Mini's Scripts

I really sat and thought about the changes in me since my last post on this subject and I must admit-I am now feverishly trying to behave like a grownup. Thinking all the pros and cons of any situation, diplomacy in relationships, finding means of comfort and of course the money-money chants. Phew! Had never thought about it while as a kid. I remember, once my Papa ji (father) had given me a 100 rupees note in March and had smuggled it with me slyly into the hostel(money and eatables were not allowed there! sic!). I could do nothing with that amount, so when the summer vacations came next year, I spent the entire amount eating during the 3-day-trip back to home. With 5 figures remaining to hit 30, I am yet not able to figure out that how must I behave when I am to have kids and may be start disciplining them about life. No clue! I may turn out to be an exceptional parent... hahaha ... I will be continuing this one. For now, I just don't feel like writing anymore.

Note: This is an article, I had written some time back. BTW, it's no way related to my life here in the UK. I just thought of continuing this subject so needed to mention it here, as without the first part,the second one will seem vague... Read on -> -> -> Being practical is a trait that one develops to cope up with life's harsh realities. Gone are the days when one could smile and in return get a free lollipop or an ice cream, when the common goal of stealing raw mangoes from the neighbourhood would unite all the foes in half-pants, when all the pockets in the dress would be full of home made knick knacks to chomp on during the two hour evening game break and finishing the day with small nap at the tuition. Hmmm… My first initial stood for mischievous and till a few years back, I lived up to it. The remotest corner of my brain tells me that it all began when I was punished for fighting with a fellow classmate in first grade and the Nun honoured me by making me s...

For every profession there is a course here. And mind you, you are not qualified to even start your own business until you have the license to run your SBU (small business unit, read home business) , or that you must have done a short/long course and have a certificate to prove it. In the early days, I did not pay much attention to it, but now that I'm R&Ding it, I'm simply not happy. Too many restrictions or a very well-organised system - don't know which side to choose! Starting with the education system, while the schooling is free, all that you might have saved, flows out as university fees. Another alternate to this situation is that most students begin working and then either go to college later or do a certificate course. As I'm told, having a university degree is great but even a certificate will do. As an international student the education fees are usually higher or sometime more than double the fees paid by UK nationals. Even in India, we do not charge...

My earliest memories of making faces at the swear words (like sala ) goes back to my nursery days. I was programmed by the elders in the home to give a sullen look whenever someone used ' sala ' while talking. My oh my! I was too good at spotting this 4 lettered word. With each passing years my vocabulary multiplied with razor-sharp and accurate insults in Nepali, Malayalam, Hindi and of course the other tongue (read English). The small section of population that consists of people like me who have lived in hostel all their life can vouch that the first thing they learnt in any new language was how to swear at others in their language! In Rome- do as Romans do! Haah !

Well, not only this is the first question that we learn to answer to, it is also the first step towards your identity. To begin with me – I was told by my benevolent family members that I had the most number of names written on the rubber sheet on which I had spend my initial baby months. And as I grew up, I used to boast in front of my schoolmates by counting each name on my fingers (back then counting up to 10 was considered an achievement) which would sound anything from Meenakshi Sheshadri to Manisha! Ewww! The basic criterion was that they had to begin with letter M. And when the admission time came – I was assigned the synonym for micro (Mini!). Thus began my conflict with my name. Sometimes my name was justified according to my height, and sometimes it wronged me by making people think of me as the youngest/single child of my parents. Add to it, a surname (Kumari!)L, which doesn’t even resemble my father’s name or clan, instead diminishes my super-puffed Rajputaani shaan. ...

India has abundance of EVERYTHING and shortage of NOTHING, just that all of it is distributed unevenly. I mean look at the climate, while some parts of the country are freezing, some are wet, few normal and some dry like a desert. Some literate, most illiterate, some peace-loving and most fighting. Yet, everyone is busy with their own lives to least care on how it’s affecting their living area (not drawing room. Huh!)! I was time-wrapped at least eight months back to the lifestyle in India and began comparing it to that in the UK and felt myself fortunate that I have seen a better form of civilisation. No offence to my nativezens, but India sure needs lots of polishing and punishments to set itself on the right path. Know why? See this -

Yesterday after watching one of the best Indian movies ever- Anand... I sat and cried till my eyes went dry :) and I'm still dumbfounded that how something as simple as dialogues (minus the present sound effects) could turn me into a cry-baby. Vijeta was good in showing the NDA in all its glory. And 'Bawarchi' was :)... I like it! Is it true that there are no more Bollywood movies worth watching...Dasvidaniya was good, most are gross. Hence proved that none can beat Vinay Pathak in playing the 'bechara type' hero, not even SRK in RNBDJodiiii! One again he played a bechara in 'Straight' and the actrees of the movie looked weird. I mean how can someone dress up so gross by smearing so much kohl! Yikessss! Help me! I did not know that the director wanted to portray an Indian woman in a worsen la-jhola-chaap style.

Being idle at home, that too all day long, I can't seem to find anything else to read apart from the evergoing US' War against Terrorism and the 'Recession'. The same RECESSION has diverted ‘human participation and curiosity index’ from global warming and bin Laden to ones savings account. It has just taught us how wrong is splurging on unnecessary things. Dear me! It also includes limiting food consumption. Well, hasn’t the recent crisis showed us how the Bush govt has led the world in financial showdown after it (reason being approval of numerous funds and multibillion war projects like Iraq and the ever-evading Mr Laden). As the wise men say that there is nothing to gain by sitting over past follies except learn, so let’s count out the ways in which a common man/woman can save as the future looks bleak if not bright. *Always deposit your money in some safe place apart from banks (the current Indian ICICI dissolving rumour gave enough sleepless hours both in and out o...

28th November - The day when I completed my previous blog without giving a second thought to the attacks in Mumbai. Out here in the UK, it really did not matter to me. Just sheer gladness that I was no longer living in India and don’t intend to anymore. While the firing was going on, my journalist friend asked me as to why was all this happening. And the reply which came naturally was – because we had asked for it…because we as Indians no longer care about which part of India was being bombed. We wake up, go to our respective offices, vote when we are required to and little do we get bothered about what is happening around. We simply do not have the time to question these people whom we have painstakingly selected to make a fool of the whole system of which we are the beneficiary. Well, isn’t this the perfect set up of DEMOCRACY! Our slumber was shattered by a bunch of youths from Pakistan, who started their journey from Karachi port on November 13th, crossed the Arabian Sea unde...

Finally... Here I’m! Coming to UK was never in my 'to do' lists. I was working like a robot on instructions about applying for passport, applying for visa, medical tests, journeys, farewell parties, until the final moment came when I bid goodbye to my parents at the Kolkata airport at 4:15 am on 17th Oct 2008. It was a day of 'many firsts' - my first air travel, my first foreign trip, my first aerial view of earth and clouds...hmmmm...what bliss. During the eight hrs flight, I was either sleeping or eating or watching whatever silly stuff the monitor could offer me. And before I could realise, it was landing time. I was glad and shocked that I had come so far from home. There were many surprises in store. Like a curious kid, I was always pulling my window shutter up to see outside and lowering it when sunlight reflecting sharply, blacked out my vision for a while. I know that I must not be biased, but Kolkata sure looked all dirt and gravel, and poor Ganga, she look...