Happy New Year everyone!!!

May all of us prosper and this blog prosper too !!

pics

mom bday......:)

hey people...........
this was moms birth day party....suprise 4 everyone ( including me i swear)..
well my job was 2 get my gold fish bowl ready by 23 mor... it was my gift... well wat happ in mor i had no clue cause i got up very late and was nt able 2 meet mom
.......
evevnin at around 4 30 around 10 of my friends bargeded into the house...... i just loved the expression on dad s face they got a cake wit and said its mom s party.... party was arranged and my friends were all called by priyanka ...hats off 2 her.....well they waited 4 some tima and as usual mom was late soo many had 2 go back .... dad kept the snacks goin by fryin some frozen snacks......then she arrived and after the suprice and the snow sprayin she cut the cake had some snacks.....then took all my friends to kfc in sky walk.....
came back and went wit dach prasanth and anandi attai 2 buharies....had a interestin time as they compared the new one 2 the old............................

memories floodin back...............

a restless night. not able 2 sleep peacefully. something was jus botherin my mind. got up and sat next to the window , had a look at the phone . it was 1 in the mor. next day was my chem half yealy exam. but i knew the tension was not the cause of my restlessness. looked out of the window. it was rainin heavily. somethin white ran past. was it real or was it jus my imgination............ but i found the cause mind was bothered about sandy.......... i jus sat and jus recolleceted everythin

the first time i saw it wit its sis. all black pups but this was unique fawn.... knew this was the one 4 me my perfect birthday gift...took it back home in our red maruthi.....7007. wit dad going on about how it will make the seats dirty..... remember the 1st time we left it wit kalai perima while we had 2 go 2 coimbatore.....haru was scared soo scared that they left it in a big blue tub and it used 2 bark the house down......

chinna pattti feedin it wit coffee...... used 2 wonder how it likes it until mom explained jus like i lov ice cream it loves coffee. the fight which mom and dad had about takin sandy 2 bangalore........was jus sittin shocked.....

every time we went 2 rajamundiry would wait 2 return home 2 see it.......emember the time it had its puppies,...... and every time we sold one it reall hurt but thats life


well they say u oly miss somethin when it leaves....and its very true.....its left a void in my life......a gr8 companion and a lovin creature..............


i can feel tears runin down my face saw the time again it was 3 ....i seriously needed some sleep....soo went back 2 bed and .............mor went to mom and asked mom how about gettin a dog............. and i think everyone can guess the ans

The Show Will Go On

Bad news. Karthy, falling down the stairs ( who pushed her ???)cracked her tail bone and now, can't sit down.Just a week before her long-planned India trip.

But, belonging to the stoic Rao Sahib strain, is sticking to her plans and will be here soon.

Birthday wishes

Cheerful, scatterbrained, hardworking,ambitious, ready to help, cracker of mad and bad jokes, the despair of her husband, the light of her son's lives, the favorite of all nieces, youngest in the pecking order but determined not to stay there... we all love to have her light presence around.


Happy Birthday Kapu

hi lalli ammachi, gg here. pictures are wonderful. hasini looks extremely cute..wen r u planning to come to INDIA? give my love to chelvi akka..hope she's doing well...no time to keep posting on the site cos of the li'l devil...DHRUV.....

Hasini in Grandma's house at Hattiesburg

some more photos for you.
Thanks giving day dinner--Chelvimma the chief chef. some pictures taken at gulf port near gulf of Mexico--some in my house--
Lalli Aunty

God Gave me A Real Angel

Hello! Every one,
I really had a wonderful time with my little princess Hasini.Her birthday was celeberated before Jan.29th.My grand daughter enjoyed her break with grand-ma.
I am attaching few photos for you all.
Lalli aunty

Hey

Hello everyone

Am settled in Chennai finally, looking for a job right now. So sort of an accidental housewife :DD We stay in Thiruvanmiyur, right next to the beach, so everyone is welcome :) Its interesting and hair raising at the same time - the process of running a house. I enjoyed setting it up, and getting everythign in order. I was pleasantly surprised to discover i actually like cooking :)) So im kinda enjoying this break from work for a while.
Looking for a job now is rather frustrating, especially with the smaller number of companies here. But i am developing a thick skin, goign to a lot of interviews and getting rejected. Im kinda turning into a pro I think :d

Details of my ordeal are here - http://ootyblues.blogspot.com/2009/12/horrows-of-new-household.html


Darshini

I am at home !

For those of you who look at the blog and dont contribute ( thats mainly me ! ) a few lines to break the monotony of seeing Goutham's pic
Came back today home sweet home takes a few days for everyone to accept me among their midst and then it seems time to go !
I dont know if thats a good thing !
Work is as usual, life goes on ,,
whats happening with the others ,,
Ravi

listen kalu kapu, anandhi

listen three musketeers, who is going to shed that ten kilos before 29 th march, 2010


i still pity them , as i have lost 2 kilos already, u can listen to chittis good words , and try to lose few kilos atleast, any way all the best,
remember, loser pays rs 1000 each
goutham

To add fuel to the fire

Dear children,
Eat all that you like. Do not even spare three scoops of vanilla,strawberry and chocolate almond ice cream in one cup . Simply enjoy.Eat rice or rice cake, wheat or chapathi, corn or corn bread cholam or chola kali, ragi or ragi malt makes no difference. Eat all fruits you like .Do not even spare ZiZiphus ZuZuba ( Ilandai). I dont want you all to be a cave man.----Well now listen to me. EXERCISE, EXRCISE AND EXERCISE. Yes. Sweat it out. Just 30 minutes exercise and walk keeps you glowing in color and complexion. Good Sleep ,Good food, Good thoughts makes you younger for ever. OK OK OK OKayvaaaaaa?
Lalli Aunty

Hi... how about adding a guilt to everyone....

Eat Less Rice!The human body was never meant to consume rice! You see, our genes have hardly changed in more than 30,000 years. However, our food choices and lifestyle have changed dramatically. . The caveman would hardly recognise our food or way of life.

Caveman food was never cooked as fire was not yet tamed. Thus, he ate only those foods that you can eat without treatment with or by fire.. He ate fruits, vegetables, fish (sushi anyone?), eggs, nuts and meat. Yes, even meat! You can even eat meat raw if you were starving in the forest. You have the necessary enzymes to digest meat.

However, rice, like wheat and corn, cannot be eaten raw. It must be cooked. Even if you were starving in the desert, you cannot eat rice in the raw form. This is because we do not have the system of enzymes to break rice down. You were never meant to eat rice. To make matters worse, you not only eat rice, but also make it the bulk of your food.

Rice becomes sugar - lots of it!This is a fact that no nutritionist can deny: rice is chemically no different from sugar. One bowl of cooked rice is the caloric equal of 10 teaspoons of sugar. This does not matter whether it is white, brown or herbal rice. Brown rice is richer in fibre, some B vitamins and minerals but it is still the caloric equal of 10 teaspoons of sugar. To get the same 10 teaspoons of sugar, you need to consume lots of kangkong-10 bowls of it.

This complete anti-oxidant rainbow is necessary for the effective and safe utilisation of sugar. Fruits come with a sugar called fructose. However, they are not empty calories as the fruit is packed with a whole host of other nutrients that help its proper assimilation and digestion.

Rice has no fibre.The fibre of the kangkong fills you up long before your blood sugar spikes. This is because the fibre bulks and fills up your stomach. Since white rice has no fibre, you end up eating lots of 'calorie dense' food before you get filled up. Brown rice has more fibre but still the same amount of sugar.

Have 'riceless' meals.
Take no rice or wheat at say, breakfast..
Go for eggs instead.Go on 'riceless' days.
Go 'western' once a week.
Take no rice and breads for one day every week.That can't be too difficult.

Appreciate the richness of your food. Go for taste, colours and smells. Make eating a culinary delight.
Enjoy your food in the original flavours.
Avoid the salt shaker or ketchup. You will automatically eat less rice.
Eat your fruit dessert before (Yes! No printing error) your meals.
The fibre rich fruits will 'bulk up' in your stomach.
Thus, you will eat less rice and more fruits..

It's your life. Decide what you want to eat! But eat less rice!

So have I done my job right.. ??? (appadi ippo thaan nimathi aachu... cos i felt guilty after reading this article... yaam petra inbam peruga intha vaiyagam.. )

So who is going to join me on a rice, wheat free diet?!!?!?!?

Anandhi

The Power of Nature

This is to give you an idea of the extent of damage





Courtesy prince Patrick

Hello! all of you,
I am just feeling great after moving to Hattiesburg, Mississippi state. To day I am more nervous. Why ? My daughter is visiting my home with her daughter. Oh! She left me in 2002. After 7 years she is visiting her mother. To think of this day, I could not even sleep. I made everything for my little princess arrival. I even tied a swing in the Backyard where I have a Low branched Pear Tree. She has every thing ready. Now I am heading to the Air port. More I would add after their arrival.
Lalli Aunty

tamil film song concert

Just came back from a concert of tamil film songs. The standard of singing and playing was incredibly good. They played to a packed house of about 400 people.
The surprise was almost the whole troupe was made up of practising DOCTORS, there were a few consultant anesthetists who were on percussion instruments - they have the time to keep drumming, paediatricians who could sing well - extension of their job of communcating with their patients.
I really wish I could play a musical instrument

home oxygen etc

Thought I would share my experience.
I was visiting a patient at her home with severe chest problems. She had home oxygen concentrator, a machine in one room with long oxygen tubes to transport the oxygen wherever she needed.
As I was examining her she was turning bluer and bluer with lack of oxygen, and she was trying to tell me something from behind the oxygen mask with great difficulty...
Then it struck me and I saved her life
I was standing on her oxygen tube
At home that evening told Shobha 'Honey I saved another life today'

advance warning,

dear sindhu,and everyone else.
my birthday is coming, and sindhu this is to remind u and the others that u have ample time to think of some nice poetryto wish me. it should be better than ur mothers !!!!!!
its lovely to see the sun again after 4 days of rain.

kapu

Thank God for the basics

After 3 days without power, I am thanking God for the basics - water, light, heat, food, phone, television, good health, family.

Ooty has been badly hit by the cyclone. Landslides,fallen trees, fallen houses, flooded houses, road blocks, power and so many lines down, one dam breached, bridge broken, 38 dead.
Even our house has a minor landslide and two trees felled by strong winds. It is a shock to see this right here although we see it on tv so many times.

Ill health has been doing the rounds of our family too. Athai, Kundavi, Mama, Ravi, Aswatha. I hope people are getting better. Ravi are you okay. Athai has recovered enough to venture out of the bedroom occasionally. But has got people thinking about old age, the need to keep fit mentally and physically and be as independent as possible.

My birthday was spent getting her discharged and making arrangements at home for oxygen and home care. Lots of confusion and lots of rain. Birthday got buried somewhere. But Sindhu's message has made up for that. And the two gifts I received. kalai had to give me cash since kapu pinched the saree she brought for me.
Thanks Aunty for the wishes.

hi ravi is down with flu . hope u are better now.
in the span of i week ihad the oppurtunity to travel by bus, train and flight. and all i can say is give me a train anytime , u cna stretch ur leg any time, go visit the toilet whenever u wish, and have ur feet firmly on the ground ,without night mares on what will happen to ur family if the plane crashes.
kapu

Belated Birthday Wishes

to the woman who is ever young, and always looking for new things to do

who hates to waste a day and is always brimming with ideas

who is an MBA without the degree

who has an awesome sense of humour

who never hovers, but is always there - encouraging and supporting

to the woman to raised two awesome daughters ( the younger one slightly more so!)

happy birthday amma

you're simply the best

diwali

Had my busiest Diwali for years, Anya was meant to be away with Aircadets for the weekend. It was cancelled at the last minute. In one breath she informed me of the cancellation and that she had invited five of her friends to a diwali party, food, fireworks and a sleepover. With a lot of hectic last minute shopping got everything ready, they spent screaming the night as they were watching ghost stories on youtube. And today had to take her to our expensive shopping mall to buy clothes. She is off to Germany tomorrow with school, and like most girls .. women,,
SHE HAS NOTHING TO WEAR.

Got a diamond pendant for Shobha, asked her if she liked it.... after some hesitation she told me it was small

Some you lose and some you lose,

SEASONS GREETINGS babu

The President Celebrates Diwali

This link was sent by Kumari.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SuiAW_6XKVM

and a part of it is in
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_VRb9lGjeFY

At least watch the first part and last of this one.

its over:-(((

Deepavali does seem to have set off nostalgia abut how good it was. (good material for our book on sivananda colony) Ravi, that was terrific writing about your sartorial adventures. Truly, clothes were so few and meant so much. And the sweets and preparations!
I can remember going off to a permanent ‘sale’ called Missing link about 10 times in a row to consider, buy and exchange .. How much heartache and though and confusion was behind that one set of clothes.
Why isn’t it so good these days? Im glad I don’t have to buy clothes in a Tirupur sale any more. But still, this time I didn’t even make an attempt to buy any. Because we know we can buy new clothes any time?
But maybe we have to change our mind set about how it should be and move on to different kinds of activities? As Kap says the kids don’t like the old traditions of getting up early; distributing sweets …sharing so much. However hard we try to get them to like it. We have to try harder to keep ourselves and the kids entertained. Like Kap and family going to Vedanthangal for the day. The old traditions are falling away and maybe we have to come up with more new ones. Like calling up everyone on the cellphone. And cutting down on tv.
But whatever we do, I think its important that we get to together as much as possible. That shouldn’t change.

ps: kap we did eat your chinese burfi..without a suthi.Keep going.. its the trying that matters

hi folks,
diwali has come and gone. but we older generation are still nostalgic about the older dys when money was scarce but fun and anticipation made up for it.
i remember as ravi says looking at the diwali dress days before we actually getting to wear it. opening and counting the crackers again and again hundreds of time before diwali . comparing it on the sly with karthis lot, has she been given anything extra. getting woken up at 4,ooam and having a head bath. rushing to be the first one on the street to burst crackers. and of coursecheerfully rushing to give sweet to neighbours when young and being forced to as we grow older.
this time it was harus reluctant turn i think .
so i do try a liitle to bring back the rituals for the kids ,which of course they dont appreciate and think it is a load of bullshit. but arleast for me sanjay is still young enough to be enthusistic. i made two sweets ,both a variation of the burfi type one grrn and one pink. sanjus choices. one wass too hard and the other too soft. i did think of mixing the two. and of course each diwali i compare the sweets i make to chinna baby chithis mysore pak which required a suuthi to break from the plate,.


kapu

happy diwali to all

kalyani kindly chk this pic

No Joy Ahoy !

I still remember the days before diwali being given some money to choose one dress (pant and shirt),,, buying the material after visiting a few shops and then giving it to the tailor ( a few recomendations from friends on which is the decent one without paying through the nose) who then proceeds to measure you ,spending many uncomfortable moments at the groin, takes mesaurement twice,,, finds out if you are a shoe type or a slipper type ( i always said sometimes shoe and sometimes slipper ( i didnot own a shoe then ! )and then finding out the trial date for the pant and then going there trying it on ,,, and then giving him the thumbs up and then taking it home and keeping it before the pooja and not wearing it, touching it and seeing it a few times on diwali eve

waking up early and then putting it on and walking out and feeling everyone's eyes were on you and envious of the masterly colour choices you had made and the fine lines of the tailor --- wait wait invariably he would have messed things up and i had to stand straight 90 degrees my legs held together otherwise innumerable wrinkles will fall on all ends
but still it was fun

I can walk into any shop and walk out with five sets of clothes if i want and i think a few days ago bought about 7 shirts etc but was it fun NO NO NO NO
Happiness is along the road not at the end of it ,,,,,,

Ravi

Happy Deepavali

I hope everyone is planning to celebrate deepavali wherever you are.Each one of us is a little bit lonely on these festive days, all of us being separate and far away but lets make the best of the day wherever we are and celebrate with whoever is around.

Darshini has been here for a month and a half; the longest period she has ever been home after leaving for college 8 years ago. We had a good time, reading, chatting, tv watching and doing lots of eating. Sindhu was home for a few days and left home a bit enviously.
Since Prashanth also came for a few days; I've been doing a lot of cooking.
And then experimenting with sweets. If you are housebound; then cooking is one activity that is enjoyable if there are people to eat.
So in order of success, badam halwa,gulab jamuns, coconut burphies, somaas, mottulad(only in our house do we call them so - otherwise I've heard maida biscuits, kalakal..)and ottu pakoda.

Sweet making should only be embarked upon when there are at least 3 willing pairs of hands at home. Its really labour intensive.

And it really brings back memories of Amma getting ready andas of sweets. The hustle and bustle in the house and ho she was always trying to keep our hands out of the andas but we could always get around the athais who would give us our due.

Nowadays ; people mostly buy the sweets outside. All terrifically planned and packaged. Aesthetic but the spirit of the occasion seems to be missing. Very few crackers and lots of tv watching.

The tow of us plan to go to coimbatore for deepavali and will be joined by Kalai, Mrg and poor Haru (poor because she is the only junior and will have to go all the houses to distribute the sweets)
Will post pics later

happy deepavali

Congrats to Aunty

Hearty congrats and you have shown all of us how to keep working and forget about age etc,I do remember many many years ago when i was in school Damodaran Uncle (aunty's father ) telling me one day My Daughter will get the Nobel Prize, I thought he certainly has lofty views and ambitions for aunty ! But later on one day when i had completed medicine etc and was talking about some new recombinant technology etc of which i had a vague idea she floored me with an indepth view and today after this appointment and looking back at various things I am sure with the right environment Aunty would have been breaking new grounds in research,and would have been in the running for the prize,

Have a blast and a party and I dont need to tell Aunty to have fun as she always does where ever she is !
Ravi

Director Research and Development

Hello All of you,
Here is a Good news to all of you. I have been appointed as the Director for research and Development in a company named Biosoil Enhancers,in Hattiesburg, Mississippi State.I would be joining by 15th October.This is a turning point in my Second phase of life.I have signed 3 years contract.
Lalli Aunty

Memories

All of us have memories of 90 sivananda colony or we wouldn't be here.
Can each person contribute their memories of the house and people there so we can put it all together in a kind of booklet for Appa's birthday on Feb 6th.
Lets' celebrate people while they are still alive.

Please send in your thoughts either by mail to me or post them on the blog here. Please do start thinking abut this.

Survived Swine Flu

Anya came down with it on Friday, with quite a high fever , bodyache and vomiting.The govt here has made it easy to get hold of Tamiflu, so started it for her on Sunday after a day of watchful waiting. Anya made a slow recovery.
Valli who is Shobha's carer followed it a high fever and bodyache, she has never had anything like it before. She was reluctant to take any medicine finally convinced her to take tamiflu. She is still not out of the woods yet.
I have not been affected by it and Shobha has not had it (touchwood). I don't know how I did it but managed to look after the invalids and somehow juggled work in between. Had a postpone a few meeting etc.
It is pretty annoying when you have patients with really trivial symptoms when you have a lot of things on your mind. (which is very common in the uk as patients don't have to pay to see their doctor)
Can't wait for the end of the week. Am taking Anya to watch Man Utd play Sunderland on Saturday.
Had to turn down a offer of a VIP ticket last Wednesday when they were playing a German team. Things that you have to sacrifice for your family eh

Hello

I am so out of it, that it took me a few mintues to figure out how to post...

Thanks for the bday wishes...went well, with uthra making me a jewellery box out of a show box and Surya making an effort to wish me..vishy got me a bunch of chocolates which the kids eat...

I am logging in from work for the first time...so you may see me on the blog more often.

Got my dates for the trip.. Leaving vancouver on 26th dec, reaching blore on 28th morning and
Return on 4th feb via blore.
In the 5 weeks i have to visit blore, cbe, delhi,
Kerala, hydrebad and bombay optional.
My frined joins me on the 9th of jan and returns with me...she is a seasoned traveller, so doesnt need me..
I am hoping i get volunteers to take her around...
kerala, madurai - mysore, ooty are her main choices, of course she will come to delhi with me...
So you can see, i have complicated my trip even before reaching India...

Ravi when are you there.
Everyone please post the days you are free in Jan 2010.

Back home and shivering

Thanks everybody for your good wishes. Now recuperating in Ooty under the (un)kind care of Dachu. Can reveal more only after she leaves... that's in a week.

Actually its rather nice not to do anything.. rather to be so relieved of housewifely responsibilities so that One can choose to be unwell enough not to make dosais or anything else. :-) would recommend this state to all mothers and housewives once in a while.

Well Ravi, rather you than me. I cant remember any of those topics. But the Pythagoras theorem, yes.

trip when kar comes .. possibe choices..Goa, Cochin, Swami Malai, mahabalipuram. Choices dictated by presence of Sterling which sterling owners could sponsor.
Kap, hope you are in training for marathon. the pookolam looks great specially if it was impromptu.

Exams and other matters

After a long time I had the time to be with the kids when their exams were on,Normally I am there when they are either at school or during holidays and it was nice to see a diff aspect of their life,
I looked into the book and saw some old topics that i remembered pascal's law,the eosin moving up the stem of the plant experiment,remember those diagrams and experiments and those values that had to be exact (helped by friends and teachers !)
I dont think the portions have really increased but the intensity with most kids read has changed,In my class a few used to read whereas these days i think many in each class study and so it is tougher to get ahead

any thoughts on a trip when kar is around not too far maybe a couple of days , I will bring the projector and we can watch a few movies
if vishy is around we can ask him to do an indian barbecue ,come on vishy make it here

if we plan ahead we can get a big gathering including sindhu,gg haru dachu,saroj,sandhya and the whole gang

lets see what happens,,
Ravi

dear kar,

how was ur birth day. did the kids and vishy bake the cake. any outing?
with kalu on a forced rest at coimbatore the blog has slowed down especially with goutham and ravi also at coimbatore.

exam fever at home currently.

babu, we are having a chennai marathon on 27th. the only thing which looks feasible to me is the wheelchair segment which is 500 mts. the next least is the 7 km run which is too much to even think of. they have got the chefs of all hotels practising for the run at the marina so that they spread the awareness of diabetic low fat diet.
kapu

Birth day Wishes to Karthy

Dear Karthy,
Happy Birth day (Sep.13th).Your days would be bright and prosperous. May God bless you with all the best in the world.
Loving Lalli aunty

Dr.Era Janarthanam's Birth Day

Dear All,
It was a great event indeed to watch all interesting news rolling down in 90,Sivanandha colony. Today is 9th September, I remembered the great Herculean,s (Dr.Janarthanam) Birth day. It has been said that people can think only in images and not in reality. So let me call upon those who have been associated with him , no matter a few minute association , an absolute or full to wish him a Happy Birth day .(September 9th),and join me in wishing him a Long and healthy life.My memories are flashing out here and there in Montieth Lane. 1975-when I had the contact with this spectacular Family.How the great Dr.Ravi, Goutham, Kumar living with us not less than 10 years.All others just blooming associations ,experiences,good and bad very difficult to get the words to say it out. I am sure every one in the Blog would have taken some help from him in his old political crazy days. Now it is our duty to show the little ones who is Mullu Mama and how he is related to you.
Please join me to wish him A Happy Birth Day. I know those who are in Madras would have watched his recent Sivaji drama.
Loving Lalli Aunty

other guests.

chithi and chitappa all the way from pallavaram with gomu after night duty.

both chithis looked good in green outfits.
chitappa and chithi enjoying the paper

valasarvakkam group.

mamma looked a bit off colour.
kapu

a few snaps of our grahapravesam as they seem to be the happening thing on the blog.
standard kuthuvilaku pookolam with on the spot flowers and leaves.
some of the early guests.

hi

hi everyone,

just settling down after the grahapravesam.
90 % of the guests were from my side. house is ok but everybody was commenting about lack of grill at the windows. and the glass fronted balcony which looked flimsy.

ok see u
kapu

house warming pics

hi all...uploading few pics of the house warming ceremony....u can see dhruv's gone up and u guys can't imagine his tantrums.....