Random Ramblings

1) I just started a book called 'The other side of the Dale' by Gervase Phinn. Phinn is referred to as the  'James Herriot of schools', and I've really enjoyed Herriot's writings before. The book seems promising ! More updates later.

2) My favourite Carnatic classical song is 'Endaro Mahanubhavulu' by Tyagaraja ! A truly brilliant composition! I recently heard a group of about 25 violinists play it, and I was spellbound!

3) I often judge a book by its preface and acknowledgements section before buying it ! They are often more personal than the rest of the book , and will give you a peek into what kind of a person the writer is.

4) After a long time , I played some of Yanni's compositions on my synth today - Santorini , Keys to Imagination and Nostalgia.. Brought back memories of learning to play the keyboard. Keys to imagination in particular took quite some effort to learn cos its unplayable unless you use all five fingers on the right, besides some tricky work on the left. Interestingly all the three songs have an odd time signature. Nostalgia is in 5/8, while the other two are in 7/8. I'm convinced that the odd time signatures are much better at conveying certain moods than the ubiquitious 4/4.

5)  After a long hunt spanning a few years, I finally found a copy of the Readers Digest's 'A treasury of wit and wisdom' at Blosssoms! It has some 4000 quotes, and  I am thrilled !