First Step

"Ennage, Praveen'ku rendu vaisu ayiduchu, schoole sethu vidanumnu ethani naala sollituruken. Schools pathi visaricheengala ?" Prema started shouting at Prakash, the moment he entered house. The most important 3 things as per Prakash is Business, business and business. While Prema is worried a lot about Praveen, who just turned 2 years. Prema though a M.Phil, PhD graduate prefers to take the lead of the house and so she isnt working. "Seri seri, no tension, relax!!! Intha saturday, rendu perum senthu kelamburom, ellam schools'ayum oru round visit adichu decide pannidalam, ok va?" Prakash cools down Prema.

As planned, both of them start the visit to schools leaving Praveen with his grandmother. They see many schools and none of them impress them. Finally they go to TSG SChool which is one of the best in the city. The procedures and process is too much that Prakash and Prema are being interviewed even after they said that they had come only for enquiry. After couple of hours they get to meet the principal Mrs Leelavathy. "Neenga romba kuduthu vechurukanum, we have only 20 seats for PreKG and 19 of them were already filled. Enga schoole admission kedaikarthu is a big prestige", principal says to them. She keeps boasting about the school infrastructure, facilities, name and fame. Finally she says "Oru 1 lakh donation kattitu poidunge and the seat will be confirmed". Prakash and Prema are shocked by it and they keep starring each other. Prema asks the principal "PreKg ku 1 lakhaa, Madam ithu romba jaasthi". Principal says "Panam illama onnum ille, infrastructure ille, facilities illa, studies illa". Prema really gets wild and starts an arguement with the principal. She adds saying that "You people dont seem to run a educational institute, rather you people run business". The argument gets heated up and the principal almost challenges them that Education depends totally on money. Both leave the place with a bad taste in the mouth.


Prema gets upset a lot that they couldnt find a good school for Praveen. Prakash seeing her, is also worried. Then after thinking for sometime he tells prema - "En Prema, nambo en oru Kinder Garden School start panna koodathu ? Unne vide oru best teacher namba praveenuku kedaikarthu kashtamthaan. I will take care of the investment, you dont worry about that." Prema's face brightens and she comes near Prakash and hugs him tightly.


They start the Kinder Garden Play school and name it as "First Step". They start it with 4,5 kids and then slowly the kids strength increases every year. They extend it to LKG, UKG by the 2nd year. The school gets popular within that area and after couple of years they have classes till 5th std. They ensure that they get the best teachers and also the keep the Fees structure nominal so that Middle and low class people get good education. Soon they make First Step as a proper school having classes right from PreKG till 12th std. They take up a unique path by which they identify the talent in each student, guide them in the right way and help them decide their career based on the talent. "First Step" emerges as the best school in the city.


20 years later.

An Old woman comes to "First Step" along with her granddaughter for the admission. She is moved by the way the staffs treat every parent. She is also surprised by the process and the nominal fees structure and wonders how still the school is considered to be the best. AFter finishing all the admission formalities, she requests to meet the Chairman to personally thank her. Within couple of minutes she is taken to the Chairman's cabin. Middle aged lady, wearing simple saree smiles and welcomes the old woman. The name board reads "Mrs. Premalatha Prakash M.Phil, PhD". The old woman thanks the chairman for the admission and asks her how is the school considered as best inspite of nominal fees. The chairman says "We may not offer the best infrastructure but We offer the best education". By this time, the old woman recognises Prema's face and so she tries to leave soon not wanting the chairman to recognise her.


As the old woman leaves in her Ford Escort, Prakash crosses her and enters the school in his Maruthi 800. He goes and verifies why she had come, then goes to chairman's cabin and tells Prema "Vanthutu porathu yaaarunnu theriyuthaa?". Prema says "Mrs Leelavathye yaaru maraka mudiyum". Prakash continues "Avange Pethiku admission kuduka poriyaa?". Prema replies "Kuduka porenna... already given. Avange panna thappakku avange pethiye palivangarathu nallathille and by the way she is the main reason for our FIRST STEP, athey maranthudathinge. One more thing, avange schoole vittutu namba schoole admissionukku vanthurukarthu namakku kedaiche vettri!!!". While she is saying this, her mobile rings and Prakash jumps and takes it. "Mom, i miss you" - Praveen shouts over the phone who is doing MS in US. "Appo enna miss pannalaya, pesrathu ungamma illada ungappa" Prakash likes playing with Praveen.

My Valentine

அவளை பார்த்தேன், பிடித்திருந்தது
கனவில் கற்பனையாக வந்தால்
செடியாக இருந்து, மரமாக வளர்ந்து,
பூக்களையும் பூத்தாள்

நன்றாக யோசித்து, அவளிடம் நேரடியாக சொன்னேன்
"Sorry, Not Interested"
என்று ஒரே வரியில் சொன்னாள்

எழுந்தது பூகம்பம் இதயத்தில்,
வந்தது சுனாமி கண்களில்

நாட்கள் நீண்டது ...

மறந்துவிடு மறந்துவிடு என்று ஒவ்வொருமுறை
சொல்லும்போது நினைக்கிறேனே...
பின்பு எப்படி மறக்க முடியும் ?


For the people who cannot read tamizh, here is the Tanglish version :-

Avalai paarthen, Pidithirunthathu
Kanavil karpanaiyage vanthaal,
Sediyage irunthu, maramage valaranthaal,
Pookalaiyum poothaal.

Nandrage yosithu, avalidam neradiyage sonen
"Sorry not interested"
Endru ore variyil sonnaal.

Elunthathu Bhoogambam Ithayathil
Vanthathu Tsunami Kangalil

Naatkal neendathu ...

Maranthuvidu maranthuvidu endru ovvarumurai
sollumbothu ninaikirene...
pinbu eppadi maraka mudiyum ???

I know that some may not even understand this, So here is the meaning in english

I saw her, liked her
She came as imagination in my dreams
From plant she grew to a huge tree
She event started blooming flowers...

After thinking a lot, proposed her directly
She replied in a single line
"Sorry not interested"

That caused an earth quake in my heart
Resulted in tsunami in eyes

Days passed by....

Each time i told to myself "Forget her, Forget her"
I was actually thinking of her,
Then how can i forget her ???

KOOTU-KUDUMBAM

Today morning, I went to the airport to drop my friend. On the way back I happen to see a shop where they sell parrots, lovebirds, rabbit etc. At that moment a short hint stuck me which i developed into a short story...

So here is my FIRST SHORT STORY

Balaaaaaa!!! engada tholanju pone, Vanthu intha saamanellam kaluvi vai - shouted his step mom. Bala is 8 years old, his mom died when he was born. From that day his dad used to curse him as the reason... "Saniyan, porakum bothey ammave mulingitaan". His dad happily married another woman and they have a daughter kavitha, who is 6 yrs old. Bala likes her a lot, but his step mom always keeps him away from her. His step mom's parents, brother all stay with them. He loves to call everyone "Mama, thatha, paati.." but none of them treat him well. Bala often feels sad, depressed, never shows it out but cries to himself when he is alone.

He likes Parrot a lot and whenever hears the parrot in the morning, runs to the terrace to see them. He has a desire to get a pair of parrot's for himself but doesnt have the guts to ask his dad. Whenever he goes to the market he passes by a shop where they sell birds like parrot, love birds, rabbit. He feels bad for the birds in the cage so more than the desire to grow them, he wants to relieve them from the cage. He starts saving money from every little amount he gets.

After few months he has enough money to buy a pair of love birds. "Annachi rendu love birds kudunge" - Bala asks the guy in the shop. The moment the birds are out of cage he is very relieved. He gets the birds, lifts them to the sky and leaves them on the air. An elegant smile in his face as they go up high in the air... Few mins they come back and they stand outside the cage itself. Amused by it, Bala keeps starring. The shop keeper says "Ingaye valanthuchu pa, kudumbathu vittu poga manasu ille polaruku paavum ..."

Kootukkul irunthaalum Kootu-kudumbamaga irunthaaal Suthanthiram(Santhosham) thaaanaa ???

Freedom is DOING what we LIKE
Happiness is LIKING what we DO ...

Sunset - From Space

Thanks to Ganesh for this email.... Me being a lover of astronomy really liked this picture.

The photograph attached was taken by the crew on board the Columbia during its last mission, on a cloudless day.

The picture is of Europe and Africa when the sun is setting. Half of the picture is in night. The bright dots you see are the cities lights.

The top part of Africa is the Sahara Desert. Note that the lights are already on in Holland , Paris , and Barcelona , and that's it's still daylight in Dublin , London , Lisbon , and Madrid .

The sun is still shining on the Strait of Gibraltar . The Mediterranean Sea is already in darkness. In the middle of the Atlantic Ocean you can see the Azores Islands ; below them to the right are the Madeira Islands; a bit below are the Canary Islands; and further south, close to the farthest western point of Africa, are the Cape Verde Islands .

Note that the Sahara is huge and can be seen clearly both during Daytime and night time.

To the left, on top, is Greenland , totally frozen.

Dream

One of the most important topic, atleast as far as I'M concerned. I wanted to write a detailed blog on this and thats why couldnt write this TAG by PK immediately. Dream and I have a very long, deep relationship he he!!! I get dreams almost every night and i dream even during day time. Few I can recollect fully while for many I faintly remember. Before going to my dream section, I thought i will share some notes on DREAM

My own definition of Dream :
The best thing about human being is the SIXTH SENSE, the ability to think (though most of us dont do it ;) When we sleep, our brain doesnt sleep. It still keeps working and so some of the thoughts, happenings that we see, feel which are recorded in the deep of our mind gets activated in the RANDOM function of brain and result is the DREAM.

What Wikipedia says :
A dream is the experience of envisioned images, sounds, or other sensations during sleep. The events of dreams are often impossible or unlikely to occur in physical reality, and are usually outside the control of the dreamer.

Ok, coming back to the topic "Dream that has come true or Dream that will never come true". Quite interesting topic. Most of the dreams i have had were weird. They were all very weird that they cannot happen :) The best part of dream is that it will look very real untill you get up. Some examples : When i was small, once had a dream where I would be pissing on the road side... koncham nerathule soodaaa irunthucha ennane paatha, I was pissing on the bed itself :)). Another dream, dont remember it fully but was some adventure and at one point I was falling from a top building or cliff... dopp nu satham, I really fell from the bed.

There is one dream which was very close to have happened. Let me tell about that. I think i was studying 1st std. Mom had gone out for some function. Brother was also not there at home. Only me and dad. I was sleeping in the bedroom. All of a sudden the roof from the corner cracked and started falling on me. I just woke up and tarted running..shouting "amma appa..." Dad was also not there. I ran to the neighbour house and was shouting "Veedu idinju viluthu, veedu idinju viluthu". Neighbours took me back to my house, I was scared. And Dad to came by that time, he had taken a walk to the end of the street. All were asking what happened ? I repeated saying "Ange, bed room la mele edinju viluthu". Everyone came inside and i was moving slowly behind them. Everyone looked up and so did i. There is no difference, the roof was as it is. I was still saying "Illa naa paathen, inga thaan mela idinju vilunthuthu"... It took some time for me to realise that it was dream. I call this as close because after 10-12 years later, our house had become old and i happen to see a huge crack starting from the top to the middle at the same corner which came in my dream. Thought the house dint collapse at that corner place, the ceiling outer layer did fell once when brother was shaving. It even hurted him :). Now that house is demolished and we have rebuilted it 5 years back. :)