Oscar winners 2009- Hats off to AR Rahaman

A great and unforgettable moment for Indians to feel proud of, our beloved Mozart of Madras has made it, bagging two Oscars , and he took Indian film music to the mainstream American audience, once again he proved that music is beyond racial discrimination or any barriers, color, culture nothing comes in the way for a universal rhythm.

This soft spoken, down to earth artist who is entertaining us for more than a decade and unraveled so much memorable melodies to Indian and overseas audience. Let me tell you all frankly I still consider his debut "Roja" as his masterpiece, and then songs from Bombay, Dilse the list of my favorite scores will go on and on.

As everyone is putting it “slumdog millionaire" is the flavour of the season, the tale of underdogs, an emotional story in a thriller format which successfully captured the fancy of the Hollywood, has swept the 2009Oscar awards total 8 Oscars out of 10 nominations.

Billions of Indians are seeing this recognition as a stepping stone for future collaborations between Indo- US film industry , India's non commercial films that are truly artistic have always earned good recognition and gained acceptance in other parts of the world, if we reel back to the proud lineage which produced veterans like Satyajith rai . I believe India can really utilise this exposure to American film Industry to more international acclamations in the coming years.


The state of Kerala can boast about its intellectual and artistic legacy, kudos to Resul Pookutty. My heartfelt congratulations to you Mr. AR Rahman, Mr Gulzar and Mr.Resul
Of course to Mr. Danny Boyle as well who made this dream come true.


Winners from the 2009 Oscars

Best supporting actress: Penelope Cruz - Vicky Cristina Barcelona
Best original screenplay: Milk
Best adapted screenplay: Slum dog Millionaire
Best animated feature film: Wall-E
Best animated short film: La Maison en Petits Cubes
Art direction: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Costume design: The Duchess
Make-up: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Cinematography: Slumdog Millionaire
Best live action short film: Spielzeugland (Toyland)
Best supporting actor: Heath Ledger - The Dark Knight
Best documentary feature: Man on Wire
Best documentary short subject: Smile Pinki
Visual effects: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Sound editing: The Dark Knight
Sound mixing: Slumdog Millionaire
Film editing: Slumdog Millionaire
Best original score: Slumdog Millionaire
Best original song: 'Jai Ho' - Slumdog Millionaire
Best Director: Danny Boyle - Slumdog Millionaire
Best foreign language film: Departures - Japan
Best Actress: Kate Winslet - The Reader
Best Actor: Sean Penn - Milk
Best Picture: Slumdog Millionaire

Dear readers please share your views on the Oscar results with me, wishing you all a fun filled week ahead!

Friends for a smart life

Good day to all!

On the way back home I was casually chatting with my colleague, usual trivia’s about relationship, friendship and when my friend wondered about having a friendship where you convey your thoughts without the aid of words or actions, I asked whether she was referring a kind of a spiritual synchronization. She said yes, Emotional compatibility is the perfect word for it, something that binds you with another person, the ability to sense the needs and emotions of a person depends largely on how well you sync with that persons overall personality.

Her query made me think a bit deeper about relationships, making and maintaining friends is really an art, it needs patience, care and time, there are some friends who fails to get to know your true spirit, there are friends whose ideas you find it difficult to digest, there are friends with whom you don’t get closer, but with some you pour your heart out, there are people who respect your individuality, there are friends who enrich your life there are some who make your life a hell, and the list is endless. Friendship has got different manifestations; one can find a friend in parents, spouses, siblings, relatives and colleagues or even in a complete stranger.

Friendship is something that stand beyond boundaries cast or creed, distance gender race nothing comes as a hindrance to true friendship, I feel each person or friend is like an interesting book once you read it you look for a new book but still cherish the content and memories in the book, old friends are like a good atlas when you are not sure of which route to take and falter for the right word that is at the tip of your tongue, look for the atlas you can get in touch with them to refresh your old memories and can calculate the distance you have traveled so far.

I must say friends are good universities you learn a lot from them, I don’ think I should blabber long to make you doss off, let me tell you True and intense friendship is really a blessing, I think there is a divine link that bridges the minds of buddies, so dear readers pick up your phone and dial you friends number that you haven’t used for a long time Or jot down a short mail now, send it and see its magical effect, so wishing you all a friendly, fulfilling and rekindling week ahead!


Don’t forget to write back to me with you thoughts on friendship!

Valentines Day thoughts

Hi guys,
Aren’t you excited about Valentines Day, I is so near? Iam very much indeed, Notes of romance and sweetness are in the air adding a magic touch to the winter season, now iam getting nostalgic about those wonderful memories attached with that special day in my life back home. I still remember the day in which we a bunch of Business management students organised the event " Dieren" the event conducted at one of the best halls in town, after pooling money, the preparations we had for the big day, the lovely looking ticket designed in the most romantic way by my friend who has a natural flair for designing, though we were amateurs my friends managed to bring good DJS, the melodious romantic bits played for the audience still echoing in my ears.

Some were pretty worried about its success and the whole affair but they sold the tickets pretty well, they managed to broke even I guess, the first practical assignment to put management theories into practice. That event co-ordination is something that remains closer to my heart. Everyone in my batch were pulling my leg by asking why I was thrilled without having a valentine , I was wearing a fully white outfit groomed to perfection, I smiled and declared iam celebrating this day with my valentine who used to come to my dream and I am waiting for him to turn up, truly that happened after few years , the day when my husband came to my workplace to see me, after one year of courtship we got married and so far we have celebrated three valentines days together, the fourth one is approaching and I feel the distance will make that days celebration bit more special. You start realizing the worth of a person when that is person is not around.


So everyone make the most out of the day, don’t forget to gift your lover/spouse/the loved ones a wonderful gift, do share your valentines memories here with me

Iam heading to Dubai to have a look at candy/ flowers/gifts displayed there to be exchanged between loved ones, all in the name of St. Valentine. So my weekend will be rich with the thoughts on this mysterious saint, I must say St. Valentine you are so sweet!

Weekend thoughts

A bright day to begin work after the weekend. Calm blue sky, birds flying across the small park in front of my apartment, the pigeons are as busy as ever starting off the day , Wind was blowing softly carrying the moisture from last nights shower, I stood at my stop waiting for my vehicle and started observing the people pass by. One guy was wearing the same pink striped shirt and black trouser like me I thought and laughed inwardly what if I give him a pinch and say “same pinch” as we used to do it in school, the bewildered expression that would have flashed on the strangers face made me giggle.
I revised the whole activities of the two days off I had, finding the Jewelers shop after fixing an appointment and how smartly I enquired casually at the restaurant owner the way to the Jewelers shop after buying a pizza when I lost the way, and when I placed my gold in front of the salesman and announced “liquidity crunch” I liked the smile on his face and I chuckled at my own wit. I have underlined in my mind Investing on gold is always wise, it is very easy to turn it into money and it comes handy when you are in trouble.

I got the exact amount that I was in short for the rent to pay, that made me happy and I headed towards my apartment. I laid the pizza on the table and the pizza grinned at me for making him a scapegoat, to console him I savored slowly and resumed reading “Alchemist” and found myself transcending to another world. Paulo Cohlos magical work kept me stops worrying about the loneliness that befell on me quite unexpectedly and I knew that this loneliness is short lived but it is a revelation to search through my soul, to ponder over my follies and foibles of my past actions.

I did my grocery shopping and stuffed my fridge with enough items, put the batteries in the clock that has been stopped working for a while, now the rhythmic ticking of the clock brought a movement of action and energy breaking the horrific silence in the room, I tried to breath in tune with the sound, and looked out through the window, I switched channels after another and I could sense something was wrong with the sound system of the TV, I changed the plug, still voice is coming feeble, I have checked the speaker and found the wire loosened, I joined it deftly and the clear sound oozed from TV now free from its deafness.

It was a very fulfilling and integrity saving weekend with nice books to read through to refresh my mind, mending stuffs and mending myself, to see the world with more hope and optimism and I wish to spread this newfound cheerfulness throughout this week

Wishing you all a great week ahead!

Detachment for smart life

Hi All,

Life is indeed a blessing, and we read that it has to be fully lived, each moment as precious as the upscale graph of the share market and to be utilized to the maximum, what if that look damn bearish, then again the sermons are at your disposal you shouldn’t say the glass as half empty its half full blah blah, I have a question here, I do agree that life is like a sweet and sour pizza but my query is about the purpose serving , are we really serving the supreme purpose in our lives, we have 24 hours, spending it at workplace, home and among social circle , working, browsing, chatting, sharing knowledge, worrying and at the end of the month rewarded with the pay cheque, does that make you happy? Is that the only concern in your life? Where lays the path to feel the inner satisfaction, that elevate you beyond your sensations and infuse the inner energy to perceive the world without its forgeries?

What I feel is that the solution lies in detachment, keeping your soul above all the tempting illusions of this materialistic world. Disciplining ones heart and mind and maintaining a detached demeanor would lead to a happier and fulfilling life.

Globalization and technical advancements has begotten stress and it is following the younger generation like a silhouette especially in the wake of global downturn and its aftermath of alarming rate of layoffs. We should not let stress to stay long, like a well mannered guest leaving the house politely rejecting the dinner invitation we should see off stress also, shouldn’t let stress to stay more than necessary.

Let me share it with you some good stress buster tips from Harward Medical school’s newsletter, hope you will find it interesting. Wishing you all a stress free week ahead!

Breathing Techniques Help Control Stress
Breathe in deeply to a count of four and out again slowly. There. Don’t you feel calmer?

Most of us are familiar with the term “fight or flight,” also known as the stress response. It’s what the body does as it prepares to confront or avoid danger. The brain signals hormones that rouse us to action. Breathing quickens to take in more oxygen, the heart beats faster, blood pressure rises, muscles tighten, and senses sharpen.

When appropriately invoked, the stress response helps us rise to many challenges. It allows us to avoid an impending accident and help rescue people in a disaster. But trouble starts when this response is constantly provoked by less momentous, day-to-day events, such as money woes, traffic jams, job worries, or relationship problems.

Health problems are one result. A prime example is high blood pressure, a major risk factor for heart disease. The stress response also suppresses the immune system, increasing susceptibility to colds and other illnesses. Moreover, the buildup of stress can contribute to anxiety and depression. Often people try to relieve the pressure by self-medicating with alcohol or drugs, or develop bad habits like smoking or overeating.

We can’t avoid all sources of stress in our lives, nor would we want to. But we can develop healthier ways of responding to them. One way is to invoke the relaxation response, through a technique first developed in the 1970s at Harvard Medical School by cardiologist Dr. Herbert Benson. The relaxation response is the opposite of the stress response. It’s a state of profound rest that can be elicited in many ways, including meditation, yoga, and progressive muscle relaxation.

In meditation, for example, heartbeat and respiration slow, the body’s rate of oxygen consumption drops steeply, and blood lactate levels, which some researchers believe are linked to panic attacks, decline markedly. Blood pressure stabilizes in healthy people and drops in people with hypertension.

Breath focus is a common feature of several techniques that evoke the relaxation response. The first step is learning to breathe deeply.

The benefits of deep breathing
When you breathe deeply, the air coming in through your nose fully fills your lungs, and the lower belly rises. It’s an inborn skill that often lies dormant. Reawakening it allows you to tap into one of your body’s strongest self-healing mechanisms.

Yet for many of us, deep breathing seems unnatural. There are several reasons for this. For one, body image has a negative impact on respiration in our culture. A flat stomach is considered attractive, so women (and men) tend to hold in their stomach muscles. This interferes with deep breathing and gradually makes shallow “chest breathing” seem normal, which increases tension and anxiety.

Breathing engages the diaphragm, a strong sheet of muscle that divides the chest from the abdomen. As you breathe in, the diaphragm drops down, pulling your lungs with it and pressing against abdominal organs to make room for the lungs to expand as they fill with air. As you breathe out, the diaphragm presses back up against your lungs, helping to expel carbon dioxide.

Shallow breathing limits the diaphragm’s range of motion. The lowest part of the lungs — with its many small blood vessels that are crucial to carrying oxygen to cells — doesn’t get a full share of oxygenated air. That can make you feel short of breath and anxious.

Deep abdominal breathing encourages full oxygen exchange — that is, the beneficial trade of incoming oxygen for outgoing carbon dioxide. Not surprisingly, it can slow the heartbeat and lower or stabilize blood pressure.

Practicing breath focus
Breath focus helps you concentrate on slow, deep breathing and aids you in disengaging from distracting thoughts and sensations. It’s especially helpful if you tend to hold in your stomach.

First steps. Find a quiet, comfortable place to sit or lie down. Start by noting the difference between breathing normally and breathing deeply. First, take a normal breath. Then try a deep breath: Breathe in slowly through your nose, allowing your chest and lower belly to rise as you fill your lungs. Let your abdomen expand fully. Now breathe out slowly through your mouth (or your nose, if that feels more natural). Alternate normal and deep breaths several times while paying attention to how you feel. Shallow breathing often feels tense and constricted, while deep breathing produces relaxation.

Practice deep breathing for several minutes. Put one hand on your stomach just below your navel. Feel the hand rise about an inch each time you inhale and fall back the same amount each time you exhale. Your chest will rise slightly in concert with your abdomen. Remember to relax your belly so that each inhalation expands it fully.

Breath focus in practice. Once you’ve taken the steps above, you can move on to regular practice of breath focus. As you sit comfortably with your eyes closed, blend deep breathing with helpful imagery and perhaps a focus word or phrase that helps you relax. For example, imagine that the air you breathe in brings peace and calm into your body. As you breathe out, imagine that the air leaving your body carries tension and anxiety away with it. As you inhale, try repeating a phrase to yourself, such as “Breathe in peace and calm.” And as you exhale, say: “Breathe out tension and anxiety.” To start, 10 minutes of breath focus is a reasonable goal. Gradually increase your session to 20 minutes.