Yercaud - normally known as poor man's "Ooty" but I find this epithet insulting. Even though Yercaud resembles like a miniature Ooty, it has its own charm. I was in Salem for 4 years during my Engg College days, yet I had visited that place only twice. After 11 years, I visited Yercaud last Sunday. Technically this is my third trip, but literally my first trip. Once I went with my cousin's colleague trip, once with Mohanasundaram summing up two trips. Since Mohan, who was found as LM & LMS in by blogs, was my object of obsession in my Engg College days, the idea of sharing his pavilion for a long drive gave me a kick rather than visiting Yercaud at that time. Unfortunately within 2-3 months after that trip the frictions surfaced and subsequently I chose to break off after an year and half, Yercaud remained as bitter sweet memory that I didn't feel like visiting anymore. But there can never be a best healer than time. After 7 years I met LMS on this February, also I had marked the year 2008 for extensive travelling and by this time the inhibitions had waned that I desperately wanted to enjoy the natural beauty of Yercaud.

I had been to Rameswaram thrice earlier but all the times, the visit was restricted to the temple alone. Typically we start at the Chennai - Rameswaram express, land there in the early morning, visit the temple and start back by 8:30 to Karaikudi where my sister was studying. I couldn't explore much about Rameswaram. So this time I decided that I must visit alone and find out various places there & booked the ticket via www.irctc.co.in. Atlast it co-incided with the Trivandrum visit so I rescheduled the travel from Nagercoil to Rameswaran via Madurai. Later I was told that instead of Madurai I could have chosen Karaikudi as linking point. I started from Nagercoil by 8:30 p.m Coimbatore - Nagercoil Passenger and reached Madurai by 1:30 a.m and caught up with Chennai - Rameshwaran train there by 2:30 a.m. By the time I reached Rameswaram by 6:00 a.m, I had a very sound sleep.

Last time I went to Trivandrum was in 2002, to attend an interview at "Terumo Penpol". I went on previous day itself, visited the famous "Padmanabhaswamy Temple". Even though I got through that interview, I couldn't join because the offer came much after I joined ABT Coimbatore. After 6 years I visited the Padmanabhaswamy Temple recently on April 2nd. The temple is about a km from the railway station where I stayed in the dormatory. I believe you all know that men must wear a mundu and a torso to enter the temple & dresscode for ladies is saree or a dupatta with salwar or other dresses. To avoid "hiring" a stink mundu, I bought a new mundu this time only to visit the temple. The temple is neatly maintained and very calm, soothing and relaxing. I am very much fascinated with the paintings on the walls of the temple. There is a beautiful style of shading in that, which is so unique to the temple. Else the sculptures are typically Tamil Nadu styled ones. The huge Padmanabhaswamy idol that can be seen in parts through three windows is magnificient. The management is much intrested in making money through cloakroom services and lake. Typical example for shrewdness of malayalees. Even though I loved to visit the Kovalam beach and other places of intrest, I couldn't make it.

After a gap of three months I went to our Silver beach in Cuddalore. It was called as the second largest beach in Tamilnadu after the Marina beach. Thats why the beach was called as 'Silver Beach', a sort of next to 'Golden Beach' in Chennai. But now it cannot claim that title because the ravages of Tsunami & the following rehabiliation activities had definitely altered the landscape of the beach. Previously the beach used to span right from the Periyar arts college and used to go about 750 mtrs to tough the shores. But due to commercialisation & concretisation, the length of the beach is now reduced to anywhere between 350 - 400 mtrs. The beach had lost its sheen now, thanks to encroachment and pollution.

I was really upset when the planned trip to Thanjavur didn't materialise last year. Myself, as somebody with a strong inclination towards sculpturing and fine Arts, I felt ashamed not visiting Thanjavur all these years, considering that it was just 4 hrs travel from my home town. Atlast I booked my tickets in early January through www.irctc.co.in for Feb 29th, despite finding myself in 14th of RAC list. The 'D-day' had come, I was engaged in some serious official discussions, giving me a thought of cancelling the trip for a fleeting moment. But I regained and decided to continue with my plan. This time the agendas were to travel light and enjoy the retro travel. With just a white cotton pyjama and a black T-shirt, along with the camera bag, I was on.

Pondicherry - Where time takes a break.. That was the caption of Tourism and to an extent it is true also. Pondicherry still retains the soul of French Colony and makes an excellent combination of past and present. As a resident of Cuddalore, I had to travel to Pondicherry for a better shopping, till I moved to Chennai. Today after a very long time I managed to visit Pondicherry beach and the Parks at the right time - in twilight. There were some major changes to the beach and the parks. There were four parks in arc forms that completed a circle. And in the middle part was the French structure that is in the official emblems of Pondicherry Government.

{mosimage}WHAT IT MEANS TO HAVE A North Indian GIRL as WIFE

1. At the time of marriage, a north Indian girl has more boyfriends than her age.

2. Before marriage, she looks almost like a bollywood heroine and after marriage you have to go around her twice to completely hug her.

3. By the time she professes her undevoted love to you, you are bankrupt because of the number of times you had to take her out to movie theatres and restaurants. And you wait longingly for her dowry.

A man from Uttar Pradesh was away from his wife for 4  years, while his wife was at his home.

At the end of 4 years he  distributed sweets to his colleagues in office stating that his wife had  delivered a son.His colleagues were quite shocked and they asked how this "Happy event" happened when he had not seen his wife for four years...

The man  said it is common in UP that neighbours take care of the wife (good Samaritans) when men are away.

The colleagues asked him, "What name will  you give to the son?"

{mosimage}Statutory warning : If you are not South Indian or have no experience of things South Indian it might be pointless reading further.

Extra Statutory warning : If you are a Mallu with the pride of Kerala in your loins but no sense of humour to go with it.

DON'T read any further.

You stand warned.

It has been a well kept secret for eons, shrouded in mystery and mazes of deceit, but finally Itty Boben Jacob Elias Kuruvilla from Pazhookaville,near Thelmasherry, Kerala has consented to let us publish what has been till now a highly classified Mallu formula, on the naming of Mallu kids.

{mosimage}One of the interesting things of a train journey is the way stranger kids playing near the rails greet you with a 'ta-ta' and you unconsciously reciprocate it with a smile. For a moment we all lose our inhibitions and become a child by stooping to their levels. Atleast I felt the same when I went to Coimbatore recently. Thanks to IRCTC I had my tickets booked well ahead in mid June itself and Vaithy's call at the minute I settled down at the train ensured a happy mindset. In the back of the mind I knew that this going to be a memorable jouney as I was all enthused to go to Coimbatore after a gap of 9 months. The smooth transition of barren lads to lush green landscapes as the train moved from Tiruppur to Coimbatore kept me glued to the window since I woke up from slumber. Heart leapt out of its place when I saw the board of "Singanallur", which means I am going to be in the city in next few minutes.