I forgot that Auro was Amitabh.
I didn’t even care much that the kid was so tall.
He was Auro. The witty intelligent 13 year old giving his friend Amol reasons why he couldn’t bring his friends for a Rashtrapathi Bhavan visit – because if he took just one of them, the others would get angry. The kid who runs away from a little girl in school who keeps coming after him to give him something. Who calls his granny ‘Bum’ because she has a big bum. Maybe he seems a bit too smart for his age when he mouths those clever lines. But forget his height, understand that he has Progeria, and Auro is just another 13 year old.
Abhishek has done a good job in his role and we get a whole lot of gyan on politics and slum problems. (We need it! No matter how much gyan India seems to get, it doesn’t change.) When interacting with Auro, Abhi is natural.
Vidya Balan is gorgeous. Her voluptuous figure only adds to her beauty. Curly hair knotted in a low bun adds sexy nonchalance. Her predominantly brown outfits in the flashback scenes and the sarees she wears later are to die for.
There are some lines which jolt you with their brilliance and meaningfulness. Auro jokes that politicians wear white (which people do only at funerals) because the country is dying. It just made me exclaim praise.
About Auro’s chimp dance… many would think it’s really cute – for a kid it would have been cute. To me it came across as way too childish and annoying – make Bachchan act as a kid, but this doesn’t work.
Coming back to the good aspects – Paresh Rawal is well cast. He is good both as a serious actor and a comedian. He did have his moment of comedy, when a bed ridden Auro tells him that there’s not much time left and he begins talking very emotionally, thinking Auro is going to die while Auro was talking about the visiting hours. (Auro does die, which is a sad ending indeed L). Bum Dadi Ma is also well cast. But I wish she’d dressed better than a maid servant.
A major plus point of Paa is that it has just the right touch of comedy and emotion. The climax is not long drawn. It is wrapped up in two scenes.
After Cheeni Kum, Balki has once again proven himself in Bollywood. Like Cheeni Kum, Paa is different (even while it has some clichés). Both the films are refreshing and relaxing with witty dialogues that make the audiences smile and writers feel proud. Will recommend Paa to a zillion people. And of course I am looking forward eagerly to Balki’s next film.
Trichy Tales
Last weekend, I went on a trip to Trichy, after 5 years. Trichy is my birthplace. My father works with BHEL, and I was born in the Trichy BHEL hospital. We moved to Chennai when I was a one-year old.
I love the BHEL Township in Trichy. A place far removed from the noise and dust of the town. Broad tree lined avenues, calm all around and a lovely blend of smells that I’ll never forget. The houses are designed in a simple way, but hold charm.
We visited Dad’s friend’s mother who is admitted in the BHEL hospital because of some orthopedic problems. I love her like my own grandmother. I sat by her bedside and held her hand for sometime, which gave me a lot of happiness too.
I saw the operating room where I was born! I’d never seen it all these years. I would’ve taken a photo of it, if I was a celebrity and they had had a board saying “NIranjani Ravi was born here” (but I am not a celebrity… if I was I could’ve surely expected a board, because they actually built a temple in Trichy for actress Khushboo!)
After the hospital visit, a looong day began… we visited 3 big temples in the morning. The afternoon and evening zoomed by with visits to Dad’s friends’ houses.
I am gonna give you a detailed account of everything that happened here, in 2 parts. I recorded most of it in a diary as the day went on. This is the longest posts I’ve written.
At the Thaayar sannidhi, the special ticket cost only 5 bucks. For a moment I felt sorry for Thaayar. Her husband was demanding 250 bucks! The queue was slow moving… there seemed to be more people waiting for special darshan than the regular darshan queue. I reminded myself that a good portion of the dharma darshan queue was getting baked in the sun. But even my queue was really slow. And when we finally reached the sanctum, we hardly got a glimpse of the main deity as she was hiding behind the Utsava statue and a few other statues. In 3 seconds we were ordered out by the person in charge of shooing people away. I didn’t feel too angry as I’d spent only 5 bucks.
In the Amman sannidhi I got full darshan of a priest, before he moved aside to let me get a glimpse of Amman, who was so wrapped up in silk that I couldn’t make out her face.
The Samayapuram Amman temple was much more tolerable than these places. I expected floors wet with water mixed with kumkum and women in garish yellow (have not had good experiences at Amman temples: I still remember the cleanest one I visited – a small temple at Vellore). But I found that the Samayapuram temple was the cleanest, most well ventilated of the 3 temples. The Rs. 25 ticket queue I was in seemed to move fast; I was walking swiftly, feeling relieved, till I came to a stop behind a very slow queue. We really should expect this and keep our happiness in check; we should learn from a simple analogy – when you see a half-empty road in the city, you can expect to end up behind a hundred vehicles stuck on a road in a traffic jam or waiting for a green signal. If the road is completely empty, a minister and his entourage would’ve just passed and a policeman will let in hordes of traffic held up on side roads. Aagamothathle (on the whole) delight on seeing an empty road is as short-lived as the joy of walking quickly down a temple darshan walkway. I think I drifted a bit far. Coming back to the Samayapuram temple… there was (of course) a point where the free darshan and Rs. 25 darshan queues met, and then it got really crowded. The same pushing-shoving-shooing away routine followed.
Finally our temple rounds got over and I breathed a sigh of relief, as we finished lunch and embarked on another round of visits. This called for another long article… and here it is!
They forced us to eat some snacks even though we were almost stuffed to the hilt. Aunty brought out jangris. I decided to take only a tiny bit. (I had also been on a diet for the past 12 days or so – it made the sweet doubly tempting). But as I ate the jangri, it left a lovely taste in my mouth. I wanted a half piece.
I love the BHEL Township in Trichy. A place far removed from the noise and dust of the town. Broad tree lined avenues, calm all around and a lovely blend of smells that I’ll never forget. The houses are designed in a simple way, but hold charm.
We visited Dad’s friend’s mother who is admitted in the BHEL hospital because of some orthopedic problems. I love her like my own grandmother. I sat by her bedside and held her hand for sometime, which gave me a lot of happiness too.
I saw the operating room where I was born! I’d never seen it all these years. I would’ve taken a photo of it, if I was a celebrity and they had had a board saying “NIranjani Ravi was born here” (but I am not a celebrity… if I was I could’ve surely expected a board, because they actually built a temple in Trichy for actress Khushboo!)
After the hospital visit, a looong day began… we visited 3 big temples in the morning. The afternoon and evening zoomed by with visits to Dad’s friends’ houses.
I am gonna give you a detailed account of everything that happened here, in 2 parts. I recorded most of it in a diary as the day went on. This is the longest posts I’ve written.
250 bucks for 2 seconds
My parents and I blew 250 bucks per head for a 3 second glimpse of the deity in Srirangam. Our money did not keep us away from the crowds – we got pushed around in a huge throng even on the way to the special entrance. I paid Rs. 250 just to stand for 2 minutes in an empty 20 by 20 space and enjoy the breeze from fans.
My parents and I blew 250 bucks per head for a 3 second glimpse of the deity in Srirangam. Our money did not keep us away from the crowds – we got pushed around in a huge throng even on the way to the special entrance. I paid Rs. 250 just to stand for 2 minutes in an empty 20 by 20 space and enjoy the breeze from fans.
We couldn’t see Ranganathar in all his glory in one glimpse. The doorway to the sanctum sanctorum wasn’t wide enough. One priest was repeatedly telling us to “darisichify” his feet and the five headed snake. The other was urging us to move fast.
The main point – all big temples have been commercialized. You shell out a whole lot of money (Rs. 250 for Srirangam was a shock) and get to see the deity for a few seconds (seems like at every temple where you shell out more, you don’t get a proper darshan – what’s the point? It’s like you spend more for a magazine but find that the number of pages and quality has come down) & you’re urged to move fast by some guy you want to shout back at.
At the Thaayar sannidhi, the special ticket cost only 5 bucks. For a moment I felt sorry for Thaayar. Her husband was demanding 250 bucks! The queue was slow moving… there seemed to be more people waiting for special darshan than the regular darshan queue. I reminded myself that a good portion of the dharma darshan queue was getting baked in the sun. But even my queue was really slow. And when we finally reached the sanctum, we hardly got a glimpse of the main deity as she was hiding behind the Utsava statue and a few other statues. In 3 seconds we were ordered out by the person in charge of shooing people away. I didn’t feel too angry as I’d spent only 5 bucks.
We also went to the temple at Tiruvanaikaval (one of the Panchaboota Shiva temples – the linga here symbolizes the water element). We got only a teeny peek at the linga through a specially carved window in the sanctum sanctorum, before which I got darshan of a lady’s broad backside blocking my view. We didn’t have enough time to go in.
In the Amman sannidhi I got full darshan of a priest, before he moved aside to let me get a glimpse of Amman, who was so wrapped up in silk that I couldn’t make out her face.
The Samayapuram Amman temple was much more tolerable than these places. I expected floors wet with water mixed with kumkum and women in garish yellow (have not had good experiences at Amman temples: I still remember the cleanest one I visited – a small temple at Vellore). But I found that the Samayapuram temple was the cleanest, most well ventilated of the 3 temples. The Rs. 25 ticket queue I was in seemed to move fast; I was walking swiftly, feeling relieved, till I came to a stop behind a very slow queue. We really should expect this and keep our happiness in check; we should learn from a simple analogy – when you see a half-empty road in the city, you can expect to end up behind a hundred vehicles stuck on a road in a traffic jam or waiting for a green signal. If the road is completely empty, a minister and his entourage would’ve just passed and a policeman will let in hordes of traffic held up on side roads. Aagamothathle (on the whole) delight on seeing an empty road is as short-lived as the joy of walking quickly down a temple darshan walkway. I think I drifted a bit far. Coming back to the Samayapuram temple… there was (of course) a point where the free darshan and Rs. 25 darshan queues met, and then it got really crowded. The same pushing-shoving-shooing away routine followed.
Finally our temple rounds got over and I breathed a sigh of relief, as we finished lunch and embarked on another round of visits. This called for another long article… and here it is!
A whirlwind afternoon
We went to Dad’s friend’s place in Srirangam. They had become good friends 25 years back – when I was a baby. The uncle called me Jinglu (my nickname when I was a baby – some of my Dad’s oldest friends – whom he made during his early years with BHEL – still call me by the nickname – as if it were the most normal thing).
The uncle’s daughter is a sweet and quiet girl. She is petite and has a stick-thin figure that drives me wild with envy – though people say I’ve become thin. The uncle and aunty themselves were quite shocked at my appearance, saying that I looked malnourished (to top that, I was on a diet, which became fodder for conversation). I got plenty of well-meant advice from them. My mother, for her part, advised the girl to eat 2 dates and 2 almonds with peels removed in the morning. Then the conversation shifted to how the two of us were thinking that life is all about fun and how we were doing aarpaattam and attagasam (like everyone else). I always try to justify such behavior; I had to straighten my hair because my curls were uncontrollably wild; I used to shop a lot because I easily got bored of clothes but it did good to me because I am now a seasoned shopper who picks only distinct pieces… and other such arguments.
We then went to the house of Somashekar uncle (the aunty’s name is Gomati – I call them “Somu and Gomu”. I pray that they don’t stumble across this post). They live in a huge, beautiful house. The rooms were painted in beautiful shades – lilac, powder pink and pale green. There were lovely wooden roll top desks and cabinets.
They forced us to eat some snacks even though we were almost stuffed to the hilt. Aunty brought out jangris. I decided to take only a tiny bit. (I had also been on a diet for the past 12 days or so – it made the sweet doubly tempting). But as I ate the jangri, it left a lovely taste in my mouth. I wanted a half piece.
I spotted it on my Mom’s plate, but before I could ask her for it, she popped it into her mouth. And at that point aunty closed the jangri dabba. I wistfully looked at the dabba while my heart sank. Bye bye, darling jangris…
We were sitting at the dining table, watching Somashekar uncle’s son playing video games. He had been glued to the computer right from when we entered. There was a little boy – Aunty’s colleague’s son, whom he had dropped off while he took his daughter to attend an exam – the boy started playing video games with Somu uncle’s son guiding him. Somu uncle’s son suddenly turned and asked me… “In which class is the boy studying?” Before me or my Mom could reply, Aunty thankfully came and told him that he was her colleague’s son! But I felt flattered, hoping that the boy might’ve thought I looked young enough to be the boy’s sibling (;) :P).
We then went to Dad’s ex-GM’s house. They’re a sweet old couple. The aunty hugged me and was very affectionate, but planted sloppy wet kisses on her kanna’s cheeks.
Then we returned to the township and visited Mr. Rohira, a north Indian friend of Dad’s. The family is very affectionate; I love his children. They’re friendly, warm, down-to-earth, uninhibited and very hospitable.
They laid out a snack feast for us. My strictness about dieting permitted me to eat only one Good Day biscuit out of the 2 dozen on the plate. Aunty has whisked up bread rolls super fast for us. They were simply delicious. I restricted myself to one and a half.
We had a wonderful time, even though it was a really hectic day. I wish I could spend a few relaxed days at Trichy, visiting many people, inhaling the wonderful smells of the Township, taking long walks. I must plan soon. But (of course) on the whole, it was a great trip. A refreshing break from the hustle-bustle of Chennai.
Pondy Bejaar
I don’t use words like “bejaar”. That is only for locals in lungis, Pondy Bazaar vendors and uniformed people with paunches who’re mamool crazy (you get what I mean). But there is no other word which fits perfectly in the title (:-D) and what happened to me on Vijayadasami day.
I parked my bike in an area which didn’t have a “no parking” sign. There were several vehicles parked nearby. I visited a Bossini store and tried on some clothes. I didn’t find anything tempting enough and walked out, proud that I hadn’t spent a penny. I reached the parking place to find it empty. A flower vendor who was sitting nearby told me that the police had taken away a bunch of bikes from there and said that the police station was at the end of the road.
I tried to be as calm as possible. But on the way I almost snapped at a woman who stepped on the back of my shoe. I put on a threatening expression as I walked without allowing space for people who came from the opposite side. I felt like I was going to faint from low BP. I slowed my pace and calmed my mind further.
You see, just 2 days before I was caught by a traffic police fella for jumping a red signal at the turning outside Citi Centre, because of carelessness caused by the sheer joy of buying a gorgeous silver top. Police Uncle was waiting there to ruin shoppers’ happiness. (Yes. I know I made a mistake. But a policeman waiting there was just too much. Do they wait at every signal? Do they wait at Tidel Park signal? Velachery signal where everyone happily turns while the red light is on? Noooo. They wait at Spencer, Citi Centre, Besant Nagar beach… where people just come to relax and have a good time.)
Police Uncle demanded 100 bucks from me for adding to his collection, so that he could shop at Citi Centre too. Luckily I had only 50 bucks in cash. I told him so and gave it to him. And while the red signal was still on, he asked me to go. Police Uncle is so strict about rules being obeyed.
I had never been fined by the traffic police earlier. And now I had to pay up for the police to celebrate Vijayadasami. Heck! I decided it was fate, as I walked into the Pondy Bejaar police station courtyard. A khaki clad inspector told me that the traffic police SI was right at the backside of the station. I walked there, saw him standing on the road platform behind and luckily my bike was parked right there. He asked me to pay Rs. 150. I told him that where I parked, there was no “no parking” sign. He said that parking spaces would have a “parking zone” sign. Huh? How am I supposed to know? I hardly go to Pondy Bejaar.
Anyway Police Uncles would’ve bought nice Vijayadasami treats for their families, while the petrol money I’d got from my Mom went poof. Later, I gave myself a special “cheering up” treat – a chocolate cone. I’ve discovered that ice cream gives any day a happy ending. At least I had a nice cone because of Police Uncle. And now I am writing a blog post after a long time, literally without taking my fingers off the keypad! Wonderful experience. But Police Uncle, I don't want to thank you. Anyway you had a great Vijayadasami because of my money, that's a substitute for a "thank you".
I parked my bike in an area which didn’t have a “no parking” sign. There were several vehicles parked nearby. I visited a Bossini store and tried on some clothes. I didn’t find anything tempting enough and walked out, proud that I hadn’t spent a penny. I reached the parking place to find it empty. A flower vendor who was sitting nearby told me that the police had taken away a bunch of bikes from there and said that the police station was at the end of the road.
I tried to be as calm as possible. But on the way I almost snapped at a woman who stepped on the back of my shoe. I put on a threatening expression as I walked without allowing space for people who came from the opposite side. I felt like I was going to faint from low BP. I slowed my pace and calmed my mind further.
You see, just 2 days before I was caught by a traffic police fella for jumping a red signal at the turning outside Citi Centre, because of carelessness caused by the sheer joy of buying a gorgeous silver top. Police Uncle was waiting there to ruin shoppers’ happiness. (Yes. I know I made a mistake. But a policeman waiting there was just too much. Do they wait at every signal? Do they wait at Tidel Park signal? Velachery signal where everyone happily turns while the red light is on? Noooo. They wait at Spencer, Citi Centre, Besant Nagar beach… where people just come to relax and have a good time.)
Police Uncle demanded 100 bucks from me for adding to his collection, so that he could shop at Citi Centre too. Luckily I had only 50 bucks in cash. I told him so and gave it to him. And while the red signal was still on, he asked me to go. Police Uncle is so strict about rules being obeyed.
I had never been fined by the traffic police earlier. And now I had to pay up for the police to celebrate Vijayadasami. Heck! I decided it was fate, as I walked into the Pondy Bejaar police station courtyard. A khaki clad inspector told me that the traffic police SI was right at the backside of the station. I walked there, saw him standing on the road platform behind and luckily my bike was parked right there. He asked me to pay Rs. 150. I told him that where I parked, there was no “no parking” sign. He said that parking spaces would have a “parking zone” sign. Huh? How am I supposed to know? I hardly go to Pondy Bejaar.
Anyway Police Uncles would’ve bought nice Vijayadasami treats for their families, while the petrol money I’d got from my Mom went poof. Later, I gave myself a special “cheering up” treat – a chocolate cone. I’ve discovered that ice cream gives any day a happy ending. At least I had a nice cone because of Police Uncle. And now I am writing a blog post after a long time, literally without taking my fingers off the keypad! Wonderful experience. But Police Uncle, I don't want to thank you. Anyway you had a great Vijayadasami because of my money, that's a substitute for a "thank you".
A Book to Remember
I really should’ve read the book before – A Walk to Remember by Nicholas Sparks. There was a time when my cousin used to read lots of Nicholas Sparks books and I never tried reading them then. And later I got bored of romance and mush. When I took the book from my library I thought I would probably get bored halfway.
It didn’t elicit yawns. Rather it brought out tears. I haven’t ever cried three times while reading a book. I don’t know if I am too sappy, but A Walk to Remember was really touching and beautiful.
It was about a rich boy falling in love with the local priest’s daughter – something he never dreamed he would do. She is most of the time plainly dressed with her hair in a bun and isn’t an attractive girl, but a beautiful person. Someone who prays for good things to happen to everyone, helps anyone in need, often spends time with kids at an orphanage, collecting money for charity and all such things. He always thinks of her as a good person. When the unexpected finally happens – when they fall in love – it brings out the beautiful side in him.
He spends time with her, reads the bible with her, visits orphans… while suddenly she reveals to him something shocking - she is dying of leukaemia.
He is devastated. And as she gets sicker and sicker, he starts praying for a miracle. Then one day, the voice of God seems to tell him something – that there is one thing he must do for her happiness – marry her.
She accepts his proposal. He then convinces his parents and her father. Their wedding is one she always dreamed of – in a church bursting with people.
Then there is a twist in the end. One that puts this book ahead of many books. One that is even more special than the rest of this book. The marriage is a miracle that saves her life. That is why God spoke to him.
Experience the book yourself. It is beautiful and unputdownable. Now I have borrowed my second Nicholas Sparks book – The Choice. Hope it matches up to A Walk to Remember.
It didn’t elicit yawns. Rather it brought out tears. I haven’t ever cried three times while reading a book. I don’t know if I am too sappy, but A Walk to Remember was really touching and beautiful.
It was about a rich boy falling in love with the local priest’s daughter – something he never dreamed he would do. She is most of the time plainly dressed with her hair in a bun and isn’t an attractive girl, but a beautiful person. Someone who prays for good things to happen to everyone, helps anyone in need, often spends time with kids at an orphanage, collecting money for charity and all such things. He always thinks of her as a good person. When the unexpected finally happens – when they fall in love – it brings out the beautiful side in him.
He spends time with her, reads the bible with her, visits orphans… while suddenly she reveals to him something shocking - she is dying of leukaemia.
He is devastated. And as she gets sicker and sicker, he starts praying for a miracle. Then one day, the voice of God seems to tell him something – that there is one thing he must do for her happiness – marry her.
She accepts his proposal. He then convinces his parents and her father. Their wedding is one she always dreamed of – in a church bursting with people.
Then there is a twist in the end. One that puts this book ahead of many books. One that is even more special than the rest of this book. The marriage is a miracle that saves her life. That is why God spoke to him.
Experience the book yourself. It is beautiful and unputdownable. Now I have borrowed my second Nicholas Sparks book – The Choice. Hope it matches up to A Walk to Remember.
Whine Flu
My ears are sore. People around me are whining and worrying non-stop. I cannot blame them for worrying, but many don’t even take some basic steps to prevent spread of diseases – which are stated in TOI in bullet points – cover your nose / mouth with a tissue or handkerchief when you sneeze or cough, try not to touch your mouth / nose /eyes often, wash your hands often.
They should do all this, maintain good personal hygiene and avoid eating out unnecessarily. Get tested – which I feel is not necessary for each person who panics and runs to testing centres, for waiting along with possible germ carriers gives them greater risk - and wear masks. That is the maximum they can do.
A whiner from my office polambified about swine flu and a few hours later wanted bonda from a roadside stall. And later picked his nose.
Sneeze and people suspect you might have swine flu. Why is it that times are so advanced but a flu scare can drive people insane? Is it because a threat to life can drain your mind of logic?
I probably sound like I care a damn for people’s fears, but no. I would like to remain optimistic while being careful and such an attitude can carry us through this.
It is high time people whine less, keep their worries to themselves and lower their risk while making sure they follow basic prevention steps.
They should do all this, maintain good personal hygiene and avoid eating out unnecessarily. Get tested – which I feel is not necessary for each person who panics and runs to testing centres, for waiting along with possible germ carriers gives them greater risk - and wear masks. That is the maximum they can do.
A whiner from my office polambified about swine flu and a few hours later wanted bonda from a roadside stall. And later picked his nose.
Sneeze and people suspect you might have swine flu. Why is it that times are so advanced but a flu scare can drive people insane? Is it because a threat to life can drain your mind of logic?
I probably sound like I care a damn for people’s fears, but no. I would like to remain optimistic while being careful and such an attitude can carry us through this.
It is high time people whine less, keep their worries to themselves and lower their risk while making sure they follow basic prevention steps.
My office is on Cenotaph Road. Right now my office building is surrounded by clouds of dust and heaps of mud and stones, with the flyover under construction, but one thought about what a great location it is puts a smile on my face.
Coffee Day is right next to my office. One of the best Coffee Day outlets I have ever seen. I don’t see people blocking my way and men at the next table don’t seem to talk loudly right in my ear. There is a lovely corner seat with a huge glass window next to it, offering a view of half a towering coconut tree (for the rest of the view you have to block the way of vehicles who get a small section of the road to come through – or you can sit top of on the half-constructed flyover :-P with a glass of coffee in your hand – the tree looks beautiful, more a refreshing sight against a patch of blue sky in the midst of buildings and heaps of rubble). The absence of traffic that is a blessing in spite of the presence of rubble and the cement pillars of the flyover. And the most divine chocolate cake (How could I not mention that?).
Loads of other benefits are offered by the location… If I want to shop in Pondy Bazaar during lunchtime, it takes me just 10 minutes to reach the place. TTK Road is 5 minutes away. Mandaveli and RA Puram 10 minutes away. Adyar is just around 20 minutes away – via Kotturpuram – a route which has traffic but doesn’t require you to face an endless battle like the one on the Adyar bridge. My house in Velachery is only 35 minutes away. Some people think my area is literally cut off from the main city – LOL. And I get to ride down OMR – another great place which offers a lovely ride in spite of the traffic. I even do 80 sometimes.
Another bonus – my friend’s house is just a walk down from office. That’s great. But I haven’t gone there after a workday. I should! (But we have met up at Coffee Day and had a nice time :-) )
All in all, I am really happy that my office is in this terrific location. I could gush on and on about it. But I guess I have said enough :-).
Coffee Day is right next to my office. One of the best Coffee Day outlets I have ever seen. I don’t see people blocking my way and men at the next table don’t seem to talk loudly right in my ear. There is a lovely corner seat with a huge glass window next to it, offering a view of half a towering coconut tree (for the rest of the view you have to block the way of vehicles who get a small section of the road to come through – or you can sit top of on the half-constructed flyover :-P with a glass of coffee in your hand – the tree looks beautiful, more a refreshing sight against a patch of blue sky in the midst of buildings and heaps of rubble). The absence of traffic that is a blessing in spite of the presence of rubble and the cement pillars of the flyover. And the most divine chocolate cake (How could I not mention that?).
Loads of other benefits are offered by the location… If I want to shop in Pondy Bazaar during lunchtime, it takes me just 10 minutes to reach the place. TTK Road is 5 minutes away. Mandaveli and RA Puram 10 minutes away. Adyar is just around 20 minutes away – via Kotturpuram – a route which has traffic but doesn’t require you to face an endless battle like the one on the Adyar bridge. My house in Velachery is only 35 minutes away. Some people think my area is literally cut off from the main city – LOL. And I get to ride down OMR – another great place which offers a lovely ride in spite of the traffic. I even do 80 sometimes.
Another bonus – my friend’s house is just a walk down from office. That’s great. But I haven’t gone there after a workday. I should! (But we have met up at Coffee Day and had a nice time :-) )
All in all, I am really happy that my office is in this terrific location. I could gush on and on about it. But I guess I have said enough :-).
I have grown up with Archie Comics. I got my first two when I was in 1st or 2nd standard. From the American Bookstore in Mount Road. On the way back home from an eye test. I remember well :-). Then my father’s friend’s daughter borrowed one of them and never returned it to me. Grrrrr… (And of course I hate people who don’t bother to return stuff.)
Every Archie story brings a smile to my face. Why? Archie comics employ classic humour situations.
Archie is caught between 2 girls. Both have opposite personalities. Now it is sad that he’s going to get married :-(.
Archie has a way of almost always getting into trouble. When he is holding a can of paint you can predict what’ll happen next. But there is a clever, intelligent side to Archie.
Chemistry and Archie is an equation that spells danger with a capital D. Explosions always happen in the chemistry lab stories.
Jughead is a woman hater. And we have a girl who’ll never give up on him.
Archie is always late for school, and ends up in detention.
Veronica blows too much money and gets into trouble with Daddy.
Moose can break bones but lacks brains.
Dilton looks like a kid next to Moose but is all-brain.
I think there are more classic situations. After reading so many Archie Comics, I feel sad to think I could recollect only this.
To entertain you a little more…
An Archie story goes like this:
Archie is watering a plant with a hosepipe. Suddenly the water stops coming. Weatherbee passes by, and stops to find out why the water is not coming. It decides to flow out when he’s holding it front of his face.
Archie gets detention. While Weatherbee goes back and sees if the hose pipe actually has a problem… just as the water gushes out, the Superintendent of schools gets in the way. The story ends with Weatherbee joining Archie in the detention room.
Archie comics are a favourite around the world. But the old ones are better than the new ones. Eshwari lending library sells them at its main branch. You’ll find a lot of old Archies there.
I must mention my favourite characters….
Juggie – he is actually pretty desirable… purely because he hates women.
Veronica – I’d like to be as mean as her and have as much money. I don’t want to be a nice girl. Besides, she always gets the guys she wants.
Hot Dog – Smart dog!
Mr. Weatherbee
This article is yet to be completed….
Every Archie story brings a smile to my face. Why? Archie comics employ classic humour situations.
Archie is caught between 2 girls. Both have opposite personalities. Now it is sad that he’s going to get married :-(.
Archie has a way of almost always getting into trouble. When he is holding a can of paint you can predict what’ll happen next. But there is a clever, intelligent side to Archie.
Chemistry and Archie is an equation that spells danger with a capital D. Explosions always happen in the chemistry lab stories.
Jughead is a woman hater. And we have a girl who’ll never give up on him.
Archie is always late for school, and ends up in detention.
Veronica blows too much money and gets into trouble with Daddy.
Moose can break bones but lacks brains.
Dilton looks like a kid next to Moose but is all-brain.
I think there are more classic situations. After reading so many Archie Comics, I feel sad to think I could recollect only this.
To entertain you a little more…
An Archie story goes like this:
Archie is watering a plant with a hosepipe. Suddenly the water stops coming. Weatherbee passes by, and stops to find out why the water is not coming. It decides to flow out when he’s holding it front of his face.
Archie gets detention. While Weatherbee goes back and sees if the hose pipe actually has a problem… just as the water gushes out, the Superintendent of schools gets in the way. The story ends with Weatherbee joining Archie in the detention room.
Archie comics are a favourite around the world. But the old ones are better than the new ones. Eshwari lending library sells them at its main branch. You’ll find a lot of old Archies there.
I must mention my favourite characters….
Juggie – he is actually pretty desirable… purely because he hates women.
Veronica – I’d like to be as mean as her and have as much money. I don’t want to be a nice girl. Besides, she always gets the guys she wants.
Hot Dog – Smart dog!
Mr. Weatherbee
This article is yet to be completed….
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