To-die-for list for your Rumbling Tummies

I am a big foodie. Food is right there at the top of the most-important-things-in-life list. I don’t care if all the junk food went right into my butt or thighs or where-so-ever. As long as my tongue is happy, I am happy. Ahem…I am talking only about the food, mind your thoughts. Coming back, my small intestine is a piece of art.

A couple of pounds wont kills us right? Yes, right.

So are you in a mood to get fat? Come, hold my hand. I will take you on a guilt trip and tell you where to eat what ,there by enlightening your taste buds.

For once, let my readers get benefited from my blog.

I hereby present you the to-die-for list. You might agree or disagree to my list here.
But for that you have to try them before you die( in no particular order).

1. Pani puri –road side stall, near KFC,Nungambakkam.
2. Coconut lagoon-Hot steamed rice,Kadala curry, aviyal,Two papads. Extra happiness-karimeen pollichattu.Ask him for a medium sized fish.
3. Gangothri –Strawberry milk shake. Opp to Stella Maris college .For desserts, you can ogle at the random college going good looking girls.
4. Saravavana Bhavan-Appam Side Dish, one plate idly, medhu vada. Finish it with their filter coffee.
5. Idiyappam curry in roadside. Opp to star bazaar,near a small pillayar koil,Pondy Bazaar
6. Mutton kottuparotta in Midnight Express,Mylapore
7. Special anjappar chetinad gravy with idly. Opp to ispahani centre
8. Devils own with ice cream minus whipped cream-Coffee day,ispahani centre
9. Grand sweets- kuzhi paniyaram,annanagar. Served hot between 4-8 in the evening.
10. Jalebi-Sachin ka Dhaba, Teynampet
11. Benjorang-Some chicken wrapped in banana leaf. Don’t remember its name
12. Cream and Fudge Icecreams-Kadhar Nawaz khan road. They make ice creams with Ferrero Rocher chocolates. Carry a heavy purse when you visit.
13. Pasta Vento Bar-Mud pie.(burtkit road,tnagar)
14. Road side Alsa mall sandwiches- Experiment new sandwiches every time you visit.
15. Copper Chimney Fried Icecream-Catehdral road, RK Salai. In the same building as Zaras.
16. Panneer Payasam in Madharas Cafe-Ispahani centre basement
17. Mulberry Banana Shake –Fruit Shop at Greams Road(Annanagar)
18. Cinnamon Rolls-Parafait3,velachery
19. Sparkys buffet –Friday night
20. Karpagambal Mess.-rava dosai near mylapore temple
21. All meat Sandwitza- Pizza corner,velachery
22. Chicken 65 at Titanic. Stall at Marina beach
23. Tuscana Pizzeria-Tiramisu,Khadar Nawaz Khan Road
24. Cauliflower Dosai in Karthik mess. Blue star,annanagar
25. Dhokla at Sree Mithai- a Rajasthani eat out near Vadapalani Saravana Bhavan
26. Chicken sandwich at prima bakery, Annanagar
27. Rangoli-pondybazaar for awesome thalis. Please skip breakfast and lunch if you plan to have dinner here
28. Creamy Donut in sathyam cinemas
29. Chicken momos in Wangs Kitchen with their special sauce made by chef
30. Kobeys for chicken volcano sizzlers.Express Avenue
31. Sandys Chocolate Factory –Khader Nawaz Khan road. Try their chocolate bomb.
32. Schezwanchicken fried rice- near Kfc Nungambakkam,a decent road side shop.

Whatever it is, an OC treat is the most delishus of all….
Last but not the least ” Information is Wealth”

P.S: This is a fool proof list, but it’s not a guarantee if you end up looking at the menu card and placing your own orders.

With love,
Mel.

Pic for Matrimonial Purpose :-)

“ Baby, please put your chin down”

Arrghh, how ironic it is when the only person calling you a  “babe”  is a 40-year old bald photographer.

I was at the photo-studio to take a picture , in my blue sari. I zeroed on the blue sari, when that was the most liked picture in my face book profile. No of likes:60-not joking.

I am a plain Jane and I have given so many pictures taken in my mobile, also the above mentioned blue sari pic to my dad for wedding purpose. But it’s very difficult to convince a dad, who thinks his daughter is some princess on earth. He says ” get me a better pic” as though he is on search for his calendar girl. And my mom wanted a  pic in which I would look like a daughter-in-law  every mother in law would crave for.

So, now that the pictures have come, I wonder who that girl is who I see  in the pic .  A high alert alarm buzzed on my mind.  I shook my head to confirm what I was seeing. Definitely not me!!! At least it doesn’t look like me. I look like an anemic rasagula. I appreciate the photographer has done a fabulous job in making me fairer. How did the photographer manage to come up with something like that?

I wonder the creator learns a little lesson from this photographer, so that all his creation looks effortlessly beautiful.

So my point now here is, why give the boy a picture which doesn’t look like me and disappoint him when he sees me later? What if he reacts” this is not girl I said yes to ,on seeing the pic?”

I am lost here. I am not going to share this pic. But I could put them on my facebook profile and title it as “honestly photo-shopped”?

As I am writing this, I have shared the pic on my wall. Likes anyone?

Why do i Blog?

I have no idea why others blog or how I got into this blog world.  This minute- if you ask me what  my passion is,I would answer BLOGGING.

When I was young, I used to write down on my journal and read it when I was alone. Everytime I read it,I turn nostalgic.Also, I was the only reader of what I wrote
.
Later when I was introduced to internet ,I started blogging. I let others read what I write( not everything tho)

Technically it all started, cos I want others to read what I write.So I Publish them-Yes you don’t need to approach a PRESS to publish your write-ups.More than everything,I had freewill to write anything I wanted to. Nobody would edit it…nobody would question me why I wrote it.. neither does it make me answerable.

Well there are other reasons for me to blog.I write: To express myself. To confess things.To pass the message to others. To convey someone what I wouldn’t tell them in person(it gives me a lot of courage this way).To entice some. To nag myself. To analyse.To share what I experience.

I blog to let others know the ups and downs of my mind and my life.Perhaps, I blog to talk to my inner self. Maybe I blog to astonish myself and others with my WISDOM.

Confusions of Being 24

So Here I am 24.I tell you being 24 is certainly not a nice age to be. You are miserably confused as always(though you are always confused, being 24 is even more confusing).You have no idea what future has in store for you. You are uncertain if what you have is what you want? Or should you ask for more? And all this happens because all of a sudden you are being pushed to the so-called-troublesome-adulthood. You now know you can’t dabaichufy-anyone-anymore. You can’t step out of your life and say I will start from scratch.( idu kallatam, kotta mudala irundu podu!!!)

You no more talk about road-side Romeos to your best girlie .

Flashback:

”machi ado anda black shirt paaru-soopera irukan la?”

 You call someone desperately from your landline-

“hoi sikiram sunmusic paru..alaipayudhey song podran tvla”

Current conversations with friends now are about

“evlo bonus potanga?”

 “enda boutiquela decent nalla salwar cheapa kidaikum?

 Aarrrgghhh. How you wish you never stepped out of college. Your maximum worries then were about your viva questions and forgotten lab coats and shoes.

Your priorities are being forced to change and suddenly you realize that the whooshing sound you hear these days is-the time just flying past you.

So coming back, whom do you blame now?( oh don’t we always need somebody to blame for our own mistakes and problems).Haan jii,yes now I  know. The kootu kalavani was-your own collection of books and movies. Thebooks and movies which has made you what you are now? You realize, that there were certain set of ideals by which you have lived.(at least believe you did) The ideals you yourself built by reading those 100+books and the movies you had watched wasting al the vetti time you had.You wish you could have got a master size bed in all that money you spent on it.(nalla thoonga vachum senjurukalam)

Coming back to reality now, you wish you could just throw all those books out of the window and burn them. You wish you were illiterate or had spent all these years reading Mills and Boon  and Ramanichandran(would have atleast made you slightly a romantic person )

You read Shivkera and he makes you think you can conquer this whole world. And now suddenly all that comes crashing around you when you realize how you were easly fooled, you are nothing but a perfectly ordinary person and how mokka your life goes. You reach that point in life where reality strikes you and you realize that the ideal world exists only in books and movies. It’s almost like the child who realizes that Santa doesn’t gives you gifts on Christmas(that is your dad who hides them under your bed) or Airvoice owner Sanjay Ramasamy  doesnt even glance at you when he waits for traffic signal.
You read books and fantasize a world where everything is exactly the way you want it to be.. You are the strong character helping everyone out there and the one who everyone turns out to for help.(remind yourself-not to read Sujaths novels anymore)

 You build a world around those characters whom you have visualized in your books or the ones you see in movies. Forget making the world happy, you cant even make your close ones feel happy. You are torn by your own ideals (stupid as they are) and the real world (real, loving, amusing and colorful as it is).

So there are two people inside your head right now: one which says” the best is yet to come dear .So stay calm and live this routine nalla-pulla life” 

The other which says-”Who wants safe? Safe is for wimps. Go rekka –katti-paranadufy. So what if you will regret it 10 years later.?Pona-pogudu,at least you would have tried”

Your life now is an all day porratam(struggle) between those two parts of yourself. All your attempts to merge them fail and it’s almost like suffering from multiple personality disorder.

You wish that time flies even more faster-either backward or forward(edho onnu)but surely not to be in 24.A simple decision seems like Himalayan task at 24.

18 was nice. 30 would certainly be nice. But not 24 You don’t want to be 24.Sadly 24 is sad. And worse still is when you look around and you see people handling 24 gracefully and you wonder “How the hell do they do it ? “.

You see people who are 24 getting married and having children and you want to run and hide under your table .(In my opinion somebofy has to ban Facebook in India).Thudikudu bhujam-when you see your not-so-close school friends and college friends posting chin-to-chin photos wid their hubbys.
You cant blame god because you are relationship with him is even more complicated.He is nice to you but never understands you

 You cant blame your parents because they were sane and sensible people, mature and composed when they were 24.

You cant blame your friends because most of them are married or at least they know what  they want when they turn 25.

You cant blame your sister-cos she is more matured than you,even if she is younger to you.

You cant blame your stars because you are skeptical about astrology.
Its just you

Oh my God. (ranting stops) Are you also suffering from quarter life crisis a year before you  become a quarter century old? Aaaaaaaaaaaarrrghh!!! (Going under the table now)

List of Small Little Things that will make you HAPPY

Happiness is a choice and I chose to be happy. I ve been asked so many times how I manage to be happy (tho I have a lot of things to rant/complain about and make a fussy drama about it). So there I had an answer “Small plus small plus big equals “

Path to happiness is not something when you get an Oscar Award or when you get into Harvard University or when you get first bucket in your appraisal rating. Its when you learn the art of being contented with the small little things you experience in every small instance. I have my own customized list of small little things(beleive if fits in yours too) which makes me happy below and I am planning to update it time and again.. not necessarily in the order. You can add your own onto the comments section. Had I known anyone in this blog world, would have started a meme. Feel free to tag anyone from here.

• One hour shower bath-singing and dancing(need not be embarrassed that you are not a good dancer)
• Having roadside panipuri-esp the one,opp to little Italy in nungambakkam
• Reading the last page of a novel(curiosity kills the cat)
• Going home for the weekend-where you can be you,not having to worry about brushing or not taking bath…nobody even cares cos they know how dirty one can get
• When your supervisors are late to office(silently prays that they don’t get to read this)
• Listening to your favorite play list ,that too when there is nobody for your company
• When you read others blog and you feel happy that your life is 1000 times better that theirs
• When you pray and believe that the supreme force is sumwhere around you

• Receiving flowers and gifts(particualrly when you bug your friends to get you bouquets and chocolates on Vday, just cos you have always been single)
• One month countdown to your bday, newyear or any other long awaited occasion.
• When everyone you see wishes you on your birthday
• When you watch a wonderful masala movie(brownie points if its got cheesy romantic lines)
• Day dreaming with super-high-fantasies
• First sip of saravana bhavan filter coffee
• After a Sheekai hair wash
• When they give you extra neck massage in the parlor cos you are friends with that parlor girl.
• Leaning on your dads chest(The security you feel and when you give a damn to this world)
• Listening to peppy songs when sitting on the backseat of a two wheeler over a bridge(even fun when you losen your arms like flying)
• Holding hands with your loved ones.
• That moment when only you still laugh for a joke when others have already stopped.
• When only you find things funny when others are seriously discussing about it
• Girls talk when you get back to your room even if you are dead tired after work
• When you see romantic scenes from movies like Roja,Jillunu Oru Kadhal,Ghajini Asin,Thalapathi(and the list goes on)
• When the road side dog konjuifies you when you get back to your room
• When your old dress fits you perfectly with no flaws(collar thooki-uttufy)
• When all of a sudden you feel you tummy shows only a little bulge.(when it is actually big)
• First bite of pizzas and lasagna in your favorite italian restaurant
• When you dance cut loose(not bothered who thinks what)
• Extra minutes of sleep you get( I keep alarm at 4 everyday to only make me realize that I ve got another too hours to sleep,even more happy on weekends)
• When you walk after rain(provided the roads are neat,try annanagar when metro works are over)
• When someone hugs you when you need it most.
• When someone smiles at you
• Cuddling in the bed on lazy mornings
• Walking bare feet on grass(feeling grass and sand between your toes is the awesomest thing on earth)
• Walking in the beach either in the morning or evening,the cold breeze hitting your skin
• Watching sunset and sunrise
• Seeing a full moon from mottamadi,particularly when its hid slytly behind the tree leaves
• When you listen to entha poovinulum vassam varum song
• When you look clean and fresh all through out the day
• When you get the window seat when you commute by bus
• When your dad brings pepsi home when cooked biryani for lunch
• When you listen to 80’s and 90’s song
• When you suddenly realize how much you are blessed

• When you read passages about kunthavai in poniyin selvan
• When you extend help to someone and see how much they are happy about it
• When your dad takes you out for a ride/drive
• The random song that comes up in shuffle play listand makes you think, “YAY! I love this song!”
• Coffee – any time, anywhere
• Afternoon power naps
• When you smell good after bath with rich soaps and shampoos
• When you find your lost things
• When a kid smiles at you
• When you see colorful flowers(the ones in TCO corridor too)
• When you lie down in the bed happily while it rains outside heavily
• When your mom hugs you everytime you leave home
• When you laugh brushing away your tears
• The thrill when you visit a new place
• Bed coffee
• Evening ginger tea
• Getting absorbed in Poniyin Selvan

• When you smell babies
• When you secretly drink gripe water which is for the baby
• When you chose the right flavor on your hotdog or icecream(especially when your friend is not happy with what they have ordered)
• Getting rid of the tight clothes when you reach home(which you have managed to wear the whole day,for the sake of looking good)
• When you find the right fit dress on super discount sale
• When you stare in front of the mirror and find you beautiful at that particular day/time
• When you come in formals forgetting its friday today( so that you need not work one more day)
• When you draw on a misty mirror
• When you sing-and when the only audience is you.
• When you see wonderful fireworks(though you have principles against child labor,you forget them when you lookat the sky)
• When you hear birds chirp
• When someone laughs even at your stupid jokes
• When people call you sunshine or any other cute names
• When you get the the last spoon of dessert when shared with soemone
• When your office crush talks to you
• When your hair is naturally bouncy curly when you are right form your bed
• Someone gives you a lift from office
• When your office toilet is dry and clean
• When your roomies/siblings are bunking office/college,so that you need not get up early to use the batroom
• When you watch green trees or shrubs or plants or wateva green
• When you happily stretch your push back seat to lean
• When your office bus driver stops exactly where you want to get down thereby you needn’t have to walk much
• When you weep seeing a movie(recommended:PS I love you,sweet November,Vanatai pola,Unnai ninaithu etc)
• When you can surf OC/free WIFI
• When you lick the left overs on a chocolate paper
• When you exactly remember how you spent every penny after a shopping marathon(ask a girl and she knows how tough it is)
• When you have chilled bournvita in one single gulp
• When your friends declines your incoming call and calls you back(haan jii,saves your money)
• When somebody compliments you,be it for your dress, hairstyle ,nailpolish or anything you hardly noticed in you.
• When you can walk easily with your high heel(no embarrassment of slipping)
• When you sleep on a clean bedsheet

Keep adding:-)

Miss You Harish

This is my first “Miss You” blog I write and I make my silent prayers to the one in heaven that I wouldn’t have to write one more like this .

I write when I don’t raise my voice on an issue, when I don’t know how to react to a particular situation ,when I am helpless and when I think out aloud..In a nutshell my blogs are the outcome of my inability, my helplessness on things that happen around me and about what goes out of my control.
 I ve lost him now. Another sad plight where I was able to do nothing, except for being a mute spectator. I miss him terribly and i want to put it in words so that I would feel better.

I was in Adyar cancer hospital to visit my friends kid admitted for a tumor surgery.My heart melted.This was when I had my calling. The calling to unveil the meaning of my life.

A week later, I walked into Adyar Cancer Institute for the Kids. I spoke to Dr.Ranga there who told me that i could work part time here. There was always shortage of volunteers here unlike other ngos.
I walked through the whole corridor of the hospital. Only then I realized that the kids here were quarantined. Their cancer cells had put down their immune system completely. Unlike other kids they stayed away from their homes, they never went to schools, they never played for long hours(not even minutes), they were always dehydrated,tired and that their taste-buds never sensed anything anymore.
I chose to teach those special kids.That was on my second day when I met him. He sat for my evening class and i was reading to them when i heard a feeble voice
.“akka enaku vayiru valikudu”(my stomach hurts)

 I went near the six year old kid and the next instant he twirled in pain clenching his stomach, I ran through the long corridor screaming loud, so that the warden could hear me. The doctors then took the kid to the emergency room. I was then told that the kid was suffering from stomach cancer and his digestive cells are not functioning anymore and wouldn’t make up more than a month. He was fighting hard against this evil cancer. His parents had a ray of hope that he would go through a miraculous recovery and had not taken him home

.The next day I got him a Ben-10 t-shirt( I assumed every kid loves ben10). Little did I know that these kids were never exposed to cartoon channels. I was embarrassed when the kid asked me who Ben-10 was and when I had no clue either. I gave my usual sheepish-smile. He said with a smile” paravala,irundalum ungalukaga potukuren akka”(anyways I will wear it for you)

He wore it next day for the class and had been my favorite kid since then. He was sweet, he was naughty, he questioned me about everything, he was on his laughing fits every time I sung for him, he kissed me every time I asked for one, he walked me till I stepped out of the gate every time I left the place.
I have never helped someone when they were sick, when they puked(even when my dad was sick).I have never held urinal pads, I have never stroked a child when it sleeps, I ve never prayed for anyone else’s well being and I was doing all of it here. For the only reason-God had given me another chance.

It was then when all my life puzzles fell in place .The reason ,why I was in chennai leading my life aimlessly , why i had never made wise decisions in my life earlier, why I had left every opportunity let go,why I am not married yet and most importantly it answered my question why I lived in this planet.

Last Thursday, the kid was on its death bed and was taken home.I was called on Saturday night to see him. He lay on the bed unmoving; the kid had shooting pains all through the day. He was tired and still managed to smile at me. I controlled myself not to cry there. I dint want to hurt him. His parents were already wounded. I stayed there all night singing and reading for him. I was  not able to come back to my place even on Sunday morning.

I wanted to pray for the kid for a painless death. I walked out of his home and visited Santhome church. I sat there for hours-don’t know how long, when I finally gathered myself to walk to his home. I saw him lying wrapped in a white fabric-on the coffin box.

It more than 24 hours since this has happened and I am still not able to come out of this. Why did GOD not heed to his prayers? Why doesn’t god treat everyone the same? Why so much of indifference? Why cant GOD acquire all drunkards and smokers life and spare this kids life? Why doesn’t god give us brainy heads in this world and let them find a cure for this terrible life taking disease? All these questions in life remain unanswered.   

Getting Started About Me

HI I’m Melani.

The End.

Oh wait, you want more? =)

 I’m just a 20-something girl who has one foot here on fantasy and one foot on reality,in whose life reality never meets fantasy. I dream all day for self-amusement and am addicted to happiness. I am not what I studied, I am not what I work, I am not what I dreamt I would be.Its still okay to be that way and I believe in sin and karma.

 I love music. And books. And clothes. And food. And music. And shoes. I love Poniyin Selvan and the movie Kanda Naal Mudhal and my blog is a place where I write about all of these things, and a whole lot more! My mind is a busy place, and writing helps me to de-clutter my head and perhaps find some clarity.

I have maintained an internal blog all this while in my office and importing all the posts to this public blog , so that i give you my gyaan and wise words for your happier living too.

 I hope you like it here. You’re welcome to stay for as long you wish.

cya...