So this is for everyone who I have utterly failed to keep in touch with--I am so so sorry I haven't responded to emails recently because things have been so crazy all the time with classes and field trips and transportation and homestay and sleep (which I won't be getting very much of tonight), but we have a surprise day off on Monday, so hopefully I will get to catch up on communication and homework and Hindi then!
Updates:
Headed to Amritsar tomorrow bright and early! Have to wake up in less than five hours...
We are going to see the Golden Temple, which is supposed to be very beautiful! It's a very important site for Sikhs in Punjab (close to Pakistan actually I think). So at least I will be able to catch some z's on the five hour train ride.
Headed to Shimla next weekend, aka old summer capital of of the British raj! Really REALLY excited to get out of Delhi for a little, especially the heat. We're looking at weathers in the low 70s and Himalayan foothills. THIS IS A BIG DEAL PEOPLE. There are 7 of us going, so it should be a good time and relaxing hopefully! Lonely Planet was helpful for planning.
Decided on a general topic for my independent study project (which I will be doing all of November!)! Even more exciting! I will be researching the work and writings of the Hungarian-Indian artist Amrita Sher-Gil, known as the Frida Kahlo of India! She was a pioneer of modernism in Indian art and painted beautifully sad Indian villagers in Shimla (!!!) and South India. She unfortunately died at the age of 29 of an undiagnosed illness, making her even more interesting. I think I'm strangely drawn to tragedy. I could potentially also be doing a painting component to my ISP as well, but not sure yet. So in November I will probably travel to Shimla again or the South! Both sound like good options to me and I'm just really excited because she seems to have had a unique outlook on the world and her place in it, and was able to express herself effectively through her art. I'd recommend people google her if they are interested!
On a side note, eggplant is slowly becoming my favorite food. Actually it's very quickly becoming my favorite food. I just can't get enough of it here!
Also, forgot to mention in my last post that we use firecrackers to deter the monkeys from the program center roof. We discovered this one day when we were eating lunch on the roof and there was a monkey that was getting a little too close for comfort, and this deafening (literally--could not hear out of one ear for a couple of minutes) noise went off. Pretty sure most people thought it was a bomb. The chef keeps a big stock of them though. Can't get enough of the monkeyz.
We heard a beautiful Indian Classical music concert last night. It was a troup of 6 musicians, and 5/6 played tabla, which is a type of Indian drum (Suchi, is this what you played? If so, you've been holding out on me). It was incredible. First the lead drummer and the sirangi player did a song together, which was very beautiful but in more of a quiet way. I think a lot of us were listening peacefully with our eyes closed, but then the second song started and all five drummers began playing in unison all at once with the most powerful sound, and it was impossible to keep your eyes closed. Watching them play is more like watching a dance than watching simply an instrumental performance. They used their whole bodies to play their instruments, and their fingers moved faster than I've ever seen anyone's fingers move. They also showed so much joy while they played, with huge smiles, sometimes unable to contain how pleased they were and emitting cries of approval. Their music was very clearly their passion and they were a privilege to watch and listen to.
Here's an example of tabla, but the players are not as vivacious in this, but gives a good example of how fast they play. Also, every note on a tabla has a vocalized sound that goes with it, so tabla players literally have their own language that they can communicate in (equally as quickly!), which is almost more impressive than the music itself. I will try to find a good example later.
Gotta try and get at least 4 hours of sleep. So much love.
I feel as though I am there with you. I eagerly go to you blog every other day! You may listen to Ala Rakha and Zakir Husain for some amazing tabla playing! Hope you are having fun at Shimla.Yes I have heard about Sher-Gil in my days of youth! I will look her up again.
ReplyDeleteMrs.Akmanchi
HIII :) No I never learned how to play the tabla. It's north Indiann. I played the mridangam for a little. Which is kind of like if you take the 2 drums of the tabla and join them together into a double sided drum that you play in your lap. It doesn't have the lilting sound of the tabla but it's powerful and I think it's still quite pretty. Tabla is played with Hindustani music (North Indian classical) but I learn to sing Carnatic music (South Indian classical). So even though there is some overlap, they are completely different styles. Alsoo I hope it's okay that I gave my mom the link to this <3 I miss you a lot.
ReplyDeleteतुम्हारी सुचि