SPB in dreams

As usual, another nice dream. Guest of honor in the dream was SPB himself. I saw a small gathering in a big maNDapam with all tamil people. It is an occassion of marriage. People are supposedly performing before SPB with he hosting it. When there is a request by the crowd to let people sing before him, he asks the crowd if there is anybody to play Keyboard for support. I volunteer. The keyboard available is a very low end model. SPB suggests that I put some beats on the keyboard for the singers to keep the rhythm. For the song "vaa veNNilaa", to be sung by a malayaLi, the crowd boos him constantly. SPB interupts and says it is veru rude of the crowd to behave that way and that he is going to sing along with him. BOth SPB and the singer start singing together. In the middle of the song, SPB makes way for the singer and he sings pretty well. The sangathis in the aalaap are not that crisp but he still manages to do a decent job. Around that time SPB comes behind me, the kyeboard guy, and drinking water. I ask him - "Sir oru request." "ennappa, yesudas paattu paadaNuma ?". Yes "sir, Pramadhavanam". He hums - "theLidheepam" and revises the sangathi and falters. He says, "ok..konjam wait paNNu sangathi correct paNNiNdu varEn"

There ends the dream.

Chords for Suno na from Jhankar Beats

Song : Suno na
Film : Jhankar beats
Singer : Shaan
Scale : Cm

Prelude:
======

Eb/C - - - Eb/G# - - -
Bb/Bb - - - C2/C - - -
- - - -

Cm/G - - - G# - - -
dilne tum ko  chun liyahai

Bb - - - Fmadd9 - - - 
tumbhi isko   chuno na

Eb - - - G7 - - -
khwaab koyi   dekhta hai

G7 - - - Cm - - -
tumbhi sapne   buno na   


Pallavi:
=====

Cm/G % % % G# % % %
dilne tum ko  chun liyahai

Bb % % % Fmadd9 % % % 
tumbhi isko   chuno na

Eb % % % G7 % % %
khwaab koyi   dekhta hai

G7 % % % Cm % % %
tumbhi sapne   buno na   dilye

Bb % % % % % % %
me ra  tumse kuch kehra ha hai

C4 % % % Cm % % %
suno na      dilye  

Bb % % % Gm % % %
me ra  tumse kuch kehra ha hai

Cm % % % G#M7 % % %
suno na   

(the entire pallavi is repeated once more, but the last chord G#M7 is replaced by Cm)


Interlude 1:
========

Cm % % % G#M7 % Cm/G %
Bb % % % Cm % % % 
Cm % % % Bb % % %
Eb % % % Cm % % %
       door

Charanam 1:
=========

Bb % % % Eb % % % 
hokar  bhi doortum na hinho   paas

Bb % % % Eb % % % 
ho lekin paas kyunna hinho        (2)

Gm % % % % % % %
tanha tanhasa ma  mehki mehkiha wa 

Gm % % % Bb % % % 
kehra hahaija haan to
 
Cm % % % 
suno na

Interlude 2:
=========

Cm - - - G#M7 - - -
Bb - - - Cm - - -
Cm11 - - - Bb - - -
Cm - - - Cm - - -
Cm % % % Eb % % %
G#M7 % % % Gm % % % 
| G#   Eb     Cm| Cm | Bb   Fm     Bb| Bb 
Cm % % % Cm/G % % % 

Charanam 2:
=========

same as first

Temporary job in dept of public health

This year 2005 seems like a payback year for me. First I got a car. Now I got a temporary job offer in the dept of public health through a korean friend, who I had earlier helped in her phd work. All of a sudden I get a call a week ago from her saying that her group needs a programmer who is well versed in solving sets of coupled non-linear multivariable equations. I thought may be I know something about them. She set up a meeting with her Professor (prof 1). The meeting also involved another prof 2 who happens to be in my phd committee. On the discussion table prof 2 threw a few curious questions as to why I am unfunded etc. I tried to avoid those questions with an unimpregnable silence and he being a courteous nice man, let go off his curiosity.

The high point of the discussion was that Prof 1 appointed me right away without even asking for my resume. Today I have to turn in the paper work. The sudden offer of this employment is now pressing me to finish the papers and thesis as quickly as possible. May be this is a blessing in disguise. Also, had a meeting with my adviosr - prof 3. Good news was about he encouraging me for writing another paper. Well, things do not get any better for now.

Talked to my Atlanta music troupe owner last night about the developments and told him how badly I am going to need an H1 from April. He said he would do something about it. But there is something that bothers me about him. Or may be I am thinking the wrong way. He expects himself to be included in every convo that I make with any musician in the troupe. May be this sort of transparency is required since that is how a group should function. I think I need to learn this more properly. With prof 3 it had been a disaster. Let me try my hand with prof 1 and music groups. I will become a better team man I believe.

Dream and an angelic girl child !

Dreams that I get are some of the most vivid. They are laden with details. I have had many dreams which would give movies a run for script :) I ad one such dream this morning. It was about adopting a girl child. Read on !

Today I woke up around 4:30 in the morning. Not many times do I see the sunrise. This is one of those rare days. My roomie Siddharth was sleeping and my mind was blank and not working. Hence I was surfing for a while and I decided to sleep back around 6:00 deciding to work around 9:00. What followed in my half baked sleep was a wonderful dream very well scripted.

In the dream I visit brahmadesam - my village - with my parents to find that in that tattered village, my ancestral house looks extremely well maintained. All the walls are filled with photos ranging from the days of my paternal granddad's 60th b'day to the most recent ones. Some photos had both grandfathers sharing a joke, something I never saw really. I was surprised to see that the current tenant did not want to move even one of the photos away and he is lviing with them. When asked, he replied : "sir, I do not have any relatives. When I see these beautiful photographs of all you people, I feel that I am in the midst of known people. I am happy to be that way." I held his hands in mine and thanked him for his fine gesture.

Taking his permission, my father and I invite all my relatives to gather there (as we usually did for every diwali when I was a child). They are all gathered and all are busy chitchatting and sifting through the albums. All are happy that the old atmosphere is back. The womenfolk get busy preparing food for all and menfolk in a retirement mood start talking about their various "pradhaabams" (praising themselves for their own spuriously great deeds) and kids play around in the house. In one of the photos I come acoss a beautiful girl I had never seen and I aks my mom who this is. My mom replies : "she is the one who has a muslim connection". I asked her to give more details at the same passing a jocular remark : "sema kattax ma..avanukku mattum kedakkama pOyirundhaa, naan ivaLai sight adichchu kalyaaNam paNNiNdu irundhiruppen".

At that juncture a beautiful girl child (aged may be 3) dressed like an angel in white churidar with a dot in forehead comes and says amidst baby jibber : "amma paththi apdi sollaadheenga". I am shocked to hear such a defensive stmt from a kid and I was sure there was some other person who had asked the kid to say those words. Then my mom said : "She married a muslim guy and their marriage fell apart. Both of them did not want this kid and parted ways. Nobody knows where they are and that man is the caretaker of this kid", pointing to a person sitting in the chair.

I go near him and instantly recgonize him as Driver Chandran's brother ! I said : "It was just a casual remark that a guy passes after seeing a beautiful girl. No disrespect to your sister". He is happy I could recognize him immediately and accepts my apology and says :"Well, not that I care for my gone sister, just a way to maintain my family dignity". Then I ask him : "so baby archana is with you ?" He says : "Yes" (in an insipid tone), "vera vazi illai..enna seyyaradhu..irundhuttu pOgattum nu naan dhaan vaLakkarEn".

At that point I recognize that there is no love in his tone at all for that cherubic child. I slowly get dragged towards the child and start playing with her. She gets close with me pretty fast and that was not seen very welcome by all the other relatives. It was time to board the city-bus and go to Hotel aaryaas for a family dinner. As all board the bus, there are many people insinuating that archana should not be accompanying us. People were using standard tactics like "archchu, aaththula pOy cheeppu eduththuNDu vaa..archchu aaththai baththiramaa paaththukkO" etc..I ask why they are avoiding archana and they reply : "She is a shame to our family. Naalu pEru naalu vidhamaa pEsuvaa koottiNdu pOnaa". I become totally enraged and shout at all of them : "Be human and give the child a break - she is barely three and has no idea what the hell you people are talking about. She is coming with me whatever be the case." People go silent listening to my mad outburst. I get the tickets for all of them to hotel aaryaas and I board the bus. Nobody is ready to give place to the kid ! Thambu mama - my dad's bestest friend - gets the kid on his lap. I mistake him for not giving place either and blow my fuse : "mama, neenga koodava ?" Mama says - "Murali, I am having her on my lap because I love her". I am so ashamed that I take thambu mama's hands and apologize. I sit next to him with archana and there is another kid in the bus which shares my lap with her.

But on the way we get down and I go get my bike. Hero honda. Putting archchu in the front I drive slowly with her and reach tirunelveli junction where my parents are standing in front of the Roshan shop.

Appa:" Where are we eating ?"

I: "appa, aaryaas ku thaanE ticket vaanginEn. Anga pOy iRangaliya?"

My dad seeing my deep attachment by this time with archana says :

Appa: "Murali idhellaam thEvai illainnu ninaikkarEn".

Puzzled I ask him : "ennappa solrEL ?"

Appa : "indhak kozandhaiyai nee ipdi koNdu suththinaa naaLaikku neraya problem varum. Idhellaam unakku puriyaadhu. Nee chinnap payyan"

I : "ennappa solrEL ? Naan chumma indhak kozandhaiyODa pEsaradhE thappa ?"

Appa: "nammaththula ellaam indha maadhiri yaarum muslim I ellaam kattiNdu pOgalai. Indhak kozandhaiyOda sagavaasam vENdaamE"

My mom seems to be nodding for the same. I become enraged at that point once again. I tell my dad: "appa, whoever comes and whatever happens, I am not going to let this child go. I am adopting her."

appa: "adhellam sarippadadhu pinnaadi neraya.."

I interject and say : "Sorry pa. I have decided. She is my child. I am keeping her whatever comes. I will face that for sure" and hug archana siting on the fuel tank in the front.

============================

Thambu mama is dead for three years now and the respect I have for him is immense. I guess this whole dream comes out of my earlier idea of adopting a child, playing with vaishali - sathish's daughter yesterday - and eagerness to visit family. My mom and dad, as I know are not the ones which speak the above lines. They are compassionate and human. I believe all the dialogues originated from various parts of my paranoid personality :)