Music and Mush

Friendship. Yes, it is all the hallmarks. Plus more...

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- And this is how it works:
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Friend X. You’ve known X for years, and life is incomplete without X. All your other friends know about X. You hate some things about him, but you cannot help but love him. You grew older together and want to grow old together. And while you may disagree on things, you understand each other. Time heals all, distance makes you fonder, all laughs and tears, the fun goes on for years and years. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- While laughing up a storm Until we were just bone Until it got so warm That none of us could sleep And all the styrofoam Began to melt away We tried to find some worms To aid in the decay

Friend Y. You connect with Y. Y is the better version of you, from one angle or another. You can jam to music, gossip about people, talk for hours, and in a short time, you have an amazing bond. You lose touch with Y- distance or fights. Minimal contact until there is none. But you both miss each other, always.

On the radio
We heard November Rain
That solo's really long
But it's a pretty song ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Friend Z. Z is the unexpected. They hurt you and make up. You share that one thing that will always keep you close. Whether you keep in touch or not, whether you talk for hours or not, you’ll care. There’s always a surprise. Something new, something so uniquely funny, and something so Z. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- You say: This is how it works You're young until you're not You love until you don't You try until you can't You laugh until you cry You cry until you laugh And everyone must breathe Until their dying breath
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They say: No, this is how it works You peer inside yourself You take the things you like And try to love the things you took And then you take that love you made And stick it into some Someone else's heart Pumping someone else's blood And walking arm in arm You hope it don't get harmed But even if it does You'll just do it all again
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To all my sweetheart friends. Music and Mush. But I mean it.
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~Love of mine, some day you will die, I’ll be close behind to follow you into the dark~

Wall-E, Wallpapers, and the Viola!

I wanted something artsy. Wall-E and Eva and their uber cute falling in love scene had been on my desktop for ages now. In a moonlit backdrop, Wall-E, the loser that he was, was gazing dreamily at eva’s beautiful and hearty laugh, which could distinctly be seen in a little detail such as the squint and upward curl of her roboty eyes. I had often looked at both of them, and smiled. They represent an adorable and unique romance, and this particular picture had captured one of my favorite moments of their love story. When I began taking this scene on my desktop for granted, rushing to open firefox, overlooking the love for Eva in Wall-E’s eyes, I knew it was time to change my desktop.

I wanted something artsy. I looked through some of my favorite artists’ work to find the perfect fit for my desktop, something to inspire me each day. I gave up on trying to find some “classic art” show piece. I realized who I take inspiration from quite often...umm.. every night 11:30 to 12:30, religiously!

Carry Bradshaw, from Sex and the City, now sits fabulously on my screen. She looks simply marvelous. Her skin glows of youthful aging, for she gets old while living her life each day. Her gorgeous soft curls spread their layers away from her face, freeing her eyes to capture your gaze. These eyes have seen plenty, they are constantly trying to observe keenly, and most precious of all, these eyes still have hopes and dreams. And don’t let her heels deceive you ladies and gentlemen! They may seem delicate, but she is about to knock your socks off with her powerful stride. A single woman in her 40s, fabulous, glamorous,...simply magnificent..aaaand artsy!

Carry Bradshaw, it’s an honor to have you here ;-)

…as long as you love me, baby..

…as long as you love me, baby..

I listened to this song in the car today, and it brought back all those romantic feelings you feel about the feeling of “being in love”. I couldn’t help but wonder.. ;-)..are these feelings really more fantastic than romantic? Perhaps being in love is a feeling that we simply fantasize about, and that is as romantic as love really gets. When we think we’re in love, are we really? Or are we just fantasizing about something that seems like the “in love” we have seen in movies. I am pretty sure that the “loving” exists; I’m just not sure about the “in love”.

I think in most relationships, I have seen that couples, siblings, friends really do love each other, but I have not seen a couple that is really “in love”, except in movies and songs. The fact that romantic movies and heartfelt songs can invoke such emotions within us suggests that these emotions do exist. Or does it really suggest that we can imagine a lot more than there is?

Perhaps how I feel about the existence of God. Do we, humans, really exaggerate and fantasize about everything? No doubt, that is the gift of imagination we do have. Nevertheless, there comes a point when one must decide whether this imagination or fantasy, the thing we dream about, is it really something we want to give up our reality for? I don’t know about God, and I believe all religion is an amplification of humanity, a higher goal to reach for. But when that belief becomes so strong that we begin to forget what we DO know best (Humanity, that is!), that is when I stop and reassess. I am quite decisive and content with my “belief” in God now. Not sure about this love-like stuff.

This is what I do know:
I just had a customer come in today who told me she was looking for a dress, and in further conversation, she told me how the dress she needs has to fit certain guidelines because she is to see her friend in an “institution”. At first, I wondered if she was dressing up for a guy at the mental institution, or perhaps just for her brother or female friend. Then, knowing girls, I realized that her wanting to look this cute couldn’t just be for a mere friend. As she looked at herself in the mirror, and examined further, she mentioned how “the prison” is really strict about the dress code of visitors. And here, for a second, I couldn’t help but judge a bit. I thought, wow she’s all excited to go see a boyfriend that is perhaps a criminal? I realize that I can be completely off in all my assumptions. If, nevertheless, any of my assumptions are true, and while I can judge her for many other things, I chose to really admire how excited she was! It is just how I would be for a guy I wanted to impress. We can have different tastes, and be completely different human beings, but her excitement, and her actual effort for this meeting in the prison, left me with pleasant feelings.

We all want love, and we all really do love. We make that leap…the leap Hitch talks about…and we hope to God that we’ll fly…! We have seen failures in every relationship, every single one, but we always think ours will fly. This hope, this belief, is so so preciosa! I have leapt before, and failed miserably. I know others have leapt for me, and I have ended up hurting them. But I also know, the satisfaction of leaping, the contentment that results from the capability to feel such emotions from someone, is simply worth it. We fail every time more or less, but that leap, we never forget.

The leap tells you. It speaks loud and clear that you love someone. It also shows how you want to fall in love. It is simply a fall that we are willing to take.

My customer also mentioned (when she warmed up to me, of course) that the last time she visited him, she wore jeans the whole time, and he told her not to wear jeans because he cannot feel her legs ;-). Now, I know this can bring about dirty connotations and take my blog to another level of interest, but let me focus on the main point here. It made me smile when she said that, and I could not help but think it was cute! Methods might be different, but trust me, we all be in da saaaame boat!

And… I ask you to follow my train of thought just a bit here… remember how I mentioned that people forget about humanity and focus on the amplification of it? Well, I think we amplify love. We wait for a movie love, we wait for that perfect fall in love, when really we feel love every day. Hmm..let’s see…we want love…they want love…then uh..the problem is...?

Here we are, we merely have to reach out and feel all the cuteness and happiness that loving and being loved brings! because...really now..who knows if there will ever be an “in love”. What we know is what we know right now. So go meet the man in prison if you love him, don’t wait for the guy that WILL BE. Make that leap =)

Love -because I'm worth it! ;-)

May 21st, 2009 Jagjit Singh Concert

I just came back from a Jagjit Singh Concert. When we were buying tickets, I felt it would be nice to share this experience with my mom, and I should go even if I know very little about Jagjit Singh. After all, I’ve gone to concerts with friends in which I knew nothing about the artist, and Jagjit Singh at least has the deep voice that I already knew I liked.
Jagjit Singh is known for his ghazals. I had expected to find this evening to be quite boring, and full of sad overemotional sad music. Somehow, I was pleasantly surprised. I realized what a difference it is to watch concerts, and listen to music collectively. There are genres of music that you simply do not want to listen to alone, and others still that are understood best in solitude. My new discovery about ghazals comes with a deep appreciation for the ability of ghazals to be heard comfortably at home, and also nostalgically with friends.
In any case, I realized today how poetic ghazals truly are, what “older people” like about them, and why people are fanatics about ghazals! I see why my dad liked them so much! There is a level of maturity to the lyrics and a certain finesse about the music. I loved the lyrics right away, and the music was so traditionally Indian that it definitely strung the right cords for me. Still, the most endearing part of the concert was the collective emotion.
I can only begin to describe the beauty of it. To see and hear people around us beginning to clap excitedly when they hear a song they know, and to hear them then sing along, despite not being great singers, is simply an adorable scene to witness. And it just makes you smile. You hear these people get nostalgic, you hear their hearts jump at different parts of the song, and you wonder what brought this song so close to their heart, and specifically why they sang this particular line with such intensity. No one knows each other, but there is a connection. No one is an exceptional singer in the audience, but you want them to continue singing. The fact of the matter is, we are all here, in this auditorium, reminiscing about our past, perhaps thinking of our future, or just plain enjoying the music. One person sings, and the other joins. Despite our distinct thoughts, different experiences, and the varied range of emotions, there is a common ecstasy. I believe the root of any such concert experience lies in being able to share your sheer pleasure and sentiments from the song with so many others in the room.

Welcome Life

I'm currently in Long Island, NY. I came here to see my nephew, Mihir. Being one of the youngest children in my family, I have not witnessed a baby's growth. This is not the first child that has made me an aunt, but this is the first one that is not living in a different country! I was extremely excited to meet him, see him, and to await his further developments. I may not have shown my excitement at other times when I became an aunt, perhaps because I felt like I could not do much that an aunt is supposed to do. With Mihir, I have the chance of really being a masi. And I'm going to give it my best!
He weighs about..14 lbs? but wow, he's tiny! He woke up today with the most lively smile on his face, with his mouth wide open. He then stretched out his cute little arms, like we normal folks do! Except, he did it much cuter!! He did it with that innocence, and that zest for life that many of us no longer wake up with. He repeated the action three times and became more invigorated each time. The sparkle in his eye, and I apologize for I am not poetic enough to capture the exact feel of the moment, but yes, the pure sparkles in his eyes really do some magic to the soul of the beholder.
I remember the first day when I met him I was simply shocked that kids do not know how to sit! I mean, isn't that default? Apparently not. So, wow, the things we take for granted! I am excited for him to go through the steps that we so naturally do now.
Perhaps like driving? It is becoming more and more natural to me now, but I had to actually learn it! So..yeah I guess we really do learn a lot, and to see a baby, makes me realize what blank canvases we really are, and how everything we do with Mihir right now, will shape him for the future. So, I want to give him abundant love, and take care of him whenever I can. I have hopes and dreams for how he'll be when he grows up. I am going to savor every moment of his loving smile and soft caressing skin.
I know I might be delusional, but I think he actually likes to dance! When I play music, and give all his dangling toys a push, I wonder if he feels like it is party time..! haha, and then he kicks and moves excitedly- which I believe is baby dance? I often look at him and wonder what he's really thinking. I try to remember things from when I was a baby, to try and remember those people that wondered what I was thinking when I was that small. But, no luck there. =P
At first, I thought all the fun will only begin once he starts talking, but he communicates! And that's fun, it really is! He holds my finger tight to let me know he likes me ( I hope!), and puts everything in his mouth- to fill in the empty space in his mouth? or to get a taste of everything? He watches everyone, smiles like insanity! ..and is continuously learning I believe.
Gosh..his soft little hands that remain clean despite constant swims in his saliva! He drools all over everyone's shoulders, and it is welcomed! I noticed how none of us becomes disgusted or feels bad about our new clothes..it's all welcomed..all welcomed in the name of new life. Life is beautiful- and it’s all evident in his smile. I can only imagine how much affection and craze his parents feel....parenthood must be a miraculous feeling.
Anywho, cheers to my nephew Mihir! and his breath-taking smile =)
**and all the knocking on wood necessary**

Mmmm...

"(Kuch Kum Roshan Hai Roshni, Kuch Kum Gili Hai Baarishein..Kuch Kum Lehrathi Hai Hawa, Kuch Kum Hai Dil Mein Kwahishein..Tham Sa Gaya Hai, Yeh Waqt Aise, Tere Liya Hi Tehra Ho Jaise..Mmmmm..Mmmm..Mmmmm..Mmmm) - 2
Kyun Meri Saans Bhi, Kuch Bhiki Si HaiDooriyon Se Huyie, Nazdiki Si HaiMmm…, Kyun Meri Saans Bhi, Kuch Bhiki Si HaiDooriyon Se Huyie, Nazdiki Si HaiJaane Kya, Yeh Baath HaiHar Subha, Aab Raat Hai..Kuch Kum Roshan Hai Roshni, Kuch Kum Gili Hai Baarishein..Kuch Kum Lehrathi Hai Hawa, Kuch Kum Hai Dil Mein Kwahishein..Tham Sa Gaya Hai, Yeh Waqt Aise, Tere Liya Hi Tehra Ho JaiseMmmmm..Mmmm..Mmmmm..Mmmm
(Phool Mehke Nahin, Kuch Gumsum Se HaiJaise Roothe Huwe, Kuch Yeh Tumse Hai) - 2Khusbooien Dhal Gayi, Saath Tum Aab Jo Nahin..Kuch Kum Roshan Hai Roshni, Kuch Kum Gili Hai Baarishein..Tham Sa Gaya Hai, Yeh Waqt Aise, Tere Liya Hi Tehra Ho
Jaise..Mmmmm..Mmmm..Mmmmm..Mmmm"

Listen to the song.. =)

There’s always (a) SNAP

SNAP stands for Student Nighttime something something, basically a van that safely takes UF students home at night. In times when there’s no one to pick you up, no one to walk home with, there’s nothing left but SNAP. A snap into reality, and then a snap that takes you home. You forget you needed it before, you’ll need it again, and that maybe the snap isn’t so bad after all. The ten minutes of cramped seating that hurt my back was so worth it when I heard the triumphant sound of the dragging of my luggage on the road when dropped off close to home. We take things for granted, we depend on others, but I guess we must snap out of it, sooner or later. I heard and felt the snap…the snapping of a friendship…the snap of mixed emotions…snapshots of the good times…and here came the inevitable…SNAP!

SNAP stood waiting outside for me. I snapped into reality, and snap brought me home safely. I guess there’s always (a) snap ;-)


( oh snap! =P )