Finally a new phone!!!

For me cell phones have been plain apparatus to send and receive SMSs and make and receive calls. I have never been very fond of fancy, expensive phones. Though I like to see them in other people’s hands, it has never really been on my mind to own one. I’m not among those who can’t live without their phones. Many a times I don’t know which corner of the house my phone lies in. For the past couple of months I was using a cell phone that had a pregnant battery and was held together by colourful rubber bands. Every time I put it to my ear to answer or make a call, one thing ran across my mind: what if this battery suddenly blasts blowing away a part of my head and one ear? Dreadful!

Luckily, before a catastrophe of that sort could occur, I cried and cried and finally bought myself a new phone. I’m still trying to figure out the features apart from what I use my phone most for: keeping in touch. I’m taking classes from a cousin who has the same piece that’s the Nokia 3110c, about Bluetooth functions, music player etc etc. I hope I learn to operate the model soon and make use of all the features the new baby offers.

Why the double-standards?

The whole hash about decriminalising homosexuality and reconsideration of Section 377 of the Indian Penal code has got all and sundry suddenly coming out in support of “them” or totally against the Court order. We’ve had endless discussions over the lunch table, coffee shops and all the places we meet our friends or acquaintances about how “they” are also human and how Indians should open up to the supposed western concept of being gay or lesbian.

But how many of us are really, I mean really are for the right of the LGBT (Lesbians, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender) community?
I don’t want to go far. Giving my own example, I have been just going with the flow of what discussions we’ve been having about homosexuality coming naturally to people just like heterosexuality. Even agreeing most times and “feeling” for “them”.
But I had to question my own outlook when I was thrown in a situation where all my so-called open-minded opinions were actually put to test (in a small way though)

Last night it had been pouring in Bombay city. Having finished very late from work, I reached Matunga station at 11.30pm. Just got off the train and a eunuch approached me from behind and asked for shelter in my umbrella. First thing that crossed my mind was what people would think if they saw me with a eunuch at this hour. I wanted to walk away behaving indifferent to what the eunuch was telling me. I hate saying no to help people in need, and that instinct won over my fear to give into “societal pressures”. I did give the eunuch “lift” till we reached the shelter of the bridge. The eunuch had a girl with him/her who was also not carrying an umbrella. He/she requested me to help the girl, to which the girl refused politely.
The girl called out to the eunuch and both ran up to the bridge and then on to the road getting drenched.

Where they disappeared after that, I don’t know. All I could think was how could I care a dime for people in who I did not even know who were on the train and feel sick about being spotted with a harmless eunuch in need of help? How could I be so judgmental all of a sudden after having come out in support of the judgment that decriminalised gay sex?

It just throws more and more questions every passing hour about how ready would I be to accept if a family member had to come out and say he/she was gay/lesbian? Would all the “open-minded” preaching be put to practice? Or would I make a ruckus like how some people are making out homosexuality to be a mental disorder? Why the double standards? I ask.

Too much Anger

You harbour it.
I show it.
Anger.
Taking it for granted
That one will bend one day.
Both know, both will.
Why are you so obedient? I want to shout.
Not willing to let go, just coz I said don’t bother.
Then the heart interferes
To make both realise
Time together is too less
Too less to waste the night
Called to hear your voice
Unexpectedly you tried to make me smile
I did.
Ego not wanting to let you know I did
Hung up.
Action replay.
Again realised, the anger was not worth wasting the night
So now you heard my voice
And convinced me never to let it fade
So here I am, to let you know
Goodbye to you, I will never bade

The cons of being “intelligent”

Many things happen with us during the course of our lifetimes. Many leave happy memories many leave sad ones. Whatever they leave behind, we try to get into the thick and thin of the issue to decode it in every way we can. We rape the issue so much that we fail or overlook the fact that the issues have had some impact on our minds. We the so-called “intelligent” species strive to always get to the “core” of anything that we come across. Let me explain with an example.
I recently watched the Delhi 6. And yes, I did like it. May be cause I was able to decode it ‘my way’ and understand what I thought the director to convey through the film.
We had a huge debate over lunch one afternoon in office. A senior had watched the film too and thought it was pathetically horrible and without any message. She insisted on how she could make no head no tail of the existence of the kala Bandar in the movie. I insisted and tried explaining how it was just a metaphor for all that does not exist (exactly like the kala Bandar that did not exist at all) and we yet believe that it does! The kala Bandar, I felt was the dark shades of human nature that we don’t like to bring to surface yet harbour within us. Religious intolerance, suppression of women, rumour mongering etc etc. were some of the underlying topics touched upon in the film, with religious violence taking precedence over all. Another senior supported me by saying that only English Literature students can decode work of art better than the rest as for them everything is open to interpretation. I am not yet an Eng Lit student. Hoping to be very soon though.

The senior kept arguing how, as projected in the movie, (actually only the mind’s manifestation) the kala Bandar killed/attacked many, not a single murder was shown. I countered saying that that was exactly the whole point of the film wherein something does not exist yet we have it in our heads and blow it out of proportion, leading to loss of life and property many a times.

The whole idea of discussing the argument was, why do we have to be/act intelligent all the time? Why don’t we take things (sometimes) in a way somebody wants us to see them? Why do we always have to decode something so badly in order to know where it stemmed from? May it is because of this tendency to decode life that directors and other creative people pay heed to minute details in order that other so-called intelligent people can decipher what they are actually trying to say.

I’m not against questioning something you don’t understand or don’t approve of. All I’m saying is why don’t we just appreciate the beauty of some things the way they need to be witnessed?
Another example is the film Dhoondtey Reh Jaaoegy, which is simply leave-your-brains-home entertainment. I laughed generously throughout the film, thought I could appreciate silly, stupid humour along with a like-minded friend. But, another friend, who is the more intellectual kinds thought the movie was a total waste of time cause she found nothing funny about it. We are definitely entitled to our opinion, but does that mean we don’t laugh at things, really asinine stuff? Anyway I’m no one to judge who should laugh at what, and may you will think my sense of cinema sucks, I don’t care any which way!
Intelligence is not always the coolest thing, so I think. Laughing at myself, once in a while, only does me good. Buuhahahhahah