Confession: Kashmiri songs used to bore me growing up, because I couldn't understand what them mellow singers were singing. Also, the tunes, lyrics and instruments were very, umm, let's say not exactly world-changing.
Happily my hearing has improved, and my understanding of the language as well. Also have started listening to some fine new talent recently, thanks to an uncle and his musical pals.
There's Naseem Ul Haq of Doda, also known as 'Raju', a young singer with a sweet voice and good compositions. I love that the lyrics are so non-typical. Very Gulzar in a Kashmiri setting. [No, really.]
Mamujaan has just been introduced to Windows MovieMaker, so he's putting up videos of Kashmiri songs- with subtitles. I find subs help.
Here's one of my favourites - 'Azti Gae' / 'Even Today'.
Let me work on a translation for this beautiful song. Will post soon.
In the meanwhile, recommend you subscribe to zamalik5811 on YouTube. He means to upload truckloads of these. Joy!
Showing posts with label doda. Show all posts
Showing posts with label doda. Show all posts
Tuesday, August 16, 2011
Sunday, October 18, 2009
Coming Soon...
Many pics. Many, many pics from recently concluded travels and visit to the school. Sample above.
Friday, May 01, 2009
Introducing... The HAJI PUBLIC SCHOOL
HAJI PUBLIC SCHOOL???!!! Shut up!!!Then, suddenly feeling silly, the crowd asks, "Err. What is it?"
Answer:
I am proud as all dammit to announce the launch of the very first school under the Amina Trust Foundation. This would be the HAJI PUBLIC SCHOOL, Breswana (tadaaa!!!), and if you don't know already, Breswana is our tiny little village way up in the mountains, on the 'other' side of the River Chenab.
Said Trust is a family-run charity organisation ('cosa nostra' and all that) set up to help widows, orphans and poor people, to improve education and civic facilities in Doda District, then move further out and insha'Allah cover the State of Jammu and Kashmir.
(Next obvious step: WORLD DOMINATION....)The new joint in Breswana starts out as an elementary school this year with lower and upper kindergartens, and we will slowly increment grades as we get more staff and resources.
Ma and I have been busy the last couple of months, training teachers, building the syllabus, procuring books, stationery and other paraphernalia that go into starting and running a school, buying assorted toys for the shrimps in Breswana.... and it has all come down to this: Academic year 2009-2010 declared open. Classes will kickstart in the coming week on Monday, May 4, 2009.
Huzzzzaaaaahh!
We're heading to the village this weekend for the grand inauguration party, having such celebrated guests as No One Really, WhatsHerFace and The Other Guy. Media presence is uncertain for reasons unknown. Also in attendance will be the peeps of Breswana and one hears they are quite glad their kids will finally have a real school to go to. Well, good for them. *thumps table*
Will put up pics of affair on return.
Quick-guide route to Breswana:
Nearest airports: Jammu, Srinagar
Thereafter: By road, on foot, or on four feet (horse's/mule's)
Things to Know and Ponder About: Breswana accessible only on foot / horseback after a point. Difficult, steep mountain slopes, but great scenery along the way. :-)
1. From Jammu or Srinagar, take the National Highway 1B to Kishtwar.
2. Stop at tiny roadside town called Premnagar (about 6 hours by road from Jammu). Yes, that is its real name.3. Cross footbridge over the Chenab, take a deep breath and start upwards.
4. On horseback, it takes us a good 3-4 hours. Walking (for the unfit) will take longer. MUCH longer. For the local bumpkins, who do this uphill-downhill routine daily, they reach in 2 hours flat. Won't say they hardly break a sweat, but what I'm trying to suggest here is that they're really quite something.
I want to BE them...
Pit Stop 1, about an hour up from Premnagar. 
And, 4 hours later we're there. Welcome to Breswana.So. Until next week.
PS: Cartoons filched from cartoonstock and Family Guy.
Sunday, April 26, 2009
Picnic Prepping: Ghat Road, Doda
One rare sunny day this past winter, the folks and I decided to take off and search for a good picnic spot for use and pleasure in the not-too-distant future, meaning the coming spring/summer season.
We Hajis like our outdoor fun quite a bit. Growing up in Dubai I had a great childhood because my parents were always the outdoor, sporty, active kind (thank God!) who knew how to have and give us kids a good time. Abba had bought a brilliant book by Dariush Zandi (Irani architect, writer, photographer), Off-Road in the Emirates, which gave precise, accurate and very useful information on picnic spots in the Emirates, and many any of our weekends would be planned around the pages of this book. Since most of the 'Off-Road' spots involved long-drives through difficult desert and mountain terrain, Abba would grab a couple of lads and recce the route and area first. Based on their scientific findings, a picnic would soon follow. Whee, the memories!
Anyway, this is the historical background to the current story. Which is as follows.
One winter's morning in Doda we suddenly noticed the world was looking brighter than usual. The sun was, inexplicably, shining. Still in our PJs and with light hearts, we decided to exploit this freaky behaviour of Nature and go picnic-spot hunting. Just like that. Nothing like a little solar boost to remove winter's lethargy.
I grabbed my camera, Abba revved the 4X4, and off we went. The entire entourage consisted of:
1. Abba - Driving and telling fun stories.
2. Mama - Multitasking as navigator, passenger-seat driver, interrupter and full-time entertainer. (She kept on telling Abba, as she has been for the past thirty years or so, "Saleem! Aaaaahhhh. Be careful. Are we there yet? Where are we? Who is that? Aaaah! Did I turn off the
lights when we left? Where's my mobile phone? Wait, let's go ba..!! Oh, never mind, here it is," and other such helpful comments that a driver loves hearing. It's more fun when you hear Ma in person, a fluent mix of Kashmiri, Urdu and English, but alas, you cannot...)
3. Self: Sitting quietly in the backseat, in very well-behaved fashion.
4. Shabir: A young lad from our village who studies here in Doda and lives with us. Also quiet and well-behaved.
5. Bagh Singh: Our very fantastic driver who didn't actually drive that day but came along for the ride. Ditto for 'quiet, well-behaved'.
(Here they be - Bagh Singh with a big head of hair and Shabir, without.)
Important points to be kept in mind for deciding picnic spot:
1. Grandpa: My father's dashing, handsome and very cool father, in his mid-90s mashaAllah, would be the life of the picnic, and so we had to find a spot where there wouldn't be too much walking involved away from the vehicle. He can walk just a teensy bit so we had to find a wheelchair friendly route if needed. (Check him out. *ceetees*)
2. Plain ground for setting up the picnic: checked cloth, baskets and all. More importantly, plain ground because Grandpa, Abba and a couple other gentlemen would start playing bridge the moment they arrived.
3. Water, water everywhere: What is a picnic if there is no fresh water body to sploosh into? Factor 3 on deciding of picnic spot was 'easy access to lots of water.'
4. Privacy: For we like our purdah, do we not? Also, availability of big rocks for changing of costumes. Wet clothes to dry etc.
With those rough guidelines, we started off toward an are known as Ghat (rhymes with 'hut'), just a little way away from Doda.
And boy did we find a nice place. Very close to the road, nice access route for wheelchair, green grass, a foaming rivulet leading right to the River Chenab, and as a bonus, lots of fresh, wild, green cannabis. Ha ha.
That's right. Charas. Grows all over the damn place here.
See all pics here.
Here it is. Just by the Chenab as promised.
Here's Abba checking out the water flow, air pressure, topographic conditions etc.
Plain ground specification, privacy, easy access: check, check, check.
Mama assessing situation and seeming pleased with it.
(She can't swim but she loves water and is always the first to jump in. Fortunately, no dramatic incidents to report thus far.)
Complete set of pics from this recce available here.
It now remains to be seen which lucky weekend we head out to this spot and make merry.
Summer has finally arrived, sneakily ousting Spring, and today, April 26th marks the first day I've switched the fan in my room since September 2008.
So.... Anytime now.
We Hajis like our outdoor fun quite a bit. Growing up in Dubai I had a great childhood because my parents were always the outdoor, sporty, active kind (thank God!) who knew how to have and give us kids a good time. Abba had bought a brilliant book by Dariush Zandi (Irani architect, writer, photographer), Off-Road in the Emirates, which gave precise, accurate and very useful information on picnic spots in the Emirates, and many any of our weekends would be planned around the pages of this book. Since most of the 'Off-Road' spots involved long-drives through difficult desert and mountain terrain, Abba would grab a couple of lads and recce the route and area first. Based on their scientific findings, a picnic would soon follow. Whee, the memories!Anyway, this is the historical background to the current story. Which is as follows.
One winter's morning in Doda we suddenly noticed the world was looking brighter than usual. The sun was, inexplicably, shining. Still in our PJs and with light hearts, we decided to exploit this freaky behaviour of Nature and go picnic-spot hunting. Just like that. Nothing like a little solar boost to remove winter's lethargy.
I grabbed my camera, Abba revved the 4X4, and off we went. The entire entourage consisted of:
1. Abba - Driving and telling fun stories.
2. Mama - Multitasking as navigator, passenger-seat driver, interrupter and full-time entertainer. (She kept on telling Abba, as she has been for the past thirty years or so, "Saleem! Aaaaahhhh. Be careful. Are we there yet? Where are we? Who is that? Aaaah! Did I turn off the
lights when we left? Where's my mobile phone? Wait, let's go ba..!! Oh, never mind, here it is," and other such helpful comments that a driver loves hearing. It's more fun when you hear Ma in person, a fluent mix of Kashmiri, Urdu and English, but alas, you cannot...)3. Self: Sitting quietly in the backseat, in very well-behaved fashion.
4. Shabir: A young lad from our village who studies here in Doda and lives with us. Also quiet and well-behaved.
5. Bagh Singh: Our very fantastic driver who didn't actually drive that day but came along for the ride. Ditto for 'quiet, well-behaved'.
(Here they be - Bagh Singh with a big head of hair and Shabir, without.)
Important points to be kept in mind for deciding picnic spot:
1. Grandpa: My father's dashing, handsome and very cool father, in his mid-90s mashaAllah, would be the life of the picnic, and so we had to find a spot where there wouldn't be too much walking involved away from the vehicle. He can walk just a teensy bit so we had to find a wheelchair friendly route if needed. (Check him out. *ceetees*)
2. Plain ground for setting up the picnic: checked cloth, baskets and all. More importantly, plain ground because Grandpa, Abba and a couple other gentlemen would start playing bridge the moment they arrived.
3. Water, water everywhere: What is a picnic if there is no fresh water body to sploosh into? Factor 3 on deciding of picnic spot was 'easy access to lots of water.'
4. Privacy: For we like our purdah, do we not? Also, availability of big rocks for changing of costumes. Wet clothes to dry etc.
With those rough guidelines, we started off toward an are known as Ghat (rhymes with 'hut'), just a little way away from Doda.
And boy did we find a nice place. Very close to the road, nice access route for wheelchair, green grass, a foaming rivulet leading right to the River Chenab, and as a bonus, lots of fresh, wild, green cannabis. Ha ha.That's right. Charas. Grows all over the damn place here.
See all pics here.
Here it is. Just by the Chenab as promised. 
Here's Abba checking out the water flow, air pressure, topographic conditions etc.
Plain ground specification, privacy, easy access: check, check, check.
Mama assessing situation and seeming pleased with it.
(She can't swim but she loves water and is always the first to jump in. Fortunately, no dramatic incidents to report thus far.)
It now remains to be seen which lucky weekend we head out to this spot and make merry.
Summer has finally arrived, sneakily ousting Spring, and today, April 26th marks the first day I've switched the fan in my room since September 2008.
So.... Anytime now.
A Day in the Life of...
Me in Doda. Oh, the thrill.
0430 hrs: Wake up to the adhaan from at least five neighbouring mosques. Drag self to the loo, wash up, pray Fajr.
0500hrs: Go back to sleep... *grin*
1000hrs or so: Wake up at leisure, stretch, yawn, sleep again, wake up again etc.
1030hrs: Breakfast
1030-1300hrs: Bathe/soak up sun/read/daydream/catch the news/get online.
1300-1345hrs: Get dressed, pray Dhuhr, lunch and off to work with Ma.
1400-2000hrs: At my school, taking classes and generally doing stuff of great import and consequence to the world. Shaping the next generation, as it were.
Moooahaahahaaa. (Like today. I had a most interesting session on common slang. Useful scientific terms were bandied about like 'snot', 'barf', 'booger', 'fart' and 'upchuck'. Also, such useful expressions as 'disgusting', 'gross', 'sick' and 'ewww'. The kids were most happy.)
Have two prayers at school: Asr and Maghrib, which I squeeze in between classes, along with some of the kids.
2000-2100hrs: Unwinding at home pre-dinner, and final prayer of the day, Ishaa.
2100-2130hrs: Dinner
2200hrs-0200/0300 hrs next morning: TV time and then...silly online business till sleep overcomes.
Like, right about now.
0430 hrs: Wake up to the adhaan from at least five neighbouring mosques. Drag self to the loo, wash up, pray Fajr.0500hrs: Go back to sleep... *grin*
1000hrs or so: Wake up at leisure, stretch, yawn, sleep again, wake up again etc.
1030hrs: Breakfast
1030-1300hrs: Bathe/soak up sun/read/daydream/catch the news/get online.
1300-1345hrs: Get dressed, pray Dhuhr, lunch and off to work with Ma.
1400-2000hrs: At my school, taking classes and generally doing stuff of great import and consequence to the world. Shaping the next generation, as it were.
Moooahaahahaaa. (Like today. I had a most interesting session on common slang. Useful scientific terms were bandied about like 'snot', 'barf', 'booger', 'fart' and 'upchuck'. Also, such useful expressions as 'disgusting', 'gross', 'sick' and 'ewww'. The kids were most happy.)
Have two prayers at school: Asr and Maghrib, which I squeeze in between classes, along with some of the kids.
2000-2100hrs: Unwinding at home pre-dinner, and final prayer of the day, Ishaa.
2100-2130hrs: Dinner
2200hrs-0200/0300 hrs next morning: TV time and then...silly online business till sleep overcomes.
Like, right about now.
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
Please be informed...
... that:
1. I think the winter is already over. Who would've thunk it? Spring in Kashmir, and not even March yet. At least it looks like it's spring time here in Doda. My lawn has started sprouting grass and some buds are rearing their heads. We've had bright sunlight for the past few days. I am now comfortable in only three layers of woollens. Have also cut down night-time bed-rations from four blankets to two.
2. Due to the sudden collapse of AN ENTIRE MOUNTAINSIDE nearby (I kid you not), three major districts: Doda (where I live), Kishtwar and Bhaderwah have been unceremoniously cut off from the rest of Jammu and Kashmir*. This fascinating turn of events took place a couple of weeks ago when the lone highway route that connects us to anywhere (NH-1B) went crashing into the Chenab. Read here.
CAUSE: The destructive and very ugly Baghliar Dam which has been constructed on the Chenab, leading to unnatural rise of water levels for a certain length of this gorgeous river. EFFECT: The water rose to such a level that it seeped into the moutain on either side of the river (one of which sides was host to that hapless victim, the national highway). The more the water seeped in, the more the mountain soil turned loose and eventually just caved in, taking along with it some houses, a few vehicles and some folks.
There is a six-kilometre stretch of road that is now unsafe for vehicles near a town called Assar, and folks who want to travel from here to Jammu or Srinagar have to disembark from their vehicles, walk/trek/climb up and down the mountainside for about an hour and a half on foot to get to the other side of this stretch and then board another vehicle and carry on.
As you can imagine, food and other supplies have been hit and the bare minimum is airlifted to the main townships every once in a while. In Doda, the helipad is right outside my house, so we have dust storms and noise all day when the helicopters come in bringing gas, food and other rations. Headache only, ma. See my view of the proceedings.
Just the other day there was a serious road accident here and some folks had to be airlifted sud-suddenly. We had ambulances and stretchers and crowds and the whole jamboree unfolding in front of our eyes.
*Please note: Kashmir is pronounced as Kush(as in 'rush)-meer, and not 'Cash'-meer. To pronounce it as the latter only shows how ignorant you are, and also, it does not make you look cool. Okay? Okay.
3. With reference to my previous post and movies, have watched Slumdog, and will soon have Benjamin Button ready for viewing. I do love Cate Blanchett (Galadriel etc.). I shall not state the obvious about a certain Brad Pitt. Am waiting for the Oscars and Hugh Jackman. Really hope it's funny and not silly with awkward silences in place of spontaneous laughter. Also, I don't think Slumdog ought to win 'Best Movie'. Seriously. It's very good but, you know, not heart-wrenchingly great.
Other
movies that now go on my wishlist are all the usual suspects:
-Vicky Cristina Barcelona
-Doubt
-The Reader
-Milk
-Frost/Nixon
And..... closer to home:
-DELHI-6 (singing Masakalli, Masakalli with fun sing-along-Sonam-Kapoor-actions)
-Dev D.
4. Plan to show the kids Kill Bill at school. Showed the young boys a few of the good scenes ['The Bride v. The Crazy 88' and 'The Bride v. O-Ren Ishii']. Oh, how they squealed in delight at the blood spurting and the awesome soundtrack. Made me smile warmly to my insides. These kids are creatures after my own heart, I say. *wink*
5. Have been doing a fun exercise with all my classes and they're responding beautifully. I play them a song, and they have to figure out the lyrics line-by-line. I find this really helpful in teaching them figures of speech, slang, -isms, and similes, metaphors, puns and whatnot. (Plus, I make them listen to MY kind of music and my self-interest is satisfied for a while. Moooahahahaha.)
6. Nice pun I came across yesterday, while looking for funny examples for my class: "The cross-eyed teacher had no control over his pupils." Tee hee. Titter titter. So now you know.
Okay. That's that.
1. I think the winter is already over. Who would've thunk it? Spring in Kashmir, and not even March yet. At least it looks like it's spring time here in Doda. My lawn has started sprouting grass and some buds are rearing their heads. We've had bright sunlight for the past few days. I am now comfortable in only three layers of woollens. Have also cut down night-time bed-rations from four blankets to two.2. Due to the sudden collapse of AN ENTIRE MOUNTAINSIDE nearby (I kid you not), three major districts: Doda (where I live), Kishtwar and Bhaderwah have been unceremoniously cut off from the rest of Jammu and Kashmir*. This fascinating turn of events took place a couple of weeks ago when the lone highway route that connects us to anywhere (NH-1B) went crashing into the Chenab. Read here.
CAUSE: The destructive and very ugly Baghliar Dam which has been constructed on the Chenab, leading to unnatural rise of water levels for a certain length of this gorgeous river. EFFECT: The water rose to such a level that it seeped into the moutain on either side of the river (one of which sides was host to that hapless victim, the national highway). The more the water seeped in, the more the mountain soil turned loose and eventually just caved in, taking along with it some houses, a few vehicles and some folks.
There is a six-kilometre stretch of road that is now unsafe for vehicles near a town called Assar, and folks who want to travel from here to Jammu or Srinagar have to disembark from their vehicles, walk/trek/climb up and down the mountainside for about an hour and a half on foot to get to the other side of this stretch and then board another vehicle and carry on.As you can imagine, food and other supplies have been hit and the bare minimum is airlifted to the main townships every once in a while. In Doda, the helipad is right outside my house, so we have dust storms and noise all day when the helicopters come in bringing gas, food and other rations. Headache only, ma. See my view of the proceedings.
Just the other day there was a serious road accident here and some folks had to be airlifted sud-suddenly. We had ambulances and stretchers and crowds and the whole jamboree unfolding in front of our eyes.*Please note: Kashmir is pronounced as Kush(as in 'rush)-meer, and not 'Cash'-meer. To pronounce it as the latter only shows how ignorant you are, and also, it does not make you look cool. Okay? Okay.
3. With reference to my previous post and movies, have watched Slumdog, and will soon have Benjamin Button ready for viewing. I do love Cate Blanchett (Galadriel etc.). I shall not state the obvious about a certain Brad Pitt. Am waiting for the Oscars and Hugh Jackman. Really hope it's funny and not silly with awkward silences in place of spontaneous laughter. Also, I don't think Slumdog ought to win 'Best Movie'. Seriously. It's very good but, you know, not heart-wrenchingly great.
Other
movies that now go on my wishlist are all the usual suspects:-Vicky Cristina Barcelona
-Doubt
-The Reader
-Milk
-Frost/Nixon
And..... closer to home:
-DELHI-6 (singing Masakalli, Masakalli with fun sing-along-Sonam-Kapoor-actions)
-Dev D.
4. Plan to show the kids Kill Bill at school. Showed the young boys a few of the good scenes ['The Bride v. The Crazy 88' and 'The Bride v. O-Ren Ishii']. Oh, how they squealed in delight at the blood spurting and the awesome soundtrack. Made me smile warmly to my insides. These kids are creatures after my own heart, I say. *wink*
5. Have been doing a fun exercise with all my classes and they're responding beautifully. I play them a song, and they have to figure out the lyrics line-by-line. I find this really helpful in teaching them figures of speech, slang, -isms, and similes, metaphors, puns and whatnot. (Plus, I make them listen to MY kind of music and my self-interest is satisfied for a while. Moooahahahaha.)
6. Nice pun I came across yesterday, while looking for funny examples for my class: "The cross-eyed teacher had no control over his pupils." Tee hee. Titter titter. So now you know.
Okay. That's that.
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