The Flower in my Garden!!!

I am loving Saavn! I have gone to the past and danced in the present with the awesome collection of music. I love hearing old Tamil songs. The songs that I grew up with. Each song reminds me of a certain time in my life. From Raja to Rahman to Vaali to Vairamuthu are all filled with memories...

En veetu thotathil from Gentleman now playing in my ears reminds me of the song my classmate quoted for me when I was not sure if I really liked this guy who kept pursuing me...she kept singing it to me till I said "yes" to him. A very short lived relationship that nevertheless has left me with memories. Gentleman released at a time in life when I was young, in high school, 11std, had no worries and there were many choices all around me...every song in that movie reminds me of those days past.

Šøllukkum Arthathukkum Thøørangal Kidaiyaathu
Šøllaatha Kaathal Èllaam Šørgathil Šaeraathu

(the second line means - Unsaid love will not reach heaven).

At that age my classmate was my love guru. She had been dating her much older neighbor since 8th grade! The last I checked on FB looks like she did end up marrying him! Some commitment! In my case...did not work out for more than 2 months, or maybe less...don't remember now. All I do remember is that he was a good dancer.

A Reminiscing ART

Kaapi na Narasus Kaapi Dhan...Besh Besh Romba Nanna Irukku

Remember this advertisement? I used to watch it every single time it came on TV, to just see the young and handsome Arvind Swamy's face. I would run all the way to the living room as soon as I heard the noise. I did not care about coffee but I cared about Arvind Swamy. Sadly, not any more...heard he did not grow up to be cute...

Anyways, remember the song, from Minsara Kanavu? In that she says, in Tamil, Pasi konda neram thaalikkum osai...sandhosha sangeetham...when you are hungry the noise of food getting prepared is happy music (thalikkum =  making tadka).

How true is that line? I think in those days Vairamuthu knew exactly what was going on in my mind. Almost all his songs reflected how I felt...anyway getting to the point...I remember hearing and smelling the tadka for the dal being made and I would be at the table ready to gobble up whatever came out of the kitchen. I think you get twice as hungry if you can smell and hear the ghee tadka...

But now I am into one smell, nope, aroma...coffee...I never thought, even in those days of dreaming of Arvind Swamy that I would be a coffee drinker. I was raised as a South India drinking Desi Chai at home...not British, not American or Narsus Coffee drinker...I was a chai girl.

I know how that happened. After moving to America the only time I get my Desi chai fix is over the weekend. What do I do for the 5 days in between? I tried to tea bag it, and realized that it is the worst type of drinking tea ever. Then I tried hot chocolate, does not help at all in Texan Heat. Then finally I settled down with Coffee, creamer, and loads of sugar. At first, it was a 1/4 American sized coffee mug (equals one cup of coffee in rest of the world), then a little over 1/4 mug and now I have graduated to the point of slightly over 1/2 mug and less than 3/4 mug. I am proud to have made the transition. I have managed to keep it to strictly a maximum of 2 cups a day.

When I walk into the office kitchen, seeing a full pot of coffee makes my heart happy and then the aromahhhh...this is a close second to the sound and smell of mom making dal tadka...I think as we grow up we tend to slowly replace old memories with new ones...and that is what is happening to me here...

BTW, how cute was Arvind Swamy in Dalapathy, Roja and Bombay? Perfect South Indian boy...

And have you heard Urvasi Urvasi in the recent past? What fun lyrics...the movie released a year before I sat for my boards and everything Mr. Vairamuthu said in the song held true for my life.

Anyways, even if you cannot speak Tamil or know what Tamil is click through the links and you might find something fun...

Love
ART