விடுகதையா இந்த வாழ்க்கை விடைதருவார் யாரோ
எனது கையென்னை அடிப்பதுவோ எனது விரல் கண்ணைக் கெடுப்பதுவோ
அழுது அறியாத என் கண்கள் ஆறு குளமாக மாறுவதோ
ஏனென்று கேட்கவும் நாதியில்லை ஏழையின் நீதிக்குக் கண்ணுண்டு பார்வையில்லை
பசுவினைப் பாம்பென்று சாட்சிசொல்ல முடியும் காம்பினில் விஷம் என்ன கறக்கவா முடியும் (2)
உடம்பில் வழிந்தோடும் உதிரம் உனைக்கேட்கும்
நான் செய்த தீங்கு என்ன (2)

விடுகதையா இந்த வாழ்க்கை விடைதருவார் யாரோ
வந்து விழுகின்ற மழைத்துளிகள் எந்த இடம் சேரும் யார் கண்டார்
மனிதர் கொண்டாடும் உறவுகளோ எந்த மனம் சேரும் யார் கண்டார்
மலைதனில் தோன்றுது கங்கை நதி அது கடல் சென்று சேர்வது காலன் விதி
இவனுக்கு இவள் என்று எழுதிய கணக்கு கணக்குகள் புரியாமல் கனவுக்குள் வழக்கு (2)
உறவின் மாறாட்டம் உரிமைப் போராட்டம்
இரண்டும் தீர்வதெப்போ (2)

விடுகதையா இந்த வாழ்க்கை விடைதருவார் யாரோ
உனது ராஜங்கம் இதுதானே ஒதுங்கக்கூடாது நல்லவனே
தொண்டுகள் செய்ய நீயிருந்தால் தொல்லை நேராது தூயவனே
கைகளில் பொன்னள்ளி நீ கொடுத்தாய் இன்று கண்களில் கண்ணீரை ஏன் கொடுத்தாய்
காவியங்கள் உனைப்பாடக் காத்திருக்கும்பொழுது காவியுடை நீ கொண்டால் என்னவாகும் மனது (2)
வாழ்வை நீ தேடி வடக்கே நீ போனால்
நாங்கள் பூவதேங்கு (2)

இந்த படமும் இந்த பாடலும் எனக்கு மிகவும் பிடிக்கும். தனிமையில் இருக்கும் பொழுது இந்த பாடலை கேட்டால் ,அர்த்தத்தின் ஆழம் புரியும்.விடைகள் கிடைப்பது சரமம் என்றும் புரியும்.

During my engineering days, I was not a big fan of electronics laboratory. Theoretically there should be an output for every input and there is an expected output. But there are other factors that I have been clueless about which might have led to a not so favorable result. I really have not got an expected output most of the times I have experimented in the electronics lab.
I relate life to an electronics experiment many times. We know that the input we give is correct. Sometimes we don’t know the other factors which might lead to the undesired output.

Detaching science from this post, I want to squeeze in philosophy. When we don’t get certain things, we are trained to think that god gives us those at right time. Well, with that hope we try to put in the same effort thinking that we will be rewarded someday. There are times when we know that we deserve the best and the right things but it just does not happen. We ponder upon it over and over to find the reasons for not getting something. There really isn’t a great discovery for this exercise except for tiredness. But still we try out different things to get where we want. The irony is by the time it happens we lose interest and the victory loses its charm.

Having this thought is very natural. However we still should learn to live, like and love those victories and moments.

Some people give free advice to others very well. I do not like people who advice for others which are purely personal situations to them. I feel I am the right judge for my situations and I know how to handle my stuff. Who are this other people who provide their suggestions for marriage, kids, job etc.I do not give suggestions to other people unless I know the person really well. Also everyone is entitled to their opinion and can act accordingly. Why should someone impose their thoughts and justify that it’s the right one? There is nothing called as right or wrong in this world. Leaving the situations which reflect value system, everything else is in one’s perception.

Tough Times ?

When you are beaten in life again and again, do not lose heart and just read the article below:

http://tinklingsmiles.blogspot.com/2008_05_01_archive.html

One thing that I have felt is “life is a vicious circle”. It doesn’t stop anywhere. We have dreams, aspirations and we work hard towards it. When we meet our targets, we set up new goals and again work towards it. While working towards something, we face numerous challenges and we get tired mentally. Sometimes life treats us so kindly that we achieve our desires very soon; sometimes it chases us for years together to achieve what we want. The timeline in which one gets what he/she desires depends on karma. Sleepless night, sadness, tiredness, what more is left? Name it and we face everything in due course.

Everyone goes through this challenge for different needs. But the irony is we all forget the pain and experiences, when we pass the tunnel. The people who know the pain, who have experienced it and know how it feels for someone else, still would make fun and ask pricking questions to another person who undergoes painful times. Well, the point to be taken here is, these are the people who are like obstacles in our devotion and we just have to surpass and focus on what we want. At the end of the day, its tough to prove to everybody who makes fun of us and the reality is we live our life for just us.

Several years before I have heard stories and lectures from my grandfather. He always asked me to believe that our prayers will never go in vain. Sometimes god may not help us immediately when we need but he gives the best when the right time comes. Now, we really can’t know when this right time comes in a person’s life. But the hope with which we work towards something takes us far and one day there is light at the end of tunnel.

The moment of victory is a time truly dedicated to our hard work and is a result of our devotion and prayers of our well wishers. It’s a time when our needs are satisfied and that gives peace of mind and it is not a situation of proof for others.

Kindness

Your kindness may be treated as your weakness,
Still be kind.

Your help to others may be unneeded and unnoticed,
Still be helpful.

If you are honest & frank, people may cheat you,
Still be honest.

What you spend in a year building
Someone Could Destroy Overnight, Still Build it.

If you find happiness, they may be jealous
Still be happy.

The good you do today, People will often forget tomorrow
Still do good deeds.
Because it is between you and god,
It was never between you and them.

For the longest of time I was not able to accept this concept. I understand very well but I find very difficult to put this into practice.

Anyways the crux is to be who we are and not to change just because others are the way we are and the way we expect them to be.

Try it!

मन और आंसू

मन से उसकी बातचीत हो रही थी
उसने प्यार से बोला, विश्वास दिलाई
की इस मन को प्यार से देक्भाल करेगा

मन उसके सुख दुःख को उससे बोल रही थी
इक दिन उसने विश्वास को टूटके मन को कतोर्था से चिल्लाई
मन भोज को उठाकर, बिना बोले आंसू पोंछने लगा

उसने विश्वास की थोड़ी भी याद नहीं किया
और मन गलत बनकर गलती का भोज उठा रही थी

TRUTH

Friend Request ?

To me definition of friend is, a person who really cares, is not jealous, truly feels happy in your happy moments, feel equally bad in bad times, and help when needed. Treating the other person with respect shows the real friend in a person. The tone in which a person talks, the way a person treats other person mean a lot to me. I do not like people taking the other person for granted, demanding, making fun in front of others, letting down in front of others.

I have always hated when a so called friend talks between the 2 in a group when others in the scene are totally forgotten. I believe in etiquette and I am totally uncomfortable in such places. Two people can talk but eventually they should let others in the group know what they discussed. If it’s something that cannot be shared it could better be discussed in private.

Social networking websites help us to get connected with friends, colleagues, acquaintances, sometimes so called friends. Most of the times we even add people whom we have not seen, met and probably just talked over the phone hardly once. Sometimes we end up getting requests from people whom we know with traits that I have described above. I knew one such person who have made me totally uncomfortable in several occasions and now wants to add me in her network. What kind of a person is she?

It gives so much relief when I ignore and just move on with my work when such requests come. There is no better diplomatic reaction I could think of other than this.

जो भी करो दिल से करो
सब की सुनो, दिल की करो
बुरे वक़्त में घबराना नहीं
अच्छे वक़्त में पगलाना नहीं

वाह रे वाह..............तालियाँ

आखिर ज़िन्दगी क्या है

तन्हाई तन्हाई
दिल के रास्ते में कैसे टोकर मैंने खायी
टूटे कहाब सारे एक मायुं सी है छाई
हर ख़ुशी सो गयी, ज़िन्दगी खो गयी
तुमको जो प्यार किया मैंने तो सजा मैं पायी

कवाब में देखा था एक आँचल
मैंने अपने हाथों में
अब टूटे सपनों के शीशे चुब्ठे हें इन आँखों में
कल कोई था यहीं, अब कोई भी नहीं
बनके नागिन जैसे है सांसों में लहराई

क्यों ऐसी उम्मीद की मैंने
जो ऐसे ना काम हुई
दूर बनायीं थी मंजिल
थो रस्ते में ही शाम हुई
अब कहाँ जून मैं, किसको समझाउं मैं
क्या मैंने चाह था और क्या किस्मत में आई

कुछ गाने ऐसे हें जिसको पदथे वक़्त दिल का दर्पण जैसे लगता है....इस गाने में जो गहराई है, लगता है की लिकने वक़्त कवी ने पूरा मह्स्सोस करके लिखा हो..

User Interface

Analyzing web sites is something I like to do. I have jotted down how the web site looks and what could be improved for most of the websites that I have used. I have analyzed as a user, what are the difficulties using the website and what kind of friendly features could be implemented. As a hobby and as a user, I have analyzed Chinmayi’s blue elephant, Macy’s, jcpenney, kohls, APS, Amazon, Apple, some restaurant websites and some more.

I like Amazon, Apple and Macy’s website a lot. Someone asked me to analyze Amazon’s website once and asked me what kind of improvement one can make in the website. There could be several one can think of. I am not a very brilliant person nor have I extensively re modeled UI applications. But I have enormous interest in UI. I feel presentation makes a great impact on people as a first step before anyone cares to explore a feature. In that aspect Apple and Amazon have unbeatable websites and products. Don’t they?

Here’s what I could think of as an improvement in Amazon’s website:

Amazon lists all the recent searches done by the user. Say like I look for watches, it always lists relevant watches and deals on the home page and all the recent searches made so far.

1) Going a step further, I would think based on a combination of searches made, like jewelry+watches+shoes, it would be a nice feature to suggest other things like clothes, handbags etc although a user would not have looked up these items in the past. I feel that way it is an option for the user to look at other product lines that might be of interest to him/her.

2) Similarly when I look for a watch of particular prize, I would like to have this feature:

When I move my mouse over the watch of a particular prize, it should display watches in that range like a flickr photo page.(although the watches are displayed based on the sort type we choose from the drop down in the page currently).

May be the points that I have listed out are silly..but still I tried to attempt :)

I am an Apple user since 2007. I was not aware of Apple Ipod until it was gifted to every employee in my company. I just love the features, UI, friendly usage etc. Brilliant brains behind those products!

Coming back to UI psychology, Its very important to analyze human minds to design user interface for a website, product because in my mind the first impression creates the best impression.

Akele Hum Akele Tum

Some songs are very mesmerizing. This is one such song which is my all time favorite.

जब मन दुखी है, अकेलापन हें, तन्हाई महसूस होती है, तब ये गाना मुझे हमेशा याद आती है। इस गाने में एक मधुरता है और दुखी मन को पंखों से दवा दिलाने जैसे सुलाती है।

जब भी यह गाना सुनती हूँ, तब आँखों से पानी उबरकर आती है और मन हल्का हो जाता है

Dil boltha hai

In the last few days, there were so many who asked if I were on facebook. Well, I was so tired answering to people that I am not.

To speak out my heart loudly and to tell about my perception towards facebook/orkut, I hate being on any of those social networking website. I like the concept of social networking site in terms of technology but I am simply not the kind of person who can be on it and share my likes/dislikes with the entire world. To me, it is more like allowing people to invade my space. I cannot be into something just because everyone else is. But I respect LinkedIn which is the other form of social networking site. I analyzed thoroughly before getting on to it. LinkedIn is so nice and so easy to be in touch with people professionally. There is no need to share one’s likes/dislikes, photos, scrapping others and I am glad there is no such thing on it. I love the fact that the top news allows us to be on top of tech news.

I have hand full of friends and I am in touch with them. I really don’t care about others whom I do not want to be in touch with. That is ME. There is no way I am going to change just because some body asks me to join one such site. I do things that my heart tells me to do and I cannot do anything different than that. When I do otherwise, that’s when I can’t be in peace and get irritated. Being a true fan of all the google products, I am still not convinced to be on google+ despite of getting several invitations. All the features are very interesting and the fact that this product came out so soon under Vic gundotra’s leadership is very inspiring. But the concept of creating a public profile and showing all the products the user is into is something I am not happy about. Why can’t uniting on a portal feature and revealing to world be an option? Creating a profile is ok, but a public profile is not ok according to me.

There is this very close friend of mine who always teases me that I am not in touch with lot other people and I am not in one of the snc. I keep quite because this person is a very close friend of mine. There are times when I just get irritated and talk back to him saying that I cannot be like him and do all that he does. To me there is nothing called as right or wrong and nothing called as one should do this/ not do this. I always thought some things are purely one's perception and no one should be forced.

Someday if I am on one such site, then I would have had a very strong or compelling reason to be on it. I wish no such compelling reasons arise rather I wish it needs to be convincing.

உயிரும் நீயே உடலும் நீயே

In continuation to music adds spice to life, I was listening to one of my favorite songs from the tamil movie Pavithra. Thanks to Gokulnath FM in Tandora Tamil App for playing this song.

For the longest of time, Unnikrishnan was not my favorite singer. But this was one among those songs which changed my impression. I was not a big fan of ennavale song. The lyrics probably created an impression about Unni. However Vairamuthu’s lyrics combined with A.R.R’s divine composition and unni’s singing in the movie Pavithra for the song ‘Uyirum neeye , udalum neeye” changed my impression about Unni totally.

“vinnai padaithaan, mannai padaithaan, kaatrum kadalum oliyayum padaithaan

boomiku adhanaal nimmadhi illai...saami thavithaan, thaayei padaithaan “

Mind blowing lyrics and song.. I am a very big fan of this song = music+lyrics+singing

Music

Music and painting are forms of art which I like the most. To me, the tune, rhythm influence a lot. Don't we all like to listen to different kinds of music depending on our state of mind ?I do that a lot. I associate music for stress burster, anger, painful moments, happiness, loneliness, missing people, concentration. Sometimes some songs remind me of situations or incidents happened in my life, cherishable moments,etc.. Music has always been the best company for me.

I mostly love to listen to melodious, soothing, romantic and philosophical songs.. I remember the days when I was always hooked up to all the tamil fm stations back in India. My first color mobile phone in Nokia had a fm tune up feature which was very interesting.My father and I went to the Nokia store and bought the phone. I used the phone for about an year and a half then later on moved on to using my ipod.

I always had my ipod on wherever I went and my sis was my ipod administrator. She would update all good songs for me. My ipod and my nokia mobile were always with me and I never got tired listening to the same songs over and again.

I loved listening to Mirchi shiva's kadhala kadhala in the night and tamil evergreen classic in sooryan fm.

Where did those musical moments go now ? Although I listen to songs in between, I still have a feeling that I forgot music for a brief period of time. The times when I have had ipod while at work, I have listened to the sarcastic comment that my manager once gave. Ever since that happened, I stopped carrying ipod to my office and its just remaining quietly. Daily I listen to country music while driving. I like country music but I wouldn't say they have had a great influence like the hindi/tamil songs. Is it the familiarity and the style of music that matters? Whatever!

I was extremely pissed off about several things since this morning. I am currently listening to tandora hindi and tamil music. It is so nice to listen to good mix of songs.

The music goes on.........

Good Soul

There are many temples in India that have historic significance. Temples in south India were built by kings like Cholas, Cheras and Pandians. Every temple that was built in ancient days had its own significance. However due to several reasons many such temples are in a bad shape now.

We all know to work hard, do things that give us pleasure and work towards well being of our family members. But there are very few of us who work for a cause that helps the society and the betterment of people. I know one such person who has worked on several projects related to building demolished temples. For the past few years, I have been visiting a temple that was built by D uncle. More than D uncle, we know his wife very well. Besides religious occasions, there is nothing much that I know about them. But one such occasion is enough to know good people. Aunty is extremely involved and very dedicated in taking care of the temple. She is very down to earth and is also selfless. She has great respect for our family. My sister and I have sung songs several times in the temple. Without her, we would not have had an opportunity to sing during important occasions in the temple.

There is a reason why I am writing this. Recently D uncle expired due to illness. It was on a Thursday when I got to know this. Thursday is an auspicious day for turban master and that is the day when D uncle expired. I was wondering the fact that although a person does so many good things, still he faces a painful death. Sometimes god is so merciless because he treats everybody the same way. I heard from my parents that P aunty was strong enough to face this but the respect I had for P aunty made me cry thinking about her. That also reminded my grandfather’s demise during the same time few years back that faced a painful death. For a long time I was not convinced about the death that good souls face.

I was recollecting the stories that I have read in the past from satcharithram. Turban master as I lovingly call him thatha explains a story that talks about a person’s death.
It was a dark night and a person frustrated in his life, tries to commit suicide. When he decides to jump into a well, someone comes and saves him. Thatha tells this person in his dream that every one have to live their life until the time they are destined to face the death. No one has the right to kill oneself and that is considered as sin. Although a person does several good deeds in his janma, still he experiences bad things in life due to karma.
(Karma is a Sanskrit word that means action.)
The more he does good deeds, it reduces the papa karma. One has to completely work hard and negate the papa karma such that he doesn’t have to live a new janma. Janma and karma are basics of Hinduism and also requires interest in spirituality to understand to some extent.

Every story that hemadpanth narrates in satcharithram has a deep meaning to it and has answered many of my questions. Mostly they also had a hidden scientific justification and that increased my faith in thatha. Well, there is a huge difference between belief and faith. Hemadpanth also says every devotee has a reason why he is brought into this world. Thatha with his simple principles makes his devotees live a rich and meaningful life.

I am convinced D uncle was brought into this world to do several good deeds and everybody who has interacted with him will remember him forever. Our dear temple will talk about this great soul forever.