Do you often look at yourself in the mirror and wonder what sets you apart? Given a chance, would you again want to be born a woman? I most definitely will.
You are a woman, a giver, a creator, a being, an inspiration and unique in every way. Feminity is so special, makes the world look beautiful and, in a way, cosy!
Being a woman is not only about living a feminine life, getting married, managing a family, running a household and making everyone happy. It is about enjoying it too. We see many examples in day-to-day life, but how many women are truly happy? Our mothers and sisters and scores of women like them continuously strive hard to be perfect. Why they want to be so is unknown, but they never cease to try. They will leave no stone unturned in their quest for being the best mothers, the best sisters, the best wives and the best daughters, and if they fail a little to fulfill all these roles, guilt overtakes all emotions. It is then that they have to kill their dreams and live their lives for others.
This Woman’s Day I salute all such women but would like to add something to that. Please- you too can err; there is no need to push the boundaries beyond a limit. We want you happy, because you are so special.
Monday, February 25, 2008
Saturday, February 16, 2008
ghalib
Oh I'm lostSome placeSomewhereFrom which placeI have no newsNor can i hearEven about
Myself---
Ghalib
How to write
I wanted to know how to really get down to serious writing.. won't say the ideas are all original.. bt yes, an extension to what has been said abt writing.
“Words, once they are printed have a life of there own,” said Carol Burnett. Many of us have a burning desire to write, what wouldn’t we do to see our name in the list of great authors and our work read by readers worldwide. But in reality we don’t get down to the act of writing.
Gertrude Stein wrote, “To write is to write is to write is to write is to write is to write is to write”, so well the most important thing to get started with writing is doing just that – write.
According to Judy Reeves, the author of Write Alone, Write Together, it is most important to first accept that you are a writer. “Until you name yourself Writer, you will never be a writer who writes. Speak your name out loud followed by, “I’m a writer.” Let yourself experience the sensations you feel when you sound out the words.” Whether you are published or not is not the question. Take pride in saying that you are a writer, and write.
First, find an idea for yourself. Don’t write thinking how much you can earn if it gets published. Instead, think of why this story must be told. Think of a basic plot and the major characters. Jot that down. Give life to your characters by giving them a face, a body-type, a personality, and some flaws. It may sound like painting but then, writing is like painting, you keep stroking the canvas with a brush and soon you’ll realise it has taken shape of an image. That image is your story.
Think of the city and the country the story needs to be set in. Carry out some research about the history of that place, the timeline of your story and major events that occurred in that period in history, because your characters will be affected by those events.
Another, important thing would be to observe people, at your workplace, college, in the bus or at the market, anywhere. It’s well-known that J.K. Rowling used to write her books sitting at a restaurant. Observe people and their dialects, their movements, actions and reactions. It could give you some good ideas to work on.
Now start with a rough draft. Never for once imagine that your first draft would be the last one. Writing comes with a silent suffix called rewriting. So keep up with writing and improvising.
Writing and keeping up with it is not as easy as it sounds. What with so many other things going on in our lives. So it is advisable to set some timing for when you write and sit down with your computer or notepad and write during that time. Three or four times a week will be fine. Slowly you will form a routine and it will not be difficult.
At other times, continue with your reading. Read good books, old books, great books and not-so-great books. Go for walks when you get tired of writing and come back with a new idea.
Perhaps John Hersey, American writer and Journalist summed it up when he said, “To be a writer is to sit down at one's desk in the chill portion of every day, and to write; not waiting for the little jet of the blue flame of genius to start from the breastbone – just plain going at it, in pain and delight. To be a writer is to throw away a great deal, not to be satisfied, to type again, and then again, and once more, and over and over.”
“Words, once they are printed have a life of there own,” said Carol Burnett. Many of us have a burning desire to write, what wouldn’t we do to see our name in the list of great authors and our work read by readers worldwide. But in reality we don’t get down to the act of writing.
Gertrude Stein wrote, “To write is to write is to write is to write is to write is to write is to write”, so well the most important thing to get started with writing is doing just that – write.
According to Judy Reeves, the author of Write Alone, Write Together, it is most important to first accept that you are a writer. “Until you name yourself Writer, you will never be a writer who writes. Speak your name out loud followed by, “I’m a writer.” Let yourself experience the sensations you feel when you sound out the words.” Whether you are published or not is not the question. Take pride in saying that you are a writer, and write.
First, find an idea for yourself. Don’t write thinking how much you can earn if it gets published. Instead, think of why this story must be told. Think of a basic plot and the major characters. Jot that down. Give life to your characters by giving them a face, a body-type, a personality, and some flaws. It may sound like painting but then, writing is like painting, you keep stroking the canvas with a brush and soon you’ll realise it has taken shape of an image. That image is your story.
Think of the city and the country the story needs to be set in. Carry out some research about the history of that place, the timeline of your story and major events that occurred in that period in history, because your characters will be affected by those events.
Another, important thing would be to observe people, at your workplace, college, in the bus or at the market, anywhere. It’s well-known that J.K. Rowling used to write her books sitting at a restaurant. Observe people and their dialects, their movements, actions and reactions. It could give you some good ideas to work on.
Now start with a rough draft. Never for once imagine that your first draft would be the last one. Writing comes with a silent suffix called rewriting. So keep up with writing and improvising.
Writing and keeping up with it is not as easy as it sounds. What with so many other things going on in our lives. So it is advisable to set some timing for when you write and sit down with your computer or notepad and write during that time. Three or four times a week will be fine. Slowly you will form a routine and it will not be difficult.
At other times, continue with your reading. Read good books, old books, great books and not-so-great books. Go for walks when you get tired of writing and come back with a new idea.
Perhaps John Hersey, American writer and Journalist summed it up when he said, “To be a writer is to sit down at one's desk in the chill portion of every day, and to write; not waiting for the little jet of the blue flame of genius to start from the breastbone – just plain going at it, in pain and delight. To be a writer is to throw away a great deal, not to be satisfied, to type again, and then again, and once more, and over and over.”
To play or not to play
What does one say when the country’s only female Tennis superstar refuses to play at her home turf in order to skirt further controversies? And what if it gets her into just that – another controversy? Sania Mirza’s backing off from the Bangalore Open, one of the biggest Tennis events in India, has left her fans disappointed and grim.
Mirza, who is currently ranked 29th in the world and dubbed Asia’s No.1, said she was advised by her management to skip the US$600,000 tournament, the richest in India. “Everytime I play in India there is a problem. Considering all that, I thought it would be better not to play in Bangalore”, Mirza was quoted as saying earlier this month.
The event, which is scheduled for 3rd March, will see world-famous players like Venus Williams and her sister Serena Williams participating. Later, however, she made her point clear by claiming that Bangalore Open is an individual event and it is not like she has refused to represent the country in Olympics.
Saurabh Menani, a tennis lover and Mirza fan says, “I think she should not have said no to this tournament. Now that she is not playing, whom do we root for? It’s like Sachin saying no to Wankhade. Instead of saying no to the tennis event, she should have made her views public in some other manner.”
But there are many who support Sania in her decision. “If, as a nation, we can’t tolerate minor things and keep pestering her with fatwas and lawsuits, then how can we expect her, a twenty one year old girl, to put up with everything and not let her game get affected? Everytime she plays in India, she is surrounded with controversies, which affects her game. She has all the right to play or refuse to participate,” opines Sukrit Singh, a sports enthusiast.
However, Atul Wassan, former Indian cricketer and cricket commentator, thinks that though “it is slightly immature of her to opt out of the whole tournament, but it is understandable taking into account her age. Sport stars like her have to ignore such things and concentrate on the game. This is the price one pays for being a celebrity. I hope her advisors don’t misguide her in any way.” About the media and bigots scrutinising her every move, Wassan adds, “The media will scrutinise her anyway. There are some factions in the society, which are less tolerant towards her. But again, she has to ignore them.”
Sania has had a long haul with controversies surrounding her right from the beginning of her career. Earlier, Muslim bigots besieged her for wearing short skirts and sleeveless tops while playing. Her remarks, comments and dressing sense have also been making news along with her sports achievements. In yet another controversy, a lawsuit for shooting at the Mecca Masjid Mosque for a commercial advertisement has already been filed against her and the ad agency she was working for.
For Box:
Mirza, who is currently ranked 29th in the world and dubbed Asia’s No.1, said she was advised by her management to skip the US$600,000 tournament, the richest in India. “Everytime I play in India there is a problem. Considering all that, I thought it would be better not to play in Bangalore”, Mirza was quoted as saying earlier this month.
The event, which is scheduled for 3rd March, will see world-famous players like Venus Williams and her sister Serena Williams participating. Later, however, she made her point clear by claiming that Bangalore Open is an individual event and it is not like she has refused to represent the country in Olympics.
Saurabh Menani, a tennis lover and Mirza fan says, “I think she should not have said no to this tournament. Now that she is not playing, whom do we root for? It’s like Sachin saying no to Wankhade. Instead of saying no to the tennis event, she should have made her views public in some other manner.”
But there are many who support Sania in her decision. “If, as a nation, we can’t tolerate minor things and keep pestering her with fatwas and lawsuits, then how can we expect her, a twenty one year old girl, to put up with everything and not let her game get affected? Everytime she plays in India, she is surrounded with controversies, which affects her game. She has all the right to play or refuse to participate,” opines Sukrit Singh, a sports enthusiast.
However, Atul Wassan, former Indian cricketer and cricket commentator, thinks that though “it is slightly immature of her to opt out of the whole tournament, but it is understandable taking into account her age. Sport stars like her have to ignore such things and concentrate on the game. This is the price one pays for being a celebrity. I hope her advisors don’t misguide her in any way.” About the media and bigots scrutinising her every move, Wassan adds, “The media will scrutinise her anyway. There are some factions in the society, which are less tolerant towards her. But again, she has to ignore them.”
Sania has had a long haul with controversies surrounding her right from the beginning of her career. Earlier, Muslim bigots besieged her for wearing short skirts and sleeveless tops while playing. Her remarks, comments and dressing sense have also been making news along with her sports achievements. In yet another controversy, a lawsuit for shooting at the Mecca Masjid Mosque for a commercial advertisement has already been filed against her and the ad agency she was working for.
For Box:
- Targeted for wearing short skirts and sleeveless tops while playing.
- Her partnership with Israeli player Shahar Peer kicked off a controversy, as Muslims do not recognise the state of Israel.
- Made to retract her statement on pre-marital sex.
- Legal notice sent to her for illegally trespassing Mecca Masjid mosque in Hyderabad for which she later apologised.
- Accused of abusing the flag in Australia, in an allegedly misleading photograph.
Till now she braved it all and kept up her spirits but how long can a 21-year-old endure constant criticism and near-insane judgments being passed on her? “It does take its toll because it's not easy to deal with that kind of pressure,” Mirza said in an interview. “It's not normal for any youngster to block such pressure all the time and keep performing.”
Perhaps the accusation against her of abusing the Indian flag in Australia, in a photograph (whose credentials are still under doubt), served as the last straw. It is reported that she was so upset after the flag ruckus that she even contemplated giving up playing tennis altogether.
To many though, it seems that Sania would not have played anyway because of her fitness. But because she blamed the controversies surrounding her as the reason for not playing, all these debates sparked up. Amidst all this speculation whether she will play in India in the coming tournaments, there is one thing for sure, Sania has been hurt time and again. It would do her criticisers good to judge her by her sporting abilities than crying foul over trivialities.
an article i just wrote..got published in asianage
Union Health Minister Ambumani Ramadoss’s recent appeal to stars like Shah Rukh Khan and Amitabh Bachchan to keep away from smoking onscreen or publicly, as it encourages youngsters to smoke, generated quite a stir recently.
In a quick rejoinder to the health minister, Shah Rukh Khan said that, “I am grateful to Dr Ramadoss for being concerned about our health, but at the same time I must mention that whenever I am seen on television, I always underline that smoking is injurious to health." The actor maintained that he was "trying to quit smoking in real life too".
But the issue was not over yet. Adding to his reply, Shah Rukh said, “I think there is a huge amount of creative freedom that should be allowed in cinema and arts, and one should not go around picking on little things - because that's just cinema, it's make- belief and we should not have huge censorship on that.” The tussle between the health minister and celebrities smoking onscreen and in public has been going on for quite a while now.
Apparently, in India 40 per cent of all health problems occur because of tobacco. Despite the fact that tobacco kills over 2,200 people every day in India, over 5,500 youngsters initiate tobacco consumption every day. The age group from 10 to 25 definitely falls in the vulnerable age group. Half of these youngsters will eventually die because of tobacco consumption. According to the health minister, 52 per cent of children have their first puff of a cigarette because of movie celebrities.
All this brouhaha over onscreen smoking, but what does the law say? Although there is no provision in law that bans celebrities from smoking, there are, however laws that ban smoking in public. Says Nandita Rao, a lawyer, “The truth of the matter is that there is no legally defined term called a ‘celebrity’. One man’s celebrity can be other man’s villain. Celebrities are also human and their personal lives should not be encroached upon.”
Hemant Goswami, the chairman of a Chandigarh based NGO, Burning Brain Society, contends that most of the propaganda which relates “smoking” with the issue of “artistic expression” is a creation of tobacco industry for commercial interests. There are hundreds of tobacco industry documents, to prove this contention.
Even though violence and sex form part of the Navrasa, (the nine flavours of acting) tobacco use has no role in acting or depiction of emotion. “Tobacco is purely a commercial product which is highly addictive in nature. No acting manual in the world prescribes tobacco as a tool for acting or film making,” he says.
As far as freedom of speech and expression are concerned, the opinion is divided. While people like lawyer Nandita Rao believe that no such ethical code of conduct should be implemented and “it is the responsibility of the parents to see to it that their children do not get addicted to these vices”, there is also a strong lobby which believes that freedom of speech is not an absolute right giving one a right to spread adverse practices. Freedom of speech and expression is governed by many other concerns and the welfare of public is at the heart of it.
Movies such as Swadesh, Bunty Aur Babli, Yuva, Musafir and Lucky were seen projecting smoking as stylish and cool. Hemant Goswami emphasises that, “Movies not only project tobacco as something glamorous and fashionable but also promote the myths that it reduces stress, makes one brave and helps look good and trendy. All these projections invariably promote tobacco, specially among the youngsters.”
Another argument that often crops up is that if tobacco has to be banned in movies, then why not put an embargo over murder, rape and drug abuse as well?
But there is a major difference between the two. Children do not see their parents, friends and teachers killing someone, while they do relate smoking with their parents, peers, neighbours, teachers and thus, are more susceptible to the ill-effects of smoking.
Although the health ministry’s plans to put pictorial warnings and photographs of oral cancer patients and babies affected by passive smoking on all tobacco products are yet to see the light of the day, what can be done, however, is to ensure that the horrific numbers depicting the increasing tobacco addictions do not escalate further, and celebrities take up the mantle and do their bit for the society.
In a quick rejoinder to the health minister, Shah Rukh Khan said that, “I am grateful to Dr Ramadoss for being concerned about our health, but at the same time I must mention that whenever I am seen on television, I always underline that smoking is injurious to health." The actor maintained that he was "trying to quit smoking in real life too".
But the issue was not over yet. Adding to his reply, Shah Rukh said, “I think there is a huge amount of creative freedom that should be allowed in cinema and arts, and one should not go around picking on little things - because that's just cinema, it's make- belief and we should not have huge censorship on that.” The tussle between the health minister and celebrities smoking onscreen and in public has been going on for quite a while now.
Apparently, in India 40 per cent of all health problems occur because of tobacco. Despite the fact that tobacco kills over 2,200 people every day in India, over 5,500 youngsters initiate tobacco consumption every day. The age group from 10 to 25 definitely falls in the vulnerable age group. Half of these youngsters will eventually die because of tobacco consumption. According to the health minister, 52 per cent of children have their first puff of a cigarette because of movie celebrities.
All this brouhaha over onscreen smoking, but what does the law say? Although there is no provision in law that bans celebrities from smoking, there are, however laws that ban smoking in public. Says Nandita Rao, a lawyer, “The truth of the matter is that there is no legally defined term called a ‘celebrity’. One man’s celebrity can be other man’s villain. Celebrities are also human and their personal lives should not be encroached upon.”
Hemant Goswami, the chairman of a Chandigarh based NGO, Burning Brain Society, contends that most of the propaganda which relates “smoking” with the issue of “artistic expression” is a creation of tobacco industry for commercial interests. There are hundreds of tobacco industry documents, to prove this contention.
Even though violence and sex form part of the Navrasa, (the nine flavours of acting) tobacco use has no role in acting or depiction of emotion. “Tobacco is purely a commercial product which is highly addictive in nature. No acting manual in the world prescribes tobacco as a tool for acting or film making,” he says.
As far as freedom of speech and expression are concerned, the opinion is divided. While people like lawyer Nandita Rao believe that no such ethical code of conduct should be implemented and “it is the responsibility of the parents to see to it that their children do not get addicted to these vices”, there is also a strong lobby which believes that freedom of speech is not an absolute right giving one a right to spread adverse practices. Freedom of speech and expression is governed by many other concerns and the welfare of public is at the heart of it.
Movies such as Swadesh, Bunty Aur Babli, Yuva, Musafir and Lucky were seen projecting smoking as stylish and cool. Hemant Goswami emphasises that, “Movies not only project tobacco as something glamorous and fashionable but also promote the myths that it reduces stress, makes one brave and helps look good and trendy. All these projections invariably promote tobacco, specially among the youngsters.”
Another argument that often crops up is that if tobacco has to be banned in movies, then why not put an embargo over murder, rape and drug abuse as well?
But there is a major difference between the two. Children do not see their parents, friends and teachers killing someone, while they do relate smoking with their parents, peers, neighbours, teachers and thus, are more susceptible to the ill-effects of smoking.
Although the health ministry’s plans to put pictorial warnings and photographs of oral cancer patients and babies affected by passive smoking on all tobacco products are yet to see the light of the day, what can be done, however, is to ensure that the horrific numbers depicting the increasing tobacco addictions do not escalate further, and celebrities take up the mantle and do their bit for the society.
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