I write this post just 5 minutes after Nadal’s semi finals at the Aussie open.
The best match since Wimbledon Finals 2008.
VAMOS RAFA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I am not in senses to write details of the match but would love to discuss it later in comments. I open up the discussion!! 
Yes I can!!!!
I know it has been a long time and I also realise my previous post says the same! 
2008 was a fiasco and a lousy year. Had it not been for December , 2008 was a forgettable year. 2009 has had a kickass start!
The Margazhi season:
This is what the musical chennai craves. Oh Boy it is divine! It was not my first year at concerts but was the first year I didn’t get bored through those long main raga expressions they do.That means I have become more carnatically( hehehe) knowledgeable? I wouldn’t say, but I have enjoyed the concerts and lived the season in its spirit! My favourites were Bombay Jayshree ( her voice is so soothing! ) , Sikkil Gurucharan and TM Krishna. SCG’s concert experience was super fun not just for his music but also for the company I had at the concert. TM Krishna was the hit of the season. His concert at krishna gana sabha was too good. I was there only for the last half an hour but I WAS ON STAGE !!!!!! The other TM krishna concert I was at was for 4 hours and was simply awesome! Music and mountain dew was a great combo! lol!
That was December!
January has been jam packed with fun!
For 11 years January always started with Chennai Open (called gold flake open and TATA open earlier). I had seen Boris Becker when Tennis meant very little to me, I had seen Rafael Nadal when Tennis meant everything to me. That speaks enough of the transition I had, thanks appa! This year not having Nadal was a disappointment only till the tournament began because Chennai is an amazing Tennis loving city not just of the names but the game! I did a good deed that week. I took my college friend to a match and arose tennis interests in her. lol. Somdev was the success of the tournament and he deserved complete dose of it. The finals was great fun although he lost. The whole stadium went “SOMDEV SOMDEV…CLAP CLAP CLAP!” . I managed to take R to the open this year and that mad it more fun!
Finally I managed to watch Margazhi ragam. Tejus gave free tickets for a special screening and I didn’t want to miss it. I always thought the best way to begin Sunday is to wake up late but early morning carnatic is bliss. The film was beautiful not just for the singers and their music but the lightings , the sets and the camera work. Overall, it was a novel idea.
Saarang was here and I was there.
Vin and I went for Saarang and enjoyed the fest to the fullest. We got lost, we ate, we did magic ( hehe) , we laughed, we took photos in classrooms (alpams?), we walked and we spent a day at IIT M!!!!! We also managed to not get embarrassed big time which was our biggest concern.lol! The events we were a part of( audience of course) :
Magic workshop: only, we didn’t have patience to wait for donkey years for the magician to come so we quit the workshop!
Freestyle Solo dance: This event was fun to watch but the walk to the spot was tiring.
Antakshari finals: We were the only non participating people in the room and so had super fun laughing and “enjoyed” the whole show.
Fourth Estate: This is their new event this year and was pretty cool. The cushioned recline chairs and the not so cold Ac gave us the much needed rest.
Short Film screening: Missed most part of the event but nevertheless had a decent peek into the show.
Adzap: This event had the halls full and laughters loud. People came up with really novel ideas and their sense of humor made me jealous.
Apart from these we managed to spend a lot of time at the informal place where music was LOUD. Saarang was a fantastic experience and thanks to Vin’s two friends there( our guides) we spent the day learning what IIT Madras is all about, not just the Saarang.
Opeth was a super success, apparently.
I forgot something, I saw Rajinikanth and Aishwarya rai shooting for Eindhiran. It was at a hall opposite college!
Chennai is such a great place to live in. It hosts everything from carnatic concerts to rock shows. It cheers Nadal as much as it cheers its own Rahman.
Be it art, culture, sports or fest
Chennai is the best!
To go a little off track,
I have a strong ego that refuses to accept sorries.!!!!!!!!!
Phew!! It has been quite some time. There are some times when I am bored and feel” let me just go online “, there are some other times when Iam bored and feel” Ahhhh it is so boring online!”. The break was on the latter quote.
……….After the 26/11 Mumbai attack many opinions,emotions and blah blah were expressed. Frankly speaking I still haven’t been able to figure out my response( not that it matters).
Am i scared?……….. NO
Angry at politicians?………..hmmm maybe( maybe not!!!)
But I have some questions!
1. A lot of people say they want a change in the system!……what system? what change??
2. At the rallies held across Mumbai one response voiced through majority of the people. ” SPIRIT OF MUMBAI DOES NOT DIE” …..what spirit?? the spirit of terrorism that keeps haunting? Why does Mumbai alone hype and label it some spirit? Isn’t the whole country facing attacks? why is it not India’s “spirit”.! Yet we Blame Raj Thackeray for his regional chauvinism!
3. I appreciate the media on their coverage and sensitivity to the issue. Today media is the Indian’s voice but are they not going a little overboard?Why have they become so imposing with their opinions?
4. Why are National Security Guards guarding politicians???
5. Why did it take this attack to bring out the anger, emotions and protests? Why didn’t we wake up in 1993? Why didn’t we wake up during all the subsequent attacks? Why are we on streets protesting now?…because “our places” were targeted? The markets, trains are not”our places”? Then why do we say Indians have united? We have not. The dark India( which has faced maximum terror attacks) has still not found its voice. In our cause for unity in this issue we are in fact dividing the country( the rich and poor divide) .
I think it is important we realize the seriousness of this perilious issue and react more sensibly and sensitively. It is not the time for protests but a time for Unity( in every sense).
Technically speaking this is the crappiest thing I have ever attempted to write. Owing to some ” readers demands” I have decided to write! Hahahahahaha! I don’t want any comments on the above statement!
Practically speaking it is not a viable topic to discuss in detail especially in writing!
Honestly Speaking, Shane Watson is Hot and arrogant!
Basically there are small things that we notice in somebody when we see them like eyes( like dandilsa’s ghost eyes!;-p) or even a NOSE! That is what I saw in Shane Watson. The nose I mean! A tiny, pink nose in a white face and blonde hair! NO, I am not crazy. Very much sane.
Interestingly,in the career I am interested in , they say one needs keen eye for small details! how more keen can i get?? lol!
Faithfully,
madisthan
This week has been the most eventful in many ways..!
1. America voted for change! I would be stupid to not put this atop! It is Obama everywhere..! With Obama becoming the first Black president and Hamilton being the first black F1 world Champion the world has indeed seen the CHANGE!
2. Back home, India is still fighting in the name of religion, caste, language..! when will change dawn here?? The “NORTH INDIAN MP’s( Bihar) resigned because a guy named Rahul Raj( from Bihar) was shot dead by the Mumbai police. He was shot at because he hijacked a bus and threatened to kill the public in protest against Raj Thackeray!!!! On similar lines, Tamil Nadu MP’s resigned protesting against the killing of innocent Tamils in Sri Lanka! Only, they are killed by the LTTE..! sheesh….why do we vote for them???
3. Chelsea lost to Roma????? 3-1!!! In Champions league..! And Liverpool cheated to a draw!!!! 
((((
4. FAB FIVE of Indian cricket seem to be quitting one after the other! With Ganguly and Kumble calling it a day, Dravid is under fire..! Laxman of course on and off the scene..! Sachin is going strong though!
5. I wish Shane Watson was not so arrogant..! He may be an Australian but still!!
6. Exams over..!! Yaaay!! lol..! This means One semester over.. What a relief..! I am happy it is moving fast.!
7. U is in town.!In keeping with tradition our( U, R and I)First plan conked.!! We did meet up though!
8. This week Ghosts didn’t haunt me in sleep! lol..!
9. Record breaking: I ate 45 coffee candies this week!! :-p
10. Song of the week: “let me take a picture of the flower baby!”-Abhiram(nephew)! sooo cutee..!
What time did you get up this morning?
5!!!!!!! i had an exam this morning!
Diamonds or pearls?
Diamonds
What was the last film you saw at the cinema?
Saroja!!! loved it!
What is your favorite TV show?
Airtel Super Singer, Big fight,America has got talent
What do you usually have for breakfast?
Oats.!
What is your middle name?
I dont have one..Maybe I should split my 16 letter last name into two!( was tempted to give the same answer!)
What food do you dislike?
Curd( This means anything that has even a tiny drop of curd),Fruits! that is all! not much right?:-o
Favorite sandwich?
grilled sandwich at gangotree and the kaaaaram one at college!
What characteristic do you despise?
People without “friendship value”
Favorite item of clothing?
Jeans and Tee
If you could go anywhere in the world on vacation, where would you go?
Spain!! Stamford bridge, Wimbledon ( Well , I mean London)
What color is your bathroom?
really?
Favorite brand name of clothing?
FabIndia!
Where would you retire to?
Amethyst:-)
What was your most memorable birthday?
well every Birthday has been memorable in some way! nothing big yet! waiting for 18th!!!
Favorite sport to watch?
Tennis, Football.!
Farthest place you are sending this?
umm…Somewhere in the US
What are you wearing today?
blue T-shirt and jeans
What is your favorite candy?
oh there are no favourites in this…hand me anything and i’ll pop it!!
What is your favorite flower?
yuck! none..I hate them!
What is a day on the calendar you are looking forward to?
Earliest one is 7th November
What are you listening to right now?
Yuvraaj, varanam aiyram
What was the last thing you ate?
Kurkure..! lol
Do you wish on stars?
sometimes
If you were a crayon, what color would you be?
BLUE!!!!!!
How is the weather right now?
Hot!!( lol )
Last person you spoke to on the phone?
U!!! she is in town!!!!!
Do you like the person who sent this to you?
lol lol..sure..!
Favorite restaurant?
college canteen( lol seriously!) , Don Pepe!
What did you do last night?
studied..!:-(
How many keys on your key ring?
1
Favorite day of the week?
Saturday!
How many cities have you lived in?
1
Do you make friends easily?
seem to! lol..yes!
How many people will you be sending this to?
lets see..!
Most of today’s generation grew up idolizing Sachin not just for his cricket but for the man he was. In 19 years he has is name inked in every page of the record books and has probably achieved all in the game. Yet, there is always the expectations of millions of people he bears every time he sets foot in the pitch. In a country where different religions are desperately fighting for their status and fighting in the name of god, Sachin is probably the one name that unanimously strings through everyone’s heart breaking barriers of religion, economic status and even nationality . In the religion named cricket Sachin is the invincible god.
Brain Lara is equally elevated in my heart. I grew up watching and learning the game from my dad. My dad was a big fan of West Indies and an admirer of Brain Lara. This is why maybe I admired and idolized Lara as much as Sachin. When Sachin broke Lara’s record I was actually caught up in mixed emotions. Records are not constant, they are meant to be broken. I just had this thought that if someday some guy was close to break this record he would have to get past Lara to even reach Sachin.
Today there so many young cricketers who have seen fame over night and the fame has gotten into their heads. Most of them have just set foot on their journey and yet have already lost their humility and innocence. Sachin is in his last few laps, a journey that is spread over 2 decades and yet Sachin seems to have the same innocence, humbleness,honesty,dedication and enthusiasm the young bubbly 16 year old Sachin had 19 years ago. For man who has achieved great heights and fame remaining the same with the humbleness and maturity is something stupendous. We all have something to learn from as a human and not just a cricketer. To my best memory , Sachin is probably one among the very few cricketers who has had no issues in his long career, no rumours, no bad ties with team mates, no bad spats with BCCI or the press. Records alone don’t define this little man. There is the Human in him from whom we all have to learn about life.
His records may all be broken with the passage of time but still sachin will be remembered for his records, splendid cricketing career and the humble little man in him. Even at this age after so many years of cricket Sachin still has the spark in him that prompts him to jump with enthusiasm every time India wins or celebrates. It is probably the same spark that lights up in each one of us every time he enters the ground, every stroke his bad elegantly strikes!
Like Micheal Atherton said ” The archives recall not one single incriminating incident,not one drunken escapade, not one reported affair, not one spat with a team or reporter…Is he human?”
I had this four point agenda to keep myself busy outside college and have successfully accomplished two!!!!!;-)
Boredom is a silent killer especially when there is overdose..! lol! To kill that disease I had this four point agenda:
1.Play a sport( Game i mean). My love for Tennis aroused the passion to learn to play the game. I always pointed out to my mom on how mean she was in enrolling my sister in tennis coaching and not having done the same with me. Some things come late in life i guess and so has my tennis coaching!
2. Learn to play an instrument. I also had this fascination for violin though many call it a bunch of whining strings! Initially I used to tell my mom about learning violin just to stop her from putting me into yet another singing class( in 17 years I have lost count of the number of teachers I have had,let alone their names.) But gradually fascination grew and now destination reached! 
3. Learn a foreign language. coming soon.
4. Own a bike,of course learn to drive one.
Most of you must have heard of the ‘Frozen thoughts’ magazine. I just can’t miss reading the monthly issue( my aunt subscribes for it). Frozen Thoughts always has answers for the parade of questions that pop in my mind. Just as I was thinking about something and even discussed it( argued fits in better) with U and few days back with my Mom, this months issue had a beautiful answer to it.
We live in this world which is becoming flat, where everybody knows what others are doing and always wants to have a say in others lives. We always form opinions about others, be judgmental. I had this big discussion about how some people I meet are so different and do peculiar things that we( okay I ) would never possibly do, how people seem so oblivious to everything in life.! Only after reading that article I realized that doing what your heart wants you to is best way of living life. Most often I find my self doing things because i have been taught and seen people doing it that way. This is something that happens almost unintentionally but consumes so much of self space! We do things because people have done it that way or people expect it that way. The pleasure comes only when we do things our own way and do it only because we want to do it and not because somebody expects us to do it. Here is the story that so beautifully explains this:
A 3 year old girl had a colouring competition to attend and hence all the family members were teaching her on what to do, things like the leaf is green , mountains to be coloured with brown and so on. The girl learn t it all but at the competition she had coloured the leaves pink and red. On being asked why she did that and not green( as told to her), the child answered” because I like it this way”. She was happy with her colouring.
She did something the way she liked it despite being told what to do. But doing it her way gave her maximum pleasure and happiness. It is important that we do not let others thrust their views upon us when we do not believe it to be that way. This does not mean going against others but only means doing things that give us pleasure. Each one of us may have varied opinions on what is right and what is wrong but it is important we realize that opinions are relative and does not have universal relevance.
Live your life your own way and let others live it their way.! Just think for a few minutes if you have done some little thing the way you want it and not the way the world knows it. It is important to fulfill your own expectations before meeting others.
Anger! that was all I could think of when I read the papers today. (here is a thought -when was the last time the newspaper made you happy-sports page excluded!) I know this is the second “serious” post in a very short span of time. But its important I think. All the clippings had one common thread running through-anger. Anger of nature, anger of minorities, anger of fanatics, anger in commerce, anger in politics!!!! Wadding through the papers is one very stressful activity.
Why is the world so angry? This anger manifests itself in so many different ways. terror. Delhi.Orissa. Bihar. kosi.Lehman Bros. churches. Banglore.
The consequent stress, mess, conflict,politics, arm twisting and misery is unending. It reminds me forcibly of these unending hypnotic concentric circles-recursive loops as my more intellectual friends would call it.
what is the end we hope to reach? where is the solution? who is going to be our messiah? will there be a messiah? WHAT IS THE TELOS?
so many questions which I will not even attempt to answer-why? simple because I don’t know the answer!!I am as trapped as anyone else walking towards some elusive utopia!!!
searching forever and always for the answers…
P.S: This post was written by my Friend U..!
