Rangiye Diye Jao

This is a very fast translation of Tagore's "rangiye diye jao ..." done during a regular bus-ride in Seattle, Nov 9, 2007

Color me before you leave
In your own colors
In your hidden colors
In the hue of your young smile
In the shades of your tears

Let these colors touch my heart
Every action I take
The tip of the evening lamp
& the staying up late.

Before you leave wake me up
Drumming your footsteps in my veins

How stars rise on dark nights
How streams flow in rocky caves
How thunder rumbles in the heart of the clouds
How rhythm dances at the center of the World

Rock me like that
Advancing me on my path
Breaking away sorrows & hurdles

Girl Friend Zindabad

Today started with a crappy morning. I decided to catch connecting buses instead of a direct one. The 1st one was 20 min late => missed the 2nd one & barely got to college in time for the class. + today I had that 2.5 hr class & just 1 hr break between that & the 1st class. So by 3 when I was done with classes & pretty tired, nothing in my schedule had been ticked off. The lethargy won & I stayed back @ office chatting (badly needed a break) & watching "democracy now". On my way back, I decided to call a friend - a mom, a lady who has gone thru many difficult things in life, some similar to mine, someone I could really connect with. We talked almost randomly for 20+ min. & what a refreshing effect it had on me. That tired me came back & cleaned up a very very messy kitchen & a somewhat untidy room.

This is not the 1st time. It's amazing how much talking to a "girl" friend helps. & I know that @ those times talking to a guy wouldn't have. Not sure why, but somehow "girl" friends help in a way that men can't. At least most men can't. May be its because any time men hear about a problem they try to solve it. Whereas the person, say me or a woman like me, might just want a listener, some empathy & the freedom (i.e. no advice) to solve the problem herself. Often when men try to solve it they stop empathizing & that's when a woman feels she not being listened to. Or what she is trying to say is not reaching the other. Or that the other person is trying to be superior.

I feel women nowadays need empathy & companionship more than anything. & we want to solve our problems ourself. If men can't provide what we need - sorry dude, you are not what we are looking for!