Videos to Watch-9: Chapter 01-1 – Walden by Henry David Thoreau

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Grateful thanks to CC Prose and YouTube.

Picture of the day-345:

Agni Theertham, Rameswaram.  Photo taken by Suri with his Canon Powershot A590 IS digital camaera.

My Photo Album-102: Maha smiles!

Maha smiles!  Photo taken by Suri with his Canon Powershot A590 IS digital camera.  Venue, Maha’s house.

A Thought for Today-490:

If you want to be incrementally better: Be competitive. If you want to be exponentially better: Be cooperative – Unknown

Self-Improvement1-95: The Success Story – Why India is a Great Country

Grateful thanks to rkbanga and YouTube.

Picture of the day-344:

Fishing boats at Pamban.

Photo taken by Suri with his Canon Powershot A590 IS digital camera.

My Photo Album-101: Maha with Harini

Maha with Harini.  Photo taken by Suri with his Canon Powershot A590 IS digital camera.  The venue is Harini’s house.

A Thought for Today-489:

Nothing will ever be attempted, if all possible objections must be first overcome – Samuel Johnson

என் கவிதை-7:

குறுகிய  உள்ளங்கள் 
குறுகிய எண்ணங்கள் 
குறுக்கு வழிகள்
குளறுபடிகள், குற்றங்கள் 
அடாவடித்தனங்கள் 
அத்துமீறல்கள் 
அராஜகங்கள் 
அநீதிகள்.  
விரிந்த வானும் 
பரந்த கடலும்
உறுத்தவேயில்லையோ?   

நலக்குறிப்புகள்-67: கத்திரிக்காய்

கத்திரிக்காயில் பொட்டாசியம் நிறைந்துள்ளது.  அதில் நீர்ச்சத்தும், நார்ச்சத்தும் கூட மிகுந்துள்ளன.  சளித்தொல்லை, வாய்வுத்தொல்லை ஆகியவற்றை குறைக்கும்  ஆற்றல் கொண்டது கத்திரிக்காய்.  

எனக்குப் பிடித்த கவிதை-71: மேகம்

நான் 
மண்ணுக்கும் நீருக்கும் மகள்
வானத்தின் 
செவிலித்தாயால் வளர்க்கப்படும்
குழந்தை
நான்
ஆழமான கடலையும் 
பரந்த கடற்கரைகளையும்
கடந்து செல்லும்போது 
மாற்றமடைவேன் – ஆனால்
அழிவதில்லை 


ஷெல்லியின் கவிதை – தமிழில் மொழி பெயர்த்தவர் கவிஞர் சுபாசு  

Picture of the day-343:

Launch passing below the Pamban Rail Bridge. Photo taken by Suri with his Canon Powershot A590 IS digital camera.

My Photo Album-100: Vinod again!

Another photo of Vinod taken at Vandalur by Priya.

A Thought for Today-488:

Life isn’t about waiting for the storm to pass. It’s about learning how to dance in the rain -Vivian Greene

நலக்குறிப்புகள்-66: திராட்சை

திராட்சைப்பழம் மாரடைப்பைத் தடுக்கும் ஆற்றல் கொண்டது.  மேலும் இரத்த நாளங்களில் அடைப்பை ஏற்படுத்தும் கெட்ட கொழுப்பான கொலஸ்ட்ராலை மட்டுப் படுத்தும் ஆற்றலும் அதற்கு உண்டு. 

எனக்குப் பிடித்த கவிதை-70: அணுக்களின் பிள்ளை நான்!

விசுவ வெளிப்பாழின்
மர்மக் கருப்பையில்
நானும் காலமும் 
ஒளிந்திருந்தோம்
நட்சத்திரப் புழுதி அணுக்களாய் …. 
……..
அணுக்களின் பிள்ளை நான்
ஆனதால் புவியின் 
எந்தச் சேதமும் 
என்னை அழவைக்கின்றன
எந்த உவகையும்
என்னைத் துள்ளி எழ வைக்கின்றன.


– கவிஞர் சிற்பியின் “காலம்” என்ற கவிதையிலிருந்து சில பகுதிகள். 


நன்றி:  கவிஞர் சிற்பி அவர்கள் 

Picture of the day-342:

Rameswaram-Chennai Express crossing the sea.  Photo taken from Annai Inidra Bridge (Pamban Road Bridge) by Suri  with his Canon Powershot A590 IS digital camera.

My Photo Album-99: Suri in front of Sri Ramanatha Swami Temple

Suri with his wife in front of Sri Ramanatha Swami Temple.  Photo taken by Somas with Suri’s Canon Powershot A590 IS digital camera.

A Thought for Today-487:

Don’t be too timid and squeamish about your actions. All life is an experiment. The more experiments you make the better – Ralph Waldo Emerson

நலக்குறிப்புகள்-65: வாழைப்பழம்

வாழைப்பழத்தில் பொட்டாசியம் அதிகம் இருப்பதால் உயர் ரத்த அழுத்தக்காரர்களுக்கு மிகவும் உகந்தது. அது ரத்த நாளங்களில் உள்ள அடைப்பை நீக்கி மாரடைப்பு ஏற்படும் அபாயத்தைக் குறைக்கிறது. 

Picture of the day-341:

Pamban Shoreline from Annai Indira Bridge (Pamban Road Bridge).  Picture taken by Suri with his Canon Powershot A590 IS digital camera.

My Photo Album-98: Vinod at Vandalur Zoo

Vinod at Vandalur Zoo.  Photo taken by Priya during their picnic with Maha and Pravin during March 2012.

A Thought for Today-486:

The darkest hour of the night comes just before dawn – Unknown

Self-Improvement1-94: Things I Have Learned in My Life So Far by Stefan Sagmeister

Grateful thanks to Stefan Sagmeister, YouTube and Ronhoganbooks.

Picture of the day-340:

An aerial view of Pamban village.  Photo taken from Annai Indira Bridge (Pamban Road Bridge) by Suri with his Canon Powershot A590 IS digital camera.

My Photo Album-97: Somas again!

Somas in front of  Sri Ramanatha Swami Temple, Rameswaram.  Photo taken by Suri with his Canon Powershot A590 IS digital camera.

A Thought for Today-485:

Maturity is the capacity to endure uncertainty – Wisetrack, Chennai Times, Oct.5, 2011

Grateful thanks to The Times of India.

நலக்குறிப்புகள்-64: வேப்பிலை

வேப்பிலையின் மருத்துவ குணங்கள் பற்றி நாம் ஓரளவு அறிவோம். நாம்  அறியாத சில தகவல்கள் இதோ: அது உடலுக்கு ஊறு விளைவிக்கும் நுண்ணுயிர்கள் பலவற்றை அழித்து (anti-bacterial, anti-parasitic, anti-fungal, anti-protozoal and anti-viral) நம்மை காக்கும் சக்தி கொண்டது. 

நன்றி:    ஆங்கில நாளிதழ், தி டைம்ஸ் ஆஃப் இந்தியா 

My Journal-5: Death of Shri RR

Today morning I was reading an article entitled, “You only live twice!” by Vinita Dawra Nangia from Time Life of Feb.5, 2012.  The title reminded of Ian Fleming’s James Bond novel of the same title. I had not only read the book and but also had seen the movie. So I became interested in the article and started reading it.  It was a good article.  Reading the first few lines, I was reminded of the death of Shri RR, who passed away last month. Let me first excerpt those few lines:

“The untimely death of a colleague, someone with whom you interacted, exchanged pleasantries and indulged in healthy competition, is bound to leave you regretful and reflective about the uncertainty of life. … you wonder what went through the person’s mind in the days and weeks before the end.”

Well, I cannot call the death of Shri RR as untimely.  He should have been at least 75 and obviously was ailing for sometime.  He was my boss and I was his steno for a few years.  He was heading the Engg Services Division. He was widely read and some at our institution would call him a genius. His advice was much sought after not on just engineering matters but also on a wide range of subjects by the different Directors who were heading the institution from time to time.  Then I got transferred to some other division.  But as both of us were living in Kottaiyur and I had to pass his house daily on my way to and back from office, I was in touch with him.  His daughters were studying in the same school with my sisters.  So he knew all about my family background.  He would lend me books and ask me to read. He himself was a voracious reader and knew that I was a booklover and book-collector.  When he weeded out books from his house, he presented some very good books.  When a new Director came, he was entrusted with many responsibilities (some 7 sections came under him); he met the Director and asked for a good PA as his work load had increased suddenly.  I was his choice;  it was a little flattering and moved back to his division as his PA.

After a few years, the Director who elevated him retired and a new Director from outside came. Probably he did not think much of Shri RR or was influenced by others. Many felt that he had unnecessarily got a bad name in taking decisions on civil engg matters, of which, according to them, he was not an expert.  So when anything went wrong with regard to buildings, he was blamed.  Shri RR was relieved of some of his  responsibilities.  I was shifted to the Head of Administration’s office.  Still I did not lose his contact.  Then he retired from service.  If remember correct, he went on voluntary retirement.  All his children were well-placed and he sold his house and moved to Coimbatore.  After that I did not see him for a long time.

When the person who was his deputy in the Engg Services Division, became Director, he made a courtesy call on him at his office.  By then I was PA to Director and while he was waiting for his appointment, we were exchanging pleasantries and he was happy that I was occupying an important position.  While leaving, he casually invited me to visit him at his house in Coimbatore, if I happen to visit that place.  That was the last time I saw him.

I voluntarily retired from service in 2007.  During January 2012, one of my friends who is still in service, told me that Shri RR was unwell and wanted to talk to me.  Unfortunately, I did not have Shri RR’s phone number and requested my friend to get it.  My friend promised to get it.  When I met him next time, he told me again that Shri RR expressed a desire to talk to me.  But again my friend was not able to provide me Shri RR’s phone number and I must admit, I also did not make any other effort to get it.  

In February, one day my friend informed that Shri RR had passed away.  A communication to that effect had been received in the office from the bereaved family.  That night I remembered many events involving Shri RR.  I felt sorry and was wondering what he wanted to talk to me:  something in general or something specific he had on his mind.  Well, I would never know now.  It makes one feel very sad that a small desire of a dying man could not be fulfilled.

Now I can only pray for him.  Let Shri RR’s soul rest in peace! 

Grateful thanks to Vinita Dawra Nangia and The Times of India. 

Picture of the day-339:

Railway line leading to Pamban Railway Station.  Photo taken by Suri from Annai Indira Bridge (Pamban Road Bridge) with his Canon Powershot A590 IS digital camera.