End of an eventful year - One diff pilgrimage for the year 2010 :-)

2010 has been a year of mixed luck for me... The year started very slowly and has now ended in a flourish.. Just couldn't beleive that one year is over.. Sometimes I fear that I am ageing very quickly when I look back at the time... :-)

Now back to the topic... I was long thinking of visiting a temple after I came to Brussels and as I planned I took a day off from work today (dec 31 2010) and started my journey to Iskcon temple (the so called Radhadesh) situated in country side of Belgium.

Last time, I didn't have the guts to go alone ;-).. This time planned everything well in advance with the help of my friend Prasanth...

Dec 30 Night, I came home from badminton at around 9.30..Had my dinner and slept @11.20pm. I made sure that I kept my alarm :-)

Dec 31:

I woke up at around 7.15 am and got ready at around 8.15 am and started towards Brussels Noord. Had some coffee and croissant and boarded the train at 9.05 am.

Reached Liege at around 11 am.. The weather was freezing at -2 celsius.

Took some quick snaps...and boarded the local train @10.22 am. Reached Barvaux station at around 11.12 am. The place was picturesque, it was a fantastic sight to watch even though the weather was freezing... For me it was still good enough to enjoy the beauty of the place...

I entered the temple at around 11.35 am. The atmosphere was perfect for meditating :-)

I was offering my prayers and started at around 12.20 to have my lunch at a restaurant nearby.

In the mean time, I visited the art museum which was next to temple and took some pics.

Then I had my lunch, the lunch was jainish with no garlic or onion :-) Felt very good like eating at home..I started back to Brussels at 1.35 pm and reached home by 4.10 pm.

There is no better way to end the year by surrendering yourselves to GOD..

Hope the dawn of the new year is blessed with good health, prosperity and last but not the least wealth of happiness.

I have shared one of the photo that I managed to click today above.

Wish U all a happy new year!!!

My First watch

Its been more than 5 years since I have been to work and I had never bought a watch for myself. The "Titan Sonata" watch which I used to wear was a gift that I got way back in 1998. Since then, I never had the thought of buying it... when the jinx finally broke on 18-Dec-2010 when I bought my first watch 'Fossil' in Brussels when my Sonata broke down totally;-)
That doesnt necessarily mean I live a simple life or so.. just that I dont want to spend on somethings that I didnt buy it for long time.

I am back ;-)

Titlea paathu naan etho punch dialogue solla porennu ninaikatheengo.... I am just back to where I was :-)... Yes, I am in Brussels again since one and half month. Its truly a refreshing feeling to be back among the best after all hiccups and I begin from where I left previously...
Cheers...

Feeling of Nostalgia

In my childhood, I used to hum songs of course without knowing the actual meaning.. I still get the feeling of going back to childhood when I hear them today. Some of those songs are still fresh in my mind keeping me in good spirits...

எப்படி இருந்த நான் இப்படி ஆகிட்டேன்

The above title is more suitable to this picture. This was taken in 1942 and shared to me by my friend. For human need, all the poongavanam of Saastha has been removed by Devaswom and people are still complaining about the facilities given to pilgrims.

No more Deforestation pls!!!!!!!

Harivarasanam

Since this is the month of Kaarthighai and famous for my Lord Ayappan, I thought of sharing the meaning of Harivarasanam

I have given this in terms of stanza by stanza followed by its corresponding meaning.

“'Harivarasanam' was written by Kumbakudi Kulathur Iyer. Harivarasanam is recited just prior to closing of the temple doors at night. As the final verses are being sung, all the assistant Santhis leave the Sanctum Sanctorum one by one. As the song ends, only the Mel Santhi is inside the Sreekoil. He extinguishes the lamps one by one and closes the doors for the night after the last lamp is extinguished.

Harivarasanam Viswamohanam
Haridadhiswaram Aaradhyapadhukam
Arivimardhanam Nithyanarthanam
Hariharathmajam Devamashraye
Saranam Ayyappa Swamy Saranam Ayyappa
Saranam Ayyappa Swamy Saranam Ayyappa

Repository of Hari’s boons,
Enchanter of universe,
Essence of Hari’s grace,
He whose holy feet is worshipped,
He who kills enemies of good thought,
He who daily dances the cosmic dance,
Son of Hari and Hara, I take refuge in thee God.
My refuge is in you Ayyappa,My refuge is in you Ayyappa.

Saranakirtanam Bakhtamanasam
Bharanalolupam Narthanalasam
Arunabhasuram Bhoothanayakam
Hariharathmajam Devamashraye
Saranam Ayyappa Swamy Saranam Ayyappa
Saranam Ayyappa Swamy Saranam Ayyappa

He who likes song of refuge,
He who is in the mind of devotees,
He who is the great ruler,
He who loves to dance,
He who shines like the rising sun,
He who is king of all beings,
Son of Hari and Hara, I take refuge in thee God.
My refuge is in you Ayyappa, My refuge is in you Ayyappa.

Pranayasathyakam Praananayakam
Pranathakalpakam Suprabhanjitham
Pranavamanidram Keerthanapriyam
Hariharathmajam Devamashraye
Saranam Ayyappa Swamy Saranam Ayyappa
Saranam Ayyappa Swamy Saranam Ayyappa

He whose soul is truth,
He who is the darling of all souls,
He who created universe,
He who shines with a glittering Halo,
He who is the temple of “OM”,
He who loves songs,
Son of Hari and Hara, I take refuge in thee God.
My refuge is in you Ayyappa, My refuge is in you Ayyappa.

Thuragavahanam Sundarananam
Varagadhayudham Vedavavarnitham
Gurukrupakaram Keerthanapriyam
Hariharathmajam Devamashraye
Saranam Ayyappa Swamy Saranam Ayyappa
Saranam Ayyappa Swamy Saranam Ayyappa

He who rides a horse,
He who has a pretty face,
He who has the blessed mace as weapon,
He who bestows grace like a teacher,
He who loves songs,
Son of Hari and Hara, I take refuge in thee God.
My refuge is in you Ayyappa, My refuge is in you Ayyappa.

Tribuvanarchitam Devathathmakam
Trinayanam Prabhum Divyadeshikam
Tridashapoojitham Chinthithapradam
Hariharathmajam Devamashraye
Saranam Ayyappa Swamy Saranam Ayyappa
Saranam Ayyappa Swamy Saranam Ayyappa

He who is worshiped by the three worlds,
He who is the soul of all gods,
He who is the lord of Shiva,
He who is worshipped by devas,
He who is who is worshipped three times a day,
He whose thought is fulfilling,
Son of Hari and Hara, I take refuge in thee God.
My refuge is in you Ayyappa, My refuge is in you Ayyappa.

Bhavabhayapaham Bhavukavaham
Bhuvanamohanam Bhoothibhooshanam
Dhavalavahanam Divyavaranam
Hariharathmajam Devamashraye
Saranam Ayyappa Swamy Saranam Ayyappa
Saranam Ayyappa Swamy Saranam Ayyappa

He who destroys fear,
He who brings prosperity,
He who is enchanter of universe,
He who wears holy ash as ornament,
He who rides a white elephant,
Son of Hari and Hara, I take refuge in thee God.
My refuge is in you Ayyappa, My refuge is in you Ayyappa.

Kalamrudusmitham Sundarananam
Kalabhakomalam Gathramohanam
Kalabhakesari Vajivahanam
Hariharathmajam Devamashraye
Saranam Ayyappa Swamy Saranam Ayyappa
Saranam Ayyappa Swamy Saranam Ayyappa

He who blesses with enchanting smile,
He who is very pretty,
He who is adorned by sandal paste,
He who has a pretty mien,
He who is a like a lion to the elephants,
He who rides on a tiger,
Son of Hari and Hara,I take refuge in thee God.
My refuge is in you Ayyappa, My refuge is in you Ayyappa.

Srithajanapriyam Chinthithapradam
Sruthivibhushanam Sadhujeevanam
Sruthimanoharam Geethalalasam
Hariharathmajam Devamashraye
Saranam Ayyappa Swamy Saranam Ayyappa
Saranam Ayyappa Swamy Saranam Ayyappa

He who is dear to his devotees,
He who fulfills wishes,
He who is praised by Vedas,
He who blesses life of ascetics,
He who is the essence of Vedas,
He who enjoys divine music,
Son of Hari and Hara,I take refuge in thee God.
My refuge is in you Ayyappa, My refuge is in you Ayyappa.

Swamiye Saranam Ayappa!

Good Personal Lesson

This blog is just to convey my true feelings and nothing else.

In terms of personal life, I am still enjoying one of the safest lives ever without any risks, committments and problems by GOD's grace, but my career in 2009 suffered a bit, only a bit. I was so frustrated that at one point of time I started to feel really depressed in such a way that I mentally prepared myself to move out.

Sometimes we got to beleive that GOD exists. As it happened, one fine day one acquaintance came to me for help. I don't wish to disclose his name. His age is the same as mine and he is a MS 2009 passed out. He doesn't have both his parents :-( GOD must be really cruel, as I write this with tears in my eyes. He finished his 10th and 12th standard thanks to his elder brother. After that he has worked as server in Hotel for around 2 years and after that he somehow managed to do some branch in BSc and passed out in 2006. In 2006 again he fell short of funds and he worked again for one more year and did an MS degree for the next 2 years and passed out in the year 2009. Also He was in coma for 5 months because of a road accident :-(
He is just months senior to me in terms of age, but when it comes to mental strength he is ages senior even to our previous generation. "What a man" - this famous dialogue should ideally suit him.
I realized that my problem is nothing compared to the herculean challenge that this guy had.

Sometimes even I get the feeling whether GOD is really there... :-( GOD sent this man at the right time to me to teach a lesson.

Now, I dont have a reason to worry, or crib.

JAL effect

Recently just after Diwali, JAL effect rocked Chennai. All of a sudden the climate changed opposite and I had a feeling as I was in HILL station. The effect is lasting even today as I had a peaceful drive to office without any traffic as the rains are still lashing the city.
In the mean while, my date for bidding adieu to Chennai has been confirmed.
Hoping to have some enjoying time in the new location.

What to write?

This is one question that always lingers in my mind. I started writing blogs for mere time pass, but I must truly confess that I have become addicted to writing :-) Right from travelogues till PJs I have almost tried everything to put up and while sitting here I was just thinking what to write and how to write. Nothing big comes to my mind right now except the heading of this post ;-)
The one notable thing I am yet to write is a movie review. May be its time to write one soon!

Chennai is Chennai

Chennai is Chennai no matter what you do and where you stay. Initially, I was working in Sholinganallur, OMR and Mahindra World Village and I used to spend 12-15 hrs minimum a day outside my house with more than 100 km travel a day. Luckily, I shifted to another company within city and though I am a lot more relaxed since the distance has considerably reduced (only 28 kms up and down), I must confess that the journey to and fro is simply taking the hell out of me :-( Now no matter what I can crib.. This is another point to be noted. So I decided to enjoy my journey in a different way.. Take the car..Go at the slowest speeed possible (ofcourse which doesnt irritate others) Switch off at all long signals... hear a very melodious track thorughout the journey....Now that I atleast enjoy being inside AC for a loooong time. Just have to be contented with it.
Its time we start enjoying these chaos as well since there is no other choice being in a place like Chennai, and also after many years hopefully we should let this stories alone pass on to next gen expecting a more developed city in future.

Adios

"Metro" politan Chennai

To fear a Chennaite tell just one word 'Metro'. Yes, now we are all suffering from a disease called Metro phobia ;-)

Everywhere 50% of the main roads are conquered by Metro rail which seems to be a Sindhbaad and Hercules combined project that has begin underway here.
Now coming to the next big thing, all streets have been conquered by Metro water authorities which makes the city like a mess - not andhra or kerala mess but a REAL MESS.

Everyday there is total chaos and confusion. Traffic bottleneck is caused even in streets becos of metro water well wishers. No comments on traffic in main roads. After coming back in the evening, only a very good hot bath can clean my face and hands. Such is the state of the roads.

Dont know when these projects will end. Like any other common man, I am just hoping that it will end soon :-(

Another travelogue

Visited Srikalashthri on Aug 29. Went by my car. Located some 110 km from Korattur and 41 kms from left of Tada in Andhra.

Stayed over night and performed pooja the next morning and returned by noon. Had a very good darshan. Next to Chidambaram and Tiruaalangadu, this is one of my favorite Shivan temples.

This temple is famous for Raagu kala pooja.

People make it worse by their corrupt mentality. Sans those people this is a must visit place for all.

Shiva Shiva!

What do you want in life

This is one of the most difficult question whose answer is highly dymanic, sometimes it changes with days, some times for people like me it changes in seconds ;-). At the end of the day, human mentality is not getting satisfied with anything in life. No one is a true saint here and I am not one either ;-).

For instance, when I was in my childhood, my answer to the above question was "to become a bus driver", when I was in 10th and 12th, my immediate answer was "TO PASS MY PUBLIC EXAM, NOTHING ELSE IN LIFE" as if life is ending with my studies. In graduation, my answer was "to a get job with a starting sal of 10K" as if 10K will buy me everything that I want. Change is the only thing that never changes, but desire is something which can be controlled.

Now in an idle state, I have converted the above question into 'what i don't want in life' and that has made my life easy as it is easy to eliminate things than to go after conquering things ;-)

Some of the things that I want in my life are as follows. List is much bigger than it is listed here:

• Driving my car for long distances
• Visiting Sabarimalai every possible year
• Spending time with all my friends - I have more than 300 friends who are in touch with me.. so its a big wish ;-)
• Visiting Shridi
• Joining in a school/college as a teacher/lecturer - Ithu inimel Saadhiyama nu theriyala
• Doing a stage performance with my violin and carnatic music skills - certainly this will happen one day
• Learning Saama Veda.

5 years in my industry and many people are calling me with respect - of course for my age and appearance. I am just praying to GOD that I keep my feet strongly on ground. Sometimes, my ego gets the better of me :-(

Are our maturity and thinking gets better or worse with age? Certainly this question needs to be answered with our head on the shoulders and seeing the mirror. Truth will come out only then.

Spending time with the poor and needy and doing some service to them is the best way to control our desire and wants in life.
 
Om SAYIRAM!!

Madras Day - is there a way ahead ;-)

I have already posted my views on the topic above last year http://ssrikanthan.blogspot.com/2009/08/madras-day.html
Still the hype given to this is endless. This year they have come up with a theme song ;-)
Sobba...Ppl pls get some life.... Either do something constructive or keep quiet. Rather than doing these sort of useless things and wasting youngsters' time. I am sure no senior citizen is going to enjoy these non sense.
People should think creatively and try to suggest ways to improve city rather than find a reason to celebrate.

Awaiting next Madras day ;-)

Gangayaar

I have always had a special attraction towards Dr.KJ.Yesudoss' voice, but this one album needs a special mention. Regardless of the mood you are in, if you beleive in Hinduism and GOD and if you hear this album, you will be brought into a spiritual mood. Music doesn't have barriers and definitely you can realize this in this album.

Yet another pilgrimage :-)

As the days are closing by on my departure date to Europe, I am trying to close all my pending visits to temples. That doesn't necessarily imply I have become over spiritual ;-) Just that I beleive in GOD, I am flying to all temples here and there ;-)

On Friday, Aug 13, me and my uncle suddenly planned and started to tirupathi early in the morning at 5 am. We reached central station and boarded the Sapthagiri exp at 6.20 am. A pleasant change was that after a relatively long time, I was travelling in an unreserved compartment and that too without any congestions :-)
We reached Tirupathi at 9.25 am... for a change the train arrived right on time without any delay.

As they say, "well begun is half done", I was thinking that we have begun well. We had some breakfast and proceeded to Tiruchanur temple at 10.30. We had a good darshan and we came out of the temple by noon.
We then took an auto and reached Alipiri by 1pm. We started our nada yaatra at the same time. The climate wasn't so good to be mentioned initially but as we peaked, it was very cold. I was enjoying everybit as I was walking with just a towel and shorts :-) We bought the nada yaatra darshan tickets en route near Gaali gopuram.

We reached Tirumala at 5 pm. After having a coffee, we stood in the queue after surrendering our mobiles and ipod. We had a nice darshan and I couldnt beleive my eyes when I came out. It was only 7.10pm.

First time in my life, I have seen a darshan like this... Right from the word 'go' everything clicked for us.

Lifelayum ellam intha maari iruntha epdi irukum enra sinthanaiudan sapadu sapitom iravu 8 maniku.
We caught the 10pm bus at Tirupathi and there also lady luck favored us, as that bus was going via Lucas TVS, the conductor was kind enuf to drop us at Lucas and we reached home at 1.30 am the next day.

Everything in the trip was GOD sent..

Om Namo Narayana

சபரி மலை யாத்திரை 2010

சாஸ்தாவின் அருளால் எனக்கு பிரான்சில் மேல் படிப்புக்கான வாய்ப்பு கிட்டியது. எனக்கு இந்த ஆண்டு செப்டம்பர் மாதத்தில் வந்து சேர்ந்து கொள்ளுமாறு எனது கல்லூரியில் இருந்து உத்தரவு வந்தது. அதன் படி நான் அதற்கான ஏற்பாடுகளில் ஈடுப்பட்டுள்ளேன். இதற்கிடையே சபரிமலை சென்று அயப்பண்ணை தரிசிக்க வேண்டும் என்று ஒரு அவா. கடந்த வாரம் வியாழக்கிழமை அன்று ரயிலில் நானும் எனது தந்தையும் புறப்பட்டு சென்றோம். அடுத்த நாள் காலை ஒன்பது மணி அளவில் செங்கனூர் என்ற இடத்தை அடைந்தோம். அங்கிருந்து பேருந்து ஒன்றில் பயணம் செய்து மாலை ஒரு மணி அளவில் பம்பையை வந்து அடைந்தோம். கேரளாவை கடவுள் இருப்பிடம் என்று ஏன் கூறுகிறார்கள் என்று எனக்கு அணிக்கு தான் விளங்கியது. மனித நடமாட்டம் வெகு கம்மியாய் இருந்ததால் இயற்கை அன்னையை மாசு இல்லாமல் காண முடிந்தது. "சாஸ்தாவின் நந்தவனம் இவளவு அழகா?" என்று பிரம்மித்து போனேன். அன்று மாலையே தரிசனத்தை முடித்து விட்டு அடுத்த நாள் சனிகிழமை காலை மூன்று மணி அளவில் நெய் அபிஷேகத்திற்காக சன்னிதானத்தை அடைந்தோம். எல்லாம் இனிதே முடித்து விட்டு கிளம்பும் முன் ஒரு தடவை நன்றாக தரிசனமும் செய்து விட்டு நீலி மலையை இறங்க துவங்கினோம். இது எனக்கு ஒன்பதாவது மலை என்பதும், எனது தந்தையாருக்கு இருபத்து ஐந்தாவது மலை என்பதும் குறிப்பிட தக்கது. இதுவே இரவரும் சிறிய பாதை வழியாக செல்வது முதன் முறை ஆகும். இந்த ஆண்டு மண்டலத்தின் போது நான் இந்தியாவில் இருக்க முடியாது என்பதனால் இம்முறை யாத்திரையை முன்னால் செய்து விட்டோம்.

மாசு இல்லாத சூழல் கூட்டம் இல்லாத தரிசனம் இது இரண்டும் மாத பூஜை சமயத்தில் மட்டுமே கிடைக்கும்.

சபரிமலை, மாத பூஜையில் தான் தரிசனத்துக்கு சிறந்தது என்பதை நான் உணர்ந்தேன் :-) அடுத்த பெருவழி யாத்திரைக்கு முன்னோக்கி வேண்டி உள்ளேன். இறைவன் அருள் இருக்கையில் எதுவும் சாத்தியமே!

இறைவன் நம்மை காப்பாராக!
சுவாமியே சரணம் ஐயப்பா!

An update

Recently before a month, I have quit my company. Yes, you read it right "MY company". "So, whats the big deal in it? In Software field these jumps are prevalent", asks my friend. But still I am having an heavy heart. Sometimes the loyalty and friendship becomes too close that you consider them to be part of your day to day life. I still get up @5.30 in the morning keeping in mind that I have my office bus to catch at 06.35 am :-(

But as they say, Change is the only thing that never changes, I consider this change to do some good for me.

It has indeed done many good for me. I dont have a daily routine of travelling to Sholinganallur or Mahindra World VILLAGE in Paranur all the way from Korattur. It has refreshed me physically.

I am now involved in learning a foreign language for the purpose of my MBA, but I must confess that its truly refreshing and I am enjoying every bit of the same. No appraisal, No code delivery or bug fix tensions... Life has become sooper dooper chill...

My creativity quotient has increased after quitting my company.

The one thing that worries me is the lack of work for a long time. I am trying all sort of activities to keep myself occupied right from gardening to feeding the road side animals....

I must convey that life has more to offer than spending the entire 16 hours at office. For once, I was repenting that quitting too early might be wrong, but not any more....

This break should do a world of good to me in shaping my mental ability.

Looking forward to the future!!

Cheers

Who am I

I work for a reputed company. My designation is one of the most essential cog in my company's wheel. Yet, my reputation is shortlived. One day I am the hero for my team and the next day I am the Villain. People say, "My experience is irreplacable and still replace me in a span of one week if I move out"

Who am I?


















If you have guessed it as Software Engineer, then you have hit the bull's eye....

Is GOD really there?

Now, don't ask me why I am writing this. Even though a very strong and true God beleiver, I get this feel when I see some miserable happenings around me.....
one such incident happened last monday - may 12.

I had left office early and went to Nungambakkam ... Sun was pouring all the heat on me and I was drenched in sweat when I reached Nungambakkam for meeting educational consultants.... I decided to drink some cold drink in a tea stall when I noticed a very old lady begging to people. She almost seemed to count her days but not even a single soul responded to her begging...

Suddenly she came to me and asked 'Thambi, Enaku oru tea vangi tha pa'. I was shocked. I had seen many people begging and most of the times I have never bothered since I thought those ppl were very young. But her appearance made me to almost cry.

Without thinking for a moment, I ordered one tea and I could see her satisfaction once she drank it fully. She blessed me when I asked 'Do you need any thing else'.

I am not rising my collar in pride for this incident as I spent a mere 5 rupees for a tea and there are lot of ppl who spend much larger amount for charity. What I am trying to convey is - I saw GODliness in her blessings...

As they say, "Helping hands are better than praying lips", I was somewhat satisfied with my act.

Hope GOD blesses her and hope I don't see such people again...

IPL @ Chennai Chepauk - April 13 2010

Everyone must be aware of the just concluded IPL 2010. I was playing the "Nokia Main Bhi Coach" in the site http://kkrcoach.in and I was lucky enough to win Goodie bag and a match ticket to Chepauk for CSK vs KKR match held on April 13. I was awarded a 1000 rupees ticket and as many of my friends told about the chaos at the stadium, I started early as my pick up cab from KKR arrived at 2.30 pm for 8 pm match :-)

I reached the stadium around 3.45 and from there started my long and laborious wait outside the staidum. Finally, at 5.45 pm, I was allowed inside and I had my first view of the chepauk stadium live in my life :-). Players were out by 6.10pm for warm up and I was excited to see all the players.

Match viewing experience was very good even though I had a feel that it is a small ground ;-)
Had dinner at 10pm in the stadium, luckily I had my office caterer in the counter who gave me 50% off (lucky me :-P).

Though the match was pretty one sided with Chennai wrapping it up with more than 5 overs to spare, we enjoyed it thoroughly. The crowd behavior needs a special mention as they cheered each and every shot and wicket from both the teams.

Overall, I was very satisfied with my lucky prize :-) Looking forward to more in next IPL :-)

Kudos to KKR and SRK

Feeling of Nostalgia

Its been close to 2 years since I flew to Brussels and though I returned to India long time ago, I still had this thought of sharing the first flight experience with U guys.

My Office and My Project have been fantastic in planning my trip and making me aware well in advance. I had everything set and the D day finally arrived on April 30.

I was specially told by my PM not to get deceived about the dates in the ticket (it was May 1 1.00 am :-))

After receiving wishes from all my friends, I left the office at midnight on April 29.

April 30 - took a leave to pack off

April 30 - 4 pm
I was growing really nervous about my trip at midnight though I didnt show it outside.
My dad and I went to a local newspaper mart to check the weight of my Cabin and check in luggage along with my laptop (crazy ;-))

April 30 - 6pm

As the day was very hot, I was drenched in sweat. So I went and had a nice bath and came back....

At 6.30:

Mom was ready with the dinner with tears all over her face since I have never been away from home for quite a while :-(

At 7.00pm:

Everyone of us in my home including my grand parents had our dinner and awaited the taxi arrival.

At 7:20 pm:

office taxi arrived and I packed off things in the car and took my grand parents along with me.

In the car, I noticed that I had been wearing a terribly hopeless slippers that one got torn :-( Too late to realize since my shoes were inside the suitcase.
Also, Since I had packed all my half sleeved shirts, I had no other option but to wear a hopeless full sleeve (with sleeve pushed up in a typical mallu style ;-)) with a normal pant without tucking in. I realized that in the moment of excitement I forgot to dress up in a grand manner... It was one of my typical dressing - very simBle ( i am stressing only about shirt and pant and not about my slippers ;-))


At 8.30pm:
Called up my Pm to bid adieu. called my near and friend Saravanan and for once he was really happy that I called him up....

At 8:45pm:
Reached Airport. My Athai and Athimber came along with their children...

At9:45 pm:

After chatting for a long time, Said a bye to all and took some snaps with all of them.

At 10.50pm:
Went in for security check in the very warm atmosphere :-)

At 11:15pm:

After the check was over, I was asked to wait in the hall for the announcement. I called up my home to make sure all are well.

At 12:45pm:

All Jet Airways passengers were taken in a AC Bus near the flight and alighted there.

The flight was standing there right in front of my eyes with a gigantic presence.

I boarded it with full enthu.

The air hostess guided me to my seat, when suddenly a gentleman from behind called me and displayed his id card. I was puzzled... He immediately enquired about my trip and asked me to show everything that I had - passport, ticket, Work Permit etc....

After that he said "OK Sir, Thank You" and went :-)

Hmmm.... Dressing gets a special attention everywhere. Mind U - I was dressed in a simple manner, only my slippers got torn :-(... I was really wondering if he would have followed me had I dressed in a Jean shirt with cargos pant and a sports shoe :-P

Now I understood that the appearance was one of the main reasons for his doubting my credentials....

The next day morning around 11 am IST, I reached Brussels and I was picked up my colleague and guided home...

First Flight journey was thrilling, Chilling and a tiring experience :-)

Story ends :-)

C ya

Turning Eco Friendly

These days, I have turned eco friendly.... thanks to the ever deteriorating weather which resulted in a change in me....I have started using my 28 year old Hercules Cycle :-) for all short trips that I take in and around my house. Also, I have started planting lot of saplings inside my house... Lets see how my gardening talent goes :-)

Is there any Superlative for the word Hottest?

The answer is Yes to the above question and if you are eager for the answer, here it is:






CHENNAI SUMMER :-(

Thats how it is for the past 2 months. 37 degrees in March is simply unbeleivable and mangoes have started riping now itself :-)
And we must now be aware of the almost extinction of Squirrels, Sparrows and Mynahs, But one thing which amazes me is the survival(in fact its not survival, its multiplication) of mosquitoes even during this peak summer.

"Where ever you go, our network follows" - this slogan is more apt for mosquito. :-)

AC, Cold Water, Juice and what not - everything has been tried and nothing quenches our thirst and cools the body.

Hope we get a rain soon....

PJ of the day

generally in english slang, 2 wheeler means bike. Once I rode to my friend's house by my cycle and when he asked me why didnt I come by my 2 wheeler, I replied back 'Indeed, I came by a 2 wheeler" :-)
Am I right or wrong here? Need a good detailed explanation :-P

Hard Luck or Bad time? :-(

I am a person whose number of successes can be counted easily than the number of failures. But the past couple of years, I am facing one of the toughest challenges in my life.
I somehow lost the Motivation and trust with my own people in the campus. And when I decided to call it a day, GOD is thinking otherwise.
After almost a long preparation, I FINALLY cleared my GMAT and when things were slowly falling in place, I find myself back to the pavilion once again. Recently I came to know that I didnt get a seat in a B school which I was aiming for, even though I did perform well in GD/Interview of the same.

Now, in typical Maddy's style, I am asking to myself, "Ipo naan Enna Seiya" ;-)

What should I call this string of failures? Bad luck or Bad Time?

PS: As long as I am hale, healthy and alive after each failure, that's my confidence booster to succeed. Let's hope for the best.

Chidambaram Visit

And here is one more wonderful experience of mine. Some things we never give importance when it is near to us. One such important thing for me is Chidambaram temple. My native is Cuddalore and I visit my place often and that has made me a bit sluggish in not extending my journey to Chidambaram. For the last 25 years, I have never seen the temple. So I just prayed to GOD that if I get a good score in GMAT, then I am visiting the temple the next day. And the destiny prevails as they say. On Nov 27, 2009 I wrote my GMAT and got a decent score and so, the very next day we started to Chidambaram in my swift.This has been one of the most memorable car driving for me without any breaks or traffics.. We reached Chidambaram in 4.5 hrs (5pm Nov 28).

The highlight of this temple is the 'Chidambara Rahasiyam', as there will not be any moolavar inside the temple. Also, there is a Perumal temple inside the premises of the Shivan temple which is yet another classic example of Saiva Vaishnava Unity. This temple is a Siva Sthalam for Saivas and Divya Desam for vaishnavas.

After a good darshan in both the temple, we had a nice dinner and stayed there in a hotel overnight.

The next day (Nov 29), we started from Chidambaram and visited three temples namely Pollapillayaar (ganesh temple) and KaatumannarKudi (Sivan and Vishnu temples)

We had a nice darshan and started our trip back to Chennai at 11.00 am and reached Korattur in the evening around 6pm.

Overall, the temple visits and the car ride were good :-)

Cheers

Feb 19 Pilgrimage - Trip to Madurai

Guys
Pls excuse for the all devotional posts.

Just wanted to mark these as diary entries.

Trip to Madurai

Feb 18 Night 10 ppl from our sabarimalai troop had planned to attend a wedding of our trekking mate's son and then proceed to Sathuragiri near Thirunelveli dt.

Kudos to Sun TV, without which our initial plan wouldn't have got cancelled. They gave a good amount of needless hype in such a way that after watching the episode in the program "NIJAM", all ladies pulled out citing fear :-)
So we resketched our plan and made sure all ppl came.

I was wondering what will happen if Sun TV ppl are asked to take a program about our Peru Vazhi Yaatra In Sabarimalai. No man who is interested in going to malai will come via Long route. :-)

Feb 18 night 7.30, we boarded the train to Madurai. After a very warm journey, (its Indian summer you see ;-)), we reached Madurai the next day Feb 19 at 6.20 am.

Feb 19:
The marriage was at 9 am, so we had ample time to refresh and get ready.

We immediately went and worshipped Meenakshi amman once the wedding got over.

At 11.00 am, we started our journey to Sankaran Koil (Lord's name is Sankara Narayanan).
We reached there in the evening around 7 pm. The highlight was Amman's darshan with Gold Dress (Thanga Paavadai in Tamizh). We returned the same night to Srivilliputtur.

Feb 20:

Visited the Srivilliputtur temple (Lord Name is Vadabathra Sayi and Goddess is Kodhai), Srivi is the birth place of Kodhai.

@7.30, we had breakfast and left for Vada Thiruanna malai which is located 7kms from Srivi.

We reached there around 8.10 and had a very nice darshan.

From there, we proceed towards Thiruthangal near Sivakasi.
@12.45, we left Thiruthangal and started our journey to Kalazhagar Temple. At around 1, we had lunch at Rajapalayam.

En route, we saw Nara Singham (Narasimmar Temple)

We reached Kalazhagar temple at 3pm and since the temple was closed, we proceeded to Pazhamuthir Solai which is right above the hill from Azhagar temple.

We had a nice darshan of Murugan and returned to see the Perumal at Azhagar Temple. After that, we proceeded to Thiruparangunram (12 km from Madurai) (Murugan temple).

After a tiresome darshan because of heat, we came back to Madurai and had our dinner.

After that it was an all sleepy wait for the train till 11pm, feb 20 :-)

Overall, we visited 10 temples in 2 days.

The trip was very satisfying in the end.

May GOD bless us all

Tiruaalangadu Visit

Back to blog after a long time....
Last saturday (13 March) was Maha Sivarathiri and I visited the famous Rathna Sabai of Lord Siva. Thiru aalangadu near to arakonam....

Had a nice darshan sans rush which made me feel at home :-)

Temple is at 52 kms from Korattur en route to Arakonam. Took my car and started with my coll mate and his mom and my mom at around 4.15 pm and reached there around 6.45pm.

We also visited Kaakalur Anjaneyar Temple on the way.

We spent quality time there and were on our way back at 7.40 pm. Reached home at 9.15pm.

There is no better way to start the weekend than visiting a countryside temple :-)

Cheers

GOA - Review ;-)

First of all sorry, if you expect the movie review here as I am not a keen analyst of tamil movies ;-) the title is just to get increased number of blog hits ;-)

This review is about my journey to watch the movie :-)

Last Saturday(Jan 30), my friend and I planned to watch the movie in Mayajaal at noon.

I started from Korattur at 10 am bearing in mind the chennai traffic, but was surprised to have a googly in Mount Road. It was 10.30 and the traffic snarls were in such a way that people were ordering snacks in the tea shop near the Montieth road ;-)

I still had time and so was driving in a relaxed way when in the Cenetoph rd again, there was traffic, but this time it took very long to clear and suddenly I found myself in tidel park at 11.30 am with my bike engine ceased,all credits to Chennai traffic......

Miraculously my bike started again. From there, I started the roller coaster ride and reached Mayajaal in 20mins.... I still dont know how much fast I was driving.....But just managed to reach there by 11.50 am just in time for the show...

If you ask me the question, what would be my plan next time when i go to same theater, my answer would be straight from my heart - 'stay there the prev night ;-) or start from home at 7 am ;-)'

Seems even GOD cannot judge Chennai traffic... Kudos


Talking about the movie, it was a good time pass.... Can definitely watch it one time....

Joke of 2009 - Cophenagen Summit

Normally, I am not interested in discussing politics, but since this is environmental issue, I thought I will raise my view as well ;-)

This is the biggest joke of the year 2009. Perfect definition for International politics where powerful nation places it orders over others. US is the most polluted country but there seems to be no binding rule nor any reduction in pollution levels.

Jairam Ramesh, hon'ble minister of state for Environment and Forests broke down before he proceded for the summit....

And understandably, there was no binding of targets for India as well ;-)

Ideally, these issues should have been addressed 10-12 years before where atleast we could think of a remedy. Water has already raised above our head and people are still playing with the nature just for the sake of money........

Only GOD can save Mother Earth!!!