Dear mind, Play my song!

How hard have you tried to make your mind play a favorite song during a favorite moment? You hear a song, you play the perfect scene in your head for every line and you make a mental note to make remember this song when you have a moment. The real scene occurs, your loved one is in front of you but the song doesn't play. You  make a conscious effort and give it a start, four words sing in your head, you hear the real person in front of you say something and poof! The song just doesn't play. It cannot be our incapability to do two things at once, it just cannot be that. What makes our real experiences real is the fact that there is no background music, the silence perhaps is that thin line of difference. Maybe reality demands no melody to be remembered or cherished. It is merely our voices, the ones inside us and the ones that come out, that make a moment. Although there is no song, no lyrics describing how you feel, the moment is special. Special for the fact that it now has become a small thing occupying some amount of space in the memory of two different individuals. So stop trying to fit a song into reality, because if you end up hearing a song playing in your head during that moment of love you're probably deaf to your person.

Masqueraded

Do you remember who you were before you learnt who you should be?
Every human has learnt to meet up to the expectations of his family, friends and just anyone dear to him. We've altered and conditioned ourselves to fall into the "normal" and "happy" category defined by the society, because anybody failing to do so is made to be seen as an asylum seeker, a stray or a pariah. This task of impressing everyone has washed off memories of who we were without a thousand inhibitions attached to us and imbibed by us; so much that we'd be bewildered to see our own selves.
 I learnt a few days ago that the concept of 'World' is bifurcated into 'My world' and 'The world', subjective and objective panoramas respectively.
So have we reshaped ourselves so much that we're afraid to face 'The world' as the person we truly are?
 Or are we unwilling to even take a step into 'Our world' because we fear desertion? Its something to think about.
The further you delay in removing your mask, the more skin will peel off along with it, and like a beautiful person once quoted-
"Having perfected our disguise, we spend our lives searching for someone we don't fool."

Living Online

 Living is a relative term according to one's background- be it social or economic. To earn a living is again relative, in the sense that the process of earning a living yields monetary satisfaction to some, the desire to earn a better living to some others and lastly, the craving to earn a living better than that of others to the rest. In such a world, it may have been impossible for people who lived a few decades ago to think of  the intervention of something almost intangible in nature and addictive in character called 'The Internet' to have become a part of our living. But the impossible became the possible that you and I cannot live without today. On-line was a term formerly used to convey that somebody is waiting at the other end of your telephone line. It no longer is so. With the birth of the Internet, 'online' now refers to connecting oneself with the world that is connecting back to you using the Internet connection and its means- wired or wireless. The Internet connection available on our PC's, Tablet's and phones enables us to access the world wide web that lays various platforms for people online. To name a few, Social Networking, Blogs, e-commerce, Trade, Search engines fall under the umbrella term called 'Online'. So what is after all, this need we have developed to be connected to the Internet or simply put, to live online, and is that actually something that can be called living? 

From 2-line Facebook statuses to 2-page long Blogs, the online world has provided a comfortable environment from those who write to those who vent. The best part of online journalism is that anybody who has access to the Internet is given the platform, undetermined by factors that demean humanity such as religion, caste, creed, sex, language, nationality etc. Everybody has a voice online, which is most often not the case in reality. In such a scenario, living online and expressing online is a great privilege. Unless one gets so bored with life itself that all that he/she does throughout the day, is update a status or tweet every hour telling the world what he/she is doing, where they are going or how they feel; in such a case is that actually called living or just merely existing? Online journals have been born, online news is available, and one can even make a living by sitting at home and calling himself a freelancer who writes online. To those who are more of an on-screen performer than an off-screen writer, the Internet has social media like YouTube and its sister websites where one uploads videos of their own or videos of others. These videos again let you do anything under the sun, call it talent, get a million likes and again, earn your living by living online. A housewife who missed the episode of her favorite soap opera can watch the same online, a teen whose hands and legs do not function without music being fed to them is always a slave to the Internet which gives access to all the music that has been ever made in the world, all that anybody has to do is go online to learn anything new; be it a new hairstyle or some DIY (Do-It-Yourself) or a new language. Entertainment has always played this important role in our lives and not denying it, online games and movies have aided this. One can pay their bills, video call their dear ones on the other side of Planet, obtain information about every single particle living or dead in this world, buy clothes/shoes/home decor/gadgets/groceries/furniture/beauty products/ just anything that money can buy online and all it takes is ironically one click. In our own ways, we all are living online. 


Aristotle said, Man is gregarious in nature. We seek company of others and are thereby living our life one day at a time, or rather one website at a time. A quick food for thought here, has our gregariousness lead us to a few blind blunders too? Have we started judging people purely based on their profile that a social networking site shows us? Has a most sought after emotion such as love, which could only be won by those who wrote half a hundred sonnets to their Muse once upon a time, now is won by showing a fake picture of yours 'online' and saying a few cheesy lines that were again copied 'online'? Are we becoming fools day by day or rather, friend request by friend request? Our access is open to all sorts of information, to all sorts of entertainment and to all sorts of e-commerce. Children today, mature before maturity and also, die before death. I intend to throw some light on the ill-effects of technology by the above sentence- the strain on the eyes, the effect it has on the brain and the larger effect it has on the human chain. People hold relationships over the Internet and are cheated upon; pay a share of their hard earned money to a promised item available online and yet again, cheated upon. How many cases have we seen like this? No, the number is not countable on your fingers.  


Every coin does have two sides and every person does have two wolves inside them. It does depend on you, which side you wish to see and which wolf you wish to be. But that is no conclusion to any topic. Living online has become an integral part of us. But what about our real world? What about your problems that stay problems when you turn off your internet connection? What about that time you lost in reality when doing something virtually? Has our creative thinking depleted because of the Internet which supports our lethargy and does everything? Has our ability to analytically think paused? Have our talents been muted? Have we stopped talking to the person living next door and started talking to someone at the other side of a skype call? Are we aware of this trend we have collectively brought in as the X,Y,Z generation? Our communication is no more face-to-face and direct. It is now merely phone-to-phone or through e-means. Moreover, how boring is it to get up and check your phone like it’s the morning newspaper, to remember memories using your iCloud or Google+ account, to be online and available all the time? If its not yet boring to you, you have probably not reached the limit to using the Internet like me. This essay too, is using the Internet to reach its destination. Yet somehow, it feels better to write on paper than on a Microsoft document.  


Indeed, living online has given us a life of comfort and leisure; one can do the e-aarti to their favorite deity of a temple or pay their taxes online instead of going there physically and standing in long queues. Yet, the concern creeps in when the number of hours we spend online is on the rise. On an average, every individual living online spends more than half of their day checking their phones, tablets or PC's all the time. Where is the time to do something outside the virtual world? What are we giving back to our Creator? How are we making a difference on this Planet? What is the difference between the animals and the evolved if we don’t use our intellect to its highest potential? Why are we compromising on our capabilities for after all a monthly paid connection? In my opinion, the Internet has given us fruits of comfort and speed to our lives, but it freezes only virtual time. As an individual who also lived online, I cannot deny the fact that life online is great! Yet, there are greater things you and I must do than just surfing the web. 


So, grab that physical book you’ve been eyeing, try a new recipe in your physical kitchen, make coffee for your coffee-loving mother, take time out of your busy virtual schedule to go to your child's annual day, visit your grandparents and ask them about life during The World War or The Emergency, design a piece of chart paper instead of an e-greeting to your friend, go out and gain some Vitamin D instead of draining you brain to a Candy Crush or a Temple Run, help your younger sibling who needs his homework to be done, try your hands on a new talent- say painting, poetry or gardening, write that letter you have in mind for your loved one and do it physically with pencil and paper and you'll be amazed how a physical thing you do today can make someone feel so loved and special. Its rarity today, which we can use to our benefit and make our near and dear ones happy. Time gone losing your Internet connection can still be revived once it re-connects but its not the same with time gone losing the relationship with your loved ones. In conclusion, my question to all of you with a life only online, are you actually living?

Saapadu aacha?

The title and the picture probably gave you the hint already that I'm a Tamilian and that this post is about the cuisine of my state, Tamil Nadu. Being a TamBram is a privilege, for the variety of delicacies we make! No, tamil cuisine is not just thair sadam (curd rice) or idli and dosa. Yes, they constitute a fairly major part of our staple food but there's more. A typical tamilian wakes up to the aroma of sambar or chutney being made to be eaten with one of the items for breakfast, be it dosa, idli, vada, pongal, sevai, uthappam, appam or puri. Most of the above stated are made from rice flour, as Tamil Nadu is one of the leading rice growing states in India, that has been cultivating rice from time immemorial as this state is endowed with all favourable climatic conditions suitable for rice cultivation. Thus, due to its abundance availability, Rice is the chief staple in the state. For lunch, a tamilian enjoys a 3 course rice meal- usually consisting of a curry with sambar rice, rasam rice and curd rice with a spicy pickle. For most tamilians, lunch remains incomplete without slurping the curd from the hand. For dinner again, we prefer rice than wheat due to the genes in us. A non-tamilian will wonder how we can consume rice at all meals but the truth is, we love food that fills our stomach and if its yummy then why not!

     The state is famous for its deep belief that serving food to others is a service to humanity, as is common in many regions of India. The region has a rich cuisine involving both traditional non-vegetarian and vegetarian dishes. It is characterized by the use of rice, legumes and lentils. Its distinct aroma and flavour is achieved by the blending of flavourings and spices like curry leaves, mustard seeds, coriander, ginger, garlic, chili, pepper, cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, cumin, coconut and rosewater. Vegetables and dairy products are essential accompaniments and tamarind is used rather than aamchur as a souring agent. On special festivals or occasions, traditional food is prepared the same way as it used to be centuries ago and is called Virundhu saapadu meaning Feast. The traditional way of eating a meal involves being seated on the floor, having the food served on a banana leaf. After the meal, the fingers are washed, and the banana leaf becomes food for cows. The food served is served on a banana leaf as it gives a flavour to the food and the food automatically awakens the six tastes of the person who is eating.

           A common sight if you are travelling by train in and around Tamil Nadu is the boy with a flask shouting "Kaaapi". At any time of the day, a Tamilian would die for the authentic Filter coffee. Coffee being the most popular and widely consumed beverage of my state, is the reason the term 'Madras filter coffee' originated and trust me, it beats the coffee they'd make in costa or barista.

 
                  Tamil cuisine has gone beyond the boundaries of India and reached international lands. According to a study I read online, archeologists have found that Tamil cuisines were supplied to ancient Rome!

There is a always a custom and a reason behind why it was made a custom. If we dig deeper into understanding our traditions and customs, we may find something new about our state that we never knew like how I found out about the culture and cuisine of the state I come from as a result of writing this today, and beware, you might find your mouth watering too!

Mechanism!

Ask God for luck ,
and he'll give you angels.
Ask him for cash ,
and he'll give you gold.
Ask for a true friend ,
and he'll give you love.
Ask for happiness , 
and he'll give you bliss.
Ask for good health ,
and he'll keep you immortal.
Ask him a family ,
and he'll give you the world.
Ask for anything,
and he'll give you more. 
What matters is , 
"How you ask! " 

Who Are You ??

The more you shut it,
The louder it gets...
The more you go farther
The closer it sets;
You rush to a club
Drive on a busy road
Or call friends over,
None will reduce this load;
Dont think its God,
Its not even the Ghost,
What is silent and unexpected
is the Bare Truth utmost;
Hid & Blind
Not dumb and kind,
Obvious & right
Never out of your sight;
You hear it now & then,
Try to ignore it & U lose;
Its not as bad as U think it to be,
Nothing but your own
"Inner Voice" :)

A Bottle Of Happiness..!!

I live in a place...
Undoubtedly tiny in your eyes,
The World calls it a 'slum';
I call it "My home" :)

Me & My best friend often
Challenge the Sun on who's first!
The Big Lord mostly wins
But we dont give up either!

All day long, I'm amused in the
growing stages of my little sister,
carrying her on my hip is
a Motherly feel at my age of 7..
We dress her up with powder
And take her around like a
Queen in a Palanquin!

We kids here were never taught:
"Cry if you need something"
Our big brother at the end of these
Cluster of houses treats us with
Colour water after 3 consecutive
days of taking out the garbage!

We are prone to diseases, but
Invariably live longer than those who
look down upon us!

Not all our parents beg,
Not all of us sleep on bed,
None of us have seen clear water ;
None of us have littered the big city outside..

I come from a family where
I've learnt the best of life skills...

Mr.Ambani or Mr.Mallya may build another
10-storey house if one burns,
But we run to save this one house of ours
At even the oddest of hours;
Sometimes, Life's greatest deeds are done
By the people who you call 'poor'
And They enjoy nothing more than just
"A Bottle of Happiness" !!!


-Based on the life of a little girl I noticed everyday from my window on the school bus in eighth grade.