Go Green

Hey everybody, hope everyone had a blasty new year. Mine was blasty for sure. We tried skiing, skating and had a wonderful trip to montreal with amazing set of friends. i'll share the trip experience in the next blog. Now i would like to start this year by writing about something thats close to my heart. Its about going green. Do you realise that there are plenty of things that we can do in our day to day life which helps the earth in going green. Ok now, lets all take a minute and be honest to ourselves for a whilseand try answering the following questions with a simple "yes" or "no".

1.Do you switch off all the lights before leaving the house?

2.Do you place the items that are recyclable in the appropriate bin?

3.Do you carry reusable bags for the grocery shopping?

4.Do you remember to carry the reusable coffe mugs and water mugs to office or while travelling instead of using disposables?

5.What do you do when you see a pizza box in the garbage area of your appartment?

6.Do you carpool to reach office?

7.Do you buy organic products whenever possible?

8.Do you buy groceries in bulk?

9.Do you take shorter shower?

10.Do you sign up for papperless billing?

I doubt if anyone has got "yes" for all the questions. Is it a lot to ask?. Following these simple steps will not only help the planet to go green but also it will help us to save money and be healthy. There's no better reason for us than us to follow these simple steps. If not for others atleast for one's own self one should go green. i guess this is one selfish act which is gud for us and the environment. Its a win win situation. We would be fools for not following it.

We need to have discipline within ourselves. I mean just think how many of us have seen people double bagging in the grocery stores. Whats with that. We need to understand that this is the place that we live in. We have to be responsible for making this place a better or a worse place to live. Enough with the developed countries blaming the developing countries and vice versa. This game could go on forever. Lets face it. As people we are responsible for certain things. There are certain things that is expected from us. Just some simple above mentioned things like switching off the lights when not required or using reusable items instead of disposables, show our support to local farmers by buying organic products (its very healthy too)etc.

Now i'm not asking everyone to take a new year resolution because most of us will not even remember the resoluton in the midway through the year. Lets try constantly to keep our environment clean conciously. Its a big favour that we are doing for ourselves. Do we need a better reason than this. We should not stop there. We should also teach the kids about the importance of going green. May be while planning kid's b'day parties we can use the theme of going green instead of the usual princess or barbie theme. It would be refreshing for the kids and you can be proud as a parent for educating them. Its our responsiblity to make the next generation responsible and to make this place a better place for them to live.

Whats the point when few people are constantly preaching and practicing about the importance of going green and few others are doing the complete oppsite of it. The effects or nullified or rather it becomes worse. Each and everyone should realise the importance. I really wish that the day should soon come where we no longer worry about ozone hole or global warming. I wish that day is not too far....

Telangana - Cross & Knot game....

The reason for the recent chaos in India is to have a seperate state for Telangana people. I really feel sorry bcoz i'm also one among the millions who just standby and view the situation helplessly. I'm not that much into politics. Indian politics, according to me is very confusing bcoz of zillion parties and their shocking alliance during election times. But anyone, how much ever little knowledge they have on Indian politics, would clearly agree that this issue is yet another political game - the cross and knot game. After making a move the wait for the reaction from public and the move accordingly. This is definetly another example of how far one would go to achieve power, howmuch ever unreasonable the demands might be. I have quite a few friends in Andhra. As far as i know none were intrested in the seperation. Seriously, i couldnt think of a single benefit this seperation can bring to people. But they have clearly accomplished shutting down various stores, stoning buses, resulting some violent incidents.......

Is it really too much to expect selflessness from our politicians? Actually, i feel that we shouldnt have divided our country in the basis of language. Dont you think that we would have survived if multi lingual people existed in the same state?. Probably it might have created a nice opprtunity for us to learn other languages too. Or probably it might be the best way to divide based on language. I completely understand its been done purely for administration purpose. Then why dont we see these divisions as they are meant to be - just for easy administration for our government and nothing else. I guess we all are forgetting that we all are still Indians. Whats going to happen if we keep fighting amongst ourselves?. Who's going to benefit from this fight?. Just consider that all the states are like sons of Mother India. They are like brothers. So whichever state wins or loses, its a loss for India. When will we realise that we all should together fight other important issues?. How long are we going to be a developing country?.

The sooner we realise the better for our country. bcoz thats the first step. Once we realise that we'll be in the right track. Lets not wait for some leader to save us from the situation. We should let out our differences. Lets be honest to ourselves, how many of us have witnessed situations, where people treat other state people differently. We've seen it in our work place, colleges, even sometime even at houses. We do not need another Punjab - Chandigar situation. When we change, we do not have to care about the political games. Then it does not really matter even if they really seperate the states bcoz we know nothing can divide us. No matter what we will always be Indians.

All Or Nothing

We all have heard of the saying "All best things comes in a small package". I'm not sure if its small or a huge package. But i'm certain of one thing. That is everything comes as a package. We have to either have all of it or nothing. Still wondering what i'm talking about. Its about the differences that we have between each other. Let me make myself clear. I've been married for three years and i should say it is a very memorable three years of my life. Me and Senthil(my husband) are in great terms.he's incredible. We understand each other very well. He can find if something is wrong with me just by a look at my eyes(the otherway round too). But does that mean we are perfect. Sometimes i couldnt help but wonder if there's something called perfect couple. Dont get me wrong. I'm genuinely happy with him. Yet we have our differences. For instance, he hates when i keep asking him what he's thinking right now? and i dont like when he doesnt stand to click pictures. Does this mean we are not perfect for each other. I dont think so. Compromise doesnt have to be a bad word.

There's definitely something nice about compromising for our loved ones. Just like any rose has its own thorns, couples have their own differences. They all come as a package. We have to learn to live in the midst of all these differences. Its either all or nothing. If you wish to live with the person who makes you happy, who makes you smile, who makes you enjoy everything around you then dont forget that same person can make you go mad and crazy too. Afterall whats life without these. Its either all or nothing. For that matter even we come with the same deal. All we have to do is to know the ways to handle the differences without hurting each other. Everything does not have to be perfect. After all nothing in the world is perfect(even the Scottish parade is supposed be few milli seconds imperfect).

When i was young i used to look at magazines like "Inside and Outside", and wanted to be that couple where everything is perfect. The table will be set up in an perfectly elegant way. Everyone seems to be happy at all times. I always pictured myself as that perfect lady who manages everything and keeps everyone happy. Now i've learnt that its just not practical. Quit trying to be perfect and just enjoy life as it is. Just bcoz of the fear of thorns dont fail to enjoy the beauty of the rose.

Pink Or Blue.....

What does the above topic suggest?. Well, if you think that its gonna b another article where we discuss who's best, boys or girls, then i'm sorry u r wrong. We are definetly not gonna argue about the greatness of men vs women and conclude who is better. How long are we gonna argue and fight about this. I can still remember the heated arguements that we would have in the classrooms in schools and colleges. The boys would always come up with a stupid arguement that they can roam without their shirts and girls cant. Similarly girls would always say that they give birth and boys cant. Those were the silly funny days. I always choose the same topic for most of my extempores. I guess its time for all of us to accept that both are equal. I mean how long are we gonna debate that girls cannot roam topless and boys cannot give birth. Fine guys the point is noted. We are all on the same page. Gone are those days where the girl child is no longer wanted in the family. Now everyone seems to agree that girls are just as gud as guys.

But you know what bothers me. Even some great people tend to discriminate unknowingly. Just to clarify, in an interview, Suhasini(Tamil actress), mentioned about one of the actress in the movie "Peranmai", that being a girl she did a great job. I cant see this as a compliment. Dont you think that saying 'being a girl' sends a wrong message stating that its a negative thing to be a girl. I'm sure that she wouldnt have meant anything or atleast knowingly. coz she herself has directed a movie portraying that a girl can achieve anything. Not only that she has done quite a few movies where she has played amazing roles(manadhil urudhi vendum) which might have been inspiration to many women. Its hard to believe that this thought is so deep rooted within our hearts.

Will anyone believe that there was no such discrimination (gender wise) in our country during the early period(Sanga kalam). You'll be amazed to find the results when you google.During that period(Sanga kalam), women were treated the same way as men. Dont be surprised guys. Those days women were involved in various fields. There were great women poets, warriors, spies and what not. (Instance:Owaiyar, Rani Laxmi Bai, Velu Nachiyar). Only during the medival times things changed. Women of India were mistreated. They were looked down but god knows why.

Now again the time has changed. People no longer think that boys are superior. Atleast not openly. I somehow feel that few have that feeling inside. Otherwise why should people love to watch mega serials and movies where women are made to solve the issues they face in life. Why is it a big deal when a women successfully solves the issues in her life.? Do we have the same reaction for guy. Certainly not. Then why do we make a big scence for girls. Do we expect a girl to wait for her hero to rescue from any kind of problem?. Dont u think that she can handle her own issues in life.

It is not enough if we simply talk that boys and girls are equal. We have to feel it in our heart too. Both girls and guys have to feel that they both are the same. Its not about changing the world and showing our power its a change thats required inside with which we can achieve anything. When someone tells that, "vow, being a girl u have done it", just let them know that it doesnt mean anything. We, women face the same challenge that men face. Just make them realise that we no longer need a hero to save us.

I'm not trying to prove that we do not need boy's help. We definetly do just as they need our help too. Its mutual. Its ok to be dependent on each other for certain matters. All i'm trying to say is no one is superior. Its not a race to win its just a community that we live in.

Have we found the "Lost Symbol" ?....

He is the one who unveiled the mystery behind the smile of "The Mona Lisa" ....

He is the one who revealed what remained as mystery behind the vatican churches....

He is the one who explained that science and religion are not diferent entities but one.....

He is the one who threw light on the secretive socities (Illuminati)....

He gives us the answers to those questions which we never dare asked....

and he is Dan Brown....

Thrilling, Treasure Hunting, Puzzle solving, Cracking the code, ......

If someone has to write about Dan's work they'll have use these phrases often. But i really dont want to dig into the writing skills of Dan or to review his book. I dont have anything to say that NY Times hasnt said. Lets leave that job to the best hands. I'm here to just express my views about the book from my perspective. Its just that i'm amazed by the control he has over his readers. I couldnt close the book until i finished it. No doubt tha all of his books are page turner(except Digital Fortress although its too gud to be his first book). I couldnt imagine the extensive research that he must have done to complete his book. I really pity the non readers. They dont know what they are missing.

After reading "Da vinci Code" my dream destination was Paris. Then it changed to Vatican after reading Angels and Demons. Guess what, now its Washington. Its really amzing to know that there are secrets hidden all over the world. This man not only talks about myths and ancient mysteries but also about noetic science. He continously amazes me. Just when i thought what can be more secrative than knowing about jesus's partner(Mary Magdalene), he comes with this great concept saying our mind can perform miracles and God is within us. Coming to think of it now, this statement feels completely true. We have heard on and on in our epics about gods living in the world in human forms. Dont you think that they are trying to convey the same message. At one particular place he tells us through one of his character that all parables have two layers of meaning ===> like milk for infants and meat for men. This has nothing to do with the age but mind. Some men still have infant mind. Those are the people who cannot see the god within them. lets go for the meat guys enough of drinking milk. Lets start to understand the real messages that our holy books(Baghvad gita, Bible, Koran) are implying.

He gives perfect explanation for everything in the book. He mentions that there's a reason for a certain part in our head is called temple. Its because thats is the place where any thought emerge. Any holybook would ask to keep the temple clean, which means that we have to keep our mind clean. Isnt it awesome?...i'm simply amazed about his idea that angels and demons are interchangeable. For demons , the angels are demons and vice versa. We have the power within us. The way we use it is upto us. That would determine if we are angels or demons.

If it was'nt for Dan Brown i wouldnt have known about the secretive society or invisible college let alone great people like Da vinci, George washington, Newton....in it and the secret they are guarding. How many of us knew that Baghvad gita has great amzing scientific facts?...or how many of us know the secret behind kubera kolam. Atleast i dint know it until i read this book. Vow this person must've done his research pretty extensively. I really felt very excited when he has mentioned about Lord Ganesh, Arjun(from mahabharath), Lord Krishna in the book. How would it be if he writes about the secrets hidden in India. I seriously wish and hope for it.

Well, another intresting aspect about his works are the codes that he leaves for his readers to crack in the covers of the book. I cannot wait until i finish the book to solve those puzzles. The codes in the cover of his last book, Da vinci code pointed to Washington. I wonder what his next work would be. There are some awful review about Lost symbol. I agree that opinions differ but comon guys is it necessary to scrutinize every word. I'm not saying that it is bible or gita its just a novel but a novel with some bizare facts. I dont want to end this article without any puzzle. So here we go:

Clue --> The answers are hidden colorfully bold in the respective paragraphs.

1.Not just Architects but also secretive brotherhood?(1st paragraph)

2.What is the lost word?(2nd paragraph)

3.The smiling beauty who knows it all?(3rd paragraph)

4.Where is the Holy Grail?(4th paragraph)

5.Where is the magic square?(5th paragraph)

njoy solving the puzzle............

Nothing Real about Realities.......

Strawberry Blueberry Raspberry Brinjal ------> ?

Hiphop Jazz Waltz Bhangra-----> ?

Pasta Pizza Ravioli Dosa ------> ?

What comes to your mind?....Does it remind u of the game that we used to play in childhood to pick the odd one out. "Out of place". Yes there's something that doesnt belong there in each list. Have u ever felt like that anytime?...All of us have a certain comfort level. When our frequency doesnt match with others in the group then we feel out of place. You might wonder whats the fuss is all about. I'm talking about the reality shows in India which is totally copied from the abroad reality shows. I personally feel that these shows really doesnt seem to fit in. There are enormous number of reality shows now. I admit that there are few good ones too. For instance, Indian idol, Super singer, KBC, Boys vs girls,....These shows serves as a great platform for individuals with talents and its good to encourage people with potential.

Still i can only view these shows as desi version of abroad shows. We can convince ourselves saying that its not bad to get inspired or its not bad to extract good things from anywhere but who are we kidding....All i feel is that it should not be a copy cat attempt. There should be some input from our end as well. Atleast it should be modified for our people to enjoy. I totally agree that these shows are definitely better and relaxing than the mega serials where women are made to cry everyday.

Recently i heard about few shows like Swayamvar, Pati patni ayur woh which is the indian version of Bachelor and baby borrowers respectively. I could say, i was more upset than shocked. Its not just because that our country is a land of culture or values or tradition but i really dont know if people's lifestyle has been changed so dramatically that they are ready to choose their life patner through a reality show. I'm sure lot of people would have thought that it is against our cultural values, tradition and ethics. I acknowledge that too but from my point i'm still unable to understand the lifestyle of people like Rakhi sawant(Swayamvar). Are they really ready to choose their partner from a reality show. Have we started to see our weddings as just an episode of life?... Is it no more a part of our tradition?....Do not get me wrong. I'm not against the people who dont beleive in marraige. I completely understand and appreciate Kamal hassan's view about marraige. He says that we need not get married to show our love. I accept it. But in these shows there is neither love nor tradition. I feel these kind of shows are mocking at our values. There's nothing true about these shows. When people like Rakhi Sawant(Swayamvar), who talks so much about tradition and culture how can she get married for the sake of a reality show?....Either she should be a firm believer of a fairy tale or she doesnt know what she's talking about. I guess she is mixing up her professional life with personal. Whatever it is but it is clearly a wrong move.

On a serious note can someone fall head over heels in love for real in a tv show?.....However it is, if it is an happy ending like fairy tales then its fine...

Fun nd Festive

Hey guys its been a while since i updated my blog. What can i say, its just that i was not inspired to write about anything. Just few hours, back i was just glancing at my diwali pictures. I couldnt help but start to think about those days of colorful celebration back there in my country - INDIA. vow floods of memories rushed into my mind. Could there be anything inspiring than to write about the fun that we had during the festivals. I would like to share about how i look at these festivals at different phases of my life.


I grew up in a joint family. It was a huge house which will always be crowded. Needless to say during festivals. All my cousins(father's side) would gather. My mom nd dad would have bought dresses for us long back. I couldnt wait for the day to wear it. Shopping for diwali nd pongal itself is fun. Not once have i bought dress at karur(my native). We would either go to chennai or trichy or cbe for dress shopping. My grandpa would ask us to make a list of crackers that we need. We always would argue and fight with vignesh(my bro)while making the list. We would end up buying all the items. Never did once we finish all the crackers that we bought that year. We would always store for next diwali. My mom would wake us up early in the morning on diwali nd give us oil bath. Me nd Priya(my sis) would always ask for shampoo but my mom wouldnt let us use. she wud only give shikaka. She will tell us the story of Lord Krishna killing Narakasura while bathing us. Every year we would ask for the same story. Then its pooja time. All of us would gather nd watch our grandpa doing the pooja. Just after pooja we would run to play with crackers but our moms would not let us go until v finish our breakfast. There'll be plenty of yummy nd delicious sweets nd dishes. But we would just swallow and rush to play the crackers. Actually i have a small confession. Never did once i have a burnt a loud cracker(atom bombs, 1000 walas or hydrogen bombs). Flowerpot is the max in my list. But priya is very daring. She used to burn any kind of crackers. All of them (my bros nd sis) would take turns to burn crackers. Whenever priya gets her turn i tell a silent prayer. When i think of it now i coudnt control the smile. In the night time my dad and his brothers(my chithappa) would burn rockets. All of us will watch the fireworks from our terrace. I could never forget a diwali when priya burnt a whole bunch of crackers by mistake. We all came running horrified. We could see only smoke. My mom crying nd there she comes from the middle of the smoke. My mom went wild and dint allow her to play with crackers for sometime. However she worked her way out. If this is diwali, the celebration of pongal would start the previous night itself. My mom is the best in rangoli. She always wins the competition for rangoli in our street. We used to help her in coloring. vow those were really the best times.


The next phase is during my college and working days when i was away from home. During these festivals i spend time with my family. Priya was still at home and eagerly waiting for me to come home coz i always would get something for her whenever i come. But as uasual we start our fight the very next day(mostly bcoz of TV remote). After all what are sisters without fight. But now my mom would support me as i've come from hostel. She would cook all my favourite dishes(fish curry, chilli chicken, ...). We were no longer intrested in crackers or the narakasura story. We would start our day with pooja. Now my dad did the pooja as v dont have our grandpa any loger. Then we would all settle down in the livinng room in front of tv with all yummy sweets nd snacks my mom made for diwali. We have to constantly pull our mom from kitchen as she always finds some work. I would really feel bad when i have to go back to work or college. My mom would pack diwali sweets for me nd my friends. I couldnt forget a diwali when my dad came to pick me up from college. He was waiting in the visitor's hall. I was coming from my hostel with my laundry bag. He was actually noticing me while i was walking towards him i was wishing my friends. The entire trip he was completely teasing me for the way i was wishing my friends. He said that i got a funny accent and was immitating me. He still makes fun of me using that.


The next phase is after my wedding. That sure is one great diwali. We celebrated our first diwali(thala diwali) in karur as we were supposed to. I was really astounded by the way senthil was treated by my parents. My mom made made all of his favourite dishes. She wouldnt even let him get up from the couch. Everything comes to his place. Senthil was pulling my leg by saying that he's like a king and i'm his maid. Actually i was thinking, every *** has its own day. Its clearly his day. (just kidding). My dad would never allow us to go for a movie on Diwali coz of the crowd. But this time since senthil asked he booked tickets for us. So my long time wish was granted. Thats how i watched ATM(first day first show). However the movie was horrible(thats a different story altogether).




Hmmmmm now to present. I celebrated the past 2 diwalis in Canada. Last year in Otawa nd dis year in Toronto. Last year it was just a gettogether with friends. This year i had total fun. In the morning we prayed nd there was a small celebration in senthil's office. We watched everyone dancing nd singing. i participated in Rangoli and won too(did i mention that all the 3 teams who participated won). Then we had nice Indian lunch and watched Adhavan(movie). In the night we enjoyed the fireworks. What more could i ask for?... ofcourse my family....s i missed them a lot. All we did is share the diwali pictures....