Roots!!!!!

Well I ain't gonna write a review on a the books ROOTS by Alex Haley here ;-) though its one of the BEST books I've ever read and for those who have never read it I HIGHLY recommend the same.

But I wanted to address something which has been on my mind for sometime!!! Decided that its time I pen the same. Well for all that we know, as humans we always see and feel that the other side of the pasture is GREENER!!! Well now gettin to the point, I've had quite a bit of opportunity to meet and exchange notes with the expat community and I really appreciate it when they try to get themselves localized to our surroundings, but yeah end of it they definitely still retain their identity but enjoy being part of the local surroundings.

Now, to our brothers and sisters of INDIA, I've noticed that when they leave the country, obviously for GREENER pastures in and in some cases GREENER money, I see that they too try doin the same as the expat crowd!!! But wait, you see the change they go through??? to a large extent they don't want to showcase their roots, they develop a fake accent, and definitely they end up being a sore thumb for themselves!!!! Beat this, I know this guy who actually started usin his second name as his first simply coz they couldn't get his first name right????? How low can you stoop with your dignity?????? or probably I was wrong and he was bein considerate ;-)

Now why would they do that?????? Aren't we proud of our roots?????? Agreed we are a chaotic country and we have quite a bit of lows, but I'm sure we have our highs too!!! But what troubles me is, people are ready to just disown their roots, they even find it difficult to keep in touch, don't even want to be tagged on pics of old albums, only makes me wonder, when they come back to their roots should I even bother to touch them with a barge pole, I mean, come on they aren't the only one who can disown, we can do it too!!! Sure I have planned to reciprocate and nothin would stop me from doin that!!!!

Social Worker!!!!

Off late I've been noticing a trend, wherein our beloved POLITICIANS, for the dearth of qualification and education on their resumes have adopted a novel way of sayin they are SOCIAL WORKER. To make things worse, they shamelessly and boldly proclaim the same on the numerous hoardings and buntings they paste around the town!!!!

This kinda makes me wonder, what exactly do these guys do when the say Social Worker???? Do they help the people is moving files???? or do they bring about opportunities for the people to look at alternatives careers???? I've been tryin to figure out how exactly do they fit into bein a Social Worker?????

After much of thought process, the only thing I found was that these guys are big time FAKE!!! since they don't have anythin else to say about themselves, conveniently they use the Social Worker Route, wherein you aren't asked any questions and yeah they do social work, when elections are round the corner!!! FREE BOOZE and FREE FOOD!!!!

Guess, we didn't that Social Work has been redefined and redefined really well for our Political Netas!!!!!!

Thought V/s Action!!!!!!

Last night while I was channel surfin, there was this program which was showcasin this person by name Jose. He happens to visit one of the government hospitals in Trissur (Kerala) and we all know the kind of service there hospitals offer out there and he is immediately shocked to see that that people don't even have a decent meal for either the patients of for the care takers. He is just one of the guys just like us, but there is a HUGE difference between HIM & US!!!!

He decides that he needs to do somethin to address the issue and he takes it on himself to provide food FREE of cost (this is supposed to be addressed by the GOVT), and given the fact that he is just a common man and really doesn't have any money to spare, he takes on to himself to reach out to people who can afford to spare some money, in his own words, just like Mother Theresa, he went about beggin for money so that he could provide food for others and though he was shooed off initially, he would relentlessly go back and after few attempts, people see that they can't shake him off and they relent to donate.

Its been good six years today and not a single day has been passed without he and his wife goin to the hospital and preparin the food (it includes lunch, snack and dinner). Today he is supported by a convent, where the nun's chip in, then he has the hospital which has provided him with space and he has volunteers too who come and do their bit. In fact he serves non veg thrice a week and he gets free vegetables and fish from the market and thatz their contribution towards this noble cause.

Well why am I talkin about this???? Well, it just occurred to me that we all do a lot of talkin about makin a difference and how we can reach out and blah blah blah... but hell do we really act on it??????? NOOOOOOOOooo!!!!! We never do that, that includes myself and why????? Well we have commitments, and what are they???? well settlin down in life!!! payin EMI's!!! Havin a good job!!! Keepin our folks and neighbors and friends happy and spouse in some case!!! savin up for retirement!!!

Guess thatz the irony of life!!! How I wish I could do the same what Jose did!!! He just got his wife on board and the rest was history!!!!

P.S: But even today I nuture the thought that someday I would do what Jose did and guess it should just be matter of time and I'm hopin that it would be sooner than later!!!!!

Entertainment on the Big10

Found an interestin blog from the net.. thought I would share it with my readers.. extensive use of mallu but itz hillarious.. thought I'll lighten up your weekend ;-) and credits to Anjali Philips for writing an awesome one!!!!!!!

During my travels from home to Brigade Road on the Big 10 service, I find myself seated next to a lot of people who use the travel time to catch up with friends, relations, parents, BF/GF etc. Of these, the mallus are the most voluble.

Example no 1: The Mallu gal in Bangalore for higher studies.

This type generally chats up people back home in Kerala during the bus ride. The conversation is held in Malayalam. I have used the liberty to use English for non-mallu readers. Typical conversations are like this:

Hellooo! Idhu njaana! Aa! Pinneavide endha vishesham? Is it raining there aa? Aa! What about at Babuchayans place? Please be careful near the well. You will slip and fall due to the moss. Tell that Vareed to come and clean it no! Has achchan repaired the wall on the other side of the parambu? That Mathukutty’s cows will have a hay-day if you don’t. Pinne tell me what else is new there?
Aiyyo jose chetande kada pootiyo? Eppo? So where do you buy vegetables from now? Teresa chechi is gone home for delivery? I hope I can get home by then. Pakshe test undu. Pinne businde ticketinde prashanam undo. Last minute ticket kitoola. Njaan innu onnum kazhichilla amme. Breakfastinnu breadum butterum ayirnnu. Maduthu! Pinnevere endha vishesham? Aiyyo ende stop vittu poyi. Njaan vekkate?

Illa, adutha stopil irangi nadannolam. Sheri! Amme vekkate? Aiyyo stop vannu. Koda eduthatundu. Vayiguneram vilikaam tow? Aiyyo conductor saare stop maadi. Eranganam.

All this is delivered at supersonic jaw crunching speed and by the time we reach the next stop I and other mallu passengers in the bus can write the biography of the entire Kandath family

from Thodupuzha!!

Next specimen will be mallu gal from Kerala married to techie guy and now employed in some office. She will talk to her friend also married and living in Calicut.

Hiiiii! How are you? I am fine. Etan is also fine. Ende father in law sick aa! Ariyulla endha problem. Vayis ayille. Pinne enna visheshams? Ivide oru vishesham illa. *gasp* Really??? Aiyyo! I did not hear that! When? Where? How? Ende daivamme!! Did her parents bring her back? I knew it! I told her also. But she was madly in love with him! Pinne what else? Anyone else in our batch getting married? Job is boring yaar. Etan comes home only by 9. I watch TV what else! My neighbour is some Tamilian. Kandooda aa sthreeye! Ende stop vannu. Njaan orkuttil scrap chaiyyam. Balance illa. Bye!
To me: Is this Lal Baugh stop?
Me: No. This bus doesnt go that way!
Gal: Aiyyo!
Me: Where are you going?
Gal: Majestic!
Me: You are in the wrong bus.
Gal: !!!!
Me: Never mind. Get down at Brigade Road. You will lots of buses from there.
Gal: Hello? Nasreen? I am in the wrong bus *giggle* hahahahahahahaha

And more ahahahaha

After that I and the rest of the passengers who can understand Malayalam can write the entire biography of the Krishnan Menon and Abu Backer Family from Calicut. Like the other Bangalore guys, mallu guys are also not discriminatory and do not mind sitting on ladies seats. Their conversations will go like this:

Hey da I met Sushmita, Renju and Baby yesterday. They are all here. Ramesh IBMill annu. Rejoyum, babyum Accentureil annu. Pinne Joemone kandu. Avan Bilkehalliyill aanu thamasam. Navin has gone to the US for his MS. I am in training now. Boring da. After that I will go to Pune. Yesterday was team lunch. Stupid food. Everybody wanted Andhra food. You don’t get malayalam movies here. So Sunday we spend roaming around malls. Jijo is in TCS. Harish is in Infosys. Srinivasan is in Mindtree. Abraham is in CTS and ..!

By the time this conversation is over, me and the other passengers who know Malayalam feel like picking him up and heaving him out of the bus.

Anjali Philip blogs at http://my-think-pad.blogspot.com

As Ram Quivers!!!!!

This is an extract from OutLook magazine from an Article "Pure Cow-Ka Cola" by Debarshi Dasgupta. Decided to borrow so that you folks could have a good laugh ;-)

As Ram Quivers!!!!!

Two Deep breaths, two sips. The urine test takes its toll.

For a moment, I was tempted. The was beating down and the hundreds of cows nearby were doing their bit for global warming, breaking wind and spewing out methane. Who would refuse a chilled glass of orange-flavored squash in this setting? Well, practically anybody, if they knew it was spiked with cow urine. So what if it's distilled? But it was hammered into me at journalism school that I had to get my feet wet (in this case, my beak) to be able to do justice to a story. So I did take two sips, along with two deep breaths, and survived to write this piece. Frankly, I couldn't taste the urine but then I thankfully don't know what the urine tastes like, distilled or neat. But I sure do know it smells like now. the stench was oppressive and hopefully it was not coming from my glass. I lowered mine and placed it as far away as possible on the table.

A cow enthusiast who had come to learn some tricks of the cow trade was visibly proud when his small daughter asked for a second helping. "Yeh Ram baan hai (This drink is like Ram's arrow- it solves all problems)," endorsed P.L.Toshniwal. But I noticed that he hadn't touched a drop of his drink. I couldn't resist and asked why. "As long I remain an office-bearer," he said gravely, " I have sworn not to take anything this gaushala produces." Such sincerity, only the gaumata could bring this about.

Hope you haven't fallen off the chair laughin!!!!! ;-)

Changin TIMES!!!!!!

Today bein Onam.. the harvest festival of Kerala!!!! I was in for surprise with a lot of text messages from friends whom I never expected, pretty overwhelmed to say the least but there was this new thing which I noticed at the end of the text message usually I find my friends puttin in their names. Nothing unusual about it, but hell what I figured out is that, it was not just their name, but now they have their spouse's name and in certain cases even their kid's name!!! Now thatz something which I'm yet to get used to!!!!!!! ;-)

Well am I complainin about it?????? Hmmmmmm not really.. but guess now I need to start maintainin a diary on weddin anniversaries and children birthdays too. Given the fact that I religiously ensure that I wish all my friends on their birthdays and even have managed to retain my 10 year old birthday calender. In fact its a joy to see that I keep managing to fill the pages even after years and wish that I can keep continuing the same. And with the changin times in mind I guess itz just matter of time before I would have 365 days of occasions to celebrate ;-)

Well sure the next question is gonna be when am I gonna do the same?????? Well as far I can see, itz a BILLION $ question, coz not that I'm not puttin in an effort but seems like as always I'm bein pretty jinxed about the entire thing. Well all I know is some day it would happen when I expect the least and sure itz gonna be WORTH the wait ;-), well at least that what my friends say ;-)