What a night!

I know I’m in the middle of a story series and for those of you lovely people who are following along everyday as I publish a new chapter, I will tell you more about Emily and her journey tomorrow. I had to pause and tell you about last night!

Bahrain, the tiny little island on which my family has lived now for a little over three years, hosted its first international jazz festival! The husband and I heard of the festival in early September but, as with most things we figured that we would go and buy tickets only closer to the show if we really wanted to go…

Fast forward to last night, the 6th of October, the day of the festival and the two of us still didn’t have tickets and were still unsure about going. Although the gates opened at 11 AM and performances began at noon, at 5:30 in the evening, the two of us were sipping on tea trying to decide whether we would enjoy doing the grocery shopping for the week and playing a game of scrabble after or actually going to the show. Fortunately, tickets were available at the venue and we made the effort to attend the jazz festival.

We arrived in time to catch the last three acts. I wish we had reached in time to watch the Speakeasies, a Greek swing jazz band, play their whole set, but we didn’t. We heard them belt out their last three or four numbers and my otherwise stick-to-mamma-in-a-crowd little one was on her feet dancing in no time.

The next band to play were the Ska Vengers who had music that was a very interesting fusion of old style Indian sounds, Cuban, jazz and rap among other things and they had everyone dancing along; including my daughter who tried very hard to imitate the movements of their lead singer. 😀

The final act was the Electric Swing Circus and not only did they make amazing music on stage they were also extremely entertaining. Unfortunately, attending a show that late in the night with a toddler has its limitations and my daughter had had enough. So, we left before they finished.

However, I have two regrets. One, I think I should have taken pictures. I was so busy enjoying myself that I didn’t take out my phone. Two, which is my bigger regret: We missed the rest of the performances. If they were anything like the last three acts, they would have been worth watching, even if they were playing in the middle of the afternoon in the open air.

For my two and a half year old and I – a thirty-one year old – it was our first “concert” experience. (Don’t judge on either counts…) We had a fabulous time! Sitting on the grass, dancing to some great music, munching on good food, sipping cold drinks, enjoying the kid’s play area AND listening to amazing music.

Well done Bahrain!

What a night!!

******

Come back tomorrow to find out what happens to Emily!

Am posting everyday in an attempt to complete the Ultimate Blog Challenge this month.

UBC20: Following that dream

When I was about eleven or twelve, I started keeping a diary. But, I didn’t write about my day. I wrote poetry, short essays, stories and scripts instead and when I was fifteen, I printed them all and spiral bound them in something I called “The literary works of Preeti Farias – Part 1” ( Fancy title don’t you think 🙂 ). Even though my parents thought I had a decent bit of talent and I was encouraged to write; the idea was to treat it as a hobby, never as a career. It was looked at as something I could do when I was forty-five, had earned a fair bit, and had chosen to retire early from a regular job. The regular job for me (since I had no interest in medicine or engineering) is a finance one. So, I write on the side.

Today, parents are a little more accepting of “alternate” careers. Photography, journalism, anchoring TV shows, music, writing were all supposed to be hobbies when I was growing up. But, it’s changing. These days, a lot of people with insistent parents end up pursuing professional courses only to start doing what they are passionate about once they are through. They end up having the added benefit of having the more “acceptable” degree to fall back on in case it doesn’t work out like they want.

True, it might be a while before just about any child of Indian descent can walk up to her/his parents and say s/he wants to be a chef in a restaurant or something like that but, there is hope! The tide is turning and I honestly think that the drive to follow dreams is thriving in the new generation.

******

Written for IndiSpire on Indiblogger as well as for the Ultimate Blog Challenge

UBC15: Little Martha

“After silence, that which comes nearest to expressing the inexpressible is music.”  –Aldous Huxley

For the past couple of days my husband’s fingers have been dancing on his guitar fretboard while he plays his cover of “Little Martha” by the Allman Brothers Band. I had never heard it before but since I did, it’s been stuck in my head…in a beautiful sort of way. There are certain kinds of music that make you feel things…happy, sad, scared or even just overwhelmed. This is that sort. It makes me feel. It makes me smile.

Here’s the original. Give it a listen. Hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

******

The Piano

They told him that his passion for the piano was just an expensive hobby and boys like him couldn’t afford something as frivolous as music as a career. He had fought them for a while but eventually swallowed his pride and went to work at a corporate office just like everyone else.

Important people told him his work was phenomenal and through the years he rose in stature. But, something was always missing…

Until she gave him a piano for their 25th anniversary. Sitting at the piano, gently touching the once familiar keys…he was happy. Finally he felt truly alive.

******

Written for Write Tribes 100 Words on Saturday.