Monsoon..!

Ever woke up in the morning feeling its such a cozy day..?

Ever felt like heaven in your couch with a nice book to read..?

Ever reminded by a warm fireplace the warmth of a dear one's hug..?

Ever wrapped in your blanket,gazing into nothing all the way to glory..?

Ever played with a rain droplet that slipped on your wooden window sill..?

Ever looked at a street through the name you wrote on the foggy window..?

Ever been welcomed by the morning drizzle and thought this is the best it could get..?

Ever sipped a cup of brewing hot coffee and felt intoxicated..?

Ever thought the mild voice of someone humming by your ear is all the sound you want to be hearing always..?

Wonder what all a beautiful monsoon morning can do.. :)

I wish...

I wish heaven had a phone so I could hear your voice again. I thought of
you today but that is nothing new. I thought about you yesterday, and
days before that too..


I think of you in silence.. I often speak your name. All I have are memories
 and a picture in a frame. Your memory is a keepsake, from which I'll never part.
 God has you in his arms, I have you in my heart.......
Love you..

Handcrafted artistic diwali diyas..

      Diwali the festival of llights is incomplete without beautiful diyas. Diwali diyas not only adorn your house but also spread the message of joy and happiness.

I've found my passion in painting diyas and adding glitter to people's lives.. Just thought this is a good medium to share the art.. I have handcrafted diyas for Sale within India..

Each diya is hand painted for that personalised touch! It is made using terracotta which is durable and helps retain original shine and color for a long time.
Colorful diyas to brighten up your Diwali – Buy it for yourself or a perfect gift for your near and dear ones.
You could view and purchase these diyas from eBay on the following links..


Diya Set 1 : http://cgi.ebay.in/Handcrafted-Diwali-Diyas-Decorative-Lamps-Pack-6-/180578012910?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_203&hash=item2a0b49ceee#ht_500wt_1156


Diya Set 2 : http://cgi.ebay.in/Handcrafted-decorative-artistic-diwali-diyas-Pack-6-/180578407217?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_203&hash=item2a0b4fd331#ht_500wt_1156


You could also drop in a mail to me for any clarifications or queries.. would be more than happy to get in touch.. :-)

P.S.I Love You.. :-)

…Aha.. look how far we’ve come..

Still feels like its just a few days since i met you.. The prank you played by making me look for you, when you were actually standing right in front of me, the lunch at Casa Picola, the ice cream and the long walk in moonlight.. These are still so fresh in memory..

Has it been a year already?? Wasnt it just yesterday that was our wedding day? when all around us were tensed on how the wedding would happen, we were filled with the joy of getting married and were having fun laughing all thru the wedding events..

a full year... wow!!

Everyone told us the first year of marriage is the toughest. Really? Was it? For me, nothing really changed much.. and the ones that did were all for the good.. we now come home to each other everyday instead of just quickly meeting over the weekends or at some random occasions.. :-)

Actually, i still find the word 'Husband' very alien.. It still startles me when someone refers to you and asks, "what does your husband do?" It takes me a few seconds to realise that they mean YOU! To me, you are just you.. my SMILEY,.. the man i've known for so many years.. the guy whos been a great friend and continues to be so.. the soulmate with whom i have the fondest of memories and the partner for life
with whom i continue building a lot of dreams and fulfilling them..
So, what should we celebrate? a year of being "Married" or 5 years of knowing each other? Either ways, today i just wanted to let you know that You make my life beautiful and you are the reason for my happiness.. :-)

Happy Anniversary.. I Love You.

A gift!

Hum: Hey
Tum: Hello! Hows u?
Hum: Am ok.. you know what, today is my friend's birthday. Am thinking of getting him some nice gift.. Suggest something na..
Tum: hmm.. How about a watch?
Hum: He already has one
Tum: A tie or cufflings?
Hum: He doesnt wear or use them
Tum: hmm.. then Some books or CD?
Hum: So boring.. cant you think of anything innovative? I want to give him something that lasts for a lifetime..
Tum: Ok, Then get him a life insurance policy!! ;-)
Hum: !!!!!!!

Nostalgia..

Heavy Rains.. Eat hot bajji and pakkoda.. Schools closed.. Postpone homework.. Play in the rain..
Feel guilty about homework in the evening.. Visit the nearby temple.. Come back home.. Eat bajjis and pakkoda..

Power cut.. Finish homework in the candle light.. Amma would be cursing in the background.. Have dinner with family sitting on the floor..

Sleep listening to the thavalai satham.. It is nostalgic, but I dont miss my school days now..

No homework.. Sigh! Life is good now.. Now it is only work from home! :-)

Perspective!

We had a session at my workplace today on 'Perspective' and how you can develop yourself with a positive attitude.. The trainer spoke about how there could be a situation and two of them could see the same situation in completely different ways.. Its up to us to make the most out of any situation..
He then told a story which went like this..

There was a man who owned a dog and a cat.. He took care of both of them very well.. Gave them rich food, took them to the veterinarian doctor whenever required and made sure that they are both healthy and happy.

The Dog looked at the person and thought to itself : This man is so good. He takes care of me so well.. gives me the best of foods, keeps me happy always.. HE MUST BE GOD!

The Cat on the other hand thought : This man is so good. He takes care of me so well.. gives me the best of foods, keeps me happy always.. I MUST BE GOD..!! :-)

So, Its all a matter of perspective isnt it? Just be positive.. Look for an opportunity in every little event and Success will be yours! ;-)

The homecoming..

Read this awesome article and just had to share it.. Its quite long, but written exceptionally well.. am sure a lot of us will relate to it.. :-)

http://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/india/papers/Return_to_India.pdf

Cheeni kum?! :-)

Image taken from : http://www.farrisliterary.com/Cookbook_CoverII.jpg

Recipe books! Whenever I see one, I groan.

Believe me, I hate cooking, be it boiling water or preparing a full course meal.

Many of them say that recipe books are the best thing that couldn't happened to people like me.. but then, i find them so wrong.. The problem is not that I cant cook, but just that I'm too lazy
to be stuck in the kitchen cooking up delicacies to reach people's hearts through their stomachs! ;-)

And talk about recipe books..

Exact measures never ever seem to work! oh come on... moms never go by them and yet how great their preparations turn out to be..
Just incomparable! And what's amazing is how they always know how much of sugar to add to the jamun, "a little more than 2 cups.."

"Don't worry! once the dish gets boiled, the quantity will reduce by itself.."

Or how just another pinch of salt would make the most delicious of pulaos..

or even how half a second extra boiling can make the rice semi solid..

I've never seen mom follow the instructions in any cookbook... the '2 teaspoons of butter' always becomes 'half of this little cup.. 2 spoons will be too less', all this while I just look on in wonder!!!

Hmmm..!! guess the only way I can reach that state of 'Perfection' is by spending hours and hours in the kitchen, burning my fingers and a few err.. dishes too! ;-)

Well.. That's my outlook on cooking and recipe books.. Anyways, On another note.. here's wishing all of you a great year 2009.. May this be a fulfilling year for you and may all your dreams come true.. :-)

Giftooo giftu...!

Gone are those days when people were anxious to know what gifts they got. Nowadays its all about hoping that the unwanted gifts don't exceed the storage space at your home.
There are 3 broad categories when it comes to gift 'items':
* Innovative types : Only 5% belong to this category. They know your tastes, they know how usable it is to you, they know that the chances of someone else gifting the same item are slim.
* Ganesha types : If I were Lord Shiva or Vishnu, I would have cursed the entire humanity for how I am ignored when it comes to gift items. A typical conversation of a couple goes about like this:
Husband: We have to go to that wedding in the evening.
Wife: What gift shall we buy?
Husband: Some Ganesha gift item of course.
Wife: (smiling) Of course! (What else?)
65% of the people fall under this category. Ganesha has got great range, he comes in all forms - from the most artistic to highly innovative to funny to absolutely ridiculous. My friend has a collection of over 150 Ganeshas - dancing, playing music, sitting, standing, sleeping, programming - you name it, we have it. So every time someone gives a Ganesha, its mostly the one you already have. Or even worse, you get two pieces of the same variety on the same day.
I love you Ganesha, but bring on the Hanumans, Ayyappas, and Gajalakshmis please!
* Clock types : No occasion is complete without a few unusable clocks being gifted. 40% of the people fall under this category as well.
I am seriously planning to have one of living room walls as a "clock wall" and hang all the clocks that we got, each one set to the time zone of a different country.
Those of you who must be wondering why the percentages are not adding up properly, Its just that I'm weak in maths and also 10% of the people actually gift clocks with Ganesha on them! ;-)
And by the way, If you are not the innovative types when it comes to gifts, better stick to giving cash. You will be really appreciated.
There are many varieties in the cash givers as well and each one may belong to one of more of these categories:
* Anonymous : There will always be a few who do not write their names on the gift covers. May be because they are the "i-don't-want-to-be-discovered-of-giving-so-less" type. The rest belong to the very old thinking that even writing their names on the covers amounts to showing off.
* Cover less Anonymous : Among the gift covers, you will at least find a note given by someone who just slipped it into your hands while offering a handshake. May be these are the ones who paid an unexpected visit, had no gift cover, at the same time did not
wish to go gift less.
* The Plus One Rupee types : They will never ever give you money without a one rupee coin along with the gift amount. One logic I have heard from them is that "plus one" means continual growth. The gift value only has to be 51, 101 and so on.
The funny thing about this is, may be 50 years ago one rupee was still a decent gift amount, now to think of it.. whats the value of a rupee anyways..

So, what have your observations been when it comes to giving and receiving gifts? :-)

Law can be so dumb??!

Came across this list on a forwarded message and was totally amused ! Made some additions to this list ( authentic, of course, I double checked online) and sharing it here. Read on:
England
* A Member of Parliament must not enter the House of Commons wearing a full suit of armour.
* Committing suicide is classified as a capital crime – punishable by death. (Duhh...)
* Sticking a postage stamp, bearing the Queens portrait, upside down on an envelope is an act of treason.
France:
* It is illegal to kiss on railways. (Is it acceptable everywhere else?)
* Pigs must not be called Napoleon.
Italy:
* A man may be imprisoned for wearing a skirt. ( uh ho. No prob.. Just skip on to Scotland!)
Singapore:
* A person convicted of littering three times, will have to clean the streets on Sundays wearing a sign saying "I am a litter lout."
South Korea:
* Traffic police are required to report all bribes that they receive from motorists. ( report the bribe and then slip it into the pocket? ;))
Victoria:
* In Victoria only licensed electricians may change a light bulb.
* In Victoria it is illegal to wear pink pants after midday on a Sunday. (Who would want to wear pink pants anyways?)
Alabama:
* Driving a vehicle while blindfolded is prohibited.
Arkansas:
* It is forbidden for a man to beat his wife more than once a month (Once a month is justified?? Huh)
New York:
* A man greeting another by “placing the end of his thumb against the tip of his nose and wiggling the extended fingers of that hand." Will be arrested for disorderly conduct. :-)

A Five word Post!

* Working from home seems good.

* I love waking up late.

* Babban treats for Sachin's century! ;)

* Sometimes uncertainities can be killing.

* Switzerland is my dream country.

* Will i visit Switzerland someday? :)

* Bugged with browsing TV channels.

* I miss the girl talk.

* Its such a lazy day.

* I'm dreaming too much nowadays.

* Five word writing is cool.

This seems very interesting.. why not u guys try it out too.. :)

Thought for today!

There was a time when I thought hardwork and dedication at any cost were my life’s principles.
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This was before I met money! ;-)

Periyavaa sonna Perumal sonna maadhiri..

Okie for all those non tamizh speaking folks out there, this post would be like watching a French movie with subtitles.. ;-) Anyways, what does the title mean ? It goes like this.. “When elders give you an advice, its as though GOD himself is doing it.” (Alright mom, I know the translation is pathetic! )

Here's a list of things that my mom, Patti and others told us when we were kids and they continue to do it even now..

• You are not supposed to cut your nails after 6 in the evening.
• When someone sneezes when you are about to leave your house, you have to sit down and drink a glass of water (Now don’t ask me why)
• When you see a cat cross the road , you are supposed to stop right there for a second and then start walking again.
• You should not whistle during the night. It seems whistling during the night invites thieves.. (Yeah right!)
• You are not supposed to lie down or sleep during the 'velakku aethara neram' (roughly translates to 'The time when lamp is lit in front of god')
• You shouldn't sit on a pillow. Thalagani maela okkaandha kandan varum. (Now you know the reason behind the recession in America!)

The list is just endless.. Though we all know these things made no sense, we still followed it being scared of the consequences or not wanting to hurt their sentiments. We followed every rule because Periyavaa Sonna Perumal Sonna Maadhiri.. :-)

Of books and their titles..!

I have a feeling that authors spend more time in coming up with a catchy title for their book than spending time on writing the book itself. One example that comes to my mind is 'The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari'.. Most of the reviews for the book have been quite critical and I fail to understand how this book has been in the limelight. I even heard that Tamil comedian Vivek presented this book to former President Abdul Kalam.

Anyways, on a lighter note.. Here are some funny/unique book titles that i came across..

*How to kill your husband (and other handy household hints) by Kathy Lette

* When Your Phone Doesn't Ring, It'll Be Me by Cynthia Heimel

* Women Are from Venus, Men Are from Hell by Amanda Newman

* If God was a Banker by Ravi Subramanian

*How to Write a How to Write Book by Brian Paddock

So, How many such names can u remember? :-)

The Web is Us/ing Us..

Here's something that really fascinated me.. A must watch.. :-)

Chrome!

   I'm not a techie and usually dont go about talking about such stuff.. But there are always exceptions.. :-)

 Presenting Google Chrome! Its the awesomest (Is that even a word?!) browser that i've used so far.. Its fast, looks cool and hasnt given me any problems for the past fews days that i've been using it for..

 Incognito is really cool too. Quoting Google..

‘'You’ve gone incognito. Pages you view in this window won’t appear in your browser history or search history, and they won’t leave other traces, like cookies, on your computer after you close the incognito window. Any files you download or bookmarks you create will be preserved, however’'

Super cool isnt it?! I dont think i would ever miss firefox.. :-)

Marriage and all that Jazz! :-)

I had attended a friend's wedding a few days back and it only makes me wonder as to who would the mastermind
be behind creating something like a marriage and all things attached to it... Dont get me wrong but certain customs
and traditions in weddings just get me laughing my guts out..

So, it all began with the early morning wedding rituals.. People generally speak from the bride's point of view.. but coming to think of it, its the groom who is in a pathetic state comparitively.. How else could one explain the logic of the kanyadhaanam or the mangalya dhaaranam ceremonies where the bride would be dressed in beautiful sarees like the 'madisar' and our poor groom gets to wear a ridiculously translucent panchakajam and a pancha paathram in front of him carry on the traditions.. :-)

Utmost attention is given to the bride's make up to make her look divine and beautiful on her special day but
all that the groom gets is a 'pattai' on his forehead or a 'dhrishti pottu' that ensures he looks pathetic..

Every man finds his wife absolutely gorgeous in the wedding saree.. However i'm still waiting for some girl to
tell me that she finds her husband looking stunning in his pancha kajam and vibhoodhi pattai.. ;-)

Next was the reception where the bride and groom were trying hard to smile at every tom, dick and harry wishing them.
They would be wishing the couple saying, "Do bring him/her home sometime" apart from wishing them a happy married life.. Just imagine, even if the bride and groom visit one family a weekend, they would be atleast 80 years old by the time they visit all the well wishers!!

And yes! how can we forget the tradition of women gifting 'blouse pieces' along with the thaamboolam to the women who attend the wedding.. Poor men, They usually get nothing, The lucky ones however might get something like a hand kerchief..
And if u are a girl and belong to the close family of the bride/ groom, you are entitled to a saree and men get a lousy 'shirt piece' (Usually a white with blue stripes or a beige coloured one) in this case too!

Hmm.. It sure is a woman's world out there.. ;-)

Happiness is..

...when you're reading in bed just before dozing off to sleep and find yourself hungry, but can't think of anything to snack on in the kitchen and you are too lazy to get up and walk up there anyway - then finding that pack of Kurkure within your arm's reach next to your bed, without even having to move a bit.. And you proceed to finish the packet while continuing to read happily.

Wow.. Bliss! :-)

Kaikeyi..!

Why dont people name their daughters Kaikeyi or Draupadi?
Its sad.. but history has ruined some lovely names.. what say? ;-)