From a bit of unsteadiness to the wind in my face, delightful conversations, awesome food and my first game of squash, everything has been good!
Its a touchwood feeling!
Showing posts with label End of Year. Show all posts
Showing posts with label End of Year. Show all posts
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
Thursday, December 30, 2010
To 2011
As the year 2010 passes us by, this year, there is to be no summary of the losses and wins and no accounts of the 'yet to be done'. Neither am I going to write a list of new resolutions.
Hoping that the year 2011 will be defined by a smiling face, and a poem written by Kipling; one that has always stirred and inspired me, and was reminded of recently by a good friend.
If' (Rudyard Kipling)
If you can kep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you;
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,
But make allowance for their doubting too;
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or, being lied about, don't deal in lies,
Or being hated, don't give way to hating,
And yet don't look too good, nor talk too wise;
If you can dream- and not make dreams your master;
If you can think- and not make thoughts your aim,
If you can meet with triumph and disaster
And treat those two impostors just the same;
If you can bear to hear the truth you have spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things, you gave your life to, broken,
And stoop and build'em with worn out tools;
If you can make one heap of all your winnings
And risk it on one turn of pitch and toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings,
And never breathe a word about your loss:
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Except the will which says to them: "Hold on!"
If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
or walk with Kings- nor lose the common touch,
If neither foes, nor loving friends can hurt you,
If all men count with you, but none too much:
if you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds' worth of distance run
Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it,
And- which is more- you'll be a Man, my son!
'
Hoping that the year 2011 will be defined by a smiling face, and a poem written by Kipling; one that has always stirred and inspired me, and was reminded of recently by a good friend.
If' (Rudyard Kipling)
If you can kep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you;
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,
But make allowance for their doubting too;
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or, being lied about, don't deal in lies,
Or being hated, don't give way to hating,
And yet don't look too good, nor talk too wise;
If you can dream- and not make dreams your master;
If you can think- and not make thoughts your aim,
If you can meet with triumph and disaster
And treat those two impostors just the same;
If you can bear to hear the truth you have spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things, you gave your life to, broken,
And stoop and build'em with worn out tools;
If you can make one heap of all your winnings
And risk it on one turn of pitch and toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings,
And never breathe a word about your loss:
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Except the will which says to them: "Hold on!"
If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
or walk with Kings- nor lose the common touch,
If neither foes, nor loving friends can hurt you,
If all men count with you, but none too much:
if you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds' worth of distance run
Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it,
And- which is more- you'll be a Man, my son!
'
Friday, January 1, 2010
A New Year
This has been a long time coming and hopefully the plan was to usher in 2010 after this post but then it is going to be the first post of 2010..Not bad.
The month gone by seems like a blur as do most things in law school. To quote Sartaj's words, "This too shall pass has lost its meaning in law school." In fact, it has; things come, go and somehow we survive and sometimes drown.
Last month, I was surprised at the amount of interest I had in things political, high even by my own standards of interst in politics and constitution writing back home. Spending an insane amount of time on the internet made me realise the extent of polarisation faced by Nepali society. It is almost like a clear case of black and white without any shades of grey in terms of people's liking and backing for political parties. Issues like providing justice for victims of the Maoist insurgency and the State response are extremely divisive and people have differing logics based on different planes of reasonings, theories and plain emotions of support and hate.
All of this should not have come as a surprise to me, but strangely it did. Contrary to my expectations, these are people who are well read, have an idea of issues both local and international, care for the country and its future and yet have exactly differing opinions on the same issues. Perhaps, it comes down to an issue of social identity and the interests of class or perhaps it is just looking out for a better deal for oneself.
Still, between all of this we have a country which is seeing a rapid exodus of the youth both as students and workers to various countries around the world, a lack of opportunities in the country and a very murky socio-political environment. And then, the task of writing a proper constitution in which people can have belief. Althought he idea is to remain optimistic, Nepal at present seems divided and the division is not only ideological, it is multi layered and crosses over with different fault lines. Ethnicity is an issue and so is gender and language. Caste affiliations are suddenly important. It almost seems as if time is moving backwards, with solidarity being based on terms like ethnicity, caste, language. The fear of national disintegration seems almost true to laugh it off now.
On the positives, we apparently have a lot of political consciousness and an idea of the issue at stake to let peace fail. We know the world has its eyes on us, even the beleaguered UN wants us to succeed so as to show some success or reason for its existence. And big brother India would not want another super troubled neighbour on its borders.
Is there a solution to all of this? Or should there ever be a solution? Because, no matter what we do, society is bound to have issues of some sort or the other at all times. Subjects may change and the substance may differ but there will always be problems for the society to deal with. At present though, the best would be to make efforts to have a vigorous dialogue and involve the citizens much more. At present, everything appears to be stage managed with some top honchos reaching a last minute conclusion. Even the constitution seems to be heading that way; a hastily written last minute compromise.
In a polarised society like Nepal, is compromise then the best way? Where at best, parties will be partly happy and wishing for more and at worst the different actors will feel cheated. I dont know and it seems only time will tell.
Wishing a good year and wonderful days ahead to everyone and especially to my fellow countrymen/women from Nepal.
The month gone by seems like a blur as do most things in law school. To quote Sartaj's words, "This too shall pass has lost its meaning in law school." In fact, it has; things come, go and somehow we survive and sometimes drown.
Last month, I was surprised at the amount of interest I had in things political, high even by my own standards of interst in politics and constitution writing back home. Spending an insane amount of time on the internet made me realise the extent of polarisation faced by Nepali society. It is almost like a clear case of black and white without any shades of grey in terms of people's liking and backing for political parties. Issues like providing justice for victims of the Maoist insurgency and the State response are extremely divisive and people have differing logics based on different planes of reasonings, theories and plain emotions of support and hate.
All of this should not have come as a surprise to me, but strangely it did. Contrary to my expectations, these are people who are well read, have an idea of issues both local and international, care for the country and its future and yet have exactly differing opinions on the same issues. Perhaps, it comes down to an issue of social identity and the interests of class or perhaps it is just looking out for a better deal for oneself.
Still, between all of this we have a country which is seeing a rapid exodus of the youth both as students and workers to various countries around the world, a lack of opportunities in the country and a very murky socio-political environment. And then, the task of writing a proper constitution in which people can have belief. Althought he idea is to remain optimistic, Nepal at present seems divided and the division is not only ideological, it is multi layered and crosses over with different fault lines. Ethnicity is an issue and so is gender and language. Caste affiliations are suddenly important. It almost seems as if time is moving backwards, with solidarity being based on terms like ethnicity, caste, language. The fear of national disintegration seems almost true to laugh it off now.
On the positives, we apparently have a lot of political consciousness and an idea of the issue at stake to let peace fail. We know the world has its eyes on us, even the beleaguered UN wants us to succeed so as to show some success or reason for its existence. And big brother India would not want another super troubled neighbour on its borders.
Is there a solution to all of this? Or should there ever be a solution? Because, no matter what we do, society is bound to have issues of some sort or the other at all times. Subjects may change and the substance may differ but there will always be problems for the society to deal with. At present though, the best would be to make efforts to have a vigorous dialogue and involve the citizens much more. At present, everything appears to be stage managed with some top honchos reaching a last minute conclusion. Even the constitution seems to be heading that way; a hastily written last minute compromise.
In a polarised society like Nepal, is compromise then the best way? Where at best, parties will be partly happy and wishing for more and at worst the different actors will feel cheated. I dont know and it seems only time will tell.
Wishing a good year and wonderful days ahead to everyone and especially to my fellow countrymen/women from Nepal.
Saturday, December 27, 2008
The year gone by
Looking back at the year gone by and reminiscing about things that should have happened, options that should have been taken and decisions that just could not materialise, hopes shattered but another way forward....
2008 was a great year for me...
Still, I do not want to look back at it as some nostalgic year and remember the good times and the bad moments and as they say...take the goods from it. For me this was the year, when important decisions were made, where dreams came, shattered as glass houses, were remade and somehow life went on....
Do I remember the first of January, 2008. I believe I do but am really surprised that there are nothing but vague memories..too faded and funnily cant recollect a single resoultion that I must have made. What I do remember from this year is the wait for acceptances that never came, the mails exchanged with the college representives, the waitlists and the nothingness. The emptyness that stared ahead.Then the ray of hope and finally the biggest decision of my life, my choice for my educational future.
What I remember is missing friends who would have been together with me, had I chosen the other alternative. The friends that I miss but I believe no matter how hard, i had to take the decision.
The year has literally been a year of halves for me, with both halves really different from the other. While the first half was full of dreams of an undergraduate education in the US, the second half has a more cautious and prodding approach to life at law school in Bangalore, india.
The first half was full of numerous applications, which never seemd to end but finally did. And then the wait which again finally ended with an acceptance in the US and an acceptance to law school here at Bangalore.
Perhaps, the first half was where I chose where to be and what to do, I gave myself an impetus which I believe was in the right direction. And the second half has been the living of that direction.
The second half has been full of different highlights. July 1 and life at Law School. The gruelling first trimester, spent feeling lonely....the vacations which cheered me up and the current second trimester feeling much better. The Pondi trip, my first experience with the sea...SF..well the second trimester is working its way to an end too...
So 2008 has not been unkind....
Great in fact....
Here is to the New Year...
May things go as they have to
May acts run their course
There is a circle my friend
It will lead back to you.....
2008 was a great year for me...
Still, I do not want to look back at it as some nostalgic year and remember the good times and the bad moments and as they say...take the goods from it. For me this was the year, when important decisions were made, where dreams came, shattered as glass houses, were remade and somehow life went on....
Do I remember the first of January, 2008. I believe I do but am really surprised that there are nothing but vague memories..too faded and funnily cant recollect a single resoultion that I must have made. What I do remember from this year is the wait for acceptances that never came, the mails exchanged with the college representives, the waitlists and the nothingness. The emptyness that stared ahead.Then the ray of hope and finally the biggest decision of my life, my choice for my educational future.
What I remember is missing friends who would have been together with me, had I chosen the other alternative. The friends that I miss but I believe no matter how hard, i had to take the decision.
The year has literally been a year of halves for me, with both halves really different from the other. While the first half was full of dreams of an undergraduate education in the US, the second half has a more cautious and prodding approach to life at law school in Bangalore, india.
The first half was full of numerous applications, which never seemd to end but finally did. And then the wait which again finally ended with an acceptance in the US and an acceptance to law school here at Bangalore.
Perhaps, the first half was where I chose where to be and what to do, I gave myself an impetus which I believe was in the right direction. And the second half has been the living of that direction.
The second half has been full of different highlights. July 1 and life at Law School. The gruelling first trimester, spent feeling lonely....the vacations which cheered me up and the current second trimester feeling much better. The Pondi trip, my first experience with the sea...SF..well the second trimester is working its way to an end too...
So 2008 has not been unkind....
Great in fact....
Here is to the New Year...
May things go as they have to
May acts run their course
There is a circle my friend
It will lead back to you.....
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