Work in progress

You know, one day early in the morning I went to a shop to return something and the shopkeeper said they don't accept returns before 12pm. When asked why he said because that is when we do our Lakshmi Puja. I lost my cool. I couldn't believe my ears that people live with such superstitions, I told him very rudely that 'customer is your Lakshmi and their service should be your Puja'.

And I have had many loud, public fights when I experienced gender bias, superstitions, and basically idiocy.

When I look at people like Richard Dawkins speaking in talk shows, people ask them questions like 'was the earth created 5000 years ago by God', these great people never lose their cool, they go on explaining at length about how the Earth wasn't 'created' and that it didn't happen 5000 years ago.

If you are teaching multiplication to a child - then you don't yell at them because you don't expect them to know it, you would go and explain it to them ten times if needed. And to do that it needs something more than patience.

It needs compassion.


Compassion is the quality I lack, not with children but with grown-ups, I expect them to know that they are being superstitious, illogical, gender-biased, following some stupid 1000-year-old customs- rituals and stuff like that. 

I am working really hard to be compassionate with ignorant/ regressive grown-ups. When someone says something regressive I 'try' not to be rude and harsh with my words. 

The same goes with writing - If I am writing about issues like superstitions, gender inequality, etc. then my first drafts are very harsh, I edit them a few times to tone them down. You may still think that my posts sound harsh and I use curse words but just remember that -

I am working on compassion and the work is in progress.

Kabhi kisiko mukammal

One of my favorite ghazal and meaning - 

 kabhii kisii ko mukammal jahaa.N nahii.n milataa

kahii.n zamiin to kahii.n aasamaan nahii.n milataa

No one ever gets the entire universe 
Somewhere the earth and somewhere the sky is missing  

jise bhii dekhiye vo apane aap me.n gum hai
jubaa.N milii hai magar hamajubaa.N nahii.n milataa  

Whoever you see is lost in their own sorrow 
They have thoughts to share but no companion to listen  

bujhaa sakaa hai bhalaa kaun vaqt ke shole
ye aisii aag hai jisame dhuaa.N nahii.n milataa  

Who is able to douse the embers of time 
This is a fire that has no smoke  

tere jahaa.N me.n aisaa nahii.n ki pyaar na ho
jahaa.N ummiid ho isakii vahaa.N nahii.n milataa

It's not like there's no love in your life (universe) 
Where you hope for it you won't find it there

~~Nida Fazli

Tv shows I loved part 4

 

Weight Woes

Ever since I remember 'Lose Weight' has been on my new year resolutions list each year. Feels like the only constant in my life.

In 2013 (till November) I lost 7 pounds and gained 5 in the month of December (when I was vacationing in India).

The same resolutions continued every year: eat healthy/ home cooked food and exercise everyday. And kept gaining some losing some.

I get a good work out done only when I am in a group class. The instructor keeps me on my toes and looking at the other members motivates me to do better. I personally feel working out alone on trade mill or going on a long walk with friends does not count as exercise.

Yoga, Pilates, Kickboxing, weight training, Zumba, bosu blast, biking, hiking, swimming, some sports are all good exercises. Going on long walks once in a while is also a good form of exercise (assuming that is not the only form of work out we are engaging in).