 Hi, Namaskaram. Amazing, you know, I think the common thread which we're just sitting back and just absorbing everything and I'm so glad in the last speaker so I can take a little more time. But fascinating this common thread of love between everybody, you know, all the speakers, your love what they do so much. You are here because you love something called life. Amazing. But unfortunately I started this fantastic journey of dance by fighting not by loving, you know. I think this little boy was very boisterous, like all boys, fighting for a bat, beating my brother, throwing things on him. You fight, yeah, you fight for attention when you get a little older. Little older then you go to college, you want attention but from different people in college, yeah, and that. Then after that you fight, you graduate, again you want attention, you want to be the best worker in your office. So, you know, all that. You keep fighting and fighting and fighting for everything. Then when you come to a stage where you want to pursue, when you know you love dance and that's what you want to do, everybody, I come from middle class, lower middle class, Chinese, Nepalese, North East Indian family who thinks they're Brahmins, who thinks they're Iyer Brahmins, who think, are you a beef or don't you? They swear at my mother, beef, no, no, beef in this house. Good, you gave up meat, good. Anyway, so like that, so the mentality was also like that, you know, my parents are lovely parents now, I mean, they've evolved. Sorry, ma. Lovely, you know, lovely women, actually, but you know, I think they're looking out for the interest of their son. So, what are you going to do dancing? First of all, dance for a girl, Parathana Timcheecheechee, you'll become Yuna, they said. Okay, all that put together. Then they said, on real terms, she sat me down, she said, don't dance, you're gonna make, like in Tamil, what, kutty chore for the rest of your life, you will not, yeah, you will not make money, nobody look at you, you lose your friends, don't dance, go work in office nine to five and start investing in a house, put your papers together, do all that and do all that and then dance on Saturday Sunday. And then you have energy after that to dance on Saturday Sunday, damn good, after working advertising office as a copywriter from nine o'clock till one in the night and dance, but I managed all that and it was just a crazy, crazy thing to do. But you know what, I think with all this fighting, something started fighting, you know, and you won't believe what, the heart started fighting the head and the head started fighting the heart. I think when that happens, you know, that you get an inner wisdom that is beyond yours. And for me, I think at 28, there's a certain wisdom that allows me, even if I look at a friend doing fantastically well and, you know, well-off and greasy card and beautiful girlfriend, whatever, I'm like, okay, fine, but I'm happy, that inner wisdom comes from that, you know. And I think of fighting with when your head fights with your heart, it opens your eyes and you don't just see, you actually begin to see. And somebody told me very profoundly, it's a very cliche thing that, idiot, if you get up in the morning and you love to do what you do, you say, I'm going to work with the luckiest man on the planet. And I feel like that and I feel about, I feel that so many people here because we love to do what we do. It may not be a full-time thing like me because it's sort of a struggle, but I think I'm very lucky to be here. Classical dance has changed my world, amazing. Initially, it was only movement. Teacher would put that, thai, thai, thai-yum, like a machine. Then somebody said this boy, he'd answer like a robot. Yeah, Chinese know karate. I know something. Bharatnadi looks like karate. Yeah, correct, correct like that only. So, karate, karate pannaave, venda, venda, purnima student. Yeah, karate. Okay. So, after that, yeah, yeah. Then on the small journey from that karate, it got a little better. I'll say one thing, very nice thing. Somebody said to me, and then 26, after 10 years of dancing, bang, something happened. One day, I just got ready for a normal program, kachiri program, and I danced. I felt something out of this world. I don't know. I could feel somebody who's, I come from a mixed family. My grandma's in Nepal. My grand, my dad's, my mom's a Christian and we're all converted to get, conveniently get seats at a good Christian school. Conveniently. And that's why we became Christians. You know, you got to see it never applied twice. You got in Joseph's Christ. Very good. Okay. So, all that. But you know, I think beyond that, it's about looking at, I feel God. I know it sounds crazy. But you know, and God is not, I look at him as Lord Shiva because he's my grandma's deity of, you know, how silly that sounds. But it's, he's beyond everything. And you know, and you feel that presence. And then you get into mythology, tell fascinating stories of gods, of kings, of journeys. And you get lost. I look open the Ramayana the whole night. It's by me reading it because of the allegories and the metaphors and not just as that. And then at this point in my life, in fact, yes, something very interesting happened here today. I got my iPod. I love my iPod. Love my iPod. And I lost it today. Yeah. So anybody found it please return it to me. Anyway. No, no, no. Because I think, you know, what happens when I love something too much? I always lose it or it tears. My favorite Kirtat tears or favorite pet will die or I lose that finish. I realized that this metaphor of I'd like to close with this, that Indian mythology or religion is not about it. It's about looking beyond it and looking into it. So it makes us all happy as a community and as people. Losing this iPod today. Favorite iPod, favorite kinetic music. Lord Shiva stands like this. Bold. It means face the world boldly. Face it. But along with that boldness, somebody sits here. It's a serpent. Emerald serpent and a snake and serpent's poisonous. It reminds you of the fickleness of time. Like a speaker had said, I'm here. I go out. I may be hit by a bus. The snake reminds you of time. The damroo beats fast and beats slowly. Time beats for you. And at any moment, the snake might bite you. You may not be any more here, but enjoy and cherish each moment. And Bharath Nathim did that to me. We celebrate like Navarasas. We celebrate every emotion. I've dealt with racism. Small eyes. Bharath Nathim? No, no, no. No. How will you do Bharath Nathim? Small eyes. Anyway. How will you do Bharath Nathim? Small eyes you have. Small eyes. How will you do Bharath Nathim? No, no. You're cracking a joke. And my friends say, Bharath Nathim, this one's running Bharath Nathim. Anyway. So that is it. Every, I dealt with racism, frustration. The body gives up. The mind gives up. Parents. I'm fighting. Still fighting my demons. Yeah. Fighting a lot of things. Fighting my insecurities still. Yeah. I'm still fighting it. I'm alone at home. I'm alone at home. I'm fighting them. Bharath Nathim has taught me that life is a celebration of good, of bad, of frustration. Of everything put together and human life is about that. I present to you a piece by Kuregarh from my guru, Shivati Priyadaswari Govind. Celebrates Lord Shiva. Brilliant. As visually as an art form. But for me, he goes beyond that. I hope I take you on that journey just now.