Sydney Festival - AR Rahman

This is how our city looks in summer!

That's the tag line of the Sydney Festival. This is the festival of arts & culture that started in 1977. I heard about it last year & I was not so keen on going for it. Nothing really motivated me to go. But this year its huge & it had AR Rahman & something called The Mangniyar Seduction.

The minute I heard about these events my ears popped up and I was really keen on knowing what exactly happens. I had the opportunity to chat with a few people organising the festival & got to understand that the effort that goes into the festival is huge. The preparation for the 2011 festival has already begun.

I got to understand that the new Director - Lindy Hume is making the festival multicultural & getting artists from all around the world. Sydney Festival 2010 has artists from about 20 countries. They have 360 performances and 80 events happening this year... some events are free. Josephine Ridge, the General Manager of Sydney Festival mentioned that they have 2000 staff members on the opening and 300 artists performing. Just imagine the scale of the event.

The AR Rahman concert was free from all & was at Parramatta Park. The park was jam packed with not just Indians but everyone who loves Rahman. He came with his troupe which included Hariharan, Sadhna Sargam, Shweta Pandit, Ryhannah, Lush, and many more... I don't remember the names... The enthusiasm of the audience was unmatched. Hariharan wanted to play a game to decide which side of audience is better... after the short game he asked Rahman who is the winner... Rahman said all are winners... Today is a night to celebrate & everyone is a winner! Rahman called it the concert of peace and friendship!

I think this is a great gesture from the side of the Australian Government. They have got A R Rahman & his troupe to perform for the audience of Australia for free... It is indeed a very good gesture of friendship and peace. I hope this gesture is a beginning of better relations.

And like Rahman said in his press conference:Good will will change things for better.

If you are interested in knowing about the rest of the events of the festival visit - Sydney Festival

I've Learned

I got this poem as a fwd when I was in college... It couldn't have come at a better time... I was going thru a lot of crap... this just confirmed some of the already existing thoughts & added a few...

It might sound a little negative... but you know what... its the truth & it brings a smile on my face when I read it... I hope it does the same to many people!!!

I'VE LEARNED

I've learned that you cannot make someone love you;

All you can do is stalk them and hope they panic and give in.

I've learned that no matter how much I care, some people are just assholes.

I've learned that it takes years to build up trust,

and it only takes suspicion... not proof, to destroy it.

I've I've learned that you can get by on charm for about 15 mins

After that, you'd better have a big willy of huge boobs.

I've learned that you shouldn't compare yourself to others

They are more screwed up than you think.

I've learned that we are responsible for what we do

unless, we are celebrities

I've learned that the people you care most about in life are taken from you too soon and most of the less important ones just never go away!

Abhiskeham

As a kid I was a terror especially when it came to food... Making me have food took a lot of efforts & exercise... I am sure I digested all the food while having it. The digestion of food is also applicable to the people who tried to feed me!

I remember this one time when my mom lost her temper... I don't blame her... hehehe... read on!

We were at Tripuniturai (a town in Kerala) for the summer vacation... one night, after feeding me dinner my mom wanted me to have a glass of milk or buttermilk or a cup of yogurt... At first I refused to have either of the three choices.

After a lot of persuasion and a little bit of scolding I agreed to have milk... When she got the glass of warm milk I changed my mind to yogurt... When she got a cup of yogurt I changed my mind to buttermilk... Again she went and got a glass of that... At that point I went back to my first choice of milk... Patiently, she got me the milk again and I refused again... That was the boiling point I guess... The whole glass of milk got emptied on my head!

When I look back I wonder why that did not happen sooner... She also had to listen to her mom (my grand mom) scold her for the act... poor thing!

I love her for all the patience she had with a brat like me... I hope I can be more like her!!!

That was my first & last pal abhishekam!!!

My Daddy Strongest!!!

Many of us would have heard a little kid say this on TV... When I see that I remember a little incident that happened more than 2 decades ago... I think I was 5 or 6 I am not sure of the age!

I loved Rajnikant & Amitabh Bachchan for all the fights & stunts they pulled on movies... I actually thought movies were real... that's a different story... which I might narrate later in a separate story... Like I said I was a very big fan of the superstars but the biggest superstar was still my dad.

I actually thought that he got all his energy from the Rasam rice he used to have and I was a big fan of rasam rice because of that. Once at a family dinner I was only hogging on rasam sadam and I was asked why am I not having anything else... At that time I commented "You know why my father is so strong... its because he eats loads and loads of rasam sadam and I also wanna be like him."

That comment invited a roar of laughter and even now with my Mami & cousins it stirs up a warm memory and a sweet smile! :)

you know what... rasam sadam or not this girl stays firm on "My Daddy Strongest!!!"

What India means to me!!!

INDIA… a land where I was born… a land that holds my precious childhood and adolescence… a land that holds my family and friends… a land which I call HOME!!!

Nothing compares to the variety, colour and festivities that you will find there. Each state there is like a country within itself with different culture, food, language, festivals, etc. One can find a unique blend of culture and modernism.

Yes, there are villages with lower infrastructures but I have seen the progress in some villages I visited this time. I want to believe that it is improving and India is rising and shining!!!

INDIA for me that corner or room in your house which you call your own... that special spot in your home where you are so comfortable how ever it is...

I don’t know what it is that makes it so special… may be it is the family, the friends or just the surroundings.. whatever it is I am in love with the total package called INDIA!

In the meanwhile!!!

We all go through ups & downs in life... life is all about that.. sometimes you feel like you are ruling the world & sometimes you feel you are being ruled over or even been run over but that huge machine that is used to lay roads... the one with the iron wheels!!!

It is funny... that in that case we are like the cartoons... even after we have been flattened by that huge monster we tend to get up & puff ourselves back to our original shape & get ready to rule again...

When you are ruling you don't really have a lot of time left after taking care of all the affairs of your kingdom... but the time is in abundance when you are being ruled... you get to think about how unfair your ruler is & how you have to put up with his crap & so on & so forth and you feel very very low! 

At this stage you hear a whole load of people trying to cheer you up... you mostly hear things like... "Oh, its just a phase"... "this too will pass" ... "don't worry way too much about it" ... "cheer up" ... "blah"... "blah"... "blah"...  all with good intentions of course! Now this is the part where I have some doubts... 

What does one do during this low phase... apart from carrying out the 'so called' mean orders from the ruler... The question is "what do I do till the damn phase passes???" 

Some might say "Wait for it to pass"... Good idea... but you are already waiting!!! So what next??? I have also  realised thats when you are waiting your mind rents out its space to a someone called 'devil' and you land up doing things that you regret!!! And after you become the ruler again you wouldn't want have those regrets, would you?

So, WHAT DO I DO IN THE MEANWHILE????

Do post in your thoughts so it might help a lot of people going through "the phase"!!!

A Real Fairy Tale

I have been hitting my head hard on how to start this... this should not be difficult... it is the most simple topic... its almost like an open book exam!!! Or maybe, that’s’ the problem... I know way too much that I don't know where to start!

A smile and a soft voice that woke me every morning and when I did not get up it was his hand yero (going up) plane & yenrego (going down) plane that would tickle me out of the bed either ways I woke up with a smile. The most adorable people... the two people who are responsible for the existence of my bro & me... My Amma and Appa...

When they looked into each others eyes one could feel the love that they had... it was like 'love was in the air' around them. There was so much of it with them that they showered it on everyone they knew and that is what made them so special. We are really happy to get the share of love from them (a big share!) Even in the most difficult situations they would smile & make us smile with them. I hardly remember a time when I asked for something and it was not given... except when I wanted to go out & play during my exams & I was not allowed to!!!

Amma, she was this person who could transform to whatever age she wants... everyone could relate to her & she could relate to everyone. Her cooking was just as amazing as she was! She would play with us... tell us stories... teach us how to fight a bully... make us study... take care of every need that we ever had. She was one of the friendliest people, you could find.

She would ensure that all our demands… either spoken or unspoken were always met. Everything, especially food items would be there as soon as we asked for it… if we asked for it in the morning it would be on the table when we come back from school. She hated the fact that we had to visit our neighbor’s place to watch TV and made sure that there was a TV at our place soon.

Even now, I can faintly hear her recite 'narayaneeyam' every evening. She didn't have to make special efforts to make us feel special... it came naturally to her! A comforting smile and a warm hug from her made us feel so special.... I crave for that warmth sometimes! She was one of the friendliest and enterprising people I have ever known. In spite of her ill health & the bad financial condition at home she would face the world with a big broad smile and a courageous heart... She is my idol!

Appa, he was a gem... a person who would scold us and then later sit & explain why we got punished and what did we do wrong. He reasoned that if we knew what we did wrong we would do it again and, it worked! In spite of all the traveling & touring he would make sure that we are taken to the park or some place for us to enjoy... btw he was the same guy who took me for a picnic one day and once we finished the food in the basket… which was within 45 mins of reaching the park… we were back home!

He was and is my best friend... he knew everything possible about me... how... I told him... I never felt odd talking to him about anything... he had given us so much space and his efforts were always to make us more & more strong and independent! It was always his shoulder I used to cry my heart out... he would never ask me to stop crying but wait patiently stroking my head now & then indicating his presence & that was his way of consoling!

He had a logical explanation for everything and he would make sure that we know the reason why we are doing something. Starting from why we got punished at a particular situation to why we should do a particular ritual at a temple & so on! He was an ocean of knowledge... his ideas were always very novel and has pulled me out of issues at almost any situation be it at work or at play!

When I was 4 I used to think that my Appa knew everything and was the strongest man alive even better than Rajnikant or Amitabh Bachchan because he ate a lot of rasam sadam. But now, I have realised that it is not the rasam sadam but he is like that by nature! MY DADDY STRONGEST!!! I am my father's biggest fan!

If it was not for the Big Guy who decided to call them back I could have learnt so much more from them and I could have used a little bit of advice from both of them. We have 3 mothers who have given us loads & loads love and the affection... and made sure that we have become strong individuals but…you know what… I could have used two more parents... We don’t really mind being more pampered!

In the mean while, I have another plan... so what if the Big Guy played his trick... I am going to get few people who were close to them to tell me more about them so that I can know them better from other's eyes... With their charming personality & loveable nature it is very difficult for people not to get influenced by them!

This write up is a prelude for the blog that my brother and I want to launch for our parents (all 5 of them) & our family. I would request all people reading this to help with ideas, thoughts, pictures (if any), incident, anything!!!

Thank you!

PAY TO GET ECO FRIENDLY

In this age where everyone is talking about being eco-friendly ideas and practices I experienced very strange banking process with Deutsche Bank (DB).

My brother living in Mumbai used to receive my statements & bills while I am away. Since he has moved out of the current location I wanted to make sure my statements do not land up with the leased owners. For this purpose I spoke to banks and other service providers to send me their statements & bills online which happened very quickly & in some cases they gave some percent off on the bill. But the cherry on the cake is DB.

If I need to get eco friendly & stop my paper correspondence with DB then I have to pay a price... ain't that interesting to note... to get them to spend less on you, you pay 100 odd bucks every month. What a thought??? And what responsibility!!!

I found it ridiculous & I am no more a privileged customer of DB. When there is so much of competition around and other banks who are willing to provide better services why should you get stuck up with such a service... its a different story of you don't have an option!!!

Jaago grahak jaago... my small contribution to the campaign!!!