Such nasties, really. I mean, the exams themselves aren't so terrible, but the day before one is painful. And study holidays are even worse, I mean, holidays to study?! They are nicely spread out over the next three weeks or so, and it's a very decent timetable, I must say.
Otherwise, Madras is hot hot hot.
Hot and absolutely clear skies.
Water melons and clear star studded skies.
Tuesday, April 8, 2008
Friday, March 14, 2008
Other random, and perhaps unnecessary, updates.
Git and I found ourselves with a free period today after break. So we headed to Selayur Hall, where the English Department has its classes. Rather ambitiously, we entered KG's II MA class, where a discussion on Post Colonialism was in progress. It really was most interesting.
In other news, my physics practical exam went rather well, and I'm done with physics practicals
forever! Hopefully, at least.
It's been rather cloudy in Madras the last few days owing to a depression in The Bay of Bengal.
Went for a play yesterday- 'Twelve Angry Men', put up by the Loyola Theatre Society. It really was very well done.
Finally, Sam and I ate lunch with Git and Isha in Martin Hall today. I thought the food was pretty good, but I suppose one would think otherwise if they were to eat it everyday.
In other news, my physics practical exam went rather well, and I'm done with physics practicals
forever! Hopefully, at least.
It's been rather cloudy in Madras the last few days owing to a depression in The Bay of Bengal.
Went for a play yesterday- 'Twelve Angry Men', put up by the Loyola Theatre Society. It really was very well done.
Finally, Sam and I ate lunch with Git and Isha in Martin Hall today. I thought the food was pretty good, but I suppose one would think otherwise if they were to eat it everyday.
Explanatory Comments
Now, since I have explained the 'Mary Poppins' part of my blog url, I suppose I should proceed to
elaborate on the rest of it.
Cream buns...well, if you've eaten one you'd know what I'm talking about. What is particularly worth mentioning is the delicate balance of chocolate and vanilla cream filling in the bun. It is perfect.
Music. Ah, I offer no explanations.
The same with Stars. Do not ask why.
Pugs. Funnily, that isn't a breed of dogs I particularly like. Give me a mongrel any day. They have the most beautiful eyes! But I liked the old Hutch advertisements rather a lot, and as you will recall, they all featured a pug in them.
elaborate on the rest of it.
Cream buns...well, if you've eaten one you'd know what I'm talking about. What is particularly worth mentioning is the delicate balance of chocolate and vanilla cream filling in the bun. It is perfect.
Music. Ah, I offer no explanations.
The same with Stars. Do not ask why.
Pugs. Funnily, that isn't a breed of dogs I particularly like. Give me a mongrel any day. They have the most beautiful eyes! But I liked the old Hutch advertisements rather a lot, and as you will recall, they all featured a pug in them.
Mary Poppins
The Mary poppins series of books by P.L.Travers is a wonderful collection of children's books.
Moreover, they're the kind of children's books that make a most interesting read even for an adult(I like to think of myself as a 'young adult' :)).
I never did get around to watching the movie, though the songs, as far as I recall, are absolutely delightful. The chimney song, in particular.
Mary Poppins' (Poppins's?) carpet bag, in particular, had, and still has, me fascinated. All kinds of unimaginable things pour out of it, including a foldable bed and cough syrup that changes flavour. This is not to say that cough syrup flavour is bad, by itself.
The names of the chapters are most interestingly, and obviously deliberately, symmetric in two of the books- 'Mary Poppins' and 'Mary Poppins Comes Back'. 'Miss Lark's Andrew' and 'Miss Andrew's Lark', 'Bad Tuesday' and 'Bad Wednesday' and so on. And there is this delightfully mystical air about 'Mary Poppins in Cherry Tree Lane' set in the time around Midsummer's Eve.
I seem to be writing a review of sorts for the books. But they really are quite wonderful. Go read them.
Moreover, they're the kind of children's books that make a most interesting read even for an adult(I like to think of myself as a 'young adult' :)).
I never did get around to watching the movie, though the songs, as far as I recall, are absolutely delightful. The chimney song, in particular.
Mary Poppins' (Poppins's?) carpet bag, in particular, had, and still has, me fascinated. All kinds of unimaginable things pour out of it, including a foldable bed and cough syrup that changes flavour. This is not to say that cough syrup flavour is bad, by itself.
The names of the chapters are most interestingly, and obviously deliberately, symmetric in two of the books- 'Mary Poppins' and 'Mary Poppins Comes Back'. 'Miss Lark's Andrew' and 'Miss Andrew's Lark', 'Bad Tuesday' and 'Bad Wednesday' and so on. And there is this delightfully mystical air about 'Mary Poppins in Cherry Tree Lane' set in the time around Midsummer's Eve.
I seem to be writing a review of sorts for the books. But they really are quite wonderful. Go read them.
Sunday, March 9, 2008
Akhandam Programmes
On the 6th of March, YACM (Youth Association for Classical Music) organised a night-long programme of music at the Madhya Kailash temple in Adyar on the occasion of Shivaratri. I got to sing in the first slot of the programme from 6:25 to 6:55 pm (Well, technically it was to be 6-6:30 pm, but apart from that slight delay, the whole affair was conducted most efficiently). Forty eight young musicians (vocalists, flautists, violinists, percussionists) performed in all, in some twenty four-odd half-hour concerts.
The whole thing was rather exciting, really. For one, I stayed up all night, no mean feat for one who promptly falls asleep at eleven thirty every night. Apart from the large group of musicians present, listening to each others' concerts, there was a steady inflow of other visitors to the temple through the night. As Sam and I realised simultaneously, the most unlikely people seem to be religious and devout.
The music was, needless to say, absolutely beautiful, particularly because there were hardly any breaks, except the few minutes spent in fine-tuning the instruments. Some rare compositions were sung. The energy and enthusiasm of the audience only added to the already musically-charged atmosphere.
I must add that YACM and its activities only reflect the enthusiasm and interest of young Carnatic musicians today, quite contrary to the general opinion that only the very old enjoy Carnatic music.
Today, another 'Akhandam' programme is being conducted by the Bharatiya Sangeetha Vaibhavam Trust,
at The Music Academy Mini Hall, in honour of Sri Muthuswami Dikshitar. I dropped in for the first concert
by T M Krishna. Energetic and brimming with creativity as TMK's concerts always are. Mostly rare compositions,
unearthed by TMK and R K Sriramkumar from Subbarama Dikshitar's 'Sangeetha Sampradaya Pradarshini'. 'Sadashivamupasmahe' in Shankarabharanam was the main piece. It's an absolutely beautiful song.
I certainly hope to listen to many more concerts in the near future.
The whole thing was rather exciting, really. For one, I stayed up all night, no mean feat for one who promptly falls asleep at eleven thirty every night. Apart from the large group of musicians present, listening to each others' concerts, there was a steady inflow of other visitors to the temple through the night. As Sam and I realised simultaneously, the most unlikely people seem to be religious and devout.
The music was, needless to say, absolutely beautiful, particularly because there were hardly any breaks, except the few minutes spent in fine-tuning the instruments. Some rare compositions were sung. The energy and enthusiasm of the audience only added to the already musically-charged atmosphere.
I must add that YACM and its activities only reflect the enthusiasm and interest of young Carnatic musicians today, quite contrary to the general opinion that only the very old enjoy Carnatic music.
Today, another 'Akhandam' programme is being conducted by the Bharatiya Sangeetha Vaibhavam Trust,
at The Music Academy Mini Hall, in honour of Sri Muthuswami Dikshitar. I dropped in for the first concert
by T M Krishna. Energetic and brimming with creativity as TMK's concerts always are. Mostly rare compositions,
unearthed by TMK and R K Sriramkumar from Subbarama Dikshitar's 'Sangeetha Sampradaya Pradarshini'. 'Sadashivamupasmahe' in Shankarabharanam was the main piece. It's an absolutely beautiful song.
I certainly hope to listen to many more concerts in the near future.
Friday, February 29, 2008
Stupidity
I just returned from a physics practical test, and I couldn't be more annoyed. With myself, that is.
So for once, the experiment I'd been given actually seemed to be going pretty well. The aim was to find the Young's modulus of the material of a beam by using an optic lever, scale and telescope arrangement to measure the elevation produced due to the uniform bending of the beam. Yikes.
Anyway, I actually had everything focussed, and all was well. Until I had to use a screw gauge to measure the thickness of the beam.
Now, one would think that's a relatively simple thing to do. It is.
Unless you forget all about least counts and so on, and decide
that the division right after 5 on the pitch scale is 5.1, instead of 6.
Nuts.
So for once, the experiment I'd been given actually seemed to be going pretty well. The aim was to find the Young's modulus of the material of a beam by using an optic lever, scale and telescope arrangement to measure the elevation produced due to the uniform bending of the beam. Yikes.
Anyway, I actually had everything focussed, and all was well. Until I had to use a screw gauge to measure the thickness of the beam.
Now, one would think that's a relatively simple thing to do. It is.
Unless you forget all about least counts and so on, and decide
that the division right after 5 on the pitch scale is 5.1, instead of 6.
Nuts.
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
...
I have an appointment with a dentist this evening. Dentists are so...clean. It's unnerving, really.
And to make matters worse, this is a new dentist. And to him I shall have to unravel the adventures of Arundhathi's teeth. Not looking forward to it.
Otherwise, things go on as usual. There's only a month of college left now before the semester exams begin. It's funny how awfully quickly this year has passed by.
The weather is actually pretty pleasant now, by Madras standards. My mum says Bangalore is hotter, and that's suprising, seeing as this is Madras, and Bangalore is...well, Bangalore.
Double-sided tape does not seem to work well on walls in Madras. I think the humidity's the problem.
True to my word, I've eaten no chocolates these last few weeks. I have, however, compensated that by eating lots of sweets.
The watermelons are back.
Present moods: empty, still, dreading afore mentioned dentist appointment.
I think I'll go drink some tea now.
And to make matters worse, this is a new dentist. And to him I shall have to unravel the adventures of Arundhathi's teeth. Not looking forward to it.
Otherwise, things go on as usual. There's only a month of college left now before the semester exams begin. It's funny how awfully quickly this year has passed by.
The weather is actually pretty pleasant now, by Madras standards. My mum says Bangalore is hotter, and that's suprising, seeing as this is Madras, and Bangalore is...well, Bangalore.
Double-sided tape does not seem to work well on walls in Madras. I think the humidity's the problem.
True to my word, I've eaten no chocolates these last few weeks. I have, however, compensated that by eating lots of sweets.
The watermelons are back.
Present moods: empty, still, dreading afore mentioned dentist appointment.
I think I'll go drink some tea now.
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