Scintillating conversations & sayings
Came back from a scintillating conversation at a friends where one side tried to debate how the segregation on the Delhi Metro causes the further segregation of the sexes and puts the onus on women to ensure their own safety rather than trying to change the mindset of those who are actually responsible and bringing them to justice. Another side argued that gender differentiation, crimes against women, etc. etc. will always, ALWAYS be there and just for how long should women cow down and be ruled by these things rather than just feeling assured of who you are and moving ahead. Both excellent and valid points. I guess mindsets take generations to change and will start only with the generation in which these ideas are prevalent. For now, the issue of putting aside an entire coach for women on the Delhi Metro was honestly, a practical decision. I, as a woman, for once am happy that I can actually manage to get onto the coach especially at ridiculously jam-packed stops such as Rajiv Chowk. Of course, getting stared at and leched at is never pleasant so the women’s coach comes as a welcome relief. That obviously, does not solve the greater issues at hand but for now, at least, I am happier travelling on the metro and I still hope for the day when there will be a generation of culturally and gender-sensitized men around who can start behaving like real ‘men’ for a change.
On a less serious note, there have been a stunning collection of sayings and quotes from us everyday, ordinary mortals that just ‘amuse’ me. The best have to be:
- The man you thought was your knight in shining armour turned out to be a loser in aluminium foil!
- Aloo is so plebian.
- I’m not greedy, I just like like a lot.
- In a Korean restaurant: “Do you have wasabe?”
I’m sure there’ll be more to follow 
First Aid Kit for Colds & Coughs
It’s that time of the year again. The time your immune system has decided to fight hard for you by…oh, i don’t know…giving you a sore throat, a cough and a mind-blowing headache! My heartfelt sympathies go out to all the migraine sufferers. I’ve had headaches before, but nothing like the one I’m having now. And I know for sure that this is only a fraction of the pain of what an actual migraine would induce. Can’t even begin to imagine….
There are a few items that you must absolutely have when you’ve got a cough and sore throat: Sualin, Strepsils, Cifmox (if the infection gets really bad), Cetzine (for sniffling noses etc., mainly allergies) and Allegra (when you’re allergies have gone beserk and started making you cough like you’ve got a bronchial infection). This is my personal medical kit and of course, the only thing I usually have on me out of this whole set is Cetzine. Been advised that it’s high time I go to a good homeopath and look for longterm (less harmful) treatment. Intend to do just that once the end of the month comes knocking.
Shugo Korean and a Walk!
Well, suggestive title but that frankly sums up the day. Didn’t sleep at all and stayed up that way till I logged on to the net. Lovely laughing going on beside me. This house, or at least 2/3 of it, are in love with Ikuto/Yoru…those lovely feline characters from Shugo Chara!
Ikuto Madness
Just thought I should put something in the form of dedication to them 
Anyway, downloading more episodes as I type this out. Want Amu to end up with him…hu hu hu hoo. There! I’ve said it!
Apart from this new Shugo Chara ‘addiction’ did finally manage to go out for a breath of fresh air. Went out to have Korean food at the….you guessed it….Korean Restaurant. Had jabjae and kimbab…yummmy! (Read and see more on the Food page) and then feeling guilty about eating such a high-calorie count meal…ahem…decided to walk to the nearby neighbourhood to see if our fave Puchka-wallah was there…double ahem. Fortunately ( 
) he wasn’t there so decided to work off all that excess guilt by going for a brisk 20 laps around the neighbourhood park (don’t worry, it wasn’t that big). After that, punished ourselves further by walking all the way back home. Greeted by the lovely neighbourhood dogs and our very own Alcha Bura (who has some reddish boils that need medication, that’s what the chowkidar told us). We’ve got names for all of them: Alcha Bura, Alcha Bura’s dad, Alcha Bura’s mum, Pervy dog, Super friendly dog etc. Am sure there will be some more.
All in all, a pretty ‘relaxing’ day…I guess. Did think about breaking into the gym to work out, but decided it was too much effort :p
Historian at work! Do not disturb….
jingdimasa.blogspot.com
Well, I’ve just spent the good part of my night helping out a friend with his presentation about the British and their policies in the Cachar area. I have to say, it was interesting to learn about the history of areas often neglected in our textbooks. I mean, we hardly know anything about histories except for whatever the British wrote. Oral histories are almost forgotten, written histories are completely biased and nowadays coloured with propaganda (not pointing fingers at anyone). Ahem….apart from this academic interest, I was also charging a hefty commission which motivated me along well Lol. But all jokes aside, I enjoy learning about new stuff like that. Though I feel you are who you are, it’s interesting to learn about our cultural heritage, because honestly speaking, it’s all disappearing and the sadness that hits, when you realize you’ve lost something you can’t get back….well, that’s not good. Period. So thank you Sensei (you know who you are!).
Watched Rio yesterday at The Great India Place (need to go again!!!!). You can read the review on the Movies page. Was contemplating putting a page titled ‘In-House Chutney Queen’, a collaborative page with my friend. Though honestly, she might be doing most of the chutney-making but I”d like to believe I’d be involved somewhere ;P (maybe taking pics)…hmmmm. Any other ideas are more than welcome!
Weirdo’s, Sweating and Mucous
It’s been a fun-filled few days. Early yesterday, precisely around 2am, was returning home from a friend’s place. The lovely thing about student ‘cities’ or neighbourhoods are that you will always, ALWAYS, manage to find shops open the whole night. Even if their doors are shut, one knock and someone will always respond on the other side. The ‘Blind Man’ is one. Quite an amazing fellow, blind but can tell the denomination of notes you give him. So, myself and my two friends stopped by there to pick up some stuff. Don’t know what it was about that early morning but it felt like EVERYONE was out. And it was only Thursday! Lovely collection of guys all around, a little drunk, a little loud and a little ‘showy’ since it was just myself and my flatmate who were the only girls around. Got called by another name by some guy. I wouldn’t have bothered to turn if only he hadn’t called my other flatmate’s name. What are the chances? What are the chances that I’ve actually seen him around in some other area? Creepy. Had to move from that area, not just because it was getting uncomfortable, but also because that shop didn’t have what we wanted. Moved to the Blind Man’s shop and some other weird, loud guy followed. But got home safe and sound. No more incidents.
Gyming today was lovely! I had sweat rolling down every part of my body and if that wasn’t attractive enough, the whole front of my shirt was wet, with sweat! Rhymes…Haha. Dumb I know. But I was too tired to care.
As for the Mucous part to this day, that comes compliments of our very own Alcha Bura (translated means Lazy Old Man). He’s got some infection or flu and nose is running lovely-coloured mucous everywhere! For those who haven’t figured it out yet, Alcha Bura is this street pup who forcefully adopted himself into our family. So yes, we’re all worried about antibiotics and taking him to the vet and we then laugh when we realize we don’t even worry half as much for ourselves when we get sick! We got the dog we deserved: lazy, loves to sleep, a little spoilt and has sinus problems. Perfect match.
Relationships!
It is completely beyond me! I do not get people neither do I understand relationships. No wonder people end up leaning towards spending their time with animals (of course, there are many other reasons they would).
Men And Women
A few things I’ve discovered along the way. Women! You need to lighten up! Sometimes we’re so demanding that, I myself, being a woman, get TIRED! Tired of listening and tired of telling other women to dust yourself off, pick yourself up and just get on with it. And cut the guy some slack because honestly, even I wouldn’t be able to take such a demanding man. Sure we’re sensitive but that does not give us the right to demand that everyone submit to our sensitivities or our ideas of how things should be done. Men are openly domineering, women hide it oh so well. But Men! You guys are not getting off the hook either. Would it kill you to be a little considerate once in a while? A woman may cry, shout, scream, throw things at you but at the end of the day that is far better than dragging her along, making her believe that there is something there when there really is nothing. Face your fears and forgive the phrase but, ‘Man Up’! Also, for those men in serious, committed relationships, we know that you’re thinking of the ‘big picture’ and the future. We do too. But don’t forget to pay attention to the present, because what you decide to do today can affect the outcome of that future you have planned so well in your head. If you neglect the present, that woman for whom you’ve been planning might not be there with you in that future. It’ll be you, your dreams and no one to share it with. And the saddest part is, it could have all been avoided if you had bothered to pay attention to the now. But this idea works both ways, men AND women! Women, you guys also need to stop planning so far ahead for a future that is not set in stone.
Friends
Believe it or not, but sometimes, I don’t get friendships either! It’s so warped and twisted at times. You look at certain friendships and you can’t even imagine how that can work. But guess it’s up to the people in that friendship and maybe they find something they’re looking for in the other person.
But for friends, there is a time for everything. Like the Good Book says, a time to tell your friend off and a time to hold your tongue. A time to encourage and a time to caution, a time to support and a time to ask them to reflect, a time to agree and a time to disagree, a time to give each other space and a time when you sure as hell should interfere! Friendships form and grow when you see each other at your worst and at your best. As much as you count on friends to encourage you and tell you kind words, you need them to also tell you to stop when you start talking smack and acting like a jack-ass! So friends, no fear, courage and love to you to share and keep each other true.
Gym-ing!
Well, where there’s a will, there’s a way! That’s the advice that I’ve been given at least!
Going to the gym has been something of an ‘experience’. Realizing that you can push through a certain ‘pain’ barrier is astonishing. Realizing that you can actually last 10 minutes on a cycle and another 10 minutes on the cross-trainer is nothing short of an ‘eye-opener’! Lol. Where all this ‘gym-ing’ will take me? Who knows?!!!!!!!!!!!! Let’s see how it goes…pics of the gym coming right up!
Art Imitating Life, Or Vice-Versa….?
Really don’t know where reel life ends and real life begins! Let’s take Bollywood…when did people start dancing HUGE, multi-orchestrated and choreographed dance sequences to perform at people’s weddings?!!!! And they’re the guests! Shouldn’t they be the ones sitting down and enjoying the ‘show’? Anyone?!
And why did everyone start thinking they were ‘mad’ racers who could accelerate, swerve, drift, ‘drag’ their way down winding roads like they were the original inspiration for the Fast and Furious? Weird…
What about dying for love? Shakespeare made his characters ‘do it’ (get your minds out of the gutter!). Romeo and Juliet. Though there were obviously other aspects to the story but this fairly old play rather immortalized the romantic notion of someone dying for the one they love….correction….dying because they can’t be with the ones they love. You see it everyday in the news. On Valentine’s Day, a young boy sets himself on fire because the girl he wants to date refuses him. The most ironic thing is the boy’s parents ended up dying too, trying to put out the flames. I don’t think Shakespeare would have envisioned such an outcome….but hang on. He did. Right at the end of the play. When Juliet wakes up too late to stop Romeo from drinking the poison. He dies and in her grief, she stabs herself so they can finally be together. Huh. Guess he already understood the nature of men (and women) when in love. So he did envision it. Sort of.
Who would have ever thought that manga’s, anime and emo culture could influence an entire generations’ fashion, emotions and attitudes? The hairdo’s, the clothes, the body language…..how much of it came from people and how much of it came from watching it being performed on a stage? Life imitating art?
I don’t know if art is the medium through which all these hidden and repressed emotions and ideas spring from or whether certain things have sprung forth in real life because of being prodded along by art? Hmmmmm and double Hmmmmmm………………………
Tribalism…bane or blessing?
As a TCK, something’s are just always going to throw you. One of these is ‘home’ culture. Now for a TCK, ‘home’ takes on many different meanings…more often than not, the single most common reaction to this word would be ‘which one?’. There is honestly no single place that is home. For many, it’s where the bulk of their friends may be, especially high school friends. For others, it may be the place which they enjoyed the best either due to the weather, the people, the standard of living etc. Still for others, home has always been wherever their family may be. So as much as they may like certain places, or miss their friends, home eventually lands up being wherever their family gets transferred to next.
Apart from not getting ‘home’ culture, adding to this mix of woes comes in ethnic identity. As if culture were not enough of a confusion. Now for a TCK, your ethnic identity is quite clear but often comes into question because you can’t seem to connect to the culture behind it. Now is ethnicity purely a genetic-based equation or is genetics + culture?
Now Tribalism comes into the picture. We all have your societal formations, kinship ties, genealogical tracing. What happens when ethnically you belong to a certain ethnic tribe but culturally have no connections to that ethnic culture? Keep in mind, culture here does not mean food (if you are a foodie, this is no problem for you whatsoever), or dress or even language (except for a small handful) but just overall behaviour.
