Arattai

India Shopping

2005-09-02T14:45:00.000-07:00

I thought I would go shopping for my India trip.I am leaving September end and coming back by November Thanks Giving time.I was calling up my inlaws and my parents to find out what they wanted.Ellarum kaieduthu kumbuttu....Please aala viduma.neenga vango bathrama appdinu solitta..Anyway all they wanted was 15 Bengay(namma ooru iodex mathiri) and Post Banana cereal.Che nattula ennoda shopping ipdi aaiduthe....I could just realise how old everyone is getting over there.
My patti doesnt eat pathu samajaram before finishing her Jebam.She is 85 now and couldnt tolerate hunger.Puli pasichalum pulla thingathungra mathiri she doesnt eat any Pathu(cooked ,t be specific steamed,boiled) items..So avalukkaga cereal.She likes to soak it in milk and eat.Then all muttu vali case .Avalukkaga Bengay.One thing is for sure this time,My India trip is mainly visiting all the people in my husbands side and my appammas side who are really getting old.Being miles away any news thats is not good news about your loved ones puts me totally down.
I am waiting for my trip .It would be fun meeting all the oldies and hear all the stories and the way they describe our childhood and lots of precious memories.We are having a diwali blast at Umayalpuram(my husbands place) with all his 50 cousins coming and all my people joining there.Its sure going to be fun

Bayanthangolli

2005-08-29T17:18:00.000-07:00

I hate Sundays for obvious reasons.Yesterday woke up late and again slept at around 12 in the noon.Evening went to our friends house.They were just back form India.She had got all the delicious homemade snacks and she packed quite some for us.They have bought a new home and its a new construction.We went there and my husband dropped me at home on the way back and he went to pick up our car from their house.It was 9 in the night and I am hearing some strange noise in the patio.Someone was trying to open my patio door.I have never experienced such feeling previously.The feeling of someone breaking into my house.I called up my husband and I am turning back to see my kid next to the door.It just shocked me as my imaginations were going wild like someone would shoot through the door.I tried to grab her and out of curiosity peeped out of the window a little bit and I saw a person walking away from the door.I felt little bit relieved and was waiting to catch a glimpse of the person and found the face familiar.It was Akila.She had come to keep kozhakattai which she made yesterday.Since I was not answering (I was upstairs) she had tried to open the patio door and keep the package.It was hillarious...When my husband got back ,he was making fun of me.Good I dint call up the police.
My new nick name at home "Bayanthangolli Pakoda"..The rest goes like "Kezhangi(as I love potatoes),"Pothu"(my dad calles me that way),"Echu Korathi "(by my patti as I like to grab what ever she eats from her plate and she is very madi acharam types) ,"Shankari"(Sakumbothu shankara shankarnngra mathri Exams munnala than padippen.So ponnungrathaala Shankari appdinu engappa koopduvar)..The list goes on and on..........

Zandu Balm

2005-08-26T17:32:00.000-07:00

I need Zandu Balm.Ore Suluku kazhuthula and I am not able to type anything.Ellam Garage clean panrennu izhuthu vittundathu.We had a microwave oven in our old apartment and when we got a new home We had one attached to the cooking range.So put the older one in the garage.Iniku atha thookarannu kazhutha sulukindutten.Ithula vedikkai ennanna I had done this earlier and ithe mathiri sulukirukku.Again same mistake

When I attended the interview, companyoda director kettan..What do you think about making mistakes appdinu.Nan thillumullu Rajini styllela"My dad tells me,You can do the same mistake only once.Dont repeat the same mistake and learn from your mistakes" appdinu perisa Mary vitten.And I was so happy about my answer.Ipo antha director enna paathu kai kotti sirikkara mathri iruku :-(

Thamizh

2005-08-24T16:16:00.000-07:00

Had been to my friends place yesterday.Trying to meet all my friends this week since I am free.Was quite impressed to see their grown up kids talk in azhagana Thamizh.Infact she is from Trivandrum and her husband is from Madurai.The most impressive part was seeing the kids talk in both the dialects.They are here for 10 years now.This family is the odd one out .
All the rest of the families I have seen here somehow fail to make their kids talk in Thamizh.

In school they get to talk in English.Atleast at home we can put in our efforts to talk in thamizh.The only thing we need to do is communicate to them in our language and not English.I am not against English or any other language.I respect the language and feel it is because I learnt English I am here .The explanations I hear people give for not talking to their kids in thamizh

1.She gets confused with too many languages.

2.Athu automatica english thanga vaila varuthu

3.Inga ellarume athane pesaranga .Let him learn only that

4.Aiyo nan evlavo try panren ana somehow I end up talking in English.I think officela appdiye pesi veetuliyum varathu.

The explanation goes on and on.May be all the above reasons are very much true .I dont argue regarding that.

Talk to them in your mother tongue .If they dont respond to you in that donot reply.When they are small it is easy to mend them.Let them be American citizens,but they are of Indian origin.
Language and our culture are the roots of our country.Please allow your kids to inherit that.Be proud of your country,your mother tongue and the rich culture .

Mannikkavum lecture kuduthathukku.By the way ennoda Interview Puttukichu.They got one more person who had 3 years more experience than me.So the job hunting goes on........

Vettying

2005-08-23T10:26:00.000-07:00

Yesterday had the third round.dint go well.Luck iruntha kedaikkum...illatti oothals than

Watched kana kandein today.A nice movie.For a change yaarum romba overacting pannalai.I liked Prithvi raj a lot.He was sisters senior at school.And my sister is just 20.So paianuku 21 vayasuthan.He had done a good job.

Its nice to have a weeks break with my kid.But dont know if I would like it this way.Mandaia pichukkalam pola irukum.And I think it is so because its USA.I feel Indiala nanna pozhuthu pogum.pakkathaathla kaapi podi kekka varuva.Keera kaari kooda arattai adikkalam.Thanni vararathatha pathi polambalam.Koyya pazha kaarantta okanthu 50 paiasavuku Peram pesalam.Pookaari kudukkara oru muzha poovuku kanaku pathu kammi irukunu sanda podalam(pizza hutla poi 100 roova kudukkarathuku valikkaathu.Pisaathu poo kadakkaari kitta than namma jabardasthu ellam)Munthina naal serial miss panninathu okkanthu mathyanam repeat pakkalam.Velakkari kitta pakkathaathu vambu kekkalam.In short u get to talk with people.Here life is too mechanical but for saturday sundays.Waiting to get back to work soon.

Dead Tired

2005-08-19T16:18:00.000-07:00

Today is my last day in the present company.And I hardly have any time.I am slogging right from the morning.And one of my peers here came and asked me.You look Dead tired.Appdinna "Pona Tired","Setha Tired" Appdinna????
How does a dead body know if tis tired or not.Athan sethache.Illa how can anyone experience what death is?Onnume puriala.Illa nee setha mathri irukkenu arthama.So please enlighten me on this
And today Varlakshmi Nonbu,Avaniavattam all went fine.Kesari,Kozhakkatais,payasam,idli,sambar,beans curry,appam ,thenga satham.........had a full meal.Officela okkantha thookam than varuthu.Now what would they tell me "Pig Tired"???

Oothikichu Postponed

2005-08-18T16:18:00.000-07:00

Dont understand what is happening.They called me today and said I cleared this round and they need one more round.Another 3 hours thala vali extended.Ellarum Aracha mava than arakkaranga.What do they need?
So Monday have one more round scheduled.So till then Oothikichu postponed.
This is the third round I am attending.Ennai enna presidential candidatekka edukakranga.Ipdi padutharaanga.

Oothikichu ??

2005-08-17T16:10:00.000-07:00

My contract is getting over this month end.so I am busy attending interviews .Today attended an interview.Three hours oru vazhi pannittanga.Around 5 people interviewed me and every one had their share of questions.God!!! it was tough.I hate going through this process.Right now the one i have attended is for a permanant position.Hopefully I get through this
My experience today

1.Disired salary? That is actually 150k ,ketta kuduthuda poranga ???

2.Where do u see urself in 3 years.?? Ipo enna panna porenne enaku theriala.three years too long a time.Who knows I might have three more kids and atha pathukkarathe velia vechuppen ;-).

3.What do u think is the most challenging part in this job?
Ask me what is challenging before I get into this job.I would reply having to face all sorts of questions from you

4.Would you work late hours
Assku bussku appdi sonna.Sani nyayarunna ennane theriama panniduveenga

5.Please feel free to grab a bottle of water for you Kandippa ipdi moonu mani neram thonda thanni vatha kelvi ketta enna pannuvangalaam.Konjam lemon soda kudutha punniama pogum.Illa Sambaaram kooda ok

I wish I get this job,I dont want to face any of these questions in the future.My half day gone,thala valikuthu and above all velai kediakumannu vera therialai.So nothing positive about todays one.
Anyway tomorrow will know If I got it or not.By the way kedacha solren .Ootthikuchunna pls yarum enna kettaratheenga

Talayalam

2005-08-16T16:54:00.000-07:00

Myself being a Talayali from the Kerala /Tamilnadu(border)...My language is always a subject of ridicule for my husband who is a pakkaa Kumbakonam

Enna pannare- Tamil
Ennavakkum Pannaraai-Talayalam

Saptacha-Tamil
Aaharam kazhichacha--talayalam

Evlo neram aachu -Tamil
Ethara neram aachu -Talayalam

The list goes on and on
But there are certain words which mean entirely different in tamil and malayalam

Thooral - Drizzling in tamil and Vayathaala porathu in Malayalam

When the movie 'Thooral ninnu pochu' came to kerala they had to change it to Saaral ninnu pochu and release it

Velakku Katharatha -"is the light shouting?" in tamil and 'is the light on' in talayalam

VaLi vidu - madurai sidela Vazhi vidu ipdi than solvanga.'Zha' varathu and VaLi vidu - is Fart vidu in Malayalam

Kazhichaha - is "loo" poyacha in tamil and this is saptacha in talayalam

I still remember my marriage day when I went to my husbands side people and asked "Nengallam aaharam kazhichacha" and they replied "nangallam kazhichuttu than aaharathuku vanthrukkom" :-(

Toilet Confusions

2005-08-16T11:19:00.000-07:00

Heading pathuttu dont think otherwise.In my office I use the restrooms/Toilets atleast once a day.So kittathatta 365 days minus the weekends ,frequent panra edam.Still everytime I enter the toilet I think I have mistakenly entered the Mens Toilet.Immediately start looking around for Girly tings like the Tampons and other stuff.And make sure if it is the one for woman.Y do i always have to do this?I was trying to find out y panic each and every time.Maybe the below story is one of the reasons

My periamma used to live in Anand,Gujarat.She is a very religious person.Anywhere a temple is there,she would stand ,worship and then move.When we were small,we had been there and We were walking on the road..and my periamma saw some people entering and leaving a subway kind of thing and they were washing their legs near that.So she immediately made us stand there and said she will be back in a minute.after a minute she came running with her face pale and we could see lots of people laughing at her..It wasnt a temple but a gents toilet.It was such an embarassing moment for her ,though we had a hearty leaugh.....

I still wonder avangaluku epdi vasanai(natham) varalainnu....Though we laughed at her that time ,if I do the same thing and people laugh at me,I would defnitely feel so embarassed.Maybe this is one of the reasons I make sure I entered the right one.

Down the memory lane

2005-08-15T13:48:00.000-07:00

Just travelling down the memory laneI was doing my 6th standard in Sivakasi Hindu Nadar Girls higher Secondary School.I used to sing pretty well among all the kids.I was one of the very few "Iyer veetu ponnu" in the nadar dominated school.So it was taken for granted that I should know singing.And I used to wait for all the functions in shcool so that I got hold of my mike and sang some keerthanai totally irrelevant to the occassion ,just to boast my vocal skills.Independence day was one such occassion.But for this,I sing"Neer aarum kadal udutha Nila madandhaikku ezhil ozhukum "
Athuliyum I sing 'Nila madanthai kezhilozhukum'.It took me a year to set it right( after my chithappa made fun of me telling "chukkumee laguthi ippili" which actually means Chukku Milagu Thipplili).And the final line "Vaazhthuthume " padumbothu,if I dont take in the right pitch ,I would be screaming at the top of my voice.And still get appreciated that I sang well.
And after that used to feel so excited about the muttaais we get after flag hoisiting and felt proud wearing the indian flag for that one day.
When I finished my college and joined work ,I used to see August 15th not as independence day ,but as a holiday.Not that I am not patriotic or anything. But today being miles away from my country,I realise how good I feel about my country. I dont want to chant any patriotic slogans here.
I have seen people who say 'Iooo India poirunthen,ore kuppai,traffic,kalellam ore azhukku.pakka mudiala.Ore thanni kashtam.thanga mudialai epoda ooruku varuvomnu iruntathu." Sure its polluted,it has lots of traffic,kosukkadi irukku,thanni kashtam iruku.But ellathuku mela antha man vasanaiyum iruku.Why let down ur country in front of others .I am proud about my country how ever it is....I just want to look at the positive facts of it and do whatever I can to remove the negative points about it.

Be proud to be an indian and help India attain the Numero Uno spot in every small way you can.

Why Him?

2005-08-11T14:23:00.000-07:00

Woke up with the phone ringing under my pillow.Checked for the caller id .Said unavailable.It was Anna(my hubbys brother) from chennai.We had a surgery done for his kid in shankar nethralaya two weeks back. And now they say his right eye is blinded.Anna broke down and I could'nt continue talkingMy manni had detected that he was not seeing properly in the right eye when he was 3 months.He was detected of a lazy eye problem and we kept applying patches on the eye with which he can see properly .This is to make sure that the other eye is forced to see the outside world. we had a cataract surgery done 6 months back on the same eye.

We had done a retina detachment surgery two weeks back.Now they say he is blinded in the right eye.Why all this for him.He is just 2 years and Y him..I know anna very well.All I can say is he is the best human being I have ever known.All he knows is only helping others.Why should they be punished like this?The kid cant get his license,cant be a surgeon,cannot be a pilot and cant take many professions.
I am deeply hurt as I write this post.God y him??
Looking for some good eye specialist in the USA or UK to see if this can be rectified.

My best friend

2005-08-10T16:29:00.000-07:00

Seeing all the friendship day wishes I just thought I should write about my best friend.

This is for you my best friend....

Whatever I cook its devamrutham for you
Whenever I wanted to shop you have ur cards ready to be swiped
When I was so hesitant about driving stick shift you gave ur most precious BMW for me to learn
When I banged that car in the parking lot all you said was ' thats okay don not worry '
At the same when you did the same thing on a rental car and I called you a reckless driver you never said I was pinpointing nor were you angry (deiva piravi)
Whenever I fight with you and tell a sorry later, all you give is a smile.
When I say I want to take a break from work 'Do what you want'
I am the most prettiest in the world for you(Damn... how can you think that way.I look into the mirror daily)
You never get attacks seeing my credit card statement.
Whenever I shop for dresses you never allow me to stop with one.
You let me sleep and do what so ever on sundays taking care of the baby(Little did I say saturday you wake up in the evening and you have designated saturday as fathers day and sunday as mom's day)
Never knew guys feel so happy changing diapers for their babies till I saw you
You are always there for me be it happiness or sorrow
You let me be me.
You are my best friend and the best father a kid can have

But I too have something to tell you

I still regret you never entering the kitchen.
I still regret you never helping me wash my vessels
I still yell at you for leaving the bed without setting it right.
I still keep cribbing about you not cleaning the sink after shaving.
I still keep finding fault with you
Above all this you still feel I am quite a wonderful wife.

I am gifted having my husband as my best friend

Feeling wonderful

2005-08-09T12:24:00.000-07:00

I am flying high
I am smiling all by myself looking at the monitor
I am dreaming at day time
I am feeling wonderful.
I am thinking this is the best moment in my life.
I am calling up again to confirm the news
I am making so many calls to tell everyone the great news
I am emptying my purse getting gifts.
I am just giggling
I am excited
I am thrilled
I am running out of words
Hey I am not in love..
I am going to INDIAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
Just got a call that the tickets are blocked and we are leaving to India for 6 weeks.It is 18 months since I saw my people back in India.Its truly a great moment.

Budga,Gudga

2005-08-04T17:03:00.000-07:00

I never knew I would fel so happy when someone calls me a bad person.But yes, I did feel good ,when my one year called me a badga(her version of bad girl) .I tried to feed her which she dint feel like eating.It took me some time to find out what she was telling.I called up her nanny and asked what she meant.Sometimes it does feel bad when I donno much about my baby where as the third person does.And I really feel 'J' when she knows what she eats,when she sleeps and my baby above all calls her amma......She calls me too.But I think thats the price one needs to pay if you have to work.Feel bad.But yesterday hearing her tell Badga felt great.I was on top of the world.By the way she called me Gudga once too.Her version of good girl.

2005?

2005-08-04T14:47:00.000-07:00

Got a mail that made me realise how much we have changed with the technology and daily aspects of life

1. You accidentally enter your password on the microwave.
2. You haven't played solitaire with real cards in years.
3. You have a list of 15 phone numbers to reach your family of four.
4. You e-mail the person who works at the desk next to you.
5. Your reason for not staying in touch with friends and family is thatthey don't have e-mail addresses.
6. You go home after a long day at work and still answer the phone in a business manner.
7. You make phone calls from home and accidentally dial "9" to get anoutside line.
8. You've sat at the same desk for four years and worked for threedifferent companies.
10. You learn about your redundancy on the 11 o'clock news.
11 You pull up in your own driveway and use your mobile phone to see ifanyone is home to help you carry in the groceries.
12. Every movie commercial on television has a web site at the bottom of the screen.
13. Leaving the house without your mobile phone, which you didn't havefor the first 20 or 30 (or 60) years of your life, is now a cause forpanic and you turn around to go and get it.
14. You get up in the morning and go on line before getting your coffee.
15. You are too busy to notice there was no number 9 on this list.
16. You actually scrolled back up to check that there wasn't a number 9on this list.

When i went thtorugh this majority of the points were true.2,3,4,5,7,11,12,15,16

all hold true.The first point was a bit too much I guess.I dont think any of us would type password for a microwave.
I stil wonder why I type a email to the person sitting in the desk next to me.But If i dont do it I will have no lookups or proof to prove my point .Rest of the the things I am just used to it I guess

Kovil undiyal

2005-08-01T15:22:00.000-07:00

Had been to the Temple this weekend.We had our friend's family joining there for the pooja.They had made some kozhakkattai for neivethyam.For me when i was saami kumbuttufying ,my eyes were there on prasadam.Reason everytime I make kozhakattai it ends up to be a "Veeraangundu" or a paste that sticks to mouth and just stops u from asking more.
And poor my hubby every time eats he doesnt disappoint me and ends up in the toilet the whole day ...

My husband gave a dollar bill to my daughter and our friends kid to put in the undiyal.The first thought that came to me was y do we have to put in the Undiyal.Namma oorula kashtapadaravanglkuku antha 50 Rs tharalame.?But everytime we end up putting in the undiyal.Now a days I have my own kutti piggy bank and keep putting change in that....Everytime so that and take it to india next time.It may not be a big amount, but sure does make a diffrence just collecting the cents and quarters we never use.

PS:had my hands on the kozhakkattais and my daughter who never eats anything was all eyes on them and gave it to her.Itha than solvangala kaiku ettinathu vaaiku ettalainu :-(

Seria Thavara

2005-07-28T15:13:00.000-07:00

Had a problem at office.We are currently working on a tool which is integration with Peoplesoft.I deal with the ITG side .And we had a project go live on Monday.When actual data started coming in it was totally screwed up.I found the problem from the peoplesoft side and reported it sending a mail JUST to that person and it was fixed and everything was smooth.

Next day another thing got into a total chaos as it was our problem.I expected that guy to let me know what happened and instead there was a huge escalation mail telling that was a major issue.This was sent to all the 'perunthalais'.I was really let down by this behaviour of his.Is it right to do it this way.Basic human decency illaia to let know the person.Do we have to politicise this?I am not sure.Is it me who is naive and vulnerable being very polite.Nan senjathu seria thavara?

Kanavunna ipdiya varum

2005-07-27T14:17:00.000-07:00

Nan light rail eduthu htan veetuku varuven.vanthuttu shoea veetiku velila kazhatti pottutu varen.Suddenly when I turn back ...my shoes kanum.oru kutti paian eduthukutu odaran.nan oda avan oda.(ennoda shoeku ivlo mathipu irukumnu nan ethripakkave illappa)..thorathi pidicha .......ore kuthu kannula.Io nu kathi ezhuntha that was my one year old daughter.kannula kuthalai ore idi vaaila.And she was smiling full zoomla when i opnened my eyes.Ipdiyuma kanavu varum.ethavathu gold chain kanama pora mathri vanthalavathu logicala iruku.poyum poyum shoe, che alpama pochu.kanavula oru class venaam??
Appram ennoda ponu idichathula anumar maari vaya vechukutu office vanthathu thani kathai and poravanga varavangaluku ellam darwins theory oda reverse solitrunthen...nan epdi koranganennu :-(

My first Blog

2005-07-26T13:51:00.000-07:00

When I started to think of Blogging only think that came to my mind was vetti.(hey thappa eduthukkatheenga ppa.ellarume appdinu solalai.nan vettia irukumbothu adikkarathuku nu vechukkonga ok)By the way I was reading lots of blogs for the past two days as I was a major vetti at work(that justifies the name right ....) and thought nanum ezhuthalamennu.thanks for the inspiration blog maha janangale.Presently I live in the US.Appram epo paru india poganumnu polambindu irukkara jenmam.Mathathellam poga poga solren.See you all