Girls aloud

That I don't write pseudo-intellectual stuff is not new news. But I just scrolled down my blog posts and realized I haven't cribbed in a while. So I think its time I do write something chick-like.

To start with, what's it with Modi? So the run-up to elections 2009 has indeed been pathetic in terms of the mud-slinging, but he's reached new lows that I didn't think were possible after his historical performance. So he took back his statement that the COngress is a 125 years old budhiya (old woman), and called it a party of gudiyas (dolls). Its typical of inward looking, older Indian men to think women aren't capable of much. But when a person aspiring to be the PM says something like this, one can be assured its not going to be fun living in a country rules by them.

On this note, I'm amused at how the MCP bug bites men across the nation, regardless of age, education or their roots. I used to think this was a Punjabi thing, but not really- its true of men, and even some women, from all over the country. I see several such monkeys in my immediate surroundings, who are still trying to convince themselves that women who work are making a clear trade-off between their careers and traditional roles (family etc). And when they do see women balance both, which is almost always, they start acting all restive about it. Like, "yaar, mujhse aisi ladki nahi sambhal ti" or "Yaar, she's too aggressive". And really, I didn't think I'd see it this day and age. I haven't been much of a feminist, because never felt the need for it until I went to business school. But thereafter I faced several incidents when I've had to defend my type (read: women). Whether it was to explain that women at the IIMs often get the cool jobs not because they wear skirts, but also because there are indeed jobs which they are equally well suited to. This was in fact the funniest one I heard at the business school- that because a company hired 2 women and 2 men, from a school where the sex ratio was 1:6, it meant the company was biased. For a company to hire an equal number of women and men for their internship doesn't mean women have it easier. Why should a recruiter care what the sex ratio is? They'll recruit whoever they want. The sad part is there are several non-skirt type women who feel the same way too. I loved how my neighbor at IIM(who was indeed one of the smarter and hotter ones) countered it by saying "Just because I'm hot and I'm smart, men resent it".

The other one is when men in bars assume women who're in there with them are loose. This is more true of Delhi and of late, Mangalore. I went to the Golden Dragon with Papa last Saturday. I chose Chinese tea while he went with his Beer. Mid-way, I got tempted by his beer and asked the waiter aloud to get me another mug so I could share a bit of Papa's drink. This bunch of middle aged guys sitting next to us immediately started reacting violently, and eventually one of them, who was pretty damn drunk, got up, walked towards me, turned to look at his friends and said "Its time to take things in your hands". Papa isn't one to shut up in these situations. He's quite the fighter army types. He promptly got up and reprimanded the drunken fellow about it, asking him to talk to him not me. Before we realized, the entire restaurant's attention was on us. Of course, the 'taking things in their hands types' got quite frightened and apologized saying they were talking amongst themselves and evasively said they didn't imply anything on us. Within minutes, they scurried out of the restaurant.

Last example for the day. I was waiting for Papa to pick me up at the airport the other day (its so cute when he texts me to cancel the cab because he wants to drive to the airport to get me) , and this 45-types dude standing next to his wife, kept staring at my shirt. It was a white office shirt, so obviously slightly transparent. Our man didn't just look- he leched, relentlessly while his wife kept looking away, trying to locate their cab. He stopped when I walked up to him and said "Uncle, aap ko sharam nahi aa rahi, mein aapse 20 saal chhoti hoon, aur aap dekhi jaa rahe hain. Main yahan 10 minutes aur hoon- kya aap dekhna band karonge, ya, fir main police bulaoon". The wife didn't look amused and I left her to take care of the rest of the situation

I used to get rather worked up earlier, and would begin a row, fully prepared for it to turn in to a bitter, and possibly physical fight too. Now, I don't try as much. That's the one upshot of EVERYONE getting married. The chauvinists find the types that keep them happy, and we have to deal with their frustrated behavior less frequently.

I'm watching 90210 on Star World. Its a Monday and I'm home. There's no better time to be unstaffed than during the elections drama.