Quo Vadis?

I have been away from this pace for two months now and much sand has flown down. - My bundle of joy Trinity is now three months old, has come home and is quite a handful. - Have closed two deals and have launched them, which took a lot of time and effort but is now bringing in the money for my company - The children's choir have been videographed twice, the first one was quite a disaster done for the Divine TV and thankfully will not be seen by many, the second was for Vijay TV for Sing the Season 2009 where the kids competed with some very good senior choirs and though lost, held their own and left me immensely satisfied. YOu may catch them on air on 24th of December between 5-7 PM - The John Miln's Chorale completed yet another annual carol service, and quite truthfully we messed up and it pains that we did not do justice to our master. But somewhere down the line I felt that this time we were very underprepared. - I have travelled up and down the two states I handle and have...

Remember the episode where Ali says “Gift” for his attendance and goes on to explain to Mr. Brown that he is learning new words in English and that gift is another word for present. To the ignorant lot the scene is from one of the episodes of Mind Your Language, a silly BBC show that still manages to make me laugh despite its biases and flawed views. Anyway the topic on hand is gift or present if you please, the kind that is given to other people every time they call invite you for food. Staying on the topic I remember a story in Archie where Mr. Lodge is worried about the Christmas gift list because he has to ensure that 1) he gifts the same value to those who had gifted him so that he does not embarrass them 2) he does not gift lower in value to those who gifted him so that he does not appear cheap. The biggest worry is to gift a business prospect who would give him a large business order. Betty tears up his list saying that the Christmas spirit is not measured in money and explains ...

You may know that attempted suicide is a punishable offence in India with a prison term of a year. Funny as it may sound I think that the one year behind bars may actually give some time for the person to plan better to die or to live. On the topic of suicides, I am fed up with the many suicidal cases on the road who choose different vehicles to end their miseries, I almost ran into one such today. She was a pregnant young woman who ignored the zebra crossing and tried to dash across the road, I missed hitting her by inches and in the confusion she fell down. As usual the bunch of good Samaritans jumped to the damsel in distress and gave me lecture on how I should apologize. My short fuse blew and I gave a blast to all, the cops included who wanted me to be “humanitarian”. I ask you, will you blame the noose if a suicide attempt fails? I felt sorry for the woman, but it was replaced by anger, how can anyone be so careless with their life and more so when there is one more life to consi...

Hi! It’s been a long exile from this space and the reasons are a few: * We shifted residence and the settling down took some time * Airtel took a fortnight to transfer my net connection * The net connection in office has for some reason gone slow, so slow that it makes snail mail more attractive than Gmail * I’m still not very comfortable with mobile posting at least not with the Xpress music handset * And yes, I am now the proud dad of a little girl!!! So bear with me as I settle down and things get back to normal again and before I sign off I have had two big successes at work, this coming after more than two years of work, the taste of success became just that bit sweeter. Ms. T. Clement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Look closely and you will see a part of the history of Madras. For those of you still scratching your heads this is a sun dial. And when I last checked it was still remarkably accurate. If I want to check the time in the sun and if I am near the Basilica of the National Shrine of St. Thomas a genuine wonder of the city, I will just go behind the church and check the time. So what do I do if I am some where else? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . On a serious note, wishing you all a very happy Madras day! And if you are wondering what to do over the weekend try this...

Remember Will Smith in Enemy of the state? He went shopping for lingerie which was a big mistake because afterwards he became THE enemy of the state. Thankfully such things don’t happen here, and more importantly I don’t need to ask someone for the size because I ensure the wearer comes along. I was very uncomfortable when D said that I accompany her the first time. Now I have an issue with D’s shopping that I may have mentioned before. I do not mind shop hopping and pulling out the entire rack to search for that one item we intended to buy, but I do not approve walking away empty handed after ransacking an entire shop and finding nothing. I believe a good sales person should be appreciated and the best appreciation is a sale. So I don’t approve of the routine of running from shop to shop and buying nothing. Crazy you may say, but after so many years in sales, I empathize with every good salesperson. All the above mentioned, shop hopping, raiding the racks are avoided when we go linger...

(An old incomplete post that got missed out sometime ago, now dusted and completed.) Travel by train teaches you many things, not least of them is the extent of selfishness of many people you travel with. My first learning (actually I learnt this a few trips ago, but you can’t teach an old dog new tricks) is to avoid the sleeper class or the 3rd AC compartments whenever possible. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not snobbish or anything and I prefer the sleeper classes because in those compartments you get fresh air and reduces claustrophobia and also because the people traveling sleeper seem more sociable than those traveling in the higher classes. Sometimes you just travel with minimal or no contact with the co-passengers. But my acute dislike for the sleeper class is because of a few things: Lalu’s idiosyncrasy in adding an additional berth in the side and making overall travel extremely uncomfortable to those poor souls stuck on the side berths. Since I make last minute bookings I end up w...

Been away from Blogger for quite some time and I blame it on a few reasons led by the eternal criminal Lethargy. I was also busy with a few work related issues that kept me occupied, so much so I never got around to blogging in office. Spare time in office was what started me off initially. Anyway coming down to the issues, lethargy is too wide a topic to merit a meaningful discussion so I will move on to work and more specifically work related travel. Work related travel takes up too much of my time and leaves me tired, it also leaves me bored because I end up without internet for a few days at a stretch so even if I have time I’m out of touch. The other problem is that travel tires you out more so when you age. (I actually got a side middle once) Speaking of age, I have hit the big T; I am now out of the twenties and into my thirtieth year on earth. It irks me no end when people look at you and comment on my gray hair. It is surprising because the first strands of gray peeked ou...

A small part of me has been consigned to history. The king of pop is no more but his legacy is enduring. I remember the first ever English tape that I bought was Bad and over the years his music endured even as I heard so many other artists. He was and will be a genius. There is only one king of pop and today his absence has left a huge vacuum that will never be filled. Thank you for the music and all those happy moments that were a part of my growing years. Even as a kid you sang, "just call my name and I'll be there...", MICHEAL JACKSON, the world calls....

Heard this anecdote during sermons twice over this extended weekend and thought I will share it with you at Father's day... There was an aeroplane that hit heavy turbulence during a flight and caused the oxygen masks to come out. As the turbulence increased the passengers grew disturbed and restless,but one little girl was deeply engrossed in a book and seemed oblivious to the goings on around her. Her neighbour asked her if she was not scared at the situation, the little girl replied that her father was the pilot of the plane and she knew that he will take her home safely... Every day we knowingly hand over our lives to so many unknown people in the auto, taxi, bus, plane, train etc and we do it without a second thought, yet when our life needs piloting we do not have enough faith on the expert and we try to drive ourselves.

I just couldn’t help noticing the distinct lack of gloom around when India got knocked out of the T20 championship rather prematurely. I didn’t bother with the opinions of the wise men from the many TV channels or websites as frankly I think it was a game where one simply played better and not much post mortem was merited. This fact was further reinforced when MSD owned responsibility for the batting order change and like many others who felt that Yuvi was the best option to face the faster men, but they are gambles that MSD takes. When he used Raina to bowl in the IPL at crunch situations and it worked we oohed and aahed, but had it flopped the knives would have been out and already IBN is asking if he should resign. Shame on you, it is very easy to sit in the air-conditioned confines and deliberate meaninglessly but it wont change a thing on the field. At the end it remains just a game. It was yet another busy weekend and there was nothing much I could do about it as there was a fami...

The problem with weekends is that they invariably end. That may not be a bad thing but when it ends leaving you exhausted it can be very bad, so bad you wonder what the cure is for a weekend ending blues. It was a hectic weekend that involved some very heavy duty eating. One HUGE pot luck lunch, a wedding dinner, a non-veg meals at a Chettinad hotel and yet another wedding dinner can leave one tired. At least it left me tired as in between all this eating was a lot of traveling and some singing which resulted in me ending up in bed for most of yesterday. Staying on the topic of food, I am contemplating starting my own food blog, ever since I have become a kind of resource person to my friends and colleagues on the eat outs in Chennai; I guess it might actually work. The IPL airtime has been taken over by the T20 world cup and since the commentators are not hyping it like the IPL there is absolutely no hype on this world event. At the time of writing this the Aussies have got beaten by ...

All good things come to an end, even the IPL. It ended after Lalit Modi thanked his wife and kids for bearing with him as he went about his work, maybe just maybe he must have apologized to us who fell victim to his work. And for once somebody from within has actually cut the BCCI behemoth down to size. And try as much as Modi may the EPL will still be the better event even though I am a cricket buff. I say this because the IPL is an overkill of activity that is jammed into too little time. It is draining for the viewers and the players alike and players risk their limbs for their pot of gold. Staying with cricket as Gayle showed national duty may not be a big thing after all, and if you want to do national duty then join the armed forces in the era of professional sport it all comes down to money. I sympathize with Gayle coming from a confederation of sovereign national islands; national loyalty may not actually work out. It’s a pity that NRIs who want to play for India were barred be...

A lot has happened since my last post. The IPL is almost done and we are now at the start of the knock out phase and though I’m a little disappointed that the royals missed out, I am very happy with the final four. The best team, the best balanced team with the coolest captain around and two back markers from last year make for interesting viewing. Though my heart is with the Super Kings, I’m backing the RCB as the spirited underdogs of the campaign. Two days will tell the full story. I peeled off a small bit of the indelible ink from my fore finger and there in lies a tale. I voted and though my vote was just among another 2000 odd in the final count, I felt happy that this election was one like no other before it. For once the country voted in large numbers and they voted with a head and a heart. For once many well known personalities competed as independents just to show that politics is not a cess pool.We saw a vote for continuity, stability and a vote for performance. I read a tex...

I really feel sorry for SRK, even more when I see the Sprite ad. In hindsight I wonder if he should have just got some hit men in the team because what is happening on the field is a Knight mare. If you must drop a few catches then for heaven’s sake get 170 odd runs behind you as CSK showed the other night. Even captain cool was disturbed with that run out circus. As for Mr. Sun who keeps repeating the same set of set phrases every other time no matter who inappropriate they seem maybe a stint in VETA may effect a change around. If the game turns on its head twice then it gets back to standing position again, so what the big idea? I really do think that a little experience would aid commentary for how many of those wielding the mike has played 20 / 20 or even an international one day match in recent times? Or you should be a trained professional with some mike skills. “Ho Ho Ho” may sound appropriate for Santa Claus and even kids don’t fall for it nowadays and yet we have one wise man ...

I delayed my food in the morning for a "domestic" issue, why do I not merit news space? 1) Its just domestic or 2) it wasn’t 6.5 hours? Twitter does not give you that many words but that is my status message as of now. Actually this was the story of yesterday when I was upset over something and ate late, I thought it was no big deal but then I realized had I stretched to 6.5 hours I may have eaten up so much airtime on the news channels. But I had two things against me 1) you need to fast for an international issue; old issues like water don’t wash any more 2) you need to be a celebrity political or otherwise. And hey D ensures that I never go out of food always and I love her for that also. I was actually oblivious to the soap that unfolded yesterday till I heard from dad that there were some miscreants expressing their feelings for their fasting leader by hurling a few stones around in Coimbatore. By the time I checked the online news, the opera ended. I guess this fast has...

As promised, I will start with the IPL. This season looks to be more balanced and matches will be more evenly contested making for interesting viewing. The sore points that stick out and make the viewing painful in no particular order and my suggestions to improve viewer delight: • The time outs that border on insanity just to accommodate ads fool no one, if it is tactical then here is my option, offer both captains a time out of 5 minutes max that they may take at their convenience like few other sports. Then it will become tactical as a captain may use it to change or break the opponents’ momentum and will add a new twist to the bikini version of cricket. • We don’t want Ms Zinta mouthing shit every time a wicket falls, for variety she can maybe try some other profanity that cannot be lip read by the viewers • The extraaa long discussions before, in between and after the match with a bunch of old wise men in Hindi bore you to death despite all their words of wisdom. Frankly these peo...

Why is it Good to You Tube and Facebook at Work? Watch it and if you are not convinced read about it . PS been a little lazy to blog, now that IPL is on may start blogging on it.

“If there is a red carpet awaiting the boss at a client it’s probably because it is our blood on the floor…” The above statement came out inadvertently during an office conversation and is reflective of the frame of mind that I find myself lately. Having 3 major setbacks in quick succession, basically deals lost to competition even with a superior offering can hurt and hurt real bad. When the deals were lost for reasons that seem illogical, you wonder what is happening around you. And when you take the rap simply because there is no one else, it can’t get any worse. In the middle of the Holy Week, slow realization dawns that if it can’t get any worse it can only get better.

I led the Stations of the Cross in church for the first time. I would like to share my thoughts with you... Many centuries ago one man carried a heavy piece of wood up a hill, what made the job even more difficult was that he was battered, bruised, dehydrated having been beaten up by the soldiers just a few hours earlier. If this were to happen today, it will be reported over and over again with graphic visuals in many of the news channels we would probably watch it repeatedly, debate a few times at the kind of atrocities and after some time just move on, just as we did when Orissa burned or when nuns were raped. Why? Simply because it did not happen to us, it happened to somebody else, what can we possibly do? After all we have jobs to do, food to cook, kids to be taken care of, it’s not our job. Today we live in an insular world, an indifferent world where if it does not affect me directly, it does not matter to me. As we reflect on the Stations of the Cross we will ponder over this ...

Oxy had left a beautiful comment on my last post and that inspired this post. You are as old as you think you are… I look back at some things that I started doing when I was young and when I look at me right now I think nothing much has changed almost. I still: - Suck on sugar boiled candies and jujubes - Read comic books, while I have started high school and am now working Archie and the gang are still struggling to get out from Riverdale High and never failing to bring a smile on my face each time. - Watch the ageless and violent cat and mouse story; yes Tom and Jerry still ranks as one of the all time best option to kill time - Like lollipops and ice candy, they may look silly but far silly are cigarettes than peep out of others lips - Drink H2O to get me a high - Like Kevin McAllister, though Macaulay Culkin may have 10 year old kids, yet HA 1,2 still figures in my list of movies that can be watched any number of times - Think that goodness is rewarded - Believe that God is good - ...

I am yet to come to terms with something I read a couple of days ago in the Hindu. I start my day with two ordinary newspapers – The Hindu and The Times of India and try to squeeze in the Economic Times and The Business Line before the end of day. The usually solid and staid Hindu shook me up when it proclaimed in no uncertain terms that I AM OLD!!! This profound statement was backed by a study done by some people who make a living studying such profound theories. Before you wonder why my age is news, let me clarify anybody aged beyond 26 years and 364 days are old. The study revealed that old age and decline starts at 27 and the peak for a person is 22 years. The first question that hit me was, “Why did I not know this earlier?” the next question immediately following was “What did I do when I was 22?”. The answer to the first was easy enough, the Hindu edition was printed as early as 3 nights ago, but the second answer was very disturbing – I was in all probability working (nothing h...

I have become a fan of the Jaago Re! campaign and am trying to get as many people to register on Facebook and am very happy that some have actually signed up. That is the first step, the next big thing is to remind them to vote and another important thing,not to vote for criminals. This is another small step, they say "it only takes a spark to get a fire glowing and soon all those around can warm up in its glowing..." Pass the word, if you have not joined, do so now. Right Here.

After 200 posts I have finally got an award! Thank you Daisy Blue . The award comes with some rules, so I will graciously accept it and follow the rules. The rules first: * Put the image on your blog * List 10 truths about yourself * Give the award to 5 other people * Provide meaningful quotation Rule 1: Done! Rule 2: i) I am a total home body and the best place in the whole wide world is home ii) I love to sing iii) I have a good sense of humour and I laugh out LOUD iv) Nothing can be as enjoyable as a hour of Tom & Jerry or a good comic v) My favourite drink is a glass of cooled water vi) I love to drive around Chennai late in the night vii) I have two left feet and my fear of stepping on others exceeds my desire to dance viii) I hate creepy crawly insects ix) Mum tells me that during my KG interview I said I will shoot the principal, I got admitted x)I got a state rank in French in class X, but found out today that my school has not kept a record of it Done! Rul...

ESP: Does it exist? I don’t know, but I do know that at least on two occasions I was wide awake when something unfortunate occurred. Now this may sound trivial but I generally sleep like a log, ie I don’t have a disturbed sleep. On these mentioned occasions I was jolted out of sleep and was wide awake. First time in a few minutes I got a tragic phone call about a classmate’s demise, the other I was informed of a robbery next door when everyone slept. I wonder… Rules: The other day I was asked by an Idiot (please read onwards to understand, why an Indiot) if I was a stickler for rules. He observed that I was wearing my seat belt. Idiots do not understand that seat belts, helmets and others of their ilk are not fashion accessories or just after thoughts mentioned by law but potential life savers. When will people realize that road rules are not for the police men’s amusement and pleasure but directives to ensure one reaches his / her destination safely? Helplessness: Have you gone throug...

Watched the Vennila Kabbadi Kuzhu last night. I'm no movie reviewer, but judging by the full house and the audience response I can safely say that the movie is a winner like the actors in it. Led by the reviews the family ended up at the theatre hoping to watch a good movie and we got our money's worth. Yes, they made Ghilli with Kabbadi as a sidekick to the movie with a superhero in the center stage, but this is a movie where the game is bigger than the characters in it, because simply we do not know the characters. Go for the movie, if you won't miss one larger than life hero, one sexy heroine in designers, 5 songs, 3 fights, 1 disjointed comedy track and a screaming villain routine or a path breaking new movie. The funny part is you will find a villain(s), fight scenes, duets, the inevitable love story, a whole bunch of comedians and an almost predictable tried and tested formula, but they are not what we have seen before. Kudos to the makers and the absolutely lovely ca...

I saw one idiot riding his motorbike on the pavement on the wrong side of the road, a little further yet another idiot made a U-turn in the middle of a flyover. I wondered for a brief moment if there is merit in being good, when everything around is bad? I always believed that what is inside makes the person and not the outside and despite people doing bad to you, you do what is right because you are in the right. Anyway this belief was mildly shaken as mentioned before. A little further I received the daily verse by SMS from a friend it read, “Let us not grow tired of doing good, for in due time we shall reap our harvest, if we don’t give up.” – Gal 6:9 . If you sow a bad seed what you get during the harvest is good for nothing. If you sow a good seed what you get during harvest is useful to you and others. Never give up doing good. My faith restored I reached office with a smile. PS: I just realized that I have crossed 200 posts, this is No. 201! Its been an eventful 28 months of per...

A great advertisement that has been been redusted in time for Feb 14th. I think it really captures the spirit of the day. Kudos to the script writer who came up with the words that the diamond does not know your age. Beautiful. To all the naysayers including a certain joker who threatens to marry off couples and some fanatical students who are planning similar acts, think its time you guys get a job or a girl. But the big question is why is 14th feb tickling their butts? Have they never gone to the Marina beach any day of the year? Listen you love less jokers, to people in love any day is Valentine's day, it just don't matter. To sign off, give a little love, it is always in short supply in the world and no, you dont have to wait for Feb 14th.

I am getting so irritated with these goons who are now policing the cities with their warped code of morality. They have topped the list of my most hated people including, bad drivers, uncouth auto driving goons, public spitters and pissers, you get the general idea. The reason they abound is that many of us slept when the elections happened or we voted for communal criminals to power. 26/11 brought an outpouring of grief, outrage, fear, disgust and utter revulsion for the perpetrators and many were spontaneous in lighting candles and having protest marches across the country. Very good. I did neither, I confess. But to what avail? Have any of us considered doing something against these goons who are trying to find new reasons to kill peace? From pub culture, which is crazy by itself, if people think that women don’t drink pay attention next time you read about a hooch tragedy, the liquour is often made, sold and consumed by women also, but always in a minority. So if you have a proble...