Potpourri - October Edition

சன் டிவி தான் எந்திரனை விட மாட்டேன் என்கிறார்கள் என்றால் நானுமா? என்ன கொடுமை இது.

அலுவலகத்தின் அக்டோபர் மாத இணைய இதழில் வெளிவந்தது.

Archive வேண்டும் என்பதால் இங்கே சேமித்து கொள்கிறேன்.

புளித்த மாவு, சொரிந்து சொரிந்து... முதலான சாத்தல் கமெண்ட்டுகள் வேண்டாமே ப்ளீஸ்.

Endhiran - The Robot
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One dreamer, One hundred brilliant minds, one 60 yr old magician, electrifying a million hearts’

‘Breaking News - Its official now ...The missing piece of the Apple logo was eaten by Rajnikanth.’

‘Those who don't get tickets for Robot, watch my movie ‘Anjaana Anjaani’- Ranbir Kapoor’


These were few of the top tweets in October as it was 'Endhiran' fever all over.

“What if a Robot starts ‘feeling’?” That's the one liner of Endhiran – a science fiction, seasoned with love and sentiments to suit the Indian audience.

Chitty, an ‘artificial intelligence’ fed Robot, falls in love with his creator Vaseekaran’s girlfriend Sana. He kidnaps her and creates his own kingdom of super powerful robots. The rest is to watch on screen.

Shankar, the director, having done enough work in the past on corruption based stories, has taken up his mystical project, as he says so; relying on Rajini’s magic & Kalanidhi Maran’s finance & marketing. Rajni Kanth plays a dual role as Vaseekaran and Chitty. His performance as Chitty 2.0 is awesome and his fan base must be undoubtedly happy to see their hero back in negative roles as the late 1970s. Aishwarya Rai looks as graceful as ever.

It’s needless to talk about AR Rahman’s music? On the day of the audio launch, Endhiran broke all previous sales records across the globe and had occupied the number one position for the most number of downloads in Apple I-Tunes chart.

The songs sequences are a visual treat, especially the ones shot in Machu Pichchu and the Brazil desert.

The movie has a fast and witty first half but the second half is very lengthy. It lacks a crisp screen play. However the last 30 minutes of graphics show is commendable for an Indian movie.

My Verdict: Endhiran is a thorough entertainer and value for your money, though not better than Shankar and Rajini's earlier bests.

Meal with Monkeys

அலுவலகத்தின் இணைய மாதாந்திரி, "Potpourri " யின் ஆகஸ்ட் எடிஷனில் வெளியானது.

Have you ever shared a meal with a monkey? Well, I have and not just once!


About seven years ago, five of us, happily planned a day out to Nandi hills.

This story is not about where Nandi Hills is and how we went there etc. You always have internet to help with those details. There is one piece of information that you can’t fine on the internet: Carry a long stick when you go there. Let me tell you why…

We, 5 girls, were staying together back then and we cooked/packed chapattis and chole for a grand lunch up hill. As we got down at the top of the hill, we were all really hungry. The first thing we did was to open our lunch pack. We were thick friends, so thick that we planned to eat together from the same plate. So there it was, one plate of food and five hands attacking it. Suddenly we realized there was a sixth hand, much faster than the rest, which looked quite different than the manicured, nail polished hands, so to say! Only God Nandeeshwar knows when Mr. Monkey silently joined us. And he enjoyed our cuisine, as we all ran meters away from our food and him.

I said not just once! This time, about 2 months back, Nandi Hills with my family… Curd rice and potato fry. On our way, I was describing my earlier experience, and hence we decided to finish lunch down hill and then drive up. To our misconception, about twenty monkeys surrounded us as we just opened the box. This time no sharing meal!! They just took away the all the food including the box.

Later I gathered that the monkeys are scared of sticks and it seems the longer the stick, the farther they stay. So, unless you want to share your meal with the monkeys, carry a long stick along.

Earlier Nandi Hills was called Ananda Giri meaning The Hill of Happiness and it indeed is.

Potpourri - May edition

எங்கள் அலுவலகத்தின் இந்த மாத இதழில் வெளி வந்தது.

While in France
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“You are not supposed to eat rice with spoon”. I literally choked when he said this, on my first ever flight, and in my first ever trip abroad. I did not know the ‘western eating etiquettes’ until this man, seated next to me, an Indian but settled in Paris for about 17 years, objected. “You will represent India and you should know how to eat”…he continued making me conscious along his boozy sips. “Rice with a Fork and the Fork in left hand… mind you”. Luckily during my next meal, he wasn't’ awake.

Food is close to anyones heart. When you are away from home for a while, anything that was slightly Indian would do wonders to your taste buds. In the most happening street of the most romantic city, the Champs Elysees (say it like Champsaleezey; not as tough as ‘Khan from the epiglottis’), I have once for ever eaten the national dish of France - ‘Crepe’ which looks like our dear ‘Dosa’.

Having craved for home food for a while, I jumped on it, to know that it’s just wheat flour without salt spread on hot pan; and with choices of veg. toppings like cheese, spinach, and mushroom and yes, even CHOCOLATE... The rest is for your imagination about someone who ate a wheat dosa minus salt with a chocolate topping.

I happened to dine at one of my colleagues’ house and the chicken served was way too soft and delicious. I could not resist asking for the recipe from his wife. To which, she said, ‘it's a duck brought from the north of France and cooked with the traditional French spices after marinating it in white wine for three days’. Now take that!!

When I was in...

எங்கள் அலுவலகத்தின் இணைய இதழ், "potpourri " யின் ஏப்ரல் மாத இதழில் வெளி வந்த எனது கட்டுரை.

என்ன எழுதுவது என்று தெரியாமல் முழித்து கொண்டு இருந்து விட்டு, "படைப்புகள்(?) வந்து சேர வேண்டிய கடைசி நாள்" அன்று நொட்டு நொட்டு என்று எதையோ தட்டி,தேற்றி அனுப்பியது. மற்ற படைப்புகள் அவல் உப்புமா ரகத்தில் இருந்து விட்டதாலோ என்னவோ, இந்த முறையும் 'ஷார்ட்லிஸ்ட்' ஆகி விட்டது!

Denmark - A Happy Country
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Whoever stayed abroad for a while would have this “When I was in …” weakness and mine is “When I was in Denmark”…

When I first pronounced the Danish word ‘Islandsgade’ as Ilandsgade, I was looked at like an illiterate. It had to be eeSlandsgeyl which meant Eslands Street. We have to say I like EE, J like Y; Y like U and Danish alphabets doesn’t have W, so we say WLAN like V V LAN.
Work life in Denmark was ‘COOL’ - we called it a day at 4:00PM; I would leave my clients in Bangalore still working at 7:30PM IST during day light saving ;-). The taxation is unimaginable at 45% for a moderate salary but that's how we enjoyed world class public transport and medical facilities.

Danish parties are quite WET and boring for some one who is a tea totaller. Imagine you just sipping a glass of coke for the whole meal and the one next you is drinking more than he is eating.White wine to start with, Red wine with the main course and then Vodka and Bailey’s for the dessert. Just like we buy rice or wheat, the Danes buy cases of beer on Fridays.

Standing on top of the lighthouse at ‘Skagen’ - the northern tip of Denmark, where the Baltic Sea and North Sea rendezvous, would be an out of the world experience.

No wonder Denmark is rated the happiest country to live in, with its population being just five million and its people being so honest/humble/helping.

A carpenter visited us during our stay over there, who said, “As per our economy ratings I am below poverty line; but I go from my own house to a pub every Friday driving in my own car”.

Potpourri

Potpourri ன்னா என்ன?

"Assorted Collection" ன்னு அர்த்தம். கிட்டத்தட்ட நம்ம அஞ்சறைப்பெட்டி
மாதிரி.பெரிய gift shops க்கு சென்றோம் என்றால், காய்ந்து போன, வாசனை நிறைந்த பூ இதழ்கள், பழ தோல்கள் எல்லாம் ஒரு transparent பெட்டியில் போட்டு, அதுக்கு ஒரு கலர் ரிப்பன் கட்டி யானை விலை ஒட்டி வைத்து இருப்பார்கள். அதற்கு potpourri என்று பெயர். பல பாடல்களில் இருந்து சில சில பகுதிகளை எடுத்து அதையே ஒரு தொடர் பாடலாக அமைப்பதை 'medley' என்று சொல்வார்கள். இதுவும் கூட ஒரு வகையில் potpourri தான். 'T' சைலன்ட்டாக 'powpuree' என்று உச்சரிக்க வேண்டுமாம். சரி நான் ஏன் இதை பற்றி இப்போ சொல்கிறேன்?

எங்கள் அலுவலகத்தில் ஒரு 'intranet' மாத இதழ் துவங்கி இருக்கிறார்கள்.
அதற்கு 'Potpourri' என்று பெயர் வைத்து இருக்கிறார்கள். இந்த மாதம் தான் முதல் edition.
மார்ச் மாத துவக்கத்தில் இதற்கான அறிவிப்பு வந்தது.

"புத்தக விமர்சனம், சினிமா விமர்சனம், சமையல் குறிப்புகள், பயணக்கட்டுரை என்று எதைப்பற்றி வேண்டுமானாலும் எழுதி அனுப்புங்கள். படைப்புகளை தேர்ந்தெடுப்பதில் நடுவர்களின் தீர்ப்பே இறுதியானது. படைப்புகள் அனுப்ப வேண்டிய கடைசி தேதி...."

புத்தக விமர்சனம் என்றதும் மனசுக்குள் ஒரு bulb மையம் கொண்டது.  இட்லிவடைக்கு தமிழில் எழுதிய "2 States" விமர்சனத்தை அப்படியே ஆங்கிலத்தில் மாற்றி அனுப்பி வைத்தேன்.

"நல்லா இருக்கு, shortlisted .ஆனால் ரொம்ப பெரிசா இருக்கு. எங்களுக்கு
350 வார்த்தைகளுக்குள் சுருக்கி அனுப்பவும்" என்று பதில் வந்தது.

எனது கட்டுரை 850 வார்த்தைகள்.

ஐநூறு வார்த்தைகளை வெட்டனுமா? அதிர்ச்சியாக இருந்தது. என்ன செய்வது என்று முழித்த சமயத்தில் தான் ஞாபகம் வந்தது. கலைஞர் டிவி புகழ் எழுத்தாளர் முதன்மை துணை எடிட்டர் ஆச்சே? கையில் வெண்ணையை வைத்து கொண்டு....

"எண்ணூத்தி அம்பதை முன்னூத்தி அம்பதாக்கணும். முடியுமா?"

"இதெல்லாம் எனக்கு சாம்கோவில் முட்டை பொரியல் தூவின மொகல் மட்டன் பிரியாணி சாப்பிடற மாதிரி, அனுப்புங்க"

அனுப்பிச்ச முப்பதே நிமிஷத்தில் முன்னூத்தம்பதா இளைத்து வந்தது 2 ஸ்டேட்ஸ்.

அதுக்கு கொஞ்சம் அப்டி இப்டி தூசு தட்டி, Potpourri குழுவிற்கு அனுப்பிச்சேன். இந்த மாத இதழில் பிரசுரமானது.

உங்கள் பார்வைக்கு இதோ:

A WEEKEND READ – Two States

Chetan Bhaghat’s best seller ‘2 states’ has a historical record, For the first time in the history of books this book is dedicated to my in-laws*, which does not mean I am not henpecked/under her thumb or not man enough. So you guess what is it going to be and your guess is intact.

Punjabi Krish and Tamil Ananya fall in love and their parents (of course) would not agree. Like our movie heroes, Chetan impresses Ananya's family. And Ananya flatters Chetan's mother. However, the families dislike each other and the lovers depart. But in the climax ‘All izzz well'.

It is the simplicity of the novel, which appeals. But it’s too simple, to make us realize that it’s in English.

Chetan criticized Tamilians for their idly, sambar, curd rice, RajiniKanth and what not? With a disclaimer that, “we only make fun of people we care for”. And it’s no less when he countered Punjabis' love for dairy products, marble flooring, dowry etc.

Watch out when you read this book in public, as it makes you laugh out louder. Chetan's sense of humor is brilliant! For instance, Ananya tells Krish that a guy had come to meet her, who was preferred by her parents to tie the knots for her, and he asked about her virginity.

"Krish, he asked if I am pure or something..."
"What is he looking for? Ghee?

Chetan says though it’s his own story, there is a lot of fiction in it. Perhaps (?) there is. He tries to emphasize that "The lingual/cultural/regional differences between two states would not only result in clashes for water, electricity and line of control but could also put someone's love life in a mishap". But given the current trend in India of making more states out of the existing, I am not sure how many of us will actually get the message?

My verdict: Set your expectations low; Pass time!

ஏங்க? எல்லாரும் மீள்பதிவு போடறாங்க. நான் மொழிபெயர்ப்பு பதிவு தான போட்ருக்கேன். அதுக்கே மொறச்சா எப்டி?