Ramayana: A Perspective

A young second generation Nepali in the US was asked by his mother to explain the significance of "Diwali" to his younger brother, this is how he went about it...

"So, like this dude had, like, a big cool kingdom and people liked him. But, like, his step-mom, or something, was kind of a bitch, and she forced her husband to, like, send this cool-dude, he was Ram, to some national forest or something.... Since he was going, for like, something like more than 10 years or so.... he decided to get his wife and his bro along... you know...so that they could all chill out together. But Dude, the forest was reeeeal scary shit... really man...they had monkeys and devils and shit like that. But this dude, Ram, kicked with darts and bows and arrows... so it was fine.

But then some bad gangsta boys, some jerk called Ravan, picks up his babe (Sita) and lures her away to his hood. And boy, was our man, and also his bro, Laxman, pissed... all the gods were with him... So anyways, you don't mess with gods. So, Ram, and his bro get an army of monkeys... Dude, don't ask me how they trained the damn monkeys... just go along with me, ok...

So, Ram, Lax and their monkeys whip this gangsta's ass in his own hood.... Anyways, by this time, their time's up in the forest... and anyways... it gets kinda boring, you know... no TV or malls or shit like that. So, they decided to hitch a ride back home... and when the people realize that our dude, his bro and the wife are back home... they thought, well, you know, at least they deserve something nice... and they didn't have any bars or clubs in those days... so they couldn't take them out for a drink, so

they, like, decided to smoke and shit... and since they also had some lamps, they lit the lamps also...so it was pretty cooool... you know with all those fireworks.... Really, they even had some local band play along with the fireworks... and you know, what, dude, that was the very first, no kidding.., thatwas the very first music-synchronized fireworks... you know, like the 4th of July stuff, but just, more cooler and stuff, you know. And, so dude, that was how, like, this festival started."

Originally published on fursad.com

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Ljósið: A music of hope

Although this piece of music is apolitical, I just felt there is a strong magical feeling of hope, love and peace in this music that eventually soothes our nerves and mind.

For all those who lose their hopes time and again, I hope Ljósið will help you overcome hopelessness and open up your mind.

This delicate symphonic composition comes from Ólafur Arnalds, 21, from Iceland. Arnalds, who has done his musical tours across Europe and North America, creates a magical atmosphere in his songs that takes the audience in a dreamy, meditative journey.

Here are some more songs by Ólafur Arnalds.

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Hope is alive in Burma

By Nang T. Khai

Hope, a small word and not too grandiloquent (until Obama used it) but it stands still in the midst of adversity, sorrow and hopelessness. It is a candle in the wind that's determined to shine on or, in the words of Mother Teresa, it may be "just a drop of water in the ocean," but without that little drop, the ocean could have been less great. Aung San Suu Kyi's hope, of course, is a democratic Burma, where the people, not incarcerated by fear raise their voice and not be hampered and frightened by a group of people soaked in power and avarice. Definitely it is an acquainted definition of democracy, nonetheless, the universal truth still prevails- pragmatism, not just principle, which is a tough part. It is Suu Kyi’s hope that gave her strength through 14 years of isolation, a willingness to be apart from her family, the power to carry on when she seems to be the sole freedom fighter, or when dilapidated Yangon office reflects her weakened NLD (National League for Democracy) and pessimism has taken over optimism - what could be more pragmatic that this; what could be more hopeful than this?

Non-violence as her modus operandi seems to be a mild weapon for the Junta, who are accredited to make Burma the new axis of evils. But her hope still glimmers with patient and zeal even though it is the longer but safer and more peaceful way of Gandhi's Satyagrah principles. The British felt the pang in India when the principle was applied against them but the deterring factor in case of Burma seems that the violent Junta is brazen to be easily kneeled by non-violence. Their shameless character was clearly relevant from their recent camaraderie with the North Koreans who killed four Burmese and several South Korean cabinet ministers in the 1983 bombing at Martyr Mausoleum in Yongon, the former capital, in a bid to kill the visiting South Korean President.

The Junta are not yet satisfied hushing her for 14 years out of her 20 years in Burma as they have come up with yet another propaganda, an affair which would ultimately end her life in prison. She has been recently accused of welcoming the uninvited American intruder and could face up to five years if convicted. They claim that she would be judged in accordance with the law but it is like, "We all know it dude, you don’t need to tell us". It is hard to understand why they made legal statement of their hypocrisy or why are they openly lying when we know that they are indeed lying - they must be living in the Stone Age when there wasn't any rule or law. They are indeed outlawed, superstitious, or Stone Age kingpins for the modern society representing the impoverished and dying Burma which was once the rising star of Asia. A retrospection of Burma's glorious past is excruciating upon the realization of its contradiction to the presence; nevertheless, it is her hope that we hope would continue to survive and eventually lead us to a better future.

Whatever the verdict of the trial may be or how long it may take for the outcome of the verdict, she has suffered and traveled too long just to be discouraged by such a sham trial. As the verse in the song Walk on by U2 goes," You could have flown away, a singing bird in an open cage, who will only fly, only fly for freedom”—hope is alive. Freedom is what she has been craving for, but not just for Burma as she stated that the struggle for Burma is the case for all those who are suffering under authoritarian regimes; the suffering of our people are the suffering of all those whose human dignity is not protected by the law. Nothing but only freedom can stop her. I do believe that she will hold on, but in chorus, I fear that perhaps she might succumb. However, just as every cloud has a silver lining, she has proved too many times that she can do it, and heck yeah, she will do it again. All that she needs is her little hope. I guess it will be enough, at least for me, just enough for everyone, more than enough for the time being; and hopefully, it does not need to get more. The U2 song goes on, "And if your heart glass should crack, and for a second, you turn back, oh no, be strong." Be strong Suu Kyi.

Khai is a colleague from Burma, currently studying in the US whose hope is not dead like 50 million Burmese.

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