From KL to Chennai: Shobha Janardanan

MY RECENTLY RECORDED TRACK

2012-02-06T21:08:00.003+05:30

http://youtu.be/QuSwKSjXh-A

Here's a track I recorded recently. Needless to say, a ballad is far from what people would expect my first youtube "publication" to be, considering that I mostly gravitate to classical, semi classical and devotional renditions.

Nonetheless, it may lead me to learn about my own musical flavours through experimentation. The song was recorded in a friend's lounge area, which holds a mic, keyboard and system that has churned out many other similar projects for others in similar modes of experimentation.

Hope you enjoy it!

Paper Banana Leaves in Restaurants; Progress Gone Wrong

2012-01-28T12:26:00.005+05:30

A local (Malaysian) Indian restaurant has decided to serve food on PAPER banana leaves! Today's THE STAR, page 3!

Why do I feel people are moving backwards in Malaysia? I don't peg myself for a tree hugger, but this is just too embarrassing to ignore.

The point of banana leaves is that they are biodegradable. Our forefathers in India knew that. Hence its widespread priority as a use-and-throw "plate". The leaf also accentuates aromas and taste. Nasi lemak packagers all over Malaysia know that. If the leaves are scarce, grow more banana trees, with your fellow restaurantiers! The last time I checked, Malaysia was near the equator.

If it is too expensive to clean leaves individually, clean them the way they do in India; Each customer is given a cup of water and it's sprinkled on the leaf. This is then shrugged off the leaf or wiped off it, by the customer.

Indians and their culture have always been seen to promote green living - and not by way of building multi-million dollar structures that harness solar power via large panels, or hybrid cars that cost the user an arm and a leg. Like other old cultures around the world, India boasts self cooling mud huts that keep inhabitants cool in hot climates, green bean body scrubs that don't cause chemical soap suds to flow into sewers and voila, the humble banana leaf to eat on!

The spokesperson of the restaurant claims that the paper leaves are biodegradable. True, if the leaves are NOT placed in a landfill for 2.5 months, which is the time the "paper" leaf needs to decompose. By using the term "biodegradable" very loosely, it is sometimes a little easy to avoid scrutiny. A real definition of biodegradable is available at http://www.ecolife.com/define/biodegradable.html

How profit driven my Malaysian brothers have become, scares me! Sadly, I feel that if this restaurant has its way, soon others in Malaysia will follow, citing the first restaurant as a precedent. Progress, this isn't!

The article on the use of paper leaves in The Star, pg. 3
http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2012/1/28/nation/10557826&sec=nation#13277585889211&if_height=467

Jakarta Calling

2011-12-28T12:21:00.006+05:30

If you had told me ten years ago that I'd holiday in Jakarta, I'd have responded with the question, "Why?".

But here I am ten years into the future telling you about my break in Jakarta, a city that surprised me, inspired me and most of all welcomed me, answering "Why not?". Granted this isn't my first trip to Jakarta to be awed by its novelties, nor is it my first blog on it. But it is indeed 2011, two years since my last visit. Some opinions of the city got reaffirmed. Others, newly formed. In any case, it felt "new" again.

The first thing that struck me about the city (just like in 2009!), is how I felt about it. Being a very "touchy feely" sort of person, I often intuit my surroundings quickly, before I adjust behaviour or acclamatise to a new environemnt. My first feel of Jakarta was that it reminded me of Kuala Lumpur in the 1980s, when people were simpler, warmer and had more time. Amidst the high rise wonders and sleek, stylish malls, the people remained starkly simple. The economist would immediately attribute this to poverty and population; The entire Malaysian population fits in Jakarta alone. The artiste and the vagabond will immediately tell you however, that the people there wear their hearts on their sleeves and are not afraid to be who they really are. It is perhaps that energy that led me to soon feel as though I was accepted as an Indonesian, just as I had spoken one meagre sentence of the language. I felt little need thus, to adjust my behaviour to fit in, was minimal. Another deja-vu created, was by the greenery that co-exists inspite of skeel malls and high rise buildings.

Unlike other Malaysians, I seek to make a quick comparison to the other city that is close to my heart besides KL; Chennai, the home of my music education. The one thing that stood out as a great advantage to the traveller in Jakarta was that running AC taxis are available.

Yes, the traffic is horrendous as it can be in most third world cities. But the luxury of running taxis and that too, in tiers according to afordability, quickly creates options for travellers.

In case that wasn't enough in terms of being sensitive to the public's needs, there is also the "ojek", or motorcycle taxi! This is the answer to beating the traffic at all costs! :-D Though not a viable option for all ocassions, still, it gives me the impression that the country is opening up to the advent of market forces. In comparison, in Chennai, if you wanted a running cab, you'd be left to a running auto-rickshaw, which means no AC and far less safety. My elderly mother naturally made a remark about how much easier it was to holiday with my Jakarta-resident brother than to do so with me in Chennai. Of course, it did leave me a little defensive about 'my' Chennai. I quickly retorted saying that the Nano could soon phase-out the entire auto-rickshaw presence and was happy to have had the last word. In my mind of course, the question remained whether Jakarta, though not my choice for a holiday if I wanted to attend the Margazhi Music Season, was indeed the answer to many families' budget trips that wanted all-year-round easy travel and a dab of culture entwined in a single trip.

Speaking of culture, another fact that made me feel entirely at home in Jakarta was their acceptance of ALL cultural and religious influences on their nation to date. They displayed Sanskrit inscripted stones and script even older than that, from the Hindu Tarumanagara Civilization. While their artifact preservation techniques in say the Fattahilah Museum (Kota)are questionable in my view, the acceptance of their history is show of true character and interest in knowing themselves.

Character is not only endowed by their heritage but also their deep rooted lives in visually inspiring, hand crafted art. Steeped in a culture of using their hands, this is no wonder! You can see statues in metal, erected throughout the city, depicting Hindu Mythology, recent ploitical leaders, and simply pieces that present the underlying psych of the people. What's more the use of the people's hands is also evident in the treatment of ailments and in pleasuring the senses - which brings me to the spa / Jamu / Urut culture of the land. It is no surprise thus, that almost every spa treatment outlet I went to, was booked to the brim by locals and foreign visitors alike.

Overall, I think coutries like Malaysia and India could perhaps start looking to the gem of South East Asia a little harder; Perhaps they can begin to learn little things that they may have missed out on, while caught up on their journey for acknowledgement on the world map.

As for me, in Jakarta, I know that I am one ojek ride away from the next Ramayana based Wayang performance; Pieces of Indian and Malay culture rolled into one? Can't wait!

Logo courtesy:http://yellowcis.blogspot.com/2009/08/logo-ojek.html

Scholarship Promo 3

2011-01-17T18:41:00.000+05:30

(Music) Season's Greetings : A Concert Fiesta!

2010-12-23T12:09:00.009+05:30

And once again, this Malaysian made her way through the December Music Festival in Chennai, to feed her soul!

Strangely, this year felt different - somehow, lots of new singers were given primtetime slots and seasoned faves seemed to sit this season out a little. Very uncharacteristic of the Madras Music Season. My best friend's take is that seasoned musicians are now flying around the world, performing all year round, hence leaving slots open for newbies in Margazhi! A reliable source also informed me that one or two seasoned performers had intentionally decided to be in the audience, rather than take the stage this year, but did not say why the unexpected move was taken specifically this year. Fortunately however, I got the best of the seasonsed and new performers, with a little advanced planning and loads of luck.

Chennai was wet, wet, wet! And cold! Riding through the streets in my Fast Track taxi from the airport, it was soon discernible that the city was just recovering from the infamous winter floods that never fail to be reported on local and international primtetime news every year. By the time I'd cruised through Chennai's streets and pulled up to my hotel however, I was absolutely excited at the familiar sights, sounds and smells of Chennai!

The next days were nothing short of musically delightful. Starting with friend Kuldeep Pai's concert at BVB's mini hall was a great appetiser to the season. One of his best pieces was Ata Modi ( raga: Charukesi), which to me, was a primer of the bliss to come this season! Humbly accepting a warm invite home for lunch next week from the starlet and his wife, I made my way to the bulettin board of BVB to see what was in store for the next day. A session on 'sanskrit in carnatic music' caught my eye on the board and my plans were magically etched for the next day.

Following days included one particularly long auto ride to Adyar, to catch the expressively rebellious OS Arun. Unfortunately, the concert was predominantly Murugan "songs", rather than krithis, which meant several folk numbers were interspersed into his repertoire. Of course, he never failed to infuse his personal style into these numbers, but an artiste with talent like his always fills out a krithi far better than a small folk number! Nonetheless, I was determined to stay for the full performance and catch the little vocal nuggets he threw into concerts without fail! My conclusion is that this man could sing a nursery rhyme and it would sound out of this world!

The start of the season at Music Academy on 15th Dec was a free TVS concert which was indeed a treat for me, since I'd not experienced his concerts in Chennai, in the past. As I was recovering from a flu, I was bummed that I'd missed Suguna Varadachari and Shankari Krishnan earlier the same day. In fact, missing those ones led me to haul myself for the evening concert at the academy 'against the odds' - i.e. despite having low energy levels and several spoons of drowsiness-causing cough syrup!

The most disappointing part of my trip was making it to Mylapore Fine Arts just in time to be told that Aruna Sayeeram's concert was filled to the brim! The only place I could listen to the concert, was in the drizzle outside the gates, amidst auto horns and speeding motorcycles! I noticed that some ardent fans preferred to wait in the wet weather, hoping for seats to free up in the course of the evening. Knowing it was too much of a long shot and a particularly uncomfortable wait in the winter rain, I quickly hailed an auto and made my way to Music Academy. I was glad to have thus caught the tail end of Kanyakumari and Embar Kannan's violin treat! Next in the same venue, was Manda Sudharani, who took the primetime slot. Curious about this new name in such a coveted slot, I stayed on after the violin concert. I was pleasantly surprised to be engaged from start to finish!

Having 'bathed' in musical notes over the last few days, I realised it was time for some left-brain activity. Attending Sumathi Krishnan's lec-dem was a priority the next day. She covered the varieties in varnams - chowka, pada, daru. And as is usual fashion in academy lec-dems, she was mercilessly bombarded by learned scholars, aspiring theorists and seasoned musicologists on her assertions and research.

I stayed on for Savita Narasimhan, yet another newbie, who amazed me with her melifluous vocals. But I stayed on just until 3.30pm, just in time to make a dash for the NGS main hall concert which I had been waiting for! It was P. Unnikrishan! Having proudly and successfully purchased a good seat in his concert, I was one of the first in the queue to enter the hall - availing me the best choice of seats. I was elated. However, when the concert started, I realised I'd been to better katcheris of Unni's in the past. Unfortunately, the percussion was playing over his singing and his sahitya was indiscernible. I was heartbroken, as in the past, this singing sensation had taken me to a plane of bliss that I felt even 3 days after his concert! As some friends told me, he could have been having a bad day. My disappointment of course, was that it was just unfortunate that I had to go all the way to Chennai to see him perform on one of his "bad days"!

The next concert made the wound all better! Primtetime in the academy, Kunnakudi Balamuralikrishna, the (ex)child prodigy who is all grown up now, and still makes waves with every piece he sings! You're awesome, boy! Of course, his pakkavadyam (Mrdangam) Umayalpuram Sivaraman lifted the entire performance another notch! This mrdangist needs neither intro nor praise; Suffice to say "Listen to him once, and you're hooked"!

Probably the highlight of the season for me was young Abhishek Raghuram, who I first heard in 2008. This chap just keeps growing and growing, musically! He is so creative that he can't help formulating new and beautiful sangathis for krithis, and give every musical mathematician/ mathematical musician a run for his money! If it weren't for squeezing into the Mini Hall at NGS and ducking from enthusiastic thala gestures of excited fans, I may have enjoyed Abhishek even more - if that is at all possible!

You can't leave Chennai without one KJ Jesudas concert on your itenerary. So I did just that. Thanks to friends, a free ticket was at hand for the concert. Jesudas made his usual magic and left an impression on me with a piece in Reethigowla, followed by another in Devamanohari. Known more for invoking emotion than for technical prowess, I think my soul food quota was filled for the day, despite short falls in kanaku. But that was ok! Variety in katcheris is the spice of life! I guess I was ready to head home, feeling fulfilled for the day.

I am however, a tad greedy when it comes to katcheris. So I did not want to pass up the opportunity to avail a dose of Sikkil Gurcharan at the Sivagami Petachi Auditorium. He enthralled audience for three hours and is one of the few atistes I've seen who appears to give the concert a "band" feel rather than a solo-performance feel. This is quite (pleasantly!)uncharacteristic of carnatic concerts I've otherwise attended and hence is yet another novelty witnessed this time during the season. I was awestruck as soon as he started his Ranjani RTP which at the pallavi stage, morphed into Sriranjani and then Janaranani before spawning Kharaharapriya. He also challenged the audience by singing a long alapana in a raga some thought resembled Thodi and others knew belonged to the Nethrachakra given G1 and M1. I realised the raga was #11 in the Melakartha, but it was my genius of a university senior who effortlessly whispered "Kokilapriya" into my ear within seconds of the full scale being rendered.

Ready for another dose of intellectual nourishment, I attended two lectures; "Harikatha in four south indian states" and "Varnam in Six Kalas", at the music academy. I missed the Suguna Purushotaman concert in Forum, but managed to finally attend Shankari Krishnan on my last day, catching her in Thodi-action. It was great that I bumped into about ten people I knew from my uni days that day and made a small reunion out of it!

Shortly after, grappling between Sanjay Subramanyam and Bombay Jayshree to attend, I finally resorted to the former's concert. And boy, did I make the right decision! Though I got a seat on the dias, about 6 feet away from the singer, it was a fabulous experience! I thought it would be uncomfortable, but I can't say I felt disadvantaged even for a second. Sanjay's energy draws you into his performance and he gives you moments when neither you nor he exists! Such is the power of his music. "Who knew Hindolam could be sung like that?!" was all I was thinking as he belted the RTP. And I love the way he never fails to display his thala while singing, making it both, a learning experience as well as a purely-pleasurable one for me.

Overall, the season was well-spent where I was concerned. Paatu katcheri and saapaatu katcheri, were equally good. Can't wait for next year's experience!

Photo Courtesy: The Hindu

Hobson's Choice: A TV Addict's Story

2010-08-04T12:23:00.014+05:30

I. WATCH. TV. A. LOT.

Do you? Oh! You don't, you say?

Well then, don't read ahead, because you wouldn't have a clue as to what I'm saying here.

The rest of you TV-addicts, follow me...

It's 8pm. A weeknight. Or a weekend. Immaterial, really.

You're back from work after several earth-shattering meetings. You're on your couch, recalling a squabble with the attendant at the gas station moments ago, who could not understand that a request for "petrol for 30 ringgit please", does NOT mean he can fill you up for RM 50 and then ask for the remainder with a snooty grin.

Ah, but now, you're home, aren't you? And that glorious thing called the TV will slowly bring your heart rate back to where it's meant to be.

You turn it on and start the usual surf. The usual being, HB-OWW, Minimax, Supernova Movies, Hallingtonmark, Star Universe, Bayou, Grandad, Hisherstory, Discoveroot and Flox.

MOVIES ON THE REMOTE!

Click!

"Nope, saw that yesterday."
"Nope, saw that last week."
"Nope, saw that last Wesak."
"Nope, saw that in 2006 - and seven times since! What the...?"

Ok, so it seems you're done with the movie channels. You give up and move on.

SITCOMS N' SUCH

Maybe some good situational comedy. You enjoy both British and American comedy so long as it isn't in French yeah, so why not checkout your favourite channels for a good hour of laughs.

"Huh?! 'American Ideal' again?! Now that the show is over for the season, we have to watch reruns. We ALLLLL know who won already! Please save us the agony of that reality show's rerun!"

"NCEyeS...what? Click."

"Oh look... Midslumer Murders with not male, but GET THIS - - - FEMALE British detectives! What a twist, I say Jeeves! Move on!"

THE LAST STRAW

It's 8.45pm and you've yet to settle on a channel. This is bad. Maybe you should move on to something you can learn from despite weary eyes. Why? Because everything else sucks ...sigh!

"Nope, don't want to learn how to build a mosoleum."

"Nope, no interest in the immortalisation of Gods in Greek Mythology when we Asians already have enough Gods to populate a small planet, with the same stories - if not more intricate. Yes, a tad ethnocentric there. But someone HAS to be if we're going to get anything Asian on knowledge-oriented channels."

"Nope,don't want to see someone pulling out her hair and the world trying to save her from herself."

"Hmmm...DEFINATELY don't want to see 15 obese people on bicycles in Finland OR China OR Uranus, now that I've seen the American, Australian and Malaysian versions! Repeatedly!"

Click! The TV is switched off. It is now 9pm and you've gone over all your favourite channels and even some other random ones and then back to your faves again.

Silence.

You ponder your choices - movie at the nearest cinema resulting in a late night and a groggy morning? Or a DVD of Leaonardo Di Cappucino's Interception my aunt left behind on my TV stand last week?

What do YOU think?

;-)

(Any people, places, events, objects, movies,brands or gas stations mentioned in this post are purely fictional and do not intend to bear resemblence to real life. Any resemblence is purely coincidental. Smites here represent those of the blogger and not of any organisation or authority.)

(Really.)

Sitiawan Stylo, My Hero

2010-05-30T19:19:00.003+05:30

Sitiawan Stylo was a portly man with a pleasant and somewhat alluring disposition. He often made friends of everyone from big wig corporate men to waiters at the local Chinese restaurant. He was fair-skinned, bordering on a yellowish tan he said he got from his mother. He had a thick head of hair which never seemed to grey and light brown eyes that had a hint of bluish grey at the iris edges. He always saw the glass half full and led others to see the same through his actions and sheer energy. In his later years, it was common for him to have a pack of youngsters around his chair during the holidays, usually seeking his counsel or just basking in the warmth of his affection.

1980

Sitiawan Stylo accompanied his 6 y.o. daughter to her first kindergarten race. What he did not expect was for the headmistress to suddenly announce a parents’ race as part of the events. Stylo’s daughter knew he knew he had little chance of winning, but instead of backing out of the race he had been randomly picked for, he chose to be a sport and take part in the race. As expected Stylo did not win. Or stand second or third or fourth. He was the second last. He was no runner for sure. And in spite of his daughter standing on the sidelines looking aghast at what she thought would be a colossal failure for anyone in a competiton, Sitiawan Stylo trotted back from the finish line, gleaming and clapping. When his daughter asked, “Acha, aren’t you sad you didn’t win?”, he cheerfully responded, “I would be sad if I didn't try. Because if I didn't try, I would not be able to show you that you don't always have to be sure of success to try something. Trying, whether it brings you failure or not, is the first step to success." His daughter was still sad then, but as she grew up, these words resounded in her head at every class debate, singing contest and writing competiton.

1985

Stylo, now 55, was medically boarded out of work where he'd earned accolades like "Insurance Man of the Year" and made manager despite his lack of education. He was diagnosed with a severe heart condition. His now 11 y.o. daughter and 7 y.o. son were oblivious of the lifestyle implications. Instead, the kids were ecstatic that there would be someone at home when they returned from school every day, especially since both their parents worked late. Stylo felt restless and restricted at home, as he was still completely mentally productive and alert. Despite the high likelihood that he would descend into depression, it was amazing that Stylo did the opposite; He found ways to keep his mind satiated - teaching his daughter and son cooking, home chores, fix-its, wood work, pet care etc. He also inculcated their reading habit, set a time for listening to classical music and introduced physical activity on alternate days of the week for good measure. His daughter, being the elder of the two, was the first to notice how he turned his life around all on his own. Later in her own life, she always looked to that part of Stylo's for strength in her own.

1992

No one but the angels knew that 62 y.o. Stylo was days away from his fatal heart attack. He was smiling and happy during his last few days, but increasingly demanding of his children; especially of his daughter, who he insisted, enters the accounting profession. His daughter was peeved feeling that a career in English literature or music would be more up her alley. However, after futile arguments, she begrudgingly settled for an accounting course. Stylo died on the day she signed up. It was only four years later that she understood how far sighted and planned Stylo’s decision was, given that financially, the family was struggling. Stylo's daughter graduated in accounting and was snapped up by a major accounting firm, laying foundations for a very stable income source and therefore being able to support her retiree mother.

To date, these three episodes with Stylo remain monumental in his daughter’s life. She always remembers - "failure is what you encounter while you practice for success", "strength is something you build, not have" and, "think through your plans before you act".

Acha, you are Sitiawan Stylo, my hero!

Beyond Idli and Naan

2010-05-06T11:57:00.014+05:30

Fret not! You are not alone. There is a large community of Indian expats in Malaysia with most of them hailing from South Indian states of Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Andra Pradesh and Karnataka. And though I'd in the past found most to be cautious about stepping away from familair food, they are all not just rotating between doshas, idlis and naans.

Yes, you the South Indian expat, is tempted to keep an eye out for the familiar smells and sights of food. To some of you, you may have been somewhat concerned at the onset, that living in a foreign land could mean no Indian food within quick reach. But you later discovered in your first week in Malaysia that this country hardly fits into that stereotype. Here, getting acquainted with the quintessential Malaysian past time, i.e. food (Indian or otherwise), would have been followed by the realisation that the familiar tastes of India are all at a stones throw from wherever it is you are!

Yet other South Indian expats have been timidly declining food choices that my fellow Malaysians have been pointing out over time. Sometimes, you may have accepted a dinner treat or two, realising post-meal, that neither the treator nor you, was educated on what was going to be acceptable to your palate. Those meals could have turned out to be disastrous, leaving you hungry, unsatisfied and craving for a good biriyani. Worse still you would have gone on to conclude that the best thing would be to remain safely devoted to your previously chosen Indian restauraunts. You must have made about 15 trips to Sharavan Bhavan in two weeks, if you'd done that!

However, what my point is that your journey does not need to end with successfully identifying Indian places to eat. The induction to Malaysian food that you will receive, if you so allow it, will cover the smogasboard of fascinating Malaysian cuisine. And all within the boundries of familiar meats (chicken, fish, prawns, beef, mutton and lamb). Vegetarians may be at a loss away from India, but the meat eater has no excuse to seek the comfort of sambar a day into your Malaysian stay. You need not worry that eating in a regular city restaurant will result in the unwitting introduction to pig's blood or snake meat, as some of my friends have experienced in their trips around exotic Asian cities. Having said that, a choice of extreme cuisine is not impossible to find. This post is however, not about the extremem choices, but just everyday ones.

Back to "common Malaysian food" - You can often discern the palatability of a dish, through your nose, can't you? So, to start with, remember use it to guide you to what's good to eat. Chances are, perhaps the spicier dishes will call to you immediately.

My advice is to try, try and keep trying different "common Malaysian food" like nasi lemak, roti canai, char kuay teow, mi siam, nasi goreng, rendang ayam/ daging (photo above)etc. If your saliva glands do not respond the first time, remember to start with something closest in smell to your more familair foods. These would be chicken rendang, roti canai and nasi goreng - the last of which I've even found in menus at restaurants in Chennai! Roti canai is probably the best example of something that is very close to home - it is almost synonymous in taste and texture to the pranthas you will find in India. And though your next instinct will drive you to a meal of that ever so familiar idli or tandoori roti, try steering yourself in the direction of a well-prepared nasi lemak. You may be pleasantly surprised and best of all, you'd have expanded your food repertoire.

Remember that repeated trials of the items in the above list of Malaysian choices will most likely lead you to a new opinion of a particular dish you've already sampled. Why? Because it is not guaranteed that a dish tried in two different places is likely to be exactly the same! Though a nasi lemak is a nasi lemak, you will find more than a few subtle differences from one vendor to another. This is characteristic of Malaysians who love to vary their recipes of standard dishes, to show off their creativity in the kitchen.

A nasi goreng pattaya with its eggy covering may be just about the only common denominator between the dish being served in shop A versus shop B. I've had red hot looking nasi goreng pattaya and a completely bland version. The best part is that Malaysia is so diverse that consumers who enjoyed shop A's version may be a set of clientelle that is completely different from those who prefer shop B's. And yet, both shops thrive. There is no absolute answer to the best dish.

So the best test? Your nose. If it smells good, you'll probably like it. So dive in. If your nose has deceived you once, don't give up. As your nose trains you to distinguish tastes you prefer among Malaysian dishes, you'll get savvy enough to be the official food guide for your friends and family visiting from your homeland!

So, be adventurous and try Malaysian food. Rest assured that by the time you leave Malaysia, you'll be wishing Chennai had a restaurant selling Char Kuay Teow!

Are You Happy Yet?

2010-05-03T12:13:00.037+05:30

“Declare War on Negative Thoughts!”, is a quote I see proudly displayed on a poster in my office pantry everyday... Probably the souvenir from a very vivaciously delivered motivational speech on positive thinking. Sure it sounds logical at first glance, but really, is that the best way to treat negative thoughts - by denying any dignity to the moment?

I’ve always felt that society rewards us a bit too much, not for positive thinking, but for simply and successfully denying communication of negative thoughts. Yes, yes, I've heard that positive thought is the highway to happiness. Or is it?

I've always felt that society rewards
us a bit too much, not for
positive thinking, but for simply and successfully
denying communication of negative thoughts.

Perhaps a case in point would be how when I once lost my enviable placement in a singing competition due to some underhandedness of the orgnisers’, I was overcome with rage to the point that I could not pinpoint what it was that drove me up the wall – Was it my hatred for these unscrupulous organizers? Was it the feeling of helplessness from a lack of control over the situation? Was it the sheer nonchalance of the others in the competition with the same fate, who seemed to take the incident with such a lack of remorse?

Allowed a little more exploration of my negative thoughts, I may have come to the root of my erupting emotions. I recall keeping my calm at the competition, waiting to enter the safe arms of family and friends to vent. However, upon sharing my experience, my friends’ and family’s immediate response was to dismiss the “negative thoughts” and instead, to “think positive”! But how? Why was the crowd around me quick to suggest, “Don’t cry!”, instead of saying, “Go on - Cry and let it all out”? In a turbulent sea of rage and hatred, is it that simple to skip one’s probable response to impropriety and directly ascend to peace and equilibrium? I think not!

It may feel all to obvious that if a negative thought ceases to exist in our minds, that the obvious replacement for it is a positive one. How reductionist and simplistic. Not logical to me, simply because the positive negative relationship of thought is far from balck-and white. Sorry, my dear compulsive optimists, but I think people are afraid of negative thought more than they are sold on the benefits of positive ones! So we always try to appear happy just to avoid the "think positive" admonishment - even when doing so isn't the best thing. Think of all the mondays you have come into the workplace feeling like you've been hit by a bus, but chirped, "Oh...great!", to a workmate enquiring about your weekend. Isn't that just to avoid being seen as negative by another person?

Think of all the mondays you have come into

the workplace feeling like you've been hit

by a bus, but chirped, "Oh... great!", to a

workmate enquiring about your weekend.

We’d much rather get really quickly from the point of negative thought to a place of resolve at the fastest possible speed. Perhaps there is a misconception that one cannot cope with another iota of misery that comes from acknowledging negativity. Little do we realize the recovery we so desire is sometimes cloaked in the delicacy and graduality with which we explore those negative thoughts. So, let those thoughts linger a while!

Perhaps the most ironic behaviour in the pursuit of (urgent!) happiness is how we consider negative thought to have a space and time within which they are considered valid. Apparently, within these parameters, negative thoughts are not only accepted, but also expected! A 4 year old child laughing innocently during his grand-uncle’s funeral is quickly shushed. But one year later at the deceased's death anniversary gatehring, his grieving spouse of 50 years was coaxed and cajoled by relatives, quite insistently, out of her misery! All this in the pursuit of getting from that negative thought, oh so quickly to acceptance because apparently, someone had decided that her time to grieve was over!

I say let her cry. Let her have her fears magnified, purpose questioned, reality checked and her emotions inundated. She’s earned the right to treat this event as she wants to, for it defines her life. Remember that each person is different and each situation is unique for every individual. Be there for her, but for God’s sake, even if she takes more time than you can accept, don’t tell the woman to “Declare War on Negative Thoughts”! Her negative thoughts are hers to work out or wallow in. The question is whether you acknowledge yours enough to give them the dignity she has given hers!

A Tiger's Wisdom

2010-01-31T18:53:00.009+05:30

So, it's the year of the Tiger. Finally. My year.

Yesterday, I visited a Feng Shui store in Mega Mall. I was all excited that after the usual 12 year rotation, it was finally my year, my moment, the Year of the Tiger! I wanted to read what consultants and advisers of other-worldy energies had to say about the year ahead.

I felt very proud that year after year of oxen, sheep, rooster and other animal totems and buntings finally led up to the inevitable strike of the clock when the Tiger would once more grace Feng Shui stores. There they were, majestic tiger totems and buntings.

I felt important and addressed, as one would when toasted to, in a party held in one's honour. I grinned and reached for a little yellow booklet that said something like "Forecast for Tiger Year 2010 - For the Tiger Sign". I was already leaping with joy inside, just waiting for the pages to unravel my sexy, exciting future. It was, afterall, the year of the Tiger and I, a Tiger-born woman, must surely have a lot to look forward to - in my own year at least.

I flipped through, starting with the general predicitons, and then to specific areas of life; career, marriage, family life, love, education, health. With each section, my spirits sank further and further; Apparently the year of the Tiger was nothing but tumultous to those born in it! I could bearly make half the tiny book without feeling like a wreck - it's criminal that this cascade of predictions were turning me inside out, especially since they were of course, blanket predictions for the Tiger-born and by no means accurate to every individual. In my head, all I could think about was that things were not to be good in the career arena, not good for love not for health, nothing! No areas of life held promise except for a meagre flicker of hope in money matters that said the "Female Tiger's finances would be bearable IF she married or; if already married, had a child"!

What ??!

So now, the book told me that my year would suck if I marry (because the year generally sucked for the Tiger) - but if I marry, finances will be bearable??! What kind of compromise is that?! And if I were already married, and it sucks (as the book promises), I should have a child to ensure finances are beareable?

What's wrong with this picture?
Who writes this stuff?
And who reads it, darn it?!

Looking around the store, I saw two scenes of notoriety; one, was the shared look of disdain on the faces of the readers of the 2010-prediciton books. The second was a scene further inside the store, of faces looking desparately at expensive totems, trinkets and charms to weather people through the impending crises of 2010. It was something like RM 1,500 for some of these items! I felt like I was standing at the precipice of being suckered into the business of propogating fear and faith in an unfounded science.

"Why am I contemplating totems over techniques to get through turbulences of life, if any are indeed being predicted accurately by a person I've never relied on before for the good things in my life? Bah! Humbug, all this!" , I thought.

"Thank God no one I knew was in the vicinity of the store, bearing witness to my near descent into foolery", I consoled myself. I took a step away from the tantalising pocket book shelf, sighing, "Phew, close one!"

The book was still in my hand, but I was (thankfully!), intrigued no more by its contents. So I stepped to the shelf and put it back but it slipped and fell off, face down. I bent down to pick it up, when I realised the page opened to the final 2010 prediction for the Tiger-born. Apparently, the book could not only tell you about the tangible, but also the intangible aspects of your life such as how you would think, feel, react and perhaps even, how you would most likely defrost your frozen peas this year.

I could not restrain my eyes from reading the words, "The tigress comes into great wisdom in 2010. This will lead her to achieve success in love, marriage, education and career. These in turn will improve her finances this year."

Excuse me, but if this isn't contradiction of a previous prediction, please tell me what is! How dare the Feng Shui advisers tell me that my year will be awful but awesome, painful but peachy all in one breath, and expect me to believe them without question. How dare they believe they could leave me with self doubt in quantities that would only lead me to find solace in expensive itmes from their Feng Shui store in Mega Mall?

Who writes these superstitions?! And more importantly, who reads this stuff? Who believes this nonsense, darn it?! Thank God, I'm too wise to buy into all this humbug!

Really.

Ok.... so at long last yesterday, I bought the darn book already - for a friend.

No, no, not for me. Of course not!

It's for a fellow Tiger-born. She's into all this mumbo-jumbo.

Not me. I just think it is not well-meaning to entice wide-eyed consumers into purchasing nonsensical items that supposedly ward off bad luck and usher in prosperity. The book's not on my shelf. Only hers.

Yeah, really.

And oh, I nearly forgot to say - Today I went back to the store and got myself... I mean, my friend, a tiger charm. For RM 19.90, apparently the great wisdom of the Tiger is sharpened. Cool, yes? Yeah, but as I said, this hum bug isn't for me.

Really.

It's for that fellow Tiger-born. She's into all this mumbo-jumbo, you see.

I for one, would never be fooled into believing in such humbug! Never. I wouldn't descend into buying totems and books written based on baseless conjecture! Who on earth believes this sort of thing? Only those with no wisdom, is my guess.

And after all, the book did say I have "great wisdom", didn't it?

Motorised Foldable Treadmill going cheap!

2009-09-22T10:19:00.000+05:30

Motorised Foldable Treadmill going cheap!: "Email jshobha28@gmail.com for second hand, well maintained, treadmill for sale in Alwarpet, Chennai, by NRI before leaving abroad! Good price, easy storage. ..."

Haze, Haze Go Away!

2009-08-27T13:25:00.015+05:30

...and don't come back!

Yesterday was such a delight - the weather seemed to take a turn for the better. By about 3.30pm, the clouds began to gather. Shades of light grey appeared. Not promising, but present all the same. Could pass off for a false-alarm, very much like the clouds visiting on days past.

But yesterday, by about 5pm, all doubts were cleared, ironicaly, by a heavily clouded sky. It was so dark, it reminded me of that Will Smith movie, Independance Day!

Looks like I will finally be able to breathe air worthy of proper clarnatic vocal practice - minus the stuffed nose. The weather may seem to be merely a pleasant change for the average person, but for a singer whose nasal cavities protest at the slightest hint of the haze, yestarday's downpour was music to my ears!

(Photos: The frightfully delightful storm that cleared the haze yesterday!)

Jakarta Reviewed...Really Quickly!

2009-08-06T21:51:00.009+05:30

Some memorable moments: a. Nirmala Chandran, the perfect hostess, b. an evening at a spa c. history visited in Jakarta's biggest muzium, d. The Chandrans' backyard.

What I liked:

Hawkers and push-cart vendors selling simple foods along the roadsides, in every part of the city.
Greeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeenery! And what superb landscapists Indons are!
First hand experience of religious tolerance.
Appreciation by the people, of all their heritages that were there, through the ages.
The food (Laguna, Stix, you have my vote!)

The Spas!
Beautiful Batik.
The endearing language used by the locals, e.g. "Pecel Nasi Ayam Pete" is actually "Special Nasi Ayam Petai" for us in Malaysia.

What I loathed:

The traffic and the narrow roads.
The fact that my impecable Malay (so I say!), made me soooo Malaysian when I spoke that I was a tourist waiting to be taken for a ride despite what I thought was an advantage.
Endless Security checks at the airport.

Verdict: DO VISIT!

Dear God, Speak to Me Through Music...

2009-04-22T23:55:00.007+05:30

MUSIC

I know there is so much I've already changed in myself.I know this because of music. I know there is so much more I can change in myself. That too, is because of music.

THOUGHT, WORD AND DEED

This change, is not just a change of one person. It starts with the transformation of one soul - mine. Like a game of dominos, the change in the soul, transforms my THOUGHT. The mind then transforms my WORDS, which are expressions of thought. Still, this is all change of only one person - me.

Then, something impossible happens... a change in my DEEDS or ACTIONS. This is the trigger point that starts affecting others. Incidentally, an ordinary person will only see music as a cure for boredom or a quick-fix for a bad day. In effect, so much more can happen if you allow music into your mind, your body, your nerves, your muscles, and your very Being.

What happens is a change in ACTION. In the past, if I felt the need to cure my stresses and frustrations, I used to seek external means; a friend to vent to/ unto, 2 hours instead of the predesigned one hour workout on the treadmill to induce mindless fatigue, a little more chocolate, one more drink, the list goes on.

And in the pit of my stomach, I know that these actions, no matter how loudly they seem to speak at the time they were indulged in, are totally silent in terms of the effects they have on my Being. On my muscles, on my nerves, on my body, on my mind. And worst of all, as a musician who was seperated from her art for so long, the effcts on my music suffered the most. This was my past.

BEING LOST TO BE FOUND

Chicken and egg situation really.With music now leading me for the last 3 years, I am changed. My ACTIONS have changed because my WORDS changed, because my THOUGHTS changed. And my thoughts changed because I was LISTENING to music. Not listening like a student learning the intricacies. Not listening like someone asked you to check out their new album. Listening to the point of being lost to be found.

By listening to music, I went beyond notes and lyrics, beyond Rasas and critiquing.

EPIPHANY!

The epiphanic moment for me...the moment when music began affecting my actions was when my mind which had been conditioned for 8 years to THINK, finally made way for my heart to FEEL. That was the turning point. The point when the music led to changes in thought, word and finally, deed.

Now that I have experienced this life altering change, so many other areas of my life have stared seeing improvements.

1. I am more environmentally aware, more receptive to kindness, more trusting of others and more intuitive.
2. I've started reading people better and knowing when not to read them, which is equally important.
3. I've learnt to balance my own energies and I know what it takes to do these.
4. I find that I am able to "play" with my energies through music.
5. I consume less (not just food, but utilities, transport etc.) and tend to save rather than waste, even when the resources aren't paid for by me.

Such life-improvements cannot be measured into the dollars and cents - something that corporate organisations strive for, so that they can make sense of how valuable an mployee is to them. I say this having been an ambitious corporate employee myself prior to my pursuits in music.

SAPLING VS. TREE

The interesting thing about the change I am experiencing through music, is that I am only mid-way in it. I will only consider my change complete when I can give music back to other lives. And to get to the point of giving back to other lives, I need a combination of the correct proportions of music education, independence to express my art and most of all, the optimal avenue to seek excellence in music. Given my genre, it is obvious where geographically, this combination comes together. I have undoubtedly, had the pleasure of having that combination for some time. But a sapling cannot provide the shade that a fully grown tree is capable of giving. I've come past the stage of a seed, in my time in Chennai. And I am now a sapling. If I grow to adulthood, what I give will have value. We encourage our children to go past Form V and pursue degrees. We are proud of those who have fully explored their field of study, because they are reliable sources within their area of expertise! So why not see hwat the tree can do, rather than what a sapling can do?

THE VALUE OF GIVING BACK

Giving back is where the ACTION cascades down to other lives, enriching them. This is where ONE person's change affects others. The value of this to an organisation or to society, is not explicable on an employee evaluation form. But just because you cannot measure something, it does not mean it does not exist. Before emotional intelligence and spiritual intelligence were recognised, only mental intelligence was measured.

And as we continue to overrate others for their extrinsic value, see where that has gotten us... A barrage of high-flying MBAs, who can't lead without pilfering, over-consuming, laundering and scandalising!

HEAD VS. HEART

The world needs HEART. Those HEAD years are over. We've used our HEAD years in the evolution of mankind, to consume the planet's resources, hoard tangibles for ourselves, lose our morals and waste our lives.

Music is my personal means to get out of the nexus mentioned above. To another, it may anything from skiing, to tailoring, to sculpting, to teaching, to curing the ill. But to me, it's music.

If not giving music to others (through performance, teaching, etc), I see no point to spending hours, days, months and years, perfecting an artform which is otherwise just an expression of the individual.

A PRAYER...

So, being in the mid-point of my transformation, I look up to the Lord and ask Him, "Dear God, please tell me if I can give back before I've finished the task you've assigned me. If I need to complete the journey of music before I can effectively give my music to others, please tell me what I should do. Don't leave me options, for I want it all. Don't leave me clues, for I am daft. Leave your message in music, for I listen to my heart everyday till I leave this place of music. Once I leave to revisit a corporate existance, Your voice will be muffled. So speak fast, speak to my heart. In my heart, I shall hear You and only when I've heard You, will I be able to transform thought into word, into deed."

Google "Carnatic Music": Save A Life Today!

2009-03-29T21:25:00.008+05:30

It is of utmost importance to my sanity! This is a plea.

Please beloved musignoramuses, google carnatic music today.

Because I'm a little weary, after 3 years of having the following conversation...

Musignoramus: So I heard you're learning Carnatic Music in India.

Me: Yes, I am.

Musignoramus: Waaah, so cool. ...Actually what is that ah?

Me: It is classical music. But it is Indian....South Indian. I learn classical indian vocal music.

Musignoramus: OOOHH! Classical? So you play piano hah?

Me: (Ahem...) No, I sing....classical indian VOCAL music. Western classical music is what you're thinking of, I think. This is Indian classical. One may choose to play Carnatic compositions on an instrument, like the veena, violin. Or sing like myself.

Musignoramus: OOOHH!! Now I know.

[Brief silence of deep thought by musignoramus]

Musignoramus: So, does this mean you are singing for Indian movies now?

Me: Why would I sing for Indian movies?

Musignoramus: Because you said you learn Indian music.

Me: I learn CLASSICAL INDIAN MUSIC (geez...what part of "classical" can't this person GET?)It has nothing to do with singng or WANTING to sing for movies.

Musignoramus: So learning CLASSICAL music means you want to sing for OLD movies now??

Me: (GRRR!) No, I don't sing for movies just because I learn classical indian music. If you learn classical music, there are so many careers open to you... besides the carnatic performance itself, you could do devotional singing, vedic chanting, you can get into composing music, teach carnatic music...

[interrupted by musignoramus]

Musignoramus: Awwww! So you CAN'T sing for movies? So sad!

Me: Yes, you can. And I would, since I am not against film music. But it is not the ONLY thing I can do, or would WANT to do!

Musignoramus: ~sad pout~ So you wont be singing for any Shah Rukh Khan movie??

Me: Nope.

Musignoramus: Hritik Roshan?

Me: Nope.

Musignoramus: ...Kamal Hassan?

Me: Nope.

Musignoramus: How devastating! But then why would you learn music if you can't sing for films?

Me: (What's with this person??)...I CAN sing for films, and have been offered to! But I learn Carnatic Music because I enjoy LEARNING Carnatic Music. Not film singing. Using my knowledge of Carnatic music, I crave singing devotional compositions, singing in fusion work, and creating music. I also like singing in the Carnatic genre itself.

Musignoramus: So, you don't have contacts for films? Have you tried getting in touch with A.R. Rahman?

Me: I GIVE UP!

Don't forget to google "Carnatic Music" today. Save a life! It will be mine!

Beware! Summer Enemies Cometh

2009-03-05T17:00:00.015+05:30

SHOCK

It's March. In Chennai. That says a lot. Sweltering heat, beads of perspiration, odours unbecoming and even tempers flaring. Yes, tempers flaring...let's talk about that.

Considering temperatures reach 40 degrees C, it's not surprising that the auto driver who was so nice to you in winter suddenly sprouts two horns and a tail. He now wants Rs. 65 for a ride that previously cost you Rs.30. "Previously" meaning until yesterday! You realise he isn't going to let you off without a fight. A heated argument ensues with an otherwise (winter-time) friendly chap. You finally hurl the money at the musky-smelling, angry-hand-waving driver, wondering what right the summer confers on auto-drivers, to turn into ruthless monsters! And thence, you've officially made your first summer enemy!

But once the ride is over, you look forward to your vegetable purchase for the week. Chennai offers such a variety that it's almost harder to be a meat eater than a proper vegetarian here.

The vegetable seller who you now see sheilding her head with the mundhaani of her saree, gets annoyed that you have not stopped by her stall on the sidewalk for your usual supply. She used to sell juicy oranges, bright bottle green lady's fingers and plump scarlet tomatoes. But that was in the cool winter air. Now, under the baking rays of the sun, her spinach bundles look limp and the oranges look devoid of life. Compared to the ones you'd find inside the air-conditioned supermarkets, the saree-clad vendor's produce hardly looks inviting. Not to mention you'd much rather push a trolly through cooled aisles than haggle over Rs.10 in the heat, with a loud, unrelenting vege vendor.

ANGER

After a quick visual scan of her produce on the sidewalk, you walk swiftly by. In a moment's contemplation you know that your choice to pass her by has angered her. She glares with what you can only presume is an an avalanche of muttered curses unto you, as you pass her stall. You have to, to get to the supermarket. Her gaze is fixed on you as her lips and teeth syncopate to produce unsettling whispers. You wish a smile could make you seem less ungrateful, but you know that nothing short of splurging your vege budget at her stall will satisfy her. You know that there has been no explicit agreement that you would patronise her stall, but somewhere in between 3 winter months of sharing moments of satisfactory haggling, Rs.1 rupee oversights and a nicity or two, you feel you owe her. "But God, what I'd give for fresh spinach and juicy oranges!", you think to yourself! So, with a poker face as your only weapon of defense, you dart past her stall. "Maybe she will think I'd forgotten to stop. Simple human error. Forgettable. Forgivable, no?", you rationalise. No usual nicities nor enthusiastic negotiations transpire on the sidewalk today - it seems irregular, off-beat, unsettling.

The moment is officially over, between you and the vendor. You're too far ahead to turn back and stop at her insipid veges. You're not near enough the supermarket to disappear into its temperate air. Suddenly you realise that an uncharacteristic coldness has come to occupy the space between you and the vege seller, as ironic as that seems in the humid Chennai air. You've officially made your second summer enemy.

RESENTMENT

Of course, by now, the last two experiences have carved a little frown between your brows. And unfortunately, the sun doesn't seem to care - he continues to generously pierce your flesh as you make your way to the supermarket in quick, long strides. As you enter the supermarket anticipating the soothing temperature, all that you can feel is a tiny breeze teasing the back of your head, at the door. Upon entering, the matter is clear - the air-conditioner is out of order, it seems. Musty smells and tight air-pockets assault you. Your anticipation of a comfortable shopping experience is crushed. But really now, it's to late to turn back.

So you choose a trolley and manouver it around to the vege and fruit aisle. Ah, but your scan for spinach and oranges proves disappointing. No spinach. No oranges. Much less that freshness you so deeply desired. But all hope is not lost, you think. Perhaps you can settle for other sprightly produce. Indeed, you come across the carrot, radish, onion, brinjal and french bean. All fresh as anticipated. All succulent. Ah, finally the pot of gold!

As you make your way to them, you plan the wonderful culinary delights that would emerge from these colourful ingredients by the time you're done with them. "Ah, not so bad afterall", you smile. But your smile quickly gives way to knitted brows again as you find yourself behind a long line at the counter, reminding you of a free lemonade counter at the fun fairs in primary school. At least 5 customers in front of you seem to hail from families of 20 people, it seems! Their carts are overflowing with veges and fruits that couldn't possibly be rung-up by the registers in time to get you home for your 4pm class. "Haven't these supermarkets heard of a counter for less than ten items?!" you wonder as you look at your minimal number of items. The wonder rapidly descends to frustration when the counter staff seem insensitive to your suggestion to open the last counter.

A kurthi collar soaked in perspiration ignites a flare in you; Somewhere in between the auto driver, vege vendor and an unventilated supermarket, you feel you're at the end of your tether. You are highly aware of the grime forming beneath the folds of your pattiala pants, which stick to the back of your knees. As you try and coax yourself into believing in the virtue that is patience, you notice the second-hand of the shop's clock, edging to that dreaded 4pm. Your line still looks hopelessly long.

ACCEPTANCE

Finally, as you give up hope, the idle counter suddenly opens and the quicker customers hurriedly wheel their carts to this new ray of hope! Being one of them, you find yourself behind exactly 2 customers. You are pleased. Two is better than 15. But then, the guy working the new counter seems disinterested in moving with any haste at all. You're not the only one sensing this - the customer in front of you urges him to speeden up. The staff barks back at the suggestion rendered with politeness. You suppose the humidity outside and lack of ventilation inside the supermarket are the reasons for this staff member's behaviour. What else could it be, you think, drenched in sweat yourself. Well, at least you're not the only one with summer enemies, you reckon. A small verbal face-off ensues between the customer and the counter staff, once again prolonging your journey to the register.

"The 4pm class would have started 10 minutes back", you ponder. You've given up on thinking that you'd ever make it today. You yield to the fact that at this point, it does not matter how long it takes to ring up your 9 vegetables. You relax into your state of waiting but somehow, the air is too still and you find yourself noticing irrelevant details; the band-aid on a child's nose and an mp4 player attached to the ears of a foot tapping shop assistant. The air is still and it reeks.... The air-conditioning remains only a devious trick to lure unsuspecting customers looking in from the outside.

HOPE

Finally your turn comes. You're ready to do anything to get out of the place. So you enthusiastically lay out the veges from your cart, onto the counter in the hope of helping Disinterested Counter Man get you out of there! He rings up the register and tells you the amount, which is 3 times that of the sidewalk vege vendor's. After the experiences of the hour, you can't help but feel like you think you know what her curses a while back must have been about. In any case, you take your bags and triumphantly walk out of the shop. "Finally!", you think, making your way to the road side. The auto you hail even stops and a pleasant face politely asks where you'd like to go.

Just as you think the world is finally going your way, the auto driver seems to think Rs.30 is insufficient to take you to your residence hardly 3 minutes away! Only Rs. 70 will do! You want so badly to get in rather than having to bake in the sun holding shopping bags and jostling your legs from the annoying sweat-beads running down your thigh. But you restrain yourself. You see on the auto driver's face that he knows of this inconvenience only too well. You ask him to move to the shade but he turns a deaf ear to the plea. Evidently he never stops in the shade because that gives the customer a slight edge in negotiations! In the sun, the driver has the advantage of pre-quoting high rates knowing that a customer desperate for his vehicle's shade will not bother to haggle too much!

You are appalled and shocked at the auto-driver's scheme. Anger swells within you again. Of course, by now you realise that summer enemy Number 3 has arrived!

The "Right Teacher"

2009-01-17T03:02:00.011+05:30

Of late, many people seem to be wanting to pursue music seriously. Some of these enthusiastic individuals have contacted me in attempt to be placed with "the right" music teacher. Some of those asking are known to me and others are are strangers.

Below is my response to two enthusiastic individuals, Ajayh and Satvik, who I don't quite know, but who nonetheless have taken the initiative to seek help. I hope my blog entry reaches yet others like them who don't quite having a starting point, and are looking for the right teacher. I've not posted Ajayh's and Satvik's emails in this blog in the interest of keeping things short as possible, but the general theme of both emails was the interest in me placing them with /finding them the right teacher.

_________________________________________________

Hi Ajayh and Satvik,

UNIQUENESS OF EACH STUDENT

Great to see your enthusiasm. Music is definately something that connects you to your soul. My hope is that everyone who loves music should find the right teacher for himself/herself because of music's connection to the soul. Therefore finding a teacher, or better yet, a guru, is sometimes a task that a student can enthrust only himself /herself to pursue. Why? Because of the unique qualities/ requirements of each student.

ORAL TRANSMISSION OF CARNATIC MUSIC

I think the need to know the student before helping him/her has something to do with the fact that ours is an orally transmitted art and it does not easily flow from teacher to student if a connection does not exist between the two. I believe that the right TYPE of assistance is thus more useful than just answering to your questions, for the sake of it. So read on and I hope you'll agree with my thoughts...

Here's something I've learnt - the more I know my family and friends' individual voices, musical tastes, temperaments, talents and propensity to work, the easier it has been to suggest teachers who are just right for them. And though I do reach out to respond to messages like yours in the interest of helping, I have sometimes found that the most useful assistance I can offer to those who I don't have a knowledge of, is to refer them to the sources of information that I myself have used in the past.

SOURCE OF INFORMATION

In response to both your cases (and that of other eager learners), pls refer to the Mudhra Music Directory. This is an annually updated listing of Carnatic Music teachers and musicians in Tamil Nadu and other parts of India. You can buy this directory for Rs.100+ at many chennai bookshops e.g. the Karnatic Music Book Centre, tel: 0091-44-28111716 or 28113253. Email is kmbc@vsnl.net

The directory will help you by giving you the option to call and enquire directly with the musicians(s) of your choice, once you tell them a little about yourself -current level of exposure to music, classes per mnth you can attend, music goals, etc.

LIMITATIONS OF EXTERNAL GUIDANCE

It will be very easy for someone who has NOT met you, to put you onto a teacher without hearing you, knowing your background, understanding your goals within music etc, and make you feel like you're on the right path. But if it does not work out, you'll soon be re-starting with another teacher....chances are, again someone else would have chosen for you. Then you'll have to readjust your mindset, style etc all over again. This is a viscious cycle that only the student can break, through the knowledge he/she has of himself/herself and his/her singing.

The aspect in which you'd find the best assistance is in the ability to teachers as every where in Chennai there are accomplished musicians and able teachers. The Music Directory will help you with the with a list complete with contact details. Then pursue a teacher who will fit the unique attributes that make you the vocalist that you are. This is tough if you're not sure of each artiste's style. However, there IS a solution - listen (to potential teachers' concerts), read newspaper reviews (Friday Review, Hindu for e.g.) and these can help you identify the better teachers for you.

If you still want the simpler route, i.e. for someone to recommend you a teacher, make sure the person knows your vocals, understands your uniqueness, goals etc, well enough, to be enthrusted with such an important job as finding you a teacher that connects you to your soul.

If there is something more I can help with or if something needs clarification, let me know.

I wish you well,
Shobha

Here's to a life of music! God Bless.

Mahabalipuram

2008-12-27T20:31:00.010+05:30

Finally made it after 2.5 years of talking about it!

Query on Carnatic Music Classes in Chennai

2008-11-08T16:34:00.006+05:30

Today I received an email enquiring about carnatic music in Chennai. I felt that the person who sent me this email had asked a question many people would want to know the answer to. I've posted his query (altering personal details to respect the writer's privacy), so that others too can benefit from our dialogue.

Email Received:

"Hi Shobha,

This is Navin. I am currently working in ABC Co., Chennai. I have had this passion to learn carnatic music for a long time and presently I am looking for a tutor who can help me out in this. Just googled carnatic music in chennai and came across ur blog. Really heartening to see that ur learning carnatic music. Any suggestions/thoughts on whom to approach for starting this dream of mine come true. I do not want to postpone this later as I have been doing that for quite some years. Nothing is too late for learning as the saying goes.

Thanks and Regards "

Response to Navin:

"Hi Navin,

Good to see any music enthusiast. I'm glad my blog has inspired you and may you keep aspiring.

You are in Chennai, and so, finding a teacher will not be a problem at all. Finding a suitable teacher, will. Teachers are generally concentrated in (what locals have told me are) the traditionally-Brahmin areas of Chennai such as Mylapore, Mandaveli, RA Puram, Adyar, Tiruvanmiyur and Besant Nagar. So, if you live/work in any of these areas, I can suggest teachers' names almost immediately. Better to take someone close to work/home so that it is less tedious for you to get to class before/after work.

If however you live/work in Anna Nagar or West Mambalam etc, I will have to extend my search and that will take some time. Also, did you grow up in Chennai? Elsewhere in India? Out of India? These points also matter in selecting a teacher, as culture and mindset come into play. Are you already initiated in Carnatic Music? Are you a beginner? That should aslo be factored into finding a teacher. It is never a simple task finding a suitable teacher, so have patience with yourself, the art and your teacher's methods of training.

While I commend you for taking immediate action, I must also remind you that if you're embarking on music as a career eventually, you have to be very conscious of the decision you're making . This is because learning carnatic music means complete "shraddha", which means ABC Co. may have to take a back seat. Of course, that advice is only if you're palnning to move into it full time. If you wish to straddle between ABC Co. and Carnatic music, your progress in both lines will be slower, but your income will provide you the financial security you (may) need to sustain your music classes.

Having read the above, here's what you have to let me know if you want a teacher:

What location do you want your teacher to be in?
What is your level of training at present? (Sarali/Jantai, Varnam, RTP?)
What culture do you come from? (Western? Indian? Are you Tamilian?)
What is the fee you expect to pay your teacher per hour's class?
Are you seeking individual/group training? (Latter is cheaper, though not always the best option )

I wish you the best.

Shobha"

Latest on the Silver Screen: "Veruthey Oru Bharya"

2008-09-04T17:51:00.019+05:30

MOLLYWOOD REVIEW

Synopsis

Jayaram plays an egotistical, chauvinistic and insecure husband to Gopika who is the ever-dutiful, over-worked, under-appreciated traditional wife, for 14 years. Their daughter, is on the brink of discovering teenage romance and adventure. She plays a bigger role in the second half of the movie. The story refreshingly revolves around the mid-aged couple and their marital challenges...well, actually, more of Gopika's daily agony of keeping her marriage going despite her husband's insatiable demands, ego and insensitivity. Gopika is at the end of her tether when Jayaram's behaviour demonstrates that he does not respect her and that she is not even a close second in her husband's list of priorities. She returns to the warmth of her birth home, with Innacent playing her loving father. Their teen daughter is caught in between the couple's battle with each other, as the story unfolds...

My View:

Fabulous Theme, Great Start

The movie held a lot of promise with the characters carefully chiseled out and the opening scenes providing clues as to what could lie ahead, i.e. fall-out between husband and wife, the child being torn between her parents and an objective view of the real issues behind the unhappiness of the couple being Jayaram's attitude. However, the movie only adequately follows through with the first two clues ; i.e. that Jayaram's insecurity-motivated behaviours and that Gopika's reasons for retaliation are told well, ...up until Gopika goes home. There is even a character introduced in political support of oppressed women and one scene shows Jayaram feeling intimidated by what the character represents.

Gopika and the Movie's Theme Take a Hike!

Thereafter, I felt that Gopika's role in the movie seemed to fade out, with Jayaram's role taking the lead. Instead of continuing along the tone of the movie's message and depicting the issues on both sides, the story-line took an unplanned deviation; What started out by presenting the woes of the oppressed, over-woked, traditional house wife became a focus on how Jayaram struggled on his own to manage home and child, while Gopika who was represented earlier as a conscientious mom and wife, instantaneously (and unconvincingly) was made to appear non-chalant by the separation. If there was an intention to balance a portrayal of the insecure husband's reaction to the separation, with that the dutiful wife's, it certainly wasn't clear; In contrast to a lengthy portrayal of Jayaram's decline in mental health as a result of the stresses of separation, there was almost no portrayal of these stresses on Gopika. It made Gopika seem like a weakly developed character, especially when she showed up during the last 1/2 hour of the movie, and was made to apprear regretful for having so irresponsibly left Jayram to manage the home on his own - driving him to insanity! As mentioned, this vein would have been fine if the entire movie did not present itself in the beginning, to seem like it was intending to portray the plights of a wife taken for granted.

Murder Times Two

To make matters worse, there was a warped interpretation by the doctor-turned-counsellor at the very end of the movie, who could have been the story's final saviour had his role been given a little more thought! He could have presented the fact that Gopika's move away was the culminating result of her husband's relentless egotistical approach towards her for 14 years. It would have brought everything back on track and saved the movie! Instead, the counsellor further broke the tone of the message; Though the counsellor said Jayaram's ego was partly to blame, he was quick to point out that Gopika should have understood that her hubby's insecurities were spawned by a search for motherly attention. He then dismissed Gopika's issues, leaving her to look like the wife who had not tried hard enough.

My Score: 5/10

In a nutshell, Jayaram and Gopika make an excellent on-screen pair and little-miss-new-actress (teen daughter) was also a treat to watch in the latter half of the movie. Innacent, though not his usual comedic self, played his role effortlessly as expected, and provided relief from the intense emotions of the scenes on Jayaram's insanity, and from the mind-boggling theme deviations. Overall, it's a 5 out of 10; I'd recommend it if you were a Gopika-Jayaram fan, had nothing better to do on a weekend and are the type who does not mind watching a "nearly there, but not" story.

Perhaps the title "Veruthey Oru Chalachitram" would have been more appropriate.

(Photo courtesy: http://www.humsurfer.com/latest-malayalam-movie-veruthe-oru-bharya-photo-galleryveruthe-oru-bharya-stillsveruthe-oru-bharya-pictures)

You know you're in 'Yourlarich' when...

2008-09-02T18:19:00.012+05:30

I have been in Chennai for 2 years now, with experience living in this city as a PIO and foreigner. Chennai means so many things to so many people. So, many feel a strong sentimental attachment to the city while others abhor it; I know of a Nepalese man who thinks Chennai is heaven because there is no "war" here, unlike his home in Nepal. It is his refuge and he has completely settled in, even attempting to learn the Tamizh language! In contrast, I know of a middle-class traditional dancer from Pune who has had so many safety, lifestyle and health issues since she arrived in Chennai. Shaken up completely, she swears to go home once her work is done in Chennai.

Having so many mixed reviews, I decided to just talk about my district, rather than my city, so that my views are backed up with my own personal experience and are completely true to life. It is a conservative, curious district, with a relentless price boom that is NOT parallelled with improvements in products or serivces, leaving informed customers like me, quite distressed. Some argue this is the case in all districts of Chennai, not just mine. However, I dont live in all districts, just this one. So of this one I shall speak!

On the positive side, I can tell you that my district's charm is that it is home to so much religious and musical history, which my reason for being here. Nonetheless, I shall not name my little district in case my list gets me brickbats from fans and fanatics who are extremely sentimental about this place, and can't swallow anyone else's tongue-in-cheek take on it. So, let's call my district Yourlarich. So, "You know you're in Yourlarich when..."

Eating medu idli for breakfast, curd idli for lunch and sambar idli for dinner constitute three very different menus for the locals but is pretty much the same dish for you.
Flat rentals can go through a 100% hike in 24 hours!
An Indian female laughs out loud in public, she's chided for attracting attention, but if an Indian male does, he's adoringly looked at, for being genuine. "Foreign" women (i.e. caucasian, oriental, etc) are excused if they laugh out loud, because they "don't know better", apparently! But if you even look remotely Indian, you've simply got no excuse!
The art of stocking supermarket shelves is a new concept - i.e. if something moves fast (e.g. Coffeemate) it will not be restocked...in fact, it'll be removed altogether because it's moving too fast compared to the locally made milk powder that tastes like flour, and isn't moving at all.
Dressing well and carrying yourself confidently, gets you a significantly higher auto-rickshaw rate than if you wore a frumpy outfit, didn't wash your hair for a week, and looked like you've never had it worse! The logic behind this is that if you look and feel this great, it must be because you have an obscene amount of money to spare on the auto ride!
You are more likely to get run over by a speeding vehicle if you cautiously looked right, left and right again before crossing, instead of darting across the road. This is because the fact that the pedestrian is being cautious, somehow translates to the approaching driver that he/she is absolved of the pedestrian's safety and can drive into any solid object obstructing his/her path with a clear conscience.
The idea of variety in food is North Indian, South Indian and Indian-Chinese as opposed to what Malaysians are pampered with: Malaysian Malay, Indonesian Malay, North Indian, South Indian, Malaysian Chinese, Chinese-Chinese, Hong Kong Chinese, Thai, Vietnamese, Lebanese, Danish, Irish, French, American, Tex-Mex, Korean, Japanese ....and the list goes on and on and on! So if someone in Yourlarich asks you what you want for dinner after you've been there for 2 years, you won't have to worry if you have issues making decisions - you still have the same 3 options you had when you first arrived.
As a female, wearing jeans and a kurti-top (mid-length blouse), gets people looking disaprovingly at you and asking, "So why aren't you wearing a dupatta (shawl) with that?"
When the newspaper classifieds claim a double bed room flat is available at a reasonable price, it will be wise to call and enquire first, if the 2nd room is in the same building as the first and if the bathroom has walls that go all the way up. (Serious!)
You note that a rice cooker in March that went for its regular price, is sold on "cheap sale" for Deepavali in October, priced 30% more!
Jewellery is waaaaay cheaper in your home country than in Yourlarich, but almost every local woman who sees your crappy, cheap, 3-for-10-ringgit stuff wants it anyway!
The idea of exercise is 2 rounds around the local park in a saree and sandals at a snail's pace, while chatting about the best poori curry recipe, followed by sitting for 1.5 hours on the park bench, discussing the neighbour's second daughter-in-law. And after this, wash down with one badam kheer at home!

The idea for list above is inspired by my cousin, whose blog presented a similar list on Melbourne. Last but not least, there's more to the list above, but I need hurry now and buy that rice cooker before the October sale.

Click!

2008-08-15T23:54:00.005+05:30

Chennai Quartet? - Clockwise, these are Renjith, Aravind, Rahul and me in Citi Centre, Chennai.

2 photos of family: One with Uncle Devan's family from mom's side inTrishur (second photo), and the other with relatives in dad's family, orignally from Anakara.

At Sharavanabhavan with American Fullbright Scholar in Carnatic Music, Fugan D.

Heading out (I swear I tied it myself!) for my first group based university performance at the Tyagaraja Vidwath Samajam, Mylapore.

The Malaysian Me

2008-06-25T19:10:00.007+05:30

DEAR DIARY...

Peeling myself off studies at uni was a tough task. This was because cutting off from the Music Dept and Chennai also means cutting off from my constant touch with music. And since my time in Chennai (with music) is only 3 years, you can imagien how kiasu I am with ensuring I am constantly in touch with music while there!

Having said that, I must admit, home is definately where the heart is. After my exams in Chennai this semester, it took me a second to realise that if I wanted to recharge myself for the upcoming year of music education, I HAVE to sink into my old bed in KL, sip Air Cincau in front of the TV, eat one Char Kuay Teow 'hot-hot' and watch an Indonesian horror flick - all to reprogramme that over-stimulated brain of mine. Not to mention, on the list too, was (1)savouring mom's pampering, (2) aunts' cooking, (3) cousins' yaking, (4) friends' catching up. It is just so essential for mental and emotional balance!

So, just 12 hours after I landed in KL, my cousin Shamini and her hubby Manu, took me out to Chillis in BSC for dinner! Caesar's Salad won best dish all over again for the second time since 1989, which was my first taste of Caesar's Salad, somewhere in a hotel in KL city.

HOME!!! The Malay music blasting in one of the baju kurung stalls in Sentral LRT station, the unmistakable cantonese conversations in Sg. Wang's handphone vending stalls and that nice aunty with the colourful bangles and glittering nose stud at my regular Indian food joint. Such pleasant memories, sights and sounds of home.

Yes, I miss classes in Chennai. Yes, I miss my teacher's inspiring lessons. Yes, I miss the resonance in the air that makes Carnatic Music an experience which can only be obtained in Chennai. But God, is it good to be home! And just to make sure I completely enjoy myself, in my list of to-dos, I jot down one more important thing in KL - listen to Maharajapuram Santhanam's Pancharathna Krithis, without planning for an exam, viva or practical!

Ah, now, life's complete.

A Blogger's Promise

2008-04-17T17:58:00.005+05:30

"When you're a child, time is play
When you're a teen, time is study
When you're an adult, time is money,
And when you're old, time is up!"

I promised a 6-year old about 25 years ago that if it were ever in my power, I'd publish his spontaneous "poh-wems" (that is how he pronounced them!) one by one, from the time he was 4. Time's long past, and I am nowhere near to being anyone special in the publishing business (for a good reason albeit!). If I were in both, music AND writing, I'd be either insane or dead from exhausion, according to him.

Nonetheless, as I am a blogger now, I can still keep my promise to the chubby, bushy tailed, perceptive, creative kid I grew up with! Can't reveal the name or else I may beget the wrath of an embarrassed present-day yuppie!

So matey, it's published. Cheers!

ASHTA NAYIKAS

2008-01-23T23:18:00.000+05:30

One of the mini-assignments I had in my first sem theory subject on Historical Theory and Concepts of Fine Arts I.

CONTENTS:
Introduction
1. A General Categorisation of Ashta Nayikas
2. Ashta Nayika Categorisation
3. An Illustration / Example of the Ashta Nayikas in Practice
4. Categorisation by Birth or Behaviour
Conclusion

Introduction

According to the Natyasastra of Bharathamuni, heroes are categorized into 4 (Chathurvidha Nayaka) and heroines are categorized into 8, by character. These 8 heroines (Ashta Nayika), are all Shringara* Nayikas, in accordance with the time then. There are also other categorizations for heroines, such as by ‘birth’ and ‘behaviour’, besides ‘character’. In total, author Dr. S Bhagyalekshmi, in her book Approach to Bharathanatyam, says that Nayikas are of 360 categories.

In the Ashta Nayika (8 heroines) classification, the eight are Svadhinabhathrika, Vasakasajjika, Virahothkanditha, Khanditha, Vipralabdha, Proshitabhatrika, Kalahantarita and Abhisarika.

*Shringara rasa is one of the 9 aesthetic emotions (rasas) evoked in /perceived by, a spectator of an artistic performance.

1. A General Categorisation of Ashta Nayikas

The Ashta Nayikas in general are classified into:
Uttama – They are well balanced and are well behaved. They are of the best among the three.
Madhyama – They will reciprocate via actions that are commensurate with the treatment they’ve received from their heroes, to express their discontent.
Adhama – This is the lowest category among the three and will not behave well, even if their heroes are well mannered or kind. They will be jealous and angry towards their heroes.

2.Ashta Nayika Categorisation

2.1 Svadhinabhathrika
Of the eight, this category of heroine is the only one who has her hero with her. Under all other categories, the hero is separated from the heroine, either by circumstance or will. The Svadhinabhathrika is pampered by her lover and she is confident of his love for her. She is very influential and to acquire what her heart’s desires, she makes others serve her. Dominant and commanding, this heroine’s lover is a slave to her as he is captivated by her and fulfills her every wish. E.g. Sathyabhama.

2.2 Vasakasajjika
This category of heroine anticipates her hero’s arrival though she does not know his arrival time. In preparation for his arrival, she adorns herself with ornaments and make up. Even her room is decorated and she peers out of the threshold of her home, looking if he has arrived. She is ready to receive her lover happily and awaits him eagerly.

2.3 Virahothkanditha
Virahothkanditha suffers the pangs of separation as she is apart from her lover. Due to the non-arrival of her lover or hero, she is discontented, anxious and gets exhausted from this. She continuously laments to her servants and others around, as she does not know why he has not arrived. She openly demonstrates her distress, exhaustion and discontent. However, she does not doubt her hero and will think of the various reasons he may have been unduly delayed, such as being detained by duty or king. E.g. of Virahothkanditha is Dhamayanthi before she meets Nala.

2.4 Khanditha
The Khanditha’s hero comes to her in the morning with tell-tale marks of having spent time with another woman. She is enraged upon seeing him and has pride, jealousy as well as anger. As the word “Khanditha” denotes, this category of heroine is one who expresses her anger and distress. The grammatical explanation of the term itself is to be cut or shattered, i.e. in this case the heroine is cut off and is shattered by anger. She uses contempt, sarcasm and silence as weapons.

2.5 Vipralabdha
This category of heroine is in love with her hero is aware of his infidelity; She notices the tell-tale signs of infidelity and will confront her hero about them. Thus, she is disappointed in love, showing her anxiety and disappointment through sarcasm towards her lover. The Vipralabdha also weeps and faints. A sense of inferiority arises in her, out of feeling that other women are more deserving of her hero’s affection, than herself.

2.6 Proshitabhatrika
Proshitabhatrika is the heroine who is separated from her hero and is therefore sad. She therefore loses interest in herself, e.g., in dressing and grooming herself. The separation is due to circumstance, i.e. a mission, livelihood or education of the hero. Hence, the separation is justified. Unlike the Vasatasajika (2.2 above), the Proshitabhatrika knows the duration of separation.

2.7 Kalahantarita
The term itself expresses the character of the heroine in this category, i.e. ‘Kala’ is anger while ‘anta’ means end, and ‘aritha’ is to repent. In this category the Nayika is quarrelsome and is not reluctant to disgrace her hero in front of others. She later on, repents her misdeed and is filled with remorse. She can be one of two types: (1) one who turns her hero away because of his relationship with another woman and then repents, or (2) one who turns her hero away in anger because he has failed to adhere to her commands, and then repents.

2.8 Abhisarika
The Abhisarika spends much time adorning herself and makes special attempt to go after her hero. She is skillful and cunning. This category has six subdivisions, i.e.:
Jyotsnabhisarika who wears white and goes out in the moonlight to meet her hero.
Divabhisarika who pretends to be going to perform her daily chores but instead goes to meet him.
Thamoabhisarika who wears dark clothes (black, red or blue) to camouflage herself in the night and then sets out to meet her hero.
Kamaabhisarika who goes out to meet her hero with great passion.
Gharvababhisarika whose intention is to come to where he is, to meet him. However, to hide her pride, she pretends she has come on some other task or talks to someone else instead of her hero.
Premavakyabhisarika who talks nicely, with full of love.

3. An Illustration / Example of the Ashta Nayikas in Practice

In illustration of the eight categories, the attached internet article describes an artiste, Indira Kadambi, presenting the Ashta Nayikas in the theme ‘Ashta nayakiyarin ishta Murugan’, showcasing the “eight emotional states of a heroine in love”, for the Margazhi Mahotsav in Chennai. (Performance date is not stated).

The article mentions that she started with the proshitabhatrika nayika, “a heroine who is unable to bear even a temporary separation from her husband or lover, Lord Muruga”. Following through with the vasakasajjika, virahotkhandita, abhisarika, vipralabdha, khandita, kalahantarita nayikas in that order, she ends with the svadhinabhathrika nayika, welcoming her hero’s return with happiness & pride. As this nayika, she is confident of his love for her.

In the review the author mentions that the compositions and alapana rendered were selected or adapted to suit each character and the theme of the performance.

4. Categorisation by Birth or Behaviour

The Natyasastra mentions the categories of Nayikas by birth or behaviour (or “psychological aspect”, as termed by Dr. Bhagyelakshmi in her book, Approach to Bharathanatyam). Thus, the Ashta Nayikas (which is a classification by nature/ character), can be categorised by birth and behaviour.
By birth:
Divya – These heroines are of divine origin (E.g. Indrani)
Maanava – These heroines are of human origin (E.g. Kannagi)
Mishra – These heroines are a mix of both categories above, such as divine beings who had taken human form, such as Seetha or Andal.
Another birth-based classification is:
Divya - These heroines are of divine origin (E.g. Indrani)
Nrpatni – These are heroines of royal lineage, i.e. kings’ wives (E.g. Mandodhari)
Kulastri – These heroines are women of respectable families
Ganika – These are heroines who are courtesans

By behaviour:

Svakiya – She is of good character and spends her time serving her hero, who she loves. She is the ideal wife and is categorized into Mugdha, Madhya and Pragalbha. In the work titled Studies in Nayika-Nayaka Bedha by Rakeshagupta, the author states that the division of Svakiya into Mugdha, Madhya and Pragalbha is similar to the classification that divides the youth of the woman into 4 stages: Prathama, Dwitiya, Thrithiya and Chathurtha Yowanas, though the actual definitions of these are not given by the author.
Mugdha – This category is further divided into the Dyata Yowana who is aware of men and their character, as well as Adhyata Yowana who is not aware of men and their characters. Mugdha is generally young, shy and inexperienced in love. Thus she is not aware of how she is to react to love.
Madhya – The Madhya Nayika has reacted to her husband’s love. However, she is not fully understood love. This category is broken down into Dheera, Adheera and Dheeradheera. Each of these is broken down into Decha (older) and Kanicha (younger).
i. Dheera Madhya – She will marry more than once and will be jealous because her hero favours another. She indirectly expresses her ill-feelings and uses sarcasm. She does not however, raise her voice in anger and instead, maintains respect towards her husband though her mood will be one of indifference (e.g. not smiling).
ii. Adheera Madhya – She openly rebukes her hero and chides him in public.
iii. Dheeraadheera Madhya – She is likely to use sarcasm and will breakdown in expression of her discontent.
Praghalpa - She is very experienced and understands the character of her hero. Thus she can express herself very well. Praghalpa is broken down into the Dheera, Adheera and Dheeradheera categories as well.
Parakeeya – She is also known as Anyanari and can be one of two types; the Kanya or the Praudha. The Kanya is a young maiden and the Praudha is married and matured. The Parakeeya belongs to one person but has feelings for another. An e.g. would be Meera as she pined for Krishna’s love despite being married to another. She would fall into the Praudha category.
Samanya – Also known as Dravyanari, she is a courtesan and will attach herself to her hero/heroes for self betterment. She will charm her heroes with her beauty and cultural talents.
The classification into Uttama, Madhyama and Adhama by Bharathamuni, is said to be “similar in spirit to the classification into Svakiya, Parakeeya and Samanya”, according to author Rakeshagupta in his book, Studies in Nayika-Nayaka Bheda.

Conclusion

The Nayikas’ categorization by birth, character and behaviour are all as stated in the Natyasastra. The Ashta Nayikas can be respectively classified into Uttama, Madhyama and Adhama. In terms of behaviour, they can also be classified into Sviya, Parakeeya and Samanya. While the Praghalpa and Madhya Nayikas of the Svakiya category are broken down into Dheera, Adheera and Dheeradheera, the Mugdha Nayikas of the Svakiya category is separated into the Kanya and Praudha groups. The Ashta Nayikas, when categorized by birth, can be segregated into origins; divine, human or a combination of both.

Katha Parayumbol - Must Watch!

2008-01-17T23:47:00.002+05:30

MOLLYWOOD MOVIE

You: Why Should I Watch 'Katha Parayumbol'?

Me: If you're anything like me, you are curious about most things Keralite, but you don't always relate to Kerala's culture or understand the finer nuances of Malayalee conversation. (And you wont be even be surprised that you dont relate to these aspects.) Why? Because, like me, you:

never grew up in Kerala...or India for that matter.

What you know of the Malayalam language is what mom or grandma spoke, or what you saw in pirated Mallu videos of the 80s, in the country your family emigrated to.

So, a two hour political potrayal of socialist endeavours or "boy-meets-girl at college for the billionth time", will be completely lost on someone like me.

But the movie "Katha Parayumbol..." (translates loosely to "When Telling a Story...") engaged me for its complete duration...that's an experience I've not had with any Indian movie in a while!
Story-telling was at a new level, with entertainment and education rolled into one. Each cast member was picked with precission and the screenplay (by comedian Sreenivasan) was commendable in my view.

In a time when the Indian movie still gets snickered at for its focus on "LAU", "LAU SONGS" and as they say in Tamil, "KUTHU CHANDAI" (....read: "Impossible feats of fist fighting and kicking stunts that defy gravity), this movie has me thinking that it's time I take my "tounge-in-cheek", sarcy family and friends to this movie.

You:Where Should I Watch This?

Me: I'm priviledged to have watched "Katha Parayumbol..." on the big screen in Chennai and I am aware that my fellow members of the Keralite diaspora may not have this privilege if they're in Malaysia or Belgium or Fiji Islands or whatever. But to those of you planning to make a trip to Kerala, I recommend you don't miss this movie.

You: Ok, You've Won Me Over ...(Almost, so dont get too excited!) Tell me, who starred in it?

Me: Now the stars... Mamooty& Sreenivasan.

Every Mallu and his/her brother-in-law knows Mamooty.

I dont know how many of my Mallu family and friends will know the name Sreenivasan from the 80s/90s comedy flicks. But if you remember him as well as I do, I think you'll agree that he was one of those comedians you waited to watch on screen and whose talent in comedic-timing surpassed that of most of his peers of those decades.

Anyway, Sreenivasan wrote the screenplay of this movie and he's done a wonderful job! Loved this movie and recommend it to Mallus who aren't completely in sync with regular Mallu flicks.

You: Do I Have Access to This Movie? If I Don't, Why Whet My Apetite Telling Me About It?

Me: You may wonder how the rest of the Malayalee population, dispersed across continents, nationalities and generations, are going to get to view this gem of a Malayalam movie. For now, the only way is to either travel to satisfy your unique movie cravings, or to become an owner of a cinema and make it a point to screen Mallu movies. :-) How that would make money, I don't know....I ain't no business-person.

Any other legal ideas are welcome too. I always imagined that malayalee associations all over the world will one day convene to find a solution to this problem, especially in the day and age when every Malayalee parent is lamenting that their kids aren't as Mallu as themselves or aren't interested in Mallu culture. I'm surprised that these parents don't realise that they themselves picked up details of Kerala and its tradition through Malayalam cinema. Therefore, great films are the answer to their problems. Despite all the ingenuity that the Keralite boasts of across the seas, something as simple as propagation of culture through GOOD cinema has been left untapped.

I think Malayalam cinema, unlike many of it's sister-genres, can (for the most part) boast of being able to propagate culture without the patronising commerical additives that include [1] hip-hop dancers for a song set in Kanada raga (go figure!) or [2] a three-piece suit with tie-pin and cuff links, for a villian whose entire lifestyle is typical of a village head (and not of the mafia!)

Secretly, the next story I hope someone as talented as Sreenivasan tells us, relates to not only those IN Kerala but those OUT of it, aspiring to retain what is precious. He seems fertile with issues which are otherwise untouched by his own peers in Malayalam film-making, and I hope a movie like the one I've mentioned above, takes hime to greater heights.

Here's another secret wish...the reason I tell you, the potential-audience about this, is in the hope that some Mallu out there reading this, does something about accessibility of Malayalam movies to Keralites and their clueless descendents around the world!

So there!

Incidentally, I HAVE emailed Sreenivasan my comments. :-)

Source of photos - http://www.keralapals.com/gallery/katha-parayumbol-3.html

True Story: Citizen Auto-Driver

2008-01-14T19:20:00.001+05:30

DEAR DIARY...

On the way to uni this morning, I performed the usual rituals; getting into an auto-rickshaw, ensuring the driver understood where I was going. Trust me, I've been driven to places WAAAY of the mark a few times when I did not name at least 2 landmarks besides mentioning the name of my famous campus and uni!

Anyway, the point is, 2 mins away from my stop I prepared my fare in hand so that I don't start searching my bag for the right change when I get there. Today I took out a Rs.100 note to pay the driver my Rs.60 fare.

When I whisked the note out of my purse, it flew out of my hand into the merciless traffic of Kamaraj Salai. Anyone who's been on Kamaraj Salai will tell you it is no less than a death wish, to run after a stray note on that road, no matter what the denomination. But tell that to my auto driver, will you?! This amazingly brave driver (or brainless...whichever you'd perceive him to be), parked the vehicle safely along the roadside, got down, and darted through the heavy traffic, dodging the tank-like Ambassadors, reckless scooters, autos etc to chase the note. As though that was not amazing enough, he actually caught it while it whizzed between vehicles. He then proudly waved to me with it, 50 yards off where I sat, completely awestruck!

As he walked back towards me, I saw an arm extend from behind a pillar that separated him and the road he had to cross to get to me. It gestured him to approach. From the sleeve on the arm, I knew it would be a traffic policeman who must have seen the incident as we'd passed him so closely during this 'drama'. I assumed he just wished to "kepoh", as we say in Malaysia....or in English, to be a "busy body".

The driver disappeared beind the pillar. When he emerged next, he wore an angry expression, nodding his head in annoyance and was muttering under his breath. As soon as he saw me peering out of his auto, he apologised and explained that the policeman had literally taken the note out of his hand! No explanation or query. Just like that! The auto driver expressed his annoyance about his failed attempts at convincing the policeman that the money belonged to a customer in his auto, just across the road!

The auto driver suggested to me politely that perhaps I should cross the road and go ask the policeman for the money myself since the policeman doubted the driver's testimony. This of course was a last resort as it has commonly been the advice of my Chennite friends, to stay clear of troublesome (or more precisely in this case, bullying) coppers. As I got out of the vehicle, the policeman who was up until that time standing there watching the driver walk back to the auto, hurriedly got on his bike and sped off!

The auto driver's eyes turned bloodshot and he started swearing at the policeman! I was amazed that my driver felt a certain sense of duty towards getting his customer's rightful money, back. Among so many auto drivers I'd met who couldn't give a toss as to what happens to their customers, today's auto driver came to me as a big surprise. Though I lost my money to the cop, I felt I needed to reward my driver. So I gave him a tip over the fare, both of which I had to conjour up from my remaining stash after a desparate search for spare change in my school bag. I was again amazed that he was polite enough to refuse my first attempt to give him a tip.

And that, was the event of today which I thought was blog-worthy.

Subjects in Semester 1

2008-01-04T22:48:00.000+05:30

INFORMATION: YOU ASKED FOR IT!

Some friends (& strangers!!) had contacted me from Malaysia, enquiring about my subjects...here are the subjects I took in my first semester at University of Madras, under MA Indian Music:

Foundation in Performance I
Compositions in 8 Ragas
Alapana in 4 Ragas
Devotional Compositions: Music of South India
Historical and Theoretical Concepts of Fine Arts I
Introduction to Sanskrit I
Spanish - Compulsory to take one subject within the group of subjects called "soft skills", as per the new university ruling.

Rough Descriptions:

Includes understanding of tala, nadai, use of nadai in tisram, kandam, misram (and naturally chatusram). Varnam will be sung in all these nadais, in 1st and 2nd kalam. Alangkaras in all talas, using 8 ragas. This will have to be rendered with and without gamakas. It is implied that sarali, jantai, dhatu varisais and relevant geethams and varnams are already covered when the student joins the course, as they will be the basis of introducing other new concepts. (Practical)
Compositions in 2-kalai covering 8 important ragas will be covered. These compositions are different every semester, hence no preparation can be undertaken except sharpening one's knowledge of the ragas in which the compositions will be taught. Ragas include among others: Purvikalyani, Kamboji and Saveri. This subject is the basis for subjects in musical improvisation in following semesters. (Practical)
This is a creative subject but it requires understanding and apt rendering of the 4 selected ragas. Ability to notate alapanas that masters of the art render, is also examined. (Practical)
Devotional compositions in Telegu, Malayalam, Tamil and Kannada. Compositions include ragamalikas. Some compositions may also be in Manipravalam. (Practical)
As the title suggests. Topics covered include music theory and literature pre- and post-trinity, largely covering history of tamil music. Thus topics such as 4000 Divya Prabandham, Thevaram, Tirupugal, Panniru Tirumurai etc will be covered along with ancient works such as Silapadikaram, Tolkapiyam, Bharatasenapatiyam, Cacaputavenpa, Talasamudiram etc. There are over 25 main topics so the list above is not exhaustive.
This subject is a follow-on for students who, in India, have studied the basics of Sanskrit in school already. Note to the non-Indian student: To be able to complete this subject successfully, you may consider learning sanskrit on your own first, and come up to speed with the Indian school-leaver. Sanskrit is an excellent allied-subject to take alongside your music studies, to aid in the appreciation of sahitya in Carnatic music.
This is one of the university's new (compulsory) subject introductions, alongside other options such as Managerial Skills and Computing Skills, to keep postgrads upto par with the requirements of the Indian/ international job market. Languages offered include French, German, Italian and Korean, besides Spanish.

Hope the description above is helpful. All the best!

A PIO's* THOUGHTS ON CARNATIC MUSIC in CHENNAI

2007-12-31T21:31:00.000+05:30

TALE OF 'TWO' CITIES

Chennai - the city of twin personalities; For 11 months of the year, you can find people who say it is "kollywood's crib", "land of compulsive hooting", "home of haggling salespersons", "city of scrumptious vegetarian Indian cuisine", "a dust filled atmosphere", "a haven for unruly traffic" and "increasing in property prices". Though people will relate to you the vastly diverse facets of Chennai for 11 months, for 1 month Chennai puts on her best and shows-off her stuff - the Music Season of December. And thank God for the affluent capitalist NRIs in one sense, this musical, intellectual, soulful season is now extended...from November, through to the end of December.

THE GOLDEN AGE

Though the concerts are many and we (music enthisiasts) are all drawn to different artistes and 'sabhas' (halls), one thing's for sure - the audience in these performances show a marked improvement in knowledge compared to when I came for the first time to Chennai in '98. Though reduced to memories of a short trip for music in '98, that trip gave me my first insight of the performers and audiences of the music season. I can bravely say that the comparison between then and now is obvious ...in my view, more people know what to look for in a Carnatic performance now. Questions asked during lecture demos and discussions on which I've eavesdropped (bad girl me!) outside the halls lead me to this conclusion.

Fellow enthusiasts/audiences who cram into the halls with me, still constitute the elderly, but a new wave of young blood is also present, clearly bewitched and bewildered by Carnatic music. These youngsters may well be the first generation of beneficiaries, who have inherited the drive and thrist for protecting their culture, from their forefathers' generation. The way this happened I think is that the older generation saw the need to inclucate the love for this (somewhat) fledgeling artform in their children. Perhaps they were noticing the dwindling number of young fans over the last 30 years, and felt the need to resurrect the diminishing interest to preserve the art. Their resultant outcome of their efforts, if we can indeed attribute the outcome to them, is an 'influx' of Carnatic Music enthusiasts, performers, critics, connoiseurs, intellectuals and educators today. So, is this then the Golden Age of Carnatic Music?

I ask because, these audiences walk into the halls armed with knowledge, skill and a learning mindset to say the least. Many in the audience, let alone those on stage, are undiscovered prodigies in some aspect of the art, and the blessing they've inherited is that many of them, with the available avenues in Chennai today, will be discovered at tender ages for their respective niches in the art such as being adept at tala, rendering alapanas or flawlessly rendering a krithi after a single lesson. Our forefathers will be happy to learn that the means exist today, to assist in assimiltion, analysis, appreciation and augmentation of one's skills in the art.

PRESSURE TO PERFORM: ENTERTAINMENT VS. ART-PRESERVATION

Though students of my generation have only been discovered in our later years for our talent, I take pride in being priviledged to learn music in Chennai during what may be perceived as the Golden Age of Carnatic Music. This is a privilege that offers supreme opportunity to develop one's art.

While personally, I may enjoy this privilege, the current day 'movers and shakers' of the art will tell you that it isn't all fun and games; it is very easy to lose sight of the woods for the trees in such a time. This is because handling the art with the same tenderness and protectiveness that its forefathers did, is very much a part of the role of the musician, just as it is his/her role to perform for the entertainment of today's musically-educated (and yet, demanding and diverse-in-view) audiences.

That fine balance between entertainment and art-preservation I reckon, is the biggest dilemma an artiste of today is facing. For the purist Carnatic artiste, it can almost be a moral issue. But for the less than traditional, the art is seen as constantly evolving almost to the point of needing rather than wanting change.

In my current view therefore, that there are 2 schools of thought on teaching the same art, i.e. Carnatic Music. These schools (for sake of explanation), can be categorised somewhat losely, based on what proportion of their focus is dedicated to entertainment, vs. the proportion dedicated to preservation. The greater the focus on tradition rules and accepted deviations from the aspects which are considered true Carnatic music, the more "purist" the teaching. Thus, entertainment is secondary to art-preservation. On the other end of the spectrum are those that feel Carnatic music is still evolving, thus they accept creative changes in preference to some of the more traditional norms of rendition.

The ultimate Carnatic "entertainer" will almost always be labelled as being less true to the artfrom and thus more irresponsible, by the purist. The ultimate purist inadvertantly, could be regarded as being closed-minded by the entertainer.

PRODUCT OR PACKAGING?

Thus, during the music season, the one thing I feel that can pressurise artistes to worry more about the packaging than the product, is that certain review /analysis written on their performance. Sometimes, veterens are mocked for being 'old fashioned' and newbies prematurely commended for for a single act of ingenuity that can't be repeated or explained by the performer! Though many perfromers are assessed fairly or at least diplomatically, the pressure to perform in a manner acceptable to both the purist and the entertainer seems to be the driving force behind the nature and content of today's performances. Perhaps it is a good thing. Perhaps it isn't. In either case, pressure of this nature deviates the art from the artiste, i.e. the product loses to the packaging.

So, if this is indeed the Golden Age, perhaps the hardcore art-preserver/purist would encourage us to be careful about the product first. Packaging later. Afterall, we don't want to be blamed by future generations for carelessly losing the very treasure that our previous generation saved for us. Their fervour is perhaps parallel to nature-loving activists whose cause is to preserve the ecosystem.

Then again, speak to a hardcore entertainer and you'll be opened to a whole new set of arguments that say the treasure of the past is only the basis for today's entertainment, not the template. Their fervour can be likened to those who believe in the theory of evolution, for without evolution, no thought, no expression, no art and no civilisation would be present today.

Both have valid arguments.

ONLY THE MUSIC MATTERS

Having said that, interestingly, if you watch the audience that glue themselves to performances during the music season, you realise that the issue of entertainment vs. art-preservation is non-existant to an engraossed audience. The artist's magnetism which is possibly a combination of technical prowess and expression of self whisks the listener to a place where only the music matters.

* PIO - Person of Indian Origin

Had a Bad Day...Week, Rather!

2007-12-30T23:00:00.000+05:30

DEAR DIARY...

I was in Malaysia on a dutiful visit for some days. Just returned to Chennai on 29 Dec.

OF WEDDINGS AND FUNERALS

It wasn't planned as I flew home on 20 Dec to pay my respects to my late, dearly departed cousin whose funeral I missed, thanks to my deaf/indifferent Chennai travel agent who got the departure date wrong and booked me on a flight with a transit in Colombo! It was a sombre week in KL and the travel left much to be desired; During the 3 hour transit in Colombo, my credit card got jammed in some reader in the airport. Upon disembarking in KL, I learnt that I would miss my friend, Nyuk Chin's wedding as my travel agent only managed a ticket out of KL on 29 Dec, 9am, which is NC's wedding date! Next, I learnt through a total stranger that a "so-called" friend of mine forgot to tell me she's getting engaged on 23 Dec (Satya, don't worry, I didn't tell anyone it was YOU!) ...hehehe. I found this out on 24th.

HOSPITAL STRESS

Meanwhile, an aunt got admitted in hospital and everyone was a bit jittery about the her health until she made it out a day before I left, though the good news is that she looks heaps better now, according to an uncle.

E-RELATIONSHIPS SEVERED

Went to buy a much needed school bag to take to Chennai for my lectures, but ended up with with a party blouse thanks to two very persuasive cousins who themselves incidentally, bought nothing during our shopping! Finally I found the bag section in the shopping centre but then, my camera-phone went bonkers while one cousin decided to try out my phone. The poor thing's so sad about it, but I am aware that electronics and me have generally not had long lasting relationships for one reason or another.

Next whopper, the service centre promised rectification of my phone AFTER I departed for Chennai! Nice huh?! Thus I'm resigned to a previously retired cell phone and will only get my own phone back when mom visits in March. Meanwhile, I've lost some phone numbers as my "re-hired" handphone has no memory chip reader/facility.

THE CHARACTER-BUILDING COURSE

Then on my return to Chennai, which my agent promised would have an IMMEDIATE transit flight, I got free character-building lessons. Here's how you can sign up for the course:

First, hire my travel agent. He'll sign you up. He'll put you on a flight like the one I go put on.

Here's what to expect in the course:

Board the plane one hour late. Why? Because the plane will arrive late. Then it's "sitting duck" time. This means you get to sit, and sit, and sit on board, with no apparent explanation by the crew. You're not checking how long, cos if you know it may freak you out more. So you just wait. Then as the plane finally starts taxi-ing, the pilot will speak over the PA system and tell you that the plane behind spotted a smoking right engine on your plane, taking this baby back to the docks, so to speak. After another hour, you can take off and survive the turbulent weather which will make youfeel like it's your last trip. Then, when you finally reach Colombo, you will be treated to 6 hours of waiting within the confined space of the little airport which only accepts USD and credit cards. If you're like me and your card jams, you get to walk around the airport for 6 hours, and sleep next to screaming 4 year olds who are for some reason, enjoying the transit more than the holiday their parents spent thousands on! And you'll also be treated to a buffet lunch at a nice restaurant which you have to travel to, for half hour, in the scotching sun. Then you'll eat with passangers who for some reason, prefer to poke their food at the buffet before selecting it!

Anyway, when the 6 hour wait is finally over and hope is on the horizon, an announcer will notify you that the flight to Chennai, (which is a city placed just 1 hour away), has been delayed by another 2 hours. And as you count your fingers and toes and your eyes start crossing from the boredom, the waiting and the hunger, you'll give in and try the only thing which the airport sells in Indian rupees.... a suspicious looking chicken minibun. Out of sheer hunger, you wolf down two minibuns and spend the remaining time hearing sounds of indigestion emerging from your belly, much to the annoyance of other cranky transit passangers in the boarding hall. As though that is not enough, another 1/2 hour delay is announced and the guy with the suit and laptop seated in front of you appears to suddenly twich and seem like the veins in his neck are having a party. Then finally the boarding call is made and the passengers, disregarding the first call for the elderly and those with kids, make a dash for the plane. Wearier passengers like me, amble on slowly, reaching our seats just before take off.

And as luck would have it, you just may get a neighbour who likes his whiskey so much that he talks loudly to it after a couple. Finally, at 2300 hours, you land in Chennai. A 14 hour flight to a 3 hour destination. This is my agent's promise. If that's not character building, tell me what is!

Anyway, if you need my travel agent's contact details call me. And for all those other add-ons, just have a bad week and it'll just follow naturally.

THE LOAD OFF MY BACK

I think I've gotten every thing down from my bad week. Feel much better now.

....SIGH!....And this, my friends, is what I love about the power of blogging! Feel the PEACE!

Amma's Vacation in Chennai, 2007

2007-12-18T13:15:00.000+05:30

DEAR DIARY...

Yes! I had mom's presence in Chennai about a month and a half back.

Unlike her earlier trip to Chennai, this trip was much better. Her last trip was something in parallel to Christmas Lampoon's Vacation, that Chevy Chase movie, which meant I had to convince her that this trip would be great. For one thing, there was electricity, water, gas, TV, and a pre-arranged cab to take her around at times unlike her last trip when everything just went wrong...for both of us as we were new to Chennai.

This time, her day time was spent experimenting in the kitchen with all ingredients native to Chennai, watching the Malayalam channels (more like Devouring!) and visiting nearby garment shops. All her saree shopping was done for the decade by the time she left Chennai. So glad she enjoyed it all!

Mom is in her element surrounded by home deco items. This place is made for her, I tell ya!

Mom at a Music Show dedicated to late composer, Kannadaasan and his melodious compositions (dated pre-80s). Don't look for mom in this shot, she's in the audience, not on stage. :-)

Mom watches "Chocolate", the latest Malayalam movie in Chennai, on the big screen! Prithvi Raj is her latest favourite and that just made this movie all the more important to catch before leaving Chennai.

Mom enters crafts-centre, Poompuhar on Mount Road, all grins.

Once in Poompuhar, mom's too much in love with the art to leave.

(Can't get this picture upright, help!)

Mom visits relatives and gets a shot with everyone, but I chose this to publish since this is the only photo in which my cousin Ramesh's daughter, Paru's face, as well as mom's are both clearly visible in the same photo.

Hmmm....who's that shopping for art again? ;-)

Mom at Chennai's favourite bookstore, HigginBothams, looking fulfilled with her purchases of numerous astrology books!

Mom's visit this time was bearable afterall, I guess. She also ate in all my favourite restaurants in Chennai like North Indian Restaurant Kabul, Chinese at Wang's Kitchen and Noodle House. South Indian food at various places and a visit to our old "home" Woodlands Hotel made the visit complete.

With purchases in hand, mom returned to KL with a grin this time! :-)

The Pink Toy-Teacup

2007-12-05T22:12:00.000+05:30

The following is a short story I wrote recently. Characters and events are wholly fictional.

As a child of about 7 ish, Beena had to share her toys with her little brother. Not for very long...he soon tired of her kiddy, feminine cutlery sets and blonde haired dolls when he discovered the joys of battery operated toy-jeeps and toy-swords with "Thunder Cats" stickers all over them. That and gadgets which dismantle and rebuild. Ah the 80s!

But during those 1-2 years when all he had were Beena's playthings, she was asked to share. She was told not to deter this "tiny tot" from attaching plasticine to little talking-doll Linda's blonde hair, for instance. Beena realised she would never have a complete, well-matched set of toys the way her cousin Deepika had. Deepika had a pretty sky-blue ceramic toy tea set with every piece intact. And another shiny green plastic one laced with fairy-dust, and again with every piece intact. If one cup was apple green, the rest were too. If one toy knife was 3 inches long, so were the others in the set. There were as many cups to saucers, as there were forks to spoons.

Unlike Beena's own set, in Deepika's there were no imposter-like stand ins for the real thing; Take the instance when Beena's brother satisfied his curiosity by jumping on on her pink clay toy teacup. Naturally, parents being loving as they are, immediately try to mend wounds like these quickly and painlessly. In her case, Beena recalled, this took the form of a new replacement teacup. It would have been the solution, except that the new cup was white, made of plastic, and was smaller than the other pink clay ones. Of course tea sets never had spares. Beena understood that when mom comforted her. Little Beena did not accept it, but she surely was bright enough to understand it.

As she grew up, Beena forgot how significant these episodes were to her as a child. Over the years, she found herself, by some twist of fate, always being the one to create harmony among the people around her. She was the one who calmed tempers and then, offered counsel when the dust settled. Never judged too soon or too harshly. Perhaps it was this trait that led her to a career in counselling. She loved this career and was continually fascinated about what she learnt on the job.

The thing is, for a long time, Beena did not know at which point she became drawn to understanding people better. Recently, a 20-something neighbour, Parvati, said something that reminded Beena of the 80s after a long time.

Parvati and her sister Priya, lived next door to Beena in Chennai, where Beena had recently been posted after living all her life in Mumbai. Parvati asked over breakfast one day, "Ever feel that you had 4 knives from the same set and now somehow they've become 3, after you hired a maid to help you in the kitchen?"

Beena laughed in agreement and joked, " Yep, and in parallel, ever realise that the 2nd yellow bowl you bought thinking it matched the first yellow in your kitchen doesn't match? And suddenly you have this entire ugly set of cuttlery of mismatched shapes, colours and sizes?"

Parvati did not think it was a joke, and agreed vehemently, "Aiyo, my sister thinks I am crazy for wanting matching kitchen sets and all that. She says it is all for utility, not beauty. But I can't help thinking that the matching sets present some order in the chaos of a kitchen, don't you think? She doesn't mind our kleptomaniac maid Visalam taking our knives and spoons. My job is not to replace these things every now and then, what?"

Beena nodded empathetically and lifted her spoon for another mouthful of ponggal. Though she wore a calm smile, she understood that Parvati was too angry to keep her thoughts to herself. This neighbour continued, "When I was a kid, Priya used to break all my nice-nice kitchen sets that Thatha used to buy from the nearby toy shop. Then Amma used to replace them with things she made from wire, wood and tape and all that. And now I am doing the replacing myself. I just want ONE set which does not have a blue saucer for a purple cup or a stainless steel knife for an aluminium fork."

As Beena agreed with her annoyed neighbour, she remembered the words mom spoke when little Beena was being comforted years back. It was that day of the broken pink toy-tea cup. The words suddenly seemed to sound different to Beena now, compared to when they were first said, 25 years ago. "See molu, this set used to be so uninteresting because all the pieces looked exactly alike. Now, you have a different piece. Think of the different members we have in our family. Just as the father and mother and children are all different in a home, in your set now, you have something different. So your set may not be uniform, but it is more interesting than a uniform set. The disparity adds confusion but the variety adds character."

Beena shared this memory with her neighbour who then appeared to remain thoughtful for a moment. Her eyes then revealed something of a breakthrough and she said, "Yes, perhaps I push Priya too much about the little things as I do about big things. Hence, she's indifferent to my opinions, including the the antics of our Visalam."

Then Parvati looked up at Beena with a twinkle in her eye and said, "Hey, you're pretty good da!"

Beena smiled back but refrained from sharing her thoughts on her mother's words. Beena's thoughts were that she was conscious of mom's wisdom surrounding the cup all of a sudden, after 25 years. It took her this long to figure out that mom's speech was about understanding and accepting people as they are.

So, after many years, it looks like she had finally understood from where she got her talent for counselling. And her education and interest in counselling may well have begun at around 7.

My "Spanish ...(etc!) Conquest"

2007-12-05T20:50:00.000+05:30

Ok...no wild imagination please, I was refering to my efforts to learn Spanish, as the "Spanish Conquest". I love learning languages. And I love Spanish, now that I've 'tasted' it.

However, I must say that when I first landed in Chennai to study music, I thought I was not going to need much more ramping-up of language skills given my 4.5/6 GMAT language score in English... and my proficiency in spoken Tamil and Malayalam.

I thought that my existing language knowledge surpassed that of most people I knew, and that it was all I needed to manage the tongue-twisting compositions that would come my way. Now, well into my course, I find myself swarmed with language, symantics, phonetics, grammar, vocabulary and what have you, of a whole host of languages! Try this on for size - an elective in Sanskrit, compositions in Malayalam, Telugu, Kannada, Hindi and Manipravalam, music theory in Tamil tradition and prosody, lectures delivered in English...and here's the cherry - Espana, the extra (compulsory) subject! Hence, my time has to be divided absolutely down to a "t", so that no language suffers neglect.

It's no wonder that I suddenly greeted my Spanish teacher in Sanskrit this morning and wrote "Introduction to Spanish" on the Sanskrit Exam answer sheet under "Subject:" this afternoon. Two minutes after I had written that, I realised what I'd done and made the correction. After I handed up my exam answer sheet with the corrections, a fellow Sanskrit enthusiast who heard my account of the last few hours said, "It's ok, it's common around here...students who take Sanskrit invariably also have a hand in anything between 4 and 9 other languages." Then, just as a matter of fact, he raised his hands and counted on his fingers, 11 other languages he was studying at unversity besides Sanskrit.

Definately a humbling moment.

Well, whatever it is, on the balance of things, I somehow feel elated with language more than I feel burdened. Perhaps it is that special something that language offers in terms of opening doors to a new culture. Language allows insight without having to sail the world to acquire it.

So will I take Spanish II next semester?

Hell, yeah!

Exams Versus Music Season

2007-12-05T20:48:00.000+05:30

DEAR DIARY...

It is that time of the semester, when stress is at its highest - exams are up! And at the same time, music season is here. It's like having the cake and not eating it. Can't wait for 8th Dec!

What Cyclone? Get To Class ~Whip Whip~

2007-10-29T22:01:00.001+05:30

And so the Cyclone's news spread to the entire nation,
with every Chennai student watching TV in tension,
(...Also, we music students were waiting to see if exams would be on or not. )
And for Monday 29th, MU announced that they were not.

"Hooray hooray,
for the extra study day!"
But,
Our joy lived short
and we turned distraught,
as some MU authorities felt that the announcement said "colleges and schools are shut",
leaving the educational institution called the "university"
in imbiguity.
"What to do, what to do?", they must have pondered for a good part of the day,
for in the end, they announced much to our dismay,
that "exams would be held on another day,
but classes would go on, (needless to say)".

It makes authorities proud that they'd hold classes
despite lads and lasses
having to brave the wind and water
To get hither and thither.

I don't know the real reason classes ensued at the university
while everyone else stayed at home in safety.
But I think it just goes to show
that the "college and school" goer
are too precious to send out to brave floods or cyclonic winds that blow
while in this world of the educated, the university student is 'two steps below'.
So we lesser folk risked life and limb suring such a disaster
to get to our alma mater.

Perhaps the authorities think we uni students are disaster-resistant
or replaceable,
or just plain dispensable.
In any case, to the university student,
it isn't a compliment!

Cyclone: Lessons of Life

2007-10-28T18:05:00.000+05:30

It's been raining continuously today since like 5 am. Mom and I were quite enjoying the sounds, smells and cool air (last of which is something that's rare in Chennai...not wait - all three are rare here to be fair), until we heard from an aunt in Mugappair that Tamil Nadu is on cyclone alert. Sigh! And Schools and colleges are closed tommorow. What's more University of Madras is located just off the beach, so the place is surely off limits. So much for the theory exam we Music Students have tommorrow.

BUT NOT TO FEAR :-) The good news is that the alerts are more relevant to suburbs of Chennai and beach-areas than city. But the red flag's not down yet (pertaining to floods), for places in the city, weather it's Mylapore, Nungambakkam or wherever, till the govt of Tamil Nadu says so. It will only be clear late tonight, according to NDTV Times news, whether the cyclone alert will need to remain or be removed.

So for now, it's clear that today is meant for practice, practice and more practice. And some TV or radio. Indoors it is, for today and tomorrow.

I must say, being my first time hearing about a cyclone in a place that I'm staying in, it's very educational. It also explains to me in an indirect way, as to why it is one has to be patient with public services and the govt workers when living in a HUGE 3rd world nation that has many weather-events. I'm just imagining the scope of work in the villages and outskirt areas of Chennai when this is over. And suddenly I feel forgiving towards the police officer who shouts at the struggling cycle-peddling old man for carrying three times his weight on the bike. Or the politician commissioning a mass evacuation, or the officers on the ground helping villagers prepare for a time like this.

Certainly a lesson in patience, gratitude and appreciation for one's fellow man! Thus, a prayer of thanks to the Lord for keeping watch on us all, city (or village) folk.

Ok, back to music theory for a bit now before singing practice resumes.

God Bless.

The Impetus to Blog

2007-10-23T21:53:00.000+05:30

Of all the questions I choose to answer from the world's wet-blanket, sceptical, fun-less by-standers in this game called life, I choose to answer this one - "How did you think of starting a blog?", with the emphasis on "you". "Why not?" is my quick answer. But with the symantics of the questions posed, I can get away with answering so absurdly that they'll learn never to pose me an ambiguous question ever again in their lives....heheheh

It all started when I came across this lovely blog (DESIGN, not content) by some NRI Software bloke in USA who started a blog about himself and then ended up posting (1) unrelated photos of him dressed in ill-fitting three-piece suits against various American cars...yep, go figure - AND (2) more unrelated captions of these story-less, expression-lacking photos, in bad English. Not profane. Just grammatically challenged English, so to speak. And at the end of his "About Me" section which is two sentences long, he says that he has randomly sent this blog to many Malayalee girls all over the world in the hope of finding a bride-to-be! Hence my stupid luck in seeing this blog. Could nto figure out how my hotmail account said "Malayalee" in my profile but hey, who's to say an old friend did not think it'd be darn funny to get Shobha riled up with this sorta character sending her a blog, and then gave Mr. NRI my email.

While I could have easily not eaten as a result of being totally disenchanted by his "advertisement", I realised how wonderful a tool the blog is. I know I love writing and so far everyone from home's been asking me to write about personal experiences here in Chennai. It takes me ten minutes to pen 400 words if I dont edit. Hmmm...Maybe I should blog? Why not, if Mr. NRI can, so can I :-))))

Being a complete ignaramus as to the difference between a blog and website at that point, I approached the one person who always gave me short answers to every philosophy and computer related question....my brother.

Our dialogue went something like this at dinner...

Me: What's a blog? ~wide eyed and bushy tailed~
Prem: Why? ~not amused that I did not know what a blog was in the year 2006!~
Me: I want one. ~still wide eyed and bushy tailed, but hiding embarrassment the size of a nuclear disaster~
Prem: You don't know what it is, but you want one. Awww!~pat pat, now go back to your hole and rest there till I tell you it's ok to rear your head...like once the tech police have past you by...ok but I must admit it's so cute that you want something you don't know about~

Me: What is the difference between a blog and a website? ~please tell me...you're the only one who will answer this in one sentence.I dont care if it is just your opinion and isn't wat would be a 100% Mr. NRI-geek-fact no 121!~

Prem: Hmmm, not sure, but I think a blog is just momentary outpourings...websites are more serious. Can just blabber on them.

Me: Of then, I definately want a blog. ~cos I want to blabber, download, outpour, spill (aiya, not too much lah - Don't get your hopes up!~

Prem: Ok, then get one.

Me: I want one!! I want one! I want one! Get me one.

~don't be mean, I want one!~
Prem: Ok, sigh! ~I better say yes or I won't hear the last of this!~

And thus, the blog of Shobha Janardanan was born. Not this one....just some blog I posted and could not find later because I wasn't as savvy with the blog as I am with my writing. Of course, I dont even count it as my first blog since ASTRO's blog is what I think is my official first blog ever...yep.

Ok, enough useless prattle for one day. Before I (b)log off, here's a big thanks to my brother and Mr. NRI who I hopw, has found a bride who is as passionate as he is, about cars.

And there you have it, the answer to your question, "How did you think of starting a blog?"

Recording...."FOR FUN"? :-)

2007-10-13T12:36:00.000+05:30

Yesterday evening, three uni mates (Renjith, Aravind and Komal) plus myself met up at "Sing Ur Tunes" studio and hit the mics for fun. It was my first "for fun" recording as all my previous times in studios were to record for a film, stage show, audition or commercial.Never for fun!

Well, thanks to these three friends who thought the "one-armed bandit" deserved some singing action after the agonies of the Sept 28th Auto accident, I was there crooning for bit. It's a liberating feeling to sing just for fun at the studio with all the effects etc! And since it was for fun I sang all those soppy, melodious songs which a budding (cine-singer) artiste never commercially gets to sing for films till they're 40 (released film!) songs-old, or when their vocally-equivalent predecessor retires. Whichever comes first. :-)

But know what?....I realised yesterday that the lure of film singing has diminished in its attractiveness, as I delve deeper into classical music. Maybe it is just that there aren't as many lifetime-hits as there used to be once upon a time, unlike classical music. Cinema... such a fragmented industry with marketing dollars speaking louder than substance of the movie, that the lure of singing for something like that comes only after a satiating rendition of a carnatic or deviotional piece....ok...THIS SHOULD BE IN ANOHTER BLOG, so I shall stop talking shop here and just admit that "yes, I was dying to break the filmy sing-song session yesterday with a devotional hit", but I was out-numbered by my three enthusiastic filmy fans. ;-)

Meanwhile, Renjith (MA Music 1st Sem) and Aravind (M.Phil Music student) , Komal (MA Dance 1st Sem), and I (MA Music 1st Sem) all had a blast listening to the two guys' previous recordings too. Of course, since we were using the studio at no charge, we had to wait for all paying customers to first finish with their works of art - and mind you, everyone who enters a studio to sing never leaves till the final cut's just perfect as can be. So we waited forever and a day till the uncle who came before us, finished his editing.

We'll be doing this soon again, when schedules permit. Rest assured lah! Maybe even a devotional-singing thing. Oh...Check it out - the cast features in Aravind's shot of me!...Ok, my fore-finger's tired of doing all the typing....gotta go sing...voice break's over!

Whodunit?

2007-10-04T22:43:00.000+05:30

Life is full of ups and downs ...this is a 'down' right here (and a sideways!)...auto rickshaw accident last friday. I took an auto home after uni. The auto driver rammed into a merc from behind! Why? The merc driver stopped in the middle of taking a right turn, to answer his phone.

~sigh~ Pray tell me... whodunit?

Anyway, thank God, I'm a hemotoma, a few 'arm + leg' sprains, and four stitches away from recovery. Coulda been worse. Though my right arm is in a cast, the left middle and ring fingers took a punch too, so they're temporarily out of order. :-)

Ah, but finally I'll be able to follow Desparate Housewives, eat on time and spend more time listening to music since there isn't much more I can do right now. Even to practice my singing I need a hand for "thaala". My toes just aint doing a good enough job at it I tell ya!

(Thank God for a neighbour who loves to type!)

Anyways, any takers for solving the crime?

Rain Rain, Don't Go Away...

2007-08-12T22:34:00.000+05:30

Just come again at a more convenient time. Not at 9.30pm when I'm on my way back to Mylapore from dinner at Nungambakkam High Road - with traffic roaring in my ears while my friend tries to steer his weathered motorcycle around potholes and bumps.

And since Chennai roads lack pavements and shaded areas, everyone on bikes decide to huddle under the nearest tree. TREE! I thought when we were kids, our teachers in science class told us NOT to stand under trees when lightning and thunder visit. But I can't blame these poor souls...there was no shaded bus stop or shop-porch to take cover under.

Just everyone stand under the dripping, dropping, plopping rain, ok? And mini pools of water that are too big to be puddles and too small to be ponds. Smack in the middle of RK Salai! Talk about an obstacle course.

And finally, making the tail end of the journey I get onto Luz Church Road about 1/2 a KM from my home, and the land is dry. The trees are rustling from the dryness. People are walking on DRY land, and not huddling under trees. Only my friend, the bike and I, looked totally wierd as we were the only drenched objects around on that quiet road. Would not be surprised if people wondered why we looked like we just emerged from under a waterfall or something.

Haha!...Sigh! Ah well, Chennai never ceases to surprise me.

Business Class: Travel At Your Own Risk!

2007-08-11T11:05:00.000+05:30

Yesterday I flew into Chennai for my MA (Music) classes, after a break in KL. Travelled on business class in a premium airline. Why? Having in the past, had terrible experiences in economy class on ANY flight to Chennai, I chose business; Somehow, alcohol and male passangers Chennai-bound, create a cocktail of cacaphony and commotion on an otherwise decent economy-class flight. So I travelled business class for the second time in my life, despite being in about 30 flights to date.

Since on my first biz class flight I'd met actress Kushboo's two cuddly kids and had a pleasant conversation with a Malay oil-and gas exec with a taste for Haris Jeyaraj's songs, I waited to see who my neighbour would be this time!

It was a man of about 50 spotting a very unusual hairstyle which I can only describe as "Imuda" hair. Even his glasses and the general shape of his face pretty much appeared like Malaysia's comedic-actor, Imuda's. Of course, the moment you took a closer look, you knew he had distinct Indian features and wasn't remotely related to the Malay actor. But I still could not help thinking "what if" Imuda had something to do with inspiring this man's general persona?

It was at the tip of my tongue to say, "Hey there uncle, are you an Imuda fan?", but of course I made a special attempt to refrain from even making eye contact, so that I would not even snicker, let alone blurt out my impertinent question.

After mentally smacking the funny thoughts and wild imagination out of m mind it was easier to present a decent smile and introduce myself, though I kept it brief - a PIO Indian-music student. No sooner had I made this intro, this seemingly uncommunicative passanger seemed to only too glad to volunteer a lengthy, pause-less, self-intro! Sigh!

It felt like an eternity of words, but the gist was clear; Apparently, he was part of a trio of Tamil cinema producers on his way back to chennai after some deal-making in Malaysia. It seems, he is the COO of the cine production company. He went on to talk about his movies and what business he had in KL. I was surpised that he'd share so much detail with a total stranger. Lucky for him, I'm a responsible blogger and therfore shall not share these interesting cine-news bits unless bribed with ten KJ Jesudas kutcheri tickets, a lifetime supply of Bombaj Jayshree and TM Krishna CDs, and a chance to hold the tambura for Sudha Raghunathan on one of her concerts!

Initially, I remained patient, presuming Mr COO was recently in a sales meeting and perhaps was in the same mode when he got on the plane. But then, he spent a good deal of time lambasting everything in his conversation with me, and did not seem like he had come out of a sales meeting at all...He was irked by Indian movie stars, govt officials, newbie directors...and some other categories of persons that I could not understand...I think he said "skydiving instructor" at one point, but I can't be sure with his unusually heavy Indian accent and low speech volume.

As though it was not enough, he mentioned how everyone from KL was all over him (indicating he was a personality to be reckoned with, maybe?). He kept insisting that I'd seen his movies though I repeatedly said it had been sometime since I watched a Tamil movie that stuck with me beyond it's 3 hours. The last was Vetaiyadu Vilaiyadu. Why he would assume a music student would necessarily be in love with cine-songs is beyond me. Perhaps someday it will dawn on him that there are hundreds of music genres and that cine music is but one of them. And if he thinks music students would spend a 100% of their time glued to cine-music, then his understanding of music education itself falls short of what I would expect from someone of his calibre in the entertainment indistry.

But the icing on the cake was when he asked questions in a volume that is two decibles below audible levels on a plane AND winced when I asked him to repeat his questions! (Come on lah, uncle!)

Whatever it is, just being nesxt to him got me SO frustrated at one point, that I wished I could just jump off the plane and take the next one. Thought hard. What is it I could say to get Mr. COO to zip it?? What? What? What?

Then its struck me - I was not the only one who was a captive audience on this plane! I could always do the "give me a chance to sing in your movie" thing. It may just annoy him if I hard-sell in a captive environment! So I turned off the pleasant disposition that generally enables me to make friends with strangers, and turned on "lil' miss pesky, irritant opportunist". I asked to sing in his movie...about ten times. While he responded, I spoke about how good I was. I topped it up with "Can I bring my friends? They sing too. Not well enough but they'll make up the numbers." I got the guy to recline back into his seat within three mins! Gosh, I wished I thought of this plan one hour back!

Too bad. If Mr. COO was more socialised and had a good head on his shoulders, I may have even politely told him the truth that I am not intending to clinch a song in his movie and was merely making conversation on a monotonous flight. Afterall, I'd never heard of him or his company before, even after he whipped out his card and showed me a logo which he said I "should definately recognise"! Sigh! Sorry mate.

What some people think of themselves, I don't know. I only know that yesterday, I learnt about one charmless person in the entertainment industry.

Funny thing is, I remembered distincly having paid for business class because I wanted the comforts that come with a business class flight. I did not perceive anything else other than uncontrolled alcohol-consumption as providing that discomfort. What I bought therefore, was just perception!

So would I revert to my yodelling, alcohol-filled economy class fellow passangers or try my luck again in biz class? Hmmmm....I think I'll go biz and take a risk. I mean, I figured a way to solve the problem this time and my last biz flight was good. The odds are definately in favour of biz.

And I'll ask to be placed with a kid or half-decent adult, if only agents can start having tick boxes for that too, on a flight booking form. Is that too much to ask?

My Achan, The Food Critic!

2007-08-05T17:40:00.000+05:30

My father. My Achan.

As a young man after Independance, Acha worked as a teacher. He was an avid reader of English Classics and always dressed immaculately. He was "Insurance Man of the Year" sometime in the late 70s. I was less than 5 and could not remember it but the newspaper cutting remains tucked neatly into an old photo album, to date. "Mr. Jan taught me a lot", says one of his ex-trainees who still keeps in contact with our family, 15 years after acha's passing and sheds nostalgic tears while talking about lessons learnt.

Ah, but there is a less talked about part of Acha! :-) ...Acha loved food. Back in the 80s, I remember how acha's cooking preferences were articlulated; The steaks had to be medium-rare for him. Not medium. Not rare. Medium-rare it was.

Prawns were never to be shelled before cooking, "so that the flavours are contained", my father would say. Satay, yong tau foo, biriyani...everything had something of an "ISO" standard to fulfill, where he was concerned.

It drove my mom up the wall sometimes, as it did the cooks at the resaurants he tried out. Sometimes, if the cooks/chefs expressed annoyance at his requests, acha would never patronise their restaurants again. But mostly those who cooked his "special-orders" often came by his table to thank him for his remarks out of curiosity if not to reciprocate the interest he took in their culinary quests. Some of them even permanently modified their dishes to Acha's specifications if they were felt his suggestions packed a better punch in their dish. These of course, were Acha's favourite chefs/cooks. :-)

Though some chefs never know it at first, by satisfying acha's palate, they were inadvertanly tending to a huge client; You see, acha never ate alone. Typically, if it weren't a family dinner out, Dad would at least invite Kinnu and Nanu (my cousins who were in their young-20s), who would then tell cousin Shashi about it. Two days later, Shashi brings his sister Rekha and maybe if they were celebrating something, they'd invite cousin Shreedaran...and the list goes on.

Soon, if the restaurant was good, it finds its way all through my family tree of 18 paternal uncles/aunts and 12 maternal. Their children total 50. And this entire circle completes their visits in a matter of 2 weeks or so. Then someone in the family decides that the next birthday bash or aniversary is to be celebrated and the shop closes to the public for one mealtime, as the premises would have to pack up to 70 customers! Repeat ones, mind you. And all this is minus acha's insurance clientelle, of course.

The thing about Acha's sense of perfection was that it was so acute that family /friends /insurance clients totally relied on his "reviews". At the dining table, Acha's words struck a note with customers and chefs alike. So, it was no wonder that when once I met one of acha's favourite restaurant owners-chefs, this gentleman said, "Your father amazes me ...the way he places his orders - the details! He can taste the slightest deviation if there is one when the food arrives!"

Though his friends, students and colleagues remember acha as a teacher and insurance exec, I for one (as do many of my family members), remember him for his exquisite taste for good food.

Captain's Cabin on Jalan Bukit Bintang in the heart of Kuala Lumpur is my favourite of all his picks. And maybe I've been a difficult customer too though it has been 15 years since Acha passed on and I've had no one to "watch and learn from" since then. But somehow I feel like getting my steak medium-rare when I ask for medium-rare, is something I can't help. Maybe it's just genetic.

Oh, and the prawns - if it comes to the table shelled, it's going back to the kitchen!

(PHOTO: ACHA AND AMMA - 1972)