520sqt Designer Apartment

Long time ago, Rediff was covering celebrity houses as part of their Home & Decor section. Almost all houses featured were design marvels, but one house stood out from the rest. It was the 520 sqt apartment of architect couple Rajesh & Akshikha.

It is quite easy to plan & decorate an elaborate apartment, but to design a smaller one is quite challenging. Hats off to them, for pulling it off so aesthetically.

View the slideshow of the apartment here.

Looking at the slides, you will really kick yourself for the enormous junk at your place... Wonder how they are managing with the bare essentials..Look at the kitchen ..it is just one corner of the hall.

some teasers:

Chennai Sangamam

For the past one week, Chennai was soaked in all vibrant hues..

Reason: Chennai Sangamam - Thiruvizha Namma Theruvzha, an attempt to showcase our culture back to the people. It was organized by Tamil Maiyam and the state department of Tourism.

http://www.chennaisangamam.com/index.php - website of chennai sangamam.

On Saturday, I caught some glimpses of the festival at the Mylapore mada veedhis..high energy folk dances were performed. ..there was a positive vibe to the entire show.

I'm eagerly awaiting the next edition of chennai sangamam. Wish they could so something abt the font in the logo.

Dwaraka Excavations

The Hindu reports

Ancient structural remains of some significance have been discovered at Dwaraka, under water and on land, by the Underwater Archaeology Wing (UAW) of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI)
...

Thirty copper coins were also found in the excavation area. The structures found on land belonged to the medieval period.

The pictures look really good. Wish such underwater excavations take place in Mahabalipuram, Poompuhar..etc.,

Kitchen - Tips

Finally..something related to cooking finds its way in my jottings. I'm a converted Garlic Eater (Am I politically correct?). So a research info abt cooked Garlic.

Garlic is used extensively in herbal medicine and it contains compounds shown to help prevent blood clots. But most studies have tested raw garlic and cooking can damage garlic's anti-clotting compounds

Crushing garlic may help prevent that damage, report researchers in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry.

Garlic cooked for three minutes in boiling water or in an oven at about 400 degrees Fahrenheit has the same amount of the anti-clotting compounds as raw garlic. But cooking uncrushed garlic for six minutes completely suppressed the anti-clotting properties.

My hubby has a crush on garlic..and from now I can gleefully order the garlic to be crushed in the kitchen.

Pachai Kili Muthu Charam

Definitely worth the ticket.





New for tamil- that would be the keyword .. for the idea is from the English movie 'Derailed'. Gautham has got everything right..the list starts with casting

Super action hero Sarathkumar in a never before role - one you find very rarely in today's cinema - a common man.

Jyothika - the unknown evil

Milind Soman - Terrific debut - (looks ravishing;-)) - the known evil

Andrea - looks almost real on screen - cute debut

Harris Jeyaraj rules with Unnakul Naane (Bombay Jeyshree - asusual ek dham first class - Actress Rohini has penned the lines - good attempt) & un siripinil (GouthamiRao & Robby - new voices(?) - done it really well - beautifully picturised)

Saw the movie at the newly opened INOX multiplex - Citi Center Mall, Mylapore - Simply great place yaar..Class apart. Had fun while watching the movie - lot of counter dialogues from the audience had us in splits.

Kottu for the movie : Longwinding climax - actually the movie must have been over in the pre-climax itself - unnecessarily moves to hyderabad - a happy song- cinematic dishoom dishoom climax- subham. May be Gautham wanted to have his fav climax- heroine kidnapped by villain gang - hero on the rescue mission.

Tip: It seems to be an international kudumba kaaviyam (family saga-translation(?)) ..so avoid seeing the movie with elders & little ones - good to have friends along or ur better half (if EVERYTHING is OK between you both;-)))

Justice at last?

28 men (?) have been pronounced guilty for the gruesome killing of three girls in Dharmapuri. The girls, students of the Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore, were caught when their college bus was set on fire following the conviction of Jayalalithaa in the Kodaikanal Pleasant Stay Hotel case.

The incident happened way back in 2000. After seven years, justice has been rendered. But, I dont think, this is the end. Appeal after Appeal will happen & the case will go on for eternity. But atleast some solace for the victim's parents.

Incidentally, Madras High Court had actually ordered the case to be transferred from Krishnagiri to Salem after all witnesses had turned hostile. Wonder what would have happened if it had continued in krishnagiri?

When Harry Met Sally

We had the screening of When Harry Met Sally at our office, as a Valentine's Day special (Vaazgha AdventNet!). Billy Crystal and Meg Ryan were so endearing and the dialogues were so clap worthy. But my fav. is Meg Ryan & Tom Hanks - You've Got Mail. Anyways had fun watching the movie.

The movie's Wiki link.

The lunch SCENE at Deli was an absolute riot;-))))... No wonder
"I 'll have what she is having" is celebrated as one of the American Film Institute's top 100 quotes.

Cool Cool Cherry

The Net tells me Feb is National Cherry month in US.

Some amazing frozen cherry pictures to beat the sun in chennai (The Water melons are already out in the streets of chennai - signalling the arrival of summer).

These are frozen cherry trees in a place called Ceres which is 140km from Cape Town, South Africa. [from Digg]

RONGMON

The 33rd National Games, starts off today at Guwahati [of course under heavy security, but atleast something concerning the entire nation is happening in the North-East, I hardly find any official event happening in that region.]

Now, what is the mascot?
RONGMON - The Rhino

But nothing beats the evergreen popular Appu - The Elephant (1982 Asiad Games in Delhi)..Wonder why the other mascots didnt catch up with Appu?

Hope.. there are some stellar performances from our sportspeople. And for a change, people get to talk something other than cricket.

And hey, there is a decent website for the games http://www.33rdnationalgames.nic.in/index.htm

Hair Ishtyle

Of late, many people around me have started experimenting with their hairstyles - the popular one being Hair Straightening. Bingo! the majority of them are Guys; that too when Chennai is still conservative in trying out different hairdos and dresses.

Lot of effort seems to go into that transformation process. First, you need to grow your hair to a certain length to have that wavy straight structure (they look really funny in this period -sample photo attached). When you have decided that the length is enough, you have to sit through a grueling 3-4 hrs session in a parlour (You better choose a good parlour, if you want to avoid a trip to thirupathi) Now its not all over. You are given scores of to-dos on maintenance & lot of in-house conditioners to maintain that look. Now, the maximum you can have this hairstyle is for one year...then the entire process continues.

Have a look at my cousins - they have this 1970s retro look-(they are going to roast me alive for publishing their photo.. taken specially in sepia tone..he! he! )

Neriya paeru ippadi than thiriyiraangho!!

Protests by People

Real life incidents can be more blood curling than the most dramatic scenes in movies.

Santhosh - Alpha and Omega recounts his near-death experience and why he felt like taking up the gun. [via Desipundit]

The intro

"I always wondered why people turn violent,why they want to kill somebody,knowing very well that it is going to ruin their life as well. Life gave me a first hand experience to explore the answer or should I say that enlightened me with answer. "

This blog accurately reflects the rowdies and politicians' nexus. Shame on those involved.

Another observation: If it weren't for this blog, people would have believed the "Protests by People" news in the Newspaper. I guess most of today's "news" would fall into this category.

Tambaram - the history behind

Dr. Gift Siromoney's article throws light on the long history behind the Tambaram area (Chennai outskirts)

"About 200,000 years ago people of the Old Stone Age (Lower Paleolithic Culture) roamed about Tambaram.
:
Around 300 B.C., there were people of the Iron Age living in Tambaram area and they built their burial monuments in the form of dolmens and stone circles which are called Megaliths5 (big stones). Fine examples of such Megalithic Monuments can be seen about 100 metres east of the Great Southern Trunk Road near Guduvancheri railway station.
:
The historic period proper begins with the Pallava kings and the earliest of their stone inscriptions is found in Pallavaram (Pallava puram) in a cave temple excavated by Mahendravarman I (600-630 A.D.)
:
Pulikesin II was the famous Rasthtrakuta king who defeated both Harsha of North India and Mahendra Pallavan. Narasimhavarman I who succeeded Mahendravarman I waged battles against Pulekesin and defeated him at Manimangalam which is only about 8 kms. west of Tambaram. This is mentioned in the Kuram copper plate inscription,7 the Tamil part of which is written in a script which is a mixture of Pallava Grantha and Tamil. Near Guduvancheri there is now a small village called Nandivararam (Nandi puram) which must have been named after the Pallava king Nandivarman whose praises are sung in Nandi kalambakam. "

Catch the rest in the article. Good read!

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