SATHEJ’S BLOG

I had been tagged long ago by Priya Iyer. Anyway, good that I am atleast doing it now, I suppose.

A - Available

-Most of the times for listening to a nice kutcheri.

-Most of the times for getting some good sleep.

-Almost always when a good friend wants to spend time talking or for any help he/she requires.

B - Best Friends

My best friends are my good friends- those who stand by me when I need it the most. No names intended to be taken here.

C - Cake or Pie

Well, neither. But have tasted cakes when I was small. Now neither actually.

D - Drink of choice

Cold water - nothing like it for me.

E - Essential thing used every day

Am tempted to say my phone and computer. But well, I can do without those. More essential things used every day are several-ranging from dresses to home et al-too crude an answer I guess, but well that is the way it is.

F - Favourite Colour

Creamish yellow.

G - Gummy Bears or worms

Err….what?

H - Hometown

Chennai.

I - Indulgence

- Music (Carnatic) - lots of it.

- Lots of lazing around and sleeping.

J - January or February

Well, possibly February-because it means fewer days of college!

K - Kids and Names

Well, the last thing on my mind now. Have never even thought of it.

L - Life is incomplete without

-My family

-Carnatic Music

-My true and close friends

M - Marriage Date 

Clueless.

N - Number of siblings

One.

O - Oranges or Apples

Apples. 

P - Phobias

None to my knowledge. Maybe phobia of eating out!

Q - Quote

Well, there are several ones I love. Quite a few by Oscar Wilde. One that comes to mind is ‘The books that the world calls bad are those that show the world its own shame.’

R - Reason to smile

Well, I have been fortunate in a few senses. Have a nice family and some true and good friends, albeit very few. And yes, have been very fortunate to be able to appreciate the great art of Carnatic Music, although I started late.

S - Season

Rainy

T - Tag there people

Well, quite a few I know seem to have done this already. Anybody interested can take it up.

U - Unknown fact about me

If something is unknown about me, so be it. This is not quite the place to reveal that, I suppose.

V - Vegetables you do not like

Well, quite a few. A definite no-no to onions and garlic (though the latter is a doubtful candidate for a vegetable) . Those I like are few! Anyway, home made is ok (except for those two despicable ones mentioned earlier)

W - Worst Habit

Worrying and too much lazing around.

X-Rays you have had

Oh why? Several of them. Quite a few.

Y - Your Favourite food

Home made.

Z - Zodiac

Virgo.

Finally, done with the tag!

Sathej

Well, on some days, one has a nice start to the day ahead. I happened to switch on Shruthi this morning. The sort of ‘theme’ today in the morning programme was about musicians associated with places. The usual Ariyakudi, Lalgudi et al. But the thing which turned out to be really nice was the Krithis they played. Haven’t heard them in a loooong time.

Ariyakudi’s Rama Ninne Namminanu in Huseni - a small enticing Krithi. Its ages since I heard an elaborate Huseni.

Lalgudi’s Entani Vinavintura - Urmika: Was really good. A Janya of Simmendramadhyamam, I came to know later.

Maharajapuram Santhanam’s Ehi Annapoorne - Punnagavarali : Was just so soothing.

Sathej

Done with exams at last.

This looked a nice and interesting challenge to take up. One has to read 9 books from 9 different authors from 9 different countries, that one hasn’t read before, and post a review. Saw it here in Priya Iyer’s blog and decided to take it up. After all, its about readingwhich is good. Hope I get the time though.

1) Intepreter of Maladies - Jhumpa Lahiri - India (Like her narrative style)

2) Snow - Orhan Pamuk - Turkey (Nobel Laureate though this isn’t supposedly the Nobel winning book. I bought it and so would like to include it here)

3) Siddhartha - Herman Hesse - Germany (a small book by a reputed thinker)

4) Blind Willow, Sleeping Woman - Haruki Murakami-Japan (looked nice - a collection of short stories. May give a different perspective)

5) The Bridge Across Forever - Richard Bach - USA (a new author to me. Let’s see)

6) Lord Jim - Joseph Conrad - Poland (the storyline looked interesting. So picked this book at the shop. Hence am including)

7) A Treatise of Human Nature - David Hume - England (a book by a great empiricist philosopher. Looking forward to some deep ideas)

8 ) The Birth and Death of the Sun - George Gamow - Russia (Have had this book for long. Yet to read it. A popular science book by arguably one of the greatest theoretical physicists)

9)  Journey to the Centre of the Earth - Jules Verne-France (my brother has this book I think, have to search, though. Haven’t read it. A science fiction. Not sure if I’ll like it. Let’s see)

The list is of course alterable and am open to suggestions - additions/deletions.

Sathej

Puthandu Nalvazhthukkal….Happy Tamil New Year to everyone.

Listening to TNS’ Thodi, Semmangudi Mama’s Sankarabharanam, Madurai Mani Iyer-Kambhoji, Alathur Brothers-Shanmukhapriya, GNB’s Kiranavali and Panthuvarali. Nice way to begin a new year, right?

Sathej

Its literally been that, for me, in the last few days. The days to come don’t look enticing either. Atleast until Thursday, it pretty disheartening. Then, shall hopefully get to breathe a bit before starting off again on exam preparations.

These days, its been all reports, assignments and papers! Sleeping barely for three hours. Am not even remembering the day of the week! Am getting too tired. Am just going to go off on an escapade-like sojourn this evening. I know after getting back, its even tougher and probably means no sleep tonight, but then, thats the way I am. Like to take such breaks, foolish though it might seem!

Thats it for now. More later.

Sathej

The word Genius is so often used for the wrong people and utilized rather haplessly to refer to any act which may be good, sometimes brilliant. Certain things may be brilliant but genius is quite beyond words. Let me come straight to the point. Have been hearing a few things of late. An RTP in Hamsavinodini by Balamuralikrishna(BMK), Ksheenamai (Mukhari) by Semmangudi Mama and Dasharathe (Thodi) by TNS. The common thread being Lalgudi Mama on the violin. It is needless to say what sort of greats are on show here. BMK, Semmangudi, TNS are all wonderful exponents of this great art of Carnatic Music. Lalgudi in all these clippings shows moments of sheer genius which leave people exclaiming “Oh this can’t be done by mortals, no matter how much you teach them and how much practice is put in!” It is beyond description. It is an on-the-spot show of amazing proportions that leaves a once-in-a-lifetime sort of a feeling. A good explanation may be attempted by quoting Semmangudi Mama’s words in the midst of Lalgudi’s turn during the Mukhari Swarams. A spontaneous comment from the Pitamaha “Besh, Sowkhyama Iru” speaks volumes!

Shall elaborate more on Lalgudi Mama with suitable links later. Now, just wanted to write about this atleast briefly. Have written posts on this earlier, but well, amazement never ceases at such times. A Sankeerna Nadai Pallavi  by the Alathur Brothers in Shanmukhapriya, (the Brothers later accepted that they devised it along with Palghat Mani Iyer; and Lalgudi was not told about it) at a big occasion (at the Kalanidhi concert of one of the brothers) with absolutely no prior knowledge executed on stage perfectly! Need one say more. A genius, in the truest sense of the word-Lalgudi Mama! 

And yes, shall continue on non-music posts as well This was just a change. Its been a bit long since I wrote about music, you see

Sathej

A very poignant poem I read long back. It touched me then, touches me now and am sure would touch me every single time I read it. This is what happens with us most times.

There is a lot more to life, a lot more indeed, than just the great achievemets we are after. There is something called the human touch. And sadly, it is rarely seen on display these days.

 A Friend

Around the corner I have a friend,

In this great city that has no end;

 Yet days go by, and weeks rush on,

And before I know it a year is gone,

And I never see my old friend’s face,

For life is a swift and terrible race.

He knows I like him just as well.

As in the days when I rang his bell

And he rang mine.

We were younger then,

And now we are busy, tired men:

Tired with playing a foolish game,

Tired with trying to make a name.

“Tomorrow,” I say, “I will call on Jim,

Just to show I am thinking of him.”

But tomorrow comes - and tomorrow goes,

And the distance between us grows and grows.

Around the corner! - yet miles away . .

“Here’s the telegram, Sir. . . ‘Jim died today’.”

And that’s what we get, and deserve in the end:

Around the corner, a vanished friend.

- by Charles Hanson Towne

Again an exam coming up. Worse I came to know only very late that I have an exam tomorrow! Hence the late post to take away the boredom while preparing!

I have been reading a few short stories. Actually have been reading them from books. One is a Collection of Short Stories by Guy De Maupassant. The other is a Selection of Short Stories by Five Russian Masters. Nothing like reading from a book that one owns - never mind the net or library. Owning a book and reading it has its own pleasure.

I thought it would be nice to share some of them here. So putting up a few online links to the stories here.

The Candle - Leo Tolstoy can be found here.

Is a nice story emphasising the age old Biblical adage that an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth is not quite the right way. The ending is in a typical Tolstoy-like style - powerful.

The Umbrella - Guy De Maupassant can be found here.

 A light read. Humorous. Sarcastic portrayal of how quite a few people are literal misers.

The Death of a Government Clerk - Anton Chekhov can be found here.

A really short story. Powerful. Chekhov-like style propelling an insignificant event to a huge tumultous theme. Sometimes would leave people a bit confused. But worth reading for the different sounding theme!  

Was It A Dream - Guy De Maupassant can be found here.

An excellent story. A truly reflective view of the world. Guy De Maupassant with his characteristic mockery of the world. Touching with an ending that makes one realize a few harsh facts. The link here says Horror, but really there is not anything to do with horror at all! Couldn’t find a less frightening link. Really liked this.

Sathej

Well, a slightly off-mood morning today. When one is not able to do what one likes due to a variety of reasons, one is put off. Basic human instincts. We all feel happy and sad though human emotions and thoughts, according to Hume, are simply either ideas or impressions. It burts all the more when people you know for long behave that way.

Spent the day listening to some music. TNS’ Sankarabharanam is amazing. Chinthaye Sadgurum-what a Krithi. Haven’t listened much to it. Suddenly today felt like it. Heard an 1.5 hour rendition by TNS with Lalgudi Mama and Shri Vellore Ramabhadran. Neraval and Swaram at Rama Nama. Was just so undescribably soothing.

For the past few days, have been listening to Anandabhairavi. So many compositions, what a Ragam! Manasa Guru Guha, it has been for quite some time.

Also read some short stories by Guy de Maupassant. Liked it ok.

Read Nicholas Sparks for the first time. Read The Notebook. Was rather nice.

Thats it for now.

Sathej

The weather today has been absolutely wonderful! I just love this kind of weather. Makes me want to do nothing but just sit in the balcony and stare at the skies. Its so nostalgic and cotemplative. Very dark skies. As I type out this post, can’t even see the keys in the keyboard very well. Its 4 o clock and its extremely overcast and is pouring. Have been just reading The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde since morning. Its full of deep meaning quotes and ideas.

I just want this weather to continue forever. Its so enchanting just to sit at the window and admire.

Sathej