For my eyes the desert in winter is like a young woman. Pleasant…sleepy mornings… lot of sunlight….sporadic rains… and full of tiny yellow flowers (desert daisies). But in summer, the desert becomes a hell hole. Scorching heat… sand storms….. endless barren land….and the plight of earth becomes like the Bedouin girl whose predicament is to marry an old man.
The seasons cannot change … but … I dream to have a change in the life of the daughters of desert.
Yeteek el afyaa (May god give you courage and strength)!
She is a shy gypsy dame of the desert
In sweet sixteen, fresh from the winter dew
Peeping out from her white tabernacle
With a glittering veil of fog and rain
Glowing sands adorned her anklets
Twilight flashes frilled her apron
She is busy cooking *"K'nafa' in the desert
With lovely daisies and marigolds.
A truck load of soldiers passed by,
Along with mystique rain clouds,
All heading towards *Arifjan.
A handsome soldier gave her a grin.
O’ dear! She can only admire,
Both the soldier and the passing clouds
Her fate is to marry an old man,
Lest the family honor be suffered.
When summer comes, she will be in his harem.
Jailed alone, scorched in his heat.
Sand storms from his *"shisha" will choke her
His embraces will torment her
Her tears would dry, sobs will not be heard
Only the crows’ feet will be seen
From the corners of her black *"'niqab"
The deep carvings of her sufferings.
A thousand camels will eat away the *"K’nafa"
Her sons and brothers would go away.
Where else she would go?
She is the daughter of the desert.
Destined to live and die with the old man.
** Knafa is the typical Arabic sweet with yellow and orange noodles mixed with cheese and a topping of pistachios.
** Arifjan is the American military base in Kuwait.
** Niqab is the face veil used by the Arab women, notably the eyes are only exposed.
Sunday, April 18, 2010
Thursday, February 25, 2010
South Got Talent
Talent, Techniques, Skills and Competition make a perfect breeding ground for creativity. Tamil film industry has witnessed a creative surge especially in music composition. The revolution started with music maestro Ilyaraja. He brought the synthesis of Western and Indian classical music to the industry. Remember the mesmerizing compositions of Ilayaraja from 80s and early 90s. ‘Mazhakala megam vannu”,”O priya priya” and “Kanna Kalamanei” to name a few.
Then came “The Mozart of Madras”, A.R.Rahman, who fought his way up to Oscar and Grammies. Amazing is his diversity and experiments with different musical styles. Who else can give such a fusion of Carnatic, Hindustani, Western, Qawali and folk lore with a perfect blend of vocal and instrumental music?. Look at the range from his debut song, “Chinna chinna Aasai…” to ‘Jai Ho” to “Mazhakali”
There is another Rahman is in the making with Harris Jayaraj and his soul elating “Vaseegra” and “Sittum Vizhi” numbers.
To add to the bonanza, here comes a bunch of hybrid musicians like Yuvan Ilyaraja and G.V Prakshkumar inheriting the magic from the ancestors.
My car stereo has been playing Delhi 6 numbers these days.
“Hoye hoye hoye hoye hoye hoye
Saiyaan ched dewe,Nanad chutki leve,
Sasural genda phool”
Rahman’s music, Prasool's lyrics, kites at sea side and the images of Abishek’s shake … Wah !!! I’m at Chandni Chowk not in Kuwait.
The overdose of punches in Tamil movies could be annoying, but the music is scintillating.
Enjoy!!!
Then came “The Mozart of Madras”, A.R.Rahman, who fought his way up to Oscar and Grammies. Amazing is his diversity and experiments with different musical styles. Who else can give such a fusion of Carnatic, Hindustani, Western, Qawali and folk lore with a perfect blend of vocal and instrumental music?. Look at the range from his debut song, “Chinna chinna Aasai…” to ‘Jai Ho” to “Mazhakali”
There is another Rahman is in the making with Harris Jayaraj and his soul elating “Vaseegra” and “Sittum Vizhi” numbers.
To add to the bonanza, here comes a bunch of hybrid musicians like Yuvan Ilyaraja and G.V Prakshkumar inheriting the magic from the ancestors.
My car stereo has been playing Delhi 6 numbers these days.
“Hoye hoye hoye hoye hoye hoye
Saiyaan ched dewe,Nanad chutki leve,
Sasural genda phool”
Rahman’s music, Prasool's lyrics, kites at sea side and the images of Abishek’s shake … Wah !!! I’m at Chandni Chowk not in Kuwait.
The overdose of punches in Tamil movies could be annoying, but the music is scintillating.
Enjoy!!!
Friday, January 29, 2010
TORRENTS
The idyllic memories of the past,
Drifting through the parched mind,
Sliding back to my remote hamlet.
The fury of torrents lashing the blue hills,
The wind spiraling through the green paddies,
The crunching of wriggling bamboo stems,
The belly dancing of the coconut trees,
The herd rushing for the shelter,
The lonely shepherd under the plantain,
The gushing of the mountain stream,
Suddenly the wrath of the torrents stops.
Cleansing the sky and earth,
Leaving the instant pools and streams,
Pearl droplets from the foliage,
Rolling crystals on yam leaves,
Orphaned mangoes lying for a pick,
Fragrant bed of jasmines and *chembagam,
The blissful world of my childhood.
(In memory of my little hamlet in Kerala)
* Chembagam is a fragrant flower of plumeria tree, also called frangipani in English.
Drifting through the parched mind,
Sliding back to my remote hamlet.
The fury of torrents lashing the blue hills,
The wind spiraling through the green paddies,
The crunching of wriggling bamboo stems,
The belly dancing of the coconut trees,
The herd rushing for the shelter,
The lonely shepherd under the plantain,
The gushing of the mountain stream,
Suddenly the wrath of the torrents stops.
Cleansing the sky and earth,
Leaving the instant pools and streams,
Pearl droplets from the foliage,
Rolling crystals on yam leaves,
Orphaned mangoes lying for a pick,
Fragrant bed of jasmines and *chembagam,
The blissful world of my childhood.
(In memory of my little hamlet in Kerala)
* Chembagam is a fragrant flower of plumeria tree, also called frangipani in English.
Friday, January 8, 2010
Jolted By Avatar!
Once a crazy went to watch a crazy movie!
It’s weird. Cannot say that I enjoyed watching the movie. But the Avatars are haunting my sleep for last two days. Certainly, James Cameron is successful in creating impacts. I am not the right person to review the movie, but adding some loud thoughts.
As an opening note the character Jake is impressive. A synonym of modern day youngster who takes interest in life and experimenting it big time. The substance of the movie, the Na’vi creatures and their super natural abilities reminded me of a rare mixture of Indo-Egyptian and Greek mythologies. On one hand they looked like Hanuman and his monkey troop, on the other their face and hair, reminiscence of Egyptian pharaohs. The large flying birds can be directly correlated to Phoenix.
I could not relate Pandora as a remote earth like planet. Rather, could easily relate old and modern world. If you time travel the Pandora has all the settings of earth in Vedic times or similar mythological times. The era where man was in harmony with nature and spiritually connected to trees and the world around him.
On the logical side, if at all there is an earth like planet somewhere in the galaxy, on what grounds we can say the form of life and the evolutionary process over there is same as earth.
Why that life should look like life on earth?. Why should there be horses and dogs? Why the ultimate form intelligence in that planet should walk on two legs and have similar emotions and morals like us? Can that intelligence be in some reptiles or something that walk on 4 legs? Smarter Snakes and elephant or scorpion like creatures….possible..who knows?
The underlying message of Pandora is the earth itself. West has the same imperialist temper to ambush into other nations without valuing their culture, religion, polity and beliefs. Avatar puts forth a good criticism of colonial life. You would have seen Colonel Mikes and RDA corporations in Iraq, Afghanistan or vietnam.
Finally, the futility of war is well portrayed. You never win a war. The winner only survives, a survival as good as death.
On an end note, the film has technical excellence. Sentiments are well utilized. Along with Jake you will fall in love with some bizarre man like beings.
Take a roller coaster ride of your brain, watch Avatar!!!! .
It’s weird. Cannot say that I enjoyed watching the movie. But the Avatars are haunting my sleep for last two days. Certainly, James Cameron is successful in creating impacts. I am not the right person to review the movie, but adding some loud thoughts.
As an opening note the character Jake is impressive. A synonym of modern day youngster who takes interest in life and experimenting it big time. The substance of the movie, the Na’vi creatures and their super natural abilities reminded me of a rare mixture of Indo-Egyptian and Greek mythologies. On one hand they looked like Hanuman and his monkey troop, on the other their face and hair, reminiscence of Egyptian pharaohs. The large flying birds can be directly correlated to Phoenix.
I could not relate Pandora as a remote earth like planet. Rather, could easily relate old and modern world. If you time travel the Pandora has all the settings of earth in Vedic times or similar mythological times. The era where man was in harmony with nature and spiritually connected to trees and the world around him.
On the logical side, if at all there is an earth like planet somewhere in the galaxy, on what grounds we can say the form of life and the evolutionary process over there is same as earth.
Why that life should look like life on earth?. Why should there be horses and dogs? Why the ultimate form intelligence in that planet should walk on two legs and have similar emotions and morals like us? Can that intelligence be in some reptiles or something that walk on 4 legs? Smarter Snakes and elephant or scorpion like creatures….possible..who knows?
The underlying message of Pandora is the earth itself. West has the same imperialist temper to ambush into other nations without valuing their culture, religion, polity and beliefs. Avatar puts forth a good criticism of colonial life. You would have seen Colonel Mikes and RDA corporations in Iraq, Afghanistan or vietnam.
Finally, the futility of war is well portrayed. You never win a war. The winner only survives, a survival as good as death.
On an end note, the film has technical excellence. Sentiments are well utilized. Along with Jake you will fall in love with some bizarre man like beings.
Take a roller coaster ride of your brain, watch Avatar!!!! .
Saturday, January 2, 2010
WELCOME 2010!
It is 2010. Welcome to a new year and a new decade.
I heard one my friends lamenting “There is nothing new in the new year. Old job..
… old friends…...old wife… old routines...what’s new in New Year?”
Well, the answer is “Keep the old wine, old wife and old friends. Remaining all you can get new “
There is some significance to this hype of a new year. It is time to do an assessment and a milestone check of life. A good point for some self discovery, to take new resolutions and get some stimulus of hope.
Personally, I love the tranquility of winter claded December and freshness of January, the best months to reinvent the self.
“The future belongs to those who give the next generation reason for hope.” Pierre Decarrdien
Let me rephrase this little different.
“The future belongs to those who hope and give the next generation reason for hope.”
May your dreams come true in the New Year!
I heard one my friends lamenting “There is nothing new in the new year. Old job..
… old friends…...old wife… old routines...what’s new in New Year?”
Well, the answer is “Keep the old wine, old wife and old friends. Remaining all you can get new “
There is some significance to this hype of a new year. It is time to do an assessment and a milestone check of life. A good point for some self discovery, to take new resolutions and get some stimulus of hope.
Personally, I love the tranquility of winter claded December and freshness of January, the best months to reinvent the self.
“The future belongs to those who give the next generation reason for hope.” Pierre Decarrdien
Let me rephrase this little different.
“The future belongs to those who hope and give the next generation reason for hope.”
May your dreams come true in the New Year!
Wednesday, December 23, 2009
2012 - A Disappointment.
With Great Expectation I went to watch the movie 2012 and came back with a feeling of just another movie. Multiple threads of story, far from realistic failed to reflect the agony of people in front of death. Hey, I got it... the emotions are missing.
World may or may not end in 2012. But sure mine and your world would end one day. Does anyone know the date and time?
Respect the life and live it full!
"Anathm Ajnatham Avarnaneeyam Eeloka Golam Thriyunna Margam"
Athilegdioridutthu Irkikkunna Marthyan Kathayenthu kandu"
Translated as:
Idefinite,Unknown and Inexplicable are the ways of this planet.
What does the man know sitting in a distant corner?
World may or may not end in 2012. But sure mine and your world would end one day. Does anyone know the date and time?
Respect the life and live it full!
"Anathm Ajnatham Avarnaneeyam Eeloka Golam Thriyunna Margam"
Athilegdioridutthu Irkikkunna Marthyan Kathayenthu kandu"
Translated as:
Idefinite,Unknown and Inexplicable are the ways of this planet.
What does the man know sitting in a distant corner?
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
30 second Speech by Bryan Dyson (CEO of Coca Cola)
VERY SHORT, MOST EFFECTIVE SPEECH AND SEE HOW TRUE IT IS!!!
"Imagine life as a game in which you are juggling some five balls in
the
air.
You name them:
Work,
Family,
Health,
Friends &
Spirit
and you keep juggling all of these in the Air.
You will soon understand that work is a rubber ball.
If you drop it, it will bounce back.
But the other four Balls - Family, Health, Friends and Spirit - are
made
of glass. If you drop one of these; they will be irrecoverably scuffed,
marked, nicked, damaged or even shattered.
They will never be the same.
You must understand that and strive for it.”
"Imagine life as a game in which you are juggling some five balls in
the
air.
You name them:
Work,
Family,
Health,
Friends &
Spirit
and you keep juggling all of these in the Air.
You will soon understand that work is a rubber ball.
If you drop it, it will bounce back.
But the other four Balls - Family, Health, Friends and Spirit - are
made
of glass. If you drop one of these; they will be irrecoverably scuffed,
marked, nicked, damaged or even shattered.
They will never be the same.
You must understand that and strive for it.”
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)