It’s been another eventful week. I’ve now given three lectures since returning from Madurai. More on that later. Not lots and lots of concerts right now, either. Some folks like Sanjay Subrahmanian are on tour in the US, and others are laying low with December Season looming on the horizon. There was a special event to honor legendary violinist Lalgudi Jayaraman on his 80th birthday, and A.R. Rahman gave a benefit concert that drew 70,000 fans. I wasn’t able to go to either of those, but Dr. Mathivanan gave me a good report on the felicitations for Jayaraman.
Last Saturday at the Heber Hall Festival, Octavia, I met a couple of alums from some years back. The three of us ending up judging both the acoustic and the electric rock contests, a task that ended up taking from around 10 in the morning till nearly 4 in the afternoon. A long day! Thankfully they brought us some food midway through. These contests are historically supposed to be for non-MCC bands (as opposed to the Selaiyur Hall festival contest for on-campus bands). They’ve gotten a bit lax on this in recent years, though, and have opened themselves to charges of favoritism and lack of impartiality if one of the MCC bands happens to win. The two alums were especially concerned about this, so when it came time to announce the results for the acoustic contest (which took an extra long time because we wanted to be scrupulously impartial), they pointed out the issues and encouraged the hall council to rethink this in the future (to the applause of non-MCC musicians in the crowd!).
I never cease to be amazed by the absolute dedication of MCC’s alums. This may be typical of India in general, but it is an obligation with a deeply felt sense of duty (one’s dharma) to continue to serve the faculty members who were your gurus. One of these alums from the Octavia contest (and now a new friend) is John Mathew, a very bright fellow with a veddy proper British accent who has had an international career in business and the sciences that has taken him to France, Harvard, etc., and now on to London. He was a co-founder of the MCC Scrub Society (dedicated to the preservation of the endangered native scrub jungle within the campus walls), and he continues to be active in his concern for ecological issues. When asked to give a lecture for an economics forum on campus, he of course agreed, and I got to hear his very fine talk on economic and scientific aspects of environmentalism. He was very good about checking in periodically during the week of his visit, and I look forward to seeing him again at some future date … who knows where or when?
I gave a lecture last Thursday to students of the philosophy department, my home for the fall. This time the topic was Music and Emotion, with a look at music therapy and some of the recent research showing more and more clearly that brain patterns in response to music closely match brain patterns associated with human emotions, and one can even match the musical responses to specific emotions! I think back to the oral exams for my doctorate, and I remember vividly how they mostly pooh-poohed the idea that music expressed emotions. Of course, there’s the famous line from Stravinsky that music is incapable of expressing anything at all (except itself), and I think that colored the thinking of much of that generation. Fascinating that science is now on the verge of confirming common wisdom on the subject, that music does express emotions (or at least does an impressive job of evoking emotional responses in the brain). In my conversations so far with Indian musicians ranging from amateurs to skilled performers to musicians with doctorates, no one here (so far) has done anything but affirm the idea that music expresses emotion, and that each raga evokes a different kind of emotion. I’ve had some good discussions with several philosophy students since then. This seems to be a topic of great interest!
Friday it was off to Kalakshetra, perhaps Chennai’s most famous dance (and music) academy. Jospeh and I met the director, Leela Samson, and we got to talk about plans for a January visit with students. It may be too late to make it work now, but there may also be the possibility of doing a guest lecture there! We had a lovely tour—I got to visit several classes, including a violin class and a 4th year dance class (I was very pleased to recognize the dance had something to do with Krishna when I saw the flute playing gestures!). We also dropped in on the instrument library, a hut filled with violins, tanpuras, veenas, mridangams, and two very special pianos. One dates back to 1804 and belonged to the founder of Kalakshetra (in remarkably good playing condition!), and the other is a more recent gift from the estate of M.S. Subbulakshmi, one of the most famous Carnatic classical singers of the 20th century. As a young woman in the days when actresses actually sang, she had a career in film, and as Gandhi’s favorite singer, she often performed for him. She just died a few years ago, so it’s a recent gift. Anyway, I got to touch the keys of Subbulakshmi’s piano!!
Over the weekend I got to visit one of the older British churches here, the Andrews Kirk, which appears to follow the Scottish rite in its worship. This is the place where I saw the pipe organ a month or so ago, and I finally got to hear it! Arul Siromoney, the choirmaster there is the son of one of the most respected, illustrious faculty members ever at MCC, Dr. Gift Siromoney. He was a mathematician and long-time head of the department of Statistics, but he was also a Renaissance man with interests that ranged from science to art to music to birds to archeology and beyond, and he touched the lives of many students and faculty members at MCC, all of whom still speak of him with awe. So I got to see the service, hear the choir and organ, and then stay for the rehearsal. When I visited Women’s Christian College a few weeks back, I met Arul’s wife, Dr. Anna Siromoney, head of WCC’s Physics department. When I expressed interest in visiting the Kirk, she tipped me off that the choir was preparing to sing a Haydn mass on the 18th. I told her I’d be in Kerala on the 18th, so she suggested attending the rehearsal the week before. So that’s what I did. I got to sing along for the rehearsal, which was great fun, even if it was difficult to read the tiny notes in the Haydn score. Arul asked for some feedback for the choir, which I was happy to provide. Given that the choir is tucked into a high-ceilinged alcove with the organ behind the pulpit/altar area where it’s sometimes difficult to hear even the piano accompaniment, they do a very fine job. Arul has then singing with proper Classical inflections and phrasing, and they have a very lovely soprano to do the virtuoso solo work in the Benedictus.
And then we went off for lunch! Dr. Anna was hoping to welcome me to their home, but they are in the middle of having the place painted, so things are somewhat discombobulated, and when the power went out after church, we all decided to head for a restaurant. She asked if I was homesick for American food after two months in India, and I thought for a few seconds and said, yes, that would be very nice, thank you! So it was off to Sparky’s an American diner run by an American who has spent time in Madison, Rockford, and Chicago’s western suburbs! “Never trust a skinny chef” is the place’s motto, seen on the sign out front, the placemats, and elsewhere. The walls are covered with state license plates, American kitsch, and the kind of signage you would see at Famous Dave’s (mmmm!) back home. And the menu had four pages chock full of the foods you might see at a diner back home! This is the closest I’ve seen to real American food in all my time in India—hamburgers, Philly beef, lasagna, etc., etc. Yes, you can get a hamburger with chicken or with a veggie pattie, but here you can also get real beef! I usually feel uncomfortable eating beef in India, but after two months here it sounded really good, so I ordered the Philly beef with onions, green peppers, and extra cheese. Yum! Just a little sweet, as if there was a bit of teriyaki sauce, but otherwise very good! Joining us were the soprano soloist and her friend, Arthur, the philosophy student Gabriel asked to accompany me into the city, and Arul’s mother! She is also something of a legend at MCC, and I remembered enough of my MCC history to know which department she was in and that she had written an article mathematical relationships in kolam patterns (the rice chalk drawings you see on sidewalks and roads just outside of many front doors, especially elaborate and colorful for holidays like Pongal.) She was very pleased that I knew something about her and her work, and we eventually discovered that I had also spent time in the house they once lived in on campus—when I had been invited to Merlin Isaac’s house for dinner early in my stay. What fun!
The last few days have been back to the grind! Monday, I gave a lecture on Music and Numbers for the MCC Math Association—probably 200 faculty and students in attendance in Anderson Hall, the college’s biggest lecture hall, used for conferences, special lectures, and the like. And today I gave a lecture that had nothing to do with music! My good friend Joseph Sathiaraj asked for a lecture on U.S. Gender Equality (or the lack thereof!) for students in the college’s values education program. And now that I’ve finished it, I think that will be my last MCC lecture for Term 1, which ends soon enough anyway. (Term 2 begins the last week of November, and even is later than scheduled due to the college closing for 2 weeks in August over swine flu concerns.) But better than finishing off the semester or lectures or anything else … Virginia arrives late tomorrow night!!! It’s been a long seven weeks since I last saw her (Skype conversations, even twice-daily, still don’t count as seeing her!), and I can hardly wait. I’ll have time tomorrow to pick up around the room and get ready. Her flight comes in at 11:05 p.m., but it’ll probably be midnight before she can leave the terminal. It’s going to be a looooong wait at the gate! We get a few days on campus, lunch with Sathiaraj and a get-together with Suri, and then it’s off to Kerala and Ooty for a week—some real vacation, and cooler temperatures, especially in Ooty. Kerala is on the lush side of India, the place where the monsoon first hits in May or June. Beautiful beaches, vegetation, and mountains (the Western Ghats). The call it God’s Own Country! Since I grew up in God’s Country (LaCrosse, Wisconsin), we’ll just have to see about that! We’ll be on a houseboat for a couple of nights on Kerala’s lovely, serene backwaters. Ooty is at about 7,500 feet elevation, and they’ve been getting warmer than usual October weather this week … all the way up to 70 degrees Fahrenheit! Sounds really good about now!
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Sunday, October 4, 2009
Madurai
It was a long, bumpy four-hour bus ride from Thanjavur to Madurai. It was my first ride cross-country on a public bus in India. Kausalya warned me never to leave my bag unattended and not to take any snacks from anybody. Occasionally these snacks are drugged, and they’ll steal your stuff once you fall asleep. The seats were really narrow, and with a broad-shouldered fellow next to me it was hard to keep from falling into the center aisle on the frequent sharp left turns. Fortunately, this fellow got off one hour into the trip, and his place was taken by a small boy! I was enjoying all the extra room to stretch out when suddenly I noticed the boy starting to barf. I was quick enough to move aside and avoid being hurled upon, but the odor was certainly pungent. There was no other place I could move to, so I just had to live with it. At this point the boy moved onto his mother’s lap on the next seat, leaving me with no one in the seat next to me. When a fellow standing in the aisle moved forward to take the now empty (but barfy) seat, I turned to let him in, resigned to have a full-sized seat mate for the rest of the trip. But when the mother pointed out the vomit on the floor, he decided he’d rather stand. At this point I realized a miracle had just occurred! Everytime anyone came forward to take the empty seat, someone would point to the vomit and they would turn back. For the rest of the trip, NOBODY was going to take that empty seat. And you know, as it dried up, the smell dissipated as well!
Kausalya put me on a very early bus so I’d be sure to arrive before the heat of the day. I made it to Madurai shortly after 11:00 a.m., and was checking in at the hotel by noon. After the heat of the previous few days in Thillaisthanam, I decided that a long, relaxing afternoon in the air conditioned comfort of my hotel room was exactly what the doctor ordered. I ate the buffet lunch and dinner at the hotel and got to enjoy some foods I had not eaten in a long time! (Outside of the occasional fish, chicken is definitely the meat of choice at MCC.) Another nice afternoon nap, time to check some internet—just a lovely, lazy day.
Next morning my guide and car arrived at 8:30, and we headed directly to the Meenakshi Temple, one of the most impressive temple complexes in all of south India. The old part of the city is arranged with the streets circling the temple like the petals of a lotus blossom, but it’s now so built up that you rarely see the temple’s towering gopurams until you’re right next to it. And it is spectacular! There are a dozen of the tall, tall gopurams over the temple’s gateways, etc., the tallest of which is 170 ft. high! They are profusely decorated with divinities of all sorts and brightly painted (by city ordinance from the 1950s!). You just have to see some of the photos in my Flickr Photostream! We spent two hours there roaming from pillared hall to pillared hall, past the Golden Lotus Tank, and on to the entrances to the inner sanctums of the two primary gods here: Shiva and Meenakshi, the fish-eyed goddess (a sign of beauty), herself a manifestation of Parvati, the consort of Shiva. Neither of these are open to non-Hindus, so all I could do was peek into the doorways and look back as far as possible. I could almost make out Meenakshi’s idol (I think), but could not see Shiva’s at all (I don’t think—hard to know for sure!). So much to see, and so hard to absorb even a fraction of it!
After the temple, we visited the Nayaks’ palace, a Catholic church, and the Gandhi Museum. Madurai was the place where Gandhi first adopted the lunghi as his typical garb, and 50 years ago (this year!) Nehru established this as the first Gandhi museum in India. The displays are very well done, giving a good picture not only of Gandhi’s life, protests, and accomplishments, but a history of Indian resistance against the British going back to the 1700s. It’s not as gross as sounds, but one of the display cases contains the blood-stained shawl Gandhi was wearing when he died. There are a few striking works of art as well, including a tableau commemorating the day Gandhi insisted the Harijans (his name for the Dalits, or untouchables) be allowed to enter the temple with all of the other Hindus! Well worth the visit!
Then back for a quiet afternoon. In the evening I took the guide’s suggestion and went back to the Meenakshi Temple about half an hour before closing. Non-Hindus can’t see the idols of Shiva and Meenakshi when they are in their inner sanctums, but every night they remove Shiva from his sanctum and parade him down the hallway in a silver palanquin. They take him into Meenakshi’s sanctum where they can spend the night in bed together. Their celestial lovemaking is supposed to keep the world (and universe) in balance and well-ordered. I came to watch the procession, and waited near the entrance to the Meenaskhi sanctum till about 9:15, when a procession came down the hall from the Shiva sanctum with tavil beating and nadashwaram blaring, the traditional auspicious instruments. The palanquin was set down at the entrance to Meenakshi’s sanctum, where the priests set down a silver step stool and proceeded to bathe it with milk and other fluids and cover it with garlands and flower petals while another fellow fanned sacred smoke in their direction. As the priests carried out their oblations, there was constant chanting or other music going on while many people circumambulated the palanquin (always in a clockwise direction). Eventually they carried the palanquin into the sanctum and out of my view with many Hindus following the priests inside to watch them put the idols to bed for the night. At the crack of dawn they will reverse the process and return Shiva to his own sanctum. I walked out of the temple with the sounds of the procession still ringing through the pillared hallways!
Next morning the guide and car came at 9:00 and we headed out to see a few temples. To the east of the city was Alagarkoil, a Vishnu temple, and to the west was Thiruparankunram. The sanctum of this temple is cut right into the huge rock hill that dominates the town, the hill itself said to be one of the abodes of Sri Murugan, son of Shiva. Unusually, there are five gods enshrined in the sanctum here. If I have it right, they are: Shiva, Parvati, Ganesha, Vishnu, and Lakshmi. There is a school for Hindu priests here, and we are in time to watch a bit of their classes before they break for the morning. Further around the hill you can climb up to see the Jain Caves. It’s a rugged climb, first up a long stone staircase, and then up several series of steps cut right into the rock face. The views are spectacular, but it is very windy. It is hard to imagine living in the very small caves that dent the hill’s rock face, though they are certainly cooler than the rock outside where the sun beats down all day. It is said these Jains would spend the day in the caves and go into town in the evening to preach and teach (not always very popular with the authorities!). Then back to the hotel for another relaxed afternoon, but now I have to pack and catch the 6:00 p.m. train back to Chennai. It will be good to get back to MCC—this has been a strenuous trip—but I return having had experiences I would not trade for anything in the world.
Kausalya put me on a very early bus so I’d be sure to arrive before the heat of the day. I made it to Madurai shortly after 11:00 a.m., and was checking in at the hotel by noon. After the heat of the previous few days in Thillaisthanam, I decided that a long, relaxing afternoon in the air conditioned comfort of my hotel room was exactly what the doctor ordered. I ate the buffet lunch and dinner at the hotel and got to enjoy some foods I had not eaten in a long time! (Outside of the occasional fish, chicken is definitely the meat of choice at MCC.) Another nice afternoon nap, time to check some internet—just a lovely, lazy day.
Next morning my guide and car arrived at 8:30, and we headed directly to the Meenakshi Temple, one of the most impressive temple complexes in all of south India. The old part of the city is arranged with the streets circling the temple like the petals of a lotus blossom, but it’s now so built up that you rarely see the temple’s towering gopurams until you’re right next to it. And it is spectacular! There are a dozen of the tall, tall gopurams over the temple’s gateways, etc., the tallest of which is 170 ft. high! They are profusely decorated with divinities of all sorts and brightly painted (by city ordinance from the 1950s!). You just have to see some of the photos in my Flickr Photostream! We spent two hours there roaming from pillared hall to pillared hall, past the Golden Lotus Tank, and on to the entrances to the inner sanctums of the two primary gods here: Shiva and Meenakshi, the fish-eyed goddess (a sign of beauty), herself a manifestation of Parvati, the consort of Shiva. Neither of these are open to non-Hindus, so all I could do was peek into the doorways and look back as far as possible. I could almost make out Meenakshi’s idol (I think), but could not see Shiva’s at all (I don’t think—hard to know for sure!). So much to see, and so hard to absorb even a fraction of it!
After the temple, we visited the Nayaks’ palace, a Catholic church, and the Gandhi Museum. Madurai was the place where Gandhi first adopted the lunghi as his typical garb, and 50 years ago (this year!) Nehru established this as the first Gandhi museum in India. The displays are very well done, giving a good picture not only of Gandhi’s life, protests, and accomplishments, but a history of Indian resistance against the British going back to the 1700s. It’s not as gross as sounds, but one of the display cases contains the blood-stained shawl Gandhi was wearing when he died. There are a few striking works of art as well, including a tableau commemorating the day Gandhi insisted the Harijans (his name for the Dalits, or untouchables) be allowed to enter the temple with all of the other Hindus! Well worth the visit!
Then back for a quiet afternoon. In the evening I took the guide’s suggestion and went back to the Meenakshi Temple about half an hour before closing. Non-Hindus can’t see the idols of Shiva and Meenakshi when they are in their inner sanctums, but every night they remove Shiva from his sanctum and parade him down the hallway in a silver palanquin. They take him into Meenakshi’s sanctum where they can spend the night in bed together. Their celestial lovemaking is supposed to keep the world (and universe) in balance and well-ordered. I came to watch the procession, and waited near the entrance to the Meenaskhi sanctum till about 9:15, when a procession came down the hall from the Shiva sanctum with tavil beating and nadashwaram blaring, the traditional auspicious instruments. The palanquin was set down at the entrance to Meenakshi’s sanctum, where the priests set down a silver step stool and proceeded to bathe it with milk and other fluids and cover it with garlands and flower petals while another fellow fanned sacred smoke in their direction. As the priests carried out their oblations, there was constant chanting or other music going on while many people circumambulated the palanquin (always in a clockwise direction). Eventually they carried the palanquin into the sanctum and out of my view with many Hindus following the priests inside to watch them put the idols to bed for the night. At the crack of dawn they will reverse the process and return Shiva to his own sanctum. I walked out of the temple with the sounds of the procession still ringing through the pillared hallways!
Next morning the guide and car came at 9:00 and we headed out to see a few temples. To the east of the city was Alagarkoil, a Vishnu temple, and to the west was Thiruparankunram. The sanctum of this temple is cut right into the huge rock hill that dominates the town, the hill itself said to be one of the abodes of Sri Murugan, son of Shiva. Unusually, there are five gods enshrined in the sanctum here. If I have it right, they are: Shiva, Parvati, Ganesha, Vishnu, and Lakshmi. There is a school for Hindu priests here, and we are in time to watch a bit of their classes before they break for the morning. Further around the hill you can climb up to see the Jain Caves. It’s a rugged climb, first up a long stone staircase, and then up several series of steps cut right into the rock face. The views are spectacular, but it is very windy. It is hard to imagine living in the very small caves that dent the hill’s rock face, though they are certainly cooler than the rock outside where the sun beats down all day. It is said these Jains would spend the day in the caves and go into town in the evening to preach and teach (not always very popular with the authorities!). Then back to the hotel for another relaxed afternoon, but now I have to pack and catch the 6:00 p.m. train back to Chennai. It will be good to get back to MCC—this has been a strenuous trip—but I return having had experiences I would not trade for anything in the world.
Asking directions
Odds and ends from the last 3 weeks—
It didn’t hit me till afterwards, but I guess I’m becoming something of an old hand on the MCC campus. Wednesday (a couple of weeks ago) I was taking a (hot!) longer than usual walk to use the ATM on the edge of the campus. I was on the last bit of road leading to the guest house when a two-wheeler (translation: motorcycle) pulls up and the fellow on the back seat asks for directions to the philosophy department. Bear in mind that I could not have helped one lick if he had asked for the departments of political science, economics, chemistry, or math (among others), but he was asking directions to my home department, and I could tell him the name of the hall and exactly how to get there! Up till now, I’ve been the one asking directions. Add to that a couple of notices in the MCC Newsletter—one alerting the campus to my presence here as “Scholar in Residence,” the other listing the lecture I presented in the Philosophy department 2 weeks back on a faculty accomplishments page—and I’m starting to feel like I belong. (Don’t fret, Virginia … you don’t know how glad I will be to come back home to you!!)
Got a nice visit from Vimal, director of the Heber Chapel Choir here on campus. I’ve been helping him acquire some music and books to help out the church musicians here on campus. We’ve been talking about doing some sessions with folks who are interested, perhaps some music history, perhaps some music theory. It was lovely to chat with a musician! We got to talking about the donation of a refurbished pipe organ for Heber Chapel. There’s a fellow who has been rehabing organs here in south India, and charging a pretty penny for the privilege. He’ll install this organ as long as they will maintain the instrument on a regular basis. Fortunately the donor is happy to provide this funding on an ongoing basis as well. As we talk, I am surprised to learn I was absolutely wrong (see One Week Down entry) about the number of pipe organs in India. Vimal tells me there are quite a few—most of them in disuse or disrepair, but lots and lots of them. They are another piece of the British heritage here; after all, how can you have a proper Anglican church service without a proper pipe organ? In turn, Vimal is very surprised to learn that the singers in my church choir back home are not all monster sight readers. I have to tell him that many of my music majors are not so good at this, either! He feels like he has to work so hard to get his singers to read notes, follow the director, produce a nice sound and blend, etc., etc. I can’t help but laugh as he talks, and I tell him that these are the things all choir directors struggle with everywhere. Certainly there are a few problems unique to the Indian context, but they are not huge problems compared to what we all face every time we step in front of a choir.
Before Vimal leaves, we agree to go out for pizza in the very near future, and when the day comes, we’re a foursome: Vimal, Suri, a friend of Suri’s celebrating his 25th birthday, and myself. We went over to Pizza Corner, a place some of my American students frequented in 2007. It may not have been the world’s best pizza, but it tasted like it to me!! I mentioned earlier how much I have missed cheese in my diet, so Suri made sure we ordered double cheese, and it was soooooo good. Best of all, it was wonderful to have company at dinner-time. Since then Suri has invited me over to his “pad” on a couple of occasions—some of the company I’ve been craving. Suri is such a kind man; he made a note of my cheese craving, and the next time I visited his place, he brought out a plate of cheese chunks! Suri also has a passion for American pop music of the 1960s (Beatles, Dylan, etc.), especially the more folk-oriented stuff. He helped coordinate a Beatles festival here on campus earlier this year with good performances of lots of classic songs. Like the historian he is, he knows an incredible number of those songs, many more than I do, and he’s even several years younger than I am!
It didn’t hit me till afterwards, but I guess I’m becoming something of an old hand on the MCC campus. Wednesday (a couple of weeks ago) I was taking a (hot!) longer than usual walk to use the ATM on the edge of the campus. I was on the last bit of road leading to the guest house when a two-wheeler (translation: motorcycle) pulls up and the fellow on the back seat asks for directions to the philosophy department. Bear in mind that I could not have helped one lick if he had asked for the departments of political science, economics, chemistry, or math (among others), but he was asking directions to my home department, and I could tell him the name of the hall and exactly how to get there! Up till now, I’ve been the one asking directions. Add to that a couple of notices in the MCC Newsletter—one alerting the campus to my presence here as “Scholar in Residence,” the other listing the lecture I presented in the Philosophy department 2 weeks back on a faculty accomplishments page—and I’m starting to feel like I belong. (Don’t fret, Virginia … you don’t know how glad I will be to come back home to you!!)
Got a nice visit from Vimal, director of the Heber Chapel Choir here on campus. I’ve been helping him acquire some music and books to help out the church musicians here on campus. We’ve been talking about doing some sessions with folks who are interested, perhaps some music history, perhaps some music theory. It was lovely to chat with a musician! We got to talking about the donation of a refurbished pipe organ for Heber Chapel. There’s a fellow who has been rehabing organs here in south India, and charging a pretty penny for the privilege. He’ll install this organ as long as they will maintain the instrument on a regular basis. Fortunately the donor is happy to provide this funding on an ongoing basis as well. As we talk, I am surprised to learn I was absolutely wrong (see One Week Down entry) about the number of pipe organs in India. Vimal tells me there are quite a few—most of them in disuse or disrepair, but lots and lots of them. They are another piece of the British heritage here; after all, how can you have a proper Anglican church service without a proper pipe organ? In turn, Vimal is very surprised to learn that the singers in my church choir back home are not all monster sight readers. I have to tell him that many of my music majors are not so good at this, either! He feels like he has to work so hard to get his singers to read notes, follow the director, produce a nice sound and blend, etc., etc. I can’t help but laugh as he talks, and I tell him that these are the things all choir directors struggle with everywhere. Certainly there are a few problems unique to the Indian context, but they are not huge problems compared to what we all face every time we step in front of a choir.
Before Vimal leaves, we agree to go out for pizza in the very near future, and when the day comes, we’re a foursome: Vimal, Suri, a friend of Suri’s celebrating his 25th birthday, and myself. We went over to Pizza Corner, a place some of my American students frequented in 2007. It may not have been the world’s best pizza, but it tasted like it to me!! I mentioned earlier how much I have missed cheese in my diet, so Suri made sure we ordered double cheese, and it was soooooo good. Best of all, it was wonderful to have company at dinner-time. Since then Suri has invited me over to his “pad” on a couple of occasions—some of the company I’ve been craving. Suri is such a kind man; he made a note of my cheese craving, and the next time I visited his place, he brought out a plate of cheese chunks! Suri also has a passion for American pop music of the 1960s (Beatles, Dylan, etc.), especially the more folk-oriented stuff. He helped coordinate a Beatles festival here on campus earlier this year with good performances of lots of classic songs. Like the historian he is, he knows an incredible number of those songs, many more than I do, and he’s even several years younger than I am!
Thillaisthanam
My goodness, it’s been a long while since I wrote anything in my blog! Needless to say, it’s been an incredibly hectic (and ultimately wonderful) couple of weeks. First it was a week with three lectures (ouch!) and not much sleep followed by a trip to read a paper at the OSLE-India International Conference, and then there was a good six days spent in Tiruvaiyaru (near Thanjavur) and Madurai. There’s no way I can get everything into just one entry, so I’ll go with highlights and fill in other details in later entries. And do I have some pictures! I’ll get some of those up as soon as I can, but first the blog!
I have to start in Tiruvaiyaru (actually Thillaisthanam, a small rural village 2 km. to the west), the real emotional heart of my journey south. I met Dr. Kausalya in 2006 when she was still principal of the Government Music College in Tiruvaiyaru. I had traveled there to see the place where St. Tyagaraja (south India’s Beethoven) had lived, composed his great music, and died. I was also keen on arranging a visit with my students to the Tyagaraja Aradhana, one of the most important and most sacred music festivals in this part of the world. At that time she welcomed me at the college, a venerable old building on the banks of the Kaveri River. She saw to it that I visited the Tyagaraja shrine, the temple, the art gallery, etc.; she prevailed upon a younger colleague to give me a complete tour of the college; she invited me to observe her veena class; and following a conversation about the joys and trials of running the college for so many years, she invited me to her home to see the work she was doing with children in her neighborhood, a project she was hoping to continue and expand after her impending retirement (mandatory at age 58 here!). I was deeply impressed by such hospitality, but I also came away feeling a deep sense of connection with a woman who only a few days earlier had been a total stranger. And when I brought my students to Tiruvaiyaru in 2007, she was magnificent! She got us into the inner sanctum of the Saraswati Mahal Library where the curator showed us some of the rarest treasures from the library of Serfoji II (1777-1832, last of the sovereign Maratha maharajahs). Over the protests of security guards who said it was full, she walked us into an evening concert at the festival. She brought one of Thanjavur’s best hereditary veena makers to do a demonstration. She arranged a concert at the resort done by a folk singer who is now a very big star. She even got us into the press box on the holy day itself, sitting right next to the musicians (hundreds of them) as they sang Tyagaraja’s Five Jewels—right after the procession arrived from the site of Tyagaraja’s home (torn down in 2006, sadly). But perhaps most impressive of all, we got to see the children she works with, singing and dancing in beautiful costumes, looking much different than the motley bunch I had seen the previous summer. Her hard work was paying off in visible, tangible ways.
Fast-forward to September 2009. I have not seen Kausalya since January 2007. Over the past year, I had sent a letter twice asking about our 2010 course, but had not heard back. Once I arrived in India in August, good friend Joseph provided me with her email address. She’s now online! We were able to set up a visit following my conference in Tiruchi, just an hour and a half away from her home. But then she reads an announcement about the conference (and my talk!) in the newspaper, and she writes that she would like to hear the paper, too! So sure enough, as I’m sitting on the platform waiting to give my paper, in walks Kausalya. Same as we saw in Thanjavur in January 2007, she is immediately recognized as a guest of importance and is escorted to a seat in the front row. After I finish my talk, the principal of National College in Tiruchi (our conference host) walks down and sits next to Kausalya—clearly he knows her well, too! We have a few minutes to chat, and I tell her I can leave earlier than expected, so I will be there for her students’ gathering that evening after all. She warns me there will be no A/C in her guest room, but can arrange for that in Thanjavur if I absolutely, positively must have it. We agree to decide that once I arrive, and she is off to make preparations!
After some warm farewells from my OSLE friends Dr. Nirmal, Susan, and Rayson, I’m off for a car ride cross-country from Tiruchi to Tiruvaiyaru. This is the Kaveri delta region, and there are many river channels to cross, small villages to pass through, and fields and rice patties to look at. A little rain on the way (always welcome here, both for the water it brings and the cooling effect it has), but finally we arrive. Keenly aware that I appear tired (and I am dog-tired after a couple of short nights and an overnight train to Tiruchi), she offers me a chance to lie down while. I come out almost too late to see the student gathering. They are there to celebrate Navaratri (the doll festival), gathered around a stair-like arrangement of shelves with dolls representing various gods, goddesses, etc. from the Hindu pantheon. There are dances and songs, similar to what I remembered from 2007, and while many of the children are new, a few remember me from 2007 (though at least one is no longer a child!). After some conversation and a simple dinner of idli and chutney, it’s off to bed.
Kausalya’s work with the children has definitely taken on new dimensions. She has created a foundation, Marabu, and acquired a house right across the street from her home in the village of Thillaisthanam. She has done significant work remodeling the place, adding Western toilets and an upstairs that will provide more guest rooms when finished. The foundation house of course provides space for her work with the children and the veena students she takes on, but she is also looking to provide accommodations and instruction for international students who wish to come and study veena in more-or-less traditional gurukulam fashion, where you live with your guru and devote your time to study. I hope this will catch on. She’s not going to charge the exorbitant fees a student would encounter in Chennai (in fact, there will likely be no tuition fee), and the calm, peaceful rural setting, wonderful home-cooked vegetarian meals, and the amazing musical heritage of this place could not fail to attract students looking for an authentic Indian experience. The trinity of Carnatic classical music—Tyagaraja, Sastri, and Dikshitar—all lived in this area in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, and one can still sense their presence here.
For three days and nights I managed to both survive the heat and get rested up for the trip to Madurai. Afternoon naps were a must, as it was too hot to do much else without the possibility of occasional retreats to air conditioning. Late afternoons and evenings were a time to observe her work with students or get out and poke around. One evening I took a walk down the street with a neighbor to visit the local school and schoolmaster and sit awhile with the neighbor and his son. This is a small rural village, and I’m not sure what I expected, but the people I met were very literate and well-educated, and many had good English skills as well. I was surprised, quite frankly. Another evening we visited the temple of the moon goddess, Chandran, another local temple in Thillaisthanam, and the Tyagaraja Samadhi on the Kaveri river (looking very different than it did during the festival in 2007!). On the way we were “delayed” by a street festival with musicians, and elephant, and a float in honor of a local poet-goddess. We got out of the car to look, and suddenly I was an honored guest decked with a shawl by one of the festival organizers!
Mornings were a time for poojas, or devotions. One must bathe beforehand, and on second morning we had to wait and do nothing between 7:30 and 9:00, when Saturn was in an inauspicious position! Poojas include chanting, gifts of fresh fruit and a broken coconut, floral garlands and flower petals to be sprinkled on objects in your home’s shrine, a camphor flame used to cense sacred objects, and kneeling and bowing (but never to the south). As the senior member of the household (I assume), her mother always took the role of chief ritualist. There’s almost a sense of a new year, or at least a new beginning, with the Navarathri festival. All of the tools of your trade must be presented as part of the pooja at the end of the festival, and so Kausalya’s veenas were also presented, beshawled, and sprinkled with petals. As I tossed petals on one of her veenas, the stem hit a string at exactly the right angle to make it ring. Her eyes got wide and she explained that this was a very auspicious, positive response from Saraswati (goddess of music, like St. Cecilia or one of the Greek muses), and that I would have a blessed year! The second morning she started dismantling the dolls, to be stored until next year (like Christmas ornaments and decorations). I did not see the pooja for her computer, but she invited me to see the pooja for the car, done by her driver. He censed the entire car—under the hood, inside the car, around and under each of the four tires. And when that was done, you had to go for a ritual drive, visit the local temple, and buy something auspicious. So off we went for a ride, and all the while she, the driver, and her brother (visiting from Chennai) were pointing out the numerous vehicles decorated with garlands, palm branches, etc. as part of the festival’s end. Also like New Year’s, once all the tools of the trade are blessed, it’s time to begin again: to take on new students, to start new courses of instruction, and so on.
Over the course of those three days, we had many conversations. Over meals I learned a great deal about rural Brahmin cooking and cuisine and how to eat these foods in the traditional way. I think the biggest laugh I got from Kausalya came when I asked what she would do for entertainment when I was no longer there to amuse them with my clumsy attempts at eating with my right hand! When I observed any activity, she was careful to explain what was going on to help me understand. In quiet moments between things or in the evening, we had some longer conversations that ranged through various topics. Of course, there were many conversations about January and the arrival of my students. She welcomes our plans to take video of her work with the children and to interview her about various aspects of the foundation’s work. But she also wants us to learn some songs and dances from her children, to take a beginning veena lesson with her (where there is interest), and eat some traditional home-cooked meals. And now that January is not so far away, she is brainstorming other possibilities around town—visits to the temple, the Aradhana, the art gallery, the newly-renovated Durbar Hall (magnificent, she say!), and maybe even a visit with the Prince (descendant of Serfoji II)! I suspect that whatever happens in January will be far beyond what I can imagine—even though I’ve been here three times now!
We also had opportunities to talk about our families, she about the many relatives in the photos hanging on her walls, I about my concerns for my father and sister and my plans to be home for Christmas, more important for my family than any other time of year. Early on, her mother asked if I was English or German, since they are often “stout,” and I had to tell her that while I am an American, she had it just about right. I’m German on both sides and English/British Isles on my father’s side. She only missed the Polish from my mother’s side!
On the last night Kausalya told me I was unlike any American she had ever met: soft-spoken, thoughtful, and even somewhat child-like. It is true that I am frequently in awe of her; she is a strong woman with a big heart and a big vision. In her presence (and on her turf) I also often felt like a student with much to learn, walking around with my eyes and ears wide open. Even after four previous visits, so much is still foreign and unfamiliar, and this was my first real experience spending this much time in a rural setting, so very different from the MCC college campus I have come to know so well. Still, I think we each know where the other’s heart is, and that night she called me her brother. Even now I cannot begin to explain the bond we have had since our first meeting, for it is something deeper than words. There may be an element of mutual curiosity, but there is certainly an abundance of genuine respect and affection. Whatever it is, it is something wonderful and touching. On the final morning, her mother said, “Please come back!” And as I waved goodbye to Kausalya and her driver while my bus to Madurai pulled out of the station, unexpected tears welled up in my eyes. If there is an emotional heart to my journey so far, this was it. In the meantime, I am instructed to give her warm greetings to my mother and father, to my brother and sisters, to my wife and children, and to my grandchildren. Virginia is already telling family members that I have a new sister, and I shall greet them all for Kausalya when I get home for Christmas.
I have to start in Tiruvaiyaru (actually Thillaisthanam, a small rural village 2 km. to the west), the real emotional heart of my journey south. I met Dr. Kausalya in 2006 when she was still principal of the Government Music College in Tiruvaiyaru. I had traveled there to see the place where St. Tyagaraja (south India’s Beethoven) had lived, composed his great music, and died. I was also keen on arranging a visit with my students to the Tyagaraja Aradhana, one of the most important and most sacred music festivals in this part of the world. At that time she welcomed me at the college, a venerable old building on the banks of the Kaveri River. She saw to it that I visited the Tyagaraja shrine, the temple, the art gallery, etc.; she prevailed upon a younger colleague to give me a complete tour of the college; she invited me to observe her veena class; and following a conversation about the joys and trials of running the college for so many years, she invited me to her home to see the work she was doing with children in her neighborhood, a project she was hoping to continue and expand after her impending retirement (mandatory at age 58 here!). I was deeply impressed by such hospitality, but I also came away feeling a deep sense of connection with a woman who only a few days earlier had been a total stranger. And when I brought my students to Tiruvaiyaru in 2007, she was magnificent! She got us into the inner sanctum of the Saraswati Mahal Library where the curator showed us some of the rarest treasures from the library of Serfoji II (1777-1832, last of the sovereign Maratha maharajahs). Over the protests of security guards who said it was full, she walked us into an evening concert at the festival. She brought one of Thanjavur’s best hereditary veena makers to do a demonstration. She arranged a concert at the resort done by a folk singer who is now a very big star. She even got us into the press box on the holy day itself, sitting right next to the musicians (hundreds of them) as they sang Tyagaraja’s Five Jewels—right after the procession arrived from the site of Tyagaraja’s home (torn down in 2006, sadly). But perhaps most impressive of all, we got to see the children she works with, singing and dancing in beautiful costumes, looking much different than the motley bunch I had seen the previous summer. Her hard work was paying off in visible, tangible ways.
Fast-forward to September 2009. I have not seen Kausalya since January 2007. Over the past year, I had sent a letter twice asking about our 2010 course, but had not heard back. Once I arrived in India in August, good friend Joseph provided me with her email address. She’s now online! We were able to set up a visit following my conference in Tiruchi, just an hour and a half away from her home. But then she reads an announcement about the conference (and my talk!) in the newspaper, and she writes that she would like to hear the paper, too! So sure enough, as I’m sitting on the platform waiting to give my paper, in walks Kausalya. Same as we saw in Thanjavur in January 2007, she is immediately recognized as a guest of importance and is escorted to a seat in the front row. After I finish my talk, the principal of National College in Tiruchi (our conference host) walks down and sits next to Kausalya—clearly he knows her well, too! We have a few minutes to chat, and I tell her I can leave earlier than expected, so I will be there for her students’ gathering that evening after all. She warns me there will be no A/C in her guest room, but can arrange for that in Thanjavur if I absolutely, positively must have it. We agree to decide that once I arrive, and she is off to make preparations!
After some warm farewells from my OSLE friends Dr. Nirmal, Susan, and Rayson, I’m off for a car ride cross-country from Tiruchi to Tiruvaiyaru. This is the Kaveri delta region, and there are many river channels to cross, small villages to pass through, and fields and rice patties to look at. A little rain on the way (always welcome here, both for the water it brings and the cooling effect it has), but finally we arrive. Keenly aware that I appear tired (and I am dog-tired after a couple of short nights and an overnight train to Tiruchi), she offers me a chance to lie down while. I come out almost too late to see the student gathering. They are there to celebrate Navaratri (the doll festival), gathered around a stair-like arrangement of shelves with dolls representing various gods, goddesses, etc. from the Hindu pantheon. There are dances and songs, similar to what I remembered from 2007, and while many of the children are new, a few remember me from 2007 (though at least one is no longer a child!). After some conversation and a simple dinner of idli and chutney, it’s off to bed.
Kausalya’s work with the children has definitely taken on new dimensions. She has created a foundation, Marabu, and acquired a house right across the street from her home in the village of Thillaisthanam. She has done significant work remodeling the place, adding Western toilets and an upstairs that will provide more guest rooms when finished. The foundation house of course provides space for her work with the children and the veena students she takes on, but she is also looking to provide accommodations and instruction for international students who wish to come and study veena in more-or-less traditional gurukulam fashion, where you live with your guru and devote your time to study. I hope this will catch on. She’s not going to charge the exorbitant fees a student would encounter in Chennai (in fact, there will likely be no tuition fee), and the calm, peaceful rural setting, wonderful home-cooked vegetarian meals, and the amazing musical heritage of this place could not fail to attract students looking for an authentic Indian experience. The trinity of Carnatic classical music—Tyagaraja, Sastri, and Dikshitar—all lived in this area in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, and one can still sense their presence here.
For three days and nights I managed to both survive the heat and get rested up for the trip to Madurai. Afternoon naps were a must, as it was too hot to do much else without the possibility of occasional retreats to air conditioning. Late afternoons and evenings were a time to observe her work with students or get out and poke around. One evening I took a walk down the street with a neighbor to visit the local school and schoolmaster and sit awhile with the neighbor and his son. This is a small rural village, and I’m not sure what I expected, but the people I met were very literate and well-educated, and many had good English skills as well. I was surprised, quite frankly. Another evening we visited the temple of the moon goddess, Chandran, another local temple in Thillaisthanam, and the Tyagaraja Samadhi on the Kaveri river (looking very different than it did during the festival in 2007!). On the way we were “delayed” by a street festival with musicians, and elephant, and a float in honor of a local poet-goddess. We got out of the car to look, and suddenly I was an honored guest decked with a shawl by one of the festival organizers!
Mornings were a time for poojas, or devotions. One must bathe beforehand, and on second morning we had to wait and do nothing between 7:30 and 9:00, when Saturn was in an inauspicious position! Poojas include chanting, gifts of fresh fruit and a broken coconut, floral garlands and flower petals to be sprinkled on objects in your home’s shrine, a camphor flame used to cense sacred objects, and kneeling and bowing (but never to the south). As the senior member of the household (I assume), her mother always took the role of chief ritualist. There’s almost a sense of a new year, or at least a new beginning, with the Navarathri festival. All of the tools of your trade must be presented as part of the pooja at the end of the festival, and so Kausalya’s veenas were also presented, beshawled, and sprinkled with petals. As I tossed petals on one of her veenas, the stem hit a string at exactly the right angle to make it ring. Her eyes got wide and she explained that this was a very auspicious, positive response from Saraswati (goddess of music, like St. Cecilia or one of the Greek muses), and that I would have a blessed year! The second morning she started dismantling the dolls, to be stored until next year (like Christmas ornaments and decorations). I did not see the pooja for her computer, but she invited me to see the pooja for the car, done by her driver. He censed the entire car—under the hood, inside the car, around and under each of the four tires. And when that was done, you had to go for a ritual drive, visit the local temple, and buy something auspicious. So off we went for a ride, and all the while she, the driver, and her brother (visiting from Chennai) were pointing out the numerous vehicles decorated with garlands, palm branches, etc. as part of the festival’s end. Also like New Year’s, once all the tools of the trade are blessed, it’s time to begin again: to take on new students, to start new courses of instruction, and so on.
Over the course of those three days, we had many conversations. Over meals I learned a great deal about rural Brahmin cooking and cuisine and how to eat these foods in the traditional way. I think the biggest laugh I got from Kausalya came when I asked what she would do for entertainment when I was no longer there to amuse them with my clumsy attempts at eating with my right hand! When I observed any activity, she was careful to explain what was going on to help me understand. In quiet moments between things or in the evening, we had some longer conversations that ranged through various topics. Of course, there were many conversations about January and the arrival of my students. She welcomes our plans to take video of her work with the children and to interview her about various aspects of the foundation’s work. But she also wants us to learn some songs and dances from her children, to take a beginning veena lesson with her (where there is interest), and eat some traditional home-cooked meals. And now that January is not so far away, she is brainstorming other possibilities around town—visits to the temple, the Aradhana, the art gallery, the newly-renovated Durbar Hall (magnificent, she say!), and maybe even a visit with the Prince (descendant of Serfoji II)! I suspect that whatever happens in January will be far beyond what I can imagine—even though I’ve been here three times now!
We also had opportunities to talk about our families, she about the many relatives in the photos hanging on her walls, I about my concerns for my father and sister and my plans to be home for Christmas, more important for my family than any other time of year. Early on, her mother asked if I was English or German, since they are often “stout,” and I had to tell her that while I am an American, she had it just about right. I’m German on both sides and English/British Isles on my father’s side. She only missed the Polish from my mother’s side!
On the last night Kausalya told me I was unlike any American she had ever met: soft-spoken, thoughtful, and even somewhat child-like. It is true that I am frequently in awe of her; she is a strong woman with a big heart and a big vision. In her presence (and on her turf) I also often felt like a student with much to learn, walking around with my eyes and ears wide open. Even after four previous visits, so much is still foreign and unfamiliar, and this was my first real experience spending this much time in a rural setting, so very different from the MCC college campus I have come to know so well. Still, I think we each know where the other’s heart is, and that night she called me her brother. Even now I cannot begin to explain the bond we have had since our first meeting, for it is something deeper than words. There may be an element of mutual curiosity, but there is certainly an abundance of genuine respect and affection. Whatever it is, it is something wonderful and touching. On the final morning, her mother said, “Please come back!” And as I waved goodbye to Kausalya and her driver while my bus to Madurai pulled out of the station, unexpected tears welled up in my eyes. If there is an emotional heart to my journey so far, this was it. In the meantime, I am instructed to give her warm greetings to my mother and father, to my brother and sisters, to my wife and children, and to my grandchildren. Virginia is already telling family members that I have a new sister, and I shall greet them all for Kausalya when I get home for Christmas.
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
“Steal Away” & “I am your Arjuna”
Had a wonderful experience on Sunday. I was taken to Immanuel Methodist Church down in Egmore, in the heart of Chennai, IMC has one of the best church choirs in Chennai, and I was invited to attend their noontime rehearsal and then stay for the evening service. I didn’t really know what to expect, but I am now thinking that church choirs here must be the same as church choirs in the U.S. Here was a bunch of folks gathered together because they love singing (and love singing praises to God)—and who love being together. So much good-natured joshing and laughter, and still a great seriousness about singing well and cohesively as a good choir must. Over the years I have sung with many choirs, and I felt right at home at IMC. First they ran through some music they are preparing for Christmas—“And the glory of the Lord” from Messiah and other assorted anthems—some of them very difficult with lots of chromaticism, yet they were managing very well. I sat there thinking these could use some polishing and shaping, but when they pulled out the spirituals for the Sunday evening service, I realized that this would certainly happen in the two months before Christmas. The spirituals were very definitely well polished and shaped, in fact, surprisingly well so. Back in the U.S. choir directors (myself included) often grumble about how hard it is to get a white choir to sing African-American gospel music in an authentic manner. It’s hard for us to forget our reserve and sing with the vocal and emotional abandon the music requires. Now, I’m not saying that the IMC choir had totally absorbed the idiom, but they were way ahead of any white choir I’ve ever been a part of. The director used rhythm very creatively (swung rhythms and occasional triplets) with introductions and repetitions back and forth between sections—things that were not in the printed score, but all very stylish and effective. Good stuff! The same collegial spirit that filled the rehearsal carried over to lunch at the diner about ten of us walked to. They were surprised I wanted to eat dosai and uttapam rather than some kind of fried rice or Chinese noodles (not knowing I had spent a little time here before), and they were also amused I wanted to have a glass of steamed milk as my “dessert.” They were interested in and concerned about the state of Christianity in America. I was surprised to find they were impressed with Bush and very worried about Obama, and I felt compelled to point out that in spite of Bush’s public statements and certain actions, Bush had done some things that did not strike me as the actions of a committed Christian. The choir director was talking about a quartet he sings with—they sing a lot of spirituals and other sacred music—that has toured many locations around the world, including an appearance some years back at the Chicago Gospel Fest on the lakefront. I said, so that’s how you know the gospel tradition so well, and can get your choir to sing spirituals so idiomatically! He said yes, but that as a youth he had also listened regularly to the jazz show on Voice of America radio. What fun to find such a person in India! After lunch we retired to private rooms (mine with A/C, I don’t know about the others!) for a nap in the heat of the day (and it was hot!). Afterward the choir reconvened to warm up, and then the service. It all started with contemporary praise songs accompanied by 2-3 guitars, electric bass, piano, and violin, led by the choir director himself. The choir sang 3 spirituals before the sermon, and another 2 afterwards. I got to sing with the one male chorus number I had rehearsed with them earlier, “Steal Away,” and since I stand out like a sore thumb, the director had to introduce me to the congregation before we sang. Lots of warm greetings afterwards, and then off for dinner at a local Christian restaurant that was showing a Michael W. Smith video on the big screen. They serve somewhat more American-style food, including chicken burgers, fries, milkshakes, lasagna, etc. (no Coke, Pepsi). I had been lamenting the lack of cheese in my diet just a day or earlier in a phone call to Virginia, and the lasagna sounded like just the thing. Not Italian, particularly, but it tasted very good. Just what the doctor ordered!
On Monday, I was again an honored guest, but this time at MCC, my current home away from home. Every year the philosophy department has an endowed guest lecture in honor of distinguished alumnus Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, rather like Elmhurst’s annual Niebuhr lecture. Radhakrishan was a distinguished professor of philosophy at Oxford for many years, and then after independence, India’s first vice president and its second president (not the same as their first prime minister, Nehru, but that’s another story). A highly-respected philosopher from Kerala was brought in to speak on contemporary views of the nature of consciousness, one of the thorniest areas of inquiry in all of philosophy. Well, Dr. Gabriel decided to honor me as well by inviting me to preside over the lecture. This meant providing very brief remarks at the beginning (following a host of other speakers providing words of introduction and felicitation) and serving as a respondent at the end. While I very much appreciated the honor, I certainly felt as though I was in way over my head! When it was my turn to speak, I said as much, and at the last minute was inspired to use a quote I had read while prepping for the event.
Gandhi and Radhakrishnan often worked together, and Radhakrishnan often deferred to the great man’s wishes. One day Gandhiji decided enough was enough, since he very much wanted Radhakrishnan’s full input, so he said to his friend, “I am your Arjuna, and you are my Krishna!” This is a reference to the Bhagavad-Gita, where the soldier Arjuna surveys the battlefield just before the battle is to begin. He questions why he should even bother—there will be much killing and death, and he has many family members on both sides of the battlefield. The god Krishna appears to Arjuna to explain the nature of existence and the importance of dharma (duty, but understood more broadly). At the very end, to put any lingering doubts to rest, Krishna appears in his cosmic form, and Arjuna has a terrifying, humbling vision of Krishna in all times and all places (their conversation has striking parallels to Job’s talk with God at the end of the Old Testament book of Job). In other words, Gandhi was a mere servant next to Radhakrishnan’s godlike presence.
Well that certainly described my feelings at that moment, so I used the quote … and got a good response! As expected, it was a difficult talk. Thank goodness Gabriel suggested I do a little advance reading on the topic. Even so, I couldn’t come up with anything very detailed as a respondent, something they would expect here. I said something about feeling like Arjuna after experiencing the cosmic Krishna—later I realized I should have said, “You are still my Krishna, but now I am only the horse pulling Arjuna’s chariot!” Thankfully, Gabriel came to the rescue and took on the role of respondent for me. The guest speaker, Dr. Kanthamani, must have appreciated what I did say, though. We had a very nice conversation afterward and then over the lunch table with other philosophy faculty members. Not a flawless performance on my part, but good to have had the experience … and another good dose of the Indian love for ceremony!
Changes are afoot at the International Guest House (IGH), too. Just last week I saw a new fellow at the guest house, and before I had too much chance to wonder what he was doing there, he introduces himself as Pravin, the new housekeeper. It was his first day on the job, and he had just left a job at the Hotel Meridien, one of the really ritzy Western-style hotels here in Chennai (and around the world). I gather MCC wanted someone with experience in the hospitality industry to supervise things at the IGH and create a more welcoming climate, especially for Western guests. So far, so good. When they changed my bed linens today, he showed Benjamin how to put on both a bottom sheet AND a top sheet! (On previous visits it’s been a bottom sheet and a thin blanket only.) And he even showed Benjamin how to turn down the top sheet at an angle like they do at the fancy hotels! I’ll know we’ve really arrived when I see a mint on my pillow as well!! Today I came home from tea in the staff room to find Benjamin washing the numerous windows on the east and south walls of the IGH dining room. The place really sparkled! By the time Lynn and I return with students at New Year’s, we may not recognize the place. Best of all, Pravin is a really nice fellow … and his English is excellent. Now I can make my needs known without always pestering my friends on the faculty.
And in the meantime, prep work to do for two lectures in an English department postcolonial literature course taught by good friend Nirmal Selvamony—one on post-slavery African-American music (with emphasis on the blues), the other on Caribbean music (he wants reggae, and that will require some scrambling on my part). More on that later!
On Monday, I was again an honored guest, but this time at MCC, my current home away from home. Every year the philosophy department has an endowed guest lecture in honor of distinguished alumnus Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, rather like Elmhurst’s annual Niebuhr lecture. Radhakrishan was a distinguished professor of philosophy at Oxford for many years, and then after independence, India’s first vice president and its second president (not the same as their first prime minister, Nehru, but that’s another story). A highly-respected philosopher from Kerala was brought in to speak on contemporary views of the nature of consciousness, one of the thorniest areas of inquiry in all of philosophy. Well, Dr. Gabriel decided to honor me as well by inviting me to preside over the lecture. This meant providing very brief remarks at the beginning (following a host of other speakers providing words of introduction and felicitation) and serving as a respondent at the end. While I very much appreciated the honor, I certainly felt as though I was in way over my head! When it was my turn to speak, I said as much, and at the last minute was inspired to use a quote I had read while prepping for the event.
Gandhi and Radhakrishnan often worked together, and Radhakrishnan often deferred to the great man’s wishes. One day Gandhiji decided enough was enough, since he very much wanted Radhakrishnan’s full input, so he said to his friend, “I am your Arjuna, and you are my Krishna!” This is a reference to the Bhagavad-Gita, where the soldier Arjuna surveys the battlefield just before the battle is to begin. He questions why he should even bother—there will be much killing and death, and he has many family members on both sides of the battlefield. The god Krishna appears to Arjuna to explain the nature of existence and the importance of dharma (duty, but understood more broadly). At the very end, to put any lingering doubts to rest, Krishna appears in his cosmic form, and Arjuna has a terrifying, humbling vision of Krishna in all times and all places (their conversation has striking parallels to Job’s talk with God at the end of the Old Testament book of Job). In other words, Gandhi was a mere servant next to Radhakrishnan’s godlike presence.
Well that certainly described my feelings at that moment, so I used the quote … and got a good response! As expected, it was a difficult talk. Thank goodness Gabriel suggested I do a little advance reading on the topic. Even so, I couldn’t come up with anything very detailed as a respondent, something they would expect here. I said something about feeling like Arjuna after experiencing the cosmic Krishna—later I realized I should have said, “You are still my Krishna, but now I am only the horse pulling Arjuna’s chariot!” Thankfully, Gabriel came to the rescue and took on the role of respondent for me. The guest speaker, Dr. Kanthamani, must have appreciated what I did say, though. We had a very nice conversation afterward and then over the lunch table with other philosophy faculty members. Not a flawless performance on my part, but good to have had the experience … and another good dose of the Indian love for ceremony!
Changes are afoot at the International Guest House (IGH), too. Just last week I saw a new fellow at the guest house, and before I had too much chance to wonder what he was doing there, he introduces himself as Pravin, the new housekeeper. It was his first day on the job, and he had just left a job at the Hotel Meridien, one of the really ritzy Western-style hotels here in Chennai (and around the world). I gather MCC wanted someone with experience in the hospitality industry to supervise things at the IGH and create a more welcoming climate, especially for Western guests. So far, so good. When they changed my bed linens today, he showed Benjamin how to put on both a bottom sheet AND a top sheet! (On previous visits it’s been a bottom sheet and a thin blanket only.) And he even showed Benjamin how to turn down the top sheet at an angle like they do at the fancy hotels! I’ll know we’ve really arrived when I see a mint on my pillow as well!! Today I came home from tea in the staff room to find Benjamin washing the numerous windows on the east and south walls of the IGH dining room. The place really sparkled! By the time Lynn and I return with students at New Year’s, we may not recognize the place. Best of all, Pravin is a really nice fellow … and his English is excellent. Now I can make my needs known without always pestering my friends on the faculty.
And in the meantime, prep work to do for two lectures in an English department postcolonial literature course taught by good friend Nirmal Selvamony—one on post-slavery African-American music (with emphasis on the blues), the other on Caribbean music (he wants reggae, and that will require some scrambling on my part). More on that later!
Saturday, September 12, 2009
What song shall I sing in a strange land?
To paraphrase the Psalms, what song shall I sing in a strange land? It is a strange thing, but the musical ideas that often run through my head do not flow in the same way, and the kinds of tunes I often whistle seem out of place here. I’m not sure what to make of this! For now I will not worry about it.
Another Weekend
Hard to believe it’s been a week since my last entry. Time either goes very quickly or very slowly here. So what follows must be 3 or 4 entries worth!
Another Weekend
Hard to believe it’s been a week since my last entry. Time either goes very quickly or very slowly here. So what follows must be 3 or 4 entries worth!
Sunday dinner with Merlin Isaac and her family was a delightful change of pace. Eating alone is one of the things I like the least here. Today I told a friend they should send company over when they bring meals to the guest house! Merlin is a very outgoing, friendly person (something she attributes to her husband and the supportiveness of the MCC family). Her husband is a man with great curiosity about foreign countries. He works for an American company, so he knows quite a bit already, and we talked and talked and talked about American politics, people, and economy. Most of you know I tend not to be the most loquacious person on earth, but he kept me talking till 10:00 p.m. Fun!!
Shopping in the City!
Mathivan and I went into the city AGAIN on Monday. I felt like I was playing hookey (which I more than made up for getting ready for those history lectures!). Don’t get to do that often. We’d been talking Saturday about some of the great Carnatic classical artists—he knows SO many great stories, they should be written down!—and he wanted to take me down to get some of their CDs and DVDs. I was more than happy to go with him. He knows the musicians and their music intimately—who’s good, who’s not, who’s up and coming, who’s truly great—and he knows the best recordings to look for. I’m not totally ignorant. I know a good number of important names, but I don’t know them all, and I tend to know the current generation better than the older one. Well, for once I didn’t have to stand there and guess whether I was getting something good or not (hmmm … I know this artist is good, but I’m not familiar with that one, but maybe they’re also a good bet since there’s a whole shelf filled with their recordings … etc.). So we got some really fine stuff, including a couple of rareties. And Mathivan even insisted on buying of few of the best things as a gift for me. I am continuously bowled over by such generosity! Then off for a lovely traditional Madras-style tali meal (lots of small portions of this and that in small metal cups arranged lovingly on a big banana-leaf-covered tray). I think that was my first time having Madras tali (had it in Tirupati in 2005, but that’s the next state over, and MUCH more spicy). After lunch the Music Academy in time to check out their new digital music archive. Really nice collection of older and more recent recordings, some very rare. As they keep adding to it, this should become a really exceptional collection, the kind of place one might go for historical study purposes. Now if they would add video as well … !!! On the very last shelf after a quick browse through the Academy library what do I see but two books by Bruno Nettl, the keynote speaker I introduced at the CMS conference in Normal last year. Knowing that Bruno would like to come back as a Carnatic classical singer in his next life, I dropped him an email to ask if he knew his books were in Madras! (He did not, but was glad to hear it!) Stopped at a khadi shop for fabric. I want some kurtas (traditional Indian style shirts), and there’s no fabric more breathable in all the world than the homespun cotton Gandhiji encouraged. I got a few colors & patterns. And then one last stop to price out some inexpensive cameras (mine is on the fritz—I don’t like that grinding noise—still under warranty, thankfully, but repairs only covered back in the U.S., grrr …). And since there was a Yamaha piano/synthesizer showroom right next door, we couldn’t resist. Mathivan was fascinated by all the instruments, “Mark, I would never go into such a place if I were not with you!” Really classy place. They even had a baby grand displayed prominently. And then the long drive back to MCC. Seems like it’s not taking quite as long as it used to. It has taken as long as 90 minutes in past years, but we’ve consistently been making the trip in just under an hour. The flyovers make a difference, and so does the railroad bridge just east of campus. That cuts off a LOT of the jams around the commuter rail stations, not to mention possible LONG delays at the Tambaram railroad crossing.
Two history lectures back to back was more of a stretch than I anticipated. Seems like that’s all I did between Monday night and the end of my second lecture Friday morning. I really feel the pressure to do well, especially as they are first getting to know me and my work. Perhaps I will feel less pressure as time goes on. Who knows?
New shirts got delivered mid-week, nice Madras-style cotton shirts in plaids of different colors. The tailor made them very nicely loose, so there’s room for the to circulate underneath. A few of the faculty members here caught Joseph and I running to his car after a planning meeting for January and snapped a photo with me in one of my new shirts. I’ll add it to the Flickr Photostream below so you can see what I’m talking about.
Two More Lectures Down!
Well, both history lectures went well. I can’t believe I got through nearly 15 pages of Civil War song material in under an hour! It helps that a lot of it was song lyrics that didn’t fill the whole page from left to right. I sang about 4 or 5 songs (only one complete song—Tenting on the Old Campground). The history department chair seemed pleased with how it went. Major technical difficulties the second day, though. I wanted to run a Powerpoint presentation on songs of the civil rights movement. It took forever to get the projector up and working. Just when I was ready to give up and just read it, somebody got up from their seat, hit a few buttons, and voilà! Sadly, the sound was way too low for the songs to be heard. I saw it at the Onam festival, and here again—when they don’t have the right cables, they will take a microphone, put it by the small speaker, and run it through the P.A. But the laptop I used had very weak speaks, and the P.A. just couldn’t amplify it sufficiently for the large room we were in. Ah, well. I would have used my equipment, but I don’t have the right video output cable. I thought I had one (from my old laptop), but no—the new MacBooks use a fancy new configuration called “Mini Displayport.” I won’t get it for another month when Virginia arrives here, but I ordered one and had it shipped home. Dr. Rukumani and I commiserated afterwards. She suggested that having the lyrics in the Powerpoint would have helped a lot, and she was absolutely right. Even if the sound system was up to snuff, the African-American English used in many of the songs is hard for Indians to understand. Live and learn! Dr. R. is very reserved, and since I don’t pick up on all the cultural cues yet, I find her hard to read. But by the time all was said and done, I came to understand that she was very, very pleased with my lectures. I hope I can keep up the good work!
Funny what tastes good these days. Thursday night it was “finger chips”—what you or I might call french fries! I can’t remember when fries have tasted so good. At lunch Friday there were some lovely small potatoes in a mild sauce, and the carrot slices were really sweet-tasting. Friday night it was a few nicely cooked pieces of chicken.
College Life
Another big adventure. Every residence hall here has a big festival sometime during the year. This weekend it was Selaiyur Hall’s Moonshadow. For three days they have special contests and events. They took me over Friday afternoon in time to watch the “Fashion Contest.” Each of the four halls (3 male halls and one female) had a team come up on stage to strut their stuff. First there might be a formal wear set with suits and ties (for the guys), etc. Next maybe something ethnic or novel, and finally something decidedly hip (Bollywood-style, though that also includes imitations of American hip—rappers, for instance). While all of this is going on, a huge crowd of students is watching and cheering (or jeering if it’s not their hall on stage). The halls are very competitive here. This isn’t what I remember from college dorm life. It’s a lot more like the British system (think Harry Potter and Hogwarts) with heavy influence of American fraternities woven in. The guys from the last hall up got rather risqué at the very end of the set—they came out in jeans and wet, ripped T-shirts, a couple of which got ripped totally off and thrown into the audience. One guy even started tugging down his pants, hiphop style, to reveal just the top of his thong-style undies. This was in total violation of contest policies. Now, outside of some hoots and hollers from the students, this would have caused no consternation in most U.S. colleges, but the U.S. is the U.S. and India is India. Bollywood movies notwithstanding, even partial nudity is seen as an embarrassment. (Remember the scene in Lage Raho Munna Bhai where the old fellow takes off his clothing one piece at a time, offering them as payment for a loan he owes to an unscrupulous fellow—who is so embarrassed by this that he forgives the loan!). I don’t know what will happen to those students, but I suspect a stern reprimand at the very least. And today they had me come in as a guest judge for a kind of “battle of the bands”—six acoustic acts and three high-volume rock bands. Fun! I’m discovering that being an honored guest means you have to do a lot sitting, even if you’d rather mill around and chat with folks! Now if my ears would stop ringing ...
Thursday, September 3, 2009
Pomp and circumstance
I got more good feedback on my philosophy lecture today. Sounds like some of the students really enjoyed it! Who knew? So we are off to an auspicious start! It’s a big relief, actually. I’ll be doing a couple of lectures in the history department next week, for classes in American history, I’m assuming. One will be on songs of the Civil War, the other on music associated with the civil rights movement. I’m looking forward to both, actually. I don’t have much by way of recordings for the Civil War stuff, but there are websites with the sheet music online. I’m thinking I can sing a few songs by way of example. No accompaniment, but there will be less distraction from the words this way, and some of these songs don’t mince any words in getting at the emotional impact of the war…on both sides of the Mason-Dixon line. The only really odd thing? They’re all in major keys! And as for civil rights, my experiences teaching courses on music of the 1960s and the blues should make this one easier. For that, I’ve also got a good number of recordings.
More pomp and ceremony today. In celebration of the 10th anniversary of the self-financed stream of the college (the evening division), there was a full morning of speeches and ceremony. They really know how to pull out the stops! The current principal and the two previous ones were all on the platform along with honored guests and a few major players in starting the new program. After five years, I finally got to connect with Winfred Chelliah, who was the college organist and choir director on my very first visit here. Now off doing other things, he was here as one of the speakers. Also had a chance to reconnect with former principal Philip and, briefly, with one of the church musicians who presented for the 2007 course, Premsingh. I’m looking forward to getting out to his church some Sunday to hear what he’s doing in context!
Still getting inquiries about the India 2010 J-Term. We’ve got a good-sized group already, but the more the merrier! I did some more tweaking on the course website, and will probably put the syllabus online in the next couple of days. Lynn is getting the word out to first-year students at Elmhurst, so we’ll probably get a couple more before long. And this year, once it’s full, it’s full. NO MORE! (Easier to say no via email than when a student is begging and pleading at your office door. I won’t name any names!)
More pomp and ceremony today. In celebration of the 10th anniversary of the self-financed stream of the college (the evening division), there was a full morning of speeches and ceremony. They really know how to pull out the stops! The current principal and the two previous ones were all on the platform along with honored guests and a few major players in starting the new program. After five years, I finally got to connect with Winfred Chelliah, who was the college organist and choir director on my very first visit here. Now off doing other things, he was here as one of the speakers. Also had a chance to reconnect with former principal Philip and, briefly, with one of the church musicians who presented for the 2007 course, Premsingh. I’m looking forward to getting out to his church some Sunday to hear what he’s doing in context!
Still getting inquiries about the India 2010 J-Term. We’ve got a good-sized group already, but the more the merrier! I did some more tweaking on the course website, and will probably put the syllabus online in the next couple of days. Lynn is getting the word out to first-year students at Elmhurst, so we’ll probably get a couple more before long. And this year, once it’s full, it’s full. NO MORE! (Easier to say no via email than when a student is begging and pleading at your office door. I won’t name any names!)
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
My first lecture!
Along with the other stuff, they brought cereal for breakfast the past couple of days, some kind of choco-somethings that I avoid back home. I had a few the first day just to have some of the steamed milk. But the second day I ignored the cereal and just drank the milk. It was soooo good. The only other place I’ll get it is in my tea, but I crave more!
Good friend Dr. Nirmal is finally back from his conference in China. He’s turning into quite the international celebrity, the fellow everyone turns to in the world of ecocriticism! Sounds like he had a very successful time there—they even named him as one of the Organising Committee members. Good to have him back, and he’s already invited me home for dinner tomorrow night. It will be delightful to have (be?) company—well, not to eat alone in the guest house dining room. Now that my paper is done, I can give myself permission to leave my monastic cell now and then, on my own recognizance, of course. With a little luck, Nirmal can give me some feedback on my paper. It’s the first time I’ve dabbled in ecocriticism, and I’m terrified I might embarrass myself. If anyone can tell me if I’m on the right track, Nirmal is the man.
Well, if it wasn’t true before, it is now. I gave my first lecture this morning, so I must truly be an official MCC faculty member. I’m figuring out where the faculty hangouts are, in the faculty lounge and the philosophy office, and I’m getting more invitations to just come and hang if I’m lonely—I even got one from the principal. I will have to take him up on that some day, though I’m not going to hog his time beyond “Hi” and his asking how my stay is going. But who knows? He might relish the distraction.
So I think I managed to find a lecture topic of interest to philosophy students—Music and Expression. As I told them right up front, I was going to ask a lot of questions but provide very few answers. If philosophy students can’t deal with that, they’re in the wrong area of study! What can or can’t music express, how have musicians answered that question throughout history, and so on. And after playing an example without any background information and asking what the music expressed (March to the Gallows from Berlioz’ Symphonie fantastique—a setup, of course), I asked them to tell me what they heard. And as expected, while they used similar words and adjectives to describe the music, no one could have guessed the detailed programme Berlioz had in mind. The result would have been no different with my students back home. And from there on to concepts in linguistics, music as a language, comparisons between musical and written/verbal languages, music and meaning, physiological studies, and studies of the brain. It was well received, and students had many very thoughtful questions, and conversation continued into the hall afterward. A good start!
In the next few days Gabriel will have my lecture schedule fixed through the end of the first semester (in October, remember!). That will make it much easier to map out my time, squeeze in a few walks or even short trips off campus.
When I got back to the guest house after tea, I was surprised—first by a kolam with each section filled in with brightly colored flower petals (see my Flickr Photostream below), and second by a large group of students gathered for some function in the dining room. The were very well dressed, and some of the women were wearing the traditional white saris from Kerala. Turns out some Public Administration students from Kerala were hosting a celebration of Onam, one of the major festivals there…and I was invited to be an honored guest! So there were songs and games, the lighting of the flame (they asked me to light one wick), a speech by Dr. Benjamin, head of the PA department, snacks, a short video about the festival, and so on. And since they were also celebrating Teacher’s Day (national or regional? I’m not sure which), I even received a small gift along with the other faculty members present (either someone didn’t show, or they whipped it up in a hurry—unless someone let them know ahead of time I’d be showing up at some point). Little and big surprises around every turn here. If there’s a theme for my visit so far, it would have to be “Surprised by Hospitality.” Having been here on four previous visits and thinking I know what to expect does nothing to change the element of surprise…and gratitude!
Good friend Dr. Nirmal is finally back from his conference in China. He’s turning into quite the international celebrity, the fellow everyone turns to in the world of ecocriticism! Sounds like he had a very successful time there—they even named him as one of the Organising Committee members. Good to have him back, and he’s already invited me home for dinner tomorrow night. It will be delightful to have (be?) company—well, not to eat alone in the guest house dining room. Now that my paper is done, I can give myself permission to leave my monastic cell now and then, on my own recognizance, of course. With a little luck, Nirmal can give me some feedback on my paper. It’s the first time I’ve dabbled in ecocriticism, and I’m terrified I might embarrass myself. If anyone can tell me if I’m on the right track, Nirmal is the man.
Well, if it wasn’t true before, it is now. I gave my first lecture this morning, so I must truly be an official MCC faculty member. I’m figuring out where the faculty hangouts are, in the faculty lounge and the philosophy office, and I’m getting more invitations to just come and hang if I’m lonely—I even got one from the principal. I will have to take him up on that some day, though I’m not going to hog his time beyond “Hi” and his asking how my stay is going. But who knows? He might relish the distraction.
So I think I managed to find a lecture topic of interest to philosophy students—Music and Expression. As I told them right up front, I was going to ask a lot of questions but provide very few answers. If philosophy students can’t deal with that, they’re in the wrong area of study! What can or can’t music express, how have musicians answered that question throughout history, and so on. And after playing an example without any background information and asking what the music expressed (March to the Gallows from Berlioz’ Symphonie fantastique—a setup, of course), I asked them to tell me what they heard. And as expected, while they used similar words and adjectives to describe the music, no one could have guessed the detailed programme Berlioz had in mind. The result would have been no different with my students back home. And from there on to concepts in linguistics, music as a language, comparisons between musical and written/verbal languages, music and meaning, physiological studies, and studies of the brain. It was well received, and students had many very thoughtful questions, and conversation continued into the hall afterward. A good start!
In the next few days Gabriel will have my lecture schedule fixed through the end of the first semester (in October, remember!). That will make it much easier to map out my time, squeeze in a few walks or even short trips off campus.
When I got back to the guest house after tea, I was surprised—first by a kolam with each section filled in with brightly colored flower petals (see my Flickr Photostream below), and second by a large group of students gathered for some function in the dining room. The were very well dressed, and some of the women were wearing the traditional white saris from Kerala. Turns out some Public Administration students from Kerala were hosting a celebration of Onam, one of the major festivals there…and I was invited to be an honored guest! So there were songs and games, the lighting of the flame (they asked me to light one wick), a speech by Dr. Benjamin, head of the PA department, snacks, a short video about the festival, and so on. And since they were also celebrating Teacher’s Day (national or regional? I’m not sure which), I even received a small gift along with the other faculty members present (either someone didn’t show, or they whipped it up in a hurry—unless someone let them know ahead of time I’d be showing up at some point). Little and big surprises around every turn here. If there’s a theme for my visit so far, it would have to be “Surprised by Hospitality.” Having been here on four previous visits and thinking I know what to expect does nothing to change the element of surprise…and gratitude!
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
My first big assignment
It’s very strange to know (after doing it that way ever since I started going to school 49 years ago) that while everybody back home is gearing up for the beginning of a brand new school, here at MCC we are getting ready to start mid-term exams, which would have started last week had it not been for the school closing! Back home, new beginnings, a fresh start, here at MCC; halfway through. First semester here starts (hang on while I check my MCC pocket calendar—such a handy thing, everybody uses one, so I feel like a real MCC faculty member carrying this around!)—it starts June 17th! I knew this before I got here. They do it that way for the same reason we do, to schedule summer break for the hottest time of year. But here it gets hottest during May and the first half of June. Once the monsoon comes in late June, things start to cool down. So their academic year runs about two months (and ten-and-a-half hours!) ahead of ours. As they say here, there are three kinds of weather: hot, hotter, and hottest. May and early June are hottest, late June and July are merely hotter. We’ll probably have to wait for the northeast monsoon in late October/November to see some of that nice, cool hot weather. I knew about their academic year before I came over, and at first I thought maybe I should coordinate my schedule with theirs and come over in June. But then I thought, hmm, that’s still going to be really, really hot (hotter, I should say). And then I thought, if I’m still there in December, I could catch a few days of the December Season music festival before I come home (for my two-week Christmas vacation in the States). Well that sealed the deal. It’s one of the biggest music festivals in the world. At the peak of the season there are 50 concerts every day at various locations around Madras, some starting at 6:00 a.m. ALL of the major Carnatic classical artists are here performing, and music lovers come in from around the world to enjoy some incredible music and dance. It’s like India’s Bayreuth, I suppose.
Well, I give my first lecture Tuesday, to a group of students in the philosophy department. Not sure exactly what I will say yet. I’ve got the afternoon now to figure that out. Dr. Gabriel has left things wide open for me. There should be a little something to introduce myself, I suppose a little something with some substance, factual info, ideas about music and esthetics, and so on. I’ve had discussions with a few other faculty members about lectures on perhaps some Civil War songs, the blues, music and the civil rights movement, gender equality (or the lack thereof), what to listen for in music (hommage à Copland), performer interactivity with computer/software/multimedia, or one period or another in Western music history. These are easier; the topics are clear. But then I’ve always been good at doing the assignment. Now I must think more like a philosophy professor and become more nimble, less linear and goal-oriented. I suppose I should waste less time gabbing about it and more time planning it!
Now that lunch is over, it’s warming up a bit. It rained most of the night, and there was light drizzle all morning. Not so much that you couldn’t go without an umbrella, though, and you know, this was the first morning I could get out and do a good, brisk walk! Usually I have to take a slow pace because it’s just too darned hot. I end up sweating profusely even at a slow pace. But with the rain and cloud cover, it was delightful!! I’ll have to remember this—it was so nice to walk normally and get a little exercise.
Ran into Prof. Suri for the first time the other day. Wonderful to see him! He’s on top of the world having just sent off his thesis. It’ll take 6 months to a year to get it read and approved (the British system for you!), but it’s finally off his back. He’s all ready, along with Prof. Kurian, to whisk me off to Pondicherry some weekend. It’s a unique place—a former French colony and long-time home to mystics Sri Aurobindo and his disciple, “The Mother,” and nearby is the site of Auroville, a utopian city founded on principles of Aurobindo’s thought. I’m told there’s a Spanish avant-garde composer there—could be an interesting fellow to meet. Might even get a French dinner there…down in the French Quarter (sounds familiar)!
Well, I give my first lecture Tuesday, to a group of students in the philosophy department. Not sure exactly what I will say yet. I’ve got the afternoon now to figure that out. Dr. Gabriel has left things wide open for me. There should be a little something to introduce myself, I suppose a little something with some substance, factual info, ideas about music and esthetics, and so on. I’ve had discussions with a few other faculty members about lectures on perhaps some Civil War songs, the blues, music and the civil rights movement, gender equality (or the lack thereof), what to listen for in music (hommage à Copland), performer interactivity with computer/software/multimedia, or one period or another in Western music history. These are easier; the topics are clear. But then I’ve always been good at doing the assignment. Now I must think more like a philosophy professor and become more nimble, less linear and goal-oriented. I suppose I should waste less time gabbing about it and more time planning it!
Now that lunch is over, it’s warming up a bit. It rained most of the night, and there was light drizzle all morning. Not so much that you couldn’t go without an umbrella, though, and you know, this was the first morning I could get out and do a good, brisk walk! Usually I have to take a slow pace because it’s just too darned hot. I end up sweating profusely even at a slow pace. But with the rain and cloud cover, it was delightful!! I’ll have to remember this—it was so nice to walk normally and get a little exercise.
Ran into Prof. Suri for the first time the other day. Wonderful to see him! He’s on top of the world having just sent off his thesis. It’ll take 6 months to a year to get it read and approved (the British system for you!), but it’s finally off his back. He’s all ready, along with Prof. Kurian, to whisk me off to Pondicherry some weekend. It’s a unique place—a former French colony and long-time home to mystics Sri Aurobindo and his disciple, “The Mother,” and nearby is the site of Auroville, a utopian city founded on principles of Aurobindo’s thought. I’m told there’s a Spanish avant-garde composer there—could be an interesting fellow to meet. Might even get a French dinner there…down in the French Quarter (sounds familiar)!
Monday, August 31, 2009
One Week Down
So where did I leave off? I’ve been so busy finishing the paper for the Trichy conference I’ve hardly thought about blogging. So what’s new? Drove over to West Tambaram middle of the week. We picked up some very nice cotton fabric so I could have some shirts made. It’s always been a rush job with too little time, but with months available…we asked the tailor to make just one at first, a kind of audition. If we like his work, he can make the others, too. How luxurious this feels! Grabbed tea and a snack, and then back in the car for a driving tour of West Tambaram. I saw lots of neighborhoods, rich and poor. This is a suburb that’s growing by leaps and bounds. A number of shops in the city have now opened outlets in Tambaram, so it’s becoming a more diverse and interesting place. Still a lot of hustle and bustle, noise, and smells of all kinds.
Virginia tells me my step-daughters were thinking TMI concerning the bowel stuff. They don’t know that this subject is usually one of the first conversation topics to come up when Western tourists meet in India. It’s gradually been going better, by the way, but it takes time. Good friend Joseph reminded me that neither of us is as young as we once were—I told him I didn’t want to hear about it. Sleep is getting better, too. Last night I actually slept for 6 hours straight without looking up to check the clock! It will be good to feel normal again.
Planning is moving forward for the travel I get to do while I’m here. We’re looking at trips to Madurai, Bangalore, Mysore, Thanjavur, Pondicherry, and, when Virginia arrives, to Ooty and Kerala. Everybody is very helpful. They come from many parts of south India, and they want to make sure I have a good experiences when I travel to their home turf, As of Friday, students and faculty are back on campus, and I’m gradually getting to know more of the faculty. There’s a mid-morning break in the class day, and a lot of the faculty gather in the faculty lounge for tea. It’s a really good time to show up for conversation and to meet new colleagues. I’ll have to make a habit of going!
Had a lovely day Saturday. Got to go into Chennai with Dr. Mathivan, Carnatic classical music fan par excellence. First we went to see what little is left of the old MCC campus. Outside of a few remnants of the old hostels (student residence halls), Anderson Church is the only significant college structure still standing. Tantalizing to think what it was like when MCC was very much an urban campus, right across the street from the High Court complex, a huge red brick relic left by the British in the monumental Indo-Saracenic style they favored. By a delightful chance, we ran into Anne Dayanandan, who I hadn’t seen since my first trip to India in 2005 (her husband is a distinguished MCC professor emeritus in botany). Then it was off to Andrews Kirk, built by the Brits along the lines of St. Martin’s in the Field—which we saw in London in March! It has what must be the only pipe organ in south India. Not large, only about 33 ranks, but it would be fun to hear anyway. The organist, as it turns out, is the son of a highly-respected but long-deceased MCC faculty member. I finally got to see the Music Academy, but as it was Saturday, their digital listening archive closed early. So…we’ll have to go back! Then off to see when our concert would start, only to discover it was just beginning. So we sat down and enjoyed the program. Afterward was a special ceremony to honor three of the young artists who had just performed and a senior violin vidwan as well. This is a fascinating and elaborate ritual. Several older respected artists come in for the occasion and each of them spoke at some length about the honorees, their remarks greeted by much laughter and joviality. Then they presented the honorees with their medals and checks with pomp and ceremony and colorful shawls around the neck. And then…one after another a series of well-respected senior artists came up from the audicnce, often made speeches of their own, and also draped the honorees in shawls. And then…the honorees got a chance to talk. Since 90% of what was said was in Tamil, I had to ask Mathivan what they said after the fact. Still, it was fascinating to watch, and well worth seeing how they do it in Chennai. We left after an hour and a half, and they were still going strong! A shame though…I would like to have said hello to Sanjay Subrahmanian. Then we had dinner at the Murugan Idli Shop. They’ve now opened another 3 locations, but we went to the original one. The BEST idly, dosai, and uttapam you’ll ever have! My J-Term students have to experience this. Mmm, mmm, mmm!
That will have to do for now. Thankfully I finally finished my Trichy paper tonight (phew!). And Tuesday is my first lecture, to a group of philosophy students, this time. Wish me well. Sounds like it’s raining outside tonight!
Virginia tells me my step-daughters were thinking TMI concerning the bowel stuff. They don’t know that this subject is usually one of the first conversation topics to come up when Western tourists meet in India. It’s gradually been going better, by the way, but it takes time. Good friend Joseph reminded me that neither of us is as young as we once were—I told him I didn’t want to hear about it. Sleep is getting better, too. Last night I actually slept for 6 hours straight without looking up to check the clock! It will be good to feel normal again.
Planning is moving forward for the travel I get to do while I’m here. We’re looking at trips to Madurai, Bangalore, Mysore, Thanjavur, Pondicherry, and, when Virginia arrives, to Ooty and Kerala. Everybody is very helpful. They come from many parts of south India, and they want to make sure I have a good experiences when I travel to their home turf, As of Friday, students and faculty are back on campus, and I’m gradually getting to know more of the faculty. There’s a mid-morning break in the class day, and a lot of the faculty gather in the faculty lounge for tea. It’s a really good time to show up for conversation and to meet new colleagues. I’ll have to make a habit of going!
Had a lovely day Saturday. Got to go into Chennai with Dr. Mathivan, Carnatic classical music fan par excellence. First we went to see what little is left of the old MCC campus. Outside of a few remnants of the old hostels (student residence halls), Anderson Church is the only significant college structure still standing. Tantalizing to think what it was like when MCC was very much an urban campus, right across the street from the High Court complex, a huge red brick relic left by the British in the monumental Indo-Saracenic style they favored. By a delightful chance, we ran into Anne Dayanandan, who I hadn’t seen since my first trip to India in 2005 (her husband is a distinguished MCC professor emeritus in botany). Then it was off to Andrews Kirk, built by the Brits along the lines of St. Martin’s in the Field—which we saw in London in March! It has what must be the only pipe organ in south India. Not large, only about 33 ranks, but it would be fun to hear anyway. The organist, as it turns out, is the son of a highly-respected but long-deceased MCC faculty member. I finally got to see the Music Academy, but as it was Saturday, their digital listening archive closed early. So…we’ll have to go back! Then off to see when our concert would start, only to discover it was just beginning. So we sat down and enjoyed the program. Afterward was a special ceremony to honor three of the young artists who had just performed and a senior violin vidwan as well. This is a fascinating and elaborate ritual. Several older respected artists come in for the occasion and each of them spoke at some length about the honorees, their remarks greeted by much laughter and joviality. Then they presented the honorees with their medals and checks with pomp and ceremony and colorful shawls around the neck. And then…one after another a series of well-respected senior artists came up from the audicnce, often made speeches of their own, and also draped the honorees in shawls. And then…the honorees got a chance to talk. Since 90% of what was said was in Tamil, I had to ask Mathivan what they said after the fact. Still, it was fascinating to watch, and well worth seeing how they do it in Chennai. We left after an hour and a half, and they were still going strong! A shame though…I would like to have said hello to Sanjay Subrahmanian. Then we had dinner at the Murugan Idli Shop. They’ve now opened another 3 locations, but we went to the original one. The BEST idly, dosai, and uttapam you’ll ever have! My J-Term students have to experience this. Mmm, mmm, mmm!
That will have to do for now. Thankfully I finally finished my Trichy paper tonight (phew!). And Tuesday is my first lecture, to a group of philosophy students, this time. Wish me well. Sounds like it’s raining outside tonight!
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
Principal Alex and more
Mon. 24 August 2009
Had a formal, official meeting with Principal Alex today, along with the bursar and good friends Joseph and Gabriel. It nearly turned into a love-fest. Each of them in turn offered words of welcome, and it turns out no good deed goes unpunished. There were frequent references to the hospitality I had shown Joseph, Gabriel, former Principal Philip, and others on their visits to Elmhurst. I had always imagined that I was in a deficit situation, responding however inadequately to the extraordinary hospitality they had shown me on my visits to MCC (and I still think so!), but they would hear none of it! Still, good to have a more formal sense of expectations for my time here, and to know they want to support me in any way possible. I am blessed to be in the midst of such extraordinary people.
A nice quiet afternoon (except for first signs of bowel troubles) with prep time for my paper in Trichy next month. A welcome dinner was hosted (in my honor!) at the principal’s house, with several friends of Elmhurst invited to join us. There was the formal welcome with the long garland around the neck and the gold-edged white shawl around my shoulders, and some very nice informal conversation. After dinner was a lovely extended chat with Joseph on the guest house porch. After that… did I mention the bowels? I was up sitting on the toilet every 2 or 3 hours. Things finally subsided by morning, but I’ve been eating only simple foods in small amounts today (Tuesday). At least I have my Ives paper to keep me busy, and no big agenda to follow.
And what made it all worthwhile? Got to talk to Virginia this morning via Skype! This is no big whoop for many of my students or my ATMI colleagues, but this is the first time I’ve really used it. It was amazing to me to hear her voice and watch her talking to me, from Lombard all the way to Tambaram. Unbelievable! It made me doubly glad to finally have internet access in my room.
Had a formal, official meeting with Principal Alex today, along with the bursar and good friends Joseph and Gabriel. It nearly turned into a love-fest. Each of them in turn offered words of welcome, and it turns out no good deed goes unpunished. There were frequent references to the hospitality I had shown Joseph, Gabriel, former Principal Philip, and others on their visits to Elmhurst. I had always imagined that I was in a deficit situation, responding however inadequately to the extraordinary hospitality they had shown me on my visits to MCC (and I still think so!), but they would hear none of it! Still, good to have a more formal sense of expectations for my time here, and to know they want to support me in any way possible. I am blessed to be in the midst of such extraordinary people.
A nice quiet afternoon (except for first signs of bowel troubles) with prep time for my paper in Trichy next month. A welcome dinner was hosted (in my honor!) at the principal’s house, with several friends of Elmhurst invited to join us. There was the formal welcome with the long garland around the neck and the gold-edged white shawl around my shoulders, and some very nice informal conversation. After dinner was a lovely extended chat with Joseph on the guest house porch. After that… did I mention the bowels? I was up sitting on the toilet every 2 or 3 hours. Things finally subsided by morning, but I’ve been eating only simple foods in small amounts today (Tuesday). At least I have my Ives paper to keep me busy, and no big agenda to follow.
And what made it all worthwhile? Got to talk to Virginia this morning via Skype! This is no big whoop for many of my students or my ATMI colleagues, but this is the first time I’ve really used it. It was amazing to me to hear her voice and watch her talking to me, from Lombard all the way to Tambaram. Unbelievable! It made me doubly glad to finally have internet access in my room.
Chapel, Tambaram, and a Storm
Sun. 23 August 2009
The morning started early with the college chapel service. Gabriel took me over. Not lots of people there, and no students because the college is closed till Friday (H1N1 scare), but good to see Chaplain Spurgeon again, and I got to meet the new principal, Dr. Alexander Jesudasan. He reminded me that we had met in 2007, and I remembered how his friendly welcome had impressed my students as our campus walking tour passed through his department. Two Filipino guests were there from Silliman University, and also staying at the guest house. So we had a very nice breakfast together after chapel, talking about their short study tour of south India and their work in the marine biology department back home.
Sunday was a harder day than Saturday. The temptation to nap was ever greater, and when the power went out mid-afternoon, I finally succumbed. Gabriel and I took a late-afternoon walk over the tracks into downtown Tambaram to get some supplies. It was the eve of Ganesha’s birthday; the speakers blared nearly deafening songs on the walk toward the train station. Good to experience the hustle-and-bustle of the business district once again, as we dodged through traffic, pedestrian, motorized, and otherwise. There were the usual fruit stalls, vegetable stalls, fabric stalls, and so on, and some street vendors were selling variously-sized figurines of Ganesha’s elephant head in bright, bright colors. Being Sunday, Christian shops were closed, but Hindu and Muslim store-owners were open for business. Weaving from one shop to another (Gabriel knew exactly where to go), we picked up some soap, a heater coil, a plastic container, a teapot and some tea. We could see the sky getting darker and darker, with the setting sun turning the cloud-edges a golden yellow on the horizon. After sitting down to sip a cup of tea ourselves, we walked back over the tracks to the college. About 200 yards from the guest house, the rain started falling—felt awfully good after our hot walk! But the power was still out, with no A/C to unwind in!! Sweating profusely, I sat in a chair on the porch, rubbing my forehead with handfuls of water to cool off… and watched the thunderstorm unfold. After five years of visits, my first REAL rain in Chennai. And the sounds of loudspeakers from holiday celebrations continued to pour in from all directions, blending with the sounds of thunder, wind and rain, evoking a symphony Ives might have been proud of. The blue notes emerging from the mix of scales tonal centers gave it all a jazzy flavor, and various Indian drums competing with the thunder gave it an irrepressible rhythmic verve.
When Gabriel picked me up for dinner and found my power STILL out, he made some inquiries. The college electricians weren’t available, so after dinner he supplied me with an emergency lantern, we found a room upstairs where the A/C was working, and I managed to get through the night in relative comfort. At 7:30 Monday morning I woke to a knock at the door. Power was restored to my room, so I moved back in, glad to be back to “normal.”
The morning started early with the college chapel service. Gabriel took me over. Not lots of people there, and no students because the college is closed till Friday (H1N1 scare), but good to see Chaplain Spurgeon again, and I got to meet the new principal, Dr. Alexander Jesudasan. He reminded me that we had met in 2007, and I remembered how his friendly welcome had impressed my students as our campus walking tour passed through his department. Two Filipino guests were there from Silliman University, and also staying at the guest house. So we had a very nice breakfast together after chapel, talking about their short study tour of south India and their work in the marine biology department back home.
Sunday was a harder day than Saturday. The temptation to nap was ever greater, and when the power went out mid-afternoon, I finally succumbed. Gabriel and I took a late-afternoon walk over the tracks into downtown Tambaram to get some supplies. It was the eve of Ganesha’s birthday; the speakers blared nearly deafening songs on the walk toward the train station. Good to experience the hustle-and-bustle of the business district once again, as we dodged through traffic, pedestrian, motorized, and otherwise. There were the usual fruit stalls, vegetable stalls, fabric stalls, and so on, and some street vendors were selling variously-sized figurines of Ganesha’s elephant head in bright, bright colors. Being Sunday, Christian shops were closed, but Hindu and Muslim store-owners were open for business. Weaving from one shop to another (Gabriel knew exactly where to go), we picked up some soap, a heater coil, a plastic container, a teapot and some tea. We could see the sky getting darker and darker, with the setting sun turning the cloud-edges a golden yellow on the horizon. After sitting down to sip a cup of tea ourselves, we walked back over the tracks to the college. About 200 yards from the guest house, the rain started falling—felt awfully good after our hot walk! But the power was still out, with no A/C to unwind in!! Sweating profusely, I sat in a chair on the porch, rubbing my forehead with handfuls of water to cool off… and watched the thunderstorm unfold. After five years of visits, my first REAL rain in Chennai. And the sounds of loudspeakers from holiday celebrations continued to pour in from all directions, blending with the sounds of thunder, wind and rain, evoking a symphony Ives might have been proud of. The blue notes emerging from the mix of scales tonal centers gave it all a jazzy flavor, and various Indian drums competing with the thunder gave it an irrepressible rhythmic verve.
When Gabriel picked me up for dinner and found my power STILL out, he made some inquiries. The college electricians weren’t available, so after dinner he supplied me with an emergency lantern, we found a room upstairs where the A/C was working, and I managed to get through the night in relative comfort. At 7:30 Monday morning I woke to a knock at the door. Power was restored to my room, so I moved back in, glad to be back to “normal.”
Monday, August 24, 2009
Finally here!
Sat. 22 August 2009
Finally here. It was a long flight—O’Hare to Brussels, and 3 hours later (with delayed departure) Brussels to Chennai. After what seemed an interminable flight (with two-ad-a-half Bollywood movies and a couple of naps to pass the time), it was good to touch down safely in Chennai. With H1N1 coming to India, there was a new checkpoint at customs. I had to present the form I filled out on the plane while they pointed a gun-like thermometer at my bindi-spot! I cleared customs no problem, but of course, my bags were among the last offloaded from the plane (did they get lost? did the last minute change in flight numbers mean they were delayed? will my friends outside think I didn’t arrive after all?). But they finally arrived, and for this suddenly lonely, uprooted foreigner, it was a really good feeling to see Joseph and Gabriel waiting outside with big smiles and a warm greeting. They shipped me back to the college and moved me into my room at the International Guest House. Everything was ready for me—sandwiches and a warm drink, bottled water, and the room neat as a pin with beds invitingly made. I unpacked my things, including the speakers and flashlight I had tucked away so carefully I could not find them at first (and was ready to accuse Transportation Safety Administration of confiscating them after inspecting my bags…again!). Finally off to bed, safe and sound in my home away from home.
Saturday morning, my first full day in India! I can’t believe I slept till 10, especially since I miscalculated when setting the clock and thought it was only 9. Due to the H1N1 scare, the college is closed for the next week. That gives me more time to get a paper ready for a September conference in Trichy, but it means the college mess is closed. Good friend Gabriel made sure I got breakfast, boiled egg and iddly with chutney. Good chance to catch up with him and renew acquaintance with his wife and children. We also talked about what my life will be like here, especially MCC’s expectations for my teaching and travel (exciting stuff!). Back at my room I started my blog entry and Joseph knocked to check on me with a home-made breakfast (he heard I woke up late, but not that I had eaten!). After a few more minutes composing this entry, old friend Kingsley knocks to welcome me to MCC. He’s glad to hear all the news from Elmhurst (where he spent a year as visiting professor), and I get to hear about his new position at University of Madras. Lunch was waiting for me when he left, and after snapping a few pix around the guest house, I’m unwinding for the afternoon. I’ll have regular access to the internet starting Monday, and I hope to get a new SIM card for my phone sooner than that. I’m feeling very out-of-touch with Virginia right now, but we’ll get that all fixed soon.
Not all entries will get this specific, but hey, I’ve got some unexpected time on my hands! More later.
Finally here. It was a long flight—O’Hare to Brussels, and 3 hours later (with delayed departure) Brussels to Chennai. After what seemed an interminable flight (with two-ad-a-half Bollywood movies and a couple of naps to pass the time), it was good to touch down safely in Chennai. With H1N1 coming to India, there was a new checkpoint at customs. I had to present the form I filled out on the plane while they pointed a gun-like thermometer at my bindi-spot! I cleared customs no problem, but of course, my bags were among the last offloaded from the plane (did they get lost? did the last minute change in flight numbers mean they were delayed? will my friends outside think I didn’t arrive after all?). But they finally arrived, and for this suddenly lonely, uprooted foreigner, it was a really good feeling to see Joseph and Gabriel waiting outside with big smiles and a warm greeting. They shipped me back to the college and moved me into my room at the International Guest House. Everything was ready for me—sandwiches and a warm drink, bottled water, and the room neat as a pin with beds invitingly made. I unpacked my things, including the speakers and flashlight I had tucked away so carefully I could not find them at first (and was ready to accuse Transportation Safety Administration of confiscating them after inspecting my bags…again!). Finally off to bed, safe and sound in my home away from home.
Saturday morning, my first full day in India! I can’t believe I slept till 10, especially since I miscalculated when setting the clock and thought it was only 9. Due to the H1N1 scare, the college is closed for the next week. That gives me more time to get a paper ready for a September conference in Trichy, but it means the college mess is closed. Good friend Gabriel made sure I got breakfast, boiled egg and iddly with chutney. Good chance to catch up with him and renew acquaintance with his wife and children. We also talked about what my life will be like here, especially MCC’s expectations for my teaching and travel (exciting stuff!). Back at my room I started my blog entry and Joseph knocked to check on me with a home-made breakfast (he heard I woke up late, but not that I had eaten!). After a few more minutes composing this entry, old friend Kingsley knocks to welcome me to MCC. He’s glad to hear all the news from Elmhurst (where he spent a year as visiting professor), and I get to hear about his new position at University of Madras. Lunch was waiting for me when he left, and after snapping a few pix around the guest house, I’m unwinding for the afternoon. I’ll have regular access to the internet starting Monday, and I hope to get a new SIM card for my phone sooner than that. I’m feeling very out-of-touch with Virginia right now, but we’ll get that all fixed soon.
Not all entries will get this specific, but hey, I’ve got some unexpected time on my hands! More later.
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
Getting Ready
16 more days till I climb on the plane for India. So many things to do yet! And what will I need for four months? Clothing is easy—figuring out what I'll need for teaching is the hard part. I'll be a "floating resource" at MCC. Professors who want to take advantage of my expertise will ask me to give a lecture to their students. I won't know what lectures I need to give until the requests come in. I need to be ready for anything...including the stuff I can't even imagine yet. What to bring?!
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