Sri TRS Lecture on GNB

Every morning when I wake up I ask Amma if we are going to see Ms.Cathy that day. If she says No, then the next question I ask her is 'Are we going to Kovil?'. Paavam Appa cannot say 'No' for it. Think about him. He already travels 5 days a week to nashville and an extra trip for me on Saturdays.

I like spending time in the temple, cos I see a lot of Indian Faces smiling at me when I walk into the Praharam. Also these days, I am finding out the ommachi idols perfectly and tell a small Bhajan on that ommachi. Mom was surprised to hear me sing 'Lingashtakamidam Punyam...' infront of the Lingam Sannidhi.

Last week, after we had been there to the temple, we went to the Global Education Center to listen to a lecture of Sri.T R Subramaniyam on the veteran Musician Late Sri.GNB. This year is the centenary year for GNB and Nashville celebrated its centenary celebrations with Sri TRS by his lecture followed by Dr.Radha Venkatachalam concert.

For a change I listened to the lecture very quietly and slept off halfway during the concert. But before doing it, Amma noticed me singing Nalina Kanthi phrases inbetween when she paused for the violin artist to play (Summa oththuu oothinen)

Dr.Radha Venkatachalam is a Pallavi Specialist and sings a pallavi for almost all of her concerts. This time she sang a Pallavi on GNB on the Kanda Thirupuda Talam, in the Raga Suruti. 'G N Balasubramaniya Guru Devar Padame Paninthe anuthinamum'. This is supposedly the first pallavi with the English letters G N. As Sri TRS quoted, it is going to be the History making Pallavi.

After the concert, I ate Bakoda and Samosa that they kept for refreshments and came home to have dinner.

Caterpillar job

Last week Ms.Cathy brought a jar with lot of little caterpillars. They climbed all the way to the top and started to hang from the ceiling. Yes they were under the chrysalis stage and built their cocoons, the Pupa. Ms. Cathy then changed the cocoons into a butterfly habitat. We would see butterflies hatching anytime next week. Isn't an amazing science project to demonstate Metamorphosis?

Also last friday, she got a lot of White carnation flowers in a flowerpot and we poured coloured water in it. Mine was an orange water. When we went to school the following week, we were surprised to see the flowers changed their colors. Ms.Cathy told that plants, leaves and flowers drink water too.

Field Trip

This was the first time that Blue Room children were taken to the Magnolia House for a field Trip. The Building was just located across the Jacob's Ladder and we walked to the building holding the Knots of a big log rope. What a March? We followed Ms.Cathy on the cross walk and Ms.Suzan welcomed us in the Magnolia House. We were asked to say 'Good Morning Ms.Susan' and she was very happy about it.

Ms.Susan was very friendly and showed us two nests that the birds have constructed in the building. She also demonstrated how the Mommy and Daddy birds build their nests before laying eggs. They carry straws and twigs and in no time they construct a house warm and cozy enough for the eggs to hatch. She also pretended to break eggs on our heads. We behaved at our best in the Magnolia house. She sang songs about birds, let us play with the frogs. She also sang a silly song about the frogs. It was such a fun.

Ms.Cathy appreciated us for our best behaviour in the field trip and we soon came back to our class room, washed hands, had lunch and had a nice long nap. I enjoy going to Field Visits. Just cant wait for the next trip to come.

I am a proud Iyengar. Are u?

It is with a sad heart I have to say that some of the valuable customs and traditions of Iyengars are slowly fading away. Pop and Corporate cultures have weakened the strong roots of such conventional traditions. Practices like taking oil bath, going to temple, learning slokas are fading away. Healthy choices are replaced with junk foods. Pastas and Speggatis have replaced Sevai. Pizzas and burgers have replaced Thavalai Adai.

Although I am not full-fledged in knowing these practices, I have started to learn some and practising them on a regular basis and would like to pass them on to my future generations.

I have started to eat Sundaikkai, Veppapamboo rice calling Black and white mammu, the Zebra rice (Megna Kept the name). I loved the Mangai Pachadi made on the New Years day. If vethakuzhambu is made I cannot miss thairsadam and have it as a side dish. Pulikaachal can a be good substitute for it on Non-vethaikuzhambu days. Amma said, they are the staple food of an Iyengar and take pride in loving them. I would love to learn them and make them on my own and pass the torch on.

Rolling Coins

We had lot of pennies acummulated in a box and Mama wanted to get rid of them and have change. She went to the bank and got sleeves to roll them on. Oh my God, Rolling Cents! What a laborious task? We had nearly 700 coins of pennies. Mom counted in fifties and game them in a bowl and I stacked all them up onto the sleeve. I loved doing it. Mom was also reminded of her childhood memories of staking 25p and 50p coins.

We rolled 13 and mom got $6.50 exchanged from the bank. And she put them on my piggy bank, since I helped her doing it. It was a lot of fun.

Who likes Shopping?

It has been a long while since I stopped by. I had been busy for days together. Before pulling anyone's legs I shall try to have you answered these couple of questions.

1) Who takes more time to dress up? A man or a woman?

2) Who takes more time to shop? A man or a woman?

But its contrary in our household. My dad always takes his own time to dress up even on weekends. He dresses up like a CEO even to throw garbage in the dumpster. Believe it or not we are almost 3 women and together we take less time in shopping than him. Last weekend when we had been to the Mall, he took 2 hours to choose a shirt. My question is What is there to think when the choice left is only Blue color? The worst part is he dint buy anything after spending 2 hours in browsing. Improvising rules like 'Every half an hour of his time spent on browsing = money spent on something for us' also does not seem to work. Worst is the case that the lessons learnt by anyone is NIL. He does the samething whenever he goes to the Mall and we do try to give him company patiently as usual.

Fortunately that evening we had a delightful Dance concert in temple to soothe our headache. It was performed by three professionals and the first half was Mohiniattam and then the Bharathanatyam on the second. We dint understand the Mohiniattam part, but totally enjoyed the later half. They rendered on the theme 'Shivashakthi'. 'Ommachi and Demon were dancing on Thodi' - those were my words after the concert. Yes I mean the Mahishasuramardini doing vadam on the demon dancing to the beats on Thodi Raga. I have to say its just more than awesome. Something unthinkable and a flawless professionalism in each of the individuals.

Can I become a Lyricist?

Mom offered to give me animal crackers but forgot about that in the midst of her work. I immediately opened the pantry and started to sing in the tunes of 'Are u sleeping?'

Here are animal crackers, here are animal crackers

Gimme some, gimme some

Give them in a paper bowl, give them in a paper bowl

So we can eat, so we can eat

She was just stunned listening to me composing my own verses to the tunes of the commonly sung rhymes. It was her job, that she used to write creative lyrics for the common cine tunes. She started this venture at her age of 14. I started it before three making the old saying true 'Kutti 16 adi paayum'.

Also when appa was looking for his regular fish oil pills (matharai), he asked amma where they are. And I started to sing

Where are matharai?, Where are matharai?

.....

Appa was over excited listening to me sing that and interrupted me, I dint complete my poem, Otherwise u could have read another cute little poetry from a little pie.

Hit the Century and still on the field

Do u wonder what this little kid is talking cricket jargons? thats cos of my recent craze on IPL. Well I have started to read 100+ words by spelling letters and can spot the word in the next second when someone spells it. Am still going on in my journey. Kudos to Vidya aunty and Ajay who have been my inspiration.

Also I am identifying Thodi and Mugari ragam anywhere when its being played. Be it Alapana / Keerthana/ Swaram /Neraval, I could get the hang of it. I am doing it in a fraction of a second. Mom tested me playing ragas immediately one after the other and I am doing Perfect. So Mom has given me a title 'Thodi Padmalakshmi'.