On the eve of Valentine’s Day, while love was supposed to be in the air, somebody decided it would be as good a day as any to blow people up. Thus ensued the bombing of a popular eatery called the German Bakery in the western Indian city of Pune.
I remember growing up in India and growing to understand fear. You always knew what to do because everyone else was doing it. Don’t go out there are riots, angry mobs running wild and crazy in the streets killing people in the name of religion or politics or something important like that. Grow up a little more and you learn new terms like bombs and terrorists and mangled and dead. I know all these words and then some. I love my country, but I can’t help but be annoyed at what can be and still won’t be because our politicians are corrupt and uneducated and our people are easily swayed, willing to fight to honour someone else’s ideals, someone else’s greed.
I don’t believe in Valentine’s Day but I do believe in love, I believe in life and I believe in equality. This is the oldest story in the book, almost everything that results in death or destruction in India is more often than not blamed on Pakistan (I’m not saying that they are entirely guilt free either). But I am tired of this tug of war – India blames Pakistan and Pakistan denies all terrorist ties. In fact for all of you who didn’t know this and I quote the Pakistani Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani on this “We condemn terrorism in all its forms and manifestations." (http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/feb/14/hindus-india-talks-ban-pakistan-bomb-bakery)
In the aftermath of yet another ‘terrorist attack’ a few things immediately stand out – Pakistan is blamed without proof almost immediately (I must also emphasize that proof or no proof Pakistan will continue to shake its head and ‘condemn’ terrorism), the same Hindu nationalist leaders that strike terror within the nation due to their small-minded policies and agenda have called for peace talks with Pakistan to be cancelled (the previous talks were cancelled following the terrorist attacks of November 2008 in Mumbai). Firstly what good is that going to do? I mean I have no illusions that the ‘peace talks’ will result in us letting go of our deep seated enmity against Pakistan but even attempted peace talks should be better than none right? I mean what probability laws apply here?
I am an Indian citizen and I am tired. I am tired of knowing friends and family who have died in bomb blasts. I am tired of a country that gets used to it. I am tired of a government that gives statements like There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the blast, which India's Home Minister P. Chidambaram described as "a significant terrorist incident". (http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5gnZHVHrTQyoJ9GcXp9z7VwSpffkA).
So I ask you. Are there any insignificant terrorist ‘incidents’???
And THAT'S how you make a movie!
I know I’m supposed to love Bollywood movies because the song and dance and drama is supposed to be in my blood. Compared to a large percentage of the Indian population, I watch very few Hindi movies and I like even fewer but one cannot deny the fact that every now and then a gem of a movie does surface. There will be that one movie that has all the elements of a typical Bollywood film fiasco and yet manages to surpass pure genius.
‘3 Idiots’, directed by Rajkumar Hirani is one such film. The film depicts the stress associated with the education system in India and how parents tend to push their kids towards professional careers that may/may not be of their choosing. Parental pressure and strict professors are big in India. Kids grow up early in terms of responsibility and there is always the general fear in breaking away from the norm to take up an arts course or God-forbid choose not to study.
I have not laughed this hard while watching a movie that had such a strong message in a very long time (I actually don’t remember the last time that happened). Laughter is the best medicine and it is true that once you get people laughing they are more likely to listen to what you have to say.
'3 Idiots’ has everything – youngsters, college life, random song and dance sequences, beautiful cinematography, amazing dialogues, a star cast and of course parts of the plot that would only happen in a Bollywood movie. I actually took my Zimbabwean friend along to watch the film and he was pleasantly surprised and definitely entertained.
I like the idea that Indian cinema is now more easily accessible the world over and that people from all walks of life are more accepting to Bollywood. I’m glad Danny Boyle made ‘Slumdog Millionaire because it opened doors and opened minds and made It possible for at least a fraction of the population to conceive that maybe India has more to offer than just poverty and over population.
So the next time you see that Indian movie playing at a cinema near you, get a good opinion and maybe give it a go. You might actually like what you see. As with most things, you never know until you try.
‘3 Idiots’, directed by Rajkumar Hirani is one such film. The film depicts the stress associated with the education system in India and how parents tend to push their kids towards professional careers that may/may not be of their choosing. Parental pressure and strict professors are big in India. Kids grow up early in terms of responsibility and there is always the general fear in breaking away from the norm to take up an arts course or God-forbid choose not to study.
I have not laughed this hard while watching a movie that had such a strong message in a very long time (I actually don’t remember the last time that happened). Laughter is the best medicine and it is true that once you get people laughing they are more likely to listen to what you have to say.
'3 Idiots’ has everything – youngsters, college life, random song and dance sequences, beautiful cinematography, amazing dialogues, a star cast and of course parts of the plot that would only happen in a Bollywood movie. I actually took my Zimbabwean friend along to watch the film and he was pleasantly surprised and definitely entertained.
I like the idea that Indian cinema is now more easily accessible the world over and that people from all walks of life are more accepting to Bollywood. I’m glad Danny Boyle made ‘Slumdog Millionaire because it opened doors and opened minds and made It possible for at least a fraction of the population to conceive that maybe India has more to offer than just poverty and over population.
So the next time you see that Indian movie playing at a cinema near you, get a good opinion and maybe give it a go. You might actually like what you see. As with most things, you never know until you try.
Power of social media - The Twitter Revolution
Social networking sites are all the rage nowadays, be it Facebook, Twitter, Myspace, Orkut, Hi5 and numerous others. While initially used as a medium to stay in touch with friends and loved ones in different parts of the world, these social networking sites are now n essential part of every youngster’s daily routine. With the introduction of applications and groups and other such platforms social networking sites have now expanded to being a forum to exchange opinions, to rally for a cause, to increase awareness about social, cultural and political events.
The latter became evident a week after the 2009 elections in Iran when protests broke out in Tehran and other major cities around the world in support of opposition candidate Mir-Hossein Mousavi. The collective protests were organised through the popular social networking site – Twitter. While the Iranian government struggled to tighten its reigns on the online medium they were not prepared for the deluge of tweets that stirred Iranians and the rest of the world to retaliate in unison.
Another example of social networking sites marking history would be in the case of current US President, Barack Obama. Prior to him winning the election, the President was successful in rounding up a ridiculous amount of followers and supported the world over by creating his online presence on social networking sites like Twitter, Myspace and Facebook.
Today you can stay updated on your favourite athlete, politician, actor, musician, comedian or just about anybody through these sites. You can follow foreign policy, execute change, incite a revolt or just network.
This is truly the dawn of a new age, one filled with possibilities that are yet to be explored and an age where just about anything is possible. Social networking sites are more than what they were originally intended to be, today they are stepping stones to success, filled with networking opportunities and innumerable possible contacts. Meet like minded souls from all over the world, start your own group, follow someone you admire and do just about anything. Your online presence is fast becoming more important than your physical one and the virtual realm is easy, accessible, user friendly and filled with promise.
The latter became evident a week after the 2009 elections in Iran when protests broke out in Tehran and other major cities around the world in support of opposition candidate Mir-Hossein Mousavi. The collective protests were organised through the popular social networking site – Twitter. While the Iranian government struggled to tighten its reigns on the online medium they were not prepared for the deluge of tweets that stirred Iranians and the rest of the world to retaliate in unison.
Another example of social networking sites marking history would be in the case of current US President, Barack Obama. Prior to him winning the election, the President was successful in rounding up a ridiculous amount of followers and supported the world over by creating his online presence on social networking sites like Twitter, Myspace and Facebook.
Today you can stay updated on your favourite athlete, politician, actor, musician, comedian or just about anybody through these sites. You can follow foreign policy, execute change, incite a revolt or just network.
This is truly the dawn of a new age, one filled with possibilities that are yet to be explored and an age where just about anything is possible. Social networking sites are more than what they were originally intended to be, today they are stepping stones to success, filled with networking opportunities and innumerable possible contacts. Meet like minded souls from all over the world, start your own group, follow someone you admire and do just about anything. Your online presence is fast becoming more important than your physical one and the virtual realm is easy, accessible, user friendly and filled with promise.
My humble tribute to a brilliant writer - J.D. Salinger
"I love to write and I assure you I write regularly. But I write for myself, for my own pleasure. And I want to be left alone to do it" - J.D. Salinger
I was first introduced to J.D. Salinger through his widely popular novel ‘The Catcher in the Rye’. I remember the book because I discovered it at a time when I was preoccupied with finding myself and finding some form of balance within my family. Like millions of other youngsters I could relate to Holden Caulfied. His narrative made me smile in unison and caused me to reflect on my rather muddled perspectives of growing up. The book, even today, has remained one of my favourites. One never knew what to expect from Holden and yet he seemed inaccessible and accessible at the same time. He was your most shameful reflection and your proudest moment all wrapped into one heady concoction.
I have prided myself on being a cynic, on sharing Salinger’s seemingly morbid world view on relationships and life and in so many ways I have grown up with his words resounding a quiet assurance in my ears. I never held his seclusion against him, I was never enraged by his refusal to publish post 1965. I didn’t care as long as I knew that he was out there, somewhere.
While I made a conscious effort to read “The Catcher in the Rye”, Salinger’s short stories came to me through various sources, a birthday present or a recommendation from a friend. With each new story my fondness for this reclusive grumpy old writer grew to awe-filled, respectful proportions. His matter-of-fact style of writing was a welcome breath of fresh air as compared to some of the younger writers who I felt tried too hard to make an impact. Salinger’s words flow and mesh and poke at you until you admit that you have at some point thought those same thoughts. Over the years I fell in love with stories like ‘Franny and Zooey’, ‘For Esmé - with Love and Squalor’, ‘The Heart of a Broken Story’ and ‘A Boy in France’.
When I heard that J.D. Salinger had expired 27 January 2010, my heart sank and my hand reached for my battered copy of ‘Franny and Zooey’. I have loved many books and many authors over the span of my short existence but my heart goes out to the man that make me hate with conviction and let go without disdain.
I loved J.D. Salinger because he made me want to think and dream and write. R.I.P
I was first introduced to J.D. Salinger through his widely popular novel ‘The Catcher in the Rye’. I remember the book because I discovered it at a time when I was preoccupied with finding myself and finding some form of balance within my family. Like millions of other youngsters I could relate to Holden Caulfied. His narrative made me smile in unison and caused me to reflect on my rather muddled perspectives of growing up. The book, even today, has remained one of my favourites. One never knew what to expect from Holden and yet he seemed inaccessible and accessible at the same time. He was your most shameful reflection and your proudest moment all wrapped into one heady concoction.
I have prided myself on being a cynic, on sharing Salinger’s seemingly morbid world view on relationships and life and in so many ways I have grown up with his words resounding a quiet assurance in my ears. I never held his seclusion against him, I was never enraged by his refusal to publish post 1965. I didn’t care as long as I knew that he was out there, somewhere.
While I made a conscious effort to read “The Catcher in the Rye”, Salinger’s short stories came to me through various sources, a birthday present or a recommendation from a friend. With each new story my fondness for this reclusive grumpy old writer grew to awe-filled, respectful proportions. His matter-of-fact style of writing was a welcome breath of fresh air as compared to some of the younger writers who I felt tried too hard to make an impact. Salinger’s words flow and mesh and poke at you until you admit that you have at some point thought those same thoughts. Over the years I fell in love with stories like ‘Franny and Zooey’, ‘For Esmé - with Love and Squalor’, ‘The Heart of a Broken Story’ and ‘A Boy in France’.
When I heard that J.D. Salinger had expired 27 January 2010, my heart sank and my hand reached for my battered copy of ‘Franny and Zooey’. I have loved many books and many authors over the span of my short existence but my heart goes out to the man that make me hate with conviction and let go without disdain.
I loved J.D. Salinger because he made me want to think and dream and write. R.I.P
What would put YOU in a giving mood?
I was going over the latest news pertaining to the 12th January 2010 earthquake in Haiti, when i came across a video on cnn.com that irked my journalistic sentiments..
Yes, I am fully aware of the need for creative journalism. I am well aware that sex sells and that different is almost always considered good. I still see no reason why and i quote "An Ohio strip club hosting "Lap Dances for Haiti," which will raise money for earthquake aid." has found a place on cnn.com.
I can imagine that the original thought process was trying to emphasise the fact that EVERYONE sympathises and empathises with the plight of the people in Haiti. It also aims at stressing that people from all walks of life are willing to do what it takes to provide them with aid in the form of money or relief supplies. I do however emphatically have a problem with the fact that a lot of unnecessary importance was placed on whether this aid would be accepted by a charity. To top it all off they even added a couple of minutes wherein Linda Green from International Services of Hope (ISO) a Christian based organization, proclaims albeit with a rather nasty smirk on her face that she doesn't have a problem with how the money is collected. When was the last time that you heard someone from a Christian/Catholic organisation say "We don’t have the right to judge someone’s heart. If somebody is doing something they have to do for a living then that's the way it is.”
Talking about relief for Haiti, I did find a useful article on the guardian.co.uk site which points out which relief organisations are functional in Haiti and would be ideal to donate to. The article is informative and to the point (http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/jan/15/haiti-earthquake-charitable-aid-donations).
With the rains beginning in Haiti and the fact that more than a million people still have no shelter, one can only hope that people with influence and power strive to provide more hands on aid in the form of making shelter and food available to the millions left stranded.
The issues confronting those without shelter – estimated by USAid at between 1.1 and 1.5 million people – were underlined last week by Care, a Christian ¬charity, which warned that the international community will not be able to ¬supply enough family tents before the rainy season begins in late-March.
Instead, the charity said, the ¬rescue effort should concentrate on ¬providing tarpaulins that can be used to ¬construct waterproof shelters. "Shipping in enough family tents for all the people in need would take months," Care said in a statement. "Most people crammed into overcrowded camps are huddled under bed sheets strung between poles or sticks – hardly enough to block out the sun, but useless against the torrential downpours of Haiti's rainy season." (http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/feb/14/million-remain-without-shelter-haiti)
The people of Haiti need more. More than anybody is doing. More than any news story can effectively portray. More than all the fashion shows (that conveniently incorporate designs by the recently deceased UK designer Alexander McQueen), and all the lap dances, and all the debates. and all the speculation about what the US needs to do. Everyone needs to help in real, literal ways that matter.
Yes, I am fully aware of the need for creative journalism. I am well aware that sex sells and that different is almost always considered good. I still see no reason why and i quote "An Ohio strip club hosting "Lap Dances for Haiti," which will raise money for earthquake aid." has found a place on cnn.com.
I can imagine that the original thought process was trying to emphasise the fact that EVERYONE sympathises and empathises with the plight of the people in Haiti. It also aims at stressing that people from all walks of life are willing to do what it takes to provide them with aid in the form of money or relief supplies. I do however emphatically have a problem with the fact that a lot of unnecessary importance was placed on whether this aid would be accepted by a charity. To top it all off they even added a couple of minutes wherein Linda Green from International Services of Hope (ISO) a Christian based organization, proclaims albeit with a rather nasty smirk on her face that she doesn't have a problem with how the money is collected. When was the last time that you heard someone from a Christian/Catholic organisation say "We don’t have the right to judge someone’s heart. If somebody is doing something they have to do for a living then that's the way it is.”
Talking about relief for Haiti, I did find a useful article on the guardian.co.uk site which points out which relief organisations are functional in Haiti and would be ideal to donate to. The article is informative and to the point (http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/jan/15/haiti-earthquake-charitable-aid-donations).
With the rains beginning in Haiti and the fact that more than a million people still have no shelter, one can only hope that people with influence and power strive to provide more hands on aid in the form of making shelter and food available to the millions left stranded.
The issues confronting those without shelter – estimated by USAid at between 1.1 and 1.5 million people – were underlined last week by Care, a Christian ¬charity, which warned that the international community will not be able to ¬supply enough family tents before the rainy season begins in late-March.
Instead, the charity said, the ¬rescue effort should concentrate on ¬providing tarpaulins that can be used to ¬construct waterproof shelters. "Shipping in enough family tents for all the people in need would take months," Care said in a statement. "Most people crammed into overcrowded camps are huddled under bed sheets strung between poles or sticks – hardly enough to block out the sun, but useless against the torrential downpours of Haiti's rainy season." (http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/feb/14/million-remain-without-shelter-haiti)
The people of Haiti need more. More than anybody is doing. More than any news story can effectively portray. More than all the fashion shows (that conveniently incorporate designs by the recently deceased UK designer Alexander McQueen), and all the lap dances, and all the debates. and all the speculation about what the US needs to do. Everyone needs to help in real, literal ways that matter.
Exegesis
I knew I wanted to become a writer when I was 8 years old. I knew it was the only profession I would pursue at age 20 after veering off across other paths. Proving to my family that I knew what I wanted and would not fail them took time and effort. There have been many instances that have shaped my life and subsequently my opinions about people, places and situations. Being a part of the mass media industry has given me the chance to voice these opinions and to hone them according to the task of the day.
From what I gather this assignment is a reflection of what I have to offer to this course. When I started reading newspapers I was always more interested in the editorial column than the front page. Reading real opinions by real people/writers who did not have to adhere to rules or common news practices interested me. I have since entertained the idea that someday when I’m done building my career I could have my own column in a reputable newspaper.
During this assignment I chose a few topics that I found relevant and interesting, I picked stories and news that I could relate to so that my work would be honest. I am not the most current affairs savvy person around but I do have an opinion about what’s going on. While working on this assignment I realised that there is so much going on with the world at large and how I cannot wait to contribute to the mass media industry.
I set out to present a journalistic blog which encompassed my opinions on certain current affairs topics. I hope that this will better prepare me for my career in the long run, as a journalist/creative person must be decisive and must have a know how about his/her chosen field.
I chose to write a blog because online news production and online forms of media are very relevant these days. A blog is more accessible, has fewer rules and is allowed to be subjective. The next step in my professional career would be to get as many by lines as I can within Australia. I am looking forward to undertaking internships with news channels and newspapers and hopefully offering my prowess as a writer to as many mass media fields as I possibly can. The sky is the limit.
I believe my blog can engage today’s reader because it is relevant, it is honest and it is straightforward. My topics like relief for Haiti, the Twitter Revolution and my tribute to J.D. Salinger are all recent relevant topics. They are the product of a thinking journalistic mind.
From what I gather this assignment is a reflection of what I have to offer to this course. When I started reading newspapers I was always more interested in the editorial column than the front page. Reading real opinions by real people/writers who did not have to adhere to rules or common news practices interested me. I have since entertained the idea that someday when I’m done building my career I could have my own column in a reputable newspaper.
During this assignment I chose a few topics that I found relevant and interesting, I picked stories and news that I could relate to so that my work would be honest. I am not the most current affairs savvy person around but I do have an opinion about what’s going on. While working on this assignment I realised that there is so much going on with the world at large and how I cannot wait to contribute to the mass media industry.
I set out to present a journalistic blog which encompassed my opinions on certain current affairs topics. I hope that this will better prepare me for my career in the long run, as a journalist/creative person must be decisive and must have a know how about his/her chosen field.
I chose to write a blog because online news production and online forms of media are very relevant these days. A blog is more accessible, has fewer rules and is allowed to be subjective. The next step in my professional career would be to get as many by lines as I can within Australia. I am looking forward to undertaking internships with news channels and newspapers and hopefully offering my prowess as a writer to as many mass media fields as I possibly can. The sky is the limit.
I believe my blog can engage today’s reader because it is relevant, it is honest and it is straightforward. My topics like relief for Haiti, the Twitter Revolution and my tribute to J.D. Salinger are all recent relevant topics. They are the product of a thinking journalistic mind.
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