Life Isn't Fair

Habba is off. Again. And it’s permanent this time. Last Sunday, Lynn called us for a ‘meeting’ at Nrityagram. We thought it would probably be to start off classes after the Christmas and new-year break. Turns out we were wrong…

The entire ensemble is going on a long tour all over the US. And by long, I mean seven months. So this meeting was to figure out what to do with our classes while they are away. Lots of things were discussed…but it boils down to once a week classes – in Nrityagram. Going there ONCE a month was hard enough! 9 am to 3 pm…the whole day gets taken up! And to do that once a week…well, let’s just say I’m not exactly doing spectacularly in school ANYway!

Another major change is that the last Vasanthahabba (the one in 2004) was literally THE last Habba. Apparently, Nrityagram have accomplished what they set out to do with Habba, and now there are different things to be done. So whatever form of Habba is going to take place will happen next year as “a new avatar” – during my board exams.

So at least till the end of 12th grade, dance is indefinitely on hold. It’s just so unfair. It was the last bit of excitement in my life. The ONE place left where I didn’t have to think about school, and exams and record books. NOW what?!

Civil Servants?

Sandeep Kaku was over last night! It was really cool seeing him again. He always has such interesting stories to tell… He was in Bangalore, playing for a concert with Ustad Amjad Ali Khan and his sons! I would have SO loved to have gone, but we didn’t make it. Anyway, while we were talking at night, Kaku was talking about CM Dharam Singh being at the concert. And his story really got me thinking…

Not only was Mr. Dharam Singh royally late to the concert, but soon after he arrived, Amjad Ali Khan ji received little chits of paper saying that His Royal Highness needed to go, and that they should wrap up the concert. WHY exactly? Because the CM needed to felicitate the artists before he could go home. I don't know about them, but I would rather not have such a felicitation!

Apparently, this kind of thing happens all the time! With these government official types coming late for a concert and publicly getting up and walking off in the middle – as if it were completely acceptable to come and go as one pleased! One established musician actually stopped his concert to ask the person in question why she bothered to come if she had no intention of listening to begin with!

It seems to ANNOYING to see disrespect of this level from people who are supposed to be working to make our city a BETTER place to be in!

The other day, mom and I were in a bit of a rush to reach a store before it closed. We turned the corner of our street, near the Police Commissioner’s office to see four traffic policemen stopping the traffic for about 10 minutes, so that ONE ambassador could have a clear path through the road! My mom summed it up in one line. “They seem to re-define the term civil ‘servant’!”