All work and no play has made very dumb Jacks

This is a sad fact. You ask any Indian IT tagged poor soul and the sorry state of affairs is that they do not have any answer for 'So, what do you do apart from work?'. The oft repeated answer is, "Oh, there isn't much time left to do anything after work and housekeeping". This, I speak chiefly about the Indian IT worker who comes under the Outsourcing yoke.

It also sadly reflects this strange Indian mentality that actually makes one feel guilty about treating yourself well. (Wonder what breed those Government servants are!!) Why in the name of divinity, do we have to feel sorry about not working over a damn weekend? And is talking about how long you stayed up in the night talking to your 'offshore' team the biggest of your brags? Quite literally, it sucks... the life out of you. In fact, many even subscribe to the idea that being paid in dollars mandates an output of 2.5 'resources' (not persons, mind ye all) out of one hapless soul. In fact, I neither empathise nor sympathise with those that feel this way!

I wonder why self development is not emphasized outside of work in this regard. Are we creating a bunch of technical, geeky, overworked dumb Jacks with bad postures, sorry tempers and even sadder respect for oneself. And dont even get me started on their idea of the various uses of time. It's 1 or 0. Work. Or sleep.

I could ramble on further, but it's just a nice day and I dont want to dawdle on that. Hmmph.

Woman of Today

I dont know if I have this one completely wrong. I am willing to check my premises if necessary. But as of now, I do not understand the women's lib (so nicknamed) movement. I recently attended the South Asian Womens' Film Festival. The theme was centered around 'celebrating South Asian Women'. And I failed to identify with it, or understand the exact goal of the exercise. (And not to mention, I am both, South Asian, and Woman) With due regard to the organizers, the participants and the subjects, I still want to know what we are building this on. The show had some interesting dance sequences, both modern and classical; an excerpt from the writings of a Pakistani woman which was very very well written; a naration from 'Vagina Monologues' and so on. There was a documentary on lesbian marriages espcially in the Indian cultural context. Two Indian women who have taken this step and gone to court fighting for Lesbian marriages to be legalised were interviewed. I do commend their step.

However, I felt more strongly about the various women from Islamic countries and even several Indian communities who do not get the same privileges as their male siblings.

And yet, I do not see the need for us 'privileged' women to celebrate our womanhood anymore. Not those women who have not ever borne the brunt of being discriminated against (I, for instance). Also, which social section are programmes like these targetting. And what is the goal? To create awareness? If it is to raise funds and take a step towards liberating some of our less advantaged fellow women, that will be more understandable. But to make a big deal out of belonging to one out of two genders is not easy for me to understand. I fully sympathise with the socially challenged and oppressed women who need support. But I sincerely think this also goes way beyond a bunch of privileged women being 'aware' of it.

At the same time, same sex / lesbian marriages do not figure under womens' issues for me. I dont see it as any different from gay marriages. Yes, it makes a difference that these preferences meet with a lot more resistance in the context of South Asian cultural biases and often, narrow mindedness. But surely it's not the same as not having the same rights as men in a given social segment.

This is not a disclaimer, but I really want to know what most girls who harp on the 'I am proud to be a woman' theme. I dont have anything against anyone being proud of anything they are /do or prefer, but I refuse to subscribe to saying that for the heck of it.

Hmmph. There are gender differences and they will remain. But that's another topic again.