Friday, January 22, 2010
T20 / Tweety Blogging
Wondering what the title is all about?? :P Well i found a solution to my problem :D Yes! Been complaining in almost alternate blogs that i am too impatient to put my thoughts into writing. So decided to cut short the game. Yes! My upcoming blogs are gonna be short and crisp like a T20 game. Prolly an extension of Twittering. Hope i can continue blogging regularly that way!! But ya there may be an occasional long ones though for a change ;)
The Fun-O-Drama Concert Trip to Anakapalli - Episode 3
Wow!! Am gonna complete my story after 7 long months!!! Hmmm.. as i said am too impatient to blog!! Anyways continuing with my story.. The Coramandal Express arrives at 5 am in the Vizag station and we board the train. We were looking for the seat numbers and i noticed that all our reserved seats were occupied by ppl! And to top it all they were sleeping! We woke them up and requested them to give back our seats. But they refused saying it was reserved for them. We were puzzled and asked them for their tickets. When we saw their tickets.. we were shocked coz it was reserved in their names. We showed ours too and they were equally puzzled. Suddenly one of them asked us where we were heading to and we promptly replied Chennai. He politely pointed out that the train was actually going to Howrah. Gosh!! We dint know what to do! We looked like a bunch of fools there! Only saving grace was that they dint laugh at us [prolly coz they ver from Ramakrishna Mutt Order] and there was another couple who made the same mistake!! We got down from the train on time.. it just started moving! Well.. dint know who started the laugh bubble first.. we ver laughing like crazy while everyone in the station ver looking as if we ver escaped lunatics from an asylum! The funniest part was the timing of the train's arrival! The Chennai - Howrah Coramandal was actually 7 hrs late and had arrived at the same scheduled time as that of Howrah - Chennai Coramandal!! :D lolzzzz Finally out train arrived 30 minutes late and we ver happy to be back home without further confusions, embarrassments and comedy of errors :D
Sunday, June 21, 2009
The Fun-O-Drama Concert Trip to Anakapalli - Episode 2
We arrive at Anakapalli Station to a warm reception. The stay at the organiser's place was simply homely and wow what a food we had! We had the best of Andra delicacies for lunch which included 'Noona Vankaaya' [which is stuffed brinjal fried in oil], 'Gongura Pachadi', 'Avial', 'Pappula Podi', 'Drumstick Rasam', my favourite 'Noona Aavakaya' etc. The concert in the evening was at a very beautiful temple. The concert stage was set opposite to the sanctum sanctorium. It was a divine experiance for me as i sat singing just opposite to the Goddess. After the concert travelled back to Vizag and stayed there overnight. We reached the station at 4 am to catch the Coramandal express back to Chennai. And this is where the comedy of errors started!
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
The Fun-O-Drama Concert Trip to Anakapalli - Episode 1
Lolzzzzzzz. Even to think abt this trip makes me laugh like Crazzyy. Right from the beginning it was totally filled with drama and it was absolutely funny too.
I was supposed to catch the Howrah Mail at 11.30 pm to reach Anakapalli. On the day of my departure, i had a concert. Thought i would finish that, come back n then pack. But lo. At the concert, i meet a person who tells me that according to that day's HINDU, 3 Sleeper Coaches and the Pantry ver gonna be cancelled bcoz of cancellation of Coramandal Express due to derailments in that line [The Coramandal Express gets converted into Howrah Mail and since it was cancelled, Reserve coaches from the yard had to be attached for a make shift Howrah Mail]. I call the Railway Enquiry and and they seem to keep transfering the call than answering my query [very typical of a Govt Organisations!!] Alas [seemed like back to square one... i mean person 1 to me!] there is this person who decides to answer my query [by asking me to wait and calling someone else for my query!]. He keeps me waiting [guess he is getting the taste of his own medicine :?].. n finally says...SORRY we dunt know abt it!! I asked him whether he atleast knew abt the coaches being cancelled. He said NO. I just cut the phone in disgust. The only other way of knowing abt it was going to station early and wait for the train to come!! So had to rush home. By the time i came home it was 9.00 pm n beleive it or not i packed everything in 5 minutes :D I dunt know how i managed tat.. but yes i did it! I leave home by 9.30 pm n was wondering how much of a Drama was in store while bargaining with the Auto Fellows! But then for a change the very first Auto fellow asked me a fair price [Now i started praying tat there shouldnt be rains!!] I reach Station by 10 pm [Again unlike me to reach a place well before time :D] The Train arrives with rattling coaches by 10.15pm. There is utter chaos as ppl rush to get into the train [the ones rushing faster ver the ppl with reserved tickets!!] But then there is a pandemonium coz there is no Number to the Coaches nor are the passenger name sheets glued to the coaches. Then come a man.. who starts sticking the Coach Numbers n passenger details.. and it was like a count down.. tick tick [lost count of the ticks!!] 1....2....3....4....5....6....7....8....9.... n announces the other coaches are cancelled. Then i realised tat i hadn't seen the ticket for my coach number!!!!!! I slowly take out my ticket.. n lo its S9 n i escaped the axe!! I called the Mridangist Swaminathan to tell him tat the journey was on. I board the train with Dad n again confusion breaks out with respect to seat numbers. N ya there was no light untill 11 pm inside the train n no water till we reached Vijayawada the next morning!! The seats had the side middle bearth which was actually taken off from feb begining. I had once travelled in the side middle n trust me there is no better torture than sleeping in the side middle birth. I almost cursed it! Not just me.. many who have travelled by tat. But behold.... The Curse became a Boon tat day to many ppl whos coaches ver cancelled. The additional side middle births ver given to them n not many did actually miss the train! The train starts by 11.45 pm and we all settle down with the TT being very patient n helpful. We reach Anakapalli by 11 am the next day...
This is just a Starter.. the Main course n Dessert will follow ;)
I was supposed to catch the Howrah Mail at 11.30 pm to reach Anakapalli. On the day of my departure, i had a concert. Thought i would finish that, come back n then pack. But lo. At the concert, i meet a person who tells me that according to that day's HINDU, 3 Sleeper Coaches and the Pantry ver gonna be cancelled bcoz of cancellation of Coramandal Express due to derailments in that line [The Coramandal Express gets converted into Howrah Mail and since it was cancelled, Reserve coaches from the yard had to be attached for a make shift Howrah Mail]. I call the Railway Enquiry and and they seem to keep transfering the call than answering my query [very typical of a Govt Organisations!!] Alas [seemed like back to square one... i mean person 1 to me!] there is this person who decides to answer my query [by asking me to wait and calling someone else for my query!]. He keeps me waiting [guess he is getting the taste of his own medicine :?].. n finally says...SORRY we dunt know abt it!! I asked him whether he atleast knew abt the coaches being cancelled. He said NO. I just cut the phone in disgust. The only other way of knowing abt it was going to station early and wait for the train to come!! So had to rush home. By the time i came home it was 9.00 pm n beleive it or not i packed everything in 5 minutes :D I dunt know how i managed tat.. but yes i did it! I leave home by 9.30 pm n was wondering how much of a Drama was in store while bargaining with the Auto Fellows! But then for a change the very first Auto fellow asked me a fair price [Now i started praying tat there shouldnt be rains!!] I reach Station by 10 pm [Again unlike me to reach a place well before time :D] The Train arrives with rattling coaches by 10.15pm. There is utter chaos as ppl rush to get into the train [the ones rushing faster ver the ppl with reserved tickets!!] But then there is a pandemonium coz there is no Number to the Coaches nor are the passenger name sheets glued to the coaches. Then come a man.. who starts sticking the Coach Numbers n passenger details.. and it was like a count down.. tick tick [lost count of the ticks!!] 1....2....3....4....5....6....7....8....9.... n announces the other coaches are cancelled. Then i realised tat i hadn't seen the ticket for my coach number!!!!!! I slowly take out my ticket.. n lo its S9 n i escaped the axe!! I called the Mridangist Swaminathan to tell him tat the journey was on. I board the train with Dad n again confusion breaks out with respect to seat numbers. N ya there was no light untill 11 pm inside the train n no water till we reached Vijayawada the next morning!! The seats had the side middle bearth which was actually taken off from feb begining. I had once travelled in the side middle n trust me there is no better torture than sleeping in the side middle birth. I almost cursed it! Not just me.. many who have travelled by tat. But behold.... The Curse became a Boon tat day to many ppl whos coaches ver cancelled. The additional side middle births ver given to them n not many did actually miss the train! The train starts by 11.45 pm and we all settle down with the TT being very patient n helpful. We reach Anakapalli by 11 am the next day...
This is just a Starter.. the Main course n Dessert will follow ;)
Lessons of Life from My Concert Travelogue...
Outta town Concerts have always been a wonderful experience for me. The new place, ppl, food, culture, language, different tastes n preferences in music etc etc make it very interesting n it becomes a learning experience. I can say tat i have mastered the art of talking to strangers and make them feel as if i have known them for a long time :D Jokes apart, i have met some interesting and intriguing ppl.
On one such concert trip, i met a Family of Achievers. Amongst them was Mr.Ramanan, a versatile composer who could also sing extremely well [well tats a rarity :D]. Any song rendered from heart can completely conquer the listener n this was very evident in his case. The beautiful yet simple lyrics, the underlying spiritual message, the tune which was melodious n so in sync with the lyrics made his songs blossom with glory! With all these credentials wat really made him class apart was his simplicity and never cease to smile attitude. And wat more his Wife was equally gr8!! If knowledge can be bliss, she is the best example to it. Her in depth knowledge in variety of subjects really put me of!! I had a wonderful time interacting with them and it did put me up on my learning curve! I had a wonderful time and found a very good friend too.
One other inspiring person was an 80 year old man whom i met in Kakinada. Even youngsters like us cannot match his spirited n energetic approach to life! His organizing capabilities is something to be modeled with meticulous planning and execution going into larger and smaller details alike! Almost everyone whom i met in Kakinada looked up to him with respect for his valued suggestions and guidance! I feel blessed to have met such person.
One other thing that keeps lingering in my taste buds is the food i had when i went to Calicut for a concert. Gosh! The smell of the coconut oil in the dishes really is a treat to the taste buds n tummy. There is a proverb in Tamil - "Sevikku unavu illada podu Vayitrukku siridu eeyappadum". Well in this case it was the other way round :D Though i had to provide the food for Ears :P
Ciao for now. Will b back with more Lessons of Life from My Concert Travelogue... ;)
On one such concert trip, i met a Family of Achievers. Amongst them was Mr.Ramanan, a versatile composer who could also sing extremely well [well tats a rarity :D]. Any song rendered from heart can completely conquer the listener n this was very evident in his case. The beautiful yet simple lyrics, the underlying spiritual message, the tune which was melodious n so in sync with the lyrics made his songs blossom with glory! With all these credentials wat really made him class apart was his simplicity and never cease to smile attitude. And wat more his Wife was equally gr8!! If knowledge can be bliss, she is the best example to it. Her in depth knowledge in variety of subjects really put me of!! I had a wonderful time interacting with them and it did put me up on my learning curve! I had a wonderful time and found a very good friend too.
One other inspiring person was an 80 year old man whom i met in Kakinada. Even youngsters like us cannot match his spirited n energetic approach to life! His organizing capabilities is something to be modeled with meticulous planning and execution going into larger and smaller details alike! Almost everyone whom i met in Kakinada looked up to him with respect for his valued suggestions and guidance! I feel blessed to have met such person.
One other thing that keeps lingering in my taste buds is the food i had when i went to Calicut for a concert. Gosh! The smell of the coconut oil in the dishes really is a treat to the taste buds n tummy. There is a proverb in Tamil - "Sevikku unavu illada podu Vayitrukku siridu eeyappadum". Well in this case it was the other way round :D Though i had to provide the food for Ears :P
Ciao for now. Will b back with more Lessons of Life from My Concert Travelogue... ;)
Am Backk!
Hmmm... been almost an yr since i last posted on the blog. Actually am not too fond of blogging as i am too impatient to put my thoughts into writing! I wud rather speak it out than write! But then am backk. Some of my blog brolls have even suggested tat i delete my a/c. Well a BIG NO to ya ppl coz am gonna continue my tortures with my posts :D n have decided to do it regularly :D:D So am backk with redoubled intensity!! :P
Friday, November 9, 2007
My Concert Schedule
Dec 4th (2.45 pm to 4.10 pm)
Brahma Gana Sabha, Sivakami Pethatchi Auditorium, Luz Church Rd.
Arunachala Karthik - Violin
Kumbakonam Swaminathan - Mridangam
Dec 9th (3.00 pm to 3.30 pm)
Vanavil Cultural Centre, Bharathiyar Memorial, T.P.Koil st, Triplicane.
Dec 13th (2.15 pm to 3.45 pm)
Thyagabrahma Gana Sabha, Vani Mahal, G.N.Chetty Road, T.Nagar.
Akkarai Swarnalatha - Violin
Trivandrum Hariharan - Mridangam
Dec 17th (5 pm to 6.30 pm)
Sadguru Sangeetha Sabha, Sri Sath Sangam, 16, Anna Salai, Pammal.
S.P.Anantha Padmanabha - Violin
Kumbakonam Swaminathan - Mridangam
Dec 19th (7.30 pm to 9.15 pm)
Bharatiya Vidya Bavan (Mini Hall), Mylapore.
Melakkaveri Thyagarajan - Violin
A.V.Manikandan - Mridangam
Dec 23rd ( 2 pm to 4 pm)
Sri Parthasarathy Swami Sabha, Vidya Bharathi, 55, Bheemasena Garden Rd, Mylapore.
V.Suresh Babu - Violin
Nirmal Narayanan - Mridangam
Dec 26th (3.15 pm to 4.45 pm)
Indian Fine Arts Soceity, Balamandir German Hall, Prakasam Street, T.Nagar.
Bombay Anand - Violin
Akshay Ananthapadmanabhan - Mridangam
Dec 27th (1.30 pm to 3 pm)
The Mylapore Fine Arts Club, 45, Musiri Subramaniam Salai, Mylapore.
Arunachala Karthik - Violin
A.V.Manikandan - Mridangam
Dec 28th (6.30 pm to 8.30 pm)
Raja Annamalai puram Bhakta Jana Sabha, Sringeri Mutt, Mandavali.
S.P.Anantha Padmanabha - Violin
Kumbakonam Swaminathan - Mridangam
Dec 30th (9 am to 10.15 am)
Thematic concert (Oothukadu Venkatakavi Kritis)
Mudra, Infosys Hall, Ramakrishna Mission School, 71, Bazulla Rd, T.Nagar
Karaikal Venkatasubramanyam - Violin
Kumbakonam Swaminathan - Mridangam
Jan 29th (5 pm to 6.30 pm)
Asthika Samajam and RR Sabha, Asthika Samajam, Venus Colony.
Bombay Anand - Violin
Arjun Ganesh - Mridangam
Brahma Gana Sabha, Sivakami Pethatchi Auditorium, Luz Church Rd.
Arunachala Karthik - Violin
Kumbakonam Swaminathan - Mridangam
Dec 9th (3.00 pm to 3.30 pm)
Vanavil Cultural Centre, Bharathiyar Memorial, T.P.Koil st, Triplicane.
Dec 13th (2.15 pm to 3.45 pm)
Thyagabrahma Gana Sabha, Vani Mahal, G.N.Chetty Road, T.Nagar.
Akkarai Swarnalatha - Violin
Trivandrum Hariharan - Mridangam
Dec 17th (5 pm to 6.30 pm)
Sadguru Sangeetha Sabha, Sri Sath Sangam, 16, Anna Salai, Pammal.
S.P.Anantha Padmanabha - Violin
Kumbakonam Swaminathan - Mridangam
Dec 19th (7.30 pm to 9.15 pm)
Bharatiya Vidya Bavan (Mini Hall), Mylapore.
Melakkaveri Thyagarajan - Violin
A.V.Manikandan - Mridangam
Dec 23rd ( 2 pm to 4 pm)
Sri Parthasarathy Swami Sabha, Vidya Bharathi, 55, Bheemasena Garden Rd, Mylapore.
V.Suresh Babu - Violin
Nirmal Narayanan - Mridangam
Dec 26th (3.15 pm to 4.45 pm)
Indian Fine Arts Soceity, Balamandir German Hall, Prakasam Street, T.Nagar.
Bombay Anand - Violin
Akshay Ananthapadmanabhan - Mridangam
Dec 27th (1.30 pm to 3 pm)
The Mylapore Fine Arts Club, 45, Musiri Subramaniam Salai, Mylapore.
Arunachala Karthik - Violin
A.V.Manikandan - Mridangam
Dec 28th (6.30 pm to 8.30 pm)
Raja Annamalai puram Bhakta Jana Sabha, Sringeri Mutt, Mandavali.
S.P.Anantha Padmanabha - Violin
Kumbakonam Swaminathan - Mridangam
Dec 30th (9 am to 10.15 am)
Thematic concert (Oothukadu Venkatakavi Kritis)
Mudra, Infosys Hall, Ramakrishna Mission School, 71, Bazulla Rd, T.Nagar
Karaikal Venkatasubramanyam - Violin
Kumbakonam Swaminathan - Mridangam
Jan 29th (5 pm to 6.30 pm)
Asthika Samajam and RR Sabha, Asthika Samajam, Venus Colony.
Bombay Anand - Violin
Arjun Ganesh - Mridangam
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