Sunday, April 26, 2009

London, Lanka and Drums

It's 9 AM on Sunday morning and I feel more mellow than a particularly laid back Leopard sleeping off a nice big meal under a tree in Yala, after smoking one of Java's "herbals".

In fact, the state of mellowness, this feeling of relaxation is so great that typing into my laptop feels like a bit of an intrusion. I'll try to tell you why, even though it's Sunday and I know no one will read this.

Here I am, sitting in the planter's chair, you know it by now. I've got my sitting room windows wide open and the sun's streaming in. The sky is blue with not a cloud to be seen and the river is at its best and in all its glory. I've been observing ducks, rowers, boats and swans glide by, with a passing thought about what a swan might taste like with some rice and parippu, but it was just a quick one and has long gone.

There's a bit of a rumble from the traffic going over the bridge, but it's early for an English Sunday and things aren't really busy yet.

Oozing out sexily through the sound system is the fantastic album by Grant Chamberlain; Colombo Beast. I don't think the sound is coming out of the speakers, it's feels more as if it's floating in over the water and wafting in through my windows.

It's a surreal album, of musicians playing on a level I can only dream about. Shiraaz Nooramith, on the drums, has the touch and feel of a master, showing that it's more about what you don't play than what you do play. His playing inspires me and makes me want to sit and practice all day, forever.

Some time ago a friend told me very kindly how "London, Lanka and drums" was a great choice of title for a blog. I'd like to have taken credit and regaled him with a nice story of how I used my great creative mind to come up with it, how I'd done flowcharts, mindmaps and used noboboards to find it.

Sadly it was just because they're some of the things I love most and seemed like a good idea at the time.

As I write this I'm wallowing in all three, big time.

Must go, there's chilling to be done, it requires all my effort.

1 comment:

Kalusudda said...

I said earlier that it is becoming a cool pad! Even though I do not recall knowing the album, I think it is bring in the cats!
I am on a different note over here, woke up at 5:30AM on a Sunday morning :( to do my body good, run 2.6 miles marina and row a canoe for a while and then sail for a few hours. Glad you are enjoying the day. But when I think of England these days, I think and worry about Professor Hawking.