Tuesday, January 30, 2007

50 Questions

Heidi tagged me. I guess after PGDBA and dot net certification this is first time I am attempting something that has 50 questions to be answered. By the time I started and finished I believe that even James Cameron had started his next movie :-)

1. Were you named after anyone?
Yes. After my Great Grandpa Mr HariHaran.

2. Do you wish on stars?
Used to when I was a kid. Innocence lost :-(

3. When did you last cry?
April 28, 2003 when I left my college and friends. Adukku munnadi Dec 02, 1998. I cry rarely and so I remember them :-(.

4. Do you like your handwriting?
At least I used to. I used to write on my college blackboard. Now it has been reduced to chicken scratches.

5. What is your favorite meat?
Wrong Question. I am a veggie :)

6. What is your most embarrassing CD on your shelf?
ASP.Net and C#.

7. If you were another person, would YOU be friends with you?
Absolutely yes.

8.Are you a daredevil?
Yes. I love trying new things and I do not regret after a failure.

9. How do you release anger?
I used to shout and my tone would become sarcastic. Nowadays I walk away from anything that angers me. Usually the best remedy is listening to music.

10. Where is your second home?
First and second is the world ;). I have been a globe trotter with no fixed place.

11. Do you trust others easily?
Fortunately or Unfortunately Yes.

12. What was your favorite toy as a child?
My Atlas cycle.

13. What class in school/college do you think is totally useless?
The periods from 9 AM to 5 PM. :-)

14. Do you use sarcasm a lot?
At times yes.

15. Have you ever been in a mosh pit?
Nope.

16.What do you look for in a guy/(gal)?
Attitude and sense of humor.

17. Would you bungee jump?
Of course what makes you think I wont.

18. Do you untie your shoes when you take them off?
I am the laziest creature on earth. I bought a lace less shoe just because I hate tying laces ;)

19.what's your favorite ice cream?
There is nothing as favorite. Whenever I go to Ice cream shops I select the weirdest sounding ones and try them.

20. What are your favorite colors?
Blue and Black.

21. What are your least favorite things?
Any Monotonous and non creative work is my least favorite.

22. How many people do you have a crush on right now?
Lost count....

23. Who do you miss most right now?
My mom and my friends.

24. What are you listening to right now?
Idenna Maayam from Oram Po.

25. If you were a crayon, what color would you be?
Blue

26. What is the weather like right now?
Cold. It is 23F in Manchester, CT.

27. Last person you talked to on the phone?
Forgot. I think the last call I made was to my mom on Sunday. :-)

28. The "first" thing you notice about the opposite sex?
Eyes. Next is Smile.

29. Do you like the person who sent you this?
Illanu sonna adi vaanguven nu ninaikiraen. ;). (Heidi, I was just kidding)

30. How are you today?
As usual Unusual.

31. Favorite non alcoholic drink?
Fruit Juice. I like Mango or Chikoo Milk Shake.

32. Favorite alcoholic drink?
Does Coffee qualify as one? ;)

33. Natural hair color?
Black.

34. Eye color?
Black.

35. Wear contacts?
Nope. Because I did laser operation a year and half back.

36. Siblings?
A silent younger Brother.

37. Favorite month?
May

38.Favorite food?
Anything my mom makes.

39. Favorite day of the year?
April 04. I will blog the reason someday for this.

40. Have you ever been too shy to ask someone out?
Yes. In fact I have been very shy to ask anyone out :-(

41. Scary movies or happy endings?
Scary Movies with Happy Endings.

42. Summer or winter?
Summer. I hate being kept captive at one place.

43. Holi or Diwali?
Diwali

44. Do you like your name?
Hmmm...tough one. I don't...but kids do.

45. What book/magazine are you reading?
Archers "To Cut a Long story Short".

46. What's on your mouse pad?
My finger.

47. What did you watch on TV last night?
A movie called Shattered Glass.

48. Favorite Smell?
Any nice aroma of something delicious being cooked.

49. Have you ever regretted breaking up with someone?
Nope. Because the getting together thing itself never happened in first place. Apram daane, Break Up ellam ;)

50. Most tiresome thing you’ve ever experienced/done?
Can I say this tag?
Kidding. I hardly get tired.

Now I come to the best part. As usual, I don't tag anyone :-)

Monday, January 22, 2007

The Time-Table man

"Oh shit."
Those were the first words uttered by Mohan Joshi on Monday at 7.10 AM. May Sharone Stone go to hell. They say that it is inauspicious to begin your day by saying something unholy and Mohan unwillingly had done the same. Now you may wonder that why should one make such a huge hue and cry for waking up at a somewhat-early-morning hours? Because Mohan is the Time Table Man.

Mohan does his activities by the book and by the hour. Its been a month since he has arrived in US, but his near time perfection has even impressed his clients and colleagues. He wakes up at 630, finishes morning activities including shower by 715, has breakfast by 730, dresses up and packs by 750, arrives at the park and ride by 805 and catches the 810 bus. His Tea Break timings are at 1030 and 330 PM with lunch in between at 1245. He catches his evening 530 bus and arrives home at 620, checks mails, finishes dinner with his Land Lord at 830 and after watching some TV he is back in the bed by 1100 PM.

Yesterday on Sunday night Sharon Stone just broke his routine with her sultry beauty in Basic Instinct and by the time Mohan leaped in the bed it was 1210 AM. He finished his shower early and almost ran to the Park and ride to catch the 810 Bus which he missed by a few leaps and minutes. Cursing himself he caught the next bus and then remembered that he had forgotten his mobile at home. It was not the start that Mohan loved for his day. Office was no better as he forgot to send a document to his manager and he called and lectured him instead. Mohan couldn't wait for the day to end.

Half asleep and somber he ran and caught the last bus and saw a lady seated on his usual window seat on the 2nd row in the left hand corner. No good. Unwillingly he sat in a seat he had never sat before and after some time he fell asleep. He was not sure when he woke up, but as soon as he did he got down sensing his stop. Oh hell, why does this place have to get pitch dark at 600 PM? Wait a minute, this is not the stop. Seems that the day was far from over.

Now if he had been in India he should have had no problem as there would be people walking around or a tea shop around and he could get back on track. But this was the US where at 6 PM only ghosts and lunatics who wish to freeze to death roam around on roads apart from the vehicles. This place was devoid of all the three. Goddamn you US. Mohan having being used to the only route from Park and Ride to home, couldn't figure out where he was. Goddamn you Mohan. This is the trouble of carrying out life on a set pattern every other day. One gets used to it and when the routine breaks, all hell breaks loose. Without a mobile to call and ask Directions and in a neighborhood where he knew no one, Mohan Joshi felt as if he was stranded on Sahara desert.

"Uncle Mohan. What are you doing here?" asked a familiar voice. It was Jesse, Mohan's land lord's son. Mohan then realized that he was just crossing the backyard of the house where he lived. He had never set foot on the back yard in that whole month.
"Well...I was just roaming around" lied Mohan.
"Hmmm....Uncle, my friend gave me a book called Who Moved My Cheese? My friend says that it is a nice book about changes in life and adapting to it. Have you read this book?"
"Well..Jesse..Mind if I borrow it from you and read and return it in a week?" asked Mohan.
Mohan realized that he needed that book more badly than this 8 year old kid.

Tuesday, January 16, 2007

The Cowshed

This is how people refer to the bachelor rooms. Yeah yeah yeah. You got it right. It hurts and possibly it is right at times as well.

The folks who live with me I guess are all neat and tidy when in their respective homes but a look into this room and you could puke to death. Clothes, books, bags...oh...everywhere scattered around the room in such a way that I could call 911 and he would see this room and believe that we have been ransacked. Every week me and my other roommate put everything in place and vacuum clean it and make it appear orderly...and the dream lasts for 2 days. The third day it looks the same again. How frustrating?

One of my roommate when he left India was told by his parents to lighten up the place by his presence. Well, he got the figure of speech wrong and took it quite literally. Any room he enters and leaves has the light turned on. Now with a salary which is only being rivaled by the Janitor at my clients place, we cant afford to pay huge electricity bills. Another one has a fancy for other guys dresses. He sees a nice shirt of mine or other fellas and the next day he is wearing them. It is even more convenient that we works for a different client. Depending on the feedback (which is more number of looks from the female staff) the shirt would be missing from the rack for the longer span of time and the buyer can forget having bought it in first place.

Another one is a worse bathroom singer. He screeches and drags and brays worse than donkeys and 3 stanzas later you pray to be admitted in an asylum. Worse are his claims. When reported that he could do away with singing he bragged that one girl in his college fell head over heels in love with him just for his singing(?) abilities! Now I always knew that Love was blind....turns out that it is deaf as well :-)

But then all of us are not perfect beings. Each of us have a trait or 2 which irritates someone out there. Even I have not cared about my health as much as my roommate did and Thanks is a very small word in exchange for that. Every person must once in his/her life live in a dormitory or a bachelor house. Our parents have no other choice but to give in to our tantrums or know the way we are and so it is always nice and cozy at home. But when you live in with a stranger or a friend....you get to learn a few lessons. You will get to learn the meaning of patience, giving space, letting things go, enjoying companionship, sharing joy and grief....and much more.

Trust me, however rich you maybe, but life sucks without companionship or when there is no one around to talk. As for the way the room looks....well.....Boys will be boys :-)

Monday, January 08, 2007

Vanilla Sky

Siachen is freezing at minus 30 and it is just 6 PM. I look at the sky which is blue with a tint of pink. I get reminded of the Vanilla Sky painting of Monet she showed me on net.

"Do you have your location?" buzzed the walkie talkie in my hand.
"They are at our 3 O Clock at the pre confirmed location. Send back up now." I had made it fast than I had thought.
If I complete this operation successfully, we will be able to finish another band of infiltrators across the border which we are now going to eliminate based on a tip off.
"Major Ravi. So what are the plans after this?" asked the soldier on my left.
Plans? Man, Don't distract me now. I have a business to finish and home to get back to. Lovely parents, caring brother and...someone special. I got engaged just 2 weeks prior to the call and 2 more weeks are left for my marriage. The very thought of returning to home soon makes me feel on sky.

"sir, they are firing now sir." echoes one of my 2 mates. We have to retaliate and keep them there. I figure there are 4 men in that post and they are either terrorists or army men posed as such. We circle them and shoot them as fiercely as possible. Hang on buddy, backup is on its way. As I shoot the last guy I look at his face. Who was he? Few minutes before, he was a soldier. He was a son, possibly a brother, a husband, a father, a tax paying citizen who had a home which used to be filled with laughter and joy in his presence. It would never be the same again. Moments from now an inevitable call will be made to his house which will destroy it beyond imagination and beyond any compensation given.

Unfortunately a gun and a bullet know no religion, race, caste, creed on earth. For them the shooter is the master and the target is a piece of flesh which has to be torn to pieces and blood has to be spilled out. The only common reactions for the victim of a bullet are moans of pain and cry of despair and helplessness. An amazing hell of an invention is this thing. What were his last thoughts? Was he thinking of the past happy times or the could-have-been future? Was he cursing me to rot in hell when he breathed his last?

I joined the army as I believe in protecting my country, but I am no believer in war. Wars are just the games played by political big wigs to satisfy their egos at our expense. We are pawns which can be sacrificed before the checkmate. Sometimes there is no checkmate. Take the wars in Iraq, Srilanka, Kashmir, Israel, Chechenya, Afghanistan...anywhere. Do you think that war is the only solution? What will America get after that whole Iraq war? A few million barrels of oil? How long will it last? What will happen to SriLanka and Kashmir? Why do they want some piece of land which has been soaked red with the blood of thousands of innocent people? If only we all understood that irrespective of any accomplishments in our life we would rest six feet under or be burnt to ashes.....we may consider doing many a things in our living days.

Just a few more minutes and the back up will be on its way. The bodies will be handed over and questions will be asked. I look at the Vanilla Sky....but I am no longer in a mood to enjoy its beauty. Walk away soldier. You have a life to live and another day to die.

Wednesday, January 03, 2007

கல்யாணம்தான் கட்டிக்கிட்டு...

thanglish terinja makkalellam kizha ponga

"பாயசம் ஆச்சா?சீக்கிரம் ப்பா" ரமேஷ் பம்பரமாக சுத்தி கொண்டிருந்தார். கல்யாண வீடுனா சும்மாவா? வாசலில் இருந்த "சுப்ரமணியன் வெட்ஸ் சாவித்திரி" சற்று சாய்வாக இருந்தது அதை சரி செய்தார். இதுல விருந்தாளிகளை வரவேற்காவிட்டால் அது வேற பிரச்னை. ஒரு மனுசன் எத்தனை எடத்துல தான் இருக்கிறது? இந்த கன்றாவிக்கு தான் கிளோணிங் கண்டுபிடிச்சாங்களோ?

கொஞ்சம் கொஞ்சமாக கூட்டம் நிரம்பி வழிந்தது. ஒரு சில பேர் சுப்பினியையும் ஒரு சிலர் சாவித்திரியையும் கலாய்கக சென்றனர். கோஷ்டி கோஷ்டியாக மக்கள் பிரிய ஆரம்பித்தனர். வழக்கம் போல் சண்டை போட்டு பிரிந்த உறவினர்கள் எதிர் எதிரே அமருந்தனர். கொடுத்த கூலிக்கு வாசித்த நாதஸ்வர கச்சேரியை சில பெரிசுகள் மட்டுமே தாளம் போட்டு ரசிததனர். நடுத்தர வயது ஆண்கள் ஷேர் மார்க்கெட் பற்றியும், சதாம் தூக்கிலிட்டது பற்றியும், அடுத்த ப்ராஜெக்ட் பற்றியும் விவாதித்தனர். இலசுகளில் ஒரு கோஷ்டி எங்கே M.S பண்ணலாம், எந்த கம்பெனிக்கு தாவலாம்னு பேசி கொண்டிருந்தனர். இன்னொரு கோஷ்டி வரும் போகும் பெண்களுக்கு மார்க் போட்டு கொண்டும், டெண்டுல்கருக்கு பதில் யாரை டீமில் சேர்க்கலாம் என்றும் விவாதித்து கொண்டிருந்தனர்.

மாமியார்கள் மெகா சீரியல் மருமகள்கள் பற்றியும் மருமகள்கள் மாமியார்கள் பற்றியும் குறை கூறி கொண்டிருந்தனர். இந்த சம்பாஷணை நிஜ மாமியார் மருமகளை பற்றியும் தாவியது. மற்றவர்கள் ஜிமுக்கி, முத்துமாலை மற்றும் மற்ற நகை பற்றியும் பேசி கொண்டிருந்தனர். குழந்தைகள் அங்கும் இங்கும் ஓடி கொண்டு விளையாடி கொண்டிருந்தனர். சில பேர் மட்டும் "சீக்கிரம் வேலைய முடீசீங்கனா நாங்க சாப்பிட்டு கெளம்புவோம் இல்ல" ங்கற மாதிரி இருந்தார்கள்.

"சீக்கிரம் வாங்க. போட்டோ எடுக்கணும்" னு ஒருத்தர் கூவினார்.
எல்லா உறவினரும் எங்கிருந்தோ ஒன்று கூடினர். சுப்பினியும் சாவித்திரியும் அருகருகே அமருந்தனர். ஒரு சுட்டி பெண் ஓடி வந்து சுப்பிணி மடியில் அமர்ந்து கொண்டாள்.
"சுப்பிணி தாத்தா. என்ன உம்முனு இருக்கேள்? நன்னா சிரிங்கோ" என்று சொல்ல கூட்டத்தில் இருந்த அனைவரும் சிரித்தனர்.

பெத்தீயின் அறைகூவல் கேட்டு சங்கோஜமாக நெளிந்து பிறகு சந்தோஷமாக பொக்கை வாய் தெரிய சந்தோஷமாக சிரித்தார் சதாபிஷேக நாயகன் சுப்ரமணியன்.

"paayasam aachchaa?Seekiram ppa" Ramesh bambaramaaga suththi kondirundaar. kalyaana veedu na summava? vaasalil irunda "Subramanian weds Saavitri" satru saayvaaga irundadu adai sari seydaar. idula virundaaligalai varaverkavittal adu vera pirachanai. oru manusan ettanai edattula thaan irukiradu? inda kandraa vikku thaan cloning kandupidichchaangalo?

Konjam konjamaaga kuttam nirambi vazhindadu. oru sila per suppiniyaiyum oru silar saavitriyayum kalaaika sendranar. oshti goshtiyaaga makkal piriya aarambittanar. Vazhakkam pol sandai pottu pirinda uravinargal edir edire amarundanar. Kodutta kooliku vaasitha naadaswara kacheriyai sila perisugal mattume taalam pottu rasitanar. Nadutara vayadu aangal share market patriyum, Sadaam tookkilittadu patriyum, adutta project patriyum vivaadithanar. Ilasugalil oru goshti enge MS pannalaam, enda companykku taavalaam nu pesi kondirundanar. Innoru goshti varum pogum pengalukku maark pottu kondum, Tendulkarukku badil yaarai tee mil serkalaam endrum vivaaditu kondirundanar.

Maamiyaargal megaa seerial marumagalgal patriyum marumagalgal maamiyaargal patriyum kurai kuri konidundanar. Inda sambaashanai nija maamiyaar marumagalai patriyum taaviyadu. matravargal jimukki, muttumaalai matrum matra nagai patriyum pesi kondirundanar. Kuzhandaigal angum ingum odi kondu vilaiyaadi kondirundanar. Sila per mattum "seekiram velaiya mudicheenganaa naanga saapittu kelambuvom illa" ngara maadiri irundaargal.

"seekiram vaanga. photo edukanum" nu oruttar koovinaar.
Ella uravinarum engirundo ondru koodinar. Suppiniyum saavithriyum arugarugae amarundanar. Oru sutti pen odi vandu suppini madiyil amarndu kondaal.
"suppini thaatha. enna ummunu irukel? nannaa seeringo" endru solla kootathil irunda anaivarum siritanar.

Pethtiyin araikooval kettu sangojamaaga nelindu piragu sandoshamaaga pokkai vaai teriya sandoshamaaga sirittar sataabishega naayagan Subramanian.