The Sad, the Bad, and the Horrific

Congratulations to me for writing a post before 10pm. Why? I've got a meeting in 22 minutes and I have time to spare. And dumdidum I brought my laptop to campus today - which means, facebook, msn and selfistan.



I was on the bus today - as usual, it was raining. How sad.



And I saw a person - homeless (very sad) who was holding a guitar (very good), without a case (very bad) in the rain (oh the horror)



I felt bad for them: the homeless person and the misused guitar.



But, unfortunately, sanskrit was calling and I couldn't help either


How would i have helped them Arriba asks?



I would have....hmmm...hmmm...hmmm



actually...



no idea...





thus concludes another random post on Selfistan


(ps: this was actually written thursday at 6:08pm)

Ratrau part 2

I wonder how many of my posts I've written after 10pm. I have a feeling that most of them will have been written then...

hmm...


and that concludes another random post on selfistan

Ratrau - At Night

Once again, I am at my laptop in the early hours of the morning. I haven't been in school for 3 weeks and I'm already figuring out how to get through my second all-nighter without crashing onto the table. So far, tea, toast and banana bread have seemed to work. As well, it's pretty cold in my house, so that's another reason I haven't fallen asleep. But with my scarf and two blankets, no idea how much longer that's going to last.

I love these times of the night. It's uncommonly quiet both in my house and out on the street. The road outside, constantly buzzing during the day, is now silent. The other members of my household are also asleep. It seems, at this time of the night, that I'm the only person in this world, well, in this neighbourhood. And given my solitary nature and love of quiet corners (which doesn't necessarily mean I can't be gregarious), I adore this time of night. Perhaps that's why I keep on doing all my work during it.

Actually, that's probably wrong. As much as I love the night, all I want right now is some sleep and rest. But, I guess that'll have to wait.

Qateel Shifai

I love this line

hayaat bechde thode se pyaar ke badle

sell life for some love

Qateel Shifai: wah wah

Dumdidum

Yes, I dont have the brain capacity and strength to think of a better title

dont you hate it - well at least i do - when you've got so much work to get through and you try doing it but you're so distracted by other - at times more important - things that you can't do anything?

sigh..i need to sort out my life...otherwise i'm going to sink like a boulder

off to bed - finally

completely exhausted and it's only the second week of school...sigh

i guess this is what Mr. L was warning me against in June

.

what's the point of anything?
what's the point of poetry and music if it just makes you feel worse?
what's the point of trying to make something better if you know it won't work?
what's the point of trying to do that which you cannot do?
what's the point of caring so much that you think you're going to burst apart?
what's the point of



it's because i care so bloody much
it's because i feel obligated to do it
it's because all i want in the world is __________

it's because i'm afraid that i'll lose everything i have if i don't


and that freaks me out

Tere Sawalon Ke

Tere Sawalon Ke - Manorama: 6 Feet Under
Singers: Roop Kumar Rathod & Mahalaxmi Iyer

Tere sawalon ke woh jawab jo main de na de na sakoon (4)
Pighale se armaan hain do pal ke mehmaan hain
Aankhon ke aalon mein chaahat ki lo jalne do

Tere sawalon ke woh jawab jo mein de na de na sakoon (2)

O…dererena aan rererena rerena dererena rerena

Keh rahi hai jo nazar tujhe hai khabar ke nahin
Keh rahi hai teri nazar tu bekhabar to nahin
La la la la
Keh rahi hai jo nazar tujhe hai khabar ke nahin
Keh rahi hai teri nazar tu bekhabar to nahin

Tere bina zindagi hai adhoori tere bina kya hai jeena

Pighale se armaan hain do pal ke mehmaan hain
Aankhon ke aalon mein chaahat ki lau jalne do

Tum kaho to main rok loon jo tum kaho to nahin
Seene mein hai kaisi khalish teri kashish to nahin
Lalaloo lalala
O tum kaho to main rok loon jo tum kaho to nahin
Seene mein hai kaisi khalish teri kashish to nahin

Tere bina zindagi hai adhoori tere bina kya hai jeena

Pighale se armaan hain do pal ke mehmaan hain
Aankhon ke aalon mein chaahat ki lau jalne do

Tere sawalon ke woh jawaab jo main de na de na sakoon (2)
Tere bina zindagi hai adhoori tere bina kya hai jeena (2)
Jeena. Jeena.

Back to Work

Although yesterday was the first day of classes, I went to my first class today. Yes - I skipped the first day of classes - but it was for a good cause - the first-year orientation. It was, by far, better than my first-year orientation. I was completely lost that day, hated my group leader, was bored, wanted to go home, and constantly wondered why I'd decided to go to this particular university. First year, like that orientation, was horrible. I made a couple of good friends (thankfully), but I went to school and then came home. I'd hang out with people from high school - and that was it.


Second year, was much better, but I think I became who I am right now during my third year. I got more involved and I started doing better in school - much better. Well, my average during my second year is my highest yet, but the third-year one was just a couple of percent lower - but still in the same letter grade. During last year, I started falling in love with my university - with the beautiful campus, with the work that I was doing, with my friends (you know what I mean), and with the squirrels of course.

I took courses over the summer, so it's not like I haven't been on campus for the past 4 months. But yesterday, I still felt like I was a fish that had been put back into water after having been taken out. There's something special about being with your friends, running into people you haven't seen in months, sitting outside in the sun, and feeling like you belong.

I'm definitely looking forward to this year - to the social stuff of course (which will be so much better now that I'm not taking a full course load), to the academic stuff and to the extra-curric stuff. Now, back to my Sanskrit translations

Naqsh Fariyaadi

I'm quite surprised that I didn't start this section earlier. Being the Mirza Ghalib lover that I am, I should have thought of this a long time ago. Anyway, thus starts a humble offering to the best Urdu poet that ever lived - Mirza Asadullah Khan Ghalib. I'll present various shers in Urdu and will give a translation of it as well. Note that Urdu poetry - especially that by Mirza Ghalib - is much better in the original Urdu. Translations in English always lose the flavour and the brilliance of the Urdu original. Here goes...

This is one of my favourites for its sheer brilliance in imagery

Hotaa hai nihaaN gard mein sehraa mere hote,
Ghistaa hai jabeeN Khaak peh daryaa mere aage.
- from Baazeecha-e-atfaal (-aa mere aage)


The desert conceals itself in dust when I am before it,
The ocean rubs its forehead on the sand when I am before it.


That's it for now...(you should know the rest)