Pink vs Blue

 I call the gender debate a debate between life choices and not just between pink or blue.

When we go to a shop we often find separate floors for shopping based on gender. From the colour of the wall to the colour of the merchandise we purchase, our conventionally accepted choices are so different from how our opposite gender is showcased. We find a product in five different colours but usually even this variety does not exceed the stereo-typically accepted choices for the given gender. How does one define better taste when it comes to colors, without compromising on unconventional individuality?

The society names you a girl and because you are named a girl you are expected to develop the few girl-like qualities (which are again decided by the society). If at all you do not grow up as the society termed you, one is stamped as a spoilt brat. To me it seems like- you are a girl, you must like pink, you must grow your hair, you must love  cooking and taking care of all things in the house. It is alright if it is a choice you make but limiting and if one is catering to societal assumptions alone.

This is what standardising does- provide a cube and metal boxes to fit in. It looks simple and considered normative but it is unfair when one is trying to make sense of the complexity. The society is paired – Girl vs boy , single vs committed, tall vs short, dark vs fair, working vs home maker so on and so forth. Once you fall in a particular category you have no choice but to start liking the traits that signify that category. Let this not happen only because it is the norm.

The world offers multitudes of colors and choices and let us not restrict ourselves because we are expected to satisfy the society. Let us start satisfying ourselves first.

Pondicherry

I told everybody that I am going to spend my weekend in Pondicherry. Everybody responded in the same way. Chin raised and eyes shut. As soon as I entered south India I could feel the magic and mystical smell in the air. Those two days were not enough to get the feel of the city.  The white side of Pondicherry is the French colony and the bright side is tamilian. The cultural base of both the nations can be felt strongly. I discovered things which are hidden from normal eyes. I witnessed various spectrum of colors.

 Paradise beach and the rock beach, two magnificent beaches which were completely out of the world and peculiar. Travelling in a boat to reach an island made me feel that I am cut off from a busy life where people forget to perceive the beauty of nature around them. Never have I witnessed a beach as clean as paradise beach. Water went through our feet and came back again. The waves gave us a revolving effect. The sand under was so pure. People around us were so lively and they filled me with excitement. Happiness here happiness there. Where ever I looked the whole place was filled with happy people.

We walked along the roads of the French colony. The buildings were altogether built in the style of the golden era and they stand out even now. Lot of handmade stuff shops blew me off with surprise and I saw few impossible things which were beautifully made using paper.

Vinkayaka temple. At the entrance of the temple, the temple elephant with painted head and necklace of bells greeted us. After visiting the temple I dropped few coins into her trunk and she placed her trunk on my head in blessing. This was one of the most poignant moments of my life.

This was my experience in Pondicherry, even though I could not witness the entire city. Words are not enough to describe my journey into this complete unknown land which gave me a sense of warmth after my busy months in Delhi.

Catching up with memories

It is difficult to really belong to an alien geography, around unknown people no matter how friendly and generous they/you are. People around me are wonderful and splendid which is why I never want to return back to my hometown but the memories always chase me down to go back to the place I hail from.
I miss that wonderful feeling which all of us sense when we return to the place we actually belong/belonged to. A place filled with good vibes, the echoes in the bedroom, pottering across the kitchen, sitting in the large airy living room, which is inhabited by people I care about, to me it is my heaven on earth. Home is one place where you feel comfortable instantly.

Three years of being independent has taught me many things but I still do not have a clear cut answer to what life is all about. Sometimes I want to be a strong independent woman and sometimes I want to be the dad’s girl. The whole world is open for me to conquer but my eyes are only looking for few selective things which mean the world to me.