S.JANAKI

S.Janaki is one of the greatest singers of all times in the Indian Cinema.  She will be turning 75 on 23rd April and I salute her for the wonderful songs that she has rendered over the last 55 years.  Many of her songs will remain evergreen and "Singaravelane Deva" is really the top on my list:


Her illustrious career in the film industry started in 1957 and she has sung several thousand songs in several  Languages including English, Japanese, German, Sinhalese and Sanskrit.  She has received the National Award for best playback singer four times and has received several state awards in the last five decades.

She is a very versatile singer and can easily adapt into any genre.  The testimony to this is her song in Hindi Film Saaheb in 1985 "yaar bina chain kahan re":


The songs that she has rendered in Maestro Ilayaraja's music are some of the best songs of S.Janaki.  She has also worked with various other Music Directors like M.S.Viswanathan, K.V.Mahadevan, Shankar Ganesh, Chakravarthy during the 1980s and given so many hit songs through her lovely voice.  The modulation and pitch with which she has rendered some of the songs is really unbelievable.  She is a truly gifted singer and her songs will live for ever.

There are a number of hit songs in Tamil, Telugu, Kannada and Malayalam and I have listed below some of my favourite songs from Tamil Films sung by S.Janaki:

1. Singaravelane Deva
2. Konja neram ennai marandhen
3. Kaatrukkenna veli
4. Unnidathil ennai koduthen
5. Poovarasamboo poothachu
6. Senthoora poove senthoora poove
7. Naadam en jeevane
8. Puttam pudhu kaalai
9. Kodiyile malliga poo manakkuthe maane
10. Azhaghu malar aada abinayangal kooda
11. Raasave unna naan
12. Kotta paakkum kozhundhu vethalayum
13. Nenjukkulle innarunnu sonnal
14. Vaazhavaikkum kaadalukku jai
15. Pattu poove mettu podu
16. Mounamaana neram
17. Maalai soodum velai
18. Isai medayil inba velayil
19. Then poove poove vaa thendral theda
20. Enadhu vizhi vazhi mele
21. Sandana Kaatre senthamizh oottre
22. Ye paadal ondru raagam ondru

The song in Rettai Vaal Kuruvi is one of my most favourite songs "kannan vandhu paaduginraan":

Long Live S.Janaki.

T.P.Anand

Dubai, U.A.E.

5th April 2013

CROW

Crow is a very common bird found in every nook and corner of India.  It is a very simple, humble and not-so-cute looking bird whom everybody likes to hate.

Crow has some unique and good qualities which are very important for us to learn.  They live in large groups and move in groups.  The group is known as a "flock".  When one of finds food somewhere he/she would immediately call all the members of the flock to come and share the food.

They call the flock in a unique style "kaww" and there is a long "Kaww" and a short "Kaww" for their communciation.  Crows are very noisy as they call "kaww" "kaww" non-stop and can be a nuisance.  In some countries they are regarded as "public nuisance".

We have a belief that if Crow comes and calls "kaww" there would be a guest visiting the house that day.  It is a message to the family from the Crow that we have to be prepared to receive a visitor.  This belief is proved right several times as I have personally experienced this while living in Chennai.  There is also a practice that when the food is cooked in the morning we have to first feed the crow before feeding anyone in the family.  We do this as we believe that the Crow is the transient stage of the elders who have died in the family in recent times.

Crow is considered very intelligent.  In some countries the crows have learnt to use bread crumbs as bait for catching fish.  They are intelligent enough to use tools.  There is a wonderful song about Crow in "Parasakthi" the first film in which the great legend Sivaji Ganesan acted and it is a treat to watch that song any day:


Crows are omnivorous and can eat anything and everything.  When I used to live in Santhome in Chennai we had a huge open terrace and we used to feed the crows with a variety of things.  They would come as a flock and enjoy eating whatever we feed them with including bread, biscuits, cooked rice, cooked vegetables, etc.  They also feast on dead rats on the road side and any left over food that is found near the dust bins.  They are scavengers with a wide ranging diet from grains, nuts, fruits, vegetables, meat, insects, etc.  They need about 300 grams of food every day and can survive on any kind of a diet/cuisine.  Much of what Crows eat is actually garbage and human waste.  There is an estimate that there are 34 million crows in India and at an average consumption of 300 grams each they are actually clearing a huge amount of garbage and wastage.

I like the look, walk, style, call, i.e., "kaww" and the intelligence of Crow.  The Crow's contribution to the society is completely unnoticed and mostly ignored.  I must thank my friend Sriraj for suggesting this topic for my blog.

T.P.Anand
Dubai, U.A.E.
31st March 2013.

PROCRASTINATION

Procrastination is the act of postponing things when it can be easily done immediately.  We waste a lot of time by procrastinating.  Taking action then and there will help us to transform our life but we still do not take action and push it to a later date.  Why??  Sometimes the delay in taking action can lead to a problem and when we are faced with the problem we repent and feel we should not have postponed the issue.

You may sit down to start writing your next book, but just after two minutes at the computer you will jump up and head to the kitchen to grab a glass of fresh juice.  As you relish the glass of juice and settle down in front of the computer, you suddenly feel it would be good to check the programme in your popular TV channel and hence you swing up again looking for the remote control.  The next 20 minutes goes in surfing through various channels on the Television and you suddenly realise that you were at the computer writing your book.  As you settle down in front of the computer you see the pop up which announces that there is an email for your.  You feel it is better to quickly check the mail before sitting down for writing the book.  You open the mail box and the next one hour goes in emails, net surfing, browsing of some popular websites.

You want to write a book; you want to learn how to play guitar; you have some pressing assignments at work to be finished; you want to go for a long ride on weekends; you feel it is important to read a lot as it will help you to write well; you would like to chill out in the beach with your loved one; you aspire to learn atleast two foreign languages.

In the last 12 months despite all your efforts, wishes and aspirations you have not written even one chapter of your next book; you are yet to start learning guitar; you always have loads of pending things at work; your weekends are spent in front of TV or with friends in chatting and you have gone on long drive only three times in the last one year; you hardly find time to read; you did not go for a holiday in the last three years due to several reasons; you are yet to start learning any foreign language.  You feel everything that you plan is going for a toss and nothing is falling in place.  You feel though you are well-meaning and very dedicated and sincere in life, still things are highly evasive.

The reason is you are guilty of putting things off till the next day.  Tomorrow never comes and still you keep pushing things to tomorrow.  As you keep pushing things to tomorrow and end up not achieving many of what you have planned, you get frustrated and lose trust and faith in yourself.

The only solution is to beat procrastination.  You should make a resolve not to postpone any of your actions.  You should stop playing the catching-up game and start taking action so that there are less and less pending items.  Discipline is the key to success and it is important to set aside one hour each day for addressing your goals in life.  Watch this video which will help you stop procrastination from today:


When you stop procrastinating you will feel energetic and your long-term dreams will come true.  Dreams are not mere nonsense they are fulfillment of desires.

T.P.Anand
Dubai, U.A.E.
23rd March 2013

SPB IN DUBAI

SPB's Live Concert was held on 8th March 2013 in Sheikh Rashid Auditorium.  He was performing live after a gap of two years and hence the Auditorium was full  by 7 p.m.

SPB showered praise on singer Ananthu and also the other singers on stage and the musicians.  He did not forget to mention about the great Ilayaraja.  He was appreciating the great Ilayaraja's music, the classicism and the great orchestration that Ilayaraja has produced.

He recalled with profound memory the last song that he has sung for R.D.Burman and rendered the song very nicely.


SPB remembers R.D.Burman and this last composition in which he has sung in almost all the concerts.  He also sang the ever green "Unakkenna Mele Nindrai" and recalled how he was given life by the great Mellisai Mannar M.S.Viswanathan.

He sang a few lines of his own composition "Vannam konda vennilave" from the film "Sigaram" and appreciated Vairamuthu for the wonderful lyrics which blended so well with the tune.  It is a fantastic composition and I wish SPB has been given much more chance by producers for tuning the Music as he would have made it really big as a Music Director.  Watch and listen this wonderful composition:


He also sang my most favourite song "enna vendru solvathamma vanji aval perazhagai" and appreciated the acting of Prabhu for that song.  He said if we watch that song we will be wondering whether it is sung by Prabhu or SPB.  Watch that great song below:
.

SPB is now 66 years old and his voice is still the same.  He has the greatest gift of God which is his great voice.  He sings effortlessly and in the same way in which he sang about 40 years back which is truly amazing.  He sang the following songs on 8th March 2013:

1. Sangeetha megam then sindhum neram
2. Enna satham inda neram
3. Kaadal kavithaigal padikkindra neram
4. Muthumani malai
5. Enjodi manjakkuruvi
6. Nenjukkulle innarunnu sonnal theriyuma
7. Ennavendru solvathamma
8. Paatu thalaivan paadinaal paattuthaan
9. Kaadalin dheepam ondru 
10. Vaanile then nila aaduthe paaduthe
11. Unna neneche paattu padichen thangame nyana thangame
12. Sankaraa
13. Kaatukkuyilu mansukkulle paatukkendrum panchamille
14. Aaja Aaja mere jaan
15. Unakkenna Mele nindrai
16. Vannam konda vennilave (few lines)

It was a three hours of entertainment by this great singer and the audience was glued to the seats for the entire duration.  Long Live SPB.

T.P.Anand

Dubai, U.A.E.

12th March 2013

WATER

Water is a very crucial and critical resource available for us in this planet - Earth.  I have always wondered if we have too much water or too little water.  71% of the Earth's surface is covered by Water and out of that only 2.5% is fresh water.  96.5% of the water is found in oceans - hence it is "Water Water everywhere but not a single drop to Drink".

Water is available in liquid form, solid form (ice) and in gaseous state (water vapour or steam).  Only 1.7% is Ground Water and another 1.7% is Glaciers and Icecaps.

Drinking Water is extremely important for all humans and other living beings.  In this world where there are over 7 billion people nearly 1 billion do not have access to clean drinking water.  Water acts as a solvent for various chemical substances.  It has some amazing properties and its use is immense.  Yet we do not take adequate care to ensure that this resource is not wasted.  We need fresh water for various purposes and nearly 70% of the fresh water is used in Agriculture.

The dimensions and proportions of use that water has is mind boggling.  We need water for a variety of applications both domestic as well as industrial.  The resources are diminishing and the usage is increasing thus leading to an acute shortage in the long run across the globe.

Every one in the world can play a significant role by conserving the water and ensuring that it is not wasted.  We waste water in the bathroom, toilets and kitchen and are really unmindful of the amount of water that is being wasted on a daily basis.  If we are conscious of the fact that there are more than one billion people in the world who do not have access to proper drinking water then we will be careful.

A cautious and sensible approach is needed when we are dealing with Water as it is the duty of every individual to conserve this great resource.  Watch this short video on the Water Crisis:


Let us do our bit and make a conscious and sincere effort every day to save Water.  It is a fantastic resource to be used for our benefit hence let us not waste it.

T.P.Anand
Dubai, U.A.E.
10th March 2013

TIPS FOR EXAM PREPARATION

Most of the students are scared of exams.  They feel high pressure whenever they think of the Exams.  The expectations are very high and thus the excitement and anxiety.  Why is there a fear and why should a student get worried about Exams??

How to get relieved of this tension, pressure, anxiety and excitement?  The best way is to treat the exam as a letter writing experience.  Why should we think of Exam as a life threatening experience.  It is afterall a letter writing experience according to me.  The paper setter is writing a letter and the student has to write a reply.  The paper setter's letter and the student's reply is then sent for evaluation to a third person called Examiner.  The Examiner looks at both the letters to decide if the two parties have perfect meeting of minds.  In that process he ends up giving some marks.

I feel parents and students should first get rid of the fear of exams.  Treat it as a letter writing experience and feel comfortable to go through that experience.  Do not worry about the results.  In Mahabaratha also Krishna is adising Arjuna to stay focussed on the task on hand and not worry about the results.  If the task on hand is performed with total devotion, attention and concentration then the effort will definitely yield very good results.  While making that effort if we start thinking about the results, then the effort is diluted to that extent and thus the effort will not be 100%.  If we do not make 100% effort how can the results be 100%.  The result will be directly proportionate to the efforts made by us.

The following are my tips for Exam Preparation:

1. Treat the Exam as a letter writing experience and do not be overwhelmed - feel relaxed
2. Cover the entire portion in each subject.  Do not make selective preparation by expecting a certain question paper as you do not know what is in the mind of the paper setter.
3. Read for the sake of understanding.  Do not read for the sake of examination.
4. Have a clear daily plan and timetable.  Stick to your timetable and daily plan.
5. Go to bed early and get up early in the morning.
6. Sleep for minimum of 7 hours in the night and take a power nap of 30 minutes in the afternoon.
7. Eat well and stay positive
8. Take short breaks every 30 minutes and when you get back try to recall what you have read.  This process is called the "Registration" process.  By doing recall you will be able to register what you read in your mind.  If your recall is not complete then you have to study the same topic again.
9. Do not keep reading till you enter the exam hall.  Stop reading the subject atleast two hours before the exam and keep the mind free.
10. If you have remember something try to create a "Mnemonics" for the same.  For example the order of arithmetic operation is Parenthesis, Exponents, Multiplication, Division, Additions and Subtraction - to easily remember this you can create a Mnemonic - Please Excuse My Dear Aunt Sally.
11. Write model exams or take up mock tests at home so that you can practice the same a few times in order to ensure that you are able to answer all the questions well within the time allotted in the Exams

See below the short video which emphasizes some of the above points:

If you write the placement number of each alphabet in the list of alphabets (A is 1; D is 4; T is 20) and see the total then words like ATTITUDE and DISCIPLINE will add upto exactly 100.  If you have positive Attitude and Discipline you will achieve the 100% desired results.  The word TEAMWORK adds up to 106 which shows that you will get more than 100% if you work in a team.  Joint Studies are good as long as it does not end up in waste of time.

SUCCESS is assured if you have the right ATTITUDE and DISCIPLINE.  I wish all those who are taking up their Exams in March/April/May all the very best.

T.P.Anand

Dubai, U.A.E.

28th February 2013

FILL AND FILE YOUR LIFE

Life is full of wonderful experiences and life is to enjoy.  We can lead the life the way we enjoy the most and get involved only in things which brings positive energy.  We do things unwillingly at times and get into a mess.  We sometimes do things that is not giving us the joy or satisfaction and hence complicate our life.

It is important to first Fill the life with activities that gives us lot of satisfaction and joy.  In order fill the life we have to plan the day/week/month/year well in advance.  It is important to decide on broad objectives for the year and plan the calendar well so that we are able to fill the life with lots and lots of activity.

Filing the life experiences is as important as filling the life with activity and experience.  We sometimes do not create a file of what experiences we have gained.  Today with the advancement of technology we could capture the life experiences in several ways including photos, videos, blog, eBook, Facebook, emails, etc.

I changed my lifestyle and started filling my life in August 2010 (quite late in life).  I plan the activity for the year and try to fill the year, month, week and day with plenty of activity that gives me immense pleasure and joy.  By becoming active in Blog and Facebook I have also managed to file the events and experiences.

To enjoy life we should stay positive and indulge only in things which we like the most.  See this video of Donna where she clearly explains how to fill the life with things which gives us joy in order to Enjoy Life:



Life is short.  Life is wonderful.  Life is full of experiences and events.

Fill it, File it and Enjoy it afterall it is your life.

T.P.Anand
Dubai, U.A.E.
26th February 2013