Alchemist-quote doest work!

Last three weeks have been SO packed up that many a time I almost forgot to breathe. Every day was as special as it could be, birthdays to wedding; ahem squeeze my day between them. Nita's reception was fab, food was fab square. Dad's birthday was AS special AS always! (shhh... keep it to yourself - dad hardly seems to be aging). Then came Magss result which had all of us smiling! Couple em with Jai's mehendi-reception-marriage which set three of my days super packed. It was AMAZING! Especially to catch up with the girls after an eternity :D

After all the hopping around, I was down with hay-fever... of course got over it after popping anti-histamines. This Saturday was a MEGA washing day, which left poor me running upstairs and downstairs with buckets of clothes :|

Finally I was breathing at a normal pace yesterday. All of a sudden, I had to remind myself of Paulo Coelho. Maams came home with wet dough packets, which he had apparently left in the bike. I was asked to pick them up. I did an excellent job of breaking the strings and dropping the WHOLE packet of wet dough on the portico. Not to forget, it was 10.30 PM. Later, did amends by washing the whole area. Phew. It was SO disgusting. MAN!!! Why can't one breathe???

When you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it.

I certainly did not want to finish my day like that.

Irrelevant Sequence

I was angry.
He was busy.
I eased my tension with an sms.
His eyes were intense and calm.
I had butterflies in my stomach.
Wonder what happened there?
I heard laughter.
They had me talking.
I was thinking before I talk.
He had to deliver lines.
There were humorous initiators!
Banquet was laid.
I bade goodbye.
End of Act I

I called up.
He was busy.
He called up.
I spoke it all.
His voice was intense and calm.
End of Act II




The Typical "he"
The Special "he"
The Lovable "he"





signed
07.06.09

Anger is deadlier than Cyanide.

...even though it doesn't kill man at once :(

“Speak when you are angry -
and you'll make the best speech you'll ever regret.”
- Dr. Laurence J. Peter
American "hierarchiologist", Educator and Writer.
1919-1990

Nothing can be explained better than this quote and how much I regret has absolutely no words. Initially I was playing the silent-bird to him. Of course, he could understand there was something nagging at my mind. So he insisted that I pour out, to which I refused like a darling. How long can one put up an act, when your heart is seething with anger?
Thus, it happened.
I explained him that I never liked the way he justified his loved ones behavior. He could do nothing more but justify again. In response to the topic (spoken on May 1st) I gathered incidents ranging the last six years, how things were and how things are. Sporadically diverging from the topic under discussion is an inherent nature of a woman. I say so as I am a woman and may be that's why I can very well understand the truth.

So a trivial issue, which could have easily passed for a tiny rebuke, which could have been easily swept under the carpet was dug SO deep that there were holes in our hearts.
Irreparable, irrevocable damage done. I am repenting now. What the heck is the use? Where was my sanity when I was pouring out my accusations? Uh. To all the wonderful women out there, we know that we are the most beautiful creatures of the animal kingdom. So able of creating lives. Nothing comes without a price right? The price we have paid to our creator is the slashing tongue.

God! I'm seething with anger now, apparently at me.

How may I help you today?

Amma doesn't go around the world cribbing about the incompetency of her electronic items. If she does, she cribs about it only to the Customer Service.

#1
Amma had a problem with the microwave, which was then sent to the Service center. The person in charge said- "They were of spare-parts and it'd take a week". A week's time turned into three and four, which got mom freaked up. Cos at home, we were almost dependent on Microwave and a month without it was SO though. Mom then called the Cust Service at Delhi and bashed him diplomatically.
In the next three days, we had our MW back home. Mom couldn't contain her surprise and asked em how come SO soon, to which the attendant replied-
"They were asked to replace our faulty MW's part with that of a NEW microwave, as they were still short of spare-parts" :D

#2
The Onida Washing Machine that stepped into my house, replacing the old fourteen year old Onida, was a headache. It posed numerous problems in a matter of 1 year. Mom wrote a LONG letter to the Onida Head Office, explaining how good the old machine was and how she expected the same.
In two weeks we had the Manager with the Sales director at home!! They offered to replace the machine and replaced the same the very week. That was unexpected.
So, that was another story with a Happy ending... hehehe!

I don't know if I have inherited these genes from my mom. But we both have a tendency to file a complaint with the corresponding Customer Service, once we realize the product is faulty.

#1
After having a sumptuous dinner at KFC, which was partially unfulfilling as we had to scream out for sauce. All I could think of the next morning was to find out a way to make a complaint. I finally found out the International online Customer Service forum http://www.kfc.com/contact/
I emailed them.
Hello,
We have had N number of dine-ins and take aways at KFC's. The dine-ins are partially ruined by the way we have to scram out for sauce. What is more irritating is that sauce sachets are handed out, so we end up screaming for scissors.

2 days later, I had a mail from the International Customer Service, directing the Citicentre's KFC outlet to look into this issue.
And thus this email -
Dear Ms.Kappu,
We have received your mail regarding the difficulty you faced to peel the sauce.We appreciate your suggestion for issuing sauce bottle to the customers.We have taken your suggestion to our higher official . I Mr.KS.Manikandan the Manager of KFC Citicentre,would like to invite you and your family for a lunch or dinner, at our restaurant.Please feel free to call me. 9962122***.
Regards
KS.Manikandan
KFC Citicentre

:D what a laugh me and my mom had over this!
Alas, we didn't have the time to lunch. I made Mr. Manikandan a call and refused his offer :|
I still don't know if the sauce sachets have been replaced, that's a different story altogether! :D

#2
After Pretty not being able to send sms, I called up Hutch Care (aka Vodaphone). The IVR was irritating, we did not find any option to contact the Customer Service Executive.
Then I had this message calling for my feedback from 6790,
to which I replied-
"It's horrible. Not pleasing like the Hutch care that was once there.
Pls revert, else it might give Vodaphone a bad image. "

Needless to say, I promptly got a call from them. I explained them saying "All I needed was a PERSON to help me. I couldn't find that option in your menu and it is irritating."
To which Ms. Suganya (the lady who called me) said please try calling us once again and irrespective of the menu, select option #4 (Berserk right? I had an issue with sending and receiving SMS, though I had to selected this option which was meant for Roaming Related services)
Voila, I was attended to by a CS executive and Pretty's issue resolved.


#3
Durable Chrome Factory. Durable? What a name for shoes that don't even last a month. After repeated purchases and disappointments, I persuaded the manager to give me the contact no of the authority in charge for complaints. I am yet to call that man and start off.

Yes. AGAIN :D

Love you Pa..

Yesterday was the first time the trio - me, Sush & Minu went out together. We three have been at each other's places every other day, stood on the roads speaking for hours and all that, but "hang-outs" were not prominent. If they happened, only two of us would make it, it would somehow so happen that the third black sheep would opt out.
Minu and I have oft been out, sometimes even caught red-handed(then, it wasn't easy to go out with your friend with the so called board-exams round the corner)! But with 13 years of friendship between us and with just 100 mts of distance between our houses, we never went out as a trio... pathetic right?

We made up for ALL that yesterday ;) We went out for a movie "Abhiyum naanum". A poignant movie, a lil' exaggerated with unnoticeable logic-flaws, stolen BGMs, nevertheless pleasantly sentimental and makes one have a bitter-sweet longing for those beautiful growing up days.

When I say beautiful, I meant those plain beautiful memories, evergreen ones that I still remember vividly today.
I still remember Appa's arrival at the airport being a ritual. I would run up to him and jump onto his hands. He used to carry me, right from when I was 7 to when I was 12, and never complained of how heavy I was!

When I was thirteen plus, I'd sit in the living room engrossed in TV neglecting mom's threats. Apparently I used to fall asleep watching the TV. Dad will then have to carry me upstairs. At this hour, I can't even climb two flights of stairs without gasping for breath and HE had to carry 45kgs upstairs!!

Appa never used to bother about my study-regime and I loved that trait of his. Till date, I haven't known any friend of mine whose Dad seats them on their laps. I'm 24 now, my dad does it even today leaving my mom frowning at the scene and saying :
"4 kalutha vayasagidichu" *
(I feel SO loved when I think of those incidents)

Today I feel I'm old enough to take my own decisions, why.. impose my decisions on my dad. Dad's lil' girl is nowhere around...
Yet... after all the years, after all the change, after having experienced your bouts of anger at times, I love you the same dad.

I remember when I used to be 5 yrs you'd ask me "How much do you love Bapak?" and I'd promptly reply "sky much, sea much.."
I still love you that way.
Happy Valentine's day, Dad :)

* "4 kalutha vayasagidichu" : Four times the age of a donkey. A donkey has a usual life span of 25 yrs (25 * 4 = my age!) :D

To the Pearl City

Well, this week started with me being back to normal. In short, putting an end to the never ending tours. Phew I'm SO tired and I'm tiring myself out by writing a post. What do you call that?

So, 21st night I missed the "Pearl City express" by 1 minute.
Ask me the value of a minute now.
We (me & mom) were half way up the escalator only to see the train leave. Luckily we evaded the 15 hr tiring-bus-journey by taking the Nellai express! lucky me! luckyyy me!! It was a special train (especially for me hehehe)

From Nellai to the Pearl City, then picked up by Gs men. R.e.s.t.
By the eve, we were all set to see virtuoso Sudha Raghunath sing. It was simply a treat. She sung some of my favorites -
Kurai onrum illai, Idathu patham thooki, Valli kanavan perai. wow.
The "thani avarthanam" was amazing as well.

The next morning 23rd was cats' birthday and we wished him. Off we went to Gs marriage then! The marriage was super different. mj was there *winks*. Lots of fun, lots of photos and wonderful time (on and off stage) teasing friends to death!

That noon we left to MDU. I guess my Gramps bought the whole market for us to eat. I've put on 2kgs .....wwwwwaahh ;( later that evening at the Meenakshi Temple we witnessed "Mookuthi puja" and "Palliarai puja". The following day we went to thirupovanam and brought athai back with us. On the way we popped at Meenakshi Temple and bought LOTS of bangles.

That night I couldn't get myself to sleep, cos we had to take the morning train and I'm not missing another one!

Paint the "Hometown" red.

As a matter of fact, this post should be called:
"On a Temple spree - Part #2".
I never knew that a visit to my hometown can be clipped with SO many visits to the nearby temples. The day after Pongal, we were in our Hometown. I was drinking in the beauty and space of our house. Waking myself, filling me with ample memories -
Photos, photos and more photos.

The next morning, we (cat, ma, pa & appatha) left to Palani. To choose "Palani" of all places, that too during "Thai". Phew. But my never-say-die father finally took us there, got us squeezed amongst the thousands of devotees and brought us back safe.

The next two days were to be spent at "Pudur" my gramps birthplace and "Vegupatti" irrefutably appatha's birthplace.
So many relatives, so many feasts and more photos where-ever-I-go.

I chanced upon my forefather's photo, I promptly clicked it up.
Clicked it, not picked it! Thanks to the digicam, of late one doesn't have to steal photos :D

We skipped the trek to "Piranmalai" cos...
(A) it was late & (B) cat was unwell.
On the way back home, we stopped at "Samayapuram" (it was 9.00 p.m. and the temple closes at 9.15 p.m.) and in spite of the plight, we were invited to a good darshan.

At 3.15 a.m. our mpv screeched to a halt at my doorstep.
Later, I had a 12 hour sleep and here I am.
Again, It won't be blinks before I'm off!

The Good, The Bad and The Ugly

24.11.2008
The Good
A teenie-weenie cyclone that popped out of nowhere was determined to cause more destruction that it actually could. This morning, electricity was suspended. I appreciated my inverter like never before. We decided to stay at low consumption mode (cos of cats' exam), turned off the TV and turned to the books.
Books(!) the best thing after a LONG time. Amma, Appa and I were poring over books like never before. It was bliss. My bro busied himself with books too - well, thanks to the Survey exams. Suddenly he was in high spirits, by high I mean real HIGH. Seems the exams were postponded. Later, we spoke through the night... Cyclone?? The day was simply great.

25.11.2008
The Bad.
The morning was calm as well. More books, more chat. Reality struck me later, out on the roads the water levels were ankle-high and since the rains never stopped, they were obviously expected to rise. The rains were SO heavy and SO continuous . "Chembarambakam" dam reached its' full capacity and its' gates were opened. This plainly meant a mini-flashflood was on its way!
I was getting slightly worried about the floods (and that I had to bunk German class) when I promptly got a call from Max Muller Bhavan saying classes were suspended! Great!
By the evening the inverter quit working. No complaints, it did a great job of sustaining a day and three-fourths. Lanterns, mosquito repellent sprays and slight annoyance in the air.

26.11.2008
The Ugly.
No electricity yet. Worse, my cell had "almost" no charge. As if switching off TV, PC wasn't bad enough, I even had to switch off my mobile. Judicious usage :|
It was then we got to know about the attack in Mumbai. Noone can a thing, but pray. We prayed, hoped. Hoped that the attacks ceased. Hoped for the savior "electricity" to be back. Most of all hoped to catch a glimpse of what happened.
Finally by the night, say 10pm, electricity supply was regained. Horror was splashed on the Television. I just fail to understand, how can so much of brutality be present in a human brain. Plain barbarism, plain stupidity.
The following day, the dead heroes were saluted.
I salute these men who gave their lives for us.
I'd now salute the living heroes, those men whose names I not know of, the men whose names will be splashed by the media someday.


P/s My connector was short-circuited. Thanks to the rain.
My eyes are much better today due to the "Lack of internet" so long.

Me and Diwali

Me and Diwali, the mastercard way! :D

Clothes : 3,300 INR
Crackers : 4,200 INR
Irritating the A-cube neighbor with "nonstop" fireworks : Priceless.

There are some things that money can't buy.
For everything else there's ATM.

ATM = A Talented Magnate.
Of course, my dad!