Mesmerizing Monday -3

I came to know about Philip Glass 3 years before through an article in a tamil magazine, intrigued , searched in the internet and found many composition in youtube and other sites.But i was more fascinated by the collaboration of Philip Glass and legendary Ravi Shankar.This album "Passage" was testimony to the how well both Indian and western music can combine and produce something unique and mesmerizing.

This particular composition "Ragas in minor scale" is just amazing.It starts with unique sound then proceeds to more vibrant mode. Sitar's unique sound wonderfully blends with the western instruments along with our own tabla.May be i like this composition because the structure is like a typical indian song ,i dont know.The moment i play this, specially when im in travel, i always feels that angels plays their heavenly music specially to me. Thanks to Ravi Shankar and Philip Glass.Now im a big fan of the duo.

 Listen and welcome the new week with this wonderful composition.
 

The Diving-Bell And The Butterfly - Jean Dominique Bauby

"Read this book and fall back in love with life -Edmund White." This is printed at the back of this book.I should say the same thing.Wonderful book which gently looks the ups and downs of  the life.It is a  memoir of Jean-Dominique Bauby , a French journalist and editor of Elle magazine who suffered massive stroke and  was completely paralyzed(can not speak, can not move hands and legs ,can not turn) .It is called Locked-in-syndrome where mental condition remains stable but whole body paralyzed.

I can not think something like this to anyone,one can not express anything,like caged in his/her own body.But this author with all his might able to dictate this whole book by blinking only left eye.This kind of communication is called partner assisted scanning.In this author's case his partner was Claude Mendibil who devised a way to make this approach more efficient by rearranging the French alphabet in accordance with frequency of usage.So the author has to blink exactly when Claude reads his intended letter.I can not imagine how much struggle they both would have gone through.

Author's Alphabets arranged in accordance with usage

Each chapter gives insight into authors stay in hospital,his past and future.Determined to live to the fullest irrespective of his body condition Jean explores world in hospital and his life.This book is optimistic and life affirming ,the author too tried his best and to certain extend he succeeded in it. His genuine affection for his children and his dream of writing books gives great sympathy towards author.His books opened the door for many such people who are in a similar state and definitely created bit of awareness of about  'locked-in-syndrome'.

This book teach us that even when life is tough,we can still make it beautiful and worth living.A movie with the same name was released in 2007 and won many awards around the world.I have not watched adaptation yet. The author died days after the release this book.

Jean Dominique Bauby

More about the book

Click here to view the video of the author

Click here to know more about the movie

Mesmerizing Monday -2

My all time favorite Beethoven's symphony.I heard this symphony first time in 2007 in a closed room,amazing! Never skipped a moment  right from the thunderous starting to the thunderous finishing.This composition made me fall in love with the western classical music.When you listen with earphone and shut all outside world's noise, you will be definitely  transported to something beautiful and i should say divine too.

This symphony was composed during 1804-1808 and premiered Vienna's Theater an der Wein on December 22 , 1808.Beethoven dedicated this symphony to his patrons,Price Franz Joseph von Lobkowitz and Count Razumovsky.The instruments used were 2 flutes , 2 oboes,2 clarinets,2 bassons,contrabasson,2 horns,2 trumpets,3 trombones ,timpani and strings(collection of violins,cellos, basses etc). I should say that most of the instruments i never heard of before but now im getting used to these instruments sounds.

Listen and fall in love with music...!



More about Beethoven's Symphony 5
An interesting article about Symphony 5
Click here to know about symphonies of Beethoven

The Wandering Falcon - Jamil Ahmad

First , it was pleasure to read this book, over 5 days i was transported to tribal lands of Pakistan and Afghanistan.The story starts with a couple from nowhere reaches border outpost , the soldiers protects them and allows them to stay near the post.They gives birth to a boy,initially nameless latter called 'Tor Boz' by others.He is a mixed blood, of chief and outlaw.The journey of the boy is the story.

The harshness of tribal law is shown to readers very first itself by the cruel killing of the couples.There starts the wonderful and dangerous life of tribal.The story loosely flows through different tribes and character emerges within each tribes and disappears without trace and reappears again in latter chapter.There is no continuous plot.The tribal people crosses the different landscapes to survive the winter,severe cold and search of pastures over hundreds of years, they were never questioned .But now the new international boundaries are causing lots of problems to them.The author beautifully brings the issues and concerns of these people.The women in this novel are not victimized but follows whatever they can hold onto.

Tor Boz ,orphaned and brought by different people, plays a side role than  a main one, as most of the time he was a second person in the scene and stay quite absorbing.He represents no tribe as he is in all tribe.He speaks high of all eight tribes.The stories of Sherkai and Shaz Zarina are partly portrays the life and struggle of women in the tribal area.One forcefully taken out of her family and other just to get rid of her family follows the man who sell them in the market.Tor Boz buys Shaz Zarina and is in dilemma to sell her to someone for more price or marry her as he promised, his wandering continues but the novel ends there.

This is a very short book but written beautifully in easy prose and gives the reader clear picture of the nomadic life of the tribal people.The writer's vast experience on these tribal land as a government agent gives him first hand knowledge about these people and he used that knowledge to the fullest in this book.Jamil wrote this book in 1973-74 but there was no publisher to publish,it was a good thing that Penguin decided to publish this otherwise this wonderful little book would not have known to the world.

A great book to read, one of the easiest book to read, as Mark Twain on his advice on writing told "I notice that you use plain, simple language, short words and brief sentences. That is the way to write English–it is the modern way and the best way"  this book is one such book. Read and immerse in the lives of the tribal people.

  *boxed quotes from the book.

Mesmerizing Monday -1

Every Monday morning when getting ready to work i listen songs or some classical composition to make myself  feel good and relax.I started listening to both Indian and Western classical music only 5 years before.Now most of the time i listen to other languages songs. Here is my first song which always gives me wonderful feeling..

Here is the lyric:

Na na na na ... 
You're my everything 
The sun that shines above you makes the blue bird sing 
The stars that twinkle way up in the sky 

Tell me I'm in love, when I kiss your lips 
I feel the rolling thunder to my finger tips 
And all the while my head in a spin 
Deep with in I'm in love 

You're my everything and nothing 
Really matters but the love you bring 
You're my everything 
To see you in the morning with those big brown eyes 
You're my everything 
Forever and the day 
I need you close to me 
You're my everything 
You never have to worry never fear 
For I am near when I hold you tight 
there's nothing that can harm you in the lonely night 
I'll come to you and keep you safe and warm 
Yes, so strong my love 

You're my everything 
I live upon the land and see the sky above 
I'll swim within oceans sweet and warm 
There's no storm my love 

What a voice!the starting na na na.. sets the tone for the song.This song was by the French/American group Santa Esmeralda,they have many disco superhits, but this melody stands out and it remains one of the best of them till date.

Click here to know more about Santa Esmeralda

ஆழி சூழ் உலகு

One of the best Tamil book i ever read.The narration and the characterization are brilliant. The author being from a fishermen family understood their lifestyle firsthand and brings it beautifully without overdoing it,that needs special talent, Joe D Cruz has it.

I being from the same background like the author , can feel and understand Paravar's struggle in life. When i was reading the book i realized that many things have not changed in the lives of our fishermen even today.Even more pathetic is the problems within the Paravar community.They "never" unite for a cause.As described it in the book still in many fishing village Roman Catholic church plays a vital role in decision making and other things.

The main character of this novel is the vast and beautiful Ocean.The story starts with three fishermen (three generation) struggling stay afloat after the boat wreckage in 1985.The story expands through the eyes of these three -Kothra,Siluvai and Susai.As the characters comes alive we can feel their humanness and their frailties. Inspite of so many characters , the story flows like a clear stream,kudos to the author.

The typical sacrificial life of fishermen are neatly represented in this novel by characters Thommathirai, Kothra and Mary .One can see many such characters in their community even today.The 'lustful' stories of  Justin and Vasantha, and the teacher and Susai  would have been told in a better manner,this shows the author's inexperience.Its true that these kind of stories happens all the time.

Rev.Fr.Alphonse Maria Kaagu*

The life of Catholic Priest Rev.Fr.Alphonse Maria Kaagu was told beautifully.My elders used tell me about how certain priests helped them during their struggles and how they encouraged unity and peace among the communities and i understood from this book that Rev.Fr. Kaagu was one such priest.And the author did not spare the other priests who utilized the people and enjoyed their own life,even today it happens.The story of "future" priest Gilbert and the description of seminary life in Tuticorin Sirumalar Seminary is something i will not forget for a long time.

As this novel chronicles the history of  "Paravar" community, lots of historical incidents were told here and there in context with the story line, a sign of good author.Stories like 1558 St.Andrew's Church (பெலவேந்திரர் கோயில் ) incident ,and Muyaltheevu festival are told  interestingly.Another important component of this novel is death,almost every other page there is death but thats how these people are living for years.

Writer Jeyamohan in his review sums up the status of "Paravar" :

குரூஸின் நாவலுக்கு இந்றைய சூழலில் உள்ள முக்கியத்துவம் என்ன ? பரதவர் குலம் தமிழ்மக்களுள் மிகமிகத் தொன்மையான குலங்களுள் ஒன்று. அவர்களுக்கு பழையோர் என்றும் பேர் உண்டு. அவர்களைப்பற்றி சங்க இலக்கியத்தில் ஏராளமான தகவல்கள் உள்ளன. அவர்களில் பல மன்னர்கள் இருந்தமைக்கான தொல்லியல் தடையங்கள் கிடைத்தபடியே உள்ளன. அவர்களின் தொல்மதம் குறித்த தகவல்கள் மதமாற்றம் மூலம் இல்லாமலான பிறகு மறைமுகச்சுட்டுகள் மூலமே அவர்களின் தொன்மையான வாழ்க்கைமுறை அறியப்பட்டு வந்தது. ஏறத்தாழ பத்து நூற்றாண்டுகளுக்குமுன் முழுமையாகத் தோற்கடிக்கப்பட்டு பண்பாட்டின் விளிம்புக்குத் துரத்தப்பட்ட இம்மக்கள் பலவகையான சூறையாடல்களுக்கு உள்ளானார்கள். அவற்றிலிருந்து அவர்களைக் காப்பதாக கிறித்தவம் வந்தது. இஸ்லாமியரிடமிருந்தும் வடுகர்களிடமிருந்தும் தங்களைக் காப்பதாக உறுதியளித்தால் மதம்மாறுவதாக அவர்கள் போர்ச்சுக்கல்காரர்களுக்கு நிபந்தனை விதித்து அதனடிப்படையில் மதம் மாறினார்கள். புனித சவேரியார் மூலம் அவர்களுக்கு கிறிஸ்துவின் மெய்ஞானமும் கருணையும் அறிமுகமாயிற்று.

இன்று பரதவர் கடற்கரையில் சிதறி, தங்களுக்குள் பூசலிட்டு வாழும் அரசியல் அதிகாரமே இல்லாத ஒரு குலம். தேர்தல் தொகுதிகள் திட்டமிட்டு வடிவமைக்கப்பட்டமை மூலம் அவர்கள் அதிகமாக வாழும் பகுதிகள் துண்டாடப்பட்டு பலவாறாக சிதறின. எனவே அவர்கள் எங்குமே தங்கள் ஓட்டுவங்கியை உருவாக்க இயலவில்லை. அவர்களுக்கு ஜனநாயகத்தில் பிரதிநிதித்துவம் இல்லாமல் ஆயிற்று. அவர்களில் பெரிய அரசியல் தலைவர்கள் உருவாகவில்லை. அவர்கள் பாரம்பரியமாகச் செய்துவந்த தொழில்களான படகுவழி ஏற்றுமதி மீன்பதனிடுதல் போன்றவைகூட வேறு சாதியினர் கைக்குச் சென்றன. கடல் போல நிலையற்ற அலைகளாக உள்ளது அவர்கள் வாழ்க்கை

Joe D Cruz

M.Navin,a Malaysian writer aptly describe the book :
"நாவலின் பக்கங்கள் 558. மிக நீண்ட வாழ்வனுபவத்தைக் கொடுக்கும் இதுபோன்ற நாவல்கள் வழியே மீண்டும் மீண்டும் மனிதர்கள் மேல் நம்பிக்கையும் அன்பும் வைக்க முடிகின்றது. நமது வாழ்வில் நாம் வெறுக்கும் ஒருவரை மீட்டும் மனதில் நிறுத்துப்பார்க்க வைக்கிறது. காலம் ஒரு மனிதனை மாற்றியமைக்கும் பெரும் சக்தி. யார் போதிக்காவிட்டாலும் அல்லது நாமே மறுத்தாலும் கண்ணுக்குத் தெரியாத ஓர் அற உணவை மையமிட்டே நாம் இயங்க வேண்டியதாக உள்ளது. அதற்கு பதில் சொல்ல வேண்டியதாய் உள்ளது. அதனோடு காலம் முழுவதும் போராட வேண்டியுள்ளது."

The author beautifully chronicles the life of this wonderful and lovable fishing folks.A must read novel  in Tamil. And many thanks to the author for telling the world about us,the FISHERMEN.
Other reviews which i liked about "ஆழி சூழ் உலகு":
Review 1
Review 2
Review 3
Review 4
Review 5

Click here for author's interview

*Photo scanned from the book

Top 10 Highest Rated CEOs 2012

Rank	CEO	Company	Approval Rating
1.	Tim Cook	Apple	97%
2.	Jim Turley	Ernst & Young	95%
3.	Paul E.Jacobs	QUALCOMM	95%
4.	Ken Chenault	American Express	94%
5.	Lary Page	Oracle	94%
6.	Paul S.Otellini	Intel Corporation	93%
7.	Pierre Nantanme	Accenture	91%
8.	Paul Maritz	VMware	90%
9.	Howard E.Schultz	Starbucks	89%
10.	Blake W.Nordstrom	Nordstrom	89%

The surprising finding was that the legendary Steve Jobs received only 95% last year but his successor Tim cook received 97% approval this year.Good to see some of the tech CEOs in the top 10.

The above survey was conducted by glassdoor.com . "Do you approve the way of your CEO is leading the company?" -  that was the only one question asked from the employees.