Bang Bang Bang!

The "Bang Bang Bang!" phenomena is shooting almost everyone since the release of N.Lingusamy's action thriller, Anjaan. By the time you finished reading my previous sentence, you would have been amazed by how cleverly I chose the word "shooting" to match with the "Bang Bang Bang!" sound. However, if that didn't amaze you, stay cool, forget about this, and proceed to the next paragraph.

There has been a lot of critics and reviews on this latest eye-candy, and with this, I mean really really really lot. There you go, you have my triple really lot, and that's rare.

Some trash the film hard down-to-the-core, making self-reflections on how they have wasted the three hours of their lives watching this film, which they could have used to achieve greater heights in life. Some may dedicate their lives to build a statue as a tribute to this amazing action-packed blockbuster. Some just take this film as a typical Indian masala film, blend with action, romance, comedy, and sentiments. 

You don't have to seek the answer Surya, you gave your best in this film, cheers! Anyway, there are many aspects of this film that I really enjoyed, and there are some I wish I could have enjoyed a bit more. See? That's totally a neutral way to comment on this film, you are getting good in this Sodium. 

So here you go, what Sodium enjoys about Anjaan, bang bang bang!

There is nothing to be questioned on this matter. Anjaan features two hunks with pure class and style, much to be anticipated by everyone on the release of Anjaan. Seeing Raju Bhai (Surya) and Chandru (Vidyut) on the big screen made most of the girls to go "OMG I am melting due to their burning handsomeness and scorching masculinity!" or "Raju Bhai, please marry me!".  It's not surprising, they are hot indeed. As for the boys, some of them silently admire and wish to follow Surya's and Vidyut's style in Anjaan. Some were just doing poker faces when their girlfriends talked about Raju Bhai and Chandru, throughout the film, non-stop mode. Whatever way it goes, I do feel that the stylish appearance of both Raju Bhai and Chandru is indeed one of the play-makers for the film.

Class, defined in tuxedo.

Style, defined with casual thug-like wear.

Throughout the film, we could see a cheeky Jeeva (Samantha) running here and there, showing off her cute expressions. I always love the part in a Tamil movie, where everyone would be scared of the hero's rowdy-like appearance but the heroine would treat the hero as though he is a cute little playful boy. Then, the heroine will admit that she loves the hero, the hero will play his tough-act and tries to show that he feels nothing alike, and then he eventually falls for the heroine. I know, I know, you have seen thousands of scenes like this, but heyy, it is still sweet! Apart from being totally fearless of Raju Bhai, Jeeva (Samantha) manages to lock him in the prison of love and they spend their lovey-dovey time together, awww!

Contrast to her appearance in Naan Ee, Samantha appears sexier and more seductive in Anjaan, tagging along with the movie's thug-like theme. All the pure good guys out there, close your eyes! This is so inappropriate, how could Samantha act like this, I can't believe this! Yeah I know the feel bro, but sorry I'm on the not-so-good-guys side, cheers!

You sure got some moves there Samantha!

Yuvan Shankar Raja, you sure know how to keep the momentum for a action-packed film. When the audio for Anjaan was launched, I downloaded all the songs and listened to them. I sort-of liked them then, and after watching the movie, I definitely love it! Well that how it usually goes for me, watching the movie gives me an extra effect in getting addicted to the songs. Maybe it's because I can recall the scenes back along the lyrics, giving me a visual experience in mind when I listen to the songs. Not to forget, with the help of Yuvan, Surya makes a grand entry to playback singing, Ek Do Teen Char!

The BGM for this film, it's catchy for sure. I could see a lot of people humming the tunes or singing the songs without themselves realizing it when they are doing something. The best part is, I am in this group of people too, yeay! How about you?

Well, I'm not a super-duper expert or professional on film productions, but I was once told that for all those amazing camera angles you see in movies, the credit goes to the cinematographer of the film. Whoever taught me that, thank you so much for enlightening this poor little curious soul:')

I owe one to you, whoever you are:')

Anyways, back to the story of cinematography and editing of the movie scenes, here it goes. Awwweeeesssommmmeeeee! (It is actually awesome in a more excited-teenager kinda tone.) I just love how the movie scenes were shot. From the mass introduction of Raju Bhai in the movie, to the the fighting scene where Surya uses a heavy rope with a metal hook at its end, everything seems like an eye-candy to me. It is definitely a treat to the eyes of the audience. Remember how the camera keeps exposing us to Raju Bhai's stick-in-the-mouth and Chandru's coin spinning habits? All those details, they definitely made an impact, at least for me.

Personally this is exactly what I think. The plot may be too mainstream as the story line is too common in the film industry. There are tons of films out there about a man seeking revenge for his brother/ sister/ friend/ etc after a series of betrayal or misfortune. As for the twists in the movie, I can't really say it is unpredictable. We have watched too much movies until we can actually predict what's going to happen next. So basically, in terms of plot, this movie has nothing much new to offer. In other words, this movie has its flaws as well.

However, that doesn't mean this is an overall failure, it has its bright side as well. Nevertheless, haters gonna hate, lovers gonna love, and those in the middle, will tend to stay in the middle:)


Signing off with a stick in mouth,

An adult in age, still a kid in heart:)

Aren't these round heads such cuties! :)

Everyone have birthdays, and since I am included in that group of everyone, I have a birthday too! Along with all other January babies, my birthday falls on the 24th of January every year. What makes this year a special one until it triggered me to write a blog post on it? If you guess that it is because this year holds my 21st birthday, you are not quite there yet. It is actually because of what my friends and family did for my birthday this year. Yes, you heard it right, an experience that I would like to share with you guys in this post! And with that, I expect a round of applause from the audience.

*clap clap clap*

First of all, let me introduce the key players in this surprise game. In this story, we will frequently encounter this following brilliant characters: Kevin, Naresh, Mogana, Thanesh, and the secret master mind that observed the game from a distant spot, Lady X.

Apparently, I was made into believe that me, Kevin, and Thanesh is going for late night movie at Ipoh Lotus Five Stars theater nearby. I have to admit, it seemed real at that moment, maybe. On second thought, no. I may have guessed it, you guys just got lucky this time! So the journey eventually led us to a open space in front Ipoh Town Hall. Things seem pretty suspicious already hah? Out of nowhere, came Naresh, Subash and Mogana, screaming and grabbing me from behind, and that very moment, I saw it. The satisfied faces of Kevin and Thanesh after executing the secret plan.

A typical birthday surprise story will end up in the birthday boy or girl cutting a cake, awww. I was not even close to that typical normal story. There they brought it, a mega XL size chicken dumpling for me to cut on my birthday! Instead of a birthday-cake-cutting knife, I was given a pair of chopsticks. Yeah, you heard it right, chopsticks. And thus begins, the royal dumpling cutting and feeding ceremony.

My XL sized Birthday Chicken Dumpling!

Along with ceremony, came phone calls and text messages in a non-stop manner. Gosh, I love you guys, each and every of your wishes made my day extra special. You really thought I will say that? No, you guys are my friends after all, do your responsibility of wishing me on my birthday. Anyways, there came a call from an unknown number, which I know is from India. I just could not believe it is this girl who called me and wished me, but it is! I miss you girl, come back to Malaysia as soon as possible!

If my surprise celebration ended up in a such a nice manner, it just does not sound right, I know. That is what friends are for. With no sympathy or regret, I was attacked by eggs and flour from all corners known to human. Now I know the feeling of slimy egg parts getting into my T-shirt and trousers, totally euww. Egg and flour attacks at the middle of public, what more could I ask for? Luckily there was Subash to guide me to a public toilet nearby, allowing me to clean up myself in total wetness and remain like that for some time. Freezing cold, believe me.

Eggs can be deadly weapons when used at the right time.

That night ended in me taking a late-night super bath at Kevin's house and soaking my egg-decorated clothes in a pail of water. A sneak peak to the world of Facebook exposed me to the dozens of wishes my friends gave to me for my birthday. Not long after I came online, came Shanthi, also known as USM's Jyothika for some explicit reason. Before wishing me, she passed me another gift from this girl in India. Apparently this girl has asked Shanthi to pass me the gift on my birthday. Sentimental moments, tears of joy. I love it, seriously. Soon enough, this adult boy snoozed off to dreamland. 

The next day was an epic one. I could not have described it better, it is epic and with that, I mean total epic. Getting into my striking purple pants and newly-bought yellow T-shirt, I was picked up by the key players early in the morning. Little did they say where they were planning to bring me, and to make it more thrilling, I was blind-folded by a pair of big hands. Yeah, they are Naresh's. Not long after that, cool breeze began to wrap around my body and I suspected we are going up a high land or something like that. In a few minutes, all of us were greeted by the cool land of Cameron Highlands! The first thing we did once we reached there? Carving our names on the stone wall along the road, evergreen style.

Thanesh showing his skills in stone carving.

The rest of the day was spent by admiring Mother Nature, appreciating it's beauty and magnificence. Well, almost. Most of the time, we were busy admiring and appreciating ourselves, and of course, photo shoot sessions!

Have you ever heard of happiness beyond words to describe? Well this is one fine example of such. All of us went back to our respective homes after a tiring journey, well that is what I thought at that time! Little did I know that after sending me to Kevin's house, each of these key players met up and prepared a grand finale for the day. A short nap I took, and Naresh's text message woke me up. In minutes, I was dashed to an unknown destination, which turned out to be none other than his own house. Was his family alone in the house? No. There they were, the whole team with their family! With Thanesh playing with the chicken wings at the entrance, I was welcomed with POP firecrackers, tons of them.

Suddenly, there were new characters in the game! Presenting Swami Shanmugam, lovely Malathi, gorgeous Shanthinee, and cute Mahen anne into the plan, the surprise was yet to began. I was brought into the house, not as it is used to be, but with cheerful and colorful decorations throughout the house. On the table, a cake stood with pride. It turned out that the cake was made by Thanesh himself! The best gift one can get on his birthday is a home-made cake, designed specially for the birthday boy, and I was one such lucky boy.

OMG, that is such a cute little Spongebob candle! 

Thus the official cake cutting and feeding ceremony started, with each of my friend and family feeding me the lovely cake. Not everyone fed me cake actually, Mogana forced a tiny tomato into my mouth instead of cake. Revenge is coming soon Mogana, mark my words! The aroma of sizzling BBQ chickens and sausages, the taste of the thirst quenching cocktail, the list could go on forever. Such a beautiful night, and the clock stroked twelve o'clock after some time.

Each slice of cake marks another happiness into my life diary.

Just when I thought the day has finally come to an end, I received a package from Kevin, telling me that it is from someone special. I opened up the package and found out it was none other that the young lady in India. Dear young lady, everyone has a limit, until which they will be able to control their tears of sentiment. Continuous sentimental attacks in the form of love, care, and gifts, I won't be able to control myself more much longer. The gifts are certainly lovely, and they were totally unexpected. I have no words to say, thank you young lady.

I received many wonderful gifts and never-ever-could-I-forget experiences from my friends and family this year. I could write a novel on how special your presence and gifts are for me. But that ladies and gentlemen, is another story. 

Reflecting yesterday for a better tomorrow

Digging my previous Facebook inbox messages, I was amused to see myself debating various topics with variety of people. From cute bakery to magical sorcery, from evil onions to cute minions, my fingers typed words beyond imagination throughout the years.

Scrolling and reading such conversations, my eyes and mind were glued to a topic I had recently debated with several people:

Simple question but complicated answer, that's what most of us think. How true is it? 

Watch your thoughts, they become words.

Watch your words, they become actions.

Watch your actions, they become habits.

Watch your habits, they become your character.

Watch your character, it becomes your destiny.

Well, this quote explains itself quite well, so I am not going to spend my time elaborating it. What I would like to point out here is the power of thought. Yes you are right, I am indeed referring to our very own thought.

With my mind, I can control my life- is it a fact or fiction? Is it an accepted reality or busted myth? Ladies and gentlemen, the truth is, we can indeed control our life using our mind. All it takes is the consistency of our thought in sending the correct message to the universe. At this point, the main question is how?

There are many skills to be mastered and conquered in the gaining full control of this power. However, every journey begins with a single step. Let's get down to the basic skill for the power of thought- Positive Thinking. 

Are you thinking positively today?

Let me share to you, a simple technique that promises victory who those who practise it Here it goes:

Believe in this, and witness the wonder yourself. Let's us look at an example to make this clear. As time passes by, we may have encountered many situations in life. We may have wished for many things, ranging from a toy, to a cloth, money, relationship and many more. Sometimes, what we wished for may didn't come true, but people, do realize that we are in reality, not in a fairy tale. Every single thing happens for a reason, and that is how the world works. 

So the next time when we are not granted what we wish for, never ever feel sad or have any negative thoughts on it. Remind yourself, it didn't happen either because there are better things waiting for you, or God simply have other plans for you. Either ways, believe me, you won't get disappointed at the end of the journey. If you fix your mind on something, and in between problems and challenges arise, keep calm and face them! Don't think "What if I don't get it?" or "I will fail if this continues!". In contrast, keep thinking "This is just another challenge on the way, I will get what I want soon."

For a start off, let us train ourselves to keep thinking positive and accomplish our aims in life. Remember that God help those who help themselves. Stay positive and realize the power of thoughts, the greatest power of all time.

I am capable of facing any challenges that are destined for me!

Thaipusam - Are we choosing the right path?

Vetrivel Muruganukku Arogara!

The time has finally come, calling Hindus from all over Malaysia for a divine time of the year- Thaipusam. I wonder, what comes to your mind when you hear the word Thaipusam?

A sea of divine-looking men and women in yellow clothes, flooding temples with milk-filled pots? 

Lines of daring and possessed-like devotees, pierced with sharp hooks and spears?

Tons of merrily-decorated grand looking kavadis along the streets?

The charm of urumi melams, blasting off devotional songs in maximum aplitude?

Why do hindus carry paal kudam all the way to Lord Muruga?

Why on earth did this man pierced a spear through his face?

Why does this man willing to endure the pain of carrying this majestic kavadi?

Speaking of Thaipusam, I bet there are many questions wandering off in your mind. This article may not be able to answer all your questions, but at least I could solve some of the mysteries:)

The word Thaipusam is actually a combination of the words Thai and Pusam, simple isn't it? Wait, what does that even mean? Thai is a month in Tamil calendar (15 January- 14 February) and Pusam is the name of a star, where it is said that this star is at its highest point during the festival.

This was exactly the question that was running in my mind, when I planned to write this article. Okay, I get the point that it's name is a combination of a month and a star. So what? What is the whole idea of celebrating Thaipusam? A little research enlightened me about this.

Speaking of the origin of this festival, I have seen and heard many related theories and stories. According to Kanda Puranam (a Sanskrit epic), there is little story behind all this, and here how it goes :

Once there was a sage (a wise man) named Agasthiyar, and he had a follower named Idumban. One day, Agasthiyar asked Idumban to bring him two hills, named Sakhti Giri and Siva Giri respectively. Idumban tied the two hills at both ends of a  huge pole, which he carried on his shoulder. 

A statue resembling Idumban carrying the two hills, at Palani Temple.

As the journey continued, Idumban felt thirsty, so he put down the hills and went to get some water. When he eventually came back and tried to carry back the hills, but failed. There stood the hills, not even moving a bit. According to the puranam, there was a boy, standing on top of one of the hills, and Idumban saw him. Idumban asked him to get down, but the boy refused and gave a fight. As both of the forces clashed, Idumban eventually got killed. As the truth revealed, the boy was actually a disguise of Lord Murugan. Lord Murugan restored Idumban's life and from that day on, Idumban became a faithful devotee to Lord Murugan.

Okay, the story is cool, but am I missing something here? I still don't get it, what's the connection of this story and Thaipusam? Yeah, you may ask this question right now. Here comes the most epic part of the story.

Being a loyal and faithful devotee, everyday Idumban would go all the way up to the hill and give abishegam (appreciation to God) to Lord Murugan. Idumban would bring milk and water, both in different containers, to the top of the hill. How he did it? The same way as he carried the hills, Idumban tied the two containers at both edges of a stick, and carried it on his shoulder. Okay, here comes the grand piece that completes the puzzle. One fine day, on the month of Thai, during the rise of Pusam star, Lord Murugan gave Mukthi (blessings) to Idumban for his pure dedication and faithfulness. 

Seeing this wonderful sight, people around his village began to follow Idumban's footsteps. They would bring milk, lemon juice, tairu, and karumbu chaaru to do abishegam for Lord Murugan - each of them hoping that they will get Lord Murugan's blessings as well.

So here you have it, the origin of Thaipusam.

Bringing paal kudams signifies the act of doing abishegam for Lord Murugan on Thaipusam, there's no doubt on it. But how about the kavadi? If we are following the act of Idumban, bringing milks and some other stuffs to Lord Murugan, on what sense are some of us doing all these? : 

I don't think Lord Murugan is a fan of Manchester United.

Just look at those piercings, dahsyat! But the question remains, why?

I admit it's kinda awesome and cool, but is it really necessary?

As years and decaded pass by, so does the manipulation of the tradition. The concept of Thaipusam is obviously misleaded, causing some of us to divert from the real divine meaning of the festival. 

For those who have been wondering, the idea of taking kavadi originated from the act of Idumban carrying the hills using a pole, placed on his shoulder. Some say that it is originated by the act of Idumban, bringing the milk and water to Lord Murugan, using the same technique too. One thing is clear- in both stories, no piercings or exaggerating acts are mentioned.

I was playing with Google recently, when I ended up on a Hinduism site- velmuruga.com. It was not long after I started scrolling down the page when a statement caught my eyes:

Actually, on Thaipusam, we can go to any Murugan temple, not only Batu Caves, bring any abishegam items, witness the thirumanjanam(abishegam), then listen to His songs, sing along, and get His prasadham to home. Thats all!

At the moment it hit me. It is, in fact, true.

The scenario of Thaipusam is indeed stunning. The awesome moment when the speakers blast off maximum volume Thaipusam songs. The relieving moment after one have finished their spiritual journey of taking paal kudam. The mesmerizing moment when one dances to the trance of urumi melam with kavadis on their back. The mouth-watering food and drinks, served in thaneer panthals along the streets. The indescribable moment when beautiful tamizhachis and handsome tamizhans flood the street, rising the so-called spirit of Thaipusam.

Just ask ourselves:

Why are we celebrating thaipusam?
What is our aim in celebrating Thaipusam? 
Are we celebrating it the correct way? 

And I will pray to God that you will find the answers to your questions.

with whatsapp and thaipusam:)

Vanakkam vanthanam, valga vazhamudan, valarga tamizhudan.

It's a breathtaking moment in the history of mankind, as this is the first time I'm writing a blog. Lame, isn't it? I've seen a lot of blogs before, but never before was I inspired to write something of my own. So, why the sudden interest? - you may ask.

It all started when i was lying on bed, facing my Galaxy Y's screen, with my fingers playing on it, wondering what on earth can I do to kill the time. It was not long before I decided to check on my friends in Whatsapp. So, now the title is making some sense, right?

Why on earth does it have a phone symbol? =='

As I was scrolling down the chat list, my eyes caught a friend of mine. There was her name, right in front of my eyes- Kausalya Mohana Selvam. It have been quite some time since I last chatted with her. So I decided to buzz her, and what I got was a immediate reply. Little did I know that the conversation we were having will lead to something bigger.

We chatted about a lot of stuffs, and then it finally came to this topic. Yeah you may have guessed it - Thaipusam. I'm going to take "paal kudam" this year (again, a breathtaking moment in the history of mankind), so I was discussing about it with her. That is when she told me "Actually got one reason why we take paal kudam, but many people don't realise it."

Why do hindus take paal kudam?

As curiosity hit me, I asked her more and more. In return, she answered me more and more. Our conversation lead to many other related topics, and that is the moment we decided to get into a mission - to share the real beauty of Thaipusam with others:)

Why do we see these kind of things in thaipusam? What does it mean?

 Together- me, Kausalya, Shanmugam and a proud resident of Batu Caves, Elanchelian -are digging up facts and fictions. Coming up soon, you will know what is the real meaning of Thaipusam. Some of you guys out there may have known about Thaipusam clearly, but I'm pretty sure there are some of us who will find these discoveries quite new to them. So, stay tuned guys!

#coming soon: thaipusam- are we choosing the right path?