Top 10 Posts - From my blog

I thought of sharing the most popular posts based on page views with you.

At 10th place, with 125 page views my tamil poem நான் வருவேன். 
This was my attempt at writing something to inspire the reader to recover from setbacks.


At 9th place, with 126 page views Psychology of Hinduism - Part II explores concepts of Worship.

At 8th place, with 126 page views a pictorial question Who Are you?

With 150 page views at 7th place "What Is The Golf Swing," by Roy McAvoy - nothing original in the post a mere record of a particular part of a movie that enjoyed the most.

சுவை a tamil haiku poem that I wrote in my late teens - a pun involving sour grapes takes the 6th place with 153 page views.

An Olympics 2012 inspired post Olympic Torch Relay, So what ? enjoys 5th place with 165 page views.

Christopher's smile charity (Details can be found here) who i support and wrote an article in my attempt to raise some funds Parent's Nightmare is at 4th place with 166 page views.


Setting up the context for the Psychology of Hinduism series, the part one article Psychology of Hinduism (Part 1) sits pretty at 3rd Place with 193 views.

With a 1000 page views, at second place, translation and commentary on one of my all time favorite songs  Mannippaya ? Translation & Commentary 

And the First place goes to another translation work by yours truly, Translation...New York Nagaram... with 1312 page views.

Just go...(translation of சென்றுவா சிற்றழகே)

A quick translation of my poem சென்றுவா சிற்றழகே.
In memory of Sripriya V - Dec 1977 to Dec 2003.

மின்விசிறியில் தொங்கினால்
கண்ணீர் காயுமா தொழி?

Can hanging from a fan
Wipe your tears dry?

நாலாறாண்டுகள்
வாழ்கைச் சக்கரம்
சுற்றிய களைப்பு -
இளைபாறுதல்  தேடிவிட்டாய்!

All of 24 years
You had to live
And you needed rest!

சென்றுவா தோழி.
சென்றுவா.

Just go my friend,
Just go

உந்தன் சுமைகளின்
சுகங்கள் பகிர
உகந்தவன் நான் இல்லை
கொக்கரித்து சென்றுவிட்டாய்.

Pleasure of sharing your pain,
Will never be mine.
You mocked me, When you left.

சென்றுவா தோழி.
சென்றுவா.

Just go my friend,
Just go..

நீ தேடும் நிம்மதி
அங்குதான் கிடைக்குமென்றால்!
என்னிற் சிறந்தவர்கள்
அங்குதான் உண்டென்றால்!!

If the peace you are looking for
Can be found there,
Someone better than me
Can be found there...

சென்றுவா தோழி.
சென்றுவா.


Just go my friend,
Just go..


காலச்சக்கரத்தில் சுழன்று
தலைதனில் வெள்ளிக்கீற்றுகள்
கொண்டு - தள்ளாடி நடந்து
 கல்லூரிப்பருவம் பற்றி
சிகிலாய்த்து பேசமுடியாது!

In the fullness of time,
As we age gracefully,
I hoped we will recount our
Pleasant days (college days)...

சென்றுவா தோழி.
சென்றுவா.


Just go my friend,
Just go..

இறைவா!! இந்தப்பேதையின்
பாவம் மன்னி.
இளைபாறுதல் தேடி
உன்னிடம் வந்த
என்னுயிர்த் தோழியை
மன்னி....

Oh God!!! Please forgive this girls sin.
My friend, in search of peace has reached you.
Please forgive her...

சென்றுவா சிற்றழகே

மின்விசிறியில் தொங்கினால்
கண்ணீர் காயுமா தோழி?

நாலாறாண்டுகள்
வாழ்கைச் சக்கரம்
சுற்றிய களைப்பு -
இளைபாறுதல்  தேடிவிட்டாய்!

சென்றுவா தோழி.
சென்றுவா.

உந்தன் சுமைகளின்
சுகங்கள் பகிர
உகந்தவன் நான் இல்லை
கொக்கரித்து சென்றுவிட்டாய்.

சென்றுவா தோழி.
சென்றுவா.

நீ தேடும் நிம்மதி
அங்குதான் கிடைக்குமென்றால்!
என்னிற் சிறந்தவர்கள்
அங்குதான் உண்டென்றால்!!

சென்றுவா தோழி.
சென்றுவா.

காலச்சக்கரத்தில் சுழன்று
தலைதனில் வெள்ளிக்கீற்றுகள்
கொண்டு - தள்ளாடி நடந்து
 கல்லூரிப்பருவம் பற்றி
சிகிலாய்த்து பேசமுடியாது!

சென்றுவா தோழி.

சென்றுவா.

இறைவா!! இந்தப்பேதையின்
பாவம் மன்னி.
இளைபாறுதல் தேடி
உன்னிடம் வந்த
என்னுயிர்த் தோழியை
மன்னி....

In loving memory of Sripriya - Dec 1977 to Dec 2003. 

As I swallow the red pill...

I feel excited.
I feel anxious.
I feel adventurous.
I feel a bit sad.
I feel brave.

The feeling of exploring the unknown, not knowing whats in store for you, not knowing if you are going to be pleasantly surprised or massively disappointed.

Fandroids promise freedom to choose, break the shackles and be what you want to be.
Apple fans prefer to be bound, enjoy the ease of use and say you know what? freedom is irrelevant for, you have everything you need in the iTunes.

My wake up call came when I was forced to upgrade to latest version of iOS and that made my perfectly working, staying in the jail, iPhone 3G work like a lazy donkey on a sleeping pills. VERY SLOW. I had to buy the latest iPhone because
1. It was the fastest and greatest iPhone, yet.
2. I had apps that I bought, and liked using.
3. I did not think.

Now that more than 6 months passed between my iPhone 4S and Rema's iPhone 3G(S) has apparently outlived its life span, and now is the time to get a new phone. This time, I realize we have a choice.

We can take the blue pill and believe what ever we are told by Apple Fans, or take the red pill and see how true is the claims by Fandroids .

In a clever move, I convinced Rema that she should take my 4S and let me venture out and explore and see if there is truth in the Fandroids claims. As a chivalrous husband, I offered to take the red pill first, and then come back to rescue her.

Ordered Samsung S3 yesterday. The delivery is supposed to be between 1930 and 2130 hrs today. As I write this, I am waiting, for the red pill to reach the tummy and I begin to experience the "Real World", and As I wait,


I feel excited.
I feel anxious.
I feel adventurous.
I feel a bit sad.
I feel brave.

Parent's Nightmare

As far as my memory goes, I always wanted to have my own children, and provide best of opportunities for them to lead a balanced life. What I did not realize is that, once I became a parent, how sensitive and compassionate I would become when a misfortune befalls on a child or a parent.

I cant even begin to think how I will react if a misfortune as cruel as loosing a child befalls on me.

A Nightmare, that lasts a lifetime!


There has been such a misfortune in my family, one of my relatives lost a Five year old child. I shudder even today to think about it.

Kevin lost his child Christopher to brain tumor. He and his wife, emerged strong from that, set up a charity. Today Christopher's smile charity is making contribution towards research of new treatments for children with cancer.  Details can be found here.

I share an email sent to us by one of the supporters, requesting for a donation. If you can, do contribute to his cause.

---------------------------------

Dear Christopher’s Smile supporter,
I would lirke to share with you that I have been selected to carry the Olympic flame in Guildford on Friday the 20th July.  I now know exactly where I will be carrying the flame and by sharing this information I hope that many of you will be able to come along and support me. I will be carrying the Olympic flame on ‘The Chase’ between ‘The Oval’ and Old Palace Road.  I expect to start my section of the route at approx 6:17 pm.

For a map of the area please see the link below:
https://maps.google.co.uk/maps?q=the+chase+guildford&ll=51.238854,-0.591309&spn=0.010089,0.01929&hnear=The+Chase,+Guildford,+Surrey+GU2,+United+Kingdom&t=h&z=16

My only wish is that Christopher was here to enjoy the Olympics.  When Christopher was diagnosed with a brain tumour in October 2006, London had already been chosen to host the Olympics and prior to his diagnosis I had thought we as family could attend the games in 2012.  Christopher would have been 10 years old and I’m sure he would have been eager to be involved in the games in any way he could. 
The Olympic Games were awarded to London on the 6th July 2005.  Since this announcement in 2005 over 2,500 children in the UK have lost their fight with cancer and are no longer with us.  Sadly Christopher was one of these children.  My thoughts as I carry the flame next Friday will be of Christopher and of the children we knew who are no longer with us who never got the chance to see the Olympic flame travel through our streets or experience the Olympics in our country.

In early September I am undertaking a challenge myself for Christopher’s Smile.  I will be sailing with 11 other ‘volunteers’ across the channel to Cherbourg and back.  I am not a sailor and my sailing knowledge is zero so for me this really will be something outside my comfort zone.  I am doing this challenge to raise funds for research into new treatments for childhood cancer.  If you would like to sponsor me please go to my fundraising page: http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/KevinCapel and donate what you can.  The thought of being soaked through for a whole weekend would be easier to think of if I was raising a lot of money!

I hope to see you on the 20th in Guildford

Kevin.

www.christopherssmile.org.uk

Psychology of Hinduism - Part III

Donating money to god

Psychology of Hinduism - Part I
Psychology of Hinduism - Part II

You don't donate money to god. You donate money to the temple. Why do you do that ? Why is it good karma to donate money ? All major religions recommend in one form or the other to make you part with some of your hard earned money, why ?

Wealth sharing, and social security to some extent. Temples, hand out food and do other charitable activities. You might ask, the proportion of money raised vs the money reaching the needy in some form or the other don't add up. The answer is not in stopping donations, but put in process/checks in place to stop misappropriation. (Long shot, we live in a morally corrupt society I know) - I like to quote a beautiful poem

விழலுக்கு இறைத்த நீர்  வாய்கால் வழியோடி
புல்லுக்கும் ஆங்கே புசயுமாம் அதுபோல
நல்லார் ஒருவர் உளரேல் அவர் பொருட்டு
எல்லார்க்கும் பெயும்மம் மழை.

The a rough translation :

Even if there is a one good person in the world, for that person's sake, rain showers on everyone just like an irrigation channel that feeds not only paddy but weeds too.


Therefore, even if there is misappropriation of money, and corruption in temples, My donation is worth even if it reaches a single person in need of help.

Coming up next - Rituals : Sacrifice, Fasting, Self mortification.

Olympic Torch Relay, So what ?

Hot on the heels of the The Queen's Jubilee, Royal Regatta, yet another build up to yet another "Major" event in Henley a few weeks back. Olympics 2012!!! Schools, I suppose were the leaders in the build up, with Olympic themed activities and events prepping the kids up and setting the mood.

I saw sign boards, announcing that the Henley bridge will be closed between 6 AM and 11 AM and we need to make alternative arrangements, announcements of temporary road closure, etc.

I started planning my alternatives, moaning to myself, its just Olympics, you will get one every four years. While I totally respect the athletes, their dedication to the sport and life long preparation to compete at the highest levels possible etc, I do not appreciate the "hype" around the event.

I have watched with indifference and dare I say, strong dislike towards the people who line up the streets, potentially giving up a days work to just stand by and wave and cheer. I would say "What a bunch of losers".

As the big day for Henley, July 10th drew closer, we got a letter from Vibhu's school saying that we need to drop him at a place near Rowing museum at 8:15 AM!!! Almost an hour earlier than the normal School time, coupled with the road closures and other things, Rema decided to take a day off and I decided to work from home, so that I can drop him in the morning, Rema can hang around, and I can use the opportunity to get my car MOT done.

On July 9th I reluctantly decided, that I will hang around for some time, at least try and get some pictures of the torch.

I am glad, I did that. It was an eye opening experience for me. People had turned up in their thousands, and there was a carnival sort of atmosphere, 8 AM on a WEEKDAY!!!!

I met a Gentleman and his charming young grandson. They were trying to find answers to trivia about Olympics, and Olympic torch etc. I offered to help, did not know the answers, and did what all smart people do, pulled out my iPhone and  Googled up! Did you know the Olympic torch has 8000 holes and guess what, there are 8000 people carrying the torch ? Did you know Great Britain had won about 145 gold medals in 1908?

We came to know that it would be Sir Steve Redgrave, a supreme athlete carrying the flame. Sir Steve Redgrave won Olympic gold for rowing, FIVE consecutive times (more information here). To put that number in perspective, that's 20 consecutive years of peak performance! Now that's consistency for you!

He was out there at around 8:30 AM practicing with a young crew who earned the honor of rowing with him. That spoke volumes and showed me what champions are made of, practice, practice and more practice. It was heartening to see him share his experience and give some lessons to the young crew, what an opportunity!!

In total, seven torchbearers ran the flame through Henley, including Sir Steve Redgrave.

The other person I managed to get a picture of is Mr Mark Chesterton a Head Teacher in one of the schools in Oxford, he earned the honor of carrying the torch through his dedicated service and contribution to the local community.

You can find the stories behind the torch bearers here. 

It dawned on me that it was an opportunity for us to participate, engage and feel part of something big! On top of that, its a nice break and a change in our daily routine. I am glad, I decided to go, and stand on the sidelines, and cheer, for I got an opportunity to learn more about me.

More photos can be viewed here.

Psychology of Hinduism - Part II

Idol worship/Temple worship

This is a continuation from Psychology of Hinduism - Part I

Everyone in this world is unique. Each one of us have various degree of ability to focus our minds, and majority would find it very difficult.
If you consider the process of worship itself , its normally a combination of praising god and asking for favors (which I do find bizarre for, since god is all knowing, we don't need to ask, he knows what to give and when to give, also the idea of praising god, somehow conjures up an image of a egoistic personality - perhaps a different topic).

In this context, I find that for an average person like me having an external object to focus my attention on, in an environment where multiple senses are engaged - eg colorful decorations drawing my eyes, pleasant smells induced by camphor, incense sticks engaging my olfactory sense, and ringing of bell, and drums engaging my ears, and reciting rhyming mantras helps me focus, makes me feel good and connected to the divine.

At that moment, and with a folded hand, I tell myself, there is god, and he will take care of me, and I surrender to his will. I externalize my troubles, I take comfort in the fact that I have highlighted my troubles (In theory, god being all knowing, should already know my issues, that's a different topic), and issues that plague my life to someone more powerful than me. This to some extent, makes me less anxious, reduces my stress a little bit, and I am filled with positive feeling.

A similar feeling I would get when I discuss my problems with some of my friends who listen and perhaps help me see the positive in the situation at hand and I know I have some way of dealing with the issue.

To me the feeling I get is hope. A hope that things will be all right, I need a support structure to have hope. That at a subconscious level makes me react in certain way, that helps me make things alright or adjust to what is happening.

A similar thing happens, when I keep asking for something or the other in front of a holy shrine. I keep asking "god give me this" "give me that" - This and that can be, Strength to deal with things, Strength to do the difficult task, Love, happiness, money, job etc....etc....If I keep asking for it day in and day out and deep within me want it badly, it happens. Try this for a month, in front of a mirror, Say out the words " I am happy, I am successful, I feel very good", and believe in what you are saying, you will feel a difference in the way you feel. What happens here is a form of auto suggestion. The more you say it, the more you will believe it, and it gets embedded in subconscious level,  and at a conscious level you will do things differently, and therefore see better results.

In the next part, I will explore "donating money to god".

கொந்தளிப்பு

மனக்கடல் கொந்தள்ளிகிறது
நீ மய்யம் கொண்டிருப்பதால்!

Psychology of Hinduism (Part 1)

Yentharo mahanubhavu, anthariki vandhanamu - Shri Thyagaraja

Rough translation - "all great souls, I salute you."

I have been thinking about concepts of God, organized religion etc. I have scratched the surface of  teachings of various gurus. As far as I am concerned, I see God and (organized or otherwise) Religion as two distinct concepts/entities.




I find, that the concept "god" not very different when It comes to major religions. Unlike Christianity, Islam, Judaism there is no "Single" book that you can refer to  understand how God is defined in Hinduism. By and large the upanishads' define god as formless, and something that you cant see, hear, touch etc and omni-potent and omni-present.

Over a period of time, I began to develop my own opinions about people and their behavior, how they react to what happens to them etc, which I loosely call Psychology.

I intend to share what I THINK/BELIEVE are the fundamental principles that govern some of the practices followed by Hindus, are rooted in some aspects of Psychology.


Click here for the second part, where I explore the concepts of worship, idol worship, prayers etc

சுவை

எட்டாக்கனி புளிக்கும்.
எவன் சொன்னது?
இன்றும் நீ -
இனிப்பாக!

பிரிதானிய மரம்

வாடையிலே ஆடையுதிர்த்து
கோடையிலே பச்சை
பொன்னாடை உடுத்தும்
மரைகிழண்ட மரம்.

அரசனா ? தெய்வமா ?

அரசன் அன்று கொல்வான்
தெய்வம் நின்று கொல்லும்

பல்லாயிரம் தமிழர்கள் படுகொலை
கொன்றது
அரசனா ? தெய்வமா ?

Who Are you?

Soul Searching

After exploring the deepest and farthest expansion of my soul
After relentless retrospection and introspection
After countless hours of counting sheep
I have distilled all my internal conflicts
Am I a manly Muppet or
a Muppet of a man?


* Thanks to the song I heard in BBC Radio 2 today for helping me distill.

"What Is The Golf Swing," by Roy McAvoy

I never used to like golf. I shared Molly’s (Roy McAvoy's love intrest in the movie Tin Cup) view about golf.

You know, this is without a doubt the stupidest, silliest...most idiotic, grotesquely masquerading game ever invented.

But then, due to some persistent encouragement from my cousin Prabhu and my colleagues at SITA, I am now hooked on~to golf. I watched Tin Cup recently, where Roy McAvoy explains the golf swing.

Here it goes…

Well, I tend to think of the golf swing as a poem.

The critical opening phrase of this poem will always be the grip. The hands unite to form a single unit by the simple overlap of the little finger.

Lowly and slowly, the clubhead is led back, pulled into position not by the hands, but by the body, which turns away from the target, shifting weight to the right side without shifting balance.

Tempo is everything; perfection unobtainable as the body coils down at the top of the swing. There's a slight hesitation. A little nod to the gods...

Yeah, to the gods. That he is fallible. That perfection is unobtainable. And now the weight begins shifting back to the left pulled by the powers inside the earth, it's alive, this swing!

A living sculpture and down through contact, always down, striking the ball crisply, with character.

A tuning fork goes off in your loins.

Such a pure feeling is the well-struck golf shot.

Now, don’t rush into thinking that I have mastered the game, and have a very low handicap; on the contrary I have mastered the art of playing most frustrating rounds of golf. Without exception, every round of 18 holes I have played, I have scored centuries (on a par 62 course).

You might ask, why do you subject yourself to this sort of frustration, but then Roy McAvoy answers that question too.

Yes ma'am and that's why I love it. Now if you hit one good shot, just one, and that tuning fork rings in your loins and you can't wait to get back...and do it again.