Celebration Desi Style!

Whatever be the occasion, celebration is always in the same pose! Say Cheeezzz!
We are Desi and we know it! 

Medium -Pitt pens and color pencil

Nonstop Us!

Microsoft’s Bill Gates was probably quite correct when he had once exclaimed that the Indians were the smartest people he had ever come across. In many ways, if I observe from the point of view of a distant and unattached watcher, I can see his statement hold much truth. From spirituality to medicine, from astrology to music, not a field remains where Indians have not shown some mind blowing awesomeness. However, I do not intend to document such accolades in various fields, but to talk about the thing I sincerely believe has not only contributed much to the success of Indians but has also made them stand tall in the domain of recycling and managing finesse with few materials. I am talking what we all commonly call ‘Jugaad’ or improvisation, for there are not many terms that can resonate closely with the exact meaning and spirit of this term that in itself has come to be associated with Indians and India. We make do with whatever is available for doing what we need to, instead of waiting for full and proper formal resources. For example, people have coupled old discarded jeep chassis with small diesel engines (used for water pumps) to convert them into improvised vehicles for movement and transportation locally in their fields and villages. One innovative man managed to make espresso coffee using a simple pressure cooker. We find countless such improvisations in our daily lives. The Indians are masters of managing everything with anything!

For this let us go back in time. Right from olden times, Indians have been fond of recycling. Sarees (a garment worn by ladies) were converted into cushion covers and table mats and old papers into useful items of papier-mâché. Later on, when India was low on prosperity and was looked down upon by Europe and America, many inventions came of out the innovative brains of Indians. There were done not just by scientists and engineers but by students and housewives. That is my very point! Reusing something with extreme effectiveness makes India unique. It is the real Indian way of thinking and indeed a unique contributor to our success. From discarded machine parts and metal flaps to a complete house made of discarded plastic bottles and from clay fridge running sans electricity to creative crafts, Indians have a peculiar way of thinking and putting any discarded item to some really good use. Nowadays, entrepreneurship is on a rise in our country and much of the credit for this innovative thinking goes to the ability of Indian to manage with fewer resources and optimally utilize every resource. We can see profitable ventures being run from one room offices with less space and few people managing new ventures. I am an entrepreneur myself and when I started this venture, I managed with local resources, day to day things instead of first setting up a huge structure and investing huge amounts of time and money.

I am fond of some creativity too as well as contributing towards recycling and reducing waste. I did some crafts from old CDs and of papers and they were well received on social media. However, that is a very trivial thing; the point is, this way of thinking has contributed to my success and like most Indians I am confident of surviving anywhere in the world with low resources or in adverse conditions. That allows me to dream big without musing over perfect conditions or expecting the same as well. The Indian values that I have imbibed give me the confidence of not losing my morals even in a substandard company and while tackling a shrewd world.

(Pic Source- moreindianthanyouthink.com)

Every year, many foreign companies enter India with high hopes as this country provides an eye-popping huge market but only a few survive. One major reason is adaptation to the Indian ways that guarantees win. Unfortunately, only a handful adapt that effectively. One company that has done that surprisingly and dexterously well and has taken to Indian ways as a fish takes to water is Lufthansa Airlines of Germany. India and Germany have old ties and have been friends for long. I am also reminded of a lovely German friend who loves Indian food and clothing. Also, one of my cousins has married a German woman who is in love with interpersonal relationships and familial bonds so prominent in our culture. Lufthansa, which is the largest airline of Germany, has created a very catchy commercial. I have flown in a few other airlines but none of them was engaging or very pleasing in terms of service and comfort. Instead of employing separate English and Hindi speaking crew members, Lufthansa has bilingual crew. This step saves on company’s cost and hence some benefits are passed on to the customer. Also, this step does not make the flight look crowded. Another good example on maximum utilization!

Lufthansa's new advert shows how people are enjoying Indian influence of our traditional politeness, culinary delights and respect for elders, deeply ingrained in every Indian. In this new commercial, a man muses over the strategies to defeat Indians but when he and his team fly Lufthansa India, this thought escapes his mind and they enjoy the courtesy and grace of Lufthansa India crew! That touches the heart! Lufthansa is definitely #MoreIndianThanYouThink

Check out this amazing airline @ www.moreindianthanyouthink.com

What’s Wrong With Indian Men???

I am sure there is something seriously wrong with Indian men. A few minutes back, I have just returned from a reputed bank and really wish to share the incident. I went there along with my father and was wearing a knee- length dress. It was a usual one piece dress which was not at all revealing or indecent in any manner. However, as I entered, the bank guard stared at my bare legs in such a dirty way that I had to resist myself from slapping him tight. He then tried giving me a smile and while I was interacting with a bank official, I saw him hovering around, staring at my legs, enjoying the ogling act with an equally obnoxious colleague. As we proceeded towards the exit door, he again tried giving me a smile. I wonder if wearing a dress is such a crime that a girl is perceived as a piece of meat and has to bear all those lecherous gazes that are indeed an assault on dignity. There is something very wrong with most of the Indian males. I know so many men from well respected and educated families who have absolutely no manners to behave with women and no inhibitions before raising their voice and even hands on them. It shames me that our society is really rotten in this regard.

It also makes me feel extremely ashamed that two of my male cousins fall into this category. I have snapped ties with both of them as the last resort. Nothing deters them from indulging in violence and verbal abuse but the most disturbing thing is that their mothers consider it to be very normal. Both are engineers and have educated and working parents but lack even a trace of sophistication. I often wonder why the hell they are related to me. This is such a punishment.

However, I think there is no character development as far as male progenies are concerned for parents devote their entire energy and ‘sanskaars’ towards girls, training them in coyness and to stay subdued and quiet, and to coil within like a snail when any male shows interest or behaves indecently. It would have been much better if most Indian parents had taught their sons to respect women.

Indian male mentality sucks and I feel ashamed of my culture that treats women like an object of fun and a piece of meat.

PS: To hell with such pigs- I’ll buy a dress today.

                                                                                                                           

                                                                                                         

The Jeans Jinx

  The lives of ‘happy’ couples when seen closely can provide new facts and even shocking truths. A lot of suffocation and tiff goes on like a constant undercurrent beneath that lovey-dovey appearance. Girls often complain that in laws are too controlling esp when it comes to clothing. Let me get straight to the point- why is it so difficult for a girl to wear western clothing after marriage? Why are jeans so over hyped in our ‘culture’? I have seen poker faced mothers- in- law strictly reading out rules like a warden to their newly married coy daughters- in-law. If a girl wears dresses (one piece) or shorts or jeans, she is often made to feel obliged and thankful for the ‘openness’ and ‘tolerance’ of her in-laws. While ‘bahus‘ and ‘betis’ clearly have different rules and the double standard is apparent, the former is expected to have high levels of patience and ample maturity to absorb all the fuss the ‘sasuraal-walle’ make about her returning late from work and/or wearing jeans. 

  Well, I am not generalizing since many families do not believe in such double standard crap, but most do. I was still more astonished that even those with strong financial backing and education still want their DIL to behave like ones straight out of those of TV serials. Also, boys too have clearly different choices; while they want their girlfriends to be independent, fiery and like pop stars, they expect their wives to be perfect Indian brides- very motherly and an epitome of Indian culture and tradition.  (GF vs Wife)

 I clearly remember reading a piece of news a few years back. A newly married working woman in Noida divorced her husband because her in-laws expected her to be dressed up in saris all the time, along with full Indian jewelry like anklets, bangles etc. They also made her fast on various petty occasions like ‘ekadashis’ and ‘aamavasyas’ etc. Well, the result was that the girl refused the crap and gave them a piece of her mind…Lovely!

  Why are jeans so over hyped esp for DILs? Is full clothing the only way to rectify a person’s promiscuity? What about our brave sons who have all the freedom on earth to roam and fool around, while we expect their obedient and ‘sanskaari’ wives to sit at home all wrapped up in six yards fasting for well being of their pati-parmeshwars. Our society is clearly hypocritical and rather incorrigible. Wearing jeans does not indicate one’s character in any way and nor does wearing traditional clothes make one more of a saint. I think it is high time we rise above these things.

  An aunt of mine told me about one of her married nieces.

“Oh the family is so modern you know! Lovely people” She said happily.

“What happened?” I asked

“They give so much freedom to my niece”

“Like?” I asked

“Like…They are open people…modern in thinking. They treat her like a daughter…their own daughter.” She cheered.

“I mean, how are they are modern?” I stressed the main point again.

“They are…like she wears what she likes…like jeans etc…and they do not say anything! Such a nice MIL she has!”

“Awesome! how lucky your niece must be!” I remarked.

                                          I hope she didn’t notice me rolling my eyes ;)

(Images from the Internet)

Indian Honour Under Hammer

The valuable gold Rolex watch of our first President, Dr. Rajendra Prasad, will soon be auctioned at Sothby’s in Geneva. It is pathetic that this has not made more than a passing news item in papers.

We all know that antique items have their own value and charm which attracts a lot of art curators and aficionados across the globe. But in this case, more startling is the fact that this watch was reported stolen in 1963 from Dr. Prasad’s Museum in Patna. The Indian government as usual is too busy to even investigate how a memorabilia item reached up to Sothby’s in the first place, let alone to make efforts to bring it back to India. Although the legal heirs of Dr Prasad are doing all what they can but Indian government is sick as usual. Is this the way we honour the people who sacrificed so much of their lives for us?  

What makes the watch extremely valuable is not that it is of Rolex brand or it has a map of India made on its dial but that it was presented to Dr. Prasad on the first Republic Day.

Some time back, Mahatma Gandhi’s spectacles were also stolen from Sabarmati Ashram. The Indian government must be ashamed on its inability to preserve memorabilia of people who laid their lives for the country.

Let’s hope and pray that we get this watch back to our country.


Read more at: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/lucknow/Sothebys-putting-Dr-Prasads-stolen-watch-under-the-hammer/articleshow/10361541.cms

Tera Devosnal Atyachaar.... !!!

It is past midnight and still I am awake, can't sleep :( Well, I agree there can be a hundred reasons for that, but tonight it is not the stock markets or the symphony of gnats, but a ‘jagrata’ in my neighborhood, and as usual the innocent neighbors like me who detest loud music have to bear the shrill fusion of devotional and pop music of those professional night-mongers, aka the jaagaran-mandali, roaring out on giant speakers. I simply wonder whom these loudspeakers are meant for??? Neither the interested believers sitting right there nor the uninterested mortals sleeping (no! only trying to sleep) in their homes need them. And surely, God Himself doesn’t need them at all ... haha!!

Though loudspeakers are banned but (the real spirit of India– an example) who cares! If I have a reason to celebrate, I make (read ‘force’) others to join too, willingly or unwillingly. Such people hold the entire society to ransom. The jaagran started at 9:00 PM, and grew louder and louder, reaching its peak around midnight! Even bhoots (ghosts) must be getting irritated by this disturbance in their peak roaming time!

It’s ok if one has a reason for celebrating but such brazen display of callousness towards others only irritates the hell out of them. There are people of other faiths, non-believers, sick, old, infants, animals, students, or many such who need complete silence at least at night, after a hectic day.

Similar thing happens with a typical Indian marriage. The band and the blaring music can drive the nearby people nuts. My friends from abroad always stay excited to attend an Indian wedding but I detest all the noisy drama that goes in its name.

Anyways, society is a group of people, dude, u are not living alone in a city. Celebrate your happiness but please, with a little sophistication. Follow whatever religion you wish to, but without hurting or disturbing others.