Thursday, October 29, 2009

Thursday Tag

I am bored and have a lot of homework to do. Since I will do anything to avoid studying, I am going to do a tag that I have been thinking of doing for some time now. Obviously, the only way to make me write on my blog is to threaten me with studies! It is borrowed from my friend here.

1. Grab the book nearest to you, turn on page 18 and find line 4.
Communication is also affected by the physical environment.

2. Stretch your left arm out as far as you can & catch?
A beautiful pink-orange stole gifted to me by my Mausi.

3. What is the last thing you watched on TV?
I have not watched TV since August. The last thing I saw was an Indian soap called "Uttran" in India.

4.Without looking, guess what time it is?
Around 9:30 PM.

5.Now look at the clock, what is the actual time?
It is 9:08 PM

6. With the exception of the computer, what can you hear?
Another computer.

7.When did you last step outside? What were you doing?
3 days ago, on Tuesday afternoon (its Thursday night now). I went to school.

8. Before you started this Q&As, what did you look at?
The front door- to check if it was locked (it was not!)

9.What are you wearing?
A green skirt and a red T-shirt.

10. When did you last laugh?
I really don't remember. Sad, na?

11. What is on the walls of the room you are in?
Nothing at all.

12. Seen anything weird lately?
Well, I got a packet of garlic cloves and they have gone bad and are spouting fungus. That is weird, since I kept them refrigerated all the time.

13. What do you think of this quiz?
Inane. But then, I don't have to study.

14. What is the last film you saw?
"What's your Rashee?"
Saw it last Sunday.

15. If you became a multimillionaire overnight, what would you buy?
Two BMW's- the sedan and the SUV and two mansions, one in India and one in the U.S.

16. Tell me something about you that I dunno!
Since I don't know who is asking this question, it can't have a valid answer.

17. If you could change one thing about the world, regardless of guilt or politics, what would you do?
I would want Indians to be happy when a girl is born.

18. Do you like to Dance?
Yes. It is what makes me the happiest in the whole world. I forget everything and give myself to it.

19. Imagine your first child is a girl , what do you call her?
Raunak (it is a Punjabi word, impossible to translate)

20. Imagine your first child is a boy , what do you call him?
Advait (meaning "the One")

21. Would you ever consider living abroad?
I already do.

22. What do you want GOD to say to you when you reach the pearly gates?
Welcome to my world!

Thursday, October 22, 2009

Ironical Superstitions

I have always been a very superstitious person, taking to heart the million or so do's and dont's that I grew up with. Everything from not going out after sneezing, black cat crossing, chappal chadhna, etc. A lot of them revolved around Saturday.

One of the most basic tenets was NEVER NEVER EVER to buy loha (iron) on a Saturday. This would offend Shani and bring his wrath upon you! It was like a patthar ki lakeer for us. My mom would not even buy as much as a spoon (since steel is derived from iron) that day. And I thought that this was something that most of India followed, since Shani is worshipped all over the country.

Quite recently, I was talking to an Indian friend who was buying a car. On Saturday. Me being the superstitious person that I am, told her that she could not possibly even conceive of buying a car (that's a LOT of iron) on Saturday. And she told me that in her state (in South India) one is supposed to buy on a Saturday. That it is good to do so!

That left me flabbergasted. And made me wonder. The superstitions that I grew up by and would swear by, reverted and inverted. IN THE SAME COUNTRY. It was not somebody from another country who was questioning my beliefs (which maybe I could understand). We had exactly the opposite ideas.

Another such incident happened a month ago. I moved into a apartment, and my in-laws told me to boil milk- and let it boil over- as a good omen in the new house. This was so that there is always "plenty" in the house. Now, in North India, milk boiling over is considered a very bad omen (witness the number of Hindi films with mothers-in-law screaming Apshagun, Hai Raaam if the hapless overburdened daughter-in-law was doing something else and the milk boiled over). Again, the same event reinterpreted from top to bottom!

So what did it mean, if anything? Did this not just show that all our superstitions are just that? If people in the same country can have diametrically different perpectives on the same thing, then it really does go to show that maybe we should question these beliefs.

Meanwhile, I'm still keeping my chappals straight and not buying iron on Saturday!