Alagiya Tamil Magan or in short, ATM is Vijay's Deepavali offering. Defying logic and rational thinking, ATM is said to be the leader of Tamil movies released for Deepavali. May be I was expecting too much, but I was quite disappointed of the movie. I will not dwell on the story, but just going to highlight the short comings:

1. Double hero - one an athlete and another a criminal. Though it was good to see 'unrelated' Vijay (unlike Godfather, where in the end you have 3 Ajits all related to each other!), I think its time Tamil cinema industry move away from this double role syndrome. They are overdoing it!

2. Namitha - she 'killed' the Maryln Monroe song! Can't they find a woman with a normal body shape proportion? I think it was a competition between Shreeya & her on who could show more flesh!

3. Shreeya - I never liked her. Enough said.

4. Visualization of the songs -Songs were great, but the visualization didn't do justice to AR Rahman's work. Too bad!

5. Villain to turn new leaf - He had probably spend the last 15 years of his life cheating people. How could a person like that turned new leaf after listening to 40 sec speech by a girl? :S

Verdict: 6.0/10.0 (markah kesian!)

I think the guy who did the Hindi remix of Abishek Bachan for the Tamil movie did a wonderful job!It's real fun to watch. Check it out!

What have you bought for this Christmas? Have you bought anything at all? You may want to wait till last minute, shoving yourself against hundreds of others buying left over clothes? I may have a better idea for you. How about getting your buddies some coupon codes for this Christmas? Less hassle and you have wide choices of merchants there as well. How about SportChalet for him? Or Petite Sophisticated for her? Besides apparels, you also will find coupons on art, automotive and tools, books and magazines, computers and software, home and garden, office supply and many other categories. Certainly a good bargain for this year's Christmas!!

How many times have you go around checking out for the lowest price of a mp3 player? How many times have you asked around your friends and relatives for comparison of the market prices? I am sure the experience has left you high and dry, because I have done it before too! Now there is simply no need to sweat out looking for prices as you can always do it from the comfort of your home. It's a pity I did not find out about the site earlier. Besides, mp3 players, the site also boost the comparison of prices of various consumer electronic items such as television, video, power supplies and charges, electronic components, lightning, sound and special effect equipments, as well as other audio and HiFi items. The interface also seems to be user-friendly, and that is something a IT beginner like me would appreciate. The only setback is the site doesn't seems to cater for those residing in Asia.

No I am not getting married. At least, that's not what I'm going to write here, and doesn't mean I will never write about it here :p.

I think its wedding season all over the world right now. Even Keshi has blogged about weddings.. and I think if I dwell more on wedding-relationship-marriage, it would be a copycat of her post! hehehehe..

I attended my friend's wedding dinner yesterday. So much for the chaos in the capital in the last few days, plan to attend her wedding was cancelled and I resorted to attend the wedding dinner instead. Such a pity, because I really wanted to attend the wedding not the dinner!!! I never liked wedding dinners, though many prefer to attend it instead of the real wedding ceremony itself. For one, I hate parading myself seeing people parading themselves over and over again. Plus, I think by attending the ceremony means much more for the couple, and the attendees as well. Witnessing a man and woman promising to be there for each other forever is more significant than just watching them savouring grilled chicken over the dinner! Anyway, in this case I didn't have much choice. I knew the bride & the groom from my university days (that's about 7 years!) and I got no excuse to skip the event.



Dinner supposely to start at 7.30pm & yours truly reached the venue at 8pm.. but the function has not started yet! Hmm.. okie may be they are waiting for more people, my stomach started to make funny noises, boredom started to set in but lucky for me, sister was there entertaining talking to me. Pheww!!



A friend came in few minutes later and guess what happens when two old friends meets?? We were chit-chatting and posing for the photos till the event start.

Then its the usual stuff - cake cutting, photos, dinner, more photos, identifying other uni mates and more photos. By the time when I came back home, I was dead tired - tired of talking & eating!



So, how was your Sunday?

Today is the D-day of the planned rally by HINDRAF. This supposedly peaceful assembly has turned ugly with the FRU (Federal Reserve Unit) firing tear gasses and chemical-sprayed water cannon at the assembled crowd.

Malaysian police have used tear gas and water cannon against a protest by thousands of ethnic Indians in the country's largest city, Kuala Lumpur.

Sunday's protest in the shadow of the city's famous twin towers was organised by a Hindu rights group to draw attention to complaints of discrimination against the minority ethnic Indian community.

Many ethnic Indians complain they are marginalised in terms of employment and business opportunities by a government dominated by the majority ethnic Malays.

Read the rest in Al-Jazeera


Report & visual by Al-Jazeera:
[updated with 3 more videos]




The latest updates (news, photos, video & audio reports) are available in bmahendran's BOLEHLAND. Another mirror site has been set up HERE if you find it difficult to access his site.

Song: Thamizha thamizha
Movie: Roja

Brilliant work by ARR!
Have a marvellous weekend everyone!!

[update]

The news on rally being featured in numerous blogs & online news portals. This post has been highlighted in Newskini as well:

What you get to see in the national newspapers:

About 200 people gathered outside a hypermarket here yesterday to protest the the assault on a 22-year-old man by two security guards on Friday. Technician R. Sashindran claimed the guards hit him on the head and body repeatedly with a plastic stool until it broke and then forced him to write a confession that he had shoplifted some items from the hypermarket.

He claimed they then forced him to pay RM30 for the items he allegedly stole.

Sashindran claimed the guards later put several items into his bag and took pictures of him holding the bag before calling the police, who he claimed also assaulted him.

"One hit me on the back with his hand while the other used the butt of his gun."
Sashindran later lodged a police report, claiming he was taken to the Section 11 police station where he was forced to write another confession.

The protesters, who included members of non-governmental organisations, later met representatives from the management, who promised to investigate the claims.

District police chief ACP Noor Azam Jamaludin said police were investigating the case.

Source: NST


What you don't get see in the national newspapers*:

The following is the excerpt of the police report made by one Sashindran a/l Ravichandran,22 who was beaten and insulted by 2 security guards of the Giant store.

On 16 Nov 2007 around 11.20am, I went to Giant in Section 13, Shah Alam to buy some things. After purchasing items for RM23, I put it on the counter to buy another item.

[…] After talking via my handphone, I was reprimanded by two Giant's security guards and brought to their room. There I was assaulted from behind by one of the guard.

The guard kept on assaulting me and forced me to sit down. He erased the kum kum I was wearing and snapped away my chain with a pendant bearing Lord Krishna. Then he took the pendant and put it on my forehead, kicked me from back and said "Now you look like a devil".

He was later made to take pictures holding some items that was planted in his bag. The guards called police who later continued the abuse in the police station.

In the police patrol car, one of the policemen insulted me by saying:
1. “ India keling you apa 08 punya orangkah “ ( I seriously don't know how to translate this one)

2. “ I can let you go, then shot and dump you anywhere"

Then he took my staff ID from my wallet and threw it out of the patrol car though I pledged not to. He said "You definitely going inside the lock up, you will lose your job. so there is no need for the ID. This is Islamic country, why are you here? If you wanna steal, you can go back to India."

*Translated from the excerpt in Mahen's Bolehland.




Now should anyone blame the community if they want to organize a rally condemning these kinda insults on Indians?

A class action on behalf of Malaysian Indians has filed at The Royal Courts of Justice London on 30th August 2007 to sue the UK Government for bringing in Indians as indentured laborers into Malaya & exploiting them for 150 years & thereafter failing to protect the minority Indians rights in The Federal constitution when independence was granted, Hence making Malaysian Indians a permanently colonialized society until today.

A petition with 100,000 signatures to be presented to her Royal Highness the Queen of England to appoint her Majesty's Queen Counsels to represent the poor, underclass, oppressed and suppressed Malaysian Indians would be presented at the British High
Commission as follow:

Date : 25th November 2007 ( Sunday)
Time: 9 am
Venue: British High Commission 185,
Jalan Ampang, 50450, Kuala Lumpur.

Democratic minded citizens of all races are urged to attend and show the British Government we are united & serious with our demands for Justice & protection as subject of Commonwealth

Latest info on the rally can be obtained from Mahen's Bolehland

I think the last time my house was under termite attack was about 5 years ago. It was a hell of experience. Every wooden thing I touched cracked because of the hollow created by the damn termites. Although we get help of a family friend who happens to know someone who can get rid of those annoying creatures, I read more on termites once a while to know more about it. No way I am going to let them to take control of my house ever again!


*Brought to you by Killthetermites.com

[Update: The blog is best viewed with Mozila Firefox]

Now, do I really have to post on something so obvious? Hehehehe.. I just have to. Whenever I change my layout, I will usually get more negative feedback rather than positive ones. Maybe some people don't like changes (and that's a topic for another day) or maybe there is something seriously wrong with the layout.

The codes were not generated by me, but downloaded from elsewhere. But I spend 2 hours editing this layout. So, what are changes made?

1. I always wanted to make full use of the space and this template made that possible *grins
2. I took off some ads
3. Larger font - pity those who had to squeeze their eyes to read posts on the previous layout

One thing I didn't have the heart to change are the colours. Black & red is a simply amazing combination and I would like to retain it *grins again

I am a bit concerned with the page loading, and I'm not sure if it looks bit cluttered as I have removed the frame. What do you think?

I'm always amazed at men who have the ability to turn horny at any instance, even if they are dying on the hospital bed!

It may look like sweeping statement but there were incidences that happened during my master research project, which is a proof of what I am saying. The research project was conducted in a public hospital and my dean was kind enough to grant me an office room for me to conduct interviews of the outpatients. Nevertheless, I was still required to visit in-patients in the wards.

During one of such visits in the ward, I came across a 70-yr old man who was a potential candidate for my research project. This guy was having hearing problems, so I had to sit closely to his bed and initiate the conversation. Everything was okie and I was already half-way through the interview when he suddenly started to talk about erectile dysfunction! Then he went on pouring out how 'hard' he felt when he used to touch the nurses and he could not feel anything nowadays. Geeez.. all I asked was about his food intake, not if his d**k could stand still or not. Then he said something I never imagined in my entire life "Can I touch you instead?" OMG! I felt like puking! I immediately terminate the interview and left the ward. The next day, the surgeon-in charge apologized to me - well, pity the surgeon though.

If that was bad, worse things have happened in my office. This time it was a 55 yr old man. I was only enquiring him about his medical history when he started to strip in my office!! For godsake it was not a treatment room, and I was not a doctor. Somehow I manage to stop him by saying my office is equipped with CCTV. Phhewww! And another man who came for the health screening session said proudly (and loudly) how big his d**k was!! I had to conduct the screening with open doors and not before warning all my enumerators NOT to go near him. Damn... what does one's d**k size and strength have to do with nutrition? :S

I am pretty sure no one likes to stare at oil-stained concretes as well, especially when a chic sports car parked in there. Boring looking concrete flooring of the garages are thing of the past! How about a a black diamond garage flooring , tiles or floor coating to go with a silver Porche? A beautiful garage flooring, a sight to behold! ;)


*Brought to you by CarGuyGarage

The gorgeous Syura has awarded me with a really sweet award:



Awwww.. and she has really nice things to say about me *wink wink

Ammu deserves this one cuz she always puts other people before herself. Yet, she never gives herself the credit. Well, let me give her the credit with this award then!!

Manisnya...!!!!

Thank you so much for the award dearie!

Eh.. then looks like she has tagged me as well!
I gave up doing tags/meme long time ago, but as I have been bribed with an award, I can't say no this time. :P

The Rules:

1. Link to your tagger and post these rules.
2. List eight (8) random facts about yourself.
3. Tag eight people at the end of your post and list their names (linking to them).
4. Let them know they’ve been tagged by leaving them a comment on their blogs.

The eight facts about me:

1. My dad & my mom literally had a fight in the hospital choosing my name. Mom won the battle. Thus, I'm Amutha today.

2. Probably as the consequence of that event #1, I tend to fight with others for anything and everything.

3. I had my first scar in an accident involving my dad's motorcycle. I was 4. I developed a phobia riding a bike since then.

4. I have no bestfriend(s), basically because I don't believe in it.

5. My numerology says black is the unluckiest colour for me, but that is my favourite.

6. Twenty was my age of many firsts - first day in university, first contact lenses which was hazel, first car, first time away from home etc

7. I love attending weddings, looking at bridal photos, designing and planning a wedding. But the idea of getting married freaks the hell out of me. Thank goodness its still very long time to go.

8. Right now, I'm having a crush at someone in the blogworld. Who? The only clues I can give - he is a Malaysian and he is NOT someone who comments in tulipspeaks. In reality, I know nothing is going to happen. So, ssshhhh!!!




Song: Thalatu Paada
Singer: Sithartan

A Song sung by Sithartan, a friend of mine. I think this is a good effort by him (ahem). No, it is not him in the video. I'll try to steal one of his photos later :P
Enjoy and have a wonderful weekend.

Many of us, being Asians would frown at the idea of sending our folks to care home or better knowns as nursing home. This probably due to the fact that Asians are generally more traditional and inclined to the notion that children have to take care of the elderly. Thus, sending their parents to a care home seems like a bad idea to them. However, elderly and younger adults with physical disabilities who require constant nursing care and have significant deficiencies with activities of daily living are best to be sent to these care homes. Such institutions offer skilled nursing facilities, enabling the residents to receive various rehabilitative therapies necessary for them to lead a normal and less dependant life. Besides, a good care home would provide them with emotional support which is vital especially if they are spending their time alone all the time behind the close doors of their own home. Guess it is time for us to start accepting the 'culture' of care home into our lives, as I believe there are more pros than cons in sending our loved ones to such institution.

so, stop questioning my citizenship!

XX : hi. h r u?
me : hie. im fine thanks.
XX : wr u frm?
me : malaysia n u?
XX : india.
XX : r u stdyng?
me : no. working. im a researcher.
XX : wt ur hobbie
me : i blog. u came frm thr rite?
XX : ya

--after a while ---

XX : ur proper?
me : proper? :S
XX : native place?
me : oh okie okie.
im a malaysian.
XX : but u look indian??????
me : well, its a long story.
anyway, im born here.
guess tht hs summarized all.
XX : u no tamil?
me : i do speak tamil.
XX : u got indian name
u speak tamil but u don't want to be indian
r u shame?
me : huh?
shame for wht?
XX : u r shame to be called indian
me : (WTF!) :O no la. look... my ancestors came to malaya about 100 years ago
and they settled here.
we r the 4th generation in malaysia.
i got no idea where exactly my greatgrandparents actually came from
i can nvr call india my home.

-- after a while --

XX : have u visited india
me : no. not yet.
XX : y
me : the time is not here yet.
when we wanna visit, we surely will do.
XX : don't bullshit
u don't love india
u not even coming back
me : dude.. listen.. im being v patient here
u not even coming back <-- coming back is not the right word here
i can only visit india as a tourist
i hold malaysian passport la :|
XX : stop bitch!
u r shame to india
me :#@$#*% (edited)

This are excerpts of an original chat between a guy claimed to be my blog reader from India and myself.


Okie.. Malaysia may not be the best country in the world. She has her flaws, and most of us (read non-bumi) knows what are the flaws and who are causing them. But this is my birth country for God sake! My ancestors were from India, but I am a Malaysian. This is my rightful country and I don't understand why anyone want to question that.

It's not that I have anything against India. The country fascinates me in a lot of aspects. India has charm of its own. I watch movies originated from India - Tamil, Hindi, Telegu, Malayalam.. u name it. I wear Indian clothes - a sucker for sarees. I love their architecture. I celebrate every festival celebrated by Hindus in India. I speak fluent Tamil. But it doesn't make me an Indian citizen.



My genetic composition might have originated from India, but my place is here. If at any point I got shooed away from Malaysia, I'll be stateless!

So, please understand the fact that I am a Malaysian.

Will be back updating as usual next monday. Till then, 'savour' my second instalment in the postcard series. You may find the first one HERE.

Theme: Deepavali
These postcards were designed using photos taken in & around my home on the eve & first day of Deepavali. Hope you guys had a wonderful Deepavali too!!

***

Movie: Nayagan
Song: Naan sirittal

What could be a better choice for this Deepavali? :)

I was going through the saved photos in my camera, and I found 2 more photos of the cookies yet to be published - achi muruku & london almond cookies:




*almond spelt wrongly in the photo


I'm taking a break from blogging for few days for Deepavali. Wishing everyone a Happy Deepavali, and with God's blessing, I will see you all again after the celebration. Hugs!

Life is a gamble, and some of us see it in a totally different perspective all together! Be it online gambling in sportsbook, online casino or poker room, some likes to take the shorter and may be darker route to it. Why risk it, dude? There are some dedicated and registered online betting sites, which makes your life easier and your betting safer. What are the characteristics of a safe and reliable online gambling site, you may ask. I think accreditation and certification from reliable organization such as UK Gambling Commission is very important. Assuring yourself that it is a certified site, you could gamble with confident. Licensing and regulation by the government also a trait you should look for in a proper site. Besides, the site should also be secured and encrypted. You may be more comfortable in betting via an online betting site which is in your mother-tongue, thus making a multi-lingual site an important criteria.

Online buddies never fail to amaze me. Whenever I post something, the comments never stop pouring in. In fact, I do receive some crap which could not be published. An usual post in tulipspeaks will be greeted with a moderate number of hits and a fair number of comments. But sadly, whenever I post sensitive issues like my previous post, which I really need everyone's feedback and co-operation in making it 'big' enough to attract relevant authorities' attention, nothing came out of it. To be fair, yes.. there are caring and sensitive souls out there who share my grief, but the majority remains silent. It is not that no one reading it - my hits shoot up like no one's business when I published the post. So, why the silence? This is something I noticed even in other blogs such as Bolehland & Kav's Kollage. Why no one is speaking up? Afraid? Oh come on! Bloggers are not timid creatures!! Bloggers advocate free speech, and that's what I expect of everyone here.

I'm sorry if I'm putting high expectation, and I am aware that it's readers' rights to comment or not. But at the same time, I would like to see some sort of feedback and awareness among the community. Guess that is not too much to ask for this Deepavali.


Okie okie.. Forgive me for nagging you guys.. back to my Deepavali mood.. I did two wallpapers for Deepavali, which I used as e-comment & e-card as well. Here they are:

**I'm getting lazier nowadays, so only one size (1024*768) available. Feel free to re-size them.