Review - Dynamic down and out wall mount

Disclaimer: I am doing this review to get a rebate of a $100. But the review given here is an unbiased feedback since I get the money anyway- positive or negative feedback.

I have a pinched nerve in my neck and i need to be very careful with the way i position my neck/head. The only place we could wall mount our tv was on top of the fireplace and it did not help with my neck.

Dynamic down and out wall mount helps providing an ergonomic solution to our problem.

Pros:
1. You can move it down or swivel it.

2. The tension can be adjusted so it is very easy to bring the TV down and lift backup.
3. There is a white plated attachment that covers the wall mount. It can be painted to your wall color so the hardware does not destroy the home decor.
4. There are several holes in the wall mount to attach to the wall - you will find a stud to drill a hole.
5. There is a wall mount template on the website that you can print out, which makes it easy to drill holes.

Cons:
1. Installation. It needs a little extra hard work to get the wall mount up. You might need help from people.
2. Adjusting the counter balance is most essential. It is set to the maximum tension from the factory.
3. Our down and out mount won't go down completely because our fireplace mantel extends 14.5" from the wall. It only goes down 23" instead of the 32" as you see on the website, this is something I did not anticipate. It is not exactly eye level but better than before.

4. It is costly. You can get a LED 55 inch TV for the cost from costco.
5. The white plastic they provided was broken out of the box, but I didn't care. They need to do a better job at quality control.

Mannerless or just plain relieved?

So a Sr.Manager in a respectable company Mr.X shared his office room with another Asian manager who reports to him. Whenever fellow Asians come to talk to this particular Asian manager they seem to speak in mandarin which is their mother tongue. Mr.X thinks they are 'mannerless' for doing that.

I could not share my entire thoughts obviously at the time - did I not start with his title? So no. I did not ask if he thought he was 'well-mannered' calling a fellow employee 'ill-mannered' to others behind their back.

Most Americans speak only one language - English, sorry 'American' English. And they might not be able to understand this because of it.
Imagine going to China and working everyday for the rest of your life. You will need a dictionary to learn to translate every word you know to Mandarin to be able to communicate your thoughts.
After a while, you will learn the language. You will be able to speak the language. But in your head you will still be translating every word you want to say (from English) to Mandarin. The words that sound in your head will be English. The words that have to come out from your mouth have to be in Mandarin. Every second of every day. For the rest of your life. If you want the tiniest bit of human contact, if you have to communicate - you have to depend only on your mental dictionary/translator.
And then one day years later, you happen to meet a fellow 'American' in your office pantry. You will be so thrilled that you can connect to what little you have left of your culture and the memories of your homeland. You will not be translating at the point. You will be able to communicate your thoughts so freely - it will bring you joy. Almost like you were in your own town even if you were not. You will feel a friendly bond with this stranger almost instantly.
Are you thinking about being mannerless at this point that you could connect with your culture in the least tiny bit possible or are you just plain relieved with joy?

P.S: This was not meant in any way as a racial post. It so happens that the characters I am talking about are who they are. This in no way is meant to hurt anyone in any way. I just hope that people who read this will be able to learn to respect people from other cultures and speaking other languages.  Sometimes we just  need to realize that everything that happens in this world is not about us and that we share this world with a lot of different people. 'Different' yes. But just as bit human as you. That is all.

A coward or a thief?

I guess plagiarism is something that we as Indians do not understand or even consider it as a crime, forget crime, even a noteworthy topic. Day in and day out we buy fake books from bookstores knowing fully well they are not giving us the original - they just make photocopies and huge profit. But we still buy them because it is cheaper for us. We do not care about the author who poured his heart and soul into the book and hoped he could make a living off it - only to realize he aint seeing a dime.
We use fake licenses to software. We buy fake dvd's. We just dont care.  This is our society.

We read research works of a lot of people. Sometimes to save ourselves we copy lines here and there and make a paper and submit as our own work. I know people who just copy other people's hardwork and call it their own. Shameless. Is it their fault for not being taught values right and for being born in a society that just does not care?

We cant seem to even write our thoughts and experiences as our own without them being stolen. I was trying to search for my blog titled 'nanagu kannada gothappa' and landed on another person's blog post.
Original post of mine: 
Posted 2007:
http://archana-adreamer.blogspot.com/2007/12/nanagu-kannada-gothappa.html
The post I ended up reading:
Posted 2011:
http://blog.masthmysore.com/2011/12/29/nanagu-kannada-gothappa/

I mean come on - not even a title change? Ctrl+H and Replace Bangalore with Mysore?

Am sure he did not think he was stealing someone's thoughts, experiences or ideas. He just thought it was a funny article and wanted to get some appreciation from his friends.

And then I realized - I did a similar thing. I was all eager and learning about blogging a long time ago. It was a newly acquired fascination inspired by a good friend of mine - Gayathri alias DG.
I used to read her blogs and I liked or admired her work so much that she inspired me to write my own.
There was one of article of hers that I read and loved a lot and I chose to take an idea of hers and make it my own. The outcome i think was:
http://archana-adreamer.blogspot.com/2006/12/get-up-got-work.html

I think DG's article was written in a more hourly pieces - I dont recall and I dont have access to the piece either so you'd be able to compare.(Am not sure if she blocked me because I did this). The only thing i picked from her piece was the 'routine' idea - the rest was all my experiences. And yet, she called me over the phone and asked me if I had written an article based off of hers. I do not recall my response at the straightforward question. My intention was not to have stolen her idea. And yet i dont know if I apologized to her for it back then. I was probably a coward then for fear I might lose a great friendship over a silly detail - as silly as this? Or is it really silly?
DG : I apologize sincerely if you felt I stole a piece of you. It was never my intention. I was just trying to sound as cool as you back then :) However silly and stupid my actions sound to me reading this. I am ashamed. I know you probably have forgotten all about this and this is the last thing on your mind right now.
My purpose of this article is  for telling this out loud to the world - it does not make sense to privately apologize to you when I publicly used your idea. I just wish I could post your link as reference for every one to read as well and appreciate what a good writer you are.

I should thank the Mysore guy for inspiring me to write this post. Afterall, without his article I might have stayed a coward forever. I choose not to be either - a coward or a thief.

Manpreet and Naina

Had to post this video. Good lord these 2 girls rock!!

Its all about Hunger Games

Somehow i can associate myself very clearly to the boy who plays from District 12 along with the 'lead character'. The chosen ones in the movie have to sit through an interview process, make people like them, and then enter a "kill zone" where people are waiting and watching... for you to make a small mistake and get killed.

Well life today feels exactly like that. Am trying to change teams and have the whole interview process setup. So it feels like I have to groom myself and impress people, only to get killed afterward. If I make it after the interview, I ll be in the kill zone. If i dont make it, I will be in the "humiliated" zone with people gloating at my plight. I totally feel like that boy... knowing fully well that death awaits you and yet hoping... for some miracle to save you. Hope!
Let the Hunger Games begin!!!

Immigrants!!

Your car is Japanese.

Your Vodka is Russian.

Your pizza is Italian.

Your kebab is Turkish.

Your democracy is Greek.

Your coffee is Brazilian.

Your movies are American.

Your diamonds are African.

Your tea is Kenyan.

Your shirt is Indian.

Your oil is Saudi Arabian.

Your electronics are Chinese.

Your numbers Arabic,

Your letters Latin.

& you complain that your neighbour is an immigrant?

Get it together!

Who is the winner?

Just had a fight with my alarm clock.

It wanted me to wake up, I disagreed.

Things got violent.

Now the alarm clock is broken and I'm wide awake.

Not sure who won.

Its called 'Being a MANAGER'!

I guess you just have to assign a title called 'Manager' to a person. By default everyone will start hating this person - whether or not he/she deserves all the hatred. Follow the unwritten rule to blame the manager as the evil doer.

I experienced this recently. I interned for a short period in a small company. My job was to gather 'reasonable' requirements from a client. Get the necessary development done and tested by a small team. You could call it a 'manager' role.

An alpha delivery to client happened. It had its own faults and 'bugs' like any other 'software product' in this whole wide world.
The client was disappointed with us (meaning me - because they see only 'me' and another 'boss' of mine who decides and says yes or no to a requirement ) for not having delivered the 'promised' items in the 'promised' fashion. (Dont forget - my 'boss' makes the 'unreasonable' promises - I have pointed fingers too - the UNWRITTEN RULE).
The team hated (hatred could be an over-statement - or is it?) me for 'unreasonable' requirements and expectations (which was again because of my 'boss' not drawing the line with requirements).
Irony - none of this was directly (or even indirectly) my fault. Still I just had to sit there and take the heat from both ends. I guess its just called 'Being a Manager'!.

What is wrong with us?

I remember Shahid Kapoor in Jab we met saying: 'What is wrong with me, mein kaise bhool saktha' and then, in his own cute way, he would reach for his guitar, to play one of my favorite musical score. So Cute :)

Oops... Coming back to the writing before my thoughts trail away... :)

All of us seem to be just too busy with our own daily routines. The world is fiercely running a race, and we blindly follow, not knowing where the destination is. We just run. We have goals to achieve and dreams to fulfill. We stop at nothing to get things done.

In all this madness, do remember that its just one life. Live it to make yourself happy. Life is short. Make it sweet.

Sit back and enjoy a cup of coffee. Stand in the porch and enjoy the drizzle. If you dare to, walk upto to your terrace and feel light. Embrace the child in you once in a while. Laugh a lot.

Dont forget to hug your loved ones every day. Be yourself. Dont pretend or hide your emotions. Why waste it in anger when you can forget it and be happy.

What is wrong with us? Why do we all choose to strive hard and make our lives miserable, when there is such an easy way to be happy?

Aur aap sochenge.... Is ko kya hogaya. Yeh sudregi nahin :) hee hee...

Did you know this about 'The Happy Birthday' Song?

Some facts about ' The Happy Birthday' song:

1. It is the most sung English Song according to the Guinness Book of World records.
   
2. Its melody is after "Good Morning to All", which was written and composed by American sisters Patty Hill and Mildred J. Hill in 1893 
   
3. The Summy Company registered for copyright in 1935, crediting authors Preston Ware Orem and Mrs. R.R. Forman. In 1990, Warner Chappell purchased the company owning the copyright for US$15 million, with the value of "Happy Birthday" estimated at US$5 million.
   
4. Based on the 1935 copyright registration, Warner claims that U.S. copyright won't expire until 2030, and that unauthorized public performances of the song are technically illegal unless royalties are paid to it.
   
5. The documentary film The Corporation claims that Warner/Chappell charges up to US$10,000 for the song to appear in a film.
   
6. The Walt Disney Company paid the copyright holder US$5,000 to use the song in the birthday scene of the defunct Epcot attraction Horizons
   

For more information, click here.

Angels and Demons

Am always the book fan. I personally liked Angels and Demons better than Da Vinci code, when i read it. But when it came to movies, it was vice versa. I felt Angels and Demons movie was kind of a let down to the book. But one has to agree that it is quite difficult to bring in all the details to the word on a screenplay. For the first timers, you might enjoy the thrilling murders and some unusual facts about the papacy. Not sure if its worth a theatre visit though. 

Two sides to the same coin

I wrote this article for a job application. Wanted to keep a copy of it. Do not get bored reading it :) 

“I am so tired of these movie-makers not having an originality and just copying someone else’s idea.”

“Are you kidding me? No one can ever make a better version of that book!!”

-Reviews from blogs on movies.

This article is a tribute to those book-writers who could see beyond the horizon and to those movie makers who created marvels based on such books. It is in appreciation of all the creative minds that have carved a niche in the field of entertainment.

Whenever there is a new movie to be released based on a famous book, I hear staunch book-lovers cribbing about ‘missing details’ with the movie. With every movie there will invariably be an exponential growth in the number of the fanatic readers who cannot digest with important twists taken in a ‘not-so-satisfactory’ style. The reason for this is the power of imagination. Human minds imagine even minute detail from a book and interpret them differently. I should say that this is the biased and prejudiced crowd that is not open to new creativity.

Some of the very famous movies have been based on famous books. The Godfather, The Harry Potter series, Jurassic Park, The Da Vinci Code, Angels and Demons-  to name a few. One cannot deny the fact that these movies have indeed made a difference to the film industry. It is one thing to originally write a novel, and it is another to try and bring out the story in an unspoiled way and to keep the crowd always at the edge of its seat. To bring out an entire book with all the details in one and half hours is a talent and one which each of us should not fail to appreciate. In fact, the reason why authors let movie makers use their story, is because, it is another way of publicizing their work. This would only increase their fame, fans and revenue. As long as there is controversy, there is publicity.

There will always be critics who need more to anything – for such people, anything they get is never enough. I can only say one thing: ‘Have an open mind. You will probably learn to appreciate them all’.

 

The lonely soul..

The only 3 important 'living' beings that keep you company:

1. Your mobile
2. Laptop
3. and..... A Car!!

The lonely soul will die without them!!

P.S: I intentionally mentioned the word 'living' because, all of the above definitely seem to communicate with you and hence keep you company - in their own modest ways.

The Foreigner!!

Almost everyone i know, including me, have a fancy for going 'abroad'.

It started with shopping for clothing, appropriate to the seasons and went on into buying utensils and supplies for the kitchen.

The next fancy is to set foot onto the 'airplane' and check out the air-hostess serving you 'free' food and watching the so-called 'luxury' mini-tv in front of you. But only when you end up sitting in the same position for 36 to 48 hours, in may be different flights or different airports, running with 2 or 3 baggages to terminals, it sinks into you that your actually 'travelling' and that you might not end up seeing your family for a very long time. Soon, the very thought of an airplane will give you a sickening feeling in the stomach. It could be because of the travel or the dehydration you might get or your biological clock being affected.

I miss the pleasant evenings that you dont normally cherish or appreciate in your homeland. The sun shines BRIGHT till night 10 o clock. By the time you realise it was an 'evening', its already night.

I hardly see a soul walking on the streets. Every Tom, Dick and Harry seems to have a car. If you depend on the local transport, for a 2 mile journey, you might have to change 3 buses. The actual bus travel might be 5 minutes. But the wait time during transit between buses would be even an hour. So Target and Walmart end up being your only visiting spots. Not to mention that a trip to the Indian stores might be a 'picnic'. Your bound to spend at least 7 hours (3 hours in the bus, 1 hour in the shop, 3 hours to return!) to shop for maggi noodles!

You end up paying Rs 175 ($3.25) for a samosa chat or pani puri. I remember fighting to the way-side guy selling pani puris. Some may give only 6 puris for Rs 10. I always fight for my 7th 'rightful' puri invariably. Else the 6 puris wont get to digest peacefully!

You learn the concept of 'right' while driving - to unlearn and learn driving; to follow the rules; not to mention, to learn to 'trust' another soul driving on the next lane!!

I remember having a conversation with a friend of mine sometime back. I had the habit of calling any white guy i see a 'foreigner' back in India. The habit followed. I saw a lady sip a cup of the 'Starbucks' coffee and I started the sentence with 'That foreigner', but i never got to finish that sentence. My friend corrected me immediately: 'Your the foreigner here young lady, its their homeland now'. Only then did it actually sink into me that its not 'MY' homeland anymore! Imagine living entirely in another man's house, whom you dont even know. The nauseating feeling in my stomach followed! GULP!!!

'Am a foreigner!'

Best memories EVER ;)

This is an offering in memory of the pleasant times i had with you folks. Thanks for being there :) Your special presence in my life has really made a difference :)
Kudos to our friendship :)

Charu: Singing away to glory with you .. It was really adorable :) Am gonna miss your sweet smile tat makes my heart really jump with joy :) Watching you dance. The extreme pleasure of getting to tease Srini Jeeni and rock his zindagi with u ;) All the bulbs that you gave me!! always !!! Oh n the title of 'humorous gal" :)

DG: Any time i could call you bitch to my hearts content :D
Watching Samudram movie with you!! he he
Its a great thing to not be able to meet n yet maintain this rapport with the few times we get to chit chat ;) love you buddy( i dont believe i just said tat!@) ... for being there and 'still' being my friend ;) he he

Muru: The night we sat in the pavement of MG Road and listened to 'enna idu', watching the ads of house prices displayed on Barton Center. The times we spent in Java city having coffee and listening to Jazz music :) The times we spent admiring Hema :) The night at Leela palace and the 'serious' dance at Taika/Hema's home :) I just simply love cooking for you!!! The lost chit chats that you always said you understood even if you didnt (inorder to get me to shut up :d ) Those dosa nights at Andhra mess...!!! Sigh...

Nithya: Every min i could dance away in glory with you and feel great about it :) Every min i could chitter putter with you on the phone and in conference calls :) The unbelievable understanding and telepathy of the sickest thoughts ever! Talk non sense n yet be able to laugh :) Think all the na(s)ughty things... say them all n yet feel great :) Dream all the wonderful dreams and be happy as always :d My personal diary ;)

Raghu: Yummy garlic breads you brought home to pacify me :d he hee.... Cant ever forget the Churmuri nights/pizza hut / barista nights. Yummy :D Oh n i so love not letting you watch cricket :D just so i could piss you off ;) he he .... I still dont believe you bought a car inspired by 'Don' movie!! The Aaj ki rath and Vishnu Sahasranaama i made you listen to in every car ride! 'My password generator' :) My 'only' hope to learn Solaris and Linux!! That cute smile that ends in your eyes :) Thoongi irunda singathai thatti ezhupiteina ;)

Srini: The maggi noodles v ate at night 3 o clock near the swimming pool :) Oh n the cheese cake! Swear never thought u d actually remember :D DANKU sweetums :) The soccer field walks!! :) and your onion rasam!!! :) he he

VG kuttiii : Ha ... ha... :) Your having spinach soup? And our trek to kalavarahalli betta n ur cry to save u :D Or your crying to fight with anyone :) n ur cute muzhiki eyes ;) Love them :D i love to go to temple with u... how i miss it :(

Bugs, Sowmy, Santhu and CV: Miss the lazy walks in the 7th Main of BTM and the dirty guys pani puris :) Tissues pls Santhu :) The unbelievably long mail chains, the hogenakkal trip! Bugs surprisingly quick wedding! The walk in the night ;) Happy HOLI celebrations at our home and washing them away like mads :) The bike rides and unwalkable treks!!

Just simply LOVE you all :)

Everybody is free to wear sunscreen!

Heard this on the youtube. Fell in love with it. Here it goes.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0CVB8YSOLK4&feature=related

Ladies and gentleman of the class of 99, wear sunscreen.
If i could offer you only one tip for the future, sunscreen would be it.
The long term benefits of sunscreen have been proved by scientists.
Whereas the rest of my advice has no other basis more reliable than my own meandering experience.
I will dispense this advice now.


Enjoy the power and beauty of your youth. Never mind.
You will not understand the power and beauty of your youth until they have faded.
But trust me, in twenty yrs you ll look back at photos of yourself and recall in a way you cant grasp now, how much possibility lay before you and how fabulous you really looked.
You are not as fat as you imagined!

Dont worry about the future.
Or worry that know that worrying is as effective as trying to solve an algebra by chewing a bubble gum.
The real troubles in your life are apt to be things that never crossed
your worried mind.
The kind that blindsides you at 4 pm on some idle tuesday.
Do one thing everyday that SCARES you.

Sing.
Dont be reckless with other peoples hearts.
Dont put up with people who re reckless with yours
Floss.
Dont waste your time on jealousy.
Sometimes your ahead.
Sometimes your behind
The race is long.
And in the end its only with YOURSELF!

Remember compliments you recieve.
Forget the insults.
If you succeed in doing this, tell me how :)
Keep your old love letters.
Throw away your old bank statements.

Stretch.
Dont feel guilty if you dont know what your gonna do with your life.
The most interesting people i know did not know at 22 what they wanted
to do with their lives.
Some of the most interesting 40 yr olds i know still dont.

Get plenty of calcium.
Be kind to your knees.
You ll miss them when they re gone.

May be you ll marry.
May be you wont.
May be you ll hv children.
May be you wont.
May be you ll divorce at 40.
May be you ll dance the funky chicken at your 75th wedding anniversary

Whatever you do dont congratulate yourself too much
or berate yourself either.
Your choices are half chance.
So are everybody else's.

Enjoy your body.
Use it every way you can.
Dont be afraid of it.
or what other people think of it.
Its the greatest instrument you ll ever own.


Dance.
Even if you have nowhere to do it but your own living room.
Read the directions even if you dont follow them.
Do not read beauty magazines they will only make you feel ugly.

Brother and sister together we ll make it through.
Someday our spirit will take you and guide you there
I know you hv been hurting but i hv been waiting to be there for u
and i ll be there just helping you out whenever i can.


Get to know your parents
You never know when they ll be gone for good.
Be nice to your siblings.
They re the best link to your past.
And the people most likely to stick with you in the future.
Understand that friends come and go.
With a precious few you should hold on.
Work hard to bridge the gaps and geography and lifestyle.

The older you ll get the more you ll need the people you knew when you were young.
Live in new york city once.
But leave before it makes you hard.
Live in northern california once.
But leave before it makes you soft.

Travel.
Accept certain inaliable truths.
Prices will rise.
Politicians will flatter.
You too will get old.
And when you do you fantasize that when you where young,
prices were reasonable
politicians were noble and children respected their elders.
Respect your elders.
Dont expect anyone else to support you.
May be you ll have a trust fund.
May be you ll have a wealthy spouse.
But you never know when either one might run out.

Never mess too much with your hair.
Or by the time your 40 it will look 85.
Be careful whose advice you buy.
But be patient with those who supply it.
Advice the form of nostalgia.
Dispensing it is a way of fishing the past from the disposal wiping it off mating over the ugly parts and recycling it for more than its worth.

But trust me on the sunscreen!

Brother and sister together we ll make it through.
Someday our spirit will take you and guide you there
I know you hv been hurting but i hv been waiting to be there for u
and i ll be there just helping you out whenever i can.

Vairamuthu in Iruvar

உன்னோடு நான் இருந்த ஒவ்வொரு மணி துளியும்

மரண படுக்கையிலும் மறக்காது கண்மணியே 

தொண்ணூறு நிமிடங்கள் தொட்டணைத்த காலம் தான் 

எண்ணூறு ஆண்டுகளாய் இதயத்தில் கலங்குதடி

பார்வையிலே சில நிமிடம் 

பயத்தோடு சில நிமிடம்

கட்டி அணைத்தபடி கண்ணீரில் சில நிமிடம் 

இலக்கணமே பாராமல் எல்லா இடங்களிலும்

முத்தங்கள் விதைத்த மோகத்தில் சில நிமிடம் 

உன்னோடு நான் இருந்த ஒவ்வொரு மணி துளியும்

மரண படுக்கையிலும் மறக்காது கண்மணியே

எது ஞ்யாயம் எது பாவம் இருவருக்கும் தோன்றவில்லை

அது இரவா அது பகலா அதை பற்றி அறியவில்லை 

யார் தொடங்க? யார் முடிக்க? ஒரு வழியும் தோன்றவில்லை

இருவருமே தொடங்கிவிட்டோம் இது வரைக்கும் கேள்வி இல்லை 

அச்சம் களைந்தேன் ஆசையினை நீ அணிந்தாய்  

ஆடை களைந்தேன் வெட்கத்தினை நீ அணிந்தாய் 

கண்ட திருக்கோலம் கனவாக மறைந்தாலும் 

கடைசியில் அழுத கண்ணீர் கையில் இன்னும் ஒட்டுதடி  

உன்னோடு நான் இருந்த ஒவ்வொரு மணி துளியும்  

மரண படுக்கையிலும் மறக்காது கண்மணியே !!

Sans doubt...

After working in a cocooned service company, its a terror to be left alone in a product company. Every individual lives in his/her own world. Its wierd that i do not even know my neighbours name.
Sans help! Sans documents. Sans process. Sans a smiling face :( Sans good food. Sans near-by eat outs. Sans friends. Sans good lunch-mates who do not discuss work while enjoying food. Sans... Sans.... Sans....

Sans doubt, the only thing that remains here, in the 'product' world, is the word 'SANS'!!

Advice to people: Choose your company and the work well when you jump! Dont ever make rash decisions.

nanagu kannada gothappa :)

Those recent immigrants to Bangalore, oops sorry sorry sorry, Bengalooru, should be able to identify with this little tit bit :)
To all others who can understand Kannada: Its my pleasure if you had a hearty laugh! :)

The first word that you learn when you set your foot in the garden city: Gothilla (meaning 'I dont Know')
2 weeks: Kannada Gothilla pa!

After about 2 to 3 months your vocabulary to the Auto Man builds:

Left hogi
Right hogi
Stop madi

6 months? Its high time you started correlating words to your own language and start picking up the meanings. This applies to even food items that you get in the Special 'Sagar' hotels.

For example, I learnt that 'bisi' means 'hot', while having 'Bisi Bele Bath'

Karnataka is famous for its 'bath' items in the menu card.
My resident friends or the typical bengaloorian friends told me that 'Vaangi Bath' was rice made out of 'Brinjal'

Comparing, 'bisi bele bath' and 'vaangi bath' on a similar basis, i have come to the conclusion that 'Vaangi' is Kannada for 'Brinjal'.

I decided to experiment my new learnt vegetable name in the vegetable shop. Sadly, i had a 'Bengaloorian friend' with me.

Me: 'Ardha kg vaangi'
Translation according to me: 'Half Kg Brinjal'
Bang friend: 'What?'

I gave the analogies (GRE'ian me? sil vous plait pardon moi) that I had derived.

Laughters.
Me: Blank!!!

My friend came back to senses after the peals of loud laughter!

Bang Friend: Brinjal is 'Badhanae Kaai'! and not VAANGI!!!

The next level of innocence:

Day 1:

Me: Teach me some bad words in Kannada na?
Blr Friend: What do you want to know?
Me: I will hit you with my slippers?
Blr: Chaplili hoduthini

Day 2:

B friend: Hey remeber the word i taught you yesterday?
Me: (finding it difficult to recollect) chaplilllll.... oh yes... chaplil haduthini!!!!!!!!1
Bravo!!
B friend: Bursts of Laughters....
Me: Baffled
B friend: haduthini is to sing!!!

Derrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.......

Heights:

Went to a Sagar Hotel and asked for 'Bajji'.
Was imagining the spicy mirchi bajjis that you get in the beaches of Chennai! My mouth was watering already!
Waiter: Bajji
So saying, he placed 2 round ball shaped brown colored items.
Me: Hey meinae bajji order kiya. Bonda kaadhu!!
(Somehow, every language other than kannada will come into your mouth. Not English or my mother tongue(Tamil), but, Hindi and Telegu!! Irony is my Hindi and Telugu are definitely no better than the Kannada i know. And yet, the language that i need will not come into my mouth when i am desperate)
Waiter: Idhae Bajji
Friend: Hey dont fight. This is Bajji only. Its the Mangalorian Bajji.
So, saying he went rolling into laughter.

Well, Karnataka is the only place where you get Bondas when you ask for Bajjis, and its my fault for not knowing that Bonda was Bajji and not Bonda!

Some translations:

Sambhar = sweet tamarind brown colored liquid
Parota = Kerala Parota (as if we dont get in TN?) made of Maida
Paratha = stuffed parathas made in Wheat

Ever heard of these fat Dosas?
Kaali Dosa (Durga matha save us)
Cucumber Dosa (Where is Cucumber in it?)
Set Dosa
Wheat Dosa


Today, after 2 and half years of hard work:

Me to Auto man: BTM hogbekku
Auto: Aivathu rupai aagathae
Me: Meter aakki (in a loud commanding fierce tone)
Auto guy continues with something in Kannada that i understand. I want to blast him back for his attrocity. Me: Minimum 12 rs aagathae. Aenappa aivathu rupaya?? (In a more 'am ready to fight you' tone!)
Auto guy continues. I get the gist: If you want, come. Else leave (not get lost).
But then thats all the Kannada I know. So i decide to take another auto that stops right next to me.

Me: Right thogolli bhaiyaa
Me: Illae stop maadi

Office Canteen:

Me: Bajji eshtu
Waiter: Hanniradu
Me: Blank!
Waiter:(with a smile) 12
Me: (sheepish Smile) :D

Some easy words to learn:
Anything that starts with 'Pa' in Tamil, will start with 'Ha' in Kannada.

For Example:

Milk in English= Palu in Tamil = Halu in Kannada
Sing in English= Padu in Tamil = Hadu in Kannada
Flower in English = Poovu in Tamil = Hoovu in kannada?
Go in English = Poga in Tamil = Hogu in kannada

How i wish all words in Tamil started with 'Pa'? :)

Unpredictable tomorrows!!

Its a pity we never realise that life can take new paths. What is important today may become silly a few months later. Your best chum who once understood your feelings, emotions, whom you had considered your soul mate, in whose eyes you saw your reflection, may some day become a stranger you recognised with voice, when you happened to meet in a shopping mall- by chance or fate, whatever you may call it. Once a soulmate! Now a stranger!
People change. Jobs change. Ideas change. Values change. Friends change. Family(ies) change.
If anything at all, i can see only CHANGE is permanent. And we adapt and mould and move along. In this material world, if you can find joy and have a hearty laugh, call up an old friend and have a peaceful chit chat - I d say your the luckiest.
Take a break from your schedule. Have a cup of coffee. And just sit and ponder. Sans tension. Just those pleasant careless laughter sounds will remain. And all your pains and miseries and problems will seem like void all of a sudden.
Miss you all :) Miss those fun moments in college- cutting class, making noise, getting punished and grounded by HOD, group study, laughter sounds amidst exam tension- those precious 4 years. But to relive those carefree years in your mind- simply a bliss!

Thank your friend - for having given me these pleasant memories. Thanks for having been a part of my life. It is a pleasure that our paths have crossed. Thanks to time. And cheers to fond memories!