Saturday 29 January 2011

A day off during the middle of the week makes the entire week a lot more enjoyable, so was it this week with the republic day being celebrated on Jan 26 (Wednesday). Thou' it was a holiday usually it is my weekends and holidays that are packed with more activities than the working days in a week.

Like every other republic day, I accompanied my mom to her office for the flag hoisting ceremony. I wonder for how many years I have been doing this, but I have still not grown out of celebrating the day this way. More so, because I usually look forward to the cultural performances by school kids and end up getting nostalgic thinking about my performances as a part of my school dance group in the very place almost a decade ago.

I spent the later part of my day with family .. Made a short visit to Express Avenue mall and eventually every time I enter this space I end up bumping into some one whom I know, looks like the entire city is here .. but only until we visited the trade fair in Chennai .. the entire parking space in Island ground was full and so was the complete road stretch on either side of the venue.

Finally, decided to go to Bessi beach - bumped into a junior from college - after a bit of walking around the beach and doing a bit of people watching we finally settled to munch on some sundal, the beach delicacy and later some bajji, adai and kuzhi paniyaram from a newly opened chetinnad restaurant along the shore.

At the end of the day, all that I wanted say was Chennai is growing !!!! Phew ! to a level that every place in the city is crowded ..

Monday 24 January 2011

Monday Morning Inspiration # 102


Once there was a king who received a gift of two magnificent falcons from Arabia. They were peregrine falcons, the most beautiful birds he had ever seen. He gave the precious birds to his head falconer to be trained.

Months passed and one day the head falconer informed the king that though one of the falcons was flying majestically, soaring high in the sky, the other bird had not moved from its branch since the day it had arrived.

The king summoned healers and sorcerers from all the land to tend to the falcon, but no one could make the bird fly. He presented the task to the member of his court, but the next day, the king saw through the palace window that the bird had still not moved from its perch. Having tried everything else, the king thought to himself, "May be I need someone more familiar with the countryside to understand the nature of this problem." So he cried out to his court, "Go and get a farmer."

In the morning, the king was thrilled to see the falcon soaring high above the palace gardens. He said to his court, "Bring me the doer of this miracle."

The court quickly located the farmer, who came and stood before the king. The king asked him, "How did you make the falcon fly?"

With head bowed, the farmer said to the king, " It was very easy, your highness. I simply cut the branch where the bird was sitting."

We are all made to fly - to realize our incredible potential as human beings. But instead of doing that, we sit on our branches, clinging to the things that are familiar to us. The possibilities are endless, but for most of us, they remain undiscovered. We conform to the familiar, the comfortable, the mundane. So for the most part, our lives are mediocre instead of exciting, thrilling and fulfilling. So let us learn to destroy the branch of fear we cling to and free ourselves to the glory of flight.

By Bijal Dave

To read other Monday Morning Inspiration click here.

Saturday 22 January 2011

Movie Review - Siruthai & Aadukalam

Come Diwali or Pongal and there are a series of movies lined up for release and this time over it was Siruthai, Aadukalam, Kaavalan and Ilanignyan

*No spoilers*

Having watched two of the four movies released, I liked Aadukalam over Siruthai and don't really intend watching the other two movies .. May be kaavalan when it is on TV.

Aadukalam

I liked the first half of the movie better than the second, nevertheless the movie was a complete package .. good acting by Dhanush and others .. nice songs too, I in particular like yathe yathe and otha solale more when I saw the song as a part of the movie. I am not a great fan of Dhanush but in this case I doubt if any other actor could have played this role so well.

My rating: 7.5/10

Siruthai

Rocket Raja (Karthi) and Pattu poochi (santhanam) get the audience into splits with their witty one - liners that I think was the only good thing about the movie .. Not a very appealing show by Tamanna. Good story line and is a tinge heavy on violence.

My rating: 7/10

How did you like the pongal movie releases ???



Monday 17 January 2011

Monday Morning Inspiration # 101


If a dog were your teacher
These are some of the lessons you might learn...

When loved ones come home, always run to greet them
Never pass up the opportunity to go for a joyride
Allow the experience of fresh air and the wind in your face
to be pure ecstasy

When it's in your best interest
practice obedience
Let others know when they've invaded your territory
Take naps and stretch before rising
Run romp and play daily

Thrive on attention and let people touch you
Avoid biting, when a simple growl will do
On warm days stop to lie on your back on the grass
On hot days drink lots of water and lay under a shady tree
When you're happy dance around and wag your entire body

No matter how often you're scolded
don't buy into the guilt thing and pout
run right back and make friends

Delight in the simple joy of a long walk
Eat with gusto and enthusiasm
Stop when you have had enough
Be loyal
Never pretend to be something you're not

If what you want lies buried
dig until you find it
When someone is having a bad day
be silent .....
...sit close by.

...and nuzzle them gently.


To read other Monday Morning Inspiration click here.

Thursday 13 January 2011

Work, food and long trips ...

My new job in KPMG is taking me to various places around Chennai and im liking it, I am getting to know how different organizations function and their work process .. lots of learning, lots of new people I get to interact with everyday and long trips in and around Chennai almost every other day and I also get to taste food from different organizations that I visit to .. I make it a point to have food from their cafeteria/canteen rather than from the restaurants nearby.

Don't be surprised if I start writing food reviews about food served in the different organizations :)

It is a long weekend for a many of them in Chennai due to Pongal - the harvest festival. However, I am working on friday and will post my pongal updates over the weekend.

Sunday 9 January 2011

Monday Morning Inspiration # 100


Just up the road from my home is a field, with two horses in it. From a distance, each horse looks like any other horse.

But if you get a closer look you will notice something quite interesting...

One of the horses is blind.

His owner has chosen not to have him put down, but has made him a safe and comfortable barn to live in.

This alone is pretty amazing.

But if you stand nearby and listen, you will hear the sound of a bell. It is coming from a smaller horse in the field.

Attached to the horse's halter is a small, copper-colored bell. It lets the blind friend know where the other horse is, so he can follow.

As you stand and watch these two friends you'll see that the horse with the bell is always checking on the blind horse, and that the blind horse will listen for the bell and then slowly walk to where the other horse is, trusting he will not be led astray.

When the horse with the bell returns to the shelter of the barn each evening, he will stop occasionally to look back, making sure that the blind friend isn't too far behind to hear the bell.

Like the owners of these two horses, God does not throw us away just because we are not perfect. Or because we have problems or challenges.

He watches over us and even brings others into our lives to help us when we are in need.

Sometimes we are the blind horse, being guided by the little ringing bell of those who God places in our lives.

And at other times we are the guide horse, helping others to find their way.

To read other Monday Morning Inspiration click here.

My New job :) :)

I moved into a new job couple of weeks ago just before the new year dawned :) I am liking my new job a lot .. the job nature is a lot more interesting, lots of great people around who I enjoy working with, no long work hours, lots of learning and gives me a good amount of work life balance :)

Now it feels like life at work is an extension of college life ! :)

Sunday 2 January 2011

As the count down began to 2011

Welcoming a new year has always been an extravagant celebration throughout the world and plans are made well in advance to ring in the new year in style ... I for one did not have much plans for the new year's eve and finally my friend D and me decided to attend the new year bash at friend M's place ..

By then there were plans made at home .. We decided to go to the beach to ring in the new year with fellows Chennaiets. After getting back from friend M's place which is just opposite my home, by around 11pm mom, dad, grandma and I headed towards Marina beach ..

As we drove half the distance we were pretty happy about the smooth flowing traffic, when we were about a few meters away from the beach, the traffic was diverted and from then on it was bumper to bumper traffic for the next half hour, however the new year spirit was seen in every person waiting in the traffic jam and the mood was jus' so contagious .. driving across a couple of more streets that would lead to the beach only to find them all blocked, we eventually landed in front of the Santhome Cathedral when the clock struck 00:00 - 1/1/11. What a holy start to the year :) ..



How did you ring in your new year ??