Your's truly, Ep-2

Hi,

It's me again. You know me; We have someone / something in common - your parents? your cousins? your friends? I don't know. I know I own you, I feel superior, I feel itchy and the line that you think I jump is a little dot to me. Simply put, my life is a narrative of any of the negative characters from any daily serial . I am a well trained assassin of your Peace of mind. I specialize in Envy, majored in Gripe and hold a doctorate in Collation.

I'm never alone, because I recruit people constantly. My tongue was cursed / gifted, so I can blurt out any non-sense and I know you'll keep shut because of your societal limitations. You always wish you're not seen with your girl friend, not by your immediate family; but me. You secretly wished that my neighbor's maternal aunt's distant cousin's girl friend was dead because she was your yard stick. I butt into almost every decision you or your parents make:

• Which major to choose
• Which school to attend
• What clothes to wear
• How to walk
• What to eat
• If you should wear those jeans above the waistline
• Who to date, who to marry - Why and Why not
•  Your sexual orientation, yes I decide!

The best part of my life is you are bound to this, you can't escape.

You can't ignore me - I Bitch
You can't fight me - I manipulate
You can't accept me - You have self-esteem, I don't
You can't share with me - I Stereotype, Opinionate & Judge!
You can't conceal anything from me either - My C(Curiosity) chromosome is deep

I don't know squat about Indian history but I think your skirt is against the Indian culture. My son does not have a stable job but I'm keen to know how much you earn. I point out at your nuances in your lifestyle with my murky judgemental fingers. I never bothered to aid you when you were in serious distress but I own the right to be miffed for not being invited to your wedding.

I can't understand that if I don't have anything nice to say, I can shut up! I'm very sorry that I'm an intricate part of your life and you can't do much about it.

Your's truly,
Your Nosy Neighbor / Resentful Relative / Judgemental "Friend"

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What do I wish her?

Every year on March 8th, my mother reiterates the same question "Did you wish me a Happy Women's day?" even before she thanks me for wishing her a Happy birthday. Most of the times, I take it with a pinch of salt and wish her a happy Women's day; because the one time I lectured her on how there is no reason to actually celebrate that occasion, she ended up being upset. I'm sure I'll be facing this question again tonight when I call her and how do I tell her that there is no reason for us to be happy about the current stage of women.

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Crooks-tale

Once upon a time on the face of earth, existed a beautiful and glorious piece of land which was a house of many beautiful Anthropomorphic flowers, birds, plants and tall trees. The priceless piece of land, like any other materialistic commodity, was subject to invasions and encroachments  Finally, a few families divided it, owned it and eventually started exploiting it. With slightest governance from the owners, pests and weeds crept into the garden and started to eat away the daisies. Midst this mayhem, the birds, the bees and the flowers in the trees protested. They tried to forgive and forget for all that they have been through - continued to sustain.

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Deccan's Chronicles

Just back from lunch with the fellas at work.Some come from Mumbai, some from Kolkatta, a few from Delhi and me from, you know where. All of them were taking turns ranting about their respective cities and someone mentioned "Hyderabad", the industrial hub. Esoterically, I wanted to add, that is not the city that is worth a mention. There are several scoops about the city which makes it vivacious and surely on par when it comes to knocking heads with other metros. I reckoned, they ought to know about the city and its inhabitants who are the most laid-back, sluggish and dildaar people on planet earth. I wanted to see how the birthplace of Ma-ki-kirkiri, Yaaro, Baingan, Phatte and Dimakh Kharab can blow one's mind with its civilization.

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Pride and Prejudice

The "About Me" question in the networking sites is like the "Tell me about yourself" question that I'm usually asked in the job interviews. While I'm being watched and judged in both the situations; I take pride in one and prejudiced about the other. Did you ever speculate within yourself about why you sport contrasting shams at every point in life? I always wondered!

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'NRI'volution

5 and a half years of watching people of different ages, in different situations and of different lifestyles; I had to seek inspiration from Mr. Darwin to render my theory about the subjects of my faction - 'NRI'volution.

Over the past 2 decades, the number of  "International Aliens" from India has been tremendously growing and the whole "culture shock" process doesn't seem to be a concern anymore. I believe, In the process of getting accustomed, every NRI traverses through one or more of these phases during their journey; voluntarily or involuntarily.

Phase 1:

• Staring at everything and everyone, this is something that every Indian goes through (Remember? staring at every person boarding the bus or peeping into houses / windows while you pass or glancing at everyone who looks slightly indifferent)
• If it is a guy, every white girl looks beautiful to him (as one of my friend terms it - A 'Speed Breaker')
• Every dollar spent is converted into rupees
• "If it were in India" is your favorite line for the next few months
• Frequency of catching up with friends / family back home - atleast once a week
• Walmart and Kohls are the places of Awe
• Taking pictures and sharing them is your latest hobby
• Shopping at Aeropostale and Old Navy IS a big deal
• You take pride in twisting your tongue while speaking English so that people understand you
• Taco bell and Mc Donalds are the only restaurants you know

Phase 2:

• Hi transforms into Hey, Curd becomes Yogurt and the first words out of your mouth are "Whats up!"
• Hip-hop is the new cult
• Your pants go down your waist by an inch or two and you are not worried about your innerwear showing out
• You are past Aeropostale and like it at American Eagle
• Attitude is your new language
• Trip to India is the next thing on the calendar
• Parties on Friday nights is your slogan and pubs are your entertainment hubs
• Hitting the bed at early hours and waking up at noon is the trending regime and you are proud of it
• You visit deals2buy and sister websites atleast once a week

Phase 3:

• Poker is the new religion
• Cricket's out and Football (American) is in
• You are more concerned about fitness than you ever were
• Photography is the new found passion
• Smart phones and Expensive cars are the latest prides
• Hollister and A&F are the only brands that fit you
• You prefer watching sports to playing and if  you are playing something it is on X-box / Wii
• Sporting Hair / beard is your new style quotient
• Green Card is the next thing on your bucket list
• The new jinx is heading back home versus making this your home
• You are more active in political matters or debating about national progress and social causes, on facebook!
• You bring in the accent while talking to desis too

Phase 4:

• Teaching your mother tongue to your kids seems impossible, which is your major concern - keeping the traditional spirits alive is important!
• All the long lasting ties tend to start disappearing
• Golf is your new found love
• You tip well at restaurants, now!
• Worrying about the accent is long gone
• Stocks is the new language you speak
• Desis are boring, you choose to live in a hideout
• Lazyboys, Plasma TVs, Backyards and Minivans are new possessions
• Suddenly, Whole Foods is what you feed on.
• Decaf and Diet Coke are the staple sips
• 
  

Phase 5:

• You travel in nothing but business class
• You are more concerned about your district's mayor than the Prime Minister of India
• You are just happy that your bride / groom is a desi
• You are probably the most cultured desis on the foreign lands
• 90% chances are that you are a doctor / own a restaurant / run a motel
• All your donations go towards spiritual institutions
• If it is not home or office, it is temple.

But whatever we do and wherever we are, one must remember that; "Once an Indian, Always an Indian!"

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The ever-enduring Anecdote

As he changes flights across different airports over the past couple of days, VK recalls the reminiscences of the his first journey overseas. August 3rd of 2006, in his life, will be a date that he'd never forget. VK, just like many others in his class, was not too sure of what he wanted to do after he graduated from college and decides to take the momentous choice of most of the Engineers manufactured in Hyderabad.

Just like several others, it was the first time VK was taking a flight to a different destination and just like a thousand others, he was the first in his family to visit the US of America. VK started getting stuff together as the date of his next big step in life neared, bids the final byes to the earnests and still does what he is best at; introspection! "Is this what I really want to do? How different would I be, after I go there? Am I ever coming back?" was the only track on VK's mind despite the fast nearing leap.

Considering the 64 limit on the luggage, VK tried to pack every useless thing that he thought was sensible which included Vim Supreme bar, Rin detergent and the gas stove lighter. Yet, the dude overloaded with some extra stuff and could sneak in through the luggage check in point with the help of influential contacts, which as you know, very well works in India! All the hugging and kissing ceremony was past the security gates and VK entered the terminal dragging the not-so-light cabin baggage, for the first time in his life.

He had to go through the security check point 3 times before VK was clear of everything, as he planned to stuff a few more things in his 8 pocketed cargo pants which could not fit into the over-weight bags. Not sure of what a boarding pass was and unmindful of the distinction between an itinerary and a receipt, VK saved every document that was given to him. While he gets the notification of the first flight getting delayed, VK had no clue of what his next step had to be. Concern-less, he laid there, lost in a world of aimless gaze.

Finally, the moment ticked, when he boarded the enormous, good for nothing and an antiquated flight run by Air India. A saree clad "aunty" rushes towards his seat and questions: "Whose bag is this?" In a spooky voice, VK replies "Mine". "Do you think this is an RTC bus", she asks - the bag was not fit in properly in the cabin; so he casually left it like that (This incident makes him laugh even today :) ). The next thing that VK remembers was looking at the window as he was about to experience his first leap into the sky and then he fell asleep. When he opened his eyes, VK was in London!

VK never knew when the food was served, nor he knew who was sitting beside him. Sloppily, he got up from his seat, walked towards the restroom and realizes that he opened a wrong door, turned the other side and realized that this one is equally small. Not too sure of how to operate the latch, not very keen on using the Western style commode; VK managed to finish the ritual and get back to his seat. Twiddling with the bulky bags, VK finally reached Norfolk airport. The much helpful ISA's volunteers figured out where he was, despite his lousy miscommunication and showed VK, a place to sleep.

The wonderful students already living there, complained about his unbearable odor and advised him to take a shower very politely. He used one of their phones and informed his family and friends that he reached safely and hit the bed. VK woke up after 14 hours and found everything as different as he could ever imagine. He couldn't eat anything at home as no one cooked during weekends and he was reluctant to buy food from outside as he was still in the phase of  Dollar to Rupee conversion. Three days later, he had the food that he was longing for and then the struggle for jobs on-campus start.

And then, life moved on .....

Ever since then, VK always tried his best to help every student that he could and fed every student that he hosted.

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Why are we Cynophobics?

FYI, Cynophobia refers to being afraid of dogs (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cynophobia)

When I say "We", I'm not generalizing all the Indians; so do not pounce on me. It struck that I should blog about this when I saw a colleague of mine talking about her beloved dog when she was asked to give a 5-minute random presentation on something. She started her presentation with the statement "How many of you are Dog owners and the presenter herself was the only person to raise the hand, as most of the audience were Desis. Everytime I walk with a group of desis on the streets, we pass by a dog and the next thing I see is people changing their walking pattern and they tend to move away from the dog. Devilishly, I muse those moments and laugh it off sometimes recalling how heroically they have been walking before that encounter :). While some of them are not dog-lovers, most of them are intimidated when a dog walks towards them.

While I'm not a dog lover either, I'm particularly not a dog hater too; not that I don't like pets but I like them more in other's houses. When I tell my white colleagues / friends that I have never had a pet before in my life, they give me an amazed look. Is it that bad not having a pet? They ask me, not even a dog? The next question on  my mind, "Not even a Dog? Do you expect me to tame a Polar Bear?" I end up saying that more than 60% of the Indian households do not have a pet only to see them even more jolted. The basic thought behind their daze is "How can a person not have a pet?". Well, you would not ask that question if you grow up in a neighborhood where most of the stray dogs are feral and that we don't have Dog-bite laws.

A childhood friend of mine once said "I'm not fretful of the dog, but the 14 injections that I need to take around my belly button." In the back of my mind, I always wondered why are we so Cynophobic? Why do we see a "Beware of Dog" board outside the houses which have dogs as pets, and most of the times all they have is a Pamoranian. Why does every parent scold their their child when they bring in a pup from the roadside? Why does our instinct asks us to walk away from a pet, bet it a cat / dog / bird when it walks towards us? Why do we have instructions about remedies for Dog bites on the back of every text book? (People who have studied State Syllabus in A.P would understand that)

When I question myself, I feel that we are afraid of the fact that most of the stray dogs are feral or semi feral which is likely why we are afraid of dogs. And seeing enough of them chasing you while you are driving, you don't feel like raising one in your home. The well known fact that most of the dogs are not vaccinated doesn't help either. And the icing on the cake would be the stories from people who were bit by one of them and when they show the scar on their body because of that. Irrespective of all these, I never had a pet at home because I never wanted Dogs hair on my bed, couch, floor and elsewhere. I come across people who try to educate me on why a pet is important in life, but I always felt that it is an added responsibility to support another life and I'm not ready for it.

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8 years and who am I

A post totally about the College Blues.

It was around this date, 8 years ago, that I entered the gates of an amazing institution; amazing for not its structure or infrastructure but for the people it gave me. Transferring from a relatively new college to this better established institution was an easy decision to make but was not sure if it was the right one. But, the memories that live within me make me feel that my decision could never be any better. These blues are random and frequent but have been re-visiting me lately. I know I already posted my ramblings about this before in Moments of my Life, but it keeps getting back to me everytime I see my friends getting together or visiting the college campus.

I still remember my apprehensive first day at BVRIT. Following an hour long rocking journey in the hogtied bus, I entered the dry yet beautiful campus. If the set of classmates I always hung out with was of one kind, the set of people I traveled with was an amazing group altogether. I remember all the days when the walk from the classroom to the buses was horrifying, avoiding eye contact with the Seniors so that I don't get ragged. Nor did I ever forget the numerous assignments I wrote, not mine but the seniors'. I sometimes wonder, had I put in a little thought behind what I was writing, I'd have scored a few extra marks in my 2nd year ;).

When I roll the reel backwards and see how I have transformed over these 8 years with some introspection involved, I see:

- I don't skip my last two hours of classes for football anymore.
- I don't have any friends around me who are up for random things at random times
- Nobody stops in front of my house late in the night and honks me to step out
- I'm more materialistic now
- People don't join me for a movie or an outing on weekends anymore instead they ask me not to disturb them on weekends
- My 'girl' friends don't call me in the middle of night to rant off their petty issues
- I don't get to go on those long drives with my buddies anymore
- I don't wait for the week to begin anymore, instead I wait for it to end.
- I don't have to tiptoe to get out during the nights so that my parents don't wake up
- I don't have to use the excuse of Combined Studies to watch EPL
- I do attend some of those Fresher's parties but nothing like the ones we had in Pubs
- My humor is not as witty as before because now, I have a girl friend :P
- My laid back levels have dropped or should I say "I'm mature!"
- I don't need to worry whats in my Senior's pocket anymore :)
- I don't have friends who circulate the porn CDs anymore, I just find it by myself on the internet :P

And a few things that still didn't change are:

- I still have friends who work on MY homeworks
- I still play some sport everyday
- I still have the extra vigor for anything fun
- I still dance like Nobody's watching
- I still sit in the last two rows in a classroom / auditorium
- I still live off the food in restaurants and other joints
- I still don't booze or smoke
- I still earn my Pocket money :D

If I ever get a chance to relive my life, I'd rewind it back to my Engineering days because that is when I started to live my life. All the amazing people in my life were found at this place. If I learnt living life from my friends, acquaintances turned into friends because of the seniors who ragged the balls out of us. If it were not for them, I would have definitely missed the mystic pieces of my life. But as Robert Frost summarized life into 3 golden words, I absolutely relate my life to thee and find solace in them.

Cheers to ya'll and Fare well. :)

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Why I didn't join you in supporting Anna Hazare

The title doesn't mean that I'm against him, I just don't support him nor do I encourage others doing it. If his methodologies not matching my Marxist ideologies is one reason, A person of no note carrying a baton that he/she supports Anna Hazare is another reason. You get so vehement just because a person stood up for a cause? What about the number of people that stand up for you? What about the Border Security Force that protect your asses day in and day out, why didn't you feel the necessity to show your concern to them? What about the several social activists who have been pursuing attention for a social cause, why didn't you ever care to reach out to them?

Don't tell me corruption is the only evil bride that is haunting us! I didn't join this movement because I didn't want to be a MEDIA WHORE just like the others. Media might well be serving as the binocular eyes for my perceptual vision but I have got a brain of my own. I'm sad for everyone who has lost it. One suggestion that I can willingly offer is "Open your eyes without closing your mind". You need someone famous to come up and awaken you that something is wrong in this country? Or is it that you were living in the world of self-denial all these times? You would read thoroughly about a guy who is portrayed as a hero by the newspapers and the Media channels but would never care about a person whose fight for a cause is manifested as just a situation.

What about all the Greenpeace India activists who have been protesting against environmental issues. Their fight, off course, is for your benefit too. Did you ever submit a petition on their behalf? Did you ever donate anything towards their activities? They do not have a Anna or a Bedi but they surely have an equally mightier heart and they fight for an equivalent social cause. What about Janaagraha? Their protest was even more persistent than Anna's movement, why didn't you find a need to charter their protest as well? I'll tell you why, because neither did the issues have a political backing nor did any Newspaper / TV media find it scintillating.

Till date, they have been functional because of the realistic and practical ideologies behind their protest and the support of a few socially responsible people (who didn't need someone else shake you up and unite to fight against corruption) who found these organizations worthwhile. I feel sorry for them as there was no one who stood up for them while they were arrested.

I have nothing against Anna Hazare but why are we showing a tendency to rally behind a person and not a cause? If you are falling prey to this new concept of patriotism, fueled by media, by fancing those "I'm Anna, are you?" events and "I support Anna Hazare" badges on facebook or fasting at home in support of Anna's protest; I call you "Half_brain-Dead". Half because you are still fighting for a cause here.

 If this is a concern that bothered me all the time, legitimacy of the Jan Lok Pal is another issue which I wouldn't want to write about as I'm afraid it might spam my Blog :P.

Jai Hind. 

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A letter of probe

Dear Dr. Manmohan Singh,

I am Vishnu Kamisetty, a 26 year old citizen of the Republic of India who is smitten by grief, seeing Mumbai bleeding through its roots. I was one of those numerous people who read and circulated those emails which read 'Most eligible Prime Minister' and had all your achievements listed. I believed in you so much that whenever someone criticized you of not commenting on several issues or not taking actions against the fraudulent cabinet ministers, I laughed at the people for their ignorance. But today, I sense that I am one among those fools who still believe in your capabilities.

While I write the next few lines, I still understand that you are in a 'Easier said than done' position. I was really glad when you accepted to serve the country as the Prime Minister because I was under the delusion that a person of your caliber, a personality of your experience and a scholar of your abilities could mould the future of this nation. Time and again, there have been flaws in the administration and I, just like several fellow citizens, vindicated those assuming that we have a better day ahead. Today, I stand in a day of agony, holding none other than you responsible for it.

Why You? Just as a parent is responsible for safeguarding his / her family, you are the one we turn to if we have any problems. I'm growing apprehensive day after day, about my family, friends and colleagues across India. For that matter, I'm concerned about my future too. No one would like to closely follow the scrolling news to see if their dear ones are alive or not. Innocent lives are being lost at the cost of your negligence. Had you pressurized on getting leads from Ajmal Kasab's case or had you devoted some amount of the scandalized resources towards National security, we would have saved atleast a few lives if not all.

I totally understand how valuable human life is and so should several others, for everyone of us to live in harmony. If they don't, it is our responsibility to scourge the wrong-doers. How long do you plan on feeding Ajmal Kasab and keep him alive? I reluctantly think that a few lives could have been saved if there was action taken on him. Do you need someone to pierce through your heart and walk away to remind you that you are hapless? These words might be spears of anguish but they come after they have been patiently tamed for several years. You'd know what I'm talking if you walk in the streets without any security ties. How would you feel, yes that is how secure an average Indian citizen feels.

I do not want to be just another person who criticizes the government, I want you feel responsible and take action. If a small group of dysfunctional heads can target a huge nation like us, how should a 64 year old Democratic, Secular and Socialist Sovereignty react to them? What would you do if some vandal hurts someone in your family? I don't know about you but I'd rather die striking back teaching them a lesson so that they don't hurt anyone else rather than consoling myself to get compromised with the situation. It is not just you that should feel guilty for all this, all your cabinet ministers who have been busy nourishing their bank accounts from the scammed money and all the indirect leaders who have been affecting the functioning of the government ought to feel guilty.

With all due respect, I believe that you'll live up to our expectations.

Thank you,
Vishnu Kamisetty.

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Bollywood Rewind

In 1970's we ousted America as the largest producer of films and secured the name Bollywood and ever since we have been producing films to be a part of the rat race. Some of them churned money, some earned awards and a few spread awareness while most of them gave birth to a new culture. As the saying goes, Life is not a movie, they initially directed movies to show people what they always dreamt in their life and their little amusements. Then they kept producing, re-producing and finally de-producing such films. We are now at a stage where we appreciate movies that are much closer to real life, you don't think so? Why was "Page 3" acclaimed?

Since its inception, Bollywood has been through several transformations. I know when people say Change is Good, but is it really? In this case, I'm puzzled! Also, they say Old is Gold. But again, I don't completely agree. I was not present in the 70s nor did I watch all the movies that were ever produced. But I think I have watched enough movies, significantly more than the normalcy, to do the judgement. Lawrence, KS makes me search for all kinds of scummy movies to avoid dawdling and over the past few days I was wondering, is this how screwed up the industry is?

I remember my dad making me watch movies like Yarana and Sholay while I was growing up and we enjoyed it passionately. I wonder what the kids of next generation get to watch with their dads - Dostana? Ram Gopal Varma ki Aag? or some movie in which Akshay Kumar is still a hero doing stunts? Thanks to technology, we are atleast able to secure the prints of those Good Old movies.

And don't even get me started on the songs, which are the spices of our cuisine called Bollywood. Gone are the days of Ghazals, sweet lyrics and shayaris; All we are left with is 'Hard Kaur'ed music and dhin chak dhin chak beats. The other day, I was listening to this song, Char Bhaj gaye hein and was thinking to compose my own song. It is easy pals, grab some Homophones and put it at the end of each stanza. Make a khichdi by using some cool hippy words like rock, disco, party, chick as the fillers and boom, you are a rockstar right  there. I do, I really do enjoy that song and that is what baffled me - what the heck is happening? The other day, I was listening to radio online and Iheard this song Karma is a bitch and the song was stuck in my head for the whole day - not a good sign for Monday morning, is it? They also have this new strategy of bringing in non-Indian singers like Snoop Dogg, Lady Gaga and Akon to compose Bollywood Music; don't you think it is something like Pizza Kolhapuri or Kashmiri Lasagna?

Much unlike the yester years, the beauties cannot do the acting and the "Actresses" are not considered beautiful, so we pretty much have to make a choice. Back then they had beauties like Helen perform the item songs. Now, lead heroines have to compete for those numbers. And they compensate their unmatchable dancing skills with skimpier clothes. However, some actors did take dance seriously and carried Mithun's dance steps to a completely different level. Thank God, we were not stuck with the Jumping Jack and several others of that era. But along with that, they bring their chiseled six packs which they ought to show in every song possible - yes you can call me jealous!

But whatever might be the season, somethings in bollywood never change:

• Salman Khan strips his shirt off atleast once in all his movies
• Actors still don't grow moustache until and unless the director insists and they get paid extra for that
• Akshay Kumar still does Slapstick comedy and always has stunts in his movie - irrespective of the genre 
• Kapoors and Khans still comprise a major part of the industry
• 90% of the movies are hero-oriented
• Sunny Deol can still kill 200 people in one take
• Rajeev Masand still doesn't know how to review films
• Every hero has a fan base - including Uday Chopra, Tushar kapoor, Zayed Khan and Fardeen Khan
• There'll be a fancy song in which the hero and his heroine would be on a mountain or a valley out of nowhere
• There will be a doctor or a police or a lawyer or all the three in most of the movies.

Cheers to Bollywood!

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Take that Ms. Banerjee

This post is in response to Ms. Madhuri Banerjee's 5 Guys every woman should have. I was utter shocked to see a renowned and responsible journalist misconstruing a noble act of five brothers and an eternal sacrifice made by one of the noted chaste woman in Hindu mythology. Your post might have talked about the 5 guys a woman must have but mis-portraying Draupadi to be lucky and walking with a different person after every sunset makes me question your credibility. You probably have to revise your knowledge on this subject before you even think about it.

1st thing - She was shared among the five husbands because of the vow that Kunti had imposed on the five brothers. Kunti (woman) imposed it and the Pandavas (Men) abode by that, respecting their mother.  But, one has to never forget that the same scriptures mentioned Draupadi bearing just one son (Abhimanyu) with Arjuna who won her in the swayamvara. Do you know what must have gone through the mind of a woman when she is asked to share 5 husbands and the men simply fall for that vow imposed on them by another woman? You wanted to support your non-sensical post about a woman having 5 men in her life before she gets settled with one, quoting the example of Draupadi? - Can anyone get more foolish than that?

As far as your post is concerned, there are men who fit in all the 5 categories you mentioned, PERFECTLY! Stop fooling yourself and come out of the virtual world called self-denial. The man who can treat you like a woman is standing right next to you, kissing you good night every single night and tugging you safe into the blanket every day. This coin called Relationship has another facet as well, if you ever wanted to flip it. You named just 5 types of guys a woman should be with, I can start counting on the different types of woman a man must be with before he settles with one and the counter never stops.

Did you ever read this phrase:

Karyeshu Dasi, Karaneshu Manthri;

Bhojeshu Mata, Shayaneshu Rambha;

Roopeshu lakshmi, Kshamayeshu Dharitri;

Satkarma Nari, Kuladharma Pathni

It is a verse from Neethisaram, in praise of women! It clearly classifies every aspect of how a woman should be and people like you wouldn't understand because you think you are much ahead of the philosophy and ethics in life. Do you think, making Chick Flicks or authoring posts like these make you sound Uber cool? You may well be cool but would never master the Art of being a Woman. There is difference in living life and leading life and neither you nor people who admire your post / work would understand that. It is way out of your league!

And yes, I forgot to throw some light on the contrasting side, the >5 types of women that men should have 

1. A girl who doesn't have a lot of expectations from him. 

2. A woman who doesn't nag about everything all the time

3. A woman who can let him be at peace

4. A woman with lesser mood swings

5. A woman who can cook well and feed him, sometimes if not daily

6. A woman who can let him be himself

7. A woman who allows him to talk without thinking twice

8. A woman who is unselfish and not over protective

9. A woman who doesn't pester him to talk out everything

10. A women who can understand that Men don't enjoy Window shopping

I can keep writing all day, but I feel that it is a mere waste spending more time to revert back to you. I have other useful things to do in life. I am glad I don't have as many complaints about women in my life as you do (about men in your life)! 

Adieu!

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Hub of Innocent joys -> War Zone

Not once in my 26 years of life, did I ever regret the fact that I come from the city of Hyderabad - The city of Pearls, The city of Hearts , The city of verve, The city of vivacity and The city that is looked up by several other places in the world. For the first time, I feel sorry for myself for having lived among people who are senseless and heartless. I wandered around every nook and corner of Hyderabad and always loved the composite culture and beauty of the city. I spent the adolescent years of my life in Basheerbagh which is just adjacent to the Burgula Ramakrishna Bhavan (just 10 minutes of walk from Secretariat, Tank Bund, Necklace Road and Himayat Nagar).

I walked atleast a 100 times on the Tank Bund even before most of the surrounding areas weren't developed. There was no Viceroy Hotel, Buddha hadn't secured his place yet in the waters, water in the Hussain Sagar was clean and there were no eateries alongside. By that I meant that I had seen it in the most original state. I can safely recall most of the weekends where my parents used to drive us brothers on the much reliable Bajaj Chetak to the Tank Bund and show us the city. I remember the times when we used to park the scooter at a point and just stroll down the lawns across the 2.3 kms stretch, stopping at each statue of the famous personalities and reading the description underneath the statues (Both in Hindi and Telugu to improvise our reading skills). Sometimes my dad used to narrate a story on one of those eminent people on how they impacted the society. I grew up reading and listening to stories about each and everyone of them. I also remember the days I repeated the names of each person in order, on my way back from school and I was right everytime I attempted. That is how I am associated with those figures.

Yesterday, when I heard the news, I realized that I was raised among the people who could bring the lives of all the great personalities like Sri Annamacharya, Sri Sri, Kandukuri Veeresalingam, Gurajada Apparao, Sir Arthur Cotton and 8 others into their scummy Regional Differences. I felt bad for myself and pity for the agitators having lost their brains. I felt numbness in my eyes when I watched the footage and I wanted to express my anguish which was felt deep within.

How could they forget Veeresalingam's effort to curb Sati? Pothana's work in Telugu literature? Sir Arthur Cotton's dedicated life to Prakasam Barrage? They possibly forgot the fact that they wouldn't have been existing on this earth if Sati was not curbed and one of their grand mothers or great grandmothers had to sacrifice her life during that time. They must have ignored the truth that the grains that they are feeding on is a result of the Dam built by Arthur Cotton who is no way linked to India. Did they even forget that Annamacharya was just a devotee of the Lord that everyone of us pray? This is what one gets after they do so much to the society. The same hypocrites who associated the establishment of YSR's statues in a various parts of the city have lead the groups to demolish the statues of the more respectful people who made an impact on the Telugu society. Why don't they dare to touch the statues of NTR or YSR? Don't they have balls to do that?

Besides, after all the damage was done, our great political leaders enter the arena and declare the Million March - "A SUCCESS"? I was pondering over it all night and was shocked to see some TRS leader speaking on TV9 - justifying the acts of vandalism. I was checking out the news today and people commented on various articles on the internet saying "There is nothing called telugu pride. This is sychopathic imagination of andhrites." I assumed that the people who can access internet should have been well educated and I was shocked to see many such people backing the vandals. Once again, I went into stealth mode for being living among them for 22 years.

Dr. J.P's speech on the tragedy was so emotional, I was moved; You should listen to that. A senior from my school said this in Telugu

Telugu jathi siggutho tala dinchukunna vela....Telugu saahitya ownatyanni chatina annamayyanaa meeru nela koolchindi..Telugu vaari raacharikanni ellalaku chupina Sri Krishna Devarayala vaarina meeru mattubettindi...Telugu aadabidda roudramunu teliyaparichina veera Rudramma naa meeruu....auraa...siggu sigguuu

 Shame on you people who instigated this and people who support this!

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Take a Bow! Maa

Friday Morning, after I park my car, I had to walk uphill for about 10 mins to go to work. I was planning to redial to my home to continue the conversation on the phone with my mom (I love calling her AMMA) which ended a couple of minutes before that, due to some inconsistent wireless connection. My dad who wasn't present during my previous call had just arrived and learnt from my mother that I got this new job offer where I wouldn't be earning much.

I didn't anticipate much appreciation from my dad for cracking the 2 interviews to get this offer  past some 40 qualified applicants. This was based on my previous experiences on my accomplishments. As soon as he got the chance to talk to me, he said "Mom just told me about your new job offer. They are paying you very less, Aren't they?" For a quick second I was taken aback as the kiddo inside me was waiting for a pat on my shoulder instead of a question like this. More faster, I gained back my normal senses and replied to my dad that I have not yet accepted the offer as it was not a reasonable one and the discussion extended.

After 9 minutes of talk, I was almost about to enter my office and my mom hinted to my dad that he had to congratulate me first and my dad did! Now, that brings a smile! :) (I'll tell you what brings this smile in my next paragraph). My mom grabs the phone real quick, smiles for a second or two (You know you can hear the smiles of your dear ones, even though you can't see them), then says, "This good news is just like raining in Hot Sun!" (It is bad summer in Hyderabad).

That smile was not because of my accomplishment being recognized by my dad but because of my moms gesture. She really knew how the kid inside me has to be handled. I always felt that I'm a grown up and for that moment I didn't feel shy calling myself a kid. :). (After all, as my mom says, "Dilli ki Raju aina ... Thalli ki kodukuve - "You are still a mamma's boy, even if you are an Emperor"). She made sure that I was not feeling low at the end of the conversation and I'm sure she does it to everyone in the family. I was just amazed at the way they strike the balance in the family, the way they understand our emotions and the way they make us feel secure.

This post is dedicated all the moms including my mother, Madhu and Lakshmi Aunty who have been taking care of me as their son. I owe big time to all the ladies to who took care of me, which is an endless list and Take my Bow!

After all this happened, I never felt bad that my dad didn't applaud in the beginning. I felt good that he was thinking beyond the scenes about the consequences so that I'm safe and Happy. Dad, the next post is coming your way! :)

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Tit-Bits

Banging my head on the desk right now, to thwart the Jet Lag off my mind. This struggle has been going on for the past couple of hours. My very  sympathetic boss guessed this in the morning and said "I am sure you would be having jet lag and I will not expect any productive work from you today". With such zero relentlessness, it becomes even more difficult for me to shed it off and I am trying blogging to do that part for me.

I just came back from India after a short trip of 3 weeks. Life in those 3 weeks was like a Digital Equalizer for me (sometimes refreshing and sometimes gloomy). A few snippets on the situations in India and Hyderabad in specific (Might serve as a musing corner for those who haven't been home since long).

First things first, every morning I wake up with a pre-decided food menu on my mind for the rest of the day. I draft the same to my mom and she fed me like a li'll kid. I should say I lived life king-size in this aspect. Most of my friends being in the U.S, I had spent most of the time with family unlike the last time.

Hyderabad has changed so much,

• More and more number of flyovers
• Increased traffic  -> Increased pollution
• Drastic increase in the number of apartment complexes
• About 100% price rise on almost everything
• Roadside Beggars have stopped taking 1 Rupee coins
• Every Kirana store is now an authorized dealer for prepaid calling cards and everyone including rag pickers have cell phones and sometimes high-end ones.
•  Most of the playgrounds vanished and gully cricket is still alive.
• A couple of big  malls in the city, very big ones.
• Night life is awesome now, even at 2.00 AM the roads are busy and hotels are crowded.
• If the politicians are bored, they call for a 'bandh' which has become quite casual of late. 

Overall, one might face a culture shock if they are visiting Hyderabad after a log time. 

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The Inglorious Countrymen

A furore over a deep rooted issue; ringing back to 1946, when the Nizams rule was just fading. The last Nizam ruler never wanted Hyderabad to be merged into Indian Union as he wanted the princely state of Hyderabad to be governed by the Nizams. Pressurizing the annexation of the Hyderabad state into Indian territory, the Indian Central government sent an army to finish this task and finally on 17 September 1948, the state was declared as integral territory of the Indian Union. The basic motto behind this instigation is SELFISHNESS of the Nizam ruler. After the 1st elections in 1952, Burgula Ramakrishna Rao was elected as the Chief Minister of the Hyderabad State. Being aware that he was not to lead the new State, he exhibited great foresight, spirit of sacrifice and statesmanship in agreeing to merge Telangana with Andhra State to give birth to Andhra Pradesh.

The disputes over this region were never buried and they were stirred once in a decade by some or the other SELFISH politicians. Remember this, no one else raised this issue other than the leaders in the opposition party.  Once they are into the ruling side, they forget all the promises and priorities on their agenda. The Seperate Telangana  State Movement in 1969 was reasonable as there was agitation behind the movement that the people of Telangana were deprived of their rights and that they were exploited of their resources. Despite electoral successes, some of the new party leaders who then supported the Separate state for Telangana, gave up their agitation in September 1971 and, much to the disgust of many separatists, rejoined the safer political haven of the Congress ranks. You can find the SELFISHNESS of the politicians here again.

After 1969, the movement was again provoked by BJP and they could not keep up their pre-election promises, again due to SELFISHNESS. Start of the 21st century saw a new start to this movement with the establishment of a new party called TRS with the single point agenda of creating a separate Telangana state, with Hyderabad as its capital lead by Kalvakuntla Chandrasekhar Rao popularly known as KCR. Since last week, the tension has mounted in the city of Hyderabad with the ruthless acts of Mr. KCR. It was a good decision that he went on a hunger strike and decided to take the Gandhian way. Inspite of breaking his fast, unnoticed, he still claims to be on hunger strike and disguises the role of an able leader, which he is not.

The student bodies at Osmania University, Hyderabad went on a strike and called for a bandh which I bet , would have been causing immense trouble for all the employees, students, tourists and many others including the 'Telanganites'. It is a well known fact that the strike and bandh were stirred by the political bodies, the student leaders are well gripped by these youth associations who would have been promised a party ticket and a MLA seat post their electoral win. Now, it is these SELFISH student leaders and youth associations which are benefited from all these riots and processions. I wonder how people get engrossed in all these stuff which hinder the economical, industrial and financial progress and stumble the state of balance in a state.

You might want to quiz yourself with the following questions if you  feel that there is a need for a separate state for Telangana:

• Were you ever deprived of quality education because of migrants from other parts of the state?
• Have you ever been a victim of racism shown by other people?
• Did you ever lose a job because another person from a different region was preferred on regional basis?
• Who cultivates the cereals and pulses that you eat daily?
• Where does all the steel come from?
• If there is justice in your demand for a separate Telangana, then there is justice in Kashmir being claimed by Pakistani's as well. Do you welcome this?
• Do you have able leaders who can govern the state without SELFISHNESS?
  

You are living in a modern world where mutual co-existence is critical and a nation can flourish only when there is unity among its subjects.  I was born in Eluru but right from the 2nd month I was brought up in Hyderabad, I have lived in Rezimental Bazaar in Sceunderabad which is a 'Basti' where 'Bonalu' cleberations are usually at their best  and also in 'Malkajgiri' which is no less a core-Telangana region. I was never deprived of any rights as an individual. I believe that it all depends on the social awareness and your maturity levels.

I was surprised to see that there was a procession here in the US as well, in support to the 'Jai Telangana' movement . You feel that there is a need for a separate Telangana state, good! And I believe the basic reason you want that is because you feel that 'Telanganites' are treated as under-privileged and their resources are being exploited, Right!? Remember that you are an Indian Immigrant in US and how do you feel if they do not provide the opportunities that you are enjoying currently?

Finally, for all the hardcore fans and supporters of Mr. KCR, here is a small snippet.

While widening my view over this issue, I found a few links which  I thought, you'd be interested in looking at:

1. http://beacononline.wordpress.com/2008/07/03/big-fight-for-small-states/
2. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Will-Chandrasekhara-Rao-become-another-Raju-guide/articleshow/5305368.cms
3. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mkS0fg7LDEc
   

I do not intend to hurt anyone's feelings. I just spoke my heart out. Its not that I'm against the separation of Telangana. I just wanted to make an effort to make people realize that there are many cons associated with it. I just don't want people from other states or countries to 'laugh' at us. 

JAI HIND.

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Somethings will never change

It has been more than a forty years and some people never changed.

The whole background story is written here for a better understanding of the post.

In short: 

Long ago,  a few years after Indian Independence, the hottest discussion on board was the issue of National Language for the newly formed Hidustan / India. A few politicians had taken a different guard when there was a debate on emulating Hindustani (Hindi) as the National Language of India.Of them, one of the key personalities was Mr. M. Karunanidhi.

Politicians then, had foreseen that there might be danger posed to Dravidian languages esp. Tamil if Hindi was imposed as a first langauge on the South Indians. They immediately protested on Hindi being declared as a mandatory medium to conduct business. They were afraid that Tamil and Tamilians would have no individual future if Hindi was imposed as a first language on them, which actually makes sense to me. Had been Hindi was followed, ignoring their respective regional languages, India would have lost so many dialects with time.

The struggle went on for over a decade and finally it was declared that Hindi would be the National Language and has to be instructed in schools and other educational institutions at some level. However, having considered all the dispraties associated with having one common platform for communcation among the diverse Indian population, the Government of India declared that business and other meetings can be proceeded in English or any regional language for that matter. Having said that, they  wanted every Indian to be well-literarate in the National Language as well. So they made Hindi to be a mandatory subject during the secondary education level.

However, Tamilians did not like this idea and they boycotted Hindi as a medium of instruction. I have heard people saying that they were subjected to injustice which I completely disagree.

Its not just you who were asked to practice Hindi. Every state under the Republic of India were asked to do so. I agree that it is by the strong dedication of Mr. Rajagopalachari and others that we secured the right to continue using our  respective Regional Languages for communication and we are all grateful to them for that. But that does not mean that you insult your national language by boycotting it.

Years after everything is so modernized and everyone is busy in their fast-moving world, this renowned politician digs out baseless issues and stirs the media on the same. Read this. The matter does not end there. Youngsters who don't even know what the situation was, decades before, think that they were cheated without even knowing the ace of base. They feel insulted and that is the reason they qoute when someone asks the, "Why is that you don't know Hindi" or "How come you don't follow Hindi" which sounds purely absurd to me.

It is nothing that I have something against them but think outside the box!! And my sincere plea to the leaders would be to STOP POLITICIZING THIS ISSUE FURTHER!!

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Heights of 'News'lessness

Without having much choice on what kind of news I want to read / see, I started following the CNN IBN Live website for the National and International news of late. Initially, I was pretty much impressed with the quality of the news that they were providing. With the recent popularity that it has gained through the Live TV on the internet, I could see the gradual commercialization of the website. 

They do not allow me to read the news anymore, its like visiting their website for advertisements, not for the NEWS.

The advertisements creep on to the news sections, you have to close them individually to view the headlines. Okay now, I am patient enough to close all the ads and see the headlines and there it is, in headlines "Obama can cook Dal  and admires Cricket". Oh Sorry! Forgive me for closing all the pop-ups for this sick headline news. The advertisements make more sense than this kind of news. I could not resist myself from going into detail, as I wanted to see the vital content behind this headline which fueled it up to the front page (My bad!). 

I agree Mr. Shahrukh Khan is well known celebrity and a high profile Indian citizen. But, is he more admirable or than Rev. Dr. Kalam? You have no issues on frisking respected Dr. Kalam while boarding the flight but it is a sensational news for the media to cash if Mr. Khan is stopped on a foreign soil on security grounds. This time, I counted the number of days it was on the website before the issue went completely unseen. Trust me, it was on the web site for 7 full days. This time I did not make the mistake of dwelving into the main content. I hated it!

I've stopped visiting the CNN IBN website (not completely though - I vist that on weekends). I'm follwoing Google News and am happy about that.

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The Hyderabad

Woh radhey shyaam ki pani puri, woh chit chat ki chaat,
Woh Softy ki ice cream, Wah usme thi kuch baat.

Woh pulla reddy ki mithai, woh kamat ka dosa,
Woh Gokul ki pav bhaji aur Ramser ka samosa.

Woh local bus ka 'suffer', woh tank bund ki hawa,
Woh dutch roses ke kante aur lumbini park ka sama.

Woh december ki zara si sardi, woh baarishon ke mahiney,
Woh garmi ki chuttiyan, jab chute te they paseeney.

Woh holi ki masti, woh navratri ka garba,
Woh divali ke patakhe aur ganpati ka shor o sharaba.

Woh necklace road ka mohol, woh Gandipet ki leheren,
Woh doobte suraj ka nazara, Wah uske kya kehene.

Woh Best Bakers ke curry puff, woh blue sea ka chai,
Woh Garden(restaurant) ke lukmi biscuit, woh galliyon ka "rabdi
malai".

Woh bachpan key yaaden, woh PT kaa khel,
Woh Indira park ke jhaadiyan, jahaa hothey they mel.

Woh Minerva ka hot coffee cup aur Shopers shop mein shopping,
Woh James Street ka nazara aur Ameerpet ki building.

Woh Sangeet cinema ke queue, woh black ki pink ticket,
Woh Parade ka maidan, jahan bachche practice karte hain cricket.

Itni cheezen kehene ke baad, aur kitni karoon mein abaad,
Yeh shehar hain mera apna, jiska naam hai H Y D E R A B A D!!!

Ise chodke kahaan jaye, ise chodke kya hum paaye..
bache rahe hai char din, manzile nayi.. bichde raahe......

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