Mumbai
I arrive in Mumbai tomorrow morning, the 9th of November. I can't wait! I am planning to take a week off classes and start my Hindustani vocal lessons on the 14th, so that I have a few days to orient myself in the city.
Train Rides.
Every day, every morning and afternoon is filled to the gills with beauty, with newness and stimulation. 
Walking past the corner temple where Ganesh is being worshipped, while holy cows sitting lazily, tied up outside the temple being fed long fresh grass as offerings by believers while motorcycles, cars and double decker buses rush past. Large cow bells are hit with the palms of hands while behind the (cow) bell toller men and women gather in a group facing the statue of Ganesh, their hands placed together in prayer. This morning after practising guitar and singing got a lovely chutney sandwich, jumped on a bus to the closest trainstation (churchgate) and then slipped on to the women's compartment...
I love the public transport (which i now use multiple times daily) so simple, cheap and practical but most of all I love the feast of colors and variety that my eyes drink up. Women in all different style dress, floating saris: purple, dark blue (the color of the sky at 11pm), emerald green with hints of gold, a fireglow maroon paired with delicate toerings, bangles and nose rings which flash against the women's dark tanned skin. The women's compartment, this purely "woman's space" I revel in even more because of its extreme absence in Cairo. I thirsted for it desperately without knowing.
On practically each stop there are vendors - young boys, old women, young men,
selling in large wicker baskets propped against him or nestled in the arch and grip of an arm various snacks, nail polish, cosmetics, vegetables, children's toys, coloring books, bangles and silver anklets. A blind man came and shuffled unconfidentally through the passageway between seats singing a raaga, the white of his right eye a creamy egg-white.After buying anklets from a middle-aged woman, basket on head I quickly jumped off at Elphinston Station in Lower Parel where the NGO I volunteer in is located (YUVA).[see: www.yuvaindia.org]".
Photography
Over the past few days I"ve been trying to take more photos. At first the mind and the eye is excited and overstimulated because everything from the street vendors 
and cane juice stands, to the explosively colorful saris, to the decrepid yet elegant buildings (remnants of colonialism) lean over, blackened at its edges like an over-loved book, to pavement communities with intense scenes of poverty. Yet i have quickly become accoustomed to these sights, and they no longer rester at the same high-pitch nor do they call as much for my attention. Encouraged by mom I am now starting to take my camera everywhere I go and am trying to capture the beauty of the everday on the streets of Bombay.For that my eye that has become more aware - or I attempt to train it for that type of vision. 
6/12/2005 Collection of thoughts & visions of the everyday
A black dog's hind legs hanging over the steps that lead to the Bollywood Regal theatre, he dreams and his legs twitch, a black crow hops in front of him. On the same street a bald monk drped in an orange robe makes his way between cars. I see this from my morning bus ride to my Yoga center on Marine Drive. Across from my yoga center sits a man crosslegged in the swastikana pose looking out into the Arabian Sea.
Poor naked baby girl touching herself wearing a what remains of a soiled white party dress.
Trees lining an avenue wrapped tightly in gold lights - the wedding of a diamond merchant's daughter.
Street boy (probably 4 years of age) only with a pair of dirt covered shorts sleeping on a thin sheet on the stairs of a train station, alone.
Bandra train - passing slum dwellings that line the railway - looking into their shacks and passing a swamp (that used to be a river) that smells of pure shit, these people live on its banks and wash in it.
Morning - stray dog races motorbikes by running next to them
The spiritual depth of women here and their openness about it
Cane juice stands, flower vendors, new friends, a young parent peddling his school-going uniform clad daughter on the handlebars of his bike her black shiny tightly braided pig tails flapping in his face.
Palm reader on the sidewalk
Standing yoga position I fix my eyes (for balance) outside the window on a sail of a boat past marine drive. It first settles to the right of a lone palm tree and then with the wind the boat slips to the palm tree's left flank
Horn sounds: a declaration of presence. My bus sounds like a ferry's call.
The gateway to India (right) and Liz Velkovic and I drinking coconut juice! yum...
Two articles written about me in local Bombay and Pune newspapers:Article in the Pune newspaper
Olas gig, Pune.
http://www.dnaindia.com/report.asp?NewsID=1000874&CatID=7
Below, woman and monkey on the steps to Hindu carved-out cave temples with figures of Shiva, Elephanta Island (a two hour boat ride from the gateway of India, Bombay)
Bliss [is to be found] in the world of Notes (quote i took from Kishori Amonkar at her lecture at NCPA)
The monsoons have passed and now it is the month of festivities, parties, weddings, live music, theatre and dance. 
I've been trying as much as I can to take full advantage of this. The second week of my arrival was the week-long 'Jazz Utsav' festival
with tons of interesting and talented jazz/fusion performances and groups packing each night. It was amazing to immediately be immersed in a week-long festival in exactly the genre of music that I am aiming at and exploring (since my ultimate goal is to fuse, subtly, hindustani classical vocal techniques into jazz singing). Although some worked more than others, it gave me a good taste and range.
My amazingly sweet, patient, and talented teacher Dhanashree Pandit-Rai (yes, i do adore her!) also gave an amazingly informative and complete lecture/demonstration with two other singers explain the three major types .
of hindustani classical singing: 1) Soogam (popular) 2) Toomri (semi-classical) and 3) Sangita (classical).
Soogam means "easily reachable" and lures in the lay listner, the voice quality has to retain the original timbre of the voice, and should also be soft and melodious.
The Toomri style (semi classical which is also the main form in classical music) is a song of seduction and is therefore sensuous but can also be somber when treating the theme of seperation. Its origin comes from the Mogul Princes and their courts in the 18th century. Toomri treats such subjects as the love between man and woman and Vishnu and his lover(s). Toomri singers therefore have low husky voices (rather than clear/open ones) to beckon in and seduce the listener.
In Sangita (classical music) lyrics have less importance and the notes and the raaga itself takes the forefront. The sound quality is clear/open throated, it is resonant, filling space with warmth. It has to have a 'staying power' (rather than being "floaty")
More recently there have been numerous classical music and dance festivals. 
I went to an Orissa (North East India) fusion dance performance as well as a lecture by one of india's most famous classical hindustani singers, Kishori Amonkar. Below are some quotes i noted down from her lecture on December 23rd and the National Center for Performing Arts, Mumbai:
"To realize bliss you have to get rid of acessories and props such as the focus on external rhythm and lyrics, one needs to focus on notes. If you want to explore music you have to go to the pure nature of music - the notes."
When asked why she sings and was her goal or aim when she sings she replied:
"Self realization is the aim of art in India [...] I sing to know who I am, what is permanent in me - that is why I sing. I sing to know whether I am body or whether I am soul"
Jazz Gigs
I have had the incredible luck/good fortune to be doing jazz gigs at least once a week (sometimes up to 3 times) with the likes of the Goan sweet/crazy/party men Colin de Cruz (bassist) and Lenny (pianist).
It's exactly what I was hoping for in India (I even wrote it in my project proposal!) to have the opportunity to perform, build up my confidence and experience on-stage. I think at this point it's so important for me, as a young musician, to have that kind of experience and exposure, and doing it in India is that much more fun, relaxing and motivating.
It's fun because here jazz singing is 'exotic' and since there aren't an over abundance of jazz singers one sums up some attention and interest, it's relaxing (although the first few times were not so much!) because people aren't coming out to criticize or to judge but simply to listen and enjoy and because of that i can more readily let go and enjoy. Finally it's motivating because it gives me faith in myself, although I am still finding it quite a scary thought of completely devoting myself to singing - a risk and a vulnerability involved, hopefully such thoughts will lessen with time...
In a week I will be off and travelling to the north of India through Rajasthan, Delhi, Agra, and if I can fit it in Varanasi.
I'll update along the way and add some pics...I can't wait! My two months of study are soon complete and then it's backpacking time!
