Tangkhul Folk Songs about Sihai Phangrei

Christianity along with western education came to the Tangkhul hills in the late 19th century. Prior to this era, the art of recording history in written form was unknown to the Tangkhuls. In the absence of writing, history was therefore passed on the younger generations mainly through folk songs and partially through stories, some of which became folk lore or epic.  As the Tangkhuls used to be head hunters, most of the folk songs glorify bravery and warfare. However, there are songs about, love, revenge, beautiful places, beauty, death, jubilation, birth, sickness, famine, seasons, etc. The folk songs about Sihai Phangrei is an example of songs about a place composed to pay homage to the majestic hill which even in olden days serves as a major landmark. There are also folk songs that portray Sihai Phangrei as one of the favourite hunting grounds in Tangkhul region, however, today the hillock serves as a favourite picnic and outing spot in Ukhrul district. 
Seikhor
Seikhor is a village located west of Hunphun (Ukhrul) village and is about 15 kilometers from the district headquarter. The following folk song speaks of the dawn of hunting season witnessed on Sihai Phangrei. This song was sung by an old man from Seikhor.

Oh! Ramkachiva (Oh! Every village)
Oh! Lui changtaya (Is engaged in cultivation)
Oh Sihai yaronna (Oh! A handsome youth from Sihai)
Oh! Safa singraya (came along with his hound)
Oh! Safa singraya (Oh! Came with his hound)
Oh! Sihai Phangrei kashungda (Came up till Sihai Phangrei)
Oh! Kaheiririya (Hollering hunting sounds)
Oh! Kazing kumuya (Heralds the turn of season)

Synopsis: When hunters from Sihai come up till Sihai Phangrei with hounds, it announces the dawn of hunting season for other villages. Sihai is famous for hunting in olden days and Sihai Phangrei used to be one of the hottest hunting grounds in Tangkhul region.

Nungshong Khullen
Nungshong Khullen is a village located south east of Hunphun/Ukhrul village. Nungshong is about 14 kilometers south of Sihai Phangrei. This song was sung by a group of elders from the village.

Oh! Sihai Phangreili, haaah (On Sihai Phangrei)

Yah!.. Silui chon rachon chonya.... (I saw footprints of a buffalo)
Oh! Silui chonchi..... haaah  (The buffalo’s footprint)
Yah!... Hop kharei siluina..... haah (is that of a majestic bull)
Oh! Kharei silui chiphangvana....(With full grown horns)
Oh! Iwui silui sangaiya .......... Haaah (I wish to own such a buffalo)

Synopsis: The composer of this folk song (probably from Nungshong) saw the footprints of a wild buffalo on Sihai Phangrei. The footprints being slightly larger than that of normal full grown bulls, he imagined the buffalo to be really enormous with well groomed horns which, he sings would love to own.

Khangkhui Phungdhar
Khangkhui Phungdhar is a village that lies below the foothill of the Majestic Shirui Kashong/Shirui peak on the south side. Sihai Phangrei lies on the north side of the Shirui peak sharing the same hill range with the Kashong. Khangkhui Phungdhar is about 13 kilometers from Sihai Phangrei.

Oh! Ava hongailakli heh (I long/yearn to called mother)

Lunghar na taimatuiya (Lunghar took her away)
Oh! Lunghar raikhuiramma heeh (A head hunter from Lunghar)
Harkho singlo wungramnu (Sacrifice a chicken leg)
Oh! Harkho singlo wungramnu heh (Oh! Sacrifice a chicken leg)
Avathit kapha vasa (And let’s go to avenge for mother)
Oh! Avathit kapha vasa heh (Let’s go to avenge mother’s dead)
Sihai Phangreili loya (We assembled at Sihai Phangrei)
Oh! Sihai Phangreili loya, heh (Oh! Assembled at Sihai Phangrei)
Ngalengtheina huishongra (A heavy hail storm stopped us from proceeding)

Synopsis: This song narrates a sad story of a son seeking revenge for his mother. A head hunter from Lunghar took away the head of a woman from the village. Knowing that the head hunter was from Lunghar, the villagers led by the son of the victim sacrificed a chicken and trekked towards Lunghar to avenge the dead of the woman. During the days of head hunting, taking woman’s head was considered cowardly as the Tangkhuls believed in fair warfare between men. The pursuers assembled at Sihai Phangrei but could not proceed beyond due to heavy hailstorm.

Oh! Iwo leishishunnei (Oh! I love a lot)

Sihai Phangreili shok-kahang akha (Hearing the hunting cries on Sihai Phangrei)

Oh! Inao khalumli (Oh! My beloved son)

Inao khalumli, Ishi vanaoni (Oh! My beloved son)

Pheikar Kashonglo (Hasten your pace)

Synopsis: This is a hunting song through which a father apparently is teaching his son the art of hunting. The song speaks about the macho hollering sounds made while on a hunt. The father sings about the hollering sounds made on Sihai Phangrei while they were hunting. The last line reminds his son to hasten so as to keep pace with the prey.

Teinem
Teinem is a village located west of Hunphun/Ukhrul. The village is about 36 kilometers from Sihai Phangrei. The following folk song was found sung by an old man from Teinem mentioning  Sihai Phangrei as a landmark.

Oh! Ava hongailala (I long to call mother)
Avazakla matheima (but, I no longer can see her)
Sihai Phangrei shokka (Went up till Sihai Phangrei searching for mother)
Oh Sihai Phangrei shokka, (Went up till Sihai Phangrei)
Ava khamsui leisai  (There I saw mother’s walking stick)
Oh! Ava khamsui leisai (I saw mother’s walking stick)
Oh! Ava khamsui shoksingta chappa. (I wept when I hold my mother’s walking stick)
Lunghar athit khale (She was taken by Lunghar)

Synopsis: This song also is about a head hunter taking away a woman. The victim’s son went searching for her and found the woman’s walking stick on Sihai Phangrei.

Ukhrul/Hunphun
Lungharna tengkatuiya (Lunghar captured my mother)
Ava thitla phazat (I went to avenge mother)
Sihai Phangrei vashung (reached Sihai Phangrei)
Ava khamsui leisaya (There I saw mother’s walking stick)
Sysnopsis: This song is also about finding his mother’s walking stick on Sihai Phangrei.

Hunphun/Ukhrul:
Ava hongaireoreo
Ava thitli phavai
Sihai Phangrei vashunga
Sihai Phangrei vashung
Ava khamsui leisaya
Ava khamsui leisa
Kathi Lungharna rungkachuiya

Hunphun/Ukhrul
Ava hongaireoreo (I long so much to call mother)
Ava kathi Lungharna tingkatui (Mother was captured and killed by Lunghar)
Oh! Lungharna tingkatui (Oh! Someone from Lunghar killed her
Avathit phavai (I marched to avenge her dead)
Oh! Sihai Phangrei vashung (reached Sihai Phangrei)
Ava khamsui (My mom’s walking stick)
Oh! Ava khamsui leisai (Oh
Ava khamsui vashingkhui
Charana horamma
Synopsis: This song is also about finding his mother’s walking stick on Sihai Phangrei

Ten Ways to Increase Motivation to Make History

'If you can dream about it, you probably can do it' makes a lot of sense in forcing yourself to achieve anything in life. The rule book of success does not define that only people who know the theories and practical of subjects should succeed in life. It is not necessarily a college certificate that makes a person great but having the right amount of motivation and passion to do something plays a mightier role in pushing a person to achieve great things and to create history. Steve Jobs, a college dropout who founded and headed one of the richest Software companies, Apple is an excellent example of achieving unfathomed greatness all because he was driven by the correct motivation and the right level of passion. If you have motivation to achieve something, you are bound to achieve the goal overcoming the frustrations, hurdles, rejection and resistance you may face on your way to success. “Remembering that I'll be dead soon is the most important tool I've ever encountered to help me make the big choices in life.” This is what motivated Steve Jobs to do what he did based on his Stanford Commencement speech. Here are 10 ways to boost your motivation level.

1. Follow your Heart. A friend of mine who is a professional chef has this cliché “If you know how to cook but don’t want to cook, do not cook as the food would not taste good.” I conjure this cliché is applicable for executing any type of work. If you have the passion of doing something, that itself is the first and most important step towards executing the task to successful completion. You need to love what you are about to do. That is the first motivation you’ll ever need to have a smooth sail all the way.

2. Set Achievable Goals. Breaking down the main task into smaller tasks and setting achievable goals makes the main task appear less strenuous. If your goal is to plant fruit trees in one acre, the objective is best achieved if you plan out how much trees you should plant and how much ground you should cover per day.

3. Laugh at yourself when you fail. When you face failure, learn to laugh at yourself heartily without losing hope. There cannot be success without facing failure. By laughing at yourself in good faith, you make a mockery of the failure in order to achieve self realization.

4. Learn to praise yourself. Even if others fail to ascertain the greatness of what you aim to achieve, this should not be the reason for you to sulk and feel dismayed. In such situations, the best thing you can do to motivate yourself is to praise yourself. If necessary, shout out some of these phrases loud “I am good at this, I am strong, I can do this.”

5. Be optimistic. Most of us have the tendency of visualizing only the cons side of things even before starting a task. This is a real killer towards achieving the final goal. ‘Be optimistic’ is the code word for achieving your objective.

7. Let someone know of your commitment. If you have made a commitment to execute something, it is recommended that you should let someone know about it. This way you have an observer who will know the outcome of your venture. You’ll have someone who will laugh at you when you fail and celebrate with you when you succeed.

6. Follow routine and rituals. For successful execution of any work either small or big, following a routine and rituals is a good habit that aids in systematic execution of work. This adds discipline to what you are about to do and gives you the much required confidence.

7. Overcome your fears. Fear of failure should not be allowed to lurk in your mind. For this you need to be well organized in your thinking and action.

8. Reward yourself. Whenever a milestone is achieved, celebrate in style to boost your spirit. Let others also know of your achievement. 

9. Visualize obstacles and find solutions. It is a very healthy practice to visualize the pros and cons of everything that you do. For the cons, you need to be prepared with the most suitable solution. Well planned works are less likely to fail because of the preparedness in solving the problems. When possible problems are detected before hand, it is more bearable dealing with the unforeseen ones.

10. Always give your best shot. Most of us have the tendency of categorizing work using some unseen yardstick taking into account the level of importance and criticality of the task. While it is good to prioritize work, it is detrimental to define the level of concentration for executing tasks depending on their importance. Make it a habit to give your best shot in everything you do and you’ll never regret the outcome.

Freelancer Orientation Examination Answer Keys

Freelancer.com is one busy site where millions of people visit everyday to get work or to give away work. In simple words, it's a booming job market on the cloud. Works are allotted on the basis of bidding, expertise and knowledge of the bidders on the subject matter of the works offered. Freelancers are encouraged to take various online examinations hosted on the site to prove their worth. Freelancer Orientation Examination is the first and one of the free exams you'll need to sit through on your way to become successful on freelancer. 

There are 20 multiple choice questions that need to be completed in 10 minutes. The passing score for the examination is 75%. Users are allowed to take the examination three times a day if they flunked. If you have read the FAQs and Fees and Charges in freelancer, the examination shouldn't be too difficult to crack. However, if you think the sections are a bit bulky to scroll through, here are some questions and their corresponding answers that just might help you crack the nut.
 Q-How many bids/month are available for free members?
A-8

Q-How many bids are available for Intro members a month?
A-15

Q-Minimum fund withdrawal for freelancer account is  
A-$30

Q-Where can you see the list of your ongoing projects? 
A-In My Projects>In Progress

Q-What would prevent a freelancer from bidding on a project?
 A-Any of these


Q-I've noticed a project that violates Freelancer.com's policies. What should I do?
 A-Submit a ticket to the "Report Violations" department of Online Support.

Q-Where can a freelancer see if an employer has created a Milestone Payment for him/her? 
A-In Finances > Manage Invoices under income head

Q-What advantages does Standard membership offer a freelancer? 
A-All of these

Q-Can a Freelancer change his/her username? 
A-No

Q-How many service listings are available for a Premium member? 
A-50

Q-How much is the Fixed Price Project Fee for a Freelancer with a Free membership?
 A-10%

Q-Where can you check all your previous earnings?
 A-In Finances > Manage Invoices

Q-Freelancers who take an exam are more likely to be awarded by:
 A-370%

Q-What does Brilliant Badge given for? 
 A-Excellence

Q-What is the hourly project fee for a Plus membership? 
A-3%

Q-How can we use credits? 
A-Project upgrade, extra bids, faster bid replenishment rates.

Q-When does a freelancer pay a commission on a fixed-price project? 
A-When the project is awarded and accepted

Q-How many employer followings can a premium member have? 
A-Unlimited

Q-What is the maximum number of contest entries that a Freelancer can submit? 
A-Unlimited

Q-What items can be included in a Freelancer's Portfolio? 
A-Feature image and portfolio item (Image, Article, Code, Video, Audio or Others)

Q-How much does a level 1 exam cost?
 A-$5

Q-How many employers can a Plus member follow? 
A-10

Q-Where does one see the transaction history?
 A-In Finances > Manage Invoices

Q-How much does the English exam cost? 
A-$5

Q-What is the total number of Service Listings available to Standard members? 
A-25

Q-What is the charge to deposit money from your account to Freelancer.com?
 A-$5

Q-How many free exams does a basic freelancer get?
 A-One

Q-Is there any project fee difference for Free,Intro,Basic and Plus Membership?  
A-No

 
Q-Can Free members unlock rewards? 
A-No

Q-What is the fee a freelancer pay to Highlight Bid? 
A-$0.50

Q-Where can you view your Affiliate activity? 
A-In Finances > Affiliate Activity

Q-How much does it cost for a user to upgrade his membership plan to Intro Membership Plan? 
A-$1

Q-How much does it cost to bid a Priority project? 
A-$5

Thisham: Tangkhul Festival for the Dead

The Tangkhuls have great respect for the dead, which ostensibly is attributed to the strong belief that there is life after death. For this, there used to be a special festival ‘Thisham’ celebrated for twelve days in the month of January. The festival was typically an occasion to bid goodbye to departed souls of the previous year. Thisham was celebrated in strict adherence to rituals practiced from time immemorial. Folk dance and folk songs performed during the festival are said to be unique. If there had been dead in a rich family in the previous year, the family usually acts as the chief host during the festival.

Each of the twelve days had different activities dedicated to the memory of the departed souls. The main activities of the twelve days were.

DAY I: The villagers gather pine torches for their respective clans and families. The collected pine torches are meant for taking to the spot where the souls of the departed are believed to come and light their torches in the evening during the festival. Some of the villagers also go out to collect bamboo bark to weave ropes for the dead. Firewood is also collected in bulk on the first day.

DAY II: Relatives of those who passed away the previous year gather together to weave ropes meant to tie the sacrificial animals to be slaughtered during the festival.  Leaves for wrapping rice cake for the dead are also collected on the second day. Indigenous wine and beer are served in abundance to the workers.

DAY III: Animals selected for sacrifice are slaughtered ranging from biggest to the smallest.  The list usually included buffalo, mithun, cow, pig, dog, cat, fowl, etc. The nature of killing the sacrificial animals as recalled by some aged people used to be slow and painful. Rice cake for the dead is baked and wine is also brewed on the third day. At the end of the day, limbs of the slaughtered animals are distributed to the chosen representatives of the dead persons. The leftovers are shared with relatives and friends. Families where dead had occurred the previous year used to choose a person each to be the representative of the dead person during the festival. The selection was based on some resemblance between the dead person and the one to be the representative. The resemblance could be facial, nature, character, etc. The representatives were called ‘Thila Kapho’.

DAY IV: People from neighboring villages chosen as representatives arrive to the village on the fourth day. Traders also turn up with the wares and goods they intend to sell or exchange during the festival. 

DAY VI: Family members and relatives of individuals who have died invite the representatives to their homes and feed them as well as shower presents. This was considered as giving to the persons who have died.

DAY VII: If any of the representatives had not been invited home the previous day, they are invited and are being fed. When evening comes, family members of the dead person gather at an open space bringing with them plateful of cooked sticky rice. A whole piece either of the leg or rip of a pig is placed beside the wooden rice plate. The plate and meat of each family is then given away to the respective representatives hired by the family of the dead.

The representatives are then invited home for feasting. When the representatives are fed well and when darkness descends, people come out from their homes with lighted pine torches to parade the representatives to the village gate. On reaching the village gate, farewell words are exchanged. Words such as “It is time to part; we love you; do not come back; let this be the end for now; may you fare well, etc are told to the representatives. This is considered as saying to the dead. The lighted torches are then thrown away. The people then go home. If the representatives are from the same village, they had to go home via a path different from the others. However, if they are from neighboring villages, they either go back to their own village or camp for the night somewhere in the open field. They are forbidden to go back to the village.

When everyone is back home, pine torches were lit outside every house. This is to ensure that the souls of the living do not loiter away along with the dead. The head of the family takes a sifting basket and called out names of the living members in the family and beckon to come back home. Falling down or stumbling on this particular day was considered as a very bad omen. If anyone falls down, a fowl was taken to the exact spot where the person fell down. The fowl was sacrificed after making its wings flap as a sign of calling the soul of the person not to follow away with the dead.

Before retiring for the night, the villagers gather at their convenient places in the open to check whether the dead people had come and collected their torches. It is said that people could really see lines of lit torches moving away slowly. Every village used to have some spots in a high mountain where lit torches used to be seen. Shirui narao, Sihai Phangrei and a hillock in Longpi Kajui were the three places where Hunphun (Ukhrul) people used to watch the dead people moving away holding lit pine torches.

DAY VIII: People are not supposed to move out of the village on this day. This is because of the belief that the dead who have loitered away from the group could be lingering around. Since, whatever needed to be given away to the dead have been given away the previous day, it was believed that the dead could not come back to ask for more. The day is referred as kazei kuireo.

DAY IX: The day was called festival of the living. As everything has been given away meant for the dead, the day is dedicated to the living for merry making.

DAY X: The day was called ‘vaichum ngakhum.’ Vaichum is a basket where rice beer used to be stored in olden days. The word ‘ngakhum’ means the act of emptying. Thus, on this day the vaichum, rice beer pots, bamboo mugs used for sharing wine with the dead are thoroughly washed and made to dry in the sun.

DAY XI: This day used to be a special feasting day. Relatives and friends are invited home for sumptuous feasts.

DAY XII: The feasting continues for the second day. Those who have not been invited the previous day are invited home. This is the day people who have come from the neighbouring villages too return to their respective villages before the sun sets.

The festival was discontinued after the advent of Christianity in the Tangkhul Hills.