tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-50759686671717834212024-02-21T00:24:36.800-08:00At the end of the day...More out of the want to write than of the want to be read! Read on.. :)Nithyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15856413896265077112noreply@blogger.comBlogger15125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5075968667171783421.post-79835816256248762352012-07-28T23:49:00.000-07:002012-07-28T23:49:00.989-07:00How far within are we willing to look?There is a favorite quote of mine "If you look hard enough, you can even find God". The deeper meanings of most of our problems are right there where we are looking, just a little bit out of focus may be. Some call it experience and others call it wisdom. But it all boils down to adjusting the focus of your thoughts.<br />
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I happened to be born a Brahmin (the uppermost strata according to India's caste system). Growing up, somewhere along the line, I carried my mother's ambitions of becoming a doctor and in the course of time, I digested it and made it my own dream. I had written make-believe prescriptions, heavily dramatic and influenced by movies. When I had 291 on 300 for my college admissions, I was dejected! There is no way a Brahmin student can enter a medical college purely on merit with anything less than 298. Now isn't that gross injustice, especially if you belong to the highest caste? It would logically appear so. I ultimately got a very good education but the hurt was still there. That my birth decided my destiny and snatched my dream. And what more, a student who studied with me, in my class who got less than 270 was in a medical college, because he belonged to a backward caste. That individual had access to the same education and same opportunities as I did. Only that I wasn't fortunate enough to be born into that family. As years passed, I moved on because after all, I did make good.<br />
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Ever since, whenever I've had discussions about reservations for education, I've come to recalibrate my perspective. Time is not as short as you think it is. Answers for some questions are not sought within one's lifetime. Sometimes, not even a few generations. Just by virtue of my birth, I've had access to so much more than most others. I have also had forefathers who weren't well off, but none that had no access to education. Simply because I belonged to the caste of the learned. Folks who were relegated to be scholarly advisors, authors, priests. If not science and math, everyone who was a Brahmin was educated in something, anything. So sending me to school was anything but natural. And of course when the scholars are denied opportunities, they are unhappy. But the other side of the deal is easily forgotten or is deliberately hidden to keep our conscience clean. While today, I feel bad that I did not get the opportunity I deserved, over several hundred generations, other sections of the society have been systematically made to believe that their destinies are pre-made. Indians feel strongly about Western imperialization. But we hardly look into the factions that were drilled into the Indian society by its own people. It comes as no surprise, since it is always comforting to find a reason to blame that is not you. I am not sure you can even find much evidence on the dark side of how this system came into existence. It is amazing how clinically this practice has been upheld for centuries. Logic would dictate, there would have been some sewer-cleaner's son who wouldn't have wanted to become a sewer-cleaner. Isn't it too easy to accept that every one of cobbler's children wanted to become cobblers? But that's what history textbooks imply. "India had 4 castes- Brahmins (the scholars), Kshatriyas (the warriors), Vaisyas (the merchants) and the Sudras (the labourers)." This is the simple one-line description you'll get to see. Being in Science, I am trained to look for logic and reason, to formulate hypotheses and validate them. I'll put my money on my theory that some degree of force, I am guessing brutal, would have been necessary to quash the dreams of generations on end.<br />
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Today, when I read that a Dalit student in India's premier medical institute found it easier to end his life than to face the institutionalized discrimination, I do not judge him. May be he did have a frail mind. But what I do know? If I was the first person in my family, from three or four generations that I can remember, to come out to a city and study, may be I would succumb to pressure as well. It is truly unfortunate though, for that one success story would inspire thousands of others to dream. With this sad end, may be 5 others who had the hunger in them would settle for something less.<br />
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What I could see as black and white is not the same today. The apparent injustice I faced may have been a way of restoring balance of centuries-old neglect for the other student. Is this a sustainable system? Why shouldn't everyone get equal opportunity? Does the reservation system really benefit those whom it was meant for? These are obvious questions. But the answers aren't straightforward. These questions are again raised only by those people who have been suddenly denied of the opportunities they have been conditioned to. Obviously it feels wrong. So what do they do? Look down upon students who enter institutions based on reservation, isolate them, exert social pressures. Some have the heart to fight and some others just wilt. In fact, we feel vindicated at their defeat. But, <span style="background-color: white;">Nature has its own way of settling issues.</span><span style="background-color: white;"> Again, one lifetime may be too short to answer. </span><br />
<br />Nithyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15856413896265077112noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5075968667171783421.post-11710778182053590102010-12-24T08:13:00.000-08:002010-12-24T08:14:16.668-08:00Recap..Submitted thesis, graduated with Masters, had parents over for the first time, got a job, got a car, missed a dear friend's wedding, missed by nephew's birth, another diwali away from home, small reunion with grad school friends, distant dreams realized, went to disney world, keeping up the tradition of annual india trip, drove through sheets of rain, the last few grains of sand in the hourglass slipping away ever-so-slowly, fun at work, got my H1B and the anticipation of a bigger and better 2011!! 2010 was not bad...not at all :) :)Nithyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15856413896265077112noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5075968667171783421.post-44915379243853944612010-11-30T18:28:00.000-08:002010-12-01T10:30:40.790-08:00How can you hang yourself from a pedestal fan??Special committee comprising of three professors and a student, appointed to probe the reasons for the growing number of student suicides, following the eighth such incident in 5 years in IIT Kanpur, comes out with one spectacular conclusion:<div><br /></div><div>REPLACE THE CEILING FANS IN THE HOSTEL ROOMS WITH PEDESTAL FANS!!</div><div><br /></div><div><a href="http://www.indianexpress.com/news/iit-to-remove-ceiling-fans-to-curb-suicides/717898/0">http://www.indianexpress.com/news/iit-to-remove-ceiling-fans-to-curb-suicides/717898/0</a></div><div><br /></div><div><a href="http://news.in.msn.com/crimefile/article.aspx?cp-documentid=4596764">http://news.in.msn.com/crimefile/article.aspx?cp-documentid=4596764</a></div><div><br /></div><div>Are you confused? Don't be! Laugh your heart out at the hideousness of the whole issue and probably spare a thought to the eight people who decided to call it quits!</div><div><br /></div><div>How much ever I try to find a rationale behind this splendid inference based on the pattern of student suicides, I am struggling to give this committee any benefit of doubt. </div><div><br /></div><div>Okay...you think single rooms are keeping students isolated and mostly in touch only with their cyberspace. Correct!</div><div><br /></div><div>You think by making them stay with another person, probably based on their preference, you create a companion to talk to when they get back to their rooms, to ease out pressures of the system. Correct!</div><div><br /></div><div>But you'd think three professors who are qualified to teach in one of the premier institutes in the country for technical education, would have more perspective than to identify a solution which is a shame to the word 'solution' in itself! And to top it, there was a student in this committee. If I were to be sarcastic, I'd assume he was busy downloading porn on his smartphone when the above mentioned discussion was taking place. That brings me to the other possible 'solutions'. Reduce the speed of the server between midnight and 8am so that the internet addiction reduces. Oh so thats the problem! If at all in some way its related, it could be because the students are frustrated by the turtle-defeating speed of hostel internet and get into depression at having to click the refresh button a thousand times before reading a mail! Alternatively, you are setting off the trigger for further such cases especially among boys as their gaming and movie downloading freedom is further restricted! Okay to give them some respect, yes the access to internet has reduced the time devoted to interpersonal relationships, has encouraged people to isolate themselves and get into a world which is anything but real and the glamour of it all is very engaging and has kept students away from books to some extent. But suggesting that as a solution to improving student discipline as a whole might be sensible rather than proposing it as a possible way of preventing suicides amongst students.</div><div><br /></div><div>And the pedestal fan...ah the magical suicide-abettor!! The breeze from it is so soothing that you just forget that you were not meant to be an 'ENGINEER', that you have never really appreciated why you do a course, that you never did well at the rat race and as if rubbing salt to the wound the marks were displayed on the notice board to make you feel smaller! How much ever cool you try to be, it's hard to say 'I got a D in this course and I am happy about it!'. Because you know you slogged at least for two years to win this precious seat at this heavenly institution, you know that you have no clue what you are doing or why you are doing it and its freaking scary, you know that whether you want it or not your parents are already proud that you are an ENGINEER, and in many cases your career (read getting a decent job in campus placement) is your family's livelihood. And the human mind can only take so much.</div><div><br /></div><div>It's time we really let the students decide their careers and not have it handed to them and then shooting in the air to start the race. When the finish line is not yours, you just stop running sometimes!</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>Nithyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15856413896265077112noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5075968667171783421.post-9739367602561171062010-09-28T16:13:00.000-07:002010-09-28T21:45:28.794-07:00Endhiran - in my eyes...Well.. the blog title wouldn't have left any doubts as to what this post is going to be about. With less than 72 hours before the movie storms theatres worldwide, I want to share my thoughts about endhiran...what it has been and what it could be...my two cents!<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO1zoD5RDjgSgISfFuZDCVsrDom-OB078zXB5Okwcv_7zjYEgZXjIqTseJfFU1Jq_T5khaMAXIRxwRYQDAMdklg3GGQ8ZT7L7_TNyCz_yaKaAJySzb3p59GQfeotIxLcehpg6hQ8kg1xI/s1600/Endhiran.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 197px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO1zoD5RDjgSgISfFuZDCVsrDom-OB078zXB5Okwcv_7zjYEgZXjIqTseJfFU1Jq_T5khaMAXIRxwRYQDAMdklg3GGQ8ZT7L7_TNyCz_yaKaAJySzb3p59GQfeotIxLcehpg6hQ8kg1xI/s200/Endhiran.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5522186780747890386" border="0" /></a><br />A whole lot has already been written about its never-heard-before budget, the awe-inspiring star cast, the master at the helm who has had the highest success rate (mightve been a 100% if not for the debacle that was 'Boys') in Tamil cinema (on a different note...for the love of God please refrain from calling it Kollywood) both commercially and in satisfying the so called 'class' and 'mass' audiences, technical crew comprising of prominent names from Hollywood etc, etc.,<br /><br /> I am a Rajni fan from childhood (who is yet to forget the disastrous Baba). As much as I enjoy his style, screen presence, smile, charisma and comical sense, I hate to see him do stuff that insults the viewer's intelligence. That is not because am this super sensible person who looks for logic in everything. My threshold is a bit higher. I can happily watch him thrash ten thugs, can understand how he always gets back on top, whose anger (and in some cases violence) is warranted. All this because those that he beats, defeats or shows his anger on are bad, bad people (according to the script!). Bad men ought to be beaten up...I am elated to see that someone who looks just like another stranger-uncle on the road has the courage to do that. Thats to me heroism!! But of course stopping bullets in mid-air, sparks flying off his shoes, etc., are too much. Sometimes ONLY because it is Rajni I just smile them off even if not in complete acceptance.<br /><br /> Coming back to Endhiran, never before has such a hype been created before the release of any Rajni movie..of course goes without saying.. not for any other Tamil movie either. In 2007, the same thing mightve been said about Sivaji. But one thing is for certain the furor that Sun pictures has managed to create wins hands-down as compared to the scale of publicity undertaken for Sivaji. Just to drive my point home, audio-launch in Malaysia for which 200 odd people were flown on the producer's expense, a trailer release function which was ticketed, footage being allotted to any news related to the movie on prime-time news are things which Sun family alone (or one of the few people) can generate. Agreed that all this banked on Rajnikanth's star value...but no other producer until this date has utilized its potential to the fullest. For all commercial purposes, the movie will gross its production cost in 3-4 days easily..but the bigger point is whether post-release Endhiran will remain the phenomenon that it is pre-release. As a Rajni fan, I am excited and nervous! Excited because this euphoria is unmatched and I am very happy to be celebrating my matinee idol...and nervous because it is very difficult to match up to the amount of buzz that is currently being generated.<br /><br />Firstly, I would like to take a dissectional approach at the trailer...<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dy8IooaNkWRGPWmEs1Li9DkPgmmOKoa6nxkAS9uHqyjbTwUhfo-95DxXhiwxpA7pEr9YKo5MDJipfc82_dY9Q' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe><br /></div><br />0:04 - Credits of 'Superstar' Rajni - BGM extremely mediocre - heavily lacks any power whatsoever...<br />0:12 - Endhiran says ' Hello world' - why use such a cliched first line? shud the first thing the robot speak be programmed to match the first-ever program? Doesn't spell excellence...mediocrity again...Again it might not matter as much as the BGM!<br />0:26 - Title credits - whatever happened to Rahman?! where is the music man?!<br />0:41 - The mosquito character is classic Shankar - HAS to show his creativity - and ONLY by spending money..am sure those 10-15 frames wudve taken 2-3 months of CG work...but i can argue on the other side too...creative attempt which overall adds to the technically and visually rich experience of the movie..hence the cost and time intensive CG is warranted!<br />0:50 - 'nakkal illa nickel'- mokkai of the century!<br />0:54-0:59 - good dialogue! shows pride and admiration in equal measure :)<br />1:19-1:27 - crisp line again!<br />1:28 - really...what was the necessity?! if the robot had to have a pistol in its finger how wud it be loaded? am sure...in certain scenes it might be disarmed when it'll forget about its built-in pistol...its accepted that in a rajni movie all this adds to visual pleasure but even in sivaji the gravity-defying bullet trick featured only in a dream sequence...but from the looks of it this bullet shot is definitely a part of a fight sequence which is supposed to happen in real-time...why intentionally include such a flaw that is bound to attract criticism Shankar?!<br />1:30-1:40 - very very good line! i am tempted to think this was written by the late Mr. Sujatha<br />1:47 - good work there..<br />1:53-2:02 - this is gotta be the equivalent episode to the Rajni trying to become fair one from Sivaji...this is bound to be well received by the audience<br />2:03 - superb dialogue delivery! Villainy comes naturally to Rajni! that laugh is what is called evil+vain<br />2:07 - Finally Rahman wakes up!!<br />2:18 - Adhu!!<br />2:21- Finally we got a dialogue which is not just contextual to the movie<br />2:23-2:35 -most likely to form a part of the CG-intensive highly imaginative and technically accurate climax...that is touted to be the toughest part of the movie to film and is definitely gonna redefine technical standards of movie-making for quite some time..thats the Shankar stamp!<br />2:38 - Again when the title appears...there isnt enough support from the music department<br />2:40- 'an one man army' - worsht english! Shankar shouldve known better...afterall this isnt expected of a man who is renowned for his perfection<br />2:42 - style i say!!<br /><br /> Next, my prediction of what the movie could be. I wanted to give it ahead of release cos if I say something after the movie releases, critics may cry foul. The movie of course begins with Vaseegaran (what a name he had to choose!!) all unkempt in TR like hairstyle! (from the stills) working hard on developing this robot (pudhiya manidha song)...first few seconds of the trailer+ all those portions which show the robot speaking, dancing (chitti dance showcase..might just be a small bit), doing karate etc. In parallel, Sana character is introduced. Seems like shes a doctor. This would be followed roughly by Vaseegaran getting Endhiran to read books, etc and formally introduces him in the conference where villain (Vaseegaran's mentor) gets to meet endhiran. Endhiran's capabilities will be showcased following this - all the cleaning, pedicuring, cooking, grooming Sana, etc. (boom boom robo da song..background only) Endhiran further interacts with Sana, they go out to this slum-type place where there is a fight probably (train chase sequence)..and that night endhiran sneaks into Sana's house to see her. Slowly emotions that were programmed into him are being realised. He probably even visits her at her hospital. On the other hand, things go steady between Vaseegaran and Sana...(kadhal anukkal song). By then endhiran is head-over-heels in love and the three have to get to a party before which endhiran dresses up, tries different get-ups etc., At the party may be it becomes official that vaseegaran and sana are a couple and endhiran is distraught. The interval block is the altercation between vaseegaran and endhiran with Sana in the moonlight and endhiran won't take no for an answer and leaves with anger. Thats when he encounters the villain and hes taken. Post-interval is the engagement of vaseegaran-sana (kilimanjaro song). Villain reprograms endhiran and is involved in making a clonal colony of endhirans. Sana meanwhile fearing endhiran might harm vaseegaran plays along with endhiran and pretends to reciprocate his feelings (irumbile oru irudhayam song). Further yet to decipher events happen and finally endhiran abducts sana from the marriage hall which will presumably followed by an elaborate fight sequence (mercedes benz) and gets her to villain's den (arima arima song). Endhiran creates havoc in the society (anaconda, drill, firing ball etc etc). Villain now makes Sana a captive to get whatever he wants to be done by Endhiran. Now the colony of endhirans, mostly with some help from Vaseegaran finally destroy the villain and endhiran gets destroyed in the process?! Sana and Vaseegaran live happily ever after :)<br /><br />This is completely my version....how much the movie may/may not correlate to this is not guarenteed ;)<br /><br /> Anyway...statutory warning to hardcore fans: this might not be an out-and-out Rajni entertainer...for other viewers, the endhiran effects might look a bit too exaggerated to accomodate for the Rajni image. If indeed Shankar manages it this time, it definitely deserves a pat on the back!! Thalaivar seems to have immense confidence in this movie, for its technical and visual content..going by his body language in the trailer video. Lets have our fingers crossed and above all lets enjoy the moment... for Rajni movies have become few and far in between!!Nithyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15856413896265077112noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5075968667171783421.post-3677772072149404102010-09-09T17:00:00.000-07:002010-09-09T17:13:02.082-07:00where are you when i need you?<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpU2Z2nhbpUtMefIFMSSKow8mG6BUIf-gUTN_Hy6xURbwyYxiDHi24Xe61K-COzk3U5MRDC7MlL4nkgWWWJFOctRzjPz9Z9ybGyLETjNwJXRE4xnxdMm7g7vjVpZue0uWJLADGStoaaxA/s1600/question-mark1.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 134px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpU2Z2nhbpUtMefIFMSSKow8mG6BUIf-gUTN_Hy6xURbwyYxiDHi24Xe61K-COzk3U5MRDC7MlL4nkgWWWJFOctRzjPz9Z9ybGyLETjNwJXRE4xnxdMm7g7vjVpZue0uWJLADGStoaaxA/s200/question-mark1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5515071102431838210" border="0" /></a><br />how ironic is it that the things you want to get out of your system happen to stay the longest within you....how often are you geographically and emotionally disconnected with the people whom you thought you could confide everything into...how hard is it to find someone who will understand the complexities and the multitude of the layers involved in your thought process....how many times have you wished for someone/anyone to understand you despite knowing that their understanding has got nothing to do with the predicament itself...why is it that some situations have no way out of them...how difficult would it be to own up to your choices....Nithyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15856413896265077112noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5075968667171783421.post-55971191805214221122010-07-20T16:12:00.000-07:002010-07-20T16:14:42.547-07:00now we're talking!this is not a post as such...just an apology for the long hiatus of 8 months....well at least this time i took it for a reason! :)<br /><br />you are looking at (virtually) Nithya B.E., double M.S :) :)Nithyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15856413896265077112noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5075968667171783421.post-52191965931789027762009-11-09T11:19:00.000-08:002009-11-09T12:33:32.549-08:00The little red Reynolds penI remember the day I stepped into 6 'A'. There were these array of new subjects- Physics, Chemistry, Biology, History and Geography that I had to cope with. Little did I expect that the slender, spectacled, prim-looking lady entering the class was to have such a long-lasting impression in my mind and to an extent even influence my opinion of a person.<br /><br /> My English teacher came with a big package of rules! Mondays and Wednesdays would be prose & poetry classes, Tuesday and Fridays- grammar and Thursdays non-detailed stories. All of us had to get our cursive handwriting notebooks everyday to class and write a page of the same sentence with each and every word without a break in between (b,l,k,h,d,f should have loops; t should not). How I used to crave to get a 'good' and not 'fair' remark from her! And I almost forgot...Wren and Martin was like her Bible. To all the grammar classes we HAVE to get a red ball point pen (to highlight adjectives, adverbs, mark clauses, etc., depending on what that particular class was about). And whoever does not comply with these rules had to stay kneel-down for the entire span of the class!!She would not care if it is the top-ranker or the 'makku' aka poor performer. The punishment was the same!<br /><br /> Also, she made it a point that she would not speak to anybody in a language other than English in front of her class. It used to be a rare sight (that we gush about) to spot her talking to the peons in Tamil. She does have her 'favorite' students but also makes herself harder on them when she corrects their exam papers. From class six, she never once wrote down answers on the blackboard but dictated them orally...unlike others. And was the most regular teacher...she would not take a sick leave, for crying out loud!! All of this put together made some students dislike her, obviously.<br /><br /> But it was also true that her English was impeccable! A fraction of her obsession with grammar has over the time transcended to some of her students, inclusive of me. Her classes were less about finishing up the portions and more time was spent on word-based exercises. I still remember the different words to describe sound and light which we once discussed as part of class activity. Shimmer, shine, glare, glisten, flicker......<br />For us, Thursdays was the fun class...with the least rules. Her way of story-telling was so much fun and it was even more enjoyable as we see that rare glimpse of a lighter side in her.<br /><br /> Ever since secondary education, I have been a sucker for grammar and writing. If today I feel, I express my thoughts much better in a written medium, it's all because of her. I could be biased in my opinion about her (also I was one of her 'favorites' ;) )..but she is like the ideal English teacher one can get. I strongly believe teachers bear a heavy influence on what a student thinks of a subject....and I am happy that I had her as my teacher.<br /><br />To...JP ma'am!Nithyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15856413896265077112noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5075968667171783421.post-61863320950757125852009-09-12T16:54:00.000-07:002009-09-15T12:00:44.796-07:00Ignorance is not bliss!Every year, on the fifteenth day of the eighth month we dont fail to feel proud about and indebted to all those who have chosen to do boring things like protecting, essentially a line, so that we here can watch pirated movies, study abroad and bitch about the poor amenities back home, have fun at parties and crib about how much of a demanding life we lead. And time to time, the creative minds in our country cash in on this supposed feeling. No matter what the firangs have...we have our sanskar and sanskriti you see. But what do we really understand about these things? What do we think we represent? What exactly do we feel proud to be a part of?!<br /><br />Very few of us know the answers. Do we know that the Sanskrit that we all are so proud about being the oldest language to be most structured and rich in literature is not even Indian by origin?! that Vedas are not religious scriptures! and they are not even just a set of hymns....they are scientific and mathematical documents?! Do we know that invention of the wheel, wagons and carriages happened atleast a millenium before the much-hyped Industrial revolution of the west?!<br /><br />We only complaint and rue about why India hasnt taken to the sophistications of the West. When a westerner wonders why Indians don't have a common language, we only smile in response. Isn't it amazing how so many different people co-exist and to what extent India has come in its mere 60 years of freedom. Do we cut the government some slack at all? Do we understand that we are carrying baggage of over 30 centuries and still trying to march ahead? Do we know that even if we maintain the present rate of economic growth India's GDP will be above that of the 'developed' nations by 2030?Do we know inspite of the brain drain industrial growth has been unstoppable?<br /><br />NO!<br /><br />We only do things that dont take any effort. Blame, bitch, rue, complaint, discuss, argue, find faults and talk about how we can never become the great nation we once were. The truth is we are. Right now! To have endured such a tumultuous history, to have been plundered and robbed by foreign empires one after the other, to have awed the invaders and made them bond with our culture, to have had the courage to fight the biggest war of Independence against an imperialist regime in the history of the world, to have started with nothing over half a century back and still to have emerged as a major global player in present times...<br /><br />I myself wasnt any different...and interestingly it so happens that a foreigner can see India in a more positive way than even we do. There are a zillion problems that remain unsolved...agreed! However, they will stay problems until we step forward with the right attitude. For a person who doesnt understand his own roots, growing or moving ahead is out of the question.My concern is not that we complaint....it is that we are ignorant!<br /><br /><br />For those who might be interested, here is a documentary (aired in BBC) which I really liked about where it all started and how far we have come.<br /><a href="http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=4801B6BFD418FA4A">http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=4801B6BFD418FA4A</a>Nithyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15856413896265077112noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5075968667171783421.post-27897392245904070272009-08-22T10:50:00.000-07:002009-08-22T11:50:51.408-07:00Good things come in packages!<span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:100%;" >Scene 1:</span></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /><br />Meera Bhawan- BITS, Pilani.<br />12.30 PM<br /><br />On the common loudspeaker: 9117(/5217/4216/4217) Nithya...parcel (3X)<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Scene 2:</span><br /><br />VG/Lemans- Clemson, South Carolina.<br />11.30 AM<br /><br />UPS/Fedex delivery staff banging on the door. I open hurriedly and am greeted with "Package for you ma'am".<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Scene 3:</span><br /><br />Any F1 student returning from an India trip.<br /><br />SMS/call on the mobile with a 'receive package' message.<br /><br />----------<br /><br />The neatly printed out address slip...explaining in full detail who I am, to any person who happens to lay their eyes over it (just misses my horoscope ;) ). The sender's address in full...as a precaution in the case of non/mis delivery. The letter that comes with it, saying that everybody is fine and they wish for the same here....even if I speak to them daily!<br /><br />All of these and much more are the hallmark signs of a package hand-made by my dad :)<br /><br />The process of package-sending is very elaborate. It might be <span style="font-style: italic;">prasadam</span> from a recent pooja at home, new clothes for some upcoming festival or something I forgot to get/ running out of. Invariably, there is an independent list of things that mom makes. Pickles, podis, ready-to-eat mixes, sweets, <span style="font-style: italic;">norukku theeni </span>(snacks), etc. And the highpoint of the entire procedure is my dad's highly adept packing skills. Not only does he give multi-layered covers to each and every tiny thing that is sent, but also arranges them so compactly that, if furthered made fanciful, can be used as a magic trick. I end up taking out 5 things out of one big thing.<br /><br />Ah! I missed out the generous usage of tape. His packages can be vouched to be leak-proof with Indian railways, Indian postal/courier service and recently I discovered...even with international cargo shipping! I can say with as much confidence as I have....give him the challenge of shipping water in a package without leakage and be sure to lose!! Over the years, I have spent my time unpacking these parcels, initially from amusement to irritation to pride.<br /><br />These packages...whatever they might carry...how much ever I like /not-so-much like them....still deliver their message. I know that I have a place that I can return to.. when I fail, when I do not want to try, when I see no way out, when I am too tired, when I don't want to talk about anything, when I just want to be.<br /><br />And that's what I call HOME.</span>Nithyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15856413896265077112noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5075968667171783421.post-49430649121358769342009-08-14T10:32:00.000-07:002009-08-14T11:29:17.963-07:00Firsts dont fadeWell...the title should be very much self explanatory! All this while we are used to listening to people glorifying their first love, kiss, etc, etc. As I generally maintain, life doesn't appear beautiful just for lovers. Somehow love of other sorts have been sidelined all along. Probably because these aren't entertaining enough. Recently, I have had an opportunity to think of a certain first child concept and the complications that it carries.<br /><br />To start with, I am not a first child and so I probably do not understand it that well. Being the first child is a great thing, until your rival is born that is :)...It becomes difficult for the elder one to accept that whatever they had complete authority over, has to shared by a person they don't know. Like, I would be happy to share a chocolate with a friend rather than a stranger. And when young parents are at this stage when they have to share their love in between their children, it is difficult for them too. No matter how much ever you try, it is not possible to think things won't change. Ya...it is true, that it is all a transient phase and once they grow a lil older, siblings become your confidantes and how much ever you fight, verbally and physically assualt each other, they will be there for you anytime you need them. But what does a child of three or four know of all this. For that child, the new born is competition. Sometimes, it so happens that the elder one is so protective of the younger one that such issues don't arise. Again, that kinda happens only if the first child is significantly older.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghyl4Y6CqD4rQqognhqZenZ0PCWmP9FR3xFDvrBphyphenhyphenC3nhxlPTnJxSAcRoL59UQhNKflHpO6BmhrmNBIilpCCnlwLnl3wVf0kFWEBugO2YwmaOC9VUq6CuPdklu53oa9eAkMbtyrk8bQ/s400/SiblingRivalry.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 293px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghyl4Y6CqD4rQqognhqZenZ0PCWmP9FR3xFDvrBphyphenhyphenC3nhxlPTnJxSAcRoL59UQhNKflHpO6BmhrmNBIilpCCnlwLnl3wVf0kFWEBugO2YwmaOC9VUq6CuPdklu53oa9eAkMbtyrk8bQ/s400/SiblingRivalry.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br />And the bane of being the elder one is realized all through childhood and teenage. The younger ones always seem little to the parents and hence escape most of the pranks they pull. And the elder ones face the canon :P... The elder one is also automatically expected to be responsible and see to it that their younger siblings do not make/get into trouble.<br /><br />Having talked about all this, it is also true that the memories of first-time parenthood can't be paralleled. The excitement, curiosity and the experience remains unmatched. Their (first kid's) childhood until their siblings are born, is showered with love from parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles alike. For they are the FIRST! Actually, no matter how much the first child feels unattended and all that, they can still be sure that their sibling never had the undivided attention of people around, like they did. It might not be realized immediately, but down the lane they need to know what privilege they did enjoy. So...paying a lil price in the form of responsibility shouldn't be a big deal you know... :)<br /><br />PS: Sorry Sow... :)Nithyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15856413896265077112noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5075968667171783421.post-91166500214738777402009-07-23T07:10:00.000-07:002009-07-24T11:38:41.985-07:00From DD to Set MaxI was born in the era of the television. My childhood exactly matched with the rise of Indian television. The earliest memories of dinner time and evening tiffin can not be complete without the trademark doordarshan montage. Mile sur mera tumhara, malgudi days, chandrakanta, mahabharat,jungle book,vikram aur vethal, chitrahaar, rangoli, surabhi. Apart from all the mythological and historical stories heard from paati, amma and appa, these television serials have been my sole source of understanding what I belong to and what has gone past in the making of the country that I am so proud to be a part of now. Till date there is no mythological series that can compare with Mahabharath and no travel show that equals, let alone surpass, surabhi. Sunday mornings were never sunday mornings if not for rangoli, chandrakanta and mogli. Ofcourse shakthimaan joined the bandwagon later on. And all those good old commercials...dhoodh dhoodh, the earliest ads of dairy milk, female child education, bajaj, amul..my god! I dont understand why it is hard to find such feel-good commercials in today's time. Everything is glamourised or fit for adult viewership only.<br /> Then with the globalisation came the array of private channels. I can still remember the first graphic theme song for sun tv. As it is I was a slow eater (still am). But my dinner time started becoming dinner night with television programs. "Idhu ungal sun tv-yin tamizh malai"! was the catch phrase during school days. Evening 7.00-7.30 will be a K.Balachander's teleserial. Then half an hour of home work with Ek minute running on Zee TV. The 8.00 hour slot is for news and then 'neengal ketta padal', 'chitrahaar' or 'pepsi ungal choice' will follow. Homework typically stays less than half done and then half an hour of some hasty work to make sure something is done for the following day. This was my typical primary school day routine. Ofcourse, days when an ODI is scheduled that will take precedence over these vernacular features.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWElPZAaQrlzOB-8LU9EohJ16aY2DHAwRrHvK0BaCE5FzFDJZOad4_565D2DTuEgMyh-uijfhke7VSNsoqGd2LlSHVJitJOwZHGyOHyf99STzhrn3S0x1FZHIr3AgBly87500oimNQGYc/s400/rbon144l.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 398px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWElPZAaQrlzOB-8LU9EohJ16aY2DHAwRrHvK0BaCE5FzFDJZOad4_565D2DTuEgMyh-uijfhke7VSNsoqGd2LlSHVJitJOwZHGyOHyf99STzhrn3S0x1FZHIr3AgBly87500oimNQGYc/s400/rbon144l.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br /> In the beginning, Star plus was primarily an English channel. Then with increasing viewership, in the evening slots alone Hindi programs were being telecast and then it grew into a full-fledged hindi channel. However I started following star only with the legendary KBC. Prior to that the only program I remember is tu tu mein mein. And then started all these K sagas and in parallel chithi, metti oli, alaigal and kolangal (which btw is still airing!) took turns and kept us tied to the living room. My four years away from home during undergrad had taken a toll on my television viewership. Due to peer pressure of being able to watch only languages which everybody could understand, Hindi and English (rarely) channels were only preferred. K serials and the supposedly reality talent shows prevailed. However I kept patronising vernacular teleserials by constantly asking my mom what the current status of the plot was. And not once did I feel like I missed something when I resumed watching them during the semester holidays.<br />Another thing I used to be crazy about are these "First on Indian/world television" movies and award functions. When I was interning in Chennai (home), I kept watching Star, Sony and Set Max alternative to tamil channels. Whenever I saw an ad that @$#@%@ movie/function was going to be aired that Friday/Saturday, my immediate reaction would be to call up my friend (who was working then) and the day of the event, she'll invariably come to my house for dinner (invited/self-invited ;) )and we both lie down on the living room floor and incessantly watch the program despite the commercial breaks being longer.<br /> Television, apart from being the idiot box, has been a part of my childhood...my grooming years, my always-happy college time and now...in a country where I dont even know when the successive episode of a series I like is going to air, I cant help but miss my dear optonica-turned-BPL-turned-LG box that has become an indispensable part of my living room and my life!<br /><br /><br />For no-specific-person's information: I still watch airtel super singer, ramany vs ramany, Mahabharath on youtube! :) :)Nithyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15856413896265077112noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5075968667171783421.post-80964515286663585292009-07-07T08:43:00.000-07:002009-07-08T13:12:33.041-07:00The curse of the XXBefore you perverts out there begin to feel the hormonal rush, let me remind you that a lil bit of knowledge about genetics will not hurt.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.asdfing.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/12/dream_woman_vs_perfec_-man.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 388px; height: 309px;" src="http://www.asdfing.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/12/dream_woman_vs_perfec_-man.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">Apparently:</span><br /><br />A girl.... loves pink, loves puppies, sings, is not interested in sports, is sweet, is innocent and naive, is not good at physics and math, does not have the right to go crazy and wild with joy with people around, is not supposed to propose her love for a guy,can not have a proficient career <span style="font-weight: bold;">and</span> a blissful family life. SO MUCH FOR THE XX. @Q#@$@#!%@#$%#$!<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Actually:</span><br /><br />(Disclaimer-no generalisations made)<br /><br />I love cricket and tennis. I know the difference between pace bowling and spin bowling. I can count numbers. I know which is left and which is right. I can take care of myself from roadside romeos. I like pink but I LOVE BLACK. Given a chance, me and my friends would love to keep chatting on the roads until its dinner time. I like to whistle when Rajinikanth appears for the first time on the screen in a theatre. I love to argue and not abide. I dont feel ashamed to express my feelings to my family/friends. I know I can manage a demanding job and an energy-sapping kid. Now...tell me if there is something genetically unusual!<br /><br />With all the apparent development in the society (ofcourse I mean Indian), the feminine gender is still expected to be a certain way. Fundamental norms of ethics are what define a society. This I completely agree with. But a girl who hugs a guy friend and who wears fitting clothes neednt be given a killer stare. Your discrimination and reservation is not going to help us.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">We are just a single chromosome different. Open your eyes!!</span><br /><br /><br />PS: I do not believe in the feminist movement. I only believe in equal opportunity, rights and duties for all.Nithyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15856413896265077112noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5075968667171783421.post-57540682600406729122009-06-29T10:21:00.000-07:002009-06-30T08:38:42.400-07:00Love actually..For all those who haven't watched the movie, this is what the blog is going to be about:<br /><br />http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LjnPcg9wRdE&feature=related<br /><br />Among the romantic comedies of the 2000s, this movie and especially this scene (opening -airport) has been very popular. And why wouldn't it be!? it exactly shows what the eye wants to see.<br /><br />I myself was at the arrivals gate of an airport recently and it is a happy place to be. People waiting for their loved ones...people getting off flights expectant to see familiar faces waiting for them..some others who are looking for boards and name tags... and then there are loads of others who do not even spare a flashing glance to these people, some of them are couples and families who are absorbed within themselves and many others are lone travelers who just do not expect to see anyone. <br /><br />It can be safely accepted that Indians do not tend to express their love for each other as freely as the Westerners do. And coming from the heart of South India, I can only be certain of this. As it is, our lifestyle has been quiet and laid back.. we dont dance at weddings or hug uncles and aunts. At the airport, some things that I saw made me wonder if the time has come for us to slip a lil bit out of our shells.<br /><br />A kid just dumped his bag at the sight of his dad and ran to him like it was the happiest thing to have happened to him. A pregnant woman was waiting with her two toddlers for her husband. A very old woman was giving a warm welcome to three other old women who appeared like friends. I dont think I can see this frequently at Indian airports. We teach our kids to be careful with their bags and not talk to strangers, not many wives wait for their husbands and a reunion of old ladies is almost unheard of. All that we see are either friends/relatives picking up those who get off their flights/trains with a smile (these days it is getting better with friends atleast) or it is just those with "catch the next auto/taxi" thought on their minds.<br /><br />It is time we understood that saying "I love you", "I missed you" or not worrying about people around you for a moment is not unpardonable. It is not restricted to love birds you know! A simple expression of love and affection is what makes you smile and be thankful for the wonderful life you have been gifted with. <br /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">A man never grows too old to be able to say he loves his parents, friends, spouse or/and children.<br /></span>Nithyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15856413896265077112noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5075968667171783421.post-18166256141106823992009-06-26T16:07:00.000-07:002009-06-26T16:52:08.668-07:00Just a matter of time....Childhood carried all the innocent fun that has silently slipped off our hands. The distant sound of the bell of the ice cream wala, the evening bell everyday at school, DD music at the dinner hour, power shut down when you have 4 home works to submit the next day at school, being kicked out of the bed by your sister (this one is specific to me though;) ), the honk of your father's vehicle (escpecially if you are a daughter), crackers shopping the day before diwali....all these seem distant now. Time never gives you a forewarning does it?! We never knew it would be taken away from us so soon...and with all these small things that have managed to makes us happy for 20-odd years faded the innocence and the purity of the human heart.<br /> All the while we traded being silly to be mature, being what we are to have socially acceptable etiquette, enjoying the moment to be planned ahead of time, taking things lightly to being responsible..and we never realized that no matter what the compromises we made would have to faced later in life....we never understood that innocence and childhood were given to us for a reason...<br /> As a child, I thought having an "office job" was cool. You just have to go at 9 and be back at 5. Then Math and Biology were more dreadful. As the freshness fades...the failures, setbacks,struggles...not only to succeed but also to survive are becoming more evident. Its like a distant sight of moon....very pleasant,endearing...but little do we think of the craters.<br /> And as childhood wanes there is something awaiting you...and there it comes with a bang! And the beginning of adulthood is marked by a few common things....<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Fear of failure</span>...the drive to perform (either from within or from outside) and the realities of life strike you hard. More often than not it is a necessity to survive rather than to better your life. The things at stake become huge...and so does the need to stay successful.<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Uncertainty of the future</span>..this is an inevitable feeling. On a given day you could be content...but never can you step ahead a few steps in life and be assertive of where you might be...<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Social obligations which supercede personal preferences</span>. This is universal...and of course Indians can relate more to it. You are no longer the child. You become the society and in spite of holding very strong opinions for/against certain things as a teenager, you find yourself either contradicting yourself, not expressing your opinion in order to conform to the crowd, not interested to express because you think your opinion doesn't change anything or just turning blind/deaf to the society.<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Desperation and helplessness</span>...This is my personal favorite and the most stinging. As kids, we dreamt of what our lives would be. There are two main things...the dream of what you will be professionally and who will be with you personally. The feminine gender has loads of its own...the dream wedding, the dream house etc., Coming back to where we were..adulthood takes you to places you never imagined of (both literally and figuratively). Geographic, interpersonal distances are the hallmark symptoms of adulthood. You can no longer do what you want to...Bu this I do not mean stifling your passions like you know learning dance or something. Am talking stuff that matter...your best friend's wedding, loss of your grand dad, going back home to mom's curd rice, your family reunion....things you would not have missed otherwise. Things that could have not been procrastinated, things that will not return, things that can make you feel like you were floating at that moment. Helplessness in that regard is the best form of torture you can dictate upon your enemy...<br />All you kids in schools and colleges right now...remember! Biology finals and Maths homework are any day better than soul searching and retrospection. Well...I know nobody will listen...<br />As they say...it is <span style="font-style:italic;">just a matter of time</span>.Nithyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15856413896265077112noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5075968667171783421.post-5098097204274541832008-04-10T22:35:00.000-07:002008-04-11T00:31:10.799-07:00Outcast am i?!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHOBGJ8xL4G311z6yX56ZzTpW96bd_ei03j6Yqo7NJ6t3d7WfsT8pD-7BbudNNUY8D17Wu1UItvtP6mLzyTs9dhiGogNn1cJlcOTOijQ5spfz1xptv6O2wsO02nuoXXArFuuFm6NSxLDU/s1600-h/The_Outcast.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHOBGJ8xL4G311z6yX56ZzTpW96bd_ei03j6Yqo7NJ6t3d7WfsT8pD-7BbudNNUY8D17Wu1UItvtP6mLzyTs9dhiGogNn1cJlcOTOijQ5spfz1xptv6O2wsO02nuoXXArFuuFm6NSxLDU/s320/The_Outcast.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5187884593661072482" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">After trying to be an outcast for so long now, by not blogging...here I am to just say that am an outcast. Or at least thats how people seem to think.</span> <span style="font-family:arial;">Initially I used to think that blogging is modern-day destruction of the age-old diary writing habit. And cremating the very purpose of keeping your thoughts personal. Well what the heck...in the haystack of so many blogs...its almost like anonymous now.</span> <br /><span style="font-family:arial;">I just want to find if there are more 'outcasts' like me in this world....(a community of outcasts so to say! :/ ). Is it always necessary to be with people? Do you always want help pouring in? I don't really know if it takes egotism to want silence. </span><span style="font-family:arial;">The sublime silence somehow leaches your worries and drifts your mind into something less painful.</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">I have found many times in the past that shoulders that support also intrude. Everybody takes the right to solve things for you, make life easier. Sometimes even soothing words can prick...can not let you forget the pain. Am not trying to say people around you are not concerned. But not many seem to know that introspection heals better. The number of people who can just listen to you and give an understanding smile are strangely countable in number.<br />And if you don't want people to take charge of your life does that make you a loner? The concept of being a loner is slightly different, I feel. They never even reach the stage of sharing their thoughts. Now I want to know what I am...an 'outcast' probably....and so the introspection continues.......</span>Nithyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15856413896265077112noreply@blogger.com2