latest spell from ARR

It's been 10 days and I carry it wherever I go. It's a perfect company for the long commute to work. Although I carry my iPod, the music of "Vinnai Thaandi Varuvayaa" has ensured I use it everyday. Ever since I bought the CD from Crosswords, the beautiful songs have been continuously playing in my music player and in my mind. It's been a while since Rahman created such brilliant music for a Tamil movie. I wasn't very much impressed with his earlier music in ATM or Sakkarakkatti. But VTV has smashed the bad spell and is here to stay in our memories for a long time.

Of the seven songs, my favorites are Hosanna, Mannippaaya and Anbil Avan. The music feels so fresh and captivating in Hosanna. It starts off as a soothing melody and shifts gear to a foot tapping number, followed by an interesting rap by Blaaze. The way he says Hellooo is just superb. I'm sure the visuals and the picturization will be brilliant for this song.

Although it is evident from the beginning that Mannippaaya is going to be a sad song, it's sung so beautifully by Shreya Ghoshal and Rahman himself. I first heard this song during the music launch when Chinmayi and Karthik sung with so much emotion and feel. The lyrics play an important role in this song and am glad that Rahman didn't give this song to Madhushree. I felt she could have done a better job with the lyrics of "MarudaaNi" in Sakkarakatti.

When I first heard Anbil Avan, I wasn't that impressed but this song definitely grows on you after a few times. The way ARR has blended the wedding tunes of Hindu and Christian traditions sounds so nice. Devan and Chinmayi have sung very well, especially the first saranam.

Omana Penne is a catchy number from the first listen. The title track sung by Karthik is such a good experimental song. I haven't heard such a mix of layers before. Kannukkul Kannai is not that impressive as a whole but a few portions are good. I think I need a few more times of hearing to start liking Aoramale which seems to be the favorite of many Rahman fans.

While getting lost in this beautiful soundtrack, one cannot ignore the perfect lyrics of Thaamarai. What a magical phrase she has written in Hosanna to capture the first feelings of falling in love - "pattu poochi vandaachaa, megam unnai thottaachaa".

I'm a big fan of Gautham Menon's movies and eagerly awaiting VTV, especially this being a musical film.

2009 in review

18 days have passed since the beginning of 2010. I hadn't allocated the time to do my yearly review so far. 2009 was a good year for me in many ways. The most important occasion has been my completion of PGSEM from IIMB, the journey that began in 2007. It was an excellent learning experience that has given me a good headstart for new plans in future. 2009 was also the year when I decided to come out of a comfortable job and try something new. Although I started writing my first novel, I have lost track in the middle. My writing seemed to have come down a lot as reflected in my blog's dismal frequency of updates. But I managed to read a few good books and as always, hope to read more this year.
- Our iceberg is melting
- New Earth by Eckhart Tolle
- The tales of Beedle the bard by JK Rowling
- The Nordstrom way
- Gently falls the bakula by Sudha Murthy
- Anything for you, Ma'am by Tushar Raheja
- 2 states by Chetan Bhagat
- Getting things done by David Allen
- Indian Summer by Pratima Mitchell
- Ready to lead by Alan Price
- The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown

One aspect of my life in 2009 which I'm really happy about is the number of new places I visited.
- Visited Kalimpong, Gangtok and Darjeeling in the North East
- Visited Yelagiri, Belur, Chikmagalur, Mullyangiri, Halebidu and Talakkad in the South

I'm really looking forward to 2010 with lots of hope and inspiration. I'm hoping to have something much more meaningful and worthwhile to accomplish this year.

Getting back to reading

The long holiday break during Christmas and New Year provided the perfect time to read the voluminous Dan Brown's "The Lost Symbol". Similar to his other two books that I have read earlier (Da Vinci Code, Angels and Demons), this book was also just unputdownable (wonder if there is a such a word). The protogonist Robert Langdon traverses through symbols and codes to figure out the lost secret. If DaVinci Code was set in Europe, Lost Symbol is based entirely on Washington and United State's past history. Although the plot is gripping, one couldn't miss seeing the similarity in the flow when compared to his other books. Nevertheless, the plot is so interesting that one can just sit back and get intrigued by the turn of events.

Langdon had been asked by one of his close friends Peter Solomon to deliver a lecture. When Langdon arrives, he is shocked by the event that happens and what follows is a thrilling sequence of unraveling the lost secret, the gory murderer Mal'akh and his intentions, Peter's sister and scientist Katherine's discoveries on noetic sciences. Many references to religious texts and the way the events were tied to the lost secret sometimes makes you wonder if this story is really fiction.

It's a perfect irony that in the very next week after I had finished reading "Lost Symbol", I read a very inspiring book "The Secret" by Rhonda Byrne. It conveys a simple message about how our thoughts influence our life. "Thoughts become things" is the core message of this book. This book elaborates on the law of attraction and a simple three step process of Ask-Believe-Receive. Many inspiring examples and quotes are interspersed throughout this little book. While reading this book, I could definitely reflect on a few instances of my life where law of attraction played an important role. Years ago, when I had just finished the written rounds for my campus placement and waiting for the results, I was thinking about how it would feel when I get selected and I have my first job in hand. I was putting forth my intention clearly into the universe and the results were indeed positive.

The Secret has also been made into a film and the flow is very similar to that of the book. I would recommend the book as I feel one needs to read and reflect upon the quotes to fully understand the principles behind the law of attraction.

New Year has begun on a good note with me getting back to my reading habit. Hope to read more books this year!