Growing up in Southern California, and I’m sure Chick Pea will concur, one often grows up with an unnatural obsession with certain Disneyland rides. For me, it was always the Pirates of the Caribbean which has subsequently fostered an unnatural obsession with all things skull and crossbones. This is why it should come as no surprise that, me mateys, tis is International Talk Like Pirate Day!
At first an inside joke between two friends, the holiday gained exposure when Baur and Summers sent a letter about their invented holiday to the American syndicated humor columnist Dave Barry in 2002. Barry liked the idea and promoted the day. There have been reports that this holiday was being celebrated in the New Zealand town of Wainuiomata at least as early as 2000, after local media reported the existence of Talk Like A Pirate Day. [wiki]
Ahoy, me hearty! Today, feel liberated to say, “Avast!” and “Arrr!” and “That’s the finest pirate booty I’ve ever laid eyes on.” Go on, wear your eye patch and drink some grog at the local (desi-owned) pirate bar. Rent the Depp-makes-pirates-sexy movie of the moment, Pirates of the Caribbean, and sing along with a “Yo, ho!”
All this pirate talk made me wonder, arrrrre there South Asian pirates? Arre, matey, there arrrre…
The Mogul’s trade fleets went into the Red Sea and Persian Gulf with fabrics, ivory, and spices; attack of Mogul ship they returned with the abundant gold and silver of exchange…Topping the list were the abundant prizes of the various East Indian Company ventures, which carried off luxurious silks, ivory, jewels, and proceeds from import.With deterioration of effective naval patrol or protection, the pickings were ripe from Cochin and Calcutta in the South, through the Portuguese trade port of Goa, to Bombay and Surat farther north. Bombay became the focal point of a most successful family-run pirate enterprise as the Angria clan gained control of the surrounding area. They established their main fortress of Vijayadurg (Severndroog) as one of several island bases south of Bombay. [link]
The most infamous pirate of the Indian Ocean was Kanhoji Angre, died in 1792.
Kanhoji initially started by attacking merchant ships of the British East India Company and slowly gained notoriety and power. When Maratha Chattrapati Shahu ascended the leadership of the Maratha kingdom, he appointed Balaji Viswanath Bhatt as his Senakarta (‘Commander’), and negotiated an agreement with Angre around 1707. This was partly to appease Angre who supported the other ruler who claimed the Maratha throne, Tarabai…Kanhoji Angre stands alone in the Indian list of early freedom fighters as the one person who stood undefeated and inflicted many casualties on colonial powers. [wiki]
Arrrrr. Now that’s what I call a real mutiny. A true Sepia Mutineer to the corrrre. For more desi pirate stories, thar be 20th – century John Boysie Singh, and Gurkha repelling pirates last year. But with all this talk of accents, I wonder what a desi-accented pirate talk sounds like. Arrrr-ay?
AJK: genius! I love it.
Look, t-shirts!
ok, I think that list can be added to…
“Wanna shiver me timber ?”
In the spirit of 55Fridays, here is the shortest possible pickup line that I can think of :
I should also bring to your attention that today is also a day of religious significance for us Pastafarians. I would like to draw your attention to the celebrations of “Talk like a pirate day” at the site of the most holy Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster.
Those familiar with our church can skip this paragraph. We are glad that the Word has reached you. But for the others, a brief introduction. Our church has been established with an aim to propagate the Word. To quote from The Letter, “there are multiple theories of Intelligent Design”, and we have been concerned for a while that only one theory of intelligent design is going to be taught in schools. Ans it says in The Letter, “[w]e have evidence that a Flying Spaghetti Monster created the universe.” Further, we have established, using detailed statistical analysis, that people dressing up as pirates will help bring down global temperatures.
Sitting here in Austin, I notice that the temperature low today (60 degrees) is far below the lows for the next ten days. We believe that this is because of the response to our call for pirate dressing today. Such a phenomenon is not unique to Austin as can be clearlt seen from the comment left by many believers. Thanks to Sepia Mutiny for doing their part to combat Global Warming.
chaaarrrd!
And the flag of the Desi Pirates:
Jolly Singh!!!
Mumbai’s Elephanta Island was a pirate haven once upon a time.
Desu Music Lover,
My dear fellow, it’s actually “The Jolly Ranjit” 😉
Taz,
It’s Colonial Jai, my Bipashaesque friend, Colonial. During my tenure with the East India Company I did actually manage to reach a higher rank than Colonel in-between all my boozing and wenching and schmoozing with various members of your aristocracy.
I believe your inadvertant demotion of me necessitates another drink. And with regards to this:
I think the Amitabh Bachchan-Kimi Katkar song “Jumma Chumma” from the film Hum can serve as a suitable example for how we can picturise this in Mr Preston’s proposed film.
Desi Music Lover,
I am afraid I accidentally misspelt your name in my previous post. How perfectly uncivilised of me. Please have a glass of whisky or three.
I was thinking of something like “Zindagi Maut Na Ban Jaye” from Sarfarosh, where the smugglers are loading Kalashnikovs into sacks of grain,
Preston,
Great song — I remember it well — although I think we need something more overtly rowdy and piratical. Hence my suggestion from “Hum” (if you’ve seen that movie you’ll know what I mean).
It depends on whether you want something inspiring (like the brilliant song from Sarfarosh) or just something generally badmaash and pirate-like.
Gitanjali:
hahahahahaha!
ok, one better! I can’t believe I didn’t think of this one yesterday?
Q: What’s Angre the Pirate’s favorite desi dish?
rrrrrrashmali?
Taz, you just like rolling your r’s. I’m cracking up, just trying to say it. 😀
I was gonna go with “SAAAAAAAAAAAARRGH!”
I need to make my way up to a Bay area meetup so we can just crack desi pirate jokes all day. And yell out “Arrrrrrr!!!” I WILL make it to the pirate shop in the Mission this time around…
Better make it fast, before I move back to DC, Taz 🙂 If it’s in the next month, I promise to be there!
I think that the next time you all have a meet-up, you should all wear pirate-style eye-patches so that you can identify each other.
Did anyone see the desi pirate in the Pirates of the Carribean 2?