Variety is the spice of life

Read 2 Agatha christie novel back to back, leaving the third one unfinished. “Elephants can remember” was a book that I couldn’t quite understand and believe wouldn’t be on the “unforgettable” list by Agatha. Semma bore. Even though it was a Poirot mystery, the main detective/ lead is Ariadne. In the name of investigation there are conversation after conversation that it took me weeks to get through even half of it.  Next in list was “Clocks”.  The name of the book caught my fancy and was reasonably confident that it would be an interesting one. Again, the lead detective was not Poirot even though it was a Poirot mystery. But unlike the previous one, this story was narrated in a mix of third person and other characters, with the plot being quite intriguing. A stenographer girl is called for an assignment to a lady’s house. While she waits for the lady, she finds a dead body of an elderly guy soaked in blood. She runs out of the house screaming into the narrator who accompanies...

There is a cat, which I believe is a pet in some near by house, for it always has a tag around its neck. And semma “pushtiyaa” vera irukum. Junior had named it as “mani” cat. He is slightly afraid to go near it as it is twice his size. But would keep biscuits for the cat from a distance, like bursting crackers with a mile long oodhuvathi. This time, he was at his veera dheera best and went slightly closer to feed the cat.  He wanted to share his conquest and achievement with everyone and was calling out for anyone who was within shouting distance.  Finding his most important person, mom, missing Junior was running around the house searching for his mom.  She called out for him from Kitchen. Since he couldn’t hear her clearly, he kept running across the hall asking which room. Paya pulla paavamaachay nu I said  “Dei Kitchen enga irukunu unaku theriyatha..which room nu suthitruka” “Enakku Kitchen enga irukunu theriyumpa..amma enga nu than therila” Intha bulb vaanginapr...

Been on my mind for a long while since the news of SPB’s demise came in. If I’ve to prepare a playlist for the songs sung by the big man, these would be on that list for sure, in no specific order. Of the several thousands just picking those that came immediately on top of my mind. “Ilaya Nila pozhigirathu” – guess without this song, no playlist for SPB would be complete. Any person with a guitar, if they hadn’t tried that interlude on this song, are not worth owning a guitar. Dot. “Omkaara naadhaanu” – Shankarabaranam is a movie that I will remember only as a audio cassette. Have never seen the movie many times but would’ve listened to the songs at least a couple of 100 times each. His best effort, possibly nascent, in semi-Carnatic song rendition “Karpoora bommai ondru” – The lady version of this song is more like a lullaby while SPB’s version doesn’t have any instrument accompanying the rendition. I tear up every time I hear his version which is so soulful and gut wrenching that thi...

What more can I say about the most saleable English novel author in India. Afterall everyone loves to hate him but never misses a chance to read his books. It is like those trash movies, that are so bad that, everyone bad mouths about it and out of curiosity to see how bad it is, everyone eventually watches it and makes the movie a blockbuster!! Ditto goes for his books as well. The example is as crude as it gets, for his books are not that bad. He has a select set of audience and he caters to them. Whether the majority of the population agrees or not has never been his problem. This time, truth be told, he has tried something quite different from his previous novels – a murder mystery. His last one was “Girl in room number 105” which again dealt with exactly same premise of a lover girl calling her lover boy to her room, only for him to get framed for her murder. This time, the fiancée calls for her fiancé only for him to see her fall to her death. But considerably better treatment th...

 At times Junior stumps you with the most simplest of actions. With all the temples being closed or restrictedly made available, it has been a really long while since any of us went to temple. And junior has been on absolute house arrest for last 6 months not venturing any where beyond the main gate. In fact very rarely only he even steps out of the house. Going to be real tough when the schools re-open. After a really long while, my sister decided to take him out for a near by Pillayaar temple. He was super excited and immediately wore a mask and got dressed. Usually when he take him to temple or even at home, while praying will always ask him to pray that, he should eat well, behave properly and shouldn’t beat anyone etc. Today after coming from temple he was jumping around as usual, having been let out of the cage after half an year. He was immediately explaining what he did and how the trip was to anyone who wasn’t part of the troupe. I asked him what did he pray to god.  ...