The tendency to stray!

Cheeniya · Aug 3, 2011

Dear Kamala
O'Henry and Ki.Va.Jajannathan! You can't make the spectrum wider than that! This is the best compliment I have received in recent times that makes me feel that I should resume my writing. My statement that I never digress is akin to Mukesh Ambani saying that he is living in a modest hut!

Moore Market will always remain etched green in my memory. Apart from paying much less for anything that you bought there, the ambience was extremely unique that summoned both the rich and poor alike. The rich came because of the valuable books available there. You could see aspiring IAS candidates rummaging through the thousands of books displayed there.

Matrimonial ads are getting greedier by the day. If you read some of them, you would think that Brahma would have to work overtime to create one like that. Recently I came across an ad in which the groom had stipulated that he was looking for someone like Ayn Rand's heroine!
Sri

Cheeniya · Aug 3, 2011

Dear Srama
If you want to call all your value addition through your insightful comments as 'trampling all over my eloquence', pray trample on. I wanted to make this sentence sound like the Bard's 'If music be the food of love, play on' but see how miserably I failed and you call me eloquent!

I must honestly thank Kamala for bringing writers like you to participate in my rambling. This may lend the 'old wine in a new bottle' effect to my threads. I do get a sense of fulfillment when my threads continue to receive attention!
Sri

PriyaKat · Feb 17, 2012

You strayed royally here , dint you ! Is this post about degression or the value of things ? However that may be, it was a good read.
Mahabharatha would be a dull chronicle but for the numerous delightful degressions that go chasing after the rishi moolam-nadhi moolams of the characters, even the incidental ones.

Coming to Value of things , its unfortunate but very true that what we get for lesser cost or easily are never appreciated . An artist friend once submitted two of his paintings to a gallery to be exhibited and, hopefully, to sell. He had attached his price tags too, but the Gallery owner promptly added digits at the thoudsands place value, jacking up the price multifold. My friend was aghast as he couldnt imagine why anyone would part with that kind of money for a relatively unknown artist. But the Gallery Lady explained to him that Art Buyers ( read Socialites, Industrialists and ilk) would not even deign to look at his art if the price was not at a particular level, for a low price would make them think the work is pedestrian it seems. What logic !
( PS : Much to his own amazement, he sold one !)

Cheeniya · Feb 17, 2012

Dear Priya
Where is the fun in leading a life along a straight and undeviating line? I find driving in a ghat section with unexpected curves and hair-pin bends a lot more satisfying and exciting than driving through a 100 km stretch of a straight road. It is so boring that I even tend to doze off risking my life! The little digressions make a speech interesting like little deviations making life interesting.

The story of your artist friend is a great example of what I was trying to say. The other day we were discussing about all the big discounts that the Big Bazaar guys keep advertising about. A snobbish friend responded saying that he never compromised on the quality of what he bought even if it meant spending double the amount. "The guys who sell things cheap are obviously offering substandard stuff" was how he summed up the discussion.

You just cannot drill any sense into some heads!
Sri

Viswamitra · Feb 18, 2012

I was one of the fortunate ones to enjoy the Kadha kalashebams of respected Kripananda Warrier several times when I was at the age of 10-15. What a versatile speaker who could attract everyone from a child to an elderly person. As you rightly said, his digressions always link well with his main theme. I used to also enjoy Pulavar Keeran's lectures as well. Now, when I hear Krishna Premi's daughter in law (I forgot her name), I could not believe my eyes how a young person like her could be so versatile.

I am like Mrs. Srinivasan and take a lot of pride in keeping things for a long time and take a lot of pride in buying things at a competitive price as long as they are good enough to function. For those who think the pride is in showing where we shop, I would like them to try this. Meet with the friends and try telling them that everything they bought in the past few weeks, you bought for 50% to 70% of the price they paid. They would call privately to find out the place where it is available.

Cheap is not lack of quality and expensive does not mean produced to last for life.

Viswa

Cheeniya · Feb 19, 2012

Dear Viswa
Krishna Premi's daughter in law is the famous Visaka Hari. She stood all India third in CA exams. One of her classmates had written that she was in jeans and salwar kameez during the college days. When she took to upanyasams, she switched to nine yard sarees and nowadays, you can't see her in any other apparel except nine yard sarees. She learned her music from Lalgudi Jayaraman.

More than the digressions, I love Kripananda Warriar for his wit and humour. I have listened to him several times and each time, I would be laughing like a man possessed! Keeran is equally humourous. Humour has become a necessary and effective weapon in the hands of a speaker to claim the attention of his audience. I remember the eminent population expert Dr.Chandrasekar who used to come and lecture to us during college days on such dull subjects as Malthusian theory of population and that too post-lunch. But he had such repertoire of jokes and funny anecdotes that we would be roaring with laughter (Those days this 'lol' was not known).

Cheap is not lack of quality and expensive does not mean produced to last for life. Very true indeed!
Sri

iyerviji · Feb 15, 2013

My dear Anna I have also enjoyed listening to Kripa Nanda Variyar and also like to listen to Visaka Hari.. My dh is very economic and does not believe in brands. I love sarees, instead of buying one saree for Rs. 1000/- I would prefer to buy 2 for Rs. 1000/-. We dont go to malls and I have a shop for whatever I want to buy. They give me for lesser price, I dont know whether they increase the price and give me for lesser price. They are very happy if I do the first boni saying they sell more when I do the boni. As a typical Leo I feel very happy. For some items some brands last for a long time. Like Sumeet Mixie. I had got Sumit Mixie from my office for completing 20yrs in 1985 and I still using it. Being In Mumbai I also have the experience of buying in trains and also road side items like dresses for children , chappals etc. I like to enjoy going to Malls In Dubai, if I dont buy also enjoy spending time there seeing the various items in one place

Cheeniya · Feb 16, 2013

My dear Viji
Just like you to buy two sarees for the price of one so that you can give the other saree to one of your numerous friends and admirers. I also know that you will get greater satisfaction in seeing your friend in that new saree than you get by wearing it. And I am not surprised that the shopkeepers are happy when you do the 'boni' (first purchase of the day) because of your lucky hand. For your information, lucky hands always belong to only good souls and you are undoubtedly one.

There was a great mystic in Tiruvannamalai by name Seshadri Swamigal. Everyday he would walk through the bazaar, select a shop and grab things from there. He would throw them towards the sky shouting that it was meant for the Devas. The concerned shop keepers would be mighty happy because they would do 10 times of the sales on that particular day. That was Seshadri Swamigal's 'boni'
Sri

iyerviji · Feb 16, 2013

My dear Anna you have made my day by your sweet messsage. So you know me well by now. Thanks a lot, hope I continue to be like that till the end. There is always happiness in seeing others happy.