Wednesday, October 18, 2006

"Vincent (Starry, Starry Night)"

You know how sometimes we love some songs and then later totally forget about them at all?And then, some other time, later in life, we suddenly hear them play and they come back to us, and then we remember how much we loved and cherished them, at one point of time of our lives?
One such old, forgotten favourite that recently crossed my path, is Don Mc'lean's "Vincent (Starry, Starry Night)". It brings back memories of rebellious days spent in architecture undergrad, when we lived and breathed creativity and when I first fell in love with Vincent's work and of more recent times, the beautiful afternoon spent among his works in the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam.
One of my all time favourites; you can hear it here for free: (Song no. 10)
"Vincent (Starry, Starry Night)"
Starry, starry night
Paint your palette blue and grey
Look out on a summer's day
With eyes that know the darkness in my soul
Shadows on the hills
Sketch the trees and daffodils
Catch the breeze and the winter chills
In colours on the snowy linen land
Now I understand
What you tried to say to me
And how you suffered for your sanity
And how you tried to set them free
They would not listen
They did not know how
Perhaps they'll listen now
Starry, starry night
Flaming flowers that brightly blaze
Swirling clouds and violet haze
Reflect in Vincent's eyes of china blue
Colours changing hue
Morning fields of amber grain
Weathered faces lined in pain
Are soothed beneath the artists' loving hand
Now I understand
What you tried to say to me
And how you suffered for your sanity
And how you tried to set them free
They would not listen
They did not know how
Perhaps they'll listen now
For they could not love you
But still your love was true
And when no hope was left inside
On that starry, starry night
You took your life as lovers often do
But I could have told you Vincent
This world was never meant for one as beautiful as you
Starry Starry night
Portraits hung in empty halls
Framless heads on nameless walls
With eyes that watch the world and cant forget
Like the strangers that you've met
The ragged men in ragged clothes
The silver thorn of bloody rose
Lie crushed and broken on the virgin snow
Now I think I know
What you tried to say to me
And how you suffered for your sanity
And how you tried to set them free
They would not listen
They're not listening still
Perhaps they never will...

Friday, October 13, 2006

My First Marathon Appeal!

So it's here, sooner than you had expected; my announcement to all of you, who are'nt aware yet, that I am running my first Marathon. Feels like it was just yesterday, when I ran the ASHA 5K run, then the NYC Half-Marathon and now finally the ultimate one of them all, the Marathon.
It's been one incredible journey, from the first 3.10 miles for ASHA on June 10th, 2006, to the 13.10 miles in the NYC Half-Marathon on Aug 27th, 2006 and eventually, the 26.20 miles that I will run in the Marine Corps Marathon in Washington D.C on Oct 29th, 2006.
Attached is the map of the race course, for the event and below is the link to more information for spectators and supporters (for those of you, who will be at the event to cheer me:), on the race day.
http://www.marinemarathon.com/race_info/spectators.htm
More than 2000 miles and 21 weeks of running and $1500 of funds raised later, I am still running and fundraising for ASHA; a Non-profit which works towards providing basic education for under-privileged children in India.
Here are the links that provide more information on ASHA:
http://www.ashanet.org/nycnj/
http://www.charitynavigator.org/index.cfm/bay/search.summary/orgid/7630.htm

and here is the link where you can make your credit card donations:
http://www.ashanet.org/nycnj/lib/marathon/publicmypage.php?1647
I sincerely urge each one of you, who chances upon my blog or is a regular reader to make your valuable donation when you read this post. At ASHA Marathons, each one of us, runs with the belief "I run so they can read".
Robert Frost's following lines, now have a new meaning in my life:)
"The woods are lovely, dark, and deep,
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep."
Thank you for your time and donations (in advance) and do look forward to my post-marathon post, after the 29th.