More!
A street musician playing the sarangi and singing Resham Firiri:
The complete folk version:
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Resham Firiri - Instrumental
Sone instrumental versions of the same song. The 1st one is especially nice.
Resham Firiri - Pop Version
I find listening to this song over and over! (Memories are hard to fade somehow. The mind is a funny thing.) Found so many different versions on the net.
Here's a rather poppish version:
Resham Firiri
Resham Firiri
Udayra Jauki Dadama Vanjyang Resham Firiri
Udayra Jauki Dadama Vanjyang Resham Firiri
Resham Firiri
Resham Firiri
Udayra Jauki Dadama Vanjyang Resham Firiri
Udayra Jauki Dadama Vanjyang Resham Firiri
[ My heart is fluttering like silk in the wind
I cannot decide whether to fly or sit on the hilltop ]
........
........
Ak nalay Banduk Duinalay Banduk Mirgalai Takayko
Ak nalay Banduk Duinalay Banduk Mirgalai Takayko
Mirgalai Mailay Takayko Hoina Mayalai Takayko
Mirgalai Mailay Takayko Hoina Mayalai Takayko
[ One-barrelled gun, two-barrelled gun, targeted at a deer
It's not the deer that I am aiming at, but at my beloved ]
........
........
Resham Firiri
Resham Firiri
Udayra Jauki Dadama Vanjyang Resham Firiri
Udayra Jauki Dadama Vanjyang Resham Firiri
........
........
Sanoma Sano Gaiko Bachho Veeraima Ram Ram
Sanoma Sano Gaiko Bachho Veeraima Ram Ram
Chadeyre Jana Saktina Maile Baru Maya Antaija
Chadeyre Jana Saktina Maile Baru Maya Antaija
[ The tiny baby calf is in danger at the precipice
I couldn't leave it there, let's go together, my love ]
........
........
Resham Firiri
Resham Firiri
Udayra Jauki Dadama Vanjyang Resham Firiri
Udayra Jauki Dadama Vanjyang Resham Firiri
........
........
KukuroLai Kutima Kuti Biralolai Suri
KukuroLai Kutima Kuti Biralolai Suri
Timro Hamro Mayapirti Dobatoma Kuri
Timro Hamro Mayapirti Dobatoma Kuri
[ To the dog it's puppy, puppy, to the cat it's meow meow
our love is waiting at the crossroads ]
........
........
Resham Firiri
Resham Firiri
Udayra Jauki Dadama Vanjyang Resham Firiri
Udayra Jauki Dadama Vanjyang Resham Firiri
(till fade)
A bunch of westerners have sung it in a really soulful manner here.
Here's a rather poppish version:
Resham Firiri
Resham Firiri
Udayra Jauki Dadama Vanjyang Resham Firiri
Udayra Jauki Dadama Vanjyang Resham Firiri
Resham Firiri
Resham Firiri
Udayra Jauki Dadama Vanjyang Resham Firiri
Udayra Jauki Dadama Vanjyang Resham Firiri
[ My heart is fluttering like silk in the wind
I cannot decide whether to fly or sit on the hilltop ]
........
........
Ak nalay Banduk Duinalay Banduk Mirgalai Takayko
Ak nalay Banduk Duinalay Banduk Mirgalai Takayko
Mirgalai Mailay Takayko Hoina Mayalai Takayko
Mirgalai Mailay Takayko Hoina Mayalai Takayko
[ One-barrelled gun, two-barrelled gun, targeted at a deer
It's not the deer that I am aiming at, but at my beloved ]
........
........
Resham Firiri
Resham Firiri
Udayra Jauki Dadama Vanjyang Resham Firiri
Udayra Jauki Dadama Vanjyang Resham Firiri
........
........
Sanoma Sano Gaiko Bachho Veeraima Ram Ram
Sanoma Sano Gaiko Bachho Veeraima Ram Ram
Chadeyre Jana Saktina Maile Baru Maya Antaija
Chadeyre Jana Saktina Maile Baru Maya Antaija
[ The tiny baby calf is in danger at the precipice
I couldn't leave it there, let's go together, my love ]
........
........
Resham Firiri
Resham Firiri
Udayra Jauki Dadama Vanjyang Resham Firiri
Udayra Jauki Dadama Vanjyang Resham Firiri
........
........
KukuroLai Kutima Kuti Biralolai Suri
KukuroLai Kutima Kuti Biralolai Suri
Timro Hamro Mayapirti Dobatoma Kuri
Timro Hamro Mayapirti Dobatoma Kuri
[ To the dog it's puppy, puppy, to the cat it's meow meow
our love is waiting at the crossroads ]
........
........
Resham Firiri
Resham Firiri
Udayra Jauki Dadama Vanjyang Resham Firiri
Udayra Jauki Dadama Vanjyang Resham Firiri
(till fade)
A bunch of westerners have sung it in a really soulful manner here.
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Resham Firiri
Back from Nepal...!! From my longest trip as well as my longest trek ever. Did Annapurna Circuit and ABC (Annapurna Base Camp) from Sep 26 to Nov 02. Also spent some time in and around Pokhara after that - relaxed, walked along the touristy Phewa lake, bicycled to nearby lakes and had loads of momos, thukpa and chowmein at the local restaurants. Being the cheapo that I am, I managed to get a room for 200 Nepali rupees a night, and hunted for cheap places to eat too.
Heard this rather silly sounding song in Nepal... It is the modified English version of a Nepali folk song. I would hear it now and then with the guides and porters singing it. It is very catchy though, if you sing it with the right tune.
Found the folk version on youtube, but not the one I used to hear on the trek.
Here are the lyrics for it anyways:
Resham Firiri
Resham Firiri
I am a donkey, you are a monkey
Resham Firiri
Resham Firiri
Resham Firiri
Sometimes trekking, sometimes rafting
Resham Firiri
Resham Firiri
Resham Firiri
Sometimes drinking, sometimes sinking
Resham Firiri
The "i am a donkey, you are a monkey" bit refers to the Nepali porter being weighed down with a load and trudging along the trail like a donkey, while the trekker is free to hop along carefree like a monkey.
Sadly, that is truly quite often the case. I saw so many wealthy trekkers walking with a minimal load or even nothing on their backs while the poor, underclothed and underfed Nepali porters, wearing flip-flops, would carry back-breaking loads of anything from 25-50 Kgs. And that too with a smile on their faces.
I found that there are advantages as well as disadvantages to lodge based trekking. I would not have been able to trek solo with just a 18-20 kg. backpack if it were not for the lodges which eliminate the need to carry a tent, food, stove, utensils, fuel etc. Yet, this very convenience means that many people do this trek. Per estimates, about 30,000 people do some or the other trek in the ACAP (Annapurna Conservation Area Project) each year. Although the region was beautiful, and the trek very satisfying, as far as the style of trekking is concerned, I felt more like a tourist than a trekker. There was so little of roughing it out. Heck, there was a warm bed, blanket and even electricity at most places on the trail!
Yet, there are some advantages too. Nepal, I think, is doing a relatively great job when it comes to planning and managing trekking in the Himalayas. Certainly a much better job than India. The conservation areas are comparatively well cared for since the government as well as the locals have a vested interest in keeping it green, beautiful and unspoilt. Else, the government wouldn't get dollars, and the locals would not be able milk the tourists and trekkers :)
Things are changing though. The increased use of plastic is alarming. 'Development' is taking a heavy toll too. The road in the Kali Gandaki valley is a case in point - how it has changed this once remote and quaint region! The invasion in Nepal by Indian and western media is also having repercussions on the cultural fabric of the people.
And then there is global warming. As I walked along the edge of the morraine of the massive Annapurna south glacier, I could not help but notice how much it seemed to have shrunk. The glacier seemed to have more of debris than ice. The walls below the morraine were so steep that I think the glacier must have lost a great amount of height - as much as 50%, perhaps. As for the loss in length, I don't know. The locals too said that it was much more warmer at base camp since the past few years than before. It used to be a considerably more difficult trek earlier in terms of the weather, low temperatures as well as the trail.
Sigh.
I guess all this is inevitable. Maybe I should just trek to all the places I want to as soon as possible before they go to the dogs.
I would love to visit Nepal again though. Perhaps as early as next year. Am thinking of doing the Langtang & Helambu treks next year. Two separate treks which can be combined via either Ganja La or Gosainkund. This can be done solo.
Am more keen on the Manaslu trek though. Only hitch is the expense. Just the permit itself is US $90 a week..! But it is a great trek - safe, yet challenging, beautiful and involving a good amount of roughing it out. It can be done solo, but I hope I get a good partner to make it more enjoyable as well as safer.
Ah... I wish I could just keep trekking and living out of a backpack all my life :) But that is too romantic, dreamy and unpractical :)
Heard this rather silly sounding song in Nepal... It is the modified English version of a Nepali folk song. I would hear it now and then with the guides and porters singing it. It is very catchy though, if you sing it with the right tune.
Found the folk version on youtube, but not the one I used to hear on the trek.
Here are the lyrics for it anyways:
Resham Firiri
Resham Firiri
I am a donkey, you are a monkey
Resham Firiri
Resham Firiri
Resham Firiri
Sometimes trekking, sometimes rafting
Resham Firiri
Resham Firiri
Resham Firiri
Sometimes drinking, sometimes sinking
Resham Firiri
The "i am a donkey, you are a monkey" bit refers to the Nepali porter being weighed down with a load and trudging along the trail like a donkey, while the trekker is free to hop along carefree like a monkey.
Sadly, that is truly quite often the case. I saw so many wealthy trekkers walking with a minimal load or even nothing on their backs while the poor, underclothed and underfed Nepali porters, wearing flip-flops, would carry back-breaking loads of anything from 25-50 Kgs. And that too with a smile on their faces.
I found that there are advantages as well as disadvantages to lodge based trekking. I would not have been able to trek solo with just a 18-20 kg. backpack if it were not for the lodges which eliminate the need to carry a tent, food, stove, utensils, fuel etc. Yet, this very convenience means that many people do this trek. Per estimates, about 30,000 people do some or the other trek in the ACAP (Annapurna Conservation Area Project) each year. Although the region was beautiful, and the trek very satisfying, as far as the style of trekking is concerned, I felt more like a tourist than a trekker. There was so little of roughing it out. Heck, there was a warm bed, blanket and even electricity at most places on the trail!
Yet, there are some advantages too. Nepal, I think, is doing a relatively great job when it comes to planning and managing trekking in the Himalayas. Certainly a much better job than India. The conservation areas are comparatively well cared for since the government as well as the locals have a vested interest in keeping it green, beautiful and unspoilt. Else, the government wouldn't get dollars, and the locals would not be able milk the tourists and trekkers :)
Things are changing though. The increased use of plastic is alarming. 'Development' is taking a heavy toll too. The road in the Kali Gandaki valley is a case in point - how it has changed this once remote and quaint region! The invasion in Nepal by Indian and western media is also having repercussions on the cultural fabric of the people.
And then there is global warming. As I walked along the edge of the morraine of the massive Annapurna south glacier, I could not help but notice how much it seemed to have shrunk. The glacier seemed to have more of debris than ice. The walls below the morraine were so steep that I think the glacier must have lost a great amount of height - as much as 50%, perhaps. As for the loss in length, I don't know. The locals too said that it was much more warmer at base camp since the past few years than before. It used to be a considerably more difficult trek earlier in terms of the weather, low temperatures as well as the trail.
Sigh.
I guess all this is inevitable. Maybe I should just trek to all the places I want to as soon as possible before they go to the dogs.
I would love to visit Nepal again though. Perhaps as early as next year. Am thinking of doing the Langtang & Helambu treks next year. Two separate treks which can be combined via either Ganja La or Gosainkund. This can be done solo.
Am more keen on the Manaslu trek though. Only hitch is the expense. Just the permit itself is US $90 a week..! But it is a great trek - safe, yet challenging, beautiful and involving a good amount of roughing it out. It can be done solo, but I hope I get a good partner to make it more enjoyable as well as safer.
Ah... I wish I could just keep trekking and living out of a backpack all my life :) But that is too romantic, dreamy and unpractical :)
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
Friday, August 7, 2009
King of the Road
I've been finding myself humming this song although I couldn't get some of the lyrics. Heard it in the movie 'Into the Wild' which has really good OSTs by Eddie Vedder and Kaki King. This one though is not an OST. It is a classic country song by Roger Miller. Awesome. Makes you realize why the classics are called classics. :)
Trailers for sale or rent
Rooms to let...fifty cents.
No phone, no pool, no pets
I ain't got no cigarettes
Ah, but..two hours of pushin' broom
Buys an eight by twelve four-bit room
I'm a man of means by no means
King of the road.
Third boxcar, midnight train
Destination...Bangor, Maine.
Old worn out suits and shoes,
I don't pay no union dues,
I smoke old stogies I have found
Short, but not too big around
I'm a man of means by no means
King of the road.
I know every engineer on every train
All of their children, and all of their names
And every handout in every town
And every lock that ain't locked
When no one's around.
I sing,
Trailers for sale or rent
Rooms to let, fifty cents
No phone, no pool, no pets
I ain't got no cigarettes
Ah, but, two hours of pushin' broom
Buys an eight by twelve four-bit room
I'm a man of means by no means
King of the road.
Trailers for sale or rent
Rooms to let...fifty cents.
No phone, no pool, no pets
I ain't got no cigarettes
Ah, but..two hours of pushin' broom
Buys an eight by twelve four-bit room
I'm a man of means by no means
King of the road.
Third boxcar, midnight train
Destination...Bangor, Maine.
Old worn out suits and shoes,
I don't pay no union dues,
I smoke old stogies I have found
Short, but not too big around
I'm a man of means by no means
King of the road.
I know every engineer on every train
All of their children, and all of their names
And every handout in every town
And every lock that ain't locked
When no one's around.
I sing,
Trailers for sale or rent
Rooms to let, fifty cents
No phone, no pool, no pets
I ain't got no cigarettes
Ah, but, two hours of pushin' broom
Buys an eight by twelve four-bit room
I'm a man of means by no means
King of the road.
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
Mall Mania
Mania. Oh yeah, that's the word for it.
The newspaper tells me that 'Mantri Mall', the largest mall to-date in India will open soon in Bangalore. Recession and retail slowdown be damned, the developers sold out 94% of the space weeks ahead of opening. Who says Indians don't have money and are conservative when it comes to splurging? Almost every major retailer in India has a presence there - Tatas, Reliance, Future Group (Pantaloon Retail), Landmark (Piramal's), Shopper's Stop et cetera. With 1.3 million sq. ft., it is 10% larger than Ambience Mall in Gurgaon and over 2.5 times the size of Forum Mall, which used to be the biggie amongst malls in Begaluru.
Great news. Yet, doesn't 1.3 million sq. ft. seem really small by... er... 'international standards'...?? I mean, India has over 1 billion in population and a burgeoning middle class, and there is so much untapped potential, and we have only scratched the surface, and the revolution has only just begun, and the retail sector is set to witness a sea-change, and so on and blah blah blah... et cetera ad nauseeam.
When I was a kid living in a tiny house at Dadar in Mumbai, we used to go the Shivaji Park or the Chowpatty for timepass. Mom would take us. When dad was in the mood, we would go to more distant places like Marine Drive, Gateway of India, Hanging Gardens, Juhu Chowpatty, Girgaum Chowpatty, Kamala Nehru Park, Santacruz airplane wala garden (It has a airplane shaped structure in it. I still don't know what the garden is called.) and so on. If not anything else, I would curl up with a book in a chair, play by myself or roam around Dadar on a bicycle. Going to the movies or eating out was so rare.
I wonder what the heck do kids do thesedays. One of the activities is sure to be visiting malls with their doting parents. I see quite a lot of them when I used to visit a Food Bazaar near my office once in a while. And whenever I watch the idiot box, I see innumerable ads aimed at inducing purchase decisions by kids - and not necessarily for kid stuff either. As for the rest, I'd rather not say much 'cos I have rather vague ideas, not so concrete. But I'm sure it ain't too good what kids are up to thesedays.
Reading about this 'Mantri Mall' brought to my mind another conversation that I had with a friend when we went for a 4-5 hour walk along Marine Drive early one Sunday morning 2 weeks ago. After that he showed me a cheap place near Gateway of India for breakfast. Too bad I could not eat anything there since the place is almost exclusively non-vegetarian. Vegetarians can have some lettuce leaves for breakfast. :) And sometimes some dal, roti and paneer at lunchtime. I was talking about how temples have a habit of cropping up anywhere and everywhere in India. The rate at which temples and gods crop up in India would probably give tough competetion to the birth rate I'm sure. And religion is big business too. VERY BIG. Heck, religious figures and organizations/trusts seem to be even more powerful and rich than the bloody politicians. It is also perhaps the greatest timepass in India. One sees even otherwise perfectly sane and so-called well-educated folks doing inane things such as queuing up 8 hrs. (or more) for darshan at some temple. Or worse still, walking barefoot from some god-forsaken (or should I say builder-and-municipality-nexus-forsaken..?) suburb to some temple which looks more like the corporate headquarters of Siddivinayak Inc. than anything else. The circus surrounding religion in India often makes me wanna puke. It doesn't get that bad usually though. More often than not, I manage to look at it as just that - a circus, a source of entertainment for my mind and senses. How else would I be able to deal with the display of idiocy on such a large scale?
In fact, to take entertainment and timepass to new levels, I have a great idea. You see how the fast-food chains quickly learnt that they have to 'Indianize' in order to do business in India? I think the same needs to be done to Malls in India. There needs to a convergence between the religion mania and shopping mania in India. Get what I mean?
Convergence. Syncretism. Synergy. Oh-so-fancy, huh?
Seriously, I think it would be a big hit. Imagine this - massive malls with massive parking lots (for all the Tata Nano's and other such cars) located on once useless forest or agricultural land. These malls would have themes or a combination of themes as per the local market appeal. I mean, say a Vaishnavite theme mall in Gujjuland, Vithoba theme mall in Maharashtra and so on. One can engage in religion and shopping in the same place. So convenient!! The decor and ambience for the malls would need to be suitably modified, but that should be okay. Chic restaurants serving gourmet prasadam are sure to do brisk business. And with people of all ages and classes thronging the place, retailers of every kind are sure to have a gala time. Special transport corridors should be built to ferry the hordes to these massive complexes on the outskirts of cities. For the more devout, there can be dedicated pedestrian pilgrim paths with shade and watering facilities just like in the good old days when India was the greatest and most religious land in the whole damn universe.
Yeah, I really think that's what we need. A grand marriage between religion and shopping malls.
In fact, I seriously hope some bright young entrepreneur wanting to follow in the footsteps of Kishore Biyani is reading this so that I can offer my consulting services. I would suggest forming a joint venture with one of the local temple trusts to ensure a captive market and greater success. It would also help in easy clearances from various Govt. and regulatory bodies as well as easy availability of land and amenities such as water, electricity, etc. The temples are awash with funds so the initial start-up costs would also be reduced. One could begin by simply encroaching on private property or public land. Amazing, isn't it?
Heck, I'm even willing to put in some money to test this idea. It is called seeding a small-time venture capital business, you know. My consulting comes free if you can give me a 10-20% stake.
Any takers?
The newspaper tells me that 'Mantri Mall', the largest mall to-date in India will open soon in Bangalore. Recession and retail slowdown be damned, the developers sold out 94% of the space weeks ahead of opening. Who says Indians don't have money and are conservative when it comes to splurging? Almost every major retailer in India has a presence there - Tatas, Reliance, Future Group (Pantaloon Retail), Landmark (Piramal's), Shopper's Stop et cetera. With 1.3 million sq. ft., it is 10% larger than Ambience Mall in Gurgaon and over 2.5 times the size of Forum Mall, which used to be the biggie amongst malls in Begaluru.
Great news. Yet, doesn't 1.3 million sq. ft. seem really small by... er... 'international standards'...?? I mean, India has over 1 billion in population and a burgeoning middle class, and there is so much untapped potential, and we have only scratched the surface, and the revolution has only just begun, and the retail sector is set to witness a sea-change, and so on and blah blah blah... et cetera ad nauseeam.
When I was a kid living in a tiny house at Dadar in Mumbai, we used to go the Shivaji Park or the Chowpatty for timepass. Mom would take us. When dad was in the mood, we would go to more distant places like Marine Drive, Gateway of India, Hanging Gardens, Juhu Chowpatty, Girgaum Chowpatty, Kamala Nehru Park, Santacruz airplane wala garden (It has a airplane shaped structure in it. I still don't know what the garden is called.) and so on. If not anything else, I would curl up with a book in a chair, play by myself or roam around Dadar on a bicycle. Going to the movies or eating out was so rare.
I wonder what the heck do kids do thesedays. One of the activities is sure to be visiting malls with their doting parents. I see quite a lot of them when I used to visit a Food Bazaar near my office once in a while. And whenever I watch the idiot box, I see innumerable ads aimed at inducing purchase decisions by kids - and not necessarily for kid stuff either. As for the rest, I'd rather not say much 'cos I have rather vague ideas, not so concrete. But I'm sure it ain't too good what kids are up to thesedays.
Reading about this 'Mantri Mall' brought to my mind another conversation that I had with a friend when we went for a 4-5 hour walk along Marine Drive early one Sunday morning 2 weeks ago. After that he showed me a cheap place near Gateway of India for breakfast. Too bad I could not eat anything there since the place is almost exclusively non-vegetarian. Vegetarians can have some lettuce leaves for breakfast. :) And sometimes some dal, roti and paneer at lunchtime. I was talking about how temples have a habit of cropping up anywhere and everywhere in India. The rate at which temples and gods crop up in India would probably give tough competetion to the birth rate I'm sure. And religion is big business too. VERY BIG. Heck, religious figures and organizations/trusts seem to be even more powerful and rich than the bloody politicians. It is also perhaps the greatest timepass in India. One sees even otherwise perfectly sane and so-called well-educated folks doing inane things such as queuing up 8 hrs. (or more) for darshan at some temple. Or worse still, walking barefoot from some god-forsaken (or should I say builder-and-municipality-nexus-forsaken..?) suburb to some temple which looks more like the corporate headquarters of Siddivinayak Inc. than anything else. The circus surrounding religion in India often makes me wanna puke. It doesn't get that bad usually though. More often than not, I manage to look at it as just that - a circus, a source of entertainment for my mind and senses. How else would I be able to deal with the display of idiocy on such a large scale?
In fact, to take entertainment and timepass to new levels, I have a great idea. You see how the fast-food chains quickly learnt that they have to 'Indianize' in order to do business in India? I think the same needs to be done to Malls in India. There needs to a convergence between the religion mania and shopping mania in India. Get what I mean?
Convergence. Syncretism. Synergy. Oh-so-fancy, huh?
Seriously, I think it would be a big hit. Imagine this - massive malls with massive parking lots (for all the Tata Nano's and other such cars) located on once useless forest or agricultural land. These malls would have themes or a combination of themes as per the local market appeal. I mean, say a Vaishnavite theme mall in Gujjuland, Vithoba theme mall in Maharashtra and so on. One can engage in religion and shopping in the same place. So convenient!! The decor and ambience for the malls would need to be suitably modified, but that should be okay. Chic restaurants serving gourmet prasadam are sure to do brisk business. And with people of all ages and classes thronging the place, retailers of every kind are sure to have a gala time. Special transport corridors should be built to ferry the hordes to these massive complexes on the outskirts of cities. For the more devout, there can be dedicated pedestrian pilgrim paths with shade and watering facilities just like in the good old days when India was the greatest and most religious land in the whole damn universe.
Yeah, I really think that's what we need. A grand marriage between religion and shopping malls.
In fact, I seriously hope some bright young entrepreneur wanting to follow in the footsteps of Kishore Biyani is reading this so that I can offer my consulting services. I would suggest forming a joint venture with one of the local temple trusts to ensure a captive market and greater success. It would also help in easy clearances from various Govt. and regulatory bodies as well as easy availability of land and amenities such as water, electricity, etc. The temples are awash with funds so the initial start-up costs would also be reduced. One could begin by simply encroaching on private property or public land. Amazing, isn't it?
Heck, I'm even willing to put in some money to test this idea. It is called seeding a small-time venture capital business, you know. My consulting comes free if you can give me a 10-20% stake.
Any takers?
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