a sound called music

I’m in love…

with an all new series on television . Sound trippin .

a young female music director, Sneha Khanwalkar, travels through an undiscovered India
assembling mundane sounds that reflect the spirit of a place, its people and culture, and
innovatively transforms the very humdrum into a musical prodigy. Sounds from a busy bazaar,
a mechanic’s workshop, moving tractor, a factory’s siren, washer-women at work… all goes into
creating a composition. 

I’m captivated by its very perception of sound.     

And the leading-edge camera work is simply ‘Beyond’.

 

Each of its four trailers has been an opening gambit to this journey from sound to song. Two
episodes down [Punjab & Varanasi] and eight more to go. Next up is Yellapur, Karnataka, home
to a little African tribe with its exotic music. 

Go on, tune into it and see if you’re not whisked away by its sheer authenticity.

Sound trippin has awakened my senses to the everyday buzz around me and inspired to string a
little list of my favorite sounds…

[bells] echoing within the walls of a dimly lit temple + a [flute]’s wistful tune + the gurgle of [water]
+ [silence] + deeply moving ghazals of this [legend] + remains of a [rain] sliding down a leaf tip +
my [soulmate]’s balmy voice over the phone + the rustle of [wind] in my hair while on a bike ride
+ [train] chugging in the distance + the whisper of [paper] as I read through a book  

…these are a few sounds that spell music to my ears

I'd love to hear what sounds stir music into your heart?

to wear my hope, always...

Last evening, a piece of bad news came my way
being prepared didn’t make it any less discouraging
a dream paused in its track
tears… they came silently,
threatening to spill over
soon, it poured in gusts  

I know not how much time passed by as I lay curled up on bed
letting the deluge soak me through...

sometimes, a little rain can help clear and condition everything in nature... including a pale heart.
slowly… a veil of calm enveloped me.

I saw the sky turn dark and the stars appear. Witnessing such simple yet magical act that’s
religiously performed day after day helped cluster back my hope.

Hope need not always translate into an exact desired fulfillment. It can mean to quietly go on
believing. Hold onto our faiths irrespective of what comes our way. Keeping hope is to keep
oneself alive.

There will be changes, some drastic and some slight; some days there will be bright skies
beckoning us to shine forth and on others, only a grey expanse shrouded with heavy clouds. 

Still, like the stars above, we must do our best to twinkle through all… each day, everyday.

And hope is just the right spell that helps us perform such magic. In that moment, I renewed my
promise to hold onto it, more than ever. To always wear my hope.

   

Later, when my soulmate returned home, I let myself be held in an embrace while his gentle
hands and incessant words of comfort stroked me. Before the night ended, we went on a bike ride
for some fresh air. It made me think of Charu, who’s not just fighting for her dreams but her life.

While I’m breathing in gulps of cool air, she’s indefinitely depending on a ventilator for inhalation.
While I’m fraught with merely a bit of a hurdle, she’s struggling for a decent subsistence.
I felt so humbled when faced with these thoughts. It made me count my blessings more profoundly
and moved me to in-return [do my best] to make my dreams twinkle through, no matter what
obstacles. Because… that’s what I can genuinely do to show my gratitude.

Perhaps our eyes need to be washed by our tears once in a while, 

so that we can see life with a clearer view again.

Alex Tan

Kindly keep your prayers for Charu coming...

on leaving a trail of my own...

 Experts from the letter I wrote to a dear friend, only a day ago…

‘…there's a [storm] of ideas and thoughts brewing in my mind. I'm planning a couple of projects...
which can allow me to work on what I love most and convert that hard work into a reliable source
of income. I've come to realize that I'm not really at my best while working according to an office's
rules and limitations. So, now I'm dreaming of taking this big leap, it’s big because I've never

attempted anything like this. I'm filled with fear, nervousness, and countless amount of doubt

mixed with excitement as I'm preparing for it. I'm not sure if it’s the right way forward.

What if I fail? It’s very scary, still I think I want to try and take this step. Nothing is decided for

sure, yet. And only god knows how sensible or foolish this wish is going to prove.

What do you think Neel? Am I treading in the right direction? Or is it too idealistic a dream to

pursue? Please share your thoughts on this with me. In the meanwhile, I'm letting the ideas

branch out in my head and mull over all the possibilities before I make the [move].’

From the past few years and essentially since a couple of weeks, I’m trying to work my way

through a maze of interesting yet formidable notions for the future. There’s still so much left to
research and dissect. If all does not go as desired, maybe I’ll even have to give-up the whole affair.
On the other hand, I’ve been nurturing this dear dream for so long and with so much hope to
merely consider giving-up.

Isn’t life so unpredictable with all its windings? But I suppose in the very soul of that mysterious
ingredient, lies it’s beauty too and thereof, our infinite hopes, dreams and wishes.

 

As we live each day, a minuscule of our destiny unfurls; letting us take a teasing glimpse of what
is to come while the rest of its enigma is securely tucked away inviting our curious mind onto a
road of discovery. And along with the many things  that greet and daunt us on this wayfaring
road, meeting with a dark Mr. fear, a tall Mr. anxiety and a fat Mr. doubt along with a handsome
Mr. excitement is inevitable, especially when we aspire to take the untrodden path. 

This is where I find a quote I came across recently persuading and strengthening me from deep
within. 

‘Do not go where the path may lead; go instead where there is no path and leave a trail’
Ralph Waldo Emerson

and I welcome it’s inspiring embrace wholeheartedly.

Will share more on this dream, as and when it will begin to take shape, hopefully of a form my
heart’s yearning after. Until, then please wish me luck. 

                                               glimpses from my handmade journal

sweet remembrance

Recently while organizing my book shelf, I found a lovely old handwritten letter pressed between
the pages of a book. The letter was from a Nepali friend and belongs to a time when I and my

friends corresponded the old fashioned way.

Even to this day, the beauty of it is not lost on me.

The feel of ink on paper, the stories that lie awaiting to be shared and the love that’s tenderly
wrapped within those pages to be transported across thousands of miles...

simply romantic!

The very touch of them makes me nostalgic. I love how much emotion handwritten letters hold
in their folds. Although I appreciate the many benefits of today’s instant mailing service via e-mails,
I yearn for the magic of handwritten correspondence. 

Don’t you?

'More than kisses, letters mingle souls'

John Dickens

wayward wind

 

What does a girl, who’s sitting by the window quietly reading a book in the afternoon,

do when a playful breeze messes with her pages and tempts her to join in?

she happily obliges!

and...

lets the wind whisper secrets into her ears

listens to the music created by her neighbor’s giggling wind-chime

gazes at the beautiful shadows the fluttering curtains form on her bed

+ 

remembers to capture a few slices from those peaceful hours to share here.

simple . subtle . natural 

hope you’re having a breezy day wherever you are and  letting a little zephyr to blow through your
wisps and your spirit!

summer love

 

[inhale...]

...the heady breath of color and scent evaporating from my mint sprigs.
What better gift this warmer season than to see their beauty thrive?

...an hand-sewn summer garden wrap with pretty seashell butterfly and a pink blossom

...the subtle whiff of cinnamon and its divinely confusing folds

...little bits of summer assembled in a basket to cheer up my sapped soul

...the magic of words, rolled up and stored in a poetry jar

...more perfumes and details

...a few quiet moments to soak it all in

[exhale...]

Pure Happiness!

I've replaced the vignette here for the season with this basket full of summer goodness.

What is your recipe for happiness?
she was asked on a fine summer day.
Oh, it’s very simple, she replied.
I take a spoonful of the moment,
blend it with straight sunshine,
or undiluted moonlight, whichever is handy,
and add just a dash of sweet memories.
Occasionally I’ll top it off with a bit of daydreaming,
but I usually save that for special occasions.

luvpublishing at flickr

getting ready for dreams

Just back from a relaxing bath, a candle quietly glows in the vaporizer, 

enveloping my nest in the sweet citrusy scent of lemon grass. 

There’s a palpable calm in this very moment and I gratefully breathe in it. 

The whole day was spent dusting, cleaning, organizing and cooking. 

It makes my heart swell to watch my freshly laundered curtains swaying in the breeze,

crisp, clean smelling linen strewn invitingly across the bed

  ...the simple bliss of domesticity! 

Now I need to get ready for dreams...

dressed in my favorite sleep dress...

with just a whisper of lace...

I’m off for a date with the stars…