A Whole New World ---

The silence of the night has always fascinated me. It intrigues me with its mysterious enigma. Most of all, it lets me be at peace with myself. Staying awake into wee hours of the morning is something I love. Colorado's mountains gave me the chance to explore this interest of mine even more. Venturing into the hills late in the night is a breathtaking experience. Words cannot do justice to the sight one gets to see. Only two trips old and I am already addicted.

The first one was a slightly less risky trip.The uphill ride to a panoramic view point at 3 in the morning was lovely. En route my friend and I made a stop over at a random spot. I didn't know that a creek was flowing by until I heard the water move. This is what I love about night, it doesn't want you to see things but wants you to feel them with your ears and your heart. If you do listen to it silently, it tells you a lot. The night with its sheer strength always humbles you telling you that you are just a speck in the vast universe. This drive was a special one, for on one side of the road there was the towering creation of nature, the brown rocks blanketed in green but all blended into one color black at night while on the other side one could see the shimmering lights from the city, a result of man's creative spirit. Mr.Edison thanks to you, I got to witness this sight. The gushing wind, bells jingling somewhere in a distant place, the moonlit mountains, stars adorning the sky, what more could one ask for. I stood there letting the wind brush my skin gently. The natural fragrance of the air was even more enticing. That is when you heart feels like flying into the sky. It yearns to be a part of the beautiful night. As we drove further up the hill, we reached a point where all that we saw was the colour black.With the headlights and even the car speedometer light off we experienced the term "pitch dark". Black is bold and beautiful. And so was the moment.

The second trip was quite an adventure. We started from home at around 11pm at night. By the time we reached the winding roads of the mountains it was midnight. That is when the night is at its best. I am not sure if I can put the feeling into words but let me try. These were the same very roads I had been through during day time. Then they seemed very friendly and open. But tonight they were not the same. The sight was eerie. But it is this eeriness that made it special. This drive was not like the previous one. This time around all that one could see was huge mountains on either side of the road. The fear of a wild animal attack was always there. Making a pit stop was inviting trouble. But then what the heck, it has to be experienced. We stepped out of the car to be numbed by the stillness of time. I have never seen so many stars at the same time ever in my life. I felt like nature was singing these lines from the song "A Whole New World" to me as it unfolded itself.

I can show you the world
Shining, shimmering, splendid
Tell me, princess, now when did
You last let your heart decide?

I can open your eyes
Take you wonder by wonder
Over, sideways and under
On a magic carpet ride

A whole new world
A new fantastic point of view
No one to tell us no
Or where to go
Or say we're only dreaming

A whole new world
A dazzling place I never knew
But when I'm way up here
It's crystal clear
That now I'm in a whole new world with you
Now I'm in a whole new world with you

Unbelievable sights
Indescribable feeling
Soaring, tumbling, freewheeling
Through an endless diamond sky.....

P.S. - To Prasanna(my friend who patiently drove us all the way) - Thank you for taking me through such a memorable journey!!!

Colorado - An Affair to Remember!!

The Precursor

Are you wondering what the title was all about??
That sums up my experience in Colorado in the past 5 months.
It all started like this.....
The first thought that struck me when I was told about my on-site assignment in Broomfield,Colorado..."Where on earth is this place?" The only recollection was two of my classmates from college had lived here.Their verdict on the place "Boring Broomfield". So, I stepped into this place with nothing short of a cold, biased opinion. Like any desi who leaves India I was asked my share of questions by my kith and kin that went like this, "How far is this place from NY?", "Are you gonna be staying someplace close to Chicago?", "Is New Jersey close by?", "Are you sure there are Indian grocery stores where you are gonna be staying?", "Are there enough Indians in that area?" The best comment of all "I heard Madhuri Dixit lives in Denver, You might stumble upon her sometime". My response "My guess is as good as yours". And I packed my bags to explore the "Land of Uncle Sam", to be more specific see what the "Wild Wild West" is all about. Is it all brown, dusty and dull(Scenes from Clint Eastwood flicks flash past?)

Stay tuned for further juice on the affair ;)

The one poem that has cast an everlasting impression on me....

If

If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you,
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you
But make allowance for their doubting too,
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or being lied about, don't deal in lies,
Or being hated, don't give way to hating,
And yet don't look too good, nor talk too wise:

If you can dream--and not make dreams your master,
If you can think--and not make thoughts your aim;
If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster
And treat those two impostors just the same;
If you can bear to hear the truth you've spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken,
And stoop and build 'em up with worn-out tools:

If you can make one heap of all your winnings
And risk it all on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings
And never breath a word about your loss;
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Except the Will which says to them: "Hold on!"

If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
Or walk with kings--nor lose the common touch,
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you;
If all men count with you, but none too much,
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds' worth of distance run,
Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it,
And--which is more--you'll be a Man, my son

--Rudyard Kipling

Kabhi Kabhi Aditi Zindagi....

Puritans might say a musical composition has to be heavy and rich in a raga. But isn't music supposed to deal with the heart than with the mind. Sometimes all that a song needs is a tune, a melody to make one feel happy and wanting to go back and listen to it again.The voice that renders it makes it even more special.
One such song that has been looping in my Winamp for close to 50 times in just about 3 days is Kabhi Kabhi Aditi from Jaane Tu Jaane Na. Our very own "The Mozart of Madras", A R Rahman has yet again come up with a piece that makes you crave for more.
But his trump card this time has not been a spiritual Sufi rhythm or a classy carnatic tune but a youthful peppy number.It has been a long time since Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak and Jo JeetaWohi Sikandar,the films which went on to create history with their fresh music that became a rage with the college goers. Just when the audience needed a breath of fresh air Aditi comes out of nowhere and charms the listener from the moment go.The song starts with a gentle and casual strumming of the guitar. You start swaying to the tune and to make you feel even more delighted comes the fresh and vibrant voice of this new kid on the block, Rashid Ali. The words flow like a smooth tide from his lips. The style is effortless and straight from the bottom of the singer's heart. It has been awhile since the audience heard of a song where the instruments have taken a backseat and let the voice do the honours. The way he goes "Hey Aditi hasde hasde hasde hasde..." makes one wanna be a teen again. A revelation indeed. I felt I had heard this voice earlier and Google confirms it. He is the voice behind the funky "Nadhir dhinna Nadhir dhinna" from Paarthale Paravasam.Wonder why ARR did not give him a chance after PP. May be destiny wanted him to wait for Aditi....

I retire from my blog for the day as Kabhi Kabhi Aditi continues to play in my lappie for the Nth time....