The Tamilian obsession with Titles

Time was when Rajendra Chola was aptly named Gangai Kondon, V.O. Chidambaram was called Kappal Ottiya Thamizhar, Kannadasan was called Kaviyarasu. These were great people with apt titles. Over the past 40-50 odd years ( please correct me if I am wrong ) the Tamilian obsession with Titles and stuff has got downright pathetic. I guess it all started with MGR ( Makkal Thilagam - Vermilion of the People (Howzatt!)), Sivaji had to be called Nadigar Thilagam (Vermilion of the Actors )as he definitely did not belong to the common folks. Not to be outdone, Karunanidhi had to be called Kalaignar - The Artist. ( the only artist I am sure he ever was was a Con Artist - fooling all the people all the time)

These days every actor, politician of every has to be called something so much so that they are not called by the Real names at all.

Take a look at this

1. Rajni Kanth - Soooper Star
2. Dr.Kamal Hasan - Makkal Nayagan or something like Ulaga Nayagan ( Universal hero). Kamal claims that he is a rationalist but do rational people prefix their names with Honorary doctorates!!!
3. Sarath Kumar - Supreme Star ( he got screwed after that.. remember in Tamil filmdom there can only be Sooper Star not supreme)
4. Ajit - Ultimate Star ( meaning there can never be a better star after that)
5. Vijay - Ilaya Thalapathi - Younger Commander in Chief - Having run out of prefixes of the Star variety - he resorted to these names)
6. Vairamuthu - Kavi Per Arasu ( The Emperor of Poets - he needed to out do Kannadasan - Idiot!)

These are all "Rational" Tamil people with the irrational urge of putting something stupid in front of their names. I think the need to put such titles extraordinaire stems from a deep rooted inferiority complex or some such things that a Freudian or Jungian analysis might bear out. Nobody, I am very sure, Nobody in the world resorts to such things. Amitabh Bachhan to a certain extent but his films don't show such prefixes.

I thought that with the advent of India's entry into the modern world, such things might fade out. But No Sir! It has just gotten worse.

Our California Trip

It has always been a long time dream of ours to drive down ( or up!!!) California 1 Highway. So we set out on 2nd Nov to San Diego.

If you fly to San Diego, especially during day time, I suggest that you surrender to the childhood wish of sitting in the window seat. You get great views of some of the most beautiful and stark landscapes in the world. And then suddenly San Diego jumps on you. I have not seen too many US airports very near downtown like San Diego. It feels like you almost land in the Pacific.

Our AZ, UT and NV Trip

During the Memorial Day week end in 2007, we went to Nevada and Arizona.

We landed at Vegas (stayed at Luxor ) and then traveled to Hoover Dam on to the Grand Canyon South Rim ( stayed at one of the Holiday Inn types at Tusayan, just outside the South Rim entrance) and then all then way around on Highway 64 and the picturesque Route 89 and Route 89A. We stayed at the beautiful Marble Canyon Lodge. Had the pleasure of drinking some IPA under the beautiful open sky. Went to North Rim just for the photo value.

Then we went to Bryce Canyon and then traveled through the Zion National Park canyon. Stayed at Majestic View Lodge outside Zion in Springdale, UT. Fabulous lodge, only the entrance to the room sucks. Had food in Thai Sapa near the Movie theatre in Springdale. Went around Zion and then headed to Vegas.