Dabbler

Chennai Book Fair 2012

2012-01-16T22:12:00.001-08:00

I spent just over 1 hour in this year's Chennai Book Fair, that too with the kids in tow. I knew that I will not be able to browse much, hence had zeroed in on the books I wanted to buy and the publishers to visit. This is the list of books I bought

1. வண்ணநிலவன் கதைகள் - முழுத் தொகுப்பு
2. கருக்கு - பாமா
3. தேய்பிறை இரவுகளின் கதைகள் கீரனூர் ஜாகிர் ராஜா- (impulsive purchase of the year)
4. லா.ச.ரா கதைகள் - 3ன் தொகுதி
5. ஒன்றுக்கும் உதவாதவன் - அ முத்துலிங்கம்

How not to translate

2011-10-19T21:57:00.000-07:00

Can you make head or tail out of this translation of Steve Jobs' quote in Kumudam Magazine?

"வெறும் புதிய கண்டுபிடிப்புகளால் மட்டும் பயனில்லை. சுதந்திரமான கலைகளுடன் அந்த தொழில் நுட்பம் திருமணம் செய்ய வேண்டும். மனித நேயத்துடன் திருமணம் செய்து நம் இதயத்தை அந்த தொழில் நுட்பம் பாடச் செய்ய வேண்டும்.”

Anyone reading it in Tamil without knowing much about Steve Jobs will be confused as to what it means. The entire article is a mishmash of translation from various obituaries in international media.

The original quote:

"It's in Apple's DNA that technology alone is not enough. It's technology married with liberal arts, married with the humanities, that yields the results that make our hearts sing."

marry = திருமணம் is meaning less in this context. It makes Steve Jobs sound like a marriage broker. இணைத்தல் would have been a better word.

Liberal Arts = சுதந்திரமான கலைகள்? So do we have அடிமை கலைகள் too?

Humanities = மனித நேயம்? Isn't the writer confusing humane with humanities?

May be the joke is on me. Nobody reads an article in Kumudam, it is meant only for visual entertainment.

National Insecurity - Tomas Transtromer

2011-10-06T04:59:00.001-07:00

Tomas Transtromer has won the Literature Nobel prize for 2011. Till I read the news I hadn't heard about him. A Swedish poet isn't exactly one whose books you find in Chennai. Out of curiosity I went to his site and found this poem. At the first reading I didn't understand it at all. The next reading made me think that it was about Condoleeza Rice and the Bush Administration's War on Terror. But this poem was published in 1997. Transtromer was clairvoyant I guess.

National Insecurity

The Under Secretary leans forward and draws an X
and her ear-drops dangle like swords of Damocles.

As a mottled butterfly is invisible against the ground
so the demon merges with the opened newspaper.

A helmet worn by no one has taken power.
The mother-turtle flees flying under the water.

My Tamil translation of the above - Bharathi did ask us to translate the best poems from other languages into Tamil.

தேசிய பாதுகாப்பின்மை

துறையின் கீழ்ச் செயலாளர் சற்றே முன் வந்து X குறியிடுகிறாள்.
அவள் காதணிகள் டமாக்ளசின் வாள்கள் போல் ஆடுகின்றன.

பல வண்ணப் பட்டாம்பூச்சி ஒன்று மண்ணோடு மறைவதைப் போல்
பேய் ஒன்று திறந்திருக்கும் செய்தித் தாள் மேல் படர்கிறது.

பெயரற்ற ஒரு தலைக்கவசம் அதிகாரம் பெற்றது.
தாய் ஆமை ஒன்று தண்ணீருக்குள்ளே பயந்து ஓடுகிறது.

Confessions of a 2G Note

2011-10-03T04:00:00.000-07:00

I am an orphan inference,
an outcome of fun and irrelevance.
My progenitor disowns me,
but I am there for the whole world to see.
I have got the home minister's goat,
I am the finance ministry's 2G note.

Context: Salman Kurshid calls the 2G Note prepared by the finance ministry with inputs from other ministries and sent to PMO as an 'orphan inference'.

தேடல்

2011-08-25T06:05:00.000-07:00

காதலா காமமா
மோகமா மோட்சமா
எதைத் தேடுகிறேன்
உன்னிடத்தில்?

உன்னுள்ளே என்னைத்
தேடித் தேடிக்
களைத்துப் போன ஒரு கணத்தில்
தோன்றியது
நீ எதைத் தேடுகிறாய்
என்னிடத்தில்?

For memories yet to be - நினைவுகளுக்காக

2011-04-04T23:58:00.000-07:00

For memories yet to be
Sun's golden orb has slid down
In the crackling bonfire's light
hazy becomes the view.

What musk of impatient desire
will scent these memories?

Pearl sheened moonlight night's
orchestral music for us.
What trance like satiety
will fill your eyes?

How many more jasmine scented dreams
for us - playing our heart's tune?
How many more jasmine scented dreams
for us - of desire filling our cravings?

நினைவுகளுக்காக
சூரியனின் தகதகப்பு அமிழ்ந்த பின்
எரியும் நெருப்பின் வெளிச்சத்தில்
என் பார்வையில் மேக மூட்டம்.

மட்டுப்படா மோகத்தின் வாசம்
இந்த நினைவுகளில் வீசுமா?

முத்துப் போன்ற நிலவொளி
இந்த இரவு நமக்காக மீட்டும் கானம்.
மோட்சத்தை அடைந்த நிம்மதி
உன் கண்களில் பரவுமா?

இன்னும் எத்தனை எத்தனை மல்லிகை மணக்கும்
கனவுகள் நமக்கு - இதய ராகத்தை மீட்டிய படி?
இன்னும் எத்தனை எத்தனை மல்லிகை மணக்கும்
கனவுகள் நமக்கு - பொங்கும் ஆசையை அள்ளியபடி?

Lalita sent me a Telugu poem of hers, months before she passed away saying it was one of her favorites. Since I couldn't get the meaning using any translation tools, she translated it into English for me. Finally after almost three years I got around to translating it into Tamil.

Nanjil Nadan gets Sahitya Akademi award

2010-12-20T22:56:00.000-08:00

I was glad to hear that Nanjil Nadan is the Sahitya Akademi award winner in Tamil this year. As with any award given by the Government there have been some strange choices over the years. This year however the Akademi has chosen the right person.

Nanjil's short stories are the product of his land. Not for him the magical realism wave that swept Tamil literature in the 80s or the post modernism of 90s. He is like the village story teller, recounting tales of his travel. His stories are based on simple day to day events, but his writing is like alchemy that transforms these plain events into universal truths.

Of all the serious writers in Tamil today, he is the one of the easiest to read. (Asokamithran is the other name that comes to mind). Nanjil's forte is short story. His novels read like an extension of his stories. Reading his short story collection is like reading his biography - starting from Nagercoil, working as a travelling sales man in Mumbai and then the move to Coimbatore to settle down.

A real tribute to him would be to get more readers to read him. So if any Tamil reader of this blog is interested, I can lend my copy of Nanjil's short story collection for a week.

My previous posts on Nanjil Nadan

Vehicle Nos. 7 & 8

2010-10-02T19:14:00.000-07:00

Blogging has taken a back seat in the last few months. So much so that putting up a post here almost feels like intruding into some one else's blog. Have added two more vehicles to my fleet. The count now stands at 8.

Tamil writers and Spirits

2010-08-23T02:55:00.000-07:00

The idea for this post came to me when tasting Glen Fiddich for the first time. It felt profound, as does any thought while under the influence of alcohol.

First come the Beer writers - with lots of fizz, bubbly and gregarious. They are fun to have on a hot summer afternoon and don't tax you much. Kalki is the doyen of this kind of writers, like Kingfisher (I am sticking only to Indian beers). Then there are Rajeshkumars of the world, godawful but they sell a lot. Like Haywards 5000.

The IMFL (Indian made Foreigh Liquors) writers - pretending to be the real stuff, falling short and found out after repeated tasting. I put Balakumaran, Stella Bruce and others in this category.

The Toddy writers - Nanjil Nadan and Ki Rajaranayanan are my choices. They are honest and their earthly flavor leaves you wanting more.

The Blended Scotch whiskey writers - they are influenced and inspired by a variety of sources, but the final mix has their indelible stamp. Sujata makes this category his own.

The Single Malt writers - each one has a unique taste, and they aren't easy to like. They require the consumer to put in efforts to appreciate their quality. They are to be taken in small sips. Let their taste linger and engulf your being and they will take you to another level. I will put Pudumai Pithan, Thi Ja, La Sa Ra, Sundara Ramaswamy (his two novels and poems alone), Jeyamohan, Pa Singaram (he wrote one and a half novels, but that was enough for him to top this category).

Where does that leave my favorite writer Asoka Mithran? He is like the finest of vodkas, colorless, odorless, transparent but he pulls you into his orbit without you even recognising it. You start noticing the black humor, the irony, the satire - all done without any dazzle.

P.S. - I haven't included Charu Nivedita, S Ramakrishnan and many others as I haven't read much of their fiction. This is a list of those writers whom I have read.

Silappathigaaram - Amits vs Madrasis, 2000 years ago

2010-08-19T05:26:00.000-07:00

I have been reading Silapathikaram, the greatest tamil epic poetry. All tamil students know the outline of the epic as it is part of the school curriculum and common reference point whenever there is a discussion on Tamil Culture.

However, once you look beyond the fantastic story, the poetry of Ilango Adigal captivates you. Sadly, it took me 35 years to read the epic in full. The epic poetry with commentary written by Dr. Saravanan is published by Sandhya Publishers (044-24896979). He has put in years of efforts to read through the original and the various commentaries written so far. I will try to translate a few of the poems in this blog.

I knew much of what happens till Kannagi burns Madurai. I was only vaguely aware of what happens next - Cheran Senguttuvan conquered kings up north and made them carry stones from Himalayas to erect a statue of Kannagi. Vanji Kaandam details of his preparations to wage war and how he was like death personified for the opposing kings. I especially liked this poem. As Senguttuvan moves north, he first meets an emissary from an allied king. The emissary says

வட திசை மருங்கின் வானவன் பெயர்வது
கடவுள் எழுத ஓர் கற்கேஆயின்
ஓங்கிய இமையத்துக் கல் கால் கொண்டு
வீங்கு நீர்க் கங்கை நீர்ப்படை செய்து - ஆங்கு
யாம் தரும் ஆற்றலம்

"If the reason for your highness venturing north is to get a stone for your goddess, our king will be pleased to select the best of stones from the Himalayas and have it sanctified by washing it in Ganges and send it to you"

to which Senguttuvan replies

பாலகுமரன் மக்கள் மற்று அவர்
காவா நாவின் கனகனும் விசயனும்
விருந்தின் மன்னர் - தம்மொடும் கூடி
அருந்தமிழ் ஆற்றல் அறிந்திலர் - ஆங்கு என
கூற்றக் கொண்டிச் சேனை செல்வது

(This is my translation in current lingo. Traditionalists are welcome to take offence).
"That isn't the only reason. Up north, those amits (Kanagan & Vijayan), while boozing with their buddies, made fun of our tamil bravery. It is to put the fear of death in those loose tongued morons that I am waging war on them."

Somethings never change.

Raavanan

2010-06-26T22:18:00.000-07:00

Having read many negative reviews, I went in with minimal expectations. The first half seemed to lack cohesion, but the second half more than made up for it. Yet someting was missing in the movie. I think it would have worked better if Maniratnam had stuck to the relationship between Veera, Ragini and Dev instead of layering it with tribal angst, class struggle, etc.

Most of those who read this blog might have read the story Saba Vimosanam by Pudumai Pithan written in 1940s. If not you can read it here. The story revolves around Ahalya, who was relieved of her curse of being a stone after Rama's feet touched her. After Rama returns from Lanka, Sita and Rama come to their ashram. Sita tells her story to Ahalya. Ahalya erupts when she hears that Rama doubted Sita and asked her to undergo agnipareekhsa. She turns back to stone not wanting to be at the mercy of Rama, who doubts his wife.

Kamal wrote a story around the agnipareeksha issue a few years ago. The story is about agni falling in love with Sita. I had translated that story here.

Author vs Author putdowns

2010-05-13T03:57:00.000-07:00

In Twitter I found this link to the 50 best author vs author putdowns. The best one was

Tom Wolfe's A Man in Full, according to Norman Mailer (1998)

The book has gas and runs out of gas, fills up again, goes dry. It is a 742-page work that reads as if it is fifteen hundred pages long....

At certain points, reading the work can even be said to resemble the act of making love to a three-hundred pound woman. Once she gets on top, it's over. Fall in love, or be asphyxiated. So you read and you grab and you even find delight in some of these mounds of material. Yet all the while you resist -- how you resist! -- letting three hundred pounds take you over.

If only some one creates such a list for Tamil Literature. The hottest show in town right now is Jeyamohan vs Charu Nivedita. A year back there was S Ramakrishnan's outburst against his erstwhile friend Venkatesan's Kaval KOttam novel, calling it a 1000 page absurdity (ஆயிரம் பக்க அபத்தம்). In the collection of Asokamithran's writing I read his subtle put down of Sujatha. Critic Venkat Saminathan too is well known for his acerbic reviews of Tamil literature. Any one interested in preparing a collection of literary spats?

Trip Postponed

2010-05-02T04:46:00.000-07:00

The best laid schemes of mice and men
Go often askew,
And leave us nothing but grief and pain,
For promised joy!

Sorry people. It wasn't supposed to happen like this, but it did. The trip has been delayed till next year.

Down the Western Ghats and Up the East Coast

2010-04-30T07:34:00.001-07:00

I can't claim to be a traveholic, but last year's road trip made me yearn for more. So this year I am planning to travel along Tamil Nadu's border in a car, starting from tomorrow. The tentative route is Chennai - Vellore - Krishnagiri - Hogenakkal - Mettur - Sathiyamangalam - Coimbatore - Pollachi - Palani - Theni - Thekkady - Theni - Rajapalayam - Tenkasi - Nagercoil - Kanniyakumari - Tiruchendur - Tuticorin -Sayalkudi - Ramanathapuram - Thondi - Muthuppettai - Nagappatinam - Chidambaram - Cuddalore - Pondicherry - Chennai. It is about 1900 kms, spread over 9 days. So it is going to be an easy drive, focussing more on spending time rather than munching miles.

Last year I wrote a bland post about the trip. My fellow traveler, my wife read it and said "I know that I didn't marry Pico Iyer. But is this the best you could do?". So this year, I will try to record my experiences each day for the next 10 days. Let me see whether the proximity of the travel improves my writing skills. So, all 10 of my regular blog readers, do check for regular blog posts next week.

Books

2010-03-09T23:28:00.000-08:00

The Dork Trilogy - Sidin Vadukut

I have been a regular reader of his blog since the Travails post. So I knew what to expect, still he managed to surprise me. Dork tracks the 1st year of Robin "Einstein" Varghese as Management Consultant in a shady consultancy firm, Dufresne Partners. It is a laugh a minute book, with Einstein getting into impossible situations and getting out of them with implausible solutions. If you like college humour kind of books, you should definitely read this.

Chai Chai - Bishwanath Gosh

I met Gosh once when we were part of Chennai Metblogs. I have been a fan of his writing style, both in his blog and his Sunday Spin column in Indian Express. So it was with a lot of expectation I picked up his book - a travelogue about the railway junctions that most of us pass through and the small towns behind them. It was a great premise for a travelogue. I was disappointed with the inconsistency of his writing. His write up on Itarsi and Shoranur were good, but Arakkonam and Guntakal felt like labored writing. Also the repetitive pattern of settling in a lodge and visiting the shady bars started to get boring. I expect a good travelogue writer not to pass judgement on the characters he meets. So when I read this sentence on his meeting a prostitute, "People generally spend one hour with a human being who is a prostitute. I had spent one hour with a prostitute who was a human being" (I type from memory, I don't have the book with me right now) it was jarring to say the least. Sorry BG, I sincerely wanted to like the book, but couldn't.

This and That

2010-03-01T03:38:00.001-08:00

Went to the Sujatha remembrance meeting held by bloggers in Marina Beach. I knew only Prakash and Badri. Era. Murukan,Venkatraman and Dr. Bruno were some of the others I could identify. The meeting was agendaless, so there was more general talk than about Sujatha's writing. Venkatraman was critical about Sujatha's science articles. Badri talked about the irrelevance of metred poetry in modern Tamil literature and got into a serious discussion with Srikanth on aesthetics and purpose of poetry. My contribution was to mention that Sujatha's earlier writing in Kanayaali were more powerful than his later day Kattradhum Pettradhum. My next point silenced the group for a few moments - that Sujatha's articles were laced with a sort of condescending humor (is that the correct word for அலட்சியம்?) towards his readers. Some agreed with me, and those who didn't agree stared at me. In between all this the discussion veered from Dosais in Vaishnavite temples to Tho. Paramasivan's cultural studies to Kamalhassan's Vikram. As my family was waiting nearby, I left the meeting after an hour.

When talking about Sujatha, can one miss his ardent fan Lazy Geek? He has been trying his hand in Tamil short stories. His recent short story has come out really well.

CC is on a nostalgia trip with Ilayaraja's songs. He had translated a couplet from the வெள்ளைப் புறா ஒன்று song and asked me how I would have done it. Here is my version

நீயும் நானும் சேர்ந்த போது கோடை கூட மார்கழி...
பிரிந்த பின்பு பூவும் என்னை சுடுவதென்ன காதலி...
துடுப்பிழந்ததும் காதல் ஓடம்
திசை மறந்தது பைங்கிளி..
போகும் வழி நூறானதே... கண்ணீரினால் சேறானதே..
இல்லாத உறவுக்கு நான் செய்யும் அபிஷேகம்..

When we were together, even summer was pleasant as spring
My love, now that we're apart, even the blossoms sting.
Our coracle of love lost its oar
and spun away, sweetheart.
The way ahead is lost to me
My tears make it murky.
These tears are my consecration,
of our love that is no more.

Why bother?

2010-02-25T10:27:00.001-08:00

Why do I write about Tamil literature in English? It sounds pointless to review a Tamil novel in English, when there aren't translations available.

One reason is I assume that a majority of my blog readers(whose numbers must be in early teens if I am right) are English speaking Tamils, who have hardly read anything in Tamil other than the mass magazines. If I am able to get atleast a few of them interested in Tamil contemporary literature (NOT Ponniyin Selvan, Thank You), I feel that I have achieved my objective.

However reviewing a Tamil novel in English is difficult. It is like trying to explain Madras summers to some one in Arctic. I find that my reviews of Tamil novels are hardly more than cliches strung together. Well known Tamil critic Venkat Swaminathan used to write English reviews of Tamil novels in Delhi based literary magazine Thought in 1960s and 70s. At that time his review was awaited eagerly by Tamil writers of that era as he was ruthless in his views. I wonder if any collection of those reviews are available.

Even among Tamil bloggers, blogs dedicated to book reviews are very few. Suresh Kannan's blog is one of my regular haunts, but he writes more about movies than books. One of my latest finds is this blogger who reviews contemporary Tamil literature extensively. If you are interested in contemporary Tamil literature, you should subscribe to her RSS feeds.

What did the Dravidian Movement do for Tamilnadu?

2010-02-02T06:05:00.000-08:00

Writer Jeyamohan has written an article explaining why he is against the Dravidian movement in Tamilnadu. It takes real guts to write such an article in today's scenario, but Jeyamohan has always been known for his independent views.

To summarise the article, he faults the Dravidian movement for

- diluting the Dalit empowerment movement till the 1980s

- just paying lip service for Tamil development and indulging in superficial stuff like World Tamil Conferences while little or no literary and archaeological research has taken place after these parties came to power.

- for claiming credit for work done by people like U Ve Saminatha Iyer, Marai Malai Adigal, Thiru Vi Ka, Ma Po Sivagnanam and others who were not connected to (and in some casess against) the Dravidian movement.

I agree with most of his comments. However, despite all this, Tamils have been consistently voting for the Dravidian parties for the past 40 years. I myself have voted DMK in all the elections since I started voting. Whatever Rahul Gandhi tries in Tamilnadu, it is hard to see any one other than M K Stalin become the CM in 2011. So, what makes the Dravidian parties tick in Tamilnadu?

Economic Prosperity. Even the worst critics of Dravidian movement can't refuse the fact that TN is amongst the developed states in the country. One of my grouses is that the mushrooming of Matriculation schools since 1970s killed Tamil as medium of instruction in TN. No one sends his kids to Tamil medium schools in TN if he can afford to put them in Matriculation schools. Not only the cities, the craze for Matriculation schools is prevalent even in small towns and villages. We now have a generation of Tamils who can hardly read Tamil. But, this proliferation of Matriculation schools (of dubious quality) led to a generation of English speaking Tamils who found it easier to be employed. Given a choice between employment probability and pride of language, employment wins hands down.

Tamilnadu has institutionalised corruption. Every one knows it, but has become indifferent to it. The common refrain is , "Both parties are corrupt, but the DMK at least gets the infrastructure put in place. So what if they take their x %, let's treat it as their service charge".

So despite all their shortcomings, the Dravidian parties continue to rule TN. We have accepted all their sins and misdeeds. This sounds pernicious, but that's how things are.

Aazhi Soozh Ulagu - Joe De Cruz

2010-01-31T05:12:00.000-08:00

Aazhi Soozh Ulagu (ஆழி சூழ் உலகு) by Joe De Cruz is one of the important Tamil novels in recent times.

The story is set in one of the fishing hamlets of the south India, just below Tiruchendur. The novel starts with three fishermen lost in the seas in 1983. Then it switches back to 1933 and moves towards 1983, with interludes about the lost fishermen. Though the local dialect proves to be difficult in the beginning, the novelist succeeds in getting us overcome this as the story moves on.

The main difference between this novel and others that have covered the same locale, like Kadalpurathil by Vannanilavan, is the sea. Vanna nilavan's novel focused more on the shore, with sea as the background. In this novel, the sea becomes one of the important characters of the novel. Joe De Cruz's description of whale hunting in a catamaran rivals that of Hemingway's Old Man and the Sea.

The characters that populate the novel have all the human frailties and are well sketched. The Paravar community's characteristics and their attitude towards life are brought out with a good economy of words. The novel deals with their religion, their exploitation by the Catholic priests and the inland people, the shift of economic power from Paravars to Nadars in Tuticorin - all as part of the plot. Through out all this, the sea is there with them, forever nurturing life and taking life. The story is brought to a close when amongst the three fishermen struggling for life, the youngest one survives and is found by a passing ship.

This is one of the most important novels in Tamil in recent times. If you accept that a good novelist is a chronicler of his people and time, then do not miss this.

You can buy it online here.

Erich Segal

2010-01-20T19:01:00.000-08:00

There are books that dazzle you, stun you and deeply disturb you. And then there are books that we read again and again, just for the plain comfort and pleasure they provide with their familiarity.

Erich Segal's Love Story and The Class are amongst the books I read again and again. They might not rate as great novels, but those are the most read books in my collection.

Thanks Mr. Segal, RIP.

Garbage

2010-01-12T04:05:00.000-08:00

Tamilnadu is a garbage collector's paradise. I don't remember the streets being so full of garbage and dirt when I was growing up. Of late wherever I go, I see only plastic bags and garbages strewn around. It is not particular to any one city or town. I have seen garbage mounds in middle of the street in Chennai, Tuticorin, Sivakasi, Coimbatore - almost in every town of Tamilnadu. The roadside tea stalls don't even have a pretense of a dustbin in front of them. People just throw the plastic cups down and all this plastic invariably finds its way to some water body. Most of the rivers in Tamilnadu are being used as open sewerage by the municipalities and the people. If ever you go to Madurai, look at the banks Vaigai that was once a river. You will find it is now a garbage dump.

Is there a solution to this garbage problem? May be some one will figure out a way and there will be money to be made in Solid Waste Management. I don't know. Blaming the corporations and municipalities is a convenient solution - but the real problem is the lack of civic sense in us Tamils. Most of us keep our homes tidy and neat, put the garbage in a black plastic bag - and the maid / help takes it out everyday for us and dumps it in front of the corporation dustbin. Take any dustbin in the city - you will find more garbage outside it than in it. We don't worry about dumping garbage just outside our neigbour's door. Any empty plot of land will become a garbage dump for the neigbourhood.

I have wanted to write this post for a long time. Was struggling for the right words to write about it . And then I read this poem by Devadevan

குமட்டிக் கொண்டு வருகிறது
வீதியை அசுத்தப் படுத்திவிட்டு
அந்தக் குற்றவுணர்வே இல்லாமல்
ஜம்மென்று வீற்றிருக்கும் இவ்வீடுகளின்
சுத்தமும் நேர்த்தியும் அழகும் படோடபமும் காண்கையில்

Chennai Book Fair 2010

2010-01-03T23:49:00.001-08:00

This year the book fair was advanced to 30th Decemeber - 10th Jan, from its regular schedule during Pongal. The scheduling of Sangamam, the street festival during Pongal might have been the reason. This new schedule meant I could visit only the first three days of the book fair.

This year I played safe and went early in the day to avoid the crowds. There was a marked absence of spiritual peddlers this year. These are the books I bought this year.

1. ஜெயமோகன் - காடு, சிறுகதைத் தொகுப்பு, இன்று பெற்றவை

2. இரா.முருகன் அரசூர் வம்சம்

3. தேவதேவன் - கவிதைகள் முழுத் தொகுப்பு

4. நகுலன் - நவீனன் டைரி

5. மனுஷ்யபுத்திரன் - அதீதத்தின் ருசி

6. நாஞ்சில் நாடன் - என்பிலதனை வெயில் காயும், சதுரங்கக் குதிரைகள்

7. ஜோ டி குரூஸ் - ஆழி சூழ் உலகு

8. லா.ச.ரா - அபிதா

9. இந்திரா பார்த்தசாரதி - வேதபுரத்து வியாபாரிகள்

Books to read in 2010

2009-12-23T23:22:00.000-08:00

It is the time of lists. Instead of looking back at the best and worst of '09, let me try to put down a list of books I want to read in 2010. My reading habit has always been haphazard. I read whatever I can lay my hands on. It is only in the last few years have I started looking out for specific books.

Tamil books I want to read in 2010:

ஜெயமோகன் - ரப்பர், காடு, கொற்றவை, சிறுகதைத் தொகுப்பு. (His novel Vishnupuram was the best I read in 2009, I am almost a fanboy now. Have to write a post on the novel and a visit to Thiruvattar temple after reading the novel.)

நாஞ்சில் நாடன் - தலைகீழ் விகிதங்கள் (I have read his collection of short stories and was able to relate to them at a personal level. This is supposed to be his best novel)

ஜி.நாகராஜன் - குறத்தி முடுக்கு (Have read a lot about him, but haven't read him S.Ramakrishnan's write up on this novel made me add it to this list).

சு. வெங்கடேசன் - காவல் கோட்டம் (This is a 1000 page wrist breaker. S Ramakrishnan lambasted it as a 1000 page absurdity, Jeyamohan considered it as one of the great historical novels in Tamil, sort of Tamil's first War and Peace. With such conflicting reviews, my interest was piqued)

எஸ். ராமகிருஷ்ணன் - யாமம் (Though I am regular reader of his blog, I haven't read much of S Ramakrishnan's fiction other than a few short stories. So want to start with this novel. An added bonus is that it is about the history of Madras)

தேவதேவன் - கவிதைகள் (I have read a few of his poems and read a lot about him by Jeyamohan. So this is the poetry book of the year I am planning. He is from Tuticorin too, though I haven't met him. Am wondering how he could write such one-with-nature poems living in this dry and dirty town.)

ஜோ டி க்ரூஸ் - ஆழி சூழ் உலகு (Have heard a lot about this novel. Last two years have brought me in close contact with the fishing community, about whom this novel is.)

Completing the above list will take some time as some of them are 1000 page wrist breakers. Hope to finish them by Jan 2011.

As far as English is concerned, I am far removed from the contemporary scene. There are more than enough classics that I am yet to read. I plan to read Amitav Ghosh's early novels and try my hand again at Ulysses.

The idea for this post came from here.

The mortal remains

2009-11-09T06:00:00.000-08:00

He searched the pit and came up with a few pieces of bones, mostly vertebrae. That was all that remained of my uncle. My cousin, who had cremated his dad the day before, looked on indifferently. All the tears and lamentations were over before cremation. We had come to the crematorium today to collect the mortal remains and consign it to the sea. I expected the vettiyan (what do you call him? Undertaker isn't correct, graveyard worker sounds like a nightshift call center operator) to hand over a pot of ash, like in the movies. I was unprepared for this digging for bones with barehands.

He found about 10 pieces and broke them into smaller pieces and separated them into two lots. One was to be consigned to the sea, other sent to Kasi to be consigned in the Ganges. I wondered what happens to the skull - does it burn compeletely into ash or is it taken away for some other purpose? I shivered.

After pouring milk(innikku sethaa, nalaikku paalu) and tender coconut on the ashes, we went to the Marina beach. The beach looked stunningly beautiful. The rains had kept away the joggers and walkers, so we were alone except for a young couple. My cousin threw the pieces of his dad's remains into the sea and walked without looking back, as adviced. A sudden silence engulfed us, both of us not knowing what to talk. As we walked back I took a look at the young couple and said, "I wonder what lies they told their parents to come so early to the beach". It was a inane comment, but helped in breaking the silence between us. He laughed, breaking away from the grief that had shrouded him for the past three days.

The second lot of the remains had to be sent to Kasi to the community hall caretaker. The procedure was to send the remains to him by post along with a DD, and he will consign the remains to the river Ganges and send us back the Vibhuti from the temple. The cynic in me thought that the guy in Kasi probably sent Vibhuti packets on receiving the DD, and the remains will be thrown away. But rituals are to be followed, so I went to the post office with the cover containing the remains.

The speed post clerk wanted to check what was inside the cover. I couldn't possibly tell him that it contained the remains of my uncle. So I said it was a packet of Vibhuti being sent to Kasi. He asked me to open the cover and show it. Now I understood why the Vettiyaan had broken the bones into pieces and packed them into s a small plastic cover in the shape of a square. I showed the cover to the clerk, who pressed it without opening and was satisfied.

A is A - who said so?

2009-09-17T22:14:00.000-07:00

Couple of years back, I heard a speaker in one of the community functions. The man was boasting that he was socially very active and was a member of clubs varying from Lions Club to Maatuthavani welfare association kind of clubs. What interested me was his claim that he had spoken in more than 15000 public meetings so far. The audience clapped with wonder at this claim. I started doing the math - he was 45 years old, he wasn't a child prodigy so he must have started his speaking career around the age of 20. So that is a total of 25 years of public speaking or 9125 days. So he must have spoken in about 2 meetings a day daily for the last 25 years. I was astonished at his stamina and started to idolise him.

That was an extreme example, but there are so many 'truths' that go around that aren't exactly true. At any point of time, some myth or the other is being built which will later become true. Most of the myth building happens in religious space because it is considered heresy to question the religion you were born in and unsecular to question other religions.

Take for example the assertion by the Kanchi Mutt that it was established by Adi Sankara 2500 years back. Every few years Kanchi Mutt releases a book authenticating its claims to be 2500 years old. Only problem is most of the records date Adi Sankara to 8th century AD. A detailed de bunking of Kanchi Mutt's claims is here. . Even those who aren't taken up with the current Sankaracharya Jeyandra Saraswati idolise his predecessor Chandrasekarendra Saraswati, the Maha Periyaval. But it was during his reign that the rewriting of mutt's history occurred. If one manipulates history, even if it is for the sake of establishing dharma, doesn't his dharma become weak?

Or take the laughable theory being propagated by evangelists in coastal districts of Tamilnadu, claiming the development of Tamil religion and literature was only after the arrival of St. Thomas to Tamilnadu. According to them even Tiruvalluvar was a Christian. Writer Jeyamohan wrote a detailed post (tamil blog) debunking that theory some time back. However the idea seems to slowly propagating into mainstream. You can be sure that in a few years this will become an established truth like the history of Kanchi Mutt.

A is A as Aristotle said in his law of identity doesn't hold true in the real world, I thought. Then I stumbled on this page, which goes on to show that even the law of identity may not have originated from Aristotle. So what is to be believed?

Disclaimers :
1. I am not a follower of any religious organisation.
2. I am not a Christian or a Muslim or a Zorastrian.
3. I am not a student of philosophy or logic.

Dew Drop

2009-08-20T04:18:00.000-07:00

What a beauty
is the ephemeral dew drop,
on the lap of the flower
that'll wither away tonight.

அந்திவரை வாழப்போகும்
பூவின் மடியில்
அந்த காலைப்பொழுதிலேயே
மடிந்துவிடப்போகும்
பனித்துளிதான்
எத்தனை அழகு!

-தேவதேவன்

Books

2009-07-22T08:58:00.000-07:00

Warning: A long self indulgent narcissistic post

The firs time I remember asking for a book was when I was 5 years old and waiting in Tuticorin Bus Stand along with my father. It was some comics that I wanted, he refused to buy it for me. For some reason that is one of the earliest memories I have.

Till my 2nd Standard I was content reading the school text books of higher class kids. My real exposure to books came during that summer holiday. My father had gone to Libya and we moved to Pudukkottai. My mother's village was near by and I spend that summer vacation there with no other kid in sight. To while away my time I went to the Library in the next street. The entire summer was spent devouring fairy tales and Ambuli Mama kind of books in Tamil. By now I was hooked and used to read any printed matter I could lay my hand upon. I started reading the serialised stories in Ananda Vikatan and Kumudam and the novels (?) published in Malaimathi. Once when my third standard class teacher missed the last part of Manian's serialised story, I told her the ending. She was shocked, the story was about extra marital affairs :-).

The next phase was the pocket crime novels which hit the Tamil publishing scene in mid 80s. Rajeshkumar, Pattukkottai Prabhakar and Suba were the trinities and I still remember their characters. After a year or so I felt bored and could predict the story line after the first few pages. There were a few novels that I read during this period that stood out from the crowd - Balakumaran's Karaiyora Mudhalaigal & Thayumanavan, Sivasankari's Tharaiyil Irangum Vimanangal, Sujatha's stories.

We moved to Madras when I was 13 years old. It was here that I read my first English fiction. It wasn't any classic novel but Sydney Sheldon's Windmills of Gods. I borrowed it from a neighbour who thought long about whether it was appropriate for me. Before I was 15 I had read almost all of Harold Robbins and Sydney Sheldon that were available in my Bengali Neighbour's book case. But the two books I remember vividly are the Victorian Erotica - Charles Deveraux's Venus in India (There is something about this book and Bongs. The only reference I have found so far in blogs about this book is in Sadoldbongand The Pearl(I found the entire collection online couple of years back, oh the joys of internet). I used to slip these away between two other innocuous books.

Four years of Engineering college in Kilakarai was dry and arid in terms of books. The entire hostel had some 10 guys who read English Fiction and a total of 20 paper backs. It was in college that I read my first war novel, War Cry by Leon Uris and thought of him as a great war novelist. The Architecture branch was opened in our college when I was in my second year of Engineering. The lecturer for Architecture told the class on the first day to read Ayn Rand's Fountainhead if they really wanted to become Architects. When I heard about this I was intrigued and borrowed the book from him, who belonged to the first batch of Architecture students in our college.

It was during a night shift in my first job that I got introduced to contemporary Tamil Literature by a senior engineer. Till then my Tamil Literature limit was Sujatha and Balakumaran. He introduced me to Thi Janakiaraman, Asokamithran, La Sa Ramamrutham and Sundara Ramasamy. To say it was a shock to me is an understatement. After years of reading mediocre stuff in Tamil, this was like a fresh breath to me. Next few years were spent in reading all the works of these authors.

By this time I had moved back to Chennai and started blogging in 2002. Blogging expanded my reading horizon. It was through blogs I learnt about and started reading authors like Borges, Marquez, Amitav Gosh, Vikram Seth and so on. At the same time Tamil blogs led me to Jeyamohan, Imayam, S Ramakrishnan, Adhavan, Pa Singaram, Nakulan and many others.

The above recollection was triggered after reading Umberto Eco's Mysterious Flame of Queen Loanna, where an art dealer loses his memory but remembers all the books he has read and tries to recollect his life by re reading the books from his child hood. It is a self indulgent, meandering story, but you will enjoy it if you love books. One of the books he recollects is a comic set in India with a villainous king named Tremal Naik :-)

The Rapids of a Great River

2009-07-14T00:14:00.000-07:00

It all started with a message in twitter about this article in Mint about a collection of translated Tamil poems.

The friend wanted to know what the columnist was referring to when she said "The title, taken from A.K. Ramanujan’s Poems of Love and War, is a clear reference to the great river that is Tamil poetry, connecting its source—Sangam literature—with the currents of modern writing."

First I tried to re translate The Rapids of a Great River into Tamil and came up with பெருநதிப் பிரவாகத்தின் சுழல்கள். But this phrase didn't belong to any Sangam poetry and as the friend said, wasn't poetic at all.

A little bit of googling and I found the source. I was embarassed to find that it was from the famous யாதும் ஊரே யாவரும் கேளிர் of கணியன் பூங்குன்றனார். As with most of the famous poems, I knew only the first and last lines.

யாதும் ஊரே ; யாவரும் கேளிர் ;
தீதும் நன்றும் பிறர்தர வாரா ;
நோதலும் தணிதலும் அவற்றோ ரன்ன ;
சாதலும் புதுவது அன்றே ; வாழ்தல்
இனிதுஎன மகிழ்ந்தன்றும் இலமே; முனிவின்,
இன்னா தென்றலும் இலமே; ‘மின்னொடு
வானம் தண்துளி தலைஇ, ஆனாது
கல்பொருது இரங்கும் மல்லற் பேர்யாற்று
நீர்வழிப் படூஉம் புணைபோல, ஆருயிர்
முறைவழிப் படூஉம்’ என்பது திறவோர்
காட்சியின் தெளிந்தனம் ஆகலின், மாட்சியின்
பெரியோரை வியத்தலும் இலமே;
சிறியோரை இகழ்தல் அதனினும் இலமே.

AK Ramanujam's translation

Every town our home town
every man, a kinsman
Good and evil do not come from others
Pain and relief of pain come of themselves
Dying is nothing new
We do not rejoice that life is sweet
nor in anger
call it bitter
Our lives, however dear,
follow their own course,
rafts drifting
in the rapids of a great river
sounding and dashing over rocks
after a down pour
from skies slashed by lightnings -
We know this from the vision
of men who see,
So,
We are not amazed by the great
and we do not scorn the little.

Reading the translation I was struck by the undercurrent of fatalism prevalent in Indian Literature.

Since I have nothing to write about

2009-06-06T00:56:00.000-07:00

Kottaiyur Sivan Kovil Gopuram

A Statue at the temple entrance. Notice the Kaasu Maalai, Ottiyaanam and the rings in each finger.

Beach opposite the Thermal Plant Quarters in Tuticorin

Mr. Ram's alternate universe

2009-05-30T21:15:00.000-07:00

This is for all those who spoke in support of Mr. Ram in the previous post. Now that Prabhakaran is dead and LTTE is finished, you would expect The Hindu to return to a semblance of neutrality. But Mr. Ram lives in an alternate universe.

The headline in Times of India, Chennai Edition
UN chief, top aide knew of Tamil massacre, claims report.

This report is based on a report by Times, London. You won't find a single mention of the Times report or anything related to it in The Hindu. So what is your excuse now Mr. Ram? Forget the ethics, neutrality and such stuff. Is it financially prudent for you to ignore the issues of the majority of your readers?

That is a long distance to travel Mr. Ram

2009-05-19T05:23:00.000-07:00

From here

to here
.

Was your animosity towards Tamil Eelam rooted in any personal slight and having your hopes of playing Kissinger dashed?

TN Elections

2009-05-16T01:12:00.000-07:00

I have been voting since 1996 and have voted for DMK in all the elections so far. In all these elections I had also guessed the statewide results and general trend correctly. This time due to Srilankan issue I decided to vote for ADMK and was sure that it will be 30-10 for ADMK. The results are 30-10, but for DMK. It is difficult to accept, but CNN IBN did a good job.

Development wise the DMK government in the state has done a fairly good job (except for the power situation). However in the Srilankan Tamil issue they were percieved to be against the sentiment of Tamilnadu people. So it boiled down to development vs emotive issue and development won. Yes, money was paid for the votes (ranging from Rs. 200.00 in Tuticorin to Rs. 2000.00 in Madurai) but that alone can't win elections (I hope).

P Chidambaram is trailing in Sivaganga and he might lose. The Eelam issue might be cited as one of the main reasons for his defeat, but there is a story within the story. PC's clean image has taken a beating in the constituency ever since his son Karthi Chidambaram entered the constituency politics. That also is a significant factor in his defeat.

Tamilnadu Coastal Trip

2009-05-05T19:48:00.000-07:00

Warning : Long post.

I had been planning this trip since 2005. Initially it was supposed to be with him in a motorbike, upto Kodiakkarai. For some reason or other it never happened. Then I moved to Tuticorin and the trip was forgotten. This year I decided I was going to do it anyway and extended the trip from Chennai to Kanniyakumari along the coast in a car. The route was Chennai - Pondicherry - Cuddalore - Chidambaram - Sirkazhi - Poompuhar - Tharangambadi - Nagapattinam - Vedaranyam - Kodiakkarai - Muthuppettai - Adhirampattinam - Mimisal - Tondi - Ramanathapuram - Kizhakkarai - Sayalkudi - Tuticorin - Tiruchendur - Periyathaalai - Koodankulam - Kanniyakumari.

Sane people don't travel in Tamilnadu in May at the peak of the summer, but I never claimed to be sane. We started at 5.30 AM on May 1 from Chennai. First stop was Pichavaram at 10.00 AM. There wasn't much of a crowd and boats were available easily. This was my first trip to Pichavaram, and I liked it a lot.

After Pichavaram, we went to Chidambaram temple. Nataraja wasn't in a good mood, so he closed the doors before we could go and meet him. We had lunch at some non descript hotel and moved on to Poompuhar via Sirkazhi. Just before the entrance of Poompuhar there is an excavation of an old Buddhist monastery right on the road.

Poomphuar art gallery is a beautiful piece of work by the Govt but the crowd makes it impossible to enjoy it. About a km away from Poompuhar art gallery is the place where they say cauvery meets the sea. It is nothing but a small tract of canal joining the sea. But the surrounding beach is private and hardly any crowd.

From there we went to Tarangambadi (Tranquebar) which has a Danish Fort and a church.

The fort is closed on Fridays, so we could see it only from outside.

There is a Masilamaninathar temple which is being slowly eroded away by the sea. The temple is now litterally on the sea. According to an inscription in the temple (which I couldn't find) the temple dates back to 13th century.

The Danish church has the grave of Ziegenbalg, the Danish missionary who installed the first Tamil Printing press and translated the new testament. We visited the church cemetry and searched for his grave but couldn't find it. Then we went into the church and found his grave and headstone just in front of the pulpit. I dropped my camera on the grave in an attempt to wake him up, but he didn't get up.

The Danish governor's bungalow has now been converted into a private hotel by Neemrana group, called Bungalow on the beach. It is awesome and charges are around Rs. 5000.00 per night. Since we had planned to stay in Nagapattinam, we skipped this and moved on to Nagapattinam.

There is a MGM hotel on the Nagappattinam Velankanni road with all the modern amenities and good clean rooms. We stayed there for the night, room rent was Rs. 2500.00 per night.

In the morning, we took the road to Vedaranyam beyond which is Kodiakkarai (Point Calimere). Fans of Ponniyin Selvan will identify this place, this is where Poonkuzhali rows in a boat with Rajaraja cholan. There is a wild life reserve in Kodiakkarai which is where we went. At first look it is disappointing, but then you spot the deers running around.

Six kms inside the reserve is the beach. The ruins of a chola light house is present there. Most of it was washed away during the Tsunami, so all you have is the foundation and a circular wall of about 6ft height.

After Kodiakkarai, we travelled to Muthuppettai lagoon. This is not in any tourist map. The lagoon is about three times the size of Pichavaram and connects two districts - Nagappattinam and Tiruvarur. On the road to Muthupet there is a small turn which you won't find unless you ask the locals, and suddenly you are in the boating wharf. It doesn't look much with no tourist facilities as in Pichavaram. You need to take the forest officer's permission from Muthupet and come back to the lagoon for boating. The boat was a small fishing boat with motor and hardly inspiring.

But as you travel into the lagoon, the mangrove forests deepen and suddenly you find yourself in a vast expanse of water. The boat takes you upto the point where the lagoon meats the sea and brings you back. Total time taken in about 3 hours. You have to take water and food as you will be in the lagoon for a long time. There are bird watching towers which provide a great view of the lagoon. There are a couple of places where you can stop for a picnic.

From Muthupettai to Ramanathapuram took us just two hours via Adirampattinam, Mimisal, Tondi and Devipattnam. The ECR has been extended from Nagapattinam to Ramanathapuram and it was a pleasure to drive at 80-100kmph. The road was good so we changed our travel plan and decided to travel to Tuticorin for night stay. Upto Kilakkarai and my alma mater (Mohd Sathak Engg college) the roads were good, and after that the night mare started. Suddenly there was no road and it was pitch dark outside. Our decision to travel in the night looked stupid and we struggled upto Sikkal. The distance was hardly 10 kms but it took us nearly half an hour to reach there. From there upto Sayalgudi the road work had been completed and it was fairly easy driving. Dinner was kotthu parotta as Sayalgudi and then on to Tuticorin. The last 10 km to Tuticorin was again a disasatrous road and finally we reached Tuticorin at 10.00 PM.

Next day we set off to Kanniyakumari through the coastal route of Tiruchendur - Manappadu - Koodankulam. The road after Tiruchendur is a series of steep rises and drops, but it is real fun to drive. There is hardly any traffic in this road as most of the people go via Tirunelveli - Nagercoil to Kanniyakumari. With the sunset and sunrise at Kanniyakumari the trip came to a close - 910 kms over three days.

We took a trip to Manimuthar falls in Tirunelveli district and after the obligatory shopping at RMKV Tiruneveli, reached Tuticorin.

Though we travelled along the coastal road, the coast was visible only at a few places like ECR upto Pondicherry and the road from Tuticorin to Kanniyakumari. In most of the places you will pass through towns and villages with no view of the sea. The roads in Tamilnadu were not as bad as I expected them to be. The TNRDC has done a good job with the ECR upto Ramanathapuram.

Tamil Eelam and Tamilnadu

2009-04-23T05:09:00.000-07:00

With the near decimation of LTTE as a fighting force, one phase of the Tamil struggle has come to an end. I have never been to Srilanka nor have I interacted extensively with Srilankan Tamils, so I can't comment on the ground realities or how that struggle is going to proceed further. Many tamils of Tamilnadu themselves think of the problem as one that started with the 1983 pogrom and are not aware of the history of the Tamil struggle since 1950s. In such a situation, it is too much to expect the rest of India to show concern towards the Srilankan Tamils as they view the problem only through the prism of Rajiv Gandhi's assassination.

I perceive an identity crisis amongst a few Tamilnadu Tamils as to whether they have to be Tamils first or Indians. Their numbers might be minuscule, but this is dangerous to the idea of India in the long run. All political parties in the state are using the issue to score political points against each other with no common sense. Tamilnadu lacks a leader of the stature of Annadurai and the current leaders are leading the state towards a dangerous road.

May be I am reading too much into the situation. The issue might be forgotten when the next superstar movie releases and Tamils go back to their movies and mega serials.

Marx, Mullahs and Mahinda

2009-04-10T04:19:00.000-07:00

The three entities in the title may be incongruent but not to Mr. Ram, the editor of The Hindu. It is a strange cocktail to support - the Chinese communist party, the Iranian rulers and Mahinda Rajapakse's government in Srilanka, but Mr. Ram must be having his own reasons.

This news article in The Hindu says that Srilankan government is launching the world's largest civilian rescue mission to rescue Tamils stuck in no fire zone. This is probably the only article you will find in The Hindu tomorrow. There will not be any mention of the cluster bombing by Sri Lankan Army in the no fire zone that kills hundreds of civilians every day. You can look at the ground situation pictures here (Warning: not for the weak hearted).

Well done Mr. Ram. You have earned your Lanka Ratna many times over.

The Door

2009-04-08T23:30:00.000-07:00

Neither did you knock
nor did I open
the door in between us.

நீயும் தட்டவில்லை
நானும் திறக்கவில்லை
இடையில் இருந்தது கதவு
- சுந்தர்ஜி

My translation of a poem/limerick that was published in Ananda vikatan. The piece is simple yet profound.

Tuticorin Tales

2009-04-02T06:41:00.000-07:00

"How many vehicles to send to the CFS (Container Freight Station) today?. The mill manager said that there are four 20s and two 40s for destuffing".

"Illai Anne. There is no loading planned today at the CFS. Just now I spoke to the manager there, they are planning to destuff only tomorrow."

"Why, what happened?. The mill people are insisting that they want the cargo by tomorrow"

"There has been some problem there. The Fork lift operator hit the supervisor with a pipe wrench in the head. He has now been arrested and the supervisor has been taken to Madurai for surgery"

I was stunned. I had met that operator only two months back in the cinema theater. He was just a boy of about 19. He had been working as an operator for about 2 years. When we met him, he had just received his passport and was trying to get a job in Singapore.

"Why?"

"I think the supervisor was driving him crazy."

"But.., he was planning to go abroad. Now all his hopes are gone. Why such stupid move?"

"That is the curse of this soil anne. There is no other explanation"

A request

2009-03-17T05:40:00.000-07:00

Does any one of you have a copy of "Truth and Beauty: Aesthetics and Motivations in Science" by S. Chandrasekhar, the astrophysicist? I found a reference to this book in S. Ramakrishnan's Tamil blog of all places. A good friend pointed out that limited preview is available in Google Books. After reading the preview, I really want to read the book. So if any one of you has a copy, I will pick it up from you in Madras and return it back after reading.

Blind Date

2009-03-14T01:38:00.000-07:00

Satyam Cinema had this concept of Blind Date with a movie where the audience don't know which movie is going to be premiered and is in for a surprise. Travelling in mofussil buses in Tamil Nadu is akin to that. Almost every bus has a CD/DVD player and the conductor is the sole authority deciding your in transit entertainment. I have suffered through back to back viewing of Vijay movies 'Youth' and 'Shajahan' - it is difficult to say where one ends and the other begins. Even more excruciating was back to back Captain movies 'Sokka Thanam' and 'Narasimha'.

But once in a while you are hit with a pleasant surprise. I saw 'Aan Paavam' and it was still fresh twenty years after its release. A couple of weeks back I saw 'Engeyo Ketta Kural'. It is one of the movies that portray Rajnikanth the actor before he became super star. His performance was brilliant and understated especially his body language as he grows older and is weighed down with the vagaries of life.

However I found the movie regressive in its portrayal of women. Ambika walks out of her marriage after giving birth to a kid because she is enamored by the village rich man. But hearing the servants talk ill of her, she has a change of heart and returns back to the village to spend the rest of her life almost as an ascetic in repentance for her momentary madness. What is wrong in a woman walking out of a marriage she doesn't like?

I had just finished reading Neela Padmanabhan's Palli Konda Puram novel which deals with the same question in a far more nuanced way. So couldn't avoid comparing the sensibilities of the novelist and the movie director. If you are interested in Tamil literature, do read Palli Konda Puram. It is one of the better novels in modern Tamil.

திருவிளையாடல்

2009-03-03T06:05:00.000-08:00

”அப்பா, நேத்து ஐயா எனக்கு திருவிளையாடல் கதை எல்லாம் சொன்னாங்க”

“ம். நல்லா பொழுது போயிருக்குமே, ஏதாவது ஒரு கதை சொல்லு பாப்போம்”

“பிட்டுக்கு மண் சுமந்த கதை சொன்னாங்க. அதுல எனக்கு ஒரு டவுட்டுப்பா. ராஜா பிரம்பால சிவன் முதுகுல அடிச்சவுடனே உலகத்துல எல்லார் முதுகிலயும் அடி விழுந்ததுல்ல?”

“ஆமாம். அதுல என்ன சந்தேகம்?”

“எல்லார் முதுகிலயும்னா ஆஃப்ரிக்கா, சைனாவுல இருக்கிறவங்க முதுகிலயுமா இல்ல இந்தியாவில மட்டும் தானா?”

“அப்பா கார் ஓட்டுறப்போ பேசாத, அப்புறமா சொல்றேன்”

Naan Kadavul

2009-02-22T20:41:00.000-08:00

There are a million reviews of this movie in the Tamil blogosphere. I am not adding to them. The movie shocks the viewer, bringing him face to face with the reality he is happy to deny.

The movie's two main characters are Rudran, the aghori ascetic and Thandavan, the beggar mafia don. Thandavan sustains the body of the beggars, but destroys their soul. Rudran, on the other hand destroys the body and frees the soul. May be that is the meta movie writer Jeyamohan (on whose novel a part of the movie is based) talks about. Or may be it is the imagination of my messed up mind. The movie is guaranteed to mess up your mind for atleast a few hours. If you are ready for that, do see the movie.

Atmaanaam - a few thoughts

2009-01-21T01:59:00.000-08:00

I am reading the collected works of Atmaanaam. Generally when an artist with potential dies young, he is immortalised forever in the public conscious as a genius who was plucked away at his prime. The next generation readers who read him without this baggage are sometimes disappointed by the quality of work. But there are some whose work is of the highest quality even without the context of their death. Atmaanaam is one of those people.

I first read about him in 1990s in one of Sujatha's columns. Though Atmaanaam had passed away in 1984, his name was spoken with reverence by modern tamil literature readers. His collected works published by Kalachuvadu publications is a real treasure trove. It contains almost all his published and unpublished poems, translations, essays and an interview. There is also a letter he wrote to The Hindu editor lambasting them for a review proclaiming film lyricist Vaali as the standard bearer of modern poetry.

I have translated a few of his poems earlier, but will refrain from it for now. I will just share a few lines of his from the book.

Child
தனக்குள் தானே பொங்கும் மகிழ்ச்சி அவள்

Lake
நாம் ஏன் ஏரிகளாய் இருக்கக் கூடாது
சலனமற்று வான் நோக்கி பாறைகளுடன் பேசிக்கொண்டு

Rains
சூல் கொண்ட மேகங்கள்
மன்ணுடன் காதல் கொள்கையில்
மழை பிறக்கிறது

Freedom
எனது சுதந்திரம்
அரசாலோ தனிநபராலோ
பறிக்கப்படுமெனில்
அது என் சுதந்திரம் இல்லை
அவர்களின் சுதந்திரம் தான்

About himself
சாதித்திருக்கிறாயா நீ
என்றது ஒரு கேள்வி
என்னிடம் இப்பொழுது
பதில் இல்லை
என் உடல் மரித்த பின்
எழும் கல்தூண்
முன் கேள்

With a gleam in his eyes

2009-01-18T23:54:00.000-08:00

My son, wondering at the crowd and lights of Chennai Sangamam. Photograph by Chandrachoodan.

Chennai Book Fair

2009-01-14T22:20:00.000-08:00

I went to the Chennai Book Fair 2009 on Pongal day. The crowd was far less than the previous years. Since I had taken my kids along too, couldn't spend much time and check out all the stalls. Spent some money in Kalachuvadu and Uyirmmai stalls and at Prodigy stall for my daughter. Planning to visit other stalls in the next few days.

Books I bought in the first visit

1. Mathilukal - Vaikkom Mohammed Basheer, translated into Tamil
2. Arabik kadaloram - Paul Zacharia's columns from Kalachuvadu
3. Sayaavanam - Sa. Kandhasamy
4. Palli Konda Puram - Neela. Padmanabhan
5. Athmaanaam padaippugal - compiled by Brammarajan
6. Unmai Kalandha Natkurippugal - A. Muthulingam
7. Sujatha Short stories Vol 2

Update:

Further purchases

1. Yesuvin Tholargal - a novel by Indira Parthasarathy
2. Koveru Kaluthaigal - a novel by Imayam
3. Video Mariamman - a collection of short stories by Imayam
4. Gilgamesh - translation by Ka. Na. Subramaniyam

All you who sleep tonight - Vikram Seth

2009-01-09T21:57:00.000-08:00

All you who sleep tonight
Far from the ones you love,
No hand to left or right
And emptiness above -

Know that you aren't alone
The whole world shares your tears,
Some for two nights or one,
And some for all their years.

~ Vikram Seth, All you who sleep tonight

வெகு தூரத்தில் சொந்தங்களைப் பிரிந்து
வெறுமையே இரு பக்கமும் இருக்க
தனிமையைப் போர்த்திக் கொண்டு
இன்றிரவு உறங்குபவர்களே -

நீங்கள் தனித்திருப்பதாக எண்ணாதீர்கள்.
உங்கள் கண்்ணீரில் பங்குண்டு அனைவருக்கும்
சிலருக்கு ஓரிரு இரவுகளில்
சிலருக்கு வாழ்நாள் முழுவதும்.

Prandial Plaint - Vikram Seth

2009-01-08T02:05:00.000-08:00

My love, I love your breast. I love your nose.
I love your accent and I love your toes.
I am your slave. One word, and I obey.
But please don’t slurp your coffee in that way.

~ Vikram Seth, All you who sleep tonight

உன் முலைகளைக் காதலிக்கிறேன், மூக்கையும் தான்,
உன் கிள்ளை மொழியைக் காதலிக்கிறேன், கால் பெருவிரலையும் தான்
உன் ஒரு வார்த்தைக்குப் பணியும் அடிமை நான்
ஆனால் அந்தக் காப்பியை மட்டும் இப்படிக் கழுநீர் போல் உறிஞ்சாதே தயவு செய்து.

Update: This is my version 2.0. Version 1.0 has been moved to the comments section.

Year end List

2008-12-29T02:34:00.000-08:00

Best

book I read : Tamil - Puyalile Oru Thoni by Pa. Singaram
English - Sea of Poppies by Amitav Gosh

movie I saw : Subramaniapuram - Tamil

blog I found : can't think of any

trip I went on : Manjolai and Upper Kothaiar

That is my year end list. This year was important to me in many ways - first full year as an entreprenuer, the incident in May that shook me to the core, final meeting with Lalita Mukherjea and her passing away. It was a roller coaster ride, hope the next year is a little more sedate.

Kadal Purathil - Vanna Nilavan

2008-12-23T05:27:00.000-08:00

Kadalpurathil is a novel set in a fishing hamlet. In his foreword, Vannanilavan says that the story is set in Manappadu, a coastal village near Tiruchendur. The characters hardly ever leave the village and the entire story happens in the few streets of the village. The story doesn't spread across generations, the time span is just a year, from one Christmas to the next. External events don't impact the village, the story could have been set in any decade.

But all these limitations don't matter once the novelist takes you into the village. He immerses you in the local dialect and makes you feel and smell the sea. Though the majority of the villagers are Christians, religion plays only a minor role in their lives. Sea is their religion and their god. Vannanilavan narrates the doomed love story of Filomina, daughter of a relatively poor boat owner and Samidas, son of a launch owner. The class difference makes their love doomed from the start. However, the story doesn't play out like a typical love story with the families as stumbling block. In fact most of the people in the village know about their amorous escapades, but don't bother stopping them, since they are expected to come to their senses and not disturb the harmony of the village. And that is exactly what these lovers do.

Filomi takes the marriage of her lover to someone else in her stride and resigns herself to her fate. Filomi's mother has a crush on the school teacher and visits his home regularly. When her mother is first introduced, she is shown as a regular haranguer, cursing everyone. After her death, Filomi opens her box and finds some embroidery work and a photo of the school teacher in his youth. Coupled with the fact that Filomi's brother became a school teacher on his mother's insistence, the finer layers of the mother's character are revealed. Similarly with

The entire novel moves on an even pace. There is adultery, murder, people going mad, but the writer doesn't squeeze emotional mileage out of these incidents. If "Oru Kadalora Kramathin Kathai" (another novel set in a coastal village inhabited by Muslims) by Thopil Mohammed Meeran can be equated to a ferocious wave hurtling against rocks, "Kadal Purathil" is a gentle lapping of waves in a cove.

At the end of the novel, one feels a sense of serenity and kinship with the characters of the novel. That is what makes this as one of the better novels of Tamil literature.

You can buy the book online here.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I discovered Manappadu village last year and have visited it thrice since then. I don't know any body out there, but a visit to the sand dunes is really soothing. It is right now one of my favorite places to visit. The photo above was taken during one of the visits. I had written about it earlier.

India wins

2008-12-15T03:20:00.000-08:00

And the pain of the 1999 defeat against Pakistan is relieved. As the afternoon progressed, it was deja vu. Sachin batting gloriously, the tail just 2 wickets away. Thankfully Swann isn't Saqlain Mushtaq, and we won.

Truck No. 6

2008-12-12T00:11:00.000-08:00

Exhibit A

2008-11-25T06:08:00.000-08:00

His job was just to be an exhibit
he realised and rose -
after wondering about his role
in this wretched world, God.

காட்சியளிப்பதே தன் கடமையென உணர்ந்தவராய் எழுந்தார்
துயர் குழப்பமிக்க இவ்வுலகில்
தன் கடமை என்னவென்று வெகு
யோசனைக்குப் பின் கடவுள் - தேவதேவன்

Translation by me. Devadevan's Tamil poem via R.P.Rajanayahem

Version - 1

God stood up,
realising that his job
was to be an exhibit-
after thinking long and hard
about his role
in this wretched world.

The precursor to the next round of caste clashes in TN

2008-11-13T08:06:00.000-08:00

"Clash between two groups of students in Dr. Ambedkar Law College, Chennai" scream the news paper headlines. Don't believe them, it wasn't a clash, it was a thrashing administered by a large group of students to the unlucky few of the other community with police force standing as mute spectators. This youtube video has the gory details. All the news channels in Tamil Nadu are running the video almost non stop.

But this doesn't look like a simple college fight. The news reports say that it was a fight between students of two communities - Scheduled Castes and Thevars. The Thevar community students had printed a poster for celebrating Thevar Jayanthi on Oct 30 mentioning simply Chennai Law College dropping the name of Dr.Ambedkar. This angered the SC students and this issue had been simmering for the past few days. Yesterday, after the semester exams, the SC students chased the few unlucky ones to get caught and hit them senseless. One of those being hit brandished a knife and tried to save himself, but was over powered by the other gang and hit till he almost died. This is what I gather from reading various tamil blogs and comments.

It is almost a given that this will lead to the next round of caste clashes in Tamil Nadu, especially the South. In the previous clash of 95-98, the statues of Dr. Ambedkar and Pasumpon Muthuramalinga Thevar were damaged in many places, so much so that the Government decided to put a steel barricade protecting the statues. It was during that time the names of various leaders were dropped from Transport Corporation names (like Veeran Sundaralingam Transport Corporation) since the communities started burning the buses that bore their opponent community leader's name.

It is impossible to root out Caste from Tamilnadu.

Update: More details emerge about the clash. Apparently, the guy with the knife had stabbed / cut a dalit student earlier in the day. The dalit students were paying him back after the exams. Most of the TV Channels and newspapers seem to paper over the initial attacks. Now it makes sense why Jaya TV was running the campus violence video non stop. (Jaya TV is the official channel of ADMK which has slowly morphed into a Thevar dominated party since 1990s).

Manakkavalam Pillaiyum Vegetable Briyanium

2008-11-05T20:28:00.000-08:00

Nanjil Nadan is one of my favorite writers in Tamil. I haven't read his novels which are supposed to be his best works. I have read and re read his short stories many times. He was born in Kanyakumari district, started his career in Bombay and later settled in Coimbatore. Reading his collection of short stories is almost like reading his autobiography.

His portrayal of his native Kanyakumari district is on par with R.K. Narayan's Malgudi. He sticks to what he knows, observes and feels and doesn't stray into derived literature fads. His take on Post Modernist writing in Tamil - “… பக்கத்து எலையிலேருந்து ரசம் ஓடி நம்ம எலைக்கு வாறதுல்லா அது? செரி போட்டுன்னு வக்கலாம்னா நாம சாப்பிடுகது பாயசம் பாத்துக்கிடுங்க…..” Food is a common motif in his works. His description of food will transport you to the kalyana pandhi itself.
Of late I travel often through Nagercoil and have a chance to see the places I have read in his short stories. I consider his short story Edalakkudi Rasa as one of his best, so felt a sense of thrill when I first saw the sign board in Nagercoil. This happens to many a reader - the sense of elation on identifying a locale of a favorite story.

This post has been a long delayed one. The immediate trigger was my lunch yesterday. I was eating Vegetable Briyani in a road side hotel near Tirunelveli when I saw the name board of the hotel. What are the chances that I would eat Vegetable Briyani in Manakkavalam Pillai nagar? For those who haven't read the short story Manakkavalam Pillaiyum Vegetable Briyaniyum (which I assume is a large part of those who read this blog) it won't make sense. Unlike the protagonist of that short story, I lived to write this post.

Jeyamohan's 5 part article on Nanjil Nadan

Kallarai Thiruvizha

2008-11-02T02:51:00.000-08:00

All souls day is called Kallarai Thiruvizha (literally the cemetry festival) in Tamil. I learnt this today by chance at a teashop near the fishing harbour in Tuticorin.

He was like any other normal person who goes to a tea shop in the morning - unkempt hair, lungi folded in two and a messed up shirt. He was sitting in the benach and staring blankly. His face brightened up when he saw a friend (?) approaching the tea stall. He asked for a tea.

"Aren't you going to the mass now?".

"No, I plan to go in the evening. That's when the crowd will come, and I can meet a lot more people". His friend moved away and ordered a tea for himself.

He took a small notebook from his pocket and looked at an old photograph and mumbled loudly "I too plan to go in the evening. When every one is praying for their dead, I need to ask my father a few questions. You bugger, why did you leave me like this. Why did you torture me when you are alive and now when you are dead too..." He started cursing his dead father with all the cusswords he could muster. I looked closely at him and found that he was drunk.

The other customers drank their tea without bothering about his whining. His friend finished his tea, said to him "I have paid for your tea too" and walked away.

IPL and the global meltdown

2008-10-30T22:05:00.000-07:00

Will the useless tamasha of Indian Premier League survive the global meltdown? Deccan Chronicle Appoints KPMG To Sell Its IPL Franchise

Good poem, good translation

2008-09-30T23:56:00.000-07:00

S. Vaidheeswaran is one of the leading modern tamil poets. Not many outside the small circle of Tamil literary world know him. This is one of his short poems.

எறும்பு
கடிக்காத போது
ஏன் கொன்றாய்?

உலகத்தில்
நசுக்க மிகச் சுலபம்
எறும்பு தான் என்றாலும்
சுலபமாய் இருப்பதால்
கொலையா செய்வது?

This was translated by Asokamithran - considered by many as the greatest tamil writer alive .

It didn't bite you,
Then why did you kill it?

Maybe killing an ant
is the easiest thing in the world.
Should you kill it
just because it is so?

Link via Era.Murukan

Sainath's revenge

2008-09-28T22:33:00.000-07:00

P. Sainath has been ridiculed often by the libertarian bloggers as a bleeding heart liberal. Now it is Sainath's turn to tear into his detractors.

The invisible hand of the market is an increasingly visible bunch of grubby paws grasping at public money. Remember the leave-it-to-the-market crowd? It is mostly occupied screaming for state intervention and public money now. The boot is on the other foot. As one famous financial daily says with obvious disgust, the present mess gives new life to “the capitalism-is-dying-crowd.”

Never, though, underestimate the arrogance of the true Market Fundamentalist. The silence on these failures amongst great Indian devotees of that faith is striking.

Comrade Bush

2008-09-24T09:41:00.000-07:00

Hugo Chavez delivers one of the best punchlines in international politics in recent years.

``I nationalize strategic companies and get criticized, but when Bush does it, it's OK,'' Chavez said on weekly television program Sept. 21. ``Bush is turning socialist. How are you, comrade Bush?''

50,000 km in a year

2008-09-16T07:23:00.000-07:00

For the last one year I have been travelling between Chennai and Tuticorin by train almost every weekend. That is 1300 km per week, more than 50,000 km in a year. Nothing unique about this statistic, just felt like putting this up.

A bibliophile's dream

2008-08-28T22:17:00.000-07:00

I believe that to lend a book is an incitement to theft.. So true, I have been the aggressor as well as the victim of that crime.

Lalita - a retrospective

2008-08-27T10:18:00.000-07:00

The bloggers who knew Lalita were smitten by her. It was her easy erudition, delightful prose, quirky sense of humour, grit in the face of adversity, non judgemental attitude and an undefinable charm factor that made most of us idolize her. Those who heard about her only after her death might wonder what all the fuss is about.

On hearing about her death, I was stumped. Instinctively I went to her blog and started reading her archives. Somehow reading the archives gave a sense of false relief, as if she is still alive through her words.

I link here a sample of her posts.

The perfect omelette - this was the first post I read. Frankly, the omelette can't be as delicious as her prose. Anagram, crossword, cooking, etymology - a classic Lalita post.

Having negotiated these turbulent rapids of passionate romances, infatuations and crushes a few decades ago and now floating serenely in the placid pools of affection and fondness, - That sentence alone makes this post worthy of reading.

This is the post where she talks about translating Rabindra Sangeet.

Her visit to Madras, her hometown

The first words she spoke to her husband

Her take on Ahalya, the impossible virgin

Spices are flavouring. They add additional notes to the song of a dish. What spice are you?

Not ginger or garlic, though you do bring pungency of desire. Not cardamom or cloves, though you add fragrance and fire. Not cinnamon though there is fragrance fire and pungency all there. Not cumin and coriander either, flavourful but too common.

Then I thought that all these spices are seeds, pods, fruit, bark or resins, they grow out of earth. They enhance, yes, but they are not necessary, or vital. There is something else that is absolutely vital- of the earth, no the earth itself- salt. - Dilbar dil se pyaare

Happiness is hindsight, really

Her Poem - Love in a rocking chair

Her Poem - Let's spend the night together

The post where she informed us about her cancer, written is such a sun-is-shining-brightly attitude that most of us didn't understand the enormity of it.

A poem of mine that she translated

My favorite poem of hers

Her last post, a dark tale.

As I said earlier, thanks for everything Lalita.

Thanks for everything, Lalita

2008-08-26T07:40:00.000-07:00

Lalita is no more. She loved words. She would have liked a pithy obituary, preferably with an anagram or two thrown in. I can't write anything for her now. I am glad that I could meet her a couple of times and discuss poetry and translation with her. This was the last translation she wrote for me.

ஒரு வண்ணத்துப் பூச்சி எந்தன் வழி தேடி வந்தது
அதன் வண்ணங்கள் மட்டும் இங்கு விரலோடு உள்ளது

A butterfly once happened upon my path
My fingers still sport tints of aftermath.

What more to say. Thanks for everything Lalita.

Slaughterhouse 5 - Kurt Vonnegut

2008-08-24T23:08:00.000-07:00

Slaughterhouse 5 is one of the best absurdist novels I have read.

Kurt Vonnegut with his sharp prose strips down war to its basics and makes us realise how stupid the idea of war is. The novel deals with the allied bombing of Dresden, but it is hardly a run of the mill war novel. Vonnegut takes the reader back and forth, shifting from 1944 to 1968 and back, from Illium, a small town in America to Dresden to the planet Tralfamador, the hero is an optometrist who goes to war as an assistant to the chaplain, a group of Prisoners of War hoard tonnes of food sent to them due to a clerical error by Red Cross - at every turn Vonnegut surprises you. Generally with any absurdist novel, the reader is tired after a barrage of absurd situations. But Vonnegut makes sure that it never happens in this novel. He doesn't invent absurdities, just points out them as they occur in real life.

He makes sure that we remember even the random characters that populate the novel. The science fiction writer who works as a newspaper delivery manager, the retired US Air Force chief historian who doesn't want to acknowledge Dresden and many others add to the rich story that has no point other than to say shit happens. My favorite was the English soldier whose spoils of war is a plaster of paris Eiffel Tower with a clock in it - "a real smashing thing" he exults.

Two movies - two lines

2008-08-07T11:24:00.000-07:00

Dasavatharam - Not as bad as the critics pan it, definitely not as good as the fans portray it. A yawn inducing chase movie made to satisfy the ego of the writer / actor.

Subramaniapuram - Definitely up there in my list of great tamil movies. A neat review by Baradwaj Rangan, a review in tamil by Suresh Kannan.

Lot's Wife - Anna Akhmatova / Richard Wilbur

2008-07-22T04:34:00.000-07:00

While reading the collected poems of Richard Wilbur, I came across his translation of Anna Akhmatova's Russian poem Lot's Wife. I didn't know this biblical story before, but found this poem very powerful. The Tamil translation is mine.

Photo from Wikipedia page on Lot.

அந்த நியாயவான் தன் இறைதூதரைத் தொடர்ந்து
உறுதியோடு நடை போட்டான்.
அவன் மனைவியின் உள்ளமோ சோகத்தில் குமுறியது
“இன்னும் நேரமிருக்கிறது ஒரு கடைசிப் பார்வைக்கு. திரும்பிப் பார்

உன் சொந்த ஊரான சோதோம் மாநகரின் மாளிகைகளை,
நீ சந்தோஷமாய் பாடித்திரிந்த அதன் சதுக்கங்களை,
நீ நினைத்து நினைத்து அழப் போகும் அதன் பூங்காக்களை,
உன் கணவனுடன் குலாவி குழந்தைகள் பெற்றெடுத்த அந்த மாடி வீட்டை”

அவள் துக்கத்துடன் திரும்பிப் பார்த்தாள்.
அந்த கடைசிக் காட்சியோடு அவள் கண்கள் உறைந்தன.
துள்ளியோடிய கால்கள் ஆனியடித்தாற் போல் நிலைத்தன.
தொட்டால் உதிர்ந்திடும் உப்புச் சிலையானாள் அவள்.

அவளுக்காக கண்ணீர் சிந்துவது யார்? கடவுள் சொல்
கேளா அந்தப் பேதையைப் பற்றி யாருக்கு என்ன கவலை?
ஆனால் என்றும் மறக்க முடியாது என்னால்
ஒரு பார்வைக்காக உயிரைத் துறாந்த அவளை.

The just man followed then his angel guide
Where he strode on the black highway, hulking and bright;
But a wild grief in his wife's bosom cried,
Look back, it is not too late for a last sight!

Of the red towers of your native Sodom, the square
Where once you sang, the gardens you shall mourn,
And the tall house with empty windows where
You loved your husband and your babes were born.

She turned, and looking on the bitter view
Her eyes were welded shut by mortal pain;
Into transparent salt her body grew,
And her quick feet were rooted in the plain.

Who would waste tears upon her? Is she not
The least of our losses, this unhappy wife?
Yet in my heart she will not be forgot
Who, for a single glance, gave up her life.

You can find the story of Lot here.

Rajni was an actor once upon a time

2008-07-18T00:39:00.000-07:00

I saw a hoarding in Tuticorin inviting all Rajni fans for a discussion on how to celebrate(?) the release of his latest movie Kuselan. It is this kind of fan base that builds the myth of Rajni and which in turn attracts more fans. A self perpetuating cylce that killed an actor and built a star.

Just watch these two scenes from Mullum Malarum.

Reminds you of Paruthiveeran sequence, doesn't it.

Added bonus in this scene is Ilayaraja's great background score.

Callousness

2008-07-17T08:41:00.000-07:00

Tribals are becoming more aware of their rights. This could result in significant increase in start up costs.

From a research report of one of India's leading brokerages about Coal industry in India. It isn't without reason that the naxal menace in India is largely concentrated on mineral rich states of Andhra, Orissa, Bihar and Jharkand.

Nitpicking

2008-07-15T02:07:00.000-07:00

Due to a change of residence in Tuticorin, I haven't been receiving The Hindu for the past one month. It is a blessing in disguise I should say. To compensate for that I saw these two bloopers that I have to blog about.

Business India magazine had a section on SME Financing (the edition with GVK Reddy on the cover - there is no online link). The first line read - When ICICI, IDBI and SIDBI were formed in the 90's... Only problem is that ICICI was formed in 1955 and IDBI in 1964. This blooper in a general magazine might be tolerated, but in a Business Magazine?

The next one that riled me up was in the tamil weekly Ananda Vikatan. In a tribute to Sam Manekshaw, the article mentions that Manekshaw was the first person to be made Field Marshal of the Indian Army and later this honor was given to a person called Kariappa. This is the leading magazine of Tamil Nadu.

A trip to Manjolai and Upper Kothaiar

2008-07-07T00:25:00.000-07:00

Some photos from my weekend trip to Manjolai Tea Estate and Upper Kothaiar in Tirunelveli District.

To go up the hills beyond Manimutharu falls, you have to take the permission of The Forest officer in Ambasamudiram as the entire area is designated as a reserve forest. To view Upper Kothaiar, a permission from Tamil Nadu Electricity Board officials will be helpful.

This being a reserved forest area, not many hotels are there. In Manjolai, there is a small shop on the main road called Kannan kadai, where you have to inform him in advance for breakfast or lunch. When goin up, there is a place called Naalu Mukku, where there is a Malayalee restaurant run by Raju chettan. He will cook you excellent veg and non veg meals, if informed in advance. Prices are cheap, a meal costs about Rs. 30-40.00.

The ideal place to stay is the Forest department guest house in Kudiraivetti, which we couldn't get since some Judge had booked it in advance. It is supposed to be a great location to view the elephant herds, bears and wild boars roaming around. We spotted a wild male Sambar deer ( Mila as the locals call it in Tamil) on the way to Kudirai vetti.

The next ideal place is the TNEB quarters in Kothaiar, which also we didn't get since the Chairman of TNEB was visiting. We stayed at a Police quarters in Manjolai estate, due to a friend of a friend who is in the police department.

The Golden Gate - Vikram Seth

2008-07-01T08:29:00.000-07:00

The Golden Gate by Vikram Seth is the most funny, irreverent book I have read in recent days.

I though that a novel completely written in tetrameter sonnets -690 of them- must be difficult to read and never really thought about picking up the book. When I was gifted (I assume not lent) the book I started it with some apprehension. Initially I read each sonnet and marvelled at the brilliance of Seth in rhyming so many words and yet carrying the story forward. Slowly I was engrossed in the story and forgot that it was written in verse. That is the success of Seth as a poet and novelist.

The story is about a group of yuppies in California and their affairs. It was as far as it can be from the world I live in, yet Seth succeeded in keeping me interested till the end. The book is full of fun and wit. The line that hooked me was

Their music was a throttled yelp-
Morse crossed with a pig's squeal for help.

After laughing out loud, I was a convert. I especially liked the interludes where he breaks the narrative and talks directly to the reader. A must read book, if only to marvel at Vikram Seth's skill.

Meeting Lalita

2008-06-15T04:00:00.000-07:00

The shock in my face must have been apparent. She smiled wistfully and welcomed me, while I struggled for proper words. She had informed me that she had lost weight rapidly, still I wasn't prepared for this. The only time I had met her earlier was when she came down to Chennai a year and a half back. The change in her appearance was drastic, to say the least.

She put me at ease with her charming smile and took me in.

"I hope you don't mind if I park myself in the bedroom, since it is difficult for me to move about now a days" she said.
"How is the pain?", I asked stupidly.
"Oh it is always there, only the intensity varies from day to day. On days it is bad, it is really bad. Today seems to be better" she answered nonchalantly, almost as if we were discussing the weather.

Then the conversation steered to blogging and we were on safer ground. Her husband joined us and she proudly informed me that he is now a contributor to a music blog on classical Hindustani music. I nodded my head wisely and kept discussing about poetry and blogging and general stuff. She left us alone for a moment, and I turned to him and said, "Sorry Mr. K, hope we aren't boring you with our discussion. I know zilch of any music, leave alone Hindustani music". He smiled gently and said "That's ok. We don't discuss music all the time between us".

The conversation steered off to Madras, and both of them were shocked to know that Woodlands Drive Inn was closed down. "This is unfair, they are closing down all the places that were on our dating list. First Buharis, now Woodlands" she said sadly. K was hearing us out patiently interfering only to correct us now and then. "I think you meant superficial when you said superfluous, Lali" or "I think it was PL 480, not PL 64" when I was talking about wheat imports from US in the 1960s.

She had earlier mentioned that she was on liquid diet since the cancer made it impossible for her to swallow. So, true to form I had taken her half a bottle of Cognac ("Only you can think and do such things" chided my wife). As the evening grew older, Whiskey and Cognac added to the pleasant feeling of a great conversation. She has strong opinions about the quality of writing in blogs, but keeps them to herself. If only she wrote those opinions, we would have blog fights all over the place.

The next day, the maid and the watchman smiled at the familiar face and let me in without questions. We discussed about the progress of her disease, the various treatments she is taking (Along with allopathic medicines , she tried tibetan medicine and couldn't stand the vile black globules, she is now on homeopathy, which seems to be working in alleviating the pain). She was as sharp as ever, playing word games. "My oncologist was referred by my surgeon. The surgeon told me that he had sent many of his patients to this oncologist and they were happy with him. Were is the key word here, Chenthil".

Then we discussed about poetry, classification of poetry in telugu literature (grapes, banana and coconut, in the order of complexity), which modern Indian English poet she thinks is the best (Vikram Seth's Golden Gate), her distaste of cadence less non metered poetry, her appreciation of Ulysses and Finnegan's Wake. Her cheeriness almost made me forget that she might be dying till my eyes wandered down to the stump where her toe was.

In one of our email conversations she had praised a young painter friend of hers and went on and on about his painting. She showed me his painting that was displayed prominently in her drawing room. I looked at it, and looked at it. And after a minute said in a small voice, "Honestly Lalita, I can't make out what it means. All I see are bold color strokes in random". Her house made me feel like a philistine - huge library, one book shelf full of mathematics and topology (his), one rack of Cricket books (again his), two shelves of telugu literature (hers), Will Durant and Bertrand Russel (his), all of Shakespeare (theirs).

I sort of gained K's appreciation when I could answer his favorite cricket quiz question - Persons of how many religions have captained Indian cricket team so far. He was pleased when I knew Vijay Hazare was a christian and knew his middle name too - Vijay Samuel Hazare. "You are a real student of cricketing history" he murmured and for some reason I was pleased a lot at this faint praise. We both agreed that though Nirad Chaudhuri's ideas were crazy he was a great writer.

By now it was time for me to leave. I bid good bye to him and she came to see me off. At the doorstep, my composure cracked. I held her hands and said, "I hope that this is not the final farewell, Missus Em. Hope to see you again". She noticed my misty eyes, and hugged me. "Come on, once they fix a stent in my throat and I can take solid food, I will come down to Chennai. We shall have a Masala Dosa in Saravana Bhavan, now that Woodlands Drive In is closed".

Do try to keep your word Missus Em. Don't leave us yet.

Blogmeet

2008-06-09T09:40:00.000-07:00

Attended a blog meet on Saturday, at Chennai Citi Center. It was mostly Tamil bloggers, there to meet Dubukku, the Art Buchwald of Tamil blogs. It was also a chance to meet Boston Bala, Prakash and others. It was a pleasant surprise to hear Bala lavishing praise about my blog. Thanks Bala, even if you really meant it as an ice breaker.

Chenthil goes to Coonoor

2008-05-27T09:42:00.000-07:00

Taj Garden Retreat, Coonoor

Droog, which has the remnants of a fort built by Tipu Sultan overlooking the plains. (I lacked the stamina to go on that trek).

Murathal puliyai virattiya veera Tamizh Pen

A stream on the Kotagiri Mettupalayam Road

Web 2.0

2008-05-10T08:37:00.000-07:00

For long I didn't understand Web 2.0. Then I read Kiruba's article in Business Standard. I am convinced now that Web 2.0 is pure alchemy. You create data from non existent sources.

With Web 2.0 type sites, it is possible to combine data from various sources, even sources that you don't own control or even exist, and turn that into data that people can use.

I am enlightened.

Is this true?

2008-05-07T06:12:00.000-07:00

Found this comment at presstalk.blogspot.com

things are likely to happen in the People's Daily of Chennai. don't be surprised if there is a reshuffle at the very top in the coming weeks, if not days, with the possibility of the card holding `lal salaam' big boss retiring on health grounds.

Journalist readers of this blog, please confirm.

நம்பிக்கை

2008-04-21T05:35:00.000-07:00

An old poem that I wrote three years back.

கல்லாய் இருக்கும் சாமியின் மீதும்
சொல்லாய் இருக்கும் நாத்திகத்தின் மீதும்
இல்லாத விதியின் மீதும்
இல்லை என் நம்பிக்கை

மண்ணில் தெரியுது வானம்
அது நம் வசப்படல் ஆகாதோ
என்ற பாரதியின் வார்த்தை
என் நம்பிக்கை

சுக்லாம் பரதம் விஷ்ணும்

2008-04-21T04:39:00.000-07:00

சுக்லாம் பரதம் விஷ்ணும்
மந்திரத்திற்கு அர்த்தம்
எனக்குப் புரியவில்லை.
அசிரத்தையாக அர்ச்சிக்கும்
இந்த கருத்த முரட்டுப் பூசாரிக்கும்
புரியுமா என்பது சந்தேகம் தான்.
ஆனால் நிச்சயம்
அகன்ற விழிகளுடன்
ஆங்காரமாய் நாக்கை
துருத்திக்கொண்டு அர்ச்சனையை
வாங்கிக் கொள்ளும்
காடேரி அம்மனுக்குப்
புரிந்திருக்காது.

Enna kodumai saar idhu

2008-04-18T04:46:00.000-07:00

New face Premji Ameran does justice to his role, showing a flair for comedy

From The Hindu's review of the movie Thozha. Premji Ameran was a smash hit as a comdeian in last year's movie Chennai 600028. The online version has been corrected now. Mr. Ram, you have increased the salaries of your employees in vain.

Samples of modern Tamil Poetry

2008-04-08T12:20:00.000-07:00

Found this issue of Museindia through Gilli. A treasure trove of modern Tamil Poetry, translated into English by poets.

Uma Maheswari translated by Pooranie Gopi
Dosa
Diameter of dosas
Remain changeless for years and years.
Their circle never crossed the edge.
Even when poured on a heavy metal
They never lose their softness.
Empty swirls
sans turns and expansions.
Their selflessness can mingle with anything.
Without the awareness of loss
cook by boiling inside the lid.
Even when boiling inside
smile on top.
While folding and turning
they tell nothing except a tired murmur.
Modern schematizations haven’t
moved them toward true freedom.
Haven’t grown in years
remain unchanged in shape.
Live without living.
Mother’s

Grandmother’s
Grandmother’s mother’s
dosas are still the same -
for years and years Including mine.

Azhagiya Periyavan translated by Meena Kandasamy

The word for you and me

Like hunting an animal,
I wait
To catch that word
With my lasso.

As concrete as the wind
And as fraudulent as god
That word wanders
Without getting caught by me.

In front of everybody
I will place you on my lap
And like plucking your lungs
From your chest
I wish to pluck
That word.

That word
Which turns my bones
Runs as your poisonous blood.

Just one word!
It is your boon, it is our curse.
It is the mantra
That puts the sacred thread on your chest
It is the abuse
That makes me an outcast.

I might lose
But someday
My children
Will catch that word
By its horn
And cut its throat.

Being a non believer sucks

2008-04-08T11:37:00.000-07:00

When a personal crisis happens, a believer has someone / something to hear his prayers. Being a non believer sucks in such situations. Especially when you try to convert yourself into a believer and fail at it.

Aathmaanaam

2008-03-26T07:16:00.000-07:00

Vision
======

I met God
Did not feel like
asking him anything.
He too smiled
and went away.
Yet I felt peace.

கடவுளைக் கண்டேன்
எதையும் கேட்கவே தோன்றவில்லை.
அவரும் புன்னகைத்துப்
போய் விட்டார்.
ஆனாலும்
மனதிலே ஒரு நிம்மதி.

World War
=========

On the roof
a crow and squirrel fought.
The squirrel chased, crow flew.
The crow flew, squirrel jumped.
Finally
the squirrel flew
the crow ran.
Nothing happened to nobody.

ஒரு கூரை மேல்
காக்கைக்கும் அணிலுக்கும் சண்டை
அணில் துரத்த காக்கை பறந்தது
காக்கை பறக்க அணில் தாவியது
முடிவில்
அணில் பறந்தது
காக்கை ஓடியது
ஒன்றுக்கும் ஒன்றும் ஆகவில்லை

Just be
=======

Tell me your friends
I will tell who you are
a wise man told.
I replied
Tell me who you are
I will tell who your friends are.
His shocked eyes widened like saucers.
Does it matter
Who you are
Who I am
Unnecessary questions
Unnecessary answers
Without proving anything
Just be.

உங்கள் நண்பர்களைச் சொல்லுங்கள்
நீங்கள் யாரென்று சொல்லுகிறேன்
என்றார் ஒரு பேரறிஞர்
நான் சொன்னேன்
நீங்கள் யாரென்று சொல்லுங்கள்
உங்கள் நண்பர்களைச் சொல்லுகிறேன்
முழித்த முழி முழியையே முழுங்கும்போல
நீங்கள் யாரானால் என்ன
நான் யாரானால் என்ன
அனாவசியக் கேள்விகள்
அனாவசிய பதில்கள்
எதையும் நிரூபிக்காமல்
சற்று சும்மா இருங்கள்

Athmanaam is one of the well known tamil poets of 1970s literature movement. I have read bits and pieces of his poems on the net, yet to get hold of a collection of his poems. Almost everyone from Asokamithran to Sujatha praised his poetry. Part of his mystic allure is the fact that he committed suicide when he was just 34.

The Marxist re affirms his credentials

2008-03-25T20:22:00.000-07:00

The time has come for India to use the leverage that comes with hosting the Dalai Lama and his followers since 1959 to persuade or pressure him to get real about the future of Tibet

Read Mr. Ram's editorial in The Hindu. The Chinese couldn't have written a better propaganda piece. And to think that this man was making such a hue and cry about Freedom of Speech when his paper was under attack. Life is good.

Truck No. 5

2008-03-16T22:44:00.000-07:00

Tiruchendur Sea on a cold rainy morning.

The Child Wonders

2008-03-11T20:59:00.000-07:00

The child looks with wonder
at the painting of the burning flame.
His fingers tingle with excitement.
His fingers are itching
to touch the bright flame.
He carefully reaches out to touch
then hesitantly pulls back
and looks at his mother.

He doesn't understand
how the flame burns
without destroying the painting.
He doesn't understand
how the flame came to life
without burning the painter's fingers.
How did it learn
to stand gracefully,
to burn without destroying.
The wonder tingles
the child's fingers.

Advice to US Treasury Secretary

2008-03-05T02:04:00.000-08:00

Follow our Finance Minister. Waive of all the sub prime loans and issue 100 year bonds to those who hold the mortgages. Every one will be happy and you might even win the election for the Republicans.

The Fed chairman seems to agree with me.

What was Sujatha to many of his readers?

2008-03-03T04:45:00.000-08:00

He stood for freshness. He kept reinventing his choice of words. His narrative style was always breezy.

When many writers of his generation were trying to dazzle us with their prose, his style was almost conversational. He cut down needless sentiments like குபுக்கென்று அழுதான் (the exact words used by Ra. Ki. Rangarajan in yesterday's meeting).

He constantly engaged the reader - pointing out a new poet, latest developments in technology, a rare bengali movie, explaining classical tamil literature. His interests became the interests of his readers there by expanding their horizons.

He was an idol to many a young person. Anybody who could turn a phrase liked to think of himself as a writer. But our social set up doesn't allow some one to try and be a full time writer. Hence the would be writer decides to have a day job and write in his spare time (which invariably is not spare). He wishes to succeed in his day job as well as writing. And the towering example of such a succesful multi faceted personality was Sujatha.

He was a writer who knew his limitations and worked within it.

Every reader of his felt that Sujatha was talking to him and only to him. That kind of empathy with the readers is very rare to find.

If one phrase could define him it would be mass influencer. He was given a platform by the main stream tamil media for almost 40 years, and he used it judiciously. The crowded auditorium full of his fans on a Sunday afternoon was proof of the impact he had on Tamilnadu.

I was there for the first one hour of his condolence meeting. I accept that you should not talk ill of the dead. But that doesn't mean you have to be so cloying to the point of making the audience wonder what would Sujatha have thought about his condolence meeting. Calling him the greatest modern prose writer in Tamil after Bharathi was stretching the limit too far. The man himself probably would have said "இப்படியெல்லாம் பேசுவார்கள் என்று முன்னமே தெரிந்திருந்தால் நான் செத்திருக்க மாட்டேன்”.

R.I.P Mr. Sujatha

2008-02-27T21:50:00.000-08:00

In the last few years I fell out with his writings. Especially after reading blogs and learning that he just grazes the tip of everything he touches with no depth. That however doesn't take away anything from what he was to me when I was young and living in small towns of Tamilnadu. Freshness of writing, uptodate with latest developments, dark humour, frankness of opinion - he was all that and more.

R.I.P Mr. Sujatha.

Update: You can read his Tamil short story Nagaram here. This is considered to be one of his best efforts, a view which I fully agree with.

Footnote Humour

2008-02-26T06:23:00.000-08:00

Did not Harischandra[2] lose his throne, wife, child, because he would speak nothing less than the absolute Truth whatever happened?
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2. Harischandra (1850-1885), an Indian poet, critic and journalist

This gem of a footnote was found in a RK Narayan short story part of an anthology of short stories. The book contains great short stories by authors as varied as Joseph Conrad and John Updike, all organized by the elements of fiction - theme, setting, character and so on. However I will remember the book and its editors more for the above footnote.

First Anniversary

2008-02-24T23:10:00.000-08:00

Feb 25, 2007 was the day when the book was launched with fanfare. I initially had my doubts about the book, but later was convinced by the grassroots support that the book indeed is a good thing for web2.0, wiki, indian bloggers, Tamilnadu, Chennai and everything else.

It has been a year now. It still shows up in some people's resume as "authoring a book on unconference". I have no doubt that it will be released. Another online collaborative book was release recently, but that cost only Rs. 45,000.00. Since the book I am a fan of is estimated to cost Rs. 4,50,000.00 I assume it will be of better quality and will take some more time to be published. Waiting with bated breath.

Jeyamohan & Charu Nivedita

2008-02-20T23:45:00.000-08:00

This again is a post on modern Tamil literature. Presently there is a big war of words going on between Jeyamohan and the rest of the Tamil literature circle about his humorous barbs on Tamil Icons MGR & Sivaji Ganesan and to a lesser extent his articles on fellow writers. This post isn't about the current controversy.

Way back in 2004, I attended my first literary meeting, the first year anniversary of little magazine Uyirmmai. That is when I first met Lazy Geek. I wrote a blog post about that meeting. After the meeting, Lazy cornered Jeyamohan and waxed eloquent to him about having a blog. He didn't stop at that, he went on about how he learnt about Charu Nivedita's Zero Degree through blogs and started extolling Charu. Jeyamohan had a pained smile through out this. At that time I was unaware of the political working of the Tamil Literary World but sensed something amiss the way Jeyamohan looked. Now I understand why.

Jeyamohan's article on Charu Nivedita

Charu Nivedita's retort - pdf link

I consider Jeyamohan's Pin Thodarum Nizhalin Kural as one of the great Tamil Novels I have read. (I am sure that I lost my esteem in the eyes of a lot of Tamil Bloggers for that statement). Out of his humorous articles in his blog, I liked the one about Veda Sahayakumar the best, esepcially the last paragraph.

What do you want out of life

2008-02-19T06:52:00.000-08:00

There is no existentialism in this post. It is a plain comparison of what Tamil poets of various generations have wanted out of life. Ideally this should have been in my Tamil blog, but I myself don't go there any more. Those who can't read Tamil, please skip this.

First is Abirami Pattar, pleading with the goddess Abirami of Thirukkadaiyur in 16th Century AD. He sure has a big wish list.

கலையாத கல்வியும் குறையாத வயதும்
ஓர் கபடுவாராத நட்பும்
கன்றாத வளமையும் குன்றாத இளமையும்
கழுபிணியி லாத உடலும்
சலியாத மனமும்அன் பகலாத மனைவியும்
தவறாத சந்தா னமும்
தாழாத கீர்த்தியும் மாறாத வார்த்தையும்
தடைகள் வாராத கொடையும்
தொலையாத நிதியமும் கோணாத கோலுமொரு
துன்பமில் லாத வாழ்வும்
துய்யநின் பாதத்தில் அன்பும்உத விப்பெரிய
தொன்டரொடு கூட்டு கண்டாய்;
அலையாழி அறிதுயுலு மாயனது தங்கையே! ஆதிகடவூரின் வாழ்வே!
அமுதீசர் ஒருபாகம் அகலாத சுகபாணி
அருள்வாமி அபிராமி!"

Fast forward to 20th century and we have Bharathi, who is crisp and fresh, and as is his wont, asking for the welfare of this country.

மனதி லுறுதி வேண்டும்,
வாக்கினி லேயினிமை வேண்டும்;
நினைவு நல்லது வேண்டும்,
நெருங்கின பொருள் கைப்பட வேண்டும்;
கனவு மெய்ப்பட வேண்டும்,
கைவசமாவது விரைவில் வேண்டும்;
தனமும் இன்பமும் வேண்டும்,
தரணியிலே பெருமை வேண்டும்.
கண் திறந்திட வேண்டும்,
காரியத்தி லுறுதி வேண்டும்;
பெண் விடுதலை வேண்டும்,
பெரிய கடவுள் காக்க வேண்டும்,
மண் பயனுற வேண்டும்,
வானகமிங்கு தென்பட வேண்டும்;
உண்மை நின்றிட வேண்டும்.
ஓம் ஓம் ஓம் ஓம்.

A few decades down the line though, the Tamil poets have had enough of seeking unattainable things. They start looking inwards. This is Sundara Ramaswamy (under the pseudonym Pasuvaiah) asking for simple pleasures of life.

கொஞ்சம் முகம் பார்த்து தலை சீவ ஒரு சந்திரன்
லோஷன் மணக்கும் பாத்ரூம்
என் மனக்குதிரைகள் நின்று அசை போட ஒரு லாயம்
என் கையெழுத்துப்பிரதியில் கண்ணோட
முகங்கொள்ளும் ஆனந்தச் சலனங்கள்
நான் காண ஒரு பெண்
சிந்திக்கையில் கோத ஒரு வெண் தாடி
சாந்த சூரியன்
லேசான குளிர்
அடி மனத்தில் கவிதையின் நீரோடை

Nakulan's poetry always had a tinge of morbidity in it. All he wants is bliss when he is about to die.

ஒரு கட்டு
வெற்றிலை
பாக்கு சுண்ணாம்பு
புகையிலை
வாய் கழுவ நீர்
·ப்ளாஸ்க்
நிறைய ஐஸ்
ஒரு புட்டிப்
பிராந்தி
வத்திப்பெட்டி/ஸிகரெட்
சாம்பல் தட்ட்
பேசுவதற்கு நீ
நண்பா
இந்தச் சாவிலும்
ஒரு சுகம் உண்டு

There is something connecting all these poems. I am not able to put my finger on it though.

Power Off. India Off.

2008-02-11T05:24:00.000-08:00

Every one was expecting this listing, but it proved to be a damp squib. Reliance Power listed today and tanked 20% from its issue price. Bye bye dreams of Rs. 400.00 premium.

The subtext was even more interesting. CNBC TV 18 was very negative on the issue from day 1, NDTV Profit tried to prop up the sentiment- as late as today morning they were predicting a listing of Rs. 575-600.00. You can draw your own conclusion on the reasons why each channel was having a divergent view.

Let us spend the night together - இன்றைய இரவை நாம் ஒன்றாய்க் கழிப்போம்

2008-02-08T00:17:00.000-08:00

மதிய வேளைகளில், தேநீர் நேரங்களில்
பேசிக் கொண்டிருக்க சந்தித்தோம்
சந்தோஷ தருணங்களை ரசித்தபடி
ஒருவரை ஒருவர் ருசித்தோம்.

வார்த்தைகள் இயல்பாய் வந்தன
இடைவெளி குறைந்து நெருங்கினோம்.
நான் என் கவசங்களை கீழிறக்கக் கூடும்
எதுவும் இந்நேரம் நடக்கக்கூடும்

இன்றைய இரவை நாம் ஒன்றாய்க் கழிப்போம்
விதை விதைத்து வளர்வது என்ன என சோதித்துப் பார்ப்போம்
உன்னை நம்பி நான் உச்சமடையக் கூடும்
உன்னருகே நான் நிம்மதியாய் உறங்கக் கூடும்.

We met for coffee and lunch
To talk and be together
We met in happy circumstance
And savoured each other.

Words flow easy, don't they,
And intimacy seems right
Perhaps I can lower my guard
Enough, anything can happen, it might.

Let us spend the night together,
See what we sow and what we reap
I could trust you enough to climax
And next to you, I might even fall asleep

Original by Lalita

When rhetoric scores

2008-01-31T21:53:00.000-08:00

Karnataka politics is strange. I don't mean the wilyness of Deve Gowda in shafting two national parties simultaneously, we appreciate that sort of cunning. I am talking about the noise created due to the exposure of the romance of its former CM with a former heartthrob.

They should learn from Tamilnadu. Nearly 50 years back, when C.N.Annadurai, the founder of Dravidian electoral politics was questioned on his dalliance with a leading actress of that time, he came up with this classic.

நான் முற்றும் துறந்த முனிவனுமல்ல, அவள் கற்பிற் சிறந்த கண்ணகியுமல்ல

which translates as "I ain't a saint, She ain't chaste".

The best comment on Fed Rate Cut

2008-01-30T18:50:00.000-08:00

The rate is the whiskey, the stimulus tax rebate is the car keys, the American consumer is the teenager, and the US economy is the car.

From here. Also check comment 4.04.

Is the party over?

2008-01-22T05:50:00.000-08:00

I take a week off and the markets fall down by 6000 points. Never knew that I was so important to the Sensex. Now that I am back, things will stabilize. And since everyone is sprouting a theory and setting targets, let me set one too. Sensex 30 K by Jan 2009.

A real nice graphic on the worldwide meltdown.

More about the Sydney Test

2008-01-08T05:23:00.000-08:00

This is proving to be fun. Everyone is frothing at the mouth, and every one is an expert. Australian and English columnists attack Indian team for being casteist, Indians retaliate back at the Australian's treatment of the aborigines - though neither knows what the other is talking about.

Though a fan of Periyar, I never thought the day would come when a Guardian columnist would invoke Periyar in a cricket article.

The value attached to whiteness is a sickness in south Asian society, which badly needs the antidote of a "black is beautiful" movement. There are precedents in the lower caste insurgencies associated with Periyar (founder of Dravidian movement in south India) and Ambedkar (the Dalit, ie "untouchable" liberator).

And another favorite line from this fiasco - this time from Timblair.net

you nation of dinner ruining telemarketers with engineering degrees.

A few thoughts on the ill fated Sydney Test Match

2008-01-07T00:14:00.000-08:00

Did the Australians cheat their way to the historic win?
I think they did, on the last day atleast.

Surely, India would have drawn the match if not for Steve Bucknor ruling Dravid out?
May be, may be not.

Why was Harbhajan targeted by the Australians?
Simple, he was the one who was getting Ponting out every time.

Is this the worst Australian team in terms of on field behaviour?
No, for that you have to wait when Michael Clarke becomes captain.

Which was the best batting performance of the match?
Anil Kumble, batting hard for nearly 2 hours in the second innings.

Which dismissal made sure that India would lose the match?
Dhoni getting out without offering a shot.

Who is feeling happy in all this mess?
Youvraj Singh - nobody is asking for his removal from the team.

A photo tag

2007-12-26T18:36:00.000-08:00

Lavanya tagged me to do this meme. All you have to do is select and upload one photo that you have clicked this year that is special to you. Could be anything...aesthetic, technical or personal. Also, put in a short note why it is special.

I chose a set of two photos of my son's first visit to the beach.

The apprehension of being left alone in front of something new.

A few minutes later, the wonder in his eyes

The pictures were clicked in the Ariyaman beach 15 kms from Ramanathapuram on the way to Rameswaram.

If you are interested, consider yourself tagged.

Dhanushkodi - The ghost town

2007-12-24T00:32:00.000-08:00

The ruins of a church in Dhanushkodi

Railway station building according to the few fishermen who still live in Dhanushkodi

Ruins of the town

A memorial erected in 1935 by the then Dhanushkodi Panchayat President Janad Konmeera Sahib Bahadur ...

... in commemoration of the Silver Jubilee of Their Majesty

A makeshift temple abutting the sea

You can learn about the history of Dhanushkodi in this wikipedia article. All I could remember when standing there was the famous Sonnet Ozymandias.

I met a traveller from an antique land
Who said: Two vast and trunkless legs of stone
Stand in the desert. Near them on the sand,
Half sunk, a shatter'd visage lies, whose frown
And wrinkled lip and sneer of cold command
Tell that its sculptor well those passions read
Which yet survive, stamp'd on these lifeless things,
The hand that mock'd them and the heart that fed.
And on the pedestal these words appear:
"My name is Ozymandias, king of kings:
Look on my works, ye mighty, and despair!"
Nothing beside remains: round the decay
Of that colossal wreck, boundless and bare,
The lone and level sands stretch far away.