Ashes!

Australian Prime Minister asked for the Ashes to be sent to Australia. The Ashes will tour Australia in 2003.

When will Vajpayee ask for the Kohinoor?

Check this out!
It weighs 962.25 carats.

It is made of about 2930 diamonds.

It was made-to-order for the Maharaja of Patiala in 1920.

It is on display at the Cartier showroom in New York.

Check out the Cartier website to see this marvellous piece.

MTV AIDS Summit

MTV has an AIDS summit in Mumbai every year. The aim- to spread awareness about AIDS.

What I fail to see is how this summit will help achieve the goal. Singers come up on stage, lipsync their songs, say something like "Please don't get AIDS" and go away. The sweaty crowd goes mad with frenzy at seeing those singers on stage.

MTV's target audience is a bunch of young people, who are hep, well-educated, and have full pockets. Most of them already know about AIDS, and those who don't, don't care. They don't care about the fact that they are probably going to die someday of lung cancer because of their chain smoking, so my guess is that they won't care about this either.

Furthermore, I don't see celebs coming on stage, and repeating every few minutes, "Don't do this and this and this."

The crowd is there just for fun. AIDS is just an excuse for them.

PS-- Does anyone know whether the AIDS summit is free, and if not, how much is the ticket for?

'I have an Idea!'

A professor at a Japanese university has an idea- to record all ideas ever thought of.

Now that's something!

Beauty with a Purpose

The Miss World contest has been shifted to London, due to the riots in Nigeria in which more than 200 people were killed. And that was just the fuel added to the fire. The fire began when many contestants refused to participate because of the fatwa against a couple of Nigerian women, charged with adultery. According to sharia (Islamic) law, those found guilty of adultery, must be stoned to death.

Of course, the young girls protested. After all, that's what Miss World is about, isn't it? But this protest sparked off a riot. And the consequences are clear.

As if a bunch of reed-thin girls could sway the rulers of the land.

And, according to me, what the girls were doing by telling the rulers what to do was: interfering in the internal affairs of the state. It may seem to be done in good faith, but why just protest when in that country? After all, the contest is about beauty with a purpose, isn't it? Why not protest against thousands of injustices done to women, day after day, year after year?

Where were these beauties when Bawandari was raped? Where were these beauties when hundreds of thousands of women were beaten up by their husbands for reading the Bible of feminism, The Female Eunuch? Where were these beauties when hundreds of women were lulled into prostution in the pretext of transforming them into beautiful models and actresses? Where was ex-Miss World, Aishwariya Rai's protest, when her boyfriend beat her up?

Next year: The anorexic young ladies will summon a press conference to protest against war. Will George Bush lend them a ear?

Who Moved by Cheese?

It's time to move on...to a new blog...I'm now on Blurty. Visit me now at http://www.blurty.com/users/scholar.

Colour me!

Anita’s is a darkish-yellowish-orange—warm and smooth.

Nidhi’s is a bright yellow- bubbly and cheerful.

Shahrukh Khan’s is a deep red- very passionate (at least in his movies).

My favourite RJ’s is a mixture of sky blue, black, and bright green- sometimes light, sometimes serious, and sometimes funny.

That’s the colour of their voices. Every voice has a colour, depending on the personality and image of the individual. I can almost instantly identify a person’s voice with a colour. Call it weird, but it’s true. So when I see a colour, I remember the person I associate with it.

I wonder what’s the colour of my voice.

Very Funny

I can never be funny. No matter how much I try, I can never make people laugh. I don’t think I have the funny bone.

On the other hand, I laugh easily. I love laughing. It usually begins with a slight giggle, and then graduates to a laugh. Even remotely funny things can make me smile.

You can imagine my condition during my history lesson in school, where the teacher was always unintentionally funny.

She was known for getting angry fast, and being hilarious when in that state. Her usual remarks on being angry with a particular student were:

“You junglee child! I’ll throw you like a football into the Chowpatty waters!”

OR

“Bogus behaviour!”

These statements were accompanied by elaborate hand-gestures towards the window, door, the student, or no one in particular.
Once, in a fit of rage, she threw her spectacles on the floor. Luckily, they didn’t break. But we got a ten-minute lecture on how expensive spectacle frames were and how she’d have to pay for them from her salary.

I could never control myself in her class. But to camouflage my laughter, I’d cover my mouth with a handkerchief and pretend to cough. If that didn’t work, I’d pinch my arm really hard.

Another unintentionally-funny teacher was the Biology teacher. She never knew what she was talking about, and her, “Come on now! I’ll throw you out now!”, spoken very gruffly, made me burst into giggles.

Unfortunately, when I moved onto college, funny didn’t exist in the teachers’ dictionary. Their attempts to be funny are met with smirks and artificial laughter.

Ah! Those were the days of true laughter. And trust me, it was therapeutic, because I hardly fell ill in my schooldays. And now, I fall sick almost every week.

On the basis of the above observation, I have a suggestion for the education board:

Make humour a part of our teachers’ training. That’s the only way they can keep the class alive while talking about long-dead kings and glacial formations.

So Dirty!

I always wonder why our roads are never clean, inspite of the sweepers doing their job thoroughly. Of course, it's the citizens' fault. But why do the citizens dirty the roads in the first place? Here's a possible (historical) answer for the citizens' apathy:

"A daily bath has always been an essential feature of a Hindu's life, including most of the depressed classes. It was from India that this habit spread to England and elsewhere. The average Hindu, and even the poorest peasant, takes some pride in his shining pots and pans. This sense of cleanliness is not scientific and the man who bathes twice a day will unhesitantingly drink water that is unclean and full of germs...... The individual will keep his hut fairly clean but throw all the rubbish in the village street in front of his neighbour's house....It is also noticeable that cleanliness is not thought of as such but as a consequence of some religious sanction. When that religious sanction goes, there is marked deterioration in the standards of cleanliness."

--Quoted from The Discovery of India, by Jawaharlal Nehru. (p. 254)

Now we know why.

Take your Pick

If you had to rename Baby's Day Out, what would you call it, and why?
Here are a few options, with reasons. Take your pick, or if you don't like any of these leave your suggestion in the Comments box (with reason).
Great prizes to be won! ;-) (kidding!)

• Little Scholar (because I sound like one).
  
• Sands of Time (because my blog is like the sand on a beach, moves on with time).
  
• Prodigy (need I explain?)
  
• Iced Tea (because it's refreshing, and my favourite beverage)
  
• The Ro Less Travelled (note the obvious pun on my name)
  
• Baby's Day Out (because it's the original one)
  
• None of these (because none of them sound good enough)

PS- If you are suggesting a new title, please try not to include the words 'diary', 'blog', 'journal', 'thoughts', in it.

Top 5 Ways to make Headlines
5. Celebrate your 60th birthday with a bang.
4. Drive without a licence and get caught.
3. Install cameras in your pre-school.
2. Annouce your engagement to a very famous actor's son or daughter.
1. Declare a war on terrorists- whoever they are, wherever they are.

'I Hate E-mail!'

That's what I heard someone saying yesterday. I wouldn't say I was surprised. I was shocked. ,br>
How can anyone hate e-mail and the Internet? Since the day I got my computer, I've been addicted to it. Have used it for anything and everything.

And here there are people, with access to the WWW, and they say, they hate it. It's like hating the telephone.

What do you do with such people?

Behave yourself, you're on Camera!

About a week ago, a kindergarten school in Mumbai installed cameras in its premises, so the principal of the school could keep a close watch on all the eight classrooms, plus the reception and the terrace simultaneously. The principal can watch it from her office or home PC. And the capital for it? From the students' fees, of course! A cousin whose daughter goes to the school said that the fees are about Rs.5000 per month, or about $100. And why not? The school calls itself a multi-activity workshop for pre-schoolers.

But the poor students, they barely know what a camera can do, and there they are, being watched by their much-feared principal. A question I have is: do the kids even know they are being watched? And if they do, do they know how closely, and what it implies?

Of course not. But the point here is: isn't this a violation of the child's privacy? Of course, they don't even know what it means, but their parents do, and I doubt if they were consulted about this. They might have just been informed by the management. (I will ask my cousin to confirm this).

And if the cutesy kids do understand what's happening in their classroom, their movements and behaviour will be subconsciously curbed. Their spontaneity will go for a fling in the playground. You don't need a child therapist to tell you that.

Wouldn't that make excellent viewing for other kids- a reality show for kids, featuring kids, and kiddie activities? Imagine this: instead of watching Cartoon Network, the kid watched the kids in the classroom, learning ABC and Mary had a little lamb, all the while darting glances in various directions around for the lens. But all over the world, reality TV shows take the prior permission of those being viewed, usually written.

Here's what a concerned parent has to say about it. Read it. It makes sense.

Surprises!

I absolutely love surprises. But then, I have a friend who hates them.
I'm quiet in a crowd. He can go on blabbering like there's no tomorrow.
I don't usually tease people or pulling others' legs. He does it all the time. And oh boy, does he love rubbing it in!
He freaks out on English music, I hardly know anything music at all.
He writes poetry. I can't. :-(
He loves kids. I can stand them only as long as they are quiet.
We still get along.........I don't know how!

Late!

Late is the worst thing to be when you have exams. My exams are at the unearthly time of 7.30 am, and I'm not used to sleeping before midnight, so to sleep and then wake up is a difficult task for me.

The first day (Thursday) was fine- woke up at 6.20 am (woah!), and reached college on time. But today (only the second day), was just the opposite. My mom and I both overslept, and woke up suddenly when newspaper boy rang the doorbell at 7.15!!!! Horrified, I just dressed hurriedly, and managed to reach college at 7.35. It took me a couple more minutes to climb up the three floors, and I was writing the paper by 7.39 sharp (I checked my watch for the time so that I could put it on my blog! My mind works overtime, doesn't it?).

Of course, I'm sure I'll hear plenty of sugggestions to get an alarm clock, and I think I will, but methinks Mom believes it's against her principles to get an alarm clock. ;-)

What are you doing Online?

Did I hear you say, "What are you doing online in the middle of your exams?"

Well, tomorrow I have a paper called Effective Communication Skills, which has minimum studying. And well, going through my e-mails and writing on my blog, I'm communicating with a lot of people, right? Communication at its best! Need I say more?

Hot News!

I met Tarun Tejpal yesterday! He was so friendly, and I took his autograph. :-) So what if he's not a filmstar, he's a budding journalist's idol!
Gotta hit the books now.

Stop Press!

Hopefully, I’m creating history by being the first blogger to blog about the first Mumbai Bloggers’ Meet. (Though that’s not the reason I left early.)

The meeting officially began at 5.30 pm at Just Around the Corner, Bandra. But Nidhi was the only punctual one. :) Others didn’t walk in until about 10 minutes later.

We changed tables twice, because we thought it would be better if we sat outside and when we settled outside, we realized it was too hot. ;-) So we went back in.

So there were nine of us- Anita, Nidhi, Mahesh, Vidya, Amrita, Veer, Anand, Ashish, and me. Not a bad number.

It was a mixed table of people, a couple of young people (me and Amrita), and the remaining, well, not-so-young people. (No offence, but from a kiddo’s point of view, almost everyone who is above 20 is not-so-young.)

Mahesh was constantly smiling, or half-smiling, just like the pic on his journal. Dunno why he was surprised to know that I was the Baby’s Day Out gal. And he chickened out from talking to my Mom when Nidhi handed him her phone.

Vidya preferred not to sit with him initially, saying she did it all the time, but after getting a snap clicked with him, she hung around. Was a pretty good excuse, huh? ;-)

It turned out that Amrita and I were in the same college earlier, and we have a lot of common friends, but I never saw her in college! Small world after all!

Nidhi was too sweet, and the self-description on her blog, matched to the T.

Anita was very warm, and has a lovely voice, and cute small-ish eyes. Easy to make out that she’s from Shillong.

Anand suddenly perked up at the mention of Stephen Hawking. (I’ll try to read the book ASAP). But he was interested in everything, and paid a good deal of attention to everyone, all at the same time. How do you do it, Anand?

Ashish was busy admiring the waiter’s tattoo, and going on and on with his jokes. Someday I’ll lose my temper with you, Ashish! ;-) BTW, I think that sip of ice tea actually made my throat better! Will attack the chocolate soon. Hope it helps even more.

Veer was handing out his visiting card and was very keen to know why everyone blogged. And another interesting question- Would they still do it if they didn’t have the time?

Much, much more must have happened after I left, and I’m dying to know more! I want to know everything!

Hope we do it again sometime.

Change Needed

Baby’s Day Out has almost completed a year. And I’ve almost completed 18 years of my life. Thought I’d make a few changes in my blog, like:

• The title, too kiddish, some say. (Though I think it’s something like what a marketing person would call ‘brand identity’.)


• The design. Again too kiddish.


• Ummm…is there anything else that should be changed?

Please, please, please leave your suggestions and constructive criticism or mail me!

Exams!

Exams, or egg-jams, as some like to call them, are just round the corner (literally). Thursday’s the day, and I’m hoping and praying that it doesn’t come soon. So much work, so little time!

I won’t be very regular with my blog for the next 10 days or so. Sorry for the inconvenience caused. :P

Top 5 Ways to Make Headlines

5. Get good-looking dudes and gals to wear some clothes, and call yourself the hottest fashion designer.
4. Make a new blog! ;-)
3. Call for a peacefulbandh(closing shops, offices, schools etc. to protest against something), and make sure it is anything other than peaceful.
2. Preach tolerance.
1. Knock over a couple of people while driving, get arrested, and then released on bail of Rs. 950 (less than $20).

Do you Love me?

Some scientists have located a love spot in the brain. If this area of the brain is very active when you’re around your boy/girlfriend, you know you’re in love.

So that means you now have scientific evidence to prove that your girlfriend is really in love with you and is not just after your money. (A pity that Anna Nicole Smith’s late hubby isn’t alive for this one- his lawyer would have surely recommended it.)

The evidence is simple- you just have an MRI scan done, and while the scan I being done, pictures of different people are flashed for a few seconds. Some pictures are of your special someone. The technician pays attention to the love spot. And if it shows lots of activity when the most important picture is flashed, bingo! The person’s in love.

So instead of getting married in a temple, church or any other place, go for the scanner. You’ll get a lifetime guarantee!


Rain, Rain Go Away!

Like every other Indian, I was praying for the rain to stop in Colombo. Ah well, some things are just not meant to happen.

Weird, though. In the last few months, our poor farmers and economists were praying for the rains to come, and when they did, we prayed for the heavens to stop showering.

Quite ironical.

S-I-C-K!

I fall sick almost every month. Same problem every time- cough, cold, headache, fever. Sinusitis they call it. It really beats the hell out of me. Don't have the capacity to read, write, or even turn on the computer. Luckily, I'm feeling better now. But it comes at a time when exams are just two weeks away and there are still four projects to be submitted, out of which the entire class has not even started on two.

Anyway, the question bothering me is that why do I fall sick every month? I have a weird theory for this. Classrooms in colleges are stuffy and over-crowded, and the teacher insists on shutting the door while teaching. As a result, we breathe the same air throughout the four hours we're stuck there. And that disgusting air is not just BO. It's also got non-smelling, invisible things. That makes you more susceptible to illness. Know what I mean?

Dumb theory. But at least I can blame the college for it. ;-)
How Can They?

Forget How Can They? They already did it. And what are we doing about it? Nothing, just sitting, watching the news helplessly. And can Prez Bush do anything about it? I bet you can't, and he won't. After all, it wasn't a church. It was a temple. And Indian lives ain't as important as American lives, are they?

I let myself cry. Couldn't sleep all of Tuesday or Wednesday.

Solution: Use the bomb. Ignore Dubya's and Tony's statements.


Internet Heights

Got this in an e-mail:
HEIGHT OF ISOLATION:
Two persons sitting side by side using emails to communicate with each other.

HEIGHT OF COWARDICE:
Two persons fighting through emails.

HEIGHT OF HELPLESSNESS:
Receiving no emails for a week.

HEIGHT OF FRUSTRATION:
The email server being down.

HEIGHT OF CARELESSNESS:
Writing a love mail and doing a 'Send All.'

HEIGHT OF ACHIEVEMENT:
A person sending email to a girl wanting to become friends and getting a reply.

HEIGHT OF TIMEPASS:
A person sending email to himself

HEIGHT OF EXPECTATION:
Sending Indian cricket team an e-mail, wishing them to win a match. NB: Doesn't apply now!

HEIGHT OF REPETITION:
Forwarding an email to someone and receiving the same email forwarded back to you by some one in the receiving chain.

HEIGHT OF BROWSING:
U r swimming in the pool and shout "F1 F1 F1" instead of shouting "HELP" when u are unable to swim...

Locked out!

Oops! I locked myself out of my house the other day. Left both bunch of keys inside and went out.

So what did I do?

There was only one thing to do. Call the 'key' guy.

Well, he came and worked for about two hours, shaping the Yale key, and then he said, 'OK, one last time. If it doesn't work now, I'll break the lock.'

Mom freaked out and began to pray. And hey presto! Her faith helped. The door opened. :)

Of course, I admit it was MY fault.

But I'll make sure it never happens again.

PS- Don't you think Mom should have given one set of keys to a friend or meighbour? I mean, almost everyone told me that they had given their keys to their neighbour. We've given one set to my aunt now. :)


HELP- with or without questions?

There are two kinds of people- those who help with questions, those who help without questions.

Imagine this. You go to Hollywood. There you bump into Arnold Schwazie. You are in total awe of his biceps so you ask him, "What exercises do you do for your amazing biceps?"

There are two ways in which he can answer, depending on the kind of person he is.

Number 1- If he doesn't ask questions, he'll probably say, "I do this and that....blah...blah..blah. You should try it too."

Number 2- Now if he's the other kind of person, he'll say, "I do this. What do you do? Oh my God? Only that? Are you nuts? How do you ever expect to build your biceps if you do only that much? You'd better do what I say. Otherwise you're no good, absolutely useless. And what do you eat and drink? And what medication do you take?......." so on and so forth.

Has this ever happened to you? I know a person who's type number 2, and though he's a great guy, I avoid asking him for help now.

Same Songs!

Have you ever heard a particular radio station often? If you have, you'll realize that most of them play the same song at least thrice a day. Just because it's the most popular. Oh come on! Just because it's popular, you don't have the right to bore your listeners wtih the same numbers! Play soemthing else, for heaven's sake! Or is it that you don't have any other songs?

What's Up?

Lots has been happening since the last time I blogged. Firstly, I visited GO 92.5 FM radio station on a college assignment- met a couple of RJs, took great snaps, caught a show LIVE ON AIR!

Next, a cousin got engaged. That's two of them in three months. Lots more on their way. (With arranged marriages, you always know when someone's gonna get engaged- when the parents begin to look a bit worried, that's when.)

Then, I called Radio Mirchi and was on air!!!!! :) RJ Neil was awesome! Did anyone hear me?

Then, I won a contest on 93.5 Red FM!

Then again, I called 93.5 Red FM and was on air! Talk of being obsessed with radio stations! :) But that's just me.


Top 5 Ways to Make Headlines

5. Announce your wedding with a model/actress.

4. Have a lavish wedding in another city, or better still, another country.

3. Get the government to waiver a Rs. 1.5 crore duty on an expensive car.

2. Open an expensive restaurant and then say it's for everyone (read glitterati).

1. Sign a contract with a producer for a movie after reading the script, and then sue the guy for portraying you in a bad light.

I’m Back!

It’s been a long time since I blogged, but I’m finally back! My hard disk crashed just two days before submitting an assignment, and I had no back-up! A new OS now, with all my earlier data gone!

Lesson learnt: A machine is a machine is a machine. Can stop functioning anytime.

What’s Missing These Days

• the rain
  
• helpful people
  
• good songs on FM
  
• meaningful programmes on TV (saas-bahusucks)
  
• good movies
  
• common sense (in almost everyone!)
  
• fresh, clean air
  
• a good good good medicine to get rid of this damn cold immediately!
  
• smart guys in the vicinity

Female Foeticide and Infanticide

Here I go again. I’ve mentioned this before, but I’ll say it again. Female foeticide and infanticide are still rampant in many parts of the country. Want proof? Think of this: the Child Sex Ratio in 1991 was 945 females per 1000 males. In 2001, it was 927 females per 100 males.

I’m part of a sociology seminar (to be held in December) which aims to create awareness about women today. The little research done till now has shocked me.

Consider this:

• A sex determination test of a foetus can cost as less as Rs.100 (about $2).
  
• The most industrialized states of India i.e. Punjab, Haryana and Chandigarh have the lowest sex ratios in India. In certain districts, the sex ratio is less than 700 females per 1000 males.
  
• There are about 2 million female foeticides per year in India.
  
  
  

Enough!

OK, so the commenting system isn't working since ages! I'm changing it now. Hope this one's good! Fingers crossed!

Our Constitution

It’s never too late to write about your country. Rather than getting into raptures about our independence, I decided to take a look at our Constitution, and see what it provides for us.
The Consitution consists of the following:

1. The Preamble


2. Parts I to XXII, covering Articles 1 to 395


3. Schedules 1 to 12


4. An Appendix

Of course, even though each and every part of the Constitution is important, The Preamble and the Fundamental Rights guaranteed to every citizen, have the most importance.
Here’s the Preamble to our Constitution:

“We, the people of India, having solemnly resolved to constitute India into a Sovereign Socialist Secular Democratic Republic and to secure all its citizens:
Justice, social, economic and political;
Liberty of thought, expression, belief, faith and worship;
Equality of status and of opportunity; and to promote among them all
Fraternity assuring the dignity of the individual and the unity and integrity of the Nation;
in our constituent assembly this twenty-sixth day of November, 1949, do hereby adopt, enact and give ourselves to this Constitution.”

The Rights we have…

Part III, Articles 12 to 35, covers the Fundamental Rights.
Here they are:

1. Right to Equality


2. Right to Freedom


3. Right against Exploitation


4. Right to Freedom of Religion


5. Cultural and Educational Rights


6. Right to Constitutional Remedies

The Rights we don’t have

When we talk of Fundamental Rights for each and every citizen, we must realise that these Rights are for every citizen. So if you do as you please, it doesn’t mean that you do it at the cost of someone else’s Right.
And Right to Freedom doesn’t mean:

• The Right to spit and piss wherever you want


• The Right to kill, rape or hurt someone else in the name of religion


• The Right to sit in prision while carrying on your usual activities


• The Right to make false promises to the people just to get voted to power


• The Right to dirty the roads, and then complain about the garbage. Ditto with pollution


• The Right to sit and read this and do nothing to understand and implement the subtle (or not-so-subtle) meaning.

Any more Rights we don’t have?

Dumb Songs!

Who doesn't like music? Hardly anyone will reply "Me! Me!" to the question. We all like something or the other. Some like pop, some rock, some jazz, blues, etc. And then there are those who love only Hindi film music. Tough luck, guys, for what is good in Hindi film music these days?

Think of this song: What is mobile number? What is your style number? and Govinda comes to mind, with those dumb dance steps, pelvic thrusts and cheap gestures.

Sadly for Hindi song buffs, his songs aren't the only ones which are dumb and silly. There's this new genre of songs- women-degrading numbers. Want an example? Think of Mujhse Dosti Karoge, and close in on Hrithik (yeah, he's still surviving) and Kareena (who can only think of herself as the sexy and bimbo-like Poo). You might hear of a song which goes something like:
Aaj ke ladke I tell you, kitne laloo, what to do................., koi na kahe mujhe I love you!

Loosely translated it means that the girl thinks guys these days are foolish because none of them declare their love for her!
Are girls these days so desparate for guys to fall in love with them that they actually sing songs about it? Can't they just be content with their singledom and wait for Mr.Right to come along? And what went through the lyricist's mind as he wrote this song? And how could a well-known producer like Yash Chopra actually give the go-ahead to this song?

I have half a mind to write him a letter.

Best British Blog?

The controversy surrounding the Best British Blog Award by The Guardian is kinda interesting. Tom Coates (who else but a blogger) called it a 'bloody, stupid idea'. And he enlists various reasons for his opinion. Go ahead and read it!

I agree with him. And my reasons are (some of his and mine may coincide):

• A blog is an entirely personal site, where the blogger is free to write whatever is on his/her mind. If blog entries are of a personal nature, how can anyone say whose thoughts are better? Better could mean anything!


• Another important aspect is design. Some (rather, many) bloggers know only basic HTML and nil about cool graphics and CSS. If one blog is more visually appealing than the other, does that make it a better blog?


• And how would the judges define better content? Content differs from blog to blog. One blogger may just enter what's on his/her mind, another will probably lecture about the harmful effects of smoking. One blog may be well-researched, while another may be written on the spur of the moment. Which would be better?


• One blogger will use incomprehensible words for which you need a dictionary, another will probably use casual day-to-day words to get the point across. Again, does that make one blog better than the other?


• There are some blogs which have lots of decoration and frills- site meter, message board, image roll-overs, links to 10694 other blogs and sites...others prefer to keep theirs simple and sweet. Can we say which is the better one?

Sure, there will be blogs you'd like to visit again and again, but that is a matter of taste and choice- on what you like to read. The judges for this award will be humans after all. It's not possible for all of them to be entirely objective.

But the main reason why an award for blogs is a silly idea is simple- blogging is not an arm form like short-story writing or painting. It's a natural process, no one can you how to blog. Besides, it's totally, totally personal. We don't have awards for best handwriting, do we?

Hollywood Stretches the Truth!

Murder in the First was aired on Friday, 2 August 2002 at 11.30 pm on Star Movies. Christian Slater looked cute without his glasses.
The story went thus:
A prisoner named Henry Young (Kevin Bacon) is jailed at Alcatraz Prison (in San Fransisco bay) for a petty crime. When he tries to escape, the warden punishes him by keeping him in solitary confinement for three years. When he comes out from the dingy cell, he kills a fellow inmate, Rufus McCain. And then begins a court trial, United States vs. Henry Young. Christian Slater (his lawyer) saves him from execution by proving that it was the solitary confinement that drove him crazy enough to kill someone. He finally gets manslaughter, imprisonment for only 3 years.

All this sounded so amazing. And I thought of how brutal the Americans were at the time. And how touching it all was….

Until I read up a few things on the Internet which left me absolutely confused.

Here goes:

Henry Young was not a petty criminal, who stole $ 5 to feed his starving sister. He was a bank robber who had assaulted a hostage on at least one occasion and committed murder in 1933--some 3 years before being locked up at Alcatraz.

It is true that Young tried to escape in 1939, but it is not true that he was kept in solitary confinement for 3 years. Instead, he was kept in a disciplinary segregation unit (a normal cell, and not a dungeon) for only a few months. The cell had plumbing, a light, a cot, and other appropriate cell furnishings.

He did murder a fellow inmate in December 1940, but more than a year after returning to the general cell.

The movie claims Young committed suicide in Alcatraz in 1942 (after being convicted for manslaughter) after scrawling VICTORY on the floor/wall of his cell. Again, not true. He remained at Alcatraz till 1948. After that, he was transferred to another prison, and then another, and was freed in 1972. His whereabouts are unknown today.

So there you are, the truth and the myths. What I thought was true (because it was a Hollywood movie), was actually an exaggeration by film-makers in order to make more money.

Can’t say Hollywood is much different from Bollywood in his aspect, heh?

Talk to Me!

If you like some of my previous entries and want a link to it in the archives section, leave a message in the comments, or mail me! Don't hesitate!

Confused!

When can anyone confidently say, "I'm not confused at all"? Thinking of it, never. Some people may generally be more confused than the others, while others may claim never to be confused. But hey, is that possible? I'd say NO. Because I'm one of those who like to believe that they are decisive people- and never confused. Unfortunately, belief is not everything, I have to actually do it to prove it. Alas, it seems highly improbable in my case. I'm always confused, whether I like it or not. :-)

What shall I wear? Should I take the lift or the stairs? Should I buy this lipstick or that one? Should I smile at that guy? Should I have the KKHH ringtone or the K3G one? Should I see Devdas again or not?

Is Yahoo going the hotmail way?

As if the junk in my Hotmail account wasn't enough, I've begun to receive junk in my Yahoo! mail box. Work from home, attend this workshop, get these ink cartridges free, blah blah.

Dear God, Please protect me from junk mail! ;-)

What does not glitter may be Gold

We've underestimated the talent of the Indian weightlifters and shooters. Reminds me of what they said about the Jap-Russo war- the Pygmy of the East conquers the Giant(s) of the West!
Kudos to the Indian contingent!

Lost & Found

There are times when I look really hard for something, and look so hard that I over-look it! And then, suddenly, when I've forgotten all about it, I find it, in a place I never thought of looking for. Happened with me recently- was hunting for a very cute pocket mirror I had forgotten about, and there it was, lying where I never thought it would be. (And after a week of looking for it).

Currently, I'm on a very difficult search......for some sensible classmates who read the newspapers and know who Jinnah is.

Team work

I don't think I've actually worked with a group of strangers before for an project. Earlier, I was in the company of close friends whom I really didn't have a problem with. Now, I'm with a group of gigglish, unorganised, never-touched-a-book (needless to say), girls, who don't like listening to anyone, except, perhaps, Enrique.

So here's a question: how do you make blocked-understanding people understand what you're talking about? While preserving your sanity?

PS-- The giggly gals are whom I call the Eighth Wonder of the World.

Devdas

I finally saw the movie- almost a week after its release. That's quite a record for me, considering that it's an SRK movie.

Even though it comes a bit late, I'll still have my say, and comment on it.I loved it, and even though a bit difficult to digest, it was in every way a typical commercial venture.

I loved SRK (of course!), found Mads good, Ash Rai ditto, and the others weren't bad too. The sets, dances and costumes were marvellous.

But the music was, well, boring. (Or am I saying that because it's not my type?).

But spending Rs. 50 crore on this movie- was it worth it? After all, Mads and Ash could have done with less heavy jewellery and outfits.

Now all depends on the junta.

No More Tobacco

The Maharashtra government banned the sale and advertisement of tobacco and gutkha in the state.

That's good news for many in the state, and, of course, bad news for an equal number.

And for those addicted to it, well, you can kiss oral cancer and rotten teeth good-bye. (I know one such close person who will benefit from this ban.). And school and college kids will have one reason less to hang around at the neighbourhood paanwala. Especially the one near the school/college. Poor chaps- they might have to close business.

Hope they don't take out a morcha to protest against the ban....you never know!

PS- When's the ban on soft drinks coming? (Trust me- they're more harmful than you think).

Ragging and More!

Last week, Jaihind College, Mumbai debarred a few students (the exact number varies from rumour to rumour, but the expulsion is confirmed) for ragging a few juniors. This surprised many people since it is the first time any college has taken strict action against, er, raggers. Even though it is a criminal offence in many states and the ragger can be jailed, no one has been arrested for ragging.

Ragging is a very common thing in many college around the country. Only recently has the government sat up and taken notice of ragging as a serious problem.

So what is ragging? According to Dictionary.com, it is:

1. Slang. To tease or taunt.
2. Slang. To berate; scold.
3. Chiefly British. To play a joke on.
The seniors command the scared, shy juniors do silly things, like sing a nursery rhyme or the national anthem loudly, do sit-ups and push-ups, dance.... anything, for that matter.

It has left a deep impact on many students, especially girls, like Indu Anto, and many others we will never hear of.

But those Jaihind guys are sure lucky they only got kicked out of college, and not thrown into a dingy Arthur Road cell.

Teasing and More

On the same note, I'd like to add that ragging per se is not restricted to a few places. It's everywhere, though in different forms.

Take the example of cool USA for instance. Though the Americans may have not heard of ragging, they sure do know how to tease.

Check out Drew Barrymore's movie- Never Been Kissed. Not for the sake of the movie, but for a taste of American teen culture. Among other things, the oh-I'm-so-cool teens call Josie Geller a loser and Josie Grossie just because she is shy, nerdy and clumsy.

But here's the prank that tops it all- the guy she has a crush on (Billy) asks her out for the prom and showers her with eggs outside her home on prom night.

And then there's Full House, a popular comedy about an American family. It has the usual stuff- dealing with child and teenage problems.

Some of them are alien to me, like when Stephanie refuses to wear spectacles, scared of what her classmates might call her- geeky and nerdy. And another time when she tries to bunk school so she won't be in the class photograph, the reason being she has a bandage on her broken nose, and will be teased for the rest of the year.

Now, I started wearing glasses in sixth grade, but I don't remember being teased. Just got a few surprised looks from my classmates. And then there was a time when I hurt the area between my nose and upper lip, but never heard any snickers or comments.

So that's the difference between their teen culture and ours, and I hope that ours remains the way it is.

Beautiful!
Mirror, mirror, on the wall,
Who's the fairest of them all?

Who can look into the mirror and be happy with what they see? Not me, or anyone I know. Perhaps not even Ash and Sush. They might be loooking in the mirror as you read this, and muttering to themselves, "Oh my God! I'm FAT!" or, "I hate my nose!"

Nothing can be perfect. No one can be perfect. But at least we try. Try too hard.

Liposuction, nose jobs, implants, rhinoplasty, you want it, you do it. It's not taboo anymore.

Those who aren't blessed with Aphrodite's looks, tough luck. Brace yourself. Even if you aren't the type who thinks too much about your looks, don't worry. Colleagues, friends, relatives, acquaintances will all unconsciously encourage you to gaze in the miror for hours trying to figure out what's right with you. You will turn up with nothing.

But it's natural. Very natural. As natural as breathing or sleeping or eating.
You have a pimple? Oh, that's natural, but bad!(You can't go on a date with a pimple!) Have thin lips? Oh, just blow them up. (Guys wouldn't give you half a look otherwise). Your pout will be perrrrfect. Just like your favourite model.

Right from the times of Cleopatra and Nefertiti, beauty has been a fixation, and not just for women. Look out for the men too!

Gorgeous models are already auctioning their eggs and sperm on the Internet to meet the need for good-looking babies. (The price ranges from $15000-$75000) and we will soon be having genetically engineered bodies.
Beauty is skin-deep. After all, your good heart wouldn't show on your face, would it? Your blackheads would.

Fair & Dark!

Fairness is spoken about everywhere and everyday in India- some are obsessed with it, and some slam it. Well, whatever the case may be, the West is obsessed with tan.

On my recent visit to Europe I was quite surprised to see 'self-tanning' lotions and creams, something I'd never heard of! (Of course, what I did know was that they love to sunbathe, but probably because the sun hardly shines in some countries). And these tanning lotions sell like hot cakes.

What a contrast to our best-selling products, huh?

OK, so what do we do? Buy tanning lotion or fairness cream?

The answer is quite obvious. But you can put your foot down.

Mom's friend had come to sell make-up. Lipsticks, eyepencils, etc. and fairness cream. She recommended the latter. I refused. Mom said, "Why not?" But a no meant a no. We didn't buy it finally.

Bah to fairness creams!

Tehelka!

Tehelka.com is known for putting big-shots in trouble. Now the tables are turned. Call it political motivation, or trying to cover up one's sins, the bottomline is that Tarun Tejpal is now on the political hitlist. First, being accused tampering with the tapes (no one except them is sure about the tapes), then having a CBI raid, and now, being accused of bribing people to cover up their unethical acts.

I wonder if the Tehelka guys will be summoned now for having one passport.

Wimbledon's here!

Just a minute, sports freaks. With all the excitement and hype surrounding the FIFA World Cup, many have forgetten that the Wimbledon has begun. With its usual surprises and some interesting and some not-so-interesting matches, the Wimbledon's still the same.

Kournikova's out (I'm not all surprised), and so are my favourites, Pete Sampras and Andre Agassi. Poor Jelena Dokic struggled hard in her first round match against Kveta Hrdlickova (woah, I can't pronounce that!).

Football's on hold till Sunday (i.e. the Final- Germany v/s Brazil), so till then enjoy Wimbledon! (My fingers are crossed for Brazil!)

Radio Mirchi's Hot!

Personally, I prefer WIN or GO, but Radio Mirchi has come up with a great publicity stunt- the 9-8-3 contest. If you have the numbers 9, 8 and 3 in any sequence or your credit card or birthdate or car etc., you can win prizes!

Wow, Radio Mirchi has some hot (pun intended) PR officers! ;-)

The Legend of Bhagat Singh - the Teacher

Like my prediction a few days earlier, this movie was shown to children as a part of their history lesson on Bhagat Singh and his comrades. So finally some good did come out of the umpteen number of Bhagat Singh movies. So what if the producers failed to recover their money? At least they did some good- providing great entertainment and educating children.

Unfortunately, it was the glamour that attracted children the most and not the martyr.

Hmm....... should we be surprised?

Indo-Pak tensions in Detroit

So we thought Indo-Pak tensions affected only Indians, Pakistanis and a few world leaders.

Sit straight and buckle up. For this seemingly-true, allegorical story by The Onion belies all beliefs.

Top 5 Ways to Become Famous

5. Read a book on health and open a health clinic or gym.

4. Join a high-profile football team and play badly.

3. Join the Al-Qaeda.

2. Write an article on an ageing leader's failing health, and possess two passports.

1. Run for President.

Disappointments galore!

First it was France that was kicked out (pun unintended), then Argentina, Italy, USA, England (though I couldn't be happier Brazil won), and now Spain.

The football bug is biting everyone now. Even the ones who aren't the least interested in football. My mom, for example.

The only thing I wonder now is: couldn't they have had better referees?



PS-- Surprise! Surprise! English fans didn't turn into hooligans!


Time still in trouble

Don't take panga!(Means: Don't challenge us!).

The PMO has had enough of Alex Perry & Co. Seems that the Daily Telegraph reported something similar about Vajpayee.

Alex Perry was called for interrogation. The official reason- He has two passports. The unofficial reason- No prizes for guessing.

So we come back to football/soccer. World Cup History and Trivia. Interesting and (ahem!) educative. :-)

I loved it- you'll love it too!

Cool Comments!

Thanks Enetation, for your commenting system. I'm glad I found you! ;-)

And thanks Ashwini, for your comments.

Time for Trouble

Caught asleep at the wheel or not, the Time article by Alex Perry(now concerned about his safety) has angered not only BJP and the Samata Party, but also displeased Indian journalists.

The article is undoubtedly in bad taste and Mr. Perry has taken advantage of his role as a journalist and the non-censorship of the press in India.

Even though Mr. Vajapyee is aged and has had his knee cap replaced, his health does not come in the way of his decision-making. And if he is influenced by Brajesh Mishra and the 'hawkish' L K Advani (in Mr. Perry's words), I doubt if he is the only leader to be influenced by his advisors. Do you think Mr. Bush and Mr. Blair make important decisions by themselves, or do they take the advice of their Chief of Staff and cabinet memebers? Of course it is natural for any leader of any nation to take consult his right-hand person, and it is also natural that one of his chelas (meaning disciple) will be his favourite.

Why then should anyone make a mockery of the Prime Minister of the world's largest democracy?

As for his eating and health habits, that is best left to him. He is the best judge of his health and himself, isn't he? He has the right to choose what he wishes to eat and what he does not.

Speaking your mind is one thing, and lowering someone's dignity is another thing. What slips Mr. Perry's mind is, that Atal Bihari Vajpayee, for god's sake is the Prime Minister of a nation. No one has the right to disgrace someone, right? (We call this basic manners!).

But this is not the first time that a derogatory article has been written about an Indian leader. When President K R Narayanan visited France in April 2000, he was referred to as 'an untouchable in Elysees' by two leading newspapers of France.

Monsoon Football!

Okay, so the south-west monsoon has finally arrived. And with it has come the World Cup.(I still can't believe France is out and Italy lost to Korea!).

Football mania has caught on here too. When the matches aren't on, you see muddy kids playing football like nothing else matters. Even when it's pouring cats and dogs. Wonder what's on their minds while playing in the rain. I've never played in the rain. Heck, I've never played football. ;-) Cricket, yes. It's never too late to learn, is it?

Coach needed. ;-)



Bad Timing!

Inspiration, they say, can come to you anywhere, anytime. That's what happens to all those writers and scientists and other such people in need of the much-desired sudden idea.

To me, it comes late at night- when I'm tossing and turning in bed, thinking of nothing in particular. Not that I need any inspiration, but sudden ideas and thoughts that would make a difference to me pop up at the most awkward time.

Has it ever happened to any of you?



Acne!

Hmmm....well, this may not be everyone's favourite topic (nor is it mine), but I think a teenager's blog would be incomplete without a mention of boyfriends and/or pimples. Since the former is not on my agenda, a zit is the best(!) thing to mention.

Ah, what I'd do to get rid of these things!

Any dermatologist reading this?

Bhagat Who?

Forget the Bhjagat Singh movies for a while.

Pre-Bhagat Singh movies, if you had asked a school kid if he knew who Bhagat Singh was, the reply you'd get would probably be,"Yeah, some freedom fighter, right?" You couldn'y blame the child for that- because most history textbooks focus on Gandhi's ideaologies and Bhagat Singh remains just some person with just a paragraph dedicated to his fight for freedom.

Well, the scenario is a bit changed now. People know who he is now.

Out of curioisty I asked a few people about Bhagat Singh. And I was surprised to learn that almost the entire city of Amritsar had taken to the streets to protest against the hanging of Bhagat Singh, Rajguru and Sukhdev. Many even fasted 63 days along with Bhagat Singh and comrades.

If this isn't patriotism, then what is?

Anti-Gandhi or not, these films have achieved their second objective (if not the first one to earn money)- create awareness about people who did much for their country, but aren't remembered that much.

Tall People make Good Lawyers!

This is the ground-breaking story I heard about yesterday. It didn't seem to have been backed up by much research, and, since the theory isn't as complicated as the Quantum Theory of Physics, I'm sure it will be easily understood by all. (Budding midget lawyers, beware!)

Here are the postulates of this ridiculous and absolutely bizarre theory: (yes, I finally spoke my mind!)

• A tall person can make people turn. This is a necessity in a courtroom(?).
  
• The more people who look at you, the stronger your case is. (Forget the cross-examination and arguing).
  

So I guess the corollary of this theory is: Shorties don't make good lawyers.

But what is more important in a courtroom: your height or your oratical and cross-examining skills?

I leave this open for debate.

PS-- Bah!




Tribute to Hansie

Hansie Cronje may not have been the most-loved cricketer in recent years, but he certainly was popular before being exposed. (I'll let you in on a secret- he was on of my favourites before the match-fixing scandal.)

Unlike his Indian counterparts, he confessed and divulged all details, expressing his regret. His fans forgave him for his final display of honesty.

I wonder why the others didn't follow his footsteps. Their crimes would have been forgiven, if not forgotten.

RIP, Hansie.

Home Sweet Home (at last!)

There's a certain 'click' in your heart when you reach home after a holiday. As much as you would like to go back and relive your holiday, home is as dear as it was before you left.

But things change, sometimes drastically.

Firstly, it's become hotter than before.

Secondly, the city is geared up for a war, what with mock fire drills and disaster management plans skewed all over the place.

Thirdly, you see long queues outside empty colleges- for admission. That's something which is repeated year after year. You can't mail them an application- no staff to handle such things. Everything has to be done personally. No wonder you see few foreign students here, inspite of having a good and relatively cheap education here.



Difference

What makes one country different from another?

The people, of course, currency, climate, culture, languages..... The list goes on.

Perhaps it is ths difference that causes two or more countries to go to war. Peace-lovers say that war causes disaster, destroys families, kills innocent civilians, but there are times when war is the only solution. I don't know what these circumstances are- but I do know that there is a fine line demarcating patience and intolerance.

Be careful which side of the line you are on.

Is she reading this?

I'm quite sure Ektaa Kapoor has been reading my blog, or has at least heard about it.

How do I know?

Quite simple.

She read my Law Education blog entry and decided there was an element of truth in it. The result- a notification in the beginning of the infamous serial which goes somewhat like this:

All characters, situations and Procedures of Law in this serial are fictional. Any resemblance to a person.......

Hah!



On Writing

Stephen King's book On Writing is a must-read for anyone who wishes to take up a career in writing of any kind- journalism, freelance etc.

To be honest, I haven't read any of his other books (and if I have, I don't remember). But he does sound great, doesn't he? His fans swear by him and his work.



Vacation!

Here's a million-dollar question: What should you do when summer arrives?

Take a vacation, of course!

A summer vacation is absolutely necessary if you are living in an infernal city like Mumbai or Delhi. And believe me, it is propitious for anyone.


PS 1-- Here's a tip: Don't plan a trip to Rajasthan or Egypt in summer, for heaven's sake!

PS 2-- I pity the students preparing for board exams coming up next March. No vacation for them :-( Here's something heartening for them: Aapka number aayega!

Attention!

The things people do to get attention! Climb mountains, shave their heads, make blogs! (The least one was a joke, ok?). Of course, there was a family which had put up a family on behalf of a new-born baby! The baby sure had his/her (I don't remember the gender of the kid) five, or perhaps ten miutes of fame.

But that's nothing. There is a certain class of people who would go to any length to gain attention. Exaggerate, lie about themselves, even in a negative way!

I'm talking of those who go on and on about their ailments and diseases miserably and as seriously as if it was AIDS or a brain tumour. One such young lady happened to be seated besides me a fast food restaurant (I don't give specifics unless required, remember?). With great detail and melodrama she was describing to her friend the number of dieases and ailments that she had had uptil that moment. The list went on and on. As if a seriatim of unheard-of illnesses wasn't enough, she proceeded with her family history, and went upto her grandfather. She might have delved higher up the hierarchy if it wasn't time for her to leave.

Despite of what she talked (and oh boy, how much she did!), she certainly caught my attention. ;-)


Law Education Compulsory?

Here's a new proposal to make our education system a more effective one- introduce Basic Law and Court Procedures in school and college syllabuses, and make it compulsory.

Why? Did I hear you ask why??????

The answer lies in Miss Ektaa Kapoor's programmes. First they had a judge ignore important photographic evidence in Kaahin Kissii Roz. If the victim was alive, shouldn't the court have asked for an investigation into attempted murder? The next glitch: a judge asking a blind girl to identify her rapist(s)! No prizes for guessing this episode.

Ah! Educated scriptwriters (and even more educated producers) needed! Anyone around? Please reply to Miss Ektaa Kapoor. You'll find her hanging around with a glycerine supplier.

Backkkkkkkkkkkkkkk!!!!

Believe it or not, not blogging since quite sometime has given me an empty feeling. But hey, now that I'm back, it shouldn't matter anymore, should it? Maybe it should, because there have been so many changes and developments on my side that it is difficult (though not impossible) to catch up.

One thing I have realised- writer's block, the most dreaded thing among writers, is practically non-existent when you are working as a writer or journalist and have tonnes of work thrust upon you with the dreaded deadlines looming around you.

Another lesson learnt- I will never ever sit at a computer again without anti-glares. I've had enough headaches and watery eyes to realise that the computer can be horrible for my eyes. I just hope I don't start hating it. That would be the end of the world, wouldn't it? What would happen to Baby's Day Out? (Just the thought of it makes me shiver.)

Here's something for left-handed people who find polar bearsd cute- Polar bears are left-handed.

Why, how? I don't know! But I'd love to know why.

Working Out
I'm no Karnam Malleshwari, but working out is now a daily routine. I'd scorn at the thought of it, but when all roads pointed towards me, things changed! :-)
I wonder what people think while working out. I, for one, cannot be part of the survey because all the while I'm staring at the idiot box in the gym, waiting for a SRK song to play. The others, more serious work-outers, are too busy to look at the screen, unless, of course, Kareen Kapoor or J.Lo pop up.
Perhaps someday I'll be like the serious ones, working out, breathing hard, lifting heavy weights and not just dumbells, and then I'll qualify for the survey.
But someday is another day..............

Mitr- My Friend

'Sometimes a stranger can give you a better perspective.'

That's the crux of the story, and that's what attracted me most.

Of course, the concept, the story, the characterization, the script, it's realistic (and simplistic) nature were excellent too. But what drew me most was it's honest treatment of the true-to-life situation.

It could happen to anyone, anywhere.

Watch out for your mitr!

Backkk!

All right, I'm back to my dear blog. Do you think I could ever forget it?

It's a much-delayed return, with one exam being postponed to the 16th of March from the 1st; the root cause being the riots in Gujaat in which innocent and not-so-innocent people were killed, people who were caught in a web of religious fanaticism. Well, it's almost over now...but who knows what's going to be in store for us next?

Perhaps some world-renowned astrologer would be able to predict that?

I doubt. Even though people may claim it to be an accurate 'science', it's a very inexact field (I don't think it's a science). It may be able to predict a disaser, but not the exact nature of it, or the nitty-gritty details.

Catch you later!

Whoa Baby!

First of all, let me point out that this blog is NOT written by a baby.

Secondly, this blog is NOT meant for babies. (No adult stuff, however).

People wonder why I named my blog so. Even I wonder. Why did I name it Baby's Day Out? Is it because I like babies? Hell, no, as long as they gurgle and smile cutely they are fine. But when they begin to burp and do things in their nappies, I run miles away.

The question still remains.

Why this title?

Perhaps because it makes a surfer more curious than any other title would. After all, it is the market-driven age.

Nope, this doesn't sound like me. I have never cared about attracting people to this blog and keeping them hooked. (After all, I don't make any profits, nor do I intend to). Once I give the URL to someone, I don't repeatedly tell him/her to PLEASE visit my blog.
All right, all right, enough beating round the bush,coming to the point.

I christened this blog so because I'm on the verge of becoming an adult, officially, and I'm just beginning to get out into the real world, meeting different people, learning new things, and since I'm relatively new at this, I'm a baby! So...that's how the title came about in my wandering mind. Another reason: we all know that babies see things differently from the general view. Just like I do.

Satisfies me.

Or does it?

Lagaan's nominated!

Well, well, I was surprised. Others weren't. Of course, being nominated for Oscars is something to be very proud of. I was wrong and Aamir was right!

It's only the third Indian film to be nominated, and I'm sure Mr.Khan must be proud as ever.

I'm kind of secretly proud too. ;-)


Kamzor Kadii Kaun?

Whatever people have to say about KKK and its acerbic hostess, Neena Gupta has taken it well. And I think we should hand it over to her. She has undergone a complete metamorphosis since Saans and Siski, and does her job brilliantly. Right from the spurned wife to a spinster in India with two suitors to a sarcastic, unsmiling game show host, she has managed to earn respect and fame in a male-dominated industry (ignoring her personal life).

And who are we to complain if we can boost our general knowledge and see humans being mean as ever (in their true form)?

Stadiums in India

The thrill of watching a cricket match right in the stadium is awesome. Imagine your favourite player coming right up to the boundary to field, and you are seated just a few feet away from him. It's something you won't forget.

But watching a match here in India is now is a painful thrill. No water, no snacks, no cellphones, no binoculars, no cameras, no radios, you name it, and it's forbidden.

The reason for this cruel ban? Security of the players. (Cellphones are not allowed to avoid betting, as if that's going to stop people at home from betting). People might just throw their binoculars or radio sets or cameras on the players in case of a poor performance! I wouldn't, would you?

And you can buy food and water from the stadium. And since you are allowed to take them to your seats, the players are still prone to be missiled by the angry spectators. The rules don't work. The purpose of having those stringent rules is defeated. People smuggle in mobile phones by stuffing them in their socks and so are binoculars and other forbidden objects.

The rules don't work. The purpose of having those stringent rules is defeated.

Why have them then?


B-R-E-A-K

I might take a break. Not because I have nothing to write about (I have loads), but because I need to commit myself to my books for a few days without being distracted by anything. It's a study vacation!

The E-System (Education, not Ecology)

Teaching is a highly respected profession, if not too highly paid, at least here in India. But slowly, as scoring higher grades becomes a highly commercialised process, teachers are losing their respect, but earning more.

Not that it bothers them. Or the students for that matter. Everyone wants to gain something in this process. Students dole out large amounts of cash (I mean their parents), attend lectures at the other end of town in over-crowded classrooms for 6-7 hours at a stretch, and cope up with their homework while studying for tests at the same time. Sounds unbelievable, but it happened to me.

And now I'm so disheartened with this entire system that I don't feel like opening my books. Or maybe I'm just plain lazy (which I never was).



Sigmund Freud's Role in a six year-old's Punishment

I suddenly remembered an incident this morning. Can't figure out how it popped into my mind, because I wasn't thinking about the past.

This happened when I was six years old, in first grade. My usual teacher hadn't turned up that day in school, so the teacher next-door popped in and said,"Write down all the difficult spellings from the first five chapters of your textbook. Write each word thrice."
She then disappeared for a half-hour. She took a tour of our classroom when she came back.

She stopped near my desk, peered into my notebook and asked,"Are these the only words you find difficult to spell?"

There were only six words in my book.

"Yes", I replied.

That simple, innocent word angered her.

She sent me to sit on the dirty floor, muttering phrases like 'thinks she's too smart' and 'children these days are a real terror' and 'disobedient child'.

I was puzzled. Why should I have been reprimanded for answering honestly? If she doubted my honesty, she could have always tossed a couple of words at me to spell. But she didn't.

I didn't realise back then that I had pricked her ego, a Freudian concept that would that will never let go of anyone.

I think I have an answer...

I tried my best to find out the reason behind the cold wave in Mumbai (it's so cold today, I'm wearing a polo-necked shirt), and I found a possible answer to my query. According to my well-read cousin who is an authority on every topic, the tempertures in Mumbai vary with the weather changes in Shimla. It recently snowed in Shimla and the effect was felt here. Sounds far-fetched, but a quick scan of any geography text book will remind you of the weather and the factors which influence it.


Brave People

Here we are, being taught the importance of future security, and sticking to a career that is most-suited for our personality, and pays well too. Throughout their teens, kids are taught the importance of building a secure future, and sticking to it for the rest of their lives. At least that's what I have always been advised to do.

But now I notice things changing. On Rediff.com I read about an ex-CEO who now works as a counter-hand at McDonalds. Now that surprised me, why would a CEO of a well-known ad agency want to work at McDonalds?

And then I read about a few people who handle 3 or more different types of work simultaneously. Passion, restlessness, experimentation, whatever may be the reason for this trend, one thing's for sure: it's definitely catching on.

Perhaps I will be the next victim. Just hope my family does not faint from shock.

Cold Wave hits Mumbai

No one knows where it's come from, surprisingly newspapers are mum about it. It's cold here in Mumbai, which is unusual considering that it's warm here all year round, and the lowest temperature we have had must be around 30 degrees Celsius or so.

But now people have thrown away the moth balls and are donning their shawls, cardigans, sweatshirts, whatever. It's too cold to bathe for long, and it's impossible to even turn on the fan.

Strange.

Perhaps it's got something to do with global 'warming' which can cool the planet.

Answers, anyone?

It's c-c-c-cold now. What next? Hail? Snow?

PS-- Brrr..........

The Irony of Criticism

We are always taught to avoid criticising anyone or anything, unless, of course, it is our job to criticise. Film critics, specially, love to lash out at silly errors and dialogues in a film. You can't blame them though. After all, it's their job. And I'm sure they love it.
But sometimes criticism can take a U-turn, and backfire on the job-loving critic. Take the example of the film Asoka. It didn't fare well with the critics and most people complained about the movie being ridiculous and silly. I, of course, enjoyed it, because Shahrukh Khan was a part of it.

The reason I mention this is because, with the upcoming awards announcing the nominations for various categories, Asoka is a nominee in almost every category be it music, performances, or the technical aspects. I hope the critics are silenced now, and so are the people who outrageously criticised it, without even watching it!

Hah!

Foeticide v/s Suicide?

A few days ago I mentioned female foeticide in my blog. On first hearing it, anyone would self-confessed 'modern' person would exclaim:"Oh my! How cruel!" On second thoughts however, anyone's mind may change.....

Getting rid of a foetus is another thing, but giving birth to a child and then killing her daily is another. The latter is exactly what happens to most unwanted, unaborted female foetuses. The girl is born without much celebration or fanfare as in the case of a boy. She is then brought up, educated and all the other things that have to be done are done, but with a sense of burden, rather than love or responsibility.

This situation is similar to you wanting a red shirt, but your friend giving you a blue one inspite of your express desire. You won't like the blue shirt as much as the 'wanted' red one, will you?

That's what happens. Unwanted girls are clearly and without any embarrassment treated less favourably than boys. The boys must be sent to the best school in the country, whereas the girl can go to just any B-grade one, won't make a difference. This is just one minor example, things can get much worse.

I know of a girl who attempted suicide, much to her friends' amazement. They always thought of her as a happy-go-lucky person. But her enthusiasm, it seems, was just a cover-up. A cover-up to hide from her friends and classmates that she was an unwanted girl receiving no affection or love from her family. Of course her suicide attempt took her parents by surprise(!).

But it shouldn't be a surprise. What kind of life must it be for a girl who knows that she's just a problem; not being loved or cared for, or looked after?

Her life must be hell. Maybe worse than that. No one will ever know what happened to the girl if she dies......

In that case, won't foeticide be a better (read less cruel) option?

What is a Blog for, anyway?

By definition, a 'blog' is an online journal or log or personal diary belonging to an individual or a group.

So what is one expected to write in them? My answer is: anything. Anything what you are thinking about and would like to share. If I suddenly start thinking about movies, and a moment later, about academics, then it should be on my blog. That is, if I'm comfortable writing about it.

But according to my friend, who doesn't bother to open my blog, a blog should be 'interesting'. This is what happened next.

In this, P is her.

Me: Interesting? How?
P: Well, you know, stuff that your friends would like to know about you....
Me: Like what time I woke up, what time I went to college, what time I bathed, and what kind of music I'm listening to?
P: Yup, something like that.
Me (to myself): Grrr....
P: Well? Will you be doing that from now?
Me: No. But wait till Tuesday and see what I do.
P: What will you do on Tuesday?
Me: Give you a dose of what I'm doing now. Wait and watch.
P: I don't mind!


Well P, you wanted to know about what I do, right here on my blog, I told you what I did on Sunday....happy?

(Note: Grrrrr......)

War Alert!

My grandfather and uncle were in Amritsar today. Amritsar is my home town-- I wasn't born there and have visited it only twice, but that's where most of my ancestors lived, and many far-off relatives still live there.

Food wise, it's excellent. You get some of the best truly Punjabi(read dipped in oil and ghee) dishes there.

Historically, that's where Jallianwala Bagh is-- where innocent Indians were massacred by General Dyer. Also, that's where the Operation Bluestar was executed.

Geographically it's a stone's throw away from Lahore, Pakistan thus making it a very important strategic point for army and BSF officers. (I could see Lahore from the Wagah border, it's so close).

Today, while people were busy with their work, school, play and eating, Fighter planes were heard and spotted in the skies. Panic spread and people ran home, thinking an Indo-Pak war had begun.

Thank God it was just a practice session.

Maybe next time will be a real one.

Spare the Girl, Save a Life

Female foeticide is common everywhere in India, not only the lower income groups, but also the educated people resort to this when in desperate need of a male child in their family.

And it's not only those shady doctors who do the sex determination tests, but also the famous ones, the ones who deliver celebrity babies and are all over the papers. The sex determination test (the secret one) which needs to be done before it's too late for an abortion is done, is a slightly complicated procedure, involving withdrawal of amniotic fluid and increasing the risk of the child having congenital defects. Most to-be mothers are willing to bear the risk and pay an exorbitant price for the all-important test. Of course, this test is done only on the most trusted clients.

I did a bit of asking around casually and have come to the conclusion that in almost every family in this country, female foeticide is an accepted norm.

I had a taste of this a couple of years ago. A woman from an exteremely rich family, herself very well-educated, gave birth to a baby boy--15 years after giving birth to two girls. At the naming ceremony, the grandmothers beamed happily and pronounced gleefully: "We always said it's very important for girls to have brothers. Our wishes for a boy for her have finally come true." The mother nodded in return. Seems she was very happy too. It also seems that she had three abortions.
The sisters have nothing to say about their new brother, and they keep mum on the issue. Of course, everyone in the family knows it wasn't just a mistake; it was a deliberate mistake. Disgusting.

Ask any woman if she knows a doctor who does top-secret sex determination and female MTPs, and almost invariably, the answer you get will be 'Yes'. All the women I asked gave this answer.Everyone knows. It'a an open secret. What shall I say? I shouldn't be surprised, should I?

'Heard the Latest?'

In school, I had this really amusing habbit of walking upto my friends with some exciting news and say "Have you heard the latest?" And they would roll their eyes and reply in chorus "Now what?"

Now I don't get the chance to say that. And the latest is always about who is gonig out with who and who broke up and why. That is so boring and cliched. Nothing exciting anymore it seems.......

PS-- The only thing that will excite me now is perhaps my examination schedule.


Thank God Blogger's working now!

For a few days, Blogger was down (really). But now it's back, revitalised and great as ever. :)

War of Words

When are we going to grow up? Will just spewing words around the place help-- the Indo-Pak problem I mean. Vajpayee says something, Musharraf lashes back and brings up something new to debate about. And Vajpayee does the same in reply to the reply. It's going on and on, don't think it will end too soon. Of course, Bush's rather ironical (and hypocritical) comments are superficially noted and then conveniently sidelined.

I don't know who will win this war of words or whether there will be any winner or loser, but what I do know is that Prez Musharraf needs to polish his English vocabulary. After all, he should know the difference between 'armed intruders' and 'terrorists' and 'freedom fighters', right? I'm ready to give him free lessons on the condition that he NEVER forgets them.


Bye Bye India

The media converage of the Pakis leaving India makes the Indian Government sound like a bunch of morons with not a single drop of compassion in their blessed souls; and the people leaving like heroes. So maybe the people who run this country behave like a bunch of morons, but hey, softening up doesn't get you anywhere, at least not these days. And if Big Brother you-know-who toughens up, isn't it time the so-called Gentle Kid also grows up?

As for the people going back to their country, they won't feel homesick anymore.