Khuda Ke liye - In the Name of God

I am not sure what was more moving about this movie – the plot, the characters, the sensitive issues of atrocities on women, Sufi soundtrack or the overall take on the abuse of Islam. With a fetish for the true (read = NOT fanatic) Islamic culture, this movie highlights to me, in the most objective and impartial manner, the essence of being a Muslim. Through the characters, different aspects of Muslim lifestyles are brought into the foray. Without any intentions of revealing the plot of this movie, several problems are addressed with due space for each of these to grow into the minds of the viewers. While on one hand is the violence women face by their fellow-Muslims, on the other are the stark changes in the mind of the young blood, who tends towards fanaticism, wrongly influenced by the self-proclaimed ‘Islamic-know-it-all’! There is also another who falls prey to injustice due to racial discrimination.

Set across three countries (continents) – Pakistan, England and USA – the time spans between pre 9/11 and ends around end of 2002. It depicts various facets of Muslim lifestyle - rich family in Pakistan with a mix of traditional and liberal values, double standards of a UK-settled Muslim, stuck to his orthodox beliefs and status symbol, conditions of women during the Taliban regime in Afghanistan, radical (fanatic) Maulana and his sermons on the dos and don’ts in Islam, American investigator whose perceptions of Muslims are clouded by 9/11 and brilliant characterization of a spiritually elevated Maulana (played by Naseeruddin Shah) whose understanding of the religion paves way for the viewers to comprehend. He is shown to be a renowned Maulana, who has a pragmatic approach to Islam and is in love with his Islamic wel-being. Some of the best dialogues come from him. Below is the one of the scenes that best portrays various angles on the misuse of Islam:

His dialogues represent the hypocrisy that exists not only in the religion but more so, those who interpret it without any true knowledge. Creating a lasting impact among its viewers, the makers of this movie illustrate the role of Islam in present day. While the world is witness to the battle between Islaam and ‘Other Religions’, this movie attempts to objectively define the religion per se and points out what it theoretically lacks. It does not provide all the answers but sets the agenda for the audience to question.

To USC....and to my Own!

One of the aspects (not sure positive or negative) about venturing into professional world is how we feel about revisiting our college days. I recently revisited my college days when we went to see A’s Alma-Mater - University of Southern California - and obviously those nostalgic moments did make me want to go back to that life. Although a Saturday, there were a lot of activities happening around campus. Guess the term weekend exists only outside of campus life! The atmosphere provided all the freedom any James Dean could ask for and yet it proved to be the strongest restrainer! While some students were basking in the summer sun, others were busy working their way out through assignments and deadlines. The campus shared a sense of belonging and yet in all the camaraderie, there also appeared to be a deep sense of isolation. Exploring vast structures of USC including the Library, the Silent Chapel and the Computer Centers and hearing wacky instances of students staying overnight at these facilities to create amazing things was fun and can imagine it to be an essential part of the college experience.

This made me go back to the first day of my university life and reflecting on the same reminded me that while at college, you get to ‘know about’ many but you ‘know’ very few. Guess it is realizing a thin line between an acquaintance and a friend, which often you think you have crossed it when you really haven’t. And that, what any MBA professor would teach you about human relations, time management and effective spending, college life lets you evolve it practically.

One of the most intriguing concepts I learnt about was the entire world of Fraternity and Sorority (totally alien to me!). While all institutions have a ‘group’ culture, this by-far beats them all! Right from the names they have – Phi Beta, Alpha Kappa, Delta and so on – they ceremonize their existence, some have an anthem and represent virtues with apparent history to their ‘past’! They were formed to provide community initiative and create social responsibility but down the years, this has filtered to become more sophisticated and there exists a lot of peer pressure…wherein group members are discouraged from interacting with those who are deemed ‘uncool’ by their set ‘standards’! Not sure how this would dampen the overall spirit of the university, my guess is those who can’t be bothered with this would anyways have the time of their lives! While am sure being part of such a group would change one's life, it may not necessarily be the life for all!

As we drove away from USC with a nascent haze of nostalgia, I look back at all that my University did for me – and understand!

Citius Altius Fortius - For Tibet!

That’s the motto of the Olympic Games, in Latin, meaning – Swifter, Higher, Stronger. Today, the Olympic Torch – carrying the motto of the game around the globe – made its odyssey run in San Francisco, a day after its arrival in the city (and Northern America).

Fortunate enough to be a part of this event, it sure was an intriguing experience for me. While the world watched this event, it was also witness to the ongoing protest by the Tibetans. There were thousands of people at this event – local residents who must have skipped work, students, performers, tourists (like me) who happened to be in the city and hundreds of protesters marching around. Glimpse of the event shown below:

Tibetans protesting (not the torch relay but the overall Beijing Olympics) the event must have come from far and wide. Some of the protest hoardings shown below:

To all my Tibetan Friends especially Chenga and Tensing, the world is watching and supporting the fight for your rights.

CILTIUS, ALTIUS, FORTIUS
Am sure your efforts will bear the fruits soon!

To the West Coast - Via Virgin!

Traveling from the East to the West Coast in the US seems like going to another country – long flight and a different time zone! But having taken Virgin America to fly to the west coast was indeed a fascinating experience. We had heard good reviews about the airline and considering the other competitors are not even worth mentioning, this one did stand out from the lot. Of course, I did have a bad experience with my luggage earlier on with this airline so wasn't sure but the deal was worth considering.

The moment you enter the aircraft, what strikes you is the cool lighting – blue/pink/purple - and hip-hop music playing in the background. It almost feels like entering a lounge. The crew members are most friendly and not to forget, the sense of humor they carry with them.

The safety video before take-off brings a smile on your face and makes you want to actually watch it!

The airline seems technologically advanced compared to the other airlines. Each seat has a power-plug in for electronic devices. Since there was no WIFI, it wasn’t much use but I can imagine this facility to be utilized by lots of business travelers. There are personal screens that provide decent entertainment including regular TV news updates. One can even chat from one seat to the other. Like all other airlines, Virgin too does not provide in-flight meals and this means one has to buy them in the aircraft. So an interesting feature is how you can actually order from your seat screen and your meal gets served to you asap! For instance, you navigate into the food section, select from a list of options, add to the shopping cart, swipe the credit card and voila, you have your order delivered on your seat! I personally thought this was the coolest feature to have in the airline and soon perceive other airlines following suit. So overall, the journey was pretty decent - oh but we did have an episode with our luggage (again) and hopefully, we should have it delivered soon.

Cherry Blossoms

So the Cherry Blossoms have arrived and it is time for everyone around D.C. (and lots of tourists from other destinations) to take a trip around the Mall area for the blossom viewing.

Families, friends, couples, singles and all those young in spirit visit this fortnightly blooming site – the so-called Cherry Blossom.

Apparently, more than 3,000 Japanese cherry trees were originally donated by the Mayor of Tokyo to the people of Washington in 1912 with the aim of strengthening friendship between the two countries. It is said that the Americans responded this gesture by gifting flowering dogwood trees to Japan. Not sure of how that is celebrated, I would focus on the Cherry Blossoms.

Each spring, the little trees bloom and convert the Tidal Basin near Jefferson memorial (the most popular site to view the blossoms) into a beautiful assortment of white, pink and green. Walk alongside the Potomac thus becomes a ritual.

Typically, this is the time when the place sees a bunch of activities from kite flying, musical programs, marathon, parades and sometimes even a wedding ceremony. One gets a view of the city policemen at their best, not to forget the huge trashcans, and mobile restrooms (haven't captured that though!).

There is communal spirit along the paths and lot of just simple fun, and of course the bloomed blossoms. One can hear the clicking of camera all through the stretch and people in gasping at the beauty.

Photographers with their tripods choose the perfect spots to capture good shots. We did not have that but did manage some decent moments.

Some also take this time to view the popular memorials surrounding the place –Roosevelt, Lincoln and Jefferson Of course! The others are visited but not many cherry blossoms there.

While one may see these every year, I personally feel worth it year after year, when done with friends and family.

Fallingwater

It sounds quite odd to tell someone that we went to view someone’s ‘summer house’ but it was indeed a pleasant opportunity to visit Frank Llyod Wright’s (FLW) Fallingwater, located at Bear Run, close to Pittsburgh. The drive from DC to Pittsburgh was most scenic and strangely, the colour of the roads added a picturesque view to the journey.

The weather could not have been better than what we had and thus made it a perfect day out. Considering it was the first day of the opening of the house since winter - March 15 - we wanted to book the tickets online but that involved a service charge per ticket as well as specifying the time of the tour. Since we only had an approximate time of arrival, we preferred to get the tickets on reaching there. However, when we got there, we found out that online timing was only to get an estimate of the visitors for that day. So it did not really matter for what time you purchased the tickets so long as one reaches the same day.

We took a regular tour of the house that was built for Edgar J. Kaufmann (well-known businessman) by FLW. This mainly involved a tour of the various rooms, view of its original furnishings, fine art, books, artifacts, paintings and unique collection of artistic works. Through this, one could gauge the lifestyle of the family. It was interesting to not that although the house was built way back in 1939, it was designed in a style, contemporary of today’s age and time. Taking cognizance of the surrounding landscape, the house was built in a cantilever structure lining with the river and most beautifully, allowing the river to flow from ‘under’ the house.

One could take a glance at this through the stairs that run down the riverbed (or should I say that the stairs rise up the flowing river)! This seemed to fit most naturally into the ambience of the house with the sound of the waterfall as being the highlight of my tour around the house. Another favourite aspect of the excursion was how the house fit perfectly within the landscape to allow for the flora and fauna blend into the construction as if for the viewer to believe that it has always belonged there!

Five Dangerous Things

An interesting video showcasing a-little-more-than Five Dangerous Things you SHOULD let your Children do. While the title can be intriguing, what Gever Tulley is highlighting is that allowing children the freedom to explore will make them stronger, smarter and infact, safer! I shall allow the video to do the talking:

Its Springtime!

Apparently, yesterday – March 20 – was the first day of Spring! While I was keen on witnessing a good snowfall around the area (no hard feelings to those surviving the snow in bitter conditions), it is nice to see a change in the air. Birds are chirping, one gets to see kids out in the open and the buds are beginning to bloom. After nearly four months of cold and long nights, Spring is here to bring sunlight and longer days. There is also some pleasant rain that brings in fresh air to the surroundings. A major attraction I cannot wait to see are the Cherry Blossoms too! Some symbolize Spring to beginning of life and hope; a bit clichéd I guess but it sure does bring in colour, hope and for a change, we can now open up our windows and let the cool breeze set in. It is time for heavy clothes to be stacked away (for a while) and thankfully, that feels lighter to the body too.

Coming from Mumbai, one is exposed to ideally three kinds of weather – Summer (cruel), Monsoon (personal favourite) and Winter (do we have one?). The concept of Spring was thus alien and in a way, an intriguing experience. One witnesses garage sales, barbecue parties and shorter clothes. Youngsters on skateboards and rollerblades, convertibles rolled down, Easter eggs and of course, Daylight Saving Time. I hope life gets better with the caress of this season.

Micro-Lending Enters USofA

A few weeks ago, the front page of Financial Times carried an article announcing that the Grameen Bank from Bangladesh has entered the US Markets, setting shop in Queens, NYC.

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/d05bb6d2-dc30-11dc-bc82-0000779fd2ac.html

Its main clientele would currently include lending to the disadvantaged women population and then expanding into other areas. A third-world bank lending money to the world’s richest country! Ironical yet so true!

The bank was created with the principle of lending those stuck in the BPL Trap –the ‘below poverty line’ – those not even considered within the closest circumference of the normal bankers. It is to nudge those who have no security, beggars on the roads so to say, those who have never managed $100 finance. It is to lift lives of these kinds of people that the idea of micro-finance was born. Named as one of the greatest entrepreneurs of the current age and time, Professor Mohammed Yunus pioneered micro-credit. There are loads of websites and innumerable resources behind the Man, his vision and his commitment.

Not going into those details, I too wonder (with my miniscule knowledge of the global markets) whether Grameen Bank could, as stated in the article, ‘make an impact in the US where the credit is widely available and businesses and tax systems were much trickier to navigate than in developing countries’? Will the strategies of Micro-Credit work in the country that fell into the hands of the mortgage meltdown? Is such a lending possibility about to pave way for a revolution in a country that has been knocked down due to the (ahem) subprime options?

Having read up a bit on the subprime credit, it appears that both, microfinance and subprime function on similar objectives i.e. lending those with no access and both have lower rates of interest. The fascinating aspect would be to really see how, despite these factors that failed the subprime, the micro-credit principles, that flamed to success across South Asia and Africa (among others too), build its model in the developed world. There is no doubt that Professor Yunus has moved this world ahead and a classic example of ‘One Individual Making a Difference at the Macro Level’ – in this case, tackling global poverty!

He has indeed, consolidated and about to conquer! So really, Kudos to him for his motives, his compassion and conviction in engaging people to take action and also, in entering the West, at the precision of time and age!

The Truth Shall Set Us Free

As I think about an intellectual figure that has most influenced my philosophical and political thinking (not too inclined though), there is one person who flashes in my mind. Not even closely related to me (except for my maiden second name I inherit from my ancestors which we both happen to share), I do know of him because I have read about him in my history books and I am beginning to know of him more closely, while reading the book ‘Mohandas: A True Story of a Man, his People and an Empire’ by his grandson Rajmohan Gandhi. I have seen the movie where Ben Kingsley played his part. I have seen his statues in my city and his photographs that often adorn magazines and newspapers. I see him in postal Stamps, in currency notes. He is an idol I would have loved to meet, and a role model whose principles I aim to follow. Almost every city in India has a colony or a street named after him. This is Mahatma Gandhi for the world, and Father of this Nation for me. Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi was born in 1869 and lives forever.

Wonder why is he known as Mahatma? Is it because he had the key part to play for India’s independence? I do not think so and I am sure that if his soul is reading this, he too would disagree on that. Reading this book answers my question. He is a man who stood by his words and his ground for what he truly believed in. He indeed fought for what he believed in. It must have surely been a remarkable victory using the weapon of Ahimsa (non-violence) to attain independence. I admire him for his courage. To add to that, his simple lifestyle and absolute standards that made a lasting impact on a lot of people of his time. Almost an entire nation was ready to follow him at his call.

Reading through the book, one finds shocking revelations in the life of the Mahatma. He has written those in his own autobiography ‘My Experiments with Truth’. Over all, you will see that he was just a common person like you and me are. During his boyhood days, he took to some barbaric habits (according to me) and filled with guilt, even decided on ending his life. He even seeks forgiveness in a letter of confession of his crimes to his father. The book talks about his life in London – with situations leading to live up to the typical standards of Englishmen and not indulging in those due to his words given to his mother.

One incident that I remember reading about (not sure if it was in his autobiography or some other), not yet mentioned in this book, about a lady who brought her son to Gandhiji. Her son’s craving for sugar troubled her. The boy just wouldn’t stop. Gandhiji told the woman to bring the child back in a week’s time. When the woman approached Gandhiji after a week, Gandhiji just told the boy to stop the habit and he did. When asked as to why he took a week, he said something to the effect that if he were to tell someone to stop something, he himself had to stop it.

Only a Mahatma could do that. Without a blink of an eye I would agree that he indeed is a Mahatma. For the Mahatma, truth was his principle, his religion and devotion. Not just in India, many in the West refer him as an example for truth and honesty. If simplicity was his lifestyle, you can see that in many of the books written about him. Indeed, his Life was his Message and in there, we find some of the best examples of Truth That Shall Set Us Free!