Swineyamvar?

Rakhi Ka Svayamvar? I mean. Just what the ****. Forget it. Next what? Rakhi Ka Suhag raat?

Shutter bug

Ok for a few years I'd been very interested in photography. Only I was too lazy to take the next step. But finally this year I bought myself a Canon 40D DSLR camera after a lot research, confusion and deliberation. I'm totally in love with the camera. No complaints so far about the camera. I've been travelling a bit as well lately. Now I really think I should take it up a bit more seriously and invest some more money, ok fine lots of money into buy good useful equipment. I hope I get the dividends so enough. I prefer dividends in cash :P I will soon be updating all the pictures I've taken so far. Oh and this is the new photoblog:

http://shutterspeedingdemon.blogspot.com/

Not so Down Under

Ok this is more like a sequel to the original post "Down Under". In the original post I had spoken about the issues faced by Indians living abroad, and the friction between goras and boras[Us Indians]. But I felt I had to come up with this post because after what happened last night. Ok I wasn't brutally attacked or racially abused by goras but was sort of racially attacked by boras at home! Yes you read it right! One of them said if you've got the balls then talk in *****. Oh and he said that in the same language he wanted me to talk in! Ok I've censored the language mentioned by the attacker to make it less obvious just in case one of them stumbles upon my blog! I was quite taken aback when I heard him say this! It was like a trivial issue and one of them got a bit serious and said this! I was enjoying the mild buzz that Guinness beer gives and suddenly I felt a yank by what he said and I came right back into my senses! I suppressed the surge of laughter that filled my already beer logged stomach and made a face as if my bladder was about to explode and bit my lips to avoid saying anything in retaliation and I managed to draw a blank stare until the insinuating mumbling faded away. I stood there motionless with the beer can in my right hand and my left hand in my pocket leaning against the kitchen counter but deep within I was rolling all over the place. Finally when the mumbling faded away, I managed to make sense of what he had just said! I quitely ate my share of dinner, retreated into my bedroom and retired for the day. I began to feel funny as how do people manage to come up with such thoughts! I mean will a person grow balls just because he/she can speak a particular language! Sometimes I wish I was as ethnocentric as these guys are. That way I won't have to be the odd one out amongst the hundreds of such blokes who initially come here to pursue higher education but end up working part time like 24/7 which is quite contradictory to the term "part time"! I do feel sad for such people because they don't receive the exposure back home. They hold on to their insecurities as if they would die if they didn't! I feel so sad. So sad they can't take off their blinkers. This is just the tip of the ice berg. A massive make over is urgently required for us Indians. Language is the biggest cause of our divided nature. In fact, language could be our greatest strength if our thoughts are channelized well. Our problems are deep seated. Fear is another cause for our problems. Fear of being in a new place. Fear of not having family/friends for months together. Fear of not doing routine activities. Fear of not being able to understand the thick British/American accent. Fear of nothing being able to speak intelligible English. Fear of accepting the fact that not everyone abroad is a racist. Fear of losing the herd mentality. Fear of accepting fellow countrymen from different parts of India. We let fear control us. We let fear and insecurity decide our pattern of thoughts. Change is required at the grass root level. Home is the best place for change to take place. We are far behind not just economically, but mentally as well. Meanwhile, I'm praying to god this will happen soon enough.

Manipulative minds

Numb
Cruel
The blood doesn't flow to my head.
An Eerie silence deafens me.
The tears have dried up.
Empty words.
No more strange thoughts in my head.
Fate sealed.

Down Under!

"When in Rome, do as the Romans do" So goes the saying. Every year Indians go to every nook and cranny of the globe to pursue that dream MBA or an MS. It’s imperative, though not an academic or legal requirement, to learn about the culture and understand how life abroad is, before one sets off. As an Indian student studying in England myself, I'm shocked and appalled to see most of my fellow Indians here can hardly form a simple sentence consisting of say 10 words without committing heinous grammatical errors. Having said this, it doesn't mean that I look down on them. My sincere condolences to the poor bloke who was attacked Down Under. Maybe he wasn't at fault. Anyway, we must not tar the Australians as Racists. Racism exists wherever you go. In fact I've faced more racist attacks from my own fellow countrymen than by the "goras" for a simple fact that I can speak English and they [ my countrymen that is ] can't and I can't speak their language and they can! We must collectively take the blame for the recent shocking events in Australia. Over the years, millions of Indians have gone abroad to pursue higher education. Each and every person has left an indelible mark on the Americans' or Australians' psyche as the case maybe. We are equally responsible for our acts. We should take the blame for the poor image we project of our Nation. It’s not entirely Aussies’ or the Brits’ fault, as the case maybe. The best defence is to blend in with the environment. That makes them native people feel less threatened. Instead, we provoke them by ignoring the fact that we are in a different country altogether. Ignorance is not always bliss. Trying to form your own 'desi' communities or groups and continuing our Indian lifestyle even abroad makes the native people feel insecure since the size of the communities or groups is quite large and they see that happen far too often. When the insecurity creeps in, the natives think we are not 'fit' to live in their country. Having said that, it doesn't mean that once you go abroad you HAVE to become all westernised and shed your old skin. By finding a right balance between blending in and yet not forget our roots is very important. This ensures that we project ourselves as more approachable and friendly. Its not only the Indians who are attacked abroad, going back a few years ago, several foreign tourists were raped and murdered in our country. Now this doesn’t paint a pretty picture of our country now does it? India is a country with a lot of problems. But we are a nation with a lot of potential. There is a staggering imbalance between people from modern cities and those from smaller or less modern towns. As a result when students from smaller towns or cities go abroad, the “culture shock” takes its toll on them. So they naturally tend to socialize or meet people from their home town. Over a period of time they become well acquainted and team up and live in groups of 10 and live under a roof meant for 5! Again, this enrages the native people living around them. This unhealthy behaviour should stop. There are many positive outcomes to changing ourselves. So its time we change ourselves. Its time we turn things around.

The lost angel

My dearest angel, I flounder alone through life
Mustering courage to take the next step
There is a void that surrounds me
There is a place in my heart where you once filled me joy
I gaze at the distant stars that look down upon me
Deep inside my heart you reign supreme
I look back at those days
Wondering will I be fortunate enough
To tread that path again
I wait and wait turning pale and spurned
Destiny played out its painful intent
Leaving me benumbed
In time you attain yonder side
That emptiness lands a fatal blow
Onto my fragile heart
The seven seas stand between
My path to reach your heavenly abode
Withal I fight the battle
With the scant courage
I live another day
Without you.

Bitter sweet symphony

The air outside is cold. I'm torn. Cornered. Caged. Life is tough. I'm in a place with noone I love anywhere near me. I'm far away from what I always wanted. I've lost things I had and always dreamt of. How I wish I could just go back in time and change things I wish never happened. I feel morose and sullen sometimes. Its hard to live away from someone you love with the whole of your heart. Its harder to never be loved in return. Its hardest to lose that one person you love the most. But Life sure is beautiful despite all the pain and agony one has to go through. The world we see is bigger in our heart than on google maps. You can find out the distance between two places on earth. But you can never measure the love you have for someone. Its bigger than anything. Living far away, inching close to your dream, feeling closer to your loved ones a million miles away is an experience of a life time. Sometimes it just dampens your spirit. And sometimes it makes you do wonders. Love. Love is a strong drug. In my heart, deep down, I truly am grateful to everything life has offered and taken away and will hold secret. Its overwhelming. In the end, you just have to move on. That's the sad bit. The sadder bit is never being able to do so. You surrender yourself to destiny. Hoping to find happiness somewhere, somehow. I do wish every soul on earth, finds his match.