Creativity

This is a poem I wrote in my B.Arch first year ragging period-
we were given this phrase "Mere miyaan ne ande diye"
and told to write a creative piece on it- and be as creative as possible!

This was a regular thing in ragging- we would get some of the most weird phrases-
(I remember, another one was- "Jab mera pair shitpot me fansa)

Ostensibly, to improve our creativity. So this is what I came up with,
and it became quite a legend in the hostel :)
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Mere Miyaan ne Ande Diye

Ik din mai kar rahi thhi, rasoi me kuchh kaam,
tabhi mere miyaan ne bulaya mera naam

phir andar se awaaz aayi kuchh yoon,
kukdoo koon, kukdoo koon

Mai pahunchi to darwaaza band thha,
ye sulook mujhe bilkul na pasand thha,
maine kaha "darwaaza kholo"
awaaz aayi, "abhi kuchh mat bolo"

yeh to koi jawaab na thha,
meri curiosity ka hisaab na thha,
maine utha liya hathauda,
aur usi waqt darwaaze ko toda

jaise hi meri nazar bistar par jhuki,
bas... meri to hansi hi na ruki

Miyaan bole...
Hanste hanste tumhara bura haal hai,
par sach kahoon, ye meri izzat ka sawaal hai

Ye ande maine abhi abhi diye hain,
tumhe na sahi, mujhe to bahut priye hain

Phir unhone Munne ko uske paalne se nikala,
aur uski jagah un andon ko daala,
maine Munne ko apni baahon me sameta,
par unhone to andon ko uske kambal me lapeta...

Ye dekh kar meri bhawhein tan gayi,
mai Kaali ka raudra roop ban gayi,
par unhone meri ek na maani,
kara wohi to man me thaani

kuchh dinon baad andon mein se, aayi kuchh awaaz,
hum daude gaye dekhne, kya thha iska raaz

Wo nazara dekh ke, hamaare ud gaye hosh,
andon me se nikle thhe, do pyaare khargosh

kuchh din huye, is baat ko kissa bane,
par wo dono hamaare parivaar ka hissa bane,

Munne ke saath wo
khelte hain chhupan-chhupai,
aakhir aapas mein,
wo hain to bhai- bhai

Chaahe is baat par, yakeen karna mushkil hai,
Par sach kahooon, jaanwaron ka bhi dil hai...

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Seetharaman Narayanan

I have always been fascinated by this name- Seetharaman Narayanan. I have been using Photoshop for almost 8 years now, and I've been mesmerized by his name.
Photoshop and Seetharaman Narayanan are synonyms for me. There are times when, thinking about something that I'm designing in Photoshop- this name keeps reverberating at the back of my mind.

I always thought it was just me! And then, a few days back, I found this- an interview with the man himself.
And came to know that,
"Back in 2004, a simple comment was posted on the ConceptArt.org forum. It said, “Every time I open up photoshop I am mezmorized by this guy’s name. It’s all I can look at. Don’t know why…” Six pages of “Me, too!” responses followed."

So its the rest of the world as well! And I thought it was only me who kept staring and staring at the name. And that is why I decided to look him up. Here's what he looks like (Or what he's made to look like):

Seetharaman as God.

(P.S.- I like the mustache).

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Lakshman Rekha

Men and women experience urban space differently.

(a universal truth, which I would have thought everybody would have perceived and experienced).

However, at a recent party, we just happened to talk about this- and one guy said- "Is that true? I really don't know. I think this atleast does not happen in India"

DUH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Which essentially proves my point- men and women experience urban space differently. AND- that this guy was a thick blockhead with no perception.

Women grow up (especially in India) with an inherent sense of the implicit and perceived danger in open urban spaces. We have all heard incessant warnings about not going out after dark, ever.
We've all had our share of those experiences- be it a groping hand passing by on the street, on the crowded public bus, waiting for the bus at night...
My point being- an inherent caution of public space is built into women, and it comes as a natural part of our perception and experience. I had thought of this as something everybody knew- there is, after all, a lot of press on Eve-teasing, and women's molestation, etc.- especially in India. It is part and parcel of our daily life in India.
More so, because public places are not deemed as "proper" places for respectable Indian women to be seen in. Being in a public place at the wrong time is "asking for it".

New Year's Eve, Mumbai was not an aberration. India is getting unsafer by the day (ToI, sometime this Jan).
Take a look at these guidelines- they would be hilarious, if they were not so saddeningly true. These are rules that are internalized by all Indian women, and have been spelt out only for visitors. YES, this is how we all know we are supposed to behave. These are our Lakshman-Rekhas...

So it irritated me no end when an educated, supposedly well-read Indian said this. Made me angry. Maybe somebody needs to put their blinkers away. This truth will never penetrate his narrow vision, perception and thought. Actually, considering his ways of thinking, he maybe believes women have no need to be in a public place at all! (As you can guess, I am infuriated).

Does this say something about Indian men? If they don't even SEE the problem, how can effective steps be made to solve it???

See here!!!

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Jaam

The most intoxicating song of all time:

Here.

For the first time ever, I have put a song on my blog.
This is one song I used to listen to when I was growing up (that will make you wonder about the kind of songs I listened to ;)
Actually, my Mom was a ghazal fanatic- and so we both used to listen to these Urdu ghazals, and she would explain not only the literal Urdu meaning of the word, but also the deeper meaning of the whole.
I still remember her ghazal diaries- she would sing the ghazal (she has an amazing voice and had trained in classical music) and then explain their meanings to me - and as a budding teenager, with all its incipient heartaches, I would be absorbed in this wonderful world and find a resonance within me!!

So began a lifetime of love for Urdu and Sher-o-shayari. I am a huge Ghalib fan and just love his poetry.
And of course, the Jaam is such an integral part of the ghazal...
Which is the reason for this post.

If you love alcohol/liquor/ sharaab- you just have to listen to this song.
It is the most incredible tribute to sharaab- listen to the tadap and talab for it as you hear the depth of longing for sharaab... in Munni Begum's incomparable voice!
The lyrics are spectacular- every word a joyous celebration of nasha...

A must hear for all alcohol-philes!!

And a fitting start to the 2008 blogging year- with spirit!!!!!

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