Girl Interrupted...



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It started one fateful December day
When a girl laid unaware of the fate that lay
Returning home from the movies, no fear in her mind
But thats not what happens, not what she finds

She gets on a bus with her friend in tow
Soon they find themselves in the midst of a row
Due to the leering and jabbing of six other men
Thats when her nightmare really begins

She was plundered, hurt, beyond belief
Tortured and left with no relief
The atrocities on her one cannot tell
If there is one, surely this is hell

In the darkness on the roadside she laid in vain
Terribly hurt in so much pain
Passers-by moved on without a glance
It seemed like this was her very last chance

An hour passed by and finally there came
A patrolling car upon where she lain
The hospital was her next pit stop
And thats where she went with noone to talk

In the Intensive Care Unit were her next few days
In and out of coma thats where she lay
Till the time she opened her eyes and gave
Her statement to the cops who could her save

In the meanwhile the culprits were out in the open
Without fear, without their own spirit broken
Until the media put the whole incident on air
On the tv, the internet, pretty much everywhere

The public was outraged, the people were horrified
For once there was such a hue and cry
How could such atrocities on a girl be done
Would the same have happened had it been a son

The pressure mounted, the culprits were caught
The Delhi police for once did their part
At last it seemed justice would be dwelt
Thats what it seemed like, thats what it felt

But alas the nightmare was not yet over
There was more to come, more to go over
The girls statement the cops tried to twist
The PM never spoke one word of this

The public was hit with sticks while they
In protest for her on the streets lay
The government once again has failed to report
Any change of laws for womens safety hereforth

The only saving grace is the spirit of the girl
With courage and determination she fights the world
The public and the media all in her support
No matter what the governments official report

We hope she with justice will be met
The perpetrators, the strictest punishment, will get
Rules will be changed, laws will be rectified
Thats when we as a nation will take pride

But the government's a joke and the cops don't care
The people are outraged, it's more than they can bear
Is this a revolution...a revolution of sorts
If yes, to help her, lets do our little part


Let's all do our little part to help - you can start by signing this petition to bring justice to her and to help safeguard the dignity, security, and future of women in India -

http://www.change.org/en-IN/petitions/president-cji-stop-rape-now

Thank you all.

Social v/s Social



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I have been meaning to write this blog entry for quite some time now and finally got the time to pen my thoughts to paper (or to the keyboard in this case :p). So here's my little bit of a rant on 'Social Media'.

I often think about the word 'social' and what it 'truly' means in todays world. A decade and a half ago, a social person would have been an outgoing person, an inherent extrovert, a sort of 'jack-of-all-talks & trade' - but does the same apply today? To be a 'social' person, one had to go out, meet others, make contacts, create networks, entertain guests, be a friend to friends, host dinners, and the list goes on. So is that what Social Media helps us achieve in today's world?

The web definition for social media is, and I quote, - 'A media for social interaction, using highly accessible and scalable publishing techniques.' Okay...I agree with the second part of that definition that social media does use highly accessible and scalable techniques...but what about the first part? Does social media lead to social interaction in the real sense of the word?

Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Yammer (for corporates) are some examples of the topmost social media sites currently in use. To dissect this further, how does posting on a Facebook wall make you more social? Same goes for Twitter - how does a minute-by-minute update of your status increase your status quo? How can posting YouTube videos make you a more communal member of society?

Some might argue that platforms such as Facebook help unite long lost friendships etc. which may eventually lead to a social interaction. But isn't that a somewhat rare occurrence that is almost always eclipsed by the other activities such as updating statuses, posting pictures, check-in's etc. that are much more rampant on a media such as Facebook?

Don't get me wrong - I heart platforms such as Facebook and YouTube - just that I wholeheartedly feel that the term 'social' is such a misnomer here. Wouldn't  'Interactive Media' or 'Entertainment Media' be better suited? Or have times changed so much today that this is the new 'social'? The easier form of being friendly, making friends, having conversations all via the safety of your computer screen?  Being social with no obligatory strings attached - no fretting over the perfect dinner plan or table layout to entertain a gathering - now all it takes is a simple click of the mouse.

Call me old fashioned, but social for me definitely implies physical interaction, the laughing with a friend, the shouting over a game, the face-to-face talks. So in my mind the question still remains - how is 'Social Media' making us more sociable?

The coolest of them all...



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So here's a twist on an ancient fairy tale that we are all accustomed to - In my version, it goes something like this - 'Mirror mirror on the wall - Who is the 'coolest' of them all'. And the answer comes screeching back to me saying 'Duh! Didn't you know it was your in-laws?'.

Surprised? Hell, you better be. After all who would expect a daughter-in-law, no less, to make such a statement?! But it's true, it's so true. And here are all the reasons why - 

• There's something to say about Proudness. And these are folks who were as proud of me as my own parents.
• There's something to say about Kindness. And these are folks who were more than kind to me - in their words as well as their actions.
• There's something to say about Coolness. After all who else would accompany me to the gym, come for runs/walks with me by the lake, teach me swimming (yeah you heard that right), and also be game to try out different cuisines with me?
• There's something to say about Love. After all who else would love all my clothes, and more importantly love me in spite of all my nuances?
• There's something to say about Trust. These are folks who trust me to make my own decisions, and make right decisions at that!
• And finally there's something to say about Faith. Faith in my me, faith that I can improve, even faith in my cooking, no less! 

They were all this and much much more. Accommodating, unconditional, unquestioning, and ever forgiving.

And so when the mirror screeches this answer to me, I cannot help but smirk and respond saying 'Duh, I knew the answer all along!'.

This one's for my Twinnies...



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 My dearest Namlu & Niklu,

Here's wishing you a very Happy Raksha Bandhan -

For being the best brothers in the world
And for loving your crazy sister with no questions asked

For fighting with me yet sharing some of your best moments with me
For the bond that we always held and will always hold

For putting up with all my tantrums
And for sharing in with all my joys

For all the love, care, and affection that cannot be paralled
And for brightening my day each and every time

Love you guys - for this and everything that you do - now and always -

Your silly sister,
Me

Bombay Rains!

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So it's been raining since a day here, where the rains are just as unpredictable as the winter weather. It basically rains anytime any day in Chicago - be it Fall, Summer, Spring, or Winter. However, the rains are pretty much for namesake and last for really short stretches of time (usually not more than 30 minutes). Also, I always find the rains here are not 'wet enough', if that makes any sense. In either case, these cannot hold a candle to the rains that we get in Bombay. If you have ever witnessed monsoon in Bombay, then you know exactly what I'm talking about :-)

Being born and raised in Bombay, monsoon is undoubtedly my favorite season of the year! For me, Bombay seems to transform into another city during the rains. Just thinking about it gets me all nostalgic. So I decided to pen down (or type down in this case :p), my most favorite things and most cherished memories about the Bombay rains. So here's my list of things that I absolutely adore about the monsoon in Bombay -

1. The broody gloomy look that the sky adorns right before it starts to rain. Sort of like a warning in advance that 'Hey I'm coming - either embrace me or stay out of my way'

2. The smell of the soil right when it starts to rain :-)

3. The way the leaves, the trees, and everything around seems to bathe in the rain water. Almost as though they have waited for just this moment to wash away their broodings.

4. The sound of the rain pattering on the rooftops. For me, this is the most magical sound - the best kind of music, if there ever was one!

5. Having a hot cup of coffee or tea along with hot pakodas or something similar :p

6. Reading a good book to the sound of the rains in the background

7. I absolutely love the fact that the Bombay rains are not a preview. In other words, if it rains it pours! and that too for a pretty long time

8. Sitting at a café watching the rain pour outside or going for walks right after it has rained

9. I love, love, love the way the sea looks during the rains, absolutely menacing yet magnificent!

10. And finally, I love the way the city simmers down after the rains. Sort of like it's been refreshed, recharged, washed off it's sins if any, and ready to take on the world again

If there was one thing that I missed the most about Bombay, it would, without a doubt, be the monsoons. That time of the year when everything seems pure and new and refreshed and energized. The only time of the year when Bombay seems to relax in the cool air after an especially scorching summer. The time of the year I crave for even today and that I would go back to in a heartbeat. So here's to the Bombay rains, keep it pouring!

My Flightmare...

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Okay so I think I am one of those people who are always accompanied by a bout of bad luck while traveling by planes...you know...the people who inadvertently have flight delays, cancellations, airport closures (that's right), lost baggages, planes sitting on the runway for hours and the list goes on. I do feel bad for the folks travelling with me as they indirectly get subjected to my awesome travel luck as well :p

But today I thought I should chronicle my worst travelling experience till date. My last worst experience was when I was travelling from India to the States and I had to deal with the following -

1. Plane sitting on the runway for hours prior to takeoff

2. A TSA attendant who almost lost my boarding pass

3. The delay, delay, delay at the John F Kennedy airport at NYC

4. Finally the shut down aka complete closure of the airport due to bad weather

5. Thus staying the night at JFK since the airlines was too cheap to give us hotel vouchers

6. Reaching my final destination (after a total of 36 hours of travel) the next morning after several more flight delays, boarding gate changes and so on only to find out that my luggage was lost in transit. (I received my bags three days later)

Until recently, I thought I had nothing that could top this story but last week I found out just how wrong I was. Here's what happened when I was returning to Chicago from NYC last week -
1. Regular flight, what a joke, delay, delay, delay, delay, mechanical problem so now flights canceled.
2. Last flight of the day so re-booked for 7 am the next morning, 6 am on standby.
3. Got into a fight with this Indian lady trying to cut into the line in front of me and several other passengers.
4. Airline gives us a voucher for an airport hotel and tells us to take the hotel shuttle. More than half hour later, no hotel shuttle.
5. Finally decide to just take a cab to the hotel, stood half hour in the cab line in my formal suit on what was one of the hottest days in NY this summer and was 'this' close to passing out.
6. Finally get a cab with a lady driver who half way there informs me that she has no idea where the hotel is, has no GPS, and can barely speak English. At this point we are near the road to the Bronx, I freak out, and tell her to just drop me at the airport again.
7. At the airport (it's 10:30 at night now), I decide to take the hotel shuttle. Upon reaching the hotel, they are completely booked. I offer to pay them, but no-can't-do, no room available. I take the hotel shuttle to the airport again.
8. Found the airline counter and told them the problem. They call numerous hotels, all booked, and finally find one that has availability. Quickly go to this new hotel shuttle with several passengers in a similar situation (flights canceled) and half the folks are turned back at this hotel too as it got overbooked.
10. The good part - I got a room. The bad part - this was an airport hotel. I had always heard horror stories about how bad airport hotels are and this one was no exception. I found a corner in the hotel room and just laid there for three hours and took the first shuttle (at 4 am) to the airport.

Thankfully I got into the standby flight at 6 am and reached home without further commotion.

But add to all this the numerous fights I saw break out among passengers because 1. it was New York 2. everyone was jittery and agitated. Also add to this the absolutely dickhead like people at the airlines, at the airport, at the hotel, almost everywhere in New York that I came across and this was a recipe for a nightmare that I cannot forget.

Now I need to tell myself to take a deep breath, calm down, and remind myself that this was several days ago. Oh wait, but I heard I might have to travel to NY again! You have got to be kiddin' me! :-|

Happy Father's Day!

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Dear Dad,

Today, I just want to Thank You.

For...

...teaching me everything that I know
...being there for me every step of the way
...guiding me through the not-so-food times
...listening to my constant chatter, my raves, and my rants
...understanding what I feel even before I say it
...laughing out loud as we share one of our many private jokes
...being proud of me...now and always
...standing by me nomatterwhat
...taking my side in fights no matter who is on the other side
...teaching me the value of things
...teaching me the value of health
...motivating me to do my best and give my best
...scolding me when I deserve it (not too often though :-))
...praising my cooking (? :-))
...being my best friend in times of need
...teaching me the difference between right and wrong
...explaining things to me even after I refuse to understand them for the umpteenth time
...putting up with all my tantrums and mood swings
...depuzzling the puzzles that I seem to create :-)
...always always giving me the best advise
...being able to make me smile within seconds
...accepting my decisions and having absolute faith in them
...speaking your heart out to me
...cheering me on from my school races to my life races
...knowing my choice and taste without thinking twice
...making me who I am today
...for all this and so much more that words fall short

The list goes on but...
...who knows better than you, everything that I want to say
So here's wishing you a Very Happy Father's Day!

Your little girl, now & always,
Me