About Me

Schooling was with the Children's Garden till my fifth standard, 6th standard onwards with The Hindu Senior Secondary School in Indira Nagar, 11th and 12th on a home study module.

This non compulsion on attendance gave me a lot of time to learn a few other things unlike most youngsters who are caught up in the rum drum of full time schooling and overtime tuition schedules. I learnt german during this time with the Max Mueller Bhavan, finished all the 6 levels and got a certificate from there. I got to do some translation for a few companies and I continue to do so now and then. I did those certificate courses from NIIT and SSI in Web designing though now I dont quite remember what I learnt.

During school, I worked for sify.com, erstwhile satyamonline for carnaticmusic. com. Of course I was not on the rolls but I think I worked there for more than 10 months. Then I left there thanks to my school exams and thereafter joined a company called studentconcepts.org. Worked with them on a very short time as they wanted to network with schools and colleges and they thought I would be good since I was still in school! Finally I had to give in all my attention to my budding career in the Film Industry. I have had a good interest in writing though it hasn't gone farther than my journal that I used to maintain once upon a time and a very rare creative writing competition in school. Then I lost patience with writing my diary. One needs to be very persistent to write a journal, and I realised I was not, but I must hasten to add, that is only as far as the journal is concerned. Now I write for www.chennaionline.com. I have my very own column which they have very graciously called Chinmayi's Choice and I write about the eat outs in Chennai.

I could choose my own set of subjects in NOS, so along with commerce and accountancy, I chose psychology. My interest in Psychology drove me to major it for my UG from The University of Madras. I intend to pursue with a Masters in the same subject. Want to be called a Dr. some day and I hope I persevere and complete my Ph.D.

I am fluent with English, Tamil, Telugu, Hindi, German and French and have a working knowledge in Spanish, Malayalam, Punjabi.

I have been training in classical music ever since I was a child and have learnt under my mother and Guru Mrs. T Padmasani. I am trained in both Hindustani and Carnatic Classical forms. I had always wanted to learn dance but I was not too much into Bharatanatyam. So I learnt Odissi with Kshama Rau ji, I couldn't have wished for more, but she recently shifted base to Bangalore and since then my learning dance has come to a pause. But my arangetram or the first official stage performance in both Music and Dance will happen soon, God Willing.

I love reading, usually non fiction and my favourite authors are Paulo Coelho, Richard Bach, Michael Sparks, Brian Weiss, and my all time favourite books will be the Alchemist, Message in a bottle, Swami Rama, Autobiography of a Yogi, Mejda, books on paranormal happenings - UFOs and stuff that are unexplained by the very limited dimension of science. When I pick up a book I seldom keep it down until I have finished it. And No, I haven't read any Harry Potter. But I haven't missed any of the Amar Chitra Katha. I must say here that ACK s are a must for any kid as it gives a very strong foundation on the basics of India and quiz me anytime on this and I will land with a 10/10. Archie's and Tinkle shall remain in my all time favourites too .. tee hee..

I love watching movies, though I must admit that its a recently acquired craze. My favourites here will be Forrest Gump, Life is beautiful, Shakespeare in Love, LOTR, Anjali, Kannathil Muthamitaal (but of course!) and a few more.

I like swimming otherwise and don't actually engage in physical activity other than this and dancing.

Food........ I love Indian, Chinese and Thai, usually anything spicy and tangy. I pig out on ice creams and chocolates, though no one can believe it looking at me. I only hope and pray that all the fat I have consumed to this date, don't decide to show up when least expected. I know then, that I would have to sweat each damn gram out. Of course, this prediction that my mother has for me now and then, doesn't deter me.

Other routine stuff about me will be in my blogs. Check 'em out.