The Wonder of Music!

Music is something which most of us enjoy. I am a great lover of music…it gets me out of my bad moods. Have you ever realized how music can change your life? Yes it can do wonders indeed.

As a child I used to think you need to study about music to understand it, but I was wrong. I haven’t learnt music but it wins my heart and soul. That’s the kind of magic it does!

Did you know how music really works? Most musicians play by ear. Suppose you play by ear. What use would you have for a book on musical technique full of examples in the form of music notation? Doesn’t make sense. Other ways of explaining music work just as effectively. Or even better.

Fluency in music, like fluency in language, does not require the ability to read or write. So, How Music REALLY Works! has no music notation.

I sometimes play the guitar, though I haven’t really learnt it. I play it for fun….and it sounds melodious! Truly….have you tried it out any time before? Don’t hesitate….go ahead.

Play that music….its hidden in you!

Nuts About Fruits

Not really.

I mean, I am not that nutty about fruits. Or maybe. About some.

As a child I had the rare privilege of sampling exotic species of fruits. And straight from the trees, that too. Branches heavy-laden with fruits so ripe that the slightest breeze was enough to shake them free and deposit on the ground. Mornings were mostly reserved for scouring the courtyard for guavas and rose-apples. Those that bore tooth-marks of bats and other assorted nocturnal creatures were forbidden, but I’ve had those too anyway.

I had two tiny aunts, who were only about 9 and 12 years older than me, stay over at my place quite frequently. I used to envy their skill in climbing trees, especially that of the younger one. She used to lithely drape her long limbs around the tree and almost float up along trunk. She’d pluck those half-ripe guavas and drop me some, for I’d be patiently waiting beneath the tree, salivating and envying her blasted good luck to be able to gnaw at the crunchy green skin and spit out half chewed bits in a neat shower.

I’ve had my revenge too, by the time my kid brother was of the age when he tottered around the courtyard, waiting beneath trees for benevolent gifts of guavas, I was an expert tree climber. I’ve skinned my knees and half cracked my skull because I’ve fallen from almost all the big trees. I’ve known the sting of quite a few varieties of ants. I’ve observed in close quarters the symbiotic relationship between the white fungi on trees and the ant colony that raises them.

Two varieties of guava. Red and white. Red is lip-smacking good and very sweet. White is crunchy and they grow big. The trees don’t grow beyond a certain size. They are very climbable without being intimidating. One of the trees that used to be my favourite had twin branches extending to either side from the main trunk, so the tree was shaped like a catapult. A fine seating place. The higher one went up the tree the better it was, because the branches caught even the slightest wind and swayed like mad dancers. It was exhilarating to be at the mercy of the wind, all the while trusting reed thin branches to carry one’s weight.

I started young.

I love nature and animals!

Bird on the Grass.....one of my fav pictures!

An Obituary for Robert Jordan

Robert Jordan, creator of the best selling fantasy series 'The Wheel of Time', died Sunday, September 16 2007. The cause was complications from primary amyloidosis with cardiomyopathy.

The New York Times reports:

"Known for its epic sweep, intricate plotting and large cast of complex characters, the series centers on Rand al’Thor, a humble messianic figure who must stave off the forces of evil that threaten to overtake the faraway land in which he lives. Along the way, there are perils and portents, fair maidens, fantastical deeds and the like.

In an essay in The New York Times Book Review in 1996, Edward Rothstein wrote, “Even a reader with literary pretensions can be swept up in Mr. Jordan’s narrative of magic, prophecy and battle.”

The “Wheel of Time” books have often been compared to the work of J. R. R. Tolkien in terms of their ability to exert a magnetic hold on readers. Translated into more than 20 languages, the books have sold more than 30 million copies worldwide, according to Mr. Rigney’s publisher. "

Robert Jordan was the pseudonym of James Oliver "Jim" Rigney Jr , born on Oct 17, 1948 in Charleston, South Carolina. He served in Vietnam from 1968 to 1970 as a helicopter gunner. On his return, he joined the Military academy to study physics and went on to become a nuclear engineer before switching to a full time writing career.

His first novel was The Fallon Blood , published in 1980. He followed it up with two sequels. However , it was with the incredibly detailed and complex worlds of the Wheel of Time, that he established himself as a master of the genre.

His books have had a cult following, with fans considering him the successor to Tolkien. The last 3 volumes of the WoT series were #1 on the NYT bestseller list. The final volume of the series remains uncompleted at the time of his death.


( Via Writers write ; Links - Wikipedia )

OneWeb

September 22 is the OneWebDay, a day to celebrate your existence in the web - "The mission of OneWebDay is to create, maintain, advance and promote a global day to celebrate online life: September 22 " .
The originalcelebration was held in 2006 ; events are now organised in more than 22 cities around the world. There are no rules, you choose the way you want to celebrate. It need not even be a part of the official event , you can just go online , find friends and celebrate.

Some suggested ideas are :
Collective art projects (see yourself as a pixel)
Teach your grandmother to blog
Make a website for your club, church, school.
Make an entry for your neighborhood in Wikipedia
Companies: run a virtual meeting for work-at-home employees
help a young student find a new educational resource online

Tim Berners-Lee, the inventor of the Web , has made this video in honor of OneWeb.

In India, an event is being held in Chennai. Maybe you could take the lead to organize it in our city. Go to the OneWebDay Wiki page, edit it to inlcude a line saying that you would be interested to organize , give your contact info .

There, I've done my bit for OneWeb ;)

Daddy and Me

I walked down the road
Hand in hand with him,
I feel that touch, that special touch!

My life was in darkness, pitch darkness!
He held me tight and pulled me out.
He led me through an Illuminated path,
A path that was lit with his Glory and Grace.
We walked together for quiet sometime,
I had tons and tons of questions in mind.

I asked him why I feel lonely at times,
He replied, that’s for you to realize,
How much I care for you.
I asked him why I miss my friends,
He replied, how much more do I miss you,
when you go after friends.

I asked him why I didn’t have beautiful hair like others?
He said, my dear child,
I wanted you to be special and stand out of the crowd.
I asked him why I get angry at times?
He said, that’s what is called the devil’s attack.

I asked him why he made nature so pretty?
He said, only for you to enjoy.
I asked him, can I become a baby once again?
He said, you are always my baby.

I asked him a final question….God!
What’s your plan for me?
He replied, only and only good plans.

Then we continued the beautiful journey….
The everlasting journey…..
Me and my Daddy all alone!

(My Early) Workspace

I don’t have a cabin. Not yet. But I have a great view from where I sit in the office. I can see the sea! Everyday! Can it get any better?

I sit facing a huge glass window and the view is fabulous. When I look out through the window, beyond the greenery, beyond buildings that get progressively tinier, the sea is a blue ribbon in the horizon. Sometimes, on clear days, I can even see ships sailing by. In the night, the view is better, especially so out in the balcony. Catamarans light up the dark, black sea in pinpricks of light. And when night falls, you are sandwiched by the starry sky above and the dark sea below. It feels as though you are enfolded by two layers of black starry night.

GREAT Place to work!

The Christian Imp

When they stand together in a neat row, they look like penguins. It’s hard to miss the resemblance. Short, tall, chubby, thin – penguins of all dimensions and contours. The senior ones mostly wear white robes and to break the routine an occasional blue-grey. The junior ones who are yet to glimpse the face of the Lord always wear brown. Very symbolic, if one spares a thought to it. Brown – because the very choice to wear the robe cleanses half your sins, so black pales to brown. Then you climb the rungs to wear snow-white robes that reflect the highly purified state your existence.

Their black habits flutter in the breeze. They have held us all, from childhood, fearfully watched us grow, ruefully shaking their heads as some of us grew horns and an arrow-tipped tail. Early morning catechism classes to help us see and take The True Path to Salvation. Exhortation of lofty ideals, derision of those who dare let their thoughts take the inroads, blatantly ignoring the huge markers sporting The Right Direction, complete abhorrence and scorn for idol-worshippers – children of Satan. Stamping black and white areas demarcating the Pure and the Evil, in impressionable young minds. But I love them. My memories are scattered profusely with penguins of all kinds.

And there was one who taught us English. She later went on to become the Headmistress. Parsimonious with praises, she nonetheless threw a few acknowledgements of a well-written essay or an exam paper our way. Her reticence could also have stemmed from the fact that her star pupils were almost always the most seditious. How else can the restrained hum of rebellion in the Catechism classes be explained?

World Evangelisation is one of the basic tenets of Christianity and most follow it with a zeal that borders on mania. While not one to oppose and scorn this very basic way of life for most Christians and especially all the nuns, one particular Christian Imp dared to raise this question.

“I truly appreciate the Evangelisation of the world or attempts to that end. It is a very lofty ideal to uphold, showing The Right Path to our fellow human beings. However, if a Christian wants to take the True Path that is shown by another religion, say, suppose I want to convert to Hinduism, is there any particular Christian principle that would allow me to do that?”

The question was raised in the earnest. Not a hint of contempt or derision. As genuine as can be. However what followed was something close to Apocalypse at least in the Imp’s world. She was adopted as a challenge – to be shown The True Path – to be worn with righteous disdain on snow-white attires, like a sullied badge.

The first step was a compulsory weekend of ‘Holy Retreat’. Imps might fly! Huh!

Lovelessnesslessnesslessnesslessness…

I thought a trillion times,
And the thoughts betrayed me.
I fought a zillion mimes,
and the heart, sidetracked me.

It looks, a fountain,
Then it’s a spin….
It opens, a candle eye
And your wings burn..

You will never know,
All you did is, you will
have given your wings…
and would’ve never seen,
you’ve given your dreams.

Amidst the flame we stand,
Scorching heat that licks the skin,
and our peeling pride.
Feels nothing. It feels power.
It’s so earned, but a flower.

It re-discovers the nights,
Brings back Goethe and the bard.
The stars comes down and I goes up,
Pessimism and I, in great heights.

The Write Club

'The Write Club' is a forum for artists of all kinds, predominantly writers - both established and wannabes. Our membership is restricted to current and previous employees of ACIS.

Why?

For the pleasure of sharing original work, to begin with. We also hope to accomplish a certain improvement in writing skills by receiving and giving appropriate feedback and encouragement.

Writing is not a very visible talent like singing or dancing or even painting. This forum, hopefully, will make it visible enough, albeit to a select group of people, and thereby gently nudge awake the hibernating talent of most of our writers.

Can anyone join?

Anyone who has at any point of time worked for ACIS can join. You need not be a Booker Prize winner, and it doesn't matter if you don't aspire to be one. The purpose of this forum is just to share and encourage.

Guidelines

There is no active moderation, so anything you post will appear on the blog. However, basic etiquette is expected and posts that are not keeping with the spirit of the forum may be removed by the moderators.

How do I post?

First of all, you need to have a google id to post on this blog. Please send a mail to aciswriteclub[at]gmail[dot]com and the moderator will add you to the group.

Once you are a member you can start posting. Go to blogger.com, login using your google id and you will be taken to the 'Dashboard'. Click on 'New Post' to create a new entry. Type in or CtrlC CtrlV what you want to post, hit 'Publish Post' and you're done.

Okay - Step by Step

1) First login to http://www.blogger.com using your gmail id and password

2) Once you sign in, this is the page you will see. ‘All Rightey’ is the title of our blog. Click on ‘New Post’ to create a new post.

3) Here is where you can create your new posts which will be displayed in the blog. Please type an appropriate title for the post in the text box marked red . The body of the post can be typed onto (or you can just copy paste from your word doc) the bigger text box marked green. It would be good to categorize your posts as ‘Fiction’, ‘Poetry’, ‘Humour’ or whatever. So, please type a Label for your post. I have typed in the label – Poetry. Once you are ready to release the final version on the blog click ‘Publish Post’ button (marked orange) and your post will be displayed on the blog.

4) You can view the end result by clicking on ‘View Blog’.