Nothing to name it..

And SO I've finished the Ponniyin Selvan (P.S) Saga! Wowww what a series! :) Simplyyy Amazing. I really wish I was able to read Tamizh as fluently as english so I could read the original. Someday I will really try to read it and take it in one alphabet at a time. The author Kalki Krishnamurthy is GOD! A raconteur beyond comparison! I love the way he portrays his characters especially the real heroes of the book..A witty and mischievous Vandiyadevan, and a sly and clever Azhwarkadiyan Nambi! My life since last September has been revolving around these guys and their doings! And I've loved every word I ever read. I personally think writing a story based out of real characters in history is really difficult, especially if you want the ending of your story to be consistent with reality. (Otherwise you could play around with the ending like Tarantino did in Inglourious Basterds). You have very limited space to let your imagination run in terms of character portrayal and the story line. Yet Kalki Krishnamurthy has done a fannnntastic job in spinning the yarn which is why I think P.S is really great.
Try and read it if you are somebody that likes Raja-Rani stories! :)

With that.. I'm back to fantasy genre.. Farsala trilogy it is! Just started reading it.. Sounds a LOT like Tamora Pierce's Alanna.. Let's see.

And as for the other things in life.. the year's begun well! Thank You Dearest for that. Lots of travel happening...I'm getting to put more 'X's in my USA travelogue and I'm happy about that too. Plenty of reasons to be thankful and plenty more to surrender. More about that when the time's right!

I wonder why there's that streak in me.. rebelliousness. I can't accept somethings and be at peace with it. It goes in cycles.. that of acceptance and rebellion.. acceptance and rebellion. Some how I seem to have a problem somewhere. I'm just not able to accept him entirely. Mebbe its his doing as well.. but whatever. My two ears prop up.. I get defensive.. I charge like an angry bull. Yet when I hear him speak.. I tend to just shut up and think its true. I definitely think hes knowledgable.. his way of simplifying the complexities of life and teach u how to live is fabulous. But stilll... no.. I cant get to that extent of passionate following. I dont have a problem with it..and actually the funny thing is nobody does.. but its just me in my head trying to discern it..WHY? WHY can i not do it? Why can I not see it? I HATEEEE the fact that its soo business like! What do I say.. Pomona has pampered me a LOT. (Mebbe my faiths lie there entirely. And its a natural sense of possessiveness, defensivenes.. watever!) I also know that the things I'm involved in are free.. It doesn't pinch my wallet any more. But still I have that irritation..there's still that itch to find fault with them.. to blame them for making me spend a fortune. I know I can make good use of it. But when I want to.. the rebellion starts off. I hear them talk and Oh God.. my mind goes blank. I'm like I can't take it any more..and I feel like running away from the spot. Yet I agree that it has helped me.. his words have been a boon when I needed it. I diligently did take notes..and well now.. I'm looking forward to tomorrow when I can start off again. But.. there are still those But's.. which I wonder will ever go away. Probably the but's are supposed to remain so. And funnily enough mebbe all my life I am supposed to be following it and actually looking forward to it.. but not be able to admit it. Butttt NOOOOO..

ok seriously Im gonna let this war of thots continue in my head and carry on with other activities of my life!

Simply Surrender

I've preached so much about it. I still continue to advise others (especially my mom) to do it.. and finally now when I really am supposed to do it, I'm ABSOLUTELY not doing it. There's the fear of the unknown. Of what is going to happen, how it's all going to work out. And now instead of surrendering and being at peace, I'm trying to take it all in my head and figure out things on my own. When I've known to trust and believe for so long, why is it failing me now? I know its a temporary thing and it will pass..even this subconscious lack of surrendering .. but some how my mind chooses a state of nervousness over being at peace. I'd rather be pissed/frustrated/blah than simply remind myself of the power of surrender?? Why? I'm seriously at a loss of words. And it actually amuses me..the way my mind is working. All along I've never let stress get the better of me because when you know you're not the doer and you believe in fate, its a little easy to accept things that happen. (I know many of you probably disagree with that line of thought.. but like many others this post is for me) But now..nope just not happening!
So here's my auto-suggestive psyche boosting note to myself..
Dear me, calm down.. be at ease. All izzz well! :P Surrender. Simply Surrender. You've done it for so long. You can do it again. That is the ONLY thing that can work. You know it. Realize it and be at peace!
Thathasthu!

Yen Thalaivar Vazhga!

I think I was five or six when I first saw him on TV. Doordarshan used to screen tamil movies on sundays at 5 pm and every time I saw him on TV I used to go crazy...especially the movies of him as a cop wearing khakis. The Patti downstairs who used to "baby-sit" me while Amma was away at work on saturdays, used to always rent out Superstar movies so I could forget the fact that Amma was away.. and just be at peace and leave her at peace as well. And thats when Guru-Sishyan, Rajadhi Raja, Raja Chinna Roja, Panakkaran, Mannan happened. He was my superstar right then.. the man who could beat up everyone and anyone that did wrong. In my mind, he was the protector of the good and the destroyer of evils!! :) Style was the very word that set him apart.. right from dialogue delivery to his movements. I absolutely adored him. "Super star yarunnu ketta chinna kozhandaiyum sollum" was my all time fav! I had infact deified him so much as a kid, that everytime I saw a movie with an actor especially a woman struggling with the villains, I was always hoping for him to appear from somewhere in the sky and save the moment. He was almost comparable to Krishna in Draupadi's "Oh God, Save me" scene from the epic!! :)
When I was in my teens, I thought he didn't look good enough and I was always cursing my "bad taste". I always wondered, but had no idea why and how he was my super hero when I was a kid! I was more after good looks like any other teenage girl. And I even remember laughing at a friend for saying Basha was a smashing hit.. and another for saying that a guy down south had watched Annamalai 137 times, had tattoeed "Rajini thunai" in his arm and had named his son after the protagonist. I missed out all of the superr duper hits of that era! But then just after I went to Pilani, I watched Padayappa and thats when my enthu for Thalaivar sky rocketed again. I was spellbound. His dialogue delivery, his style, his persona and demeanor.. everything about him just floored me. I always got an adrenalin rush and could never stop whistling/screaming praises of him. I was ALWAYS left with goose bumps when I watched his movies. He was the perfect icon. It was absolutelyyyyyyyyyy magical to watch him. I knew I'd become a passionate fan (like "You mean fans?? No no Fanatics!" (Thillu millu)) :P
And what need be said about his real life... It is an ABSOLUTE inspiration for anyone who wills to achieve. He was a carpenter who turned into a coolie who then turned into a bus conductor before he became an actor who grew into a super star. A brief story of his life has been published in the 6th std CBSE textbook to teach children the meaning of achievement and success. He defines humility, modesty, gratitude, good will and nobility. IMHO, if there is one person who truly deserves the title of a SUPER STAR, then its him..and ONLYYY him.
I could keep going on and on about him... but I won't. I absolutelllllyy love the man for his talent. His movies have been watched-rewatched and watched again a zillion times by me and a million others like me. Dialogues (and mods in the dialogues) like "Indha naal un calendar la kurichu vechhukko (Annamalai)", "Yenakkul thoongikittu irukkara singatha thattii ezhupitta (Annamalai)", "Koodave porandhadhu, ennikkum pogadhu (Padayappa)", "Ulleeee Po (Basha)", "Yenna nee yen nanban da (Thalapathi)" among many others are memorable for the very passion they exude. Im crazy about him and I'm actually very very proud of it. Period.
Thalaivaaaa.. as you turn 60 here's a prayer for your good health and happiness. True to the dialogue.. "Vayasaanalum un stylum azhagum innum onna vittu pogala!" May you never lose that charm and charisma!
Thalaivar vazhga! Thalaivar padam vazhga! :)

PS: Will never forget my fight with some aunties in a theater in NJ after watching Sivaji.
http://akaaraha.blogspot.com/2007/06/athiradeee-kaaran.html
:D :D

Dream on..

And I dream on.
I think of all the traveling I would like to do. Writing of course.. not that any one would care to read it. But come on.. when the words fall right into place in a smooth flow.. when you don't even have to pause and think, but the words just keep coming.. penning your thoughts is simply one of the most wonderful things to do! (Reminds me of a conversation with a friend... you write for yourself much more than writing to be read! Writing can give you a joy like no other..) And of course, music. Lots of it. It would be a fun life.. a nice combination of all 3. Of course if only I'd have the time for all that and loadsa money to do all that traveling.....
But still it doesn't hurt to dream on.. does it? I love the childishness associated with it. It's fun to dream .. what will I be when I "grow up"? What will I do when I'm done with this? Or what next? Mebbe I may do it all.. or mebbe none at all. But still.. building castles in the air does let you dream passionately. It's more fun to dream than to even achieve it! :)

And on a totally different context, here's my thanksgiving note..
Enjoyed a beautiful evening on my own in my third home (Pomona)! A wonderful concert. Great food. And the fact that He's so close. I love it. I'm thankful for it all. Thank you!

I wonder..

I'm wondering.. what is the best way to deal with a situation where you know some one has talked crap about you? Do you still try and entertain that person? Or do you shut yourself up from the person forever? I've always believed in giving people the benefit of doubt.. but some times I wonder if its worth it. Is it worthwhile to let yourself be sorta exposed to the person so that he/she may pass his/her judgments and comments about you behind your back? Or do you just forget about whatever they said and try to continue the friendship thinking its just another rough.. pretending that everthing's fine and everyone's happy? Hmmmm.. I have cases where I've done both.. staying away and being good friends with people that I know were actually in fact mean to me behind my back. Not surprisingly, some of my close people can never see eye to eye with my "still good friends" policy after a scar! I don't know.. either I'm just being stupid.. or I'm being too 'Gandhian' for my own good by giving people the benefit of doubt. But sometimes I find snapping out a little too hard to do.
Aha! Thats ironic and I'm amused! :)

PS: Some parts of the post are meant to be understood only by me!

The Gods are truly crazy!!

I really think the Gods out there are crazy. I'm amused at the way He designs things and people and situations. Well, most of the times I feel that people are just pawns being moved by circumstances and fate or destiny or supernatural or God's will.. whatever be the name you'd like to give it. Sometimes I think maybe He really feels bored up there in his perfect world and to amuse Himself He creates "problems" and "difficulties" in people's lives, so that at least if a few people call Him back to sort out the knots, He can become busy! Crazy strategy to keep yourself busy, right? If you really watch your life indifferently from a third person's perspective.. you'll realize it's quite funny. The problem is we get so engrossed in our issues that we find no time to realize that there is a lot of humor even amidst all our problems. And recently I've begun to believe that while actually playing around, He likes to play with one toy a little more than the others. That probably explains why some people go through a lot of difficulties at one point of time than the others!! It will seem like there's this whole load of insurmountable problems to deal with.. not just one or two. But IMHO, it wouldn't be wrong to think of yourself as lucky if you find yourself in a situation like that.. piled under a mountain of issues! It's more like you are the chosen one.. the attractive toy that He is playing around with momentarily. So the next time you find yourself in a difficult situation, be happy. Because it means He has picked you.. and sooner or later the time will pass and things will change.. and He will sort things out for you (shower His grace, throw in a few miraculous moments here and there..) and pick sumone else! Of course, it would make life a lott easier for Him too if he were to just give everyone what they want, and make the world happy.. but well don't we already know it.. The Gods are really crazy! :D

My two cents worth..

Book series of the week - Ponniyin Selvan.
One word - AMAZING! A fictional story based on real historical characters of the Chozha dynasty. Considered the magnum opus of Kalki Krishnamurthy. Translated by C.V. Karthik Narayanan. A story about kings and conspirators and a fight for the throne. Powerful characters and a very strong story line. Finished volume I of this 5 volume series. The translator has retained some of the phrases and structure of sentences as they occur in the Tamil original novel. In some cases, the translation is a little crude (you can really imagine it being written better in Tamil.. especially some poetic lines.. or parts full of heroism!). But for somebody who would like to get a feel of the story and the "Tamizhness" associated with the epic, this is a fairly good place to start. I am loving the nice change from the usual English books I read. Now I'm really tempted to read Sivagamiyin Sabadham and Parthibhan Kanavu .. other works by this great writer Kalki. Wish I knew my language better to be able to read the original!


Movie of the week - Wake up Sid!
Thoroughly enjoyed the movie. Everything ...from the story, the characters, dialogues, Konkana's wardrobe, aesthetic designs in the settings and props, to the final proposal actually caught my attention. I think its a good entertainer and a proper feel good movie. A few of my friends did find it a little slow.. but I really loved it.

And She's done.. what a feeling! :)

I want to capture this moment before it passes. My best girl friend for the past 4 years has just defended her thesis! She and I joined school together, walked the streets of Harrison and Newark together, took the SAMEEE classes and courses, liked the samee profs, enjoyed the same lectures, sat next to each other during every single class, cribbed about our PhD's, turned to spiritualism to help us, stood by each other... and now she is done. Shes a "Dr". And the reason I'm blogging is because I'm so dammnnn thrilled for her. I feel esctatic like I've finished the degree myself!
Seriously what a feeling! I was/am sooo proud of her.
She got emotional when she read the acknowledgements in her last slide. And when she actually thanked Sonal and me for being with her thru her ups and downs.. both of us felt sooo emotional ourselves. To all those Olive Garden dinners that have witnessed our whines and laughters! :)
It's an amazing feeling when someone very close to you finally achieves the one thing they were struggling for, for several years! If you get a chance, be a part of it!

And a thesis defense is really like being a bride for an hour! You get all the attention.. your prof showers all those praises on you, the whole audience is waiting for you.. and you are THE centre of attention! :) One of my mostt cherished moments. I'm glad I'll have atleast 2 more chances to experience it again.. my sister's and my own!

Cheers Ms. Rane! :)

Chop Chop..

I look into the mirror and I like what I see.
Amy Adams has been an inspiration. And what I sport now is the combination of she in "Julie and Julia" and "Night at the museum".
Was off with 2 inches of my already short hair the last weekend. And my partner in crime.. the Californian .. (or was I hers??).. while mom dearest kept cribbing as usual about our "American hairdos". Quote -unquote... Yen di ippadi rendu perum Americans maadri aayindu irukkel. Namellam Indians. Nalla mudi valathukkongo diiiiii :)
It's a refreshing feeling to get rid off the 'tresses' once in a while. You feel lighter..buoyant is the word! Boy like.. yet feminine with the layers! Its fun. A refreshing change that instantly makes you feel and look younger!

Must Read

1. In answer to my previous post, I just found that there's a book titled "The palace of Illusions" by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni where she traces Panchaali's life.
And here's the list of reviews from the author's website -

http://www.chitradivakaruni.com/books/palace_of_illusions
Should try to get this book and read it.

2. Awaiting me back at home is the first 3 volumes of "Ponniyin Selvan". Heard lots about it. Can't wait to read it.

3. Rick Riordan's Percy Jackson and the Olympians Series! Fantasy genre.

I wonder..

Ever wondered what it would be like if the Mahabharata were written with Draupadi as the narrator and the entire story being her perspective?
I've been thinking about it for the past few days.. musing over all the incidents that actually happen to Draupadi and all the predicaments she faces as a woman. How did it feel to be soo close to God? In my opinion, she is an epitome of pure devotion to God and she is the perfect example of true surrender. Lord Sri Krishna was her best friend and mentor. Apart from that, how would she have felt when, in her Swayamvar while several kings could not lift up the bow, Karna, the son of a "mere" charioteer managed to lift it and string it? What was it like to be treated like an object and introduced to her mother-in-law as bheeksha..and what did it feel like to be cheated and married to 5 men, while she garlanded only one? What must have been her mental trauma when she realized that she was pawned again like an object in a game of dice.. and was called a whore that slept with 5 men and nearly stripped in a court despite her husbands and grandfather and the king being present?
Draupadi, I think is the real heroine of the Mahabharath. She is a very strong and powerful character.. vain, proud, strong, wanting to avenge the injustice meted to her and highly devoted. When her husbands lose focus of the war towards the end, she reminds them of her promise that she will not wash/comb her hair until Dushasan's blood touches her tresses. She is an icon of feminity and female strength.
I think it may be interesting to read a feministic view of the great epic!

Much Ado about Nothing

All of the "nothings" in the past week that I'm making a fuss about...

1. The saga of finding an apt-mate. OMG tiresome! Its either a girl who would rather stay in her cousin's place, or a girl that likes the apt but her dad doesn't, or a girl who wants to move in tommorrow (while the apt is available at the end of the month), or another who is thinking twice about moving 'cos the apt is in the third floor, or another who likes the place but can't afford the rent and so would like find another person! And every single time, you haveta clean the apt and take time off to be in the house for people that might even show up an hour and a half later than the specified time on a weekday afternoon!

2. And while you run around taking care of rapidly breeding animals and your apt needs, there will be that absolutely nosy can't-help-but-gossip-and-comment- coworker of yours that well.. can't help but gossip and comment about your absence from your supposed work-place. Annoying to the very end. And well.. quite like me to be actually bothered and lose my sleep (on a saturday morning) over the silly lady's comment!
Ah women I tell you!

3. And then thankfully there will be some women who can help revive your spirits and make you feel good in a few minutes time.. like say Meryl Streep, Amy Adams and the one Nora Ephron, with movies about women that revive their lives and spirits by cooking. Not that I'm a huge fan of cooking.. (although I definitely am impressed and inspired by Julie & Julia's cook-to-beat-stress attitude!).. but the movie motivates people like me to try achieve Something in the blogging world! (wrong reason huh? but well the movie does inspire you to have a short-term goal and achieve it!!)

4. So finally when its time to spend my precious saturday night doing something fruitful (like blogging)...I end up trying to figure out new templates for my blog site.. only to end up getting confused about html and xml codes and finding no template that actually matches my requirement and so I stick on to my silly old template! But the amount of time spent on it = 3.5 hours, in which time anyone could have even generated their own template from scratch.. while all I had to do was modify some pre-exisiting templates to insert some widgets! Talk about having a million ways to squander time!

Tea time

Each cup of tea represents an imaginary voyage. ~Catherine Douzel

Strange how a teapot can represent at the same time the comforts of solitude and the pleasures of company. ~Author Unknown

For me its always tea not coffee!
I know its probably absurd being a tam-bram or simply a tamilian and being unaware of words like "Madras kaapi", Filter kaapi! I have no idea how coffee tastes..and well many people claim I'm missing something HUGE in life. But I personally feel no loss when I have tea for company!
Tea has a charm of its own.
You can drink tea at any time of the day or night and you'll always find a cuppa tea to suit your mood unlike coffee which I think is drunk to mainly get the caffeine shot and to stay awake.

Here's a few examples -
When I need to keep my eyes wide open for an all-nighter: Grate pieces of ginger into boiling water and add black tea powder and milk and sugar. Voila. The perfect OMMMGGGGG feeling when you have Ginger snaps to go with the Ginger Chai. You feel euphoric as the caffeine kicks your nerves and gets your heart pumping faster.

The lazy saturday afternoon with a relaxing book and when its ok if you fall asleep on your bed over the warm lighting of the bedside-lampshade: Have a cuppa herbal tea - Rooibos Lemon, Green tea or the ever delicious Mate tea. The warm smell of the tea will do its job of relaxing you and putting you into your best siesta while you dream away of that old English country-side and horses and barns! Awesome.

And at other times, when you don't want the heaviness of ginger chai, but yet you want the caffeine to keep you awake.. get the tea and add lemon and honey! Oh my.. you'll realize there's nothing to worry in life as the tea and honey brings about optimism and hope back into you! You'll absolutely relish it.

And well needless to say, nothing like a good-looking, graceful tea-pot, ornate and oriental to go with that cuppa tea while you sit out in the lawns relaxing and enjoying the trees and birds around you! Simply perfect :)

Venusian Read...

OKAY.. I finally did decide to step in here and dust the cobwebs. Been actually wanting to write a lot about many different things... especially straight off my Asian travelogue.. But of course I didn't move my lazy ass! And well, as I was traveling thru those amazing places I didn't quite have access to the internet! So they remain memories and shall remain so until I decide to pen them another time...
But just to get started on this site again.. there's something I waana write about.

Alohaa! I FINALLY read the first book of the saga - Twilight! :) And my.. I really did enjoy it!

Several months back, on one of my regular surfings of thehindu.com, I found this "ad" asking people which series was better... Harry Potter or Twilight. Now me being the proudddddddd Potter maniac couldn't help but try and gather more information about this other series that actually dared to compete with the almighty! And I went to Stephenie Meyer's website and tried to find out what the fuss was all about. I gathered that she was talking about a teenage heroine who fell in love with a vampire hero! I was quite surprised that even after a movie had come out, I was still very unaware of this series.
And then I posted it on my FB profile that I wanted to read the book asap.. and well the responses I got were mostly positive. Most of my girl friends agreed that the book was very much "unputdownable" and that Edward was REALLY cute! And a few others also wanted to read it as they'd heard lots about it. Soon afterwards another one of my friends sent me all the 4 e-books (having read them after all that hullabuloo in my profile! :) But me and e-books.. quite sum distance apart. And so finally after several months I finally went to the public library and I got the book.
P who read the book before me told me that it was like reading a Nancy Drew.. and he didn't know why it was such a big deal. I just accepted his opinion and couldn't wait to start on it myself.
I started the book yesterday.. and well I must agree, I so enjoyed reading the book. I loved the author's style of writing. It is the typical teen chick flick, but I totally liked it. The hero is so absurdly heroic being a protective vampire, but at the end of the day I did find him cute. I was infact lost in thoughts imagining how it'd be having a vampire for a boy-friend!! Eeks! :D Talk about reading teenage books and becoming the inane teenager urself! :D (And I MUST add.. I've never touched a Mills-n-Boon ever in my life.. and am definitely not the dreamy romantic) Never-the-less, this book was a good read and I can't wait to lay my hands on the other books in the series.
It's definitely a girl's book. Talking about the venusians loving the book.. I read an "FML" in fmylife.com
"Today, my girlfriend dumped me proclaiming she wanted someone more like her "Edward". I asked her who Edward was. She held up a copy her "Twilight" book. She was talking about a fictional vampire. FML"

ROFL! That's the impact the book and "Edward" seem to be having on sum dumb kids! :D Poor martians I say!

One brilliant Concert..

I am at a loss of words to describe the feeling I get when I listen to Yanni. Only this time I was in a Yanni Voices - live Concert. And OMG what a show it was! :)
I've been following Yanni's tours on his website right from the beginning of this year and was super excited when I knew about his concert in NYC-NJ. And to make things perfect I got a pretty good deal on the tickets! So there I was driving down 240 miles to Atlantic City just to listen to Yanni and ofcourse it turned out to be one of the best concerts ever!
I was a little skeptical that it might be wierd listening to voices in an instrumental piece you've grown up listening to. Thankfully, it wasn't true! Most of the songs were really good with the voices. They blended in perfectly with the music. But for some songs, the voices kinda overshadowed the instruments. But even then, I found it thoroughly enjoyable. I had goose bumps right from the time I walked into the hall, and not to forget a small tear of joy.
But what will remain unforgettable about this concert was the finale. The singers crooned "Niki Nana" and the energy of the song got translated to the crowd. People were cheering loudly and when the whole ensemble of singers and the instrumentalists on stage gathered together, people thought it was the last song and gave a standing ovation. While few started to descend out of the hall, our man started playing Acroyali/standing in motion immediately followed by Nostalgia. The crowd went hysteric and cheered like they would lose their lives if they didn't. Yanni came up to the mic after the song and yelled .. "Don't you guys waana go home"? When everyone yelled back a strong Noooo.. he just said "Neither do we. This one's the storm". By the time he said that, the crowd was a frenzy and as for me I had goose bumps all over. It was simply PERFECT and made me happy that a long-cherished dream of going to a Yanni - Live concert was finally fulfilled.

Request for an answer..

Dear Void...
There's so much resistance. I close my eyes hoping to feel better.. to feel refreshed and energized.. to enjoy the bliss and tranquility that so many seem to have experienced. But for me, its just ANGER. Lots & lots of displeasure. Feverishness. It chews me up and makes me want to get an answer all the more. And I open my eyes, and decide I can't do it. Way too much inertia. I feel happier when I don't do it. I feel at my own steady state of peace.
I can't go on like this. And to be honest, I'm shocked at my reaction and feelings. I usually open up to thee really soon, but here I can feel the block... the turbulence. So before you drive me away completely from the joy that lies within, gimme the answer. Direct this to the One responsible..and gimme the answer I seek. Please....

Kutcheri after aeons

After what seems like years, I managed to attend a full fledged kutcheri here in the US. I can't believe this is my first one in my 5 year stint in this country. :O
Neyveli Santhanagopalan is an excellent singer and an amazing Guru. Ever since I saw his program Sa Ri Ga Ma Pa on Jaya TV, I've wanted to be under his tutelage. In fact if things had not worked out for me in the USA (my P.S and PhD n stuff..), I had plans of settling down in Chennai and becoming his student. He has an in-depth knowledge of carnatic music, and he seems to make sure his students know what they are doing when they singing a Krithi. In the show, he always explains to his students (and the audience) the meaning of the song implying indirectly where there should be more bhavam and Bhakthi. He also tells them the structure and intricracies of the ragam they are singing.. where the gamakas are beautiful.. so on and so forth.
In yesterday's concert, he was his usual self.. informal and very interactive with the audience. He had apparently promised a "jolly" concert in the beginning and that was how it turned out to be. He had varali (Kaa vaa vaa), Ranjani (Dun Marga cha ra), Deva Gandhari (Ksheera Sagara Sayana), RTP in Nalinakanthi (Nalinakanthi - Durbari kanada - Sahana) in his booty.
For me, the very feeling of listening to a cutcheri after such a long time, and that too with highly musically inclined company was just blissful! :) Reminded me that I should not lose touch with carnatic music/singing and forget the treasure that was once such an important part of my childhood.
Awaiting the next kutcheri - Sowmya on May 2nd.

And its April already..

• I can't believe the fourth month of the new year is gonna start! Well, the year isn't so new anymore. But why haven't the flowers bloomed yet? It's still very cold. I see buds trying to decide whether or not to bloom up and rid the trees of the bareness. But seems like this year is gonna be slow. The talk is of global warming but I seem to see a lot of global cooling... its been one of my worst winters.
  
• Lab wise - AHA season starts and all the madness with it. You start breeding all the different mice hoping to generate some crazy bigenics. And after a 21 day gestation period, hopefully you will end up with pups, which after another 21 days may be weaned. Every one is rushing about for echo dates! "Data" is the one thing every one in the department is after!
• The economy still seems to show no signs of improvement. Unemployment still on the high! I hope things change at the earliest.
  
• Meanwhile, my craze to do different things still continues. To get a dog at the earliest. To spend an evening painting/coloring. To learn to play the keys (read fumble around till I can get the tune). To spend every weekend doing something fun (that's probably one thing I am doing!!). To go traveling around. To write something totally "out of the box". To become an avid reader that feels like her life is going to end if she doesn't finish the book. Ofcourse all I can do right now is just Siggggggggggghhhhh! Plenty of desires. But no clue how to make them all a reality.

Observations

Here's my jotting in sheer vettiness..

1. I seem to have changed a LOT over the years. I'm doing things I never thought I would do. And I've let go of things I never dreamed possible.

2. Truth 1 - Ignorance is bliss. At times it's better to not know everything. I went sniffing around under a strong hunch and discovered some of the worst possible stuff! I felt shallow and small like never before in my life!

3. I have visited NYC more in the past 2 months (don't forget its peak winter!!) than I have in 4 years of stay in the NJ area. Visited the MET, went to my 3rd Broadway musical (Mary Poppins - was sheer brilliance), went on an amazinggg lunch cruise in the Hudson, and a circus in Madison square Garden! There's something or the other that comes up every weekend that fascinates me, and I have quite forgotten that I should actually be working at least 6 days a week.

4. Both the church and the temple serve holy water. In the temple(especially Vishnu temples), "theertham" is given in the Sannidhi/Sannidhanam (Sanctum sanctorum) after worship of the God, whereas in a Roman Catholic Church there is a small cup (Baptismal font) of holy water thats placed in the entrance of the church. In a temple, you drink the theertham and stroke your hair with it. In a church, you bless yourself by making a sign of the crucifix on your forehead.

5. Ashtavakra Gita (a discourse of 33 tapes as part of the Art of Living foundation) is a life changing experience definitely. But there is still a lot of resistance in me in accepting some things, especially the Guru!!

6. I realize I want to henceforth start writing properly, not omitting the capital letters or apostrophes!! This one's an attempt.

Ok, more to come later. For now Monsieur Hercule Poirot beckons.