A Mother's Infinite Love. Kannathil Muthamittal.....

It's late and I am dead tired. It's a Friday night and all I want to is head to bed.
But I am here..... Posting, a piece of my heart.
To thank my visible Goddess from the very depth of my heart. 
My Amma. My mother. My life. The one I am no one, without and everything, with. 

I lost my platinum chain a few weeks back. I have been wearing it for ages. 
You see, I do not wear yellow gold. I do not fancy them. But, I adore white gold - platinum, to be exact. With a touch of diamond. This, to me, is far more elegant and swank. 

I cried when it went missing. Lots. I searched high and low - until I finally gave up. Consoled myself to get a new one by the end of the year.  I ceased to think about it much, the days after. 

I cried again, today. The only difference was, it was tears of pure joy. I was at my prayer altar, at home, when I saw,  a jewelry box engraved with the words "Habib". Right in front of my Lord Venkatasalapathi's picture. I opened it, to see a beautiful plaited pure platinum chain. And, that too - from Habib's - Malaysia's Best Jeweler. It would have cost her a fortune. 

I know. My heart is the better judge. No one could have understood how sad I was over losing the chain. No one except, Amma. And, only, she would have gone to the trouble of replacing it, for me. I remain her little girl despite me having grown as old as a dinosaur. That's what children are to their parents. Their babies, no matter what the age.

My mother. The one who has always been there and continues to be there, for me. Be it during my happiest moments or the weaker ones. I am just so, so blessed to have her rooted strongly in my life.

I went to her room a short while ago. She was fast asleep. I laid my head near her feet. My heaven is there. At her feet. Really. She IS God, to me. How else do I describe this purity ? It feels so beautiful. My head near her feet, looking over her, thanking her with all my heart and praying from the very depth of my heart, for her well being and happiness. Overwhelmed. I cried, in gratitude, for having such a wonder of a mother. I still am, as I write this. A mother's love moves mountains. These tears are trivial.....

I love you with all my heart, Amma. Thank you so much for the gift. 
We are bringing her for a vegetarian lunch tomorrow. She is life time herbivorous. My brother is also back, from the capital. It will be a moderate family affair at this newly opened restaurant named "Garam Masala" here in Sungai Petani. Ironically, this wonderful eatery belongs to my mother's niece. 

It is getting late. 12.55am ??? Ouch. This is real late, for me. I need to get up early. I have prayers in the morning. 

Good night. Stay blessed.

p/s - This song comes from one of Amma and my favourite movie. Kannathil Muthamittal is a stellar from Maniratnam. 

"Kanimozhiye" from Iraandam Ulagam. Happy December !!

I am writing today - inspired - by these oh-so-beautiful lines from a song titled "Kanimozhiye" from Iraandam Ulagam..... 
I was drawn to it, while watching the movie, at the cinema, last weekend. Vairamuthu. He is a magician of words. Tamil words - precisely. 

"நான் எட்டு திக்கும் அழைகிறேன், நீ இல்லை என்று போவதா,
அடி பற்றி எரியும் காட்டில், நான் பட்டாம்பூச்சி ஆவதா.....

விழி உன்னை காணும் போது, உலகம் தொலைந்து போகும்
என் கண்கள் உந்தன் மீதே விழுந்திருக்கும்...."

Well - here, we are. The first day of the last month, of the year. Time flies. Moments jet. 

I have a busy month ahead. One that is filled with lots of fun and frolic. 

December is, indeed the season to be jolly. Everyone is vacationing. Me, too. I LOVE holidays. Yeah - I just love holidays. Even it is only over the weekend.....

 

You see, I get absolutely excited over 2 things, :- (Both, any time, any day.....)

1. A holiday. 
2. A cup of coffee.  

I am also missing, :-

1. My father, a lot. A lot, a lot, a lot. His birthday, come this 28th December. Thus, the extra sentiments. 
2. My ferry rides, to and fro the Island of Penang. What-A-Feeling !! Unlike the romantic Kanyakumari seaside town - the boats here, are calm and safe. 

I am looking forward to, :-

1. India - very, very soon. New Delhi, Agra, Jaipur, Udaipur and Varanasi. If only I could add in Ladakh Leh..... (hmmmm.....)
2. Illayaraja's King of King's Concert - here - in Malaysia. Yipppieeeeee !!!!!
3. Year End Shopping, with my darling sister. She completes me - like a twin.
4. This blog reaching its 50,000 page views mark !!!!! We are barely 3oo hits away !!!!!
5. New Year 2014 !!!!! 

I want to write. More. Soon. Very soon. I will. I have my list of Top Ten Tamil Movies and Songs for 2013, that I want to share with my readers. I also have a list of things I want to blurt to the whole world. 

So, see you all. 

Mean while, stay safe, stay happy, be nice and stay blessed.

Blessed !!! Thanks to EVERYONE, for the Birthday Wishes !!! I am taking a bow !!!

Dear Everyone !!!
My sincere, true and hearfelt thanks to each and everyone of you, who stopped by to wish me. 
The thoughts, the wishes, the gifts, the phone calls (from as far as London, India and Australia), the sms's, the Facebook messages, the emails, and above all, the genuine blessings made me realize more than ever that I am indeed surrounded by love - every nook and corner. 
Thank you so, so much - from the bottom of my heart. It was another beautiful and cherished birthday. 
This is the cake I cut, and want to share with everyone of you. Virtually, for now. Have a piece, with a smile.....
Thanks again - everyone, of you.
And, thank you Almighty God. For the blessings.....
I will write again, soon. Till then, take care. God Bless.
This is Shalu signing off with love.

Nanmaikum Theemaikum from Thenmerku Paruvakatru. YES - There IS Love After Love Failure..... :-)

Happy BELATED Deepavali everyone !!!
I couldn't find the time to write during that period - but, at least, I am doing so, now. It is better to be late than never, correct ?
Hope you all had a blast. Yes, a blast. Deepavali is undeniably - identified with firecrackers, especially in India. It has become a tradition, here in Malaysia, of lately too. I am not fond, of it, though. I stick to the simpler ones. And, spend the rest of the "cracker-time" closing my ears and finding a spot to dodge, if anything. You can call me cautious rather than "ehem, ehem..." - timid.
Only about seven weeks before the year bids goodbye. So fast. I still remember celebrating New Year 2013. Jiffy.
I watched this movie titled "Onaayum Aattukkuttiyum". The one directed, produced and written by Mysskin. I loved the pace of the movie and watched it from the very first moment until the very end, in one go. Mysskin - he startled and stunned me, with never before seen acting. Do watch it, if you find the time. This is definitely going to be on my 2013 list of zealot's favourite Tamil movie.
I have yet to watch Ajith's Arambam despite it being something that we wanted to go to, as our Deepavali family event. Also, looking forward to Selvaragavan's Irandam Ulagam (the trailer looked amazing), Cheran's JK Enum Nanbanin Vaalkai and Kalyana Samayal Saadham. 
A friend sent me a mail with this picture. The very famous Atlee's idea from the movie, Raja Rani. The one that says, "There is life after love failure. There is love after love failure." I so, so, so agree. 
Nothing beats the happiness of being surrounded by people who truly and genuinely love you. The ones who make time for you, no matter how busy their day. The ones who are there to double our joy during happy moments. The ones who are there to share our sadness when we need comfort. The ones who are ALWAYS there.
Do not chase after the rainbow. That - pops up once in a while. 
Have full faith in the sun - the one that lights our days and shines every morning without fail. Yes. That's what we all need. Sunshine in our lives. 
Just because someone has hurt you, it does not give us the right to hurt another. It also, does not give us the right, to detach ourselves, from the ones that are there, faithfully loving us. Love is beautiful. Do not let a bad episode, deter you. If you know that someone adores and loves you heaps and unconditionally, let them know, too. No one dies swallowing their pride. Ya. Give it a try. 
As I am writing this - my mind is drifting, what song to post. This gem comes to mind, at once. Vairamuthu shines with words. Tamil is too beautiful, to be explained. 

நன்மைக்கும் தீமைக்கும் இடைவெளி உண்டு
நாலுக்கும் ரெண்டுக்கும் இடைவெளி ரெண்டு
காதுல கேட்டதில் பொய்களும் உண்டு
கொளம் வத்திபோனதும் வெளிவரும் நண்டு

கருவேலம் மரத்துக்கு முள்ளே சொந்தமில்ல
கருவேலம் பட்டையும் பிசினும் இருக்குதுள்ளே
எப்போவும் கெட்டது பூமியில் எதுவுமில்லே
உண்மையக்கண்டதும் வலிக்குது உசுருக்குள்ளே 

Signing off, with love - Shalu. Stay blessed. God is with us at all times. 

p/s ;- And, make sure you let that special person know of your love for them. An email, a sms, a call, a gift, a hug, a teeny weeny effort, anything that makes them know of it..... Life is too short to be egoistic. Love is too great to be hidden. 

An Apple A Day !!!

Shalu is smiling - silly.
Yes. My birthday, which comes in the mid of November, is about 20 something days away - but I already have my first gift. Thus, the big cheesy smile.
It's an Apple iPad Mini. And - I am just deliriously happy.
I am a beginner. An Apple amateur. It's such a joy discovering the innumerable free apps that comes with this device. I am probing and prying - enthusiastically.
I already own a Fujitsu Laptop, an Acer Netbook and a Lenovo Ipad - but this, gives internet a whole new meaning. Really. I am not exaggerating. You will understand the feeling, when you own an Apple.   
So - a toast to more blogging. Fingers crossed. 
Deepavali is about a week plus plus away. Lets keep our hearts and lives - lighted, too.
Take care. God Bless.
p/s - No song for today. Bragging rights, only. LOL.

Aha Mazhaiyum Illai (Reprise) from Manadhil Maayam Seidhai

It is 12.4oam - here. Way, way pass my usual bedtime. Returned from the temple less than an hour ago. It was such an awesome feeling. Temple visits always amplify my faith. Love is abundant, there. 
Vijayadasami just bid goodbye. Today is Ekadasi. I am STILL vegetarian. Until the 17th October - the last day of Puratasi. The 30 days - is about to end. The month dedicated to Lord Vengadasalabathi. The One , I so revere. 
And, on the 18th, I have a BIG lunch date - a non-vege one - with a girlfriend. We planned this a month before, so I am truly looking forward to it. 
Great friends. They make the dullest day - shine !! She is from that category. 
Attached - today, in pictures. Captions attached.

I am going to bed. This song is playing softly. It is on replay. Something that I listen to quite regularly. I love the modern carnatic feel as well as the lovely lyrics. Semmaaaaaaaa.......
Good night. God Bless.
p/s - I am off to bed with a BIG smile. It was a WONDERFUL day !! 

Pizza, the Movie, "Nadanthathu Yennanaa" & A face smudged with a solid smile.....

Hello everyone !!!

The weather is just awesome. Right now - it is cloudy. The freshness of the breeze is streaming into our home. What-A-Feeling !!!

I am writing today due to a couple of reasons. A regular reader of my blog, wrote to me on my declining taste for good Tamil movies. Ouch !!! The open fire was a little unexpected. Hey - but let's see the bright side of it. I am honest - in whatever I write. Some movies may tug our hearts. Some may not. Opinions differ. Dispositions diversify. Something of that sort.

Take Atlee Kumar's, "Raja Rani" for example. So much of hype over it. I was dragged to the theater to watch this, what I would call - a moderate entertainer. I went on a weekend and it was a full house. Here, in Sungai Petani, Kedah - a small town with a less than 30,000 population. At the end of the day, the truth is, movies achieve box office status due to mass preference. It is fair if the movie is watchable and totally uncalled for, if otherwise. 

I am also writing because my recent days have been wonderful. I have a smile smudged on my face for tangible reasons. You will know, when you reach my last sentence and listen to the song I have picked for today. Do I say more ?

Yes - and the last reason I am here, is to scribble my appreciation for Pizza, the Tamil horror movie starring Vijay Sethupathi. I read and heard lots of positive statements regarding it. And, after searching a couple of video stores around town, I finally managed to get hold of its original DVD. I watched it, alone, during, a late evening, with a cup of hot milk tea and some cinnamon biscuits. Never got up from my comfy couch until the movie ended. And, yes - there were times when I hid my eyes with my fingers and scrutinized the dining room for any mystifying sound. I found it as an awesome watch. Really. In fact, I want to watch again one of these days. Naah - not because of Vijay Sethupathi but for being one of those truly numbered good, hair raising Tamil horror movie. Pizza is directed by Karthik Subburaj, our new generation directors, that Naalaya Iyakunar has bred. In fact, Pizza 2 (The Villa) is in the making and I am eagerly looking forward to it. 

I have been recommended Moodar Koodam and Onaayum Aattukkuttiyum. Will watch them soon and whip up if they were good.

Well, wait. You have not reached my last sentence. Yet. Watch this YouTube Tamil short film from Naalaya Iyakunar's Nalan Kumarasamy - a program I am totaly engrossed with nowadays. I laughed a barrel watching this. What-An-Idea!!!! If you enjoy this as much as I do, we would make awesome coffee mates. SWS. SWS, by the way is "smile with a smirk", my urban dictionary style. 

And, Ta-Da-Dam-Dam....., I am now, about to reach my last sentence, minus my trademark phrase. "Angnyaade" means beloved. "பசுபுரனே மழுபுரனே சொதப்புரனெ... வரவர அடிகடி சிரிக்கிறேன் மனசில உன் நெனப்பே..... அங்க்ன்யாடே, அங்க்ன்யாடே......" There is life after love failure. There is love after love failure. Atlee-ku oru, "Ohhhhhh" :-)))))))))))))) 

This is my song of the day.

My Pick - 11 Good Tamil Movies (2013) and the mindblowing Aasai Mugam by Anil Srinivasan & Sikkil Gurucharan

I am back - after the tiny interval. Please pardon me. No - not 'pardon me' Arya style in Boss Engira Baskaran. You see - days have been somewhat and to some extent, busy. There were days that I could have written a word or two. Unfortunately on those days - laziness got the better part me. Yes, there is, indeed, a small tinge of disappointment, in me due to the fact that I did not write for the whole of September 2013. It was an occupied and enjoyable month. 

October promises me the same. With Deepavali less than a month away - I have my hands full. Housekeeping, baking cookies and cakes, buying odds and ends, a Gala Dinner in KL city (two weeks from now), Navarathiri celebrations, the closure of Puratasi month and me being vegan (it was terribly hard this year around as I had so many lunch and dinner appointments), corresponding with my travel agents on tickets and itinerary for my soon to come vacation as well as other credible agendas that are not coming to mind, now. 

By the way, it is raining heavily outside. I can smell the freshness of soil seeping into my room. "Aasai Mugam" by Anil Srinivasan and Sikkil Gurucharan is playing in the background. What-A-Feeling !!! All I need is a cup of milk tea, and big bean bag in my balcony !!!!

I have watched plenty of Tamil movies lately. Yes - despite the busy days. As mentioned below BUT not in ranking. Give me until year end, for that. 

1. Kadal by Mani Ratnam - Loved it to the core. It was one of the year's best movies. 
2. Haridas by G. N. R. Kumaravelan - Another great movie. It is unfair how commendable ones like this go without applauds. 
3. Vaatikuchi by Kinslin - So, so movie. Anjali steals the show. So will the outlandish ending. 
4. Chennaiyil Oru Naal by Shaheed Kader - I was glued to my TV the entire duration. This is a Malayalam remake. Loved it. 
5. Gauravam by Radha Mohan - With a majority of debutantes and good storyline, this is surely recommended. 
6. Soodhu Kavvum by Nalan Kumarasamy - One of the new generation directors in Tamil Nadu. He is a Naalaya Iyakunar find, and thus, his ability to deliver a great comedy minus the big names in humour. This carries the 'black comedy' feel just like Nadula Konjum Pakatha Kaanum. Yes - I laughed my heart out. 
7. Neram by Alphonse Putharen - My favourite comedy for the year. Bobby Simha, Nassar, John Vijay, Thambi Ramaiah, Manobala - this was side spliting hilarious. So, so loved the ending. What an idea, what a twist !!! Go watch on a day you want to plaster a big smile on your face. 
8. Kutti Puli by Muthaiah - Sasikumar is an actor. There is no doubt about it. So is Lakshmi Menon. They are both good examples to show that glamour is unnecessary for a strong screenplay. I liked it despite its rustic background. 
9. Maryan by Bharat Bala - Yes. My favourite hero. My favourite movie. And, my favourite song - Innum Konjum Neram. All against the backdrop of the sea - my favourite hangout. I watched this twice at the cinema. Dhanush deserves an award. From the first time you see him in the khaki uniform exchanging sweet nothings over the phone to his girlfriend to the drained and run down escapee - the transformation is just irrefutable. 
10. Thanga Meengal by Ram - I am all for father-daughter movies. If you read my blog, you would know why. I expected a lot from Director Ram, so it was somehow a letdown. It teaches many good values, however. 
11. Raja Rani by Atlee Kumar - Watched it yesterday night. There is life after love failure. There is love and love failure - the movie's caption goes. Atlee must have grown up watching lots of Maniratnam movies. You will find many similarities along the movie. It is an entertainer - nevertheless.

Off to make tea. I am pretty good at it. The weather is super duper cold. Reminds me of my days in Kodaikaanal. How I miss India - ALL THE TIME. 

Music soothes the soul. Like this one. Anil Srinivasan's piano recitation is stirring. And the vocal feel by Sikkil Gurucharan. This is a mind blower.

Have lots of good days ahead. When life gets down, think of the great things you have achieved and want to. Think of your Mom and God. The dreary moments will pass by. Believe me. Love transcends all.

Take care. God Bless. This is Shalu signing off.

Shalu's soft spots in snapshots - 34 Stuff I love !!!

34 things I am fond of - in snapshots. The lazy blogger version.

Have fun. Paste a smile on your face no matter how dreary the day. Life goes on..... 

God will take care of everything.....

Of jots and mugs and zilch songs ..... Happy August !!!

Playing on the stereo in my room, as I am writing this, on replay are this 3 songs - "Yennodu Vaa Vaa" from Neethane En Ponvasantham, "Maalai Mangum Neram" from Rowthiram and "Innum Konjum Neram" from Mariyaan. 
July - was hectic but awesome. It was a blissful 31 day span. 
I had a short vacation in Bali with some girlfriends. 
I was out on a beautiful date with Mogan.
I watched Mariyaan - twice - with my darling sister who has been such a sport, despite not being too fond of Dhanush.
I spent a four day weekend in the capital of Malaysia - Kuala Lumpur - with closest family and friends.
I went furniture hunting - and am weeks away from a new, cushy, cozy and snug sofa. A self chosen fabric one - thus, the wait.
I had lunch at my work desk - on most days. 
I bought my Mom a gift - she has been wanting for some time now. 
I talked to Appa 's soul - every night without fail. I am praying devoutly for something. He is my Other God.
I met an old, humble, well mannered and friendly couple who sell rice for a living at a restaurant in Pitt Street Penang. They made me feel so sheltered.
I got a gift from a friend. A burlap diary. It was cute. I have yet to start jotting.

I love traditional Indian clothes. Churidhars and sarees - especially. My cousin who flew in from India bought me this. From Soch, Chennai. A dark green and pink kurti. Loved it - heaps.

I am keeping my fingers crossed that, August will be wonderful, too. 

I miss so many things. My father - especially. 

And, India. My motherland. The country I so love.....

And these.....

Can I skip a song ? It is getting late into the night, and I want to shut my eyes and dream.
You go do that too.....
Good night. God Bless.