Before you die !!!

A Travelogue after a long time. Unsurprisingly, it was a splendid trip to Cape Town. The South Africans are always proud of the rich natural beauty of the country and Cape Town is the primary underlining factor for the statement. I have planned this trip for 4 nights along with my family. Enjoyed every second of it from the accomodation to every meter of the lengthy drives in and around the city. For those who never been here, check out the composed briefing on must see places in and around Cape Town from my experience.

First thing first, mine was a package tour from Johannesburg and the price was 17K Rands (1,12,500 Indian Rupees, 2500 USD, 3120 Singapore Dollars). The price includes for 4 adults and 1 baby return flight from Johannesburg, Toyoto Versa Car rental, 4 nights stay in Protea hotel - Stellenbosch)

Table Mountains : Mr. Nelson Mandela mentioned this as the gods gift to South Africa and rightly so. If you want to use the Cable car to go to top, be there by 9 AM in the morning to avoid crowd and have a pleasant and less-crowded view at the top. Also, the cable car transport will be closed if its raining or heavy winds. You can also do a 1-2 hours trek along the pathway to reach the top. I recommend the cable car atleast to go up as it gives good 360 degree view around and save your energy to spend walking at the top. You can walk like around 1 hour on the mountain top all the way from east to west. I guarantee you will cherish every moment viewing the beautiful beaches and the landscapes around cape town from there. FYI, the Table mountains are the oldest mountain in the world (even older than everest)

Cape point (Cape of good Hope): This is the south western tip of Africa. The drive to Cape point is a pleasant experience crossing the valleys, coasts and several view points along the way. There is a Funicular ride (winch as called in India) that takes you to the cliff. You can explore a lot around the mountain by foot. The more you explore the more you can see and the more your heart will linger with joy. I have seen the views in many many movies and clicked a lot. Good food for my lens. Remember to plan your lunch there in the restaurant (i guess its called two oceans restaurant) in Cape point. Its delicously delicious even for a vegetarian like me.

Robben Island : This is most intresting part. This is an island prison (something like you can relate to the movie THE ISLAND) where the political prisoner (including Mr. Nelson Mandela) was jailed. Before that, the island is the quarrantine area for the leprocy patients. They were isolated and left in the island to suffer to death. You got to take the ferry from VA Water front. The ticket includes the ferry ride, the bus ride and guided tours inside the island. There will be a X Prisoner himself there to explain his experiences inside the prison and how brutal was the treatment inside. At the end, the prisoners where so determined to fight the apartheid with peace so no more from the future generation should suffer in the prison any longer. Dont miss this place, this will make your trip more meaningful emotionally.

Camps bay (Sunset view) : The best i would suggest is leave cape point around 3-4 PM and head on to Camps bay via Kommitije, Houts bay, Chapmans peak to Camps bay. You can stop at several view points along the coast. Refresh yourself and get ready to feel perplexed with the amaizing driving route in the Chapmans peak. The experience of viewing the coast as you drive through the mountains is impeccable. You will love every second of it. Make sure you reach camps bay by around 5 PM. This is for me one of the best place to view the sunset. It was too cold and windy for me to swim in the beach. I guess summer should be best.

Cape town Castle : This isnt visual pleasure as i expected but the meuseum inside the castle is quiet informative. This explains a lot about Anglo Boer war and how the British captured Cape town from Dutch. Besides, there is a Cannon firing session which is a wonderful experience where a representative from SA Cannon Association explains the whole process of firing a Cannon with right tools. Go for the knowledge.

Hermanus (Whale watching): I knew it wasnt whale season but i was told if i can get a boat, i can able to catch glimpse of those monster whales in the mid sea. Unfortunately, the boat was full and we have to return disappointed. However, the long 1.5 hour drive was exciting crossing the mountians and plains. Plan this if you are excited watching Whales.

Ostrich Farm : This is the delight of my own research to make the trip memorable. I found out this unfamous West coast Ostrich Ranch off N7. The farm has like 200+ Ostriches and a guided tour is all fun with the guide explaining end to end about life of Ostrich. Also, you can feed them, touch them and even sit on them for photographs with Table mountains back drop. Please dont miss it :)

Thats pretty much i managed to cover in around 4 days. I would like to go another time by reaching Port Elizabeth (another city) by flight and drive all the way to cape town (800 KMS) staying at different places along the way each day though the Scenic Garden route.

Few pictures are in my facebook and email me for the pictures link if you wanna have a look. But make it as a point that you visit this place before you die :)

The stamp of dominance

Disclaimer : Please note, the above so-called Poetic lines are absolutely Aravindh's own creation. Any one claiming the rights will be higly intolerated and will be badly bullied ;)

Wolrd cup : The Glorious Moment

The glorious moment for Indian cricket I witnessed last night. The statement was further justified when couple of South Africans mentioned ‘I am glad the Aussies are out of World Cup’. It’s the expression of joy when a team put up more than a brave fight and showed the exit doors of World cup to a team who dominated more than a decade in world cup.

It was 1996 (I was at school that time) I saw the so called minnows Srilankans who murdered the Australians in the world cup finals and ever since, the Oz team only grew stronger, became dominant. With the stalwarts like Ponting, Mcgrath, Warne, Gilchrist, Hayden etc., they formed their own empire in the world of cricket. They kept fetching all the records possible. They won every world cup they played after that. As the talent grew stronger and stronger, the attitude took a stroll and termed as the RUDE TEAM in the cricket field. Sledging, Controversies, Disciplines joined with their Cricketing talents. That’s when the superstars retired but not the teams attitude and fittingly, that’s when they started losing their pride.

The slide (to me) started when India won the CB Series during last time during India's tour of Australia. There was no luck factor, no hook n crook. It was 'best of 3' finals and India kick started the ‘Beginning of the end’. Sachin Tendulkar rubbed off the stupid superstition by scoring centuries in both matches and still made India lift the trophy with one of the histories most convincing win against Australia in Australia by any team in ODI format.

Later, the Aussies suffered poor crash defeat in Ashes against England which put the message across to the arrogant team that they are just as good as any other test teams.

Back to present, the Aussies started the world cup well staying un beaten until they met the most unpredictable super talented team called Pakistan. Crushed ruthlessly and their stint of 34 unbeated worlcup victories in a row ended. I have to mention that its shame on Ponting who clearly edged and waiting for umpires decision to force him out instead of walking out. Fittingly, Tendulkar only grow as a sports man (besides being top class player) by walking away when he nicked the ball that even replay cameras couldn’t spot.

Yesterday, the big stage was set. India (the favorites) but with lots of bowling and fielding issues to face the defending champions. I was taken by surprise to see the new look Indian team with their best bowling n fielding. Took regular wickets, stopped boundaries and batted with utmost responsibility as a team. End of the day, there was 2 people who were on their knees on the ground. Yuvraj, roaring at his loud best looking at the sky. Ponting, heads down forehead kissing the Indian soil for the last time in world cup.

I saw this funny comment on cricinfo.com at the end of the match

Passenger Announcement : Final call for passengers travelling to Non stop flight to Australian on Quantas Airways.

Disclaimer : This post is not to hurt the Australians but true emotions of Non Australian Cricket fan.

More Tennis

Ever since I moved to South Africa, the predominant activity goes in my mind and body is Tennis. With chilly climate (than Singapore), well available and free courts, good play mates, the love of the game only increased. Although I am not a power hitter or super fire athletic in the court, I still love the game the way it works. Adding spice, I got my new Racket (a bit expensive, bloody 1800 Rands = 340 SGD) but the best thing I got since my ipad few months ago ; ) Some of healthy tips and tricks I learnt from other mates/experts. This doesn’t mean I am following it well but with my limited exposure, its working well for me.

Shoes : After 1+ years of tennis exposure, I very well learnt how vital Tennis shoes means if you are frequently hitting courts. I used to get lotsa ankle sprains/twists (the cream of Singapore knows the stories well) and then these Tennis shoes joined me only to give the best to my legs.

Racket : I wasn’t sure which one to buy initially (1+ years ago) So my mate and me blindly purchased a 100$ Wilson racket. Surprisingly, that was a wise choice and served us sincerely for long long time (and it still does for me) Last week I came to know what suits me, if you are a power hitting player then predominant light weight stuffs are the ideal choice otherwise go for a bit heavier one. I am still learning on the right selections but smaller racket with heavy head weight works well for me at the moment (Wilson BLX blade 98 rocks ) Obvious, I am married to Wilson now.

Tennis is a wonderful game for activity. I tried badminton for a while but gave up as its more demanding in terms of fitness and stamina. Tennis on other hands blends activity well with your skill. Also, Tennis is more enjoyable if you play singles and more exciting if you play doubles. Certain things to keep on mind while playing the sport.

Warm ups: Always, warm ups first. Its quiet essential. Tennis is full of continuous hitting, hard running, sudden jerks etc. Your body should be all fine before and after every game. Hence atleast 5-10 mins warm ups and stretching is a must do before you start holding your racket.

Rallies: Play bloody loads of rallies. I was stupid myself gave more importance to the fun matches with my mates than actual rallies (practice). Ofcourse, matches are the intresting bit that keeps you going for the whole session but its rally hits that improves you in the game. So, if you play 1 hour game then make sure you play 10 hours rallies accordingly.

Strokes : I myself still a rookie in making my strokes clear but I am happy am learning now to spot the mistakes. The mistakes I used to do always is using my wrist to generate the power but ideally, it should be the combination of your foot work, grip and swing of your arms that should generate the power. Obviously, this doesn’t come over night and you gotto keep hitting lots of balls to get right swing

Cricket World Cup 2011

It’s a real pleasure and fun being in another cricket mad country that awaits for the upcoming world cup with all the locals being curious. The Cricket fans of SA over here are nice and giving good respect to other teams too in terms of criticizing the game. Herez my analysis of how the teams stand although the groupings looks like the top 8 teams in ICC ranking will go to quarter finals.

Australia : For sure, they are not the god as they were a decade ago. Ever since the last world cup, the team only detoriates with every second with their consistency. No more Gillys, Mcgraths, Haydens or warnes. Winning each game will be a challenge for them. In my opinion, they are not the favorites this time.

South Africa : I could say they are better than Australia but once again they don’t have the talents of Pollock or Klusner or Rhodes or Gibbs which is painful. However, they seem to be the only non subcontinental team who got the potential to win games in Asia against any opponent on any day. IMO, they could give surprises either way. (they still havent got rid off the C****S tag yet)

England : In theory, they are even favorites. In reality, they sweat themselves to win against an associate team in Warm ups. If Kevin Pieterson or Paul Collingwood doesn’t click, England won’t stay longer. IMO, No hopes on them

West Indies : The once superstar of world cricket is not the same now. Gayle is a good T20 player and Chanderpaul got too much load with a less talented team. Bowling is unpredictable. The only impressive news was they gave tough fight against Srilanka in Srilanka during warmups. IMO, no chances even if they make it to quarterfinals

Srilanka / Pakistan : No idea. To me, they are ‘You never know’ teams. They are quiet and less hyped. Supposedly, according to the Theory of Stupid Irony, one of them should lift the cup.

New Zealand : Absolutely no chance. They should be happy they are still playing tests.

Bangladesh : Being host, may lift their spirits and I am sure they wont give a easy win to any opponent. Still, they don’t have what it takes to be world cup dominator.

Associate Teams (Ireland, Neterlands and other lands) : Nothing expected other than 1 or 2 shock in prelims.

India : As a world cricket fan, India for sure proved they deserve to be on top few by giving close fight and winning slaps against many teams in their own backyard. Young team, great hitters, terrific fielders, home side advantage, TENDULKAR the god is with them… With all my heart I always wished to see the Tendulkars XI to lift the cup for more than a decade but this time the chances looks more realistic ever before. IMO, the team got all it takes to reach semi finals and then its Dhoni who should exercise the brain to get ther…

Practically, all the top 8 teams (AU/NZ/WI/IN/SL/EN/SA/BG) reaches the quarter finals eliminating the associate teams and then its 3 good days for any of these teams. One thing i am sure about, it will not be 100% win for any team that lifts world cup.

I am all HUNGRY now ;)

Click Click : Rhino & Lion National Reserve

Managed to get some sense of creativity unleashed in this beautiful place.... The Sun factor in South Africa is strange for me as it isnt burning hot as it was in Singapore but get bloody lot of Sun burn. So dont forget a sun screen in South African Summer... Doesnt matter how dark you are... Save yaselves.... Some of the clicks that i thought worth posting


The feeding session was not as exciting as anticipated but the scene of a whole horse been killed and fed to the wild was a bit nerve racking.



At first, thought hardly a human but at one point frusturated with lined up cars everywhere. My advice, keep this safari on a weekdays for your peace of mind.

This one scared the s***t out of us as it fetched the meat and ran across our car. Imagine if it doesnt get its meat and my arm on the way instead.

One of em just had the complete lunch just in front of us with out a courtesy to offer the guests (us... hehehe)

This was the cutest i saw over there... These bunch of lion cubs were fighting so ferociously for a while and then lined up to quench the thirst with all unity.... I felt my effort worth getting there :)

Was quiet happy to see this veteran taking an afternoon nap with out bothering any thing in the world....

5th ODI : India Vs. South Africa

I was all so excited about the fact that am gonna watch a cricket match live in a stadium for the first time in my life… Ironically, I never watched all the time in India (my house in Chennai being only 3 -5 kms away from Chepauk stadium) but with in my first month in South Africa.

This is the 5th ODI between India Vs. South Africa. The series so far is in a balance with 2 wins each. With pride at stake, South Africa should be favorite but you can never write off current Young Indian team. Things running in my mind until the morning of the match…

-- Jo’burg is predominantly cold place so it will be pleasant to chill around in grass
-- Might get good glimpse of players in close vicinity and chat with them
-- get a feeling of the real time pace and look of a match
-- long drive to beautiful centurion supersport park
-- The form of life Indian team is now
-- Can further test the efficiency of my new GPS

How did the day went through ?

The parking was a chaos in Supersport park. As soon as I drived to the stadium there were this bunch of guards rounded me and offered a safe and easy parking space for 50 Rands. I went for it and I was happy that its only less than 4 min walk to stadium. Later, I felt more lucky when there was rain and water level was rising in the free parking space behind the stadium.

The prediction was a thunderstorm for the day and was surprised to see bright sunny morning and the smile didn’t last for ever.. Around 10 am we started feeling the discomfort due to heat and around 11 am we are half fried human meat on the grass… And that was the time the transition took place from choclate brown to dark choclate brown (guess what ??? My colour ofcourse : - ( )

Rubbing salt on the wounds, Dhoni chose to bowl first and made SA feel good toss to lose with their master class batting effort. Harbajhan and Munaf was standing near us in the boundary during the innings and Bhajji was like a robot and didn’t even waved his hands for whatsoever… rightly so, he got the worst swears from the crowd all the 20 overs he stood their.. He complained to the security guards and they didn’t give a S***T

The 40 mins rain in the afternoon was the worst part of my day.. We had to stand all the time with our mats in our hand… luckily it wasn’t a thunder storm. The Indian innings started with wickets flow being generous than run flow… as it looked the match will wrap up before even Indians reach 100, we took the obvious decision ‘TO LEAVE THE STADIUM WHEN THE TRAFFIC IS LESS’

We left after Harbhajan’s wicket thinking there is only a miracle could save India… The Wonderful part is that I was home on time to see Yousuf hammering under the cold living room with snacks and juices on my couch… No regrets as this series was one of the bravest fight back by Indian team with out front line batsmen on a South African pitch. I can still place my money on India for the upcoming world cup.

THE MORAL : Never ever watch an all day match right under the sun. Don’t trust any form of weather.

Just not YET ANOTHER GADGET !!!

This time its most anticipated post by the cream of my circle :) Its none other than the majestic APPLE's creation, IPAD

a month ago i never had a slightest idea of buying this gadget.... Later, started checking out my frinds iphone 4 and i thought 'WOW'.... later, researched about IPAD and on one fine late night as usual my brain started becmg devil and made me order this gadget online .... in a flash, my 1100$ burnt :( (I made a secret resolution that i should cut down expenses this year... enna kodumai sir)

The gadget arrived from apple online store singapore in next 2 days and from that second i am all glued to the master piece.... So what makes it a 'magnet of human mind'

- Internet : trust me, the speed is totally top class when i compared to my laptop on same WIFI

- Games : You wont believe the quality and clarity... also, the feature of touch screen makes it intresting to play....

- Apple istore : the most intresting part of ipad.... apple has the market and demand ... therefore millions of free applications on various categories... u will never be done with this :)

- movies : again, the clarity is the class.. with 64 gb of space, you can very well store good set of videos and images

-Books : i resumed reading the most intresting 1500 pages PONNIYIN SELVAN and this was my primary inspiration to buy ipad

- there are other features like google map, itunes etc which i also use it on and off...

for gadget freaks, ipad is a 'must have' in their armoury.... for others, jus try it out and u will b impressed for sure....

Verdict : I am sure i wont lose this gadget to any one :)

Advice : if you wanna buy this, i suggest apple store online which is arguably the cheapest and reliable source

Warning : dont get this addiction ruin you ;)

2010 Memories

Its 1.1.11 today... while am watching Dr. Vijay's Tirupachi (should i call it as Perarasu's Tirupachi) in SUN TV, i felt like registering my first post of 2011... Here are good things happened in 2010 ... note, jus publishing watz on my mind right now and i may miss out things... (Who cares nu neenga solrathu enaku nallavay kekuthu)

Movies (Tamil) : Endiran (Ofcourse), Mynaa & Kalavani (Warm and classic village), Tamizh Padam (brave attempt and a laugter machine), Angadi theru & Madrasa pattinam (classic)

Movies (English) : One and only INCEPTION

Personal : My son's first Bday celebration in Phuket, Surprise Prague and Guruvayur trip, More Tennis, havent given up on blogging/photography yet

Professional : No Official trips for next 3 years (hopefully)

Disappointments of 2010 :

- Dr. Vijay Movie(s) - (2009 la mattum ennavaamnu kekareengala ... !!!)

- Matured and sensible tamil movies

- Decision to leave Singapore for a while

- My bday (getting old u c)

New year pledges ??? No No !!! :)

This time for Africa : Living in Sandton

Having got in to South Africa and stayed for more than 2 weeks, I can safely give my first impression feedback on living in Johannesburg. Apparently, I got all negative opinions from all sides about my move to South Africa for next few years on a long term project. Personally, I took up this to avoid frequent official trips and to live in one place with my family.

Its true that Johannesburg is one of the cities that holds the highest crime rate. For expats moving in to Johannesburg, its quiet essential to research about the place they live. I am posted in this place called Sandton which is the next CBD after Central Johannesburg and it lies halfway between Central Joburg and Pretoria. Undoubtedly, Sandton is one of the safest part in whole Africa with good infrastructure, clean roads, well loaded malls and pleasant residential complexes with onboard security guards all time.

Having your own car for transport is mandatory for expats though there are local buses and trains as they are considered unsafe mode of transport. I spotted handful of population wandering streets all time. However, you got to be street smart and rationale on where you walk and where you drive alone. Common suggestions for safety includes,

- Never leave valuables in car when its parked
- Always try and park the car in secured area
- Keep the car doors locked all the time
- Try to avoid getting out of the car in the streets especially at night times

The suggestions might look scary but no reason to get paranoid about. Bottom line being smart enough to gauge the surroundings and act accordingly. So far, in my 2 weeks stay here I never felt threatened or worried to drive alone around in the downtown.

Sandton City

Last weekend I drove to Fordsburg in Central Johannesburg (20 mins from Sandton) and found the place quiet contrasting to Sandton. Heavy traffic, non friendly atmosphere, litters every where etc., However, the oriental plaza parking space seems to be safe to park the car and go for some asian shopping around.

Now, the delightful factors about living in Sandton

- The Nelson Mandela Square Mall is one of the largest in Southern Hemisphere (2kms from where I live)
- Pleasant spacious villa type apartment with backyard garden, swimming pool, tennis courts, electric fenced etc.,
- Well laid roads and malls every where makes it easier for frequent shopping
- Most of the restaurants have good set of vegetarian options at more affordable cost
- Friendly locals who are always happy to help (but not all the time)

Watch out this space for more updates from now on and wish me Safe Stay !!!

A Week of Pilgrimage

I am on holidays at the moment... chilling out in this lovely winter weather in Chennai :) My mom and wife planned an all temple trips in and around Guruvayur, Kerala then a day trip to Tirupati.

Firstly, My thought about the term GOD... I would like to call myself agnostic... infact a slightly modified version of agnostic person... i am not sure if god exists or not... so my message to god is ... if you exist, we are dudes otherwise i am still fine :) (என்னடா கமல் மாதிரி பேசறேன்னு பாக்கறீங்களா இதெல்லாம் படிக்க படிக்க தான் புரியும் ;))

It was a tiring 16 hours drive from Chennai->Salem->Coimbatore->Palagad->Trichur->Guruvayur (I guess the chauffer wud have been more tired than we passengers ;)) The road was smooth all the way from Chennai until Tamil Nadu border and sadly, we encountered few of the worst road and ruthless drivers in Kerala. We stayed in Krishna Inn, Guruvayur located close to Temple and quiet a nice place to stay after all the hectic travel. The next day was a long day indeed. Got up at 3 for first darshan and quiet startled to see long queue outside... Note, if you belong to male classification of human speicies, u gotto wear the traditional white dhoti and go top less/towel top inside temple... female can enjoy saree or salwar



The kerala temples doesnt have complex architecture as in Tamil Nadu or Karnataka... However, the place was quiet pleasant and the heritage is so rich and warm... The elephant parade inside the temple is quiet a scene to watch... we also did anna praschyam (feeding the babies) to my son in front of god and offered thulabaram to god... After a top class kerala breakfast in the hotel, we head to chottanikare bagavathy temple...




And then there is a rule that one should visit the following 3 shiva temples in one streatch otherwise something terrible supposed to happen... we didnt risk anything and rightly so, we completed all those 3 temples in 3 hours frame....

Vaikom Temple

Kaduthruthy Temple

Ettumanoor Temple

Overall it was a pleasant experience and i would strongly suggest this trip for the positive power.

Photography Update

Havent got much energy to click... neverthless, havent given up yet... This time its Europe... :)

The Beautiful night view of Prague:

The Nithyananda of Prague :

The Famous Charles Bridge in Prague:

Tram in Dresden:

In Zwinger Palace, Dresden:

A bowl of food to a baby : Tips from a tired Dad

It is common that babies like to be fed by their mom and mom knows every way of feeding their babies. However, there are times where a dad needs to take over this herculean task of feeding food to his son/daughter.

The task is even tougher than playing tennis for more than an hour, tougher than doing an 1 hour trek in a steep mountain, tougher than taking most sophisticated photographs, tougher than writing more than 5 lines of ‘own code’ in a programming language, tougher than thinking of a short story for a blog post, tougher than .. hmmm.. etc.,

No matter who feeds, the babies (around 1 year old) will accept the offer gracefully for first 5-6 spoons and then the project starts. I have adopted the following few techniques to finish the remaining bowl and I thought this post may help other dads too (if they are ignorant or geeks or etc)

- An exclusive baby’s dining chair is always a comfort, they won’t move and they know is food time when ever they sit on it.

- Show them their favorite channels and this will keep their minds occupied and mouth chewing

- Try singing at your best possible melodious voice. The baby will be shocked to see their dad singing and won’t bother eating anything in the world in that moment

- Try and give a piece of their favorite biscuit or chocolate in between so they will anticipate the next spoon from the bowl to be the same

- Start behaving weird like jumping out for no reason or crying or do funny gimmicks that makes baby laugh and make them gulp a spoon in that gap

- Most of the babies like laptop or keyboard as its prohibited play toy at anytime. So just give them the laptop, feed a spoon and take it back

- This is rude way but handy when you reached the last bit of food in the bowl. Just scare them with any sudden speech or dialogue at a raised voice. The baby opens the mouth out of shock and there you go. (Try avoiding this as much as possible but you know, human irony)

- If you still find some food remaining to finish, the last and easy way….. Give the task back to your wife. Perhaps finish the remaining bit of food yourself if your wife is not watching you ; ) (Haloooo, I never done this ok …)

Happy Feeding : )

Boom Boom Robot Da !!!

The 2 years wait is over and finally the mission is accomplished.... Read on Folks... Its Endiran Movie review exclusively by yet another Tamil movies fan.... After watching first half of Endiran, I felt the following, apart from how the movie actually was.

- Shankar can direct a Hollywood movie with Indian elements to spice it up
- ARR can be a trend setter in hollywood adding more songs to movie s
- Aiswarya Rai can be next Angelina jolie or eva mendis in hollywood
- Kalanidi maran can produce an Hollywood movie at his will
- However, Mr. Sivaji Rao Gaekwad is always for one and only Tamil

This is the first time I watched a Rajni movie on the first day and thanks to Sun TV who hyped over the top and raised every ones curiosity to watch it ASAP. I would love to say this is a 100% flawless and a must watch entertainer. Before getting in to a verdict, few points to highlight.



Positives :

This is not a regular Shankar or Rajni movie we watched all this time. Very much evident that Shankar and the crew undergone a huge thought process before shooting the movie. Right from the evolution of Robot to the phase changes has been justified very well logically. I guess there were a huge group of scientists also involved to learn all those Robotics jargons.

I am not a big fan of Ash, but this movie was one of the few movies I was impressed with Ash… not much comment though… Money was spent lavishly for the sets… for first few mins I thought the movie was shot on US or Europe… Danny is perfect for the role but sadly, the scope was limited. I guess he will be our next villain for another 2 vijay movies and heroines dad for vishal/bharat/sreekanth/shyaam movies. : )

Thalaivar, like any other movie was the highlight… It was a bit funny to see him as a scientist but still he did his home work.. but he outclassed every ones efforts as robot… I am not sure where did they played real robot and where was thalaivar… For one millionth time I am proud as thalaivar fan…

The first half : this is unique for Indian cinema. The way the robot was built, the way he justified the mechanism behind every actions, the way it mixes with people, the screen play, the stunts, the dance, the dialogue delivery of robot… I am speechless…. Dot

Let downs :

I never wanted any words under this section but these are my honest feelings on the let down side of the movie

Lengthy second half: I am sure every one will make this complaint. Especially the last 30 mins were
-fed with too much graphics
-totally predictable
- too lengthy and boring

Wasted cast : Santhanam, Karunas, Kalabavan mani, cohin haneefa etc all are talent bunch but totally under utilized. Movie would have still been the same with out them.

Shankar raised every ones expectation from the meaningful master pieces like Anniyan, Sivaji and though the scope of this subject is limited in Endhiran, he made the movie more predictable even to the screenplay level is a major let down….

Sun TV shouldn’t have hyped the movie with over the top ads like audio release, hifi trailers, trailer release functions etc raised the curiosity exponentially and high expectations are always dangerous.

Verdict : I still liked Sivaji than Endiran but 3 cheers for exhibiting the potential of Tamil cinema to world audience. A must watch atleast once (in cinemas only)

Orchid Garden

Having explored Singapore quiet a lot, i chose this place called Orchid garden... primarily to exercise my Camera.


This is one huge nursery garden type place located a km away from Singapore Zoo. The easy way to reach there is get a Taxi from any of the MRT from Khatib to Kranji. Wont be 10$.

The collection of Orchids there are quite pleasing. However, the humidity and heat is completely unbearable and i almost drenched with sweat.

There are seldom people over there. Those tourists who isnt aware how un intresting is this place. If not for photography, even i would have skipped : )

If you still wanna go, dont even thnk of going there before 5 PM... otherwise, at your own pain... Do Check out my orkut/facebook page for more pics ; )

Verdict : Not a bad place for desperate clickers.... Period.

Singapore Tit Bits !!!

I always wanted share the news, happenings in Singapore i hear and there fore am gonna collect the info and publish as one post in a frequency as i like ;)

Unfriendly staff in the GST claims section in Singapore airport : I seldom have forgetable experiences with Singapore interms of service sectors. Recently, been to airport to accompany my dad with his GST claims and the staff we met was so rude. The mistake was on our side too.. We can not open the bag quickly to show all the items to claim the GST for but the staff was highly impatient inspite of very less crowd and constantly pressurizing to make it fast. I believe we are just unfortunate. To avoid issues, have all the items ready before you enter GST claim area and in case of heavy crowds, u better be fast :)

Ananda Bavan @ Terminal 2 : I never been to this restaurant in the airport fearing that it may have the same taste as the Ananda bavan at Little India. However, it was a total suprise and i had lovely time ther with all delicious chaats at a decent price. Do plan your treats over there.. Pleasant experience. My other favourite eat outs are Annlakshmi - Friday buffet (Chinatown MRT), Komalas - Parota with mock Chicken curry (Farrer park and citi hall), Sankaranti - Andra special lunch (opp Mustafa), Macau Express - Fried rice (Expo MRT)

New HDB rule : Singapore govt announced new clause for people buying government flats. The new buyer from now on should not hold any property in any other country otherwise he/she becomes ineligible to buy a flat in Singapore. I can see this as an attempt to facilitate the people who genuinely intrested in buying house in singapore and live in Singapore. However, it makes you angry that those who got the flats already dont have an issue. Grrrr !!! Please make the point clear to me if i mis understood the announcement :)

Train is coming : I started hearing this new kids song that goes like 'Train is coming please start queueing' when ever a train approaches the platform in MRTs... Highly annoying. A decent announcement was nice. However, tourists might enjoy this.

Tamil books collection in Libraries : I was totally stunned to see this lovely collection of tamil book in govt libraries here. Been to Bishan Library last week and so happy to see the collection of tamil books from all top tamil writers (ponniyin selvan by kalki, udayar by balakumaran etc) All this time i was ignorant. Shame, i got my ebook reader already ;)

Tamil Cinemas : The GV Yishun which usually plays tamil movies is now closed for next few months for renovation. Alternatively, you can watch on Cathay - Causway point (My first choice), Rex Cinemas (Little india), GV Beach Road. So badly waiting for Endhiran @ Cathays

Truly Thailand :)

I wanted to be away from Singapore on my son's first birth day and i randomly chose this place with out any expectation as i jus got a good deal for the vacation from Marriotts. It was jus 4 days trip and truly memorable one. Here are some tit bits incase if you guys thinking about a vacation break.


There are millions of budget airlines flying from Singapore and u can get a round trip ticket for just over 100 SGD (better plan atleast 3 months in advance).



The stay in Marriotts is the most exciting part. The lovely villa along the side of Mai Khao beach is the ideal place. The sunset view is just what i wanted. I initially intend to stay in resort and chill out but my parents wanted to look around and there fore toured selected few


Though many prefer to visit the jamaes bond island and phi phi island... I just stuck with the phi phi as i dont want to stress out much on hanging around. However, i enjoyed my first snorkelling experience and it was more than an experience to remember to swim around the remote island, clear water, observing the underwater world... hmmm one more 'to do'added :)

The phi phi island is the place where the movie 'The Beach'was shot and now i guess i need to see this movie. The Thai people are in general very nice and much respectful with the way in greeting people

The unique point about phuket is the world famous show called 'Fantasea' Visually stunning. The ticket price is around 1500 Bhatts (60 SGD approx.) and to me that is the best way to spend 1500 Bhatts in Phuket :)

Its indian tradition that any one on their Bday visit temple and for my son its another experience to visit thai temple on his bday :) it was the chelong temple and the look of the buddha statues and the thai praying procedure very much resembled indian way.

Over all, i suggest this place as a must visit place in South east asia and for any pleasant vacation one need to find the best resort/hotel to make the stay cheerful.

Lookin at the coconuts, elephants, sea, boats, people, traditions, dance, fights, felt like it was a lovely kerala trip we always missed :)

Confessions of a Blogaholic !!!

What if i interview the blogger inside me ? The moment of truth has arrived ;) Read on blog reader .......
When did you started blogging ? What inspired you ?

2005 I guess. Just after when I started my work life in Bangalore. I always wanted to be a writer but I thought my skill isn’t good enough and wanted a platform to improve. Many of my mates were also blogging that time which inspired me a lot.

What do you write in your blog ?

Anything that strikes me. Initially my posts were mere status update about the happenings around me. Later, started posting my opinions on various stuffs like movie reviews, short stories, social issues, travelogues, incidents, accidents etc.

Do you think your opinions are right and makes sense ?

(Showing my middle finger) Ofcourse, that’s the human irony (with face full of anger)

So, what is the point you try to make in your posts ?

The point is to be creative as much as I could and check my level of writing and creativity.

Cranky clarification. Heard you write blog to impress girls. Is that so ?

(with anger inside and smile outside) Next question please.

Did you succeed in that ? May be i can keep it confidential

I said, NEXT QUESTION : x

Howz the response for your posts ?

Hardly get anything negative but I believe the number of people reading the blog are more than the people commenting. (thanks to google analytics) Some times I get mails suggesting new topics, changes etc. Overall I am happy with responses and I believe quiet a lot are reading.

How do you get rid of an annoying friend in a week ?

I will repeatedly insist him to read my blog when ever I meet him (I am only being modest here… enna panrathu bloglayum arasiyal panna vendi iruku)

How long you intend to Blog ?

As long as I find writing as ‘Exciting’. As long as some one doesnt file a complaint against me. As long as I am alive. As long as … well, I dunno : )

Why are you doing this post after so many years?

Good question, (with a scholar look) I just found this interesting blog post here and thought why not let me steal this idea. Sorry Jetli (the owner of original idea). Enna panrathu schoola irunthay bit adichi palagidichi

Do you think the whole blogging crap is waste of time ?

Correct. But define ‘Waste of time’ first.

Who is your role model when it comes to writing ?

(Giving a pose as if like published 5-10 best sellers) the one and only Chetan Bagath. I like his style of writing and I try to imitate that in most of my short stories or some of my narrations.

Who are your target audience ?

Any one who could read English. I occasionally be cruel to Non-Tamil sector posting Tamil scripts but that gives a lot of satisfaction (i meant, posting tamil scripts )

Why did the chicken cross the road ?

@#$##@#@... WTF you @#@#!

Endiran Music Review !!!

The lesson i learnt, dont expect an unbelievable music just because

• The music is by an Oscar winner and a favorite of millions (including me)
• The movie is India's expensive one ever
• Director who never seen failure at all in hi career
• All the best in industry involved in for production, lyrics, editing etc.

I found the music on overall is 'an average' given that the wait was very long and expectations was sky high. Neverthless, still a good bunch to listen and with movie out, the taste only gets better. Lemme list down the songs from my favourite to the least.


Puthiya Manitha : Nothing but SPB. Thalaivar's entry song always credited by this singing genius. Be it oruvan oruvan or en peru padayapa or puthiya manitha. The talent of the Musicians goes sidelines when this man lends his voice to thalaivar. Another thing to highlight is the lyrics brilliantly researched and shaped by the kaviperarasu himself. My fav. line

~~iral kanayam thunbamilai.... idaya kolarethumilai.... thanthira manithan vazhnthathilai... enthiran veelvathilai~~



Arima Arima : The song wouldnt have been catchy with out the background chorous singing 'Ivan perai sonathum' bit. Nothing extrodinary from ARR yet. Again very good lyrics, hariharns pleasing voice with the chorus made me listen to this.

~~naan manithan alla... aghrinayin arasan naan... kaamutra kanini naan...sinna sirusin idhayam thinnum....silicon singam naan…~~

Kilimanjaro : Here comes the similar bit like 'Suthi Suthi vantheega', 'Kuluvalilay' that ARR does for thalaivar.. This is the awesome speciality of ARR + Thalaivar combo and never failed to deliver one non-indian flavoured duet for Thalaivar. Nothing special about lyrics except the rhyming... quiet relieved to hear non science words atleast in this song.. Another highlight, the voice of Chinmayi.. you beauty ;)

~~kaattuvasi kaattuvasi pachaiyaga katipaya... muthaththale vega vechu singapallil uripaya~~

Irumbilay oru Idayam : Debutant Karki did a very impressive job to meet the expectation.. I wasnt fond of this song initially (i guess the music bit let me down) as and when i hear over and over again, i kinda adapted now... but the repeated sci-fi words in all songs making me tired with this album... still i liked the line which shows the beauty of inheritance ;)

~~echil illa endhan mutham sarchai indrik kolvaya?... rattham illa kathal endruotthi poga solvaya?~~

Kadal Anukkal : Nothing exciting.. Good song :)

Boom Boom Robot da : Kids song... nothing special... i still cant like this one... CRAP

Now, all waiting for the visual splendour to divulge myself in.... Just few more weeks and check for my personalized movie review in this space ;)