The Expansionist Meme

Nova and Nita tagged me to do this meme. So here it is.

Please thoughtfully consider the following, and choose one item for each of the categories below. (Be sure to describe your reasons for choosing)

One religious work from a non-familiar tradition you’ll read:
The Bible...I'd always wanted to read it.
One music video–that you like–from your “least likely to listen to’ genre:
I never listen to ghazals and especially Jagjit Singh as he depresses me big time! But I like this song very much..."Koi Fariyaad" from the movie Tum Bin.
A book from a genre you almost never read, that you have read, or you will read (promise!):

I guess "Freakonomics" which I'm currently reading anyway. Otherwise I'm a fiction or thriller or mystery or comics reader.

Somewhere you’d never thought to go on holiday/vacation, and why it might be fun to go there?
Mauritius because I love the sea and sand (not the sun though)
A specific food you’ve never tried, but will because of this meme, honest!:
I have not tried any of McD burgers yet (only Pizza Hut/Dominoes pizzas) but I will..Promise!!

A sport or game you really hate, or haven’t tried yet, but are willing to give one more go:
I'll like to try out Table Tennis as a dear friend is very interested in that and I wonder whats the hype about!

A style of dance you probably won’t try (we won’t make you promise on this one):

Any Indian classical dance..too much costume!
A career job you don’t feel you’re suited for, and why:
An industrial job - too much hardwork and no holidays!!! :D :D
An item that’s “thinking out of the box’ for this meme that hadn’t been included:
What is it that you will dare to wear which you have never worn before? (This question has been suggested by Nita to the people she tagged)
This nice red branded evening gown worn by the actress Anne Hathaway!!

It’s there’s one thing in life you wanted to do, and will do because of this meme, what will it be?
"Will do"? Is it a promise? Ummm...I'll go scuba diving right after I learn how to swim.

I tag Sridevi, Adarsh, Beth, Joel and Vaibhav

P.S. I'm on a meme spree and there are many more drafts waiting to be published. So brace yourselves for reading and getting tagged!!

My First Tag

I'd been tagged to do this meme sometime back by Nova, but it required a lot of soul searching and mostly overcoming the hesitation of sharing it and now I've finally come around to posting it.

I am: 30% friendly, 20% sensitive, 20% curious, 20% wilful, and 10% cynical :D :D

I think: everything happens at its own time no matter how desperately we want it to be according to our convenience.

I know: its not possible to get everything......win some lose some.

I want: to be happy and content in life.

I have: my own set of ethics and rules.

I wish: the mind had shift+ delete option for pain and bad memories.

I hate: backbiting, ridicule and hypocrisy.

I miss: my sister and the fun times of my hostel life.

I fear: going through a heartbreak, lightning, ghosts.

I feel: a restlessness inside me.

I hear: people's unsolicited advice and comments and filter them, keeping the ones which are heartfelt.

I smell: fishy going-ons very soon and I'm usually right about them.

I crave: for all the friends I've lost on the way.

I search: for the uncomplicated Me.

I wonder: what has the so called Destiny in store for me.

I regret: making some bad decisions and trusting wrong people in life.

I love: my family, laughing, shopping and eating good food!!

I ache: to meet some special people of my life again.

I care: for those who manage to touch my heart beneath the tough shell.

I always: try to do unto people what I would have them done unto me.

I am not: a very traditional kind of person.

I believe: we build our fate with the choices we make at every step of life.

I dance: rather used to dance at parties during college life.

I sing: in the shower, while driving, sometimes "out of lyrics"!

I cry: when I remember some past hurts and events.

I don’t always: get around to complete my "to-do" list!

I fight: very badly when I lose my temper.

I write: my blog and long letters.

I win: whenever I follow my gut feeling.

I lose: whenever I ignore God's signs.

I never: forget though I may forgive.

I confuse: people when I don't want to give a straight answer.

I listen: to my heart and follow what it says most of the times.

I can usually be found: teaching engineers-to-be or surfing internet.

I am scared: of losing my loved ones.

I need: to avoid self-inflicted complications in my life.

I am happy about: the fact that life's been pretty good to me till now.

No compulsion to do it..still I tag Sakhi, Shoaib, Suda, RJ, and Swathi

P.S. Shoaib aaj tum khush to bahut hoge!! ...my blog cant get more personal than this meme!
*Shivering and clicking the Publish button*

My Death Day

I got a site's link in email which will predict the player's death date. And I got this result showing my death date and causes of death. And it shows a countdown in terms of seconds!!

Please click to enlarge and read

Hmmm....So I'm going to die as an old hag!!! Well ok not that old maybe..Is 72 too old or is 80+ too old? And even not that hag(gish??) ..maybe I'll be my street's nicest old lady. But by the rate of deterioration of resources and rate of inflation I don't think I will have safe & clean water to drink at 72. Also by then Global Warming would have done its work and the temperature in winter will be just like summer temperatures of now. And with all this genetic engineering and aliens visiting; new diseases will spread as shown in "I am Legend". So no wonder I'm going to die of either Disease or Heat or Water on 31 December 2053!!! Shucks!! There goes a New Year Party down the drain.

P.S. I tried the reincarnation link too. Seems I'm going to be a Pigeon in my next birth.

The Final Straw

I suspect that Ms.Ekta Kapoor has finally lost it...gone bonkers...has become raving mad, insane, deranged, unbalanced and sadist. She is planning and in fact has begun shooting of an episode of her popular soap opera Kahani Ghar Ghar Kii based on the sensational Aarushi muder case. The storyline is about a teenager in the serial who is killed by her parents because of her relationship with a boy and they are unwilling to surrender easily. Of course Balaji Telefilms say that they have only been inspired from the real life story. So finally Ekta and her writers (I doubt there is only one writer as the stories are all same with just a change of sequence of events as inferred from input given by my Mom) have run out of ideas to dish up to the viewers and they are resorting to cashing in on such a real life tragedy especially when it has been solved yet. I think all Ekta haters and Indians interested in saving the females of their families should launch a signed petition to close down Balaji Telefilms...."Save Our Moms" campaign. She is literally making hay while the sun shines!! What next? More real life murders and scandals will be incorporated in her various serials?

Much has been written about it so I wont rant much here. Just wanted to express my stand.For Aarushi murder case read hereFor news articles on Ekta's episode read here and hereTo know more about why Ekta is hated read hereP.S. Ok if not petitions then what about supari? It can be done online too!! I'm sorry if I've hurt the feelings of any Ekta Kapoor fan out there.Image credited to mangalorean.com

Pro-Men Indian Customs

Today is Jamai Shashthi i.e. Son-in-law day. Its a day in Bengali tradition; held every year in the Bengali month of Jaishtha; when the "Jamai" is treated with the best of the delicacies. The son-in-law is invited well in advance for the occasion. And when the daughter & son-in-law arrive, a few rituals are performed. The son-in-law also gets gifts from the mother-in-law. Basically a day to celebrate one's son-in-law.

This got me thinking that why don't we have a day to celebrate daughter-in-laws in India? A son-in-law who has taken away the daughter, sometimes even taking money to do that and maybe even mistreats one's daughter is invited and showered with gifts!! And one burns the daughter-in-law if she has brought insufficient dowry!! Why don't we celebrate the girl who has left her parents to be a daughter to the new family too and to look after one's son and bear his child, who by the way carries your family name not hers. She even gives up her identity by adopting her husband's surname and is not able to look after her own parents often. But she is not appreciated or celebrated with one special day just in her name. Most thankless relation I say! I demand a "Bahu" i.e. Daughter-in-law day! When I become one I too want to get gifts and eat my favorite dishes on that day. If he (my future hubby) gets it I want it too. So there!

Taking this further, why are there so many symbols an Indian girl has to wear to show she's married? To declare she is someone else's property or taken or back off to everyone?? There's red bindi

sindoor or vermilion to be worn on forehead,

mangalsutra (a necklace made of black beads and gold),

a bichiya or toe ring

and red churis or bangles!!!

I mean there should be no doubt left of an Indian women's marital status in Indian society!!!
But what about our men? No, they don't wear anything which may indicate their marital status except maybe their pot-bellies when in middle age!! Why this discrimination? This is one of the things I like about Christianity that they have wedding bands for both husband and wife.

Atleast one can accuse one's husband in case he has an affair and the girl thinks he is single that "why did u take off your wedding band?" In Indian society there is no option at all!! Totally unfair I say!! What if I make my husband wear a ring with my name engraved on it ? Nice idea, eh?

Last but not the least, the tradition of Karwa Chauth and Vat Savitri Vrat which are different types of fasts Indian women are supposed to keep for the long life of their husbands and marital harmony!!! I suppose keeping them will solve problems of those women who are physically abused by drunk husbands? And a fast will ensure long life? Then why isn't there such a fast for the husbands to keep? Do they want their wives to die early? The desire for life long companionship and efforts to achieve that, even if religious in nature, should be on both sides of the sacred bond of marriage.