Dear Deepavali

Its that time of the year again.Homes are filled with the aroma of freshly prepared sweets and snacks.Shopping complexes are overflowing with shoppers,sweet stores are bustling with last minute purchases,kids are involved in a serious conversation with their parents regarding how much to spend on crackers and ladies are discussing the latest sari/salwar trends.

Diwali or Deepavali is a festival of lights.A joyous celebration for the victory of goodness and truth .It is one of those festivals that has something for everyone.Adults can indulge in elaborate shopping,kids can burst crackers to their heart's content,TV lovers can catch up on some new/hit movies,movie stars can hope that their releases put them back on top of the competition.Its a boon for everyone in the retail industry.It also acts as a great ice-breaker.Friends who havent spoke to each other for a while,family members indulged in a cold war..No matter what the equation among people is,sharing of diwali greetings give a fillip to the relationship.

Diwali brings with itself a big wave of nostalgia.A lot of lovely memories flash through the mind.We miss people who we arent surrounded by right now.I miss Chennai tremendously during festival times.
Here's wishing everyone a very Happy Deepavali!! May the light shine bright in everybody's lives..

Olympic Inspirations

Hello again!!

The Olympics season just went by.I look forward to the Olympics as much as any cricketing event.An Olympic medal is every sports person's dream and ultimate glory.That desire fuels strenuous training sessions and gives them the strength and courage to overcome some unbelievable odds .

Olympics 2012 has held  the torch up to some amazing human beings.People who have literally carved the destinies brushing aside the biggest stumbling blocks.India's very own Mary Kom has proved that seeking excellence in your area of interest has nothing to do with your height,age,marital status or any other hindrance.Where the high-profile,big talking tennis contingent failed to produce results,the other team sports produced much better outcomes.

Gabby Douglas from United States is another shining example of the "Never Say Die" attitude.Overcoming personal,financial and even racial roadblocks to achieve Olympic glory just displays plain grit and determination.Watching Oscar Pistorius compete in the 400 m race this year just reaffirmed the fact that virtually nothing is impossible.If a double amputee can compete in an athletic event at the highest level of competition,then the right combination of resolve and resources can overcome any barrier.


The world right now is so depressing at times.People feel unsafe and insecure (in the literal and metaphorical sense) all the time.Such inspiring stories motivate us to take our life's troubles in our stride .We should feel fortunate and thankful for all the good things(big and small) that exist in our lives and not take anything/anyone for granted.

The iGeneration

Steve Jobs has left behind a huge legacy.He might not have had many fans for his perfectionist (kind of obsessive) workstyle ,but he's carved a special place for himself in the annals of history.Love him or Hate him(he has a fair share of both categories),but you cannot ignore him or his visionary products.

This blog post is actually not about Steve Jobs.Its about the impact of the "i" products on the current generation.These products not only revived a flagging Apple,but have brought out a mini-revolution in the field of consumer electronics.

The iPod,iPod Touch,iPhone and iPad might have many critics.But they have become a pseudo status symbol now.Almost every other household has at least 3-4 Apple products.Not only that,there is constant pressure to keep switching to the latest versions of those products.

Any new Apple product release triggers an animated even heated discussion among its admirers and detractors.My 6 year old son no longer chases my laptop for games or videos.He just asks for his iPad and goes about his business nonchalantly.Its amazing to see the sheer magnitude of technology leaps particularly over the last decade.The jargon gets a little too much at times.

Apart from changing our lives with its applications and utilities,these gadgets have also made the current generation more introverted and even selfish than the previous ones.People are content browsing or playing with their gizmos rather than striking up a conversation. A new iPhone app gets more attention than a wedding anniversary or birthday does.In airports or doctor waiting rooms,people immerse themselves in their gadgets so that they dont have to bother themselves with small talk.

Technology is a marvel in itself as it redefines human effort and achievement but its a pity that it's also turning man into a "unsocial" being.

Father's Day

Welcome back to my blog!!
I know I havent posted much in the last fortnight or so.Mostly because its my son's summer vacation and I have the job of keeping him involved in something useful all day.Huh,I'm so so so eager for his 1st grade to start sooooooooooooooooooooooooooon    :-)

Moving on,the topic of discussion today is the person who has been my biggest support ,motivation and a guiding factor all through - My Dad..I'm sure that is the case with most people.I'm not a big fan of the "Day celebrations"(Women's ,Mother's,Father's,Friendship etc..) .But ,some heartfelt words and pampering once/twice a year wont hurt,will it??(Mothers are obviously equally if not more important,so they deserve a special separate blog post)

Dads are invariably a girl's most favorite man.The sense of security that a father's presence generates for a daughter is immeasurable.They are our role models who we would love to emulate.My father's steely almost unreal belief in my capabilities has helped restore my confidence a lot of times.


No matter how old you are,no matter how many kids you have of your own -Daddy (Appa) is always the dearest.He (along with your mom) weaves his whole life around your wishes and happiness.Doesnt hesitate a microsecond in making any sacrifice for you.I'm sure every parent(father or mother) would have sacrificed tons of things for their gen-next's well-being. Most boy-friends and husbands have a tough time catching up to a girl's expectations because the dad's set the bar for love and affection that high.

Even if the all the daughters cant wish their dad's in person today(like me ), I'm sure they are thinking about them.This one is for all the "Doting Dads" across the globe.

                            "HAPPY FATHER'S DAY"

The Tennis Trimurtis

Tennis is one of my favorite sports.Cant play it yet but love to watch it .Several wow-inducing tennis rivalries over the decades have helped in sustaining that interest.

I loved Steffi Graf but hardly watched her matches unless she was up against Monica Seles or Arancha Sanchez or Martina Navratilova .Keenly contested and evenly matched games bring a whole new level of interest and dynamism to the game of Tennis.

Though the current lineup of female players is not producing many nerve racking grand slam finals,the men's draw is filled with pure class .If Djokovic or Nadal or Federer were born a couple of decades earlier,they would have each ruled the tennis world undisputed for at least a decade.

Immense talent,sublime shot-making ,sheer force coupled with panache put all three of them right at the top of the Tennis hall of fame.Federer on song is like poetry in motion.Nadal's never say die attitude is infectious and Djokovic's aggression is exhilarating.Federer may have moved beyond his best years but Nadal and Djokovic are in no mood to slow down.

I was reading Rafael Nadal's biography "RAFA" last week.Reading  about what goes through a elite professional player's mind during games makes it clear that they are as vulnerable and sensitive as the rest of us are.How they overcome their fears and anxieties is what sets them apart from the rest of the crowd.

Tennis is as much a psychological contest as it is a physical one.In tense moments of evenly matched contests,mental strength is what carries champions through.The best example of that would be the 1993 Wimbeldon ladies final when Jana Novotna was  4-1 up in the final set but eventually lost the title to Steffi Graf. Novotna was the better player almost throughout the match but lost the battle of nerves when victory was within reach.

The big French open men's final 2012 is coming up tomorrow.No matter who wins,I hope the match is as exciting and close as the Australian open final was .

Murphy's Law(s) of Parenting

I just completed 6 years of being a mom.Phew !! Believe me,its a lot of hard work.Here's my version of the Murphy's law(s) for parenting(from a mother's point of view):

1.As an infant,the level of alertness of your child is the inverse of yours.
  Child hyper = Mother fatigued

2.Just when you want someone to baby-sit your child,something wrong happens and you miss your well-deserved break..
 Mommy's alone/"me" time = Wiped out

3.All important occasions(personal or professional) like weddings,parties,outings etc. perfectly fall in your maternity leave time.
Maternity leave = Fun time for everyone you know except you

4.Just when you buy the most fancy toys ,your child is completely preoccupied with kitchen utensils.
 Fun meter :   Kitchen utensils - 10 , New/Expensive toys = 0

The list can go on and on."Yeh to sirf trailer tha,puri picture type karne me do din lagenge ".

Being a parent brings on a certain level of stress,but the pleasure of seeing your child smile,cross each tiny growth milestone... ...... is ABSOLUTELY PRICELESS.It turns you into a multi-tasker , makes you appreciate your own parents and helps you experience unconditional love like never before.

Motherhood multiplies fatigue,fun and provides some fabulous moments.The birth of my son has been the toughest yet most gratifying moment of my life and I wouldnt change any teeny tiny part of that journey .

This one is for all loving and caring super-moms.

Idhar Paise Lootu(IPL) because Idhu Periya Lottery(IPL)

The much-hyped IPL (Indian Premier League) is currently on the mind of every cricket lover like me(Though not all for good reasons).I'm not here to commend or criticize the T20 format but just wanted to mull over IPL's influence on its players and audience.

IPL is what McDonald's is to the fast food industry.Quick,easy and fun. IPL is perfect tonic for the attention-span deficient generation who cant stand to wait for 7 hrs to know the winner. IPL with its glitzy setup and snazzy cheer girls gives each batsman/bowler more incentive to go all -out.Hero ya zero in one instant.

Crazy looking shots and bamboozling catches add spice to the IPL curry and make many ask for more.Bravo's gravity defying six ,Chris Gayle monstrous maximums or Dhoni's whirring helicopter shot will be talked about for a while .

But the dark side of this ostentatious affair with spot fixing and rave parties is saddening.When so much money is involved ,its difficult to control such grey areas.Desperate and success-hungry players and demanding/influential sponsors while coming together are quite a volatile mix.

Here's to hoping that IPL doesnt become all style with no substance.The unbearable competitive spirit of IPL reminds me of Boman Irani's dialogue in "'3 Idiots" :

"Life is a race.If you dont run fast,you'll be a broken anda".

The IPL equivalent of that would be :

"IPL is a race.If you dont run fast,team owner marenga danda"

Finally,to emphasize my loyalty to Charming Chennai,"Chennai Super Kings ku periya whistle podunga".

Aamir Khan - The eclectic entrepreneur

Before I begin,let me tell you that Aamir Khan has never been my favorite actor.Not that I disliked him,but somehow I never became an ardent follower.Always favored SRK more,but King Khan's recent antics both on and offscreen are turning him into a kontroversy king and dampening his fan following(will delve into that in a later post)

My first memory of Aamir was watching "papa kehte hain" song on TV in chitrahaar.His chocolate boy looks became a rage and I remember many people walking around with pride just because they looked a little bit like him.He was fresh out of college in QSQT and was still in college in " 3 idiots". I hope he finishes college before retirement age .Maybe "Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak" should be turned into a tagline for his college going duration ,dont you think???


The 90's saw different shades of Aamir but the other two competing Khans made more moolah than he did during that decade.Still,there were some terrific performances and hits like Rangeela,Sarfarosh,Raja Hindustani etc.But Aamir has truly come of age in the last decade.He has combined his cinematic brilliance with some shrewd business sense and metamorphosed into a fantastic creative genius.As an actor,producer and director,he has tremendous track record over the last ten years.

Combining an keen grip on current happenings with some mind-blowing marketing mantras,he has revolutionized the movie making business.While the other Khans are more infamous than famous these days,Aamir deftly alternates between innovative marketing tactics and complete invisibility.He manipulates the media smartly to achieve both commercial and critical success.Overcoming an obvious physiological shortcoming(his height/body frame) to develop a 8 pack is an astounding example of grit and determination.His foray into Television too has generated unbelievable amount of hype.The beginning has been greatly appreciated as well.

There are always two sides to the coin. Aamir has a track record of rubbing people the wrong way and has made several enemies with his perfectionist ways.If he can ultimately make more friends than enemies,his unique cocktail of mind,movies,marketing and money($$$$$) have a long long long way to go.


Disclaimer : I'm no expert on any topic,so please feel free to correct any factual errors I may have made.

Shubhaaramb

Its a great relief to have finally started doing something which has been a background thought for a long time.Being a self-confessed book worm,I've always thought it would be a great idea to put down my thoughts in a blog and share it with my friends and the rest of the world :-) .But the procrastinating peter inside me pushed back that occurrence for the longest time.But ultimately,the motivation mary inside me triumphed and here I am with my first post!!! Hurray!!!!!!!!

As the name of the blog suggests,this blog is not dedicated to one topic.For starters,I love cricket,tennis,movies(hindi , tamil & english),songs(hindi and tamil :-)) ,indian style of cooking  etc.. etc..I'm also a mother who would love to share and receive parenting tips with/from everyone.I'm also a electronics engineer who holds immense interest in the semiconductors/VLSI industry(dont worry... no electronics courses/assignments will be posted :-) ). I do feel strongly about social/political issues/occurrences as well.Hence,the title of my blog is "Myriad Thoughts". So,I automatically get a license to write about any topic which rents up some place in my "top floor" for a considerable duration :-)

Here's to the "Shubhaaramb" of my blog and hoping to keep everyone entertained and give them something to think about.....  Wish me luck.........