Black

No, this is not about the excellent movie by Sanjay Leela Bhansali, but this is about troubles faced by black (or as they have started referring to us as - colored) people. I am one of those who are blessed with black color and there are times when things get interesting.

Every time I go to a barber to get a shave done (which is at least once in a week affair since I don't know how to shave and I just came back after getting a shave), people there assume that I want to look fairer and I am offered free samples of facial bleech, face massages, fairness creams and new hair color that would make me look fair. One question. Why do they think I want to look fairer? Can't I be happy the way I am? I do not want to look fairer. Fullstop. Period. I wonder how many fair people are offered darkness creams, sun lamp treatments etc.

Anyways, the problem is not only limited to a barber, there are other places where we could do with some freedom. If you ever had a dark cousin, you would know that one of the qualities of the suitable match for him/her is fair skin color. The match could be illiterate, dumb as a dodo, but should not be dark. (This could be biased; my family at least, wants to have fair colored members). This is again stupid. The most important decision of your life can not be just based on the color of the skin.

Goto a designer clothes showroom. They would recommend specific type of cloth material, specific colors, different styles all together just to make sure that you look fairer.

Barber - its ok, he is not bothered about you or your well being. He wants to sell more products and services and make money. Same is true for boutiques. Your family wants the best for you. They want you to get good looking (fairness is equal to good looking in India) partner. Did anyone ask me (us) my (our) preferences?

Just wondering if Mr. Charles Darwin was correct about his theory of natural selection and survival of the fittest, a day should come when all the dark colored members of the Homosapient species are ...

Xtra special song ... Phoolon Ka Taaron Ka

Here is yet another song ...

Title: Phoolon Ka Taaron Ka
Movie: Hare Rama Hare Krishna
Singer: Kishore Kumar, Lata Mangeshkar
Music: Rahul Dev Burman
Lyrics: Anand Bakshi

Lyrics
Phoolon Ka Taaron Ka Sabka Kehna Hai
Ek Hazaron Mein Meri Behna Hai
Sari Umar Hame Sang Rehna Hai

Ye Na Jaana Duniya Ne Tu Hai Kyon Udaas
Teri Pyaari Aankhon Mein Pyar Ki Hai Pyaas
Aa Mere Paas Aa Keh Jo Kehna Hai
Ek Hazaron Mein Meri Behna Hai

Jabse Meri Aankhon Se Ho Gayi Tu Door
Tabse Sare Jeevan Ke Sapne Hain Choor
Aankhon Mein Neend Na Dil Mein Chaina Hai
Ek Hazaron Mein Meri Behna Hai

Dekho Hum Tum Dono Hain Ek Dali Ke Phool
Maein Na Bhoola Tu Kaise Mujhko Gai Bhool
Aa Mere Paas Aa Keh Jo Kehna Hai
Ek Hazaron Mein Meri Behna Hai

Jeevan Kay Dukhon Sey Youn Darte Nahin Hain
Aise Bach Kay Sach Sey Gujarte Nahin Hain
Sukh Ki Hai Chah To Dukh Bhi Sehna Hai
Ek Hazaron Mein Meri Behna Hai

Haloscan discontinued

For a long time, comments were powered by .

Starting today, I would use the comment feature on blogger.com only. I would loose some precious comments but as they say "You win some, you loose some"...

Indian - Unity in diversity?

We have always been taught all our lives - India represents Unity in Diversity. Spread over more than 26 states and union territories, we stand united whenever we are in dire straits. Indian Army, Indian Bureaucracy, Indian Sports teams etc. are made up of people from all the places in the country we can think of. We said moving from Kashmir to KanyaKumari we would change language every 500 kilometers and change lifestyle every 1000 kilometers. But in effect everyone "different" was bound by identical spirit of Indianism.

However behind this rosy picture, there is something glaring that probably we all have continued to miss and we maintain a blind eye towards it.

Anywhere in the country, schools, colleges, workplaces, research institutions, even defense forces, it is very easy to spot groups of people moving together. Groups not made out of interest, but groups made on regional basis. All north Indian stick together, all Maharastriyans move as a group, all Tamilians prefer to speak in Tamil even when in company of other people, all Bengalis would prefer to find other Bengalis. Army has a separate Jaat Regiment, Gurkha Rifles, so forth and so on (I don't know much about army though). And with this kind of segregation, where is the "unity in diversity" we always preached?

There was a time when people of the entire nation would stand together and fight for the common cause. Remember the fight for independence? Now people from a particular region would come together and demand their own state because they think that they are a distinct group and their unique problems can only be sorted out by a separate state.

It's a shame but I admit I don't know the exact number of states that we have now, when I was in school there were 25 states and 7 UTs but there have been splits ever since, difficult to keep track. I don't even remember how many splits have we had in last 15 years. There was one in Bihar, one in Madhya Pradesh, one in Uttar Pradesh. That's all I remember as of now. Are we soon approaching time when we have more than 1000 regions because we have that many number of major dialects?

People often ask me "where are you from?" question. If I say I am an Indian, they need further explanations. They just can not digest the fact that a person could just be an Indian. He has to be Marwari, Baniya, Punjabi, Sindhi etc. Can we come out of this silo mentality? What would it take to come out of the silo mentality?

As an Indian - only Indian, not as a Baniya, Marwari, Haryanvi I sincerely feels something ought to be done about this. Of course I don't have a "sensational" issue. There would be no support from Indian media until I throw some allegations of caste discrimination on a prominent leader.

Of chain letters, bad luck and misfortunes

Since I spend a bit too much time on internet, my email address is common knowledge and thus I get a huge number of chain letters. A typical letter asks me to forward the same to 7 guys on average (some even want me to send it to 10,000 people). They further proclaim that if I indeed send it to all those people, I shall be rewarded and if I don't, I shall rot in hell and face the wrath of misfortunes and bad lucks for my next seven lives.

Needless to say, I haven't forwarded a single chain letter ever and may be this is the sole reason for all my miseries? May be it's about time I started forwarding those letters, add my name to I-am-stupid list and wait for the luck gods to shower the blessings ????

119 and counting ... !!!!

There is a phenomenon called Orkut. Phenomenon because every internet user I know in India is hooked onto it.

Today I logged in Orkut.com after about 15 days and this is the message I got ...

you have more friends to consider, please accept or decline the ones shown

WOW... I dint know that apart from 119 friends I have on Orkut, there could be more people interested in knowing me. There are 11 people waiting to add me and as the message says... "there are more people waiting to add me".

I dont have 'female' as my gender, nor I have some hot pic and I havent said that I own a ferrai ... Somethings wrong ... :D

On Public Demand

Today I realized that there indeed are a few people in the world who do read my BLOG. I was asked questions why I wasnt posting things on my BLOG. In my two years of blogging (career?), I have never come across a fan. But I guess things are about to change.

So I have been busy working. Working on what ..? Please do not ask me. I am not at liberties to discuss things. But rest assured I am very very happy working where I am working and I hope everyone enjoys their work as I am.

Apart from work, I realized that there are things that a business school can never never teach. In due course of time, I would like to talk about them (and they are not related to my work in any way).

Next on the agenda is my move to Gurgaon. I would be shifting base to gurgaon sometime this week. Sooner the better. Yet again I am looking forward to the change.

And to everyone who thought Delhi would not see any monsoons, the rains are here. It rained like crazy here and its been two days.

And I guess this should be enough to keep public happy :) (P.S.: I hope I get my ipod soon ;))

Something even Google can't find !!!!

For the last 20 years of my life, I have been looking for a girl who would be rich, has just the right looks, got a bit of brain and is the sole heiress of the entire fortune of her dad. Needless to say I have been unsuccessful.

So I though why not try Googling for her? I conjoured up all my techie skills and wrote a query. I wanted a "female" who was still "single" and had a "rich dad". She should be the "sole heiress" of the entire estate. Further I want her to have some kinda "brain". And finally ... this is not that important ... some "good looks".

The query goes like "single" "female" "rich dad" "sole heiress" "brain" "good looks".

I ran a google search hoping to get some help and realizing my life long dream of getting instant money and not having to work a single day again in my entire life ... :)

BUT

Google dissapointed me and I could not find a single result :( Guess there are things that even Google can't find ! May be it's time Larry and Serg got back to their research days and authored yet another "back"rub algorithm .. but may be with a human touch this time .. :)

Wish - List !

Tomorrow I am moving to Gurgaon for a week. I thought I would go to the local market and buy some essential things. I tried to be organized and I actually made a list of things to buy. The list looked like this ...

1. A packet of Post-Its
2. A box of pencils with eraser on one tip
3. A couple of sharpners
4. A couple of pens (one blue and one black)
5. Lakme Sunscreen lotion
6. Brand new shiny toothbursh
7. A soap case
8. Nivea talcum powder (yes, the list is getting personal)
9. A pack of mentos (If you like mentos, watch this video - experiment with mentos and cola)

So I load up my wallet with some cash and a credit card and set off for the market. This ws about a quarter of an hour ago. I am back with nothing from the list, did'nt even take the wallet outta my pocket. I guess I was outta luck. I guess these people do not want me to leave this place and go Gurgaon. May be they have hidden their inventories :)

I wish I could order this list on Amazon or some other site and get them delivered at my doorstop. May be the next business idea... ?

Open Pit Mines and Google Earth

Google Earth is yet another free software that has helped me catch my fancies on the world wide web. I wanted to be a traveller - I have no resaon for it.

You dont live twice and you got to learn as much as possible for everyone.

Coming back to Google Earth, ever since I laid my hands on it, I have been visiting a lot of places, I might have been real close to your home at some point in time. Keep looking out for those peering eyes ;)

Anyways, one of the revelations was the Open Pit Mines. Looks awesome. I plan to go to one of the mines somoneday - physically ... !