SAVE MONEY

Recently I heard from a financial consultant in Abu Dhabi that only 3% of the global population is saving money for their retired life. Almost half of the global population lives under the poverty line which means only 6% of the people who are above the poverty line in the world are in the habit of saving for the future.

Earning money is very difficult and spending money is very easy. Saving money is crucial for our own well being as we need to conserve our financial resources to meet future eventualities. Retired life is the time period of our existence in the world when we will not have the regular source of income from our Profession or Vocation. It is important to have savings from the young age so that we will have sufficient resources to meet our own expenses when we are old.

There is a powerful line in a tamil film song which I like very much "sertha panatha sikkanama selavu seyya packuvama amma kayile kuduthu podu chinna kannu avunga aara nooru aakuvanga chella kannu". Give your earnings to you mother (or wife) she will spend carefully and save in order to multiply six into hundred.

Youngsters are very fond of branded goods, holidays, entertainment and end up having a flashy lifestyle. They end up spending all the money that they earn. I have seen in some cases that they end up spending much more than what they earn as they get into a debt trap. Credit Card is a dangerous resource if it is not used properly. It is nice and gives a great pleasure when we spend money but we have to be cautious in ensuring that there is no over-spend.

I have practiced the savings habit right through my career and always believed in the Daily Savings and Monthly Savings Schemes (Pigmy Deposit or Recurring Deposit Scheme). If you keep aside a fixed amount on a monthly basis as part of your monthly expenditure it would come in handy when the Recurring Deposit Account matures at the end of the term. I have practiced the Recurring Deposit and I have also advised it to my clients and friends over the last three decades.

There is misconception on account of which people who are cautious with their spending and are having a habit of saving are mistaken to be stingy. You need to spend money on essentials and what is needed for the day to day living. You also need to spend money on leisure and entertainment but at the same time a part of the earnings should also be set aside for savings.

Saving money can be done through bank deposits (Recurring Deposit or Fixed Deposit Schemes); shares; gold coins; etc. Irrespective of the form of the savings the underlying purpose should be (a) protection of the capital and (b) earning a reasonable and decent return on the investments. It is important for everyone to have savings as a source of protection for future.

T.P.Anand
Dubai, U.A.E.
30th March 2012

TP's Kitchen - Vengaya Sambar

The moment you mention the name "vengaya sambar" (Onion Sambar) the mouth starts watering instantly. It is one of the most popular dishes in South India. I love "Vengaya Sambhar" as it is very nice to have it with rice (sambar saadam). It is nice to have with Curd Rice. It is very nice to have with Dosa, Idly, Upuma, Chapathi and Parotta. It basically goes well with anything and above all as a stand alone dish you can relish and have just the Vengaaya Sambar - one full cup but savor it by having one spoon at a time so that the taste stays in your mouth for a long time and you relish it.

During my young days I used to keep singing the song "vengaaya saambarum vegaatha sorum kedaikira edam enga messsu".

Despite being my favourite dish I do not make Vengaaya Saambar very often as the process of peeling the onions is time consuming and tiring.

Buy Saambar Vengayam from the vegetable shop - these are very small onions and are very tasty. Soak the Saambar vengayam in water for atleast 15 minutes. This will help to peel the skin quickly and will also save a lot of tears for your eyes. Peel off the upper skin and do not peel too much as there will be nothing left. (Urithu paarthaal vengayathil onnum irukkathu) Keep the onions in a cup. I dont normally fry the onions as I like to use them fresh in the Sambar.

When you cook rice in the pressure cooker keep two handful measures of Thoor Dhal in the cooker along with the rice. Add little turmeric powder in the Thoor Dhal before keeping it in the Pressure Cooker. I always cook Rice and Dhal together in the Pressure Cooker. On days when I choose to make Potato Podimaas I keep the potato also in the pressure cooker along with Rice and Dhal. This will help to save time.

Boil water in a cup and put Tamarind in that and allow it to soak for about 10 minutes. Squeeze the tamarind well and then add water and boil the tamarind water for about 2 - 3 minutes. Once the tamarind water is boiled well add three teaspoons of "Sambar Powder". Allow it boil well for about 3 minutes. Once the sambar powder mixes well with the tamarind water you will get the aroma of sambar. Now add the onions and allow it to boil for about 5 minutes. The onions will blend well with the sambar powder and tamarind water and you will start getting the aroma of onions once it boils well. Add two teaspoons of salt.

Now take the Thoor Dhal from the pressure cooker. Be careful while opening the pressure cooker. Allow the pressure to come down before taking out the weight and force it. Similarly while opening the lid be careful and ensure you keep your face away from the pressure cooker as the steam can hit your face when you open the lid. Mix the Dhal with the water that is in the container by smashing the dhal.

Add the smashed thoor dhal with water in the onion, sambar powder and tamarind blend that is boiling in the stove. Allow it to boil for about 2 - 3 minutes and keep stirring it well once in a while.

Now put little oil (preferably gingily oil) and once the oil is boiled add Kadugu (Mustard Seeds), Jeeragam, Perungayam (Asafoetida) and allow it to boil well. Now add this to the Sambar. The Vengaya Sambar is now ready to be served.

T.P.Anand
Dubai, U.A.E.
28th March 2012

DREAMS

Dreams are not mere nonsense they are fulfillment of desires. This is a popular quote that I read somewhere about 30 years ago. Dr.Abdul Kalam has asked the youngsters in India to dream and realise their dreams.

I have always believed in the above quote that "dreams are fulfillment of desires". We can have dreams both while sleeping as well as when we are awake. The dreams that are seen when we are awake are called "day dreaming".

I had a dream of becoming a Chartered Accountant. It looked highly impossible given my scholastic record at school. It became a reality in 1987. I had a dream of going to Singapore in the early 80's. I wanted to spend a few days to go around Singapore especially Tiger Balm Gardens (which is now called Haw Par Villa). I wanted to buy "San Hua" shoes, Casio Watch, Jaguar Pant bit. It looked like it will remain a dream to be never realised. That dream became reality in 1990 and I not only visited Singapore but ended up living there for almost three years. When I was going around the city of Chennai in my bicycle in the early 80's I used to dream of going by Car. It became a reality in 90's. There are several such dreams which have become reality in my life.

Whilst it is good to dream and great to realise the dreams and fulfill the desires, it is also strange that there are still some dreams which keeps haunting us. I have not been able to comprehend and understand some of the dreams which keep coming once in a while. I dream of flying by using my hands as wings; I dream of having to write my B.Com exams; I dream of having to write my CA Exams; I dream of not attending college for a long time and going back to college to catch up on the old lessons ....... These are strange dreams which keep coming repeatedly (once in a while) in the past 25 years.

Couple of my dreams have been captured as articles in my blog in the past (a) ஹங்கேரியில் ஒரு ஆக்ராஹர்ரம் (Hungariyil oru Agraharam) (b) Ocean Receding Day. Some of the dreams are very clear in mind with recollection of the entire sequence. Some of the dreams are very faint and can be recalled only as an outline.

On the whole I enjoy having dreams and love to remember the details of the dream.

T.P.Anand
Dubai, U.A.E.
27th March 2012

HOW TO GET OUT OF THE RAT RACE

I attended the One day seminar on 3rd October 2009 in Mall of Emirates, Dubai conducted by Right Selection. It was a very good experience attending this Seminar as i got the chance of listening to seven different speakers. They were advocating methods and means by which one could really “get out of the rat race” in One Year’s time.

The speakers for the day were Ernesto Verdugo, Bob Urichuck, Reg Athwal, Dave Crane, Phil Bedford Islam Naiem Diab and Ramez Helou. Ernesto played the sheet anchor role and did a damn good job of it.

Ernesto Verdugo

He has published a book “Amazingly useful websites” and it is a free download.

Ernesto suggested five steps to “get out of the rat race in one year’s time”

1. Take a leap of faith and suspend your disbelief – Stop making excuses – If you do not risk you risk more
2. Resolve – Define what you want to achieve
3. Define your ideal lifestyle – Be/Do/Have
4. How much your ideal lifestyle will cost you per month
5. Find a vehicle to generate your monthly target income

At the “Fork” in your road (life) you have to either “Break Through” or “Break Down”. He said it is better to “break through” and find your own inner potential to achieve financial freedom.

Use native capacities to their greatest and fullest extent through geo-arbitrage.

He also made the following recommendations to the audience:

1. Watch the film “The Secret” – Power of Intent & Law of Attraction – keys to success.
2. Join www.ecademy.com – it is a very useful network for business development
3. Read the book “Think & Grow Rich” by Napolean Hill
4. Join Business Network International
5. Read the book “4 Hour work week”

He is conducting a program on 20th & 21st November 2009 in Dubai “Unlimited Power Online” with world renowned speakers who are gurus in Internet Business. This programme will help to realise how to work on “Multiple Streams of Income” with “Multiple Revenue Streams”

Ernesto gave some strategies on how to make money using the Internet.

10 Strategies for making money using Internet:

1. VRE – Virtual Real Estate
2. Blogs
3. Social Media
4. Video
5. Audio
6. Articles
7. Membership Sites
8. Promoting other people’s stuff
9. Auctions
10. Your own Products

Useful websites:

godaddy.com
youreplacemyself.com
overstock.com
site5site.com
dnscoop.com

Ernesto’s website – www.internetmarketingiceburg.com

Reg Athwal

“Unleash your DNA” – This is a very popular programme of Reg Athwal. The next program is scheduled for November 2009 in Dubai.

He reads 6 – 8 books every month and gives the gist of the book in his website
www.bookpill.com

He is a member of the Professional Speakers Association. He is managing several businesses of his own. He made a very power speech on how to use “Other People” to make money.

OPP – Other People’s Principle – Use Other People to enrich yourself

Eleven Principles on Other People

1. OPM – Other People’s Money
2. OPP – Other People’s Problems
3. OPI – Other People’s Ideas
4. OPS – Other People’s Systems
5. OPB – Other People’s Brand
6. OPT – Other People’s Talents/Teams
7. OPN – Other People’s Network
8. OPR – Other People’s Research
9. OPF – Other People’s Fund
10. OPE – Other People’s Energy
11. OPO – Other People’s Offices

How to get out of the Rat Race – follow RAT Square

R – Result – Decide on the end result that you want to achieve
R – Reason – Have clear reasons for the end result backed by a Desire
A – Action – Get started with action towards achievement of the results
A – Ask – Ask others – you will get what you want only when you ask..
T – Talent – Look for the talent that is required for achievement of results – if you dont have the talent then source it from others
T – Time – work on time lines and devote the requisite time for the actions

Islam Naiem

Islam is a Member of Cash Club and a regular speaker in International Conferences.

He recommended the audience to read the book “Rich Dad Poor Dad” and to play the “Cash Flow” Game.

He said it is important for an individual to achieve Financial Freedom in life. This would pave the way for “doing the things that you enjoy doing the most”.

FF = PI > ME

(FF – Financial Freedom; PI – Passive Income; ME – Monthly Expenses)

Dave Crane

He runs his business under the name “The Life Designers”. He is organising a “Life Design Boot Camp” in Dubai on 24th October 2009.

Phil Bedford

Phil is a Networking expert and the Master Franchisee for Gulf Region for “Referral Institute”. He gave some suggestions on how to increase the network and how to do networking. He said instead of selling yourself or your services it is important to see how you could help the other person. In turn the other person will do the selling for you. The essence of networking is to build the trust and confidence.

Ramez Helou

1. Have a Vision – “a mental sight, dream or revelation”
2. Define the parameters and stay focused on the “Success Triangle” – Health, Wealth and Family.
Success, Education, Money Management, Leadership, Time Management, Communication, Entrepreneurship, Marketing, Parenting, Relationship Management.
3. Law of Association

Bob Urichuck

Author of a very famous book “Disciplined for Life” – You are the author of your own future. He made a very effective closing speech which was filled with lot of emotion.

In summary it was a very educative and highly informative day. Ernesto, Reg and Bob made very powerful, thought provoking speeches.

I was very happy to have been part of this one day seminar and thought the learning of the day should be shared with many more people. Hence i have requested my close friend Sam to publish this summary in his website “DigitisingThoughts”.

- T.P.Anand, Dubai, U.A.E.

October 2009

SUBSTITUTE

Have you been a substitute player ever. In "Thillu Mullu" movie Poornam Viswanathan will talk about Thengai Srinivasan and say "he was a substitute player in the college team". The expression and dialogue delivery of Poornam Viswanathan will be so powerful that you would think Thengai Srinivasan was a Captain of the college football team.

I have been a substitute player of my school cricket team. Even during the practice session I used to be called to bowl only when the main bowler is not available or is tired. I have been a substitute player/performer all through my life in various places.

Though I have not been the main player or performer whenever I got a chance to substitute for the main player I have put in my heart and soul into the job on hand and performed well. I strongly believe that an opportunity should never be wasted howsoever small or big that opportunity may be. I also feel that "failure is never an option". When you get a chance grab the opportunity and give your best at it.

Whether you get into the act as an Original player/performer or as a Stubstitute player/performer you have to remember that "Failure is never an option".



If you do your job well as a substitute player then there is a good chance of you becoming a regular player. I do not feel bad at being a Substitute Player in my life as I feel that is the first given opportunity for me to prove my worth.

We are all substitutes in some way or the way at some given situation in life. If you are a substitute for someone do not feel bad. Grab the opportunity and perform well with the singular motto "Failure is never an option".

T.P.Anand
Dubai, U.A.E.
26th March 2012

T.M.SOUNDARARAJAN

Shri.T.M.Soundararajan celebrated his 88th birthday yesterday (24th March). I salute this great singer on his 88th birthday and wish him many more happy returns of the day.

He has been a great inspiration to many singers in the South Indian Film Industry. He is popularly known as "Vengala kuralon". It is impossible to sing like him as his style of singing is very unique. I have grown up as a child listening to the great songs of TMS. He has recorded more than 11,000 songs for films and has sang for compositions of all the great musicians of the Tamil Film Industry spanning over five decades. He has also sang more than 2,000 devotional songs.

TMS songs that were picturised for Sivaji Ganesan and MGR are evergreen songs and will live for millions of years. His devotional songs particularly the songs on Lord Muruga will also live for millions of years.

TMS along with P.Susheela has rendered some of the greatest duets in the Tamil Film Industry and those duets will remain fresh in our memories for ever. It is difficult to select a list of songs which have been sung by TMS as all his songs are very good. I have made an attempt to list a few songs which are fresh in my memory:

1. Murugaa endrazhaikkava muthu kumara endrazhaikkava
2. Devane ennai paarungal en pavangal thammai vaangikkollungal
3. Mella nada mella nada meni ennaagum
4. Nenjam undu nermai undu odu raaja
5. Aaru maname aaru anda andavan kattalai aaru
6. Avalukkenna azhagiya mugam
7. Aimbathilum aasai varum asaiyudan pasam varum
8. Muthai tharu pathi thirunagai
9. Naan malarodu thaniyaga en ingu vanden
10. Malarnthum malaraatha paadi malar pola valarum vizhi vanname
11. Maanicka theril maragatha kalasam minnuvathenna
12. Inda punnagai enna vilai
13. Enge nimmathi enge nimmathi
14. En piranthai magane en piranthayo
15. Chinna payale chinna payale sedhi kelada
16. Yaarathu yaarathu thangama
17. Vannakili sonna mozhi enna mozhiyo
18. Un Kannil neer vazhinthaal en nenjil uthiram kottuthadi
19. Ulagam piranthathu enakkaga odum nathigalum enakkaga
20. Ponnai virumbum bhoomiyile ennai virumbum oruyire
21. Neerodum vaigayile
22. Oru pennai paarthu nilavai parthen
23. Olimayamaana ethir kaalam en vullathil therikirathu
24. thoongathe thambi thoongathe
25. Neeye unakku endrum nigaraanavan

TMS, MSV, Kannadasan have together done some miracles in the golden era of Tamil Films - 1960s.

It is really soothing and relaxing to listen to the good old songs of TMS. While enjoying the music I keep wondering how he was able to sing the songs with such ease. Long live TMS.

T.P.Anand

Dubai, U.A.E.

24th March 2012

TP's KITCHEN - Brinjal Sambar

This recipe is given by my wife and I have prepared this Brinjal Sambar (kathirikka kozhambu). It is a long process and takes almost an hour to cook but the sambar is so good, it is worth the effort. It is very nice to have this sambar with rice and it can also be used as a side dish for Dosai, Chapathi, Adai and Idly. The other advantage of this sambar is you can keep it in the Fridge and use for three to four days in case you have made a large quantity.

The preparation of this sambar has several stages and I would like you to follow the stages as detailed below:

Stage 1: Take 500 grams Brinjal (small brinjals) and slit it on all four sides. You can examine the inside of the brinjal to see if the vegetable is fresh and ensure there are no worms inside. Pour little oil in the fry pan and fry the brinjal till it turns brown.

Stage 2: Put the fry pan on the stove with little oil and add three red chilli. Once the red chillis is fried well remove it and keep it in a plate. Now put the following ingredients in the oil and fry them well: half teaspoon mustard seeds, half teaspoon Jeeragam, little vendayam, one teaspoon of Urudh dhal and one teaspoon Dhaniya. Add to this four pieces of Garlic, 10 -12 small onions (sambar vengayam) One green chilli, little ginger paste, turmeric powder and fry this nicely and finally add back the red chilli which is fried and kept aside.

Stage 3: The masala powder for the sambar should now be prepared by grinding in the mixie the following ingredients: 2 teaspoons of dhaniya, one teaspoon of black pepper, 1/2 teaspoon of Jeeragam.

Stage 4: Boil water and add six tomatoes. Once it boils nicely then crush the tomatoes and make it like a thick tomato juice.

Stage 5: Boil water and put tamarind (Periya nellikka alavu) in it and soak it for 5 minutes. Squeeze the tamarind well and remove the pulp. Add one cup water and boil the tamarind water well.

Stage 6: Allow the tamarind water to boil for atleast 2 minutes and then add the tomato paste, Allow this to boil for a while and then add the fried items which are in Stage 2 above. Then add the fried brinjals and allow it to boil for about 3 minutes. Add two teaspoons of salt. Add a few stems of coriander leaf. Once the sambar is well boiled you can switch off the stove. After the stove is switched off you can add the masala powder that is in the mixie to the sambar.

The Brinjal Sambar (Kathirikkai Kozhambu) is now ready to be served.

Try this recipe and let me know your views.

T.P.Anand

Dubai, U.A.E.

24th March 2012

STRESS MANAGEMENT

We are all living in this modern world with lot of stress. Many of us are affected by the stress and it shows in our system and our behaviour. Stress Management has become a major issue for most of us. I see people around me who are stressed out because of issues relating to work or personal life. If the stress that we take on a day to day basis is not managed properly it can lead to serious problems. Stress will have an immediate effect on our way of thinking, our reaction, the way we speak and the way we behave. When the stress levels are high and we take on the stress at frequent intervals it can also have an impact on our health.



The best way to start managing the stress is to take control of your life. The moment you realise that you are in control of your life the foundation for stress management is laid well. In addition to the ten useful tips that is provided in the above presentation we can also indulge in any of the following:

1. Work in the garden or kitchen
2. Read a good book
3. Listen to good music
4. Watch a Cartoon
5. Watch some comedy scenes
6. Go for a long walk or a long drive
7. Write in your blog
8. Spend time in the swimming pool or if you dont know swimming take a long bath
   
9. Savor a hot cup of Tea or Coffee

Managing Stress is all about taking charge: taking charge of your thoughts, your emotions, your schedule, your environment and the way you deal with problems. Our ultimate goal in life is to achieve a balanced life, with quality time for work, relationships, relaxation and fun. We need to build the resilience to hold up under pressure and meet challenges in life head on.

The key to success in stress management is healthy lifestyle which includes (a) regular exercise (b) healthy diet (c) good sleep (d) good habits (e) positive attitude.

T.P.Anand
Dubai, U.A.E.
22nd March 2012

EXAMS

Exams for any student is a nightmare. It brings that chillness through the veins and also adds pressure to our system. Why are we so scared of Exams. Is it because of our Teachers or because of our Parents. Is it a self inflicted pain that is undergone by every student??

I feel it is the system of evaluation which heightens the pressure towards the Exams and many of the students start studying hard only when the Exams are nearing. I saw this video on You Tube and thought of sharing it as it is a very useful video which helps us to understand some of the problems and provides a simple solution to those problems.




Do not read for the sake of Exams. Read for the sake of understanding. I strongly believe in this and I have always followed this in my life. Actually Examination is just an event and there is no need for us to place so much anxiety to it. I feel Exams should be treated as a letter writing exercise. The paper setter has written a letter to the student (examinee) and the student is expected to write a reply. The question paper and the answer scrips (letter written by the paper setter and the reply written by the student) are then sent to the Examiner who awards marks appropriately based on the understanding and clarity exhibited by the student.

I have seen students who spend the study holidays very happily by not focusing on the studies and end up burning the midnight oil when the Exams are closer. If there is a systematic approach to acquiring the knowledge and if it is made as part of the daily routine, then there is absolutely no need for the last minute rush just before the Exams. If the knowledge is acquired by daily reading (reading for the sake of understanding) then the knowledge will remain fresh in our memory.

March and April in every year is Exams time and it is a high pressure time for both the students and their parents. If the effort is made consistently over the year there is no need for this high pressure towards the Exams.

I wish all those who are appearing for Exams, during this month and the next month, all the very best.

T.P.Anand
Dubai, U.A.E.
20th March 2012

SUCCESS

Success is the key word for every individual and every organisation. To succeed in every endeavor, it requires 100% efforts. In order to put in 100% efforts we need to have the right Attitude and Discipline.

A good ATTITUDE coupled with DISCIPLINE can thus ensure Success. The words ATTITUDE and DISCIPLINE by themselves represent 100 as shown below:

(By Assigning the position of the letter in the list of alphabets, to each letter in the words we find that it adds up to 100)

A - 1
T - 20
T - 20
I - 9

T - 20
U - 21
D - 4
E - 5

TOTAL 100

D - 4

I - 9

S - 19

C - 3

I - 9

P - 16

L - 12

I - 9

N - 14

E - 5

TOTAL - 100

T - 20

E - 5

A - 1

M - 13

W - 23

O - 15

R - 18

K - 11

TOTAL - 106

When Attitude and Discipline is coupled with Team work we can really produce wonderful results. Teamwork by itself adds up to more than 100 as we could see in the above table.

- T.P.Anand
Dubai, U.A.E.
19th March 2012

TP's KITCHEN - PUDALANGAI KOOTTU

Pudalangai Koottu is very easy to make and is very tasty. You can have it with Chapati or rice. It is also a very good side dish which you can have a supplement either with Rasam Rice or Curd Rice.

Get fresh Pudalangai (snakeguard) from the vegetable shop and wash it well. Then cut the pudalangai into small pieces. Take two handful measures of Moong Dhal (payatham paruppu) and half handful measure of Thoor Dhal (thuvaram paruppu). Wash this dhal well and add two equivalent measures of water to it. Mix the cut pudalangai with the dhal and water and keep it in the Cooker along with Rice. It will get cooked very well if you keep it with rice and this will also save you time.

While the cooker is on the stove gaining pressure you should soak in water two teaspoons of thoor dhal, one tea spoon of Jeeragam, one tea spoon of dhaniya, four red chillies in a small cup. Allow this to be soaked in water for about 30 minutes. Add little piece of Ginger to the mixture soaked in water and also add two handful of grated coconut and put them in the mixie. Add little more water if required and get the mixture grinding for two to three minutes in the mixie so that it becomes like a good paste.

Once the pressure in the cooker is down you can carefully open the lid and take out the rice and the pudalangai with dhal. Add the masala that is ready in the mixie to the pudalangai and dhal and mix it well.

Now put some oil (i use gingiley oil) and allow it to boil. Add small quantity of Urud Dhal (muzhu ulutham paruppu), Kadugu, Jeera to the oil. Once these are well fried (the dhal should turn light brown in colour) put this on top of the Pudalangai Kootu. You can add a few curry leaves on top for dressing.

Now Pudalangai Koottu is ready to be served. It is very nice to have both for Lunch as well as Dinner.

100th 100

Sachin Tendulkar has finally scored the much awaited 100th 100 today. It has come after a gap of one year in the match against Bangladesh in One Day International. It would have been more credible, crucial and helpful if it had come either in England or Australia in the Test Series.

Scoring 100 is not an easy task and by playing both Test Cricket and One Day Internationals our Batting Maestro the Great Sachin Tendulkar has done it 100 times. It is indeed a very unique and astonishing feat.

Whether it came late or did not come against England or did not come against Australia in 2011 but eventually he has achieved this feat. It is indeed a great relief for the Batting Legend himself and also for his die hard fans.

After Don Bradman I think Sachin Tendulkar will be the second best and second greatest batsman to be ever known for his batting records and achievements.

I wish Sachin Tendulkar all the very best and hope he would go on to score some more centuries in Test Cricket and One Day Internationals before he chooses to hang his boots.

T.P.Anand

Dubai, U.A.E.

16th March 2012

TP's KITCHEN

I started my stint in the Kitchen way back in 1992 when I was living in Singapore. I have gained considerable experience, expertise and taste over the last twenty years. I started cooking out of lack of choice when my family was away in India and later it became a great time pass.

I spend two hours a day in the Kitchen and it is a very enjoyable and relaxing time as I love to cook my own food everyday. I also experiment some times with new dishes. I have done Pumpkin Halwa by referring to the recipe in Google but by using honey instead of sugar. Spending time in the Kitchen is not a hobby as I love to do it as a daily routine.

The time spent at the Kitchen includes dish washing, cutting vegetables, cooking and cleaning the kitchen. I like to keep the Stove, Refrigerator, Microwave, Mixie, Water Dispenser, Sink and vessels very clean and tidy. After a intense cooking time of 2 hours it is really enjoyable and satisfying to relish and eat the food. It is a very satisfying, fulfilling and enjoyable 2 hours well spent every day.

I have decided to share the recipes through this blog. I will keep writing articles on various items that I cook fondly in my Kitchen.

Last week I was describing about the "Podalanga Koottu" (snakeguard) to my mother-in-law and she said that what I have made is a different recipe and said I should share this idea with others as well. This has prompted my thinking on writing a series under the title TP's Kitchen.

Watch out this blog for some interesting recipes.

T.P.Anand

Dubai, U.A.E

16th March 2012

EVERGREEN DUET

"Kumaripennin Ullathile kudi irukka naan vara vendum" is an evergreen duet sung by Shri.T.M.Soundararajan and P.Suseela in "Enga Veettu Pillai" (Released in 1965).

The speciality of this Song is everything is very good in this song. The lyrics by Kannadasan, the tune for the song by Mellisai Mannargal Shri.M.S.Viswanathan & Shri.T.K.Ramamurthy, the arrangement of the orchestra and clarity of the music played by Musicians, the singing by TMS and P.Suseela, picturisation (Camera work), the arrangement of the set (Art Work), acting by MGR and Saroja Devi.

The song is written very well and some of the lines are very powerful lines:
"Thingal thangayaam thendral thozhiyaam kanni oorvalam varuvaal"
"Naan allikolla aval palli kolla sugam mella mellave puriyum"
"Koduthaalum enna eduthaalum enna oru naalum azhagu kurayaathu"
"Kai thoduvaar thodaamal thookkam varumo thunayai thedi nee varalaam"

The speed and rythm of the song is so good and the way it ends with Puratchi Thalaivar MGR saying "Good Night" and the Kannadathu Pyngili Saroja Devi responds with "Good Night". This is one of the greatest songs of Tamil Film Industry and shall remain for ever in our memories.



P.S.: I have lot of visitors to my blog who know tamil but cannot read in tamil. I have received from requests to write in English or provide a translated version for articles that I write in Tamil. At their request I have written this blog in English though I originally thought of writing this in Tamil.

T.P.Anand
Dubai, U.A.E.
14th March 2012

FROM TIGERS TO TOMBS

Aniketh and Sulesh have embarked on a three month trip as part of the 40th Anniversary of "UNESCO World Heritage Convention". They started on the 6th March and have completed one week of exciting visits to places like Ooty, Thanjavur, Mahabalipuram and Badami.

It is a very commendable effort and these two youngsters need our encouragement and best wishes.

I wish Aniketh and Sulesh "all the very best" and " a wonderful, exciting, educative, enjoyable and useful trip". Guys, please take care of yourselves and be extremely careful with what you "drink, eat and inhale".

This is a unique and special effort by these two youngsters and it has been featured in the UNESCO website:

http://whc.unesco.org/en/events/845

While enjoying the trip and going through the challenges on day to day basis these two guys are covering the trip nicely through their blog and are also posting the updates on the face book page. Please visit their blog:

http://fromtigerstotombs.wordpress.com

You can also visit the face book page to know the latest update
on the place, food, etc.

http://www.facebook.com/pages/From-Tigers-to-Tombs/348826605157594


T.P.Anand
Dubai, U.A.E
13th March 2012

RAHUL DRAVID - THE WALL

Rahul Dravid one of the greatest gentlemen of Modern Cricket stood like a wall for 16 years. Over the 16 years I have watched him play and he played with the same style, perfection and elegance. He has anchored several innings for the team and has also played some very slow innings. He has set all sorts of records including longest time at the crease. There are several matches when we have had a sigh of relief the moment Rahul Dravid walks into the middle to play. He has never let down his team as a Batsman and as a Fielder.

He was too gentle and straightforward and hence could not succeed as a Captain of the team. Both Dravid and Sachin Tendulkar are great batsmen and great sportsmen but both of them could not succeed as a good Captain of the Team.

I like Rahul Dravid for his solidarity, style, consistency, calmness and professional approach. He has stood firm as a dependable player in the team for 16 years and rightfully earned the nick name of "The Wall". He has been the "Great Wall of Indian Cricket Team". He has excelled both on the field and off the field. The off field excellence was proved in his speeach at the "Don Bradman Oration" in Australia in 2011.



I salute Rahul Dravid for his extraordinary contribution to the Indian Cricket Team and wish him all the very best in his new avatar.

T.P.Anand
Dubai, U.A.E.
12th March 2012

KAHAANI - REVIEW

I saw "Kahaani" yesterday and was very impressed with the film.  There were only positive points about this film.  The first plus point is the story line.  The story is handled very well without any cinematic scenes.  There are no songs, no fights and no comedy scenes.  The film runs for less than 2 hours and is very gripping and very well made.  I saw Vidya Balan in "The Dirty Picture" and liked her acting very much.  Kahaani true to its name is a story.  The story is narrated by Vidya Balan very well and she has done a remarkable performance in this film.

The story that Vidya Balan narrates is very nice and believable.  Only in the end we come to know that she was telling a story and her real story is something else.  That was truly unexpected twist in the film.  The portrayal of all the characters is very good and in particular the IB Officer Khan, LIC Agent, Police Constable have all done exceptionally very well in their respective roles. 

The entire team of technicians starting from the Director have done very well.  Overall it was a very satisfying experience to watch this wonderful film.  Good story, very well narrated with excellent acting by Vidya Balan and rest of the team.

T.P.Anand

Dubai, U.A.E.

11th March 2012

A.V.RAMANAN'S MUSIANO

A.V.Ramanan's Musiano was extremely popular in the 70's and 80's. My entire family was a big fan of A.V.Ramanan in those days. I have been to many of his programmes with my father, mother and sister. The song selection, singing and orchestration used to be extremely good. It is not easy to render the film songs on the stage without mistakes and I must say that the Musiano troupe used to do a very good job of it.

Ramanan and Uma were singing together on stage and later got married. Uma Ramanan is more popular than A.V.Ramanan as she has sung several hit songs in Tamil Films. Ilayaraja has given her some extraordinary compositions and she has excelled in all the songs.

In those days the 3 hour programme of A.V.Ramanan's Musiano used to be filled with Hindi and Tamil Songs. A.V.Ramanan used to sing both Hindi and Tamil Songs with ease. They had a singer (I forgot his name) who used to sing like T.M.Soundararajan. Ramanan used to sing popular songs sung by Kishore Kumar, Mohamed Rafi, P.B.Sreenivas and S.P.Balasubramaniam. There used to be "Once More" shouts from the audience for every song that A.V.Ramanan sings. "Dekana hai re sochana" (धेकाना है रे सोचना ) used to be most popular song by A.V.Ramanan. He used to do the "yodeling" exactly the same way like the great Kishore Kumar.

There were a few troupes in those days like Kamesh Rajamani; Sivaraj Anand; Abaswaram Ramji. All of them played light music on stage and were rendering the popular R.D.Burman, M.S.V songs. Among the bunch of light music troupes A.V.Ramanan's Musiano was the best in the 70's. It was a great treat to go for these light music shows as we did not have the CDs, MP3 and USBs in those days.

A.V.Ramanan also conducted the most popular music show on Sun TV "Saptha Swarangal". It was a very good show and I used to watch that show regularly.

Long live A.V.Ramanan and his Musiano.

T.P.Anand
Dubai, U.A.E.
8th March 2012

Awesome 1-Year-Old Drummer

It is a real treat to watch this one year old play drums so perfectly. His coordination and rhythm is so perfect. Watch it and share it with friends and relatives.

ENTERTAINMENT

Entertainment is a very broad term and includes all forms and types of activities which keeps us engaged. After a day's hard work we all need some kind of a relaxation for the mind. We all need to get engaged in something very light and helps relieve the stress in the mind.

There are various avenues for the entertainment and "Entertainment Industry" is probably the biggest industry in the world. It also caters to the different age groups and people of all age groups are willing to spend their top dollar to get entertained.

When we are engaged in an entertainment we have either a passive role or active role. For instance if the entertainment is in the form of a video game then we are actively involved in it and hence play an active role. This is what most of the youngsters do. They engage themselves heavily into video games and get addicted to it. Parents have a major role to play to ensure that the children do not get addicted to Video Games.

Majority of the people choose a passive role for their entertainment and hence end up watching a Play or a Show or a TV Programme or a Movie. There are also people who engage themselves in Reading, Blogging, Holidaying, Playing Games, Playing Musical Instruments, Drawing & Painting, etc which is more as a Pass time or a Hobby.

Whatever be the form of Entertainment chosen by us, the objective is to relax and enjoy. The form of entertainment should help to relax the brain and give the relief that is required after a hard day's stressful work. The entertainment that is chosen should not corrupt the mind in any way and hence we have to be careful in choosing the form of Entertainment. I used to watch TV Serials and stopped watching them after a while as I found that it was not giving the relaxation for the mind. I was feeling more stressed out watching the TV Serials and the kind of problems the characters face in them.

The Children and Teenagers should be encouraged to listen to good music (my definition of good music is something that is soothing and not very loud). They should read good books and watch interesting TV Programmes (for example there are very good programmes in National Geographic and Discovery Channel). Watching Cartoons is also a very good entertainment as it provides the comedy, story line and original thinking. I love watching "Tom and Jerry" as it is very hilarious at the same time very innovative and thought provoking.

Entertainment which is relaxation for the mind can also be achieved through Religious pursuit by reading religious books, visiting religious places and listening to religious music. This form of entertainment is somehow misunderstood to be used only after retirement. In my opinion this form of entertainment is applicable for all age groups. There is lot of fun, comedy, drama and lessons one can learn from the old mythological stories.

Our mind keeps running all the time like a race horse and it is entirely in our hands to control the mind and channelise our thinking positively.

T.P.Anand
Dubai, U.A.E.
7th March 2012

IMPROVEMENT

Elephants and Ants have been living the same way for the last several centuries. Human beings have not lived the same way even for few decades. Human beings have been constantly looking to improve on everything and hence the way of life has undergone changes. Change is the only thing that is constant in our lives.

The Cars, Trains, Buses have all been constantly improved over the years. The Aircrafts and Ships have also undergone changes and improvements over the years. The house in which we live and the gadgets around us have all been changed and improved over the years.

Majority of the people like the improvements and adapt quickly with the improved gadgets and environment. We are always looking for improved performance from others who manufacture the various products for our consumption. When we go to the store we look for the latest and improved version. Even a detergent powder sells well if it is "New" or "Improved". Whilst I appreciate the anxiety and keenness that we have to always look for improved products and services, I do not know if all the human beings are making a conscious effort to improve their own behaviour and performance.

The way we talk, the way we work, the way we respond to others and most importantly the way we treat others - all of them can be improved. The improvement will come only if we so desire. There should be an inner urge within us to constantly improve our own selves. If that is followed then every human being will improve for the better and the whole society will improve in turn.

Let us together make this world a liveable, likeable and lovable place and enjoy our life.

T.P.Anand
Dubai, U.A.E.
5th March 2012

A DAY WELL SPENT - PART 2

I already wrote on a "Day Well Spent" by showing the Charlie Chaplin video of spending one minute with a Lion in its small cage. The response to the article was very good and hence i thought of writing a sequel to highlight what I mean by a "Day Well Spent".

I have listed the ideal way of spending a day for Students; Working Men/Women and Retired People.

CATEGORY	WEEK DAYS	WEEK ENDS
Students	8 hours of Sleep (preferably from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m.)	8 hours of Sleep (preferably from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m.)
	1 hour for morning routines	1 hour for morning routines
	1 hour for Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner	1 hour for Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
	2 hours for Homework/Revision of Class Lessons	8 hours for Revision of Class Lessons
	2 hours for relaxation including light exercises/jogging	6 hours for relaxation including light exercises/jogging and watching film/television shows
	10 hours of College/School
Working Men/Women	8 hours of Sleep (preferably from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m.)	9 hours of Sleep (preferably from 10 p.m. to 7 a.m.)
	10 hours of work at Office	2 hours for Weekly shopping for Vegetables, Fruits, Grocery, etc.
	1 hour for Walking and light exercises	1 hour for Walking and light exercises
	1 hour for morning routines	1 hour for morning routines
	1 hour for Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner	1 hour for Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
	2 hours of relaxation including Cooking	6 hours of relaxation including Cooking
	1 hour for commuting to work	4 hours spend time with Children and other family members
Retired People	8 hours of Sleep (preferably from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m.)	8 hours of Sleep (preferably from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m.)
	2 hours for morning routines including reading newspaper	2 hours for morning routines including reading newspaper
	3 hours for Breakfast, Lunch, Afternoon Nap and Dinner	3 hours for Breakfast, Lunch, Afternoon Nap and Dinner
	1 hour for Walking and light exercises	1 hour for Walking and light exercises
	4 hours for watching Television Shows	4 hours for watching Television shows
	6 hours for reading religious books	6 hours for reading religious books

T.P.Anand
Dubai, U.A.E.
4th March 2012

100 Posts

I just realised that I have joined the elite Century Club by crossing the landmark number 100 in my blog. I have crossed the 100 blogs number and it gives a great feeling.

I thank all the visitors who have come to my blog and my special thanks to the regular visitors who keep visiting to check on every new article.

It has been a wonderful experience sharing my thoughts and ideas through the blog and I will continue to do so.

T.P.Anand
Dubai, U.A.E.
4th March 2012

Best Love Song

This is the first love song that I saw when I was 8 years old. It is still green in my memory and remains the best love song ever watched by me. Fantastic music, superb acting and extraordinary singing.