Special day celebration !!!

      Looks like Mother’s day and Father’s day commemoration is slowly getting into every family. Is this Cultural change? Is this face of the new modern era we are stepping into? I had no clue about these days when I was in my childhood. Now these days are celebrated widely across different cultures and it’s a trend gaining more and more attention. Even the most conservative society started celebrating these days and adding more emotional quotient to these events.

      So how did these events transform the current generation? Where did these events evolve? There is a big commercial viability attached to these special occasions and every shop starts selling gifts, flowers, cards etc., Schools start to edify the children to offer something special to their dad or mom by means of drawing, writing, some creative activity etc., by this way they can please the parents to some extent. Media run special programs acknowledging the occasion by ways of bringing celebrities and making them dedicate gifts/songs to their parents. Restaurants do some brisk business and seats gets reserved pretty quickly. Every one seems to catch on the mood by being bit ingenious and touching the emotional quotient.

     The problem I have is looks like I am the odd man out; I am afraid that I will either be forced to celebrate these events or I will at least be obligated to commemorate these days. When everyone surrounding you celebrates I am not sure how am I to escape from these modern day fantasies. I personally feel these are unwanted and don’t see any reason to celebrate these days as a special occasion.  We slowly imbibe this culture to the next generation and then it becomes a custom practice within our tradition. The more I think the more I get confused J

Modern Day Hypocrites!!!!

      I was watching an awards function and the channel has always been one of my favorites due to its creativity and the way they package their programs. Their awards function is becoming more and more popular which was pretty perceptible from the number of sponsors that was read out. Awards functions are always with lots of glitz and glamour and it attracts lots of celebrities naturally. Channel was very vigilant is choosing jury members and they change the members every year just to make sure the integrity is not questioned. Channel also does a good job in spotting good talents and recognizing them in a big stage and hence persuade budding talents and make the general public aware of such talents.

      Because I like the channel very much I am prompted to question them on what basis did they give the coveted Chevalier Sivaji Ganesan award to SRK and not to some of the legends in the state like MSV, Raja sir, Manorama achi, Janaki madam etc., There definitely got to be a protocol in choosing the recipient of this award; Can the Channel publish that to public? Who decides the recipient? Does Glamour and popularity play a role in choosing the recipient? Does Box office results alone good enough? The Channel got to respect the intelligence of the audience and should not test them.

     The anchor is stalwart on public stage and who can talk on any topic embarrassed many by asking the audience to give a standing ovation to this north Indian figure. Why does he want to hang his brains in front of a celebrity? He talks about so many things about dignity and the way one should carry themselves by why all of a sudden this change in attitude? Is this called Hypocrisy at his best?

     Every time I see the cricket stadium full of people I wonder how responsible the cricket officials should be. This entire spot fixing scandal is taking the cricket frenzy nation for granted. Often double standards are employed and the people are been taken for granted. Can these officials be called as modern day hypocrites?

Ecstatic ….

        Today’s life is like an action packed movie with racy screenplay and high voltage action. In case if we tend to slow down we happen to feel bit timid. This being the case it just happened that I had opportunity to participate in two back to back events for noble causes on two consecutive days. Nothing was planned and it was a mere coincidence that I had to chance to get involved in both events. I had good excuse to skip at least one of the events since I was weary after my drive the previous night. Somehow thought I should participate on both events and express my gratitude and humanity.

        First event was a 5K walk – a cancer awareness program and the program’s main objective was to reach out to people and families affected by breast cancer. The walk was just three miles and it was fairly simple to walk which demanded just one hour of our time. I was spell bounded to see the crowd that gathered for this event. Those who wore pink shirts were cancer survivors and it was great to see the crowd cheer for these people who have fought their way back to life. There were lot of people who lost their family members due to cancer and it was great to see them having something like a tag at their back indicating who they are dedicating this noble cause to. The best thing according to me is that the moral support from people in reaching out to cancer community saying we will do our part in every possible way to help people affected by cancer. Just to gain momentum I also happened to buy book about Lance Armstrong to know what did he went through and how did he overcome this disease. Though he is caught for various reasons now I think he was a good fighter to overcome this disease and come back again to life.

      Second event was DC kitchen – a volunteering opportunity to prepare food for 4000+ people per Hindu style of cooking. It was a bunch of people and I personally thought it was a very good way to spend time on Mother’s day. The entire logistics of how this DC kitchen operates is very interesting. It was basically a Rajma sort of curry with many vegetables as part of ingredients. Menu was very simple but since it has to be a huge volume the effort was more.

      On Sunday evening when I looked back at my weekend somehow felt very happy and satisfied. My role was a very minor one but I thought if every human being played a minor role this world would be lot better. The root cause of any social work is to feel the gratitude of where do people stand and this would automatically trigger people to spend time and money for social causes. Once the family grows bigger I am not sure how much time I can spend on social causes but right now I am happy and proud I am making the maximum use of my time by registering my name in some meaningful social activities. 

Mutual Understanding

   What does it really take for two persons or say a set of people to mutually understand between each other? There can be several factors to be taken into consideration before we can answer this question. Let me tap my imaginary world and create fictional characters to exemplify this one. Every paragraph I plan to pull two characters and go over their habitual pattern.

     Let us say there are two people. Person ‘A’ is kind of very short tempered in nature; Person B is kind of much matured, soft spoken person who maintains a low profile. Person A nonchalantly browses the credit card bills online and goes mad seeing a big transaction happened due to one of the shopping activity of Person B. Without getting into the actual details starts to find faults with person B and then later comes to know that person B did shopping to present gifts to person A.

    Let us say there are two people. Person ‘A’ is kind of belligerent in all his/her actions and person B is kind of subtle in all his/her actions. Person B buys a patio plant and waters everyday to nurture; Person A being aggressive wants the plant to grow fast because of his aggressive nature. One fine day rain along with mighty winds blow the plant away and starts to find this as a good reason to find faults with person B saying person B was poor in taking care of the plant and instead should have done many other ways to protect the plant.

   Again let us assume person A belongs to old school and person B belongs to modern era. Let’s say both of them decide to go to restaurant for dinner and person A orders the traditional same dish over again and person B tries something new in the menu. If the new dish happens to be bad then person A argues with person B saying that ‘known devil is better than unknown angel’ and if the new dish happens to be tasty then still argues saying that person B should have recommended the dish for both.

  Now on all three occasions Person A did not completely understand person B and jumps to conclusion right off the bat. This is very common in every household and in any relationships. So what do we got to do in these situations? We just got to mutually understand each other....I guess

Wonderful evening !!!!!!

    Evening OF February 23^rd 2013 is etched in my memory …it was purely magical, just that I didn’t happen to see the magic but heard the magic. I always wanted to go for a Raja sir concert but with him doing few concerts and myself being outside India was always speculating when would that day come. I was very excited when I came to know that Raja sir concert is going to happen in New Jersey.  The trip to New Jersey was fun to start with and then came another sweet surprise - I didn’t realize that my ticket would fetch me so closer to the stage. Before you see a good movie on your way to theatre if you face traffic jam it is both good and bad; it is bad because you are aggravated and good because it automatically mellow down the mood to some extent. Same thing happened – the so called MCs tried their best but I was patiently waiting for the man to appear on stage. Lot many times our money is wasted in front of our own eyes but that day I felt happy that I am spending on something I am going to cherish.

     Clock ticked slowly and boom audience saw the man coming onto the stage in white dhothi in a typical Tamizhan style.  He didn’t allow any of us to take a breather ….he came …he started ..he mesmerized. Orchestration was mind blowing; the sound comes from instruments and he has written the notes and passed on to the musicians. Its not just the instruments ..it is also the number of people who bring the sound ….none of us had any clue when he said there are small mistakes happening and boy he made the musicians play all over again on few occasions. This is called perfectionist ….one who is pretty clean will feel perturbed even if they see a mustard seed in a dining table …same was this man ….

   The good thing I liked about the concert was that he went with the plan …though audience was demanding more telugu songs he went ahead with what was prepared. When we go to basement we tend to be in party mood and we step into pooja room we tend to catch onto the atmosphere. Same was the case …in Ilayaraja concert we are supposed to enjoy the music and show our appreciation by clapping our hands. He doesn’t like whistling and bustling and audience listened to his words.  When the clock was slowly inching towards its maximum number still he did not play the fast peppy numbers instead had a village folk song. Man ..this is called playing to your strength….

  Considering the number of Musicians and the logistics involved I am not sure about the profit margin. But money is just a legal paper …no one can take the memory of a wonderful evening provided by Raja sir.  On a personal front with so much of stress it wouldn’t have come at a better time. I relished, enjoyed every bit of concert. I wish him good health and lot of happiness and wish he continues to enthrall his fans with his soul touching music. 

Grass is always greener on the other side …..

     We always tend to think grass is always greener on the other side. Seven out of ten times many tend to think this way. Whenever I see someone eating rice I feel the other person is so gifted to have lots of rice and still be in good shape and if I see someone eating chapathi I feel how regimented the other guy is. Is this because of the Neuro associations? Is this because of non acceptance behavior we tend to carry from our childhood? What causes us to feel grass is always greener on the other side?

     Here are few examples – a beggar wishes he wants to be a millionaire and enjoy all the luxury whereas a millionaire though he doesn’t want to be a beggar but still wants to enjoy a peaceful life without stress; people in the cine industry wish to live a normal life just like a common man whereas a common man wants to hog the limelight and enjoy the cult status like a celebrity; people who do business trips very frequently wants to stay at home whereas those who work locally prefer to travel and experience the outside world; people who take highways feel they should have taken crossroads as that could have avoided traffic and people who take crossroads feel they must have taken highways as that would have made them to accelerate; people who have yellow light in their living room think they should go with white light to make the room look more brighter and people with white light think they should go with yellow light to make it more presentable.

       Acceptance is the way to live life but often we are caught with “Catch 22” situation. We just don’t know which one would suit us. I deem with experience we get used to acceptance level. As time goes by we as an individual get mature and admit what is in store for us. Who can deny the very fact that every single morsel of food is already decided …yes that’s what is called as ‘Destiny’ …we bound to get what we are destined to and we won’t get what we won’t.

  After acceptance comes the appreciation ….once we start to appreciate every damn thing then things start to get better. Even after winning a lottery we may appear to be a poor guy if we compare ourselves to Bill gates but once we compare ourselves to most of our counterparts we may be in a far better position. So acceptance and appreciation is a nice way to see things in life and I am starting to learn and adapt these in my day to day life.

Gadget and the modern world …..

    These days Gadgets have become part and parcel of life. Modern gadgets have been the order of the day. Almost every single human being possesses at least one of modern gadgets. Gifting gadgets has also become popular, thanks to the urban culture. If one has a flip flop phone we tend to think the person is quite outdated though that may not be true. Gadgets are lustrous with some alluring features written all over it and it is quite natural for people in this era to fall for it.

    I am just speculating what is the driving factor out of these two? Do we buy gadgets since there is a need or since there is a need we buy a gadget? On both the occasions there is a ‘need’ which brought Gadgets into the modern world. I was wondering what might those ‘needs’ be ….it may be something like glancing emails when you are mobile, accessing internet within your hands, reading books from your electronic media while you travel, accessing maps for navigation, playing games from your backseat while you are driving long distance, taking photos/videos from your smart phone rather than relying on your bulky cameras, making notes in your phone, setting up calendar in your phone, listening to songs from your phone and being mobile etc., the list goes on and on.

     Didn’t we have all these needs before these fancy gadgets came into place? We still had needs but was consummated without these gadgets. It might not have been so efficient but it was so much safer – not accessing/texting phone while you drive; lot more stress free – no need to stress yourself by reading or accessing devices in those small gadgets; much more quality family time – no need to play games and sit before the device 24/7; being outdoor versus being stuck indoor with those devices in your hands.

    So now I am wondering those who do not use modern day gadgets may look or sound outdated but in fact they are playing it safe and being much more stress free; Circumstances make us to sign up for these gadgets since if our employer would like to sponsor the phone bill who will reject the offer. But still I believe we got to come out of these modern day gadgets.

Some amount of respect ……

      The recent debate of when Sachin should retire is making headlines in almost all media and it’s a field day for people to draw viewership. A person who has dedicated 23+ years of his life for nation is now facing criticism from every nook and corner. I feel so sorry for this humble human being. I remember even after his father’s last respects he joined the team to play in the world cup tournament. I can just envisage the emotional battle he should be running over his mind since it is very intricate not to get sidetracked during these tough times. This man holds that many records that one can write a book just based on his records alone.

   

     Now let us rewind a bit ..look at the past ..I remember times when I used to switch off the television the moment he gets out. He carried the team in his shoulders many times since Indian cricket always relied heavily on him. He did not become one many army but he was made as one due to the whole system how selection works. In a nation where cricket is literally worshipped you need to be immensely talented to play for two decades. Remember Indian board always looks for moolah and the itineraries are always cramped. Players got to adjust the jet lags, food and climate since they travel all round the globe. On top of the International calendar, they need to play tour games and the much hyped IPL. Body takes a toll out of these travel and for you to perform at your best needs lot of resilience and determination with this long career.

   

    Sachin is matured enough to call it a day and we just got to give him that personal space. Youngsters get benefitted due to his presence in dressing room. I am sure this is what will happen …he will start to score runs and make some big scores ..once that happens he may announce his retirement and that will be a one of the most illustrious career in the history of the game. The entire cricket fraternity will stand up and salute this gentleman. Roads will be announced under his name, stamps will be released and all possible awards may fill his wardrobe.

   

   One thing which I personally learnt from Sachin is whoever you are ..whatever you accomplished in your career …you will struggle and face criticism in some way or other ….so just got to be mentally strong and work harder ….Thank you Sachin for the wonderful service to Nation …I wish your son wears the Indian jersey soon …..

A fantasy ride ….

Fantasy is allowed in celluloid  ...why not is real life? I love sujatha’s dialogue in Mudhalvan “Valkailayum rewind button erunta evlo nalla erukum” ….this is so very true and something which everyone may wish come true. As we step into each year and grow older some memories seems to be etched in our memories and stay for ever …..I am wondering why don’t I live through fantasy for a while …..

1980’s ….

Tightly stitched shorts above knee level …riding BSA SLR cycle …..Friday ‘Oliyum oliyum’ …..Doordashan cinema once a week on Sunday evening ……Natraj geometry box ……four line all lesson notebook ….VCR and casette....Iyer kadai bhajji near Tepakulam …..Maris 70mm theatre …..Michael’s 1.5 rupees vanilla ice cream …..Madurai exhibition in last week of May and round 5 rupees appalam with chilly powder and many many more …..

1990’s…..

Wednesday school assembly …..Saturday color dress….waiting for last day of exam to splash ink on others, Bajaj chetak scooter, Burma paai, cheepu cheedai from appatha, fight for remote control, gully cricket, Visu’s arattai arangam followed by chicken liver soup around 11am on Sunday, Floppy disk, dry hibiscus flower in middle of the book, Pazhamuthir cholai sathukudi juice, Book cricket, Monopoly, Hotmail and USA.NET email address, Bangalore Iyengar bakery  puffs,  steam bath, adiresam, Thirattu paal, Nongu vandi, thanni pandal manga oorgaai, Poo thattu, Reynolds pen and many many more …..

By recollecting some of the above things was like riding through a fantasy for 15-20 minutes….amazing ride ….

P-R-I-V-A-C-Y

    I happen to read Amitabh bachan’s 70^th birthday celebrations in Internet. Celebrities are made as stars and they always seem to be an amusement to Public. To some extent celebrities do enjoy this status though some prefer to play a low profile in Public events. I thought the way media chased to get a glimpse of aishwarya’s new born daughter was bit childish…Why in the world would they do that when they have so much to cover?

    For media any news on a celebrity (gossip / silly incident like a stomach upset in a shoot / incident on their personal life) will be on the headlines with font size 48 and style as ‘Times new roman’. This will increase the circulation of the copies and hence spawn more revenue for that particular media. Entertainment in this modern era is necessary and film stars endow with ample entertainment through their movies. People read weekly magazines for time pass and even have that as one of their hobbies which is completely fine, but the very same medium should not divert the minds of the people by having something non factual just for the sake of publicity. It will bring down the credibility of the author and the respective magazine.

    After marrying a doctor I came to know that it is a common trend for ladies to add weight once they have delivered a baby. Aishwarya rai was no exception and after all she was a human being and has to undergo laws of nature. She was plump and the way media went overboard with her physique made people like me feel sorry for the actress. Why would the world worry about her physique? Does she not know to take care of herself …I saw the actress making maximum effort to hide her baby from the shutterbugs. It clearly shows she is not willing to divulge the photograph of her baby to public yet. I am also wondering how Mr.Rajinikanth managed not to reveal photographs of his daughters till they reached a point where they had to come to Public stage. But anyway Privacy got to be given its due respect and media has to understand.