This = rand(thots, 1)

• Watched Unnai Pol Oruvan last weekend. A great movie. Unlike the friends I went with, I haven't seen the original, A Wednesday. I think having not seen the original helped me to appreciate movie on its own context without the inevitable comparison. While watching UPO, it took me a while to see Kamal as a common man. As the movie progressed, Kamal - the character - grew in me. Except for dialogues (only at some instances), every aspect of the movie was almost perfect. And no, I didn't find MohanLal's accent irritating. I actually liked it.
  

• Kamal proves, yet again, he is one of the few people to take Tamil Cinema to the next level. I really admire the brilliance and versatility of the man - not only as an actor - but as a movie maker. He is one of the few persons who really understands the medium called cinema. Legend!
  

• A friend sent me this clip. Chakri Toleti, director of Unnai Pol Oruvan, is in it. Funny clip.

• Things have been busy in work front. The last month has been a huge learning curve and greatly rewarding. Along with other stuff I've got running in parallel, I am happy that I've accomplished what I set to do.
  

• Weddings. Kalyanams. Engagement parties. Nichiyatharthams...September was full on!

• Later this month, one of my best friends, is getting married in Auckland. At last, I am attending a TamBram wedding after god-knows-how-many years. I cant wait for Oct 23rd. Ganesaaa!

• I hate time zones. Why do all my good friends have to live in different timezones. Hmph!
  

• I was at IKEA this weekend. I don't know what's with that place, it's my second visit there and I am writing about it again. Two things: I saw the biggest bathtub I've ever seen in my life. It was a size of a small lake. Massive. I also saw a slam-proof toilet seat. I tilted the toilet lid, and watched it slowly and noiselessly descend and close with faint click. The saleswomen pitching for the product looked very pleased. I asked her "do you have one that lifts automatically when someone approaches?", and immediately added "...and lowers when they depart?". The saleswoman gave a blank look and said "ahhh. no. sorry." Men can sometimes forget to lift the seat. This can cause a degree of domestic disharmony. I am sure IKEA will fully expound on the sales potential of the automatic seat lifting toilet. I wonder what's next?
  

• NZ playing Australia today in Champions Trophy final now. Go the Black Caps! Underdogs vaazhgha!

• I have not had Rasam for more than three weeks now. I am craving for hot thakaali rasam with poricha appalam.

• This weekend is gonna be a cookfest.
  

• I am brushing up my MATLAB skills. It's been 3 years since I've worked on MATLAB/Simulink. Hence the title of the post.
  

Random thoughts

• I saw these clips of a show by the great Kunnakudi Vaidhyanathan hosted by Vijay TV for Deepavali 200#. Sri Kunnakudi, wearing a coat-suit, plays popular movie songs to the delight of the audience. The ease and elan with which he plays the subtleties in the songs just left me spellbound. Legendary stuff! It's sad the Violin Maestro is not with us any more. His music will live with us forever.

Kaadhal Yaanai (Anniyan)

Mannil Indha Kadhal (don't miss the part where Sri Kunnakudi mimics SPB by playing the charanam without lifting the bow)

He also played: Devuda Devuda , Malarndhu malaradha, MKT's Manmadha leelai

• Is he the Tamil Russell Peters? Badava Gopi! I hope they get rid of the annoying background music for every joke. Good laugh though!

• Ross Taylor said in relief at IPL being shifted from India to SA "If you're dead you cant earn any money..." - *Tonge in cheek* Honest!

• I went hiking this week at Kondalilla National Park. It rained the previous day, the circuit was damp as we walked through the cool, lush green surroundings. The vegetation was thick (as you would expect in a rainforest) and the croaks of frogs and chirps of birds and insects were soothing to the ears compared to the monotonous server hum. The hike was going smoothly until my friend (walking first in the pack) spotted this fella on the track.

We spotted him when he was approx 2-feet away from us. Since all of us were sh*t scared of anything belonging to his species, we stood there for a moment staring at him blankly and wondering what to do. We shooed and stomped our feet to make him move. To our horror, he initially moved towards us and slithered away to his left and just disappeared into the bush. Phew...all of us needed a new set of pants!

• I found a way to make Rasam taste even better. Instead of mashing the paruppu (lentils) with karandi (spatula), mash it with your hands. Paruppu mixes well as a result Rasam tastes better. Previously, paruppu used to stand out like a distant cousin. Now it is a part of the Rasam family. If you are saying "Jee...what a genius Sriram. Tell me something new!" Well, using hands to mash the paruppu may be the proper, regular way. But that doesn't matter!. For a guy who ventured into making Rasam just few months back, this is a big leap. I can never forget my first attempt at making Rasam. I ended up making what looked like a glorified manja thanni than Rasam. I've come a long way from that.
  

• IPL: I am from Chennai. I support Mumbai Indians. Why? Here is the answer in the first few paras of this post.

• I watched Sigappu Rojakkal yesterday. A typical 70s movie. Kudos on Bharathiraja for making a psycho thriller in that era. Kamal, as usual, acted well. I wonder how this movie will be if Kamal and Bharathiraja remake this movie today. Sigappu Rojakkal II. That'll be good!
  

• Saw Ayan. A decent masala movie. Unlike other masala movie directors, I appreciate K V Anand for making the assumption the Tamil Cinema viewers have some IQ in them. You can watch the movie once in theatre for two reasons: one, picturisation of Nenje Nenje song; two, (for chics) after hearing the oohs and aahs in the theatre - Surya and his abs, (for guys) Tamanna.

• A question from my friend. What is the Tamil word for 'swipe'? (as in, swipe your credit card).
  

25 random things about me

I was tagged by Vaiji in Facebook to write 25 random things, facts, habits about me.

As I write this, I can only think of 8 things/facts about me. Let's see how I conjure up the rest (without sneek-peeking into Vaiji's list too much).

1. I absolutely love the typical South Indian Filter coffee. I don't like Instant coffee. I am not a coffee addict, I am a kaapi-addict. Being away from home, I yearn for the magical cup (or davara-tumbler) of goodness. (pic courtesy Archana)
2. KFC was my first job. Making Potato Gravy was my first task. It was yum!
3. I blog. Writing for entertainment is a good time pass. Blogging is a great way to share/vent the observations/frustrations in life.
   
4. I am a proud TamBram. I love the culture, tradition, literature, music....all the things that makes us, us.
   
5. Having a crush or even liking a person whom you've never met or spoken to sounds crazy, but it is possible. When it happens, oh boy!
   
6. I have three moles in my body.
7. My Grandma, who left the earth last week, is one of the most determined person I've ever met.
8. Good friends are hard to find. Best friends are much rarer.
9. Lately, I've been having a lot of appreciation for the old adage "The grass is always greener on the other side of the fence".
10. My favourite part of the day is early morning.
11. The next, say, five years of my life are going to be very exciting.
12. Queenstown and Milford Sound are the most beautiful places I have visited.
13. The sexiest and most attractive part of women's body? Hmm...I've finally decided it's her brain.
14. Yellow is my favourite colour.
15. When I say #14, I hate it when people giggle and say "Yellow Yellow dirty fellow".
16. I love the smell of Jasmine and Petrol. Sunflower is my favourite flower.
17. I can't stand the smell of ripe/rotten bananas.
18. I am a creature of impulse.
19. Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar and I share the same birthday.
20. I am an introvert.
21. I had a wonderful childhood. Sometimes I wish I could relive those years again. I am very grateful to my parents for my upbringing.
22. 5 movies I would like watch again: Iruvar, Fight Club, Memento, Aval Appadithan and Forrest Gump.
23. 5 people, who are no more, I would like to meet: Winston Churchill, Subramanya Bharathi, my great grand-father, Akbar-the-Great and Adolf Hitler.
    
24. I h8 it whn ppl ryte lyk tis.
    
25. I believe A R Rahman is the best thing that has happened for Tamil cinema. ARR for Oscars. Jai Ho!