Ninaivugal...Thoughts

Anyone would get mesmerised by the name of the place and so were we. This was one of the reasons why we wanted to visit the HaHa Tonka state park located maybe 50-60 miles off Rolla. The Council of Graduate students decided that as a great start to the semester, it would be befitting to start off with a nice little picnic and so the place decided to be Haha Tonka. I got this information from the University website. In 1904, Robert Snyder, a wealthy Kansas City, MO businessman, was so impressed with the natural beauty of the location that he purchased around 2,500 acres of the land for use as a resort. Synder originally started out in St. Louis and worked in the wholesale grocery business. He later moved to Kansas City where he became involved with the wholesale grocery business, banking, land speculation, and utilities. Snyder owned the Snyder Gas Company of Kansas City and was one of the first automobile owners in that city. In his business dealings, Synder was always said to operate ...

Whoa! What's this mysterious sounding word. This is nothing but a South Indian sambar made from curds. What a paradox! Sambar and curds getting combined. Yeps! That's the speciality of this item. It was Saturday evening at 6 o' clock. The baays in my room got ready to experiment on yet another item. Oh! I had a sound sleep for an hour and as I got up, I was smacking my lips seeing the dish. We laid down the matress on the carpet, the mor kuzhambu and aloo curry. One of my roommates got up to take the container of yoghurt from the refrigerator. On seeing the brand of yoghurt, I let out a scream. We can't have the curds. It has gelatin. So, I told them, we won't have the curds today. So, my roommate gave out an equally loud scream... In that case, we can't have the kuzhambu too! Then it struck us what had happened. There was curds in the kuzhambu. For a moment all of us were caught on the wrong foot. Here we have a mouth watering dish right in front of us but ...

I am not a religious leader here campaigning for a particular religion. If you think that this is going to be one of them, then you are completely wrong. What is so obvious in a foreign country? To compare the price of a commodity back in India. That's exactly what I am doing. The whole point is whether it is right comparing prices in two different countries. The topic which started as a very casual talk at 9 o' clock in the night ate away almost two hours. Four of us had our own ideas. One of my roommates said that comparisons were inevitable and that is the whole point of having conversion rates. Imagine buying a coke for a dollar here, which costs around 20 rupees in India. By the way, the dollar conversion rate is approximately 44 Indian rupees. Does that mean that coke is cheaper in India or here? Various factors have to be considered to determine which is economical. Consider an average working personnel here with a monthly salary of approximately 3000$ and consider the s...

A day after tenth exam, Prayers in your head cram, If I can make it big here, I can live life without fear! The exam results are out, Into a college hard fought, Is life going to be easy? But its all the more busy!! Now you are ready, To study to get steady, Twelfth exam is as crucial, To make your life special! Engineering is a cake walk, Seniors and the others talk, Atlast you are relaxed, No reason to get taxed!! Yes! You get into a good school, To mingle with the bright pool, Now, you have to work hard, Its all exams, results and the marks card!! Theory and lab exam is no joke, And there is every chance to choke, You pray, pray and hope, That you should be able to cope!! Four years of your time, Spent like this is a crime, A realisation a little too late, But then its all in the fate! You need a job now, But you don't know how, Placements and resumes do the rounds, And talks of good pay in pounds! Time it is to earn, Without any to learn, But money it is that counts, And live y...

Hey! Wondering what this mysterious word is? It is nothing but one of the most sacred and religious ceremony of the Brahmins. It is the Upakarma. Belonging to the Yajur veda , the thread changing ceremony ( to be simple) fell today and the three of us in our room were ready with our waishtee ( dhoti ), vivudhi ( sacred ash) on our forehead, dharbe, new poonal ( thread ), pancha pathra ugruni , arisi ( rice) or to be appropriate akshadhai and of course water. A scanned copy of the Kanchi madam upakarma copy was there on my lap and with great vigor and challenge, I was reciting the Sanskrit words written in Tamil. Never easy to get a good foothold in the subject if you've never read it before. All the time we are involved in science and technology that you realise what you've been missing in the long run. Vedic knowledge has always been a boon not for a particular community but for the whole wordly sphere. It encompasses all that we can think of and a lot more. Life gets too...

It was 6:30 in the evening. All of us were feeling cosy due to the warmth of the snug rug adorning the living room of the apartment. All of us were lazing around after another tiring day running between the university and the apartment. We got into a long conversation. Guess about what! The talks were centered on India, India and India. Politics, condition of roads, owning independent houses, fields, farms, temples, food served in South Canara temples, Dharmasthala, Sringeri, Udupi, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Kancheepuram, Kanchi madam ( Mutt), Jayendra Saraswatigal, corruption, concerns, goodwill, railway lines in India, Indian economy, Impact of Chinese goods in the United States, textiles in India, Why Chinese bikes didn't hit the Indian market? , Assembly and Lok Sabha elections, Sri Atal Bihari Vajpayee's Golden Quadrilateral dream, state highways, national highways, use of local dialect in the respective states and what not!!! An Indian atmosphere is ...

So, here we are, a bunch of four gluttons, ready to devour almost everything in the world provided it is absolutely vegetarian. What do we cook today? is a question that gets our taste buds rollicking. To be honest, we are not bad cooks either. From Sambar to elimichapazham (lime) rasam, semiya (vermicelli) upma to godhuma ravai upma, everything has come out highly edible. We are getting the basic ingredients right to match our ever-demanding appetite. It was just a matter of a couple of days, and we were getting bored. We tried to shift the protocol to something slightly different and jeera rice it was. We were absolutely bang on target. It was perfect and different from what was cooking up every other day. What surprises all of us is that whatever gets cooked, doesn't last for more than a course of meal. The quantity does not matter, but the quality definitely does! No wonder it beats us as we tend to realise the quality of food thats being prepared. Is it that good? To top it ...

On the eve of the 59th Indian Independence, what better movie to showcase than Swades , and that's exactly what the Indian Association at Rolla decided. I was seeing the movie for the second time. Once before leaving for Germany and then now of course. I would rate this as one of the brilliantly shot movies in a long time. The kind of emotions that runs through Shahrukh Khan could be felt by every one of us at the theater. A classy movie and at what a time to see it!!! Its always great to have your community following you outside your motherland. It feels all the more nostalgic when you can associate with something deeply patriotic. We have had 58 long years after our independence and the famous Tryst with Destiny speech by Jawaharlal Nehru can be read another million times. The message conveyed in that brief span of 15 minutes transports the reader to a patriotic frenzy. We have had a sea change in the last decade due to a number of economic reforms, started by the then Finance ...

At the Seniors' place Coming to Rolla early in the morning or late in the evening ( depending on the convenience of the usage) at 1 AM is meant to be tiresome for any traveller. A new place with a new set of faces is not going to add any joy to an already questions-filled person like me. My mind was trying to get adjusted to the scene. There were three seniors in the comforts of a two bedroom apartment. The best part about them was they made me feel really at ease. I chatted with them for a few minutes with no appetite for a dinner. I was offered my place to lay down for the night. I went to bed with a lot of questions obviously in no mood to ask anybody about anything. Nothing teaches man more than travel. The comfort of the place is not determined by the facilities available in the place, but by how best one can get acclimatised to the living conditions of the place. The availability of the comfort is not as important as being in the comfort zone and the comfort zone is reached o...

Out of Bangalore A lot of indecisiveness, deep thoughts leading to nowhere and inconclusive meetings with many seniors and friends, finally brought me to the Hindustan Airport on the 23rd July night (11 pm Saturday Evening : Data for posterity) at Bangalore. I was amidst a whole group of relatives and friends who had come to see me off on this marathon voyage leading to hopefully a bright future. The airport was embellished with a pall of gloom. I was all set to leave the city I love so much. The thoughts of leaving the family coupled with the fact that I had to leave Malleswaram was one of the most emotional moments in my life. Its always a tough call leaving your motherland, your near and dear ones, friends, relatives, and the city with its soul hidden to others but so visible to a person who has been here since birth. But then, tough shots were the need of the hour. Its always nice when someone else is calling the shots for you. I too felt the same way, and thankfully I put all the ...

Across seas and oceans I set; An appetite for studies to get; Amidst family and friends, A flight to catch the new trends Bangalore to Bombay; an early call, A delay of an hour; what a pall! With sleepy eyes and tired faces, We caught our places!! A wait in Bombay; four hours; All the time in the world; it was ours, New friends joined the fray, We were then well on our way!! Bombay to Chicago through London, A long journey, we weren't undone, An Andhra couple were company, We talked too many!! A flight journey too long, The air hostess' all along, Fed us with food and beverages, I thought I slept for ages!! Chicago it was; O Hare airport, Too huge compared to our port, Through with immigration and customs, Carrying our bags which weighed tons!! American Airlines to St. Louis, One more security check through, At last the final flight of the leg, People were comfortable with a peg A cab from the airport, Rolla it was, the final port. No more flights to catch, I was one of the fir...

One and a half months in a foreign country is not all that bad. A lot of things seem to have inclined my views on a more favourable stance in the last few days. The white sleet has disappeared to obscurity, what with the sun shining bright spreading its mirth to the girth of the countryside, a new set of friends from other departments and new found love and happiness cannot leave a petulant image in my mind anymore. Time, I realise, brings different mood swings in a person. As the common phrase It is just a matter of time finds its usage in the daily activities of life, it is only experience that really teaches us to understand the invaluable message hidden in this. My first two - three weeks in Germany was forgettable inspite of having good company. There was an unexplainable uneasiness crammed into all parts of my mind. I saw life as being null and void with the state of mind being absolutely chaotic and wretched. At any moment of time, I had only one thought lurking in my mi...

In a town lived a bull dog, Which always tried to hog, And when caught in dark, Always tried to force a bark That left everyone agog!! From rags to riches we rise, And still not forget our ties, Lone were your sad times, No one to give you any dimes, But we all know time flies!! Life is not any fun, When all you have is nun, Enjoy life without the fizz, Too boring without the Miss, Until you find the right one!! I once upon a time read a book, Which was about a highway crook, For the sake of love did he live, He always had lots of things to give, And he got in return not a look!! I was in search of a girl, To change my life with a twirl, There was only one face, Who could change my pace, But she was caught in a whirl!! In Germany I missed a lot, What it was I knew not, To search back home was the lure, For what I still wasn't sure, With that I fell back on my cot!!

It is winter time in Stuttgart, Better to live on bread and jam tarts, But come you have from Bangalore, Where food you have galore!! An early wake up call, Takes you to the breakfast hall, And all you get to see, Gives enough reasons to flee!! No reason to think twice, To eat what you despise, If you get to be chosy, Life cannot be any rosy!! A hurried breakfast and a run, In the cold and no trace of the sun, To catch the bus in a few miles, Can give you no morning smiles!! As you get ready for lunch, And absolutely have no hunch, The food prepared last night, Will it end up alright? As you prepare the food to heat, You realise it is no mean feat, To eat self prepared food, Which is not all that good!! Soon, Dinner time it is, You don't want to miss, To try out something new, So what if you eat a few!! You learn at last, That to cook good and fast, Practice once, twice and thrice, Before you pay the same price

Move on.. Life moves on in the same pace, When you have nothing to face, Once the tough times start, It is then you must learn to move on!! Not in every Maths exam It is that you can score a centum, Back your instincts and hard work, To score well and move on!! It is not every time, That you take the right decisions, Many a times, they backfire, But stand by them and move on!! You place your trust in all, No time to reflect until, One of them betrays your trust, Now, time to find real trust and move on!! There is a trace of over-confidence, Without a hint of caution, You realise it is too late, But then, you know life has to move on!! There is a glint of self talk, And soon it turns to pride, Things take the worse turn, Learn to take the fall and move on!! You know you can keep in check, Whatever may be the prick, But it soon gives way to anger, Learn to check the tempest and move on!! Many a new things you learn, From mistakes committed often, Learn to learn fast, Before you are well ...

As a kid you were, Lived life without fear, You were filled with awe, By things that you saw The first time you crawl, You are ready for a brawl, People around you tear their hair, That doesn't let you stop the fare As you grow up to walk, And you are ready to talk, The questions that you ask, Takes even tough people to task Your first day at school, Is not all that cool, To learn, they think you are ready, But it is not all that heady!! You have found your best friend, To talk about the latest trend, School is not all that bad, You end up telling your dad!! Things take their course, One find day, you are in remorse, What is wrong, people wonder Why did I do it? You ponder!! You decide it is time to patch up, Though there are others in the batch, Its only him to whom I can go, And he just can't be my foe!! You are now in your teen, And it is time to preen, You look up and down, To catch the stare of anyone in gown!! You realise you have a crush, Thoughts of her you can't br...

A simple talk on fear can easily induce fear in a fearless person. The bounds and limits of fear are not tested by many though. It appears in various forms, and in various situations, leaving a perplexing situation for the person beyond which he is not in a position to explore its limits. It can be something clearly visible or at the same time something equally abstract. In any case, it has the desired effect in inducing a disorderly mental state. Psychologists worldwide have stated mental trauma to be a major factor in creating this fear psychosis. We fear by things which we do not want to see - it may be as simple as watching a horror movie on your TV screen. The more complex of fear concerns your day to day activities in life, some of which are totally inexplainable. Fear of something is immediately termed as phobia but there is something more than these phobias that constitute our day to day life. Let the theorists and purists pour into its causes from the technical point ...

When the twilight hour leaves you weary, And you're left with little time to hurry; Life with its issues unfolds; is it dreary? The dour highlights of yesterday unfurls!! When close ones laughed at 'ur slangs, Now no more to feel your pangs; When friends to share 'ur pain; no longer the same, And no more remember 'ur name!! When the day before, you understood, What it takes from life and then withstood; But the tough nature of life that it is, You realise that it was all amiss!! When you had immense pleasure to win, And celebrated with wine and gin; When the streak of wins continued; and then a loss, And in a go, you're no longer the boss!! When you were always there in the hunt, To please everyone with 'ur stunt; When then had to fulfill everyone's grunts and whims, And no longer could bear the brunt; your grims!! When you thought you had too long to live, And ofcourse, you had everything to give; When you stand today with nerves of steel, Is this all you h...

The adage goes Nothing is as permanent as change . But, life in Stuttgart follows everything except the shift from normality. Life beckons the daily routine to be confined to predictable limits without transgression of even the minutest of barriers. The white sleet of snow is a result of the fugacious attempt by the sun to peek through the dense clouds. The vast stretch of snow leaves a permanent impression in memory of the everlasting invasion of the white precipitate. The initial excitement of the sight of snow soon turns into customariness, as exhilaration gradually transforms to "daily stuff". The cleanliness of the city with the pristine air is a joy to behold. The rush of exhaust fumes directly to your lungs is a rarity in this part of the world. The Euro norms in the vehicles are adhered to strictly. People are driven by a sense of responsibility to uphold the basic rules and regulations, without the slightest tinge of non-compliance. The public transport sys...

The sands of time cannot be wasted away By the wait for things to sway your way If things have to improve tomorrow Find your way today! Destiny is but just an excuse Which you may not find anymore in use If waiting is all you want to do Wants remain no more than wants The ravages of time leave you disturbed To realise the essence of time unspent Its all a game at the end of the day Without having taken part in the play Frail exterior you may sport The inner resolve will drive you forth Work as hard as your dreams Then they are no more in your realms Success is not as tough Though the path to it is as rough Light at the end of the tunnel Glows as a result of the struggle Time is no more a healer For you have got the feeler The struggle had left you busy But life is now just as easy

A trajectory defined by a simple flight journey from Bangalore to Stuttgart translates to a meaningless path reaching miles beyond. Travelling for the first time from a pocket of Bangalore to a huge land mass, bounded by a totally different culture, with a lifestyle conforming to strictly organised ways leading to a socially different being, does not augur well for a first time traveller. The aura of a first time travel is dissipated within minutes of landing in a new place. Feelings of uncertainity creeps in at breakneck speed. Insecurity and solitude forms a bottleneck for further happiness. Life is strange in the sense that you begin to despise what you have been wanting for a very long time. Solitude becomes the sole companion with introspection, retrospection and what not hitting your mind at the speed of light. The luxury of all the time in the world, not with loved ones though, creates an atmosphere that can stifle even the mentally toughest of people. The confined happi...

It was from India a huge flight, In Stuttgart I had to alight, Bombay the first stop, And soon to be on top!! Uneasiness steadfast crept in, Standing along to see you off, kith and kin, Far across seas and lands 'ur to travel, With heart set many to unravel Metal detectors, security checks and what not Finish the formalities fast, you thought All you wanted was a seat, And many a times, 'ur heart missed a beat!! The plane took off vroom, You still were not in your groom, Things slowly fell into place, And with you to travel was a known face!! Peeking through the windows, You saw everything was in shadows, Hills, mountains and buildings were tiny, When on land, you thought of them highly After a busy day, there was a groan, Time a nice meal you were prone to, Waiting with eager looks for food, At the same time hoping the women folk were good! Gracefully were the hostess' wrought, Slowly and steadily they brought, Bread, butter, spice and tea, And you gulped it with glee Then...

Journey of Life is never easy and so is a normal journey in a KSRTC deluxe bus, which is what we discovered in a night's travel from Bangalore to Kadur. The road was laden with a lot of potholes, sharp curves and deep curves (atleast that's what we felt by the way the driver drove the bus). Our sleep was disturbed by periodic sudden brakes and sudden overtaking maneouvres(this would have impressed Schumi). After a five hour journey, we reached Kadur at 5:30 am. We had to wait for the next bus to Lingadahalli, which was at 6:30 am. This was a typical town bus lifted directly from a RK Narayan novel. The half an hour journey was filled with some amazingly beautiful landscapes - big arake nut fields and hilly terrains interlaced with the most popular method of farming - terraced farming. The bus was moving at a constantly slow pace, with passengers getting in and out at regular intervals. This was the only bus that served as a gateway to the hill station atop. Our cameras ...

The divine intervention of nature serves as an abiding force in extending the void between the human race and the natural habitat of a wide variety of wild plants and animals. Nature, due to the raging pollution and population, has lost its considerable reserves in the last century. The wildlife scenario of the planet has diminished consistently over a gradual period of time. The fascination for thick forests and natural beauty now leads through a narrow pathway to places that form the miniscule of the planet. It is to seek this impact of nature that we embarked on a two day trip to a district called as Wayanad, which is represented by a tiny dot in the southern region of Kerala in the world map. Wayanad is conspicuous by its natural beauty as it reaches to the Western Ghats and hosts one of the natural wildlife sanctuaries of the country. A considerable amount of time was spent on planning the trip. The internet and word of mouth were the major sources of procuring information ...