Friday, December 24, 2010 | By: priya dhandapani

~ the sweet tooth relationship?! ~ ;D

well, every year on dec 31st, 'tis celebrations galore for ushering in the new year ~ greetings, resolutions, parties, fireworks, movies, programmes 'nd shuffling the pages to know whatz in store for us?! ...whatever our plans may be, our first and foremost wish, each year, will only be...
~ 'to have a cheerful and prosperous year ahead!!!' ~ ;D

...everyday from jan 01 to dec 31, we wake up with the hope of having a memorable day, filled with smile n' warmth, while ending it with a happy, peaceful 'nd bright moment! :)

i guess we are the only privileged lot, as there are several occasions throughout the year for us to celebrate our relationship with our nears 'n dears ~ from the birth of a baby in the family 'nd kaadhu kuthu [ear piercing ceremony] to birthdays, weddings, anniversaries, as well as infinite other special days such as friendship 'nd valentine's... ['tis a humongous list right?! :D] ...'nd in every such get-together, there is someone who craves for our attention to the core...'tis none other than our 'sweet tooth'! ;D 

...my goodness, what a variety to choose from?! right from our affair with the every day chocolates to the cakes, pastries, eclairs, 'nd ice-creams to our...can i now call upon our special occasional favourites such as the kaju-kathlis, ladoos, malpuas, gulab jamuns, ghajar ka halwa, roshogollas, rava kesari...[oh! ya, okay...i will stop here...i can hear that 'nd i understand! ;D]

~ wish you all a merry christmas 'nd a funtastic new year ahead! ~ :D

...c ya, in 2011! ;D
Wednesday, October 6, 2010 | By: priya dhandapani

~ from apple to what is it...?! ~ ;D

...looking back from where we started...a for apple, b for basket...ya, we have come a long way from our basic learning lessons! ...words, pictorial stories, numbers, rhymes, poems, short stories...wow! ...'nd, we are still learning! ;D

...who can forget 'a host, of golden daffodils...fluttering 'nd dancing in the breeze', or 'miles to go before i sleep'; or 'the kid asking for more', or 'jim and della'; or 'to be, or not to be', ...?! ...most of the things we come across...we never forget! ...'nd am sure, while u are reading this script u will remember ur precious collection...in simple words ~ 'the collector's edition!', which u will never wanna part with! :D

as we move ahead, our simple 'nd easy-to-understand reading habit evolves, creating in us a passion for a specific genre, with our entire book shelf proudly displaying our preferred style! ...not only the genre, while some of us have a unique preference for the bookmarks that adorn our books, a few others go to the extent of reading books written in the languages that they have a flair for! ;D

...more than being just a hobby, reading explores us to the various things thatz happening around us, 'nd turns out to be our best companion, giving us the confidence to enrich our life! :D

...'nd yes,...so what if u can't get the synonym of a word that u just came across while reading, never feel u will be looked down upon if u refer a dictionary, or ask ur friend what it means...'tis alwayz better to know 'nd learn what it is 'nd where to use it correctly...than the other way around! ;D

quoting frank kafka ~ 'a book must be an ice-axe to break the seas frozen inside our soul!' :D

...enjoy reading!!! :)
Wednesday, June 2, 2010 | By: priya dhandapani

~ a decision or is it the destiny?! ~

well, whenever i think 'bout writing my scripts, there are lots that strike my mind...'tis like a clash, each one says, "hey, why don't u write 'bout me?...me?..!"

..the tug-of-war goes on 'nd on, until am able to zero-in on something; ya, finally i make a 'decision' that 'fine, i will write about this! :)

each 'nd everyone of us gotto take decisions at one point or the other ~ simple or complex...leave others, do we not say it to ourselves sometimes, "omg, i shud hv expected it...i cud hv taken a better decision?!"

wen it comes to deciding, we do consider lotz a factors! for instance, say, a dress we wanna buy ~ we cross-check on the colour, design, size, style, cost, our comfort in those clothes, the stores; or the food that we wanna eat ~ the quality, varieties, the hot, cold 'nd the calories factor, ...or anything else for that matter?! we take so much effort to make ourselves feel good by taking the right decisions, don't we? :)

hv u ever thought 'bout this...nothing new that am gonna share about…everything exists here, am jus going over it again!... on one page, we read 'bout people coming up the ladder through sheer hard work 'nd commitment [practically speaking, luck is also a key factor here :D], 'nd realise their dreams; 'nd on the other, we read about people taking a decision to "rest in peace", wen they are unable to realise their dreams! :(

...in both the decisions, 'tis not jus 'bout the individuals...wen its 'U', 'tis not just u...its u, ur family, ur friends, 'nd a lot more are involved here! yes, we are dependent on each other 'nd everything is interconnected! ...the only difference is which one u choose ~ the right or wrong! :D ...being successful will make us smile, while the latter is really disturbing! ...by trying to rest in peace, actually they end up turning to "pieces", shattering everything 'nd everyone around them! ...i may sound rude wen i say, 'tis okay to fail on ur path towards success, but failure gives u the experience, the confidence 'nd the determination to make sure u get wat u want! ...if ur still unsure, re-visit history! :D

...if u fall down...get up, dust urself 'nd go get wat u want! ...how long can the failure be knocking at ur door...even it needs some rest! ;D

in my opinion, therez only one destiny! 'nd quoting this Italian proverb will say it all ~ 'after the game, the king and the pawn go into the same box!' ...u need not choose it, it will choose u wen ur done, 'nd thatz it! ;D
Friday, April 30, 2010 | By: priya dhandapani

'the 44 kg veggie!!' ;D


lemme start this script with a quote of fran lebowitz ~ 'food is an important part of a balanced diet'! :D


wz da huge variety of food served on the platter, international cuisines, 'hot', 'spicy', 'cold...u get it all..., dunno wat to choose frm?! btw, lemme confess...me a v-eggetarian! ;D


weight loss...wokay...wat on earth is this concept called 'weight gain'? this was how i was c. 1999....i luvd to eat, but my l'il tummy did not cooperate...it cud not tk much more than wat it can hold, so..anything above the permitted level.....    ---l---o---u---g---h--- 'nd damaal - flat! ...'nd ya, i was weighing a "whopping 33 kgs!!!" ;D


...c. 2004!! ...on my birthday ~ da first day @ first job ...days passed, 'nd so was my knee-length skirt wz a shirt, which was my formal attire, had to be altered...of course...da skirt for da 'waist size'!! :D ...thiz alzo reminds me of one of my friends to whom i disclosed on a later date that i was weighing 33 kgs @ one point of time....dis is wat she said, "33 kgs...is dis a weight?...u need a solid weight at least for gravitational pull da..." [pochu...total damage!!]


seri, eppadiaavadhu weighta ethalaanu plan panni...saapida aarambichen....chocolates [my friends wil tel u tht idhaan ennoda base food ;D], da nxt lot include loads of butter, cheese, sweets, nuts esp. 3-4 almonds soaked overnight in water...peeled off nd had da nxt dawn before tea [ya, my 2nd best drink after 2-3 lota of water everyday], fresh fruit juice 'nd.. "yeh, apple juice kudura!" [gold coin apj. a kg/bottle/mnth], ice-creams, lotza vegetables, namba ooru filter kaapi appo appo for da energy....then over to 'muttai'... me shud mention here...eggs are still a strict no-no, wen paati is @ home..she wl "beat" me, instead of me beating the eggs!! ;D


....saapada pathi pesa illa ezhudha aaramichaa...niruthamudiyadhula ;D [guys, few things only if u spk in ur native language will read gud...so, for friends who can't understand Tamil...u wud agree wen i say ...if u start discussing or writing 'bout food...u can never stop!!!]...i ate everything in v-egg ~ elai, thazai, kaambu,
rice, roti...'nd wat not?! ...some sd 'tis in ur genes to be slim...whl others sd, sometimes amma's preparations may not add kgs for their kids...... me tried out everything from our thatukkadais to kaiyendhi bhavans, 'tis better to check out da options, as u never know where u wil be da next moment, so da experiment began... :D

initially, eating outside resulted in immediate after-effects... ;D ...then guess slowly, my tummy realised 'tis time to go-ahead as per my 'inputs'!!! after few years, i hit 49 kgs..thz is wen i felt...i cud not carry myself [wat to do...i was never used to handling such a wght!!... ;D] ....nxt..ur right..., 'tis "load shedding" time....jogs, gym...whatever be it...i walk a lot...a lot...trust me!!! :D


...once, i cm across thz somewhere ~ u gotta be atleast 45 kgs to donate blood...b'fore u jump into conclusions...'tis not 'bout others to donate blood to me...'tis 'bout mine to others if an emergency, 'coz, a test revealed that i got one of the rarest blood groups [A '1' B negative]...me a "be positive" person guyz!!! ;D


phew..., aft all those intakes, now me a solid ~ 44 kg veggie! ;D


p.s: whatever i eat...in whichever place, amma's vathakuzhambu/thayir saadham~uralaikizhangu [potato] curry, 'nd rasam, da best mummum alwayz... nothing can beat it! ;D 
Thursday, April 15, 2010 | By: priya dhandapani

the makeover...get it right!


hi guys! all of us at some moment or the other, will surely feel, why don't i opt for a makeover?! ... a change which can make our lives better! u would have noticed this!...some go in for a change in their looks, others their inner self! ....doesn't matter, as long as ur makeover doesn't affect the close ones around you!

...well, why not relax urself for sometime now... we'r living in a competitive world, where letz leave out our nears and dears, we don't even have the time for ourselves to enjoy what we want! ....'tis out and out chaos unlimited! naa naa naa.....wait wait...me yet to finish...!


every day, we rush to complete what is in store for us...be it our chores for the day, our short outings which we have to cut short owing to several other commitments...plz, can i speak from a general point of view?! ...24x7 we are chasing something or the other in our life! we struggle hard to meet the expectations ...unfortunately, for most of the lot, 'money' has been one of the driving force behind this!!


think again, this is the only life we are aware we are living!!! how long has it been since u had a happy outing with your close ones?, listened to your favourite music, or did what made you the happiest of the lot?

... get that space for yourself...if you like something...get it; so what if you don't...'tis better to clear than to brood over it...don't ever get stress to conquer you...if u don't get what u want...aft that hard moments of tension, anger, frustration & restlessness [guys, need not raise your eyebrows, this is our life and trust me, it happens! ;D] ....take your time, relax urself...u need that calmness and serene atmosphere to recharge! it works... :D


btw, my spicy chocolates asked me for ~ and i have given its share of joy... a makeover, of course! ~ 'papyrus scripts' with love!! ;D


more scripts to read!... take care!
Thursday, March 18, 2010 | By: priya dhandapani

my mysuru sojourn! :D

i love to travel by the super-fast ac passenger day-train to mysore... but aft guess about over 2 yrs, i was really in for a surprise! ...can i say, the train had a makeover?! ;D

....with huge glass window panes, the venetian blinds comfortable cushion seats with ample space for leg movement, good food throughout the journey [except the veg. pulao...it tasted as the pattai (cinnamon) nd' lavangam (clove) rice :( ]...the train was packed with people till bengaluru, aft which it was almost gaali [empty]! what a journey it was...the sun glares at you through the glass panes, the green fields, the hills, the coconut trees, the barren lands, the huts to the high-rise buildings, the colourful bougainvilleas... beautiful! :D

.. if u expect the same serene & chilly weather [people who have visited the city few years back will know what i am taking about here], u will be in for a shock now...it's hot..really, much hotter than chennai! :( ensure to take ur creams & lotions 'coz the heat makes ur skin go dry with white patches!

well, whenever i am here, i go out with my cuz along with his friends to trek, eat n' enjoy the breaks! this time, my cuz' in us n' blr, so...the 1st day, we went for a fair, at dusk of course!...kind a good expo it was :) day 2, my aunt n' uncle took us to two beautiful places i have never been before! ...

we drove down to the famous ~ 'Namdroling Monastry', a Tibetan Golden Temple, in Bylakuppe, enroute to Coorg! The place looks like a mini-Tibet - a place of learning and a home to thousands of lamas, monks and nuns! huge gold statues of Buddha, the wall paitings, the clean and calm temple will surely relieve you of the stress and make u refreshing! :D ...nd' for shopaholics, is a shopping complex which has on display wind chimes, colourful stoles, bags, etc., 'nd also eateries that serve Tibetan food! :P

...now, close ur eyes and imagine this ~ u go to a place u have never been before...u can gain entry to the place only thru' one entrance, which will be a hanging bridge through bamboo trees, with the river flowing below! this is our next stop, 'Cauvery Nisargadhama', a beautiful island n' holiday spot near Kushalnagara enroute to Coorg! :D

if ur an adventurous person, this is one of the best places to enjoy! :) we pedalled all the way ~ boating u see ~ phew! a gud excercise to the legs i wuld say! :P ...the view of the hanging bridge above from the boat below, the sun's reflection in the water, the bamboo trees, the short walk to the river ...the monkeys, the birds, people enjoying the jumbo rides, 'tis awesome! :D

as we walked the pathway through the trees after the boat ride, we heard the sound of the river flowing nearby! the steps to walk towards the river, 'tis natural ~ so, rocky down the lane ~ watch ur steps! :) we walked thru' the rocks 'nd dipped our foot in the cold stream... beyond words to express the serene happiness! :D  ...splashing the chill water on ur face ~ heaven i wud say! :P

driving back to the city, i saw something unusual 'nd captured it! ;D

'nd the next day, we watched gm's vtv' ~ i liked da 1st 1/2 more than da 2nd.. :) ...for people who are new to the city, it houses one of the best bakeries ~ the soft bread, the dilpasand and the plain cake...really melts in your mouth! :P

it will be incomplete, if i do not mention the full moon the previous night before my return...if u haven't seen a full moon before...have a glimpse atleast once! trust me ~ it will stress u out!

c ya for now! :D
Thursday, March 4, 2010 | By: priya dhandapani

namma chennai :D


@namma chennai, one can sure get an experience of a lifetime! [well, i can hear the giggles...]

over the years, evalo changes amidst the good old memories!

...we still wake up to the fresh aroma of filter kaapi, followed by a hungry apetite for fresh n' hot idly vada with spicy hot sambar!  the petti kadais, the popular kaiyendhi bhavans, the world's second longest beach and the "fuming" molaga (chilli) bajjis, the jewels street [u know what i refer to here ;D], ranganathan & fashion street,...

the other day, me and my friend aft a hectic week, decided to meet up, and headed towards the besant nagar beach. we waited for our bus, but could not even have a glimpse of one. then, the next option...

...as far as our city is concerned, the auto guys [with a very few exceptions] take the call ;D ...they will take you for a ride [literally!] with the exhorbitant charge even for a destination just a few streets away. with no other option left, we took an auto, ofcourse, after a mental calculation that the cost is kinda in parameter with the distance! the ride was really a gud one...the breeze, the broad roads and ample greenery on either side of the road leading to the beach, was itself a welcome experience...

as we were hungry, we headed straight to the food court...name a person who doesn't have a passion for the potato...french fries is always first on our menu ;D ! she had a burger and a hot chocolate, and for a change, me settled for chocolate milkshake with a dollop of what else, chocolate ice-cream :P [trust me, both of us are trying to put on a few kilos, will right about this one @ a later date...!]

by about 5, the entire place was crowded...we walked slowly towards the beach, how refreshing 'tis to walk thru' a host of coloured baloons, the various food and accessories stalls, the horse-riders, the pattani-sundal sellers looking out for customers with the tin dabba on their shoulders,...and finally, we were close to enjoy the vast expanse of the beach in front of us! beautiful!... :D    

after a few minutes, we walked back; and my eyes which is always on the look out for unique picturesque shots, made me to capture a brilliant sunset besides a hut [the picture for your eyes, heart nd soul to enjoy, below!]




after a few yards, my gud friend was fascinated by the parrot [or can i call it the astro-parot?!...] and we stopped over for a few minutes....btw, the parrot was more focussed in eating the grain, than taking the card... :D

enroute we stepped into one of the textile, home nd organic food products outlet nearby...we had never been there earlier, just wanted to check it out! 'nd from here, a walk down the streets...when compared to gold, and other hi-valued gems, i prefer to go in for the simple beads, coloured or black, and this a place where u can get beautiful bead accessories at well-bargained price from the gypsies.

we wanted to get back home by our city's 'maanagara perundu' and yes, we got into one...wow, what a journey it was!

p.s: coming up next, my mysuru sojourn! :D
 
Thursday, February 18, 2010 | By: priya dhandapani

my first blog...!

as i walked past the pathway, dreaming what will be my future like, where i will be the next moment, i heard some voice speaking to me, 'hey, you know what?....everyday, i see you here; you seem to be crossing my way, to see what am all about!'

i tried to have a glimpse of the person, whose voice sounded quite familiar, but in vain...the voice continued; - 'from what you are going through, i can understand you are on the constant search for one or the other...why don't you join me, i will help you in whatever way i can, so that both of us can learn what we want?!'

i paused for a moment...and thats here i realise that am writing for 'spicy chocolates', my own blog, to share the essence of life - a mix of various flavours!

happy reading!!! :D