The Magnificent Win

Chennai Super Kings vs Mumbai Indians final IPL match was one of the best IPL matches ever played and I enjoyed every shot till the end. Right from Raina’s dangerous sixes to Pollard’s almost stolen victory from the Chennai Super Kings, this match was one that totally rocked. Not such a big fan of sports, but this one was completely entertaining and fulfilled the dream of every Chennaiite and to those of you who utterly hate Gavaskar’s mockery, I hope you had a good laugh!

Image by SJ Jagadeesh via Flickr

The Chennai team players came together and worked magic. Yes, there was plenty of ups and downs. The downs left me cursing with personal regard on Twitter. Speaking of Twitter, it had the most vibrant and enthusiastic members tweeting their emotions and opinions by the second. It was witty, sensible and discussed only what people wanted to read. For the extra special energy flooded in online forums and mobile apps by Chennaiites from various parts of the world, kudos to you all! We may have not been physically present, but our hearts were truly with our Chennai Super Kings.

And to pick my most favourite moment in the IPL Final Match between Chennai Super Kings and Mumbai Indians, I would have to say was the ‘one-legged catch’.

CHENNAI SUPER KINGS KU ORU WHISTLE PODU… WOOOHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Not so guilty anymore

Lately, I have taken this liking to ‘Wai Wai’ noodles. Although not a big fan of instant noodles, Wai Wai is definitely tasty and great to beat the hunger pangs especially at odd hours of the day.

Image by akanekal via Flickr

When I told my mother of my love for ‘Wai Wai’ noodles manufactured by Chaudhary Group, she told me it was a temptation that could seriously damage my weight loss routine and not to forget, the hale and healthy liver of mine.

I felt so sad coz everything that tasted great came with a dent. So I decided to put the remaining packets away in the cupboard to avoid eating them until I was ready to do so, when I took a packet of ‘Wai Wai’ and started to read the ingredients used in ‘Wai Wai’ and to my greatest surprise, these noodles are made of Wheat, a very healthy ingredient.

I rushed to my mom and told her “Now nothing can stop me. Wai Wai is made of wheat which makes it ok for me to consume these packs of delicious Nepali noodles at any time of the day!”

During my visit to Rat’s place, she introduced me to another amazing food concept – Indo Mie’s Mi Goreng.

Image via Wikipedia

 

Wow, wow, WOW!

Just brilliant. Like you hear in most tv commercials, I could hear myself saying aloud in my mind,

“Mi Goreng irukka bayamennn”.

So here is a post dedicated to the most amazing snack foods of all time.

62nd is on its way…

On April 11, 2010 – We celebrated Dad’s birthday. This year was a memorable birthday for Dad as Mom had planned something extraordinary and unique to make his 61st year a memorable one.

* Picture is a bit hazy cos’ it was taken in Skype – COURTESY: Rathi Ramamoorthy*

Her idea : 60 gifts for the 60 years.

Pretty awesome, eh?

We got him a nice blackcurrant vanilla cake (which btw, was super yummy *mouth drools*) and planned a surprise visit by Kala Raja anddddddddd got Rathi and Ram to come on Skype so we could celebrate Dad’s birthday virtually as well.

With super cool decorations and mind blowing 60 presents, Dad’s birthday was the most sweetest and coolest of all!

Here’s a picture of the super yummy cake!

Love is all we need

April 19, 2010 is a day I will and hope to remember for the rest of my life. Today I went to see a long-lost distant relative of mine – the wife of my father’s cousin. It seems strange how sometimes our heart pushes us to do things we never thought we would do and yet, that’s how life goes. We tend to make decisions strange like the one I took today to meet a distant relative of mine.

Back in the days when I would run passionately towards muddy playgrounds and ice cream carts, my parents used to take me and Rat to visit every relative possible immaterial of how we are related. I can’t even recollect how many namaskarams we both would have done and this was for every single elderly person we met even if he/she was 5 yrs elder to us.

I can’t really remember the time spent at my dad’s cousin’s place. However, I remember their family as one that was most loving, caring and full of life. The most charming of them all was of course Radha aunty. I am not saying this because of the present circumstances. But she is truly the one person I remember well enough from that family.

A long time ago, Radha aunty had a pooja in her house and  I was made the ‘kanya’ ponnu for that holy function. As a ‘kanya’ ponnu, I received a LOT of attention, love and gifts. And to this date, it remains one of the fond memories from the olden golden days.

All this happened a long time ago. Maybe when I was 7 or 8 years old. And our families somehow drifted apart with marriages happening in our respective families and everyone busy in their own day-to-day work. The last we heard was Radha aunty’s health was troubled.

This morning, we were fortunate to have Bada Raja Uncle’s son-in-law and daughter visit us. Although, we were informed of a sad news that Radha Aunty’s health was deteriorating and that she was suffering from MND or Motor Neurone Disease.

Wikipedia’s description – “The motor neurone diseases (or motor neuron diseases) (MND) are a group of neurological disorders that selectively affect motor neurones,^[1] the cells that control voluntary muscle activity including speaking, walking, breathing, swallowing and general movement of the body.”

After understanding about Radha Aunty’s health, we decided to take Paati along to pay her a visit and to inquire after Bada Raja uncle and Radha Aunty’s health.

On entering their house, I noticed that the air around the house and in the house was completely pure without a trace of bad energy in it.

We went to their bedroom to see Radha Aunty and I felt like someone threw a stone on the memories I had of Radha Aunty over the many years. It was shocking and saddening to see her so pretty yet unable to even able to sit up on her own. She needed Uncle’s help and it just tore my heart to see them like that.

Radha Aunty became very emotional on seeing us. And was crying with her mouth wide open. Only the sound could not be heard. Every minute spent there today was tearing me apart. And on learning that their situation (Uncle and Aunty) was worse than the ‘Baghban’, I was angry and devastated at the injustice happening to two genuinely nice people.

My visit to Radha Aunty and Bada Raja Uncle got me questioning myself and Rat’s intentions for a minute. Would we take care of Amma Appa forever? Would we still shower the same kind of love and affection we have for them today? Would we do anything for them the way we would today? And I prayed to God that even though things might change in the future, my love and devotion to my parents should remain the same till the day I die.

This day will always be memorable and was like a wake up call for everyone present there. Ultimately, love is all we need. It does not matter if you have earned tons of gold medals. It does not matter if you have graduated from the world’s best college. It does not matter if you are richer than the world’s richest man. All that matters is love and only love till the end.

I pity and pray for Radha Aunty’s health. And maybe I do or do not believe in Sai Baba. But I do know that the messages he has sent to her through this religious institution is true and to this day, is helping her find comfort even in these trying days.

“Our body is like a shelter given to us for rent by God who is the owner. He shall rent it to us only

until he feels we belong. And all he expects in return as rent, is your faith and devotion.”

In all her pain, Radha Aunty gave me the most sweetest and special smile, her eyes spoke more than a million words could to me. And lifted her inable hand to give me her blessings – the smile and blessings which I will cherish for a lifetime.

May Baba always be with you Radha Aunty.

Image via Wikipedia

Why me?!

Lately, every show I start to watch gets cancelled within weeks of my entry in starting from Season 1 of every show.

I have been watching Ugly Betty for quite some time now … And after friends, this was one show I really loved.

Damn, now UB is also cancelled

Ugly Betty infact got very interesting in Season 4. And what made it so amazing is that Betty Suarez finally gets her braces off in this season…

Image by hto2008 via Flickr

Image by Getty Images via Daylife

It’s Hot!!

This is not the first nor the last post any of you will ever be reading about the “hot” weather of Chennai city. Or shall I say Madras. This year like all other years continues to be hot and the temperatures seem to be increasing day by day leaving us no choice but to treat this place as the world’s worst tropical desert.

Image via Wikipedia

It’s not only hot … there is hardly place in Chennai that lets you cool down for the summer. It is CROWDED everywhere… the places are irritating with maddening traffic and people. And to top it all, vendors setting up shops illegally on streets to make the most of the summer.

But what makes Madras special despite its ‘haughty’ weather?? It’s the way people still want to ‘beat’ the heat and try harder to keep themselves active and thriving. So what if it is 50 degrees outside? You will still want that hot cup of filter coffee in the morning. You never get tired of your soodana rasam. And your love for baths only doubles during the peak of summer in Madras.

Image by Charles Haynes via Flickr

Ultimately, it does not matter if its 50 or 15… I still love my hometown Madras/Chennai/Chennapattinam. Call it whatever. It stills keep me happy and alive. It feels familiar. I will ALWAYS feel comfortable in this place. I know my ways around here. And I’ve got everyone I need right here in this very city. Well, almost

PS: Do not forget to take a glass of lassi one at the start and end of this post. Thank You.

Image by shok via Flickr

Western Springs, Auckland, New Zealand

My sis took me to this beautiful place right in the heart of Auckland City, New Zealand.

It was breathtakingly beautiful. Here are a few pictures. Have a look!

 

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A Page from the Past

I PROMISED MYSELF I WOULD WRITE SOMETHING ON MY MOST MEMORABLE TRIP AND HERE IT GOES.

 

Around June last year, I was on vacation in New Zealand, the most beautiful country on Earth or that’s what I believe it is. And on my way to the City of Sails, I wrote a poem despite the heavy onslaught of viral fever, cold, cough that resulted in phlegm, phlegm and phlegm.

 

Here is what  I wrote:

THE JOURNEY TO TAKE

To a land I’ve never been

To a land I’ve never seen

A journey far too long

In an airplane so strong

Many people I may see

Except maybe one, two and three…

This journey I need to take

A memory by Auckland’s lake

Click many a photo

some by the car and some by a toto

Kuala Lumpur’s on the way

But I won’t get to see its bay

In the airport I shall stay

Until I reach the City of Sails!!

 

I’m sure that almost everyone who has visited the most luscious green country in the world – New Zealand has some story to tell. Well mine’s not all that different. It’s a simple one.

However, the first day I reached Auckland is something to talk about, at least for now before I put down the rest of the wonderful moments and memories I collected during my stay there in my blog for all of you.

New Zealand is indeed the most beautiful country, not just for its scenic beauty but for the magical quality it possesses to make you curious to know NZ right till its roots. The origin, the story of its evolution is particularly the most interesting and will take a lot more than one WordPress post to talk about.

 

The country on landing seemed very much like the land right out of a J.R.R. Tolkien book and you are almost expecting to see “Hobbits” moving around. And why? Everything in New Zealand looks short and stout. The roads are broad. The trees are fat and rich. The country on the whole has a beautiful palette with all of nature’s colours in appropriate proportions. This is what they call Winter in NZ.Wonder how Spring must be then?!

 

 

Anyway once I was at the airport I found that the airport was like a one-way street. Nothing much to it. More like FIFO [ First in First out]. With ornaments and decorations typical of the Maori culture, the Auckland airport is petite and just about enough to cater to the air traffic of the entire country.

 

Unfortunately, my journey to New Zealand was not so smooth. It was difficult and indeed, the most memorable trip of all.

I was suffering from severe cold and fever on the way to NZ. I knew it was definitely not the Swine Flu. As I got it a mere 2 hours before leaving home to the airport.  Could have been the excitement, the tension, the anticipation. Call it whatever. I knew it could not have been the Swine Flu coz I had never left my home until the day I had to travel. And yes, a lot of trust on my gut instincts told me very strongly it could not be swine flu and there was no way I wanted to get quarantined in any of the airports (Chennai, Kuala Lumpur – where I had 14 hours transit and Auckland) for two whole weeks to ruin the most awaited beautiful holiday of my life!

 

On arriving in Auckland, I just wanted to get the hell out of the airport. Didn’t want those creepy guys with the walkie-talkies stalling me for their lack of confidence. But alas! my sister and brother-in-law were running late to the airport. I walked back and forth from the domestic to the international terminal (so-called… remember I told it’s just a one-way street?!) and after 15-20 mins I decided to give them a call to find out if they were going to arrive soon. The fever was getting on my nerves. I was feeling weak. I wanted to just go home and clear my nose and throat off phlegm. But no sign of Rat or Ram.

I go to the telephone booth and realised “Silly! U need Coins”. So go to the nearest pie shop to get some change.

 

 

My call was getting rejected the first few times. And then only did I realize that there is probably an extra number you would have to add or something like that. In India, you would not have to add the extra 0 you dial when you are calling home from another country. I followed the same tradition and realized maybe that is not how things worked here and thanks to the lack of instructions on the telephone or the telephone booth, I decided to go to the nearest Vodafone store feeling like a complete jackass, feeling humiliated than ever, ask them  “How do I dial a mobile phone number from the booth?” Luckily the guy in the Vodafone store seemed to be friendly and gave me instructions on how to go about it.

I thank him and give a call to Rathi thinking “If this is some kind of joke Rathi’s playing, it must be sick!” No answer. The phone keeps ringing. I hang up. About to scream but decide to give it another try. I tell myself “One more call… If she doesn’t pick up, I leave this airport.. take a taxi or worse book a flight back home”. So I try again and this time my B-I-L picks up and tells me, “We’re so sorry. There was heavy traffic on the way. We should be there in a few mins”. 

I waited on a nearby platform and soon enough, as promised, Rathi and Ram showed up in a few minutes. I breathed a heavy sigh and was thankful to them and God for getting me to the City of Sails with minor hassles that anyone can deal with. We went to their place and I was relieved and then excited to kick start my trip in the most beautiful country in the world.