Indian in a foreign land

Watched the movie The Namesake this afternoon. I was wondering how I related to this movie – answer in many many ways to many of the characters/ situations depicted! Examples…how I really miss my home & family back in Chennai; how alone I feel sometimes here; wonder how I can inculcate our culture in my son (right now trying to get him to talk in tamil/telugu!!!); how my son is going to turn out to be (though I am not sure we are going to stay here in the US as we will go where life takes us..).
One dialogue really set me thinking…when Ashima says that she would miss the US having lived there for 25 years….was wondering whether I would miss living here when I leave this place?! I will definitely have memories – pleasant and otherwise, but will I miss living here?!? Right now, my answer is no. I have come to believe that The World is Flat ….then one can ask why I miss home? Simple!!! It is the place where I was born and brought up. Now, with our perspective of going from one place to another, where will our son have his roots? Where he was born? Where we, his parents hail from?? For a flat world, it is really complex ain’t it? 😀
Anyways, have decided to lay my hands on the book The Namesake and read it. Have always thought that the books are always better than the film version…

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India – Democracy?!?

Read this news item about the attack on a tamil daily over a poll conducted about who the political successor of Karunanidhi is. Last I knew, India was a democratic country. Why should anyone be named a politcal successor. People stand in elections and get voted as a leader. It should not be a dynasty thing. Why the aggression over a poll which in the first place need not have been conducted at all?!? Does it matter that Azhagiri gets 2 % and Stalin 70% of poll votes?? In the end, when the general election takes place…it is who wins the election and who in the political party is chosen to lead…is that not what should happen?? Besides, the CM is still alive and hopefully well celebrating his Golden anniversary of his entry into politics!! He may be old…still? I guess this violence has erupted a little earlier… The same concept goes to the Nehru family too….and the Congress party….still banking on the Nehru name!!! God knows when this would stop!! When everybody becomes literate?? But people who read the poll in the newspaper should supposedly be literate, right?
Kind of a shame to the whole pride of being the largest democracy in the world!!! It might as well have a coup and a dictator take over!! Will probably be all the same right?!?

The lashing tongue!

Came across this quote “The tongue is like a sharp knife -kills without drawing blood – Buddha”. How true!! One definitely needs to think how one’s words would impact the other person!!
There is many a time when I have been so hurt by some people’s statements. Driven to extreme depression only to hear from them or someone else that they really did not mean it. I just hope to God that I have not hurt anyone by my words. I apologise to anyone who might have been hurt by me at any time….though I know that this apology will not really help if the impact is really bad! Experience speaks!
Just putting it out there that I hope to be more thoughtful before I utter anything. Hope to be more encouraging and appreciative and less hurtful (rather non- hurtful) in whatever I say! I also hope that I don’t get hurt by others comments….I am in awe of people who can just brush off anything that is in opposition to what they are or think!! The world would be so much more welcoming I guess if I could be like that 🙂
I am striving to accept my being….hurtful words kind of hit me hard and push me back in my endeavour.
As I said, this is just something that I am thinking of…just another headtrip 😀 trying to make some sense!

Party?!?

Listening to the radio the other day, it was a talk on whether it was worth hosting a party for a one year old. Many people were calling in with various views. This struck right on to me! We (my husband & I) did not host a party when our son turned 1. We did perform the religious ceremony though. Many friends did say that if there was no party, it is not a birthday!!!
Our reasoning for not having a party was – the party would have been more for the adults. We had decided that we will have parties when our son realises it is his birthday and has friends of his own. We are still told we did wrong and we still say we are right!
This reminds me of what my mother used to tell me when I used to ask her for money to give a treat to my friends on my birthday. She always used to give the money…but used to say that “what is it that you have achieved so far to give a treat? We as a family are happy about and proud of you. We celebrate your birthday at home. Ask your friends to come home, I will cook something good, make some sweets for them. Why do you need to go out? Is that the only celebration?? ” Rest assured, that used to irritate me and we had many an argument every year! 🙂 Now that I am older and atleast a wee bit wiser 😉 all that kind of makes sense to me. I am not even in touch with most of those friends I used to hang out with now. Don’t even know where they are!
Does spending money alone equate to celebrating?? I would rather spend the money elsewhere or give it to charity. Those people who insisted on a party did not even call to wish on my son’s birthday (both birthdays that he has celebrated so far)!!
Don’t really know if we will have a party this year for our son…maybe maybe not…but are sure thrilled to have him in our lives. 🙂

Going green?!

I recently read a blog where the blogger had quite eloquently put it that celebrities better not push going green and telling others how small changes like going for a different bulb helps. She had gone on to say that they own private jets, islands and build mansions destroying the natural habitats on the lands….
I do accept her reasons….yes..it sounds like hypocrisy when someone who flies private jets alone and gives away gas guzzlers for ratings. Then again, we should accept that global warming and other environmental factors that have been written/talked about are real. We should know that every little gesture helps and counts. So, however hypocritical the celebrities might be, if they can get some of their hardcore fans to change their ways in a little way…it is good. It would be great if everybody did their bit, everybody went for green cars and green solutions for their home, nurture one plant including the celebrities. It would be great if they set a good example to follow.

Question is : should they “really shut and stop making this a popularity contest. Don’t use your public image until you are ready to make sacrifices” I personally don’t think so. Every little bit helps. We do hear about some celebrities who do follow what they preach, own hybrid cars etc..,
She mentions the pontiac car giveaway by Oprah…yes, it was totally not helping in going green…but someone who has followed what Oprah has done or is to this extent should also know about the reach this woman has. She featuring something on the show makes that particular product fly off the shelves…just because she featured it. Donations pour in to help when she asks for them. So, if her talkshow episode is about making small changes…and that makes her viewers change….well, good for all of us in the end right?
I too get worked up on the hypocrisy bit…however, if they make people change….let that go on. They don’t need to shut up. “The first step toward change is awareness. The second step is acceptance.- Nathaniel Branden” So if these celebrities create the awareness…does that not help??