| Username |
Post |
| M.P. |
Posted
on 22-Nov-02 10:47 PM
5) When I first attended a talk program in the reunion of Association of Nepalese in America last year, I felt I was in Khulamanch. Some people talked as if they were ruling Nepal from here. As you must have already surmised, ‘Nepal maa haami harule kehi garnu parchha’ rhetoric was quite common. I was impressed that some people felt for Nepal and at the same time, was sad to discover that some people, despite having stayed in America for years, had not be able to recover from the same ‘magnasonic’ disease I have been suffering from. And by the time I had come to America, I had had enough of ‘magnasonic’ advices. When people say, “You should come back to Nepal”, I can take that although I would use my judgment at the end anyway but it gets in my nerves when people make statements like “You should develop Nepal”. I am not lying; many people told me the latter before I left for USA. During lunch (come back to ANA convention now), a lady asked me if I intended to go back to Nepal after I completed my studies. I gave a positive answer and she said, “Good. You should go to Nepal and do something for it.” I felt like jumping over the table and screaming, “what something? Masturbate? Are you going back? What have you done for Nepal so far? Do you think I am God to be able to change Nepal?” Fortunately, I realized that the conversation was just a part of the big-talk that was supposed to work and not instigate a war. I just gave a big smile.
6) My villagers think I am intelligent. Perhaps this was the reason why they told me to draft the constitution for a local club that was to be registered soon. I wanted to be as specific as possible so that there is little or no confusion over the interpretation of various terms used in the constitution. They had a standard format sent to them by the district. However, I thought that was not much of a constraint since the district would have to approve my constitution [they call it a ‘Bidhaan’] as long as I did not completely discard the format. Under ‘kaaryabidhi’ I wrote:
a. sarsafaai karyekram aayojanaa garne [Launching cleaning campaigns].
b. ma. vi. stariye haajirjawaaf pratiyogeeta aayojanaa garne [Organizing secondary school level quiz contests].
The khardaar rejected the constitution way before it reached the CDO for approval. He crossed out the both the points and wrote:
a. sthaaniye baasindaa laai swaasthya tathaa sarsafai sambandhi gaagaran banaaune.
b. bibhinna sikchhyaamulak karyekram maarfat sikchhyaa ko star badhaaune.
I had to rewrite most of the things. I cursed myself for not following the ‘magna-sonic’ approach. I learnt a useful lesson that day: I was not the only victim of this ‘rog’. I still wonder why the Khardaar had to use such vague sentences when simplicity would have avoided ambiguity and at the same time, saved some space.
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| M.P. |
Posted
on 22-Nov-02 10:47 PM
Oys-chill has started a new thread on how people try to conceal the 'lack of content' through use of big and ambiguous words in their writing. Such grandiloquent writings not only make other not-so-good-in-vocabulary people feel inferior, or to think twice before posting, but also deceives the reader. I myself have been a victim of this talk-big nature of people several times. I thought it would be good to share an article I wrote on similar issue sometime ago. Since I have been the victim of what I call here, the magnasonic approach, this article too suffers from such malady. I leave it upto the readers to figure instances where my claim--that we often get swayed by big words--holds true and to share their experience on the issue.
___________________________________________________________
Let's Talk Big
1) Talking about the ongoing insurgency back in Nepal, every discussion boils down to the same premises: poverty, suppression, corruption, and socio-economic disparity. We however fail to see other minor factors that MIGHT have played a prominent role in creating and later, in proliferating, the malicious scavenging throughout the nation. The so-called major causes eclipse these seemingly minor factors in such density that these minor factors get away without any blame. I delve into one of those small factors: the ‘Magnasonic’ approach. This phrase refers to the use of over-sophisticated language and of vague, over-generalized grandiloquent phrases at instances where such practice is redundant.
2) I remember the time I used to struggle to answer ‘timile-yes-kathaa-baata-k-sikchhyaa-paayou’ type question that accompanied almost every story in Nepali subject course books. Really practical education we have; they even had this question after the ‘Lalu ra Kaal ko Kathaa’! Thanks to the ‘magnasonic approach’ that not only rescued me but also brought along with it some glory and success in my life. For almost every question, I used to write, ‘Haami Nepali haru haamraa purkhaa jastai bhaayera sansaar kaa kunaa kaapchha maa Nepal ko jhaandaa farfraaunu parchha.’ It worked. And, believe it or not, for everything! Don’t tell me the teachers in my high school were stupid; I got the highest mark in my class even in SLC [in Nepali subject]. I still remember what I wrote for that Lalu ra Kaal ko Kathaa: ‘Haami Laalu jastai buddimaan bhayera Nepal ko bikaas garnu parchha.’ Can someone enlighten me what on hell does that ‘Nepal ko jhandaa farfaraaune’ means though?
3) I have this bad habit of eavesdropping. I often did it at Khulamanch on my way to Chauni from Nagarjuna Academy. On one of those spying-days, dalits were holding a ‘sabhaa’ in Khulamanch. A dalit leader, shouting to his full capacity, said something like ‘haami dalit haru pichadiyekaa chhoun. Haami aba sangharsha garera aghi badhnu parchha.’ I waited until he finished his speech to see if he was going to specifically iterate what he meant by ‘haami pichadiyekaa chhoun’ and what kind of ‘sangharsha’ he expected the other dalits to launch. But he never became more specific. Those ‘unemployeds’ who perhaps did not have anything better to do, seemed to be pleased with what the leader had said but I felt cheated. Next day, there was a headline in one of the leading newspaper daily—‘Dalit ko uththaan kaa laagi dalitle nai sangharsha garnu parne bichaar bekta’. See, you can even ruse the journalists with this magnasonic-approach!
4) I was tremendously influenced by the way one of my seniors in high school behaved. Fortunately, I got a chance to see his personal statement he was sending to colleges and universities. Even his essay concluded with a somehow magnasonic sentence—I want to show how much a student from an underdeveloped country can excel if given an opportunity to do so (let’s keep this between you and me. He is still my role model). As expected, he got into a good college. I am not giving the whole credit to the magnasonic approach or the personal statement but the bitter truth is that the magnasonic approach seems to have helped most of the time, at least in my life. And by bringing my role model into the scene, I am trying to prove that I am not the only victim (or beneficiary, if you think it is good) of this phenomenon.
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| kalanidhi |
Posted
on 22-Nov-02 11:24 PM
M.P.
I think we should not take Oys_Chill's comments too seriously. He doesn't know what Maoists insurgents are. It doesn't mean that we should ignore him:-)
Kalanidhi
UCB
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| isolated freak |
Posted
on 23-Nov-02 12:16 AM
M.P, a good piece.
I liked the khardar example because i too went through that expreinec very recntly.. i realized that in nepal you ahve to write in "broader terms", if you want to make your hakim happy.
also, the conversation example.. i would have been tempted to say the same thing.. what do you want me to do in nepal? spank my monkey? :-)
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| oys_chill |
Posted
on 23-Nov-02 07:30 PM
i agree with M.P. on what he all says..but my point was far more simpler than that......and i had no idea it could get that far......had me thinking!! never thought in those terms M.P, am enlightened to say the least :)
"I think we should not take Oys_Chill's comments too seriously. He doesn't know what Maoists insurgents are. It doesn't mean that we should ignore him:-) "
WOWOWOW!!! kalanidhi, looks like you know me very well :) why would i know anything about the maoists??? i am far here frittering from my keyboard, I don't have a FRIGGIN sense what's going on?? IT has not affected anyone in my family? :) whom on earth asked you to take my comments seriously ;) in anycase, ITS THE EXACT PRE-JUDGEMENT I WAS TALKING BOUT! this cyber thing gives you myriad ways to misinterpret..and you have shone like a star on the subject :)...
KALANIDHI, on double taking the issue.....would you mind sharing what you know about the maoist insurgents...i'd really appreciate it..and perhaps MAYBE, i will give you a brief "waste of time" insight of how i feel and what i know bout the issue :)..
all in good faith
OYS
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| Rusty |
Posted
on 23-Nov-02 08:04 PM
Kalanidhi
Still BARKING SYNDROME! What the HELL do you know about Maoists insurgents? Let’s hear from you. Just tagging on UCB with your name makes you great here? How could you even underrate Oys_Chill, without knowing him WELL? Listen to his noiselessly spoken words, and give some insights within. Your brain is still tainted by rabies, and spinal cord is all drained. Go get immediate treatment before makin dim-witted judgements about people.
Rust
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| KaLaNkIsThAn |
Posted
on 23-Nov-02 11:40 PM
Wow wow Rusty, That was great!! I am with you all the way.
Why you giving poor kalanidhi a hard time to write a research paper on maoist, so that he could prove how 'seriously he has to be taken". Poor guy's gonna have a hard time finding materials on maoist insurgency.... Not in this time of the year yaar..... you know its almost a time for final.....
Kalanidhi, do you mean to say those who doesn't know about Maoist insurgents are not to be taken seriously?? Oys has proved himself time and again, and he doesn't have to prove 'how seriously he has to be taken' -- for kalanki mata's sake, not to you.....
raam raam,,
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