THE NAME GAME

"Abhisek, Alok, Amandeep, Anurag.." She continues. Calls out some fifty names. Then "Srinivas, Sudarsan Rao, Sumukh" She pauses for a second. Then looks towards the chirpy students. She turns back to the register. Now this time it is different. She did not just look at the attendance register. She stares. Keeps staring. Her lips began murmuring something, as if she is asked to spell a spell of magic for some wizard. "G-I-N".. "X-I-N".. "J-I-N".. At last she calls out "04IT55". I guess because she cant waste her time on "Mississippi" like hard to pronounce word.

She then ask "How do you spell your name?". "G-I-N, Ma'm" comes the prompt lingering voice. "Okay! J-I-N", She murmured. "Ma'm, its G-I-N not J-I-N. 'G' as in 'Ganesh' ". Forget about spelling the whole name. They were struggling even to spell out just the first name.

/*full content not produced [read the full content when its published]*/

I recall one of the comedian Russel Peters show where he says, "I love Indian names. How they were pronounced. An name that spells 'S-U-K-H D-E-E-P' ended up being spelled 'SUCK DEEP' and a name 'H-A-R D-I-P' as 'H-A-R-D D-I-C-K'." They sound as if they need some censoring. S**K or the like. But its true that such things happens. And I wasn't shocked to hear it. It was even funny. Really funny. A rechristening of 'Rabindranath Thakur' to 'Rabrindranath Tagore' is not uncommon. It happens everywhere. And Indian name being hard to be pronounced in US. But it is surprising that an Indian name is hard to be pronounced in India itself. Well! We can give that exception that the size of India is huge.

Indeed it is enjoying to play with names. How a lovely name might sounds weird in someone else's ear. But sometimes the 'Tagore from Thakur' principle seems so attractive.

"Lian Pr S****, Class is over. Lets go!" A friend yelled.

P.S feels like putting this thing up. I gave it for the vitruvian article. Hope it pass thru the editorial filtering.

DISCOVERY OF ZOGAM

The beauty of the place where I belong!

This Christmas was special to me. I really enjoy the cold, chilling cold at home. I took a few photos on my way home and while at home. Let the photo speak for themselves.

This Christmas was special to me. I really enjoy the cold, chilling cold at home. I took a few photos while at home. Let the photo speak themselves.

THE LAMKA I NEVER KNEW

Ka khawnung ngaih tuah chiang in, ka lungsim mitkha ah a kong zingte khawng mitsi sa in leng paithei leng kilawm phial di'n ka kigingta; Mun tam zaw-te ah khe nuai a suang lian lou lou hon dou seuh sauh di om hi. Mun khen khat bang ah khe a siik suk chiang bang in leivui bang nip thiah thiah chih theih ding khop in sah hi.Pucca road chih vuak sang in Pucca leivui road chih nop huai ka sa jaw. Lamlian toh kinai deuh a teng te meh kan gim mui nam veng veng diik khin phet bang leng vok ann di paw te zu gim nam fitfit in tuam mang theih zel hun chang bang om hi. Lampai lai bang leng nung lam a pang hong ging luap luap ua, a khaw nung sawt lou chiang in "Eh! vokpi KID te eive ua" chi bang in ngaih tuah vung vung theih hi. A chang in lah vok ek gim in nak vang bang vut teu teu thei hi. Vok in jaw gim hau lua hive aw maw!

Dorcas Hall kong lak bang meh zuak te tu dim sek uh hi. Dorcas hall fencing ah bazar nupi te tutna ding a kibawl shed sau diu deu om sek pen auto parking a na suak ta maimah hi. Restaurant chih khawng Lamka a om ngei lou di I sak leh, Kareh! A nekman zong pe zou di ka maw? Chih nop phial leh kilawm a standard tak bang Lamka ah le chi phet lou in, New lamka mah mah ah le om ta hi. Sianpiak Chow Hotel kan a changkang zaw om ngei lou di I sak leh… Maizen! Thei khial pet mah ka hi mai.

Mi gam a fly over khawng a kichih muh ua leh, ei gam ah bel ROAD OVER kithang mah mah chih di ahi pen mai. Nidang a Gouchinkhup veng paitouh na ana niam tuam suk pen sang touta mah mah hi. Bible a mun kuakte vuk dim unla; lampi kawi-te hih tang un chih khawng bang lung sim ah lang khe dun dun thei sam hi. Tua ziak mah in Damkam bazar bang tum mang dek phial hi. Hiai kia leng hilou in, Nidang a Lailam lui a Lei kidoh sang ven von pen tun ah ana khang niam mawk hi. Salem veng ten len vual zawl na ana tang tei uh chih na himai!

Bazar lam kai suk di bang leng, gari or atleast cycle bek neitei lou te a dia khe a pai keuh keuh sek pek Town bus omlouh tawp in Diesel engine Auto te in kheng khe ta hi. Vaigampur a om kha ngei zek, bus tuan teng a bus tuan man dot na dia khut zung kai zen a, EK, DAW, TEEN, …… chih chih ngai lou in "Cheng Nga" chih suk ziau in veng mai hi. Ka ngaih tuah thak thak chiang in eipau a pau a nop lam ka thei suah thak hi in ka kithei. Neu a pan a Paite pau a pau dak dak gige kihi leh leng, tua mahni pau a pau a khum diak lam chiam kha pan ka hi ding.

Hitler in Mi gam a Mithupi hih sang in, ka pian na gam ah khedap bawl tu a pan ka tel jaw ana chi hi. Vaite agarbatti namse tak nap nap sang in zaw Lamka kholak a leivu khu diik le ka tel jaw.

Lung sim mitkha in vak suk lai le, Nidang a Zion dawr gige bang leng AirTel Dawr ana suak ta maimah hi. Lamlian kiang a Nullah kuak trop tak tak te bang leng foot path hoihtak ana suak ta hi. "Maizen! I gam uh puah di bang tak a puah hileh jaw! 1990's lai khawng a le hiai bang dinmun a na ding ta di hia" chih khawng ka va ngaih tuah ngal louh a dang gen di le ka thei law biik kei. Mun a ngam lou gal a ngam chih mah bang a, a gal a zaw awl moh huai law sam; a mun I va tun hial leh lah hihtheih bang pi le va kinei tuan lou. Ana teng sa sa te toh kikhaih luat a va om lou mai mah. Lampi pai lai khawng le lamlian kiang chil khawng va ki-se khe petpet tei thou. MLA te le bang mah sem kaw dok mah mah lou uh chih peuh va chih num num a om maimah.

Lamlian khawng jaw ana kipuah sam. A him him a lamlian le bang ziak a hichi buai pih tel ki hi a de aw chi mah mah ke. Pucca Road chih sang a, Pucca MicroThin road™® chih dia hoih mah mah a ka.

Chiah lam sulkik!

Phalbi nitum kuan bel vot diak hi. Buh lak lai ahih ziak in akua-akua leng nasep tha it chiat in, nitum kuan in vai pai kisaan pan hi. Nitum khiak ding ngai ngam lou uh hileh kilawm in, khen khat-te bel a buh aat uh khawl san mai lou ua, gal et mai in a vang kim ah buh at te kimu til tel thei hi. Gal gamla deuh ah, buh lak tha chial uh ahi ngei ding ua, buh pawl a khet ging duup dup uh a vang kim in kiza hi.

Tuitha lui phai bel lei hoih mah mah ahi. Van apan a nipi vuah kia lou in, Lanva lui in tua phai zang a tuilou om te tui in kham teek in vak zou hi. Malsuah lam pang en leng Hausapi vum dum dii-diai in kimu thei a, a ma zawn deuh ah mi khen khat ten "Ben-ah" vum a chih uh om hi. Tua mual vum bel Hausapi vum bang lou tak in Hing dip dep hi. Hausapi vum bel a gamlat ziak in dum kii-kiai a, a pam deuh ah hol haal-te hol haal na uh meikhu ngou vii-viai khut pi chiah vel ding khawng in mual pang apat kitung tou hi.

Mission compund tang dung apan in nitum nung a nisa zung kimu thei lai hi. Tung sunni in leng Lamka phai zaang etlawm tak mai khelah hileh kilawm in, bang hiam bek nut siat tei tei sawm mah bang in a zung kap khe seng sung hi. Mission compund khawte biakinn nizung limliah in kimu thei hi. Tua biakinn bel nidang a sapkangte khut suak tutan muh theihlai om sun "Silbawlpi" (masterpiece) ahi.

Suah lam pang ah Rengkai leh a gaal kim a khua te bel nisa in neukhah khoh kha zek lai hi. Sugnu manoh na lam a mual te bel koi hiam a Negro-te sam kil thilh thelh mah bang in singkung tam lou a vangkim in pou thilh thelh hi. Pam deuh ah, Peniel hall thum na mual a langva inn tung khenkhat apan in vak hong kilengkik [reflection] kimu thei hi. Tua mual vum ah Cross kiphut bel a gal apan in ngou phek phok hi. Athu omdan gen in ah, tua mual vum bel tam tak te dam na mual ahi. Tam tak ten kipahna thak a muh na uh; tam tak ten khitui tam pi a senna uh; Khen khat te a dia kum zatam tak nung a leng dawn na muh louh ding thum na leh lungtang kitam kham te khitui nul na mun ahi. Tuithapi khua leh a kim a kiang a mual om te lak ah bel tua thum na mual hampha pen ding hi.

Simlam pang deuh ah, nidang a Japan gal lai a Japan ten Thaupi a tun na uh ahi chi a naupang ten a gen mang moh uh tang sang sim tak khat om hi. Tua tang bel, tang hamsiat ahi chih theih ding khop in ngil in ngil vek vuk hi. Ngil mah leh a kim leh a kiang a mual neu khah khah om te toh teh in vou tuam biik a, Phailam manoh na lampi lam a phai zang kiphah suk dung zui in muh tawp na tan pha ah len mui kai thii-thiai hi. Thang ching tang chih di hileh kilawm awm tak mai, a tak lam pang ah, tang dung kikham suk zeng zung hi. Tua tang dung-te bel gam mang sah tak in a tuam mah bang ing hing suk dep dup mai uh hi.

"Tuni na gim hia, bawi?" chi a ka U'n hon gen in hon phawng guih hi.
"Gim khol keng!".

Buh puak na Tractor khawl ging vu vu ka malam uh gal gamla deuh ah ki-za chiai chiai hi. Tua buh paw gari leng inlam manoh ahi ngei ding a, a sawt dung zui in a ging dai hiai hiai hi. Malam zek ah, bawng gari pai ging luap luap bel hat lawlou ahih ziakin, a thawm ging uh diim tuanlou in a ngei in ngeingei hi.

Phalbi lam bel ni sawt lou ahih ziak in dak 4 bang a gin leh khua mial suk dek pah mai hi.
Zingkal a ka U'n "Bawi! na exam lah zouta ha hih chiah, tuni buh aat a kuan na di kon dawp a, kiloh in va kuan leng na ut hia?" chi a hon dot ka bil kha ah tham den lai hi.

Sarcastic

Last time I got a friend telling me over the phone that I was sarcastic about things, due to certain things that happen to her. Well! to be honest I wasn't sure about of the meaning sarcastic also. Then after a couple of weeks later, It came back to my mind. Use the google trying to get a meaning out of it. Then I got with a few search result. Blogthings.com is one that I came across. I filled the few questionaires. Believe it or not. This is what I got.

You're Not Sarcastic At all

Sarcasm isn't for you, and you really don't appreciate it when people get their snark on. You still have a great sense of humor. You just prefer a silly joke to a sarcastic one. You sometimes have trouble knowing when people are mocking you. But you do know you don't like it!

How Sarcastic Are You?

Here's another Test I've taken. May be I passed!! Who cares.

What Your Favorite Color White Says About You:

Naive --- Innocent ---Neutral Shy --- Serious --- Stubborn Ethical --- Honest --- Self-Important

What Does Your Favorite Color Say About You?

Note This!

Lately, I noted the small but cool feature added in google. They came up with the igoogle, search history where all the name of the pages that has been searched, the key words and the number of times the page has been clicked has been recorded. It was kind of dangerous because all the activities has been noted. But it is good because It records what all has been done, In case if one wants to recollect what has happened, Its the best!

All these can be done if you sign in to the main page of the Master Search engine.

Now leaving behind all these, the best feature I lately saw is the note this, one small link on the result of the search engine. "Note this!" It comes really handy. On the search result, it works like a bookmark that can be made on the browser. The best part is on the main page, if the "My notebook" is clicked then a small notepad opens that shows the list of the noted websites...

Thats a nice feature. Isn't it. Keep Googling. Keep giggling.

Adobe illustration!

Well, last night I spent my whole time learning new things with Adobe Illustrator. I was quite familiar with adobe photoshop. But I wasnt aware of the power of adobe Illustrator. Here are some of the abstract pictures created with Illustrator.

You can actually use this as you desktop wall paper. Its like the Aqua style.

The Non-Resident Zomi (NRZ)

India a mitam jawte a dia US ei Zomi, adiak a paite te a dia, Delhi. Ei a dia Bangalore; mi tam jawte vai-te' a dia Australia. Siam sinna lam ah, Inde-te chi mai ni vai te, a dia kha US a siamsinna sutzop bel vangam chiam lawk toh kibang phial ahi. Uang gen sim bat na chiang om mah leh mun tam jaw ah dik hi. Colez kaipih a tam jaw te vaite ahi uh hi. Under-graduate degree muh zoh a, amau a dia zalmang mat chim moh uh bel US a maban sut zop ahi.

Eilawi le ut in ut kei le le Inde-te hi thou thou I hih chiang ua. Eimi le US leh foreign a om khat leh nih om mah le hang, khut zung kaih theih lai phial ahi. Tamtak jaw pha in teh, eimi foreign a om, adiak a US, Canada, UK leh a dang dang ah. But tawm law lai. Za-ah nga khawng lel, huai sa le tawm zaw lai maithei.

Atam jaw te, Inde-ten US a zot sauh sauh bang un ah, eimi te'n Delhi ki zuan sauh sauh hi. Bangalore khawng ah leng hunkhop, vaite Melbourne, Australia a hunkhop a om bang uh ah, khen khat in khawtaw lam zuan suk uh hi. Adik lel gen in, vaite bel sum leh pai hauh ziak leh siam na sang jaw ban ah sep na prospect hoih jaw etna ziak a mundang leh gamdang zuan uh hi; eimi-te bel vai-te bang zen hilou in ah.. ut pen ziak hilou siam na sangzaw, I pianna gam in a zil tak louh ziak a mundang zuan ki hizaw tang pi hi.

Huchi ahih leh tua a zuan zou lou, tam pi za-a-sawmnga sang a tam zaw te bang loh ding hiam chih ngaihsut tham mah mah ching hi.

Tulel a Indian economy bang ziak a hichi khan hiam? chih a dawnna om sun dia bel brain drain ahi. Brain drain is our brain gain for india. Technical line lam, Engineering khawng hon zoh chiang ua, maban sangzaw leh hoihjaw delh in mundang khawng zuan uh hi. Tulel a premiere engineering college te nidang a, US te sponsor khawng ahi uh hi. Huchi in further studies US te scholarship khawng mu in ana sun zom uh hi.

Tua bang a gam dang a om tamtak-te Inde mi lah hingal te Non Resident Indian kichi hi, a tom lam in NRI. Huchi ahih leh eilawi, inlum lou lum a om lou, gamdang a om lah hizen kei le leng, NON-RESIDENT ZOMI I hi uh. A tom lam in NRZ.

Huci bang NRI-te kum tam lou, a khen-te kum nga; a khen te kum sawm chih khawng zoh chiang un a pianna gam uh zuan in hong kik nawn uh hi. Tua khawng ziak ahi, Indian economy muh theih phial a akhan. Gen ta mai mai le, kum thum paita in Sensex point siing khat (sang sawm or 10,000) le pha lou hi. Phet lou in 8,000 something lel khawng ahi. Tun ah ahih leh a leh nih ahi ta. Huchi a, innlam a kik thei lou ten leng a tam jaw in sum leh pai in phung vuh uh hi.

Tua NRZ kichi ten bang I hihta dua leh? Khatvei kuahiam khat in "Eilawi Aigupta a saltang di bang a mundang a kinawn nawn I hi uh" achih ka phawk suah hi. Israel ten leng a gam uh gamkeu gam himah leh gam lei hoih na a suah sak theih uh leh eiten leng I gam ah nek piang hizah lai ah, Zun louh Zogam zuun leng bang a poi na lawm lawm om dia hia? Mundang a pai khe zou lou I mi leh sa tam tak te a khawngaih huai na chiang beek uh om eive maw?


p.s. this was written in Paite, my language, you might not understand but don't worry. hiai blog eipau a ka gelh mai ahi.. vaite khawng sim di deih huai vak lou inhcin.. ;)

Summer of '79

Yesterday, while I was having my lunch in the dining hall, a friend of mine came up and ask me whether I was from that state or not? I was shocked. A friend asking me the place where I was from at this point of time. The truth is he knew where I was and he was just confirming it. And he was asking me because a senior, better call it an alumni came up to our hostel and he was from the same state where I came from and he was willing to meet those students from same state where he hails! And I turn out to be the one and only choice.

Ya. we met. He was a pass out of the college in 1979. Wow! thats amazing. He looks like the age of my father. I think they might have been in the same class with my dad, given the previledge.

It was great meeting him.

I took him around the campus, to help him recollect his past memories. We walk down the memory lane. He said he even had a daughter who was pursuing her second year in bachelor degree somewhere.

I was thinking, that someday it might come to pass that I might also be like a father to the students studying in the college where I was pursuing my higher degree. The thing is as we walk down the memory lane, passers by might thought that I was walking with my dad!