Original v/s Phony Blogger Meet….

The original bloggers family

The third Indiblogger meet since I shifted to Bangalore last June… WOW! We are lucky people. It was nice to once again to meet all the Indibloggers, inditeam and friends, in addition to spending wonderful 4 hours of a lazy Sunday winning freebies. What I loved the most about the Original IndiBloggerMeet with HP was the agenda itself… originals v/s the phony.

As a blogger, writer and above all a consumer, I know the value of originals. For a writer it is very hurting when someone imitates your work without giving proper credits to you, moreover when they change the style and main purpose behind the article so that they will escape the accusation of plagiarism, its burns you in anger.

The original copy presentation from HP representative was informative, not imposing and came with a clear message that was accepted unanimously (or that is what it seemed like to me) by the people present at the event. I always like people who make a statement, instead of forcing the consumers to accept a fact that they find hard to believe. Acceptance of the agenda was easy because bloggers do not like their work to be copied either. There would have been a lot of issues if the event was held for Bollywood stars with Anu Malik leading the gang ;).

New things I learned were using the QR code to determine the authenticity of the product. So now we have a choice whether we want to go for a counterfeit product or not. Gone are the times when consumers were taken for ride with those perfect imitations which were hard to tell.

The Original Order

For the HP consumers, the products like cartridges are available for doorstep delivery now. HP order-a-cartridge allows consumers to conveniently order and replenish ink, toner, paper and printer supplies from the comfort of their home. Depending on our location, we can easily order our print supplies via the internet, email, telephone or HP reseller.

The HP representative also explained how the original authenticated products are cheaper in the long run. This is something I had already learned some years ago.

 I have to confess that it was through my son that I learned the lesson of opting for originals rather than going for cheaper ones as a consumer. Unbelievably, it all started with jeans. Rayyan loves jeans, therefore, I often buy 3 -4 jeans for him at a time. I used to look for offers, sales and opt for different types of jeans for him that would last at most for a year or less. Most of them stained and spoiled a lot of other dresses when washed. One day, Rayyan told me that I should buy him just one good branded jean instead of all those imitated Lee, Levis and CK. I argued that if we get 4 jeans for the cost of one, why we should go for an expensive one just for a brand name. The wise one then went on to show me the difference in the cloth, stitches, buttons, 

The original Beta

zipper and even the style by comparing his 4 year old jeans with a new imitation of CK jeans I had bought for him. The original jean which was 4 years old looked much better than the new once washed jeans which already had a loose button. Sheepishly, I had to admit that he was right and I was wrong. Later on, I went on to learn the lessons with the China mobile my husband sent, a HP printer that failed to work after someone convinced us to opt for a cheaper cartridge, and many more. So finally, now I go for originals and save money in the final run. So, there was no clash of ideals with the agenda because I whole heartedly agree that originals are better than phonies in every way, especially after getting two feet full of blisters as an after effect of wearing cheap sandals just few months ago.

The original show stealer

Now back to bloggers and bloggers meet from the agenda.When we entered the Fortune Park Hotel, wondering whether we were late, we found Gyanban and gang, loitering on the sofa in the lobby. Trying to catch seat in the front row, I hurried to register myself, where we were welcomed by Vineet and other Inditeam members, which is always a wonderful experience in itself.  Then it was time to identify the familiar faces among the people sitting, getting introduced to new bloggers and catching up with friends. I got to meet Mohan after reading his blogs for nearly three years or may be more. I was introduced to RAJ, but forgot to connect him to the blog which I often visit because of the glasses he wears which is absent in his profile picture. 

There was the young Siddhart, who is star of the meets, along with friends Pooja, Vidya, Rachna, Indrani, Bemoneyaware, Naba, Shweta, V.Shenoy, Raghav, the jaded maruti men, and many other bloggers which meant this was going to be great event.

The Original Indiblogger Showman

The excitement mounted as Anoop held mic in his hands, which was a green signal for the fun to begin. The Indimeet welcomed the bloggers with an original copy of Deep Purple song ‘Smoke on the water’ which had a youngster on guitar and singer N….. humming the tune. With red palms (Anoop made us clap hard over our heads) we the bloggers by choice enjoyed the beats, and later settled down to enjoy the fun that would follow. Then it was time for the 30 seconds of fame where Anoop corrupted the bloggers to stray away from being originals to imitating someone. I have no clue what it was all about, maybe he was trying to make everyone realize how bad imitations can be. There were some gems from our bloggers team, especially Balasubramaniam’s witty “I am great fan of Man Mohan Singh, which means I don’t have to say anything”. There were dialogues, mimics, songs, king Leonidas, and lot of original on spot creations from the bloggers, though sadly not everyone got to be famous due to shortage of time. I got my chance, had nothing new to say, but threatened Anoop to give me a pen drive and got away with it. Though I know most of the bloggers, I enjoy the introductions a lot, I wish the Inditeam would spare more time for introductions next time.

I was hoping for something more of GetPublished feature in the Bangalore  HP’s Original IndiBlogger Meet, but other than getting books as gifts, there was nothing much on part of Harper Collins.

We learned to use the QR code to access internet and create quotes. I and Bemoneyaware had two parts of the quotes, but the other person went into hiding never to be found. We looked under the tables, in the toilet, behind the screen but it was just mission impossible. So we had just 2/3 of the quote which did not qualify for a freebie.

The high tea was good. Wish we had some more time to talk with food in mouths with fellow bloggers. I agree it is gross, but we bloggers love it. Meanwhile, HP allowed us to give an original pose and win prizes once again. I wanted to give the traditional Indian lice picking pose with two kids and Rayyan wanted to go topsy turvy, but Farheena reprimanded us and said ‘BEHAVE’. So we ended with a decent picture which will become a great memorable family photograph for us.

The Original Family

Next was a game handed over to us by Siddesh Raavan Kabe. We were supposed to form groups of 15 bloggers and mimic a title of the movie without words. We got the theme ‘Charlie and the Chocolate Factory’, the one Johnny Depp movie I have missed. To start with there was confusion among the team, then it spread to inditeam and finally to audience. The result -  no one could guess the name of movie. The rest went smooth with smart bloggers guessing names of the movies, with only an odd case of a team being disqualified for making sound.

The originality of the event came from the fact that prizes were given away for the youngest blogger, the blogger who coughed like a old hag, a blogger with no hair, a blogger with broken wrist, the team that performed the worst mimic, for a original pose and for answering the question ‘why this Kolavari di?’  Could anyone imagine winning prizes for such achievements? I guess not.. because this is one of a kind original event full of entertainment, which was mostly spontaneous creation, which made it virgin original meet.  Can’t wait to be in another meet….
There was a touching moment for me when a cute fellow blogger who shared the table with me, was happy
with my survival of cancer and gave me hug for it. That came directly from heart and I could feel it. Thank you young lady. Apart from love and kindness, I got two 8GB USB's, one T-shirt and a book to read.

Thank you Indiblogger, HP and Harper Collins. I refuse to thank Fortune Park hotel because the flush in the toilet was not working. J

  More pictures from the Original Copy Indiblogger Meet of Bangalore. 

The original blogger art

The Original Fool

The original couple

The original back benchers gang of Bangalore

Original quick wit...

Original innocence of a child which can never ever be imitated

Photos courtesy Indiblogger Facebook Page 

Book Review: Jack is Back in Corporate Carnival

                                               

Jack is Back in Corporate Carnival is a book full of witty humor, which makes you laugh out loudly at times, as you glide down through the pages. You are given a parachute, so that you will not fall down hard while reading this sarcastic take of P.G. Bhaskar who is a chartered account, working as a banker in Dubai.

Recently I have discovered the new language with which the Indian English writers express themselves. Is it a new way of rebelliously telling the British, that you left your language behind and now we will handle it the way we like it? I am not sure how any foreigner will understand the sentence, ‘Arre, bakwas! Don’t be a cartoon yaar!’ or Abhe gadhe’, but being an Indian I feel connected to the characters and love it.

Unfortunately, I have missed the first novel of Jack Patel – ‘Jack Patel’s Dubai Dreams’. I have to find time and the book to go through it sometime later. No regrets for now, because the book which narrates how young corporate handle their challenges, with an insidious, tongue in cheek humor has given me enough to smile about for a while.

The book begins with witty digs at cricket and cricket loving Indians. I could help but feel a guilty shame when the author brings how Indian’s want the Pakistan to lose to Australia after India’s loss in the WC. I would go through those emotions too. In cricket, there is no subcontinents; joy is India winning or Pakistan losing. There is no shame in it for cricket fans either.

A former colleague offers Jack Patel and his best friend Kitch with a conservative British Bank in Dubai. Jack takes up the job as though he is embracing his dreams. Like every corporate structure, there are power struggles, hurdles, problems to be solved and quite a few nearly impossible tasks posing a challenge to this ambitious young man.

One of the witty highlight is the way Jack handles an interview about football, naming Pele as his favorite player, when the world cup 2010 is going on, that too to a diehard Spanish fan, who had enough power to make or mar his career. The quiz is one of the most hilarious events happening in the book, especially if you are a football fan.

As the football world cup turns this world of cricket lover topsy-turvy, he jumps from one hilarious situation to another tickling your ribs all the way. What amazed me about the novel is the way the writer has handled the topic of recession, unemployment and corporate problems, all quite serious issues of today’s business world in a way that makes you laugh at it. Starting with the 1^st chapter of ‘Déjà vu Dubai’, the story snickers down to the 20^th chapter ‘The End? Or the Beginning?’, the story is a witty delight that makes you cherish and savor all the 300 pages of fun, excitement and adventure of Jack Patel.

The novel is full of Indianisms, love for cricket, the silly poems, die hard friends, grand weddings, well wishing uncles and aunts, high emotions, tears and ghosts, all narrated in the humor with great Indian touch. I am really beginning to love the books written by the new generation of Indian authors, who have put aside the traditional style and developed their own style which is endearing. I am already hunting for the first book by P.G. Bhaskar and also looking forward to read another book, which I am sure he is already writing.

Those looking for something light to read and enjoy, I strongly recommend this book.

 Book Review: Jack is Back in Corporate Carnival

Author: P. G. Bhaskar

Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers India
ISBN: 978-93-5029-351-5

Pages: 305
Price: - Rs 150

A Visit To My School....

Yesterday, I was in Whitefield for some work. As I was passing by my school, I could not help but visit it, as most of my childhood memories are connected to it. It was the time the students were walking out of the school gates at their own pace, eagerly heading for home after a hectic day in school. As I stood on the path I had practiced my running, prodded and encouraged by P.T. Sir, I felt an urge to walk down that path once again.

 Without any effort from my side, my legs were carrying me down the path, as at the same time I started down the memory lane which was connected to every spot in the school premises. This was the place, which looked almost the same even after 30 years. There were changes, but not much.

The school where I studied up to VII std. means a lot to me, because here is where I picked up a lot of confidence, overcame the disability called club foot, learned to express myself in a right way, in addition to finding unconditional love and support from few of my teachers. I cannot recall any negative impact the school has left of me, but luckily it left a lot of positive effects on my life. This was the place where I had first tasted success.

As I walked down the road, I saw two of my teachers (one of them was my class teacher for Std. VI) walking down towards me. Even as I strained my eyes to recognize them, they had recognized me, welcoming me with a warm smile. That was incredibly unbelievable for me. Here I was an ex student of the student of the school, who had left school nearly 30 years ago, who had gained weight, aged, dressed differently, but they could recognize me immediately. Before I reached and greeted them, my heart said, all those Indian movies where people do not recognize their own kids or kith and kin, until they sing a song, see a tattoo, or wear a typical locket is bullshit. Every teacher has nearly 45-55 students in their class, who keep changing every year, yet they could recognize me. Back then I was 13, scrawny thin girl, with two plaits, thick eyebrows and dark complexion (which has lightened up a lot due to my staying indoors after my teen years), nothing like I am today. It warmed my heart.

They remembered my family, and asked about my dad and mom. With a heavy heart I informed them that I had lost my sister, mother and father. One of the teachers also remembered how my sister had guided her to school when she had come to join for her duty. I walked around the premises for sometime; before walking out and coming back from the reverie to my present life.

I can proudly say once again, I am proud of my teachers and my school - St. Joseph’s Convent School, Whitefield. 

Other posts related to my school days:

Who Should Be Punished? Changing the Rules

Discovering the sportsperson in me

Praise slipping out accidently

This was my most favorite spot in the whole world...

The path I ran down training for running competitions

This was another favorite spot where I would sit and read
under the shade of the tree.. 

How often I had climbed those steps to have a direct talk
the H,M. herself... ;)

The part of the school that overlooks a hill... 

From the Land Where Draupadi was Disrobed

Today, the men of the land where Draupadi was disrobed have spoken, openly, honestly and with bravery.

Rapes are prevalent in India, not in Bharat said the RSS chief, Mohan Bhagwat. Vishwa Hindu Parishad, blamed the western model of lifestyle for growing incidents of sexual assault on women including rape, saying cities were losing the values.

Someone had to hold the truth to my face for all the follies I have committed. The brave men did it, when all the humans in India were shocked and hurt by the brutality of rape in the moving bus of Delhi. They could not have chosen a much appropriate timing! I, the woman of India, hang down my head in shame and agree that I am the one who is to be blamed for all the atrocities committed on me, like rapes, infanticide, sati, nude worship, devadasi system and dowry deaths. Off course everything happened only after I willingly migrated away from the safe Bharat, to the crime country India.

All the Americans should also stand with me and hang down their heads in shame as they are equally responsible for what is happening in this country I have migrated to. According to Ashok Singhal, “This western model is alarming. What is happening is we have imbibed the US. We have lost all the values we had in cities,”

President Obama, no matter how much you respect and love your wife, you need to be ashamed of yourself for not stopping the crime against women taking place in India.

I wonder who did the Americans meet during the Draupadi vastraharan? Was it the Kauravas or the wife of Pandavas? As the Kauravas were men, it must have been Draupadi who must have been influenced by the western culture. Was it her waist hugging tight jeans that Dushasana failed to pull off? Vyasa made a typo, I think, as he clearly said it was her sari that was pulled off in front of her 5 valiant husbands and a court filled with honorable (????) men.

Though Columbus yet had to discover USA, the honorable men and women of the past India, had been influenced by the Americans through some mysterious means. How else can I explain the erotic temple architecture of Khujaraho and the Kamasutra?

The problems of India began when women like Draupadi ventured out in night, all alone, wearing western clothes. Until then all the women, surrounded by the strong protective walls of Bharat were safe. Don’t ask me about Sita haran, because Kailash Vijayvargiya has answered that already so diplomatically. The arrogant woman had crossed the line, allowing Ravaan to kidnap her.

Yeah, there is one more case of the woman Renuka, who had committed grave crime of looking at a man. Off course the sage (????) was so angered by the misconduct, that he ordered his sons to kill their mother. Parashurama obeyed his father and beheaded his mother. After all father is the head of the family, what is the head of a mother after all? That was our great Bharat. And now we have this weird India in its place.

 How good were the Men in Bharat, the people who respected women so much that they burnt her alive with her dead husband, but they never bothered about the men whose wives were dead. After all it is the woman who should be protected and taken care of, not the men; what other best way can you suggest then burning her with her husband. She can then be given a status of goddess and worshipped. What more should a woman ask for?

We had Gods too in Bharat, who were very eager to please women even against their wishes. May be Indra hails from Bihar; I may have to ask Raj Thackeray and confirm this. All people were worried about the young girl who lost her life, without paying attention to Raj Thackeray and saying how right he was about the Biharis. How the people can be so mean to him? Coming back to Indira, it is said he disguised as the Ahalya’s husband and raped her. Who else would disguise himself as a husband and molest a good wife Ahalya other than a Bihari? If Indra was from Maharashtra, would he behave thus?

One more politician Mr. Botsa Satyanarayana found the brutal rape, torture and unthinkable barbaric act of six men on a helpless young woman to be a minor incident. What if she lost her intestine? There are many more young women still left in India, even after killing the girl child in the womb, who can be tortured again. The major event was the UPA president showing her sympathy to the girl. The badly wounded girl, who lost her life must have sure landed in heaven, now that she had direct connection with the center government. What a lucky girl? A minor incident and she got attention of Sonia Gandhi herself.. in Botsa’s own words ” It is highly commendable on the part of Sonia to respond to the situation so quickly”. 

No wonder we shout at the top of the voice, ‘MERA BHARAT MAHAN’.

Joining the enlightening men is a woman, Dr. Anita Shukla who knew what to do best when surrounded by six lusty men who wanted to rape a woman. Take her advice people as she is a well educated woman, Secretary of Lions Club and an agricultural scientist by profession. Don’t be on roads after 10 p.m., don’t instigate men and finally surrender and beg the rapists to stop and save your intestines. Noted madam, on stone.  

That should have been enough, but can an elephant be left behind without speaking. Yes, Spiritual Guru Asaram Bapu who claims he is an elephant, whereas anyone speaking against him is a dog, did not need all those lawyers and courts to pass his judgment. Must be a Bharatiya Nar. In a jiffy he knew that the Delhi gang rape victim is as guilty as those responsible for the barbaric sexual assault on her. "Only 5-6 people are not the culprits. The daughter is as guilty as her rapists...

She should have called the culprits brothers and begged before them to stop... This could have saved her dignity and life. Can one hand clap? I don't think so,"  

I bow down and rub my forehead on the ground this wise man has treaded upon. What wise words from a spiritual guru. He is sure going to leave behind a legacy of many wise people who must have been thus enlightened by his wisdom. My hand is itching and saying, one hand cannot clap, but it can slap. Wonder why?

All said and done, now somebody give me a ticket and passport, so that I can go back to the land called Bharat, where I will be safe and protected by its men.

Wishing you a MINDFUL New Year, 2013!

Let's have a new year full of many, many moments of mindfulness!

What's that? Nothing about happiness? Nothing about resolutions, goals, becoming better and so on!!

But, don't we have enough of being asked to (by others and ourselves!) improve ourselves, doing this, learning that or getting somewhere?

So, here I am talking about mindfulness (or, living in the moment) - it is just about experiencing or being aware of where we already are. It's about being more like a child totally engrossed in whatever she is up to.

The beauty of mindfulness is that I can become mindful anywhere, anytime in the simplest of ways.

Read more about the post HERE

Happy New Year 2013

The Best Way to Get A Man Do Something is By Telling Him Not to Do it...

W : Hi Honey! How was your day?

H: Good! It was hectic schedule but I could reach my goals, hit my targets and make myself free this weekend and add three more just us time to it. I am all yours sweet heart.

W: You mean you and your rough stubble?

H: Ha ha ha!! I like to sprout the stubble for a macho look it gives me. Without it my round face gets a baby faced cherubic look. You have to appreciate that I keep it well groomed, which gives a nice refined look. Don’t you know this is one of the lasting trends of facial hair that has been in fashion for ages? This scruffy, unshaven, perpetual three-day-shadow look makes my face interesting and makes everyone believe I am hard worker. I love the impression it creates, so that stays.

W : I think you are dashing in that stubble honey…. it has an edgy and dangerous appeal to me. When did I tell you that you should shave? Actually I want you to get some more of that roughed look. I was just thinking about the party we have today evening. You know my lean and mean friends from the fashion world? They all think that you look so attractive and sexy when you are shaven clean. They ogle and giggle among themselves making me uncomfortable. You remember the last time how Rintu snatched you away from me to dance for ages and lovingly touched your smooth cheeks? I almost killed both of you then ppfffttt! Please don’t shave honey!

H: We are having a party today? Wow! To think of it may be I should shave to get a good party look.

W: I think we are running out of time and you should come along with that stubble of yours. We don’t want to miss the fun, do we? By the way, all you want is to be admired by me and not other women.  

H: No darling! How is it possible to sport stubble for the party your friends are throwing? After all you have an image and status to maintain among them. I don’t want them to think that you make me work too hard. Do I have enough time to shave and shower before the party?

W: Oh no! I will miss your stubble honey. But I agree that you are right, we have to put good impression on my friends. Hurry up, you have just enough time to get that shave (and make me crave for you) and enjoy the party.

The smart wife knew that her man looked adorable in the designer stubble, on which he put great effort but she did not like the feel of it. The rugged hair on his lovely face was endearing to her heart, but she could not allow the wild beast on his face to scratch and bruise her smooth skin. Kissing his cheeks was something like kissing a hedgehog, which pulled her away from him. She would allow him to have whatever he wanted on the weekdays, but now when they were free and had all the time in the world for themselves, she wanted her man sleek, soft and smooth for the entertaining ‘Just Us’ time he had planned. She also very well knew that, though honest and dedicated husband to a beautiful wife, he loved it when he felt other women crave for him making her jealous. Furthermore, being a man, the best way to get him do something was to tell him not to do it.  He always fulfilled her wishes, but when it came to doing chores and grooming he was a person who wanted to assert himself and tell I will do what I like. His mother had revealed the secret to her daughter in law and she was using the weapon well to get him do things for her. She smiled to herself as he rushed to get the shave and shower for her without even realizing it.

This post is a part of the 'Shave or Crave' movement in association with BlogAdda.com

Santa, Bring Us Some Humanity This Christmas..

It is time for spread of happiness and merriment all around the world. Santa is coming loaded with gifts for good behavior from children. I plead with Santa to shower some Humanity on us human beings because we have lost the essence of what we represent. That is what we need more than anything at present.

I had decided not to post about current events on my blog, because the media will be full of it, and no one wants more dose of it on my blog. Recently, I was so touched by the killing of children in USA and China on the same day that I went back on my decision and posted my pain.

Again I am compelled to write about something which is being flashed by the media so often just because it has affected me very badly. I had read the report of the rape case in moving bus of Delhi, and something about the event broke my courage which I had held for long and felt that I can deal with life. Last week when walking on the road in broad daylight in a busy road in Jayanagar, an Innova with some rough looking men stopped a little ahead and few of them got down. For the first time in my life, I felt weak, scared and gullible. I have travelled with my brother on the roads of Bangalore even at odd hours of midnight without ever feeling the fear. Recently when people were complaining about the late hours of Indiblogger meet, I jumped in without being worried because I had felt safe. I was not a person who has ever been afraid of threats thrown directly at me, even when others had feared for my safety especially at my in-laws place. I had approached the police to settle the matter legally without any help from my family or neighbors. For a person like me, to be scared of some unknown (may be good men) people in broad daylight is something to be worried about.

Haven’t I read about rapes and murders earlier?  Didn't I know such heinous acts took place so often? Why all of a sudden the fear has taken over me? Is this going to be permanent or just temporary change in my attitude? I am not sure of the answers again.

Though Delhi has erupted demanding justice for the brutalized girl, the city has to hang its head in shame as none of them had come forward to cover the body of the young woman and her friend, when they lay stripped, brutalized and violated on the road in Mahipalpur in biting cold. The crowd of nearly 50 people just stood watching them.

Doctors are looking for donors of intestine for the girl who has lost 95% of her intestines. Isn't it fair enough that they hang the culprits and donate their intestine and rest of the organs to restore her life to as much normal as possible. Do our government which hesitated so much in hanging Kasab has guts to go ahead and give this justice to the woman?

Just yesterday I read the gory details about the Delhi rape case and the brutality the victim was subjected to. I am shocked and numbed. Such torture of an innocent girl for no crime of hers! I cannot even vaguely imagine the emotional and physical trauma she must have been through. The spirit she is showing in recovering from the extreme trauma is amazing and praiseworthy. I was wondering how 95% of her intestine could be damaged, for days when yesterday a friend gave me some details about how that took place. Are they really humans who can actually do this to fellow human beings? We call other species beasts just because they are born flesh eaters and have to hunt for food. What would they think of us when they get to know about such heinous acts committed by so called civilized species of men? Good the animals are mute and cannot talk.

There was a short poem in Hindi doing rounds on face book written by some anonymous person.

Ek Kutti raat ko raaste par jarahi thi....

Raaste mein 5/6 kutte mile.

Kutti gabhra gayi.....

Kutto ne kaha aap aaram se jaiye aur dariye nahi.

Hum kutte hai Insaan nahi

Which roughly translates as

A bitch, one night was walking down a lonely lane

When she sighted 5/6 dogs walking in chain

The bitch grew terrified looking at the strays

When the dogs calmly allowed her to walk away

Saying “Do not fear us, we are not terrible ones

We are just dogs not the cruel humans”

So true!

I wonder about the rape victim.  What if he girl was meek and not fought back so strongly? May be without the brutality of the act she may have to answer the questions, “Did she ask for it?” Many of victims go through the test of their moral integrity, dress style, attitude and many other such factors which is said to provoke sexual assault. When girls as small as 2-3 yrs are raped then they just withdraw into shadows, only to sneak back when this happens to young women. Don't the Burkha clad women get raped? Why does this happen only among us humans and not animals?

There is so much to think about on these lines; at least it set my thoughts on flow. Why do we humans treat the females in such heinous way? In the land where they worship Goddesses, the women are treated like dirt. Passing lewd remarks, making vulgar gestures, staring are common in our nation. The democratic country of India is witness to nearly 30-40 rape cases every day, with the national capital wearing the captain’s cap with 572 cases in 2011. So many cases go unreported, especially by the minors who do not even understand they are being victimized.  

Reading through the news it is shocking to read where lust is taking ‘MAN’. Where is the morality and humanity of men sunk to? Just a peep into few news reports that I came across in the past few days which is not only shocking but nauseating.

On December 11, 2012 Times of India reported that in a bizarre crime, a youth attempted to rape a 12-year-old girl inside her house in the presence of her two sisters and grandfather in Alwar?s Govindgarh area. However, when he failed in the bid, he returned two days later and set the girl on fire. The girl is now battling for life in hospital.

KANPUR: In a shocking incident, a minor girl, who had accused a local goon of raping her, has been allegedly strangulated to death by the hoodlum in full public view after she refused to withdraw the complaint against him. The incident occurred in Sidhaav village in bordering Fatehpur district on Saturday morning when the accused Narvada Nishad barged into the house of the girl, Poonam Sonker (16), and after brutally attacking her strangled her to death.

Hisar: The Hisar police have arrested three of the five men accused, including a constable, for allegedly abducting and gangraping a 19-year-old college student in Barwala town. Police officials said that the medical examinationconfirmed rape.     The girl was abducted on November 27 while she was on her way back home and kept in confinement for four days till November 30 and raped during this duration by five men.     The police registered a case after the girl filed a complaint on Sunday, December 2, a day after she was dumped in Bahabalpur village near Barwala.

A housewife was stripped naked, gangraped and battered in full public glare in Tripura, police said on Saturday. "A 37-year-old woman was gang-raped at Bishalgarh in western Tripura Wednesday night. After the rape, the women was stripped naked, brutally beaten up and then tied to a tree," a police official told reporters here.

The Kasaragod district sessions court on Thursday sentenced a madrassa teacher to 22 years in prison for raping and sodomizing a 10-year-old

A three-year-old girl was raped in a play-school in West Delhi, prompting the Delhi government on Friday to ask the police to take stringent action against its principal.The child was allegedly raped by the husband of the owner of the school on Monday in west Delhi's Sagarpur area, and the incident came to light two days later, police said.

A 55-year-old man was on Saturday accused of sexually abusing a six-year-old girl at Bhathkidih in Jamshedpur city. In a FIR filed by Saeeda Parveen the mother of the victim, the man, Subhaan was accused of abusing the minor and issuing threats not to go to the police, Deputy Superintendent of Police (Law and Order) Raj Kishore Prasad told reporters.

Just Numb with fear, shame and helplessness I feel at the moment. 

Am I being slave to internet?

When I shifted to Bangalore few months ago, one of the things I was looking forward to was - online shopping. Back in Byndoor, I did not have option of home delivery, so if I really wanted to buy something, then I had to send it to my sister in laws home and collect it from there when I came over to Bangalore.

Many people told me that online shopping was not a good idea and I should not go ahead buying things without looking at them first. But I had my experience with online through Blogadda. I had won quite some gift vouchers in contests through which I could buy products from Myntra, Flipkart, Homeshope18, etc, which I had used to purchase things online. Other than a bad experience with GK Opticals, or few mistakes on part of posting right pictures from Flipkart for which they failed to compensate, my other online shopping has been very good. At times we do get excellent offers of coupons to shop from through sites like Cuponation which will give further benefits like 50% off, or flat 1000/- off on purchases from your favorite website like Jabong, Inkfruit, Myntra, Snapdeal and many more.

Once I shifted to Bangalore, I have started purchasing everything online, including my groceries. It is easier to sit in the comfort of my home and do window shopping. Off course it is going to help me gain those pounds (not British currency but the weight), but it saves time and money. I can walk around just for fun if I need exercise or even take up some proper exercising schedule.

We have cash on delivery, exchange offers and other benefits which I have taken advantage of for good shopping experience. I am being lazy and shopping easy not only for myself but also for my family. Recently my sister wanted a birthday gift for her son; I ordered it for her through Jabong. She paid cash and received it from her home. When I was shopping for her, my daughter fell for anklets she saw there. So I decided to gift it to her for her Eid present. The size fits her well and she loves them.

It is funny how I am slowly being dependent on internet for every work I do. I am earning online, keeping in touch with people online, I am totally google brained as I google for almost everything I want to know, I am spending my earning online, most of the transactions are taking online… and I am already dreading the day I will be without internet connection. 

I am not sure whether I should continue with this pattern or change to being more of an offline person………….. OH NO~~ I am looking for an answer to that online too LOL.

The Saddest Part is the Children

"The test of the morality of a society is what it does for its children."

In a very horrific and indescribable tragedy in Newtown, Connecticut, twenty-seven people, including eighteen children, were shot to death inside an elementary school, which is at least the sixteenth mass shooting to take place in America this year.

Beijing: A knife-wielding man slashed 22 children and an adult at an elementary school in central China on Friday, state media reported, the latest in a series of attacks on schoolchildren in the country.
The man attacked the children at the gate of a school in Chenpeng village in Henan province, the Xinhua news agency reported.

14^th December – two different countries, two different cultures, on opposite sides of the globe, a same tragedy took place in which the victims were sadly the children. Those innocent, young angles, some even from Kindergarten, who had not done any harm or caused misery to anyone.

"Wild animals never kill for sport. Man is the only one to whom the torture and death of his fellow creatures is amusing in itself." James Anthony Froud

What could be the motive or reason behind such mass killings, especially of children? Where have we humans gone wrong, as we are the only species who seem to suffer from such madness? Where in the dark hidden corner of that amazing thing called human brain, which churns out inventions after inventions, is this madness that enables individuals to commit such unimaginable horrors. Is there some unknown and undiscovered truth about our minds which has not yet been explored? Often people tend to be empathetic and loving, unless something snaps and turns them into demons. Was this hatred, revenge, sacrifice or just madness?

It is easy to ask questions but tough to find answers, even tougher to prevent such tragedies because those who commit such crimes do not come with any kind of labels. They are just like you and me, at least in appearance. Though we have come up with laws, rules, divisions between right and wrong, religions for moral policing and much more, we have somehow mutated and developed an unfortunate ability which will shut each of them off. Does history not have enough proof of this special ability of humans, when they have done unthinkable crimes which assure us that they had shut every their minds  off from thinking about consequences, distinguishing between right and wrong while causing pain to innocent victims?

At times like this when I think of parents who have sent their kids to school, and learn that they will never come back home because some person gripped by madness made them a target of his frustration, a deep fear lurks inside me that it could happen anywhere, anytime to anyone. Have I not seen people who in a particular moment if had access to weapons are capable to committing such horrendous acts? I have seen quite a few them, and also quite a few ugly expressions of rage. The hidden dark secrets of human mind lurk like a large sword on our heads, which can drop down anytime and cut us into pieces.

Erich Fromm who has done extensive research and written “The Anatomy of Human Destructiveness”, says the extinction of fantasies and an aspect of necrophilism feeds the malignant aggression in human mind, which gives them a feeling that death and demolition leads to glory. Those who have been desperate or failures may think this as a mark they live on the world which would never be able to forget them. Fromm says these people often have dreams about dismembered parts or rooms full of corpses. They have trouble relating to others and tend to feel bored. Preferring dark colors, they’re often obsessed with devices of destruction or role models who carried out large-scale slaughters. They feel a smirking superiority toward others, often being insensitive about tragedies that involved a loss of life.

Psychology has a term pseudocommando  defined as “A type of mass murderer who kills in public during the daytime, plans his offense well in advance, and comes prepared with a powerful arsenal of weapons. He has no escape planned and expects to be killed during the incident. Research suggests that the pseudocommando is driven by strong feelings of anger and resentment, flowing from beliefs about being persecuted or grossly mistreated. He views himself as carrying out a highly personal agenda of payback. Some mass murderers take special steps to send a final communication to the public or news media; these communications, to date, have received little detailed analysis. An offender's use of language may reveal important data about his state of mind, motivation, and psychopathology. It is argued that revenge fantasies become the last refuge for the pseudocommando's mortally wounded self-esteem and ultimately enable him to commit mass murder-suicide”.

There are many more psychoanalytical explanations to mass murders which is scary, but my heart bleeds and asks “Why Children?”