Lovely Hills

A long hiatus it seems! Somehow lost touch, and its tough getting back, into the groove, i guess. Should make some more effort to slip off the groove!! Loads of excuses - exams, vacation, travel, health and lots more, all rush to my fore, to defend me! But know am guilty of ignoring this 'blogging' activity or maybe the ink had just dried up! Well, felt glad am being missed or rather my writing is being missed by a loyal few! Thanks so much for keeping up the faith in me and my sporadic ramblings...!

Well, amidst a hectic trip down South India, managed to sneak in a small overnight stay at Yercaud. A lovely place tucked away in the Shevaroy Hills, standing aloof and distant, yet cozy and comfy. The evening was just perfect for the boat ride and the dusk-view of the lofty hills, and the towering trees bordering the expanse of water was breathtaking.

The evening spiced up with roasted corn cobs and tangy raw mangoes and a general foray into the local 'petti kadais'(knick knack corner shops). Reached the 'Pakoda Point' almost around sunset, but just in time to get some awesome aerial views and a taste of local 'fares' to snack on.

The cottages where we stayed were set amidst a huge coffee plantation, and the only thing missing was a strong aroma of the coffee beans wafting by. The 'green' beans were huge and ripe but yielded no clue as to how it transforms to a magical brown bean that churns out the headiest concoction on the face of earth. The cottages had this lovely ivy sort creepers winding their way up, and maybe someday like in an old Fairy Tale, the flora around would take over, and a prince would need to cut through the unwieldy foliage!!

The 'Aadi Kaathu' in Trichy is so inviograting, feel sorry for the few who had to stay back in Kuwait, there seems to be a no-respite-in-sight 6 day dust storm raging! Heard the monsoon has started in all earnest in the Coastal West, taking its lapse a bit too seriously! Hope it does abate a bit by the time we land there. Eagerly looking forward to some heavenly scenes and the feel of squelchy mud and the divine earthy smell, mingled with the fresh scent of the damp wood. But for now, the place seems just right with a touch of breeze and a dash of sunshine. Am not complaining!

Let the music play on…

Had been Tagged a long long time ago! Its to do about our favourite songs, I guess 5 from each language, you are familiar with (if I’m not wrong!).

Well, English songs grew up on a small dosage, but a concentrated one suffused with ABBA, Beatles, Donna Summer, Michael Jackson, Madonna, Wham and few stray Grammy hits. Period. But picked them up again after shifting to Kuwait, and now have current favourites, and also managed to catch up with a few great ones, that I had missed in the years in between!! So here goes :

English – 1. La Isla Bonita - Madonna

2. Hasta manana – ABBA

3. Careless Whispers – George Michael

4. Bubbly – Colbie Caillat

5. When I’m gone – Simple plan

My Hindi songs pre-marriage was restricted to Julie, Sholay and ofcourse Sagar. But after my shift to Pune, had my share of bollywood songs. From melodious to the fast moving ones, liked them all!

Hindi – 1. Tere Bina – Guru

2. Mithwaa – KANK

3. Piyu bole – Parineeta

4. Kaje ra re – BAB

5. kya muje pyar hai – woh lamhe

Tamil songs have been always around, in and out, just a bit off touch, off late. It is going to be all the more difficult drawing out the 5 songs, covering more than 3 decades!! Though AR Rahman rules the roost, the past one decade.

Tamil – 1. Songs from alaiypayuthe

2. ‘’ ‘’ rhythm

3. porale ponnu thayee – karuthamma

4. munbe vaa – SOK

5. songs from aayutha ezuthu

Phew! done. This definitely is not an exhaustive list, its just the tip of icebergs! thanks wannabe, really enjoyed doing it going back and forth on flashback trips.

“ Ah, music. A magic beyond all we do here! “

- J. K. Rowling,

she indeed knew what she was saying!!

Oops! The forecast was wrong!

Yes, I know I had vowed not to write anything about ‘weather’, but then we need to go back on our words at times, when it comes to such consistently unpredictable topics! And this is how the country has looked for the past fortnight.

Who said anything about summer??!! And now it’s been pouring, and pouring like there is no tomorrow! We ain’t complaining I guess, the residents of Kuwait. It’s been lovely the mild drizzle, the misty backdrop, the chill winds; it’s like we have been transported somewhere else!

Last week, there were hailstones too! All we got to see were tiny pebble sized ones pitter pattering on the tiles below, but in Ahamadi they got to see huge ones i guess, and got to have a look at the amazing sized ones! (thanks to my better-half’s clicking mood which prevailed then)

 

And yesterday though it was not exactly a day for picnic, had some lovely moments getting wet and ‘chilled’ out in the rains. And flowers and plants weren’t they glad to be drenched so. Was elated to be amongst the vibrant colours and almost felt blessed! May the showers gladden the hearts of these dancing flowers for a while more, and ours too!

 

Summer arrives, finally...

  Its been a very moody, misty muggy March!! There seemed to be some reluctance, and maybe the skies, the sun, the wind, the clouds had varying sessions of impromptu meetings, to devise methods in keeping the oncoming summer at bay!! There were windy days, dusty days, rainy days, ‘chilly’ days and outright muggy days. Never knew what would be in store the next day morning; wet pavements or brown dusty streets, wailing winds, or the warm,fuzzy rays straining through the grey mass of clouds.

And now its finally come to an end, i guess this period of confusion, prevailing in the skies above, and all have been told to get back to their respective jobs, and stop fooling around; Mr. Sun has been formally instated as the reigning premiere for the upcoming session!!

I really marvel at the few greenery, which i happen to chance upon on the streets. Never fails to bring a smile, and fills me with a sense of awe and wonder at the efforts gone into it, in making the flowers bloom, so gaily, in keeping the green parts, a real fresh sprightly green! Hats off to them! To all those who harbour away at their petite gardens or pathways. Thanks to them, we get to feast upon, these wonderful gifts of nature, which definitely spruce up our spirits, besides their silent life nurturing role.

My blog these days seems to resemble monthly weather reports! But honestly this bizarre changes in climate, this past month i would think, is definitely worth writing about! And hoping not to crib and whine about the summer, but focus on things other than climate, weather, clouds and rain. (fingers crossed!)

Hail February!

Yes its been a lovely February, weather wise. You couldn’t ask for more. The showers, the breeze, the tentative sun, playing with the clouds, an absolutely lovely scene beyond those windows. The trees and plants lapping it all up, sometimes see them dancing away gaily; the chirping birds, the hopping sparrows, the circling seagulls….there’s a nice nip in the air, and hope March doesn’t turn too hot all in a rush.

The upcoming weekend being a long one, can almost sense the crowd thronging towards the beaches and parks and the open spaces. With the Liberation Day and Kuwait National Day, coming up, the decorations starting to make its presence felt, we are in for some gay celebrations and some wonderful moments wallowing in the prevailing absolutely enviable climate, here in Kuwait! Yeah!!

Come Again...

Skies ain’t blue, Showers are few
But lovely it is, Seems like bliss!
Winds blowing, Leaves dancing
Soil drenching, Spring cleaning!

For distant lands, across the sands;
They seem to move, to scripted maps.
As I watch, the clouds floating,
I sit here pensively, contemplating.

Leave behind a little moisture,
In this enormous, Arabian air.
Arid and dry it’s bound to turn
And rays irked, are sure to burn.

As the winter draws to a close
Winds kicking a clamour, as it blows.
The gentle and the torrid breeze,
Bidding adieu, to the mournful trees.

A Musical Experience

A cool January evening, turned out to be a pleasantly surprising, transcendental experience, beyond imagination. It was a small gathering of music or rather classical music lovers, hailing from South India, and the occasion was Thyagararja Aaradhanai, meaning salutations to the one and only classical music exponent Thyagaraja Bhagadavar.

I am definitely not competent enough to speak or comment about this revered and profound subject, but I was just thankful and privileged to be a part of the electrifying atmosphere that evening. Just to be, as an observer, trying to drink in, the sheer pleasure of listening to a mesmerizing performance. The violinist played such soul-stirring music, that we found ourselves drawn completely into his world of poignant, soulful notes. Not in vain is it termed the 'queen of instruments'! The truth being we did not sit through the entire programme, but what I did manage to garner from those few hours was enough to make an indelible impression, which seemed to pervade me for a while.

Apart from the utter enjoyment of the scintillating performance, rendered by the group, what sort of shook me and made me realize, is how we tend to forget our roots, and miss out on the richness of the bottomless pit of wealth, it has to offer. As the speakers with their vibrant and striking words, unfolded before us the background behind the Thyagaraajar’s life, and about his astounding compositions, we could all but listen, in awe and wonder. The Pancharathna Kirthis was expounded upon so vividly, that for a lay person like me, who had no inkling that it had such such intense and insightful depth to it, it was a wonderful revelation. This might give you a general idea about, what I have or I had been so taken up with!

And of course it was so unbelievable being in a milieu, that could have easily passed off as a gathering, right in the heart of any town or city in Tamilnadu; the pattu paavadais, and kanjeevarams the diamond thodus (earrings), and the tinkling of Tamil all around! Was left to muse, how we uproot ourselves, to be transplanted elsewhere, and we sadly loose the initiative to celebrate the vastness and the incredible beauty of our beloved heritage. And it has been more than a week now as I think back, the intensity of my feelings has definitely petered out a bit, and am glad that I did manage to capture that moment in writing, for I would need a reminder about, things that lay beyond the everyday realms of our lives. The untouched ocean of knowledge, that lies beyond, to be tasted and savoured. And I would like to tell myself, I have …’miles to go, before I sleep’….