Sunday - After lunch movie..

"One of the symptom of your problem is sudden-suicide-feeling"...Dhanush tells to Vivek who is sipping his drink,drops the glass out of shock, vivek "Suicide ?!?!?! Am already married man. Why will I suicide again.."

After quite a while I enjoyed,thoroughly, a Sunday after lunch movie (DVD) with so much of stomach pain due to laugh. Movie is "uthama puthiran". I wanted to watch the movie only for the angel in the movie - Jenelia. Interestingly the movie is a good laugh. A typical Telugu movie backdrop, and logic-less stories - but no worries..the movie is full of comedy. Especially the second half is completely ruled by vivek. Most of the time with his witty dialogues and rest with his innocent and being unaware of what-comes-next look. Give a try a good entertainer. And needless to say Jenelia...very cute in this movie too.

I feel quality of south movies has increased a bit. Especially, lot less violence, good subjects and at times some good remakes too. Yesterday I saw this movie chikku-bukku, Arya and Shreya starrer. Its a quite interesting movie to watch. Its again a Period movie (am I right is saying this?) with parallel narration of two love stories - one happening now and the other in yester-generation (80s). Yes, for people who thinking this is a remake of "love-aajkal", you are not right completely. The original theme of the movie was from Koren - "The Classic". I have seen this movie and is really a classic. In Chikku-bukku the story was well adapted to south-indian viewers. I think the director was little worried in the climax that audience might miss the best part of the story...hence he is stretching the climax a little more than the normal, both by more shots and dialogues - especially the one that details the finer point in the movie - to the last section of audience who has not got the point. I wish the director would have left that understanding to the viewer - am sure an above average viewer would have got the point. Explaining things so explicit may adverse the taste. Nevertheless its comfort of the director and trust he has on the viewers intelligence. (I think ManiRatnam is the master of it - he never tells things explicitly and leave it to the viewer).

I think the director change the plot slightly by adding a "road-trip" part to the movie. Is this present in love-aajkal. Dont know.




But I liked the lead-role actress(am not referring Shreya) very lovely. With such a beautiful plot, probably music could have been better.

2010 is a luck year for Arya..two movies with nice story (Madarasipattinam, chikkubukku) and a full-blown-comedy in "Boss aka baskaran"



Am still keeping Nandala for tonight. I dont wnat to bogg this movie with any other nonsense.

What drives?

Its almost end of the year 2010..with no significant achievements an year is slipping away...and life changing its calendar.A decade from the Y2k...hard to believe.

December is so boring...dull at work...very dull climate..cold outside..and raining too this year..not so interesting changes happening in office.

Dont know how others (read as human beings) pushing their life ahead. WTF is fuelling them..wat drives it...
i have no motivation to do work...no motivation to fill appraisal forms...to book tiket home...to book leaves..to pay premiums for investments..to get offer letter ..to get hike..
to go aerobics..to keep fit..to cook...

it sucks...also being scared of taking any risk also compunds..i think..well one infinite small thinkg to be happy is did let me feelings out..but only to get backfired is different story..but thats ok...wtf ( watching bruce almighty when editing this)

thank got it started 2 and half men in starworld..going to watch it..will c u latter.

being proactive..

My friend cum colleague was upset during our regular tea-time in office. We were bit relived that our free-coffee will continue for some more time after our blue-merger. (BTW I was having home-made-vada with T in Sunday brunch...man u got to live with family)

Even though we were doing the same type of job, he (sh) opted to pursue the project management side while I continued to be in the functional side. Don’t know who and when someone will register my story in their blog like this. Ok back to the tea table. Our friend is upset to the core that he don’t want to do the PM, ever and he is in fact ready to go back to what he was doing an year before. It turns out that the problem is not with the role but that his mentor, or lead (not the reporting manager) is the trouble. Being a very career-climber its obvious his lead is finding all the options to criticize on him or make him look small. Well, being part of the game, our friend thought this would change soon and he will have obvious advantages - but his lead made sure our friend is just a unofficial-PA. Sensing this we did our part to rub the salt whenever we could.

For instance if there is an email from customer for which our friend, if responds, his lead will give 10 reasons why he shouldn't have responded so fast without her involvement. Makes sense, may be, next time he waited for his lead to respond, but only to see a feedback indicating he should have responded to the customer immediately as this was an urgent matter. Now Our friend is clearly confused. Should he reply or not. A third shocker came soon, where in a customer, by mistake had copied all relevant but our friend. Sh neither saw the email so / nor replied. This time the comment from the lead was the "you are not proactive enough to make sure that you are in all the emails from customer". There is an old saying when your senior desides to screw you, he will have all the options. So any emails, with or without his involvement will be an opportunity for his lead to ..use-it.

Deepavali memoir 3

When I like something the next thing we like to do is to talk about it. Talk about that in every other opportunity you got - no matter you still have that or you lost it. Or at least I would like to hear about that. I believe this is not just my problem :)

P.G.Senthil, he is one of my old bus-mate. We used to travel to the school in the same bus.He is not my class but my neighbor. Beside this there were nothing common between us. I think it was when we were in 7th std and one day Senthil mentioned about his dad's plan to open a fire-work shop a week for deepavali. Did I just hear cracker shop !!! yes. He said. His dad is actually a small time business man. I dont know why, if I think about it now its just so crazy, because I was so happy about that idea. Still not sure why I was so happy. I started asking more details about the shop, their plan. How long they want to keep the shop, where do they get them from sivakasi an so on. It was i think 10 days before the diwali day and I start asking him anything and everything about the shop. I'm sure senthil would have wondered what happened to me. Infact my curiocty even continued a week after diwali, asking what have they done with the left overs. I remember he once said irritatingly that, I dont know da, i think we returned them back.

In the same year he failed and continued 2dn yr doing 7th. Latter I lost his touch.



In the same year, somehow my dad came up wiht the new idea of buying fire-works directly from the manufacturer in Sivakasi. But how?. We can get that thru post. Post - how is that possible. Its simple we send MO for some amount and they will send parcel to the address we specify. Oh thats a good idea, but do you know some one to send to? I dont know we will find that out. From that time I started searching all the news papers for fire-works add and finalized a company - I still remember the name - "Kaleeshwari fire works". My dad said ok, lets M.O. 100 Rs to this address. 100 Rs? Dad thats very less you will get nothing. No no dont worry in Sivakasi things are really cheap and you will actually get a lot. So 100 is more than enough. So what about the list - how will he know what to send? No, they ususally have a gift-pack and that covers most of the items you need. Dont worry.
Sometime my dad comeup with such very not-so-down-to-earth type ideas.


I went to the nearby PO. and was filling a M.O. I took the help of postman Mani there (my dad couldn't make for some reason.) Mani was asking what this is money is for and I explained. He was surprised ay my answer "Do they do that?" Ya they do. How long will it take, for which I dont have answer.

After sending this MO, I have his feeling of exitement as though am expecting a huge pack. Twodays passed no response. The third day there was this postman on my door step. I was so happy to see him and was wondering how big the pack was. He handed over the part of M.O. where it was written "rejected by the receiver !!".

MGR Movie & My uncle - Deepavali Memoir 2

He is tall, thin, fair and very handsome. My mum often refer him as the eldest son of our family, elder to my brother. Arasappan, my uncle - younger brother to my mum. After his school he was made to come to tirupur and start taking training in Sarvodya and slowly got into the job of sarvodaya - typically thats how one get job in there. You join as a trainee and become an employee.

My uncle works in a place which is around 30 kms from tirpur, a place called madhapoor - near palladam. During his initial times of training he is been living in my house - for around 3 yrs and then shifted to madhapoor. Usually weekends he come home and back to work on monday morningns.

Having an uncle who will get you whatever you want and support on every your action is something you will love and feel the comfort only after you loose one.

This happened when I was doing my 3rd std(3 or 4 years before the incidence in mem-1). My uncle came home on the deepvali morning. after a feast that my mum prepared (which is usally the case on a deepvali) my uncle took me along for a walk and was asking about the crackers and stuffs. Being me, i started complaining that the cracker was not sufficient need more. It was almost 1:00 PM and most of the shops are closed. He promised me to buy some tommorow, but only if I go with him in the evening. I asked - where?. Movie - there is this MGR movie running in the near by theater - "enga veetu pillai". It was not a new release - but for crazy fans like my uncle this movie has been screened on this day - latter I realised.

He is a die-hard fan of MGR and my mum used to tell stories of my uncle having blow-ups of MGR in his school books and room.He was literally exited on seeing MGR on screen especially for "Naan anaiittal.." song. Anytime I see this song it reminds me that deepavali and my uncle.

Next day he took me to the near by shop and got me as much of crackers I needed. He was telling the surprised-shop-keeper that somehow they missed getting 2 days before hence doing it. This shop keeper knows our family and was asking about his work and all.

I think that was the last time I saw him. Things changed a lot within 10 months after this. He got married with the disapproval of my mum, moved to Madappor with his newly wed wife. And one friday night (and still I remember that friday when my mum was, for some reason really upset and restless, very visibly) two elderly guys came and conveyed the news. Hel broke loose, my mum along with the neighbours rushed to madhappor immediately. Two days latter my uncle's body was cremated in the same town.

I dont know for some reason I didn't cry on the day..still don't know why.

You deserve it Kid - Deepavali memoir 1

I have to really sequence these memoirs. Since I was in a mood to write what eever comming to my mind with out editing..

We used to live in a colony - a closed community colony for the sarvodaya employees - in my home town Tirupur. It was a small colony of 18 houses. I was born and lived till my 15 yrs there before moving to the current house. This is like any government quarters where you could see people of various level and the obvious politics - simple politics like having the right to access things - simple things like water, benefits, concession on power usage and so on. My mum lived in that place for 25 years with my dad and for her it is the world (Reality is, world is just outside the colony which it took around 30 yrs for her and our family - when we were locked out of colony and forced to find a new place)

Besides the ususal politics , the environment of a closed community is something one would have to be previlaged to get. You would know each and every member of the colony, their relavtives and their specific details of where they work / study. sometimes these visitors even know the neighbours of their hosts well enough to buy gifts for them. That was an awesome time.

There were only three types of family Type-1 - for eg - the family of the chief-seceratory of a specific department - who is like the boss of most of the others. The next day of diwali you could see the maximum amount of burnt crackers in front of their house. There there will be an Type-2 called poor man’s - where kids used to collect the burnt crackers from other house and spread in thier house, for obvious reasons . And then there will be a third type - where where kids dont have enough crackers, nor has guts to follow type-2.
Some times I used think how the hell these people get so much of crackers while my dad ususally get only a little - which I used to finish in just couple of hours and then will be watching like a ginger-monkey of others firing !!! Beleive me that is one of the most upsetting feeling in that times..watching others crackering, while you are done with your part. Crackers are the integral part of this deepavali.

My dad ususally gets cracker just 3 days before and it is extreme-joy for me to just see the way the crackers the bombs and the rockets are arranged in nice jazzy colored packing. I never used to get contented with the crackers my dad buy me. Finally my dad will tell me - why should one waste more money for smokes and fire - instead you can use that for better things. A usual middle class man's funda. When someone dont understand the meaning of "wasting money" how could you expect him to understand these lines..neverthless my parents used to say this.


Kaliammal was her name, he is the lady of our neighbour. Somehow we have been painted a witch image about her by our other neighbour and my mum (thru usuall ghossip). It was the early morning of the diwali day - 4:50 AM..i think. I was doing my 7th std I think. While my brother, sister and dad were getting ready for the oil bath on the rear side of the house – a usual ritual on the day, I took one of the serial shot ( there was a bet between me and my friend about who would fire the first cracker on the deepavali day) and was about to set the fire. This lady was just standing there and was filling water from the tap, while I was waiting restlessly for her to move out so that I can start my firing.

Knowing me there, this witch (note its W not B) is taking unusually more time to fill the bucket.I was worried that my friend might win me. After a few seconds,I gave up and wanted to see how she reacts to a suddent burst behind her back (as she has some real problem in hearing - a half deaf) - my wicked !! I set the fire – which was just behind her - and ran to a reasonably safe-distance . After all it was not a big one. After its usual animated gimmick, this cracker fall down and suddenly turned and part of it flew like a rocket ( you never predict the behaviour ) and before I could realise what had happened the piece that flew, hit my knee. I was wearing half-trousers then (and not a full pant or a dothi or never heard of a jean)The pace and the fire in the piece that flew over almost made a black mark on my knee. To my luck it didn't blast after that. I just sat down in the place, immovable and was holding me knee. The pain was so excruciating like am iron nail was stabbed on my knee. It was very unlikely that she would have heard all these things considering the noise of the birds in the early mornign and her deafness – but not sure.
After few seconds the lady finished filling her bucket and started moving away and she dropped a friendly smile at me on her way
I still don't know if that was an casual & innocent smile or its a you- deserve-it-kid type smile !!

Caching..

Peri, Need a help.

I was interuppted when I genuienly started my day work at 5:45 PM. I swinged back and faced Nishant. He is a new joinee to my team and fresher. Lot of energy, and gulti. So you can imagine the IQ and english.

I dont want to disapporove his curiosity esply after blasting him twice since the afternoon - when I started reviewing his code. Eventhough I dont wnat to be a peoples person, I know how it is when someone disapproves you.

Yes, Nishant go on.

I have a question. Is it better to call Hashmap or a function().

Now I could relate the question. Since afternoon I was explaining how to maintain a local-cache using a Map. And seems like he has a question in it or a better approach for a cache. Whenever some new person asks a question,dont stop them. It may be a great idea - new questions can bring in creative ideas. I truley beleieve in it and was trying hard to understand what he actully meant, with less worrying about what he actually asked.

After scratching me head for 2 seconds, what do you mean?

I mean calling a function can be better, know, in Java. Instead of calling a hashmap?

mm...still not getting the complete point what he is mumbling, what function you mean?

Any method.

Seeing my inablity to understand what he meants ( and probably scared of me scolding him, again, in the same day) Nishant started refining his statement.

Iam thinking, Java might take less time to call a method than a hashmap. Am thinking this may be faster than what we discussed.

mm..which method you are referring. It depends on the method. Can you show me the method you are referring, I slowly moved towards his laptop.

This is the method...

you mean the method where you get details from DB ?

Yes.

Now am getting the picture a bit. So you are saying since its a method call it will be faster than a hashmap?

Yes, I think so.

OH GOD I dont expect this crappy question...but keep it cool...dont take it on him....dont discourage..he will be upset..pls cool down.

But you are calling DB and fetching records right. That will actually be a time consuming task right? So the time taken for a function call will be including that, right?

And since DB calls are time consuming we are maintaining the cache, so that next time we will not call DB, right? So time taken for JVM to call a method may be faster, but what we need to worry here is how much time it takes to execute the method. which here would be more than the hashmap.

By now I hope he realised it was not a very-intelligent question and started smiling...

mood swing..

Mood-swing - I think I heared this term first time 5 yrs before when one of colegue was talking about an other in usual cofee-bitching session. When I understand this term I thought this is for some eccentric character type persons's thing. Well after 5 yrs I realise that shit am one among that. Am too lazy to justify my above point try to explain with the hepl of the the chat script betwee me an priya - she is one of my best friend.

[me]: hey u

[priya]: ys

[ We were just talking about the Superstart movie Endhiran which jsut releasd 2 days ago and other ususal useless things..Just cutting straight to the point]

[me]: hey..i might go to Italy..this month end

[priya]: hey unnakum ennakum same horoscope (this is reply for the previous msg from me..

so sad

wow thtz gr88 pop

[me]: sad / gr88 ??? ( we have to put some mokkai comedy just to keep the chat going ..enna seiyya)

:)

[priya]: adaddda

sad sonnathu for our fate

gr88 sonnathu for ur italy trip

[me]: ya...i know.. just kidding ...

[priya]: for ur project?

[me]: some how something is keeping me energetic !!!

illapa..ennoda girlfriend ooda date-ku

[priya]: dae unnaku gal frnd

atha enkita vera sollura

[me]: pinna enna...nakkal (jsut remembering Super start saying.."nakkal illa nikkal" am sure this must be from Sujatha. What is Sujatha wants to write a story of my boring and dry life a novel..konjam over than illa...ok lets get back to the thread.)

[priya]: enna kodumai sir ithu

illa italy sonnaiya

athan ketan

[me]: same project..so customer..new country..

yaya..official

[priya]: yep good country to

[me]: ya..

3 wks

[priya]: get me nice things for me

chumma varathae

[me]: sure...

sure..

[priya]: good

same time no work alcholic ("i dontknow where this is comming from, you shoudl talk to my manager Stuart in Canada. Am finding all the way to evade things. ")

have some outing

don't be buthu

[me]: my friend was telling ..these are the places not to be visited "alone" :)

ya..hey..im never workaholic..

[priya]: correct da loose

this is honeymoon spot

[me]: yes...i'll try

[priya]: i thought of telling first itself, seri already pain romba feelinga irukan, namma vera no oil poring

vitutan

[me]: hahaha...all my friends are telling the same....good part is all friends knew me fully...good to know ;)

[priya]: within 3 week have to correct ponnu

[me]: u know something...my passport pages are over.... :)

[priya]: parra!!!

seri seri ulagam sutrum valiban

[me]: i couldn't do it properly in 4 yrs...3 wks la enna !!

ya..just have 2 more pages...just filling it with italy..

[priya]: nee kalaku mamu nee kalaku

[me]: hey...im thinking of asking for a transfer or a long-term travel...

to Eurpoe

[priya]: thatz good

have somee change

[me]: well not a planned thought...just my instinctive thought..

[priya]: u'll feel better

sure get man

[me]: not sure....what and how other things would fall in places...family, marriage, work.. girl

ya..

am thinking about that on and off...but not craze about it...

i'll talk to my mngmt ..lets c

[priya]: um...

pesama neeya ore ponnu paru

[me]: ya....wat and how i dont know

[priya]: being gal i cannot talk to my parents unnaku enna da,

convey ur parentz not see much

[me]: no no ...my parents are verymuch ok for that..

its not they are against it

[priya]: ohh k

[me]: problem is...im not serious about that - to put it bluntly

some mind blockage is to be cleared.. (see here..right here this is my problem. I really dont know what Iam talking. I dont know if this is true.)

[priya]: um...

wat

enna block

[me]: little nervous...the thought of settling

[priya]: yyy

[me]: y na...

its feeling...

dont know

y

[priya]: ohhh

ok

dont argue

[me]: just thinkging if am matured for that :( ... i know thats silly (again am blabbering...there is some hesitance in me subconsisiously.My consious knows it is because of something - but it is confused too. But this matured part is total crap i think..again loosing my consience.)

[priya]: letz find opt gal

dae vennam enna kollakaraiya aakatahe

akathae

[me]: y y ?

[priya]: pinna enna if i'm matured

kovam varuma varathae

[me]: also...am thinking....after seeing all these world...probably...i should..

have some good time as bachelor...but before commited...

with soulmate :) (now I think am talking some sense.. I never thought I would put my thought so clearly like this...but honestly I think this was there subconsously in my mind somewhere... but never accepted this yet.)

[priya]: ok pop

[me]: dont tell me too later

late

[priya]: no probs

carry on

definetely u'll get THE BEST

u r such kind of nice person (mm..I think even she was sort of surprise by my statement..may be i never conveyed my peelings so clearly. I think she was kinda surprise-shock to see me talking like this. And to encourage me she is not pulling my legs..otherwise you know her right!!!)

[me]: nono...u didn't get wat i said...i didn't say ...i want to enjoy bachelor-hood alone...but with a girl

is that too much to ask for a bachelor...I dont think so..

enna solrae.?

[priya]: thappu illa

love pannu (Yes, she is honest now and very frank. keeping the pull-my-leg apart she is geniunely advicing me.)

[me]: naan vera romba yookiyana irunthutena....so..should see that part.

[priya]: thatz only sol

[me]: good :)

[priya]: adaddaddad dae adangu

pesame 2 yrs love pannu

apparam kalyanam pannino

un asai ok aaghum

[me]: :-p

[priya]: bachelor life with gal

apparam kalyanam

good

[me]: yup (I know this sounds like some story in Sujatha (I think I read him too much nowadays - blame my brother) but dont know how practical it is. Sujatha is good in portraying complicated characters in girls for e.g., pirivom-santhippom. But I dont know is my thing is complicated or just that i think so. Mmm..may god should help me.)

[priya]: start hunting

[me]: hey...iam talking crazy...i think....my mood would swing completely tommorow.. (Yes honestly this is crazy. but I didn't think too much about this when I type. I just tpyped this..instinctively..)

did u had ur dinner? ...am hungry...asked my friend to get some parcel...will have that and be back in 15 mts

[priya]: hahhahahhahha

[me]: its been a while i spoke to u..

[priya]: po po

[me]: we will do onething...i will have that and be back...in 20 mts

[priya]: 20 mts

feeling sleepy 2day

[me]: though its crazy...its hiding somewhere in my heart...its not something i just cooked now...

no..wait..i'll come

next 5 days would be a roller-coster ride for work...

only time is today.

[priya]: thoda

[me]: 20 mts..

hold on

[priya]: 10 mts

poi thola

28 minutes

[After one hour am still not back...]

[priya]: pop

almost 30 mints gome lusu

feeling too sleepy

i'll get u tommorow sure

seriya

bye bye

[after 10 more mts]

[me]: hey

-- no reposne she is gone to sleep. Will catch her up morrow...i hope by then my mind would have swing back to normal.

Dosa with cofee

Are you crazy is what people would tell, if I say am going to consult how to taste Dosa. I remember one of a customer side replied my email mentioning "dont preach the choir" I wasn't aware what that means and my colegue here had understood the situation and handled it very nicely.

My dad always like to have a cup of cofee after a tiffen. Tow conditions, it should be a tiffin - not if it a full meals - and most likely if it is in a restaurant. I have seen this all the time. After finish of the food (which is usally any south indian tiffin like some dosa, or parota and items like that) he would ask if somebody is willing to share a cofee with him. 90% of the time it would be yes from my side. I havent seen anytime when my sis or bro had opted for a cofee or sahring it. Best part is my mum, who would say she needs a tea (and my dad at times silently ignores that comment :) . I dont know where she started having the habit of tea - its just not our type. For sometime me and my sister used to pull her leg saying - she is trying to be over-modest and to save some money for my dad - which my mum alway reject saynig T is relatively good. Even am not a great fan of T.

More frequently than not I have my memory of this incident happening in coimbatore. Every time we were about to catch a bus to tirupur in Gandhipuram, we usually have some light tiffin in Gowri-Krishna. This is one of the nice place to have a quick food when you are in a hurry. I do like to have cofee after tiffin. But I usually stick to a traditional south-indian. May be a dosa-item or a pongal or vada, while my dad is the one always tries somethig "new". Well, what new can it be other than either paniyaram of a idiyappam and then with a chappati. I hate eating chappati outside and especially in a south indian rest. You ask for tandoo-roti,rumali-roti, naan, pulca, kulcha all of them means Chappati in a usual southinidan rest. This is not always true, but in some small places in our area this is the case. I like my dad's taste of sipping a sweet and light cofee when the spice of the tiffin in still present in your tounge. As a matter of fact the taste of spice will be nicely elated by the sweet cofee. I love that.

But I latter improvised this and have a better version of sipping cofee. Againg this is suggested only with the plain Dosa.I like doing this usally with a crispy and thick dosa. ohh..wait a minute ..are we sensing any oxymoron here..how can you get a dosa which is crispy and thick.

This is the part where I have to say Shanti-sagar wins over the sharavana-bhavan's in plain dosa. And this is applicable only for this context and in all others SB is no far higher for Sagar's reach. (Afterall I dont want to restart cauvery issue again here.) I personally don't like dosas which are very fragile for the sake of being crisp.If you get a chance try simple-plain-dosa in Shanti-sagar, koramangala - next to the koramagnala club. The first bite of it you feel the crispness and then the thickness part.I usally get a plain dosa and a light coffee (this is my taste).Dip a piece of Dosa in spicy cocobut-chutney and then the watery-sambar and start chewing it slowy really slowly. And while you are halfway thru sip the light-and-hot coffee a bit. Now at this instant you will have the dosa, probably on the side of your inner chin and a bit-cofee - sweet that is acutally soothiing the slightest-fire-casused-by-the-chutney. And I like this combination when it is drizzling out in Bangalore.

In my personnel experience I always finish a full cup of cofee just for 75% of dosa, while I could jsut have only 40% of the cup if I were having just-coffee or coffee after dosa.

Note: As an attempt of improvising this furhter dont try this with anything other than plain dosa , say idli , roti.I have already tried !!!

Guns marriage..

Ganes.A , scored 452 out of 500 in SSLC.He stood school 3rd by missing first rank just by 6. Not just the HM, even most of the students from other class were not sure about this name. Who is this Ganesh? WHich class was he from. Back then there were A1 and A2 sections for English and then C to G sections for Tamil. First 5 ranks would usally be swept by students from A1 & A2. Is he a studious / from creamy layer. No !!. But Ganesh in 3rd rank noone would have guessed. It was like how Srilanka came to limelight from nowhere to world champions.

From there onwarsds the records and achievements reached by our Guns is just amazing.He just sweeped most of the first marks / ranks in +1. It was 1997, golden jubilee of our school (Bishop's Tirupur) and Guns stood 1st in +2 . He scored 1115 out of 1200, the highest total ever scored in the school's history back then. His name is written first in the record-holders name list engraved on the shool's stupi (which apparently started the same year and is still there).He is one of the rare student who finished +2 in the school from his LKG .14 year in same school and stood first in the end. Nobody else deserves this more than Mr. Ganes - this is how he wants his name to be spelled - a strong believer in numeroloy. I blv he still follows this. Scarry pace bowler..and a nice off spinner too..I remember now how he is specialist in picking couple of opposite team's top order.An excellent artist - infact I remember he is famous in class (during 8th I guess) for his arts - hopefully he draws nowadays.

Feb-18th, thursday is his marriage reception in Tirpur. I applied for twodays vacation and reached Tirpur.Its long time I met Ganesh and this will usaually be a very good get-togehere where you would meet most of your old time school friends - and if you are (un)lucky - your school time crushes too :). Well as expected it tunred out to be lucky a good number of old friends turned up. It was a good amount of crowd, afterall the bride and the groom are from the same place - plus - both are now working in USA. Yes Ganes had come from US for his marriage and so do Mrs.Ganesh. Both bride and groom from US !! Is this a love marriage ? Well atleast 10 people asked around. I said No - well atleast this is what I was told by Ganes :) !!

I have already been to the same Mandapam - for Ganes's Sister's marriage. All of his 3 sisters marriage happend here.

Myself and moulee were waiting in the queue to wish the couple. (ofcourse with empty hand. Unfortunately I haven't learnd the bad habit of buying a gift) thats when this gentlemen, just behind me asked "how r u doing"?I turned back, there were this three people and I couldn't recollect, meanwhile the he asked 'U couldn't recollect ??'. Oh my - I almost bite my foot - Its KV's Mum, Dad and his Sister. They were standing just behind me. How can we forget them. I really felt bad about my poor grasping power.I said I'm really sorry I couldn't see you ..how r u doing. And I was really suprised to see them too. .."It was surprise to see you and I didn't expect you here." While this discussions were going on we missed our 'order' in the queue but we didn't bother. KV's dad mentioned they came to Tirupur from Udumalai just now and were planning to go to Bangalore. Infact this is about one of the matching bride for KV.

"All these years he was saying no for marriage. Atleast now - after moving to UK it is changed to do-what-ever-you-want. So we dont want him to change his mind." We were all laughing..and he continued

"Just before he could take a 'U' with I-never-said-that. You never know what guys of these generation are thiking." We all blushed again.

He was mildly pulling our leg - our generation - but I liked the mild sarcasm in it. KV's dad, as I have seen, usually is not very out-spoken. But I think he changed a lot, even in my last visit to KV's house in chennai(2 yrs ago) , I was really surprise when he immediately recoganized me and called by my name.

"When are you ...you married?? " this is his Mum.

I said "no ma search is going in my house and still" After the recent happenings, may be I should be little more confident and do 'something' instead of just staring at things and expecting others to read me. Its just that am not ready to take any risk.Well in Abhishek comment - I should have more balls. If I don't do something, it will do me !!

"...same status as KV ma."

"Oh I thought may be Ganesh's is the last in the Queue", KV's dad.

"Haha...No, there are still some more !!"

"What happened to PV..Is he back?" PV is the, lets just say, 'interesting' character in our gang.

"No ma..he is still is US. He too in the same queue...". I wanted to add " but not sure if this over-american really wants to marry any girl. Not sure if he continued to be straight !! Who knows he might have changed his sexual orientation."

Me, "When are you visiting UK? KV was saying he is planning to take you."

"Yes he is saying that too. May be in march..we will plan some time." "Are your parents with you in Bangalore"

"No..They are here. they come once in 2 months for a week or so. Otherwis am alone."

"Oh Why dont you ask them to stay with you. Shouldn't they be with you now?. Why are they in Tirupur?", KV's dad really concerned

"Ya they shuold be. But my brother is here..so..and someone has to look after the house here. But yes am insiting them they should be with me now..."

I can't agree more.By now I should be their (my parents) only concern, if only 'things' at my family were simple. There are some simple & smallest things in life which you could only 'wish'. They may be so abundant in any common man you see. But its just not in you. Whilst things that you are not worth of - just comes on your way with no effort. Strange world huh !! Ahh so philisophical...whath happened to me.

Meanwhile the crowd sorrounding the bride & groom slowly moved away and we moved close to wish the couple. Gane is wearing a neat white blazer..iits not fully blazer. I couldn't descibe it fully. It has a very nice artwork in the place of shirt - which partly resembles a kurtha - a beautiful light blue in color. He is wearing a couple of rings and a bracelet. Not so much of makeup. Girl is in a red - kancheevaram - pattu saree, I suppose.

KV's family & us wished the couple - We with the barehands and KV's with a nice gift :) Me & Moulee stood shamelessely, looking at each other.

Ganes 'How are you doing ma. Did you find a matching girl for KV'

"Yes we are in serious search and infact we are going to blr today for this. He has changed his mind now. Atleast it appears so. We dont want to let this go. When you get a chance tell (convince) KV about this."

"Yes sure. Not just me ask Peri also to do so.." We all laughed.

After a nice photo shot we slowly moved to the dinner hall, which was packed.We were trying to find a place for all of us. It was very crowded and we could find limited seats. We convinced KV's to take this place, while we wait for other friends (Jayaram was on the way). I could see KV's felt upset since we couldn't have dinner together. We promised them to meet outsied and not to worry about this.

July 2001: Ganes & PV, KV, and me graduated from GCT, IRTT and CIT resply.Only point worth mentioning is PV was a gold medalist in his dept. We all got placed thru campus and then soon it became an old story because of the .com buble-burst !! None of us had either plans for higher studies or girl friends.(Well am sure about the first part, while second part am presuming ;) for others). Since all our joining dates were delayed KV, Ganes & me attend interview with TVS Lucas in Chennia - this came thru one of our college placement-room. We all were interviewed in the same time and were all offered a job in chennai a week latter. Ganesh took the offer and joined TVS - Hosur, while KV joined Chennai, TVS. PV meanwhile got in to a construction company and started his career in chennai.My campus offer finally got confirmed and I decided to take that and said No to TVS.I have already told about my stand-by-status of my old offer during my Lucas interview.Knowing TVS being very conservative and the interview was conducted specifically for we people, I liked the way Lucas HR acknowledged when I finally returned the offer letter saying am going to take accept my old offer.

Vendors meet...

This customer being a golden customer (i selectively avoided 'one of the' :-) here ), and biggest ever license deal for us, this meeting is really a big deal. Yes, the customer is conductin a metting in CTS office for all the (Indian) vendors .. (yes that what we are called as..I was fuminng for the first time in Singapore for DHL..but I got used to this). Being a big company and knowing the size of the implementaion, the project has been given to lot of Vendors. We were one among them. Other are CTS - doing the bigger pie (legacy systems integrations), HCL - handling the testing part of the implementation (well the final go-ahead has to come from them), Infy - handling the ESB integration (they were not present in the meeting for some reason) and then the Cap Gemini - implementing Siebel.

Since CTS is handling most of the IT part the meeting was completely hosted by CTS in their office - Manuyatha park. 30 Kms far from my office. Meeting was planned at 9:00 AM - a video con and hence I have to sacrifise my breakfast and morning aerobics (not necessarily in same order !!). It felt like a trip going to the other end of bangalore.. When we crossed the old madras road, technically, we are 'entering' the bangalore city again - atleast that is what sign boards smiling at as.

Well there were not many signing or checking process in CTS thank god and the tech park was quite good. Just that I was keeping an eye on the people's language, since I was expecting if people is speaking a different language as I have travelled so much.As instructed we are in formal attire. I was in a light blue striped shirt and a kaki pant, brown shoe and Ramkumar (my manager) was with a blazer (I didn't realise he was having this untill I get in to this room). The facility was classy look and as if it is used only for such high profile meeting (cheap thinking..!! can't help..). It was well planned to the extent that even the seating locations for induvidual were pre-allocated. I was seated next to the this chap - Anand a guy with a thick mush from CTS chennai - should be a Lead or a buddign manager (I like his answer that "Well my team members discuss with him regularly for mapping..I discusses about plans.." OK buddy, you are a manager - not developer, my mistake). My a/c manager Avijit too was there in a blazer..well all-most all of them were in a formal balzer. Am I the odd one without the blazer. I looked around..but no some one interesting is there for my company too. WIll come to her soon.I was just carrying my jacket which looked almost like a formal blazer (thanks western stores - commercial street !!) from distance. I could have used it.

Within 15 mts most of the seats were full and soon the meeting started. I like the intro part of the meeting. There first slide has the following questions..

• Your Name.
• Your company and the group of this project.
• Your home town.
• Where you studied your high school. (Not your graduation, your high school. Interesting)
• Your association withe them [customer].
• And one personnel note that you like to share..

The organizer also explained why this little unorthodox way of introduction....it small world and you can find some connections with some one in the room. And surprisingly yes, it was correct. [Actually a week latter there was a sweet 'small world' incidence happened again..]

There were 4 people in the room from coimbatore - city my town was part of and place where I did my college.Majority of them from chennai (considering CTS hosting this meeting). Surprisingly only a limited people are from nort india and all are from Hcl Noida - that explains. Majority of the people know and speak Tamil. Some people really did share their personal note..were interesting..some choosed not to..but nobody forced. Amit from Hcl sitting next to me has recently got promoted - to Dad position.There was this nice gentle man Mr.Srikumar, from Madurai and now settled in Chennai. He mentioned his hometown as "the city of temples" Madurai. I dont know how many people noted this but I liked !!

Aastha - the only oasis for me (since I blv all the others are 'Knot to be disturbed'.)- is from Delhi.She learns / practises dancing and feels that is one of her best stress-busters. I seriously repent about my discontinuing of free-style dancing 6 months ago (in my second class though !!) She is the only & nice looking girl in the room and she is giving company for my not-wearing-blazer-team.But her costume - a sleelve less black shirt - is not revealing but good looking. There was an other lady - Smitha - the Testing team's manger (Astha's manager too), but probably a second place only after Miss. Sleeveless - hopefully Ms

Most of the Names of the CTS folks are derived either from Haran or Hari..Harikumar,Anandha Krishnan (Hari again), Ramkumar (totally 3 in number), Rangarajan..and so on.My god the whole "belt gang" is sitting here. Some of the take aways of the meetings..

• As expected the meeting ran out of time - so all the (useless) brain stromming session were stopped abruplty ,but for a better reason - lunch.
• No solid plans were attained - which is good - else some one has to note it.
• Always have a jacket in meeting room - you never know the AC's condition.
• Never sit infront a Aastha. Well I mean any Ms.sleeveless. [But here, I didn't choose it]
• We (product company)are always ahead of the other players and Services company has no clue what is going to happen.
• Never take a seat - or sandwiched - between two bigs during lunch. You will be never be able to have nice food (Courtesy : My manager Ram. I never make this mistake :-) He mentioned 'he didn't even have proper lunch').
• Videocon sometime doesn't mean real video conferencing..Here we were not seeing the other party..only the US folks were seeing us.
• Wait for a while before asking for a project change, you may work with some Ms.Slvls..but its too late for me.

Naah...it just a suggestion..

I had a rare opportunity to talk to one of our customer's big head, the VP of outsourcing (why do I call this a rare opportunty is debatable but for the higher management of my employer , I was 'offered' this opportunity :-), well lets talk this someother time. )

Joe, he is a 55 year old, heavily built, bald, and a hard republican. While the meeting with him started very formally, but soon we realised Joe is a very casual and not so formal. In dinner he suggested to order varieties of dishes and share among them. But anyway it was a buffet dinner in "SSS" so..but very casusal experience.

Irony is he has been to India a dozen of times before and he actually has seen lot of places than any of us..kudoos..!! (Infact he had plans to visit Goa this weekend..My god, I have never been there yet..)He was telling during his first vist - it was 4 years ago when the blr was using the old-airport...It was around 4:30AM in the morningn and he just get in to the cab send to pick him from aiport, heading to Leela palace.It was somewhere after the shiva temple where the driver jumped the red signal..Joe was really panicked. For the moment he thought the driver is either drunk or sleepy. Incidentally driver is an english-speaking. Before he get out of this shock, there was an other incident. Driver just jumped an other red signal and was about to hit a Sumo ..and a narrow miss. Now Joe is really afraid. Within next 2 mts he jumped a 3rd red signal and take a U turn to reach to the hotel.

Relieved that the adventorous drive from the airport is just over, he asked the driver, "do you realised what you just did". Driver, "what do mean sir". You would have killed somebody, you have just jumped 3 signals in a row". Driver, with a careless smile, "ohh no no..they (signals) are just suggestions".

Avial reciepe

Suddenly I saw a lot of fighter jets moving zig-jag on the sky and taking sharp cuts. It was around evening time and the beach area had a very scenic look. I was with some of my friends & colegues. Just 50 feets from where I'm standing there was a open restaurant and a good amound of crowd, both indian and foreigners. From the right side of the restaurnat I could hear the lectures on chemistry, not sure why now and why mr.Nataraj is doing that. He was my school time chemistry teacher.Ok lets come to that chemistry latter, mean while things that scared me is its only me who was noticing the events.Now number of fighter jets in the sky has gone up. Yes now I could see jets in black from all the directions. I could see two varieties of flights, part of them in light blue (or white?) color and the rest in black. The population of the black is growing signifiganly. The black jets are trying sorround to the white and start firing. It is by the emission of sharp white light that convinced me that they were fighters. To some extent I could guess that the black ones seems to be indian and trying to pin-down the aliens - probably US / Pak. Still people around me didn't notice a thing.

It was yesterday when all the airports in India, well all south Asian, contries were put on red-alert, Based of some intelligence info that a major flight hijack has been planned. Should I connect that to what I see now??

But why people around me are adamantly not willing to see this?. A small gathering near to me were happyly enjoying their evening wine. I have too many things runnign in my brainat the same time. I never been in such mixed feelings before. I couldn't continue enjoying the evening sun-set and the nice beach around me. What should I do now ?? Tell..Yes tell this to some one, my mind is racing. Make people aware of what is happening. But nobody were in a mood to listen , yes I tried to point this to people around but strangley I fail. Nobody even bothering to listen to me.

Meanwhile intensity of the fight is growing. At one instant when a bunch of black fighters approached an other bunch of white ones - an amazing thing happened, within a fraction of seconds a majority of the whit-one clung together to form a bigger "thing" - similar to a fighter but bigger in size. It looked like a huge mechanical - bird in the sky - 50 time bigger than the other black ones in front. Its like watching the star-wars in real. I have to tell this to someone. Some of the flights are falling down - probably the damaged ones,in the sea. I could see a number of navy boats reachin the spot. Yes, Navy boats in the beach. Is the Navy always here, and just that I never noticed ? or., were they here for some 'special' occasion ??

With the air force the Navy and some fighters am almost convinced that some major thing is happening. I wanted to see what is happening on the boats that rushed, I slowly moved towards the the beach, where I could see some navy - officers. To my surprise, I noticed one of the officers in that was Mridul...Yes he was my ex-PM in my previous employer. I never knew he joined Navy. For some unknow reason, I remember Arvind, who has just gone in to the restroom where I was initially wathcing all these incidents. Yes, he is the person who I should tell, probably he will listen to my and could get his help. I rused towards the rest room. I noticed that the restroom, though kept at the posh-beach, it almost resemebled the one in my old house. The door, the steps, the knob and the opening at the top of the door..everything. Before I could knock the door, Arvind came out of the door. He was sick, he mentioned this sometime back. Some trouble in breeting.

I hurried in telling him what I'm seeing. Strangely I could see the things behind me even though am facing Arvind. Yes some more machine-birds are forming against the black fighters. It was Mr. Nataraj, my school time chemistry-teacher behind me, who made me stopp abruptly and turn back.He is asking " perinagam..(Yes that bugger never called my name right..Grrrr. Well this is not the time to dispute about this). Can you explain me the application of Markowinkoff rule in halagon compounds ". I was baffled, going mad.

What is happening.when there is a such a war goign on .. you guys cant see that..I felt like tearing my hair..and I was about to do so..oops a severe ache on my palm ..My God wat is this pain. what happened to my hand.. Oh yes this is the injury due to the minor accident two days ago on Taverikari road Bangalore. Now I could feel a thick bandage on my left palm and a bright saturday 10:30 morning sunlight on my face..and I was pressing on my wound in my palm..!!! I was in my bangalore house and on my cot with a severe pain on my palm.

Mind, it has made an amazing receipe for avial (avial is a tasty curry made out of all the vegetables and curd, usally made on some special occasions) from my previous (or should I say precious) thoughts and presented me on that morning.

Let me attempt to put pieces in place. Or let me recreate, consciously, what mind had done when I was in my sub-conscious sleep.

I was watching "the beach show" in traveling & living last night featuring Australia. Was talking to Aravind who was sick and having some breathing trouble - hence Aravind on this receipe.Remember the news that all airports are kept on red-alert - this explains why all flights.Dont know where my chemistry-teacher and old house came from.

May be I should validate with V.Ramachandran for the connections I made.

Away we go

I love to travel. I like being in the move most of the time. And to my luck, my job & recent projects are such that I was having a pretty good time in seeing places. Been to US, East, west, and south parts. Singapore & Malaysia and a short stint to Europe too. Recently am wondering of living in Europe, specifically London. Though interested in travelling, am little hesitant in settling in some place, say US, for a while..for various reasons. But when someone who I know settles abroad - well not settling, I should say a 'long-term' - part of me feels jealous (a common man huh!!). I want the obvious wow-factor of foreign - the money, the car, the infastructre, the weekends and life. But without too much of alienation. Yes, I know its, too much to ask!!

I think this kind of fight should be in for everyone, I suppose.

What is the best place to live and raise ur family !! THis is exactly the quesion and confusion of Brut & veronica too.They decided to shortlist their options and check one by one. Their cousins, friends and relatives places are some of them. Travelling to each such places, they realised that each one of them is having a peculiar problem or issue which makes our couple indecisive - to move-on for the next in the list. Guess what they finally liked !! Watch it, its a fun movie, with a simple touching climax and a message in it.

I realized "Sam Mendes" directed this movie. Talking about this guy, one should watch "Revolutionary Road" - A fantastically made Drama.

Piece of adivce, have a comedy movie along with this :) I dont want to be cursed of not getting sleep !!