Raasukutty's

Category: Blog

  • Barath Sister's Marriage @ Tanjore

    Last weekend, I and my college mates have been to Tanjore to attend, our friend Barath sister’s marriage. He had been to Australia to pursue his MBA degree and had turned up for the event. So we wanted it to be a get together after a long time. I was not able to board the bus on Friday night. So a group of 12 had travelled leaving me out to Tanjore.

    During the day, Barath and others had been to the Big Temple @ Tanjore, Sivagangai Park and to movies ‘Siva Manasula Sakthi’ and ‘Vennila Kabadi Kulu’.

    Myself, Srikanth and Sakthi took to travel on Saturday. Since it was an auspicious day on Sunday (Muhurtha Naal, when a lot of marriages and ceremonies take place), all buses towards Tanjore and other places were full. We didn’t have our tickets reserved. We waited from 9.30 pm till 11.30 pm without seats. Atlast, when all hopes of getting a decent bus was shattered, we got a AC bus to travel. God Save! Begin the journey.

    We reached Tanjore at 6.30 am on Sunday. The marriage function was from 9.00 am to 10.30pm. ‘Long time no see’ wishes, curses for not coming on friday and welcome chats later, we were in the marriage. Lot of people had come to attend the marriage, most of them Barat’s relatives. After the marriage, the lunch was really a feast. Nearly 25 different items served on ‘Banana Leaf’. Great sumptous meal.

    Then we relaxed a bit in the afternoon chatting with Barat, pulling each others legs. At 4 pm, we had tiffin. That was when we saw a group of small boys (school kids) playing in a ground nearby. Ratish, our captain wanted a bet match. Considering the fate of those small kids we chose to have a friendly match.

    It was great fun, with us getting thrashed by them for runs and our players failing in all parts of the game. It was really like Chennai 28 team getting beaten up by the Beach Boys (Chennai 600028 movie). In the true spirit of the game, actually all our players played using left hand so that the kids could have all the fun.

    Then we took to ‘TN07 AL 4777’ movie and then bucked ourself into SETC bus at 10.30 pm. One more trip to be frozen in memory. Really good time spent with friends after a very long time.

  • Trip to Valparai

    Last saturday and sunday, I and my friends were on a trip to valparai. The trip was actually a treat arranged by Nirmal (my school friend) as he is travelling to Australia in couple of weeks. It was supposed to be seven people by plan who were to take the trip. Last minute sickness and work at office, forced Dinesh and Srikanth to opt out of the trip. We started as per plan at 9 pm from Chennai on Friday night, in a bus from Parveen Travels onward towards Coimbatore. Myself, Sakthi, Nirmal, Sam and Guru.

    Nirmal, was the highlight of the trip. We made fun of him all through the trip. He is a great sport that he just smiled everything off. We reached Coimbatore at 8 am on Saturday. From there we hired a cab for the entire trip.

    Vaalparai is a not so well known tourist location, located on the western part of Tamil Nadu. Known for its wonderful dams, and hills, its enjoys lovable climate all through the year. Rainfall is the highest in this place. It is not well developed as Nilgiris or Kodaikanal. Hotels and Lodges are few and not so good. But it is worth visiting for its scenic beauty and clean and wonderful weather.

    From Coimbatore the route to reach Vaalparai is via Pollachi. Nirmal was insisting on having the famous ‘Pollachi Ilaneer’ (tender coconut). Our boy Sakthi, took to work, cutting the tender coconut for us. When it comes to workmanship, believe me, Sakthi is at his best. We proceeded to take our bath at the Monkey Falls. (Censored…)

    From there, at around 3 pm, we reached Vaalparai. We visited, Aaliyar Dam, Balaji Temple, Suicide Point and local spots in Vaalparai. All were tired by then, and so the day ended at Hotel Green Hills. On sunday, we checked out of the hotel and proceeded towards the Sholaiyar Dam enroute to Athirapalli Falls.

    Athirapalli Falls, a marvel. One must visit this place in one’s lifetime. It is the same falls from where Kamal Haasan jumps off in ‘Punnagai Mannan’. We spent nearly 3 hours there. Then we started back home from there, touching Trissur, Palakad and Coimbatore.

    It was a trip to remember. Thanks to Nirmal.

    Edit: Photos of Valparai Trip.

  • Carom

    Latest addition to our house, ‘The Palace’ is a new carom board. So it means lesser time being spent on my computer. Carom is easier than cycling in ‘chennai’ city. But it won’t count as a physical activity!
    So anybody visiting our house in the near future, be prepared to face a ‘Battle of Fingers’, on the carom board. Winners get sweets! Losers have to pay Rs. 500 /- to the company (which is none other than myself). You will get a cup of tea and whatever snacks available in the fridge at the moment of play. So buck yourself up and head to our house.
    Happy blogging!

  • Domain Registered – Blog moved to www.raasukutty.com

    I have registered a domain www.raasukutty.com. So I am moving this blog to the new domain. Everything remains the same excepting the design and the URL.

    Continue visiting and reading.

    Thank you all!

  • City Life and Wild Life

    I was in my hometown, Neyveli for the Deepavali vacation some two weeks back. Sitting in the garden, in the silence of the morning, I could see a lot of birds looking out for food, chirping and making the scene alive. Four squirrels were fighting over the left overs. It was nice watching them. I felt light then, a joy that can’t be described. Feeling of oneness with nature.

    There are some things that money can’t buy. One among them is this. Living in the city, I had long forgotton the charms that nature provides. A part and parcel of city life is pollution, noise and commotion. Here the most important entity becomes, money, work and speed where people themselves get forgotten. Must be the curse of city life everywhere.

  • No Snacks this time

    This is a follow-up to the previous post on Diwali. I enjoyed it well. Lots of crackers and fireworks to play with, lots of new dresses so that I could change every one hour, lots of TV programs to watch, lots of friends to greet and share the joy of the occasion.

    But, I missed out one major thing that completes the festivity. The snacks. My mom had prepared Vadai, Suliyan, Somasa, Murukku, Mixture, Ola pakoda. She had ordered for other sweets like Jilebi (Jangiri), Baadhusha etc., The day I left to my hometown, I ate at a road side shop, that left me with food poisoning of the worst degree. I could just watch everyone eating. I was on just Idli‘s and Rasam.

    Waiting for it to get over soon, so that I can feast.

  • Happy Deepavali!

    Happy Deepavali!

    I am leaving to my hometown to celebrate Deepavali with my family and friends. Happy Deepavali to all netizens. 

    Diwali Lights
    Diwali Lights

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

    Let Light destroy all the darkness out of your lives.

  • A R Rahman – The Genius

    Yesterday, I was in those slog moments (when you feel to do nothing).

    I just swithced on my PC to hear some songs. Keeping the volume full on my 5.1 speaker set, (not bothering the neighbours of course), I was just lying there on the bed hearing.

    The song was ”Malarodu Malar ingu magilnthadum pothu”‘ from the film, Bombay by A.R.Rahman. Simply superb. It can only composed by such a genius like him.

    The music, the voice and the lyrics… Soothing, insiring and comforting all at once. I was lost. Next song on the list was “Yenmel Vizhuntha Panithuliye”‘ from ‘May Madham” againg by A.R.Rahman. Stupendous! No words to describe the feel.

    What could have been running in A R R’s mind when he was composing the songs. How did he choose on what instrument should be played when (I really could not guess a lot of instruments played over in it) but it was a great arrangement. How comes he chose the right person to render the vocals. Simply A Genius is what I can say.

    These two songs changed the mood of the day. I followed it by hearing to ‘En Kaadhale’ and ‘Vennilavin Theril’ from ‘Duet’ .

    Geniuses are born! Not made!

  • Demystifying kCal – Calories – calorie

    As a part of my recent Cardio routine at the gym, I noticed a lot of difference in the units used in a lot of the machines. Being an instrumentation engineer by the degree I hold, it disturbed me a lot and I wanted to know actually what the units used indicate.

    The treadmill read the unit in kCal (kilo calorie). The cycle read the unit in Cal (Calorie).

    A unit of energy is calorie. This is what is used in physics and sciences. In nutrition, food and exercises, it is quite different. The unit of enery is measured in kCal or Calorie.

    1 kCal = 1 Calorie = 1000 calorie.

    So the next time you notice Cal in the gym, remember this!

  • Inner Calling

    What is life without an achievement? I had always wanted to live by the saying, “Live life, ‘King Size’”. Work, Earn and Enjoy life. I believe that there should be a good Work-Life balance.

    But something inside me maybe the ‘gut feeling’ suggest that, my life has a different purpose. And I feel that I am moving closer towards it. A feeling that cannot be described in words, something like being in love. I am not sure about what to do. Everything that I read, look and hear is beautiful. I have not seen a girl yet and so these can’t be taken to be symptoms of love.

    I just do whatever work come my way. Just like ‘Tom Hanks’ in ‘Forrest Gump’, putting efforts in whatever comes at me. I just have a feeling that I need to achieve something. Don’t know what? I have always dreamed about going to ‘Berlin’ (Engineering paradise), ‘Rome’ – to see all the churches. And now that feeling to go to these places is more pronounced.

    Let me wait and watch!