When White Hits

I am learning Ghazals.

When I was learning Hindustani Classical Music (which was indeed a very, very long time ago), I used to look upon it as a chore. Something that I had to do, because my parents made me do it. Occasionally, a scant raga would make magic, but very occasionally. I would have continued learning music had my then teacher not insisted on tedious exams which she made very uninteresting and unappealing to a 15 year old.

I always wanted to be able to sing and dance in public, not that I plan to, but still the ability to be able to do it would be nice . Things that I have been very, very very self-conscious about. Now that the opportunity presents itself, I will not let it go. Also, after ages I have found a teacher I really liked and who did not make it sound dull and boring and a cross to bear as many teachers often do. She also made me forcibly sing a chota khayal which I really had not sung for the last 15 years. I picked up Malkauns (wrong time, but atleast I remember it well) and I was scared of her reaction and that she would laugh at my face. She did not, she told me instead, I was perfectly in rythm (taal) and my pitch was correct. I'm glad she refrained from commenting on my voice, though. I can also look forward to lots of entertainment. The teacher knows everyone in town, or so she claims AND has all wrong info. She knew one of my acquaintances who I pretended not to know and gave a long, involved story about how everyone knew the lady because she was a plastic surgeon because there were very few plastic surgeons in town, when in reality the lady is a paeditrician. I didn't let on because I found it v. entertaining and somewhat reminded me of my sister.

I'm finally doing everything I wanted to - learning my kind of music (ghazals), my kind of dance (salsa), my kind of instrument (saxophone - my poor neighbours! My lungs are seriously aching, whoever knew!) and getting to know my kind of people. Pity V's not here though.