Jai Ho !

I'm sure you could totally relate to this video if you are yet another 'desi in pardes'. remember how your neighbors stopped by to exchange a dialogue or two about the movie..well, it may have started with the movie but we know how it ended up as a 'reality check' on India leaving you at your wits end trying to convince them "its a f...reakin movie, so get over it"!!

worse...people you've never spoken to found the time to talk to you about the movie as if it was 'your home production' or you played a part in it. Well, lets blame it on the Oscars ;)
Check out this video, I am sure this is what exactly goes on their mind when they talk to you abt it...kudos to the team who created this video..Jai Ho, ppl!

Descanso Gardens, La Cañada Flintridge

Hailed as one of the most spectacular locations in Southern California, this 160-acre oasis is highlighted by 80 acres of colorful flowers including camellias, lilacs, roses and contains forests, streams, a lake, a bird sanctuary, tram tours, mini train rides, hiking trails, a 22-room home, a gift shop, café court gardens, and a serene Japanese garden complete with Tea house, Cherry trees, Japanese maples and a Koi pond.

This is the perfect place to spend a lazy afternoon, walking in the woods or just to sit back relax and take a guided tram tour around the garden.

A little history, In 1769,the King of Spain owned the current area known as Descanso Gardens claimed for him by the Spanish explorer Gaspar De Portola. Years later, a Governor deeded the 36,000-acre site to Corporal Jose Maria Verdugo in 1784, as part of a vast rancho. Verdugo died in 1831 and his land was divided between his son and daughter, who retained ownership until 1869.Then came a period of years where the land was continually bought, sold, and subdivided. In 1937 the newspaper magnate, publisher of the Los Angeles Daily News E. Manchester Boddy purchased the 160 acre property. He developed this magnificent parcel of land and called it "Rancho del Descanso", for "ranch where I rest."


In 1953 he ceded the site to Los Angeles County which further developed the property to include a world-class rosarium and all other facilities and attractions which we see today. The County hosts professional camellia shows, chamber music, and weddings. Nearly 300,000 people visit Descanso Gardens each year.The busiest time of the year is the Easter weekend.



We decided to visit this place after reading about it here.
I wanted to spend a part of my birthday at someplace away from the concrete jungle and what better way than to choose 160 acres of wilderness which also has a garden?
After dodging the terrific sunday traffic on 405N,10E and 5N for almost an hour we reached there in the afternoon. Parking was free but the lot was almost full.




We reached right on time to catch the Tram Tour at 2pm. This 45miniute guided tram ride around the garden is considered the best way to view the site if you are visiting for the first time.

Taking this tour saves time and one can decide which area of the garden to explore based on their interest once the tram tour ends. Our tour guide was quite experienced and jovial too which made the trip interesting.






I was totally lost during the tram ride trying to take in everything my eyes could see that i hardly heard the tour guide talking. All the time i was thinking why it took us such a long time to discover this place. I regretted it even more thinking I wish i knew about this place when my In-Laws visited us as i am sure they would have certainly enjoyed it.

They were quite excited to visit new places during their stay with us and I know how much Amma love flowers and how they enjoyed visiting the "Lake Shrine" gardens.
Even Iyaps was awfully quiet during the tram ride and i realized maybe he had the same thought and he was missing his parents.







To add to it, i was disappointed when i reached for the cam in my bag i realized that i had forgot to pack my trusted Olympus and i was left with my point and shoot Nikon S200.
As the saying goes "Something is better than nothing", thanks to my P & S cam i was able to capture some images to remember our first visit to this place.
The image you see on the right side is "Descanso Garden's Enchanted Railroad". An eighth scale replica of a diesel train runs on the tracks which takes young and all young-at-heart visitors around a small section of the park.
This is the second most preferred activity by the visitors after the Tram Tour.





A trip to Descanso Gardens will be an unforgettable experience for anyone who loves well maintained landscapes and wilderness. Any time of the year is suitable to visit this place and most of the weekends are busy with events. Descanso Gardens has the largest Camellia collection in North America.

We couldn't spend much time there due to time constraints but we hope to head back there to explore the 'Rosarium' and the 'Japanese garden' during our next visit.





The following information is collected from Internet which lists the names of flowers and their blooming month at Descanso Gardens. It may be interesting to find out your favorite flowers from the list and plan the trip accordingly.

Also check Descanso Gardens Visitor Guide:
Where to See Roses Camellias and Lilacs in Southern California




Whats in Bloom?

JANUARY: Camellias, cherry trees and winter annuals.
FEBRUARY: Camellias, magnolias, cherry trees and daffodils.
MARCH: Camellias, iris, lilacs, cherry trees and daffodils.
APRIL: Azaleas, camellias, iris, lilacs, native plants and wildflowers, tulips, clivia, and wisteria.
MAY: Azaleas, camellias, roses, iris, wildflowers and California Natives.
JUNE: Modern and heritage roses and summer annuals.
JULY, AUGUST & SEPTEMBER: Roses, summer annuals and perennials, crape myrtle and cassia.
OCTOBER: Sasanqua camellias, roses and Fall foliage.
NOVEMBER: Camellias, toyon berries, annuals, gingko and Fall foliage.
DECEMBER: Camellias, toyon berries, annuals and gingko.

Website: http://www.descansogardens.org

DESCANSO GARDENS
1418 Descanso Drive
La Cañada Flintridge, CA 91011

(818) 949-4206
Open daily, 9 a.m. - 5:00 p.m., except Christmas


To view more pics visit the "Descanso Gardens Set" in my flickr page.

(All images posted here and in Flickr are copyright protected. All rights reserved. Send an email to "voice4music [at] gmail [dot] com" if you wish to use any of the images.
Information source on Descanso Gardens : Internet)

कुछ लफ्ज़.. / വെറുതെ ഒരു കവിത..

तो सुनो ये कहानी, मधुरिमा की जुबानी
एक ऐसी कहानी, सदियों पुरानी
जिसमें राजा न रानी, ना परियां दीवानी॥
कुछ यादों कि रवानी , गम-ऐ-उल्फत की निशानी।
न तेरी न मेरी, हम सब की कहानी॥

തല്‍ക്കാലം ഇത്രയും മതി, ബാക്കി പിന്നീടാവാം...എന്താ?

Love, Life & Poetry

Picture this..
there you are...lazing away on a saturday evening
the aroma of the rose incense filling the room and your senses
your favorite ghazal playing in the background
while you slowly lose yourself in the pages of 'Essential Rumi'..

isn't life beautiful? just beautiful...

Aan Milo Sajna - G...

"In your light I learn how to love,
In your beauty, how to make poems.
You dance inside my chest,
where no one sees you.”
~ Jalāl ad-Dīn Muḥammad Rūmī

Spicy-Tofu Stir Fry

Spicy Tofu Stir-fry

Ingredients:
* 2 blocks pressed firm tofu
* 1/2 cup celery
* 1/2 cup green bell pepper
* 1 tbsp Soy Sauce
* 1 tbsp stir fry sauce
* 1tsp crushed chilly sauce
* 1/4tsp garlic powder
* 1 tsp cornflour dissolved in 1/2 cup of water
* Oil to saute tofu and to stir fry the veg's
* Salt to taste

Preparation:
Cube pressed Tofu and marinate with salt, 1tsp each soy sauce & crushed chilly sauce for 5mts.
Heat oil in a pan and stir fry tofu for 3mts, remove from stove. In a wok, heat oil and stir fry the veg's.
Add salt, garlic powder & rest of the sauces and saute for 3mts.
Add tofu mix well and add dissolved cornflour and cook until the sauce thickens.

[Image and Recipe Copyright www.roshonline.com. No part of this recipe may be reproduced without my written permission. All rights reserved.]

Cooking Tip [External Link] :[Find out how to cook/press tofu]

Happy Vishu

കാലം ഇനിയും വരും
വിഷു വരും, വര്‍ഷം വരും
പിന്നെ ഓരോ ഇതളിനും പൂ വരും, കായ് വരും
അപ്പോള്‍ ആരെന്നും എന്തെന്നും ആര്‍ക്കറിയാം ....
കക്കാടിന്റെ 'സഫലമീ യാത്രയില്‍' നിന്നുള്ള വരികള്‍



Kaalam iniyum Varum
Vishu varaum Varsham Varum
Pinne oro ithalinum poo varum kaay varum
Appol Aarennum enthennum aarkariyaam...
From the poem "Saphalamee Yathra" by N N Kakkaadu

TIME only has the "PLAY" button
no PAUSE, no STOP, and definitely no REWIND.

And that's the tragedy of it all..

(Image Source : Internet)

The Great Park Balloon Ride

The Great Park Balloon Ride is the first major attraction of the Orange County Great Park, a 1,347 acre public space on the site of the former El Toro Marine Corps Air Station in Orange County, California. What makes this attraction more interesting and popular is the fact that for right now it is FREE!

(Image Source: Internet)

Balloon Riders climb aboard the 30 passenger tethered helium observation balloon that takes them floating up to 500 feet above the surrounding landscape to enjoy a bird’s eye view of the retired air station’s transformation into the first great metropolitan park of the 21st Century. The Orange County Great Park Plan provides a wide array of active and passive uses, including a 2.5 mile canyon and lake, miles of walking and biking trails, a cultural terrace, Orange County's largest sports park, a botanical garden, and a tethered helium observation balloon which is the icon for the Great Park. The park is expected to be finished by 2015 and the balloon ride, the first attraction to open at the park is indeed a great way to watch the new park being constructed from the old El Toro base.

We were excited to visit this place from the time a friend mentioned about it and we planned a weekend trip to the park with some of our friends. Did some research online and came to know this is quite a popular attraction and the Balloon Ride can be sold out or fully booked for the whole day if we do not go there early. Also the balloon ride depends greatly on the winds and weather conditions. If the wind kicks in, the balloon will fly lower or will be grounded until conditions are favorable. Before you leave, be sure to call the Visitor’s Center at (866) 829-3829 for up to date ride info. This can save you the disappointment of an unnecessary long drive since this is the only attraction at Great Park for the time being.

We picked a Saturday for our Balloon adventure and reached the place with our friends by 11am. Parking and admission are free but every passenger must sign a liability waiver to receive the boarding pass from the visitor center. One thing you will notice is the fact that all the staff are incredibly enthusiastic to happily share their knowledge about Great Park and the Balloon ride. We got our boarding pass and left for the balloon ride area and thankfully the waiting lines were shorter and we could take the ride without waiting for a long time.

Lets get real, In case you were hoping to fly away and disappear far into the horizon, you chose the wrong balloon ride because this one goes only up and down. The five story-tall, 10,560-pound orange balloon is very securely tethered to the ground by a steel cable which is used to raise and lower the balloon. The tour guide briefed us on what to expect from the balloon ride, safety instructions etc and we climbed onto the gondola connected to this enormous 210,000 cubic foot orange balloon. Once inside we were asked not to gather in one area in order to keep the balance since the balloon could shift if everyone stands on one side. Once it stops in mid-air we can walk around the gondola but in an orderly fashion, no jumping around here :)

The ride is approximately 10-15 minutes depending on winds and weather conditions and on a clear day the visibility is upto 12 miles in any direction. We weren't so lucky on that part as the visibility was low the day we went but it wasn't too bad as we could see the mountains and distant parts of Orange County. The ride was very smooth and overall a pleasant experience. For a free attraction, it was pretty cool. I enjoyed it and plan to go back there to check out the balloon ride around sunset and in the night next time. Also they have the coolest summer night concerts so that's something to look forward to.

Click on the link for
Driving Directions and Park/Balloon Ride Hours
(Information source on Great Park and the Balloon Ride : Internet)

V won a V !!

How about some good news? We won a "Nintendo Wii Console w/ Wii Sports"!!, first prize in the sweepstakes conducted by Blockbuster for their customers. Hear the best part, we didn't do a thing to win this other than renting bd/dvd/games as usual during their 'contest period' about which we had no clue about. Talk about being "Lucky By Chance"!!
Anyways we are hooked on "Wii Sports" ever since we received it and its pretty neat. It was fun to score in games which i'd never played in real time like Golf, Baseball,and Boxing. To quote from a review "In a world where video games = couch potato, it really is quite amazing to have a game where you have to move around and be active. You don't lounge back and gain pounds here while playing games". We both had a sore arm after playing for a number of hours, in a good way, as it would from exercising. Wii is totally rocking our world.
Trust me, you are hearing this from a die hard PS3 fan. Finally our PS3 is getting some breathing space after all those non stop shooting on Killzone2, since Wii has been taking up all our free times lately. Thanks "Blockbuster" for rocking our world with this wonderful surprise gift.

VOTE FOR EARTH - Earth Hour 2009

Earth Hour is a global event organized by WWF (World Wide Fund for Nature, also known as World Wildlife Fund) and is held on the last Saturday of March annually, asking households and businesses to turn off their non-essential lights and other electrical appliances for one hour to raise awareness towards the need to take action on climate change. Earth hour was conceived by WWF and The Sydney Morning Herald in 2007, when 2.2 million residents of Sydney participated by turning off all non-essential lights. Following Sydney's lead, many other cities around the world adopted the event in 2008.
Earth Hour 2009 was from 8:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. local time, March 28, 2009. 88 countries and more than 4,000 cities joined Earth Hour 2009.

Updated on 30, March 2009:
Click on the link to view some "Before-and-after Earth Hour 2009"photographs from around the world. http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2009/03/earth_hour_2009.html. Don't forget to click on the images [From Image #2] to see an animated fade between "on" and "off". This effect requires java script to be enabled.

Mundinam Paarthene...

so here is the song i've been humming these days. hopefully someday you'll hear my take of this song on my audioblog...untill then, enjoy it with the lyrics..

Song: Mundinam Paarthene
Movie: Vaaranam Aayiram

mundinam.mp3

MALE:
Mundhinam paarthene parthadum thotrene
Salladai kannaagha, nenjamum punnanathe
Ethanai naalaagha unnai naan paaramal
Engu thaan poneno natkalum veenanathe
Vaanathil Nee vennila yeakkathil naan theaivathaa
Ippozhdhu ennodu vandhaal enna
Oor parka ondraagha serndral enna
Ippozhdhu ennodu vandhaal enna
Oor parka ondraagha serndral enna
Mundhinam paarthene parthadum thotrene
Salladai kannaagha, nenjamum punnanathe
Ethanai naalaagha unnai naan paaramal
Engu thaan poneno natkalum veenanathe

(Music)

MALE:
Thula thottil unnai vaithu, migar seyya ponnai vaitaal
Thulaabaaram thoarkaatho per azhage

FEMALE:
Mugam parthu pesum munnai, mudhal kaadhal sindhum kannai
Anaikamal poveno aaruyire

MALE:
Oooh nizhal pole, vidamal unnai thodervenadi
Pugai pole padamal pattu nagarvenadi
Vinaa nooru kanaavum nooru vidai solladi

FEMALE:
Mundhinam parthene parthadum thotrene
Salladai kannagha, ullavum punnanathe
Ithanai naal agha [oh my love] unnai naan paaramal [yes my love]
Engu thaan poneno natkalum veenanathe


(Music)


FEMALE:
kadal neelam mangum nerum aalai vandu theendum dooram
Manam sendru moozhgaatho eerathile
MALE:
thalai saaykka thoalum thandhaai viral korthu pakkum vandhaai
Idal mattum innum yen dhooratile
FEMALE:
Pagal neram kanakal kanden urangamale
Uyirendu muraya kanden a
Unai andri enakku aedhu edhirkaalame

MALE:
Mundhinam paarthene parthadum thotrene
Salladai kannaagha, nenjamum punnanathe
Ethanai naalaagha unnai naan paaramal
Engu thaan poneno natkalum veenanathe
Vaanathil Nee vennila yeakkathil naan theaivathaa
Ippozhdhu ennodu vandhaal enna
Oor parka ondraagha serndral enna
Ippozhdhu ennodu vandhaal enna
Oor parka ondraagha serndral enna

vennilaa...vennilaa....

The Return

I'm back to blogging after abandoning my blog for years...wonder how my blog feels about my return. Anyway lets say, i'm here to stay this time.
here is a poem by 'The Blue Gentleman' i could completely relate to..go ahead, give it a shot.

It has been so very long,
Since I have been able to write.
But I’ve returned; I’m back
And I have conquered the night!

-

I was wandering; I was lost
In the deep emptiness of my mind.
But I’ve found my spark; lit the fire.
My eternal inspiration I did find.

-

No longer will I wait
As I slowly die inside.
“I am the Master of my Fate!”
I have the choice; I shall decide.

-

From my dark pit. I arise
Like the sun on a new dawn.
My inner daemons are defeated
And my fears are all gone!

-

My eyes once again sparkle.
My voice is again strong.
My soul is now complete.
For I know this is where I belong!

Places i've visited in the US

10 down! 41 more to go!! I long to be bitten by the travel bug :)
create your own personalized map of the USA

Song of the year :)

Movie: Anwar
Song : Jaaveda Zindagi (Tose Naina Laage)
Singers : Kshitij, Shilpa Rao
Music : Mithoon and Pankaj Awasthi

शम्मा को पिघलने का अरमान क्यों है?
पतंगे को जलने का अरमान क्यों है?
इस्सी शौक का इम्तिहान ज़िन्दगी है।
-
मोहब्बत की है दास्तान ज़िन्दगी
मोहब्बत ना हो तो कहाँ ज़िन्दगी।
मोहब्बत जिससे बक्श दे जिंदगानी
नही मौत पर ख़त्म उस की कहानी॥

Javeda Zindagi (To...

Sunset

Out over the ocean and it’s waves it lay,
A magnificent orange sphere, as it drops to the sea,
With spears descending from within the fire,
The magnificent beauty of the sunset each day,

An immanent display, for the world to share,
As it seeps below horizons, to end the day,
Only to share light, so that others may see,
The beauty of the sunset for all who care,

Up above the clouds, that shadow the light,
The rain, the snow, and the elements that blind,
That magnificent glow, that brightens our world,
Another sunset awaits, just to share its light,

Poem by B J Ayers

Tagged Again - Nostalgic 8 !!

Thanks to Iris for the tag, again... Rules were: 1. Write 8-10 things about childhood that I miss. 2. Write 8-10 things that I disliked about childhood. 3. Tag a few people. Things i miss : # Childhood itself !!! Cant think of a moment when i felt "i am just a kid"!! Have always felt like a 'child adult'! # My grandfather, he was very very strict with us. The only way to make him talk nice was to hide his things, then he'd ask in the sweetest way if i could search the same for him. I wanted to tell him someday, i couldn't. # Summer vacations and holidays. I grew up with my 2 brothers and 3 cousins who lived next door. All the fond memories of my childhood are filled with the good and not so good times shared with my brothers and sisters. No prizes for guessing, 6 of us always gave a tough time to our grandfather. My cousin and I being the youngest of the crowd always had to do sentry duty for the gang and we were always blamed if we missed to inform the gang when our grandfather decided to check on us. # All those days of waking up to Lathachechi's music practice. I have always admired her talents immensely. If i know something about carnatic music it is only because of her and my grandfather who'd make her practice songs for hours early in the morning. # Growing up with my 'responsible' brothers. They were always held "responsible" for all my mischief's !! # All those extracurricular activity classes which used to bust so many of my weekend plans. I used to hate it then, but i miss them now. # Going to my mom's school and getting all the attention from her students. # All those days of "ignorance is bliss", knowing too much messes up ones life eventually. Things i disliked : # Being treated like a 'kid' by people, remember i was a 'child adult'! # My school, i just wanted to finish up somehow and get the hell out of that place. 12yrs were too much to handle. # Having to take permission from grandfather for even the mundane things. 6 of us had to make a written request and get it signed by him even if we wanted to go for a movie!! Worse, we had to pay for the movie from our "vishu kaineettam"!! # Being photographed. I hated it when ppl with a camera thought they had a right to photograph anyone, esp children. # The song/dance entertainment sessions during family get together's, hated it being asked to do things just to entertain others. Also the 'comparison' sessions by relatives with other cousins. # All those 'go to your room and study' remarks. Trust me, i never did! # Being dragged to all the places where the family went even if i didn't want to go. # The eternal question, what do you want to be when you grow up ?? I hated it!! The last part [most difficult one too] is to tag a few fellow bloggers. Well, i am taking the easy way out by keeping this an open tag...so if you'd like to take up this tag, go for it.

To my cuppy cake...

Happy Anniversary !!

strawberry shortca...

Quote of the day !

"Cowardice asks the question, Is it safe?
Expediency asks the question, Is it politic?
Vanity asks the question, Is it popular?
But conscience asks the question, Is it right?
And there comes a time when one must take a position that is neither safe, nor politic, nor popular, but he must take it because his conscience tells him that it is right."

~Dr. Martin Luther King JR.~

Flickritis !!!

I read these interesting lines from one of the groups i belong to in Flickr.com aptly titled "FLICKRITIS". If you think it sounds like 'Arthritis' you aint wrong..lol.. Though the list is building up everyday here are my favorities.

You know you have FLICKRITIS" when....

#1 The first thought you wake up with in the morning: What should I take a picture of today?

#2 You upload 3 or more versions of every photo: original, black and white, color cut out, HDR, color tinted....

#3 Instead of ink stains on your fingers, you notice a gradual change to flickr fingers... subconsciously pushing your finger down on an imaginary button even when not holding a camera

#4 You ask your mailman to pause for a second when he sends your mail through the slot so you can capture the moment with your camera. (And you were waiting at the door for him to come all morning!)

#5 On the public bus ride home from work, you gently move the person sitting across from you closer to the man wearing solid green to get a better color composition.

#6 While visiting the zoo, you get more glances than the animals in the exhibit. (What!?! Lying upside down parallel to the starfish aquarium glass is so normal!!)

#7 You're looking forward to seeing what comments your new photo got more than you are .... well.... almost anything!

A Poem on Life

As we grow up, we learn that even the one person
that wasn't supposed to ever let you down, probably will.
You will have your heart broken probably more than once
and it is harder every time.
You'll break hearts too,
so remember how it felt when yours was broken.
You'll fight with your best friend
You'll blame a new love for the things an old one did.
You'll cry because time is passing too fast,
and you'll eventually lose someone you love.
So take too many pictures, laugh too much,
and love like you've never been hurt
because every sixty seconds you spend upset
is a minute of happiness you'll never get back.
Don't be afraid that your life will end,
be afraid that it will never begin...


~~Anonymous~~