x- mas tree

a few snaps of our home made x-mas tree. it cost me 250 rs for the ornaments. so dont think of it as a cheap version. sajit wanted nothing to do with it.


kapu

sports.

yes its a women dominated blog. but as our sports is limited to walking daily for the morning milk, the occasional shuttle cock game in the backyard in actuality i feel i am not an authority to talk about it.
of course i never get any tv time-- ,trying to wrestle the remote from the 2 kids is like world war :-- to watch my soap operas so when do i watch sports . never !!!!.

babu nice to hear from u. so kalus comment that people read the blog but dont write often is true.

kapu

Does anybody talk about sport here?

I woke up earlier than my usual 7 am to find out the score in Chennai Test Match, the next one is also looking interesting. I thought somebody would have mentioned it.

Seasons Greetings, LANG MAE YOUR LUM REEK as they say in Scotland, which means may you have your coal fire burning through the year. To which another scot added 'with other people's coal'.

Happy New Year

Babu

Birthday wishes....

Let us all wish a Happy Birthday to Gomathi anni... at least belated wishes since my system says it is already Dec 13th...

Hi... all...

Once again a long gap... something constant in life is change i suppose..
shifted to a new house... and all single-handed, my God... drained out... but for good...
really feel good in the new house... cute one though...

A two bedroom first floor house, good ventilation and just facing a slightly busy road, keeps me awake both mentally and physically. No house owner problem, since he is far off.. and just an Erode native family downstairs... who were recommending for me to the houseowner... (could understand how much of talking would have led to that... :)....)
anybody who has not visited Sabarimalai, will be happy to have a similar experience when you climb up the stairs to reach my floor.. by the way all are welcome... the address..
AP 735 'G' Block, 2nd street, 11th main road, annanagar, chennai 600040. Lan line # changed to 45082149

by the way for all those who come home need not worry about the last minute gifts, as right from a fruit shop to LKS Gold house is just a stone's throw away... Welcome once again..

Anandhi

Mcdonalds Nightmare -

a big helloooo to everyone except dad , cos i have a bone or two to pick with him....

when you were my age dad, the subjects you had to learn most probably comprised of:
1) Carving rocks into spear heads
2)Converting mammoth hides into skins
3)Hunting bison...
but since the stone age times have changed and now we have SOOOOO much to study , sooo i dont appreciate comments like -You kids have it easy !

We have twoooo volumes in Phy and Chem and Maths- *cue- all shocked and sympathetic sighs to take place now* and it's sooo HAARDDD !
But anyway life goes on and thanks to the couple of hours i put in between 3am and 6am before my bio exam , i now know know how to clone a sheep, replicate plant viruses , the best time to do a blood test for a malaria patient and also the diagram for the excretory system of frog. Moving on...

anyway , the fact remains that i have to study so that i don't end up being a cow herd or whatever the eng translation for 'maadu mechafying' is or EVEN WORSE working in mcdonalds !!!!... cos dad never fails to remind me how i aint living off his money ....lol

euphoria wearing off....

term two sucks...

it has its ups and downs, but it stays mostly down..

i think this is when we get over the euphoria of actually getting into a b- school and realise that its not that different from any other school/ college....

politics, good profs and bad profs are here too

and its not like the students here r any diff either....

yes, people have left their jobs and what not to be here.... but not everybody is that motivated or focused on the course...,

there r students who study 25 hrs a day, some who just want to pass, and some who believe that the experience of a b school is more important than grades...

and a few like me who dont really know why we're here....

ever so often some one will say to u "u're never going to use any of the stuff u learn here in ur job. all you take back is time mangement skills and how to work under pressure"

as my marketing prof puts it "all these two years in a b-school will teach you is how to say 'depends' in a nice way"

i'm paying 6 lakhs for this?

 

my exams start next week and my profs seem to have just realised that they have to include quizzes and asssignment for our final grade evaluation....

so wondering which classes i can sleep thro tomorrow....

sindhu

p.s.

i had an important revelation today....

guys are just as interested, if not more so, in gossip as girls....

which boy/girl has a crush on whom,  who are doing a lot of combined studies lately,who is bitching what about whom...

they too have intense, long discussions about stuff that does not matter at all but is just fun to talk about.

p.p.s

happy karthikai deepam (it is today, right?)

post from karthik

hi all

its gr8 to be a part of 90 sivananda colony...

for some strange reasons, was not able to write for so long...

anyways for those who din know m working at NICE institute for the newborn which is a 120 bedded exclusive neonatal unit with state of the art level III care (for the sick yet lovely just borns)

as u all know dhruv's away and tats made my life so boring.....miss him a lot....ofcourse miss GG too (b4 any of u draw some opinion)......uploading few pics of the place i work

The white tiger

The white tiger by Aravind Adiga,
This book has won the booker prize and you should read this ! said Ash
Yeah right was my reply, One of the criterias for me to shun a book would be the fact that it had won the booker prize
but just looked it up for curios sake
and bought it
Please read it and its really good
Unfortunately its so realistic that i have asked anyone under 18 not to read it
Its a true portrait of India particularly North India and from a servant's eye
As he writes to the Chinese Premier about his impending visit to see India
just a snippet -India The greatest democracy in the world ! Balram (our hero ) has voted at every election without fail ! even when was 800 miles away someone made sure he was represented and took the care to vote for him,,,,,
Please read it , some parts I felt over the top initially but that was just wishful thinking
All of it happens in India
As long we lead a blinkered life ,things are great
The moment we open our eyes we would be leading the revolution
but then we have the next days work to do
more to do for the family and we digress !
Ravi

some more.+/*******

kalu teaching salsa to sanju.

















our new hall. we cleaned up for the snap. note the pictures are up since the owner was away for a month.














kalu suprise bday party for which she cooked. dint trust me.












enjoying the water.

moments to enjoy.

backyard games.
chendis bday too.



enthustiatic pupil

hi folks

hi, i kept opening the blog and was dissapointed that there was no post for a long time , then i realised i too have to contribute something at times.

was planning to visit jeyachandran today after his operation but slept through the afternnon and by then it was too late . anyway have to check with gomu before i go if he is accepting visitors. anyway he has come home if goutham is to be believed.

ya its good as ravi says that exam life and tension is over especially in college. school exams dint seem such a burden as it is now a days for the bigger kids.

last year in spite of repeatd hints to appa regarding my birthday i dint get anything. better luck this time.

last week we were marooned in our house due to the surrounding water. luckily it dint come in . we spent the first day with paper boats and splashing in the water. but next day the ditch water also got in so i stopped the play.

sajit is studying and driving me up the wall.
darshu and prashant were here for dinner friday. they said keep it light to the dissapointment of sajit and anandhi. prashant hearing of my culinary expertise kept hinting for a take away dinner . but i stuck to my guns. i think it went of ok.

ok thats all for now. kapu

Get-together -30th November, 2008

I haven't added a pic of Dhruv because other parents seem to get green-eyed .
His pics seems to have been captured in movie mode by some chance.

Ravi is that 10 pounds a red herring? or is true :-))))))))
Anyway, I've risen to your bait and am writing. Hope the kids too chip in.
Maybe we should make it compulsory that everyone writes at least once a week. Otherwise, we just keep drifting along. One reason is, I think, we all have cell phones and keep talking - so what's new?

GG And Dhruv have come to sivananda colony for a week's rest. In the spirit of the house, its getting stretched to a month. Kalai is there of course, coping with absentee cooks and maids and everything else.

Kapu realized on the 27th of Nov that Ramesh meant Nov when he said he is coming to India on the 27th and not Dec 27th. Hopefully, she wont be waiting ' vali mela vizhi vaithu' on 27th dec.

Kapu is planning to spend 20-25 dec at cbe. Somehow she manages to celebrate her bday at cbe each year tho her bday take is getting smaller , she says.

Dachu, after narrowly missing the bombay blasts by taking off a day earlier to chennai is still there, playing the housewife. Soon she'll be watching serials too. She feels being in a boring job is better than being in a boring house. Kids take note.

Is the blog dead !

I try and look at the blog every 2-3 days and see if anything new has happened , obviuosly not
well kallu someone has donated 10 pounds for your fund and i will bring the cheque in
the kids are now back to earth with the half yearly exams
keeps them focussed , somedays i am so happy that those days have gone and i dont need to mug up verbatim and reproduce on the paper
the kids these days have it so easy !!!!
here you go ,, that should stir up things ,,,,,
ravi

Dinamani news and a proud father !

http://www.dinamani.com/Kadhir/23112008/8.pdf
http://www.dinamani.com/Kadhir/23112008/9.pdf

too busy.

hi ,

i hear that there is a write up about ashwatha and nandhika in the tamil daily. proud uncle goutham has promised to show it to me when he is next in cbe.

house is slowly getting ready. finally put in the nails for the pictures and soap dishes.

sajit tells me blogs are for writing stories ,etc and not to use it as an e mail as i am doing. since i cannot think of anything thought provoking and intresting to write at present i will sign off.
kapu

vaarnam aayiram

After watching a hotshot movie on the second day after release, I'm enjoying the reactions to this little piece of action much more than the movie.

I guess the reactions take on colour only in the light of the background. Which has been rather bleak, living in a 'C' grade mofussil town for many years. Good movies came to town about 6 months or 1 year after release and disappeared before we even knew they had 'hit' town , rather weakly. Even then, theatre going was an event that happened maybe, once a year. Became much less after TV channels recycled every movie you'd never heard of. But, now even Ooty finds a place in a flat world .

And it happened because women in their prime have got over this 'I-have-to-go-with-my-husband" nonsense.

PC: " What, you never told me? "
(I do go to a hundred places and tell him later, but obviously movies fall in a special category)

Kapu: "What was the occasion? No bday , women's day..then why did you go?"
( I can hear her thinking, jobless women - sheer jealousy)

Darshini : "I must see if its running in a theatre in Bombay".
Me: "Don't waste 100 or 200 rupees on it."
( the last falls on deaf ears).

Sajid : "its okay if its not too good. you did it ,no."
( just doing it and ahead of the pack is the point )

Harini : "Oh, why did my Dad put me in this forsaken college. He's so bad".
( movies rate far above life plans )

Sindhu: " Why is life like this? You don't even know who is acting in it You can't even appreciate it. And you get to see it in a theatre. In Ooty!
And with all the aunties!! And I have to download it and see it on my laptop. Oh God.Why is life so unfair?"

I am sitting back and grinning like a Cheshire cat. Have to go and make some calls. Didnt know it was so easy to stir up the green eyed monster.
Any more?

back in circulation.

hi everybody,
things are slowly getting into place. and we are accepting those that we cannot change,for eg our habit of books everywhere,never putting things into place, still planning to buy the welcome mat for the doorstep,meanwhile we are using sajits old t shirt etc etc. our house owner is away for 10 days so planning to bang in some few nails . when the cat is away ----.

missing sandy a lot. it used to be the first one to greet me when i came home. the thought that it may be illtreated somewhere else gives me lot of sleepless nights. slowly trying to accept the inevitable. i suppose time is a great healer.

ravi good to hear of the success of ur meeting. its always the small things that make the most impression. we do forget it at times. maybe we can gat a few tips from u when we organise things. any suggestions for sanjus birthday with the minimum of work and minimum of guests as i have to do it alone and i feel lazy as usual.

darshu -that was a good poem to ur mum. pleaase coach sajit !!!!.

sajit has to wear specks. he has been going around half blind in one eye. everybody is asking me how come u dint know he cant see, are u too busy ? dont u spend time with the kids etc etc. that chap even now doesnt admit that he cant see the board, or movies etc. so how is a poor mother supposed to know. ayway gave him a kick in the pants for giving me such a bad name. itold him that i would get him one for 500 rs only and i would see how he takes care of it and only then get him a costly one after 1 year.Brave words. i landed up buying one for 1200 rs. though i kept harping to him that only after 25 years of waering specks have i moved into the 1000 rs range it fell on deaf ears.

ok thats enough gossip i think at present.
kapu

stuff

HI everyone ,

our blog has been rated on a website.
Please see the rated blog here:

http://www.blogged.com/blogs/90-sivananda-colony.html
I don't know what it actually means but still we are up there :-))))

Ravi, Good to see your post and your terrific organization. Congratulations it went off well.We do care. We can get some tips from you And can count on your to organize family functions. :-)

The family never got to read Nan's book :-((( is she busy with the next?

Kar, nice to see the pics of Deepavali but which one is you?

Kap should get a phone connection soon and kalai too.
But where are the rest?

I am back !

Well after a hectic time with everyone in India and came back and had to organise a meeting at work,
went well as usual as i was well versed in arranging meetings ( Rotaract club president remember !!"""??) everyone said it was the best meeting that they had gone to , simple things like greeting everyone with a cake or coffee or juice as their preference , floor plans, neat book like brochure, all went a long way in promoting the meeting ,
anyway enough of this boast ( like you all care whther it went well or not !)

nan's book is out for some time and she is revelling in all the attention,
ash is busy with dances and she blames a dip in her marks on the dances
any excuse eh
medha is keeping everyone on their toes eating everything on the floor,

will write something readable soon
ravi

Holiday!

The living room which is supposed to be pristine and kept for visitors only.Obviously not.


Sajit's ganesha collection. Many people have contributed to it. You may feel more upset when you see the book collection to which you may have contributed more than you know.



In between Kapu moved house. As only she can, with a minimum of stress and planning. she took only half a day off and fixed the lorry only the day before. As she was presenting a paper somewhere, she was precoocupied . Half the things were packed and the rest left to the movers which they did very efficiently and with a speed which left us amazed. We felt a bit sad that we had even packed the other half.

Evening before we had gone to see the house and Sajid locked up. Next day he went off to school and only he knew where the house key was.
Well, things do turn out right eventually and before things were finally loaded into the lorry; he came back. Meanwhile Kapu had gone off to do things like changing a kurta of appa's and so on.

The lorry left and Kap with it, by scooter. Sajid and I were left behind with the other half of things. She called to check whether the new house keys were here. They were! She came back to get them. Meanwhile we had lunch at a neighbour's- the first time they have ever invited Kap and family. First and last.

The new house is lovely. Old, large, with white pristine floors, spotlight with dim, dimmer lights in the false ceilings and moulded borders. A huge white bathroom that must have been two baths before . Space at the back for parties.

The presence of God is always here. Sambrani fragrance wafts in and bhajans call from the temple every evening. The mosque calls the faithful to prayer from a few houses away. Further away, thankfully, is the strident voice of the Pentecostal church trying to convert us. 'More supermarket' is two houses away; something I really enjoyed -popping in there to buy two items thrice a day.

The only sad part was loosing Sandy the day we moved. Someone left the gate open and with crackers around, she must have got scared and gone out and not known the way back.

I had a great 'surpise' birthday party after many many years. Thanks to dachu, Prashanth and Kapu. Chittis called up and cousins turned up. One must celebrate bdays too in strange places.

Wish I'd taken more pics but Kap can supply the rest.

Happy Birthday

Happy birthday amma.
My inspiration for all things creative and crazy
You taught me to look beyond the ordinary
To take everything the world has to offer
With open arms
Heres wishing you a year of adventure and new experiences

pictures 3

pictures

pictures

Deepvali pictures

crazy, mad, desperate diwali

happy diwali

back to blog

hi, this pic taken on the way back to chennai, had nice time in cbe for 2 days, ravi and sree held a wonderful function for aswatha, nandika and medha.

wish everybody a happy diwali

goutham

Family Time

Back home after a wonderful time at Cbe . Maybe the secret to family get togethers is they should be short and not too much trouble.

Ravi and Sri make wonderful hosts. They make it look effort less- at least they don't look strained and harassed. One of their big secrets is to keep plying guests with food and drink. It keeps coming. And is good.
And they have so much hired help, that guests don't have to do anything unless they want to.
Everything was very well organised and went very smoothly.

All three kids looked great for all the functions. Even both parents , surprisingly:-)) Ravi changed to a yellow shirt discarding his usual red, to give us a break.
When Medha's ears were getting pierced, it was better to study the reactions of all the people around. Would have made great pictures. This is one trouble free baby. Hardly cries.
Nandhika looked tall and grown up in her function and posed with wide grins for the photographer. The backdrop was original and stunning- created by Amudha.
Aswatha was stately during her dance. She's technically perfect, lifting her arms to the right height, executing the steps exactly, rolling her beautiful eyes. 6 girls in deep pink made a feast for the eyes.

Sri looked happy and in her element. There were so many take home gifts done with great great care. The 'seer' thattus too were well planned and gorgeously filled and decorated.

Not too many people, the function at home was cosy and intimate. Relaxed and relaxing. Nice.

Ravi please post some pics after you get over jet lag.

Oh yes, Nandika's book- Sall's world was duly relased. F copies contact proud father who parts with them only if you pay Rs.150. Nandhika gets Rs.70 as royalty for each book you buy.

Library

Everyone here knows I 've been talking about starting a free library for children (or you should know it if you have proper family interest) .Well, Ive found the place and now I need all the help I can to get it off the ground.

So first, please go to this site and sign the pledge

http://www.pledgebank.com/getachild2read

This needs 500 people to sign up for it to be termed 'successful;' and it's got to be fast.
Thanks

Then I'll start passing the hat around which too is needed fast.
so come on family, help a worthy cause.. this is the great Rao sahib tradition of public service :-)))))))))))

Hi All...

Nice to be back...
It has been really hectic since starting the new unit of mine. Named it as SAN Scripts. I am yet to start the training division for paucity of time. Just waiting to get settled on the production first and then get into the other one. Nearly spend 12 to 14 hours in the net to please my client, Renee, an Italian settled in Las Vegas. Talk to her about all things on Earth, and just waiting to convert all my investment of time to money. It has been good so far, though with initial hiccups with procuring manpower. Anybody who comes across a good transcriptionist, please do refer to me.. the same way with any healthcare professionals in US please.

It is really like a bachelor's life right now. Eat what i get at the moment, or rush to the nearby mess before he closes his day. New experience though.

Hey Kapu I never thought u noticed my weird look after i heard the chicken was made out of Aachi chicken masala... moral of the incident is look out before you make an excited statement :)

So the next get together is in Ravi's house... but Ravi do tell me how are u going to manage 3 functions on the same day, same venue.... except for the arangettram?!??!??
and i am waiting for that day as that would be the first day after being on veg food for the past one month (purattaasi ). Any good menu on that day?!?!!!?!?!?

Anandhi

hi everybody.

hi ,
kal thanks for the list of chariot of the gods.  sanju kills me of with questions from mythology day in and day out.  luckily somethings are stuck in my memory.  how i long for thatha to answer his questions.

can anyone help me understand teenage boys.  sajit wants new caps as the new ones he has, like from emirates etc cant be worn outside.  [does he mean that he wants to wear them inside the house!!!]  .  he wants something which doesnt proclaim from where it has come,  something unique.    and then he spends 500 bucks buying  2 jerseys which says newfoundland football or something of that sort.  whats unique about it ??????

we had a small golu at home.  wil put up snaps later. 

what is everyone buying for diwali.  itried on new jeans as i have no mother in law or husband nearby to protest ,  but finally sense prevailed.and i opted for a churidhar.  [actually the jeans did not fit .  so i have vow ed  to lose weight.  of course after diwali.  who can diet during the festival of sweets???.]


 

Vahanas

Vehicles as Symbols Goddess Saraswati's vehicle, the graceful and beautiful peacock denotes that she is the controller of the pursuit of performing arts. Vishnu sits on the primal serpent, which represents the desire of consciousness in humankind. Shiva rides the Nandi bull, which stands for the brute and blind power, as well as the unbridled sexual energy in man - the qualities only he can help us control. His consort Parvati, Durga or Kali rides on a lion, which symbolizes mercilessness, anger and pride - vices she can help her devotees check. Ganesha's carrier, a mouse represents the timidity and nervousness that overwhelm us at the onset of any new venture - feelings that can be overcome by the blessings of Ganesha.

Below is a list of Hindu gods and goddesses who are inseparably linked with their respective 'vahanas':

• Aditya - seven horses
• Agni - the ram
• Brahma - seven swans
• Durga - the lion
• Ganesha - the mouse
• Indra - the elephant
• Kartikya - the peacock
• Lakshmi - the owl
• Saraswati - the swan or the peacock
• Shakti - the bull
• Shani - the crow
• Sheetala - the donkey
• Shiva - Nandi, the bull
• Varuna - seven swans
• Vayu - a thousands horses
• Vishnu - Garuda, the eagle & Adi Shesha, the serpent
• Vishwakarma - the elephant
• Yama - the male buffalo

Courtesy: about .com

Ravi, dont curse. we and the kids need to know about our myths.

Chariots of the Gods

Sindhu and I had a great time today wandering about town and recording the sheer exuberance with which vehicles were decorated for Ayudha Pooja.
While private car owners remained restrained, it was the owners of commercial vehicles who earn a living from their vehicles, who showed the greatest creativity and joy.

reached singapore

well reached sing, took rest , from monday busy for a week,
ramesh flight was at 3 pm , and mine 12 pm yesterday, couldnt meet but spoke to each other.
nothing else same old place
bye
gou

hi everybody,

went to trichy to see rameshs mum.  its depressing to see such a strong willed person totally dependant on others for everything. is this the way to end ur life. people forget what u were and remembere only the last sad days.   all of us need to be more compassionate.

busy house hunting as usual.  its a weekend hobby waiting for property plus , scanning the suitable houses , a few calls and then decide ---better luck next week.

hoping to see everyone during diwali.
kapu

i'm coming home

i'm coming home tomorrow!!!!!!!
........................
and thats about it.

congrats

congrats to pc and kalu
mine was latest, but now old,
swift is an excellent car, happy driving,
take care
gou

At last, at last ....

Finally, we've got a new car and PC has a car registered in his name !

The new Maruthi swift.

He's now too worried (about scratches and so on) to take it out :-)

But then I might if he leaves it at home, so it will go out soon