Friday, March 20, 2009
If I only had a brain....
Great video. Not necessarily how I feel, but I know lots of my fellow desis/non-desis feel this way sometimes.
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Dinga Dinga Dee
This video is so absurd, but so catchy.
Courtesy of Rafael Israel Defense. Originally posted by StratPost.
Courtesy of Rafael Israel Defense. Originally posted by StratPost.
Monday, March 9, 2009
Somebody Told Me
I looked at my calendar and realized that I hadn't updated this blog in over a month. Apologies to my readers and the Spanish Inquisition (Monty Python anyone?). Anyway, personally, I went through a rough time in my first midterm, but I came out alive and well.
Recently, my fellow blogger Mr. Nice Guy sent me an article in regards to immigrant children are now more likely to marry within their own culture/race. I read through the article and Mr. Nice Guy and I proceeded to discuss it.
1. I proposed that it is only generations 4 and 5 that tend to start a mass-interracial marrying. The hypothesis is that those generations tend to have a less cultural involvement. This is no fault of the 2nd or 3rd generation, it is simply the integration that occurs the longer a family lives in a newly adopted home.
2. Being a 3rd generation (okay, 2.5, but I round up like the banks) Indian American, I see no problem in interracial marriage based on two ideas
As for losing family and cultural traditions, I firmly believe it is the responsibility of the parents to teach and explain their respective cultures. For my potential children, I will try to make it a point to expose them to Indian culture and then explaining the point or reasoning behind certain cultural horizons.
Referring to the article, it states that many young "immigrant Americans" are seeing comfort in marrying people's of similar cultural backgrounds. As excellent as that is, I feel slightly jaded by that notion. I have been around Indians my entire life, and I have no maleficence toward Indian women, but I feel much more drawn to non-Indian women. I can't really explain why, but I will hypothesize that relationships outside of my race and culture will be much more interesting, rewarding and will expose me to whole new facet to my personal horizons.
Yes, marrying within my culture will be easy and may provide for an even easier familial situation. But I always try to bring everyone down to the same level: No one is any better than anyone and therefore, all women will be the same, regardless of race, culture or creed. So, same problems/rewards regardless of skin color and cultural differences.
An interesting fact: Arranged marriage was the dominant form of marriage until the introduction of "modern courtship" introduced by Western culture in the 1900's. The argument still exists: Who gets to choose who I a marry, my parents or me?
As I get older; I'll be 23 years old in a month, I find that I am starting to think about marriage and when I will get to that point. I think about how my father was already married when he was my age. It is slightly incomprehensible how one generation later, I will probably be 5-15 years older than when my father was married! I am not sure if it will arranged or the traditional Western idea of marriage. Even the prospect of marriage is sometimes off putting. I feel as if I haven't dated enough and that there may be something that I am missing if I get married too early. At the same time, I might miss out on something if I get married too late. It's a conundrum that many in my generation have to face.
In conclusion, love, arranged or interracial marriage are enough options to leave any person bewildered and confused. Luckily, we have those options. I think the best option right now is to grow up some more and wait and see. Perhaps increased maturity will make the choice more clear, or just make us even more lost.
Good luck everyone! Hopefully the juice is worth the squeeze.
P.S. If you are a female, with high aspirations in life, I am a 22 year old Aries. I like long walks on the beach, star gazing, trips to the museum and/or art galleries, followed up with a pleasant evening at an interesting restaurant and dancing. I am totally up for most new experiences :) (No, really, just leave me alone with my medical school books. I NEED TO STUDY!)
Recently, my fellow blogger Mr. Nice Guy sent me an article in regards to immigrant children are now more likely to marry within their own culture/race. I read through the article and Mr. Nice Guy and I proceeded to discuss it.
1. I proposed that it is only generations 4 and 5 that tend to start a mass-interracial marrying. The hypothesis is that those generations tend to have a less cultural involvement. This is no fault of the 2nd or 3rd generation, it is simply the integration that occurs the longer a family lives in a newly adopted home.
2. Being a 3rd generation (okay, 2.5, but I round up like the banks) Indian American, I see no problem in interracial marriage based on two ideas
- Interracial marriages theoretically open the gene pool up to new traits and possibly increases the genetic strength of progeny.
- Interracial marriages help rid the existing racism that still exists in our world.
As for losing family and cultural traditions, I firmly believe it is the responsibility of the parents to teach and explain their respective cultures. For my potential children, I will try to make it a point to expose them to Indian culture and then explaining the point or reasoning behind certain cultural horizons.
Referring to the article, it states that many young "immigrant Americans" are seeing comfort in marrying people's of similar cultural backgrounds. As excellent as that is, I feel slightly jaded by that notion. I have been around Indians my entire life, and I have no maleficence toward Indian women, but I feel much more drawn to non-Indian women. I can't really explain why, but I will hypothesize that relationships outside of my race and culture will be much more interesting, rewarding and will expose me to whole new facet to my personal horizons.
Yes, marrying within my culture will be easy and may provide for an even easier familial situation. But I always try to bring everyone down to the same level: No one is any better than anyone and therefore, all women will be the same, regardless of race, culture or creed. So, same problems/rewards regardless of skin color and cultural differences.
An interesting fact: Arranged marriage was the dominant form of marriage until the introduction of "modern courtship" introduced by Western culture in the 1900's. The argument still exists: Who gets to choose who I a marry, my parents or me?
As I get older; I'll be 23 years old in a month, I find that I am starting to think about marriage and when I will get to that point. I think about how my father was already married when he was my age. It is slightly incomprehensible how one generation later, I will probably be 5-15 years older than when my father was married! I am not sure if it will arranged or the traditional Western idea of marriage. Even the prospect of marriage is sometimes off putting. I feel as if I haven't dated enough and that there may be something that I am missing if I get married too early. At the same time, I might miss out on something if I get married too late. It's a conundrum that many in my generation have to face.
In conclusion, love, arranged or interracial marriage are enough options to leave any person bewildered and confused. Luckily, we have those options. I think the best option right now is to grow up some more and wait and see. Perhaps increased maturity will make the choice more clear, or just make us even more lost.
Good luck everyone! Hopefully the juice is worth the squeeze.
P.S. If you are a female, with high aspirations in life, I am a 22 year old Aries. I like long walks on the beach, star gazing, trips to the museum and/or art galleries, followed up with a pleasant evening at an interesting restaurant and dancing. I am totally up for most new experiences :) (No, really, just leave me alone with my medical school books. I NEED TO STUDY!)
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Let It Rock
As our world changes around us, I have begun to question whether what is new and cutting edge is even worth using. My parents generation and my grandparents generation are not used to technology changing so quickly. For instance, when I tried to convince my parents to get Google mail as opposed to Hotmail or Yahoo, my parents asked, "Why? What makes Google so special?" After a very long and complicated answer stating that Google was the future of communication and productivity, my parents just gave me a blank stare and still, to this day, use Hotmail.
Of course, this was very frustrating to me. Then I realized that my parents lived through so many changes in technology. Black and white to color televisions, record players to the mobile mp3 player, encyclopedias and type writers to the internet and notebook PCs. Even more astounding are the changes my grandparents have seen!
These revelations got me thinking about objects in everyday life that are supposed to make our existence easier. My observations led me to be critical at one point of every process that I conduct in my day. For the most part, technology and progress won. The only outlier/anomaly came to me as a great surprise. This activity has been the bane of every man from the beginning of civilization: Shaving.
My then current razor was of the five + one blade on the back variety and I thought it was the best shave I was ever going to get. Then I stumbled upon a website called www.kinowear.com, a men's lifestyle blog (go ahead, call me vain) that I frequent in between the busy moments of my life. On the website, they claimed that the absolute closest and best shave a man could get did not involve multiple blades. Boy, was I shocked by that statement. The best shave a man could get was in fact a method that my grandfathers and their fathers had used for about fifty years in a time when cars were still made out of metal and you still had to use a card catalog at the library. I'm talking about double edged, safety razors. So, here is one process that I go through in my day that is actually a throwback to older, more gentle days.
I no longer despise my morning shave, but instead, I revel in it. With my brush, a heated soup mug, scented shaving cream and a steady hand, I have this twenty minute moment of Nirvana in the morning. I no longer rush through my shave, but instead steep in the glory of what it means to be a man, taking pride in every stroke of my razor and looking upon a clean shaven face that smells of fresh lime. I have even found communities online that partake in this practice of leaving the new way and returning to our roots of the shaving practice.
I am quite proud of myself for learning a new skill in which I thought there was no other way to master. To me, this is on a path of personal and social refinement that we all seek at some point in our lives. For someone that enjoys the finer things in life and the experiences they grant, shaving is a small commodity that I used to take for granted.
I will end this article by urging my male and yes, even my female readers to give double edge shaving a try. It may look scary and yes, you may even cut yourself a few times before you see results, but a wise man once said, anything that is difficult to attain is probably worth having and never easy to attain. Upon seeing me shave for the first time with this new but tried and tested razor, brush and cream my grandfather marveled at my old multi bladed monstrosity. He smiled, shrugged his shoulders and simply stated, "Old is gold."
Of course, this was very frustrating to me. Then I realized that my parents lived through so many changes in technology. Black and white to color televisions, record players to the mobile mp3 player, encyclopedias and type writers to the internet and notebook PCs. Even more astounding are the changes my grandparents have seen!
These revelations got me thinking about objects in everyday life that are supposed to make our existence easier. My observations led me to be critical at one point of every process that I conduct in my day. For the most part, technology and progress won. The only outlier/anomaly came to me as a great surprise. This activity has been the bane of every man from the beginning of civilization: Shaving.
My then current razor was of the five + one blade on the back variety and I thought it was the best shave I was ever going to get. Then I stumbled upon a website called www.kinowear.com, a men's lifestyle blog (go ahead, call me vain) that I frequent in between the busy moments of my life. On the website, they claimed that the absolute closest and best shave a man could get did not involve multiple blades. Boy, was I shocked by that statement. The best shave a man could get was in fact a method that my grandfathers and their fathers had used for about fifty years in a time when cars were still made out of metal and you still had to use a card catalog at the library. I'm talking about double edged, safety razors. So, here is one process that I go through in my day that is actually a throwback to older, more gentle days.
I no longer despise my morning shave, but instead, I revel in it. With my brush, a heated soup mug, scented shaving cream and a steady hand, I have this twenty minute moment of Nirvana in the morning. I no longer rush through my shave, but instead steep in the glory of what it means to be a man, taking pride in every stroke of my razor and looking upon a clean shaven face that smells of fresh lime. I have even found communities online that partake in this practice of leaving the new way and returning to our roots of the shaving practice.
I am quite proud of myself for learning a new skill in which I thought there was no other way to master. To me, this is on a path of personal and social refinement that we all seek at some point in our lives. For someone that enjoys the finer things in life and the experiences they grant, shaving is a small commodity that I used to take for granted.
I will end this article by urging my male and yes, even my female readers to give double edge shaving a try. It may look scary and yes, you may even cut yourself a few times before you see results, but a wise man once said, anything that is difficult to attain is probably worth having and never easy to attain. Upon seeing me shave for the first time with this new but tried and tested razor, brush and cream my grandfather marveled at my old multi bladed monstrosity. He smiled, shrugged his shoulders and simply stated, "Old is gold."
Sunday, December 28, 2008
King of Chennai
Hi Friends,
After re-reading my last post, I must have sounded pretty damn depressed. Well, I was. But now I am doing much better and very determined to do better on my next set of exams.
A thing about medical school: BE RELENTLESS!
I don't think that idea can be reinforced enough and is kinda becoming my mantra for the next couple of years.
Anyway, Chennai has changed so much and I couldn't believe my own eyes at some of the things I've seen! Shopping malls (Somerset Collection-esque), gourmet restaurants and freaking KFC! The amount of modernization is amazing. From modern art like office buildings to 5 star hotels, I am kinda discombobulated by it all. I think I would like to visit this city one day strictly as a tourist.
I just got back from Thirupathi. My dad and I climbed the 3,55o steps to Thirumala. It was a definite physical challenge for my dad and I; I'm out of shape and he' out of shape and getting old. I'll post some pictures when I get back to Manipal because the internet in Chennai is too slow. My maternal grandfather is on his way as I type this to visit for a few days. That should be a nice ray of sunshine for a bit.
Other than that, I'm just slugging away at my text books. I'll update again, hopefully.
After re-reading my last post, I must have sounded pretty damn depressed. Well, I was. But now I am doing much better and very determined to do better on my next set of exams.
A thing about medical school: BE RELENTLESS!
I don't think that idea can be reinforced enough and is kinda becoming my mantra for the next couple of years.
Anyway, Chennai has changed so much and I couldn't believe my own eyes at some of the things I've seen! Shopping malls (Somerset Collection-esque), gourmet restaurants and freaking KFC! The amount of modernization is amazing. From modern art like office buildings to 5 star hotels, I am kinda discombobulated by it all. I think I would like to visit this city one day strictly as a tourist.
I just got back from Thirupathi. My dad and I climbed the 3,55o steps to Thirumala. It was a definite physical challenge for my dad and I; I'm out of shape and he' out of shape and getting old. I'll post some pictures when I get back to Manipal because the internet in Chennai is too slow. My maternal grandfather is on his way as I type this to visit for a few days. That should be a nice ray of sunshine for a bit.
Other than that, I'm just slugging away at my text books. I'll update again, hopefully.
Saturday, December 13, 2008
Killing me softly with his song...
I have to apologize. I haven't updated this blog in ages, it seems. So let's update real quick before we get to the meat and potatoes.
Updates:
What I hate the most about finals time are people that claim to have failed an exam, but in actuality, they passed with flying colors and know it. They only say they failed to make you feel better for the short term and then knock you down (indirectly, of course) when they are all smiles about passing. Yes, I am very bitter.
So, at this point in time, I don't know what to do with myself. I don't know how to change my habits to be a successful medical school student. I did find some hints that I want to believe are helpful. They were published here by a Ross University medical student. All I can say right now about my first semester is that medical school sucks and it ruins people's outlook on life. I can definitely see myself turning into a Dr. House personality; bitter, tired, cynical and distrusting of others.
After all is said and done, I am going to take the next couple days to reassert and reevaluate myself. Over break (Dec 16 - Jan 9) I plan to study the days away.
Actually, after the update, I don't feel like writing anymore. Too depressed and dismayed. I'll write more later.
Schooled.
Updates:
- Took my finals
- Failed finals
- Took my practice shelf exams (absurd)
- If my shelf exams were real, I probably would've failed those too.
What I hate the most about finals time are people that claim to have failed an exam, but in actuality, they passed with flying colors and know it. They only say they failed to make you feel better for the short term and then knock you down (indirectly, of course) when they are all smiles about passing. Yes, I am very bitter.
So, at this point in time, I don't know what to do with myself. I don't know how to change my habits to be a successful medical school student. I did find some hints that I want to believe are helpful. They were published here by a Ross University medical student. All I can say right now about my first semester is that medical school sucks and it ruins people's outlook on life. I can definitely see myself turning into a Dr. House personality; bitter, tired, cynical and distrusting of others.
After all is said and done, I am going to take the next couple days to reassert and reevaluate myself. Over break (Dec 16 - Jan 9) I plan to study the days away.
Actually, after the update, I don't feel like writing anymore. Too depressed and dismayed. I'll write more later.
Schooled.
Sunday, November 9, 2008
Canned Heat
Updates:
Studying for finals.
My MacBook's screen cracked. Now I call it CrackBook.
New music I am listening to: Jamiroquai.
Here is one of the coolest music videos I have ever seen:
Studying for finals.
My MacBook's screen cracked. Now I call it CrackBook.
New music I am listening to: Jamiroquai.
Here is one of the coolest music videos I have ever seen:
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)