...moments of bliss

What is life without a little imagination and creativity,
That little spring in the step and glint in the eye,
Those unimagined moments when the thought strikes
and ideas find the form,
Pure happiness I say it is...
What is life without such moments of bliss!

Goes out to all my friends who have inspired me with their imagination and creative repertoire!

kaalo jogoter aalo... dark is the light of the world!

"Mirror mirror on the wall,
Who is the fairest of them all?"

"Chubby cheeks, dimple chin. Rosy lips, teeth within. Curly hair...very fair"

"Wanted convent educated, slim, fair girl"

"Black out, white in"

Fairy tales, nursery rhymes, matrimonial ads and the cosmetic world have time and again stressed on the importance of being fair. Been a while since they have traversed even gender boundaries (http://www.fairandhandsome.net/; http://www.boldsky.com/beauty/body-care/2007/men-cosmetics-fairness-creams.html) , with men being coaxed to look fair. 

Not that the Indian market needs this much coaxing, it is steeped in this dream for a fairer world and abhorment of anything dark or dusky (2011 : The constant preference for fair skin has resulted in the market for fairness creams and bleaches touching Rs 2,000 crore. Of this, fairness creams account for approximately Rs 1,800 crore, while bleaches make up about Rs 200 crore of the annual sale figures. Source:http://www.tribuneindia.com/2011/20111106/spectrum/main1.htm) . The latest ad that promises women fairness in private areas has taken the society by storm ( http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-18268914). While many groups have come out against the ad, the sale of the product is on. 


I was once told that all the dark girls are jealous of fair girls and so we are agitated by these ads. Looks like many people just miss the point- Someone being naturally fair is an interplay of various genetic aspects. The worrisome thing is to believe that fair is good, fair is desirable, fair is the norm and everything on the otherside of the continuum is not good, undesirable and not the norm! Many who diligently use these fairness creams for over decades may feel that it is a matter of personal choice if they want to turn the skin from dark to fair and please the mirror on the wall. I wish to tell them, "you are beautiful irrespective of the color of the skin and learn to love yourself for what you are". 


Psychologists could argue the impact on adolescents, sociologists could see the societal anomaly this is giving rise to, feminists could have a different take and view this as oppression; the fact of the matter is that this is an infringement of human rights, an infringement of self worth and an infringement of confidence.

It is disturbing to see this trend, see this loss of independence, witness education having little impact on mindsets. Not sure what can be done...but there sure are many questions that arise...

• can we have a law that bans sale of such products and treatments? Or puts so much tax on them that the buyer thinks twice of the return on investment?
• would we be destroying the desires of many by doing so? 
• does this have to be a part of parenting to teach your children that black, brown and wheatish are also colors, just like white is?

I do my bit by never buying anything that promises fairness; am happy being wheatish:) But i guess my parents played a role in this. They never told me am not good enough, they never told me my color determines my capability, they never behaved like my skin decided my self worth. I remember an incident vividly just after my brother was born. He was the chubbiest, fairest and cutest baby around, having taken after my mom. We were at my native and an old grandmom passing by said, "maiya ta toh kaalo, pola ta khub forsha"...(the daughter is black, your son is fair). Thank my stars that my parents are the way they are... the 8 year old me was in tears and my baba said, " miki! kaalo jogoter aalo"... (miki, dark is the light of the world...). Thank you ma and baba!

Bitten by the laziness bug!

thoughts on a trail and then they lose the path
to dos present but look frail
mind is minding these moments and yet in a slumber
guess, i have caught d bug in a rumbler

wandering mind

wandering mind

multitude of thoughts

seat of solitude

crowd of emotions

paths in a maze

choices galore

stepping stones

rumbling ruminations

dazed sight

heart at peace

walk the distance..

I walk the distance

Feel the sand slip through my toes

The rising sun spread its rays

The fishermen saw the sea

Little children collecting shells

With a soulful purpose

Unfinished chores

Boundary less dreams

I walk on to write the story

Find myself on a bench

That must have seated

Hearts many

Secrets shared

Giggles resounding

Love tales written

Life found meaning

Each day is a rising sun

That fabricates the lanes and stops

The turns we take

The halts we make

Are like the sand gone by

Impressions left for a while

To be rewritten by an unknown face

We all walk the distance

Discover the chance and expanse.

ravivaar ki shaam..

haath mein coffee ka gilaas,
shaam ka bujhta sooraj,
choti si baatein,
glider ka garajna,
armaan aasmaan ka,
makhmali hawaa,
aur tumhara saath!

:)

No...too

No challenge is too big,
No path is too tiresome,
No means is too complicated,
No end is too difficult.

No positive is too negative!

M Trail: Equal

Accept me for what I am;
not my color, not my race,
not how I look, not my face..
treat me equal,
treat me like you
would want to be treated.

M Trail: Awesome

life is awesome!

we just need to find d 'awe' in 'some' moments...

call for one chance

Little words, many meanings

long silences, tumultous thoughts

anger, fear, rage, disappointment..

love, acceptance, acknowledgement..

the air senses the void

the mind in turmoil

the tears dried

misunderstood moments

call for one chance

one turn of event

one understanding smile

one forgiving embrace

a complete circle

a perfect package

Happy Women's Day 2012

We see the meaning in a child's babble

We hear the music in a quiet room

We seek serenity in chaos

We understand silent conversations

We find strength in pain

We vision the smile in the tear

We place care before the fear

We love sans boundaries

We turn heartbreaks to poetry

We find rationale in dreams

We add color to reality

We discover life in every moment

We see the 'me' in the 'we'

Happy Women's Day!