Advantage Women

While going through the flickr of a lady, I came across a few flattering comments written by a few netizen guys. The uploaded photos were quite ordinary. The comments - to any guys' naked eyes - were nothing, but an over zealous attempt of a guy to win favor from the girl - in the form of sugar coated RSVP. The i-net doesn't have dearth for guys who enjoy promoting the women talent ;-)

From the lady's reply to those comments, it was quite obvious that she was quite happy and motivated. And I was sure that she will practice more and improve her photography skills. The universe was conspiring to help her improve her skills.

While reading Che's "Motor Cycle diaries", I came across his experience of requesting a few folks for a photo shoot: "I asked if they will pose for a photo, which they categorically refused to do".

It reminded me of my own experience.

A few years back, while I was on a trip, I came across an interesting human subject, whom I wanted to capture in my celluloid. I went to him, and requested to pose for a snap. He sternly rejected my polite request.
"Perhaps it is the way I asked" I consoled myself.
After a few minutes, my lady co-traveler went and asked him the same question. And guess what..? He readily agreed!

Over the past few years this has repeated with regular intervals and incredible precision. The subject - male or female - entertains requests from ladies more than that from guys. Which brings me to another observation: Look at the blogosphere. You would see more 'ardent' fans and followers of lady bloggers than guy bloggers.

Alright... So, what point I'm trying to drive in? As the Alchemist would say "When a person desires something and ventures out for it, all the universe conspires to help that person to realize his/her dream.”

I would go one step ahead and add to it: “It encourages and nudges the person towards his/her goal. In the modern times, this is more applicable to a girl* than a guy.”

So feminists..., it is advantage women :-)

* middle/upper class girls

The Motorcycle Diaries

Read "Che" Guevera's " The MotorCycle Diaries"

Nothing special about the book...

There are a few interesting excerpts, which I'm listing down below.

The old man's prophecy in the last chapter. This is perhaps the best excerpt in the entire book.

The future belongs to the people and gradually, or in one strike, they will take power, here and in every country.

The terrible thing is, the people need to be educated , and this they cannot do without taking power, only after. They can only learn at the cost of their own mistakes, which will be very serious and will cost many innocent lives. Or perhaps not, maybe those lives will not have been innocent because they will have committed the huge sin against nature: meaning a lack of ability to adapt. All of them, those unable to adapt - you and I for example - will die cursing the power they helped, through great sacrifice, to create.

Revolution is impersonal; it will take their lives, even utilizing their memory as an example or as an instrument for domesticating the youth who follow them. My sin is greater because, I, more astute and with greater experience, call it what you like, will die knowing that my sacrifice stems only from an inflexibility symbolizing our rotten civilization, which is crumbling. I also know - and this wont alter the course of history or your personal view of me - that you will die with a clenched fist and tense jaw, the epitome of hatred and struggle, because you are not a symbol (some inanimate example) but a genuine member of the society to be destroyed; the spirit of the beehive speaks through you and motivates your action. You are as useful as I am, but you are not aware of how useful your contribution is to the society that sacrifices you.

Che's observation on Blacks and Whites. His observation can be generalized and extended to other races. It explains why the poor remain poor and the rich richer.

Discrimination and poverty unite the black and whites in the daily fight for survival. But their different ways of approaching life separate them completely; the black is indolent and a dreamer; spending his meager wage on frivolity or drink; the European has a tradition of work and saving, which has pursued him as far as this corner of America and drives him to advance himself, even independently of his own individual aspiration.

Che's observation on gifted alpha males. Context: Valdivia's conquest of Chile

Caesar, once proclaimed he would rather be first-in-command in some humble Alpine village than second-in-command in Rome. There are a few men who belong to that special class, in whom a carving for limitless power is so extreme that any suffering to achieve it seems natural.

Che's observation on how to enjoy scenic beauties - not jut by letting it go past your car window, but by immersing yourself in it. If you enjoy traveling, you will be able to relate to it

Seeing the landscape at this superficial level only captures its boring uniformity, not allowing you to immerse yourself in the spirit of the place; for that you must stop at least several days

A movie

The beautiful empty street, dressed in night, enticed us to take a stroll on it. After the sumptuous dinner, a saunter looked perfect. The silence, which surrounded us, magnified the beauty of the the partly lit street clad in its night gown.

We let silence speak between us for a while...

After some time she broke the silence. "Yesterday we watched a movie..." She was referring to herself and her sister
"Aha..."
"A stupid one..."
"Why stupid?"
"It had this stupid scene..."
[ Silence ]
I looked at her, expecting her to continue...
She continued: "It had lot of nude scenes..."
Now..., THAT caught my TRUE attention...
"Who is the actress?" I tried to be casual
"Kate Winslet..."
"Wow...!!! " My mind said to myself.
With excitement suppressed - I asked in a controlled tone: "What is the name of the movie?"
"The reader"
"Wow... Okay... Once I reach my place, the first thing I'm gonna do is rent out that movie" I blurted.

She glared at me, and I returned a grin.

**************

I did rent out "The reader" and watched it. Yes... My initial intention was to see some "Kate nude" scenes. But as the movie progressed, I realized I'm watching a wonderful movie with a brilliant story line!! I loved the script, the direction, and the acting. No wonder Kate Winslet got an Academy Award for her role.

Given below are some of the interesting dialogues of the movie

**************

ROHL: Societies think they operate by something called morality. But they don’t. They operate by something called law. You’re not guilty of anything merely by working at Auschwitz. 8,000 people worked at Auschwitz. Precisely 19 have been convicted, and only 6 for murder. To prove murder you have to prove intent. That’s the law. Remember, the question is never ‘Was it wrong?’ but ‘Was it legal?’ And not by our laws, NO, by the laws at the time.

**************

JUDGE: Did you not realize you were sending these women to their deaths?
He waits. HANNA nods slightly.
HANNA: Yes but there were new arrivals, new women were arriving all the time, so of course we had to move some of the old ones on.
JUDGE: I’m not sure you understand...
HANNA: We couldn’t keep everyone. There wasn’t room.
The JUDGE frowns, genuinely surprised that she doesn’t seem to understand his point.
JUDGE: No, but what I’m saying : let me rephrase : to make room, you were picking women out and saying ‘You you and you have to be sent back to be killed.’
HANNA: Well, what would you have done?

**************

JUDGE: The first thing I’m asking is, why didn’t you unlock the doors?
HANNA takes a look to the other DEFENDANTS. For the first time her poise is crumbling.
HANNA: Obviously. For the obvious reason. We couldn’t.
JUDGE: Why? Why couldn’t you?
HANNA: We were guards. Our job was to guard the prisoners. We couldn’t just let them escape.
JUDGE: I see. And if they escaped, then you’d be blamed, you’d be charged, you might even be executed?
HANNA: No.
JUDGE: Well then?
The JUDGE waits.
HANNA: If we opened the doors, then there would have been chaos. How could we have restored order? It happened so fast. It was snowing. The bombs - There were flames all over the village. Then the screaming began. It got worse and worse. And if they’d all come rushing out, we couldn’t just let them escape. We couldn’t. We were responsible for them.
JUDGE: So you did know what was happening? You did know? You made a choice. You let them die rather than risk letting them escape.

**************

DIETER: I started out believing in this trial, I thought it was great, now I think it’s just a diversion.
ROHL: Yes? Diversion from what?
DIETER: You choose six women, you put them on trial, you say ‘They were the evil ones, they were the guilty ones’. Brilliant! Because one of the victims happened to write a book! That’s why they’re on trial and nobody else. Do you know how many camps there were in Europe?

A few unanswered questions...

A few questions of a four year old - i.e. my niece. Can you attempt answering some of those...? :-)

************ QUESTION SET 1 ***********

To her mother: "Amma, You have a few white hairs!!"
Her mom, (i.e. my sister): "Yes... every time you trouble me, each of my hair goes white"

My niece thinks for a while and says: "So Amma... when you were a kid, did you trouble grandma so much...? She has lot of white hairs..."

*********** QUESTION SET 2 ***********

Venue: Zoo; the cage of monkeys.

My brother-in-law thought this as a good opportunity to teach my niece the concept of evolution. He said: "Long time back, during the old days, we - humans - were apes - like this monkey"

My niece thinks for a while and says: "So Appa... was grandma and grandpa monkeys - when they were kids?"

*********** QUESTION SET 3 ***********

To her mother: "Amma, Is Jesus in our heart?"
Her mom: "Yes..."
My niece: "But our heart beats. If Jesus is in our heart he will be bouncing. Is that ok?"

***************

PS: Amma means mother; Appa means father

Recession

My few-months-old nephew - Elvin - was throwing tantrums. He was crying and screaming...

My younger sister – his mother – was trying to console and clam him down...
So was my mother...
So was my brother-in-law...

But there was no relief...

That is when my four year old niece - Leya - entered the scene...

She gets onto the bed; pats the back of my nephew and says: "Don't cry. It is RECESSION... It is ok... Stop crying... " Then she turns to our stunned face... and gives her nice innocent smile.

We still have no clue from where she picked that 'recession' word. Even my nephew went silent for a while, as if acknowledging those 'words of wisdom'

****************************

Well... that happened last March. It is almost a year since that happened. I hope (and badly wish) the economy starts looking up. Else..., this time I'll be the one who will be throwing up tantrums. And I don't have my niece around to consoled me...