Musical Treat : Sunday with SPB

Last Sunday was a magical one. Myself with my family listened to the legend SPB singing rare Illayaraja numbers. The concert name " Naanum Raajavum" meaning "Myself and Raaja" held at Kamarajar Arangam in Chennai.


The hall was jam packed. Listeners poured  in a chaotic manner. Seats were given to so many people. Lots of confusion and arguments were going on which made first few minutes a really tensed duration. Later the SPB music relaxed every one's mind. The orchestra "Gopal Sapthaswarangal" did a very good job. Each one in the troupe was very talented.

SPB's voice were crystal clear and mesmerizing. He also shared his experiences and musical details plus his learning in between each numbers.

I was very happy for my mom and dad because they were very relaxed and enjoying the pleasant music. Actually my parents are rarely found relaxed and without work. They love music.  My brother was helping my uncle know the movie name for each song. Hope my brother also enjoyed it as I did.

Nishok's first concert ever. He was not comfortable. He said he spend nice time with me after ages. Totally a jolly family outing with such a musical treat.

I am listing out the songs he sang and I am downloading all the songs. The songs were rare and the numbers had more job involved for each one in the orchestra than the singer. The amount of effort they had put in was clearly evident.

Songs which I loved were Sundari (Thalapathy), Kaatu Kuyilu (Thalapathy) , Vizhiyille (100 vathu Naal)

List of songs:

1. Mahaganapathim
2. Akkarai Cheemai 
3. Nee padhi Naan Paathi
4. Mounama Geetham (SPB's first song in the concert)
5. Poonthalir Aada
6. Paatu Thalaivan
7. Pon Maalai Paneer Thoorum
8. Oh.. Vasantha Raaja
9. Kanmaniye kadhal enbathu 
10. Hey Roja 
11. Kodai kaala kaatre
12. Roja onnundru mutham ketkum neram
13. Meendum Meendum vaa - Vikram
14. Andhi Varum Neram
15. Kanne Kalai mane
16. Kadhal Kavithai padithidum
17. Rojavai Thaalatum Thendral
18. Sundari Kannal Oru Sedhi
19. Isai Thodanguthama
20. Vizhiyile (100th naal)
21. Adhi kaalai neram
22. Kaatukuyil
23. Minminuku kannil oru minnal
24. Thoongatha vizhigal rendu
25. Poongathave

Book Review : Dan Brown's Inferno

  

   Dan Brown's fourth novel in Robert Langdon Series is finally out. I had preordered the book in flipkart.com which rendered a very good service in getting the book on my hands on the day of the book release.

I m very proud to say that Inferno is my first book which I ordered before the book was actually out. I was proud showing off this book in my hand during  break time and lunch hours in office cafe. 

I wanted to complete this book at least within a week so that I can give first hand review.  I got the book on 15th of May and completed on 19th of May 2013. In addition, this book completed my goal of reading fifteen books by this year with pride.

OK more into Inferno. Whatte an immense hard work! Fantastic research on the histories. Visual tours to Florence, Venice and Istanbul.  The book had a gripping plot which made me stick to the book till the last word in the last page. It can serve as an research material. But the story is more or less the same as that of Angels and Demons. Threat to earth, genius and brave lady lead, more or less a day's story similar to Angels and Demons. 

This book cultivates the idea of reading the classic novel Inferno by Dante. This book talks a lot about Dante's Inferno and also in and out of Florence.

Few pages made me doze off! But I promise this is a must read in Robert Langdon series. No doubt this will be a made a movie! I love Robert Langdon series. Expecting a different plot in this series with Robert Langdon as Lead.

Characters I just loved in this book : Robert Langdon, Sienna Brooks, Martha ( the pregnant lady) , Sinskey and Bruder!

Book Review : Brida

 

 

Brida by Paulo Coelho is written in 1990. The main character and the tile are the same.It is about a girl who wants to learn magic. So she approaches the Magus in the forest who was abandoned by most people for seducing a girl once. The moment  he saw Brida he realises  that she is his Soul mate. He teaches Brida to overcome her fear and exposes her with two tradition to learn magic. They are "Tradition of Moon" and " Tradition of Sun ". He also gets to know that she possess some kind of gift and tells her she was destined to learn magic through "Tradition of Moon".

Brida then finds Wicca who is a tarot reader from a book seller. Wicca is the one who teaches magic through "Tradition of Sun". Tradition of Moon is learning magic from his soul mate i.e.  the male  transfers all the knowledge to her and  together they get transformed as magician. Something like that. Tradition of Sun is getting taught of magic with the help of a teacher.

Brida takes lesson from both of them and eventually realises the Magus to be her soul mate after seeing the point of light on his left shoulder. This is how one can know their Soul mate. Earlier she thought her boyfriend to be her soul mate. At last she overcomes her fear and goes in search of her gift and finally becomes a witch.

My Thoughts:
Paulo has taught the life lessons in an unusual way. He has taken magic, witchcraft as a medium. The book is full of traditions and rituals. The beginning of the book plus the end were  very boring and I felt those parts to be vague.

I loved the way Wicca inculcated the lessons in Brida. The three steps or tests Brida qualifies to get initiated as witch is really a good part of the book. The Magus character is warm and felt Brida's boyfriend lacked depth.

Few of the quotes in the books were very good. They are..

• Only warriors choose how they will die, but the woman had given her life for love, and perhaps, for her, love was a strange form of war. (Referring to Loni - Talbo being her  husband)
• Whenever you want to find out about something, plunge straight in. (Brida's father to Brida)
• Nothing in the world is ever completely wrong. Even a stopped clock is right twice a day.(Brida's father to Brida)

This is a serious read with good language and a lot of witch/ Magi traditions and
rituals. The Magus refers to Magician.

So I rate this book..
★★★★☆

Book Review : Until the end of time by Danielle Steel

After a very long time, I am into my blog, writing a post on a book I recently got hooked to. This year , I should say is the year of book reading for me. The month of January was filled with books and book reading. Feburary and March were dedicated to my family. During these month, I was off from office, took care of m health, spent lots of quality time with my mom, dad, brother and with my sweet hubby. I cooked him tasty, tummy filling recipes which I learnt from my mom and from different sources. But even in those months, I pushed myself to read some books.

Last week I grabbed the book "Until the end of time" by Danielle Steel from the local library. Though I read a lots of books , I love Danielle Steel books. Her books are always light reads and full of love and make me lose my mind from the daily routines. I have read many of her books like Big Girl, One day at a time, Happy birthday, to mention a few. I just love Big Girl which had the main character resembling me throughout the book.

This book "Until the end of time" was a good light read with story of a couples in two different births. The book has 2 parts. The story of the first part was very depressing so I thought of throwing the book aways completed the part one. Because the love, the couple shared was very impressing and touched my heart. But their love story ended bluntly and was a total tragedy. I didnt touch this book for 2 days after I completing the Part 1 of the book. I loved the Jenny Arden character. Her attitude and style were fantastic. When they move to Wyoming, the way Jenny adapts to the new place, new people was inspiring. The end was tragic though.

The part 2 of the book was full of inspiration and love. Thank God I took this book again to read the part 2 with a thought of completing one solid book. Lilibet was an amish girl who had a passion for reading books and writing. Her passion was inherited from her mother. But her Amish community was very conservative and followed so many rules and restrictions. They never allowed English people to be a part of their community. (Similar to our kaatu vaasi s / tribal people). With all odds on her way along with the support of the dairy owner Joe Lattimer, Lilibet Peterson managed to publish her book and find her love of life in an Englishman Robert who was running a publishing house. . I like the characters of Lilibet, Robert, Willy, Henryk and Joe. Lilibet was so cute, charming, inspiring and full of energy throughout. Joe was a very supportive character. 

The story of the second part was more appealing than the first one. I would love this book very much if they were two different stories without the connection between the two couples  in different birth to stress on the book's title "Until the end of time"! Else the book was a good read.

This book is ultimately full of love and love only until the end of time.

 

I would rate it  ★★★☆☆

Easy Peas Pulao | Peas Pilaf

The dish which is very easy do on a hurry is here. For rice suckers like me, it is a boon. The recipe follows.

Ingredients
1. Basmati Rice 1-2 cups
2. Onion (Medium)
3. Ginger garlic paste - 1 tbsp
4. Green fresh peas
5. Ghee 1 tbsp
6. Salt for taste
. 7. Ground pepper 2 pinches
8. Cashew nuts


Steps
1. In a cooker, heat ghee till it melts
2. Add add cashews, chopped onions and garlic paste for two minutes
3. Put the wet rice which is soaked for nearly 20 minutes.
4. Saute for 2 minutes
5. Add 4 cups of water and salt. Stir well.
6. Close the lid of the cooker and let the rice o medium heat for 15 minutes.
7. Meanwhile microwave peas coated witn ghee for 1 minute . Thus we can retain peas' green color.
8. Once rice is cooked and grains are seperate add peas and pepper powder. 9. Mix well 10. Serve hot with raitha. I served with bindi raitha. It was absolutely deliciously.