The Art of Culture and a Toast to all things Cultural

Yes I'm trying to race up to that finish line that in turn will be a clear indication of me catching up to the days I missed, but every passing day I know there's another day that's been added to the day backlog that takes me right back to square 1. Oh well more cardio for my fingers and less for me :D...ooh joy! Maybe with all this keyboard practise my fingers can be all the percussion I need when I listen to some good ol' music. Well hey anything with a beat, a rhythm and an indication of soul always = awesome music and music is that which you feel more than that what you hear. Sure the scientists can argue that it's all in the head and that music is basically the reaction of auditory receptors that help to discern sounds at a range of different pitches and timbres and all those subjective and objective features of sound. And that the internal reaction to music is also another coinky dink reaction that happens up in the head and that quintessentially if anything music mirrors drugs and works like opiads to get the endorphins going which in turn make us very happy people. But c'mon I mean do you actually think people wanna read such a theoretical, to the point answer? Instead of believing and turning all poetic and cuckoo over what they believe? Don't you think that sounds or rather feels a lot more right in terms of meaning and perception rather than having it all summed down to receptors, neurons, transmission, stimulation and responses to stimulation? Stimulation I do get, music stimulates every fibre of my being, if it wasn't for music who is to say how I would be. Can I actually get any more cookier than this? Okay now I wouldn't really wanna find out that answer now or anytime soon and I hope nobody else does too, if you do then I dunno you need more than a few opiads and bonkings on the head.

So getting back to matters at hand, Sunday was a rather significant day well more or less Sunday night was, and that's not to say the other days of the week are insignificant. Fridays are always significant 'cuz they mark down this wonderful concept called the WEEKEND!!! and then Sunday marks the beginning of that woeful thing called the week :( where life goes back to *AAAAHHHHHH!!!! What's goin on? What is this? Who is that? What is that? Who am I?" and ultimately come Friday, after that express list of quizzes, midterms and fun things you are quite a happy person if you remember your own name. The only thing I know for a fact whenever I have a quiz during the week is my name, and I do congratulate myself on a daily basis for remembering at least that part of the quiz or test that I gotta do.

Anyway this Sunday was a little different from all the other regularly scheduled Sundays, as in it wasn't a day of going *Oh no the weekend is done* This Sunday out at school we had this big little thing called Culture Night and the theme was "Carpe Noctum" which seems appropriate 'cuz that's something I try doing every night only I seize the night with words and sentences and books and fun things of the sort, you get my drift. So getting back to the point of festivities et al. it was a terribly exciting day along with nerve wracking and anxious day for me. Chip in a lil' not so rain-tastic rain and a slew of performances and what do you get? Wait for it...a LEGENDARY and epic night There was the whole flurry burry of activity that went in before the night, as we had to have practise runs and all that fun stuff. Now that I've mentioned we, let me be kind enough to mention that my contributions to the festivities was in no way technical or stage oriented and so all you sound, light and tech support people can breathe easy. Anyone with any sense would know not to give me any of that stuff 'cuz most likely I'd make up my own light and sound show and as exciting as that sounds it would be that kind of a light and sound show where my lil' hole in the wall right at the back of the auditorium would be my safe haven from the crazy masses and where rotten tomatoes and eggs oh and a few sandals or shoes or choice footwear would be my companions. My contribution to the show as minimal as it was, was a duet with a friend of mine who literally eats, breathes and perhaps sleeps music. But I do digress I haven't even gotten to the highlights/best features of the show. The night was kinda sorta a big deal for the school as we had our Deans and fun big wigs show up, so yeah in translation that = me with a severe case of the nerves trying to have a conversation with myself without coming off as an extremely crazy person who should be checked into the Psych ward. So the morning/afternoon-ish part was where we had trial runs and some "ideas" were introduced on how our duet would be sung/introduced/presented to the audience. Lemme tell you that's as close to a Bollywood moment as I've ever had, don't worry baccha party I'm sure at some point in time if I'm lucky enough I'll have my own moment lol, that's right bhai you betta get crackin' :P. But yeah everyone was trying to get all the events synced in before the final performance...okay I for a fact didn't put in half as much effort in what I had to do than some or rather all of those other awesome people who performed so to them I say hats off to you guys for pulling off such amazing, awesome and mesmerizing performances. I'm really glad all your hard work and effort paid off and you guys totally rocked that show...Boo yah!...it was just awesome to see how all those weeks spent practising and coordinating just all came together and ain't it great when the best things just click together and work out?

This was my first tryst with the mic out here, its been a while since I sang...well there are several reasons I can attribute to that lol. One, well that's the standard excuse --> I've been busy but yes that doesn't stop me from humming my croaky self away, so lets move on to 2 then shall we? Two, wait lets call individual 2 "the thing", no wait I can't use that 'cuz that's what my lovely broda calls me, yes he saves the best names for me, a very considerate person wouldn't you say? Hmmm lets see what else we can call this interesting specimen of human kind well I guess I'm gonna have to go with a cuckoo on drugs or crazy cuckoo or CC or a cross between a cuckoo and a hyena that would make it either a cyena or a huckoo :| okay i stick with CC it sounds better. So CC loves an argument...whereas I would rather stay away from it 'cuz I find them to be a waste of time now if my folks are reading this and chuckling and calling me a hypocrite this message is for them --> "C'mon guys I don't argue I only stand up for what's right :P"...and I do have valid issues to argue 'bout back at home, for instance household chores? I'm gonna stop before I dig a nice big hole for myself to literally jump into. So CC loves arguing and bitchin' 'bout just about anything and everything and has been on a personal mission, or at least I believe so to isolate me from people and make my life out here miserable. Sorry CC while you have seen much and most of the world, I have a lesson or 2 of tolerance that the world taught me. None the less I digress, reason 2 is CC, I don't want to be the source of any unwanted exchange of words and besides everyone needs some quiet and stillness to study and to ponder over the various things in this rivetting thing called life. Getting back to the show, the last time I performed was a while ago, I can't really estimate a time frame lol my mind is a little fuzzy at the moment, but to summarize it had been a while since I last performed in front of a crowd of people and doing this kinda reminded me of all the reasons why I thought I was done with singing before a crowd. The freakin stage fright is massive enough to make one pass out, at the auditions I actually thought I'd have a heart attack lol my hear rate waqs beyond accelerated...I'm telling you it would've given Superman a run for his super speed. Oh and to add to all that stage fright I was kindly informed right before auditions by a friend of mine that people like the deans, proffs and all the fun people at school would be attending, I think I paled a little more when I heard that, I felt like a blanched almond...well in case a blanched almond knows how it feels. So, come Sunday night I owuld like to report that I thankfully made it alive and the song was sung without me tripping and falling over things or forgetting the lines. What does tripping and fallin over things have to do with anything? you say...well lemme set the scene up for you.

The moment was a complete Bollywood-esque moment, I'm sure the Indian Movie Inudstry wudda been proud lol. So...I had to come walking down stairs all the way from the top of the auditorium all the way up to the stage and sing while doing so and I had a spotlight following me. The second spotlight was on my buddy who didn't have as much of a walk as I did. I think I invoked all the Gods I possibly could think of ranging from the Hindu realms all the way to the Buddhist ones and then some. Yes I sent them an SOS, and they had my back lol, thank the G-man I didn't go for a nose dive over the stairs, yes I'm one of the most clumsiest people on the face of this earth. But damn, that entire moment just feels surreal, it feels like a dream, that's how fast it happened. But I'm glad it happened without any glitches so woohoo! Now going back to the other performances, there were all these amazing dances that had me shaking my head at my 2 left feet. There was an awesome MJ tribute and guess what the song played is one of my all time MJ favs!!! SMOOTH CRIMINAL boo yah! Oh man they were so good...there was a tantalizing Tango that just blew my mind. There was some boisterous, bopping bhangra that just had my shoulders moving on their own volition. There were 2 soulful yet sensational solos that once again had me shake my head at my lack of arm and leg coordination. There was a fun n fascinating fashion show that had me going yeah no nothing I can do there due to my 'appalling sense of fashion' lol. And yes I like to save the best for last, lets start with the music then proceed to the DDR-ness. So my buddy who sang the duet with me had a solo going to , that boy is beyond talented, he's a classical singer and damn when I say he's got his notes down pack. His performance was phenomenal and there's nothing more I can say about that lol. Now moving on to the dance part of things, there's one of those solos I mentioned a few lines ago, toss that in with a dance duet and a group dance and voila you know what you get? An instant visual treat, oh man those guys and girls put in a lotta work into their performances, I'm sure they can even bust out those moves in their sleep if they heard the songs in their sleep. Well forget sleep they could still bust out those moves if they heard those songs at any point in time :P lol, seeing as to how those songs are forever burned into their memories lol. Hmm...lets see I think I've recapped pretty much anything and everything 'bout Sunday...Oh wait there's one thing I didn't mention....the most important part...the supporters and ppl who came out to watch all of us. Without my support base I don't think I wudda pulled it off so a huge THANK YOU to those awesome people for they are the original rockstars that keep rocking my world :D..especially my Agent, my Consultant and my PR group lol. And for all you guys back home who have always been there, don't worry I haven't forgotten you guys, you guys were there in spirit and guess what they had Kangna playing so I took that as a very good sign :)...yayy our song, hearing it made me a very happy child it felt like you guys were right there watching :D.

A'ite kids I think I'm done with a Sunday recap, now I'm gonna have to work on the post festivity running into Monday installment. Sigh...tomorrow it will have to be, hopefully by this weekend we shall be all caught up :P. Take care of yerselves and go over indulge in some musical goodness, u know there's nothing better than music so go over indulge yourselves. Good luck with whatever it is you guys have, be it exams, tests, work, even if it's something as simple as rooting for your team to win...well in that case I actually hope your team wins lol. Keep it simple people and I'll tune back in later. Cheers!

Song of Sunday: Well obviously there is but one lol
Song Name: Tauba Tumhare Yeh Ishare
OST: Chalte Chalte
Release date: Circa 2003 I believe