(Sigh! I don't have the voice to do justice to these songs but thankfully my auditory processing is good )
Thursday, June 28, 2007
Raga Lahari
I was watching a telugu movie "Swathi Kiranam" - A Ray of talent. The story is about an egoistic music teacher who is jealous of the extraordinary talent of his disciple. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swathi_Kiranam ), (http://www.dishant.com/album/Swathi-Kiranam.html ). Naturally music is an integral part of the story. When I was a kid one of my bed-time stories was about how Tansen(court musician of Emperor Akbar) could light a lamp with his music(raga Deepak) etc. The music in this movie may not be as good as Tansen's, but it would surely light up one's soul. One has to hear "Aanati neeyara", "Pranathi Pranathi" atleast once to know what I am talking about. Such rich lyrics and tunes - one song(Pranathi Pranathi) in two different ragas(tunes). The warmth of the early dawn, high energy and exuberance of the morning light, the binding radiance of noon rays, gradual receding of the glow during dusk seem to be embodied in the music(Quoting Srinivas Kanchibhotla). Kudos to K.V Mahadevan! Truly, music is divine!
(Sigh! I don't have the voice to do justice to these songs but thankfully my auditory processing is good )
(Sigh! I don't have the voice to do justice to these songs but thankfully my auditory processing is good )
Friday, June 8, 2007
Miniature me
After having a cafe latte from Seattle's best this evening, I went home n had coke with dinner followed by coffee icecream. Imagine the caffeine effects on me. I was yapping away to glory with my sis first n then with my friends on the east. I started with how my day was and went on till I had given them more news than any popular news channel. When I ran out of topics, then I started telling them about this imaginary friend of mine(??) n cooked up some interesting stories. And my loyal friends couldn't do anything but listen to all my nonsense. Poor souls! I shouldn't be totally surprised if they all join hands and come up with a plan to get rid of me one of these days... :P
That reminds me... I was told that as a 3 yr old or so I was toooo imaginative. Apparently, I would bore the people around me by telling a story for everything that I see/hear - a leaf(starting with what that leaf was - didn't know much abt plants/trees but would come up with some names - n how it happened to be in that place at that moment), a lost kitten(starting with how it might have got lost and going on to the good times the kitten might have had with its previous owner) and how I saved this little(??) kid from some imaginary evil person and so on. I would boss around other kids in the neighbourhood (Well..if they were silly enough to believe my stories they deserved it!) I was very stubborn - If I couldn't have my way then all the hell would break loose. Now I'd only embarass myself if I mention any of those incidents here. I had an opinion about everything under the sun. But there were times when I was also terribly shy and wouldn't utter a word even if my mom persuaded. I'm not in a mood to say hello to this guest with his big moustache and why should I hug this strange uncle - he always has this paper in his mouth with smoke on one end (I couldn't even say "cigarette") were my arguments.
Looks like I haven't changed much in the last 2 decades.. :-) I have mellowed down quite a bit over time owing to some schooling n some happy as well as unpleasant incidents. But I still come up with stories (like the imaginary perfect guy for instance) n I continue to bore people.. I wonder though as to how it'll be like if I ever had to deal with a miniature version of me (the 3 yr old kid). I'd definitely not want to be the victim of her moodiness or stubborness but I'd love to hear all the stories n opinions!
My caffeine effect is wearing off now.. so have to catch up on my sleep. Tomorrow I have to prepare for my finals, get done with the projects, finish up the extended studies class (lot of homework :(( ) n then prepare for the interviews... adios!
That reminds me... I was told that as a 3 yr old or so I was toooo imaginative. Apparently, I would bore the people around me by telling a story for everything that I see/hear - a leaf(starting with what that leaf was - didn't know much abt plants/trees but would come up with some names - n how it happened to be in that place at that moment), a lost kitten(starting with how it might have got lost and going on to the good times the kitten might have had with its previous owner) and how I saved this little(??) kid from some imaginary evil person and so on. I would boss around other kids in the neighbourhood (Well..if they were silly enough to believe my stories they deserved it!) I was very stubborn - If I couldn't have my way then all the hell would break loose. Now I'd only embarass myself if I mention any of those incidents here. I had an opinion about everything under the sun. But there were times when I was also terribly shy and wouldn't utter a word even if my mom persuaded. I'm not in a mood to say hello to this guest with his big moustache and why should I hug this strange uncle - he always has this paper in his mouth with smoke on one end (I couldn't even say "cigarette") were my arguments.
Looks like I haven't changed much in the last 2 decades.. :-) I have mellowed down quite a bit over time owing to some schooling n some happy as well as unpleasant incidents. But I still come up with stories (like the imaginary perfect guy for instance) n I continue to bore people.. I wonder though as to how it'll be like if I ever had to deal with a miniature version of me (the 3 yr old kid). I'd definitely not want to be the victim of her moodiness or stubborness but I'd love to hear all the stories n opinions!
My caffeine effect is wearing off now.. so have to catch up on my sleep. Tomorrow I have to prepare for my finals, get done with the projects, finish up the extended studies class (lot of homework :(( ) n then prepare for the interviews... adios!
Tuesday, June 5, 2007
why oh why????
Last night I couldn't fall asleep until wee hours. I started reading all kinds of novels including a children's book (Last Term at Malory Towers) by Enid Blyton. My little niece had given it to me on the day I returned to US - so I'd have something to read and not get bored on the flight. Very sweet and thoughtful of her! :) But I didn't get a chance to read the book until now.
One of the chapters was about young girls (14 yrs old or so) talking about their future plans during their last days in school. Most of them had a clear career path based on what suited their personalities or their skills. The rest were planning to go to college to figure out what they were good at as they felt they didn't have talents which stick out for a mile. That started me on thinking about my own career path.
Today when I am close to graduating with a MS degree, I give a thought to my interests. I feel I should taken up some kind of art as my major or should have been a children's nurse or teacher. I'd have really enjoyed doing that kind of work for a living - as I was always good with kids and interested in Painting/Sketching. But then how did I end up as (so-called) an engineer? I know why I took up computer science over other majors. But why did I take up engineering? Was I very innovative and a great problem solver in high school? To be honest, I was a better student when solving math problems but only if provided with atleast 2 or 3 similar examples before I tackle the actual problem. I can't invent a totally new solution. Currently, rarely do I come up with a creative solution to any of the technical problems in my field. And I am very hesitant to explore things when working on some project because I am unsure of my technical skills. Back in the days when I was just out of high school, my dad gave me two options - MPC(Maths, Physics, Chemistry) or BiPC(Biology, Physics, Chemistry). Any other subjects were looked down upon by parents and my peers alike and considered fit for only students who got bad grades in high school or didn't have any interest in a career! Engineering or Medicine was/is the only path for a succesful career according to my parents, friends, neighbours, relatives, teachers, our maid, tourist guide(during my India trip - the guy looked at me in admiration after knowing that I am an Engineering graduate) and the bus drivers etc. So I end up taking MPC partly because I loved mathematics (over biology) and because I was afraid of using a scalpel dissecting frogs etc. Atleast mathematics was close to engineering - so I didn't make a very bad decision. And this is what I made out of myself, a good(!!!???) software engineer!
And then I think about my cousins, friends etc and remember two stories which depicts how our society thinks. This is common in the place that I originally belong to(AP, India).
1) My little brother(cousin) recently passed out of junior college. He likes science(physics to be specific). So my cousin is also forced to join the crowd patronizing the engineering colleges. What I found interesting here is that my brother wanted to take up Electrical engineering or Mechanical engineering whereas my aunt and uncle want him to take up Computer Science or IT field. Reason: his forerunners(my other cousins) minted a lot of money as Software Engineers. Apparently even some friends commented that Mechanical engineering is only for people who didn't secure a good rank in the engineering entrance exam. Bah! And I thought the condescending ended at MPC/BiPC. Thankfully, my brother was sensible enough to make the right decision and chose something close to his heart(Electrical Engineering)
2) Then I heard about my other cousin who was forced to quit her fashion technology program to pursue Biotechnology. She started with a BiPC in Junior college to probably follow the footsteps of her father who is a General Physician. Following her not-so-good performance in Junior college, her parents let her choose her area of interest to make a career for herself. She chose to pursue a degree in fashion technology which was apt for her. Even she was doing a really good job in school with her creativity and could have made a great career out of it had she continued the program. The twist in the story came when her parents started looking for a suitable groom for her(Arranged marriages is a common thing in my community). Apparently most of the guys they came across wanted a girl with a degree in engineering or medicine! And her parents were adamant about her marrying someone with a degree in medicine so the father can pass on his practice to atleast her husband. So they forced her to change her degree program from fashion technology to biotechnology just to find her a husband of their choice! Now what do you say about that??
Why are our interests and careers shaped by what the majority in our society thinks about a particular field of study? Why don't people understand that each field/major has its own importance? And we are not even talking about other kind of jobs which involve cleaning the gutter, mowing the lawn etc (Even the people making a living out of these jobs are important as they make civilized life possible for the rest of us!) If everybody thinks mechanical engineering is not a good major then who'd come up with improved technology in automobiles? If fashion technology is not worth anything, then how come we read about several successful people in that field in almost every newspaper? Any career(not necessarily an IT position) would be good if only we have the right attitude/skills needed for that job.
One of the chapters was about young girls (14 yrs old or so) talking about their future plans during their last days in school. Most of them had a clear career path based on what suited their personalities or their skills. The rest were planning to go to college to figure out what they were good at as they felt they didn't have talents which stick out for a mile. That started me on thinking about my own career path.
Today when I am close to graduating with a MS degree, I give a thought to my interests. I feel I should taken up some kind of art as my major or should have been a children's nurse or teacher. I'd have really enjoyed doing that kind of work for a living - as I was always good with kids and interested in Painting/Sketching. But then how did I end up as (so-called) an engineer? I know why I took up computer science over other majors. But why did I take up engineering? Was I very innovative and a great problem solver in high school? To be honest, I was a better student when solving math problems but only if provided with atleast 2 or 3 similar examples before I tackle the actual problem. I can't invent a totally new solution. Currently, rarely do I come up with a creative solution to any of the technical problems in my field. And I am very hesitant to explore things when working on some project because I am unsure of my technical skills. Back in the days when I was just out of high school, my dad gave me two options - MPC(Maths, Physics, Chemistry) or BiPC(Biology, Physics, Chemistry). Any other subjects were looked down upon by parents and my peers alike and considered fit for only students who got bad grades in high school or didn't have any interest in a career! Engineering or Medicine was/is the only path for a succesful career according to my parents, friends, neighbours, relatives, teachers, our maid, tourist guide(during my India trip - the guy looked at me in admiration after knowing that I am an Engineering graduate) and the bus drivers etc. So I end up taking MPC partly because I loved mathematics (over biology) and because I was afraid of using a scalpel dissecting frogs etc. Atleast mathematics was close to engineering - so I didn't make a very bad decision. And this is what I made out of myself, a good(!!!???) software engineer!
And then I think about my cousins, friends etc and remember two stories which depicts how our society thinks. This is common in the place that I originally belong to(AP, India).
1) My little brother(cousin) recently passed out of junior college. He likes science(physics to be specific). So my cousin is also forced to join the crowd patronizing the engineering colleges. What I found interesting here is that my brother wanted to take up Electrical engineering or Mechanical engineering whereas my aunt and uncle want him to take up Computer Science or IT field. Reason: his forerunners(my other cousins) minted a lot of money as Software Engineers. Apparently even some friends commented that Mechanical engineering is only for people who didn't secure a good rank in the engineering entrance exam. Bah! And I thought the condescending ended at MPC/BiPC. Thankfully, my brother was sensible enough to make the right decision and chose something close to his heart(Electrical Engineering)
2) Then I heard about my other cousin who was forced to quit her fashion technology program to pursue Biotechnology. She started with a BiPC in Junior college to probably follow the footsteps of her father who is a General Physician. Following her not-so-good performance in Junior college, her parents let her choose her area of interest to make a career for herself. She chose to pursue a degree in fashion technology which was apt for her. Even she was doing a really good job in school with her creativity and could have made a great career out of it had she continued the program. The twist in the story came when her parents started looking for a suitable groom for her(Arranged marriages is a common thing in my community). Apparently most of the guys they came across wanted a girl with a degree in engineering or medicine! And her parents were adamant about her marrying someone with a degree in medicine so the father can pass on his practice to atleast her husband. So they forced her to change her degree program from fashion technology to biotechnology just to find her a husband of their choice! Now what do you say about that??
Why are our interests and careers shaped by what the majority in our society thinks about a particular field of study? Why don't people understand that each field/major has its own importance? And we are not even talking about other kind of jobs which involve cleaning the gutter, mowing the lawn etc (Even the people making a living out of these jobs are important as they make civilized life possible for the rest of us!) If everybody thinks mechanical engineering is not a good major then who'd come up with improved technology in automobiles? If fashion technology is not worth anything, then how come we read about several successful people in that field in almost every newspaper? Any career(not necessarily an IT position) would be good if only we have the right attitude/skills needed for that job.
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