Mahabs, Dream World of Tamil Arts

We thought of going to Mahabalipuram for one day trip. It’s quite near to Chennai (60 kms) and the road is quite scenic (not like Bombay-Pune highway of course) but still beautiful in its own way. So after spending the fantastic Friday at office and watching IPL matches (Thanks god, season has started again and we had a winning start this time-My team as always Chennai Super kings.), we were ready for our trip on Saturday morning.

(Amazing Gaadi - Paul's Armada Trax)

Armed with our dig cam, we started the trip by Morning 8 AM. This time we got a beautiful gaadi, nothing but Paul’s amazing Armada Trax. The parts of the road are quite beautiful, with a lovely view of the sea lined with coconut trees, casuarinas trees, fishermen’s villages, catamarans neatly arranged along, or just plain beach sand……and nothing else.

(From right to left: Vijay, Siva, Paul, Ganesh, Hari) Photo by Sai.

Every rock out there seems to tell a story, of either an unfinished ratha in the making, or a rock getting split up indicating quarrying of granite in these areas.

Mahabs, An ultimate heaven of Indian art

The rocks speak of the methods used in the ancient times to carve chariots or architectural forms out of them. Deep grooves are made into the rock surface and then the rock is split up. Either the rock is taken else where to build a structural temple or a sculpture or just left aside incase it’s an extra.

The three pathfinders?!? (From left to right: Vijay, Siva, Ganesh)

After shooting lots of pics, we had Slice and then moved toward other major attraction, which is Arjuna Penance. : It is the world's largest bas relief measuring 27m X 9m.

What to tell?? They are very photogenic!!

We rounded up the lunch with special meals and cool drinks. That was the perfect end. A must for everyone. All this for 200 bucks, totally worth its money.

A Trip to the Amusement Park

(From left to right: Priyanka, Geetha with her kid Madhav, Padma, Siva's sisi, Siva, Vijay the Terror, Sai)

We had been planning to organize a major team event since the last couple of months but kept pushing it, primarily because we wanted all of us to be present during that event. The trip started at 9 AM on a Saturday when we all assembled somewhere near the office and boarded a private gaadi (a motor vehicle that is one of the chief modes of transport across many parts of South and East India) booked for the trip by us. That was just the beginning of the fun.

The entire team bonded well during the trip (or so, I like to believe). Keep up the great work team – we will have many more such trips.

Halt Genocide, Give Peace A Chance

What we sow, what we reap. Halt Tamil Genocide in Srilanka

Stop War in Sri Lanka!! Still the WORLD can't see the plight of the TAMIL people!!! (Source: YouTube) mullivaaykaal makeshift hospital under sla shelling.

Links 2 Love

A first date for a couple can be nerve-wrecking, especially if this is the first ever date for either one of you. Here are some tips to prepare for that first date.

Be creative.

Take a little time to think it through.
A three-hour date with a movie that lasts two and half-hours is not a good way to get acquainted.
Then again, you don't want to be stuck staring at each other without a topic of conversation.
A daytime meeting takes the heat off.
Lunch or coffee is a good start. Even better - a trip to the zoo.

Clothing
Clothing is not optional. Wear clothes that make you feel good. New clothes always help - but if not new, be sure they're clean, pressed, and fit well - or if that's not your style - be sure they fit whatever way makes you feel the most comfortable and still look presentable.

Help the Other Person Feel Comfortable
Find something nice about your date and compliment her or him. But mean it. Don't just say, "Nice shoes, Honey." "Swell belt, Sweety."

Let's review.

Find something nice. If it's painfully difficult to come up with something that you sincerely like about the person, you shouldn't be out with them in the first place.

Manners and/or Kindness

Thank the other person for the date - always, without exception. Good manners are still in style. Well, not necessarily good manners - but common sense. Human kindness. That sort of thing is always in style.
Focus on the Other Person - pay attention to your date. No wandering eyes. No preoccupation with old relationships, work, bank robberies.
Be there.
Listen actively to what your date says. Don't interrupt. While your date is talking, don't spend time thinking about what you're going to say when it's your turn.
Attitudes and Habits - stay positive. Don't complain on a first date.Be cautious about alcohol - if you drink heavily, you're not going to be at your best. If your date gets swacked on your first date, it's not necessarily due to nervousness.

The First Thanksgiving

In 1621, the Plymouth colonists and Wampanoag Indians shared an autumn harvest feast which is acknowledged today as one of the first Thanksgiving celebrations in the colonies. This harvest meal has become a symbol of cooperation and interaction between English colonists and Native Americans. Although this feast is considered by many to the very first Thanksgiving celebration, it was actually in keeping with a long tradition of celebrating the harvest and giving thanks for a successful bounty of crops. Native American groups throughout the Americas, including the Pueblo, Cherokee, Creek and many others organized harvest festivals, ceremonial dances, and other celebrations of thanks for centuries before the arrival of Europeans in North America.

Historians have also recorded other ceremonies of thanks among European settlers in North America, including British colonists in Berkeley Plantation, Virginia. At this site near the Charles River in December of 1619, a group of British settlers led by Captain John Woodlief knelt in prayer and pledged "Thanksgiving" to God for their healthy arrival after a long voyage across the Atlantic. This event has been acknowledged by some scholars and writers as the official first Thanksgiving among European settlers on record. Whether at Plymouth, Berkeley Plantation, or throughout the Americas, celebrations of thanks have held great meaning and importance over time. The legacy of thanks, and particularly of the feast, have survived the centuries as people throughout the United States gather family, friends, and enormous amounts of food for their yearly Thanksgiving meal.