Click on the title to listen to this beautiful song-
Loose translation from original french score by-Jussi Björling - Song of India:
" The Diamonds of our land are innumerable,
The pearls in our seas are incalculable
It is India, the land of wonders.
In one of our sites, a ruby emerges,
A bird inhabites with the visage of a virgin,
Day and night it sings with a ravishing voice,
His brilliant feathers cover the entire shore.
Whoever would be able to hear it, would be born anew from the ashes. "
Thursday, August 23, 2007
A tribute to My Mom.
It was My mother's 3rd death anniversary on August 9th. I think about her everyday and sometimes shed a silent tear, not because she is not here any more ( she is in a happy place now) but the way she had to tolerate injustice and nonsense all her life. Society and Life in general was not fair to her. I know that there are millions of other people who had worse plight than her, but she was my mother and what transpired in her life directly affects me and my siblings. From the time I can remember she worked hard and suffered injustice for the sake of her family. what hurts the most is that it came from the people she trusted with her life. There was nothing much she could do except ride the waves and hope for the best to happen. She prayed everyday for her children and thanks to her prayers and sacrifices we are all in a comfortable place and somewhat in peace.
Her typical day would start at 4.30, do house chores, go to work at 8.00 am, come back from work at 5.00 pm, do more chores till 10.30 pm. She had a short fuse and most of the time she would take it out on us kids. But she loved us and took care of us to the best of her ability. She was the employee of the year in the early 60's at HEIL Bhopal where she worked for close to 40 years and retired a few years back. Defitely an achievement and a shining moment in her life. Her smile could light up a room, when she had that rare occasion to smile.
I wish I could go back in time and make things right for her, even though that would mean questioning my own existence.
Love you, Ma. I know you are happy and in peace wherever you are :-).
Her typical day would start at 4.30, do house chores, go to work at 8.00 am, come back from work at 5.00 pm, do more chores till 10.30 pm. She had a short fuse and most of the time she would take it out on us kids. But she loved us and took care of us to the best of her ability. She was the employee of the year in the early 60's at HEIL Bhopal where she worked for close to 40 years and retired a few years back. Defitely an achievement and a shining moment in her life. Her smile could light up a room, when she had that rare occasion to smile.
I wish I could go back in time and make things right for her, even though that would mean questioning my own existence.
Love you, Ma. I know you are happy and in peace wherever you are :-).
Bye Bye Life
Bye bye life
Bye bye happiness
Hello loneliness
I think I'm gonna die
I think I'm gonna die
Bye bye love
bye bye sweet caress
Hello emptiness
I feel like I could die
Bye bye your life goodbye
Bye bye my life goodbye
There goes my baby with someone new
She sure looks happy
I sure am blue
He sure is blue
Wednesday, August 15, 2007
Happy 60th Birthday- India!!
I read this article ( http://www.newyorker.com/services/referral?messageKey=2acc84a18cd10d79f40273cd5f0f9f80 ) in New Yorker and share with you the atrocities committed by the inadequate, ignorant, arrogant and indifferent British Raj towards India and Indians, the so called "Jewel in the frickin' crown", during August of 1947 and after when millions of innocent people were killed, raped, maimed, orphaned and rendered homeless in the name of partition and independence.
Mind you- I take anything that mainstream media dishes out with a grain of salt but definitely there is a lot of substance to this article which provoked me to blog about it and forward to you guys to get a general opinion on what your thoughts are.
Our generation arrived within 15 years of 1947 and I am sure many of us were affected directly or indirectly by the repercussions of the events after. I am a malayalee who grew up in a very hostile environment in Bhopal. Today Bhopal is assimilated and a amiable place to live in, not so 40 years ago when immigrants from all over the country were pouring in looking for work and in the process settling down and and raising families. I could write a book detailing the agonies, anguishes and ecstasies( it wasn't all bad... there were some good aspects too.....) of growing up there but I'll save it for another time.
Read and reflect, spare a moment to pray for the innocent citizens all over the world, who pay the price, for games politicians and power mongers play.
Mind you- I take anything that mainstream media dishes out with a grain of salt but definitely there is a lot of substance to this article which provoked me to blog about it and forward to you guys to get a general opinion on what your thoughts are.
Our generation arrived within 15 years of 1947 and I am sure many of us were affected directly or indirectly by the repercussions of the events after. I am a malayalee who grew up in a very hostile environment in Bhopal. Today Bhopal is assimilated and a amiable place to live in, not so 40 years ago when immigrants from all over the country were pouring in looking for work and in the process settling down and and raising families. I could write a book detailing the agonies, anguishes and ecstasies( it wasn't all bad... there were some good aspects too.....) of growing up there but I'll save it for another time.
Read and reflect, spare a moment to pray for the innocent citizens all over the world, who pay the price, for games politicians and power mongers play.
Gangsta's paradise by Coolio
As I walk through the valley of the shadow of death
I take a look at my life and realise there's none left
'Cause I've been brassing and laughing so long that
Even my mamma thinks that my mind is gone
But I aint never crossed a man that didn't deserve it
Me be treated like a punk, you know that's unheard of
You better watch how you talking, and where you walking
Or you and your homies might be lined in chalk
I really hate to trip but I gotta lope
As they croak I see myself in the pistal smoke ... fool
I'm the kinda G that little homies want to be like
On my knees in the night, saying prayers in the street light
They been spending most their lives living in the gangsta's paradise
They been spending most their lives living in the gangsta's paradise
We keep spending most our lives living in the gangsta's paradise
We keep spending most our lives living in the gangsta's paradise
They got the situation, they got me facing
I can't live a normal life, I was raised by the strip
So I gotta be down with the hood team
Too much television watching got me chasing dreams
I'm an educated fool with my knee on my mind
Got my 10 in my hand and a gleam in my eye
I'm a loped out gangsta set trippin banger
And my homies is down so gonna rouse my anger ... fool
Death aint nothing but a heart beat away
I'm living life do or die, what can I say
I'm 23 never will I live to see 24
The way things is going I don't know
Tell me why are we so blind to see
That the ones we hurt are you and me
They been spending most their lives living in the gangsta's paradise
They been spending most their lives living in the gangsta's paradise
We keep spending most our lives living in the gangsta's paradise
We keep spending most our lives living in the gangsta's paradise
Power and the money, money and the power
Minute after minute, hour after hour
Everybody's running, but half of them aint looking
What's going on in the kitchen, but I don't know what's cooking
They say I've got to learn but nobody's here to teach me
If they can't understand it, how can they reach me
I guess they can't
I guess they won't
I guess they front
That's why I know my life is out of luck ... fool
Tell me why are we so blind to see
That the ones we hurt are you and me
Tell me why are we so blind to see
That the ones we hurt are you and me ...
I take a look at my life and realise there's none left
'Cause I've been brassing and laughing so long that
Even my mamma thinks that my mind is gone
But I aint never crossed a man that didn't deserve it
Me be treated like a punk, you know that's unheard of
You better watch how you talking, and where you walking
Or you and your homies might be lined in chalk
I really hate to trip but I gotta lope
As they croak I see myself in the pistal smoke ... fool
I'm the kinda G that little homies want to be like
On my knees in the night, saying prayers in the street light
They been spending most their lives living in the gangsta's paradise
They been spending most their lives living in the gangsta's paradise
We keep spending most our lives living in the gangsta's paradise
We keep spending most our lives living in the gangsta's paradise
They got the situation, they got me facing
I can't live a normal life, I was raised by the strip
So I gotta be down with the hood team
Too much television watching got me chasing dreams
I'm an educated fool with my knee on my mind
Got my 10 in my hand and a gleam in my eye
I'm a loped out gangsta set trippin banger
And my homies is down so gonna rouse my anger ... fool
Death aint nothing but a heart beat away
I'm living life do or die, what can I say
I'm 23 never will I live to see 24
The way things is going I don't know
Tell me why are we so blind to see
That the ones we hurt are you and me
They been spending most their lives living in the gangsta's paradise
They been spending most their lives living in the gangsta's paradise
We keep spending most our lives living in the gangsta's paradise
We keep spending most our lives living in the gangsta's paradise
Power and the money, money and the power
Minute after minute, hour after hour
Everybody's running, but half of them aint looking
What's going on in the kitchen, but I don't know what's cooking
They say I've got to learn but nobody's here to teach me
If they can't understand it, how can they reach me
I guess they can't
I guess they won't
I guess they front
That's why I know my life is out of luck ... fool
Tell me why are we so blind to see
That the ones we hurt are you and me
Tell me why are we so blind to see
That the ones we hurt are you and me ...
Transcripts of Sound bytes from the past...
Funny jingles, sound bytes from radio commercials and random things that I remember from my childhood. Keeps me sane and drives my wife nuts)
-yeh akashwani hai, ab aap Anadi Mishr sey samachar suniye (This is All India Radio, the news read by Anadi Mishra)).
-Heeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeendalium key barthannnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn(Street vendor selling Hindalium utensils).
-Joh OK saabun sey nahayeeeeeeee kamal sa khil jayeeeee( Jingle for "OK" bathing soap).
- Tandoorusti ki rakhsha karta hai lifebouy,lifebouy hai jahan tanoorusti hai wahan( Jingle for Lifebuoy- another bathing soap).
- Daanton ko sadne se bachata hai colgate, din bhar sans ki badboo hatatha hai colgate( Jingle for Colgate toothpaste).
-Arre Mutthi bhar aatta dila dey raam, deney waale siri bhagawan
aatta roti dila dey raam, deney walle siri bhagawan (this haunts me.....two lepers begging for food in our neighborhood, the husband would pull a makeshift wagon on which his wife is perched..God bless their souls).
- Modi ke matwaley raahi. Nit naye khatron sey takrane waale, mushkilon mey bhi muskurane waley, jinda dil, manchale matwallon ki acchoota karnamma( Jingle for Modi Continental tires).
-Sainyya bhool na jaana, Potass khaad lana..kaise bhoolun usko, usney banaya mujhko, potass khadd lavoon, achhi fasal ugaoon( this is hilarious...jingle for a fertilizer).
- Bhakti sangeet ka karyakram-----vandanvaar(Introduction to Devotional songs at 7.30 am on AIR).
-Aaapka apna chunav chinh...Gaaay bachda, gareebon ka chunav chinh gaay bachda, gaay bachdey par mohar lagayyiyye or apne ummeedwar shri babulal gaur ko safal banayiyye( Congress Party volunteers canvassing for votes during election time for Babulal Gaur, I think he eventually became the Chief Minister or Governor of MP during the 80's.
-Peelo peelo mere yaar, thotha chhap ki beedi!( whenever I think of this I laugh my ass off....during Ram lila (Drama theater depicting story of Lord Rama) at the local temple, during intervals they used to play this jingle...obviously the Beedi ( cheap Indian cigarettes) makers were one of the main sponsors of the event.)
-Aap jaisa koi Nippo battery laye tho baat ban jaaye.....aaha bat ban jaaye ( jingle for Nippo batteries).
- Aakashavni...Warthakal vayikkunaathu Gopan. Beeharil Vellapokkam. Kendram Azhimathi sahikkukaillannu pradhana manthri Shrimati Indira Gandhi Chhoondikatti ( Malayalam News.. read by Gopan...Floods in Bihar, Prime Minister Mrs Indira Gandhi pointed out that feds will not tolerate Corruption.)
-yeh akashwani hai, ab aap Anadi Mishr sey samachar suniye (This is All India Radio, the news read by Anadi Mishra)).
-Heeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeendalium key barthannnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn(Street vendor selling Hindalium utensils).
-Joh OK saabun sey nahayeeeeeeee kamal sa khil jayeeeee( Jingle for "OK" bathing soap).
- Tandoorusti ki rakhsha karta hai lifebouy,lifebouy hai jahan tanoorusti hai wahan( Jingle for Lifebuoy- another bathing soap).
- Daanton ko sadne se bachata hai colgate, din bhar sans ki badboo hatatha hai colgate( Jingle for Colgate toothpaste).
-Arre Mutthi bhar aatta dila dey raam, deney waale siri bhagawan
aatta roti dila dey raam, deney walle siri bhagawan (this haunts me.....two lepers begging for food in our neighborhood, the husband would pull a makeshift wagon on which his wife is perched..God bless their souls).
- Modi ke matwaley raahi. Nit naye khatron sey takrane waale, mushkilon mey bhi muskurane waley, jinda dil, manchale matwallon ki acchoota karnamma( Jingle for Modi Continental tires).
-Sainyya bhool na jaana, Potass khaad lana..kaise bhoolun usko, usney banaya mujhko, potass khadd lavoon, achhi fasal ugaoon( this is hilarious...jingle for a fertilizer).
- Bhakti sangeet ka karyakram-----vandanvaar(Introduction to Devotional songs at 7.30 am on AIR).
-Aaapka apna chunav chinh...Gaaay bachda, gareebon ka chunav chinh gaay bachda, gaay bachdey par mohar lagayyiyye or apne ummeedwar shri babulal gaur ko safal banayiyye( Congress Party volunteers canvassing for votes during election time for Babulal Gaur, I think he eventually became the Chief Minister or Governor of MP during the 80's.
-Peelo peelo mere yaar, thotha chhap ki beedi!( whenever I think of this I laugh my ass off....during Ram lila (Drama theater depicting story of Lord Rama) at the local temple, during intervals they used to play this jingle...obviously the Beedi ( cheap Indian cigarettes) makers were one of the main sponsors of the event.)
-Aap jaisa koi Nippo battery laye tho baat ban jaaye.....aaha bat ban jaaye ( jingle for Nippo batteries).
- Aakashavni...Warthakal vayikkunaathu Gopan. Beeharil Vellapokkam. Kendram Azhimathi sahikkukaillannu pradhana manthri Shrimati Indira Gandhi Chhoondikatti ( Malayalam News.. read by Gopan...Floods in Bihar, Prime Minister Mrs Indira Gandhi pointed out that feds will not tolerate Corruption.)
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