Racism

Having lived in Zambia for most of my life, it is sad to see that the people who made Zambia home for me are being treated the way this video portrays it:

If there's one thing that living in Zambia has taught me, it is to be kind to one another; to have empathy; to not discriminate; Zambians have taught me that skin colour is nothing but a colour. It is who you are that determines whether one likes you or not.

I have never faced any form of racism in Zambia, or any African country. On the contrary, I was always accepted for who I am. My friends never made me feel left out, never spoke behind my back, never made me feel left out...so why are we, in India, doing the complete opposite?

I understand that not everyone has the attitude that the video portrays. In fact, I am sure that you, who are reading this, are equally disgusted by the attitudes that are discussed in the video.

I just felt like expressing my opinion. I am heartbroken to see my second family being treated like this in my country of origin. This is just sad...

Source: http://www.mensxp.com/special-features/today/25925-african-nationals-share-how-they-are-treated-in-india-and-its-shameful.html

Mardaani: Thoughts

The topic of women in India is a life long discussion. There's always some issue or the other - abuse, rape, girl trafficking...and so on.

This movie, Mardaani, is one what picks up the issue of girl trafficking and brings no new perspective, but shows the audience the brutal reality of what happens in India. I can probably add that it's not only in India, but should probably be happening in other parts of the world too.

The movie is no different from what many people say - women empowerment, free women, justice has to happen, and so on.

But one thing I really liked about the movie was when the protagonist questions, what's the point of being emotional after the incident has occurred? We need to be emotional before any incident happens in order to avoid it. If the war is personal, only then will you fight it. So why not make it all personal?

And that's the tagline of the movie - "Every war is personal".

I highly recommend watching this movie in order to understand how our country works when it comes to women, specifically girl trafficking. Of course, it offers no solution and for the handful that understand it, it's no use. We already feel strongly about the issue.

Watch the trailer here:

Dear Stranger, Happy Birthday! Sincerely, Stranger.

Dear Stranger,

Today, you reminded me of the days when humanity, kindness, friendship and love were most important. You may not have realised the impact of your small act, but it made me realise that in today's world, we hardly give importance to the things that really matter. For this, I sincerely thank you.

Sincerely,
Anu.

To my readers,

My friend and I were sitting in front of Forum Mall (Bangalore), and just talking about random stuff. You know how it is when you catch up with friends.

While doing so, we observed a group of boys in front of us. They were hiding a cake, which had a number of candles on them. Another group of boys were bringing in the birthday boy, covering his eyes. They brought him towards the cake, then revealed the surprise. The expression on the birthday boy's face was one I will never forget. The genuine happiness and joy on his face is one that is rarely to be seen.

What moved me in this act of friendship was when the cake was cut and distributed, the boys also distributed the cake to the people around.

This kind of attitude in today's world is rarely found. I would like to thank these boys, not for the cake, but for putting a smile on my face and making me take part in their circle of happiness. This took me back to the days when I was a kid and I would distribute chocolates all around the school, to people I knew and to people I didn't know, just because I wanted them to take part in my happiness.

Sometimes, it's best to keep things simple. Simplicity is what brings happiness. Today's incident was one I will always remember and cherish. Once again, Happy Birthday Jagdish! :-)

They shared their cake!

The group of boys. Photograph by Sundeep Chevour

Crossing Roads!

Crossing the road is a task and a half. I mean if you live in a country like India, you've to look all directions...have a 360 degree vision yo!

I've been in Canada for 3 weeks now. And crossing roads here is easy peasy. They have the signal to let you know when you can cross. You don't have to do the whole "look right..look left..yada yada.." Now, you just have to stare at a signal that has a walking man.

Ever noticed how awkward it is when you're crossing the road? I mean if you're a group of people, all well and good. But when it's a couple of people...or you're alone. Man! It's like all eyes on you bro! And you don't know what to do? Do you smile? Wave? Look down? Why should I look down? I'm not ashamed. Should I do a dance and entertain them? Should I look straight? If I don't smile, they're gonna think I'm a bitch. OMG I'm the chicken crossing the road!

See in India that's not a problem. Because while you're moving, so is the traffic.

So many thoughts. So many awkward moments. Or maybe it's just me. Let me know. If it is...then I need some serious help.

Stay safe.

(I really couldn't think of anything else to blog about...any ideas are more than welcome.)

Updates, Travel, Thoughts & Discussions

I know I haven't blogged in ages and the handful of people who actually read my blog, I sincerely apologise. But I do have my reasons. I'm travelling! From Bangalore to Dubai to New York to Toronto! Yes. That's a lot. Expect a lot of travelogues soon!

Moving on, recently, while I was in Bangalore, my career options dawned upon me. I decided that travel journalism is it. I mean, who doesn't love travelling? And I also discussed all these thoughts with my friends and family. To which many people asked me or told me, "Watch Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani!" and am like...okay? Apparently the main character is a traveler. Yay him!

So 2 days back, I finally watched the movie. I'm not going to review it. But this further led to a more interesting conversation with my sister. I said the movie was ironic as the character who had traveled the most knew less about life than the character who had stayed put in one city. To which my sister added on..."Travelers go and see touristy places; the same place that every man would see. One who stays put in a place knows every corner of the city...they explore the unexplored and discover something new." Which is life, right? We'd all rather discover something new rather than dwell on the same things over and over.

So that's my post folks. More will come up probably around September.
Happy Summer everyone! :)

A Weekend Getaway: Pondicherry

Hello Pondy!

Pondicherry Railway Station

Looking for a quick weekend away? Pondicherry is the answer. The small town offers a lot for a weekend. Pack your bags and catch the next train or bus to Pondicherry because this is a place that guarantees lots of opportunities for photographers, adventurers, travelers, foodies and most commonly, a combination of all.

The city is highly influenced by its past colonization by the French in the 1700s. The people of the city can communicate in Tamil, English and some in French too. Easy for those of you who are not familiar with Tamil. Furthermore, most of the architecture is European, with bright colours such as yellow; high ceilings and big windows.

Being a small city (town?), it has many advantages; people know the area pretty well to direct you, communication is easy, most touristy places are near each other, people are friendly and the environment is relatively clean. Adding on, you don't even need local transport if you're in for a good walk. Think it's worth it after eating all the delicious French, Italian and of course, South Indian food!

Let's establish, before you read further, that a weekend is more than enough to see Pondicherry. It's not that there isn't much to see. It's just that the place is rather small for you to spend a lot of time. Unless, of course, you like spiritual life and beaches. Then I'd say take 5 to 6 days to see the place and find your inner self.

Things to see, do and eat!

1. Auroville

Auroville "Welcome"

Auroville "Golden Globe"

Auroville is a small town about 8km from Pondicherry. The easiest way to get there is hiring a cab. What's there to do? They have a small visitors' information center for those of you who are interested in the history of this beautiful structure. Furthermore, all you architects, this is a must see for you! The structure started construction in the 80s and was completed around 2008. So go and find out what the deal is with the time taken to construct this massive structure.

If you want to go inside the "Golden Globe", you need to make an booking in advance (if this is your first time). I suggest you do it online as the chances of you getting a booking on the spot are really really low.

2. Paradise Beach

Paradise Beach

The peace of going to a beach, sitting and observing the waves as you drift away in your own mind. Sigh. This is the place to be if you want peace and quiet or just pure fun with waves! Paradise Beach is an island. To get to this island, you've to go on a 30 minute boat ride. Once you reach the island, chill with a good book or a drink or swim or just stare at the waves...as anything is legit on an island with a beautiful beach!

3. Aurobindo Ashram

Looking to discover yourself? Want to know more about the history of Pondicherry? Head to the Aurobindo Ashram - the most peaceful place to be when meditating. The place is filled with people sitting, cross legged, as they meditate for inner peace, discovering themselves or just for some relaxation. The place is worth exploring to understand the values and teachings of Sri Aurobindo and Mother.

Local Beach

4. The Local Beach

The beach in Pondicherry has no sand. It has been covered with rocks. But it is still worth a visit as Le Cafe is situated here. Furthermore, climbing down the rocks for some pictures is totally worth the view!

5. The Sacred Church of Jesus

Sacred Church of Jesus

Visit the Church to reconnect with God. Aside from this, the European combined with Indian architecture is admirable.

6. Eat outs!

There are quite a few options for people to eat. Being a vegetarian, I probably cannot help you non veg eaters. However, I'll give it a shot! Firstly, vegetarians, you have to eat at Surguru Hotel. They have the best veg food you can think of...from dosas to idlys to vadas to naans to paneer...sigh. They also have accommodation services.

Le Cafe's Cold Coffee

Le Cafe serves anything really...they have cold coffee, french fries and for those of you in search of a little bit of France, they have croissants!

Other than that, I cannot give more information in the food aspect of things. But you are sure to find signs directing you to various places to eat. The most common cuisines you will find are French, Italian and Indian...all authentic.

Plan your trip!

So if you're looking to travel to Pondicherry, there are many ways to get here. The bus, train or if you're the daring types, you could drive down on your own! Many hotels are available to accommodate you according to your comforts. The hotels are more than willing to organise a taxi for you to get around the city. Otherwise, you could always walk around or take an auto rickshaw.

It's the perfect place for a relaxing weekend away from a metropolitan city. Or just a break from the monotony of a fast paced life.

All Photographs taken by Author

University Days

So I haven't blogged for over a month now. I don't even have a valid excuse. I've been on break since May 7th. Sigh pie. I guess the blog was becoming too personal for me. I need to keep some things to myself also, noh?

Having said that, this post is a very light topic.

Guess what?! I'm in India! Bangalore, to be specific. It's good to walk around without a jacket. Feel humidity. Enjoy thunder and lightening. Eat dosas. I'm so gonna get lazy these holidays.

University life is fun. Don't get me wrong. But when you live alone, you realise the amount of home chores your parents (and if you've a maid) do! Oh so many! Cooking, for instance, is so much fun! On the other paw, doing the dishes? Bleh. Cleaning your room every week is a must. The sense of organisation is needed when you're studying. Finding your textbook among your clothes pile is a sign that you need to clean your room.

Don't even get me started on living with your friends. I mean, no offence. It's a shit load fun when you're staying in a flat with your friends (or roommate). But that interferes with your routine. You'll be busy studying or pondering over some stuff when someone knocks on your door. It'll be for a minute's job but damn! You'll stand there talking for hours! No privacy bro.

University life and living alone gets you active. You tend to become more responsible and empathise (literally) with your parents. One thing to always keep in mind is the reason you're there. Study, get a degree, work. Life is very mechanical that way. But that's only because we always look at the broad picture. Look at it in detail, and you'll find the reason why life is so totally worth it!

IPL: Indian Premiere League

It's IPL season and we've some pretty good matches so far. But this post is related to the controversies of the IPL. Oh so many controversies. I don't need Hindi serials to make fun of anymore. I can just make my own Hindi serial by editing a few of the IPL clips.

Firstly, the IPL is a form of entertainment. I do not understand why a handful of people take it so seriously. If your team loses, it's fine! Learn to live with it. It's not the end of the world. And it certainly doesn't give you the permission to start booing them and lowering their self esteem. Winning and losing is part of any sport. If you do not understand that concept, I suggest you stop watching the IPL and pick a book about good sportsmanship.

Secondly, if a player performs well in one match and doesn't do so in his next match, I see a gazillion status updates, tweets and silly memes about how he should either quit or if he got out, the team has no hope of winning. WHY?! Like, why? He's not the only player on the team. There are other players who have equal potential to win the game. Secondly, if he didn't play well today, give him a break! Don't boo him. Remember, he played well once and won the game for your team.

Thirdly, its sad that as an Indian, you boo your own players. I personally do not like some Indian players. But I respect the fact that they play for India. Don't let some petty entertaining factor ruin the unity of our country. We have many more things already doing that for us. Let sports be at least.

Don't take things that are leisure so seriously. Instead, take serious issues of our country and be passionate about them. Don't leisurely overlook the various cases going on in India such as the rape cases. Apply your energy and passion in solving or speaking up about those issues rather than using it on a mere sport that just creates more problems.

Watch the matches. Enjoy them. Support your team. But remember, it's just a game. At the end of the day, we are one country. It's just a sport. You're just getting entertained. Relax. 

Parenting and..um...Children-ing?

Aspect: Parenting teenagers.

Sex is such a taboo thing to talk about in India. Or maybe I just assume. But I do know that the western world is more open in talking about sex, dates, etc. with their children. And I do think this is important. In India, parents probably do talk to their children about all this. But it's all portrayed negatively.

When a girl becomes a teenager, the one advice Indian parents give their daughter(s) is "Beti (daughter), don't talk to boys that much okay? Don't be in the same room with him alone...blah blah."

Again, I may be wrong. My writings are purely based on stereotypes (sad, I know) and a few programs on the television (even more sad, I know). My parents are totally cool. They've had all kinds of talks with me and they know that I prefer to have guy friends than girl friends. This doesn't mean I am a slut and that I've had a gazillion affairs and what not. It just means I prefer to talk about music and movies rather than bitch about people behind their backs. (See? Stereotyping again.)

Because my parents have talked to me about a boy's attitude towards a girl, dating, sex, etc., I know my limits. My parents have told me about everything but they've also let me perceive it the way I want to. I have formed my opinions and principles on my own. They didn't plant it in my head. It's kind of like how the media works (according to Russell Peters): "They kind of present things in a way like 'What do you think?'" Plus when they let you think on your own, you tend to have more respect for them. Because you're being treated like an adult.

I think this is highly essential in parenting. Parents and children need to have a more friendly relationship rather than the whole authoritative picture. Advice should be given on basis of care rather than "Oh what will the neighbors think?" kind of an aspect. Parents and children, both, need to be open with each other. I'm open enough to tell my mother who I am dating or who I am not. Of course, fathers, in this aspect, will probably overreact. But that's only because they know what's going on in a guy's mind.

Having said all this, it's not entirely up to the parents. If you (child, you) want your parents to be more open about discussions about sex, dating, boys, girls, crushes, etc. you need to be open about your life to your parents. You need to tell them how you feel. You don't need to tell them immediately. You can tell them later on. But tell them. At the end of the day, if anything goes wrong, they will be the ones to help you.

So, here's a song to start your discussion. Enjoy!

Bruno Mars - Locked Out Of Heaven

Thank you Amma and Appa: You're the world's best parents! Love you!

Act!

What do I do instead of writing my essay? I blog. It’s a good stress buster. As is Twitter. Just saying.

Anyway. This blog is going to be a rather serious one. Only because it got me thinking. Now, before you get all critical, offensive and defensive, this blog is not targeted at anyone. It’s just my general thought. I may be wrong for all I know as I do not know what’s going on in your minds.

So going abroad and studying? Best experience ever. But, where are my qualifications going to play their part? My home. I have two homes so I’ll probably try and incorporate both. But no matter how much I say I am Zambian at heart, I am also partly Indian. And I love India. The culture, food, people, ambiance  traffic, dust, shopping…what’s not to love?

Point being, I am studying abroad. But I want to use this education to help make my country better. Why should I stay here and make a good place even better when I need to improve my country? I am not saying my country is bad. It’s not. In fact, it’s far from bad. Sure we have certain happenings that are not acceptable in society. It’s not like all the other countries in the world have no crime, rape, murders, etc. They do. We’re just not aware of it.

Use opportunities wisely. Don’t improve the good. Improve what needs improvising. Don't complain. Act. Give back to your country for a better future. 

The Rape Case

The People;

The lower class, unaware

The middle class, aware but no time

The upper class, aware, have time to protest

But, no results.

The Media;

News sensation, exaggeration

What is the reality?

Blowing out of proportion

New stories: Has Bollywood got to do anything with this? 
Are the media to blame?

Again, no results.

International viewers;

Sympathise, discuss

Look down upon India

It does not affect them;

Again, no results.

Social Media;

Endless RIP tweets,

Sharing n number of notes and photographs about the case

Organising walks and protests

All lasted for a few weeks.

Today? Hardly anything seen on my newsfeed.

What’s the point?

Was justice served?

Was it served despite all these expressions, protests, walks, news, reactions, discussions?

What really happened?

R.I.P, the woman who fought, the woman who awakened India with her sleep.

Love, Marriage and all that

Recently, my sister and I were talking about marriage. She told me, "You have to get married. But not early." And I was like "Cool cool." all chilled. Then she says, "Find a guy from Canada! Then we can live together." And I was like "Cool cool."

Again, I have a cool mother. She said, "Anu, please find yourself a boyfriend." And I was like "Cool cool." (Bet you guessed my reaction). Mom continued, "But he has to be Hindu, Brahmin, Iyer if possible, okay?"

Sigh. Do you fall in love with specifications? It's not like I am going to ask the guy before I fall in love with him, "Are you Iyer? Do you live in Canada?" I'll just fall in love. I am not going to fall in love with him because of his geographical location but because of his personality; how he is as a person, how he treats me, what he likes, what we share in common and so on.

I recently read a quote:

"Much of the pain in life comes from having a life plan that you've fallen in love with, and when it doesn't work out, you become angry that you now have to pursue a new life plan. If you want to tame your inner demons, you must not become too attached to any particular life plan, and remain open to there being an even better, happier life plan."

Therefore, I cannot plan who I fall in love with. I can just fall in love.

Having said that, the rate at which I am going, I will eventually end up marrying someone my parents choose for me anyway. So this blogpost is for people who still believe they can find someone on their own :P Peace and love to one and all :)

Women should care

Rape cases, molestation and all these other cases regarding women are heard of in abundance these days. What's even more sad is that in today's world, people's way of thinking has not changed. For the society, it's always the man at fault. I am not saying that the woman is always at fault. No. But sometimes, it's better to analyse the situation and try to understand both points of views, rather than jumping to conclusions and immediately pointing fingers at the man.

(I will not quote any incidents here as it may create controversial thoughts. These are personal opinions.)

My mother has always taught me, "Whether the knife falls on the leaf or the leaf falls on the knife, it is always the leaf that will tear." The same way, whether the man abuses the woman or the woman abuses the man, it is the woman who will face the consequences.

One needs to understand the importance of the different standards of society today, especially in India. India is a huge country with a large population. This large population is sub-divided into different classes of society from the highest possible to the lowest possible. If you are a woman, sit and reflect upon this: If you wear the most inappropriate clothes and walk in front of an uneducated man or in an area that is not fully secure, with a few men who are drunk or tipsy, don't you think you will be attracting trouble? It's easy for you to immediately argue and protest with signs, "Don't tell us what to wear, tell them not to rape." Sure we could do that, but is it possible to say it to each and every man in India? To give you a better understanding, I will quote my mother's explanation.

Location: UB City, Bangalore
Photography By: Anupama Subramaniyam

"In a country like India, most of the people live together as a joint family. Therefore, it is rather difficult for the husband and wife to sleep together regularly. Especially in rural and smaller towns. Men need to satisfy themselves and do such stupid actions in order to just give themselves some satisfaction. And women dressing up the way they do in cities, and then walking around in areas where such attention isn't needed, just attracts the men even more."

Living in Bangalore, I can only give you examples from this city. If you had to wear a short skirt and a tube top and walk into UB City, I think you will be more than fine over there. The crowd is decent, the place is safe and the crowd is educated. If anything were to happen, there is security around to make sure things are settled down. If you had to wear the same clothes and walk a little down UB City into perhaps Majestic, where there is no security and the people are of lower standards, I am not saying that you will get harmed, but there are more possibilities of it happening.

Being a woman myself, I understand that we need to have the complete and total freedom to wear what we want and behave how we want to behave. But remember the leaf story; even if we don't do anything, we will get into trouble.

Meeting the Metro

I had just got back from my holiday in Dubai. I spent some quality time with my loved ones and soon they all diffused into memories, as I dived into a sea of assignments. However, an unexpected long weekend gave me the opportunity to ride on Bangalore's newest mode of transport, the Metro; or as it is locally known as, Namma Metro. 

For illustration purpose only
Photographer: Senashia Ekanayake

Having ridden on the Metro in Dubai, I did not have high expectations of Namma Metro. I was ready to compare the two. 


Between the two, I preferred the Metro Stations in Dubai. I am no architect, but the stations in Dubai were more  artistically designed, therefore more appealing to the viewer's eye. The Metro Station in Bangalore was very plain and boring, but much more spacious than the one in Dubai. This may be for the accommodation of a large crowd as Bangalore is more populated than Dubai.


The train in Bangalore was similar to that of the one in Dubai. However, personally, I thought that the train in Bangalore was far more informative and convenient in terms of accommodating a large group of people. 


The prices of the tickets, in both Dubai and Bangalore, were relatively affordable considering the value of the currency of each place respectively and the distance covered. The Metro in Dubai issues small cards, the size of a standard business card. These cards are disposable once completely used. The Metro in Bangalore issues tokens, which are a little larger than a coin. These tokens are reusable, therefore saving paper and reducing the chances of littering at the Stations. However, the tokens are small enough to easily displace.


My journey on Bangalore's Metro was from Mahatma Gandhi Road, popularly known as MG Road, to Indira Nagar and back. A one way journey took me approximately 10 minutes, whereas by auto, the same distance would have taken me much longer and cost me probably 5 times more. 


To sum up the whole journey, it was unique and quite nice, for the simple reason that it was a different experience to have traveled a fairly long distance so quickly, with no noise, no disruptions and no pollution. We may be frustrated with the construction of the Metro right now, but once it is fully constructed and starts functioning at a regular pace, we will appreciate it's existence. 


© Anupama Subramaniyam

Hello There!

So, I have many blog sites and am tired of making a choice. I joined one called "thoughts.com" only to discover it's almost similar to The Twitter, except, you can blog too! Ohhhhh! *sarcasm*

That's me!

Blogging isn't really my kind of thing. I may write something today, and my next post will be ages from today! However, I am trying to move away from my "Idle Mind". Hopefully I will someday *wink*
Well, since this is my first post, I will tell you a little bit about myself *smile*

My name is Anupama Subramaniyam, most commonly known by the name Anu Subra. I am Indian by Nationality but have been in Zambia, Africa since I was a month old. My family is my first priority, then my friends. Am a Saggitarean! *wide smile* I love food! I listen to all kinds of music and right now am experimenting my soul's connection with Bollywood music. I love movies! In short, am like any other normal teenager, except once you get to know me, you won't regret it *smile*

Okay, I guess that's enough for now. My mature and intellectual side will be seen in future posts. Don't judge me from this blog because am half sleepy right now. *pulls out tongue*

Keep Smiling People! *smile*

© Anupama Subramaniyam