Today's mood: Happy!

Talked to Mom last night...about the crabbiness...and what she says is right...I'm surprised I didn't think of it myself...
Why do I mostly expect everyone I know to be on the same wavelength as me? Why don't I feel great about all the really nice people and things at work (and around me) and forget about the rest...and just get my job done? I'm over all the crabbiness anyway. Knew I'd get over it soon enough. Think I'll just blame the "cultural shock".

Had a nice time this evening. :)

Today's mood: Happy...and it's staying this way now. :)

A Strange Problem by Kunwar Narain

Got my salary today! And just treated myself to a subscription to The Little Magazine.

Was reading the online edition just now, and read this poem which I think is really nice. It's been translated from Hindi by Pratik Kanjilal, and was originally written by Kunwar Narain.



I have a strange problem these days —
The power to hate with all my heart
Is ebbing by the day

I want to hate the English
(They ruled us for two centuries)
But Shakespeare sidles up
To whom I owe so much

I want to hate the Muslims
But Ghalib stands before me
Tell me, is it possible to stand up
To him?

I want to hate the Sikhs
And Guru Nanak fills my vision
And my head is bowed

And this Kamban, this Thyagaraja, this
Muthuswamy…
A hundred thousand times I tell myself
They are not mine
They’re from some place far South
But the heart does not rest
Till they are made mine

And that lover
Who betrayed me the first time
I’d as soon kill her as look at her!
I do see her, but
Sometimes she is a friend
Sometimes a mother
Often like a sister
And I drink from the cup of love, and am still

All my days
I wander like a madman
In search of someone I can
Hate with all my heart
And ease it for a while

But precisely the opposite happens
Somewhere, sometime
I find someone
I cannot help but love

Day by day, this disease of love is growing
Rooted firmly in the fantasy
That one day my love
Will show me Paradise

Today's mood: Crabby

Long time since I wrote. Have been trying to, but just can't somehow. Put this new thing on my blog called "Today's Mood". Quite cool, I think. Today, I'm crabby. Actually, wasn't in the morning. These days I get crabby as soon as I reach office. I keep telling myself on the rickshaw ride to work that I won't let things get to me today, but I still end up getting all bugged. And no, it's not really the work. (Though, I wish the film would take off quickly.) It's more the people, and the constant sarcasm and the sexist jokes. No, the jokes don't happen when I'm there, but they do go on all the time, and...oh, it's SO IRRITATING!

Although (clarification needed), it's not everyone. It's just a couple of people. The rest are nice. Really nice.

I know I gotta do something. Just don't know what.

In the meanwhile...for some reason, been thinking of these lines all day...

To see a world in a grain of sand,
And a heaven in a wild flower.
Hold infinity in the palm of your hand,
And eternity in an hour.

- William Blake

I tag you, River!

That bugging questionnaire I was tagged with...well, I'd tagged Gourav, but he still doesn't have a blog...hence...
You're tagged, River!

Which Emoticon Are You?

Aanchal, the emoticon that represents you best is the Smiling Face

What's up, smiley? Somehow you just always seem to find a way to turn that frown upside down. Your upbeat attitude and friendly demeanor brighten up any room, including your favorite chat room.

Like your classic emoticon counterpart, you're a staple on anyone's list. Boring days and sleepless nights are far more bearable when you're online to chat. Whether you're shooting the breeze, catching up, or giving out advice, you can cheer up anyone on the other side of the conversation. So keep lightening the mood, making new friends, and bringing smiles to other folks' faces. After all, it's just so natural for you!

Papa's Birthday Present

Yes, this is it! The famous gramophone that Saahil and I got Papa for his birthday!

Thanks, Anvita and Tanzila...for trekking through Chandani Chowk and Dariba Bazaar hunting for an actual antique piece...and not the "new antiques" that you get at Janpath. :)

Mom

Mom (caught mid-sentence), me and the Brat (posing as always!).

Brat!

And while I'm at it...here's me with the Brat.

Blogger

Yours truly with the newest blogger in blogosphere...my Dad! :)

Post Script to the last post:

Papa, you got a blog too now. Welcome, blogger! And, you're tagged! :-D

My Dad's blog, ladies and gentlemen... The Travels and Adventures of Thor.

Tagged!

I was tagged by Anvita...so here goes...and remember what it said on your going away party cake?...that's what you are, woman!

Three names I go by:

1. Aanchal
2. Ant (??!!)
3. Her Royal Airness (...due to the famous "airhead mode")

Three screen names:

1. Aanchal
2. Aanchal Tyagi
3. Magic (I know, I know...dumb screen name...in my defence...I was 15!!)

Three things I like about myself:

1. That I'm so much like Mom.
   
2. That I'm nice to people...mostly.
   
3. That I'm quite intelligent, and can be rather good at whatever I set my mind to (...except at maths, physics and chemistry!).
   

Three things I don't like about myself:

1. Lazy
2. Impatient with people who act/are stupid (...and yes, Anvita...I kinda like that about myself too).
   
3. That I can't really talk with someone I've just met
   

Three things that scare me:

1. Horror films...and they scare me not just in the way that they scare most people...they freak me out..for years!!
   
2. That my computer will crash one day, and I'll have no back-up!
   
3. Fire
   

Three essentials:

1. A wonderful childhood...like I've had.
   
2. Hope.
   
3. A top-of-the-line computer with high-speed internet.

Three things I like in the opposite sex:

1. The fact that it is the "opposite" sex.
   
2. Lesser hang-ups about supposed morality.
   
3. Simple minds. Ha! Ha! Ha! *evil laughter*
   

Three things I want to do badly right now:

1. Write an amazing screenplay.
2. Go home for a few days.
3. Go on a really nice holiday...maybe to Kanataal.
   

Three careers I'm considering right now:

1. A film-maker.
   
2. An editor.
   
3. ...and that's it...more the first option anyway.
   

Three places I'd love to go on vacation:

1. Morocco
2. Europe (...all of it...kinda makes answering this question easier!)
   
3. Kerala
   

Three kids' names I like and why:

1. Mihika
   
2. Kaahini (Anvita, that's what happens when you tell people! Ha!)
   
3. Ankush

...because all three sound lovely and/or mean lovely things.

Three things to do before dying:

1. Stay happy, love, and be loved...always.
   
2. Make films.
3. Bring up great kids (...like my parents did!)
   

Three people to get to do this wonderful questionnaire:

1. Arvind
2. Papa...but he doesn't have a blog yet.
   
3. Gourav...and he doesn't have a blog either.

Finished! Whew!!

Sehar - Faiz Ahmed Faiz and Kabir Kaushik

Met Kabir Kaushik this evening. He's the director of Sehar. Interesting guy...really. The film ought to be nice. And it's got quite an impressive cast - Pankaj Kapoor, Suhasini Mulay, Arshad Warsi and Sushant Singh. Mahima Chaudhary too. Releasing on the 29th of July.

What I like a lot about Kabir (and, by default, about Sehar as well) is that the name of the film's been taken from one of my favourite poems of Faiz. And this poem is also a part of the film...which just makes the film even better. This poem's called Subh-e-aazaadi, and Faiz had written it in August 1947. Here it is...

ye daaG daaG ujaalaa, ye shab_gaziidaa sahar
wo intazaar thaa jis kaa, ye wo sahar to nahii.n

ye wo sahar to nahii.n jis kii aarazuu lekar
chale the yaar ki mil jaayegii kahii.n na kahii.n
falak ke dasht me.n taro.n kii aaKharii ma.nzil
kahii.n to hogaa shab-e-sust mauj kaa saahil
kahii.n to jaa ke rukegaa safinaa-e-Gam-e-dil
jawaa.N lahuu kii pur-asaraar shaaharaaho.n se
chale jo yaar to daaman pe kitane haath pa.De
dayaar-e-husn kii be-sabr Khwaab-gaaho.n se
pukaratii rahii.n baahe.n, badan bulaate rahe
bahut aziiz thii lekin ruKh-e-sahar kii lagan
bahut qarii.n thaa hasiinaan-e-nuur kaa daaman
subuk subuk thii tamannaa, dabii dabii thii thakan

sunaa hai ho bhii chukaa hai firaq-e-zulmat-e-nuur
sunaa hai ho bhii chukaa hai wisaal-e-ma.nzil-o-gaam
badal chukaa hai bahut ahl-e-dard kaa dastuur
nishaat-e-wasl halaal-o-azaab-e-hijr-e-haraam
jigar kii aag, nazar kii uma.ng, dil kii jalan
kisii pe chaaraa-e-hijraa.N kaa kuchh asar hii nahii.n
kahaa.N se aaii nigaar-e-sabaa, kidhar ko gaii
abhii chiraaG-e-sar-e-rah ko kuchh Khabar hii nahii.n
abhii garaani-e-shab me.n kamii nahii.n aaii
najaat-e-diida-o-dil kii gha.Dii nahii.n aaii
chale chalo ki wo ma.nzil abhii nahii.n aaii

What really angers me right now is this review...

"Pankaj Kapoor lends his atmospheric voice to "Faiz". The whole piece may only be a minute long but it is effectively powerful and very striking. Kapoor breathes life into Swanand Kirkire´s Urdu words, "Yeh daag daag ujaala, yeh shabgazeeda sehar...” After his picturesque words for"Parineeta", Kirkire is emerging as a very promising lyricist."

Some idiot called Shahid Khan thinks he's qualified enough to review an album, and he isn't aware that "Faiz" is actually Faiz Ahmed Faiz - the man who wrote "Yeh daag daag ujaala, yeh shabgazeeda sehar...", and which, by inference, WASN'T written by Swanand Kirkire!

Here, I'd like to say...again...as I'd said in this post...
"about 90% of all people are plain stupid, and one should get around their stupidities and get one's own work done."
I believe that, but this still makes my blood boil!

MIT Weblog Survey

Bol Ke Lab Aazaad Hain Tere by Faiz Ahmed Faiz

Ayodhya attack: Six terrorists killed
Tuesday, July 5, 2005 (Ayodhya):

Six terrorists today made an abortive attempt to storm the high-security Ram Janmabhoomi complex in Ayodhya.

All six of them were shot dead in a one and a-half hour encounter with the security forces guarding the complex.

There has been no damage to the make-shift shrine at the religious site.

The attackers had hired a taxi on the pretext of doing sight seeing around Ayodhya. Once in the car, they forced the driver away from the wheel and took control.

Breaching the wall

The driver, hired by the terrorists, is alive and has been arrested. He told the police that the terrorists had claimed to be tourists and even prayed at a temple before the attack.

On reaching the temple complex, one of the terrorists drove an explosives-laden jeep to the outer fence and blew up the jeep and himself. The other five then ran in firing their guns and setting off grenades.

They stopped by the security personnel at the Sita Rasoi, outside the periphery of the disputed site. The CRPF engaged the militants in a gunbattle, at the end of which all six militants were killed.

"After the blast, there was an opening through which the terrorists entered. That is when the CRPF got alert and retaliated," said Jyoti Kumar Sinha, director general, CRPF.

One unidentified person was killed in the crossfire while three security personnel were injured.

The terrorists were carrying AK 47s and grenades. The bomb-disposal squads called in to comb the area found rocket launchers as well. The CRPF, which led the operation, says one of the dead militants was a human bomb.

Late in the evening, police found another jeep hired by the terrorists to travel from Akbarpur to Faizabad. The driver has been arrested.

Cabinet meet

Later the Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil briefed the Union Cabinet on the terrorist attack in Ayodhya.

Intelligence reports so far indicate that Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) could be behind the attack.

In view of the incident, a red alert has been sounded in state capitals across the country.

This is the first terrorist attack on the disputed complex, since the makeshift temple came up after the demolition of Babri masjid in December 1992.

Locals calm

However, the real eye opener after today’s attack was the attitude of the people of Ayodhya, where not one communal clash was reported.

Shops and small businesses were open as usual - a sign perhaps that the people of the town can be more level-headed than many of our political parties.




So said today's news...

So, the locals are calm. Why then would the BJP want to call a "nation-wide protest against the terrorist attack"?! Political motivations I understand...but not an IOTA of integrity either? What the hell are they thinking?!! WHY in the world would they get the whole country into something that's thankfully (for once!) not been made into a queston of religion...yet?!! Why can't these men, of the RSS and the BJP, think of the country...just for once?!!

bol ke lab aazaad hai.n tere
bol zabaa.N ab tak terii hai
teraa sutawaa.N jism hai teraa
bol ki jaa.N ab tak terii hai
dekh ke aaha.ngar kii dukaa.N me.n
tu.nd hai.n shole surKh hai aahan
khulane lage quffalo.n ke dahaane
phailaa har ek zanjiir kaa daaman
bol ye tho.Daa waqt bahot hai
jism-o-zabaa.N kii maut se pahale
bol ki sach zi.ndaa hai abb tak
bol jo kuchh kahane hai kah le

[sutawaa.N=well built; aaha.ngar=blacksmith; tu.nd=sharp (here it means bright);]
[aaha.ngar=black-smith; quffalo.n ke dahaane=keyhole]

I'm Only A Cat

I'm only a cat,

and I stay in my place...
Up there on your chair,
on your bed or your face!

I'm only a cat,
and I don't finick much...
I'm happy with cream
and anchovies and such!

I'm only a cat,
and we'll get along fine...
As long as you know
I'm not yours... you're all mine!

Author Unknown

I got me a lil kitten!

Yes, I did!

She's two months old, and her name is Xena. Got her today from these lovely people in Lodhi Colony, whose son had brought home a tiny little orphan kitten from his college in Jalandhar. I'd called Frendicoes, and they gave me the number of this guy. So, I went right over and got her home.

She reached home, got out of the box and started exploring my whole house... crouching and jumping up at imaginary things...hunting imaginary prey...hence, the name...Xena, the Warrior Princess.

She's adorable! Refuses to sleep in her basket, and insists on sleeping either on my bed, or in my lap (...or on my stomach, if I'm sleeping too). She prowls around and hunts imaginary prey all day, plays with her toys, sleeps and eats. And if I'm sitting at the computer, and she's sleepy (...and should ordinarily be sleeping on MY bed!), she comes up to me, starts hitting me with her paw and meowing to tell me to pick her up...or she just jumps up onto my lap...and goes to sleep comfortably! (That's what she's doing in the picture.) Really, really cute!

I'll have someone to come home to now...

Though, Anvita won't be visiting me anymore...! ;-D

He was my North, my South, my East and West,
My working week and my Sunday rest,
My noon, my midnight, my talk, my song;
I thought that love would last forever: I was wrong.

- W.H. Auden