Song(s) of Lifetime...

At any given time, there's always a song that catches my fancy more than the others. Inspite of having a long playlist with my all time favorites, this is the song I always listen to in all my mood swings. And it’s the number, I play first when I power up my iPod. So I end up listening to that song a few times everyday. I always sing along (when no one around) and it always makes me feel just a bit better... which is the all time wonderful hit "Poongatrilae" from Uyire (Ae Ajnabi/Dil Se)

The song starts of with a country feel to it through the simple beats, and then when Swarnalatha starts of with "Kannil oru vali irundhaal" it takes you in to that mood of sorrow and pain. And the voice of UnniMenon fits the song aptly, what more... Vairamuthu’s lyrics, ARR’s music... making it a perfect rendition.

Kaattrin alaivarisai kaetkkindradhaa ?
Kaetkkum paattil oru uyir vizhum kanneer vazhigindradhaa ?
Nenju nanaigindradhaa ?
Idhayam karugum oru vaasam varugindradhaa ?

Kaattril kanneerai yaettri
Kavidhai sendhaenai oottri
Kannae un vaasal saerthaen
Oyum jeevan odum munnae ododi vaa ...


The hero trying to reach his lover through the air-waves. He transmits his feelings to her, by airing this song on the radio... and the song's lyrics capture not just the mood, but also the medium though which he reaches her!!! - "I add my tears to the air, with some sweet poetry, and deliver to your house!"

One of my all-time favorite songs - for the music, lyrics and the feel!!!

Right now, song is the haunting melody “Un siripinil...” from Pachai Kili Muthucharam. It is a song with minimal beautiful beats and strong lyrics, but this one has grown stronger on me. Almost all the sections in the song are very catchy and sung without any frills by the debutants Gouthami Rao and Robby accompanied by Harris Jeyaraj’s leisure beats. The husky singing is so soothing and relaxing... along with Thamarai’s lyrics…

mudhal naal paartha vanappu
thuli kuraiyavum illai unakku
urakkam vizhiipil kanavaai
unai kaanbadhae vazhakkam enakku
aruginilae varugaiyilae
thudippadhai niruthudhu nenjam
mudhal mudhal indru nigazgiradhendru
nadippadhu konjam vanjamae


The song's tempo is neat and brilliant and leaves us wanting more and more as it ends. Keep your eyes closed, your sensations will do the rest!!

கொஞ்சம் நேரம் மொக்கை …

வழக்கம் போல, அலுவலகம் முடிந்து JLO நம்ம ஊரு குத்து பாட்டுக்கு டான்ஸ் ஆடுற மாதிரி ஒரு கற்பனைல இந்த பாடலை என்னுடைய இசை கருவியில் ரசித்து கொண்டு வந்தேன்..


முதுக தட்டி யாரோ கூப்பிட்ட மாதிரி இருந்தது….. “எவா அது”-னு ஒரு expression கொடுத்து திரும்பி பார்த்தா நம்ம Rams roommate...

எப்படி இருக்கீங்க-னு கேட்டவர் பெயர் நாபகத்துக்கு வரவில்லை… செரி என்ன பெரிய deal-nu அப்படியே கதை அடிச்சிடே நடந்தோம்.. அப்போதான் கவனிச்சேன் அவருக்கும் நம்ம பெயர் தெரியாத மேட்டர்.. செரி அரசியல்-னு வந்துட்டா அப்படிதானே..

செரி-னு ஒரு வழியா 10 நிமிடம் நடை பயணத்துக்கு கம்பெனி கொடுத்த rams roomie-கு ஒரு bye சொல்லிட்டு வந்தேன்.

இரவு நம்ம Namaste Flavor-ல ஹைதராபாத் பிரயாணி – ஒரு கை பாத்துட்டு வந்துட்டு இருக்கும் போது, Rams வியர்க்க வியர்க்க வந்தார்.,

Me: என்ன தலைவா, யார் கிட்டயாவது கவிதை சொன்னிங்களா, அடிக்க வராங்களா?

Rams: ஹி ஹி ஹி ஹி ... அதெல்லாம் ஒன்னும் இல்லை, உங்கள gym பக்கமே ஆள காணோமே? ரொம்ப பிசி-ஒ?

Me: நான் உங்கள இன்னைக்கு ஜிம்-ல பார்கவே இல்லையே.. ??

Rams: நீங்க ஜிம் வந்திங்களா இன்னைக்கு?? (அப்படின்னு ஒரு ஷாக் கொடுத்து கேட்டார்)

Me: ஆமா.. as usual I was in invisible mode

Rams: செரிதான், தெரியாம கேட்டுட்டேன், மொக்கைய ஆரம்பிக்காதிங்க .. தாங்க மாட்டேன். செரி நேத்து ராத்திரி ஒரு கவிதை எழுதினேன், அத கேளுங்க...

………………………………
அவ்ளோதான் கண்ண முழிச்சு பார்கிறேன்.. bed-la இருந்தேன்..

Me:என்ன ஆச்சு .. நான் எங்க இருக்கேன்

Rams: ம்ம்ம்ம், கும்பகோனாத்தில இருக்கீங்க.. 2 பிரியாணி-ய வெட்டும் போதே தெரிய வேண்டாமா.. இப்போ உங்கள தூக்கிட்டு வரதுக்கு பதிலா.. எங்க ஊரு நெல் மண்டி-ல மூட்டை தூக்கி இருந்தா கொஞ்சம் காசாவது மிச்சம் பிடிச்சி இருப்பேன். .

Me: :(

Rams: செரி வருத்தபடாதீங்க... இந்த situation-கு ஒரு கவிதை வச்சு இருக்கேன்..

Me:*&#*#$(*&#$*&$*&#(*&($&

P.S: This is my first try, hopefully will get better in coming posts.

btw, Rams is a good poet too.. here u can find his poems..

The most soothing blend....

As we are nearing our deadlines, the pressure mounts up… all the alien features (Programmer’s utterance) or so called bugs (!!) and their kids(actually their generations) in the project needed a clean up... Yesterday was one such day... started breaking some code (!!!) … starting sometime around 11 in the night... which made me go fanatic… thought would pack it off by 3-4 in the morning... dragged me... along with my room mate’s snoring which turned roaring towards the dawn :(
Finally it went till afternoon…finishing it was such a reprieve …. Then thought of giving a try for Michigan driving permit… which has been swinging whether allow or not provide driving license for non-immigrants and me along with that swing, with lack of documents to produce... Finally got it through…
Came back home, had a victory toast in a pleasant and perfect weather, called up a friend, who made my day by unexpectedly singing “Nila Kaikirathu”, I always wonder how other language people singing in Tamil pronounce the words so perfectly, which we, at the least I can’t achieve.
Perfect combo, after a tiring 30 hour day’s work along with a toast, pleasant weather and a classical song…..in a soothing voice..from a good friend!!
Nothing can beat this….!!!!

Cancerian.....

Usually, I am not bothered or have much belief about the zodiac signs.

Today one friend of mine, asked me to look at a link, and recommended with so much enthu, that it was so true.

I did read that for my friend and was surprised, out of curiousness looked at my zodiac sign.. and was literally shocked, it was as if someone has been beside me for a long time and observing and reading me.

Below is the link. Click for the surprise.

http://zodiac-signs-astrology.com/

What US did to me!

It's going to be a year, since I came to US … and it’s been a wild ride !!!.
And I thought, Coming to US would make you a more 'happening' person... Hah! Here's a short post of some of the ways I've changed since I've come to amreeka.

1. I can actually converse in Telugu!
2. I have watched more no. of movies (though its online) in the past one year than in my entire lifetime.
3. I can cook! (Sambhar,Tomato Rice, Chicken, Pongal... you name it ;) Cooking became my loathing hobby, next only to working!!). My culinary expertise was limited to finishing my roomie’s cooking until last year.
4. I've learnt how to keep up a conversation on weather for atleast an hour (Americans dig this!)

Worst of all….

5. I have zero Non-Desi friends! ( sigggh! )

Automotive evolution -- Boon or Bane???

American cities (at least The Motor-Capital of the world - Detroit, Michigan) have virtually non-existent public transportation infrastructure. Came across an interesting article over the web.
The author says that GM, Ford and Chrysler (The Big 3 in the motor-city) made such rapid progress in automobile sales during the 1970s that public transportation went out of taste for the masses!

"Under the impetus of capitalism, several gigantic corporations came to dominate ground transport in the U.S. during the Twentieth Century. Through sustained efforts of a shared monopoly (or oligopoly) led by General Motors, the automobile-- together with a complex culture supporting it-- was foisted upon the American people, for the sake of private accumulation of capital. As a result, the country is mired in unnecessary car-caused environmental, energy, and social problems."

Now, as someone from a country where public transportation is the primary (and for many -the only) mode of transport, this sounds crazy to me. Back in India, I cannot ever recall facing the problem of some city not being accessible, just because there was no bus or train service to that place. Well, even the smallest and remotest of towns are neatly connected to bigger cities via reliable public transport. But here, many a times, I've felt handicapped, and can’t go to work after morning 8, just because of the lack of transport!
So, why should we not have a solid public transport system in all cities complementing the privately owned hummers!?

Stats: According to the Census bureau, there were 129mi passenger cars plying on American roads versus 696K buses !!!!