PMMM Diwali 2009

This was a sheer team effort. We performed at Phoenix Metro Maharashtra Mandal Diwali 2009 program. Check out these videos:

Singers : Aditya Vaidya, Shruti Vaishampayan, Aditi Vadodkar
Harmonium : Vedhas Pandit
Percussion: Nilesh Badwe

Singers : Vedhas Pandit, Shruti Vaishampayan;
Keyboard : Aditya Vaidya
Percussion: Nilesh Badwe
Side Rhythm : Aditi Vadodkar
Chorus : Hrushikesh Gandhi, Shreyas Palkar

Singers : Aditya Vaidya
Guitar : Sawan Sakale, Shreyas Palkar
Keyboard: Nilesh Badwe
Chorus : Hrushikesh Gandhi, Shreyas Palkar, Aditi Vadodkar, Shruti Vaishampayan, Vedhas Pandit.

Narration:Hrushikesh Gandhi.

Please feel free to comment! :)

Poetry

NDE (near death experience)

Where the shadows would walk,
and you can't even catch up!
Would almost hear the air scream,
but no storm, or even a breeze to face up!
You lie there all numb, not really sure why,
Dark creepy woods, n' a bloodcurdling red eye

It looks at you straight,
and drags you deep into your mind
Never thought this would be so scary
Bet you wish you never had to find!

No clue where you are headed,
never knew what lies in the past
A sudden illumination
-why linguistically called a "tense",
this freakishly universal time-space cast!

You realize few things,
but you're as numb as before
Have to speak up, but blacked out,
n' left all alone ashore

You open your eyes slowly,
Waves barely touch the dry feet
That's what they do the best,
Come back, run away, and they cheat!

You engage yourself discerning,
the last drop of each wave
Suddenly one grows and takes you in,
and now there's nobody to save!

You suffocate to death,
n' then you are too eager to die
suddenly you are at the cliff,
an edge that is way too high!!!

Thrown into the infinitely deep abyss,
you feel freed from all bounds
Such a revelation, such a sublime exaltation,
You forget all the wounds!

You feel there all yourself weightless,
roaming like a free spirit
A near-death experience? you wonder,
n' you lose it all to your wit

Suddenly something rings up,
it wakes you up from your bed
Wait!!! Is this is what is real,
or a parallel life ahead?

Crappy song!

This is not a love song,
Not a song a family could sing along
No childs play, not even a rap,
Expect nothing but a whole lot crap!

Yeah u bastards, go ahead and laugh it off,
or turn ur back at me, or ask me to fuck off

You never cared a shit, n' now d world's gonna explode
why me pessimistic? well, seen a life running in safe mode?

We talk about democracy, and brag about justice
oh ya' expert in hypocracy, where's the fucking peace?

I don't understand whats exactly wrong with this world
I see everything's so perfect, n' yet there's blood!

"Just another preaching song" you say, n' ignore as you go
But i dont care abt this anymore, have told u already so!
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Wanted to write something aggressive, somewhat abusive too, just for the heck of it, and managed to write all this with complete peace of mind last night. :) Yeah, believe me...! nothing went bad that day, n' even I don't know why I felt an urge to challenge myself to write something that would suit a rock genre, but I did it finally! :)

This is one of those instances where literally you drive yourself to an urge, so I won't be surprised to get bashing on quality/genre of this post। In essence, feel free to put your comments on this crappy song! :)

काला बन्दर (my lyrical additions)

ok, first of all..... Listen to this song!

Get this widget | Track details | eSnips Social DNA

Kala bandar is a reference to a hypocrite, secretive, sly dark side each one of us has... You might want to google for the lyrics, it will help you appreciate more... :)

And!!! Here my additions:
(Rap):

Hey, yes this song was already too long
Didn't think a minute n' this came along
was obvious, as i know him personally
he's there for ages, 'be there till eternity
I bet you've seen him, but... anyway...
keep droppin hints n' help him run away
Better not find him anywhere, anyhow
polymorphic: revered, devil, taboo and cow!

(Tune: आओ हम शीशा देखे):
सिंपलसा लाइफका मंत्रा,
ख़ुद जिंदा, दूसरा बकरा
बोटी खाखा के हम जिंदा,
और बचा वो बेचके धंदा
(Tune: घूँघट की गहराई में)
पैसों की इस "बारिश" में,
"भीगा" लाल खून है
छनक छनक है ऐसी उसकी
सन्नाटा कहाँ गुम है?
(चूस ले चूस ले लाइफ की भांग ले... दिल में भी झाक ले)

(Tune: आओ हम शीशा देखे):
खुदगर्ज बनके है जीना
मस्त रहके खाना-पीना
"बिल्ली" के पिच्छे भागे
"चूहे" से डरके जीना

(Tune: घूँघट की गहराई में)
ख़ुद से न डरके जागे
आयनोंसे क्यूँ है डरते?
मुह अब बंद करके सबका,
बंद है "शीशों की आंखें"
(चूस ले चूस ले लाइफ की भांग ले... दिल में भी झाक ले)
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As for the song in Delhi 6, I didn't like this song much really when I heard it for the first time, in fact was badly disappointed by Rahaman's this piece of creativity.... but as usual is the case with Rahman's songs (slow poison as they say), I started loving it after accidentally listening it twice or thrice. As often is the case, I went into the lyrics after the music managed to haunt me, and lyrics have a deep meaning as you know now.... I hope you too will like this song, may be sometime soon...

Anyway, this was my very first attempt at writing a poetry/song in Hindi....oh yes.. and a rap too!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :) :) :)

Mood this week!

ह्या आठवड्यात मी गझालीँच्या प्रेमात पडलोय! विरह, nostalgia किंवा दु:क्ख हीच बर्यापैकी सगळ्यांची थीम असते! पण नीट काव्यावलोकन केलं तर कळतं की किती वेगवेगळे "perspectives" असू शकतात!
त्यातल्या विशेष आवडलेल्या पंक्ती:
एन्जॉय!!!! :)
तुम इतना जो मुस्कुरा रहे हो:
१. आंखोमें नमी, हसीं लाबोपर.. क्या हाल है, क्या दिखा रहे हो!
२. जिन जख्मोंको वक्त भर चला है, तुम क्यूँ उन्हें छड जा रहे है?

तुमको देखा तो ये ख़याल आया:
१. आज फ़िर दिल ने इक तमन्ना की, आज फ़िर दिल को हमने समझाया
२. हम जिसे गुनगुना नाही सकते, वक्त ने ऐसा गीत क्यूँ गाया!

तू जो नहीं है तो कुछ भी नहीं है!
१. तुझे पा के दिल में ये खालिसा क्या है?
२. तेरीही तरह तेरा गम भी हसीं है!

तुझसे नाराज़ नहीं जिंदगी हैरान हूँ मैं!
१. कल क्या पता किनके लिए आँखें तरस जायेगी, जाने कहाँ गम हुआ, कहाँ खोया एक आंसू छुपाके रक्खा था!
२. तेरे मासूम सवालों से परेशान हूँ मैं! (it makes a whole lot sense the way its portrayed in the video too: a parent and a child relationship)

कोई ये कैसे बताएं!
सम्पूर्णच!!!!!! :P

Btw, काल डोळा लागता लागता एक गाणं compose झालं! Not the lyrics, but just the music!!! मला टक्क जाग आली! थोड़ा विचार केला, अन् अजुन बीट्स आणि संतूरिची addition झाली! (काहीसा क्लास्सिकल touch होता त्याला!) संतूरिचा आवाज तर क्रिस्टल क्लीअर ऐकू आला मला!!!! शहारे आले काहीसे, एवढं भारी वाटलं! त्याच दुपारी एक गूढ़कथेची थीम लिहिली होती. आणि हे music काहिसं त्याला साजेसं होतं! (medium फास्ट बीट्स, थोड़ा classical touch असलेली high pitch tune.... मला राग कळत नाहीत, मी शिकलो नाहीय्ये हे काही formally, नाहीतर नाव सांगितलं असतं त्या जवळच्या रागाचं! :) )

Exam च्या काळात सगळ्यांचं डोकं फार छान चालतं, पण तितकंच वाट सोडून "पळतं" हेही खरंच!! :D

-Vedhas Pandit

Adv. Analog Integrated Ckts Exam :(

माझा आत्ता मोठ्ठा पोपट झालाय! Exam चा चांगला अभ्यास केला, last year's papers पाहिले, आणि गंमत म्हणजे चारही प्रश्न repeated होते. आणि Murphy's law prevailed yet again! (जे सोडले होते, तेच नेमके 2 विचारले होते!)

असो काही चांगल्या updates (अद्यतने) आहेत, ज्या सांगायच्या राहून गेल्या! गेल्या वेळेला मी ज्या परिक्षेबद्दल बोललो होतो, त्याचा स्कोर कळला, माझा चांगला आहे :). (85=Class Average+Std Deviation च्या जवळ आहे...)

More focussed this week!!! :)

This week has been good so far :)

I had one exam this week -a 500 level course: Semiconductor Characterization! Exam went fine, I was well-prepared, had gone through previous year examination papers from seniors, spent quite a time in library/lab -NOT that I studied full time, time pass सुद्धा चालु होताच, पण nights मारल्या एक-दोन (ह्या वेळी exams मुळे :D) . बाकी मनाला लगाम घालून होतो/आहे and I'm talking about reminisces -nothing else! ;) :P :D

कारण एकच, गेल्या semester मधे लागलेली वाट! ताक फुंकून पिण्याचाच प्रकार हा काहीसा! I scored really bad in both my 1st midterms and did well for rest of the midterms and finals, but got B and B+. आणि कारण काय तर फक्त आळस आणि टाइमपास... मनाचे फार भावनिक लाड करत असतो आपण, नाही का?!!!

So hopefully, history won't repeat this time! पण एक phase अशी येते, ज्या phase मधे मी सध्या आहे... की स्कोर्स चा आपण विचार कमी करू लागतो! All you care about is how much you know, how much you understand. How much of this will I be able apply when I step into the industry tomorrow. आणि then even if your exam goes bad, well then -of course you DO feel disappointed, but then there is this good feeling in the background somewhere की वाह वाह, छान अभ्यास केला होता ह्या वेळी :)

खर्या अर्थाने खुश होण्याचं कारण म्हणजे productivity of this week, the way I managed my time. On 19th I had exam, on 18th I had a meeting with my MS advisor -so had to show him some thing about what I was working on, 17th was a due date for one lab project. Add to that preparation for the exam, and did I mention career fair on 18th Feb??? So some Resume preparations and all the related stuff! I managed everything, was up in Hayden library whole of 17th night, came to my RA lab in the morning, slept for some 3-4 hours and attended both the lectures that day. And all these days, I have seen myself playing my keyboard/flute/harmonica more than ever (well, ever in US so far! भारतात तासन् तास जायचे असे) and there were some bits of Badminton/treadmill/yoga -although might not be that significant! :) It was possible to bunk some things or postponing -for example attending lectures on 17th, but I'm feeling great that I managed all. May not be a big deal, i know... but its just that I'm feeling more focused now! :)

मग सोमवार ऐवजी शुक्रवारी कुकिंग केलं ह्या आठवड्यात! (I'm fortunate to have supportive Apt-mates after all :) ) सोपीच होती म्हणा भाजी (कोबी होती), पण स्वत:सोबत इतरांकरता सुद्धा करायची म्हटली की मी बराच conscious होतो। ह्या वेळी काही न विचारता/बिचकता जमली ह्यासाठी थोडासा खुश झालो!

hehe... आता मी हे वरचं सगळं वाचतोय तर ते लोकप्रभा सारख्या अंकातलं article वाटतंय! मन मोकळं करतोय इतकंच बाकी काही नाही! तेच ते one of the "भावनिक लाड":D

Oh and here are few links I came across this week, I would recommend you reading :)

Are we under threat???
http://www.rediff.com/news/2009/feb/19barbarians-at-the-gate-are-we-ready.htm

We will take care of your economy! :P
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/11/opinion/11friedman.html?_r=3

Some fun in Marathi
http://www.misalpav.com/node/2921
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uu2vv_d4Tn0

(आणि हो हे पोस्ट लिहित असतांना एक मैत्रीण ऑनलाइन होती, जी योगायोगाने माझे आधीचे पोस्ट्स वाचत होती! it feels good to know that people are reading what you write and more than that... they like it! But I still wonder why do people prefer to tell me this in chats or in one-to-one conversation -but never put their comments on the blog! I feel good anyway, but its just that comments on the blog remain there forever, so its an opportunity for you to leave your mark permanent on my blog. डायलोग मारायचा झाला तर "all you have walked into my life and have made some special imprints forever -one way or the other... its just matter of putting it in small scale here. Your comments are valuable as much as you are!!! " :)

2:50 am, Feb21st, 2009

My first composition!

Yess... I managed to compose a tune for my new song! (the last post)

The best part is that I tried the composition to get in sync with emotions in the first 2 stanzas... and right after that, I realized the lyrics were such that the tune automatically followed this synchro subsequently!

I am not a good singer, but I would try to record that soon... may be the keyboard version!

Its indeed a big achievement for me... I can surely play almost any damn tune on my keyboard, but hey...!!!!! I've just composed a song of my own!!! (and not a pritam/anu malik composition)

(Btw, lyrics were written at abt 5 am this morning, I slept peacefully right after that... :) )

Every single night!

Sometimes when I close my eyes
and think 'bt me
Realizing I'm still at the place
I always used to be

I wonder then why n' how
but that's all i do!
but then I get this strong feeling,
well.. it's gotta be something'bt u!

I think of all the time together
we spent back then
I remember even a single detail
what, where n' when?

Things now have some contexts added,
but the bond is still strong
Perspectives might have even changed,
but haven't we cared all along?

Nothing has really changed trust me
everything's still the same
But uh oh! I fear this might get worse,
u wouldn't then even know my name!

"Would such a day follow???" I ask
...n' may be it soon would!!!
Its hard time to "accept" that
but yes, I know I should!

Uncomfortable; pretty long silences,
and no reason to smile
But I bet we wud 'smile' then often
or rather... all the while..?!

But why should u even care abt that???
u r ALL at peace!
But I don't have strength to face all that,
so avoid me then please

"Things in life that don't matter
u better throw them away
N' Some things when they do matter
let it not affect your way! :) "

I tell you all this so confidently
and look at myself back again
I laugh to see myself entangled
in waste smiles and pain...

M still hoping against the hope
realizing its a perpetual fight!
But what made you do this to me, I wonder,
and that too every single night???

-Vedhas Pandit

The best gift!

I liked this quote (not mine):
"The best gift you can give is a hug: one size fits all & no one ever minds if you return it. "
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And well... here's my take:

Guy's version would be:

"The best gift you can give is a hug, but be prepared to run away as well.... (oh well... just in case) !!!

Coz if the gift doesn't get accepted, then quite unfortunately, you are sure of NOT getting your gift back in return, but rather... she would surely be generous enough to make that day memorable for you for the rest of your life! Quite an embarrassment that you surely don't want to live your life with!!!! "

-Vedhas Pandit

लहरी short quotes -Part7! (Do not plagiarise please!)

Surely, planning helps you in many ways... For instance, you atleast know what will not fall in place!
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"घेतलेली वस्तू परत करणे ही घेणार्याची "जबाबदारी" असते,
गरजेस्तव एकदा घेणे ही "मजबूरी",
वरचेवर मागणे "लाचारी",
आणि न मागता घेणे "चोरी" असते!"
(One of the lines I had on my COEP hostel room :D, I was badly frustrated that day esp. with people in the neighboring room daily asking me for my toothpaste! LoL!!!! काय दिवस होते ते!!! :) Hostel life!!! ;) :D )
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"When you have in hand something that has a blister that starts to peel off, you can't help fiddling with it"-Richard Fennyman
"And unfortunately, your heart is no exception!"-Vedhas Pandit
(You know what I mean... ..... Nostalgia!)
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No तिळगूळ ??? Then No गोडवा! :P
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About my blood group:
"Whatever be your blood group, but always..... B+ve!!!!" :)

-Vedhas Pandit

लहरी short quotes -Part6! (Do not plagiarise please!)

Now here's the irony: Any action that is morally, ethically, logically appropriate -all at the same time, is hardly acceptable by the society and is termed as abnormal or is "out of standard norms"!!!
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(Gtalk status approaching new year):
They say my homeland lags behind US by decades... Well, for some hours atleast, we will be an year ahead of them... yet again!!! :)
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(Right after Las Vegas Trip):
“Vegas" back from Vedhas... What mistke Englidh??? I swear... m not drunk! ”
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(Somebody asked me about my paycheck in gtalk :O)
असं म्हणतात की मुलीचं वय आणि पुरुषाचा पगार कधीच विचारू नये... कारण उलटा प्रश्न कोणी कधी विचारणारही नाही... Answer is known to everybody, practically zero in most cases! (मुलीचा पगार आणि पुरुषाचं वय) :)
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(Heard the news about मेरा भारत giving some "serious" warnings to Pakistan and "demanding" deportation of Dawood after Mumbai bomb blasts):
दावूद आणि कंपनी तिथेच बरी... न जाणो त्यांना इथे आणायचे, ते जामिनावर सुटुन निवडणूक लढवून आपल्याच डोक्यावर बसायचे! X-(
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(After getting grades for this semester):
जो मिल गया उसीको मुकद्दर समझ लिया, जो खो गया मैं उसको भुलाता चला गया...

-Vedhas Pandit