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Am back! Or so I hope!

Postponing writing post after post will result in the blog becoming like how mine has – a blog getting updated once in a blue moon. But more than that, something you very badly wanted to write about once might become insignificant/out-dated at the present moment when you finally find the time or get the urge to write. I have a looot of unfinished posts in my drafts! Besides there is a chance that you might now not be able to write something the way you initially wanted to. I hate seeing my blog in this state. So, starting from today, I am going to seriously try to restore this blog to how it was quite a few months earlier. Let’s see how it goes…

P.S.: I was thinking whether to post this or not. But I wasn’t interested in postponing posting it either 😉

Sowmya’s Concert

At Sastri Hall on 24th October

Accompanists:
B.U.Ganesh Prasad – Violin
Manoj Siva – Mridangam

List of Songs:
1. varnam – Sankarabharanam
2. nArada gAna – Atana – Swarams at nArada gAna
3. sandehamunu – Ramapriya – Alapana; neraval at varamunu
4. kumaran tAL – Yadukulakambhoji
5. Sri guruguha pAlitOsmi – Padi – swarams at Sri guruguha
6. koluvaiyunnADe – Bhairavi – Alapana; neraval & swarams at manasu ranjilla
tani Avartanam
7. vagalADi – Behag
8. yAr pOi solluvAr – Todi
9. bhoolOka kumAri – Bhimplas (Bharatiyar’s composition in Sanskrit)
10. tillAna – Purnachandrika? (Don’t remember)
11. mangaLam – Sowrashtram

Overall, a good concert. I liked nArada gAna lOla and Sri guruguha pAlitOsmi the most.

Music & Yoga

Today morning, I discovered what a great combo the two make to begin the day with. Anandabhairavi varnam, santAna rAmaswAminam and Sri rAmam – 3 very, very beautiful compositions made extra pleasing by T.M.Krishna’s voice and superb singing were what gave me company while I was doing yoga and made the already rejuvenating experience an even better one. After going for class for the last several months, I have now gained the confidence that not only will I be able to do yoga on my own, but I will also do it regularly. Thanks to my laziness, being regular was what I was/am a bit concerned about. But now that I have discovered the joy of yoga+music, I guess my laziness will automatically be driven away.

Sights and Sounds of nature!

Voiceless version of Worldspace theme is playing. As I look out of the window of the bus, I see a group of about 20-30 birds flying over some backwaters (or is it not backwater?). The scene somehow looks beautiful. Within a few seconds, I see another group of birds flying, those together forming a V-shape. Voiceless version of worldspace theme has already ended and even as I am enjoying the sights of nature lost in Rahman’s music, the same theme with voice plays and I hear Rahman say, ‘It’s the sound of nature. If you listen carefully, there’s music in everything.’ 🙂 Moments like these are what make life beautiful, even if only for a few fleeting seconds, even when nothing else is going great in life. Thank you yet again, Rahman!

Life

Life is so very unpredictable and filled with shocking happenings causing harsh realities which you never bring yourself to accept. And yet it goes on as usual, as though nothing at all happened! All those wonderful, happy, fun-filled memories which you always knew you would have cherished for a lifetime suddenly become just that – just memories to cherish -, when you least expected it to happen. You know you will never get those good old days back ever again and that’s what is constantly there on your mind. Yet there are moments when that realization strikes you in full blow and that’s when it upsets you all the more and the pain and sorrow is back in full form. Life is good only when there is a balance between the amount of happiness and sorrow it gives. It isn’t easy to move on with life when it keeps showing its cruel side often and continues to give shock after shock.

PDND

It isn’t often that I keep PDND as my status message on GTalk. But every time I change my status to ‘PDND’, at least one person pings me & asks, ‘What’s PDND?’! Once, a Carnatic-music-crazy friend asked me, ‘Which raagam’s PDND (swarams) I am talking about’!! LOL! I think I should stop putting it as my status message.

P.S.: In case someone who doesn’t know what ‘PDND’ is, is reading this, it’s ‘Please Do Not Disturb’.

Happy Navaratri!

This is what has been keeping me busy for the past one week and this is what will keep me busy for the next few days. Happy Navaratri, everybody! Enjoy the festival season & the holidays that come along with too:)

P.G.Wodehouse’s Hot Water

I started reading this book sometime last month. But after crossing some 10-11 pages, I never got around to reading it at all. But that’s how it has been for the last few months. I start reading a book, get stuck at some page and after several unsuccessful attempts at trying to continue reading it, on one fine day, I suddenly get the urge to read it and then, finish reading the book within a day or two. In the case of this book, day before yesterday was the fine day when I finally resumed reading it. What a book it was! My liking for P.G.Wodehouse’s writing style seems to increase with every book of his I read. Be it the way he makes the plot more and more hilarious with each page, bringing in unexpected twists or even his description of how the weather is, I love it all.

‘Hot Water’ had the best set of unexpected twists in the story among the dozen or so books of Wodehouse that I have read. The clever way and ease with which Packy goes on weaving lie after lie, the bird’s eye view given by Wodehouse of what each of the more than 10 characters are doing at some point of time and not to forget that climax which totally took me by suprise! Oodles of laughter guaranteed! This book deserves another reading for sure, just for savouring Wodehouse’s brilliant writing once more.