I don't know what to call this

I know that it is rather shabby of me to promise to post a piece of good news everyday and then to proceed to disappear for three weeks. On the brighter side, I have learned something about myself: I don't function well with rules, even self-imposed ones, on something I do entirely for pleasure. I love blogging. And while the simple set up I had for the Chronicle was neither too imposing nor too demanding, it still didn't work for me. I didn't like having this force in my head telling me that I had to post everyday because I had promised to do so (however short-lived). I want to post only when I feel I have something really worthwhile to say, and that I can put it well. Of course a blog is just an informal setting, but that is just the way I am. I'd rather not blog than blog something just for the heck of it.

That said, I think I will still post news if I find it inspiring or heartening, whenever I come across it and feel the need to share it. In fact, I might write about news I find interesting too, even if it isn't strictly good news (an interesting fact or finding, for instance). But I think my strength might lie in writing reviews and personal reflections. So I will go back to my old 'format' (if you can call it a format at all) of writing uber-long posts that I feel certain contain something of interest or value, when I feel I am able put things across particularly well. I am very vain about this, you see: I don't like any writing of mine appearing half-baked. It needs to be as polished as I can make it. I'm all for a degree of informality, and certainly of honesty, but that has nothing to do with making sure your writing flows well and sounds good, does it?

Anyway, a little contrary to what I've been saying here, I don't really have anything in particular to say in this post. I just wanted to make an appearance to show you guys that I haven't dropped off the face of the Earth or anything - although if you've read my blog for a while you'll know that sudden, long breaks between posts aren't really all that surprising, and that this one has been comparatively short. I'm in the last two weeks of this semester, and there are finals coming up. It is entirely possible that I will once again disappear and only re-emerge once I've reached India for my summer holidays and all work is safely out of the way. I will be reviewing L M Montgomery's A Tangled Web for the Shiny New Books newsletter then, which I'm very excited about! Check out the website guys, it's pretty awesome - I found it because I read Simon's blog (he is one of the co-founders). I asked if I could write a review as a guest contributor and he very kindly said yes, so...

Can't wait for the holidays! I do wish more of you had taken my polls. I had 2 respondents. It was pretty sad.

Reflections on New York

A month ago now (time flies), I went to visit my dad, who was in New York on a business visit. I reached the night of Feb 28th. I was in New York until the morning of March 3rd.

I was tremendously excited. First, because I was going to be seeing my dad in New York. Second, because I would be seeing the Lion King Musical on Broadway, which my father has raved about a number of times.

The night of February 28th, we ate in an obscenely expensive Indian restaurant (Nirvana). I guess you can chalk it down to my need for Indian food, and my dad's desire to pamper me silly. I was very excited and very talkative. I'm not always garrulous, but if you know me, you know exactly how I am when I'm in a chatty mood. Anne Shirley has nothing on me.

We had booked tickets for an afternoon show on the 1st. We had a heavy breakfast, and wandered around the streets a bit, with a vague notion to go to Macy's, where there was a spring sale (Spring! Ha! I was wearing approximately four layers of clothing, and my father refused to take off that ridiculous black headband you see in the photos below - even for photos. I had to resist the desire to guffaw inelegantly whenever I saw the words SPRING SALE emblazoned across store windows). I saw quite a lot of Times Square, and promptly lost a glove as soon as we set foot in Macy's. Again, if you know me, this will come as no surprise: since the start of 'spring' semester here in Buffalo, I've lost a pair of gloves and a muffler, one of those things that looks like a monkey-cap, an umbrella, earmuffs, and God knows what else that I can't even remember. This is why I hate the winter here - all the stuff you need to take care of at all times. Apart from the bitter cold and the crazy wind, of course.

Anyway, we promised ourselves we'd come back to check the lost and found in Macy's (located on the eighth floor - maybe they hope people won't take the trouble to go and check, so that they can sell off that stuff too?) We went into the Minskoff theatre. I was going to see an actual musical. On Broadway. I'd wanted to see a Broadway show for years.

The Lion King musical was truly spectacular. The music was evocative, and more elaborate than in the movie; it had far more African languages, and the live performance made it more powerful - particularly The Circle of Life. The props were brilliant, and the rendition of the stampede scene was innovative and impactful. It was like seeing the movie a different way. The boy who played young Simba was perfect - playful and active. The only character I couldn't quite accept was Timon. Most of the actors said the dialogues with the same intonations as in the movie, so it was like seeing it come to life. Timon, however, delivered the punchlines in a somewhat different manner than in the movie. Not that it was bad, just that I kept expecting him to say it a certain way, and he didn't.
The settings and the props deserve special mention because they were elaborate, vivid, colorful, intricate and magnificently done. The largest prop was an elephant that was carried by, I think, four people.

At Grand Central Station

We walked around the predominantly Broadway streets after that, explored Times Square a bit, and went inside Grand Central Station. I saw posters for Wicked, Les Miserables, the new Aladdin musical, and plenty of others that I didn't know of. I think August Osage County was playing too. It was a bright, exciting street. I'm glad I don't attend college in NYC, because I have a feeling I know what I'd blow all my money on if I did.

One of my dad's oldest friends lives in NYC, and we went to his house for dinner. I ate lots of good, homemade Indian food, watched Mulan, and generally had a cozy time before heading back with my dad to our hotel. Unfortunately, there was a bunch of drunk, raucous guys on the metro with us; they rather spoilt things for me. They were stupid and loud and vulgar and just plain horrid. I tried to ignore them, but for some reason, I couldn't, and I wondered yet again why some people feel the need to be so completely inebriated to enjoy themselves, and why on earth it is that people like to swear so much. I believe firmly in the power of language. I think we should use words with care and respect. When they're flung around, they lose most of their meaning; and yet they retain something. When it is profanities, I feel as if everything you say becomes so much harsher, even if you don't really mean what the words you're speaking are supposed to mean. Call me a prig, or naive; I wish people had some standards in speech, even if it is the 21st century.

I thought that there would be so much to do in NYC that we'd be running around trying to catch everything. My dad wasn't really interested in the museums though, and surprisingly, that really cut down things to do the next day. Both of us had already seen the Statue of Liberty, and didn't want to waste an entire day on it. We thought of taking a tour bus, but they worked out scandalously expensive if we only wanted to sit in them for a few hours. They only sold day or two-day passes. Sometimes it seems to me that everything in this country is designed to make you spend more.

We ended up roaming the streets for hours. We did check the lost and found at Macy's. Unfortunately, I didn't recover my glove. I still have that single glove. I was too miserly to buy another pair since winter was almost over (or so I hoped), but I keep the one, and used this technique: bury right hand in deep pocket, wear glove on left hand, and cover nose with shawl using gloved left hand. Making do this way is generally my form of atonement whenever I lose something, which means I make do a lot.

We checked out the Empire State building, but didn't go inside. Again, both of us had been inside before. Plus, with so many taller buildings around now, I have to admit that I didn't understand how much of the skyline we'd see from the top, anyway.

In front of the Empire State building

It was a pretty cold day, and the sky was grey in a rather dismal way. I got to see a lot of the city's downtown in a way I rarely do on usual tourist trips, because we walked so much. I got a general sense of the city, its architecture, and got to see things up close. When I visited NYC in 2007, I was overwhelmed by the sheer size of the skyscrapers, and how you can see nothing but building whichever direction you turn, and however high you look. This time, I felt more closed in. Maybe it was the weather, but I felt a little claustrophobic. NYC is a fascinating city, but I wouldn't want to live in it (at least downtown), boxed in by all that concrete with only that tiny square patch of sky. I need space.

What caught my interest this time around was the buildings themselves, rather than their size. They are extremely modern, of course, and yet the inordinate use of red brick gave it a rather old-world feel in a very unique way. Or maybe that's just me, because we don't seem to use that much brick in India.

After hours of wandering, we decided to take a cruise: far cheaper than a bus tour, and we'd still get to see the skyline, as well as the Statue of Liberty. As we got near the docks, the city began to get dirty; I mean literally: there was sewage water, a bit of a stink, and garbage. I have to confess that I was shocked; sewage and garbage had no place in the image of busy, efficient NYC that I had. Clearly, Mumbai is not unique in this regard.

On a cruise, in front of the Statue of Liberty, which you can see a glimpse of in the background

The cruise was nice. Our captain also acted as a guide, giving us an audio tour via speakers. I saw Wall Street, Manhattan, the red-light district, the rich residence-streets (which I don't remember the names of), everything from afar. We also saw the building where Leonardo DiCaprio and Hugh Jackman live (they are neighbors), and the captain warned us that the water would be icy cold, in case anyone got any crazy ideas. He gave us brief histories of everything, including how Wall Street got its name (there was an actual wall at some point), and where immigrants used to be processed. We rushed out to get photos when we got close to the Statue of Liberty. I have a photo where you can clearly see it, but I look better in this one, so obviously I posted this one.

We were exhausted with all our walking, so we went straight back to the hotel after the cruise. I was rather depressed at the prospect of going back to uni the next day (not to mention that they had cancelled my flight that night, which meant that I'd have to fly back the next morning, missing two classes), but I resolved to forget it as long as I possibly could, which is generally my defense mechanism, and also why I'm always late for class on Mondays (don't tell me that Sunday nights aren't traumatic experiences for you, too). We watched Larry Crowne on my dad's laptop, which is watchable, if somewhat trite and pointless. I ate the fried rice that my dad went out into the cold to get for me, delayed bed time as long as possible, and woke up the next morning with that feeling of loss you have when a much anticipated event flies by much too fast. I was a little late (of course), and we when got down to the lobby, I couldn't find my passport, so we emptied my entire bag. Of course it was inside the entire time, and I got a round scolding for just throwing it in anyhow instead of keeping it accessible. I suspect that this is the point at which I lost my earmuffs because I never saw them after that.

It was a wonderful trip; I was excessively pampered and it felt so good to be with my dad. Does anyone else get this feeling of safety and comfort with their dads? Whenever I'm with him, I feel like he'll take care of any eventuality, like there's nothing to worry about. It's an awesome feeling. That trip was a gift; my dad didn't have to spend so much on air tickets so that I could see him in a different city for just a weekend. But he did, because he wanted me to enjoy myself, and hopefully also because he wanted to see me (kidding, of course he wanted to see me, who doesn't)!

Winter vacation

Note: This post has been 'in progress' for a while. As you can see, I started it before, during vacation. Be warned: it is extremely long.

I'm having a spiffing time. I'm so glad that my vacation was long enough for me to return to India.

These were the highlights.

1. Gravity

'Gravity' was the most powerful movie experience of my life. It achieves an immediacy that has you tensing your shoulders, flinching at debris that flies towards you, and praying that Dr. Stone doesn't face yet another obstacle. The cinematography was stunning; besides giving you a very realistic taste of what it feels like to be in space, it captures the haunting loneliness and desperation of the lone survivor of a disaster, stuck in an extremely dangerous situation with no time to mourn and no one to turn to. It also reflects Dr. Stone's lostness - the way she 'just keeps driving'. I avoid movies like 127 hours because I don't want to be put through such an experience, even vicariously. And yet, I did not regret for a single moment that I'd gone to this movie, even though I thought I wouldn't be able to watch it a second time - it was too emotionally draining (I've changed my mind now. Anyone willing to come with me to see it a second time?). A gripping, almost transformative experience that stays with you - Gravity is a beautiful film - dazzling both technically, and with its taut, simple story.

2. Music and Dance

I attended a number of wonderful concerts this vacation. The first one I went to was an Andhra Pradesh Cultural Festival that ran for three days. During the concert, we saw Mangala Bhatt, eminent Kathak dancer, and her students perform a number of compositions; Dr. Jayaprada, flutist extraordinaire, and her ensemble; and a father-son duo of ghazal singers along with a group, whose names I unfortunately do not remember, or you can be sure I would have included another photo. It was a beautiful program. Mangala Bhatt was extremely graceful, and her students were marvelous too. They had Bhatt alternating with her students, with her performing to the slower, more expressive and graceful music, and her students doing solos to faster, more active and vibrant themes. I think the overall theme was the elements, and it was wonderfully portrayed.

Dr. Jayaprada's music was absolutely mesmerizing (you can hear a sample here, although I wish I'd found one of the same music without the movie clips interrupting, because it is an exquisite piece). I've always loved flute and violin music, and I used to imagine I could hear faint, hypnotic strains of flute in the mornings. Dr. Jayaprada is the first Indian female flutist from Andhra Pradesh, and holds a world record. Her music is brilliant, and I feel so fortunate to have seen her live.
The ghazals were very interesting to listen to, but I wished I could understand the language more. It was too sophisticated for me, and my mom enjoyed it more than I did.

The next concert I attended was the Times of India Lakshminarayana music festival (I wish it had a less unwieldy name). There was a fascinating mix of artists and music, with Dr. Subramaniam, who is a suberb violinist; his son Ambi, who seems to have inherited his talent; Kavita Krishnamoorthy, who has an unusual voice that is captivating when she sings old Hindi songs; Øystein Baadsvik, a Norwegian tuba player, who pioneered the tuba as a solo instrument, and Hubert Laws, who is an American jazz instrumentalist and singer. I liked the tuba pieces, which were extremely innovative and fun to listen to, and the jazz was interesting, too, but my favourite bits were the violin pieces which were amazing. The speed with which they were rendered was unbelievable, and Ambi's talent is also exceptional. I thought that Bindu Subramaniam's English songs were rather incongruous in the concert, especially with Kavita Krishnamoorthy's Hindi, and Hindi classical singing.

The third concert, and if there could be a highlight to a highlight this would be it, was Dr. Balamuralikrishna's concert. I wrote about a concert I attended in Chowmahallah palace nearly two years ago with Dr. Balamuralikrishna and Pt. Vishwa Mohan Bhatt. I had the same euphoric experience this time. Dr. Balamuralikrishna, who is growing old, did not sing for as long and as uninterruptedly as before, but his voice was as strong and as spellbinding as ever.
If you've ever seen Dr. Balamuralikrishna live, you'll know that that mischievous smile is typical of him as his music fills your brain and your heart and takes you into a different plane where you feel this spiritual bliss fill your heart. He pushes his accompanists to their limits with his unmatchable alapanas (improvisations), and there are times when his violinist just puts his violin down, folds his hands, and bows his head. As you hear his divine music, it sometimes seems as if he has to be something more than human, something larger than life. As a lover of Carnatic music, I absolutely revere him. He is a giant, the Thyagaraja of our times.

3. Frozen

I saw this movie twice. Once during Thanksgiving break with my cousins, and once in 3D with my parents. I don't know if its a movie worth watching twice in theaters, but I am animation-crazy, so I coerced my parents into it the second time because I wanted to see how those beautiful snowy backgrounds would look in 3D. I liked the movie, which had stunning animation (even surpasses 'Tangled'); a decent story, with a satisfying break from the true-love cliché; and a decent musical score with one exceptional stand-out in Idina Menzel's 'Let it Go'. I think Tangled was funnier, but I liked Frozen too.


4. New Year's celebration
I actually danced during this! I mean an actual dance performance with some friends. I was very amateurish but it was still great fun.

5. Missamma

This is an old, black and white Telugu movie. I never thought I'd be able to enjoy a black and white film, but I loved Missamma. The two leads were beautiful (NTR and Savitri), Nageshwar Rao was hilarious, and the quaint, wholesome, old-timey feel of it all was delicious.
The story revolves around two poor BAs who pose as a married couple in order to get a job at a school (the employers advertise for a married BA couple in order to save money on providing separate rooms and board).

One scene, where Mary (Savitri) tries to teach a tone deaf Raju (Nageshwar Rao) to sing is golden (https://youtu.be/Dszx6GbRm-4?t=2h2m29s). It's an absolute riot. The lovely Savitri, who is almost perennially furious in this movie, mostly at NTR, is still somehow very lovable. Another scene I really liked was one where Mary is giving Seetha (Jamuna) a music lesson, and keeping a jealous tab on NTR, flaring up whenever he looks in their direction. There is also a beautiful dream sequence where Mary dreams that she is saved by NTR. Of course, this being an old movie, the songs were divine (I particularly like Brindavana Madi apart from the popular Ravoyi Chandamama), too.

6. Books, books and books
And, of course, I read and read and read! I read a lot of Georgette Heyer this vacation, and I love her. I think Heyer is like a lighter version of Austen. I read The Grand Sophy on my flight back to the US, and I adored it. I will review it in another post...