Baffled by behaviour

The inter-desi unsaid communication in the USA is uncomfortable to say the least. One half of it is what you think in your head. The other half is the vibes you get from the other desi.

The strength of the vibe shocks me. Its either a "certain fear of rejection" type of vibe or a "I am cooler than you" vibe or a plain "i hope our eyes dont meet" vibe and some quick fixes to look cooler and more casual.

In the chance event of you looking at somebody in the face - will most definitely face a "look away" or a very panicked stare.

Just be nice and smile next time around.

Everyone wants a bit of the limelight
When Rajini saar becomes the world's most popular, hundreds of bloggers take thier one-blog-post worth of fame. And I am going to do just that.

I watched Sivaji twice, so I am not rattling off experiences from thin air. I paid $16, almost a $6 premium for the tickets both times. I saw it at P & G Wheaton at Silverspring MD. When I first saw the insides of the theatre I was pissed that our Thalaivar movie was being shown in a screen even worse than santham. It was a small screen, no balcony, small theatre. But then I'd rather get to see it than not see it at all. A friend at Cincinnati gets to see it on June 28th, Now THAT is a shame.
The moment the guy lifted that measly velvetty lil rope keeping us, we ran, FAST. We quickly got our tickets torn up and "caught seat" for our friends. The excitement had begun. There were whistles, occassional "padam podungada".. "enna potti varaliya" screams... and then Sivaji appears in old style and then new style.. and we went madddd... then ofcourse our thalaivars ubiquitous S.U.P.E.R. S.T.A.R rajini in silver and blue with the ta ta ta na..ta ta na..

I am not about to reveal the movie, but enough is said when I say.
I did dapankuthu dance for ballelika. Screamed like crazy for Oru Koodai Sunlight. Sang Sahana Saaral. Sat spellbound through Athiradee.
I stood on the chair for motta boss. I screamed thalaiva for "six- ku aprom seven, Thalaivar-ku aprom yevane?"
I screamed "Summa Athirudulle" every time he said it.
I hooted when he did the one rupee coin swishes and the bubble gum.
He rocked the first night scene "Neetu raathiri yamma, tookam pochidi yamma" and the ULTIMATE income tax tea shop scene with the "punch dialogues"

I didnt eat popcorn and I succesfully embarrassed my friends around me. But I loved every minute inside that theatre. Thalaivar Vazhgha!

Life in a metro.
Cross the road to the station in a mad hurry at 5..4..3...2...1..Dodge the express paper man.. Run down the escalators, quick look at the train schedule, run to gates, touch SmarTrip, run to next escalator, run down left side of moving stairs, fling urself into the open doors of the coach, only to hear "ding ding - Step back doors closing"

Phew. Breathe.

I think I like the un-bolded version of my blog. I just might go back and change the other posts from bold to un-bold or I might not!

Metro.

The wmata sounds like something remotely indian like "mata" and we like to deliberately pronounce it wrong so it sounds like "doubleyou-maataa" Its the BIG metro of Washington DC. I was initially worried everytime I got into it thinking what if someone pulled out a gun right now and shot everyone in the coach? It is still a possibility, but I am less scared now. I have learnt to distract myself.

Most people would do anything to avoid looking at strangers. They read, listen to music (pretend as though they arent looking), do homework, talk on the phone, look at what other people are wearing (I am guilty of doing it too) and then look away. Its an efficient system. Helps me cut down on costs. and I finally have a SmarTrip card, its a regular magnetic strip card which gets you through the entry/exit gates much faster.
Sorry I am getting bored with myself now, and so will stop.

You are not your grande latte.

This must the most meaningful sentence in a long time. I have met many an American who thought Starbucks is overpriced. But I have met even more people who could not live without it. I am annoyed by how dependent people are on things other people make them believe - that they cant go through the day without their grande whatever.

There is definitely nothing special about the coffee. It tastes just like if you'd mix/blend all the same stuff at home. It brings me back to the days when we argued how 'Bru' and other filter coffee companies actually bid for the best coffee, and Nescafe was somewhere far behind. They took those not-so-great coffee beans, marketed them, and made more money than the filter coffee cos. Its definitely not the coffee. Its the customer that says "can i have a grande vanilla latte, splenda, with a little whipped cream, and low fat milk please" for whom this establishment survives. It is hard for me to believe that there are that many people who care SO much about their morning coffee. Its like theyre scared to spoil their own mood by drinking some other kind of coffee.

Yet unarguably it is a great loyalty and customer retention strategy. Starbucks is recommended a hold even during its bear trends. Its a volume traded stock and projects a good amount of growth into the future. Its currently at $27.46.

I cant deny the grande lattes are taking over my make-it-yourself cold coffee. I guess I am a bit late.

Sivaji tickets are bought. I am all geared up. Wondering if I should paint my face or something.

SIVAJI: THE BOSS

Ennathu? Bachelor of Social Service. :)

Listen to the fever.
Superstar thalaivar Rajini..

To-do list
1. Laundry
2. Post postcard
3. Drop rent check
4. Deposit pay checks. (I will get direct deposit okay!)
5. Cook and eat
6. Dream about trip to India
7. Accounting homework
8. Listen to Sivaji songs
9. Return clothes to the store I bought it from.
10. Clean house

Sometimes life is just fun isnt it? Grr. Mommyyyyyyy!

Monday Morning

Q: Hey good morning
Z: Morning
Q: How was your weekend
Z: Was great. How about yours?
Q: Perfect, except it was so hot!
Z: Yeah i know its around the 80's or 90's isnt it?
Q: I think so. So are you glad to be back ?
Z: Yeah of course, i feel very relaxed.
Q: Super.
Silence

Repeat that 10 times over to 10 people.

you are not your bank account,
you are not the clothes you wear
you are not the contents of your wallet
you are not your bowel cancer
you are not your grande latte
you are not the car you drive
you are not your fucking khakis...

...i say deliver me from swedish furniture
i say deliver me from clever art
i say deliver me from clear skin and perfect teeth...

This one is for you Manju, i found the sociological/
psychoanalytical analysis of the fight club here, and i
thought of how i always wanted to read what you
wrote on LOTR. :)
Good luck sweetie.

If you really believe you are great.
You just might be, even if you live in that illusion.

Example: TR

Making money out of nothing at all.

This is it. Think about it. Packaged Air.

Being shortchanged.

You begin to believe you are not as good as you think you are.

But you really are good.

But do others know it?

Will they pay you money for it?

You know you're good.

Are you sure?

Yes.

My Blueberry Nights

The new Wong Kar Wai movie.

His first attempt in English.

Must Watch. Debut at Cannes.

What did I do today?

I watched all the E*Trade SuperBowl ads on youtube today.

I am buying hair products - you know why?
Because by American standards my hair looks unkempt (frizzy) even if i comb it, so I believe its normal to buy some thing that will make it not move out of place.

Well I am buying it. What does that tell you?

2:29am. A fully asleep house. I am reading about how cigarette packets in India now have skull and bones on the covers to make people aware of the hazards of smoking. *Sigh* Apparently the pictoral depiction of the fate of the smokers should put in their heads the idea that its bad for them.

In a way it reminds me of Malcom Gladwell's example of Seseme Street and the mind mapping and cool strategies they used to figure out which types of information, and the delivery mechanism that increased retention. Maybe by some freak logic of human behaviour maybe smokers maybe increasingly discouraged by the skull and bones than the regular statutory warning.

Given the marketing books I have been reading lately I cant seem to distinguish which strategy might work. It sometimes seems like the illogical ones might work, albeit opposite to the way you believed they might.

Test of Tamil as a Local Language

Allwa - To cheat
Aatha - Mother
Abase - Loot adiththal
Alppam - A silly/cheap dude
Anna - The elder brother
Anni - Anna's figure
Appeettu - Unsuccessful
Asaththal - Kalakkal
Bajari - A not-so-friendly figure
Bandha - Pillim
Bekku - Fool
Body - Muscular Machi
Chithee - Aunty Figure
Dapsa/Doop - Lie
Desi Gujili - An Indian figure in US
Dhil - Courage
Dhool - Super
Dham - To smoke
Daavu - Site seeing
Dickielona - A friendly game played in Delhi (courtesy Movie:
Gentleman)
Damaram - Deaf
Dori - Squint-eyed Figure item -
Young/Attractive Lady/Women/Girl
Freeyaavidu - Forget it
Gaali - Appeettu
Gujili - Figure
Guru - Head of the gang
Gujaals - Having fun with Gujilis
Gaanapaattu - Rap song sung by Machis
Galeej - Dirty
Gilli, Goli - Traditional games played in Madras Goltti - A dude from
Andhra Jakku - An exclamation on seeing a not-so-Takkar figure (see Jil
below)
Jollu - Bird watching
Jilpaans - Gujaals
Jute - Escape when caught up by girlfriend's father.
Jujubi - Easy
Jil - An exclamation on seeing a Takkar figure
Jalsa - Same as Gujaals
Kaattaan - Uncivilized/ Rude Machi
Kenai - Idiot
Kikku / Mabbu -Intoxicated/under influence
Kalakkalls - To cause a flutter
Kanai pakri- Friend of ushar pakri
Kindal - To make Fun
Kaka adikarathu - Putting soaps to someone
K M L - Kedacha Mattum Labam
Kutti - Figure
Kudumba figure - Homeloving Gujli
Kudumba paatu - A song with which machis identify themselves
Kulls - A short machi
Laddu - Allva
Loot adiththal -to steal
Maams - One cool dude
Maanga - Fool
Machi - Maams
Mandai - A sharp guy
Mary - feminine of Peter
Mavu - refer O B.
Nachunu - Bull's eye
Nambitten - I don't believe you
Naattu Kattai - A well-built village figure
Naattan - Villager
Naamam - To cheat
Naina - Father (courtesy Telugu)
Kadalai - Machi talking to a Gujili or vice versa
OB - To waste time
Ottal - To make fun of some one
Ondrai anna - Worthless
Pattaani - Machi talking to Machi or Gujli talking to Gujli
Peter Party - Machi trying to show off by talking in
hi-fi english
Pathni - A figure who goes around the block
Pakkri - A
shrewd dude
Petta - Area
Pisaaththu - Cheap
Pillim - Show-off
Peela - To lie
Rambo - A manly figure
Sister - Often used by Machis while Approching Figures for the first time
Songi - Lazy
Saanthu pottu -Possibility of getting beaten by a stick (courtesy
Movie:Thevar Magan)
Takkar figure - Semma figure
Thanni - Liquor
Thalaivar - Leader
Tin katrathu - Getting into trouble (courtesy Movie:
Anjali)
Ushar pakri - Smart pakri
Vennai - Fruit
Weightaana figure - A very attractive/rich figure
Wrong kaatrathu -Acting indifferently

Anything new neenga kathutingala? Ite ellam ponnunga koode work-out aaguma-ne think panringala?

Its ok maams ippothike freeya vidu..

I absolutely completely do not fit in.
I don't even know why I try.

Cheetos khao khush ho jao...