Here we are again, on the last day of
the year. Man, I feel like year by year time passes more and more quickly.
Earlier today while skimming through photos on my
laptop, my eyes started to well up roughly halfway through the year when it hit
me how blessed I am. And when I say I blessed, I mean that I've been truly gifted with such amazing friends, family, memories and experiences. 2014 has been a year consisting of trials, challenges,
tribulations and most importantly self-discovery. To me 2014 was definitely a
year of self-discovery – and self-trust.
If it comes to friends
– this year was amazing! I have never been such an outgoing and sociable
person. Over the course of the year I made
a handful of really amazing friends who I can’t imagine not knowing, I’ve met a bunch of amazing, bubbly, outgoing and
talkative characters just like myself.
Man! A year can go by
in the quickest of flashes. 2014 was definitely a year full of surprises. I
must admit, it’s been an interesting or should I say a roller coaster of year.
I grew stronger not only as a person but also a writer. And as each
successive day differed just slightly from
the last, when a year’s worth of those days has passed, I find myself in an
entirely new place from when I began.
I’d
like to take a moment in today’s post to really think about who & what I’ve
gotten to see and experience over the year. I’ve been
lucky enough to experience something different each day, each week, and each
month in the past year.
2014 brought changes – big changes, small changes,
good ones and also many not so good ones; but from where I stand right now,
I’ve come to realize that I should always look back at those experiences with a
smile and learn from them. I’ve learned to be proud of my accomplishments and
most importantly I’ve realized I should look at hardships as both opportunities
& learning experiences to better myself. We get so caught up with the
negatives in life so easily that we don’t realize that we are above
all, insurmountably blessed just to be alive.
As for 2015 new year resolutions,
fortunately I’ve never been the type to set New Year’s goals or resolutions.
For me, if I make up my mind to try or change something, I usually give it a go
regardless of the time of year. All in all, it’s been a successful year.
2014, thank you for all you’ve
given me. And 2015… Let’s do this!
I had an extremely hard time picking
which photos I wanted to put up as my “best of 2014″. So here’s a few favorites of mine.
"I
am hopelessly a lover and a dreamer and that will be the death of me"//
My first ever
poetry book I’ve laid my hands on, in fact my first ever book I’ve bought
online & trust me, I am so glad it was this one! Milk & Honey would by
far be the most soulful book I have ever read. A very well structured, moving and
deeply powerful book I’ve read in a very long time. Anyone who loves poetry
needs to read and should get themselves a copy of this book ASAP.
Yesterday
evening sweetness was delivered to my doorstep. That’s right, it's finally
here! What a wonderful surprise it was to come home to this waiting for me. All
the way from Canada to my cosy bedroom in Australia, I could not be happier! I
must admit, it's beyond an honour to have your heart up on my bookshelf Rupi. I
am so glad to finally have my hands on this beautiful masterpiece. Who knew
words could flow so effortlessly, your words are perfection; they have definitely
struck a chord - such powerful words imprinted in here..I don't see myself
wanting to ever put this book down! I can’t help but reading & re-reading
every single page, one of the most rejuvenating piece of work I’ve read in a
very long time! Your work is truly a piece of art & it has touched me in ways
that I thought would not be possible, I’ve
found pieces of my soul in here, thank you Queen. I look forward to watching
you grow as a poetess. Highly recommended for all my beautiful girls out there
About the book
“Milk and honey' is a collection of poetry and prose
about survival. About the experience of violence, abuse, love, loss, and
femininity. It is split into four chapters, and each chapter serves a different
purpose, deals with a different pain, heals a different heartache. 'Milk and
honey' takes readers through a journey of the most bitter moments in life and
finds sweetness in them because there is sweetness everywhere if you are just
willing to look and find sweetness in them because there is sweetness
everywhere if you are just willing to look.”
About the author
Rupi Kaur is a writer based in
Toronto, Canada. She studied Rhetoric and Professional Writing at the
University of Waterloo. She travels globally to speak and teach workshops on
topics such as trauma and healing while also performing her spoken word poetry.
Rupi devours words, art, metaphors, bodies of water, and storytelling. She
shares her writing with the world as a means to create a safe space for
progressive healing and forward movement.
“I want to apologize to all the women i have
called beautiful before I’ve called
them intelligent or brave I am sorry I made
it sound as though something as simple
as what you’re born with is all you have to
be proud of when you have
broken mountains with your wit from now on I will
say things like you are resilient,
or you are extraordinary not because I don’t
think you’re beautiful but because I need
you to know you are more than
that”
Over the last couple of months,
recent media reports, newspapers and TV channels have been flooded with
headlines of Indian youth organizing a protest called “Kiss of love” to show
their angst against Moral Policing by publicly
kissing.
I'm sure it’s fairly evident
from the title what I'll be rambling about on today’s post,
yep; it’s none other than the highly controversial campaign “Kiss of
love”. Come on; I had to post something regarding it sooner or later eh?! For
those of you unaware of what I'm babbling about, let me take a
moment to fill you in.
On November 2nd,
activists from all over Kerala gathered to protest against the series of moral
policing attacks by organizing a public event in Marine Drive (Kochi) for the rights
to be able to kiss in public. The protest started with a couple that had
been seen in a coffee shop kissing, later on a political group vandalized
the coffee shop they had been seen in.
The Kiss of Love protest embarked
in the southern state of Kerala last month and has now spread nationwide.The protest sparked offfollowing a recent attack in acafé in Kozhikode. The attack
triggered after a local news channel -Jai
Hind TV telecasted a story about alleged immoral activity which then led to
hugging and kissing on the premises of the Cafe’.
Recent acts of violence towards
the youth of India by moral policing are what led to the campaign “kiss of
love” by Kochi youth. However, the problem is that the protest ought not to be
about kissing at all. A theatre artist and her colleague were detained for
travelling together at night. A couple were arrested for suspected “immoral
activities” on a bench in Alappuzha, especially suspicious because the woman
was not wearing anything to indicate she was married. An IT professional in
Kochi was beaten up by drunken men for riding pillion on a male colleague’s
motorbike.
I couldn't care less
about what people do privately and I have nothing against those who want
to express love towards one another; however, I'm concerned of it
being expressed in public. Not only does it affect the upcoming generation but,
it also creates an impression that this is the only way to show thumbs down to
moral police. I think we can have a better way of answering moral policing
rather than one like such. All these protests have made me wonder if India has
become so far gone that the youth of India has now fully adapted to Western
ways.
During my previous
visit to India, I realized how much Kerala and its people are so influenced by
the western culture, and how our moral & ethical issues are degrading.I saw some drastic changes in Malayalees,
especially the youth. Not only were there changes in the way people dressed
(girls especially) but also the way they acted & presented
themselves.
I know for a
fact my cousins, friends and myself are people someone who look forward to
going back home just so we can fully embrace our Indian culture &
traditions. Something which really excites me about going back home
is the dressing up part of the holiday, wearing churidhar's, saree's & what
not! I LOVE the excitement of getting ready each
day especially those early morning wake up calls to leave for the temple!
Gee, words cannot describe how much I miss that!
What really surprised me this time was seeing girls turn up to temples wearing
tight leggings/shorts and singlets/crop tops and no sleeve tops (To my fellow malayalee girls, you're coming to pray
at the temple not for a fashion show; so please, kindly cover up your
cleavage, navel and other body parts which we do not wish to see, please get
your ish together!) and then there's us turnin' up all dressed
up and mallu-like with our new churidhars & flower garlands in our
hair!
Our country has a vast and
secular motherland, with an array of culture, traditions & beliefs. And
personally, I wish if we could inculcate the good ways of other nations instead
of copying everything they do.
Today’s youth is brought up with
the most twisted views, leaving them dangling between Indian traditions taught
by their parents and the western adopted “cool” lifestyle as observed around
us. The heavy influence of western styles on Indians has taught us that it’s
our right to free expression - which by no means do I think is wrong, however;
taking advantage of this right and showing affection in
public isn't right at all.
Recent acts of
violence towards the youth of India by moral policing is what led to the
campaign “kiss of love” by Kochi youth. However, the problem is that the
protest ought not to be about kissing at all. A theatre artist and her
colleague were detained for travelling together at night. A couple were
arrested for suspected “immoral activities” on a bench in Alappuzha, especially
suspicious because the woman was not wearing anything to indicate she was
married.
I agree, each and every person has the right and freedom to be affectionate and
to express one’s love for another, but not at the cost of altering public
spaces. I think the motive is good, but the path chosen to protest against
moral policing, I'm not too sure about.
I felt like this video was totally relevant here :')
Shout out to Lakshmi Menon & her channel
The truth is, there
has been nothing there in my mind you know that really triggers my thoughts. Mmm..Now,
how exactly do I describe this current situation of mine?
Lack of inspiration,
maybe?
It’s been a while
since I’ve thought of anything actually worth
writing about, or should I say worth posting about?...
However;
recently, I’ve been having the urge to write about a number of things, but
everything just seems to narrow down to that one basic element – FEELINGS.
"According to
market researchers ACNielsen, in 2010, India's whitening-cream market was worth
$432 million (Rs.2, 600 crore). In 2012, Indians were said to have consumed 233
tonnes of skin-whitening products." -The
Times of India
"The
fairness creams marketing strategies, which show that a girl can't get married
unless she is fair, change the mindset of individuals. The visual media has
changed the strategy so much that even fair people also use fairness
product."Ravi Mittal
Let's face
it. It's true; we Indians ARE obsessed with fairness.
In our
society, being fair can take you from rags to riches, unemployed to employed,
transform you into a star or even a beautiful air hostess but most importantly,
it can get you married to Prince Charming!
The sad part
is, it doesn't end there, thanks to all the celebrity endorsed fairness
products the obsession becomes even bigger!
Fair is
lovely, fair beautiful. However, is being fair really everything?
It's been a while
since I last blogged, and for those of you who actually read this nonsense
& somewhat care, I must admit, I've really missed blogging! I've been
swarmed with so MANY happenings over the past couple of weeks that blogging
took a short hiatus and it seems that for nearly every blog, sooner or later
there'll be a day where the 'sorry I haven't blogged in a while' post will
surface. And, well, I guess today's my day.
These last couple of
weeks has been really hectic. I've been racing around doin' a handful of things
e.g. preparing for exams, doing assessment pieces, performing, travelling,
sorting out WEX, etc, etc - the list is endless tbh!
Nevertheless, I'd
like to end today's post on a positive not.
On Thursday, I hadmy first placement at the early
childhood school, what a fulfilling experience 'twas! I was lucky enough to
work with the sweetest, cheekiest and most loving preschoolers. Their
inquisitive attitudes, bubbly personalities & endless amount of energy made
them a joy to be around! It felt wonderful when they dropped me to the door at
the end of the session and squished me with their tight little
hugs! However, it melt my heart when little Lilliana walked up from
behind, hugged me & told me she loved me. So precious! Bless their souls.
Enjoy those simple & little beautiful things in life; and, make life sweeter
with a cup of coffee! Good day world.
There are
days where I wake up with bucket loads of energy & happiness; motivated & ready to do things. However, there are also days where I
wake up feeling miserable & gloomy (but, don’t we all?). On days like these my emotions are usually
sub-optimal and I prefer keeping to myself, and I guess the best description that suits my current
situation is perhaps the classic,“roller coaster ride”.
28/08/14 I lay there in silence, beneath the warm blankets, wide-awake listening to
the birds outside my window. It was five past five and there I was, feeling
completely lost & buried by a number of inexpressible feelings.
Like always, sleeplessness led to another, and eventually I had a number of thoughts racing
through my mind. I thought and thought. Luckily, they were positive thoughts, a notion
of happiness passed through me as I thought about all the people I’ve met on
this journey called life & all the ones I am yet to meet. There are many
who I’ve met unexpectedly & will hold onto for the rest of my days, however, there are some who’ve parted their own
ways. But most importantly, the thoughts I reflected on most was what I’ve learned
from each of these individuals &
what I have yet to learn from those in my tomorrow.
“Not every day is good day, live anyway.
Not all you love will love you back, but love anyway.
Not everyone will tell you the truth, be honest anyway.
“Maveli nadu vaneedum kalam,manusharellarum
onnupole”.....
Hello my lovelies! First of all, Ellavarkum ente hridayam niranja
Onashamsakal/Happy Onam everyone! I hope you've all had a very festive Onam
filled with happiness & prosperity!
Onam 2014
So, I'm sure there are a number of you wondering, "what on
earth is Onam?”…..
Well, we’ll get to that very soon, so do keep reading!
However, how can an Onam post be any good without some good music...?
For those who didn’t know, music plays a very BIG part in our Malayalee
people’s lives. So, without further ado, I'd like to share with you all a very
beautiful song 'Onakkalaam', composed by Mikku Kavil; sung by a group of very
talented singers. Take a moment and listen to this soothing melody by Traffic
Block!
Don’t forget to like, share & support their great work!
So as you all probably know, India is a very diverse country
filled with countless numbers of festivals and traditions. And Onam is one of Kerala’s
largest festivals, celebrating the harvest season. Onam is celebrated all over
Kerala and is considered a State Festival.
Onam is celebrated by people of all
class and creed. Hindus, Muslims and Christians. Onam is celebrated in the Hindu month of Chingam & Thiruvonam the 10th day, marks the annual visit of our mythical King, Mahabali.
CMA Onam 2013 - Canberra's Mahabali
For those of you who don’t know the tale of King Mahabali’s exile
into netherworld, here’s a quick summary. It’s believed that a King
called Mahabali ruled Kerala 1000's of years ago. Mahabali was known to be a man
of principles and values, his country became equal to heaven in all aspects,
everybody was happy in his kingdom as there was no discrimination in the basis
of caste or class. However, hearing about the growing popularity & fame of
Mahabali, the devas' became very envious and jealous.
They felt threatened about their supremacy and complained to Maha
Vishnu in order to get rid of the dilemma. Maha Vishnu came down to earth disguised as Vamanan a poor Brahmin and asked Mahabali for three foot of land. Mahabali
being a king who never rejects any requests, allowed Vamanan to take three foot
of land according to his wish.
Suddenly, Vamanan grew big and with his two feet, he had
taken all steps Mahabali had given him. And since there was no place to get his
third foot of land, Mahabali bowed down his own head for Vamanan to place his
feet and Vamanan pushed Mahabali to the underworld.
Since Mahabali was a man of principles, Vamanan allowed Mahabali
to ask for a single request and all he asked was to see his people once in a
year. So, it is said that once in a year, Mahabali comes to visit his people to
see how they are doing and in memory of that Onam is celebrated. Every year on Onam
day we welcome the spirit of Mahabali, and assure him that his people are
happy.
PC :- Sreejith Soman Photography
So, Onam is celebrated in the beginning of the month of Chingam,
the first month of Malayalam Calendar. Onam lasts for ten days and during each
of these 10 days, households buy varieties of flowers and make flower carpets
on their front porches.
Malayalam Mathrubhumi Calender - 2014
Thiruvonam is the tenth day of Onam Celebrations, the final day of
Onam that brings the 10 day Onam festivities to an end. Thiruvonam was the day
Mahabali was suppressed to underworld by Vamanan.
So, what’s so special about Onam, you ask?
Well, there is a lot more to Onam than it being just a festival,
It’s a time that brings joy and celebration to the hearts of each and every
individual. But
Onam’s not just about all this there’s a lot more to experience,for example :-
Pookalam
A flower carpet called 'Pookalam'
is laid in front of every house to welcome Mahabali. The pookkalams are made up of several varieties of
flowers. Usually placed either in the middle or in front of the pookalams are
twoearthen mounds, which look
like square pyramids, representing Mahabali & Vamanan. However, it
doesn’t finish there; Onam also means new clothes for everyone and
mouth-watering homemade delicacies.
My small Pookalam
Vallamkalli
Another main attraction of Onam, is the 'Vallamkali' or boat races
of Karuvatta, Payippad, Aranmula and Kottayam. Hundreds of men row traditional
boats to the rhythm of drums and cymbals. These Snake Boats used for the races
are called 'Chundans', they’re named after their exceedingly long hulls and
high sterns that resemble the raised hood of a cobra.
Sreejith Soman Photography
Thiruvathira
(Kaikottikali) & Pulikali
Thiruvathira kali is one of the main dances for Onam. It’s
performed by group of women dressed in Tradition Kerala Saree who dance
with rhythmic steps against thiruvathira songs.
Pulikali is a colourful recreational folk art from the state of
Kerala. It’s performed by trained artists to entertain people on the occasion
of Onam. Pulikali, also known as Kaduvaakali, is a 200 year old art. Pulikali
is the 'play of the tigers' hence the performance revolves around the theme of
tiger hunting.
Sreejith Soman Photography
Onsadhya
The exciting
part of this day is definitely the food, no doubt. The Onasadhya is the grand
feast which is prepared and served on Onam. Onasadhya’s are prepared on the
last day of Onam, Thiruonam. It gives as much delight to the sight as it
does to our taste buds!
Sadhya at home - 2013
The lunch
consists of 20-plus dishes, eaten on banana leaves. This mouth-watering
feast is an all vegetarian meal full of dishes that tickle will your taste
buds. An Onam Sadhya is served on banana leaves with rice in the centre, and a
bunch of accompaniments served on the side. The banana leaf is eventually
filled with the a number of dishes – Papadam, Banana Chips, Naranga acharu,
Sarkara varatti, Paruppu Curry, Sambar, Avial, Kalan, Olan, Pachhady, Erissery,
Manga Curry, Kootucurry and more! The delicious meal ends with a generous
serving of sweet payasams and ada pradhaman.
Busy munching away..Yes, that's me in the orange!
The Onasadhya represents
ancient wisdom about how we must eat – respecting nature and its seasons. We sit on the floor lined up in single lines
and the women serve each individual. After the food comes the mouth-watering
dessert, payasam, an Indian delicacy. Then everyone gathers around the TV and
watch movies. Ugh, all this food talk is making me extra hungry, ahh…I’m now
eagerly waiting for next year’s sadhya!
Sreejith Soman Photography
Before I end this post, I’ll take a
moment to share my childhood nostalgia of Onam, back home in Kerala. As a child,
I remember all us cousins coming home to our grandparents house. We'd all arrive a day or two prior two Onam. On Thiruvonam day, all of the adults and us cousins would gather at home
and together prepare the big feast! Well the adults prepared the feast really,
and we kids would sit around the table and gossip or play games. Anthakshari
and cheetukalli were our main source of entertainment, man, those were some
great time! Those were the real Onam days, there’s a huge difference in
Onam celebrations we experience abroad compared to the colourful celebrations
we have in Kerala. We’ve all now grown up and gone our separate ways,
everything’s changed now you see! Gosh, I can’t remember the last I celebrated
Onam like that with all my family, I guess it’s been over 8 years now!
Wherever we may be in the world, Onam is an occasion when memories of our childhood— our homes, cousins, parents, siblings/friends and hometown spontaneously spring back and forth in our minds. Ahhh....eagerly
waiting for next year’s Onam!....
“ We are more abused, harassed, exploited, kidnapped, raped, trafficked,
murdered by our lovers, husbands, fathers, brothers, uncles, cousins, friends,
or men we know well, than by strangers. Whatever happens to us, we still never
stop loving men “
Over the last month, I’ve been seeing an
increased number of posts & photos about acid attacks all over social
media. It brought tears to my eyes as I glanced through the photos and read over
the tragic experiences of each of those women. It brings great amounts of disgust
to me, knowing that many of these culprits are let off with bail and aren’t
behind the bars.
It’s so common now, that nearly every
day we are woken up to see a large number of articles in our newspapers
featuring a number of sexual crimes that happen not only across the country,
but also across the world. There is a story on nearly every page of the paper
about a number of rapes, acid attacks and other heinous crimes. Acid attacks are probably the most brutal yet easily committed
crimes in our society today. They are
one of the most heinous crimes against women, a crime which is rampant across
the globe. It not only inflicts physical injuries
but also destroys the victim's entire life, leaving the scars of the heinous
crime on the body and mind of the victims.
Acid attacks are very
common in South Asia; there are high numbers of attacks in Afghanistan, Pakistan,
and Bangladesh & India. India has an increasing problem with acid attacks
each year; an estimated 1,000+ acid attacks take place every year.
The biggest reasons for
the ridiculously high rate of acid attacks in South Asia can be explained by the
easy accessibility of acids. Acids are cheap and can easily be obtained in
the markets for very low prices. The fact that there are no legal restrictions
imposed about buying or selling acids in my opinion is, PATHETIC.
Our understandings of a chemical burn may be very limited, simply because we’ve never experienced a pain like such. None us of have ever experienced anything more severe than a burn from a hot liquid or
even a hot vessel. However, an acid or chemical burn on the other hand, leaves
a person severely unstable not only physically but also mentally. For a victim to return to life as it was before the attack can be extremely difficult and
very challenging.
I nurture a small hope
that our society will one day finally put a stop to this war on women. Unfortunately,
I don’t think it’ll happen any time soon......
“Where is the justice? Where is the law?.......... Nowhere”
