I was cold. My hands were almost frozen and it was getting hard to keep breathing as my nose was running. Running nose was making breathing miserable but my both hands were busy in steering my kite and I had no time for blowing my nose or rubbing my palms together to give them some heat out of friction. The only thing that I was caring was my kite. The wind was blowing at a good pace and my kite was flying high of all time. I was not sure if I could make it again so I just wanted to keep it high as long as I could. Despite my lust for flying kites, I was rarely successful to fly it as high. I was trying hard to learn the secrets of hobby so I was listening to everyone who had a say about it and was trying them but almost all of my efforts were ending in despair. I was so envious of my uncle’s skills (if it happens that you read this, please make a good kite for me, hehehe, as I still believe in your ingenious skills..). To me, he was a genius as he was making very handy and beautiful kites out of scratches. All he needed was bamboo spines, a plastic shopper bag and thread, not even a scissor as he was cutting plastic with thread.
That evening, it was one of my rarest times and it was so delicious that I didn’t realize that it was getting dark. Then I heard someone calling me. I think, I heard my name twice. I looked back but nobody was there. In fact, the whole ground was empty. I got so scared that I left my kite and thread in place and just started running to home. When I reached home it was already dark and I was no more cold as I had run nonstop, may be for more than 20 minutes. The reason that I got scared was not the empty ground and calling of my name by a ghost (or just out of my head) but the ground itself. I heard that before partition of India-Pakistan, this ground was used for open air cremation. More than that was the scary stories of elders that were making this place scarier after dark. One of the stories goes like,
(A retired old man); at those times, most of current Alamdar Road was unpaved. I was returning from duty (government job) on bicycle. It was dark, silent and there was nobody around. For me it was routine. Then I see a beautiful white baby goat playing and jumping around my bicycle. It was so beautiful and tempting that I couldn’t resist but to go and grab this baby goat. As I picked it up, I felt as its limbs are lengthening and it is becoming heavy and it is laughing with the sound of a woman. I tried to throw it but I failed. The only thing that I remember was fainting and falling on the ground. When I woke up, it was dawn and I was on the ground with no one around…
For a child it was enough to know that his city was totally destroyed in 1935 earthquake, in which estimated 30,000-60,000 residents died. The spirits of those who died must be roaming around but this ground was even scarier as no one knew for how long it was used for open air cremation. I think, the stories that then I was reading about dark roaming spirits had added to my superstitions. The thought of thousands of spirits roaming in the city after dark was enough to scare me. Whatever, it was just spirits and ghostly creatures that I was scared of and of course only after dark. I never thought that there will come times that I no more fear any ghost or spirit but devil-men who claim to stand for religion or civilization.
It is again March but that March was really a dark March. On March 2nd, 2004, long after I had forgotten my childish fears of ghosts I witnessed for the first time what devils are and how they go for cannibalism. I was in Ashura procession like every year. Around 1;12 PM, suddenly two blasts occurred and intense firing followed. Nobody had an idea that what was happening and then I saw the wounded and dead bodies coming in. It was a total chaos. What I may never forget was a dead 10-11 years old boy. His face was undamaged but his back-skull was missing and the skull was empty. Two persons were carrying him and his forehead was moving in and out as they were running. Though there were people with missing legs and open stomachs but that child, Ah, I just can’t forget. His innocent face and his empty skull still come to me as great pain. There were mostly children in front of procession and they were the first victims of firing and suicide attack. More than 56 people died on that day. It was first time that I realized, it is not dead-ghosts roaming around in dark that are scary but devil-men who roam around in day light who eat live people. Frankly, anybody, no matter who he is and what he stands for when talks about war; he doesn’t look to me as human but a devil. I would love to be scared of ghosts but I think, the devils snatched that innocence even from children. I can just wish that children continue to get scared of ghosts than devils. When I watch talks of war, I just think about those children who are now scared of ghosts but soon going to get scared of devils instead and that thought STILL SCARES ME….
Friday, March 9, 2012
Sunday, March 4, 2012
The need for a Second Culture
“Genetically we remain a single species, but culturally we are worlds apart, comparable to dinosaurs, birds and mammals.” Mark Pagel... Pagel's cultural speciation seems more valid when the concept of "clash of civilizations" doesn't stay a mere a theory but a reality...
Whether you are a rationalist who sees the world through the eyes of logic and Philosophy or a believer in one merciful God or worship idols, you can't claim that you do not belong to a history of men that were/are believing in their cultural superiority and have been involved in eradication of rival cultures in order to spread their own... It seems that the destruction and conversion of civilizations is a universal process across religions, cultures and times. We find the evidences in ancient world, Medieval ages and witness their continuation in our modern age.
Alexander "the great" was the pupil of logic's father and a great philosopher of all time, Aristotle. Aristotle tutored Alexander to fulfill the dream of his teacher, Plato for a "Philosopher King". The "Philosopher King" had a "Philosophical mission" and that was Hellenization (in other word to spread the culture of philosophy) of the world.
Alexander the great destroyed the Persepolis to ground while he was building new cities like that of Alexandria throughout of his expanding empire. It seems that the sole reason for his destruction of Persepolis was that of rivalry among civilizations. He was looking to Persian civilization as an obstacle to his project of Hellenization of world...
......................................................................................
Although Hellenization of world was not lasted long but the world didn't cease to repeat the same sort of efforts. Ottomans after capturing the last city of Byzantine empire, converted its jewel church, the Hagia Sophia Church to Aya Sophia Mosque in an effort of Islamization of Byzantine empire. Islamization of conquered territories was identical to Alexander's project of Hellenization of the world.
.......................................................................................
The re-christianization of Muslim Spain cities was no different than the Islamization of Ottomans and the continuation of the same phenomenon as those of Alexander and Ottomans... the conversion of Civilizations...
........................................................................................
One may argue that those events were happening in a time period of human history that human history were merely the story of emperors. So they were more of battles of emperors than clash of civilizations. So, lets come to our times and go to the biggest democratic country, India. The demolition of historic Babri Mosque in Ayodhya, India was another act of eradication of a history or conversion of civilization in a democratic society.
.........................................................................................
And of course, religious fanatics who left their brains in history are determined to roll back all civilizations. The destruction of Buddha of Bamiyan by Taliban was just a trailer of their project will proceed and what their world will look like..
..........................................................................................
Wait, as we have the seed for a future clash. This process is not doing end as the controversial status of Jerusalem and prediction of Armageddon over Jerusalem is popular among Jews, Christians and Muslims.... It is just the matter of time when the followers these three Abrahamic religions go for a large scale clashes..
Looking to all these examples, I am compelled to think that overtaking of civilizations is not mere products of teaching but deeply embedded in our "second nature". What does it mean? That means that our "second nature" was born and grown up with us as we were born and grown up in our particular cultures.
While, I understand the need for preservation and promotion of our primary cultures (cultures that we have inherited and are the source of our identity) but in order to bridge the gaps and reduce conflicts we need a second culture, a culture common to all human being. Human Rights' thirty articles are accepted and endorsed by all nations and provides a framework and values system for our second culture. Unfortunately, there is no arts, movies, stories and other forms of cultural products to make this a reality. I don't know, how much my appeal goes but at least I voice for it...
Whether you are a rationalist who sees the world through the eyes of logic and Philosophy or a believer in one merciful God or worship idols, you can't claim that you do not belong to a history of men that were/are believing in their cultural superiority and have been involved in eradication of rival cultures in order to spread their own... It seems that the destruction and conversion of civilizations is a universal process across religions, cultures and times. We find the evidences in ancient world, Medieval ages and witness their continuation in our modern age.
Alexander "the great" was the pupil of logic's father and a great philosopher of all time, Aristotle. Aristotle tutored Alexander to fulfill the dream of his teacher, Plato for a "Philosopher King". The "Philosopher King" had a "Philosophical mission" and that was Hellenization (in other word to spread the culture of philosophy) of the world.
Alexander the great destroyed the Persepolis to ground while he was building new cities like that of Alexandria throughout of his expanding empire. It seems that the sole reason for his destruction of Persepolis was that of rivalry among civilizations. He was looking to Persian civilization as an obstacle to his project of Hellenization of world...
......................................................................................
Although Hellenization of world was not lasted long but the world didn't cease to repeat the same sort of efforts. Ottomans after capturing the last city of Byzantine empire, converted its jewel church, the Hagia Sophia Church to Aya Sophia Mosque in an effort of Islamization of Byzantine empire. Islamization of conquered territories was identical to Alexander's project of Hellenization of the world.
.......................................................................................
The re-christianization of Muslim Spain cities was no different than the Islamization of Ottomans and the continuation of the same phenomenon as those of Alexander and Ottomans... the conversion of Civilizations...
........................................................................................
One may argue that those events were happening in a time period of human history that human history were merely the story of emperors. So they were more of battles of emperors than clash of civilizations. So, lets come to our times and go to the biggest democratic country, India. The demolition of historic Babri Mosque in Ayodhya, India was another act of eradication of a history or conversion of civilization in a democratic society.
.........................................................................................
And of course, religious fanatics who left their brains in history are determined to roll back all civilizations. The destruction of Buddha of Bamiyan by Taliban was just a trailer of their project will proceed and what their world will look like..
..........................................................................................
Wait, as we have the seed for a future clash. This process is not doing end as the controversial status of Jerusalem and prediction of Armageddon over Jerusalem is popular among Jews, Christians and Muslims.... It is just the matter of time when the followers these three Abrahamic religions go for a large scale clashes..
Looking to all these examples, I am compelled to think that overtaking of civilizations is not mere products of teaching but deeply embedded in our "second nature". What does it mean? That means that our "second nature" was born and grown up with us as we were born and grown up in our particular cultures.
While, I understand the need for preservation and promotion of our primary cultures (cultures that we have inherited and are the source of our identity) but in order to bridge the gaps and reduce conflicts we need a second culture, a culture common to all human being. Human Rights' thirty articles are accepted and endorsed by all nations and provides a framework and values system for our second culture. Unfortunately, there is no arts, movies, stories and other forms of cultural products to make this a reality. I don't know, how much my appeal goes but at least I voice for it...
Friday, March 2, 2012
The Peaks?
If you know about Magnetotactic Bacteria, then you know that these bacteria live in the Oxic-anoxic zone in the sediments and to find favorable environments, they use magnetic field lines of Earth to locate themselves and find directions. If you live in sediments, it would be hard to know whether you are going up, down or any other direction so these bacteria have evolved to convert dissolved iron compounds into magnetite and store them in their magnetostomes which are used as magnetic needles like those in compasses used in orientation and finding directions. The Oxic-anoxic zone in sediments change frequently by cycle of water, seasons and influx of sediments so these bacteria need to move in order to survive...Here is a video of magnetotactic bacteria responding to changing magnetic field...(One point that I wanted you to note is the migration of whole colony by shifting magnetic field... That fits from very simple unicellular organism like those of bacteria to very complex ones like those of human... Our needs are like magnet...If there happens a big change in sphere of needs then the mass migrations are inevitable)
Unlike bacteria that respond to changing environments, humans are smart creatures and change their environments to their needs BUT it is not ideal either...In the process of changing the environments, they create new dependencies. Gold and Oil is not part of essential commodities for survival but by creating complex societies and machines to run them we are now dependent on these precious commodities.
Human populations have responded to each big breakthrough in technological, economical and social developments and have increased to reach 6 billion. Of course, this number is going to increase. It is logical to think that as population increase, the rate of consumption also increase. Until now, as the consumption has increased so is the production. That means we are living in good times. There are some ecological migrations but the still most of the migrants are those of war migrants and economical migrants and this might made this look natural to see most of efforts are linked with political and economical concerns....
There are some people who are alarming us that these good times (A balance between consumption and Production) might not go forever. Some of commodities are limited and non-renewable so expecting to increase in their production forever is not logical and they predict a peak for production beyond which the productions won't be able to meet the supply demand...
Hubbert peak oil plot
The concept of Oil Peak was there since 60s but now we are hearing about "Peak Gold".
Peak Gold might not be as serious as Peak oil but still it would affect the way people think of economy and their personal savings. My concern is not whether Peak oil or Peak gold are real or myths but of coming more Peaks. Perhaps our next talks be about "Peak Food", "Peak Fresh Water", "Peak Land" and so forth. Although human have faced famines and other ecological disasters in past but in global world where interdependence are rapidly growing, the ecological disasters and migrations are something totally new that yet we may have to discover their scales and impacts....
......................................................................................
Peak Oil
.....................................................................................
Peak Gold
This report belongs to 2009 but still it shows the renewed interest in gold. If we really have reached Peak Gold then gold will be the next big player in social stratification assuming that the prices will continue to climb up, especially in societies where Gold is an important part of social events (especially marriages)
Unlike bacteria that respond to changing environments, humans are smart creatures and change their environments to their needs BUT it is not ideal either...In the process of changing the environments, they create new dependencies. Gold and Oil is not part of essential commodities for survival but by creating complex societies and machines to run them we are now dependent on these precious commodities.
Human populations have responded to each big breakthrough in technological, economical and social developments and have increased to reach 6 billion. Of course, this number is going to increase. It is logical to think that as population increase, the rate of consumption also increase. Until now, as the consumption has increased so is the production. That means we are living in good times. There are some ecological migrations but the still most of the migrants are those of war migrants and economical migrants and this might made this look natural to see most of efforts are linked with political and economical concerns....
There are some people who are alarming us that these good times (A balance between consumption and Production) might not go forever. Some of commodities are limited and non-renewable so expecting to increase in their production forever is not logical and they predict a peak for production beyond which the productions won't be able to meet the supply demand...
The concept of Oil Peak was there since 60s but now we are hearing about "Peak Gold".
Peak Gold might not be as serious as Peak oil but still it would affect the way people think of economy and their personal savings. My concern is not whether Peak oil or Peak gold are real or myths but of coming more Peaks. Perhaps our next talks be about "Peak Food", "Peak Fresh Water", "Peak Land" and so forth. Although human have faced famines and other ecological disasters in past but in global world where interdependence are rapidly growing, the ecological disasters and migrations are something totally new that yet we may have to discover their scales and impacts....
......................................................................................
Peak Oil
.....................................................................................
Peak Gold
This report belongs to 2009 but still it shows the renewed interest in gold. If we really have reached Peak Gold then gold will be the next big player in social stratification assuming that the prices will continue to climb up, especially in societies where Gold is an important part of social events (especially marriages)
Tuesday, February 28, 2012
A family that taught me what to read
On Monday, my youngest brother (who is an eighth grader) came on skype to consult me about his current endeavors. He was asking me, how he can become a good software engineer and a good writer? I recommended him some of my favorite writers, Chekhov, Dostoevsky and Oscar Wilde and told him stories of Mark Zuckerberg (The founder of Facebook), Steve Jobs (Founder of Apple), Bill Gates (Founder of Microsoft) and Niklas Zennström (Founder of Skype). We exchanged ideas on how to do things and what to expect and what to not and so forth. After we are done with our conversations, I felt a little bit envious of him as he has access to internet and elder brothers that he consults.
When I was an eighth grader, I was maintaining a thick encyclopedic diary that had my aphorismatic expressions (Uncle Nietzsche), schemes of new plays (Good idea; if you can’t compete in existing plays then why not to create new ones? …But frankly, it was more an effort to have more useful plays than cricket), designs for their outfits and play grounds, exterior architectures of buildings that I liked to build someday (heheheh), List of problems of our society and my suggested solutions (how naïve), notes of medicinal plants, chemical properties of some compounds of interests, thinking strategies, some characters (I was always failing to balance the body parts and my characters were closer to beasts to than what I was imagining them to appear on paper) and stories based on them (loved to watch cartoons and wanted to write my own comic books) and of course my Philosophical constructions (Yeah, Uncle Socrates were very thoughtful on those days…hehehe)…. Though I had an encyclopedic diary that I was regularly and passionately updating but to others it was just a sketchbook of a kid and there was nobody to tell me, what to do and where to go… I was a curious but disoriented school boy…. The books were scarce and my pocket was empty. There was just a burning curiosity and a passionate learner and his only guidance was the story of Bernard Shaw that his uncle told him (My uncle was my class fellow and we are almost of same age). The story goes,
George Bernard Shaw hated formal education so he had not proper formal education. One day he was crossing a street and found a piece of newspaper. Just out of curirosity he picked it up and started reading the story on it. As it was only a torn off part of newspaper, he could not finish the story but the story touched him so much that wanted to learn about rest of the story. He started going to libraries and reading books to find the rest of story. Although he didn’t find the missing part of the story but in the process of looking for it he read so much that he became a learned person and a known writer….
I don’t know, how much of this story is real as I had only heard of it but it was always at top of my mind and I was reading everything I had access to but there wasn’t enough books to read…. I still remember the first fat story book that I read. I was so happy that I read a book. My grand Ma shifted to a new house and there was a college girl that had some story books. It was there that I read my first fat story book. Before that I had access to magazines, thin booklets for children that either I was buying from bookstore or was borrowing from school library. There was a bookstore with some thick books on its shelves and one of the books was “Shahnama Firdosi”. I was looking to its beautifully decorated cover with images of legendary Rostam and was wishing for a day I would be able to buy this book…
When our school received new books, I was so excited that I was not missing any spare to read them and even was using class time to read them. To hide from teachers I was putting book on my lap under desk to read them in class (Greed never dies..still, I get that much greedy if something excites me).
If the confessions of Gandhi about his youth let me to have more humanistic view about “great men”, the stories of Avicenna, Jabir Bin Hayan, Ibn Battuta and an European Astronomer that I don’t remember his name excited and allowed me to enter into the world of real characters than story characters that until that time was known to me. One of the books was about a Persian doctor who goes to India to learn medicine and meets a Persian girl there, falls in love with her, marries her but she becomes sick and dies. When doctor sees that his medicine fails to save the life of his lover, he abandons medicine and turns to spiritualism. This story was so touching that I decided that I am not going to fall in love with any girl (hehehe.. A kid grows just to undo his childish decisions…hehehehe) ….
In 1989, my father built his own house and we moved from Grand Pa’s house to our house. This shifting brought new opportunities for me. It was far from city so I was getting more pocket money to go on bus and also there weren’t many shops so I had more money in my pocket. I was able to buy second hand books and exchange mine with those of my uncle… Soon there was a small library at our town managed by one of our schoolmate and then I got membership of Provincial library and this changed my life as I had access to real knowledge (Big fat books with big names on their covers)
But the biggest paradigm shift in my thinking came from a refugee family. In summer of 1998, Taliban captured Mazar-i-Sharif and massacred the local Hazara population. A large number of survivals escaped to neighboring countries. As our city is close to Afghanistan, a large number of survivals took refuge there. There were families who were staying in mosques and had no place to move. People were trying to accommodate them. We had a small multi-purpose extra room and one of the families moved in. There were 7 members in the family, a dark tanned, skinny father, a tall skinny mother, three daughters and two sons the eldest and second youngest. The father was sick and barely able to walk and they had nothing to live on.
I was always amazed that how this family of seven was managing to live in that small room? Seven people could sit there but it had not enough space for seven people to sleep there. His eldest son started working in a shoe workshop with hundred rupees per week as “wage”. The two girls who may be 13 or 14 years old (I am guessing) were doing embroidery works with their mother, again for few hundred rupees per scarf. They were sitting all day doing embroidery and were able to finish a scarf in few days to earn a few hundred rupees. The father was very sick but still he was going to bring the hard firewood to make benches. In my whole life, I have never seen such a determination and skill. A sick man just with three hand tools were sawing and carving benches out of such hardwood that strong baker workers can just think of cutting them in large pieces for fire. Later on, he became so sick that he wasn’t able to sit and even go to washroom and was lying in that small room.
What was really shocking for all of us that in two years that they lived in our house, we never seen them a drop of tear in their eyes, a sign of grief or worry or any complain. When they were out, they were neat, smiley and talkative but no talk of pain or their difficulties. Though we were aware that they were in trouble but we could not figure out what they eat, how they eat or when eat or even if they go hungry. Even the youngest daughter who was only 4 or 5 years old was behaving so maturely and with dignity that other children of her age could hardly do. This family even changed our behaviors and thinking about life. From one side we were seeing the wealthy families’ favorite talks are complaining and backbiting and here was a family who was so dignified that were facing misfortunes of life in such a dignity and bravery that was almost idealistic (At least I can’t do it even now).
They had earned so much of our respect that we were very careful in our interactions to not offend them even unintentionally. My father knew some organizations that were helping poor families but the problem was how to reach them to not offend this dignified family. My mother talked to them and they finally accepted to get their father hospitalized and get treated by the charity organization but it was too late. Their father had stomach cancer and died in hospital. I still remember that time when the body of their father was brought in, I felt as my heart was ripped off. How could life be so cruel to such nice people? But they were calm and didn’t show any signs of discomfort. I was sure that they had mourned in their small room (out of sights of others) but in front of people they showed no symptoms of grief.
Until that time, I was aware of characters in stories of Russian writers who had hard times but those characters were noisy and complaining about their lives and here I was seeing everyday a family who were facing tragedy after tragedy but facing life with such a dignity that left me envious of such self-restraint and resilience forever.
It was first time that I felt, I was mistaken for so long that I was looking knowledge in books. The human around us with their life perspectives are open books. I was just needed to study them and learn. I am really thankful to that family that changed my perspective. Believe it or not, fat books no more excite me and I am no more piling up books. Whenever, I have hard time, I just remember that family and get enough to overcome over my emotions. Yes, I still spend a large part of my time reading but my real inspirations come from live people….
When I was an eighth grader, I was maintaining a thick encyclopedic diary that had my aphorismatic expressions (Uncle Nietzsche), schemes of new plays (Good idea; if you can’t compete in existing plays then why not to create new ones? …But frankly, it was more an effort to have more useful plays than cricket), designs for their outfits and play grounds, exterior architectures of buildings that I liked to build someday (heheheh), List of problems of our society and my suggested solutions (how naïve), notes of medicinal plants, chemical properties of some compounds of interests, thinking strategies, some characters (I was always failing to balance the body parts and my characters were closer to beasts to than what I was imagining them to appear on paper) and stories based on them (loved to watch cartoons and wanted to write my own comic books) and of course my Philosophical constructions (Yeah, Uncle Socrates were very thoughtful on those days…hehehe)…. Though I had an encyclopedic diary that I was regularly and passionately updating but to others it was just a sketchbook of a kid and there was nobody to tell me, what to do and where to go… I was a curious but disoriented school boy…. The books were scarce and my pocket was empty. There was just a burning curiosity and a passionate learner and his only guidance was the story of Bernard Shaw that his uncle told him (My uncle was my class fellow and we are almost of same age). The story goes,
George Bernard Shaw hated formal education so he had not proper formal education. One day he was crossing a street and found a piece of newspaper. Just out of curirosity he picked it up and started reading the story on it. As it was only a torn off part of newspaper, he could not finish the story but the story touched him so much that wanted to learn about rest of the story. He started going to libraries and reading books to find the rest of story. Although he didn’t find the missing part of the story but in the process of looking for it he read so much that he became a learned person and a known writer….
I don’t know, how much of this story is real as I had only heard of it but it was always at top of my mind and I was reading everything I had access to but there wasn’t enough books to read…. I still remember the first fat story book that I read. I was so happy that I read a book. My grand Ma shifted to a new house and there was a college girl that had some story books. It was there that I read my first fat story book. Before that I had access to magazines, thin booklets for children that either I was buying from bookstore or was borrowing from school library. There was a bookstore with some thick books on its shelves and one of the books was “Shahnama Firdosi”. I was looking to its beautifully decorated cover with images of legendary Rostam and was wishing for a day I would be able to buy this book…
When our school received new books, I was so excited that I was not missing any spare to read them and even was using class time to read them. To hide from teachers I was putting book on my lap under desk to read them in class (Greed never dies..still, I get that much greedy if something excites me).
If the confessions of Gandhi about his youth let me to have more humanistic view about “great men”, the stories of Avicenna, Jabir Bin Hayan, Ibn Battuta and an European Astronomer that I don’t remember his name excited and allowed me to enter into the world of real characters than story characters that until that time was known to me. One of the books was about a Persian doctor who goes to India to learn medicine and meets a Persian girl there, falls in love with her, marries her but she becomes sick and dies. When doctor sees that his medicine fails to save the life of his lover, he abandons medicine and turns to spiritualism. This story was so touching that I decided that I am not going to fall in love with any girl (hehehe.. A kid grows just to undo his childish decisions…hehehehe) ….
In 1989, my father built his own house and we moved from Grand Pa’s house to our house. This shifting brought new opportunities for me. It was far from city so I was getting more pocket money to go on bus and also there weren’t many shops so I had more money in my pocket. I was able to buy second hand books and exchange mine with those of my uncle… Soon there was a small library at our town managed by one of our schoolmate and then I got membership of Provincial library and this changed my life as I had access to real knowledge (Big fat books with big names on their covers)
But the biggest paradigm shift in my thinking came from a refugee family. In summer of 1998, Taliban captured Mazar-i-Sharif and massacred the local Hazara population. A large number of survivals escaped to neighboring countries. As our city is close to Afghanistan, a large number of survivals took refuge there. There were families who were staying in mosques and had no place to move. People were trying to accommodate them. We had a small multi-purpose extra room and one of the families moved in. There were 7 members in the family, a dark tanned, skinny father, a tall skinny mother, three daughters and two sons the eldest and second youngest. The father was sick and barely able to walk and they had nothing to live on.
I was always amazed that how this family of seven was managing to live in that small room? Seven people could sit there but it had not enough space for seven people to sleep there. His eldest son started working in a shoe workshop with hundred rupees per week as “wage”. The two girls who may be 13 or 14 years old (I am guessing) were doing embroidery works with their mother, again for few hundred rupees per scarf. They were sitting all day doing embroidery and were able to finish a scarf in few days to earn a few hundred rupees. The father was very sick but still he was going to bring the hard firewood to make benches. In my whole life, I have never seen such a determination and skill. A sick man just with three hand tools were sawing and carving benches out of such hardwood that strong baker workers can just think of cutting them in large pieces for fire. Later on, he became so sick that he wasn’t able to sit and even go to washroom and was lying in that small room.
What was really shocking for all of us that in two years that they lived in our house, we never seen them a drop of tear in their eyes, a sign of grief or worry or any complain. When they were out, they were neat, smiley and talkative but no talk of pain or their difficulties. Though we were aware that they were in trouble but we could not figure out what they eat, how they eat or when eat or even if they go hungry. Even the youngest daughter who was only 4 or 5 years old was behaving so maturely and with dignity that other children of her age could hardly do. This family even changed our behaviors and thinking about life. From one side we were seeing the wealthy families’ favorite talks are complaining and backbiting and here was a family who was so dignified that were facing misfortunes of life in such a dignity and bravery that was almost idealistic (At least I can’t do it even now).
They had earned so much of our respect that we were very careful in our interactions to not offend them even unintentionally. My father knew some organizations that were helping poor families but the problem was how to reach them to not offend this dignified family. My mother talked to them and they finally accepted to get their father hospitalized and get treated by the charity organization but it was too late. Their father had stomach cancer and died in hospital. I still remember that time when the body of their father was brought in, I felt as my heart was ripped off. How could life be so cruel to such nice people? But they were calm and didn’t show any signs of discomfort. I was sure that they had mourned in their small room (out of sights of others) but in front of people they showed no symptoms of grief.
Until that time, I was aware of characters in stories of Russian writers who had hard times but those characters were noisy and complaining about their lives and here I was seeing everyday a family who were facing tragedy after tragedy but facing life with such a dignity that left me envious of such self-restraint and resilience forever.
It was first time that I felt, I was mistaken for so long that I was looking knowledge in books. The human around us with their life perspectives are open books. I was just needed to study them and learn. I am really thankful to that family that changed my perspective. Believe it or not, fat books no more excite me and I am no more piling up books. Whenever, I have hard time, I just remember that family and get enough to overcome over my emotions. Yes, I still spend a large part of my time reading but my real inspirations come from live people….
Monday, February 20, 2012
My picks from Korean Dramas
Some of the Korean dramas are really impressive due to their educational content for social change and how to go for them through entertainment. Just like any other drama, the stories revolve around main character (Like butcher becoming a surgeon, a scholar becoming an entrepreneur, a lady becoming a court cook and doctor and so on) but they are written in adventurous and biographical styles in which the main characters are following a goal that make them stand taller. I am not picking them because these dramas are based on biographies but instead I am picking them because the main characters break the prevailing divides in society based on class systems or cultural norms. The dedication, determination and above all, relying on constant learning and experimentations of main characters to demonstrate the fallacy of social divides are what make these dramas unique, in a time when all are focused on technologies than human talents and characters.
Another aspect of these dramas that really interests me is the linking of the traditional knowledge system to that of modern one. Historical societies like that of Korea have been accumulating vast knowledge about human nature for long time. It is really a great experience to see, though in terms of literature and arts, the transition of a society especially when the globalization is making things go faster than historical societies could accommodate properly.
Coming back to this dramas, I think, Korean artists really need appreciation from rest of world by creating such nice crafts that from one side ask for social change and from other side showing how to do it while entertaining all groups of societies across of ages.
I do not want to make my own interpretations of these dramas so I just present their descriptions and links for the first episode so you could watch them at your ease, if you like them….
One more thing, I may update this page from time to time… Cheers :)
Click on the title to watch them online....
Summaries are taken from dramafans
............................................................................
Jewel in the Palace,
Summary
About 500 years ago during the time of Chosun Dynasty, Korea boasted a rigidly hierarchical and male dominated social structure. Set in this period, "Jewel in the Palace" is based on a true story about a legendary girl (Jang-Geum) who became the first woman to be the supreme royal physician of her times. Despite her poor condition as a low class girl in the male dominated society, Jang-Geum overcame a series of social discrimination and landed herself as a royal cook, later becoming the royal physician, then ultimately the physician in charge of the king. She was even given by the king the title "The Great Jang-Geum". The story of her checkered life on her success and breakdown as well as her love story beautifully unfold. "Jewel in the Palace" is sure to touch your heart.
...................................................................................
Dong Yi (It appeared to me as a Korean version of Sherlock Holmes)
Summary
Set during the reign of King Sukjong in the Joseon dynasty, the story focuses on Dong Yi, a water maid who gains the trust of Queen Inhyeon and later the favour of the king when he is moved by her prayers for the health of the Queen during the court disputes caused by Jang Hee Bin. Dong Yi becomes a concubine with the rank of sook-bin and bears a son who will later become the 21st king of Joseon, Yeongjo.
......................................................................................
Jejoongwon
Summary
A story about the hospital, Jejoongwon. It was the first modern hospital in Korea established in the Joseon era in 1886. (To me, the interesting point was the linking of a butcher to surgeon, both do the same things but it is just the observations, ethics and purpose that makes them so different)...
......................................................................................
Iljimae
Summary
Set during the Joseon Dynasty, Ryung acts as a useless gangster in the marketplace by day but at night he is a chivalrous robber who robs corrupt government officials to give to the poor. After each robbery he leaves behind a wooden branch from a plum tree at the site of the robbery to take responsibility for the robbery. The poor citizens only know him as Iljimae. Bong Soon is a hilarious girl with good martial art skills and lives as a swindler. She only loves Ryung and sacrifices her whole life for him. Eun Chan is a doctor's daughter and is good in nature and usually helps miserable people. She meets Iljimae once by chance, and their sweet love story begins. However, her love puts Iljimae in a dangerous situation because an Imperial Guard also loves her.
......................................................................................
Jumong (My Favorite :)
It might not be easy for modern men to think of nationality other than nation state, ideological state or an ethnic state but when reading ancient and Medieval history we might frequently see that each dynasty had their own nations. That means, a nation was dying by death of a dynasty and a nation was born out of scratch by rise of another dynasty. How well a nation doing was a test to the abilities and popularity of a dynasty. Jumong beautifully depicts the mindset of the kings and how they were creating a new nation out of scratch based on their visions. If you want to have some glimpses into the minds of ancient kings, this is definitely worth to watch....
Summary,
Song Il Gook plays Ju-Mong, the founder of the Goguryeo Dynasty in 37 BC. Han Hye Jin plays the role Soh Suh No (소서노) who is extremely intelligent and is King Ju Mong's second wife.
.................................................................................
Going to update it later....
Another aspect of these dramas that really interests me is the linking of the traditional knowledge system to that of modern one. Historical societies like that of Korea have been accumulating vast knowledge about human nature for long time. It is really a great experience to see, though in terms of literature and arts, the transition of a society especially when the globalization is making things go faster than historical societies could accommodate properly.
Coming back to this dramas, I think, Korean artists really need appreciation from rest of world by creating such nice crafts that from one side ask for social change and from other side showing how to do it while entertaining all groups of societies across of ages.
I do not want to make my own interpretations of these dramas so I just present their descriptions and links for the first episode so you could watch them at your ease, if you like them….
One more thing, I may update this page from time to time… Cheers :)
Click on the title to watch them online....
Summaries are taken from dramafans
............................................................................
Jewel in the Palace,
Summary
About 500 years ago during the time of Chosun Dynasty, Korea boasted a rigidly hierarchical and male dominated social structure. Set in this period, "Jewel in the Palace" is based on a true story about a legendary girl (Jang-Geum) who became the first woman to be the supreme royal physician of her times. Despite her poor condition as a low class girl in the male dominated society, Jang-Geum overcame a series of social discrimination and landed herself as a royal cook, later becoming the royal physician, then ultimately the physician in charge of the king. She was even given by the king the title "The Great Jang-Geum". The story of her checkered life on her success and breakdown as well as her love story beautifully unfold. "Jewel in the Palace" is sure to touch your heart.
...................................................................................
Dong Yi (It appeared to me as a Korean version of Sherlock Holmes)
Summary
Set during the reign of King Sukjong in the Joseon dynasty, the story focuses on Dong Yi, a water maid who gains the trust of Queen Inhyeon and later the favour of the king when he is moved by her prayers for the health of the Queen during the court disputes caused by Jang Hee Bin. Dong Yi becomes a concubine with the rank of sook-bin and bears a son who will later become the 21st king of Joseon, Yeongjo.
......................................................................................
Jejoongwon
Summary
A story about the hospital, Jejoongwon. It was the first modern hospital in Korea established in the Joseon era in 1886. (To me, the interesting point was the linking of a butcher to surgeon, both do the same things but it is just the observations, ethics and purpose that makes them so different)...
......................................................................................
Iljimae
Summary
Set during the Joseon Dynasty, Ryung acts as a useless gangster in the marketplace by day but at night he is a chivalrous robber who robs corrupt government officials to give to the poor. After each robbery he leaves behind a wooden branch from a plum tree at the site of the robbery to take responsibility for the robbery. The poor citizens only know him as Iljimae. Bong Soon is a hilarious girl with good martial art skills and lives as a swindler. She only loves Ryung and sacrifices her whole life for him. Eun Chan is a doctor's daughter and is good in nature and usually helps miserable people. She meets Iljimae once by chance, and their sweet love story begins. However, her love puts Iljimae in a dangerous situation because an Imperial Guard also loves her.
......................................................................................
Jumong (My Favorite :)
It might not be easy for modern men to think of nationality other than nation state, ideological state or an ethnic state but when reading ancient and Medieval history we might frequently see that each dynasty had their own nations. That means, a nation was dying by death of a dynasty and a nation was born out of scratch by rise of another dynasty. How well a nation doing was a test to the abilities and popularity of a dynasty. Jumong beautifully depicts the mindset of the kings and how they were creating a new nation out of scratch based on their visions. If you want to have some glimpses into the minds of ancient kings, this is definitely worth to watch....
Summary,
Song Il Gook plays Ju-Mong, the founder of the Goguryeo Dynasty in 37 BC. Han Hye Jin plays the role Soh Suh No (소서노) who is extremely intelligent and is King Ju Mong's second wife.
.................................................................................
Going to update it later....
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