Archived Thoughts

There's not a single person who isn't excited about a film adaptation of a favourite book. It is indeed a treat. As long as the movie stays loyal to the book, everything goes smooth, but when the diversion begins you start to fuss. It's only natural to have painted a picture of the story in your mind and to feel bothered when it goes awry. Nevertheless, the film gives you an unmatched feeling of meeting the characters and places only having read and imagined.        'If it can be written, or thought, it can be filmed' - Stanley Kubrick. Movies tend to skip details.  If you are a person who gives attention to details, then the book should be your first choice. The introduction of a character and the gradual development of it can only be enjoyed when you read. In a film, the wordiness is cut short making it digestible for the impatient movie-goer. Films are hard pressed for time. When the story is to be given life by the director, he is up to the most c

Prejudices, typecasting, labeling are all synonymous to stereotyping. So what is a stereotype? It is a generally accepted thought or idea about a certain group of people or a thing. It can be blatantly incorrect and perhaps hurtful to the particular person. Stereotypes are the views of a small and narrow mind. Gender stereotyping is very common in India when you look at the Indian retail market, you come across advertisements which show female models for jewellery, cooking oil, hair oil, cleaning supplies etc., and male models for energy drinks, running shoes, liquor and gadgets. Does it imply that females don't need shoes or gadgets, while the male counterparts don't need cleaning and grooming? No. The retailers indiscriminately shove their brand and product on the average TV viewer through the media based on the assumed target audience.The teens and the children viewing such an advertisement develop a cognitive understanding of the stereotype, which idea is used tby them in

Are the bills eating up your wallet? Does your reserve get thinner with every swipe of the card? Grabbing a bite at a nearby coffee shop taking a lot more of money than you can afford? Well, hello to you average Chennai person. You belong to the migration population of the Madras city. Chennai is a metro city where we race like rats to pass a single day. Every time you look to shop or dine the sellers and the service industry try to pounce on you like you are a poor grass-eating herbivore with lots of meat all over you. But in fact, you hardly have enough to spend for basics. However, your tired wife wants a day off from the kitchen and your children need their day out after a week of mundane school activities. So there you are loitering, looking longingly at the displays of the plush malls and cravingly watching the fancy restaurants on the way. Don't worry, I offer you some tips to be frugal even at the beginning of the month when your phone beeps and you look at the magical

Facebook is the life and soul of youth today. For some, it's even bread and butter. It can be described as a way of life in a perspective. Facebook plays many roles in your social life, namely, newspaper, magazine, TV, job portal, clubs, talent showcase, photo album and what not? So let's wonder what happens when Facebook disappears from the face of earth someday. Wouldn't it be old school? The traditional way of talking to people, connecting with them. On the other hand, if FB is gone, people look for an alternative, which is obviously Twitter and then comes Pinterest, Youtube etc. These alternate websites could face network suffocation leading to crash. So let's assume FB is the only social media site in the world. Gone data gone.. . Billion Gbs of data must've been gone in a matter of seconds without recovery. I wonder if they could revive data through some cloud technology. Photos, Documents, messages, contacts will have

The moment I start thinking of college life, I start gushing about the happy memories and the happy-go-lucky lifestyle. You don't just learn what's in your syllabus, but a variety of other life skills during the course of your college life, which may serve you more than the books that taught you. Reading and Writing: Communication was different those days in college: it was all about reading bulky books and rewriting them in examination halls. You would have discovered that you are capable of reading 300-400 pages in a very short time the day before the exam. Writing lengthy essays and doing calculations which you hardly come across in your career. Yet these prove as the fundamentals to all that you go through in your career. Insights from experts: Lecturers and professors not just tell tales, but give unmatched stories of expertise for your betterment from their previous experiences. Be them kind or strict or disciplinarian, they work hard to make you go further.

Running riots in bedroom and kitchen? Is that what happens at your home? Well, join the club, we have toddlers in our homesteads. These little humans can be a pain in your rear even with the slightest misdoings. You often end up looking for solutions of your daily complications on the web, such as tackling a fever, indoor entertainment ideas, growth symptoms etc. Here is the list of most visited websites your history would hold if you have a toddler at home. DIY: Do it yourself.com isn't this website a universal remedy for your out-of-budget woes? Be it making a toy or creating a scrapbook or craft work or little science experiments with your beloved little one, this website provides unmatched information to use. Howstuffworks.com can also be a good substitute. Babycenter WebMD: Whenever you google an ailment in your baby, this particular website pops up with bare minimum competition to rival. Even though these websites provide you generalized ideas, as a mother you pr

I have always been lured by the media regarding aristocratic families especially British. Tudors, Downton Abbey, and many films featuring the British monarchs have been on my (zealously) watched list, from which I draw inspirations for an impeccable British accent. I am a sucker  for period drama esp. in English and Tamil. So I flung myself into watching The Crown. Initially I was not so inclined in watching it, regardless of the number of times it popped up on the 'to-watch' suggestions list on various websites, because it was more of a current series, meaning happened just 40-50 years ago and the series is set in a period  when the world is at peace with no major wars being fought and not so many controversies in politics took place in UK during the early era of Queen Elizabeth II. Guess I was a bit wrong. I enjoyed watching it as a good time-pass (though not as good as Downton, I loved Downton). The queen is constantly at war between her royal-self and her own-sel

A few years back I was among the ones who thought schooling is unnecessary until age 5. I had thought the poor little sweet things should be allowed play, play and a lot of play until they engage in 12 years of continuous education. Guess I was wrong. Given the isolation caused by the nuclear families, children tend to want to break out the walls and doors of your 700 sqft 2 BHK house and ready to take on the world. So as a parent of a 2-year-old, I have reconsidered my obstinacy not to send my child to school until 5. Signs that your child is ready for school: 1. Boredom. When your child is indifferent to the daily toys and picture books. That's when boredom sinks in. It may happen to you too. 2. When your child wants to socialize with the other children in the neighbourhood irrespective of the ages. That is when he/she releases the tight grasp on your hands in the presence of a neighbour. 3. When she bellows not to go home and keep running errands and riding in the ca

Gone are the days when mothers pamper their boys with all the luxuries at home and shower the daughter-in-laws with the domestic chores. So let the men get in the field. The truth is that the moment a child is born, a mother is born too. She existed as a woman, but motherhood is a rebirth for her. So trying to please her doesn't take a lot of effort.  Take your child along with you while running errands You could manage to run errands with your child on your back or arms for a small part of the day. This will make your wife enjoy loneliness for a little while. Pick up after your child at bedtime. Cleaning up the area after playtime can be really helpful for your already tired wife. Especially when you have a super-active child who rejoices in throwing toys around.  Feed your toddler on weekends You are going to please your wife excessively if you feed your baby, be it milk or lunch. The most difficult part of the day is the meal time. If your child has already lea

Marriage can bring you closer, but think of the life 24X7 you are going to spend with your partner after it. It's not all rosy as you presume. Even the most romantic, altruistic couples face everyday botheration. To escape yourself from phrases like "I never knew you were this....", "I thought you liked...". Reading between the lines is a gone-habit of marriage life. Everything is out in the open, frankness prevails. This blog entry deals with what you should get cleared before you land on a wedlock. [The questions suit only South Indians who have not given up on tradition to some extent} 1. Family has a problem with me working after marriage? Assuming that your partner is fine with you working long hours after wedding. The problem starts when your parents-in-law have a say in your career. Having heard ridiculous stories like as a Marumagal handing over your ATM card to your m-i-l and getting pocket money from her, its nonsensical and gets you i

By the title I mean city born-brought ups and small town girls who migrate to a metropolitan city.  I have observed that city girls do look down upon the small townies. They have a bunch of reasons for it. So I thought I would probe the matter. Personally, I get two types of remarks, one, "Ungala paathale theriyuthu oorkara ponnu nu", the other the opposite. I presume there are some basic differences between both, City girls Small town girls Bold outlook Simple outlook Regular at beauty parlours Beauty parlours are just eyebrow studios Super-comfortable in the presence of male coworkers or students Trying to get comfortable with male companionship Carry skinny, tight outfits with ease Comfortable, probably old-fashioned dress-sense Carry a bag full of cosmetics Carry just water bottles Strong language skills Strong subject matter Treat mongers Feeling self conscious in an office trea

I picked this up from a second-hand bookshop in Bangalore, where they sell books by weight. [" Book Fair; where Austen's, Trollope's are sold 200 per kg. How time belittles the value of literature!" https://twitter.com/RamyaJP]. I wasn't excited much about it, just had to get it to balance the weight. But now here I am, reviewing it. The "Other Boleyn girl", by the same author, was a racy read. I had to read it to check the variations from "The Tudors" TV series by Michael Hirst. OBG was clearly an elaborate fictionalization of the Tudors history. I liked it. So OBG suggested Queen's Fool. Coming now to Queen's fool, the main character is fictional, the rest are historical figures which keep you intrigued. The famous thing about historical fiction is that we know the plot beforehand but the process of arriving at it is the challenge. Gregory has mastered it well. The main character, Hannah Green is weak in the beginning, but th