Zakir Hussain and the masters of percussion, Opeth, Ghost, Bela Fleck and the flecktones, Victor Wooten, Joshua Bell and the Pavel Haas Quartet.

A very good april lineup, indeed.

My brother had a daughter last October, and for the first time in my life I have the chance to see someone important grow right from birth. I have spent quite some time with my niece, spanning over three visits. It has been quite an experience to say the least.

She is quite a handful. This one day, she started crying all of a sudden. All I knew was the usual hunger, poop, sleep check. My dad was giving her some baby food but she didn't want to eat. She has just woken up and she hadn't pooped. She cried for twenty minutes and then became ok. WhatisthisIdonteven

This other time, all she needed was a piece of cloth. If I waved it in front of her, she'd burst out in fits off laughter and look at me in anticipation for the next time I wave. She'd also smile and laugh if I whistled to her. She'd go all still when I pucker my lips and when the whistle comes out, she'd smile and thrash. She'd hold completely still, hand in hand, a smile waiting to break out the moment the whistle came out. 

Sometimes a piece of cloth is all she needs, but other times, she'd be surrounded by all the toys she has, after being well fed and rested, and she'd complain. She'd continue complaining until someone picked her up and walked around. The look of gratitude on her face when I pick her up is enough to make me pick her up even though it means she grows thinking she'd get her way by crying. The doctor told my brother and my sister-in-law to let her cry herself to sleep and not to go to her side, a few minutes at a time. Yesterday they tested this out, and she was crying for half an hour, untended. It was hard to stand by. I don't like it, but somethings have to be done.

It was also nice to see my dad and mom play and take care of the kid. Having had me and my brother, they kind of have an instinct for what distress calls stand for. It's also as though you are an outsider, looking at your past when you were a kid.

It's going to be an interesting next few years as far as she is concerned. 

Just another morning.

At the airport I saw one of those TSA videos about the stuff they do and demo videos to guide people through the process. One of those videos made me snort, in the middle of a crowded queue at 5.30 AM in the morning, inviting quite a few looks. The video has a Sardar wearing an official's uniform directing an american fellow to go through the manual pat down process after the screen. The lengths they go to make videos 'politically correct' suggests the existence of the other scenario. Or I'm just very cynical at 5:30 in the morning.

Middle-aged woman sat next to me on the flight. Had a book in her hand. Turned out to be the Book of Mormon. Chuckle to self. Look down at book in my hand. It says 'Lolita' with an image of a little girl's legs on the cover.

SHE GOT UP AND SAT ELSEWHERE ಠ_ಠ