RANDOM THOUGHTS

  YOU AND ONLY YOU CAN DEFEAT THE                            PANDEMIC  The onus for defeating the Pandemic rests on only your shoulders . No amount of  crying hoarse about the efficacy or otherwise of THE GOVERNMENT OR THE AUTHORITIES are going to get you anywhere . If BJP was capable then it wouldn't be spreading at this rate in Madhya Pradesh , If Congress was capable then it wouldn't be spreading in Chattisgarh. If Shivasena combine was capable then Mumbai and Maharashtra wouldn't be in the mess that they now find themselves in .  If Kejriwal was capable , he would not be in the soup that he is now in . If Yogiji was capable , UP would not be in the position that it now finds itself in . If Modiji was capable , it would not be spreading at the current exponential rates across the country. If it was controlled by MONEY ALONE then  it wouldn't be spreading in America , If it could be stopped with the help of Doctors and Medicines,  it wouldn't be spreading in most

  YOU WILL HEAR/SEE ONLY WHAT THE MEDIA SELECTIVELY WANTS YOU TO The picture above of a Girl/Woman spending an evening in a park on a SWING is a case in point . The smile on her face with the breeze wafting across her ears seems to suggest that she is enjoying the jolly time at the park .  The shadow of the very same woman on the ground will be in stark contrast as detailed by the media . She will be portrayed to have taken out her life by hanging as she had been jilted by her alcoholic husband after  being physically abused often . Now , Cockroach is a creature which creates jitters amongst many . The very sight of these poor creatures is sure to bring a loud shriek from the members of the fairer sex . Cockroaches have played their part in many a Tamil/Hindi Movie in being  the rallying point in bringing the lovers together . These creatures have it in them to survive even Nuclear Holocaust and are reported to have survived the Hiroshima and Nagasaki Nuclear Blasts . Scientists are of

( IMAGINARY AD FOR A HOUSING COMPLEX AT                             AGASTHIARPATTY  ) HOUSE WITH ALL COMFORTS  ( This is just an imaginary AD for a new Housing Complex Coming up at Agasthiarpatty )  NESTLED AS IT IS ON THE FOOTHILLS OF THE WESTERN GHATS , THIS NEW HOUSING COMPLEX  IS RIGHTLY NAMED AS                  " THE  NATURE'S ABODE "  IT IS AN ALL NEW EXPERIENCE WHERE ONE LEARNS TO LIVE AND RESPECT NATURE AND WITH THE  INVITING MOUNTAIN RANGES ON ONE SIDE ; THE LUSH GREEN PADDY FIELDS ON THE OTHER AND THE MAJESTIC TAMBARABARANI RIVER SNAKING HER WAY ACROSS THE PLAINS IN THE MIDDLE  , this is sure to take the City Dwellers by surprise . JUST 3 KMS FROM AMBASAMUDRAM RAILWAY STATION , THIS HAS A NUMBER OF RENOWNED SCHOOLS , PRIMARY HEALTH CENTER , MANY PLACES OF RELIGIOUS IMPORTANCE , THE AGASTHIAR FALLS . MANJOLAI TEA ESTATES CLOSE BYE  ESPECIALLY SUITED FOR THE RECENTLY  BOOTED OUT IT PROFESSIONALS WHO NOW ZERO IN ONTO THEIR NATIVE PLACES ON A WORK FROM HOME  ROUTIN

 WHEN IS IT THE RIGHT TIME TO START                         PACKING FOR A TRIP  TRAIN AT 7 PM , READY  AT 10 .00 AM ITSELF  Above is a post on the WhatsApp group which was forwarded  to me recently . I am just about knocking on the doors of the 70 s. In the above picture the couple who have a planned journey from Agasthiarpatty to Chennai by catching  a train starting at 7.30 pm at Nellai . They seem to be all ready with all baggages packed  at 10.00 am itself . I am probably getting on in age with a mindset probably very much different from those of this generation . It would not be out of place here to recollect my own experience at Bangalore recently . With our home at MARATHAHALLI , we caught the bus at 2.15 pm for Majestic to catch a train for Nellai  starting from The City Station at 5.15 pm . The traffic congestion for which Bangalore is so famous led us to disembark at HAL bus stand and catch an auto and just about managed to board the train at Cantonement Station  .  The perti

  RAMDEV SIR YAHAAN KAHAAN MILTE HAIN Over almost a year now , we are trying to live with the Covid and the attendant LOCKDOWN, SOCIAL DISTANCING , COVAXINE , COVIESHIELD DOSES 1 AND 2 OF VACCINATION , OXYGEN AND ITS SHORTAGE IN HOSPITALS , VENTILATORS , AROGYA SETU , COWIN  APP , OMICRON VARIENT  AND SO ON AND SO FORTH . It is now almost 2 years and I am just about getting to pronounce and spell  HYDRXYCHLOROQUIN  OR QUARANTINE OR OMICRON  with any degree of comfort.  I am almost on the same page with my friend from up North who enquired from the Pharmacy Man  "RAMDEV SIR YAHAAN KAHAN MILTE HAIN" Or  " YAHAAN AAMIR KHAN AA GAYEN HAIN KYA " SAARE HINDUSTAAN MAIN UNHEE KEE CHARCHAA HAI "  The poor fellow , like me seems to be having difficulty with the very much in demand           "  REMDESIVIR  " Due apologies to Baba Ramdev Sir ,

  LOCKDOWN HIGHLIGHTS There are some 74 Serials that are being Telecast by the various Tamil Channels that keep us occupied in these hard COVID LOCKDOWN TIMES . 20 of these serials deal with the menfolk trying their best to get promiscuous with other peoples wives . 12 detail the modus operandi of the deranged men to ensnare their Sister In Law . 18 deal in detailing the plot to get rid of the Mother In Law by the newly married  lady of the house . The balance 24 depict in elaborate detail the ways and means employed to destroy the other family's net worth totally in all ways . A lot needs to be said about our choice and the role of the VISUAL MEDIA in shaping our family  values .   We come to know of this all because of the                         COVID LOCKDOWN 

             KODAI REPAIRAA IRRUKKA  How often are we now hearing the shout of the KODAI REPAIR MAN , THE MOBILE TAILOR WITH THE BRITISH MADE  SINGER SEWING MACHINE on his Bicycle Carrier or the CHANAI PIDIKKIRAVAN , the man who walks down the road in front of your house Sharpenning the Household Knives and Scissors which have become blunt due to usage .  It was a surprise to hear the sound of KODAI REPAIRAA IRUKKAA for two reasons . For one, you hardly come across anyone who is in  this business now and for another the mix of Tamil and English in the shout " KODAI REPAIRAA IRRUKKAA "  Somehow seems to have a  unique catchy tune to it . There were atleast 3 umbrellas which were in various stages of repair for a couple of years now and awaiting handwork of  the repair man . I am sure many among you would be wondering as to why one would even think of repairing an umbrella and waste time and money doing it . I must be candid enough to admit that my own Son or Daughter would hav

       TAKING CARE OF US  22 nd April is one more Landmark Day for us  It has been 29 years since you embraced us in your fold and made us very much a part of you - MAARUTHY . I guess the one item closest to your heart after your family is your HOUSE .  The name MAARUTHY was always a favourite with my parents and it gives me an immense sense of fulfillment for naming our HOME  as Maaruthy . The pleasure is even more when I recollect the many many hours that  I spent in the scorching sun and the pouring rain while   overseeing  MAARUTHY being built brick by brick and the financial and physical hardships that we   have had to face to make this happen . The Grihapravesam on 22nd April 1992 is still fresh in my mind .  This in  a place which was originally a Cricket Ground where I had played many a match makes the memories even sweeter . My Daughter and Son too have fond memories of Maaruthy as this is the place which as a launch pad have made them into successful professionals in their fi

 Dear Sir ,  At the very outset I tender my sincere apologies for being hasty and finding fault with the delay in the 2 nd dose of being administered with Covishield Vaccine . Within minutes of sending my last  mail to you, I recieved a call from Vairavikulam PHC asking me to present myself for the second dose . Considering the fact that this is a small nondescript village , the care taken to render service in thase testing times and also considering the huge numbers involved , this does call for raising your hand in appreciation of the pains and efforts taken . THREE CHEERS TO THE MEDICAL AND     ALLIED FRATERNITY FOR MAKING THIS                                        HAPPEN  LETTER ADDRESSED TO HON  UNION HEALTH MINISTER  Dear Sir ,  SHORTAGE OF COVISHIELD VACCINE FOR 2ND                                  DOSE  It is in great distress that I write this letter . In fact I was the first person to laud your Leadership and our Dear PMs initiative after Self and Wife took our 1st Covieshie

TODAY IS THE YOUNGEST THAT YOU WILL EVER BE                                 *AND THEN IT IS WINTER* You know ... time has a way of moving quickly and catching you unaware of the passing years. It seems just yesterday that I was young, just married and embarking on my new life with my mate. Yet in a way, it seems like eons ago, and I wonder where all the years went. I know that I lived them all. I have glimpses of how it was back then and of all my hopes and dreams. But, here it is... the *back nine* of my life and it catches me by a huge surprise...How did I ever get here so fast? Where did all the years  and where did my youth go? I remember seeing older people through the years and thinking that those older people were years away from me and that I was only on the first hole and the back nine in this game of Golf  was so far off that I could not fathom it or imagine fully what it would be like. But, here it is...my friends are retired and getting gray...they move slower and I see an

  TRAVEL DOWN THE MEMORY LANE  I somehow find this *Travel Down the Memory Lane* a particularly invigorating experience . I could assign various reasons for this , Chief among which is the fact that being from the old school , I am a bit fond of being  nostalgic of past reminisces  and tend to relive the past at every opportunity that come my way . The additional fact  that I am getting on in age and any opportunity to re visit the past is always a welcome recap which I like to  treasure  in my  memory  . One such journey takes me back to the year 1976 , when I was the proud  owner of a Motor Cycle , Royal Enfield Crusader .  In those days there was hardly any traffic on the road . I distinctly remember not coming across any vehicular traffic in the opposite direction during my entire travel from Kallidaikurichy Natesan Petrol Bunk  to our Bachelor Quarters accomodation at Papanasam Madura Coats Mill Colony which could be easily in the range of 15 to 20 Kms .  In those days the only Pe

          ELECTION DAY   2021                       HIGHLIGHTS Save for the men manning the booths of the candidates and helping them out with the booth slip or the location of the polling station , there is not a soul in this wide world to take notice of you or your desire to exercise your franchise on this the polling day of 6 th April 2021 . Contrast this with the scene in Chennai . Actor Vijay revving it up on his Highend Bicycle to the polling booth to cast his vote . The visual as also the print  media are quick to attribute this ride to the perceived anger of Actor Vijay on the ever increasing  high fuel prices . The point conveniently missed out was that there were Hundreds of fans , mediamen and police who followed him on their motorbikes , scooters or cars and with their mobile camera and  burning precious and  costly fuel for a shoot with their star, This  just goes to prove the awe of a Cinema/ Star Crazy  mass of people that we have all become .   The next incident where A

शोले के इन सात हमेशा जवां वाक्यों का कोविद का रिश्ता   1   जो डर गया समझो मर गया  कैसी भी हालत हो , कभी घबराना नहीं , मुसीबत  सामना करने का धीरज रखो ,  2   कितने आदमी थे ? जहां जा रहे हो , वहाँ कितने लोग आ रहें हैं उसकी जानकारी रखना आवश्यक है , याद रखो , इसे करोना कहतें हैं , करीना नहीं  3   इतना सन्नाटा क्यों है भाई ? इस सवाल को कभी ना पूछना क्योंकि इस से भी ज्यादा और लम्बी सन्नाटे आगे दिख रही है  4   क्या समझ कर आये थे ,,,,,,,, सरदार खुश होगा शाबाशी देगा ?  दफ्तर आना तुम्हारे बॉस को कभी खुश नहीं करेगी , क्यों की वो खुद अपनी बीवी के साथ झगड़े के बाद दफ्तर समय बिताने और कुछ समय अकेले रहने के लिये  दफ्तर आया है  5   बासंती , इन कुत्तों के सामने कभी नहीं नाचना  डांस पार्टी का कभी इन्तेज़ाम नहीं करना , अगर नाचना ही है तो अकेले में अपने घर में नाचना  6    ये रामगढ वाले कौन सी  चक्की  का  आटा  खिलाते हैं  रे  अपने  बेटियों  को ? इस समय पर घर  के काम आने वाली  वस्तुवों  के  बारे  में खबर रखना अनिवार्य  बन  जाता  है  7   अब तेरा क्या होगा रे   कालिया ? इन सब बातों के बाद भी अगर कोविद की लड़ाई मे

  TAMILNADU ASSEMBLY POLL 2021 Over the years , I have had occasions to be a responsible citizen and cast my vote at 3 diverse  places like Sion - Koliwada  in Mumbai ( What was  Bombay ) , Cashkeeper Thoppu  , close to Madura Coats Colony at Papanasam and now at Agasthiarpatty - Cambridge Higher Secondary School . From the days of the Paper Ballot Papers dropped inside the  Ballot Boxes to the Electronic Voting Machines where one can verify if he or she has correctly cast his or her vote , the change has been phenomenal and the envy of the entire world . Now to Tamilnadu Elections 2021 , the campaign itself has been different . Visual and Print  Media have had a major role to play as also the Social Media . Defacing the walls of Private Homes have become a thing of the past . It is more of a person to person even if  Digital . These Covid times have been a huge dampner to the Candidates and to the Election Commission because of various restrictions placed from time to time . The Elect

           NUMEROLOGY-FACT OR FAD  I am sure the word Numerology might sound a bit strange and outdated in Today's world. Numerology , you guessed it right is , is a study of the mystical numbers which  each letter in your name has in conjunction with your date of birth . I am sure a lot many amongst the readers might be conjuring up ways and means to delete the post and let me know in no uncertain terms as to what they think of the post . A baby born on 31 st of March 2021 ( 3+1+3 +2+0+2+1 ) = 12 = 2 + 1 = 3  , should have his or her name which adds upto ( 3 ) as totalled in the alphabet value  chart above . My parents , as also both of us had a strong belief in the mystical powers of numerology and Named our Son XYZ whereas ,  as per our custom , the very same name would  have been ABC . Now , let me narrate an incident and leave it to you to judge the efficacy of the belief  . Getting my son admitted in a college of repute was always a challenge inspite of the excellent grades a