Nooj

Between my shadow and my soul

Desperately seeking ad


There's a song that keeps playing in my head everytime I have a "yay-for-nooj" moment and I can't find it. Please let me know if you have it. I heard it once on Tuks FM but the only lyrics I can remember are:

"Astronauts miss gravity
Like I miss you

Human beings should never be
This close to the moon"

Rewards negotiable:)

Ok to the crore. My freaky name. Practically from the time I was born it gave me hell.


1990 French Ballet teacher: "Lorrey Jeanne, flex then point!"

1991 School kids in Australia: "Noo-what?!"

My honours class called me "Nora"

At work I'm called Nor Jeanne

Potayto or Potaaato

Or not.


My parents probably didn't think to travel a decade to when Google was invented to check up on the origins of Noorjehaan. Google says she was a famous Bollywood singer and before that, she was a Mughal Empress who married a drunkard and so became famous by running his empire (justification for my reluctance to be a "good Indian wife" straight after puberty:P?). I never met the woman they named me after. But I love her sons, they are the closest I have come to having brothers. Her life was sponged with demisting, but all the stories I love have some element of tragedy. I think I must spend more time understanding my parent's love for her. Hey if Nikhil Gogol could find some meaning in his name, nooj sure as hell will. I've already made one google entry I'm proud of:)






11 shared ideas:

My dartboard June 24, 2008 at 8:53 PM  

i used to hate mine. reminded of a fat scotsman. and i'm not scottish. but one day someone made a thing about it not being muslim enough and that i should change in my id book. if anything, i dont like being told must. so i now proudly wear it. it is who i am, part of my identity. now i'm growing a beard and wearing a kilt to work.

Prixie June 25, 2008 at 9:45 AM  

at least your name is not common...every second person has my name, or a variatio thereof.

Waseem June 25, 2008 at 9:47 AM  

What I hate most about my name is when I tell people my name and they like 'ooh like Wasim Akram'. If it happened couple times it would be ok but it happens way too often. I think it probably cool down now since he has stopped playing. I am indifferent to my name though.

I think your name is ok, maybe a bit too many vowels but ok, I prefer the shortened form.

Crimson Shimmer June 25, 2008 at 8:11 PM  

Shukran for your kind words Noor-jehaan :)
One who writes with such intrigue should not even be speaking.
I can hardly afford reading more than three lines with most posts...
yours i do with pleasure.

Nooj June 26, 2008 at 2:33 AM  

hamish- i love the shock value of ur name. leaves people speechless as they try to fit you into mishapen stereotypes. what is the origin of ur name tho?

prixie- i guess you get called the chocoholic prixie then? yeah a common name is harder to get space on google with lol

was- damn indian cricket stereotypes. well the bollywood story isn't all that unconventional either. indifferent? greatness can't be indifferent:P

crimson- aww classic chivalry:)

bb_aisha June 26, 2008 at 10:12 AM  

it's a lovely name. i had a teacher with ur name-everybody called her noorie. i like nooj.

my sister fatima & i felt we were given the less-exciting names compared to my other 2 sisters rizwana & mo'azza.

SingleGuy June 26, 2008 at 9:50 PM  

Nooj, I been meaning to say this to you ever since I read the header of your blog.

I Remember Her. I was little then, but I remember her. My parent's still speak of her fondly. She must have been a remarkable woman to have had such an impact on so many people, to have an impact on my still young mind.

You are upholding her memory with such aplomb just by you being you, one could not ask for a better person to have carried her name.

Nooj June 27, 2008 at 5:10 PM  

thanks bb. lol yeah i have three sisters too and the first 2 got the interesting names then as my parents got older they went more classic. oh, well you wear your bb well:)

thanks SG i don't think i'm ready to accept your compliment but i appreciate it. i hope the feeling of having too many questions unanswered decreases with time

Unknown August 22, 2009 at 8:37 AM  

Did you ever find the song?
I'm looking for it too

Duncan June 8, 2010 at 3:31 PM  

Hi, I'm actually searching for the same song. If it helps any the name of the tune is "Astronauts" by a band called Riverside.

Annali Nicolaou September 18, 2014 at 9:00 AM  

Has anyone found this song, please could you email it to me? annali.vanzyl@gmail.com

Thank you!