The year gone by - 2012

Take the plunge – you may never find out otherwise. Life is a bitch and a fairy tale! All depends on perspective! Wise people have often said the same things and crystallized the essence of life into simple one lines! Humans indignantly battle this truth and finally almost like a prophecy coming true, realization strikes! But experience we must. This year has been about experiencing a new home, writing lesser than I had promised to, chasing a few dreams, giving up a few and about simplifying my life. I have been displaced a lot more from my beliefs about belonging, purpose and desire. Primarily reconciling to the fact that physical confines and boundaries are merely a way of looking at a world setup in the medieval times. Purpose can be found in solemn dreams and desire can be fulfilled inside one self. The most notable aspect of this year was the musical journey. Structure strangely creates an unforced restrain in creativity which makes the pursuit almost exponentially more charming. All these years I just knew sounds that added beats to tunes, now I know how to just look at time as a new dimension that can dance a ballad with musical notes. I discovered so many new people, made so many new strong bonds and formed a queer new bond with myself. I am happy for 2012 has ended and I have several new impressions to add to my personality. How though will 2013 turn out? We shall see.

Involuntary Hiatus

Back after a break with nothing besides the paltry details of social interactions, Musical Realizations, True breaks a fortnight spent with the viruses of sorts to talk about.

Life in London continues to be good, socially hectic and artistically liberating. Decided to drop off 6 inches of hair today just for no good reason. Shopped in between. But most importantly made friends with my tabla all over again. Its interesting how restarting from scratch in some relationships can be a richer and more complete experience of sorts.

I have started to like patterns and algorithms which help me understand the rhythm! Playing with words is a new found pass time. 'Letting Go' is a new art I have learned. So lots has happened in this involuntary hiatus. I was not away doing just nothing!

London - Without a camera

Be it on the pretext of having friends around or just because the weather has been warm - I have ended up discovering a few things about London. Unfortunately, I have not carried a camera to click some of the most beautiful moments!

British Museum - A place one can spend days in. Walk down any tube station and you will be surrounded by a picture. I was almost seeing this image in my dream. Love the photograph. Trying to discover the photographer of the same.

However, the best part of the British museum (the only part I had time to explore) - was the theme of Living and Dying. This was a room describing experiences of suffering in everyones life and how as humans we find the innate ability to fight suffering and live. What I loved about this was the true stories and the realism that exists. I was surprised to find a piece of art by women in Gujrat who had embroidered on raw silk images about AIDS awareness. Pictures that depicted how it spreads, what people should avoid and really cute pictures of condoms being distributed in the mix.  There was also a master piece of a sheet that spread a few meters which had 14,000 medicines weaved into it (apparently the number of medicines an average Britisher would consume through the cycle of life). It then had small stories for each phase of life and real artefacts beneath like a masked story. Beautifully done.
On a side note, I was not that impressed by the Olympic medals which were displayed for the upcoming olympics:-d

Barclays Cycle Hire: Been wanting to use the Barclays cycle hire more. However ended up usually taking it for a casual ride to Regents park mostly. This time tried to pick it up and ride to Greenwich (17 miles ride). The scheme seems to be expensive at the outset especially if using for more than a few hours. Cycles are not maintained all that well. Its your best bet if you want to occasionally use it to get from point A to B. However if you do cycle extensively,  I would recommend buying a bicycle.
Cycling on a lovely sunny day: However the experience of cycling on a lovely sunny day was awesome. Riding through the lanes of London made me realize how much this city has to offer in every corner. The Savoy, Shaftesbury Avenue, Eataries along Noel Street and the Somerset house are places I will go back to. Makes me wonder - what is it about us humans that makes us so curious about stories of the past? Context probably is what makes everything worth it. Be it a piece of music, a piece of art or a ruin in the middle of the city. Loved Cutty Sark and would certainly want to go back for the thames riverside walk all the way down to the London Eye. I want to climb up the 316 steps of the monument and get the best view of London and go down to the Pudding Lane which was the origin of the fire in 1666! Just so much to take in and discover!

More next time with pictures hopefully.

Hope you are all having a lovely time exploring the stories around your places.

Bookmarks

Often when reading a book, we want to pause, sip on coffee or just ponder. Bookmarks were probably invented with a reason. I watch a movie. Then the intermission comes in drawing the part to a logical conclusion. Life is full of such pauses too. Important days - Birthdays, New Years, Anniversaries are all about pausing, breaking our life into parts. I guess these days just don't do it for me. Hence, I am off on a self imposed pause. Call it a vacation, a trip home or just a way to break away from a non-routine to find a way to come back to one.

I know the weeks ahead are full of a lot of pauses, bookmarks and events. Marriages/Birthdays and just re-unions or wasteful days. I have not yet unwound myself in its anticipation. I guess I will just go with the flow and see if I will get back to the book or pick it up years later to find I had left a book mark some time long ago and then flip back a few pages to start again.

November Recap

Had parents over for 3 months and now I walk into an empty house with the cold of December setting in. Went to Winter Wonderland a few times with kids of friends and family. Shopped like crazy for family.

Got some respite over weekend. Travelled to Brussels and have a hectic week lined up. Catching up on a few movies I had missed out

Rockstar
Delhi Belly
Ra.One

More update from London soon. Till then hope you have all had a nice month.

Foggy Mists and Moony Nights

Had been a crazy hectic week with loads of work, compulsive socializing and a pang to stay fit again!
Eventually Friday was here...After a nice social evening, got back and decided to burn out the vodka in a run. It was cold and yet I felt warm under the moon. My mind was just waiting to be lost in my pace and listening to music. As I paced up, I just had to stop. The moon looked beautiful! I continued to listen to my music and run along till A came down and we walked, talked and walked some more. She called it a day and I was energized. We left debating about my tastes in music, my fascinations and whatever else. Went up to her place and ended up listening to Carnatic Recitals, some new Hindustani ones and yet I am not a convert.


***Digressing
Was telling her a story about my fascination for Hindustani as opposed to Carnatic. When I was young, my harmonium teacher would teach us the notes and scales as per the Carnatic Style. One day I went up to him and said "I don't like this style, I want to learn Hindustani." He asked me - "Why" ? I remember replying -" Because I am hindu". Since then started my fascination for this genre over Carnatic. When I thought out aloud, I realized in general I think it is the overbearing mridangam kind of beats that dissuade me away from Carnatic. I love the tabla. Infact I think it is one of the most elegant of all percussion instruments. I love hindustani vocals over instrumental. I prefer fast paced raags and I guess I am yet to listen to something in the Carnatic camp that will have me lured. Or maybe I have to really wait for someone out there who will drive me to it!
**end of digression

Anyways chatted until late, came back and played on my tabla and forced myself to sleep. Set my alarm to 5 and woke up lazily and walked out to my balcony. It was extremely foggy, cold and beautiful! The sun was about to rise and all you could see was a glimpse of the moon fading by. Went back to sleep and woke up an hour later and cycled away. Saw some of the most beautiful places and wished my camera was alright. I wish I also had more time to just go on and explore some of the roads that lead outside of Bangalore. Came back ate at a bakery and finally went back to my gym only to be told that it is a bandh afterall.

Cycling is the best thing to have happened to me in the recent times. There is joy in the mornings and in finding trails and discovering beauty. I love the foggy mists and the moony nights.

The first conscious day into 2011

Today seems like my first conscious normal routine day into 2011 and lots has happened and not happened.

• It is one of those drum easily days. I tried a lot of new stuff and innovation and it worked and sounded good. I also did not miss too much on timing. I guess familiar songs help since one just knows when to be innovative. Also complete focus was so easy today. It felt like I could have attempted more complex stuff today.
• It is also a day when I have decided for good or for bad to just completely lose control and let go. I also decided that life is really better lived in the moment than in anticipation or memory. Not a new lesson, but strange how every time it feels like a new realization :-) Probably because closure is often what keeps most of us on hold most of the times. However, one possible way of closure is to accept it without knowing why.
• I did not get out of my lazy routine and take charge of so many things on my mundane list. I do somehow have the intent to do that tomorrow. Bills, Taxes, Travel Claims and Pending Chores from ever!!! Sigh Sigh Sigh
• In some strange ways I don't seem to want social interaction in abundance and feel extremely content locked up or not meeting people. It is one of those phases where excessive socializing can cause stress:-d leading to seclusion.
• I seem to be hooked to facebook and the internet world of publishing information about myself. How strange is that. From being a critic to a contributor I have come a long way!
• I look out of my french windows and for the first time it is not the sky but the land far away that I look at. Strange things happen and maybe the sky is for a dreamer and the land for a more practical person.
• I decided to start a blog about the gadgets that I own. Trying to give back to the world, tips I looked for when I bough the stuff.

Whatever it is, I think the world of IT looks very lit up with small windows glittering with lights. Possibly folks sitting on computers still working in what looks like the office of a large software company in the tech park. There is a certain element of culture this mix has brought in which scares me. It scares me that all that was Bangalore, will be lost to the weekend mall folks, the compulsive spa couples or the bihari cooks that inhabit the space. But heck people call it Bengaluru anyways.

Sorry for the digression but I am never known to start and end things in the same way am I?

Return from the land of my rising sun

Back from the bay area. Was a hectic two week trip filled with loads of travel, friends and long drives. Finally had Vegan Japanese food and met up with heaps of friends from my past. I also realized that

• I am a straight line and black and white person:-)
• The US continues to be a land filled with constant fear of doing something wrong for me specially cos of my Indian ways.
• There is just so much beauty in catching the rising sun and having black morning coffee.
  
• The consumer market in the US is just too consumer friendly;-)
• Furniture around the world comes with the same set of choices!
• The Economic Crisis has a different feel in the bay area and we Indians are yet untarnished from its effect.
• I did not click any pictures this time.
  
• I always have a good time in SF

I did read the White Tiger on the plane and met interesting, new and refreshing people. My baggage did not make it and apparently it makes no difference to the airline world. I am not jet lagged but zoned out. My apartment is still a week away and it is frustrating!

Movies and Books

Watched a few movies that I thought I should jot down before I forget:

Children of Heaven: (Bachecha-Ye-Aasmaan - Iranian)

Beautiful movie, simple story that shows the intricacies of a lovely relationship between a brother and sister. Touches your heart with some brilliant moments. A movie, I will not forget, a movie that changed my perception of Iranian movies.

Mithya: One time watch. Loved Ranvir Shorey for his performance.

La Buche: A French movie which unfolds a family past, revealing insights into fidelity and the concept of a family. It is a Satire which is nicely done and yet again I think that the French just see life with such a different perspective. Refreshing movie.

Books I Read:

• White Tiger
  
• Manto Ki Kahaniyan(Hindi)

Both were a good Sunday catch.