I have to "thank" my new client for giving me a new head start to my day. Due to the excuse of saving money, I have to get my lazy ass up earlier than expected.
My client's way of saving money is of course the new found way.....OUTSOURCING & OFF SHORING!!!!!!
Well one of the resources we have in our team is based in Bangalore, India, so that means odd hours. And yes odd hours it is. So in order for me to have status meetings and other catchup calls with this resource, I have to have meetings with this guy at 7:00 AM almost every other day, until he catches up. So I have to get up VERY EARLY for this meeting.
Mind you, I'm not a morning person at all, but I have to do this for the company and keeping a job.
Well today, he sends me and the team an email stating he's not going to be attending the phone session, since he is not feeling well. The message he sent was during our bedtime. So we 'merrily' went ahead with our sleepy eyed meeting. No sense in skipping it.
Now I have gotten more news today! MORE RESOURCES FROM INDIA!
That can only mean one thing.....more early morning meetings! Forget about getting any beauty sleep (dreaming about a beauty is what I mean)!!!
Thursday, March 29, 2007
Friday, March 23, 2007
If You Go, Then I Go.......maybe...
As a love and hate relationship goes, so does India's and Pakistan's. We can't live with or without each other. And I guess that "symbiotic" relationship carries on to the World Cup of Cricket.
With the departure of Pakistan from the World Cup last Saturday due to Ireland, I'm sure a lot of the Indian supporters were happy to see their next door foe go home with ease. But on the same day, the Indian team lost miserably to an upstart Bangladeshi team.
So while the Pakistanis had booked their tickets to go back home, India was in the process of inquiring with the agent about the next flight after theirs. Today it was the do or die match up with Sri Lanka. For India, a win and they were in to the next round. A loss and you had to call that agent to confirm and make your final bookings to go back home.
Well the over-hyped Indians did what they weren't supposed to do. They lost, and lost badly. The ill-fated team was, for the lack of a better word, SMACKED. The billions of people back home were decimated. The ones who had bet on India to be winners or finalists lost a good chunk of money.
In the meantime, Pakistan have a huge mess on their hands, with the murder of their coach. Suspicion is rampant, and Pakistani cricket is in trouble. The mystery of Bob Woolmer's death is grabbing more headlines than the matches itself. Actually the news was even headline news on CNN, Yahoo! and other American news outlets, outlets where a report on cricket might be about the insect, not the sport.
And now, since both South Asian giants are virtually out of the World Cup (virtually cause India is technically still in it; read on), I'm sure the neighbors can chummy up and share watching others take the spoils of this tournament. It could bring the peace process along quite well, especially figuring out what went wrong with both of the teams' performances. At least for now, we can support each other's grief.
Now as I said before, India virtually is out of the Cup. The reason why I say that is because on Sunday the Bangladeshis play the lowly Bermudans. So far, Bermuda has been thrashed by both India and Sri Lanka. For the Bangladeshis, they need to win or draw to go to the next round. However, a loss would put India through. But the chances of the Bermudans beating Bangladesh is like asking for pigs to fly (although they do in Cincinnati).
Well I'll be superstitious, and wear my Bermuda shorts this coming Sunday.
Thursday, March 22, 2007
Where's the Beef?
Inspired by a friend's post, I felt that I needed to add to the story on how and why beef is not a part of the Indian-Hindu culture. A lot of my non-Desi friends have always been curious to ask about this cultural "phenomenon". However there is this misconception that all Hindus do not eat beef or are simply vegetarians. It's the stereotypical nonsense we always hear.
For me while growing up, I had parents who were both on the opposite spectrums of non-vegetarianism. My mom, more of a vegetarian, hates the idea of beef and sticks with seafood and chicken. She isn't so fond of red meat and will have it only in rare circumstances. My dad however was totally different. He loved meat.
He was a fan of "all of the above", if there is such a category to explain all the options of non-veg food. He even used to tell us about the frog leg samosas (fried turnovers) that he once had (trust me, it seemed as if he was still salivating about that experience when he would describe it to us). And of course the one other important thing he liked was beef. If we ever went out to a place where steak was the main entree, you knew what he was going to order. He once even went as far as tricking my mom, who was new to this country, into eating a hamburger by telling her it was "ham". And not so surprisingly, like any other immigrant Indian, he never had beef back home.
But over time, his beef eating curtailed. I guess it had to do with my mother's influence, especially due to one incident. My dad had brought home some steak when I was about 6 years old or so. Under the protest of my mother, he cooked it anyway. I didn't have whatever he made, but somehow the next day I fell severely ill. I was sick for a while. And as superstitions tend to influence ideas, my mother's words of warning were realized, thus effectively bringing in a ban of cooking beef in the house. In fact it still exists to this very day.
However, the ban didn't extend to my diet. My father's thought was that since in America vegetarian food is hard to find (as it was during the 70's/80's), I should be able to eat anything. Not a bad idea. Oddly enough, my mother relented. So having beef for me wasn't so special. Going out to restaurants, I had it, but at home never.
Funny enough though, at school, a friend once said to me, "You're a Hindu! You just ate a hamburger! You have sinned!!!", to which I laughed and replied, "What's even bad, I'm a Brahmin, so my sin is a lot worse!!!"
But the truth is, Brahmins and the rest of the Indian social strata did eat meat including beef, before it became a "sin".
Traditionally a puja (veneration) is offered by Hindus to the Gods and at the end a prasad (offerings) is given (sort of like the wine and wafer given by Catholics at communion, signifying Jesus' blood and body). These offerings were usually animals used as sacrifice. These animals, then in turn would be made into some edible offering to be given to the devotees as well as the priests (Brahmins). Some of these animals included cows.
This activity continued, until certain influences came into Indian society.
One of the first influences was due to Lord Krishna. The philosophical hero of the Bhaghavad Gita was from the cow herder class, and was known to be a lover of dairy products, especially milk and butter. The love of Krishna by many people prompted them to deify the cow, as it related to his love for the animal.
The other influence was due to the impact of Buddhism and Jainism. Both added elements of "ahimsa" or non-violence. Those teachings made vegetarianism popular. Sacrifices to the Gods dwindled. In essence a lot of Hindus became vegetarians, especially the Brahmin class.
But looking at these reasons on why the cow has been deified in Hindu/Indian society it does call to the fact that it is more of an agricultural impact, rather than just religious. In Hinduism, the cow is looked upon as a 'mother' who gives. This giving of course is essential for the child's growth with milk (with the exception of lactose intolerant people), and also helping man in tilling the land. And knowing that since ancient times India was a culture heavily dependent on its agriculture, the cow's deification isn't so surprising. The agricultural economy spoke for itself. The philosophy was only a part of it.
But nowhere in the religion does it state that we as Hindus cannot eat beef or any other non-vegetarian food.
So why do many Hindus still not eat beef (or are vegetarians for that matter)? Most likely by choice, and possibly due to religious ideals that have become the cultural norm.
Actually for me, beef eating has changed considerably. My intake of it has declined over the past 10 years. I rather prefer things like chicken and seafood (kind of like my mother), instead of beef. The last time I had steak, I genuinely felt sick after having it. And it was well done, something those steak eating aficionados would laugh at me for. I do still crave a hamburger every once in a while, but seriously I rather eat something healthier.
It kind of brings me back to the statement my school buddy had made of me being a sinner. As a kid, I once had gone to McD's with my Pakistani-American friend who I grew up with.
We were en route to a soccer game we were to play and stopped for some breakfast with the rest of the team. He promptly ordered an Egg McMuffin. I expected him to order it without the Canadian Bacon, but he didn't. I reminded him that he was about to eat ham and might be committing a sin according to Islam, to which he answered, "So what? I love Egg McMuffins with the bacon!".
Well a few years ago I met up with him in the Windy City, and jokingly asked him if he still frequented McD's in the morning for his Egg McMuffin. He laughed, wondering how I still remembered that. But his next answer summed it all up with a great big smile, "No man, I don't have Egg McMuffins anymore. Remember, I'm a Muslim!".
I guess personal convictions finally seem to take over.
For me while growing up, I had parents who were both on the opposite spectrums of non-vegetarianism. My mom, more of a vegetarian, hates the idea of beef and sticks with seafood and chicken. She isn't so fond of red meat and will have it only in rare circumstances. My dad however was totally different. He loved meat.
He was a fan of "all of the above", if there is such a category to explain all the options of non-veg food. He even used to tell us about the frog leg samosas (fried turnovers) that he once had (trust me, it seemed as if he was still salivating about that experience when he would describe it to us). And of course the one other important thing he liked was beef. If we ever went out to a place where steak was the main entree, you knew what he was going to order. He once even went as far as tricking my mom, who was new to this country, into eating a hamburger by telling her it was "ham". And not so surprisingly, like any other immigrant Indian, he never had beef back home.
But over time, his beef eating curtailed. I guess it had to do with my mother's influence, especially due to one incident. My dad had brought home some steak when I was about 6 years old or so. Under the protest of my mother, he cooked it anyway. I didn't have whatever he made, but somehow the next day I fell severely ill. I was sick for a while. And as superstitions tend to influence ideas, my mother's words of warning were realized, thus effectively bringing in a ban of cooking beef in the house. In fact it still exists to this very day.
However, the ban didn't extend to my diet. My father's thought was that since in America vegetarian food is hard to find (as it was during the 70's/80's), I should be able to eat anything. Not a bad idea. Oddly enough, my mother relented. So having beef for me wasn't so special. Going out to restaurants, I had it, but at home never.
Funny enough though, at school, a friend once said to me, "You're a Hindu! You just ate a hamburger! You have sinned!!!", to which I laughed and replied, "What's even bad, I'm a Brahmin, so my sin is a lot worse!!!"
But the truth is, Brahmins and the rest of the Indian social strata did eat meat including beef, before it became a "sin".
Traditionally a puja (veneration) is offered by Hindus to the Gods and at the end a prasad (offerings) is given (sort of like the wine and wafer given by Catholics at communion, signifying Jesus' blood and body). These offerings were usually animals used as sacrifice. These animals, then in turn would be made into some edible offering to be given to the devotees as well as the priests (Brahmins). Some of these animals included cows.
This activity continued, until certain influences came into Indian society.
One of the first influences was due to Lord Krishna. The philosophical hero of the Bhaghavad Gita was from the cow herder class, and was known to be a lover of dairy products, especially milk and butter. The love of Krishna by many people prompted them to deify the cow, as it related to his love for the animal.
The other influence was due to the impact of Buddhism and Jainism. Both added elements of "ahimsa" or non-violence. Those teachings made vegetarianism popular. Sacrifices to the Gods dwindled. In essence a lot of Hindus became vegetarians, especially the Brahmin class.
But looking at these reasons on why the cow has been deified in Hindu/Indian society it does call to the fact that it is more of an agricultural impact, rather than just religious. In Hinduism, the cow is looked upon as a 'mother' who gives. This giving of course is essential for the child's growth with milk (with the exception of lactose intolerant people), and also helping man in tilling the land. And knowing that since ancient times India was a culture heavily dependent on its agriculture, the cow's deification isn't so surprising. The agricultural economy spoke for itself. The philosophy was only a part of it.
But nowhere in the religion does it state that we as Hindus cannot eat beef or any other non-vegetarian food.
So why do many Hindus still not eat beef (or are vegetarians for that matter)? Most likely by choice, and possibly due to religious ideals that have become the cultural norm.
Actually for me, beef eating has changed considerably. My intake of it has declined over the past 10 years. I rather prefer things like chicken and seafood (kind of like my mother), instead of beef. The last time I had steak, I genuinely felt sick after having it. And it was well done, something those steak eating aficionados would laugh at me for. I do still crave a hamburger every once in a while, but seriously I rather eat something healthier.
It kind of brings me back to the statement my school buddy had made of me being a sinner. As a kid, I once had gone to McD's with my Pakistani-American friend who I grew up with.
We were en route to a soccer game we were to play and stopped for some breakfast with the rest of the team. He promptly ordered an Egg McMuffin. I expected him to order it without the Canadian Bacon, but he didn't. I reminded him that he was about to eat ham and might be committing a sin according to Islam, to which he answered, "So what? I love Egg McMuffins with the bacon!".
Well a few years ago I met up with him in the Windy City, and jokingly asked him if he still frequented McD's in the morning for his Egg McMuffin. He laughed, wondering how I still remembered that. But his next answer summed it all up with a great big smile, "No man, I don't have Egg McMuffins anymore. Remember, I'm a Muslim!".
I guess personal convictions finally seem to take over.
America
I usually don't post links to songs or videos on my blog, but this song which I heard not too long ago just couldn't get out of my head. It's the song "America" by the Brit-Swede band Razorlight. I feel it's not a bad song, but it is somewhat lyrically inept to a degree. But still it still sounds good, and is buzzing in my head for the moment.
Here's a link to the video of the song.
Here's a link to the video of the song.
Tuesday, March 20, 2007
A Recession is Coming, A Recession is Coming!!!!
Like the famous saying of Chicken Little, "The Sky Is Falling", we have financial analysts similarly running around telling us that a "Recession is Coming". But jokes aside, their forecast seems to be on track.
Over the past few months analysts have been predicting that we are in for a hard recession this year. And that recession might be a very unpleasant one. It could even be worse than 2001's economic bust.
The reasons? Well one known fact is the falling housing market. Houses are not moving off the market as they were a few years back, and a lot of people are defaulting on their house payments. As foreclosures increase, the banks are losing their reserve funds.
Add to that the rising debt of the American consumer. And it's not only about credit card debts, but home equity loans which have inflated the economy's health to a degree. As this borrowing has grown, the savings versus debt ratio is growing along with it.
The GDP of the country has also shown the trends of this slowdown, as it had gone down quite considerably at the end of last year.
But at the same time inflation keeps growing. The Fed really has its work cut out for it, especially looking at the problems plaguing our economy.
In the meantime Fed chief Bernanke feels that the economy is a good shape, and there is nothing to worry about, yet his predecessor Greenspan feels that there are issues, and the recession is very possible. True that economic trends are cyclical, but some analysts believe that the dip in the US economy are going to be a lot worse than expected.
Listening to an analyst's predictions this morning on the radio, I felt some butterflies in my stomach, as he stated his feelings. His thoughts were that if the current housing bust and defaulting of loans continued, it will surely cause a recession. Also he stated that the US Dollar was losing a lot of power overseas. This loss of 'strength' could cause a downward spiral in the economy of the US of course, especially in consumer related goods and services. The rise of imported goods would impact those two areas quite considerably. His feeling was that the recession could lead us to a depression, and maybe even a change in lifestyle, and that being not for the good. He felt that the European and Asian countries might come out well ahead of the US if such happened. His 'doomsday' style prediction does sound very frightful indeed.
Let's hope that somehow this economy isn't as bad as they say it is. Hopefully there's a corner we will turn which will save us from any economic downfall.
Over the past few months analysts have been predicting that we are in for a hard recession this year. And that recession might be a very unpleasant one. It could even be worse than 2001's economic bust.
The reasons? Well one known fact is the falling housing market. Houses are not moving off the market as they were a few years back, and a lot of people are defaulting on their house payments. As foreclosures increase, the banks are losing their reserve funds.
Add to that the rising debt of the American consumer. And it's not only about credit card debts, but home equity loans which have inflated the economy's health to a degree. As this borrowing has grown, the savings versus debt ratio is growing along with it.
The GDP of the country has also shown the trends of this slowdown, as it had gone down quite considerably at the end of last year.
But at the same time inflation keeps growing. The Fed really has its work cut out for it, especially looking at the problems plaguing our economy.
In the meantime Fed chief Bernanke feels that the economy is a good shape, and there is nothing to worry about, yet his predecessor Greenspan feels that there are issues, and the recession is very possible. True that economic trends are cyclical, but some analysts believe that the dip in the US economy are going to be a lot worse than expected.
Listening to an analyst's predictions this morning on the radio, I felt some butterflies in my stomach, as he stated his feelings. His thoughts were that if the current housing bust and defaulting of loans continued, it will surely cause a recession. Also he stated that the US Dollar was losing a lot of power overseas. This loss of 'strength' could cause a downward spiral in the economy of the US of course, especially in consumer related goods and services. The rise of imported goods would impact those two areas quite considerably. His feeling was that the recession could lead us to a depression, and maybe even a change in lifestyle, and that being not for the good. He felt that the European and Asian countries might come out well ahead of the US if such happened. His 'doomsday' style prediction does sound very frightful indeed.
Let's hope that somehow this economy isn't as bad as they say it is. Hopefully there's a corner we will turn which will save us from any economic downfall.
Sunday, March 18, 2007
Why Shouldn't They Hate Us?
Yesterday evening while driving to a friend's house, I switched on my XM Radio, which I usually do when I get bored of listening to my iPod. I put on the BBC World Service channel, which I normally listen to get the latest world news, or even listen to programs which are quite unique.
And what I heard yesterday was unique. What I heard yesterday confirmed my feelings for the current state of affairs happening between us, the USA, and Iraq. What I heard yesterday was a personal account of the "cancer" that was enveloping Iraq.
The program I was listening to was World Drama, which showcases radio adaptations of popular stories or plays from around the world.
The play that was showcased was "Baghdad Burning", the first hand account of a girl using the pen name "Riverbend", from Iraq whose blog has caught a lot of attention. The international attention has made her blog a dramatic play.
Listening to the play, I could see the scenes being painted, as much as my imagination would let me. I could feel the anger, the pain, the anguish, and the sadness that Riverbend was conveying. The change of the Iraqi landscape and the livelihoods of people have changed forever. I'm not condoning Saddam's dead regime, but at least the majority of the Iraqi people had a life. Now they live in a living hell.
No, of course I'm not an Arab nor Muslim trying to sympathize with my "brothers" and "sisters". I'm just another human being who can't understand what drives people to make certain decisions which have nothing to do with the propaganda led efforts, when in reality the underlining reason is something else. It's sad how we follow the other sheep when the dogs start barking at us, scaring us into believing that going that certain direction is the right way.
It also makes me wonder about the war mongers and Neo-cons who think the American hegemony will change the Middle East along with the rest of the world overnight. That change however overlooks the years of ethnic divisions and traditional rivalries. How soon we forget that there was a reason why we had learnt World History in school as well as college.
Yes, we are great. But as Americans we shouldn't be the aggressors I feel. Afghanistan made sense. Iraq didn't, and it still doesn't. But now we can't leave. Abandoning the mess would put egg on our face. Whatever we do now, the curses will continue to grow as adjectives akin to describing us Americans. It's a classical Catch-22 situation. To put it bluntly, we are screwed.
For my fellow readers, I feel you must listen to this play on the BBC. Please do listen to it, as it does show the reality of what has happened to Iraq. I am not sure how long the play will be available online, so I would advise you to listen to it ASAP.
Thankfully you can still visit Riverbend's blog, where she continues to report on her daily life in Baghdad.
And what I heard yesterday was unique. What I heard yesterday confirmed my feelings for the current state of affairs happening between us, the USA, and Iraq. What I heard yesterday was a personal account of the "cancer" that was enveloping Iraq.
The program I was listening to was World Drama, which showcases radio adaptations of popular stories or plays from around the world.
The play that was showcased was "Baghdad Burning", the first hand account of a girl using the pen name "Riverbend", from Iraq whose blog has caught a lot of attention. The international attention has made her blog a dramatic play.
Listening to the play, I could see the scenes being painted, as much as my imagination would let me. I could feel the anger, the pain, the anguish, and the sadness that Riverbend was conveying. The change of the Iraqi landscape and the livelihoods of people have changed forever. I'm not condoning Saddam's dead regime, but at least the majority of the Iraqi people had a life. Now they live in a living hell.
No, of course I'm not an Arab nor Muslim trying to sympathize with my "brothers" and "sisters". I'm just another human being who can't understand what drives people to make certain decisions which have nothing to do with the propaganda led efforts, when in reality the underlining reason is something else. It's sad how we follow the other sheep when the dogs start barking at us, scaring us into believing that going that certain direction is the right way.
It also makes me wonder about the war mongers and Neo-cons who think the American hegemony will change the Middle East along with the rest of the world overnight. That change however overlooks the years of ethnic divisions and traditional rivalries. How soon we forget that there was a reason why we had learnt World History in school as well as college.
Yes, we are great. But as Americans we shouldn't be the aggressors I feel. Afghanistan made sense. Iraq didn't, and it still doesn't. But now we can't leave. Abandoning the mess would put egg on our face. Whatever we do now, the curses will continue to grow as adjectives akin to describing us Americans. It's a classical Catch-22 situation. To put it bluntly, we are screwed.
For my fellow readers, I feel you must listen to this play on the BBC. Please do listen to it, as it does show the reality of what has happened to Iraq. I am not sure how long the play will be available online, so I would advise you to listen to it ASAP.
Thankfully you can still visit Riverbend's blog, where she continues to report on her daily life in Baghdad.
Saturday, March 17, 2007
You Know What's Scary???
When a man looks like a bad looking woman!
Ummm...yeah....that's exactly what I said!!!
A MAN WHO LOOKS LIKE A BAD LOOKING WOMAN.
Sorta like those old grannies from down the block who would give you the creeps just by looking at them, and not necessarily at Halloween.
And it's this guy who is at my client site. Uuuugghhh!!!!
Luckily I don't have to work with him. And I hope I never do!
Ummm...yeah....that's exactly what I said!!!
A MAN WHO LOOKS LIKE A BAD LOOKING WOMAN.
Sorta like those old grannies from down the block who would give you the creeps just by looking at them, and not necessarily at Halloween.
And it's this guy who is at my client site. Uuuugghhh!!!!
Luckily I don't have to work with him. And I hope I never do!
Color Me Red: The Field
Growing up as kids we tend to idolize certain people in society. Some of us idolize our parents, while some of us idolize someone who we look up to from our families or friends. But more often than not, we tend to idolize celebrities. Although usually we don't become those 'celebs', we try to emulate them in certain ways. For boys, especially like me and some of my friends when we grew up, it was sports stars. Greats like Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, Johnny Bench, Griffey Junior, Boomer Esiason, Joe Montana and others were some of the faves we dreamt of being.
Such dreams would come to life in the old neighborhood I used to live in. The one place where we would act out these "fantasies" was a place called "The Field" which we had nicknamed as kids.
"The Field" was an aptly named place. It was a flat grassy vacant lot at the back end of an apartment complex lying between two houses. The area was quite huge, and it had its own natural settings, somewhat like what old vintage ballparks did. It also had its part as a "multi-purpose" type venue where we would play Football, Soccer, and most importantly, Baseball.
The dimensions were quite unique, somewhat borrowing the look from Fenway Park in Boston. The fences, although not of white pickets, were of the chain link type. The right field fence was short and lengthy, while the left and center field fences were about 12-ft tall. We had nicknamed the left field wall the silver monster (in comparison to the Green Monster at Fenway).
And as summer came, we would play our baseball games with our Louisville Sluggers and aluminum bats with tennis balls. We also kept track of our individual stats, boasting upon who had hit the most home runs, triples, and most wins as a pitcher. We never knew if one was telling the truth or lying, but everyone was given the benefit of those 'bragging rights'. Other than home runs, the other bragging right I had was maybe I was the first and only person of Indian-origin to play at "The Field".
We even at times had spectators who generally would be the two neighboring house owners from both sides of "The Field". They would put out their lawn chairs just to watch us play a game of ball, and even be our secondary umpires.
As time went on, we grew out of our 'games', having other things to do especially when we got into high school. But the tradition continued, with a new breed of neighborhood kids playing their sports like we used to. And funny enough, it was still being referred to as "The Field". But since then I had moved.
Just the other day, one of my very good friends who I grew up with in that neighborhood, asked me if I had seen the "the Field" since the last 4 years, with some feeling of disgust in his voice. I certainly knew what he was talking about.
"The Field" supposedly belonged to the apartment complex, and kept it for future expansion. But since it was in an awkward place, they left it alone. They were also fully aware that the place was a playground for kids, and for them it was fine.
Well the apartment complex got a new ownership, about 5-6 years back. Knowing that the lot was empty, they proceeded to build an incommodious 2-building condo set. Due to corporate greed, "The Field" was no more.
I sometimes still drive past that area, reminiscing the days of 'past glory' having witnessed and played them. Seeing the two ugly buildings making up the new landscape makes me feel sad and angry.
If I had the money, I would buy that plot of land, move those tenants out of the condos, raze the buildings to the ground, redevelop the field, and give it back to the neighborhood kids who can use it to be their "heroes" for the day.
Such dreams would come to life in the old neighborhood I used to live in. The one place where we would act out these "fantasies" was a place called "The Field" which we had nicknamed as kids.
"The Field" was an aptly named place. It was a flat grassy vacant lot at the back end of an apartment complex lying between two houses. The area was quite huge, and it had its own natural settings, somewhat like what old vintage ballparks did. It also had its part as a "multi-purpose" type venue where we would play Football, Soccer, and most importantly, Baseball.
The dimensions were quite unique, somewhat borrowing the look from Fenway Park in Boston. The fences, although not of white pickets, were of the chain link type. The right field fence was short and lengthy, while the left and center field fences were about 12-ft tall. We had nicknamed the left field wall the silver monster (in comparison to the Green Monster at Fenway).
And as summer came, we would play our baseball games with our Louisville Sluggers and aluminum bats with tennis balls. We also kept track of our individual stats, boasting upon who had hit the most home runs, triples, and most wins as a pitcher. We never knew if one was telling the truth or lying, but everyone was given the benefit of those 'bragging rights'. Other than home runs, the other bragging right I had was maybe I was the first and only person of Indian-origin to play at "The Field".
We even at times had spectators who generally would be the two neighboring house owners from both sides of "The Field". They would put out their lawn chairs just to watch us play a game of ball, and even be our secondary umpires.
As time went on, we grew out of our 'games', having other things to do especially when we got into high school. But the tradition continued, with a new breed of neighborhood kids playing their sports like we used to. And funny enough, it was still being referred to as "The Field". But since then I had moved.
Just the other day, one of my very good friends who I grew up with in that neighborhood, asked me if I had seen the "the Field" since the last 4 years, with some feeling of disgust in his voice. I certainly knew what he was talking about.
"The Field" supposedly belonged to the apartment complex, and kept it for future expansion. But since it was in an awkward place, they left it alone. They were also fully aware that the place was a playground for kids, and for them it was fine.
Well the apartment complex got a new ownership, about 5-6 years back. Knowing that the lot was empty, they proceeded to build an incommodious 2-building condo set. Due to corporate greed, "The Field" was no more.
I sometimes still drive past that area, reminiscing the days of 'past glory' having witnessed and played them. Seeing the two ugly buildings making up the new landscape makes me feel sad and angry.
If I had the money, I would buy that plot of land, move those tenants out of the condos, raze the buildings to the ground, redevelop the field, and give it back to the neighborhood kids who can use it to be their "heroes" for the day.
Wednesday, March 14, 2007
Warming Up Like the Windies
What a day to enjoy cricket, especially the first day of the World Cup. A warm sunny day, where you could wear your shorts, tank tops, flip flops, and whatever that suits your fancy. The nice warm breeze gave the air a most exhilarating welcome for the mind and soul. And to top it all off, the hosts the West Indies, played an enjoyable match giving Pakistan something to think about for the rest of the World Cup.
Yes, I could be the 'King of Wishful Thinking', wishing I was in the Caribbean right now witnessing this month long event, but today I didn't have to. The weather I was describing above was over here in Cincinnati. Yes, a temperature of about 80 degrees Fahrenheit, blue skies, and a bright shiny sun made me break out my shorts, and flip flops and tee-shirt after coming back home from work. I could dream I was in Jamaica relishing the West Indian victory. Again, I said DREAM and I am not comparing Cincy to the Caribbean (as some thought I was comparing Cali to NJ in my last post; it seems controversy surrounds me at times).
But what does bother me is that it is unseasonably warm, especially this time of the year. I don't quite remember the last time we had such high temps so early in Cincy. Global warming could be the reason, while the naysayers will say it's just an irregular day. Whatever the case it was a beautiful day, but I hope this isn't a precursor to what global warming has in store for us. We need all of our four seasons, don't we???
Monday, March 12, 2007
Losing My Home, Away From Home
Yesterday, I got a call from my brother-in-law in New Jersey giving me some good news. Actually for him and my cousin, it's very good news. He just got a promotion from his company, and has been asked to move for the new opportunity. The new place, California.
Understandably, my cousin is excited. She has never been to Cali, and for her it is one of her dream places to be. My sweet little niece is now going to grow up to be a Cali girl instead of a Jersey one.
For me however, the news is somewhat sad.
I hate to sound selfish, but I am losing one of the places which I have grown to love. For the past 10 years I have been going there to visit family, and enjoying the area and lifestyle. It is a total change from the typical Mid-western life, more like an retreat to re-energize your soul. Sounds weird, and its not like I'm comparing it to Goa/West Indies/Hawaii, but New Jersey is cool.
I will surely miss things like the multi-cultural mix, its vicinity to NYC and Philly, the Jersey shore, the NJ transit/Amtrak train rides, the variety of desi food joints, the Bridgewater temple, the Jersey Turnpike and its EZ Pass toll booths, the jug handle turns, and many more things which I'm sure would fill this page up. Heck, talking about the jug handle turns, I think by now I've mastered the roads from Princeton to Rahway.
I guess in the process of visiting so many years, I became an adopted New Jerseyan with Ohioan blood.
Yes, again I am sounding a bit weird by saying NJ is like this for me, but I'll tell you I have never missed home when I go there.
Granted that Cali is a nice place to go visit, but I would say a large chunk of my relatives and some of my very close friends are already over there. It's like the saying, "Go West, young man" that comes up in my mind when I think of going there. Not that I don't like visiting Cali, but I don't think I could frequent the West Coast as I have been with the East.
With one of my cousins already moving overseas last year, I was happy that my other cousin was still in the Garden State.
But come this May, New Jersey will not be my "second home" anymore.
Understandably, my cousin is excited. She has never been to Cali, and for her it is one of her dream places to be. My sweet little niece is now going to grow up to be a Cali girl instead of a Jersey one.
For me however, the news is somewhat sad.
I hate to sound selfish, but I am losing one of the places which I have grown to love. For the past 10 years I have been going there to visit family, and enjoying the area and lifestyle. It is a total change from the typical Mid-western life, more like an retreat to re-energize your soul. Sounds weird, and its not like I'm comparing it to Goa/West Indies/Hawaii, but New Jersey is cool.
I will surely miss things like the multi-cultural mix, its vicinity to NYC and Philly, the Jersey shore, the NJ transit/Amtrak train rides, the variety of desi food joints, the Bridgewater temple, the Jersey Turnpike and its EZ Pass toll booths, the jug handle turns, and many more things which I'm sure would fill this page up. Heck, talking about the jug handle turns, I think by now I've mastered the roads from Princeton to Rahway.
I guess in the process of visiting so many years, I became an adopted New Jerseyan with Ohioan blood.
Yes, again I am sounding a bit weird by saying NJ is like this for me, but I'll tell you I have never missed home when I go there.
Granted that Cali is a nice place to go visit, but I would say a large chunk of my relatives and some of my very close friends are already over there. It's like the saying, "Go West, young man" that comes up in my mind when I think of going there. Not that I don't like visiting Cali, but I don't think I could frequent the West Coast as I have been with the East.
With one of my cousins already moving overseas last year, I was happy that my other cousin was still in the Garden State.
But come this May, New Jersey will not be my "second home" anymore.
Sunday, March 11, 2007
It Begins Today....
With the Opening Ceremonies of the World Cup of Cricket taking place today, it will signal for us cricket fans a month long "feast" to savor great matchups with great players.
According to analysts, this World Cup is wide open, and any team (other than the non-Test playing nations) could win it. There is no clear cut favorite to win it, as it has been in the past. The only thing I hope for is that Australia isn't that winner.
The first match is on Tuesday (hosts West Indies v Pakistan). Unfortunately I will not be able to watch many live matches due to the match times being the same as working hours. Bummer! Luckily having a DVR makes up for that, but it's not fun to watch something that has already happened. Oh well, I have to live with it.
And for those non-enthusiasts, who don't know much about cricket, but want to know some basic terms, here is an ABC's of Cricket.
As for those who know baseball and want to know cricket (or vice versa; since both sports are somewhat similar), here is another good page to read up on.
And We Spring Ahead....
Thanks to the Energy Policy Act of 2005, I have to accept an earlier date to lose one hour of sleep!
But who knows, efficiency might improve with the new DST start/end dates. Only TIME will tell.
But who knows, efficiency might improve with the new DST start/end dates. Only TIME will tell.
Thursday, March 08, 2007
Speaking in Tongues, Partie Trois
Today I was reading an article on Rediff.com about some Dalit (low-caste) activist in India claiming that the only way India can be successful and have no ethnic and caste based issues is by getting rid of all the other languages spoken in the country. His solution is to make English the ONLY language.
The activist, Chandra Bhan, feels as if removing the rest of the languages in India would create harmony and unity between the caste structure.
I myself find that hard to believe in a society like India, where you can't force people to do only one thing, and that is speak only in English. Currently, India cannot make its population of a billion plus to accept Hindi as its national language, so what makes this guy think that this would be possible?
And English, being a foreign language, is not something that will be accepted as the only language so easily. Even to this day, the language draws ire from people who feel it is the remnant of the British Raj. Though that being the case, India is very well off due to those remnants. The IT industry, call centers (although some might argue), and current economic influx in the country are a big indicator of that.
As I have written before, I feel language is a key to people's identity. Knowing about India, or Indians more like it, everyone is different and unique due to their cultural ethos. Language is one primary part of it. Me being a Maharashtrian and Marathi speaking sets me apart from the Gujaratis, Punjabis, Bengalis, Tamilians, and whoever and what not from the desi community. There are differences, which do set us apart, yet there is a lot to learn when you have different cultural aspects to things in life.
I feel that the emancipation of the lower caste people or certain races is not related to language at all, although to a certain degree it might. Looking at the African-American population over here, their gradual rise hasn't been due to language, but more due to the educational and economic resources available to them. And of course with education, comes language. But even with that being said, it wasn't that African-Americans weren't speaking in English before that. So it wasn't that common factor of language that led American society to gradually accept African-Americans over time.
Changes in society usually don't happen overnight, and with India it is hard to accept such things will happen. What is ingrained in society for centuries isn't going to die down so easily. Steps have been put into place to give more accessibility for lower caste people, but still they lag far behind. As I said, it won't happen overnight. Majority of India's population lies in the villages and small towns, which doesn't come across a cosmopolitan brand of life like in Mumbai or New Delhi, where you have to accept these differences. Old traditions such as socially set barriers don't die down so easily in small places. That is not to say that caste differences don't exist in big cities, but those differences have gradually lessened.
As for language, English is the key to gain a place in modern day Indian society and even in this world, especially a good job. But it doesn't mean you have to forget your "mother's" language.
The activist, Chandra Bhan, feels as if removing the rest of the languages in India would create harmony and unity between the caste structure.
I myself find that hard to believe in a society like India, where you can't force people to do only one thing, and that is speak only in English. Currently, India cannot make its population of a billion plus to accept Hindi as its national language, so what makes this guy think that this would be possible?
And English, being a foreign language, is not something that will be accepted as the only language so easily. Even to this day, the language draws ire from people who feel it is the remnant of the British Raj. Though that being the case, India is very well off due to those remnants. The IT industry, call centers (although some might argue), and current economic influx in the country are a big indicator of that.
As I have written before, I feel language is a key to people's identity. Knowing about India, or Indians more like it, everyone is different and unique due to their cultural ethos. Language is one primary part of it. Me being a Maharashtrian and Marathi speaking sets me apart from the Gujaratis, Punjabis, Bengalis, Tamilians, and whoever and what not from the desi community. There are differences, which do set us apart, yet there is a lot to learn when you have different cultural aspects to things in life.
I feel that the emancipation of the lower caste people or certain races is not related to language at all, although to a certain degree it might. Looking at the African-American population over here, their gradual rise hasn't been due to language, but more due to the educational and economic resources available to them. And of course with education, comes language. But even with that being said, it wasn't that African-Americans weren't speaking in English before that. So it wasn't that common factor of language that led American society to gradually accept African-Americans over time.
Changes in society usually don't happen overnight, and with India it is hard to accept such things will happen. What is ingrained in society for centuries isn't going to die down so easily. Steps have been put into place to give more accessibility for lower caste people, but still they lag far behind. As I said, it won't happen overnight. Majority of India's population lies in the villages and small towns, which doesn't come across a cosmopolitan brand of life like in Mumbai or New Delhi, where you have to accept these differences. Old traditions such as socially set barriers don't die down so easily in small places. That is not to say that caste differences don't exist in big cities, but those differences have gradually lessened.
As for language, English is the key to gain a place in modern day Indian society and even in this world, especially a good job. But it doesn't mean you have to forget your "mother's" language.
Wednesday, March 07, 2007
Domo Origato, Mr. Roboto
Robots, my dear friends, are to be treated as beings too. And yes, this will become law in South Korea pretty soon.
A code of ethics is being drawn up in the country about human to robot interactions. The code will be applicable to users and manufacturers of the robots, and to the robots themselves.
The ministry of Commerce, Industry, and Energy in South Korea state that, "The government plans to set ethical guidelines concerning the roles and functions of robots as robots are expected to develop strong intelligence in the near future."
To me it's quite bizarre, especially reading Asimov's books in the past about these ethics. If you have seen or read I, Robot, then you know what I am talking about. Not only has Asimov, but other writers have written books which may or may not have exactly predicted the future, but have laid foundation for such ideas to be made into reality.
As we evolve, a lot of what we see in movies/tv, and read in books will perhaps become reality. Cool, yet scary. There are a lot of things I don't want to become real, but some I do.
Now if only if they could figure out how to do that transport thingy from Star Trek. Maybe I could save money on airfare then.
Tuesday, March 06, 2007
Tishani Doshi
You might ask who Tishani Doshi is. Well she is a poet and writer of Indian and Welsh background, who grew up in India, and has been educated at Johns Hopkins University.
She has won the Eric Gregory Award in 2001, and the Forward Poetry Prize just last year.
Her current collection of poems, Countries of the Body, which is a journey within itself, uses methaphorical poems. And now she's about to have her work of fiction, The Pleasure Seekers, published sometime soon. She's also working on a biography on Muralitharan, the Sri Lankan cricketer.
Not only is she a writer, but a dancer as well.
Seems this girl has a very bright future ahead of her.
You can read more about her here.
Monday, March 05, 2007
A Good Deed for the Day
It's not everyday that you hear a politician doing good deeds, other than kissing babies for their campaign.
Well in Bosnia, the Croat President of the Republic, Mr Komsic did his part in the birth of a child. The president had noticed a distressed couple driving fast in the town he was in.
He personally asked what the problem was. The couple told the president that they had to travel to the hospital in a town 30 miles away because of possible complications with the birth.
Mr Komsic immediately had his motorcade escort the couple in high speed to reach the intended destination. Not only that, but Mr Komsic helped carry in the mother to be into the hospital.
The grateful couple now intends to name their child after the president.
Well in Bosnia, the Croat President of the Republic, Mr Komsic did his part in the birth of a child. The president had noticed a distressed couple driving fast in the town he was in.
He personally asked what the problem was. The couple told the president that they had to travel to the hospital in a town 30 miles away because of possible complications with the birth.
Mr Komsic immediately had his motorcade escort the couple in high speed to reach the intended destination. Not only that, but Mr Komsic helped carry in the mother to be into the hospital.
The grateful couple now intends to name their child after the president.
Kayne West Loves Indian Food!!!
Kayne West loves Indian food a little too much!!!!
A report has it that rapper Kayne West recently ordered some Indian food for a party in New York, to be flown in from the UK. His order has onion bhajees, chapatis, biryanis, pappadums, a specially prepared fish dish and vegetables on the side. Not only that but he has requested the restaurant's head chef to be flown over as well.
The importing of the food and the chef, plus travel and staying expenses will yield Kayne upwards of $5000 or more. Seems like a big party.
Agreed that the UK has some of the best Indian food in the world, but he could have saved some money by going to Dawat instead. Oh well, I guess when you have the money, you can do anything.
Those "Other" Indians...
Being of Indian descent it is commonplace to seek and find a person of the same persuasion whenever you come across them, especially when you are in a group of people of different race or culture. It's not to say that you are being racial or trying to prove a point of being different. I really don't know what it is, but like seems to attract alike, although it is true that at times opposites do attract. I think sometimes that this is an innate feature in all races.
As many people think, not all Indians are the same. Yes, ethnically we are different with our language and culture, but there is more to it.
Over time I have come across people of Indian descent (Person of Indian Origin; PIO) who are NOT from the 'mother country'. And I am not talking about people like me, whose parents migrated in to this country. I am referring to those who are of Indian origin, but have had generations of their family well established in the country they have adopted as their homeland. I've met such people like African-Indians (Kenyan, Zimbabweans, Tanzanians), West Indian Indians (some of who tend to have that funky Caribbean accent), Mauritian Indians (from the island of Mauritius), and Brazilian Indians (a guy fittingly named Junior Kumar).
Last year I came upon a Malaysian Indian at a company conference in Miami. We had an outing one night going into the South Beach area on a chartered bus. By chance, this person sat right next to me. He was a Sardar (or Sikh in general terms).
I struck up a conversation with this guy, expecting to find a person with a heavy Indian accent, but I was quite wrong. Which brings me to the point on how it is hypocritical when we complain about stereotypes, but at the same time we make assumptions about certain people. I know, I complain about such issues, but I guess that I myself am guilty of doing such things at times, mentally at least.
Well I asked the guy where he was from, and he told me he was from Malaysia. He continued to tell me that his father was also born in Malaysia.
Never having met a Malaysian Indian before, I asked him about the language he spoke at home and his cultural ways of life. He said that they spoke in Punjabi and Hindi at home, and very much so, was very Indian in his lifestyle.
I asked him if he had any linkages back in India, and sure enough he did as he had some cousins who still were in India, and some who had moved back recently seeking new economic growth in Punjab and New Delhi. He himself visited India, and loved going there, but felt that Malaysia was better for him.
His kids he said, were into Bollywood movies and identified themselves as being Indians rather than Malaysians. He added that many Malaysian Indians were like this, still carrying on their culture and traditions. There were even Indians who had migrated into Malaysia during the late 1800's who were still "Indian", even though being Malaysians for many generations now.
The thing that I noticed about this part of the 'Desi Diaspora' is that even though they had gone through generations within these lands, they still have maintained their identity. Of course there are some who have assimilated into the local population, thus losing their identity in the process, but a majority have remained "loyal" if you could say that. The continuation of traditional and cultural values with some local variance continues, but overall it is very much Indian.
Many cultures in other countries however, have assimilated to the point that they have kept names as the only identifiers to their background. Take for instance the Italian, Irish, and Welsh immigrants into Argentina. Even though they have kept their last names, which signals the origins of that person, they have uniquely become Argentine. It is similar here in the States too, where many people of European descent have assimilated in a similar manner.
Assimilation though, has brought upon different attitudes and adoption of different cultures into the mainstream culture. A lot of words, foods, and traditions have been adopted into American and other societies over time.
For me it makes me think about my future generations living as Indian-Americans. Since we still are the "new" immigrant population in this country, we tend to be linked with the 'mother land' quite strongly. However this bond isn't going to remain so strong with successive generations.
So, will we become like the other immigrant populations who have become just, "Americans" or "Argentines"?
Or will we be like the "Other" Desi diaspora who are Malaysian, African, or Trinidadian, yet still very much Indian at heart?
As many people think, not all Indians are the same. Yes, ethnically we are different with our language and culture, but there is more to it.
Over time I have come across people of Indian descent (Person of Indian Origin; PIO) who are NOT from the 'mother country'. And I am not talking about people like me, whose parents migrated in to this country. I am referring to those who are of Indian origin, but have had generations of their family well established in the country they have adopted as their homeland. I've met such people like African-Indians (Kenyan, Zimbabweans, Tanzanians), West Indian Indians (some of who tend to have that funky Caribbean accent), Mauritian Indians (from the island of Mauritius), and Brazilian Indians (a guy fittingly named Junior Kumar).
Last year I came upon a Malaysian Indian at a company conference in Miami. We had an outing one night going into the South Beach area on a chartered bus. By chance, this person sat right next to me. He was a Sardar (or Sikh in general terms).
I struck up a conversation with this guy, expecting to find a person with a heavy Indian accent, but I was quite wrong. Which brings me to the point on how it is hypocritical when we complain about stereotypes, but at the same time we make assumptions about certain people. I know, I complain about such issues, but I guess that I myself am guilty of doing such things at times, mentally at least.
Well I asked the guy where he was from, and he told me he was from Malaysia. He continued to tell me that his father was also born in Malaysia.
Never having met a Malaysian Indian before, I asked him about the language he spoke at home and his cultural ways of life. He said that they spoke in Punjabi and Hindi at home, and very much so, was very Indian in his lifestyle.
I asked him if he had any linkages back in India, and sure enough he did as he had some cousins who still were in India, and some who had moved back recently seeking new economic growth in Punjab and New Delhi. He himself visited India, and loved going there, but felt that Malaysia was better for him.
His kids he said, were into Bollywood movies and identified themselves as being Indians rather than Malaysians. He added that many Malaysian Indians were like this, still carrying on their culture and traditions. There were even Indians who had migrated into Malaysia during the late 1800's who were still "Indian", even though being Malaysians for many generations now.
The thing that I noticed about this part of the 'Desi Diaspora' is that even though they had gone through generations within these lands, they still have maintained their identity. Of course there are some who have assimilated into the local population, thus losing their identity in the process, but a majority have remained "loyal" if you could say that. The continuation of traditional and cultural values with some local variance continues, but overall it is very much Indian.
Many cultures in other countries however, have assimilated to the point that they have kept names as the only identifiers to their background. Take for instance the Italian, Irish, and Welsh immigrants into Argentina. Even though they have kept their last names, which signals the origins of that person, they have uniquely become Argentine. It is similar here in the States too, where many people of European descent have assimilated in a similar manner.
Assimilation though, has brought upon different attitudes and adoption of different cultures into the mainstream culture. A lot of words, foods, and traditions have been adopted into American and other societies over time.
For me it makes me think about my future generations living as Indian-Americans. Since we still are the "new" immigrant population in this country, we tend to be linked with the 'mother land' quite strongly. However this bond isn't going to remain so strong with successive generations.
So, will we become like the other immigrant populations who have become just, "Americans" or "Argentines"?
Or will we be like the "Other" Desi diaspora who are Malaysian, African, or Trinidadian, yet still very much Indian at heart?
Sore Losers.....
I am so happy Duke lost to UNC. Finally the "Goody-Goodies" are going the opposite side of the rankings. I guess the first in my life time maybe.
And Duke players know how to fight???? Wow that was another first. I'm impressed. Coach K is teaching his boys something new now.
I guess a couple of my friends and cousins will not be happy if they read this post cause they are Duke alumni or still current students there. They really are loyal to their university.
Not to say I'm not to my Alma Mater, but when you trash talk to them about their Dukies, they come after you like you have caused some kind of sacrilege. They might even have some fatwa declared upon you.
Oh well, after being on the top for so long, the next thing is on your way down.
Face it, your time has come, oh Blue Devils. You suck!!!
And Duke players know how to fight???? Wow that was another first. I'm impressed. Coach K is teaching his boys something new now.
I guess a couple of my friends and cousins will not be happy if they read this post cause they are Duke alumni or still current students there. They really are loyal to their university.
Not to say I'm not to my Alma Mater, but when you trash talk to them about their Dukies, they come after you like you have caused some kind of sacrilege. They might even have some fatwa declared upon you.
Oh well, after being on the top for so long, the next thing is on your way down.
Face it, your time has come, oh Blue Devils. You suck!!!
Saturday, March 03, 2007
Stares
Yesterday, while coming home from work, I was in a joyous mood. I guess since it was a Friday, I was just looking forward to this weekend, which so far is boring as nothing fun has happened! No one wants to do anything! Hopefully tomorrow (Sunday) it will be better!!! But what a wasted Saturday.
Anyway, so while coming back home, I turned up my stereo enjoying the mood with some good music. I was really into it....lost into it.
Well at a stop signal, I was waiting for the signal to turn green. Some signals just take forever to go green, so the wait was just that. I looked to my left with a smile on my face, head nodding to the music, singing to the lyrics, to see a middle-aged couple in a mini van staring at me with a stern look on their face. I nodded my head in acknowledgement with a smile, and turned back to look ahead.
The signal was still red. But the song in my car stereo was keeping me happy. Who cares? I can sit here for some time. I again peered to the left. Much to my chagrin, the same couple was still staring at me, looking at me like I was some criminal.
I started to think, what the heck was their problem? Why were they staring at me? It's not like they haven't seen brown people before is it? What was it???
So I decided to look at the couple again this time turning my radio volume down as I was making a call on my cell phone. The couple smiled, and gave me a thumbs up. The person behind me started honking, letting me know that the signal had turned green.
As I took a right turn, a few yards down I saw a sign for the township I was in stating, "Loud Noise Ordinance. Fines for Violators..."
I had realized why the couple was staring at me.
Anyway, so while coming back home, I turned up my stereo enjoying the mood with some good music. I was really into it....lost into it.
Well at a stop signal, I was waiting for the signal to turn green. Some signals just take forever to go green, so the wait was just that. I looked to my left with a smile on my face, head nodding to the music, singing to the lyrics, to see a middle-aged couple in a mini van staring at me with a stern look on their face. I nodded my head in acknowledgement with a smile, and turned back to look ahead.
The signal was still red. But the song in my car stereo was keeping me happy. Who cares? I can sit here for some time. I again peered to the left. Much to my chagrin, the same couple was still staring at me, looking at me like I was some criminal.
I started to think, what the heck was their problem? Why were they staring at me? It's not like they haven't seen brown people before is it? What was it???
So I decided to look at the couple again this time turning my radio volume down as I was making a call on my cell phone. The couple smiled, and gave me a thumbs up. The person behind me started honking, letting me know that the signal had turned green.
As I took a right turn, a few yards down I saw a sign for the township I was in stating, "Loud Noise Ordinance. Fines for Violators..."
I had realized why the couple was staring at me.
Happy Holi!!!!
No, I haven't misspelled the word "Holy", although this day is holy for us Hindus.
I rather not get too complex in explaining the festival, so you probably could do your own research here.
The only sad thing....people in India celebrate this event in grandeur, like throwing around colored powder, having bonfires, parties and feasts, while here we eat traditional Maharashtrian sweets like Puran Poli (jaggery filled chapatis; ho hum) and say "Happy Holi!" to our friends and family.
We usually have our Holi celebrations at the temple here, but I'm sure with freaking freezing temps out there, I don't think anyone would like to get sick. And no "Holi" parties or events at other places surprisingly this year.
Anyway, Happy Holi!
I rather not get too complex in explaining the festival, so you probably could do your own research here.
The only sad thing....people in India celebrate this event in grandeur, like throwing around colored powder, having bonfires, parties and feasts, while here we eat traditional Maharashtrian sweets like Puran Poli (jaggery filled chapatis; ho hum) and say "Happy Holi!" to our friends and family.
We usually have our Holi celebrations at the temple here, but I'm sure with freaking freezing temps out there, I don't think anyone would like to get sick. And no "Holi" parties or events at other places surprisingly this year.
Anyway, Happy Holi!
Friday, March 02, 2007
Rebirth 3x
The Indian Ocean tsunami of 2004 was very devastating, especially for the people of Aceh in Indonesia.
A police officer from that area, Darmi Ali lost not only his wife, but 3 of his daughters. He tried saving them, but unfortunately he wasn't able to.
Mr Ali remarried trying to move on. But now in a good twist of fate, it seems his 3 daughters have come 'back to life'.
Mr Ali's new wife gave birth to female triplets.
"After my female triplets were born, all the worries have gone and turned to happiness," Mr Ali said.
Definitely, God works in mysterious ways.
A police officer from that area, Darmi Ali lost not only his wife, but 3 of his daughters. He tried saving them, but unfortunately he wasn't able to.
Mr Ali remarried trying to move on. But now in a good twist of fate, it seems his 3 daughters have come 'back to life'.
Mr Ali's new wife gave birth to female triplets.
"After my female triplets were born, all the worries have gone and turned to happiness," Mr Ali said.
Definitely, God works in mysterious ways.
Life
Each today, well-lived,
makes yesterday a dream of happiness
and each tomorrow a vision of hope
Look, therefore, to this one day,
for it and it alone is life
- excerpt from a Sanskrit poem
Thursday, March 01, 2007
Speaking in Tongues, Partie Deux
Knowing multiple languages is key in understanding other cultures, let alone the person. I also feel that it makes the person stronger in many other facets of life, and opens many other avenues in possible career opportunities and other small situations one might face in the future.
What irritates me the most is when some people ask, what use is it for me to know other languages in the USA? Some Indian parents tend not to teach their kids their mother tongue with that same excuse, "What benefit will it bring?".
Well I have benefited in a way, since I am multi-lingual. Speaking English and Marathi, and learning French while in school has added to my experience in life.
Me knowing English is trivial in American society, but Marathi and French have been key for me. My knowledge of Marathi enabled me to get a waiver in college for 'Foreign Language' studies (although I kind of regret that now since I want to learn more languages). It also helps me communicate with my relatives back in India. It also enables me to understand if people are talking about me behind my back. I have at times surprised people in making them realize that I had perfectly understood what they were saying, by simply responding to them in Marathi. Likewise, it has also helped me and some of my friends in switching our conversations to the language so others around us wouldn't understand what we were saying. We still tend to do it.
But the other important thing about knowing Marathi is that I can understand my culture. Without me knowing the language, I don't think I would know a lot about my heritage, people, or its traditions.
Knowing these things in a way, brings about pride and an identity to oneself.
French on the other hand has helped me quite a few times. My trips to France and Quebec really showed me that I was lucky to know the language.
If you have gone to Charles De Gaulle airport in Paris, you know it is one of the pinnacles of chaos in airports around the world. The information you get for your flights is quite bad, and no one speaks in English, or rather should I say, wants to speak it even if they know it. A question in English might yield an "Eh?" or some half-hearted answer. There are exceptions to that, with some being very helpful, but a lot of people tend to be proud that they are French.
As I once was going through on transit, I had to find some info about my next flight. Some people in front of me inquired in English with the gate attendant about their next destination. They were going to the same place as I was. The attendant with a frown on her face, in perfect French-accented English said, "I don't know. Go to the information desk and find out from them!"
Nervously, I approached the attendant, and followed to ask the same question, but in French. She immediately responded with a broad smile giving me details on the gate number, the directions to the gate, and the customary, "Have a good flight". She knew most likely I wasn't a Francophone, but it seemed she was very happy that I asked her the question in her native tongue.
Similarly in Quebec, knowing French came in handy, even though the language is a little different from the one you learnt in school. As I had gone on a week long trip to Montreal with my cousin, we came across parts of the cosmopolitan city which were more in tune with French than with English. Communication wasn't so hard as people spoke enough English to get by, but a little use of French really came a long way at times. Although this was true in Montreal, it was totally a different story outside of the city.
We took a day trip on Greyline Tours to Quebec City, where on the way we stopped at a family owned roadside restaurant. The couple that owned the place had no knowledge of English, and only spoke in French. Any person who would ask the couple a question would be promptly pointed to their young teenage daughter who was sitting at the register. The girl was the only one in the family who spoke in English.
As typical as some of us Americans are flabbergasted when someone doesn't speak English when expected (or as one expects), they started to ask the bus driver how on earth this could be in Canada? The driver, a Quebecois, laughed and said that this is what Quebec is with the exception of Montreal and some parts of Quebec City. The rest of Quebec ONLY speaks French. He added that it was the youth of nowadays that were becoming multi-lingual, as they are seeking opportunities outside of Quebec, and even Canada.
But it is quite a culture shock, as you feel you are not in Canada any longer.
My take, we should learn more languages, especially at a younger age, as they are beneficial to us. I feel that every kid in this country should be bilingual from an early age, like the way it is in Europe and India. I think the impact of Spanish will bring about that change in when languages are taught in school.
You never know when that 'other tongue' will come in handy.
What irritates me the most is when some people ask, what use is it for me to know other languages in the USA? Some Indian parents tend not to teach their kids their mother tongue with that same excuse, "What benefit will it bring?".
Well I have benefited in a way, since I am multi-lingual. Speaking English and Marathi, and learning French while in school has added to my experience in life.
Me knowing English is trivial in American society, but Marathi and French have been key for me. My knowledge of Marathi enabled me to get a waiver in college for 'Foreign Language' studies (although I kind of regret that now since I want to learn more languages). It also helps me communicate with my relatives back in India. It also enables me to understand if people are talking about me behind my back. I have at times surprised people in making them realize that I had perfectly understood what they were saying, by simply responding to them in Marathi. Likewise, it has also helped me and some of my friends in switching our conversations to the language so others around us wouldn't understand what we were saying. We still tend to do it.
But the other important thing about knowing Marathi is that I can understand my culture. Without me knowing the language, I don't think I would know a lot about my heritage, people, or its traditions.
Knowing these things in a way, brings about pride and an identity to oneself.
French on the other hand has helped me quite a few times. My trips to France and Quebec really showed me that I was lucky to know the language.
If you have gone to Charles De Gaulle airport in Paris, you know it is one of the pinnacles of chaos in airports around the world. The information you get for your flights is quite bad, and no one speaks in English, or rather should I say, wants to speak it even if they know it. A question in English might yield an "Eh?" or some half-hearted answer. There are exceptions to that, with some being very helpful, but a lot of people tend to be proud that they are French.
As I once was going through on transit, I had to find some info about my next flight. Some people in front of me inquired in English with the gate attendant about their next destination. They were going to the same place as I was. The attendant with a frown on her face, in perfect French-accented English said, "I don't know. Go to the information desk and find out from them!"
Nervously, I approached the attendant, and followed to ask the same question, but in French. She immediately responded with a broad smile giving me details on the gate number, the directions to the gate, and the customary, "Have a good flight". She knew most likely I wasn't a Francophone, but it seemed she was very happy that I asked her the question in her native tongue.
Similarly in Quebec, knowing French came in handy, even though the language is a little different from the one you learnt in school. As I had gone on a week long trip to Montreal with my cousin, we came across parts of the cosmopolitan city which were more in tune with French than with English. Communication wasn't so hard as people spoke enough English to get by, but a little use of French really came a long way at times. Although this was true in Montreal, it was totally a different story outside of the city.
We took a day trip on Greyline Tours to Quebec City, where on the way we stopped at a family owned roadside restaurant. The couple that owned the place had no knowledge of English, and only spoke in French. Any person who would ask the couple a question would be promptly pointed to their young teenage daughter who was sitting at the register. The girl was the only one in the family who spoke in English.
As typical as some of us Americans are flabbergasted when someone doesn't speak English when expected (or as one expects), they started to ask the bus driver how on earth this could be in Canada? The driver, a Quebecois, laughed and said that this is what Quebec is with the exception of Montreal and some parts of Quebec City. The rest of Quebec ONLY speaks French. He added that it was the youth of nowadays that were becoming multi-lingual, as they are seeking opportunities outside of Quebec, and even Canada.
But it is quite a culture shock, as you feel you are not in Canada any longer.
My take, we should learn more languages, especially at a younger age, as they are beneficial to us. I feel that every kid in this country should be bilingual from an early age, like the way it is in Europe and India. I think the impact of Spanish will bring about that change in when languages are taught in school.
You never know when that 'other tongue' will come in handy.
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