Moon

Moon 021913

 

पहेचान-Identity

अर्सेसे निकलेथे

खोजमे अपनी।

बड़ी देरसे

मिले खुदसे

तो वोह बोली

क्या लगती 

है तू मेरी?

       चारू



"Postmen in the Mountains"

The setting is remote, rugged, mountainous and beautiful China. If one did not know the period, it could be any primitive age of the history. An old man is about to retire from his mail delivery job. Partly because his legs do not function well. The route is about seventy five miles each way. The path to the villages is through forests, across creeks and over steep mountains. It is a treacherous route. It took him days and at times months to accomplish his duties. He was not able to see his family for days and sometimes months. On his routes he always took his fathful Dog, Lao'ter with him. His son grew up not knowing his father. The father was never harsh, but son was always afraid of his father. The son has never called his father 'dad'.

Now the man wants his son to assume the same route he served for so many years. The son does not really want the job.

Father, son and dog journey begins, reluctantly on son's part. As the path and story unfold, son learns that his father really loves him. He also realizes how well the old man is welcome, treated and respected in each village. He is very accomodating and kind to the villagers in return. The son learns to show his father love and respect he deserves by carrying him on his back across a small creek. He even starts calling him 'dad'. The Dad sighs a sigh of relief and satisfaction for the job well done.  He has raised the kid right. The son  finally has connected with his father.

At the end of the journey son is willing to continue with the job next day. He has reconciled; with the job and the father.

A movie by an up and coming director begs viewing. I enjoyed it very much.


Director: Jianqi Huo
Cast :      Ye Liu, Rujun Ten

A short bio of a George

In fifteen minutes he told me, in an English that if I did not listen carefully I would not understand, his life in USA.

He has been in this country for 14 years. He is married, has three children; none of them of school age yet. He works for a repairshop to pick-up and deliver broken and fixed machines. His wages are $ 14.00 per hour. He works forty five to sixty hours a week. One week he worked as long as eighty-seven hours!!!! That week he brought home something like $1400-$1600. He smiled and said that was a very good "Pay". He does not speak English but goes to school to learn it two times a week at a local "y".  He lives in a small one-bedroom apartment with three kids and pays $850 per month in rent. In three months he hopes to put a down-payment on a small house with the money he has saved up over the years. He said it is very hard for him and the family.

I said to him, in English with hand gestures etc. so he could understand me; Obama is proposing some good ideas for immigrants. It is good thing that he is learning English. I also told him; "no more kids". He laughed and said "yes".

I also proposed if he could do some repairwork or if his wife could do some house cleaning he should get in touch with me. He said again; "It is very hard for him and his wife with three children and forty to eighty hours of work weeks".

I felt sad; I wanted to do so much for him.

Abstract 021113

Abstract 021113

Observations

Newly published books are extremely weighty.  I  think it is because they want to price them by the pounds or kilos. Or, perhaps, they want to build my biceps

An Homage

Unexpectedly, two of Bhupen's Calcutta Anglo Gujarati School friends with whom he had lost contact for years, have been reunited with him; at least, by phone. One (Kanchan and Jyotsna) lives in  India and the other (Rashmi and Veena) is in USA.

Frequently, they talk and reminisce of old times. Some of reminiscences include songs. Rashmi sent a Boot polish song, Chali Kaunse Desh..., that he remembers Bhupen singing very well.

He also sent something else that was sung by Jagmohan and a history that I was unaware of. Based on Kalidas' epical poem, a movie called Meghdoot was made. A Faiyyaz Hashmi, a hindu who converted to muslim wrote the lyrics based on Meghdoot epic and Kamal Dasgupta provided the music.

Between the two I prefer Jagmohan song. I am posting it  (not Chali Kaunse Desh..) as an homage to their friendship.

Glacier Calving-Amazing

If this does not make one a believer, nothing else can.

http://www.youtube.com/embed/hC3VTgIPoGU?rel=0

Maharaja

Maharaja Exhibit

We saw an Indian exhibit of Maharaja at Field Museum yesterday. The display was from the period between 1700 and 1800 during when British Raj took over from East India Company. This was the period when Hindu Rajas and Maharajas were manipulated by Britishers into becoming puppet rulers. These must have been petty kings. They were not considered Kings and thus were not accorded due deference by Britishers. Some kings were rebels but their rebellion did not last very long. Also many of the kings were from Mewar and Southern India whose names I had not heard before.

I was mistaken in thinking that this exhibit would include Moghal Emperors ' cache also. But I should have known better. With a name like "Maharaja" it cannot include glory of "Badshahs". Hindu kings were Maharajas, and Muslim were Badshahs. Some small muslim rulers were also known as Nizams and /or Nawabs.

There were only about 200 plus peices of exhibits, mostly paintings with some jewllery, furniture, saries, thrones, musical instruments etc. While I did not expect it to be so, it should have had many more pieces  for display. The two dimentional paintings were mostly of Durbars, Royal Courts and Royal hunts.

With a long history, a rich and interesting one no less, India has never developed a sense of collective history and therefore no sense of preservation. The United States of America on the other hand which has only two hundred plus years' history is enormously conscious of preserving things. Michelle Obama's 2013 inauguration gown will be preserved for posterity to see sometime in the future!

They were playing beautiful music on a CD. It was called Collection of Traditional Indian Lullabies-Vatsalyam- by S. Jayashri. I would have bought it but they were sold out. While I did not find it on YouTube I am inserting here a very soft and soothing lullaby.