OK. So I lost the NaNoWriMo Challenge--again. Realized that it's no joke writing so much, even junk! I only managed about 13,000 words before my plot lost me (or I lost the plot, depending on how you look at it)!
And in other news, I've had an epiphany of sorts. I always thought that reading and writing went together. If you read well, and widely enough, you'll be able to write decently. But I think it is not necessarily true. It takes a lot more than knowing what reads well to write well.
That's pretty much that.
Wednesday, December 23, 2009
Saturday, November 7, 2009
Am Writing a Novel This Month!
Or trying to.
NaNoWriMo, or the National Novel Writing Month, is an initiative to get people off their a55e5 and write-- the goal is 50,000 words through November. The basic idea is that you write nearly 1,600 words a day, from November 1 to 30, and you have a novel ready. Or at least have written in a month more than most people do in a lifetime. Their Web site is at www.nanowrimo.org.
I tried it once, three years ago, and failed. But I hope to make it this year. By hook or by crook.
I'm already a week behind. Wish me luck!
NaNoWriMo, or the National Novel Writing Month, is an initiative to get people off their a55e5 and write-- the goal is 50,000 words through November. The basic idea is that you write nearly 1,600 words a day, from November 1 to 30, and you have a novel ready. Or at least have written in a month more than most people do in a lifetime. Their Web site is at www.nanowrimo.org.
I tried it once, three years ago, and failed. But I hope to make it this year. By hook or by crook.
I'm already a week behind. Wish me luck!
Friday, September 11, 2009
This month's Heritage Lecture
This month's Heritage lecture by Dr.Chitra Madhavan is scheduled for this Sunday, September 13, at 4:45p.m. Venue: 28/2, Musiri Subramaniam Road, Mylapore, Chennai - 600004. Tel: 24992114.
The talk will be about the Nayak period. Dr. Madhavan is an expert on temple architecture and history.
Dr.Madhavan's talks are really interesting and down-to-earth, even if her topics soar high!
Read about her talk at the Madras Week celebrations here.
The talk will be about the Nayak period. Dr. Madhavan is an expert on temple architecture and history.
Dr.Madhavan's talks are really interesting and down-to-earth, even if her topics soar high!
Read about her talk at the Madras Week celebrations here.
Monday, September 7, 2009
The King of Mambalam!
The rains are here, and that can mean only one thing: The King has now reclaimed his rightful place in Mambalam households (in fact, in the whole of Chennai these days)!
Presenting the current king of Mambalam households, the precursor of Diwali, the insecti naasini, the oli veesini,(drumroll, please!)Raja KOSU BAT!!!
Most come with a light, is that supposed to help us see the mosquitoes better? Our brand is Katungou (please show?) and it's been working pretty well for the past year. Remember to keep it horizontal when not charging or working, is what the salesperson said. Perhaps that helped?
The crackling sound, the little spark of light, the realization that you can feel so happy at the death of a living thing--nothing to match the simultaneous violence and peace that the kosu bat gives!
Best thing to happen to Mambalites since... since... not sure that there has been much good happening around here anyway!
Presenting the current king of Mambalam households, the precursor of Diwali, the insecti naasini, the oli veesini,(drumroll, please!)Raja KOSU BAT!!!
Most come with a light, is that supposed to help us see the mosquitoes better? Our brand is Katungou (please show?) and it's been working pretty well for the past year. Remember to keep it horizontal when not charging or working, is what the salesperson said. Perhaps that helped?
The crackling sound, the little spark of light, the realization that you can feel so happy at the death of a living thing--nothing to match the simultaneous violence and peace that the kosu bat gives!
Best thing to happen to Mambalites since... since... not sure that there has been much good happening around here anyway!
Monday, August 24, 2009
My Madras Week
A burqa-clad girl singing rock, a young lady talking about clamps on Vishnu’s heart, and a walk where my landmark to the auto driver was worse than “Thiruppathi’la mottai thatha.” Oh, and I forget: steamy scandals of MK Thyagaraja Bhagavathar.
That sums up (some of) what I caught during Madras Week. It’s an awesome idea, and restaurants, newspapers, and marketers have caught on to what they think is a great money-spinning idea, coming right after Aadi. Let’s not forget that many of Madras Week events, by themselves, are free to the public, and a great way to get to know the city of Chennai.
Before I forget: the scandals were a reference to the talk by Randor Guy. It was packed to capacity. The scandals were not all that many—proof again that scandals and affairs sell. It was held at a place called the Madras Terrace House in Royapettah. The house seemed like a renovated Madras home with clay tiles and framed photographs of cinestars of yesteryears. It all looked good, but seemed to try too much to be antique, if you know what I mean. The talk itself was too short for the vast history that I thought he would cover. But it was a lot of fun, and I thought the Raja Sando character was too colourful—where can I get more info on him?
Anyway, there were five photowalks organized by the wonderfully enthusiastic Chandrachoodan Gopalakrishnan during the week. I caught the last part of the one inside the Southern Railway Headquarters, and some of the one on Mint Street. Here is where we were asked to congregate near the Jain Temple. It turns out that every other building on Mint Street is a Jain temple (although the biggest one was really big). I promptly got off at the first one, thinking it was it, and the auto driver, for obvious reasons, did not bother to correct me. My camera was kaput and I used the camera on my mobile phone, but just as a general walk, it was great!
Here are some pictures from the Railway HQs:
And here are some from the Mint Street walk:
I also attended what was billed as an evening of plays and performances on Chennai, but ended up being a string of bands (mostly college bands) belting out some numbers--covers and originals. Peter Kaapi was one of the bands, and the burqa-clad girl held my attention for a bit--she was a decent MC.
But honestly, I could not understand a word of what she sang in this song, “Asathoma Sadgamaya”!! The sloka was sung clearly and without many drum beats, but the rest, whoosh… over my head. Wasn’t even sure if it was English or Tamil. I’m partial to rap, but a duo calling themselves “Watta Bottles” came on stage, and I had a nice time listening to them. But like I say, I’m partial to rap. I didn’t have the time to stay for the whole program. BTW, this was at Alliance Francaise, and their canteen had some pretty awesome coffee/dry fruit cake.
Saturday was a busy day as I headed out to check out Chitra Madhavan’s talk on “Four Famous Temples of Chennai.” The house was packed, and surprise: snacks were part of the talk. These Heritage folks must have some major money! The talk was interesting, and I’ve resolved to attend more of her talks. Apparently, she has a monthly talk at the Musiri Chamber, 28/2, Musiri Subramaniam Rd., Mylapore, every month.
Sunday was low-key for me. Just attended part of the Madras Quiz. Learnt so much; forgot most of it! There was a nice coins, and rare books exhibition at the venue, P.S. Higher Secondary School.
I’ve decided to somehow learn more about my city through the year, not just this week! But when I was 15, I decided I'd be the CM of TN by now...
That sums up (some of) what I caught during Madras Week. It’s an awesome idea, and restaurants, newspapers, and marketers have caught on to what they think is a great money-spinning idea, coming right after Aadi. Let’s not forget that many of Madras Week events, by themselves, are free to the public, and a great way to get to know the city of Chennai.
Before I forget: the scandals were a reference to the talk by Randor Guy. It was packed to capacity. The scandals were not all that many—proof again that scandals and affairs sell. It was held at a place called the Madras Terrace House in Royapettah. The house seemed like a renovated Madras home with clay tiles and framed photographs of cinestars of yesteryears. It all looked good, but seemed to try too much to be antique, if you know what I mean. The talk itself was too short for the vast history that I thought he would cover. But it was a lot of fun, and I thought the Raja Sando character was too colourful—where can I get more info on him?
Anyway, there were five photowalks organized by the wonderfully enthusiastic Chandrachoodan Gopalakrishnan during the week. I caught the last part of the one inside the Southern Railway Headquarters, and some of the one on Mint Street. Here is where we were asked to congregate near the Jain Temple. It turns out that every other building on Mint Street is a Jain temple (although the biggest one was really big). I promptly got off at the first one, thinking it was it, and the auto driver, for obvious reasons, did not bother to correct me. My camera was kaput and I used the camera on my mobile phone, but just as a general walk, it was great!
Here are some pictures from the Railway HQs:
And here are some from the Mint Street walk:
I also attended what was billed as an evening of plays and performances on Chennai, but ended up being a string of bands (mostly college bands) belting out some numbers--covers and originals. Peter Kaapi was one of the bands, and the burqa-clad girl held my attention for a bit--she was a decent MC.
But honestly, I could not understand a word of what she sang in this song, “Asathoma Sadgamaya”!! The sloka was sung clearly and without many drum beats, but the rest, whoosh… over my head. Wasn’t even sure if it was English or Tamil. I’m partial to rap, but a duo calling themselves “Watta Bottles” came on stage, and I had a nice time listening to them. But like I say, I’m partial to rap. I didn’t have the time to stay for the whole program. BTW, this was at Alliance Francaise, and their canteen had some pretty awesome coffee/dry fruit cake.
Saturday was a busy day as I headed out to check out Chitra Madhavan’s talk on “Four Famous Temples of Chennai.” The house was packed, and surprise: snacks were part of the talk. These Heritage folks must have some major money! The talk was interesting, and I’ve resolved to attend more of her talks. Apparently, she has a monthly talk at the Musiri Chamber, 28/2, Musiri Subramaniam Rd., Mylapore, every month.
Sunday was low-key for me. Just attended part of the Madras Quiz. Learnt so much; forgot most of it! There was a nice coins, and rare books exhibition at the venue, P.S. Higher Secondary School.
I’ve decided to somehow learn more about my city through the year, not just this week! But when I was 15, I decided I'd be the CM of TN by now...
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
Too fast
Well, sometimes you just have to hand it to the police. For example, for working too fast!
Impossible, you say?
Listen to this: The Tamil Nadu Police have started a new service that encourages residents to SMS their complaints and public grievances. Well, we had one: the parking of lorries by a transport company on our street.
Parking per se was only part of the problem—it was the whole package that came with it: the young men who lived there, for one. They lived there—that should tell you the whole story. They bathed right on the front porch in their underwear, which had more holes than OJ’s defence; they brushed their teeth on the street, spitting toothpaste all over the pavement, so much so that it looked whitewashed; they were loud, talking on their cell phones late into the night.
But those weren’t exactly things we could call illegal. Parking on the street was.
We lived six or seven houses away—but it still affected us. And there was the problem. Forget personal space; even public spaces seem to feel the effects of overpopulation. In Chennai, more than 450 vehicles are registered EVERY day. And that’s according to 2006 estimates. So where does that leave the streets of Chennai?
Overcrowded, polluted, and cramped. And that leaves the residents in a foul mood. Add the weather into the mix, and it's a wonder Chennaiites have a sense of humour at all!
Most apartments do not consider parking space, or following the rules of construction, as essential. As a result, there is no space, apart from the road, for anything—playing, parking, walking, whatever.
What is the solution? Well, we thought that calling the police on their new SMS service might help in towing the lorries away. Only, our SMS was responded to immediately. And like an idiot, I didn’t check and see if the heavy vehicles were actually there when I SMSed the police.
I even placed a Rs. 1000 bet that the police would not come. But not more than five minutes later, a police car pulled up, in front of our house. And, dammit, the lorries were not parked on our street!
The police seemed irritated. But really, who knew they'll respond so quickly? Haven't they seen any Tamil movies at all?
The police said that parking any vehicle, on the street was illegal, not just parking lorries. So, he said, since he was already there, he’d write a challan for all the cars parked on the street. Which, of course, belonged to our neighbours. Fining them was fine by us, but that wasn’t too neighbourly and all, you see.
The police also advised us, “If you’re in danger, you know, your neighbours are the ones who will help you. We’ll be here, gone tomorrow.” Whoa! Wait a second there—back up a bit, I wanted to scream! Isn’t the police supposed to be there you’re in danger? I thought that was a big part of what the police did?
Anyway, after a lot of back and forth, and after attracting a crowd, the police went about their jobs.
And now, we’re scared that the neighbours are plotting to kill us. Maybe they’ll run us over by the lorries—that would be poetic justice. Or injustice. Whatever.
“Next time, check and see before you SMS us,” one of the policemen said. Good advice!
But anyway, here’s the number: 9500099100
Impossible, you say?
Listen to this: The Tamil Nadu Police have started a new service that encourages residents to SMS their complaints and public grievances. Well, we had one: the parking of lorries by a transport company on our street.
Parking per se was only part of the problem—it was the whole package that came with it: the young men who lived there, for one. They lived there—that should tell you the whole story. They bathed right on the front porch in their underwear, which had more holes than OJ’s defence; they brushed their teeth on the street, spitting toothpaste all over the pavement, so much so that it looked whitewashed; they were loud, talking on their cell phones late into the night.
But those weren’t exactly things we could call illegal. Parking on the street was.
We lived six or seven houses away—but it still affected us. And there was the problem. Forget personal space; even public spaces seem to feel the effects of overpopulation. In Chennai, more than 450 vehicles are registered EVERY day. And that’s according to 2006 estimates. So where does that leave the streets of Chennai?
Overcrowded, polluted, and cramped. And that leaves the residents in a foul mood. Add the weather into the mix, and it's a wonder Chennaiites have a sense of humour at all!
Most apartments do not consider parking space, or following the rules of construction, as essential. As a result, there is no space, apart from the road, for anything—playing, parking, walking, whatever.
What is the solution? Well, we thought that calling the police on their new SMS service might help in towing the lorries away. Only, our SMS was responded to immediately. And like an idiot, I didn’t check and see if the heavy vehicles were actually there when I SMSed the police.
I even placed a Rs. 1000 bet that the police would not come. But not more than five minutes later, a police car pulled up, in front of our house. And, dammit, the lorries were not parked on our street!
The police seemed irritated. But really, who knew they'll respond so quickly? Haven't they seen any Tamil movies at all?
The police said that parking any vehicle, on the street was illegal, not just parking lorries. So, he said, since he was already there, he’d write a challan for all the cars parked on the street. Which, of course, belonged to our neighbours. Fining them was fine by us, but that wasn’t too neighbourly and all, you see.
The police also advised us, “If you’re in danger, you know, your neighbours are the ones who will help you. We’ll be here, gone tomorrow.” Whoa! Wait a second there—back up a bit, I wanted to scream! Isn’t the police supposed to be there you’re in danger? I thought that was a big part of what the police did?
Anyway, after a lot of back and forth, and after attracting a crowd, the police went about their jobs.
And now, we’re scared that the neighbours are plotting to kill us. Maybe they’ll run us over by the lorries—that would be poetic justice. Or injustice. Whatever.
“Next time, check and see before you SMS us,” one of the policemen said. Good advice!
But anyway, here’s the number: 9500099100
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Loved this recipe--had to share
In the continuing obsession with food, I loved this recipe for caramelized banana from Ambrosia.
It really is so simple and great tasting--one thing to remember, though:
Eat hot, and if you're the kind, eat it with cold vanilla ice cream... yummmm.
It really is so simple and great tasting--one thing to remember, though:
Eat hot, and if you're the kind, eat it with cold vanilla ice cream... yummmm.
Jack of all Fruits
In our garden
I've never had raw jackfruit (called pala moosu) before. But apparently, jackfruits mostly come in pairs, and one of them is cut young to allow the other one to grow and ripen well. The young jackfruit is cut to remove the fruit, which is cooked and made into a vegetable just like plaintain is.
Also learnt: Raw papaya can also be made into koottu.
I've never had raw jackfruit (called pala moosu) before. But apparently, jackfruits mostly come in pairs, and one of them is cut young to allow the other one to grow and ripen well. The young jackfruit is cut to remove the fruit, which is cooked and made into a vegetable just like plaintain is.
Also learnt: Raw papaya can also be made into koottu.
Monday, April 20, 2009
Memed!
I was tagged by Twisted Faktory to complete a meme.
The rules of this tag are:
1. Respond and rework.
2. Answer questions on your own blog.
3. Replace one question. Add one question.
4. Tag eight bloggers
The following are my responses to the questions:
What are your current obsessions?
Bringing down FIL's sugar--I will try anything and everything to do it--and he HATES it!
Which item from your closet are you wearing most often?
The one that needs least ironing—capris from Pondy Bazaar (Rs.200 for three), and a free corporate T.
What's for dinner?
Haha! Had a business dinner—so it was buffet at The Residency!
Say something to the person who tagged you:
I will kill you.
Favourite vacation spots:
Pondicherry
I think I’ll like New Zealand… can it still be my favourite??
3 things to do before I die:
Visit New Zealand!
Live
Write a book
Reading right now?
The Holy Mountain by William Dalrymple—just unable to get through it :(
What is the last movie you saw and enjoyed? Rate it out of 5 stars.
Saroja—****
Guilty pleasure?
Blaming any veshamam I can on Bruce--our puppy!
First spring thing?
Huh? Spring what?
Best thing you ate or drank lately?
Kirani/mint juice—made it meself.
Care to share some wisdom?
Wisdom comes from within.
Boon you would ask for if God came before you?
Hmm.. ask him to give me the wisdom to not want anything… is that possible?
Are you voting this time?
Yup.
What’s the stupidest thing you did in the last six months?
Quit my job!
Don't know eight bloggers to tag! Sorry!
The rules of this tag are:
1. Respond and rework.
2. Answer questions on your own blog.
3. Replace one question. Add one question.
4. Tag eight bloggers
The following are my responses to the questions:
What are your current obsessions?
Bringing down FIL's sugar--I will try anything and everything to do it--and he HATES it!
Which item from your closet are you wearing most often?
The one that needs least ironing—capris from Pondy Bazaar (Rs.200 for three), and a free corporate T.
What's for dinner?
Haha! Had a business dinner—so it was buffet at The Residency!
Say something to the person who tagged you:
I will kill you.
Favourite vacation spots:
Pondicherry
I think I’ll like New Zealand… can it still be my favourite??
3 things to do before I die:
Visit New Zealand!
Live
Write a book
Reading right now?
The Holy Mountain by William Dalrymple—just unable to get through it :(
What is the last movie you saw and enjoyed? Rate it out of 5 stars.
Saroja—****
Guilty pleasure?
Blaming any veshamam I can on Bruce--our puppy!
First spring thing?
Huh? Spring what?
Best thing you ate or drank lately?
Kirani/mint juice—made it meself.
Care to share some wisdom?
Wisdom comes from within.
Boon you would ask for if God came before you?
Hmm.. ask him to give me the wisdom to not want anything… is that possible?
Are you voting this time?
Yup.
What’s the stupidest thing you did in the last six months?
Quit my job!
Don't know eight bloggers to tag! Sorry!
Torture!
Not in the way you think!
If having chocolate all over your face but being unable to taste even a teeny bit (cannot, through the gauze, I tried) is not torture...
Anyway, that was the strawberry facial followed by a chocolate mask at Green Trends, Ashok Nagar (Rs. 700). I had tried the papaya facial earlier (Rs.400), which I liked better. The place was recommended by a kind friend, who also took the pics. The staff is friendly and courteous, though they try and push some packages, which is how I got sucked into this facial in the first place! (Note: Be firm about what you want.)
Green Trends is all over Chennai, but the Ashok Nagar one's at New #25/Old #18, 11th Avenue, near the Water Tank and the Govt. Library. Phone: 24718022. This link will help you find the Green Trends closest to you.
The chain is owned by CavinKare, the same company that made Chik Shampoo--remember those annoying ads?
Happy mummifying, then!
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Kathakalakshepam and the Art of Instructional Design
I've always liked kathakalakshepams--or sangeetha upanyasams--over concerts. I've been fascinated by how the vidwan gets the audience attention, and keeps them in rapt attention with a story the audience already knows, and what's more, there's no interactivity!
Went to Visaka Hari's upanyasam at the Ayodhya Mandapam y'day. It's part of the RmNavami celebrations, and any musician who's anyone has a concert there. It's free, so don't miss it if you happen to be in the area. The schedule follows.
Anyway, Visaka Hari's upanyasam was about Vibheeshanan's Surrender to Rama, and would you know it, standing-on-the-road room only!
It was fascinating, and our instructional designers could have learnt a thing or two from her about holding audience interest!
She had three things going for her big time, I thought.
1. Voice: OMG--what a voice--it makes you sit up and take notice. When she sang, it wasn't the sweetest voice, but she put her volume and pitch to good use. I guess for IDs, it's: Use strong voices, and also make sure the message is strong.
2. Connecting with the audience: She knew they knew the story, and spoke to the audience as if she were only reiterating the fact, not telling them anything new. She explained concepts with little everyday examples.
IDs, maybe we can ensure that we talk at the level of the intended learner--not much higher, nor lower.
3. Song selection: What the judges on these reality shows keep harping on--she knew when to sing what song. When interest was waning (around dinner time), she sang a popular song. When time was running short, she teased the audience with just two lines of a song.
Perhaps IDs can remember pacing the storyboard-- keeping it click, click, click, at equal time intervals could get boring. Vary the speed a bit; keep a complex topic next to a simple one; throw in some interactivity, and some static screens. Basically, as any bartender or DJ will tell you: Mix it up!
What I missed, though:
1. Being a topic that's literally burning right now, more allusions to the present day war in Sri Lanka would have lent a clever touch. It seemed like the upanyasam was happening in a vacuum-- anchoring it in reality would have been nice.
IDs: Remember to ALWAYS tell the learner HOW the lesson will help THEM.
2. She tried to infuse some humour, but it didn't feel seamless.
IDs: I guess jokes that play on words are out!
That's enough lessons about lessons!
I missed the entire Ramayana upanyasam by the Ramayana specialist--S. Gopalakrishna Sastrigal--perhaps next year!
Anyway, an evening well-spent, and if you have the time and the inclination, here's the rest of the schedule:
Buses that reach Ayodhya Mandapam: 11H, 11G, 12G, 49A
16.4.2009:
5 p.m.: Srividya Ramnath (vocal), Aanaiyaampatti G. Venkatasubramanian (violin), Bangalore R. Ramnath (mridangam), Nergunam S. Shankar (ganjira)
7 p.m.: Sikkil Gurucharan (vocal), Vittal Ramamurthy (violin), Umalyalpuram K. Sivaraman (mridangam), E.M. Subramaniam (ghatam)
17.4.2009
5 p.m.: Dr. Radha Bhaskar (vocal), Melakkaveri Thyagarajan (violin), Mudra Bhaskar (mridangam), H. Sivaramakrishnan (ghatam)
7 p.m.: PApanasam Ashok Ramani (vocal), V.V. Ravi (violin), Thanjavur Ramadas (mridangam), Anirudh Athreya (ganjira)
18.4.2009:
5 p.m.: Subha Ganesan (vocal), Trivandrum S.R. Rajasri (violin), B. Sivaraman (mridangam)
7 p.m.: Priya Sisters (vocal), M.A. Krishnasami (violin), Neyveli Skanda Subramanian (mridangam), B.S. Purushottaman (ganjira)
19.4.2009:
8:30 a.m. to 10:00 a.m.: Rithvikraja and party - vocal
10:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.: Rajini Hariharan and party- vocal
11:30 a.m. to 1.00 p.m.: G. Abhilash and party--vocal
1:00 p.m. to 2:30 p.m.: V. Srividhya and party--vocal
2:30 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.: Bangalore Rajarajeswari sisters, J. Charumathi, J. Sivasankari and party-- vocal
5 p.m.: R. Surayaprakash (vocal), M.R. Gopinath (violin), Kallidaikurichi Sivakumaar (mridangam)
7 p.m.: Malladi Brothers (vocal), S. Varadarajan (violin), K.V. Prasad (mridangam), Vaikom Gopalakrishnan (ghatam)
20.4.2009
5 p.m.: Violin Ensemble by Carva Rajasekar and Disciples, L. Radhakrishnan (violin), N. Sundar (tabla)
7 p.m. Abhishek Raghuram (vocal), M.R. Gopinath (violin), T.K. Murthy and B. Sivaraman (mridangam), V. Suresh (ghatam)
21.4.2009:
4:45 p.m. (note the changed time) P.B. Ranghachari (vocal), R. Rahul (violin), P.B.V.Krishnamachari (mridangam)
7:30 p.m.:
Sri Hanumath prabhavam. Harikatha by Kalyanapuram Veeraraghavan and party
26.4.2009:
11:30 a.m.: Annadanam
Went to Visaka Hari's upanyasam at the Ayodhya Mandapam y'day. It's part of the RmNavami celebrations, and any musician who's anyone has a concert there. It's free, so don't miss it if you happen to be in the area. The schedule follows.
Anyway, Visaka Hari's upanyasam was about Vibheeshanan's Surrender to Rama, and would you know it, standing-on-the-road room only!
It was fascinating, and our instructional designers could have learnt a thing or two from her about holding audience interest!
She had three things going for her big time, I thought.
1. Voice: OMG--what a voice--it makes you sit up and take notice. When she sang, it wasn't the sweetest voice, but she put her volume and pitch to good use. I guess for IDs, it's: Use strong voices, and also make sure the message is strong.
2. Connecting with the audience: She knew they knew the story, and spoke to the audience as if she were only reiterating the fact, not telling them anything new. She explained concepts with little everyday examples.
IDs, maybe we can ensure that we talk at the level of the intended learner--not much higher, nor lower.
3. Song selection: What the judges on these reality shows keep harping on--she knew when to sing what song. When interest was waning (around dinner time), she sang a popular song. When time was running short, she teased the audience with just two lines of a song.
Perhaps IDs can remember pacing the storyboard-- keeping it click, click, click, at equal time intervals could get boring. Vary the speed a bit; keep a complex topic next to a simple one; throw in some interactivity, and some static screens. Basically, as any bartender or DJ will tell you: Mix it up!
What I missed, though:
1. Being a topic that's literally burning right now, more allusions to the present day war in Sri Lanka would have lent a clever touch. It seemed like the upanyasam was happening in a vacuum-- anchoring it in reality would have been nice.
IDs: Remember to ALWAYS tell the learner HOW the lesson will help THEM.
2. She tried to infuse some humour, but it didn't feel seamless.
IDs: I guess jokes that play on words are out!
That's enough lessons about lessons!
I missed the entire Ramayana upanyasam by the Ramayana specialist--S. Gopalakrishna Sastrigal--perhaps next year!
Anyway, an evening well-spent, and if you have the time and the inclination, here's the rest of the schedule:
Buses that reach Ayodhya Mandapam: 11H, 11G, 12G, 49A
16.4.2009:
5 p.m.: Srividya Ramnath (vocal), Aanaiyaampatti G. Venkatasubramanian (violin), Bangalore R. Ramnath (mridangam), Nergunam S. Shankar (ganjira)
7 p.m.: Sikkil Gurucharan (vocal), Vittal Ramamurthy (violin), Umalyalpuram K. Sivaraman (mridangam), E.M. Subramaniam (ghatam)
17.4.2009
5 p.m.: Dr. Radha Bhaskar (vocal), Melakkaveri Thyagarajan (violin), Mudra Bhaskar (mridangam), H. Sivaramakrishnan (ghatam)
7 p.m.: PApanasam Ashok Ramani (vocal), V.V. Ravi (violin), Thanjavur Ramadas (mridangam), Anirudh Athreya (ganjira)
18.4.2009:
5 p.m.: Subha Ganesan (vocal), Trivandrum S.R. Rajasri (violin), B. Sivaraman (mridangam)
7 p.m.: Priya Sisters (vocal), M.A. Krishnasami (violin), Neyveli Skanda Subramanian (mridangam), B.S. Purushottaman (ganjira)
19.4.2009:
8:30 a.m. to 10:00 a.m.: Rithvikraja and party - vocal
10:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.: Rajini Hariharan and party- vocal
11:30 a.m. to 1.00 p.m.: G. Abhilash and party--vocal
1:00 p.m. to 2:30 p.m.: V. Srividhya and party--vocal
2:30 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.: Bangalore Rajarajeswari sisters, J. Charumathi, J. Sivasankari and party-- vocal
5 p.m.: R. Surayaprakash (vocal), M.R. Gopinath (violin), Kallidaikurichi Sivakumaar (mridangam)
7 p.m.: Malladi Brothers (vocal), S. Varadarajan (violin), K.V. Prasad (mridangam), Vaikom Gopalakrishnan (ghatam)
20.4.2009
5 p.m.: Violin Ensemble by Carva Rajasekar and Disciples, L. Radhakrishnan (violin), N. Sundar (tabla)
7 p.m. Abhishek Raghuram (vocal), M.R. Gopinath (violin), T.K. Murthy and B. Sivaraman (mridangam), V. Suresh (ghatam)
21.4.2009:
4:45 p.m. (note the changed time) P.B. Ranghachari (vocal), R. Rahul (violin), P.B.V.Krishnamachari (mridangam)
7:30 p.m.:
Sri Hanumath prabhavam. Harikatha by Kalyanapuram Veeraraghavan and party
26.4.2009:
11:30 a.m.: Annadanam
Sunday, March 29, 2009
Books!!!
Have been reading quite a lot recently--it's nice to sort of rediscover books!
I did something I haven't done in a loooong time--parallel-read books. I've never been able to do it successfully, but I divided my time between upstairs (where some masonry work is going on), and downstairs (where the culinary work is), and HAD to keep a book at each location :)
The books could not have been different -- one dealt with life in rural America in 1900 and was told through the eyes of a village woman, and so was not even in perfect English, while the other was the story of two authors in England, and read wonderfully.
1.Gap Creek -- The Story of a Marriage, by Robert Morgan
This is a book that really opened my eyes to life in rural America, in the Appalachian Mountains, at the turn of the last century. The story is about Julie, a young girl who "works like a man," and it sort of follows her through the first couple of years of her marriage to Hank Richards.
Although the characters are sort of very polarized, the way life is described, and the trials and tribulations of a young couple trying to make it on their own are told really well. A bit too much depression, though, as nothing seems to go right for the younguns -- NOT good for a light read :(
2. The Thirteenth Tale-- by Diane Setterfield
This is sort of suspense/ghost story, set in England, set mainly in the moors. A dying author, Vida Winter, has been giving so many false accounts of her life, that when young biographer Margaret Lea receives a letter from her that she's finally ready to tell her "real" life story, Margaret refuses to believe her. But what follows is a really fast suspenseful read of mysteries, dark secrets, and ghosts of the past and present haunting both the biographer and her subject.
Now, I've known many twins, and am not sure of all the hype that the book places on their "bonds."
Also, there's a bit much incest, and too little romance, but the shocking ending makes it worth the while, if you want to be entertained and horrified.
:) :)
I did something I haven't done in a loooong time--parallel-read books. I've never been able to do it successfully, but I divided my time between upstairs (where some masonry work is going on), and downstairs (where the culinary work is), and HAD to keep a book at each location :)
The books could not have been different -- one dealt with life in rural America in 1900 and was told through the eyes of a village woman, and so was not even in perfect English, while the other was the story of two authors in England, and read wonderfully.
1.Gap Creek -- The Story of a Marriage, by Robert Morgan
This is a book that really opened my eyes to life in rural America, in the Appalachian Mountains, at the turn of the last century. The story is about Julie, a young girl who "works like a man," and it sort of follows her through the first couple of years of her marriage to Hank Richards.
Although the characters are sort of very polarized, the way life is described, and the trials and tribulations of a young couple trying to make it on their own are told really well. A bit too much depression, though, as nothing seems to go right for the younguns -- NOT good for a light read :(
2. The Thirteenth Tale-- by Diane Setterfield
This is sort of suspense/ghost story, set in England, set mainly in the moors. A dying author, Vida Winter, has been giving so many false accounts of her life, that when young biographer Margaret Lea receives a letter from her that she's finally ready to tell her "real" life story, Margaret refuses to believe her. But what follows is a really fast suspenseful read of mysteries, dark secrets, and ghosts of the past and present haunting both the biographer and her subject.
Now, I've known many twins, and am not sure of all the hype that the book places on their "bonds."
Also, there's a bit much incest, and too little romance, but the shocking ending makes it worth the while, if you want to be entertained and horrified.
:) :)
Sunday, March 22, 2009
Saturday, March 14, 2009
Last Chance--Cooptex
One event MIL and I go to every single year is the National Handloom Exhibition in the Cooptex Showroom on Pantheon Road. We usually make a trip there and pick up some saris, kurtis, etc.
It's usually around the Tamil New Year, but I guess this time, with the New Year being moved around, the Government decided to keep the exhibition now :)
Great place, great food. This year, we almost missed it-- hope to go tomorrow. Please make it if you can. Great selection, so even if the price seems a bit on the higher side, you can get different types of saris, from people who look like they're from the cloth's birthplace.
Last year, MIL and I picked up a sari each from a stall, and both of us have promptly forgotten the name of the sari and the place. We hope to find that out, with some luck!
The exhibition's at Padmashree Nachimuthu Handloom Exhibition Grounds
Co-optex Complex, 350, Pantheon Road, Egmore, Chennai, upto 9 p.m. tomorrow.
It's usually around the Tamil New Year, but I guess this time, with the New Year being moved around, the Government decided to keep the exhibition now :)
Great place, great food. This year, we almost missed it-- hope to go tomorrow. Please make it if you can. Great selection, so even if the price seems a bit on the higher side, you can get different types of saris, from people who look like they're from the cloth's birthplace.
Last year, MIL and I picked up a sari each from a stall, and both of us have promptly forgotten the name of the sari and the place. We hope to find that out, with some luck!
The exhibition's at Padmashree Nachimuthu Handloom Exhibition Grounds
Co-optex Complex, 350, Pantheon Road, Egmore, Chennai, upto 9 p.m. tomorrow.
Thursday, March 12, 2009
How to Enjoy a Book in Six Steps
1.
If you're a Chennaiite: Head over to Haddows Road (in Chennai), to Oxford Bookstore
If you're not a Chennaiite: Check out your local Oxford Bookstore, or book a ticket to a city that has one.
2. Pick up a book.
3. Head over to their Cha bar. (They also have a great selection of books AT the cha bar.)
4. Order a pastry and coffee/tea/fruit drink. (The pies are great--the selection of teas are nice if you like "artsy" teas.) Important: Be a bit more careful than you would normally be. I saw a woman spill her coffee on one of the books, then quietly put it back-- NOT OK.
5. Drink/eat/read.
6. Don't forget to buy the book.
I've been looking for a place that would let me sit down and sample a couple of pages of a book before I buy it--here's the place! Landmark still has the greatest selection, but standing and reading is too uncomfy.
I hear their selection at their other locations (Mumbai, Delhi) is really vast-- not too great here in Chennai.
Oxford is at Apeejay House, 39/12, Haddows Road, Chennai, 600006
Phone: 28227711 / 28227712
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Gardenia
This worm-type thing is on the arali plant in our garden (Initially thought they were flowers). Not sure if you can see them--they're the shiny things on the underside of the leaves.
These lovelies are in bloom too! MIL had a bunch of these in front of our house, but the corporation took them out to pave the footpath completely.
Disclaimer: I have nothing to do with the garden—it’s all my MIL. They're really nice to be around and photograph, though. Once more of the flowers are in bloom, will post more pictures.
Friday, March 6, 2009
Chennai to Bengaluru: Namma Oor
I guess I have so much to say about my trip to B'luru, I've been postponing it.
Here's just a little observation:
When I saw the B'luru Metro Rail work going on, I also saw little signs that said, "Namma Metro," with the image of a kolam. This one:
Hey, I always thought the kolam was a quintessential Tamil marker--sort of like murals and Philadelphia, or lassi and Punjab! Guess K'taka has adopted it too.
However, I learnt that "Namma Metro," which can be read as a Tamil phrase, is actually said a bit differently in Kannada. Well, let's hope the poor city gets the project done quickly anyway.
As for the kolam design, look at the Mylapore Festival logo:
Is this kolam the easiest one to reproduce or something?
Here's just a little observation:
When I saw the B'luru Metro Rail work going on, I also saw little signs that said, "Namma Metro," with the image of a kolam. This one:
Hey, I always thought the kolam was a quintessential Tamil marker--sort of like murals and Philadelphia, or lassi and Punjab! Guess K'taka has adopted it too.
However, I learnt that "Namma Metro," which can be read as a Tamil phrase, is actually said a bit differently in Kannada. Well, let's hope the poor city gets the project done quickly anyway.
As for the kolam design, look at the Mylapore Festival logo:
Is this kolam the easiest one to reproduce or something?
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
Election Tamasha!
Elections are upon us! I know--everyone's a rogue; what does it matter? If you don't want to vote for anyone else, go to the polling booth and tell the presiding officer that you don't want to vote for anyone.
There is a case in the Supreme Court right now that is dealing with keeping the identity of such "negative voters" secret. Let's see what happens to that.
For more information, including knowing which constituency your house falls under, visit www.jaagore.com.
You might have seen the Jaago Re! ads on TV-- they have many ways you can get involved, and feature tons of info. about voting.
Remember that D-Day is May 13 in TN; April 30 in K'taka. The last date to register to vote will be around April 14 in TN, and April 1 in K'taka.
Do offices give the day off? If not, please take the day off to vote. Otherwise, we might just lose the previlege of cribbing!!
There is a case in the Supreme Court right now that is dealing with keeping the identity of such "negative voters" secret. Let's see what happens to that.
For more information, including knowing which constituency your house falls under, visit www.jaagore.com.
You might have seen the Jaago Re! ads on TV-- they have many ways you can get involved, and feature tons of info. about voting.
Remember that D-Day is May 13 in TN; April 30 in K'taka. The last date to register to vote will be around April 14 in TN, and April 1 in K'taka.
Do offices give the day off? If not, please take the day off to vote. Otherwise, we might just lose the previlege of cribbing!!
Friday, February 20, 2009
Reading....
Reading like I'm crazy- finished "Then We Came to the End" -- awesome book, not one person who works in a cubicle will fail to relate to it; and
"The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao"--very heavy, I think I'm sort of ambivalent about the book.
By the way, who thinks reading in the loo and then back in the room is yucky?
Show of hands please!
I don't, but I tend to do it on the sly--just wanted to check if the slyness was necessary ;)
"The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao"--very heavy, I think I'm sort of ambivalent about the book.
By the way, who thinks reading in the loo and then back in the room is yucky?
Show of hands please!
I don't, but I tend to do it on the sly--just wanted to check if the slyness was necessary ;)
Friday, February 13, 2009
Ulle Veliye
We made it to jail and back today!
Chennai's old prison, near Central, is about to be demolished, and the prison is now open for visitors. MIL and I finally made it today, and it was interesting to see how everybody was attracted to the gallows--as if the broken place would inspire some images of the macabre act of hanging a person to death.
There were tons of people--what was it that attracted us? It was sort of an outing for many, and an impromptu economy had sprung up, with nut, cigarette, water, fruit, tea, coffee, and, (take this) biryani hawkers!
The cells, stripped of any actuall possession, seemed like a movie set, sort of. But when I saw a mirror embedded in the wall, rather than standalone, I was reminded that this must have been a violent place indeed.
The prison is open until the High Court orders the demolition, and is open from 10:30 am to 4:30 pm (though people there said it's open until 5'ish or thereabouts). Newspapers said there would be a guide, but there was none--policewomen standing about answered questions, though.
Definitely worth a visit--if not to know stuff about the prison, definitely to know something about yourself!
And if you're a shutterbug, there's plenty of opportunities to take pictures.
How to get there:
Any bus that goes to Central Station, then walk. You'll see a long line of people walking down there.
MRTS: Get off at Park Town Station--it's not even a two-minute walk.
Electric Train (for lack of a better term): Get off at Park Station, and walk down.
Tip: When you get there, take the stairs immediately to the left of the gate on the bridge (passing by the sentry gate), and not the ramp--it's a much shorter walk.
Chennai's old prison, near Central, is about to be demolished, and the prison is now open for visitors. MIL and I finally made it today, and it was interesting to see how everybody was attracted to the gallows--as if the broken place would inspire some images of the macabre act of hanging a person to death.
There were tons of people--what was it that attracted us? It was sort of an outing for many, and an impromptu economy had sprung up, with nut, cigarette, water, fruit, tea, coffee, and, (take this) biryani hawkers!
The cells, stripped of any actuall possession, seemed like a movie set, sort of. But when I saw a mirror embedded in the wall, rather than standalone, I was reminded that this must have been a violent place indeed.
The prison is open until the High Court orders the demolition, and is open from 10:30 am to 4:30 pm (though people there said it's open until 5'ish or thereabouts). Newspapers said there would be a guide, but there was none--policewomen standing about answered questions, though.
Definitely worth a visit--if not to know stuff about the prison, definitely to know something about yourself!
And if you're a shutterbug, there's plenty of opportunities to take pictures.
How to get there:
Any bus that goes to Central Station, then walk. You'll see a long line of people walking down there.
MRTS: Get off at Park Town Station--it's not even a two-minute walk.
Electric Train (for lack of a better term): Get off at Park Station, and walk down.
Tip: When you get there, take the stairs immediately to the left of the gate on the bridge (passing by the sentry gate), and not the ramp--it's a much shorter walk.
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
It's Official I'm Not
Yup--been four days since I quit my job. AS in, since I stopped working. I figured I'd try this for a while--working is overrated anyway.
And it still hasn't sunk in.
I still go to sleep sort of planning what needs to be done, and think I only have early mornings and nights to do it.
I still go to sleep thinking which outfit I'll need to press the next morning, or most likely, which one doesn't need ironing!
I still think, somewhere in the back of my mind, that I can log into Microsoft Communicator, and chat with my colleagues about how bugging work is.
I still think I can live the "professional life" vicariously, just by staying abreast of happenings in the office.
I still think that I can somehow converse with my colleagues without missing a beat, and that weekly 5-minute calls will substitute the nearly 8 hours spent in the office everyday.
And most of all, I still think I care about what happens there.
Not sure when I'll wake up--but when I do, you'll hear about it!
And it still hasn't sunk in.
I still go to sleep sort of planning what needs to be done, and think I only have early mornings and nights to do it.
I still go to sleep thinking which outfit I'll need to press the next morning, or most likely, which one doesn't need ironing!
I still think, somewhere in the back of my mind, that I can log into Microsoft Communicator, and chat with my colleagues about how bugging work is.
I still think I can live the "professional life" vicariously, just by staying abreast of happenings in the office.
I still think that I can somehow converse with my colleagues without missing a beat, and that weekly 5-minute calls will substitute the nearly 8 hours spent in the office everyday.
And most of all, I still think I care about what happens there.
Not sure when I'll wake up--but when I do, you'll hear about it!
Monday, February 2, 2009
Passion
Here's what I've discovered about myself after my 30-odd years of life--I lack a passion.
I know people who are passionate about different things:
Bridge --the game (no prizes for guessing who this is)
Cleaning
Cooking
Furniture-making
Music
Reading (one is even passionate about just biographies)
Philosophy
Gardening
Photography ... and many more.
But whenever I think about what I am really passionate about--I draw a blank.
I've tried music (not happening), writing (love it, but doesn't always get me pumped), photography (am not too good at it), and whatnot. But that single thing that can keep me going like an Energizer bunny has eluded me. Maybe with time, I can figure it out?
So how is someone's passion defined? And what's yours (if you have one)?
I know people who are passionate about different things:
Bridge --the game (no prizes for guessing who this is)
Cleaning
Cooking
Furniture-making
Music
Reading (one is even passionate about just biographies)
Philosophy
Gardening
Photography ... and many more.
But whenever I think about what I am really passionate about--I draw a blank.
I've tried music (not happening), writing (love it, but doesn't always get me pumped), photography (am not too good at it), and whatnot. But that single thing that can keep me going like an Energizer bunny has eluded me. Maybe with time, I can figure it out?
So how is someone's passion defined? And what's yours (if you have one)?
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