#sareespeak

#veenafirst

#SS/6/2020

#aucklandnzss

#sareeinstyle

#kanjivaram

Awoke relatively early on Saturday.
Once again, I told my husband that we needed to sell this house, and buy a new house, as I didn’t want to clean it anymore.
Anusha, Vindhya, Sowbhagya got the usual chores done, then were off for some themed mini golf, and an Italian lunch at Anusha’s friend’s restaurant.
Invited to attend a kutcheri later that evening, by a visiting Vainika of the Mysore bani, of the Guru Sishya Parampara of Padma Bhushan Sri Doraiswamy Iyengar. Suresh provided the Mridhangam accompaniment.
Cooked a simple lunch of kuzhambu/gravy, leek thoren (with coconut – onion garlic free), baby potatoes with onions, tossed in chilli flakes, with a dash of lemon juice. With brown rice. And to cool the system, curd rice.
Rested awhile after lunch, while half watching ‘Made in China’.
Meaning half sleeping. The story line is a little bit of a drag but I would watch anything with Rajkummar Rao and Boman Irani. On a side note though, my older one, Anusha, claims she ‘knew’ Rajkummar when he was an unknown and had replied to her Instagram comment.
Anyway, to get back to the main plot, made some tea, Suresh set off first for mic balancing, while I waited for the girls to return, got ready and left for the programme.
A beautiful evening of Veena and Mridhangam.
But, that wasn’t enough.
On the way home, girls blasted,
Wait for it.
Disney,
yes Disney’s music.
Reflection from Mulan
Part of your world, The little mermaid.
Colours of the Wind, Pocahontas
Can you feel the Love, Spirit, Lion King.
And more.
Imagine this scenario.
Me in my pattu saree, driving, Anusha, Vindhya, Sowbhagya, in their Indian attire, belting out these hits at the top of our voices.

And I need to brag a little too.
We sang Hugh Jackman’s A million dreams too. My lovely niece is part of the Australian Girls Choir and she has performed this and other pieces at his shows. (She has also sung in front of the Pope and for the Rugby Bledisloe cup in Perth). She is going to hit the roof when she reads this but who cares, I’m a proud periamma.
Alright that’s enough bavani.

Reached Home, invigorated after an evening of music.
Carnatic, Western, Eastern.
Music. In its many varied forms.
Different, diverse, yet achieving the same end.
Energising one’s being.
One needs to only listen with the soul. And let it be absorbed by a process of musical-osmosis.
Arranged the gift of flowers in a large vase.
Made Uppma and Gnocchi with tomato/basil sauce.
Probably, because the whole family was way too refreshed, awake, after all that listening and singing, we stayed up till way past midnight, chatting.

Draped a royal blue light silk with thin stripes, Ganga Jamuna borders of khaki mustard and gold on top, deep maroon and gold at the bottom and pallu. Matched with a green, maroon and mustard striped linen cotton blouse.
Looking quite happy. Got the giggles even, as I struggled to maintain the decorum required of me by the photographer Sowbhagya.
Posting three photos

1. Getting ready to smile in a socially acceptable manner
2. Giggling at the photographer’s frustration
3. Over the top smiling as I throw all caution to the wind

Didn’t realise I could and would get even happier by the end of the day.
That’s what doing what you love with the people you love, does to you.
Stay blessed, all.

#sareespeak

#sareeinstyle

#SS/5/2020

#veenafirst

#aucklandnzss

It’s been a great week. Walks, travels, friends, family, food.

Have two pending saree posts up my sleeve and one more for later today.

Stoked to see that my previous post has garnered so many likes. Thank you, each and everyone of you.

Dressed up for a wedding reception, got Sowbhagya to take a shot. She arranged my pallu, told me not to sit with my back to the light, moved me to every conceivable sittable structure, then, being a dancer, I believe her pliable, supple limbs helped, she crouched, squatted, lay on her non existent tummy, and took some shots. I was more enthralled watching her poses than posing myself until a sharp ‘Periamma, chin down look up’ or was it ‘chin up, look down’. Anyway, doesn’t matter now. Thank you for your non judgemental love and support.

Non judgmental. Yes.

That’s what I adore in this group.

We write because we want to bare our all, or some of our all. Some virtual friends comment, virtual, they may be, but in reality, I feel I’ve known them for ages. I actually wait, for their comments. I allow them into my home, my life, I let them see bits, and more bits of myself. And they reciprocate. I understand their sense of humour, compassion, kindness, sometimes blatant and loud, sometimes dry and understated,

I ‘feel’ them,

I feel YOU, if you know what I mean.

I know too that life is not always a bed of roses, and their honest posts and comments about them being in life’s cherry bowl of pits (courtesy Erma Bombeck) is absolutely relatable.

Therefore,

even though, the Kardashians in the house have told me to not post anything yet until I post the saree I will be draping later, according to some social media algorithm,

I am stubbornly putting forward my next post.

Or rather my current post.

Of gratitude.

For friends.

Virtual friends who are as real to me as my physical, huggable, see-able friends.

For saree speak.

For inspiring me to drape my sarees and in so doing, harnessing my inner being, and letting me speak my mind.

For enabling me,

empowering me,

to wear my sarees,

be they kanjivarams, cottons, linens, chiffons, georgette,

For guiding me to embrace the unique energy of each saree,

My six yard gorgeous drapes,

That cloak me and make me stand tall, proud and beautiful.

Thank you, my lovelies.

So here I am in a simple orange chiffon saree with thin blue and green flowers and large blue green flowers on the borders.

A complete contrast to the rich flame kanjivaram of my previous post.

Feeling at peace,

on my Veena.

Matched with a totally unmatched light cotton black blouse with embroidered pink flowers and green leaves. Searingly hot day, so had hair up in a bath bun.

#SS/4/2020

#sareespeak

#kanjivaramsilk

#veenafirst

#sustainablesareeing

#aucklandnzss

Friday was good.
Weekend was even better.
Girls and hubby spent Friday evening at the Break and Escape room, trying to do just that, from an ‘Evil Hospital’. Came home to spicy Tom Yam fried rice and fried crumpets with cashew nuts. Family found it too spicy but they polished it anyway else..they’d have me to answer to.
Saturday was one great day. A short half hour hike to Kite Kite Falls, a walk back, then Piha Beach, walk, wade, swim.
Girls wanted to try Taco Bell on the way home. Had our fill of tacos, burritos, Mexican fries.
Got home, while all showered, hubby decided to prepare delicious plum pickle.
Too stuffed to eat anything. Watched Aladdin on Disney Plus then off to bed.
Made a hearty Sunday breakfast for the Sleeping Beasties. Eggless Pancakes with butter and maple syrup, Eggless French Toast, hubby cooked some delicious, light, brown rice porridge with garlic, ginger, black pepper and coconut milk. Served with jaggery and his plum pickle. Washed down with lattes, mochas and teas. Got the girls to hang the clothes, fold the huge pile of ever growing laundry, while I set about getting lunch ready. Brown rice, jasmine rice, creamy beetroot with tamarind, Vegan butter oats fried ‘prawns’, small onions/shallots kuzhambu/gravy, vegan mock duck fried with lots of onions, garlic,
Rice with spicy mor/buttermilk.
By the time all had eaten, dishwasher loaded, bathis and aromatic candles lit, ’twas time for a brief shut eye. Then up again, tea, got ready for husband’s work colleague’s son’s wedding reception. Diverse group of guests, lovely evening all in all.
Draped a gorgeous rich kanjivaram – red with vermillion embossed peacock feather/flames with buttis of annapakshis/swans, green and gold borders, and red, gold Annapakshis, flame patterned pallu. Matched with saree’s blouse – flame with green and gold borders. Gifted by the man with great taste two years ago.

Photo credit – My visiting niece from Perth, Sowbhagya, I’d warned her to take a photo or two, and..wonders will never cease, she listened!
Blessings of being surrounded by photo savvy girls.

#SS/3/2020

#sareespeak

#veenafirst

#thyagarajaaradhana

Celebrated the auspicious occasion of Saint Thyagaraja’s Samadhi, 173rd, on Pushya Bahula Panchami here in New Zealand. Doubly special as it was also Ponggal.
Along with musicians world over and especially in Thiruvaiyaru, India, where he had attained Samadhi, a group of 50 plus parents, music students, Flautists, Vainikas, Vocalists, Mridhangists gathered in a home in Auckland, to propitiate Sri Thyagaraja Swamy in a magnificent Aradhana, the youngest musician a mere 4 years of age.
Jagadanandakaraka Ashtothram, 108 names of Lord Rama, were recited, followed by Naama Ramayanam.
The orchestral ensemble rendered His 5 gems, Pancharatna Krithis – Jagadananda Karaka, Dudukugala, Sadinchene, Kanakanaruchira, interspersed with simple krithis SarasaNethra, Raminjuvarevarura, and other beautiful compositions Sarasa sama dana, Shobillu Saptaswara, Bhavanutha, Telisirama, Chakkani Raja, amongst others.
Two young students, four and five year olds, gave a speech on Saint Thyagaraja’s life.
All students participated in a quiz.
The piece de resistance of the Aradhana was the fifth pancharatnam Entharo Mahanubhavulu. Aarthi was taken to the lyrics Rama Bhaktudaina Thyagaraja nuthuniki nija Dasulaina vaaru.
The evening concluded with blissful singing of the Mangalam, Ramachandraya Janaka.
Energy and spirits were at an all time high.
All partook of Prasadam, then dispersed.
A beautiful evening of music, prayer.
The family cleared dishes, altar, set the home back in order.

Draped in a simple royal blue silk with gold stripes, pink and gold borders and maroon, orange and gold pallu. matched with saree’s maroon blouse.

#veenafirst

#sareespeak

#birdwhisperer

#nature

#sustainablesareeing

#Sareeinstyle

An evening after work at Hunua Falls. Chanced upon a Gorgeous Tui? Bahama Swallow? Perched on a large Flax, Phormium tenax, harakeke in Māori. Is a Tui a Bahama Swallow and or vice versa?
This is The Life.
Blessings of waterfalls, plants and birds.
On a normal working day.

Me emulating the Tui in a turquoise blue silk saree with greenish grey and gold stripes, borders and pallu.

Some definitions –
Flax or Hemp is a popular ornamental plant, which grows as a clump of long, straplike leaves, up to two metres long, from which arises a much taller flowering shoot, with dramatic yellow or red flowers.

Tui have almost-black heads, underparts, wings and tails that have an iridescent blue and green sheen, especially on the head and wings. The upper back and flanks are dark reddish brown with a bronze sheen, the nape and sides of the neck have filamentous white feathers, and there are two unusual curled white feather tufts on the throat (poi). Small white shoulder patches on the upperwing show prominently in flight, but are usually concealed when perched. The bill and feet are black, and the eye dark brown.

The Bahama Swallow is a Medium-sized swallow with dark blue-green upperparts and cap extending below eye, and steel-blue wings, white chin, throat and underparts, and deeply forked tail. The bill, legs and feet are black.

#SS/1/2020

#sareespeak

#veenafirst

#musicismeditation

#musicislife

#sustainablesareeing

#aucklandnzss

Seated at my standard black couch, the right corner, propped up against two unmatched bright red cushions, one with an Indian, the other Western design. Worse still, a cream and green thick cotton wool throw over the top of couch. What a befitting mismatch. Sorry, rambling again.
Trying to get my thoughts together to create a post befitting the New Year, running around but in a good way, day long road trips, cooking, eating, practising, gardening, reading,entertaining daughters’ friends. Starting work on Monday, so trying to make the most of these three days.
New Year’s Day.
Night before, we bundled ourselves into our 8 seater and drove to the Peninsular. Got a great spot, played Cards Against Humanity, with me wincing in horror at the girls’ choice of answers, but managed to get into the groove of things before the countdown and amazing fireworks display from the Sky Tower. Took us an hour to drive out of the car park, but we made it home, prayed, had a feed, watched a comedy and got to bed.
Rose bright and early, presented girls with new sarees, pics in comments. Budgie kizhi green, shocking pink soft silk for Anusha; Creamy beige, vermillion soft silk for Vindhya; peachy pink, green silk for Sowbhagya. To be worn for Ponggal later this month. The girls draped new sarees, Anusha and Sowbhagya cotton silks in magenta and baby pink respectively, Vindhya in an embossed orange kanjivaram silk. They looked gorgeous and managed to do a photo shoot in the garden blowing bubbles while I was getting ready. Their kind of bubbles, they chortled. They took a few shots of me too, meaning 22 photos to be exact. Must say this is the upside of having photo savvy girls, ‘Look down chin up mum’ or was it ‘Look up chin down’? Well whatever it was, it didn’t make sense then and still doesn’t. Had fun, much of the shoot had me in giggles, trying to evade the bubbles coming my way.
Off to temple. Peaceful, serene prayer.
Brunch of iddli, dosa, vadai, sambar, dosa podi, red and white chutneys; puri, potato curry, pulau, raita, payasam, kesari; washed down with kaapi and masala tea.
Relaxed, chatted, games. Girls were supposed to attend a friend’s party but decided to bail last minute, I’d like to think they preferred my company, but probably they were too full and drowsy to dress up and drive through traffic.
Made vegan nasi lemak for dinner (coconut milk rice, spicy chilli sambal, stir fried veges).
Off to the cinema to watch Little Women with my Little Women, munching popcorn, chocolates.
Heard sniffles from Sowbhagya when Beth passed on.
All in all, my kind of day, and
Hopefully, my kind of year ahead, decade ahead.
2020.
Grew up in Malaysia with the then PM’s vision of 2020.
Read, discussed, debated, wrote poems, essays on Vision 2020.
Family, friends, New welcome additions into family,
Home, Hearth,
Music, Madness, Meditation.
Have some resolutions. A better word would be
Visualisations,
or simply put,
Dreams.
Going to note what I put into my mouth, with a little cheating here and there.
Want to walk, breathe, do some Yoga, try to focus on the present, the now, also with a little cheating by planning ahead.
Will improve my bird whisperer skills. More of that in my next post.
Will practise music daily, will keep learning,
Will work on imparting more to students,
whoever is interested, and
whoever is not interested.
Will keep dreaming, hoping.
Will continue being thankful.
Will continue being.
I have big enough dreams for all of us.
And in that vein, let me end this post.
Seated on the edge of my little kidney shaped pond, the water lily behind me, draped in a recent acquisition, an indigo soft linen, with matching blouse. An easy drape, a colour as happy as cloudless blue skies, the way I feel, bubbles floating around, above me, not bursting, symbolising my hopes and dreams.
Posting 3 photos. ONLY. Good eh? I managed to narrow them down from 22 identical ones.

#sareespeak

#veenafirst

#newyearseve

#sustainablesareeing

#aucklandnzss

Usual DISCLAIMER – Long post, New Year’s Eve, Late Post.
Having a lovely Christmas, post Christmas, with three young women, my niece who’s visiting from Perth, and my daughters.
Travelling, picnicking, beaching,  binge-watching Netflix, making music.
Days have been sunny, busy, happy.
Today, being New Year’s Eve, we shared the housework, didn’t manage to figure out the Escape Room, had lunch at the Buddhist monastery, class with Mami; Watched New Year fireworks with the girls, munching chocolate shortbread, crumbled camembert, parked in a car at a Peninsular.
Been a good year.
A Good decade.
Saying Goodbye to the Past Year, Past Decade with Gratitude;
Heralding in the New Year, New Decade
with unfulfilled and new resolutions, 
And Hope.
Borrowing my quirky older daughter’s borrowed and modified even quirkier quotes –
“New Decade, Same Me”.
Actually, Not So Same.
Rather,
A more courageous me. (A relatively great start – note some words I’ve made up, in this post, for instance).
On a hunt for treasures within.
Draped this much loved Saree. Cotton. Body green thin striped. Pallu and borders mustard, with gold mangoes, green stripes. Resilient green matched with saree’s mustard blouse and a background of hardy succulents.
Photo credit. My niece. (Should have taken a photo of the contortionist photographer).
Thank you to each and every one of you, my teachers, who have touched my life, in one way or the other, to those who made, make me smile, cry, scream, sob, laugh. God bless each and every one of you that you may find your hidden gems.

#sareespeak

#sustainablesareeing

#veenafirst

Disclaimer – long post, as am not able to be in Chennai for the music season, the rambling has got worse. 🤓

A spate of chamber music concerts, dance arangetram programmes over the past few weeks. In Auckland.
Immersed, soaked, drenched, in music and dance.
I’d like to refer to it as the NZ Margazhi Arts Festival.
Vocalists, violinists, mridhangist, dancers mind blowing.
Young, in their teens and twenties.
Came away from these concerts, fulfilled that the Arts has a future, in NZ, our young generation will carry on, way after we’re gone.
Yet, I have some niggling thoughts.
Now let me see if I will make sense.
When artistes are good, rasikas leave with hearts, minds, souls full, having blissfully feasted on an evening of sensory overload.
Artistes are congratulated on how good they sounded, how they owned a particular piece. And some are told, blessed, if the artiste has a parent or parents or siblings or family members who are artistes, that the apple doesn’t fall too far away from the tree or that fish needn’t teach their young to swim.
A plus point – the artiste might have had a head start, probably the artiste had been immersed in music within the mother’s womb
But that is not the only reason the artiste has reached this stage.
The artiste works.
Very hard.
Day in day out.
4am practice sessions. Day long, singing, listening, practising, absorbing.
Constant immersion in ragas, krithis, recordings of legends, young, old, contemporaries.
I iterate here,
talent is not just born,
it has to be nurtured,
stirred,
moulded into
becoming a ginormous icon of pure magical wonder.
My gurus, great artistes have regaled me with tales of childhoods comprising, rising at the crack of dawn, practising, going to school, returning home, completing homework, practising, having classes, attending concerts, performing practising again, completing doctoral studies even.

What does this tell us?
Simple.
To get to a point of becoming one with the Artform, possessing Art Siddhi,
Any student who wants to excel in the arts (or in any field in life) MUST

1. Be prepared to work hard, very hard
2. Practise effectively, intelligently
3. Listen, observe, listen
4. Attend classes, constant learning, revising
   And
   parents play a huge role in supporting the young artiste, in ensuring
5. lessons are attended
6. Practise is rigorous and done daily
7. Kutcheris, lec dems, workshops are attended
8. Listening, watching, imbibing old and current greats, those who have trodden the great path, is done.
   The only difference between these two types of artistes is the family upbringing and background.

So young or old upcoming artistes, it doesn’t matter if you have come from a family of artistes or your family knows next to nothing about your art, the onus is on you to work hard, extremely hard, be willing to sacrifice, and be surrounded by a support network of parents, spouse, family, friends, like minded peers.

Here’s me on the Saturday, draped in a wistful blue silk, with lilac, gold, green borders and pallu, about to attend a weekend of dance arangetrams in which the musicians are young, upcoming, talented. Saree gifted by a dear friend, purchased in Singapore. This saree seems to want to attend performances, the last time it attended Disney’s Aladdin to watch my niece in her role as Princess Jasmine 🥰.

Sunday’s saree was removed soon after entering the house, on returning from the arangetrams, so I only have captures of the emerald green and orange bordered cotton silk. This saree was gifted to me by my daughter’s dance guru when he visited NZ a few years ago. Coincidentally, nothing is a coincidence though, appropriately, Am wearing this saree, a random pick, while my daughter provides vocal support for the dance programmes, as if silently being blessed by her gurus.

#sareespeak

#sustainablesareeing

#veenafirst

Poornima puja, celebrating Karthikai Deepam.
Full on activity at home.
One daughter preparing for some vocal programmes this weekend.
The other redecorating the guest room – painting, rearranging..
Had work all day, rushed home, made prasad – poha, uppma, tomato rice, sweets.
Pakoras for some guests from Malaysia, mum’s friend, expected to visit before puja, but they had just returned from an out of town trip and were exhausted. To visit them tomorrow.
Girls lit deepams all around the house, and kolam at the end of the stairs outside.
Lovely evening, guests left,
Cleaned, set house and puja room in order.
Got some videos done for friends’ birthdays overseas while we were all still reasonably well dressed.
Reasonably well dressed me, was, earlier in the evening, too hot, as in perspiring hot, to wear anything other than some form of cotton, so draped an old, simple but extremely beautiful linen cotton saree.
Legend has it, that Lord Shiva appears on the summit of Arunachala/Thiruvannamalai/Hill of Wisdom every year at Karthikai in the form of a peace-giving beacon of light.
To celebrate, on this Karthikai Deepam day, the greenery of the Arunachala Thiruvannamalai hill, Achala and the red, bright fire Aruna, Fire of Wisdom, my linen cotton has a bottle green body and fiery red borders and pallu. Matched with a non matching red multicoloured butti light cotton blouse.
And I’ve just realised that I blend with the red cushions and green throw. OCD me feels like rearranging cushions.

On Sunday, 28 years ago, I wed a man who would become my best friend and soul-mate, in life, love, music and the good, bad, beautiful and ugly, how one looks at it – a matter of perspective. We have weathered many storms, had ups and downs but have come out stronger and all the better for it. And we have two angels-at-times Anusha and Vindhya. I refer to them as AV audio visual, one being highly audio, the other quite visual in your face type.
Met him when I was 12. With a large group of close knit friends. Geeky, gawky, witty, fun, charming, wrote letters for years. Our group met whenever he came down. Found a letter from me to him, in his wallet a few months into our marriage.
And a decade and a few years later, double wedding with my sister and my best friend. Love blossomed over orchestra rehearsals. We’ll leave that story for another day.
Ours was a double wedding with over 2000 guests. Planning was doubly special, doubly tense, doubly wonderful.Thaya and I argued at one point on the grooms’ attire and went so far as to vow not to get married together. I remember us warning each other not to appear at the same resort the next morning. But after that, we actually celebrated anniversaries together. One particular anniversary, Nagen, Thaya’s husband and I were in town, while Thaya and Suresh were in 2 different continents, well, in actual fact, we were all in 3 different continents.
So the both of us went out for dinner, and video chatted with our spouses.
A month ago, He’d asked what I’d wanted for my birthday. I answered “treadmill”, so off he went to get that specific brand I’d mentioned. He couldn’t get it so wanted to get me gym membership, which I flatly declined as I preferred a brisk walk in the fresh air.
Told him I’d love a new veena and would like my other veenas repaired, especially
my favourite veena, which my father had gifted to me in the early 70s. Melam had been done up many times, then when the kudam was lacquered during one such maintenance session, the veena sounded as if it had a cold.
Over that week, after work, my husband dismantled, sandpapered, polished, dismantled and reassembled the melam, painted, fixed fresh strings, tuned the veena,
And then asked me to test the sound.
I was elated, and played Lalgudi Sir’s Thillana in Desh, and the Veena sounded absolutely divine.
That’s how he underplays what he does for us, no hue and cry, just goes about his work in a matter of fact way. A side of him, am truly grateful for.
Our anniversary weekend was like any other weekend, the Saturday was spent cleaning, setting up the house for a Chamber Music Concert for our young teen students. Heartening to hear vocalist sing beautifully,accompanied by talented violinist and mridhangists. A Sunday of classes, then a Thai dinner with the girls, great company, food, conversation.
Am in a kizhi pacchai/parrot green kanjivaram silk with dark magenta one sided border and pallu, for the In house concert. Body has gold buttis, pallu has mango and lattice designs in gold. This beautiful drape was gifted to me by a dear friend Mangai akka, when I had been the accompanist vainika for her daughters’ Bharatanatyam arangetram, I believe two decades ago.
An additional photo is of me and sakhi Mahe Nayagam whose sons were the young mridhangists at our Saturday’s chamber music concert. As luck would have it, well actually no – there are no such things as coincidences – we wore the same parrot green deep magenta combo!
(Comment has a photo of my beautiful veena, all done up).