I love music

"The man that hath no music in himself,

Nor is not moved with concord of sweet sounds,

Is fit for treasons, stratagems and spoils;

The motions of his spirit are dull as night

And his affections dark as Erebus:

Let no such man be trusted. Mark the music."

 -Lorenzo from The Merchant of Venice (Act V, Scene 1)

A number of pupils I have taught would relate to this quote from The Merchant of Venice so let me share a little bit about myself and my interest in music .   

I enjoy music and always have. Be it Rock and roll, country or the blues – I can sit and listen for hours. I still play the guitar for pleasure, used to play the drums and a little bit of mouth organ as well. The keyboard is something I would love to learn now.

Now before you even start wondering as to how proficient a musician I am, let me state the obvious facts. I am no Clapton or Santana on guitar, no Ringo Starr or Phil Collins on the drums or Larry Adler on the mouth organ. However, I did play in a few bands for a number of years - it was great fun and I earned money as well.  Hundreds have danced to my tune at weddings, dances, parties and picnics and that is when I realized that music does give you a high, especially when the crowd asks for more!

I am an ardent Elvis fan and have always considered him the “KING” but also enjoy quite a few other musicians of varying genres.

Now they do say that music is in our genes and comes down through generations, however no one I know of among my ancestors had a musical note in them (I could be wrong) and I guess the music will die with me, as my daughters are not very musically inclined either.

I guess I would have to thank my mother and my aunt who first got me into singing. Whenever we had visitors, my cousins and I would be called out to entertain them. We had either to sing or say a poem. We did not enjoy it very much and as we grew older we, felt more embarrassed but entertain guests we had to! Probably those impromptu concerts gave me the confidence to sing.

I was about 12 when a family friend presented me a handmade guitar. It was something I had always wanted and I was over the moon.  It was cream in colour and had an amazing tone. At first, I played absolute rubbish and broke umpteen strings but perfected the poses in front of a large mirror!

 Now you must remember that there was no Television or YouTube back then so we listened to the radio and noted down words of songs. A number of the well-known songs were repeated daily on Radio Ceylon so I would sit patiently with a paper and pen to fill in the gaps I had missed the day before and finally within a few days would get the whole song down. There were a few songbooks as well so we would buy, borrow and lend.

I finally met a friend who got me to note down and learn a few basic guitar chords. In fact, I learnt three to begin with and sang all my songs on the same three chords. I was satisfied with myself. From there on it was a matter of practice makes perfect.

In my early twenties, I got fascinated with the drums. In case, you need to know, I taught myself – so four of us friends then started a band- I purchased a second hand drum kit and we practiced hard. Soon we were getting bookings!

The band was well known and we played regularly for large functions – we earned money as well – not in thousands but sufficient to keep us happy. From time to time, I also freelanced with another group of experienced musicians playing either guitar or drums.

A funny matter made me abandon the drums and revert to guitar. I noticed that at all the functions; the guitarists in the band were always jumping around in the front and gaining all the attention while I soldiered on at the back – singing and drumming but hardly being seen.

That was it. It was no more drumming & rhythm guitar henceforth - and more band life. Every year when I would go down from Pune for the winter vacation to Allahabad, I would join an established band and journey to Varanasi to play for the Christmas and New Year week. It was quite the highlight of my year.

I still enjoy playing the guitar and singing with friends and find it extremely relaxing and immensely enjoyable.

So, either you yourself or if you have a kid – get them into music. It is a stress buster and much better than sitting with a laptop, mobile phone or a gaming console.

It is a decision you will never regret.

I love music

"The man that hath no music in himself,

Nor is not moved with concord of sweet sounds,

Is fit for treasons, stratagems and spoils;

The motions of his spirit are dull as night

And his affections dark as Erebus:

Let no such man be trusted. Mark the music."

 -Lorenzo from The Merchant of Venice (Act V, Scene 1)

A number of pupils I have taught would relate to this quote from The Merchant of Venice so let me share a little bit about myself and my interest in music .   

I enjoy music and always have. Be it Rock and roll, country or the blues – I can sit and listen for hours. I still play the guitar for pleasure, used to play the drums and a little bit of mouth organ as well. The keyboard is something I would love to learn now.

Now before you even start wondering as to how proficient a musician I am, let me state the obvious facts. I am no Clapton or Santana on guitar, no Ringo Starr or Phil Collins on the drums or Larry Adler on the mouth organ. However, I did play in a few bands for a number of years - it was great fun and I earned money as well.  Hundreds have danced to my tune at weddings, dances, parties and picnics and that is when I realized that music does give you a high, especially when the crowd asks for more!

I am an ardent Elvis fan and have always considered him the “KING” but also enjoy quite a few other musicians of varying genres.

Now they do say that music is in our genes and comes down through generations, however no one I know of among my ancestors had a musical note in them (I could be wrong) and I guess the music will die with me, as my daughters are not very musically inclined either.

I guess I would have to thank my mother and my aunt who first got me into singing. Whenever we had visitors, my cousins and I would be called out to entertain them. We had either to sing or say a poem. We did not enjoy it very much and as we grew older we, felt more embarrassed but entertain guests we had to! Probably those impromptu concerts gave me the confidence to sing.

I was about 12 when a family friend presented me a handmade guitar. It was something I had always wanted and I was over the moon.  It was cream in colour and had an amazing tone. At first, I played absolute rubbish and broke umpteen strings but perfected the poses in front of a large mirror!

 Now you must remember that there was no Television or YouTube back then so we listened to the radio and noted down words of songs. A number of the well-known songs were repeated daily on Radio Ceylon so I would sit patiently with a paper and pen to fill in the gaps I had missed the day before and finally within a few days would get the whole song down. There were a few songbooks as well so we would buy, borrow and lend.

I finally met a friend who got me to note down and learn a few basic guitar chords. In fact, I learnt three to begin with and sang all my songs on the same three chords. I was satisfied with myself. From there on it was a matter of practice makes perfect.

In my early twenties, I got fascinated with the drums. In case, you need to know, I taught myself – so four of us friends then started a band- I purchased a second hand drum kit and we practiced hard. Soon we were getting bookings!

The band was well known and we played regularly for large functions – we earned money as well – not in thousands but sufficient to keep us happy. From time to time, I also freelanced with another group of experienced musicians playing either guitar or drums.

A funny matter made me abandon the drums and revert to guitar. I noticed that at all the functions; the guitarists in the band were always jumping around in the front and gaining all the attention while I soldiered on at the back – singing and drumming but hardly being seen.

That was it. It was no more drumming & rhythm guitar henceforth - and more band life. Every year when I would go down from Pune for the winter vacation to Allahabad, I would join an established band and journey to Varanasi to play for the Christmas and New Year week. It was quite the highlight of my year.

I still enjoy playing the guitar and singing with friends and find it extremely relaxing and immensely enjoyable.

So, either you yourself or if you have a kid – get them into music. It is a stress buster and much better than sitting with a laptop, mobile phone or a gaming console.

It is a decision you will never regret.

You are a wise man

When your head rules your heart

And shopping is usually groceries

When need precedes want

And prayers are not only rosaries

When retaliation is not the solution

To some nasty accusation

When balm is more often used

Than some well perfumed lotion

When work becomes a joy

And no longer a tiring chore

When exercise is a necessity

And you need to strengthen your core

When napping takes precedence

Over all else, you used to do

You are a wise  man my friend

And getting older too

You are a wise man

When your head rules your heart

And shopping is usually groceries

When need precedes want

And prayers are not only rosaries

When retaliation is not the solution

To some nasty accusation

When balm is more often used

Than some well perfumed lotion

When work becomes a joy

And no longer a tiring chore

When exercise is a necessity

And you need to strengthen your core

When napping takes precedence

Over all else, you used to do

You are a wise  man my friend

And getting older too

SMOKING KILLS

Someone sent me a joke on WhatsApp this afternoon …. “One in four people look down on smokers- More proof that smoking stunts your growth” It sure got me thinking about smoking, cigarettes and my mother. My mum was a smoker and she smoked well into her late seventies. In fact, when the doctors forced her to stop, her health began to deteriorate. Strange but true. At the very outset let me make this clear – I DO NOT SMOKE. No cigarettes, no cigars, no ‘bidis’ for me. Have I ever smoked in my life? – Yes- one cigarette! This happened when I went to appear for my intermediate examination in my hometown Allahabad. The examination center was in one corner of the city and a friend and I landed there quite early in the morning. Strangely, almost everyone was smoking. Whether it was style, acting cool or just out of nervousness but every second boy was puffing away and revising from his notes at the same time. My friend seemed fascinated and I have to admit so was I. We felt we were sticking out like sore thumbs so we did what any insane friends would – strolled over to the small ‘corner shop’ and casually bought two Panama cigarettes. Having seen others do it umpteen times, we borrowed a lighter and ‘lit up’. We now felt part of the gang! Cigarettes in hand, we walked away and took a puff each. He had obviously smoked occasionally before so he inhaled deeply, smiled and seemed to be in seventh heaven while I almost choked. That said, the next few puffs were not too bad and soon we had both finished smoking our cigarettes. With a certain amount of exaggerated bravado, we flicked the butts away and proceeded to the examination hall. No sooner had the question paper been handed out than I began to feel extremely giddy and quite nauseous. I was also coughing uncontrollably & I wasted a good forty-five minutes trying to ensure that my eyes remained open and my head remained on my neck. That did not augur well for me and the results were rather disastrous. That day I said to myself that I would never smoke again and it has remained ever so! Smoking kills and the statistics are rather terrifying. Did a little reading and this is what I came up with. No, rocket science but seriously frightening. Smoking leads to disease and disability and harms nearly every organ of the body- it is also the leading cause of preventable death. I guess that is a no brainer. •Worldwide, tobacco use causes more than 7 million deaths per year. If the pattern of smoking all over the globe does not change, more than 8.2 million people a year will die from diseases related to tobacco use by 2030. •In 2018, $9.78 billion was spent on advertising and promotion of cigarettes and smokeless tobacco combined—more than $25 million every day, and more than $1 million every hour. If this is not pure insanity then what is! We have millions starving. About 15 % of adults smoke and approximately eight million adults die of smoking related illnesses each year •Each day, about 2200 people younger than 16 years smoke their first cigarette. Peer pressure plays a big role here and so does slick advertising, which glorifies smoking. The statutory warning, “Cigarette smoking is injurious to health “printed on all cigarette packets does little to deter smokers. Every fifth adult in the world smokes tobacco; however, there are large differences between men and women. More than one-third (35%) of men in the world smoke. Just over 6% of women do. The fact that men are more likely than women to smoke is reflected in health statistics: particularly lung cancer, for which smoking is a primary risk factor. We see that in every country in the world, men are more likely to die from lung cancer than women are. If you are a smoker – plan to give it up. The quicker – the better. YOU OWE IT TO YOURSELF AND YOUR FAMILY

SMOKING KILLS

Someone sent me a joke on WhatsApp this afternoon …. “One in four people look down on smokers- More proof that smoking stunts your growth” It sure got me thinking about smoking, cigarettes and my mother. My mum was a smoker and she smoked well into her late seventies. In fact, when the doctors forced her to stop, her health began to deteriorate. Strange but true. At the very outset let me make this clear – I DO NOT SMOKE. No cigarettes, no cigars, no ‘bidis’ for me. Have I ever smoked in my life? – Yes- one cigarette! This happened when I went to appear for my intermediate examination in my hometown Allahabad. The examination center was in one corner of the city and a friend and I landed there quite early in the morning. Strangely, almost everyone was smoking. Whether it was style, acting cool or just out of nervousness but every second boy was puffing away and revising from his notes at the same time. My friend seemed fascinated and I have to admit so was I. We felt we were sticking out like sore thumbs so we did what any insane friends would – strolled over to the small ‘corner shop’ and casually bought two Panama cigarettes. Having seen others do it umpteen times, we borrowed a lighter and ‘lit up’. We now felt part of the gang! Cigarettes in hand, we walked away and took a puff each. He had obviously smoked occasionally before so he inhaled deeply, smiled and seemed to be in seventh heaven while I almost choked. That said, the next few puffs were not too bad and soon we had both finished smoking our cigarettes. With a certain amount of exaggerated bravado, we flicked the butts away and proceeded to the examination hall. No sooner had the question paper been handed out than I began to feel extremely giddy and quite nauseous. I was also coughing uncontrollably & I wasted a good forty-five minutes trying to ensure that my eyes remained open and my head remained on my neck. That did not augur well for me and the results were rather disastrous. That day I said to myself that I would never smoke again and it has remained ever so! Smoking kills and the statistics are rather terrifying. Did a little reading and this is what I came up with. No, rocket science but seriously frightening. Smoking leads to disease and disability and harms nearly every organ of the body- it is also the leading cause of preventable death. I guess that is a no brainer. •Worldwide, tobacco use causes more than 7 million deaths per year. If the pattern of smoking all over the globe does not change, more than 8.2 million people a year will die from diseases related to tobacco use by 2030. •In 2018, $9.78 billion was spent on advertising and promotion of cigarettes and smokeless tobacco combined—more than $25 million every day, and more than $1 million every hour. If this is not pure insanity then what is! We have millions starving. About 15 % of adults smoke and approximately eight million adults die of smoking related illnesses each year •Each day, about 2200 people younger than 16 years smoke their first cigarette. Peer pressure plays a big role here and so does slick advertising, which glorifies smoking. The statutory warning, “Cigarette smoking is injurious to health “printed on all cigarette packets does little to deter smokers. Every fifth adult in the world smokes tobacco; however, there are large differences between men and women. More than one-third (35%) of men in the world smoke. Just over 6% of women do. The fact that men are more likely than women to smoke is reflected in health statistics: particularly lung cancer, for which smoking is a primary risk factor. We see that in every country in the world, men are more likely to die from lung cancer than women are. If you are a smoker – plan to give it up. The quicker – the better. YOU OWE IT TO YOURSELF AND YOUR FAMILY

I don't feel embarrassed saying it - I AM NOT A HANDY MAN .
No I am not useless - I can sing, play the guitar , play the drums ,  cook, bake a bit , love reading , enjoy writing and speaking too. I can be witty when in the mood and am told that I am good company etc.  but being handy around the house or anywhere for that matter is a big NO .
Am I proud of this fact?  - believe it or not I am smiling while typing so you have the answer to my question without me saying anything !
Does it make me feel any less a man - OMG I am smiling again .
I guess hammers, chisels, saws, greese ,
Let me give you some thoughts on this topic .
 

I don't feel embarrassed saying it - I AM NOT A HANDY MAN .
No I am not useless - I can sing, play the guitar , play the drums ,  cook, bake a bit , love reading , enjoy writing and speaking too. I can be witty when in the mood and am told that I am good company etc.  but being handy around the house or anywhere for that matter is a big NO .
Am I proud of this fact?  - believe it or not I am smiling while typing so you have the answer to my question without me saying anything !
Does it make me feel any less a man - OMG I am smiling again .
I guess hammers, chisels, saws, greese ,
Let me give you some thoughts on this topic .
 

Let's save cricket the blushes

The Lodha Committee was appointed by the Supreme Court of India on 22nd January 2015 to analyze and recommend implementable actions for improving the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI)

One of its recommendations was that the so-called “old guard” should not be re - elected, obviously to enable fresh blood to be infused into the governing body of the game. Now, it does not require a very fertile imagination to conclude as to what the “Old Guards” were up to and why Justice Lodha came down heavily on them.

There was jubilation all round as “cleansing” was perceived but the same was short lived. If they could not rule the game and interfere at will, there had to be a loophole somewhere.

So what if they were over 70 years of age and hence illegible as per the new rules. Who was bothered about the “Cooling off period” that the committee recommended. If they were going to be put out to pasture, there had to be a better way to worm their way back in.

So now, their sons and daughters, son in laws and other family members , who may never have played cricket in their lives and have no clue about the game whatsoever , are the new Governors. Surely, this is a joke in poor taste.

Bengal, Saurashtra, Tamil Nadu, Himachal Pradesh and Gujarat all have close relatives of the “old guard” in the associations. The BCCI has one as well.

Therefore, what has changed? What cleansing has taken place? What improvements will we perceive? What has justice Lodha to say about this? What is anyone saying about this? Why is this proxy ruling being accepted ?

One may say that the positive aspect is that our men’s cricket team is doing well and bringing honours to the country but is that the answer we are looking for?.

Why can’t we have a clean system, free from petty politics where the best men get the job and the best players are in the various teams – selected purely on merit?

It is about time we had cricketers at the helm. Saurav Ganguly as Head of BCCI is a breath of fresh air. If cricket at all levels in the country is to improve & do well then we need more cricketers running the various associations and cricket boards.

We have seen dynasty rule flopping in other spheres – let's spare cricket the blushes !

Let's save cricket the blushes

The Lodha Committee was appointed by the Supreme Court of India on 22nd January 2015 to analyze and recommend implementable actions for improving the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI)

One of its recommendations was that the so-called “old guard” should not be re - elected, obviously to enable fresh blood to be infused into the governing body of the game. Now, it does not require a very fertile imagination to conclude as to what the “Old Guards” were up to and why Justice Lodha came down heavily on them.

There was jubilation all round as “cleansing” was perceived but the same was short lived. If they could not rule the game and interfere at will, there had to be a loophole somewhere.

So what if they were over 70 years of age and hence illegible as per the new rules. Who was bothered about the “Cooling off period” that the committee recommended. If they were going to be put out to pasture, there had to be a better way to worm their way back in.

So now, their sons and daughters, son in laws and other family members , who may never have played cricket in their lives and have no clue about the game whatsoever , are the new Governors. Surely, this is a joke in poor taste.

Bengal, Saurashtra, Tamil Nadu, Himachal Pradesh and Gujarat all have close relatives of the “old guard” in the associations. The BCCI has one as well.

Therefore, what has changed? What cleansing has taken place? What improvements will we perceive? What has justice Lodha to say about this? What is anyone saying about this? Why is this proxy ruling being accepted ?

One may say that the positive aspect is that our men’s cricket team is doing well and bringing honours to the country but is that the answer we are looking for?.

Why can’t we have a clean system, free from petty politics where the best men get the job and the best players are in the various teams – selected purely on merit?

It is about time we had cricketers at the helm. Saurav Ganguly as Head of BCCI is a breath of fresh air. If cricket at all levels in the country is to improve & do well then we need more cricketers running the various associations and cricket boards.

We have seen dynasty rule flopping in other spheres – let's spare cricket the blushes !

Vaping is the new menace all around us and it's about time it was taken more seriously than it already is. Temptation, peer pressure , and experimentation are strong words and however wrong this may sound , no ones' child is exempt.

No parent should ever say " my ward will never ever try it ". No one is beyond reproach.  We live in a world of sweeping fads. They come in like a typhoon and destroy all in their path leaving behind tears , illness ,sadness and above all blame . 

Vaping is on the increase and that's the undeniable truth.

Teens as young as thirteen are getting sucked into the vortex and by the time they are eighteen they are well on the way to being ruined .

It is a misconception that vaping is much safer than smoking and hence awareness is the key. 

Gender, affluence , locality,  family values , educational qualifications and the like are all inconsequential.  

Parents and educational institutions must work closely together to eradicate this menace.

So whether it's formulating new policies,organzing awareness campaigns or tightening of discipline by educational institutions, or looking for signs and just spending more time together for parents  , everyone needs to reach out to the youth to tackle vaping head on.

This is serious business- very serious.

Michael Guzder 

0506568672

Sent from Yahoo Mail on Android

Sent from Yahoo Mail on Android

Vaping is the new menace all around us and it's about time it was taken more seriously than it already is. Temptation, peer pressure , and experimentation are strong words and however wrong this may sound , no ones' child is exempt.

No parent should ever say " my ward will never ever try it ". No one is beyond reproach.  We live in a world of sweeping fads. They come in like a typhoon and destroy all in their path leaving behind tears , illness ,sadness and above all blame . 

Vaping is on the increase and that's the undeniable truth.

Teens as young as thirteen are getting sucked into the vortex and by the time they are eighteen they are well on the way to being ruined .

It is a misconception that vaping is much safer than smoking and hence awareness is the key. 

Gender, affluence , locality,  family values , educational qualifications and the like are all inconsequential.  

Parents and educational institutions must work closely together to eradicate this menace.

So whether it's formulating new policies,organzing awareness campaigns or tightening of discipline by educational institutions, or looking for signs and just spending more time together for parents  , everyone needs to reach out to the youth to tackle vaping head on.

This is serious business- very serious.

Michael Guzder 

0506568672

Sent from Yahoo Mail on Android

Sent from Yahoo Mail on Android

The humble onion

So the humble onion is in the news again and yes , its bringing tears to peoples eyes. Will it make them weep ? That is the question everyone is asking

Maharashtra, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh , West Bengal , Karnataka and Bihar account for most of the onions grown in the country . Maharashtra accounts for one third of that total with its onion belt of Nashik, Ahmednagar , Pune and Aurangabad . As a large part of the state was facing drought this year, the onion was the only hope for farmers to survive.Unfortunately rates never picked up for the entire season and the farmers are not only disgruntled - they are very angry . And an angry farmer in a country like India is not a very good sign .

Farmers blame the central government’s policies for the fall in onion rates. “This government works for the middle class in big cities. To keep them happy, this government controls onion prices. Why is it that every time only farmers are forced to face problems"

In 2010, the prices of onion, in India rose to ₹ 88 from ₹ 25 (per kg) in just one week. The Government had to ban the export of onions and even had to import it from another country .

The Great Onion Crisis of 2010” haunted Mr Manmohan Singh’s government and was something he wished had never happened .

Something similar happened in the year 1980. Due to the sky rocketing prices of onions, the Central government was toppled .

In 1998, once again the prices of onions rose very high leading to a ban on export & affecting the common man . This led to the fall of BJP government in the State elections in Delhi.

In a country like India, where the majority of the population, still, is either spending or making their largest share of income on food items, such rise or fall of prices of basic ingredient can be catastrophic .

Is anybody listening ?

The humble onion

So the humble onion is in the news again and yes , its bringing tears to peoples eyes. Will it make them weep ? That is the question everyone is asking

Maharashtra, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh , West Bengal , Karnataka and Bihar account for most of the onions grown in the country . Maharashtra accounts for one third of that total with its onion belt of Nashik, Ahmednagar , Pune and Aurangabad . As a large part of the state was facing drought this year, the onion was the only hope for farmers to survive.Unfortunately rates never picked up for the entire season and the farmers are not only disgruntled - they are very angry . And an angry farmer in a country like India is not a very good sign .

Farmers blame the central government’s policies for the fall in onion rates. “This government works for the middle class in big cities. To keep them happy, this government controls onion prices. Why is it that every time only farmers are forced to face problems"

In 2010, the prices of onion, in India rose to ₹ 88 from ₹ 25 (per kg) in just one week. The Government had to ban the export of onions and even had to import it from another country .

The Great Onion Crisis of 2010” haunted Mr Manmohan Singh’s government and was something he wished had never happened .

Something similar happened in the year 1980. Due to the sky rocketing prices of onions, the Central government was toppled .

In 1998, once again the prices of onions rose very high leading to a ban on export & affecting the common man . This led to the fall of BJP government in the State elections in Delhi.

In a country like India, where the majority of the population, still, is either spending or making their largest share of income on food items, such rise or fall of prices of basic ingredient can be catastrophic .

Is anybody listening ?