This photo is of myself feeling very honored to sit next to Ustad Abdul Rashid Khan Saheb, as he enjoys a cigarette before his 3:30 am vocal concert; all in his 104th year of life.
This is my buddy and gurubhai Bilal Khan, grandson of Ud. A. R. Khan Saheb.
These are my bare feet as I stand outside Dashkeenashar Temple north of Kolkata after an all night concert. Shoes aren't allowed anywhere on the grounds of the temple (as are pictures, I guess you'll just have to see it yourself). Ustad ji's concert was followed by Pt. Ramesh Misra, I had been going strong until this performance but Pandit ji began at 5:00am and I had decided to stop drinking tea so I would be able to fall asleep once I got home. I had assumed I'd be there by 7:00am but this was not to be the case. I should have had a few more cups since it would be more like 9:30. Anyway without tea I started to nod off. Well after the concert we (I had gone with Guruji. He accompanied both the musicians I've mentioned.) crammed 9 people in an SUV and decided to go to Dashkeenashar (pronounced: doh-keen-a-shar) and then have some breakfast nearby. Yes that is open pavement and yes the temple is almost fully outside. You may ask yourself "Wow, who knows what he stepped in?" Well, as a matter of fact I do know what I stepped in: Anything and everything you could possibly imagine. Hmmm. Fortunately its sacred "Anything-and-everything-you-could-possibly-imagine". Next thing is put my shoes back on, have breakfast, drive for an hour, clean my feet, pass out, then remember I was supposed to call my girlfriend at 10:00am, so go put money on my cell phone at the neighborhood phone recharging spot, find it closed and ask around a bit, then find a place, put money on the phone and leave my girlfriend a message, and hope she'll understand (she did, bless her heart).
I'm going to Sikkim in a few days with Uncle Don, and Cousins Dustin and Misha. Will post something related to that.
-Pantz
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