Deepanjan Nag's Magnum Opus

We finally visited Handel House Museum , the place where the legendary composer stayed for 36 years until his death in 1759. There was a lot to take in, but it was unfortunate that photography was not allowed, except in this room, where we were allowed to try some costumes too. You can see a harpsichord behind me, in the other room. I have spent endless hours listening to Handel. Little did I imagine that I would one day visit the very home where many of those compositions were penned. It was all too much for me…and I was grateful that I was one of the very few fortunate ones to walk in the very room where George Frideric Handel lived, composed and finally died. Incidentally, the room inside which I am photographed above, was occupied by Jimi Hendrix for some time.

Much of the world is celebrating today the 100th birth anniversary of a genius, one who would have a lasting influence on computer science. Alan Turing, however, in spite of his genius, was treated like a criminal for his sexual orientation, something that probably influenced him to commit suicide at a very young age. One wonders what more he could have contributed had his life not been cut short so tragically. The British government, realizing its mistake, recently issued an apology for wronging the great man. Alas, it was too little too late. I had recently promised to visit the place where Turing was born, to mark his birth centenary. I kept my word. Though I wasn’t exactly expecting any fanfare at the hallowed site , I was somewhat taken aback by the scaffolding that shrouded much of the façade, especially the plaque mentioning his birth. The place, now the Colonnade Hotel , is currently hosting some of the Olympic athletes. Incidentally, Sigmund Freud also stayed here for some ...

Live on air: Graho Ka Khel (on India TV) Ratna Rahasya (on Star News) Ratna Rahasya (on Aaj Tak) If Hindi news channels in India spend valuable air time on such programs, I can well imagine how informed the viewers must be. It’s hard to hold on to the hope that rational thinking will ever be a way of life for us and that we will ever be a progressive nation. We are seemingly condemned to an eternity of irrationality, ignorance and illiteracy.

What fond memories I have of going to a video parlor in Kharangajhar, accompanied by didi, to watch this movie! We were kids then, must have been more than a quarter of a century ago. I was overjoyed to discover my friend, Anirban, already at the parlor. Watched the movie with Asha today. The magic remains intact.

Watched the movie to mark its 70th anniversary. Ingrid Bergman was divine.

An article on Willis Conover.

" the master of us all... the greatest composer that ever lived. I would uncover my head and kneel before his tomb ". What a great privilege it was for me to kneel before his tomb!

What a pleasant surprise. I love the way the people in UK preserve their illustrious history. Wish we Indians could learn from them.

The crafting has been inspired by Westminster Abbey and is sold exclusively from the Westminster Abbey shop. I had been craving for such a watch since ages. Thanks to Asha for the gift of a lifetime!

This was an experience to behold, one that was so overwhelming that I’m still at a loss for words to describe the events that unfolded. It’ll take me a long time for the experience to sink in. I’ll take it slow lest I go insane with excitement!

I used to be so wire-thin, my tailor uttered a shirk each time he measured my waist. How time flies. It’s now high time I get some exercise to control my weight. A click from the Charles Dickens Museum shedding ample light on my ‘situation’ seems to be doing the rounds in New Delhi among closed circles and I am being sweetly chided for the accumulating mass. Time for some action.

Momos, where art thou?

A Nightingale Sang in Barkeley Square This is a beautiful rendition by one of my favorite country singers: Mindy Smith.

Somebody from Kanbay Software keeps visiting my blog. I wish his/her identity could be revealed.

I love Google for its sense of humor!

Sleepless night.

This is the bicentennial year of the birth of one of the greatest and most famous English writers of all time: Charles Dickens. I guess the first time I came across one of his works was when Dad bought me an illustrated and abridged edition of Oliver Twist . I was hooked. I went on to read some more of his works, including David Copperfield and Great Expectations . I never got around to completing Dombey and Son , though. His novels have been dramatized and made into movies countless times. We finally visited the Charles Dickens Museum yesterday. This is where he lived between 1837-1839 and wrote the whole of Oliver Twist and Nicholas Nickleby . An unforgettable experience!

It must have read yesterday’s post. It’s working fine now.