Happy 0 0 9

How can I not post a post on Day 1? So here it is, my brand new post for a brand new year.

This year should see me keep an open mind (hope my brains dont fall out in the process!).

This year should see me un-whine (if you know what I mean). No complaints, shedding the Ms. Grumpy tag.

This year should see me loose weight (some 10odd kilos and a few happy flabs aka tyres). 

This year should see me drive my I10 on the Chennai highways (!!!).

This year should .... Wait. You should actually read the above sentences thus -

"In 2009 I will...." (now read on...)

- Swwwwiiimmmmm.

- Travel - road, air, sea (ayei, this is way too much for me,,,...but as I said wont grumble about the tummy turns)

- And by Travel I mean 1 eastern country & 1 western (Ouch! that's my purse by the way!)

- Be just about right with my words.

- Listen to you with that special twinkle in my eye.

- Write my 3 unfinished scripts.

- Pump up the iron, work till I burn the midnight oil.

- Love & Laugh like never before.  

And if I were to ever forget I wrote somethin' like this, nooo...I wont. 

This is 2009. And it's Now or Never!............. ................................

Psst! The blanks are for the Maybes...coz there's nothing like Never, ever right! Ha!

Happy New Year.

Very Merry...!

It's Christmas. It's December. Both favorite aspects of my life. Somehow for all the lethargy of this year, the month seems to whiz(zzzz..) past by! 

Joy of Giving - sharing, all things nice and wonderful with all creatures great and small... I know, I know I'm being my cynical self, and I do know it's not so bad after all. (Just back from playing ChrisMa/Pa-Chrischild at office!)

The Holidays' as even we Indians now call it, is no longer the exclusive window of cheer meant only for the westerners! In Chennai, one can see the red, white and green (with a generous dose of cotton, white fabric or glitter for snow) and 'feel' transported to Santa's North Pole Village! Hark..! Can you hear the angels sing..?

Meanwhile, my mobile cracks up and acts funny now - like my year. Too many things to fix up. Gosh, the coming year's gonna be one of plain fixing up. People. Work. Home. Most important of 'em all, my mobile phone.

Finally, I was able to set up my Christmas corner - with all new dolls and just the trees and trinkets from the past. Mom just gave away my old ones - can't find them around she says. Swallowed that along with a tall glass of cold water.

A friend just refused to step out to take his Christmas gift from me. This whole year saw me see-saw-ing with people. Hmmm. All shades of grey - didnt have much to call for color. Sigh!

But the ones that stood by me - oh, how can I merely thank them for being around even when I could'nt find myself anywhere but rock bottom. They say this is the best time to do the thanking bit. And I do it with all my heart...which also has such nice feelings despite a whole year of setbacks. I was just listing out my bad days from the good - and did I tell you ever that 300 out of 365 were plain bad?! Shucks. To see what I've crossed gives me a new kind of strength - one that I didnt know I was capable of having. So that counts as a good thing, I suppose. The meaning of the 65 good days!

A whole lot of quite-titude (somehow solitude sounds so sad!) in 2008. A lot of putting on weight - I will need a double 2009 to get rid of it. 

Movies. Music. My Blog. 2008 saw it all.

Hopefully, my one sole wish for Christmas will be answered way past midnight now...when the Chennai Churches ring their bells to herald the Birth of the King. Time to focus. And decide what that one wish is gonna be...

Will update this post when it comes true. (see no Ifs and Buts in wishing, ok!) 

Merry Christmas.

Fauji

Guess it started with Fauji. Remember one of the First Television Serials that caught our attention? The one that Introduced THE now Reigning Khan to us!

A wednesday evening was something I used to looked forward with great joy. One of the few things that would motivate me to doing my Maths homework ahead of time, so I could devote 30 minutes of undivided self to the Black & White Solidaire. I had the distinction of not missing even one Episode of the 13 Week Serial! It started there I guess, my fascination for the Men in Uniform. Abhimanyu Roy - played to perfection by Shah Rukh Khan - Sigh! Every single character in this serial endeared you. I was in awe of those guys. The ones in Fauji and the Real MEN guarding our nation, day and night. A few years later, when I moved back to Tambaram, stepping out of home during weekends meant catching a glimpse of the 'too Good to be true but nevertheless right there' Cadets (from the Air Force Station in Tambaram). Hmmm.

Again after a few years later, I met this absolutely Charismatic Lt. Col DD Pandey. The gentleman, Lt. Col R.S. Moorthy who introduced us to him was a lovable person too! But "Pandey Uncle", (as we HAD to call him, thanks to this silly nomenclature that goes with age) will always be special. I guess l can safely call him my first serious Crush! Of our ten day stay in Bangalore in Cariappa Colony, I would hope that Pandey Uncle would visit us each day! I would look forward to avidly 'tune in' as this real life hero spoke about life in the Army. Moorthy Uncle and Pandey Uncle would always have interesting things to share. I remember going to that Dinner party at the Officer's Mess on one of the Evenings. (draw in a breath or two here!)

I did meet more people like these two Charismatic Gentlemen, but Lt. Col Pandey (as I prefer to call him as against the regular Uncle Pandey) was different. And months after that trip was over, I wrote to him.

And...in a few days I had an envelope on our dinner table which my mom pointed out when I came back from school one evening. The from address read, Lt. Col D.D. Pandey - Service Selection Board. I still have that Envelope and the letter that was in it.

As I sit back and wonder.. Is my still "going strong" fascination for the Armed Forces, a mere remains of my past? Maybe partly, but there is a lot more to it. In a world where MY priorities, MY life, MY family, takes precedence over anything that is YOURs - the Armed Forces have people willing to lay down THEIR lives for people like us, whose names or faces they will never know (I don't even know if I can take a pin prick for someone else!)

In a world where we act tough even to do just two things beyond what's required of us, here are a set of Brave People whose Call of Duty includes dying for a bunch of namesless people just because they BELONG to the same country. What more reason do I need for justifying my fascination, my awe, my respect...for our Armed Forces!

I remain indebted like each one of you to every single Fauji..
Jai Jawan.

The above piece is written by Devasena - RJ/EP Radio Mirchi.
(Re)Produced here with permission (but of coz!)

An Original!

"...I don't like it when music directors use loops. It takes away the idea that the song is an original. Which is why I have a problem with most of the Indian music directors, barring a very few..." - well put, yes, but this also made me wonder. And since then I have begun to introduce Barbara Skoda - a good friend and a sound music colleague about a certain Indian Music Director named Ilayaraaja.

And the song I'm gonna make her listen to tomorrow is this one:

Nee Paartha Paarvaikkoru Nandri
Nammai Chaertha Iravukkoru Nandri
Ayaraatha Ilamai Sollum Nandri - Nandri
Agalaatha Ninaivu Sollum Nandri - Nandri
Uyire...Vaa..

Barbara is one of the most 'knowledgable' foreign minds when it comes to Indian and in fact Tamil and Telugu movie-dom! Hailing from Austria and working with SAE International, she is the Chief Technical Officer of SAE-Vienna. With a smattering of Hindi that she picked up from watching movies, Barbara stunned Surya with her quote unquote of his famous roles and films when they met at the recent Mirchi Special screening of Vaaranam Aayiram. Too cool to be true - Barbara will have her classes on Ilayaraaja the minute you're done with reading this post! Ha!

Naadagam Mudintha Pinnaalum
Nadippinnum Thodarvathu Yenna
Oranga Vedam Ini Pothum Pennae
Uyir Pogum Mattum Unn Ninaive Kanne
Uyire...Va..

Now...THAT's what we call an Original!

A Whole New World

What would happen if each day the world would just become anew? Of course that's just the way it IS - each day Nature ends and begins anew. Just look around at the little plants and the birds and bees in your balcony and you will find something new. No? Maybe it all lies in our eyes - in how we behold the magic of life! We are tuned to do so many things as a routine that we seldom see what's new, what's fresh and what's right in front of our eyes! Even the cells in our body renews itself and comes alive with each new morning - but can we say the same of our mind?

A single thought is enough to make or break our day. A single emotion does the winding up or winding down for us. How is it when we so boast of us being a superior race (and maybe this very minute one of us is using his/her strength to terrorise another in the name of a Fight for Freedom) that we become so fragile to a single thought/emotion? How is it that we fail to see the new-ness in each day and just decide to brood over what went and worry over what will come?

Why is it so difficult to let go and live well when it is seemingly so easy to hoard up and live with pain? An angry word, a thoughtless gesture, an act of ignorance are all so much more potent in its ability to hurt than deep setbacks or failure. And we are frail so we store these unhappy moments thinking that this world is the same as each day passes by. We fail to realise that the world is changing every minute and that every new day is just that - NEW. It's gonna bring its own moments but no, we will just sit with our yesterdays and tomorrows and forget that we have the ability to enjoy what's Today. What's with us NOW. Change is possibly the best thing on this planet. We can so resist it for eternity but bulldozing it's way right into your very sight is Change. Just Look.

And of course let me know what you think of this NEW 'Spotlight' on 'Su'!

"Be willing to surrender what you are for what you could become."

My latest Tarot reading says...

You are Strength
Courage, strength, fortitude. Power not arrested in the act of judgement, but passing on to further action, sometimes obstinacy. This is a card of courage and energy. It represents both the Lion's hot, roaring energy, and the Maiden's steadfast will. The innocent Maiden is unafraid, undaunted, and indomitable. In some cards she opens the lion's mouth, in others she shuts it. Either way, she proves that inner strength is more powerful than raw physical strength. That forces can be controlled and used to score a victory is very close to the message of the Chariot, which might be why, in some decks, it is Justice that is card 8 instead of Strength. With strength you can control not only the situation, but yourself. It is a card about anger and impulse management, about creative answers, leadership and maintaining one's personal honor. It can also stand for a steadfast friend."

Now, how much of what we've read just now is true, will be true and has already, for the last 30odd yrs been true - well., GOK... so will bid adieu for now. Dont believe in Tarot or astrology as much as I beleive in star-gazing - yup! The ones that shine bright on a blue blue sky - that I've spoken to when I was a little girl, from up above my Mylapore terrace...when I've sent messages to unknown soulmates via the clouds....a la Meghasandesam! Now, whoever said only Kalidasa had the right to pen one???!!!

Kannadasan - King of Verse

Yes it IS a Long post.

I've been wanting to do this for a really long time. Got down to it just now - thanks to an exercise which my film team has undertaken to find an apt title for our forthcoming feature. The 1st thing most of the directorial groups do to 'trap a title' is to browse through Bharathiyar Kavithaigal or Kannadasan's Collection of Songs to pick out a proper, Tamil list of words that lend meaning to their story. Such is the range and variety that almost every genre of film will find its title in any of the two books. What I was able to do in this process is to pick out my favorite songs/verses from Kannadasan's work and list them down here - each of the lines convey & carry a special meaning for me, I'm sure they will have a unique imagery for each one of us! It is most certainly not an exhaustive list, it may not have the usual hit songs (some lines may find themselveshere but to put down a popular list is not the motive for this post!) nor does this list spell out beginnings, middles and ends of each song.

My list is just a sample of the greatness, the ingenuity, the sheer flow of language & metaphor of a Master Lyricist/Poet, unsurpassed from 1948 and whose work spans nearly three decades of lyrical genius - from the MGR/Sivaji era to the Kamal & Rajini one - from historical to social themes & of course romance, right upto village folk...! There is only one line I can think of when it comes to describing Kanndasan's prowess, that too taken from his own lines from the film 'Karnan' - much like the great warrior (yes, Karna for me is superior to Arjuna!) who never said 'No' to anyone in need, Kannadasan also never said 'No' to any situation...

"Varigal koduppaar, vaarthai koduppaar; pothaathu pothaathu endraal...Innum koduppar Ithuvum Kuraiendraal Engal...Kannadasan"... Enjoy!

P.S: The wonderful thing is, with each of Kannadasan's verses, the tune springs up alive thanks to MSV...! What a contribution to Tamil cinema!

- "Aattuvithaar yaathoruvar aadaathaare Kanna...Aasaiyennum Thottililey aadaathaare Kanna..."

- "Neeyum naanum sernthirinthoam Nilavum vaanum poale...
Naan nilavai pola theinthu vanthean nee valarnthathaale...."

- "Ithukku poyi alattikkalaama..." (Just that line will do for me!)

- "Yezhu swarangalukkul yethanai paadal...Ithaya churangarkul yethanai kelvi...
Kaanum manitharukkul yethanai salanam...Verum Karpanai santhoshathil avanthu gavanam..."
(specially root for the last line)

- "Kondaattam palavitham...naan athiley oru vitham..." (Too much...!)

- "Idaiyaa...Ithu Idaiyaa...Athu Illaathathu poal irukkuthu..." (For all the size Zeros around...!)

- "Nilavukku enn mel yennadi kobam...Neruppai yerigirathu... Kulungum munthaanai sirikkum aththaanai virattuvathenadiyo..." (This is a masterpiece of a 'making up' song, the thots hold true till date...the words have power over any woman even now!)

- "Mugathai mugthai maraithukondaal paarkka mudiyumaa..?
Indru paarthu paarthu mudithuvittaal naalai vendumey..!"

- "Odi vanthathum thedi vanthathum...Paadi vanthathum paarkka vanthathum...
Kaadhal enbadhaa...paasam enbadhaa..Karunai enbadhaa...urimai enbadhaa...!"

- "Maalaiyum iravavum santhikkum idaththil Mangiya oliyinai poley, mana mayakkathai thanthaval neeye..."

- "Anubhavam puthimai avalidam kandean..." (With that tune, this song is for all First Timers...)

- "Valartha kalai maranthuvittal keladaa kannaa..." (My Dad even now hums this along a sunday afternoon...!)

- "Paravai paranthu sella viduvenaa..Antha paramporul vanthaalum tharuvena..." (A leaf out of Satyavan - Savitri, so aptly suits Nenjil Oar Aalayam too..)

- "Yaarukendru azhathapothum thalaivanaagalaam...Manam...manam...athu kovil aagalaam..."
(Can Man truly become God? - With this song Kavingar says it is possible..!)

- "Aayiram vaasal ithayam...athil aayiram ennanngal udhayam...
Yaaro varuvaar yaaro poavaar...Varuvathum poavathum theriyaathu...."

- "Kalaiye enn vaazhkaiyai thisai maattrinaai...
Kovil kandean angu dheivam illai
Odi vanthean ingu nee irunthaai..."

- "Azhagumiguntha raajakumari megamaaga pogiraal...Jarigai neliyum selaikondu malaiyai mooda paarkiraal
Pallam silar ullam ena yean padaithaan aandavan
Pattam thara theduginrean...yengey antha naayakan...."
(Pattam - title for Kannadasan, I have given...thought I wonder what his lines would be to the movies of 2008!)

- "Kanne kalaimaane....(the whole song)"

- "Yenna kodupaan Yevai kodupaan...Yendrivargal yennum munney...Ponnum koduppaan...porul koduppaan...Pothaathu pothaathendraal....Innum...Kodupaan...Ivaiyum kurivaiendraal...yengal Karnan... Thannai kodupaan...thannuyiraiyum thaan kodupaan....Dhayaanithiye..."

- "Theeraadha villaiyaattu pillai...Ivan singaara manmadhanthaan santhegam illai..."
(The sheer panache of the lines so well etched out for Rajini)

- "Aadai illaatha maeni...avan paer annaalil gyaani...Indro athuvoru hobby...ellorum inimael baby..."
(loud Ha, Ha, Ha-s for this one..!)

- " Kadhalukku eedu solla kaaviyathil yaarumillai..Naan ondru nee ondru thaammaa...
Manmadhan vanthaanaa....namma sangathi sonnaanaa..."
(This Singaari has outlived many generations!)

- "Oru Aathikka naayagan saathikka vanthaal Adanguthal muraithaane..." (Kamban yaemaanthaan - what a title!)

- "Kannaal sollu malai yeduppean...Rendu kaiyaaley atha valaippean..." (albeit from Bharathidaasan's poem...but a lyrical variation and how..!?)

- "Punniyam ithvendru ulagam sonnaal..Antha punniyam Kannanukey...Pottruvaar pottralum thoottruvaar thoottralum...Pogattum kannanukkey..."

- "Thennai ilankeettriniley thalaattum thendralathu...Thennaithanai saayththuvidum puyalaaga varum pozhuthu..."

- "Paranthu sellum paravaiyai kaettean....Paadisellum kaattraiyum kaettean...
Alaiyum nenjai avanidam sonnean...Azhaithuvanthaar ennidam unnai..."
(If I could be the lady described in this song, If I could be the one soul in love...wow!)

- "Yaaro solla yaaro endru yaaro vantha uravu...Kaalam seitha kolam ingu naan vantha varavu..." (Was the tune made for the lyrics or was it the other way round...however it was, this one rhymes just by itself, right?)

- "Thanimaiyil gaanam sabaiyiley mounam...Uravuthaan raagam uyirellaam paasam...
Anbukonda nenjil anubhavam illai..." (Can a woman know another woman this well? How did Kannadasan know?)

- "Andru sendrathum maranthaai uravai...Indru vanthathey puthiya paravai...
Yentha Jenmathilum oru thadavai...naam santhippoam intha nilavai..."

- "Pani illaatha maargazhiyaa...padai illaatha mannavaraa...
Inipillaatha mukkaniyaa...Isai Illaatha muthamizhmaa..."
(Kannadasan illatha thirai isai paadalaa..?!)

- "Ithu naalai varum endru kaathirinthaal oru naall allavo veenaagum..."
(What a thought!)

- "Pesuvathu kiliyaa...illai pennarasi mozhiyaa... Sendaadum seiyizhaithaanaa...Dheiveega kaadhalithaanaa..." (Me, me - the last two words...how I just wish!)

- "Siragil ennai moodi arumai magal pola valartha kathai sollavaa... (The whole song - Malarthum malaraatha...)

- "Maaperum sabaigalil nee nadanthaal...Unakku maalaigal vizha vendum..."
Oru Maattru kuraiyaatha mannavan ivanendru pottri pugazha vendum..."
(Yet to read a 'Commandment' like this one!)

- "Ennai konjam thoonga vaithaal....Vananguvean thaaye...Indru mattum amaithi thanthaal...Uranguvean thaaye..."

- "Thaaikku nee maganillai...Thambikku annanillai...Oor pazhi yettraaiyadaa...
Naanum unn pazhi kondeanadaa...." (The whole song actually!)

- "Kadaisi varai yaaro...." (The whole song again..!)

- "Inbam kanavil thunbam ethiril...Kaanbathu yean thozhi..."
(Do you dream when you are feeling intoxicated with the evening weather...? You would want to with these lines..!)
- "Aayirathil oruthiyammaa neee..." (But obviously...My Blog you see!!)

URL

www.authentichappiness.org

First I just typed the name, then added the www, only then did the blue color appear.

Hmmm...interesting site on assessing the levels of your happiness, depression, work and relationship outlooks etc. Scientifically developed and proven, this one's worth the try.

The last week I've been a little obsessed with just myself. Nothing new, I'm a self-confessed narcissist. I totally believe in the 'greatest love of all' and the 'best-est friend' one has is one's own self. The events of the last few months have left me in a bit of a quandary and I've been on this yo-yo mode, mostly yo-yoing in and out of myself. This post is essentially to tell myself that it's not too bad after all - this thing called life. This year saw me open a blog - it IS a big thing for ME. And here I am able to vent it, share it and call it by any name and still make it sweet or sour as I deem it. So thats a good feeling.

That apart, is this - I mean, this endless list of possibilties that just amazingly spring out of nowhere when I change my mood and attitude a lil bit - more happy, more positive and more creative visualitzation. And suddenly, I see the cosmos moving things in such a way that this Universe really seems to be giving me what I want. I should've known - by just looking at my past and seeing the milestones I've crossed both within myself and with my self! Attitude is everything. Happier and positive people progress far better than cynics or realists. Plain wishful thinking gets you a chance - hard work and cognitive action further enhances that chance and brings you where you want to be or what you want to do. Yes, you heard me right - if you keep thinking of something or someone, most of the time, be it in your conscious or unconscious mind, it will manifest itself sooner than later and you will be faced with dealing with the thing you thought of. So the trick is to actually spell out what you want and believe it will come to you soon - and wait, it also means you ought to be ready to receive it when it knocks on your door.

Hang on...the doorbell's ringing!

Pick Me Up

If opportunity doesn't knock, build a door. - Comedian Milton Berle.

The idea in this cut & paste post is just to have a quick glance at these pick me up lines from real life, whenever Im down.

- The Beatles were turned down by ten recording companies before Capitol took them on as clients. They kept knocking on doors until the right one opened. Their music has now touched billions of lives.

- Albert Einstein did not speak until he was four years old, and didn't read until he was seven. His teacher described him as 'mentally slow, unsociable, and adrift forever in foolish dreams.' Einstein reshaped our perception of how the Universe operates.

- Before he was elected to the presidency, Abraham Lincoln lost nine public elections, declared bankruptcy twice, and weathered a nervous breakdown and the death of a fiancée. He is quoting as saying: 'You cannot fail unless you quit.'

- Babe Ruth, famous for setting a home run record, also holds the record for strikeouts.

- Harrison Ford played a bellboy in his first Columbia picture, 1966's Dead Heat on a Merry-Go-Round, and a studio executive told him, "You ain't got it, kid," the 'it' being star quality. Ford laughs at the story now.

- In the 1950's, one of the best ways struggling new talents could start on the road to fame and fortune was to appear on a nationally televised program called the Ted Mack Amateur Hour. A singer from Tennessee tried out for the show, but failed the audition. Today few people under 50 remember the Ted Mack Amateur Hour or any of the 'winners' of the audition the singer failed, but every year the legend of the young man from Tennessee, Elvis Presley, grows.

- Thomas Edison tried two thousand different materials in search of a filament for the light bulb. When none of them worked out, his assistant complained, "All our work is in vain. We have learned nothing." Edison replied confidently, "Oh, we have come a long way and we have learned a lot. We now know that there are two thousand elements which we cannot use to make a good light bulb."

- Walt Disney was fired by a newspaper editor for his lack of ideas. He also went bankrupt several times before he built Disneyland.

- The popular Chicken Soup for the Soul book was rejected by 140 publishers. One publisher said 'yes' and the successful Chicken Soup series was born.

A R Rahman

Ok. I was all this while just thinking....and thinking and still thinking for the right choice of words to describe my meeting with Rahman. A R. I'm yet to find my grip on the moment, hence the words fail to arrive in the right order. Rahman is a simple, sorted out dude. Yes, that is Rahman and lots more obviously. Charming. A white aura surrounds his presence. Very positive energy. He speaks his mind and does not cater to any image you may have of him on & off the record. Pretty much an example of how single minded pursuit of talent can take one to great heights - this pursuit will even keep you at that height if you keep 'at it' without giving up!

He says he went searching for things he couldnt get here when he started out as a musician - the search...! One look at Rahman and you will see a man's search for meaning in his life has met with it's Find. And that is truly a blessed state to be in. Lofty lines I know, but so was this meeting... Rahman, himself is a find indeed!

Classic Allen

'Next Life' by Woody Allen

In my next life I want to live my life backwards. You start out dead and get that out of the way.

Then you wake up in an old people's home feeling better every day. You get kicked out for being too healthy, go collect your pension, and then when you start work, you get a gold watch and a party on your first day.

You work for 40 years until you're young enough to enjoy your retirement. You party, drink alcohol, and are generally promiscuous, then you are ready for high school.

You then go to primary school, you become a kid, you play. You have no responsibilities, you become a baby until you are born.

And then you spend your last 9 months floating in luxurious spa like conditions with central heating and room service on tap, larger quarters every day and then......Voila!

You finish off as an orgasm!

I rest my case.

3 Movies & Me

12:22am. Home.

Musa - A Korean war epic. Blood(y) and serious historical drama, nonchalantly staged.

Autumn Sonata - Swedish - One of the most acclaimed works of director Ingmar Bergman. Will I, a mere mortal, have the audacity to type even one word on both the directorial & acting talents of the Bergmans'?! Ingrid Bergman simply stays with you long after the movie is over, with her award winning portrayal of a self-obsessed musician-mother 'Charolette'.

To Rob a Thief - Obviously the Spanish title is longer and totally alien to even read leave alone pronounce, hence I felt twas safe to key in the English title only. This film is a very simple, very 'noble' heist that addresses the issue of Latino Immigrants in modern day America in a subtle yet effective way. You know this one can easily be adapted to be remade with a good cast in Tamil/Telugu... Someone must recommend this to K S Ravikumar, as he would be able to pull it off with convincing our heros to co-star in a mastermind of a theft - yes, you need 6 guys & 1 girl - anyone interested ??!

These were the 3 Movies & ME (good, I finally have a post where I could justify the title, like our heros do in formula, masala films!) But self-admittedly No Sunday of mine was as entertaining! Actually, I'm wondering if I should take my Black & White German flick right now, switch ON the DVD and press PLAY. But good sense tells me to put a fullstop to this insomniac habit I've gotten into of late and switch OFF the lights.

After all, 'tomorrow is another day'! Good night.

Simply Amazing...!

“In exploring the shared language and poetic sensibilities of all animals, I am working towards rediscovering the common ground that once existed when people lived in harmony with animals. The images depict a world that is without beginning or end, here or there, past or present.”—Gregory Colbert, Creator of Ashes and Snow

Gregory Colbert's Ashes and Snow is an ongoing project that weaves together photographic works, 35mm films, art installations and a novel in letters. With profound patience and an unswerving commitment to the expressive and artistic nature of animals, he has captured extraordinary interactions between humans and animals. His 21st-century bestiary includes more than 40 totemic species from around the world. Since he began creating his singular work of Ashes and Snow, Colbert has mounted more than 30 expeditions to locations such as India, Egypt, Burma, Tonga, Sri Lanka, Namibia, Kenya, Antarctica, the Azores, and Borneo.

The show first opened at the Arsenale in Venice, Italy, in 2002 and is charted to travel the globe with no final destination. The Nomadic Museum, the travelling home of Ashes and Snow, debuted in New York (March to June 2005) and then travelled to Santa Monica (January to May 2006), and Tokyo (March to June 2007). The show will travel next to Mexico City.

The title Ashes and Snow suggests beauty and renewal, while also referring to the literary component of the exhibition—a fictional account of a man who, over the course of a yearlong journey, composes 365 letters to his wife. The source of the title is revealed in the 365th letter. Colbert's photographs and one-hour film loosely reference the traveller's encounters and experiences described in the letters.

Colbert, who calls animals "nature's living masterpieces," chose to film animals in their native habitats in an effort to be true to each animal's voice. The film can be viewed as a work of art as well as a poetic field study. The film was edited by two-time Oscar winner Pietro Scalia. It is narrated by Laurence Fishburne (English), and Ken Watanabe (Japanese). Musical collaborators include Michael Brook, David Darling, Heiner Goebbels, Lisa Gerrard, Lukas Foss, Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, and Djivan Gasparyan.

The Ashes and Snow exhibition includes more than 60 large-scale photographic artworks, a one-hour film, and two 9-minute film haikus. None of the images have been digitally collaged or superimposed. They record what the artist himself saw through the lens of his camera. While Colbert uses both still and movie cameras, the images are not stills from the film. The animal subjects of the photographs and films include interactions with both wild animals and also those that have been habituated to human contact. These mixed media photographic works marry umber and sepia tones in a distinctive encaustic process on handmade Japanese paper. The artworks, each approximately five feet by eight feet, are mounted without explanatory text so as to encourage an open-ended interaction with the images.

Feeling alone?

Something I picked from one of the mail fwds that made me run into my blog to post it. Take a look!

When you are feeling alone like no one cares, read this cuz its absolutely true:

- Every night, someone thinks about you before they go to sleep.
- At least fifteen people in this world love you.
- The only reason someone would ever hate you is because they want to be just like you.
- There are at least two people in this world that would die for you.
- You mean the world to someone.
- Someone that you don't even know exists loves you.
- When you make the biggest mistake ever, something good comes from it.
- When you think the world has turned its back on you, take a look.
- Always remember the compliments you've received. Forget the rude remarks.

And as the arguement continues...

We at Mirchi celebrate our 5th year into the chennai airwaves! Hmm...for the 1st time in 5yrs, I'm re-living my going on air experience. May5th 2003, 1700hrs is a marked moment in my life. Nervous as hell, hectic at having the opening link changed five hundred times by everyone, thoughtful at the sight of the entire mirchi's who's who outside the on air studio...the clock tick-tocks and I feel the fire in my belly! The mike is switched on and red light in the onair studio burns bright. That was the only vision that stayed. Because once I opened my mouth to say the lines, I was on a different high. Asking the listeners of Chennai to mark this time and date as history was being rewritten that very minute, Sujatha (me!) went onair as the 1st RJ on the FM scene, almost unplanned!

Cut to: April 2003 (less than 3 weeks prior to launch), I walked into the 6th floor office to meet some people in this newly formed FM radio company, looking for a weekend, recorded show to do, so I could earn some pocket money. 2days later, I was signing the appointment letter to be the evening prime time RJ having been coaxed by Shirty and Prasad Swaminathan (apparently my audition was one of the best I was told later). There were RJs who were with the system for a longer time, having been trained better, but the very last person who joined the radio scene (me again!) went on air first!

Hmmm...the sigh gets bigger now. The learning curve took some very predictable turns, and some not so regular ones too. Every step, curve, bend, tollgates, steeps and slopes is worth it in this place. Right now, it is an uphill climb, but an enjoyable one nevertheless! 5years and my best friends are from here. Morning, noon and night, my world revolves around the big M - Movies, Music and Mirchi. So, whats the big thing in saying it's all fine - am I being politically right? No. However boring this reads, it comes from my heart. Radio is always Mirchi...!

Just Read...!

Just

saw this pasted

in the wall post of my national prog head's facebook

Saved it up for reading in mine!

Click on the image to read on...!

Nicole

The day I landed in Nice and took the long winding road uphill to locate our Villa Mimosa - was far from Wow! Its been a year now and the feeling is yet to sink in. Twas the first night that brought in my homesick tears and the churning of the stomach as the taxi sped its wheels along the dark bends. In the days that followed, I simply wished I had stayed on...with some of my favorite people, of course!

Tanneron (pronounced Ta-neh-hon) is a sleepy Enid Blyton village with kids on bikes, cars parked in the village townsquare that has a landmark clock tower in the center and the 2 shops, 1 post office and 3 cafes located on either side of it. Going to Cannes was the idea with my previous bosses and a movie in tow. Thankfully since twas also a holiday of sorts, one of my best friends decided she will come too. We had 4 days to spend before the Film Festival took over our time, hence the stopover at the villa. (The villa houses some of the best moments of tourist delight, but that is for entry in this blog, on another sunny day.)

Nicole' was her name. God bless her! Hers was the only departmental store in the village, that housed veggies and yes, yogurt (yumm!). Nicole' in her french and us Indians in our English, somehow became friends enough for her to set aside fresh Croissants for our breakfast every morning. We had to walk down 'our' Villa Mimosa, upto the townsquare and collect our breads, after which was a quick round to the church. Yes, dogs were aplenty and well groomed ones that got me walking like I was on ice most of the time! Apart from us 5 people, we must have spotted 5 others in that town, and the word population had some meaning only when we neared Cannes.(Experiences in Croissette Bay, Cannes - the film watching, sometime even dozing off in one of the plush theatres is again reserved for another day, hopefully a rainy one!)

Somewhere in travel, places like Tanneron teach you that this world is as large as it is small. As deep as it is wide. I mean, we are from one of the most populated countries in the world, and there we were in a town with less than 50people in it (they even have a big community building for themselves with notices of events and issues posted on its boards!) and of course not a beggar in sight! So much of real peace, quiet and as my director friend commented, "Even a robber will stay away from this village as the houses are always closed with little or no human presence - there is no challenge in the steal!"

In that stillness, we could smell the aroma of freshly baked bread and the new bloom of Mimosa - a tender yellow flower that indicates the onset of spring and natural beauty! Something that will always remind me of Nicole'. Yes, Nicole' wore similar dresses of separate colors each day, with an apron to match. The one in this pic denotes that it is a thursday.

Something...

Having something to do or having nothing to do? Which is better? Something or nothing? From nothing came something first, right? We know it by the name Big Bang...! How many times has time stood still and days remained similar to one another till that one phone call or one sms or one chance meeting changed the very pattern of our lives?! I turn around (I dont like the phrase 'looking back') to check out where my 'something' came from....hmmmmmm!

As the tortoise coil circles around and takes me on a flashback mode, Im assailed by my current nothing-ness too. The last 2 months have been just quiet. Its one of those phases in life when 'every call you make, every meeting you fix' is met with silence. That is, every something you do is met with a NO-thing! And just as any normal soul would, even I wondered why? The days were as still as the night. The nights seemed lonelier and longer. Books took more time to finish, blogs took l o n g e r to type. As for movies, suddenly the theatres were running out of current hot picks and youre left with just the oldies to go back to! Im in the center of the universe that seemed to just recede....till there was nothing left to hold onto, save a vast expanse of space. The louder I screamed, the longer it echoed. The tears seemed to fill imaginary buckets and the heart felt the burden of my 140/110 BP.

Is there nothing that will happen for me? Or was there something that I could do? Yup! I could change my Attitude - to stop revelling in this mode like the way we did in para2 - to stop eulogising suffering & waiting, to stop glorifying this "why me" sensation that in a way is a reflection of my ego. I mean "why not me". Who is this me that I require so much attention from the universe? Why should the entire system turn around and conspire things to fall in place just for ME..! What kind of narcissistic nonsense is this??!! Still.......this nothingness can change into something only if we value this thing called SELF. Only when you realise that youre better off doing something than nothing., but also realise that the something comes with a price tag, with working hours thats gonna bend your back and stiffen it up alright. Nothing in life comes easy. Didnt you know this when you gave your maths exam in classVI? Or when your first hope of true love came crashing down the college stairway? Or when you were unceremoniously fired from your first job? What came easy then for it to sway into our lives like a breeze now?

Im asking all these questions to myself. Learnings from my very own life and not some bio-pic of a filmstar or business magnate. The nothingness of it all, always paves the way for something - only if we let it. And only we have the power to shape that something into something good or something awful. The choice is with and within us.

This post is a self-read. Those who find it sermonising or admonishing please feel free to feel so. I find it as something that I can fall back on in future too! By the way, something good seems like happening from my nothing-ness. It just came to me NOW as I hit the publish post button!

These are a few favorite things....

THE BEST THINGS IN LIFE
-Laughing so hard your face hurts & the eyes shimmer with tears of happiness.
-A hot shower, without the fear of Norman Bates' shadow on the shower curtain.
-A special glance, specially when there is no formal declaration of love as yet.
-Getting mail from a place & person that you can 'smell out' from the envelope.
-Hearing your favorite song on the radio when youve just switched it on thinking of the person with whom the song has a special meaning.
-Lying in bed listening to the rain outside when its 7:45am.
-Hot towels out of the dryer that remind you of a being in the womb.
-Finding the exotic outfit you want is on sale for half price at not just 1 but 2 retail chains.
-Chocolate milkshake after a plate of hot dynabites.
-A long distance phone call at 10:30pm that will last as long as the night.
-Seeing your reflection in a soap bubble, holding it for as long as it lasts.
-Giggling in a seminar.
-A good conversation that leaves you more informed.
-The beach - the coastline beyond Chennai.
-Laughing at yourself, especially when such things as Blogs came into being to give expression to what lies inside (the mind!).
-Chatting with a married school friend after she has put her daughter to sleep, and interspersing the chat with laughs and tears.
-Laughing for absolutely no reason at all, even if its all by yourself.
-Friends, in all sizes, shapes and colors - at all moments.
-Waking up and realizing you still have a few hours left to sleep.
-Having a good hair wash and blow dried it well enough to step into a Saturday night 'do' even on a Tuesday.
-Dreams....; that come true.
-Chocolate - hot, cold, bitter, sweet - as a fudge or brownie, as a pudding or shake.
-Swinging on swings well past childhood - the small seated ones in children's parks or clubs.
-Watching a good movie cuddled up on a couch, with something to chill.
-Song lyrics printed inside your new CD so you can sing along without feeling stupid.
-Getting butterflies in your stomach every time you see that one person/do the most awaited task on hand.
-Making eye contact with a cute stranger in a restaurant or simply on the road.
-Seeing smiles from strange faces on an International flight.
-Holding hands with someone you care about, who is not necessarily your spouse.
-Running into an old friend and realizing that some things never change.
-Watching the expression someone's face as they open a much-desired present from you. And noticing how they retain even the wrapping paper.
-Watching the sunset with a smile, knowing that all's well that ends well.