No, our country doesn’t need children to grow up any faster
Mother dairy’s latest ad campaign is kind of hard to miss. Its everywhere, on the billboards, bus stands – wherever you go, you see this asinine ad with children dressed in ridiculously oversized clothes, in garb of lawyers & doctors etc.
It makes me wonder whose brain dead idea was it to launch this not just incredibly dumb but also potentially harmful ad campaign? Such ads should be banned. They do a lot more damage than ads with sexual content, which draw a lot more flak.
There are enough screwed up individuals to mess up the country & they are doing quite a competent job of it. Why add to their ranks? It would serve no purpose to have children grow up faster. Childhood is supposed to be the most glorious period of one’s life. As it is children are growing up a lot faster than the earlier generation thanks to TV & the Internet & I m not sure it’s a good thing. Children should be allowed to remain children for only as fully developed and mature individuals can serve a nation well and hastening the process may do more harm than good.
February 18, 2005
Fifteen Things to be glad for: -
1) Flowers
2) Chocolate
3) Cakes – baking & eating them
4) Books
5) Good movies
6) Winter sunshine
7) Warmth- of a blanket, hot water bottle or love
8) Music
9) Festivals
10) Friendships and friends
11) Color in all its manifestations
12) Fragrance
13) Pets
14) Hot chocolate, tea and coffee
15) Home
It could happen to your children
This morning, I got a rude awakening when I went through not one or two but multiple news items concerning rape of kids-not by those wolves hiding in the bushes- by school principals and teachers. The amount of revulsion I feel cannot be expressed in words. Is this the kind of world we live in? Where the mentors & protectors molest children & infants? Do you know our country doesn’t even have laws for protecting minors from sexual abuse? And even in case there are laws to protect women they are woefully inadequate. Do you know how much is the maximum punishment given to a rapist? 7 years. (Please correct me if I am wrong) Is it enough to deter someone from scarring a person for life? Due to the social stigma attached to it, how many cases of rape and sexual abuse are actually reported? How many convictions take place?
We need stronger laws and an honest implementation of them if we are to protect our families. And no, it doesn’t happen to someone else’s children. If we fail to do anything about it today, it will happen to our children tomorrow.
February 14, 2005
Ever wondered Who you are?
I was just listening to a song on the radio that currently is a rage everywhere. You might’ve heard it (I’d be surprised if you haven’t) It is sung by the sufi rocker Rabbi Shergil’” Bulla ki jaana main kaun”(Penned by a sufi poet who declares his ignorance regarding his self) The Lyrics really make one wonder, who I really am? What does my self comprise of, apart from the body. Soul? Spirit or intellect? Or an amalgamation of all three? & What is this intellect made up of? How much is it my own & how much is the conditioning I received from school, parents & the society? Was my mind really a tabula Rasa at birth or was I born with my unique perspective on things? How much of me am actually mine? How much shaped by study & education? What is original & what has been borrowed? I honestly cannot try & answer these questions. Maybe they cannot be answered. But at least they merit a thought.
February 10, 2005
Recollections of a recovering Shopaholic
Among my most ill kept secrets is that I used to be a shop- a - holic. It was not possible for me to visit or even pass by a market without buying a skirt, a sweater or a scarf, regardless of the fact that I needed that cash I blew up on those items more than the stuff itself. It got to the point where I finally resorted to a prayer (said half in jest), which is used by the people in The Twelve Step recovery program. I asked God to help me as I had become powerless over my addiction to shopping. It worked & I was a good girl for almost over a year & stuck to buying only the most necessary things.
However, after a while I realized to my dismay that when the time came when I actually needed new stuff, nothing that was available in the market appealed to me. Imagine my predicament. Just when I was patting myself on the back, I felt like kicking myself on the backside for passing up great stuff when I found it.(shopping for me is like a treasure hunt- you never know what you’ll find when).Moral of the story?
Whatever you do or not do as far as shopping is concerned, do not self - flagellate. It serves no purpose at all. If you splurged on something you don’t really need right now, just save it for future use. (Moderation should be your watchword here, though). And if you passed something up which later torments you, understand that it wasn’t meant for you (like a lost love) and move onto something better.
February 8, 2005
Today I was sold a dream & I didn't buy it!
The lady at the cosmetic counter said- “ Buy this crème - it’ll restore glow onto your face. She pointed out my flaws, played upon my insecurities regarding my looks & told me how it would help rectify those. However, I paused for a moment & thought, “Will it, really?”
Isn’t this the myth we are sold daily by the media & the cosmetic companies- A shampoo will give us glossy, silky super hair which have actually been conditioned & flat ironed by professional stylists. Every winter, I switch over to a specific body lotion just because it promises to keep my skin soft & supple. It doesn’t. Yet, for ages, I’ve never paused & thought whether it delivers what it promises. I now know it for a fact that it doesn’t & that horrible, stinky mustard oil I’ve rejected in its favor is a lot more effective for my dry as a parchment skin. But will I reform? I don’t know. Similarly, I really don’t think that fancy body washes are any better than the much -maligned regular soaps. Both give me the same result! Then why don’t I switch over to natural & time -tested remedies from grandma’s repertoire? Is it lack of time or sheer inertia that keeps me stuck in the same groove? I really don’t know.
Switch it off!
Have you at times felt absolutely frazzled, sick and tired of absolutely everything, & feel that the world is too much with you? I’ve got a tip. Just switch everything off. Switch off your mobile. Remember why you bought it in the first place- so that your life could be convenient, & not to invite the rest of the world to intrude upon you at all hours. Ok, I understand that maybe you fear that unthinkable things will happen if you dare to switch the cellphone off.They wont. But in any case, lets go slow. Put it on the silent mode and hide it somewhere for a little while. This is your time & you must know how to protect it. Now switch off the radio.While the sound of music is very healing, the cacophopny of RJ’s yakking on & endless advertisements aren’t. Have you done that? good! Now switch off the computer (after having gone thru this site, of course:), TV or any other such distractions. Switch off the lights & just savour the sound of silence for a few minutes. Its very resorative & once you try it, believe me, you’ll get hooked.
February 7, 2005
Who is afraid of fashion police?
What does fashion mean to you?
Is it religiously watching the Ftv for hours, noting the latest trends, turning pages of Elle and Vogue?
Nothing wrong with that. However, sometimes it is better to follow your own rules rather than diktats of fashion pundits. Why should we accept their verdict on boot cut pants when they appear to have descended straight from heavens for our less than perfect bodies? I dread what I’d look like in oh so fashionable cigarette pants. Wear what makes you feel good even if it isn’t ‘in’– fashion police isn’t after u.
February 6, 2005
How to jazz up your apartment for next to nothing!
- Operation clean up- collect all the trash you have, by trash I mean all the things u don’t use- that ranges from unused furniture, books, clothes, broken appliances etc- whatever isn’t beautiful or useful for u. collect it in one place.
- Cash for trash: -Decide what to do with it- whether u want to give it to your friend, kid sister, or charity. See if u can put those things to a creative new use. If u can’t, don’t scratch your head, just sell it your friendly neighborhood raddiwala & convert it into cash. Resist the urge to go & splurge it Instead, buy some acrylic distemper & some brushes, available at your local hardware store. Paint is the cheapest way to add pizzazz to your pad.
- What hue r u? To decide the color, let your preferences guide you. Do u like summery pastels? They are perfect for bringing a touch of spring inside your home. If you like dramatic, bold colors, pair them with muted curtains, upholstery etc to maintain balance.
- Don’t use to many prints & clashing patterns- unless u like that look. Like a said, do as you please, if you don’t express yourself in your own home, where else will you do it?
- Do it on your own pace & have fun doing it!
