Petrichor

Swamiji(Swami Sukhabodhananda) was here in the bay area, last weekend & what a presence he made! Honestly, I've never heard of Shiva sutras before. Swamiji beautifully unfolded the truth, of course in his own, humurous style. His famous Mulla Nazrudin jokes & the importance he lays on understanding things, rather than blindly follow them may seem unorthodox to many people. But once you get out of your barrier & start trying to see what we are all seeing, the truth is mystical. I am at loss of words to explain what he covered in his 2 day discourse. I should buy the VCD to have it all sink in what-Swamiji-calls "Uttar Pradesh". :-) If the discourses on Aug 24 & 25 amazed people, another bunch of us considered nothing short of blessed to attend his Relationship Matrix workshop on Sunday, Aug 26th. I am sure of others too, but I roared with laughter. Swamiji is so funny. For all those who missed the workshop, there's always another one. You can always a...

Madras le, Summer le RAIN!!! I am yet to recover from that shock. And now this . God! What else is going to change before I go back to India?

Being Orthodox is very personal, meaning it works to personal convenience. Some people claim to be very orthodox, but having come to US are unable to maintain all that. So, if you are a NRI, you escape, but if you are in India, consider yourself tortured, eh ! A couple days ago, I happened to meet an aged friend, who belongs to a very orthodox tamil brahmin community. OR so she said. She constantly found something from my family's practices & contradicted it as to why they don't follow that & how different (& extremely madi they were). Well, I assume that I am unorthodoxy(traditional to an extent, but unorthodox). I did not want to start an argument for the simple reason, I had no intentions of changing her or her ways. She had every reason to feel her way & I had every reason to feel mine. But sometimes, I wonder. In this "community" or "caste" race, do we drop our humane somewhere? Often in concentrating on the bug picture, do we lose the...

It is nice to see someone from your own country once in a while. When you are in California, it happens more than once. Well, here's the deal! If they don't smile at you, be happy. If they do, it means they are in for a catch. No prize for the right guess-Amway!!! I cannot believe that after so many years, we can still not evade such people. A guy(R), just walked by at Albertsons late saturday night while we were walking out. He smiled at my husband. My husband did look baffled, confused & everything in that order. R was trying all possible ways to recollect from where hubby looked familiar. Poor hubby was tired after a long day & least interested in talking. A minute later, R thrusts his v card into hubby's palm & forcefully gets our phone#. Poor hubby gave the correct #. R works for Google, so he would not use a cheap Amway trick-says hubby. Right the next day, R calls in to talk to hubby. We had visitors & dropped the call very courteously. If he calls i...

Arasan andru kolvan. Deivam ninru kollum. Proof I am not sure that I agree or disagree with the sentence, but I have sympathy towards this star. He has gone through hell in his personal life. Apparently, Hell is not enough! The delay in Munnabhai 3 is a shame though. Not too far, but a selected few stars are in line too! "Producers, be ware!"

Our sudden plans to go out camping did not work out due to sheer laziness. Weekend Vetti- Officers ! To make up, we played some long lost shuttle at a nearby park...loved it! I happened to go to an Indian grocery shop(that I generally don't prefer going to). "Okra $0.99/lb" did make me go in happily, though. Pona, it was a mini thiruvizha there. I could not help think that Parents who come here from India have a ball in the Indian stores. They discuss so much. I felt like rushing over to tell, "mami, its just a bigger version of our local market". All the Okra was pretty much gone. While I was thadavifying whatever was left, I could not help overhear people say, " Ayyo amma, vendakai kadaikave kadaikathu; ippo theriyartha, ivlo kootathle nan epdi thaniya vanthu vanguven? That's why I bring him along ". And their sweet ammas reply, " theriyarthu ma. romba kashtam thaan ". Indian Grocery shopping is a major event here!! Watched Babel too!...

My happiness exceeded all boundaries when I found a copy of 'Harry Potter 7' at a friend's place & was glad to share her extra copy with me. Needless to say, that I talked, walked, ate Harry Potter over the weekend! Anyways, the book is amazing;I simply loved it. Duh! This was the first time ever I managed to grab a book on the release date. I did read reviews(gladly stuck to those that did not reveal the story & spoil the fun). This book is definitely my favorite among the entire series, followed closely by 'Half-Blood Prince'. But half-way into the book, I could not help but realize that there is going to be no more of Harry Potter. As someone said, I wish Potter could go to school a couple more years. :-( Quite a fistful of the good guys die :-(. But I can live with it. The fact that a lot of Dumbledore in this book makes up for the fact that he is not alive anymore. He is truly the hero. Me felt that there is no Harry Potter without Dumbledore. Well! he...

I am an ardent Harry Potter reader/fan. There is no way I can miss a movie/not read a book however bad it can get. As I mentioned before, " Order of the Phoenix " is definitely not my fav(too long & too many things happen), I was witnessing this amazing reviews on IMDB & friends about the special effects. Unfortunately, Gandalf continues to be Dumbledore(Gandalf can be Gandalf! He cannot be Dumbledore!!! *personal lamenting*). Also, this was the first part I was watching after reading the book. Initially, I used to wait until I watched the movie before reading the book, so I remain unknown of what was going to happen. Guess what: I should've continued doing that. But that means I would have to wait over a year to read the book. No way! This movie is a total let down according to me. Well! I did not see the movie to know what happens. I knew it. Just wanted to see it visually. But, all those small things that made the book complete, were missed out on the movie. Th...

Sivaji- the Boss I was rather forced to watch "Sivaji" last weekend. By this time, the blogosphere is already filled with the movie's reviews & clips. But, hear me, as a non-Rajini fan! Firstly, my better half is an ardent fan of the Superstar (he clapped in the theatre when the name came up on the screen "&*#@!") I am not a big fan of anyone in the Tamil film industry. My humble view that Tamil movies lack a lot of logic(realization dawned with the familiarity of English movies) remain strong. So, there I go. Camera3 in San Jose downtown had probably fewer than 25 people.(almost a month after the release, so justified!!!) Then the movie started to a few claps(US version of "biggles", I guess) & there it started. It is a known fact that the make-up artist did a fantastic job! Rajini looked 20 yrs younger. Shriya looked beautiful too. I did read a couple of reviews that the movie is a spoon of "Gentleman", a bunch of "Anniyan...

You Have Not Been Ruined by American Culture You're nothing like the typical American. In fact, you may not be American at all. You have a broad view of the world, and you're very well informed. And while you certainly have been influenced by American culture (who hasn't?), it's not your primary influence. You take a more global philosophy with your politics, taste, and life. And you're always expanding and revising what you believe. Has American Culture Ruined You?

I am back after a short visit to my dentist. I was so glad to find a Tamilian-Indian dentist & was trying to explain my pain to her in Tamil. Wow! Though she understood whatever I said, she never said a word in Tamil. Is she breaking any code if she converses in any language but English? It surprises me! I see Mexicans converse in Spanish whenever they meet. Even people from other parts of India converse in their mother-tongue when they meet someone from their land. I am not promoting my language here, nor do I believe in the correlation between patriotism & languages. But come on, a little drop of English sure does not hurt, does it? Or is it just me?

I am sitting in the airport now, ready(or probably not) to go home. What a trip! What an experience! I met a whole bunch of people whom I've never met in my entire life. I ended up doing all that I planned, a little that I did not plan. All turned out for the good. I really don't know if my mind is heavy with 2 weeks of vacation or light with the relief that I've landed in Alaska. It surely is a great land! The people are amazing too! Well, I am dozing off right now. Sleepy flight home :-(

Today is a continuation of my life-changing experience in Alaska. I met so many animals & so many different people. Interestingly, most of the people I met have been to India. And all of them love the place. I even wrote "Vanakkam" in tamil in one of the homes. Travellers are so open & practical. No airs. Its probably the travel that made them so. I, so long, a learner. And yeah! I was an instrument in murdering close to a million bugs :( Part of life!

I am on the road now & have opened my thinking cap, probably. "Innikenna kelame naalaikenna kelame Ada naalpaathu naalpathu thunggathedaa Ponaa thirumbathudaa vaalke perumbaaduda" Sivakasi sonna correct a thaane irukum :-) This road trip has been intimidating my ego so far. I have experienced so much that made me realize that we are not on the top of the food chain. Some things exist, they cannot be possessed. ALASKA is a living example. Keeping my arms open to embrace what the day offers!

Just a random thought crossed my mind while I was entering Walmart this morning(don't bother about that; my mind thinks of a million things at the least expected times). Why do I blog? Why do people blog? Interestingly, I came up with these options. 1. I have a lot to say & nobody to hear. 2. I observe a lot that is cool to pen down. 3. I want to hear other's views on what I feel & write. 4. Just a hobby. 5. Lots of time to kill. 6. Everyone has a blog these days. 7. When I read other's blog or write my own, I think a lot. In the process of writing, I end up observing even more of what is happening around me. Just WOL! (Wondering Out Loud)

I am from a Catholic school & I more or less know the life of Jesus. I've never watched "The ten commandments" during Good Friday or Easter back in India. I can be unpredictable when it comes to such movies. I happened to pick this dvd from the library last week. Wondering how easily I got hold of such a hard-to-get movie, I later realized that it was the Hebrew version. I would not have understood head or tail of it but for the subtitles. It started slow, but I got into it soon enough, probably because, I knew bits & pieces of the story already. On the other hand, the movie put my hubby to sleep after mentioning that I like & watch all "saamy padams" :-) No doubt, the movie was gross & grueling when it came to showing the torture on Jesus. I would gladly throw up on some of those scenes ie., when the Jew soldiers fit a thorned fence on his head, the prior torture scene beating him until the very last crucification. No one deserves such torture f...

We planned to stay back home for Memorial day weekend. A local hike found its way one day! Dipsea trail from Muir Woods to Stinson Beach. RT 10 miles. Photos from the hike:

The time to be happy is now The place to be happy is here And the way to be happy is to make someone happy.... This old song from school just flashed my mind :)

A poem I came across for Mother's day written by a mother. "I love you" - Carl Sandburg I sit here quietly Watching them while they sleep I wonder And my heart is torn How my love for them Grew so strong That I feel breathless It sometimes even hurts Yet I am never tired Of watching their little faces As they sleep. I can see That they are running In their dreams Their legs move Back and forth... Are they on a beach? Or in green grass fields? So what if when I am tired They ruin the room again Are they not the reasons Which makes me forget every pain Oh Lord! Tell me How possibly could I live? Before I was a mother I never knew this bliss. Be thoughtful for your mom always and treat your mother like a princess everyday. That can be the most wonderful gift to your mom.

I have my own reservations about Walmart & their products. I shop selectively though. For a minute, I thought differently. Last saturday, I had to be somewhere & I was late. Only when I entered the car, did I realize I did not have my purse, which had my license(& credit cards & SSN card & Costco card & ATM card & a couple of blank checks)! I had to be somewhere. So, sweet hubby brought along some books(to read while I was gone) to give me a ride, wait there a couple hours before he could pick me up. :-) Half way, I realized I could not concentrate there when I had lost my purse. So, made a U turn home & check & re-check where all I had been. Ran a flash back & soon realized Walmart was my last stop. So, called them. The lady at 'lost & found' was on a break. I was asked to call back in an hour. Knowing my nature, hubby offered to drive there & check out personally, thinking we may give better information about where I ' might...