Archives
Generalizations belong to the realm of fools…
Very often its amazing how we generalize and stereotype people and cultures. Every society has mixed bag of people normal-weird, average-geniuses, leaders-followers. We take great pleasure in glorifying our culture on the basis of shortcomings of western culture. Why do we need other's faults to prove our greatness? If we are great we are great no matter what others are.
Two real experiences will illustrate what I say...generalization is often what we really want and not what really is.
Mr XYZ my dads friend wealthy Indian was married to a German. They were the ideal couple. Everyone marveling at the unusual understanding they shared. Both of them were doing very well. They had two beautiful kids. The 10 year boy was such a dude, I almost wished he was 16 when I was 14.(he he). Anyhow they built a sprawling house in Berlin registered in wife's name. Next thing we heard about them was that the wife eloped with a German friend and after a few days ousted Mr.XYZ from the house they had built together from their pooled savings. Remember the house was in wife's name.
Now before you jump to any conclusions or generalizations about western family values or the frivolity of relations read on for another experience.
A young handsome student, my brother's friend was doing his masters in engineering from Charles University Prague. He had a girl friend who would give jitters to even the most devoted Indian wife. She would wash clothes, do the cleaning, cook and do every other odd job for him. In every get together of our small Indian community there the twosome topped the gossip chart. The modes of their marriage, her assimilation in Indian community back in India, her citizenship and so on and so forth were the hot topics. After completing his engineering Mr. Student went back to India. She kept waiting. There was no news of him. A year passed. Then the second year. And everyone forgot about the ideal couple. Since it was the boy who was Indian it didn't matter much. When we came back Mr. Student came to see us with his gold laden newly wed wife. He hush-hushed the naughty A and M sisters ( me and my sis) when they tried to tease him even in Czech which nobody understood.
So who was frivolous here?
Love
we walk hand in hand
loving in the sand
shinning and glowing mass
a piece of glass
my eyes get dazzled
hand loosens as I bend
eyes blur mind blurs
nothing but the shimmer
he warns me
I pay no heed
Diamond I only need
as the dusk sets in
and the sun sets out
the glass looses its light
cut cut cut
blood blood blood
he warned me he warned me
glass is but glass
it will cut it will cut
no matter how you treat it
I look ahead in panic
I was dazed
He was not fazed
love is but love
it feels and it heals
His hand still there
His love still clear
The lights are on...the darkness gone.
What a day it was!
How a day starts and how it ends, one can never tell. Each moment of time unfolds itself to a new moment which further awakens to another and the chain continues. Before you know the time is gone. And sometimes the time gone by makes you soar high.
Had gone to school with swollen eyes and was expecting another lousy day. After the second period the Principal called me and asked me to organise a quiz show on the lines of KBC in one hour flat. Deepawali celebrations were on. Now that was impossible I thought. There was so much to do. Rules, questions and comparing etc. But once she says something it has to be done. And had never done anything like this before. Well we took frantic measures and got everything organized. The show was a big hit with the students with a quizmaster having the common initials AB on the question seat. Unfortunately nobody could become a Choclatepati.
My Principal’s faith in me always makes me nervous. But today it was a blessing which made me realize my potential. Perhaps my Aqua Genius is right. My focus needs to shift.
When least expected the day gave me so much.Deepawali celebrations are on...the lights are on and the darkness gone.
The last day of October
After the killer earthquake there were rumours that Delhi is going to shake next. In fact half of the students were absent on 17th Oct which was supposed to be the doomsday. But nothing of the sort happened.Then just when everyone thought that they were safe and smug , terrorism struck Delhi. Death. Dead bodies. Mistaken bodies. DNA test. Children. Woman. The lights have dimmed and Deepawali has lost its lustre.
As is the tradition every year the school celebrates this festival on the previous day. Today, the happiness and the festive enthusiasm were missing and everyone was in a somber and melancholy mood. The tentacles of terrorism have gripped Delhi and the helplessness of ordinary man was felt by everyone. But the general consensus was that we should not give in to terrorism and find ways and means to fight back.
It also happens to be my best friend’s birthday. She is such a wonderful woman. So full of enthusiasm, zeal and zest for life. Her spirit is infectious. We have grown together - education, boyfriend, marriage, child, death of one parent all happened as if by a common clock. So her birthday is a very special day. Happy birthday friend.
I wish all my fellow bloggers a very happy Deepawali. May this Deepawali all the darkness be gone and your lives be filled with everlasting light and happiness..