Arusuvai Arasu - Highly Disappointing

My mom pointed out some advertisements in the newspaper one morning and this Arusuvai Arasu caught my eye. Happy people eating what seemed to be great food.I immediately decided we should go there once. So Sunday seemed to be a good day for lunch outing.Along with my dad,mom and sister we invited my dads professor and good friend Geetha aunty.The hype just got bigger when the guy guarding the first floor door had a big list with all names from sreenivasan, venkatraman to names like Kunal,Alisha etc.Since we were sure that my dads name 'Bhaskaran' will take at least another half an hour to be called.So we decided to attack my sisters parota(In case you wondering why my sister was having parota, she has to be force fed rice else she is an ardent wheat devotee).The parota tasted good, so my expectation grew bigger.

We were finally called in and settled into our seats.We were also offered our complementary watter bottle and diet cokes and out of which one watter bottle was missing. We had to wait even after getting the table for our food plates to come.It kept me wondering whether they we running out of plates. So finally our plates come. Surprise because the menu says hey have just meals out there but found my plate contained was different from what others got. I figured out like it was more like a lucky draw. IF you are lucky you get all the items, else you are just unlucky. Geetha aunty was the unluckiest. Her plate weighed less by 4 items. So we called the server to enquire about it, we were met with rude replies like 'You start eating this it will come'. Just as we got started with sambar the guy with curd approached us, we said later and believe me that was the last time we ever saw him. And please don't get me started on food. It wasn't any good.Even i cook better(OK that maybe a little over the line). But still i think you guys get the point, its the worst food we ever had. So this was supposed to be kalyana samayal sadam, on being asked for payasam the guy said different type of sweets everyday.So we asked him what was served today. He had to look into our plates to say it was Sweet boondi, which as a matter of fact i never received.The worst service ever and equally bad food, that place is gonna close down soon. I really felt pity at the eager customers who were waiting downstairs...

Generation gap

It all started with my grandma visiting me. She is my dad's mom and she is 92. Long live granny. She can be really funny sometimes. She was perfectly healthy till few years back, but as she neared hundred she became more tired all the time and her hearing deterioted. She needed help to walk, so she started depending upon us to help her walk. So usually she sleeps in the bedroom and when she is around i sleep in the sofa cum bed in the living room. She get a staright view of me sleeping( my mom syas that gives her a feeling that someone is around during night). So on one peaceful night i got up around 2 in the morning, to answer nature's call. The next thing i remember is she shouting at me asking me where iam going. I showed her my little finger, think it was too dark beacuse she was still shouting. So i tried explaining it to her that i wanted to use the toilet.By the time i finished explaining it to her, my rest of the family was standing behind me. Iam happy it wasn't my neighbours who heard all that.

Well fashion has evolved a lot over the decade.My grandma really proved that to me. Iam more comfortable in trousers and 3/4th. So on one such day, my house brimming with guest, she called me fondly to ask something. Wondering what it was i went near her and she took a hold on to my pants and asked me 'Why you wearing these torn clothes, your mom didn't get anything good eh?'. Ever tried explaining fashion to your grandma. Never ever try that. I learnt this lesson that day.

When her hearing deterioted we got her a hearing machine which she hated and which is now sleeping in some corner of the cupboard. I was hooked to my ipod and watching a movie in it, when she asked me something. On listening closely she asked me whether i was having problems with hearing too as i was using a hearing aid. Thats the last time i listened to ipod in front of her.With all these silly, some embarassing, some cute experiences she has given me great memories.Whatever she said doesn't matter as she is the sweetest granny anyone can get:)

DO WE REALLY GIVE OUR BEST

We dream to do so many things in this world.Like I wanna try paragliding,Bungee jumping(if the rope can withstand my weigth),sky diving and most importantly stay completely silent for a day or at least half a day.But all these sounds synonymous to impossible. Does it???. Or is this the way the world has forced upon us, that when we want to try something out of the ordinary, it is always at the unreachable heights.Where does this whole thing begin?Charity begins at home , so does this.We people get so comfortable to the known that we don't risk for the unknown. We despise change. Though humans, of all the races are known to survive the best in case of a change, but we never volunteer oneself if there is any way to come out of it.

CHANGE is inevitable. But we pretend 'Thank you, I'm happy with my life'. When we want to try something out of the ordinary, it's just not us we need to think about. Being brought up in a place where we are strongly bound by family ties, before i can even think of bungee jumping i got to get through my mom(believe me ,this is IMPOSSIBLE).Does the constraints put upon us by the society and our family shape us for what we are,another carbon copy with a different signature. Iam unique, but iam still the same in so many ways with so many people. So what would i have been today, if the society i had around me was different. I can only guess, but can never be sure. But one thing that iam absolutely sure about is Iam what Iam.

Oscar Time

It's been a proud moment for INDIA with our own A R Rahman winning the Oscar not just once but twice for his work in Slumdog Millionaire.I couldn't have felt more happier.While my hands were scribbling on my test papers that morning,my mind was filled with thoughts about Oscar.Couldn't wait to get out of the hall to check my messages. And there it was, we did it. I was happy ,just happy then.But as the feeling started to sink in, I started thinking more about this. What makes Oscars special?Is Oscar the only recognition a person can be weighed upon? and more and more... I discover one thing,this Oscar is like a rumour.People like it, they like to hear about it, wait to hear more about it and it is celebrated as an occasion.'Jai ho' is great, but i can bet many wil agree that A R Rahman's Roja is beyond comparison.Then why didn't Roja get the Oscars? Maybe it didn't get the exposure like Slumdog..Our Indian Cinema is filled with diversity,creativity and brimming with talent. At least let this Oscar bring the world eye's on our country. JAI HO

FRIENDSHIP

Dedicated to all my FRIENDS...

We were born and then anyone who took care of us, made us laugh, played with us,were our friends.

We grew up, started kinder garden. The one sitting next to us was our friend.

We further grew up, started primary school.Now anyone who shared a pencil with us, became our friend. Anyone who was a part of our prank became our friend. Anyone who shared lunch with us was our friend.

How good it would have been, if we could freeze time around here. When friendship was all about innocence,happiness,laughter.....

But time never freezes it goes on...

We started high school, now friendship wasn't so easy. It involved trust, patience, endurance, knowing about each other, keeping secrets, being there for each other and many more.

We enjoyed this phase of friendship, but it wasn't all laughter we had, a lot of tears we shared too..

We are out of school, stepping into a new world college.We are given the opportunity to take our own decisions.We meet different people, some quiet, some loud, some flashy, some simple, some open, some mysterious, altogether a different one from us.We try to merge in, into this group of diverse personalities, at the same time trying to stand out as an individual.Here friendship is lot more than trust, patience and endurance. Apart from all these we learn harsh reality. People change everyday, what was liked yesterday maybe despised today. In this world we find friends, despite of our differences who match our wavelength. We learn to look at them, for the good in them.We learn to accept and adapt to the changes. We dawn upon that fact that friendship is not a simple relationship anymore. We also realize, some friendships that begun, just with a pencil has depths that can last a lifetime.

Big or Small, Long or Short, Happy or Moody, Weak or Strong, Silent or Chatterbox, FRIENDS are always FRIENDS:)

TIme

When your heart becomes heavy,

the words have sunk in,

noises start to fade away,

when words fail to reach,

the hand reaches for the key,

you start your bike,

all you want to do is go anywhere,

the path u take is unknown,

when your vision starts to blur,

not because of the weight of sorrow,

but because of the tears,brimming in your eyes,

tears loose pace,as you bike start to gain,

for you go in search of comfort,

knowing well time is the hero,

knowing not where the roads lead,

you go and go and go,till you hit that brakes,

and take a deep breath,not because things will be OK,

because you just avoided hitting,

the small boy who tried to cross the road,

and that moment brings the flash,

some things are not the end,

there are many things that keeps us going......

Whats in the name

I have wondered sometimes why some people name their children after their parents.In foreign countries it is pretty common to find the younger ones surnamed junior. Lets consider Mr X here.He has a son,he is named X Junior.We have seen sooooo many Henry's and Queen Elizabeth's.This tradition is much prevalent in India for a long time. Many of us might have been named after our grandfather or grandmother. I didnt care much about it,until last week when i came to know that i had another name.I was also named after both my grandmothers. A combination of first half of thier names. Iam the kind of person who says parents name thier chidren after thier parents in order to scold them. And in my case iam clear my parent took no side:)

LIFE...

Into the dark nights we stroll across
to wake up to the sunny skies,
The sky so blue,the feeling so new
The grass so green,our hearts so keen
Into a new journey we stride forward
unaware of what is in store for us,
The wind that blows on to your face
The soft rain that bathes us in its purity,
The smile you can bring on others face
The warm hug even at the worst times,
These may not seem like the gifts we wanted
but take a moment to enjoy all these,
As we never know when we may no be able to,
By the time you realise what you have lost
it may be too late that you can't turn it back

PEACE

There are days when you feel
the days are long
and the nights are short,
And there are days when you feel
the nights are long
and the nights are short,
With a mind like a butterfly
never stable at any place,
We jump from one place to another
in pursuit of what no one knows,
Dreams we have,yet to be followed
Promises we have,yet to be kept
For no one knows where we are going
but one thing is for sure as everyone knows,
All that we finally desire is PEACE

ONGE

We boast of being at the top of the evolution cycle. From being a caveman to a hunter to a civilized man, we have seen it all. It is surprising to see how at one part of the world you find computers and the latest technologies and the other side is scattered with tribesmen who still hunt for food. It amazes me to find how some of the tribes still keep their culture intact despite the interferences in every aspect. One such tribe is the ONGE tribe of Andaman and Nicobar islands. Their culture goes back to 60,000 years and even today they stick to their tribe and its culture. It is still a big question mark how the whole tribe survived the Tsunami without any casualties. The dwindling population of the tribes has been of concern for many years and the issue gained more seriousness when 8 men died of poisoning as they drank some toxic chemical mistaking it for alcohol, thus reducing the total population of the tribe to just a meager 93.But the tribe rejoiced at the birth of a baby boy on December 23rd at the hospital, thus increasing the population to 94 to face the ever challenging world for many more years to come

Too Cool

I have always wanted a TATTOO!!!.But like all mom's my mom put her foot down too. But i was really happy when someone tattooed my name on his back.Wow i never knew i had so much fans. The real shock was not Amir Khan's hair style in Ghajini, look what someone did to their hair for me.Engrave my name,call him crazy...

Too Far fetched, i know but i thought i will give you all a hype before i reveal you where i did it. 'www.imagechef.com' a cool website indeed. Let your imagination run wild and you can do more than this. Having your name written in sand or coffee,or engrave your name or any text in metal, sign boards, license plates anywhere and everywhere. This is perfect to add a personal touch to your greetings to loved ones. So all you got to do is visit this site, register yourself and let your imagination rule you

Happy New Year

Another new year has come and gone. January 1st, the beginning of a whole new year that lies ahead of you. I have always wondered what does this year have in store for me. A day when you tend to straighten your mind to take some real ‘NEW YEAR RESOLUTIONS’, meant to be broken sooner than we think. With anticipations and expectations that this year brings lot of better things than last year. I would have to say the best New Year I ever had till now was 2007.Few of us in our apartments came together to celebrate New Year in a big way. Days and days of planning, meeting at the 11th hour, long discussions under the starry sky in the terrace, coming up with crazy events and finalizing none of them, lots of laughs we shared, a few fights we fought,shopping at the last minute, gift wrapping on new year’s eve, handmade backdrop for the stage that took us a whole night to make, midnight snacks,the big night, managing the crowd, announcements to which no one paid attention, the stage that creaked whenever someone danced, the backstage gossips, the minutes we waited eagerly for the clock to strike twelve, and came the most anticipated moment 12 O’clock. And we all shouted Happy New Year. A Beautiful memory still evergreen in my heart.....

HOPE

When things were going gr8
there came a break,
bringing loads and loads of problems
into the ever problamatic life.
When the person u trust the most
doesnt understand you,
and you understand
why they dont understand you.
It's the worst of the times
that makes you think it can never be better,
but i still do wake up tomorrow morning
with a thought in my head,
that soon things are going to be alright
because without hope what is life.

Free Hugs

Okay, so many of us might have noticed the new song jiya se jiya of the latest album connections by the maestro AR Rahman. So a nice concept was shown there ‘FREE HUGS’. There are many a times when all you wanna do is hug someone tight. You feel like hugging someone when you are happy or sad or for no reason. But one thing for sure a hug does make us feel better. Puts a big smile on your face like this :-).

Initially the concept of free hugs was started by a man who is known by all as Juan Mann. It all started on June 30th, 2004, when he landed on Sydney feeling all dejected. Looking all around him he found people hugging each other greeting their loved ones. Having no one to hug him, he took a cardboard and a black marker and made a sign saying “FREE HUGS”. He went to the busy Pit Street Mall and held the sign for a whole 15 minutes when finally an elderly woman tapped on his shoulder for a hug. She was grieving for the death of her dog and her daughter’s first death anniversary. And being alone now, all she wanted in this world was a hug. Juan went down in one knee and hugged her tight and found her smiling when she walked away. This made him realize that everybody in this world could do with a hug. And what better way rather than to give it free. There was also a ban on his free hugs, which was later resumed after around 1000 peopled signed a petition for him. In the mid of 2006, a band, Sick Puppies published a video in youtube “All are one”, which became the official Free hugs video campaign….

Now FREE HUGS has reached INDIA. With AR Rahman’s jiya se jale playing everywhere, we can be assured that there is going to be spreading of more love in this world

You can catch the video All are one and Jiya Se jiya by clicking the folloeing links.

All are one -http://in.youtube.com/watch?v=vr3x_RRJdd4

Jiya se jiya - http://in.youtube.com/watch?v=2j1ATsMBB5A

I'm feeling lucky

So every one of us use GOOGLE. To find some information about anything that happened in the past or present or future we have google. U want something, google it. So we all know how to find stuffs in google. But have you noticed there is another button next to Google search. I myself didn’t pay much attention to it till my dad asked me what it was for. My answer ‘I Dunno’. So if you click on I’m feeling lucky without mentioning anything in the text box, this is what u get...

The "I'm Feeling LuckyTM" button automatically takes you to the first web page returned for your query.
An "I'm Feeling Lucky" search means less time searching for web pages and more time looking at them.

So if u want to save time, and find the most relevant page for your query all you got to do is ….. FEEL LUCKY!!!

About me...

Hi Folks,

Being my first blog , I thought I should write something about me. So here it is……………
I’am known to everyone as Arathi Bhaskaran. At present doing my 3rd year engg. Iam the kind of person who thinks everything happens for your own good. I love music. Not much of a singer though(bathroom singer), but I do manage to sing at the top of my voice at home which somehow irritates my sister. I enjoy playing guitar(no smirks pls)(Iam good at it,believe me),and is a good form of venting anger by strumming really hard and loud. Unwinding myself is easy, as all it takes is a ride on my bike singing songs to myself and that wind rushing on my face makes a me a new person altogether. I love watching movies, as they make me laugh, cry, even think. I love photography. I think it’s an art to capture right emotions at the right time. People who know me well will definitely agree with the next line. Iam bit of a CHATTERBOX. I love having friends all around me anywhere and everywhere. Just can’t live without them. As of now this is what iam.