skip to main |
skip to sidebar
One summer, a drought threatened the crop in a small town. On a hot and dry Sunday, the village parson told his congregation, "There isn't anything that will save us except to pray for rain. Go home, pray, believe, and come back next Sunday ready to thank God for sending rain."
The people did as they were told and returned to church the following Sunday. But as soon as the parson saw them, he was furious.
"We can't worship today. You do not yet believe," he said.
"But," they protested, "we prayed, and we do believe."
"Believe?" he responded. "Then where are your umbrellas?"
Joke apart; when, in some parts, there is not even a drop of rain, it is now raining in Chennai...who would not love rain? The musky odour that emanates in the air gives a unique pleasure. No umbrellas for me when I go out. Let the rain pour.
I was sitting by a window watching the rain. It seemed as if the earth suddenly looked more beautiful. There is a sms text which goes like this: The rain makes all things beautiful, the grass and flowers too. But if rain really makes all things beautiful, why doesn't it rain on you? Does rain make humans beautiful too?
The leaves seem to dance in the rain. Someone said it takes only a raindrop to make a leaf dance..
I have learnt to accept the rainy days. It is time to take out all those books and magazines and read them from cover to cover or connect to the internet and update the blogs.
No writer or a filmmaker has ever spared rain from their creations.
“ Raindrops keep falling on my head but that doesn't mean my eyes will
soon be turning red. Crying's not for me cause I'm never gonna stop
the rain by complaining. Because I'm free. Nothing's worrying
me…” A hit song from the movie “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid” still rings in my ears.
Maria of “Sound of Music” mentioned raindrops on roses in her “Favourite things” song...
Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens;
Bright copper kettles and warm woolen mittens;
Brown paper packages tied up with strings;
These are a few of my favorite things.
We are not to forget to mention ‘Mouna Raagam”, a tamil movie by Manirathinam, where Revathi (Heroine) dances to the rhythm of “Oho, Megham vanthatho”. Jothika , in the movie”Kushi” dances to the tune of “Megham karukuthu, minnal adikuthu”. “Andhi mazhai pozhigirathu” from Kamal’s “Raja parvai” is a lovely piece. Can someone suggest hindi rain songs?
There was another sms text today.
What did the male raindrop say to the beautiful female raindrop?
-I'm falling for you.
I liked it.
I remember that we used to eagerly look at our dad’s face when it rains , because he would declare a holiday for us that day!
The other side:
As I was watching the rain, I could see my helper opening the gate and coming in, fully drenched.
“You could have stayed at home. Why did you come, that too, without an umbrella?’
“The roof is blown off, no food, and my hut is half immersed in water..I came here so that I can take home at least some leftover food for my sick husband..”
Thousands homeless, many stranded…
I watch through the window again.
“When will the rain stop?”……
Post inspiration : Kartik Kannan
The word “like” has become an epidemic now. There is no age bar to the use of this word “like”.
Like how? Like this:
“Like he came and he like opened his mouth and like he said “aarghhh!”
I like feel like screaming like.
Fillers can be used, yes, but not to the extent of making the other people close his or her ears.
“I, like, love you” would be the worst statement one can say to a lover.
These public speakers! I happened to attend a function where there were five guests and hardly half an hour time left. The audience were already leaving. The first guest went on and on for twenty minutes leaving the other guests with gaping mouths. The other speakers had to politely cut off their speech quickly and sit down.
Audiences generally appreciate the respect of time by these speakers. People have started preferring brevity of speeches, perhaps, even less than ten minutes of speech with specific points attract the crowd.. Kennedy, it is said, prepared speeches for less than 20 minutes and rarely used fillers. “Less is better than more” is the order of the day.
I happened to hear a discussion taking place among youngsters about ahimsa. According to them, ahimsa is “outdated” and Gandhi’s principle of Ahimsa as a peace-making process won’t work out now. Someone retorted that if one such Mahathma rises up again, Ahimsa will become active. Ahimsa is preachable, I think.
It is amazing to see people who drive and at the same time talk on cell phones. Sometimes one keeps talking on the cell phone while typing an email or chatting with a friend online. While using the cell phone on the road, it looks as if they are talking to themselves. Multitasking between parallel realities is fine but doesn’t it lead to lack of full attention, lack of concentration, time loss?… where is it all leading to? 
While on one side we rave and rant about BP, cholesterol and diabetes even among the younger generation, fast food joints are seen at every nook and corner of the city. The worst part of it is the unhygienic conditions where the food is produced and made. Start loving home cooked food please!
Why is it that we expect others to say a hi or a hello to us first? My friend was complaining the other day that someone turned his face and did not say a hi first and so she turned her face and ignored him. What do we gain? Just try going out of your way to say a hello to a familiar face and watch their reaction.
“Had a tough day today…”
It was understandable. Anyone coming back from office would be exhausted after a hard day’s work. A cheerful beaming face at home (that’s me) welcoming with a steaming hot cup of coffee or tea with ‘Good Day” biscuits always helped.
“Honey, how was your day?”
How consoling when the question is asked back with similar concern. Hmm…
“We have run out of coffee powder…” I have to come out with what I need. Otherwise where will we get time?
“How many times have I told you not to start complaining or asking something as soon as I enter the house? Don’t you realize how exhausted I am?”
The exasperated tone would suppress anyone from further proceeding with the conversation. But there is nothing wrong in trying. I continued..
“Abhishek fell down and hurt himself..”
“What happened??”
“He slipped and fell from the stairs..”
“Abhishekkkkk………” A desperate call for Abhishek.
An angry stare….I was scared of it…I have to do my best to bring the temper down.
‘How careless can you be? You don’t even have the time to monitor him carefully?”
“What were you doing? Watching TV?”
“No…I was washing clothes….”
“When will you learn to manage your time? The kid is more important than washing those clothes!”
“We will take him to the doctor..”
“Should you wait for me to take him to the doctor?” I look down and listen patiently to the yells and screams.
‘Have you made the dinner?”.
“Yeah, rotis and dal..” A routine question and a routine reply
“Same stuff again? Why don’t you make something different? Vegetables and stuff? What for do I earn? Remember I am a Software Engineer with a handsome salary earning a whopping salary. What more do you want? Do I have to eat this stale thing everyday?”
“Sorry. This was what I could do today. You know how difficult it is...To look after Abhishek and do the cooking as well...”
“Do you know what will happen if I resign and stay at home?? Or what if they throw me out of the job?”
Silence is better than retaliating, isn’t it? 
This work-life balance is becoming so difficult to maintain..
“Don’t give me excuses, right?” Should one talk back at this juncture?
“Look, I am doing my best. I am also a human. This is a temporary phase. I will also get a job soon. Both of us will work and things will improve” My voice becomes soft and husky though I am trying to put up this fight boldly..
Tears are ready to jump out of my eyes. No, I will not cry….because I am a man.
Almost all bloggers would have a “pet animal” post to their credit and the posts often mentioned about either a dog or a cat or a cow or rarely, a snake. But who would want a pig as a pet?
Probably because of this joke, one hesitates to have a pig as pet!
A man was on a walking holiday. He became thirsty so decided to ask at a home for something to drink. The lady of the house invited him in and served him a bowl of soup by the fire. There was a wee pig running around the kitchen, running up to the visitor and giving him a great deal of attention. The visitor commented that he had never seen a pig this friendly. The housewife replied: "Ah, he's not that friendly. That's his bowl you're using."
Though pigs are not a priority as pets, they have indirectly contributed a lot to the society. They appear in the Chinese Zodiac and they have an important role in kids’ education in the form of rhymes and stories as well. And pigs have participated in TV shows and Movies also.
“The three little pigs”, the fairy tale in which the wolf wanted to huff and puff the houses of the pigs needs a mention. One of the pigs made a house of brick with a chimney and lit a fire down and when the wolf tried to enter inside through the chimney it fell into the fire and the pig lived happily ever after. Pigs are smart.
But the latest generation is smarter, I guess. A joke goes like this:
One day the first grade teacher was reading the story of the Three Little Pigs to her class. She came to the part of the story where the first pig was trying to accumulate the building materials for his home.
She read, "...And so the pig went up to the man with the wheelbarrow full of straw and said, 'Pardon me sir, but may I have some of that straw to build my house?'"
The teacher paused then asked the class, "And what do you think the man said?"
One little boy raised his hand and said, "I know...he said, 'Holy Cow! A talking pig!'"
Pigs have a role in kids’ nursery rhymes as well. “To market, to market, to buy a fat pig” and “piggy on a railway line” would be remembered by all who didn’t cry during their first few weeks in school.
Pigs make good food – ham and pork are pig foods. This is a joke I read in the net:
A farmer walks into a pub with a pig under his arm."Why have you got a pig under your arm?" asks the bartender."This isn't just any old pig," the farmer says, "This pig has twice saved my life. So, just to be on the safe side, I carry him about everywhere with me.""Oh really?" says the bartender, incredulously."Yes, once I fell into the river and he jumped in and dragged me to the bank. Another time my house caught fire and he ran in and saved me, the wife and the kids."As the farmer is talking the bartender can't help noticing that the pig is missing a leg."In which of those accidents did the pig lose its leg in?" he asks.The farmer replies: "Neither. An animal like this you don't eat all at once"
The “Hot Dog” is not actually made from dogs but pork – the flesh of the pig-is used.
Pigs have their own sporting events as well. The Wikipedia says that pigs have their own Olympics in which there are events like pig-racing (over an obstacle course), pig swimming (introduced at the 2006 Pig Olympics), and 'pigball' or 'swineball' which is much like football or soccer.
It is also said that pigs appeared in “Pink Floyd” music shows and a pig ran astray in one of the shows and created a scene.
And don’t get perturbed if someone calls you a “funny pig” or a ‘dirty pig” or even a “swine”. The pigs aren’t to be blamed for being dirty. They cool themselves by taking a muddy bath just like we do with water. Isn’t it fair enough?
There are also lots of pig-related idiom and this is one - "It's plain as a pig on a sofa". If a husband or wife uses this idiom, the other should not get upset. And try not to become the butt of the joke as this guy did:
A man was driving up a steep and narrow mountain road. A woman was driving down the same road.As they pass each other, the woman leans out the window and yells "Pig!" The man immediately leans out his window and replied, "How dare you?"They continue on their way and as the man rounds the next corner, he crashes into a pig in the middle of the road.
These misunderstood mammals have been there right from Ice Age, they say. They are a smart lot and easily trainable and in fact they are looked upon as stars in some parts of the world! 
“The Empress of Blandings” - no one can say it is after all a pig, - won many awards in the “Fat pigs” contests and Lord Emsworth, the proud owner doted on it. P.G.Wodehouse featured the Empress in all his novels related to the Blandings castle, and these stories made an interesting read-up. The Empress was the subject of many plots and schemes related to the castle.
So if someone calls you a pig, feel proud!
Swetha was totally upset that day. She did not expect it from her husband Rajiv.
“Why should he do this to me?” She sobbed.
“She” is returning back. Swetha could not bear the thought of having “her” at home again.
“Now what are you cribbing for? I have told you everything. After all, it is a small adjustment you have to make. That’s all.”
Rajiv was adamant. He wanted “her” back. He was pining for “her” company.
It was nearly one year since Swetha got married to Rajiv. Rajiv has been very nice to her till date. Even the previous week, when her birthday was up, she had a most wonderful day. A week before her birthday, he had presented her a saree.
"I just can't wait to wear it." Swetha looked at him with a bright smile. "Shall we go out on my birthday? I shall wear this saree.” She was beaming with excitement."Sure, and I'm really looking forward to seeing how pretty you look in it." Wasn’t he so romantic?
But what has happened to him now? He seemed to miss something. She could see a sense of longing in his face. Why was it so?
The secret was out the next day morning when she overheard him talking to his friend Vikram.
“I miss “her” very much. I want to bring “her” back...” he was saying.
Swetha could not but help overhearing the convo between him and his friend on phone.
All she could gather was Rajiv loved “her” a lot and he missed “her”.
Tears filled her eyes.
“I am not able to forget “her” he continued to his friend,”.” She” has lived with me for three solid years! Is it fair to leave her somewhere while I am enjoying with my wife?” He asked.
“Why did he marry me then? How dare? He has had a “live-in” relationship with her!” Swetha fumed. ‘Cheat! How dare he hide this information from me?” All along, her mind has been tuned to the fact that marriage is a powerful relationship where all kinds of emotions are challenged. So she was shocked.
Now that the secret was out, Swetha decided to confront him.
“Now out with the whole truth!” She said.
“But what did I do? I am now being honest with you. After all, we have a big house and I earn a lot, enough to give a comfortable living, both for you and “her”. Can’t you compromise and make my life happy! Don’t keep on cribbing! You are exasperating at times. Please understand...” He shrugged and went away.
“Doesn’t he ever realize a woman’s feelings? Is he ignorant of the fact that no woman would allow a third person in between her and her husband?” Perhaps she was wrong in having an implicit faith on him.
No, she wasn’t going to compromise, she felt. But it was too late to walk out, that too, at this hour of the day. Her parents were away now and she did not want them to worry because of her. She would also play along, she decided, till such time she got a good job and would be on her own.
It was dinner time. She prepared the meals quietly. What was her position in the house now? How is she going to manage her future? Would “she” come and dominate her? She could not even bear the thought. She tried to block these thoughts that were running in her mind while she was cooking mechanically.
Hunger pangs started hitting her stomach as she waited for Rajiv to join her.
She could sense his excitement even though he tried to underplay in front of her. But did he never even give a thought about how he was giving her a grueling time.
“You will pay for this!” She said to herself.
Both of them had their food silently and he left for a walk.
Swetha cleaned the kitchen and went to her bedroom. She could hear Rajiv switching on the TV. How could he be so cool? He was playing with her life! She felt a sense of indifference towards him.
She lay on her bed and was full of tears. She sobbed as if the whole world has come down on her. It was dawn when she realized that she has cried herself to sleep the previous night.
“Where was Rajiv?” ‘Wherever he is, why should I bother?” Swetha thought.
Rajiv was sitting in the living room reading newspaper. She noticed the empty coffee cup before him.
“So he has had his coffee!” Sensing her anger, Rajiv made his own coffee that day. He did not even turn to look at her when she got up and came out of the room.
She saw him getting dressed up and get ready to go out.
‘I am bringing ‘her” now...” he said and walked out without even looking at her.
“I will take things as it comes!” She decided.
But, her curiosity got the better of her.
She could hardly wait to see “her”.
Time flew, and she could hear the car coming in.
She saw him opening the door of the car, and out jumped a Pomeranian dog!
She waited curiously and looked behind the dog to see “her” getting out of the car.
He closed the door gently and walked in with the dog. There was no one else!
She was still watching him with gaped mouth.
‘What did you think? I would bring in a woman? Don’t you remember saying before our marriage that you hated dogs? I had to hide her for sometime but I started missing her.” He grinned and turned towards the dog and said.” Say Hi to mom!”
“This is the limit!” She screamed in excitement.” You could have told me yesterday!”
“If I had told you I am bringing her, you wouldn’t have accepted. That is why I played along...”
Swetha wasn’t listening to him. She was playing with “her”.
