Of songs that grow with time…

What’s this phenomenon called songs “growing on you”? Why do some songs that sound so non-descript and obscure at the first listen gain a different dimension altogether with passage of time? Does listening to them repeatedly alter our musical sensibilities? Or are there “hidden treasures” in those songs that we discover only after three or four repetitions?

For all Rahman fans it’s all too familiar an experience.  Do we even have a count of all those gems that did not strike a chord the first time, the second time…made everyone say “Well you know what, the Rahman of Roja, Bombay and Indhira is lost!”…..only to unfurl in a few days (at times weeks and months) into the masterpieces that they are! Suddenly, all those little intricacies begin to unleash their dormant beauty. Suddenly we begin to notice the barely perceivable chords or an evasive strumming of strings that makes such an enormous difference to the song and compels us to keep listening to them ceaselessly.

I am sure this growing nature is not a characteristic of Rahman’s music alone, and am curious to know of any other composer, genre that is known to have a similar effect.

What made me think of writing this post is my tryst with his latest album  Vinnai Thaandi Varuvaaya, and in particular, his much awaited duet with Shreya Ghoshal, Mannipaaya. A Rahman-Shreya duet is bound to be associated with sky high expectations, but when I listened to it, I found it to be musically unfathomable.  Every line seemed to take off creating certain anticipation, and ended in a way completely antithetic to it (for example, the transitions at 2.57 and 3.20, if anyone is interested in the specifics ).  The whole song is marked by such “non-standard” transitions, which made sure you don’t remember anything of the tune after one listen.  But, if the composer is Rahman, you know better than to give up on it. So I played it again, and this time, made it a point to track this growing process of the song…exactly when does it start to acquire a new meaning?

It made me think of the other songs which took long to grow… Taal, some of the songs of Minaxi and En Swasa Katre, the song “Secrets of Success” and so many others. Our notion of good music is limited by the kind of music that we have had prior exposure to, and have liked. So perhaps, sub-consciously, we try to match every new song that we listen to with this pre-formed pattern in our minds. Anything that matches well is instantly likeable.  It’s the same thing as if you are a follower of a particular genre, you like it, but when it comes to  something different, as they say, you need to “develop a taste” for it. So, now when it comes to Rahman’s music, which does not comply with any of the traditional genres (It wouldn’t be an overstatement to say he invents a new genre with almost every song ), there is nothing in our previous musical experience that it can match with. Well, for most parts. Intentionally or otherwise, he does throw in a loop or a refrain that catches on quickly, even when the rest of the song is beyond reach. Usually, this bit is repeated at least a few times in the song, take the examples of the “na na re..” chorus in Barso re or in the case of Mannipaaya, the line “Melum melum urugi urugi”. It is this little bit that haunts us and makes us come back to the song over and over again. With every listen, the songs broaden our “mental realm” of likeable music, till we come to think that while it’s nothing like any of the good music we’ve heard before, has none of what we expect in a good song, it’s beautiful in its own way!

The other reason for the ever growing effect of course is the use of layers so prevalent in Rahman’s music. For reasons unknown he likes to keep some of the most intriguing parts of the songs subdued in layers. So that most of the time we completely overlook them in the initial listens. Then one fine day, when we decide to revisit an old song, we suddenly discover these subtle sound bits that had so mysteriously escaped notice all these days. Never before has recorded music been so dynamic; every time you listen to them, there is something new waiting to be discovered!

Well, so the next time it seems like a particular Rahman song doesn’t sound that great, or does not have the “Roja charm”, do think before giving up on it instantly .It might be one of those hidden wonders, in want a few more listens and some time. As for the song that made me write on this, I have lost count of the number of times I have listened to it, and it’s still growing!

And here’s something from six years back……

In my recent pursuit of story-writing and trying to regain the “flow” that I had back in school days, just happened to discover this old piece of writing, evidently inspired by a very special person and his creations

Here’s wishing him a belated happy birthday (was on the 6th) !

________________________________________________________

That evening Sujatha accidentally discovered it from the bottom rack of her cup-board. It was a scrap book she had made in the fifth standard on “My Family”. It was old and dust laden but legible enough. She turned to the page “My Sister”. It read, “My sister Shraddha is my best friend. She is excellent in studies, creative writing and music. I
admire her for her intelligence, dedication and her sweet nature. She is my role-model and I want to be like her someday.”
“Innocent words” she thought. Downstairs a grand party was going on to celebrate Shraddha’s brilliant performance in her college examination as well as the publishing of her first book- a collection of short stories. Shraddha does not like to boast about success but this party had to be hosted on a special request from her friends and parents. Among the guests were friends, relatives and professors; all familiar faces to Sujatha.  Then why did she prefer to sit here alone in the corner of her room? The answer is because she cannot pretend to be happy when she is not so. And what hurt her most is that no one seemed to notice her absence. Not even her closest friends Kavitha and Jyothika. Not even her parents. Her absence did not matter as long as Shraddha was present.
Shraddha is the person she loved the most. And hated the most. Because unknowingly she had made her life miserable. Right since childhood whenever Sujatha brought home a report-card, whenever she performed in cultural events she would be let off with a few words of encouragement, while her two years older sister would be showered with praises from everyone around. Every time she achieved something her sister outshone her. Yes
she admired Shraddha and was proud of her but gradually things began to take a different turn.
In school there was a particular  teacher whom Sujatha almost “hero-worshipped”.
But Shraddha, owing to her stellar grades was the teacher’s favourite student. She would laugh and chat with Shraddha as though they were the closest of pals while Sujatha wouldn’t dare to go and speak to her. And how she burnt with envy!
On the day of the school farewell, the juniors had arranged for a special performance dedicated to their dear “Shraddha di.” And why not? She was the pride of the school after all. In the drawing room cup-board the few prizes that Sujatha had won have been pushed to the corner by the bigger and more numerous trophies of her sister.
“Sujatha, why are you sitting here alone?”
It was her mom. Not that she had been looking for her; she just happened to notice her.
“I am not feeling well mama.”
Oh, could she ever tell her the real reason?
“Not feeling well? Why didn’t you tell me?”
“It’s nothing serious.”
“Shall I bring your food here?”
“Mama, I am not feeling like eating.”
“Sujatha, I don’t think skipping dinner will make you feel any better. I am getting your food.” She went away.

Mom and dad had never really discriminated against her. She was sent to the same school, same college as her “genius” sister and had never been compared. Then what is it that troubled her?
She did not know.

The next few days were busy. Shraddha had to go to Delhi to perform in a concert. The biggest performance so far for her. The family was to accompany her; though Sujatha detested the thought of going along merely as her sister’s companion.
“Could I stay back please? I have an exam coming up and I need to prepare.” She said to her parents. That was true but not the real reason. “You may certainly do as you please” said her dad. “But are you sure you want miss out on such an important event in your sister’s life? Aren’t you proud of her success?”
Success is the only thing that counts. How else could you explain Sujatha’s friends deserting her to be friends with Shraddha? Sujatha is no under-achiever. She is good at all that she does. Only her sister is far better.
She remembers her last birthday when her friends came to her house, greeted her and then crowded around Shraddha. Shraddha was the star of the evening. Oh, why did she have to be the sister of a genius? She knows one day Shraddha would become world famous. And her own identity would be wiped off. Everywhere she would be introduced as “Shraddha’s sister.”

And how confident Shraddha is! The other day she had said to Sujatha, “One day, I will reach out to the world. One day the entire world will read what I write. Millions will share my thoughts; my dreams…..feel what I have felt. And I am going to make sure all this happens fast. ”
There was determination in her voice and her eyes shone with pride.
Sujatha replied, “Shraddha does anything in the world matter to you other than your career?”
“Writing is not just a career, Sujatha. It’s my freedom of expression, my passion. May be you won’t understand.”
Sujatha smiled. “Well I can see, one day you will be rich and famous.”
“But that’s not my ultimate goal.” Prompt came the reply.
Sujatha did not say anything. She wanted to say “Shraddha I am your sister. Not a press reporter interviewing you. You needn’t be so diplomatic.”
But she could not get herself to say so. What was the use anyway? Shraddha hardly cared about her now. Either she was too busy or she did not consider Sujatha a fit companion. After all an achiever needs another achiever for a friend.
The words of her ‘so called’ friends still ring in Sujatha’s ears. “You’re so lucky to have a sister like her.”
“Gosh you must be so proud.”
“Aren’t you giving us a treat Sujatha?”
All that she could be proud of belonged to her sister. She had nothing to call her own.
Shraddha’s musical performance went very well. She returned cheerful as ever. “Look what I have got for you,” she said to Sujatha. It was a beautiful pen-stand.
Sujatha could not hide her anguish. “I don’t want any favour from you. Keep this to yourself.”
“What is the matter with you?” Shraddha asked. After a while she laughed. “You know you will always remain what we thought you to be, a sulking, tantrum throwing baby.”
“So she does not mind my refusing her gift,” thought Sujatha. “And why should she? Where do I figure in her priority list?”
She was afraid of losing all that was her own to her sister; her career, her friends, her parents’ attention, everything. At the same time she was ashamed of her own feelings. Why couldn’t she be happy about her sister’s glory like everyone else? Why was she getting envious of the person she loved so much?
Neither could she find an answer to these questions nor could she share her feelings with anyone.

One afternoon when Sujatha was flipping through the TV channels- more out of habit than the desire to watch anything particular- she came across a song which made her stop and listen for a change.
It was picturised on a village girl and it vividly portrayed the simple pleasures of country life.
And the music was divine. It carried with itself the smell of the sea, the colours of the earth, the freshness of the breeze- things she had been familiar with but had never felt. She was so mesmerized that she even forgot to look up the composer’s name.
She got to know from Shraddha that the song had been composed by a new composer called Shekhar who has ‘revolutionized’ the world of music. The more she listened to his songs the more captivated she was. How could someone create a whole new universe through his music? Being a student of literature and a voracious reader she had read a lot about music being able to change the world and bring to life lifeless objects.
But reading is one thing. And experiencing, another.
Through Shekhar’s songs she could see things which had overlooked in her everyday life. Isn’t her life beautiful?
The kids who played on the beach, the mirth on their faces, the songs of the fishermen, the unknown girl in college who shared her umbrella when Sujatha had forgotten to get hers, the wet freshness of the campus when it rained; how is it so that she had never noticed all this before?

The songs that had revolutionized the world of music had revolutionized her life as well. Day after day she kept wondering what it was about his music. What was it that had so suddenly transformed her lonely existence into an entire world of her own? A world that belonged to her and only to her? How could music be so universal and at the same time so deeply rooted to the soil?

For the first time in her life Sujatha felt that she is unique. She is unique because no one in the world could see things exactly the way she did. Because what she had been experiencing for the past few days is an experience unique in itself. Because the new world she had discovered through the rhythm of music belonged only to her.
She played with the little girls on the sea shore and no pleasure could be purer.
When she sat alone in the college corridor, a school-girl greeted her “Good morning didi”, and her day was made.
Isn’t it wonderful that her classmates approach her when they faced problems with studies and she is more often than not able to help them out?
That the collage she had made for the wall magazine was appreciated by one and all?
That she can stand up on the stage and speak in the morning assembly and have the whole college listening to her?
Is it any less fascinating that she can enjoy her studies no matter what marks she gets?
That mom and dad never forget to call up to check out if she had returned from college?
And that even amidst her busy schedule Shraddha remembered to get her that beautiful pen-stand?
Life is worth living for all this and above all for listening to those soul stirring songs over and over again.

“Sujatha, Sujatha,” it was Shraddha calling out. “You seem so lost these days. Have been calling you for so long.”
Sujatha smiled and then spoke slowly. “Shraddha I am very sorry about the way I refused your gift the other day. Now I know it was one of the best presents I had ever been given.”
Shraddha was surprised. “What had happened to you that day? Why on earth do you get these fits of madness at times?”
“Oh it was nothing. I was just a silly, stupid girl.”
“I swear, you still are,” teased Shraddha.

And for the first time in many years the two of them laughed together.

Writer’s Block!

With the newly gained free evenings, weekends and the first “holiday season” in my work life, I have been spending days now, trying real hard to do something that came to me naturally some six years back.

Writing a story!

And I don’t seem to get past three to four lines a day, and have been changing every line numerous times. And my bit of “experience” tells me that stories that go on for days and months on end turn out trash!!

Not giving up on it yet though. Far from it. Just thought of giving it a break and writing instead about the state I have been going through, a severe form of what is popularly known as a “writer’s block” (Though I am a writer only by hobby).  And what a better place to confide in than my good old blog.

What was so different about the school days when I could so easily churn them out so spontaneously (don’t remember if they were any good, but were a source of immense happiness), in a matter of a day? Did the magic lie in the “forbidden pleasure” that it was? That time had to be sneaked out for it in between classes, lunch breaks, bus rides back from school and study times?  That there was only so little room for it in a day that was meant to be centered on other “high priority” pursuits? Now that I think of it, I do remember…that inspirations never came in the long leisurely summer holidays, when I had all the luxury to sit and write to heart’s content. When I made a conscious effort to write, for wasn’t it supposed to be the appropriate time for hobbies? They came at the spur of the moment, when life was at its eventful best, and had to be written down in the few sporadic stolen hours, without making it too conspicuous to people around.

Which would mean, I need resistance to the act of creative writing! All the encouragement, space and time aren’t quite doing me a favor. Or is it that all the intensive structured, formal writing I have been indulging in for the past few years have had its toll on my spontaneity. I can’t seem to defer self criticism any more. Write a line, criticize, delete! How pointless for an activity I have chosen to do primarily for pleasure!

Anyway, I will get back to it now and give it another shot. And yes, by the way, this is by far my most spontaneous blogpost in a long time!

Moving on…

So what changes when you transition out of school into as they say “the real world”? This supposedly big change happened to me a couple of weeks back, and as with most of the big changes with me, it took time to figure out what exactly is different. Well, it was as smooth as it could be, for after graduating I worked in Carnegie Mellon for a few months. A neat bridge period it was, the experience of not being a student anymore, but still belonging to CMU.

For me this “real world” happened to be far in the West coast, in Bellevue Washington. So a part of the transition was moving to a place I had never seen before, all alone. So there came the first big difference, having loads of time to spend with myself. The whole notion of having some fixed hours designated as “work time” and some others as leisure seems so very alien after what I have experienced for the past five years! The distinction was always so blurry! And yes weekends! Can’t remember the last time I had last spared them a thought (middle school, perhaps?). But I guess the work-leisure blurriness is infringing on the workplaces too, I have already heard people talking about leaving office early….in order to work at home at midnight! In certain professions, time distinctions just seem to work, I am happy to be in one of them.

In terms of work, what strikes me most is that, all that I do now represents a larger organization. Things are “standardized”, it’s not about what you see in things; there is a pre-defined set of specifications on what needs to be seen. Not to say that things are inflexible or that work lacks freedom, but suddenly, your projects are less about your vision – part of the “real world” experience.

Lastly, and I may be too hasty in making this conclusion, I am not sure if a workplace ever evolves into a “community” in the same way that a university does (That’s not to deny that the people here have been extremely welcoming and the atmosphere cordial and cheerful). May be those who have worked for a while can share their perspective on this. It’s a place for people to come to every morning, work; bond among themselves and then go back. Not sure if it becomes as much a part of your existence as school does.

Living in the campus (like in the IIT) makes it all the more all encompassing as the institute becomes your world! CMU, even though in a literal sense was never “home”, there was no escaping it! Thanks to the midnight meetings in the labs, and the emails that never ceased to flow. And yes, are we even acquainted to anyone in Pittsburgh who is not associated with CMU? School, both grad and undergrad, had a tendency to evolve into a part of our being in a way I doubt that a professional organization ever can.  Wonder if the same sense of belonging can be found in any other place/organization that we become a part of later in life.

Or that’s how nostalgia always makes you feel!  Needless to say I would be happy to have this assumption proved wrong.

The story of the Design Challenge!

It all started with an email from Kirti di, one of my IIT Guwahati seniors, to four of us, erstwhile IITG design students. The mail had a link to the forum Nokia-USID Design Challenge 2009. And said “Are you interested in repeating history?”.

There is a sense of déjà vu about the five of us getting together and a Design Challenge. It brings back sweet memories from three years back, when we, the five girls of the Design Department at IITG, (Sharmistha, Kirti, Divya, Ityam and I) spent two evenings and a night on the entry for the Kyocera All India Competition. An experience that was a matter of three days, one “night-out”, a lot of memorable moments and finally, The All India First Prize!

Three years had passed since then, and a lot has changed. The five of us are now located in three different continents! One member has moved on to a different profession altogether. However, being the ambitious and enthusiastic lot that we had always been, we finally formed a team of four for this competition (Sharmistha di was traveling at that time and not able to join us, she kept supporting us throughout nevertheless. ).

It was an interesting team, with two members in the US and two in India, spanning four different cities and three time zones! Finally, all those “academic” discussions on online-collaborations were to come to life!

On the other hand, close at home, formed a rival team comprising my room-mate cum “ex” classmate (It’s so hard to keep in mind that we’ve graduated already) Priyanka, and Mukul, another IITG friend of mine, located in India. Since the competition rules wouldn’t allow more than four team members in a team, there was no way for all of us to collaborate. Together, we formed an interesting pair of teams. No two members of either team were at the same place. However, members of rival teams were co-located either as room-mates (Priyanka and I) or as colleagues (Ityam and Mukul).

What followed was a three weeks long stretch of long meetings on Skype and Google chat, at times, combating very erratic internet connectivity. Not to forget the hilarious incidences of my “competitor” and I having Skype meetings in the same room with our respective teams, and getting involved in each other’s team conversations in the process. Of course, we kept saying that we are rivals after all and do not intend to co-operate, while at the same time shared user interview data and participated in each others’ productions.

For what was the foundation of this collaboration, the internet did pose to our team, challenges serious enough to potentially dampen anyone’s spirit (It’s another matter that it couldn’t dampen ours ). There was hardly ever a ten minutes stretch of communication without at least one of the four getting dropped out.

A special mention must be made of Divya, who participated actively with a connection that wouldn’t let her download Skype and at times, even log into Gmail!! I am sure she had to spend more time in making relentless attempts to send files across to us than in actually making them…amazing endurance!!

The most surprising aspect that came out of the whole experience was how little the three years and the different directions we had pursued had changed things between us. The frequent connection failures notwithstanding, gelling together as a team and sharing ideas had rarelyever been so effortless. From deciding on meeting times that worked for the three vastly disparate zones, to building up on one another’s ideas and work over long distance (the wiki was immensely useful, thanks Kirti di!), very few teams that I have been part of have had members complementing one another this seamlessly.

To my awesome team: we should get together more often, looking forward to the next competition. And yes, there seems to be a growing consensus that the two “rival” teams should merge sometime (and co-operate legitimately). Let’s start looking for competitions that permit a team size of six.

The Indian Independence Day…CMU style!

With the sheer magnitude of the Indian student body here, it’s doesn’t come as a surprise that Carnegie Mellon should have its own tradition of celebrating August 15. What makes it special is that it ties in to CMU’s very own Fence.

The Fence, as it stands now is the concrete re-incarnation of the original wooden structure, right in the middle of the campus grass (known as The Cut). Being strategically located to attract attention of all commuters, The Fence serves as the university “bill-board” for students, frequently painted in order to display a slogan, publicize an upcoming event celebrate an occasion (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carnegie_Mellon_University_traditions).

The Fence in 2008, painted as a tribute to Randy Pausch

On the eve of every August 15, this fence gets painted in tricolor hues by a group of Indian students from Carnegie Mellon and the neighboring University of Pittsburgh. Interesting and seamless blend of two very diverse customs! Sure, it makes CMU feel more “homely” to all its Indian members

The Fence as it was last night (Source: http://im-a-believer.blogspot.com/2009/08/independence-day-celebrations-at.html)

Of the power called Anonymity!

“Sometimes talking to a stranger brings a fresh perspective to life” ….a line from the movie “Mitr” that I just happened to watch. One of those rare movie lines that make you pause to think.

So ironically true, how not being aware of the other person’s identity can facilitate easier communication. How, at times, a screen of anonymity and a “safe distance” makes communication so much more empowering and liberating…and yes!! What a boon the internet is to facilitate it all!

It’s not my purpose here to get into the details of the movie and its context. Rather it’s the underlying theme of “anonymity fostering communication” that struck a chord. I don’t know for how many of us the online medium has emerged as the primary tool of communication, the number is substantial.  Kudos to the medium that has gone on to become the ground to express- to no one in particular- all that we could not communicate with the people we meet everyday. Hail all those forums and blogs that have become the sole channel of expressing thoughts and ideas which would otherwise have found no audience.

Why is this internet afforded anonymity, complete or partial, so empowering? Is it mere escapism? About wanting a way to express thoughts without having to be associated with it?

I guess it is more about a desire to create an identity solely on the basis of one’s thoughts and ideas. To have complete control over how much about us people get to know. To be perceived and judged only based on what we chooses to share in a blog/forum free from any pre-conceived notion and biases about the person…akin to famous writers resorting to pseudonyms! And yes, a world where people are identified only by virtue of the thoughts they share is very close to a perfect world. All for the great leveler called the internet!

That’s not to overlook the downside of this easy anonymity as manifested by the growing instances of online flaming, but I’ll rather not ruin the spirit of this post with any more on that. For now I am glad this movie made me realize once again, how fortunate I am to be living in this age of “user controlled” internet affording free speech like never before!! And how I would have never thought of writing this article had it not been for a blessing called the blog.

“Sometimes talking to a stranger brings a fresh perspective to life” ….a line from the movie “Mitr, My Friend” (Originally Enlish and Tamil, 2002) that I just happened to watch. One of those rare movie lines that make you pause to think.

So ironically true, how not being aware of the other persons’ identity (and not revealing your own) can make sharing thoughts easier. And we always thought familiarity is a requisite for communication!  How, at times, a “screen” of anonymity and a “safe distance” makes it so much more empowering and liberating…and yes!! What a boon the internet is to facilitate it all!

It’s not my purpose here to get into the details of the movie and its context. Rather it’s the underlying theme of “anonymity fostering communication” that struck a chord. I don’t know for how many of us the online medium has emerged as the primary tool of communication, but the number is substantial.  Kudos to the medium that has gone on to become the ground to express- to no one in particular- all that we could not express to the people we meet everyday. Hail all those forums and blogs that have become the sole channel of expressing thoughts and ideas which would otherwise have found no audience.

Why is this internet afforded anonymity, complete or partial, so empowering? Is it mere escapism? About wanting a way to express thoughts without having to be associated with it?

I guess it is more about a desire to create an identity solely on the basis of our thoughts and ideas. To have complete control over how much and what about us people get to know. To be perceived and judged only based on what we choose to share in a blog/forum free from any pre-conceived notion and biases about the person…akin to famous writers resorting to pseudonyms! And yes, a world where people are identified only by virtue of their thoughts  is indeed very close to a perfect world. All for the great leveler called the internet!

That’s not to overlook the downside of this easy anonymity as manifested by the growing instances of online flaming, but I’ll rather not ruin the spirit of this post with any more on that. For now I am glad this movie made me realize once again, how fortunate I am to be living in this era of “user controlled” internet affording free speech like never before!! And how I would have never thought of writing this article had it not been for a blessing called the blog.

Convocation over…it’s back to classes!!

My Convocation (or Commencement as they call it here) at CMU today was special due to a bunch of different reasons. 

Firstly, it happened with an entire term still to go. So the next day, I need to get back to classes. Amidst the entire School of Computer Science Community in the Carnegie Music Hall, we, the MHCI students walked up on the stage to ceremoniously receive the degree that is due to us only in August. Well, this is what it looks like for the time being:

One of my friends had a rare distinction of receiving her Bachelors and Masters degrees on the same day…interesting fallouts of an academic system with a tremendous amount of flexibility.

 

Secondly, attending a convocation eight months into a program is a strange feeling. This day as everyone who went on-stage talked about all the wonderful and unique experiences that up the essence of CMU, it was a moment of pride of belonging to this fraternity and at the same time a queer realization that I never really had the chance to explore it fully. Perhaps a little unfair to usher someone into a place like this and give only a year to make the most out of it.

Thirdly, in this fast paced crash course like program, it was a moment to pause and realize how amazing the people here have been and how truly cherishable they have made my stay here.

Not to forget, one of the high-points of the ceremony…….an incredible bagpipe performance by a robot from our own Robotics Institute….trademark Carnegie Mellon! And yes…the loud roar when Eric Schmidt, CEO of Google, the Keynote  Speaker for this occasion summed it up by saying “I want you to remember that everything you touch (computers, mobile phones and other digital devices) was probably invented by a computer scientist that came from Carnegie Mellon”!!! 

Here’s the entire address: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zX6soj3g9zs 

Proud to belong here and looking forward to the last term before I actually graduate.My Convocation (or Commencement as they call it here) at CMU today was special due to a bunch of different reasons. 

My Convocation (or Commencement as they call it here) at CMU today was special due to a bunch of different reasons. 

Firstly, it happened with an entire term still to go. So tomorrow, we get back to classes. Amidst the entire School of Computer Science Community in the Carnegie Music Hall, we, the MHCI students walked up on the stage to ceremoniously receive a degree that is due to us only in August. Well, here’s what it looks like for the time being:

The tentative degree

One of my friends had a rare distinction of receiving her Bachelors and Masters degrees on the same day…interesting fallouts of an academic system with a tremendous amount of flexibility.

Secondly, attending a convocation eight months into a program is a strange feeling. This day as everyone who went on-stage talked about all the wonderful and unique experiences that sum up the essence of CMU, it was a moment of pride of belonging to this fraternity and at the same time a queer realization that I never really had the chance to explore it fully. Perhaps a little unfair to usher someone into a place like this and give only a year to make the most out of it.

Thirdly, in this fast paced crash course like program, it was a moment to pause and realize how amazing the people here have been and how truly cherishable they have made the CMU experience.

Not to forget, one of the high-points of the ceremony…….an incredible bagpipe performance by a robot from our own Robotics Institute ….trademark Carnegie Mellon!

Bagpiper Robot

And yes…the loud roar when Eric Schmidt, CEO of Google, the Keynote  Speaker for this occasion said “I want you to remember that everything you touch (referring to computers, mobile phones, digital cameras and other devices) was probably invented by a computer scientist that came from Carnegie Mellon”!!! 

Here’s the link to the entire address, an unusually engaging speech for a Commencement:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zX6soj3g9zs 

Proud to belong here and looking forward to the last three months before I actually graduate.

To India…..a billion people!!

A few moments. Two Oscars.
For someone who years back, had reached a stature that no award or recognition can match upto.
For fifteen years has been spelling a magic that no accolades can measure.

I am not sure if, to me, the pre-fix “Academy Award Winner” really adds anything to the name already synonymous with all things immeasurable and everlasting.

But the award gains its meaning at another level, as a bridge that connects Rahman’s music to more people across the world.
As a milestone in his journey to create a truly universal bond.

This moment is perhaps, most meaningful for all those across the world who had so long been oblivious to the treasure of his music, and for whom the Oscars are a gateway to start experiencing the divine bliss.
To all those who will start taking notice of his work after this day, it is truly a day to remember and be thankful for.

What made February 22nd 2009 really special was not the twin Oscars but one man’s unaffected humility that made him greater than the honor itself. The Oscar Stage at the Kodak Theatre was graced by the presence of  A.R. Rahman!

On “humanizing” interaction

The Spring Term of MHCI is pretty much all about frequent role-switching between a student and a professional, with a typical day featuring activities ranging from writing discussion posts on the state of the art Online Communication Tools to innumerable group meetings and teleconferencing with the clients of a project. Not to forget the snow-laden Pittsburgh roads and the occasional blizzards that characterize these months here.

While the fast paced and eventful nature of the program makes each day a worthy experience, one flipside is that it leaves you with so much food for thought and so little time to mull over it. How I wish I could take some of my courses in a different setting that would make room for more “exclusive” attention. One year is really short!

One such issue that has been on my mind lately is from a series of readings and classroom discussions on Computer Mediated Communication. There has been this constant quest to get Human Computer Interaction (HCI) as closely aligned to natural, human-human interaction as possible. To virtually simulate the “real world” experience. Although with so many of us increasingly spending so much more time interacting with devices than with people, I am not sure if this notion of “real world” still holds ground.

Well, on the same line, there seems to be this inclination to model distance communication via computers on the lines of face to face interaction. For what might have started as a mere substitute of direct face to face interaction, online communication tools like e-mail and Instant Message seem to have come a long way. To have created norms and behaviors of their own. The constraint, they say is, the lack of richness which defines face to face interaction – no tone, no expression (except for a set of emoticons). So is that really a limitation which needs to be eliminated? Haven’t we at times (rather, many a times) used it to our advantage? Preferred to mail rather than talk just to avoid meeting someone? Or because it is so much easier to be pleasant and polite over an e-mail than in person when we are not in a mood? Why is it that so many people who hardly make their voices heard in face to face discussions are such active contributors in online discussion forums? Hasn’t talking to a “faceless” icon often proved so much more comfortable? When it is so important to want to keep that distance with the people we interact with, in order to communicate effectively, isn’t it wonderful to have a tool to do just that? Is it then worth losing this upper hand of online communication in an attempt to ape the “real world” ?

Not surprisingly, quite a few people in the class seem to think likewise.

It raises a more inherent question though. Are we in some sense progressively getting more comfortable with devices than with people? To the extent of at times wanting to use devices as a “shield” in inter-personal communication? Well if that is to be believed, it could pave way for a drastic change in the very definition of a “natural” interaction. Just wondering…would we then, sometime in the future be looking at modeling human-human interaction on the lines of HCI?