Box out that idiot box

Recently, I had been asked to contribute my two cents on what's bugging me for the local YMA newspaper/newsletter. I would like to share the same on my blog. I wrote a short article on two topics which I feel needed to be addressed among the kids and young people of today's generation, especially those growing up in Mizoram.

1. Television viewing habit: TV is here to stay. So, let's try and tame it before it controls us (to a great deal, it already has for a good number of people). An American study suggested that kids spend around 22-26 hours each week watching the idiot box (and now they have the even idioter box- yes, the computer. That is a bout a day each week. Personally, with the lack of extracurricular and sport activities ,I think these hours may even be more for the Mizo children. TV hours for children should be restricted. I think each parent should take it upon himself/herself to regulate how much and what kind of programs kids view on TV. And, the youngest member of the family in NO WAY should be made dictator of the TV remote.

2. Fashion for Kids: Of late, I noticed that the new generation parents are obsessed with trying to dress their children up so that she will be the prettiest or He will be the smatest looking in church or any other social gathering. It is no longer uncommon to hear about kids' clothing or footwear costing more that a thousand bucks or even two. And the manner in which they are being dressed up can be quite an eyesore for many. "KIDS" are not "small adults" and neither should their dress or attitude or manner of talking (or how they dance on TV) be. Parents of other communities (like the western countries) are not obsessed whether their kids look good or not. They are more concerned whether their child is achieving something in life or not; or at least taking the initial steps towards achieving that. Instead of focussing on the child's dress and trying to instill a sense of fashion in him/her, a kid should be helped bring out his talents; be it playing certain sports, music, singing, writing, composing, painting, drawing, dancing, acting etc etc.

Why have I chosen to write about these two mundane things? Because I feel, in Mizoram than anywhere else in India, that our priorities have been screwed up- for a few people in the past, and now for a good deal of the general mass. I can bear the idea of a girl selling her body to support a drug habit but not for buying new clothes (it's sickeningly sad but true).

You know.......

You have reached your 30's when....
1. You feel all sport stars and music artists are talented "kids"
2. You feel the need to have a say in any group activity
3. The presnt music genres appear alien to you, and the last time you saw MTV was when Guns N Roses ruled the billboard
4. Your waistline is way ahead of your age in numbers
5. You think aloud "#%*^$@ fool" when a teenage dirtbag whizzed past you in his shiny motorcycle

You are in touch with your feminine side (you can rephrase this in your mind).....
1. You know more than 5 colours (especially the unusual ones like burgandy, mahogany, maroon, beige....oh nooooo)
2. If you are not married and have more than 2 pillows on your bed ( 1,2 ..3.....oh no)
3. If you have an opinion on who is the cutest of the Jonas brothers (definitely Kevin....oh noooo)
4. If you have watched the Twilight trilogy (hehe gotcha.....)
5. If you think this particular half of the post offends you

"I'll be Bach"

Back from a self-imposed sabbatical of almost half-a-year with a valid volley of excuses of having had my study holidays, final exams,coming home and seeing off my granpa (RIP), joining work and setting up (well at least trying to)a new department...whew!!, i'm really BACK.

What's up with me?
Well
1. I got myself a new (well January) Mountain bike which i lugged halfway across India from Bangalore-Vellore-Chennai-Kolkata-Aizawl
its a trek 3700 acid gold, yep its a beauty, but sadly, I havn't got the chance to use it as much as i wanted to here at home



2. Got myself another 2-wheeler - A scooty in fact. Why should girls have all the fun??
Its a sparkling white Mahindra Duro, quite a change from the big bad bullet i used to ride.

3. I'm still unfazed by the world cup fever

4. The gym is still my favorite refuge (and next the basketball court....i wonder how sandman is doing)

5. And lastly, I'm really sick of people smoking on the way to church or just after. One of these days, just to make my point, I'm gonna bring a bottle of booze and gulp down right after church in the sight of the elders, next to where they are smoking....lets see how they react to that..hehe

The heading ..well...
Steven Spielberg was discussing his new project -- an action docudrama
about famous composers starring top movie stars. Sylvester Stallone,
Steven Seagal, Bruce Willis, and Arnold Schwarzenegger being courted
for the top roles.

Spielberg really hoped to have the box office "oomph" of these
superstars, so he was prepared to allow them to select the composers
they would portray, as long as they among the most famous.

"Well," started Stallone, "I've always admired Mozart. I would love to
play him."

"Chopin has always been my favorite, and my image would improve if people
saw me playing the piano," said Willis. "I'll play him."

"I've always been partial to Strauss and his waltzes," said Seagal. "I'd
like to play him."

Spielberg was very pleased with these choices. "Sounds splendid." Then,
looking at Schwarzenegger, he asked, "Who do you want to be, Arnold?"

Arnold replied, "I'll be Bach."

I Respect...

I have high regards for

1. People who recycle
2. People who conserve electricity (and other sources of energy)
3. People who are kind to animals
4. People who play fair (life and games)
5. Parents whose kids are courteous
6. People who wake up early (especially young people)
7. People with neat handwriting
8. On the same note, people with clean/neat rooms/houses
9. People who dress simple
10. Those who are genuinely involved in charity work

MERRY X-mas

I googled "Merry Christmas" and guess what! Ok I'l tell you anyway.
There was no reference of Christmas being a Christian advent (apart from the old faithful Wikipedia's). The bigger shock (rather anticlimax) was that I got the same kind of results for a "Christmas" search.

True, while Christmas celebration and the "holiday season" transcends all religion and regions in the present global village, I find it kind of disappointing in the over-commercialisation of this lovely and yet significant day.

Carefully trying to avoid being a Scrooge, while as expressing my views on this, I would like to hear your opinions as well.

Firstly, what would kids nowadays associate as the "Mascot" of Christmas? No prize for guessing here. Santa Claus, not of the Santa & Banta jokes. Ol Saint Nick the great patronizer. Nothing dastardly wrong here except to learn that some kids think Christmas is Santa's birthday. Even church programs include having a Santa for the kids. Its almost taboo to leave out Santa for Christmas nowadays. Google image search for Christmas has almost all Santa themes, and none of nativity on the first page.

Secondly, whats with all the decorations, and all so very expensive? Do we know that the Christmas tree tradition is of pagan origin. I have no qualms about the idea per se. But this I do - why should we incorporate the use of something which does not exist in our country or state in our celebration. Jesus was born in Israel. Christmas trees was apparently started by the Norwegian people. We want a Christmas tree, fine! Lets use our own - maybe the Jamun tree, lets use mango leaves and palm leaves for decoration. Holly is not Indian (and far from being a native of Mizoram). We pay 5000 bucks for a plastic imitation of an old pagan European custom symbol, which is made in China and sold in India so we can feel closer to the meaning of the incarnation of God???????

Don't get me started on shopping, seriously.

Ok I can already feel the "hambug" accusation here, but, I am not a spoilsport. I just think that rather than having the "traditional" X-mas symbolism adapted from an different region, lets have our own. Why, we already have (sort of)a few Christmas tradition in Mizoram, which, when done in the right spirit, are quite....Christmas-sy or simply "Masi". Like - roasting chicken, eating "chhangban" kan, carol rounds, visiting orphanages, and the uplifting festive mood across all ages AND the community feast.
Let us hold on to these and not try to "dilute" our own style and "tradition" blindly. Lets tell our future kids what Christmas is really all about. Lets learn and pass on that its better to give than receive.

Peace on earth good will to Man is indeed the greatest gift of all
"Aw a va mawi em he ni lawmawm hun tawite hi"

What's in a name

How many times have you been asked “What is your good name?”

My “good” name? It’s Mr. I’m-getting-really-bugged-with-Indian-English; would you like to know my “bad” name as well? By the way how do you know this is not my good name? Were you expecting a better one? Or shall I tell you my worse name, umm actually that was what my teacher called me when I didn’t know who build the Taj Mahal…..I think?? Or was it the one I was called with when my dad found out I gave myself a half-day off from school, without informing the teacher…oops slipped my mind, it happens, you know!! Anyway coming back to the name bit, what’s so good in a name? I mean there is nothing bad about your name, or having a name; it’s just a name, what you are called as by your friends, colleagues and family..and the rest of the 6 billion souls ; if only they met you, and read your name tag, well if you happen to have one on when they met you, of course not all at a time, I mean that would be statistically or physically impossible; and why on earth would you be having a name tag unless you were going for a conference or an interview, in which case, you are more likely to be having a number…like in prison.

And what is this thing called “Surname” or is it “Sur name”? Whatever the correct term is, I can do without it? Me, I have my Name, my family’s name and that’s it. Of course I also got my “pet” names, shortened names modified and sometimes affectionate ones – by which I am called, hollered, yelled at or texted. But, I ask you dear sir/madam, what in the name of…umm…what in the world is a “SUR”? To me, it doesn’t sound very pleasant, reminding me of similar sounding words like “sour” or “slur”

So I ask you again dear friends, what is a “sur”? but then, what’s in a name?

Of black pen, Bullet & "Bai"

There are very few things in life that could give a child a feeling of achievement as that of the transition from using a pencil to pen. The mighty, mighty pen -the symbol of maturity. As far as I can remember, I had been using black pens (black inked or refills, not a physically black coloured pen…duh). Why?I cant entirely explain, but I have been giving it some thought lately. Maybe because I wanted to escape the uniformity of using blue pens which is so cliché. I guess you can say I have a fetish for slightly unusual (not so, but just different) things (or this could be the extension of one’s need to be unique). I remember hanging out with frens who were not so popular – like a lanky Bengali lad, one very dirty boy (he never washed his clothes on weekdays) and another who by now had been convicted. I didn’t play or enjoy football as a kid, which was and still is almost religiously followed in Mizoram. And I still don’t. But I still play active basketball when most guys my age are happy to sit back and watch EPL on TV and call themselves “sport-lovers.” (not to mean a certain wedding planner here). I drive a 2^nd hand Bullet in spite of being very conscious about fuel price and mileage (the Indian effect), cos a Bullet is different and it totally rocks !! After years of ridicule, I am finally enjoying pork but I don’t go ga-ga over it or willing to kill for a piece. In fact, I have always opted for vegetarian food during my undergraduate years (very non tribal-like, I know). I don’t eat “bai” …why? don’t ask me cos I don’t know, I just don’t eat it. I don’t drink tea…tho I enjoy iced tea, and there’s a heaven n hell difference between the two. When my frens cram the whole night for a test or exam, I sleep at ten…..not because I know everything, but because I really don’t think much of last minute slogging.

I guess everyone is unique in his own way and when we learn to appreciate each others uniqueness and difference maybe we'll be better off a a species. And I write with a black pen.