Sunday, June 29, 2008

Music - Modern Archaeology

Music, the synchronized sound ranging in freq - 20 to 20K Hz, has created so much difference in humanity as a whole!!

its amazing to note the effect music has on an individual or enmasse! its amazing to see that we are attracted to a pleasant (definition varies!) to an intolerant one.. the amount the effect it has in our psyche is unbelevable and perhaps a larger field to investigate..

Recently,i had this interesting experience which i wanted to share.. i was travelling in a friend's car and he played a song from yester-years.. i was immediately surrounded by profound memories of those times when i had first listened to those songs..

i still remember those days with fondness and despair (??!!)
It was when i was in 3rd grade.. i was going to my school in auto ( a shared mode of transporation with 3 wheels) .. Auto-wallah( the driver) used to come to my house in the morning at ~8.30AM to pick me up .. My mom used to get me ready by 8.20 with me all dressed up and fit to go. and then i used to sit in the stony steps in front of my house,patiently waiting for auto (rather impatiently - as always i hated school)
8- 9 AM was new songs segment in local radio station and we had a movie buff family as neighbour.. they used to play the radio aloud and i usually was entertained by it till shaken from the sullen stupor by the auto.. so, whenever i listened to those songs, i knew my time at home was over and i will be taken outta this comfort zone.. so invariably, from then on, whenever i listen to songs from that era, i become moody and all these times flash onto me..

Regardless, there are songs which specifically take me to specific time and incite emotions depending on my emotional state during the time i was introduced to the song.. emotions frozen in time..

Baby doll songs - used to hear it in Wipro shuttle.. the time when i started my career.. the time of hope and inspiration.. strangely got attributed to this raunchy number!!
"New York Nagaram" song reminds me of my first time to US.. a time when i was least clear about my future.. but was willing to take a big step
"Unnale Unnale" - when i was settled in California but was really thinking about moving on in career.. needed to think about lots of risks and mitigations!!
Azhagiya Tamil Magan - my dear car!! the good times with.. unsure lane changes ;-)

Monday, June 09, 2008

White water in Hell!

It sure sounds good as a topic :-)

I recently went for a road trip to Hells Canyon in Oregon with a colleague of mine. His wife was out of country. so it was only 2 of us on road for 3 days.

It was quite amazing to experience. It was the most unplanned trip ever so far in my life.. My initial plans for the long week end in May'08 bombed due to inclement weather in Yellowstone National park predicted for that week end. i was bit disappointed that i was gonna miss that.. it was then i met this ex-colleague of mine in a farewell lunch of our mutual friend.. he was telling us about his long road trip.. Just then , it struck me , i had never been in roadtrips that lasted more than a day of driving.. i asked him if he was interested in one for the long weekend.. he just was excited for a roadtrip as i was..

But, we had no clue as to where to drive.. i was clear on my requirement -- drive in car in unknown land as long as i can.. ( i was in fact planning to take my car for such a drive if nothing works out).. Just a day before the start of long week end, he suggested Hells Canyon, i just googled the name and it was listed as a scenic drive... Thats all the motivation i needed.. Unfortunately, rest of my friends were unavailable.. so it was only 2 of us and all we had was just a name of the drive...!!

It was really exciting as we had absolutely no expectation and so anything was better !! we rented a Camry, keyed-in the destination "Hells Canyon Recreational Area" and blasted off I-90

It turned out to be really awesome drive

Day 1
Seattle,WA -> Lewiston,OR -> Enterprise,OR

Enterprise had population of 2000!! i was really amazed with the small town (village?) we halted in a small inn to recharge ourselves..

Day 2
Enterprise,OR -> Joseph,OR -> Imnaha,OR -> Enterprise,OR -> Baker City,OR -> Halfway,OR

Morning break fast was unforgettable, we had it in a one of the local cafes, where "Every body knew every customer"!! we were the only non locals but still i felt so much at home!

Halfway turned out to be smaller than Enterprise!
it was so nice to see banner commomerating the High school graduation in all the light pole with the poster of the students!!

Day 3
We headed for the Hells Canyon dam.. it was really nice drive following the snake river up till the dam. We then walked a trail that was following the river beyond the dam..

Coming to the topic, it was a gushing swirling water, even though dam was not fully open. Water is so calm but can stand up to heavens with a roar when it matters! we saw water in one such manifestation.. it was pure white with agitation.. thats when i noticed it.. it was in its most unruly form, unpredictable..

When i was sitting over the rock in the bank, i saw the gushing water as a we humans with our life in fast forward.. there are so many of us, yet we are all same.. we travel in same direction through time.. some of us wanting to move faster than the rest, while some refusing to move forward but nevertheless pushed forward (by time) .. and some of us scale new heights while some face new troughs!!