TOW Abortion

    I read this short story on FaceBook recently:
    
     "A woman clutching a one year old baby goes to a doctor. Says, I am pregnant again and I don't think I can handle two young babies at the same time. So, I have come for an abortion. Doctor tried to convince her otherwise. When she didn't budge, he looks at her and says, abortion will have side effects on your body, I have a healthier option. Why don't you keep the child inside you and lets kill the child in your arm. The lady was horrified and shocked at the thought of parting with her child. At which the doctor knowing that he has made his point, tells her that a child in a uterus is still a child"
 
   I have deliberately removed all emotions from the story and mentioned only the boring facts in the story.     
    
    I hated the story. MM (Stands for My Man, or Husband, yeah... I am inspired by some other bloggers ) read it and found it good.
    
    Like many other topics we have decided not to discuss it further and cross the bridge if (hopefully never) and when it comes.
    
    I am of the opnion that one should never have kids unless they are fully prepared, willing and wanting to have them. Its a crime to bring an unwanted child in the world. With so many children being abandoned by their parents in India and so many others not getting proper care, love and even food, I am not sure how one can advocate any other view.
    
    Its not easy living on this over crowded planet, you need an initial support. If you are forcing someone to come here, then you ought to take the responsibility and help them survive and live in a dignified manner.
    
    We can blame most of the juvenile crimes to lack of love and guidance. When parents don't understand their responsibilty, how can we expect children to be responsible? When one doesn't have the time or will to teach the kids right values, how can we expect that kids will grow up to become right thinking, responsible individuals?
      

I was called heartless on this note... But, I guess I would prefer being heartless compared to being irresponsible.

TOW Mystery

I have always been an advocate of fighting for what you think is right.... not giving up... staying there till the end... see it through...

But, I wonder is it always worth it. Its nice to win, when you know that it is right.... but at what cost.? Is the trouble and cost of fight worth the gain in the end? Often I see people quitting jobs rather early... a year and half in one company and we are ready to move out. Number of reasons from not enough work to too much of work, not enough salary... better prospects and bad manager. I felt that if things are amiss you ought to fix it instead of finding the nearest exit route.

Now, I have begun thinking how much is it worth.... you argue, fight...take it to the next level... take it further up... spend some weeks or may be months irritated at the whole thing, hoping someone will wake from slumber and give you a logical and acceptable answer. You direct your anger to your relations, who give a sympathetic ear, you start feeling guilty and further pissed of. End of it all, you may get what you wanted or you get bored of the tussle and decide to quit. I have seen quite a lot of talented, smart people in the industry dissatisfied with their companies. In fact, I am yet to find someone who is happy with everything after 4-5 years in the same company.

How Indian IT industry survives and does well with such huge attrition of people would remain a mystery for me.... an illogical one. You hire people, train them for a month or two before they become of any use... and then you lose them in next 12-13 months, taking the knowledge with them. Probably because we never intend to build on knowledge, we just want a bare minimum functional and domain knowledge and get all the maintenance work to do. We never want to do anything smarter than that. Probably, we don't want to accept that our people are important for growth. That we need the bottom of pyramid to be stable too. Probably we believe that we would always find someone who is smart enough to do all the work and dumb enough not to want anything back and we know we can suck the blood out of them. Probably, we just intend to see the short term goals acheived, long term is not really our forte...
 

TOW Admiration

This is cricket world cup time... people are getting crazier day by day...stakes are rising.... it doesn't seem to be anything less than war. Pressure on players is crossing all levels...they know their every move will be scrutinised, discussed and if needed criticised for a long time. We have raised them to a level, which is next(hopefully) only to God.

And it is not just for cricketers, we also have a special status for all celebrities... actors, actresses, politicians. I often wonder why we do this. Appreciating someone, respecting and admiring is one thing. But when something like this is done:
http://www.myfirstshow.com/news/view/998/A-temple-for-Superstar-Rajini.html
http://www.thaindian.com/newsportal/entertainment/kolkata-fans-worry-about-god-amitabh-bachchans-health_100106734.html
http://blog.zap2it.com/pop2it/2011/03/chilean-man-has-82-julia-roberts-tattoos---but-not-the-pretty-woman-version.html

ain't we in some way demeaning ourselves.

Isn't giving a mortal human God status demeaning to our Gods? Isn't piercing your body for a celebrity an insult to your body? When we say that some human is great and we attach a certain awe to it, ain't we challenging our wits?

Its great to be awesome in some field, when we see a great player or a great actor, its natural to appreciate it. But, does it also mean that they are great in all fields of life? That whatever they say is necessarily right? Why can't we consider them as mere mortals... who eat, drink, work... and are susceptible to errors.

Why do we need to peep into lives of celebrities.. what Paris Hilton does, how Lady Gaga feels or what vows Kate Middleton will make? Is it some sort of inferiority complex in our lives, which drives us to look into the lives of those better humans? Are we trying to get some thrill in our otherwise routine boring lives? What drives us to read page 3 of news paper everyday????

TOW Buri Nazar

Sachin always puts his right foot forward while entering a cricket field. He looks up after scoring any century or so. Amitabh has loads of rings that ensure his family's wellbeing. All serials by Ekta kapoor are numerological correct. There are several superstitions that each of us have for success. From a lucky pen to a lucky shirt to an unlucky number.... And this concept is not restricted to India only, the so-called Scientifically advanced countries have their own notions of lucky charms. We may not like to accept them, but when it comes to fate or luck, we like to keep the Gods happy...

But, there is one thing which is uniquely Indian. The concept of "Buri Nazar" or Evil eye. From "Buri Nazar waale tera munh kaala" written behind every truck to the latest in the trade "Nazar Suraksha Yantra" or "Badha Raksha Yantra". Tele marketers have found our weakness and they sure know how to tap it. The fact that we believe some people have the power to ruin our happiness by just being jealous!!! I am not sure how many of us will fall into the trap of them, but, it certainly is able to fund the advertisements. Again, we may not like to accept that we the elite, educated ones are superstitious, but we would still apply kajal on the forehead of an infant... just in case.

I honestly wonder, are Indians the only race capable of casting evil eyes on others? Ain't the kids in other countries cute or are the people more kind hearted. Or is there some "How to be evil and how to protect yourself" dose which is given to every Indian at birth? How is a concept so deeply rooted in Indian minds able to sustain itself through the centuries unless it is carefully packed and parcelled to the next generation.

Happy New year ka resolution

I have been thinking about writing for almost 6 months now. Loads of things crossed my mind, several ideas made me wonder, annoying people, interesting happenings around the world. I am sure I have spent more time thinking about writing than what people spend on writing. I would have expected myself to come up with something better. Than I decided to stop thinking and post something!!!

I was inspired by the fact that there are so many bloggers who give me something to read during office hours. So, I should repay the debt and write something that some other person who is supposed to be working might read and get the needed break.

I begin by introducing the change in this blogs contents. This one is gonna be the more-me kind of blog. If and when something more thought provoking happens, it will go on the other post.
And now, the changes since then:
1. I attended quite a few weddings... one of them being mine.
2. I have a new apartment and all new things ... furniture, electronics, roomie ... some of them confusing, some interesting, some just difficult to handle.
3. I have realized a lot of things about myself... more on that later

From now on I will be regular... From now on I will be regular... From now on I will be regular...

TOW Perfection

She thinks: I have a perfect life. My husband loves me a lot. We enjoy each other's company. I have a good job. We earn, we spend, we love, we are what ideal couples are like. He does all he can to make me happy... only I wish he didn't have to work so much.

He thinks: I have a pretty wife. She trusts me, she loves me. I have the looks, the money and the charm. There are other pretty young things around. I have a perfect life.

TOW Family matters

I often write about sad and gloomy things, how everything is just hopeless ;) Thats not who I am, thats just when I write.

Today happens to be different day... I am reading "The Inscrutable Americans" and wondered what can be that one unique thing that makes us Indians what we are. Something that if missing can be called as "non-Indian". Many things crossed my mind... from our ability to accept others (afterall no other country can boast of so many religions, languages living nearly peacefully)... to our unique capacity to live happily undisturbed in chaos... and our assumed right to poke our nose everywhere!!! But family won :)

The fact that we are answerable to our parents far longer than world average... that we have some place where we can go anytime, unannounced without explaining.... that we do not cut umblical cord so easily.. is something I relate to as most Indian.

I have been living away from home for quite a long time now still my parents get worried if I am alone in the flat... to the extent of annoying me with their phone calls. My friends still don't smoke in front of their parents. We stay with family if possible, no matter how much we earn. Ties to cousins are as close as real siblings... you can always hide behind grandparents when you are being scolded by your parents ;)... the list is endless and wonderfully obvious. Guess this is what makes my India :)