The Esha Braille website is up!

Finally!!

Its a simple website in black and white, no pictures. That is to show the black and white, pictureless world of the people we work for.

Feedback is welcome, and it will really help if you could just add a link on your blogs about the work we do at Esha. We do not have the resources to advertise, but I do believe that it is possible to spread the message through word of mouth. You might just help someone who is looking for this information.

www.braillecards.org

Please go there, and tell me what you think!

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Poetry
like a friend left behind
appears
in the rear view mirror
of my life.

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Tagged!

RJ very sweetly tagged me. (btw, i really like her url).

The rules are:

1.Link to the person that tagged you, and post the rules on your blog.
2.Share 7 random and/or weird facts about yourself.
3.Tag 7 random people at the end of your post, and include links to their blogs.
4.Let each person know that they’ve been tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.

Actually, the reason this tag took so long is that, there aren't perhaps 7 interesting things that i cld think up. So lets see how many come up:

1. I ADORE Hrithik Roshan. Straight 15 years get shelved off my choronological age the minute i see a poster or a picture or a film.

2. An addicted reader.

3. I do not use leather, wood, pearls or silk. The reasons will come up in another post very soon. I've been thinking of writing that post for a long time.

4. My poison is chocolate.

5. Favorite lullaby to put myself to sleep is Palkon pe chalte chalte from the movie Daayra, and my favorite lullaby for Ishaan(thats my son) is Sapno ke ghar ki... from the film Daddy.

6. Of all the things I can do(and that is an immodest,pompous list), there is only one thing that I admit to doing really well - Graphology.

7. I can eat raw bitter gourd.

Am tagging the first 7 visitors to this blog.

And the following people:
Z
Adi
Phosgene Kid
Mathew
Sifar
Dharmabum
Aurora Sky (I must change the text on the link here)

i.e., a total of 14 people tagged.

Happy Tagging people!

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Review of Research paper service

I recently reviewed a fairly, ahem, uncommon service – that of writing your term papers or research papers for you. This is the first time that I have heard of such a service, though God knows there are hundreds of times that I have wished for it in life!

First things first, the color scheme of the site is nice, serious and muted (such a relief from the deluge of yellow, orange and red sites), but more than that, it’s the content on the home page. "Why us?" is directly followed by "what to do", and then there is a bold text on the right to buy the product. Perfect under-1minute-selling!

What do I not like? The login section does not have a “Get a Login” link. That could have been another selling opportunity. You may not give a person a login unless he’s paid, but you can tell him that, and take him/her to the order page from there. And the bold, big Order Now text on the right does not have a link. I don’t believe this! In fact, from the home page, one has no idea of how to order! Also, if you are a writer and want to offer your skills, there is no place on the home page to do that either.

I like research, and therefore like people who are serious about research, or offer services that make it possible for other people to do good, serious research. We get no idea of the antiquity of the organisation from the site, but it appears to be a new place. Here’s hoping it works out well if it is new(i.e., if the site is still under construction), and that it gets the website links working if it is old.

And these are the links that I need to put in this post.

custom written research papers

research paper writing service

Purchase Term Paper

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Aaja Nach Le review

MADHURI DIXIT ROCKS! That, pretty much, is the succinct review of the film, but a review cannot be that short, and if u want to know more, read on.

The dancing is amazing, choreography, scintillating and fabulous. If you think I am being generous with the superlatives, that’s because they are deserved. I was skeptical about Vaibhavi Merchant after Saroj Khan-Madhuri combo, but wow! She has made Madhuri do steps that we have never seen on her. As anticipated, Madhuri more than does justice to the rather difficult choreography.

The Laila Majnu production at the end deserves a very special mention, because, imho, this sequence, for perhaps the first time, brings alive the magic of theater on a film screen. The use of lighting, sequences and costumes made one forget for a while that this is not 3D theater. For that production alone, the film is worth watching.

Madhuri has never looked better in silhouette, never done more “ada”, except perhaps in that song from Anjaam – 18 baras ki kanwaari kali thi.. (see, I am a die hard Madhuri fan) and when she presents that opening shot in New York, the message is clear – I RULE!

I read someplace that the role was not conceived with Madhuri in mind. That is surprising, because only Madhuri could have brought life to this character. Only Madhuri can make Ajanta theater look like a convincing cause.

The casting director deserves kudos – the film has an amazing array of actors who have been consistently good. Not one of them disappoints.

The art director also has to his credit – the recreation of Shamli – a small town somewhere in North India – the last time I saw such amazing recreation was in Vishal Bhardwaj’s The Blue Umbrella. The Laila Majnu production at the end required considerable Art Direction, and it worked like magic!

So, where does the movie fail? In more places than one.

For starters, the storyline has more holes than a cube of cheese, so I will not even go in that direction, but 2 glaring ones refuse to stay unstated.

First, what happens to Ajanta Theater after Madhuri Dixit’s return to the US? There is, as a corporate character would say, no Succession Plan in place. By that flaw alone, the entire concept of restarting theater goes to the dogs.

The second, I am not sure what the message regarding love is. In the first part, Madhuri runs away and finds that it was a wrong decision. Worse still, her act leads to the demise of Ajanta theater. In the second half, we again find a couple falling in love during the production. Needless to mention, we do not know if love alliances are accepted now in Shamli, or will this love story lead to a second demise of the theater?

The costumes are good, well thought out and not too in your face. Madhuri could have experimented with her look, but she stuck to the pants, tight top routine throughout. Sad for her fans.

The cinematography could have done a little better. With those moves, a little use of light, creative angles and long shot-close shot balance might have produced a different result, but I was not on the sets, so take this with a pinch of salt. Perhaps, the cinematographer did bring out the best of what was on the set.

The music is less than memorable, except perhaps the title track, and the Khoobiyaan song. I loved that song! The lyrics are completely forgotten at the end of the film.

I’d give this film a rating of 3.5 on 5, and sadly, that is not for the entire team, but for individual sparks of brilliance that make this film a delight.


ये सारी फिल्म माधुरी दीक्षित के कारण ही दर्शनीय है. संक्षिप्त में, यही इस फिल्म की समीक्षा है.

फिल्म का सबसे मधुर पहलू है इस का नृत्य. वैभवी मर्चैंट के नृत्य निर्देशन और माधुरी के नृत्य से वो समा बन्धता है कि देखते ही बनता है.

फिल्म के अंत में आने वाले लैला मजनू नाटक विशेष रूप से प्रशंसनीय है क्यूंकि इस नाटक में सचमुच मंच(थियेटर) का जादू फिल्मी पर्दे पर भी उतर कर आया है. सिनेमा के प्रशंसकों को ये चित्रन बहुत समय तक शायद याद रहेगा.

माधुरी इतने समय के बाद लौट कर आयी तो हैं, पर उन के पहले ही दृश्य मे एक बात साफ हो जाती है, कि उन का मुकबला तो बहुत दूर की बात है, उन के मुकाबिल होने की बात सोचने की क्षमता भी और किसी अभिनेत्री में अभी नहीं है.

कहीं पढा था कि ये रोल माधुरी के बारे में सोच कर नही बनाया गया था. ये लेखक की खुश किस्मती है कि इस रोल को माधुरी ने निभाया. और कोइ अदाकारा इतने कमज़ोर रोल में जान डाल ही नही सकती.

फिल्म की एक और खूबी ये है कि इस में अच्छे कलाकारों की भरमार है, और उन सब ने बहुत ही बढिया अभिनय किया है. इर्फान खान, रनवीर शौरी, कोंकना, विनय पाठक, और कुनाल कपूर, आदि, सभी ने बहुत बढिया अभिनय किया है. यही कारण है कि एक बहुत ही कमज़ोर कहानी भी पर्दे पर सहनीय बन जाती है.

तो फिर इस फिल्म की ख़ामियां क्या है? काफ़ी.

सब से बडी ख़ामी इस फिल्म की कहानी है. कहानीकार और पटकथा लेखक, किसी ने मेहनत नही की है. हर कमज़ोरी हम यहां नही बता सकते, पर दो बातें गौर तलब ज़रूर हैं.

पहली, दिया के अमरीका लौट जाने के बाद अजंता का क्या होगा? कहानीकार इस पर एक दम खामोश है.

दूसरी बात ये है, कि दिया का प्रेम, जो वो खुद मानती हैं कि ग़लती थी, के कारण अजंता बन्द हो गया था. किंतु फिल्म में एक बार फिर 2 लोगों को अजंता के कारण प्रेम हो जाता है. क्या ये प्रेम शाम्ली के लोग सहर्ष स्वीकार लेंगे, या फिर इस प्रेम के कारण अजंता की एक और बार मौत होगी?

फिल्म के costume काफी ठीक ठाक हैं. संगीत 2 गानों – आजा नच ले, और खूबियां, के अलावा, ऐसा नही है कि बहुत स्मरणीय हो. गानों के बोल तो एक दम स्मरणीय नही हैं.

5 में से इस फिल्म को 3.5 point, और वो भी सारी टीम के लिये नही, उन कुछ अच्छी चीज़ों के लिये जो इस फिल्म को विशेष बनाती हैं.

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Aaja Nach Le banned

WTF! I mean, WTF! The "offending" line is "Mochi sanjhe khud ko sunaar re" मोची समझे खुद को सुनार रे..

Roughly translated, that means, even the blacksmith imagines that he is the goldsmith. These are occupations and not castes.

Ms Mayawathi should focus on making life such that it is not considered inferior to be a mochi(blacksmith). That social change is hers to make, now that she has the power. Banning a film like that makes her extremely laughable.

Madhuri Dixit must be thanking her stars that she is settled in the US, and not in India. I mean, people, THINK!! There is a limit to being stupid and ultra sensitive. We seem to be so overly concerned with our rights that we have no time to think about our contribution, if any.

Some years ago, roughly 70 years ago, we let our politicians run riot with public manipulation. The result was a Pakistan in 10 years flat. What are we coming to this time, with caste and religion? If people do not stand up against being manipulated, they have only themselves to blame for their loss. The politicians will continue to sell the Taj, pun absolutely intended.

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An alternative hypothesis and a question mark

A research study reported in the newspaper today indicates that children as young as 6 to 10 months old can choose good playmates and bad playmates. The researchers were stunned that children should be able to do this.
Inherent in that, is the assumption that children do not know and understand enough. Suppose we start with the hypothesis that the opposite is, in fact, true. Children are born with an inherent understanding of a lot of things, and over time, they lose their special knowledge of the universe and replace it with knowledge of how things work in our world.

What supports this hypothesis? Some of the infants I have worked with. They get less intuitive as they get older. God Almighty cannot make them go into the laps of some cutie-cuddly people, and we realise, sooner or later, with good reason.

What does your experience say? Have you found young children surprisingly more understanding than some adults?

Which brings me to the second point on this entry – has evolution really ended?
It is surprising that some of us should think that something that has been happening for millions of years should suddenly stop now. What do you think? And if you think it has ended, why should it end suddenly after millions of years?

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What I have learnt from my son

Before he cries, he tries.

Exactly 3 sounds are needed to communicate everything in the universe, if you listen well enough.

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What do you vote for?

This post is for all the readers across the world. What do you vote for in your elections?

Do you vote for essential services and development projects? Do you vote for honesty and integrity? Do you vote for the educational qualifications and the development work experience of your candidate? Do you ever read the manifesto of the party/candidate for which you vote?

Why am I asking this? Mid term polls in India were missed by a whisker lately. All this hullabaloo was over the US nuclear deal. As the drama stands, the deal is at least on the back burner. Avoiding the polls is more important than the agreement.

Yet, no one, and no one, not even the great media of this country, has gone to the Third Front, the Communists, to ask what their plan is for India’s nuclear program. I would like that answer very much. No one has asked the Congress exactly when the agreement becomes operational and when we start to reap the “benefits”.

The Indian public has been fed statements like this agreement will facilitate our peaceful nuclear program , or that India’s sovereignty is being compromised by the agreement. Yet, the draft/text of the agreement has not been released for public consumption. It is, of course, assumed that there aren’t enough educated people in India who can read the text and analyse it. India, you see, is still a country of snake charmers that can be galvanized into riots at the mere mention of the word “religion”.

When we vote in talent shows, we vote for the candidate from our region, or of our mother tongue, etc… whatever happened to the word “talent” in a talent show?

My guess is that things are not too different anywhere across the world.

So, in an election, what do you vote for?

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Google Ad Sense anyone?

Has anyone used AdSense on their blog and can help me? No one i know in the physical world has tried it, and at the moment, it appears like Rocket Science to me!

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Commend and not Condemn

The book I am reading these days says in Chapter 1 – you cannot get anything done using criticism. Rule 1 of your life should be to never criticize. Therefore, in this post, one will commend rather than condemn.

It is extremely commendable that all protests against organized retail have started, not when Big Bazaar started, not when there was Pantaloons, Weekender, Spencer’s Hyper etc.,(Spencers and Food Bazaar sell fruits and vegetables too, as does Subhiksha) but against Reliance only. That people speak about Organised Retail and protest against Reliance outlets only. I love the collective amnesia surrounding other organized retail players.

I also think its stupendously wonderful that the day we lost 2 officers and several jawans after a 3 day cross fire in Kashmir, this news got one column space on the front page, and the news of the Blueline buses killing 1 person got about 5 column widths on the front page. The media is absolutely great! The day the Ajmer Sharif blast happened – a blast so low intensity that there were no casualties on the spot, there was also a suicidal attack on a CRPF post. But that was a postscript in the paper. You see, our armed forces are a nationally sponsored bunch of suicidically inclined people. Their deaths mean nothing. (I am not sure how much footage the soldiers who die in Iraq get at home. Anyone who knows? )

It is also fantastic that the media immediately drew parallels with the Mecca Masjid blast, as soon as the Ajmer blast happened, but forgot a simple point of concurrence – they were both extremely low intensity blasts. All other points of similarity – real or imaginary - were so well drawn out. Sensationalism is great! What you cannot exaggerate, you cannot report. I love that attitude! Anyone looking for matter of fact reporting is a dodo.

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You, the explorer
On the other side
of the magical river
Already across, and traveling away
Faster every minute.

Me, the vagabond
seeking love
in small change
and you
in full measure.

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Emptiness

Some days i have

a poem waiting inside me.



Today,

is not one of such days.

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Prayers for the Day

1. When a man is rejected in love, let him throw acid on himself and not on his "loved one". Lord, let such men also open a dictionary and read the meaning of the word "love" before they profess their "love".
(This happened again in Delhi yesterday)

2. Lord, let the girls in DU become a model for the girls in the rest of the country. And every time a man thinks its ok to molest or eve tease a woman, let him stand corrected.

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My Son:


When you came into the world, i knew 2 things - 1. That i wanted a daughter; and 2. That it would only make a difference till the first moment of seeing you.


Today, as you look at me with eyes that say "I am so innocent, why are you looking at me like that?"(after making me stay up for 3 hours in the middle of the night, kicking at my stitches like its still your home inside me, and crying pointlessly for most part of those 3 hours, because that is your current definition of "entertainment"), my heart melts. The hurting does not matter any more.


Son, till we had you, i used to say, "Children are God's way of making you pay for what you did to your parents." Now I know, they are also God's way of making you understand why mothers are as forgiving as they are, and fathers as indulgent as they appear to be. Why nothing else matters. Why the heart aches with each Wah! , even when you know that the child is in safe hands. The heart still goes Dhak!


This is not a eulogy of you, son. This is a Thank you note to my parents. To a mother who created so much love in the house that we never knew what it was to be unloved. We knew what it was to be loved and smothered with kisses more than we liked, but never what it was to be unloved.

To a father who melted faster than butter on a stove, who was exploited by his sole weakness on earth - his daughter, who is, till date, his greatest fight adversary. When you do that to us, I will know how my father felt all these years.

I read Kahlil Gibran on Children for several years, and today, the prayer is not that I should know, but that I should remember when it is important to remember.

You may not follow our path, our advice, or even our conversation. That is not what we seek. What we do seek, is that the path you follow, Son, should keep you warm on your way, and God Be With You!

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Personal News

We were blessed with a son on the 3rd of September.

I just got well enough to be able to sit on a computer and type this. :-)

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Nice Matters Awards

Cyberkitty was nice enough to think that the stuff I write here is worth reading. Thank you!!

Accordingly, I am to nominate 4 other people for the Nice Matters Award.

4 does sound like a small number, because there are so many nice blogs out there.. yet, these are the ones that instantly come to mind:

1. Aaina: This is a Hindi blog, and i love the content - always.

2. Adi: Delhidreams. Very lovable poetry, and an even better story about 2 people in love.

3. Nabeel: He always brings out the most interesting things for his blog.

4. Twisted DNA: My no. 1 de-stressor after alcohol.

This tag is now open to all visitors. And the winners. Please post your fave 4 blogs - either in the comments section here, or on your own blog(and then let me know in the comments).

BTW, I m due for a surgery next Monday. At the moment, my head is in the modes of philosophy, fear and excitement, in that order.

The doctor thinks that philosophy, excitement, and fear is a better order of mind modes.

Any ideas on how to make the conversion?

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Double Whammy

I have a new love in my life : Pankaj Kapoor. I also have a new award for the most underrated actor in Indian cinema today - Pankaj Kapoor.

The good thing about a children's film(The Blue Umbrella, in this case) is that all characters are uni-dimensional. They are simple characters, in a simple story. You are only expected to savor one emotion at a time.


Pankaj Kapoor effortlessly adds layers to this character. The added layers do not complicate the story or its telling. They enhance your experience of every single moment of the story....and take it to an altogether unexpected level...


The man who tells his store help that one should not steal; the man who,knowing that he will be rightfully accused of theft in under 2 minutes, continues to give the chief guest's speech; the man who tries to sell biscuits and toffee to the children in the village, just so his excommunication is sidelined; the man who displays the loneliness of social excommunication; and then his desperate attempts to "belong"; and the man who is happy, and proud again.


Watch this film for Pankaj Kapoor. Biniya is a delight, and the story is wonderfully told, but these are the bonuses. After ages, a wonderful children's film meant also for the adults. Loved It!


The other film we saw last night was Gandhi, My Father.

Pretty much the only film ever, in which the protagonist moves in and out of the screen in random frames that make no effort to trace his journey. In short, its another documentary on Gandhi Sr. and his greatness.


Completely unexplored other characters, incl. Kasturba, the protagonist, his wife, the other children of the house, their relationship as siblings... nothing at all! This was a film where one expected layers and exploration, and did not even get basic research.

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Sanjay Dutt and the "Equality Before Law"

In India, there is this hugely successful actor called Sanjay Dutt. I am not a fan, and therefore know little about his biographical details.

At the moment, he has been given a 6 year sentence for his involvement in the Mumbai blasts. Some people think its unfair, because his public life has been spotless all these years, and there really is no justification to send him behind bars again. Some others think that justice has been done, and just because he is a much loved public figure, he should not be condoned by the legal system.

Central to this entire debate, imho, is the axiom that All Men are Equal before Law.

It is this axiom that one would like to challenge.

Why should all men be equal before law? The usual answer is, so no one receives an unfair favor.

But that axiom assumes that each act of the person must be viewed in isolation. That is like looking at one piece of a jigsaw puzzle, and taking a decision that will impact the entire picture. How is that logical?

My contention is this - not just for Sanjay Dutt, but for everyone, their position in a legal system should be a function of, not just an isolated act, but, (at the very least), their entire criminal history (or lack thereof).

It is not about Sanjay Dutt. Sanjay Dutt is, again, a metaphor we can use to examine axioms that we do not question. While we are at it, Why do we not question axioms?

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Growing Weary of the World .. again.

Read Dollar Bahu by Sudha Murthy last night. Not her best writing, but the message comes across.

I have been blogging a lot lately, but the interest has shifted to my other blog - www.eshabraille.wordpress.com . I find that world a tad better, and infinitely more interesting.

Some days i get the feeling that we live in 2 different worlds. One world is too starved to worry about any higher need on Maslow's heirarchy. The other world is too stuffed with goodies to have a genuine care, and therefore invents issues to protest about. Maslow was wrong. When the food and safety needs are taken care of, we do not go towards self realisation. We go towards being more judgemental, narrow minded, and in general, non-adjusting.

All of Delhi is going through this trouble of non availability of public transport. Suppose each car vallah and bike vallah were to stop at one bus stop, ask people where they are going, and offer a lift to anyone going in his direction? Would that ease the situation a little bit?
But cars zip past on Delhi roads with one passenger each.

What does one do with a world like that?
What is there to blog about?

And then, I grew weary of the world
And sought
a little peace
to sleep in.
No news
of deaths or births or attempted deaths
Nothing to say
to anyone.
On anything.

There is no need
to say
if nothing is done
where
there is a need
to do.

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If your child speaks, he is unfit to fly

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/19735896/

If your child says "Bye, Bye, Plane" enough no. of times to annoy the flight attendant, it doesn't matter whether you have a ticket, nor does it matter if you know anyone at the place where they are offloading you, or if you have enough supplies for the child if they are offloading you miles from home. An airline can offload you because you do not drug the child to make it keep quiet.

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The Farewell Mail

This first came in a forwarded mail this morning. Its a Farewell Mail.
JPMC(JP Morgan Chase) HR will be sooo grateful to this guy for spreading the truth about it as an employer. This kind of a referral truly comes only once in a lifetime.

What's more, it has already covered Finance and IT industries. That is industry wide recognition!
******************************


Dear Co-Workers and Managers,

As many of you probably know, today is my last day. But before I leave, I wanted to take this opportunity to let you know what a great and distinct pleasure it has been to type "Today is my last day."


For nearly as long as I've worked here, I've hoped that I might one day leave this company. And now that this dream has become a reality, please know that I could not have reached this goal without your unending lack of support. Words cannot express my gratitude for the words of gratitude you did not express.


I would especially like to thank all of my managers both past and present but with the exception of the wonderful Saroj Hariprashad: in an age where miscommunication is all too common, you consistently impressed and inspired me with the sheer magnitude of your misinformation, ignorance and intolerance for true talent. It takes a strong man to admit his mistake - it takes a stronger man to attribute his mistake to me.


Over the past seven years, you have taught me more than I could ever ask for and, in most cases, ever did ask for. I have been fortunate enough to work with some absolutely interchangeable supervisors on a wide variety of seemingly identical projects - an invaluable lesson in overcoming daily tedium in overcoming daily tedium in overcoming daily tedium.


Your demands were high and your patience short, but I take great solace knowing that my work was, as stated on my annual review, "meets expectation." That is the type of praise that sends a man home happy after a 10 hour day, smiling his way through half a bottle of meets expectation scotch with a meets expectation cigar. Thanks Trish!


And to most of my peers: even though we barely acknowledged each other within these office walls, I hope that in the future, should we pass on the street, you will regard me the same way as I regard you: sans eye contact.
But to those few souls with whom I've actually interacted, here are my personalized notes of farewell:


To Philip Cress, I will not miss hearing you cry over absolutely nothing while laying blame on me and my coworkers. Your racial comments about Joe Cobbinah were truly offensive and I hope that one day you might gain the strength to apologize to him.


To Brenda Ashby who is long gone, I hope you find a manager that treats you as poorly as you have treated us. I worked harder for you then any manager in my career and I regret every ounce of it. Watching you take credit for my work was truly demoralizing.


To Sylvia Keenan, you should learn how to keep your mouth shut sweet heart. Bad mouthing the innocent is a negative thing, especially when your talking about someone who knows your disgusting secrets. ; )


To Bob Malvin (Mr. Cronyism Jr), well, I wish you had more of a back bone. You threw me to the wolves with that witch Brenda and I learned all too much from it. I still can't believe that after following your instructions, I ended up getting written up, wow. Thanks for the experience buddy, lesson learned.


Don Merritt (Mr. Cronyism Sr), I'm happy that you were let go in the same manner that you have handed down to my dedicated coworkers. Hearing you on the phone last year brag about how great bonuses were going to be for you fellas in upper management because all of the lay offs made me nearly vomit. I never expected to see management benefit financially from the suffering of scores of people but then again, with this company's rooted history in the slave trade it only makes sense.


To all of the executives of this company, Jamie Dimon and such. Despite working through countless managers that practiced unethical behavior, racism, sexism, jealousy and cronyism, I have benefited tremendously by working here and I truly thank you for that. There was once a time where hard work was rewarded and acknowledged, it's a pity that all of our positive output now falls on deaf ears and passes blind eyes. My advice for you is to place yourself closer to the pulse of this company and enjoy the effort and dedication of us "faceless little people" more. There are many great people that are being over worked and mistreated but yet are still loyal not to those who abuse them but to the greater mission of providing excellent customer support. Find them and embrace them as they will help battle the cancerous plague that is ravishing the moral of this company.
So, in parting, if I could pass on any word of advice to the lower salary recipient ("because it's good for the company") in India or Tampa who will soon be filling my position, it would be to cherish this experience because a job opportunity like this comes along only once in a lifetime.


Meaning: if I had to work here again in this lifetime, I would sooner kill myself.


To those who I have held a great relationship with, I will miss being your co-worker and will cherish our history together. Please don't bother responding as at this very moment I am most likely in my car doing 85 with the windows down listening to Biggie.


One!

**************************************

JPMC need not worry though. We Indians are incorrigible employees. There will still be applications for employment.

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ये दुनिया हो या वो दुनिया,
अब ख्वाहिश-ए-दुनिया कौन करे?

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One more song that's poetry

With this song, I have never understood whether she is submitting herself or insulting her lover/listener big time.. its not just the lyrics of the song, its also the music, the pauses, and Neena Gupta's bindaas presence in the song.. All in all, i LOVE the mystery of this song..

शायराना सी है , ज़िन्दगी की फज़ा
आप भी ज़िंदगी का मज़ा लीजिये
मैं गज़ल बन गयी आप के सामने
शौक़ से अब मुझे गुनगुना लीजिये ..

आप सुन तो रहे हैं मेरे दिल की लय
इस मैं बेनाम सी इक उदासी भी है
इस उदासी में नग़मा कोई छेड कर
एक बचैन दिल की दुआ लीजिये..

आप के प्यार का जो भी मेयार है,
उस से कब जाने जां मुझ को इंकार है,
जिस तरह आप चाहें नज़र आऊं मैं,
मुझ को हर रंग में आज़मा लीजिये..

Shaayaraanaa si hai, zindagee kee fazaa
Aap bhee zindagee kaa mazaa leejiye
Main gazal ban gayee, aap ke saamne, shauk se ab mujhe gungunaa leejiye

Aap sun to rahe hain mere dil ki laya
Is mein benam see ik udaasi bhi hai,
Is udaasi mein nagma koee chhed kar
Ek baichain dil kee duaa leejiye..

Aap ke pyaar ka job hi meiyaar hai,
Us se kab jaane jaan mujhko inkaar hai,
Jis tarah aap chahcein nazar aaon main,
Mujh ko har rang mein aazmaa leejiye..


Really Bad Translation:

Life feels poetic, why don’t you come around, and enjoy it too?
Look at me, I turn into a poem right in front of you,
Take it to your lips and hum it as you like..

You, who can hear the rhythm of my heart,
Knows that there is also an unnamed sadness in it,
Strum a song to inhabit my sadness,
To bring peace to a sad heart..

Whatever be the standards of your love, darling,
I do not think them unfair..
I will present myself in the light that you desire,
Test me however you like…

PS: The song is from a little known film called "Phir Teri Kahani Yaad Aayi" from the Mahesh Bhatt stable. I still think it was a very well made film.

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You have to hear this

Remember the cute Airtel ads? Speak Out, they say. I am an obedient subscriber.

Last month, around this time, we made the payment on our Airtel landline. This cheque was not banked for 15 days. So we were requested to stop payment of the said cheque and were told that someone will come and pick up a replacement cheque from our place. That was on the 14th of June.

The next call came on the 20th of June. Again, someone promised to come and collect the cheque that very day. No one landed till the 25th.

On the 25th, someone called again, to say they are coming. The person was to come by 1230 hours, because we had to leave for some place after that. At 1220, he calls to say he will be around in another "1-1.5 hours". So we said we will just drop the cheque. This Airtel executive knew that the cheque was going to the drop box that day.

Next morning, unceremoniously, the outgoing was barred for both the landline and the Broadband. We lodged a complaint to re activate the outgoing and gave the cheque nos. - at 1445 hours yesterday. At 1730 hours, i called to check the status of the request and was told that no request is pending for restoring outgoing. So i made another request at 1730 hours yesterday.

This morning, I checked at 0930 hours to find out the status of the request. I was told that no request is pending for restoring outgoing on this phone. Great. A new request was lodged and a new request no. was generated.

At 1230, i called again to find out the status of the request logged at 0930 hours. I was told that no request is pending to restore outgoing on this phone. At 1230, ahem, we have lodged another request to restore outgoing.

On all the 4 calls, the supervisor was "too busy" to speak to us. What's more, i specifically requested that a written escalation should be created for this request. No escalation was created by the Airtel BPO executive. His name was Naresh Kumar and the manager's name is Anupam Munshi.

This morning, i requested a call back and was promised that Mr. Munshi will call back within one hour. So far (its 1300 hours now) Mr. Munshi is too busy to speak to us or call back.

I raised a complaint at www.core.nic.in, but don't think anything is happening.. what do u suggest we do??

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Random Thoughts..

We name the rivers. What do the streams care what we call them?

We name the hills, And do they care?
Do these hills, line after line, even think, of one, as distinct from the other?

We name the trees, And they do not know. And they do not care.

We even name the Animals
Do they name themselves? Or us?

We name the leaves
And the roots
The roads
And the streams
We name everything

And the hills, the streams, the waterfalls, the plains and the seas,
Laugh
And go on
What do they care??

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One more song from Khamoshi

हमने देखी है उन आंखों की महकती खुशबू
हाथ से छू के इसे
रिश्तों का इल्ज़ाम ना दो,
सिर्फ एह्सास है ये,
रूह से मह्सूस करो,
प्यार को प्यार ही रहने दो कोई नाम ना दो...

प्यार कोई बोल नहीं,
प्यार आवाज़ नहीं,
एक खामोशी है, सुनती है कहा करती है,
ना ये बुझती है ना रुकती है ना ठ्हरी है कहीं,
नूर की बून्द है सदियों से बहा करती है...
सिर्फ एह्सास है ये,
रूह से मह्सूस करो,
प्यार को प्यार ही रहने दो कोई नाम ना दो...


मुस्कुराहट सी खिली रहती है आंखों में कहीं,
और पलकों पे उजाले से झुके रहते हैं
होंठ कुछ कहते नहीं कांपते होंठों पे मग़र
कितने खामोश से अफसाने रुके रहते हैं..
सिर्फ एह्सास है ये,
रूह से मह्सूस करो,
प्यार को प्यार ही रहने दो कोई नाम ना दो...

If it is possible to define "love", this is it..

Humne dekhi hai un aankhon ki mahakati khushboo
Haath se chhoo ke use
Rishton ka ilzaam na do,
Sirf ehsaas hai ye,
Rooh se mahsoos karo
Pyaar ko pyaar hi rahne do koi naam na do…

Pyaar koi bol nahi,
Pyaar awaaz nahi, ek khamoshi hai sunati hai kahaa karti hai
Na ye bujhti hai na rukti hai na thehri hai kahin,
Noor ki boond hai sadiyon se baha karti hai…
Sirf ehsaas hai ye,
Rooh se mahsoos karo
Pyaar ko pyaar hi rahne do koi naam na do…


Muskurahat si khili rahti hain aankhon mein kahi,
Aur palkon pe ujaale se jhuke rehte hain,
Honth kuchh kethe nahi kaanpte honthon pe magar
Kitne khamosh se afsaane ruke rehte hain…
Sirf ehsaas hai ye,
Rooh se mahsoos karo
Pyaar ko pyaar hi rahne do koi naam na do…

Limited Ability Translation:

We have seen the fragrant sparkle of those eyes,
Do not throw the blame of a relationship on it…
Love is just a feeling,
To be felt by the soul,
Let Love just be Love, do not place a name to it…

Love is not a word, nor a sound,
Just a silence that speaks and listens for itself.
It does not get extinguished, nor does it stop,
A drop of the nectar light that has been flowing for centuries…
Love is just a feeling,
To be felt by the soul,
Let Love just be Love, do not place a name to it …

The eyes, they smile deep within,
And the eyelids are lit with inexplicable illumination.
The lips, they say nothing, and yet,
How many stories rest on those trembling lips..
Love is just a feeling,
To be felt by the soul,
Let Love just be Love, do not place a name to it…

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Thanks to Neihal... .

.. for reminding me of this song from the old Khamoshi...

तुम पुकार लो
तुम्हारा इंतज़ार है...

होंठ पे लिये हुए,
दिल की बात हम
जागते रहेंगे और,
कितनी रात हम ...
मुख़्तसर सी बात है,
तुम से प्यार है....

दिल बहल तो जायेगा,
इस ख़्याल से,
हाल मिल गया तुम्हारा,
अपने हाल से..
रात ये करार की
बेकरार है!!

तुम्हारा इंतजार है...


Limited Ability Translation, but do notice the directness of the words.
***********************************************
I wait for you...

How much longer
will the desire of my heart
stay on my lips?
Its a very small thing -
I love you.

This thought alone,
will gladden my heart,
That tonight,
you and I,
sail in the same boat*
This night of peace,
Is turbulent within..
**************************

PS: *"Sail in the same boat" means, are in the same emotional state.

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Dharm: The film

All he had to do was to say "I Could watch Dharm", for me to get out of the house, jump into a car, and get 2 tickets of the film, before he'd had a chance to change his mind. (yes, wicked)

Pankaj Kapoor is a treat, getting better with time. It looked like a movie with an IQ above 10 (To me, the average IQ of a movie today is about 8). And the visuals showed promise of being worthy of a big screen. In retrospect, all 3 expectations got met.

The movie is subtle. As we argued later, a little too subtle for some people. The central message, as we carried back, was that every religion has to, at some point of time, make a decision between rituals and essence.

Hinduism is used as the example in the film. The motif of a pundit, or clergy, or ulema, or whatever, is universal.

But perhaps, the subtlety is too subtle for some minds. I also enumerated for the Other, the less positive messages one could take back from the film, and he said, "Well, people have specialised in taking dung out of the cow, instead of the milk, so can't be certain this film will get the right message across. Yes, sadly, people might make biogas from this film too."

There was one other interesting thing. The trigger for this conflict, in the film, is, interestingly, Moh मोह , or attachment. And then I thought, if Moh can trigger a thought process of choice between rituals and essence, then, is Moh bad, in that one situation? If attachment forces you to rethink what Dharma means to you, or your values, is that attachment, in that one context, bad?

What do you think?

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My Favorite Posts

Since I am more of a reader than writer on Blogoria, this post is a compilation of other posts that I especially enjoyed lately.

This one is the first that comes to mind. Man! I can read this post 100 times and still laugh the 101st time.
http://www.twisted-dna.com/2007/05/14/delicious-looking-wedding-buffet/

I love the second picture on this photo post. When one thinks of it, its a practical apparatus to learn and enjoy cycling without worrying about... well, some of the necessary worries of life!
http://workinprogress2.blogspot.com/2007/05/for-change.html

I always love Sayesha's blog, but this post really had me in splits. http://sayesha.blogspot.com/2007/03/koffee-addiction.html

And this picture of a dandelion. Simple, yet beautiful.
http://reallyirritating.blogspot.com/2007/04/more-plants.html


Remember Nandan? That children's magazine that used to have a 2 page News section that combined the most amazing news snippets ever? This one reminded me of that.
http://hindinewspaper.blogspot.com/

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Creating a personal diary on the net.

I found a way to create a personal diary on the net. Its like your personal journal and even if people know the url, they cannot read till they have access. Thought some of you might like to know.

Step 1 - Create a new blog.
Step 2 - Change preferances for this blog to not appear on your profile.
Step 3 - For the new blog, change preferances for reading options also. Ask for authorisation to read the url. Only people you specify as readers will be able to read the url.

There, as simple as 1-2-3. Now all your personal catharsis can happen on blogosphere too!

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Dera Sacha Sauda

The Dera Sacha Sauda episode refuses to die out. The other day, it was the subject of a heated debate in our house too... here are the "exclusive" excerpts:

"He" stands, obviously, for the person I was having this discussion with.

He: How can someone dress up like Guru Gobind Singh? Use the same baptism mode? This man does not even measure up to the toemail of the Guruji.
We have nothing against the creation of Deras. They do not come under Sikhism and we have no issues with how someone else runs a spiritual center. But to mislead simple people with a well known image, and to benefit from the replication of such an image, when you are not worthy of any such replication, is not acceptable. For a corrupt criminal like him to even place the word "Singh" after his name, is a disgrace to Sikhsim.

Me: Sure he doesnt measure up to Guruji. Thats why he is copying, remember? But how does it make a difference to my faith if 10,000 ppl dress up like Guru Gobind Singh? I know they are not Guru Gobind Singh, and never can be.

He: That may be the strength of one person's faith. But the majority will not have a faith that strong.

Me: We are not responsible for the strength of other people's faith.
Tell me, why are there Dalit Sikhs in Punjab in the first place? To have a Dalit Sikh is to deny the very foundation on which the Sikh faith was built. "Ek noor te sab jag upajaya, kaun bhale ko mande"
एक नूर ते सब जग उपज्या , कौन भले को मंदे ॥
(One light has given birth to all, so who may we call Holy and who unholy?)
Are the people who exploit these poor Sikhs and keep them as Dalit Sikhs, worthy of being called "Sikhs"? They are the bigger criminals in the books of Sikhism।

Why is it that a state that was ravaged by the political play of the INC, voted the same party back to power? The party that was responsible for the economic devastation and the social fabric tarnishing of the state, was brought back with honours? How can a people allow this? Even a so called "caste driven" state like UP has shown better political sense! The current issue is also hugely driven by politics, but we as Punjabis continue to be drawn into a battle that is non existant to start with.

Human Gurus are not allowed in Sikhism. Go to the gurudwara in Sec. 38C of Chandigarh. You will find pictures of these "gurus" from various Deras in the basement of the Gurudwara. That is not the icing on the cake. The icing is that these pictures are placed in the form of a square "Pradakshina" . This gurudwara comes under the SGPC.

Sikhism also prohibits a Sikh from using any form of Caste identification. Yet, more and more Sikhs are found writing "Singh Chawla" or "Singh Banipal" etc. after their surname. I find that a recent phenomenon in the Obit columns of newpapers. It is not about rituals. It is about the spirit behind that rule. That spirit is violated when you place a matrimonial ad asking for "Ramgarhia Sikh match required for..."

If the SGPC needs to accuse anyone, it is itself. If Sikhism needs to look anywhere, it is within.

The third person in the room: "Will the two of you please shut up? "

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The Weekend Roundup

The most interesting thing heard all week: Rahul Gandhi blaming the congress organisation for the UP debacle. Wondering why they would not have got the credit for any win.

The most preposterous thing heard all week: A man called Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh (with a name like this, he became neither Ram nor Rahim) dresses up as Guru Gobind Singh, and the Sikh custodians, instead of sending him a letter, end up destroying public property. A totally different man loses his life.

The best news of the week: Global Warming is finally being noticed.

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What is below is a part of the song from Jism. We usually do not notice the excellent poetry of film songs, but i have always found it awesome. Some song snippets end up meaning a lot. Have been thinking of putting them up on the blog for a long time now...

Won't attempt a translation. This is too good to be mutilated by my translation. Any volunteers welcome.

आवारापन, बंजारापन, एक खला है सीने मे,
हर दम, हर पल, बैचैनी है, कौन भला है सीने मे॥

जाने ये कैसी आग लगी है, इस में धुँआ ना चिंगारी
हो ना हो, इस बार कहीं कोई ख़्वाब जला है सीने में॥

कहाँ किसी के लिए है मुमकिन , सब के लिए एक सा होना,
थोडा सा दिल मेरा बुरा है, थोडा भला है सीने में॥

खंजर से हाथों पे लकीरें, कोइ भला क्या लिख पाया?
हमने मगर एक पागलपन में खुद को छला है सीने में॥

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Yippee!

We finally have the DVD of Maachis(the film) at home... got it as a wonderful gift recently, which made the possession dearer.

You'll remember, this was a Gulzar movie released in the previous decade.
It was about the terrorism problem in Punjab.

The leads were Om Puri, Tabu, Chandradhur Singh and others, incl. Jimmy Shergill.

Things I remember from the film:

Song snippet:
अखियों मे बैठा था, अखियों से उठ के,
जाने किस देस गया...

Translation:
He sat in my eyes,
God knows where he went from there..

What i love about this line is the pain of living through the fact that someone who practically shared your days, just goes away one day,and you never see him again.
*******************

Dialogues from the film: (ओम पुरी)
चंद्रचूर : "तो अब कहाँ है, वो, घर वाले आप के?
ओम पुरी: "आधे ४७ ने खा लिए थे, आधे ८४ खा गया। "

ओम पुरी : " घर बाहर हमारे उजड़े, बाप दादे हमारे मरे, और आजादी कोई और ले कर आया? "

ओम पुरी : "सीली माचिस की तीलियों से आग नही भड़कती। "
(Referring to the fact that an unawakened population cannot bring about a revolution or reform movement. Classic Gulzar, the best possible way of saying it. )

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What working with the Blind has taught me

A lot of people who know me personally, often comment on how it’s a very good job that I’m doing with the blind. Each time, I have tried to correct the person and inform them that actually, it’s the other way round. What I have learnt from the blind people I have worked with is much, much more than what any of them has gained from me.

Here is how my life is better because of the skills I learnt from the blind.

I can walk around my house in pitch darkness.

If I’m cooking when the power goes off, I don’t have to turn the gas off and wait for the electricity to come back. I can continue cooking most of the times.

I don’t have to wake up to monitor the maid or the house. Even in my sleep, I do it with the ears and the nose. The maid hates it. I love the extra sleep. I learnt that from the students who knew someone was entering the class, even when I did not know it until after the person had entered.

Even if I am entering a building for the first time, I will be able to find my way over the sections that I have covered, in pitch darkness. This is because I count my steps and make a mental note of all the ups and downs of the floor surface. I learnt that from the students I worked with.

When buying clothes, I have learnt to close my eyes and then feel the texture. The difference in sensation is quite impressive.

I have learnt that it is possible to have fun AND hate people who pity you at the same time.

I have seen that it is possible to dance to perfect formations by just counting your steps and perfecting them individually. You cannot see the harmony you have created on stage, but everyone else can, and its beautiful!

I have learnt that there are 2 ways in which you can react to abject pity from others. You can either learn to use it to your advantage, or you can push it back with even more vigor. Your repulsion to that pity gives you more strength.

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The Inconvenient Truth

Just finished watching a documentary called "Inconvenient Truth" featuring Al Gore. At first, the name Al Gore put me off big time.

But from Minute 1, one was hooked. Its a strong "Must watch" recommendation. (I got it from the local DVD vala, so you might try your luck there too. )

The documentary is about Global Warming. One has already reached compassion fatigue with this subject.

I really do believe that human beings are digging their mass grave successfully(and rather quickly) with their wombs. If we do not stop exponentially growing, we are all going. But one did not know the extent. From 2 billion after WW2, we are currently at above six billion. As he says in the film, 10,000 generations to reach 2 billion, and one lifetime to multiply that by 3. Super!

There are people who really believe that human beings are a "resource". To produce what? As a species, we are parasites and saprophytes. We produce nothing that is of use to anyone other than our own species. In the utility order, we must be just below the crows because the crows at least serve to clean up their feeding areas. We do the exact opposite!

Then one person once told me "We are a resource because it is the children we produce that are creating the economic resources for this country. The BPO work force is coming from there. Its a matter of how you use this resource." I was dumbfounded. You want to produce children to work in BPOs! How completely selfless!

Seriously, I have nothing against this view. In fact, I quite enjoy the circus that is the human civilisation.

Personally, I am very happy when a natural disaster tries to wake us up. The Earth is really kind, because instead of going for one mega disaster and getting rid of us, it is still trying to give us gentle warnings. The earth will survive the mega disaster. We, apparently, will not.

But there is something that this video does : it gives us hope. It tells us that we might still not be too late. After the hard, irrefutable figures, that hope is a good take home. It lets you sleep at night.

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A Tag by Neihal!

Thank you Neihal, and here's the answer.


Publish 5th paragraph of page 123 of the book you are currently reading. (if the page does not have 5th paragraph, take the last paragraph. And if the book doesn’t have page no. 123, take the last page.)


I read multiple books at the same time. At the moment, these books are

Super Sudoku Puzzles by J. Riley
At Wit's End by Erma Bombeck; and
Raat, Chand aur Main by Gulzar.


Let's choose Gulzar for this tag. (I would have liked to choose Super Sudoku puzzles, but blogger does not support grid paragraphs yet. ;-)).






बस एक पानी की आवाज़ लपलपाती है,
कि घाट छोड़ के मांझी तमाम जा भी चुके


चलो ना चांद की कश्ती मे झील पार करें।

I tag....Artnavy, ITW, Dharma, Chiya and Sugarlips.

I also tag the first 5 visitors to this post. So if you see this post and the no. of comments is less than 5, you are tagged.

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I am a Minority!

I demand full minority protection complete with the benefits!

I belong to a small group called the "WTF" group. We are like this:

1. We see Arjun Singh's "I-am-Krissh-but-why-does-everyone-else-think-I-am-Dr. Dang" histrionics and go "WTF!"

2. We see a lot of new headlines in the papers and find that the myopic vision of 50 years ago on whether 2 ppl can have an inter-religious marriage or not, whether girls are old enough to decide whom to marry at the age of 16 etc.. we see reams of paper and air time wasted on these notions and go "WTF! As if these things are even worth discussing"

3. We see the K series of serials(for abt 2 minutes) during which we see the same expression captured abt 5 times and go "WTF! DD's Hum Log anyday!"

4. We see Rahul Gandhi and Aishwarya Rai trying to appear intelligent and go "WTF!"

5. We see the Sachar Committee Report that is trying to get jobs for a highly entrepreneurial community and go "WTF! Why are the real needs of the community not being addressed?"

The WTFs are a community that is not suited to living in today's India.

We are also completely unfit to watch modern television.

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More thoughts to live by..

अक्सर वो कहते है वो बस मेरे हैं,
अक्सर क्यों कहते हैं, हैरत होती है!

aksar vo kehte hain, vo bas mere hain,
aksar kyun kehte hain, hairat hoti hai.

He, who is mine, often tells me that,
Why does have to tell me often? (bad translation)

गम होते है जहाँ ज़हानत होती है,
दुनिया मे हर शेह की कीमत होती है

Gham hote hain jahaan zahaanat hoti hai,
duniya ein har sheh ki keemat hoti hai.

There is sorrow where there is knowledge.
Everything in the world comes at a price.

हम से दिलचस्प कभी सच्चे नही होते हैं,
अच्छे लगते हैं मगर अच्छे नही होते हैं।

Hum se dilchasp kabhi sachche nahee hote hain,
Acchche lagte hain magar achchhe nahi hote hain..

Those, who are intersting, are seldom honest,
They appear nice, but they are not.

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One liners

This is a set of one liners। All of them have been with me a long time, and like good friends, they whisper themselves in the ear at just the right time.


This, Too, Shall Pass....
- Most people think of it in bad times. It helps a lot to remember this in the good times too. We tend to attribute the bad times to fate and the good times to ourselves.

Honesty once pawned is never redeemed

Don’t accept unacceptable behavior.

You have never been given a dream without also being given the power to make it come true.
It took me a lot of years to understand this one. Precisely 10 years. The lesson at the end of 10 years is that maybe, not all dreams are worth fighting for.

Nobody remembers your achievements. They do not usually remember your name either. But what they will never, ever forget, is how you made them feel.

If your mother says you’ll regret it, you probably will.

When something appears too good to be true, it usually is.

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One more TAG

When you think of everything ever posted on ur blog, which is the first post that comes to your mind.. ONLY the first post.

You can answer in the comments, and will be really nice if u can also add the url of the post.

Here is my answer. I love the simplicity and the power of the parallel in this.

Tumhara Naam

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Bulle Shah!

मेरे एक दोस्त ने आज मुझे बुल्ले शाह का कलाम भेजा.. पढ कर हैरानी भी हुई, और बहुत खुशी भी. उसे Thank You का मेल भेजा तो उस ने लिखा, "दर असल ये तुम्हे याद दिलाने के लिये था कि कभी तुम्हारी ओर से बहुत उम्दा कवितायें ढूंढ कर सब को भेजी जाती थीं. बहुत महीने हुए, वो कवितायें कहां हैं?

मैने जवाब दिया, "अब मेरे blog पर मिलती हैं!! "
;-)

आईना ने अमृता प्रीतम की बहुत ही प्यारी कवितायें इक्ठी की हैं. य़हां.

और मेरी ओर से, ये बुल्ले शाह, जो आज मिला:

One of my friends sent me this really nice Bulle Shah poem. Wasboth surprised and happy to get it. When I sent him a note to say "Thank you!" he replied, "That was actually to remind you of your lovely poetry forwards. Where are they? " I replied, "On my blog now! "

Aaina has compiled a lovely set of Amrita Pritam poetry. You can read it in Hindi here.

And on my post, the poem sent by my friend.

" ਜੇ ਰਬ ਮਿਲਦਾ ਨਾਤਯਾ ਧੋਤਯਾ,
ਮਿਲਦਾ ਡਡੁਆ ਮਛਿਯਾੰ
ਜੇ ਰਬ ਮਿਲਦਾ ਨਦੀ ਮਸਾਨ ਵਿਚ,
ਮਿਲਦਾ ਚਮ ਚਿਣਿਕਿਯਾੰ,
ਜੇ ਰਬ ਮਿਲਦਾ ਜੰਗਲ ਵੇਲੇ
ਮਿਲਦਾ ਗਾੰ ਤੇ ਬਛਿਯਾੰ,
ਬੁਲਲੇ ਸ਼ਾਹ ਰਬ ਔਨੁ ਲਬਦਾ
ਜੇ ਨੀਯਤਾੰ ਜਿਨਾ ਦੀਆੰ ਸਚਿਯਾੰ.... "

In the translation, "was in" is to mean " If God could be attained/reached by"

If god was in physical purification by water,
He would live among the fish and the toads
If god was in the cemetries,
He would be among the leather mongers
If God was in the forest,
He would be attained by the cows and calves.
Bulle Shah says the only way to attain God
Is for those with clean intentions..

For people outside India: This is aimed at the various practices adopted by sects for self purification and attainment of God. Some sects believe in self purification by keeping the body clean and sticking to rituals. Some other sects believe that self flagellation and torture is the only way to get closer to God. Some others believe in meditation deep in the forests. Bulle Shah believes that the only way to get God is to keep a pure heart that wishes no evil.

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More Javed Akhtar..

The last ghazal could not be translated at all.. it was too good for that.. am making some effort with some of the shers in this one..

हम तो बच्पन में भी अकेले थे,
सिर्फ दिल की गली में खेले थे.

एक तरफ मोर्चे थे पलकों के,
एक तरफ आंसूओं के रेले थे..

थीं सजीं हसरतैं दुकानों पर
ज़िन्दगी के अजीब मेले थे..

आज ज़हन-ओ-दिल भूखे मरते हैं,
उन दिनो हम ने फाक़े झेले थे..

खुद्कुशी क्या गमों का हल बनती,
मौत के अपने सौ झमेले थे..

ham to bachapan me.n bhii akele the
sirf dil kii galii me.n khele the

ek taraf morche the palako.n ke
ek taraf aa.Nsuuo.n ke rele the

thii.n sajii hasarate.n duukaano.n par
zindagii ke ajiib mele the

aaj zehan-o-dil bhuuko.n marate hai.n
un dino.n faake bhii ham ne jhele the

Khud-kashii kyaa Gamo.n kaa hal banatii
maut ke apane bhii sau jhamele the
**********************
I was alone even in my childhood
and the alleys of the heart, the only playgrounds I've known..

Brightly lit desires on the shops,
In the strange fair called Life...

The other ones are too nice for me to mutilate them in translation..

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Worst Film of the Year Award

... goes, beyond doubt, to Nishabd: The Film

Saw it yesterday and just HAD to blog about it. Though I've seen over 20 films since the last film post - Kabul Express, this one REALLY takes the cake.

What's wrong with it?

One, someone should have spent at least some time on the characters before putting them on paper/film. They all seem to have come from 1 line briefs! It is supposed to be a credible story, but nothing about it ends up being credible.. because everything is so... wispy! (for want of a better word)

Two, the movie needs editing, and lots of it.

But the worst assault of the film is its cinematography. The cinematographer should be criminally prosecuted for that assault on our visual senses. Can you imagine a location like a beautiful, verdant tea estate among the mountains, and a grey/blue/green filter with black and white effects on this scenery for the WHOLE DURATION OF THE FILM? Can you imagine that?? 3 hours of mutilation of such amazing locales!!

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