Thursday
India or abroad?
On the heels
of such an apocalyptic mood, the thought of living elsewhere makes the brain
hyper active.
My thinking
# We are an
emotive people. We like to spend time with family. It is this same family (who
at times we want to run away from) that gives us a sense of calm, a feeling of
belonging, a deep sense of being wanted and loved
# We are used
to our festivals, customs and holidays. Sure, celebrating Xmas and Eid is fun,
but not engaging directly in the rituals of Ganesh Chaturthi, Mahashivratri or
Gokul Ashtami -
makes me feel detached, rootless, wasted
# It
can be argued that by living abroad one learns new cultures, foreign
languages…Then again I say, look at my country, do I even know all the various
distinct languages, cultures, and people of India? Such diversity right here in
my backyard, why abandon it to seek it elsewhere?
# Varieties
help create and transform. Absorb the rich diversity of this land we are born
in, the ease with which we live the pluralism called India. Which other nation,
even remotely, promises such a rich texture of existence?
# The weather.
It is next to impossible for someone like me to adapt to a land which is dull,
grey, and rainy, with little or no sunshine. I don’t like extreme climates.
India affords me bright sunshine, balmy days, cool evenings, 4 seasons of the
calendar in the right doses!
# Immigrants
are regarded with suspicion, no matter how rich or poor, in foreign countries.
It is a social problem and we all know the fall out of such ailments
(hostility, racism)
# Perhaps one
shouldn’t over obsess over other’s opinions about India - obsessing over
contrarian opinions won’t make our opinion any more credible. But then again
India and its fabric of life is like no other, right?. Why compare and be
distraught?
# Look at our
own behaviour in the most clinical way. One nation thinks sleeping with your
child is a crime. Westerners think eating with your fingers is uncool. Another
nation distrusts us in every aspect of our entrepreneurial qualities. Lets face
it, we are an idiosyncratic nation. Will we be able to do all of what we do inside
India, elsewhere, in the outside world?
# And last but
not the least - If you are remotely even fond of India, I don’t think you
need to think about living elsewhere. Stay put, enjoy your life, improve things
in your immediate life, give the world more reasons to look at us.
For now this
reasoning will see me through and keep me happy, In India
Monday
Fear
I like animals…I really do. Okay, I like MOST animals. Let me break this down.
I like dogs.
After seeing Happy Feet, I kinda like penguins too ( so long as they can tap dance)
The one’s I don’t like are the one’s that are the killer variety. You know, like the sharks for instance – since I was small Jaws has mortified me, I really wish sharks…cough…water welling up in the eyes…didn’t exist. (Yeah, I said it - all you “Shark” fanatics, you are all crra-ay-zee). I think sharks are as terrifying (ok maybe a wee bit less) compared to the stories of the paranormal kinds! Worst fears of my life.
I run miles away (mentally) from anything ‘paranormal’ in definition, even a hint of it, I can evaporate! Unfortunately Hollywood has used so many animals and birds and cats and bats and stuff in its ‘scary’ movies, that now I am not only severely allergic to ghosts, spirits, in a throat closes, eyes swell shut, heart stops beating , turn into a zombie kind of way, but am also scared of bats, cats, roaches, and what have you! Its safe to assume this is a no go zone for me. Never can be.
Other than that, as long as a pet isn’t rubbing its butt on me, and your bird isn’t pooping on me or trying to peck my eyeballs out, I can deal with most animals…
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