These are my childhood friends, should I say they are my class mates from LKG, this is from a club which Facebook reminded us today that we where like this on the same day in 2017… few of them are missing,  the most important ones… They joined the other day, but was happening as a majority.

Why this post, it is for my friends kids and for my son(s) to read this, Friends are important. They make you ALIVE.

As friends we know our indifferences our strengths and each ones weakness, still we stick on to each other. As days passed by, family became big and priorities changed

We are Family

Again the above photo has few more key families missing, some of them have been abroad and some living in other states of India.

What is really happening now, is that my friends don’t find mee time. Few of them find it, rest – I am bloody worried.

The similarity between mee time and my time is both are being selfish, the time we dedicate… is it for my family or my friends. A simple question, with out mee, do we have a family time.

Anything and everything starts from “well being” aka healthy meaning what you eat and what you become aka shit… Lesser you eat, lesser the known outcome. If you feel hungry you should eat, your body needs it. But did we do that way? We only ate more, thinking we will be hungry in the next few hours. Have we been ever hungry?

Think, why is that the hungry kids have lesser ailments or aka called “diseases”, today a kid sneezes we take him to a doctor, isn’t it? Have we not drank tap water and stayed healthy? Don’t ask me can your son drink the water from the tap? My point to prove was that our parents didn’t panic the way, we are. They knew, our bodies can rejuvenate, if not – our grandparents, still believed in traditional medicine, they provided us tulsi tea or ginger concoction and what not

We don’t know our own body capabilities, we don’t know how it can heal itself,  we don’t believe in them any more, we are doctorate as doctors, just because google showed us results. THINK AGAIN – how our grand parents lived did we have so many doctors and so many hospitals…

We have been advised by parents, provoked by advertisements and even advocated by WHO that Indians are malnourished, so we eat at time, eat by this time, did it actually translate to the energy it needed, it did and there was side effects too, we felt sleepy/not sleepy, tired and uncomfortable too at moments by eating the delicious food.

So what I am saying is, what Steve Jobs said “Stay Hungry, Stay foolish” it helps to be healthy, wise and staying away from troubles in life. Yes, I mean that.

Now to answer what went wrong-  I lost my mee time, every one had their own priorities. I am not saying family time is not important, meeting friends at an odd time and for few hours means important for every friend’s health. What do we do? it is all the gossips of school days, here and there happening from politics day today activities and also things happen with our own kids and what more do you think we discuss and do more. It is shame, that we incapable of doing all those of your wild thoughts. Hmmm…n

How is that meeting friends make you healthy – in simple words happiness. Try it, if you don’t get it, for heaven sake change your friends… Again you may have a question – doesn’t family time give the same happiness, it does, but still not complete – I get to enjoy looking at your faces 6 days a week and can I not have that peaceful few hours for my mee time? You too need a break looking at my face, Please give me my mee time, you too enjoy your mee time. So everyone stays healthy at Home. Okay kids you too are having a great mee time by playing, rest I don’t want to discuss in public…

Don’t you talk to your neighbours, friends, colleagues for that mee time over a phone or in person for long hours –  The person reading this knows, it is for them. Don’t ask me who is it for?

Priority… this is for my friends who can’t still make up their mind.  I rest my case here…

I am trying to gather my friends back in to the grind, please understand me, mee time makes us healthy, and your family too.

I want to live 100+ years and want every member of my families to live 100+, it is possible in my family and my extended family. – Yes, is it technology which is going to make us live longer, may be, but can still live a longer longevity by understanding how our body works and heals the Indian traditional way. Any way that is totally a different topic to discuss.

2018 has been a year of making enough mistakes, and learning from them, and of course having been mentored by mentors have made me stay calm and centric to the values of my remaining 2018.

This post is a note for myself, if you did benefit from these, I will be the most happiest person. Appreciate you, for spreading the word around.

So what are these rules which I would like to follow

#1 Rule: Why not me? why others over me?
This is not the question which I need to ask for sure to start with, but gives a sense of “who I am” and “why not me”. Why do people seek others for their jobs/projects over me, in spite of me being competent, willingness to work, having the right attitude for service.
CERTAINLY I know the answer – Irrespective of work, what it remains to be the same for any one and how it has been executed.  I THINK that, I am good at it, which my current belief system is that I am not good at it yet.  But there are others who are better at presenting themselves better than me.

BELIEVE IN SELF, self worthiness and work on weakness.

#2 Rule: Either be too good to be known as the BEST or be bad, hatred for good but never stay mediocre
Being mediocre has problems on its own, no criticism, no appreciation – mundane life happens, hardly there is room for improvement.
Say what is on your mind, say it. Learn to say NO. It may keep you away from work forever from those chosen one. But there will be less anxiety, ZERO frustration, you can better focus on the next projects or even spend time watching movies or have a good walk or have quality family time or have great time drinking beer with friends.

Don’t let someone take away your happiness

#3 Rule: Don’t give advice or seek advice – at least for 2019
Enough is enough, having learnt from mentors, the question remains have I put the learnings to use.
Refrain from social media posting: liking, commenting and even judging others by thoughts. Those who need help will knock your door and seek advice, it holds good for children and even your spouse. You have your life, let them choose what they want to be. This doesn’t mean that what you see something wrong, you have to, wilfully remain silent. Just suggest, Give them their freedom to what to become next.

The next time you see someone suffering or even making a mistake – remember to refrain from judging them, nor giving them advice or even suggestions. The learning is for them, not you.

Don’t try to change the world – bring the Change in you
Please Mind your own business.

#4 Rule: Value TIME – it has to work both ways
In the business world TIME is Money, so if have an appointment, running  late, please tell the participant ahead of time, so that, they can plan their time well.  Which I do this very well now.
If someone else commits to an appointment, speak to them ahead of time, whether they can make it to the venue on time, If they don’t, please move on, don’t  wait.

Refrain working with people who don’t respect your time and effort. It means, You are not their priority, so don’t have them in mind. If they come back to you, Please Work on your own terms and conditions. It is okay to lose a client.

There are no perfect MEN & WOMEN and neither perfect friends, In friendship, it is more to give than take,  there is always an exception for TIME. Do remember, if it often happens it means that you are not their priorities in their lives. “Know this”

#5 Rule: Philanthropy for creative minds – Collaborate 
Work for like-minded people, those who admire your work, appreciate your creative mind and your time. There are clients, friends who take advantage of this situation, Refrain working with them. Learn to say NO to them.

Work with people who wants to grow along with you, this world is not yet cruel enough, it has abundance of everything you need.

#6 Rule: What goes around comes around – what ever it may be, good or bad – even in thoughts. What you think is what you become.
There are already unresolved problems in every ones life, mine too. So why put energy and thoughts judging others. Instead focus on what needs to be done in your life.
One step at a time, let it be snail pace, but remember to move every day.

1. The large task
2. Create sub tasks of the large task
3. Time it to 15 mins or 30 minutes task aka execution

We think we have abundance of time, which we don’t and put our thoughts on unnecessary things. If we are engaged in work and by staying focussed, we will not find time for gossips or even a single bad thought. We just have to be engaged with work. So find work which you love.

#7 Rule: Meditate & Exercise & Eat what is utmost necessary – If time is money, Health is wealth, What you eat translates to energy
This is some thing most of us don’t find time or make it as a priority for our own life.
Meditate to 30-60 minutes, helps in remaining focussed to that 15 mins / 30 mins of execution of sub tasks.
Exercise 60 mins of walking, stretching daily. Worst case thrice in a week. Our body will remain useful unless you put to use, if not they weaken over time.
Most important of all is what we eat, you don’t need all the nutrients everyday, eat food in such a way it leaves you hungry. Hungry means more focussed.

The world is full of abundance, so seek on what you want – You may not get what you wished for, but will get what you DESERVE.

there are too many things attached to the word DESERVE, think over it.

Finally to me success would be

Spending quality time also while Travelling with family and friends – If I have achieved it, that is my peak of success

For the record, I was at “Off the record” a Restobar for the launch of Tata Sky – Tamil movie channels. Media was present along with few bloggers to understand the services of new channels offered to Tamil customers. 

There was a little entertainment from Jagan, a stand up comedian. He entertained on the lines of Tata Sky, after which Mr Arun Unni, the Chief Content Officer at Tata Sky gave an elaborate view on the launch of Tamil Movie Channels.

Actor & TV host Ms. Dhivyadharshini was the chief guest at the launch of the event. After the brief intro Mr. Arun Unni not only introduced the Tata Sky Tamil Cinema Service but also spoke about Tamil Nadu being a huge market for regional content consumption.

“The biggest blockbusters of Kollywood which premieres before television” – this is something interesting for viewers of the channel, because even the internet based streaming channels offer the same, for Tata Sky subscribers, these Tamil movie Channels will be available for a nominal service charge of Rs. 45/- monthly.

Watch the ad here to understand more about the service and its offerings.

Signaling the launch, Ms. Divyadharashini opened the screens and watched the promo video of the Tata Sky -Tamil Movie Channels

Then the Q&A with the media, Mr. Arun Unni The Chief Content officer and Celebrity Ms. Diyvadharshini handled the questions swiftly and with grace.

If you like to know more about Tata Sky – Tamil Movie Channel services in detail you can check this link 

Yes in 2012 August 15th, I quit my job (okay a day before, chuckles) and was hoping that I would start something on my own, for 8 months just been thinking what should be my next  big thing. In between those days, out of sheer frustration even went and applied for couple of IT jobs – the truth is that, things didn’t go well with me.

Today, when I look back, 6 years just went by – just as when the going gets tough, the tough get going…

What this 6 years taught me or should I say “Life has taught me” is to value people, helping each other, and to grow together. I had my up and downs during these 6 years, but life choose to teach me a lesson.

I was sitting before a dumb box hardly had social life, this has changed now. Here is my priority or should I say how I value in my life, now

1. Family – with out them, I am nothing
2. Friends – with out them, I wouldn’t be alive. Happiness,  Devil’s advocacy, fights and all my inner strength and of course “tough lessons” too.
3. Clients who have made me part of their family – with out them, I wouldn’t have survived.
4. Clients – with out them, I wouldn’t have been able to feed my family. Some of them have taught me lessons on “patience”, “irony” and “to value my own life and my happiness, irrespective of  THE situations”
5. Mentors – at different levels, I have the privilege that I made an awesome journey along with them. with out them, I would have been, still a searching soul, trying to understand what is the my purpose of my life and with out them I wouldn’t have stood tall when I fell down.

So if you ask me today, Am I successful in Life – Yes, I am successful, rich in togetherness  “family”, rich in friendship and also proud that I have understood the meaning of my life.

P.S: The meaning of “success” may vary from person to person – for some it would be hell a lot of money, again it doesn’t mean that I don’t need it, It means that I value it, but there are much more “Bigger” things I value in Life.

You are allowed to judge me, you can call me by many names and even term as a “LOOSER”. – One thing is clear and evident, I will not allow anyone to ruin my own happiness,  my health, my family, my friends and my clients.

May the “Lord” shower the grace upon you too.

Yesterday was a different experience for me, After my son had bought a geared bicycle from track & trail, I wanted to try a long drive.

It has been a long time since I have tried long distance over bicycle, as I had all the time, I decided to deliver a video file to my customer who was at Ranga Road, Mylapore.  At the same time, I had to meet my advisor, a well wisher who helped in completing my TV Advertisement who was nearby Cafe Coffee, Dr Nair Road, T Nagar.

I started at 3:00PM from Villivakkam to T Nagar and reached the destination by 3:55PM, It was an interesting ride as I reached the Anna Arch, I had a choice to climb the over head bridge or to take a smaller less unknown road to reach Loyola subway. To climb over the bridge was a heavy exercise with my bicycle,  I wanted to save the energy as I had to travel a long way.  The ride till Loyola bridge was no issues as I was wading the traffic and choosing smaller residential lanes.

What goes down has to come up – When you hear to this line with respect to someones career or money, it would have been wonderful. Here I was going down while climbing and panting to reach the top of the Choolaimedu subway, luckily I had a geared cycle. By this time, I had pissed off few share autos, motor cycles because I was at snail pace. “Kuch log galiyae they rahe thea” Cursing me, hmmm…n
Then there was no big incidents, reached the T Nagar.

The distance from Villivakkam to T nagar should have been 9+ odd  KMS to the usual 11KMS as I took all the short routes.

After over a cup of coffee, I had a good discussion over our next project, I left Dr Nair road, T nagar to Ranga Road, Mylapore, The journey started some where around 6:00PM and reached Ranga road via Gemini Circle by 6:30PM. It was like wow, I would need my bike or car anymore, because I had taken enough rest at Tnagar and with a good breeze I didn’t feel the pain. I could have saved time and travelled less by taking a better route. Well as I said I had all the time

After a quick meeting I left Dr Ranga road to Villivakkam, trust me – by the time I reached Anna nagar I was almost dead, lol. The geared cycle helped me a lot. The distance was close to 13KMS, I reached by an hour and few minutes more.

Few things I did understand about riding bicycles

1. Never ride in City traffic – There is no path meant for bicycles
2. No rider is compassionate to the lesser fortunate, I meant the bicycles. I need to reach home fast and I don’t care about you, just make me way was the attitude of many.
3. Now I know, why they carry the cycle on the car’s back and choose to drive away from the city traffic.
4. City roads give you a rough ride with pot holes

Of course It will be motorcycle who will the race, but the difference isn’t huge in timing. While I use to take my motor cycle it use to take 45Minutes, on bicycle it took me 1Hour and few more odd minutes.

Here is easy way to reach to top of the hill
Google maps: https://goo.gl/maps/LaKvwMrNTnT2

Certainly I don’t know the history behind the Vilangan hills, would be happy if any of you can enlighten me. The reason is that, I tried to reach out to the locals but couldn’t find them, it was totally deserted and construction was still on at certain portions of the hills to provide a better view of the town just below it.  I shot few shots from my mobile camera that was easy for me, it didn’t entice me.

The day I choose to visit was rather hot, hardly a wind to cool me down. I was sweating all over and my younger son was little impatient over boring things to see.

I am still wondering why on earth it was under forest reserve department, they did even collect ticket money per person. Just see the google maps and you will understand where is this so called forest. 

The best & interesting thing about this place is nothing, yes NOTHING.

A large vacant place, where no one bothers you, whether you have a view of the forest or a view of the Thrissur city itself or the view of closest moon around your arms.

This hill is Wonderful and the most loveable place on earth for few people – Lovers spot

This is the reason I said, as a married man. Imagine the plight with my parents on my side, a rather embarrassing moments when ever we crossed certain location to find a view of the city. Still nothing wrong in this place, but I choose to hang around with wrong people, I meant my parents, If it was just my kids and my wife – we would have laughed around and taken things on the lighter side.

When I saw this sculptures with the raw feel of cement, and my wild imagination was “What if some one stayed long back and it was dark and this whole sculpture was placed on ground level and they came close by”

I will leave the thoughts with you, to express as comments

It is one of the best spots for pre or post wedding photography, and I believe you could get some help from the few lovers to help you out on certain poses or a group activity. Don’t run wild thoughts, I was saying some thing like mannequin challenge.

Google map: https://goo.gl/maps/Kw2z342aCm52

If your family likes a beach with a park for your kids to hang around and while you enjoy the beach view, then Snehatheeram is the right beach for you.

Nuns aka (Sist) pun not intended, students who are in convent will understand the term “Sist” –  having ice creams to beat the heat, It is rather an unusual view of Sisters taking a day off to enjoy the nature and chilling their feet.

The photo above says CAUTION and it says SEA ROUGH – blame it on my camera for the panoramic view, those words got jumbled it to something else.

As you see from the above panoramic view, left side is the view of backwaters and on the right you will experience the mighty waves trying to engulf you.

Sorry for the crop on the photo above, panorama exposure was decided by the camera.

So how to get to this beach, you remember from my last post “You can enjoy like these kids, Learn how to get there“, Take the same road and move away from the light house, travel down the lane for few Kilometers, on the right side there are enough private beaches which are backyards of the fishermen’s home. You will find a Mosque, wish it was little bit closer to the shore, if it was, the view of the Mosque would have be fabulous.

You will also find fishermen selling fresh fish on the sides of the road, some even walking on the sides of the road, while the fish clinching to a rope. I didn’t want to take photos, as I had more women accompanying me and I didn’t want to take chances with the locals out there.

You will reach a point where the road lead to two ways, the left takes you to the Azhimugham port where the sophisticated fishermen use motor boats to capture large fishes from the deep seas. This is a wholesale market, transportation happens and you will also find Union flags. There is nothing much to see, except the business happening and few men smoking beedis.

Take the road which leads to the right and after few bends you will reach the Azhimukham beach, park your car and once you start walking on the pathway, be careful of the waves as they are mighty high, your cameras can get drenched.

Google map: https://goo.gl/maps/n2CGwBnqAAL2

You will possibly see short stories or pre or post wedding photography/ videography done here as seen in the below photo.

The above photo is a view of backwaters, I did visit this place twice, on a full moon day and a day after the full moon, the waves didn’t breach the shore on the day after the full moon day. The waves reached the shore once in a blue moon, be warned that the right time to enjoy the beach is during a full moon day, not sure how it would be during the monsoon season, The monsoon season has started in Kerala and do carry your umbrellas and be at times be ready to get drenched.

Venue is Chavakkad beach, Kerala.

Slow motion video of kids having a gala time at the beach. See the water splashing and the kids action. Pure bliss.

The Chavakkad beach is above, Where the usual janatha arrives.

Google map: https://goo.gl/maps/4JD9CqKDAhR2

If you really wanted to have fun and enjoy the beach as shown below

Kids having fun at the beach

Here are the directions to get to the light house and from here you could get to this beach

So you reached the Light house, keep looking on to the right as you drive for small private backyards of the fishermen homes, If you going with a family for an hour or so, no body minds as long as you don’t invite trouble.

Do remember you have stepped in to Kerala, the red flagged state and with lots of socially responsible vigilante watching you.

What is the good day to step in to this beach to enjoy that cool breeze and splashing waves which give you joy by watching them

It is a day before the full moon day + on the full moon day, of course + a day after. Most of us know that the tides are high on full moon day.

The speciality of this beach is that, rocks have been placed in order to stop the waves from breaching the shore, yes a man made hurdle, but the sight of waves splashing is a feast to our eyes.

A long exposure shot above, there are no waves – when the water was splashing with joy, my mind was with no thoughts just as the photo above.

I guess time, decided that it is time for us to explore

Both of us had the same mindset, we wanted to enjoy nature, calm ourselves, and one more reason was that Aditya, my elder son’s 10th CBSE results are out in coming weeks and there is gonna be little hectic schedule for us to handle, we wanted a fresh mindset to take care of the 11th admission. This time we had family time, we had awesome food, did sleep but we stepped out every morning and evening, the golden mean time to get the best pictures for ourselves.

My wife’s house is close to Chavakkad beach, but we never knew that there was a light house in that area.  As soon as you reach Chavakkad, you will see the usual beach as shown below, you will see the parking lot which leads to the beach.  This is where I found the light house, seen in the photo below. A little portion of the light house is seen.

So how do you get to the light house? Instead of getting to the parking lot, take a same road after 2-3 KMS you should see the light house on the left.

Google map: https://goo.gl/maps/9H4WdzgfBi72

After we where done with Chavakkad usual beach, we wanted to check out the light house, we landed there at 4:30PM, and you know how the government offices work, we were told to come by 5:30PM, so we headed to Azhimugham beach, details out here.

It took me two consecutive days, after perseveration by my kids we got the chance. The display board says from 4:00PM onwards and for an one hour visit, the charges are for adults 10 INR, 25 INR for foreigners and for camera they charge 20 INR, below is the rate card as on May 2017.

The second day we went there exactly by 5:30PM, we paid the money upfront, no receipt was provided to us.

A steep climb to the top, we had to take deep breath to climb the stairs, by the time we reached the top, our legs started to ache, and the sweat was all over the body. Yes it was summer and sultry, it was worth every step. The Drishyam was ultimate, the land was filled with green patch, hardly we could see houses, it was covered with coconut trees, what a breeze it was, so good that the sweat disappeared in minutes.

A different view from the top, took groups shots, selfies and much more.  I started to shoot videos of the waves with a 200MM lens and some of them where reverse waves, it was good to see those little things from above. It was a different view indeed.

If you take the road which is seen on the photo above, you could reach Azhimukham beach

The above photo has the beach view on the top right, which is the usual Chavakkad beach. The best part is the sunset, guess why

The sun sets on the beach in Kerala, So during the summer days the sun seems huge, In Chennai you can Sun rise on the beach. It happens in seconds, and a very rare sight of a large view of the sun.

I wanted to carry out few experiments or assignments

1. time lapse of motor vehicles moving on the road from above
2. The sunset as time lapse
3. Shoot the waves with a 600MM and so on

I will have to find the right people in Chavakkad light house and get the permission and get the shoot done, there is time. Hopefully after reading this post, some one would offer me help.

Apart from Chavakkad main beach, you have little spots of the beach which are not crowded, it is backyard for few residences. Imagine a beach at your backyard, they are gifted at the same time entitled to take a huge risk from tsunami or cyclones. Hoping for good times for the fishermen out there.