Here is the culmination of the first Asha (TeamAsha) fundraiser for 2008.
Monday, March 17, 2008
Thursday, March 6, 2008
'Never Say Die' Sirivennela
One of the greatest Telugu lyricists.. Telugu literature will forever be indebted to his contributions and his poems. Revolutionary songs!! He touched my heart with his Maaradu Lokam in Gaayam.. watch this if you are unfamiliar with Sirivennala Sitarama Sastri to judge the tone of his songs. Fantastic!!
Here is one of his other gems.. I thought it would be just just, if I translated this for the non-Telugu folks.
Eppudoo.. oppukovaddu ra otamiii.. Never accept defeat!!
Eppudoo.. odulukovaddu ra orimiii.. Never give up patience!!
Visraminchavaddu e kshanammm.. Never laze for a second,
Vismarinchavaddu nirnayammm.. Don't forget the decision,
Appudee nee jayam nischayam ra.aa.. Only then your victory is certain.
Eppudoo.. oppukovaddu ra otamiii.. Never accept defeat!!
Ningi enta peddadaina Regardless of how big the sky is,
rivvumanna guvva pilla it is small to the wings of a
rekka mundu takkuvenu raa.a.. (2) determined fledgling pigeon!
Sandramenta goppadaina Regardless of how great the sea is,
eedutunna chepa pilla it is little to the fins of a
moppa mundu chinnadenu raa.a.. fingerling fish!
Paschimaana ponchi undi Camping in the west &
ravini mingu asura sandhya swallowing the sun at night,
okka naadu neggaledu raa.a.. the evil twilight has never won!
Gutaka padani aggi unda The unswallowable ball of fire
saagaraalaneedukuntu will swim across the seas
toorupinta telutundi raa... and rise again in the east.
Vishaavilaasam enta sepu ra.aa.. ? How long is the denial?!
Ushodayaanni evvadaapu ra.aa.. ? C'mon, who can stop the sunrise?!
Ragulutunna gunde kooda Raging heart is also
surya goda vatideenuraaa.. like the wall of sun.
Eppudoo.. oppukovaddu ra otamiii.. Never accept defeat!!
Noppileni nimishamedi Where is a moment without pain?
jananamaina maranamaina either at birth or ar death,
jeevitaana adugu aduguna.aa.. (2) life's pain at every step.
Neerasinchi nilisipote If you tire and stay in the moment,
nimishamaina needi kaadu even that moment is not yours.
bratuku ante nitya gharshana.aa.. Life means an endless struggle!!
Dehamundi pranamundi There is body, there is life,
netturundi sattu vundi there is blood & there is strength,
intakanna sainyamunduna.aa.. (2) can there be a bigger army?
aasha neeku astramauna Hope will become your armory,
swaasha neeku sastramaunu Breath will become your weapon &
aashayammu saaradhaunu ra.aa.. Aspiration will become your chariot!
nirantaram prayatnamunnada.aa.. ? When there is a non-stop effort?
niraasha kee niraasha puttada.aa.. ? (2) Won't the despair itself be despaired?
aayuvantu unnavaraku Until there is life
chaavu kooda neggaleka Even death can't win
shavamu paine gelupu chaatu ra.. and proclaims victory only on dead body!!
Eppudoo.. oppukovaddu ra otamiii.. Never accept defeat!!!
NEVER ACCEPT DEFEAT!!!
p.s.: the translation is there just to provide the essence, it will not have the same effect. please feel free to correct me on anything there.
Here is one of his other gems.. I thought it would be just just, if I translated this for the non-Telugu folks.
Eppudoo.. oppukovaddu ra otamiii.. Never accept defeat!!
Eppudoo.. odulukovaddu ra orimiii.. Never give up patience!!
Visraminchavaddu e kshanammm.. Never laze for a second,
Vismarinchavaddu nirnayammm.. Don't forget the decision,
Appudee nee jayam nischayam ra.aa.. Only then your victory is certain.
Eppudoo.. oppukovaddu ra otamiii.. Never accept defeat!!
Ningi enta peddadaina Regardless of how big the sky is,
rivvumanna guvva pilla it is small to the wings of a
rekka mundu takkuvenu raa.a.. (2) determined fledgling pigeon!
Sandramenta goppadaina Regardless of how great the sea is,
eedutunna chepa pilla it is little to the fins of a
moppa mundu chinnadenu raa.a.. fingerling fish!
Paschimaana ponchi undi Camping in the west &
ravini mingu asura sandhya swallowing the sun at night,
okka naadu neggaledu raa.a.. the evil twilight has never won!
Gutaka padani aggi unda The unswallowable ball of fire
saagaraalaneedukuntu will swim across the seas
toorupinta telutundi raa... and rise again in the east.
Vishaavilaasam enta sepu ra.aa.. ? How long is the denial?!
Ushodayaanni evvadaapu ra.aa.. ? C'mon, who can stop the sunrise?!
Ragulutunna gunde kooda Raging heart is also
surya goda vatideenuraaa.. like the wall of sun.
Eppudoo.. oppukovaddu ra otamiii.. Never accept defeat!!
Noppileni nimishamedi Where is a moment without pain?
jananamaina maranamaina either at birth or ar death,
jeevitaana adugu aduguna.aa.. (2) life's pain at every step.
Neerasinchi nilisipote If you tire and stay in the moment,
nimishamaina needi kaadu even that moment is not yours.
bratuku ante nitya gharshana.aa.. Life means an endless struggle!!
Dehamundi pranamundi There is body, there is life,
netturundi sattu vundi there is blood & there is strength,
intakanna sainyamunduna.aa.. (2) can there be a bigger army?
aasha neeku astramauna Hope will become your armory,
swaasha neeku sastramaunu Breath will become your weapon &
aashayammu saaradhaunu ra.aa.. Aspiration will become your chariot!
nirantaram prayatnamunnada.aa.. ? When there is a non-stop effort?
niraasha kee niraasha puttada.aa.. ? (2) Won't the despair itself be despaired?
aayuvantu unnavaraku Until there is life
chaavu kooda neggaleka Even death can't win
shavamu paine gelupu chaatu ra.. and proclaims victory only on dead body!!
Eppudoo.. oppukovaddu ra otamiii.. Never accept defeat!!!
NEVER ACCEPT DEFEAT!!!
p.s.: the translation is there just to provide the essence, it will not have the same effect. please feel free to correct me on anything there.
Long time... Long Long time..
Whew!! It took me soo long to get to this, unbelievably long time. I had so much fun in the holidays that work got piled up! ouch..
So, what have I been doing lately? Not much.. the last I played Scrabble was in October. The last I played golf was probably a couple of months back. Asha involvement was not a whole lot. I enrolled in a course at Stanford and dropped it. Purchased a digital SLR, haven't yet really used it! Yeah yeah.. things got a little hectic and went out of control and things at work were getting really busy. One of those times!
And all this while, I was putting off writing down what I had done before I got so busy. :) Better late than never, here it goes.
Christmas time is lot of fun. I like being here (rather than in India) and enjoying the festive atmosphere, looking at the christmas lights and decorations, and so forth. This time (well, I had done it last year too, but without much company) I decided to celebrate Christmas just like Americans do. Boy, it was fun!
The decorating season actually started with Diwali lights. And bay area is a good place to be to experience both. (Even though the Diwali is nothing compared how it is back in India, you still get to see some diyas here and there.) And so it continued till Christmas. (Actually, I need to get rid of the Christmas tree, it's high time.)
The Christmas shopping, gift shopping, decorating the tree, oh, it was all so much fun. In the spirit of Christmas, the time was well spent. And I had one of my best times at my birthday bash + Christmas potluck. And it was lot of fun distributing gifts as Santa Claus. Sorry all folks who couldn't make it (or were not invited :P).
mm.. and the food.. Lovely (my cousin) is just fabulous when it comes to cooking, and especially for potlucks. She made yummy veg puffs. The food was great, ranging from a nice Middle Eastern salad to manchurian to baigan bharta and yummy mango lassi!! Of course, there was so much food, that I had eat the main items for a few days.. and the chips are still going on. :) (down to the last packet)
What was even better was the surprise I got.. Shraddha came up with this idea (only she can!!) of collecting video birthday greetings from my friends. That was touching, to say the least. She is always up to something or the other on my birthdays. :) In addition to the surprise, I got some bday gifts myself too.. a Scrabble clock (to time my games) - this will be inaugrated in a couple of weeks, remote helicopter - this is fun and it is actually my first remote toy! :) and a sweater for the season. Damn it was very cold here at that time.
The pictures are here; the video here (concept - Shraddha - it is missing in the credits section of the vid):
For the rest of the hols, Arun & Neeraja were in town and they bought a new family car. So, we had a good ride and a good trip to Big Sur / Monterey. That place rocks. We had a good time - some nice historic commentary from KP, ocean side restaurants, and the water was stunningly gorgeous!!
And spent the New Year's Eve quietly at home.. like back in India! watch TV, play cards.
So, what have I been doing lately? Not much.. the last I played Scrabble was in October. The last I played golf was probably a couple of months back. Asha involvement was not a whole lot. I enrolled in a course at Stanford and dropped it. Purchased a digital SLR, haven't yet really used it! Yeah yeah.. things got a little hectic and went out of control and things at work were getting really busy. One of those times!
And all this while, I was putting off writing down what I had done before I got so busy. :) Better late than never, here it goes.
Christmas time is lot of fun. I like being here (rather than in India) and enjoying the festive atmosphere, looking at the christmas lights and decorations, and so forth. This time (well, I had done it last year too, but without much company) I decided to celebrate Christmas just like Americans do. Boy, it was fun!
The decorating season actually started with Diwali lights. And bay area is a good place to be to experience both. (Even though the Diwali is nothing compared how it is back in India, you still get to see some diyas here and there.) And so it continued till Christmas. (Actually, I need to get rid of the Christmas tree, it's high time.)
The Christmas shopping, gift shopping, decorating the tree, oh, it was all so much fun. In the spirit of Christmas, the time was well spent. And I had one of my best times at my birthday bash + Christmas potluck. And it was lot of fun distributing gifts as Santa Claus. Sorry all folks who couldn't make it (or were not invited :P).
mm.. and the food.. Lovely (my cousin) is just fabulous when it comes to cooking, and especially for potlucks. She made yummy veg puffs. The food was great, ranging from a nice Middle Eastern salad to manchurian to baigan bharta and yummy mango lassi!! Of course, there was so much food, that I had eat the main items for a few days.. and the chips are still going on. :) (down to the last packet)
What was even better was the surprise I got.. Shraddha came up with this idea (only she can!!) of collecting video birthday greetings from my friends. That was touching, to say the least. She is always up to something or the other on my birthdays. :) In addition to the surprise, I got some bday gifts myself too.. a Scrabble clock (to time my games) - this will be inaugrated in a couple of weeks, remote helicopter - this is fun and it is actually my first remote toy! :) and a sweater for the season. Damn it was very cold here at that time.
The pictures are here; the video here (concept - Shraddha - it is missing in the credits section of the vid):
For the rest of the hols, Arun & Neeraja were in town and they bought a new family car. So, we had a good ride and a good trip to Big Sur / Monterey. That place rocks. We had a good time - some nice historic commentary from KP, ocean side restaurants, and the water was stunningly gorgeous!!
And spent the New Year's Eve quietly at home.. like back in India! watch TV, play cards.
Friday, December 21, 2007
Taare Zameen Par
It has been such a long time I watched a wonderful Indian movie. The movie was exceptionally made, and the performance of the cast was excellent. TZP sure is a one to touch your heart, commendable Aamir!
It is not the usual entertainer, as has been the norm. Aamir brings out the sensitivities very well in his effort. The movie surely pushes all of us to our childhod memories and makes us nostalgic. It is a movie that every kid, every parent can relate to. Music by Shankar Ehsaan Loy doeesn't leave any complaints. And the screenplay was excellent.
I can not rave enough about the movie. It's a movie that can be watched any number of times. I felt so after watching back-to-back movies. Aja Nachle, followed by Taare Zameen Par. And no regrets for the decision. Two Thumbs Up to Taare Zameen Par!!
And yea, we all were up in standing ovation!!!
In contrast, Aja Nachle wasn't as entertaining as Shahrukh's Om Shanti Om, but the dances by Madhuri and the last musical drama were more than paisa vasool!! Storyline is a typical drama, but the dance is what the movie is about. The rest of the plot is not important.
It is not the usual entertainer, as has been the norm. Aamir brings out the sensitivities very well in his effort. The movie surely pushes all of us to our childhod memories and makes us nostalgic. It is a movie that every kid, every parent can relate to. Music by Shankar Ehsaan Loy doeesn't leave any complaints. And the screenplay was excellent.
I can not rave enough about the movie. It's a movie that can be watched any number of times. I felt so after watching back-to-back movies. Aja Nachle, followed by Taare Zameen Par. And no regrets for the decision. Two Thumbs Up to Taare Zameen Par!!
And yea, we all were up in standing ovation!!!
In contrast, Aja Nachle wasn't as entertaining as Shahrukh's Om Shanti Om, but the dances by Madhuri and the last musical drama were more than paisa vasool!! Storyline is a typical drama, but the dance is what the movie is about. The rest of the plot is not important.
Tuesday, December 18, 2007
great ideas come out of love!!!
So, I came across this site. It was started by a dad to help his son prepare for SAT. And then he put it out there on the public space. If you are an NPR fan, you might have heard about it on radio. I saw it in one of my e-mails. And it's just a great concept I think. Here is the website: http://www.freerice.com
While you are playing and having fun, you are working for a higher cause. The way it works is..
1. You are playing a vocabulary quiz.
2. Each time you play, an advertisement appears at the bottom that generates revenue.
3. For every correct answer, 20grain of rice is donated to the needy, in association with United Nations.
I think this is a great idea, and I wish it was me who got that idea in the first place. :) Who gets such brilliant ideas!!!? I want to be in that company..
While you are playing and having fun, you are working for a higher cause. The way it works is..
1. You are playing a vocabulary quiz.
2. Each time you play, an advertisement appears at the bottom that generates revenue.
3. For every correct answer, 20grain of rice is donated to the needy, in association with United Nations.
I think this is a great idea, and I wish it was me who got that idea in the first place. :) Who gets such brilliant ideas!!!? I want to be in that company..
Wednesday, December 12, 2007
Losers look back, winners look forward.. simple
Simple enough.. as said by Sir Ian Botham.
It's been a while I wrote anything on this blog. Even though there is not much to write about, I think this interview / conversation makes for a nice read.
It's been a while I wrote anything on this blog. Even though there is not much to write about, I think this interview / conversation makes for a nice read.
Tuesday, November 20, 2007
why is cribbing so much fun?
Of late, I have become one big-time cribbo.. Here is raising a glass to myself!! shhh..
It is not the failure of others to appreciate your abilities that should trouble you, but rather your failure to appreciate theirs. - Confucius
Easy to comprehend - you can't be troubled by something you have no control of. Ah well! So, difficult to implement.
It is not the failure of others to appreciate your abilities that should trouble you, but rather your failure to appreciate theirs. - Confucius
Easy to comprehend - you can't be troubled by something you have no control of. Ah well! So, difficult to implement.
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