Today's Headlines

Is recession coming? Yes, No, May be...Financial Analyst in US are running up and down in finding the answer. Any newspaper or a magazine you read one standard column or an interview would host the topic. Most persons seen talk about it at least once among them. After Shivaji the most talked item among Indians recently as whether watched or yet to be watched, recession is the successful successor. Every Indian IT company glares each day on the happenings. Why? It definitely affects them as larger part of their revenue comes from the US clients and projects. Especially IT companies who have larger financial clients are restless to know the end result. I get confused by the news and statements given by the people in the news papers. Few say it started, some say it is yet to come, others say it would be there but might not be severe. Many institutions have started already making adjustments, changes to their current work structure and projects to be defensive of the situation. As a newbie in this economy news, it’s like watching a "Vitalachariya" movie. Recession means a state where the economy is said decline. It is also said as a decline in the GDP. Next question comes what is GDP? which means Gross Domestic Product, the total market value of all final goods and services produced within a country in a given period of time. So GDP is a mathematical equation which comprises of additions and subtractions of sum of components. I get head and tail of it sometimes hmm...

After reading today's news column of some 'X' analyst was thinking on the subject and working out the laundry stuff at home. Suddenly noticed a paper [Purchase Bill] outside the glass door of the building and thought it might have slipped out from my pocket. So went out to verify it. During this course the apartment building door got locked and I was standing keyless in the Chicago beautiful weather. It was the rear side of the apartment, so I was coming back to senses to find out what next. I tried to throw snow balls with bear hands at my balcony door and then tried shouting to call my wife but no luck. Fortuitously today the climate wasn't that bad and saw the building again hoping for someone to come. It stood as a silent rock and no single movement was visible. Cursing my bad luck and recession news, slowly walked in the snow filled paseo to the front side of the apartment hoping there would be someone coming in or going out. Stood at the door for sometime to actually find out that in my apartment most don't come out during Sundays and also found earlier that rear side entrance is used by few people. But was standing still there like Padikathavan Rajinikanth after his brother's car splashes the dirty road water on him. Finally like a hero a China man came from inside and was waiting for this golden opportunity but hesitant as he might think I am some stranger trying to get an access to the building. Due to my face value :) and pity look I gave he didn’t ask me anything and with courtesy let me inside. Deeply thanked him and also decided no more recession news for today?!#$

Perplex?

[Courtesy:visiontv.ca]

It was a movie released in 1988. You can see Tom Cruise in his teen looks when compared to the MI sequels. The movie name is Rain Man, Dustin Hoffman and Tom Cruise are in the front lead. The movie produces mixed effects to the audience, sympathy, hilarious and sentiments in right percentage. The movie is an award winning movie and you would know why when you experience it. I started late to watch the movie and completed around early morning which in turn put me into sleep till afternoon. It’s a good flick and doesn’t bore you. It deals with the brain disorder “autism” and Dustin lives as such throughout the movie.

Sometimes I get few questions which puzzle me:

1. Why do our people see movies more than their average per month in a foreign soil when compared to their stay at home?
2. Why do we get used cars but doesn’t want to spend on the maintenance in US?
3. Why do people plan to go for a vegetable purchase as some shopping dhamaka here?
4. Why do people worry too much of health & physic when they stay for sometime in US?
5. Why people tend to find out cultural activities when they don’t even think about it at home?
6. Why people at home when calling get confused in good morning & good evening though they have been told ‘n’ times?
7. Why do the bachelors in US speak to their home more than they actually speak when they are at home?
8. Why is the photo sessions conducted more frequently here?
9. Will people die or get psychic if internet is not there in US?
10. What will people do if they don’t have a laptop or computer at their home in US?
11. Why do people show more interest in Tamil\mother tongue when in US and for English when in India?
12. Why when they are here they want to go back home and when they are at home they want to come here?
13. Why people think too much when they go back to home from here as if they have stayed outside the planet?

Neenga nallavara kettavara….therilaye maa……

Friday to Saturday!

In US to recreate they play different kind of games which is new to me. The other day I was watching a group was throwing a thread tied with two balls at its end to a pole kind of structure. If the thread structure hangs on the pole after it’s ejection then a point is credited to the end. This Friday evening watched another type where two boxes with a hole were kept at two ends. A small sack filled with sand was thrown to the box and if it falls inside the hole then it’s a point. Three girls and three boys with can beer in each of their hands were playing. I was fluctuating to see the game and the girls ah... After coming back to den I was bit bored. Whether to sleep early or to watch something or to browse something what should I do was the thought process ongoing. Starring at the DVD boxes for some time and then pulled out the movie “The Butterfly Effect”. Initially when the movie started I wasn’t fully involved into it but in the end turned out to be a good one. The movie was a fantasy movie of travelling back in time [Irony: I want to kill time but watching a movie projecting about travelling back in timeJ]. The movie starts from the childhood days of the hero Evan Treborn by Ashton Kutcher. At important phases there were memory blackouts for him and the screen fades out. At first I wasn’t able to correlate the sequences and was confused. Later in the movie when he travels back in time he was able to visualize the same situation and alter the way it happens. The story plot and screen play was done so well and compels the audience to continue till the end. It was a tightly coupled sequence and anywhere the director slipped then the whole movie would have diluted. The director succeeds in what he wanted to project and it has come out in a good shape. Evan goes back to his memory blackouts by reading his daily journals and knowing what had happened he tries to alter the situation. But the outcome of the modified was totally out of his hands and turns out to be negative some way or other to himself or his close mates. Hence every time he goes back and alters to see everything finishes well. He loves Kayleigh's performed by Amy smart and he wanted her with him after he modifies the past. But it didn’t work some way or other, so at the end he scarifies his love and once for all ends his love in its budding stage, carving a good future for everybody.

Each plot the same characters perform a different role. It was like seeing multiple movies with in a movie and was interesting. Rajinikanth made a statement on an occasion when asked why he wasn’t doing his next movie as “Kadhai illa sir”. After watching such movies which deals with same love story but in a creative outfit, makes to think why new stories aren’t there. It puzzles me how Kamalhasan who likes to perform variety missed to redo this play. Just out of craziness thinking whether this might be the story of Dasavatharam, his next venture :) I have seen “Back to future” and this one but I like the later more. There is no end to creativity and movie world is all about it.

Changes are inevitable and apply to everyone\everything. For past few days was thinking of doing some physical activity rather than sitting in front of the black box. I like playing but forming the group, pulling everybody in the evening time became out of scope and gone are those days. Those days my job was to call everybody from their home sharp at 4 pm for playing. To go to gym feel somewhat lazy and also think if not continued then will blow up again. Might be a myth but comfortable with it. Hence planned to go for a walk for a while. Don’t know whether this will be continued but making an attempt to it. In this effort the biggest supporter is my iPod and Tamil movie songs. Especially songs from Vijay, Rajini movies make you to feel energetic and your pulse rate increases. So for now “Unnoda uyarvuku unnoda vervai, ennoda uyarvuku ennoda vervai…”

Masal Vadai Matters

When we feel hungry or the taste buds have to be fed, we crawl towards a restaurant. After entering into the restaurant we search for a table where it will be free from disturbances and clean surroundings. Then we reach the table and instead of kerchief to show that the table is reserved we keep some of our personal belongings on the table. Then we head towards the washroom to wash, comb, adjust the dress and feel good our self. After coming back to table if it is a non-AC room then we look up to check whether the fan is spinning, if not ask the water boy or the waiter to switch it on. If we have come with someone then we ask them “Aprum enna sapdirueenga!” Actually we should ask our self?#$. We then browse the menu card and stare at each item as if it was the first time we are seeing it. Then confusion starts, go for north Indian dish or south Indian, Tiffin or meals. After coming to a conclusion we settle down with few items. We wave our hands towards the bearer symbolic showing we are ready to chalk out the items. In this cycle gap, the person whom we have come along would specify an item name and tell that’s the restaurant specialty. Though we have chosen the item, we again ask the bearer “Ennaga sudda…iruku…” He will then re-telecast the menu card in his own pace for which we sharpen our ears. Then we specify the list to him and he will call the water boy to place water jug in the table. Meanwhile we ask the opponent party “Eppadi sir life poitu iruku??”. Then he will specify some recent incident and give us a detail explanation. The placed order would have arrived; we would be puffing the heat and listening to the story. In between we would be specifying some ideas or a quote or “Amamam” and continue gulping the item. After finishing the heavy dose, we would look for a desert or hot beverage. Personally my favorite item would be coffee. After the coffee taste, starts lingering in our tongue, we proceed to check out the restaurant.

Ithukellam inga velaya illa. Whether it’s Chipotle, Subway, Taco bell, all we do is see the item displayed on the board, select, order, pay, eat and come out. Generally when I come out of these fast food chains the satisfying experience as specified in the first paragraph will not be there. We go fill something and come back. The relaxed outfit will not be there, though you can sit and talk for hours in the place. The inner feel compels us to move out as soon as we finish. Yes! Indian restaurants and other posh places can more or less give us the way we want but we can’t reach to them frequently as we go to a Rathna Café in Chennai :)

Currently humming: DJ’Omar Remix version [Awesome man!]

mayil iRagae mayil iRagae
varudugiRaai mella
mazhai nilavae mazhai nilavae
vizhiyil ellaam un ulaa )

uyiraith thodarndhu varum
nee dhaanay mei ezhuThThu
naan pOdum kai ezhuThThu anbe!

Parupoosili

[The one I cooked :-)]

Scrambling for cooking food is always present after coming to US. Sometimes you feel very upset about the food you just prepared. Now understood the pain of cooking and seriously will owe lot better to my mom. I like parupoosili with vegetables like cabbage and beans. I asked my mom the method for it and then I have tried several times. But always felt that something lacked and I am missing something in it. What it is…. again called up mom and asked for an explanation. Yesterday tucked up my sleeves and entered the kitchen with full josh. I wanted to prepare the same way I eat at home and so patiently did each step with utmost care. Finally it was well payed off…Yes the dish came exactly the way I have it at home without any hassles. Oh man the feeling you get when your cooked food is good, ahh… it’s really something good sense. I have just pushed off my plates when something wasn’t right at home and seriously regret for those actions. But anyways Mom’s cooking has one more ingredient added in it which we all know we won’t be getting it anywhere else.

To bachelors and temporary bachelors here is the recipe:

1. Soak Toor Daal and bit of Channa Daal in water for 30 minutes.
2. Cut Beans\Cabbage into small pieces and cook them in a cooker or open pan in water with salt added to it.
3. Take the soaked daal and add red chilli, salt to it. Then grind it with very little water to form a thick paste.
4. Pour good amount of oil, mustard and fry the grinded daal into dry separate chunks.
5. Then add the boiled vegetables into it and fry nicely till it gets the aroma :-0

Enjoy the curry with sambhar rice and it perfectly matches with curd rice.