Those Awkward Moments I

Weddings.

I’m sure we’ve all been to a kazillion different weddings. It may have been a friend’s, or a friend’s sibling’s, or your own siblings’ or in this particular case, somebody you’ve never seen before in your life but find yourself there because of your parents.

See now that, that takes things to a whole different level of awkward as in time you realise your mother’s going to drag you up to the stage for one picture with the obviously tired newly-weds who by now regret having this function all together which will be lost in millions of pictures which will be made into a cheesy CD along with other cheesier couple portfolio pictures as the vinyl on the CD.

I mean, what are you supposed to say to the couple, neither of whom you’ve never seen before? “Hey I just met you, and this is crazy, you’re getting married, so free food maybe?”

It's alright if they end with one grand function, like it does in the west. But in India, it has to be a weeklong affair for some reason. Yup, contrary to popular western belief Indian weddings do not just include a laptop and a goat (it still does in some parts, I guess). But generally, it’s an extravagant affair which encompasses customs like mehandi, sangeet, reception, some other little poojas, then the marriage itself and in some customs, another reception.

I love it, to be honest with you, the whole concept of it.

I get it if its’ your own wedding, or a relatives’. But what in the holy hell do you do in some random persons’ “special day”?

All the non-Indians reading this, I’ll let you in on one thing, the quality of the food you feed to the number of people indicates how well to do your family is. So, it’s a competition, essentially, every wedding is planned to out-do any other wedding they might’ve been to.

So, basically, after the 10 minutes people spend reaching the stage and congratulating the lucky couple, they sit around worrying about who’ll get the free food first. I don’t blame them, completely anyway, I mean, what else do you have to do sitting around?

Also, the chairs, ever wondered why there are chairs spread out in the reception hall when people are going to stand in a line as long as the river Nile to get into that one picture your mother drags you to anyway?

It’s like a giant line at the grocery store. You just need to show your face, check in your items (in this case your gift, in most Indian weddings, these include exorbitant flower bouquets or shiny envelopes with large currency notes jutting out), and get to the other side to your car. Just that unlike the grocery store, before you get to your car, you go through a lavish banquet showcasing all types of cuisines which you get to eat, for completely free.

It’s pretty much like a song from a generic Bollywood movie. There is a female lead, a male lead, and 500 others who have menial or no significance to the story. And yet they all dance around a tree in a field just ‘cuz the leads are doing it.

Okay, I might come across being an Anti-Indian custom prick, but no, I’m Indian, I’m proud to be one. As I said, I love it, I love the concept of it, but I’d rather go watch a generic Bollywood movie than sit through random people’s weddings. You can walk out in the middle of a movie!

This was just one of the many awkward moments, hence the “I”, you learn to deal with being an India. We lot are the most socially prepared. We go through SO much all our lives that nothing really affects us after a point.

The other installments to this one are ready, to be edited, or still being written.

I apologise as I’ve been so disconnected lately, it’s like I’m Academia’s little bitch, with assignments, presentations, brown-nosing the professors so that they would not fuck me over just because they can and fuck knows what else I’m supposed to be doing “in order to have a better future” :-|.

I will try my best to be more active on here. And please, oh please, If you have, or are planning to have children, let them be hobos, but do not let them do Engineering from Mumbai University, India, ‘cuz well, it’s the same thing, just worse.

Cheers.

INDIA - A Developing Nation?- Part Uno - Educational Predicaments

When it comes to the overview of the holistic development of India, a certain phrase seems synonymous, “the same gift, re-wrapped in a more attractive wrapper”. We are the same ignorant people, part of a system run by the same kind, with the only difference being, the fact that now, we earn better.

“ An Indian father and son got into a heated debate which unfolded as follows –

Father- What is the sole most important thing India provides the world?

Son- Tech Support

**SMACK!** “

The above was a joke, published on a certain website. A joke, which almost seems surreal, Why? Because, that father, that son, me and you reading this, know for a fact, that it’s true.

It’s the year 1970, a farmer toils all day at field, and somewhere in his mind echoes “mera beta bada hoke engineer banega”, “mera beta daactur banega”.

Let’s time-travel to 2011, a big executive at an MNC works all day, with the EXACT same thought. Hence the reference to the gift-wrapper phrase.

India, as we already know, along with China, are the leading exporters in labour, labour of all kinds. Ranging from opening the country for various BPO’s to set up, to generate employment to sending executives to respective countries to work there, as we are the only breed of earthlings to readily work week-ends, for a much cheaper rate and way lesser benefits.

It’s a vicious cycle, from parents, to children to their children where the whole concept of “living your life to its fullest”, doesn’t even feature on the credits.

The cycle goes something like this,

You study, in most cases forced to, something you hate, put in 10-12 Hr days at the office doing something you hate, earn what seems to be a large sum with the ‘$’ sign, have a major epiphany when you have your first heart-attack about how you pretty much did nothing you ever wanted to or made you happy all your life and then die.

Why can’t Indian parents see their children as, football/basketball players, Artists, Photographers, Writers, Actors, Video Game Designer, doing something which makes THEIR life fulfilling without being frowned upon?

More so, the same Indians, who want to be safe, who want everybody around them safe, who complain about the Indian Political Scene and doubting the abilities of the India Armed Forces, here’s a question,

WHY do you NOT encourage YOUR child, to be a politician? or an Army man?

The relationship between a parent and a child, is one of a kind, and the strongest around. The protective and possessive nature’s justified, doubting that, or a parent’s love is not the aim of this piece.

Just, as the parents expect the child to understand, the child feels the same need too, even more at times.

Times change, encourage whatsoever the kid wants to do or become in his/her life. Stop trying to live the life you always wanted through your children, the feelings may not be mutual.

Try and be a guide, not a jail warden.