December 21, 2007
December 6, 2007
Wish I was in Nashville…
Many light years back, I used to listen to Claudia Church and others (Don Williams’ Wish I was in Nashville) singing their hearts out for Nashville and had always wondered: what is it about Nashville that makes a prosaic into a dreamer? Finally, I got a chance to explore Nashville during Thanksgiving Holidays.
Now that I am home, I am back to my normal mundane self and write about the exciting stuff I did while on vacation (Did I just say Exciting??#$) We went to Nashville, Tennessee for four days of incredible thanksgiving holidays. How do I define the overall trip? - It was definitely filled with fun stuff but also had few moments of disappointment, mainly because of bad weather. What did I gain from the trip? - Hmm...Days of relaxed time, advanced knowledge of historical caves and yeah, sweet, melodious southern accent. (You must listen to SG's new accent, priceless!!!)
After much contemplation, I have decided to write about this significant NG group trip, hopefully making it a part of indelible memories for each of us…
The Beginning…
We reached Nashville on Nov 22nd; the sky was bright, grass was green and it was warmer than MN, a welcome change! After having a sumptuous lunch at AA’s place, we headed for PC's Uncle's place in Murfreesboro. Dumbfounded and stunned by their affluence, I asked few stupid questions, “Oh, so many cars! Are there lot of guests here today”? “No, these are my Uncle's cars!!!”, replied PC. Smart-mouthed, isn't it?
Other than few episodes of dozing off, we had a good time playing TT and Pool at Uncle's 'Game-room'. One interesting fact of our NG group: the members are inflicted with Photomania: Obsession to get their mugshots clicked (it’s a new concoction by yours trulyJ). While SG and VA have advanced degree of this much sought-after symptom, AD is a tiny step behind. Believe me, we have hundreds of photos of every little, insignificant stuff we do on our group trip. By now, you must have guessed...yeah, we have at least 20 photos of just the game room! J
After reaching the hotel and making umpteenth plans for the next day trip to Mammoth Caves, we were ready to retire for the day. With all the excitement reserved in my heart, I called on to my flying horses…zzzz...
Coming tomorrow: Exploring Mammoth caves!
November 8, 2007
September 24, 2007
This almost never happens...
Today morning when I woke up, it felt like any other day; did I wake up bright and raring to go...nah, that’s a chimerical situation! Waking up is never fun for me. Anyway, when I woke up, other than my stuffed nose and a sore throat, everything was the same: I woke up from the right side of the bed…my hair was a hairy mess…and AD had left for office.
Everyday, before going to school, I check our mail box for mails. Usually, all we get is junk(some coupons, few grocery offers, and few mails from credit card companies trying to give us better deals).Today, while casually surfing through the bundle, I found one white envelope addressed to me. Without anticipating anything, AD opened the envelope and Lo and Behold! There it was: all bright and shiny: MY EAD…my work permit…my ticket to freedom, my life changer…my future!! Ironic that it was not accompanied by any rock band or sent by an Oracle with a small message from God! It was a small, shiny card (with nothing attractive on it other than my pic!) sent by US immigration dept. that held the power to change my life…
Cheers to Freedom and a happy future!!!
August 29, 2007
Minnesota State Fair
This was the second year we went for the Minnesota State Fair. I was surprised to see that everything was at the same place as last year. As a result of that, we moved around reminiscing the last year’s fun-filled day (“oh, it was there last year”, “do you remember it was at that place then”, so on and so forth); it was kind of Déjà vu for us. The entire experience was like being Jason Bourne and getting back my memory in bits and pieces!! LOL!
What does State Fair mean to me? Well, it’s a place to discover life, indulge in sinful food and have loads of innocent fun!! And that’s what we did on the 27th, i.e. the fifth day of the fair.
The Highlights of the Day
Despite objections communicated through words and gestures, we started the day from the Birth Center. Other than the giant pigs and their piglets, cute yellow chicken, normal pregnant cows, what we saw this year was: a sheep giving birth to two calves. Oh, I had imagined beforehand that it would be really gross and it was so; we saw the whole birth process holding our breaths and having an ‘ew’ expression on our faces.
AD was very reluctant to go for the water ride next (as he is, for any ride!). But since majority of the junta wanted to go for it, he had to give in. We had good fun during the ride; the only let-down was that after the ride, we were drenched wet and had to roam around in heavy clothes for the rest of the night.
A major attraction of the fair is the Haunted House. It is so disgustingly scary that after last year’s experience, I had few sleepless nights. This year, it was AA’s turn to lose sleep. She went in smiling and came out wide-eyed with terror-stricken face.
The State Fair has also been a place to give in to sinful indulgence. We tried variety of food stuff: Fresh French Fries Bucket, Fried Cheese curd, soggy, chewy Chicken Falafel, and off course, Pizzas. I convinced myself that sometimes, it is all right to derive pleasures from stomach…Isn’t a life without festival is a long road without an inn? After that, it was time to please and soothe our senses with Music!
I clapped my hands together in glee when I saw that the day’s performance was Country Music. The band was Leinie Lodge Bandshell with Greg Brown as the singer. I had earlier read on the website that they have been coming to the State Fair since last eleven year! That’s something, isn’t it? We took our seats and listened to melodious songs and sagas about China, ‘blue car in mountains’, and a narrative on probability of occurrence of weird potatoes in fairs. While I was happily listening to the songs: AD was shifting in his seat and sighing deeply, AA was being wished by her friends on her mobile phone (it was her first wedding anniversary) and AM was yawning and feigning sleep. All right, that was clue enough for me; time to go and move ahead in life!
By this time, we had seen myriad people carrying colossal toys of all colors and varieties and were excited enough to move towards the game section.
I believe there is a play of psychology behind these games: you see the jazz, the colorful crowd, the scintillating lights, the gargantuan prize toys and it spellbinds you. You stop thinking that their is some trick involved or the odds of winning the game is very low, (after all, we all consider ourselves epitome of perfection!) and you start playing every other childish games: ‘Ring the bottle’, ‘Make the fallen bottle stand with the help of ring’, gun the bottles , break the bottles, and so on so forth. As a result of that, you part with your precious money and at the end of it; the outcome is zilch, zero, nada!! That’s what happened to us on that day, when we tried to show off our so-called prodigious skills. Nevertheless, we had loads of fun and laughs while trying to win and that’s what matters! Right?
It was 11:00 PM by then and time to go. We were spent and tired but satisfied with our day. While trying to come out of the tricky fair gate, I heard somebody say:
You gotta love the State Fair! The best entertainment's always free!
I concurred.
August 23, 2007
In the Throes of Procrastination
What is it?
I looked into dictionary for the meaning of Procrastination: Procrastination comes from the Latin “pro,” meaning “forward, forth, or in favor of,” and “crastinus,” meaning “of tomorrow”. Thus, it means to put off doing something, especially out of habitual carelessness or laziness; to postpone or delay needlessly. I am surprised to note that it’s out of carelessness. I have always thought I am careful!!
Wikipedia gives another meaning to procrastination: Procrastination is a type of avoidance behaviour which is characterised by deferment of actions or tasks to a later time. It is often cited by psychologists as a mechanism for coping with the anxiety associated with starting or completing any task or decision. Wow! Another surprise: there are psychological causes for procrastination mentioned: Anxiety, low-sense of self-worth…???? I am shocked.
Well..after educating myself with the definition and causes of the so-called procrastination, I believe I can relax, there is no urgency…things will happen in their own time…I have all the time in this world!!
August 22, 2007
The Night When the Lights Went Out...
By now you must have realized what actually happened: the lights went out that night in Eden Prairie: building by building, block by block, neighbourhood by neighbourhood. Am I normal? Why am I writing a blog because lights went out? Common, it’s a daily event back in India, where half of our population stays without any light! Well, I am writing about that night because that was the first time I experienced ‘light-out’ in United States. Enough of a reason, right? And the weird part was: I was thrilled! Instead of feeling irritated because of lost sleep, I was feeling at home. I got up and roamed around my house in dark, trying to locate every corner of my home and was exhilarated when I found all! I stood next to window and experienced the black darkness outside for sometime. I experienced a kind of sadistic pleasure in knowing that even a country like US can have such unforeseen problems. The Blackout lasted only for an hour or so but was enough to make me feel at home...
So, that was about my short virtual feeling trip to India, courtesy light-out in Eden Prairie :-)
August 15, 2007
Happy Independence Day!
"At the stroke of the midnight hour, when the world sleeps, India will awake to life and freedom. A moment comes, which comes but rarely in history, when we step out from the old to the new…India discovers herself again."
- Jawaharlal Nehru(on Indian Independence Day, 1947)
Today is India’s 60th independent year, Happy Independence Day to all fellow Desis!
Well, I was thinking what it means to me- Does it make any difference? And I was pleasantly surprised to note that I have become more patriotic than ever before. It’s not because it’s the 60th year; but the reason is my current so-called NRI status…
Yeah, I will have to admit that I had become indifferent to India’s struggle or progress during the last few years. After the high school days, the only times I was reminded of the ‘country’ per say was: when we had to stand for the national anthem before a movie started in a Mumbai multiplex.
Things have undergone a complete alteration after coming to United States last year. Now, India, its progress and its events are in our minds almost 24 hours a day. I believe it is so because of our broadened perspectives. And how have we changed?
- I had never checked rediff.com for news when I was in India, now that’s a daily routine. I am keeping track of what is happening in India everyday through various websites. It makes me feel closer to my country.
- We even know what is happening to Bollywood and its celebrities. When Shahrukh Khan says something odd about Amitabh Bacchan, I am well-informed about that. And oh yeah, I followed Ash-Abhishek wedding to the ‘A’, so much so that I feel I have attended it!
I never used to watch every Hindi movie released when I was in India; here, that has become a weekly ritual. - Back in India during Ulka days, I was so engrossed in my work life that I had no time to stand and stare…Now I am a volunteer for Non-profit Indian organization and am trying to make a difference to some lives in India.
- Whenever India or Indians achieve something, we are the first one to rejoice. It makes me feel really proud of our country. And there is a hope that one day, when we return back to India, it would be a much better place to live…
- I know more about various rituals, festivals of India and the reasons for the celebrations now. I read Geeta to know more about Hindu religion. The high school lessons in history and geography were a blur when I came here. So, I also read various books to understand our country, its history and its struggle in depth.
August 14, 2007
Is it Bright Forever?
But the night will soon be over;
In the bright, the bright forever,
We shall wake, to weep no more....
August 13, 2007
The Storm that hit on Friday
I knew there had been a storm the day before, the lightening and thunderstorm had woken me up numerous times during the night before. Also, Saturday evening had a thunderstorm warning in Hennepin County and it rained cats and dogs in the evening. But I had never imagined that the damage was so devastating.
There were numerous trees uprooted, fallen and blocking the trail at various points. Because of the hindrance, we were forced to take detours, duck under fallen trees or walk on unpaved trails…
After the 2.5 miles walk, I had a medley of feelings going inside me. On one hand, it was distressing to look at the destruction caused by Mother Nature. However, on the other hand, I was happy to see fellow walkers doing their daily jog/walk/bike in spite of the obstructions on the way; their enthusiasm made my day!
I know the trail would be cleared soon and I would be able to have my pleasure walk again…Till then, happy dodging, ducking and running around!!
My New Blog on Beauty
Beauty begins...
August 10, 2007
Passport to Beauty: a journey to Europe
A Make-up Remover: French beauties treat their skin as delicately as a porcelain vase. So, to remove their eye-makeup, they use Almond Oil!
Fresh Eyes: Cucumber are a great source for reducing eye puffiness. Just slice a few and lay them on closed eyelids for a few minutes. A german alternative: Use Chamomile tea bags for the same effect! Just steep teh tea bags in hot water for a few minutes ,and let them cool. Put each bag over your eyes, and relax for a few minutes. Take them off, and voila! your puffiness is gone!I like it! More tips tomorrow...
Beauty begins...
August 8, 2007
Second Week at the Beauty Camp
Sometimes, life becomes so hectic that you have to shift your priorities. I had so many presentations and exams during the last two weeks that I couldn’t find time to blog! Now that my exams are over and I have a rest time of more than two weeks, I am back to blogging and I am continuing the beauty camp thingy…
Well…the second week According to Dr. Loretta is all about knowing the ingredients in our various cream and learning purpose of various ingredients. I would list the important ingredient which she has given in her book, the tricks to read labels and some tips of their usage. Here you go…
Tricks of the Label-Reading Trade
Trick #1: As a rule of thumb, if an ingredient is one of the last five in the list of the product label, then you won’t be getting enough of the ingredient to make a difference in your skin. The exceptions are Retinoids; they will always be less than 1%, and always appear last on the list.
Trick #2: Learn to know the common preservatives in skin-care products. ( by law, skin-care products must contain preservatives) Among the common preservatives in skin-care products:
--Caprylyl Glycol
--Citric Acid
--Diazolidinyl Urea
--DMDM hydantoin
--Parabens
--Pentylene Glycol
--Sorbic Acid
Trick #3: The internet is a valuable resource for tracking down information on uses and effectiveness of a particular ingredient.
Trick #4: For shopping trips and explorations, you may want to buy: Milady’s Skin Care and Cosmetic Ingredients Dictionary, by Natalie Michalun. Noth are available in paperback and handy.
Favorite Ingredients:
The ingredients which have an asterisk(*) before a particular name is a must-have thing. You may want to include it in your daily regimen.
Algae Peptides:
(Brand name: Apt; INCI name: water, Butylene glycol, ahnfeltia, concinna extract)
Peptides in skin-care are quite a rage. It can penetrate the epidermis to reach the skin layer. IT helps in rapid, visible changes- tightening and appearance of firming.
Aloe Vera: it is effective in soothing and reducing inflammation, healing wounds; it exfoliates the skin, and acts as a natural calming agent.
*Alpha Hydroxy acid: is the chemical description of a group of ingredients that includes glycolic, lactic and malic acid. Glycolic acid is a very popular anti-aging ingredient. It acts as an exfoliant, gives a glow to skin.
*Antioxidants: It also prevents aging and skin cancer as a result of sun exposure, pollution or smoking.
Bentonite: Also known as American white clay, it can absorb oil and tighten skin.
Benzoyl Peroxide: Tried and tested acne treatment
Camphor: tightening ingredient and is wonderful for short-term use.
Chamomile: this flower imparts a calming effect
*Glycerin
Hyaluronic Acid: its an effective moisturizing agent without any potential for irritation.
*Hydroquinone: is a chemical that prevents skin cells from making new pigment. It’s a very effective bleaching agent- the best in any fade preparation – and works well on age spots, brown dots. IT also works well on under-eye circles.
Papaya: dissolves dead cells from skin’s surface
Peptides: for tighter, firmer skin
Retinoids: are vitamin A derivatives that act as antioxidant, antipigment, and exfoliant agents.
Hmmph…that was a long list! I think I am done with this book now. It’s more of an ingredient and their advantages than anything else…Now that we know the basic ingredients found in our face creams, let’s move on!
Tomorrow, I would write tips from another book on beauty and I am finding it much more interesting and useful than this one…
Till then…
August 3, 2007
Birthday Blues...
After celebrating my b’day for almost four days (yeah, the balloons, the streamers, the cakes, parties & the gifts are still in vogue!), I think its time for shedding off the b’day blues today…Its time to let go…and wait for another year…oh, I think I can survive…I can celebrate AD’s b’day in the meantime and be thrilled about it…yeah, I can…
July 27, 2007
The first day at beauty camp
The first day activity in the so-called beauty camp would be:
----Taking our pictures in various poses- laughing, listening, talking, and smiling. The point is to capture your face at the best angle. You don’t need to show them to anyone. It would be required to compare with your picture after the last day at beauty camp you see.
In Dr. Loretta’s own words,
“When a patient focuses on an almost invisible detail- a few thin lines above her lips, pores that seem too large, a chicken pox scar from childhood- then I know she is examining herself with a high-powered magnifying mirror. She isn’t seeing her whole face anymore.”
----Second activity is to analyze the photo and try to find our best face features and also some uninvited elements on our faces. By uninvited elements, I mean anything you want to get rid of – blackheads, freckles, wrinkles, fine lines, redness, flaking, scales, dark circles…etc.
And the most important activity: Facial exercises!
- The smiling exercise: this is terrific for firming your jawline, minimizing lip lines and lifting the corners of the mouth. Begin by pressing your lips tightly together to form a wide closemouthed smile. Then slowly part your lips into a broad grin. Open your mouth wider-and wider still. Hold for 4 minutes! (Now that would be a task!)
- The meat-chewing exercise: Extend your neck upward to tilt your head back as far as it goes comfortably. The muscle that you feel stretched is called platysma. Keeping your head tilted back, open and close your mouth until you feel a pull on your neck.
Other things to learn and do this week: - Get 30 minutes more sleep each night.
- Use 400-thread count, all cotton pillowcases- most of us sleep with our faces scrunched against our pillows. Basically, the pillowcase is our mask for that 8-hour of sleep. Therefore, the surface should be fine enough and soft enough not to cause any irritation!
Wash your pillowcases, towels in all free clear laundry detergent to avoid any kind of irritation.
The first day at the camp ends! Basically, it was nothing but preparation for the days ahead. Tomorrow, I would write about various ingredients in our face cream and significance of each of them.
July 26, 2007
On beauty and my apprehensions...
Having read those books, I felt empowered to tackle the ever-increasing problem of us women. So, I have decided to put down the important tips or technical details given in those books for everyone to read. Instead of putting it in my book blog, I am putting it here because it is more like my experience!
The first book I read was: 6 weeks to sensational skin: Dr. Loretta’s Beauty Camp Handbook for your freshest face by Dr. Loretta Ciraldo, M.D.
I picked this book because I thought who would know better about skin than a lady dermatologist? So, here it is! The best thing about this book is: it’s divided into chapter talking about days in beauty camp. The main things which it covers are:
· How to read product labels to spot the best and worst ingredients
· The Survival Basics- five steps to keep your skin problem-free
· How to choose the most flattering hairstyle and makeup
· Two facial exercises that really work to reduce lines and wrinkles
· How 30 minutes of extra sleep at night- on the right kind of pillow case – can dramatically improve your skin
So I would deal with these topics one by one everyday starting from tomorrow.
July 25, 2007
Am I enjoying the Summer? You bet!
Yeah, after much planning, budgeting, strategizing & procrastinations, we finally bought our bikes today! Mine is a beautiful magenta-colored mountain bike while AD's bike is a red-colored glacier mountain bike. To give the new members a warm welcome, we rode them to our neighborhood Round Lake and believe me, the experience was out-of-the-world!
So, whats the difference between the bike ride in US & India ? Well...in India, my ride used to be a strategy to survive the all-directional traffic, overcrowded roads and oh yeah, fighting the pollution! But in MN, I experienced bliss by riding amidst greenery, beautiful lake, serenity and no pollution! And the best part is: I don't have to go to the so-called 'hill station' to experience it; the lake is five minutes from my home! Another difference: In India while biking, we ring the bell to warn people; but here, I have to announce using my 'politest' voice: 'on your left'! Funny,eh?
Yeah, I am breathing again...!
July 20, 2007
My obsession with Law and Order
I love all series of L&O: CI, SVU or the main ones…I love Olivia Benson of SVU and am sure she is actually a good person…because I like her so much , I have found out about her real life and what does she do. I was disappointed to find that she is not a real cop! Nevertheless, she is kinda my role model: brave, good- hearted, beautiful…what else do I want! :-)
I love Bobby Goren and his eccentric way of solving Criminal Investigation cases. I like Munch, McCoy, Eames, Van Buren and everyone associated with L&O! I know; I am sounding like one of those teenagers with OCD…yeah whatever..
Why do I love L&O so much? I believe its because of the mystery, the adventure of solving a case which doesn’t always have a happy ending…or may be because it tell me the reality of life- life is not always a bed of roses…or because there are people weirder than me in this world and I am lucky to not be like them…I don’t know ..whatever the reasons are, I wont stop watching it and hope that it is aired forever! ;)
July 9, 2007
Live Earth 07/07/07
Some facts about the Live Earth concert
Live Earth was a 24-hour, 7-continent concert series which took place on 7/7/07 that brought together more than 100 music artists and 2 billion people to trigger a global movement to solve the climate crisis. Live Earth reached this worldwide audience through an unprecedented global media architecture covering all media platforms - TV, radio, Internet and wireless channels.
June 29, 2007
Why did we learn Cursive Writing?
I remember initial school days when we had to practice for endless sessions of cursive writing…how we used the four-lined notebooks for the painful sessions…how the r’s had to join the s’s in words to form elegant words….how we were graded based on the neatness and ‘cursiveness’ of the words and how we used to be excited/disheartened by it!
So in my entire career as of now, I had been proud of my handwriting and cursive writing skills…it is so easier and faster to write in, there is no need to constantly pick up the pencil and put it down again…
So nowadays, my effort is going in unlearning the cursive writing skills and practising the block writing…childhood days are back again….aaahhh…!
May 9, 2007
My daily ordeal on Bus number. 5
I was thinking today why this bus makes me so depressed??? May be because of the kind of people who travel with me on that bus. ..or may be the air, the feel of it....or may be the uncomfortable thought process it forces me into…Who travels by Bus Number 5???? Well..it’s a heterogeneous mixture of all races; but they all have one thing is common…they all belong to the socially-deprived class of US of A….Somehow, being in the same place as them is taxing..
When I board the bus, I always feel the air has somehow changed. It acquires a strange, obnoxious smell of its own….I try to match the smell to something familiar …To my olfactory senses, it comes as a strange amalgamation of sweat, frustration, poverty, depression, anger and off course, the noisome smell you can associate with no cleansing act.
Today after submerging myself into that odour, I gingerly found a seat for me. I stopped chewing my gum…I am afraid that one day, I am going to catch some lethal virus in the process!! …I switched off my Ipod, put it inside my backpack (in case, somebody tries to snatch it from me..)…But there is no escape from the inevitable thoughts that clandestinely enter my mind.…
While I sit waiting for my stop anxiously, ambiguous thoughts intrigued me…. it is for real? Are these people inhabitants of mighty all- powerful The United States of America? I see a lady wearing torn jeans (for a change, not for fashion!).. men wearing soiled, smelly clothes…young girls wearing cheap excess makeup…Whatever happened to the common notion of America being an all-rich country…???!!! Common, I am not ready to face poverty in US!!!
The senile lady sitting next to me interrupted my thoughts; she started talking about her old boyfriend who died after suffering from AIDS!! Oh, this is not happening to me….I never imagined I would travel by such bus sitting next to a lady blabbering unconsciously about the incurable disease!! I couldn’t utter a single appropriate word …the air became suffocating…and thankfully, my stop came and I got down hurriedly …Relief sweeps my face and I breathe again…Today’s ordeal is done with!
May 7, 2007
New Series to begin: Parallelism
हिंदी हमारी भाषा है!!!!
जय हिंद!!
Eyes Wide Open...
After coming to US of A, I was exposed to different cultures from all across the world: American, Italian and Mexican...To my utter dismay, I found out that all these cultures have their own set of superstitions and beliefs. And believe me, they are equally ridiculous as India's: “throw salt over your shoulder every time you use salt; just for good luck…!”
It’s not that I was not expecting these so-called cultural superstitions. I have always ran away from such beliefs and mocked them. And today also, I do not believe in them. But after meeting people from different culture, I have realized that it’s these superstitions/rituals which make a major part of a culture. I had learnt this in B-school but as its said: seeing is believing! So, after seeing all kinds of rituals, I am in acceptance mode now.
Thus, now my mom would be relieved to meet me next time…I have decided that I am not going to make fun of her beliefs. I would let her perform her rituals and let her be happy..!!! :-)
January 26, 2007
My Idiosyncracies....
For 7 long years, I have lived in old hostel rooms or as a paying guest..or have shared a box-kinda apartment with 3 other roomies..And all these years I felt claustrophobic..There was someone always encroaching on my space and privacy...sometimes it would be the so-called aunty in PG, throwing mean glances to warn me " STAY OFF THIS AREA...TRESSPASSERS WOULD BE PROSECUTED".... or at other times it would be a noisy roomie, wallowing in her luxuries in 'our' room with 'her' friends!!! So, my ultimate craving at that time used to be of a little space just for me...
When we shifted to our 2 BHK apt. here in Minneapolis, I was literally thrilled..I was relieved to finally have a grand place to call my own..I made plans of utilizing all the available space I have..a reading corner for me...a music space..blah..blah..and I did that initially. But to my utter dismay, that thrill waned one day..I no longer found my - "2 bedroom, 1 huge living room, one big kithen, 1 dining area- spacious!!!
So...is it my idiosyncracy... or human nature to always crave for bigger dreams....may be it is..may be not..( who cares!) the victim is my poor hubby..:) who is pestered now to move into our own house....where we would have our own backyard..own pool...blah blah.. and the list goes on ......
January 18, 2007
The Sound of Music...or reality??
So much for getting into other's shoes..lifting my spirits again....the sound of scraping..no! the sound of music.....