A day tht comes once in 4 yrs...so many spl events, so many superstitions and beliefs all crowding up on this day..So many wanting to do somethin spl this day...wanting it to be remembered til the nxt leap yr....y such a speciality..?.
For many it jus another day...to go abt their daily work, the tensions they carry, to get their daily bread ready..being the yr end many others feel the heat of work comin on this day...so many bills, unfinished work, assignments - a normal month end..and for others the month end of february of any yr reminds them its time to sit in front of the idiot box n get bit by bit info abt the budget tht wil rule their financial matters...of course february is an imp month...and esp the last day no matter wat yr....but does all this lower the importance of 29th...?...do ppl wait for tht day to come...
Of course...one set does...the ones who celebrate their bdays then...being born on this day means u hav to wait for 4 yrs to celeb ur act bday...it means everytime ur frnds age increases by 4 u can easily tell them ur jus a yr older...and astrologically it is believed tht ppl born on this day possess unusual traits and talents...
But unknown before is one point abt february...everybody knows this is the month of love...the day Valentine's day is celebrated world round...but there's something spl abt feb29...and tht is.... on this day women are allowed to propose to their guys...going against the tradition this belief dates from the 5th century...and another lore says tht during the 13th century in Scotland any man who declines a proposal wud hav to pay a heavy fine...!!! Sounds cool na...[;)]...and so all u ladies who are waitin for ur guys to propose wake up...he's never gonna ask so jus do it on the day ur given the chance to....remember...he cant deny u and he doesnt need to know...so get it rite or wait another 4 yrs...cos yrs don leap too often....
Friday, February 29, 2008
Thursday, February 28, 2008
The final day
As all last days even this seemed to end too soon. I dint get up early…again. But then we had breakfast (thankfully). They had kept some aside for ones who were ill or had some difficulty in that front. We joined in. Why waste breakfast wen it was available..! We entered the main hall in time for the session getting over and headed straight for the help desk. Key chains were sold there at the next table by Mary n co. Of course was full time there. A few incidents that happened there…
That Malaysian uncle asking us, “Do u always converse with each other in tamil only? We make sure we only talk in Malayalam in our churches.”
The Saudi uncle making a fuss over the t-shirts.
The Bombay girls making a scene on the same front.
Anuachacha and gang doing a scene abt the key chains. Of course they did buy 2 later.
And ya…How can I forget this competition. The MGOCSM charity challenge. This was worth one lakh and only 3 teams participated in it. And who won? Tiruchi church who were the underdogs till then. I myself heard so many giving comments on them. But they left with the grand prize proving we shud never put down anyone. So there were all of us shouting and screaming our throats out for the team that had our support. Wat a fitting finale for such a grand event.
MGOCSM had done it again. No matter the odds, they triumphed…proving that it was not jus in krla that the students movement survived. To all those ppl who talk abt good old krla and the wonderful minds there here as the spoiler, the kickback. Chennai had set the standard for how conference shud be conducted. Now everywer any conference wud be compared to this standard, this level…everyone shud live up and maintain it. This is something rite..!! it is…[:)].
Packing our bags and leaving the place made us all feel like we were leaving something spl behind. So many frnds, so many new relations, many numbers exchanged, mail ids and orkut groups formed…Felt like things wud never be the same after this. It was the first conference of such a large scale that I attended and it was the best…[:)]. Always to be cherished. Days that will never come again.
That Malaysian uncle asking us, “Do u always converse with each other in tamil only? We make sure we only talk in Malayalam in our churches.”
The Saudi uncle making a fuss over the t-shirts.
The Bombay girls making a scene on the same front.
Anuachacha and gang doing a scene abt the key chains. Of course they did buy 2 later.
And ya…How can I forget this competition. The MGOCSM charity challenge. This was worth one lakh and only 3 teams participated in it. And who won? Tiruchi church who were the underdogs till then. I myself heard so many giving comments on them. But they left with the grand prize proving we shud never put down anyone. So there were all of us shouting and screaming our throats out for the team that had our support. Wat a fitting finale for such a grand event.
MGOCSM had done it again. No matter the odds, they triumphed…proving that it was not jus in krla that the students movement survived. To all those ppl who talk abt good old krla and the wonderful minds there here as the spoiler, the kickback. Chennai had set the standard for how conference shud be conducted. Now everywer any conference wud be compared to this standard, this level…everyone shud live up and maintain it. This is something rite..!! it is…[:)].Packing our bags and leaving the place made us all feel like we were leaving something spl behind. So many frnds, so many new relations, many numbers exchanged, mail ids and orkut groups formed…Felt like things wud never be the same after this. It was the first conference of such a large scale that I attended and it was the best…[:)]. Always to be cherished. Days that will never come again.
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
The third day
Sleeping at 12 in the nite I cant expect myself to get up early next morn. I dint and so I got up oly at 7.30 in time to get ready and hav breakfast jus to find out that some God’s child had accepted to donate all our breakfast for the next 2 days in lieu of lent..!! Not eating non-veg itself is something. Where did not having breakfast come..!? Well wat to do…We headed towards the main hall, jus sat down for session-the third part of the main theme (Celebrating and rediscovering Christ through Orthodoxy in our Service) wen Blessy chechi called me to help out for the workshops. There were supposed to be 2 and we had to arrange 19 rooms for that (I dint do 19 but then…). So we had to help out in that. Well till now ive not mentioned any one person who were there in the MGOCSM na…so here are the names…the ppl I met through as of today (the third day).
Denny- I knew this guy already. He lives close to my place but I hav no idea wer his house is. And ya he’s my route mate (means we both traverse the same route to reach our coll bus [:)])
Shaino- obv…i knew this guy since so long. Every event in his life. One frnd I’ll ever forget for one act of his, one help that he did…of course there are times I get on his nerves, never callin him for weeks or even months tog…but that’s one relationship I like n enjoy… the one I share with Shaino. [:)]
Shaji achcha/uncle- met him at the conference. He’s from avadi aussi. And all I no abt him is he’s always wid his camera mob taking pics n videos of all and sundry.
Sherrin- though I did no her before the conference knew her so close only after this conf. So here we get tog again.
Alex achacha- Conference again. He was in charge of the food committee with Jeson. Came to no dem cos blessychechi n susanchechi (who wer also der in FC) called me over at times.
Jeson- He tricked me by taking my mob and msgin that he was a girl. Nearly believed him till he flawed one step.
Nithin- Conference. He’s Denny’s room mate.
Hmmm…So coming back to the workshops. It was taken care of by Jugnu aunty. And after getting everything ready they cancelled off one session of the workshop (there was supposed to be 2). Anyhow I ended up helping for flower arrangement and wat did I get…? 2 sets of bouquets (3 actually). Such beautiful flowers arranged wonderfully. It is truly an art of its own.
Well after the workshops we broke for tea and I headed to the main hall to take care of the t-shirt counter and that’s wer I got to know Jobin. Now wat do I say abt this guy. One non-stop chatter box, full of energy, always bringing a smile on the face...even wen he’s angry !!...Im still in touch…No that sentence is wrong…He’s still in touch…calling up everyday to enquire abt me…why…?? Whatever it is he’s different as so many others. Hmmm…so this was a place wer I met so many ppl (guys to be precise). Sets of them comin over, askin for t-shirts, arguing over the ones we give, checking it for ‘manufacturing defects’, giving orders et al. this is wen I knew how dangerous handling money was. One small mistake and I’ll hav to shell out 150 for naught. I’ll stop with the t-shirt thing here.
Let me talk abt dinner. Dinner with alex, shaji, blessy, susan, jobin and nithin. We missed Tom Alter’s play but I was able to view another play I never wud hav otherwise. ‘The salt and hot water’ play that hapnd that morn at 5 in the morn. I mite elucidate it later but no space here. Anyways it was a dinner to remember.
Shud I go on to the ideal unit competition? Nope, I’ll jus give the pics. One can understand how much was there from that itself. But Bangalore team was too good. That concept was very different, creative idea to show a nice concept. It went on til 2.30 in the morn.
Denny- I knew this guy already. He lives close to my place but I hav no idea wer his house is. And ya he’s my route mate (means we both traverse the same route to reach our coll bus [:)])
Shaino- obv…i knew this guy since so long. Every event in his life. One frnd I’ll ever forget for one act of his, one help that he did…of course there are times I get on his nerves, never callin him for weeks or even months tog…but that’s one relationship I like n enjoy… the one I share with Shaino. [:)]
Shaji achcha/uncle- met him at the conference. He’s from avadi aussi. And all I no abt him is he’s always wid his camera mob taking pics n videos of all and sundry.
Sherrin- though I did no her before the conference knew her so close only after this conf. So here we get tog again.
Alex achacha- Conference again. He was in charge of the food committee with Jeson. Came to no dem cos blessychechi n susanchechi (who wer also der in FC) called me over at times.
Jeson- He tricked me by taking my mob and msgin that he was a girl. Nearly believed him till he flawed one step.
Nithin- Conference. He’s Denny’s room mate.
Hmmm…So coming back to the workshops. It was taken care of by Jugnu aunty. And after getting everything ready they cancelled off one session of the workshop (there was supposed to be 2). Anyhow I ended up helping for flower arrangement and wat did I get…? 2 sets of bouquets (3 actually). Such beautiful flowers arranged wonderfully. It is truly an art of its own.
Well after the workshops we broke for tea and I headed to the main hall to take care of the t-shirt counter and that’s wer I got to know Jobin. Now wat do I say abt this guy. One non-stop chatter box, full of energy, always bringing a smile on the face...even wen he’s angry !!...Im still in touch…No that sentence is wrong…He’s still in touch…calling up everyday to enquire abt me…why…?? Whatever it is he’s different as so many others. Hmmm…so this was a place wer I met so many ppl (guys to be precise). Sets of them comin over, askin for t-shirts, arguing over the ones we give, checking it for ‘manufacturing defects’, giving orders et al. this is wen I knew how dangerous handling money was. One small mistake and I’ll hav to shell out 150 for naught. I’ll stop with the t-shirt thing here.
Let me talk abt dinner. Dinner with alex, shaji, blessy, susan, jobin and nithin. We missed Tom Alter’s play but I was able to view another play I never wud hav otherwise. ‘The salt and hot water’ play that hapnd that morn at 5 in the morn. I mite elucidate it later but no space here. Anyways it was a dinner to remember.Shud I go on to the ideal unit competition? Nope, I’ll jus give the pics. One can understand how much was there from that itself. But Bangalore team was too good. That concept was very different, creative idea to show a nice concept. It went on til 2.30 in the morn.
And very few of us (jus me n Lini along with AMMA ppl) were up till then shouting and encouraging. That AMMA gang…I think I shud give a separate page for them itself. They came from so far off and I cant believe Chennai had such a strong MGOCSM group. But it did. A group of smart, talented, sophisticated young people. It shows how active the Chennai church was once upon a time. It does make me feel sad that group is missing now. I don’t mean the ones now are not good. Otherwise how wud they hav done such a gr8 event, taken it forward so far, planned it all so well, made it such a success. But still that gang was even better. There was a josh in there, a sort of oneness, even after so many yrs we cud see a bonding among them all that was lacking in us. Sadly yes…they were tog in words and action, we were together only in words. Made me wish I was born then. At least just to hav seen this wonderful set grow up.Tuesday, February 26, 2008
The second day
Centum Glorios started on a holy note the next morn. We had the English Holy Communion celebrated by HG Dr Yacoub Mar Iraneous and accompanied by the Broadway Cathedral Choir.
Do ask me whether I listened to any of the above discourses..? Well no..i tried to catch up on those ppl with whom I knew I wud never get a chance to be wid after this conference. So there I was at the help desk, at the reception, all around the place, enjoying this beauty never seen in the city and also enjoyin it with the ppl I like most...[J] After lunch we were supposed to be back for the T20 talk by Valson Thampu…Lik I did..!! Hey but I dint go cos v had to dress up…u see the public meeting was starting at 4…many senior members of our church from Chennai were gonna come for it…and as part of the celebs we were singing the MGOCSM centenary anthem. It was to be sung by a 100 member choir as shown…count it..!! 
And I was in a sari that day…and as usual it was tied bad..!! Thankfully Vineeta was there…as always the now ‘kochamma’ helped out. Cha..!! a kid one yr younger than me did it for me…that’s wen I decided I’m gonna learn to tie it on my own…hmmm back to the past…so sari tied, practice over and we all stepped into the main hall. That’s wen they called us over to sing the welcome song for the thirumenis (Thobashalom). The hall was empty with few of us in there. We took our places. The first ones to enter were the laymen, then the tirumenis entered and we started our song. The rest all I remember is clicks, clicks n clicks (Camera yaar !!). But I dint expect so much. Everyone who had a camera was der taking snaps. Imagine 20+ of them clicking away, focusing their cameras on u as us sing…mite be normal for many but not for me…I was taken aback…dint no weder to laugh, stare or act normal (that I cudnt !!). Of course I faced this once again wen we sang as a 100 member choir but then it dint seem as much as it did now…!! But felt spl for that second [;)]. Small things u can turn back n smile at in life…
Ok. I said so much abt this dint talk abt the public meeting. Well guess wat to bring the tirumenis and priests to the main hall we had a procession of ‘chenda mellam’ (characteristic of krla) called from there [:)] and of the band playing…but then ya…the chenda mellam took all the attention. 
Then we had the extempore ‘Talk Your Way To Jerusalem’. There were 5 finalists, good topics, few spoke well in that. But ya extempore is difficult. I shudnt speak abt it. I cant even do my presentations properly. Anyhow the winner decided we went to the next prog the rock show..!! The one wich had so many controversies and caused ppl to make such big issues in krla..!! Well wat r progs without any controversies. It just shows how much famous this conference was. [J] Anyways so coming to the show there were 4 churches participating and we were supporting Chennai. We have to..!! but still Bombay was amazing. I have to admit it…they’re song selection and the way they sang…in parts…jus four voices but strong ones…too good it was…and of course so it was easy to decide the winner. And to end the day in a spl way we had a live show
by Swapna Abraham- a famous gospel singer. Oh her voice..!! the most amazing one among all that ive heard…gave me goosebumps…felt there was nothing else worth doing than listening to her day and nite. But then all good things come to an end and this day too did. At 12 midnite all of us said good nite (shud hav been Gud Morning) and went off to sleep…so here ends the second day.
After that was we headed to the cafeteria to have our breakfast and a lil bit of freshening up.
This was followed by the sessions for that day. Oxygen started of with the praise and song worship for the day. And den we had Dr. P.C. Alexander giving a gist of the moments he relished being with the MGOCSM. The next session which was a the second portion of the main theme (Celebrating and rediscovering Christ through Orthodoxy in our Study) was given by Rev. Fr. Philip Thomas. We then broke for lunch.
Do ask me whether I listened to any of the above discourses..? Well no..i tried to catch up on those ppl with whom I knew I wud never get a chance to be wid after this conference. So there I was at the help desk, at the reception, all around the place, enjoying this beauty never seen in the city and also enjoyin it with the ppl I like most...[J] After lunch we were supposed to be back for the T20 talk by Valson Thampu…Lik I did..!! Hey but I dint go cos v had to dress up…u see the public meeting was starting at 4…many senior members of our church from Chennai were gonna come for it…and as part of the celebs we were singing the MGOCSM centenary anthem. It was to be sung by a 100 member choir as shown…count it..!! 
And I was in a sari that day…and as usual it was tied bad..!! Thankfully Vineeta was there…as always the now ‘kochamma’ helped out. Cha..!! a kid one yr younger than me did it for me…that’s wen I decided I’m gonna learn to tie it on my own…hmmm back to the past…so sari tied, practice over and we all stepped into the main hall. That’s wen they called us over to sing the welcome song for the thirumenis (Thobashalom). The hall was empty with few of us in there. We took our places. The first ones to enter were the laymen, then the tirumenis entered and we started our song. The rest all I remember is clicks, clicks n clicks (Camera yaar !!). But I dint expect so much. Everyone who had a camera was der taking snaps. Imagine 20+ of them clicking away, focusing their cameras on u as us sing…mite be normal for many but not for me…I was taken aback…dint no weder to laugh, stare or act normal (that I cudnt !!). Of course I faced this once again wen we sang as a 100 member choir but then it dint seem as much as it did now…!! But felt spl for that second [;)]. Small things u can turn back n smile at in life…
Ok. I said so much abt this dint talk abt the public meeting. Well guess wat to bring the tirumenis and priests to the main hall we had a procession of ‘chenda mellam’ (characteristic of krla) called from there [:)] and of the band playing…but then ya…the chenda mellam took all the attention. There were speeches as usual. In the middle of one speech all of us walked out (act v wanted to change) but it was so obvious wid 60+ of us walkin out and that dignitary was like “They think they know it all and so don’t want to listen”…Hmmmm.!! So lets get over with the public meeting and get on with the fireworks…how lovely u no…too good, amazing ones…esp the one which went like worms on the sky…so colourful and ending with the MGOCSM one…
Then we had the extempore ‘Talk Your Way To Jerusalem’. There were 5 finalists, good topics, few spoke well in that. But ya extempore is difficult. I shudnt speak abt it. I cant even do my presentations properly. Anyhow the winner decided we went to the next prog the rock show..!! The one wich had so many controversies and caused ppl to make such big issues in krla..!! Well wat r progs without any controversies. It just shows how much famous this conference was. [J] Anyways so coming to the show there were 4 churches participating and we were supporting Chennai. We have to..!! but still Bombay was amazing. I have to admit it…they’re song selection and the way they sang…in parts…jus four voices but strong ones…too good it was…and of course so it was easy to decide the winner. And to end the day in a spl way we had a live show
by Swapna Abraham- a famous gospel singer. Oh her voice..!! the most amazing one among all that ive heard…gave me goosebumps…felt there was nothing else worth doing than listening to her day and nite. But then all good things come to an end and this day too did. At 12 midnite all of us said good nite (shud hav been Gud Morning) and went off to sleep…so here ends the second day.Monday, February 25, 2008
Centum Glorios-12th Jan 2008
Seems jus lik yday…ok ok…I no…all memoirs start this way. But its true. Spl days will always be fresh in mind. And so abt the 12th of Jan.
I rem waking up at 5.30 all on my own (somethin ive never done in my 4 yrs of coll life), getting ready and all set asking my dad to drop me at the chetput church(“fast pappa, the bus will be der at 6.15 sharp”), and as most eager fathers do mine too dropped me rite on time der. Den started de wait (wid reji, frenchi and a no of others from my church). Waitin til 8..!!.it did come finally and guess wich bus…my coll bus.!!. Act they had booked my coll buses only for the first 2 days. I entered the bus and the driver was lik “Amma, dis bus is not going to coll”...!! Lik I dint no. Did he think I was crazy to attend coll on holidays…esp pongal holidays.
Anyways the initial trouble notwithstanding v continued our journey. Thru teynampet, cenotaph road, kotturpuram, crossing Madhya kailash and Tidal Park and den on thru ECR…on n on n on. Past VGP, Mayajaal, MGM, past my coll, a glance over the start of mahabs…still goin on n on…until v wer sure thy wer planning to take us to
And der v got down like the good children v are, picked up r bags and on towards the registration area to collect r stuff, id cards and directions for our dorms. But before proceeding to the rooms v did the first thing most of us do…rush to the cafeteria for r food. It was a nice breakfast(at 10.30)..!!..more like brunch. And den after a wash n some freshening up v went to the main hall for the inaugural.
In addition to the addresses by the various heads of the organization v had the rendition of the 100th Year Anthem by the MGOCSM members of the Chennai church.
This was followed by the flag hosting ceremony outside wid the various delegates posing with der team. And den each wer given a balloon asked to wish for something spl and send it to heaven…Direct to God :)
Well after that v had the sing song by the Oxygen group of our church. A bunch of young guys n girls who enjoy singing and use music as a tool to get u closer to the Lord. They had some amazing songs and dey treated us to those songs everyday for half hour.
After so much of fun, well, there had to be some serious work too. Some work for r mind and soul. So here v go on to the main address of the day:
Celebrate n rediscover Christ thru orthodoxy in our worship---Rev Fr Dr John Mathews
And the T20 talks by Philip Kurivilla achen and Kuruvilla George
Well I cant say much abt the above 3 since I cant spin such big stories. I’ll confess. I wasn’t der for any of the talks rite from D1 to the last…Im not proud abt this fact and I wont say I was so busy. I act made sure I somehow got myself busy by doing something jus to avoid them. I was never an avid listener of speeches and it really takes too much of effort to make me one so I dint take the chance. Hey but I heard tht few talks wer really good…told by my mom who dint attend the conference..!! Well she used to read these talks wich wer published in the Manorama.
Im skipping the next talk too, one by Rev Fr Thomas Ninan (the reason is obvious-hey nothing against the achens…trust me), but I want to talk abt the Gregorian worship tht we had. It was awesome(to say in one word). I cant describe the feeling I had there…sitting wid no lights on, jus the candles burning giving tht calm, sometimes eerie atmosphere, wer u cud feel ur own breath, every small twitch tht ur body makes. It made us feel like v wer in a different place, far far away from earth, wer u cud feel the presence of the Unseen, the perfect place wer anyone will fall down on their feet n pray. And to add to all this wer the pictures. Those images wer so lovely, never seen many of tht type. I think they are Gregorian style ones, but ones in wich each character was given so deep features making them all so real, drawing u to them.
That was it for the first day. It broke early for the first day na?..Yes it did. V wer al in r beds by 12. Too early but then tht was cos it was the first day. And of course v had mass the next morn. At 7. And so all had to be in bed early to wake up early. So g’nite for now.
And here are the pics:
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
MGOCSM Centenary Anthem: Centum Glorios
Unaroo yuve hridayangalae…
Bharatham uyarnnu varumbol unarnoo varoo…
Ningal munnil varoo…
Aaradhana…vigyaanam…sevanam
Nammude lakshyam…daivaniyogam….. (unaroo)
** Snaehamrithamaay ozhugivarunorru
Daivakripayil…Thomasleehayaal
Sthapitham aayoru Malankara orthodox
Sabhayuda…arumma santhanamae…
Parumala thirumeniyae…kochu thirumeniyae…
Maha…parishudhanae (unaroo)
**Angayude namathil kondadum…
Shathabdi aagoshikkum vidyarthi prasthanathae
Than karangalal thaangi nadathum pon thirumeniyae
Daiva mahathwam vazhthattae…
Nin thirunaamam vazhthattae…vazhthattae… (unaroo)
**Samooha nanmakk aadharamayoru
Swabhava shudhi samskkaram aadarshangal…evide uyarthattae….
Lokam aagae unarthattae…nammude vidyarthi prasthanam…
Aayiram aayiram hadha bhagyaraam
Paavangal kkanugrahamai theerattae…. (unaroo)Tuesday, February 19, 2008
Centum Glorious: 100 yrs of MGOCSM
MGOCSM stands for Mar Gregorios Orthodox Christian Student Movement
MGOCSM is the students wing of the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church, It was formed to bring together Orthodox students at colleges and high schools levels and to create in them fellowship among them. Initially the movement was started in 1907 by a group of Students and Senior leaders in Madras under the name 'Syrian Student Conference' and its first Annual meeting was held at Thiruvalla on January 1, 1908.The "Syrian Student Conference" assumed its present name "MGOCSM" with the motto "Worship, Study, Service" in the year 1960. It is the oldest Christian Organization in
So this year being the 100th yr since its inception MGOCSM had their annual conference in Chennai wich was held from the 12-15th of Jan. at the Transworld Radio’s
"Celebrating and Rediscovering Christ through Orthodoxy in our Worship, Study and Service"
One month has passed by and I stil am not able to get out of the hold tht it captured me into…maybe cos it was the first conference I attended, I knew many ppl there…but whatever I know it was excellent…cos it was organized by the best minds in our church, in our diocese…selfless ppl who spent so much of their precious time jus to make this a success…the MGOCSM of the Chennai diocese-past and present.
The turnout was amazing which shows the amt of publicity given to it…a record 850 registrations (maximum in any MGOCSM conference history), the crowd from
I want to put a few words abt how the conference was but im not able to start..want to say abt everything, so many things…wer and how…? I think I’ll start wid the place…
Transworld Dhyana Nilayam: On the ECR even further from Mahabalipuram is this centre built for the sole purpose of wich its name signifies...retreat, dhyanam...and wat a place...When the buses entered the place on 12th morn the first sight was a shamiana beside the reception hall put up to serve for registraions..this place had dorms(4 in all) the biggest i had ever seen wid bunker beds(pillows bedsheets and towels provided)...there wer spl cottages for guests each a petite one room comfortable for the short stay, away from the crowd and still not distant....there was a mansion type for the thirumenis..sadly i dint get to see it full...there was a cafeteria wich cud fit the entire lot of us and in-house cooks to serve breakfast, lunch n dinner..the food was real good all 4 days esp wen u see the crowd they had tp provide for..and of course the conference hall..tht was at the end of the site and beyond it was the beach...the Bay of Bengal in all its beauty...and all this was not crammed up...so much of free area jus for us to run around and enjoy...never making us feel claustrophobic....the place was the first push tht made us move further inside and feel at home so much away from the same....More abt those 4 days in later posts....till then hav fun and take care...
Celebrate and Rediscover Christianity in every act u do....
Monday, February 18, 2008
Y do v need to pray ?
This was a topic i started in r community in orkut...and i got so many replies from such a large no of wonderful ppl...some of them even researched jus to get the answers wid link and all....wat can i say than jus put down all tht i learned from them.....in short...a a summary...
Prayer is not just a petition of our needs and wants in this world but constant conversation with God cos, we understand Him as the one who loves us the most, as the One who lives in us....V need Him just like all humans need air, water, food, family and friends to survive. Faith is a way of life for us wich keeps us sane in today's mad, world....Prayer is where we establish our relationship with God...Christ sustains us, and He is a part of our lives....But in order to open up our hearts to Christ,we need to establish a relationship with Him in prayer...Prayer makes God more accessible to the believer...Prayer is a way of training the will to desire the good, as well as of turning our wills towards the highest concentration of all good, namely God...God wants us to have a part in the task of shaping this world through prayer and knowledge and work
By prayer we do change reality. God has given us that power...But this power is not available to us until we become more godlike...
In prayer the first focus is God. The second focus is other people. Only in the third place should we ask things for ourselves.....
And the following are my additions...wat i felt abt prayer..how i had seen it....
Prayer is one way how v learn to move closer to God, in wich v approach the goodness of God...it helps us to renew our relationship wid the person who created us...jus lik a daily conversation wid our mom or dad brings us close together...this is one way wer v can talk to r heavenly father...but y talk to Him wen v hav our parents..? cos He's the reason v hav our parents....He's left a part of Himself widin me jus lik my dad's left a part of himself in me...i look to my dad to und hw i can be more lik him...similarly i pray to God to find out how i can be more like Him....Will he answer me wen i ask somethin...??...thts somethin i hav to find out on my own...Prayer makes me understand my vulnerability...is it good...??...it makes me feel that there is somethin above me much stronger wich has control over my life....It makes me feel human....Prayer makes me believe in miracles....
So do u pray...?..if not ur missing something....ur missing a part of urself u ill never no otherwise...try them out....
"nanniyoda njaan sthuthi paadeedum yente yeshu naadha
yennikkaay nee cheythoru nannmaykkay ennum nanni chollidum njaan"
Prayer is not just a petition of our needs and wants in this world but constant conversation with God cos, we understand Him as the one who loves us the most, as the One who lives in us....V need Him just like all humans need air, water, food, family and friends to survive. Faith is a way of life for us wich keeps us sane in today's mad, world....Prayer is where we establish our relationship with God...Christ sustains us, and He is a part of our lives....But in order to open up our hearts to Christ,we need to establish a relationship with Him in prayer...Prayer makes God more accessible to the believer...Prayer is a way of training the will to desire the good, as well as of turning our wills towards the highest concentration of all good, namely God...God wants us to have a part in the task of shaping this world through prayer and knowledge and work
By prayer we do change reality. God has given us that power...But this power is not available to us until we become more godlike...
In prayer the first focus is God. The second focus is other people. Only in the third place should we ask things for ourselves.....
And the following are my additions...wat i felt abt prayer..how i had seen it....
Prayer is one way how v learn to move closer to God, in wich v approach the goodness of God...it helps us to renew our relationship wid the person who created us...jus lik a daily conversation wid our mom or dad brings us close together...this is one way wer v can talk to r heavenly father...but y talk to Him wen v hav our parents..? cos He's the reason v hav our parents....He's left a part of Himself widin me jus lik my dad's left a part of himself in me...i look to my dad to und hw i can be more lik him...similarly i pray to God to find out how i can be more like Him....Will he answer me wen i ask somethin...??...thts somethin i hav to find out on my own...Prayer makes me understand my vulnerability...is it good...??...it makes me feel that there is somethin above me much stronger wich has control over my life....It makes me feel human....Prayer makes me believe in miracles....
So do u pray...?..if not ur missing something....ur missing a part of urself u ill never no otherwise...try them out....
"nanniyoda njaan sthuthi paadeedum yente yeshu naadha
yennikkaay nee cheythoru nannmaykkay ennum nanni chollidum njaan"
Sunday, February 17, 2008
Why me..?
Arthur Ashe, the legendary Wimbledon player was dying of AIDS which he got due to infected
blood he received during a heart surgery in 1983.From world over, he received letters from his fans, one of which conveyed: "Why does GOD have to select you for such a bad disease"?
To this Arthur Ashe replied:
" The world over -- 50 million children start playing tennis, 5 million learn to play tennis,
500,000 learn professional tennis, 50,000 come to the circuit, 5000 reach the grand slam,
50 reach Wimbledon, 4 to semi final, 2 to the finals,
when I was holding a cup I never asked GOD 'Why me?'.
And today in pain I should not be asking GOD 'Why me?' "
Happiness keeps you Sweet,
Trials keep you Strong,
Sorrow keeps you Human,
Failure keeps you humble and Success keeps you glowing, but only Faith & Attitude Keeps you going...
blood he received during a heart surgery in 1983.From world over, he received letters from his fans, one of which conveyed: "Why does GOD have to select you for such a bad disease"?
To this Arthur Ashe replied:
" The world over -- 50 million children start playing tennis, 5 million learn to play tennis,
500,000 learn professional tennis, 50,000 come to the circuit, 5000 reach the grand slam,
50 reach Wimbledon, 4 to semi final, 2 to the finals,
when I was holding a cup I never asked GOD 'Why me?'.
And today in pain I should not be asking GOD 'Why me?' "
Happiness keeps you Sweet,
Trials keep you Strong,
Sorrow keeps you Human,
Failure keeps you humble and Success keeps you glowing, but only Faith & Attitude Keeps you going...
Friday, February 15, 2008
I HAVE LEARNED
*I have learned...that life is like a roll of toilet paper. The closer it gets to the end, the faster it goes.
*I have learned...that we should be glad God does not give us everything we ask for.
*I have learned...that money does not buy class.
*I have learned...that it's those small daily happenings that make life so spectacular.
*I have learned...that under everyone's hard shell is someone who wants to be appreciated and loved.
*I have learned...that the Lord did not do it all in one day.
What makes me think I can?
*I have learned...that to ignore the facts does not change the facts.
*I have learned...that the less time I have to work, the more things I get done.
*I have learned...that we should be glad God does not give us everything we ask for.
*I have learned...that money does not buy class.
*I have learned...that it's those small daily happenings that make life so spectacular.
*I have learned...that under everyone's hard shell is someone who wants to be appreciated and loved.
*I have learned...that the Lord did not do it all in one day.
What makes me think I can?
*I have learned...that to ignore the facts does not change the facts.
*I have learned...that the less time I have to work, the more things I get done.
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
The beauty of a woman
A little boy asked his mother,
"Why are you crying?
"Because I'm a woman," she told him.
"I don't understand," he said.
His Mom just hugged him And said, "And you never will."
Later the little boy asked his father,"Why does mother seem to cry for no reason?""All women cry for no reason," was all his dad could say. The little boy grew up and became a man,Still wondering why women cry.Finally he put in a call to God.
When God got on the phone, he asked,
"God, why do women cry so easily?"
God said: "When I made the woman she had to be special.
I made her shoulders strong enough to carry the weight of the world, yet gentle enough to give comfort.
I gave her an inner strength to endure childbirth and the rejection that many times comes from her children.
I gave her a hardness that allows her to keep going when everyone else gives up, and take care of her family through sickness and fatigue without complaining.
I gave her the sensitivity to love her children under any
and all circumstances, even when her child has hurt her very badly.
I gave her strength to carry her husband through his faults and fashioned her from his rib to protect his heart.
I gave her wisdom to know that a good husband never hurts his wife, but sometimes tests her strengths and her resolve to stand beside him unfalteringly.
And finally, I gave her a tear to shed. this is hers, exclusively to use whenever it is needed.""You see my son," said God, "the beauty of a woman is not in the clothes she wears, the figure that she carries, or the way she combs her hair The beauty of a woman must be seen in her eyes, because that is the doorway to her heart - the place where love resides."
"Why are you crying?
"Because I'm a woman," she told him.
"I don't understand," he said.
His Mom just hugged him And said, "And you never will."
Later the little boy asked his father,"Why does mother seem to cry for no reason?""All women cry for no reason," was all his dad could say. The little boy grew up and became a man,Still wondering why women cry.Finally he put in a call to God.
When God got on the phone, he asked,
"God, why do women cry so easily?"
God said: "When I made the woman she had to be special.
I made her shoulders strong enough to carry the weight of the world, yet gentle enough to give comfort.
I gave her an inner strength to endure childbirth and the rejection that many times comes from her children.
I gave her a hardness that allows her to keep going when everyone else gives up, and take care of her family through sickness and fatigue without complaining.
I gave her the sensitivity to love her children under any
and all circumstances, even when her child has hurt her very badly.
I gave her strength to carry her husband through his faults and fashioned her from his rib to protect his heart.
I gave her wisdom to know that a good husband never hurts his wife, but sometimes tests her strengths and her resolve to stand beside him unfalteringly.
And finally, I gave her a tear to shed. this is hers, exclusively to use whenever it is needed.""You see my son," said God, "the beauty of a woman is not in the clothes she wears, the figure that she carries, or the way she combs her hair The beauty of a woman must be seen in her eyes, because that is the doorway to her heart - the place where love resides."
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
Prison Vs Work
IN PRISON
**you spend the majority of your time in an 8X10 cell.
**you get three meals a day(free).
**you get time off for good behavior.
**a guard locks and unlocks the doors for you.
**you can watch TV and play games
**they allow your family and friends to visit.
**all expenses are paid by taxpayers with no work at all.
AT WORK
**you spend most of your time in a 6X8 cubicle.
**you only get a break for one meal n you have to pay for it yourself.
**you get rewarded for gud behavior with more WORK.
**you must carry around a security card and doors for you unlock open all the doors
yourself.
**you get fired for watching TV or playing games.
**you can not even speak to your family and friends.
**You get to pay all the expenses to go to no work at all work n then they deduct taxes
from ur salary to pay for the prisoners.
Hmmm..!!
Which Sounds Better?
**you spend the majority of your time in an 8X10 cell.
**you get three meals a day(free).
**you get time off for good behavior.
**a guard locks and unlocks the doors for you.
**you can watch TV and play games
**they allow your family and friends to visit.
**all expenses are paid by taxpayers with no work at all.
AT WORK
**you spend most of your time in a 6X8 cubicle.
**you only get a break for one meal n you have to pay for it yourself.
**you get rewarded for gud behavior with more WORK.
**you must carry around a security card and doors for you unlock open all the doors
yourself.
**you get fired for watching TV or playing games.
**you can not even speak to your family and friends.
**You get to pay all the expenses to go to no work at all work n then they deduct taxes
from ur salary to pay for the prisoners.
Hmmm..!!
Which Sounds Better?
Charles Schultz Philosophy
The following is the philosophy of Charles Schultz, the creator of the "Peanuts" comic strip. You don't have to actually answer the questions. Just read straight through, and you'll get the point.
1. Name the five wealthiest people in the world.
2. Name the last five Heisman trophy winners.
3. Name the last five winners of the Miss America.
4. Name ten people who have won the Nobel or Pulitzer Prize.
5. Name the last half dozen Academy Award winner for best actor and actress.
6. Name the last decade's worth of World Series winners.
The point is, none of us remember the headliners of yesterday. These are no second-rate achievers. They are the best in their fields. But the applause dies, awards tarnish, achievements forgotten, accolades n certificates are buried with their owners.
Here's another quiz. See how you do on this one:
1. List a few teachers who aided your journey through school.
2. Name three friends who have helped you through a difficult time.
3. Name five people who have taught you something worthwhile.
4. Think of a few people who have made you feel appreciated and special.
5. Think of five people you enjoy spending time with.
The lesson: The people who make a difference in your life are not the ones with the most credentials, the most money, or the most awards. They are the ones that care.
"Don't worry about the world coming to an end today. It's already tomorrow in Australia." (Charles Schultz)
1. Name the five wealthiest people in the world.
2. Name the last five Heisman trophy winners.
3. Name the last five winners of the Miss America.
4. Name ten people who have won the Nobel or Pulitzer Prize.
5. Name the last half dozen Academy Award winner for best actor and actress.
6. Name the last decade's worth of World Series winners.
The point is, none of us remember the headliners of yesterday. These are no second-rate achievers. They are the best in their fields. But the applause dies, awards tarnish, achievements forgotten, accolades n certificates are buried with their owners.
Here's another quiz. See how you do on this one:
1. List a few teachers who aided your journey through school.
2. Name three friends who have helped you through a difficult time.
3. Name five people who have taught you something worthwhile.
4. Think of a few people who have made you feel appreciated and special.
5. Think of five people you enjoy spending time with.
The lesson: The people who make a difference in your life are not the ones with the most credentials, the most money, or the most awards. They are the ones that care.
"Don't worry about the world coming to an end today. It's already tomorrow in Australia." (Charles Schultz)
Sunday, February 10, 2008
Does love hurt ?
Well thats one question id love to get the answer from and the whole world will be ready to oblige....wid one answer..YES...but y...?...y do so many feel that love hurts...does it really..? Or is it just the dissatisfaction one feels wen the person u loved a lot and expected so much from does one mistake(magnitude not of importance here). Everyone has spl ppl in their lives, ranging from their spl someone, to their best frnd to fav cousin or even parents. And u end up loving them so much more than anything else(as far as u no). Its not like they don love u and u do no tht they do. But then they fail for 5 secs and u end up feeling they are moving away, tht they're not the same, they've changed, they've got new ppl, new frnds...this feeling grows and grows till u both distance urself and then u say 'LOVE HURTS. One shud never love anyone beyond a limit.'
Is this fair.? Both to the person u love and to urself. Love never hurts. Its only cos v dont understand it that v feel it hurt. Open up, feel free, enjoy life and love everyone cos it costs nothing. And the most important point here..don expect too much from anyone..anyone for that matter however close. Simply cos love never hurts. It opens so many avenues u wud hav never known before. It teaches u to live. After all its a matter of the heart.
"o mamma mamma mamma chandamamma"
Is this fair.? Both to the person u love and to urself. Love never hurts. Its only cos v dont understand it that v feel it hurt. Open up, feel free, enjoy life and love everyone cos it costs nothing. And the most important point here..don expect too much from anyone..anyone for that matter however close. Simply cos love never hurts. It opens so many avenues u wud hav never known before. It teaches u to live. After all its a matter of the heart.
"o mamma mamma mamma chandamamma"
For that guy who...
Find a guy who calls you beautiful instead of hot...
Who calls you back when you hang up on him...
Who will stay awake just to watch you sleep...
Wait for the guy who kisses your forehead...
Who wants to show you off to the world when you are in your sweats...
Who holds your hand in front of his friends...
Wait for the one who is constantly reminding you of how much he cares about you and how lucky he is to have you...
Wait for the one who turns to his friends and says, "...that's her, or that's him"...
Who calls you back when you hang up on him...
Who will stay awake just to watch you sleep...
Wait for the guy who kisses your forehead...
Who wants to show you off to the world when you are in your sweats...
Who holds your hand in front of his friends...
Wait for the one who is constantly reminding you of how much he cares about you and how lucky he is to have you...
Wait for the one who turns to his friends and says, "...that's her, or that's him"...
Saturday, February 9, 2008
SLOW DANCE
Have you ever watched kids
On a merry-go-round?
Or listened to the rain
Slapping on the ground?
Ever followed a butterfly's erratic flight?
Or gazed at the sun into the fading night?
You better slow down.
Don't dance so fast.
Time is short.
The music won't last.
Do you run through each day
On the fly?
When you ask How are you?
Do you hear the reply?
When the day is done
Do you lie in your bed
With the next hundred chores
Running through your head?
You'd better slow down
Don't dance so fast.
Time is short.
The music won't last.
Ever told your child,
We'll do it tomorrow?
And in your haste,
Not see his sorrow?
Ever lost touch,
Let a good friendship die
Cos you never had time
To call and say "Hi"
You'd better slow down.
Don't dance so fast.
Time is short.
The music won't last.
When you run so fast to get somewhere
You miss half the fun of getting there.
When you worry and hurry through your day,
It is like an unopened gift..
Thrown away.
Life is not a race.
Do take it slower
Hear the music
Before the song is over.
Friday, February 8, 2008
About me...in short....
While the entire world has started dis long back, ya, maybe im quite late. Had always been quite content wid the joys of penning down my thots than typing it. So hav i left the paper forever. Nope, thats not possible. Cos i no nothin can match to scribbling on pieces of processed wood pulp for yrs to come...at least for me. So starting on my first blog to say few things abt me as much as i hav understood.( yes, of couse there are times i don und wat im doing n why! )
Basically a malayalee(im slowly finding pride in saying that), i was born in chennai and lived my entire life here, school and college. I studied in Good Shepherd(pretty much known in chennai) from my KG to 12th, and rite now doin my Engg in SSNCE, Kalavakkam. Im quite religious though within limits. I do often question some beliefs but then my faith is too strong. I accept certain things as such, no questions asked. Cos few things can only be experienced and few others never be explained by anyone. I love to travel, see the world around me, experience different cultures, learn languages. I get bored very easily of constancy. Seriously hav no idea how i studied in the same school for 14 yrs..! But then i still miss school, the grounds, the fun v had there. All girls school is amazing in its own way. The freedom, the place wer v rule all tryin to be tomboys. Well i'll stop the blog here. Getting quite long for the first one. So till then...
"ente kalbile vennilavu nee nalla paatukkara "
Basically a malayalee(im slowly finding pride in saying that), i was born in chennai and lived my entire life here, school and college. I studied in Good Shepherd(pretty much known in chennai) from my KG to 12th, and rite now doin my Engg in SSNCE, Kalavakkam. Im quite religious though within limits. I do often question some beliefs but then my faith is too strong. I accept certain things as such, no questions asked. Cos few things can only be experienced and few others never be explained by anyone. I love to travel, see the world around me, experience different cultures, learn languages. I get bored very easily of constancy. Seriously hav no idea how i studied in the same school for 14 yrs..! But then i still miss school, the grounds, the fun v had there. All girls school is amazing in its own way. The freedom, the place wer v rule all tryin to be tomboys. Well i'll stop the blog here. Getting quite long for the first one. So till then...
"ente kalbile vennilavu nee nalla paatukkara "
Thursday, February 7, 2008
Think like a donkey
One day a farmer's donkey fell down into a well. The animal cried piteously for hours as the farmer tried to figure out what to do. Finally, he decided the animal was old, and the well needed to be covered up anyway; it just wasn't worth it to retrieve the donkey. He invited all his neighbors to come over and help him. They all grabbed a shovel and began to shovel dirt into the well. At first, the donkey realized what was happening and cried horribly. Then, to everyone's amazement he quieted down. A few shovel loads later, the farmer finally looked down the well. He was astonished at what he saw. With each shovel of dirt that hit his back, the donkey was doing something amazing. He would shake it off and take a step up. As the farmer's neighbors continued to shovel dirt on top of the animal, he would shake it off and take a step up. Pretty soon, everyone was amazed as the donkey stepped up over the edge of the well and happily trotted off!
Life is going to shovel dirt on you, all kinds of dirt. The trick to getting out of the well is to shake it off and take a step up. Each of our troubles is a steppingstone. We can get out of the deepest wells just by not stopping, never giving up! Shake it off and take a step up.
Feel it? Express it..
The many things I'd like to say
The letter I wanted to write today,
The kindly deed that I meant to do,
But never had time to carry through
These are the things that tear me apart,
For, to tell the truth, it breaks my heart,
That all the nice things I meant to do,
I never had time to carry through..
The letter I wanted to write today,
The kindly deed that I meant to do,
But never had time to carry through
These are the things that tear me apart,
For, to tell the truth, it breaks my heart,
That all the nice things I meant to do,
I never had time to carry through..
Rules to be happy
** Free your heart from hatred - Forgive.
** Free your mind from worries - Most never happen.
** Live simply and appreciate what you have.
** Give more.
** Expect less
** Free your mind from worries - Most never happen.
** Live simply and appreciate what you have.
** Give more.
** Expect less
Wednesday, February 6, 2008
Thoughts worth sharing...
** Choose ur frnds by their character and ur socks by their color.
choosing ur socks by their character makes no sense and choosing ur frnds by their color is
unthinkable.
** there are 2 ways of meeting difficulties:
U alter the dificulties, or u alter urself to meet them.
** In the end its not the years in ur life tht count. Its the life in ur yrs.
** There's no use in growing up if u cant be childish sometimes.
** U don stop laughing because u grow old.
U grow old because u stopped laughing.
choosing ur socks by their character makes no sense and choosing ur frnds by their color is
unthinkable.
** there are 2 ways of meeting difficulties:
U alter the dificulties, or u alter urself to meet them.
** In the end its not the years in ur life tht count. Its the life in ur yrs.
** There's no use in growing up if u cant be childish sometimes.
** U don stop laughing because u grow old.
U grow old because u stopped laughing.
Mistakes happen to everyone..
The mistakes committed by Rowling while writing her book...
*Every year, students board the Hogwarts Express on September 1, and
the next day when their classes start, it's always a Monday. How can
September 2 be a Monday EVERY year?
*In Book 1: US, paperback edition, pg. 96. It says that Percy had a
silver prefects' badge. Book 5: US, hard-cover edition, pg. 161.
Here it says that the prefects' badges are scarlet and gold.
*At the second to last page of the Scholastic Paperback version
of "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets", it says a bit about
the third book, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. " Harry
Potter has to sneak back to his third year at Hogwarts after
accidentally inflating his horrible Aunt Petunia". But how could
that be. As we all know that Harry inflated his horrible Aunt
Marge.
*Dumbledore was Transfiguration teacher before he was Headmaster, and
Remus Lupin was born in/around 1960 (in OotP Snape is 35 or 36, so
we can make an estimate on Remus' age in PoA from that). Now: On
page 352 of the hardback (Ch. Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot, and Prongs),
Lupin says "I was a very small boy when I received the [werewolf]
bite," and on the next page says "It seemed impossible that I would
be able to come to Hogwarts . . . But then Dumbledore became
Headmaster . . . " and of course Dumbledore allowed Remus to attend
Hogwarts. Now skip ahead to OotP. On page 321 (Ch. The Hogwarts High
Inquisitor), McGonagall says she has been teaching at Hogwarts
for "thirty-nine years this December." Assuming that McGonagall has
always taught Transfiguration (never any other subject) at Hogwarts,
and also assuming that at this point Remus would also be 35 or 36
(based on Snape's age), then Dumbledore would have been Headmaster
for at least three years before Remus was born. So why did Remus say
he wouldn't have been able to attend Hogwarts if Dumbledore hadn't
become Headmaster after Remus was bitten?
*Every year, students board the Hogwarts Express on September 1, and
the next day when their classes start, it's always a Monday. How can
September 2 be a Monday EVERY year?
*In Book 1: US, paperback edition, pg. 96. It says that Percy had a
silver prefects' badge. Book 5: US, hard-cover edition, pg. 161.
Here it says that the prefects' badges are scarlet and gold.
*At the second to last page of the Scholastic Paperback version
of "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets", it says a bit about
the third book, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. " Harry
Potter has to sneak back to his third year at Hogwarts after
accidentally inflating his horrible Aunt Petunia". But how could
that be. As we all know that Harry inflated his horrible Aunt
Marge.
*Dumbledore was Transfiguration teacher before he was Headmaster, and
Remus Lupin was born in/around 1960 (in OotP Snape is 35 or 36, so
we can make an estimate on Remus' age in PoA from that). Now: On
page 352 of the hardback (Ch. Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot, and Prongs),
Lupin says "I was a very small boy when I received the [werewolf]
bite," and on the next page says "It seemed impossible that I would
be able to come to Hogwarts . . . But then Dumbledore became
Headmaster . . . " and of course Dumbledore allowed Remus to attend
Hogwarts. Now skip ahead to OotP. On page 321 (Ch. The Hogwarts High
Inquisitor), McGonagall says she has been teaching at Hogwarts
for "thirty-nine years this December." Assuming that McGonagall has
always taught Transfiguration (never any other subject) at Hogwarts,
and also assuming that at this point Remus would also be 35 or 36
(based on Snape's age), then Dumbledore would have been Headmaster
for at least three years before Remus was born. So why did Remus say
he wouldn't have been able to attend Hogwarts if Dumbledore hadn't
become Headmaster after Remus was bitten?
Tuesday, February 5, 2008
Movies do teach
Dil Chahta Hai.......
*Freaking out and enjoying life doesn't need drugs or cigarettes.
*There are relationships apart from bf/gf, marriage, siblings,
friendship that can be very emotional and true which is beyond the
understanding of many people.
*And yeah even though u may be the best of friends there is always a
limit which should never be crossed. Then it starts hurting...........
*Believe in Love , true love will never let you down.
*Never be ashamed to go back to your old friends, friends are there to understand your mistakes.
*Do not be afraid of others, always think that others r afraid of you.(Australian Beggar )
*Whenever you need your friend , remember that he is just a phone call away...distances can't separate friends.
*In the end, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends.
*It's the friends you can call up at 4 A. M. that matter.
*The only unchangeable certainty is that nothing is certain or unchangeable.
*The best kind of friend is the kind you can sit on a porch and swing with never say a word, and then walk away feeling like it was the best conversation you've ever had.
Friday, February 1, 2008
What are the differences in today's camcorders?
One might say that this is the best of times and the worst of times for making a decision regarding a video camera. There are many choices from which to select and making a good long-term selection can be difficult.
There are two major issues with which to contend regarding the actual video camera: (1) storage format, and (2) standard definition (SD) or high definition (HD). I'm going to address the latter first as I think it is an easier decision.
There are a handful of high-def video cameras on the market these days. While watching your home movies in HD on your HD t.v. must be very exciting you may run into a problem if you want to create (i.e. capture, edit and burn to DVD) home movies from your recordings. It is my understanding that there remains little in the way of available software for working with high-def home video recordings (at least where the software can work directly with your footage - some software will allow you to work with your footage, but only after transcoding to a different format, which inevitably degrades the quality of the video). This may not be as true today as it was last year, but from what is being seen around the web, the hardware is there, but software has lagged behind. If you are interested in the creative process of making home movies this may prove to be a problem. However, if you simply want to record movies and then watch them (directly) on your television, then go HD if you want to spend the money.
The more complicated issue is the one of to which media format you wish to record your movies. Currently the big three are Mini-DV tape, direct to DVD, and hard-drive-based units. There are some flash-memory type cameras on the market, but at this time I would, again, in my own opinion, steer clear of this option due to it's lack of recording time and video quality. Each of the big three has its own advantages and disadvantages, but it is how you will use your camera that may best determine the more appropriate route for you. That said....
While Mini-DV is the older technology here I still firmly believe it's the best all-round choice for the average consumer. First, the technology is tried-and-true. Second, Mini-DV tapes are rather inexpensive (especially when bought in bulk at a place like Costco or Sam's). Third, while they take a while to download ('capture') onto your computer, there is plenty of software available for editing if that is a direction in which you are currently engaged or think you would like to go. Fourth, they offer a very high-quality image and use a minimum amount of compression. Finally, you can save the tape for long-term storage as it remains quite stable over long periods of time if you take just a modicum of care of the tape.
Direct-to-DVD appears to be a system that is geared towards instant gratification. You can shoot your video and then take your DVD (actually it's a mini-DVD; not a full-sized one) to your computer or stand-alone DVD player and watch it on your monitor or television. It couldn't be simpler. This format works very well if you have no intention of making home movies (avoiding that creative process), but this method comes with a price: video quality. There isn't a whole lot of room on an unused mini DVD. If you elect to capture video using less compression you will have less recording time. If you opt to increase compression you will obtain longer recording times, but the video quality will diminish. This will become even more apparent if you watch your video on a large screen television where compression artifacts will become much more apparent. In addition, the cost of mini DVDs is more than that of mini-DV tapes by a fair margin.
Finally, there is the latest incarnation of media - the well-known hard drive. Hard-drive based camcorders appear to be the wave of the future based upon how many can be seen at the local consumer electronics stores as well as by what is seen in the press and on the Internet. This isn't necessarily a bad thing either as a hard-drive based camcorder seems to bridge the gap between mini-DV tape and mini-DVD based camcorders. With a sufficiently sized hard drive you should be able to record long movies without the need for much in the way of compression, thus offering you good (if not great) quality video as well as long recording times. Transferring your videos to your computer should also be quick, but keep in mind that large video files still take time to transfer. However, you are no longer tied to the 1:1 time ratio when moving video from mini-DV tape to your computer so things will be much quicker than if you purchased a tape-based camcorder.
They only down-side that I can see with hard-drive based units is long-term reliability and I say this from the perspective of the hard-drive. Hard drives can be finicky. When they sit in your desktop PC there is no concern about motion (as opposed to a camcorder being moved while your video tape, dropped, etc.). There are no physical forces being exercised upon the drive other than those created by the drive itself (as it spins and the read/write heads move back and forth). Even laptops are reasonably safe for hard drives because most ppl aren't moving around their laptops while they work on them. A camcorder is a different story and might better be related to the mini hard drives that have been found for years in MP3 players. Both camcorders and MP3 players can receive quite a bit of shock when being moved about in the normal course of use. And even with all the physical and software-based things a company can do to help protect a hard-drive, it is still in an environment that is less than conducive to long-life and reliability (this may be why so many folks see what they perceive to be premature deaths in hard-drive based MP3 players). If you are considering the hard-drive route for a camcorder carefully consider under what circumstances and how often it will be used. Remember, the big professional video cameras used by the ppl at your local television station are tape-based and there is a reason they remain so: tried-and-true and long-term reliability.
There are two major issues with which to contend regarding the actual video camera: (1) storage format, and (2) standard definition (SD) or high definition (HD). I'm going to address the latter first as I think it is an easier decision.
There are a handful of high-def video cameras on the market these days. While watching your home movies in HD on your HD t.v. must be very exciting you may run into a problem if you want to create (i.e. capture, edit and burn to DVD) home movies from your recordings. It is my understanding that there remains little in the way of available software for working with high-def home video recordings (at least where the software can work directly with your footage - some software will allow you to work with your footage, but only after transcoding to a different format, which inevitably degrades the quality of the video). This may not be as true today as it was last year, but from what is being seen around the web, the hardware is there, but software has lagged behind. If you are interested in the creative process of making home movies this may prove to be a problem. However, if you simply want to record movies and then watch them (directly) on your television, then go HD if you want to spend the money.
The more complicated issue is the one of to which media format you wish to record your movies. Currently the big three are Mini-DV tape, direct to DVD, and hard-drive-based units. There are some flash-memory type cameras on the market, but at this time I would, again, in my own opinion, steer clear of this option due to it's lack of recording time and video quality. Each of the big three has its own advantages and disadvantages, but it is how you will use your camera that may best determine the more appropriate route for you. That said....
While Mini-DV is the older technology here I still firmly believe it's the best all-round choice for the average consumer. First, the technology is tried-and-true. Second, Mini-DV tapes are rather inexpensive (especially when bought in bulk at a place like Costco or Sam's). Third, while they take a while to download ('capture') onto your computer, there is plenty of software available for editing if that is a direction in which you are currently engaged or think you would like to go. Fourth, they offer a very high-quality image and use a minimum amount of compression. Finally, you can save the tape for long-term storage as it remains quite stable over long periods of time if you take just a modicum of care of the tape.
Direct-to-DVD appears to be a system that is geared towards instant gratification. You can shoot your video and then take your DVD (actually it's a mini-DVD; not a full-sized one) to your computer or stand-alone DVD player and watch it on your monitor or television. It couldn't be simpler. This format works very well if you have no intention of making home movies (avoiding that creative process), but this method comes with a price: video quality. There isn't a whole lot of room on an unused mini DVD. If you elect to capture video using less compression you will have less recording time. If you opt to increase compression you will obtain longer recording times, but the video quality will diminish. This will become even more apparent if you watch your video on a large screen television where compression artifacts will become much more apparent. In addition, the cost of mini DVDs is more than that of mini-DV tapes by a fair margin.
Finally, there is the latest incarnation of media - the well-known hard drive. Hard-drive based camcorders appear to be the wave of the future based upon how many can be seen at the local consumer electronics stores as well as by what is seen in the press and on the Internet. This isn't necessarily a bad thing either as a hard-drive based camcorder seems to bridge the gap between mini-DV tape and mini-DVD based camcorders. With a sufficiently sized hard drive you should be able to record long movies without the need for much in the way of compression, thus offering you good (if not great) quality video as well as long recording times. Transferring your videos to your computer should also be quick, but keep in mind that large video files still take time to transfer. However, you are no longer tied to the 1:1 time ratio when moving video from mini-DV tape to your computer so things will be much quicker than if you purchased a tape-based camcorder.
They only down-side that I can see with hard-drive based units is long-term reliability and I say this from the perspective of the hard-drive. Hard drives can be finicky. When they sit in your desktop PC there is no concern about motion (as opposed to a camcorder being moved while your video tape, dropped, etc.). There are no physical forces being exercised upon the drive other than those created by the drive itself (as it spins and the read/write heads move back and forth). Even laptops are reasonably safe for hard drives because most ppl aren't moving around their laptops while they work on them. A camcorder is a different story and might better be related to the mini hard drives that have been found for years in MP3 players. Both camcorders and MP3 players can receive quite a bit of shock when being moved about in the normal course of use. And even with all the physical and software-based things a company can do to help protect a hard-drive, it is still in an environment that is less than conducive to long-life and reliability (this may be why so many folks see what they perceive to be premature deaths in hard-drive based MP3 players). If you are considering the hard-drive route for a camcorder carefully consider under what circumstances and how often it will be used. Remember, the big professional video cameras used by the ppl at your local television station are tape-based and there is a reason they remain so: tried-and-true and long-term reliability.
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