TIL #1: Western Art Music

#TIL is a very popular hash tag on twitter short for "Today I Learnt".

On the same lines I have decided to write short blog entries on various topics of interest to me that I have learnt something on.

The first one I am writing about is the different eras of Western Art Music or Western classical music. The content has been sourced online.

Era	Approximate Timelines	Characteristic	Notable Musicians
Ancient	Pre 1100 CE
Medieval	1100 CE - 1400 CE	Church music comprising of chants. Mostly written in Latin.
Renaissance	1400 CE - 1600 CE	Music written in the musicians mother tongue "madrigal". Instrument music and voice wouldn't overlap.	Gabrieli, Lasso, Byrd, Palestrina, des Pres
Baroque	1600 CE - 1750 CE	Opera music. Instrument and voice combined.	Johan Bach, Vivaldi, Handel, Corelli, Monteverdi
Classical	1700 CE - 1800 CE	Modern Ensembles. Development of Symphonies. Defined in structures and phrases. Some of the structures were used up to 200 years later.	Mozart, Haydn
Romantic	1800 CE - 1900 CE	Orchestra. Programmatic music as part of story telling.	Beethoven, Rachmaninoff, Chopin, Strauss, Mendelssohn, Liszt, Brahms, Mahler, Tchaikovsky, Bruckner, Faure, Sibelius
20th and 21st century	1900 CE - present	Many different styles. Serialism, American post-war, Modernism, Neo-classicalism, Minimalism, Post-modernism	Too many to list.

Before this short study I had heard only Mozart, Beethoven and Chopin - discovered almost accidentally. You would remember the Titan advertisement music (Mozart) or the MS Windows sample mp3 file (Beethoven). Chopin was a pop culture pickup from Dexter - Detective Frank Lundy.

I have been latching onto whatever little art works I get from any of the above era and compiling them. From what I have heard so far, I can only say it's going to be a splendid journey ahead. Keep listening. :)

My short love story

It began when one of my friend prodded the idea of touring Madhya Pradesh on a motorcycle. It must have been sometime in Mid-2013. The seed was planted. By October 2013, I was sold on the idea and started urging my dad to let me have this life experience. A dismissive nod and I started short listing bikes.

My objectives were simple: The bike should cost less than Rs. 1Lakh, should have a decent fuel economy rate and should be able to do triple digit speeds. The options were limited. RE Electra (delivery after 6 months … no chance), Yamaha FZ/Fazer (found it comfy but underequipped and underpowered) and the Bajaj Pulsar 200NS (my pick). KTM Duke 200 was a costly option to consider.

I test drove the Bajaj Pulsar 200NS at Bajaj Sai Service Borivali outlet and inquired about the specifics of the deal. Armed with all the information I went home and pleaded with my father for giving the green signal. Sometime in December 2013, we completed the formalities and I took delivery of my love on 28-Dec-2013.

The date of my MP trip were finalized, 04-Jan-2014 departure. I was running short on time to complete the run-in period and 1st service before the long trip.

The very next day 29-Dec-2013 (Sunday), I rode out on to the NH-8 highway. Holding the engine in the tall 6th gear at a constant 55-60 kmph range. I had underestimated the winter morning and the cold kept my adrenaline in check. I couldn’t ride fast even if I wanted too.

That day I clocked around 250+ km. My first ride of solace with my love. Nothing between us. Just man, machine and the beautiful sound of the engine.

On the morning of new year 2014, with only 3 days before the trip, I set out once again on the NH8 highway to complete the required distance of 500 km before the first service interval. This time I did have to open it up at a couple of places to overtake slower moving trucks and it was really difficult for me to keep the speed under the mandatory 60 kmph. 

By noon, I had completed 480+ km and dropped my love for her first service. The guys at the service centre were taken aback that I had completed 480 km in just 5 days. Serviced and shining, my ride was ready for the MP trip.

From 04-Jan to 11-Jan I rode through Maharashtra and MP and my love for the bike just grew with every passing kilometer. I will write in detail about my MP trip. Watch this space.

Post MP, I rode my love to many short and medium trips: Nashik, Pune-Lavasa, Igatpuri, Tansa, Harihareshwar, etc. Not to forget the many sprints up and down the NH8 with friends on Sunday mornings.

But as time passed I wasn’t able to keep up the same fervor and for many months my bike lay still. The maintenance required to keep my love looking new and time I should have given to maintain it dwindled. It was slow and painful. And one fine day I decided that my bike deserved a better caring owner. With a heavy heart I bid adieu.

The memories from all the trips, the smiles from every kilometer is something I'll hold in my heart for a long time.

(Almost) Everyone's first car … M800

The humble and diminutive Maruti 800 made its presence felt in India a little before I was born. It was a no-brainer for thousands of Indians for it to be their first car. All through my family, relatives had owned the Maruti 800 at some point in their lives.

When I finished studying and got to work, I needed my own personal transport for commute. Buying a  new car wasn’t an option so I went to the second hand market looking for, no guesses, a Maruti 800. I got it for a lowly price.

The commutes were the stated reason but deep down I knew I was going to be doing many road trips in this car.

There is an unexplained pleasure in experiencing first hand the open roads and sights of new lands . With the humble Maruti, I too had my share of trips.

My first ever self-driven road trip was when I and my father drove down to NH17. It was a night drive during the winter months. 400kms of Konkan serpentine bliss.

The next trip was to Shirdi and it was EPIC. It has been chronicled here.

The monsoons and the madness in Lonavala with friends. A couple of trips and I had most of Lonavala mapped in my head.

The final trip before I upgraded the car was to Ellora via Shirdi. Loads of fun, a couple of missed exits and a midnight race against time to Bombay (courtesy Golu).

What the Maruti 800 lacked in creature comforts it made up for in character. Simple and Brilliant.

Hum Chloromint Kyun Khaate Hain?

This not so pertinent question stuck with me for a full 10 minutes.

The title of this blog is partially misleading, but not totally irrelevant.

The year was 2007. The final term of the final year of our engineering course was drawing to a close. As part of tradition a class photo of the outgoing batch is takenfor the year book. All of us were required to be dressed in formal attire and gather around the lobby for the class photo.

The whole outgoing batch (EXTC, Comps & IT) had gathered for their respective class photo. There was a lot of commotion and some class photos had to be taken again. Bored waiting for my class' turn, I decided to go get a mint (Yes … Chloromint) from the canteen in the adjacent building.

As it happened, I found someone to chit chat in the canteen and totally lost track of the ongoing outside. My friends too forgot that I was missing from the assembly. The class photo was done (see below). 

And I wasn't in it.

Damn. How can this be? I was sad at first, almost cried. (No glycerin)

But then I went into HULK mode (more so NAUTANKI mode), destroying everything in my path.

But a big thank you to my friends, they organized the entire class for an informal re-shoot within minutes. This time I was very much in the photo. So what if it wasn't printed in the year book, it has been etched in memory forever. 

SFIT Batch '07, you guys rock!!

My experiences with 2-wheelers

I learnt to ride the bicycle when I was about 8-9 years old. In a couple of years I graduated to the BMX styled bicycle. Sooner than I realized I was doing power skids, racing friends, handsfree riding and in general being bonkers.

"Only a Biker knows why a dog sticks his head out of a car window".

It was one such incident when I was not supposed to be out on road but had sneaked out of the building compound. My dad saw me in the neighborhood and I raced like hell to reach the building compund going scarily fast on the wrong side of the road. The purpose I narrate this short incident is this was the reason my dad gave me when he put off buying a bike and bought a geared scooter instead - "tu bau rough chalave che" (You ride very rash … and a scooter will keep your speed in check).

I lost that argument and sulked for weeks when the scooter arrived. In fact I remember I didn't even touch it for the first few weeks. Gradually I had to concede that I have to make do with it. The scooter in question was a one off offering from Honda, being the only geared scooter offered by them in India. The Honda Eterno came home on 9th July, 2004. Slowly and steadily it made a place for itself in my heart. The creamy Honda motor was too good to be ignored. Its 150cc engine produced only 8 bhp and due to the non-aerodynamic nature of scooters, I was skeptical that it would be very slow. But soon I realized I could leave 100cc bikes in the dust and even 125cc bikes to didn’t seem like a distant dream. I soon learnt to pull wheelies and race 150 cc bikes on short stretches upto 60 kmph.

"Respect the person who has seen the dark side of motorcycling and lived."

If you have ever ridden a 2 wheeler (motorized or non-motorized) and never fell off it, then IMHO you haven't yet learnt to ride.

I have had my share of crashes. First was due to a daydreaming cyclist riding across the road without bothering to look behind. Honk-Brake-Skid-Slide-And_Back_Up_Again. Injuries … Meh!!.

The next one was a bit scary, happened in 2009. I was riding on the highway, coming back from work with a friend riding pillion. It was around 9 PM at night near Malad. There was a patch of oil which was not very visible. I rode into it only to realize I was losing traction. In a split second we were tilting and about to hit the ground. For a brief period, everything blacked out (this is the body's natural mechanism to save us from the trauma).When I opened my eyes I realized my friend had got off and I was dragging with the scooter for some 20-30 feet before I let go off it. The scooter went some 30 feet further before it stopped. Got up. But this time instead of Meh!! kind of response I was shaken up. No physical injuries, only a mental  block.

Ditched the scooter for a couple of months before I regained the confidence to ride again. But I was still to conquer my demons. The story can be found here .

First 2-wheeler excursion

Prelude : http://baboo1985.blogspot.in/2013/08/my-experiences-with-2-wheelers.html

I was still reeling from the effects of the previous accident and had taken to riding only on smaller familiar routes. My friend "Ojo" prodded me into an excursion ride. I sought permission from my father as he had his inhibitions. But being  a rider himself (Honda Cub, Royal Enfield) he understood the joys of open road riding. With some pointers and sanctification I got the go ahead.

It would be four friends (Ojo, Golu, Vishy and me) and three 2 wheelers. Simple plan: Mumbai-Alibaug-Murud-Janjira-Alibaug-Mumbai. Ojo hails from Alibaug so was the definite leader for the trip. We zeroed in on the 23/24 July 2010 weekend. Golu and I (starting from Borivali) would travel the previous night to Ojo's place in Panvel. We would leave next morning by 6 AM and Vishy (Dombivli) would join us.

The night leg of the journey from Borivali to Panvel, I rode pretty cautiously (with Golu as pillion), covering a distance of 70 km in 2 hours.

Gang* [* - Apologies : our state of mind doesn't necessarily reflect in our expressions ;) ]:

The next morning there were heavy rains. We suited up in overalls and set out for Alibaug. Initially I faced some problems, as the accelerator would just go dead. After a while I realized the engine had not heated up well. Stoped and started again this time waited for a fairly reasonable time.

Moving steadily we reached Vadkhal Naka 50 km from Panvel, where we stopped for breakfast.

Yup!! Yours truly, Baboo.

Tanked up on Food and Fuel and continued further to Alibaug. We  reached Ojo's place and dumped our bags. The journey ahead was us riding on beautiful coastal roads lined with colourful fishing villages. In a short while  we started again southward to Korlai. 25 km from Alibaug lies the sleepy fishing town of Korlai. It has a lighthouse and a fort that was built by the Portuguese in 1521.

After a spending a short while there we moved further 35 km southwards to Murud-Janjira. Murud and Janjira are twin towns. There is a fort of Murud-Janjira which is in the middle of the sea and one has to take a ferry to the fort. The view of the fort from the town is breathtaking.

We reached the jetty but were told that due to high tide we would have to wait for a couple of hours before we could go to the fort. We didn't have the luxury of time so we proceeded to the Murud beach instead. We had lunch and chilled off before starting back 60 km to Alibaug.

We reached Alibaug and dead tired as we were cleaned up and lay lifeless till dinner time. We headed out for dinner at 8 PM (everything closes shut by 10 PM), roamed a bit and had dinner. We all were so tired that we bunked into the lovely beds Aunty had prepared for us and slept like babies. Next morning we  got up leisurely, had breakfast and went to the famed Alibaug beach for a stroll.

On the return leg of our journey, Ojo stayed back home and the rest of us started onwards to Mumbai. Golu and Vishy were taking turns on his Unicorn and within an two hours we were at Sanpada. We parted ways Vishy taking the Thane route and we the Sion route. Golu and I made one last stop at the Sanpada Bhagat Tarachand before hitting home at 4 PM.

No hiccups. No close calls. My total round trip ride was 400 km and the joy of the trip was beyond my heart's content.

Finally!! Inner Peace.

There haven't been any rides after that but watch this space.

UPDATE: I haven't done enough justice to the beauty of the Konkan region. The Konkan region is at its majestic best during the monsoon. You have beautiful greenery all around. The weather is to die for. Only spanner in the wheel is the State highways don't hold up against the rains, marring part of the experience. The other wonderful aspect was the ride along the coastal roads. No words can do justice to that.

Add to your bucket list: Travel on a coastal road till you hit a deserted beach and just revel and soak in the Sun, Sand and the Sea.

Learnings from Sun Tzu's Art of War

I first heard about Art of War and Sun Tzu from Pop culture references.

I was wailing my time on a weekend when I decided to read it. Looked it up on Google Play store and got myself a copy.

Here is a summary of the learning's from the book:

1. All warfare is based on deception.
2. Use the conquered foe to augment one's own strength.
3. Let the objective of war be victory and not lengthy campaigns.
4. If you know yourself and the enemy you need not fear the result of a hundred battles. If you know yourself and not the enemy for every victory in battle you will suffer a defeat. If you know neither the enemy nor yourself you will succumb in every battle.
5. One may know how to conquer without being able to do it - a victorious strategist only seeks battle after the victory has been won.
6. Utilize right mix of energy. The combined energy of the fighting men becomes as if it were like a giant rolling stone, crushing all in its path.
7. Strengths and weaknesses. Like water in its natural course runs away from high places and hastens downwards, strike at what is weak and avoid what is strong.
8. Understand the temperament and conditioning of the enemy. Do not advance uphill against an enemy nor oppose him when he comes downhill.
9. Variation of tactics - a general who understands the advantages of variation makes his position unassailable.
10. Five faults that may lead to failure - recklessness, over solicitude, cowardice, hasty temper and delicacy of honor which is sensitive to shame.
11. Armies on the march. Detailed observations give telltale signs of the state of one's own army and the enemy's army.
12. If you know yourself and the enemy, victory will not stand in doubt. However if you know the battle circumstances, you may make your victory complete.
13. Success in warfare is gained by accommodating ourselves to the enemy's purpose.
14. A ruler must be heedful and a general full of caution to maintain the country at peace and army intact.
15. Foreknowledge helps avert unfruitful events and achieve what ma y seem beyond ordinary.