Each one to their own

My phone buzzed continually as I tried to sleep, a debated Whatsapp exchange was going on in a group. I muted the phone and fell asleep. The next morning, I woke up to over a hundred messages. Most of the people referred to a particular Tamil promoting politician as hypocritic as his daughter ran a school where Hindi was taught. I began to wonder whether it was such a big deal at all, as the politician and his daughter are two different individuals, with different ideologies and mindsets. Having a child, whose ideology does not necessarily subscribe to yours, doesn't make one hypocritic. Going back on one's one ideology is what makes one hypocritic.

I wear dresses to work, and my mother wears salwar kameez. My grandmother on the other hand believes that saree is the most appropriate attire for a woman and only wears sarees. While my grandmother believes that sarees are comfortable, my mother and I do not feel particularly comfortable in sarees and do not wear them on a daily basis. 

Does that make my grandmother hypocritic? Does it make me or my mother hypocritic ?

It absolutely does not, because my grandmother believes in her principles and sticks to it. She does not enforce them on her children or grandchildren. It doesn't make me or my mother hypocritic, because we follow what we believe in.

If you are still unconvinced, let me give you an example. Hiranyakashipu was a Rakshasa who tormented people, who had a humble son named Prahlad. Lord Vishnu took the form of Narasimha to kill Hiranyakashipu and save Prahlad. We consider Prahlad a hero, despite being the son of a Rakshasa. If we can accept this, why can't we accept the fact that a politician and his daughter can have entirely different mindsets. 

Why can't we agree that all of us are different from our parents and each individual has his or her own beliefs and we need not subscribe to the exact same values and beliefs as our parents?

Each individual is entitled to have her or his own beliefs, motivations and ideologies. While some of these are imbibed from the parents, other external factors such as school, friends and media have a role to play in shaping a persons mindset. This in turn influences the person and makes each individual a unique entity.

The next time you criticise someone for being hypocritic because his child or parent does not subscribe to the same ideology, just remember that you and your parents, or you and your children do not necessarily subscribe to the same beliefs. If this does not make you hypocritic, it surely does not make them hypocritic either.

The cold bitter-sweet truth

As I closed the tank, I felt an icy chill passing through my hand and the rest remains a haze. I got into panic mode, washed my hands several times and then finished my work. Half and hour later, my fingers felt numb and I couldn't move my hand. I rushed to the hospital and on the way bumped into an acquaintance. That day, I did not realise, that she would one day become a very good friend. She checked on me every few days, and bolstered me in the recovery process. It taught me that acquaintances needn't always be distant, some can be friends too.

While checking into the hospital, the receptionist asked me to sign a set of forms. My hands were numb and could barely hold a pen, I called a friend, who worked less than fifty metres away to help me sign the forms. He merely said "It will be okay" and cut the call. This was the end of the supposed friendship I shared with him. I held the pen and scribbled my name with my non-dominant hand is an unintelligible fashion. That moment, taught me to cut away people who use you and do not step up when you need them, even if it is not particularly difficult for them.
My supervisor, whom I feared (co-supervisor actually), turned out to be a great ally who ensured that I received the best medical treatment possible in Singapore. My lab safety lead and my counterpart in lab (two different people), ensured that I was well fed and took my medicines on time. They made me realise that the best in people is hidden and comes out only when needed.

Three of my friends in Singapore became my sources of support and champions. One of my friends would patiently unknot my hair and plait it everyday, another would cook and feed me, while the third would continually tell me that everything would be alright soon. 

My world changed significantly, leaving me dependant on people for a weeks and I am actually thankful for the accident as I realised that all friends, aren't 'Friends' and surrounding yourself with the goodness brings prosperity and incidents like these actually help you remove the parasitic weeds and retain the good people in your life. Those who realise you are wounded and cannot help them will leave, while those who truly care, will stay back.


My hand was exposed to cold liquid nitrogen, and I was exposed to the cold bitter-sweet truth of reality.

Until Poor Connectivity Do Us Part

A robotic voice says "Tu mangi il pane." I press the button to hear the same voice repeat the same sentence, in a much slower pace this time. I hear it right and key in 'You eat the bread', and hit the submit button. The 'ting' sound is heard and a green tick pops up on my screen. I click next and it proceeds to the next question.

Duolingo, is the only voice I hear apart from that of my parents and best friend (all of them over WhatsApp) on daily basis. Duolingo isn't my exotic friend or housemate, it is the language app that teaches me Italian and Hindi. For the last year, Duo (that's the actual nickname) has been one of my best friends. When I don't show up on the app for a day, Duo will buzz me, and even emails me to remind me that he misses me (how lovely!).

A few years ago, I considered myself anti-technology. I believed that technology puts people in a virtual world and makes them connected to an artificial space that doesn't exist. However, my opinion on technology today has taken a diametrically opposite turn. I truly believe technology can keep you sane. In an environment where the drop of a pin can be heard, where the nearest mall or train station is many miles away, it is this technology, the voice of my loved ones on WhatsApp, Duo's voice and Cortana's voice (the Android assistant on my phone) that makes me feel connected to the world around me.

Technology has occupied every sphere of our urban lives. From the alarm, to the voice that reminds you to get off at your designated station, everything in today's world is controlled by technology. My best friend can view my manuscripts ten thousand miles away and suggest changes. I can see the picture of my cousin's baby from three thousand miles away.

People say that we have become slaves of technology, yet I strongly believe that we have not become slaves but have started to consider technology as an indispensable part of life. A hundred years ago, electricity was not an integral part of life, now most people can not imagine a life without it. The same applies to Wifi, smartphones and other devices. 

This bond between man and machine cannot be undone so easily. Unless poor connectivity does us part, we will be tied in this relationship. A relationship that brings us close ones closer, when we are apart.