001 Matters of the Heart : Happiest girls are the prettiest girls

/ Monica Ingudam / Leave a comment

“Matters of the heart”, a  #Valentine ‘s Day special, Contributed by : Mangaleibi Sarungbam  

Life is beautiful because we all have hopes, dreams and aspirations. If we didn’t have any of these, life would be like an empty barren land. Life is beautiful just like the bright blue hopeful sky that I see every day when I step out for school early morning, when I am riding in the bus to the school and when I am sitting in the classroom and staring outside, I see the bright blue hopeful and beautiful sky and I get reminded how beautiful our life is just as the bright blue sky.
I live in dreams and I am always dreaming in my present and thinking for a better future, a future that I have always imagined since my childhood days and which I have always cherished. It’s been a really long journey from an infant to a 25 year’s old beautiful and confident young woman aspiring to become a better person each and every single day of my life. This Valentine’s day, I want to convey my deepest gratitude to myself for growing up to a bold, courageous and ambitious young woman from a confused, timid and lost little girl. I want to take the opportunity to love myself even more and celebrate for being a strong young woman, fighting her way to make her dreams come true despite the hurdles and hurricanes that life threw at her.
And so I have a message to all my beautiful young ladies of “Sanaleipak” out there struggling with emotions, wasting time, over indulging in romance and indulging in eloping early at such a tender age, I just want to say that falling in love is a very wonderful feeling. But, before you fall madly in love with someone you need to love, protect, nurture and value yourself until you become perfect just like a fully blossomed “Thambal”.

Love yourself, respect yourself, celebrate yourself this Valentine’s Day and your true love will find its own way to you when you are ready for it. So, this Valentine’s Day take out a moment from your super busy virtual world of texting, chatting in Facebook and talking in phone for long hours, instead stand in front of a mirror and say “I love you very much and I will celebrate you for who you are, pretty or not, for aspiring, for making me happy and smile and for making me feel beautiful every single day of my life” to the person who is standing in front of you.
Lastly, I would like to quote Audrey Hepburn “I believe in being strong when everything seems to be going wrong. I believe that happiest girls are the prettiest girls”.
Happy Valentine’s Day to all my girls.

~The End ~

Share with us your story/poems of your happy heart, broken heart. Enter your short nonfiction essay/poem in English. Must be a true short story. “Matters of the heart” #Valentine ‘s Day special

You can choose to remain anonymous if you want. Please call it out in the email. Submit as text via e-mail with Subject as “Matters of the heart” :” Your Name/Anonymous ” at FindingTheVoices@gmail.com

All accepted entries will be published at http://www.FindingTheVoices.com/

078 It’s all in the mind : It’s only a dozen words!

/ Monica Ingudam / Leave a comment
It’s only a dozen words!Love,
Pampering,
Holding_hands,
Fussing_over,
Smiles,
Hugs,
Flowers,
Listening,
Loving_words,
Silly_surprises,
Hot_tea,
Laughing_together,
Too much to ask ?

~The End~

An Experimental attempt to put thoughts in writing by Monica Ingudam.

077 It’s all in the mind : The two red birds

/ Monica Ingudam / 1 Comment

The two red birds

Two red birds were playing happily,
Mother bird teaching daughter bird,
To fly high and to fly low,
A home they made,
In the garden,
Filled with exotic jasmines,
And blooming ginger butterfly,
Little did they know of the evil trap,
Hidden beneath those tiny branches covered with the white blooms,
The trap which could bury them alive,
Out flew the red birds,
Changing their fate unknowingly,
Flying high and flying fast,
Loosing the way,
Crossing many trees,
Hopping on many tinned roofs on the way,
And landing on a branch,
Tired and lost,
Slowly sensing the fragrance and beauty of the blooming magnolia,
Watching the beautiful view of the trickling stream,
Feeling at home,
Getting the strength to rebuild a new nest.

~The End~

An Experimental attempt to put thoughts in writing by Monica Ingudam.

076 It’s all in the mind : Farewell

/ Monica Ingudam / Leave a comment

Farewell

You knew it was coming,
It was predicted,
But it arrived too soon,
Sooner than expected,
Making you feel unprepared,
Hitting you hard,
Making you shiver,
Freezing everything,
The Sun left,
It’s a farewell,
But you knew it was coming,
Your conditions aren’t favorable for the Sun,
But isn’t it a different kind of beauty to feel the cold ?
You will learn to smile through the snow flakes,
Yes, even in the cold.

~The End~

An Experimental attempt to put thoughts in writing by Monica Ingudam.

Voices from the common people, family, victims of AFSPA in Manipur

/ Monica Ingudam / Leave a comment

Many have asked me about AFSPA and I am sharing a documentary movie which covers about AFSPA, protests and situation in Manipur, voices from the common people, family and victims of AFSPA in Manipur.

When I grew up, before learning any games to play like any other child would, my father taught what we need to do when we hear gun shots, how we need to prostrate, crawl and where we need to go where we will be safe. I grew up in fear and stayed mostly at home, went out only out of necessity like attending school, and close family gatherings/functions. Everyone is home before darkness, gates are closed before darkness. I never saw any night life in Manipur. I thought it was normal while I was there, but coming out of Manipur and seeing the different ways of living, I realized how different it is growing up in a place of conflict, growing up in Manipur. And I hope someday, soon, there will be peace and the common people of Manipur can walk in the street without any fear, and live freely.

This is a strong documentary showing the reality and life of common people in Manipur. Watch it to understand and see a glimpse to a few cases where the victims, family of victims who are common people of Manipur.

Jano Devi, widow shares her story of her husband ending up death after he was picked up from home. She shares her story while she carries her infant baby at her back. She ask the question with tears , what should she answer when her child grows up and ask “Where is my father ?”

Binasakhi Lakshmi Devi, mother of victim shares her story of her son, who was picked up from home. Her son was found dead.

Thoudang Nanwa Singh shares about how he was beaten up, tied up and 5 to 6 personals forcing their genital in his mouth. He was tortured beating him again and again, playing with his genital.

Sharmila Irom started her fast after ten civilians were shot and killed while waiting at a bus stop on 2 November 2000

Kshetrimayum Netalini Devi, sister of victim who lost her sister while army personals started shooting in their residence

Source:

Photo: Google search (Manipur AFSPA)

Video: Youtube (Manipur in the Shadow of AFSPA  , A Documentary produced by Harsh Dobhal, Human Rights Law Network & ANHAD uploaded in 2010)

~The End ~

 

 

Amuba charang macha, black baby dragon fly, an acrylic painting

/ Monica Ingudam / Leave a comment

Amuba charang macha, black baby dragon fly.Acrylic painting by Monica Ingudam

An acrylic painting by Monica Ingudam

075 It’s all in the mind : The Lemongrass tea

/ Monica Ingudam / Leave a comment
The Lemongrass tea
A chilly morning,
With cold hands and feets,
Sipping hot lemongrass tea,
With soothing pena music playing,
Giving one the warmth,
Giving one the familiar taste,
Bringing the calmness,
Taking one to silence,
Watching the world,
The world with people trampling,
Living life in their own terms.
~The End~ 

An Experimental attempt to put thoughts in writing by Monica Ingudam.

S02E16: FindingTheVoices Sori Senjam, singer from Manipur

Guest Speaker : Sori Senjam, singer from Manipur

Interview Location: Phone interview with Guest Speaker joining in from Imphal, Manipur.

Language: Podcast in Meiteilon.

Sori Senjam joining us from Imphal, Manipur sharing about his journey as a singer and composer for Meiteilon songs and music. Listen to him sharing his visions to grow, detailing out the limitations of applying his creativity to meet the market’s demand. He shares interesting behind the scenes of performing live in Imphal. Find out how Sori feels about our culture of giving money by listeners to artist during a live show. He must have sung more than 40 songs so far and he says that his best is yet to come, this is just the starting. We wish him good luck and looking forward for more of his work.

A Special thanks to all the volunteers and team of FindingTheVoices in trying a new approach for this episode. This was a challenging episode in recording timing to capture the daylight shooting in the early morning at Washington DC and in the afternoon in Imphal, and finally synching up the 2 streams of phone interview. We recognized the need for improvement in audio and video quality, but I know our young team tried our best and we will get better in future episodes.  Thanks to each and everyone of you.

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MI_5Born and raised in the violence-torn landscape of Manipur, I have a vision to promote and spread inspiring, empowering, educative & entertaining stories. I believe that we can create contents bringing the positive side of Manipur. I believe we can do this together by finding the voices, voices which needs to be heard and shared, voices of our own people, people of Manipur and well-wishers of Manipur. I believe that these voices will bring a change and connect all of us.

I welcome you to join me in my journey to finding the voices at Http://FindingTheVoices.com/

 

S02E16 FindingTheVoices: Sori Senjam, singer from Manipur

/ Monica Ingudam / 1 Comment

074 It’s all in the mind : The Moment

/ Monica Ingudam / Leave a comment
The MomentNo rules,
No boundaries,
Listen, just listen,
Relax, just relax,
And slowly,
But surely,
The soothing sound becomes one,
With your heartbeat,
With your breathing,
With you,
And slowly,
Calmness seeps in,
Giving you the moment you seek,
A moment of your own.

 
~The End~ 

An Experimental attempt to put thoughts in writing by Monica Ingudam.