Pages

May 29, 2007

Yakity, yakity, yak.

Last weekend, one of my friends from Chicago visited Lex with her husband, daughter and parents. We were room-mates at UK several years back and it was really nice to catch up. She gave me latest updates from her life and I kept going, "Oh, you are?", "Oh cool, I didn't know!"; she told me she tried to keep in touch with our "gang" from UK and I caught myself wondering why I did not. I told her I was not much of a phone-person, I communicate better through email or in-person, but wondered if that was really true. I mean, however awkward I am on phone, a phone call now and then would have helped me catch up with her life...so, I promised her I would try to stay in touch at least from now on.

Her trip reminded me of this book I read that said women feel an extra surge of happiness than men when they talk, "relate" with each other. It went on to explain why women talk so much more than men and how they are capable of talking most if not all the time - a question that periodically baffles k, every few months he forgets the question intrigued him in the first place and proceeds to ask again :)

My friend's trip just made me realize how accurate the book was. We do like to yak, don't we? We (I?) talk to fill uncomfortable gaps, we need to talk to feel close, talk to remove frustration, talk to express...(one of my friends told me, "You know, you don't really have to express every single thought/feeling that crosses your head!") sometimes, we talk just for the sake of talking :)

May 15, 2007

Ganesha and his trunks!


Image source: http://www.skinbase.org/

Dancer's block. That's what I have.

My teacher says, "The words, expressions, emotions that flow through your pen...I need you to bring it to your face. You need to allow yourself to emote. You need to feel the dance...and be the dance."

I try really hard but the magnificent expression that lights a good dancer's visage fails to alight on mine. The harder I try to be a happy dancing Ganesha, the more confused I look. A confused Ganesha dancing, looking at his feet every now and then, sometimes with two trunks instead of one - I am supposed to sway the left hand against my left ear to indicate Ganesha's ear and move my right hand like his trunk; instead I sway both hands enthusiastically, Ganesha's two trunks dancing to their own rhythm!

And if I struggle thus for a happy dancing Ganesha, how will I show a terrifying monster, a ruthless demon, Shiva performing his rudra tandav? How will I express love, how will my eyes show, not talk, kindness and courage?

Ah, those days will come. For now, Ganesha and his Ananda Narthana beckon. This time, he will have one trunk, not two :)
© Ramya Sethuraman, All Rights Reserved.