We have to learn from Japanese...yes, the world has to.

My recent assignment was in a factory off the city. It is headquartered in Japan. So had a few delegates come down to chennai to help the new plant in getting required certifications.

I have heard people say... "It is tough to work with Japanese..."
... "Japanese are work-a-holics..."
... "Japanese are strict, punctual etc..."

I wish to share my experiences with Japanese.
Yes, it is tough to work with Japanese. They are strict. I agree. But they worship work...they do not see any necessity for fun@work (as many pvt co's hv brought in this activity).
My boss listed out the priority of a common Japanese an Indian.

Japanese Indian
1. Work Entertainment
2. Family Family
3. Entertainment Work

It was the first day of my assignment. I saw a Japanese arranging the door mats neatly, which he was about to stamp to enter the office. The security guy was standing nearby. I asked the security who the japanese was. He replied, "Country head, India."

Day 2: I was talking to the plant head as I entered the office. He stopped and ordered the security person to arrange the mats neatly before the Japanese arrive. I went to my desk and saw through the window, another Japanese arranging the mats.

It could have taken just a few seconds for him to order the security to arrange the door mats. But he found nothing wrong in doing it himself. Infact he's saved a lot of time...of his and the security.

My new passion

Jewellery Designing

Hey dudes, have a look at my new designs.


Silver Aqua


Temple Jewellery Set


Trendy Bead Anklets

The New Seven Wonders of the World

It is just 10 minutes since the new seven wonders of the world has been unveiled. Here is the list:

1. The Great Wall of China, china
2. Petra, Jordan
3. The statue of Christ the Redeemer, Brazil
4. Machu Picchu, Perú
5. Chichen Itza, Mexico
6. Colosseum, Rome
7. Taj Mahal, India

Congratulations India!!!

Flowers

These are the flowers that decorate my office entrance. I clicked them with my new Nokia N70 ME.

Real estate boom... I ended up building this house

Real estate in Chennai is moving towards its peek. People say that this is because of IT boom. I do not agree completely, as the population keeps increasing and the available land space keeps reducing. Getting a new appartment in the city has become unimaginable even for upper class.

I planned to buy a house to avoid income tax; But now I think I will opt to pay the tax instead of paying huge EMIs every month.

I have learnt to build this paper hut in remembrance of my house hunting.

This will be your final product. Now lets learn how to make this hut.

You'd need:

A daily calendar

Step 1: Tear all the sheets off the card board. Do not tear each sheet, but take it out as a bunch.

Step 2: Remove the two thick sheets (first and the last sheets of the calendar)

Step 3: There are two simple folding methods.

Pattern 1:

a) Fold the bottom right corner of a sheet to make a triangle.

b) Fold the bottom left on to the traingle made in a, to form another triangle.

Pattern 2:

a) Same as a) of pattern 1.

b) Fold the bottom on to the triangle made to form a trapezoid.

Step 4: Do these patterns on alternate sheets of the calendar. Don't forget to make the folds sharp.

Step5: When you are done with all the 365 sheets, you will get a beautiful paper hut.

My first abroad trip

My first abroad trip was to Dalian, China. I went on a business trip for two weeks.

Just thought of sharing some pics.

The best thing about the trip is that I experienced snow for the first time in my life. Born and brought up in Chennai, I could only dream of snow but Dalian gave me a wonderful rendezvous with nature.

Initially I felt Dalian to China as Delhi to India. But very soon I felt the change in climate. Nov-Dec-Jan are the coldest months; temperature ranging from -20 to 10.

The pic above is how Dalian was on Nov 5

The pic below is how Dalian was on Dec 5

The worst thing about the trip was the language problem. To my knowledge, there are two languages spoken, Mandorin and Cantonese. None seemed to understand or speak English, not even the bank employees. We had to play Dumbcharades and write down numbers coz they not even could utter one, two, three...

I was amazed of the infrastructure, buildings, technology...China is soon to become a well developed country in the world.

Shopping...Really worth doing in China for the range of electronic goods and attractive prices

This place is called Trust-Mart which you could compare with the all-new Big Bazaar of Chennai.

Johari window, what ppl think abt u

Arena (known to self and others) happy, loving	Blind Spot (known only to others) brave, calm, caring, confident, dignified, friendly, giving, independent, intelligent, logical, mature, quiet, searching, self-conscious, spontaneous, warm
Façade (known only to self) observant, sensible, trustworthy	Unknown (known to nobody) able, accepting, adaptable, bold, cheerful, clever, complex, dependable, energetic, extroverted, helpful, idealistic, ingenious, introverted, kind, knowledgeable, modest, nervous, organised, patient, powerful, proud, reflective, relaxed, religious, responsive, self-assertive, sentimental, shy, silly, sympathetic, tense, wise, witty

Dominant Traits

60% of people think that SangeethaJaikumar is calm
60% of people think that SangeethaJaikumar is friendly
60% of people think that SangeethaJaikumar is independent
60% of people think that SangeethaJaikumar is warm

All Percentages

able (0%) accepting (0%) adaptable (0%) bold (0%) brave (40%) calm (60%) caring (20%) cheerful (0%) clever (0%) complex (0%) confident (40%) dependable (0%) dignified (20%) energetic (0%) extroverted (0%) friendly (60%) giving (20%) happy (20%) helpful (0%) idealistic (0%) independent (60%) ingenious (0%) intelligent (40%) introverted (0%) kind (0%) knowledgeable (0%) logical (20%) loving (40%) mature (20%) modest (0%) nervous (0%) observant (0%) organised (0%) patient (0%) powerful (0%) proud (0%) quiet (20%) reflective (0%) relaxed (0%) religious (0%) responsive (0%) searching (20%) self-assertive (0%) self-conscious (20%) sensible (0%) sentimental (0%) shy (0%) silly (0%) spontaneous (20%) sympathetic (0%) tense (0%) trustworthy (0%) warm (60%) wise (0%) witty (0%)

Created by the Interactive Johari Window on 13.12.2006, using data from 5 respondents.
You can make your own Johari Window, or view SangeethaJaikumar's full data.

Railway canteen offers non-veg in veg menu

Hurry! stock lasts till cockroaches are dead!!!

It was a two-day journey from chennai to ahmedabad. My hubby and I along with his TT team started for the tournament to be held at Gandhinagar, Gujarat. Our team coach was gracious enough to pack food right from breakfast, lunch to dinner for day 1.

Day 2: Managed with previous day's chapathi for breakfast. Had a nap and it was time for lunch. The team had bananas and the remained chapathis for lunch. Though warned by my hubby about the quality of food in railway canteen, I ordered meals. The meal looked delicious with a neatly packed chapathi, kuruma, plain rice, dal and cupful of curd.

While others had chapathi with sugar, I enjoyed it with kuruma. Next was curd rice. I was busy chatting simultaneously mixing curd with rice. When I was about to eat, m hubby stopped me and asked why I had ordered cockroach pickle.

Thank god I mixed curd. What would have happend if I mixed Dal or Kuruma with Rice?
Non-vegetarians Beware!!!

world's safest natural soft drink

Ilaneer, this is what we hunt for in the mornings. But fortunately, we met a vendor this morning who has promised to drop in every morning.

It’s a natural isotonic beverage with the same level of electrolytic balance as we have in our blood. It’s the fluid of life, so to speak," says Mr. Morton Satin, Chief of FAO’s Agricultural Industries and Post Harvest Management Service.

I wonder how well tender coconut is protected inside a shell like structure. Really god is an expert in packaging. It is impossible for man to think of something like that.

Japanese Speech Contest スピーチュコンテスト

I recently participated in a Japanese speech contest. Of course, I won a prize. I wish to post my speech content here in my blog in both english and japanese (my japanese friends also view my blogs at times).

Here I goooooooooooo

Good day to one and all. I wish to talk about my life after marriage.
I have been knowing my husband since 4 years. After getting well together, we decided to get married. Once the wedding date was fixed, since it was necessary to buy many things, we started off with clothes.

In the cloth store I always find sales women. But that day, it was a salesman. Though I felt inconvenient, I asked him "How much is this cloth?" He said "One meter is one kiss." Having understood that he is teasing me, I asked for 5 meters. He became excited and handed over 5 meters of the cloth and waited. Probably, waited for 5 kisses. I gently said, "My husband pays the bill always." I cant forget his face even now.

It was the day of our wedding. Since my hubby is a christian, the wedding took place in a church. I was wearing the typical chritian white gown and he, a black suit. I heard a boy talking to his mother. I guess he has not attended christian wedding yet. He asked "Mom, why is the bride wearing a white coloured dress?" Mother said "White color denotes happiness. Today is the bride's most happiest day. So she is wearing a white colored dress." After thinking for sometime, the boy asked "If so, why is the bride groom wearing a black colored dress?" She could not answer his question. The room was filled with laughter.

Some days later, when washing clothes, I found a paper with a girl's name written on it. Why should he have a girl's name in his pocket...I went to him and asked abruptly about this. He started laughing and said "Worry not. It is the name of the horse that I bet in yesterday's race".

We had a dinner party on that day. When we were going by car, seeing that I am staying dumb, he said that "Hey, look there. Your relatives." When I saw the other side, there were buffaloes crossing the road. I too didnt give up and said "Oh ya, my in-laws". Both of us ended up laughing like anything.

So, we reached the party. He was calling me "Honey, Darling, Sweetheart etc." I thought he is in love and was proud. A close friend of him asked "Hey, do you always call your wife honey, darling, sweetheart etc.? Good yaar" But my hubby answered "SSShhhh... I forgot her name yaar. Thats when I use these words. Keep this as a secret" Hearing this I got angry first and later understood that it was a joke.

My marriage life goes like this everyday, interesting, humorous etc.
Thank you for giving me this opportunity.

今から日本語で、

みなさんこんにちは。
今から私は自分の結婚生活について語りたいと思います。

私は結婚している方と四年前、初めて知り合いました。仲良くできて、いい人だと感じた後、
結婚しようと決めました。結婚日が決められた後、いろいろ買い物する必要があったので、まず最初にようひんてんへいきました。

ようひんてんの売り場でいつも女性がいますが、その日はなぜか男性が立っていました。売り場で男性を見てちょっとえんりょしましたが、がまんして、その人にこの布は、いくらですかと聞いた時、「一メートルは、いっかいのキスだ」と応えました。からかわれていることが分かっていても、がまんして「５メートルください」と注文しました。その人はとてもよろこんで、５メートルの布を渡して、待っていました。たぶんごかいのキスを待っていたと思いますが、私はとてもおとなしいふりをして「おかねはしゅじんがはらいます。すきなものをかれを頼んでください」と応えました。その人のびっくりした顔は今も忘れられません。

主人はクリスト京を信じる人なので、結婚はきょうかい（church）でおこなわれました。わたしはクリシュチャンの白い服で、かれはくろいせびろをきていました。
その時私はとてもどきどきしていましたが、一人の子供がお母さんと話しているのを聞きました。その子は今までこのような結婚式に見ていない子供でした。その子が「お母さん、どうして花嫁が白い服を着ているの」とききました。お母さんは「白色は幸せの色です。今日は彼女の一番幸せな日ですから白色の服を着ていますよ。」と説明しました。その子はちょっと考えてから「それなら、花婿はなぜ黒い服を着ているの」といったのでお母さんが応えられなくて困りましたが、みなと一緒に私も笑い出しました。

結婚の後、ある日、せんたくをしていた時、主人のズボンのポケットから女の人の名前が書かれた紙が見つけました。なんで女性の名前を自分のポケットにおいているのだろうといろいろ考えて、心配して、なきそうな声で主人とけんかするくらいになりましたが、かれは大きな声で笑い出して、「それはレースにかけた馬の名前ですよ」と言われて恥ずかしくて顔をかくしました。

その夜はデナーパーティがありました。かいじょうへ車で行っている時、私がだまっているのを見て彼は向こう側を見せて「あそこにあなたの親戚がいるから見てごらん。」と言いました。そちらをを見るとなんびきかのバファロが道を歩いていました。私も負けないで「そうですね。かれらは私のぎりのおとうさん、。。。。ですよね。」といったらかれも笑いました。

デナーパーティかいじょうに着きました。彼は、私の心を引き付けるように「ハニ、ダーリング、スイートハート」と呼んでいました。愛しているからだと思って、私もよろこびました。彼の友達が「いつもおくさんを「ハニとかダーリングとかスイートハートと呼びますか」と聞いたとき、彼は「名前を忘れたよ、だからこのように読んでいるのよ、ひみつにして」と言ったのを聞いて怒りましたが、あとで、じょうだんなことだとわかって安心しました。私の結婚生活はこのような毎日で面白いです。
いじょうです。
きかいをあたえたみなさまにこころからかんしゃもうしあげます。
ありがとうございます。

I say NO to road-o-plane

Yesterday, unfortunately, my hubby dropped me in office (Only I know how much I yearn to go with him). It was an occasion. He was so much worried that I have to come alone. But I joined my colleagues in auto way back home.

I stay a little near to my colleague's place...5 minutes by s(c)hare-auto. I have never tried the double-decker bus and this new s(c)hare-auto. Yesterday, I was happily waiting to board this road-o-plane only for a worst experience.



I missed two road-o-planes and was desperate that I have to board the next one. One well-dressed road-o-plane stopped by and enquired my destination. I and (the pilot too) knew that there were no vacant seat. Puzzled, I refused to tell my destination and waited for my next flight. Slowly, I understood that it was no worth waiting but board the flight with RAC ticket.

The pilot waits for you to plant the first foot and it is upto you to find a seat or a a place in the foot board...ultimately how you place yourself is your problem. But you get dropped in your destination.

Japanese and I

It all began with a small fight I had with my sister the other day. While she was learning German I wanted to embark on this language. I chose this language just because the institution teaching Japanese was nearer to my house.

Ogay…now…lemme tell something about the language:
There are 3 types of alphabets in Japanese viz. Hiragana, Katakana, and Kanji.
- Hiragana is first taught in school; has 46 letters; phonetic symbols or pronunciation guide for kanji.
- Women were banned to use Hiragana in olden days. So, they created katakana, (corresponding to every hiragana) which eventually was used to write foreign words and names in modern times.
- Kanji arChinesese characters. There are about 3000 characters and 18000 combinations. This is what makes learning Japanese a challenging job.

You gotta pass four levels [4(basic)-3-2-1(advanced)] to study the language completely. I am pursuing level 2 and I work as a translator.

Dare to learn the language?

Holler with your comments and concerns.

Book bus tickets online

No more standing in queue at Koyambedu. State Express Transport Corporation now has the online ticket reservation facility.

Just a click away for the office goers who cannot afford to avail permission (which ultimately eats up a whole day) to stand in long queues to travel to their natives in weekends.

Reservation can be done 30 days in advance, but restricted to one day before the commencement of the journey.

A code number is issued once your ticket is confirmed. You can collect the ticket 30 minutes before departure of vehicle at koyambedu reservation counter by informing your code number.

Well, I have not tested it yet!

Book tickets within mouse clicks

Booking train tickets for your travel has now become easy with southern railways. All you have to do is to create a login and must possess a credit card. The site provides lot of facilities such as

1. Step-by-step procedure to reserve ticket.
1. Creating a master list of passengers who travel frequently.
2. PNR status emailed to you.
3. Tickets dropped at your doorstep within 48 hours.

I think there is a website to reserve tickets for buses travelling from Koyambedu. I shall do some research on it and come with a blog.

Pillayar Suzhi

Yup!
I am beginning my blog with this. So putting a big pillayar suzhi and singing...

vinaayaganae vinai theerpavanae
vezha mugathonae gnana mudhalvanae

vinaayaganae

gunanidhiye guruvae charanam
kuraigal kalaya ithuve tharunam

vianaayaganae

umapadhiye ulagam endrai
oru sutrinile valamum vandhaai
gananaadhane maanganiyai vendrai
kathirvelavanin karuthil nindrai

ok, oru soda kudichitu varren.
Meet u soon again.