Radio days are back

"Ye aakashwani hai, ab aap....". Some twenty years back, this was the fastest source in my home to remain connected with the rest of the world. I explicitly remember, we had a "transistor radio set" while many of my friends had got TVs and audio cassette players. Wow! That was something, you could listen your favourite song anytime you want!

Today, I have a decent collection of my favourite music, something better than audio cassettes and something better then those old cassette players. But to decide which song shall I play, I take a lot of time (after all Hazaaron Khwahishein Aisi....). Rather, I prefer listening radio. Alas, there is no radio set which can catch my favourite signals across the miles!

Finally, I got a solution and it was very satisfying to know that there are online radio stations which match my taste. Thank God! But then when I am mostly listening to these online radios, why did I spend so much time in grabbing my favourite music? Well, Hazaaron Khwahishein Aisi! Everything is back to the initial point, except that I do not need to tune the radio, but click something non-existent (computer screen) with some other non-existing thing (mouse pointer).

Lost in translation

"Mon coeur oscille doucement, pour quoi je ne sais pas"

What is this? Well, it's a famous Hindi song! Now a days, when I watch movies, I prefer to keep subtitles in French - just a way to learn French while watching movies. Alas! subtitles come with songs too. I gave my DVD of Black to one of my friends here who is French. While returning the DVD back, she told that movie was very good but subtitles were pathetic, and somehow she could follow. Well, I have no right to comment on the quality of French subtitles, afterall I don't know the language. I thought, may be people who translate the movie are not native speakers of the language they are translating into, and thus these mistakes are understandable.

Then I encountered an interesting incident and realised that perhaps these are not humans who write subtitles. Why did I think so? Well, here is a sample:

• [Hindi] Kaise ho? = [English] How're you? = [French!] How're vous? (in French, vous = you = aap).

According to the translator, "How're" remains unchanged! OK! Why not check this page! Because the sample above makes me think that this is the "person" who writes subtitles! At least the typist could have written "How are you?" (in full) before clicking the translation button!

Well, this was not the only example, after that I could locate lots of funny mistakes and immediately put off subtitles!

By the way, any idea which song is "Mon coeur oscille doucement, pour quoi je ne sais pas"?

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Glossary (so that people are not lost in translation!) : Mon = my; coeur = heart; oscille = oscillate; doucement = slowly, gently; pour quoi = why; je ne sais pas = I don't know

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RDB and JP

After a saint-like patience for two months, I finally saw Rang De Basanti yesterday. In deed a thought provoking movie. I liked it. Plot, idea and presentation - everything is very original. But then there is one not very pleasant way to interpret the movie - immorality and corruption are so deep rooted in the system, lawmakers and leaders of the country that any effort to change it will be suppressed. People will back you and support your efforts only till they are charged with emotions. Then, everything is back to square one. Corrupts do not change, system remains sick and the life goes on. The only difference is that those who tried to fight against all odds, and those who got temporary support from "common man", (only) after their sacrifice are no more!

I am not advocating that one should remain silent, but there are better ways to channelize your energy than to take extreme steps. This reminds me of Loknayak Jaiprakash Narain. His sampoorna kranti, and very organised efforts to aware public did change the government. Unfortunately, what followed during next two years was not very pleasant, and that's another point to discuss. What I want to emphasize is that systems can be changed, possibly not by one single person, neither by crowds, but a well motivated and organised group with well- defined objects.