Doing the uncomfortable conversations? Would it help?

Would teaching people on Sexism, homophobia and trans-phobia help them have a different attitude towards what they think? Would it help?

This is a grave question and one that keeps on coming in my mind. Would having deep conversations around these help? I feel that it should? and many times making conversation is so hard. But at least we can try? Right? We SHOULD TRY, everyday some more.

Because people do not think that ways (why do they not?)? they are not at all brained that ways (why are they not?)? and neither have they seen things in those angles (why do they not?) and they do not want to listen to any of these (why not?)? And they are just scared even to think about it that they might be the "out-caste" even if they think in some ways? maybe?? Does the fearful environment we grew up in makes us so reluctant to speak to wrongs? (be it be wrong of any kind?) That when we're kids we were never taught to be "upstanders" and we never learnt to "upstand" for someone? some causes? And then we never knew "upstanding" was possible- for ourselves and for others? Would it be the thing as well for some? Not for many others? Why is it so hard to think some "normal" humanitarian values? Why have we made our lives so complicated (uselessly)?

But still I feel doing the uncomfortable conversation should help. If the other person who you speak to listens to you? Tries to listen at all?

Open hearts and Open minds- if they exist, maybe that helps? Maybe!! Maybe it will!

And then I think; "के सरु भक्त ले भने झैँ एउटा "पागल बस्ति" बसाउन सकिन्छ त ?" जहाँ यी सबै कुरा गर्न सकियोस्।  भन्न सकियोस् "यस्तो हो नि कुरो।" "ल कुरा गरम।" र यहिँ हो सत्य। There's nothing beyond. Nothing above. 

कहिले काहिँ त लाग्छ काश कतै यो "पागल बस्ति" बसाउन सकियोस् अनि बनम अलिकति अरु बढी पागल मानवताकालागि।  

काश।  

The thing that is needed the most is still a far-cry, a faraway dream? It shouldn't be. It should not be.

Metta!!

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I read the book "The Love Hypothesis"

I finished reading the book on June 3, 2022 somewhere around midnight! 

 

Image: From GoodReads page

It just took longer for me to sit down and finish reading a book, and it happened to be that "The Love Hypothesis" happened to be the one book I finished after a long time. Everyone has a reason for reading a book. For me, I liked Richa's book review and went for this one and borrowed one from the library. The book reached our house via the Corvallis benton County library's home delivery support the second week of May. Well! Perks of being a Ph.D. student is that you hardly finish reading your book and are never able to finish those and you end up barely reading for pleasure. I remember Suman saying this- PhD is so intense I hardly read for pleasure. Well, I have stopped having any time for anything for long. Maybe time management is my weakness. I really need to work on this and be able to manage things, read and work. this is for some other time- that how I mess things up. For now about books.

Well, my fascination with getting the books from the library never ends, and thus this book came home too. One thing that drew me to the book was the life of a PhD student and the academic life in general. I finished the read yesterday (June 3, 2022) in a couple of sittings before my finals week because I just needed this liberation of my thoughts to gather and work for the week ahead! It made me realize I can finish books in 5-7/8 hours. It's been a while since I did that!

I could relate to so many instances. Like the one as follows (such important one to think abut when doing research). Need to be kept in mind always.

And at many points, I saw AJ as the professor giving suggestions to their students. Why they are the way they are.

Academia is heart-wrenching at many times. You feel like a fool when you don't know but there are some who are supportive as well as a critique. So, so be it. There are times when you don't know the things you don't know and you will slowly know and move ahead. You will keep fighting the way you do.

It's tough. But maybe it will keep getting easier. Will take time but maybe it will. 

Metta!
Images: Shot by me from the book (Image 1, 2 & 3: Pg 89, 119 & 120 respectively)

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The Legend of Lakshmi Prasad: A Review!

The book :-)! PC: @KanchanOjha

After Pyjamas are Forgiving and Matilda , The Legend of Lakshmi Prasad stands to be the third book I finish this year. Thanks to @TwinkleKhanna who binds with her writes. A continuous three hours of sitting and the book was done. This is what I like about the book;

The Legend of Lakshmi Prasad is a compilation of four different stories from India. There's disparity in all the four stories, with an only similarity that each story ends with a strong message. 

The first story starts with "The Legend of Lakshmi Prasad." This is the story of the vibrant Lakshmi Prasad-a girl who changed the view of the village at how they perceived girls. The metamorphosis of a girl child from burden to celebration is the limelight of the story. The spotlight for me remains the ritual of planting trees under girls name.

Second story is of sixty-eight-year-old Noni Appa in "Salaam Noni Appa" where the author portrays elderly life. The difficulties and challenges of elderly life is versed well in the story. The complications of relations and what matters to us at the end adds to the flavor. 

Independent Elisa in "If the Weather Permits" holds the burden of the societal norms as the keepsake. There's a tussle between absurd norms and a glee life-where Elisa fights for her covets, failing each time. 

Finally Bablu Kewat plays "The Sanitary Man from a Sacred Land". He fights for giving women a hygienic and comfortable life by introducing cheap sanitary pads to the poorest of females. Amidst this fight he was left alone, ostracized and abandoned by family and peers. Yet with a narrow escape he conquered. A story of self-defiance, struggle and victory also based on the true story of Arunachalam Murunganantham.

From fluttering in the paddy fields to driving a dented white fiat and from becoming a carefree young one to an ambitious one, the author binds you to her write with a great visual detail. I give a 3.5 ***  

Happy Reading :-)!

Also find the review @GoodReads

Metta !!

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Existential crisis !!

Some feelings that make you feel bad. And keeps on making you feel bad, because your existence seems blur. Or you are not even taken into account of. Your presence is not at all needed like thing. I know everything will pass. Things will be better.

Just that it's been a bit long. A bit more long!

Metta!!

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#Phases !!

A thought just came over. Someday when I will look at my blog and remember the blabbering made in at so many instances then I will get to know, Yeah! I passed these phases of mine. Sometimes I might think, well I made so big talks at those times or may be I was so childish back then :-)

The phases of life are really interesting. The other day I was reading a blog and came to know that the blog writer had already died. Well I was reading a dead man. It is such a crude feeling.....*My thoughts paused for a while.*.... Well we read so many of the 'deads', not a big deal! But when we read the thoughts, the aspirations, the dreams of someone dead--that give you goosebumps and that's what happened here.

Tsk
Tsk!!

BTW, I love to read Suman's blog. It always energizes me with a new passion. Though she writes less. But whatever she writes, I love it. I am her die-hard fan :-))! Ummm...and he's about to have his exams. Yeah! I miss his words.

And then I was reading a friend's blog lately. I was happy to read the phases he went through. That feeling of going to and fro in someone's life via the writes give an awesome feel too. You know you are looking at someone else's mirror and can actually see them. And then there are also sometimes when you exactly know somehow you think the same too. That's what connects the two peoples. This is an amazing feel, but this is how it is.

And I have stories with so many peoples via their words. I must say words bind me bad. Very very bad. They can swing my thoughts and or make me think some more at the same time....Ahh! endless talks. For now I end my blabbers here!

Until then the *Earth* is round 

Metta !!

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They said !

“I'm in love with you," he said quietly.

"Augustus," I said.

"I am," he said. He was staring at me, and I could see the corners of his eyes crinkling. "I'm in love with you, and I'm not in the business of denying myself the simple pleasure of saying true things. I'm in love with you, and I know that love is just a shout into the void, and that oblivion is inevitable, and that we're all doomed and that there will come a day when all our labor has been returned to dust, and I know the sun will swallow the only earth we'll ever have, and I am in love with you.”

--John Green in "The Fault in Our Stars"

Metta!!

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