Enrique goes overboard with "Sad Eyes"

Enrique has come up with yet another superb song Sad Eyes, and as his songs become more and more melodic, his videos become more and more bold. The fans of Enrique Iglesias would surely be able to tell this. His earliest of video songs were "Bailamos", "Rhythm Divine" and "COuld I have this Kiss Forever". Each had enough of kissing and stuff to make it a hot no. With in "COuld I have this Kiss Forever", an orgy going on in the backdrop of the video.

This was followed by "Escape", "Hero" and "I dont know why". Hero had some love making scenes between the lovers in the video, while "I dont know why" had a girl bathing and wet as the main model of the video. Next up were "Addicted", "Not in Love"; with the videos getting bolder each time, with enough steamy scenes packed in.

His album Insomniac maintained the tempo. Songs like "Do you know", "Somebody's me", "Tired of being sorry", "Push" and "Taking Back my love" which were turned into video songs eventually all had love making as the theme. Giving enough of Enriques body show.

The latest video song that has been released is of a song from his Debut album Enrique, and the song is titled "Sad Eyes". The song was originally shot in 2000, but wasnt released bcause it was considered 'too hot to handle'. After almost 10 yrs, when the fans have got used to his skin show, the song has been recently released finally. And man, the video is unlike any other video of Enrique that u have seen. The only thing I can say is that he has just stopped short of pornography, and and is as erotic as it gets.

The video features an oiled shirtless Enrique looking up at an ad of a call girl and "massaging himself". Eventually, he brings home the girl, where they make some really hot moves, in a bath tub (with almost fully nude Enrique!), followed by a pole dance, gestures of the girl performing a blow job. Yes, he has shown it all, stopping just short of turning it into a porno. Dont believe me? Well, here are a few screen shots from the song (and man, they are HOTTTTT!!!!).

I thought his songs were getting better day by day while his videos were getting bolder and bolder. But seems I was wrong. He was bold enough in 2000 itself, he is jjust oening up to the world now.

And the struggle goes on...

I never thought I would be writing this, specially after it seemed that the dust had finally settled on "me being a gay", but the occasional comments I keep receiving now and then just makes me wonder and affirms what I had written earlier- Perceptions haven't changed much, they have just learned to live with it. If they get a chance, probably they would do anything to have "me changed."

Such comments during those initial days didnt bother me much, since I attributed this to their ignorance. But even after 4 months have passed, when I hear something from someone, its makes me think- Will things ever change? Some are just too convinced that I have a sexual partner in college, others still think that having sex with a girl would change my orientation and for some, gays are simply sex obsessed men! Here's a few comments I have had to hear even from people who supported me all along. May be, their intention was never to hurt, but unknowingly they have.

This one is from the initial days, but has been engraved deep in my memory, more so because it probaly reflects the general opinion. So, I was sitting in the room of this Mr. N, when Mr. N2 came in and after a few mins, the discussion went over to me, and Mr. N2 expressed his support. Now, Mr. N wasnt aware of it till then. After I came back to my room, Mr. N came to my room on some pretext, and asked my roommate in a low tone (but loud enough to be heard by me). "IS it right? Then, dont you feel afraid?"

Mr. N3 and I were coming together towards the hostel. On our way, he suggested, "Before we pass out, you should better rape somebody. No one will catch you, since we would have left by then." So sick!! I just asked him, so do u plan to rape girls b4 passing out? Just goes on to show that little has changed. May be, he might say it was a light- hearted remark, but it was too insensible to be said at all.

Another guy probably holds the view that gays are sex obsessed. A recent comment was- So, u want to have sex? Now, why wont a person who is 21, with a perfectly normal and healthy sexual life not desire it? Is there something wrong in it? People here have gone on to fck prostitutes; somehow, that was perfectly acceptable and something to be proud of, because its perfectly fine for a man to do that, in any way he does it. But, its wrong for a gay person to hold desires, because his desires are somewhat different. So, he is a sinner. Oh! this Indian Hypocrisy. One more thing, many of these men infact expect that their would-be wives should be virgin! Now, another classic example of Indian hypocrisy.

And for those who hold the view that gays are sex- obssesed and all, let me point out a few things. DC is flooded with pics of girls and women from other colleges. Some of these are private moments. They browse the photo albums of other girls, just copy the pics to their lappy. Now, isnt it a breach of someone's privacy? How is this ok? U have them saved, people whom u dont even know. But that is perfectly fine. At least, I am not sick enough to do that.

Another incident that occurred during the mid- sem exams that is highly deplorable. As usual, we had arrived much b4 2 pm. The classroom had filled up by then. Then a group of Post graduate girls passed from the front. Some "friends" who were near the door started passing lewd comments, and made catcalls. A clear case of eve-teasing. But, that is perfectly acceptable, bcoz thats how men are supposed to act! There is nothing wrong in finding someone attractive, but its grossly unjustified and highly deplorable to make that person uncomfortable. U can surely keep ur feelings to urself!

And there could be a long list of such things. What I fail to understand is "Why/ what exactly is the hatred against gays for?" This is a question I still find hard to obtain an answer to.

I had been asked by some, why didnt you reveal ur orientation earlier(to them)? I hope this post would help explaining my point. Its because its a everyday fight then, where each of your little actions is questioned, and your friendships questioned. Not everyone is ready to fight such a battle. I just decided I would, even if it leads to a thousand stabs evry now and then.

A Visionary PM, a qualified government

These days, often the discussion with my friends turn towards the Indian Govt. and the changes it is trying to bring about in the various spheres. Even though NDA govt was impressive under Mr. Vajpayee, the policies of the current UPA government leaves NDAs tenure far behind. That the re-elected UPA government was upbeat was evident from the speech of Dr. Manmohan Singh. A man who had mostly remained silent when he was accused of being a weak PM, was oozing with confidence in the opening speech of Parliament. Probably, Dr. Singh was now upbeat that people of this country had put their faith in his able leadership and provided him with enough seats, where he could implement his decisions without having to worry about allies taking away support and acceding to their demands.

An Oxford product himself, he had been the architect of economic reforms which bore fruits in the longterm, and NDA reaped full benefits of it. A visionary, he chose his Cabinet Ministers with care. Above all, the various committees that he set up to study the reforms required in different sectors were headed by intellectuals, and not politicians. He went about this in such a manner that Congress finally asked him to see that the committees included politicians too, who were left grumbling in private. Case in point is The Yash Pal Committee, the UID project. There couldn't have any better person at their helm.

In this regard, I would also like to appreciate Mr. Kapil Sibal. I have always believed that India requires leaders who can bring about radical changes in the current scenario. Mr. Sibal's efforts to reform the whole education system is a step in this direction. Without such radical steps, its not possible to put India on a fast track to development, and we would continue to be in our pathetic state of affairs. We might not be able to see short term gains, but in the long term, it is going to have a deep impact. For a country to develop, it must look at long term benefits, just like Manmohan Singhs economic reforms bore fruit after nearly 10 yrs, and now, we have a vibrant economy. I would also like to mention that the govt has introduced various policies and scholarships to attract bright minds to research.

Talking about educational reforms, The Right to Free and Compulsory Education is another appreciable step of the govt. The bill makes it compulsory for private schools to keep aside 25% seats for the economically weak students. Govt. would bear all expenses, including that of books. A family can approach concerned officer who would make sure that the child gets admitted in a pvt or govt. school in the neighbourhood. Schools would be adequately fined on denying the provisions. Another historic decision of the government
is its decision to pay the interest being accrued on Educational Loan for studying in a recognised private or Govt. Institution in India during the period of study for students whose family income is less than 4.5 lakhs. Though, its unclear to me currently whether its benefits can be enjoyed only by students who have taken loans in 2009( and after) or also by those who are already studying. Again, in one of the articles that a net search threw, it was written that you can avail of this facility only once, either in UG or PG. So, kindly gain complete information about it before availing this facility.

In the end, I would like to point out the fact that Dr. Manmohan Singh is a higly qualified academician and intellectual, revered world over for his knowledge and vision. So is Mr. Sibal, P Chidambaram and many others who are holding key positions in the current government. Appointing people like Mr. Tharoor and Miss Sangma key position in their first term as MP shows that Dr. Singh looks above petty politics of loyalty towards Gandhi family or a religion. He respects knowledgable persons, and knows they can bring revolution. Kudos to this visionary PM and his government. I suppose, (as I have always believed) its time that we bring in certain minimum qualification for a person to be a MP. This way, Politics can get rid of many hooligans.

Once again, Kudos to the current government. If it continues like this, there is no reason to believe that it wont come for a 3rd term under Dr. Singh.

Shocking Indeed, But in a different way

Too many things have transpired in my life since the college reopened. I entered the hostel, only to be greeted by Mr Bansal's - "I read your blog", as the welcome speech. I was surprised a little. Too many thoughts ran through my mind. My heart started thumping. While a part of me had always wanted that to happen, another part had always held me back. I had crushed that other part when I wrote that blog in Feb, but still, it was limited to a few people. I decided to finally confront the situation, and replied back- "Its good then". Soon a few others were telling me the same thing, with that wry smile on their face, and that evil glint in their eyes. I knew, finally, the cat was out of the bag and I must not flinch.

However, I wasnt fully aware of the exact situation, until my room mate arrived. All that I had faced till now was- "What am I hearing, U have written something in your blog", with that expression in the eyes that I find so hard to explain. And I answered it with an emphatic yes. Only after he arrived, and was probably flooded with all kind of "queries" and "suggestions" did i get to know about the "talk of the hostel". Well, there were various versions going around. Some said, I had declared in my blog that I was gay, and that I had a partner (and i suppose they meant sexual partner (whatever that means), and not boyfriend) supposedly in Delhi (dont know how they arrived at it), some said I had written something supporting Gay rights, others said I had come out against Sec 377 (as if supporting the cause makes u a homosexual!). Whatever it was that they heard, all of them were interested in one thing- "finding my partner."
Strange!! Assuming a 1% homosexual population (who mostly remain in the closet), pure statistics gives the 99% an edge. These 99% should have little difficulty in finding a "partner", for heterosexuality is so much common. In that case, should it be assumed that these 99% have a partner of their own (and they clearly are at an advantage).

But, the most shocking thing for me wasn't the hunt or interest generated in my sex life (I had anticipated such reactions). Instead, it was the harassment of my room mate! While no one went beyond those "What am I hearing!!" while questioning me, he was being harried with all that shit. Feel so sorry for him and dont know how I can apologize to him. But, I must thank the person who "spread the word", for it not only helped me open up, and become comfortable while talking about the matter, it also proved that many of my fears were unfounded.

Life hasnt become hell (really surprising!), but I know, that doesnt imply that people have become tolerant or acceptable. I have had some of the most frank conversation with a few friends, and received support from most unlikely corners. But I didnt start writing this post to narrate all this, instead, I had started with the intention of sharing some of the comments I received in these days from various people. Many find it hard to believe that a man doesnt have sexual feelings for a woman, but with time, have now learnt to accept it (or should i say, live with it), never leaving a chance to explain how "well" it feels. Here are some of the comments-

"So, who is your partner"- The most common , most annoying and most offending one. Why, does every straight person has one? Do they imply that they have reached the age of 20, fucking around women, and so expect the same? How many homosexuals have they known to arrive at such a conclusion? And someone's private life is none of ur business.

"When did you turn gay?/ Tum gay ho gaye ho"- As if, its a switch that u turn it on or off. As if u decide that since everyone is running around behind girls, I shall not follow the herd. No one turns gay my friends. He is one or he is not. Its just that you weren't aware of the fact before. (Of course, I am not telling that a person cannot develop such feelings at a later time. But thats another story.)

"Try it out with a girl at least one time, may be you will change" to "Go to a Red Light area, we would pay the money"- Now, doesn't attraction come to you naturally. This has been the most outrageous one. Never did I say I was a bisexual. That explains the plight of lesbians, who are often forced into marriage. Understood u dont get it, as to how can someone feel differently, but doesn't imply that u go on to make such comments!!

"Who will go through this big a blog, just show me where have you written it." Probably a thing of amusement for this guy.

Now, some positive comments

"I appreciate your boldness."- Thank you! Indeed, I couldn't take it any more. If only I could explain, how painful it is to remain hidden. Explains why freedom fighters started revolting against British, braving all tortures and hardships.

"That changes nothing between us."- A really matured approach.

Well, there are quite a few lessons I have learned. The first and most important – coming out doesn’t only affect you. It also affects the lives of those who are near to you. I am still pissed about all the shit that my roomie has to hear often. All this, from people who have known you for over 3 yrs now. I get it, why it is always said to come out to your near friends only. Do I regret my action? Well, I cant really answer that. It has been a pretty smooth ride. But what hurt me the most? It was all the jibes directed at my room mate. I would sure take this into account when I come out next time to someone. How my action could affect his/her life.

Most of the literate persons are still uneducated. I must say, despite so much sensible media coverage in the recent days, they are still ignorant about the reality. Mostly, they shun any news report that has anything to deal with the topic, unless of course it makes fun of the group, because that’s what they have in their mind. All that a majority of this “class of intellectuals selected through JEE”, who make sure that they have THE HINDU coming in their room because they want to read “good english”, could think about was sex. Who said being gay was all about sex? Sex is a part of anyone’s life, but not the beginning and end of it. And if I may point out, its jerks like you who go about raping women, molesting them at the slightest chance, making the society unsafe. Hardly any day goes by when there’s not a report on breach of a woman’s modesty in the most inhuman way. But still, you hear someone’s gay, and he is the one who is considered an assaulter. I don’t know, what this “Hindu” janta reads in the paper. But, you try and start a discussion on any current news, most of them would be at a loss of words. Just subscribing to a newspaper won’t improve things, you must go through it. And I am specifically pointing towards The Hindu because of the fixation of students here. And I must point out, that in the last month, it has published some of the most sensible articles, written by doctors from prestigious medical colleges. Still, if that is what your mindset is, then either you don’t read the articles, or you don’t want to break your prejudices. So, get your thinking “straight”.

And there are a thousand things I would like to write down. But, I always intended to keep this post short and precise. But as always, I have failed miserably. So before I wind up, I would once again like to thank all those who have been supportive enough, specially my roomie. If only I had considered this aspect too… But anyways, I owe a special thanks to that mysterious person who helped spread the word. Had it been not for you, I wouldn’t have ever come to know that I have such good friends, and that many of my fears were unfounded (though not all). There are many things I have learnt in the last one month. The discussions surely would have helped clear misconceptions of some people. Others probably don’t want to change. You can close your eyes and pretend that there are no homosexuals crossing your path. But the fact remains, I might not be the first gay you have known and surely wouldn’t be the last. Whether someone discloses it to you, would surely depend on how sensible you talk.

Have Money, Will Spend it

Mayavati came up with yet another way to put Tax payers money to some fruitless use. You wake up, you take up The Hindu to read, you look at the front page and then the last, and there she is. She runs a full page colour advertisement titled "WHO IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE CURRENT POWER CRISIS IN UP? Let people decide themselves.. " And the whole page contains a white paper issued by Deportment of Power, UP. All this, in The Hindu which comes here from Kolkata!

I am not telling that governments never highlight their achievement, but somehow, the politics in UP is based on besmirching of the opponent, by showing they didnt work, instead of highlighting what the current govt has worked upon. And btw, a full page ad in a newspaper meant for Kolkata!! What did she plan to achieve. I mean it made sense if she had ran this ad in newspapers of UP, but is she still clinging to her PM dream and trying to generate public opinion?

Well, all she could do was think of another ingenious way of wasting public money. After erecting her statues all over UP by laying to waste crores of rupees immortalising herself (and God, how shameless she is in doing it), she is now trying to hold on to her people desperately. All the money could have been used for so much good things, helping poor, feeding the hungry, improving the infrastructure. As many pointed out, constructing park would have been so much better, if she had "beautification"on her mind. But no!! Indian politicians have their own whims and fancies and they are so happy to fulfill it using the money they get from the tax-payers.

And given the trend of politics, when the goverment in UP would change, I suppose the new government would again spend crores undoing the wrongs of the previous govt. When would they understand, working for the people is the only way to get re-elected and getting "immortalised". Look at Nitish Singh. He is working towards developing a better Bihar and he is receiving all the praise. But as it turns out, the situation only gets from bad to worse and people have little option in UP, where the other main party is of Mulayam Singh Yadav, who had promised to remove English from the UP board curriculum for students. Anyone else has any better ideas to push India back some 50- 60 yrs?

But the scene is not restricted to UP. West Bengal is another perfect example of bad and worse. We have the Left parties on one hand, who have ruled the state for over 30 yrs now. During this tenure, they turned Bengal from a prosperous Industrial state to a state known for "BAndh Holidays". Yes, if u observe carefully, u would find that the bandhs are always called either on Fridays or Mondays to give an extended holiday so that they may go out to move their relatives during the weekend. And they were so happy closing the Mills and Industries initially in the name of socialism, that now they remain locked, without any hope of revival. But the recent Lalgarh incident has gone on to show their apathy towards the people.

Finally, when it dawned upon Buddhadeb how Kolkata had been turned into a sick industrial place, he did everything to attract the Nano, which would have surely turned the tide. But, our dear Mamta Didi wouldn't let Bengal progress. The whole of Bengal frowned upon, but she stuck to her ground and Tata said bye- bye. Things are turning towards her favour now, and there seems some real possibilty of the Left being overthrown. But would she follow what she propagated while in opposition, or like all other opposition parties, shun those theories, being fully aware how stupid they were. Well, I guess we have no other option but to wait and watch.

Living in Oblivion- Freedom Untamed

When you move into a new city, where hardly anyone knows you, there can be two ways you handle the situation- you feel lonely, bored, and home sick; or; you could see it as an opportunity of freedom. Freedom to try new things, things you would normally never do, because of all the social pressure or because you might be made fun of, or for any other reason.

 Well, I fall into this second category of people. Being a no one in a city had excited me from the beginning, and so I decided to try things I never did till now.

 As a kid, whenever I would catch cold, as a household remedy, I would be given slight alcohol (whisky i guess), and God, it would taste so bitter,I would mix more and more water, to no avail. Now, I always had this curiosity to "taste" beer. Never did it in college, so I decided to break the barrier here, more so cause

 liquor here is so cheap (beer for RS 35!). The low cost had always attracted my attention, until one day I gave in, taking Karthik into my side, who btw wasn't new to drinking. So I had the assurance that at least I won’t have to throw it all if I am unable to drink it. Now, the big question was- Who will go and buy it, since none of us had bought it before and it felt “odd” (Oh God! How will I ever buy a pack of condoms?). But then again, being unknown gave us confidence and both of us went and Mr. knowledgeable Karthik asked for Haywarts 500.

All done, we sat down to drink, and the plastic cup of Verka (in which curd is sold here) that we had kept became my glass, while Karthik chose to drink from the bottle directly.

The first sip taken in, and my reaction- “Oh God!!!! What have I drunk??? Its like the most bitter homeopathic med!!” The whole of my body shook after that first sip. And to think of it, I had the whole 250 ml left to finish. Karthik provided “moral support”, advising how to gulp it down without holding it long in the mouth. But nothing helped, and I realized why people have snacks while drinking. I somehow managed to drink almost all of it (along with some bhujia that was there in the room, thanx to Nasir). But as they say, your patience thins away when you are close to the end. Just when the last sip was left, I decided to throw it away, as I cudnt tolerate the bitter taste anymore. And that’s when I decided not to drink it ever in the future (hopefully).But I also realized that it provided the warmth from inside, and that in cold climates, it could help fight the chill.

But the worst was yet to come. No sooner had I finished the drink that I started belching, and it had that taste of beer that I just hated so much now. Oh man! The belching continued at varied intervals till I went to sleep. Geeeshh…. I hate it when belches are full of the taste of food u have eaten (even if I love the food), and here I was, belching out with the taste of something I had just begun hating. That gave me another strong reason not to touch Beer again. Though, my list still has wine, vodka and champagne left to ‘taste’. And the next day, a very strange thing happened. Wherever I went, it smelt like beer. The soap inside the CSIO’s lab, the lunch, pretty much everything that emanates scent smelled that awful smell of Beer.

I wasn’t successful in the next thing I targeted. Sheer bad luck. I guess 1 month’s time was just too short for that.

The third thing that I cud do was set the most sexy desktop wallpaper of my choice, without having to bother about others and their questions, since each one of us used their lappy on their lap, and hardly anyone ever meddled with your lappy or sat beside you while u

were operating your laptop. So, one of the first sign of my freedom was my changed wallpapers, from some decent  shirtless actors to semi-nude models. Some real eye- candy for over a month. Oh! I loved it.

Success or failure, whatever may be the case, I loved living in anonymity here. It just gave me a chance to be myself, without any botherations. And with all this ghumna- phirna, I achieved what I had in my mind when I chose Chandigarh for training .

Problems with the beautifully planned city of Chandigarh!

Enough good things have been said by everyone about the planned city of Chandigarh. The architect of the city was dumb, I would say. You must be wondering what made me say so? Go through the rest of the blog, and you would also probably appreciate this fact.

1)  The biggest problem with the city is that it is all the same! Yes, each sector, each market is of the same construction. For a new person, there is no way to differentiate between two sectors. Imagine going to a place where everyone looks alike! How would you tell apart one person from another? What I mean to say is that in any new place, you tend to look for some unique places or landmarks so that you dont get lost. But here, you would be in a helpless situation as each sector has a park, a market, a chawnk, all identical in construction. So, you are bound to get lost. It is really boring walking along the streets here.

2)    For the first five days until we got accomodation inside CSIO, I stayed in Mohali with a cousin. Without doubt, I used to get lost while returning back. Its then that I realized the second problem that a visitor will face. You would die walking here. People here are extremely helpful. I would ask them for directions and they would guide me, and point towards the next chawnk.The distance between two chawnks here is 1 km. Now here's the thing. From one chawnk, the next chawnk is easily visible. So you tend to think, ' Its close by, why should I waste Rs 5 for such a small distance'. You start walking, and realize that its a long walk. You reach the chawnk, and then you would again be guided to the next chawnk. The same thoughts run through your mind again, and you give in to them. Each day I used to walk 3 chawnks in this manner while returning back to Mohali. Exhausted, I would then decide to sit in an auto finally, only to realize that I was so close to my destination. All this when I would already be tired, as inside CSIO too, the buildings are far away. As mentioned before, each sector has a market. Now, this market covers the whole sector lengthwise. So, it runs from one chawnk to another. Even when we got rooms inside, in the evening we would go out for dinner, and come back tired and exhausted as we had to go from one end of the market to the other for the Dhaba(which was damn expensive, doesnt deserve being called a Dhaba). In short, you need to have a motorised vehicle in this city, else you would die walking.

3)  Now, the best thing about an unplanned city is that you would find every kind of shop at any stretch of the road. Most of the cities in India are unplanned, and I now realize, how friendly these cities are for a commuter. While on those long expeditions, I would so often have my throat parched. But, being a planned city, you wont even find a small stall to have something to drink. You must have enough energy left in yourself to reach the next market, else you are doomed. Interestingly though, at many places, I found liquor shops in the mid of two chawnks at various places, though there was never a shop  ot stall where you could find drinking water. 

4) The city sleeps early. As the clock strikes 8 pm, shops start downing their shutters, and it would be hard to find an auto that will take you to your destination without telling," Reserve karna hoga". If you ask them to pick up more passengers on the route, pat comes the reply,"8 baj gaye hain, ab kahan koi milta hai". With buses plying at half an hour service, you are left with little choice.

     For someone who comes on a short trip to this city, these are the biggest problems he/she would face. I can't explain the relief we would have on days we wouldn't have anywhere to go in the evening. We would be so happy to be in the room, as there wouldn't be tiring away of our legs.

 It would be gross injustice on my part if I dont mention the things that impressed me, and would impress anyone on a visit to this beautiful city.

1) People here are extremely helpful. Be it inside CSIO or outside. One instance I would like to mention is when we hadnt been confirmed accomodation inside. We were resting in a park, and decided to ask a person on an evening walk for any cheap dharmshala or hotels nearby. The person took us to another jogger, who detailed us on such cheap hotels in the nearby area, while the other person even offered to give his phone number, lest we face any difficulty. Now, need any more thing be said regarding the hospitality of people here?

2) Yes, the city is beautiful. What makes it beautiful are the well maintained park that you would find in every sector and are full of activity in the evening. Some parks even had fountains. This coupled with the greenery all around, has a soothing effect on your mind and body.

3) It is heaven for booze lovers. No where in India would you find liquor as cheap as this place. Each market has 3-4 liquor shops, which are always bustling with customers in the evening. Too bad, none of us drink. Beer starts at Rs 35 here!!

From the eyes of a Tourist

With nothing much to do, I was killing time by browsing through the net, one of my favorite pass time, when I stumbled upon this article. It's been written by some foreigner who came to visit India. Its about some of the observations that the author made in India. Titled "Prepare for Culture Shock in India", the author seemed to be a great observer, like me for the things noticed. Though all the points mentione are very true, but it is not the kind of image you would like a traveler to take with him/her. Here's the link to the article, do go through it before proceeding further : http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09123/966790-37.stm/

Now, there are a few things that even I have observed, and I have often chuckled inside.
The first one- "Holding Hands" that the author mentions. Well, its so rampant here, men holding each other's hand while walking etc. I read about it in newspaper that in the west, men holding hands implies they are gay lovers. Its a universally accepted gesture there, surpassing the borders.
So each time I see two men holding hands here (and as she points out, its rampant), I just think- how is it that they aren't aware of it? ANd I can only chuckle in my mind.

The other point- "Colour", is another thing that we all must have observed. Its really disgusting to see how Indians ogle at white skinned people, at the same time, make insensible comments on dark skinned. When a person comes to visit your country, the least he/ she could expect is proper treatment at the hands of the native people. Equally disappointing is the fact that the government has hardly done anything to wipe out such discrimination, though it exists on paper. You make some insensible comment based on their skin colour in the west, and you are dealt with strongly. While such jibes are common here, I have never heard of any action being taken. We have got used to tha fact I guess. But, it is a really shameful thing.

After reading the article, I mailed the author, countering each point of hers, trying to explain why she noticed it. But the one thing for which I couldn't provide any explanation was the fixation of Indians with skin colour. I simply wrote- My apologies for what you went through.

So please go through the article, at least you will realize how inconvenient we make others, and how these small things leave a bad impression on foreigners. Surely, you wont like someone to go back with a bad image of your beloved country.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

(And if you were too lazy that you didnt click on the link, or if the page didnt open up owing to the pathetic net speed of ISM, I am copy- pasting it here too)

Prepare for culture shock in India

Sunday, May 03, 2009

By Katy Buchanan, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

India packs a big culture-shock punch for first-time Western visitors. Some of what I observed -- begging, extraordinary poverty -- surprised me by being so extensive. Other things I was unprepared for:

Hand holding

Indian men and boys hold hands, or sometimes just clasp pinkie fingers together, in public. It is not a gay thing, apparently, and I'm not sure it even connotes affection, since PDAs are frowned on in India. It was weird the first time I saw it, but I got a lot more used to that than the habit of public urination and public adjustment. This is seen all over the place.

Of all the people out and about on a daily basis, 90 percent seemed to be men who are not working. There are still arranged marriages and boys are coddled. This is from an article in the Hindustan Times by a writer named Samar Halarnkar:

"How do you get your children interested in cooking, especially your sons?

"It isn't easy, given the legion of kitchen-illiterate males our middle class produces. Sons always were -- and continue to be -- willing victims of the mera-raja-beta (my precious son) syndrome of adoring mothers who indulgently serve their sons and watch them eat."

Head waggle

The head waggle is kind of a shoulder shrug, but with the head. It usually follows a request and the closest translation I could figure is "whatever."

I had seen this early on in my trip, but it didn't crystallize until one morning in Jaipur, when we went for a rooftop breakfast at our hotel. My friend Kim, my hostess in India, went to the buffet to ask for cereal for her daughters. The unsmiling young man behind the buffet waggled his head, left-right left-right. And didn't move. (Although we eventually got the cereal.)

Begging

Non-Indians are the preferred targets for beggars. Kim said she has seen India natives reach out and smack panhandlers. Travelers are advised not to give, because the result will be more beggars or simply the same one with another hand out (which happened to us in Jaipur).

Many beggars did not seem to be destitute. Firm fleshy cheeks, healthy-looking babies, good teeth. But the deformities are dreadful and rarely seen in the United States.

Only once did I see a beggar get a handout. On the way home with Kim and her daughters one night, at a big intersection, a bearded man with one whole leg and the other amputated halfway up, wearing a thick loincloth, a shirt and a turban, was dragging himself along on his rear end, banging on car doors. Finally, a window rolled down, a hand came out and offered a bill. The beggar stared at it, then showed it around, before dragging himself off as the light changed.

Color

It's clear from the beautiful saris, brightly decorated trucks and ubiquitous flower garlands that Indians love color. The poorest beggar-women wore vivid saris and had jewels in their nostrils.

Skin color is another matter. Our pleasant afternoon at the park-like tomb of Moghul ruler Humayun in Delhi was marred by two incidents.

As we entered the grounds, a group of teenage boys stared and giggled at Kim's black skin. Later, two bearded, toothless old men, turbaned, wearing long flowing clothes and walking with sticks, pointed at her and whispered. These things happened almost every day, and Kim rarely missed an opportunity to call people on it -- especially to remind people that the president of the United States has black skin, too.

When I walked about by myself, I felt stares as well, I could only guess it was because of my white skin. But no one outwardly laughed. It happens to Kim all the time.

Food

Western travelers are advised not to eat fruit unless you wash it in bottled water and peel it yourself. Oh, the temptation is everywhere, though! When traffic stops at intersections, the coconut and watermelon vendors swarm out with delicious-looking wedges. In Paraganj, one man had a cart piled with the most gorgeous mangoes I had ever seen. Finally, on the plane home, I surrendered and ate the rather tired pineapple accompanying breakfast. And a few hours later was rather sorry.

Personal space

Indians seem to have few issues with personal space. One afternoon after shopping, we had stopped at a Kentucky Fried Chicken for lunch so Kim could get dinner for her daughters. (The chicken tastes exactly as it does here!)

When we were done eating, Kim went to use the restroom. As I waited for her, an Indian couple sat down at our table as if I, our trays and drinks were not there.

It was a little awkward.

For me, that is.

Katy Buchanan can be reached at kbuchanan@post-gazette.com or 412-263-1523.

First published on May 3, 2009 at 12:00 am

Interesting Things @ Delhi

Finally, am back from Delhi, with one promise- I would go back again next year to visit the places I couldn't see this time (if given a chance again). After all, you don't get such opportunity again and again where the company pays for your AC fares and you go sight-seeing the whole city!!

However, this post isn't going to be about what I visited, but as the title suggests, some of the interesting stuff that happened (rather I observed).

Day 0:

That is 8th April, the day we were to board our train. The only reason I mention it here is because we went to DVC(Damodar Vally Corp) on that day, and the trip had a lasting effect on my whole Delhi tour. How?? Well, we drank plenty of water that was so readily available there. Even inside the plant, we drank water from a cooler (which wasn't working). Just as I finished drinking, a worker asked us not to drink from there, as its not fit for drinking. The damage done, from the next day, it was sheer test of my endurance level against Nature's call at various odd moments. Often, I failed the test and had to go searching for toilets. I even broke my record of not relieving myself in Train. And, I overcame my hesitation of using the "Western Style". What and where were those odd moments? Please don't ask, coz they continued throughout those 4 days.

Day 1:

I went to my cousin's house to stay. He has a son of 5 yrs and a daughter studying in 2. His son was as inquisitive as any child of his age. And I learned, how hard it can be to explain things to a child, and that telling them lies is probably the best thing to do. Earlier, I was staunch supporter of the theory that the curious questions of children should be correctly answered. I never liked it when my questions were not properly answered by my elders. But, now I know how hard it can get. He would often put me in such situations where I had no choice, but to make up an answer.

Day 2:

This was the D-day. I arrived just in time for the test. (It took me more that 2 and half hrs to reach noida from the place where I was staying !). The aptitude test was pure test of speed (otherwise it was chutiyap)and when I came out and heard others' performance, I knew how miserably I had performed. But the really interesting thing.

At 3 o clock, they brought out the list. People were happy to find their names on the list, others disappointed. Then suddenly someone looked above the list. It was written "List of Not qualified candidates." There was a change in the mood in the two camps. People started cursing the company for playing this joke, coz generally, its the list of successful candidates. Whatever, it left everyone wiser.

The next intersting observation was about a person- Siddhant, our CR. Once we were reimbursed the money, we set out for The Great Eastern Place. There, I noticed that as soon as he stepped in, his mode of communication changed to English. Even when he reverted to Hindi, he would switch back to English as soon as he would spot a girl. Though I am the most wrong person to comment on this, but still, I don't think that speaking English would attract anyone to you, or enable you to hook up. The story continued the next day, when we entered Delhi Metro, or, India Gate or Lotus Temple. May be, I am absolutely wrong on this. But ...every time I think about it, I cant stop laughing.

Day 3

Nothing interesting as such. But the high point of the day (and the whole trip) was visiting Lotus Temple. Though I was inside the temple for a few minutes, but the peaceful environment did give a sort of mental peace. I had experienced a similar feeling in Shantiniketan too, early in the morning amidst nature's beauty. I took the pamphlet being distributed, which enlightened about the principles of Bahai community. The very principles on which the faith is based is something that I believe in strongly, if harmony needs to be restored on this Earth. It was great to know that such a faith already exists, and I whole heartedly endorse it. I just hope it is able to spread its message among others too.

Reasons of our own

Its so funny how we try to satisfy ourselves with our own reasons for situations that are totally out of our control. This post gets written after the reactions of some of my friends to the news that 5 of us had got a call for appearing in the summer intern interview of HLS Asia.

Though a Petroleum Company, each year it takes 1-2 student from elex for training and pays them too. In this dry season, you can imagine how coveted this training had been for everyone. But finally the call was received by just 5 of us.

Now, as has been the trend, toppers were no where in the scene except one. Rest 4 of us have GPAs hovering around 7.70. Now there were two people in my room when I was checking my e-mail, and their discussion sent me thinking a lot of things.

The first observation was that all were freshers. To this, I pointed out that I had dropped a year. Certainly like a science theory, this flaw had to be modified and replaced with a new theory. Promptly my roomy replied-" Teri MD kaam aai hogi. Tune form mein pakka kuch aisa likha hoga jo unhe pasand aa gaya hoga."

I tried explaining that I had filled the form hurriedly at the last moment and sections where you had to deliberate about ' why you want to join HLS' etc were copied from others. That a section in the form asked-'Are you capable of perfroming heavy manual work'. But I soon realised how useless it was. Had I been on the opposite side, probably I would also have been formulating such theories because after all, as one of my Gtalk message went- We are satisfied by our own reasons more than any other. Isn't it something we have been doing since first year upon learning such and such person got selected.

PM Mayawati!! God save India

Elections are nearing up and I just can't keep my mind from straying on the various possibilities. However, the scariest of them all to me is the emergence of Third Front. Suddenly, Left is now aspiring about forming govt. at the centre. They have already ruined Bengal (don't have much info about Kerala), held UPA back on various issues until it decide to go without them, and now they seem to be eager to unleash their wrath over the whole of country. And yes, they are choosing the best possible parties, who have the maximim capacity of doing damage to the country (as if they themselves were any less). The fact that BJP hasn't been able to put a united face ahead of elections is a cause of worry. They have already lost BJD, Chandrababu Naidu Jayalalitha, and at this rate, NDA is going to break soon. UPA also seems to be in disarray, with dissidents happy being under the dynasty rule.

Amidst all this uncertainties, to me, the fact that Third Front is growing each day is scary. And if anyhow, they garner votes, Mayawati is sure going to provide support contingent that she be made PM. Her MPs vote would be crucial for govt formation and so there's a realistic probability that she would become a PM. She has already started making statements to this end- 'If I become PM, I would bring in reservation for Upper Castes'. As if this country has less divisions on the basis of other things that she is bringing in one more criteria.

Just like when Manmohan Singh became PM there was a joke going around to the change of national song etc that would be made since the country had got a Sardar PM, here's what I think Mayawati would do. Given the eccentric woman that she is, who knows they might be enforced actually!!

1) Her birthday would be declared a National Holiday and declared as Dalit Liberation Day or something similar. I see a high probability of this happening since she is so fond of grandiose celebrations of her Bday.

2) PM's Relief Fund would be done away with. Instead, a new - Behenji's Bday Bash Fund would be established. People making contributions to it would be altogether exempted of taxes. Those making contributions in crores, or gifting her diamond necklaces would be able to count on her for any favour (remember the sparkling diamond necklace she wore in one of her Bday bashes).
Again a high probability of this happening for the above said reason.

3) She would try her best to banish Amitabh Bachaan and his family from the country. Even a small complaint and he would be seen packing his bags out of the country. Mulayam and Amar Singh would have been wise to leave the country beforehand fearing for their life.

4) Special offices would be opened in every district to deal with the heavy rush of people to issue caste certificates. And no! I am not talking about forged SC/ST/OBC certificates. If upper caste reservations would be introduced, surely you would require certificates to that effect too.

If you are now wondering what would Left be doing. I have an answer. They would keep themselves busy by making sure that every US- made thing remains outside India and then there would be the Herculean task of keeping two heavy weights- Jayalalitha and Mayavati together. After all women have traditionally found it hard to remain friends when they are at par.

Coming out of the Closet

Watched Milk (oscar nominated movie) yesterday. Such a beautiful movie, and an inspirational one too. Yes, I have been inspired by it a lot, and the flow of emotions in me are currently running so high that I have finally decided to come out through this blog, lest I again revert back to my shell. Yes, you read it right. Come Out.

I had been deliberating over this matter for a long time. Each time I watch such a movie or go through some one's coming out experience, I feel like breaking the veil myself. But, its never easy to come out and say, "I'm Gay". But I partially broke this veil a year ago, when I came out to one of my best friend. That was also after much thought, and when I could no longer bear the fact that he "didn't know me completely". I always thought what if he says "Dont talk to me again!". But, I mustered enough courage to break the news to him. Though quite shocked ( and I had to explain him a lot), he finally said- "It doesn't matter to me what your sexuality is. You are still the same friend to me." That gave me some courage and then I came out to my second best friend in Dec 08. He too has been quite supportive. But still, I had asked them not to tell it to anyone and so, I am almost suffering from the same plight.

I never had the courage to tell them in school, and I broke the news to them through chat, since it's simpler to do so as you won't have to see the reaction. And it is the same reason that I am coming out through this blog to the 2 followers of this blog. Now, let me just point out a few points why coming out is so difficult:

1) First of all, while growing up, its always confusing not to share the same feelings as others. You can't talk to others, cause you don't know why or what is happening. Once you realise the fact that you are gay, you realise that it is not something that would be accepted.

2) The worst fear is that of being ostracized. You suddenly become untouchables for many homophobics or ignorant people. You would be the butt of each joke, looked down upon, teased and discriminated against. And for what?

3) Coming out to the family is the most difficult. More so, cause in India, it is the duty of the son to carry the family blood ahead. Each mother wants to have her grandchildren. How are you to shatter the dreams of someone you love so dearly? And then, given the generation gap, you are never sure if your parents would be able to accept it and not force you to go against your will. This probably could explain why in India, there have been cases of lesbian girls eloping, but never any case of gays. I accept, men are coward not to be able to break free of these social bondages.

I know, if this news spreads in the campus, probably my life would become a living hell. Each of my action would be scrutinised and misconstrued, but I can't take it any more. It kills me each day to be someone I am not. I don't know how I would be facing others, but I know I must. Thanks to Harvey Milk to give me enough courage. Thanks to the speech of the director of Milk in the Oscars. I am finally out to at least two more people (with the potential of this news sprading faster than wild fire). For the homophobics, I just have one question- Don't you have left handed persons in the society, though majority of us are right handed. If you could accept them, why not Gays? Heterosexuality is not normal, its just common.

P.S.- If u would no longer like to talk to me and sever all your ties, you can directly tell me on my face. I would appreciate it and respect your wish.

Why India lacks a Young PM

This question has always intrigued me. Movies like Nayak and Love in December somehow touched the subject and some issues connected to it were portrayed that probably a young person would face. Elucidating more on such small, but definitely impactful things, I decided to make a list.

The second most populated country of the world with a largely young population hasn’t been able to produce a young PM till now. With elections round the corner, both the aspirants remain generations apart from the majority. Rajiv Gandhi at 40 has been the youngest till now (but will you call a man in his 40s as young!). Let’s delve deeper into the reasons of this aloofness.

1) Testosterone runs high when you are young and accordingly the chances of affairs are high. But then, how will a PM shed his security to meet his love? Moreover, love affairs aren’t treated with the best of respect in Indian society. One picture with his girl-friend, and the “moral police” would run riots on streets. If he is married, he won’t be lucky to remain unscathed if he does a Nicolas Sarkozy here.

2) There won’t be any hanging around with friends and neither would they be able to meet him so freely. No late night parties, no boozing or hitting the dance floor. All these are the very essence of youth.

3) A relatively older President Obama couldn’t come to terms with the fact that he would have to part with his Blackberry. How would a young person survive without his mobile? No showing off the latest gadget, because he won’t be allowed to have one. Can’t say about ipods, as none of the current lot of politician seem to enjoy this marvel. But it’s for sure, he won’t be able to plug it in his ears and enjoy the music as and when desired, especially in the ruckus of the parliament.

4) No longer would there be a first day first show enjoyment. On the rare occasions when he would wish to watch one, special screening would be held. So, no peeking around other couples in the darkness or sharing pop-corn with your own partner.

5) Another intriguing question is that he would probably have to give up wearing those T-shirts with some explicit quotes. Politicians have taken up some traditional dress(and its true for Rahul Gandhi too). His spouse would also be expected to wear “Indian Dress”. Pant- shirts for her would be a big no-no. See what happened to poor Sonia Gandhi!! AN italian, who is now always Sari -clad. Or for that matter Jemima Khan(when she was the wife of Imran Khan). She would never be spotted in a western dress, though both were western. This society would never allow a modern Indian Bahu.

Keeping in mind all the austerity measures that a young person would have to take, the youth of this country probably thinks it best to venture into this territory when he is ready to become a sanyasi and has little desires left. Unless the society changes itself radically, there seem to be no hope of having a young PM.

A fucked up year for me- monetarily

This year has been a tough one for me financially. The year didn,t start on a high note though. I was with DD and Vijit on 31st Dec 08 when I received a call from home asking me to come early. Though my sister sounded a bit tensed, I thought it to be the usual "come home early" call coz my mother wasn't allowing me to go out on New Year's eve. On returning back, I encountered a deadly silence. I knew it couldn't be due to me. I asked my sis and there came the shocker- my father had been hospitalized. He had fallen down from his cycle and broken his ankle and was going to be operated upon. 1st Jan thus began on a dull note. I went to the cafe to reserve ticket for my Mom online under Tatkal quota, while we were calling dad on phone and enquiring about his health.

Thus began my new year- on a sadistic and money-spending note. The ticket cost me around 500 and was the first in a series of expenditures that have followed me since then. The very next day I spent another 160 bucks for my own reservation to Dhanbad in the same train as my Mother said she would remain tensed for my well being since Coalfield reaches here at 10 p.m and Dhanbad is unsafe.

Once here, I had to see a dermatologist. This cost me another 600(100 as his fee and 500 meds). I didnt have 500 bucks, so asked for an ATM. The pharma man told me its nearby. I went there, the SBI ATM wasnt working. I saw HSBC one with that Maestro logo. I thanked the stars that now, I wont be charged those 25 bucks. To my dismay, when the slip came out, those charges had been applied. I found out that HSBC charges everyone irrespective of the logos on your ATM.

Next up was my trip to Kolkata between 24- 26. I had to buy a 1 GB RAM for my lappy(thats another painful story as to why?). I had planned to go on 25th(sunday) and then came to know that the market wud be closed. So, decided to start out early from my home on 26, do the necessary shopping and then catch my train. As it turned out, our patriot shopkeepers decided to keep their shutters down. The few that were open didn't have a RAM for Laptop. Dejected, I was going to the bus stop, when I decided to give it one more shot. This time, I was lucky though(and it was short lived too). I bought a 2 GB pen drive too for 250. Together, they burnt a hole of 1100 in my pocket . I asked him to attach the RAM too. It was past 4 pm, so in a hurry I didnt turn on my lappy to check whether it was working properly. And yes, you guessed it right. Once I reached the hostel, the laptop just wont show anything on the screen. Once the Ram was taken out, it started.

So i decided to continue with 512 MB of my RAM for the night. But to add to my woes, my windows showed the message- "Your windows is not genuine. You may be a victim of software counterfeiting". It wont allow me to access anything. Frustrated, I went to sleep at 10:30 pm( dont remember sleeping so early since first year). Next day, I went to the service centre. He asked me to keep my laptop there and apprised that it would cost me 400. With no option left, I decided to go ahead. When I went to get it back, he told me there was some problem with my RAM.

Luckily, Divir and Apurv were going to Kol that weekend. So, I gave them the bill and RAM to get it changed. But, he refused to change it telling them that some componenet was missing and it had probably got damaged while attaching it. They came back with it. SO, the next week I decided to go myself and bring MD t-shirts too. I got a ticket from Barrackpore till Dhanbad. Couldn't get my RAM changed, he kept it saying that he would send it to the company and if it gets changed he would do it.He asked me to contact after a week. I moved from there, and while on my way to the next destination checked my pocket to have a look at the ticket. Oh God! it wasnt there. Searched all my pockets. But couldn't get it.

My other destination was Esplanade. I had to meet a man who was to deliver t-shirts to me.I was asked not to pay more than 2500 for the t-shirts to him(they had decided upon 2750 initially). And all my attempts to do that remained futile( another monetary issue) and had to pay the whole amount. Finally, I bought another ticket from Howrah for my journey back to Dhanbad.

The fate of my RAM( and my 850) still hangs in the balance. I am to visit the doc again tomorrow. And there have been a no. of other small expenditures which came out of the blue. Dont know how much more will I be screwed this year. Just wishing that this tryst with bad luck ends soon. Otherwise I am soon going to become bankrupt!!

How to Rock Srijan- My advice to S-2k9 organizers

As was expected, I just got a confirmation once more from a S-2K9 organizer that Srijan is falling short of funds and the with no sponsors coming forward, the cuts would be from cultural side( read guest bands), which would mean it would suck even more this time ( the only reason I look forward to Srijan is that the rock nite is the only nite in the whole year when i feel like dancing and I dance, however stupid it might be).

I have got some great ideas for them which could help them sail through. If implemented, it could even mean some extra bucks for the S-2k9 team, which could go into their pockets or utilised in other events. Here's a list of bands/singers they should call in Srijan and how & why they will be able to raise funds too.

1) Enrique/ Ricky Martin/ Bryan Adams- Well both Enrique and Ricky are Spanish, great singers and loved by girls and boys alike. They would not only help in bringing the crowd to Srijan, but would be great to listen to too. What else, a substantial part of the crowd would be female(both have a large female following). If they want someone at a lesser price, Bryan adams would be the best choice coz this old bachelor would certainly consider his age to be a big impediment in his career now and ready to perform at lower rates.

2) Backstreet Boys/ Westlife- If attracting fairer sex is in the priority list (to relieve the sore eyes of this female starved ISM population), any of the two would do. I would advice going for Backstreet Boys, coz it would attract girls from all over India to swoon over the 4 hotties as they are far more popular. If anyone has even an iota of doubt, just watch any live performance of theirs.

3) Madonna-Britney/ Shakira/ Didi Girls- Considering the fact that ISMU has a large part of its population as male, ( and Indian man's obsession with firangis), a Madonna- Britney duet wud be ideal. And since both of them are great friends even now, we cud expect some repeat of the (in)famous kiss of the two in MTV awards. Or, they cud be made to 'move it' while remaining absolutely sure that their hips don't lie. I don't think any thing needs to be written for the Didi- Didi girls. Their video is self explanatory. This would help in bringing people from the remotest of corners in India.

4) Linking Park/ Coldplay/ Metallica/Nickelback- For rock lovers and those who love banging their heads, any of these would do.

If you are wondering how it would help in bringing cash to them, here is my ingenious idea. Start selling the tickets in advance. Even for the partcipants, charge some extra bucks to permit them to attend the show. Tickets would sell like hot dogs. For the first time ever, ISMU will register over 10,000 participants. The organizing team just wud have to arrange for some extra security, and shift the venue to lower ground instead of upper ground.

I hope they would bring one from each of the above four options. It would be a well-balanced show, catering to the needs of all kind of students. There's still time left, work it out and all the effect of this recession etc wont even be visible and this batch would be remembered for years to come. You have a chance to create history. Just do it!!!!!

How Religious!!

I have never been too religious a person. I mean I am not an atheist, but then you wont find me offering prayers or doing something out of tune for some occasion, specially if it's illogical. But that doesn't stop me from admiring persons who are pious enough to go to any length. And feel enraged when this lead to riots or terrorist attacks. But I got the inspiration to write this blog after a few incidents that happened yesterday on the occasion of Makarsakranti.

To start with, I was startled to find people who probably take a bath only when others stop coming near them due to the stench or all brands of deos too fail, taking a bath early in the morning. The reason- it was Makarsakranti!! People throng to Ganga Sagar on this day. SO they did their bit to please the Gods.

The day had other surprises too. Lunch consisted of Dahi-Chura. (I remember I was asked by the doctor once when I was suffering from indigestion once as a kid to have it. And I just could never gulp it down and instead opted for a few more days of suffering). Of course, I went to the canteen this time. Many probably opted to skip lunch too. I had been invited by my LG that day in the evening, so I had a sumptuous meal. Just as I was about to leave, another guest in their house also rued about the fact that her wife had served her Dahi-Chura earlier in the day. But as it turns out, no one protested and many were happy to have the traditional lunch. After all it was Makarsakranti and this is very much a part of a religious ceremony.

And this is exactly the reason why I am so much amused by all this. What exactly happens to people that they would do anything stupid, eat anything without questioning. Does the logical part of their brain gets switched off? I hope I find answers to these questions one day (without hurting anyone's sentiments, lest, I am banished or ostracized like Salman Rushdie or M.F. Hussain)

Wishlist

I had kinda thought about it before too, but after I watched a movie now, the feelings were revived in me and I couldn't help but write them down at 1 o'clock in the morning. This one relates to my sexual fantasy. Well, people change across countries not only culturally but physically too. And depending on that perceivable difference, I have always wished if I could ever get a chance to have it with them. Here's the list of different countries that are on my fantasy list:

1) France- Everyone knows that french are the best in bed. They already have a kiss named after them, and I would surely like to test the theory and play whole night long.

2) Russia- Half the world may loathe them, and movies like Hostel may show them as one who perform atrocities. But the fact remains, this darkness probably acts as a pheromone for me.

3) Arab/Middle East- Yes, they remain shrouded in mystery in their deserts and behind their strict Islamic rules. I would like to explore this unknown world. How many Arabs do you see even in movies? And when you do, they are just too beautiful.

4) China/ Japan/ Korea- What I actually mean is a Chingi. Yes, any chingi would do.

5) America- After watching so many hollywood movies since I came to college, I have drawn the conclusion that Americans are always eager for sex. All it requires is some talking while sitting in the bar, or anywhere. Just smooch and then things take their own course.

And after reading this, If you call me a Sex freak. then I would say you are a hypocrite. Surely, you must also be having your own wishlist, but I just decided to write them down. And if your ans is No, they go and have your hormones checked coz you are really fucked up. Believe me since was a Bio student once.

A belated post

The post of today should have been posted by me on 25-09-08- the days when poly was at its height and it evoked some very strong emotions in me (obviously against what was going on). And I felt so strongly about it that I typed them and saved it with the date that I should have posted it on, however when the net came in the evening, the matiyaoo nature got the better of me and the word file remained in my lappy. Then I forgot about it all together. But while I was about to format my lappy last week, I went through it and decide to post it. So here's what I have to say regarding ISM's vice. Before anyone reads it,(if somehow you find out about my blog), 1 thing- I mean no offence to anyone.

I don’t know how I am going to spend the rest one and half years here. It just pains me to see how each person is deceiving the other. I am surrounded by such Hypocrites!!! Well, me being a person true from the heart, at times wish I could also fool others like everyone here. An astrologer had told me that be wary of your friends, they are not what they seem. I had rubbished him at that time. But as days go by and I spend more and more time with them, I unearth their masks. 3 years and I couldn’t find a single true friend here. Everytime I thought I am developing a close relation with one, I have met with deceit. I believe in healthy competition. But people here think that denying other person a chance by keep him ignorant about the developments is the best way to succeed. They may be working on pure probability, but I am not an espouse of this theory. It is reflected in the way notices regarding the ISS are made to vanish in thin air. What a cowardice act. Be brave enough to fight a competition . If you have the potential you will win. Though this post is not based on the ISS thing in any way, I mentioned it here coz I won’t like to make public things that might get personal. May be they thing, being the lone runner in a race will help them win it. It is because of this attitude that we are reduced to our current state of affairs in academics and research. When you don’t have competition you no longer exploit your potential and soon it starts to gain rust. All these developments around me leave me dejected and longing for my school days, where no harbored such hideous motives.