SASHINI MANIKANDAN

Going over the low flame As the gentle rousing smell wafts My sorrow drifts away And evokes sweet memories every day Tossed with mustard Garnished with curry leaves Add sugar to it My sweet Kesari!  Soft and comforting Right from my mom's warm hearth Beloved UPMA, you are truly mine! This poem is dedicated to Upma-lovers around the world (including me!)

 Hey readers! Apologies for the long break in blogging! But I am back here with another super-exciting blog. As an amateur film critique with an avid interest in cinematography and the fascinating world of films, I have brought to you an article on why Jawan, the recent SRK BlockBuster. (Okay, maybe not too recent, guess I am a little outdated :) ) Jawan, is an action-thriller movie, directed by Atlee (A very prolific director, in my opinion), musical by Anirudh Ravichander, starring the King Khan (Shah Rukh Khan), and some big names in the Kollywood Industry, Nayanthara and Vijay Sethupathi. A movie well-received by audience across India and a box-office hit, it was released in major languages- Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam and Kannada. Let's draw some comparisons between Atlee's work (pre-Jawan), other Tamil Movies and Jawan. 1. Women Empowerment This theme was strongly explored and well-received in Atlee's Tamil Film- Bigil (2019), starring Thalapathy Vijay and Nayanth...

 Hello readers, Thank you for your incredible support. My blog views have reached more than 1200 and that's all thanks to your support and encouragement. After a very long time, I am back with another interesting read-this time, I have explored the genre of Restaurant Review and through this article I bring to you review of some amazing Indian restaurants in the UAE. (Pssst....I am bit of a foodie at times so....here are some of the ultimate destinations to grab a quick Indian bite in the UAE)  1-Sasya Vegeterian Restaurant (Nesto Hypermarket, Muweilah Commercial) I am a pakka (complete) South-Indian with a strange love for Idli/Dosa. No week is complete for me without Idlis or Dosas. And this is one of the best places to get your South-Indian meal.  Ambience of the hotel is very welcoming. Staff are very friendly and helpful. And it's pure vegetarian (so my dear vegetarian friends, this is the place for you.)  Some must-try dishes here are- South Indian Vazhai Illai...

This is my second poem in my mother tongue, Tamil, about my motherland-India. It's not very perfect, but I am proud of it! நான் எங்கு சென்றாலும் அழகைப் பார்க்கிறேன் நான் எங்கு சென்றாலும், நான் தெய்வீகத்தைக் காண்கிறேன் நான் எங்கு சென்றாலும் உண்மையைக் காண்கிறேன் இது என் இந்தியா, என் கனவுகளின் இந்தியா நான் என் தாய்நாட்டை வாழ்த்துகிறேன், நமது மண்ணின் மகத்தான சுதந்திரப் போராட்ட வீரர்களுக்கு நான் தலை வணங்குகிறேன் சுதந்திரத்திற்காக சிந்திய இரத்தத்திற்கு தலை வணங்குகிறேன் நம் நாட்டின் இறையாண்மைக்காக அழுத கண்ணீரை வணங்குகிறேன் இது என் இந்தியா, என் கனவுகளின் இந்தியா ஒவ்வொரு துறையின் முன்னேற்றத்திற்கும் நான் தலை வணங்குகிறேன் நம் நாட்டு இளைஞர்களுக்கு நான் தலை வணங்குகிறேன் படைத்த ஒவ்வொரு ஆண்களுக்கும் பெண்களுக்கும் நான் தலை வணங்குகிறேன் என் இந்தியா, என் கனவுகளின் இந்தியா ENGLISH TRANSLITERATION:  Nāṉ eṅku ceṉṟālum aḻakaip pārkkiṟēṉ nāṉ eṅku ceṉṟālum, nāṉ teyvīkattaik kāṇkiṟēṉ nāṉ eṅku ceṉṟālum uṇmaiyaik kāṇkiṟēṉ itu eṉ intiyā, eṉ kaṉavukaḷiṉ intiyā nāṉ eṉ tāynāṭṭai vāḻttukiṟēṉ, namatu maṇṇiṉ makat...

 As a student representative at DPS, I had the privilege to attend the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas 2023 held at the Brilliant Convention Centre, Indore, Madhya Pradesh during the month of January. This initiative by the Government of India aimed to bring the Indian Diaspora together to strengthen the bond between the NRIs and their motherland, India. We got an opportunity to interact with the Cabinet ministers, including Dr. S.Jaishankar and Hon'ble Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh, Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan. We got to meet Hon'ble Prime Minister of India- Shri Narendra Modi and Hon'ble President of India- Smt. Droupadi Murmu.  But aside that, here is my experience of the PBD 2023. Beside being away from UAE for almost a week, there were a plenty of obstacles, that we as young students had to overcome. It's a pretty long list, but read until the end, if you want to know how exhilirating the experience was! I- Hectic Flight Schedule You won't believe me if I tell you th...

 The book of Answers Dear readers, Today I bring you a very interesting literary endeavour by Carol Bolt. Yes, you might have guessed it, the BOOK OF ANSWERS. This is a favourite decision making tool of mine/ divination tool (if you are a PotterHead, or an astrology freak you know what I mean). This book is exceptionally innovative and if you ask me a honest opinion, it's amazing! This book gives you an answer (almost every time!) to any dilemma you may face.  How does it work? (Trust me after reading this, you are going to fall in love with this book! I did and many of my close ones did and that's proof for you!) Think of your question or dilemma for some time in your mind (about 10-15 seconds) and run your hand over this book gently.  After deliberating over your question, open the book at a random, and voila! You will find an answer over there! And 99% it makes sense.  If you ask the same question over and over again, sometimes you may get negative sometimes posit...

According to Donald Rumsfeld there are four situations which can explain our response or reflex to a situation, namely 1) Known-Known 2) Known-Unknown 3) Unknown-Known 4) Unknown-Known (At first glance all of them seem nonsensical, but let me explain further :D) Known-Known You know the fact that you know. You are able to produce the same results over and over again. Known-Unknown  You know the fact that you don't know or don't understand. You jump from one field to a completely different field and your mind is just....BLANK... Unknown-Known You yourself are not aware of the fact that you know. Maybe this makes you surprise yourself now and then, but be careful to outsiders you might seem like a person connected to the supernatural...  Unknown-Unknown This is the most weirdest thing of all, you are not aware of the fact that you do not know!  Example- (Uhh I can't think of any, can you ? 😐😐) Next post, I will try my best and come up with one of my favorite psychological...

 Thai manne Vanakkam! An amazing show, coordinated  by Sashini Manikandan, put up by the talented girls of Grade 9, to fascinate these words, was well received by the audience. The show started off with our Tamil compere, Sameeha and English compere, Hiba welcoming the audience. Our students served the trademark filter coffee of TN to our audience, relishing which the audience enjoyed the show. The performance began with a stunning visual treat of the oldest classical dance, Bharatnatyam by our Bharatnatyam exponent, Harsha. It was succeeded by a beautiful rendition of the Vara Veena by lead Sashini, Adhwaitha and Meenakshi. Succeeding which, a nail-biting gripping fight between our born warriors in traditional silambam fight, Thanaa and Sarah. A beautiful skit showcasing the best of the Southern state, Tamil Nadu was role played and progressed on to the beautiful folk dance of Kummi. An expressive semi-classical dance of Kannodu Kanbathellam was performed by Sriya and Adhwait...

  AR Rahman. I am quite sure; you all know him very well. The famous music director, world acclaimed and gifted musician. Now you go to him and hand him a cricket bat and tell him to play for India. Even if he has cricket as a hobby, he is not a professional. He will not be able to win. In a similar way, if Sachin Tendulkar is made to conduct an orchestra, he will not be able to do so. You may wonder where I am going with this. I will come back to that a little later. Who loves mangoes ? Silly me, the question should rather be, Who doesn’t love mangoes ? But we all know mangoes don’t grow in desert. Yet we get ripe mangoes in the markets in UAE. How? Using advanced technologies of course. We human beings are very impatient, and no one can dispute that so, we add fertilizers to speed up the process of growing. To keep the pests at bay, we use inorganic pesticides and insecticides. And what do we get ? Fresh ripe mangoes. What else ? Chronic health issues, and unhealthy salinized s...

  Just today morning, I received a message from my grandma on Instagram about a new Yoga routine. Even better my great grandma enquired about my health and sent me a new crocheting video through Facebook. My cousin, just born yesterday, is already going viral on TikTok. Nowadays, from a small child to old grandmas, everyone knows how to use a mobile phone and moreover are on social media. Not a day begins without scrolling through the top Instagram Posts. Daily WhatsApp status updates, Facebook stories. Even Prime Ministers and Presidents connect with the public through social media. Virtual birthday gatherings, Virtual classes, and even Virtual weddings through social media. Wow!! That’s quite a lot!! What comes to our mind when we think of social media ? Perhaps platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. And even WhatsApp. Social Media has become the center of attraction these days. More than our name, our social media username has garnered more importance. Earlier when fin...

 Hello readers, Today I begin my article with a personal incident that still evokes laughter within me but has also led me to consider the serious implications of choosing environment over entertainment. It was Diwali celebrations in the year, I guess, 2019 ?? (Never mind that now). In my locality, we celebrated Diwali with great enthusiasm and vigour. However, keeping in mind the environmental consequences, we blast very less, zero-pollution causing crackers (Atleast that's how they advertise their products). When we were enjoying the beautiful show of fireworks, a student from Grade 9 comes up to us and gave a huge presentation on how crackers pollute the environment. We did give our 100% attention, and resolved not to burst pollution-creating crackers for the sake of entertainment. Just 10 minutes after this, the same student comes with his friends, and requests for crackers to burst to celebrate the festival of lights. This 'ironical' incident set me thinking. Why is th...

 Dear readers, Here are a few facts I have compiled from the blockbuster adaptation of Ponniyin Selvan novel by Kalki Krishnamurthy. Enjoy! 1. The legendary actor and former CM of TN, M.G.R  had wanted to play a role in the film adaptation of PS, back in the 1950s. Many other legends have yearned for a role in this mega blockbuster movie, but in vain. 2. The discussions for the film adaptation by Mani Ratnam has been going on for more than 20 years and had finally started filming pre-covid in 2019. 3. The film is set in 900 to 950 AD in the administrative capital of the Chola Dynasty- Thanjai AKA Tanjore and also in Kadambur. 4. The original novel is of 5 bulky volumes-  New Floods (Puthu Vellam), Whirlwind(Suzharkatru), Sword of Slaughter(Kolai Vaal), The Crown(Manimagudam),The Pinnacle of Sacrifice(Thiyaaga Sigaram) 5. The novel appeared in small excerpts in a weekly Tamil magazine titled Kalki and ran for almost 4 years. 6. The title Ponniyin Selvan translates to the '...

 Today's post is about the talk of the town- PONNIYIN SELVAN: PART 1. This post aims to give one all the facts one needs to know about Ponniyin Selvan and review of the film adaptation by Mani Ratnam, in Tamil. The setting of the story is in 10th century, in Tanjai (present day- Tanjore/ Thanjavur), where the Chola Dynasty ruled prosperously.  The Chola Dynasty, during this time period was under the reign of Emperor Sundara Chozhar, whose sons Aditha Karikalan and Arulmozhi Varman alias Ponniyin Selvan are heading their conquests of Kanchi and Lanka for the Chola empire.  Sensing something is amiss in Chola, Aditha Karikalan sends his friend Vaanar Clan's prince Vallavaraiyan Vandiyadevan, a warrior, to investigate and relay the news to his sister Princess Kundavai and Sundara Chozhar subsequently. Vandiyadevan reaches the fortress of Kadamboor and overhears the conspiracy designed by the Chola treasurer and minister of finance, Periya Pazhuvettaraiyar and other ministers...

 This post is based on research, as I don't have friends from Karnataka. Readers, if you find any error, please forgive me, but this is based on research work alone. 😬😬 amma(Tamil) - amma(Kannada) avvai(Tamil) - avva(Kannada) - granny kadal(Tamil) - kadalu(Kannada) - Ocean Ambuthi(Tamil) - Ambuthi(Kannada) - Ocean Maram(Tamil) - Maraa(Kannada) - Tree Meen(Tamil) - Minu(Kannada) - Fish Aamai(Tamil) - Aame(Kannada) - Turtle Puli(Tamil) - Huli(Kannada) - Tiger Manai(Tamil) - Mane(Kannada) - House Aalayam(Tamil) - Aalayam(Kannada) Sakkarai(Tamil) - Sakkare(Kannada) - Sugar uppu(Tamil) - uppu(Kannada) - Salt Muttai(Tamil) - Motte(Kannada) - Egg Nel(Tamil) - Nellu(Kannada) - Rice Seethapazham(Tamil) - Seethaphala(Kannada) - Custard Apple Thraatchai(Tamil) - Dhraakshi(Kannada) - Grapes Nidhanamaga(Tamil) - Nidhanaavagi(Kannada) - Slowly Koonthal(Tamil) - Koodalu(Kannada) - Hair Paadham(Tamil) - Paadha(Kannada) - Feet Kazhuthu(Tamil) - Katthhu(Kannada) - Neck Kudurai(Tamil) - Kudure(Kann...

 I am a lover of linguistic topics and this is one of my favorite! I am Thamizhan by birth but, with influence of Keralite friends I have learned a few words which are similar in TAMIL and MALAYALAM. Here is a small list, (though the list runs into more than 100s) Amma (அம்மா)- Amma (അമ്മ)(mother) Makan (மகன்)- Makan (മകൻ)(son) MakaL (மகள்)- MakaL (മകൾ)(daughter) MarumakaL (மருமகள்)- MarumakaL (മരുമകൾ)(daughter in law) Marumakan (மருமகன்)- Marumakan (മരുമകൻ)(son in law) Adhu (அது)- Ath(അത്) (that) Ith(ഇത്)- Idhu (இது) (this) Yaar (யார்)- Aar (ആര്) (who) Naan (நான்)- Njaan (ഞാൻ) (I) Nee/NeengaL (நீ/நீங்கள்)- Nee/ NeengaL (നീ/നീങ്ങല്‍) (you) Avan (அவன்)- Avan (അവൻ) (he) AvaL(அவள்)- AvaL (അവൾ) (she) NaangaL (நாங்கள்)- NjaangaL (ഞങ്ങൾ) (we) En(என்)- Enre (എന്റെ) (my) Avanoda(அவனோட)- Avande (അവന്റെ) (his) AvaLoda(அவளோட)- AvaLude (അവളുടെ) (her) Ennai (என்னை)- Enne (എന്നെ) (to me) Avanai (அவனை)- Avane (അവനെ) (to him) AvaLai (அவளை)- AvaLe (അവളെ) (to her) Enakku (எனக்கு)- Enikk (എനിക്ക്)- (...