Memories of Darling Ma'am from 2nd std

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uJkrA6DtDgQ

Whenever I listen to this Boney M hit I am transported to those days of MI period (Moral Instruction) with Darling Ma'am who taught us this song.. Well.. I never got to know her real name.. we fondly cald her Darling Ma'am.. She was my only motivation to go to school back then... That must have been a landmark achievement for a teacher coz I was one "great" kid who would do anything to not go to school.. ranging from crying my heart out to puking on rickshaw-mates... The day she announecd her retirement was probably my saddest in school memory.. I did not feel a tinge of sadness even during my farewell..

Cut to few years later.. I guess 5 yrs later.. I was casually watching a programme on DD about old age homes and the inmates... There were interviews with the inmates.. The stories were really brutal.. I was so astounded that I did not reach for my remote.. That was when a familiar figure popped in front of the camera.. Yes.. it was Darling Ma'am.. under the segment of educated elders in mudhiyor illam... As everyone, she too started explaining her story.. But, I did not listen to it.. I did not want to know it... My memories of Darling Ma'am were of a bubbly, fresh, rotund female in saree who gave 45 mins of joy and immense hope that nothing could possibly go wrong in my wonderful life (if it was double period then 90 mins)... and not the freakishly thin lady sans her usual smile talking for the first time stuffs that I cud not understand and never want to understand....

The power of Nostalgia...

I guess at this juncture there won't be any surprises about me writing on this particular emotion. However, the reasons that triggered me to come up with this post are motivated by something else.

1. Today is Ilayaraja's Birthday (well... most of his brilliant numbers were in '80s but still there is this minor, tiny little hiccup that I was born only in '87)
2. I read a long fwd mail about life in '90s (which I did enjoy reading btw) when I could not comprehend the complexities of 'Guna' or appreciate the plot of 'Thiruda Thiruda'

The thing about Nostalgia is that it adds tremendous amount of invisible value to practically anything. This is where you step into the dangerous zone which even the most cynical of critics fall prey to. You can never assess the true value because there is this innate bias flamed by nostalgia that tends to subconsciously influence your opinion. The MSV Vs Ilayaraja Vs AR Rahman debate which I swear can be qualified as a NP hard problem is the classic case to point.

To my mom there can be no better music director in this world than MSV. To her, even the classic 1920's western notes were supposedly copied from MSV's songs ( I am not saying that western world doesn't lift from us, but yeah when MSV was not even born then it is tough to prove plagiarism you see..)

To me Ilayaraja is THE REAL GENIUS. Thank god my sis agrees with me in music.. She is expected to be a diehard ARR fan but she is not, thanks to me :) courtesy the barrage of ilayaraja music that she gets to hear more than ARR's. I take it a personal offense if someone conflicts with that. I can keep talking about his flair for western classical music, his unique chord progressions and so on..

To my friends, ARR is GOD.. whatever he churns out is divine. Come on I guess with the Rahmania peaking now, even if he farts it ll be considered path-breaking (no pun intended I swear :P ).. All this "u wont like his music the first time... u need to listen to it a zillion times to like it" tosh were invented during this Rahmania phase.

Aside from this never-ending debate, everybody forgets why they like a particular song. Please don't tell me its the out of the world compositions. If you psychologically look at it, you will know that it is either nostalgia or the association with the situation of the song that makes us go gaga over them. I am not denying the ability of the musicians. NO. You don't end up liking every song you hear. Of course the awesome compositions make you put the songs in loop. But, what makes you heap unrestricted praise on a song and blind adulation on the composers ? It is completely the events in your personal life and nothing else.

When I catch bits of "anjali anjali" I think of my Pre-school days.. When I listen to "konji konji alaigal oda" I still think of those golden days playing at periamma's house holding an invisible mike lip-syncing sincerely with Rajini in this song.. and yeah I did enjoy Rahman's early numbers too... "Mustafa Mustafa" which came out when I was barely in 4th standard gave me an impression that college life would be much more fun than school life (oh yeah.. 4th std was not the best of my years in school.. had my fair share of bully problems :) ).. and "netru illadha matram" was always my "Na" letter song in anthakshari during rickshaw trips from school back home... Although I was not mature enough to understand the fine lyrical nuances of "kannukku mai azhagu" I did enjoy the music.. It still takes me to those not-worrying-about-taxes-investments-PF-FD-MF days

Before I deep-dive into my nostalgia list, let me cut to the point.. These songs may have been great compositions.. no doubt.. But, what makes them other-worldly?, what makes ARR or Ilayaraja or MSV the best composers to some? what makes you put senseless FB statuses about ARR's talents?

The answer is nostalgia...

PS: It could also be peer pressure which makes you think you are going crazy over latest ARR songs and give out mind numbingly crazy FB updates...

Now one email forward that is authentic !!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bsM3KEqNyeY

Never believed all the cola + mentos explosion forwards until I watched this particular episode of Time Warp on Discovery Channel :O Now that is scary....

Should there not be a disclaimer or something of that sort? Either on Mentos or the aerated drinks?

PS: The forwards were not entirely right. Coca Cola was projected as the culprit when in fact all aerated drinks yield the same result.. sensationalizing is it???

Sonnet 116

Let me not to the marriage of true minds
Admit impediments. Love is not love
Which alters when it alteration finds,
Or bends with the remover to remove:
O no! it is an ever-fixed mark
That looks on tempests and is never shaken;
It is the star to every wandering bark,
Whose worth's unknown, although his height be taken.
Love's not Time's fool, though rosy lips and cheeks
Within his bending sickle's compass come:
Love alters not with his brief hours and weeks,
But bears it out even to the edge of doom.
If this be error and upon me proved,
I never writ, nor no man ever loved.


I was intrigued by this sonnet, thanks to "Sense and Sensibility" movie and got around to googling its entire content.. and here it is..

I did notice that shakespeare has a thing for rosy cheeks.. This I say from the few snatches of shakespearean verses that I come across at times..
But, you need to understand Mr. Shakespeare, that "rosy" cheeks are not the only ones that come under time's binding sickle.. There are all kinds of cheeks and non-cheeks and mere cheekbones too that fall under the compass' range :)

Magic Hats and the Rabbits...

Ahh.. after a really long time.. How I wish I really had nothing to say and how I wish it was not inhibition that prevented me from posting...

Well.. a lot has been happening lately.. not just in my life, but in the life of others surrounding me too..

Although the events happening in each of our lives are as unique and distinct as the lines on our palms, there is a common concept that has come to play in each scenario.

"Life was like a box of chocolates. You never know what you're gonna get."

The famous lines from Forrest Gump.. yeah.. Little did we know that it is so true..

When the magician pulled the same old rabbit from his hat, we were thrilled, and clapped in awe.. But, when the real magician pulls something that is definitely not the mundane rabbit, one that is sure to surprise us every time, one that beats all our prediction forecasts, why are we not genuinely amazed? We instead greet it with apprehension.. Even in cases where it is something good, we need time to adapt and adopt to the change.. change do we call it? what happened to the surprise rabbit.. now it has got a new duller word.. "change"...

We pay to surprise ourselves.. To get the adrenalin rush at a theme park or at a magic show.. But, when we are surprised and lent that adrenalin rush for free by god, we recoil :)

Maybe, adrenalin rush is like this cruise liner that is too luxurious and impractical for daily commute.. Maybe we need to pay once in a while for that little rush and cant afford it everyday..
so what do we do? Maybe learn to be master the tendency for surprises? That way will it be a smooth road with scenic view to savour ? Is that was is meant by the verses in Gita

The one who remains the same towards friend or foe, in honor or disgrace, in heat or cold, in pleasure or pain; who is free from attachment; who is indifferent to censure or praise, quiet, content with whatever one has, unattached to a place (a country, or a house), calm, and full of devotion ---that person is dear to Me. (12.18-19)

Hypocrisy of our so-called educated elites

This entry i never knew i will write.. Its the long suppressed, well sandwiched under denials that "it cant be true. u must be prejudiced" thought that has imploded. Right from the ages undated we have witnessed crass stupidity under the garbs of innocence or supreme pseudo-intellects pretending to shepherd the masses while serving their own personal gains. This is not something new. In fact if u can read this blog then you may also be closer to that world which lives as colors in rainbow. Boasting of having a unity in diversity, viewing everyone alike but in true sense as isolated and conspicuous by its distance as each color in the rainbow.

These people when they criticize everything about India are in a way trying to cry hoarse to the western world that they are in no way attached to the ongoing chaos and they can be considered elite and need not be considered third rated citizens. Numerous accolades to their name leaving no theoretical excuses for their ineptitudes to "set right" the system but still no ripples could be created on this water.


Even as i write this i am not doing anything for the failed system too... But what i am trying to say keep your embarrassments to yourself. Try to do something else leave it. Its an illusion to feel that the international plethora will accept you only if you cringe about your country.

Beatles-John Lennon

I was reading an article about the legendary john lennon in newspaper today.. That sparked me to write this blog about my most favourite band and its revolutionary john lennon.. sadly the immediate thought that comes to my mind when i think of john lennon is mark chapman.. its too weird.. i know.. But lennon went down in history as one of the many sacrifices to terrorism.. Aside from the fact that this chapman guy killed lennon, his cold defense is more chilling.. "I dont regret killing him.." that was his cool statement recently.. He must be having a lot of nerve to ever apply for release(ah is it parole?? forgot the technical term for it)... He says that he killed lennon for his hypocricy.. On one hand preaching socialism and on the other building a magnificent house for himself.. This can never ever be taken as a justification.. Even if lennon was a hypocrite, he is not like those rock stars now who are free marketing tools for anything but peace and harmony..

Who can ever not feel peace in "Imagine" which elevates us to the world portrayed in the song.. Very few songs achieve this effect. From "Girl" to "Woman" his maturity is stark.. I loved "Girl" equally as i admired "Woman"... Listen to "Girl" and "Woman" back-to-back to see how many phases we go through in life... It made me rethink whether what i consider as a fact is only an opinion that gets moulded differently over time... oooohhh so much thought-provoking it is.. hats off lennon..


If you dont like lennon then this is what i think "Noone is in my tree- I mean it must be high or low"(Magical mystery tour-strawberry fields)

If you do like him then "And they say I'm a dreamer.. I'm not the only one.."(Imagine)