Nov 14, 2009

Preciously Possessed

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-->“Nostalgia is like a grammar lesson: You find the present tense and the past perfect”
- Robert Orben, an American Magician

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I was reminiscing with a class fellow about old days at university when I came across the above quotation. You read it and say, nobody could be more honest and striking about being nostalgic.

Nostalgia is a feeling which can take over you at any point in time but winters savor it best. If I go back into time, along with all those who were around and accompanied me, I had the best of life indeed. While reading the quote, I realized that it’s a fact that we only miss our past when we go through a bitter present. Otherwise who would miss the bad patch? It’s only the goodness and sheer happiness of times we miss and obviously the people.

As time passes, we grow older and lose our freedom at the hand of time and others. All our life we want to grow up and jump from school to college to university. It’s only after those years when we are trapped in the vicious circle of responsibilities; we cherish what we had in those years. We had freedom and fun. The enthusiasm was filled in each small activity of life. Laughter wrappers were all around our days and nights. From a small Rs.5 Kit Kat to cheating in the quiz was our essence of life.
The maximum tension we suffered was maintaining a GPA or small heart-matters. I call them small because life has taught me what is BIG.

I still remember how we saw the first reporting of the Iraq War at a friend’s house and discussed it with her late father, Baba. We had huge dreams of changing the world and making our names in the history of time. Lifetime plans were discussed between the small spaces of the library or over Samosas (Potato Patty).

The freedom of dreams and imagination we experienced is priceless. We just didn’t know that out beyond these iron gates, the reality and responsibility both awaits us.
In winters, we want the warmth of our memories to wrap us, or else the season can leave its mark on us.


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I am happy that many of us hold a delightful past which makes us optimistic about the future and harbor our present.

Nov 13, 2009

For the Love of Language !!!

According to a Bollywood actress Amisha Patel, “I feel French is very close to Urdu. Both languages are beautiful. Sadly, their beauty is lost in translation”.

After receiving a comment from French blog visitor that Urdu belongs to Punjab, I told myself its time some of us should write down more regularly about this language and its initiators.

“Urdu” is an Indo-Aryan language came into being somewhere around 1300's through Mughal Courts of South-Asia then. The literary means of Urdu is Lashkar or "Army" in Turkish. In those times, Mughal Emperors had soldiers fighting in their army from various backgrounds i.e. Persian/Arabic/Turkish, hence a concoction born out of these languages called as URDU. It is an extremely rich language due to its take from the mentioned three languages, which made it an official language later.

It is the 20th widely spoken language of world, mainly spoken in Asia.Urdu is also as considered as 9th most influential language. It is official language of Pakistan and some states of India. Sometimes mistaken with Hindi due to its dialect, where as its inherited by Sanskrit mainly, which is a complete contrast to Urdu grammar and pronunciation.

Urdu is considered as one of the most formal, mannered and sweet languages. Many poets from Mughal era till today, have suggested their experiences of love and life both through Urdu Poetry and Prose.

I am born into a family who not only speak Urdu but also feel proud of it. Personally, I feel Urdu is one of the most expressive, imaginative, and passionate languages.

You gotta read it once in your life !!!