Skip to main content

Of nature and nomenclature

Can you remember what these are? Ganga Godavari Janhavi Kshipra Brahmaputra Bhagirathi These are names of some prominent Indian Rivers. At least they were until Nina and Nino and some other Latin American names messed with their balance and left dust bowls or changed their path in some cases. There was a time in Indian culture when the parents of children (I am not sure there are parents of other kind) often named their offspring after these mighty water bodies that sprang from mighty mountains and glaciers... perhaps signaling their dreams of reliable life affirming output (from the next generation). Today unfortunately people think water comes from bottles. Alas - the naming conventions changed with the drying of the rivers or some other worldly phenomenon since now if you ask a guy on the street he may not know of these historic wonders. Also he does not have to since there is no water in his tap and has to pay exorbitant sums just to get the TATA tanker to drive up to his house so he can take a shower. So people have moved on to other names with dubious origins like Neal, Avi, etc.. while in the western world it has gone from saintly names like Michael or John to 50 cents, Snoop, Beyonce, Ludacris, Jordyn, Kaetlan et al. I have heard in the past of folks in certain South American impoverished nations naming their produce with names like Coca-Cola, Refrigerator, Ronald Reagan etc.. signifying their dreams and aspirations to have one. Is it borderline ludicrous or as Plato once said - what's in a name?
Labels:

Comments

  1. RajendraAugust 19, 2012 at 9:59 PM

    Plato sounds like a plateful,..

    ReplyDelete
  2. Diamond HeadAugust 20, 2012 at 3:15 PM

    It appears that Plato was a dialog pioneer (along with his mentor Socrates) before Gabbar and Kalia came along.
    Speaking of which one wonders why his relationship did not work out with any dudettes of his time (platonic that is)?

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

On the go(zay masta) in Japan again

Cool cat the Japanese are Tokyo at dusk  My second visit to this land of the rising sun after almost a decade. Back then clearly I was wet behind the ears product manager and likely didn’t pay attention to all (efficient) things Japanese. But today I did and of course continue to be impressed. It is as much the obvious stuff like on time travel that is both clean and comfortable and all that which makes it possible. The impressive landmark and landscapes that these humans have put together despite their cramped (or because of it) surroundings and precarious geological conditions could amaze a novice architect among us. But it’s also the little things that someone had to think about which have a phenomenal impact on day to day lives that make the Japanese stand apart. Below are few random examples- 1. Providing a very fine machined wooden toothpick in every packet of wooden chopsticks. The said chapsticks are simply set on the To Go counter of any food vendor/ convenience store wher...
Post a Comment
Read more

Of Jims and Johns

Here is another essay on the subject of first names. As in birth names. Or names provided to an offspring at birth. While the developed world tends to shy away from the exotic like Refrigerator or Coca Cola for their new production there is a plethora of Jims and Johns and Bobs or Robs. Speaking of which I do not think there is a categoric decision point at the time of birth if a child will be hereafter called as Bob. I mean have not yet met a toddler called Bob or Rob for that matter. At some point though the parental instinct to mouth out multiple syllables runs out and they switch from calling the crawler Robert to simply Robbie to Rob. Now speaking of - it is strange that the name sounds like something you would not want Rob to do - i.e. Rob anyone. Then why call someone that? After all Rob Peter to Pay Paul is not exactly a maxim to live a young life? Is it? Perhaps Peter or Paul might want to have a say in it? Then there is this matter of going to the John. Why degrad...
2 comments
Read more

Presumptive Society

Today's world is hyper connected.  I am not so sure what it means but you hear it a lot.  It is probably hyper but not sure how connected it is.  Sugar (fermented or not) is available in many ways than before and so getting hyper is easy.  It is probably more a threat than cocaine since it is sold legally. And what is this connected stuff?  Most people I encounter seem disconnected from reality.  So going back to this assumption that we are connected there are subtle and no so subtle instances of how brands and companies and middle men try to portray someone - A linkedin profile for somebody working for X years at a place advertises to the connected network that so and so is CELEBRATING X years @ Such and Such Inc. Do we know if (s)he is celebrating or cringing?  Perhaps a better way to portray will be - So and So LASTED X years @ such & such inc. Then it exhorts the readership to go ahead and congratulate them for this lasting effe...
2 comments
Read more