From & To Sathish #5 - Page 76

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vEH3JCnL1RA

Why English is so hard to learn by Marlene Davis

“The bandage was wound around his wound.

“The farm was cultivated to produce produce.

“The dump was so full that the workers had to refuse more refuse.

“We must polish the Polish furniture shown at the store.

“He could lead if he could get the lead out.

“The soldier decided to desert his tasty dessert in the desert.

“Since there is no time like the present, he thought it was time to present the present to his girlfriend.

“A bass was painted on the head of the bass drum.

“When shot at, the dove dove into the bushes.

“I did not object to the object which he showed me.

“The insurance was invalid for the invalid in his hospital bed.

“There was a row among the oarsmen about who would row.

They were too close to the door to close it.

“The buck does many things when the does (females) are present.

“A seamstress and a sewer fell down into a sewer line.

“To help with planting, the farmer taught his sow to sow.

“The wind was too strong to wind the sail around the mast.

“Upon seeing the tear in her painting, she shed a tear.

“I had to subject the subject to a series of tests.

“How can I intimate this to my most intimate friend?”

Avan, Aval Adhu 251

"aavat sthasyanti girahay,

Saritah cha mahita le,

Taavat ramaayama katha,

Lokesu prachyansiyat.”

' As long as mountains and rivers flourish on the surface of the earth, so long the legend of Ramayana will flourish in this world ' Ravi said and looked at all of them and then resting his eyes on Gayatri, ' Katrathu Kai mann azhavu. Kallathathu Ulaghazhvu.'

All three of them felt goose pimples all over their bodies as the deep, baritone voice of Ravi that they were all familiar with now sounded soft and melodious and yet boomed with the power of thunder in the cottage that was No.7 and they knew in their hearts that they were in for a special treat of a moment.

' Like all of you and like most of us growing up in this ancient land that we call India, I became aware of Lord Ram and Lord Hanuman from a very young age. Like most boys, I hero-worshipped them and my only ambition as a kid was to become a great warrior like them and so it was not by chance that the very first book that I read was Valmiki's Ramayana. I did not stop with just reading the epic but began obsessing with it and all the characters in it and made it a point to attend any speech or discourse that involved the great story that took place in and around Kumarapalayam. One day while I was in the 5th std, my dad informed me that the great Kripananda Variyar was coming to Madurai during Ram Navami and was going to speak about the Ramayana in the famous Azhagar Kovil.'

He paused and looked at the window and said, ' I sometimes wish that I had remained a kid all my life and.......'

It was not what he said that affected all of them but the way he said it and the way his voice sounded when he said it.

Even in the darkness and even with their sight diminished to the barest of minimum, his voice was enough for them to see him, feel him and experience what he was feeling as his mind took him and them and travelled back into the past.

Gayatri saw his right profile as he stared at the window and wondered if Ravi was staring at it as if it was some portal, gateway to another dimension or a wormhole that could take him back to his childhood days.

She felt his regret, pain and tiredness through his voice along with the others and realized that he was not looking to escape back to his childhood through some magic portal. Instead, he himself had become a gateway to his childhood dimension through his own memories.

' Ravi, why do you sound so melancholic and why is your voice filled with so much regret? ' she asked him in a soft and concerned voice and it reached him and instantly made him feel better and he looked at her and said, ' There are so many beautiful reasons and moments that makes me want to go back to being a kid but I am willing to let forsake all of them for one memory.'

Daksha's own voice reflected how concerned she was about Ravi and how uncomfortable she felt seeing him disturbed and sad. That was not the Ravi she or Partha knew or liked. True, he could be moody and silent but never sad and melancholic.

' Ravi, I mean no offence but if you go back to your childhood and if God grants you your wish to remain in that childhood mode forever, then you will not be able to meet Madhu who entered your life a few years later.'

' I know that Daksha. I know it very well and yet I said it, wished it and if I am doing that then you can imagine....'

Gayatri interrupted him, ' No, we cannot imagine what could have been so important and so significant in the times before Madhu entered your life.'

' Peace. Peace, Gayatri. I was happy but more importantly, I was in peace and so was everyone else and all was good and beautiful in the world.'

Partha racked his brains in vain to figure out what Ravi meant with his words and blurted in a hurry, ' Idiot. Stop bullshitting us. I remember all those years when you and Madhu were together and lest you forget, I was there too. I was a witness to how happy you were those days and the glow that filled your face for it was brighter than even the mid-day sun. So, stop lying to us about wanting to return to your childhood and that too before Madhu came into your life.'

Gayatri and Daksha looked at him for an answer and Partha grunted loudly, ' Go on then. Say something da.'

' Very true da. You are absolutely right and I would have agreed under any other circumstance but in hindsight..'

Gayatri's sarcasm-filled words were like a hot knife cutting through butter and in this instance, it cut through the thick, tense atmosphere that lay cloyingly around all of them.

' Like Partha said, stop bullshitting us, Ravi. The history of the world is split into two halves. BC and AD. Before Christ and after the birth of Christ. In the same manner, your life is split into two. BM and AM. Before Madhu and After Madhu. If I who have known you for a mere week know how important Madhu is in your life and the influence she has on you and has had on you all these years, then it is obvious that nothing can be more important than her. So stop all this peace stuff.'

Ravi flicked his fingers loudly and with just simple action revealed his irritation.

' Madhu was, is and will remain important and there is nothing I or anyone else can do about it ' and, looking at Gayatri, ' Is this what you wanted me to say and with that confirm the answers to some vague questions that you are cooking up in your head.'

Raising his hand, ' Please, don't try denying it for it is pretty obvious something is definitely going on in your head for you are not the same person that you were in the morning or for a matter of fact earlier in the evening. Something has changed or something we have said or done has upset you and caused you to behave like this.'

If his words had an effect on her, it was not obvious for Gayatri raised her own hand and waved it, ' Please, Ravi. We will come to me and what I am feeling after you have completed what you were saying before I interrupted you.'

Ravi stared at her and Gayatri stared back and true to his character, it was he who gave in and backed away from what could have become a confrontation and 9 out of 10 times, it should and could have been that.

But then like I have always maintained, Ravi is different.

' Okay ' he said softly and looked at Partha and Daksha, ' Guys, just because, we are happy in the present, does it mean that we were not happy in the past? Is it right to compare the happy and joyous moments that make up our life?'

' You are right, Ravi. But, when you come down to it, we humans do tend to compare, weigh and measure everything and that includes happiness too.'

' I know that, Ducks. But, how is it possible to compare and measure happiness and how does one decide what to keep and what to let go? I declared my wish to have remained in that time period when I was in my 5th std for a reason and that reason was Meenakshi.'

The gasps of shock and surprise were loud and clear in their emotion and clearly conveyed to Ravi and to the others what they had commonly felt hearing him mention the name Meenakshi.

' Why are you all reacting in this way hearing me mention my cousin's name?'

Daksha could have asked a million incisive and telling questions but she loved Ravi too much and so asked in a gentle voice, ' Master, after all the chaos and destruction she has wreaked in your life and is possibly still doing to this day, you go and mention her name and top that by saying that she is the reason for wanting to remain a kid and that too forever and that too forsaking Madhu herself. How else do you expect us to react when you say this?'

' It is not just about you taking her name but the way you said it ' Gayatri spoke and all of them felt the intensity in her voice as she spoke again.

' You used her name with a lot of care and affection. The very person who is the reason we are sitting here huddled in this cottage and not knowing what is coming our way. How dare you use her name?'

Ravi smiled, ' Gayatri, I am sure there must have been many a time when you wished you were little and when both your parents were still around.'

' You dare compare my memories with that bitch who has so obviously destroyed your life and that of so many others. How dare you?'

' I am sorry Gayatri. I am talking here but none of you, are really hearing or feeling what it is I am really trying to say here.'

' Meenakshi was not always like this and lest you forget, she happens to be my cousin but as far as I was concerned, I treated her like my very own sister. Then all that changed in the week that we spent in Madurai when we attended that spiritual discourse with her parents.'

He paused and sighed, ' Honestly until then, Meenakshi was as good a soul as Madhu was and would have remained if what she had wished and desired had come true.'

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yb9tk_rMpBY

A Muslim mayor of London,

A Hindu prime minister and

A Christian king.

This feel like

Amar, Akbar and Anthony..😂😂

These insults are from an era when the English language did not depend on 4-letter words !*

*Insults then, had some class !* 👇👇👇

1.

"I am enclosing two tickets to the first night of my new play;

Bring a friend, if you have one."

George Bernard Shaw to Winston Churchill.

"Cannot possibly attend first night, I will attend the second...If there is one."

- Winston Churchill, in response.

😀😀😀😀

2.

A member of Parliament to Disraeli: "Sir, you will either die on the gallows, or of some unspeakable disease."

· "That depends, Sir," said Disraeli, "whether I embrace your policies or your mistress."

😀😀😀😀

3.

"He has never been known to use a word that might send a reader to the dictionary."

- William Faulkner (about Ernest Hemingway).

😀😀😀

4.

"Thank you for sending me a copy of your book; I'll waste no time reading it."

- Moses Hadas

😀😀😀

5.

"He has no enemies, but is intensely disliked by his friends.."

- Oscar Wilde

😀😀😀😀

6.

"I feel so miserable without you; it's almost like having you here."

- Stephen Bishop

😀😀😀😀

7.

"I've just learned about his illness. Let's hope it's nothing trivial."

- Irvin S. Cobb

😀😀😀😀

8.

"He is not only dull himself; he is the cause of dullness in others."

- Samuel Johnson

😀😀😀😀😀

9.

"Why do you sit there looking like an envelope without any address on it?"

- Mark Twain

😀😀😀😀

10.

"Some cause happiness wherever they go; others, whenever they go."

- Oscar Wilde

😀😀😀😀😀

11.

"He uses statistics as a drunken man uses lamp-posts... For support rather than illumination."

- Andrew Lang (1844-1912)

😀😀😀😀

12.

"He has all the virtues I dislike and none of the vices I admire."

- Winston Churchill

😀😀😀😀

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*Pity today's English speaking generation who do not know such High Quality English simply depend on Emoticons and Smileys to express themselves !!*

Avan, Aval Adhu 252

She could not believe what her ears had just heard and it took a few moments for his words to sink in, and when they did, her mind rebelled and in a voice filled to the brim with anger, she confronted him.

' Did I hear wrong or did you actually compare your bitch of a cousin Meenakshi with Madhu, the woman who you have loved more than you have loved anybody else? How dare you do that? Is there nothing sacred in this world? Is there nothing sacred about Madhu that differentiates her from Meenakshi? Are you going to try and convince us that your psycho cousin is as good a person as Madhu? '

Daksha and Partha looked at each other and through their eyes spoke to each other, ' What is going on with Gayatri and why is she overreacting to everything?' and they turned to their friend for answers.

' I repeat again what I said about Meenakshi and I hope you will hear my words and understand them for what they really are, Gayatri.'

She glared at him angrily, ' You mean to say I misunderstood you the first time around.'

' Yes. You did.'

' I did not and I swear I will not sit quietly and listen to you comparing others with that monster called Meenakshi.'

' She was not and I repeat it again. She was not like this when she was a kid. Yes, I agree she has changed now but she was a totally different person back then.'

Ravi's calm answer supporting Meenakshi only served to stoke Gayatri's anger and she yelled, ' You did not change. Have you?'

' No. I don't think I have changed and I hope my friends of many years will help with my testimonials that you are now challenging. Forget me. What about you, Gayatri?'

' What about me?

Ravi smiled grimly realizing that he had no other option left but to beat the grass of Gayatri's tormented mind in an attempt to drive out the ghosts and snakes that were forcing her to be someone else.

' You, ma'am are not yourself and it is as if some other person or something has replaced the Gayatri that we know. The Gayatri I know, respect and have fallen in love with.'

The women did not know it but Partha knew it and had seen it a few times in his life. In normal people, including himself, anger, doubt and confusion almost always led to confrontation, fights and a totally chaotic situation that usually meant division.

Breakups.

But Ravi, as was his nature, was exactly the opposite and only Partha and a few others knew that when he become calm and composed and began to use logic to talk and debate, it meant that he was upset and that could turn into anger.

Wise to his friend's moods, he waded in boldly and tried to ease the situation, ' Dei, Ravi. Vidra. Vidu. Ava thaan theriyama pesaraana, neeyuma ( Just because she is talking unreasonably does not mean you have to do the same. Let it go.'

Gayatri should not have yet she did and she would regret it for the rest of her life.

' Partha, remember your manners. Say what you have to say so that I too can understand it and please no code words in your language. One more thing, I don't need your f..king support. I can take care of myself.'

A silence fell upon them and stilled them but dare not still their thoughts.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r0qmJoav5rE

I can think of younger days when living for my life

Was everything a man could want to do

I could never see tomorrow

I was never told about the sorrow

And how can you mend a broken heart?

How can you stop the rain from falling down?

Tell me, how can you stop the sun from shining?

What makes the world go 'round?

How can you mend a this broken man? Yeah

How can a loser ever win?

Somebody please help me mend my broken heart

And let me live again, la-la, la-la, la

I can still feel the breeze that rustles through the trees

And misty memories of days gone by

But we could never see tomorrow

Would you believe that no one, no one ever told us about the sorrow?

So how can you mend a broken heart? And mine is

How can you stop the rain from falling down? Baby

How can you stop that old sun from shining?

What makes the world go 'round? And sometime I have to say, yeah, say

La-la-la, la-la-la, uh-huh, yeah

La-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la, tell me

Help me mend my, my broken heart

I just wanna, I just wanna, I just wanna, I just wanna

I just wanna live again, baby

How can you mend this broken man? Yeah, somebody tell me

How can a loser ever win? 'Cause, baby

Help me mend my, this old broken heart

I think I, I believe I

I feel like I got to, I feel like I wanna live again

How can you mend, ah, this broken heart? Somebody please tell me

How can you stop the rain from falling down? I know my clothes are all wet, tell me

How can you mend my, please help me mend my broken heart

I think I, I believe I, I've got a feeling that I want to live and live and live

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3jPMv9zJ1LE

The skys were pure and the fields were green

And the sun was brighter than it's ever been

When I grew up with my best friend, Kenny

We were close as any brothers that you ever knew

It was always summer and the future called

We were ready for adventures and we wanted them all

And there was so much left to dream

And so much time to make it real

But I can still recall the sting of all the tears when he was gone

They say he crashed and burned, I swear I'll never learn

Why any boy should die so young

We were racing; we were soldiers of fortune

We got in trouble but we sure got around

There are times I think I see him peeling out of the dark

I think he's right behind me now, and he's gaining ground

But it was long ago, and it was far away

Oh God, it seems so very far

And if life is just a highway, then the soul is just a car

And objects in the rear view mirror may appear closer than they are

And objects in the rear view mirror may appear closer than they are

And objects in the rear view mirror may appear closer than they are

And objects in the rear view mirror may appear closer than they are

They are

And when the sun descended and the night arose

I heard my father cursing everyone he knows

He was dangerous and druk and defeated

And corroded by failure and envy and hate

There were endless winters and the dreams would freeze

No where to hide and no leaves on the trees

And my father's eyes were blank as he hit me again and again and again

I know I still believe he'd never let me leave, I had to run away alone

So many threats and fears, so many wasted years

Before my life became my own

And though the nightmares should be over

Some of the terrors are still intact

I'll hear that ugly, coarse, and violent voice

And then he grabs me from behind, and then he pulls me back

But it was long ago, and it was far away

Oh God, it seems so very far

And if life is just a highway, then the soul is just a car

And objects in the rear view mirror may appear closer than they are

And objects in the rear view mirror may appear closer than they are

And objects in the rear view mirror may appear closer than they are

And objects in the rear view mirror may appear closer than they are

They are

There was a beauty living on the edge of town

She always put the top up and the hammer down

And she taught me everything I'll ever know

About the mystery and the muscle of love

The stare would glimmer and the moon would glow

I'm in the back seat with my Julie like Romeo

And the signs along the highway all said

Caution! Kids at play!

Those were the rights of spring and we did everything

There was salvation every night

We got dreams reborn and our upholstery torn

But everything we tried was right

She used her body just like a bandage

She use my body just like a wound

I'll probably never know where she disappeared

But I can see rising up out of the back seat now

Just like an angel rising out of a tomb

But it was long ago, and it was far away

Oh God, it seems so very far

And if life is just a highway, then the soul is just a car

And objects in the rear view mirror may appear closer than they are

And objects in the rear view mirror may appear closer than they are

And objects in the rear view mirror may appear closer than they are

And objects in the rear view mirror may appear closer than they are

And objects in the rear view mirror may appear closer than they are

And objects in the rear view mirror may appear closer than they are

And objects in the rear view mirror may appear closer than they are

And objects in the rear view mirror may appear closer than they are

And objects in the rear view mirror may appear closer than they are

She used her body just like a bandage

She used my body just like a wound

I'll probably never know where she disappeared

But I can see her rising up out of the back seat now...

We dance round in a ring and suppose,

But the Secret sits in the middle and knows.

I read these two lines and read them again and again. From reading two or more books in a day back when I was a lot younger, today, age and lack of time have reduced my reading to just one book a week and sometimes I flog myself with it for two or more weeks and then finally cast it away in frustration. The reason is that these days, more often than not, reading which was once a passion of mine has now become a chore and a huge bore for the standard in writing has slipped down and is now pure pulp. Sorry, but I am talking only about Fiction writing for I don't believe in Non-fiction for they are just that in name and are more fictitious than fiction stories themselves. Sadly, today, books are huge disappointments. If the writing style and prose are good, then the story will turn out to be a disaster. If the writing and story are both good then I bet you the writer will frustrate you and nearly force you to kill yourself by moving the story at a snail's pace and chapters filled with lame characters.

But I never tired get tired of reading quotes, short poems, haikus and yes, my all-time favourite Thirukurals. Please let me add my favourite MIND Kannadasan to that shortlist.

We dance round in a ring and suppose,

But the Secret sits in the middle and knows.

Don't you just love Robert Frost? I do and also do envy him for his creative and brilliant mind and for the beautiful soul from which he pours himself into his literary creations. The road not taken is another favourite of mine for I find myself every day standing at crossroads wondering what road to take.

Sorry, no need to panic for I was just talking about my work concerning acting. When I am in the scene and in a particular shot, I improvise a lot and to such an extent that I find myself in a maze of ways to go and when I take one, I end up regretting not having used the other improvisation. Well, time, money and all that stuff.

I have realized something very creepy about life and time over the past few years and I am now sure about it. What is it you madman you may ask?

Is it only me or do you all too feel that time has somehow mysteriously picked up the pace and everything seems to be happening at a greater speed?

Ippo thaan diwali pochu adhukkula innoru diwali. Ippo thaan 2022 start aana mathiri irukku adhukkula 2023 etti paakuthu. Ennappaa nadakuthu inge.

At this rate, I am sure life and all our lives will in the end be dictated by time or lack of it and the laws of compression will finally be applied.

Laws of compressiona. Satish, modhala unnoda mara mandaiya, compress panni destroy pannanum pola iruuku.( Puriyuthu. Neenga en mela kovama irukkengannu puriyuthu.)

What I am trying to say is that it will soon become fashionable to keep everything short and simple and hopefully beautiful and probably might become the law too.

All because of lack of time.

Solla vanthatha surukkuma azhaga sollu. Keep it brief and short and keep it simple.

I am not sure if you people are aware of this jargon or word that is used in my world of cinema and television.

One line.

Enna one line, you might ask.

When a director meets a producer or some executive in a big production company, he is told, ' tell your story in one line ' or if he or she is lucky, they might be given the opportunity to tell their story synopsis.

A synopsis is essentially a summary of your story from start to finish. It includes an outline of the main plot, your primary characters, any subplots and plot twists, and what happens at the end.

Short films, short videos, one-line stories, and a brief synopsis.

Where is it all going, time and the people in our times and living in these times?

Do not feel lonely, the entire universe is inside you Rumi

Of course, the universe is inside me, Rumi boss. Starting from Hydrogen and Helium the most abundant stuff in the universe to oxygen, Co2 etc, the universe is inside you and me.

Rumi's answer might have been thus. ' Yes, along with all those chemicals, known and unknown elements, there is that rarest of rare stuff called love. Yes, for want of a better word, I use this simple four letter word called love which is the bridge to all our universes in you and in me and in all of us.

Good morning. I wish you a universal day of love. What universe? My universe, silly sillies.