Like That Only » The Reluctant Novelist
// February 24th, 2010 // 1 Comment » // Articles
I still havent read Mohsin Hamid. I suppose I should…
The novel traces the life of Changez, a young Pakistani man who falls in love with, gets disillusioned by, and eventually abandons America. Changez tells his story in first person to a nervous American stranger, over the course of a long dinner in Lahore’s Anarkali market.
Hamid’s storytelling, as always, is top class. The monologue format works for him the same way the handheld camera works for Oliver Stone in Platoon – it gives a personal, point-of-view feel to the narrative, and at the same time makes it edgy and unstable. Since Hamid did not give a voice to the other party in the conversation, the reader fills in the gaps with his own imagination. At least for me, this worked beautifully — this mystery enhanced the ominous atmosphere of the overall story.
Jacques brel le moribond – une vidéo Musique (et maintenant avec le traduction anglais)
// February 20th, 2010 // No Comments » // Music
New Karachi literary festival hopes to turn page on pak lit
// February 20th, 2010 // No Comments » // Articles, Reading(s)
News of the festival comes at a time of mounting interest in Pakistani literature. The trend was perhaps sparked by the publication in 2007 of Hamids novella, The Reluctant Fundamentalist, which was shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize. That was followed by Hanifs dark A Case of Exploding Mangoes and a collection of short stories, In Other Rooms, Other Worlds, by Daniyal Mueenuddin. A copy of the latter was given to the US President, Barack Obama, by his regional envoy Richard Holbrooke, who said of the collection of interwoven stories: “Its beautiful.” Meanwhile, Kamila Shamsie, whose fifth novel, Burnt Shadows, was published last year, has also received international acclaim.
via New Karachi literary festival hopes to turn page on bombs - Asia, World – The Independent.
Pakistani ambassador rejected because his name is NSFW in Arabic – Arab world lives up to its reputation
// February 11th, 2010 // No Comments » // Travel
It’s no wonder the arab world is in such a state of dis-repair – such mind-boggling, pathetic inanity would be out of place even in south-asia…
Despite having served for years as a distinguished Pakistani diplomat, Akbar Zeb reportedly cannot receive accreditation as Pakistan's ambassador to Saudi Arabia. The reason, apparently, has nothing to do with his credentials, and everything to do with his name — which, in Arabic, translates to “biggest dick”:
In Saudi Arabia, size does count.
A high level Pakistani diplomat has been rejected as Ambassador of Saudi Arabia because his name, Akbar Zib, equates to “Biggest Dick” in Arabic. Saudi officials, apparently overwhelmed by the idea of the name, put their foot down and gave the idea of his being posted there, the kibosh.
According to this Arabic-language article in the Arab Times, Pakistan had previously floated Zeb's name as ambassador to the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain, only to have him rejected for the same reason. One can only assume that submitting Zeb's name to a number of Arabic-speaking countries is some unique form of punishment designed by the Pakistani Foreign Ministry — or the result of a particularly egregious cockup.
via Pakistani ambassador rejected because his name is NSFW in Arabic | FP Passport.
Alt Music: Guftam Ke Raushan Az Qamar? A qawwali by Amir Khusrau in farsi
// February 10th, 2010 // No Comments » // Music, Pakistan, Poetry, Qawwali
Guftam Ke Raushan Az Qamar Amir Khusrau Qawwali
I’m sure this wouldnt sound so cool in any other language (i can pickup the general gist of conversation, but my farsi is far from good). In any case, here is a somewhat more unusual qawwali attributed to Amir Khusro
Urdu short stories: 6 translations into English of Patras Bokhari (Six Humorous Pieces)
// February 9th, 2010 // No Comments » // Reading(s)
I have no wish to blaspheme, but, before i go further – i should explain that im not a big fan of urdu short stories, somehow. Patras, the illustrious Patras Bokhari is held up as one of urdu’s finest modern short story writers.
Whilst to me, what appeal they do have is for Patras’ simple and lucid style in Urdu, since they are held in such esteem, i’d hunted for them for a while before I found these on the internet.
So, I present them here.
Please note that all rights are held by the authors, i’ve only archived it below because they we’rnt exactly the first google result and urdustudies (the journal where they appeared) seems to have its future hanging in the balance.
Source: http://www.urdustudies.com/pdf/23/11Patras.pdf
So, without further ado:
Let Them Snuff Out the Moon – Faiz’s prison poetry: a line blurred between beauty and suffering
// February 7th, 2010 // No Comments » // Poetry, Reading(s)
VB pointed me to this:
http://www.nepalitimes.com/issue/2010/01/28/BLOGS/16744
Which has a translation of Faiz’s ‘Zindan ki ek shaam’ by Agha Shahid Ali:
Each star a rung,
night comes down the spiral
staircase of the evening.
The breeze passes by so very close
as if someone just happened to speak of love.
In the courtyard,
the trees are absorbed refugees
embroidering maps of return on the sky.
On the roof,
the moon – lovingly, generously -
is turning the stars
into a dust of sheen.
From every corner, dark-green shadows,
in ripples, come towards me.
At any moment they may break over me,
like the waves of pain each time I remember
this separation from my lover.This thought keeps consoling me:
though tyrants may command that lamps be smashed
in rooms where lovers are destined to meet,
they cannot snuff out the moon, so today,
nor tomorrow, no tyranny will succeed,
no poison of torture make me bitter,
if just one evening in prison
can be so strangely sweet,
if just one moment anywhere on this earth.Faiz Ahmed Faiz
Translated from the Urdu by Agha Shahid Ali
Which, in turn, led me to an article on urdustudies.com by Genoways - “Let Them Snuff Out the Moon”: Faiz Ahmed Faiz’s Prison Lyrics in Dast-e Saba (pdf). Which starts as follows:
The National – mansion on the hill. Springsteen & the national – a potent, potent combination
// February 7th, 2010 // No Comments » // Music
So here is a song from the boss – evocative and pictorial as ever, but sung by the national who have a decidedly nice, diverse musicality to their songs, and a potent lead singer i think. i’m starting to like them.
Britain tastes better when it’s swaddled in Cadbury’s Dairy Milk chocolate
// February 6th, 2010 // No Comments » // All
A Hershey’s bar is’nt chocolate – when will the americans understand? Mr Brooker helps explain…
My favourite cadbury? flake, hands down.
But the moment the product itself hit my tongue I was plunged mouthwards into an entire universe of yuk. In terms of flavour, it tasted precisely like I'd swallowed a matchbox full of caster sugar five minutes earlier, then somehow regurgitated it into my own mouth. And the texture was crumbly, dusty – slightly old even, as though this was a chocolate bar that had been found in the pocket of a civil war soldier and preserved specifically for my disenchantment. It was so horrible, I charitably assumed there was something wrong with it. I was eating it in England (someone had brought it back from the States), so perhaps it had gone off somehow in transit. But no. Subsequent encounters proved I'd got it right the first time. Hershey's tastes downright bad.
Charlie Brooker | iPad therefore iWant? Probably. Why? -The Guardian
// February 6th, 2010 // No Comments » // Tech
Absurdly, Apple keeps trying to pretend it'll make your life more efficient. Come off it. It's an oblong that lights up. I'm sick of being pitched to like I'm a one-man corporation undertaking a personal productivity audit anyway
via Charlie Brooker | iPad therefore iWant? Probably. Why? iDunno | Comment is free | The Guardian.
Stand By Me | Playing For Change | Song Around The World
// February 4th, 2010 // No Comments » // Music
have you heard the ben e king orig?
Here is what wikipedia says:
Origin
The project started in 2004 with the organization’s self described goal to “inspire, connect, and bring peace to the world through music”. The creators of the project, Mark Johnson and Enzo Buono, traveled around the world to places such as New Orleans, Barcelona, South Africa, India, Nepal, the Middle East and Ireland, and, using a mobile recording studio, had local musicians perform the same song, interpreted into their own style. The project’s first single “Stand by Me”, began with a Santa Monica street performer named Roger Ridley (now deceased). They then traveled around the world and had more musicians add their versions, which were mixed together for the final version.[1] Among the artists participating, or openly involved in the project, include Vusi Mahlasela, Louis Mhlanga, Clarence Bekker, Tal Ben Ari (Tula), Bono, Keb’ Mo’, Grandpa Elliott.
Roger Ridley: vocals, acoustic guitar
Clarence Bekker: vocals
Grandpa Elliott: vocals, harmonica
Vusi Mahlasela: vocals
Sinamuva: choir vocals
Bhekani Memela: choir arrangement
Washboard Chas: washboard
Twin Eagle Drum Group: drum
Junior Kissangwa Mbouta: drums
Django “Bambolino” Degen: congas
François Viguié: pandeiro
Cesar Pope: cavaquinho
Dimitri Dolgonov: cello
Roberto Luti: National guitar
Geraldo Osal “el Poeta”: tres
Dionisio Lopez: electric bass
Pokei Klaas: upright bass
Reggie McBride: upright bass
Stefano Tomaselli: alto sax
The strongest sumo wrestler Asashouryuu – he’s retiring!
// February 4th, 2010 // No Comments » // All
Citizen of the world | Ahmed Shah Bokhari and peace – further than we ever were
// February 3rd, 2010 // No Comments » // Pakistan
Ever since the days of Kipling “East is East” we have been thinking and talking increasingly about the relationship of apparently conflicting – or at least different – societies. Always we have sought some synthesis that would preserve the best in each.
Occasionally we have been blessed with the presence of some individual, who could give human form to our abstractions. We have just lost such a person in the untimely death of Prof. Ahmed S. Bokhari, diplomat from: Pakistan, who served as chief of information in the United Nations. He was, in the best sense, a citizen of the world.
Professor Bokhari had an educational background that embraced both East and West – Panjab University and Cambridge. He was a skilled poet in languages from both sides of the world. He was a good musician in both the Eastern and the Western idiom. And, for both East and West, he was a scholar.
But the synthesis went deeper than this. He was, above all, a great human being, witty, urbane, philosophical and immensely warm of heart. He was free from ostentation or vanity. He loved life and the people in it, regardless of their background of nationality, race, religion or occupation. His spirit, like his mind, knew no narrow frontiers.
The thousands of Americans who were privileged to know him personally feel a grievous personal loss. He was, above all, a friend. But the loss is more than personal. The world, today, is poorer for the passing of a man who gave us a better insight into what good things are possible in a better future.
Vampire Weekend – I think ur a Contra: who has the last laugh now?
// February 2nd, 2010 // No Comments » // Music
Sure, i’ve been listening to vampire weekend again of late – and i even like to sometimes convince myself that their lyrics make sense. newspaper reviewers have to say the vamp weekend boys have a deft touch with the pen. undoubtedly because no one can make sense to of their lyrics. oh, who am i kidding, of course they are nonsense, but hey, they sure have a deft touch with the production, nice sounds..
I had a feeling once
That you and I
Could tell each other anything
For two months
But even without hope
With truth on our side
When you turn away from me
It’s not right
I think you’re a contra
Continue Reading
London tea/coffee haunts- Getting the best (value) tea/coffee in London – but not from where you always expect: A journey that continues
// January 23rd, 2010 // No Comments » // Bachelor's guide to cooking without Shan
Obvious suspects like whittards provide awful, undrinkable ‘tea’ (i mean, yogurt flavoured berry tea? honestly…). To find some of the good stuff, one needs to be a little more imaginative:
Last weekend whilst prowling around picadilly for no apprent reason i decided it was time to bow to my weaknesses and pop into the new japan center supermarket – which is, incidentally a vast improvement on the previous (2 iterations) of the same institution.
I always seem to need reminding that you can generally get some great (and good value) tea at places you dont normally think of as destination for tea. japan center is a case in point – they have a pretty decent collection of japanese teas. Sencha, matcha (they also grind fresh matcha on the premises) which is much more reasonably than jing tea – my usual tea supplier (in their defence they largely seem to concentrate on chinese teas). Not everybody likes the somewhat unaani japanese teas, but if its up your alley then the japan center is a great place to visit.
I got myself the sencha linked below and i;m pretty happy with it – its run out alarmingly fast. also got some fuji matcha, but was slightly less impressed, i like matcha to be vibrant and peppy, and this one just felt a bit ‘tired’ on the tongue.
Also interesting is japanese barley tea (supermarkets in japan have a dazzling array of strange variations on tea), which is, oddly somewhat similar to a traditional punjabi barely drink they make in villages outside lahore. in any case, its the perfect accompaniment to those distant hot summer days.
Update:
The other day i visited this place: http://www.coffee.uk.com/ aka Coffee Plant of Notting Hill, London. They appear to be some sort of wholesaler / coffee shop in notting hill. So far, i’ve only tried their bolivian arabica light(ish) roast, which was interesting because the bean (when you have it on its own) is actually pretty mild, but the stuff that comes out of your espresso machine is pretty nippy. unfortunately i managed to burn my maiden brew, ill the remaining coffee and report back.
The shop itself was interesting, ever so slightly grimy (ALWAYS a good thing, especially if you have the twinkle of bargain hunting in your eye) and, i though, pretty good value – considering my (organic, as it turned out to be – for what its worth) bolivian coffee freshly ground for me was £12 a kilo. Thats the sort of price you would get a packet of lavazza espresso (might even be some robusto, because unlike illy lavazza do actually use robusto in addition to arabica only blends -bah!) for at a supermarket.
next stop – i want to check out this place:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2001/apr/01/foodanddrink.restaurants
Uji no Tsuyu Green Tea Gold (Sencha Kin) 100g
