sonia'z travelz

Traveling late in the night is unsafe for women.. be it be mumbai or delhi or chennai… if you want to be safe, be home “on time”.. …………..
The definition of “on time” depends from person 2 person.. For my mom its 7.00p.m., for my hostel warden it was 8.00p.m. for my rommies, its 10, and for myself also, its 10.. …I avoid traveling unaccompanied after 10.00… in fact I don’t…….

Yesterday however was different.. circumstances forced me to travel very late in the night….even though I was wid Anilu (aniluz a frend frm MSW)………..it was shit scary……. it may sound idiotic, but each and every guy seemed like an asshole at that time….and I felt “wrong” traveling so late….. I kept telling myself that I wont repeat this.. ……… but you know how humans are…. ….at the time of travel…... the “scarynes” kinda wore off. …..
I started “seeing” the night… ………………like ..feeling it……
It was beautiful….. beyond compare….. the stars were so bright….ive never seen so many in Mumbai…. I could make out the Orion… and the “feeling “ was so serene…. It felt so pure…… the atmosphere.. …the night sky was beautiful… and the breeze was cool….soothing.. ..it felt as if im the only one truly alive.. breathing.. feeling those moments….. it was an incomparable day…. Well, night

There was a movement by the women activists in late 1970s called “Take Back The Night” in the US. Even though the march was to bring forth the violence which women undergo in the night in public, the purpose was to talk about the violence which women face in the public sphere.

Is it not extremely relevant even today? Most women do face violence in the public sphere, especially in the night. It is almost like taking away the freedom of the person. And I also feel that “feeling scared” is also violence. I mean creation of that feeling in a woman is a kind of violence perpetrated by the society… ....

Some may argue that freedom is in the “mind” types.. .. … then why to blame “someone else” if ur a coward urself ….. however, being afraid is also because of reason….. why would the mind be afraid, if there is no reason to it… ..it is because of something…
Some may also say.. and freedom does not necessarily mean “traveling”…………that I could see the moon from my window too!!! But for me, traveling is one of the most important forms of freedom.. traveling at anytime without fear… traveling in the middle of the night just to see the moon… to run and feel the breeze.. .. and see the sun rise…… and to just sit and stare at the sea……………

Whatever said and done… I felt great yesterday .... .. I forgot my fear and I was “free”….. I wish I cud roam arnd lyk dis sometimes… alone……..without being judged…. nd without being scared…. Well, I guess im gonna do that very soon…..how abt learning karate!!!!!!!!

humanzz

Was on my way to the bus stop ..almost rushing.. I thght I wud get late….I hate being late..
And suddenly…. I see about 10-15 police men, a minutes walk away from my house.. there was dust.. and it was impossible to figure out wt was happening… And curiosity would just nt lemme go anywhere near my bus stop, so I asked this fellow abt it.. and precisely at tat moment I saw tat they were demolishing the garages near my house.. .it was so…weird.. they have always been dere…. I’d crossed that place yesterday, wen I was cumin bak frm shopping.. .. and….within 10 hours that place had changed completely.. .. its just dust….

And I could not do anything about it…. I saw another van full of police men.. .. may be they anticipated trouble.. I just wondered how quickly these guyz came.. nd wen we had dose riots in mumabi.. dey were not.. I called Monika to tel her about it.. so that shez prepared…

I was scared… and I was feeling “bad” ….I felt that its so difficult and scary to challenge state power.. i no im just trying 2 save myself frm dis, but really.. wat wud I do in fron of dose 20 policemen.. and not only I .. dere were so many ppl standing dere.. and d ppl whose garages were being broken.. all of.us.just standing dere nd loking.. I just didn’t have d gutts 2 go dere.. apart frm “feeling bad” I didn’t do anything.. and I didn’t have d gutts 2 do so.. ..

Wen I boarded d bus.. I was thinking of wat dey wud do now.. now tat all livelihood options are gonna go down d drain.. my thghts den shifted to d ipod in my bag..tat may be I shld listen to music so tat I feel a little better.. I started listening 2 songs.. nd by d time I reached office… I was thinking of “2 do list” … I completely forgot abt it.. eeverything was gone..wiped out… and this incident came back to me wen I was abt 2 leave.. I dunno how..
I wonder if its abnormal to feel sumthin, nt foget abt it, nd nt do anything abt tat feeling.. I wonder if derez anything lyk a “true” or “false” feeling…. Its so crazy.. Everything.. ..

Sorry 4 d depressing entry guyz.. bt wud lyk ur comments

Mission ‘tori’ making.. …

Get up late in the morning.. open the fridge.. and ………………………. we have tori to cook.. Shweta our banker does not know how to make it….. Monika our tea maker is too sleepy to comprehend what we are saying.. ..and im too sleepy to recollect the receipe
so I rush to the savior.. my mom.. tring tring……
Shez an angel.. she tell me d recipe…
Monika joins us.. the vegetable is cut.. onions.. green chilies..
and the dishes are cleaned….
And………………………………………………………………………………..
I again forget what my mom had told me.. L I really was sleepy.. so I call again…
She tellz me im crazy bt she tellz me d thing anyway… i luv her… I can never be so patient with anyone….really.…
So we are all brushing. N making the bhaji and rotis and then parathaz and then tea.. and then.. we all ready.. ready to leave.. I leave with The Banker.. but I don’t board the bus.. now it may sound weird.. but I just didn’t feel lyk walking at tat particular moment.. I missed a bus like that.. then finally boarded the other one J ….reached office.. on time

I enjoy reaching office a little early.. to feel “the quite”.. it so peaceful..n calm.. and then gradually everybody pours in ……….. good morningz.. n how r u.. n… its goes on nd on……..on.. nd on…
I bug my colleagues with the alien story (novel) that I read. …I tell them “The tales of Beedle the Bard” would be releasing tomoroow.. ..and of course.. they think Ive lost it J ….
That’s the way life is….. my life.. TILL NOW.. I get up..n cook n.. come to office.. go back home.. and read….. talk to friends.. time just flies.. yea.. so to change this dull routine.. ive thght of buying ludo and carom! I was crazy for both these games wen I w s a kiddo.. I hope I get the gamez.. I hope they r not expensive!!!

Hey.. and who can tell me what “tori” is in English.. I found out ‘snake gourd’ and ‘ridge gourd’……….. the confusion persists.. googlez of no help! Comments???????????????

my flat :)

What happens when four girls from different backgrounds come together…..different habits, cultures.. well, in my case it’s a blast.. im talking about my flat.. our shared flat monika, shweta, priyanka and I..

Beginning from morning when we are together.. the masti begins.. as I have mentioned before, we have to wake up Monika at times using different tactics.. the simplest and the most time saving one is to tickle her.. then we all pester her for tea..

Shweta and me would make bhaji roti.. with Monika pitching in.. bhaji making time is to share the “night talk”.. no we are not into stuff which th e reader may be thinking of.. its time to share whoz bf said what!! Whoz parents think what about the BF.. and the blah followed by advices and male bashing… a healthy bitching session brings in a calm.. at least in me….. all the kachra is out and done with!!!

Breakfast time.. “I DON’T FEEL LIKE GOING TO OFFICE” this is our pet feeling/dialogue repeated each and everyday during tea… this obviously leads to another session of harmless bitching…. of the office in general, and then the co workers slowly moving up to the bosses(no offences meant). Another session which brings in a feeling of calm within all of us.. Then suddenly we look at our watched “ CRAP ITS 8…” rush to office begins! After all we have to come back home

Evening time… Is MESSY.. invariably everyday, something or the other gets finished… yesterday it was salt.. our “maushi” reminds us.. but we always forget till the time it actually finishes.. human mentality.. or should I say our house mentality.. its fun though.. Our maushi wonders how we survive at times..!!! shez a life saver …after we come from office.. all the basics are taken care off by her…

Dinner time involves Monika and Shweta discussing about serials, or we discuss some news item or the other.. these useless discussions are relaxing after the so called useful ones….

Blah

Each day is new.. even though on the surface they all may appear to be the same.. for instance, yesterday, there was no need to make lunch.. but I had to 2day.. L The tea was warm yesterday coz things were on time, unlike today..
For instance yesterday I was bugging anyone and everyone coming in my way to read and comment on my blog, but today Srishti asked me if I had written anything so that she cud read. Well, I took as she liking my blogs (rather than TP). There is nothing like an ego boost right in the morning that also from office.. really.. please do post in your comments on that…

On a different note……Mez going home tomorrow… Diwali time…haven’t bought much for dad and bro…. money constraints.. then willingness constraints. To many constraints to buy anything for them now.. also, I know there would be no consequences.. so why bother.. J Men can be very accommodating at times unlike women (that’s a neutral, unbiased remark)..
Like today in the bus, a guy offered me his seat even though he was standing before me... I wonder if it was humanity( I was not tired at all) , or if he was trying to impress me ( I wonder why he’ll do that..) or may be was being gallant… whatever it was .. I GOT A SEAT.. .. so it was easy for me to listen to FM…and day dream..that’s a very good time pass in the bus.. sitting at one seat.. one can think about the a thousand things.. the mind would just wander, cook up possibilities…what if this and what if that.. till the stop comes, one has to push others to get by…. Get down..cross the road.. and here we are AGAIN.. OFFICE TIME.. and again.. read the paper.. blah blah.. talk to your colleagues.. blah blah…wait for lunch..blah blah……..BLAH

just another day

So…here comes another day.. I get up… and the first though which comes to my head.. …so what wud be dere in fridge which can be cookd for lunch.. drowsily I get up nd go 2 d kitchen. opened d firdige.. and lo!!!!! Im not wearing my specs... (very intelligent)

Go bak 2 my room , wear dem , cum bak…
thankfully, my roommates didn’t have dinner… so there is no need to cook.. ONE HURDLE CROSSED…
Hurdle 2- who’ll make the tea…hmmmm…MONIKA.. so there I go pestering her to make tea.. shez awesome at it.. the world’s (my world) best tea maker… ensuring that…
Next place to go to is the bathroom…I have to brush n shit n bathe within half an hour to catch the world (my world) renowned BEST bus….

Now.. one has to be apt at knowing the psychology of the drivers too… And im extremely bad at it. I run to catch “my” bus (there were other fools like me) and there we go…running…the marathon race.. lets see whoz the first one… run run run…
One the other side we have our DRIVER…..applyin the brakes for a second…. nd d moment we are near , he accelerates!!! There.. it goes… we all lose!!! That…..DOG!

Another wait…..wait….wait….. dere comes another bus.. we all won the race this time. I get a seat .. ah..what luxury!!
And im in office on time  yeppie …

NEWSpaper time…
So along with the newspaper is a supplement declaring Mr.Raj T as a lion!!! A lion out of cage ..something on those lines…very interesting….
Lion lives in a jungle. So it implies that Mumbai is jungle!!(No offence meant.. I love Mumbai). But common, logically this is what the implication is … the media should be more careful in typing out such stuff.. I mean.. Human mind can interpret things in different ways.. isn’t it!

Next job to be done ….. computer is switched on… .open the gmail(no mails as usual).. start working… work..more work….. snatch sometime for a blog(which none reads anyway)….
Ever wondered what the world would be like without a computer. Forget the world… my office...that wud be another blog…
Ah!! Wait for lunch time…….

marriage

Marriage is a social, religious,spiritual, or legal union of individuals(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marriage)

It would not be wrong to say also that it is compulsory institution for men and women alike. Though it surely does have different connotation for the different sexes. Who knows for what joy was this institution made, and why? Some feminists state so that property could be passed on to the person of the same lineage? And this of course is connected to having one husband and so on.

How is it that no one has thought about the impact it has on individuals. The kind of pressure one goes through if one is not married? Women are conditioned to think that it is what their existence is for “so fall in love with some1 whom u can marry”. Otherwise what’s the point? Men are to earn because they are the bread winners!!

Why the hell!!!
Why have we made it so central to our lives.. Why can’t humans “just let it be”. I mean shouldn’t it be a choice. But the society does not permit it. If you are not married, its sure shot sign of u being “defected in some way or the other”. And we accept what others tell us. If tomorrow a neighbor comes and passes a comment, it almost becomes a life and death issue. It is US who give the credibility to ones who speak.

I have come across people who say that marriage is important so that you have someone to fall back on when ur old? So doe sit mean that if the NGOs/Govt open old age homes, marriages would stop? Some call it legalised sex. Which again makes me wonder that of prostitution is legalized what would it be like?
Some say for companionship. Then what are friends for? Some say to be with the one whom we love. So, that can be done anyway.
Somehow the bottom lines is that we all want to get married … for reasons unknown.. ..and we want others to do the same for reasons unknown…. Brody we live for reasons unknown