சுண்டல்!

சுண்டல் என்றாலே என்  நினைவுக்கு வருவது கோயில் பிரசாதம் தான் .நான் சென்னையிலருந்து விழுப்புரம் செல்லும் பேருந்தில்,இந்த சுண்டல் விற்கும் ஆசாமியை கண்டு ஆச்சரியப்பட்டதுண்டு,உலகத்திலேயே,பேருந்தில் பயணச்சிட்டு பெற்றுக்கொண்டு  சுண்டல் விற்கும் நபர் இவராகத்தான் இருப்பார்.கிட்டதட்ட ஒரு வருடம்,நான் பணிக்கு சென்ற காலத்தில்,இவரை தினமும் பார்த்ததுண்டு,என்னுடன் தினமும் பயணிக்கும் நண்பரிடம்," சுண்டல் சாப்பிடலாமா" என்று கேட்டதற்கு,"வேண்டாம்,ஹைஜினிக்கா (hygienic)இருக்காது" என்றார்.சின்ன வயதில்,என் தந்தையும் இதைத்தான் சொல்வார்,அதனாலேயே ,பேருந்து,ரயில் பயணங்களில்,அதிகம் தின்பண்டங்கள் அனுபவித்ததில்லை.
                                                பள்ளி பருவத்தில்,என்னுடைய இரு நண்பர்களின் விட்டிற்கு அருகாமையில் பிள்ளையார் கோயில்,அக்கோவிலில் கொடுக்கப்படும்  சுண்டல்களை இவர்கள் தவறவிட்டதில்லை,சுண்டல் தின்ன அனுபவத்தை அடுத்த நாள் வகுப்பறையில் சொல்லும் போது,எரிச்சல்லாக இருக்கும்,அந்த கோயில் இருக்கும் தெருவில் தான் நானும் வசிக்கிறேன் ,ஆனால் எனக்கு மட்டும் சுண்டல் அட்டவனை தெரியாது.சில வருடங்களில்  ஊர் மேய ஆரம்பித்ததும்,நானும் அந்த பிள்ளையார் கோயில் சுண்டலை விட்டதில்லை.
                                            சுண்டலுக்கு,என்னிடம் இன்னொரு கதை உண்டு,தினமும் மாலையில்,எங்கள் தெருவில் ,தள்ளு வண்டியில் ஒருவர் சுண்டல் விற்பார்.அவருடயை சிறப்பே ,மாங்காய் துவள் தான்.நான் கேட்கும் போதெல்லாம் அப்பா வாங்கி கொடுப்பார்,ஆனால் என்னுடைய துருதிஷ்டம்,அந்த சுண்டல் விற்பவருக்கு யானைக்கால் வியாதி,அதனாலேயே அவரிடம் சுண்டல் வாங்குபவரின் எண்ணிக்கை குறைந்தது,காலபோக்கில் அவரையும் காணவில்லை.அவருடைய  இடம் இன்னமும் காலியாகவே உள்ளது.எனக்கு தெரிந்து,சுண்டல் விற்பவர்கள் அரிது.எப்போதாவது,"இந்தா,கோயில் பிரசாதம்"என்று அம்மா கொடுத்தால்தான்.
                                                         இன்று காலை,பேருந்து பயணத்தின் போது,அதே சுண்டல் ஆசாமி,வழக்கம் போல்,பயணச்சிட்டு பெற்றுக்கொண்டு சுண்டல் விற்க ஆரம்பித்தார்.சுத்தம் பற்றி பேச யாருமில்லை,யோசித்தேன்,முதல் ஆளாய்,சுண்டல் என்றேன்,அவர் முகத்தில் அப்படி ஒரு மகிழ்ச்சி,எனக்கு மனதில் மகிழ்ச்சி.சுண்டல் சுவையாக இருந்தது,அது சுண்டலின் சுவையோ? அல்லது ஒரு வருடமாக தள்ளி போட்ட விசயத்தை,செய்து விட்ட சுவையோ?

I see, U see?

Eyes are the window to the world,and it has become vital for everyone to have a visual appeal.We have been told first impression is the best impression,and management guru’s have mislead us the impression to only visual appeal,and that’s why garment giants have come up with varied ideas of work wear,casual wear and even some even have different wear for everyday.Is it only about what we see through our eyes? Do we really judge people only with how they look? Those are fools who see only through eyes,and those are enlightened who see through beyond their eyes!
                                                               Once,two kings who were in the verge of war were called upon by their Master to see if the war could be avoided.The master suggested that both the kings take a survey among people to see if war was really necessary.Both the kings set out,and after survey,the first king reported that there is atleast one bad thing in every person I met,so to get rid of bad,a war is must.And,then the second king concluded that there was at least one good thing in every person I met,so for a better world no war was needed.The first king saw things only with his eyes,but the second king saw through beyond his eyes.
                                                                  To look through beyond eyes comes with experience I guess,whenever my Mojo(my pet) does something cranky,I raise my hands to threaten him,the moment I raise my hand my mom comes to his rescue,why are you hitting him,what does he know.There have been so many people in my life and I’ve retained almost all of them,only because I don’t see with my eyes,but with Heart

Self Education ≥ Formal Education

Formal education will make you a living; self education will make you a fortune-Jim Rohn,I happened to read this in today’s paper,and for a long time I’ve been thinking to write about this and today is the right time. There is always a special reserve for literate people in all walks of life, and considering the literacy rate of our country at present it is hard to point out an illiterate. Does only education makes a complete man?.Education+Character makes a complete man. the objective of the education stops at the end of the final exam, what we make out of it,is directly proportional to our intention. I’ve come across so many calm, well mannered people who haven’t had a great academic achievement, some don’t even know what academics are,and some of the arrogant person were the one with sky high academic achievements.

                                                                                It is always the character(I’d say manners) that always overtakes education, If only educated that wouldn’t takes more than what it has thought, but character with education or without education would take us anywhere we like. Sometimes we forget what we were taught, we all must have read about the traffic signals,and we very well know why,red,orange and green are on the signals,but we forget what they mean,but someone who doesn’t know why red,orange and green are chosen for signals,wouldn’t forget that he has to stop at red and only go on green.These educated people always carry this attitude that I know better than you,it is true,we know better than others,but we wouldn’t know what others know,A dentist would definitely not know what a historian would,but there is no point in offending unless someone confronts into our speciality.

                                                           Decades back or even longer than that,a person in shirt+trouser was always given an unsaid respect in our society,because only an literate person would wear that while other would be wearing dhoti(I don’t mean to say that people wearing dhoti are illiterate,those days people from village would be seen with dhoti).Now rarely people wear dhoti,but there is no point in wearing shirt and trouser if we can’t stop our vehicle for pedestrians crossing on Zebra path.What good will education do if we deny a senior citizens seat to a senior citizen  on public transport.What is the use of education when we try to get in the middle of the queue,when there are already people in a queue.How would education save us when we can read “Don’t use cellphones while driving” and not follow it.How would education earn us dignity when we don't respect the women.

                                      A formal education wouldn’t teach us everything,but it gives the power to learn everything,the purpose of education is to make everyone civilized,and how would we be civilized unless we respect others.Education is not mere learning,but applying into our life.Education is a process of learning,that has to be passed over to the next generation which would make the lives better in a better world.

Axe or Hoax?

FMCG(Fast moving consumer goods) has changed the way we live nowadays.A lot has been changed as I grow up,earlier it was toothpaste and soap,now there are so many things, that we are forced to use  which we actually don't need and there is a picture created that we aren't perfect unless we use all of those.These Fmcg has penetrated into everycorner of our home,I don't mind them being in the corners,but they are spoiling my pleasure of watching television.

AXE
I guess it all started with AXE deodrants trying to say that it was easy to impress girls with their deodrant,seriously! only a fool would have thought that,I've never heard of any one attractive just because he uses AXE,luckily I switched over to perfume even before AXE was launched.These FMCG fools don't realize that nobody buys things that others like,they would buy only what they like.Why would I buy a deodrant which a girl likes,and if I have to buy for the like of a girl,then my only saving would be the empty deodrant cans.Next time I happen to see Ranbir Kapoor,I'm gonna ask him to show his click counter!

Fair & Handsome
                     Whoever thought,Beauty is being fair,is definitely a racist or a beauty blind.And the worst part is making guys use the fairness cream.I know of few guys who would use men's fairness cream two times a day,does it really make you fair? I don't think so.Guess even the brand ambassadors who endorse the products wouldn't use it.

Soap
       I don't know,if anyone has realized why they say "TV Soap".Tv soaps are just long running serials,and I personally feel that tv soaps are just to fill voids,and so are the soaps we use.Usually whenever my patients ask me which paste is good,I'd say all toothpastes are good because we wouldn't brush without a paste,as paste is a good lubricant and flavouring agent.We use soap,because we are psychologically trained to use a soap but I seriously don't think it has any effect at all,except for the fragrance. I switched to shower gel long back:-) sometimes lime,tomato,oats or whichever I feel  is good for skin. 

Ganapathi bapa!

Ganesh chaturthi is always fun,it was almost like a mini diwali.We would wake up early,set out to buy Ganesh idol and all of the pooja package.The most interesting part was decorating Ganeshji,it was a gold chain by default,and other things change according to our individual members taste,sometimes it we would make him sit at the top of clay hill decorated with flowers,and one time there was a small bowl of water on the hill to look like a pond,and sometimes it was all flowers around him.I have noticed there are is some differences in our country in celebrating Krishna jayanthi,Hanuman jayanthi and few other festivals but Ganesh chaturthi is a celebration common to all.As far as I know Lord Ganesh must be having maximum temples in our country(there are two ganeshji temples in my street) It is believed that Ganeshji is most easily approachable god,for he needs no penance or sacrifice just dedication,and that is why simple thing like grass,coconut offered to him.
                                                             Not many know that the celebration of Ganesh chaturthi,which was a house hold celebration was turned into a public event by Bal Gangadhar Tilak.BG Tilak was considered the founding father of Indian Independence,and public gathering was banned by the British and BG Tilak used celebration of Ganesh Chaturthi in public to bring Indians together to spread freedom fire.And the British were really awestruck with the unity of people on Ganesh chaturthi.Ganesh chaturthi isn't just a religious celebration,but a national celebration!
                                                           Few years back.on a conversation with a Tamil scholar,he was telling me why Ganeshji was so popular in our country.Human race,when had the knowlodge of agriculture,their main threat were elephants which would destroy their paddy,and so they thought they must please elephants to save their fields,and during harvest it was the rats which destroyed their crops,and that is why they started worshipping Ganeshji and rat his pet.There is all science behind everything,but then we are restricted to know the logic.I don't know how many of you would agreee with this story.but I would because it sounds logical or atleast that scholar friend has the knowledge to see logic behind everything just like Ganeshji

Thank you Teachers!

If you can read this,then thank your teacher.And my way of thanking them is to write this blog.My school days were scary not because it was  haunted,but I was scared of some teachers.My initail fear of teachers started with Gracy miss(our teachers name were always suffixed with miss/master following their name) I can very well remember,Gracy miss was used to moist her lips with her tongue and one day she caught me while I tried that,and hit me with a wooden scale,I really don't know what she thought and all this happened in my UKG.I was unwilling to go school for next few days but my father dragged me to the school.Next was AV miss(guess her name was Annie),she was my favourite English teacher and I'm still grateful to her for my better English,AV miss would never miss my general essay,and I always got 10/10 for my general essay,I was good at imagination that time itself.Schools are different when teachers would always categorize bright student and dull student and I was always in the league of dull students,there were only few teachers for whom bright or dull didn't matter,and they were angels.Teachers always had their own way,some were like grass,whom every student can approach and some were like oak whom only few(bright students) can approach.College ambience was different,two years of pre clinicals was a little better than school,and the rest of college was life moulding and any student can approach any one. Whatever I'm today professionaly is all because of those teachers/dentists who saw,analyse,alter our works on patients,and that godly patience and enlightment to not say anything infront of the patients we were treating.If I hadn't been overlooked by those teachers I wouldn't be so confident in my profession today,they not only passed over the art of dentistry,but set a way of living for me.It is really not necessary to have a special day to remember teachers,for the are always there in what I read,what I write,what I think and what I do! Thank You Teachers.

Art of cooking is SIMPLE

Sometimes,when my mom says, do this,don’t do that.I’d feel agitated for I think the only thing my mom knows is cooking,but my mom’s say is true,always.How can someone who can only cook can be so right about everything.Not only my mom,guess every mom would always be right.And for all the woman I’d known,or taken opinion from are always right.I don’t mean that Men can’t be right.Men mostly take momentary decision,whereas women’s decision are future perfect.Women today have raised equally to men.There isn’t anything that women can’t do,but there are few things that men can’t do like women,one such thing is Cooking.The art of Cooking is SIMPLE,not simple.

Skill

   Cutting, Chopping, Slicing, and Grating requires skill else we’ll end up adding haemoglobin to the vegetables. Out of the sometimes that I cut vegetables, few times I’ve cut myself, but, never heard any women cut themselves frequently. And that is why women know how to handle differently with different people.

Intelligence

         Intelligence is equal to Ingredients. Women just know what to add and what not to. And they exactly know what ingredient would give the desired taste. And that is why they know what to say and what not to say.

Manipulation

         To fry or to boil, everyone must be thinking everything can be boiled and fried but only women know what is to be boiled, what is to be fried and what can be both boiled and fried. Same way, women know when to pacify, when to demand,who to trust.

Patience

        Every recipe takes its own sweet time, but men would never have that patience, I myself while cooking wouldn’t have the patience and keep bothering either opening it now and then, or stirring, but never had I had the patience to wait till its cooked. For women, patience is a virtue. And that is why they always wait for the right moment to convey or to act.

Love

       There is nothing like Love. Ask a worried woman to cook and it would definitely not be as good as it was. For women it is all about love, they are the best when it comes to showing their love and that’s why every man longs for a woman’s love.

Energy

       Cooking is over. Who is gonna wash it?.Many a times men can cook but I’m sure men hate to dish wash .But no woman would hesitate to wash, because she very well knows that she has to cook again. We men never worry about the consequences, but Women’s every action is directly proportional to the consequences

And this is why women are the way they are,because they can cook.If men too can cook,there is more to learn than cooking alone.

Kiddo Khan!

We all like kids,at least I believe.And I'm little more intense that I like kids stuff too,and most importantly cartoons,I love watching cartoons even at this age.I grew up watching Tom & Jerry and still haven't watched the climax of it and don't wanna see.In the recent years,I've been addicted to Chota bheem,sometimes the plot are so silly and so easily predictable,but this sensible thought doesn't come while watching it,may be that is how kids think,and that is how we would have thought as a kid,no logic only laugh! Laugh is good,and  for me it is a wonder tool to rejuvenate.Things have changed with generations,I remember watching He man,Captain planet,Swat cats,GI joe etc and amazingly kids today aren't aware of international cartoons,good that are well informed about national cartoon icons (chota bheem) no wonder if chota bheem becomes the mascot of National Comission of children rights in our country.It is good to sleep like a baby,laugh like a baby,and my circumstances don't let me to be aware of that all the time.and when I'm laughing like a baby I'm not aware of it,complicated! Again,my friend comes to rescue,recently when one of his nephew refused to eat idli,he was told that eating one idli will make u strong like chota bheem,and after two days my friend gets a call from his sister saying that the kid wants idli everyday and also he isn't eating more than one idli,because uncle said one idli only will make him chota bheem;-).The days when Star tv was launched in our country,GI Joe was relayed in the early morning,guess 5am and I never missed a show,those days cartoon network wasn't nonstop channel,whenever there was change over of cartoon network channel I would feel bad as if I lost my toffee.I had quit playing after school,only to rush home and watch Swatcats.I actually became a kid,while watching Finding Nemo,because I shed a drop of tear,without realizing.Now,before someone asks me why Kiddo Khan,Aamir khan is believed to be a perfect actor,and these cartoons and animations are perfectly imperfect(No logic,only laugh).If you going through stress,try Chota Bheem,he is available on pogo.

Balloon Boys!

If you are wondering what these baloon boys are,then I can assure you that you definitely would have come across atleast one baloon boy in your life,I haven't met a baloon girl yet:-).Long back,I always envied a friend who watched all of the movies that was released in our town,we knew this because,whenever he was on leave he would tell us that he had gone to watch a movie thats why leave,we would be happy if he is on a leave because the next day he would be telling us the movie,all these happened in our school days,but later as we grew up he confessed that he actually didn't watch those many movies,he would make a story only by watching the movie posters,and still he is a good friend of mine because now I tell him stories.This friend of mine is an example of baloon boy.Baloon has only air,nothing else.There are so many people who are just filled with air but then pretend that they are full of rocks,diamonds apparently.The easiest way to identify these baloon guys 1) there is never NO in their dictionary 2) they are the one,who try hard to seek attention.3) they always try to prove something (probably that they are big shot).It has always been easy for me to identify these baloon guys,initially I was irritated but in the recent years I enjoy pumping more air into the baloon.The next you happen to meet a ballon boy,pump some air and enjoy the show.

Akbar the Great!

The Mughal episode of our country has always fascinated me,and history was my favourite subject in school.Though much wasn't taught about Babar and Humayun,which I would say as pre Akbar era,and there was a seperate chapter on Akbar,that is why it interested me.I wouldn't hesitate to compare Akbar the great with Alexander or Genghis Khan or any other emperors,all emperors have won large territories,Akbar didn't win territories equal to the great emperors but he definitely won the heart of indians,especially at the time when mughal rulers were considered foreigners by hindustanis.History claims that Akbar was only 13 when he was crowned the emperor and unlike his ancestors,he had interest in learning the hindu culture and traditions and that was the main reason for abolishing religious taxes.Akbar always wanted to be approved as hindustani(Indian) and the movie Jodha Akbar claims that the name Akbar itself was given by the hindus.Any talks on Akbar isn't complete without mentioning Birbal.Birbal was known to be wise and witty,and Akbar and Birbal pair are an integral part of indian folklore.Communal harmony was one of the achievement of Akbar,he even went to the extent of establishing Din-i-ilahi,a cult which was derived from various religions and yet had a monolithic belief,and all religious people were free to follow,but wasn't a success though.Akbar is also credited for introducing indo persian architecture which can also be considered as the founding stone for the beautiful Taj Mahal.Pre Akbar era emperors were busy expanding their empire and the post Akbar era empires were either busy extending their empires or building forts\memorials but Akbar perfectly balanced everything.But,it is ShahJahan who is universally famous,famous for TajMahal,Akbar wouldn't have wasted so much of resource or labour and the time taken to build Taj Mahal.And Aurangzeb was also wise that he didn't waste any resource or funds to erect any building,and it is believed that he overthrew ShahJahan,luckily before he started constructing Black TajMahal.Oh! and most importantly,mughal cuisines!Mughal cuisines have become a part of Indian cuisine,especially biriyani:-)

P.S.Does anyone realize,Akbar still rules our country,(24,Akbar road,New Delhi)!