Goal for 2010
4 weeks ago
Monday, February 01, 2010
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
The rains have put me in the mood for music...
For the first time ever, today I truly enjoyed watching the rain fall in bucketfuls. And for the first time too, I listened to music all day as I worked, previously impossible for me to achieve together...and what's more, as I reached for my Rahim Alhaj Oud CD, I discovered an entire pamphlet inside which I'd completely missed on the umpteen occasions I previously heard this album! Not only did it contain a description of the Western equivalent of each Iraqi Maqam (or scale) for every song, I found in it Rumi's beautiful words that seem to so aptly convey what I feel today...
And so I share, this.
For the first time ever, today I truly enjoyed watching the rain fall in bucketfuls. And for the first time too, I listened to music all day as I worked, previously impossible for me to achieve together...and what's more, as I reached for my Rahim Alhaj Oud CD, I discovered an entire pamphlet inside which I'd completely missed on the umpteen occasions I previously heard this album! Not only did it contain a description of the Western equivalent of each Iraqi Maqam (or scale) for every song, I found in it Rumi's beautiful words that seem to so aptly convey what I feel today...
And so I share, this.
Don't worry about saving these songs!
And if one of our instruments breaks,
It doesn't matter.
We have fallen into the place
Where everything is music.
The strumming and the flute notes
Rise into the atmosphere,
And even if the whole world's harp should burn up, there will still be
Hidden instruments playing...
And if one of our instruments breaks,
It doesn't matter.
We have fallen into the place
Where everything is music.
The strumming and the flute notes
Rise into the atmosphere,
And even if the whole world's harp should burn up, there will still be
Hidden instruments playing...
- Rumi
Wednesday, September 09, 2009
On his birth anniversary
and on this day of 09-09-09, a beautiful quote just for you:
"All, everything that I understand, I understand only because I love."
- Leo Tolstoy, From War and Peace.
September is Hispanic Heritage Month and... *drum roll* Self-Improvement Month- couldn't have come sooner for me :)
Friday, August 28, 2009
The Daily News 08/27/2009, Page A02
Random act of kindness balloons
BY LISA FERNANDEZ
Bay Area News Group
A lost wallet. A generous offer. A random comment on Facebook.
This odd recipe sparked at a Trader Joe’s checkout counter has yielded an unusual outpouring of donations totaling more than $ 2,000 to feed the hungry in Silicon Valley. And an energized group of virtual — and real — friends say this viral story highlights the best in human kindness magnified through the hyper- power of social networking.
“ I was blown away at how incredibly fast others had thrown their hat in the ring,” said Carolee Hazard, 43, of Menlo Park — the good Samaritan who started the good- karma phenomenon. “ It’s been incredible to see this grow and how excited people are getting. I have told the story to my friends and they say it gives them goose bumps.”
What led to the goose bumps all began Aug. 11, when hypnotherapist Jenni Ware, 45, of Redwood City realized she lost her wallet while standing in line at Trader Joe’s in Menlo Park. Her cart was packed with groceries. And she had no way to pay for it.
Waiting in line behind the frazzled shopper was Hazard, a retired Genentech biochemist and green activist, who had her daughters, Makenzie, 9, and Jessica, 7, in tow.
“ She was clearly in distress,” Hazard said.
And without thinking much about it, she charged the stranger’s bill — $ 207.29 — on her own credit card.
“ I was at a low point that day,” Ware said. “ I couldn’t believe it. It was a miracle. But I reluctantly accepted it. I knew I was going to pay her back.”
Being kind to strangers isn’t new for Hazard. Her husband, Jon, a senior manager of engineering operations at Google, said his wife sometimes pays strangers’ bridge tolls, just to see their surprised faces in her rearview mirror.
Hazard is also the glue in her neighborhood, both in person and with her Facebook community. When she returned from Trader Joe’s that day, she posted her vacillation on whether to feel “ very good” about what she had done or “ very, very stupid.”
Later that same day, Ware retraced her steps, and discovered her wallet at Draeger’s Markets. She wrote her grocery store “ angel” a check for $ 300. She suggested her benefactress treat herself to a massage with the leftover cash.
Hazard thought to simply return the extra $ 93. Before she did though, she turned to Facebook again. She asked her online community: What would you do?
Within moments, friends suggested she donate the surplus to a charity, and they mentioned several. But the one that seemed perfect for this occasion, since it began in a grocery store, was Second Harvest Food Bank of Santa Clar a and San Mateo Counties. Hazard loved the idea and matched Ware’s original $ 93 with her own. Then another friend said he’d pitch in $ 93. And so on. Even 8- year- old Maddie Campbell, whose mother learned of the story on Facebook, walked over to Hazard’s house with her parents’ $ 93 check. She also brought along her own 93 cents.
As of Tuesday afternoon, Hazard said she had $ 1,309.90 in her hand and almost $ 1,000 more in pledges. Ware’s friends are now sending in money. And some out- of- state friends have vowed to donate $ 93 of their own to their local food banks.
Second Harvest executives couldn’t be more thrilled.
“ It’s just amazing,” spokeswoman Lynn Crocker said. “ The money is very significant. But on a personal level, to be so generous to a stranger, and the stranger reciprocates, it just warms my heart. It shows me that the majority of people are decent and kind and loving.”
Ware and Hazard are no longer stra ngers. They’ve become Facebook friends and they’ve made a realworld connection that will likely stay with them the rest of their lives. Ware remembers that she was at a “ spiritual low” that day in the grocery store, and Hazard’s “ tap on the shoulder” reminded her of God and good people.
“ My faith in humanity is just huge,” Ware said. “ It’s just a reminder that there are these amazingly awesome people out there. And it also reminds me of how good I want to be.”
Random act of kindness balloons
BY LISA FERNANDEZ
Bay Area News Group
A lost wallet. A generous offer. A random comment on Facebook.
This odd recipe sparked at a Trader Joe’s checkout counter has yielded an unusual outpouring of donations totaling more than $ 2,000 to feed the hungry in Silicon Valley. And an energized group of virtual — and real — friends say this viral story highlights the best in human kindness magnified through the hyper- power of social networking.
“ I was blown away at how incredibly fast others had thrown their hat in the ring,” said Carolee Hazard, 43, of Menlo Park — the good Samaritan who started the good- karma phenomenon. “ It’s been incredible to see this grow and how excited people are getting. I have told the story to my friends and they say it gives them goose bumps.”
What led to the goose bumps all began Aug. 11, when hypnotherapist Jenni Ware, 45, of Redwood City realized she lost her wallet while standing in line at Trader Joe’s in Menlo Park. Her cart was packed with groceries. And she had no way to pay for it.
Waiting in line behind the frazzled shopper was Hazard, a retired Genentech biochemist and green activist, who had her daughters, Makenzie, 9, and Jessica, 7, in tow.
“ She was clearly in distress,” Hazard said.
And without thinking much about it, she charged the stranger’s bill — $ 207.29 — on her own credit card.
“ I was at a low point that day,” Ware said. “ I couldn’t believe it. It was a miracle. But I reluctantly accepted it. I knew I was going to pay her back.”
Being kind to strangers isn’t new for Hazard. Her husband, Jon, a senior manager of engineering operations at Google, said his wife sometimes pays strangers’ bridge tolls, just to see their surprised faces in her rearview mirror.
Hazard is also the glue in her neighborhood, both in person and with her Facebook community. When she returned from Trader Joe’s that day, she posted her vacillation on whether to feel “ very good” about what she had done or “ very, very stupid.”
Later that same day, Ware retraced her steps, and discovered her wallet at Draeger’s Markets. She wrote her grocery store “ angel” a check for $ 300. She suggested her benefactress treat herself to a massage with the leftover cash.
Hazard thought to simply return the extra $ 93. Before she did though, she turned to Facebook again. She asked her online community: What would you do?
Within moments, friends suggested she donate the surplus to a charity, and they mentioned several. But the one that seemed perfect for this occasion, since it began in a grocery store, was Second Harvest Food Bank of Santa Clar a and San Mateo Counties. Hazard loved the idea and matched Ware’s original $ 93 with her own. Then another friend said he’d pitch in $ 93. And so on. Even 8- year- old Maddie Campbell, whose mother learned of the story on Facebook, walked over to Hazard’s house with her parents’ $ 93 check. She also brought along her own 93 cents.
As of Tuesday afternoon, Hazard said she had $ 1,309.90 in her hand and almost $ 1,000 more in pledges. Ware’s friends are now sending in money. And some out- of- state friends have vowed to donate $ 93 of their own to their local food banks.
Second Harvest executives couldn’t be more thrilled.
“ It’s just amazing,” spokeswoman Lynn Crocker said. “ The money is very significant. But on a personal level, to be so generous to a stranger, and the stranger reciprocates, it just warms my heart. It shows me that the majority of people are decent and kind and loving.”
Ware and Hazard are no longer stra ngers. They’ve become Facebook friends and they’ve made a realworld connection that will likely stay with them the rest of their lives. Ware remembers that she was at a “ spiritual low” that day in the grocery store, and Hazard’s “ tap on the shoulder” reminded her of God and good people.
“ My faith in humanity is just huge,” Ware said. “ It’s just a reminder that there are these amazingly awesome people out there. And it also reminds me of how good I want to be.”
Saturday, August 01, 2009
Friday, July 31, 2009
The month of...
Ice cream!!!! Apparently.
Okay, this is not about my little VOTM actually, but I just noticed today as I was about to change the calendar page over to August before leaving from work, that there is a tiny caption hidden in a corner for each month that says what that month is (meant for) observing/honoring/celebrating. And I am so far behind, I thought I would list it so you might enjoy/observe in retrospect (or look up for next year :) ). Well, that's not entirely true, I think some have been popularized and duly observed, such as Black history month and National garden month to name a couple, but for the rest, here goes:
January: Celebration of Life and International Creativity month
February: Black History and American Heart month
March: Wome's History month
April: National Garden month
May: Older American and Asian/Pacific American Heritage month
June: Adopt a Cat month
July: Yes! Ice cream month. (I always knew it deserved a month dedicated to it).
and...
August: will have to wait until tomorrow ;)
Okay, this is not about my little VOTM actually, but I just noticed today as I was about to change the calendar page over to August before leaving from work, that there is a tiny caption hidden in a corner for each month that says what that month is (meant for) observing/honoring/celebrating. And I am so far behind, I thought I would list it so you might enjoy/observe in retrospect (or look up for next year :) ). Well, that's not entirely true, I think some have been popularized and duly observed, such as Black history month and National garden month to name a couple, but for the rest, here goes:
January: Celebration of Life and International Creativity month
February: Black History and American Heart month
March: Wome's History month
April: National Garden month
May: Older American and Asian/Pacific American Heritage month
June: Adopt a Cat month
July: Yes! Ice cream month. (I always knew it deserved a month dedicated to it).
and...
August: will have to wait until tomorrow ;)
Monday, June 01, 2009
Madras in Alameda
For anybody interested, the Phoenix Adlabs in San Jose provides quite the authentic movie-going experience, corrected to a b-grade theater in Madras in the mid-80s, the reenaction, wholly, unintended.
Perhaps I should begin by rewinding to the conversation en route to the theater on May 31st, to the screening of Margazhi Raagam. (To be clear, this post is solely dedicated to the setting of a unique visual and aural treat and has nothing, absolutely, to do with margazhi or raagam). N, S and I agreed that bringing the traditional kutcheri to digital cinema was indeed a novel concept; we mused about the endless possibilities for improvisation that this unconventional format for presenting Carnatic music might provide; what effects might they create? Oh! what magic and dazzle might digital surround sound add to this divine art form? And so on we went...B, wearing a sage smile the whole while, kept his own counsel.
Our collective imagination soared and with it our expectations.
"My parents saw it in Madras last year and the experience was really pretty good.'
"I would've liked to see it in the Dolby labs in the city; it sounded like it would be the ideal place for such an experiment...I wonder what the Phoenix Adlabs would be like."
"Well, considering they only picked two locations to screen it at, it must be good."
"Yeah, it must."
"I mean, why would they present such a format in anything but a place with superb acoustics??"
Seriously.
"Yeah, the entire package is supposed to be pretty neat."
...
"So, where is the theater exactly?"
"On the right, a few blocks down I guess; we're still at 1600, we need to hit 1400."
"I am sure we will see it."
"I hope there is sufficient parking."
"I hope we aren't too late to find good seats."
...
"Wait, it's this one on the right!"
"Really? Do you see a parking garage?"
"No...not really."
Hmm...
...
We had arrived half an hour early, as recommended. The 'Phoenix Adlabs', we discovered, was the more ambitious name for the imagined alter ego of what's also famously known as the IMC6- India Movie Center. There was a line all right, of the much-branched chaotic sort you see in any kind of Indian congregation. They could hardly be blamed for gathering thus; the hallway just past the entrance could have barely held more than 50 people wihout some serious air circulation issues.
The canteen to the left was just coming alive as we got there; trays of samosas, bought the previous day at one of the numerous Indian grocery stores, no doubt, were being unwrappped; a coffee machine, with dust gathering on the top and rings of dried decoction in the transparent carafe stared back at us. A narrow carpet that had been worn to the point of being indistinguishable from the flooring, led the way to the main auditorium. The side walls were adorned with centerpage Filmfare poster cutouts of a pouting Kareena Kapoor and a sultry Priyanka Chopra.
Have you ever been transported in time to a place far away from just a fleeting sensation? A familiar melody perhaps, or the sight of a scooter in PA or the smell of earth as the first drops of rain fall upon it? I was. Quite violently.
Having scaled back my expectations by several notches already, I was completely unprepared for the smell that welcomed us in to the hall. I was thrown back to a summer 10 years ago, to a small dilapidated theater in Madurai, where the smell of dried cowdung patties on the outside and the pungent odour of bathrooms just cleaned out with phenol mingled freely, not to mention the various other tantalizing aromas that numb the olfactory system in an Indian summer.
As we made our way into the hall, which I might add was very nearly empty, the odour got only stronger. We realized as we sat down that this most incredible stench emanated from the seats! Oh! How wonderful that we should now be able to carry back a reminder of this experience all the way home! As I looked up to entreat the Lord, the peeling blue paint on the ceiling only filled me with more foreboding for the rest of the afternoon.
...
The auditorium started to fill up slowly. Children scurried about noisily as the ground floor of Nalli was recreated around us. That was all fine and well, until popcorn cones arrived. Now, I don't know about you, but that was just not something I had imagined along with a kutcheri. Coffee, perhaps, but popcorn and soda? This added a zing to the already heady mix of fragrances available, mind you.
A good three-quarters of an hour later, a small group gathered at a podium to the front of the hall. The gentleman, who'd served at the make-shift ticket counter, the usher, and also briefly seen behind the canteen counter, took on the mantle of well, I don't know, the compeer. He literally yelled out to us, mike and all notwithstanding, (he was excited I could tell) how it was that SIFA came to host this screening, solely for our enjoyment. After the group was done exchanging mutual admiration on a job well done, he shouted out to us to be sure to enjoy. Now that the tone had been set, we only prayed that the light bulb glaring at us from the side of the podium would be turned off.
...
Perhaps I should begin by rewinding to the conversation en route to the theater on May 31st, to the screening of Margazhi Raagam. (To be clear, this post is solely dedicated to the setting of a unique visual and aural treat and has nothing, absolutely, to do with margazhi or raagam). N, S and I agreed that bringing the traditional kutcheri to digital cinema was indeed a novel concept; we mused about the endless possibilities for improvisation that this unconventional format for presenting Carnatic music might provide; what effects might they create? Oh! what magic and dazzle might digital surround sound add to this divine art form? And so on we went...B, wearing a sage smile the whole while, kept his own counsel.
Our collective imagination soared and with it our expectations.
"My parents saw it in Madras last year and the experience was really pretty good.'
"I would've liked to see it in the Dolby labs in the city; it sounded like it would be the ideal place for such an experiment...I wonder what the Phoenix Adlabs would be like."
"Well, considering they only picked two locations to screen it at, it must be good."
"Yeah, it must."
"I mean, why would they present such a format in anything but a place with superb acoustics??"
Seriously.
"Yeah, the entire package is supposed to be pretty neat."
...
"So, where is the theater exactly?"
"On the right, a few blocks down I guess; we're still at 1600, we need to hit 1400."
"I am sure we will see it."
"I hope there is sufficient parking."
"I hope we aren't too late to find good seats."
...
"Wait, it's this one on the right!"
"Really? Do you see a parking garage?"
"No...not really."
Hmm...
...
We had arrived half an hour early, as recommended. The 'Phoenix Adlabs', we discovered, was the more ambitious name for the imagined alter ego of what's also famously known as the IMC6- India Movie Center. There was a line all right, of the much-branched chaotic sort you see in any kind of Indian congregation. They could hardly be blamed for gathering thus; the hallway just past the entrance could have barely held more than 50 people wihout some serious air circulation issues.
The canteen to the left was just coming alive as we got there; trays of samosas, bought the previous day at one of the numerous Indian grocery stores, no doubt, were being unwrappped; a coffee machine, with dust gathering on the top and rings of dried decoction in the transparent carafe stared back at us. A narrow carpet that had been worn to the point of being indistinguishable from the flooring, led the way to the main auditorium. The side walls were adorned with centerpage Filmfare poster cutouts of a pouting Kareena Kapoor and a sultry Priyanka Chopra.
Have you ever been transported in time to a place far away from just a fleeting sensation? A familiar melody perhaps, or the sight of a scooter in PA or the smell of earth as the first drops of rain fall upon it? I was. Quite violently.
Having scaled back my expectations by several notches already, I was completely unprepared for the smell that welcomed us in to the hall. I was thrown back to a summer 10 years ago, to a small dilapidated theater in Madurai, where the smell of dried cowdung patties on the outside and the pungent odour of bathrooms just cleaned out with phenol mingled freely, not to mention the various other tantalizing aromas that numb the olfactory system in an Indian summer.
As we made our way into the hall, which I might add was very nearly empty, the odour got only stronger. We realized as we sat down that this most incredible stench emanated from the seats! Oh! How wonderful that we should now be able to carry back a reminder of this experience all the way home! As I looked up to entreat the Lord, the peeling blue paint on the ceiling only filled me with more foreboding for the rest of the afternoon.
...
The auditorium started to fill up slowly. Children scurried about noisily as the ground floor of Nalli was recreated around us. That was all fine and well, until popcorn cones arrived. Now, I don't know about you, but that was just not something I had imagined along with a kutcheri. Coffee, perhaps, but popcorn and soda? This added a zing to the already heady mix of fragrances available, mind you.
A good three-quarters of an hour later, a small group gathered at a podium to the front of the hall. The gentleman, who'd served at the make-shift ticket counter, the usher, and also briefly seen behind the canteen counter, took on the mantle of well, I don't know, the compeer. He literally yelled out to us, mike and all notwithstanding, (he was excited I could tell) how it was that SIFA came to host this screening, solely for our enjoyment. After the group was done exchanging mutual admiration on a job well done, he shouted out to us to be sure to enjoy. Now that the tone had been set, we only prayed that the light bulb glaring at us from the side of the podium would be turned off.
...
For the next two hours, our ears were digitally pounded and stunned by what was to be an exciting new experiment in taking Indian classical music to the next stage. We certainly had a thing or two to recommend to the distributors for future endeavours, the most obvious being a better 'lab' at the very least.
Having said all that I must end by adding quite frankly that it was entirely to the artists' credit, singers, accompanists, cinematographers and the entire team really, that we enjoyed the music in spite of IMC. A brilliant performance all around, and a testament to the fact that despite a frightening package, the music inside had all the power to transport us to a vastly different plane and to move us as only music can...
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