Tam – Brahms!!

Tam – Brahms

The facebook description for the Iyer-Iyengar network is nice! It’s very interesting too! Let’s see how much is true for me..

Is tamil/tanglish the language of your house?

Tamil, of course! But I know many of my friends who speak Tanglish during dinner too ..

Do you meet other iyers and iyengar, only to find that you’re related through your cousin’s father-in-law’s brother’s nephew?

Well not often when I was in Chennai! But Madurai where I was born especially  TVS nagar and around.. yeah have to agree!

Is your dad’s first name your last name?

It is!! But thats because we don’t have a first name -last name concept at all! But ya coming to the US, my pasport name is what is official, no more numerology changes..

Do you have an americanized version of your name?

Not yet, probably in two years, in my work place, yes , I should!!

a Prof from Nebraska called Namas Chandra visited CEG once! We thought he was from North India, but he started conversing in Tamil and told us his name had been shortened.. full name – Namasivayam Chandrasekaran

And the UK is no better..My cousin settled in London 10 years back.. He was named K C Venkatraman and we used to call him “Anand” at home, now his card says “Venky Karuppur” .. Karuppur being his home town!

Is thayir saatham with narthanga urga part of your staple diet?

Well it’s staple food for evrybody at home except me.. I hate curd / buttermilk! Some people on hearing this, ask me if I am brahmin at all!! Anyway 99% of Brahmins would answer “yes” to the above question

Does your mom yell at you “etcchal pannathae”?

Well she and my paati used to when I was young, now, in terms of distance, half the world separates us!

Do you go to family reunions and all the men are wearing veshtis or to the temple and everyone is wearing panchagachham?

Yeah mostly! Though now times are changing!

Is “koushalya supraja…..” on your family’s regular playlist, and does it wake you up better than ANY alarm clock?

Well something like that, yeah!

Are your parents’ idols Rajini and Kamal (second only to Sivaji and MGR)?

Exactly!!

Everytime you meet another Iyer/iyengar of the opposite sex, are your parents thinking “what a cultured boy/girl…marriage potential?”

Not at all! I’m quite sure! But yeah eventually that stage will come..

Does your last name exceed the spaces allotted for standardized tests?

Well actually it didnt! But the reason was actually I messed up by giving part of my last name in the middle name section! And yeah, it is very common!

Does your family attach the words “di” or “da” to the end of every sentence for the added emphasis?

Absolutely!!

Do you know your gothram offhand?

Well yes of course!

Did you learn to sing or play carnatic music or bharthanatyam before you were 5?

I did! And it continued till I was in 8th.. Hope to continue learning in the future if possible!

Does your family rant and rave about aviyal?

Yes..

Did your parents emphasize the importance of “Maths” every time you did your homework?

Correct! Didnt know it is prevalent all over the brahmin community though!

Does your name have some deep-seated religious connotation?

It is derived from Sanskrit and is the name of the Lord

Have you phoned Uma on Pepsi Ungal Choice?

No, but my Mom used to “note” the saree color and choice of Uma and previously Shobana Ravi (Doordarshan news) regularly.

Does your family have a crush on Uma from Pepsi Ungal Choice?
N/A. This question is probably the only one that seems “Konjam over”!

Do you drink horlicks out of a tumbler?
Yeah I did!

Do you have to “apply” thengaai yennai to your hair on “velli kazhamais?”
Well only during Diwali it is insisted, but chinna vayasla, yes , I had oil baths often!

Do you and your family sit around and watch Super Vivek Comedies?
Absolutely!!