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.