Riding the WAVE

Yup! I just joined the Google Wave ride...and I am getting excited about the various features Wave boasts of....

The only problem is that very few of my friends are actually on Google Wave, as of now....

I guess, I will have to wait till everyone is on board, before I can start "riding this Wave"!

The Fairer Sex

My dad made me read this article in the morning newspaper, and it got me thinking about the "Fairer Sex". Given that I belong to the category, it is perhaps all the more appropriate that I write something about it.

During my school years, I often used to play cupid for my "love struck" friends (although, I wonder if any of us actually knew what 'love' really meant!) Anyway, I used to write poetry for these friends and work as mediator when they got into arguments. Something I had noticed then, and continue to observe till date is that guys; no matter how plain Jack they might be, want the prettiest girl in town! They are not bothered what the nature of the girl is, she has to be 'fair, slim and beautiful'.........now where else have I noticed those 3 words??

Oh yeah........in almost every matrimonial ad!!!

We often talk about inner beauty; how the heart of a person is more important than the face, because it is the internal beauty that is truly eternal.........utter rubbish!! If all this were really true, girls wouldn't be swooning all over the place to reach size 0, or spend truckloads of money at beauty salons to attain a certain level of superficial beauty!

However, there are still a few left who think that the nature of the girl is of utmost importance. There are those, who think that the caring nature, vibrant, heartfelt smile and open hearted laughter are the true assets for a girl. There are those who feel that if a girl is concerned more about keeping the people around her happy, rather than concentrating on her broken nail, she is worth spending the rest of your life with!

Any girl you know who is like that??

Interesting systems

It's the birthday of one of our family friends, and I was just talking to her, when she told me of an interesting incident.

Their family of 3 decided to get passports and applied for the same, through all the proper channels. The police said that they would have conduct proper verfifications for all the three and made two trips to their house.

Not very surprisingly, on the first trip, the police officer arrived on the day of Dussera. He asked all the required questions and then stood up to leave - although continuously asking "Aap kuch bhool to nahi rahe?" (Aren't you forgetting something?)

His next trip for verification included formalities pertaining to the lady of the house and the son. This time around, his visit was two days before Diwali! He conducted his operations with efficiency and verified that the son had a good character and lived at the specified address. Now comes the cherry on the icing - the son - Abeer.......happens to be 1 year old!!! And this time too, he repeated the question - "Aap kuch bhool to nahi rahe?" (Aren't you forgetting something?)

It is sad to see that the systems in India are so outdated and at times completely senseless; there is an absence of logic. How would anyone judge the character of a one year old?

The fact that inspite of proper education, we are not willing to withdraw support from practices like bribery, is a cause for worry. But then, complete blame cannot be placed on the civilians either - because there is an inherent fear in the minds that if the bribe is not offered, things might end up in a soup. If you don't give the postman his Diwali baksheesh, your mails might end up in the colony sewer or if the phone company guy is not given sweets on Holi, your land-line might end up dead forever!

Rememering those who are gone...

Tomorrow is November 26th....the day every Indian will remember with a little fear and a lot of sorrow. In particular, this day will be a black day in the history of one of the most vibrant cities in the country - Amchi Mumbai....

2008 - November 26: The day terrorists struck at the heart of every Indian, all over the world. Technically, they took over the Taj, the Trident and Nariman House, but in reality, they had taken over the whole country. For three days, the world watched in terror as a handful of young men, held innocent people hostage and then brutally killed them.

The incident not only caused numerous deaths and loss of property, but it showed how lax our security systems are. Even after one year, we are still grappling at facts and trying to figure out what actually happened.

The media did it's bit in publicizing how the spirit of Mumbai is that of "Never-Say-Die", but how many times?? How many times, will a city....a nation, allow such attacks on it's soul? And not surprisingly, this time the city of Mumbai retaliated - they spoke out that they will no longer bear all of this silently, any more.

Probably, we need to take all of this beyond just words - each time there is an act of terrorism , there is talk of how this is the last time. Processions are carried out as signs of protest, there is immense media coverage, important people say a lot of things.......and then within a few days, the issue dies out. People remember about the incident, when it is time for the next anniversary.

There are only a few who remember the incident forever - the ones who have lost their loved ones. Ask the parents of Major Unnikrishnan, and they will tell you how the one day changed their lives forever! Talk to the families of the police officers who bravely laid down their lives for the sake of others, and you might get an inkling of what is the true meaning of loss.

It's high time that we decided that we no longer want to be victims of mindless violence..........we want our world for ourselves!! And in the words of Professor Moody (from the Harry Potter series) the only way of protecting ourselves is - Constant Vigilance!

Sea of people...

Today was dedicated to the India International Trade Fair! We, as in, my Dad, Mom and yours truly decided to take make a day out of the trade fair and enjoy what the numerous states of India had to offer.

However, the fair was pretty disappointing - there was hardly anything state specific in most of the stalls, and as Pa quoted wisely - it looked more like the local Diwali mela, than an international trade fair.

It's disappointing to see that such trade fairs, which can actually be turned into opportunities to learn about the incredible traditional and cultural heritage of our nation, have been converted into "just another shopping festival".

There was once a time, when my Pa used to take me to the trade fair, so that I get to see how people in other states lived and what was special about them. He saw it as a chance for his child to learn more about this great nation, we call home. Unfortunately, for kids today, the fair is nothing more than a day to run around, eat 'junk food' and hang onto their parents, coaxing them to buy the latest toy!

Me....back!

All right......ok.......so I didn't keep my new year resolution!

I am back....and this time I hope to be regular.......well let's see how far I get with that!

But somehow, I have a feeling that this time around, I might be better at the writing part. For one, I actually held onto a job, where I was paid to write.......and second, I have more thoughts roaming around in my head, then before!

So, without expecting too much from myself, I undertake this project once more!