Archived Thoughts

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-se...

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 alread...

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...

This is a Goodreads review. Well, it was totally nostalgic! I found this book interesting in spite of all the negative reviews. There wasn't a dull moment to quote. The same old racy pacy JK Rowling fiction, which I fell in love with. Time travelling is one of my favourite genres in fiction. We find this concept in a lot of scripts. I enjoyed the developments of different worlds, as a result of The Battle of Hogwarts. Scorpious Malfoy was the different Malfoy who stole the show single handedly. No other new characters registered as much as his. I loved it.