The Precision Engineering of Joy

Something about old cars makes you happy. Or me, at any rate. When I was a kid, the cars I was familiar with were Gypsies, Jeeps and Ambassador cars. I was a happy enough kid. I was well-fed, well-watered and well-seasoned. Little joke there. But yes, for all intents and purposes, I was a regular kid. I cried when I was unhappy but I also spent a lot of time being happy. 

A lot of those times were spent hanging upside down because I was showing off my acrobatic skills. We took turns hanging upside down, anchored by our knee-joints off the support structure of our iron swing set. Either that or we’d hang on to the bar with both hands, then turn full circle, feet over head, and touch back down to the ground. 

The officers’ kids all attended the same school. So they’d cart us off in an old faded blue Jeep. The Jeep was always jam packed. On days when the Jeep was empty enough, we took turns doing the same routines in the moving vehicle from the support bar of the soft-top Jeep. We were insane but then again, we were also children. 

When we travelled, and we did that quite a bit, it was in a shiny white Gypsy. Most of my memories of road travels in Gypsies have me hanging on to the passenger seat, standing up, sometimes for eight hours, because I wanted to be close to my mother who was in the passenger seat, holding Samuel and Feli had dibs on the cushion stuffed between the driver and passenger seats. What did we need of hand-brakes; dad was on the wheel, yes? I think Lee was usually in the backseat, chatting up a storm because that kid had never been introduced to the concept of motion sickness.

Regular town trips were made in a white Ambassador car with the quirkiest driver in the world. He convinced us to think of sludge and mud on the road as coffee froth, which was endlessly entertaining to us kids. When there was a puddle, he’d speed up and send dirty puddle water flying in every direction, kids cheering everywhere! As an adult, I can’t imagine those stunts being anywhere good for the car, but back then, it didn’t matter. We had fun. And no one got car sick.

Those were, in the lingo of the excellent Pixar animation movie Inside Out, “core memories” in the making, I realise. This is probably why the thought of three cars has been fixated in my head: Mahindra Thar, Maruti-Suzuki Jimny and Volkswagon Beetle. 

Realistically, the Beetle was never going to reach me. So I thought I’d save up for a Thar. And I was, honest to god. From some time around Covid, I believe, if memory serves. But I test drove it one time the first chance I got and I realized it was wider than I was comfortable driving. As much as I loved its look and design, I realized I would never really drive a Thar. It truly is bigger than it looks. Which is how I decided to continue saving for a Jimny. A Jimny is still bigger than it appears but it is slenderer than a Thar. I would have to be comfortable with it if I was to ever own a car because as lovely as driving small cars are, I just like the looks and feel of the Jimny.

What do you want a 4x4 for? I get asked constantly. This is very valid. I truly don’t need it. I most probably will never take it anywhere that I would need a four-wheel drive for. But if I were to ever own anything purely for the aesthetics, this was it. Mostly I buy things for their functionality. But the most expensive thing I have ever owned turned out to be purely for the aesthetics. Life is funny that way.

I talked about it endlessly with my family. In 2024, I said: I’m getting promoted soon; if I get posted somewhere I don’t get a government allotted vehicle, I am buying a Jimny. That particular stipulation didn’t get fulfilled till January 2026. My sister Feli and my by-now good friend TZa helped me book one. A white Jimny was in stock and I didn’t even need to wait! Talk about meant to be.

I wrote the cheque for and drove home my Jimny on the 6th February, 2026. It was a Friday. It drives smooth. I am not a particularly smooth driver or it would drive even smoother. The engine hums and thrums with a quiet confidence. It is elevated so high I have to climb up a bit to get in. It looks smart and poised wherever it rests, dignified and graceful. Best I can say about it is – this is a car engineered for joy.

All of these have been a journey laced with the precision engineering of joy.

The Showgirl and the Gospel

You know how Dolly Parton looks. She jokes about it in good humour in the self-deprecating yet confident twang that is so her. She looks every inch the showgirl, with her OTT blonde wigs, her OTT plastic surgery, her OTT slender figure, her little flirty quips… quintessential showgirl!

She also recorded one of my favourite versions of my favourite hymns – Church In The Wildwoods. Nothing about her flirting or her tongue-in-cheek, off-colour jokes or her showgirl outfits and makeup have ever stopped her from singing gospel. You could say, she gives to Caeser what is Caeser’s. Yes?

Elvis Presley, too. Or Carrie Underwood. A lot of Hollywood artists never let their fame, fortune and Hollywood stop them from singing their gospel songs and hymns. Their roots, you could say.

What do we know of their “souls” or their tickets to heaven? What do we know of our own “souls” and our guaranteed (or not) entry into heaven? What do we know of anything for certain of The Beyond? All of Belief rests in that very word – faith. 

I mention all of these because I find it troubling when in Mizoram, people seem to divide music into two sections: gospel and love songs. Not all songs can be categorized in those two sections! Besides, those aren't even true genres. It frustrates the core of my being when people give their testimonies and say: I can’t sing love songs anymore because I am born-again. (I want to swear here but it seems inappropriate to do so just here.) 

Whatever I mentioned about Dolly Parton or Elvis Presley or Carrie Underwood is this: no matter how worldly they appear or how they earn their livelihood, they don't abandon their God or their church or their Belief. What do I know of souls? Or play-acting Believer or not? That is immaterial. What is factual is they get all decked up in Hollywood fineries AND they will also attend church and sing gospel.

I find this worth mentioning because we seem to say the exact opposite in Mizoram of singers. Look how worldly they are and yet they dare to sing gospel songs! we say (and spit on the ground, perhaps.)

What is dare? It is not because people are so spiritual that they sing gospel. Perhaps a section of gospel singers are truly spiritual. But there's a vast majority that sings gospel - especially in church - because of the music and how it moves them beyond the lyrics. Sometimes the tune simply just hits right.

Besides which, I believe God gives us different talents. If your talent is bureaucracy, bury your nose in the red tape and help government push along. If your talent is teaching, help the younger generation learn. If your talent is numbers, perhaps start a business or trade. If your talent is singing, sing. FFS.

Nobody ever accuses government servants or entrepreneurs or doctors or engineers or footballers as shameless for daring to sing or preach the gospel despite how they earn their livelihood. Or how they dress in their places of work. Why measure singers differently?

The world always needs art. Keep them coming. The world is bleak. Some days art is all that helps us survive.

Tunge Pawimawh Zawk?

Kumin hi Sunday School ah, “Ka awm nghet ngai chuang lo, hming ka ziak lo mai ang,” ka ti ve ngawt a, nimin chu ka va in ziak leh hna hna a. Zirlaibu pawh ka nei lo reng bawk a. Vawiin zirlai pawh sawiho tur kha ka chhiar lawk ve lo a, Hruaitu in a chhiar chhuah chiah khan mitko ka lo san deuh awk.

A va ril ve, ka ti a. Political Sociology ah ka rilru a lut nghal a. Thesis tham lawih mahni rilrua lo luh dan anga han sawiho mai chu a uiawm lek lek anih hi, ka ti a. Ka va hrilh ruk sar sar ka laizawn te lah chuan an ngaihven lo dun nasa. An bu liam mai mai.

Ka ngaihtuah zui leh mai mai a. Tlai lampang ah chuan “Sorkar tha nei turin sorkar hruaitute nge pawimawh mipuite?” tih chu zawhna dik vak a niin ka hre ta chiah lo. Pawimawh zawk awm thei ngaiin ka hre ta lo a. Sociologist ho hi chu kan vague ṭhin a, kan thu hi a fin aiin a frustrating zawk mah mah ṭhin. Tunah pawh Sociologist ṭawngkam takin ka thutlukna chu: Mawhphurhna hran kan nei a, pawimawhna chin a in ang lo, tih a ni leh ta tlat pek. AVBT.

Bureaucracy lam kan ni bawk a, heti zawng lo chuan thil thlir a har a, ka thlirna pawh a zau em em tawk lo ṭhin. Bureaucracy – Mizoram ah chuan sorkar hnathawk kan ti awlsam mai a – ah chuan red tapism hi kan mutan a ni a. Hna thawh ṭhata thawh tam aiin ziakin a fel em, tih hi a pawimawh em em mai ṭhin a. Kan hun tam zawk pawh hetah tak hian kan hmang ral a. Mi thluak ṭha em em, red tape a tang, an full potential ang taka thawk chhuak thei lo an awm leh ṭhin. Mipuiin kan entawn te hi US ram te, capitalist economy dang te lo ni leh si ṭhin bawk sia, anni nen India sorkar hnathawk te min khaikhin pop hi chu a fuh ber lo ve ṭhin. Kan Pathian leh Kaisara te an dang ve tlat. Amaherawhchu, kan mutan chu red tapism ka ti nangin kan dawhkan luah lai kan inthlak fo a, kan hnathawh kum te kan lo hmang zo a, kan dawta mi te tan kan awm kher lo pawha sorkar kalphung a chawlh chuang lohna tur chuan ziah fel erawh chu a lo ṭul viau zel bawk si a. AVBTQ.

Democracy ram, inthlang ram kan ni a, sorkar hruaitute lu ber chu Sorkarna Chelhtu Thlan Lal te an lo ni a. Anni nen hian in hnimhnai takin hna kan thawk a, sorkarna an chelh a, an sorkar her dan azirin a hnathawk te kan kal a, an programme leh scheme te hlawhtlin theih dan tur bureaucrats ten kan ngaihtuah pui a. Sorkar hi Motor ni ta se, a hnathawk te chu engine, a driver chu Thlan Lal te an ni ang chu. Thlan Lalte zawk hi kan Zirlaibu in a sawi hi a ni em aw, ka ti a. 

Chutiang a nih chuan mipuite aṭang tho a Aiawh thlan te an nih thin vangin sawi hran vak theih a nih ka ring lo a. Party hrang hrang ten an mi leh sa te an thehchhuak nachungin anni pawhin mipuite hneh thei tur, an vote an pek theih tur mi an thlang ve a. Chung mi te, keimahni zinga mi tho, kan aiawha rorel turin kan thlang ṭhin a. Midang an ni lo a, mipuite darthlalang lian ber chu kan Ram Hruaitu te hi an ni reng a ni. 

Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy ah fiamthu in political leaders te hi class hran anga an awm tawh hial na society ah chuan leader te hi Daidep an ni a, mipuite chu Mihring an ni a. Mihring te chuan Daidepte chu an haw em em a, mahse an chunga rorel turin Daidep te an thlang ṭhin e, a ti a. Chuti te chu engatinge Mihring te chuan Daidep chu an thlan kher a, tih zawhna chu, “An thlan mai loh chuan Daidep ṭha lo ten ro an rel ang asin,” tiin a chhang leh mai bawk a. Cynical takin a nuihzatthlak ka ti ṭhin a. Ngaihtuahna pawh a ti kal thui ve duh fu. 

Sorkar hi tunge? tih hi zawhna hmasa ni ta se, a chhanna pawh ngaihtuah a awlsam zawk ang em aw, ka ti a. Sorkar ṭha nei tur chuan keini society leh political system angah chuan lungthu pathum a dik a ngai: (alphabetical order in) mipui, sorkar hnathawk, sorkar hruaitute. Kan in khalh ngil tawn a, hnathawk theia kan in siam tawn a, hna kan thawh ho a ngai a ni.

Corruption kan ti a, kan do fo a. Midang tih atan kan phal lo a, keimahni tih atan chuan kan duh, an ti fiamthu ṭhin a. A dik em aw? Pawisa chungchang ah ni ta se, “sorkar pawisa” kan tih hi public money/mipuite sum tihin kan hriat chian hun chuan kan thik thu pawh a chhiat zual ka ring a. A hmanna leh hmangtu dik takin an hmang em, tih pawh kan chik zual a, kan zir peih ka ring. Hna chungchangah te ni ta se, sorkar laka kan dawn tur leh sorkarin min tihsak ngei ngei tur te hi kan zir chian a, kan hriatchian chuan tun ai hian hnathawk turin kan in tur nat ka ring. Lungthu pathum te hi sawi hran theih loh an ni. An pawimawhna ki a in ang tlat lo a, tu ber nge pawimawh ber tih zawhna hi zawhna kim a ni theiin ka hre lo a ni.

Sunday School zirlai ngaihtuah zelna atan chuan a Bible thu-hla ta chiam lo mai thei. Sociologist ho chu kan heti leh tlat ṭhin. AVBTQ+.