Getting to know

Chicago, for the first few days, was quite fun. The minute i landed here, smokes came out of my mouth and nostrils, whenever i opened my mouth or breathed heavily. I had watched many hollywood movies and with our friend we have tried out many similar things in ooty and kodai, but all in vain. But here the minute i opened my mouth a white envelope clouded my face and my glasses became blurred.

Keeping right is one thing that i found very difficult to get accustomed to....eventually i had to, i kept finding myself uttering sorry and many excuse-me fell in my ears. So sort of keeping left is becoming an out of law thing. The second day, when i started for office, i was all ready...neatly dressed, with my laptop in my backpack sitting alongside my lunch box, neatly polished boots. I had never looked so perfect. My room mate stared at me for few seconds, when i was trying to open the door..."hare yaar, what are u doing?", was his question and he smiled. "Me about to go to office", a simple reply...."This is not your chennai, wear the jacket". Ya then only i realized, i need to wear this extra luggage on me :(:(

The one thing that was really bothering me like hell was the usage of papers....Nope not the hindu or dina-thanthi....I am talking about the tissue papers that are used to wipe our ass clean. I dont really feel like completely cleansed...ya what to do....so i always made it a point to take my bath after the happy pooh-pooh time :):)

I really miss chennai for one particular reason. Transportation. It sucks here. Everyone has their own car.....No manja color autos/the MTC buses which carry a special smell along with them. Most shops close down by 6 in the evening and u really get to do nothing after u come back from office. Cooking has been well taken care of by my room mate. His duty is to cook good food, mine is to clear the dishes and ours is to clear the cooked food no matter how bad it is.

The widely talked about jet-lags....I had often wondered how could people get affected by it....just skip a sleep...and everyhting would be in place....that really crushed me for the first one week...i was unable to work, sleep....ya what else...even could not time the pooh-pooh well :):)

Now, i have almost crossed 3 weeks and its gonna be summer soon......

Paalum Pazhamum - Ponal Pogatum Poda

Moive: Paalum Pazhamum

Lyrics: Kannadasan

Singer: TMS

போனால் போகட்டும் போடா - இந்த

ப்ஹூமியில் நிலையாய் வாழ்தவர் யாரடா?

(போனால் )

வந்தது தெரியும் போவது எங்கே வாசல் நமக்கே தெரியாது

வந்தவரெல்லாம் தங்கி விட்டால் இந்த மண்ணில் நமக்கே இடமேது

வாழ்க்கை என்பது வியாபாரம் - அதில்

ஜனனம் என்பது வரவாகும் - வரும்

மரணம் என்பது செலவாகும்

போனால் போகட்டும் போடா ...

(போனால்)

இரவல் தந்தவன் கேட்கின்றான் அதை இல்லையென்றால் அவன் விடுவானா?

உறவைச் சொல்லி அழுவதனாலே உயிரை மீண்டும் தருவானா?

கூக்குரலாலே கிடைக்காது - இது

கோர்டுக்குப் போனால் ஜெயிக்காது - அந்தக்

கோட்டையில் நுழைந்தால் திரும்பாது

போனால் போகட்டும் போடா...

(போனால்)

எலும்புக்கும் சதைக்கும் மருத்துவம் கண்டேன் இதற்கொரு மருந்தைக் கண்டேனா?

இருந்தால் அவளைத் தன்னந்தனியே எரியும் நெருப்பில் விடுவேனா?

நமக்கும் மேலே ஒருவனடா - அவன்

நாளும் தெரிந்த தலைவனடா - தினம்

நாடகம் ஆடும் கலைஞ்சனடா

போனால் போகட்டும் போடா ...

(போனால்)

A Melancholic day of surprises.

Not every day u get to do things that just makes the day look too short. It was around 10am when i turned my desktop and checked my mails at the office. i have not done that with all anxiety before, that too on a Saturday morning in the office. Well i had the feeling it will take another 2-3 days for all formalities to be done, and tuesday night probably i will fly....

Apparently what i expected did not happen and kannadasan was sure of his words when he wrote about it 'ninai pathellam nadandu vittal...', with the help of Kuttan, i woke up all my Hr and other people required to get my ticket to US for that night. Though i had mocked at him many times, didn't like his way of handling things...that day he was really helpful, which no matter wat, i must acknowledge. Had not for him. I would have been in real mess that day.

It was around 4pm, when my trip was finally confirmed for the next day mornig 430. All i had was 6 hours. I immediately alerted manickam and gave a list of 'to be purchased' foodstuff and manamadhan was already on his way to pick me up for shopping. We roamed places, finally we all met at spencers. We did two hours of shopping and came back home. On my back home, reached office, took the tickets and my vehicle.

Afterp packing everything,i told my mom and dad that i was leaving that night, which was a surprise for them....for it was a surprise even to me too. We reached the airport at around12 that night. I have always thought, travelling to US/UK to be a happy thing to happen. But that day, my heart was heavy. I badly missed chennai, manickam, manmadhan, my vehicle, few of my colleagues and above all my parents. For some reason, i was not happy about my travel.

"if it just worries me to travel for two months, leaving back certain people, whom i have to take care of....how come people travel abroad and live for years together. I know, i would be back, but still feeling bad and heavy, didn;t want to keep my foot on the plane....but how come they do it so easily?", It was time and I bid adieu to manmadhan and manickam who had come to send me off...."Its all destiny, which my dear brother would put it as PRA-RAB-THAM. Ya it was indeed PRA-RAB-THAM, to be abroad and miss my dear ones, to get used to being happy abroad with all the missing and suspended responsibilities back home", were my thoughts as i waved my hands for one final time to them.

When the trip indeed seemed like getting confirmed, i knew, it was all the blessings of Kalyan. i know and only i can enjoy the realisation, how much Kalyan has timed everything to perfection, that i cannot think of them being co-incidence. Right from Pongal, if i just rewind things and relive them, i just strongly believe how much of planning and designing has gone in, to make things happen for me and likewise in the life of my brother.

And here i am in US, enjoying at my sis's place, finally getting to spend time with her after 11 long years, 11 years since i had met my bro-in-law, 11 years i was kept at bay in watching the kids grow and do things. Only i know how much i have missed them.... if not to get back what i missed, but to somehow make good for the missing.

Let glory be with Kalyan.

Should i

call it the good times or its the work of Kalyan. Moving things at lightning speed, making them happen, when everyone thought it impossible and when i was offgaurded, he still stands tall gracing me all his blessings and setting his watchful eyes on all the paths that i walk upon. These paths are indeed his blessings and he carves my destiny. If not for him, this would not have definitely happened, that too given the short notice and amount of work that it involved.

And this will not be proper post, if i dont credit three people who helped me in achiveing the target.
1) Kuttan
2) Manmadhan
3) Manickam

Days to come, will elaborate on all the happenings. Time to leave.
Let glory be with Kalyan.

Invitation for by bro's Betrothal

I take immense pleasure in inviting u for my brother's betrothal function. It would be great to have u and share our joy on this splendid occasion.

Surprises.

I have always loved surprises be it a pleasent one or an unavoidable one. More than that, i always felt happy in surprising people, moslty the near and dear :):)....Before next monday, i do plan to surpirse the heck out of them....Let me see, how far i am successful :):)

For all this to happen, Kalyan is responsible!!!!!!

Gautham Vasudev Menon and Mechanical Engineering

Received a SMS about VTV movie and that ultimately gave way for this research.

Minnale - Madhavan and Abbass - Mechanical Engineer
Varanam Ayiram - Suriya - Mechanical Engineer
VTV - Simbu - Mechanical Engineer.

So what else is common, in all the three, Mechanical Engineers are not allowed to lead a happy life in the end.

Minnale - abbas was not able to marry
Varanam Ayiram - Sameera dies
VTV - Trisha and Simbu part ways....
he he he.....wat a research sirji :):)

Dhoom 3 - The making

Enjoy the video.