| Username |
Post |
| ashu |
Posted
on 04-Nov-01 09:48 AM
Hey BP and others,
(What follows is, I juts realized, somewhat long.
Others, if not interested, just ignore this.That would be fine.
Once in a while, we all benefit from introspection -- looking
into ourselves -- and I thank BP for his comments that in turn
have led me to share these thoughts with you all.)
BP wrote:
>Ashuji, I hope you will run for office some
>day and become a netaji.
Well, BP, those who do research on public leadership say
that one characteristic of an effective neta is: an ability to
withstand all the public attacks and still be able to
maintain a sense of inner equilibrium to do what is
right . . .
And so, if your suggestion is to be taken, then I hereby
record my gratituide to gbnc.org for giving me an excellent
training, over the last one year, on the fine art of brushing
aside reptilian emotionalism of others while maintaining
a calm inner equilibrium . . .
>You are extremely
>well-spoken and make your points in a very
>articulate manner, while at the same being
>self-deprecating enough to acknowledge that
>you are posting your opinions and others are
>welcome to pontificate and retaliate.
Well, you know, I had had a wonderful, almost intellectually addictive time in American classrooms, taking undergraduate and graduate courses -- passionately discussing and debating economic theories, tearing apart philosophical arguments of great thinkers, analyzing the pros and the cons of any given thought and
much, much else besides.
Looking back, I was very, very lucky to have a great group of friends and professors in Boston who challenged me -- quite mercilessly, in fact-- to come up with better arguments and well-evidenced thoughts to defend/modify/denounce
my positions orally and in writing. Indeed, I couldn't have asked for a better education!!
You know, the idea that some people -- like my professors -- could spend
their entire adult lives, pursuing and arguing about abstract ideas and
HAVE FUN doing such work made an enormously positive impression on
me.
I am saying this, because -- time-permitting -- as a visitor here, my intention for this site is to replicate/duplicate/copy on a small small level, the kind of intellectual stimulation/challenge I had enjoyed in my many undergraduate and graduate courses in Boston.
Of course, to replicate such a thing here is a BIG, BIG CHALLENGE -- but, then again, hey, who wants an easy life that's without risks and challenges? I
certainly don't one for myself. :-)
>I have
>read some posts that are quite critical of
>you,
Well, because I use my own name and because I fully stand by my own brilliant and stupid postings, I am an easy target for many an anonymous attackers
here.
And that is OK.
Criticism of my thoughts is something I can learn from.
But the rest, we all know, is such garbage that the attackers themselves
have a hard time sustaining over any length of time, and that's really
that.
Still, despite the usual anonymous and obviously silly attacks and so on, I am determined to be an OPTIMIST, and be myself through thick and thin of life, and
keep the good side of us Nepalis in mind . . . though, admittedly, keeping such
a calm and optimistic perspective can be very hard at times :-)
My attitude (learnt in America, of course!) is: Hey, if you haven't done anything wrong or are willing to learn from your mistakes, there is NOT a thing that you need to fear about or from anyone.
>but the truth is, this site retains its
>"mature" grade mostly because you frequent
>this site.
Thank you for this compliment.
There are times when I sit down and ask myself: Despite all these balls I am juggling in Nepal, so to speak, what the hell am I doing posting stuff on this
site like I have nothing else to do?
But then I remind myself:
Sincere, energetic and even somewhat playfully provocative attempts to engage Nepali communities worldwide to discuss/debate and think about issues, ideas/thoughts/counter-arguments could bring its own rewards: rewards that are NOT monetary or financial, but rewards that are -- in the words of the University of Chicago ko psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi (see his excellent book --"Beyond Boredom and Anxiety: Experiencing Flow in Work and Play") -- give a
lot of psychic energy in terms of lessons learnt, new friends made, old
friendships retained and so much, much more.
It is this "flow experience" that I cherish and want to get more of . . .
>It stimulates other people to
>think deeper thoughts. Note that the last
>several days you did not visit this site,
I was busy working on a journal-article all of last
week; so needed to be away to concentrate fully
on that.
>I rest my case
>here, for fear that some of your detractors
>will send hate mail my way accusing me of
>trying to "kiss your ass."
Well, don't let that bother you.
Anonymous attackers are free to say whatever they want to say.
After all, they too MUST enjoy this wonderful freedom of speech,
BUT, thankfully, they do NOT enjoy the freedom of acceptance by
reasonable people.
For that's a freedom that can ONLY be earned.
And so, one lives and learns -- while maintaining a sense of humor
whenever possible.
Thanks.
oohi
ashu
ktm, nepal
|
| BP |
Posted
on 04-Nov-01 01:46 PM
Well, there is no doubt you have a unique penchant for journalistic expression, Ashu. However, as I am sure you are aware, stimulating introspective discussions by pointing out the interesting nuances of real life can be a little different from actually trying to convince a big pool of constituents about the validity of policy-making, government etc etc. While I would love to see from afar a friend in a political leadership role, if asked for advice, I would definitely not recommend it.. as a friend. to put it colloquially, it will definitely "cramp your style." From my own experiences as the son of a political figure many years ago, your whole life's work as a politician can be made to seem so insignificant by the vicissitudes of the disestablishmentarianism which is so rampant these days in Nepal.
|
| ashu |
Posted
on 05-Nov-01 04:59 AM
Hey BP,
Getting into government and doing 'good' politics is only ONE way to change
one's society for the better.
Thankfully, there are other ways to change one's society for the better: being
an NGI, for instance: Non Governmental Individual.
That said, were I to ever run for a public office (an unlikely possibility for at least the next 15 years or so!), I hereby make you the Director of Fun Raising, yes, Fun Raising :-)
BTW, the longest word we learnt while exchanging those word-cards was: floccinaucinihilipilification
oohi
ashu
ktm,nepal
|
| BP |
Posted
on 05-Nov-01 10:08 AM
I am definitely pro-antifloccinaucinihilipilification.
|
| diwas k |
Posted
on 05-Nov-01 12:12 PM
Am I seeing the two co-editors of the GODAVARIAN (can't recall what year) walking down the GBNC.org hallways spitting out those 21_letter words? Damn nostalgia...Oh Brother (Harris), where art thou?
diwask
|
| Biswo |
Posted
on 05-Nov-01 12:28 PM
It's interesting.
That is also the longest word I learned until I knew about pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanokoniosis (wrote it down from my notebook).
I guess f-n-nihilipilification was coined in Eton in 14th century.They don't use that
any more, I guess. Also what about words like arachibutyrophobia (for peanut
butter),kakorraphiaphobia(failure) supercalifragilisticexpialidocious etc. There was
this book called 'Words you don't find in dictionary' (or sth like that) which was
pretty famous in Shanghai among students of English (Crazy English was the name
for a famous English course) which listed all these weird words and their definition
(listed about 2000 such words).
Btw, undergrad years are very difficult to define. People just become driven in
somewhat inexplicable way. I was very enamored with James Joyce's Finnegans
Wake.Never understood that though.
|
| ashu |
Posted
on 06-Nov-01 03:11 AM
Hi Biswo,
One may agree or disagree with your views, but no one can deny the
sheer breadth of your gyan, which is truly amazing!!
I am truly impressed by your knowing these obscure words.
This site is better because of your coming here.
As BP knows, my high school ko writings were full of big, fancy words
-- it was, only in Boston later, after I came under the spell of many
clear-thinking, lucid-writing and plain-speaking thinkers and
philosophers that I began to understand the sheer strength of simple, clear,
well-argued and vigorous writing.
Diwas K,
I love your reference to that Coen brothers' movie!
Thanks for that garnish of "The Godavarian" nostalgia. Working on
that school magazine together with BP, S. Kapar, Rumus and Bro.
Harris was among the happiest months of my life.
BP,
I lost Bro. Harris ko contact address when my email systems were
famously hacked into. So, why not ask Rumus whether he knows Bro. Harris's
contact addresses? Harris, the old English teacher and a colorful personality,
was the one who introduced me and others to the art of fine dining in
Kathmandu.
oohi
ashu
ktm,nepal
|
| BP |
Posted
on 06-Nov-01 06:36 PM
I earlier referred to Biswoji as "one of the great minds visiting this website." I rest my case. I have only read a page of James Joyce, and then gave up forever.
And Ashu, I have not heard from Rumus. I have sent several supposed e-mail addresses of his some messages, but to date have not gotten a response.
|
| villageVoice |
Posted
on 06-Nov-01 08:58 PM
I really enjyoyed trespassing on the Gadavari stuff. I needed something like this after the Subas Gurung saga. How could we start bashing our own kind - even without listening to him first.
I digress.
Other than Ashu, I don't know anyone (in person) in this particular thread - BP, DiwasK, Biswo.
Ashu, at times I do feel you would stop...but then again, you are one of a kind. We all are. That's the beauty of it all. Exchanging ideas and getting drawn to people you probabaly will never see...
|
| Biswo |
Posted
on 06-Nov-01 09:30 PM
Hi Ashu and BPji:
I disagree with the way you guys overestimated me, but let's rest this case here.
It just happened that I learned those words in the past.Never thought I would
reap so much by knowing them.
GBNC has been helpful for a lot of us to know a lot of other people, and their
views. In moments of crisis (Royal Palace massacre, Subash Gurung arrest etc)
this has served as an venue for our collective catharsis. And in general, it has
also served us in, To quote VillageVoice, "Exchanging ideas and getting drawn to
people you probabaly will never see..".
|
| Biswo |
Posted
on 06-Nov-01 09:34 PM
To continue the past thread that somehow got omitted in its prologue:
This small example should illustrate how GBNC can change the lifestyle of a lot of
us.It is time it grow up, and assume a bigger and more responsible role behooving
it for the collective benefit of a lot of us.
|
| ashu |
Posted
on 06-Nov-01 10:11 PM
Hi Biswo,
My compliments to you were based on the CUMULATIVE results of reading your various postings on this site -- your agreements, your disagreements, your digressions, your views, and all that stuff.
BP, I'll contact someone at STX, and see whether I can get good old Bro. Harris' address for you, me and others.
oohi
ashu
ktm,nepal
|
| BP |
Posted
on 08-Nov-01 01:26 AM
I don't know how many of your guys out there personally know Ashutosh Tiwari. Well, I do, and let me tell you, without going into the specifics, he is one of the most remarkable people around. I have always admired his intelligence, but after spending a considerable amount of time apart, I can see that he is smarter in a whole different way. His command of expression is such that he can make you think he believes in something so intensely, you will feel like writing him personaly abrasive hate mail. And this has been done in the past here in this forum I can see. I can visualize Ashu reclining back and enjoying with a chuckle the reverberations of the discussion he stimulates. Ashu, you are something else...and this site IS you!
|
| anepalikt |
Posted
on 08-Nov-01 07:30 PM
I am so glad to see all this comraderie here rather than the ususal spitting nails business.
I guess we needed the sort of utterly jevenile trash that plagued this site last week and of course, the completely self-centered and hatred filled vile posting generated as a response to the SGurung saga to get folks to this point. I noticed that even in other postings. There is some soul-searching going on here and I guess that has led us to appriciate the folks who distinguish themselves through consistently rational, respectful (hmmm), provocative thinking. I too say, Bravo!!
BP's homage to Ashu "....this site IS you!" though, that was a bit much for me. Give me a break! I am glad to see folks, for a change, affirming each other and showing appreciation for individual contributions, but all the gushing and the back and forth compliment giving is sounding too much like stroking egos and seeking affirmation. Not that that's not allowed.
But, boys!! that's enough! Let's get down to business and have some interesting Kurakani.
|
| ashu |
Posted
on 09-Nov-01 01:04 AM
BP wrote:
> I can visualize Ashu reclining back
>and enjoying with a chuckle the
>reverberations of the discussion he
>stimulates.
BP,
Your visualization is correct.
The point is NOT to be right or wrong about
things per se.
That would be too 'either/or' or too 'black-and-white'
kind of rigid thinking. And such rigidity would NOT help us
deal with complex issues that are, by nature, ambiguous,
that have too many grey areas and come with with no
clear-cut, easy answers or solutions.
The point IS to get people talking about.thinking about/discussing about
ideas, thoughts and events as intensely, as passionately and as
realistically as possible so that we realize that there are multiple facets
to any issue, and that some facts are more valid, more convincing
than others, and so on and so forth.
>Ashu, you are something else...
>and this site IS you!
Thanks for the compliment, BP.
I appreciate it.
That said, you know, I do what I can with the best of my ability, and let
people like you and others be the judge.
But with increasing responsibiity and a higher profile at work, I really don't
know how long I can -- time-wise -- go on posting stuff here.
But one tries, and one tries to have FUN, and that's that.
oohi
ashu
ktm,nepal
|
| BP |
Posted
on 09-Nov-01 11:55 AM
ANepaliKT:
I meant this site fits Ashu to a tee, it IS him. I have read your posts, and you are equally valuable of course. You are very articulate, like you too are a reader of James Joyce or something. I don't think I have read a good book in years. Keep it up.
|
| NK |
Posted
on 09-Nov-01 12:55 PM
Beware, Beware. Alert: BP is handing you a pacifier, anepalikt.
Here is the newsflash to you my dear BP: Save that to some other gullible if you don't mind.
|
| BP |
Posted
on 09-Nov-01 01:05 PM
Didn't mean to leave you out NK. You deserve a pacifier too. But really, it is nice to read you guys' posts. I am afraid I am in a field where I know a lot about very little, so diversity is not my forte.
|
| NK |
Posted
on 09-Nov-01 01:11 PM
Dear BPji, Like i said save that to some other *gullible and hapless.*
You see I think I just have too much free time on Friday or maybe I have this weekend mindset. I am ready to board!
|
| anepalilkt |
Posted
on 09-Nov-01 08:52 PM
I see that we are still dilly dallying and making offerings to each other. Thanks, but no thanks. Get on with it folks. I hear the chat room is back online. Talk to you there :)
|
| ashu |
Posted
on 09-Nov-01 09:51 PM
BP,
We really have to meet and catch up with all the
guff-suff.
It looks like I will be in the US next year for a Class Reunion in
Boston, and after that, it would be good to travel around, and
see you in LA, and other friends in other parts of the US.
Keeping my fingers crossed, of course.
oohi
ashu
ktm,nepal
|
| BP |
Posted
on 10-Nov-01 01:05 AM
Ashu,
Please pencil me in. I would love to chat with you mano-a-mano. And I am running out of pacifiers.
I wish I had something deep and political to say, but I am just a dumbass when it comes to things like that. But if anybody criticizes me, then I will kick their as__es. OK, this is very unbecoming of somebody who is over 30.
Tyahi,
BP
|
