I think I would like to think about that more and formulate my ideas before I write about that. Especially because I have to finish all my Hindi homework before class and I do not have much time. Yikes. So instead I will simply introduce my blog officially by explaining it, I guess. Wow that sounds exactly like saying I am going to state the intent of my blog. What I mean is like the title and layout and stuff. I mean, I didn't design the layout or anything. So the background? Blah! This is not going well at all. I sound not at all as suave and cool as I want to about this.
Plunging on ahead regardless, the title of my blog is अभी दिल्ली दूर है. Transliterated abhii Dillii duur hai. And translated "right now Delhi is far." It is an idiom (I think) in Hindi that means something along the lines of "there is a lot left to do"/"there is still a long way to go until we reach our goal." You would say if you were in the beginning/middle of a major project for a class or I guess speaking in a timely fashion, it is applicable for most of the politicians running in the Republican primaries currently. I am not exactly sure on its origin. Apparently some king/military commander said it. I keep finding different accounts of its origin. Anyhow, I chose it because I wanted something that wasn't just something like "my field study" or "I'm going to Indian b****es" etc. Plus I liked the sort of dual meaning since it is both literally and figuratively true. I also hope it helps to keep me focused, both on all that I need to do as well as keeping my mind/heart focused on the right place throughout this whole adventure.
Also, a note on spelling for my blog address. I went back and forth on what to call my blog. I eventually went with the sort of expanded official spelling of the words. I mean, that is how they are directly transliterated, but the more common way to spell it would be abhi dilli due hai. However in the end I wanted to put my weight behind the standardization of Hindi, since it is important that Hindi adopts a standard to make it more internationally viable. At least I think so. Plus I found out yesterday that abhidillidurhai is taken as a blog address, so it worked out well in the end.
The background is from a series of pictures taken by John Murray in 1858 after the British basically leveled Delhi. (hence the reason the capital of India is called New Delhi, the british destroyed the old one) Anyhow, having an obsessive personality, I love the obsessive quality of this picture. I love the color and the off angle and the sharp contrast and the old timeyness of it. It is a picture of the Jamma Masjid in Delhi, I think it is the largest, but if not, among the largest masjids in India. I suppose in a way choosing this photograph for a background sort of contradicts a lot of what I have written about how India can stand on its own, that it is ridiculous to consider it from a colonial perspective. However, I feel like this perspective of the masjid kind of embodies my current situation with regards to India. When I look at this picture I get a sort of feeling of chaos and detachment, if those words actually explain what I mean. In this picture the masjid seems like it suddenly appeared around a corner or something. Like "holy crap, what is that?!" It suggests power, skill, and knowledge, but it is concealed in that courtyard and far away. It is a mystery. Is the sky clouded over? Is it a vibrant blue? Is it darkened with smoke? It just looks like something you might find in an attic somewhere, a picture of something you didn't know existed that just kind of crouches in the back of your mind, gnawing on your subconscious until you finally go out and find whatever the heck it is. I don't know. Maybe I am not helping my case here, but this picture captures so well, for me at least, the obsessive curiosity India holds for me. I just can't seem to turn away from it. Plus I like the aesthetic quality of the picture, I suppose, if we want to go past all the pretentious analysis of a photograph.
But I have Hindi homework to do.
Plunging on ahead regardless, the title of my blog is अभी दिल्ली दूर है. Transliterated abhii Dillii duur hai. And translated "right now Delhi is far." It is an idiom (I think) in Hindi that means something along the lines of "there is a lot left to do"/"there is still a long way to go until we reach our goal." You would say if you were in the beginning/middle of a major project for a class or I guess speaking in a timely fashion, it is applicable for most of the politicians running in the Republican primaries currently. I am not exactly sure on its origin. Apparently some king/military commander said it. I keep finding different accounts of its origin. Anyhow, I chose it because I wanted something that wasn't just something like "my field study" or "I'm going to Indian b****es" etc. Plus I liked the sort of dual meaning since it is both literally and figuratively true. I also hope it helps to keep me focused, both on all that I need to do as well as keeping my mind/heart focused on the right place throughout this whole adventure.
Also, a note on spelling for my blog address. I went back and forth on what to call my blog. I eventually went with the sort of expanded official spelling of the words. I mean, that is how they are directly transliterated, but the more common way to spell it would be abhi dilli due hai. However in the end I wanted to put my weight behind the standardization of Hindi, since it is important that Hindi adopts a standard to make it more internationally viable. At least I think so. Plus I found out yesterday that abhidillidurhai is taken as a blog address, so it worked out well in the end.
The background is from a series of pictures taken by John Murray in 1858 after the British basically leveled Delhi. (hence the reason the capital of India is called New Delhi, the british destroyed the old one) Anyhow, having an obsessive personality, I love the obsessive quality of this picture. I love the color and the off angle and the sharp contrast and the old timeyness of it. It is a picture of the Jamma Masjid in Delhi, I think it is the largest, but if not, among the largest masjids in India. I suppose in a way choosing this photograph for a background sort of contradicts a lot of what I have written about how India can stand on its own, that it is ridiculous to consider it from a colonial perspective. However, I feel like this perspective of the masjid kind of embodies my current situation with regards to India. When I look at this picture I get a sort of feeling of chaos and detachment, if those words actually explain what I mean. In this picture the masjid seems like it suddenly appeared around a corner or something. Like "holy crap, what is that?!" It suggests power, skill, and knowledge, but it is concealed in that courtyard and far away. It is a mystery. Is the sky clouded over? Is it a vibrant blue? Is it darkened with smoke? It just looks like something you might find in an attic somewhere, a picture of something you didn't know existed that just kind of crouches in the back of your mind, gnawing on your subconscious until you finally go out and find whatever the heck it is. I don't know. Maybe I am not helping my case here, but this picture captures so well, for me at least, the obsessive curiosity India holds for me. I just can't seem to turn away from it. Plus I like the aesthetic quality of the picture, I suppose, if we want to go past all the pretentious analysis of a photograph.
But I have Hindi homework to do.
No comments:
Post a Comment