Balaji Ramakrishnan

A colleague in team moving out is a common happening in any work place and all would have seen enough of farewells during such move outs. But movement of Naresh has shaken me to the core. Its difficult to explain the reason, I think I would need a quarter cutting to get out of the un-explainable discomfort. Naresh is such a nice person that he could be compared only with God. It is said that only God will take the form we like. You think Him as Lord Krishna, Lord Rama, Lord Shiva, Infant Jesus, Allah, God is there for you in that form. You think Naresh as a friend, he is there advising you. You think him as drink buddy, he is there accompanying you with drinks. You vent out your frustrations about your job, current family situation, self-personal problem, he is there patiently listening to you and comforting you and motivating you. Feeling of missing such a friend is very hard to digest. I am repeatedly commanding my heart, "Don't be selfish. Your friend is going to get a bet...

My manager will make a good OOP professor. "Why are so many details unknown to us? Why are some processes not transparent to us?", I asked my manager. "Often better than not, it is better that few things are hidden from team, for proper functioning of the org. I might have hidden few things because they were unnecessary overhead to you. Why do you want to worry about flow of electrons when fan goes ON with just press of a switch? Leave the worry to us and enjoy the wind. Abstractions are part of every manager's duty and responsibility", replied my manager in his characteristic inimitable style. I was mesmerized, for he made me understand the concept of abstraction, that I was unclear for ages. I had nothing to ask him then, but what I never understood till now was, what did he refer to as 'flow of electrons'? what was the switch? and what was the wind, btw? Managers are tricky people, they are well trained in playing with words and they can get away wit...

Our trip to Pollachi was not all that uneventful, despite our bad choice of season. Our challenges started right from planning. Thanks to Raja and Praveena, they did intense googling and meticulous inquiry over phone about places to be visited. They had also booked a room in Hotel Vinayaka for Saturday morning, which was required to get ready to set out on our tour the first day we arrived in at Pollachi (on 23-Mar-2013). We were fortunate that the hotel did not demand extra payment though we were four of us using a single room. I wonder if the hotel would do a similar favour to anyone else in future. Kannan was the first one to reach Pollachi and to the hotel. He had come from Chennai by bus. Raja, Praveena and myself went from Bangalore. I had a ticket in Kurla express till Coimbatore and I utilized it as a cost saving measure, else I would have gone with the other two.  I got down at Tiruppur Junction at around 5:40 am and boarded a government mofussil bus to Pollachi at 6:...

Gynecologist had estimated Krithika's expected delivery date as 11 - Jan - 2013. I wished the baby to be born a day before, 10 - Jan (my birthday). The to-be-born baby had created big curiosities in me. Boy or girl? How will they baby look like? Whose characteristics will the baby inherit the most? (uncle perhaps?) This Diwali (13 - Nov - 2012) turned out to be one of the best Diwali's in my life. It was thala Diwali for Krithika - Raghu. Krithika and Raghu went to my mama's house which is a three houses far from my house to seek their blessings. Suddenly there was tension in air all over, as Krithika suddenly went unconscious. Babu anna rushed her to KG Hospital, Coimbatore, as per gynecologist Dr. Sheela's (IJ hospital, Kuniyamuthur, Coimbatore) direction in his car, since she had developed a severe pregnancy-induced-hyper-tension (per Dr. Sheela). Thanks to Dr. Sheela. She had informed KG hospital about Krithika's emergency that she was admitted and ...

I said to my sister, "Krithika, If you want to take a snap of any child, give it a chocolate or an ice cream and photograph it, to capture its naturally-joyous mood. I read it somewhere in the net..". My mom instantaneously replied, "Krithika, if you want to take a photograph of Balaji, in his naturally-joyous mood, capture him with a Vadivel comedy ON in the TV. I also read it somewhere......". Amma, you are damaging me too much :) ..

அன்புள்ள பாலு மாமாவிற்கு , நான் இங்கு நலம் . உங்கள் நலம் அறிய ஆவல் . கிஷோர் எப்படி இருக்கிறான் ? அவனை நினைக்கும் பொழுது என் சத்தியமங்கல வாழ்க்கை நினைவுக்கு வருகிறது . சத்தியமங்கலத்தில் எனக்கு கிடைத்த முதல் நண்பன் கிஷோர் தான் . அவனுக்கு இப்படி ஒரு விபத்து நடந்திறுகாமல் இருந்திருந்தால் மிக நன்றாக இருக்குமே என்று எண்ணத் தோன்றுகிறது . அவன் குணமடைந்து வருகிறான் என்று கேள்விப்பட்டது மிக மகிழ்ச்சியாக இருந்தது . மேலும் பூரண குணம் அடைய கடவுளிடம் வேண்டுகிறேன் . அவனிடம் இருந்த இசை ஆர்வம் இன்று நினைத்தாலும் பிரமிப்பாக இருக்கும் . நாங்கள் ஒண்பதாம் வகுப்பு படிக்கும்போதே பல ராகங்களுக்கு ஆரோஹனம் அவ்ரோஹனம் எலாம் சொல்லுவான் . எனக்கு இசை ஆர்வம் வர அவன் ஒரு முக்கிய காரணம் . இப்பொழுதோ பெங்களூரில் நடைபெறும் அணைத்து இலவச கச்சேரிகளுக்கும் சென்றுவிடுகிறேன் . கிஷோரை ஒரு மிருதங்க வித்வானாக பார்க்க வேண்டும் என்பது என் பல நாள் கனவு . அந்த கனவின் தாக்கமாகவோ என்னவோ எனக்கு ஒரு எண்ணம் தோன்றுகிறது . அவன் பூரண குணம் அடைந்தவுடன்...

I love this album. This makes me feel good when I feel lonely and distressed. Aanandam Not only this album but many other albums of Unnikrishnan are also very healing. I used to wonder why people say that they don't prefer listening to Unnikrishnan's live concerts much. His album's are too good and I don't find many flaws in his pronunciation also but for the malayalam flavour in his accent here and there. I happened to listen to one live concert of his in mangala mantapa (jayanagar - not sure if its 3rd or 4th block). To my surprise, his voice was not clear at all. Though not sure about the exact reason, I guessed that it could be because of him attempting to sing in a lower pitch than his usual pitch to project a bold feel to his voice. That doesn't suit him well. Earlier people used to criticize him to be singing in 'voice of a lady'. There were also criticisms that he sings carnatic music like a light music. This was the time when he was singing many son...