Ides of March – 15th of March 2017

Every 15th of March referred as “The Ides of march” and once again we are having it today.

So why is it referred  as the IOM?

Once upon a time March was the first month of the Roman calendar.  The ancient Romans did not number the days of the month, instead based on 3 phases of the moon. The 3 lunar- phase- markers were named Kalends, Nones and Ides. The Ides indicated the full moon of that month, and being March the first month of the year, the first full moon was called “The Ides of March”. Romans marked the Ides of March with celebrations to welcome the new moon.

But Everything changed on 44 BC  Ides of March .

A coup was plotted against  Julius Caesar. Emperor of Rome was assassinated  on the Ides of March. History would tell you that his best mate Brutus was involved too.

Then came Shakespeare the playwright who quoted “Beware of the Ides of March” in his play  “The tragedy of  Julius Caesar” (~1599-1623). Since then the day has been scarred as bad omen.  Would you classify this as a bad omen? I will let you decide.

140 years ago (1877), the  inaugural  Test Cricket Match also  started  on an  Ides of March.

 

Death anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi (Travel Story 2)

Repost

Today is the 68th death anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi the Father of the Nation of India. Mahatma means the great soul (maha – athma). Gandhi was assassinated at the former Birla house in New Delhi on the 30th of January 1948. The non- violence advocate was met by his assassin Nathuram Godse a Hindu nationalist while he was walking with his grand nieces to a prayer in the garden. Gandhi was aged 79 (2 October 1869 – 30 January 1948)

Former Birla house is now known as Gandhi Smirti which serves as a museum for the great soul as he has spent his last days in that house.  Last January our family had the opportunity to visit the former Birla house and would like to share some photos on Mahatma Gandhi’s 68^th Death anniversary.

 

Tracing Gandhi’s last steps in this world

On the way to his prayers

Accompanied by his grand neices

The place of Gandhi’s martyrdom

last few minutes..

“Hey Ram”  was the last words uttered by the Great Soul.

 

 

 

Mahatma Gandhi stayed in a room at the back of the Birla’s house. It was a simple room with his only few possessions as  described in the images.

 

A view from his room to the garden

 

Worldly  remains of Gandhi

Mahatma’s bed  without sheets (currently it is covered with a sheet  and a cushion)

 

A little space where he met his visitors (Birla’s house)

Spinning wheel and a desk to use his mighty pen. Three  favourite monkeys are also  in the image ” See no evil, hear noevil speak no evil”

 

Gandhis’ walking stick and his footwear

Gandhi, a living truth by Rabindranath Tagore

 

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Happy New 2016

Wishing everyone a very bright  peaceful new year!

Savoury milk rice with hot chillie sambal (kattai sambal)

Jaffna specialty for the first day of the year!

Christmas Time Again!

Once again December has arrived for yet another Christmas season. Some  do call it as a silly season. Commercially it is a busy time for the supermarkets. A supermarket in Germany  has turn the festive season with an  innovative  musical idea. Please check the  short  video below.

 

Supermarket in Germany

Dawn of another Year…

Dear friends

I wish you all a very happy 2015.

Eight days have already disappeared, in other words we have 51 weeks more. As usual everyone would have made a few new-year resolutions and some may have been already broken their pledges as I had.

A friend of mine from Iowa sent a newspaper cutting along with her new-year wishes and I thought I will share that with you.

கீறல்கள்- கமல் ஹாசன் (Two sketches of Kamal)

An article written in Tamil on the 60th Birthday of Kamal Hasan.
The sketches were drawn by me 40 years ago.

பத்தும் பலதும்

கமலுக்கு வயது60!

நம்பவே முடியவில்லை.

இப்போது நினைத்தாலும் சிரிப்பும் வருகிறது.

அந்தக் காலத்தில் கமல ஹாசன் மீது இருந்த டீன் ஏஜ் கிரேஸ்.

யாழ்ப்பாணத்தில், கடந்த நூற்றாண்டின் எழுபதுகளின் மத்தியில் இருக்கும். கொஞ்சம் தமிழர்களின் நிம்மதியான காலம்.

எப்போதுமே MGR, சிவாஜி முகங்களை திரையில் பார்க்கும் அலுப்பு.

அதுவும் வயதில் முதிர்ந்தவர்கள் இளவயது நடிகைகளுடன் நெருங்கி நடிக்கும் காலகட்டம்.

Dull!

அங்காங்கே பொங்கலுக்கு பயற்றம் பருப்பை சேர்த்தால் போல் முத்துராமன், ஜெய்சங்கர் படங்கள்.

இதே நேரத்தில் ரசிகர்களிடையேயும் மாற்றம். நடிகர்களுக்காக படம் பார்க்காமல் இயகுநர்களுக்காக படம் ஓடத்தொடங்கிய நாட்கள். இதில் முதலிடம் பெற்றவர்கள் ஸ்ரீதர், கே. பாலசந்தர் போன்றோர்.

இந் நேரத்தில் தமிழ் திரையுலகில் ஓர் புதுமுகம்.

மிகவும் இளையவர்.

சிறு வேடங்களில் பலபடங்களில் தலை காட்டியவர்.

இளவயது பெண் ரசிகர்களுக்கிடயே பிரபலமாகிக் கொண்டிருந்தவர்.

யாழ்ப்பாணத்தில் முதல் முதலாக எனக்கு பார்க்க கிடைத்த அவருடைய படம்: அவள்-ஒரு-தொடர்கதை.

விகடகவியாக காந்திக் கண்ணாடியுடன் நடித்த பாத்திரம்.

இப்படம் 75 – 76 களில் யாழ்-டவுன் பஸ் தரிப்பு நிலையத்திற்கு பக்கக்தில் உள்ள ராணி தியேட்டரில் ஓடிய நினைவு.

தியேட்டருக்கு முன் நடிகை சுஜாதாவின் மிகவும் பிரமாண்டமான கட்-அவுட் (wooden cut-out) அலங்காரம்.

சனிக்கிழமை மட்னீ ஷோ (matinee show) – சாம் மாஸ்டரின் கெமிஸ்ரி டியூஷன் கிளாஸ் முடித்து, (Sam Master’s Chemistry tuition class) சொந்தங்களுடன் சுண்டிக்குளியில் இருந்து பஸ் பிடித்து போய்…

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ANZAC Centenary

 

November 1, 2014 is  the 100th year anniversary of the  First convoy of soldiers leaving  the shores of Australia of  to join the  first World war .

The first convoy  left on November 1st 1914 , from Albany in Western Australia to Gallipoli in Turkey.

Many soldiers left their families and their beloved country with a hope of bringing peace to the world  but only a few were lucky enough to return to their loved ones.

Below is a photo  from the service at  Albany. Photo credit: The West Australian

“Lest we forget”

@thewest_com_au coverage of #AnzacCentenary via @thewest_photos #AnzacAlbany #LestWeForget pic.twitter.com/n57rsAZ2Zq

— thewest_photos (@thewest_photos) November 2, 2014

 

Related article:  ANZAC Albany

 

BLONDE JOKE (Friday Funnies XVII)

Soccer World cup is around the corner.

FIFA World Cup 2014 will be held in Brazil during June 12^th– 13^th July and the jokes on Soccer are coming out of the wood work!

 

Here is one in the name of BLONDE JOKE

 

A blonde gets a job as a physical education teacher for the teenagers.  During a session, she notices a boy at the end of the field standing alone, while all the other teenagers are running around kicking a football. She takes pity on him and decides to speak to him.

‘You ok?’ she says.

‘Yes.’ he says.

‘You can go and play with the other kids you know’ she says.

‘It’s best I stay here.’ he says.

‘Why’s that sweetie?’ says the blonde.

The boy looks at her incredulously and says:-

“Because I’m the goal keeper !!!”

 

(Appreciate the unknown owner of the joke)

Photo Challenge : Last letter from Titanic

What more appropriate than theletter  written on the passenger liner “Titanic”.  The last letter was written  by the survivor Mrs. Esther Hart, 102  years ago on the 14th of April 1912.

It was written on ship’ s stationery, On board R.M.S  “Titanic”.  The letter  will be  going under the hammer soon and expected to fetch One hundred thousand pounds.

While the doomed Titanic was the last century’s mystery, spare a thought for the passengers of the Malaysian Airlines MH370.  

Would we ever be able to hear the last movements of this century’s ill-fated flight?

Titanic's last letter expected to sell for up to £100,000 at auction http://t.co/6vI6kTRfOW pic.twitter.com/wZkzBNEi2U

— The Independent (@Independent) April 26, 2014

 

 

Related articles

1. The last letter written  on board Titanic expected to fetch 100,000 at auction.

 

2. Photo challenge: Letters.

3.  Titanic memorial at Cobh Harbor, Ireland

 

ANZAC DAY in Australia (2014)

This gallery contains 11 photos.