Teacher & Student

This is a tribute to all those who are or have been my teachers...

There comes a time when you suddenly truly understand how tiny you really are. One is always seeking knowledge and meaning in life. The path of knowledge, of wisdom, is always illuminated for us to seek, to travel, to explore, to understand but it never has had and will never have, a destination... Our circumstances, our choices determine our path in life. Whatever the path we set off on,knowledge is unending, regardless of what we have chosen. Can one ever cease to learn?

Curiosity awakens the will to learn, the Quest for knowledge. If you truly want to learn, your thirst will actually never be quenched as the world is full of wonders!

I realized today this very thing about Music...

As a student of Music, with every step I know that of course I go a minuscule bit further in my understanding of the subject and I also always know that I need to learn a lot more. But today, it struck me very hard for the first time that how long a way I need to go. And also a strange feeling came over me... Of how the more I learn, that very point of learning brings to me the realization of how less I know! As newer things begin to unravel themselves, you understand things in a deeper manner and that very understanding makes you realize how little you know because a deeper understanding suddenly throws open in front of you a glimpse of things to come!

The more you learn, the less you know!

~1st rehearsal today of an ensemble piece of music that I am playing along with all my music teachers and overseen by a brilliant musician, my boss...

An enriching experience to say the least not just because there was some fine music being played but also because of the knowledge pool I was in! I was considering myself so fortunate that I could be a part of that pool and try and learn something from it.

Was struggling with the first part of the music since 2-3 weeks now... (Of course not enough practice!! :-/ but anyway...) Today, Sir could tell me exactly WHY I wasn't playing it right... He just gave me 1 cue and all the inaccurate playing of weeks was set straight in 30 seconds! Yes I still need to practice that way of course, only then I shall get it... But the point is this that he could tell me what exactly my thought processes were while playing that particular part... What I was anticipating in the music and what I was worried about during the performance that was impeding the accuracy. He was dead right, it was exactly what I was thinking! That is called mastery, excellence, experience... That was the first time it struck me how little I know...

~Saw my own teacher discuss and chart out the structure of the performance, the arrangement, the technical aspects etc. with Sir. A different aspect of Music... I was just absorbing the fact that there are so many paths in Music itself! Knowing someone is a music director and actually getting a glimpse of what they do are two very different things. I was totally in awe watching my teacher develop the overall musicality for the performance and just getting the group together. I truly appreciated this aspect about Music and my teacher today- the understanding of the oneness of Music that should be there in a performance.

Again made me realize there is so much to learn!! I am not even close to anything!

~Each teacher has their own area where they are developing their expertise and this goes for every teacher that was sitting in that room today. And I am sure that each one of them also still feels that they have so much more to learn and such a long way to go... because there is really no end to knowledge...

~ Understood the importance of "listening" to music!!!!

~ An intellectually inspiring conversation between 2 people who were talking Hindustani, Carnatic and Western Classical Music all in the same breath! People who understand all these 3 forms with the same passion... Again I realized in wonderment how vast and wonderful and yet so complete, Music is... Whatever the form, a universal language... The soul's language...

How many wonderful and amazing things there are waiting to be explored... And how little we know and will ever know! This is not about being frustrated or belittling oneself or being pessimistic.

It is just that all these experiences happened to me on the same day and that is why probably it struck me very strongly! I am totally full of wonder, in awe and in amazement... If you truly want to learn something, you will know that there are no limits to your quest.

Having said that, a bow to all my teachers . Not only my music teachers but to every single person who has taught me important things in life...

And I want to say to you that I truly respect you and admire you for everything you bring into my life.

As for me, I realize how long a way I need to go... But yes, the will to learn is always burning...

The day I met JEFFREY ARCHER!!!

For anyone who has read A Prisoner of Birth or Paths of Glory, you will understand what it is to see, hear and meet JEFFREY ARCHER!!!

One of those special moments in my life :)

CROSSWORD hosted the book launch of Mr. Archer's latest novel- Only Time Will Tell, the first one from a series of 5 novels to come!

A jam-packed bookstore with people who had one thing in common, a love for the thrilling, adventurous, intelligent and 'caught you unawares' writing of Jeffrey Archer.

And what a story-teller he proved himself to be even while talking to a crowd of fans.

He started out saying he didn't know how to bring the news that India had lost to Ireland!! A joke of course but he caught the pulse of the audience in the first 3 seconds that he arrived....

He regaled everyone with his wit, humor, cracking jokes affectionately at some of the audience's expense. Spoke about some of his own experiences... Spoke about the book of course... Walked around the stage animatedly, an entertainer in every sense... Someone asked him if he wanted to be an actor! Well you get all kinds of questions I guess!

Gave some preferences of authors he admires... Steinbeck, Saki, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Dickens, being some of them....

You had to be there to feel it.

A great story-teller... Even in person...

Later I stood in a queue, no sorry, our people need to learn that still... Stood in a mad crowd of people who weren't willing to queue up... To get the book signed... Actually MET him!! A man with an affectionate smile, intelligent, kind eyes, a little strict too... And I have never seen a person with so many lines on the forehead, it really looked like a lattice work! Anyway, it was kind of surreal.

Told him it was an honour, he gave me a warm smile and signed my book!

Frankly, only now while I am writing that it is finally sinking in that I actually met him!

6th March, Won't forget this day!

Books... There's something about them.... I am glad and proud I am a reader...

If you haven't read Jeffrey Archer yet, start now! :)

Actualization...

"The truly creative mind in any field is no more than this:

A human creature born abnormally, inhumanly sensitive.

To him...

a touch is a blow,

a sound is a noise,

a misfortune is a tragedy,

a joy is an ecstasy,

a friend is a lover,

a lover is a god,

and failure is death.

Add to this cruelly delicate organism the overpowering necessity to create, create, create--- so that without the creating of music or poetry or books or buildings or something of meaning, his very breath is cut off from him. He must create, must pour out creation. By some strange, unknown, inward urgency he is not really alive unless he is creating."

-Pearl Buck-

"As the monsoon rains sweep across the deserts to the mountains of Rajasthan,

somewhere far away a peacock sings the blues..."

The Power of words

An old story I had read a long time ago but certainly one that is thought-provoking...

A group of frogs were traveling through the woods, and two of them fell into a deep pit. When the other frogs saw how deep the pit was, they told the two frogs that they were as good as dead.

The two frogs ignored the comments and tried to jump up out of the pit with all their might. The other frogs kept telling them to stop, that they were as good as dead.

Finally, one of the frogs took heed to what the other frogs were saying and gave up.

He fell down and died.

The other frog continued to jump as hard as he could. Once again, the crowd of frogs yelled at him to stop the pain and just die. He jumped even harder and finally made it out. When he got out, the other frogs said, "Did you not hear us?" The frog explained to them that he was deaf. He thought they were encouraging him the entire time.

This story teaches two lessons:

1. There is power of life and death in the tongue. An encouraging word to someone who is down can lift them up and help them make it through the day.

2. A destructive word to someone who is down can be what it takes to kill them.

Be careful of what you say. Speak life to those who cross your path.

The power of words... It is sometimes hard to understand that an encouraging word can go such a long way. Anyone can speak words that tend to rob another of the spirit to continue in difficult times. Special is the individual who will take the time to encourage another.

The Power of Words- Don't misuse it...

Angkor Wat

Had my grandfather over for few weeks at home... Was great spending time with him... Had lot of fun, just having him around, talking about random stuff, heard his enthralling anecdotes on India's wartime periods etc. Also indulged in some project work so to say!

My grandfather had visited this place called Angkor Wat which is in Cambodia around 2 years ago.. 

Angkor Wat is basically a Temple Complex built by the rulers of the Khmer dynasty. These ancient temples are so vast that they were actually built across a span of  4 centuries from 800 to 1200 A.D! It is designed to represent Mount Meru which is believed to be the home of the devas in Hindu Mythology.

Known to be one of the greatest arhcitectural wonders of all times, the temple is admired for its extensive bas-reliefs (a type of sculpting) and for the grandeur in its architecture... If you look at some of the pictures on the web, it is really amazing how magnificent the architecture was so many thousands of years ago... It is pretty interesting too, the history of this nation actually, saw a few documentaries on it that my grand-dad got... He is still in love with that place!

 So he had this 'to-proportion' diagram of the entire main temple complex and we indulged in some craft work!!! Cut, folded, pasted the designs together and recreated a mini Angkor Wat!!! It was so much fun doing some craft work! Really felt so relaxed and happy just having something different to do rather than the other daily "pass times" I usually get into...
There is a unique sense of satisfaction you get in 'creating' something... 

Well here is a picture of our very own mini Angkor Wat temple! And the actual one right below it!

 

Circus tales

A hare, a bear and a mare, set off to a fair...

In the fair, the bear got lost...

The hare thought, we must find him at any cost!

They went in the ring...

The bear was on a swing...

''Come down'' said the mare,

"No No!", said the bear.

"I'll give you some Money",

The bear heard Honey...

Down came the bear

And asked for his honey!

The hare gave him money,

And they all found it funny...

Blub gub! Muddle puddle! Oddment! Tweak!

Wikipicture!

Came across this highly interesting painting... The ingenuity of the concept to make such a painting is indeed laudable... Won't say anything much, discover for yourself!

(Click on the link below the picture)

Chinese Artists Dai Dudu, Li Tiezi, and Zhang An.

Discussing the Divine Comedy with Dante

Roadside drama

This was, to a great extent, horrifying!

I was going home from Churchgate in a cab. So there is this big 4 roads junction that comes up after Oval Maidan. And we had a green signal so my cab kept going straight ahead at a reasonable speed. Out of nowhere, there suddenly came a car from the left side and took a huge turn. Such a fast wide turn he took, that my cabwaala had to really swerve to avoid a crash! And what's happening on the right side at this time? Well there's a bike on our right which is also going at a reasonable speed. So in the hope of avoiding a crash, my cab brushed against those bikers and they were 3 of them- big guys on that 1 bike... The bike fell & these guys just got up and they gheraood the cab and they started beating him up and slapping him...! It was horrible... They just went on hitting him so hard, he even got a cut on his face! I was so terrified I couldnt move for around 15 seconds. Then I thought i better get down and away from this whole scene. But then one of those guys told me just keep sitting in the cab! I think my heart came right upto my mouth!It wasnt even that cabbie's fault! They didnt even listen to what he was trying to explain... But they just beat the hell out of him, it was scary...

Anyway, then people gathered around and I guess they told those guys to let him go since there was a female passenger inside...

He managed to drive properly till my building finally came... He had tears in his eyes, it was just terrible!

Speed demons....

Blessed

Blessed is the man

Who cares to look at a troubled soul,

Who tries to mend a broken heart,

Who shares the pain of a hurting mind,

Who doubles the joy of those around,

And gives hope to one and all.

Blessed is the man

Who remains a friend for ever and ever.

He is an angel, an angel of love...

Blast from the past!

Ok now this is veryyyyyyy weird... Im not even sure if it will make sense or whether anyone would understand...

But here's the thing... In the last 2 weeks, I have been just randomly and accidentally bumping into people from my school! And all these people I am probably seeing them or hearing from them after almost a decade! Very strange- the turn of events...
Last week I happened to see my craft teacher at Parle station... I was so surprised to see her... Few days ago I sighted one of the girls from my class in a cab... On another occasion, one of my classmates happened to get into the same train at churchgate that I was getting out from and I went up to her n said hi!
I met up with my college gang a few days ago and they decided to hang out at a place just two lanes away from my school! Its been 8 years since Iv travelled so close to my school...
Yesterday, my old classmate just suddenly added me on facebook... Really out of the blue! And today, one of my seniors from school came to enquire for violin classes at our music institute!!
I mean... What is this all about!!

I cant say how I felt about this whole thing... I cant pinpoint a feeling or emotion or whatever anyone wants to call it, for well lot of reasons... But then again, thats not the point.

Point is...
You know one feels like there are some other supernatural powers in this universe and ur just like there... A speck... I mean there's a whole bigger plan or something... Is there really?

Why does this happen? How? Why just now?! Is there a reason behind all this??! (haha i think I'm beginning to spook people out :P) but I got spooked out myself!!!!
I mean if it was across the year or something and there are chance meetings, dats ok but all within a week or so?? WHY WHY WHY!!!

I really dont understand. Maybe its not meant to be understood.

Who's the actual Stigma?

How many times have we seen in our society social activists crying out for human rights or children rights or animal rights and more recently gay relationship rights? Yes we applaud when laws are passed that make sure that every human is made to feel one and that it's a "free" world where every human being has the right to choose their way of life, sexual preference etc.. But how many of us really, truly internally believe so and agree so? Do the so-called educated actually have the tolerance to live and let live? Do we, as a society really welcome people who are 'different'? Do we, as a society allow these people to be integrated as one of us?

I had a very saddening experience today- at a theatre... I am probably feeling a mixture of sadness and anger...

I was having dinner after watching a movie when there walked in a transsexual man along with a lady friend... He was a handsome guy n dressed like a girl... Yes, the immediate reaction is maybe of shock or surprise and I too felt the same... They came and sat right next to our table... After a second or two, I recovered and when I looked around all the people in that place was staring at that guy... Yeah he's probably used to those looks but well I thought the staring was a bit much excessive... I did well meet his eyes once and I smiled at him- He smiled back and that smile probably gave away all that he is internally feeling about himself. We cant even begin to imagine what it is to feel uncomfortable and trapped in a body we don't identify with! But there are such people and it happens- for numerous reasons.. I felt something for him and I cant describe it... It wasn't pity, maybe I was a little sad... Or I think I just wanted him to be happy if it was possible for him...

So anyway, later there was this group of some young 20 year olds who passed by and they started laughing right in front of him and went on... We finished our dinner and left to get some ice-cream or something at another corner in the food court. And then suddenly these youngsters came back and complained to the manager about allowing that guy to enter the place. They were a group of seven and they gheraoed that guy and his 2 friends and started calling him names and shouting at him. They humiliated him and started commenting on his sexuality. It was horrible and it all happened in a span of 3 minutes. The manager who was trying to get it all sorted but somehow he couldnt intervene. Before people realised it, it was over as well. I have never seen such obnoxious behavior in my entire life.

I dont need to paint a picture any further... However, I would definitely like to say that it was very brave and supportive of his two friends who sat by him and supported him throughout in this verbal slinging and fought for their friend. That is real friendship. It is not easy being such a friend- and without raising their voices, those 2 friends stood by what they believed in. In a time of just 3 minutes, those youngsters caught up in their wealth and pretentious life just went about trying to shatter someone's existence.

It happened and ended so quickly that all I could do was to go up to them later to offer some encouragement and support. I am glad that I at least did that because no one else went up to them but I really wished I had gone and slapped those people. Not sure if that would have helped either.

And these youngsters were from "cultured" well-to-do families. Not that I ever believed that money has anything got to do with culture but anyway Education certainly has something to do with it or maybe that too was an illusion for me thus far. It was crass mentality and it was horrible to see them humiliate that person this way.. It is unimaginable that 'educated' people behave this way- zero tolerance. They are actually uneducated and uncultured- the so called rich and high society people of Mumbai. And they probably have a very vital organ missing in their body- a heart. Aren't they the real stigma and blots on our society- such thoughtless foolish people? I have never been this sad and angry in my life. I wish I had done something more but I couldn't...

The stigma attached to transsexuals runs very deep and is rooted in lot of probably religious beliefs and what not... But to deny a human being (some people don't even consider them human- appalling again) a right to live in a society, that is just horrendous. Stigmas usually arise from ignorance, irrational fears and yes lack of 'eduaction'. Transsexuality is one issue not touched upon in our society even today- would a documentary help? Would a movie help? Would a book help? I dont know. Our society needs to grow up... We need to grow up... We need to learn to be courageous and stand up for what we believe in. We need more tolerance...

I wish that guy gets happiness in whatever way he wants and believes in. I hope that our society can have more people like his friends who value the correct things in life and stand up for them.
I hope those youngsters realize what they did and I hope that they will regret and learn from it some day...

Edelweiss

This is the most beautiful and expressive rendition of the song Edelweiss that I have EVER heard...

It's an instrumental duet version of the song...

Very Beautifully played...

Simply love the 'conversation' between the violin & the piano! As if its their love story!!

Felt like making a small video on the song... Iv put together a few pictures to capture n portray the mood.. Hope you like it! Enjoy!

And whoever are the violinist and the pianist- Very inspiring!

Hats off to them!!

Autumn leaves, Daffodils and... Life...

I had been looking at this tree just outside the bedroom window for quite some days. This was in the Windy city in my recent trip there... The tree was bare, still awaiting the April showers to bring out the May flowers! Before that day, I would look out the window but I never noticed the tree. It was only when I suddenly saw some green sprout out, did my attention get drawn.. And everyday after that I watched the tree, I watched Nature at its magic... Until the buds transformed into flowers and then the white flowers bloomed in all glory...

A bus ride alongside the Haji Ali drive- Travel everyday by this route and I stare at the sea till the bus finally drives past buzzing further into the chaos of the city.. But this day something caught my attention which gave me a different kind of happiness. It was the begining of low tide and the waves receding.. Far away I could see a band of puppies frolicking about in the waters. Some playing, some chasing one another, some having a fun fight with their siblings! And not too far on the rocks at the shore sat a little girl- a ragpicker, just sitting and watching the puppies have a time of their life... I know there must have been a smile on her little face- probably she was happiest at that moment in her whole entire life... I sat in the bus too, with a smile on my face...

The wind blows and the trees bless the earth with a shower of flowers...

A flock of birds soar away into the blue skies, they're free...

Children playing on the beach sands....

Orange skies...

A starry night...

A moonlit sky and a shimmering ocean...


When was the last time you noticed small things that make you smile? Simple things that make you truly happy? Last time you marvelled at Nature? Last time you noticed any living creature apart from humans? Last time you noticed other humans?

Life is too busy? Or life is too short?
No, Life is beautiful.... If you know to enjoy it....

No matter how hectic your life is or how tied up you are,
Keep time to be with yourself, to be with others... Time to enjoy nature... Keep time for imagination and creativity...

Let's not complicate life... Let's learn to open our heart and give love... Let's be with people we love being with...

Enjoy the simple joys of life.... There's beauty in it...!

Echoes of Silence

Guns create silence...

A cry unfinished
A tear half shed
A word unspoken
A word unheard
A disappearing laughter

A life muted
A farewell before time.

The violence brings vacuum 

And in it, silence echoes…

Guns create silence
Can we silence the guns?

                                    

                                                               ~Swarna Mehta

"Shall we go shopping honey??"

Need I say anything more?!
I don't blame the guys!! hehehe ;-)

Psychobabble!

I've heard some really amusing misconceptions about what psychology is or what psychologists can do.. And as someone who has studied psychology for a few years, I wanted to give a truer picture... So here goes...

Myth: Psychology means you are studying "mad" people...
Fact: Not true always! Psychology is a study of human behavior and psychologists study 'normal' people as well!! Studying 'abnormal' people can be a part of it but surely not the whole...

Myth: Psychologists can read your mind.
Fact: Wow! Now if only that was true!! hahaha.... That is something humanly impossible to do, rightly so too. And thank God for that, otherwise there would be no uniqueness and you wouldn't remain YOU....
Here's what psychologists and counselors CAN do- They can study people's behavior patterns, attitudes, responses etc. and can describe, explain, predict and modify behavior.

Myth: It's a shame to go to a counselor... You are insulting yourself...
Fact: This is a sensitive one actually and obviously stemming from the previous two myths...
Just consider this- Your mind is the "thinking" part of your brain and it controls all your functions, thoughts, emotions etc. Now if something is troubling our stomach, our heart or even our foot, we do go see a Doctor, don't we? So then, if our mind is having serious trouble, we are unable to cope or there's something that is hurting or harming us, what's so bad about asking someone to cure that? There should be no shame if someone can help us gain back our healthy mind, isn't it? It's not an insult. And just as we don't think "What would others say?" when we see a Doc, we should try think the same way for this too. And one is not 'abnormal' if he visits a counselor. There are different kind of counselors for treating the 'normal' people and the 'abnormal' ones.
The mind is a part of the body, don't separate it and treat it differently.

Also here's just a simplified overview of the major fields in psychology.
1) Human Development- It is the scientific study of the processes of change and stability that occur in a human throughout the lifespan.

2) Social Psychology- It is the scientific field that seeks to understand the nature and causes of individual behavior and thought in social situations.

3) Cognitive Psychology- A branch of psychology that deals with our mental processes. It explains how we acquire, store, transform, use and communicate information.

4) Industrial and Organizational Psychology- The application of psychological principles, theory and research to the work setting. It recognizes interdependence of individuals, organizations and society, and facilitates responses to issues and problems of the work force.

5) Clinical Psychology- The study of abnormal behavior and psychological disorders.

So you see, everything is not about the mad world... I hope I've been able to clear a few things, in whatever capacity I could.
Psychology when treated right, is very interesting as it broadens our own mind. Helps us learn a bit more about ourselves!

"VISION WITHOUT ACTION IS LIKE A DAYDREAM...
BUT
ACTION WITHOUT VISION... IT'S A NIGHTMARE."

Read these lines somewhere.... Worth a thought really...

Grandma's Quilt~

When I was a little kid, my grandmother used to stitch a quilt for all her grandchildren. A real quilt with all the patches of different cloths and materials, all colourful, stitched together. I used to very eagerly wait for it! All of us little ones waited to see who got the best looking quilt! (or I think the competition was just in my mind!!) When she would start stitching, I used to sit next to her, rummage through all the cloth patches she had gathered and choose a favourite. And when I would get my quilt, invariably it would have that one cloth patch that had appealed to me the most! So I would decide that I got the best one and I think my sister and cousins thought the same for themselves!!

Well, if you're wondering why I'm writing this... I think that the quilt is symbolic of our life. Every patch of cloth in that quilt represents the different experiences we have, the different people we meet, people we connect with, the various emotions we go through etc. Some plain, some colourful and some simply exquisite! And everything bound together is our life- Our special quilt.
So we should not mope about the sad old rags of our life because hey.. It's adding to your colour anyway- your own special quilt. Life is better if you appreciate every part of it- the good, the bad and the not so beautiful too! It'll keep you warmer and happier...
I hope everyone feels that they have the very best quilt...
The world would be much warmer and cozier that way...

My first one...

Would like to start out by welcoming everyone here!
Honestly, I never thought I would really ever get down to writing a blog coz I used to feel that blogs were always interesting but sometimes, weirdly intrusive. (Just some quirk of mine!) And secondly, didn't know if I would be able to think of the first thing to write!!

But putting all these doubts to rest, someone did change my perception about the concept of blogging and I think it is apt that I mention it here...
He said it's more like an extension of yourself. Your way of reaching out to people by communicating your thoughts and ideas. It's interesting and fun coz you would get to know what other people have to say, what they think as well... Helps a person grow! That really did inspire me and I decided to give up my old apprehensions and those quirks as well!

This person is someone I look up to and respect a lot. A very true person at heart who genuinely cares for others always. And I want to thank him for introducing me to this new world which I can't wait to explore!

So I've named the blog "Echoes" as I intend it to be an echo of my thoughts and hope I'll be able to hear some of yours too!
That said, all suggestions and criticisms are most welcome!