Vairamuthu - The Genius

என்றன் படத்தை இமைக்காமல் பார்தணைத்து
தென்றல் விழிக்குள்ளே தேங்கிவரும் - அன்பொழுக
என்னத்தான் வேண்டும் இனிஎன்பால்; நானவளை
எண்ணத்தான் வேண்டும் இனி.

Can you appreciate the beauty in the above verse ? We all know vairamuthu and how great poet he is in tamil. But we all see him only as a song writer for movies. But we miss the great poet in him. The lucrative Cinema, hides his real talents. He is one of those writers who cannot be confined to just movies.

I recently completed the book, வைரமுத்து கவிதைகள், a compilation of his poems , in 910 pages(of course i skipped poems that are very vague and skipped poems, that i really cannot understand). Worth all the time. I am pretty sure, that i am going to read it again. there is another poem, in which he talks about "kannagi". His views are very different. If you get a chance read it to appreciate it. The title is, கருப்பு நிலா. I cannot give that poem here, because it is really lengthy. But here is another sample, (about baby)

மோக் நாடக முடிவுரை சொல்லி
வேகமாய் வந்து விழுந்த சதைத்திரை
-----
இருளின் நிழலில் இருவிழி மூடி
இருவர் நடத்திய இன்ப வழக்கின்
விளக்கம் சொல்ல வெடித்த சாட்சி
பிளக்க கூடா வெண்ணிலா துண்டு
-----
தடுக்க கூடிய தவறு இருந்தாலும்
படுக்கை வகுப்பில் பருவம் நடத்திய
காமக் கணக்கில் கடைசி மிச்சம்
சாமக் கவிதையின் சரித்திரப் பக்கம்
-------
(And the following is my favorite in the same poem)
-------
விந்தை தின்று உயிர் விளைந்ததே அதுதான்
விந்தை மாபெரும் விந்தை மண்ணில்
விழுந்ததும் குழந்தை வேதனை பாடி
அழுவதும் முனகி அசைவதும் ஏனோ ?
மரணக் கணக்கில் மற்றும் ஓர் பெயரைக்
குறித்துக்கொள் என கூறத்தானோ ?

Amazing rite? and the following about water scarcity in india

உயிரை பிதுக்கும் கூட்டம் அவளை
ஒதுக்கி தள்ளுது வீதியிலே
மயங்கி விழுந்த மயிலின் முகத்தில்
நீர்த்துளி தெளிக்க நாதி இல்லை
மங்கை சுமந்த தங்க மண்குடம்
மண்ணில் சிதறி தெறிக்கிறது
கங்கை காவிரி இணைப்பு திட்டம்
கையெழுத்தில் தான் இருக்கிறது

There are many other great poems in his book. If you have interest in Tamil, no, தமிழ், read the book.

Book Review: The Life and times of the thunderbolt kid.

This is one of pretty good books, i read in recent days. I loved it. This book explains to you, how America was in the 50s. According to author, (and i accept, after reading the book), the best time to live in this world is US in the 50s.

I always regretted one thing about me. I almost forgot my childhood. I really cannot recall a significant thing in my childhood life. But this book, really reminded me of all the things i did in schooldays. If you wanna know how America became America, read this book.

One warning though, If you a kind of person, who don't like to laugh in public or who finds it a bit embarrassing, don't read this book in public. I was laughing so hard, passengers in the bus started to look at me differently. It was all worth it.

Book Review: View from the outside

A view from the outside - By P.Chidambaram (FM of india)

This is another Good book i recently read. I recommend this to anyone with interest in politics and economics. It is surely worth your time.

Our FM proves it to you by this book, that he is not just another politician. He is not one of those for sure. He proves to you what a Harvard degree can do to a politician. After reading this book, you will wish that all politicians have foresight and wisdom like this man. I did.

This book is a compilation of the articles that he wrote in the "Indian Express", when BJP was in power and when congress was an opposition party. He is not afraid of commenting Congress party, when they make mistakes. He is not reluctant in congratulating the BJP when they do something good. Even though he is in Congress, he praises the good deeds by Vajpayee.

This book is an enlightenment, if you have no idea about what is going on in Indian politics and in the Indian form of government. A very good book.

But one thing is hard for me to digest. The author explains the various forms of bad governance in India. True, i agree all that he is saying. But i wonder, why nothing has changed even when they are in power?

Well, that is the beauty of Indian politics, isn't it?

Book Review: River out of Eden !!

"And the river flew out of Eden to water the earth !!"


It is an amazing book by Richard Dawkins. His narrative style in this book is pretty damn good. This is basically a book about evolution. Anyone at the brink of being an atheist, will become one, after reading this. Anyone who doesn't believe that God really created all this, will enjoy this book.

I was fascinated by his explanation on how a human eye evolved from normal skin. Everything that he says, is not just his assumption or his view, but proven scientific fact. But many people might not find it to be true. I would say, the reason is, we are tamed to think and believe in such a way. This book questions that very basic way of our understanding. So how can you expect everyone to accept it?

He explains where and how the early Adam and Eve lives. He concludes that the early Eve lived in Africa. This Eve that he mentions is not the one in Bible. But his imagination of the first Homosapien. He mathematically explains to you the years that took for the homosapiens to evolve from a single celled organism.

One other fascinating theory put forth in his book is about Mitochondria. We all know, it is a part of the cell. (I still remember this, "Mitochondria is the Powerhouse of the Cell". Because this is one of the very important fill-in-the-blank questions in our stupid state boars syllabus.) Well, coming back to the point, the author explains to you how a mitochondria resembles and works like a Bacteria. He then explains how a human being evolved from a bacteria, which he assumes to be a mitochondria itself. You gotta read it to realize it. Amazing !!

If you like fascination, and evolution, read it !! I strongly recommend.

But to tell where i stand with respect to God belief, i personally don't think God created everything, or he is watching everyone of us from the above. I personally don't think we are all made for a reason. We human beings are the tiny little part that balances a very long and old equation. That is it. We are just one of the various probabilistic possibilities that could happen after big bang.

But i choose to believe in God. I choose to believe in Heaven and Hell. At least the fear of heaven and hell gives people a bit hope and it regulates life. What i hate is the baseless murders in the name of God. Probably i should recommend this book to the Muslim jehadis and the Hindu RSS.

Singapore MRT system

After the project meeting, i was returning to my room, and on my way saw the thrid circle lane coming up in our campus. I mean the new MRT coming in Singapore, which will be fully operational in 2010. Well, if these people say 2010, then 2010 it is. Not like india.


Also i learnt that before 2016, 100 more MRTs are coming up in singapore. For someone who doesnt know singapore well, when all these 100 more MRTs are constructed, you will be able to see the next MRT from the current one. That is how small the country is and how much more MRT stations they are going to add. It is quite astonishing.





I compare this with chennai, which is almost equal in size as in singapore. But 3 times the population of singapore. Chennai roughly has 20 stations, with a very low number of people using the MRTS everyday. I can see how far we still lag behind singapore. I can only worry about it. Nothing can be done.

Apprantly the government here wants to reduce the number of cars and encourage the poeple to use the MRT instead of cars. Nice move, i should say. Very nice indeed. Instead of cars just clogging the streets, they can reduce the traffic; they can reduce the number of accidents; they can reduce the amount of petrol used and eventually reduce the dependence of the country on oil; they can reduce inflation as people will be saving a lot more than normal, etc,etc,etc..... Above all, what makes me happy the most is, they will reduce the green house gas emission in singapore. All the countries should learn from this small, but smart country.

Way to go !!

NIU Massacre

Just wanted to reflect my thoughts after learning about the tragic NIU incident.

Why so many massacres in schools? Why in US alone? Is it because the youth in US are really stressed out? Is it because they dont have a filter for their stress?

Or is it a global phenomeno in every school, which we are not sure yet, as the "Guns for your safelty" culture is not widespread as it is in US?

Something has to be done. Life is not supposed to be this hard. It is not supposed to be this complex. But why is it so ? Did we humans make it into a complex filth, by our ideas and systems?

We humans, assume materialistic things are important. We define success and failure. We define winner and loser. Are we stringent in our definition? If so, can it be changed? i sincerely doubt it. People who are "successful" are successful because all others define success that way. As we define it, that is where the problem starts.

I would say, the Gun culture in US is the biggest problem why innocent people are killed for one persons wishes. May be the guy wanted to tell the world something that he thought will be powerful if he did it this way. Two things they can do, restrict the usage of guns or make the world a better place to live. The second one is far away from reality. So temporarily, they can do the first one.

First of all,

Before i tried to write a blog, i tried to find any reason, why i should write one. I was worried if i will be able to maintain it. Am writing the blog now, but it doesnt mean i am truly convinced that i will be able to maintain it, but i am truly convinced that i should try.

After some time, When i read all my blog entries, i should get a different feeling, good or bad, doesnt matter. I should be able to recall the thoughts. May be possibly change my ideas and views.

That is my end expectation.