May Victory Be Yours

since i saw slumdog millionaire over winter break, i haven't been able to stop listening to the soundtrack. the techno beats of the songs, "liquid dance," "millionaire," and "aaj raat" help me keep a swift pace when i'm running, and the heartfelt melodies of "latika's theme" and "dreams of fire" make the scratches from my roommate's cat less painful. in fact, when my family and i had returned home after the late night showing at our theater, i bought the album on itunes before i even took my coat off.

that being said, i was thrilled when a.r. rahman won an oscar for "best song" on sunday. "jai ho," like the other songs on the soundtrack, is endlessly enticing. however, i didn't know exactly what "jai ho" meant. whenever i would say "jai ho" in my head, i would think of the phrase "gung ho," so i secretly believed it had something to do with enthusiasm or dedication. 

i wasn't even close.

for those of you who wanted to know, i learned today that "jai ho" means  "may victory be yours." much too cheesy for a lower back tattoo, but definitely perfect for a movie.