. Make people laugh

Seven Things That U Can’t Do

1. Go on a real long drive with my dad, visit new places with him.
2. Eat Sushi
3. Say No to friends
4. Survive without Internet
5. Be with all my friends in the same colleges with the same teachers.
6. Talk less and listen more
7. Stop being possessive abt people who matter to me.

Seven Things That Attract U To The Opposite Sex

1. Genuineness
2. Respect for women
3. Sense of Humor
4. Compassion
5. Voice
6. Eyes
7. Smile

Seven Things U Say Most

1. Krishna!
2. Cool
3. Korangan
4. Heyyy
5. Hmm
6. Oh yea
7. Thank you

Seven Celebrities I Want To Meet

1. Hariharan
2. Julia Roberts
3. Gautam Rajadhyaksha, Raghu Rai
4. Shobhana
5. Jay Leno
6. Meg Ryan
7. 'Yet to be filled'

Seven PPL Who Have To Take This Quiz

1. Iyyaps
2. Keerthi
3. The World of B
4. Vinesh
5. Prabhu
6. Arvind
7. Achinthya

Yeh toh hona hi tha ...

2005-09-07T19:00:00.000-07:00

...which literally means 'this was meant to happen', am talking about this blog.
Now I am not going to write a big story about how this blog came into existence, lets skip the details. But I would like to thank Jo for being the reason to start this blog.
I was tagged by Jo, since I couldn’t fill my photoblog with text started thinking about another blog so you are reading this. Guess that’s enough for an Intro, over to my blog now and hey don’t forget to let me know your views.