Vacation

kal- whats this tuition group?
Ravi - medha looks like aswatha?

I have 2 weeks vacation from this friday...forst 4 days will be sitting at a baseball diamond-park for surya's provincial chmapionship.(state), then 2days at home cleaning the mess and then 4 days going on a camping trip with 2 other families to cultus lake, 100kms from here...So its going to be a hectic vacation. Then 2 weeks cleaning up at my current job and 2nd september at my new job.....

Yipee- this is my life

This piece is inspired by Sindhu.

I can't say I love this place - a bit difficult when its pouring rain like now .. But I do love my house and especially when its empty like now :-)))))))))

getting up to bird song and not an alarm .. when I feel like it..
being free from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m to go out, browse, watch tv, eat or do nothing.....
being able to buy whatever books I want finally instead of textbooks....
not having to listen to some awful music all day long....
been on a diet for the past week and have lost 200gm
have a nice gossip group on telephone
have an appreciative group for my blog
have a team mate who earns the money for all expenses
have a tuition group who are my evening entertainment
only have to do basic cooking since there are no demanding kids
I can use the computer/tv whenever I want to
Im healthy and happy

doesnt this sound like a great life?

Come on lets hear it from everyone....

hi everybody,

life is hectic.  just got the income tax filed after loosing all ramshs accounts and details. had to listen to a lot of ----- before i found them in the nick of time that is on 28th.  

sanjay is going as noddy for his class fancy dress. my choice as it was supposed to be easy and cheap but slowly turningg nerve racking as i have to make a thermocol car ,paint it, get a noddy cap from i dont know where and sinmultaneously teach him 8 lines of the noddy song about the car. all this by 2nd august.

please somebody help. suggestions and ideas are welcome.  sajit is brimming with ideas---as a couch potatoe.  maybe he can go as one for his scholl fancy dress. i am sure he will win it.

i remember dressing one of the kids as a potatoe ,

yippeee... my first ever blog!

hi everyone....
back out of hibernation....
primarily writing this coz i have exams and trying to do everything except study...

since u've already heard about all the weird stuff that goes on in this place from darshini, i'm not going to bore u with all that.
but i love this place.... i really do...
getting up half an hour before class....
sleeping through the afternoon....
found a friend who likes drinking coffee at 2 in the morning...
formed a nice gossip group...
found a girl who keeps buying books i can borrow...
have a nice team mate who does most of the work in our assignments...
and too busy to be bored....

having fun,
loving life,
sindhu

ps- for people who have been complaining that i never call since i came to XIM(unlike darshini, who found the time in spite of her busy schedule?) i would like to point out that i never called up people much even when i was in madras... so at least i'm being consistent.

pps- i would like to make a very important clarification- i definitely did not describe the food here as good/tasty/nice/dont know what dachu was complaining about, or any other positive adjective. i merely said that it was not as bad as i expected... its kinda like it was at NIFT, and we merely eat to exist. so please do not stop feeling sorry for me.

whats happening

all sisters , cousins. niece and all , over konjals and lot of writings,
good, keep going , good to read too
bye from gou

Family in the News

M.Sivalingam, a dermatologist living in Sivananda Colony, points out that apartments are easy to live in because of reasons of security and maintenance.
But, these are having a huge impact on the drinking water situation in the city. Where is water for all of them , he asks.
from an article titled
Water situation may become serious -Poor monsoon will impact ground water level also, says Coimbatore Mayor.
in the HIndu dated 26.8.08

How this came about was- The Mayor dropped in to talk to Appa- he does this fairly regularly. And while they were chatting about general amenities and the opposite flats which have not been occupied because of lack of water ; the Hindu reporter called the Mayor to ask him about the serious water shortage in Cbe this year ( water is being supplied once in 4 days for two hours - situation which can drive Appa and athai around the bend as you can imagine) . Midway the Mayor handed over the phone to Aoppa who of course, took the chance to give him an earful.

Next day, he was in the paper:-))

Last week, PC's photograph appeared in two newspapers including the Hindu. To illustrate docs on strike wearing a token black badge. Locals had broken up a local nursing home when a patient died . so docs were on strike in Ooty for two days. When the reporter came to the hospital to take a photo, naturally only PC was there so he was duly photographed. Not being Appa, he didnt give him a soundbyte as well.

At this rate, we shall have to start a family album of newspaper cuttings :-)

junk mail

did a mistake with adding my post as a comment to karthis
after joining this blog i get loads of junk mail, i think google add their emails once we join, to the spam group,
i dont use gmail a lot so it doesnt matter

dachu , u certainly ruffled a few feathers by saying that dhruv is the cutest kid you have seen, i think when you have your own you will realise the cutest kid in the world is your own !!( until they grow up and start asking for money )

Subscribe to Post/feed

Hi kal..nice info on the temple...Only now getting interested in our traditions
Dachu...you said the same about Surya..cute bum to be right.
Not sure if every one has subscribed to the post, at the bottom of the blog page, the new feeds show up on my "windows live mail" as unread feed and i can read all the new postings.

comments

Hey people. please read comments too.. for instance Ravi has put in his itinerary as a comment to another post.
should find a way to keep the latest comments at the side.

dhruv

yes dhruv is nice. only thing it isnt a easy name to emphasize if u want to shout at the kid.  kalu that was a good article about thiru.....
i remember if i am right that ravi rams ear boring ceremony was held ther. please correct me if i am wrong.  all i can remember was its the first time that i saw the sacrifceof the goat and the sight dint put me off non veg at all!!! heartless arent i.

i hear that ram and family are planning a visit to chennai shortly.  hope to meet them. its been years since i saw him . i definitely wannt to meet the kids especially as i hear that they are brought up with all freedom.

kapu

Hey everyone
Just back here after a great trip home. We were mostly travelling. Chennai, Thirukadiyur, Cbe and back to Chennai. Thatha seems to have put on lots of weight. Kalai periamma and GG are doing him some good I guess :) and Dhruv is the cutest baby I have seen, of course he is mostly sleeping or crying right now.
In Mumbai after a long time the rains are starting again. I am just waiting for the floods to come so I dont have to go to office :) Office is ok. Am just getting used to the work.
Short post for now. Have to go home :))

Thirukadaiyur

Thirukadaiyur is the place to which many people go to celebrate the fact that they have lived through 60 or 80 years; but there is a catch - you can only celebrate if your spouse is alive and the second, you have to be a male.
I don't think females get to celebrate their birthdays so publicly.

In these days, it may not be so remarkable to live healthily and happily for 60 years, still its an occasion to rejoice. So last weekend found us in Thirukadaiyur, happily celebrating Umanna's birthday. There were about 20 other people to celebrating their Sashtiyaptha Poorthi though one 80 year old doing the Shathabishekam had to be revived later.

Its very festive with an elephant who comes and welcomes and escorts each couple into the temple. He must be pretty dizzy by the end of the day . Later on there is a pretty looking cow and calf doing the blessings. These are commonly shared by all the family groups gathered and sometimes, the nadaswaram troupe is shared too.

The temple is large, ancient and black with the fumes of the large number of homams going on everyday. The sanctums are dark, the stones depressed with the imprint of thousands of feet, all surfaces possible carry a layer of vibhuti or kumkum, there are traces of flowers and oil and puja debris. There is a fantastic sense of good cheer in the temple because its all about celebration.The floors are decorated with huge painted colourful kolams reflected in the very colourful and detailed gopurams.

The puja is remarkably easy to arrange with package deals now including food (good and cheap) laid on nearby; hotel rooms line the road to the temple and lots of other temples to visit in surrounding areas.

The temple deifies Markendeya who put his belief in his Lord Siva , and clung to the lingam at Thirukaidyoor resolutely when Yama came to collect him once his 16 years were up. Shiva killed Yama and blessed Markendeya with eternal youth. But of course later he forgave Yama, so Yama now guards the temple.

Another special deity is of Kalla Varanappillayar. When the devas were churning the milky ocean , they came up with amrutam.But in their haste, they'd forgotten to pray to Pillaiyar who has to be called first before embarking on any good act. He stole the pot and hid it here. Once appeased to ,he forgave and handed it over. But the amrutam transformed itself as Shivalingam - thus called 'Amrutagateshwarar'.

The third story is about Goddess Abhirami.
Abirami Bhattar, lived in blind devotion to Goddess Abirami and composed the - "Abirami Anthathi" in her name. He was branded a lunatic by his critics and they complained to the then King Sarabhoji. Sarabhoji came to the temple and asked Abirami Bhattar "what is the thithi today?" - Dissolved in deep meditation by seeing Goddess' moon-face, he replied 'today is pournami (poornima) day" whereas it was actually Amavasya Thithi. Enraged with his answer, King said "if no moon is sighted today - you will be consigned to flames". A huge fire-ball was erected. Abhirami Bhattar sat on a wooden plank above it and started singing hymns towards Goddess. When he finished, Goddess Abirami threw her ear-stud in the space, which got transformed into a full-moon, lighting the world.

Altogether a very interesting temple and a heartwarming occasion.

Back home

HI Everyone,

Its nice to get back after a week away from home and see the blog sizzling. It could of course, as all things, be better. New people have joined the group but are yet to make their maiden posts.

We've been to Tirukadaiyur for Umaanna's 60th mixed with a bit of babysitting for GG.. and so on. will post in detail later.
Karthik, when are you going to post baby pics..'Dhruv' got a rousing yes from his only periappa and periamma (Dachu and Prashanth) ; its loaded with meaning which I forget just now.

If we get teh book, then we can post the meanings of everyone's names.

Dhruv gets named on 31st July ..hopefully as Dhruv. Of course this name is getting distorted by everyone who hears it. He is keeping everyone awake and on their toes and Kalai is losing weight finally.

Unfair slide show!!!!

After the blogs I was all smiles after reading about my gorgeous outfits, but it was unfair that it was not exhibited in the slide show!!!

History seems to continue with me not in the family butterfly!!!

Kalu take a note of it...


Ravi do add Medha photos in the blog.....

anandhi

This sunday, we had been to a murgan temple..last visted 9 years ago..and the kids had thier final sloga session there. The lady teaching them is packing and returning to dubai.I made paysam as prsadam and had added salt instead of sugar!!!
Kaps i had given the husband's contact infm to ramesh by email. Her husband is working there and they have lived in dubai for over 15 years.
By the way i have found a new job as a probation officer. So the family thinks i will have a criminal mind in a few months.
Kal where is the spell check ....

nice to know

dear kar ,
nice to know that someone else is computer illiterate in our family. i feel better.
i told someone that dasavtharam was much better than sivaji and the person was shocked to the core. turned out he was a die hard rajini fan.
kapu

I am in

First Blog of my life....took me 10 mins to figure out...while i was holding on to my nature calls...

i got it.

my god atlast figured out how to write i the blog with a little help from sajit.
its good to be in link with all the family.

was just analysing that in each family it is the spouse directly linked to the rao sahib who is intrested in the blog.  so blood is thicker than the thalli 'kair'.!!!!

gg wedding anniversary is next month. so wish the new fmily.
kapu

add them on

guys and gals
please go on arecruitment drive and add people to the blog
they can just be silent members and then start contributing
surya,uthra,nandhika,sajit,saroj,anya,ash and all the others in the younger gen can be enlisted as well


ravi

well done

well done kallu
by the way the slide shows show evryone stretched, so they look more fat than they are ( or is it my wishful thinking ? )

anyway kallu - i agree rao sahib is generally given to people who tow the line ! however in life i dont think we can ever crtiticise people for the decisions that they took in the past , we were not there !! many decent people did believe in slavery,racism until it was raised as an issue

and i agree sivananda colony is good
i will upload some pics
back in town end of the month
ravi

its like the old comfortable address

138, lyolds road,

90, sivananda colny

7 montieth lane

memories flies

for every one

take care

gou

madhatters

Ive just put in whatever pics I have..its exhausting. Send in whatever you want and we can do it another day

To all...

I have yet another contact number through Airtel...

42611927

My other contact numbers remain the same..

Ravi, by the way i need your UK address...

This is great!!!!

Great idea Kallu... especially in this fast world wherein we have no time for anything other than our work and pressures of personal life....

90sivanandacolony is apt for our family as all of us have a share of joy, peace, and harmony...

Good going!!

Dachu's wedding

Pics can be viewed at :...... I think everyone has seen them. will put in links later.

The family solidly worked to put up a good show.

-Kalai ran the show at home- the menus , the food, overseeing the maids, seeing that people ate.

- MRG welcomed the guests colourfully
- Karthik sang beautifully and enthused everyone
-GG looked beautiful and serene
- Haru made a maidenly appearance
- Ravi was here there everywhere, organising cars and icecreams ( for tired underworked people) and generally being larger than life in a Texan way
special appreciation for organising an Iyer for the mappilai allaippu
- Goutham looked after his family very well, garlanded Dachu whenever asked to and organized the Registration
-Anandhi was cheerful company and added glamour with her special outfits - took care of hospitality and distribution of sweets to the family members
Greatest contribution was bringing her friend Mallika along who took care of Dachu's dressing tirelessly and her sons who took spells in the dining room to look after people- the next day though they were too well dressed to do much
- Saroj danced with great energy (as they say in the dance competitions) and brought a new flavor to the family
- Aswatha (who is getting prettier everyday) and Nandika tirelessly looked after Medha
- Kapu stage-managed all the actual rituals - nitchiyam, mapillai apllaipu and wedding without actually consulting anyone about what should be done. She did on ocasion ' who is to garland Dachu now, she would ask me?
Ravi I would say and find Goutham on stage a few minutes later..;
'I cant find Ravi anywhere '
-Ramesh harassed and managed the mapillai's family and really got things moving -otherwise nothing much would have gone on even-behind-schedule.
-Sajid was a willing worker and a very uncomplaining, sweet one - a side his parent say they have never seen .Except for his penchant for making undrinkable milk shakes and trying to get people drink them, everyone gives full marks to him.
-Equally commendable was Sindhu with her untiring energy working with Kapu ceaselessly on the thattus. She was cool and unflappable (mostly) - good MBA material
- The seniors, Appa, the two Athais looked after water at home and silently kept things working
-Nirmala Chittti kept a firm hand on rituals -very unsilently of course - but it needed her to get done in some organized fashion

have I forgotten someone? we forgot of course to take a group snap but there are lots of smaller ones. And memories

Lets get going

So we are now on. And its upto each of us to keep each other informed of what is going on in our lives. We can choose to reveal or keep our secrets. We can choose to keep our opinions or let them out loud. But please do choose to support, encourage, share pics, tell, prod, let loose as much as can.

Name- this one got the most votes. Its trendy like chennai28 or 36chowringhee lane . We can vote for another one further down the line.

Ravi, Raosahib is a title given by your govt when they were treading down on our people. (Im quoting Babu) We shouldn't be too happy that one of our not-very-illustrious family bent backwards to please the Brits and acquired this.

Lets hear opinions on our first controversy. Are you proud of the rao -sahib?