Blog readers:any guesses as to what the acronym in this post can mean,related to my life?((hint:think 'oldest to youngest'))

RLMK

Self-achievement record entry:The charge indicator on my Android phone crept upto 100%,after stalling on 99% for donkey's years!!

❤👄👦👧👨💕💙💚💛💜😍😎😉😉😉😉

Tennis mischief:video proof

Searching for Novak Djokovic on wikipedia reproduces his former coach Nick Bollitieri's words:"When you look at match players in the history of tennis, I don't believe that anybody can equal everything on the court that Djokovic does. I don't think you can find a weakness in his game. His movement, personality, his return of serve, his serve, excellent touch, not hesitant in coming to the net, great serve. Over all, almost every player has a downfall; to me he doesn't have one. He's perhaps the best put-together player that I've seen over 60 years."

I admire Djokovic a lot,but a lot of his loss to   of Philipp Kohlschreiber[highlights of the match here:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yB_kXDc52MM] kind of negated his former coach's opinion.Watch https://youtu.be/yB_kXDc52MM?t=53 and try to fight me to the death{😊😎😎😎😍😍😍} on this issue.The easiest thing would be to quip:"What is there to gainsay this?If anything,it ratifies it!!

My musical sojourn

I decided to set in motion plans of adding to my musical repertoire by acquiring a skill at a legendary instrument,the flute[called 'bansuri' in North India and associated with Lord Krishna[wikipedia.com helpfully gives this:"Krishna is often depicted wearing a peacock-feather wreath or crown, and playing the bansuri (Indian flute)."]

I have a deep interest in acquiring a new skill,and thought the stars aligned to make this suggestion,since my lung power is extremely good,as Amma will ratify,given my capabilities when executing our daily ritual of pranayam[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pranayama],and what better than a musical skill?Of course,polishing old skills helps expand them,so I will also keep my keyboard interests alive at the same time!

So my proposed musical sojourn has at least 2 important pit stops:in Krishna's home[orchard?] and in the pianoforte universe.💕😇😊😎

Amma reported that she has spoken to a flute instructor nearby,who said he'd come over soon to test my lung capacity before starting with me.

UPDATE::: The instructor came home and talked with me and my parents.He indicated that the interest in pursuing the skill of playing the flute is severely lacking,because of the huge lung capacity that is a critical requirement,and other reasons.

I gave it thought and concluded[because we paid for him to come for a few classes to give me a feel for the skill;the instrument comes with a hefty price tag besides] that I would pursue my original desire:learning to play the clarinet abroad,when I return to the US.So the precursor in my craving for something in the woodwind family.....May things work  out for me in the future!!💖💓

TENNIS: how I love you❤❤❤❤❤

I have long adored tennis,and used to play it previously in the US(so much so that I was a fanatic of trying out different gear and using the best racquets etc.The competitive nature of this sport has inspired me for so long that I try my very best to play it in whatever form(not competitive of course
😎😎😎😎😎😎😎😎)) at the moment as possible.Recently,prior to the 2019 Grand Slam season continuing after the Australian Open,I try my best to stay abreast of all the current tennis as much as possible,and was able to wake up to catch  the finals day of the Indian Wells 2019 tournament.The thing I am dying to see,of course,is the ATP final between Federer and a new player I've come to admire,the Austrian Dominic Thiem,whose game is uncannily close to what I was aiming to replicate when I was playing,and definitely whenever I return to playing it again.Just waiting for the match to begin and following the WTA final score in the meantime[go Kerbie,but such a fascinating name:Bianca Andreescu,from Canada,her opponent,who has taken the 2nd set and is a break up in the 3rd;shame I will not get to watch it live,although this will make the ATP final that much sweeter!]

One other thing.Watching matches on TV or online is one thing,but watching it live is entirely a whole new experience,something I was well aware of,when I went to the US Open in 2011[this trip deserves its dedicated blog post,not just for what I saw tennis-wise,but also my impressions of New York,where I took precious few pictures then, but will go fully equipped with my very best cameras when I visit again,perhaps this year????Fingers crossed]

And one more:👩👧👧👧👧 The WTA final has been won by Andreescu over Kerber,but the ATP final[Federer vs.Dominic Thiem] is not on SonyLIV and cannot be watched online except at Tennis TV[ It is not being shown on SonyLIV(which the women's final was.I could go to this website tennistv.com and watch it,but it requires payment and I have resolved not to make any payments from my card[I previously had a paid account on it for online streaming,of course),which resolution I will stick to,as a good human being.

Just a reminder of golden times from the past:

Audio showcase

I sang,with Amma as my audience on the terrace,2 keerthanams,both very complicated,and having deep connections with them, for me[more on that later]:Sarasijanabha Sodhari[in Nagagandhari ragam]{https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0?ui=2&ik=76a4bfe613&attid=0.2&permmsgid=msg-a:r-6913007207300164524&th=1698c02a46dc0f7d&view=att&disp=safe&realattid=1698c026c53bb6b64122} and Nagumomu[in Aberi]{https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0?ui=2&ik=76a4bfe613&attid=0.1&permmsgid=msg-a:r-6913007207300164524&th=1698c02a46dc0f7d&view=att&disp=safe&realattid=1698c026c39bb797b931}.

Lumosity insights

There is something fascinating about trying to develop a coherent narrative about memory,which is what I am trying here. Lumosity is an online program consisting of games claiming to improve memory, attention, flexibility, speed of processing, and problem solving.[I copied this ad verbatim from Wikipedia,though I could have made up a similar{more insightful}description of Lumosity on my own.

What did I do,again? I played Lumosity fully and it had a number of insights,all the pages of these I took screenshots of,inserted here to help me reconstruct an insight,which could be called a self-insight[trying to out-Lumosity Lumosity😍😎].


Coming back,I exited Lumosity thrilled with my cognitive state currently,and played my new bugbear,Masterpiece,till my status moved from novice at it,to passable!
😎😇😈

Self-punishment

This cannot be erroneously labeled as a positive culinary crusade!!I just shudder at how off that mark  the final product was on my plate!I should at least convey what I attempted with a swollen head,making aloo parathas with zero experience dishing that culinary feast(so as a complete novice) previously,so I made the alooless parathas(skipping the basic requirement of this dish,ending up with charred solid disks) which I ate with some of the planned stuffing,pickle and sauce,equivalent to  putting silk tassles on a broom[which is priceless transliteration of one of Tamil's classic phrases,into English].This episode should make me weigh all available options for executing a process prior to selecting the final one,because it was equivalent to self-castigation(all the other synonyms for this phrase(https://www.thesaurus.com/browse/self-punishment) only focus on the shame and sorrow,so the cause while neglecting the result of an action.

Since every blog post deserves having a happy ending,Amma and I made aloo parathas for dinner again.It was a positive trial,thankfully.

Acknowledgement of what still allows me to sing with verve today!!!!

Just talked to my mother again today,after discussing some complex,haunting ragams that evoke strong emotions,like Reethigoulai,Kapi and Jonpuri,and I decided to convey my gratitude to the Almighty for being by my side,to allow me to dream so passionately today,because:
(As a rule of thumb, a breathing tube or an endotracheal tube is usually staying in your loved one's throat or Larynx for up to two weeks at the most, unless there are special and rare circumstances.)

Mine was one of these,needing the ventilator for nearly 2 months when I was in Prince George Hospital!!!

Clearly I am meant for something special,not merely in music[which love as I do,I cannot devote as much energy to as needed]

THANK YOU SO MUCH,GOD!!!!!

Jonpuri: a ragam which evokes haunting soundscapes

https://sujamusic.wordpress.com/jonpuri/ helpfully talks about what makes this scintillating ragam live.

There is nothing equal to hearing an expert singing a composition in this ragam. A direct ticket to heaven!!

https://mio.to/yL-q has the talented duo,the Priya Sisters,singing one of Gopalakrishna Bharati's compositions.A trip to heaven and back and return!!!

Memory lane:looking ahead

Hopefully,this post will serve as the fitting way to cap off a mostly hopeful blog,and thus a positive  culmination of the same.
The fantastic thing I know,and have been reminded of,if necessarily,over and over(repetition tastefully done),is that my memories come back if the journey is traced back step by step,and my talents in the English language make effortless composition second nature((is there a 'first nature'))?

Levindale visit

I went to Levindale [Levindale Hebrew Geriatric Center & Hospital, West Belvedere Avenue, Baltimore, MD] today to visit as many of the therapists and nurses who worked on me and in appreciation.It was wonderful to see Amma loosening up and exercising her wonderful powers of memory-cum-humanity,the champions of this quality can pay homage to her!!!

Being the ceaseless romantic[I like this particular definition of romantic from https://www.dictionary.com/browse/romantic:imbued with or dominated by idealism, a desire for adventure, chivalry, etc.]I am,I took as many pictures with my Android phone as possible,so I wold get the food for countless future posts,motivated by Amma,for one:

At the end of the day,Dara visited my rented apartment in Hyattsville,and she had a wonderful time with me,Appa and Amma,showing me exercises which would strengthen my hip muscles,and attend to my neck and Amma to her legs.A physical therapist personally demonstrating the specific beneficial exercises for bodily benefits!So this day had the near-perfect ending💖😌😍

Equine paradise

Opposite the building where my office is at UMD(called the Manufacturing Building),is a field where 2 horses have a stable;adjoining the field is a track for riding them(by request of visitors).Its a source of great joy to me to see the animals(a mare and a stallion) anytime I come and definitely from the office.
I've taken videos of them(the mare is my favourite,being more frisky) as well.

This is such a treat!!!!
https://photos.google.com/search/_tv_Videos/photo/AF1QipN3I6zGU2TA899qeB1Hekz03zKh-_-LlUvCBDPg

https://photos.google.com/search/horses/photo/AF1QipPOc5b05FHw8qH5xepz7gQh9jUbXdn9nfY5p_AD

Appa: post meant for him

Appa,
I decided to post the video I took with my Android phone this morning during the morning walk,with a caveat to Appa: I will not keep this here IF YOU REQUEST ME NOT TO,not otherwise.Why I am doing this is to point out that Appa has this tendency to stay aloof even in the presence of people,which is why I beg Amma to come for morning walks with us everyday.Well,let's see how things pan out....

The Raven[poem by Edgar Allen Poe]

This is the text ending the masterpiece poem by master of horror [["The Raven" was first published on the 29th January, 1845, in the New York "Evening Mirror"-a paper its author was then assistant editor of. It was prefaced by the following words, understood to have been written by N. P. Willis:"We are permitted to copy (in advance of publication) from the second number of the "American Review," the following remarkable poem by Edgar Poe. In our opinion, it is the most effective single example of 'fugitive poetry' ever published in this country, and unsurpassed in English poetry for subtle conception, masterly ingenuity of versification, and consistent sustaining of imaginative lift and 'pokerishness.' It is one of those 'dainties bred in a book' which we feed on. It will stick to the memory of everybody who reads it." In the February number of the "American Review" the poem was published as by "Quarles," and it was introduced by the following note, evidently suggested if not written by Poe himself.

{"The following lines from a correspondent-besides the deep, quaint strain of the sentiment, and the curious introduction of some ludicrous touches amidst the serious and impressive, as was doubtless intended by the author-appears to us one of the most felicitous specimens of unique rhyming which has for some time met our eye. The resources of English rhythm for varieties of melody, measure, and sound, producing corresponding diversities of effect, having been thoroughly studied, much more perceived, by very few poets in the language. While the classic tongues, especially the Greek, possess, by power of accent, several advantages for versification over our own, chiefly through greater abundance of spondaic: feet, we have other and very great advantages of sound by the modern usage of rhyme. Alliteration is nearly the only effect of that kind which the ancients had in common with us. It will be seen that much of the melody of 'The Raven' arises from alliteration, and the studious use of similar sounds in unusual places. In regard to its measure, it may be noted that if all the verses were like the second, they might properly be placed merely in short lines, producing a not uncommon form; but the presence in all the others of one line-mostly the second in the verse" (stanza?) --"which flows continuously, with only an aspirate pause in the middle, like that before the short line in the Sapphic Adonic, while the fifth has at the middle pause no similarity of sound with any part besides, gives the versification an entirely different effect. We could wish the capacities of our noble language in prosody were better understood." --ED. "Am. Rev."}

Comestible delectation

'Enjoyment of food' is a synonymic phrase.
Having,with Amma and Appa,ice cream,sweet puffs from Chitra's place,and a piece of chocolate from Neuhaus[https://www.unionstationdc.com/search/all/chocolate],which sells Belgian chocolate[Amma's memory trail led through this place],there can be no better way to spend a Sunday!!!😎😍😍😌😋😋😋😋.Any protests? If so,where is my best sword???(Just joking😛)

WMATA metrobus: safe for even the unstable

I haven't sung these praises before,but I had to so many times over,after visiting Patel brothers' shop on University Blvd,and climbing into the bus with a full bag in one hand and my father's bag in  the other,I had difficulty holding my balance,and a co-passenger helpfully reminded me about the seat-side-handrests. Thank you,Metro!!!!

Tennis[ah,there could be an entire blog about this,but this is a start]

I love tennis,and cannot begin to describe why,which is great,because it has so many storylines to focus on,that I correctly point out in the title that they'd provide fodder for at least one whole blog:I used to idolize the sport and play it in the past[which state of affairs will someday be recreated],went once to the US Open[another idea for a blog post],and play another sport with a requirement for racquet skills[badminton] in India.

Well,since I started composing this post,I started watching,on Youtube,highlights of this match,which has gold all over it:

I don't have the time or financial obligation to write oodles about it or any match,but its fitting it has such a lovely stature in tennis circles.

First,the match happened in Razzano's home-Slam,Roland Garros,and against the world-beater in women's tennis at the time.

Second,it happened on Serena's worst surface,clay,meaning she was exposed during the whole match for her clumsiness at adapting her skills(whatever those are)to a new surface;she is a hardcourt player,at home(obviously)when playing the US Open,who suffers from playing on any surface slightly different;she's won Wimbledon,but because it is fast compared to clay.Even her liking for speed can be immediately detected by a wall of stone around Wimbledon,and could be talked on ad nauseum by the darlingest babe.

In fact,I think the commentary behind the match on Youtube points out exactly what made Serena easy kill over this match.Not easy;Razzano's work was monumental and should be exalted as long as tennis is seen and played.

So where do I stand vis-a-vis my preferences in tennis?I am a huge fan of excellence everywhere,have adored and copied the game of Justine Henin-Hardenne(so Federer,of course),and so,am naturally against the game of Serena Williams,not her persistence[which again doesn't compare to Rafael Nadal,my model]but her finessse. Game of power,like a huge stone-crusher going against a bed of roses[you can say all her matches against my heroine Henin reminded me of much the same].There are positives,not overall,but admired by enough viewers to fill the stands in so many countries..At least this gives the  game more viewership across the world.

Too many things to share???

I think (correction:there is for sure,just that I would not be capable of handling it properly,trying to compose messages to Nurcan((my brother's would-be)) on my Android phone with videos and the like,trying to follow tennis news,and composing a blog post((this one!!)),all at the same time??Time enough there ain't???The conundrum to beat all?I found the perfect one!!!
And somehow I found yet another thing to do today,which is going to a nearby theater to watch the new movie,Apollo 11,with my father!!!!(((4 '!s' is an improvement TOO,over 3'!s' to end the last paragraph!Next challenge:try to make the most humungous nested brackets))).

And,and,one more(or two,but wait on that):my mother is arriving in the afternoon after a visit to New Jersey,where she was visiting family,and I should find some way to force her to accompany us to the theater!!

Another could be dinner for tonight,but another book for that please.Time,and next space,could be a constraint!!😝😛😜

Yet another:
I decide to have an apple in the morning,instead of the much-more apt kiwi,which would require peeling,which I defer,although I much prefer its benefits.All this is post-morning walk with Appa(photo to confirm):