Guys and Gals

Rashmi Bansal founder-editor of the youth magazine JAM, frerquently writes articles in Rediff. I read one of her's yesterday about sex and reality.

There was one particular line which I found quite interesting
"girls use sex to get love, and guys use love to get sex".

What sort of a statement is that? Do men really "use" love to get sex? Men have sex with the women they love, but does that mean, men "love" for the sake of sex. It seemed somewhat absurd.

As for the first part of the sentence, is this what we call "Thalayanai mandhiram" in Tamil? I don't know whether its true or not, but in case it is, I wish my wife-to-be wants loads of love from me :D

My first post in Tamil

அன்றும் இன்றும்

அன்று
அம்மா: டேய் 4 பொண்ணுங்களோட ஜாதகம் வந்திருக்கு. உனக்கு யாரை பிடிச்சிருக்குன்னு சொல்லு
மகன்: 4 போட்டோவையும் காட்டு, யாரு நல்லா இருக்கான்னு பார்க்கலாம்.


இன்று
அம்மா: டேய் 4 பொண்ணுங்களோட ஜாதகம் வந்திருக்கு. உனக்கு யாரை பிடிச்சிருக்குன்னு சொல்லு
மகன்: 4 பொண்ணுங்க கிட்டேயும் என் போட்டோவை காட்டி, யாருக்கு என்னை பிடிச்சிருக்கோ அவளையே எனக்கு கட்டி வெச்சிடும்மா


P.S. I swear this post has got nothing to do with me, nor is my mother looking for a girl. This post is a reflection of what happened to some of my colleagues and relatives.

Last week when I had been to my friends b'day treat, he casually asked me what kinda girl I am looking for. I don't know why but this question pops up every time some of my close friends get together and on a lighter note I replied him with what appears in the 'indru' section.

Thanglish version available as 1st comment

Challenging BB

We all know BB is the person with the utmost patience to watch and review movies like Amudhae, 6.2, Jithan, Sevvel, Gurudeva etc. I always wonder as to how he can sit in front of such movies in the first place, let alone watching and reviewing them. My God, he has got loads of patience. Excuse my language, but I cannot tolerate the even hoardings of such movies.

Sometimes he also reviews the audio for the movies. Now I think I have a found a fitting challenge for BB.

Can the patient BB listen to a couple of songs in the film "Vairavan". To those who don't know about this movie, it is directed by Karikalan the villain of "Solaiyamma", and the music is composed by Aasan (who is he????)

BB, If you agree to take up the challenge, listen to the songs "Povathamma" and "Indha Poluthum". FYI, the second song is sung by Karikalan himself.

The songs can be downloaded from Mohankumars.com. The picture of the movie is enough indication of what to expect. BB, please think twice before you accept this challenge and don't tell me I didn't warn you.

Urgent Help needed

Does anyone of you know the website of Al-Qaeeda? Watch Al_Jazeera channel? Know the website of Hurriyat, Al-Ummaar, ULFA, LTTE, naxalite or any other militant outfit. Or know the website of famous museums around the world.

I want to know who has claimed responsibility for the robbery of my brand new Reebok floaters that happened 3 days back. It is a very expensive pair and gives excellent grip even in marshy surfaces. I know it would cost even more now, since I climbed a peak near Masinagudi using that.

I am using my blog to request the responsible ones to return my "Padarakshaalu" back to me.

P.S. For those cursing me now, feel free to use the comments section. The loss is just too much to bear in silence

Thoongadhe thambi thoongadhe

A famous song in a MGR film or a movie by Kamal Hasan is not what I am talking about. Its about an afternoon nap which cost me the fun at Chennai Bloggers' meet @ Boat Club.

On saturday, I had to spend nearly five hours and take two trips across the city to track a book, which I needed for an exam on sunday. Although it was not hot that day, city driving with all the signals, bad roads, traffic blocks, oneways and noises sapped all my juices by the time I reached home around 3.30 that day. My God! Spare a thought for all those guys in marketing who spend 6-7 hours a day on the burning tarmac. It is so tiring and demanding that I ate twice the amount of rice than what I usually have for lunch. It is not an exaggeration that I couldn't even pull myself to change the TV channel until the double helpings of delicious sambhar and curd landed in my stomach.

I was almost 4.00 when I finished lunch and I decided to have a short nap until 4.30 to refresh myself and then start for the Bloggers' meet. What happened after that is history. I got up at 5.30, feeling shocked for having slept so long and angry for having missed the blogger meet. So I turned aside and continued to sleep feeling happy for not having to drive again.

If there are couple of things over which I do not have any control whatsoever, they are hunger and sleep. All of my enthusiasm, little bit of intelligence get thrown out of the window when either of them show their ugly face. Imagine my poor state when both struck me one after the other on saturday.

Heart stolen

"Idhayathai thirudadhe" padathil irundhu en idhayathai thirudiya paadal.

The combination of Vaali's lyrics, Raja's music and Chitra's voice make this song one among my all time favourites.


Aathadi ammadi then mottu dhaan
Koothada thooralgal neer vittu dhaan
Aathadi ammadi then mottu dhaan
Koothada thooralgal neer vittu dhaan
urugudho marugudho kuzhandhai manamum kurubu thanamum inimayo
kodiyile arumbudhaan kulirum mazhayil nanayum pozhudhu
sollamma sollamma vetkathile edhedho vandhacho ennathile
sollamma sollamma vetkathile edhedho vandhacho ennathile

vanamum vayyamum karangalai inaipadhe mazhayil dhaan
sedigalum malargalum eeramai irupadhe azhagudhaan
mazhayum saaralum killamal killavaum
azhagum aasaiyum aadamal aadavum
thulluginra ullamenna thathalikkum meniyenna
vanji endhan kangal kanda devalogam bhoomidhaan (aathadi)


ennavo enniye iLayaval idhayame thadhumbudha
sirusiru mazhaithuLi sidharida sabalam dhaan arumbudha
vaana devane sallaabam seidhida
vaayu devane muthaada vandhida
neelam pootha koondhalodu oodha katru thazhuvum bodhu
thullum pennin ullam nooru kavidhai sollum ohohoho (aathadi)


P.S. Can someone explain me what is meant by "neelam pootha koondhal"?

Party Tips

My friend who is a doctor gave me some rather interesting tips for people who party. Here they come

- Gently massage the inside of your ears using a soft cotton swab, 10-15 minutes before having a meal. The nerve from the ear gets connected to the nerve from the stomach at some point. So the brain interprets the impulses to be from the stomach and sends commands to the glands to secrete digestive enzymes, which inturn increases the appetite.

- Eat icecream before having alcohol as the fat in the icecream will burn some of the alcohol. Seems like it will prevent you from getting intoxicated soon and at the same time retain the effect for a long time.

Since I haven't tried any of them, you are free to try these tips at your own risk. But please let me know the results.

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

I am only 80 pages through the book, and already it is very gripping and absorbing. I am hoping to complete it by this weekend.

I was very eager to know the closest person to Harry, who would die in this book. Unable to withstand the suspense, I went to the very last page and found Harry talking to Ron and Hermione. So his friends are alive.

More about Harry Potter, once I complete the book

Weekend Darshan

Myself and couple of my friends had been to Tiruvidanthai, which is 10 minutes drive from Mayajaal along ECR on saturday evening.

Nithya Kalyana Perumal Temple situated here, was very calm and peaceful unlike the Nanganallur Anjaneyar temple near my house, which has become a tourist spot.

The temple has a very interesting sthalapuranam(history) for this place which can be found here.

The moolavar is Lakshmi Varaha Perumal (Lord Vishnu in the incarnation of 'Varaha') with Agilavalli thayar on his left shoulder. The Urchavamoorthy is called 'Nithya Kalyana Perumal', because he married 360 women one by one daily for one year.

There is very interesting ritual here. People looking for a match, bring a garland which will be worn by the Perumal and returned back to them. Wearing the garland, they have to circumambulate the temple praharam 9 times and then keep the garland in their pooja room.This garland has to be brought back to the temple after they get married. The popular belief is that the people who perform this ritual get married very soon.

As it always happens with me, this trip was also unplanned. I turned right from Mayajaal instead of heading back home after watching "Sahara", to compensate the 45 bucks that I paid as toll fee for plying the ECR and eventually ended up visiting a divyadesam.

P.S. For those who do not know, Mayajaal is a Cineplex which is just 1km from the Toll Booth and the toll amount is the same irrespective of the distance(whether Mayajaal or Pondicherry).

Hip size

Same phenomenon, contradictory feelings

I was happy when I grew out of my navy blue uniform trousers ten years ago. But not today when I realised that I can no more live within my "Live-in" jeans.

Fun Unlimited @ Masinagudi

Masinagudi is a gorgeous village at the foothills of Nilgiris, close to Mudumalai and Bandipur wildlife sanctuary.

We stayed at Jungle Hut, a resort run by Mathias family. The food and facilities were first class. Rain gods were kind enough to spare the place for the weekend.

Travelogue in short

Train journey to Mettupalayam
Travel to Ooty in a cab with a foul-mouthed driver
Risky road journey from Ooty to Masinagudi
2 hours of volleyball
Babe-watching at the swimming pool
Table tennis
Night safari into Mudumalai forest
Early morning trek into the woods
Precarious walk in between two hills to reach Mayar waterfalls
Race against time to catch Kaveri Express in Mysore



The cottage that we stayed


Food - for eyes also ;-)



Very cosy


Norgay & Hillary


It rained for sometime. And we gladly got drenched


This pic was taken midway to the peak. The circle in the picture is our resort


TT ... but the table and the bats were bad


Mayar falls. The view was breath taking

Jungle safari and the trek were the highlights of the trip. We expected to see tiger and cheetah, but had to be content with bisons, elephants and sambhar deers. The guide who accompanied us for trekking promised some bears and bisons, but none turned up. Still the sheer walk into the woods was very exciting.

On the return journey, the usual thought ran across my mind.

"Inime Masinagudi vandha oru ponnu kooda thaan varanum".

Tea time classic

Tea breaks in our office are time for fun. This is Vivek's comedy in Minnale, redirected by me 2 and 1/2 years ago during a tea break. I am scribbling it here, so that I can come back any time and have a hearty laugh thinking back at that day.

I wonder how many of you will actually understand this one, because the context may be specific to my company. People who belong to the non-software community might find it hard to appreciate.

A and B are two engineers going to review a piece of code written by C. Just before the conference room, B sees his "daavu" D and goes to put kadalai with her. So A goes alone for the review

A reads the company confidentiality statement that appears on top of every file. Not knowing what it is, he deletes it.

Engineer A: aaa..onnum puriyalaye...ennada idhu company peru ellam adichu verchirukku
Engineer C: ennada review pannalamaa?

Engineer A: Ennada Code adichirukka nee. "If" statement-la bracket pottirukka
Engineer C: "If" statement-la podama, reception irukkura mokkai figure-ka bracket poduvaanga. Ayyayo...Dei andha comment enda delete panna??

Engineer A: Comment dhaane, edhukku thevai illama-nu delete pannitten. Amaan comment-a edhukku da inga adichi vechirukkeenga
Engineer C: Software bug illama odanum-nu en Project Lead dhaan adichu vechirukaan

Engineer A: Ada paavigala, code package-la motham 750 function irukku. adhula odaadha software-a da indha comment-la odida pogudhu. ungala ellam thiruthave mudiyadhu da

Just then the Quality Analyst, who audits the projects for process compliance enters the conference room.

Engineer A: Dho...vandhutaar-da audit panradhukku. ennayum serthu audit pannuya

Quality Analyst: Ennaya nadakkudhu inga
Engineer A: Adhu onnum illa sir, naanum avanum romba naal friend. dhideernu sandhichom. adhaan conference room-a book panni pesikkittu irukkom
Engineer C: Illa sir. review panraan

Quality Analyst: Ennayya review panriya..un project documents ellam kaatu
Engineer A: Document-aa konjam time kudungayya, adichi kuduthudaren

Engineer C: Paarunga sir...document illama project panraanga
Engineer A: Aama ivaru solla vandhuttaru. Sir, ivanga project-ku requirements-e kedayadhu, design pannama code ezhudhraanga. Ivalavu en sir, verum comment-a adichuttu, adha poi compile pannikittu irukkaanga

Quality Analyst: Sari un user id-a sollu
Engineer A: " qa@---.com"...indian branch employee. quality associate-a irukkaru.

Quality Analyst: Yov...adhu ennoda user id.un user id-a sollu
Engineer A: Adhu edhuku ya ungalukku

Quality Analyst: Needhane review panna vandha
Engineer A: Naan engayya review panninen? oru enemy dhaan review panna vandhaan

Quality Analyst: Ennadhu enemy-a
Engineer A: Aamam ya. Figure-a paathadhum peer-a cut panni vidaravan enemy dhaanungaleyya

Quality Analyst: sari sari... audit pannanum...non-compliance(NC) varum
Engineer A: NC-ya...(to C) Un kitta pazhaya peer-review defect log edhavadhu irukka???

Engineer C: Pona audit-la ivare vaangittaru
Engineer A: Adhane audit mannan ache (to QA) Enakku US branch, QA-va nalla theriyum

Quality Analyst: Appadiyaa...vanakkam thalai
Engineer A: Aana avarukku enna theriyave theriyadhu

B a l a j i

So far I have come across 2 people who share my name in the blogosphere. One among the two, writes in Tamil and luckily for me we don't clash often. That's not the case with the other.

Apart from having the same name, myself and Balaji Balasubramaniam seem to have many common interests. Our blogrolls overlap, we both do crosswords, we both are film fanatics though our views might differ.

Very often I find that we both post comments in someone else's blog. It so happened that sometimes I posted my comment immediately after his. There's every chance the author might think that the same person has posted two different views. How many would have the patience to check the urls and find that its not the same person. Ofcourse there are a few like "Thennavan" and "Narayanan", who are smart enough to differentiate us.

So I have decided to sign off as "B a l a j i" (with a space between each letter) from now on in the comments section of other bloggers.

Changing times

Watched "Ullasam" in K TV yesterday. Ajith , Vikram starrer with Maheswari playing the girl of their dreams. Seeing that movie, I got a feeling that Vikram was a better actor than Ajith ten years back itself.

Given their popularity and market status then, who would have expected Vikram to reach the heights that he has today and Ajith to fall to the depths.

Hmm..Fate has its own ways of sorting out things.