‘I hate the fact that Indian flights are never on time. My flight was scheduled to leave for 6:20am on Saturday. I was asked to check in 90 mins prior to departure. So I arrived at our fantastic looking airport at 4:00am and as I expected, everything that could happen to make me hate flying happened on Saturday. The flight was delayed and I was stuck in B’lore airport for nearly 2 hours and I detested the wait as I was getting looks from a couple of weird ass men- one of whom was actually wearing this big ol’ antennae-looking headset. As I tried to get back to reading my book, there appeared the yummiest looking steward I have ever seen. He was tall, strappy looking and stunningly cute. We checked each other out at the same time and I remember thinking to myself ‘he probably is on another flight’. I boarded the flight and nodded at the hostess who welcomed us in with a fabricated grin and as soon as I nestled into my seat I began to hope that the seat next to mine would be occupied by someone remarkable. The minute the thought was formed in my head, there he was this uninteresting, insufferable looking person who took the seat next to mine and he looked at me like I was non-Calcutta scum!
Cussing and just generally feeling bad for myself, I looked up into the face of the person passing by and there he was- hunky steward! But all he did was pass by a million times and ask me if I wanted this or that… hmm... every girls dream. To be waited on by a guy. No, we didn’t exchange numbers; I aint that forward but it really made me forget the creepy guy next to me.

I reached Dimapur, finally, at 4pm. Welcomed by my bro-in-law, sister and niece (who stretched her arms out as soon as she saw me). Sniff… it was quite like in the movies. Introductions to relatives took up a whole hour, unpacking another. Sleep was out of the question, when I had so many people to entertain. Family and friends gathered around the table to watch my current favourite video on my laptop- a 2 hr. show of Russel Peters. Then we broke for dinner- Fish Chutney with vegetables, smoked chicken and dhal. Post-dinner, we were joined by neighbors and delicious red tea until my eyes couldn’t keep themselves opened any longer. My first night ended in deep, unruffled sleep. I wake occasionally to a sensation of unusual calmness so profound that I might try to imagine it to put myself to sleep if I weren't in it already.’
Nov 11, 08.

So I've had a bit of time to myself to get reacquainted with reality. I certainly had the best time in Nagaland and I can't even begin to describe how beautiful the vacation was, from the weather to the house to the views. We had amazing meal after amazing meal, caught lots of rays (as my very dark tan can confirm), found love and laughed and laughed and laughed. I also took a gazillion pictures and I'll post a link to the gallery as soon as I get my pictures organized. All around just a perfect vacation.
It was funny to come back from living in such a relaxed pace to find myself in the middle of rush hour on my drive to work. There I am, sun-kissed and calm in my for-once-formal-attire (you know I was really excited if I was actually wearing formal clothes - as a rule I can't stand them), amidst the vehicles and various idiots all rushing to getting to work and driving like they were insane so that they could be the first ones to reach their office. We'll see how many office drives it takes before I'm back in their frame of mind! I'm thankful - and yet slightly amused - by how many people reached out to me today and told me they missed me. I received mails, text messages, and a swing of e-mails from friends and family, all happy that I was back.

I have to take a moment and say that the situation in Mumbai was unprecedented; amplified by around the clock television coverage, it seemed to take on a life of its own. The hours grew tedious, frustrating and- when the rescue mission awakened the rest of India and the world to the dangers- terrifying.
What matters most of all, was the life lost during this terror rampage. We can only hope that the tension ends and hope is all we can do.
And that's the latest from EC. Now it's time to get on, get with and get back to the bump and grind but not before I kick it off with my happy hour tonight! May as well ease back into the real world as gently as possible!

I have nothing more to write here, except that my first real boyfriend sent me his wedding invite this morning and I’ve been listening to Mr. Big’s ‘Take Cover’. Ok, that’s done {played it ten times now}, on with the show. This track serves as a perfect rock anthem. Dig it.
Hand. Claps. Head. Bounce. Awesome. Period. The band has made this track into something great. Great things are awesome too.

For all you readers enjoy your December and to M, Congrats!

I'm Back....

...from my little three week holiday and better than ever. Well, that’s if being better than ever led to being sore, slightly over tanned, a tired like never before.
It’s been awhile since I wrote here. It’s been awhile since I even typed on a keyboard. That’s colossal since I’m only online every other second. What’s even more massive was the amount of messages I received on Facebook and on e-mail while I was gone. During my trip I met quite a few musicians and discovered some new music that I can’t wait to share with you guys. Got Theja Meru’s album ‘Believe’ {score!}, I received an album from a singer I had met called ‘Changsen Pongen’ {double awesome} and while I wont be around in Dimapur to watch White Lion in concert I got a hold of their music.

Three weeks escape could be considered a dry spell {a small death if you will}, but I shall try and attempt to return EC to the brilliance that it was before my heart was reminded, yet again, of how much I love the mountains. So on with the show.

Nagaland was brilliant and impressive abounding with several mountain ranges, beautiful lakes and streams, the food, the military, multiple camp sites, countless shopping, open mic nights, local talent and a general sense of achievement and connection. But now I’m back, I should unpack soon and I must finish this blog before that. Let us all commence crossing our fingers.

While I didn’t have normal access to the internet during my stay in Dimapur, I still kept a record of the things I had experienced and seen during my days there. The next few posts might be filled with bits and pieces of notes from my journal.

For all my readers out there,I hope your November was a funfest like mine and you spent it getting tons of shoes and loads of food in your belly. I know I did. It really is something to behold and as this is my first long vacation since I joined my company, I surely did enjoy it to the fullest.
But regardless, if you had fun or not here is a track that anyone can enjoy. Consider this an introduction to the greatness that is to come. I hope to have a steady stream of posts from now until the New Year with a lot of great music, and quite possibly the best stuff you’ll ever see and hear on EC. Honestly.

If I was in my room all alone on a Sunday afternoon then this track leaves me head bouncing. Wait for the beat to pick up about thirty seconds into this one. It is worth the wait. ‘There goes the neighborhood’ by Sheryl Crow. More music is being collected as I speak. I’m off to unpack my life in awhile. Have fun this week in whatever country you’re currently located at. Cheers, and come back often.

And for anyone who would like to get in touch with me, send me music to listen to and possibly promote, or just say hi contact me: evelinerajan@gmail.com

On Vacation.

Hello dear readers, this is your captain speaking.

For those of who who have just stumbled onto this blog, I've been spending the past week in Dimapur, Nagaland and I've been living it up on a little slice of winter vacation. Due to these good times I haven't had a lot of access to the internet and it's really difficult for me to get to a cyber cafe in town and upload music. So I have no new music for you kids to gobble up. I’m spending this week visiting the capital, Kohima- specifically 'Dream Cafe' and the war cemetery. The following week I’ll be visiting some towns and villages in Dimapur.

As I wont be around for awhile, I’d like you to check out these fine blogs for your reading enjoyment in my absense.

Bhumika's Boudoir

Confuzd Jughead

Manuscrypts

Jugular Bean

The Eastern Glow

Pete

Enjoy them at your leisure. EC sincerely recommends them. To all my readers: Enjoy your November. Cheers.

Note to self: check the status of the flight.

I'm neurotic when it comes to travel. I hope I score a nice aisle seat with a cute guy beside me. I have always been a nervous flyer. This time I'm alot more jumpy and anxious as it's the first time on my own. I seem like I'm not bothered but I keep an eye out for all of the world's evils.

Xanax, anyone?

Days Until I Fly To Dimapur: 1

People Left on Shopping List*: 50

*Number is a minimum and subject to change.

A couple more hours until I'm out of this place! I have compiled a list of ten things I hope to accomplish before I return to B'lore at the end of the month:

1. Go for the movie 'Quantum of Solace' with some new friends.

2. Dine on smoked bacon, smoked bacon, smoked bacon!

3. Travel safely on two non-delayed, hopefully non-nauseating and non-painful flights from here to Dimapur via Kolkata.

4. Meet my niece –Abigail.

5. Visit my friends from college, Zenith, Ralli and Ela.

7. Meet an old friend and recently made DCP officer of Dimapur.

8. Get drunk.

9. Get lots of shopping done and visit places of interest.

10. Go for a local concert.

OMG, TGIF, welcome at last to another artist showcased here on EC. I'd never have heard of this radiant artist if not for Imcha. The name is Senti Toy.
At first listen I loved it and that prompted me to take a trip through this article written on her here.

Her sound reminds me of a lot of different and equally diverse influences and for the first hour or so I found myself unable to accurately put into words what I was hearing.

I guess you could say this is a serious example of the new wave of genre blurring musical acts (and really, what's a genre today? Everything is broken off from multiple patterns. Even MySpace has you list the three- yeah, you heard- three genres your band's music fits into.)
So the track below is by Naga artist, Senti Toy called 'How Many Stories Do You Read on My Face' and it's my new favorite song because it sounds so very intricate and oriental. After this track ended, my head mentally ticked off and said "ok, that's going online," because it easily makes for one of the best songs I have heard in a long time.

I'll shut up now so you can listen more closely to 'How Many Stories Do You Read on My Face' by Senti Toy. Happy weekend, everyone. I shall try to post from Nagaland if I am able to.

I'll miss you almost as much as you'll miss me.

Varied Updates

You can never keep a secret from your mother.

Not that this blog was going to be much of a secret anyways, but I decided to only spread it to a few people at first to gather reactions, critiques, choose the sort of tone I would write with and finally tell everyone about it. My older sister, brother-in-law and twin read it when I had began writing here. One of them told my mum, not sure who and now I'm in trouble. In proper official fashion, I am opening the blog up to the whole wide world. Or whoever happens to stumble upon it. Whichever.

I'm starting to feel icky and I'm just about convinced that I'm going to be catching some nasty ass TB or pneumonia or the flu or a cold. My mother kicked into on- the- spot- nurse so that I won't be sick when I have to travel- which gets on her nerves, especially since I don't listen to a thing she says when I'm sick.

(I think it's time for a collective *sneeze* for those of you who feel my pain. Ready? AaahhChhoooo. Ah! Much better?)

One more day until I depart for Dimapur, Nagaland and already word is starting to spread there that I'll be coming into town. This will mean a bit of travel, probably a bit of money out of pocket, and I don't think I'll be posting very often here. Also, it will mean leaving behind my crew (who I'm so used to seeing every day) and a lot of things that can only be found in Bangalore {family for one}. Fortunately, and this is an additional benefit for me, there will be no boyfriend left behind. If you read this blog, feel free to submit a list of reasons why I should devote some of my vacation to you, and I shall put you into consideration. Oh hell, if you put up with reading this blog, you pretty much deserve anything you want from me.

As promised in my previous post, a wish for Sheethal and a track of your choice up here on EC. And this dude gets his track played here today. Thanks for writing in Pete and for providing us all with some awesome music.
Thrice is an Experimental Rock band from California. The first couple of times or so I heard this track titled 'Come all you weary', I didn't know what to think. What I think it proves though is that I'm a sucker for the indie sound when it's used in a song that builds and builds and builds until it is an indefinable sonic shower of joy. And I like it. I probably would have given a kidney to sit in on a live set of this song, but instead I'll just give them a little slice of this blog. Congratulations to both of you (Pete and the band), this is a fine song. If you like the music here, and want to share it, please go ahead and link to this blog post. Thanks.

So, Mom, welcome to Evuhleen's Corner.

And that's today's offering! As always, if anything caught your eye this time around, feel free to let me know about in the comments section below. Cheers.