Inflation, Indian Middle Class & George Bush!

I am not really a very politcally active person - don’t really have strong view points, I just enforce my franchise (waiting on my voter’s ID now ) but…this!!!! I don’t see this as being political even…Is it just another of Mr.Bush’s gaffes??

George Bush on Indian Middle class consumption - I was pretty much outraged by this remark … Actually I also found it pretty ridiculous.

I understand that world economy is all interlinked etc.., am not much of an economist or anything close to it…Still one can just not hear something like this from a world leader!!!

Inflation is high in India too….hope there is no slugfest with leaders blaming the US for something!?! Though I guess we should expect that pretty soon?!?

Big Fish

Yes, this is an entry based on the movie. Big Fish was a movie I loved when I saw it the first time. Went on to get the DVD of it too (don’t have it with me like so many of my other things - thanks to someone who would no longer be in our lives by his choice)

I am mentioning this and the person as I am watching the movie on TV now. The movie is about the father- son relationship. I am keying this in with a lump in my throat that my son would not have this or anything close to it as he would not have this person around. I am wondering how I would explain his absence when A starts questioning me. I wonder if I can be both the mother and the father  as he grows up.

People say God gives only what one can handle; this still does not stop me from self- doubt. I want to give the best to A like any other parent would want to for the kid. I just hope I succeed and never let A feel like he missed something or someone ever!

I had never cried in movies….today though after watching Big Fish; I had tears in my eyes. May be I have changed?!?  I still like the movie though.

 

Ripple Effects - a reply…

http://www.lakshmusings.com/musings/2008/05/01/ripple-effect/#comments

Hey Laksh….Replying to your post here instead of as a comment…

I was never asked to do the weekly enna kuliyal…though I loved the way amma used the sambrani, the smell…miss that actually (and loved it when amma used to make chutta appalam on the coal adupu after …yummy!!!)
To the hairstyling bit; again I was left to myself and my ideas as long as I did not cut my hair I did when I was in twelfth, and amma actually called my father to let him know I did that!!! An international call in those days just for this!! Huge hungamma, my dance teacher also flipped with a dance programme in the offing

Have definitely tried different lengths since then… Have my hair shoulder length right now; can let it loose; still put in a band because of the oppressive heat! Realised then, that maybe that is why letting hair loose is frowned upon apart from hair falling all over the place!

There sure is some wisdom behind all those rules most of the time which I am learning. May be some have lost their essence over time; like not using a needle after sun down…

Touchwood Laksh

I was thinking of writing something on these lines. Having attended the wedding of one of my close friends, I was thinking of how beautiful she looked in the traditional madisar. I had worn a saree for the wedding ceremony and was planning to go to the reception in a salwar, since I had a previous engagement for the same. I was told I should wear a saree. I am not a person who avoids a saree or somebody who takes pride(or thinks it is fashion) to say I don’t know how to wear one!! I love the saree. Then, who decides what to wear when?? Do all guys who come to wedding wear the traditional dhoti? This extended to other places, most of the time; there seem to be more restrictions on women and standards set to what they should wear.

Is it that clothes maketh the person? First impression is probably made by how one looks, but must that rule everything?? I am one who thinks as long as one can carry off what one wears, feels confident…why restrict or set rules about what to wear! In Madras….the notion that girls must wear a dupatta…if not she is not dressed appropriately. A saree when worn actually exposes so much more…but why should that be seen as being right, appropriate, traditional and everything else is a violation of culture even!?!?

I personally feel that the dress code should be left to the judgement of the person who is wearing the clothes - be it for a man or woman. I remember resenting my mother telling me that I must not wear skirts or sleeveless shirts after a certain point while growing up saying that I probably can manage, but the perception of the other person might not be good. She probably was being protective, but it still evoked a sense of rebellion in my mind.

I can go on and on so I better stop. Just a small addition, there was a programme in tamil in Star Vijay channel called ” Ippadiku Rose” which actually was on the same thoughts about why restrictions for women. Guess it will keep going on hitting many monds now and then on various levels

Impressed!!

I have come across this guy…He is now a Systems analyst in a reputed firm. I was already impressed by his knowledge, zeal and willingness to help. When I heard about how he has come up….OMG!! Seems he actually had to work right after school, so he did his degree long distance while working. He has been a paperboy, did odd jobs rigt through and ended the day by doing a data entry job at night. If someone says they have their life hard cos they cannot shop for their favourite video game or a pair of shoes, they can actually get royally kicked.

Why is this so surprising? In India, I thought it was granted that kids work only after completing their graduation, and go on to their PG with their parents money. So to meet someone like this was truly a first for me. I was so impressed that I wanted to pen this down here. Hats of to this guy!!

What to do?

What does one do when she wants to shout something out to the world but cannot?! Especially for a person like me who cannot keep a secret about oneself. I can do that when some one else trusts me and tells me something. That would never ever slip out. Though I am an open book…trust anyone and everyone!

Off late there have been certain things I want to tell all, write about those experiences; but I also have certain constraints now. I cannot do those! I am afraid that I would let that slip by…

What to do?!? Of course, most of my close friends do know what I am talking about

Phew!

Today was a really long long day!! Decided to go out in the evening to good old T Nagar - Pondy Bazaar to be exact. Besides the day being really hot and humid, the traffic made it excruciating. Wonder if all these one ways and overhead bridges help in any way whatsoever! Feel like all the one ways just make our journeys longer and does nothing to alleviate the jams. This comes from a person who actually loves to drive around a lot. It is irritating to see people drive the way they do here and on top of it, give a hard time to those who actually follow traffic rules!?! I don’t watch movies much…but I had seen this one “Anniyan”. When I encounter hard times on the road because of rule breakers…I wonder if something would happen such that people actually obey the rules and chaos ends!! Guess I am pretty bugged

I did enjoy my shopping though

Knock! Knock!!

Weird how my brain works!!!….Or is it not? I was just wondering how when I keep yourself busy in some way or the other….I don’t even think of the problems I am facing!! Give me just a minute of free time…and lo!! I start mulling over everything and going back on the path of depression.

I plan to keep myself busy all the time to never get on to that path come what may! Hope I can stick to this plan

Sometimes though the problem is my brain goes into multi-task mode! Then there runs a parallel thread or multiple threads even sometimes!! What do I do then?? How do I end those?? I wonder! Don’t know how or when, but there should come a time when I can really block out negative stuff and not bother about them at all…either the past, present or future. Time should only tell I suppose…Knock knock time!!

Another happy note :)

For a change, I am entering a happy note. Two consecutive nice entries I think is probably a first for me. This time though, I am so happy for my friend who related something nice happening to her in her life.

This actually feels so much better than even something nice happening to me

Thanks a million for being my friend and sharing your happiness with me to make my day. Hope you share many more happy events with me *hugs*

Always feels good :)

Everyone likes to be complimented. My day was made today by not one but 3 strangers!!!

Off late, I felt like I had aged quite a bit. Looked old, tired and certainly a few years above my real age. Dark circles, quite a few lines under my eyes and the likes though I never bother to hide my age. When asked will give the honest answer….

So, today when I was waiting to get my driving tests done…4 of us started chatting to while away the time. I got the compliment saying I did not look my age and they could not believe that I was mother of a 3 year old.

Boy!! It feels nice to receive compliments. They made my day today. Thanks! Such days have been very very few in the recent past