And he thinks of Prudence,
how it fooled him,
how he always believed
— what madness
that cheat who said:
"Tomorrow. You have plenty of time."
He remembers impulses bridled,
the joy he sacrificed.
Every chance he lost
now mocks his senseless caution.
-- Constantine Cavafy
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
Saturday, September 19, 2009
Saturday, September 12, 2009
The word "Own" in Hindi (or lack of it)
This post here got me to think for a possible Hindi translation of the word "own" as in "I own it". But even after giving it few minutes, I could not come up with anything. And then I started thinking why?
I mean there are expressions which conveys the same, like "ये मेरे बाप का माल है" ("ye mere baap ka maal hai" - This is my father's property) or "ये मेरी जागीर है" ("ye meri zageer hai" - I own it).
But these are considered vulgar expressions not to be used in civil conversation.
And then it struck me.
To some extent, our views of the world find its reflection in the language of the day.
The thinkers, who had sowed the early seeds of languages in India believed in
अयं निजः परोवेति, गणना लघुचेतसाम् ।
उदारचरितानां तु वसुधैव कुटुम्बकम् ॥
[Ignorant sees the world as "mine" and "yours"]
[For the Learned, the whole world is family]
It was believed that you can get associated with someone (or something) but can never own it. For them, such inconceivable a thought of owning something was, that they might have deliberately omitted any such word from propagating.
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
Tryst with destiny (for US of A)
Long years ago, the founding fathers of America made a tryst with destiny "When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands..."
Today, when the whole worlds sleeps, the people of America will be awake to redeem those pledges and will have once in a lifetime chance to show the world that not everything is wrong with this country.
That the people of USA are not the same as the Government of USA or the vested financial corporations of USA.
That it is truly THE land of opportunity for anyone or everyone who dreams to be somebody irrespective of their classification in numerous categories and the fact that there have been many events in the past that scream that this is not always true.
Many of my friends hold this belief that whatever the noise about the majority of American not considering Race as a major (or any) deciding factor for the top most job of the country, when "Joe the Plumber" will finally have a chance to choose between Red and Blue, all he will see is a Black and that's what is going to decide the outcome of this poll.
And the maverick and the MILF will laugh their way to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.
But me, being an ever optimistic person, still holds the belief that all is not lost in this world, and the people of America will ensure that whatever name the GOP has called that Black man from Illinois, tonight they will address him as the 44th president of US of A.
Today, when the whole worlds sleeps, the people of America will be awake to redeem those pledges and will have once in a lifetime chance to show the world that not everything is wrong with this country.
That the people of USA are not the same as the Government of USA or the vested financial corporations of USA.
That it is truly THE land of opportunity for anyone or everyone who dreams to be somebody irrespective of their classification in numerous categories and the fact that there have been many events in the past that scream that this is not always true.
Many of my friends hold this belief that whatever the noise about the majority of American not considering Race as a major (or any) deciding factor for the top most job of the country, when "Joe the Plumber" will finally have a chance to choose between Red and Blue, all he will see is a Black and that's what is going to decide the outcome of this poll.
And the maverick and the MILF will laugh their way to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.
But me, being an ever optimistic person, still holds the belief that all is not lost in this world, and the people of America will ensure that whatever name the GOP has called that Black man from Illinois, tonight they will address him as the 44th president of US of A.
Monday, August 18, 2008
The Lightning Bolt
If you have followed men's 100 meters sprint for past some time, you might have noticed the grind it puts the participants through, winner or losers alike.
Every oz of their energy seem to drip out of their anatomy and by the time they cross the finish line, you can see on each face what Indian Classical Music term as "mudra dosh", disfigurement of facial expression while performing a tough "raga". And all in a span of just 100 meters :O
And if you were lucky enough to witness what can be easily termed as the prologue of an epic in Bird's Nest on the night of 16th August, you'd not be able to help but wonder how ridiculously easy this new emperor of speed made it look like to win the most prolific of track'n'field events, and boy, did he do that in style.
Surely, 9.50 is not too far.
Every oz of their energy seem to drip out of their anatomy and by the time they cross the finish line, you can see on each face what Indian Classical Music term as "mudra dosh", disfigurement of facial expression while performing a tough "raga". And all in a span of just 100 meters :O
And if you were lucky enough to witness what can be easily termed as the prologue of an epic in Bird's Nest on the night of 16th August, you'd not be able to help but wonder how ridiculously easy this new emperor of speed made it look like to win the most prolific of track'n'field events, and boy, did he do that in style.
Surely, 9.50 is not too far.
New blog...
Why have a second blog when you are not even regular on your first one?
Well, I'd say that's the exact reason :)
Many a times, I'd just fell short of Thinking Aloud because it did not fit with what I wanted to post on the original blog. So here I'm with another one where (hopefully) I'd have more frequent synchronization between the gray and the black.
Well, I'd say that's the exact reason :)
Many a times, I'd just fell short of Thinking Aloud because it did not fit with what I wanted to post on the original blog. So here I'm with another one where (hopefully) I'd have more frequent synchronization between the gray and the black.
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