Swami Manu ji

To the Custodians of Manu Smriti,

The last bastions of society are being challenged. Yesterday, my eyes popped, you know me a mommy to the core, an article in one of the leading magazines writes about women increasingly not wanting to procreate, you know have those cuddly whoosh babies that smell sweet n nice and you want to just hug them and inhale that fragrance that is undeniably theirs.

 Women increasingly of the younger generation you know the thirty something don’t want to have children because they are expensive. Expensive, my foot! Imagine if your parents had thought in this fashion and had decided you are too expensive. All those XY chromosomes gone in waste!

Expensive is dining out, expensive that little gizmo you want, expensive are those earrings you want to buy with an Emi of 2643 /. When did you become so shallow Ms. Pinky or Shalu? And for one-minute just think how do you put a value on human life? So what’s your monetary value, did you pay back your parents? If you are a generation of change, what is this change about?

Swami ji, I read that women think that if they are bored or lonely they will go on Skype, twitter or just blog or go on Facebook. For logical reasons, I agree it’s a personal choice but this trend disturbs me. Call me old fashioned but one needs to follow nature; yes control the population rate, the imbalance and all.

I think I have found the next big thing; I am going to invent an app called virtual motherhood or virtual babies and so forth like a Sims City but the whole process!

Ladies, you are in for a shock if you think an app or this virtual world will ever give you a hug or wipe your tears away. Yes, they give you tears, tension, grey hair, stress, worrying sleepless nights but who said life was easy? It cannot be controlled , it cannot be put into orderly flowcharts nor can it be confined to be orderly . Its messy and downright dirty but the beauty lies in seeing the rainbows and the sparkle! Manu ji , give these naris some gyaan ! ( Anyways, sadhus do a roaring business here, come back please …)

The First Drop of Rain

The first drop of rain

Punjab or specifically we had our first sandstorm; you know the kind they love to talk about. The one where everything flies, windows rattle, doors creak slam and shut and every little scrap of garbage that has been dotting the landscape flies around round and round along with millions, gazillions particles of sand like a vortex. Oh, I know it’s a housewife’s nightmare and one is left with the cleaning up and dusting and wiping and getting rid of all those branches, leaves but for one moment stop and just go with the flow

I did.

It is beautiful, the drop in temperature, the clear wind after watching the storm and the fresh fresh air. It’s like I’ve been re-programmed after days of intense heat and sweating like a you know what. On second thoughts, do women sweat or perspire?

Well, it was exhilarating. A ride out with the kiddos in an open jeep and just soaking in the real world. I am not being a tourist nor am I selling anything here nor am I a preacher. Just for one moment look up from the virtual life we have built ourselves, the endless texting, whatsapp (the next frontier), FB or just being glued to television. To discover the joys of just being out, sThe first drop of rain

Punjab or specifically we had our first sandstorm; you know the kind they love to talk about. The one where everything flies, windows rattle, doors creak slam and shut and every little scrap of garbage that has been dotting the landscape flies around round and round along with millions, gazillions particles of sand like a vortex. Oh, I know it’s a housewife’s nightmare and one is left with the cleaning up and dusting and wiping and getting rid of all those branches, leaves but for one moment stop and just go with the flow

I did.

It is beautiful, the drop in temperature, the clear wind after watching the storm and the fresh fresh air. It’s like I’ve been re-programmed after days of intense heat and sweating like a you know what. On second thoughts, do women sweat or perspire?

Well, it was exhilarating. A ride out with the kiddos in an open jeep and just soaking in the real world. I am not being a tourist nor am I selling anything here nor am I a preacher. Just for one moment look up from the virtual life we have built ourselves, the endless texting, whatsapp (the next frontier), FB or just being glued to television. To discover the joys of just being out, smelling the first drop of rain on the parched earth is priceless. Nobody till now has been able to bottle this, nor can any flower’s essence replicate this true feeling that just makes one alive, and conjoins one to Mother earth her bounty and Nature like an Umbilical chord.

I strongly recommend all of you to just get out and enjoy the real world rather than sit and watch the next program on Discovery Channel. Go ahead, discover yourself in the open , right now. Sometimes all we need is that one perfect moment to let all the clouds of darkness fly away , and make everything clear . For me, it was the first drop of rain today that blew away the clouds of lethargy and gloom. Life will be the same, and we will again get involved in the fight to choose which leader will lead us to a more stable economic future. It never stops , no one till now has been able to seize time and make it stop but for me , it was Carpe Diem..

Gather the rosebuds while ye can , and yes take out time to smell the roses when you can before we might see the next specie in a laboratory what with the scientists developing a thorn less rose.

Imaginemelling the first drop of rain on the parched earth is priceless. Nobody till now has been able to bottle this, nor can any flower’s essence replicate this true feeling that just makes one alive, and conjoins one to Mother earth her bounty and Nature like an Umbilical chord.

I strongly recommend all of you to just get out and enjoy the real world rather than sit and watch the next program on Discovery Channel. Go ahead, discover yourself in the open , right now. Sometimes all we need is that one perfect moment to let all the clouds of darkness fly away , and make everything clear . For me, it was the first drop of rain today that blew away the clouds of lethargy and gloom. Life will be the same, and we will again get involved in the fight to choose which leader will lead us to a more stable economic future. It never stops , no one till now has been able to seize time and make it stop but for me , it was Carpe Diem..

Gather the rosebuds while ye can , and yes take out time to smell the roses when you can before we might see the next specie in a laboratory what with the scientists developing a thorn less rose.

Imagine 

Sannu Ki

Sannu Ki.

Sannu Ki is a common Punjabi way of finishing a conversation. It is also the nonchalant way of being indifferent to anything happening around one, but being so bothered about that you itch, talk gossip and bitch about it!

Every little, big incident happening in Punjab is summed up as Sannu Ki.

In fact, today morning when I asked my village’s government teachers what about the books issued (that are all wrong or have explicit content); he coolly said, Ki farak Painda hai, the kids anyway study through guides. We can’t fail them, can’t punish them, in fact to the extent we have to go to their homes to mark their attendance and cajole them to come and attend their examinations. Thus, Sannu ki.

Scandals, big or small, earthed, unearthed by investigative journalists all are for a small percent of the population. The aam adami that lives in the city, town, village or the taluka is not bothered. What does it matter to him whether the practical books of geography have the right map or not?

On a larger scale what the villager is worried in this heat is electricity and power for a few hours, to till and water his small portion of land.

Sannu ki, is also applicable to the ooh society girls and the page 3 babes, everything that happens in the world doesn’t affect them. For them, it is indifference to the world and to do “aish” and let the world go for a hike…they are more bothered by the new Gucci bamboo shades and which neon colored nail polish to buy.

What is happening? Why are we all changing into indifferent individuals? Where has the compassion gone? In fact, even I thought of giving up my work, because I thought why do these, they don’t care, the village people are taking advantage of naivety, my gullible nature and me.

Then, I realized that Punjab and its nature are seeped in to me but maybe I am an Indian first so Lago Raho Munna bhai is aptly what needs to be done.

Gandhism is not old fashioned, in fact it is the fashion of the times.

An appeal is that at least lets adopt Bollywood and maybe , maybe we might not need the Martians to come and save us , but you never know there is a chance that we might change the Martians.

Hoping the best .

the straw that broke the camel's back

We are gathered here to attend the condolence ceremony held in the honor of the dearly departed companion, right hand man and confidante’ of Ravneet Sangha. The life span of affectionate companion, the harbinger of secrets was a mere four years, and it performed all its duties assigned to it with utmost dedication and diligence and in today’s times with complete loyalty.

This was the message poste don a face book status update, an event had been created whereby everyone concerned is invited to say a few words or post their messages along with their virtual extensions.

I know this sounds bizarre, but this is how I feel. I am left without my trusty extension. A virtual smart phone is just not a phone (all those advertisements are true) for once the spiel sold by the agencies and companies is true. My phone, my first cell phone so lovingly gifted has seen its share of drama, weddings, parties, captured funerals, elections, and nature and also tried to capture my old man in the moon. It’s been a note pad where I have rambled on, my thoughts and amateurish attempts at writing and musings.

The phone has also been a recorder of all human emotions from dressing up for weddings, to recording the kids growing up, to various life incidents.

When did I become so dependent on an inanimate object? A few weeks ago a friend in a social networking site had posed a question where she said, what is the impact of technology? And, I had been smug and thought that I am oblivious to all this addiction but no I am in the same boat like the rest of the world. It is so easy to be judgmental and to pass comment on others.

I think, no actually I say with utmost conviction we alive our lives via the phone. We remain in contact with our friends, work contacts, the world, the mali and most importantly the bai and the boutique wali ! Every one from the sabzi wallah , to the  doodhwallah to the teachers, to the secretary sahib of the building has a phone number, We live our lives, remain in contact with regular updates on world, sports , drama and the lifeline of our lives politics via this 2’x4’ touch screen . This complex yet simple screen that has toddlers also using it faster than adults holds our lives in place. It would not be wrong to say the crux of our lives is the phone.

And how could I miss out on those short bursts of calls that were so important to my life, the ones that had all the teasers of gossip! How would I survive without them?

I wonder, what to do? Do I give in to the temptation and buy myself another phone or should I rise above?

Well, who am I? A mere mortal, even Adam gave into an apple and I am guilty of just buying an Apple product. Forgive, me lord, for I am sinning.

Lean In Happy Mothers Day

Lean in is not a term for the poking similar to the ridiculous app on face book; neither is something referring to the Leaning tower of Pisa. It is the name of one of the most interesting and truthful accounts of life, society , behavior and deep rooted mannerisms of women and the society at large by a successful woman , Sheryl Sandberg. When I posed, this question to a group I belong to in the virtual world, the answer I got from a 30 yr old woman , was I dont want to. The other came from a principal of an engineering college, a young, progressive chap , it's too feminine !
Is the book covered with gooey hearts, cupid and sexy lingerie?
Is it fifty shades to true?
Methinks, the fault lies in the fact that the book is an honest appraisal of what haapens. I am so done with blaming one section or crying myself hoarse that we have not been given equal opportunity or any other hackneyed excuse and blame on men or our parents or generation.
Women need to find themsleves amongst the hulabaloo of life, to seize life, to make them selves heard. we are not born perfect , if we were we would just replace the other half of the population.
Dear girlies, women ,it is ok to be imperfect, it is ok to have down days, it i sno scarilege to have stressed out mom , want a day off , it is allright to call it quits, it is no reflection on you as a person if your kid didn't turn out they way you and your planned.
Its ok to be sad , to cry a little, to want to be desired, loved yet to be strong asa CEO. I thhink it takes a lot of guts just to be a woman. There is this one line where she says it,' Men get promotions based on future potential expectations , while women get promotion based on past laurels. Look around you, or actually just nearer to your mother, wife or sister. How much does she does and how much is left unsaid ? Her eyes say it all. Since the day we are born, every minute subtlely and sometimes loudly we are told about our position and what we can do and what we cannot do. All i ask is to let us lean in life and see the colors change.We , need to start believing in ourselves. Also, men need to let us build ourlives to change society and as I feel be more compassionate and empathatic. The world would be a better place if we would let women be rather than thinking of her as a trophy or remembering her only on Mother's  Day.