oh, thats the average engineer rate! My son is an MBA

Dowry. To those who think that its an 'old-world' custom, think again. It is in fact a very much prevalent 'custom' and in fact is getting even more worse in modern cities than ever before.

The richer you are, the greedier you become… And there are 'eligible' bachelors (or so they call themselves!), talking about the 'logic' in this senseless system. There are guys with distinguished educational backgrounds (reputed schools, IITs, best B-schools and so on), earnings several lakhs and still expecting 'dowry' in marriage. In fact, their educational qualifications help them push their 'rates' by another 35-50 lakh…. But mind you, no concessions for being an equally qualified working women, that is taken for granted.

Agreed, that in the olden days weddings were like treated like a trade agreement. So, there were kings marrying five times to improve relations with five different neighboring chiefs. Or, in the lower classes it was about sustenance of a grand family. But that’s no longer the case… modern marriages are supposed to be partnerships. Then why should this concept of money changing hands arise!! Is it like parents 'selling-off' their sons?? Or the sons selling themselves off?? Huh...

On a broader side of it, the practice of dowry (& the rocketing dowry rates) is one of the main reasons why a girl child is considered a burden even in economically well-off families. Stories of female infanticides are well-known; and in the affluent classes, well-accepted. As the modern Indian cities move toward nuclear families, guys don't even prefer to stay with their parents; so a girl child can actually support her parents as well as a boy can. In fact, on an average, girls are definitely much more compassionate and loving towards their parents than guys, then why this differentiation?

All of these issues find their roots in 'gender inequality'. I am not a feminist but I am an 'equalist'. I wish our education system could inculcate such basic righteous values in our children…

http://imemyself123.blogspot.com/2007/08/just-think-about-it-one-girl-out-of.html

Tomorrow

Have you ever thought about tomorrow? I mean have you ever thought on the lines of 'What if I am not going to live till tomorrow'? How would you live your life….

That thought aside, have you ever thought about 'What do I really really want?'… I have tried asking this to myself several times but I am not getting a definite answer… and I don't like this at all [:(]

Don’t let someone become priority in your life, when you are just an option in their life

... cause if you do so, you are bound to hurt yourself very badly.

My latest Love

I loved the movie Jab we met… (sorry for the misleading subject ;-))... but REALLY I just loved it…every thing is superb about the movie - direction, songs, characters, acting, humour, timing …. And above all it’s a feel-good movie without looking synthetic… I saw the movie first (yes, I have seen it several times already) when I was in London; with every passing week my love for the movie has grown several times... and By God, Shahid Kapoor is ummmm...

walking again

This time in Mumbai... on Marine's drive...

Another disppointment in hand, not that it was something I was craving for, but it was definitely something with which I could have started afresh on a good note. But who the hell told me that life is going to be easy!!

So, anyways, I had heard (&seen) so much of this place already that kind of knew what to expect. But still it was a bit surprising to find so many couples sitting under the scorching afternoon sun and still managing to look so refreshingly happy... such is love! I prayed in silence for their smiles and joys to continue forever. Those, whose love has strength and truthfulness, do conquer against all the odds of this class-caste-race-ridden-world.

I started walking again in my trademark care-a-damn-about-the-world style. Discovering that I have started enjoying the unknown; and again a strange feeling of how comfortable I have become with my loneliness.

As expected, Indian cities are not meant for loner girls; there are always glares and uninvited smiles, but then I have formed thick immunity to all that... so I sat down on the pavement after a tiring half an hour walk; thought would do some introspection but mind simply refusing to collaborate, and finally heart taking over the reigns of my thought. Mumbai...

Sun was mean enough, not letting me sit down for longer duration at one point (and it was irritating that this super-long pavement is so damn shaved off of trees) so I walked and walked and walked.... sitting down at random intervals when the soles of my sleek sandals started to hurt....

It might be a city of dreams and inspiration for a lot of people, but wish I would never have to live here... this city has taken a lot from me even though I have not lived here more than two days in total... I really wish I would never have to live here...but again some strange feeling tells me that I might be 'forced' to do that at some stage of my life. [Thats another peculiar thing - whenever I have really 'hated' to do something, my dear God has forced me through it... its a kind of test for me]

and I walk alone.

It was slightly chillier today morning... Rain clouds wrapping themselves around the meek morning sun. I generally reach office by 6.45 AM; I don't really mind coming in so early as I am more of a morning person when it comes to work efficiency levels.

Walking in London is very different than walking in Indian cities; Its nice to walk here... no glares from roadside Romeos, no potholes which can trap your heels, cleaner here, no honking and... seeing so many different kinds of people. I agree it might just be the initial joy of things but I like it for now.

Furthermore, I don't like walking with other people; actually everybody is 'other' to me these days... (except for very very few people)... so I walk alone....

Hate Mondays

I hate Mondays; Abhor them... Mondays give me a sinking feeling about life... its like being forced to drink an awful cough syrup early in the morning...

And the latest discovery is that I hate Mondays irrespective of my location (whether I am in London or Bangalore); London is probably worse because I can't work according to my pace even though its a Monday!

I hate hate hate hate Mondays [:(]

My apartment in London

This was long due... was itching to blog but wasn't getting any time at all. Life is so hectic out here and also got so much to see/ do/ experience....

My apartment is nice. Its a fully furnished 1 bhk. Has an awesome bath tub (with rainbath and few other knickknacks ). Bed is large, cosy and comfortable. Its not walking distance from office so I have to take a tube, but not too bad... I like travelling by local transport; I have always felt that its the best way to 'know the city'. Anyways, we were discussing about my apartment. Kitchen is beautiful too; very nicely designed, sleek and sexy. One of the typical NY/ Lndn kitchens where you won't know which-door-is-which. Have a TV but have to survive on FTA (free to air) channels - doesn't matter as I don't really crave for TV. Have a music system too but not sure how to operate it; actually never bothered because I am carrying my laptop this time. For the uninformed, my laptop is my music repository. Also there are some fake orchid flowerpots which I find very intriguing for some strange reason.

Have an array of drawers (very useful mind you), cupboards, comfortable sofa chairs, centre table, dining table, chairs etc.… Another interesting thing is that there is some party/ get together place directly opposite to my window (my room is on the first floor); every night there are groups people playing darts there! There is a 'uptown-looking' bar below my apartment building i.e. on the ground floor.

I think that more or less defines my living place here… More about my trip later!

PS: Not able to t/f pics yet [:(], will post later

No way!

"No, don't say it... don't .... I can see it, I can feel it, things that you want to imply... but please do not. Not again. Not again. Not again.... Same damn game with different players... No, I won't fall for it this time. I am happy alone... and even if I am not 'happy', I am less vulnerable alone. Seen enough, heard enough, had enough."

one month of change....

I will be working from London this whole month. I don't mind travelling to newer places, but sometimes I feel too lonely out here. Nights get specially gloomy... I am saying all this from my last experience. This trip has just begun and I better get my mindset right... Lets be optimistic A....

On the good side of things, its lovely to see so many different kinds of people. Its nice to see places you have never seen before... work-wise too exposure is great; makes me feel I am wasting my time in India. I think its time for a change when I go back... People say that all jobs are monotonous but I won't accept that for myself - at least I can try...

That reminds me of another thing that I have been thinking about for a while:
"It's a funny thing about life. If you refuse to accept anything but the best, very often you get it." -- Somerset Maugham

I have always accepted what life has given me. This time around I am trying to ask a bit more from life. Mediocre actions lead to mediocre results... I am not going to accept mediocrity in myself or my choices...

This is going to be the goal of my trip.