Super Funny Indian Dance Video....

This is the funniest wedding dance video I've seen in ages!! :-) Enjoy!!

The Phase

is when I do everything well, when I follow time lines, accomplish tasks, I do everything to run away from the one thing that probably needs most of my attention, time and devotion. This just dawned on me as I continued to surprise myself with all the things that were getting done. To escape the ultimate, I am excelling with the trivialities. Note to self, run the other way, we live on a globe.

Nagins in Bollywood 101

You know you are faced with a Nagin from bollywood if:

1. AMORPHOUS: It can assume any shape and form possible, (even a skeleton bride, 6:46)
   major giveaway: if you catch it converting from human to snake or snake to human.. that pretty much seals the deal example
2. LIGHT COLORED EYES UPON OCCASION: When mad or excited or angry .. its eyes turn blue.. or gray.
   
3. BIN/PUNGI: If you play the bin anywhere around it, it will try to resist but will eventually give in by dancing, like so .. clickity , or this , more, you get the idea. Note the cobra like hand gesture... VERY important for a nagin dance.
   
4. RELIGIOUS: It hangs around Lord Shiva's idol.
5. AGILE: It can do anything! dodge bullets, withstand lightening, appear, disappear ... anything
6. MONOGAMOUS:It practices monogamy and loves to dance with it's companion, rolling around and slithering like movements, references : clickity clack
   
7. AVENGEFUL: If you kill its loved one ... particularly the naag it will avenge you. How does it know who killed the naag you ask? Simple! it sees the picture of the murdered in the dead naag's eyes, as explained here (1:37)
   
8. MANI: It knows where the mani is at.. now mani is the jewel that can supposedly make a snake charmer or sage or saint or saadhoo or just about anyone rich.. how you ask ? Well, since none of the idiots in any of the movies have found it .. it remains to be answered... all we know is that its really shiny and bright enough to make the night seem like day.
   
9. SNAKE BABIES: If you fall in love with one, your spawn are likely to become one. That's if you don't eat them.
   
10. AMRISH PURI: Nagin in bollywood movies usually has a contender who will play the bin and intice it and try to get the nagin to reveal the mani's location and that guy will most likely be Amrish Puri. Unfortunately, we don't have that luxury anymore, Jaani dushman (new one) is the last such movie that saw him in this character.
    

Not long ago, I sat down to revise my Nagin IQ by watching the great classic Nagina which is the single most popular Nagin movie. As a friend noticed my undivided attention toward the screen, he interjected with great curiosity as "Mai teri dushman (I'm your enemy)" played , amrish puri blowed and sri devi gyrated..

Friend: Whoa why is she dancing like that?
Moi: That's a popular dance buddy ...
Friend: Is she mad she doesn't have one?
Moi: doesn't have what?
Friend: No GINA
Moi speechless....

...

Mom, I'm on my Period...

Oh no! Ok, don't touch my madi sari (a sari she wears to pray in). Do NOT touch or use these utensils in the kitchen. When you're in the pooja (prayer) room, don't go near any of the idols or the praying items. MOST important thing, make sure that you take a head bath on your 4th AND the 5th day of your period before you pray in front of god. You're not allowed to pray on the 1-4th days. Only started to allow to pray on the 5th day.

Uhhm, ok mom.

Why are you giving me that look? You're having it much easier that me. When I was growing, no one was even supposed to touch us at home. If someone touched me when I was on my period, even accidentally, they would have to take a bath IMMEDIATELY! We would be in a corner in the house, NO ONE outside the house was allowed to touch us also ok? The whole gully (street) would know when a girl was on her period.

Sigh.

Don't sigh! Where are your traditions? You have to respect god. You can't go in front of him when you're not pure.

Being on my period doesn't mean I'm impure mom. God knows when I'm on my period, so why these rules that don't make sense?

You don't know anything! It is not respectful to go in front of god when you're not pure.

Why the taboo around a woman's period? It's as natural as breathing, sleeping, eating. It's something every girl/woman goes through. In this day and age, why should a woman be feared if she is on her period? Why should poojas be stopped? In many current cases, why can she not be touched in the house she is currently residing in? Why can't I pray if I choose to in a temple?

My grandparents happen to be very orthodox. My first experience of having a period in India was.., a learning experience... We had plans to go to Tirupathi (a holy mecca sort of a place for Hindus). But since I got my period, I wasn't allowed to go. On top of that, it meant that my parents were still going and I had to stay back with my grandparents. Grandma made me sit in a corner in the house and at times, I was asked to leave the house for a bit while grandpa was praying. Having a presence of a girl on her period was impure. No one was allowed to touch me.

Scenario mentioned above with my mom is one of the many arguments that run in the house that I currently live in. Every month I get my gift from "God", mom freaks out. Makes SURE I take a head bath on the 4th 5th whatever day. And mom's right. She had it a lot harder when she was growing up. I tell myself that I'll try not to be the same way like my mom if I have kids. Maybe I'll be all the more liberal.

But again, why the taboo? A part of me is god-fearing as well. Is it bad karma to disrespect my parents and ancestors' rules? Would god punish me for going to the temple on my 'off' days? Breaking the barrier of having the freedom to go to the temple when I'm on my period seems to be just as hard of an ordeal like many of the other racial, economic, environmental problems that are going on in the world lately. It's hard to urge my mom and dad to change. It's hard to explain the formula of "women on her period = just women, not impure women".

Time shall tell on whether I'll have the courage to break this barrier if and when it comes to my daughter's first period.

Period.

Burning Man... this year )"( ???

Ok, so I've heard a lot about Burning Man. Some people say it's artistic, spiritual, bonding, soul-searching sort of event... others describe it to be drugged out, naked people, too hot, sandstorms, crazy times... (don't know if this batch has ever been). So after a motivating speech from a co-worker, I have decided to give this thought and now I really want to go.. so much so that I have even started to think about what exactly will I be doing there and potential art work that I can create there... But before it's set in stone .. I need some accounts, experiences, suggestions, warnings all of that from people.. so if you got something that might impact my decision, comment! If I know you, mention if you'd be interested in going.. cuz one thing is for sure.. I am NOT going alone.. and I need a group ... BIG group.

WHAT A GIRL WANTS- THE POTENTIAL BRIDEGROOM CHRONICLES

wise men hv said, "shaadi barbaadi hoti hai". nothing truer was ever said, especially wen it cums 2 d girl im abt to describe below...
she is a common frend of bra n i...obviously, shez a product f salwan...
SHE EARNS ONE LAKH RUPEES EVERY MONTH...D MOST IMP POINT...

nw to sm trivial details...
currently she weighs close to 150 kgs n has an ass d likes f a marshy swamp dat even shrek{ d ogre} wud b proud to reside in....though i may add dat she is fair n has a well carved face...add a few inches in height n subtract a few miles f d waistline, she surely wud b d heidi klum f rajinder nagar...


nehw...nw dis girl proposed 2 my frend...
he is handsm...not fat...earns well...
my frend n dis girl had bn frends for quite sm time nw n they had a "my best frends marriage" kinda super gay pact f gettin married if they didnt find ne1 else n all dat{ oops...sorry.. i gotta go vomit..}
whoooooa....m bk..

nw...here 4 ur kind perusal plz ladies n gentlemen....is d proposal....
nah...dats lame too...
wats super interesting n sublimely insightful r d conditionalities or prerequisites dat she put forward...
heres a sample-----
1...d guy Must Not hv more dan one sibling...
2...if he hs a sister, she shud b married...
3...if he hs a brothr, he shud b married too but nt stayin wid d guy...
4...post marriage, he shud leave his parents...
5...he shud nt hv a flat higher dan d second floor...

my frend hs since committed suicide...
please...TWO MINUTE KA MAUN...AATMA KI SHAANTI KE LIYE...

[ ACTOR P.O.V X ] Come watch MADHAVI naatak's next hindi play

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*** Discount period ends THURSDAY NIGHT ( Jan 29th) !!! ***

*** Both VIP and General seats will be assigned in the order tickets are purchased, so buy early to get the best seats. ***

*** Read the MADHAVI preview on Water, No Ice***

NAATAK
presents its 29th production

Bhisham Sahni's
MADHAVI
(Hindi)

Directed by Abhishek Das
Produced by Shubhra Prakash

SHOW TIMES
13th February, Friday 8 pm
14th February, Saturday 6 pm
15th February, Sunday 3 pm

Cubberley Theater
4000 Middlefield Rd , Palo Alto , CA 94303

TICKETS
Until Jan 29, General $15, VIP $25
After Jan 29, General $20, VIP $35
VIP tickets include preferential assigned seating and complimentary snacks.
Both VIP and General seats will be assigned in the order tickets are purchased, so buy early to get the best seats.
Children under 8 will not be admitted.
Buy online at www.naatak.com
Or email tickets@naatak. com
Or call Soumya, 408 425 2647

ABOUT THE PLAY
Madhavi recounts a tale from the Mahabharat. Munikumar Galav must
fulfill a promise made to his guru, while the sage Yayati must live up
to his reputation for generosity. Both achieve their ends through
Madhavi, who lives in these two worlds of male pride, blessed with the
ability to regain her youth at will, and the promise that she will
give birth to great kings.

ABOUT NAATAK
Naatak is a San Francisco Bay Area-based theater group dedicated to
producing creative and thought-provoking plays. Since its founding in
1995 by students at UC Berkeley and Stanford, Naatak has staged 28
productions in English, Hindi and Tamil. For more information, visit www.naatak.com.

Are we blind? Or just sick in our heads

3 things I have heard in the news this week that have instilled frustration, angst, helplessness and confusion in my conscience.

1). Madoff gets temporary bail?
Seriously? The guy who single-handedly flushed a huge part of our financial stability down the toilet is getting bail? Why? We are bold enough to arrest people we have no proof of violating the law and we take them to a godforsaken place to torture them and turn their lives upside down and break them in a way they cannot be put back again... all to find out .. the person had nothing to do with the crime and Madoff get's bail?

2). Blagojevich is going to work everyday?
I guess they are waiting for when he will show up at the airport with a head scarf and a long beard and islamic outfit ... or when he will change his skin color to black and act shady with his homies at a train station .. before they arrest or accidently shoot him... till then those tapes about how he is about to sell Obama's senate seat ... to the highest bidder .....sorry not good enough.

3). Stop the rockets and Israel will stop.
Bush throughout Israel's occupation of Gaza has said .. it is upto Hamas to stop the conflict, they need to stop firing rockets. I am not one to figure out whose fault it really is... but by simple math and logic. Latest stats say

13 Israelis dead . 3 civillians 10 soldiers
919 Gazans dead... and counting.. there are children in these casualties...