God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change,
Courage to change the things I can,
And wisdom to tick of parents who allow their kids to make a nuisance of themselves in public!
Before you brand me an intolerant, crabby, anti-social, child hating so & so, lend me your ears:
I heart children! The gurgle of a cooing baby is music to my ears; I stop during my walk in the park, to soak in the sight of happy kids playing with gay abandon, screaming, yelling & even fighting; At the Special Care Centre, which I am associated with, I love the firm tone of the young student, distributing sweets on his birthday, telling me, that for my own good, “I will give you only one chocolate, Miss Uma, because you are very fat!”
But there is a right time & a right place for everything in life!
For kids in cinema theatres, tagging along with their parents, for films not meant for them – a firm “NO!” Last weekend, Mr. & Mrs. Kaushik, trotted off to the cineplex, to watch the much acclaimed, “Vicky Donor”, a comic & sensitive take on sperm donation. Imagine my horror, when I spotted this couple, with their two under 13 kids! What follows is logical, including the son loudly piercing the darkness of the theatre with “what is he doing?” when the hero is, well, trying to donate sperm in the clinic!!!
Or babies - I mean, they are meant to cry, that’s what they do, but that’s the parents cross to bear, not ours. Why would you expect a tiny thing to be calm & serene, in a darkened hall, with weird, loud sounds??? If I were a baby, I would bawl my heart out too, at the injustice of it all, in protest at my silly parents for bringing me to this depressing room called a theatre & because of the fierce, moti aunty sitting next to us, angrily hissing, “Shhhhoooo”!
Many solutions – leave the children behind with family or friends, skip the movie totally (you’ll live), wait for the DVD to come out, or take turns, so that one parent stays at home!
So the other evening, I attended a lecture session by a spiritual leader. The community was shocked at my heathen presence at such a pious gathering & I was accosted with “how come you are here” to “I can’t believe you came for this!” We could discuss why my gracing such a gathering caused such commotion; but I would rather express my disbelief, that for a lecture discussion, people had thought it fit to bring their children along. Apart from a handful of amazingly well behaved kids, most of the bachchas around, ran wildly around, shouting & screaming, wanting to know if popcorn was available, or were plain bored & kept whining that they wanted to go home – all this, while poor Guruji was talking about social responsibility & how we need to change ourselves, before expecting others to change! Aiyaiyyo!!!
But my worst nightmare happened in broad daylight, when while stuffing dosas in my mouth, the kids from the next table in the restaurant, sauntered across to our table, stare fixedly at us & loudly wanted to know, “what is this aunty eating?” Mentally, I am placing muzzles on their tiny, but loud mouths! You may be curious about what the parents are doing during all this – NOTHING! They beam at us from across the road & encourage the little tyke to “ask aunty”!!!
Like Martin Luther King, I have a dream - of a world, where at relevant places, children will be seen, not heard; well actually make that, won’t be seen OR heard!!!
Sunday, April 29, 2012
Friday, April 20, 2012
life isn't all ha ha hee hee
Not gonna win a popularity contest after writing this piece; but oh well, I’m a Sagittarian & often experience that lingering after-taste, of feet in my mouth!
Across the last two months, it appears that every newspaper in town, reserves one column at least, for women, who have been the victims of rape, molestation & worse still, some have even been killed, after these heinous acts!
Yes, deep rage directed at these criminals, who deserve the highest form of punishment – can think of an apt form of justice, which I dare not express in a public forum! My heartfelt sympathies for the victims & fingers crossed, that they survive such an ordeal.
Lekin, must confess, that in some cases, in the blame game, the victims participate too:
Today’s ‘Khaleej Times’ reported, that a Japanese stewardess, was waiting for a cab, to take her to the airport. Two men drove up in a car, offered her a lift to the airport & after some hesitation, she accepted their offer & got into the gaadi. Full of lustful intentions & galat iraadey, one of the men got into the back seat & molested her, while his companion drove on.
http://www.khaleejtimes.com/nation/inside.asp
Another newspaper described how two young women, after a night of clubbing in Dubai, were looking for transport, to take them back home, at 2am. A middle aged man offered to take them home & they trustingly got into the car. He drove for a while, stopped to pick up a male friend, headed towards the desert area & they raped both the girls.
This is just scratching the surface – you read or hear about such cases very often.
While I agree that such crimes must not be condoned & severe action must be taken, what’s wrong with these women?
• Why, in a foreign country, would any sensible female, get into a car with two strange men?
• Two young women heading towards a night club, without any clue as to how they are going to get back home, late night – what sense does that make?
• We are not talking about naïve young girls – these are educated, self sufficient women of the world; surely they know that life isn’t all ha ha hee hee …?
Yours truly is the paranoid mom of a nineteen year old; I still make panic calls to my daughter, saat samundar paar, who despairs that I refuse to treat her like a sensible adult & check, that for a night out, she is with a safe, familiar group of friends, that they only use the hostel approved cabs & that all important warning about ‘don’t talk to strangers!”
Though my offspring regards me as a freak of nature, I am sure that in parent world, “I’m not the only one …” It doesn’t matter if you have boys or girls, we need to teach ‘em to be safe, cautious & arm them with the necessary skills to be out of harm’s way.
Yep, think we need to add “parenting” to our work info on facebook – a 24x7, full time job; no wages, intensive labor, the hours suck, but still, the only place in the universe, where you can experience heaven & hell at the same time!
“It was the best of times and it was the worst of times” … this classic line from Charles Dickens “A Tale of Two Cities” survives the test of time & describes our lives today – celebrate the best, but be prepared for the worst!
Across the last two months, it appears that every newspaper in town, reserves one column at least, for women, who have been the victims of rape, molestation & worse still, some have even been killed, after these heinous acts!
Yes, deep rage directed at these criminals, who deserve the highest form of punishment – can think of an apt form of justice, which I dare not express in a public forum! My heartfelt sympathies for the victims & fingers crossed, that they survive such an ordeal.
Lekin, must confess, that in some cases, in the blame game, the victims participate too:
Today’s ‘Khaleej Times’ reported, that a Japanese stewardess, was waiting for a cab, to take her to the airport. Two men drove up in a car, offered her a lift to the airport & after some hesitation, she accepted their offer & got into the gaadi. Full of lustful intentions & galat iraadey, one of the men got into the back seat & molested her, while his companion drove on.
http://www.khaleejtimes.com/nation/inside.asp
Another newspaper described how two young women, after a night of clubbing in Dubai, were looking for transport, to take them back home, at 2am. A middle aged man offered to take them home & they trustingly got into the car. He drove for a while, stopped to pick up a male friend, headed towards the desert area & they raped both the girls.
This is just scratching the surface – you read or hear about such cases very often.
While I agree that such crimes must not be condoned & severe action must be taken, what’s wrong with these women?
• Why, in a foreign country, would any sensible female, get into a car with two strange men?
• Two young women heading towards a night club, without any clue as to how they are going to get back home, late night – what sense does that make?
• We are not talking about naïve young girls – these are educated, self sufficient women of the world; surely they know that life isn’t all ha ha hee hee …?
Yours truly is the paranoid mom of a nineteen year old; I still make panic calls to my daughter, saat samundar paar, who despairs that I refuse to treat her like a sensible adult & check, that for a night out, she is with a safe, familiar group of friends, that they only use the hostel approved cabs & that all important warning about ‘don’t talk to strangers!”
Though my offspring regards me as a freak of nature, I am sure that in parent world, “I’m not the only one …” It doesn’t matter if you have boys or girls, we need to teach ‘em to be safe, cautious & arm them with the necessary skills to be out of harm’s way.
Yep, think we need to add “parenting” to our work info on facebook – a 24x7, full time job; no wages, intensive labor, the hours suck, but still, the only place in the universe, where you can experience heaven & hell at the same time!
“It was the best of times and it was the worst of times” … this classic line from Charles Dickens “A Tale of Two Cities” survives the test of time & describes our lives today – celebrate the best, but be prepared for the worst!
Thursday, April 5, 2012
UAE beckons - aam janta ishtyle!
Dubai, the man made miracle, the city that never sleeps, the land of glitzy dreams, a rich man’s haven, where money is the local lingo ….
But fikar not, aam aadmi, some delights in the UAE come cheap & easy; Sit back, fasten your seat belts & allow yours truly, to whisk you away on a tour of the Emirates, janta ishtyle:
The tallest building in the world, the magnificent Burj Khalifa, which attained Hollywood status, with MI4 &Tom Cruise scaling its unbelievable heights; free, unlimited viewing by day or night – never fails to take my breath away!
Cruise along the stunning Dubai creek & Dubai harbour, in the only way it’s meant to be enjoyed – an abra ride! An abra is a small motorised water taxi, which used to be the main mode of transport, years ago & still sustains, survives & excites – for the princely price of a couple of dhirams, row, row, row your boat, gently down the stream ….
Dubai’s little sister, the pretty city of Alain, is home to a Guinness world record holding garden – apna “Alain Hanging Gardens”! It achieved permanent residence in the record books, for the highest number of hanging flower baskets … & I attained adulthood, without realising, that such a category existed! A visual treat, a great photo opportunity & your heart will really go ‘garden garden’! Entry – totally free!!! Just remember, the flowers bloom only for a month or so, in the spring!
First day, First show for movies – it happens only in the UAE! The movie buff’s paradise, where excitement is to check new releases on Thursday morning & watch ‘em before the rest of the world;
Food glorious Food! Even Oliver Twist can ask for “more” – you can pick up a wholesome & delicious Lebanese sandwich, feast your Indian souls on Gujju Thalis, South Indian fare, mouth-watering chatpata chaat, the best shawarmas in the world ….. for under 10dhs! For a little more, the world is your dining table, doston! You name the cuisine, UAE has it! Need to take a break now, because I am suddenly feeling hungry!!
UAE’s answer to Hyde Park & Central Park – ek, do, teen … lush green strips of heaven, scattered all over the Emirates, which beckon you to take long walks, chill with a book, have picnics ... you get the idea – simply enjoy! Most have free entry, but a select few, charge a couple or more dhirams; total paisa vasool!
Sure, Dubai Mall houses some of the best stores in the world, but I head straight for Book World by Kinokuniyastar – a treasure trove of the best literature in the whole of the Middle East; cheap skates like me, sometime don’t even buy – the store encourages you to kick off your shoes, sit down in a cosy corner & read – oooh, rows of glossy magazines, books, ripe for the picking … my little oasis in desert country & a day well spent!
A hop, skip & jump away from Dubai, is big brother Abu Dhabi; solid, soaked in culture & scenic, with its long, blue stretch of Corniche (where moi lives & the view from my living room is divine!);the awe inspiring Grand Mosque, which you can take a tour of, without coughing up a dime;
free concerts on the beach; the magnificent Emirates Palace Hotel; the action packed culture diary, which recently included a week-long celebration of Charles Dickens on film –
a surreal & exquisite opportunity – totally free, a gift of the Abu Dhabi Film Festival;
Much has been written about the fabulous Yas Marina circuit, which hosts the Formula One Abu Dhabi Grand Prix – the tickets for the season are a whopper; but once a week, the circuit is open to the public at large, where you can go for an evening walk, jog, rent a bicycle, or simply soak up the circuit vibe, yep, FOC!
Where else will you find air conditioned bus stops, a store called “No Name” selling Arabic Abayas, or a sweet shop, inappropriately titled “Butt Sweet House”?!
The Emirates beckon, on a shoe string budget …
But fikar not, aam aadmi, some delights in the UAE come cheap & easy; Sit back, fasten your seat belts & allow yours truly, to whisk you away on a tour of the Emirates, janta ishtyle:
Cruise along the stunning Dubai creek & Dubai harbour, in the only way it’s meant to be enjoyed – an abra ride! An abra is a small motorised water taxi, which used to be the main mode of transport, years ago & still sustains, survives & excites – for the princely price of a couple of dhirams, row, row, row your boat, gently down the stream ….
Sure, Dubai Mall houses some of the best stores in the world, but I head straight for Book World by Kinokuniyastar – a treasure trove of the best literature in the whole of the Middle East; cheap skates like me, sometime don’t even buy – the store encourages you to kick off your shoes, sit down in a cosy corner & read – oooh, rows of glossy magazines, books, ripe for the picking … my little oasis in desert country & a day well spent!
free concerts on the beach; the magnificent Emirates Palace Hotel; the action packed culture diary, which recently included a week-long celebration of Charles Dickens on film –
Much has been written about the fabulous Yas Marina circuit, which hosts the Formula One Abu Dhabi Grand Prix – the tickets for the season are a whopper; but once a week, the circuit is open to the public at large, where you can go for an evening walk, jog, rent a bicycle, or simply soak up the circuit vibe, yep, FOC!
The Emirates beckon, on a shoe string budget …
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