We have a guest writer today. Bala sheds light on a very important subject, a ground breaking historic disovery. Here goes.

A recent excavation in has shown Caesar sang this version of “Kolaveri di” before his death.Since the song writing was much ahead of its time Shakespeare chose to go with Et tu brut and brutus's speech instead of “kolaveri”. Presenting you Caesar's version of “Kolaveri di”.

Why this kolaveri kolaveri kolaveri di
Why this kolaveri kolaveri kolaveri di
rhythm correct
Why this kolaveri kolaveri kolaveri di
maintain this
why this kolaver...aa di
Distance la four-u guys-u
Having sharp-u knife-u knife-u
are coming closer closer ,im singing in fear-u
Why this kolaveri kolaveri kolaveri di
Why this kolaveri kolaveri kolaveri di

The gonna use knife-u
nd pierce-u....et tu brutus -u
if u kill-u..i will die-u
mark will come-u
nd torture with a speech-u
Why this kolaveri kolaveri kolaveri di
Why this kolaveri kolaveri kolaveri di

(Brutus sings)
Maama notes eduthukalam
apdiye ivan post-e eduthukalam
pa pa pa kathiya eduthuko pa
paa pa pa
sariya pudi
super mama ready
ready 1 2 3 4 (they all kill Caesar)

Okay mama now tune change-u
en speech-u only english
Romans,country men-u
be paitient-u
not that-u
I loved caeser less-u
but loved rome-u more-u
valiant-u caeser but-u ambitious-u
he wanted rome-u
control as his home-u
so I gave his doom-u..doom-u

This song for rome boys-u
we don't have a choice-u
so this kolaveri kolaveri kolaveri di
why this kolaveri kolaveri kolaveri di
so this kolaveri kolaveri kolaveri di
why this kolaveri kolaveri kolaveri di

The writer is a known waster of time. He also wears a special suit and saves the city, during his spare time. 
Personal note from Soundarya: Please do not dare to try and get his email ID and chat with him. Conversation with him is lethal.

(A)broadly Speaking

Chronicles of Soundarya

Days of our lives

I remember reading a novel by R.K.Narayan - The vendor of Sweets. The protogonist is a typical R.K.Narayan novel hero - one who is content with his life and does not like change. A simple person who is often bewildered by the smallest of changes. A person who loves his routine. A person whose conscience tortures him every time he utters a small lie and whose face automatically detects his mind's consternation and contorts itself into an expression that gives him away.

My mother grew up among such people. She had a simple childhood. She went to school too. She attended college. She had an ambition too - No, she did not want to be a happily married woman at home. She works to this day and has no intention to retire soon.

Where are such people? Where have those days gone?

So many things from my childhood seem so far off now. Playing games out in the open. Paper boats in the puddles on the front yard on rainy days. Playing paandi during lazy afternoons. Pallaankuzhi matches with grandmothers. My favorite game was spreading out all my "soppu saamaan" (play toys) from a big basket and playing with them. Being the only child, I made up my own world and characters.

I remember my mother cultivating the reading habit in me. She used to pick up a book and read at a particular time of the day, everyday. My mother was my only playmate and my heroine. So I started mimicking her. Eventually, even if she did not read, I started reading at that time of the day. I wonder, will there be hard copies of books, say 30 years down the lane? Or will they have become archaic like the gramophone? Will there be simple pleasures like opening a new book and savoring the smell and its feel?

I remember going to Meenakshi amman temple on Sunday mornings with my dad on his cycle. We used to watch ducks in the Vaigai river(Recently, I have, sadly, not been able to see even a slight trickle of water in the location where the "river" once flowed). I wonder whether dads will have time to see their children, what with their multiple tuition classes and coaching classes.

I had never seen a mobile phone in close quarters until my dad got one during my 11th standard. I got mine during my second year at college. Now, my friend's daughter unlocked my touch phone by herself and placed a call to another friend from it. She is in playschool.

My mother often says that her generation got to be children during their childhood and had innocence while growing up. Even a few years ago, we had the luxury of being children atleast until our 10th standard. But now? I am not sure. Maybe, sometime in the future my friend's touch phone-savvy daughter will write a blog about the simple joy of buying her first Macbook pro.

Disclaimer and warning:
1. Please note, I am not old. Also, please note, serious posts like these might follow, in the future. I am a serious management student now :P.
2. If you had thought this post is about Joey or F.R.I.E.N.D.S, I am not sorry I tricked you. That was the intent. Don't be a child, now.

Here to stay

It has been brought to my notice that I have not blogged for quite a while. That is indeed, true. The fact is, I did not want to bore my readers with a travelogue - Chennai to TAMU. I did not want to describe how my apartment looks. I have shared a satisfactory number of Picassa albums with my friends filled with pictures of my apartment and the university.

I could list a whole lot of things that are different here but that is not what I am going to do. That, I am sure, has been done by many bloggers. This post is about what never changed for me even after travelling a considerable distance on the globe(apparently, over the north pole too, according to the animation on the screen in the flight).

Bad hair days - They are here to stay. If you have hair like mine, you are doomed. You can travel over all the oceans on earth and climb the Himalayas but you shall have bad hair days when your hair shall never get set. Especially on days that a professional photograph is going to be taken by your department, for free.

"Oh this is the worst day of my life!" - Looks like I have been forcefully subscribed for one such day per month. Some technical mistake up there in heavan. Nothing I can do about it. The heel in the costliest shoe breaking off on the very first day, forgetting my ID card after delivering a sermon on its importance during an exam, ironing a black coat and ending up with a white patch on it....I am not able to come up with a better explanation for such "events". Whoever is in charge up there, please escalate this issue. I am very much dissatisfied with the way you are rolling out your disastrous designs to production environment.

"Maybe I spent too much :(" - This particular syndrome which attacks me after every purchase in a shop also seems to have taken a particular liking for me. The attacks have increased in frequency. The logic seems to be, the frequency of attacks is directly proportional to the value of the currency used for purchase.

"What do I eat??" - Agreed, this was a "fancy" question back in India, but I still had this confusion. With so many dishes on the menu, I never could choose one that would keep me contented and not make me look over someone else's plate and wish I had ordered that dish instead. In Texas, it is the greatest problem for a vegetarian. There is almost nothing for vegetarians in most restaurants. There is a hidden advantage though - you never spend money. Atleast on food. And my mother got her wish granted - her daughter cooks every day(atleast maggi).

I have also made it abundantly clear to the folks on my friends list in Facebook that I personally think life was more comfortable in India. Agreed, Chennai is hot. But Texas is hotter. In Chennai, I could get an auto and escape the heat. Yes, the Chennai auto with its driver now looks like the shining armour with a substitute knight to me.

You have license??

"Step out of your car madam...You did not obey the traffic signal"

"No, I did...It was green when I crossed the junction..."

"I am saying no, madam..please come out first"

Grumbling internally, I got out of my car. The traffic cop obviously did not know my car AC's psychology. It hates the sun and hot weather. It refuses to work when its hot. Then what is the point, you ask? Well, I am not going to digress from the current topic and explain. My Ac's clock was ticking and I wanted to reach this new restaurant without being soaked in sweat.

A little background on the story - I had my visa interview that day(there, I bragged). The nice consulate lady approved my visa. I was happy and relieved and wanted to spend money to declare my happiness to the world. In this case, the hotel industry. Bala was with me(Good boy he is. Some times.) And yes, he is not Rajnikanth. But you are supposed to know who he is, if you read my blogs. Poke around the blog to find out, if you care.

This traffic cop stops me at around 1 PM under the merciless, blazing Chennai sun. Blistering Barbeque Nation I say!

"Who is this?" - Cop, pointing to Bala.

I internally smiled at the cop's question. If I tell his name, will you know? Do you read our blogs?

Anyways, I said, "Friend".

"You have license?"

"Yes"

"You crossed when the signal was red...Shall we tell your dad?"

"Dude, you dont want to, trust me" - Sound's mind voice.

I smile.

"It will cost you Rs.1500"

This time I laugh. I still dont talk.

A few seconds later.."Ok...give 350 and get the receipt"

"Sound, pay up. He has come down to 350...Lets get outta here" - Bala to Sound.

"Good that the cop cant hear you, Bala. Just keep quite. Else you will be the starter in Kodambakkam middle-of-the-street branch of Barbeque Nation." - Sound's mind voice. I still smile. I do that when I am amused, irritated, sad or angry. Translation for, always.

I look at the cop and still smiling, I ask, "How much should I give sir?"

He must have thought..."So, you are deaf?". Maybe he did think I was deaf. Because now the fine amount was reduced to Rs.100, only without a receipt. I did not need a receipt.

I paid up, got back my license and pulled Bala into the car before he could say anything else. Same side goal putter.

Had it been any other day, I would have stayed there and asked the cop to give me a proper receipt and would have even contested it in court. But, like I said, I got my visa approved that day. I was happy.

Yes yes, I just bragged again. And here is some more of it. I am leaving day after tomorrow and will not blog until I get a laptop, most probably. My last post in India :D

I am loving these "last" senti statements. It is fun.