Passing Clouds

Winter seems to take leave, with a flourish, making an exit with a roar and a flash, accompanied by bursts of torrential rains. It turned bitterly cold towards the fag end of January, and we're in for some intermittent showers and strong bellowing winds.

Come to think of it, it happened last year too. Temperature plummets, before it gives way to a short but pleasant spring season. It touched around zero degree this time, and maybe lower in the wilderness. But was thankful when it slipped back to single digits, and led me to wonder how people get on with long dreary winters, putting up with the brutally harsh cold, for days together!

Skies here, are generally a huge dull blanket of greyish blue and sightings of clouds are a rare occurrence. And so when I came upon them (couple of weeks back), as they seemed to drift along and hover for a while, having lost their way, was filled with sheer, simple joy!

So tried to capture the blazing sun in its westward journey against the lovely backdrop, while racing across the desert in designated concrete paths. Was reminded of the countless mesmirising twilight scenes captured or witnessed, in India. Dusk always evokes a sense of awe and bliss, and was left with lingering thoughts as, how nature fills and paints our world in different hues, and back home led me to these immortal lines by Keats  :

A thing of beauty is a joy for ever: Its lovliness increases; it will never Pass into nothingness; but still will keep A bower quiet for us, and a sleep Full of sweet dreams, and health, and quiet breathing. Therefore, on every morrow, are we wreathing A flowery band to bind us to the earth, Spite of despondence, of the inhuman dearth Of noble natures, of the gloomy days, Of all the unhealthy and o'er-darkn'd ways Made for our searching: yes, in spite of all, Some shape of beauty moves away the pall From our dark spirits. Such the sun, the moon, Trees old and young, sprouting a shady boon ...

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Of the few movies watched this month, nothing struck me as incredible, but wouldn't say it was disappointing too, except for Life of a Tree, which was. So thought shall put down my two cents, with scores.

~ Rango - Characters were adorable; could've been better. 7.5
~ Hugo - Was like an old fairytale, the little girl was charming. 7
~ Tintin - Good light entertainment, impressive transformation of the characters we are so used to in print. 6.5
~ Return of the Planet of Apes - Surprisingly liked parts of it, leaves an unsettling feeling. 7
The Tree of life ~ Well, somehow was left untouched, by the gravity or the sensitivity, as it should have. 6.5

Wanted to watch Descendants, but haven't as yet. As an afterthought, liked the last part of Harry Potter, the way it was wound up and absolutely loved Midnight in Paris. And how is Agneepath, honestly?

Riot of colours

 (Wordless Thursday!)

Am I Versatile??

Well, prepare yourself for a boring, insipid, narcissistic post ahead! Having said that I have to announce that I have been 'awarded' 'The Versatile Blogger' (for reasons best known to her) by Nancy of Reflections, and have been asked to do the Tag.

The rules of this tag:

 Add the Versatile Blogger Award picture to your Blog Post
 Thank the Blogger who nominated you
 Share 7 Random things about yourself
 Nominate 15 fellow Bloggers
 Inform the Bloggers of their nomination

So here goes, Thank you Nancy, for having conferred on me the title and the tag!

7 Random things about myself :

~ I like to add the finishing touches to any project done, and actually love the sprucing up part more than the actual project!

~ Love pastel colours, anytime, anywhere, anyday.

~ Totally at home with kids, more than grownups!!

~ Flounder a great deal when it comes to expression of speech, as compared to the written form.

~  Irked by people who do not follow the tag, 'Let live'.

~ Hand work as always been a weakness, which goes into hibernation but manages to surface with renewed passion, thankfully.

~Love Baking, and wish( if only) cooking = baking!

Now for the nominating part, it is next to impossible to hunt for 15 bloggers who drop in here! So will restrict to two, Dee, who with her open  conversations, laced with amusement and witty observations  keeps the readers entertained; and KP, with his versatile plots, storylines and characters, is a spinner of interesting tales.

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More randomness -

In memory of our dear cat who choose to walk away one fine day!! :)

This and that

Finished the abridged version of Mahabharata, by C.Rajagopalachari, and felt that, a small part of me would be at rest, as I have always felt we gorge on stuff from across the seas more, than what is at home! Or atleast it is definitely true in my case, so don't mean to generalize. Also realised, as they say in our journeys, the destinations need not be new, the vision has to be, every time. So it goes for reading too I guess. A book may reach out, with different perspectives, over the years, as we grow, assimilate, and as our thought processes change, and invariably so does the impact the book has, on the reader. The comprehension of what is offered is in a fluid state, and such books rightly called reference guides, offer insights into the nuances of life, whatever stage one might be in. 

In this epic, there are equal doses of noble and evil individuals, fair and unfair practices, impulsive and premeditated decisions, wars won and wars lost, the whys and why nots, and all loose ends tied up in the final chapters. Interestingly came across this video clipping and it was amazing the way the presenter actually gets to analyse the epic, dissect it  ruthlessly, twist and twirl it, to come up with some brilliant analogies. (Actually enjoyed it!) 

Have started 'Ponniyin Selvan' yet another book which used to make me cringe, whenever the topic came up, for I had no inkling as to what it was all about. It is one of the most popular Tamil Classics by Amarar Kalki, a historical novel, which captured the hearts of many in the 70's. Well, was enamoured by it, even in the first few pages. Its incredible, the descriptions, the plot, the detailing, the emotions and the unraveling of the mystery laden story. 

I have never been a huge fan of historical novels, and so this makes it all the more intriguing, that I should have been taken up by it, so swiftly. Well, for now, am glad I  have a good book in hand, for the coming days or months, as it is a huge five volume tale, with fine print running across weathered, dog-eared,  musty pages.

This TED video was a bit alarming, especially those blue bubbles, and totally off beat from the above topic. (Maybe I'm watching way too many videos for my own good!)

Down memory lane...

Wishing all a Splendid New Year Ahead!!

Mine started fabulously with music, that revoked fond memories, as we were led down memory lane, by the inimitable SPBalasubramanian himself. It was an unique and an almost inexplicable experience, and was truly glad that I was able to be a part of it. 

It was a New Year bonanza for the audience, as he mesmerised them with the still magical, golden soulful voice of his. It was just as he sang...Andhi mazhlai pozhigirathu (Its raining, the evening showers), as the crowd was drenched in Golden Oldies as Engeyum Yepothum, Kaathalin Deepam onru, Mannil intha kaadhal inri, Ilaya nila...and many more lovely songs, even as we seemed to almost relive the songs and the scenes that have been entrenched for years, and held dear, in our personal 'hard disk'.

SPB as he is fondly known as, was his casual self, and there was never a dull moment, the entertainer he is, enamoured the crowd with his impromptu jibes and his near caustic witty observations. It was a treat to watch him perform on stage.

The orchestra (Saadhaga Paravaigal) was amazing too, especially the Flutist and the Drummer, and the Key Board player too. They did a flawless job, and served as a fitting accompaniment to the masetro. The new comer Sathya Prakash was  a refreshing surprise, an youngster meting out classical songs as 'Oru Naal Pothuma' and 'Paatum Naane' with ease, much to the delight of the crowd. All in all it was a lovely night, and would not have asked for a better start this year!

As the reviews for 'Mouna Guru' kept trickling in, thought will give it a shot, and did. It is a movie which has make the audience sit up and take notice of films, once again, films which do not rely on heavy cast or expensive locations, but focus, as in actually focus, on story, acting and coherence. Period. And it works. There were many loopholes, but all said, comes across as a very brave and valiant attempt. Personally the movie was a bit disturbing,-  the bordering-on-excessive use of violence and the potrayal of the fiendish, diabolic streak in men, was disheartening, even if it be the truth.

But then you can always have your dose of Pirates of Carribean, or episodes of Planet Earth to fall back on!!

To name a few...

Movies. What it conjures up is a magical world of make believe, where we get to see our thoughts and dreams come alive through characters whom we identify ourselves with, stories which run parallel to ours, and lives we get to live as if our own. It moves us to tears or sheer rage, or rollicking laughter or intense pain. It all happens in the celluloid world. And we are forever in a relentless search, for that one which would stir us deeply and enrich us, as the few others, which have along the years, have helped us grow and discover the oddities life has to offer, and the means of embracing them.  

Thought, shall cover few of my favourite ones, and to start with two of Mani Ratnam’s awesome works of art.  Any time all time favourite is Bombay. Absolutely loved it, from the word go. The dark coastal town draped in black with the bellowing winds, the throbbing streets and chawls of apna Mumbai, the decor including  the quaint window panes of the sprawling kitchen and tiny bedrooms; and the moods captured, be it the intense pulsating romance, the mounting fear and terror that grips you, or the terrible  feeling of loss and grief that engulfs you, it is all there delicately interwoven.


It is amazing to watch Manisha Koirala emote, especially as an anguished mother (where she searches for her missing sons), was portrayed exceedingly well. It was a class performance I would think. And then the mesmerising music of AR Rahman. Such a medley of pure bliss. The soul stirring ‘Uyire..’, romance dripping ‘Kannalene...’ and the rocking ‘Humma...’to name a few. Somehow the film offers such wholesome entertainment, that you are left with a sense of having experienced something totally beautiful, as true art should be.

"Kannathil Muthamittal', yet another masterpiece from Manirathnam, one of the few which was not made in Hindi. In my scale the ratings climb up, if the movie moves me to tears, each time I watch it. And this one never fails to induce the tear ducts even as I battle with it. Even when you know what is to follow, and you brace yourself, the intensity and depth of the feeling conveyed through sensitive words and expressions, reaches out to you so seamlessly. You cannot but wonder at the ingenuity of the artistes involved be it the director, the actors, or the script writers.

Two social issues handled here, Adoption and Tamil Eelam Rights. They were done so well, that at no point you are made to feel that they are being addressed or presented. You are entwined into the story and with the characters, so much so that you begin to live their lives, feel their sorrows, understand their loss, even as questions thrown at the viewers rankle your mind. We do trudge back home with a heavy heart, but only to delve deeply into the issues, arriving at our own debatable conjectures.The characters and what they experience become a part of us. And favourite song from a mix of great melodies, Kannathil...for the lovely lyrics.

The list is long, and hope to cover a few more, but as I write it makes me wonder what a bereft place the world would be without movies and geniuses who make them. Closing with a song from 'Dil Se', (somehow never did like the Tamil version, movie and music, try as I did), for the pure magic that blazes the screen with AR Rahman-Manirathnam synthesis.

Thirukkural

At the onset would like to state that I am not an authority in the subject, and I endeavour to write purely out of personal interest, and so if there are any discrepancies or deficiencies in the content, do let me know. Would gladly rectify.

Thirukkural a classic, written two thousand years ago, is still looked upon as a remarkable work of a genius nonpareil. It is even difficult to comprehend the extent of the poet, Thiruvalluvar’s wisdom, perception and insight into the multitudinous fragments that make up life.  As many are aware, the literary work consists of 1330 couplets, under three main divisions – Arathupal (Virtue), Porutpal (Wealth) and Kamathupal(Love). But the amazing part is the 133 subdivisions, each with 10 couplets, which covers almost the entire scheme of life. 

Going through the headings of these subdivisions one is left with a deep awe and admiration for the poet, who has covered topics as Therinthu Seyalvagai (Acting with fore-thought), Nilayamai (Instability), Sengonmai(Upright Government), Vinai seyal vagai (Mode of Action), Avai arithal (Judging the Audience), Natpu Aarayuthal (Choice of Friends), Nanri il selvam ( Niggardliness), kurippu arithal (Ascertaining other’s intentions), Pasapuru paruvuthal (suffering from sallowness), pulavi (feigning dislike) and many more.

Shall just share a few, which appealed to me. It is a treasure trove, which I intend to fish, for more such gems.

Equality

நன்றே தரினும் நடுவு இகந்து ஆம் ஆக்கத்தை 

அன்றே அழிய விடல்.

Foresake even in the moment (of acquisition) that gain which, though it should bring advantage, is not fair to all.

Wisdom

எப்பொருள் யார்யார்வாய் கேட்பினும் அப்பொருள் 

மெய்பொருள் காண்ப தறிவு.

To discern the truth in everything, by whomsoever spoken, this is wisdom.

Quality of Action

வினைத்திட்பம் என்ப தொருவன் மனத்திட்பம்

மற்றைய எல்லாம் பிற.

Firmness in action is simply one's firmness of mind; all other abilities are not so.

Separation from loved one

நனவினான் நல்கா தவரை கனவினால்

காண்டலின் உண்டென் உயிர்.

My life lasts because, in my dream I behold him who does not favour me in my waking hours.

 A heavy topic maybe, but somehow felt that none of these couplets come across as irrelevant, even in today's context, which is what makes it an irrefutable 'reference book'.


(Translation version is available, of the above book. Get one for enlightenment!)