tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-273065512011-12-14T18:56:35.183-08:00Audio, Video, Disco - Latin for "I hear, I see, I learn"Suganthy Krishnamacharihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05869047727846816890noreply@blogger.comBlogger121100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27306551.post-1150808463700746212006-06-20T05:46:00.000-07:002006-06-20T06:01:03.723-07:00

In many temples in Tamil Nadu and also in Karnataka I noticed that polished granite and marble have been used in very old temples. How can one make changes that do not gel with the basic character of the structure? Dravidian temples with marble floors? Worse. In many cases tiles like the kind used in bathrooms are used in temples. Ugh! Is there nothing that is sacrosanct? And of course we never

Suganthy Krishnamacharihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05869047727846816890noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27306551.post-1150700166683615812006-06-18T23:23:00.000-07:002006-06-18T23:56:06.710-07:00

It is customary to complain about the bad condition of roads in India. But roads in Tamil Nadu are nowhere as bad as they are in Karnataka.I visited Kumbakonam, in Tamil Nadu in March, and found good roads even in remote villages. Lots of tourists were visiting the pilgrim centres at the time. Karnataka actually has a lot going for it. Beautiful landscape,salubrious climate and lovely Hoysala

Suganthy Krishnamacharihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05869047727846816890noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27306551.post-1148220497795126062006-05-21T06:39:00.000-07:002006-05-29T01:10:51.136-07:00

My great-grandfather had such a passion for cars, that he kept changing cars every year. So the family got to ride in a variety of cars - Oldsmobiles, Hupmobiles, Wolsleys, Chevrolets, Hillmans and even a Cubitt. In the 1930s and 40s Simpson's in Chennai were the sole agents for many cars. A salesman from Simpson's, dressed rather imposingly in a suit and coat, would bring home the catalaogues of

Suganthy Krishnamacharihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05869047727846816890noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27306551.post-1148215634037649492006-05-21T05:39:00.000-07:002006-05-21T06:02:55.723-07:00

The gramophone still has a strong grip on me.Although I cannot say the same of the spool tape recorders that we've had, I haven't had the heart to throw away the Truvox spool tape recorder that my father bought in 1957. It's a Truvox R1. Although we later bought Philips spool recorders and Akais, somehow we all had a marked preference for the Truvox. Unfortunately our Truvox is no longer

Suganthy Krishnamacharihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05869047727846816890noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27306551.post-1148214593496663142006-05-21T04:52:00.000-07:002006-05-21T06:05:21.183-07:00

Buying gold on Akshaya Trithiyai is a recent phenomenon.I don't remember the day being touted as auspicious for buying gold until some years ago. However the craze has caught on, due to some clever advertising by jewellers. They now even ask people to place an order for a jewel, which will then be delivered to them on Akshaya Trithiyai, so that they do not have to brave the crowds to make their

Suganthy Krishnamacharihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05869047727846816890noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27306551.post-1147850018799150312006-05-16T23:41:00.000-07:002006-05-17T00:18:40.450-07:00

I fell in love with father's gramophone the first time he cranked it up and played a record for me. I was amused when midway through the song, the tempo of the song slowed down, and father quickly turned the key to get the record to play at a normal speed.We still have that gramophone with us. Over the years father added to our collection, and we now have a total of eight gramophones, all in

Suganthy Krishnamacharihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05869047727846816890noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27306551.post-1147517902635362342006-05-13T03:35:00.000-07:002006-05-13T03:58:23.063-07:00

Those who watch Tamil films regularly know that a willing suspension of disbelief is definitely called for. Heroines and heroes running around trees and prancing in parks, all in the name of romance, are so common, that we have become inured to the ordeal.But there are some absurdities one simply can't digest. Here are some scenarios we often come across in Tamil films. The heroine, after a

Suganthy Krishnamacharihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05869047727846816890noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27306551.post-1147318732699253332006-05-10T19:53:00.000-07:002006-05-10T20:38:52.700-07:00

It is difficult to get children to eat vegetables. Indian food is hot and spicy, and one has to get accustomed to it. Here is a recipe that my grandmother used, to get us to take vegetables. It is easy to make, and more importantly, it is not spicy.Those who like their food hot and spicy, will not like this dish, because it is bland. But it's ideal for children.Parangikkai Paal KoottuIngredients

Suganthy Krishnamacharihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05869047727846816890noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27306551.post-1147098657173239162006-05-08T07:17:00.000-07:002006-05-10T00:44:48.656-07:00

Talking of books, my all time favourites are Richmal Crompton's William stories. One story that I am particularly fond of is the one where William asks his father if he may have a few friends over. His father says,"No, certainly not." William comes to the conclusion that his father has given him permission to invite his friends, because his father has used two negatives, and William has been

Suganthy Krishnamacharihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05869047727846816890noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27306551.post-1146989718400675662006-05-07T00:43:00.000-07:002006-05-07T01:15:18.410-07:00

There are die hard fans of Curly Wee (me included), but there are many who think the rhyming is strained, and that the comic strips are, to say the least, not one bit funny. Where's the fun in Curly Wee, many, including my father, have always asked. Well, the stories are, I must admit, not funny. Not like a Daffy Duck or Bugs Bunny comic strip. But I think the accusation that the rhyming is no

Suganthy Krishnamacharihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05869047727846816890noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27306551.post-1146771252466287242006-05-04T12:02:00.003-07:002006-05-07T00:20:56.176-07:00

Devan, who was editor of Ananda Vikatan for many years, was a great humorist. He admired P.G.Wodehouse, and his books like 'Kalyani' and 'Miss Janaki' are packed with hilarious incidents, reminding one of Wodehouse's Blandings Castle stories.His Mallari Rao stories remind one of PGW's Mulliner stories. Most of the Mallari Rao stories are set in Maharashtra.'Miss Janaki' has beautiful descriptions

Suganthy Krishnamacharihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05869047727846816890noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27306551.post-1146391730137156102006-04-30T01:59:00.000-07:002006-04-30T03:08:50.146-07:00

Since this is my first posting, I thought I would begin with a few words about my childhood days. I grew up in a joint family, consisting of several grandmothers, grandfathers, aunts, and uncles, all of them idiosyncratic, some of them eccentric, but all of them great fun. We had a cook , who made the most delectable dishes. But my father's aunt insisted that once a month we should have what in

Suganthy Krishnamacharihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05869047727846816890noreply@blogger.com1