Writeaway

Ralia's b'day present

2008-11-27T17:17:00.004+06:00

That is 'Ralia' calligraphed in Arbic. For a long time Ralia has been trying to learn the language so that she can read the Koran better. For her b'day I wanted to gift her one of the first words she is going to learn in Arabic. I can't say its completely original. I've seen something similar but not exact in a friend's room. Sometimes creativity can be borrowed, but what's more important is the application in the appropriate time. I could have not chosen a better time than this.

Love

Poornima

Dead and Alive again!

2008-10-12T23:35:00.003+06:00

Shucks, I just read the last update, was some time in May! My only excuse apart from laziness would be preparing to leave for my studies abroad and am actually here, in Oxford. The place is gorgeous and am loving every moment of it. Its a quaint little town filled with centuries' old colleges. The educational system is so different from India. I miss home jus as much but quite settled with this wonderful change. And http://www.funkyindian.com/ is updated too. Don't miss it.

Love, Poornima Ravi

Plastic Tooth Brush

2008-05-22T12:04:00.007+06:00

Punishment
Write 100 times: "I promise to use a Plastic Tooth Brush"
I promise to use a Plastic Tooth Brush
I promise to use a Plastic Tooth Brush
I promise to use a Plastic Tooth Brush
I promise to use a Plastic Tooth Brush
I promise to use a Plastic Tooth Brush
I promise to use a Plastic Tooth Brush......

Oh while I take a break, here goes my story.....
If you had caught up with me somewhere last December, I was beginning to experiment different schools of thought in Alternative Medicine for a natural approach to healing. As it is am this environmental freak that explains my id pENVIRO.

After Acupuncture, Homeopathy I tried Naturopathy. I leart how to go into a fast and break it. Survive the whole day with a glass of water and still brisk walk 7 rounds in the park. In the bargain I think I dropped around 7 kilos too!
I stumbled upon this thing called Oil Pulling where you will find a post in my blog and did it religiously for 3 months, and as a stint for Global Warming I had given up on hot water. Then for plastic usage I was looking for something that I buy frequently, 100% plastic only to hit upon my tooth brush! Something I throw for a new one every month.
So out went the brush and in came Neem sticks and tooth powders. Yup those bitter sticks and muddy ayurvedic powders.

Against all norms, few days back, I entered this posh dental hospital/clinic oh I dunno, it was too big to be a regular clinic and too small to be a regular hospital. Anyways my parents were getting their dentures fixed so I just tagged along.What do you know! I was told that I have number of deposits and Tartar. Belch!

Mom and me walk in the next day, for a mixed up appointment where my Mom had one timing in her head and me with another, the poor confused receptionist! Wondering whether we would ever have the appointment back, I was suprisingly called by this cute looking doc. My excitement was so short-lived once I was put under the spot light and this huge machine. Next half hour was pure pain where I was allowed to say "Ow!" during every break and a bigger one when I spat all the blood. The needle screeched as it drilled down my tartar, and the doc was drilling my head as to how could I have managed to get my teeth in such a bad shape. I confessed.

With numbness, I then sat for a class on "How to brush and floss" given this huge toy brush and a bigger set of gums and teeth for practice.
Bad enough I was sized down to a 3rd standard kid, next my mom wanted to meet him. Now that I had behaved badly I was summoned to "meet the Principle with the Parent". He then tells mom ,"Pl ask her to use a Plastic Tooth Brush". Mom looks at me quizically wondering "When did we start calling the Tooth Brush "A Plastic Tooth Bush?"!!!!". And he lets the cat of the sack complaining on my "Experimentations with Naturopathy". I was saved by the bell (my phone started ringing). I let the elders discuss the issue with the child's bad habits.

I was then given clear instructions on Using Colgate 360 Tooth Brush and Colgate 360 Tooth Paste, only. I am know for breaking rules, but hey what do I do if the store dint have both, so I settled for an Oral B with my favourite herbal toothpaste, Meswak, with the yummy saunf taste.
Saw the doc last evening and the first question that pops out was "Did you get yourself a Plastic Tooth Brush?" Yessir! sorry, Yes Doc! Umm...Whatever!

Love,
Poornima Ravi

My first article in The Hindu Yaah!

2008-05-16T23:26:00.003+06:00

http://www.go-nxg.com/?p=689

The link will take you to a website that is dedicated to this supplement that comes every thursday in the Hindu called Nxg, supposing its next generation. The target audience are youngsters and teenagers. Pl post a comment.

Love,Poori.

P.S: I thank Navin for hooking me up with the editor and teaching me to be patient with the guys at the press

Basic Pranic Healing Workshop

2008-05-12T02:08:00.002+06:00

Hi,
I have requested a class to be conducted by the healing centre, exclusively for my friends, who showed a good amount of interest in Pranic Healing. So here are the dates,
May 13& 14th
May 17th & 18th @ the Anna Nagar Pranic Healing Centre, Opp to the Ayappan Temple
Fee: Rs 1500
From 10.am to 6.pm, lunch will be provided

Love,
Poori

The Anniversary Gift

2008-03-29T15:18:00.002+06:00

I sketched this upon a hand-made paper card for my folk's 28th (phew) anniversary. This represents the aura of a loving couple. The materials used were colour pencils, sketch pens and metallic paints.
Poornima Ravi

A Fwd for the morning

2008-03-24T10:58:00.002+06:00

Forwards = deletables . Well thats how I normally treat forwarded messages both in my Inbox or my phone, but this lil one am saving for the day, its definitely a booster for anybody with the monday blues. Good day!

Laugh so hard that even Sorrow smiles at you
Live so well that even Death loves to see you live
Fight so hard that even fate fails

Thanks to my friend Shiva

Love,
Poornima Ravi

This way please...

2008-03-20T12:52:00.003+06:00

Tee Hee.. thats the company I work for. On my way back to work after lunch, I found some broken marble slabs on the side of the road. Jus could not leave without saving one of these white beauties, and ended up choosing one that was elongated and broke curvaciously at the end. So this is what happens when I get hold of something thats plain, I can't stop doodling on it. Watch out if you are wearing a plain shirt around me next time ;)

Love,

Poornima Ravi

Grr...

2008-03-19T16:33:00.002+06:00

I have received 6 calls and messages from friends who read my new entry to comment. Great :). But it is awful to visit my own blog and read "0 comments" :(. Apart from the fun of writing, its lovely to share it with you guys. All am asking is to say "I was here", complements ofcourse are always welcome ;)
Love,
Poornima Ravi

Carried Away

2008-03-11T16:24:00.002+06:00

In dark brown temptation
A melting experience
Forgetting those love handles
I get carried away by a Brownie

In curly locks
A toothless smile
Forgoing the hours
I get carried away by a Baby

In slashed prices
A heavy discount
Falling behind lines
I get carried away by a Sale

In deep jungles
A thrilling climax
Figiting my fingers
I get carried away by a Movie

Such trifle matters
They seem now
In the face of marriage
To be carried away by a Man

I missed three months

2008-02-28T14:16:00.005+06:00

Oh no not my period, but my entries in the blog. If you have to go down the history of this blog you could never figure what I do for a living, much spoilt to the fact that daddy dear's wallet is around. I must have walked out of 5 jobs, 2 business ventures and 1 attempt to study abroad after my graduation.

My grand uncle cum astrologer said that I am a fanciful person, i fancy everything I do and soon find another object of interest. The heavens seem to have heard the plea of a lost soul trying to discover what its supposed to do with its life and gave me a sign. Now am working in a lil' audio producion house asssisting the sound engineer, some voice overs and odd jobs. Given the fact that I dont survive in a place over 2 weeks, I've managed nearer to a month and I can happily write that I'm here to stay.

But why did I have to go throught that 2 year grind of career searching even when I knew as I left college I was good in sound? That I beleive is what has led me into THE PATH. One, that every one has to take in some life time or the other. Organics lead to understanding a healthy body, allopathy to alternative medecine, then on to curing a disease, which also explained the reason for the disease and finally the way towards liberation, behind every religious or philosophical claim "I am". For a person, who thought that there was no reason to contemplate the exitence of a higher reason, and visited temples to admire the sculptures, its been a beautiful transformation.

So am I gonna turn a monk or something? Nay, life could not have found a better puprpose of existence than procreation and oneness.

I now learn alternative medicine and have found a grater part of healing in the pranic method taught by Granmaster Chao Kok Sui. In his work I find not mere methedology and application but reason and proof to every idea as the truth this life revolves around. His revelation behind the words of various religions and system of meditaton and yoga is designed for every person of resonable understanding.

Now the road is discovered and I wish to walk trough it till the end, unlike previous ones that took me through a huge maze getting lost again and again.

Atma Namate!

The birthday wish

2007-10-12T11:30:00.000+06:00

My friend studying, in Chicago had the 12' o clock surprise on her birthday and all the works, yet when I spoke to her the next day to find how it went, she was not all that thrilled. She said that it turned out to be a sucker and did nothing. Further more, she was miles away from her family and missed her old friends.

I jus finished a week long course on Biodynamic Farming, at Mysore of an intensive week of learning, fun and fellowship. We were a group of people across the world from Costa Rica, Switzerland, Sri Lanka, South Korea, New Zealand, Germany, Bombay, Bangalore and me from Chennai apart from a bunch of local farmers.

It was a batchmate's birthday, again, in the midst of strangers and away from her family. But it was the best birthday she could ask for. No fancy cakes, no surprises, no gifts but a wish. My friend from Costa Rica brought in a tradition where all of us formed 2 parallel lines except the Birthday girl. She said in her Spanish accent that we had nothing materialistic to give her but our combined energy wishing her success and good health. The birthday girl closed her eyes and slowly walked down this human passage, no one touched her or hugged her, except left a tiny whisper in her ear.

I thought that was a sensational gift.

Whatcha think?

402 Diggs :)

2007-09-26T15:36:00.000+06:00

Yipee!! My post got 402 Diggs......... and counting.

Is Organic Too Expensive? How Much is Organic worth?.

I am happy with the response cos ppl have written sensibly and I gain more insight on the subject from their knowledge and perceptions. An amazing way to learn. Jus Fantastic!

On n I just checked google for Organic+Expensive and its the 10th result. Howzzat!

mile sur mera tumhara

2007-09-18T19:08:00.001+06:00

down memory lane... guys this feels so nostalgic. simply wonderful

Fight Global Warming form your desktop

2007-09-16T18:08:00.001+06:00

localcooling.com I stumbled upon this today.

Download the 100% Free LocalCooling Application and it automatically optimizes your PC's power consumption by using a more effective power save mode. You will be able to see your savings in real-time translated to more environmental terms such as how many trees and gallons of oil you have saved.

Local Cooling will:

Cut your energy bills.
Reduce the amount of Greenhouse Gas CO2 emissions as a result of your reduced PC power consumption.
Give you full control over your power mode settings.
Improve your overall computing experience and efficiency.
Show you in detail how much you have saved since installing the software.

I think this is a pretty "cool " app!

Coffee Day secrets revealed

2007-09-16T16:07:00.001+06:00

Those of u wondering how CCD and Barista come up with those whacky designs on their mocha n cappuccino cups here's the trick. My favourite one is the bunny, pick yours.

Breakfast for Corporate Dummies Sept 13 2007

2007-09-13T11:01:00.000+06:00

"Breakfast for Corporate Dummies" is dedicated to all my bachelor friends working in the MNCs & BPOs, with no time for health and survive on pizzas.

I am going to give you guys some easy n healthy recipes, that hardly take time before you rush to work. Those working in odd and insane hours (which is most likely) can make 'em at any hour of the day.. or night.

Requirements: A kitchen with utensils, provisions and a stove

Here's my first one.

Pumpkin & Spinach Soup

Look around for:

De-skinned Pumpkin (the yellow one not white), its huge so ask the grocer to cut a slice for you
A medium sized onion
A tomato
Garlic Pods
A fat green Chilli
A bunch of Soft Greens (1 kattu Paalak, or ask keerakari for Sirikeera)
A spoonful of butter
Salt
Pepper

Start Cookin:

Take the first 5 on the list and chop them up into lumps and dump them in a pressure cooker with water. Don't forget the pressure knob and put it on the flame. Once you hear it screech take it off n let it cool. Make a blend of this in the mixer. Will look like baby goop.

Chop the Greens and saute (vanakarthu or jus ask mom) it with the butter and some salt. Plop the goop and the greens into a boiling pan (paal kasara kinnam will be perfect) and once its starts bubbling and splattering take it off. Add salt and pepper.

This is perfect with some toast (whole wheat bread makes crunchy toasts)

Oil Pulling - The Idhayam Guys were serious

2007-09-13T00:20:00.001+06:00

Few months back Idhyama Gingely/Sesame Oil producers were advertising for something called "Oil Pulling" all over the radio, signboards and stuff.

Din't give a damn and thought it was another ad gimmick till i discovered this tonight. These guys have understated the concept. Its taken from Ayurveda.

Click here to read more on the seriousness of this lil' way to cure yourself of various diseases.

I'm gonna start tomo to see if I can stop my gums from bleeding.

Revver.com

2007-09-11T15:24:00.000+06:00

I dont know if you guys have seen this site before or maybe I'm so new to web 2.o that am left out. Either ways I like this site and its got some real good videos that has its target audience more defined, unlike YouTube. These videos are creative, artistic, informative and you can earn a buck here, by uploading or sharing.

I think this website will work awesome for my classmates from college to upload their animations and get popular.

Good Luck Guys.

P.S: One more thing, the videos blow up to screen size :)

Am a 21 Century Citizen

2007-09-10T22:51:00.000+06:00

Heya,

This blog seems to be a mix of everything I do. I wanted to reach a more specific and larger sect of people to talk about Organic. I found an environment enthusiast who has fantastic blogs on Going Green and he's accepted my request to write on his blog. Every Monday my coloumn on Organic will appear and this will in turn drive me keep continue working and learning, the subject.

Here's my first post.

http://www.21st-century-citizen.com/2007/09/10/organic-perspectives-writing-and-essays-on-organic-living-and-lifestyle/

Step-by-step Eistein painting

2007-09-10T12:34:00.000+06:00

From doodling of E=mc2 to a Classic portraiture of Einstein

Photoshop Enthusiasts, this one's for you guys!

http://haha.nu/amazing/painting-einstein/

I need one planet to live in. How many do you?

2007-09-10T12:00:00.000+06:00

Here's a quiz that will estimate the value of your ecological foot print (How much of the Earth’s resources does your lifestyle require)

http://www.ecofoot.org/

My result:
IF EVERYONE LIVED LIKE YOU, WE WOULD NEED 1.0 PLANETS.


	CATEGORY	GLOBAL HECTARES

	FOOD	0.2

	MOBILITY	0.4

	SHELTER	0.6

	GOODS/SERVICES	0.3

	TOTAL FOOTPRINT	1.5

Parhi needs 2.1 planets with his total score of 3.7

United we stand

2007-09-07T14:25:00.001+06:00

This is an amateur video and would work wonders for a Management Class.

Join da bikers club!

2007-09-03T13:33:00.000+06:00

Here's ma friend Parthi, whose got a new bike to ride around Hydrebad.

Sweets, am real proud of you and take the credit of being the inspiration :)

Guys, have you forgotten the fun of cycling down the freeway? Come on and get yourselves one.

Burn all those calories rather than Fossil Fuel!

Mystery Shopping

2007-08-31T12:41:00.000+06:00

Are you an avid reader of Sherlock or pretended to be on the characters from Famous Five as a kid? Here's a new role you can play every time you feel up to spying on someone or some company.

Ok, enough of sounding like a crappy ad, can't help it cos I'm a Vis Comm student and used to write copy coupla months back.

Anyways I came across this company called Bare International thats into something called Mystery Shopping. They give you an assignment in the city you live and ask you to pretend to be a customer or client to the Organisation. You follow what they ask you to do and report how things went.

Well guys who are employed watch out! That old, innocent lady with the spectacles could actually be a Mystery Shopper making sure you aint fooling around with your colleague.

Those of you upto the fun for the heck of it, jus enroll into the website. I aint taking no assignments cos its too weird to lie to someone untill am neck deep in trouble with my folks!

I mean...

2007-08-09T18:06:00.001+06:00

I'm always curious about the meaning of names and relate them to personalities. My new found friend drew a blank when I asked him and that got me to doing this one.

P.S: the pic sucks as I had bad lighting and was trying to avoid the flash getting bounced off.

Anu's B'day - Surprise Gift

2007-08-07T19:16:00.000+06:00

(Shh... she doesn't know yet)

I paint

2007-08-06T20:34:00.000+06:00

Something that relaxes me is painting and it comes to me naturally only for a reason. Sometimes the reason could be a loved one and many times its mostly my kinkiness. I am putting up few of such art that I do.

These are symbols of indian currency, Rupees and Paisa, expressed in my native tongue, Tamil on Piggy banks which we call as Undiyal made from clay. I attempted in giving them an antique look, as if they were excavated from an old civilization.

These sandals were comfy but plain, so I worked upon them with a bronze outliner

It was a friend's farewell party as she was leaving to Germany, so I gifted her a stole with her name Aparna, calligraphed on it

Time to update

2007-08-03T16:06:00.000+06:00

Hi

I kinda disappeared for coupla months from my blog so back now with a fully loaded version of me going Organic all the way!

Visit to the Organic Farms:

Let me start with my first farm visit to this little Village near Ooty that grows Organic Veggies.

The valley is about 52 acres that has been converted into Organic. They grow all kinds of English Vegetables including exotic ones like Broccoli and Zucchini. They are a group of farmers each owning about 2-5 acres of the land. They have an excellent crop rotation system and vermi composting pits. The farmers also use Effective Micro-organism and convrert all the waste matter into manure.

My next visit was Bangalore were I met two sisters-in-law who are continually supporting me and teaching me how to sell, stock and handle the grains like moong, rice, channa and chillies.

I have visited various groups who converted into Organic in Tamil Nadu like Kumbakonam, Gobichettipalayam, Udumalpet, Sathyamangalam and my next destination is the beautiful hill called Yercaud, near Salem.

My first Show:

My first step towards maketing was a stall in a local Consumer Exhibition called SHE. Ironically, I found more men than women at the expo!

Ours was unique with my hand painted charts, thermacol stickers, pictures and products displayed. I designed a brochure in such a way that anyone who took away information from us gave in return their contact number and name.

It thrilled me when mom gave me a hug and congratulated me of being the youngest person in the whole exhibition to take up an affair of this sort.

My First Sale:

With 250 registrations, 100 phone calls as follow up, adding friends and relatives, I expected a turn out of atleast 50 people. Too much! Too much of expextation, too much of vegetables ordered, too much of rice stocked and too less a turn out. It was a good show but I realised that I made my first mistake and I needed to act. I had 250 kg of perishables that would all rot if I dint do something. After trying out different ideas I finally called 1098 - the toll free number for a children's orphanage. The kids made my loss worth its price.

Now I've learnt to order less and my family continues to be my biggest consumer. Thanks to me we eat almost 80% of Organic at home.

My first Seminar:

A close family friend took over as President of his club in Rotary. He invited me to speak in the Anne's monthly meeting for awareness on Organic. I prepared a presentation, speech and stock for display. I was in for a big surprise. They made me Chief Guest of the day! Embarrassing or what?!!! I mean this was an honour normally given to my parents and at 22 I was dumbstruck in front of uncles and aunties, I've known since birth.

It did go well. I had a presentation that covered all the knowledge I acquired over the months and also invited a Converted Farmer to talk on his experiences. It was well received and appreciated. I came to my colleague beaming about how fast I was while talking, how less prepared, and how over-informative, nevertheless I loved every minute of it. Now all I wanted to do was get invited more, to spread the good word.

Living Organic:

We bought a car and chose a Wagon R that has a gas tank, built-in. According to dad, we save on fuel cost @ 40%, emits 50% less carbon dioxide and 0% hazardous gases. As for the driving comfort, its as smooth as petrol.

Thats for mom and longer drives, as for me I got something tiny, quick and the only energy it burns is human fat - my Bicycle!

This lil thing is so convenient to ride to work and around the locality. Its smart, fun and I enjoy the wind in my hair.

I gave the company a Caption saying "House of Organics" and got this cute board designed from one of the charts I painted and put it up.

Saturday Fever:

Things are slow and small but I am not losing out to hopelessness and love my work. Every Saturday we have a vegetable sale for starters and am up by 6 a.m to open the office at 7 to early customers.

I've some basic vegetables, pulses, grains and few varieties of rice, in a spare room in the office. Every Friday evening, all of us get together and change the display creatively.

Issues:

My family and friends support me a great deal and people are responsive. The price is the biggest issue and the reason is mostly because of lower yields during conversion period and farmers who have been corrupted with a fact that Organic goes at a premium price. Its funny how one government gives subsidy for chemical fertilizers nearer to 45000 crores this year so that food can be cheap to consumers and another who supports the organic farmers levies 25% tax on Organic Produce shooting prices sky high.

Some people assume organic means poor quality. Well the pics I've put up here serve as testimony to the colour, shape and size. They are not over sized with hormone injections or modified in their genetic codes. They are as nature designed them to be. They have high levels of energy so people actually consumes less.

Its lovely summarising all this for over 3 hrs now.

More to come... as the journey continues.

Love,
Poornima Ravi

Organic-A whole new world

2007-05-02T20:13:00.002+06:00

Go organic, go natural, go eco-friendly. Are these just fanciful slogans of the world today? There is so much of disaster happening due to the damage caused in a matter of 50 years. But are we ready to change? Give up that convenient pet bottle? Or the travel by car to the shop next street for a razor? Mobiles, laptops, junk food, loud music, this is the world I have been exposed to a great deal. I still live in it, stuck right in the middle. I don’t know if I can get out, run away to the jungle and live in wilderness right away. Yes, I fear the earth that I came from, the creatures I share this world with. Its alien to me and beautiful only when watched on discovery channel.

Dad started organic manure business in the 90s. Mom’s running the show now. So to a decent extent I understand the contribution they try to make to the environment. Food always drives me and mom invited me to get into organic food to expand the scope of the business. I’ve in less than a month come to meet a variety of people in the field, and in their faces I came to see innocence and a dedication to a deeper understanding. There is no question of unethical business or even business in itself. Going organic is not a lifestyle statement but a way of life! The farming community does not have deadlines, numbers, volumes, authorities but a serene act of living life. It’s a life that is designed to follow a harmonious cycle where plant, animal and organisms with various elements of weather, time and matter are interdependent, supporting the other’s survival.

Many friends have come to ask what the world means with all the noise of organic cotton and food. I tell them, its for them to feel, to taste, to experience. The bright red apple specially from Washington, we crunch into, is sprayed with pesticides and grown with urea(a chemical fertilizer). So the apple is truly not going to keep the doctor away. When we cooked organic vegetables and ate it, I felt that all these years I have been eating junk right at home. There is tremendous energy in the suppleness of the peas and the husky rice, simply melts into the sambar. That’s when it struck my head that this is “good food”. I have been to many restaurants, explored different cuisines and made that statement before, but this time none of them can beat this cuisine made by the expert hands of Mother Nature.

Friends, I have entered a beautiful world of love, harmony and nature. I wish to take the ones around me into the same as we belong to each other. Here I ensure, there is no jealousy but sharing, no greed but moderation, no noise but understanding and most of all no CHEMICALS.

I live in a small city called Coimbatore, India. Our company is called Green Thumb and we will soon be marketing organic produce. I was lucky to find bio-degradable plastic to pack the produce. Pl reach me in mailto:penviro@gamil.com to inquire or share on what I have expressed.

Love,
Poornima Ravi.

Pl comment

2007-03-30T15:45:00.000+06:00

Its so much fun to blog. But lately I am so booed down when I check that there have been no comments written. The funny part is people call n tell me they like it or enjoyed it, or their own thoughts on the subject, yet fail to leave a comment in the posts. Pl pl feed in the love for the spirit to remain alive!

Amma...masala dappi koteeduchu!!

2007-02-21T22:45:00.000+06:00

Hole in Two!! (heeee....)

2007-02-21T18:22:00.000+06:00

roll up...get wet...let loose!

2007-02-18T00:24:00.000+06:00

Free

2007-01-29T20:05:00.000+06:00

I know no fear
I have no worry
I'm called joy
The joy of freedom

a lone fisherman

2007-01-29T19:38:00.000+06:00

My space!!!!

2007-01-13T20:48:00.001+06:00

My family is used to it that I am a little eccentric in my thoughts but somehow my latest concept came to them as a big shocker. Hearing it, my bro told dad that getting me married is gonna be more difficult than his M.Tech gold medal.

It all started about one's space. From high school I've always had my own room and slept alone. I’m more particular about my bathroom. I simply cant stand one thats wet or used by another person, especially when its mine. Never been in a hostel either. Hence my statement was that though I shall have a family I would always have a bedroom and a bathroom thats all mine. “Restricted Access Only”. This does not mean that I am an introvert or secretive. I’m as lovable and friendly as a little pup.

I believe that experiencing life’s beauty is complete only when shared with someone who is the beauty of your life. If so then why is the fundamental element that we see in most marriages gonna be missing in mine? We are highly driven by emotions and react to them by the perception of the mind. Also there is extensive energy between a couple that attracts and repels. There has to be space in any relationship simply for movement with freedom. If we are glued to each other, value is lost and we tend to take each other for granted.

I am a messy person and I love the mess I make in my room. Its my mess and I am entirely responsible. In it, I identify a part of me. There are times, when I have discovered art in the collage of my strewn clothes and admired it till mom hollers from behind. But in the future I could never force someone else to put up with it, don’t need another mom behind me to clean it up or simply add on to this mess. My room converts easily to a studio where I paint jus anything I can get hold of or a dance floor. While reading a book snuggled in the corner, the author reaches out to me and creates a special bond thats not to be disturbed.

The feeling I share with a partner in the privacy of a bedroom is the same as in a crowded party. It’s the mind that connects beyond the body.

Whats your say on this?

This Saturday night

2006-09-10T16:06:00.000+06:00

Oh no, don’t get thinking of pubs, dancing & late night partying. It was a proper family outing. Anna nagar is one place that feels like a mini town of its own. Every big guy is gonna have a branch there. Dad and mom were grocery shopping so they called me to join them there for dinner. Cruising down the main roads, we looked out for a nice place & I got all excited about this Chettinad restaurant called Anjappar. I told my folks it should be a world class restaurant cos it has branches across UAE, Dubai, Singapore, Canada, etc. Me and my predictions! We stepped into a creepy place that was blasting dappankoothu and gave us a menu card in the shape of a fish. It was a well designed card but poor folks like mine who have been vegetarians for generations found it rather awkward. Now don’t ask me if we are Brahmins. A weird bunch we are who almost do everything that they do except talking their dialect. We are something called Pillais, pretty much a minority here.

Then, for safety’s sake we decently went to Saravana Bhavan. Well, Anjappar only gave us a fish shaped menu card, this place was a fish market! Then it hit us that it was the weekend. Poor mom found it difficult getting around with her fractured toe. So we stuck around till dad’s name was called out. We finally got a 6 seater with 3 chairs for us and 3 chairs for another family. Privacy got disgusted and jumped out the window. Mom nudged me after looking at the menu card and pointed to a part that said Ghee Masal Roast – Rs. 71. Soon these guys are gonna call in for patents on their dosas!!. I must warn you to never order the pongal there to save yourself from a stroke. Their policies – scale up the prices to Robinson Crusoe and scale down the quantity to Lilliput men. The only thing that could save you is decent quality in the food and taste. And of course with the whole new show going there don’t go hoping for traditional banana leaves n steaming idlis, all you get is a cafeteria designed plastic plate and finger bowl.

So far I was thinking that the evening could not get any dumber when dad, the most responsible person in the family, found the car keys missing. He rushed down while I stayed with mom. Few mins later when I called him, he goes, “Missing… the car’s missing…Oops! He he.. Jus come down”. At least I have the habit of leaving the key inside the car and locking the whole vehicle up. Dad actually left the key hanging in the key hole of the driver’s seat door. Lucky for him that section was dark and no one noticed. That was the cherry on the top of this whole evening. It totally cracked us up. After all the laughter I told mom, “I have to blog this!!”. And here I am doing jus that.

Tofu More kozhambu!

2006-09-09T16:20:00.000+06:00

My lunch today...

As funny as it sounds, yes i did make More Kozhambu with the chinese bean curd that boy I must say, doesn't taste all that great. The result was no different from any regular more kozhambu made with indian vegetables but turned out pretty decent. So for those dieters & health freaks who pick tofu off the store cos of the bold letters saying "CHOLESTROL FREE", "RICH IN PROTIEN" (like I did!)here's a way to digest it:

Ingrdients:
1 green chilli
2 pieces of ginger
1 cup grated coconut
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tbs chickpea flour
1 cup curd
half a slab of tofu
oil, salt, aesofotida
turmeric powder
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 red chilli
few curry leaves

Method:
Grind the first five ingredients into a paste with water. Chop the tofu into 1x1 cm cubes (unlike paneer it doesn't break easily). Heat the cooking pan and pour 1 tbs oil. Drop the mustards seeds and after it crackles add aesofotida, curry leaves and a broken red chilli. Add the cut tofu and sprinkle turmeric powder and salt. In a low flame saute it for few mins. Add the paste with some more turmeric powder to give a lemon yellow colour and bring to boil. Then goes in the curd for another boil. The water added to this depends upon the consistency you prefer.

Serve this hot with rice. When cold the tofu stiffens and does not blend in well.

Walk away

2006-08-19T16:20:00.000+06:00

I wrote this one for a local area tabloid.

Yeah, you read how walking is the best form of exercise, its good for the heart, brisk walking is in, blah, blah. But have you ever walked for the sole purpose that you just feel like taking a walk? Try walking at your own space, with no destination in the head but exploration in the mind. It opens you to a limitless world.

Chennai is well structured with pavements so don’t worry about maniacal motorists running into you. Oh the idly kadai aiyaah and the tender coconutwala will tempt you en route and what the heck! Give them some business. Suddenly you find that mysterious road you never needed to drive through, now is the time to unravel it. With a city filled with one ways, for once you can travel in the wrong direction and still not break the law. And don’t be shy, stick your hand out boldly like a traffic constable and signal STOP when you want to cross the road amidst a stampede of vehicles.

With this attitude, you tend to observe life in all its hues. Trees stuck with A4 sheets for advertising music classes, a pavement dweller’s meal, old books displayed, the 5th branch opening of a textile shop, stationary push carts of kambankoozh, and pretty little mudkas are highly fascinating. But people interest me the most. Varied visages, myriad mannerisms, surround sounds, colourful clothes, admirable attitudes, loud language… Interessant!, as the French put it.

Those of you who need valid, proven and scientific reasons to do this, here are few. Exploring new routes and being adventurous improves the intellect and relieves you from monotony. Experience lateral thinking! Your road and direction senses get sharper. Hopping up and down the pavements, skipping potholes and running up little mounds is better for those muscles than walking down a continuous flat surface. Unlike indoors, noise on the outdoor is sound that adds to the visual scene. Well if pollution bothers you, there is a researcher who found that breathing in the busiest of streets is healthier than your car air-conditioner.

If you think you are upto it then here are a few no-nos:

Strictly no mobiles (not even with hands free)
Don’t carry mp3 players ( you might get lost in Rehman’s voice)
Not those tracks and jogging shoes please! As long as you are comfortable with what u are in, keep going.
Don’t be loaded with cash you might become a shopper not a walker anymore and try resisting those plastic cards.
Don’t rush, no hurry. You have all the time in your life to yourself.

Feel it, do it, trust me there is nothing more like it.

P.S: Moving into Landon’s road a month back, I now know streets & stores across
Kilpauk, Anna Nagar, Pursarawalkam and Vepery.

Indian express article

2006-07-23T16:12:00.000+06:00

The article was published in the weekly metro supplement called City Express
The above text follows:

From a slate pencil we all graduate to the HB pencil in kindergarten, but with the introduction of ink pens, the pencil takes a back seat and is used for sketching diagrams. By high school ink pens become messy and there is a switch to ballpoints. Right there we bid farewell to good handwriting. The pointy ballpoints ruin the flow and pressure making our handwriting scrawny and careless. I took my 1st std cousin’s ‘handwriting note’, and through the child’s immaturity I saw a perfect symmetry of letters with the ease of reading her s and r. When I compare it with my own today, I can barely decipher what I’ve written. We seem to be tending to get ‘a doctor’s hand’ at writing.

Dad came back home one evening, excited about his new joy of writing in his work diary with a pencil. It was interesting to see a 50 yr old man carrying a pencil, sharpener and eraser with his reading glass case to a corporate meeting. I decided to follow suit as I find that apart from merely taking notes in class, doodling helps me create new designs for embroidery on my salwars. Sadly a prof. looked down upon me when he discovered me taking notes in a pencil with the “grow up!” look in his eyes. Well, for me my handwriting is becoming legible and it’s amusing to tuck it behind my ear and feel like an intellect who is working on a major math formula.

Apart from handwriting improvement, pencils are eco-friendly, made of non-toxic and renewable (ie. wood) materials. We consume a great amount of PVC by using ink pens, ballpoint pens, re-fills and cartridges not only in the casing but the ink too, that have a very short life span. We only add to nature’s woes of non-degradable, chemical leaching, environmental hazard of plastic disposal. So think again if it is to take down notes for unofficial use or even writing to a friend with a pen.