OUTSaucered

Yesterday I was watching The Simpsons and the episode was about outsourcing. It was hilarious, and I found it funnier because they showed Indians spaking in Hindi and Homer and family dancing to the tune of an old Bollywood number. Ofcourse it was irritating when they still showed Indian roads full of elephants and lined with palaces on both sides, but I felt proud nevertheless. Although it was a apoof it definitely asserted that we're making a mark and how.

The best part was when Homer's giving this speech out of nowhere and two people are wondering what he's talking about. Then the girl from MIT says that they should clap so that he stops his humdrum soon. And they were shown talking in Hindi.

But yes, there are still a lot of assumptions people make when they look at an Indian. Hopefully, we break out of the moulds set for us by the outside world soon. Coz we're more than snake charmers and elephant rides.

Switch to DemocraTV

Hugo Chavez, our very own self-proclaimed socialist, who is determined to start a revolution of sorts, is well, full of surprises, to say the least. Now airing an 8-hour long talk show where he went on and an about everything under the sun has showed the world the idea of a true leader of today. The idiot-box bitten Venezuelan masses couldn't have asked for more. They can actually watch their government in front of their eyes. Chavez will reportedly even fire/hire officials on the show. This is reality TV at its very best.

So will Chavez also be affected by the TRPs?? Will he have to create drama on his show just to keep his people glued to the TV and his popularity soaring?? Well, he did break into a song on Sunday. And yes, he was quite funny at times. But is that enough to stop the people from not switching to another channel where a weepy soap is on? I guess the pressure will get to him sooner or later. He might have to fire a loyal employee who is reportedly being 'unprofessional' with his young secretary, or he will have to resort to some obscenity now and then.

But it all boils down to how efficient this experiment can prove to be. If all goes well, this could prove to be an ideal model of a responsive, interactive, accessible government.

So here comes the million dollar question. Can we do he same here? It could be radical and purists wouldn't agree. But if you see the slums, they won't have a light bulb, but definitely a TV with a dish antenna attached. So why not? Our very own democratic soap. Think about it Sonia. You could be the next Tulsi.

Drawing Lines..

I remember the Social Science text books that used to teach secularism and universal tolerance. It was imbibed in us that discrimination on any grounds is downright evil. The civil books used to boast of fundamental rights and duties and the glorious, dreamy Preamble to the Constitution that we would eagerly cram and rant out on the slightest cue.

However, as I grew older, I gradually faced the reality. That discrimination is ubiquitous. The books seemed to be mocking at me now. I felt fooled. Fooled by the principles I was raring to strive by all my life. I learnt that being the daughter of two doctors does help in more ways than one. That having membership for the zaniest clubs adds on to one's value in the market. That "Contacts" help.

I also realised that "The caste system is abolished" is the biggest lie ever published, coz it's most definitely not. If the youth were more tolerant and nonchalant of this idea earlier, it has now been hammered into their heads really well. A general category student feels wronged and cheated when a less deserving candidate gets a seat which was rightfully his, and hence, knowingly/unknowingly he develops a lurking hatred for the next person he meets who basks in reservations.

I was shocked at first when I realised that even my parents make remarks about communities. But going out in the world, I realised that they're the most secular and tolerant people I know. And also, that meeting all kinds of new people who come from various backgrounds, it is very true that a particular trait is striking in the people coming from one region, or belonging to one culture.

Another aspect that pricks one's mind and makes one realise that she is different fromt he other is when she sees excessive chivalry amongst people of a particular sect and feels alienated.

As a young girl I never imagined that I would, out of all the people, turn out to be a prejudiced individual. But I am. Now, religion, language, caste.. does matter to me. Yes, not in a hateful way, ofcourse. But I realise that all these factors do play a very significant role in one's thoughts, temperament, attitude and horizons.

The other day a friend sent me a link to a few translated pieces of the Qoran that were very hateful. A senior of mine reads up all that he can find about every religion and writes about how inhuman and barbaric they actuall are while they claim to be burdened with the other races to be uplifted, etc. But I know that all that will not affect me. I am not here to hate. i am here to love, forgive and forget.

It's not like I am a discriminating person. I am not. I am a very tolerant individual who respects every other. But this feeling is inevitable. I really cannot trust a Muslim with my life, because who knows, he might just be peering into his computer attending secret meetings and gearing up to be the next suicide bomber. What is ironical is that my best friend is Bohra. And I love her a lot. True. Also, I have many many Muslim friends who have never been Muslim friends to me, just great friends. And I am a good friend to them too. So it's really not about the entire community. I have no hatred in my heart, but apprehension truly exists.

I cannot possibly have a problem with any particular religion for the simple reason that I am not completely aware of their teachings. I am a believer. But I feel that if statistics show that a particular religion is triggering inhuman, barbaric activities and thoughts, atleast there's room for improvement. Any religion can only flourish with evolution. The teachings of 200 years ago cannot work now. And even if one tries to ignore what is not to be ingested, it might just seep in without one realising it.

Picnic Hill

The picnic's finally over and done with, and boy! what a picnic it was. Not a very phenomenal championship, but some of the matches were really thrilling. Can't say I followed all of them but didn't miss the good ones. And the men's final was the real ACT IV. Have always been biased for Roger and just couldn't miss this one. Nadal proved to be a worthy finalist and there were so many times when I stared in disbelief at the TV wondering whether Fedex wouldn't be able to break Bjorn Borg's record. But it had to happen. And it was so good.

But the golden rule still remains. The coolest head gets the game. Be it Roddick vs Gasquet or the second set of today's match, the moment the player had his nerves on end, he started committing unforced errors, double faults, et al. So it is the calm, composed player who rises above the rest. And we've seen that happen for the last five years. The humble, quiet, collected Federer, comes, does his thing, smiles and smiles some more and goes back home with the booty. That's the way one is a true winner, be it anywhere.

Not too good after all..

So that waking up at seven life didn't really work out that well after all, but i'm slowly getting there. There are so many factors involved, aren't there? A late night party, or a very cold and damp morning, or a large pizza the previous night...

Hoping that I shun all of this and really pursue the "Good Life" bang on.

Good gal Bad gal

After ages I guess, I got up at seven. Feels good. I just hope I follow this regime now. What elders say is not always hogwash. In fact whatever they say always makes sense at the end of the day. Things like going to bed early so that you study well in the morning works out so well for me. But sticking to it is the challenge. I just hope I can live up to these words.

Since I have the year's plan chalked out ahead of me, there's enough motivation at hand. But deviation is my midle name and I desperately want to change that.

I have to make a conscious effort now to work towards a good life. Sulking with a makeshift arrangement only leads to dissatisfaction and anger with oneself. And little things like working out, getting up early, not wasting time in front of the TV, reading something you wouldn't have laid your hands on otherwise, makes one feel good. I guess I am under a congenital pressure to be good, to seek appreciation from myself and from people around me. And if this isn't motivation enough, what is?

It's raining junk food..

What is it about rain and a strong urge to have good food? I am speaking for myself when I say that as soon as it drizzles, leave alone rain cats and dogs, I instantly start thinking of hot steaming coffee, fried stuff with cheese and a lot more. But I still wonder about what the link is between drops of water, scent of the soil, leaves dancing with joy and our salivary glands. As soon as it starts drizzling and the drying clothes are brought inside before further damage, the pleasing thought of French fries comes to my mind. Then as it pours further, one begins to think as to how it would be like to have those succulent, salted fries with some melted cheese. And as the wind blows harder providing a surround sound effect, one ventures into the tangy hint of ketchup to the oh-so-tempting notion. And before you know it, it stops raining. But you still go ahead and have all that. Thank God for rain. But God help me if I’m not at home and I’m struggling in the muck just to get there.

YouChoob

I had been avoiding the YouTube bug for quite sometime now. But no antibiotics, immunity boosters or tonics helped. First it was the "I don't have time." excuse. Then it turned to "How jobless is that!!" And one fine day, curiosity took over. As I hesitantly ventured into the channels, I tried to spot any familiar name. I ran into HappySlip and voila!! there I was, going through every video one by one, laughing out loud and wanting more. I instantly identified with her vibrance, her silly sense of humour and ofcourse, her goofiness, which I thought I had the patent for, but it turns out otherwise. There was this one video where she says that Nalts is awesome. So began my search for Nalts. First I searched for Nultz, getting boggled by Christine's PeepHole accent. But clearing more bushes away I finally land upon the FUNNYMAN's world. I simply adore the kids. Nalts led me to Pipistrello and others.

So when do I start?? Pas moi!! Vlogging's not for me. Too shy, too scared and too intimidated. Public opinion is on my list. So don't have the guts. And I realise that even if I keep all this aside, making a 1-minute video takes up a lot of effort.

Now Christine obviously writes the dialogue, does the Mom's part, the Dad's part, the Aunty's part and everything separately and then mixes and edits with music and effects. I love how much effort sh puts in each video. The hair, the makeup, the music.. She rocks!!

I haven't really seen the other YouChoob phenomena. But guess I'l bump into them soon enough and rave about them too.

YouTube was Time magazine's invention of the year 2006. And very rightly so. It is the ultimate platform of expression and it can't get any better than this. Everybody who's anybody can be here, be known, be heard and be seen. Information is no longer a luxury. It is right there. This is true democracy.

I just hope I catch on to it soon enough before I am labelled YouTubesolete.

breaking in...

so it had to happen some day.. they edited my article for the very first time. But they didn't have to be so brutal. They could've been gentler. But it doesn't matter now. Of course this one was nothing to talk home about anyway. Guess I'm better off writing what I feel strongly about. But sometimes I feel so strongly about something that I'm never satisfied with the words that flow and end up not writing anything at all. That ain't any good either.

No more of petty opinions from me anymore. I'l turn columnist :) :) that's right.. let's see how that goes..

tchao

article for indore plus.. Sania Mirza.. can't they come up with anything else???

Tennis is famous for major upsets every single time. It is ubiquitous that an unseeded, unknown player would storm his/her way through an international tournament and leave everyone gaping. And it is equally common that every champion struggles to keep his title for long and has to give in to young blood equally fast. What happened to Maria Sharapova against Ana Ivanovic at the French Open recently is proof enough.In this game of underdogs, it is very important to be at the right place at the right time. Everyone cannot be FEDEX. Some players, although very talented never really make it just because they aren’t lucky enough. Has luck not favoured Sania Mirza? One can’t really say. There has been no dearth of resources. Yes, she does not have an athletic body that is essential for a tennis player. Experts say that’s a major drawback. But over the years she has proved to be a sturdy player. Her rapid rise through the World rankings awed India since never had a girl achieved this feat. I remember reading an interview where Mahesh Bhupathi was with a 16 year old Sania. He said, "Watch out for her. She is going to be in the World top 50 soon." And it turned out to be so true. But alas, she could never manage to go any further. Some have already written her off, saying that her prime is past. But leaving all this aside, is Sania really ignoring her game because of her endorsements? I don't think so. She has been one of the most consistent players the game has seen and her dedication is more than obvious. Had she really been interested in cashing in on her brand value, she would've probably ended making more money than Anna Kournikova. Who knows, she would've easily starred in a movie too!!What is wrong in endorsements anyway? As Sania was rising in rank with every match she played, it was the media that created so much hype around her. It is not her fault that India is expecting so much from her and any criticism her way in is totally unacceptable.All we can hope for is that this underdog one day causes many upsets and creates history

Watched CHEENI KUM the other day with family. I had a splendid time. We totally identified with the sense of humour in the film. Very much like what you might see in my house. Snapping at each other, calling each other innovative names.. quite on the lines of Ghaas Poos and Tangdi Kebab. Ofcourse I don't have a Colgate in my family. "HyderAyBAydi ZYayfrAyni PulAyv" has been immortalized.

The movie is just right. Just like the title. The undercurrent is positive, energizing, fresh, unexpected. With every single dialogue of each character you wonder where the movie's gonna take you. And every actor has truly lived the part. From the little girl, to the veterans, everyone is perfect. that's the word..

The classic sense of humour of every character is remarkable. Love the way Zohra Sehgal and Big B keep snapping at each other. Love the way Paresh Rawal advises Tabu not to turn vegetarian, ever. I could almost see people I know say those very same things.

At the same time, there's so much to learn from that li'l girl.. Loved the Sad Sad Happy Sad part. Next time I'm sad, I hope I remember this and have an icecream. And yeah, the most important lesson "CARPE DIEM, Baby!!" Live the moment.. Sieze the day.. Had a few glimpses of Robin William's Dead Poet's Society there...

So people, "COUNT YOUR BLESSINGS" and enjoy the movie. Kudos to the makers!!

Really looking forward to hum dono in colour. love the songs.. my favourite.. abhi na jao.... soft, mellow, flirtatious, at the same time, innocent. the longing in every word flows out in more ways than one. ke dil abhi bhara nahi.. you have to be in love to know what it's like..

the music.. the lyrics.. yahi kahoge tum sada ke dil abhi nahi bhara.. it's out of this world..

quite obvious how much i love this song..

next in line is ofcourse.. main fikr ko dhooen min udaata chala gaya.. n my fav line has to be..

Barbadiyon Ka Shok Manana Fizul Tha..

Barbadiyon Ka Jashan Manata Chala Gaya...

i live by this philosophy, atleast try to..

WHY ME!!!

so this kid in the neighbourhood.. must be a yr old i guess... cant really determine their age.. can walk, cant talk.. so ur estimate wud be the best guess.. would love to hang out with my grandma.. MY grandma.. but very selective about who he wud smile at. also, whenever i would come in front of him he would skew his face and wince and frown and knit his eyebrows all at once. he would give me the "WHY ME??!!" look, as if trying to ask, "What have I done to deserve this??" and if i stick around in my own porch for a minute longer, he would want to go back and wail for his mom. so whenver His Highness is playing with leaves and flowers plucked from MY garden in MY porch with MY grandma, the area is off limits for me.

and then one fine day, he didn't frown. Then the other, the eyebrows remained in place. And the other, no more wincing. He had begun to atleast tolerate me within a five-metre radius. Not bad, said I. Gradually, i started getting my share of rare and highly-coveted-for smiles and I-Spies. He even readily hopped on my bike for a ride, ofcourse, free of cost.

So then things started getting chirpier, I must say. But this wasn't for long. His family was moving to Pune or some place. And that was it. But the moral of the story is that initially one might detest me. But I guess I grow on people. that reminds of a PGWeology : If he grows on me, Il have him amputated.. but I guess I'm not that bad..

my article on the generation gap - for Indore Plus

The “generation gap” is such a hackneyed phrase and so much has been talked and written about it, that sometimes it loses significance and its meaning in entirety is seldom understood. This phenomenon is not only universal, but also is eternal in the truest sense. It has probably been prevalent since time immemorial. Who knows, Adam must’ve looked at Cain and Abel in disbelief, turned to Eve, shrugged and said, “Generation Gap”.

The difference between the attitude, ideology, actions, decisions and way of thinking of two consecutive generations is summed up in these two words. But the question that everyone seems to raise is why does this difference arise? One theory could be that it is one of the consequences of evolution. Surprised? Well, don’t be. Human evolution has transcended mere physical characteristics and living habits into the mind too. Every coming generation is inherently smarter. Soaring IQ levels of 155-160 of Class 5 children today are proof enough. This is the result of the all-so-important requirement to be more and more intelligent to in turn, be more successful. So what has intelligence got to do with conflict in notion with the older generation? A lot, truly. With intelligence, comes the confidence to think on one’s own, listen to oneself and make one’s own decisions. And the more intelligent one is, the sooner one needs to think independently. This is where the catch lies. The older generation is not ready to let go so soon.

Every coming generation is more practical, more experimenting in career, academics and general interests, and more individualistic in more ways than one. And this has been happening all this while. Generation gap is inevitable. The older generation is always in conflict with the younger generation because they can’t come to terms with their attitude towards life, family, their career, etc. They feel that their children or grandchildren are too irresponsible and hence, have this strong urge to educate them before it’s too late. They always feel that it is better that their children learn from their mistakes rather than learning from their own. And very rightly so.

So now that one realizes that the G-word is there to stay, what does one do about it? It all boils down to how one handles it. The younger generation will always want to listen to their heart and act according to their instincts. But listening to your elders and paying heed to them always helps, because believe it or not, they’ve been there and done that, only in a different way. If we today think tattooing and body piercing is cool, even they’ve roamed around on streets with long hair and bell-bottoms chanting “Give Peace a Chance” and “Staying Alive”. What our elders can give is experience, and it will never work against us. At the same time, the elder generation should try to come out of their prejudices and try to be more open to new thoughts and ideas. Possessing a bias towards anything unknown doesn’t always prove to be right. Innovation and lateral thinking has always outshined stereotype. History has proved that out-of-the-box thinking is always dismissed as heresy, rebellion or revolt initially. When parents respect their children’s opinions, listen to what they have to say and discuss with them in a mature manner, even the children feel important and in turn, respect what the parents advise them to do. If a child is rebuked all the time, he grows up to be an immature, defensive and stubborn individual, which widens the gap between the two.

The generation gap has not widened. It never will, but it will always appear in different ways. What is essential is the way in which it is moderated. Rebellion ought to have purpose. One without it is mere obstinacy. If this vital delicate balance can be maintained, one can certainly look forward to a mature and responsible youth and a tolerant older generation.

god bless them.. im back on a 40 hr week.. finally breathing. not that the 60 hr week was killing me, but throwing tantrums is inevitable.in fact, cribbing and grumbling tends to give one a wierd kind of satidfaction. many would agree. there is a sense of pride that comes with every woe one has. and lamenting on it just makes other individuals jealous. is this really so? does being a crib master really make one happy? ironical as it may sound, many are at it, and how. but it all surely boils down to the fact that if one pretends to be troubled, sooner or later, he starts living that lie and that "woe" actually starts to bother him. even then people take pride in living their lies and adding to their share of non-blessings...