Thought of the day #2 a.k.a Recipe for a Smile

Everything tells you a story.

Like your iPod, for your instance.

Tell you what?

1)Switch to the shuffle mode on your player.

2)Jot down stuff abut the first song that you listen to and like ,or just dwell on it.

3)Think about when you first heard the song,when you first fell in love with it,who the source was(Youtube,Ryan Seacrest,THE Music Obsessed Maniac friend everyone seems to have),when you first grew sick of it,and when you came back to it,like the prodigal son,and the song took you right back in its wake,engulfing you like always, within its magic.

4)Let it fill your head,your heart,your soul(not for those "omg that's what happened to me" breakup songs we all have and cry over though!).

5)Watch it work its way through you..and you'll be smiling in no time!

Try it now,if you'd like,and comment and telll me what you thought of!K?

Not your typical musical night

My semester has come to an end.You know what that means--->end semester exams.Sob!Anyway,I was about to tell you that I have my linear algebra paper tomorrow and that I began preparations in earnest last night,hoping to appease the rather stuck up gods that control the fates of all victims of mathematics.

Despite the honorable intentions,I fared miserably in my attempt to study.Deciding music would help clear my mind,I fetched my CD player and plugged it in(no,I do not like listening to music on a pod or mp3 or any other device which requires me to use headphones,earphones or anything of the like).I got further pissed when I couldn't locate my CD collection.Going with the desperation the hour demanded,I hit play,resigning myself to listening to whatever was in the blasted thing.

Imagine my pleasant surprise when some lovely Hindustani music notes filled the air!Frankly,I don't listen to much classical music myself.That's not to say that I don;t enjoy it,it's just not my first choice.The music was slow.Non distracting.It remained in the background.Mightily please,I went about my cramming.Every now and then however,I couldn't help but devote my attention completely to the music.There was some soulful raag alaap before every song.I particularly enjoyed the one set to the raaga Hamsadhwani. Some of you Carnatic music enthusiasts may know of the raaga Kaanada,it's my favourite,coz it inherently seems like a twang of melancholy.Last night,I discovered my second favourite--Bhoop. :) I couldn't help but digress,and spent some happy moments humming along with the CD.

It's true what they say,isn't it,about classaical music being one of the purest forms of music?My mother says that is among the few forms of music that can manage to pull anyone away from what they're doing(not that my case counts,coz almost anything manages to pull me away from math...still).

The tunes;they rose,they fell,they meandered,and they never failed to amaze.Aw shucks,I'm rambling here.I wouldn't know.

What I do know is that last evening,I got some good studying done.This might even be the first time in living memory that I enjoyed algebra,and that definitely is something to celebrate!

Alright,I've got some nasty exams lined up for me.Till later,then. :)

Shauk hai!

These are the lyrics to one of the most soulful songs I have ever heard.It's a song called Shauk hai (I desire) from the movie Guru.The music has been composed by Rahmanji and sung by Soumya Raoh.

The song is sung by a girl who is on the verge of death.As she leaves,she sings of the simple things of life which she loved and cherished.

The icy clouds,the earthy silence of the night,the brilliance of light,amlas,dewdrops,and the craze that is emotion.

A wave of regret and pain stealthily washes over the listener.Yet,there is not much lament,only simple beauty.
Wanted to share it with you all (if you aren't familiar with it already) ...:)

Here goes.



Raat ka shauk hai
Raat ki saundhi si khamoshi ka shauk hai
Subah ki roshni ,bezubaan subahon ki aur gungunati
Roshni ka shauk hai, ho.... shauk hai.

San sani naawlon ka
Ishq ke banwlon ka
San sani naawle
Ishq ke baanwle
Barf se khelte badolon ka ...shauk hai!

Kaash ye zindagi khel hi khel mein kho gayi hoti.
Raat ka shauk hai
neend ki goliyon ka,
khwab ke loriyon ka,
Neend ki goliyan ,khwab ke loriyan

Bezubaan aus ki boliyon ka...Shauk hai

Kaash ye zindagi binkahe binsune so gayi hoti

Subah ki roshni
Bezubaan subahon ki aur gungunati
Roshni ka ....
Shauk hai, shauk hai...

Sweet child o' mine...

A combination of listening to the famous Guns and Roses track on loop,and being caught in an unexpected evening rain shower have resulted in this verse. Read on....

Another day ,another story.
Cast it aside,for it will certainly not uplift you.

Instead walk back with me to the moment when I felt like a child again.

I'd like to say it was a beautiful,breezy evening,replete with music in the background.cheerful birdcalls,laughing , happy and shiny people.
It wasn't.Nuh-uh.
It was a hot,irritating evening,and it included a broken down bus , a lost wallet,a sudden downpour and some sheets of meticulously written homework being turned into trash.

Why then ,do I attempt to record in rhyme that evening?
Yes,because that evening had one sparkling,endearing moment when I felt like a child again.


As I trudged down a muddy road,I looked around to check if anyone was watching,and proceeded to descend into a gloriously muddy puddle.
The leap was intentional.The slip wasn't.That made it even more enjoyable.


Around me,wisps of pristine white floated down to the ground.
Yes,you are quite right.It does not snow in the plains of India.


They weren't snowflakes,they were sheets of algebra,which did not make sense
(anymore ?).


I almost frowned,but something stopped me.The sight of the freshly prepared butta,or rather,its divine scent.

I rushed forward,scrounging in my slingback for my moth eaten wallet all the while.Sadly, my fingers did not encounter the familiar feel of shredded denim.

With no money came no care,and I playfully grabbed a freshly done butta,bit into it with enormous self righteousness and ran,yelling "Kal paise le lena ,dada!"

I must have looked a sight,muddy,unexplainedly gleeful,clutching soggy sheets of paper,with a little corn in my bushy locks.There is no other explanation for the way the neighbour looked at me.

However,I met her alarmed pair of eyes with a smile,and a song rose to my lips.

"She's got a smile that it seems to me
Reminds me of childhood memories
Where everything Was as fresh as the bright blue sky
Now and then when I see her face
She takes me away to that special place
And if I'd stare too long
I'd probably break down and cry
Sweet child o' mine
Sweet love of mine..."

A plateful of art,with science on the side?

This is an oft-repeated complaint,and yet it needs to be voiced,because no solutions have been discovered yet.It started when I caught some of the Step Up! movie while doing some mindless matinee television surfing.As I watched the dancers fret over their showcase dance performance and have dancing companies come and scout for talent at their art school,I wonder why we haven't seen much of that at home,here in India.Art generally plays second fiddle to science or inevitably bows down to the craze of the nation ,"engineering".

I know that movies aren't exactly a parameter of life ,but it is common knowledge that the West takes art seriously.We hear about colleges offering a major in dance or music and many students actually going for it.There apparently are many scholarships offered for such programs too.Art is given its rightful place,and respected as a form of expression that requires as much creativity and genius as any other field does ,both at the workplace and at home or in society.

I hate to criticize, but can you tell me honestly if you haven't heard conversations like this before in and around your neighborhood?

Aunt/Uncle/Parent : "So tell me beta ,what are your plans for the future?

Son/Daughter/some teenager :"Yeah,I've always been interested in painting or photography or some visual medium like that ."

Parent :"Woh sab toh theek hai beta,but let's get serious.What do you plan to do for a living??

Kid:"Yes,I mean it seriously.I've found I'm good at it,it's not just some new hobby.

Parent: "I don't understand why you always go off on a tangent like this.Can't you be a grown up about your career?Look at [Fill in name of elder sibling here].Look he's a doctor now!Can't you..."

And so it goes.I've been a victim of it myself,when I wanted to major in Economics or English Literature. The worst part of it is ,no one is wrong here.You can't blame a parent for wanting to look out for their kids.In an extremely competitive land of the Indian junta ,you sometimes have just one opportunity to make it big,and they just don't want you to mess that up.In a family where financial troubles loom large,and insecurity becomes the topic of discussion at the dinner table,people tend to veer others towards tries and tested careers like engineer,doctor,banker,etc.

Ironic isn't it though?That this kind of prejudice should exist towards art in an era where our nation's pride ,A.R.Rahman wins global recognition for his music?Where reality shows are held every hour of the clock to discover the next singing or performing sensation?Where Carnatic singers' concerts are booked solid during the "Kutcheri" season?Where millions of dance schools select students from hopefuls every year and introduce them to the professional industry?


What's the problem then?Is it a fear of the unknown,a instinctive desire to stick to family tradition?Or a mere battle of wills?Whatever the reason maybe,the result is that kids have to lock up their precious ballet flats and ghungroos,or give away their electric guitar,and erase a shining dream from their eyes as they stick to the..what is it? the "conventional" route.

We've got to do some attitude improvement folks.Unless you want to unknowingly extinguish a spark even before it got a chance to burn brightly.

So,the bottom line is... I'm hungry.For once ,can you serve me a plate full of art,with science as a side dish for a change?

Best rainy day songs

Rainy weather and music go together like Bollywood and drama,or like summer and heat,or like food and me....there,you get the idea.
Today's semi-hailstorm got me thinking of some of the tracks I absolutely love to play or listen to ,on rainy days.Since logic never governs me,my choice is spontaneous and may seem irrational.

1)Chak dhoom dhoom -Dil Toh Pagal Hai

Keywords-rain,madhuri,srk,delightful kids,dance sequence,foot tapping music

2)Chaiyya Chaiyya-Dil Se

Keywords :Lovely forest locale,Darjeeling's choo choo train,shahrukh looking delectable,lovely dark tunnels

3)She Will Be Loved - Maroon 5

Keywords: Great vocals,simple beat,universal emotion


4)Colourblind -Darius

Keywords :Vivid.Colourful.Cliched.Yet makes you smile


5)Queen Of My Heart -Westlife
Romantic.Pretty.Tinge of sadness.

I'll add more to the list as I recollect them.Do you have any favourite rainy day songs?What are they?

Bubbly!

Ok,so I know I'm really behind on this one,but I've just about discovered the beauty of this well known song "Bubbly".It's sung by Colbie Caillat,and if you've heard it,you'll know that it's the best alternative to sitting in the sunlight...:)

The lyrics are simple,the only accompaniment is the occasional guitar pluck and a steady drum beat.It's a wonder how the song manages to fill the place with this pleasant,resounding noise.Kudos to the artist!Meanwhile I'm going to dawdle all I can this Sunday,

while singing,


"... It starts in my toes
and I crinkle my nose
where ever it goes I always know
that you make me smile
please stay for a while now
just take your time
where ever you go..."

P.S: I've taken to quoting songs now,wherever I go...music is everywhere, on my Facebook status bar,in my room,in my ipod,wafting out of the speakers,and now on my blog too.Dunno how long this phase is going to last,but I sure am enjoying it.
Toodles!Till then,hum a bar or two ,won't you?

Tere naina

It's been quite a while since I saw a fantastic bollywood move visual....and when I say fatastic,I mean just that...straight out of a person's fantasy....floating,childlike,with pixiedust flying around.

The visual in question is the song Tere naina from Chandni Chowk To China.
Though the movie did bomb,the music in this song really needs to be appreciated and shared.Check it out...:)