Royal Wedding

It has finally happened!! Prince William and Kate Middleton got married today!! After a long wait and lots of speculations and debates, the historic wedding has finally taken place. Like millions of people around the world, even I sat glued to the TV as the royal coupled exchanged their vows.

What a gala event these royal weddings are. 1,900 privileged guests including the heads of around 50 nations had gathered at Westminster Abbey to witness the wedding. Thousands of commoners thronged the streets of London waiting for hours to catch a glimpse of the couple. The colorful ceremonies, the speculations over the bride's gown to the list of invitees, months of exclusive shows on TLC, BBC and umpteen other local and international channels.. pheww.. what a wedding!It was beautiful watching a stunning Kate walking down the aisle holding her father's arm and the look on William's face as he got the first glimpse of his bride. Prince Harry dint forget to whisper a comment in his brother's ears as Kate made her entry.That was really cute!! :)

Some of my friend's commented what a dream wedding these royal couples have.All the publicity, glitz and glam!But I don't quite think I'll be able to stand that kind of an event. All the media, people, the rituals and customs accompanying such an event would choke me. I really think Kate has mettle to stand there in front of all those dignitaries wearing a gown that could trip her any moment, and smile without a trace of tension!You have to applaud that lady.Even William appeared a bit tensed compared to his lovely bride. I would have preferred a more private event. Simple and elegant.The one thing that I absolutely despise is these big fat Indian weddings.Its all about showing off one's wealth than about the union of two souls.Often the bride and groom don't even recognize half the guests at their wedding. And the bride has to be decked in gold from head to foot or the family's honor will be in jeopardy.Sending out boxes of sweets and decorating the invitation cards with precious stones has become a common thing among the rich and the middle classes. In their rush to organize the most spectacular wedding the country has ever seen, they forget the sacred values behind a wedding.

My dream wedding would be a simple, private event. A fairy tale wedding held somewhere quite and peaceful.It would be nice if the groom could come riding a white horse but then I can adjust with a BMW!! ;)

When will this end??

Atrocities against women continue to happen and justice remains unobtainable to women in some countries. The verdict passed by the Pakistan Supreme Court recently on the  Mukhtaran Bibi case is a shame to the country and its judiciary! 

Mukhtaran, a resident of the Meerwala village of  Pakistan was gang raped in 2002 on the orders of a tribal council, which saw this as a way of taking revenge on her brother who allegedly had an extramarital intercourse with a woman of the tribe. Mukhtaran was dragged to a stable and gang raped by four men. She was then pushed out wearing nothing but a torn qameez. On the order of the tribal council, she was paraded naked in front of hundreds of on-lookers. The accusation against Mukhtaran's brother was later proved to be false. 

As this shocking incident gained publicity, people all over the world condemned it and the police was forced to take action. Mukhtaran bravely went on to file a case against the men and a lower court convicted six people including the tribal chief. They were sentenced to death for this cruel and inhuman brutality. The Lahore High court later overturned this verdict and a few days back the supreme Court agreed with the High court. All the accused except one was let free and the death sentence of the accused was reduced to life sentence.

The verdict is unacceptable and it is scary to think that the highest guardian of justice has denied a poor illiterate women the justice she deserves. It is a setback to the spirit of humanity.The verdict is gonna set a bad example and people would become fearless to commit such brutalities. I don't have words strong enough to condemn this verdict. Not all women have the courage of  Mukhtaran to come up and report such events. If the ones who do come up are given this kind of treatment, the oppressed are gonna remain silent forever. Mukhtaran still lives in the fear of government and the men of the tribe. Pakistan government had initially restricted her from going abroad and it was only due to international pressure that they lifted the restriction. 

I do hope that a day will come when atrocities against women will stop and they will enjoy freedom and respect from the society.

Smiling Strangers

I usually walk home from my college bus stop. Its a pretty long walk, but I never get tired of it!! In fact, i love the walk! It's a time for me to collect my thoughts, to reflect on the day's events, to watch the people around me, to take in the fresh air and listen to the trees whispering, to hum a tune and let the breeze play with my curls.. it's a time for me to unwind..

During the walk, I see a lot of people. Some of them would be rushing home after work, some would be out to do shopping, some would be heading to the church or temple while some people would be loitering around or engrossed in animated discussions with their friends, relatives,acquaintances or colleagues. The scenes are mostly repetitive except for the characters. But amidst them there would be a few familiar faces. I don't know who they are or where they are from. I have no idea where they are heading to. They are just nameless people,whose path cross mine regularly at one point in time. 

First time we meet, these people would glance at me absent minded. Then as we pass each other regularly, they would stare and I would stare back. This game of staring would continue for a while until one day, either I'll smile or they'll smile at me.

And now, everyday as I walk back home, I meet one or two of these smiling strangers. We never talk but a simple smile does the trick. After a terrible day at college which leaves me with no reason to cheer, a smile, even from a complete stranger is reassuring. The warm fuzzy feeling that I get after I've smiled at a stranger and got back one is simply motivating....

I hope my smile could also help these wonderful strangers to forget their worries,if only for a second.

World is so beautiful and filled with so many beautiful people.If anyone feels otherwise, its time to change the soiled glass through which you are viewing the world. A small smile can go a long way in spreading cheer and good will!. You have nothing to loose and the person receiving it might be in need of one.

I want to dedicate this to all those smiling strangers I've met!!

I don't want to know who you are or what you do, but I just want you to know, you've made my day.. Not once but umpteen number of times!!
Thanks a lot guyz..

We Support You Hazareji!!

Anna Hazare, a name which is on the lips of every Indian. A person who is hailed as the next Gandhi. A social worker and Gandhiyan who is spearheading the fight against corruption in India. His fast-unto death hunger strike for the passing of Lokpal Bill ended recently after the Government agreed on passing the bill.

In history,we learned how Gandhiji won us Independence through non-violence. The idea was extremely intriguing for me at that time. How can anyone defeat a powerful empire without the use of any weapon? What good will a sathyagraha do against a colonial rule? Anna Hazare's non violent struggle has given me some idea regarding this. The power of a man's will power should not be underestimated.

To go on a hunger strike is no small thing. To do such a thing not for any personal benifit, but for the general good of the country is a great selfless act indeed. It shows  Hazareji's strong belief and dedication to the cause. I salute this great human being who has above everything, given hope to the youth of this country. It has given us faith in democracy and has made us believe that a single person can bring about great changes. A line that comes into my mind right now is a famous verse from Bhagavathgeetha  :

"Yada yada hi dharmasya         
Glanir bhavati bharata
Abhyutthanam adharmasya
Tadatmanam srjamy aham"

"Whenever and wherever there is decay of righteousness and a rise of unrighteousness then, I manifest Myself!"

God has a way of sending his envoys to Earth whenever something goes extremely bad. The corruption in our country had reached its peak with a new scam surfacing every other day. 2G scam was the biggest of all while ,Common Wealth Game spoiled the image of our country, Corporate lobbying and the subsequent actions of media in silencing the issue made us loose faith in the media. For the past few years we have been seeing the fall of the three great pillars of democracy- Government, Judiciary and Media.Rise of this Gandhiyan has given us a small reason to cheer!

But the victory of Hazareji is just the beginning. The flame that was kindled by him shouldn't be allowed to die out. Being part of the nation wide campaign against corruption and rallying behind Hazareji is a very fulfilling thing. But our job has only begun. We have to take a pledge never to give or take bribe and if we know of any corruption in the society, we should report it. Whenever in fear or doubt, think about the man who was ready to die to make our nation corruption free! 
India is proud of you Hazareji...

My Bucket List

I was going through these weird lists that appear in various sites on books..

It lists the '100 (or 1000..number is a variable) books that you should read before you die'!! I thought maybe I should start making a list of the '10 things I want to do before I die'. So here I've jotted down my own bucket list..

Hold your breath, here it comes..

1) Read all or at least half of so called '100 books that you should read before you die'

    Okay.. Now that's a huge ambition but lets see if its gonna work out.

2) Learn Dancing!!

    People who know me will laugh at this point I know.. :(

    I belong to the category of  people who look hilarious while dancing. I always boast of being a lady with no regrets in life. But here I'm declaring my one and only regret - I quit my dancing class while in primary!In my kiddie days, my teachers had selected me as one of the students with a potential to become future 'bharathanatyam' exponent. Our dance teacher started training us and the difficult steps had me panting and puffing. Lazy me, as usual decided to quit. I cried and begged to my father for two days to let me quit. Finally I made him write a letter to our dance teacher stating that I'm not interested in learning dance. That was the day that I wish had never happened in my life. Who knows if I hadn't quit that day, I would have become the next Padma Subramanyam or Mallika Sarabhai by now! Its never late.. is it??? ;)

3) Learn Swimming!!

    I remember drowning at the water theme park,' Veegaland' as a kid! I've wanted to learn swimming ever since.With melting of glaciers, global warming, rising sea level blah blah and being a resident of Kochi which happens to be below the sea level, swimming will be a part of essential survival skills. Not that I'm dumb enough to think that I'll be able to swim to safety in case of a tsunami or flood. But Later on, I shouldn't feel that maybe I could have survived, if I had learned swimming!;) So there it goes.. right into my list.

4) Learn Spanish

    I love Spain and Spaniards. From Enrique to Nadal.. They are all so close to my heart.. I dunno why I like Spain.. maybe its because I was a Spaniard in previous birth.. :P Crazy but intriguing thought..

5) Travel a lot

    'Travel a lot' is a generic phrase that everyone uses. But I have two specific places of interest- Kashmir and Austria.

 Kashmir because I've heard so much about the place, its natural beauty and beautiful people.

 Austria because in my 7th standard I did a project on the country and I took so much pain into researching about the country that I fell in love with the place.When i read Heidi (one of my all time favorite books), I dream of the Alps and of Austria!

6) Watch a live opera performance

     I'm an ardent admirer of literature and art, especially the classics. I've heard a lot about operas and how magical the experience can be. I wanna attend an original opera performance sometime.

7) Social Service

    This should have come first on my list but I was feeling a bit weird putting it on top. Maybe because from where I stand now, it seems impossible.

Its a dream of mine to run an orphanage for poor,homeless kids.I just wanna give them all the love and care that is missing in their lives. 

8) Do something extremely adventurous and sporty

   I'm not the kind of person who likes taking risks. Adrenalin pumping activities- no way! But before I die,I wanna do something extremely adventurous!Paragliding,bungee jumping, rafting..anything dangerous and fun ;)

9)

10)

Okay.. Now I'm having trouble thinking up 9th and 10th point.. I've run out of ideas..

Maybe I'll leave it blank for my unformed wishes..!!

Life

Why am I writing this?? I don't have any idea..Maybe its because I have nothing else to do..But that's not true.I've got two tests,one assignment and a record to complete by Monday. But like all the other lazy days, today I'm in no mood to do any work. I don't feel sleepy and neither am I in a mood to read. So I thought, why not blog. But strangely my mind is blank.Do people write because they have something to say or do they write because of the want to write?

My 2011 diary is lying untouched on the table.I have nothing to fill it with. Life is eventful as usual but nothing is crossing the realm of mechanical work and entering my mind. All I really do all day is think, think and think. What am I thinking about? Mostly about dreams..about future..about life..

Dreams..

I have heard that dreams are a way of communication between God and man..Nature's signs to guide us.

I keep dreaming about a green meadow with a huge tree in the center, a blanket of clear blue sky and a smiling me running towards the horizon.If dreams do have meaning, I wish I knew the meaning of mine.

Future

Future always look hazy, no matter how much ever we plan.With just two more semesters left before the end of my days as an engineering student, I can't stop wondering where I'll be two years from now.I'm not sure what I want to do after this. It helps that I have a long term plan and dreams to work for. But my short term goals are a bit temperamental.

Life

I've been trying to understand this one word for a long time now..What is this life all about? Why are we here on earth? Why is it that some of us have all kinds of worldly riches,health and happiness while there are people with none of these?On what basis is this discrimination made? I've been trying to find answers. The idea of rebirth sounds appealing to me. Every deed that we do, good or bad gets recorded in the logbook of heaven and we get back the same in this life or the next. This would also mean that the cycle of life and death will go on. The people who have broken this cycle are the enlightened ones, the people who knew the ultimate truth of life.

Whatever these higher truths maybe, a good question to ask yourself will be,"What have I done with my life?"

My answer to this, " I gave lots of love and respect to the people around me!" might not fetch me an entry pass to heaven. But I don't care!It feels good knowing that I could give an answer!! I'm sure not all can say that with conviction.

Christmas !!!

Its December... Yipeeee...
My favorite month of the year. Come December and I walk around humming Christmas carols. Just hearing the word 'December' invokes such a lot of colorful and happy memories. Christmas trees, Santa Claus, green,red and silver color combination, gifts, chocolates, cakes, Christmas carols, Christmas feasts, oh my god, I can go on and on and on..

The best part of Christmas is that I get to see all my scattered family members-uncles, aunts, cousins, grandma. Its a milieu of celebration and chaos at my ancestral home as everyone comes home to celebrate.

During my school days, Christmas celebration was something that everyone looked forward to, though during the last few days of my schooling they took away the tradition of a whole day celebration and shrunk it to a few hours,it was fun. In school, every celebration was like a tradition. No one had to be given an itinerary. Everyone knew the programs, it would be the same every year - carol singing, bible reading, play on the birth of Jesus, speech by the chief guest and the arrival of Santa Claus.I loved carols and it was a dream of mine to sing in one of those. But sadly, teachers always chose me for the job of reading verses from the bible. It was a boring job considering the fact that you had to read the same part year after year. I would have happily joined the carol singers. So a few days back,when my sister made the declaration that she is going to sing carol at school, I couldn't help feeling jealous. Alas, she got to live my dream!
One of my fond memories of Christmas celebration at school is that of my friend, Arjun who dressed up as Santa Claus one year. Unlike the usual clumsy Santa Clauses before him, he dint settle for waving a hand or shaking a leg. He went on to do a full fledged break dance accompanied by rigorous shaking of his artificial tummy. It was hilarious and even our normally cross Principal couldn't help laughing. A miracle in our words! :)

Christmas celebration at college is a different affair. After all the speeches from Chief Guests, Principal, Chairman, Vice-Chairman, Secretary and all other dignitaries, its show time for the freshers. Christmas programs are done by the first years who put up dance, skit and various other programs amidst deafening howls, whistles and catcalls from seniors.
I could fill a book with my memories on Christmas. How we slept off when the Carol people came home to sing and how funny it was when we all got out of home puffy eyed to open the gate for them. How we had a girl's day out during Christmas and the guys of the family made the Christmas feast.

I'm all excited as the countdown for Christmas begins. I hope even you guys will have an amazing time.
Wishing you all a very happy and memorable Christmas!!
Have Fun.. :)