King of Horses!

King of Horses!
Originally uploaded by Sivasankar.

A majestic horse standing tall on a greener pasture. Enjoying morning breakfast! :-) This photo was taken near the Udhagamandalam aka Ooty Hill railway station.

Midas Touch!

Midas Touch!
Originally uploaded by Sivasankar.

A fern inside a greenhouse. The lighting inside the greenhouse was very different which made me to click my camera without any second thought. The lighting inside the tent was golden yellow in colour giving a slight shining effect.

Dew Factor!

Dew Factor!
Originally uploaded by Sivasankar.

One of my favorite pictures that I had taken. It took me Ghajini effort [16 attempts] to capture this picture. It fades initially and gives a clear picture of a fully bolossomed flower with dew and a half blossomed bud in the background.

Catherine Zeta Jones

Catherine Zeta Jones
Originally uploaded by Sivasankar.

One of my favorite pencil sketchings done by me. This is the portrait of hollywood actress Catherine Zeta Jones. I hope it resembles her to some extent, If not, well I am still learning ya... gimme some time! ;-)

To Love and to be Loved is the greatest Happiness...

A kindergarten teacher has decided to let her class play a game. The teacher told each child in the class to bring along a plastic bag containing a few potatoes. Each potato will be given a name of a person that the child hates, so the number of potatoes that a child will put in his/her plastic bag will depend on the number of people he/she hates. So when the day came, every child brought some potatoes with the name of the people he/she hated. Some had 2 potatoes; some 3 while some up to 5 potatoes. The teacher then told the children to carry with them the potatoes in the plastic bag wherever they go (even to the toilet) for 1 week.

Days after days passed by, and the children started to complain due to the unpleasant smell let out by the rotten potatoes. Besides, those having 5 potatoes also had to carry heavier bags.
After 1 week , the children were relieved because the game had finally ended.

The teacher asked: "How did you feel while carrying the potatoes with you for 1 week?" The children let out their frustrations and started complaining of the trouble that they had to go through having to carry the heavy and smelly potatoes wherever they go.

Then the teacher told them the hidden meaning behind the game.
The teacher said: "This is exactly the situation when you carry your hatred for somebody inside your heart. The stench of hatred will contaminate your heart and you will carry it with you wherever you go. If you cannot tolerate the smell of rotten potatoes for just 1 week, can you imagine what is it like to have the stench of hatred in your heart for your lifetime???"

Moral of the story:

Throw away any hatred for anyone from your heart so that you will not carry sins for a life time. Forgiving others is the best attitude to take!

Life is to be fortified by many friendships.

To love & to be loved is the greatest happiness.

Fate determines who comes into our lives. The heart determines who stays...

A truly nice story which I have come across in recent times... After reading this, I have started to love people whom I like and forget about people who are not in my wavelength... Its better to forget them rather than hate them!... You have less time to love more people!... If you like someone, tell them how much you like them... Life is short, Try to make it as sweet as possible... :-)... Keep smiling... Life will smile upon you...

God Gave Me Nothing I Wanted! But...

I came across these words in a forward mail... Thought I can share something good with others... As one of my friends described these, the words are simply "Beautiful". Worth reading...

When I Asked God for Strength

He Gave Me Difficult Situations to Face

When I Asked God for Brain & Brown

He Gave Me Puzzles in Life to Solve

When I Asked God for Happiness

He Showed Me Some Unhappy People

When I Asked God for Wealth

He Showed Me How to Work Hard

When I Asked God for Favors

He Showed Me Opportunities to Work Hard

When I Asked God for Peace

He Showed Me How to Help Others

God Gave Me Nothing I Wanted

He Gave Me Everything I Needed

- Swami Vivekananda

Vande Mataram!

An evening at beach!

I have always wished to take a stroll in the beach during my teen ages. I have been living in this city for more than a decade and half but I have made very few visits to the beach in Chennai. Though Chennai houses the second most beautiful beach in the world, the Marina, but i have not been there quite often.I have also been to the Elliot’s beach, Kovalam or VGP Golden beach. Now that I have got my own bike,i can go Marina anytime!. Whenever I feel lonely, I make a visit to meet my friend, the Marina. When most of my friends were busy on the Friendship day. I thought that I would visit my best buddy to thank him for being always there to freshen my mind and soul.

It was Friendship Sunday and I took my bike to visit my buddy ;-). It was a very pleasant evening with clouds all over the sky. People were expecting a shower.. But I knew it wouldn’t ..since I am in Chennai and not in Mumbai… ofcourse there is nothing to lose even if it does!So I reached my buddy’s place at 5:30 in the evening. I was a bit early and it was not soo crowded. It has been long time since my foot touched those tiny sand granules with shells strewn all over her body(It was nice to see the lovely streach of sand.. with sheel strewn all over). I walked for about ten to fifteen minutes to catch a glimpse of the rushing waves. My eyes were lit with a sense of joy and happiness to see my best old buddy after a long time. she came running to give me a hug . I didn’t venture into the water. I just sat in front of my buddy and it was nice to see her run towards me and then again recede back.. The sand was wet and my childhood memories of building a fort came into my mind. Sometimes I feel it is necessary to unleash the child within us. I started to build my favorite fort with a tunnel underneath. It was real fun. The skies started to drizzle a bit, may be showering the praise on my friendship between my friend and me. I requested the clouds not to shower, as I wanted to spend some more time with my buddy. Well, as if my request came true, the drizzle stopped a minute.

I was watching my buddy for a long time. She was making others smile. I was really happy to see how many people come to see her. The fun they have watching her, playing with her and trying to get her hug (waves :-). There were many youngsters, families and children were playing with her. Youngsters were playing different games and some of them were just taking a stroll. Infants taking their tiny steps on the sand and they were trying their best not to fall down and some of them were playing with the sand and wondering what those shells were. Children were flying kites to adorn her beautiful sky. Lovers were enjoying their moments. Families have gathered to enjoy their weekend. I bet this is the only place were everbody enjoys the most! I know my friend will be there always to make everyone happy and I will also be visiting her when I feel lonely. She won’t let me down at any moment jus like how my best friends are. I wished her a very Happy Friendship day and left her with a happy note, still she was trying to hug me. I said, “I will, but later.”

Skip a Heartbeat!

It was 8:40 in the morning. I was finding my way through the congested roads to reach office on time. I hadn't made it on time for quite few days. So, I thought of making an attempt to reach on time that day. It’s an exact seven-kilometer drive from my home to office. With just a signal in between, I usually start 20 minutes earlier to reach on time. I did the same on the other day. I was driving at ease with the speedometer juggling in between 40-55 km/h. You can't expect me faster than this on a weekday that too with countless speed breakers in this stretch, to be exact there are 10 speed breakers :o!

I was approaching the UTI bank signal in Annanagar. I could see that counter showing 45 seconds for the next green signal. I slowed my vehicle before the stop line. I don't cross the line unless green/yellow light flashes. I was the lone person standing on the line since the signal changed from yellow to red the moment I reached the stop line. Slowly few other vehicles joined me for the race to begin! Race??? Yep, with all the guys around me giving full throttle as if they were preparing for a formula-one bike race. There were girls too with their Scooty’s!. I usually don’t try to get attention by raising the throttle. Still the timer says 32 seconds left for the race to start but already a guy began with a false start. He just skipped the signal with timer still reading 28 seconds! Couple more guys followed suit with him in the first phase of race. I could only pity them. Can’t they wait for 28 seconds? Is life not important to them??? If not, what are they hurrying to reach for? Is he hurrying to meet Girl Friend or Work??? Or is he trying to impress others around??? Because most of the guys who just whizzed past me might be in their early twenties. Can’t she or the work wait for him for 28 seconds??? Who is he trying to impress with his life put into risk in those 28 seconds??? The countdown was reaching 5 seconds and everyone has already started. I can hear the vehicles honking behind me. Well, I had the guts to stay until the timer read zero and the red light turned blank to give way to the green. If you think, that whizzing past the stop line when the red light is flashing is more courageous. Nope I don’t think so. It is braver to stand against all those honking than skip a line.

I saw the watch it read 8:56. I know that I can’t cover the next two kilometers within 4 minutes that too with so many curves. I knew my practice in “Road Rash” game would come handy one day! Well, I am not rash driver and I don’t drive my bike where only a cycle could get past. I drove watchfully. I reached office to see my watch read 9:01 am. Well, I didn’t worry about reaching office late because I didn’t lose anything in that 1 minute.

The next day morning there was a small column in the newspaper that read, “Motorist hit by a lorry skipping the signal”. My heart skipped a beat. Just imagine how many hearts would have skipped a beat just because one person skipped a stop line.

“If you cannot change yourself, No one else can change you.”

Why Banana Split?

I got this question from one of my blog fans! He asks "How does Banana Split resemble your character?" I bet he must have been split by the very title of my blog. I believe its my duty to respond to his question.

I know most of you have not come across the Banana Split Icecream. First, I will describe what the icecream is made of. For those who think a dollar is a lot of money, hold your breath... it's a 50 indian bucks icecream .... Its quite large and if you are not very fond of icecreams, you better have someone to share it with you.

A Scoop each of vanilla, chocolate and pista, flavor the sliced banana pieces at the bottom of the bowl with nuts strewn on top of the icecreams. It is served either with cherries or wafers on top and some syrup of the three icecream flavors.. Most often you won't see the banana slices.

I have two versions of the same ice cream. So You have seen and heard much about the ice cream, what does it have to do with my character. Good Question :)... Here is the answer to it...

I am pretty similar to the icecream : as soft as the banana slices within. Most often people don't notice it. Sometimes I laugh and joke with people : this charecteristic I would describe as being pure and white like the vanilla flavor”. Sometimes I romance with nature: this could be called being as sweet as chocolate. Sometimes I get angry and my face turns red : can be called as red as strawberry. Well, Strawberry is not too red and also my anger doesn't last very long. You might think I am tough and not friendly on first look like the nuts strewn on the icecream but the nuts also add flavor to the icecream. I may also crumble like the wafers spread on it. I am very emotional at times. Initially it will be nice to get along with me. But If you don't get to know my character very well, its difficult because the icecream melts and all the characters will combine together. You don't know when each character appears in me! For my best friends, I am still a best friend and a character who they know very well and can easily tell which character I am in at any given time. Well, I am not a split personality. I am an ordinary human most often misunderstood by my behaviours! :) I also make a very good friend for those who trust me. :)

I hope this answers the question. Here is another version of the icecream!

Jhonty Dives!

It was a pleasant saturday morning. A fun-cricket match had been organized by our company. I was greatly excited to play the game after almost a gap of one and half years. It was kind of a great come back season for me! I reached the venue on time, 8:30 am, as mentioned by the match organizer! I was surprised that I could be punctual. hehe... I am a software engineer and you can't expect it (being punctual) from me.

Initial proceedings started with catch practice session with only 6 of the 48 having turned up by that. I hardly dropped a catch during that session : either the ball was thrown high over my head or the other person was catching in my place! :( I am a big fan of Jhonty Rhodes and i like to field at mid on very much unlike his usual fielding place because in local cricket that's where you can see the ball many times. I like to field than bat or bowl. I am not good at either of them!! :))...

Only half the number of people turned up for the match as expected ;)... No Nostradamus prediction... It's the usual thing which happens anywhere. So we started the proceedings by splitting the teams at random... we started the match with 15 overs each side. Our team lost the toss, so we ended up bowling first... I loved it because I had to field and not sit out! I always like to seize any given oppurtunity to dive and catch the ball. I had done it quite a few times sans any audience in the stands. Today, I had an audience watching and recording the match with a camcorder! This obviously was a great incentive to dive at any given moment. I didn't want to make a mockery of myself. I knew my chance would come.

Well my first chance came in the sixth over, I dived full length to my right but I couldn't reach the ball and ended up giving a run to the batsman. After the first drinks break, the opponent was cruising with their sixers & fours and there was an offering to me from one of the batsman (who had hit a six the previous ball!) for a diving catch. This time I didn't want to make a mistake and I ended up diving to my right, full lenthth again, to end up taking the catch. At last, I did it but the moment was not captured since the camcorder was switched off when that ball was delivered :((... It was very disheartening to hear that. Still, I had the satisfaction of doing something nice which I always liked to do whenever I play a cricket match at any ground spread with grass.

Still the Jhonty is within me, Everytime he dives, there is a new fan for Jhonty! When I dive, I get mocked by audience who call out "Jhonty!" I like to hear it because I am being compared to my idol in fielding.

Next time, when you see me at any cricket match. I hope that to showcase my idol within!

My Idol

Showing seven to symbolize the seventh victory in Tour de France

Do you recognise him? He is Lance Armstrong. If you got him correct, give a pat to yourself. In the land of monopoly sport, "Cricket", he might go unnoticed very easily. I was not a very big fan of cycling, but he made me follow what the game is all about. He is a kind of idol to me not only just because of his seven victories in Tour de France but the way he struggled for life and defeated death by surviving from testical cancer with his sheer will power, where as doctors gave him only a 40% chance of survival. People here talk about comebacks of great players from their injuries and their survival in the sport with their marvellous returns. I wouldn't say that those aren't great feat but I would like to people know that there are far more better achievements done in the sports arena. Lance Armstrong after defeating the death had won this year's Tour de France championship, which is considered the highest tournament in cycling parlance, seventh time continously. Though it's a team effort but still what he has achieved is really awesome and unbelievable. Even if someone has to overcome his feat, still it's eight long years away!!! Doesn't he the greatest? For me, he is... I admire him...

He adorns the Nungambakkam High Road's Nike Showroom billboard with a gigantic look. If you had not noticed it earlier, Try to have a look at the billboard where he rides his bike (cycle) majestically...

He just lives up to the words "Everything is Possible"... If you think that everything is going wrong for you, just think about him, who made everything correct even when everything was going wrong...

To read more about him: Click here

Pencil Sketchings by Me!

"Dolphins" was sketched during my college days.

"Lovers" was sketched on seeing a Hallmark poster in one of my friend's room.

"Mother Teresa" was sketched six days after her expiry.

This is my first sketching, which still adores my home.

Ooty - Queen of Hills

Wanna take a break from the busy city life? I bet the best place to spend your vacation peacefully would be in Ooty. Wonderful Place to keep yourself away from the scorching sun, the increasing pollution and deteriorating beauty of nature in the day to day city life. Well, a couple of months back I thought that it was right time for me to take a break from the usual mechanical life. So I took a four days vacation and packed my bags to enjoy myself at the palace of "Queen of Hills". There is no wonder why people call it as "Queen of Hills".


I made myself clear that I didn't want to spend time in the usual tourist spots. I wanted to enjoy the beauty of nature and also planned well give some to treat to the lens of my newly bought digital camera (Canon Poweshot S1 IS). The camera had been longing to see a heaven on earth to capture the moments within itself.

My trip was to visit places which are far from even the Ooty Town life. I made a visit to the interior villages and visited one of the tribal habitats "Thodas". It was really nice to see people living in such remote places. I wished that I would I could spend a couple of more days there with the nature. They explained their culture, traditions of different festivals and it was far more exciting to see their ancient houses.

I also made a visit to the Mudhumalai sanctuary and had a close encounter with a tiger. I bet my camera had a great feat of capturing all the wild animals, marvellous flowers and also the mountains and the beautiful mother nature. There were so many small and beautiful villages on my way from Ooty to these places.

Pictures speak more than words. I am providing a link to few of the pictures I shot at in and around the "Queen of Hills". Hope you will also enjoy the beauty of nature. Link to Ooty Photos: Click here