The C Word - Second Opinion

As the enormity of the message (from Dr. Sankar) started sinking in, we went through mixed emotions.  On one side, we were comforted by the assurance given by the Doctor and on the other side, we were confronted with the long journey and the stuff we need to do.

Even as we were coming to terms with the overall situation, I wanted to believe there is some way out of this whole situation and this not happening to Sita.  (I was in the denial).  This led me to want to get the second opinion.  But, not everyone in the family was with me on this one.

Taking Thiruvalluvar to my defense and I found myself saying

எப்பொருள் யார்யார்வாய்க்  கேட்பினும் அப்பொருள் 

மெய்ப்பொருள் காண்பதறிவு.

But, others in the family were taking the same Thiruvallur and said

எண்ணித்துணிக கருமம், துணிந்தபின் 

எண்ணுவம் என்பது இழுக்கு 

That's exactly what I wanted to do as well.  Before embarking on this long journey, I wanted to be sure of the course we were taking and sought and got second opinions.

We got plenty of advice from our wellwishers who laid out plenty of options in front of us.  But, we also got a sane advice from a young couple who had just gone through this ordeal.  He said, "just follow one course of action and ignore the rest".

We decided to stick to allopathic route and got few second opinions from far and wide.  I scanned all important medical reports and sent to few of our Doctor friends in the US.  All of them seconded course of treatment we were advised locally.

With that reassurance from few more oncologists, we set on a course of allopathic recovery for Sita and she has gone through three Chemos thus far.  More on that in my next post.

Earlier Posts

#1 - Coming to terms

#2 - Discovery

Three Things I Want To Do Better This Year

Three things I want to do better this year. Two more of and one less of. These are not new things, but new year gives me an opportunity to reflect and reaffirm it for myself.

• MORE OF - Rise early - I want to rise early, regularly. Even after years of trying, this habit hasn't become part of my DNA. I find myself exercising more and generally having more time if I rise early. I am going to keep trying in 2018 to make this habit stick.

• MORE OF - Write often - I need to do better in this area. Whether it is writing about technology or running or about anything I wish to share. I can do a lot better and will try again this year.

• LESS OF - Social Media - It's not that I want to totally shun social media, but want to be mindful where I spend time. These days, I seem to wander around aimlessly. This year, I want to be more judicious on where I spend my time on social media. Unfollow or exit groups that I can be without.

What do you want to do better this year? What's your three?

The C word - Discovery

First - Friends, Thank You for the outpouring of love.  Sita and I have received numerous messages and phone calls over the past few weeks.  From Books to Ilaneer to second opinions, we are simply overwhelmed by the affection showered upon us.  Thank you, friends, from the bottom of our hearts.

It has been exactly a month since the C word entered our lives, changing our outlook and priorities.  In this post, I will talk about the sequence of procedures Sita went through to the C diagnosis and the next steps.

Annual Checkups - Though reluctantly, Sita does take her health seriously and goes for an annual checkup with a little bit of nudge.  But this year she procrastinated more than usual and went for her annual checkup only in November. 

She has been complaining of discomfort near left breast/shoulder area for a few months now.  First, she attributed it to her Friday strength training.   After the workout, discomfort used to last for a few days and subside.  But when it started lingering a little longer, Sita finally pushed herself to go for overdue annual physicals.

Annual Checkup at Apollo Spectra Clinic in Alwarpet - Sita went through the usual battery of tests (and more) during the third week of November.  While she got a clean chit, for the most part, Doctor did advise her to go for a Mamogram since the last one was done over two years back.  This advise combined with her discomfort made Sita head to Chennai Breast Center.

Chennai Breast Center - Sita has been seeing Dr. Selvi Radhakrishna for several years now (referred by Dr. Uma Ram) and decided to get a mammogram done with her.  Sita had gone through a mammogram procedure in 2015 and we were hoping this time also it would just be a routine affair.  But, after the mammogram, Sita was advised to go for a biopsy.

Looking back, I feel Doctor knew of the C even before the biopsy results came in.  Dr. Selvi had asked Sita few times if she had come alone to the clinic (which was the case).  I understand needle biopsies are generally painful and require the presence of an attendant, but Sita went through the procedure by herself with the next appointment on Nov 30 to collect the results.

On that fateful morning, Sita and I went out for our usual morning walk and discussed the impending Doctor visit.  Even then we assumed everything would be normal and collection of reports was just a formality.  So, Sita decided to go alone to see Dr. Selvi.

But, life changed by that afternoon.  Sita was told that the biopsy reports came positive for malignancy and was advised to undergo Petscan and ER-PR tests to determine conclusively the spread of C.

Pet Scan - We were told to go to one of the three places (Apollo Speciality, Bharat Scans and another place in Anna Nagar).  Our first preference was to get the procedure done at Apollo but there was no open slot for several days.  Our next best option was to go to Bharat Scans, Royapettah where a slot was available for the very next day (Dec 1, 2017).

Pet Scan uses a special dye with radioactive tracers and is injected into a vein in one of the arms.  Tracers help to understand how well organs and tissues are working. 

Sita was advised to fast the previous night and report for the scan at 7:00 AM in the morning.   As luck would have it, it rained cats and dogs overnight and a lot of places including the Scan Center was inundated with water.    We managed to get in on time but a lot of their employees couldn't.  After some wait and elaborate preparatory work, Sita went through dye injection and scan over the next 5 hours.

ER-PR - This is an extension of the earlier biopsy examination and will help determine the kind of cancer receptor that is active.  There are basically three possibilities Estrogen, Progesterone or HER2 (Human epidermal growth factor receptor 2). 

Globally, 80% of the breast cancers fall into ER- PR category and if ER-PR results are negative then the HER2 determination is done.  For Sita, it was ER positive with an intensity of 3.

Consultation with Dr. Selvi (Dec 1, 2017) - After the pets scan, we went and saw Dr. Selvi.  She gave us a patient hearing and took time to explain the whole thing again.  Though Doctor must have discussed the situation at length with Sita previous day, she perhaps zoned out and I wanted to see the Doctor myself to get a better reading on the entire situation.

As the next step, Dr. Selvi asked us to see Dr. Sankar Srinivasan, a reputed medical oncologist at Apollo Cancer Hospital at Nandanam.  He is a super busy guy and was tough to get a slot to see him.  But, after much persuasion, we got an appointment to see him on Monday, Dec 4, 2017.

The intervening two days was rather intense and busy for us.  On one side, we had a stream of wellwishers calling/visiting us and on the other side, there was this TWCM17 for which Sita had registered for 10K and was planning to run with Meera.  But Sita was in no mood to even get out, let alone run. 

Until that Thursday (Nov 30) morning, Sita was her usual, donning many roles she plays with elan, but after the C diagnosis, I could see her energy level going down dramatically.  Though she put a brave face, I could see the turbulence she was going through.  In fact, the entire family struggled to come to grips with the new situation in different ways.  More on that later.

Confirmation of C - Even before we saw Dr. Sankar on Dec 4, 2017,  we came to know of existence C from the pet scan report.  Though none in my family is even remotely related to the medical profession, we all became one by relying on Dr. Google.  Even then, we were hoping Dr. Sankar would tell us otherwise.  He didn't. 

Dr. Sankar confirmed the existence of C but comforted us saying this type of cancer is completely curable and suggested a clear but lengthy course of treatment.

1. Chemotherapy - Undergo 8 sessions.  First four, every other week and the rest every 3rd week.
2. Surgery - To be decided after the first four Chemo sessions.
3. Radiation - Few sessions to be decided after Chemo
4. Oral medication - For a prolonged period of time, duration to be decided after radiation.

Thus C entered our lives.  Now, Sita's journey to recovery has started with Chemotherapy and we are talking one day at a time.

Earlier Post
#1 - Coming to terms

Coming to terms with the 'C' Word

It's exactly a week since the C word struck us and we are still coming to terms with it.   Lot has happened in the last 7 days and lots more to happen in the coming weeks and months.  I am starting this blog series with a hope to share our experiences and get help from the larger community as we go through this journey.

Fateful Day
Certain events make you step up and reevaluate your outlook on life.  One such event happened in our life on November 30, 2017.  Till then, Sita preparing for the TWCM17 10K and I was planning logistics to volunteer.  But on that day, Sita was diagnosed with stage 2 breast cancer.  I was at work when she called me from Doctor's office.  She must have been in shock because all she mentioned was 'things are not good' and hung up.

It took me a few moments to understand what Sita said or didn't.  But, I understood enough to realize what it could be and rushed back home.  As luck would have it, Murphy's law stuck me.  There was some VIP movement and took me over 2 harrowing hours to reach home.  By then, Sita had come back and was looking glum.   I read the biopsy report multiple times and googled furiously hoping to find something sliver of hope.  But, all my searches pointed to the C word.

Though we knew of several of our friends who had gone thru this and fully 'cured', our emotions were at a different level when the C word stuck closer.  The stigma and fear that comes with this dreaded C word is something we are still dealing with.

Since that fateful day, Sita has gone thru multiple procedures and doctor visits.  She went thru pet scan, ER PR tests and visits to surgical and medical oncologists.  All confirmed cancer and have chalked out next steps that include long drawn chemotherapy and surgical procedures.

These events and findings are still dawning on us.  we are struggling to come to terms with the discovery and haven't fully understood the repercussions, but are trying to take one day at a time.

Sita has agreed to go public as she fights this life-altering event.  I am not a good writer and will not be eloquent in describing what we are going thru, but we are hoping our story helps someone somewhere and Sita gets assistance from the larger community.

#cancer #breastcancer

For Venugopalan, Age is No Bar

The man who wrote Age No Bar for The Hindu is no more.  I connected with Mr. Venugopalan for a story for The Hindu - Road Runner column.  As we were discussing various topics, he zoomed in on this story for which he was eminently qualified.

We all know, we all have to go at some point in our life.  But when it strikes someone out of the blue and that someone is a person you know and respect, it hurts.  I have known Mr. Venugopalan for about 8 years now and have fond memories of running with him.  He was a man of few words but was ever willing to coach/guide others.

I remember meeting Mr. Venugopalan in 2009 at ECR 11.  He ran 30K in that event.  Since then, I have seen him in several running events and have engaged in several wonderful conversations.  His measured running and thoughtful tips to fellow runners were always welcome.

Mr. Venugopalan sent me this photo for The Hindu 2015 story.  Though it didn't get published then, would like to publish it now in memory.  Thank you, sir, for being the spark that ignited several minds to the path of fitness.  Though I don't like your departure, I like the way you left us.

Three Suggestions to Make Google Photos even better

Google Photos is one of best Apps for managing photos online.  I started liking it more after they allowed 'unlimited' storage of high-quality photos.  I also like many of the enhancements to the App rolled out in the last year.

But, one of the key functionality I liked in the earlier version is missing in the newer versions.  I like to move photos to Albums and keep the 'inbox' view empty.  However, in the new version, Google took out that view and instead shows all photos in a chronological view regardless of if they were tagged to any album/s or not.

I sent the following feedback to Google today and hoping to hear back in a few days.

(This message was sent on Sep 9, 2017)
Dear Google

I like Google Photos and particularly the ability house ALL my photos.  However, I find the usability is not optimal.  I would like to see three improvements done to Google Photos.

1. Ability to 'search' for the album name when adding photos to Album.

2. A view with only photos that are NOT added to any album.  (I want ALL my photos to be part of some album and presently there is no way to figure out which one isn't.  This functionality was present earlier, but no longer available.)

3. Enhance the existing 'chronological' photo view to also include the album in which a particular photo has been added.

Receding Green Cover of IITM

It has been a while since I ran inside IIT Madras so I have been wishing to get a run there for some time and the opportunity came yesterday.  I was on the last day of my 10x10 and wanted to squeeze it in somehow in the evening.  Since I hadn't run in the morning, I forced myself to fight the traffic and head to IITM instead of running around Boat Club fighting traffic.

I always enjoyed running in IITM and I still do.  I like the relatively traffic free roads and the green cover.  But yesterday, I saw lot of 'fallen' trees.  Some due to nature and many others 'felled' by humans.  It would tragic to reduce the forest cover in the name of 'development' and I sincerely hope IITM is able to strike a balance between 'development' and retaining its green cover.

That said, my run inside IITM was otherwise good and I was doubly happy having managed to complete my 10x10.  Along the way, I met these third year students who were waiting for the shuttle bus near IITM Research park entrance.  I 'coaxed' them to run / walk with me till their Hostel.  They reluctantly obliged, but that set the stage for interesting conversations.  We talked about many things ranging from technology to 'what after graduation'.  Good Luck Nikhil, Karthik & Sadhvik.

ps: This 'tip' merits to be in Senthil's diary (in Boys movie).  So, if you wonder about the 'tip'.. it is.. Sivan temple in IITM gives 'pongal prasadam' at around 6:30 PM everyday.  Made a 'note to self' to 'time' my future runs around that time... :-)

Kahaani 2 - Could Have Been Sharper

Went to Kahaani 2 with lots of expectation but returned with a feeling that the movie could have been sharper and shorter.  Like in earlier Kahaani, Vidya Balan is in almost every frame and has carried the movie single handedly.

Movie starts off showing the strong bond between Vidya Balan and her teenage kid who is confined to wheelchair.  All of a sudden, child goes missing and in ensuing panic Vidya Balan gets hit by a car and goes into Coma.  Then comes the dramatic twist about Vidya's past in a Kalimpong school.  All these does keep the momentum of the movie, but after a while scenes become predictable and one could also predict the next scene.  

Also,  I wish the story kept the focus and not branch out into to subplots.  Storyline should have just focussed on Vidya and the kid.  Instead, it starts veering into the first marriage of Vidya and the police officer, an unnecessary twist which just 'slows' down the story telling and doesn't contribute to the main thread.

But, I liked 'realistic' cinematography.  Art department hasn't tried to create perfect visuals, but has let the narrow streets of Kolkata and Kalimpong speak for itself.

Overall, enjoyed the movie and would give 4 stars out of 5. See it for Vidya Balan. (Rating - ****)

ps: For the first time, went to INOX theaters in Chennai Citi Center.  While getting in and out of the movies was relatively easy (unlike Satyam complex), sound system left much to be desired and definitely needs an upgrade.

Also, got to experience the playing of national anthem after the recent Supreme Court order.  My only gripe is that anthem version played was too fast.  It should have been slower.. lot slower.

#Kahaani2 #Movies 

Yoga By the Beach

I had been wanting to do this for a while.. got a chance today.  Thoroughly enjoyed the session, wish had done more..

 Sirasana - Doing this facing the ocean was tougher than doing it facing west.  It has got to do with the slope towards the water.

Anjaneyasana - Needed to stretch even more.. could have done a better job.. :-)

'Stuff of the Legends'

Who is the legend in this photo?

So, I bumped into this guy in my routine Bengaluru flight.  I generally dose off during this puddle jumper to makeup for waking up early.  But this time I somehow struck a conversation with my neighbor and that made the generally monotonous one hour flight interesting.

Guy next seat mentioned that he has seen me in some runs and boy I started yalking away about my running 'exploits'.  As I was reeling off my running stories, I too remembered seeing him somewhere.  So, I asked him..

"I have seen you somewhere too.. Was there a story about you in The Hindu?"

"Yes".. He said coolly and politely.  What I discovered later about him, squarely shut my mouth.. :-)

He turned out to be Sridhar Venkatesh who is perhaps the only 'Indian' to have participated in Marathon De Sables, the gruelling six day, self sustained 250k trek across Sahara.  I asked him how did he train for it in Chennai?

Sridhar said, he got an online coach and ran a minimum of 10K per day and a marathon every weekend (with a backpack) for the Sahara adventure.  He also learned the value taking 'salt tablets', which according to him is very useful in the long runs.

Marathon De Sables is definitely stuff of the legends and I am glad I got to meet one.

So, now you know who is the legend in this photo.. A big bow to you Sridhar.  You have inspired me to 'dust off' Comrades from my bucket list.

My Vote Goes to..

My Vote Goes To..

Tamil Nadu is under severe election fever besides the usual heat wave during this time of the year.   This election is also seeing a unique electoral alliances by various parties.  While Amma has decided to go it alone, Kalaignar has aligned with his old ally Congress.  After much dilly dallying, Captain has gone with 5 other parties, who have divergent views on everything.  PMK & BJP, finding no partners, have decided to go it 'almost' alone.  I hear BJP has aligned with some 'letter pad' parties who are inconsequential.

This election season, campaigning has come our living rooms.  Every party worth its salt has a TV channel and have been beaming their biased views 24x7.  We get to see political leaders zooming in their custom fitted luxury vans and their party workers toiling (and in some cases dying) in mid-summer heat.

But, I must admit besides the media noise, no party has made any noise in my neighborhood.  I am yet to witness the much talked about 'money' distribution.

With balloting to start in less than 24 hours, who am I going to vote?  Let me start with who I will not..

My vote will NOT be for AIADMK for a) promoting Sycophancy to the hilt b) making generations addicted to liquor c) institutionalizing corruption.

My vote will NOT be for DMK for a) being synonymous with corruption b) promoting family politics  c) poisoning Tamil minds with brahmin hatred for over half a century.

My vote will NOT be for DMDK alliance for a) hodgepodge alliance with diverse political ideologies b) lack of credible leadership (Vijayakanth is tolerated for his comic relief and not much else) c) not having clear 'common minimum' program.

Now that I have eliminated three major combos, here comes the two parties I would consider voting..

My vote could be for BJP alliance for a) Steering India's economy back to 'decent' growth b) reinvigorating India's foreign policy c) implementing 'direct transfer' of many subsidies and cutting middlemen. 

 My vote could be for PMK for a) consistent & early stance on prohibition b) clear growth manifesto sans freebies c) trying to prove its mettle by standing alone in all 234 constituencies.

ps: It's a different story that I can't vote, though would very much like to.  But, even if I could influence one prospective voter then this blog is worth it.

நான் பேய் பேசுறேன் - போகாமலே இருந்திருக்கலாம்

நான் பேய் பேசுறேன் - போகாமலே இருந்திருக்கலாம்

Sundar C & Kushboo must be really 'courageous' to produce a movie like this.  I don't know if this venture is 'profitable' for them, but for industry veterans like them to 'invest' in a movie like this beats me..:-)

Not only for the producers, but also for everyone associated with the movie from director to actors, they all must be applauded for being 'courageous'...

Irony is that, this movie got 'U' certificate and Jungle Book was given 'U/A' certificate by the Censor authorities of India.  While the later is a out and out kids movie, நான் பேய் பேசுறேன் has liquor dripping from every scene and dialog.  In fact, the leading characters make fun of 'statutory liquor warning' and start binging.  I wonder what the board officers were 'drinking' when they certified this film (and Jungle Book).

Now for the rest of the movie review..
We couldn't stand the movie beyond a point.  So we decided to cut our losses and get out at interval.

ps: This is the first time I booked tickets using bookmyshow.com and the whole experience was really smooth.  Usually, I book tickets via spicinemas.in, but since tickets were not available per our choice, I decided to try bookmyshow and was pleasantly surprised, not only to have better user experience of booking tickets but also at Luxe theater.  Overall, two thumps up for bookmyshow & Luxe.

Music Mondays - ஏழு ஸ்வரங்களுக்குள் எத்தனை பாடல்..

Music Mondays (3) - Songs I like - ஏழு ஸ்வரங்களுக்குள் எத்தனை பாடல் - கண்ணதாசன்  

I first became familiar with this song, when I was growing up as a kid in T.Nagar.  We used to live very close to Krishnaveni theater and every one living close by will get to 'hear' most of the movie every night whether they like it or not.  That is because, theatre guys used to keep all doors open for ventilation (and save electricity !!!) and most of used to sleep outdoors due to constant power outage.  (If you must wonder, Krishnaveni theater had a generator and they used it sparsely to just project the movie.. !!!).

Every night, on the clock (around 10:00 PM.. I think) this melodious rendering by Vani Jayaram used to fill the air waves.  I started liking it even though I didn't quite understand much of Kannadasan's philosophical lyrics.

But over the years, this song grew on me and I started liking it even more.  Now, this song is in the top of my all time favorites.  One line that is close to my heart is.. "ஏனென்ற கேள்வி ஒன்றே என்றைக்கும் தங்கும் - மனித இன்பதுன்பம் எதிலும் கேள்விதான் மிஞ்சும்"

படம் - அபூர்வராகங்கள்
பாடியவர் - வாணி ஜெயராம்
வரிகள் - கண்ணதாசன்
இசை - எம்.எஸ்.விஸ்வநாதன்

ஏழு ஸ்வரங்களுக்குள் எத்தனை பாடல்
இதயச் சுரங்கத்துள் எத்தனை கேள்வி
காணும் மனிதருக்குள் எத்தனை சலனம் - வெறும்
கற்பனை சந்தோஷத்தில் அவரது கவனம்

காலை எழுந்தவுடன் நாளைய கேள்வி
அது கையில் கிடைத்த பின்னும் துடிக்குது ஆவி
ஏனென்ற கேள்வி ஒன்றே என்றைக்கும் தங்கும் - மனித
இன்பதுன்பம் எதிலும் கேள்விதான் மிஞ்சும்

எனக்காக நீ அழுதால் இயற்கையில் நடக்கும்
நீ எனக்காக உணவு உண்ண எப்படி நடக்கும்
நமக்கென்று பூமியிலே கடமைகள் உண்டு - அதை
நமக்காக நம் கையால் செய்வது நன்று

ஆரம்பத்தில் பிறப்பும் உன் கையில் இல்லை
இதில் அடுத்தடுத்த நடப்பும் உன் கையில் இல்லை
பாதை வகுத்த பின்பு பயந்தென்ன லாபம் - அதில்
பயணம் நடத்திவிடு மறைந்திடும் பாவம்

நாளைப் பொழுது என்றும் நமக்கென வாழ்க
அதை நடத்த ஒருவனுண்டு கோயிலில் காண்க
வேளை பிறக்கும் என்று நம்பிக்கை கொள்க
எந்த வேதனையும் மாறும் மேகத்தைப் போல

#Favorite Songs, Music

Jungle Book - Run Mowgli Run

Jungle Book - Run Mowgli Run.. and boy he runs fast..

The new avatar of good old Jungle Book got a complete make over by Disney, including amazing CGI and 3D visuals.  It's hard to believe the entire movie was shot in Disney studios, California.

I believe this is the first time a Hollywood movie is being released in India before North America. Kind of makes sense as the movie has India written all over it.  It takes place in India and the sole human character in the movie to all the animals,  all have Indian names.

The new Jungle Book has new treatment.  There is only one human in the movie and that is Mowgli (ignoring the brief appearance of his father) and the theme is revenge.  Disney has given a new treatment to the old story and has spun it around revenge and red flower.  How Sher Khan was injured by Mowli's father with 'red flower' and the reason why Sher Khan is after Mowgli.

Needless to say, movie has stunning visuals and the 3D viewing takes you deep inside thick forests of middle India.  You jump, run, wade thru water with Mowgli but never once in the 106 minutes you feel scared.  I don't know what the censor board of India found 'scary' to give this movie a U/A certificate.  This movie is as benign as it can get as compared all the violence one so casually sees in U rated Indian movies.  It's probably time, Censor board authorities wiped their glasses and see movies 'clearly'.

Verdict - Must watch movie for its amazing CGI & simple yet strong story line.

5 Stars out of 5

ps: I saw this movie at S2 spi movies in Thiruvanmiyur.  I wish I had gone to a theater with better parking and more importantly good sound system.  Parking was a mess and I made mental note to take Uber next time.  But more than parking, what irked me was seating and sound system.  My view was summarily blocked by let us say a 'well built' guy sitting before me and the sound system left lot to be desired.  For some reason it felt 'dull' and below par.

சென்னையின் மனிதர்கள் #19 - முத்துஸ்வாமி (சுமார் 50)

சென்னையின் மனிதர்கள் # 20 - முத்துஸ்வாமி   (சுமார் 50)  

இடம் - கும்பகோணம்   / தொழில் - விவசாயம்

" கின்னஸ் ரெகார்டுக்காக மீசை வளர்க்கிறேன்.  இப்ப ஒன்னேமுக்கால் அடி இருக்கு.. இரண்டு அடி வளக்கணும். ....."

ps: I met this guy during my brief stopover at Kumbakonam recently.  He was hanging around outside a sweet shop when I spotted him.  Though he looked intimidating, he was very friendly when I approached him for photos.  He started to 'unwind' his mustache but held back as I was talking to him but held back.  What all people do for these so called records... :-)

A short discussion with Muthuswami

More Photos here

சென்னையின் மனிதர்கள் - ஆனந்தம்மாள்

சென்னையின் மனிதர்கள் #19 - ஆனந்தம்மாள்   (சுமார் 65)  

இடம் - சாந்தோம் சர்ச்   / தொழில் - பிரார்த்தனை புத்தகங்கள் விற்பனை  

" முப்பது வருஷமா இங்க கடை போடறேன்  ஞாயிறு ஆனா இங்க சர்ச்க்கு எப்படியாவது வந்திடுவேன், திரும்பி போறப்ப யாராவது வீட்ல விட்டுடுவாங்க ....."

ps: I met this lady in one of my Sunday runs.  We helped her get to Santhome Church by walking with her for about couple of kms.  All along, she kept talking about all kinds of things, but not once did she crib about anything.  When my running buddy offered her some cash, she refused to accept it gratis.  She took it only in 'exchange' for some religious books she sold him.  True to her name, she is fully of Ananadam and it is infectious. 

A short discussion with Anandammal

More Photos here

How is the 'random' check done?

With major parties grouping and regrouping, Tamil Nadu is reeling under serious election fever.  Only thing that is hotter than the election fever is the mercury outside.  But just the mercury is rising, so are all the election gossips and exchanges.   Leaving the alliance circus apart, I am always intrigued about the 'cash seizure' stories that comes out almost every day.   Who carries wads of cash around and how?  How are they caught?.  I got a glimpse of it yesterday.

As I was coming out of my office in TTK Road, I saw a bunch cops stopping vehicles.  By then, word has spread and people were talking in hushed tones about 'crores' of rupees being confiscated.  I don't know about monies part.. but I did observe a pattern.  

There were about 4 or 5 policemen along with 2 others in plain clothes and one videographer.  They were flagging down all small enclosed trucks going south on TTK Road.  Drivers were asked to come out and open the back doors for inspection.  What I liked was the entire process was filmed.  All the trucks that were stopped while I watching were let go in a couple of minutes leading to me conclude no 'illegal' cash was found.

I don't know how long cops were checking and if they found anything at all.. but it was entertaining... albeit for a few minutes.

Tags - #TNElections, Chennai

மனமே கணமும் மறவாதே

Music Mondays - Songs I like - மனமே கணமும் மறவாதே - பாபநாசம் சிவன் 

I got introduced this song recently.  The more I listen, more it sinks in.  More so because I can relate to the last charanam. (சரணம்).

It was about four years back and I had just landed in New York.  Got the news about my father that has been 'pending' for sometime now.  He had been bed ridden after a stroke for 9 years and has been slowly receding.  Not knowing when, I had taken to my regular business travel and here I was in a hotel in Long Island and got to know that Appa is in his last moments.  While I was waiting to travel back home, I got to see his last moments via skype.

Though Sita, my mother and kids were all around, they couldn't do a thing.  They were all helpless watching him struggle and fade away.  Those last moments of my father are buried deep in my memory and they now come back alive whenever I hear this song..

மனமே கணமும் மறவாதே
ஜகதீசன் மலர் பதமே

மோஹம் மூழ்கி பாழாகாதே
மாயா வாழ்வு சதமா 

நாதன் நாமம் நீ பஜி என்றே
நாளை என்பார் யார் அதை  கண்டார்
ஆதலால் பவ ரொஹம் ஒழிந்திடவே

நடையும் தளர தேஹம் ஒடுங்க
நாவது குழர கண்கள் மங்க
என்ன செய்வார் துணை யார் வருவார்
ஈசன் மலர் பதமே 

Kapoor & Sons - Different

Sunday Movie Review - Kapoor and Sons

I am a movie buff but have not been regular for several reasons with the main reason being the availability of tickets.  With the limited multiplex options in Chennai, one has to book tickets for the weekend by the previous Wednesday, when the reservation opens.  Otherwise, options gets limited and even 'bad' movies become unavailable.

I am slowly learning this trick of booking tickets by Wednesday.  So far, I have been successful for the past one month and at my daughter's prodding, I am trying my hand on reviews as well.  Let's see how long I keep up with it.

Kapoor and Sons is a different kind of movie on many fronts.  It's dialogs are bold and pushes the envelope unheard of in Tamil movies. (yeah, its a Hindi movie and I could most of the dialogs.  I admit my Hindi is not that great but do follow 'Ek Gaon me ek kissan raghu thatha').  Director has taken three generations 'Kapoors' and have woven a complex relationship story where everyone has something in their 'closet'.

It's a low budget movie and to my surprise was based in a Coonoor, Tamil Nadu.  This may be because, Rishi Kapoor (Grand father in the movie) must have been associated defense services.  My Hindi isn't that good to catch this nuance!!!.  

Talking about Rishi Kapoor, he has done a marvelous job of playing that role.  Though his makeup could have been better, Rishi does an excellent job of waiting to die but not 'actually' dying.  In fact, one of biggest 'non event' in the movie was Grand Father's Death.

Another interesting twist to the story was about the death of someone I didn't expect.  Just as I kept expecting Grand father's death, a twist occurs in form of sudden death of his Son.

While the death of the Son give a sudden twist to the movie storyline, it does have a 'happy ending'.  Movie does have several other stars, including Alia Bhatt, but I enjoyed Rishi Kapoor the most.

Verdict - Feel good, enjoyable movie.  Watch it for Rishi Kapoor.

3.5 stars out of 5

Random Act of Kindness

Today, I received 'random act of kindness' from a total stranger.  More than our run today, this gesture by total stranger made my day.  Read on for the rest of the story..

Shirtless (one of us), phone-less and penniless, three of ambled along to Marina beach from our usual start point in Abhiramapuram.  There, I wanted to take our usual selfie with Gandhi but none of us had our phone to take our ritual snap.  Reconciled to not being able to take selfie with Mahatma, we headed back, but soon discovered we were penniless as well.

As we were heading back, saw a small boutique coffee shop and decided take a coffee break.  The 'genius' bunch we are, we first set our eyes on coffee and then discovered we were penniless.  None of us had carried any emergency cash to quench our coffee thirst.

We had a hearty laugh and decided to move along.   That's when we became recipients of random act kindness.  Total stranger heard us talking about our 'peculiar' bind and politely offered to buy us coffee.  We accepted his offer and enjoyed freshly brewed Vivekananda Coffee.

Thank You Venkatachalam, wherever you are... Your random act of kindness made my day..