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Sibyl

JAN 2010

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Hello Fellow earthlings,

Hope you enjoyed the December issue of “The Banayan Trees”.

We are back , yet again with a bang and a time machine that

takes you through a tour of 2010 and may be even beyond. Hold

your breath, fasten your seatbelts as we zoom through this

amazing journey with stories , poems, entertainment capsules,

and much more.

Hope you enjoy this edition as much as we did putting it up

together, Happy reading and have a wonderful new year .

Thanks,

The Editor

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The existence of Sibyl Short Story by Filarial

Draupadi Series by Manasa

What to watch in 2010? Kanaka Sathasivan

Metamorphosis Poetry bySophie

2110AD Diary Entry by Muthu

Turning Leaf Poetry by Anuradha Chadrasekaran

Scientifically Literate Science Column by Dhivya Arasappan

Yeh Dil Maange More Column by Aditya Srikrishna

Reality TV Article by Nivethitha Kumar

Microfables Radhika Coffee and Cigarettes Column by Aruni

Literary Haven Sowmya Arasappan Dream for 2010 Raghuram Godavarthi

Refreshing Rendezvous Interview with Music Director P.C.Shivan

Those Lovely Woods Travelogue by Deepak Venkatesan

Dude , Where Is My Coffee? DreamVendor

4

“Don‟t Ever Trust Yourself” --- Filarial (3000 AD) The governor of Alpha Centauri lay dead before us. I couldn‟t believe it. All the precautions and nothing had helped. It had to be one of us. There could be no stowaways on this ship. I had calcu-lated the amount of air to be supplied based on the ships size and the number of people to the last atom. This had been a precaution I had al-ways taken without my crew knowing for if I saw a drop of sweat I knew things were not right. I knew! That was key to providing the kind of security the governor had needed. And the strange thing was I trusted each of my crew more than myself. There was Sibyl (oh beautiful Sibyl… but I digress) Randy, Chad and Periyakarupan. I looked at each of them. The stranger thing was that we had all been sweating from about 36 seconds before the governor dropped dead. And then everyone was breathing normally. I couldn‟t make head or tail of it. “Report to your quarters and do not budge or else you will be killed” I said quietly. I thought for about 30 minutes looking at the monitors trained on each room. Randy paced about the room nervously, Sibyl was crying like a baby, Chad and Periyakarupan on the other hand were sitting quietly and patiently. I walked straight to Randy‟s room and opened the door. As soon as he saw me, he whispered quickly,” Have you talked to anybody else? ” He saw the look on my face and said,” I was hoping when you saw me pacing you would come to me. I hoped in hell that you would. You don‟t understand. I saw some-thing. I cannot for the love of god figure it out. I saw... “ and his voice broke into a whisper… his eyes wide open… and Blackout.

~(_8-(!) -- Did Not Know

The governor of Alpha Centauri lay dead before us. I acted per protocol and grounded the whole crew to their quarters. I was observing them on the monitors. Sibyl (oh beautiful Sibyl… I slapped myself on the face… focus…) Periya-karupan and Randy were sitting down with an eerie calm. Sibyl was crying uncontrollably now. I could feel the air becoming thinner, she needed to calm down or all of us were in dan-ger of cerebral hypoxia for we were still a mil-lion miles from Gyna. I would get to her but she would be second. First I headed to Chad‟s room. I opened the door and his eyes were wide open waiting for me to walk in. I said calmly,” Chad … why did you do it… Chad? “and his eyes moved towards me and without any warning he jumped on me. The bastard had a hidden weapon. He must have used it on the governor… “You are not the CAPTAIN.. YOU ARE NoTTTT.”… I felt Blood ooze out of my shoul-der… I was having double visions as I staved off Chad with the last reserves of energy that I had left… He suddenly stopped looking horri-fied and said,” Captain is that really… really you???”.. I screamed , “ You Dumb fellow what the.. “ I could feel myself blacking out. The ship‟s computer was saying something about slight turbulence. I was losing consciousness. I poked my wound with two fingers harshly and screamed in pain as blood rushed to my head as well and I saw a little more clearly. Chad said,” You don‟t understand captain… I… Saw… I….” Blackout . The Governor of Alpha Centauri‟s mangled body lay before us. I was a little disconcerted. I had sent the rest of the crew to their quarters. I wanted to go to Sibyl‟s quarters and comfort her.

The Existence Of Sibyl

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And then I walked back in to the ship , 20 min-utes before the second turbulence hit. . I tried warning us but the first time, all of you freaked out so much you tied me up and put me into what was my quarters, not listening to me. And again it was only I who survived. I tried through different combinations to drive the ship of path but I found I did not have control. Captain you para-programmed the ship to listen to only you. And then I tried to catch someone else‟s atten-tion. First Randy, then Chad, in that sequence by showing myself at a certain angle while killing the most important person on the ship- the Gov-ernor. Both of them could not understand the paradox. And then Periyakaruppan... she stopped and Periyakaruppan continued, “As We started saving each of us we had to kill the so called “copy” the anomaly created of each of us. That was the only way. Believe me captain… “ and he closed his eyes. We were lost upon the act of violence we had had to commit… and yet we were alive… all of us… I could not understand…. Somewhere dis-tantly I could hear ship‟s computer say “400 thousand miles” PS- Some people like to use quotes of great men in History to make a point. So I decided to use a Quote I will make in the future at the be-ginning of the story. K PS PS- the story‟s title- did it make you think? :D…. As I researched the theme, I found a quote in wiki which went like the “Homer seems to have been unaware of a Sibyl” Hence I as-sumed the reference to be the one person I turn to in a time of great despair… The one only phi-losopher of interest-- ~(_8-(!) ( turn these char-acters by 90 degrees and you will see Homer Simpson!)

—-Filarial

I couldn‟t bear her cries. But when I did look at the monitors. I looked at but one monitor. Periya-Karupan was looking at the monitor almost smil-ing ,almost signaling to me. I walked straight to his quarters and opened the door. I let it slide shut behind me and heaved a heavy sigh. “ I saw… “ He smiled and said,” Don‟t jump to conclusions. “ and he closed his eyes and said, “ Let us think rationally captain, calm your thoughts and lets then go to Sibyl‟s Quarters. “ I said, “I am calm enough - lets go.” We were inside Sibyl‟s Quar-ters and as I approached her… I ..”aaaaaaaaaaaaaaah” PeriyaKarupan looked down upon the captain‟s dead body and then at Sibyl, “Come on Sibyl, we don‟t have much time… “ ... The ship‟s computer was saying something about approaching turbu-lence. He half dragged her to his quarters and pulled her over another body. A badly disfigured body of…. Periyakarupan. She was almost hys-terical. TURBULANCE… Blackout. The Governor of Alpha Centauri‟s body lay still before me. I looked at the monitors desperately. I had sent everybody to their quarters and yet no-body was there. I saw no one in their quarters. I walked out of the control room as the ships com-puter talked about turbulence. As I walked out … I saw someone approaching. I ran towards the fig-ure and tried to … my eyes opened wide. It could-n‟t be… I backed away… and then he jumped at me. I screamed in pain as something struck and I felt blood spurt out and screamed …. And screamed….. Turbulance and Forward….. I stood there shaking. And behind me- the Gover-nor, Chad, Sibyl and and… Periyakarupan. I had used the modulator, the only one on the ship… on…. Me. I wanted to cry, to vomit but we couldn‟t afford me to do that for we were still a million miles away. I controlled myself. We all sat there looking at each other as if each were a ghost. Fi-nally Periyakarupan spoke slowly, “ it had to be done to break away from the anomaly. That was the only way that I could think off. Each of us… had to kill …. Ourselves… to break from the para-dox…. It was the only way… it was the…” I looked at Sibyl and said, Explain . ” She looked up through her tear soaked face and said, “When the turbulence hit the ship for the first time… I was pulled through some sort of anomaly and as I traveled, I could hear all of your screams

6

How hot the sun is! The pitcher of water next to me

is open, and the water is heating up fast and disap-

pearing as I lie here, famished and thirsty. The five

figures have long left, and I can see only the horizon

shimmer where I saw their receding backs. The rock

that I’m lying on is heating up too…Bheem, as

usual, could never think for longer than the mo-

ment. Though he had moved my bed-rock out of the

way of the sun when he left, he had failed to ac-

count for the progress of the day. Bheem. My bed-

rock.

There were five of them, but Bheem was noticeable,

always. He stood out, like Arjun. Like the other one.

Sahadeva, my good Sahadeva, my almost-brother,

he was unobtrusive. He never stood out. But Bheem

and Arjun, they stood out like the sun and the moon.

The first time I saw all the five of them together, I

had eyes only for Arjun…but I knew, with the in-

stinct of a woman, the two pairs of eyes that watched

me, my every movement. One of the two pairs be-

longed to Bheem. The other…but wait. Let me tell

the story in sequence and order.

I ran past the fountain and the hall of the songbirds,

around the flower garden into the inner chambers,

looking to my left and to my right. When I saw her,

relief bubbled over me and I said, ―Shakti-ma‘ with

the same bliss on my face as a thirsty man‘s in an oa-

sis. The veiled face that looked back at me with a

smile was my wet-nurse‘s.

My father had never really wanted a daughter. He is

lame in one leg – I have heard people say that the

only reason he ever became king was because there

was no one else in the family to take over. I hate my

father. He is a vicious man - has got a nasty, foul tem-

per. For example, he quarreled with his best friend,

a revered sage called Drona, because he was a poor

man who asked for my father‘s help.

My father can never be kind to people who love him

– maybe that is why he hates me. I would love to love

him like a father should be loved, and I was another

pillar in the palace as far as he was concerned. All he

wanted was a son – you see, Drona was a greater war-

rior than my lame father. When my father insulted

Drona, he avenged the insult by declaring war on my

father, and winning it single handed. Now, my father

wanted to continue the cycle by getting back at Drona

– he wanted a warrior son who could finish off Drona

for him.

I have heard Shakti-ma say how joyful he was when

he heard my mother was pregnant – he was almost

human then. He had, however, miscalculated – he got

the warrior son he wanted, but the son also had a twin

-sister, me, who by tearing out of the fragile mother,

had killed her.

After my mother had died giving birth to me, a fact

that my father never let me forget, Shakti-ma had fed

me and clothed me and changed the cloth when she

had to, and had told me stories and kept me from my

father‘s wrath and away from my bullying brother

and his friends. was the unwanted daughter, and she

was the wet-nurse who had stayed on to mother me. It

was more than a year since the time Kanha had vis-

ited me in the forest. He had gone on to do what he

had said he would – he had married Rukmini and

brought her to our palace to show off his new bride (I

later heard that he did not stand to fight her brother–

yet the brother never showed his face in public again.

Kanha has style!) However, since then, I had not seen

him. We wrote to each

Draupadi Episode 2 Manasa

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Draupadi Episode 2 Manasa

other all the time, never long missives with elabo-

rate wordplay or any useful information to convey,

but mostly short teasing notes, riddles or limericks.

―You forget the face of the old friend in the face of

the new wife?‖ went one piece of parchment in

mock anger, fastened to the feet of a pet pigeon.

―Fine question to ask the one with many wives, but

one friend‖ – the reply.

And today, after a long year, I heard the servants

talk – that Kanha was coming!

―Shakti-ma, I heard father say that Kanha is coming

today. Is that true?‖

My breathless question to Shakti-ma made her

smile again. ―Why, yes, Draupadi. Come here. I

have been meaning to talk to you.‖

She reached out for me and smoothed my wild hair

over my shoulders. ―How would you like to be mar-

ried?‖

I looked at Shakti-ma incomprehensibly.

―Listen to me, and listen to all that I have to say be-

fore you react. Your father thinks that it is time that

you get married. He has arranged for princes from

all over the world – strong, handsome, able, wealthy

ones, to come here tomorrow…there would be tests

of strength and ability and the winner would win

you as the prize! And who on earth would not want

my beautiful Draupadi?‖ Shakti-ma was smiling

fondly at me as she stroked my hair.

―My father actually wants me to be married?‖ I

could not believe my ears. Did he care? Really?

―Well, yes, of course. Which father would not want

to see his daughter mar-

ried?‖

―Not my father. He

scarcely speaks to me.

Come, on, why this sud-

den interest in my welfare?‖

―Why, my dear, why can‘t it be the simplest truth,

that your father wants to finish his duties by you?‖

―So why this elaborate test? Why not hand me over

to the first man who walks in through the door?‖ I

cried out.

―Which would be me,‖ said Kanha walking in

through the door, smiling. ―Draupadi, Draupadi,

why so much bitterness?‖

I was torn between the delight of meeting Kanha

and my suspicions of my father‘s motivations.

‗Kanha,‖ I said, running to him. ―You know every-

thing. Why does my father want me married all of a

sudden?‖

―Plainly put, my dear, so that he can defeat Drona.‖

―Drona. Is that all he cares about? And how would

getting me married help him defeat Drona?‘

Kanha reclined on the elaborately carved chair and

put me on the arm-rest beside him.

―How old are you, Draupadi?‖

Sixteen.‖

―So is your brother. And when you are sixteen, you

become a woman, like he is a man. He is now ready

to fight, but he is no match to the mighty

Drona.Moreover, you forget Drona‘s greatest

strength – he is the best teacher that there is.

8 The last time he battled with

your father, it was not Drona,

but his young fledgling of a

pupil…‖

‗Arjuna?‖

Kanha rocked the chair as if

he had not heard the tremor in

my voice. ―Yes, it was Arjuna

who brought down the chariot of your lame father.

And your father wants Arjuna on his side.‖

―How?‖

―My innocent, by making him his daughter‘s husband,

so that he can have Drona‘s right arm working for

him.‖

―But it is going to be a test! What makes him so sure

that only Arjuna can win the competition?‖

―Why, who else can string that huge bow that resides

in your palace, the one that needs twenty servants to

even lift, and shoot the eye of a revolving fish by look-

ing at its reflection?‖

―Sounds just like my father to cook up such a fiend-

ishly difficult match for the suitors. Then maybe no-

body will win and he need not bother getting me mar-

ried at all. What makes him so sure Arjuna will pass

it?‖

―Ah, but that‘s where your father‘s so diabolical. He

devised a test so that only Arjuna could pass it and no-

body else.‖

―Why do I think you had something to do with all

this?‖

Kanha laughed and eyed me, but refused to give me an

answer.

―So shall I get the preparations started?‖ asked Shakti-

ma. She knew that she could not put a foot forward

without my explicit approval!

―Of course,‖ Kanha answered for me. ―If Arjuna is

coming, that is.‖

―So, what makes you sure that Arjuna would be able to

do it? No doubt, no one else would be able to get

through, but how do you know Arjuna won‘t fail as

well? Is he some kind of super-human God who can

lift a bow that no one else can, and string it and do the

rest of that absurd task?‖

―You want him to be able to do it. Isn‘t that enough?‖

I blushed furiously and moved to run away. ―No, I do

not. Why would I want him to win me? Just a pawn in

my father‘s scheme.‖

―Well, you know best about it. All I know is that if a

man can win you by performing the task your father

has set, it is Arjuna, and none other. He is not God, he

is just a man.‖

―And I suppose you are the God?‖

―Why, yes, I am. If he is Nara, the man, I am Nara-

yana, the God.‖

When Kanha speaks in that tone of self assuredness, it

is impossible to not believe him, even if he mouths ab-

surdities.

And yet, the God, the self same God who had decided

to make a make a match of me and the most human of

men, is gone too. They say that men show God-like ten-

dencies – but what of the opposite? What if the God

start behaving like humans? My Kanha, my God, now

lost to me. I am no atheist, but something worse, for

my God is dead to me now. To have a God die is bad

enough but to have one’s faith in that God dead too?

Isn’t that worse? But I have not lost all faith. My faith

lives on, in Sahadeva’s secret, in every moment that I

wait looking at the dusty path, awaiting Death, await-

ing him.

9

No matter if you are an action buff or a die-hard ―Twihard,‖ 2010 delivers. On the big screen

in the New Year, expect movies from visionary directors Martin Scorsese, M. Night Shyama-

lan and Tim Burton, adaptations of beloved children‘s series, and some very long-awaited se-

quels.

Legion – January 22nd

(ACTION)

Watch out for Dennis Quaid, Tyrese Gibson, and Paul Bettany as the Archangel Michael

in this Biblical good-versus-evil showdown.

Shutter Island – February 9th (THRILLER)

Martin Scorsese directs this suspenseful thriller about two agents (Leonardo DiCaprio

and Mark Ruffalo) who investigate the mysterious disappearance of a patient from a

mental hospital for the criminally insane.

Alice in Wonderland – March 5th (FANTASY)

This reimagining of a classic tale from eclectic director Tim Burton shows us what hap-

pens when a grown-up Alice returns to the Wonderland—featuring Mia Wasikowska,

Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham Carter, and Anne Hathaway.

Iron Man 2 – May 7th (SUPERHERO)

Robert Downey Jr. once again plays the titular superhero in this highly-anticipated se-

quel to the 2008 film which set a new bar for the genre.

Prince of Persia: the Sands of Time – May 28th (ACTION)

Based off of the award-winning video game, this Mike Newell film stars Jake Gyllen-

hall as the time-bending prince.

The Twilight Saga: Eclipse – June 30th (FANTASY)

The continuation of Stephanie Meyer‘s best-selling series, Eclipse is guaranteed to be

one of the biggest grossers of the year thanks to teen heartthrobs Robert Pattinson, Kris-

ten Stewart, and Taylor Lautner.

The Last Airbender – July 2nd (FANTASY)

Based off the Emmy-winning Nickelodeon cartoon, this live-action M. Night Shyama-

lan introduces Noah Ringer as the Avatar, who can control all four elements and must

bring peace to a warring world.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 – November 19th (FANTASY)

The beginning of the end for a phenomenon that defined a generation, the seventh Harry

Potter film starts Harry on his journey to finally defeating Voldemort.

Tron Legacy – Dec 17th (SCI-FI)

One of the staples of 80s‘ film, Tron was denied a Oscar nomination for special effects

as the Academy felt they cheated by using a computer; oh, how the times have changed.

Expect greatness in 3D from this Disney film.

Other anticipated films: MacGruber, April 23rd (based off the Will Forte SNL sketch); Little

Fockers, July 20th (third in the Ben Stiller series); Chronicles of Naria: the Voyage of the

Dawn Treader, Dec 10th (continuation of the C. S. Lewis tale); and Green Hornet, Dec 22nd

(adapted from the popular radio show and comic book character).

WHAT TO WATCH in 2010?

Kanaka Sathasivan tells us the movies that we simply cannot afford to miss this year

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Metamorphosis

I feared to stand on my legs until mom held me and taught me to walk

I feared to go to school until I got a friend

I feared friendship until I knew it was true

I feared sharing until I knew I don‘t loose anything but rather gain

I feared darkness until I learnt it was just the absence of light

I feared being alone until I started to love myself

I feared to look at myself until I discovered I was gorgeous

I feared disappointment until I learnt not to expect

I feared confusion until I discovered there is always clarity after it

I feared challenges until I found that it leads to my growth

I feared competition until I understood that I am the best

I feared victory until I knew the way to capture it again

I feared failure until I learnt to believe in myself

I feared the past until I learnt to derive lessons from them

I feared future until I discovered that every new day is the threshold of beautiful surprises

I feared back talks until I understood that anyways I can‘t stop it

I feared truth until I realized the malice in lies

I feared refusal until I understood it pushes me to prove

I feared happiness until I knew it started from within

I feared hurt until I knew life is not a bed of roses

I feared life until I learnt that it is beautiful

I feared death until I realized it is not the end but beginning

I feared destiny until I found out I have tremendous power to change my life

I feared hatred until I discovered it was due to ignorance

I feared love until I started loving

I feared ridicule until I learnt to giggle at myself

I feared getting old until I discovered I was becoming sensible each day

I feared change, until I learnt Life was always beautiful

- Sophie

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Centauri Blox A sneak peek view of a blog entry in the year 2110 A.D.

On this New Year's bash, I chose to pop into the ancient world. Yeah, I decided to break away from the regular holiday destinations of Mars & Venus. Guess what, I took the newly invented “Ancient Life Shuttle” to visit the ancient world and experience life 100 years back. Surprises started unfolding as the day started; I realized that my brain-chip didn't work there. There was no way I could download latest news to my brain. I was baffled to know that the ancient people got the news from a printed paper. They had another choice too which was equally terrible, sitting in front of a device called a laptop and reading E-News, that too each and every word manually. I chose to skip news sync to my brain for that day. When I decided to communicate my thoughts to home-chip, it failed. Only then did I learn that they didn’t even have such basic things in their life. They used a device called IPhone to communicate; this device was a sort of demigod for them. Poor things, they couldn't even sync each others thoughts, they had to speak it out. They also had the burden of carrying such a big piece with them. IPhone was state of the art technology then. Bizarre!!! After all this misery, I was hungry and went looking for a food station to fuel my stomach, but such a thing didn’t exist at all. No where could you can fill food from a station, you needed to make it from scratch and chew lettuce, tomato and onions - it was called eating food. They had no choice but to do this every few hours. I guess they wasted half their life in this process of making and eating food, rather than simply fueling themselves. It was time to go around and see places; those ancient people were almost immobile, de-pendent on something called a car for transport. They were not born with travel-chips to take them out of the earth surface and bring them to their destination in just a few seconds. The funniest part is that they put on a seat belt as soon as they get it into a car which actu-ally moves slower than anything I have seen. Hypocrisy is that they have multiple brand names for cars and pay different costs for this slow paced mode of travel. Best of all was in store for me when I visited their work place; they all used something called Windows- the stupidest thing I have ever seen. It was nothing but a lousy graphics displayed on a screen aided with yet another ancient equipment, the mouse. It couldn't do anything on it own, they had to instruct it. I wondered then what the purpose was of having it. All of them had to sit whole day in front of that machine and instruct it. That’s when I de-cided that I had had enough of 2010 A.D and returned back to 2110 A.D Muthu L

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Sometimes, colours have a way of predicting things A grey sky is supposed to be the harbinger of rain, While a bright blue one indicates a calm and wonderful day A green twig is said to mark the beginning of spring… Now looking at this turning leaf the other day I wondered if it knew that orange meant it was wilting Further it made me ponder, Do we know what the coming year is to bring? Are our hopes, dreams and wishes crafted by colours too? Colours that just our eyes are not accustomed to see? I asked the leaf while I was painting it, The leaf simply said "every colour is truly worth living"

A Turning Leaf Art &Poetry by Anuradha Chandrasekeran

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SCIENTIFICALLY LIT-ERATE Dhivya Arasappan Whether it is transporters or bartending

robots, Science fiction has always been

dreaming up new gadgets and gizmos.

We look at some of those that crossed

the boundaries of fiction into reality.

1.Geostationary Satellites When we watch our favorite shows on TV or get the latest weather forecasts, we should remember Arthur C. Clark. This famed sci-fi writer, in the 1940‟s, had the vision to write about satellites making high

-

speed mass communication possible. And they definitely have. 2.Bringing back the dead? In Jurassic Park, Michael Crichton, man-aged to scare millions by cloning dino-saurs from prehistoric mosquito DNA. He brought the long extinct creatures back to life and we wondered „is that possible‟ and „wouldn‟t it be wonderful if it was?‟ Well, turns out it is possible. Scientists today have succeeded in cloning mice that died and were frozen, 16 years ago. Its no

Tyrannosaurus rex, but we‟re getting there. 3. Book reading redefined Electronic book readers are gaining in popularity today, turning many a book lover to this paperless option. This useful gadget also has its origins in science fic-tion. Douglas Adams, in his 1979 sci-fi comedy, the Hitchhiker‟s Guide to The Galaxy, was the first to describe an elec-tronic, push-button‟ type of reader. 4. Bionic legs In the novel Cyborg, Martin Caidin de-scribed a pilot who loses all but one of his limbs in a crash and is then fitted with bi-onic legs and an arm. Bionics, essentially mechanical replacements for limbs, are now coming to the aid of many amputees. There have been major advancements in this area, making these artificial limbs more powerful and comfortable to the wearer- they can now range from battery powered legs with sensors to Bluetooth powered legs that can communicate with each other.

14

Kapil categorically claimed that the master blaster

seldom played to his true potential. In a statement

completely devoid of logic, he expressed how ide-

ally, Sachin should go from 30 to 50 in three overs,

50 to 80 in five overs on any pitch, and comfortably

get to 100. If only life was so easy, and geniuses

were able to teleport! Or maybe it was just the

schoolboy enthusiasm and imagination running wild

in Kapil Dev's head. So how would it really be if we

let that schoolboy rule over our heads? How will the

geniuses that push their limits every time they are on

a field or on a screen, perform in our minds and have

their own glory days, much superior-which itself is a

staggering thought- than what we see in reality?

There is as much fiction as we can spin!

Sachin Tendulkar:

Surely, we can ask for twenty more years of cricket

from this great man? Kapil Dev may want him sco-

ing a century in less than eight overs every time he

takes the field but some pragmatism is required here.

Sachin's target, for now, seems to be the World Cup,

where in the past, his individual brilliance has shone

through more than once, and a 1983 encore still eludes

him. And that is something we would all love to see in

his kitty. In our kitty. And there is that very plausible

100 centuries in ODIs and Tests put together. But then

with India playing very few Tests till the World Cup in

2011, it may happen only if he is more than just con-

sistent in ODIs. The recent ODI between India and

Australia in Hyderabad was expected to deliver come-

uppance to Sachin in a way it would have, to all those

naysayers. Every fan gushed that, finally all those cyn-

ics can be silenced and be done with. And the fact re-

mains, that it didn't happen. Now a repeat of that eve-

ning, I am sure, is something everyone would wish for.

Roger Federer: Roger Federer had some of his career best moments in

2009. But then he was reduced to tears on the podium

in Australian Open and got killed in the finals at Flush-

ing Meadows. Now that's the level of tennis we have

seen this decade and it takes more than just talent and

will to remain No. 1. But who wouldn't love to have

Sachin Tendulkar

Roger Federer

Michael Schumacher

Kamal Hassan

Kapil Dev, on the occasion of 20 years of Sachin's reign in cricket, in a col-umn in The Asian Age, said that “Sachin is an underachiever”.

Aditya Srikrishna

15

Federer, with 15 Grand Slams and a career Slam, has

still got more than just a couple of years in tennis.

Now where he goes from here, and what he wins is

just pure gravy. A Calendar Year Grand Slam would

probably bring David Foster Wallace back from the

dead to write an epic piece on him once again. And

we don't have a number to count the throng of fans

waiting for the current Holy Grail in tennis - to de-

feat Rafael Nadal in Roland Garros. And if it's in the

finals, it'll be the best day of the year. But for that to

happen, we need to wish for one more thing. Rafael

Nadal's return to his 2007-08 form with the kind of

agility, a Jedi knight would envy.

Kamal Hassan:

It boggles our mind to even think of "What's next?"

This is not sports. The boundaries of cinematic

achievement are more or less nonexistent so we can

only think on the lines of past momentous achieve-

ments. Though Kamal has given us movies to be

proud of in the past decade, he hasn't repeated the

Yes, he has retired, but remember we are talking fic-

tion? But maybe we are not. If the talk among Formula

1 circles is to be believed, Schumi could very well be

making a comeback next year. And then we can allow

all the punters to predict everything from the obvious

to the outrageous. Schumi doing a Minardi race after

race? Or Schumi winning race after race at his

swashbuckling best, leaving the likes of Hamilton,

Button and Alonso wondering what hit them? The dif-

ference would be that he won't be sitting behind the

wheel of a Ferrari. And that's a challenge we'd love to

see him take on for the sheer excitement to witness

what he does with it. We know what is more desirable

in this case and the only question that remains to be

asked is – Can he do it? Yes he can!

If there is someone who has made it a practice to push limits in Indian cinema, it's Kamal Haasan.

glory decade of the 90s. A film worthy of being up

there with a masterpiece like Thevar Magan is not too

much to ask for. Or a Mahandhi and a Kuruthipunal.

The Kamal Haasan who can work with contemporary

scripts, relevant stories and one with the ability to turn

time tested themes over their heads like Michael Ma-

dana Kamarajan or Aboorva Sagodharargal with his

writing. We would give anything to see Kamal Haasan

firing in all cylinders - the writing, the acting, the sto-

rytelling and the fan following. But knowing the man

for the past 50 years, we all know, he will do it.

Michael Schumacher:

Aditya Srikrishna

16

Reality shows are no more the cool new kids on the block. They are now like that one uncle who keeps dropping by at our place uninvited. He is the one we simply cannot stand, and do not understand why our parents let him visit us. He is quirky, irritating, irra-tional, stupid, funny at times, says the wrong things at the wrong time, but he is an inevitable member of the family who will never leave you at peace.

What started out as competitions to help showcase budding talents to the world soon escalated in to a “Who is meaner, stupider and irritating?” contest. I keep wondering how these shows even make it to Television, not to mention getting the nod and an-other season. How can Rakhi Sawant after her ridicu-lous tantrums and laughable histrionics get another show? How can MTV Roadies, in which no one utters a sentence without a bunch a swear words, be one of the most popular TV shows in India? How can Big Boss, which is nothing but a bunch of people in one house sitting on their bottoms and bitching about one another, come back for the nth season? Have these questions bothered you? Do you know when these questions hit you? Just when you are watching Rakhi playing with your senses, not telling you who she is going to choose as her muse. It hits you then and you ask this question to your room mate, who is as en-grossed as you are in the show and does not appre-ciate being interrupted.

After some deep soul searching, I think I may have figured out why! Where these reality shows win is in understanding the hu-man psyche. It appeals to the exact hypocrisy that we all de-test, hate and abhor, but can‟t get rid of. It satisfies that secret craving that we all have. Just like how we all gossip (Did I just say that out aloud?). To see ce-lebrities go about their lives just like normal people do is tantaliz-ing to us. We are even ready to understand the vagaries of their lives that do not resonate with us.We understand that they have to shop in Armani,

Reality TV

More real than true! Nivethitha Kumar explores reality television and the reason for their great popularity

Picture Credit :http://www.flickr.com/photos/george_eastman_house/3333246475/sizes/m/

Vera Wang or expensive boutiques. We empathize with them when they say that their boyfriends are not interested in taking them to an exotic island in the Bahamas. We un-derstand when one of them gets pregnant and goes on and on yapping about whether she wants to keep the baby or not. We try to understand what it is that Rakhi Sawant wants! Trust me, we try!

17 If I try to don the oracle hat and predict what is going to happen in the coming months or years, I would say that this is just the beginning of the end of good television. The fact that most of these reality stars dont have any real talent except making fools of them-selves on television, makes them an easily available commodity. There could be a never ending supply of such people. Imagine a couple of more Kardhashian like people, balloon boy parents, Rakhi Sawants and those absolutely delightful roadie folks. Its going to be "Attack of the reality stars" in years to come.

Reality television might be a lie. It‟s not reality, everyone knows that. People who make reality shows know that. We know that they know that we know. Really! No one can act that stupid on television on their own. It would just be a gross violation of each person‟s individual sense of discretion. But for a few thousand rupees and some 15 minutes of fame, most things, well anything will be done. But reality television has in it, deeply in-grained an universal truth. Beneath all the suave, seasoned, refined, sophisticated cover that we wear, there lies the crass, unsophisticated, gossip hungry, back biting chimpan-zee that we grew out of.

Yes, that uncle shows no sign of leaving us! He just got a little more comfortable.

She pictured the scene of the new e-readers and the clashes between. Fires get kindle-d

and then they go nook-ie? Love not war. Works?

His only concern in life was to ace his exams. then he was allowed a facebook account. The 13

year old never smiled the same again.

FABLE 1

FABLE 2

micro·fable Pronunciation: [mī'krō·fey-buh l] Function: noun Date and Origin: 2009, Rads on twitter :A complete narrative in under 140 characters

18

Jim Jarmusch is an American independ-

ent filmmaker; most of his films tend to

deviate away from the traditional Holly-

wood narrative structure, focusing more

on moods and characters. Other must

watch films by Jim Jarmusch include,

Dead Man and Down by Law.

Coffee and Cigarettes consists of 11

shorts sequences of conversations over

coffee and cigarettes, the latter being

the only coherent theme through the

narrative. Shot entirely in black and

white, the film starts off with the origi-

nal sequence of ‗Strange to meet you.‘

The entire space is minimalistic and

simple consisting of a table, chairs, cof-

fee and cigarettes, facilitating the

chance encounter of two strangers

(Roberto Benigni and Steven Wright)

and their conversation. The sequence

leaves one amused and intrigued about

the rest of the film. From here onwards,

Jarmusch proceeds to narrate ten such

incidents where strangers, close friends

and family meet over coffee at various

bars and the unique chemistry and atmos-

phere in each situation.

The plot of the film is within the various lit-

tle sketches of characters and conversations.

The rich and famous cousin (Cate Blanchett

playing herself) catches up with her non fa-

mous cousin (played by Blanchett again.)

Jack White launches in to a passionate

monologue about Tesla‘s brilliant ideas and

how ‗Nikola Tesla perceived the earth to be a

conductor of acoustic resonance.‘ Apart from

these, there are the memorable sequences

with Bill Murray and members of the Wu

Tang Clan, Iggy Pop and Tom Waits, and Al-

fred Molina and Steve Coogan.

The film makes you reflect upon the pre-

sumptions we make about strangers and

close friends, about chance encounters and

small details in expressions we tend to over-

look. It‘s a pencil sketch of events we dis-

miss as trivial, and the sketch makes short

t a l e s out of these moments.

Aruni

19

(Science Fiction) ENDER’S GAME, Orson Scott Card: Science fiction is not for everyone. The technologically savvy and scientifically in-clined read it with a passion but for most casual readers, sci-fi is still pretty inaccessible. Orson Scott Card’s award-winning novel is a good starting point for anyone interested in but overwhelmed by this genre. Set in the future (as all the best sci-fi novels are), mankind is preparing for war with an intellectually superior alien race. To that end, the world’s most tal-ented children are taken away to be trained as fleet commanders including the quiet and calculating Ender Wiggin . Ender’s Game is at once a charming adventure tale and a treatise on the futility and cruelty of war. It is 3 parts hard science fiction and 1 part pure fable. Read

WORLD WAR Z- An Oral History of the Zombie War, Max Brooks:(Horror) I used to be all about the Vampires. Then Twilight was published and I just couldn’t handle sharing my obsession with the love struck, pre-pubescent girls of the world. So now I preach the Gospel of the Zombie and World War Z is my Bible. Those of you who have grown weary of the publishing world’s tryst with the supernatural need look no further: this book is about as realistic as it gets. Through a series of interviews and reports, the author paints a picture of the world following a global zombie pandemic. Having lived through the panic of H1N1, Max Brooks’ version of the future is not entirely unbelievable. Military strategies, survival stories, epic tales of heroism and spine chilling acts of terror - this book has it all, mixing fantasy and reality in a way that only a true horror nov-elist can. And rest assured fellow Stephanie Meyer detractors, there are no cross-species love affairs here!

Literary Cravings

It is that time of the year again, to make lists and plans for the new year. To satisfy your lit-

erary cravings in 2010, Sowmya Arasappan offers her selection of must reads

Picture Credit :http://www.flickr.com/photos/darwinbell/272560684/

20 (General)

HIGH FIDELITY, Nick Hornby:

Nick Hornby has the uncanny ability to write best selling

novels that go on to become best selling movies. High Fidelity is the

story of thirty something Rob Fleming , recently single and eternally

underachieving, who clings to his vinyl records the same way he

clings to his childhood. It‘s a simple, funny tale about life, love and

pop music - all the things that matter. If you‘ve ever thought maturity

was overrated or that being an adult should come with a user‘s man-

ual, this book will speak to you like no other.

(Nonfiction) KITCHEN CONFIDENTIAL- An-thony Bourdain: Non Fiction is not my genre of choice. The real world is a disappointing place and I spend as much time away from it as I can. But when I do read nonfiction, I like to read about the one facet of the real world that my imagination can never replicate - food. Tony Bourdain, the brash host of TV’s No Reser-vations, is a hard man to like. He uses crude language, has made questionable life choices and would gleefully perpetrate the mass genocide of the world’s vegetarians. But he knows the restaurant business and he’s willing to let the world know what really goes on behind the scenes. Word to the wise -those of you who are particular about hygiene may well spend the rest of your lives eating in after this book.

GOOD OMENS-Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman:(Comedy) This book comes from good stock- Prachett is "the ex-alted Father of Discworld" and Gaiman's books are regularly made into disturbing movies. It is hardly surprising then that together they have written a hysterically funny book treas-ured by millions since publica-tion. Good Omens is a comedy of errors, a case of mistaken identity and the tale of Arma-geddon gone horribly wrong, all rolled into one. In the grand tradition of British comedy, this book lampoons everything. Nothing is sacred ,least of all the Bible. This is one of those books you cannot read in pub-lic - the probability of bursting into laughter is just too high. If this is how Apocalypse will be, I look forward to it.

Pic credit :http://www.flickr.com/photos/foolstopzanet/151936713

21 A REFRESHING RENDEZVOUS

An Interview with

P.C.Shivan, the IITian

turned music director

“The Hindu” calls his music “Pleasing melodies”. He might be the new kid in the block, but he sure has made an indelible mark on the minds of Tamil and Telugu music lovers. Be it Hariharan delivering a beautiful number in “Beethovan” or Yesudas delivering one of his strongest numbers till date, P.C.Shivan is here to stay. TheBanyanTrees caught up with this budding music director and talked about Music, Madras ,passion and much more.

1. How and why music? Tell us all about it :)

I would like to think that music chose me and not the other way around. My parents found that I had the ability to identify swaras(musical notes) when I was merely a 5 yr old kid.. One of my favourites was the legendary SPB’s “Mannil Indha Kadhal Indri” from “Keladi Kanmani” which I would sing as “PaGa MaPa SaNi SaRiRi...”and so on. My parents dreamt one day I could sing film songs like their idol SPB. But more than singing, it was the notes which intrigued me. Soon I took to piano (self-taught) and played all those notes effortlessly. My first stint at composing music came in my 7th grade and soon many followed. I would insist on playing my own compositions with my bands, as opposed to the norm of playing films songs in various culturals. I studied western classical music from Trinity College of London, and honed my skills as a keyboard-ist/composer. Today, though I have sung a wordless song in my film Bayam Ariyaan (Se Mo Pe Saamayo), I know I’m nowhere close to achieving my parents dream of being a future SPB. But I’m sure they would be more than elated, as I was fortunate enough to get Balu sir himself to sing a song for me (Nee Illai Naan Illai from Bayam Ariyaan).

2. When I looked at your profile, I must say that my jaw dropped for a second. IIT Madras and a Music Director.That is not a combination you see everyday. Tell us about this huge diversion that you decided to take.

(Laughs) I have to admit I get similar reactions quite often. The toughest of reactions came from my dad in my 4tyear of engineering, when I told him I wouldn’t

22 be going to the US for higher studies. It was tough convincing him especially when I had just obtained ad-mits for MS/Phd in Aerospace Engg from five reputed universi-ties. While he reluc-tantly agreed to me working in Chennai, I was more than happy to join Ashok Leyland and con-tinue my love with the city and its music.

Coming back to the question, getting into IIT Madras, was by no way accidental. It was indeed my love for Maths and Science, coupled with rigorous coaching from my professors that paved my way into the IITs. However, from the day I stepped into IITM, my love for music grew and multiplied. It was in the pursuit of learning & composing music that I spent the maximum part of my campus life. After the brief diversion of try-ing to be an engineer, I was happy to finally re-connect with my childhood dream. In this context, engineering was the diversion I had taken in achieving my true am-bition of being a music director.

Now looking back, without the profound influence that IITM and Ashok Leyland had had on my life, I doubt if I could have made it at all. Even today, donning the hat of a music director, I am in spirit, a diehard IITian & Leylandian. I would rather take a longer, harder and a road less travelled than an oft taken road. In that sense this diversion has turned out to be a blessing!

3. You have had some big guns sing for you in just your first two ventures. My favorite was Yesudas sing-ing for you in "Amma Nee Irundhal" in "Bayam Ari-yaan". Tell us how you think of suitable singers for a song and how did you think of Yesudas for this par-t i c u l a r s o n g ? Yes! It has been the greatest pleasure and honour to have had Dr. K.J.Yesudas sing for me in my very first film. I revere his voice and have a great regard for his inimitable style with which he renders every song. Amma Nee Irundhal is a very emotional and touchy song sung from the point of view of the hero in the absence of his mom, and figures in the climax of the film. As for this song, I had no second thoughts about the singer. As it needed heavy emotions to be conveyed to the audience right at the climax of the film, I knew from the beginning that it had to be Yesu-das sir to carry the song on his shoulders, and he has

done just that. I was left speech-less at the end of the recording, when he finished singing the last few lines with a crying voice. What a true legend!

In general, when it comes to choosing a singer, I try and ex-periment with new voices and choose the one that matches my expectation. But sometimes,

a particular singer’s voice just rings in your head even while composing the tune, be it Unni Menon for “Pesum Deebamo” from Bayam Ariyaan, or Hariharan for “Beethoven” from Chapter 6.

4. Music does have no boundaries, but audiences do. You have done "Chapter6" in Telugu as well. Do you think of Tamil and Telugu movies differently, if so what are some of the things you consider before do-ing music for different movies?

Music transcends boundaries. Well said. With this thought, I try to treat tamil and telugu films at par, the difference being only in the film script. If my songs for Chapter 6 are more commercial, it is because the script demands such a treatment. If I have used more of mel-ody, and classical raagas in Bayam Ariyaan, it is again for the same reason..Therefore, before song composi-tion, it is essential that the director narrates the script, to give an overall understanding of the film. For a par-ticular song, we then study the song situation, the char-acters and their portrayal in the song, and last but not least, the visual backdrop being planned for the song. These would naturally influence my tune, the type of instrumentation and the style of singing, besides lyrics.

It is popular notion that, telugu audiences prefer songs with fast beats when compared to slow melody songs. But I don’t quite agree! In my telugu film Chapter 6, the song which has won mass acceptance is not a kuthu song with heavy beats, but on the contrary, is a slow wordless song that I’ve sung myself and is called Vizil. The title song from Bayam Ariyaan – Se Mo Pe Saamayo is another example of melody winning over fast paced songs.

5. PSBB as a school is known for promoting creativity when they see it. How did your school help you in achieving your dream?

Indeed. I consider myself lucky to have been a part of this marvellous institution, Be it cultural, arts or sci-ence, PSBB stood first in encouraging their students.

“Even today, donning the hat of a mu-

sic director, I am in spirit, a diehard

IITian & Leylandian. I would rather

take a longer, harder and a road less

travelled than an oft taken road. In

that sense this diversion has turned out

to be a blessing!”

23

I still remember my principal telling us, “Participation is the key. It doesn’t matter whether you win or lose.” Under such guidance, it is hard to be left unno-ticed. It was during my days at school where I learnt the balancing act of how to be involved in a lot of extra-curricular activities and still be a high scorer at school.

6. What would you tell youngsters who have their heart a place but have a different career? How does one make such bold decisions as you did and how do they become successful at that?

I have always had this inner voice that I trust the most. Somewhere along the line, I discovered that this was none other than the voice of my heart. This made it so much easier when there were crossroads, and tough decisions had to be taken. To help my statements, I wish to borrow a few thoughts from people I greatly regard.

On the day of my audio release for Bayam Ariyaan, mu-sic director James Vasanthan had said,”There are people who want to love what they are doing at the present. But there are few others who are willing to sacrifice eve-rything in order to attain what they love doing. P.C.Shivan belongs to the latter kind and that speaks of his belief in himself and his music!” That is extremely generous! But the power of passion is such that it re-flects in your work and gets you everybody’s support.

During my study at IITM, there were times when I used to be troubled by the thought, “What is the use of being passionate about music, when I am not able to do

enough justice to that passion?” My professor Dr. M.Ramakrishna used to tell me, “You are lucky to have something as your pas-sion...Many people don’t even have one.” Today, if I am to re-discover the mean-ing of his words, “If you are passionate about something, that passion will propel you auto-matically in the right direction”. In retrospect, I did nothing extra-ordinary; just had this great passion for music! So the mantra is to nurture your passion and keep it growing and be assured that it will propel you in the right direction.

But then if you ask, “What if I don’t have a passion, or don’t know what it is?”, I recall the words of Mr.Seshasayee, Managing Director, Ashok Leyland. From his words and his life, I

have inferred that “If you love doing what you do, then you are bound to excel!” So, to all my young friends who are not sure of their passion, I suggest that you start loving your work till you find one. It might happen that your work may, one day become your passion.

7. Are you satisfied with the progress made so far? Which song you consider your best?

Though I am extremely satisfied with my work so far, I believe my best is yet to come. I wish to recall the day when I met my Dean and Director, Mrs YGP to get her blessings much before the releases. A visibly pleased Mrs. YGP also had a word for me “No kuthu songs... ok?” I would re-interpret it as, “Don’t lose your stan-dards..ok?” Now, speaking for the work done so far, this is what little I’d say to her, “Ma’am, within the compul-sions of today, I think I have made songs that sound dif-ferent from what we hear around... and I am still try-ing...Shri Gurubyo Namah”

8. People you would like to thank.

God, my parents, my grandparents and family, my teachers prof TRS, prof Ramakrishna, Dr. Mrs. YGP, Mrs. Chandra Srinivasan, and mentors Mr. Seshasayee, Dr. Aravind Bharadwaj and Dr. Sathya Prasad, my directors Sooriyakiran and Prathesh and producer Satkunarajah, and all my friends, well-wishers and fans. A special thanks to my 9 yr old brother Shriram for putting up with me during those long recordings. He used to com-plain,“ I wish you were never a music director. You aren’t playing with me like before!” Thank God for me, his wishes didn’t come true!

P.C Shivan with singer Yesudas who has sung a song for him

24

more? Those Lovely Woods Deepak Venkatesan takes us on a Hourney through the beautiful rainforests of Kerala

The tribal guide Maakaali signaled to us, and we walked in cautious and measured steps. A few metres ahead of us, we heard a slight rustle of leaves, and intermit-tentwhoosh sounds. Maakaali turned to us and put his index finger on his lips indicat-ing we were to remain silent. He carefully pushed aside a few overgrown bushes, and around five metres ahead of us was our first prized glimpse of the day – a herd of Indian elephants.There were four adults and a playful young one, in an animated mealtime show—happily pushing giant tree branches into their mouth, oblivious to the presence of human stalkers in the pristine tropical rain forests of the West-ern ghats. Our whole group stood in awe drinking in the beauty and elegance of the beasts, as they lazily moved and swayed their bodies, and went on pulling down branch after branch. Welcome to Parambikulam Wildlife Sanctuary, Ker-ala.Tucked in between the Anamalai

ranges of Tamilnadu, and the Nelliampathy ranges of Kerala, the Parambikulam WLS, covering an area of 285 sq.km., is the home for over 1500 species of ani-mals. This sanctuary is being considered to be classi-fied under Project Tiger– an initiative by the Govern-ment of India to save the majestic mammal from being erased away from the face of this planet. Being a ma-jor elephant corridor in the region, hundreds of majes-tic Indian elephants cross the sanctuary throughout the year. One of the better maintained and well protected sanc-tuaries of Southern India, Parambikulam houses some of the endangered and endemic animal and bird spe-cies of the western ghats. Animals like Nilgiri Tahr, Lion-tailed macaque and Malabar giant squirrel, and birds like Wayanad Laughingthrush, Malabar Grey Horn-bill and Sri Lanka Frogmouth are endemic to the penin-sular region of India, and contribute to the rich biodi-versity of the western ghats. We had booked a stay at the Thellikkal Inspection Bun-galow, which is 8 km deep inside the forest. We had to trek through dense teak plantations to reach this bun-galow.A forest tribal guide, and an armed guard ac-companied us in our 8 km walk inside The walk to the bungalow is a treat in itself, with ani-mals like Nilgiri Langur,Malabar giant squirrel, Ruddy

Mongoose, and herds of deers and gaur, magically ap-pearing on the trees and amidst the bushes. Birds like the Wayanad Whistling thrushand Racket tailed drongo, which are a rarity elsewhere, can be spotted without much fuss in Parambikulam. In front of the Thellikkal bungalow is a huge marshy vayal(open grassland), which attracts herds of Indian gaur, chital and sambar. The presence of the herbi-vores naturally makes the vayal a favorite hunting ground for the big cats – especially the great and elu-sive – Royal Bengal Tiger.

Spotting the tiger in the wild is a dream for every wild-life enthusiast and photographer – a dream that might take years, and often decades of jungle trips to real-ize. Our guideMaakaali belonged to the Malasar tribe

– one of the indigenous tribes of Parambikulam. He

was 25 years of age, and had spent all his life in the forest. Of all the years he had spent in the forest, he had been able to have a glimpse of the tiger just around a meagre 15 times, and especially, a tiger dur-ing its hunt, only twice! This makes the big cat the most prized sight for any enthusiast visiting the sanctu-ary.

Our hopes were running high when Maakaali told us that the Thellikkal inspection bungalow was located inside the home territory of the big cat. On our 8 km

25

On our 8 km walk to the bungalow, we could see a number of tiger pugmarks, that kept reminding us that the elusive beast was lurking around somewhere in the bushes waiting for the night to settle in so that he could start his hunt. But the huge beast never blessed us with his darshan. However, it was during this forest walk that we came face-to-face with a family of elephants.

As we got closer to the herd, the elephants magically sensed our presence. The elephants have an extraordi-nary sense of smell. They got agitated all of a sudden and started moving towards the denser foliage. The adults surrounded the little one on all sides as a ges-ture of protection, and moved away from us into the bushes. One has to see to believe how these huge and conspicuous creatures easily disappear once inside the greenery of the jungle. I would not be surprised even if the group of elephants had keptwalking all the way alongside our path, hidden in the camouflage provided by the rainforest.

Further down the path to the bungalow, we saw a group of Indian gaurs, the mascot animal of the sanctu-ary. The gaur is an enormous mammal that resembles an angry body-builder in its looks, with well-built shoul-der muscles and a huge convex lump in the middle of its forehead, between large curved horns. It is generally a

shy animal, and eludes human intervention to a large extent. We also saw a monitor lizard, a flying snake, and a flameback woodpecker pecking the bark of a tree to earn its supper.

That night and the following morning, we could listen to the music of a variety of songbirds, as we strolled through the teak plantations. Glimpses of a majes-tic sambar deer, barking deers, and a couple of peafowl romancing along the roadside clearing made a fitting end to our memorable journey.

Parambikulam was an enriching experience. The sanc-tuary is maintained by efficient and passionate staff who really care about the rainforest ecology and wild-life conservation. The stories told by our tribal guides were plinthed on their love for the animals of their for-est, and the emotional bonding they share with them. I promised myself an exclusive trip to the sanctuary in the coming months to learn more about the birds of the sanctuary. May be I might get a glimpse of the magnificent Great Indian Hornbill making a serene glide across the Nelliampathy ranges, or Sri Lanka Frog-mouths perched on branches deep in the woods. Or even, may be I might chance upon the king of the In-dian forests – the ever-gorgeous and ever-inviting big cat – the Royal Bengal tiger.

“Spotting a tiger in the wild is a dream for every photographer—a dream that might take years, and often dec-ades of jungle trips to realize.”

Travel Advice

You can book a stay in one of the watch towers or forest guest houses in the Parambikulam Sanctuary. Summer is the peak season, since the dried up water holes bring more animals out of the forest canopy. Accommodation deep inside the forest ensure better sightings, and get booked early. Organised trekking inside the sanctuary is also arranged by the authorities.

For bookings contact the office— +91 9442201690, +91 4253 245025

26

The mad crowd was rushing in and out of the subway station. Nobody wanted to be inside a train at 12 while

the whole city was getting ready for the ball to be dropped. The crowd in the city seemed like rats scurrying all

overin search of alcohol and food. Those drunken rats! She sat

there hugging herself leaning over a pillar. Her layered winter clothing hid most of her except for those moist

eyes. If those tears had lingered a lit-tle longer, it would have frozen. She

pulled out her mobile and read the text for one more time that night. "I know this is not the right day to

breakup, but I'm sorry. It is over...". She wondered why there were three dots after the last word, in spite of a

relationship of three years ended through a text message.

“Why would dad go away on his busi-ness trip when the whole world is

celebrating. I miss him.” he said as his mother tucked him in bed. He will

call you tomorrow morning when you wake up to a new year. “But he has always been with us for New Year’s no

matter what” he said. She kissed him on his forehead and said, “Happy new

year my prince.” “You too mom. I love you”. She closed the door behind him.

He looked out of the window staring at the

snowfall. She sat down on the floor leaning over the closed door and stared into the

emptiness ahead of her. Her 7 years of mar-riage was over and a new year was to begin with her new status - single mom.

“Maybe it wasn’t for real. Maybe nothing ever

was”, he read her status message on face-book. Things began to churn within and he closed the facebook app on his iphone. It

was already a new year in London where she was celebrating it with her family. He wanted

to get into her mind and understand what was going on as if the status message would deceive him of his reality and steal away the

moment when the ball drops. He pulled out his phone again and updated his status message, “sometimes the dream is what

keeps us going than reality. Don’t ever de-stroy it”. Instantly he had a personal mes-

sage from her. It was over between them. She had confirmed it and his bubble burst just before the ball was dropped.

The candle burned out and he scrambled for the lighter. She got off the bed, walked to the

kitchen and lit her cigarette. He looked at her face as she walked back to the bed. “What would you have done if there were no

takers for you tonight?” he asked her. She wasn’t used to a lot of conversation in her

job. “I don’t know. I don’t remember being alone on a New Year’s eve. This is one of the most busiest season of the year.” “But what

would you have liked to do if you had no cli-ents for the night?” She was silent for a while. “I don’t know. I have never given it a

thought.” “Maybe we should go out now and get into one of those parties. Is there some-

thing I can do to make your night special?” he asked as he ran his finger over her neck. “If I pay you back the money you gave to-

night, will you hold me close to you all night until I wake up to a new year?” her voice

crackled.

“Feels weird to be walking down this crowded bridge with a stranger.” She said.

“Stranger? I thought we have known each other for two days now!” he said. “Sure, that makes you family already.” They laughed as

they stopped by a less crowded spot in the middle of the Brooklyn bridge. “What brings

us here?” she asked as she stared into the East river. “Destiny?” he said. “Cheesy!” she laughed. “Sometimes you shouldn’t be find-

ing reasons for what is happening around. Just live the moment.” he said. “True. I have

no reason to be standing beside you on this special night while I could have still been with my family and friends but I enjoy this

strangeness in me. Something new. Some-thing that I probably need to get used to.” she held his hand. Fireworks broke loose in

the winter sky. It was as if the diamonds fell off a closed string bag. “Happy New Year!”

she said. He grabbed her by her hips and kissed her. They kissed until the sky was clear again and the cheerful mob had settled

down to a less chaotic noise level. “What was that about?” she asked. I had always wanted my midnight kiss on this bridge for New

Year’s and here I am. “So I’m your muse for the night.” she threw a sarcastic smile. “You

are going to be my muse every new year. You are my new beginning.” They walked back hand in hand flaunting their engagement

rings.

Dude, Where is My Coffee? When the ball drops… DreamVendor

11.55 pm 31 Dec 2009

11.56 pm 31 Dec 2009

11.57 pm 31 Dec 2009

11.58 pm 31 Dec 2009

Photo : Supreet Chahal

27

He looked out of the window staring at the

snowfall. She sat down on the floor leaning over the closed door and stared into the

emptiness ahead of her. Her 7 years of mar-riage was over and a new year was to begin with her new status - single mom.

“Maybe it wasn’t for real. Maybe nothing ever

was”, he read her status message on face-book. Things began to churn within and he closed the facebook app on his iphone. It

was already a new year in London where she was celebrating it with her family. He wanted

to get into her mind and understand what was going on as if the status message would deceive him of his reality and steal away the

moment when the ball drops. He pulled out his phone again and updated his status message, “sometimes the dream is what

keeps us going than reality. Don’t ever de-stroy it”. Instantly he had a personal mes-

sage from her. It was over between them. She had confirmed it and his bubble burst just before the ball was dropped.

The candle burned out and he scrambled for the lighter. She got off the bed, walked to the

kitchen and lit her cigarette. He looked at her face as she walked back to the bed. “What would you have done if there were no

takers for you tonight?” he asked her. She wasn’t used to a lot of conversation in her

job. “I don’t know. I don’t remember being alone on a New Year’s eve. This is one of the most busiest season of the year.” “But what

would you have liked to do if you had no cli-ents for the night?” She was silent for a while. “I don’t know. I have never given it a

thought.” “Maybe we should go out now and get into one of those parties. Is there some-

thing I can do to make your night special?” he asked as he ran his finger over her neck. “If I pay you back the money you gave to-

night, will you hold me close to you all night until I wake up to a new year?” her voice

crackled.

“Feels weird to be walking down this crowded bridge with a stranger.” She said.

“Stranger? I thought we have known each other for two days now!” he said. “Sure, that makes you family already.” They laughed as

they stopped by a less crowded spot in the middle of the Brooklyn bridge. “What brings

us here?” she asked as she stared into the East river. “Destiny?” he said. “Cheesy!” she laughed. “Sometimes you shouldn’t be find-

ing reasons for what is happening around. Just live the moment.” he said. “True. I have

no reason to be standing beside you on this special night while I could have still been with my family and friends but I enjoy this

strangeness in me. Something new. Some-thing that I probably need to get used to.” she held his hand. Fireworks broke loose in

the winter sky. It was as if the diamonds fell off a closed string bag. “Happy New Year!”

she said. He grabbed her by her hips and kissed her. They kissed until the sky was clear again and the cheerful mob had settled

down to a less chaotic noise level. “What was that about?” she asked. I had always wanted my midnight kiss on this bridge for New

Year’s and here I am. “So I’m your muse for the night.” she threw a sarcastic smile. “You

are going to be my muse every new year. You are my new beginning.” They walked back hand in hand flaunting their engagement

rings.

11.57 pm 31 Dec 2009

11.58 pm 31 Dec 2009

A minute before midnight. Jan 2010.

2010 looks so bright that it could blind one’s eyes. So bring on those shades! Here is wishing you all a great start to 2010 and a wonderful journey ahead! - DreamVendor

28

Another calendar rolls over, and dies Another generation is born, and cries Y2K is a distant, almost forgotten memory, we have Y2K+10 at hand! 10 years into a millennium once believed to be impossible and we wait for the dreadful date the Maya hung upon us December 21, 2012, all calendars would die, or so said they Fear not my blog, for even in the dreams "beyond the mortal coil" I shall, in those unseen times, tick over thy pages, year after joyful year Perhaps then would not be some lazy rant, or broken verse but the continuing melody of unending hours the mind, freed from all other maladies and phobias would bask in the enjoyment of unknown delicacies and would conjure up flavors hitherto untasted Oh, a thought drags me back to the mortal present One family now grows into two, and that denizen of the same womb sister dearest will soon adorn another household with her grace a happy occasion that will mark this year in our minds off we go to the bazaar, buy an year's load of festoons let the whole street know of the occasion awaited its time for sweetmeats, for gossip, for rice grain blessings and eagerly opened gifts let the season passes, from winter unto summer onto the monsoon of bridal tears, Godspeed and then, let the year slow down, and relax in the autumn afternoons Only then, let it take stock of itself, and only then, dream of what can be

A Dream for 2010 Raghuram Godavarthi

29

Contributors

Filarial Manasa

Kanaka Sathasivan Sophie

Diary Entry by Muthu Anuradha Chadrasekaran

Dhivya Arasappan Aditya Srikrishna

Nivethitha Kumar Aruni

Sowmya Arasappan Raghuram Godavarthi

Deepak Venkatesan Annamalai Muthiah

Radhika R

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The BanyanTrees Jan2010 edition. Contact

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