Happy Birthday Thalaivaa!

சமீப காலமா, ரோட்ல, வெளி இடத்துல திடிர்னு சின்ன பசங்க என்ன பார்த்து 'Uncle' அப்படின்னு கூப்பிடும் போது - அந்த சத்த காற்றலைகள், சில (பவர்புல்) அணுக்கள் கூட சேர்த்து, மேலும் அதிர்வுற்று - என் காதுக்குள் "Rajini Uncle...நான் இங்க இருக்குறேன்" அப்படின்னு குட்டி மீனா சொல்ற மாதிரி வந்து சேர ஒரே காரணம் - ஒரு சராசரி தமிழன் தன் சாதாரண அன்றாட வாழ்க்கை நிகழ்வில், நின்னாலும், நடந்தாலும், தன்னகுள்ள இருக்குற Style sense ஒரு படி மேல உணர, வெளிபடுத்த உதவிய தலைவர் தான். He simply was the key to unlock the Style potential of our own making. Happy Birthday Thalaivaa!

No, Thank You....

Do dreams weigh? Does love, joy, sorrow, anger, excitement weigh?

Yes, I think so.

We have read that Atlas burdened himself with the World. Well, I do not know how many people were there then. I certainly know that 7 billion more people inhabit the World now and out of this, one billion people have placed their burdens of joy, often, and sorrow, of late, on one man.

And this man did not refuse it. He stood up and took the burden.

How can joy burden, you might ask? It does. Imagine yourself on a busy street. And as you walk through, every person coming and thanking you. And then you see the first person come back again and say thank you. And it continues.

I will screw Thank You.

I am not going to Thank this man for I fear am burdening him once more. He has done enough.

Let the man be.

Let him be able to walk out, grab a newspaper and coffee, sit on some random bench and watch the sun rise and smile for himself. Let him be able to sit with his family on a beach among crowds and laze out.

I believe in God. But let this man be for he has done what no God on Earth has still done.  

Asal

One of my usual poses when waiting for something.

Last week, was at my in-laws place in Jayankondam. Evenings, I usually visit the Gangai Konda Chozhapuram Siva temple and then come back into the town to my favorite muttai parota kadai. Was such a regular there that the kothu was made special for me! That day, had taken Nandan with me to the temple and then to the parotta kadai. Nandan grew restless in seeing all the preparation. So, I promised a goyaa chocolate (standard in all TN potti kadais. Just ask.) and looked around for a potti kadai. There was one across the road. I left Nandan standing in the shop surrounded by the parotta master, his two helpers, one server and the kadai mudalali. I crossed the road and Nandan lost my sight. I did have an eye on him as I got the chocolates. And then it happened. I first thought he would get all scared and at least appear visibly nervous. Understandably, the guys surrounding him did not paint a pretty picture. But then I was open mouthed and gaped when the potti kadai lady repeatedly called me to give the change. There he was, three years old,  standing with one of his hands on the table, the other on his hip and his legs cross-legged like I usually stand and looking out at the road traffic in general. No fear. Just amusement.  At that moment, I knew 'Nammala pirichi meya oruthan vandhutaan da'. When we went home, he excitedly described in a kiddish way to Ramya on how they did the kothu. Am sure Ramya loved the kid talk and loved the kid in him as well.

I just smiled. 

The Crescent Moon, Nail and Nandan

Reading the Tintin comics from the public library and hence the title is an influence. :) Nandan turned out 3 last week. In the space of last 3 months, he pointed out three patterns that left me puzzled. Here are they:

1) We have a fan in the living room. It has has that light bulb built into it and the switches are those hanging knobs. One day, Nandan was playing around with a stick and was jumping up to hit one of those hanging knobs. On one stroke, he did hit and the knob went swinging in a pendulum motion. This guy took a moment of observation to sink it in and then said "Appa, that is a see saw" and made that to and fro motion. The only place he has observed a to and fro motion.

2) On a sunny morning, Nandan had just got up. The sunlight came through the patio glass door in rays and you could see the small particles in the air lighten up and make those random zig-zag motion. He was lazily observing with his sleepy eyes and then his eyes brightened up. He said "Appa, they are moving like fish in water".

3) One of those evening joy rides with the family in the car when you do not have a destination and simply drive around the farms to catch some animals and show them to Nandan. And the sky was stunning with dusk colors and a beautiful crescent moon (three days after new moon). Nandan caught the moon in all its beauty and said "Moon looks like a cut finger nail".

And the one to beat it all happened way before. This took me away completely. It was 28 July 2011. Nandan was 1 year and 6 months old. Just giving out one or two syllable words. Our favorite was how he told umbrella as 'am-bum-ba'. That day, we (my father-in-law, Ramya, Nandan and me) had gone to Dakshin Tirupathi temple (a very beautiful and isolated temple standing on a cliff overlooking large lands of farm and a beautiful river snaking below) near Hosur and on the way, gone to a shop. Now that shop had one of those trendy small fire extinguisher hanging from the wall. While my wife was shopping, I was trying to distract this guy and carrying him around. I thought the bright red extinguisher will be a good one to keep him mused for awhile and was showing it to him standing close to it. All of a sudden, Nandan started repeating 'am-bum-ba' pointing to the extinguisher. Now, I thought he had somehow taken a fancy for that word and was going gaga over it. And I was happy that I was able to keep him occupied (he he). Then, when he did not stop, I took a closer look at where he was pointing. Turned out that he was not pointing at the fire extinguisher but to an analog dial gauge (measuring the pressure) in it. And then it dawned to me. He had seen that little markings of pressure units in a semi-circle (with that perpendicular needle pointing half way) in the gauge. The semi-circle and the needle formed an umbrella pattern to him. To this day, I was amazed he could see that pattern.