DreamingAway

Routines make our lives smoother and easier. It is a comfortable walk if the path is familiar. If not someone else, we ourselves build routines for us, that is the easiest way to lead a peaceful life. I don’t remember when did my friend and I start talking about movies. Sports and movies are the usual thing that we talk. We gain almost nothing apart from killing sometime together, in the name of friendship. The abundance and freshness of the information are enticing enough for our routine chit-chat. The sun rises and sets. The seasons come and go. The whole universe is designed to follow the routines so religiously. How can we humans be an exception? We love inventing routines and that seems to work like a charm for a smooth sailing in this life. Whenever we get the news about woman and child abuse or caste problems or…, my friend and I talk about them and analyse as if we are going to set it right on the very next day. As far as I can go in the history, I can see people who foug

How mercilessly helpless and hopeless are the days ahead may seem when the death takes away the loved ones! My teammate and I were arguing over God’s unfairness on the unexpected demise of one our friends which had happened a few months ago. God must be accepted with no question as otherwise no point in believing in God was his argument. It had happened for some reason though we know nothing about it. I couldn’t accept nor I knew how to deny it. He also shared Jenman Niranthathu song by Vairamuthu - it got no connection with the argument. One of my lunch-mates was working with a deadline on releasing mobile apps in parallel with web version for the new service during last month. Apple rejected the iOS app for some reason, though he prepared for the rejection he was desperate to get it approved immediately. He submitted the app again and it went to “In Review” state but unchanged for several hours which is not the normal case. He was clueless and he was preparing to resubmit it

I occasionally read some book while coming to office by cab. Ramana would take not more than five minutes to fall asleep when he sits next to me. I would be like, “hey, I am the one reading the book and why should he sleep now?”. Perhaps he tried to read a paragraph. Later I realised the fact that I could sustain just a little longer than he. Yeah, I feel sleepy only after 20 minutes, just when I start reading my mails in the office. When Amal came, I requested him to take the window seat as I prefer the middle seat. I am a large guy and the middle seat is better. I took about 70% of the space and the poor Amal had to adjust a lot with his laptop bag. The person sitting in the front seat pushed back his seat, slowly, carefully and in steps. OMG, you should see Amal’s predicament. Of course, it his mistake. He and other lean people should eat well so that we can make them all two seats in a row instead of three. Have you seen Prumasha or Jakran talking over the phone? I always wonde

It is not about the dreams like that of Martin Luther King Jr. or A. P. J. Abdul Kalam’s. It is just the usual dreams that come while we sleep. One of my New Year resolutions this year is to make a note of all my dreams. Just after sharing this idea with my friends, one of them gifted me a beautiful diary. True, that motivated me to start writing whenever I get a dream. I am sure you would have argued and fought with your brother/sister/teacher in your dream in your school days. If you think otherwise, check it with your parents ;) By the way, the statistics say that we can remember only 5% of our dreams. That was a bit of challenging thing for me to accept. I felt I remember everything. But true, apart from a very few, I forgot everything even before I start the day. That was when I got this diary idea. I would write my dream in the diary as a first thing in the morning and hence I would record at least 80% of them. My favourites are those that show the colourful crystal balls

Love or Friendship - which is unconditional? If “Love is blind” is acceptable to you than you might also OK with "love is unconditional". I guess it is not easy to say friendship is unconditional. Or is it? I thought I would say friendship is conditional but then a little deeper thinking on that led me nowhere though there was something that felt partly convincing. Friendship is just a phase and over the time it either creeps into the non existence or quietly transforms itself into a mere good relationship. Apart from the exceptional divine friendships, the rest gets a dot - the end.  There is no point in continuing a relationship which you just believed is friendship as it otherwise keep hurting you with no real worth. Put a dot and let it go. When your weaknesses are no longer accepted and brings disrespect, put a dot to that friendship and open the exit gates. Friendship can bear mistakes but it should never tolerate betrayal. Bring the dot in place when the promise of

Have you played in a lake with friends without knowing how to swim? You might hesitate when you go for the first time. It is not because you can’t swim but because you will feel the water is very dirty. You will anyway go because people are already there. You can freely go up to your knee level water. It is easy and safe too but you won’t stop there. You will be little careful and watch your steps when you move further. It is a pure joy when you stand at waist level water and splashing the water with your hands. You can go deeper with the help of your friends who can swim well. You can spot a rock inside which is used for washing cloths during summer and you can stand on it confidently. Of course, at chest level water, floating your hands over the water surface is a pleasure of different kind. There is a little danger as the waves can make you imbalance. Remember, even the few feet water is enough to get you drowned when you lose your control. Getting addicted to a thing is l

Schools are reopened and my son is back in his school routine which seems easier to manage than the summer holidays. I think he enjoyed his summer holidays very much - of course, obviously - it is holidays! He went to Karate and Swimming classes with my friend’s son. Nowadays it is too easy to find summer schools/camps/classes that are tailor-made for us. It is good and win-win for me, my son and those who conduct these summer activities. Though not everyday, I felt a little guilty when I had to take him to the classes while he was playing with his grandma because they wouldn’t get the same joy in that day. There is another thing I often think. Is it all really good to do? Should he need to learn all these things this early? He might fail in few, though I can take care of not letting that to hurt him, I know I should remember that Tenali Raman’s cat doesn’t drink milk . At times, I wonder whether I am doing this to keep my son engaged in something always. I can’t leave him free.

Why are some Indian governors given additional charge (in-charge of 2nd state)? Are they super talented or India lacks people with qualification for governors? (Of course, TN got one now) Section 80 C, 80 CCC, 80 CCD, 80 CCF 80 CCG… 80 U. Why can’t the tax system be more straight forward and without many deductions sections? After all, anyway it is not going to satisfy everyone at every level. (Thought that comes every year) It is not impossible to create a 90 seconds documentary video of cockroach’s one day life struggles with close ups and angles that could make me cry as if I am killing hundred children. Can the media be trusted? Even if I don’t feel like trusting it, why am I inclined to believe it? (Watched: Kavan Tamil movie) How do I save myself from not falling into the hands of NGOs and similar organisations and movements whose motive is indirectly beneficial to the individuals and politicians? (Watched: Kadamban Tamil movie) What would have been the top three propaganda that

You might not feel this always but it happens. In the midst of happy moments and when everything is going great for you, you suddenly start anticipating something unpleasant. You won’t find any real reason for this feeling. Cherophobia! It is very common in movies to show an accident or some tragedy after few scenes with lots of laughter or a happy song. In fact, we almost always predict it. You might have seen elders pray to God to keep the family away from sorrow throughout the day when the day begins with few good things. Why is this fear? Those who relate happiness with unproductively  or distraction may feel fear because it would lead to mistakes and failures. Maybe, though we always wanted to be happy, we intuitively know that life is designed to be a mix of all and so we naturally expect something unexpected to happen. Anyway, the moment you suspect your happiness, you are sure to lose it.

You like spending time at the beach. Your friend plans one and on the way takes you to the movie. Though you don’t like watching movies, this one is fine and you felt wasted no time. But later you come to know that your friend actually planned for movie and included beach to ensure that he gets your nod, you might feel a sudden void in it. Have you seen this thing in politics? Mr. X is given a role and he is so happy about it. But when Mr. X knows that he is given the role to ensure that he is not in the way of Mr. Y getting the better role, he might see the new role as just a mess he hate. When your daughter shows the pink colour doll and says she likes it, you say that you also like the colour of it very much though you neither like it nor hate it. She might be happy. She might continue to get more pink colour things because you too like it. She finds, after several years, that you don't like pink much and then she would experience nothingness in her joy throughout all these ye

தெய்வீக காதல்னு சொல்றாங்களே, அப்படி ஏதாவது இருக்கா? தெய்வீகம்னாலே எழுகின்ற வழக்கமான தேடல்தான். அப்படி எல்லாம் எதுவும் இல்லை என்றே நினைத்தாலும், இருந்தால் இப்படி இருக்குமோ என தோன்றும் சில விஷயங்கள் இப்பதிவில். நாளையைப் பற்றி கொஞ்சம் கூட சிந்திக்கத் தெரியாமல் ஒரு சில கணங்களுக்குள்ளே வாழ்ந்து மறைந்து உயிர் செல்லும் சில உணர்வுகள் மட்டுமே காதலென்று நம்பினால் அந்நம்பிக்கையில் தெய்வீகம் ஒளிந்திருக்கலாம். காதலுக்கான பொருள்களென பட்டியலிட்டு அதை செவ்வனே செய்து காதலுக்கு வலிமை சேர்க்க வேண்டுமென சிந்திக்க அறிந்திராத மனம், பிரிதலையும் பிரிதலென நோக்காமலிருக்கும் போது அது தெய்வீகமாகலாம். எந்த ஒரு காதலில் உண்மைகளும் பொய்களும் அர்த்தமற்றவையாகிக் கொண்டிருக்கிறதோ அது தெய்வீகத்தை நோக்கி பயணிக்கின்றதெனலாம். காதலின் உருவமென ஆயிரமாயிரம் முறை யோசித்து கற்பனைகள் செய்து வைத்த அத்தனைக்கும் விலகி அதிகாலை புல்லின் நுனி மீதிருக்கும் பனித்துளியை ரசிக்கும் போது அதன் பிம்பங்களை களைத்து மனதை இழுத்துச் செல்லும் ஒர் பிம்பம் கூட தெய்வீக காதலுக்கான வரையறைகளின் முற்றுப்புள்ளியாயிருக்கலாம்.

I find it difficult to get this reading order. And I guess it would be still harder to read them without changing the order. I may allow one or two new books to be included in this list, if required. Share book reviews and ratings with Kovil Pillai, and even join a book club on Goodreads.

You can listen and smile if someone poetically says that the cyclones, earthquakes, volcano eruptions, breezes and so on are just the giant nature’s way of expressing its moods like its anger, its calmness or just the reactions from its body. Of course, no harm in visualising the nature as an infinitely vast living thing and we are like monads playing somewhere on it. Well, that is just a fantasy. I feel this is real, that is, all our inventions as well as the way of living are greatly influenced and copied from the nature either directly or indirectly - fire, wheels, explosives… as well as life styles - all. Well, it is okay, you don’t have to agree with me. But I can tell you something more wonderful, more delightful which you yourself can observe and believe.  Here it is: the best of life, the life, can be achieved only after breaking something that feels impossible to break at first. Maybe, it is the Designer’s game. Surprisingly, we are given enough power to break it.