What is with people? Either I have changed too much in the past 2.5 yrs or people have stopped exactly where they were and stopped moving forward. It's true that my idea of "fun" has changed. I like partying. I just like the sound of saying something like, "Let's paaaaarrrrddddyyyy!!" I was a complete geek before coming to K and that place taught me to let myself a little loose and sit back and relax.

And partying doesn't necessarily mean boozing or taking drugs. It means hanging out, listening to music, doing bakar, dancing, pulling each other's legs etc.

Then why do Indians think that it's bad to have fun? You know, parents say stuff like, "She's always out with friends. Uske ghar pe pair nahi tiktey." As if that is a bad thing to do. I don't think there's anything wrong in that. And when, even people of our generation have that backward way of thinking, I just think "Boss, yeh kya hai!" And it's even more frustrating when you tell your friends ki let's meet up and someone says something like "Kya karenge mil ke?" Or, if there is some cause of celebration and you say that we're partying on so-and-so date at so-and-so place, they actually ask you something like, "Kya karenge party mei?" Huh!! :O

When men get sexually harassed..!

I recently heard something which made me sit up and take notice...it's not like one does not hear stories about men being at the wrong side of sexual advances; but someone actually describing his experience was a complete shocker. My first reaction was :O and then a small grin and then a full gabbar style roar :D

But then, that's not done. The poor guy was apparently standing in the crowded local, the entire time "protecting" himself and was really MAD about it. But what surprised me was that-
a)he din't say anything to the guy who was "molesting" him
b)he thought it was not molestation/sexual harassment, it was just disgusting

Maybe men don't look at eve-teasing in the same manner as women do. There was no anger at being treated as a physical object or any frustration at the advances. And in fact, if it had been some young girl instead of a sleepy middle aged man, maybe he would have just stood there enjoying himself. And maybe if this was not a one-off incident, but rather something which he faced almost every day, then maybe his reaction would have been stronger.

And ya, maybe I should not have laughed...at least not so loudly :D

Beowulf- Temptation is the greatest curse

Beowulf is an Anglo-Saxon epic poem about a great warrior. It's the oldest found epic in English and any student of English Literature would be able to tell you what significance it holds for this language. So, when I went to see the latest Anthony Hopkins flick, by the same name, I hoped to revive some of my enthusiasm for old English literature and poetry and see if I remembered anything about this piece.

The epic is a tale (musical in nature- because of the use of alliteration (ref: wikipedia) about a Scandinavian warrior named Beowulf. In the poem, he battles three monsters- one by the name of Grendel, second- Grendel's mom, who wants to take revenge and third, some un-named dragon, in his later life. Beowulf dies in this final battle after slaying the dragon. Apparently, there are 3 funerals in the poem, outlining these three battles. Umm, for those who are interested, do read in detail in Wikipedia (link here)

The movie, though, has taken a different view to the tale and I don't know how much of it is true. Here, Grendel's mom is Angelina Jolie (quite a monster, one would say!) looking extremely appealing and inviting in dripping gold paint. And when Beowulf goes to the lake to kill her, for she wants revenge for her son's death, she makes him an offer he cant refuse- he should give her a son and she will leave the kingdom alone. Beowulf, in the moment of weakness, unites with her and happily goes back to the king, saying that he has slain the evil Grendel's mom.

Now for the ironical part- the king guesses everything- coz in his younger days, the same thing had happened with him and Grendel had actually been the King's son-with Madam Jolie. Hehehehe....one can't help find this scene amusing and the look of desperation on Beowulf's face, to undo his wrong, has been aptly captured. The king very happily hands over the crown, the kingdom, the riches and the Curse to Beowulf and passes away. Beowulf lives his entire life waiting for that curse to resurface in the form of his son and has no peace or happiness. In his later days, the dragon monster finally attacks and Beowulf kills him.

All in all, a tale well told and a moral thrown in too- "temptation is the greatest curse"

What Kind of Guy Will You Fall For?
	You would fall for the geek. If you're looking for love, consider spending a little more time studying up in the library. To you, there's nothing more attractive than intelligence, shyness, and kindness; your future love may have four eyes and zero social skills, but he'll make up for it in brains and heart.
Find Your Character @ BrainFall.com

Which Friends Character Are You?
	You are Rachel. You're very selfish and pay great attention to image. Spoiled when you were young, you were always the popular and snobbish kid. Although you hang on to your adolescent attributes, you grow more responsible every year.
Find Your Character @ BrainFall.com

I don't know why I'm feeling so agitated... am scared, tired, hesitant, silent.... I don't know why....
Have not spoken to anyone or said anything....bas subah se kaam mei hi laga hua hai....yet my mind refuses to calm down... Don't even know what is disturbing me, it's just that weird feeling that something really horrible is about to happen...

Random random random thoughts...

Maine itni baar samjhaya hai...ki never take life easily...if you think it's a simple game you are dead... The moment you let the guard down or think that you are in a winning position- uve already lost... but my concern is that why should we take on life as if it were a challenge or an opponent whom we have to beat..? Shouldn't it be more like a a nice pleasant journey or something? Then why does it feel like it were a foe- trying very hard to get you down.

If I had wings, I would fly

Ever thought what it would feel like to fly like a bird? Came really close to it yesterday...one of the most exhilarating experiences one could have- Paragliding in Kamshet

But, if you're expecting to feel nervous or to get that huge scary rush of adrenalin, well you won't- at least not in the tandem ride that I ventured for...it is more like a peaceful flight...and since the pilot behind you does all the work- you get to just relax and enjoy the flight...just feel the wind on your face and look down at the tiny houses and the field and lakes...you can also see little birds flying on top of the trees :)
After waiting for hours for the wind to be just right, I finally got to take off late in the evening- with the setting sun in the background. Those 10 mins must have been the calmest moments I've had in a looooooooooonnnnggg time...I was grinning so much, my jaws were hurting by the time I landed...

It was like I was just floating in the wind and it could carry me off wherever it wanted to... Thankfully, the pilot behind me was also completely quiet and I could just take in everything... Surprisingly, I had thought that once I fly, I would be screaming and enjoying- but I was actually completely awestruck and silent.

Now I know why people from ages, have been trying to learn to fly... am only glad I got to experience something so awesome... :)

Yajnaseni

These days I'm reading a book called "Yajnaseni" (read: Yagnaseni)- which, as the name suggests- is about Draupadi. She speaks about her childhood, marriage to the five warriors, love for Arjun, insult, dharma, Life...

What I like about the book is that it has thrown her in a completely different light. She talks about her dilemma, pain and anguish at having to unite with 5 different men on each different night. How she loves only Arjun, but has to be true to her other husbands from heart, mind and body. She cannot commit the adharm of thinking of another man while in one husband's arms.

One part was worth thinking- she says that most kings in Aryavart have more than 1 wife, and each night they all dress up and look their best so that the King would desire her and come to her chamber that night. But in her case, it's not as if the 5 brothers will be trying their best to woo her. On the other hand, every night she has to transform herself according to which husband's night it is and satisfy him and make sure that he is happy. Don't get me wrong- I am not talking about the physical aspect alone- it is much more than that. When she is with Yudhishtir, she has to be well-learned, wise and follow dharma. With Bhim- she has to cook, make him feel happy and press his legs or he threatens to return to his demon wife Hidimba...

The irony of it all is that she knows that, for generations to come, people will mock her, insult her and make jokes. And surprisingly, when I mentioned this book to a friend- he immediately came up with a joke about gloves being condoms for the Pandavas. Sigh..

It will be a really long time before this Yajnaseni- who came out of the sacrificial fire to fight injustice- gets any justice in history. The day people stop saying that Draupadi was the cause of the Mahabharata (just like Sita was the cause of the war in the Ramayana!!), she will get her redemption.

I'm getting senti :(

I was reading my year book a few days back and got totally sad. Well, not totally sad, but more like a mixed feeling of happy cum sad. Happy, for all the great times and sad because it's over. Everyone has written such nice stuff about each other. Each person's page is his identity- it speaks volumes about what his friends/batch mates think about him. And it was just so sweet. There was a certain vigour and life about K which I miss. Kuchh na kuchh chalta hi rehta tha...sigh. And I miss all my friends and all the fun/ bakar that we did... siiggghhh!

An Ode to my Feminism

Well allrite, this is not really an ode...but I liked the sound of that :D

Hmmm..so the topic of my concern is my feminism- I'm worried that it's becoming more than just an issue that I am concerned about. It is becoming more like a way of life for me. I get worked up about things which other people feel are non issues. I have often been tagged the head of all mahila-mukti morcha groups. Most of the books at my bed side would deal with women, children, harassment, violence etc. The last 3 books that I have read are-
In the Name of Honour- Mukhtar Mai
Lajja- Taslima Nasrin
Bitter Chocolate- Pinki Virani
I get concerned about where society is headed and the way men think. I often get into discussions (read arguments) about rape, punishment, marriage, sexual harassment etc. I sometimes get paranoid about things like- "What if my husband turns out to be a wife beater!"

And what is sad is that I must confess, I have not really taken any proactive steps to contribute to the cause in any positive manner. Yes, the thought has been there for quite some time now, but so what? Thoughts that are not converted into actions, just remain what they are- random thoughts.

But basically my initial concern still remains- have I crossed that thin line between being sensitive and being an extremist?

washing machine inside my tummy..!

My stomach is very upset. As you can read the title of this post- it feels like my tummy is a washing machine and it's going roun' n roun'. And that everything inside is being shaken up.

There is a bee inside my head and it's going zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz which can be really irritating when you are trying to get some work done! (Though I've given up trying now :D)

My eyes feel they are going to fall out of their sockets, if I don't hold them in (by shutting my eyes)

So basically, on the whole I feel like a mess...and my hair has gone back to its horrible curly state again..which is further cause of distress to me...

Isi baat pe ek sher yaad aa gayi- heard it just yesterday- (I'm not sure about how applicable it is- but here goes--

Dil ke chhalon pe koi sher kahe to kya kahein,
Dil ke chhalon pe koi sher kahe to kya kahein,
Takleef to tab hoti hai,
Jab log wah-wah kartey hain.