monsoonjournal online

Mexican food is a style of food that originated in Mexico:

By Nate.V and Negin.S
[monsoonJournal.com]
Mexican cuisine is known for its intense and varied flavors, colorful decoration, and variety of spices. Mexican gastronomy is one of the richest in the world: both with respect to diverse and appealing tastes and textures; and in terms of proteins, vitamins, and minerals.

When Spanish conquistadores arrived in the Aztec capital Tenochtitlan (the ancient city on which Mexico City was built), they found that the people’s diet consisted largely of corn-based dishes with chilis and herbs, usually complemented with beans and squash. The conquistadores eventually combined their imported diet of rice, beef, pork, chicken, wine, garlic and onions with the indigenous foods of pre-Columbian Mexico, including chocolate, maize, tomato, vanilla, avocado, papaya, pineapple, chile pepper, beans, squash, sweet potato, peanut and turkey. The totopo (a salted corn tortilla cooked in a fire oven) may have been created as part of this cuisine.

Most of today’s Mexican food is based on pre-hispanic traditions, including the Aztecs and Maya, combined with culinary trends introduced by Spanish colonists. Quesadillas, for example, are a flour or corn tortilla with cheese (often a Mexican-style soft farmer’s cheese such as Queso Fresco), beef, chicken, pork, and so on. The indigenous part of this and many other traditional foods is the chile pepper. Foods like these tend to be very colorful because of the rich variety of vegetables (among them are the chili peppers, green peppers, chilies, broccoli, cauliflower, and radishes) and meats in Mexican food. There is also a sprinkling of Caribbean influence in Mexican cuisine, particularly in some regional dishes from the states of Veracruz and Yucatán. The French occupation of Mexico also yielded some influences as well: the bolillo (pronounced bo-lee-yo, with the “o” as in “bore”), a Mexican take on the French roll, certainly seems to reflect this.

Mexican food varies by region, because of local climate and geography and ethnic differences among the indigenous inhabitants and because these different populations were influenced by the Spaniards in varying degrees. The north of Mexico is known for its beef production and meat dishes. Southeastern Mexico, on the other hand, is known for its spicy vegetable and chicken-based dishes. Seafood is commonly prepared in the state of Veracruz.

There are also more exotic dishes, cooked in the Aztec or Mayan style, with ingredients ranging from iguana to rattlesnake, deer, spider monkey, and even some kinds of insects. This is usually known as comida prehispánica (or prehispanic food), and although not very common, is relatively well known.

A distinction must be made between truly authentic Mexican food, and the Cal-Mex (Californian-Mexican) and “Tex Mex” (Texan-Mexican) cuisines. Mexican cuisine combines with the cuisine of the southwest United States (which itself has a number of Mexican influences) to form Cal-Mex and Tex-Mex cuisine. Another style of cuisine that is commonly mistaken for Mexican food is New Mexican cuisine, which is, of course, found in New Mexico, USA.

Chicken Enchiladas

with cheddar cheese, sour cream, and corn tortillas.

INGREDIENTS:

1 tablespoon plus 1/4 cup oil
2 (4 ounce) cans chopped green chile peppers
1 large clove garlic, crushed and minced
1 large can (28 ounces) tomatoes, drained, reserve juice
2 cups chopped onions (2 large onions)
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon oregano
3 cups cooked shredded chicken
2 cups sour cream
2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
15 corn tortillas

PREPARATION:

In a skillet over medium-high heat, heat 1 tablespoon oil. Add the chile peppers and garlic; sauté until garlic is soft but not browned. Break up tomatoes and add to chile peppers along with the chopped onions, 1 tsp salt, oregano and 1/2 cup of the reserved tomato liquid. Simmer uncovered until thick, about 30 minutes.

If it thickens too quickly, add a little more of the tomato liquid or a little water, if necessary. Remove tomato sauce from heat and set aside.

In a bowl, combine chicken, sour cream, and shredded cheese. Heat 1/3 cup oil in a skillet over medium-high heat until hot. Using tongs, dip tortillas in hot oil for a few seconds, just until they become limp. Drain the tortillas well on paper towels. Fill tortillas with chicken mixture. Roll up and arrange side by side, seam-side down, in a 9×13x2-inch baking dish.

Pour tomato sauce over enchiladas and bake at 350° until heated through, about 20 minutes. This casserole can be frozen then reheated in the oven until hot.
Serves 6.

Chicken Fajita Salad

INGREDIENTS

2 tablespoons cooking oil, divided
1/4 cup lime juice
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut into thin strips
1 onion, cut into thin wedges
1 red bell pepper, cut into thin strips
1 (7 ounce) can chopped green chilies, drained
1 cup whole almonds, toasted
Shredded lettuce
3 tomatoes, cut into wedges
1 avocado, sliced

DIRECTIONS

Combine 1 tablespoon oil, lime juice, garlic, cumin and oregano. Toss with chicken; marinate at least 30 minutes. Meanwhile, in a skillet, heat remaining oil on medium-high. Saute onion 2 minutes. Drain chicken, reserving marinade. Add chicken to skillet; stir-fry until it begins to brown. Add red pepper, chilies and marinade; cook 2 minutes. Stir in almonds. Serve immediately over shredded lettuce and top with tomatoes and avocado.

Phoros: by tspauld

By Anand J [cine@monsoonjournal.com]

[monsoonJournal.com]
There is considerable audience for what could be called the ‘Soft Romance Melodrama’ genre amongst the Tamil viewers and catering to them is cinematographer-director Jeeva with his slow, soft and feel good romantic flicks.

One such story is Unnale Unnale, a topsy turvy love fest starring Karthik (Vinay) and Jhansi (Sadha). Poles apart, Jhansi’s soft, introvert nature cannot stand the extrovert, flirty, take it easy Karthik, who very easily attracts the opposite sex-intentionally or otherwise. Though he loves Jhansi sincerely, she fails to look beyond his flirty exterior and walks out on him.

After the break up, Karthik is sent on deputation to Melbourne by his employer and as always he befriends a bubbly and vivacious Deepika (Tanisha) during his short flight to Melbourne. As luck would have it Deepika turns out to be Jhansi’s acquaintance.

Jhansi too shifts to Melbourne for some reason. While in Melbourne, Karthik tries his best to get back with Jhansi with Deepika’s help. But the story becomes complicated when Deepika, too falls in love with him.

Though the flow of the story is a little confusing, the film ends on a mature note.

Meanwhile, some scenes have been borrowed from popular Hindi movies with no real modifications. Humour is weak. Performance wise, Sadha leads the way while Vinay and Tanisha are mediocre. Vinay looks handsome and he might well turn out to be a contender for Teen Heartthrob along with the likes of Arya, Karthi (Surya’s Brother) and Madhavan (Maddy).

Editor V T Vijayan shows off his expertise with some real good transitions between shots. Costumes by Anees add to the feel of the plot.

Director Jeeva excels in cinematography and direction.

If you are tired of all those violent stories of rural villages, you might as well take a break and watch this.

Unnale Unnale – Dullalle Dullalle (Not a Dull Movie eh…)

By Anand J [Email: Cine@monsoonjournal.com]

[monsoonJournal.com]
Siddharth Anand’s Ta Ra Rum Pum plays on every human’s ultimate fantasy to conquer against all odds and take home the trophy. Here the trophy stands as a metaphor for the realization of one’s most precious dreams. And that is precisely what makes Ta Ra Rum Pum a universal subject to identify with and feel for.  
 
As everyone expects from a Yash Raj Film, even if a story about inspiration and hope, it is bound to be lavish, stylish and commercially viable. Film is set in New York City. What’s new, you ask? What is new is Anand’s vision of the most populated city of The States. Not only do you get to do some fresh sight-seeing but also innovative angles of oft-repeated locations like Brooklyn Bridge and Times Square.  

 
Car racing is the basic premise of the story. Expectedly, there is a whole lot of vroom-vroom going on all through the movie. Rajveer aka RV (Saif Ali Khan) makes a dashing entry; a la Tom Cruise in Top Gun, helmet in hand, against the violent strumming of an electric guitar. His racing skills impress a cabbie Harry (Jaaved Jafferi in his best Gujarati speaking accent goes in for a swell image makeover) and they strike a deal with Billy Bhatia’s (Bharat Dabholkar) company Speeding Saddles.

During his winning spree, the carefree RV also hits it with the fastidious Radhika (Rani Mukerji). He calls her Shona because ‘it’s Bong (Bengali in slang) and sweet, and so are you’. The duo, with funny hairdos, also find time to parade on the empty streets of Manhattan. Again, Anand appears to draw inspiration from another Tom Cruise flick, Vanilla Sky. The latter has Cruise running on the empty streets of Times Square, not a soul in sight. 
 
RV proposes to Radhika with Tiffany, a Merc and a mansion in Manhattan – all of which is irresponsibly purchased on loan and installment, if you are the one for details. Soon they have two kids, with nicknames that’d have you mistake them for a horse, Champ (Ali Haji) and Princess (Angelina Irani)  
All the adulation makes RV feel over-confident about his game. In trying to fool around and entertain the crowds against his closest competition, RV makes a faulty move resulting in a major accident. After missing out on a whole year, he gets back into the action, nonetheless scarred from his previous experience. His poor performance on the track leaves him jobless, homeless and bankrupt. While RV never stepped inside a university, Radhika never finished her degree post-marriage. Silly move, we think. Lack of proper education forces the two to take up low-end jobs and shift to a rundown desi neighbourhood. While the children are made to believe their new impoverished status is a play and part of a reality show, Don’t worry. Be happy.

Eventually, RV has to take a stand, which means an edge of the seat contest from start to finish and, of course, lots of cheering. The sentimental turn in Anand’s story is heartfelt. But what is particularly appealing that none of the characters crib. Instead, they tackle every problem with resilience and humor. Sure, kids will be kids and occasionally sigh at the sight of creamy puffs and spicy hot dogs. Generally, there is a positive vibe running through this family and the film. The foursome make a happy picture hopping inside the enormous Disney store. Speaking of choreography, Vaibhavi Merchant infuses an impressive rhythm and frolic in the movements. Almost every song and dance is a pleasure to watch.  
 
If Salaam Namaste (Anand’s directorial debut) was inspired albeit cool, Ta Ra Rum Pum is inspiring and sweet. The filmmaker has a knack for bringing wit in woe. He does that admirably. Saif Ali Khan’s spontaneity is utterly disarming and distracting. He plays RV, a huge racing star, with amusement as if to say ‘big deal’ not losing his boyishness even during stressful times.  

Rani Mukerji’s Radhika is a confident lady. Self-assurance comes naturally to the actress.  

Essentially, Ta Ra Rum Pum is a feel-good family entertainer with good looking actors, thrilling car chases, playful melodies (Vishal-Shekhar) and pretty visuals. Then again, there’s lot more beneath. It talks about taking responsibility for one’s own problems instead of finding an easy way out. It packs in a lot of optimism and grace, especially in the way new age parents are depicted. Even if in passing, the fast-growing obsession and dependency on plastic money and installment schemes is mentioned as well.  
 
Any film that makes you feel good about life and prioritizes hope over struggle is worthwhile. Ta Ra Rum Pum brings a smile to your lips and song to your heart.

By Anand J [Email: cine@monsoonjournal.com]
[monsoonJournal.com]
Has Tamil Cinema evolved? Especially with movies like ‘Mozhi’ and ‘Paruthi Veeran’ one starts to wonder ‘May be it has’. With spiritful directors like Manirathnam, Shankar and a slew of talented young directors, film going audiences have started to feel that Tamil film Industry has come of age. But then the reality hits you hard with ‘Parattai Engira Azhagu Sundaram’.

The first question that crosses a viewer’s mind would be ‘Why did they make this movie?’ followed by a spate of other reasonable questions like ‘Are viewers mad?’ and ‘Why a remake?’

Parattai is the story of a youngster, Azhagu Sundaram, from a remote village in Tirunelveli, who reaches Chennai in search of a livelihood to support his mother after his father’s death. As fate has it, he becomes a gangster and gains popularity as Parattai, in a very short time. He then develops an aversion towards lawlessness and wants to return to his mother, and the peace of his village. Circumstances however conspire to prevent him from doing that.

Meanwhile, his mother follows him to Chennai, but finds it difficult to locate him in the huge city. And so it goes on. Doesn’t it already feel like a 1970’s lost and found story? The story is never consistent, at times it is about misled, helpless individuals and at other times, it is about the love between a mother and a son. Finally it boils down to a disappointing climax.

Director Suresh Krishna has relied on melodrama to make up for the story’s deficiencies. Poor performances add to the film’s low points. This movie is apparently a remake of a Kannada Super Hit movie ‘Jogi’ which won lots of appreciation. It defies logic when one thinks about how this storyline could have won laurels.

Archana’s performance is the biggest letdown. The national award winner could have chosen a better script for her comeback. She is believed to have fallen head over heels for this script since she was told that she would appear through out the movie. Looks like she has lost her touch with the Cine media. Dhanush, as the hero, does fairly well. Having played similar roles earlier, Meera Jasmine has perfected the bubbly bold character and provides some relief in her short role.

Debutant music director Gurukiran’s music fails to create an impression. The timing of the songs in the film add to the jarring effect; there is one point where two songs are almost simultaneous.

Cinematography and Editing are the only solace to the viewers. The movie goes into flashback quite often and it has been handled deftly. However, unnecessary attempts to excite, with tilted visuals and unwanted jerks, doesn’t go well with the movie.

Director Suresh Krishna has used Rajnikanth’s name, in and out of context, in a big to appeal to the superstar’s (who is also Dhanush’s father-in-law) fans, but that is as ineffective as everything else in the movie.

All in all ‘Parattai’ will evoke lots of ‘Korattai’ (Big yawns huh……)

Kollywood Top Contenders

By Anand J [Email: cine@monsoonjournal.com] 
[monsoonJournal.com]
Every decade in Tamil cinema history has witnessed a list of stars contending for the top slots. This Kollywood race dates back to M K Thyagaraja Bhagavadhar era and we have seen this star power struggle happening among stars ever since. Notable stars include M K Thyagaraja Bhagavadhar, P U Chinnappa, M G Ramachandran, Sivaji Ganesan, Rajinikanth, Kamal Hassan and the latest Vijay and Ajith. Not to forget that there were other strong contenders which included Gemini Ganeshan, S S Rajendran, JaiShankar, Sivakumar, Vijayakumar, Vijayakanth, Mohan, Vikram and Surya. Each decade has seen a flurry of actors/actresses storm through the film industry and a very few leave a mark in the minds of the viewers and last beyond decades. MGR and Sivaji was able to sustain for over 4 decades and currently Rajini and Kamal has survived and sustained over 3 decades. The race still goes on. We will look at the latest contenders for the top spot in Kollywood.

Trisha - One of the best contenders for the top spot having delivered hits upon hits with Ghilli, Saami, Thirupachi, Something Something Unakkum Enakkum and lot more. She is also vying for the top slot in Telugu film industry which by all means she might. Having acted with Chiranjeevi in the Super Hit ‘Stalin’ her stakes in the Telugu film industry has gone high. Her forthcoming release ‘Bheema’ is the third highly expected movie of this year after Sivaji and Dasavadharam. She is the lead heroine of ‘Bheema’ acting with his favorite co-star Vikram. Her only aim is to act with the one and only Super Star Rajinikanth by all means. She missed the opportunity of acting with the Super Star in ‘Sivaji’ since she was pre occupied with commitments for ‘Stalin’. Her favorite place is ‘New York City’ and she wishes to have her honeymoon in ‘Venice’. Another film which she is eagerly awaiting is ‘Kireedom’ in which she has acted opposite the humble ‘Ajith’ and she is believed to have a powerful role in the movie. More than her actress traits, it is her humble nature and helping tendency that has made her a star power. She has apparently started a ‘Trisha Foundation’ to help Homeless families and educate poor children. It is indeed a good gesture from the actress and let us wish her best of luck in her future endeavors.

Asin – The dove eyed beauty created tremor and ripples through her performance in ‘Ghajini’ which was praised by one and all. She has managed to gain attention through all her movies with her lead stars including Vijay, Vikram and Surya. Asin, as we reported earlier was a Business entrepreneur before she entered Tamil films. After ‘Ghajini’, it was ‘Pokkiri’ that shot her to fame and she is believed to have received three offers from Bollywood including ‘Ghajini’ in Hindi with Aamir Khan, ‘Pokkiri’ in Hindi with Salman Khan. She will be the first actress to have made it big in Bollywood after Sridevi if she completes these two projects. Reliable sources say that she will concentrate more in Bollywood for a couple of years while simultaneously doing movies in Kollywood. Asin, still in her early stages of her acting career, received an offer to act with Kamal Hassan in ‘Dasavadharam’ and she cherishes working with him. Icing on cake is she has dual roles in the movie. Asin is visibly thrilled and she opines that it’s a landmark film in her career. She aims to strike gold both in Kollywood and Bollywood. She firmly believes that it is her ‘Self Confidence’ that has brought her laurels and she would maintain her hard work to sustain her top spot.

Shreya - Actress with an hour glass svelte figure considers herself the luckiest person on earth since she received the opportunity to act opposite Super Star Rajinikanth. Amidst tough competition from other leading ladies Trisha, Ayesha Takia, Aishwarya Rai, Rani Mukherjee and herself, she emerged winner. She never expected to receive a call from the maverick Director Shankar especially while sulking with the flop ‘Mazhai’. It was heartening for this lead lady to find out that it was Rajini who recommended her for the lead role after watching her performance in ‘Mazhai’. Having acted only in a handful of movies, Shreya has attracted attention from millions with just one offer ‘Sivaji’. More offers pour in this young lady’s lap which includes ‘Azhagiya Tamizh Magan’ with Vijay and ‘Kandasami’ with Vikram. When answering a question ‘Why did she accept to act opposite an Ageing hero Rajinikanth ?’, she immediately replied ‘When 70 year old Harrison Ford can act with 16 year old, why not a much younger Rajinikanth act opposite me ?. Wow. This lady is really bold. Rajini fans are thrilled with her response and a lot others responded smiling. Shreya is a living example of the saying ‘Luck is Mysterious’.

After a look at the leading heroines, it is imperative to look at the leading heroes as well. No doubt there is an unprecedented competition among heroes especially with a lot of young talent creeping in. Actors like Vijay, Ajith, Vikram, Surya, Vishal, Madhavan, Jayam Ravi, Silambarasan and Dhanush are all in the race and ofcourse the old war horses Rajinikanth and Kamal Hassan. Sustainability is the key for success and it is very much evident from the number of years of experience these young actors have in them. If you look at Vijay and Silambarasan, they started their acting careers at a very young age and Vijay already has 15 years of acting experience. On the other hand Vikram has 22 years of experience behind him. Naturally the giants Kamal and Rajini has 34 and 32 years of experience behind them. The fact remains that if one can sustain, they can succeed definitely (no matter whatever may be the field of expertise be). Everyone in the Tamil film industry agrees that Rajini and Kamal are in the top two slots even now. Let’s take a look at the next generation of actors who are worthy contenders for the top spot.

Vijay - No doubt that this man has emerged winner from all odds. Film critics have tarnished his image saying Vijay cannot act, Vijay looks ugly, Vijay is third rate, Vijay doesn’t emote, Vijay is flop. Amidst all this criticisms, Vijay has achieved the spot where he is now with lot of conviction and hard work. His major plus was his Dancing movements and he converted the plus to his fullest advantage. He carefully chooses his movies that will go well with the masses and follows a certain popular formula (very deftly handled by MGR and Rajini) that will enthrall all audiences. Recently he suffered a setback with a flop movie ‘Sachin’ but bounced back with his usual formulaic ‘Pokkiri’. According to him, his secret behind success is ‘Never Reinvent’. That’s the reason why he chooses remake movies from neighboring southern states. All his remake movies have been successful including ‘Ghilli’, ‘Thirupachi’, ‘Sivakasi’ and ‘Pokkiri’. He believes that he has a lot to achieve and he is nowhere near the Number 1 spot. Although he is thrilled to be in the Number 1 race, he is also scared about the competition since he feels that he is among worthy competitors.

Ajith – ‘Never say die’ is his approach. He has delivered flops upon flops but still emerged to be in contention for the race. He is one actor with a lot of self confidence and straight forward approach. He believes that he can perform well and he aims high. He has had a fluctuating career with his highs being ‘Vaali’, ‘Amarkalam’ and ‘God Father’ and his lows being ‘Citizen’, ‘Paramasivan’ and ‘Aalwar’. He is an actor with capability but has failed to be consistent in choosing his movies. He has tremendous hopes on both of his upcoming movies ‘Kireedom’ and ‘Billa 2007’. Amidst all his flops, he has managed to maintain his star status mainly due to his no nonsense approach. He never over exposes himself to the Print or TV Media and sticks to his work like a professional. He lost his way in between his film career to his other ambitious ‘Car Racing’. But now he has returned to his film career with full energy and waiting in wings to deliver a Super Hit.

Vikram – ‘Hard Work’ is his success mantra. Almost 25 years of experience in the film world. He has seen it all. He has been a light boy, a dance assistant, miniscule role, a dubbing artist, an assistant director, assistant editor, character artist, villain and finally a successful Hero. If reports are to be believed, no other actor in the film industry would have had the opportunity to involve in so many areas of the film industry. Vikram opines that this was not his chosen path but his forced path. His rise to stardom was a bed of thorns but he lived and loved every moment. He has only one piece of advice to his young compatriots which is ‘Hard work, Commitment and Down to earth attitude will definitely fetch Success’. True to his words, Vikram is committed to his film career and hopes to win lots of awards and accolades through his movies.

Surya - Born with a tag ‘Star son’, he is the son of veteran actor Sivakumar. Although he was born with the tag ‘Star Son’, his father Sivakumar never helped or forced him in his film career. This young man’s success mantra is ‘Believe yourself’. He strongly believes in himself and he has a natural liking towards his critics. Surya believes that if someone criticizes him it only means that he is being watched closely and its an advantage. It gives him an opportunity to correct himself and keep going. Truly he exudes Self belief. He signs his autograph with the verses ‘Believe in you, You can do it’. Surya delivered back to back hits with ‘Kaakha Kaakha’ and ‘Ghajini’. He has high expectations about his forthcoming movies ‘Vaaranam Aayiram’ and ‘Vel’.

By S.Raymond Rajabalan
[monsoonJournal.com]
Mother’s Day is a holiday honouring mothers, celebrated on various days in many places around the world. This day is celebrated on the 2nd Sunday of May in the United States and Canada.

History

In the United States, Mother’s Day was copied from England by social activist Julia Ward Howe after the American Civil War with a call to unite women against war. She wrote the Mother’s Day Proclamation. In the UK, the day now simply celebrates motherhood and thanking mothers.Different countries celebrate Mother’s Day on various days of the year because the day has a number of different origins.

Julia Ward Howe [May 27, 1819–October 17, 1910]

One school of thought claims this day emerged from a custom of mother worship in ancient Greece. Mother worship — which kept a festival to Cybele, a great mother of gods, and (mythology), the wife of Cronus; was held around Asia Minor and eventually in Rome itself. The Romans also had another holiday, Matronalia that was dedicated to Juno, though mothers were usually given gifts on this day.

In most countries, Mother’s Day is a new concept copied from western civilization.In many African countries, the idea of one Mother’s Day has its origins in copying the British concept, although there are many festivals and events celebrating mothers within the many diverse cultures on the African continent that have been there centuries before the colonials arrival.

US history

Julia Ward Howe wrote the Mother’s Day Proclamation in 1870, as a call for peace and disarmament. An excerpt follows:

From the voice of a devastated Earth a voice goes up with
Our own. It says: “Disarm! Disarm!
The sword of murder is not the balance of justice.”
Blood does not wipe out dishonor,
Nor violence indicate possession.
As men have often forsaken the plough and the anvil at the summons of war,
Let women now leave all that may be left of home
For a great and earnest day of counsel.
Let them meet first, as women, to bewail and commemorate the dead.
Let them solemnly take counsel with each other as to the means
Whereby the great human family can live in peace.

Howe failed in her attempt to get formal recognition of a Mother’s Day for Peace. Her idea was influenced by Ann Jarvis, a young homemaker who, starting in 1858, had attempted to improve sanitation through what she called Mothers’ Work Days. She organized women throughout the Civil War to work for better sanitary conditions for both sides, and in 1868 she began work to reconcile Union and Confederate neighbors.

When Jarvis died, her daughter, named Anna Jarvis, started the crusade to found a memorial day for women. The first such Mother’s Day was celebrated in Grafton,West Virginia, on May10,1908, in the church where the elder Ann Jarvis had taught Sunday School. Grafton is the home to the International Mother’s Day Shrine. From there, the custom caught on — spreading eventually to 45 states. The holiday was declared officially by somes states beginning in 1912. In 1914 President Woodrow Wilson declared the first national Mother’s Day, as a day for American citizens to show the flag in honour of those mothers whose sons had died in war (with specific reference to The Great War, now known as World War I.

British history - Mothering Sunday

Mothering Sunday, commonly called “Mothers’ Day” in the United Kingdom, has no direct connection to the American practice. It falls on the fourth Sunday of Lent (exactly three weeks before Easter Sunday). It is believed to have originated from the 16th Century Christian practice of visiting one’s mother church annually, which meant that most mothers would be reunited with their children on this day. Most historians believe that young apprentices and young women in servitude were released by their masters that weekend in order to visit their families.As a result of secularization, it is now principally used to celebrate and give thanks for mothers, although it is still recognized in the historical sense by some churches, with attention paid to Mary the mother of Jesus as well as the traditional concept ‘mother church’.

Whatever, the origin of Mothers day it is a noble act to honour mothers not only on a specific day of the year but each and every day of the year.

A mother is the truest friend we have, when trials heavy and sudden, fall upon us; when adversity takes the place of prosperity; when friends who rejoice with us in our sunshine desert us; when trouble thickens around us, still will she cling to us, and endeavor by her kind precepts and counsels to dissipate the clouds of darkness, and cause peace to return to our hearts. ~Washington Irving

[monsoonJournal.com]Mr. Sritharan, a resident of Germany will perform at Isaiyarangam’s Isaikku Aethu Ellai, on June 3rd at Centennial College auditorium, Ashtonbee campus at 6:30 PM.

Sritharan, also known as ‘German Kannan,’ is proud to take part in Isaiyarangam’s Isaikku Aethu Ellai, which brings out new dimensions in music. There will be four new songs and three previously rendered songs each sung in various ragas.

Sritharan learned classical music since childhood and has been awarded several medals throughout his youth. His success and his achievements made him realize that there couldn’t be a future for him that didn’t include music. While in Sri Lanka, he sang for many well-known composers such as ‘Yarl Kannan’ and others.

After moving to Germany, he created a recording studio, taught himself to play keyboard and started composing songs for the dawn and hope of the new country. He has composed hundreds of songs and hundreds of music dramas which have been reproduced by many dance teachers throughout the world. His caliber of rendering music is unique and commendable.

Those who are real lovers of music should take opportunity to see this partnership between Isaiyarangam and ‘German Kannan.’

Breathe the fragrance of music and let it fill your soul; a musical evening being brought to life by Isaiyarangam, with the skill and passion of ‘German Kannan’

Travel experiences of A Hyphenated Canadian

By Raymond Rajabalan
[monsoonJournal.com]
It is unfortunate that many of us including myself fail to appreciate the comforts and facilities we are blessed with in this beautiful country of Canada. I realized this when I recently visited Sri Lanka –once described as pearl of the Indian Ocean- now referred to variously as Fractured paradise, A glimpse of Hell or A tear drop of the world, because of the serious human rights violations, abductions, killings and disappearances rampant in that country.

Visiting my motherland after a relatively long interval of more than two decades, I was appalled by the state of affairs prevailing in the island nation, once the envy of many for its pristine beaches, unparalleled scenic beauty and its unique fauna and flora coupled with lush verdant vegetation.

During the last leg of my journey to my mother land while the air craft was about to land, the passengers most of them returning from a middle east country burst into baila songs, shouting at the top of their voices with scant regard to the comfort of the others. This unacceptable behavior- of these fellow passengers most of them evidently belonging to the majority community returning for holidays - was an indication of the variety of unpleasant and unruly situations I was to experience during my month long stay in the country.

When the air craft landed with a slow thud and taxied towards the terminal I had butterflies in my stomach, with the anticipation of seeing the faces of my family members and relatives gathered to welcome me.

Arriving at the International Airport in Katunayake, I could not believe the state of poor maintenance where there was dirt all over the place with piles of garbage strewn around. It was then I began to appreciate the unparalleled beauty of the state of the art Pearson International Airport in Toronto and its perfect cleanliness. To add insult to injury, the custom and immigration officials did their job half heartedly just waving us through the security check points. Further more, the gun toting soldiers stationed around the perimeter of the air port instilled in me a feeling of uneasiness and apprehension.

On reaching the exterior of the airport all around was bubbling a cacophony of voices, people shouting at the top of their voices while a number of vehicles were running around flouting every traffic rules. The journey to my residence in Colombo was a real nightmare with hundreds of cars and mini vans criss- crossing the narrow winding roads which had seen better days .Every time our van screeched to a halt or tried avoiding an oncoming three wheeler – known locally as Auto- my heart was in my mouth .Having used to driving on well maintained multi lane roads in Toronto, it was impossible for me to stomach this confusion and disorderliness. All along the way I was shocked beyond belief to watch huge mountains of garbage dumped at various spots in close vicinity of civilian residences. The stench emanating from the heaps of dirt was revolting .What a sharp contrast this was to the efficient system of regular removal of garbage from residences in Canada.

Reaching my temporary residence, I was overjoyed to meet my siblings and my frail mother after a long interval of time. Later in the day I realized that the nights are not going to be that pleasant since I noticed an army of huge sized mosquitoes humming around as a prelude to their dermal attack .True to my expectations , even with the fan swirling around at high speed and with mosquito coils burning in the room I soon realized our efforts were no match to this ubiquitous insects .The following morning it dawned on me that the culprit was the stagnant drainage canals in the vicinity .I also learnt that repeated complaints to the municipality officials was of no avail and the residents have got used to living with discomfort. I was thinking how we used to get annoyed when we notice tiny flies swarming around the house during hot summer days in Canada. In sharp contrast in the very heart of Colombo, the capital, I had to put up with the unwelcome nocturnal insect visitors during the rest of our stay.

Coming out of the house in the morning, I noticed the road on which our temporary residence was located was much narrower than it was many years ago and was zigzagging all the way. While discussing about this with a neighbour, I learnt that this was because of the fact that many of the owners of the residences have put up additional structures encroaching parts of the road, obviously with the connivance of the lowly paid corrupt local officials who would have received their due share for turning a blind eye. Multi story buildings had cropped up all over the area due to the whims and fancy of the owners with scant regard for the damage to the environment, resulting in serious congestion and inconvenience. I was wondering if there was any town planning department that existed in that country.

Later in the day, I walked up to the main road and I just could not digest the chaos that prevailed. With hundreds of vehicles literally flying past, together with dozens of three wheelers weaving around in the traffic I realized that my stay in the country was not going to be an easy one. Trying to cross the road darting across like a bunny- a habit I quickly learned from the locals- I felt as though I had completed a Himalayan feat in doing so .On a serious note, I was thanking God for blessing me with an opportunity to live in this wonderful country of Canada where every thing is so orderly. Yet we are guilty of complaining about petty things, not realizing how lucky we are compared to many in other parts of the world.

One consolation was that even with the on going ethnic war in the North and East, the people of all communities in the South were co existing trying to put up a brave face and go about attending to their daily chores.

While I was in the commercial area of Colombo I was chuckling to myself when I saw the slogan ”Srilanka a land like no other”. Whoever coined this phrase certainly deserves a pat on the back since it summed up the state of confusion prevailing in the land ruled by corrupt politicians

Yes, certainly no other country in the world can boast of so much violation of human rights denying the minorities even the basic rights. With people from every part of the globe co-existing in the benevolent country of Canada, it was a shame that two communities are unable to live peacefully in Sri Lanka.

Many business establishments located in Fort area in a number of majestic buildings built during British rule were in a dilapidated state due to gross negligence. I tried in vain to find a clean restaurant and finally I managed to find a very good vegetarian restaurant run by Tamils a few miles away from Fort .Right throughout my stay I could find only a handful of decent hotels with the assistance of my friends.

The wide variety of Fresh fruits sold on the way side stalls were really delicious and that was one pleasant aspect of my visit .Meanwhile the poor state of maintenance of the fish and meat markets was revolting , to say the least.

I was shocked beyond belief to note the administrative inefficiency in the various government departments and a few financial institutions which I happened to visit .Being disproportionately over staffed due to political appointments, the lethargic attitude of the employees and their lack of dedication was clearly evident. The systematic discrimination of the minorities during the past three decades in recruiting for government jobs had taken its toll and it was plainly reflected in the way the departments were functioning .In addition with millions of rupees spent on the senseless civil war and the present government maintaining a massive a cabinet numbering over fifty, the departments are being deprived of even basic facilities, further contributing to the decreased out put.

All in all , I noticed that a majority of the civilians from all communities are still nursing the hope of attaining peace in this island nation .I noticed huge posters calling for peace plastered across Colombo while I also learnt of a large number of prayer meetings and peace rallies conducted throughout the country.

My stroll along the beaches of Colombo in the afternoon was a welcome relief from the unbearable heat .It was a great pleasure for me to watch the haze of gold, a blessing of the dying sun enveloping the area and the hundreds of people of all communities mingling feely on the beach. I was wondering to myself if and when this situation will prevail throughout the country leading to permanent peace.

While having experienced a variety of situations, including pleasant memories of visiting my family members, relatives and friends I breathed a sigh of relief when my return journey commenced from Colombo and I felt at ease only when the plane was air borne .While thanking the good Lord for protecting me throughout my stay in Sri Lanka I continued my travel to Toronto vowing never again to return to my country of birth which was, by any stretch of imagination no match to this magnanimous country of Canada.

By Kumar Punithavel
[monsoonJournal.com]
Buddhist, celebrate Vesak festival, on the full moon in May. This year the month of May has two full moons. It is the first full moon on the May 2nd is celebrated as Veask. This day is the anniversary of Siddhartha Gaudama the founder of Buddhist religion was born, gained enlightenment and finally died. Lord Buddha was the Protestant of Hindu religion and reformed the religion so much it ended with an entirely new face and was called Buddhism. The Sanskrit word root budh denotes both to wake up and to know. Thus he was called the Buddha meaning the awaken one, and his religion which lays the path to become Buddha became Buddhism. Swami Vivekananda refereed to Lord Buddha as the greatest Hindu reformer. When Hinduism was at its lowest ebb after the ages of Upanishad, he championed reform to the religion. The Hindu society at that time was corrupt with cast, where empty rituals and sacrifices were given greater importance. Lord Buddha rebelled against this hypocrisy and said “All this must stop. This is not religion”. He observed that “The teacher, but points the way, the work has to be done by your self”. He believed it to be utter foolishness to expect to gain anything by getting some one else to perform some ritual and sacrifice. Especially at that time the Hindu priests performed many rituals where helpless animals were sacrificed.

[More Pictures, Vesak 2007, In and around Colombo, SriLanka] 

Birth

Siddhartha Gautama was born to Suddhodana, king of Sakiyas around B.C.560. Gautama was his Sir name. At sixteen he married a beautiful neighboring princess, Yasodhara, who bore him a son named Rahula.

When Siddhartha was born his father summoned fortunetellers to find out what the future held for his heir. All assembled agreed that this was no usual child. There was but one ambiguity. If he remained with the ways of the world, he would unify India and become her greatest emperor, a chackaravarthi. If on the other hand, he forsook the world, he would become not a world conqueror but a world redeemer. Faced with this option, his father who himself was a king determined to steer his son toward the former destiny.

The excursions

But after three excursions with his charioteer Channa, he realized how hopeless human life is. On his first excursion, he saw a frail old man. When he asked Channa what made the old man so weak and feeble, he was told that this was the eventual fate of all human beings, including him. On the second journey, he saw a sick person; the response to his inquiry was that illness could strike any one at any time, even the strongest and healthiest is not excluded to this fate, and there was nothing could be done to prevent it. The third time he left the palace he saw a corpse being taken to the cremation ground. When he asked what it was, he heard about death – an every day event in human life, said Channa, since death itself was inevitable.

Siddhartha decided to go beyond the unhappiness of this worldly life which was full of miseries and sorrows. He left his home, wealth, dominion, power, father, his beautiful wife and the only infant child Rahula. He lived among many hermits, and performed severe austerities. He performed control of breath and fasting. Little by little, though, Siddhartha, who was by now all skin and bone began to understand that he was not getting anywhere. Though he gained many psychic powers he was getting no nearer to his goal of perfect understanding of human misery.

Middle Path

At this time Siddhartha remembered a childhood incident where some dancing lasses were passing joyfully singing. His memory of the song brought real help to his troubled mind. The song itself had no real deep meaning in it, but for him it was a message full of profound spiritual significance. The song it self was;

Fair goes the dancing when the Sitar is tuned, Tune us the sitar neither low nor high,

He realized that he should not go to extremes in torturing the body by starvation, and that he should adopt a middle path.

One day he was seated under a large banyan tree with its trunk as support to his back, close to the hermitage of Kassapa. From there he could see a panoramic view of the river and the land beyond. He was lost in thought and was meditating. He realized how futile it was to find the solution by the problem. It was early in the morning, he saw a beautiful woman accompanied by two similarly beautiful women coming towards them.

The three women were dumfounded to see the handsome figure of Siddhartha seated under the tree. The woman was Sujatha, the daughter of a very rich merchant. She was in the habit of visiting this majestic banyan tree every morning on the full moon to offer obligations of milk rice to the Gods inhabiting in the tree. Seeing the handsome figure of Siddhartha she thought that the God had appeared in person to receive her obligations.

She was yet afraid, but gathered enough courage to go near Siddhartha and made her offering. On his part Siddhartha thought it was his wife Yasothara had come disguised with two of her maidens to entrench him. He accepted the offering without looking up thinking he should not give any room for temptation. Siddhartha partook in his meal of milk rice and went down to the river Neranjara to wash the bowl. It was the dry season and the river was flowing low. He waded to knee deep and washed his hands and face on the ice cold water flowing from the tall Himalayas. When he put the bowl down to wash, it started flowing down. He had to rush to grab the bowl. It struck to him that the whole world is going with the tide. If he too goes with the tide he cannot find the true reason. He thought ‘If I too go with the tide I cannot find the true reason. I cannot depend too much on tradition. I need not follow any teacher. I should be able to find the solution to the problems of existence on my own, on my own striving, on my own exertion’. With this thought he crossed the river and came to a high ground where there was a majestic Pipul (Bo tree) tree in the centre of a grove. He sat down under the cool shade on that Vesak full moon day with strong resolve not to get up till he realizes the true cause of human misery. The rest was history as people would say.

Four noble truths

He realized the four noble truths and the eight fold path to reach nirvana, to be away from all suffering.

The first noble truth was that life is Dukkha, usually translated as suffering. It was not a case of pessimism, but realism. Even when one gets what he wants he is aware that he cannot have it for ever; so he suffers not only in the anticipation of the desire but also in anticipation of their loss. If he does not get what he wants he suffers, this time from dissatisfaction and thawed longing. It was Lord Tennyson who sang well the situation

What am I? An infant crying in the night;

A fundamental built in anxiety and suffering is part of human experience, in other words. If we set goals for ourselves and fail to reach them, we become miserable; and if we do reach them, we want more. Enough is never enough.

The second noble truth goes deep into the roots of the first one which is the dukka or sorrow. He based this on the sense of ego. In its simplest form it is the thirst or desire (tanha) is the cause for dukka. This thirst can be described as a fundamental nature. We are in-wired with longing for something outside our selves. It can be gross manifestations like greed, lust and miserliness to more subtle and seemingly benign like wanting to do good to the world or to know the truth. He realized the truth as mentioned in ‘Laws of Manu’ Ch4: 160; everything that depends on others (gives) pain, everything that depends on oneself (gives) pleasure.

The third noble truth defines the way to get out of this. The key to escape Buddha said, lay in control (nirodhana); control over the craving or thirst (tanha) for attachment. If attachment was first rooted out, he said, and then the thirst itself would be extinguished. Once that is achieved, a state of nirvana could be reached, a state in which there would be no further suffering.

The fourth noble truth takes the form of what is known as the Holy or Noble eightfold path:

They are

1. Right understanding.

2. Right orientation or thought.

3. Right speech.

4. Right action.

5. Right livelihood.

6. Right effort.

7. Right mindfulness.

8. Right Concentration.

Lord Buddha was different from other religious leaders in that he was skeptical about the concept of God as a personal being who created the universe by deliberate design. This made many people believe he was an atheist. But he did believe in a God head in his declaration; “There is, O monks an unborn, neither become nor created nor formed…. Were there not, there would be no deliverance from the formed, the made, the compounded (2)*. This is in line with the tradition of Hindu Philosophy of Advaida.
Lord Buddha was totally against speculation of any sort. He was not prepared to speculate about where we came from or where we are going. He had a famous parable about a poisonous arrow; If a man is wounded by a poisonous arrow and taken to the surgeon should he first find out who shot the arrow, what cast and creed the archer was or ask what material the bow was made, what material the bow string was made. Should he find out what material the arrow was made and what type of poison he had on the arrow? Before knowing the answer to all these questions the man would die.

Similarly it is not the view that the world is eternal, that it is finite, that the body and soul are distinct, or that the Buddha exists after death, that a religious life depends. What ever the views on these matters may be, there is sickness, old age and death. There is sorrow grief and lamentation……. I have not spoken to these views because they do not conduce to absence of passion, or calm and Nirvana he said.

He observed that he had explained about suffering, the cause of suffering, the destruction of suffering, and the path that leads to the destruction of suffering for this is useful. He totally refused in idle talk about how world was formed or created. What sort of a person God is etc.

He refused to use Sanskrit as his language of teaching. He wanted to guide every man to realize liberation and guided them in their own language, and wanted to reach their goal in their own effort. He said “Buddha’s only point the way. Work your salvation with diligence”. He cared for no cast or creed. He observed “Let persons of intelligence come to me, honest, candid and straightforward; I will instruct them, and if they practice as they are taught, they will come to know for themselves that supreme religion and goal, the of Buddha hood.

Reference:-

(1) Lord Buddha by Swami Sivananda.

(2) The Worlds Religion by Huston Smith

Contact Kumar Punithavel: kumarpunithavel@yahoo.com

By Kumar Punithavel
[monsoonJournal.com]
The Tamil month Vaikasi is in the tail end of the early summer season. The full moon of this month in South India and north Sri Lanka will shine bright, in clear night sky giving a hallowed enchanting beauty under the Visagam star. Saivaites, Vaishnavites and Buddhists hold this day in high esteem. While for Saivites it is the day of the descent of Lord Muruga, for Vaishanavites it is the Nammazhwar and for Buddhists it is the day of nativity, enlightenment and Maha samathi of Lord Buddah.

The descent of Lord Muruga was in answer to the prayer by deva’s to rid of adharma caused by three assura brothers, Soorapatman, Singamuhasuran and Tarakasuran. These brothers obtained great powers through intense penance and were harassing deva’s. The deva’s appealed to Lord Shiva for help. Tradition has it that Shiva emitted six sparks of fire from the third eye, which were carried by Agni and Vayu to Ganga which pushed them into Saravanapoikai which was filled with lotus and reeds. In the lake the sparks became six divine children and were nursed by six Karthigai maidens. These children were embraced by Lord Shiva’s divine consort Shakthi and became one with six faces and twelve hands and thus descended Lord Shanmugan.

The legend further states that he went to war with the assuras and vanquished the three demons with the lance (Vel) given to him by his divine mother. He then took Indran the king of deva’s daughter Thevayanai as his consort. After that he took Valli Amman the daughter of a hunter as his cosort too.

The great Tamil epic Kanthapuranam gives the story of Lord Murugan. Kanthan is another name for Murugan. The word Kanthu in Tamil means to be tied or bundled. As the six babies were bundled into one by his divine mother he got this name. Another explanation given is that instead of killing the evil assura soorapathman he tied his ego and made him to become a peacock and used it to carry him!

Kanthapuranam is a classic example of a great allegory in Tamil Hindu literature explaining the Tamils theological philosophy Saiva Sadandam. Effulgence of divine in the lake with its lotus flowers and reeds symbolically refers to what happens to each of us. As light and life this reality abides in us. The six faces of Shanmugam represent the six facets of ours. These are body, breath, senses, mind, intelligence and ego.

As per Siddandam pasam or bondage that prevent us enjoying the divine experience of bliss. Pasam literally means rope. It keeps the soul down to evil and prevents it from attaining beatitude. Passam is of three kinds. They are Anavam, Kanmam and Mayai.

The three assuras in the Kandapuranam refers to these pasams. Killing of the assuras with the vel refers to getting rid of this pasam with knowledge.

[Sri Sivasubramaniya Swamy Temple, Colombo, Sri Lanka]

The vel or lance is sharp in the edge then broad and finally long or deep. Knowledge too should be sharp, broad and deep! His taking Theivanai Amman as his consort after the war full action refers to the Kiriya Sakthi, meaning power of action. His taking Valli Amman because of a great penance of love and desire refers to Icha Sakthi. Icha Sakthi means power of desire. When we see at the sanctum sanctorum, the statue of lord Murugan standing between Valli Amman and Theivanai Amman having the Vel in his right hand, it should remind us for our successful life we must have desire, knowledge and action! Let us all celebrate Vaikasi Vsakam as the day when God in his infinite kindness came down as Lord Murugan.

Buddhist, celebrate Vaikasi pournami as Vesak, the day Gaudama Buddha was born, gained enlightenment and finally attained Maha samathi.

To contact Kumar Punithavel;

kumarpunithavel@yahoo.com