Long time no blogging.Thought of writing my Tamil Chemozhi Manaadu @ Coimbatore experience soon after it got over but then situ had it's own control over me preventing from writing .My usual excuse.Actually this post could have been better if i had written soon after chemozhi maanadu..Let me anyway give a try in capturing the complete essence of the sole enjoyment with the two weeks lag memory -fado- mania !!!
Our Tamil Computing Lab ,ComSci Dept ,Anna University,Chennai was supposed to put stalls to display our Tamil products like word games ,online dictionary,concept based search engines etc at Tamil Chemozhi maanadu.The whole journey right from head to tail was sheer enjoyment and enlightenment(???).
Lemme start the story from the head ,I mean our journey from Chennai to Coimbatore on 21.16.2010 at around 11 AM from Univ campus..We were totally nine members that includes, our Tamil Computing Lab staffs and students.Though the journey was bit tiresome as we took a tempo traveller but the enjoyment we had through out, made the journey vivid.Chit chatting ,pulling legs ,cracking jokes ,watching movie,even struggling to find a good restaurant turned out to be a fun.The journey ended at around 2 AM.
The next day 22.06.2010,it was a total opposite experience full of tension.There was so much of chaos and confusions in formalities in entering the Codisia ,the place where the maanadu took place.We had to struggle the whole day just to get a gate pass.U know of the sluggish government procedures.The next day 23.06.2010, was even worse.After having taken so much pains to get the gate pass,we got stuck up in traffic for nearly three hours due to big shots entry to Maanadu Inaugural function.The remaining day passed by putting up posters ,setting up stalls etc.
The next day 24.06.2010 our stalls were open to public.We were allocated three stalls .two for displaying our Tamil word games,Tamil Online Dictionary ,Tamil Text to video projects etc.The third was for our Concept based Tamil search.Celebrities right from CM,state/central government ministers visited our stalls .They were quiet happy with our products esp Tamil Online Dictionary www.agaraadhi.com .Try using it with firefox rather than IE.
I should really talk about the public here.Many children liked our games .But very few understood our concept based Tamil search.One thing that really surprises me is that, how mobile phones reached almost to every niche in the state, when computer is still a mystery to many.Credit goes to mobile phone designers ,I wud say.And really hats off to Cinema guys as they take so much pain to take it to the lay man. Of course business and making money is one side of the coin but still taking efforts in reaching a common man thru anything or any form is a tough challenge.Thats what I deciphered when I tried explaining our Concept Based Tamil Search Engine to many visitors.
Many interesting conversations,questions (relevant as well as irrelevant ) I had from visitors to our stalls.Here's the few .
Actually we had used projectors to display our Concept Based Search .One guy asked me ,"how is the projector working ?".After my answer I was eagerly waiting for him to ask about our Concept based search but he was quiet contented with the knowledge of how the projector was working.I thought that guy was far better when some one came to the stall only to ask,"what is the cost of the projector" .My usual thought in mind popped up,"ippove kanna kattuthe "
Most of the time there was no internet connection despite the fact that,I complained twice a day.This precluded us from showing the Concept Based Search completely.Some one came and asked ,"I want to know about kadaloor".I said right now internet is not working ,so just explained him the concept.After listening for almost ten minutes he said,"appo unga system work aagala .chumma vachurukeenga apdiithaana".I thought," sapaa mudiyala"
A similar kinda person approached me and asked and learnt how our search works .He too after ten minutes told,"appo ithu oru website avlothaana .ok thank u madam".
Actually our other two stalls had enthusiastic visitors .Only our Search system stall had meager visitors per day.
The other day a woman came very fast towards our stall and asked me ,"paapa romba kaal valikkuthu konjam chairla okaanthukkattumaa.I thought ,"athaaana paathen enga search system pathi therinjukka vegamaa vanthaangalonu".This woman was better than the other one who came to the stall just to ask if she can take the Tamil News papers on the table.They supplied Tamil news Papers twice a day to all stalls .So we had some visitors for taking News Papers daily.Two men came .One asked me if he can take the news paper.The other man who accompanied him told him ,"dai athu nethu paper da .freeya ethu kedachaalum edukrathaadaa ?".My mind was getting confused whether to weep or grin.
A police man came to the stall and asked me ,"neenga anna universitiya ?".I said."aama sollunga ".He said," thambi university enga irukku ?"I told to myself,"kadipottathukku mikka nandri ".He left the stall and came back to say ,"sorry sister kochukaatheenga .chumma velayattuku".udane naanu ,"ithu veraya?empa polisu unakku velayaada aale kedaikalayaa?"(manasukkulanga ...neenga vera.naangalaam veetla puli veliyila elinga ")
And yeah many asked me when is the counselling and what are the degree courses offered in Anna University CEG,Chennai.I should have prepared myself to such questions instead of wasting time in picking up and testing good queries to show case our search system to the public.
But I was really surprised to see many enthusiastic police men and women to visit the stall and ask about the search system.The system was tourism domain specific so they all were eager to know about their home town through our search system.A police man visited our stall to know the tamil equivalent word of petrol.I told him ,"I dont know but will let u know later".I just forgot about that totally.I was agaped to see him the same day evening.I told him the answer the next day.It is ,"Kal ennai or Kal nei " it seems.
Last two days ,I was in the Tamil word games stall .I was actually aiming at calling the kids and play the word game.Our BE students had designed a word game called ,"Mirigina Jumbo "which is nothing but a jumbled Tamil word game.Many kids were enjoying that.One kid asked me ,"akka naan gamela win panna intha lap toppa prize sa kudupeengala?".thirupyium manasukkula ,"athu seri chinna pulla mothakondu nammala kalaaykkuthunu nenachukuten".
Our team gave interviews on Makkal TV,Polymer TV and FM Rainbow.
After giving interiview to Polymer TV ,I asked him when this will get broad casted.He said in today night and tomo morning news.I asked him if this TV will get tuned in TATA sky.He said no.I asked if it will get tuned in cable TV.He said there is some prob due to sumangali cable vision.Vivek's comedy mindukku vanthathuthaan micham,"yaarume illaatha kadaila yaarukkuppaa tea aathura?".Despite these facts two reported me that they saw the interview on TV.Romba santhosham.
The other day ,a messing-up-technology was implemented by me.Din get it uh?sothapalsathaan apdi sonen.I actually planned to take a snap of CM when he crossed our stall.When I was about to click ,CM smiled accompanied with the namaskaaram gesture.I dropped clicking and tried namaskaaram.With the Cam in hand, at last ended up messing both clicking and namaskaaram coz CM crossed so fast as he came in a battery car.Suba always rock in messing up things.Anything and Everything I can mess up.Atlast I could only take a snap of the Bomb Detecting Dog that comes before hand to CM visit !!!
Off Stalls ,we had a gala time in the lodge with our team mates .Surprise package was the songs sung by our professor RP mam.It was truly a treat to ears.We went to Marudhamalai temple and climbed around thousand steps and lost the Gym-miss-guilty feel.It would be insane if i miss the names of the team here.Ladies first ...Uma mam,Sabeetha,Revathy,Shanthi,Kiruba,Balaji,Chezhiyan,Tamizh and ofcourse me.Its a wonderful team.Touch wood!!!
Still feel like writing more about the trip but not wanting to test the patience of the reader.So winding up with the upcoming last line.On the whole it was a fun filled experience to cherish through out..
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