Mori araj Suno

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Pray to you in the midst of my seas,
I pray to seek what can never be his,
Words uttered in desperation or in the name,
Wishes granted to be never the same,

A follower and a pupil in the study of life,
Divided in thought, united by strife,
How can I leave when my feet are tied?
How can I be sure when I have never been tried?
Am I a sage or a messenger?
Am I but a mirage of my creator?

But what has become isn’t a judgment,
It is a fact told in sentiment,
What my own self can never find,
How can I be true in my own mind?
This world isn’t the same that you left,
Far removed, disjoint, incoherent and bereft,
How can I live in a World like this?
You gave me pain when you promised me bliss?
Where are you gone in this time of need?
Let me go so I can be freed


The luck on your side,
The belief in your pride,
The feeling that guides you in your gut,
The hand that helps you out of a rut,
The one that stays but is never seen,
The one that sees compassion in the mean,
He who can wipe off his hands clean,
She who is, was and has been,
It was you all along,
It was always you, forever going strong

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The Original

Mori araj suno, dastagir pir

O my Lord, pay heed to my appeal

(repeat)

Mairee kahun kaa say mein apnay jiya ki pir

I am a faithful follower of my Creator

Mori araj suno, dastagir pir

O my Lord, pay heed to my appeal

Rabba sachiya, toon tay akhia see

My true Lord, you had said

Ja oye bandiya jug da shah ain tu

“Go man, you are master of the world

Saadian nemataan terian daulataan nenh

My bounties on earth are your treasure

Saada naib the alijah ain tu

You are the viceroy of your Creator”

Ais laaray teh torr kudh puchia eh

After baiting me with these promises

Kee ais nimanay teh beetiyaan nenh

Countless years have passed by

Kaddi saar we layee o rab saiyaan

My Lord, did you ever enquire what transpired with your man

Terey shah naal jugh kee kitiyan nenh

What your man has suffered in this world?

Kithay dhons police sarkar dee eh

Somewhere, those in power and with the means intimidate, harass and terrorize

Kithay dhandhli maal patwaar di eh

Elsewhere, draft and bribery are rampant

Ainj hadaan wich kalpay jaan meri

My soul is shaken down to my bone

Jeevain phahee ich koonj kurlaundi eh

Just like a bird flutters when caught in a trap

Changa shah banayaee rab saiyaan

You made a fine king indeed, my sweet lord

Paulay khaandayaan waar na aundi eh

All I have gotten are endless beatings

Mainu shahi naeen chaidi rab meray

I don’t want kingship, my Lord

Mein tay izzat da tukkar mangna haan

All I need is a morsel of respect

Meinu taang naeen mehlaan maraiaan di

I have no desire to live in palaces

Mein tay jeevain di nukkar mangnaa haan

I just want a small nook to live my life

Meri mannain tay tairian main mannan

If you agree with me, I will agree with you

Teri sohn jay ik wi gal moran

I won’t decline anything no matter how unreasonable

Jey ay maang nai pujdi tain rabba

If you don’t look out for me God!

Fayr main jawan teh rab koi hor loraan

Then I should go and seek for myself another god

Mori araj suno, dastagir pir

O my lord, pay heed to my appeal

(repeat)

Arieb Azhar:

Iss surat seh

With this grimace

Arz sunatay

Pleading

Dard batatay

Sharing the pain

Nayya khaitay

Rowing the boat

Minnat kartay

Asking for his blessings

Rasta taktay

Waiting expectantly

Kitni sadiyaan beet gai hain

Countless centuries have passed by

Ab jakar yeh bhaid khulla hai

Only now has it been revealed

Jis koh tum ne arz guzari

The one who you had appealed to

Jo tha haat pakarnay waala

The one who held your hand and guided you

Jis jaag laagi nao tumhaari

Where your boat had docked

Jis say dukh ka daaroo manga

From whom you had asked for a panacea for your pain

Toray mandir may joh nahin aaya

The one who did not visit your temple

Woh to tum heen thay

It was you only

Woh to tum heen thay

It was you only


Read more: http://www.unp.me/f139/mori-araj-suno-tina-sani-ft-areib-azhar-coke-studio-154029/#ixzz1dBZOHZts

Democracy - Springs and Jasmines

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The Arab spring will remain firmly etched in my mind as the most defining moment of my life. In the 24 years or so of my existence, 15 of which were steeped in deep cynicism, I have always yearned for an idea that would capture the imagination of the masses. Something that would help me be relevant, and not in the make a fool out of yourself reality TV type of a way. All the clever witticisms, comments, videos and photos that seem to find their way to twitter and facebook are just attempts at scratching the surface of meaning and to an extent - an approval junkie. All this while I was thinking of how exactly it would make sense for this latent need to translate into something positive. That was when i found Gene Sharp

Gene Sharp is the author of "From dictatorship to Democracy". I had no idea about it till I found a lightweight PDF courtesy of a question I missed on a quiz. His work, backed by over 60 years of research in non violent movements was a watershed moment for me. It helped me understand the machinations of the jasmine revolution, and soon after all of the Arab spring. With the youth on the streets egging on a 74 year old man to do what countless regimes have failed to stamp out, I was hooked onto the idea of a peaceful revolution.

After understanding this (or most of it), I wanted to know if there was a greater good that could come out of all of it. My english teacher once asked me - "why cant people be addicted to apples, and fruits instead of alcohol and cigarettes?" Almost as if on cue, I found out some of the most amazing material on social good online. Credits to Mashable, the Social Good summit and Anne Driscoll for a message of living good. Read more about it here 

Me, myself and IRENE

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I find that over the years, media can work out either as a savant for the geographically removed or it can work as the boy who cried wolf, only amplified many times over. Take the case of the hurricane Irene. While reading business insider is an exercise in facing up to the worst that the world has to offer in terms of news and is a soothsayer of doom, digg expects you to be entertained in a manner that cracked.com lost its charm to the mainstream (hot soap actors and galleries). So which one you pick is strictly your decision.

The tweetboard up on businessinsider is a sign of how influential social media truly is. The countdown may be a bit of an overkill given that the hurricane has been downgraded to a category 1. I personally thought that with NY, the metropolitan icon of the World in the limelight, this would be a great attempt to pilot something like Ushahidi. Earlier in Haiti and Chile, Ushahidi was a postscript to a disaster - NY being just that, NY, there was ample scope for something more, something innovative that made lives easier - after all, isnt that what technology is all about anyway?

Read more about Ushahidi here

The Ushahidi blog here

Vis-A-Vis

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This is an extremely enchanted path that I had to traverse myself. It gives me great joy to put all of my shared experiences, nuisances, beliefs and knowledge onto this blog. 

The morning that I got my admission letter made me feel as if I was on top of the moon. It was an incredible feeling, one that perpetuated weeks of partying and general nonchalance to any and all mundane chores. About 2 weeks after the parties dried up and I got added to various groups of accepted students, I was facing up to the demon that is a student visa. After having obtained the F-1 however, I would characterize the demon as a bit of a bot, a being that is best dyed in logic, reasoning and checklists available freely on the internet.

1. The Boat - There are many ways of putting this, i find the best way is to draw an analogy between Noah's ark while drawing parallels with the Titanic. The point is, there are many people in the same boat as you are. There are many people who will come up with the same questions and find some answers which would help you at some point or the other. Be a part of this community. Facebook and Orkut (remember me?) are awesome for getting communities together. Forums like Edulix and pagalguy are also very useful to find support.

2. The Car - Cars have a way of allowing us to be free. One of my friends even mentioned that learning to drive a car was more liberating than getting that all important first job. Driving a car, much like getting your visa is a liberating experience (Indian traffic notwithstanding). However you need to have all your documents in check before you return all high and slotched from a pub at 3 in the morning (kidding, dont ever do that). The visa interview is all about getting your documents sorted and assembled in the right order. I used separate envelopes for all of my documents right up from college to financial documentation of myself as well as my parents. There are a bunch of resources that help you get there available on the internet. Just knowing about them however wont be any good. You need to apply yourself as well. So scour all the forums possible. And get your documentation upto date.

3. The Bike - Mostly all our first motorized rides have come in bikes. And, why not? Its efficient and has a lot of spunk and style associated with it. Its also about you, as an individual. Bikes are meant for the lone ranger (with the occasional pillion). In a similar vein, remember that it is you, and you alone facing up to the Visa officer. Remember, they are doing their job as best as they can and you can help them make an informed decision. Carry yourself well. Be confident. Be prepared!

I hope that these insights have treated you well. Now for the business end.

Check these out for your ease

2. This site and the FAQ have it all - https://www.vfs-usa.co.in/USIndia/Index.html - You should get this in your nervous system 
3. A bank statement sample for I-20 issuance and subsequent proof of funds - http://futurestudents.mst.edu/documents/bank.pdf
5. DS-160 and the nooks/crannies - http://www.immihelp.com/visas/form-ds-160-us-visa-application-form-tips.html - This form is a real handful and I prefer to save it to file everytime I enter any valid info over there

Some generic tips which will ultimately end up being specific 

1. In Hyderabad, you will have to wait and refresh the emergency appointments page everyday to have a shot at scheduling an emergency visa appointment. The emergency slots open 4 months (or 120 days) from your date of class-start.

2. If you have filled up your DS-160 and intend to change the interview city, you need to change the location on your DS-160. One of my friends was in a very screwed up mood after s/he forgot to do this. (My friend is not a transvestite)

Feel free to google around for queries if I am not good enough to resolve your doubts. 

PS - If you get your Visa approved which you probably would, here is a must have offer on Air India for students - http://home.airindia.in/SBCMS/Webpages/Maharaja-Scholars-Offer-2011.aspx?MID=382


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