Birds of Paradise

My favorite flower - Birds of Paradise.

Meaning: Freedom, Magnificence, Good perspective.

Most commonly found in an orangish yellow with shades of blue. Here, I sketched a lesser seen variation of red with shades of green.

© 2008 Sanjoy Haldar

A Throw

This sketch depicts my fascination with geometrical shapes, particularly linear, and my the obsession with the color blue. In color psychology, blue signifies many things, among them are peace, tranquility, cold and depressive, and loyalty. This, too some extent, describes me well.

I called this sketch 'a throw' for two reasons: first, this is throw-away stuff, output of my solitude, therapy for my restlessness. Second, this could be a design for a throw in a contemporary home.

© 2008 Sanjoy Haldar

On witnessing history

Yesterday, I witnessed the unfolding of a new era in American history. My heart elated in joy once the results were final.

Deep in my heart I had hoped for such a moment. As a non-US citizen, I am not eligible to vote but, as a permanent resident, the outcome does matter to me. I don't mind admitting that I was one of those non-believers who didn't think that this country was ready for a non-white president. I shared that sentiment among my close quarters. My opinion was based on how some of my quite sophisticated white friends would hide their biases under the guile of conservatism or by pointing to lack of experience of Obama. If this is the attitude of the Ivy-educated man, how the mass is going to react, I thought.

Einstein always maintained that imagination is more powerful than experience. I wholeheartedly subscribe to that theory. I am glad to see that imagination came out victorious over experience. Imagination to dream over experience of tradition! To paraphrase him again, insanity is when one tries the same thing and expects different results. Why would someone, who in his own admission voted with Bush 90% of the time over the past 8 years, be a better choice to lead us to hope and to a better future?
The country needs a leader who is cool, composed and collected, who comes across intelligent, articulate and visionary. I think Obama can bridge the gap inside and outside the US and provide the thought leadership that is badly missing. This is one guy who understands the Leadership Law of the Inner Circle, that a leader is only as good as the lieutenants he surrounds himself with. Obama has definitely surrounded himself with some very smart individuals.

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History has now been written. So, many years from now, historians will sit down to analyze how did this happen. Yes, analysts will cite several factors - selection of Palin as VP candidate, financial crisis, frustration of people with condition of healthcare, so on and so forth. But who can ignore the ambition and determination of this young man, the meticulous planning and orchestration of a campaign that is nothing short of textbook?

Yesterday, the USA and the world saw the dawn of a new day. I hope this is just the beginning of another phase of the long march that started 40 years back, right here in Memphis, my adopted hometown (at least for now); another step closer towards natural justice and equality, towards universal acceptance of people by people for who they are despite the external appearance. Obama can be the icon of hope, example of human possibility, and the wings on which dreams of the next generation and generations to come, here and everywhere in the world, can take flight.

Coincidentally, last night, as history was unfolding right in front of my eyes, I was browsing through a book of quotes of Dr. King without whose ‘I have a dream’ Obama’s ‘Yes we can’ would not have been scripted. It is even more coincidental that, for a personal project, I have been researching Pete Seeger lately and, more specifically, We Shall Overcome, a song that has essentially become the anthem of the national civil rights movement. It was a magical feeling to hear the theme we shall overcome as Obama delivers his speech. Or am I also dreaming?

I have a list of heroes. People whose personal feat and contribution to the human society inspires me. Yesterday, I added one more person to that list. I came to graduate school in this country with two suitcases, 980 dollars in my pocket, a dream and a determination to fight out my way. I survived grad school, despite all hardships and obstacles, due to an indomitable can-do attitude. Unfortunately, somewhere on the way complacence kicked in. I started giving in to mediocrity; the fighter in me took a sabbatical. Before I realized, 10 years had gone by and (to paraphrase my favorite band Pink Floyd) I missed the starting gun. I had drifted away from my original dream; I had come to accept my lot. But after yesterday, Obama's election to the Oval office will serve to remind me that when the world turns all odds against me all I have to do is say "yes I can" and go at it. Thank you Mr. President-elect for re-instilling that belief back in me.
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© 2008 Sanjoy Haldar