Finally. A moment to write. To quickly swiftly wiggle my fingers over the keyboard. When I took this job – did I think it would slow down my writing and research? Yes I was warned. But I also knew that if I did not write I would stop breathing…. So I cannot stop writing.

But I stop to think – is it because of the busy schedule of being Graduate Coordinator that stops me from writing in response to Adrienne’s call that we start to focus on disruption of family secrets - or is it – yet again - my mind refusing to reveal secrets to my typing fingers?

This morning as I chugged away on the exercise machines – first running on the treadmill and then moving on the elliptical runner – with my ipod trinket playing in my ears, my mind seeking out words of wisdom, some sign perhaps from all the songs I’ve heard many times before over and over again. Hoping for the random shuffling of the songs to talk to me – knowing I have embedded my father’s voice and his poem for my mother in the midst of a medley of old and new bollywood songs, South Indian and North India classical music, Western Classical music, a bit of remix and desi rap as well as some other mixed music from the 80s and 90s…. Every morning its pretty much the same – I seek to get a sign from all these technologies I use. Perhaps this is the root of my fascination with technologies – they are my modern day spirits. Like Samantha in Bewitched and Jeannie in I dream of Jeannie – I will twitch my nose or blink my eyes and my family and friends will teleport towards me – converse with me, laugh with me and give me words of wisdom or sarcasm to live and laugh by….

So I entered second life again and clicked something and found myself on a boat with a guy who was cursing about lag…

“Hello” he said

he said….

Dorothy is not in Kansas anymore, I thought.

Darn those English metaphors again

But I am writing in English … .my audience wont get my linguistic twists and metaphors from another language and context – and if I tried to explain they would be no fun any more…

Yes that is why I disappear into techno-spaces. That is why I am so aware of technologies – for you, my audience, here and now are the technologies shaping me and speaking to me and giving me a “sign” –that I must interpret as either validation or rejection or neither through my own lenses of understanding and affect…

You sit around me… and I think – what are my secrets today?

I click on your profile button – but it tells me nothing I want to know

I set my profile button – to tell you nothing you need not know

But we must establish some bonds of trust if we are to write together like this….

So I will start my narration….

This one needs the volume turned on.

wow - woke up this morning as usual and got on my macbook… as usual (coz that’s really the best time to get things done and the best time to converse with collaborators on the other end of the world) - and they were ALL in my email and/google chat suddenly///

okay - I need that coffee - and I feel needed again.

Of course I could go to facebook or to my office and feel terribly needed if I wanted too (though I doubt they would get to my office at 6 am…)

I made this skirt out of one my marriage sarees (Kanjeevaram) from 1982 but of course the border detail doesnt come out well. I am waiting to see what Oryx Temple’s skill will do with it…

(of course have to work on shape and design of the apparel itself!)

[The shirt is from handloom - care of the weavers weaving for Dastkar Andhra Marketing Association]

Contact me if you wish to buy clothes I have designed on SL.

today she will defend

“IRL” info on the fabric - it is a “dupatta” from coastal andhra and it is woven with tie and dye technique of Ikat. The border is solid as it was tie and dyed and then woven. The pallu is tie & dyed in different patterns which is very traditional of that belt. The yarn used is of single count / fine count (60’s x 40’s). The yarn is dyed in chemical colours and has a distinct identity of that belt.

for sale at cyberdivalive creations on Second Life.

I made this outfit using textures made from a handloom quilt

I made offline. The outfit is for sale at cyberdivalive’s creations@SL.

The flexi-skirt was made using ged’s deluxe looprez script

location - http://slurl.com/secondlife/Brouwer/166/146
If you are interested in the RL fabric - contact me and I will get you in touch with members of DAMA who will process your order. I will be creating more virtual handloom clothes on SL - stay tuned - eventually, proceedings from these sales will go towards design and marketing of RL handloom and natural dyed fabric.

For DA images based in collaborations with members of DA and DAMA - see http://flickr.com/photos/cyberdiva/sets/1122182/

I was quite zonked last night (exhausted)… it did not sink in…. P has admission at two great places (NYU and Michigan) … but practically of course, without funding he cant go and such programs rarely have funding at the MA level.

Oh well. I’ll just be a proud blogging parent…:)