What's this fuss about racism?

We have been hearing the news on racism against Indians in Australia and various other countries. I have had some friends who shared with me their personal experiences on how they get treated in Europe and in various other countries as well. Luckily I have only been in the US and no other country. The people here are warm and definitely more welcoming.

Well, nobody supports racism, at least openly and we have every right to protest and fight if we are discriminated based on our race. Then why do I have such a heading?

Recently I came across this news about KCR civil war slogan Telangana Jago and Andhra Bago! He calls for all Telanganaites to throw Andhraites out of the region! It's a known fact that he is looking to divide our state and feast on it. The divide and rule is like a rule of thumb and will always work. I don't think it is any less than racism, if racism discriminates you based on your race, this one based on your region.

It's not just the case with Andhra, certain faction groups in Maharashtra as well disregard people migrated from other states. Well, you discriminate people in your own country and expect other countries to show you respect? I don't think we have any right to point out at other countries unless we correct our own flaws.

It all comes to divide and rule, our rulers fragment us into various classes and play on sentiments of each section and count on their votes.!

09/09/09

I wake up today in the morning as any other morning, with same alarm ring, from the same bed, under the same comforter feeling nothing special about today. After I finish up my 'things' and get ready to work, I turn on the TV while packing my lunch and saw on TV 9 news as to how auspicious today is ( 09/09/09) as the number 9 is favorable for us Hindus. They said it's a lucky day and a ray of hope raises inside me.

The ray got wiped out as quickly as it came and the normal boring drive to work overtook it. The usual traffic and the usual tension to reach work on time took precedence. Then I turn on the Desi radio and there was a special program dedicated to today's date, talking about what all good things the number 9 stands for. They even said governments all over the world were inaugurating new projects as the date stands lucky. And pregnant women all over the world have lined up to have C - sections so they can give birth to their babies on this auspicious day!!!
Now the ray of hope inside me multiplies. I suddenly have the glow of a hungry person who is about to have a feast.

There is a lot of room for good things that can happen to me. I might get my GC, I might get a promotion or hike, I probably would end up with a fat wallet(So bad I don't have any lottery tickets) by the end of the day, some angel might drop in and fill my room with lots of clothes and shoes and purses and ya jewelry too ;) I know this is a little too much :)) Well who knows let's wait and see ;) ;)

Late Lateefs

Do you guys remember all those jokes we have on Indian Standard Time? Staying true to all that

We go to a party starting at 6, at 8
we'll be there at the movies at 6 15 for a 6 O clock show
we try to go to college for a class starting at 9 by 9 10
we try to be in the railway station for a train starting at 6 by 6 05

well the list can go on and on like an Indian TV show :P we should start taking time management classes ... we might probably end up turning late to that as well!

You might be thinking why all of a sudden I have such a realization... well the late Lateef in me, lately realized, on a late evening, as to how late a realization can be made :P

We have these Indian channels on TV and lately we started recording stuff while we are away. The DVR starts recording the program based on the time they are supposed to start and not the time they actually started. We are all fine as long as we are recording any English shows. The Indian shows are the lazy cats and the 'Prompt - on Time' DVR has tough time catching them. The 9 O clock show actually starts at 9 15 and our punctual DVR starts recording at 9 and stops by 9 30. This makes us miss almost half the show :(

On the other hand I am amazed with the American shows and how they start promply at 9 dot. Well... this shows there are a lot of areas where we lack time sense and it is so deep in our roots that we just don't realize.

BTW don't get too inspired and start attending parties on time. You are NOT EXPECTED to come early!!!!!!!

Purse purse where are you

Last week was a hectic week and we had been rushing around to get things done... With the little sleep I was able to catch up I wake up half asleep and half tensed that it is getting late to work. You have to watch me getting ready to work, you would think you are watching a fast forward tape! After months of calculating and recalculating I follow the effective, efficient way of doing things! Every second counts and every part of my body runs.

After getting ready, I come down, realize that the clothes were not put in the dryer and go to the laundry room, put them in dryer and come out, which surprises Vijay. He thought I was inside the room just long enough to turn on the switch :D After packing lunch and doing little this and that, I open the closet to grab the purse and run to the office. A look of sudden shock on my face from what I found there! I see no purse! I run around the whole house and search for it and still I find it no where.

Then I calmdown, and start thinking when I have last seen my purse. Was that yesterday? No, we haven't gone out anywhere yesterday. Was it day before? Yes could possibly be. Let's see where I have gone day before yesterday.

We started in the morning, done some grocery shopping, then went to grapevine mall browsed around some 5-6 stores, went to radio shack, then best buy(bought a digital frame for my mother for mother's day, and she loves it) and then to airport to pick my parents. vowwww so many places. Did I wear my purse to all these places? Then I remember taking purse to the airport, the place we have last visited on that day. I remeber wearing it in the waiting area! Then my mom says she hasen't seen me wearing any purse.

Ahhhhh I realize that with the excitement of seeing my parents coming out I left the purse on the chair and ran to them :(
And then things started hitting me, I have all my credits cards, debit cards, check book and also my EAD card and drivers license in it!!!!!!!! And it 's been two days and I haven't monitered any of my accounts!!!! Any thing could have happened by now.

And then Vijay gives a hope. Since it is in the airport nobody will touch it thinking there might be some explosives in it. We should be calling the 'Lost and Found' in the airport. I was so sure that as soon as I call them they will say 'Come take your bag Sharmila'.

I called them, they found nothing, called them the next day, nothing, the third day, fourth day nothing. Surprisingly there are no fraudulent activities also on any of my accounts. Called them the 5th day, nothing. I then lose hope and cancel all my cards and apply for replacement driverse license. Then comes a letter from the 'Lost and Found' of the airport saying that they have my purse and I can collect it any time between 9 AM to 6 PM. It first went to my old address on the license and then came to me. I have been calling them all these days, they say they have nothing and then they send me a letter saying they have it? weird. But who cares. I got my purse back. But was it worth all the trips I made to the airport and all that I had to go through to cancel my cards and apply for new license?

I don't know, but I am happy seeing my cute little red wallet I had in my purse that I loved having :) It is so chick like and I hardly used it. Thanks to the 'Lost and Found' and good to see you back little purseeee :)

Together once again

It has been a very pleasant week so far and I am very much looking forward to the long weekend and all the fun in store for me. It is very nice having our parents with us, and reversing our roles giving them instructions on what to do and what not :)

I have always been the most pampered one of us three and what makes it standout as a a cactus in desert is that it was not just my parents who pampered me, but my sisters as well. It was my younger sister who used to get me ready for my school, put me on my shores, and you are not going to believe this, she even used to carry my bag and lunch box to school! I used to happily stroll with nothing to carry, and my sister on the other hand used to wrestle with 2 big bags of books.

Well, don't make your imaginations go wild and picture me as an evil child :) luckily even with so much pampering I have not turned out to be the mean spoiled brat as in moves ;) In fact I still remember it all and we sisters still share the same bonding as we used to in childhood :) (Although my sister is still famous with our circle of family for this act of hers... and I am equally infamous!. )

It is a great feeling, having our families with us this time as a grown up responsible home owner :) I don't know if I have enjoyed doing it, but it definitely is a different feeling not acting as a kid with all those who still see/pamper me as a kid!

In the name of Culture

I couldn't believe what I saw the other day in news. Atrocities being done in the name of religion and culture!




The Sriram Sene activists attacking women at Mangalore pub is no different from Taliban 's acts against women for me. In the centuries of Indian History and culture where does it justify beating and attacking women.

We boast of India being the largest democracy in the World, well, don't we even have the right to live our life in our own terms? What way is this different from Taliban's treatment of women? Are we moving forward with time or going even backwards? Shame on us that we are allowing these people commit such crimes in the mask of religion. Hinduism never ever preached these ideologies.

I was so horrified when I read of Taliban s restrictions over women by Kaled Hosseni, an Afgan born writer. Women were to wear burkha all the time, they were to be accompanied by men/husband while outside, they were barred from having education, they were not allowed to work, they had separate hospitals from men with poor facilities. A lot of widowed women had to leave their children in orphanages as they were barred from working and they were not to be seen on roads alone. They were beaten with hunters if found alone.

I was so horrified that I couldn't stop thinking about these women for few days, my blood boiled with rage, I thought I wouldn't let these things happen to me ever. Now what? I see similar things in my home land? Even though our religion never taught these? If you are so much into this whatever culture(can't say it's hindu culture) then go practice it yourself, why drag people into it.

I strongly feel severe action needs to be taken against these so called Sriram activists (shame on them to do this in the name of Ram), all the Indians, men/women should come together and raise our voice against these atrocities. Please don't make our beautiful country another Afganisthan or Taliban Raj.

Shocking revelation of a victim

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Mangalore_pub_victim_recounts_molestation_horror/videoshow/4034725.cms

Five Point Someone

Have read this novel 'Five point Someone' that has been pending for a long long time now. Not because I didn't find time, but because in spite of my numerous efforts, I couldn't find the book in any of the libraries here. I hate it when I don't find popular books in libraries, it's like not finding Mickey mouse in Disney, or probably, I was looking for an Appu in Dinsney :D

Anyways, I finally got to read this book and it was worth all the toil. IIT and IIM have always been those dreams that keep you awake! The mere fact that the book is from an IIT IIM graduate gave me outrageous happiness. Being a person who failed to crack 'CAT', I was always fascinated in meeting people who made is as easy as cracking a nut. (You can imagine how happy I might be marrying one :))

Even though Vijay 'enlightened' me with his life at IIM, reading about it had an impact of its own. It was irresistible to even take a break! The story, the IIT life, the courses, the terminology, the GPA's everything kept me glued to the book. And the ultimate stunner is, it being true story of the author himself.

I enjoyed reading this book and it is a refreshing change from my usual wrestle with clock.