Cat

When I was small we had a cat which would drink milk only if bournvita was added to it. And it loved coconuts. In fact it seemed to like coconuts more than fish. If you placed coconut and fish in front of it, I am sure it would have gone for the coconut first. I was reminded of that cat when I saw this one.

"The mathematical probability of a common cat doing exactly as it pleases is the one scientific absolute in the world. "
~Lynn M Osband

Lyrics that stole my heart

Ithramel manamulla kudamulla
Poovukalkkethra kinakalundaayirikkum
Sandhyaambarathinte mandasmithangalil
Avayethra azhakullathaayirikkum

Poovinte swapnagal pookkalekkalum
Mrudhulavum soumyavum aayirikkum
Thaamara nool pol pozhiyum nilaavilum
Yadhukula kaambojiyaayirikkum

Nithya vilolamaam swapnangalum njaanum
Ellaa rahasyavum panku vaikkum
Aathmaavinullil vannariyaathe
Padarunnathaa raaga parimalamaayirikkum

Film: Mazha
Lyrics : O V Usha Music : Raveendran Sung by: Yesudas

Gist of the Poem: (for those who don't understand malayalam)

If the flowers are so fragrant and beautiful,

How beautiful would their dreams be...

The dreams of the flowers would be

Just as tender and gentle as they are...

Rubik's Cube

“The problems of puzzles are very near the problems of life, our whole life is solving puzzles. If you are hungry, you have to find something to eat. But everyday problems are very mixed - they're not clear. The Cube's problem depends just on you. You can solve it independently. But to find happiness in life, you're not independent. That's the only big difference.”

~Erno Rubik

Qutab Minar

The Qutab Minar is one of the monuments in Delhi which I like visiting. It is situated within the city but once you enter the complex you feel far away from the hustle and bustle of the city. And it is quite well maintained compared to the other monuments.

King Qutubuddin Aibak of Slave dynasty laid the foundation of the Qutab Minar in 1199. Qutb-ud-din-Aibak had intended the Qutab Minar to stand as a symbol of his throne's might. However, he passed away before anything more than the base of the tower could be completed. It was his successor, Iltutmish, who completed this magnificent structure. The red sandstone tower of Qutab Minar is 72.5 m high, tapering from 14.32 m at its base to 2.75 m in diameter at its peak, and alternating in angular and rounded flutings. Much as its dimensions contribute to its magnificence, one can't deny that the intricate carving, taken from the Islamic Holy Book - the Qu'ran, on the exterior also makes it look breathtakingly beautiful.

The complex also hosts an Iron Pillar in the courtyard of the mosque. The quality of the iron used for constructing the pillar is exceptionally pure and has not rusted even after 2000 years. An inscription in Sanskrit clearly indicates that it was initially erected outside a Vishnu temple, possibly in Bihar. The manufacture of such a massive iron pillar, which has not deteriorated much during 2000 years of its existence, is a standing testimony to the metallurgical skill of ancient Indians.

The World of Books

The 17th World Book Fair, Pragati Maidan, New Delhi

Books are a man's (and woman's) best friends. Books not only enlighten and illuminate our lives but they also entertain, enrich, excite and take us where no one’s ever been before. They take us to worlds so different from our own, make us experience things which we would never experience in our lives and introduce us to people we would never meet. They are the essence of history and civilization and the harbinger of the future. They provide us an insight into great minds and the outlook to widen the horizons of our mind.

A passion for reading is a great gift. I am thankful to my parents for my first books....the amar chitra kathas they bought for me. And to the friend who took me to a public library for the first time. I still remember the time we would walk a long way to the library in the evening with the fervent hope to find some good books. It was a small library and you had to be lucky to lay your hands on the good books before somebody else did. Its amazing that even after all these years a good book still gives me the same satisfaction that it gave me when I was young.

To acquire the habit of reading is to construct for yourself a refuge from almost all the miseries of life.
~W. Somerset Maugham