Udantya Issue I by Udantya *

Udantya* *dwelling beyond the boundry

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Welcome to the first issue of Udantya! ________________________________

We’ve chosen to reflect on the month gone by; stories that have resonated with us, photographs that have captured our minds and tidbits from all over! __________________________ Backstage Pass The essence of Udantya Megaphone A word from the Editors Spotlight Wisconsin Stands Up to handedness YES+

Republic High-

Darkroom Through Our Lens: A slide show of a few of our favorites. Armchair Critic Our review of the 2011 Oscar Animated Shorts Jam Session Bon Bonbon: Become a chocolatier from home. Poetic Justice Beat Box! This month’s music picks from Udantya*

©Namita Azad

The dreamers of the day are dangerous people, for they dream their dreams with open eyes, and make them come true.

BACKSTAGE PASS

The very essence of artistic expression is that, it is captured in many different ways. A picture, a word or a tune. Your rebellion, your journey and your destination. Here, we aim to capture it all. Join us or explore with us. Welcome to Udantya Welcome to our creative space!

Udantya aims to be a collaborative effort. If you have any articles, photos or music you would like to share, please email us at udantya@gmail.com. Future themed issues will be announced a month in advance.

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MEGAPHONE

From the Editors Namita Azad Always do something worth writing. Always write something worth reading. It’s almost an addiction, to always desire and never burn out. To question, but also make your own answers. There’s just so much to know, do and achieve that not only do twenty-four hours in a day seem limiting, but even a lifetime too short! It was a rainy afternoon, just the perfect kind. I was sitting in my favorite coffee shop, taking in the strong scent of the latte that was placed in front of me. My fingers were racing past the pages of a magazine. Somewhere in between all this, I read the one quote that has etched itself firmly into my existence… “On the battlefield of ideas, winning requires moving towards the sound of guns.” Cut to four years later, we’re sitting in the hospital’s cafeteria, sulking over yet another lousy meal and brainstorming a photoshoot idea. Once again, somewhere in between all that, Udantya lit like a spark! Ideas poured out and it

almost seemed like we had been designing this all along. We knew immediately this was the door to open. Udantya is the avenue we have chosen to explore our creative instincts. It is the space which will allow us to be able to explode all forms of expression; the canvas, the lens, the pen and so many more yet to be discovered. It is a medium through which we not only see with our eyes, but with our mind; to take it all in and add back to the world around us.

It is our courageous first step on the battlefield of expressive articulation!

And yes, we’ve only just begun!

Aparna Vidyasagar I would be incomplete if I could not sketch or paint; if I could not weave a story or create characters; if I could not see magic in an old building; if I could not frame a picture in my mind and wish I had my camera with me. This is what buoys my spirits after a humdrum week and gives me hope for something bigger than a set of well thought out experiments! Udantya to me is the platform from which I can share these aspects of myself. It is my creative conscience. It serves to make sure I never let artistic expression fall to the way side. It is also a means by which I can reach out to people, chronicle their stories, their experiences and their talent. I know I will be richer for the connections I make here.

This magazine, or blog, or portal of expression is anything that you and I want it to be. It is free in its spirit.

our new venture. Whether the original connotation of the word is mundane or not, I cannot be certain. However, we choose to think of it as a metaphor for unfettered and unbound expression and personal tales.

Udantya has been many years in the making. I don’t mean that we have been working on it actively, but that we have spent many an hour envisioning the day it would come into being. It was just about a month ago that we finally sat down and decided to stop dealing in ‘what if’ and ‘some day’, and decided we would just do it. And here we are today!

For those of you who are curious, Udantya is a Sankrit word which means ‘dwelling beyond the boundary‘. We thought it was apt to dig deep and look to our roots for a name that best suits

SPOTLIGHT

Wisconsin Unites Against the Bill

For the past fortnight, the people of Wisconsin have been standing united in protest of Governor Scott Walkerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Bill. This bill will eliminate all collective bargaining rights for state employees.

The atmosphere in the city of Madison has been of great energy and passion with the start of these protests. Students, teachers, state employees and union leaders, all have crowded the streets around the State Capitol with many spending nights in the Rotunda.

With the senate Democrats still missing in action, one cannot accurately predict the outcome of this situation. We can be assured that the state of Wisconsin will not lose this battle without a strong fight!

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YES+ We find the strength within us; we share it with the world around us and gain the ability to steer the direction of our mind. This is the simple idea of the YES+ program. A project founded under the Art of Living organization, YES+ is targeted towards the youth and aims to empower young minds in gaining more control through exercising simple breathing techniques while instilling the idea of service in the pursuit of fulfillment. “Everyone understands their enlightened side differently. For one person it’s the side that can take a final without stress, for someone else it’s about re-connecting with a level of freedom experienced only as a kid, and for a third person it means taking responsibility for the world around them. When we are in touch with our enlightened side we are happy, we are in the moment, and we naturally want to help others get there too. This is the basis of yes plus” – YES+ Program. I was first introduced to the program in February of 2010 by a friend who had just completed the course. When I was contemplating the course, I would ask my friend for details in order to understand what the course was all about, but never could get a concrete answer. Looking back, I now realize that it is an impossible task to explain what the five days of YES + entail, simply because it is an experience and not an activity. On the first day our teacher, Emma Seppala said “Don’t believe a word I say through this course; like a scientist, test it out for yourself!” What you take from it and how you perceive it, is completely subjective; reinforcing the idea that the power lies within you to make the change outside of you.

YES+ at UW-Madison doing a morning yoga routine on Bascom Hill.

The YES+ program is conducted all over the world with specialized programs for university students, war veterans and mid-age adults. At the University of Wisconsin-Madison, YES+ was started in 2009 and is now regularly held every few months with an increase in participants by nearly double, each time. The large and diverse student population at UW-Madison makes the YES+ a unique experience on this campus. “Everyone becomes your best friend at the end of these five days,” says Pranav Chhabria, YES+ alumnus and member of the coordinating committee. The YES+ course lasts a total of five days and encompasses numerous inter-personal activities, yoga lessons and breathing techniques. The biggest highlight is the Service Day which happens on the fourth day of the course. Students work on various charity projects that range from frown protests, buying lunch for homeless individuals, sun-salutation flash mobs, writing small heartfelt messages (‘Smile messages’) and distributing candy to people all over campus.

Students writing smile messages in preparation for their Service Day project.

YES+ is a great starting point for anyone who is looking for ways to reduce stress in their lives and wants to learn how to live in the moment. After my first YES+ course, I came out a lot more sorted and more at peace with what’s present. I am not constantly worrying about what’s ahead. I have made some really strong friendships, had the opportunity to hear so many different stories and learned so much about myself along the way. YES+ is a unique experience for every individual and you take back however much you give in. I have completed the course four times, each time returning to see how much further I can move towards a calmer mind, a more balanced outlook, and most definitely, a larger lung capacity! -Namita For more information on a YES+ course happening in your city you can log on to http://us.yesplus.org

THE ARMCHAIR CRITIC 2011 Oscar Nominated Animated Shorts The Oscars are this Sunday, so we thought we would give you the inside scoop on the animated shorts. Every year, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences screens the Oscar nominated short films for one day only, in certain theaters nationwide. I am eternally grateful for the Sundance theater being in Madison as I have seen many wonderful films there. On that particular Friday night, my selection was the animated shorts. The criteria was somewhat fluid. I think I was in the mood to be purely entertained and the animated shorts had a convenient screening time. As much as I love films, I have to admit, I haven’t seen very many short films. It is my unqualified and obvious opinion that the challenge of making a short film is to be able to tell a complete story well. Moreover, a good short film is one where the audience is left unaware of

the time that has passed and is surprised by the intricacy of the story being told. And, as with all good films, the audience is left wanting more. The animated shorts were a mixed bag. We watched seven films in total; five that made the cut and two honorable mentions. Quite frankly, I thought the two honorable mentions were a few notches above some that were nominated. The first, with a hilariously self-explanatory title, was, ‘A Cow Who Wanted to be a Hamburger’ (USA). It was a heartbreaking yet charming tale of a little calf who is mesmerized by the billboard of a local meat processing unit which shows a buff cow next to a juicy burger. All the little calf wants, is to grow up, beef up and well, be a hamburger. Even the end credits were entertaining, with each creator’s gastronomic proclivities mentioned in parentheses. The second honorable mention was ‘Urs’, from Germany. It is the story of a young farmer whose farm has been destroyed by drought and his livestock diminished by famine. With all the strength left within him, he sets upon a treacherous journey to a new land of hope, with the one person who means the most to him; his aged mother. The mood of the animation was wonderful and mirrored the moods of the characters. The film had no dialogue, further

emphasizing the animation to convey the sorrow, despair, strength and hope of the two protagonists. One of the criteria I mentioned before, the telling of a complete story, is severely lacking in the French venture ‘Madagascar, Carnet de Voyage’. The film, set in Madagascar, follows a faceless hero through Madagascar as he delves deep into their culture and traditions. The narration meanders and lurches forward abruptly, no doubt aiming to lead up to a thought provoking end. The problem was that we were about 2 minutes into the 11 minute film, which was screened first and my attention had left the theater and wandered away. The animation was at times jarring, chaotic and jerky. The film did have one point of note. The animation is stylized like a travelogue and a scrapbook that has come alive. Some of the pictures from the scrapbook look immensely life like and the closing credits show the originals, taken no doubt in Madagascar. It is clear that the filmmaker was looking to tell an intimate tale of perhaps a spiritual awakening, but he misses the mark. ‘Let’s Pollute!’ from the US, is a satirical public service announcement with the voice over guy from the 50s. This is the queen of all tricks of reverse psychology. ‘Voice-over’ guy’s encouraging entreaties to pollute better and

bigger gave me pause. I certainly hope the message gets through to many more viewers. ‘The Lost Thing’ (Aus/UK) is a heartwarming story of a young man who finds an anthropomorphic ‘thing’ on the beach. The story is set in a bleak futuristic world where the ‘thing’ with its blithe spirit is somewhat of an anomaly and indeed lost. The film focuses on the young man, whose quest to restore the thing to its proper home is met with indifference. The ‘thing’ sends a gentle ripple of tumult into the highly ordered life of the young man and his spirits are lifted as a result. I have to admit though I thought I saw a few metaphors (I won’t go into it since this would make its own review!), I may be lacking in comparison to thorough film buffs. I encourage you to watch the film and identify your own themes and metaphors. For those of you who watched Toy Story 3 this year, you will remember a cute film from Pixar at the very beginning. ‘Day and Night‘ (USA), meet and are completely befuddled by each other. The animation is innovative and the story entertaining. It’s hard to explain all the quirks and the intricacies of the film and at the risk of repeating myself, go check it out! Also, since the film made it to the Oscars, I am making a mental note to keep an eye out for more of Pixar’s introductory shorts in the future.

We are at the very end and I saved my favorite for the last. ‘The Gruffalo ‘(UK) is a sweet little story about a a clever mouse journeying through the forest in search of some lunch. The film is based upon a popular children’s book of the same name by Julia Donaldson. To ward off the three creatures of prey that he meets along the way, the mouse tells them that he is on his way to meet a Gruffalo; a giant, imposing animal, whose favorite foods are foxes, owls and snakes. But of course, the clever little mouse chuckles to himself, ‘there is no such thing as a Gruffalo’; or is there? The animation was very well done, though I admit, not novel. The film boasts some famous voices such as Helena Bonham Carter and Tom Wilkinson. What really got my attention was the music by Rene Aubry. For a children’s film it was incredibly evocative and poignant. The music is what drew me into the film and the story. It had me mesmerized. I have included my favorite piece from the film, ‘The Mouse’ in Jam Session.

Here are links to trailers and clips from the animated shorts as well as the live action and documentary shorts. You’re very welcome! Oscar Shorts Homepage A Cow Who Wanted to be a Hamburger: Trailer Urs: Trailer [And now an aside. The Simpsons episode this past Sunday (Season 22, Ep 14, 'Angry Dad- The Movie') parodied the animated shorts category with tragic accuracy!] -Aparna

And there you have it! In appreciation of your sticking around to read my maiden venture, I have decided to be your Google slave.

JAM SESSION

Bon Bonbon Valentine’s day and chocolate are almost synonymous. Quite frankly, I think chocolate ought to be synonymous with a lot more occasions. Thus, in the spirit of spreading chocolate-y goodness all through the year, here is an interesting online chocolate store. Chocomize (http://www.chocomize.com/) is a unique chocolate shop, where you become the chocolatier. You begin with dark, milk or white Belgian chocolate as your canvas and choose from an eclectic group of spices, nuts, fruits and candy to mix in. When I say eclectic, I am not exaggerating; think paprika, potato chips and bacon! And here’s the kicker; 23 karat gold flakes! Many of the flavors of Chocomize are reminiscent of the new wave of artisan chocolates but the end product is entirely in your control. If you don’t like fancy, it doesn’t have to be. If you can’t think of a unique combination, the folks at Chocomize have suggestions for you and will even build you their own custom bar. However, for certain epicurean adventurers this could become a very fun play ground. The price is right for a product that is so personalized. Bars start at $3.95 and most add ins are $0.65 to $0.95. And for those of you who are curious, here’s my somewhat puritan creation. Dark chocolate, ground coffee, cardamom and sliced almonds! -Aparna

Poetic Justice

Beat Box

The rain is silent, It just sits on my window pane and sometimes slips away Its scent lurks the musky room where the creases of the sheet still lay The impressions of our bodies turned away from each other still stay The pages of my half read book flutter in the thundering winds The wax from the burnt candle chips away and crumbles by my toes A cup of coffee, dark and strong Oblivious to the orchestra of birds outside Today no conversations fill my mind Only the silence of the rain.

‘The Mouse’, composed by Rene Aubry. From the soundtrack of ‘'The Gruffalo’

End of Days In the beginning, Chaos so beautiful The world is painted Everything untainted. In the end, Chaos so cruel The world is painted Everything tainted.