Chevrolet Spark, 10m-10k :-)

Just 10 months ago, I acquired my Chevy Spark LS for a good sum of Rs 3.35L, spent additional 11k for the music system; for one month, used call driver services, I figured out I wasn’t enjoying my car drives, simply because I don’t stop wherever I want to and whenever I want to. Regardless of scratches and dents, I needed to start driving, and I did manage to get scratches on all four sides of the car, and a huge dent while backing out of our parking lot. That didn’t deter me.
Today I clocked 10000km on my odometer, and it was a proud moment for me. Just right, few feet away from Vijayanagar Traffic Junction. Best part of it being the lovely Chevy Spark LS, icy blue metallic, hasn’t let me down once so far. Done 3 long drives – Pondicherry, Bangalore and Tranquebar, apart from various mini-long trips to Siruseri.
Chevy has delivered excellent value for money through my Spark; I was unable to pinpoint any specific problems to fix during any of my service. I just stuck to same old rhetoric “low mileage, gear shift problem” though both didn’t really exist. Spark gives me 12-13 in AC inside city, 16-17 in AC on highways, 13-14 non-AC in city, 18-19 on highways…I would say good mileage, definitely;
Engine doesn’t make noise, I don’t have to really stand on accelerator to get a good speed, AC is good. When I drive the car, the experience is as good as the first day I took the car out. The condition is the same. I didn’t need intermediary trips to garage, except for regular services. When I just finished my second free service, I did “under body rust coat” for being in a coastal city like Chennai, tends to rust the metallic parts easily. Spark being a cheaper metal at that!
It is just amazing how easy to turn the car in such cranky corners and lanes of Chennai. The turning radius is fantastic. Since the car is just wider than an auto, I can almost zigzag around where an auto can. That explains the maneuverability of the vehicle. Interestingly, the car can comfortably seat 5 adults + 2kids with enough leg space for all. Considering the turning radius, easy maneuverability, smooth drive features, I was once able to drive fast with excellent control of the car, so nimble the car drive is, in flat 45 minutes from Triplicane to Ambattur, during the peak 5pm traffic via royapet, anna nagar, mogappair…
By the way, Sundaram Motors does excellent job of servicing and customer handling. KLN Motors, who is the other GM dealer in Chennai, is worst and has got some irresponsible and uncaring sales people. I still wonder why I opted to purchase from KLN instead of Sundaram Motors.
So here is my 10 month 10000KM delivery story of reliable Spark!

Updated to add:

The car is so spacious and comfortable, there are so many comfy spaces in such a small car. Just to give a perspective - When I sat in an Indica, I realized I didn’t space to place a water bottle, but in Chevy Spark I had four bottle holder spaces. A full-sized jute bag (the ones they give in textile shops) was needed to accommodate all the CDs, along with their jewel cases, that I have placed in spaces around my seat; beyond this, I have space for coins - to give tips, for my kids books and crayons - all neatly tucked in spaces around.

My son starts complaining he is feeling very cold, in 2 mins, whenever I switch on AC and keep it in just 1. Excellent product is this Chevy Spark, so are Opel Corsa, Astra, Aveo UVA, Tavera...sad GM, despite such rigorous SDP21s didn’t really get their business and union strategy right and have gone this way!

Someone needs pink chaddhi urgently..

...come on ladies, re-start the campaign again...I am siding with you. .

Shame on you Sharad Yadav! Shame on you MCP!! for this irresponsible cowardice announcement in the Parliament.

"I will commit suicide, if the Women's Quota Bill in its current form is tabled"

People like him have wasted years and hours of parliamentary time, already in stopping this bill being tabled!

No one condemned him in the Parliament. That is even more shameful, and indicative of what to expect in this direction.

Airtel Super Singer 2008

...and the winner is Ajeesh!
Congrats Ajeesh, you deserved this win...
You were cool, calm and composed, but was having fun always. I listened and liked your renderings a lot from Semis and Beyond. A person with a smile, no pretentious brighas, no false voices, humble in front of the judges.
Though you were not my personal favorites from the Airtel Super Singer - Prasanna was my favorite - I relished your performance.
Congratulations!

Foodies Lane of Chennai that starts at Mahatma Gandhi and ends at Uttamar Gandhi

This particular stretch I am talking about in Chennai, actually consists of 3 roads; Starting at Dr. Radhakrishnan Salai starts at Mahatma Gandhi Statue, passes through Cathedral Road and goes all the way under the flyover, into Uttamar Gandhi Salai (better known as Nungambakkam High Road) and bangs into Nungai Amman Koil!

Borrowing Mountroad Mahavishnu’s clichéd lines – this is a stretch, with a taste of almost every cuisine to suit most of the budget ranges, and tickle the taste buds of veggies and non-veggies alike (this particular part of the sentence from the previous comma, till the start of in-note, is dedicated to the reluctant cliché-gourmet Shonali Muthalaly).

Let us start and list down:

Gandhi Beach – Beach eateries and Sagar Resturant
On the Southern Side
Radhakrishnan Salai
Manhattan Square (or something like that) – till sometime back Hotel Palimar had a counter, not sure if it is still there; don’t know about the taste of food here though
Chennai CitiCenter and its
Food Court housing
Hotel Sangeetha (and their lipsmacking sambar vadais),
Subway
Pizza Corner (or Hut?)
Gangothri
Good fruit and smoothie shop
Gelato (GOddamnly expensive but heavenly tasting ice cream shop)
Lavazza/Barista
Little Italy (and their amazing pastas)
Chinese food shop (sorry forgot their name)
Halal Shop (again forgot their name)
Desi Mane by Sangeetha
Level 4 - A Roof top restaurant
KFC
Hotel President
Café Ashvita
, then further down the road, after next signal,
Beijing Blues (closed shop soon)
Anjappar
Pizza Hut
Komalas (but not there now I think)
Saravana Bhavan
Rasam (Krishna Sweets Kongu Style restaurant inside Sabari’s Nest)
Bombay Talkies (north Indian food items)
Enter Cathedral Road
Palki – north indian specialty
Amravati – Andhra food (full meals is awedome)
Coconut Lagoon - Kerala style restaurant (inside Palki)
Snowfield - AN Icecream parlour (inside Palki compound)
Hotel S
Hotel Chola Sheraton
Peshawri
Durrant Bar
Shirdi Quick Bites
Woodlands drive-in (boo hoo what a place to lose…)
Under Gemini Flyover and into NH Road…
Hotel Palimar
The Park
Hotel Ranjith (and the bar;-)))
Hotel Taj Coromandel
Hotel Ganpat
Aiwo - Northern Spicy
Cakes & Bakes
Pizza Corner
Seetharamas (is it still there?)
Cholayil Sanjeevanam - nature food keralan style
ChicKing
Turning at the Northern Side
NH Road
Hotel Sangeetha
Arjun- inside Hotel Gautham Manor
Canton - as the name suggests, chinese one
Little Italy (inside El Dorado complex)
The Dhabba Express [inside El dorado]
Rangis - hotel in that Airtel office building, good taste
Ispahani Center and myriad of outlets including
Marry Brown
Café Coffee Day
Sweet Chariot Center
Dahlia
Bella Ciao
New Yorker
Cathedral Road
Baskin & Robbins
Noodle House (easily tucked away upstairs near Gangothri)
Gangothri
Don pepe
Copper Chimney - Kebab restaurant
China Town - Chinese restaurant
Zara - The Pub
Music Academy canteen
RK Salai again
Hotel Savera
Brindavan – Hotel New Woodlands
Karaikudi
Punjabi Dhaba
Ice cream parlour
Dominos Pizza
And then nothing upto citi center signal
Seasons (excellent salads, juices and pastas, at never believe prices – actually tucked inside the Pazhamudhir Nilayam)

I very well know this list is incomplete, and I know I have missed out some more points and got some names wrong; I will update them soon, and perhaps do reviews as well…

Can any other area in Chennai claim their fame like this stretch??? Perhaps Anna Nagar, maybe...
I can call this the Foodies Lane of Chennai!

Parenting - what it means to me

Thanks to Subhashree, aka, my wife, who tagged me! I need to say 5 things as to what parenting means to me...
1. Parenting is a collective verb. No fathering, no mothering...parenting! It means whatever we do is collective decision making for the good of kids...and that brings me to second point
2. Oh my gosh! As parents, one needs to be responsible for all the decisions made on the kid sbehalf, until they can start making decisions...so in some way or other, all choices we make as parents, affects the kids...so no snap decisions, no impulsive actions...and no personal feelings as well
3. Parenting is fun! I have every right to act completely silly, in front of full audience and get awat, because I do that act for making my kids feel happy...ooh...i like it
4. Learning is amazing as a parent! The way my kids pick up words, their context, build the language...it is just amazing. The creative thoughts that go through their head, despite them not having experienced or seen it even once, but they do it.
5. A warm hug, a wet kiss, a silly fight - so many things to feel overwhelmed, feel choked; that is interesting too
[i am supposed to write 5 things, but what the heck..., kids dont follow any rules easily, so would a post about them be any different?]
6. Parenting is caring for and being cared for!
7. Parenting is energy-sapping...exhausting too...
8. Seeing the kids having love for each other, caring for each other, while at the same time, fighting with each other too...
It just means a lot for me to be one of the parents...what matters most to me is
My kids chose me as one of their parents, and the other parent - my counterpart - is the person whom I love most in the world!
This is the best part! :-)
PS: Ok, tagging part...am not too known to too many bloggers...so anyone who likes this topic, take it as a tag, and post an entry in your blog. Leave me a comment and a link.

Sunday - End of ASS 2008

Come sunday, and we will know who is the ASS?
Well, ok, the talent is there definitely, so its unfair to name any of them as ASS.
Actually, we are the ASSES, dont we address us as mASSes? We have let ourselves easily be the butt of Vijay TV's joke on us, titled Airtel Super Singer (ASS) 2008 - lingering midway into 2009.
Hopefully, come this sunday we will know who is the Super Singer. Of course, we viewers will get the ASS award.
Cynicism apart, let us see who is the Super Singer from the talented Top 4?
UPDATE: Apparently, it is not sunday, but next wednesday (June 03 2009), when we will know the ASS!

I love Bangalore...

...because it has made me appreciate Chennai on a few points. Main thing being 'traffic'
In Chennai, the drivers have not become so rude or so blind, like the Bangaloreans. Chennai drivers still signal to some extent, most of them wait when we signal about crossing or going first. These drivers include govt vehicles and autos as well. In Bangalore, they drive like anything in front of them is non-existent, and they can simply drive through that object - may it be human being or another fellow vehicle on the road.
Buying an over-the-counter medication, like a saridon or a crocin or anacin, is much easy in Chennai - especially on main roads. Even simple shops stock them. In Bangalore, on the bannerghatta road near Arekere gate, believe me or not, I had to go to Wockhardt hospital to buy a simple saridon to ward off the headache given to me by the Bangalore drivers mentioned in the previous paragraph.
Bangalore weather is good enough - mild and pleasant- most of the times. No doubts about that. But what beats me is that an average Bangalorean, who grew up with this type of climate and weather, prefers to wear a jacket or sweater even when the sun is blazing hot. Beats me!
Of course, Bangalore traffic snarls are better not said. With wider roads, wider than in CHennai, and enough number of flyovers, still it is not enough for the Police and for the planners of the city, and for the staying population of Bangalore, they end up in traffic pressure points often. It is indeed surprising. They can easily learn from neighbouring states like Tamilnadu and Andhra Pradesh as to how to handle road space. Claim space, widen roads - isn't it a simple thing to do?
Ok, ok, I am simply tryig to pick holes for me to justify my irrational hatred for Bangalore, or, is it actually inner desire, which doesnt let me openly accept my unsaid pleasant feelings for Bangalore? I may never know, cos I may not bother to figure it out!!!

Airtel Super Singer 2008

This program is increasing my expectation like anything.
End 2008 came, we were nowhere closer to closure; in fact, we saw all the eliminated singers come back again in 2009; in fact, I got it clarified at home we were not on to Super Singer 2009. I suppose it was still Airtel Super Singer 2008.
Then, I thought this would end in FY08-09 atleast...no, the end was nowhere to be seen.
We are into May 2009, the Airtel Super Singer 2008 is still going on. With all due accolades to the talented singers of this show, I really dislike this idea of taking us for a ride, even in such reality shows. Virtual reality I suppose.
I had some respect for STAR VIJAY channel among other Tamil Channels, but it is dwindling.
I think I am going to be a happy man not watching the TV these days!

Insider trading

Recently one of the Anna's Brother confessed in a letter, that he got on to a tiger ride, which he couldnt let go...however despite the confessions/claims, his share benefit had been reaped fast...and he announced it fast, and all saw it fast on the TV, when the "rising sun" rose
AN INDEFINITE FAST, THAT STARTED AT THE BREAKFAST, AND ENDED SO FAST! DEFINITELY FAST...
No more combats, but will comb still... and agitated people say there is no SATYAM, aka, truth, in the fast.
"Idhayam inithathu, kanngal panithathu, vayaru pasithathu"
What to do? Such things do happen when you start "riding the tiger, not knowing how to get off without being eaten"
Wikipedia would define such above incidents as "insider trading"
By the way, this little wisdom, has no connection whatsoever with this or this or this ! And, of course, cynics may say all the above wisdom combined into reality, can qualify for this! Mind you, this is not reality, but only reality TV...heh heh heh

Om shanthi shanthi oh shanthi...

..the song in "Varanam 1000" has some extremely great lyrics. Wonder why music directors do not use an extremely talented and fresh idea-writing lyricist like Thamarai..bringing in a lady perspective to the songs.
Consider this line
"ennodu vaa veedu varaikkum
en veettai paar, ennai pidikkum"
(For the benefit of Tamil-challenged, here is the meaning - come with me to my home; meet people at my home, you will like me)
This is such an honest expression of a decent love, which we havent seen off late.
Then another Balakumaran-type-line in the same song:
"kadhal ennai ketkavaillai
kaettal athu kadhal illai"
A Khaleel-gibranic expression, with profound meaning, in a mere 2 lines.

Then the ghaana song "anjalai" (actually the music is so soulful and is a haunting Ghaana, Deva sir aaseervathamo? But thats another post), where she penned the pain of the lovelorn Surya, who lost her girlfriend to death, in these lines:
"velicham thanthava oruthi
avalai iruttila niruthi
jora payanathai kilappi
thaniya engay ponalo..."
(For the benefit of Tamil-challenged, here is the meaning - She gave the light, but kept herself in the dark; she started our journey and went somewhere alone)
Actually it is indeed surprising that neither the Tamil Film industry or the Tamil Cine Fans havent taken note of this extremely talented lyricist.
The lines that struck me on my face by this lyricist, Thamarai, were in "Kakka Kakka" - two songs with excellent usage of different words, rather than the cliched tamil lyricdom...
In the song "Oru ooril azhagay uruvai", the following lines:
"Viralgalai aatti aatti pesum bothilay
kaatrilum veenai undu endru thondrumay"
(For the benefit of Tamil-challenged, here is the meaning - when she talks she swings her fingers, seeing which it makes one to think that there is this musical instrument in the air)
While earlier songs, by other lyricists, had eulogised a women's beauty by way of her slender fingers being a veenai or the lady herself as a veenai waiting to be played by the Hero or such similar stuffs, here is a thought that presents a woman with all her grace and charm both in her mannerism and her poise, and how she is so MUSICAL...
And in the song "kalaba kadhala", she would have penned what exactly might go through a lady's mind...almost exactly emoting what a modern lady might anticipate on her first night.
First time, I started noticing Thamarai's lyrics, were in "Minnale" in the song "Vaseegara"...very simple lyrics that dreamily expresses how a simple girl mightwant to romance with her boyfriend.
And what a hai-ku she would have penned in "vaseegara"
"Adai mazhai varum, athil nanaivomay
Kulir kaaichalodu, sneham"
(For the benefit of Tamil-challenged, here is the meaning - when it rains, we will get drenched in it together! A friendship/love with cold and flu)
Next line is even a better haiku
"oru porvaikkul, iru thookam"
(For the benefit of Tamil-challenged, here is the meaning - Two sleeps in a single blanket!)
Thamarai, I salute you!
And my humblest salutations, for the lines that amazed me, enthralled me, enticed me, for those honest-in-the-face lyrics, that gel well with the honest love and affection that is the undercurrent of "Vaaranam Aayiram"
"Ennodu vaa veedu varaikkum
En veettai paar, yennai pidikkum"

Most versatile acting moments

I have written my favorite acting moments from the movies I have seen in my life so far. There is no ranking in these, not written in any particular order. The expressions are priceless.
1. Vaaranam Aayiram: Surya as a school student, he would be beaten up some students; in a few seconds close-up scene, Surya would show "fear in his eyes". Do you ask what is so special in showing fear? try searching for the same expression in the eyes of some actors in the past few years, you will be surprised, theirentire face would have emoted, but not just the eyes alone.
2. Thillana Mohanambal: Padmini showing "navarasam" in her face in split seconds in the song "Marainthirunthu paarkkum"
3. Guna: Kamal's classic "azhukku azhukku" scene, talking round and round in a room...usual genius-thanam of Kamal (Have you noticed, in any Kamal's film, despite the acting nuances, make-up brilliance etc, Kamal would still stand out as Kamal) would have got offloaded for a certain moment, and we get to see a mentally disturbed person.
4. Kill Bill-3: Uma Thurman trying to eat with the chopsticks, when the Japanese master ridicules her. Uma Thurman would have shown both hatredness and eagerness to learn, along with the determination, with ego. (I think it is Part-3)
5. Anjali: When Anjali's brother gets beaten up because he stood up for this little sister, Anjali, he'd come home with wounds...Anjali wouldslowly come near him, touch his wounds and when he cringes, she would weep...oh boy, I was moved to tears, and even to this date, I still get moved to tears, when I watch that scene, and the poignant pain in that little girl.
She is mentally challenged but not emotionally.
6. Punnagai Mannan: This scene involving the crying child, who will whine the moment Chaplin CHellappa stops his painful "thalai-keezha thongarathu" and so CC will perpetually hang while pleading to the child. Then Srividhya will come and give a tight slap to the boy. Chaplin Chellappa expression was pricelessly hilarious to give a hearty laugh

I might want to add a few more, but these are the ones that came to my mind immediately.
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PS: Since tagging seems to be a good idea to attract visitors, I am tagging some famous bloggers, who also happen to be known to me which helps me to guilt-trip them, if they dont react to these tags...
My dear wife, mommy blogger, Subhashree
My dear friends -
Chakra
Dubukku
Venkat
Like the "Samathuva Makkal Katchi" of Sarathkumar that gives the party posts who pass through their party office, I am tagging this lady, also a famous MommyBlogger, who happened to drop by:
Sheela
So beware before dropping by!!!! ;-)

Elections and Me...

First time I saw an election
Say Elections, and the first public election, I remember was that when Rajiv Gandhi became the Prime Minister of India. Next election which is much more clearer is when V.P.Singh was made the Prime Minister. I have had my own associations with the public elections.
Election Jobs
When I was studying in Xth standard, during summer vacation, the elections were announced. And so also the summer jobs, connected with the elections. Voter slips used to be given to the respective ward voters, by all the election parties, with their party symbols posted. Along with my street friends, I got this "job" of writing the voter names on these slips. We all worked for the Congress (I) party. I dont even remember the candidate for the congress party. :-o
Election That affected me
Then, another election was when Rajiv Gandhi was violently murdered, which affected me as much, both emotionally and politically. Emotionally, because of the gruesome murder inflicted on a young leader. Politically, I saw realignments and the complete drubbing of DMK. Politically, it was also shocking for me to see Rajiv Gandhi's death was publicised unabashedly by JJ and AIADMK.
My First Election as a Voter
It was a good experience for me to vote for a first time in a public election. It was State Assembly Election. My constituency had candidates from key parties like Congress (in alignment with ADMK), DMK, MDMK, and communist as well. My father asked me to vote for the party that will win, and not waste my vote. I don't know what he meant, but I had the arrogance to think my vote will changeeverything and had the power to get that candiate to win, and I voted for that party. More to do with the outcome of the candidate in the next section. By the way, that was the first election with EVM, and I voted in the EVM
My Luck and Candidates
I have this uncanny luck. To whichever candidate I vote, despite being in a popular party and despite being the party supposedly being the front runner, the candidates have miserbaly failed. in fact, in my first election, the candidate to whom I voted for lost his deposit. But of all the party symbols on the EVM, this one was the cutest!!!
My Friendly Advice to candidates from South Chennai
Don't canvass for my vote, lest my luck (or the lack of it) will hit you...

Happy Elections

Cleansing inner self...

...starts with identifying the inner problems. Almost always it starts with buying new branded undergarments.
--- Self Anointed Wisdom Saying ---

Getting to the top...

...in the corporate world isn't as easy as I thought. I attended a high-profile meeting sometime back, consisting of C-level executives. My own limitations surged in front of my eyes, and I realized I have a long, long way to go. But it was a good opportunity to be in there.
Some of the key qualities are: grey hair and/or bald patch, small paunch, specs/glasses. If these can't be managed, atleast you need to have height.
Last, but not the least, you need to have the guts to state the obvious, and say it with a smile, as if you just found it, and others still don't know it.
I lag behind in all those departments, except in the paunch region. This despite me being 33 (not the waist size, but my age...silly!). Taking doc's advise (actually a threat and a warning), I am also reducing the paunch, whatever little I have of.
All my hopes of making to the top at 35, I guess, is still long way to go...

Oh my crazy woman...

2 years, 10000+ visitors, colourful photographs, and a great chronicling of our lives around the kiddos for the last 2 years...amazing...My wife's blog just had 10000 visitors and is going to turn 2 this March 28th...my congrats to you sweetheart...
kudos and well done...you have persisted, sustained, found new people to meet up with, improved your writing style, found a platform to voice what you feel about several things, got introduced to many new books...excellent. Am so proud and happy for you. Keep the spirit up.
Whenever I travel, your blog has always been an excellent companion, and has both made me miss you lot, while also giving me the sense of being close...

Considering your blog post tag counts, I ["hubby dear" = 6; "HD"=1; "Mr. Mom" = 4; total = 10] score slightly better than the "tantrums"(numbering 8) and on par with "lessons learnt" (numbering 10). This tells a lot about our kids, and about my influencing skills...;-)

just pulling your leg, dearie!

Congrats again.