Need Ka Nirmaan



Photo taken in Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary (Dec 2008)



नीड का निर्माण फिर फिर

नेह का आव्हान फिर फिर

यह उठी आँधी कि नभ में

छा गया सहसा अँधेरा

धूलि धूसर बादलों ने

भूमि को इस भाँती घेरा

रात सा दिन हो गया

फिर रात आई और काली

लग रहा था अब न होगा

इस निशा का फिर सवेरा

रात के उत्पात भय से

भीत जन जन भीत कण कण

किंतु प्राची से उषा की

मोहिनी मुस्कान फिर फिर

नीड का निर्माण फिर फिर

नेह का आव्हान फिर फिर



              क्रुद्ध नभ के वज्र दंतों में

              उषा है मुसकराती

              घोर गर्जनमय गगन के

              कंठ में खग पंक्ति गाती

              एक चिडिया चोंच में तिनका लिए

              जो जा रही है

              वह सहज में ही पवन

              उनचास को नीचा दिखा रही है

              नाश के दुःख से कभी

             दबता नहीं निर्माण का सुख

             प्रलय की निस्तब्धता में

             सृष्टि का नवगान फिर फिर

             नीड का निर्माण फिर फिर

             नेह का आव्हान फिर फिर

                  - हरिवंश राय बच्चन 

E-Reader

Recently, while traveling in the metro, I saw someone engrossed in what seemed like an e-reader.

As I love reading, I just got thinking about it. E-reader might actually be a great idea as I generally do my reading on the go.
 

What makes it tempting for me ? 

- Will not have to pre-decide which book I want to carry  for reading while travelling. 

- The size/weight  of the book will not be a limiting factor 

- may not need time for regular visits to public library, being a member of    e-library 

- I may save space the book shelf space in house :-)

Having said that, I love to turn my pages, I love to use a bookmark, I love the feel of a book at my bedside, I love my visits to the library . In short, I love to feel my books. (How much reading am I able to actually do is a different story)

So the question here is to be or not to be!

Current thoughts are - though it seems to be a very convenient and tempting idea, I will keep my books for now. But I am sure it is going to catch up very soon and I will have to re-think.

It is a phase akin to when digital cameras were picking up. I had same thoughts - "I love to feel my photos". And look at the scene now !
I still miss the feel of the print,the pride in knowing how to fit a camera roll, the long wait before a roll is complete, the excitement before having the first look at the prints and the time set aside to file photos carefully in album !
 
But it is no longer a practical option ! When we shifted to Singapore, all my digital photos came with me while I had to leave behind the albums.

Coming back to e-reader - as an Article in 'The Economist' puts it :
"Rather than being a thriller that grabs you from the first sentence,the tale of the rise of electronic books (e-books) is more like a novel that takes a while to get into its stride. If you saw an e-book device for the first time in 2008 and first played with one in 2009, perhaps you will buy one in 2010."
 
I am already thinking if I will have to wait till 2012 to buy one ! Time will tell !

Agneepath

वृक्ष हो भले घने, 

हो घने हो बड़े, 

एक पट छाव की,

मांग मत,मांग मत,मांग मत,

अग्निपथ अग्निपथ अग्निपथ.

तू न थकेगा कभी,
तू न थमेगा कभी, 

तू न मुड़ेगा कभी,

कर शपथ, कर शपथ, कर  शपथ,

अग्निपथ, अग्निपथ, अग्निपथ.

                          ये महान दृश्य है,

                          चल रहा मनुष्य है,

                          अश्रु स्वेद रक्त से,

                          लथपथ, लथपथ, लथपथ,

                          अग्निपथ, अग्निपथ, अग्निपथ.

                          
                              हरिवंश राय बच्चन 

Innovative Advertising

Do you get the point ? Well, I did not at the first look. In fact when I saw several such papers stuck on one of the wall near the Clementi bus stop in Singapore, I was little surprised at the upheaval look of so many seemingly torn off papers !

If you take a closer look, it is an advertisement having strips of papers with the same contact number written on it. So, anyone interested can just pull off a strip on the go ! 

I found that quite an amazing and innovative idea !

Gong Xi Fa Cai

There is something about festivals. You can feel it in the air!

Having just shifted to Singapore a month and half back, I invariably found myself picking up a Red Tee to wear on the eve of Chinese New Year.

When numerous red lanterns, big and small pots laden with several dozen oranges, beautiful red and golden decorative and lion dances suddenly start springing from nowhere, you know that Chinese New Year is round the corner ! 

Not to forget lots of unwanted stuff being put away as part of spring cleaning. In fact, inspired, we also threw some of our unwanted stuff !

Relatives give money in little red packets to the unmarried in family called Ang Pao (Hong Bao in Mandarin). It was funny reading articles in local papers on ways to deal with relatives who keep pestering the marriageable aged while giving them their ang paos. There are also articles on many couples not wanting girl child to be born in the coming year, lest they will grow up to be very aggressive as this is the year of Tiger.

It's quite like our Diwali - decorations, exchange of gifts, de-cluttering and family reunions!

We headed to Kuala Lumpur to spend our CNY holidays this year and so missed the D-Day festivities, fireworks and lion dances. May be next year, till then - Gong Xi Fa Cai (roughly means Congratulations and be Prosperous)!