Three Quotes Challenge

So recently I was nominated for this challenge by two exceptionally good bloggers.

The first nomination came from Inky, who has a multitude of talents including writing in both English and Urdu, and photography.  Her observational skills always leave me in awe. Do check her blog.

The second nomination was from Beparvah, who has such variety in writing that he can write on social problems as effortlessly as he writes on emotional issues. Don’t forget to click on the link provided above.

As for the rules of the challenge, I am going to bend them quite a lot. For starters, I am not going to post consecutively for three days. This will be the single post with nine quotes. And no nominations from my end either. If you want, you may do it on your blog, or you can post your favourite quote(s) down at the comments section.

So without further ado, let’s crack on.

1. “Aai aai Maharani Victoria! Eku Porha xuna nai. Khali lipstick, plastic, elastic!” — My high school mathematics teacher

This is one of the defining quotes of my life. It deals with the ills of vanity and materialistic lifestyles. To break it down for you, aai aai means aai aai, because those are just sounds you make when you are angry at someone. I suppose it’s not as cool as Oi or Oye or Hey or Youstupidmoron, but it does what it intends to do — which is to alert someone that a barrage of abuses are coming.

Maharani of course means Maharani (or Queen), and Victoria is that Queen Victoria of the Victorian Age who is so famous over here due to her historically significant actions.

Porha xuna nai is in Assamese which literally translates to “reading listening not” if we consider it word by word. I guess that doesn’t make sense. So a better translation is “no studying.”

Khali doesn’t allude to the wrestler Great Khali. Khali in Assamese means only. I suppose the other words are as clear as day. Although I don’t know why he used to add the words plastic and elastic.

All in all, the quote means: “Hey you, Queen Victoria! Will you stop with your vanity issues and at least focus on your studies for a while?”

Er…or something along those lines. Whatever.

To the boys he would say, “Aai aai Jambuvantha. Kya kar raha?” This also has a lot of depth, but I am too tired to delve into the Ramayana right now and explain the context behind its usage. And if you noticed the lack of hai after raha, it’s because it was intentional. His vocabulary lacked the Hindi word hai.

“Kya kar raha?”

“Kya khaata?”

“Class mein sota?”

I think you get the point.

2. “You cannot always expect change. Sometimes you have to bring the change yourself.” — Local channawaala

Well you know, he does have a point. I have to accept his rationale, otherwise he will say, “Chhutten kya paed pe lagte hain?”

3. “Meowth, that’s right.” — Meowth (Team Rocket waala or if you still don’t get it, it’s a Pokemon reference. Go ahead, drown in chullu bhar paani)

He is right. I used to think he would say Meow, but it turned out he just repeated his name. I don’t know why I am explaining this quote.

4. “If you ssssmmeeelll what the Rock is cookin.” — Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson

Well I never understood what the Rock meant with those words. I mean I used to smell whatever was around me at that time, ranging from food and books to my uncle’s smelly socks. But it represents childhood (and if I might admit, adulthood too).

Okay enough of silliness. Let’s check some proper quotes. I won’t attempt to explain them because I want you all to interpret them according to your thoughts and beliefs.

5. “There is nothing more unequal than the equal treatment of unequal people.” — Thomas Jefferson

6. “The price good men pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men.” — Plato

7. “Mediocrity knows nothing higher than itself, but talent instantly recognises genius.” — Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

8. “Prejudice, a dirty word, and faith, a clean one, have something in common: they both begin where reason ends.” — Harper Lee

9. “An error does not become truth by reason of multiplied propagation, nor does truth become error because nobody sees it. Truth stands, even if there be no public support. It is self sustained.” — Mahatma Gandhi