27 October 2014

Hangout - 26th October 2014


Today's Hangout (see banner) was only with Nadeem S - from about 2:12 - 2:42 pm Sunday afternoon. As he said, we seem to easily find plenty to talk about, any session. So we discusssed Weather, tulsi leaves and neem sticks, Simone Porter's debut at the Nashville symphony this weekend, books (Kansas), medicines (malarone), fruits, and Nainsukh Pahari painter.

(Skip these crazy photos and see the post below) Goofing off while waiting for others to join - https://picasaweb.google.com/104313877083935493139/20141030#6075984071233906050









Still dry in southern Calif - and a mild fall here, with no freezes yet, with lots of people putting up great fall leave color photos. Talk of ginko trees who shed all their leaves in one evening each year, as different from other trees.  Which led Nadeem to mention another very ancient plant (Ginko) / animal, the 'silver fish' which eat books and paper.  Which led me to mention that some donated books from a Bihar Legislator had tulsi leaves to keep out silver fish. So, Nadeem asked if I had ever brushed my teeth with neem twigs, which all his friends in India insisted he try at least once - he said it was very bitter (like Tulsi leaves).  But I never have yet tried it, though people are seen brushing their teeth in the morning at Indian railway stations, and the sticks are always sold at the stations.

Nadeem said he was scheduled to go to a concert in the afternoon there, which led me to mention that

Simone Porter had a great review of her debut with the Nashville symphony, Friday and Saturday. Uncharacteristic of classical concerts, one fan yelled out "Yeah" in the middle of Simone's performance. See http://artsnash.com/classicalmusic/violinist-simone-porter/

I again told Nadeem I had not read the "Deer Hunter's" book. and he asked me to look into the book "What's the matter with Kansas" http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003J4VEM2?btkr=1

This last week Deej and I went for our medical review - what we need to do to prepare for the Semester at Sea round the world voyage Spring 2015 - typhoid, Japanese encepilitis, polio, malaria pills, rabies, etc. I said I was taking Malarone, and am presently taking the 4 oral typoid pills which will protect me for 5 years.

Nadeen asked if I could see the tree over his left shoulder which is in his neighbor's yard, which is a sita phul or custard apple tree (Annona squamosa) - which I could see. He says the fruiting season is in late November or such and his neighbor shares the fruit. He also mentioned a purple berry which he loves and is Syzygium cuminic (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Syzygium_cumini), and whose Indian name is jaman as is gulab jaman. I mentioned that I love ber in India, but have never seen it outside of India - he says it is Bair, but that looks round compared to my memories of oblong fruit, but maybe there are different versions.  http://www.urdumania.net/health-tips/fruits-and-vegetables/bair-fruit-jujube-fruit-health-benefits.php
This last Thursday John Seyller (U of Vermont) gave a lecture on Indian art, titled the "Mughal Influence in the early works of Nainsukh" which was very interesting.  I could not locate the lecture but it should be findable with Google using "nainsukh UVa"  Nadeem found this site http://vinaaef.mihanblog.com/extrapage/articleioro And I append a description at the very bottom of this post of this painting from the lecture

And other things - but it was getting late (2:40) and Nadeem needed to get ready for his concert; and Deej wanted me to climb up the ladder and clear off the leaves of the south roof and gutters; similar to how we had climbed up the ladder and sprayed the moss clumps all over the north roof yesterday in order to kill it all.








19th Oct. 2014 Hangout (generic banner above) from Madison, Wi. I have made efforts to keep these "chai at the e-Quad" Hangouts going weekly at 2 pm (eastern), and I even succeeded in hosting it and getting it going under difficult circumstances last week (19 Oct 2014) though I was in Madison, Wi at the South Asia Conference, and had to reserve a special room at the Hotel.  It was  a very private small room with a little bathroom on the 3rd floor and called Mother's room.  Gil and Nadeem joined me at 1 pm (mid-west time) and we talk of hiking, accidents, deaths at Woodstock, But also of several other things.  So the Hangouts continue.








Description of the Nainsukh painting desplayed above:
"Rani on a Terrace is Presented with Falcons. Attributed to Nainsukh, Guler, ca. 1746-48. Courtesy of the Jagdish and Kamla Mittal Museum of Indian Art Hyderabad, India.

Falcons as a painting subject were introduced into Indian painting by the Mughal tribe. Nainsukh of Guler was the son of the renowned Pahari painter Pandit Seu, and himself a central figure in the development of Pahari painting in the middle of the 18th century. New readings of previously undeciphered inscriptions on a series of paintings of individual falcons now attribute them to Pandit Seu and his sons, Manaku and Nainsukh. In this talk, Seyller will discuss how this series of falcon paintings—now established to be among the earliest works in Nainsukh's long and illustrious career—set the stage for his profound absorption of Mughal compositions, figure types, and surface effects in the 1740s."

Here's the banner for the 12th Oct 2014 Hangout (hang gliding at the hangout - don't get stuck in the world wide web!)


30 September 2014

Hangout - 21 September 2014

     Sunday, 21st Sept 2014, our Hangout mainly talked around topics of various books, see below.  The week before (14 Sept 2014) we were nicely surprised to see and talk with Robert B., besides others.  At least for a few minutes, before he had to go off and practice for his concert or soiree the coming Sunday.


     Our friend Jim R. wrote about the concert at Robert's house  "Louise and I were among the special invitees to a musical soiree at the lovely home of Robert B. and his wife Suzanne J.  Robert on piano (my he is good!) and equally gifted musician friends on two violins, a viola and a cello, treated us to amazing renditions of Beethoven’s Piano Trio Op. 1, No. 3, and Dvorak’s Piano Quintet in A Major, Op. 81.  Wow!  I don’t think I’ve ever heard such difficult music played with such professional acumen."


     The Hangout on the 21st Sept centered around talk of different topics of books. In some ways it was a continuation of some of the discussions we had at the central Virginia Curry Club chai the day before (20th Sept 2014 in Crozet at Betsy's). During the Hangout, Nadeem offered up several he has read and liked. Betty C. told about her on-going project to write a children's book about Rajasaurus, a dinosaur discovered in Jabalpur (where we lived in central India). I mentioned several 'new' books written by people connected with Woodstock.  And Bill described and gave his review of "The End of Chet" - a book we had discussed earlier and was / is available on Amazon for 99 cents, Kindle edition.


     Otheriwise - Gordon and Marguerite showed us photos of the recent celebration of the wedding annivarsary - including one photo of cake's icing - an amazing real B&W photo icing on the cake. Had to see it to believe it.  Marguerite asked "whatever happened to the ghost book Stephen Alter was writing?' Nadeem said, not Stephen, but Ruskin Bond has written or collected writings on ghosts.  See a reference to it in the list below.


     David S was briefly on one of the recent Hangouts, just at the beginning, and mentioned his and Achva's trip, visit, and attending a "glorious Bach cantata performance by Avi's group at St. Paul's chapel" on the other side (from California) of the US in mid-September. (Avi is their son).


Books and other stuff with some sort of connection to Woodstock (India) On 21 September 2014 (P. McEldowney) Random order.


1. Small wild goose pagoda (IA Sealy) 2. Mountainous sound spaces (A Alter) 3. Out of Line )R. Memon) 4. A House Called Askival (M Glover) 5. Hill vale and many a tale (N. Venkatraman) 6. Motor cycling 7. There and back (M Hackney) 8. Becoming a mountain (S Alter) 9. Season of Ghosts (R Bond) 10. Deer Hunting with Jesus (J Bageant) 11. A Lind's Blog 12. Rajasaurus


1. The Small wild goose pagoda : an almanac. Author: Irwin Allan Sealy.
Publisher: New Delhi : Aleph Book Company, 2014.
http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/889577850
OCLC Number: 889577850. Description: 289 pages.
Responsibility: Irwin Allan Sealy.
http://www.mussooriewriters.com/2014/09/08/the-small-wild-goose-pagoda-by-irwin-allan-sealy/


2. Mountainous sound spaces : listening to history and music in the Uttarakhand Himalayas
Author: Andrew Alter. Publisher: New Delhi, India Foundation Books, 2014.
http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/885147772
http://www.mussooriewriters.com/2014/09/08/mountainous-sound-spaces-by-andrew-alter/


3. Out of Line. Author: Ritu Menon.
Publishers: Harper Collins India (not available in the US as yet)
http://www.harpercollins.co.in/Miniwebsite/BookDetail.asp?Book_Code=4741&TB_iframe=true&width=570&height=390
Extent:    312  pages. Category: Biography
http://www.mussooriewriters.com/2014/09/08/out-of-line-by-ritu-menon/


4. A House Called Askival
Author: Merryn Glover. Publisher: Glasgow : Freight Books, 2014.
Edition/Format:  eBook : Document : Fiction :     
An elegant, moving and heartfelt love letter to the sights, sounds and tastes of northern India told through the enthralling story of the troubled relationship between a father and daughter stretching from Partition to the present day. James Connor is a man who, burdened with guilt following a tragic event in his youth, has dedicated his life to serving India. Ruth Connor is his estranged daughter who, as a teenager, always knew she came second to her parents' missionary vocation and rebelled, with equally tragic consequences. After 24 years away, Ruth finally returns to Askival, the fam.
ISBN:  9781908754608 1908754605. OCLC Number: 881570849
Notes: Description based upon print version of record. Description: 1 online resource (490 p.)    
http://www.mussooriewriters.com/2014/06/04/a-house-called-askival-by-merryn-glover/
http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/881570849


5. Film - "Hill vale and many a tale" Director: Neela Venkatraman
http://www.mussooriewriters.com/2014/06/04/hill-vale-and-many-a-tale/


6. motor cycling (web site)
From : MOTORCYCLE TOURS, DOMA'S INN, LANDOUR, MUSSOORIE
http://www.mussooriewriters.com/2014/09/08/built2ride/


7. There and back again: A memoir of 20 years in India. Author: Mark Hackney.
Publisher: Tate Publishing, 2014. 192 p. Also as eBook
https://www.tatepublishing.com/bookstore/book.php?w=9781627467339
ISBN 9781627467339.  "A memoir of 20 years in India" Coming Oct 28th, 2014


8. Becoming a Mountain: Himalayan Journeys in Search of the Sacred and the Sublime
Author: Stephen Alter. Hardcover: 320 pages. Publisher: Arcade Publishing (March 3, 2015)
Language: English. ISBN-10: 1628725109. ISBN-13: 978-1628725100
http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/884815042
http://www.amazon.com/Becoming-Mountain-Himalayan-Journeys-Sublime/dp/1628725109/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1411336816&sr=8-1&keywords=Stephen+Alter+mountain


9. Season of Ghosts. Author: Ruskin Bond
Publisher: New Delhi ; New York, NY : Viking, 1999. OCLC: 44564086    
http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/44564086
http://www.amazon.com/Season-Ghosts-Ruskin-Bond/dp/0140287841/ref=tmm_pap_title_0?ie=UTF8&qid=1411337478&sr=8-1
Paperback: 224 pages Publisher: Motilal UK Books of India; 1 edition (June 1, 2000)
Language: English ISBN-10: 0140287841 ISBN-13: 978-0140287844
Kindle ($9.99) and Hardbound editions available.
Note: Nine short stories of the supernatural and one mystery novella.
See also http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/59986841
Ruskin Bond's Penguin book of Indian ghost stories (1993)


10. Deer Hunting with Jesus. Author: Joe Bageant. Publisher: London : Portobello Books, 2008.
Print Length: 290 pages Page Numbers Source ISBN: 030733936X Publisher: Broadway Books; Reprint edition (June 24, 2008)
http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/228581470
http://www.amazon.com/Deer-Hunting-Jesus-Delusion-Redneck-ebook/dp/B0015DWNMY/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1411337754&sr=8-1&keywords=deer+hunting+with+jesus
Summary:  After thirty years spent scratching together a middle-class life out of a dirt-poor childhood, Joe Bageant moved back to his hometown of Winchester, Virginia, where he realized that his family and neighbors were the very people who carried George W. Bush to victory. That was ironic, because Winchester, like countless American small towns, is fast becoming the bedrock of a permanent underclass. Two in five of the people in his old neighborhood do not have high school diplomas. Nearly everyone over fifty has serious health problems, and many have no health care. Credit ratings are low or nonexistent, and alcohol, overeating, and Jesus are the preferred avenues of escape


11. Anne Lind's blog (back at Woodstock September 2014)
http://anne-india.blogspot.com/2014/09/a-morning-in-delhi.html
http://anne-india.blogspot.com/


12. Rajasaurus
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rajasaurus
Dinosaurs of India. author: Ashok Sahni. Paperback - January 1, 2001
Publisher: New Delhi : National Book Trust, India, 2001. Print: ix, 110 p., [12] p. of plates : ill., maps ; 22 cm.
ISBN: 8123731094 : 9788123731094. OCLC: 743693885
http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/743693885
http://www.amazon.com/Dinosaurs-India-Ashok-Sahni/dp/8123731094/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1411357035&sr=8-1&keywords=dinosaurs+india+sahni  $.80
See this 110 page book, which says British Captain and local administrator William Sleeman discovered the Bara Simla, Jabalpur dinosaur in 1828. But the author Ashok Sahni does not as yet (in 2001) identify those bones, eggs as Rajasaurus. He would in about 7 more years along with other scientists.

01 September 2014

Hangout - chai at the e-Quad Sunday 31 August 2014

On the "chai at the e-Quad" Hangout (yesterday, Sunday 31 August 2014) we discussed computers and printers, PCs vs Apple.  Software for switching between Apple and Microsoft (Word and other) programs. Simon Porter, child prodigy now turned 17, playing violin at her debut at the Hollywood Bowl (daughter of a good friend of Philip's - he is Anand Yang, history professor at University of Washington.) Books and movies read or to read, seen or to see.  Communists - old and new, bad or okay. And other things.

HP printer 600 series with blue tooth - which Bill K loves and uses with his devices, including his I-Mac
This might be Bill's new 27" iMac ?
http://www.amazon.com/Apple-ME089LL-27-Inch-Desktop-VERSION/dp/B00746WPXI/ref=sr_1_3?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1409513542&sr=1-3&keywords=apple+computers

Nadeen might recommend? these Apple laptops for Helen to use with Microsoft Word and her other software, instead of another PC
**13 inch MacBook Air
http://www.amazon.com/Apple-MacBook-MD760LL-13-3-Inch-VERSION/dp/B00746Z6RK/ref=sr_1_7?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1409513614&sr=1-7&keywords=apple+computers
**13 inch MacBook Pro
http://www.amazon.com/Apple-MacBook-MGX72LL-13-3-Inch-Display/dp/B0096VDM8G/ref=sr_1_1?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1409513744&sr=1-1&keywords=apple+computers

Nadeem's $29 software to go back and forth between systems?

Simon Porter at the LA Hollywood Bowl - debut. (daughter of my close friend Anand Yang)
http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/arts/la-et-cm-ca-simone-porter-20140831-story.html
She's also on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/simone.porter.73?fref=ts and sends out posts
For her father see either http://jsis.washington.edu/faculty/aay.shtml
or History Department with bibliography http://depts.washington.edu/history/people/54

Books -
End of Chet, (99 cents on Kindle) recommended by Vance G. Vance's blub for his nephew's book below
http://www.amazon.com/End-Chet-Indian-Adventure-ebook/dp/B00L83GOZI/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1409508598&sr=1-1&keywords=end+of+chet

"Colorless Tsukuru Tazaki and His Years of Pilgrimage: A novel" by Haruki Murakami
http://www.amazon.com/Colorless-Tsukuru-Tazaki-Years-Pilgrimage-ebook/dp/B00IHMEAYK/ref=sr_1_1_ha?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1409513027&sr=1-1&keywords=colorless+tsukuru+tazaki+and+his+years+of+pilgrimage

Nadem recommended these movies -
A Most Wanted Man
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1972571/

Guardians of the Gallaxy
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2015381/

Helen raised the issue in an email after the Hangout - what will happen when Phil's on the Semester at Sea Spring 2015 voyage (click), can we continue this during Jan-May 2015?  I think it's highly unlikely because the ship has very poor Internet access, with a stipulation not to use Skype or Hangout or such while we are at sea.  The suggestion to have a Hangout when we are in port at different places, will depend on if we can easily and freely use the Internet in the ports (Japan - maybe yes. China - probably no). There will also be the time factor, eg if I'm in India, 2 pm Sunday eastern time will likely be about 12:30 am on Monday morning for me, etc. But it will be fun to try nonetheless.  I plan to have a blog which will let you know what's happening on the voyage.  What do you think of a Blog title of "twoseaTheworld" ?  

By the way, there is a good possibility we will not be going to the last two ports - in Ghana and Senegal because of the Ebola outbreak. #disappointed

Timeline of the Hangout - Bill K joined the Hangout about 2:15, Helen A beat Nadeem S by a minute coming on at 2:24 or so.  We had some problems with Helen's access fading in and out or freezing and going silent.  But not bad.  Helen left about 2:55 after wonderful contributions; and the 3 of us guys ended the Hangout about 3:05.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Vance said -
"here is a short review i wrote for amazon

"The End of Chet is an exciting novel which will take you on a trip from
Chet's native Idaho to exotic India where his family story begins to unfold with some surprising twists and turns. The authors experiences and knowledge of Varanasi, Mumbai and Delhi are accurately written as though you were there. But, it is his trek into the foothills of the Himalayas to the hill town of Landour, Musssoorie and Woodstock School where he discovers some family secrets that will hook the reader. When he returns to Delhi he confronts these mysteries head on.
 
"Forgiveness brings him back to Idaho and his mother. The story, the book is gripping and heartfelt taking the reader on the author's journey with first hand knowledge of India and the heart. A love element with a beautiful Indian girl is woven throughout. You will not want to put the book down. At the end you may find your copy a bit tear stained. I lived in the hill town he describes for three years. The author is authentic in his understanding of the people, the country, the languages and the vibrant colors of the India we both love."

18 August 2014

Garden 2014 Azalea Park plot Plan


Here's a plan of our garden, which we develooped in the Spring 2014, for our garden plot in Azalea Park, Charlottesville, Va