An Inconvenient Truth

You look at that river gently flowing by. You notice the leaves rustling with the wind. You hear the birds; you hear the tree frogs. In the distance you hear a cow. You feel the grass. The mud gives a little bit on the river bank. It’s quiet; it’s peaceful. And all of a sudden, it’s a gear shift inside you. And it’s like taking a deep breath and going... 'Oh yeah, I forgot about this'.
                - Al Gore in the opening monologue of An Inconvenient Truth

I have never written a review on a movie or a documentary for that matter. But after watching Al Gore’s: An Inconvenient Truth last night, I was struck so hard by it that I felt like jumping outright in rage and resolving the environmental crisis right away. Rage, not because the human race is contributing to the crisis, but because I never took this entire issue seriously. What Gore brings out in the 90 minute documentary is stark and makes you realize how we are killing the environment, gradually.

Al Gore, the former Vice President of USA comes out as a much stronger person after his defeat to George W. Bush. But when you are watching the documentary you must forget he ever ran for office. Consider him as a man fighting for an approaching crisis. Consider him as a man opening your eyes to several facts.

He stands on a stage before a vast screen, in front of an audience. The documentary is based on a speech he has been developing for six years, and is supported by dramatic visuals. He shows the famous photograph "Earthrise," taken from space by the first American astronauts. Then he shows a series of later space photographs, clearly indicating that glaciers and lakes are shrinking, snows are melting, shorelines are retreating.

He provides statistics: The 10 warmest years in history were in the last 14 years. Last year South America experienced its first hurricane. Japan and the Pacific are setting records for typhoons. Hurricane Katrina passed over Florida, doubled back over the Gulf, picked up strength from unusually warm Gulf waters, and went from Category 3 to Category 5. There are changes in the Gulf Stream and the jet stream. Cores of polar ice show that carbon dioxide is much, much higher than ever before in a quarter of a million years. It was once thought that such things went in cycles. Gore stands in front of a graph showing the ups and downs of carbon dioxide over the centuries. Yes, there is a cyclical pattern. Then, in recent years, the graph turns up and keeps going up, higher and higher, off the chart.

However I do disagree with one of Gore’s statements. He stated that global warming is directly linked to population. I would state that global warming is directly linked to how a population behaves. The solution to the crisis lies in individual efforts. Even simple measures can help save the environment. The official website of the documentary gives you 10 simple tips  that you and I can follow and make an effort.

A person, very close to my heart and life, keeps saying that the human race is going to kill itself. But I think if there is a change from within, from each one of us, the approaching crisis can be resolved. And it doesn’t require much out of us.

Lets start with little baby steps…today!

Samaaj kya kahega??

This Valentine season, where couples are celebrating their love for each
other, I am caught in the barb wire. And apparently there are two ways
out of it, as per my 'near n dear' ones that is. It's a situation where
I am being forced to choose between someone who I want to spend the rest
of my life with and my parents. I am being forced to not marry someone
because she is not from the same caste. I am being judged for wanting to
marry someone who I love and who isn't a choice of my parents. Suddenly
I am not the 'good son' anymore who would make his parents proud.
Suddenly my decision-making ability is being questioned and apparently
it's going to bring a lot of shame to the family.

My parents say I don't care about them anymore and I tell them I am
doing this coz I care about them a lot. I am appalled with the
statements that are being thrown at me. I am beginning to realize that
my definition of a 'marriage' is not acceptable.

So what is marriage really? I thought it is an eternal and loving bond
between 2 people who have agreed to grow old together and sail through
both happy and trying times. I thought it is a symbol of love between 2
people who are embarking upon a new journey - a journey where there is
no caste or creed. But I guess in my 26 (almost 27) years of existence,
I haven't gathered the 'real' meaning of marriage. A meaning forced down
by the society, the samaaj. The 'real' definition is that marriage is a
knot which is tied by a 3rd person ensuring that the 2 people getting
married are of the same caste. It is a bond between the 2 families, not
necessarily between the 2 people getting married to each other as that
is not very important. Apparently the 2 people will get to like each
other eventually ('like' mind you not 'love' coz 'love' is just a modern
term which is good only in movies and books).

*Sigh
So much for living in the 21st century!

What appals me more is the samaaj we live in. I don't understand why
there is a constant struggle on our part just to please the samaaj. It's
the same samaaj that would rather point its finger at you at difficult
times rather than being supportive. And it's the same samaaj that would
eye your every success and turn green in envy. May be our generation
doesn't understand the so-called importance of the samaaj. And may be
that's why we are asked this question every time we deviate from the
so-called 'rules' - samaaj kya kahega??

You want to marry a girl/ boy outside your caste? Samaaj kya kahega?
You want to take out a girl/ boy for coffee? Samaaj kya kahega?
You were spotted sippin' on beer with some friends. Samaaj kya kahega?
You want............? Samaaj kya kahega?
How could you............? Samaaj kya kahega?

How could you write against the samaaj on a public forum like this?
SAMAAJ KYA KAHEGA????

I don't know how long it will take before I untangle myself out of the
barb wire. But I know 2 things for sure. One, I will untangle myself
sooner or later and things will fall in place the right way. And two, I
would raise my children the way my wife and I think is correct and never
give them a chance to place the samaaj before anything else.

Holiday Season is here!

It's Holiday Season again. Errr...I dunno if in India we can actually
call it a 'Holiday Season' considering we just get a day off on X'mas
unlike a good 10 day break in the 'West'. Like the stress of year end @
work wasn't enough, Indian offices are open even on the 1st of January
(at least mine is  ). But nevertheless, it's the most beautiful time
of the year. X'mas decorations all over the city...night carols at the
church...the mid night mass...the plum cakes...the wine...and of course
the tiny figures of Joseph, Mary, baby Jesus, the three wise men and
some animals scattered here n there in the small yet cosy barn reminding
you of the reason for the holidays itself.

As a child, I was always fascinated by X'mas and everything surrounding
this festival. Being a Hindu, we never celebrated it. But that never
stopped me from putting up a 'Star' in the porch. I would religiously go
to the corner make-shift Star shop every year and pick up whatever my
pocket money allowed. I would balance myself on the wooden stool and
hang the Star with a bulb inside it. Every evening I would switch on the
Star, look at it through the window now n then and smile . It gave me
immense pride as ours was the only Hindu house on the street that had a
glowing X'mas Star outside. May be at some level that was my way for
National Integration.

I remember visiting my friend D'souza (we used to call him Mr.D) on
X'mas every year and wishing him n his family. I would sit down with all
of them and feast on the vegetarian dish made exclusively for me (I was
a hard core vegetarian in those days) while the rest of them relished on
the various forms of meat and bread. Home made wine (made by Daphany
aunty - Mr.D's mom) along with a plate full of plum cake was served. I
made the most of it as it was the only day I was allowed to drink wine.
The wine, so smooth and light, that even ten glasses wouldn't give you a
high.

The Holiday Season was also the time when they aired movies that
revolved around X'mas. Every movie had a Santa Claus...lots of
gifts...and lots of snow. Cochin, the town I grew up in, has never seen
temperatures below 24 degrees. Forget snowing, even a chilly evening was
not desirable. But every night (during the holidays) I went up to the
terrace and stared at the sky. I would wait n wait... to spot Santa
Claus n the 9 reindeers. Silly, yes, but I guess each one of us at some
point in time have waited for Santa Claus to bring us precious gifts.

And not to forget the X'mas parties in school where one of the teachers
would dress up as Santa and all of us would speculate as to which one it
is. The fake Santa would throw sweets at the audience while he/ she
would sway away to 'Jingle Bells'. And the much awaited speech where
Santa would speak..err...mutter rather, through the tiny hole on the
face mask. Much awaited coz that gave us a clue as to which teacher was
being fake Santa. The guessing game gave us some cheap thrill.

Well...it's been ages since I've celebrated X'mas. The yearly tradition
of putting up a Star hasn't happened in over 7 years now. School days
are long gone and so are those X'mas parties. I stopped staring at the
sky after junior high. Lost touch with Mr.D after I moved outta Cochin.
I don't wait for X'mas anymore to drink wine. But having said that I
wish I could get a chance to do all those things again. If I could be a
kid and relive those times and play the 'Guessing game' just one more
time.

Merry X'mas to all of you!

The Pretentious Banker

So it's a Monday morning in the month of August. I have literally
dragged myself outta bed and convinced my sleepy eyes to remain open. I
run the cleansing errands half-asleep and get dressed in time so I don't
miss bus no. 83 to work. I reach work well in time. It's 9:15 am and the
office is as deserted and hauntingly quiet. I walk towards the coffee
vending machine, which is pleading to be serviced for having gone
through all kinds of atrocities by the dumb wit pantry boy. I get back
to my desk, take a sip of Cappuccino and before I could place the cup
back on my desk I hear the big boss calling out my name.

'Please have a seat Mr. Goyal. This is important.'
'Yes Sir'.
'The group chairman Mr.John Bradman from UK is visiting us in October.
He heads the entire operations of our Bank and is a very important
person.'
I nod in agreement, never having heard the VIP's name and clearly not
giving a tiny rats ass to his so-called status.
'We would like Mr. Bradman to meet the Managing Directors of our
existing clients and hence we need to prepare a brief profile on each of
these MDs and the company's they run.'
'Ok Sir.'
'Place everything else that you are currently working on aside and get
on with this. This should be your top priority.'
'Yes Sir.'

So the work commenced immediately on that seemingly boring Monday
morning in August. Through the course of that month, I realized that I
wasn't the only soul working on the much hyped Mr.Bradman's visit to
India. To my surprise, my immediate boss and his boss and his boss and
various others were making frantic calls to their clients and fixing
appointments and requesting the who's who of the Corporate World to dine
and wine with the Brit who was arriving soon. So much so that even on
Ganpati Visarjan day, when the rest of Bombay was either indoors or
dancing on the streets bidding goodbye to their favourite Idol, the
serious Bankers of my Org were scratching their heads and making those
final touches to the invites.

The D-Day finally arrived. 3rd October 2007. Last minute confirmations
were coming in and the bookings were being re-confirmed until.....

Mr. Bradman's secretary called in to inform that 'Sir' would not be able
to make it today. He is unwell and is down with a severe case of Food
Poisoning. However, he is flying down tomorrow and the event should take
place then.

It beats me how any one could be down with food poisoning for a day and
also assure of his wellness well in advance.

I don't blame him actually. It's the community. We Bankers as a lot are
very pretentious. We try to be so analytical about everything around us
that basic practicalities are overlooked. We go outta our way and do
things which are not required. We appear to be serious and read business
dailies not because we enjoy it but because every one around us is
reading them. The truth is, deep down, we hate all of it.

The effect of the Brits' sudden cancellation can have dire consequences
on the relationship with the clients who, after heaps of persuasion,
finally agreed to clink their glasses of champagne with the VIP of the
Banking Industry.

So why the pretence you may ask?
I guess I can answer that question after I spend a few more years in
this community which I have ended up becoming a part of. Hopefully, as
time passes by, I will learn the reason behind the pompousness of the
Bankers. And hopefully, I will continue being averse towards it.

If...

If happiness could be unlimited

And joy filled all the space

There would be no wars between nations

The world would be a better place

If people could be more responsible

And respected nature’s yearning

There would be no cause for worry

There would be no Global Warming

If animals were loved and caressed

And not exploited by human greed

There would exist perfect harmony

Putting a check on bad deed

If love could spread like a disease

And every person got infected

There would be no fights or ego clashes

Nobody would feel neglected