My New Home

I have moved to a new place. Visit me at Nilavan.Org

Driving Policy

I hate people trying to overtake one another on the road. When someone tries it on me, well, I overtake them: as it happens everyday!

Pointless

Many good moments have come and passed since the last post of mine - the 12 Oct, my parent's 25th wedding anniversary, Diwali, my brother's homecoming and so on. They had brought some fun and joy amidst the dry pattern. And so has the recent rains in Chennai. I have spent the better part of the last two weeks at home - thanks to the rains and the awful roads that lead to my office. Now it is a lot more gruesome than a Sunday evening - thinking of office the next day.

Hi - Q

He: 'Lets start with some IQ. Who are the Trinity?'
Me: 'Siva, Vishnu and Brahma'
He gave me a pat and said: 'I asked about the Trinity in Carnatic music'..
Me: 'Thyagaraja Baghavathar and the rest two I do not know..'
He said: 'Thyagaraja Bagavathar was a Cine actor', and after another pat -'It is Thyagaraja Swamigal. Muthuswami Dheekshidhar and Shaama Shasthrigal are the other two.'
Me: 'Oh, ok..'
He: 'Ok, what is Dha?'
(in "Sa Ri Ga Ma Pa Dha Ni Sa")
Me: 'mmm.. Its Dvaitham..'
He 'No, its Dhaivatam. So what's Ni?'
Me: 'Ni is for Nishabdham'
He: 'No, its Nishadam'

That's how my first test in music started and the rest of the performance wasn't very better indeed!

An Orison

Nalladhohr veenai seidhe - adhai
nalam keda puzhudhiyil yerivadhundo?
Solladi Sivasakthi! - Yenai
sudarmigum arivudan padaithuvittaai,

To condemn a veena skillfully made -
Is it wise - to the doom of negligence?
Speak out Goddess - you have created me
with sparkling intelligence..

Vallamai thaaraayo, indha
maanilam payanura vaazhvadharkke?
Solladi Sivasakthi! - Nila
sumayena vaazhndhida puriguvayo?

Wont you give me the ability,
to live a life beneficial to this society?
Tell me - Would you make me
a burden to this land, rather be?

Visaiyuru pandhinai pol - ullam
vendiya padi sellum udal ketten,
nasaiyaru manam ketten - Nitham
navamena sudar tharum uyir ketten,

I ask for a body that propels to my heart's will,
- an accelerated projectile to mime..
I ask for a clean mind and a pure soul
that glows anew every instant of time..

Thasayinai thee sudinum - Siva
sakthiyai paadum nal agam ketten,
Asaivaru madhi ketten, ivai
arulvadhil unakkedhum thadaiyuladho?

Though flames should finger my skin,
I seek an inner self that can sing in your praise.
I ask for unwavering astuteness -
Do you hesitate to grant me these?

- Subramania Bharathi

Shaadi

Atlast it's here! The talks about my marriage have started to surface at home. My parents feel that this is the apt age (I'll be turning 24 in exaclty a month's time!) for a boy to be married off. Their stand is a bit different from the 'No marriage until you...' kind of thing that I hear around me. But somehow I felt very odd to face this particular situation, when they ask me of what plans I have for my marriage. In fact they had a proposal at hand and asked me if it was ok. I said - not yet! I was surprised to some extent that my parents have the feeling of me having settled down to an extent that I am ready for marriage. But still, when do I get the feeling of being ready for marriage?? I do not know. And I may not have the feeling of having settled (from you career point of view, to be specific) even in my 30.

Nevertheless,I do not feel I am ready to tie the nuptial knots yet, so I have asked my parents to wait for atleast two years from now or until I tell them. Meanwhile I must also investigate if my brother is conspiring in this matter- to have 'his route cleared'. Looks like there must be a strong possibility of that here!

MindSpace

This is the second attempt to get my blog a new look and I believe this is decent better than the last one. It looks like I just change templates to the blog rather than post something. I would not contend that this is totally untrue.

I wish I would post more regularly (Is this the hundred and seventh or hundred and eightth time I am saying this? I lost my count!) as I have gifted myself this new toy - DELL Inspiron 700m. I relish its sleek look and features. The config in brief is:
Centrino 1.6GHz, 512MB RAM, 40GB HDD, CD/DVD Rewritable, 12-in Widescreen display, 1.6Kgs, 6Hrs battery backup, WinXP Home Edition.

Life's become hectic. I changed my house to the place where I am now as this was very near to my office. But as it always happens, they told me on the day I signed my rent agreement papers that the workplace is shifting to Ambattur, a good seven kilometers away from the current place. So from when I used to reach my office in a few steps, now I ride in the morning rush through the polluted traffic daily.

And in the midst of all this I am learning Violin now. About that and the rest in my next post as I am feeling very hungry now.. Its dinner time!