SPGR, the search never ends...

Girls Names

2012-01-26T00:41:00.000-08:00

Another set of freshers arrived and joined the project. Like last year, this year too, Renga was given the responsibility to groom them, both on technology and application. Shivaraj, who had been the onsite co-ordinater for the project has recently returned to offshore due to visa issues, and who will be going back to onsite once his visa issues are settled.

On a fine day, their manager Hrithik called them and said: "Guys, we got another set of freshers..."

"How many guys and how many girls..." interruped Shivaraj, stressing on the word "girls".

"Allow me to complete first..." said the manager and continued "They have been recriuted and trained by our Noida branch and due to the openings here, they have been sent here..."

Our branch is in South India.

"So we can directly give them application knowledge training and deploy them in project?" asked Renga.

"Nope... They are trained in C & C++... and ours is a Java/J2EE project, so they need to be trained in our Java & J2EE technologies..."

Renga understood how hard its going to be to bring them to a level so that they can be productive. And by the time they come to the level of being productive, they will put down the papers and leave the company. Thats the fate of this industry.

"So Renga, my expectation is that you will identify the trainers from academy, schedule the training sessions, and make sure that they catch up with others soon..." said the manager and finished with these words "And whereever needed you can take the help of Shivaraj until he is here..."

Renga just nodded and understood the hidden message behind those words - "You do all the actual work, I will put them in my appraisals and get the credits for it..."

"Any questions..." asked Manager Hrithik.

"No", said Renga.

"How many guys and how many girls..." was the question from the person who never stops until he gets what he wants - Shivaraj, again stressing on the word "girls".

"2 guys and 5 girls..." came the reply which seemed to make both Renga and Shivaraj happy.

Soon Renga and Shivaraj started working on the schedules and started booking the training rooms, co-ordinated with the network department for the systems and softwars and within a couple of days everything was set for the training sessions.

On the first day it was PHP training. The freshers batch of 7 people came and sat in the training rooms. The room had a capacity of around 30 people, and the freshers occupied the first row.

Renga started addressing them. To his right was Shivaraj and to his left was the PHP trainer from academy. Renga introducted the trainer, explained the importance of the training and how serious this training has to be taken. Shivaraj also continued Renga, more or less repeating all the points told by Renga.

Renga then asked the freshers to introduce themselves telling their name, where they come from, college they studied and their hobbies.

After the introduction session, training started and Renga & Shivaraj went and occupied the seat behind the freshers.

On the third day of the training, Hrithik entered the training room, thinking that he is giving a surprise visit to see the progress of the training.

He asked Renga "How is it going?"

"Good Hrithik, they are able to catch up the concepts quickly and these training sessions are going to be very helpful to them and to us..."

"Good good..." acknowledged Hrithik.

The freshers were busy executing some examples on PHP in their systems and manager Hrithik wanted to have this discussion within three of them, without disturbing the freshers team and the trainer.

"And what are their names..." asked Hrithik.

Renga started "She is Alka, next to her is Liya, after her is Ishitha, On the right side is Deepa, next to her Soumya and he is Sohan and next to him is...." Oh no, what is his name... thought Renga as he forgot his name...

"What.." asked Hrithik...

Renga paused for another couple of seconds and said "He is Sunil..."

Shivaraj gave a confusing look at Renga.

"Oh Ok..." said Hrithik and continued "Guys, come and meet me once this session is over..."
Having said so, Hrithik left the hall.

"Hey Renga, he is not Sunil, he is Ashish..." said Shivaraj.

"Oh Ok Shivaraj, I forgot his name..." said Renga

"They why you said that he is Sunil, you could have told that you forgot his name"

"No yaar, then Hrithik will say that I remember only the girls names... Why to take risk..."

"You will be in trouble when Hrithik comes to know that he is Ashish..."

"Nothing to worry Shivaraj" said Renga and continued with a smile "He also will be remembering only the girls names..."

- Pavala.

My New Year Gift

2012-01-18T09:03:00.000-08:00

Nokia 2600c Vs Sony Experia

2011-12-25T11:27:00.000-08:00

After a long time I met my college Parthi at the lunch queue in office. He stood behind me and was constantly doing something with his mobile phone. Last time when I saw him, he was having a Nokia some N-series. What he was having now was a device, bit larger than a mobile phone.

On seeing me taking a glimpse of his mobile, he smiled and said "I have bought a new mobile last week."

"What is its brand?", I enquired.

"Sony experia... 23k..." he replied.

I was thinking what that 23k could mean, whether he was referring to its inbuilt or supported memory or its price (about which I never asked). Memory is always expressed in multiples of 2 upto 8 and multiples of 8 beyond that. As he continued to explain about his new Sony Experia, I could understand that he had indeed mentioned the price of his phone.
I would hesitate to buy even a computer for that cost.

We reached the buffet counter, got our food and sat in the available table in cafeteria. He went on to explain about the features of his new phone.

Suddenly he asked "What phone do you have dude...?"

"Nokia 2600c.."

"Oh... come on man, still using the same phone... I remember you showing that to me 4 years back when you bought it... At that time itself, it was an outdated one and its a base model..."

He continued "You know what my Sony Experia has... It has an inbuilt multimedia converter... you just drop a video file into it, it automatically converts into compatible format, and the video is ready to be viewed..."

He never stopped or allowed me to talk, but continued "You know its camera dude... Its 5 megapixel, high definition... You dont need to have another camera for taking a picture..."

When he stopped for taking a breath, I took the chance and asked "Can I take a look at it..." and took my left hand forward so as to take the phone from his hand. He just pulled his hand backward (far enough that I will not be able to grab it, even if I stand) and said "Dude, even I have not explored all of its features... May be I can show you what I know..." and he went on to operate the phone, showing video, playing songs, showing the pics he has shot from it...

At this point, I clearly lost interest in his phone and was plainly nodding my head without taking any effort to understand what he tries to explain.

We finished our lunch, washed hands and went out of the cafeteria, at which point I asked him "Parthi, can you do what I do with my phone..."

He was surprised and gave a big laugh and said "Oh... come on man... yours is a base model... and mine is Sony Experia... Definitely it can do all that your base model Nokia 2600c can do... You will understand only if you have a Sony Experia..."

Having said so, he keenly looked into the display of my phone, to notice what I am going to do and also kept his phone ready in hand to repeat do what I am going to do.

I smiled at him and......... dropped my phone on the floor.

- Pavala.

The (Not So) Dirty Picture

2011-12-15T06:41:00.000-08:00

After a long time, yesterday I decided to go and watch a movie in theatre. First I looked for watching "Rockstar", but came to know that it was lifted long back from theatres. So after some research on the net, settled for "The Dirty Picture", mainly because I came to know that it is based on the life history of Silk Sumitha and another reason is Vidhya Balan :-).

Decided to go to the nearby PVR cinemas in Ampa Skywalk for the last show which was to start at 10:30 PM. Started from home at 9:40 PM and reached at 10:00 PM and took a ticket at the counter. "Children learn faster than we think. So do not take them with you for movies rated A", was something I enjoyed reading on a board above the counter. Ticket rate Rs. 120. Costly. They are physically frisking us and checking us.Though they give the reason as for our own safety, they are actually checking whether we are taking any food or beverage(including water) with us. All such items are prohibited, since if we take such items, it will affect the sales at their stalls where the price of the items is atleast 3 times their normal price.
The multiplex is very posh and hi-fi and I started feeling myself as the odd man out, as I am not much used to these multiplexes.

I felt a bit thirsty after entering the mall and since I knew that water will not be available, decided to buy a pepsi and went near the counter. Seeing that the price was Rs. 70, I decided to stay thirsty for the next 3 hours and go home and then have water. The complex was very neat, including the wash rooms. Exactly at 10:25 PM, they let people inside the hall. I went inside the hall, and it was beautifully lit in mild red color tone. The interior was pleasant. But the hall was small with only about 400 or 450 seats. The screen was large. I went and sat in my seat - J-18. Next to me were seated a couple of college students, who didnt knew Hindi. Initially they made a lot of sounds and whistles, but soon they lost track of the movie and started sleeping.

The picture had a linear story line, about the life of a girl from childhood until her death (while she was still in her adulthood). Childhood portion of her was shown in just 2 to 3 minutes and the story jumped straight to her adulthood when she runs away to Chennai to secure a chance in the movies as an actress. So Vidhya Balan started appearing within 4 minutes after the movie started.

No double meaning dialogs, but just straight single meaning ones - she says after showing her photos to an assistant director "Sir, please give me a chance... Do you want to see what is not seen in these pictures...". Through the well-known technique of "adjustments" in the cine-industry she secures a position in the cine-world. Her failed loves makes another part of the story and when her love is about to be successful, she fails in her life. Her adjustments with an aging(or already aged???) top actor occupies the main portion of the story. Finally, like most ladies in the cine-field she gets ruined and goes to the extreme of comiting suicide.

Nashiruddin Shah has played the role of the top actor who exploits her. His introduction was superb. The girl, Silk, goes to a movie and in the intro scene of that movie, the Top Star appears. First a Villan throws 2 one rupee coins into the air and fires 2 bullets from his gun, the bullets hits the coins. Then the Top Star throws a 100 rupee note into the air and fires a bullet from his gun. When the bullet hits it, 100 one-rupee coins fall from it. The whole audience burst into laughter. One can easily understand who that top-star in real world is from this scene.

Though the movie had a sad end, since it was an expected one, it didnt affect me much. Some of the dialogues were nice, if we take them their straight meaning. "Opportunity comes only once, if you dont take it, it will go to someone else". "If you ignore and leave a job half-way, that job will never come to you again"... to give samples.

When the movie ended, it was 1:10AM. Was surprised to find a tea shop open on the road. Had a tea, and walked back home. Suddenly a bike that came from the opposite direction with 2 men slowed down near by and when I looked at them, and found that they were policemen. The policeman in the back seat said to the other "He is coming after seeing the movie". It seemed to convince the other policeman and they went away and I walked home. Good to know that they are people who are awake in the night and going around the city for our safety.

I would suggest a one time watch, but not with family and obviously not with kids.

- Pavala.

Vanavasam & Manavasam

2011-11-22T03:03:00.001-08:00

Recently I happened to read the book Vanavasam and its sequel Manavasam, both written by Kannadasan. These two books happen to be a chronological listing of the main events in his life. Both the books made an intresting read, Like many I am also a fan to some of his songs. I do listen to some of the old songs mainly for its lyrics. When I hear some of the old songs I wonder that we know all these words individually, but wonderfully he has joined them to bring out such a nice rhyming songs. To say for example "Muttukal sirikkum nilathil thittikum ninaipai vidhaikkum..."

Definitely he is a gifted Genius. But in this autobiography-Vanavasam he cliams that he got that skill through practice. Its a surprise to know that he has studied only upto 8th and with that he gained to manage such a mastery over Tamil and its grammer and vocabulary. Vanavasam talks about his early life and his political life in DMK party. After reading this book only I came to know that Kannadasan had an active, but unstable and unsuccessful political career. Vanavasam ends once he quits the DMK party. Manavasam start after that and it doesnt end. That is, he didnt complete Manavasam. Among these two, it was Vanavasam that I found more interesting. I was surprised to know the background and early life of some of the political leaders who are top leaders now.

In many places one call can get the feel of reading a third grade cheap books. Especially in those areas where he narrates his visit to prostitution houses along with his friend, both were budding entrants to politics at that time. I have read such situations even in some of the stories of R.K.Narayan. This makes one to come to the conclusion that Men visiting such places has been a common, partially accepted activity in those times. Even in older tamil movies quite often we can come across the dialog "Aambalaigna kalyanathukku munnadi konjam appadi ippadi than iruppanga...".

In his preface the author declares that he has the said the truth throughout the book, but at the same time he admits that he has not revealed many of the incidents that happened in his life, since he feels that it cannot be revealed in public. He claims that the truth is like one being naked and one cannot be nake everywhere. I couldnt understand his reasoning. Even in Gandhi's autobiography too, Gandhiji has mentioned that there are some incidents which only he and God knows and he wishes to keep them within him and God and not reveal to others.

We can understand this to some extent. Being human beings, guided (or rather tied) by social and cultural laws we all will have some part of our lives which only we and God know. Vanavasam starts with Kannadasan as a grown up boy with ambitions to reach the sky and rule the world. Then continues with his early days leaving his native, searching for jobs in Trichy, settling in odd jobs, primarily in the publishing industry which was in its infacy those days. Then moving to Chennai, then to Salem, coming back to Chennai. In all these places and cities he narrates the men he met, ladies he met, and lived with most of those ladies - varying from single night and sometimes upto six months - which is sure will make many jealous :-).

The author claims that the many leaders in political parties didnt practice what they preached - a fact that we can understand by seeing many leaders having more than one wife now. Manavasam describes his political life in Congress and also his abroad visits. Unlike other autobiographies, the script in these books have a different style, partly because it was written by a poet. Each of this book can be read once, and it helps to understand the ups and downs in the life of the gifted Genius - Kannadasan.

- Pavala.

Mankatha Free...

2011-09-22T00:18:00.000-07:00

See what and all has to be done to fill up the theatre where Mankatha is put up...

Eight - 8 - Years

2011-09-10T01:14:00.000-07:00

With yesterday I completed 8 (actually 8.5) years of experience in IT industry.

- With love,

My new Automatic Watch

2011-09-02T09:11:00.000-07:00

My little friend Dhanu used to jump with joy – sitting on his mother’s lap - whenever our bike crosses the Amara stores while going to the nearby park. Even now whenever we visit a park with slide, see-saw, zig-zag, he jumps with the same joy. Today morning, I also wanted to jump with the same joy when I parked our bike in front of the hmt showroom(?!?!?) in nungambakkam. I was literally not on the floor and was almost flying since once of my longtime wish is going to come to true in the next couple of minutes – buying a new mechanical automatic wrist watch. My other wish to have a high end digital watch was satisfied last year, when my sister got me a CASIO databank from US.

While I was studying in school, one of my uncle used to wear a watch which used to run all the time, without any need to key in. It doesn’t have a battery too. I came to know that it was an automatic watch. The words ’21 Jewels’ was written on the dial, while most of the wrist watches during that time used to have ’19 Jewels’. But it has to be worn atleast a couple of hours a day so that it keeps running. While at college, while going with my dad to the nearby weekly market, we found a guy who was selling used winding watches from different brands for a price tag of around Rs. 150. There I found an automatic watch in which the back case was open. For the first time I found that there was something like a pendulum on the rear side of the watch, behing the back cover, which was oscillating/revolving inside when the watch was shaken, from which I understood that this motion is used to wind a spring and this makes the watch automatic. I wanted to get this piece and my dad also went ahead to purchase that. But on knowing that we will buy that watch for sure, the seller immediately rose its price to Rs. 250. Father still went ahead to negotiate the amount. But the salesman’s act made me angry and I immediately dropped the idea and we moved away from that place, though the seller was ready to negotiate the price once he came to know that we are dropping the idea to buy it.

During my stay at US, I came across a Citizen automatic watch, ladies type, in a jewellery shop. I at once bought it for my mom and with utmost happiness I presented it to her. I still remember the extent to which my colleague - who accompanied me to the shop - got surprised when I purchased that watch which was priced around $150. About a year back, when my friend came to know about the existence of watches whose cost might be as high as 8 to 10 K. I even surprised here by showing rado watches which costed around Rs. 2,35,000 by taking her to the rado showroom in the nearby shopping mall. Upon knowing it, she at once resolved to get a costly watch for me, knowing my passion for wrist watches. She fixed the budget at Rs. 10 k.

Yesterday we went to P. Orr & Sons and saw a couple of models, especially Seiko. Upon entering the shop I felt odd, and uncomfortable, since I appeared to be odd man out there. Though she insisted on buying an automated Seiko, I didn’t go for it. I told I don’t want any of those high cost models. They did charm me, but I was not comfortable buying it.

When I browsed the net a couple of days back, I came to know that hmt watches are still in production and sold (only) through their factory outlets and one such outlet near our home was at nungambakkam. After some preliminary investigation on phone, we decided to visit the showroom today morning. Upon entering the showroom, I couldn’t find any watch displayed there and it didn’t look like a watch showroom at all. It looked like a government office with two people sitting behind the tables and doing something. I told the person at the front desk that I need winding watches, including automatic ones. He said he will show them and then only got confidence that its indeed a watch showroom. He opened a cupboard behind him and took a couple of medium sized box from it and took out the watches one by one from it. I just asked him that whether these watches are still in production, in order to confirm that these are not old stocks. He said they are still being manufactured and the company is taking measures(???) to revive the brand again. What I had in mind was to buy a traditional looking simple watch for a reasonable cost. I was surprised to see the HMT-Vijay(which my dad has, but not using now) was still available. I wanted to buy that one, but my friend said, since we already have it, let’s go for another model. Janata, Akash, Kanjan, Aishwarya were some of the models we saw. We also saw HMT Kohinoor, which my grandfather had. But in these watches, the back cover now is push type, instead of the screw type that we find in their vintage counterparts. Among them, when I saw the NASL 11 automatic, I immediately liked and selected it, which was a blend of the traditional and modern ones. The salesman said that this watch had a modern improvised machine in it. Finally I have an automatic watch with me. And the happy news is that my friend assured that the automatic watch for 10K offer is still open.

Here are a few pics of my new watch:

First close all those NCs

2011-08-03T17:03:00.000-07:00

All assembled in front of Lord Yama in his durbar for the morning roll call. This was an arrangement made by Yama so that he can keep track of his subjects in his kingdom and identify those who might have escaped to earth(which is worst than this place for some) or to heaven and take the needed steps to bring them back.

"Today we have a visitor" announced Yama to his wards after the roll call.

The crowd started thinking whom it might be.

Yama himself gave it out after a short pause "Lord Hanumaan is visiting us..."

"This is just a courtesy visit..." he added.

Yama's assistants with the help of his wards started making arrangements to welcome Hanumaan.

A prayer session was arranged by Yama himself, wherein everyone will assemble in front of Hanumaan and sing songs praising Hanumaan and chant some slogans in an attempt to please him.(Author's comment - But I dont understand that what is the point in pleasing Hanumaan once you are in hell. May be people in hell can answer).

Hanumaan was punctual and he came flying and arrived at the right time. Yama gave an elaborate welcome and so did his subjects, except one Guy who was standing in one corner of the durbar and watching all these happenings.

Then people started singing and chanting, and Hanumaan was also pleased and seemed to enjoy the situation. He also didn't fail to notice that Guy who didnt participate in anything, but was constantly looking at Hanumaan and his activities. Yama too noticed the Guy and the Guy's activity seemed to irritate him.

After all the prayer was over, Yama called that Guy and asked "Why you didnt participate in any of the prayers... Don't you think that you are insulting our guest..."

"I have a reason for that..." said the Guy.

Hanumaan interruped "Sorry for interrupting... Can you please introduce yourself..." he asked the Guy.

The Guy told his name and continued "Before coming here, I working in the IT industry... earlier as a budding programming, learning and coding on all latest Java & J2EE technologies... At one point the company thought that I was paid more than what I deliver to them and so they insisted on doing some extra work and sent me for some trainings..."

After a pause he went on "I attended a couple of sessions which they call the Auditor's training..."

Yama, Hanumaan and the people assembled seemed to have got interested in this and the Guy and continued "That was nothing but finding fault in other's work, however good they do it... which we call as Non-Confirmation... NC in short..."

"All that I learnt was that people do mistakes when they work, and its an auditor's job to find that out, report to the top management, and put him in trouble..."

Thus he concluded.

Yama asked "Now tell me, why you didn't give the due respect to our guest, Lord Hanumaan."

From the expressions on Hanumaan's face, one couldn't guess whether he was sad or angry about the Guy's activity.

"I have three observations about Hanumaan. In fact they are NCs... " said the Guy.

"What are they?" Yama asked. Hanumaan was puzzled and gave a suspicious look at the Guy.

The Guy continued, "First, when Lakshman was sick, Hanumaan was sent by Ram to bring the medicinal herbs to cure Lakshman... but what this Hanumaan did... Instead of bringing the medicinal herbs alone, he brought the whole Sanjeevi mountain... This is NC No.1"

"Ok... what else...", this time Hanumaan himself asked.

"Mr.Hanumaan, you brought the Sanjeevi mountain right... Did you replace it back in the same place...? This is NC No. 2"

Hanumaan nodded his head in agreement.

"anything else..." asked Hanumaan.

"Yes... one more... You say that Ram is your Lord and you are his disiple... But he walks with his wife and brother... but you fly to wherever you want to go... This is not agreeable and I would like to raise this as NC No. 3." The Guy concluded.

"I will not pray to Hanumaan until he closes all these NCs..." the Guy declared.

Yama, the crowd and Hanumaan too seemed to agree with the Guy.

Hanumaan had no idea of closing those NCs and started thinking whether there is any way by which he can audit this Guy so that he can come up with more NCs that what the Guy found on him. It seems auditees are alike everywhere...

Note: I became internal auditor in our company recently :)

- Pavala

My Home Theater

2011-07-30T10:39:00.001-07:00

My Voting Experience

2011-04-15T00:05:00.000-07:00

I started from our home around 2:30 in the afternoon in bike, taking the booth slip and the voter's id. I was informed in home that the bike has to be parked at a distance and then go by walk to the polling booth. I reached the place in 5 minutes, parked the bike near the school-where the booth was- and went inside.

There was only one person standing the queue and for another person the formalities like verifying his identification, applying ink in his left fore-finger was going on. He was a young man, should be doing his first year college, and this should be his first voting experience. He then went to the table where a lady in black-saree was seated, the second polling officer - instead of going to the voting cabin-and told her something.

The second polling officer then told in a loud voice "I do not wish to vote", probably repeating what the guy told to her. All the officers (that's how they call themselves) on election duty sitting there stopped their work abruptly and looked at him. The primary polling officer, a lady in green saree, asked him "Then why did you come here???"

He gave no reply and he again told his stand "I do not wish to vote", without any expression on his face. It was very clear that he lost all his confidence in our democracy. The green saree officer immediately dialed some number on her mobile and started talking to someone - probably her senior officer. Two more officers also started talking to someone on their mobile phones, trying to get instruction on how to handle this.

The do-not-wish-to-vote guy said "I want 49-O slip...". The primary polling officer replied "We do not have 49-O slip". At this point a senior man from the political viewers section(who were seated on the left side in the room) said "There is a rule that 49-O should not be used...". I was wondering whether such a rule existed. Or is he just telling so that the guy will proceed and vote. By this time the queue behind me grew to about 10 people.

The officers finally came to some conclusion based on the response they got from their senior officers that they will get the complete address from the do-not-wish-to-vote guy, and a statement that "I do not wish to vote" which will be endorsed with a signature by him. He did all that left the place with a very sad face. His face showed that he is seriously worried about the future of this country. The second polling officer confirmed with the primary polling officer that there will be a mis-match in the count between the number of entries in her register and the votes registered in the machine.

Then the person standing in front of me caste his vote and then came my turn. Identification was verified, signed in a register and they applied the ink in my left fore-finger. I was a bit happy to see that ink mark in my finger and I primarily came here to get this mark only, rather than to put my vote. Then went to the machine and caste my vote. When I left the machine I also felt a bit sad-though not as sad as the do - not-wish-to-vote guy - when I thought about the future of my country.

- Pavala.

We did our duty... You???

2011-04-13T03:36:00.000-07:00

Ranjan and Rahini... 1

2011-04-04T09:32:00.000-07:00

Chapter - 1 : The two Options

Ranjan was very tired and sat on the chair in the hall. After a day full of jam-packed work, he looked very tired. Ranjan - a man in his early-thirties, had lot of ideas and enthusiasm for achieving and succeeding in life. But as years passed-by he was slowly loosing them one by one. These days he went to the extreme and lost confidence in himself and in his life. His mind was confused and he was restless for the past couple of days.

“”Ennanga, shall I prepare coffee for you?”, Rahini asked.

“What...” he shouted back. “Here I am seriously thinking about how we can improve and all that we need to do in order to come up in life... and you are talking about coffee...”, he shouted at the top of his voice.

She didn’t mind to listen to his words. She proceeded to the kitchen and lit the stove, kept the vessel on top of it, and started the preparation for coffee. In these four years after marriage, she has learned when to react and when not to react to his words.

In a few minutes she came back with coffee and kept the tumbler on the table.

He took the coffee in his hand and turned to her and said “If we continue to be like this, we will be tagged as useless and fit-for-nothing. You know that I took several steps and worked on several things to go up in life. But nothing worked out.”

She remained quite and gave a stern look at him. She is very well used to these words of him and she knew that any interruption or a reply would make the situation more worse. She allowed him to complete.

He continued to shout at the top of his voice “I give you 2 options - Either I will enter the media industry... or... I will enter politics... And you have to give me permission...”

She starred at him, as this is not a usual statement from him.

He repeated “And you have to give me permission to enter one of it...”

He continued further “You know very well that I can enter the media or politics even without your permission. But I wont do that...”

She didnt reply and went inside the kitchen.

Ranjan knew very-well that personality wont help him even to secure the role of the assistant to a comedian nor his fitness will help him to secure the role of an assistant to the villain, lest to think about the hero or anyone similar to that in the media industry. But still he felt that he can enter as a technician and slowly come up in the media industry. But when it comes to politics, he absolutely has no idea how he can enter and what he can become.

He went into the kitchen, looked into the eyes of Rahini and declared “I expect an answer from you soon...”.

- to be continued...

- Writer Pavala.

Disclaimer: All characters and incidents in this novel and the story it bears are imaginary. Any resemblance to anyone or any event is merely coincidental.

Note: This is a work of fiction by Pavala. Unauthorized copying or reproducing it in any format is prohibited.

அப்பா அம்மா...

2011-04-03T23:42:00.000-07:00

வரைந்து விட்டு தானேஷ் - இது அப்பா, இது அம்மா...

I was so happy to see his creative skills at 3 years...

Biriyani

2011-04-02T20:48:00.000-07:00

I do not remember exactly when this elite dish entered my life. All that remember is that I have been eating Biriyani - the queen of all dishes – right from my childhood. What I remember very clearly was that, on 8^th of every month, which happens to be our dad’s salary day, along with other snacks, he used to get Biriyani for us. Most of the time, the Biriyani was got from the “Ibrahim Kadai” - a shop near our home, on his way from office. This Ibrahim Kadai is very famous there and almost everyone passing by the shop for work to the Railway Workshop will have a tea there and then proceed to their work.

My father, being an ardent tea fan used to have tea there atleast 4 times there, once while going for work, once while coming home for lunch, once during returning back to work after lunch and once in the evening while returning back from work. I guess thorough his frequent visits he became close to the “Bhai”, who was the owner of the shop. He was a humble man in his early sixties, sitting in the Kalla, welcoming everyone with a smile. Most of the time he wont be wearing a shirt and will be found only in his lungi.

On Diwali eve, our dinner invariably used to be the “Vaankoli Biriyani”, mostly from the Ibrahim Kadai. One day my father had told the Bhai that his kids wanted him to prepare the Biriyani in home. And Bhai was kind enough that he disclosed the receipe of the Biriyani to my father. One fine day, a sunday, father and mother decided to prepare in home. I still remember all the events that happed on the day. It was more or less a festive day at home. Early in the morning the preparations started. Mom was peeling lots of onions and garlic and taking other things ready. Being the first assistant to my father when he cooks, Mom was getting everything ready. Appa was also helping her then and there. We three, Me and my little sisters, being assistant to the assistant, were helping my mother.

The preparation went on elaborately, spices were ground, rice and meat was cooked, then combined together and mixed. Then it was kept for ‘Dhum’, a process in which red hot coal were placed on top of the lid of the container having the Biriyani. It was getting late and we all were hungry. I , with the help of my sisters, was cutting down the big onions and mixing it with curd, on my mom’s instructions to prepare the “Venkaya pachadi” – a side dish for Biriyani, which later acquired its

North-Indianized name – “Raitha”. Amma also prepared another side dish with Brinjal, the “Saalna”, which used to have a sort of sour taste.

We had the Biriyani in late afternoon and it was the best Biriyani I ever had. Until night I was taking rounds and having the Biriyani again and again. After this, Biriyani was cooked atleast once in 3 three months. Amma also learnt the art of making Biriyani in due course of time. Later when my friend entered my family, she also learnt it from my Amma and in our home now, quite often Biriyani is prepared. But the receipe got from the Ibrahim Kadai Bhai is maintained as a sort of secret within the family, and not dis-closed to anyone even with the extended family.

After moving to Chennai, I had the chance to taste different varieties of Biriyani. I was surprised to find that the Mogul Biriyani has a sweet taste with some sugar content in it. One bad thing I noticed in Chennai is that they cook the base rice with the spices, and have chicken, mutton and egg separately. This base rice then becomes chicken, mutton or egg Biriyani based on what is kept inside that rice and served. This type of Biriyani lacks the taste of the native chicken or mutton Biriyani. Later I came to know that even Fish and Prawn Biriyani existed. My favorite is chicken or mutton Biriyani, with a chicken fry side dish and a boiled egg.

Even now, all the days on which Biriyani is prepared, is a festive day in home. Hope a day comes when I will prepare the Biriyani on my own and give the same happiness to my little friends, as that happened in our during my childhood.

புதிய பழமொழி - எண் 10041

2011-03-31T00:57:00.000-07:00

வீணாபோகுதேன்னு குப்பைல போட வேண்டியதை தூக்கி தொப்பைல போட்டேனா, நீ வீணா போய்டுவே....

- பவளா.

என்னோட நண்பி இதை புதிய குறளாக இப்படி மாற்றி உள்ளார்:

வீணாவதை குப்பயிலிடாது தொப்பையில் இட்டால்
நீ வீணாவது உறுதி.

- பவளாவின் நண்பி.

அவங்க ஏன் அப்படி இருக்காங்க???

2011-03-22T11:32:00.000-07:00

தாணுவுடன் வாக்கிங் செல்லும் போது, சீரியல் புல்ப்களால் வைக்க பட்டு இருந்த கட்-அவுட்யை பார்த்து கேட்டான்:
"அவங்க கைய ஏன் அப்படி தூக்கி வைச்சு இருக்காங்க???"

இது தான் அந்த கட்-அவுட்...
- Pa

The cup of milk...

2011-03-22T11:31:00.001-07:00

My Food

2011-03-22T11:23:00.000-07:00

My Dinner Yesterday...

South Indian meals from my office canteen...

North Indian meals from my office canteen...
- Pavala

Marriage-Make Up (Bridal Make-Up)

2011-03-15T21:31:00.000-07:00

These days applying make up for the bride has become an inevitable and unavoidable event during marriage - for the obvious reason - many people have to face her and she also has to face many. And we can understand how this situation will be without a 2 or 3 layered coating of make-up. Also one has to remember this make-up or anything is not applied for the Guy, again due to obvious reasons :-).

The event of applying the make-up takes atleast 1/3rd of the total time allocated for the marriage. For a bridal make-up, the make-up lady comes a couple of hours before the marriage along with her acquaintances. I have difficulty in understanding why this lady has applied more make-up to herself than the bride... She will take the bridge along with her for the make-up session. They will lock themselves up inside a room, and we Guys never ever know what happens inside. After a couple of hours when the bride comes out, she will be an entirely different person.

The girl before the make-up may look pretty or average or anywhere in-between. But after the make-up session, they all look alike. I appreciate this uniqueness of the make-up process which brings all the girls to a common platform - pulling-down the good-looking ones, pushing-up the average-looking ones and adjusting the in-between ones. Some men before tying the holy knot get confused whether its the same girl which he saw before in the earlier marriage related events. (Here I would like stress my stand on the point that beauty is a relative term and it always lies on the eyes of the beholder. A girl who appears to be good-looking amidst one set of girls may appear average or below average amidst another set of girls. But I have to agree that to every guy, their special ones always look beautiful and pretty, not matter what :-)...).

Now this event appears to have taken another dimension. Ladies, who will be otherwise mere spectators of the marriage, also started having a make-up session before attending it. Though they may not confront the situation described in the first para of the article!!! May be they think or assume that they also face such a situation in the marriages they attend.

In my grand-mother's days, the bride would have just washed their face and come to the stage. In my mother's days, they would have applied a coat of talcum powder in addition to washing-face. But now... This makes me to think or assume that over the period of time, due to evolution, girls have lost their inherent beauty and because of this they have to augment it with supplements.

- SPGR.

சுனாமீன்

2011-03-15T09:21:00.000-07:00

சமீபத்தில் என் குட்டி நண்பன் தாணு தன தாத்தாஉடன் பீச்சிக்கு சென்று இருந்தான்.
அவனது தாத்தா அவனுக்கு மீன் பிரை வாங்கி தந்தார்.
தாணு கேட்டான் "தாத்தா, இது என்ன மீன்...?"
"சங்கரா..." தாத்தா சொன்னார்.
"எனக்கு வேற மீன் வேணும்..."
"என்ன மீன் வேணும்..."
தாணு சொன்னான் "தாத்தா எனக்கு சுனாமீன் தன வேணும்..."
"அது மீன் இல்லை... சுனாமி..."
"ம்ம்ம்... அதன்... அந்த சுனாமீன் தன வேணும்..."
சமீபத்தில் வந்த சுனாமி நியூஸ் எல்லாம் பார்த்துட்டு அது ஒரு ஒரு டைப் மீன் என்று நினைத்து விட்டன போல...

- பவளா

Happy Women's day

2011-03-08T00:34:00.000-08:00

I dont know whether being born as a woman is a boon or a curse. But still here goes my wish - Happy Women's Day!!!

- spgr.

Miles to go after I wake up...

2011-02-12T09:36:00.000-08:00

After a long time, last week I woke up around 5 AM in the morning. Indeed this is happening after a long time, and I have been trying for this since Jan 1st of this year. With no agenda, I just sat in front of my laptop and started thinking how my various mornings all these years have been.

Without any doubt some of my best mornings were the ones I spent in my native in my maternal grandparents home. It was a village on the Erode-Coimbatore main road. Our grandparents home is just near the main road. As we used to sleep outside the home, for the whole night we used to hear the horn & sounds of the buses and lorries hurrying on the road. My grandmother will be first to wake up around 5, followed by my grandfather. Grandfather will wrap himself around a blanket and walk to the Moopanar tea kadai for his morning tea, which is also near the house around 50 feet on the other side the road. If I wake up early I also used to accompany him to the tea shop. In fact on most of our mornings, we used to wake up hearing the Murugan saamy songs from the Moopanar tea shop.

By now grandmother would have started the process of tea preparation in the make-shift stove made out of 3 stones kept near each other, fuelled by logs. I still remember the tea pot with its dark outer side. I used to go near the stove and watch the preparations. We all will wake up one by one and join for the morning tea chat, sitting on the corridor. Having idli bought from the Idli kara aaya at 7 AM is another memorable event in the morning. That aaya will sell only idlis and the taste of the sambar she gives is so unique, which I have never tasted after that.

Mornings spent in my paternal grandparents also used to equally good, till I was young. There also tea sessions, followed by idli from idli kara aaya. I used to wonder, how here also there is a idli kara aaya. This aaya used to have dosa also along with idli. Around the same time my grandfather would have caught a hen from the flock and started the preparations for the chicken kolambu. If I describe how that hen gets converted to chicken kolambu, then this post will become a very violent one.

Now let me move to our home in Trichy where I grew as a child. How can I forget those sunday mornings which invaribly starts with Rangoli. It is the sound of the Rangoli which normally wakes me up on a typical Sunday. I used to peep out of my blanket to watch the Rangoli, the same old songs again and again. Once Rangoli got over, it will be followed by 2 or 3 cartoon shows(which we used to call Bommai Padam) of Micky Mouse or Donald Duck (or) Charlie Chaplin in the later years. And a typical morning on a sunday will extend till 12 in the afternoon.

It was on one morning that it happend. I was studying in 6th standard and I was studying for the geography annual exam. It was the last exam after which school closes for the summer holidays. I have asked my mother to wake me up at 6 o' clock in the morning since I have to study the pending portions. I had to push so hard in order to finish them. I thought if I had studied the lessons on a daily basis, I would not have to suffer like this. On that early morning, I took an oath that from 7th standard onwards, I will study my lessons daily and will cover up the portions taught in the class on the same day. I followed it and it did wonder. I kept this oath until my PG and reaped the benefits of it.

My hostel days in Coimbatore used to be very different from other ones. I used to wake up as early as 4:30 AM, inspite of going to bed around or after 12 in the mid-night. Lying on the bed I used to recall all that I studied in the night. This will be followed by a quick revision of the previous day's portions. So all mornings during my college days were study mornings.

During my days in US, after the call with offshore call, will be going to bed very late and will be waking up late with sufficient time just to get ready and rush to office. During weekends, my mornings will start around 12:30 PM or later.

After marriage, in my in-laws home, invaribly all my mornings started very very late. And I enjoyed the royal treatment I received there :-). Similar to the mornings in my grandparents native, I also had memorable mornings in my wife's native. Morning started early, followed by a visit to the Periyaaru river with her little brothers for the morning bath. On one such visit, I would have been washed away in the river, since I didnt know swimming. It was her brother who pulled me back to the shore and I shall be grateful to him forever :-). This will be followed by breakfast and coffee, which is combinedly called as 'Kaappi Kudithal' in her native.

After joining for work, until recently my mornings started at 8:00 AM or later. As years have passed, I have become very lazy and seeing the side effects of those now. From 2011, I have decided to wake up early and after lots of efforts, able to wake up at 5:00 AM from last week. I have try waking up even more early in the coming days. The amount of time we get when we wake up early is amazing. With lot of agendas, I have to wake up early from this year.

And miles to go after I wake up,
And miles to go after I wake up.

- SPGR.

I invite Shen and Dhanesh Amma to write about their mornings...

Bonda Koli

2011-01-09T07:27:00.000-08:00

For long I had this doubt - Why those white coloured hens are called 'Bonda Koli'. While helping my friend in cooking I just posed this doubt to her.

She told "See, while making bonda sometimes people immerse egg in the bonda flour and and make egg bonda. This bonda is not natural at all(???). From that egg, which is inside the bonda, no Koli will come out. Similarly, in the eggs laid by those Kolis, no Koli will come out and also those Kolis developed using an unusual process and because of this they never reproduce. So they are called as bonda Kolis. "

I was totally confused as it seemed both logical and un-logical. Can someone validate the above statement of my friend and / or call tell why those Kolis are called bonda Kolis???

Also I have one more doubt - Why we have only bonda Kolis? Why not bonda Aadu??? or Bonda Maadu??? Can't we create them using the same un-natural processes??? Please answer...

- Confused Pavala.

WELCOME - 2011... HAPPY NEW YEAR...

2010-12-22T02:04:00.000-08:00

A positive attitude causes a chain reaction of positive thoughts, events, and outcomes.

Happy New Year and lets welcome 2011 with lots of positives.
Note: I received the above content from one of my friend by e-mail.

- Pavala.

How to connect to MS Access database from Java using connection string

2010-12-20T19:44:00.000-08:00

In this post, I a going to demonstrate how to connect to MS-Access database from a Java program.
For example, if we have a database "msaccessdb.mdb" in "D:\Projects\" folder - this mdb file has one table user with 2 fields id and name - then here is how we can connect to this database:

This example uses connection String with jdbc-odbc bridge driver.
-------------------------------------
import java.sql.Connection;
import java.sql.DriverManager;
import java.sql.SQLException;
import java.sql.PreparedStatement;
import java.sql.Statement;
import java.sql.ResultSet;

public class DBChecker {

private static final String DRIVER = "sun.jdbc.odbc.JdbcOdbcDriver";

private static final String URL =
"jdbc:odbc:Driver={Microsoft Access Driver (*.mdb)};DBQ=D:\\Database\\msaccessdb.mdb;}";

public static void main(String[] args) throws Exception {
Connection connection = null;
try {
//load the driver
Class.forName(DRIVER);
//establish connection
connection = DriverManager.getConnection(URL);

//create statement
Statement st = connection.createStatement();
String query = "select * from user"; //query to be executed

//execute the query and get the result set
ResultSet rs = st.executeQuery(query);
while(rs.next()){
System.out.println(rs.getObject(1) + " " + rs.getObject(2));
}

} catch (SQLException e) {
e.printStackTrace();
} finally {
connection.close();
}
}
}
-------------------------------------
Post any queries in the comments.
- Pavala.

My first Novel Attempt

2010-10-25T00:28:00.000-07:00

One of my wish when I started this blog was to write a story, actually a novel that runs into several chapters. After long thinking sessions, I have come up with a theme and a good story out of it. This story will have most of the elements of a novel like Senti, Romance, Horror, etc.

Planning to post one chapter a day. As of now I do not know how many chapters this novel will run to, as this is my first attempt in writing such a big story.

I request all the 1 million readers & visitors of my blog(!?!?!?... too much da… ithu unakke over-a theriya???) to read the chapters regularly and provide your comments then and there.

And so in my next post my first Novel "In a Different World..." starts... Be ready to receive it...

- Writer(In which station???) Pavala.

NOTE(Nov 12, 2010): Due to un-avoidable reasons, novel attempt is post-poned for the time being.

How to identify a newly married Guy...

2010-10-22T07:28:00.000-07:00

Having written about Girls, now its time to write about newly married Guys, just to maintain the balance:

(1) Bracelets... Most of the guys wear this on the day of their marriage for the first time in their life. If a Guy appears with new bracelet, chain and rings(probably on both the hands), for sure, he is a newly married guy.

(2) Wrist Watch... I wonder when this tradition came in. Definitely the in-laws will get a new watch for the Guy. And some Guys protect this watch more than the Girl they married. In earlier days, the Guys should have got a good HMT winding watch. A couple of years back, a good Titan watch used to be the standard and normally it will be a Gold colored one. But things have changed now... I was surprised to find that the cost of the watches got for the Guy runs to several thousands of rupees, and sometimes several tens of thousands. And those watches have all the features that you can think of. It has a thermomter, pressure meter, altimeter, speedometer, ammeter, voltometer, tachometer, auto-meter, taxi-meter and any other meter that you can think of :). I even have a doubt that the father-in-law sometimes even set a small chip with a transmitter in the watch, which keeps sending signals and messages to him through which he spies his son-in-law(Proof will be provided on request). I have 2 questions related to this:

-1- Why only analog watches(watches with hands) are given? Why digital watches which can accomodate even more features are not given???

-2- In this electronic age, where every gadget shows time, why still wrist watches are given to the Guy. Why not an i-pod, or i-phone, or a ultra-modern mobile phone???

(3) Coat & Suit... The guy will get have a coat&suit (probably the first one in his life and the only one for many in their life).

(4) He will always be roaming around with a foolish smile...

(5) These days the Guy gets a bike during marriage itself. His old, if he ever has one can be exchanged for perichambalam (dates). Most of the father-in-laws hand over this bike with a the condition that the pillion should always be reserved for his daughter... And the transmitter in the wrist watch will send a message to him, if he ever happens to dis-obey this request(or order).

(6) The Girl... Wherever he goes, a new girl will be accompanying him. He will be happy and proud to have such a company. As time passes, time will teach him, that this company is the source for most of the troubles in his life...

Disci: Readers are advised not to get serious about the points listed above, especially point (6)...

Comments are welcome...

- JAVA Pavala.

How to identify a newly married Girl...

2010-10-21T10:17:00.000-07:00

How to identify a newly married girl (applies mostly to south Indian girls only):

(1) Whatever be her original skin complextion, now it will be yellow with due to the turmeric paste that was applied during the marriage.
(2) In addition to the normal bindi she normally has, there will be an additional red turmeric bindi on top of the forehead. I guess this is a newly adopted culture from north India and I doubt whether my grandmother or my mother ever wore such a bindi.
(3) She will be a bit more fat, and continue to grow fatter exponentaially for the rest of her life from the day of marriage.
(4) Sometimes people will mistake her for a Model doll kept in the showcases of the Jewelery shops due to the quintals of Golden Jewels that she will be wearing.
(5) She will be wearing a mangal sutra. (I brought this point to the last position, since these days Girls sometimes dont wear it (or) dont wear it when they go for work (or) they conceal it when they go for work.)

Thats all I can think of. More are welcome in the comments...

- JAVA Pavala.

Engagement means Endless phone calls... part (2)

2010-10-04T10:36:00.000-07:00

Hmmm... Nothing great... One of my colleague got engaged recently. Contrary to normal engagers, I never found him with a mobile phone stuck on his ear. And no other feature which I have normally seen among people who got engaged. Unable to resist the temptation, I many times thought of asking why he is like this... But since I felt that that might be a intrusion into his privacy, I didnt ask.
But it made me understand that there are still some engaged couples who are never like what is written in this title of this article...

- JAVA Pavala.

Actor Murali is no More...

2010-09-07T21:35:00.000-07:00

Morning, came to know that actor murali expired due to heart attack. Sad to know that. At the same time we have to appreciate his attitude due to which till his last minute, he kept attending college and kept loving his classmates, though it was not reciprocated, atleast until the cilmax...

May his soul rest in peace and let God give his family infinite strength to move on...

Engagement means Endless phone calls...

2010-08-28T00:06:00.000-07:00

Engagement means Endless phone calls...

Disclaimer: All characters, incidents, descriptions and anything else that you could imagine, depicted in this article are imaginery. Any resemblance to anyone living & currently undergoing an engagement-period (like notice-period :-)..) is not intentional, but purely coincidental...

(Appada, Maniratnam padam maathiri oru Disci-ya pottachu... Ini enna venna eluthlaam...).

A couple of
Engagements and m
arriage fixe
s happened in our family and in my friends circle recently, which is the main motivation for writing this article. I will try to highlight all that happen
during the engagement period and where ever possible I will give hints which would help yo
u to identify between different types of couples.
Couples can be broadly classified into 3 types - Approved couples, Un-Approved couples and Yet-to-be-Approved couples. If the parents see a guy or a girl for thier kid and once their kids say “ok”, at times after a bit of persuasion, the engagement starts. In this case, the couple is an Approved cou
ple as these type of couples have f
ull Approval from their parents and the engagement period
starts from the moment they mutually say “ok”. The interesting thing here is that it takes less time for a Girl to decide on the Guy for them, than the time they take for buying a saree
or
a jewel for them. Same should be the case for the Guy too, I guess. If a guy falls in love in a girl and the girl never approves (or) accepts his love(whic
h is normally the case...) (or) if a girl falls in love with a guy and if the guy never approves (or) accepts her love(a rare case :-)...), then they fall under the catagory of Un-Approved couples. This type of couples never have an engagement period. If a Guy and a Girl fall in lo
ve with each other, and the other party also accepts the love, but still their parents are yet to approve t
heir love and get them married, then these couples can be bro
ught under the catagory - Yet-to-be-Approved couples. In this case, the engagement starts right after one person proposes and the other person accepts.

Irrespective of whatever be the type of
couple, a lot of interesting stuff happens around the persons getting engaged and it is a good
entertainment for the people around them, until marriage.

The first thing is phone call
s. In the case of approved couples, things are quite easy. The parents get the number of the Guy or the Girl, pass it on to their ward and ask them to call and talk
to the other person... How nice it is.... But take the case of the Yet-to-be-approved
couples. The Guy (most of the time...) does all the tricks that exists in this world and somehow gets the girl’s number and starts first with missed calls, then with blank calls, and finally with all courage starts speaking... only to
receive scoldings from the other end... :-(...

As there is no problem for the Approved couples to give or receive phone calls, they keep getting calls day and night, in and out. At times the immatured and yet-to-grow-up people like me wonder like about what they will be talking all day and night, and at one point what will they do when they exhaust discussion
on all the topics in this galaxy?!?!??? And what will be left out to talk after marriage?!?!???

I have an idea for the mobile network providers. They can come with a plan like engagement-period pack. In this plan, a person who got engaged can add the number of the person to whom he got engaged. In order to avail this plan, the person should produce an affidavit or atlea
st a letter signed by parents on both sides stating that they are indeed engaging their kid to the other person.

Otherwise, there are chances that this plan will be misused heavily. In this plan, call charges are free between both the numbers from 10:00 PM to 3:00 or 4:00 AM, and then charges are 10 times the normal charge until 10:00 AM (in an attempt to give rest to those poor mobile phones and also to bring down their network traffic), then again normal charges from until 10:00 PM.

Again, here we get a chance to differentiate between approved and yet-to-be-approved couples. When the girl or the guy gets the call, and if their parents quietly move from that place in order to enable them to talk peacefully, then they are Approved couples. On hearing the ring tone, if the parents rush and come near the girl or the guy to observe what they are talking and (or) or to find out to whom they are talking to, then they are yet-to-be-approved couples.

Invariably, as I confirmed through my friend and other friends, most of the girls after sometime, find the conversation from the other end to be monotonous and boring. They use several techniques to avoid such boring talks, after sometime. The most common being “hello... hello...
signal illa... appurama call pannuga...” (no signal... call me later...). This also gives an insight into the fact that almost all
the calls originate from the Guy. In the case of yet-to-be-approved couples, the girl says “amma nearby, call me later...”, or “mama nearby, call me later”, etc.

Going around the city (or) Roaming is an inevitable activitiy for the couples during the engagement period. When the parents bring their ward safely, make all facilities, fix the place and duration of roaming, then one can easily guess that they are approved couples. In some cases, the approved couples even go to the extreme of having feast in their relatives home, during the engagement period itself. Yet-to-be-approved couples do not have this privilage as they always have the fear of being seen by anyone in the known circle.

Giving gifts is
another inevita
ble activi
ty during the engagement period. Needless to say, in this case also the gifts originates from the Guy. Don't imagine too much about the gifts. Items like
baloon, panchu mittai (cotton toffee, if my translation is right...:-)...),

and dolls which normally would delight a 2 or 3 year old toddler would be
given or exchanged as gifts. Only to the immature and yet-to-grow-up people like me the question would arise “Why stuff that would normally delight a 2 or 3 year olds are given as gifts...”. Again here we get an opportunity to find out what type of couples they are. If the gifts are neatly packed and sent through parents or through to-be-parents-in-law and handed over the girl, then they are approved couples. If the gifts are just dropped a
t the door of the girl, even without the details of who dropped it, th

ey are unapproved or yet-to-be-approved couples.

Another thing is the visit to in-laws home. If the Guy visits the to-be-in-laws home, or to any of the in-laws relatives home and if the Guy receives a Royal tre
atment, then they are approved couples. If the Guy just stares at the in-laws home from some distance and never gets a chance to enter the home, then they are yet-to-be-approved couples.
These days, its not uncommon so see
the girl also visiting the in-laws home (or) extended in-laws home during the engagement period itself, most of the time

for reasons like their extended in-laws wants to see the girl.... Let me try to guess what will happen during such a visit... The girl will sit somewhere like the center of the house and the in-laws will com
e one-by-one, either in a queue (or) by some other means a

nd see the girl.... Or.... may be like they will be seated in front of a dias and the girl com
es and walks here and there on the dias, like the parade that happens in a fashion show.... Or... may be in a traditional way the girl will have a big tray with tumblers filled with coffee and she will be serving to in-laws and there-by they also get a chance to see her... But this normally happens in the
girl's home during the 'pon paarkum padalam'(girl seeing function)... Ok... Ok... let me stop my imagination here...

Lot more things to write... If possbile will continue in a sequel to this...

Whatever it is.. the couple in their engagement period are a good source of entertainment to everyone around them...

Disci 1: All characters, incidents, descriptions and anything else that you could imagine, depicted in this article are imaginery. Any resemblance to anyone living & currently undergoing an engagement-period (like notice-period :-)..) is not intentional, but purely coincidental...
Disci 2: Incidents related to un-approved or yet-to-be-approved couples are not based on my personal experience.
Disci 3: This article is purely fictional and not based on real incidents. Any claim that it is based on anyone's personal story or incidents will be summarily rejected.
Disci 4: If this article hurts the feelings (or) sentis, (or) anything else of anyone, it really has to be attributed to my poor writing and depicting skills, in which case, I personally accept my fault and offer my apologies...

- JAVA Pavala.

Happy Birthday...

2010-08-18T12:20:00.001-07:00

Happy Birthday Pavala...

Hard, constant, continuous, unceasing work never goes unrewarded...

The best revenge is living best...

Its time to Awake, arise and stop not until your goals are reached...

Never stop...

All the best...

- Pavala.

When things are fully out of your control...

2010-08-12T20:02:00.000-07:00

When things are fully out of your control, the best thing to do is to make a quite quit, allow things to take its course and then take decide what you need to do.

- JAVA Pavala.

J...to the...A...to the...V...to the...A ..... JAVA...

Conversation Starters...

2010-07-24T06:54:00.000-07:00

Conversation Starter - I first came across this word in 2008, while attending a session on cross-cultural adaptability. That year I was making all arrangements to travel to US for work-related reasons and in our company it is mandatory that we need to attend that course before travelling to US for the first time. The instructor explained the importance of having a conversation starter, how it can be used to start a conversation with anyone and especially with the clients. Had I mastered this art during my college days, I would have got a lot of friends, especially girl friends ;-).

Though I learnt it theoritically I had difficulty in using it in practice. As a typical south Indian, I had a lot of difficulty in opening a conversation with strangers and sometimes even among known people. When I reached US, I found that people are very good in starting a conversation with anyone using conversation starters. The most common one is “How are you doing?” (or) “
How are you doing these days?” (or) “How are you doing today?”. It is normally a statement used just to start a conversation and it is never to be mistaken that they are really worried about how we are doing.

Initially I didnt know the answer for that starter and I just used to throw a blank smile to the opener. The theoritical training didnt help me much during the initial days. If this question was asked to me over phone, I just used to ignore it and just jump into the actual conversation.

Soon I learnt from my friend Sing and got to know that the answer for this question is “Doing good, Thank you and how are you doing?”. They will normally give the reply “Doing good, Thank you”. For which we can reply “Good to know that.” We can stop the conversation starter here and jump into the actual conversation, as by now the conversation would have started. Another good conversation starter if you are out of India and while talking to a US person is “How is the weather there?”.

This conversation starter applies only to actual US people and certainly not to the Indians who live there. Like here, Indians there just stare at us (or) ignore our presence. At times people who have lived there for a sufficient period of time, use the conversation manners of US by opening a conversation with a conversation starter, may be in an attempt to be a more US-ian. I mean they don’t do it to Indians, but like us they follow it with Americans.

After sometime I became well-versed with the starters and I was able to open up a conversation with anyone. After returning back to India, for a brief time I suffered from US-return-syndrome and I was throwing the question to anyone whom I met - be in home, office or on the road. I remember a begger staring at me when I asked him “How are you doing these days?”. Soon I understood that I was making a fool of myself and took conscious efforts and recovered from US-return-syndrome.

After my return from US, I joined a new project at off-shore. This project was so hectic that we used to work round the clock on more or less on all the days, including week-ends. But the manager was kind enough to provide us with project sponsored dinner and project sponsored lunch on week-ends. On one such occasion, while having lunch with my team-mates in canteen, a girl, basically from Andhra was sitting next to me. I didn’t mind to turn towards her or talk to her. Had it been US (or) had I been suffering from US-return-syndrome, I would have thrown a conversation starter at her by now.
Suddenly, while picking my lunch plate, she saw me and said “Hi...”
“Hi...”, I replied.
I knew that the next question would be the conversation starter and was waiting for it...
She asked “Is your wife married???”.

I was confused and didn’t know what answer to give for this conversation starter... But could understand that somehow she knew that I am a married person...

I managed and answerd "Yes... She is also married...”

People around us burst into laughter... She realized her mistake and she also joined them...

But still I have to agree that, it was a good conversation starter...

- spgr.

Family Problems...

2010-07-16T00:42:00.000-07:00

The number, amount and impact of problems in a family is exponentially proportional to the number of children a couple have. Thank God, from very large families, though Government's initiatives on family control measures, now we have nuclear families. But even now we have so much problems. Cant imagine how it would have been, a few decades back...

- s p g r.

சுதந்திரம் குடு...

2010-07-04T00:48:00.000-07:00

தாணுவிற்கு இரவு சாப்பாட்டிற்கு இப்போது எல்லாம் இட்லி தோசை பிடிப்பதில்லை... அவனுக்கு 'பெட் டோஸ்ட்' தான் வேண்டும்... அவன் அம்மா இப்போது எல்லாம் காஞ்சி பேக்கரிக்கு சென்றால், கேட்காமலே பிரட் பக்கெட்டை எடுத்து தந்து விடுகிறானாம். இவன் எல்லாம் அமெரிக்கவிலோ லண்டனிலோ பிறந்து இருக்க வேண்டியவன் என்பது அவன் அம்மாவின் கருத்து.

ஆம்மாம் நம்ம வீட்டுல தான் ஒரு வெள்ளைக்கார தொரை இருக்கிறான் என்று பேகேரிகாரன்க்கு தெரியும் போல... என்று அவளிடம் சொன்னேன்...

நேற்று இரவு அவன் பிரட் டோஸ்ட் சாப்பிட்டு கொண்டு இருந்த பொது, எங்க வீடு தொரை கிட்ட சுதந்திரம் கேட்கலாம் என்று நினைத்து கேட்க ஆரம்பித்தேன்.

"தம்பி, சுதந்திரம் தா..."

"தடமாட்டேன்..." கையை வேறு பின்னல் வைத்துகொண்டான்...

"சொஞ்சம் சுதந்திரம் தா கண்ணு..."

"தடமாட்டேன்..."

நிச்சயமாக இவன் வெள்ளைக்கரனாக தான் பிறந்து இருக்க வேண்டும் என்று நினைத்து மேலும் தொடர்ந்தேன்...

"தம்பி..."

"என்ன..."

"Quit India..."

"மாட்டேன்..." மேலும் உறுதியானது...

"சரி... எப்போ சுதந்திரம் தருவே?..."

"நாளைக்கு கீச்சுக்கு போகும் பொது தான் தடுவென்..."

"அப்படியா.."

"அமாம் அப்படித்தான்..."

"சரி..."

பிறகு வேற வேலைகளை கவனிக்க தொடங்கினேன்...

சிறிது நேரத்திற்கு பிறகு, சேரில் உட்கார்ந்துகொண்டு தீவிரமாக எதோ யோசனை செய்து கொண்டு இருந்தேன்...

அது அவனுக்கு நான் வருத்த பட்டு கொண்டு இருந்ததை போல் தோன்றி இருக்க வேண்டும்...

மெல்ல என் அருகில் வந்தவன்,

"அப்பா..."

"என்ன..."

"சுந்தம் வேணுமா..."

"அமாம்..."

"இந்த வச்சுக்கோ..." என்று சொல்லி நான் அவனிடம் சுதந்திரம் கேட்ட பொழுது அவன் கையில் வைத்திருந்த பொம்மையை கொடுத்தான்...

- எஸ் பி ஜி ஆர்

Is a mother's love selfless

2010-07-02T07:48:00.000-07:00

Is a mother's love selfless? Obviously let me elaborate this question. This question has daunted me several times and everytime I have come to the same conclusion. The conclusion is "No. A mother' s love is not selfless, but a selfish one."

We all like something that we have. We like the computer we own and use it, though it may not be superior to our neighbours. So, here is the trace of selfishness. We like it because it ours...

The love of a mother originates on a baby because it is "HER" baby. Since it belongs to her and since it is part of her, that powerful love emerges on the baby. Its not un-common to see that when a mother has to decide between her baby and her spouse, she will always be on the side of her baby, because it is her baby and her spouse is someone else's baby. Also, the same mother will not have such a love on any baby which is not hers. This we can see everywhere around us. In most families a daughter-in-law is a daugher"-in-law" only can never can be a daughter.

Hmmm... Just thought of writing something... So wrote about this question, which quite often comes to my mind... That a mother's love is as pure as milk... But even these days even milk is not pure...

From all this I have to conclude that a mother's love is not selfless.

How many packs do you have?

2010-06-26T00:02:00.000-07:00

Hmmm... Actors of yester years didnt have this problem.. All they had was a single pack and even with that single pack, they had a flourishing career with lot of fans... How can one forget the single pack Professor Sivaji performing romance with K.R.Vijaya aunty(also with a single pack... ) in day-before-yesteryear movies...

But now things have changed. I think it was Surya, who brought this culture in, in the tamil movies... Then almost every actor started working for it and consequently all their fans and
eventually the comman men too...

Since I am also a common man, I also wanted to have a six-packed abdomen...

When I told my Gym master that I want to have six-packs, he asked me lie down on the bench, and took a short thick nylon rope and told me that slashes with it in 15 by 3 sets daily on my present single pack will get it... I got terrified and since I didnt know whether he was serious or making fun of me, I told him that I will do that work out for 6 packs later... and eventually dropped that idea and here i am going you tell you why...

It is human tendency to go for more after reaching one... So, the present day people with 6 packs, will want 8 packs once they reach 6 packs... then these 8 packers will put all the effort to become 10 packers.... then, the 10 packers will move to be a 12 packer... then 12 to 14, then 14 to 16...... ok.... ok.... will stop here... and so on and forth... A little knowledge of mathematics will help us to understand that since the surface area is one and the same, it has to accomodate 'n' packs after sometime... at one point of time, each pack will be so small that they will be hardly visible... at which all those tiny innumerous packs will together appear like one large single pack.... which is exactly what I have now....

so tell me... why should I go for 6 packs now???

- spgr.

அவன் ஏன் அப்படி பண்ணுனான்...

2010-06-13T01:24:00.000-07:00

"தெரியும் இல்ல, அவன் பொண்ணு பார்த்துட்டான்..."
"எப்போ..."
"முந்தாநேத்து..."
"அவங்க வீட்டுக்கு தெரியுமா..."
"இல்ல... அவன் மட்டும் போய் பார்த்துட்டு ஓகே சொல்லிட்டான்..."
எங்கள் அலுவலகத்தில் முகேஷ்க்கும், வினீத்க்கும் இடையே நடந்த உரையாடல் இது...
கம்ப்யூட்டர் ல இருந்து கவனம் சிதறியதால், உரையாடலை தொடர்ந்து கவனிக்க ஆரம்பித்தேன்.
"பையன் வீட்டுல இருந்து ஏன் யாருமே போகலை?"
"அதன் தெரியும் இல்ல போன வாரத்திலே இருந்து, அவன் அவங்க அப்பா அம்மா பேச்சை கேட்கறது இல்லை..."
"அதுக்காக பொண்ணு பார்க்க போகும் போது தனியாவா போறது?..."
"போன வாரம் என்ன பண்ணுனான் தெரியுமா..." பிஜுவும் சேர்ந்து கொண்டான்.
"என்னடா பண்ணுனான்?..."
"அவன் பிரண்ட மட்டும் கூட்டிகிட்டு ஒரு பொண்ண பார்க்க போனான்..."
அவர்கள் குறிப்பிடும் பையன் யாராக இருக்கும் என்று நான் யோசிக்க ஆரம்பித்தேன்...
"சரிடா... இப்போ என்ன அகும்ற..."
"தெரியலடா.... இன்னகினு வேற productionல கரெக்டா போன அப்புறம் தான் கேளம்பனும்னு மேனேஜர் சொல்லிடாரு..."
"முடிஞ்சுது... அப்போ... இன்னைக்கு நைட் இங்கதான்ன்னு சொல்லு..."
"ஆமாம் டா... வயிப்ஆ பார்க்க சொல்லிருக்கேன்... இன்னைக்கு தெரிஞ்சிடும், அவன் ஏன் இப்படி செய்யுறன்னு..."

தலையில் அடித்து கொண்டேன்... திருமணதிற்கு பிறகு பசங்களும் இப்படி டிவி சீரியல் பார்பாங்கனு இன்னைக்கு தான் தெரிஞ்சிகிட்டேன்...
பெண்கள் மாதிரியே... அத பத்தி ஆபீஸ்லயும் டிஸ்கசண் வேற...
என்னோட half an hour போச்சு... நல்ல இருங்காப்பா ...

- எஸ் பி ஜி ஆர்.

If I were...

2010-06-13T00:50:00.000-07:00

Thank you Shen for tagging.
Let me continue here...

If I were a month, I would be January
If I were a day, I would be Sunday
If I were a computer, I would be IBM
If I were a laptop, I would be Lenovo
If I were a processor, I would be Intel
If I were an jewel, I would be Diamond
If I were a TV, I would be Sony
If I were a city, I would be Mysore
If I were a King, I would be Babur
If I were a lady, I would be Victoria
If I were a pen, I would be Montblonc
If I were a river, I would be Thames
If I were a sea, I would be Atlantic
If I were a drink, I would be Champagne
If I were a baby, I would be Dhanu
If I were a vehicle, I would be Space jet
If I were a tree, I would be Neem
If I were a season, I would be winter
If I were a bird, I would be Phoneix
If I were a mobile phone, I would be iPhone
If I were something, I will be the best...

I tag Dhanesh Amma to continne....

post from mobile.

2010-05-02T22:25:00.000-07:00

hey... i have learnt to access internet from mobile and this is my first post from my mobile. next week we are heading to my better half's and i am thinking of making some good posts of that journey. its a land of good scenic views, river, mountian, etc. more next week during or after that travel. - s p g r.

Process improvement and flushing the toilet...

2010-04-27T05:07:00.000-07:00

Till my college days and even in the first few years of my professional life, I have been an extreme introvert. Me always in a closed shell and never coming out of that. But I enjoyed my days in that closed shell. Some psychomatic tests that I took in those days also confirmed that I am an introvert. But after around 2 years of professional experience, I have slowly started becoming an extrovert. It may be because of me shifting to the metro-city and working in an industry which requires a lot of communication and interaction with colleagues and foreign nationals. My 2 profession related trips to the United States of America added fuel to it. As time rolled by, I found that I was able to open a conversation easily with anyone and in any occation, when required, and sometimes when not required too ;-) ...

But this change in nature of mine has been a nuisance for some people with embarassing moments for them. One such incident happened recently in an oreintation session in the company that I have joined recently. As in all companies, here too, they conducted orientation sessions for the new joinees, where we have to assemble in a hall like the training hall or an assembly hall and the big shots and critical people from various departments in the company will come and introduce about themselves and about the functions of the departments, so that we get to know about the company.

On the second day there was one such session, where a person from a department - the department which I hate to the core with all my heart, mind and soul - came and presented about his department and how it helps in delivering the product with utmost quality to the customer. Already I am known as a session spoiler (or enricher to some), who just throws numerous questions to the presenter that mostly end up in controversial situation. I do this just to learn about everything in this industry and for a big personal gain in the long run.
Some questions made him un-comforable; some made him angry; and what not. Let me give an example of a conversation that happened in the session:
"Forget about all these technical stuff", said the presenter, "lets take a day-to-day example - preparing a sambar", and he smiled at us. "How many of you know cooking?" he threw this question to us.
A few of us raised our hands and to my surprise, that hydrabad girl - the only lady participant and the star among the new joinees - didnt raise her hand. Let the Almighty save this world and the guy whom she is going is marry (or) the guy whom she has married. By the way still I couldnt find out whether she is married or not. For her age she should have been married, but no sign of that. Nowadays its not possible or atleast very difficult to find out whether a working woment is married or not. Anyway, why should I worry about that :-).
"Good," said the instructor and asked "Who among you is an expert in making sambar".
For this question I and another guy raised our hands.
"How do you say that you are an expert in making sambar" he enquired.
The other guy said "My friends have tasted it and said that its good."
"Fine." The instructer turned to me and I said "I know that the sambar I cook tastes extremely good."
"But there should be someone who tastes(tests???) it and confirms it"
"Thats not required. I have tasted sambar prepared by various people both in my family and among my friends from that I came to the conclusion that the sambar I prepare tastes good and better than all those." I stood firm in my statement.
"No, we cant say like that..." he said and went on "Anyway, how to you confirm that in each and every step, you are indeed preparing sambar that will be good at the end?"
We all just blinked.
He added "I mean, how do you make sure that each unit you prepare is good... something like unit testing..."
I got his point and said "A sambar cannot be tested in its intermediate stages... only the end product can be tested, by tasting it... its not advisable to taste it in its intermediate stages..."
But I think he is an expert in this sambar example and I can confirm it from what he said next "Though you cant taste it, you can confirm from the color, odor, and other qualities of it during preparation"
"I agree" I said and I didnt participate in that conversation after that.

In the afternoon session he was explaining a mechanism which the organisation has where the employee can suggest anything to the top management about anything which we feel will bring in some improvement to the organization and he was with full of enthu to describe one improvement that he suggested and was implemented:
"Quite often I go to other branches to give similar sessions and whenever I go from Chennai airport to the other branch, in-variably my stomach gets upset... the flight journey time is so small that they wont allow us to get up from the seat... and so I have to control till I reach our office there..."
"You should not eat our canteen food before travelling... " said I to myself...
He continued after a pause "One such time when I reached our office, the staff from training department took me to the training room, but I told him 'show me the toilet, my stomach is upset'... He showed me the toilet and I went in... Normally I have the habit of flushing the toilet before using it..."
"Hope he flushes it after use too, otherwise the next person also have to follow his habit of flushing it before use"
He went on "But to my surprise I couldnt find any handle or anything which I can turn or press to flush it... I looked around for sometime, and finally considering the emergency of the situation I have to give up my cleanliness habit and went ahead and used it... "
He gave a pause and continued "I finished my work and again started searching for the knob or handle... I found one small knob- hardly visible- to the left of me on the wall, but it was not reachable though I stretched my hand to the farthest possible while being seated on the commode..."
"Then I have to stand and pressed the konb and do you know what happend next???" he threw the question to the audience at an in-appropriate time...
I couldnt resist anymore immediately shouted "What... The door opened???"
The whole hall bursted into laughter and it took 2 minutes to calm down. He was just embarassed and gave a pathetic look to me and then to others.
I realized that I should not have said so. Also that I am talking too much these days and I should reduce my talkativeness.
He said "No no... it flushed... and after that I straight took the isse to the top management and asked them to stuck a sticker near that knob saying 'flush here'..."
He didnt talk much after that and wrapped up the session quickly and left.
I was sure that he will not quote that flushing experience ever in his sessions.

Two weeks later I met a guy who had joined that week. I met him over the canteen.
I asked him "Did you attend that session on org excellence?"
"Yes"
"What example he gave for process improvement?"
"He didnt give any example, he just said what is meant by process improvement and moved on to the next topic.."
Hmmm.... I knew that.... :-)...

- spgr.

தாணுவின் முதல் திரைப்படம்...

2010-04-17T20:56:00.000-07:00

வேற ஒன்னும் இல்லை, எங்க இரண்டு வயது குட்டி தாணு முதல் முதலா சினிமா தியேட்டர்ல படம் பார்த்த அனுபவத்தை பற்றி ஒரு போஸ்ட் போடனும்னு நினைச்சேன். இப்போ தன டைம் கிடைச்சுது.

ரொம்ப நாளாவே நானும் அவங்க அம்மாவும் அவன தியேட்டர்க்கு தூக்கிட்டு போகணும்னு நினைச்சோம். அதுவும் அவன் டிவில வர பாட்டுக்கு எல்லாம் குதிச்சு குதிச்சு டான்ஸ் ஆடுவதை பார்க்கும் போது சிக்கிரமா கூட்டிட்டு போகணும்னு நினைச்சோம். அந்த சமயத்துல தான் வேட்டைக்காரன் வந்துச்சு, போகலாம்னு நினைச்சோம். ஆனா அந்த படத்த பார்த்தவங்க சொன்ன விமர்சனத்த கேட்ட பிறகு அந்த ஐடியாவ கை விட்டுடோம். பின்ன, நாளைக்கு அவன் வளர்ந்து "போயும் போயும் முதல் முதலா அந்த படதுக்கு போய் என்ன கூட்டிட்டு போய்டீங்களே" என்று சொன்ன நாங்க எங்க போய் முட்டிகறது?

ஒரு சண்டே அன்னைக்கு இன்னைக்கு கண்டிப்பா படத்திற்கு செல்வது என்று முடிவு எடுத்தோம். அன்னைக்கு குட்டி வேற கொஞ்சம் மூட் அவுட்ல இருந்தான். பொறந்த அன்னைக்கு அவன அவங்க அம்மா கிட்ட படுக்க வச்சப்போ கூட கொஞ்சம் மூட் அவுட்ல இருந்த மாதிரி தான் இருந்தான். அதுக்கு முன்னாடி மதியம் அவங்க சித்தி கிட்ட இருந்த போது கொஞ்சம் நார்மலா இருந்த மாதிரி இருந்தான். அந்த விஷயத்திற்கு அப்புறம் வரேன். கிளம்ப ஆரம்பிச்சோம். சங்கம் தியேட்டர்ல எதோ ஒரு படத்திற்கு போகலாம் என்று முடிவு செய்து வண்டிய எடுத்தேன். அங்கே போனால் "கண்டேன் காதலை" படம் தான் பார்க்கிற மாதிரி இருந்துச்சு. இன்னும் ஒண்ணுல வேட்டைக்காரன் ஓடிட்டு இருந்துச்சு. அதுக்கு போகலாம்னு என் மனசுல ஒரு ஓரத்துல தோனுச்சு. ஆனா தம்மன்னவ போஸ்டர்ல பார்த்ததும் மனசு மர்றி "கண்டேன் காதலை" பார்க்கலாம்னு டிக்கெட் வாங்கினேன். இந்த படம் ஹிந்தில சூப்பரா இருக்கும் அப்படின்னு என் மனைவி கிட்ட சொல்லி, பெர்மிச்சியன் வாங்கிட்டேன். (பின்ன, தம்மன்ன இருக்கா, அதுனால இந்த படத்துக்கு போகலாம்ன சொல்ல முடியும்???... ஏற்கனவே எங்க வீடு பூரி கட்டை வாங்குனப்ப இருந்ததுல பாதி சைஸ் தான் இப்போ இருக்கு... அது எப்படி தேஞ்சு போச்சுன்னு நான் வேற தனியா சொல்லனுமா???... :-)... )

கொஞ்சம் திரில்ல இருந்தது... தாணுவுக்கு போஸ்டர் எல்லாம் காட்டுனோம்... அவனும் ஒரு மாதிரி சந்தோஷ மூடுக்கு வந்துட்டான்... சினிமா ஹால்க்கு உள்ளே போனோம்... போய் எங்க சீட்டுல உட்கார்ந்தோம்... கொஞ்ச நேரத்துல படம் போடா போறாங்க... தம்பி எப்படி exite ஆகா போறான்னு பார்க்க நாங்களும் ஆர்வமா இருந்தோம்...

அவன நான் என் மடில வச்சு இருந்ததாலே கொஞ்சம் இடிசுக்கோ புடிசுக்கோ என்று தான் உங்கர்ந்திருந்தோம்... அவனும் கொஞ்சம் நெளிஞ்சு கிட்டே இருந்தான்...

பெல் அடிச்சது...

லைட் எல்லாம் ஆப் பண்ணினாங்க...

"அப்பா... கண்டு போய்ச்சு... அப்பா.... கண்டு போய்ச்சு...", என்று சொல்லி என் தோல் மீது சாய ஆரம்பித்தான்... பின் வரிசையில் மெல்லிய சிரிப்பு சத்தம் கேட்டது... சென்சர் சர்டிபிகட் போட்டு, டைட்டில் போட்டு முடிக்கும் போது தாணு குட்டி தூங்க ஆரம்பித்து இருந்தான்... நான் கொஞ்ச நேரம், அவங்க அம்மா கொஞ்ச நேரம்னு turn போட்டு அவன வச்சுஇருந்தோம்... சரியா இண்டர்வலுக்கு முழிச்சு, பிறகு படம் போட்டதும் மீண்டும் தூங்கினான்...

எப்படியோ எங்க குட்டி தாணு தியேட்டர்ல படம் பார்த்துட்டான்...

- எஸ் பி ஜி ஆர்.

A change from a big company to a medium sized company...

2010-04-06T09:34:00.000-07:00

After spending 6.5 years in big companies, in the third job switch I have to switched to a medium size companies. On the very first day, I understood that life is going to be totally different here. Some points that I noticed on my first and second day in my new job are:

My first Employer was the company which manufactured and sold everything from tea to salt to car to wrist-watch to software. There I spent around 2 and half years. My send Employer was the company which stood strong and continued to grow even during the recession. I spent 4 years there. My current new Employer... if it literally meant what its name says, then it can opened and closed. Hmm... yes... you got it right...

My initial observations in new company:
* Just one floor of one building of one of the branch of my previous employer, thats this company's branch in this metro city.
* Everywhere we could see the small company culture, everywhere micro mangement and everyone's activity is closely monitored.
* For the first time in my career, I am seeing HR working closely with project team. In earlier companies, I used interact with HR only twice, once during joining and once while leaving the company and occationally while moving from one project to another. Here HR regularly interacts with everyone all the time, even with the development teams
* The management is a bit bereaucratic - all in senior management are just issuing commands, like it happens in military, and they dont fail to make a sarcastic note to whoever they get a chance to - probably a small company culture.
* HR too, their tone is more like a threat, in all they say - probably another small company culture.
* In big companies, you will be into project on the very first day, but here it takes 15 days to get into project.
* Canteen is bad, we have to take lunch with us.
* In earlier companies, I used to enjoy free company tea/coffee, by coming out to the corrider and with team-mates/friends, but here, each tea or coffee - Rs. 5, and we have to sit in that small canteen and have it.
* Water is available only in the canteen and whenever we need water, we need to walk all the way to canteen.
* Once we get in, we can come out of that floor only in the evening, and every time we come out, its considered as going out of the company and it is tracked through swipes.
* we have to spend a minimum of 3.5 hours between 9 to 1 in office in the morning; and minimum of 3 hours from 2 to 6. We will loose attendance for half-day if we do not spend those minimum hours in each session in office. We can understand that they have cleverly come up with this plan, so as to make sure that people come on or before 9:30 in the morning and if they want to leave early for the day, they can do so after only after 5:00 in the evening.
* I think the 46% hike and the "project leader" designation will give me the strength to bear all these and come out successfully in the long run...

Queries regarding changing job, HR interview questions and interview questions in general are welcome in the comments. I will try to answer them as much as I can...
- spgr.

அன்பை மட்டும்...

2010-03-31T14:02:00.000-07:00

அன்பு, கோபம், பொறமை, வன்மம், என்றுமே எவ்வளவு கொடுகின்றோமோ அதே போல இரு மடங்கு திரும்பி வரும்... கடவுளே, என்றுமே அன்பை மட்டும் கொடுபதற்க்கு எனக்கு உதவி புரி...

- எஸ் பி ஜி ஆர்.

விண்ணை தாண்டி வருவாயா - ஏன் நான் ஜெஸ்ஸி யா மட்டும் காதலிச்சேன்..

2010-03-24T02:24:00.000-07:00

நான் கல்லூரியில் படித்தபோது அப்படித்தான் இதே போல ஒரு சூழ்நிலை உருவானது. எங்கே போனாலும் ஒரு குறிப்பிட்ட படத்தின் பாடல்கள் ஒலித்து கொண்டு இருக்கும்... மாணவர்கள், மாணவிகள், ஆண்கள், பெண்கள், அனைவரும் அதே படத்தின் பாடல்களை ஹம் செய்து கொண்டு இருப்பார்கள்... பிறகு தெரிந்து கொண்டேன் விஜய் மற்றும் ஷாலினி நடித்து "காதலுக்கு மரியாதை" என்று ஒரு படம் வந்து இருக்கிறது என்றும், அது அனைவரையும் ஒரு ஆட்டு ஆட்டிஇருக்கிறது என்று. ஆனால் அப்போது எனக்கு படம் பார்ப்பது ஒரு பிடிக்காத விஷயம் என்பதால் அந்த படத்தை பார்க்கவில்லை, இன்று வரை...

பிறகு வாழ்க்கை மாறியது. என் நண்பிக்கு படம் பார்ப்பது பிடிக்கும் அல்லது குறைந்த பட்சம், படத்தின் கதையை மட்டும் ஆவது தெரிந்து கொள்ள வேண்டும் என்ற ஆர்வம் இருந்ததால், நானும் கொஞ்சம் கொஞ்சமாக படம் பார்க்க ஆரம்பித்தேன். ஒரு சமயத்தில் என்னால் விசு படம் கூட பார்க்க முடிந்தது :-). ஆனால் கால ஓட்டத்தில் மீண்டும் நான் என் பழைய சுபாவதிற்கே வந்து விட்டேன்.

பல வருடம் கழித்து இப்பொழுது மீண்டும் எங்கே சென்றாலும் ஒரு படத்தின் பாடல்கள் கேட்கிறது, எந்த சேனல் மாற்றினாலும் அந்த படத்தின் பாடல்கள்... ஹ்ம்ம்... "விண்ணை தாண்டி வருவாயா" என்ற படம் வந்து இருக்கிறது என்று தெரிந்து கொண்டேன். முதலில் படம் பார்க்கும் ஆர்வமே இல்லை. ஆனால் ஒரு நாள் என் ஜிம் மாஸ்டர் "த்ரிஷா மாதிரி ஒரு பொண்ண பார்த்து காதலிக்கணும்" என்று சொன்ன வுடன் அந்த படம் பார்ப்பது என்று முடிவெடுத்தேன்.

ஒரு சுபயோக சுபதினத்தில் படத்தையும் பார்த்தேன்... சிம்பு ஒரே கேள்வியை படம் முழுவதும் கேட்டு கொண்டே இருக்கிறார். ஹ்ம்ம்... ஆனால் அதற்கு பதில் சொல்ல தான் படத்திலும் சரி, வெளியிலும் சரி, ஆளே இல்லை... இந்த கேள்விய அவர் கேட்கும் போது சிலர் கண் கலங்குவதையும் பார்த்தேன்... பாவம்... பதில் தெரியலைன்னா பரவாஇல்லை, அதற்காக அழ கூடாது...

ஆனால், எனக்கு பதில் தெரிந்து விட்டது... அதை அனைவருக்கும் தெரிவிக்க வேண்டும் என்ற கடமை எனக்கு இருப்பதாக எண்ணியதால் இந்த பதிவு... :-)

எந்த ஆணுக்கும் எந்த பெண்ணை பார்த்தாலும் ஏற்படுகிற ஒரு pull, சிம்பு விற்கு த்ரிஷா மேல் ஏற்படுகிறது. மேலும் அவர் கலை கண்ணோடு(???) பார்ப்பதால் அந்த pull இன்னும் கொஞ்சம் அதிகமாவே ஏற்படுகிறது. அது ஏன் என்ற கேள்வியை அவர் மீண்டும் மீண்டும் கேட்டு கொண்டே இருக்கிறார். தம்பி, இதுக்கு எல்லாம் கேள்வி கேட்க கூடாது. அப்படி கேட்டால் ஆப்பிள் ஏன் மரத்தில் இருந்து கீழே விழுது? இரவுக்கு பின் ஏன் விடிகிறது? நாம் ஏன் சாப்பிட வேண்டும்? நாம் ஏன் தூங்க வேண்டும்? என்று கேட்டு கொண்டே இருக்கவேண்டியது தான். அது அப்படித்தான். உலகம் அப்படித்தான் வடிவமைக்க பட்டு இருக்கிறது. Thats how the world is designed. சரியா தவறா என்று கேள்வி கேட்டு கொண்டு இருக்க முடியாது. இந்த டிசைன் பால்ட்(design fault) இக்கு ஒரு காரணம் இருக்க வேண்டும் என்றால், அது மனித இனத்தை நெடு நாள் இந்த பூமியில் வைத்து இருக்க வேண்டும் என்ற ஒரே காரணம் தான் இருக்க முடியும். பதில் கிடைத்ததா தம்பி.

ஹ்ம்ம்... இல்லையா... ஏன் இத்தனை பெண்கள் இருக்கும் பொது நீ ஜெஸ்ஸி யா மட்டும் ஏன் காதல் செய்தாய் என்று புரியலையா???... அப்படி கேளு தம்பி... அதற்கு ஒரே ஒரு பதில் தான் இருக்கு... நக்கீரன் அண்ணாச்சி நித்யா பற்றி சொன்ன மாதிரி சொல்லணும்னா "அவன் ரசனை படு மட்டம்யா..." போதுமா... நீ இத்தனை பெண்கள் இருக்கும் பொது நீ ஜெஸ்ஸி யா மட்டும் காதலிச்சது உன் மட்டமான ரசனைய காட்டுது... சில பாட்டுல உன் கூட ஆடுனுவங்க கூட அவளை விட நல்லா இருந்தாங்க... நீ திரும்பி பார்க்கலையா???

படம் முடிஞ்சதும் என் நண்பன் சொன்னான், "ஹ்ம்ம்... பல்பு வாங்குன கதைய படமா எடுத்தா இப்போ எல்லாம் பிச்சிகிட்டு ஓடுது..."
மேலும் அவனே சொன்னான் "நல்ல வேளை நான் டைரக்டரா இல்ல... இல்லேன்னா நான் வாங்குன பல்புக்கு எல்லாம் எத்தனை படம் எடுக்கறது..."

- எஸ் பி ஜி ஆர். .

My India...

2010-03-19T11:37:00.000-07:00

I liked this video a lot.

Hope you too like it...

-spgr.

How to search for lateral jobs (1)

2010-03-04T18:35:00.001-08:00

Introduction:

After 2 job switches, I have to humbly(??? :-)...) accept that now I posses sufficient knowledge and experience that I can pass it on to potential job seekers.
As a fresher you would have searched for jobs and settled on the first job offer that you received. But lateral job search is totally different from a fresher job search.
As a fresher you can apply for any company, any technology, any domain. But in a lateral job interview, you can apply only for certain specific jobs. And in a lateral job search, you need to keep searching intensively for a better job offer even after getting the first offer.

A minimum of 25-30% hike from the current salary, accompanied with a better role, which is normally one step ahead of your current role are some of the facts that makes a lateral job switch lucrative. On the contrary, we have to leave a familiar company, familiar people and environment in this process. But any change in life is for good and a change is always refreshing.

As the popular saying goes, "love your job, but never love your company, because you never know when the company will stop loving you".

In this series, I will take you through all the steps that you need to undertake to land successfully in a better job.
- to be continued.
- SPGR.

God man Nityananda Caught...

2010-03-03T18:52:00.000-08:00

Here, there, everywhere talks about Nityananda, who was exposed by the media recently. Whereever we went, people were discussing abou thim only. I could witness a vibrant Tamil Nadu yesterday and most were happy that he was caught.
Strangely I was also filled with sort of happiness, on hearing the news. Even a 13 l.p.a offer would not have fetched me this happiness. Once again its proved that God men cannot become God.

நான் வரஞ்சது

2010-02-25T09:27:00.000-08:00

ஒரு நாள் மீட்டிங், வேற எங்க, ஆபீஸ்ல தான். அதுவும் நைட் 1:30 மணிக்கு... போன் வழிய ஆண்சைட்ல இருந்து எதோ சொல்லிகிட்டே இருந்தாங்க... பாதி பேரு தூங்கிட்டாங்க... பாதி பேரு காபி குடிசிகிட்டே எதோ கேட்கனுமேன்னு கேட்டுகிட்டு இருந்தாங்க... ஒரு சிலர் போன் கிட்ட உட்காந்து கிட்டு கேட்டுட்ம் பேசிகிட்டும் இருந்தாங்க... அப்போ திடிர்னு பிரேக் டைம் வந்தது... எல்லோரும் காபி குடிக்க போய்ட்டாங்க... நான் அப்பாதான் ஒரு காபி குடிச்சு முடிச்சதால என்ன பண்ணலாம்ன்னு யோசிச்சேன்... ஹ்ம்ம்... ஐடியா...

ஐடி கார்டு ல இருந்த என்னோடோ போட்டோவ பேப்பர்ல வரையலாம்ன்னு வரைய ஆரம்பிச்சேன்... "பரவ இல்லை நல்ல வரையரீங்கன்னு' பக்கத்துல இருந்தவர் சொன்னாரு... உங்கள் பார்வைக்கு இங்கே...

ஒரு புது ஹாபி கண்டுபிடிச்ச சந்தோசத்துல இன்னொரு சமயத்துல வேற ஒரு போட்டோவ பார்த்து வரஞ்சது கீழ... உண்மைய சொல்லணும்ந, ரெண்டுமே சரியாய் வரல... நேர்ல பார்க்க, நான் இன்னும் நல்லா இருப்பேன்... :-)... :-)... :-)...

அம்மா அழாதே

2010-02-24T08:44:00.000-08:00

அம்மா.... அழாதே...
குழந்தை தாய் ஆகும் தருணம் அது...
- எஸ் பி ஜி ஆர்.

என் முதல் தமிழ் போஸ்ட்

2010-02-20T23:38:00.000-08:00

ஆஹா... நான் தமிழிலேயே டைப் பண்ண கத்துகிட்டேன்...
இனி தமில்ளேயும் என் இம்சை தொடரும்...
- எஸ் பி ஜி ஆர்.

Walk-outs in S*****

2010-02-14T09:42:00.000-08:00

Yesterday one of my friend attended a scheduled walk-in interview at a company whose first three letters are the first three characters of the word "synchronization" and the second part of the word rhymes with a very famous microporcessor manufacturer.

He happened to wait for more than 4 hours, and nothing happened, except that he was made to sit in a chair near the lift, without AC, fan, or ventilation and without water. Many others were also waiting along with him. Slowly people starting going out one by one and after sometime he also walked out of the venue.

After reaching home, he wrote this following email to the HR of that company...
--------------------------------------------------------
Hi,

Today I attened your interview. The way you conducted walk-in was notat all professionalistic. One of the most unorganised way of conducting interviews, which drove away many people away from thevenue without attending and after waiting for hours.Please try to organize the way you conduct the interviews, else, it isnot going to take s***** anywhere down the line.

The way you conduct the interviews is spreading through word of the mouth to to other potential job seekers and I am sure your company will be removed fromthe list of companies that they are planning to attend.

I would not recommend anyone to take up any interview with you. Theway you have organized the walk-ins shows your organization culture,and I seriously recommend you to improve it.

In fact, at the end, the walk-ins became walk-outs for many.

Regards,
Ram.
-------------------------------------------------------------
- SPGR

His Love!!!

2010-02-14T07:07:00.000-08:00

"Hi", he typed from his system from octa lab and waited for a reply.
He was a bit nervous, infact.
There was no reply from the other end for a few seconds.
"Hi", came the reply.
He was happy and thrilled.
"Is ****** there", he typed and hit the enter button again.
"No, she is not here... She is on leave today..." promptly came the reply.
"Oh... Ok... Thanks", He replied and closed the chat application. Thats how it all started. Poor boy, he would have never imagined that this girl will enter his and take complete control of his life in a few years.
---
One year back............
He was hurrying up on the stairs in the MCA department to the office to see the results.
Nothing important to say about his marks. But he turned the the page and on the next page M.Sc OR&CA results were listed. He browsed through the list to found who topped the class. He was shocked and surprised to know that she was the topper in her class. This has created an impression in him, but he cant say whether that was a positive or negative one.
---
"Why you used my name to talk to her", infact she was very angry when uttering these words.
"I didnt talk to her", he told her politely
"I just asked whether you were there in the ITC lab."
"You know that I was on leave and still you asked her whether I was in."
"No. I knew that you were on leave, but still I thought you could have come to ITC lab"
"You used my name to talk to her."
She kept telling these words in several ways and styles like Raguvaran's "I know, I know, Iiii... know"
"I didnt talk, just typed a few words on messenger."
She left angrily and after a couple of days she completely stopped talking to him.
---
Suddenly everyone started becoming busy preparing for the campus interviews.
He was again seriously trying to execute some C program in octa. She entered the lab and was a bit nervous and was walking here and there in the lab.
He thought she is searching for a system and thought of giving his system immediately, if she couldn't get one. She crossed behind him several times and once when she crossed, he brought out all his courage and asked "CSS results are put up in the placement office notice board". Somehow he could guess that she is on search for the CSS results only.

"No, just now I checked there."
"Oh, Ok, may be we need to check he placement site then..."
"Ya, thanks, thats why I came here... I will check..." and she left.
---
One day she was seriously doing some work in the user lab. By now he got job through the campus interviews.
Now he didn't have much difficulty in starting the conversation with her
"Hi"
"Hi"
"Did you apply for BEL"
"No"
"Go to this URL, fill in this form..." he kept talking and talking and then said bye and left.
---
Days rolled, he finished pre-final semester and went to chennai for carrying out his project work.
Within a few days of reaching Chennai, he sent a mail to her, asking how she is, and how her project work is going on?
To his surprise, he got reply on the same day and came to know that she is also in the sam e city, doing some research related work in Theorital Computer Science. Mails flied back and forth.
She used to ask doubts in C++, in which she was writing programs, something which she used to say "succint data structures."
As he didnt concentrate on data structures in college, he had difficulty in understanding what she was actually doing.
He immediately started learning C++, more than Java (on which he was working) so that he can clarify her doubts. In a way he was happy that a topper is asking her doubts and he is clarifying (actually trying to clarify) them.
---
All of the conversations happened over mail and messenger. The number of mail count reached 100s and then 1000s. They became good friends.
---
1st June of a wonderful year, he tied her the holy knot, and both their families became a single family.
But the irony is, he who initially had lot difficulty in talking to her, from then on, had chance only to listen her continueous talks :-)...
---
The highlight was once when his mother remarked "Even we could not have found such a good girl." Yes like him, she impressed everyone in his home and they lived happily forever.
---
NOTE: This post is dedicated to my friend.
HAPPY VALANTINE'S DAY.

- SPGR.

An Overheard Conversation

2009-12-27T07:24:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I happened to go to Chennai Airport and be in the arrival section for roughly around 3 hours. I saw an interesting thing in the airport. I will tell about that towards the end of this article. Now the matter is about an young married couple, especially about an interesting conversation of the girl with her parents when the Guy was away for a while. (Disci - This statement has no implication that the conversation of a Guy can never be interesting).

The guy is 27 years old and the girl should be around 25. The girl was slim, had a very fair complextion. I was waiting on the visitors side of the fence and they were on the passengers side of the fence. Her parents were standing next to me. The young couple first came to her parents. Her mom greeted her son-in-law "Vaanga Maapillai Sir". I could sense a line of sarcasam in her greeting. He smiled at both of them and then went away. I could see that he is going to his parents who stood a couple of foots away from her parents. Then the girl started her - mostly one-sided - conversation. Being a relatively new blogger, its tough for me to write the entire conversation here. So, I will write a few of them here:

"He wants me to be polite. How can I be polite? They want me to drop and pick up kid from the day care, visit super markets in the week-ends. And at the same time I they want me to be polite with him. His father says that no one used to argue with his son. In that case, they should not have got him married."

"His father says that they all are open and they openly discuss anything with everyone. I also told that in our family also we are open and discuss anything with everyone."

(So, here I understood that the fight is between the father-in-law and his daughter-in-law).

"He asked whether you have any idea to buy a house there (From now on she refers to her father-in-law, unless otherwise I specially mention). I told 'yes', that will be good and an investment. For this he said, 'thats ok', but that should not be a commitment to stay there itself and you should be ready to dispose it and come back. I want you to come back after a couple of years".

She added more and more and more. Some of replies given by her father and mother were:

"Yes, you should be like that only. We have not sold you to them. We have just got you married" - Her Father.

"Nanna Sonne di" - Her Mother.

And then suddenly her husband came and told "Ennama, polama...". She abruptly stopped her conversation and smiled at him and they went towards Emigration checking counter.

I know to that these days girls are very choosy in selecting the guy for marriage. In addition to that they want to be dominant also it seems.

- spgr.

New Year Resolutions

2009-12-25T08:14:00.001-08:00

That was the last working day of that year. I was sitting in my class and that was the last period of that day. I was in my 10th class. Vasantha miss, who was handling that class stood in front of the class and asked this question: "What is your new year resolution?"

That was the first time I heard that question in my life. She went on and explained, "every year we need to set and get used to some good habit in our life." She explained how a habit followed for an year becomes a habit for life-time. She listed out some of the resolutions that she took over the past couple of years and her last year's resolution was to wake up at 4:30 AM in the morning and explained how it had helped her to complete her house-hold works, help her kids and husband and get prepared for the day.

That gave us a clear idea what a new year resolution is. Then she asked each and every one of us to say what our new year resolution is. As usual it started from the first persion in the first row. Without much time to think or prepare each went on to say different things. Like "I will do my home-work regularly", "I will dress neatly", so on and so forth.

When my turn came, I told-though I was thinking about various things in my mind-"I wont tell any lies". The whole class started laughing. After that I didnt notice what others said, but instead went on to think how I am going to implement and keep up that resolution. I went home conciously thinking that from tomorrow-from the new year day-I should not tell any lie.

Its new year and I kept myself away from telling a lie. I was surprised to realize the number of opportunities I got, where I normally otherwise used to lie - small, medium and large. Towards the end of the day, I decided to keep quite without talking a word so as not to tell a lie and thus to keep up my new habit and thereby my new year resolution.

But nothing could help me on the second day. I had to tell a lie towards the end of the day. The next day when I went to school, I almost forgot about my new year resolution and I was very well back to my normal life. Vasantha miss came in the afternoon for the maths class and asked her usual question "How many didnt do your homework? Stand up." I totally forgot about doing my homework in the holidays and I was one among those who stood up. She asked each one the reason for not doing the homework and punished them based on the reason ranging from one to several bangs in the palm with two wooden scales held together.

When it was my turn, I told "Miss, I have done the home work, but I forgot to bring the home work note to the class", in an attempt to get the minimal punishment. She looked into my eyes and then said "ok" and went away. She just believed my words and didnt punish me at all.

After that I definitely make a resolution every year and follow it sincerely for the first few hours on the first day of the year, and eventually forget it. One day I want to meet my Vasantha Miss and apologize for that lie and hope a day comes when I will be able to keep up the first new year resolution of my life.

- spgr.

An Announcement

2009-12-25T07:53:00.000-08:00

This is to announce that I am going to write and post many interesting stuff in this blog. So keep watching.

Our Diwalis...

2009-10-15T06:15:00.000-07:00

(Inspired by Shen's recent post, I was prompted to write this blog... So Shen, here is my version...)

The massive Diwali celebrations were when I was in my high school classes... But here I will go in a chronological order... I do not remember much what happened during Diwai when I was very young except that a few big boys from our neighbourhood used to come to our home and fire all the crackers in the name helping me in cracking them... I vaguely remember Appa also firing a few... During those days Diwali was nothing more than wearing a new dress...

Now coming to my massive Diwali celebrations... In those days it was not 'Diwali', but 'Deepavali', as thats how it is supposed to be pronounced in Tamil. I dont know how and when north-indian accented word 'Diwali' replaced 'Deepavali'. I got first encounters with the word 'Diwali' when I was in Coimbatore doing my UG. There everyone anticipated 'Diwali', everyone bought dresses for 'Diwali', eveyone wished each other for 'Diwali' and everyone went to their native for 'Diwali' and not for 'Deepavali'. Whoever prnounced it as 'Deepavali' was considered as one who hails from a remote village without buses, but with 'Naataamais-The Theerppu Tellers'.

So I also had to jump to the word 'Diwali' instantly as I come from a city, which is as big as Coimbatore. For Your Information, I am from Trichy.

Coming back to high school days Diwali again, Diwali starts months before its actual date. In January, when we buy the new calender for the year, the first thing we look into it is when Diwali is. We will start hearing ads in radio and TV which are signs of the nearing Diwali. The biggest event of Diwali is the 'Diwali Purchase'. Its not purchasing Diwali, but purchasing dresses and other required items for Diwali. We generally go for Diwali purchase before the Railway Bonus, this is because the town will not be much crowded before the Bonus.

We will start around 3:30 in the afternoon and reach the town and first parents used to take us to the ice-cream shop where we will have ice-creams. Appa and Amma invaribly will be having lime juice. Then we will get dresses for each of us, "Show us the lattest designs..", the words that mom utters to each of the salesman showing us the varitiess. In between me and appa will have tea in the shop near the Mangammal Chattiram. And Amma used to buy one vessel for every Diwali. Then finally we will have food in hotel and wait in the bus stop for returning. Once we reach home, we will sit forming a circle in the hall and spread all the items bouth in a mat and we will go through each and eveything of them.

Probably the next day or withing a few days one evening we all will go for a walk to the tailoring shop and giave the dresses for me and Appa for stitching. A week before the Diwali starts our sweets prepartions. It starts with Murukku. Appa will take the lead role, Amma doing most of the work on Appa's instructions and we three taking the support and testing roles.

Another important is the fire crackers. Appa will be bringing them while back from work. We will spread this on mat and will be viewing them for a while. Year by year the items in the pack kept decreasing. On the Diwali eve we used to go the sandy to make the last minute purchases.

Rest most Shen has covered... Catch you again the next post... You can read her post here

-SPGR.

Story 1 - The Begining

2007-06-07T22:14:00.000-07:00

Finally I reach home after a heavy load of work at office. My wife and others were ready and having their dinner and they were with full of enthu about going to our native place after a long time. As soon as I entered home, my best half hurried me to get ready soon as only one hour is left for catching the train.
Understanding the situation, I also got ready soon, having a quick bath and quick dinner. We all set out carrying the lugguages, two each, came down the stairs and as usual we came to the main road and started waiting for getting an auto. Now 40 minutes are left for us to catch the train. It takes roughly about 20 minutes to reach the railway station.
Two empty autos fled past us, I just left them, since it is customary for me to leave an initial set of autos. The idea behind this is, if we get an auto immediately upon coming out of the home or out to the main road, the auto fellow will think that we are in a hurry and charge high rates. With this idea I left the first 2 autos. At this point my wife threw a different look at me, for which I normally used to pretend as if nothing happened.
A third empty auto also fled by. Now I am waiting for an auto which will come near us and ask whether we need an auto. The logic behind this is that, an auto without any business for a long time will be in search of business and naturally we can negotiate for a resonable(if possible for a lower) amount.
Yes it happened, and an auto came near us and its driver looked at me keenly. I was happy at the way he looked me, since it showed that he had rightly identified that I am the responsible person who can take my family safely to our destination.
I started the negotiation process
"We need to go to Egmore railway station, four of us"
"Ok Sir" came his reply.
"How much"
"Fifty rupees Sir"
"We normally give forty only. We regularly travel in this route"
"Normally it is forty, but you are four people. Only three people are allowed to travel in auto at a time and if caught by those traffice police, I will be in trouble."
"You auto men always come up with some stories. Once even five of us have travelled to Egmore at this time for forty"
"Forty-five Sir"
"No only forty".
At this point my wife whisperd into my ears "Its ok. we shall take this auto. Its getting late and only 30 minutes are left".
I was not ready to compromise on my offer of forty rupees. Its high time that I need to learn the negotiation skills. This experiences will also help in my work to negotiate for promotions.
So, I told her "Wait, forty is the correct amount. This man is greedy. He wants to earn a lot in a few trips. Anyway all these money will be going to the TASMAC only".
"Only forty. If not, we will another auto" I told him.
He just left the place murmuring something. I was shocked. Because even I was ready to pay forty-five if he didnt agree this time, as it was getting late.
My wife and this time my mother too threw their different look at me. My father was just watching all these happenings, as he normally doesnt put himself into any trouble.
Luckily another auto came.
Again I started repeating the process.
"How much to Egmore".
"Sixty Sir"
"What??? Sixty??? Upto Egmore only".
"Yes Sir. Now it is night time rate. Ten rupees extra."
At this point my wife interupted and whispered into my ears that "Its better that we take up this auto or we are going to miss the train".
I turned around to see the reaction from my parents. I found my father missing from the scene. My mother was eager to get into the auto. This can be attributed to her eagerness to go to her native place.
Anyway I was not ready for this amount.
I tried to negotiate with the auto fellow, at which point my wife was screaming "Appa got a taxi. Since only twenty minutes are left, we can go faster in this and get the train. Come on, get in". I saw my mother already seated comfortably in the taxi and my father was just holding its door open for me to enter.
I was not ready for that. Taxi will be too costly than an auto and now I am ready to pay sixty for this auto. But still I had in mind that I can talk to this auto man and bring it down to fifty atleast. So, I asked my family to come out of the taxi and come here.
Since my family knew about me, they partly hesitated, but I insisted.
Suddenly I heard something from my wife, totally unrelated to this situation -
"Ennanga(roughly translates to 'Dear' in English), its already six-thirty. Get up you need to get ready and catch the 7:20 bus to reach office on time".
Oh no... Even I couldnt find out whether we went by auto or taxi and how much we paid for it and whether we caught the train. She could have allowed me to sleep atleast for ten minutes more. But I cant ask this to her and I was happy that atleast in my dreams I was able to take decisions on my own.

My training days - 1

2007-06-07T05:25:00.000-07:00

After a long time I am back here with an idea to describing some interesing happenings that happened when I trained to become an AS Engineer (nothing great, just a computer programmer) at Trivandrum.

I started from Trichy by Trinvandrum Express in the afternoon in the first week of September 2003. The same day I reached Trivandrum around 1:30 in the mid-night. On the way train passed through several cities of Tamil Nadu that I have not visited before. Some of them were Tirunelveli, Nagerkoil, Thakkalai. Out of these Nagerkoil attracted my special attention, may be because of the huge fans that generated electricity through wind energy.

On reaching trivandrum railway station, took rest in the waiting hall and early in the morning, went outside the station. One auto driver, a pakka chetan with a beard approached me and asked me where I have to go. I told that I need to go to "Aruvi Hotel". He replied "aruvio", which made me understood that he is quite familiar in taking trainees from station to that hotel, where the company has arranged our stay. On getting down the meter in the auto showed "7", and I asked how much. He told, it shows the kilometers travelled for each kilometer its 7, so I have to pay him Rs. 49. I was a bit doubtful, but since I was new I just paid that amount. Later I came to know that the distance is walkable and we need to pay only the minimum amount which is "7". Long live that chetan. This incident also created a sort of fear about the city in me.

But as things progressed found that Trivandrum is indeed a very good place stuffed with nice people around. The city also had some strange characteristics. I will write about them in my later posts. A few years down, I became closely tied with a famous city near Trivandrum, but this city is in Tamil Nadu about 47 kilometers from Trivandrum. But I may not get chance to write about how I came to be related with that city, as I may not get permission from the authorities(it is actually authority, but have to use plural here, due to the massive power the authority posseses :-) ...).

see you all back soon (as if lot of people are browsing my blogspot all the time)... so i will change it, see me back soon (now its apt)...

- spgr

What is the reason for attempting to write stories...

2007-03-09T03:57:00.000-08:00

In my childhood, often we used to visit our native place. It was an ideal small village and my grandparents house was situated right in front of a National Highway that connected two important cities in that region. It was calm, beautiful village with a small river at the end of the village. Most of the people there were ignorant about the happenings outside that place. (But now it is totally upside down. Thanks to the telephone and cable TV network). In one way the village lost its glory.

Let me come back. Just before going to bed, when I was a small kid, my grandfather used to tell me stories. I think it was common during those times for the grandparents to tell stories in the night to their grandchildren. As I was their first grandchild, I had more privilage than others. Most of the stories that he told was self-composed. A wide range of stories from Kings and their Kingdoms, Amimals and thier kingdom, Villagers, Farmers, their lives, etc. etc.

Some of the stories are scary-haunted houses, witches, demons, giants-most of which resembles Harry Potter stories.

That was during my childhood. As I grew up, I got chances to read fictitous stories of various stories both in my mother-tounge and english. Sometimes after reading the story, I have felt that even I can write such stories. . And now I feel that the right time has come to start the same.

Whenever I get time, I will stuff this blogspot with stories, stories and stories...