Why did I do Science when ART is what I love

I guess I can sum it up in two or three words. Peer pressure and Pѐre pressure.

My dad loved the arts too. But his ambition to see at least one of his children an engineer, lawyer or doctor overrode his judgment about where our futures lay. Don't get me wrong. He was a concerned, loving and fun parent. But like every Indian parent I knew as a child, slightly misguided in that he believed there was little else of value; that if his children couldn't get into any of these lines, competition being fierce, then there were other careers (lesser ones) to consider. Perhaps today's Indian parents are lucky in that they know there are many more choices their kids can make.

Now that I've discovered writing, there is little else I want to do. Everything people say is true - that you could do something you love all day, everyday and never feel tired; that sometimes you don't know where the day goes, so lost are you doing what you love; that each and everyone of us is different and we just need to find our niche, whatever it may be and work at it.

Chetan Bhagat said exactly that in his first book, Five Point Someone. I really did enjoy that story - his first.

I remember when we went visiting family in Moscow, the husbands decided they would look after the kids while we wives went out for a fun afternoon. We went to the "Tetrakov Gallery" to view paintings and sculptures. What a lovely afternoon.

Have you ever walked the streets of Rome? The sculptures, the cobbled streets, the plants in peoples' balconies! It is like stepping back in time on the one hand and a modern airy and light atmosphere on the other. To blend the old and new like that - pure art. Then there is this group I belong to - "ARTWORKS by Air India Cabin Crew" on Facebook. Wish I could draw and paint like them. What a daily feast for our eyes.

And I have to mention Krish Sahoo, who painted the three girls in my book. I did not want a portrait of anyone in particular, just three Indian girls, a Parsi, a Christian and a Hindu, having fun together. After much discussion we settled for "vectors" If you visit his blog http://krishlogs.blogspot.com you will see from his many portraits why I wanted him to do my girls.

Another form of art I love - plays. I've mentioned "The Guru of Chai" on this blog. Here's their link - http://www.indianink.co.nz. This is just one of so many I've enjoyed in cities all over the world - New York, London, Mumbai, Auckland & Wellington to name a few. Yes, that's definitely a most powerful form of art.

And I wouldn't want to forget singing, dancing and comedy. To end this post here's a rendition of "The Long Day Closes" by the Auckland Youth Choir - a song that makes me feel emotional, especially the words which I've posted as well.

There's so many art forms. I had to do my bachelor's degree in science, no doubt. I know now that I enjoyed discovering science - just not studying it. For better or worse, in sickness or health, it is ART for me.