02.07.09
tracked in, tracked out
This year, Manglore’s going to have a verrrrrry interesting Valentine’s day! I was led to this link today. Apparently on V-Day the Ram sena is going to haunt the place with a priest in tow. And marry off couples displaying affection in public. Apparently at the nearessht temple. Muhahaha – where oh where do I begin? This is some priceless sh*t.
So if I go to Archies or someplace with a guy friend, they’ll pounce on me with a priest? What happens if I just give him a sane, normal hug? Will they marry us off? What if I go with two friends? Can I take my pick? Be an interesting evening for my parents, wouldn’t it? Hi mom. Hi dad. Meet my new husband. Courtesy the Wanar Sena, woooops sorry (not).
Anyway, do they really, truly, honestly, honor bright, think marriage is the solution? Do they TRUUULY believe we are as limited in mind as they are? That we wont get divorces? What if the boy is abusive? Or what if I’m abusive? What if I can’t stand the sight of his mug in a week? What if he’s a cross dresser and raids my cupboard (I’d kill him)? Will the sena also come to court to stop my divorce?
I cannot BELIEVE the short sightedness of these people. God! Where is sanity when you need it?
Dear Ramji, please grant this prayer of a devout. Let the Ram Sena meet lots and lots of gay couples displaying affection on V-Day. Muhahahaha.
P.S – while you’re at it, check this out!!
11.29.08
Stone age technology in a new age country. Can technology save India?
Sitting a thousand miles away, the news of the terrorist attacks in Mumbai brought on panic attacks, late thursday night.
Now, days later, I’m still glued to ibnlive, watching, every minute i don’t have to be in class.
The speed at which the anti-social groups’ operations are becoming sophisticated was a Class A Whack in the Face. From crude home made bombs used in ill-planned operations, thrown in random places, trails of evidence left uncovered by untrained, uneducated, bands of furious men, these elements have now evolved into stratified, organized groups of educated, skilled killing machines, meticulously planning their operations, sourcing state of the art weapons and top of the line ammo. So much so that nearing 72 hours after the begin of the attack, and despite the loss of all but 3 of their men, they still hold fort at one of the locations where they launched their panic campaign – the Taj Mahal Hotel.
Is our defense system equally fast in countering, and in fact, developing defensive and preventive technology? Are we training our defense squads with the latest equipment, are we using state of the art technology for detection, location, offensive action on these terror elements that seem hell bent on preying on our social peace? We all agree, not.
Technology today is at a different level altogether. It can be your eyes, ears, hands and guns. It can be you from halfway around the world. But we still wait for the Minister sitting in Kerala to wake up and come to Bombay till we take a decision.
We have technology like radar and ultra wideband. These technologies let you see through walls as thick as they make them – in any material, reinforced steel, wood, cement, anything. Ultrawideband can accurately detect and track motion of people within buildings. We have unmanned vehicles all over the world – we have them even on the moon and mars. These can be loaded with optical equipment, even defensive equipment. They’re about as big as a cell phone, can be controlled from outside and can be made very quiet.
These instruments are being developed in ordinary engineering colleges in india – not in high end million buck laboratories. They are not hyper-expensive. They are not unknown to the country. They can save so many lives and support so many strategies! Why do we see such a stark lack of any integration of these in our defense mechanisms? Why did 3 of our top cops choose to take a blind plunge?
Why do I keep seeing a doddering old man making ineffectual statements while troops of brave men, sadly ill equipped, give up their lives one after another? Why doesn’t the old man stop making statements and start talking to tialinx? He doesn’t even need tialinx, there’s enough of us around to acutally want to help develop this stuff ourselves, but the old man and his friends are SO busy covering their a**es, they can’t seem to spare a bit of time to ACTUALLY think about the country and it’s need to at least survive; not have it’s face bombed off.
What is it going to take – to bring some peace back into our society?
Praying for an answer and for the brave men who pur India before their lives.
03.27.08
on the way to shirdi..
I had some stuff to do in pune before going to shirdi. So we hung out there for a couple of days first.
The minute my train reached the station (pretty late evening), the skies started their gentle summer showers. iv never experienced a rain as soft as that. It was almost like the rain was happy i was there 
it felt like the rain was kissing me walking out of the station, i saw the smallest shrine of sai, most wonderfully cute and promising – i fell in love with the city.
Trying to get under some shelter, i demanded the porter direct me to the closest warmest hotel.
Albeit short, the walk to the hotel was so lovely!! I saw an old couple huddled beneath the awnings of a paan shop – warming each other n smiling at me thro broken paan stained and happy teeth. i saw a bunch of small boys sailing paper boats in galis n oh my god the vada pau shops smelt so AMAZING!!
I got the coziest room in the coziest hotel ever! being a complete vada pau maniac, i HAD to have it for dinner. i was directed to this little blue cart kind of thing near a park, which is said to have the best vada paus in pune and BELIEVE you me, beating the rain, in the dead of the night, it was SWARMING with people in cycles, in bmws, on foot, with teeth, without teeth, rich comfortable women in cashmere sweaters, men in military outfits, little beggar boys, young couples in new love, old men in suspenders, biker dudes, family parties, you name it. N oh God, if heaven had a taste, it would be the pune vada pau with those chillies in vinegar!! and those amazing spicy chutneys!!! Heavenly- Hot hot vadi and large drops of slow rain!!!!! 
Walking back, in the silent street sounds of winding down, i think what i really like about Pune is the complete straight forwardness of its people. In my few days there, i found a complete lack of elevator eyes. There is an innocent transparency thro any random glamour and there is a total down to earth attitude and an honesty in Pune’s people and their lifestyle.
On holi especially, I had fun. The whole of a road was closed off to vehicles n open to foot traffic only. full on SHopping!! Malls being like a kind of my mother ship, im addicted to shopping n i loved the city more The street was full of lots n lots of food stalls and people just out to have a good time, a place where people are still sold on posters of saying ‘garv se bolo hello!!!’ Bollywood seems to rule supreme here – even the couples here are very cutely filmi its so very pictureesque
I loved my stay in Pune entirely. It felt like i was living in Far Far Away – like in Shrek you know? or Never never Land (Peter pan) I love fairy tales and i think in pune i may end up finding mine Dont you?
