Life Sucks, big time!

Unemployment can do anything to a man. In the beginning, you start to enjoy being at home all the time and doing nothing! After a certain point of time, you start to envy your friends who are in good jobs and at one point of time, you will be frustrated that a person who you think is pretty low in knowledge compared to yourself gets a job and you don't! Life sucks, alright!


Just 3 months of unemployment and I've reached to a point where I dare see myself! I got kicked out of interviews for being less confident, over confident and most of the time, it was the profile change. Expecting a Unix Shell Scripting job, I got questions for Performance Tuning in Oracle! This happens just when I feel like I can get this job and feel like entering into a comfort zone.


Now, when I finally get a good job opening - for which I'm perfectly eligible and what did I do - walked out of the interview room, because I didn't like the way they conducted the interview. I regretted a little as soon as I came outside the building of that reputed MNC, but nevertheless It's a gone option. I hope the next 3 months would be more crucial in my job hunt as the 'break-in-job-for-more-than-6-months' would be a pretty nasty damage to an already damaged guy! I hope!

A day with a North Indian in Chennai

It was a Saturday night. Boring day time and Rajesh suggested that we go somewhere. I suggested Marina Beach and Rajesh immediately accepted. Since Shyam was in office and decided to go to a movie with this ‘team mate(s)’, I and Rajesh walked to the Perungudi station and caught a train to Triplicane. Rajesh is fairly new to Chennai, so I took the tickets and we reached Triplicane. We crossed the heavy traffic Marina Beach Road and stepped into the beach sands. I checked my mobile to see the time and found a call missed.


It was from Rahul Kumar – one of my Pune team-mates. I remembered him calling me earlier that week about going somewhere. He was in Chennai for training for a short period. I completely forgot about that and left without him. So, I called him again and asked him to come to Marina. It was about 5:30 PM in the evening when he called me back and said that he’s going to get an auto. I kept telling him that autos in Chennai are quite expensive - the buses are frequent (even told him the bus numbers) and still he took an auto and the fellow took his time and showed them (Rahul and his friend Asim) most part of the Chennai.


We finally met at around 7 in the evening and until then, what interested me and Rajesh was the giant building sitting just opposite to the Marina Beach. The building was named as “Ezhilagam” and Rajesh asked me what kind of building is this or who works here? I absolutely had no clue and told him it should be something that belonged to our Government of Tamil Nadu. Until Rahul and Asim came, we roamed from the Anna Square bus-stand until the half-part of Marina and asked some people what is that Ezhilagam. Apparently, no one had a clue!


So, it was dark when Rahul and Asim finally showed up and we took some pictures and walked in the beach with all our jeans up above the knee. It was good to catch up with an old friend who’s new and unfamiliar to Chennai. Except me, all the three guys (Asim, Rahul and Rajesh) are Non-Veg. Asim was so eager to taste the ‘fresh fish’ and we stopped at a stall and brought some. They said it was good and we took more snaps. It was almost 8:30 when we decided to go home before it’s too late. I suggested that Rahul and Asim come to our room and from there, they can catch a bus to their guest house.


They accepted and we walked back to the Triplicane station and took a train to Velachery. During the train journey, Rahul showed us some of the pictures that he had taken during his Vizag trip. He was also telling us that he feels good about Chennai! We came to know that he and his friend Asim eats at an Andhra mess and it is famous for its spicy food. Along with all the other curries, they have something called “podi” which you should put in the rice and add some oil/ghee to eat. Rahul said me that when he asked for ‘podi’, everyone around him laughed out loud! He was spelling podi as pOdi (with a long o) and in Tamil, it’s an informal way of telling a girl to get lost! I told him that he should call that as podi (with a short o).


He was also staying in Guindy and he had trouble telling the name to the auto drivers. He said that as Gundy (err… means butt in Tamil) and we all laughed! When we reached Velachery, we offered Rahul and Asim the south-Indian dinner – ‘Kothu Parotta’. Both seemed to like that very much and Rahul kept asking me how to ask for this dish again! We again talked for some more time and it was almost 10 when we realized that the buses from Velachery to Guindy are not that quite often after the peak hours. We tried calling our buddy Shyam who has a bike and can drop them at their guest houses. The place is pretty near to Velachery and before Shyam could reach, we saw a bus and boarded them on it.


I called Rahul and told him the stop name that he should get down and ask the conductor to tell him once the stop comes. We had a long walk towards our room and on the way we saw Shyam and asked us to join at the Baskin Robins ice-cream parlor. Meanwhile Rahul reached Guindy and messaged us that he got into the guest house safely. We eat cones – 2 butter scotch and one vanilla. When we finished eating and the bill came by – Rs. 270. It was a shock that an ice-cream and Baskin Robins costs 90 per head! We then decided that we would never have an ice-cream again at Baskin Robins! Apart from the Ice-cream comedy, the day was wonderful with all the memories back again!

முதல் அருங்காட்சியகம்!

இருபத்தியொரு வருட திருநெல்வேலி வாழ்க்கையிலும் அதன் பிறகு அவ்வபோது வந்து சென்ற போதும் கேள்விப்படாத ஒரு விஷயம் இம்முறை என் காதில் விழுந்தது. பாளையம்கோட்டை பள்ளி/கல்லூரி சோலைகளுக்கு அருகில் அமைந்திருக்கும் அரசு அருங்காட்சியகம் தான் அது! எனக்கு நினைவு தெரிந்த நாளில் இருந்து இதுவரை ஒரு அருங்காட்சியகம் கூட சென்ற நினைவு இல்லை! தொடக்கம் சொந்த ஊரில் இருக்கட்டும் என்றோ என்னவோ இது நாள் வரை தள்ளிச் சென்ற அந்த 'அருங்காட்சியகம்' விசிட் இம்முறை நிறைவேறியது!


அருங்காட்சியகமா? திருநெல்வேலியிலா? என்று ஆச்சர்யபடுபவர்கள் (அட நானும் முதல்ல இப்டி தான் "Shock" ஆனேன்!) சமதானபுரம் அடுத்த ஸ்டாப்பில் (மார்க்கெட் மார்க்கம்) இறங்கி அங்கே இருக்கும் ஆட்டோ டிரைவரிடம் கேட்டால் சொல்வார்கள். கேள்விப்பட்டவர்களுக்கு - Water Tank பின்புறம் இருக்கிறது இந்த அருங்காட்சியகம்!


காலை பதினொரு மணி அளவில் அருங்காட்சியகத்தின் உள்ளே நுழைகையில் முதலில் கண்ணில் பட்டது அந்த பெரிய டைனாசர் உருவ பொம்மை தான்! சிறிய அருங்காட்சியகம் என்பதாலும் பெரிய கூட்டம் இல்லை என்பதாலும் அங்கே வேலை பார்பர்வர்களிடம் பேச்சு கொடுக்க தோன்றியது. 'ரதி' என்ற என் பட்டியின் வயதை ஒத்த ஒருவர் தான் நுழைவுச்சீட்டு கொடுத்தார் (ரூ. 5). புகைப்படம் எடுக்க மற்றொரு சீட்டும் தரப்பட்டது (ரூ. 20). வரவேற்பறையில் அவர் நுழைவுச்சீட்டு கொடுக்கும் அந்த அறையிலேயே அருங்காட்சியகம் ஆரம்பமாகிறது. Simple புகைப்படங்கள் - பாணதீர்த்தம், ஐந்தருவி, குற்றாலம், சங்கரன்கோயில் சுவர் ஓவியம் என ஆரம்பித்து பத்தமடை பாய், சுடுமண் பொம்மைகள் என் நீள்கிறது!

அதைத்தொடர்ந்து அருங்காட்சியக வெளியீட்டு புத்தகங்கள், நூல் நூற்கும் இராட்டு, குற்றாலம் மற்றும் டைனாசர்களின் மாதிரி (தமிழ்ல அத எப்டி சொல்றதுன்னு தெரியல - சும்மா பொம்மைங்க தாங்க). மானின் தலை மட்டும் (கொம்போடு தான்), எருமையின் தலை மட்டும் என தொங்கவிடப்பட்டு முடியும் அந்த ரூம்-ன் வலது பக்கத்தில் திரும்பினால் பழைய நகைப்பெட்டி, கல்லாபெட்டி, படிமங்கள் (Bronze) அதில் அரிசி/நெல் அளக்கும் உழக்கு என அருங்காட்சியத்தில் சற்று பழைய விஷயங்கள் ஆரம்பமாயின! இந்த லிஸ்டில் எனக்கு தெரியாதது "மரக்கால்"!

மன்மதன், ரதி மற்றும் அர்த்தநாரீஸ்வரர் புகைப்படங்களைத் தொடர்ந்து உலோக கைவினைப் பொருட்கள் (அதில் இருக்கும் சீப்பு [Comb] என்னை ஆச்சர்யப்பட வைத்தது!), அதை கடந்து வந்தது நாணயக் குவியல்! பழைய நாணயங்களின் தொகுப்பாக (Maximum Original Coins) சில புகைப்படங்களும்! அந்த புராண நாணயங்களின் லிஸ்ட் இதோ (மேலும் சில Coinகள் [அருங்காட்சியகத்தில் இல்லாதது, புதியது] பார்க்க இங்கே கிளிக்கவும்!):

கி.மு. 400 (சாதமனார்), அதன் பின் கி.பி. 100 முதல் - கணிஷ்கர், வாசுதேவர், சத்ரபர், சாதபர்னி, குப்தர், பாண்டியன், கேரளர், ராஜபுத்ரர், சாளுக்யர், டில்லி சுல்தான் அலாவுதீன் முகமது ஷா, ஷேர்ஷா, அக்பர், ஜகாங்கிர், விஜய நகரம் கிருஷ்ணதேவ ராயர், மைசூர் சுல்தான் ஹைதர் அலி, திப்பு சுல்தான், கடைசியாக East India Company!

தொடர்ந்து வீட்டு அலங்காரப் பொருட்கள், மர சிற்பங்கள், விடுதலை போராட்ட வீரர்களின் புகைப்படங்கள், சிறுவர் பொருட்கள் என முடிகிறது அந்த ரூம்! வெளியே சென்றால் தோற்பாவைக் கூத்து, பழியர் பழங்குடிப்பொருட்கள், காட்டு நாயக்கர்களின் பொருட்கள், ஆயுதங்கள், கல் ஆயுதங்கள், வரலாற்றிற்கு முற்பட்ட மன்பாண்டகள், முதுமக்கள் தாழி (Urn Burials), தனியக்குதிர், இசைக்கருவிகள் என முடிகிறது கீழ் தளம்! (இதைப்பற்றி அதிகம் எழுதி மொக்கை போடாமல் புகைப்படங்கள் சில கீழே!) என்னைப் பொருத்தவரை இதோடு அருங்காட்சியகமும் முடிகிறது! First Floor-ல் உள்ள பத்திக் ஓவியம், கலம் காரி ஓவியம் மட்டும் தான் பார்க்கும்படி! மற்றவை அனைத்தும் புகைப்படங்களே!

I liked these lines very much!

புகைப்படங்களின் குவியலில் ஒரு சில நம் கவனத்தை ஈர்ப்பது என்னவோ உண்மை தான்! Bimbetca Rockart, கழுகுமலை Jain Sculptures, Ginjee Fort, ஸ்ரீபுரம் வெல்லூர் Golden Temple என்று நாம் பார்க்க முடியாத சில நல்ல புகைப்படங்களும் உள்ளன! தொடர்ந்து கடற்பாசிகள், உலர் தாவரங்கள், தாவரவியல் பொருட்கள், மர வகைகள், கடல் விசிறிகள், பவளங்கள், துளையுடலிகள் (Sponges), முட்தொலிகள் என (புகைப்படங்கள் அல்ல) Most Probably நாம் பார்த்த விஷயங்கள் அல்லது Science Center-ல் பார்க்ககூடிய விஷயங்கள் தான்!

Welcome 2012

The year 2011 was very nice to me. Compared to my 2010 or the previous years where I had a lot of struggling for my passport and many other reasons – 2011 had been very nice to me. The year I celebrated Diwali back home after 4 years! The year I got my first Android. Most importantly, the year I left Pune once and for all! The year I made a bold decision to quit a well ‘respected’ company just because they did not give me a transfer to Chennai.


The year India won the Cricket World Cup. The year Sehwag made 200 in a One Day International. The year Chennai Super Kings took over the IPL. The year, that’s special for India – Kabadi (men’s and women’s) World Championship, Asia Cup Hockey, South Asia Football Champions.

The year I saw most exciting movies – The King’s Speech, Rio, Kung Fu Panda 2, The Hangover 2, Cars 2, Pirates of Caribbean 4, Fast Five, Final Destination 5, X-Men – First Class Etc. Although “The Batman Begins” and “The Dark Knight” came way before, I saw them only on 2011 and immediately regretted that I missed them earlier!

I could go on – and I wish the luck and the year to continue! Every beginning has an end, so I thank 2011 for being so nice to me! 2012 looks to be an adventurous year – who knows this may be the end of the world! Anyways, let’s hope for the best and pray that 2012 to be as nice as 2011!


So, 2012 is here – the year I may get my first tablet. The year I may get my 2^nd IT Job. The year my close friend is getting married. The year I am going to be back in Chennai! 2012 is a leap year and that’s an FYI to you! One of my school friends – Deepan has a birthday on 29^th February! This should be his 8^th Birthday!

The year I expect the GOD of cricket to score his 100^th 100 and his 50^th 100 (in ODI)! The year where we can expect an Indian win over the Australians in Australia. The year, I hope that the Indian cricket team can be No.1 in Test/ODI again. The year I want Punter and “Kallis” get the hell out of Test Cricket. The year Olympics is coming back! The year I fear may be the last of the GOD’s era.

As in 2011, I expect a lot of good movies in 2012 – The Dark Knight Rises (Batman 3), Men In Black 3, Ice Age: Continental Drift (4) Etc. This July 2012, a double treat of Dark Knight Rises and the Ice Age 4 comes together!

Another interesting day in this year would be the so said 27^th December (or is it 21^st December?). Let’s see what happens!

Picture Courtesy: Google

The "Collector"

After reaching my home with my 5 rupees collection (the new 5 rupees in gold color), I was ashamed to call me a ‘collector’ when my mother showed me a collection of her old coins. I’m getting more and more surprised when I talk to my mother about old stuffs! Some of my other Tamil readers would have read about my earlier blog about my mother. I’m sure everyone would have such an experience, but my mother is completely innocent and had never visited any other town other than our Tirunelveli (apart from a few vacations that I or my brother took her). When asked about how she got so many varieties of coins, she told me that either my father gave her or her brother, my uncle. Yet, it is so surprising that over these many years, I have never had a chance to take a closer look at her collection! Here’s a list of coins that my mother has in her collection!

Starting with – she has 2 Annas (1917), 1-4^th rupee (1918), 1 paise (1959 & 67), 2 paise (1973), 5 paise (1965), 10 paise (1959, 76, 88), 20 (1988, 1869-1948) and 25 paise (1975). Here are some pictures for the new generation who might not have seen these coins at all.

Most of you guys should have seen the 50 paise, but not this one – 1869–1948 coin with Mahatma Gandhi on the back side. The same goes with the 1 rupee coin – quite common these days, but not this one – yet another 1869–1948 coin with Mahatma Gandhi on the back side and a 1978 coin. A comparison of modern 1 rupee and the old one (1978) image below.

During the old times, there was no 2 rupees coin. So, I’m jumping to the 5 and 10 rupees coins. 5 rupees old and the new (gold one) are quite common, but have you ever seen a bigger 5 rupee coin? Nearly double the size of the recent coin, the one my mother has is from 1917–1984 coin with Indira Gandhi on the back side. A comparison below.

10 rupees coin – some of you might have seen the recently released 10 rupees coin from the Government of India. Have you seen a 1947–1972 10 rupees coin with the 25 years of freedom image on the back side? Let me show you! [My mother keeps telling me that the older 10 rupees is made of silver and I keep refusing that - judging from the color]

That’s it for the Indian coin collection – let’s move abroad. The nearest country to ours – Sri Lanka. My mother has the 25 cents, 50 cents and 1 rupee coins from Sri Lanka. They’re from 1965, 82 and 72 years respectively. Here they are for your eyes.

Other than these, she has 10 France coin (equivalent to paise – I don’t know how they call paise in France), 20 cents from Singapore, 10 & 50 UAE coins, 1 dime – USA and 4 other unknown coins which I could not figure out from which country/value. Here they are!

Here are the unknown coins:

I'm sure the actual coin 'collectors' would have a lot more coins like 1 Anna or something like that. But to me, this is a great collection and worth sharing. Come to Tirunelveli to see any of these coins!