Private hospitals are supposed to be better than government hospitals.. Or so goes the myth. my latest experience with them seemed like something out of a bad horror movie.
About ten days back my grandmother fell sick.. She just wouldn’t wake up one morning and we had to take her to a hospital.. The first hassle was to find one which would admit her.. Most of them replied saying they din have a bed or that the patient had to be admitted by one of their doctors..Then I called my friend’s mom who is a doctor, explained the situation and Mami went out of her way to help us out..
Once the call came from her , the hospital was very accommodating. Wherever my grandmother was taken she was first denied care and later admitted because she was related to someone they know. . So the first lesson I learnt, unless I know someone in the hospital you are not going to admit me..
The way the duty doctors and nurses treat the family is ludicrous.. When my father asked one of the doctors what was the situation he gave a bunch of medical terms. Being the only person with a life science background, my family often turns to me when doctors talk “their language”. But when I approached them I was told I wouldn’t understand. Isn’t it your job to make me understand?
One would expect the chief doctor to be even more arrogant than the rest of them. But I was pleasantly surprised. He was very down to earth and approachable. He explained things very clearly and gave it to us straight that her chances of survival are not very high. He was very somber and seemed to be the first person who was able to understand our difficulty. The problem was he comes to the ward one hour a day.. The other 23 hrs we have to deal with the duty doctors.. During shift change its hell.. Once doctors suggests a treatment course while the next one denies any knowledge of it..
The agony continues even after the person has passed away. She was declared dead at 8.20 p.m. Till 10 00 p.m. we were not given any information. When we went up to the desk we were informed that we cannot take her home until all bill settlements were made and the person who was in charge of billing had gone home!! I was also politely informed by a nurse that there were more tragic deaths happening around me.. Does that mean the pain we feel is less?
It’s been almost ten days now and still we haven’t received the death summary which we require to claim the medical insurance. Private medical services in India are supposed to be coming of age. Administrative systems and customer services are even worse than the medical care.
Its not something we can avoid. Getting sick and going to the hospital is something I might have face again. But with such horrible administrative system, unsympathetic nurses and doctors who don’t want to take the time to explain their treatment process, I worry if it would help heal a patient or add more stress to it.
Oh don’t take me wrong, I respect doctors, infact I have some very close friends who are doctors. I understand their need to be emotionally detached but being in the noblest profession of all shouldn’t people in the health care sector have more empathy?
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
Sunday, November 1, 2009
SEX!
Ah that made most of you sit up right: P! It is probably the most controversial topic that one can talk about. Since we are the “life sciences dept” the responsibility of taking sex education for more than 200 students falls on our department. And unfortunately I was put in charge. Most people do not take this job seriously. They are either embarrassed or fear repercussions. I on the other hand got into the organizing of the series of lectures very enthusiastically. I figured as long we are doing it, let us do it right. I arranged some guest speakers – an OB-GYN, a sexologist and a NGO social worker. I was covering all my bases.
The institution in which I work was determined to botch things up. See according to them sex is not something to be discussed about. They think and believe that students do not know anything and they prefer to keep it that way. The only reason they even arrange these seminars is because the university makes it compulsory.
They thought that a sexologist was too “controversial” who would corrupt young minds. They asked me to inform the doctor that she could only talk about the anatomy of the reproductive systems and not go into specifics. The social worker was asked to talk about AIDS and other STDs very carefully. The icing on the cake being the only methods of protection we were allowed to discuss was abstinence.
What bothered me more than anything is how people are so reluctant to talk about it. I was the only one amongst the staff who didn’t fidget or was embarrassed. I don’t get it. What is the point in having sex ed , if no one is actually going to talk about it. They figure “talking about it gives kids ideas”. I say the kids already have the idea from the television, cinema, books and what not. Even without all that , didn’t Adam and Eve or the cavemen in Neanderthal age “ do it” . Propagation of the species is a trait inbuilt in our DNA.
Im not one for pre marital sex or live in relationships but considering the fact that I was a student here for five years I know the different kinds of people who go to school here. Many of them have boyfriends, go away for weekends and I don’t think the institution has a right to judge them. It is their personal choice. Respect that. Teach them values, give them advice but if we don’t inform them about how they could protect themselves , they may end up with STDs or pregnant.
The basic problem here is sex is viewed as something which cannot be talked about or even thought of openly. How can teachers, professors or parents impart sex ed to their children or students when they cant talk about it themselves?
Universally, prevention is better than cure, but the question remains – is sex education a prevention, a cure or an experiment the result of which is not known .
The institution in which I work was determined to botch things up. See according to them sex is not something to be discussed about. They think and believe that students do not know anything and they prefer to keep it that way. The only reason they even arrange these seminars is because the university makes it compulsory.
They thought that a sexologist was too “controversial” who would corrupt young minds. They asked me to inform the doctor that she could only talk about the anatomy of the reproductive systems and not go into specifics. The social worker was asked to talk about AIDS and other STDs very carefully. The icing on the cake being the only methods of protection we were allowed to discuss was abstinence.
What bothered me more than anything is how people are so reluctant to talk about it. I was the only one amongst the staff who didn’t fidget or was embarrassed. I don’t get it. What is the point in having sex ed , if no one is actually going to talk about it. They figure “talking about it gives kids ideas”. I say the kids already have the idea from the television, cinema, books and what not. Even without all that , didn’t Adam and Eve or the cavemen in Neanderthal age “ do it” . Propagation of the species is a trait inbuilt in our DNA.
Im not one for pre marital sex or live in relationships but considering the fact that I was a student here for five years I know the different kinds of people who go to school here. Many of them have boyfriends, go away for weekends and I don’t think the institution has a right to judge them. It is their personal choice. Respect that. Teach them values, give them advice but if we don’t inform them about how they could protect themselves , they may end up with STDs or pregnant.
The basic problem here is sex is viewed as something which cannot be talked about or even thought of openly. How can teachers, professors or parents impart sex ed to their children or students when they cant talk about it themselves?
Universally, prevention is better than cure, but the question remains – is sex education a prevention, a cure or an experiment the result of which is not known .
Sunday, October 4, 2009
Of LOLS and OMGS!!
I enjoy facebook. On the most part it has been an extremely useful way of getting in touch with old friends, taking generally useless tests to pass the vetti time between one class and another. It is also another way of giving my friends terrible banter in an attempt to embarrass them in front of people who aren’t ‘mutual friends’. I like the idea that it gives everyone a voice and encourage people to get involved with worthy causes, and I like the idea that it’s non-discriminating and promotes multiculturalism. What I don’t like is ‘lol’ing, ‘wtf’ing and ‘omg’ing. What pisses me off even more is the tryin to be subtle about insults like “ F*%K” . Isn’t it easier to jus say fudge, fish or why don’t you just say fuck out right??
Now, as was pointed out to me quite recently, ‘haha’ makes you sound like a dear old grandma (apparently) and ‘hehe’ing just makes you sound utterly ridiculous. You could write ‘that’s so funny’ but then people ask if you are patronizing them. ‘wtf’ should not be used because an exclamation of this magnitude does not warrant an abbreviation. Im not being a prude. I swear quite freely. But it is something that should be used in dire circumstances. There is no point in saying “ WTF he din score!”. Swearing seems to have become the latest “fab”.
If you’re having a bad day chances are at least 10 % of your face book ‘friends’ are having a bad day as well. The difference is they’re not telling everyone. If you’re having a bad day ring a friend, go for a cup of coffee or jus drink the night away with someone who genuinely cares. It is very unlikely that people are going to show sympathy, especially if you specify what’s wrong. If you change your status to ‘ got yelled at by my boss! Had a depressing day!’ the person who had probably had a day much much worse than you will throw his personal computer off a bridge out of sheer annoyance. Trust me, very few people care. The few that do are on the end of your mobile telephone.
No photo albums dedicated to new pets. I’m very happy that you’ve finally found love but I don’t need to see 103 photos of the mutt with comments such as ‘lol sooo cute’ underneath. It makes me want to repeatedly hit my head against a brick wall until I can no longer think or act for myself.
I could go on but you all know the other problems. To be fair you can do what you want with facebook. I’m just expressing what countless hundreds of other are thinking every time they see new photo albums called ‘My prince is here and makes me feel less shit about my life lol’. Don’t even get me started on twitter!
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
Being popular!
After the last hour of the day, I was gathering my notes and my laptop to head home; I saw one of my students trying to catch up with her friends. This was not an easy task considering she had two huge library books and her meticulously arranged notes. Even as she called out trying to straighten her duppata and push back her glasses, they made their way down the stairs completely ignoring her. She dropped back dejectedly as their plans of heading off to City center echoed clearly through the corridors. Looking at the disappointment in her eyes I desperately wanted to help her, coz looking at her was like looking in a mirror. I was reminded of myself at my first year at college. I wasn't much different from her.
I walked upto her and asked her what was wrong. The assessments she said. I was surprised considering she got the highest grade in class. "That's the problem" she countered. I told her that the smart kids are always unpopular because the other kids envy them for being smart. I wasn't being completely honest.
In most colleges, being smart just didn't matter much. It wasn't something that was admired or despised. All other things being equal, they would have preferred to be on the smart side of average rather than the dumb side, but intelligence counted far less than, say, physical appearance, leadership, or athletic ability. I was the one they came to when they had an assignment deadline or a test on the next day. Not someone with whom they made plans for the weekend.
Why don't smart kids make themselves popular? If they're so smart, why don't they figure out how popularity works? Im reminded of the scandalous book " How Ophal Metha went wildand got a life". The answer, is we don't want to be "with the crowd." Im not being completely honest. Saying I don't want to be popular is like saying Popeye hated spinach. Of course I wanted to be popular but what I wanted more was to be intelligent. The well liked ones learn to be popular the same way we learned to be smart. Being popular is no cup of tea. It's a lot of work. Popularity isn't just something you are or you aren't, but something you make yourself.
I explained to her that in future what would help is her being smart. She would get a good job, earn a lot of money and in general be way more happier than them. When the things you do have real effects, it's no longer enough just to be pleasing. It starts to be important to get the right answers, and that's where being smart has an advantage. Because we didn't fit into this world, does not mean something is wrong with us. It means that in some ways we were a step ahead.
She patiently listened to my line of argument and retorted " I don't want to be popular, I just want to be accepted." Well to that I didn't have an answer.
I saw her a few days later with a cool backpack, contact lens and a kurti. She was hanging out with a different crowd. A more somber crowd if I may say. She was laughing at what her friend was saying. She turned towards me and gave a blinding grin and mouthed thank you. . As she walked off I remembered how I had steadfastly held on to my principles refusing to bend. I may have been right but it didn't really help me. Maybe she was right. Being popular didn't matter, not as much as acceptance.
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
Betty can do better!
I grew up in a family which encouraged reading books. In fact in this day and age where most people don't read, we as a group might be an exception. Starting from fairy tales upto teenage fiction ive read it all. Sadly one thing was disallowed –Comics books. So while most kids picked them up at the age of maybe 6 or 7, I started out pretty late. The first time I started reading comics was at my friend S's place. You can always find a well read copy Archie's at their kitchen table. I've been hooked to comics since then.
What I remember of Archie, I ask myself. For some reason, I realized yesterday that it has been five years now since I finished high school. That makes me feel old. However back then, Archie's Riverdale and the rest were the American dream. This was the beginning of the "dot-com boom" and the "M.S trend". It was our access to anything American before we were "allowed" to watch Hollywood movies.
For decades this high school guy has been indecisive when it comes to girls. He could never choose between sweet, blond girl-next-door Betty and raven-haired heiress Veronica. People seem to be outraged on Betty's behalf. Honestly I think she is better off without him. If Veronica accepts, then she is making a big mistake! Who would want Archie? Indecisive, spoilt, not particularly intelligent either. Betty can do better!
Most of all I'm disappointed in the story line. It is the biggest cliché there is.. We have seen it all…of course we have our great love stories that romanticize the poor lover: rich girl meets poor boy, they fall in love, she defies her stern dad, they run away and live in penury but happily, dad finally forgives her and they all live happily ever after in daddy's big mansion.
MY friend Harsha, argues Comic books are made for the purpose of making people smile and laugh. Nice girls are supposed to finish first in the long run? If so, then how can it be that, after keeping both waiting for 67 years, it's Veronica that comic book hero Archie is finally proposing to, and not Betty?
I've always enjoyed Jughead's goofiness, Reggie's vanity, and the love triangle between Archie, Veronica, and Betty. If I were a romantic I would probably pair up Veronica with Reggie and Archie with Betty. Im sorry Harsha, fairy tales and "happily ever after" don't exist.. not even in comic books!
Saturday, July 25, 2009
KAAPI!
Its wonderful aroma wafts through the air molecules and sinks in to the system while people get up to get their fixes. Or some others wait sleepy eyed at canteens or the roadside shops for that one cup of pure ecstasy. Yes I'm talking abt coffee, or as we call in our dear old madras filter kaapi.
Like a typical madrasi, I cannot function in the morning without my cup of filter kaapi. . But till date most of the time when I wake up in the morning there is amma handing me a cuppa. But when mom isn't in town, the wait in the morning is like pure torture. The wonderful aroma, the sounds of the sizzling hot water poured into the filter and of the milk boiling over is what gives you a jump start to the day. when I was younger amma always took me along to buy the coffee from "Leo coffee house" in Usman rd. Those huge coffee bean grinders never failed to fascinate me. The utter casualness with which the coffee beans were poured into the grinders and the seeming ease with which the grinders crushed the coffee beans into "kaapi podi" always unfailingly left me awed. I miss that! These days we buy the coffee powder in packets.
CCD has this tagline "A lot can happen over coffee". I agree. Although honestly one doesn't really get the same rush or enjoyment with a cup of cappuccino or an espresso served in mugs or cups and saucers. What we need is the good old davara and tumbler..Piping hot coffee in the glass which would be poured back and forth into and out of the davara for the coffee to slightly cool – just that wee bit so that the coffee did not end up burning ones palate.
Sometimes when we are at the beach we walk to this tiny shack and order a 'by-two kaapi'. The sad part is that nowhere else do you feel that love, that feeling of contentment not even when you're sitting in comfy cushions out of the sweltering heat at Barista or Mocha. It's when you hit a shack, order a by-two kaapi, sit on the wooden bench, stretch your legs, pour that coffee into the saucer-like cup, sip, and talk -- you say "aaah there we are!"
And what prompted this post? The debate if the world coffee chain conglomerate - Starbucks would soon come to India. As a self-confessed coffee junkie, I say there is no way they can ever replace my shtrong filter kaapi.
Sunday, July 19, 2009
Harry Potter -HBP- A disappointment
" Its more dark and more adult" claimed the tagline. One of the movies that most of us were waiting for this year . But sadly among the many clichés, this year, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince disappoints the truly enthusiastic fan.
By the end of the movie , i thought i was watching some teenage love saga!! The subtle romantic byplay between Ron and Hermione was totally lost in the movie and Emma Watson seems to be portrayed as a love sick teenager, not the brilliant teenage prodigy.
Music by Nicholas Hooper when compared with the original soundtrack by John Williams does not really bring out the desolate times and is unable to carve out a specific role in the film.
The truly disappointing scene was the climax! I wonder what prompted Yates to have Potter stand by without doing anything while Dumbledore was being killed.
The scenes included by the director from scratch and that did not feature in the novel, the attack of Bellatrix, collapse of the Millennium Bridge, the initial scene where Harry is seen flirting with the muggle waitress could have been scraped to give room for others. The Gaunt family history and as the descendant of Salazar Slytherin Merope Gaunt has bewitched by a spell Dad Tom Riddle was completely ignored. There is no trace of Hepzibah Smith, owner of Cup or the the story of the Half-Blood Prince.
I wonder if the desire of Yates to lighten the texture in anticipation of turning the final venture more gloomy and dark. Although by emphasising on the "fun" parts in the movie partially emptied the true purpose of the book - to delve deeper into the psych of voldemort.
By the end of the movie , i thought i was watching some teenage love saga!! The subtle romantic byplay between Ron and Hermione was totally lost in the movie and Emma Watson seems to be portrayed as a love sick teenager, not the brilliant teenage prodigy.
Music by Nicholas Hooper when compared with the original soundtrack by John Williams does not really bring out the desolate times and is unable to carve out a specific role in the film.
The truly disappointing scene was the climax! I wonder what prompted Yates to have Potter stand by without doing anything while Dumbledore was being killed.
The scenes included by the director from scratch and that did not feature in the novel, the attack of Bellatrix, collapse of the Millennium Bridge, the initial scene where Harry is seen flirting with the muggle waitress could have been scraped to give room for others. The Gaunt family history and as the descendant of Salazar Slytherin Merope Gaunt has bewitched by a spell Dad Tom Riddle was completely ignored. There is no trace of Hepzibah Smith, owner of Cup or the the story of the Half-Blood Prince.
I wonder if the desire of Yates to lighten the texture in anticipation of turning the final venture more gloomy and dark. Although by emphasising on the "fun" parts in the movie partially emptied the true purpose of the book - to delve deeper into the psych of voldemort.
Monday, June 29, 2009
Climb the walls of insanity,
Ride the waves of despair.
If you fall it don't matter
There's no one to care.
Strong is good, weak is bad.
Be it false, be it true.
Your mind makes the choice,
And enforces it too.
Hide the pain, carry on,
Routine is the key.
Don't let on that you're not,
What you're pretending to be.
Lock it all up inside you,
How badly that bodes.
Look out for that one day,
When it all just explodes.
Leaving naught but a shell,
Base functionality too.
But killing all else,
That was uniquely you.
So how do you grow,
With a timebomb inside?
Or how to defuse it,
Without destroying its ride?
Ride the waves of despair.
If you fall it don't matter
There's no one to care.
Strong is good, weak is bad.
Be it false, be it true.
Your mind makes the choice,
And enforces it too.
Hide the pain, carry on,
Routine is the key.
Don't let on that you're not,
What you're pretending to be.
Lock it all up inside you,
How badly that bodes.
Look out for that one day,
When it all just explodes.
Leaving naught but a shell,
Base functionality too.
But killing all else,
That was uniquely you.
So how do you grow,
With a timebomb inside?
Or how to defuse it,
Without destroying its ride?
You can't. It will finally destroy you!
Thursday, June 25, 2009
Moments - Part 1
They say, when you are eighteen, you have to fall in love with someone. She never thought it would ever happen to her. But still, there was something about that dude that was bothering her. He was not among the most charming guys in the gang. He was not even suave or funny. In fact he was kind of broody and Heathcliff like. Maybe it was his frankness and casual attitude that attracted her – she didn’t know for sure. There was one thing that sent electric shock across her body – his smile. Edison didn’t invent any formulae to calculate how much this version of electricity could affect people!
She had spoken with him a couple of times but each time she found out to her dismay that of all words available in the English language, she could recollect only ten or fifteen words! All grammatical rules broke down when she looked into his eyes. Her friends made fun of her , the class debate champion couldn’t string ten words together to make comprehensive sentences.
She didn’t have the courage to go and talk to him about her feelings. She knew he would never go for her. She was plain , pudgy and kinda dorky. To her he was perfection. She would never be able to handle a rejection. She loved hanging out with him. She decided it was better to forget all this and be his friend.
Years went by she went on to become a librarian and he a lawyer. They remained very close friends even though they lived quite apart. She helped him through a bad break-up. He was there when she lost her job. He soon found a job back in his home town.
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They were travelling by bus. They had taken to going to temples together every week. Looking out the window, she realized her head was beginning to ache. It was ridiculous really, she thought. Why was this so difficult? She thought she was over it. Over him. She glanced down at his large hand. Would he ever hold her hand in his? He could so easily reach out and touch her hand right now. Things had changed between them, hadn’t they? He didn’t treat her like that kid he used to hang out with.
He was lost in thought. She was different. He knew she had a crush on him when she was a kid. But now things had changed, he was certain of that. But he was uncertain of exactly what those changes meant. He knew she was just as happy as him to have him as her friend. But did he want them to be something more?
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
His car broke down on his way back home. The car had to be towed. He could take a bus back home. But he pulled out his cell phone and called her. He didn’t think if the reasoning was right. He didn’t think if she would mind coming out here to get him. She came without hesitation.
The drive back was silent. They were both lost in thoughts. He realized how much he depended on her. How much he needed her. They reached his apartment. She gave him the slow half smile that
was so much a part of her. The smile that accelerated his heartbeat. Without thinking he leaned down and kissed her forehead.
She turned to him and said “ I think ive had feelings for u, for a really longtime.”
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Thursday, June 18, 2009
Objectivism - Fountainhead
I recently re-read it, and it was a very different entity than the one I recall reading at fourteen. All I really remembered was the red-haired Roark, naked on a cliff, spurned and individualistic, doing Peter Keating's homework, and having an incomprehensible but weirdly fascinating affair with someone named Dominique.
However when i read it now i look at it differently.I know a lot of people who admire Roark’s persistent moral courage, I personally am quite critical of his stubbornness and self righteous obsession. Roark says
At his closing statement at the trial Roark says "Only by living for himself was man able to achieve the glories of mankind" .I disagree. Almost every great invention I can think of was created with others in mind. It seems to me that Rand has created a character who cannot exist in this world.
So according to Rand the only way one can find true happiness is by following one's own ambition single mindedly with no regard for what others think about it. Can one live in society that way?
The manipulative nature of Ellsworth Toohey leads to his downfall; The parasitism of Keating results in his mental breakdown; and the power cravings of Wynard make him powerless. Wynand fails because he is seduced by his need for the great volume of readers. However despite all this they seem more real to me than Roark. They were driven by vices of human nature. As far as i am concerned every man has his faults, even fictional ones.
Perhaps I can't get behind objectivism because I have too little faith in the human race to do anything without an incentive. Or perhaps it's because I can't see people as individual units,. I wholeheartedly believe that the way we define ourselves is not by what we think of ourselves, but how we treat other people.
However when i read it now i look at it differently.I know a lot of people who admire Roark’s persistent moral courage, I personally am quite critical of his stubbornness and self righteous obsession. Roark says
Happiness is self-contained and self-sufficient, and this seems to be the insurmountable obstacle I have with Rand's philosophy. Is being happy really that simple?
At his closing statement at the trial Roark says "Only by living for himself was man able to achieve the glories of mankind" .I disagree. Almost every great invention I can think of was created with others in mind. It seems to me that Rand has created a character who cannot exist in this world.
So according to Rand the only way one can find true happiness is by following one's own ambition single mindedly with no regard for what others think about it. Can one live in society that way?
The manipulative nature of Ellsworth Toohey leads to his downfall; The parasitism of Keating results in his mental breakdown; and the power cravings of Wynard make him powerless. Wynand fails because he is seduced by his need for the great volume of readers. However despite all this they seem more real to me than Roark. They were driven by vices of human nature. As far as i am concerned every man has his faults, even fictional ones.
Perhaps I can't get behind objectivism because I have too little faith in the human race to do anything without an incentive. Or perhaps it's because I can't see people as individual units,. I wholeheartedly believe that the way we define ourselves is not by what we think of ourselves, but how we treat other people.
Saturday, May 16, 2009
Poo, Kolams and Mamas..
When i told my grandma that i would come for a visit to tirunelveli with her i was sure that the time i am here i would be bored to death. Suprisingly i find that im quite content here. I find myself appreciating small towns.The amount of one on one interaction is amazing, everyone seems to know everyone else's business.
So every morning at 5.30 when im up to put kolam (Ya suddenly ive become the pakka iyer athu ponnu :P) im accosted by atleast one mami or mama.The same kolam which i put in maybe two mins here at home takes atleast 15 mins to get done in tvl :).The conversation always goes the same way..
mama: ne sowndharam ponnu thane..
me: ama
mama: enaku unga amma chinna vayasu lenthu theriyum... unga appavayum nanna theriyum ( then follows a long story abt how they know our family..)
mam: ne enna panra ippo? unaku thambi undu ella?
me: nan Msc mudichiruken.. (get interrupted)
mama: ama shankar enna panran ippo? un perimma pasanga bombayla thane erukanga..(asks questions about almost every cousin or second cousin i know or dont know...)
i took my grandma to cast her vote. She forgot her glasses hence couldnt see the symbols properly on the voting machine. The electoral officer there says " madam neenga ungapaatikita ketu podungalen" .. im like "er...isnt tat lik wrong".. the dude says its okay.. Ethe in chennai he would probably be saying "seekirama votea potutu move panu perisu"
And then there are those really annoyingly chirpy mamis that i meet in the temple everyday.. even if i forget to keep Poo one day they'll make sure to get some and place it on my hair ... :)
Then there are the older thathas who accost you with a I-know-it-all expression and look sadly at you and say with a straight face..
"Biotechnology is useless.Nee IT panirkanom. So evlo pannum onakku kadaikum?"
When I mumbled some number,He looked at me wildly.
"Do you realize you are going to be poor? How are you going to live on a salary like that?"
I felt bad on adding an extra zero. I silently thanked aryabhatta. :P
Here is the picture of the kolam i put.. i also found the basket i made which i gave it to my grandma so took a pic of tat too :)
I made the whole basket by myself :) true story !!
So every morning at 5.30 when im up to put kolam (Ya suddenly ive become the pakka iyer athu ponnu :P) im accosted by atleast one mami or mama.The same kolam which i put in maybe two mins here at home takes atleast 15 mins to get done in tvl :).The conversation always goes the same way..
mama: ne sowndharam ponnu thane..
me: ama
mama: enaku unga amma chinna vayasu lenthu theriyum... unga appavayum nanna theriyum ( then follows a long story abt how they know our family..)
mam: ne enna panra ippo? unaku thambi undu ella?
me: nan Msc mudichiruken.. (get interrupted)
mama: ama shankar enna panran ippo? un perimma pasanga bombayla thane erukanga..(asks questions about almost every cousin or second cousin i know or dont know...)
i took my grandma to cast her vote. She forgot her glasses hence couldnt see the symbols properly on the voting machine. The electoral officer there says " madam neenga ungapaatikita ketu podungalen" .. im like "er...isnt tat lik wrong".. the dude says its okay.. Ethe in chennai he would probably be saying "seekirama votea potutu move panu perisu"
And then there are those really annoyingly chirpy mamis that i meet in the temple everyday.. even if i forget to keep Poo one day they'll make sure to get some and place it on my hair ... :)
Then there are the older thathas who accost you with a I-know-it-all expression and look sadly at you and say with a straight face..
"Biotechnology is useless.Nee IT panirkanom. So evlo pannum onakku kadaikum?"
When I mumbled some number,He looked at me wildly.
"Do you realize you are going to be poor? How are you going to live on a salary like that?"
I felt bad on adding an extra zero. I silently thanked aryabhatta. :P
Here is the picture of the kolam i put.. i also found the basket i made which i gave it to my grandma so took a pic of tat too :)
I made the whole basket by myself :) true story !!
Monday, May 11, 2009
Hilarious apology :)
Not mine... This is the apology note my friend sent his girl after a fight! i thought it was hilarious :)
1.“Because he said so” is not, as common consent states, a feasible argument.
2."Because she said so" is, and will always be, a feasible argument.
3. Manisha is a very beautiful girl.
4. Your the only girl worth making lists for.
5. If Harsha was correct, that would mean that Manisha was wrong, which is patently untrue, for the occurrence of “Manisha being wrong” merits the event of hell freezing over. I don’t know if you’ve noticed it, but I think we’re enjoying fine weather.
6. Of course the egg came before the chicken. I don’t know why I ever suggested otherwise.
Yours sincerely, truly, forever and ever or at least until you chuck me to the side,
Harsha ramakrishnan
1.“Because he said so” is not, as common consent states, a feasible argument.
2."Because she said so" is, and will always be, a feasible argument.
3. Manisha is a very beautiful girl.
4. Your the only girl worth making lists for.
5. If Harsha was correct, that would mean that Manisha was wrong, which is patently untrue, for the occurrence of “Manisha being wrong” merits the event of hell freezing over. I don’t know if you’ve noticed it, but I think we’re enjoying fine weather.
6. Of course the egg came before the chicken. I don’t know why I ever suggested otherwise.
Yours sincerely, truly, forever and ever or at least until you chuck me to the side,
Harsha ramakrishnan
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
When i was stupidly drunk...
M and H recently got “officially” engaged. So we decided to celebrate…. Ms parents were out of town so we decided to have an evening at her place... Watch some cricket, order some pizza and you know generally hang out.
Despite the fact that ive been out with my friends a number of times to pubs I have always made it a point to never get drunk. Stick to club soda! Be the one who mocks those who puke or those who end up bearing their souls…I am twenty two and I was the only one of my gang who had never been drunk before. I remember my first drink was a coke… I had one...then two...then a club soda…...then some vodka shots AND THAT'S WHEN IT ALL WENT WRONG! I MIXED ALCOHOL! Novice mistake…. The only upside of the whole experience being it wasn’t in public…
For someone who claims to have great self control I din handle getting drunk really well… And you would expect my pals to control me right.. but nooooo they were having fun watching their rule following “mami” friend making a complete fool of herself….
The foolish things that I did…
•I emailed this “terror” prof at college and called her all sorts of names…. I actually told her tat the reason why she was so uptight was coz she’d never been in a relationship her whole life.. (thank god she has no idea who the sender of the email is).
•Sang along with “linkin park” to numb. (which to my horror they hav it on video)
•Smsd my brother and told him tat I never appreciated him enough and other senti stuff..
•Told the entire group about the supposedly secret crush V had on S.
•Went on to tell them all an A joke which I would never ever in my right minds would consider sharing...
•Called my school math teacher and told her she was the worst math teacher in the history of teachers… ( i am deeply and profoundly grateful to my parents for giving me such a common name)
The rest is all a blur… The next thing I remember…. Puking my guts out…. I had a massive headache for almost an entire day…. So next time I go to these things Ill make sure I carry an extra bottle of coke nd most of all id never ever make fun of the one who is drunk... Getting drunk once was enough to last the rest of my life…
Despite the fact that ive been out with my friends a number of times to pubs I have always made it a point to never get drunk. Stick to club soda! Be the one who mocks those who puke or those who end up bearing their souls…I am twenty two and I was the only one of my gang who had never been drunk before. I remember my first drink was a coke… I had one...then two...then a club soda…...then some vodka shots AND THAT'S WHEN IT ALL WENT WRONG! I MIXED ALCOHOL! Novice mistake…. The only upside of the whole experience being it wasn’t in public…
For someone who claims to have great self control I din handle getting drunk really well… And you would expect my pals to control me right.. but nooooo they were having fun watching their rule following “mami” friend making a complete fool of herself….
The foolish things that I did…
•I emailed this “terror” prof at college and called her all sorts of names…. I actually told her tat the reason why she was so uptight was coz she’d never been in a relationship her whole life.. (thank god she has no idea who the sender of the email is).
•Sang along with “linkin park” to numb. (which to my horror they hav it on video)
•Smsd my brother and told him tat I never appreciated him enough and other senti stuff..
•Told the entire group about the supposedly secret crush V had on S.
•Went on to tell them all an A joke which I would never ever in my right minds would consider sharing...
•Called my school math teacher and told her she was the worst math teacher in the history of teachers… ( i am deeply and profoundly grateful to my parents for giving me such a common name)
The rest is all a blur… The next thing I remember…. Puking my guts out…. I had a massive headache for almost an entire day…. So next time I go to these things Ill make sure I carry an extra bottle of coke nd most of all id never ever make fun of the one who is drunk... Getting drunk once was enough to last the rest of my life…
Monday, March 23, 2009
drifting along..
I search through days that have been hard
To try to understand
The life that I have had.
You see me in my daily life
So confident and strong
Yet when I am alone,
I question just where I belong
I often try too hard I find
To analyze and guess
To scrutinize investigate
My life I will confess
I struggle to bring clarity
To what awaits me tomorrow
And yet i fail to realise
What happens to me today
It seems the harder that I try
To focus through the haze
Just serves to add more questions
Perhaps I'm trying just too hard
To understand it all
For can we ever truly know
Just what will really happen
Each incident each moment passed
Perhaps I make it harder
Than it has to be sometimes
But will my searching bring to me
My meaning over time?
Or will it leave me broken
And confused as I feel now.
To try to understand
The life that I have had.
You see me in my daily life
So confident and strong
Yet when I am alone,
I question just where I belong
I often try too hard I find
To analyze and guess
To scrutinize investigate
My life I will confess
I struggle to bring clarity
To what awaits me tomorrow
And yet i fail to realise
What happens to me today
It seems the harder that I try
To focus through the haze
Just serves to add more questions
Perhaps I'm trying just too hard
To understand it all
For can we ever truly know
Just what will really happen
Each incident each moment passed
Perhaps I make it harder
Than it has to be sometimes
But will my searching bring to me
My meaning over time?
Or will it leave me broken
And confused as I feel now.
Friday, February 13, 2009
Why the discrimination?
So today a really good friend of mine and me walked down to the beach … There was a bunch of people who were looking at us really weirdly… why? Coz my friend was wearing baby pink tracks and carrying a pale blue balloon.. Now why would that be weird??? Well my friend is a guy..
We passed this group of college boys who yelled “hey homo!”... Why does it bother you who goes around wearing what? Comment on it in private but to actually be so cruel about it.. I wanted to pick a bone with those guys but my friend said it wasn’t worth it and he was getting used to it.
Our society is not a very open minded even about things like live in relationships, sex before marriage, women visiting pubs.. Why even a simple coffee date… so there is no way they will ever accept homosexuality..
There are many open minded people I know who say “hey im cool with it” unless they actually meet gay men or women. When they do actually meet they don’t know how to act around them.. And it ends up being embarrassing for everyone involved. They are people like us… they smile, laugh, cry, hurt the same way as we do.
And these preconceived notions against them are the worst.. Who says gay guys are more sentimental then straight ones? What makes you assume they like boy bands and not heavy metal? The movie DOSTANA was a joke.. It wasn’t one to open the minds of the public but one to make them more prejudiced by giving them a stereotypic behaviour…
And the laws which deem such relationships to be illegal make it even more difficult for the public to accept them... After all if the government cannot recognize them then why should the public? Although when gay activists in India agitate for repealing Article 377 I wonder if they are being counterproductive. If they insist on being seen and heard, we as a society will be compelled to confront them and take a stand
Homosexuality as a concept has been accepted and has existed ever since the days of the greek philosopher Plato.. (The word “platonic” to explain a nonsexual relationship between a man and a woman is an example). There is awareness of forms of alternate sexuality that have long been part of Indian society, like the hijra community. There is acceptance of this, but it comes with very definite prejudices some of which are extended to the gay community.
My friend warned me against writing about this… this is because he thinks that once people read this they would assume I was gay too.. I don’t really care… people can think what they want.. But the heart of the matter is that there is gross injustice meted out to them and they don’t deserve it.. We are born the way we are.. To force someone to change their identity to fit in with the norms of the society is definitely not acceptable.
We passed this group of college boys who yelled “hey homo!”... Why does it bother you who goes around wearing what? Comment on it in private but to actually be so cruel about it.. I wanted to pick a bone with those guys but my friend said it wasn’t worth it and he was getting used to it.
Our society is not a very open minded even about things like live in relationships, sex before marriage, women visiting pubs.. Why even a simple coffee date… so there is no way they will ever accept homosexuality..
There are many open minded people I know who say “hey im cool with it” unless they actually meet gay men or women. When they do actually meet they don’t know how to act around them.. And it ends up being embarrassing for everyone involved. They are people like us… they smile, laugh, cry, hurt the same way as we do.
And these preconceived notions against them are the worst.. Who says gay guys are more sentimental then straight ones? What makes you assume they like boy bands and not heavy metal? The movie DOSTANA was a joke.. It wasn’t one to open the minds of the public but one to make them more prejudiced by giving them a stereotypic behaviour…
And the laws which deem such relationships to be illegal make it even more difficult for the public to accept them... After all if the government cannot recognize them then why should the public? Although when gay activists in India agitate for repealing Article 377 I wonder if they are being counterproductive. If they insist on being seen and heard, we as a society will be compelled to confront them and take a stand
Homosexuality as a concept has been accepted and has existed ever since the days of the greek philosopher Plato.. (The word “platonic” to explain a nonsexual relationship between a man and a woman is an example). There is awareness of forms of alternate sexuality that have long been part of Indian society, like the hijra community. There is acceptance of this, but it comes with very definite prejudices some of which are extended to the gay community.
My friend warned me against writing about this… this is because he thinks that once people read this they would assume I was gay too.. I don’t really care… people can think what they want.. But the heart of the matter is that there is gross injustice meted out to them and they don’t deserve it.. We are born the way we are.. To force someone to change their identity to fit in with the norms of the society is definitely not acceptable.
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